Sri Lanka Guardian

The Cost of Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Days I spent at the RFK Centre, with those who desired personal liberty and freedom

| by Nilantha Ilangamuwa

( May 23, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Change cannot be achieved by forcing others to accept the world that you have conceptualized as per your will, desire and imagination, but it happens through the attitudes that you improved throughout the work which you engaged in and created a space where others can observe your work without hesitation or burden. The legacy of the late Robert F. Kennedy is before us to understand the shift of paradigm of personal liberty and anxiety of society where violence is playing a major role in decision making. His logic on freedom is inspiring not only in the United States but throughout the world. His understanding of the reality of human being is informative and prophetically enthusiastic.

Let us unite, to make the world for the people who have no space to raise their voice, whose rights have been buried in the slum of absolute power and injustice. Let us sing our song of rights among the communities where people can come up with fresh ideas to change the society currently controlled by the tyrant. It will wipe out our sorrows, and tears of sadness while generating a hope in hapless souls.

I felt like screaming when I was returning to the place where I was staying, after spending hours watching a documentary on homophobia in Uganda. Uganda is one of the countries in the world, which continuously contributes to nightmares of human in the pages of world’s history. The movie was screened by the Robert F. Kennedy, Centre for Justice and Human Rights, Europe,( RFK Centre) based in Florence. My aim in this article is not to talk about the homophobia in Uganda or reviewing the documentary but to try to understand the common realities that most violence based societies are facing Idi Amin Dada had to run away after he cleaved the human flesh by his tiger teeth; Joshep Koni , the man who destroyed thousands of children’s future has gone hiding somewhere in the hideout in a neighboring country after contributing the worst of bloody sins to history. Do these make real change? No.

Decrease in the number of killings doesn’t make any difference if the society has to sleep with the ghosts of the old devil. It is an illusion if someone thinks that society will be changed when the enemy has lost his ground. The devil is non-other than the production of the slippery slope which has taken by the current-generation. It is a smokescreen if someone believes that they can make change without identifying root causes which influence social disorder. Like in many countries from Latin America to Asia, Africa and Central Europe, Idi Amin as well as Koni were products of the system.

It was last weekend that media reported that former Argentine dictator Jorge Videla died in prison. Videla was the man responsible for 30,000 killings in the country after he grabbed power in a military coup in which he overthrew Isabel Martinez De Peron. Over five years of his rule, his ambition was none other than an elimination of the authentic political critiques and those who opposed the dictatorship. What we are seeing today is how the same scenarios are repeating albeit in different forms.

Blood has flown on and on and on, respect and loyalty of humanity has constantly gone down; personal liberty has been on decline. Killing of an enemy has become common habit of man. Difference between Animal and Human is vanishing. The social disorder which cost us our loved ones lives while gifting us trauma has not changed and perhaps political egoism has risen over everything.

Mary Kerry Kennedy with young Human Rights Defencers and Journalists at the RFK Center in Florance

What we can see in most of societies is the gravity of suffering, tears of sorrow, nightmares of hopelessness. When man lost touch with his humanity, he had no reason to walk along the higher path. Thus he turns into the status of loopy in the middle and looks around to see where his fellow citizens are. When man lost his meaning of life he can do nothing but scream till his last breath. Victor Frank’s Man Search for Meaning was addressed as follows. “Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible,” Frankl noted.

What we are seeing in many countries categorized as “developing nations”, is the common reality of suffering! Institutional collapse! Loss of hope of life while accepting that “social change” is impossible. This is the most common tragedy that we can observer in our motherlands. In our society, desire to fight against absolute power has been opposed by the culture of silence.

In the few hours before I departed the RFK Centre I had quick but rational discussions with my colleagues from Zimbabwe, Burma (Myanmar) and our trainer who from Iran, who lives in Germany. For security reasons I doubt that I can disclose their identities but their thoughts and ground experiences gave me a clearer picture about those countries. “Problem is not only the regime or the particular party that rules the country, but also the fake dissents who are always sitting in front of the computer and distorting public will, and creating false assumptions of the crisis,” said one participant. “During the referendum in Zimbabwe, there was a man who was an appointed journalist by the BBC. He wanted to tell the world that there is election violence going on; what he did was, to take a few posters from oppositions and burnt them, and filmed it. So couple of minutes later he reported that there is election violence going on in the particular area”, went on to add. We see similar pattern with most of the non-governmental organizations.

It is very sad to say, “most of the NGOs, are neither based on freedom nor justice, but contributing to the mafia,” one of my friends from Cuba who is currently based in Serbia said. We must understand that we need proper discussion on the present trends of NGOs; therefore it’s time to change bad reputation that they have earned in the last decades. It is pretty clear that the person who is engaged in NGO activities is an easy target in most developing countries. “No one called or enquire about me when the police arrested me and kept me in custody for many hours. But if the police arrested top level NGO person it will become a lead story in the country. I do not expect anything but at least there must be a common understanding and respect between those who are engaging in grass root activities”, a colleague from Zimbabwe said.

Enemies within enemies, crisis within crisis, chaos within chaos has been emerging in many countries. We are trying to understand strength of personalities, strength of adversaries and our allies among communities while caged in our own world. Do we really desire to solve the problem? I doubt. It seems that most “activists” want to keep these chaotic problems alive, therefore they fear that they will lose something if the problems were solved. It is very hard to think about future unless we engage in clinical exercises and deep discussions in the field and its future.

In my interview with Martini Gabriele, a courageous journalist who works for the Lastampa, one of bestselling national dailies in Florence, I touched briefly, about social disorder in Sri Lanka. It was late 80s when the Government of Sri Lanka brutally eliminated the Sinhalese youth rebellion (also known as the JVP second uprising) in which more than 30,000 people disappeared. It was my childhood experience to see half burnt dead bodies lying down on the roadside while scattering the bad smell of carrions into the air. Later, during the conflict between the State and the Tamil Tigers surfaced the same bitterness of inhuman – uncivilized habits of mankind. Neither the government nor the Tigers can justify their violence through the cause of restoring the country’s peace or achieving dream of homeland respectively.

On May 19 the Rajapaksa government celebrated the fourth year anniversary of the victory against the Tamil Tigers. During the last four years nothing we earned but few roads and wetland parks from China, and at the same time the president has managed to destroy sovereignty of all the institutions of the state while dragging all forms of power into the folds of his family. Putting in jail former Army general, just because of he was contesting the election from the opposition party, and sacking a first lady Chief Justice from her office just because the lady exercised her judicial powers against injustice are prime examples of that looter’s desire for power.

When the worm has mud of slum to crawl and hide from enemies, it will be safe as long as it lives. But at certain time hungry kingfisher will understand where worm is. The hungry worm can eat everything around it but will be trapped when the kingfisher sees it. In a same way, the tyrant has power to play as long as he is the master in his surroundings. He will be the tyrant as long as people around him are blindfolded. As they say in Chinese traditional wisdom, “the water can stabilize or destabilize the ship”.

The days I share with colleagues who honestly reveal themselves and their activities, allow me to think twice about the work that we are engaged in. The RFK centre, a newly born knowledge hub, makes it possible for us to think beyond the boundaries. It has given an opportunity to think, and expand our network globally. The RFK is well respected institution in the country, and it has powerful network to spread their vision globally.

I could do no better than quote serge words of Fredrick Douglas; “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” The RFK has fulfilled the dream of people who desire to earn knowledge. Those who have knowledge will strengthen the desire that community has for freedom. That is how personal liberty originates while giving red alarm to the “unjust” to find its way out.

Who are we? What are we up to? As late Robert F. Kennady said; “our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.”

Let us unite, as Gloria Reuben, a well-known Hollywood actress pointed out; to make the world for the people who have no space to raise their voice, whose rights have been buried in the slum of absolute power and injustice. Let us sing our song of rights among the communities where people can come up with fresh ideas to change the society currently controlled by the tyrant. It will wipe out our sorrows, and tears of sadness while generating a hope in hapless souls.

(The writer is a journalist)

A Religious Police for the Rajapaksas

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:59:00 +0000

| by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“The BBS will take immediate steps to form a ‘Cane Force’ against those who act in a manner insulting to Buddhism during the Wesak season”. - Rev. Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thero (Lankadeepa – 17.5.2013)

( May 23, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Pro-democracy demonstrators protesting against the flawed Iranian Presidential Election of 2009 feared one enemy above all other – the Basij, Iran’s religious police. As the ‘Protectors’ of the values deemed valuable by Iran’s ruling Ayatollahs, Basij is generally occupied with breaking-up parties, destroying satellite dishes, lashing bloggers and attacking women considered ‘improperly attired’. But Basij is far more than a bunch of zealots with a penchant for violence and sadism; it is also an indispensable weapon in the arsenal of Iran’s rulers, a cudgel to be used against political opponents (including dissident Ayatollahs). Basij played a brutally effective role in defeating the 2009 pro-democracy movement. The next Presidential election is scheduled for June 2013 and Basij is busy cracking down on Tehran’s coffee shops, the political-oases of Iranian intellectuals/dissidents.

Mutaween - the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Protection of Vice - is Saudi Arabia’s Basij. Its members also roam the streets searching for offenders, ranging from women ‘violating’ the dress-code and fans of Western music/films/TV shows to non-related males and females who interact with each other. In two emblematic cases, Mutaween arrested a 70 year old woman for having two unrelated men in her house (they were delivering bread; she got 70 lashes) and prevented fire fighters from rescuing female students from a burning school (15 girls died). Mutaween is also indispensable in buttressing the power of the Saudi ruling family. It cracks down on critics/dissidents; its leader recently warned that twitter users – one of the very few platforms available to the regime’s opponents in this über-despotic land – are eternally damned.

Now the Bodu Bala Sena wants to give Sri Lanka and its ruling clan their very own Sinhala-Buddhist religious police.

At a recent press conference, Ven. Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thero announced that the BBS plans to form a ‘Cane Force’ (Weval Balakaya) to ensure ‘proper conduct’ during the Wesak season: “The monks of Bodu Bala Sena will go from village to village carrying canes to control/punish those people who are acting indecently”1.

It is the BBS’s intake on the Buddha’s final exhortation to monks, to travel far and wide, for the wellbeing of the masses.

Religious fanatics cause damage other religions; but their most irreparable harm is reserved for their own faith. The likes of Taliban, Saudi Wahabis and Iran’s Ayatollahs cause far more harm to the reputation of Islam with their inanely brutal conduct than all the anti-Islamic propaganda of all ages. The Inquisition and the Witch-Hunts are still bywords for violent intolerance and persecution; the midget-descendents of those Christian fanatics still oppose the teaching of evolution in schools and demand the death penalty for homosexuals. Hindu fanatics who defend such repressive practices as casteism and Jewish zealots who demand a country segregated along not just Jewish-Palestinian but also gender-lines are the worst detractors of their own faiths.

If anything would be more damaging to Buddhism than Myanmar’s rampaging monks, it will be Sri Lanka’s BBS types, on the warpath against not just the ‘religious-other’ but also against fellow Buddhists who refuse to accept ludicrously fanatical fatwas.

When Martin Wickremesinghe’s Bava Tharanaya was published in the 1970’s, a vocal-minority of monks and lay people wanted it banned (probably without reading it) as an insult to the Gautama Buddha and Buddhism. Today, the BBS would burn the book, attack the bookshops and pronounce Martin Wickremesinghe to be a traitor in the pay of foreign conspirators.

The BBS’s ruffianly conduct towards a group of Buddhist monks protesting outside its headquarters is a warning of what Lankan Buddhists – including monks – can expect in a country in thrall to fanatics. Apart from a dress-code, a code-of-conduct, an Index of Banned books/movies/plays and a socio-cultural inquisition, the BBS-types might develop their own version of Buddhism, including what monks should sermonise on and which politics are kosher.

Fanaticism is often inane. During the annual Cultural Festival in Riyadh this April, Mutaween arrested and deported three male delegates from the United Arab Emirates for being ‘too good looking’! Take the artificial ho-ha about a storm named ‘Mahasen’; a BBS-type organisation stormed the Meteorological Department, demanded an immediate name-change and announced that the naming was a foreign conspiracy. This asinine conduct could have been dismissed as an antic of attention-seeking fanatics, expect that President Rajapaksa mentioned ‘the naming-of-the-storm-Mahasen issue’ in his Victory Day Speech, as proof of an anti-Lankan conspiracy.

That was silly; it was also indicative of the symbiotic relationship between the Rajapaksas and the Sinhala-Buddhist lunatic-fringe.

BBS: From Halal to the 13th Amendment

From warring against Muslims and policing Sinhala-Buddhists the BBS has waded into purely political-waters, by declaring war against the 13th Amendment.

The Rajapaksas excel at using cat’s paws. That is how they de-merged the North and the East, checkmated the IIGEP and impeached the Chief Justice (not a single Rajapaksa signed the impeachment motion).

The Siblings need a way out of the Northern PC poll. A postponement might compel India to put its weight behind Canada’s call to boycott the Hambantota Commonwealth. Delhi has already warned against denuding the 13th Amendment.

The Rajapaksas can hold a relatively free and fair election and allow the TNA to form a council (reserving the option of dissolving it later), but this option may not suit the Siblings’ maximalist-palate. An election suffused with violence and malpractices might ignite Tamilnadu and compel Delhi to sabotage the Hambantota Commonwealth.

So, why not get Sinhala-Buddhist maximalist organisations to launch a campaign against the Northern PC poll; and to file a case in the Supreme Court asking for a postponement? Then the Rajapaksas can escape retribution by telling Delhi that the Judiciary postponed the election. (Who can doubt Mohan Peiris’ willingness to give any order the Rajapaksas order him to give?)

The BBS, given its willingness to descend to levels even Wimal Weerawansa and Champika Ranawaka are a tad reluctant to - can play a ignobly pre-eminent role in such a campaign. Since it is not a UPFA member, the Rajapaksas can disclaim all responsibility; they can have their cake and eat it.

Just as economic neo-liberalism seeks to make the world more like what it was under pre-socialist capitalism in terms of relations of production, religious-fanaticism seeks a return to pre-Enlightenment (European-Christian) values/morals. Fanatics of all religions are not just viscerally opposed to the progressive, secular and libertarian currents which led to and resulted from European Enlightenment. They are also completely antagonistic to the tolerant ethos which characterised many a non-European civilisation/ruler from the Ottoman and Mogul Empires, Baghdad and Syrian Caliphates and Al Andalus to India’s Ashoka, ancient Greece, Persia and Mesopotamia.

Historically, the religion-politics nexus played a negative role, tearing countries apart, flattening everything progressive in its path, cultivating intolerance and obscurantism and dragging societies to places they never intended to go initially.

Saudi Arabia is the perfect example of what can happen to a country, even in our own time, when a ruling clan combine religion with politics to perpetuate itself in power.

Let us beware.

1 Lankadeepa – 17.5.2013

American Advice for Indian Growth

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:24:00 +0000

Nancy Powell Doesn’t Pass the Sniff Test

| by Vijay Prashad

( May 23, 2013, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Where does one even begin?

On May 21, the US Ambassador to India, Nancy Powell, addressed the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Kolkata. She told the eager crowd of businessmen that “if India is to grow again, support for policies that are necessary for that growth need to be cultivated.” It is an amusing thing to be lectured at by an emissary of the US state on growth rates.

US first quarter growth of this year has now clocked in at a modest 2.5 per cent. India’s growth rate is about 5 per cent, easily double that of the US, and the United Nations’ Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2013 predicts that the rate will grow to 6.4 per cent during the rest of the year. No such predication exists for the US growth rate. The US figures surpass the anaemic 0.4 per cent growth rate in the final quarter of 2012, but these new figures will be dampened as the sequestration cuts take hold of the economy. US consumer spending is currently driving the growth, with sales of durable goods (cars and household appliances) leading the pack at 8.1 per cent. This section of consumer spending is buoyed by credit card debt, now at historic highs. The credit card debt bubble ($800 billion) along with the student debt bubble (over $1 trillion) could burst at any time, bringing down with them the meagre gains in the US economy.

None of this was in Ambassador Powell’s presentation. She spoke as if the US economy had returned to the 1950s, as if its factories were churning out cars and its workers were spending their wages on new houses built along the new freeways. Ambassador Powell didn’t bother to mention the convulsions in the IMF over US policy, with its Atlantic-friendly chief Christine Lagarde warning that US policies were not only threatening its recovery but also the global economy. But India’s growth rate was only the first pretext for Ambassador Powell’s dogma.

The second pretext followed soon after, that “GDP growth is not an end in its own right, since ultimately growth is to raise standards of living and eradicate poverty.” Poverty, she said gallantly, cannot be defeated without growth. Now this is not an uncontroversial idea. Growth is not a neutral process. A certain kind of growth trajectory might not reduce poverty, but indeed increase it. When IMF officials are honest about the facts, they cannot understand why this is so. On May 20, the day before Ambassador Powell’s Kolkata speech, IMF representative to Nigeria W. Scott Rogers looked at what he called a “conundrum,” the high GDP growth rate (7.2 per cent) in Nigeria and the high poverty rates (above 62

15125371per cent of the population). “Income per capita has gone up,” he noted in Abuja, “yet poverty isn’t improving and we’re having a difficult time understanding why that is or how that could be.” In the insular world of the IMF the elementary critiques of neo-liberal pathways of GDP growth are not digested. If they read these critiques, they would recognize that the kind of policies that propelled Nigerian growth are precisely what generate high rates of inequality, and so despite higher per capita income poverty rates remain stable or rise. A similar policy framework has been set in place in India, which is why, on May 18, the leading Marxist economist Prabhat Patnaik noted, “There has been a period of positive growth as far as the GDP is concerned. But during this period, there has been an increase in the magnitude of absolute poverty.” No conundrum here. The kind of GDP growth that India has embarked upon, and which Ambassador Powell wants to see intensify, is precisely what produces poverty and does not eradicate it.

Having lain out that India must grow again and that growth is an antidote to poverty, Ambassador Powell argued that the way to grow is to “open the economy and bring in more foreign investment…. It is past time to put to rest those out-dated notions that India suffers from economic openness and that India suffers from foreign investment.” Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is, like GDP growth, not neutral. There are many different kinds of FDIs and, as studies by UNCTAD and other agencies show, most of them are not the best motors for financing development. In a paper for the G-24, Prabhat Patnaik argues that FDI “either goes into economies which are not short of real resources, especially foreign exchange reserves built out of cumulated export surpluses, which is precisely what enhances their appeal as investment destinations; or has the effect of rendering existing real resources in the host economies idle.” In other words, FDI rather than enhance development possibilities often stifles them. FDI mostly goes into the financial sector or service sector, two areas that do little for the vast bulk of the Indian working people whose lives have been vanquished by the neo-liberal pathway of growth. Ambassador Powell was reading from the talking points developed by the US Treasury, which is carrying water for US banks – the interest of the Indian people are camouflaged behind anodyne words about poverty alleviation. It is precisely Ambassador Powell (and the US Treasury) that are trying to flog “out-dated notions” of the utility of FDI for development – a proposition invalidated by the careful studies from UNCTAD over the course of the past decade, starting with the 2002 Expert Meeting in Geneva on the theme, “The Development Dimension of FDI: Policy and Rule-Making Perspectives.”

The day before this lecture Ambassador Powell spent over an hour with West Bengal’s beleaguered Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The CM asked the Ambassador to facilitate more FDI into West Bengal; much like the kind of FDI that helped set up the PepsiCo Frito Lay factory in Uluberia which Ambassador Powell had just visited. An earlier visitor to Writers’ Building, the West Bengal government offices, was Hillary Clinton in 2012 – then to coax Banerjee to let go of her populist opposition to FDI in retail. Now Ambassador Powell hopes to build on Clinton’s flattery and urge Banerjee to become one of the spear points for the “out-dated notions” peddled by the US Treasury. Banerjee, whose own government is shaky after the collapse of a ponzi scheme that seems to have been engineered by her party who then benefited from it, is eager to appear to be serious about development. The calculations of those around Banerjee indicate that she would like to be one of those regional leaders who the public associates with development rather than communal riots (Gujarat’s Narendra Modi) or who have been able to transform the image of their state from basket case to bread basket (Bihar and Nitish Kumar). It is because of venal domestic political designs, combined with the salivating business elites that Ambassador Powell can be taken seriously.

Vijay Prashad’s new book, The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South, is out this month from Verso Books.

Neutralizing the opposition forces

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:13:00 +0000

( May 23, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) According to many an unbiased observer, the token strike organized by the Coordinating Committee for Trade Union Alliance (CCTUA) was, if not a total flop, an embarrassing indictment on the incapacity of the most vital and critical sector that needs to be galvanized by the so-called joint-opposition. The opposition remains neither 'galvanized' nor 'joint.'

Never in the history of Sri Lanka's trade union action has there been such a pathetic exhibition, or lack of, a well-concerted effort at agitational politics. The cruel reality of gross incapacity of the self-proclaimed 'joint-opposition' was there for everyone to witness.

The first of its kind, the now-famous 1953 Hartal, was a countrywide demonstration of civil disobedience against the policies of the then incumbent United National Party Government. It was not only the first mass political action in post independence Ceylon, but also the first major social crisis, and left an indelible impact on the political history of the country.

Led by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and other leftist parties who called on the public to resist the government through industrial action and civil disobedience, the Hartal was primarily a protest of the labour-class, with a tinge of violence that saw sabotage and the destruction to public property, as a means of frightening the government into abandoning its policies. The demonstrations associated with the Hartal lasted for 24 hours, but it left at least 10 people dead, and claimed the office of Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake, giving birth to highly embellished anecdotes of Dudley's 'weak stomach.'

The sole purpose of any political agitation is to cause disturbance and disruption to the vital service-sector of the country. Sri Lanka has more than 1.3 million state sector employees and any strike by them could cripple the $59 billion economy. But agitational action undertaken by any political entity has to be geared towards, and centrally organized by, the trade union sector. For this, an ever-ready, robust and motivated working class is an essential ingredient in the effort.

Sadly, as various media reports indicate, only a few hundred people had joined the demonstrations, although there were loud boasts of huge crowds descending onto the streets of Colombo and elsewhere.

It is understandable that government intimidation would keep many glued to their workstations. At a time of economic hardships, when putting three square meals on the table is a struggle, not many would be bold enough to risk his job, even though Tuesday's agitation was aimed at easing the latest burden heaped on the common man. This is where the opposition failed the masses.

The United National Party, the main element of the 'joint opposition,' had a very active and motivated trade union division during the times of J.R. Jayewardene and R. Premadasa. The estate sector trade union, Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU) also functioned as a very realistic challenge to the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC). The school teachers union attached to the UNP was in fact one of the main factors that was responsible for mass-canvassing of votes during the '77 general election campaign.

All that however, now belongs to history and the UNP is now left with a skeletal trade union division. Against a backdrop of political impotence, how much can the people expect from the Party and its Leader whose acceptability is plummeting by the day?

In a very broad sense, the action organized by the so-called 'joint-opposition' was a brutal slap on the face of the opposition rather than the government, against which the whole action was instigated. The wonder is that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the so-called saviours of the working-class, too found itself between a rock and a hard place.

One must realize that the so-called 'joint-opposition' is largely the masses still adhering to the policies and principles of the UNP. When it comes to elections, more than 90% of the opposition votes come from the UNP base and if any sane person realizes this, it's better for themselves and even more so for the country.

The government led by the Rajapaksas is far too formidable for any party in the opposition to play around with. The sooner they realize it the better for all of us, for, the average man has, no doubt, found that the government is well-armed in every sense of the word and the so-called one-day token strike has only contributed to the disarming of the opposition. - Ceylon Today Editorial

Devolution, Sri Lanka's defence and security

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:07:00 +0000

| by Dr Dayan Jayatilleka

( May 23, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Prof G.H. Peiris in his latest response (‘The Case against the Thirteenth Amendment’, The Island Midweek Review, May 22-23, 2013) to my article in The Island of 15th May 2013, argues that the distribution of ethnicity renders the district rather than the province the more suitable unit of devolution if empowering the minorities is the name of the game. My counterarguments are threefold: domestic geopolitics, politics, and regional geopolitics. Or, to reduce it a single factor, the realities of the balance of power and the island’s strategic vulnerability.

Firstly, it is not merely the Jaffna district or any single district in the North, but the Northern Province that has a Tamil majority. The Tamils of that province have evolved and crystallised a collective identity that the Sri Lankan state must accommodate, institutionally and structurally, if it is to remain as a single overarching entity over the very long duration. Military dominance alone cannot ensure this and in any case such dominance is both prohibitively expensive to sustain and easily neutralised by far stronger players over the horizon. I recall Prof Peiris’ distinguished colleague Prof KM de Silva writing that the matter ultimately boils down to the Northern Province and conceding that the case for devolution to that province is a rather strong one, unlike that for a merged North-East or even for the Eastern province.

Secondly, it takes two to tango; this is all about dialogue and negotiation, and no administration has been able to persuade a Tamil party of any significance to accept the district as the main unit of devolution. It is a non-starter and GoSL would have no representative Tamil partner for a process of political dialogue and reconciliation.

Thirdly, the vital strategic and security realities: the sophisticated and increasingly influential Tamil secessionist network (of which the Tigers are only a component), are attempting to widen the contradictions between Sri Lanka and India, Sri Lanka and the US, and Sri Lanka and the Indo-US axis. Watching with pride the V-day march past on TV, I was seized by the crucial importance of protecting our superbly honed (and hopefully, not corrosively over-politicised) military machine from the trap that the Tamil secessionists are setting for it, namely to place it in the line of fire of Indian kinetic power, backstopped diplomatically and strategically by the US.

As a student of comparative politics I am keenly aware that the unravelling of Yugoslavia – whose fine army, steeped in guerrilla fighting traditions had long deterred Stalin’s Russia -- commenced precisely with the abolition of the autonomous status of the province of Kosovo. That unravelling was the result of political lobbying and argumentation by Serbian ultranationalists, along exactly the lines that Prof Gerry Peiris and his co-thinkers (such as the Bodu Bala Sena, oxymoron though it be) that are engaging in today.

The usually well-informed political column of the Sunday Times (Colombo) reported that “...These sources said India’s External Affairs Minister Khurshid “politely told” Peiris that any such measures by the Government of Sri Lanka would be “at its own risk” and would force the New Delhi Government to react with “firm measures.” He has also cautioned that Sri Lanka would be isolating itself in the international community.” (‘Storm Clouds Still Over CHOGM’ May 19th 2013) That report (which pertained to 13A, as distinct from the one about the acquisition of 6,000 acres) has not been contradicted so far, by GoSL. My collection of back issues of the Lanka Guardian is replete with such statements made in the years leading to the intervention of 1987 – accompanied by the accurate editorial reading of those (Indian) tea leaves.

It is not that intervention is already planned. However, the atmosphere, diplomatic (Geneva, New York), conceptual (retroactive R2P) and world opinion, is building up – or being created—which is not unpropitious for such intervention and in which any intervention would be readily endorsed. It certainly went uncontested in 1987. The last time, Sri Lanka was able to roll back that intervention because the LTTE took on the IPKF, generating collective cognitive dissonance in Tamil Nadu which in turn led to VP Singh making and fulfilling an electoral promise to withdraw Indian troops. In any future scenario of intervention, this factor will not operate. There will be no Tamil army fighting the Indians or anyone else who may come along. There will also be no foreign troops in the Sinhala areas, and therefore no possibility of a heroic, protracted, patriotic guerrilla war of national liberation against them. The Sri Lankan armed forces, being almost totally Sinhala, will find it impossible to wage guerrilla war in Tamil areas, with restive Tamil civilians in its rear, against a foreign interventionist force, which is in any case able to neutralise our most significant military assets not just in the North but all over the island, in a single strike wave. There will be an overwhelming force projection which cuts off the Tamil areas and imposes punitive strikes (as happened to Serbia) in case of massive Tamil civilian casualties due to reactive ‘ethnic cleansing’ ( real or perceived) in the South.

Any lucid strategic thinking does not proceed from intention but capacity, and plans for worst case scenarios, not best case ones. Sri Lanka must make note of its security environment and its strategic vulnerabilities. Changes in that environment are , in all probability, not aimed at Sri Lanka and have nothing to do with us, but can also be used against us in a worst-case scenario. It is the stance of an ostrich to assume that Indian and US planners do not have Hambantota on their maps and have planned for neutralisation of a possible asset of their Asian rival. The dispositions that result from such planning can be used for other contingencies.

I would draw attention not only to the speculation about US military arrangements with the Maldives, but far more importantly, the supplementing of the existing Indian naval air base in the South (which has the longest airstrip in the region) with the brand new airbase in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, to which India plans to transfer its top-of-the line Sukhoi SU30MKI warplanes. One notes that neither China nor Pakistan lie to the south of India. Sri Lanka does lie within the operational arc (and the intersecting Indo-US arcs) of such arrangements. Therefore, large security zones and military dispositions provide no real security beyond a limited point and may indeed prove excessively vulnerable (especially to stand-off weaponry).

The bottom line is that if Sri Lanka’s costly military victory which has given us back our natural borders, is to be made permanent; if Sri Lanka’s fine military is to be ‘ target hardened’; if Sri Lanka’s security is to be truly assured, it cannot be done purely or primarily by hard power alone, but by restoring our soft power. Provincial devolution in the form of the 13th amendment (perhaps with mutually agreed upon swaps in the concurrent list), is a political solution which lies at the cusp of acceptance, however grudging, by both Sinhalese and Tamils communities. It will help us to strategically re-stabilise our relations with India which (as Geneva 2012 and 2013 have shown) have deteriorated since 2009 and seem to be on a slippery slope. Moderate, prudently centripetal provincial devolution is an indispensable part of our national defence shield.

It is rather sad that Prof GH Peiris sees fit to distort what I said in order to say what he must. He writes that “My response to Dr. DJ’s article (The Island of 15 May) was restricted almost entirely to his attempt to persuade the reader that the Thirteenth Amendment was essentially a product of indigenous political thought and strategy, and not a consequence of India’s coercive intervention in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.”

I had said no such thing and even the most cursory re-reading would demonstrate that Prof Peiris is engaging in sleight of hand by substituting ‘the 13th amendment’ for ‘province based devolution’. My point had been that the case for province–based devolution had long, non-Indian (and non-Tiger) antecedents; that the case had issued from intelligent reflections on the problem of political relations between Sinhalese and Tamils in 20th century Ceylon/Sri Lanka. I argued that the specific form that provincial devolution eventually took-- that of coercive Indian diplomacy and the 13th amendment-- was due precisely to the decades-long delay in implementing such devolution domestically. I proceed to caution that just as the blockage of a domestic process of devolution to the provinces resulted in or provided the opening for external intervention, an ethnically unilateral abolition or disembowelling of existing arrangements for devolution is likely to revive such external interference and intrusion, and do so in an external environment that is at least as unpropitious as that of the 1980s and arguably even more so. I observe that this may dovetail with the strategic designs of the global Tamil separatist network and result in jeopardising Sri Lanka’s military achievement and our strategic assets. I therefore conclude that though the implementation of provincial level devolution in the form of the existing 13th amendment constitutes a risk, a significantly greater risk, on balance, would be posed to our sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity by the unilateral scrapping or permanent freezing of such devolution. I would withdraw my argument if a grand bargain could be struck with the predominant parliamentary party of the Tamils in which provincial devolution is replaced by devolution to the district in exchange for a more equal citizenship--which I have called the ‘Soulbury Plus’ scenario.

Prof Peiris refers to my contention ( and no, it wasn’t my "central contention") that "... had the agreements announced at the PPC (Political Parties Conference) of mid-1986 or at the APC (All Parties Conference) of 1984, which were primarily domestic processes, been implemented, there would have been no opening for Indian intervention in mid-1987". He proceeds to ask “Does such a "central contention" even deserve a response?” I’m afraid so. I repeat, had the domestic deliberations for devolution been successful and been implemented, starting with the B-C Pact of 1957 right up to the June 1986 PPC proposals, would India have felt the compulsion or had the politico-diplomatic opening it did, to intervene? This is not idle speculation. It has very considerable current relevance. As Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam and I have separately yet consistently cautioned, the case is being built up that Sri Lanka either has no will or capacity to undertake domestic reform including in the realm of political dialogue and reconciliation with the Tamils, and that this case is the foundation for escalation to greater levels of external interventionism, conceivably culminating in the most intrusive and dangerous.

Prof Peiris queries “Wasn’t the PPC of 1986 very largely a dialogue between a segment of the UNP leadership and representatives of the TULF?” Well, frankly, no, because the TULF did not attend the conference (though Mr Amirthalingam returned to Sri Lanka briefly and observed the deliberations at some remove).

He goes onto to assert that “From 1936, as the leader of the Sinhala Maha Sabha, until his electoral victory 20 years later, SWRD remained one of the most ardent exponents of the unitary nation-state of Sri Lanka. To Dr DJ, these are inconsequential.”

Of what conceivable relevance is this, when SWRD Bandaranaike negotiated the pact for provincial devolution (regional councils with amalgamation even across provincial boundaries) one year after his victory in 1956 and the passage of Sinhala Only? And what pray has SWRD’s or anyone’s support for the unitary nation state of Sri Lanka to do with devolution within precisely such a unitary state, which was the case with the B-C Pact and the autonomy arrangements in a great many unitary political systems throughout the world?

Prof Peiris queries whether “as evidence, do these tiny bits of thrash picked up as it were from the "dust bin of history" represent the early stages of a vibrant domestic process that culminated in province-based devolution in 1987?” Perhaps not, but then again, I never said that it was a ‘vibrant domestic process’, merely that the political idea had been around for quite some time, including in the serious manifestation of the B-C Pact, and that it was the failure to make the transition from an overly centralised unitary state to one with sufficient devolution of power so as to bring it line with domestic geopolitical realities that “culminated in province based devolution in 1987” through coercive external intervention.

Seeking to combat my contention about the B-C Pact and the tragedy that resulted from its non-implementation at the time, Prof Peiris says that “anything might have happened if it was actually implemented. To go by Indian experiences, it could have intensified Sinhalese ultra-nationalism which could have... intensified rather than defused Sinhalese-Tamil hostilities to a level which, especially in the period during which the "Uncrowned Empress" held sway over India, could have resulted in an Indian military intervention in Sri Lanka, and a "liberation" not only of the claimed ‘traditional homeland’ but an area embracing "Malainadu" as well where more than a million stateless Indian Tamils were present. Such a scenario, to my mind, is substantially more realistic that what the ‘realist’ Dayan has said about the possible outcome of pre-emptive provincial devolution in 1986 or early ‘87.”

Well, let the reader judge the lucid realism of that scenario, bearing in mind however, that “to go by Indian experience” as Prof Peiris says we should, nowhere has a region seceded because an agreement for autonomy was arrived at and implemented. On the contrary every serious scholar agrees that it is precisely the flexible accommodation of regional (sub) nationalisms that has permitted the vastly diverse India to stay together. This is not to say that Sri Lanka should seek to imitate India’s arrangements, only to learn from them as from other places.

Prof Peiris then contests my argument that “had the Thirteenth Amendment preceded the ‘Operation Liberation’ of mid-1987, there would have been no Indian intervention.” His counterargument is to quote from my 1995 book on Sri Lanka with regard to the provocative conduct of the EPRLF led North Eastern Provincial Council. Prof Peiris is oblivious to the irony that he is proving my case. The EPRLF was both tempted and capable of engaging in that kind of militia based adventurism precisely because of the presence of the IPKF, which would not have been on Sri Lankan soil had we legislated devolution through a domestic process before the launch of Operation Liberation and as a preparation for it. The commitment of President Kumaratunga to a political solution (however imprudently over-generous those packages were) and the promise to implement 13A repeatedly made by President Rajapaksa and his troika of top representatives (who included two of his siblings) to New Delhi, constituted an important factor , apart from the murder of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE—in keeping India ‘on side’, when the army under CBK liberated Jaffna and when President Rajapaksa finally crushed the LTTE despite Western moves for a ceasefire and Indian elections including in Tamil Nadu. This last factor explains why President Rajapaksa saw fit to reiterate the commitment to implement fully the 13th amendment, in two summit level communiqués, issued just days AFTER the conclusion of the war, on May 21 and 23rd .This tends to prove my point that Indian intervention could have been avoided had devolution been in place at least on paper, in 1987.

Prof Peiris contrasts Sri Lanka with India in terms of size and concludes that federalism is an absurdity. Firstly, size has very little to do with it: both the young SWRD and the mature Leonard Woolf regarded Switzerland (hardly a vast landmass) as a possible model for Ceylon. Secondly, and more importantly, where does the issue of federalism come in? While the Tamil nationalists may have it on their wish list it, the debate today, and certainly between Prof Peiris and me, pertains to provincial level devolution within a unitary state.

Syria’s failure to lose

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:02:00 +0000

| by Gordon Duff

( May 22, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The timing of events in Syria has been a particular disaster for the United States. Through “sequestration,” the governments imposed austerity measures, military forces in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean have been scaled back as have other operations including intelligence gatherin."

Syria has surprised everyone. They were supposed to have collapsed long ago. They didn’t, far from it. There is every indication that the Syrian government is winning what really isn’t a civil war.

Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia and “others” have brought the dregs of the terrorist and criminal world into Syria and “delegitimized” moves against the government, which had once been based on real sectarian and political differences.

We now have Israeli artillery, one American nuclear “bunker-buster” and even Israeli vehicles as evidence that this is an aggression and not another “Arab Spring.”

Thus far, three Turkish F 16s and, we are told, one Israeli, have been shot down.

There is also undeniable proof, in the form of videos, that rebel forces include units involved in unspeakable acts against Syrian civilians.

BALANCE OF POWER

As Syria has done more than simply “hold on,” Russia has become emboldened. In his recent Press TV article, Jim W. Dean outlines the “game changing aspect” of the re-emergence of Russia as a naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean.

What is important is that America has “taken its eye off the ball.” America’s hyper-focus on Iran and the Persian Gulf has led to a drawdown of American capabilities in the Mediterranean, once considered “an American lake.”

America has pulled back from the Mediterranean, chasing oil and power, chasing globalist dreams in the Indian Ocean. Its bases, Crete, the proposed fueling depot at Port Said, the secret airbase outside Mogadishu, all abandoned.

The “neocon nightmare,” Israel as America’s “aircraft carrier” in the Middle East, or America’s “junk-yard dog,” is a policy the Obama administration now openly admits is an utter failure. That policy allowed “the tail,” Israel, to “wag the dog,” the United States, pushing America into wars intent on empowering the Likudists as rulers of that “greater Israel” they dream of.

“Greater Israel” would be paid for by three trillion US taxpayer dollars and thousands of American lives lost, hundreds of thousands damaged and a world facing economic ruin and world war.

AMERICAN COLLAPSE

The dream of “Greater Israel,” allowing “the tail” to “wag the dog,” has been fostered by a multi-faceted attack on every aspect of America. America has been “propagandized” into self-hatred, class warfare and sectarian strife.

America has been inundated with cultural meltdown, rampant unemployment, poverty, and broad acceptance of totalitarianism and injustice as a requirement for security.

The American people are now continually reminded of the threat through carefully orchestrated false flag terror attacks, now so blatant that none can miss the intended message.

FICTION IS REALITY

Last week, America’s most popular TV drama, NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) revealed a “fictional” criminal conspiracy against the United States.

This show, seen around the world, has long featured plot lines involving Iranian terrorist and has been broadly supportive of Israel.

It now claims, fictionally of course, that the hostilities between Israel and Iran and even with North Korea are orchestrated by the CIA through false flag terrorism and assassinations.

It says that America’s aggressive actions overseas are meant to deceive its people about a more serious threat, one originating from inside the United States.

Before the Boston or Sandy Hook attacks, no television show would have been allowed to follow even a fictional story line like this. The show, Rubicon, tried it and was quickly cancelled.

American intelligence officials, in private, have expressed shock at what they see as “pre-conditioning” of the public to accept the CIA as an organization involved in domestic terrorism.

VACUUM

The timing of events in Syria has been a particular disaster for the United States. Through “sequestration,” the governments imposed austerity measures, military forces in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean have been scaled back as have other operations including intelligence gathering.

What America failed to see was the vacuum it created. “Nature abhors a vacuum.”

As America withdrew, albeit quietly, Russia reasserted its position in the Middle East, most obviously in defense of its longtime ally, Syria.

Russia has also, “albeit quietly,” made inroads into the Caucasus, the Caspian Basin and has become more aligned with Iran.

Frightening, to America at least, China is following Russia’s lead. Additionally, China is expanding economic moves throughout the region, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and throughout Africa.

With that, China’s political influence has also increased dramatically, of particular importance as Africa moves toward a cascade of terrorism, insurgency and civil wars.

THE DEATH OF THE “FALSE FLAG”

When Syria’s only visible friend was Iran, Israel’s “two stage approach,” pushing the United States into a military confrontation with Iran, most likely through a large-scale false flag attack, had a chance for success.

However, in today’s world, any terror attack is now examined with more sophistication and far more cynicism. Few are doltish enough to imagine that international terrorist groups, increasingly shown to be controlled by intelligence agencies, could operate without full complicity of powerful factions within the “victim” nations themselves.

Any “Iranian outrage” would quickly be traced back to Tel Aviv.

LEBANON AND SYRIA

New Russian weapons combined with enhanced capabilities for Hezbollah forces, have changed the balance of power.

Israel has spent decades, not to speak of over a billion US taxpayer dollars, fortifying the Golan Heights. It is now being used as a base of operations, both Golan and the “compromised” Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as a base of operations for Israel’s attacks on Syria.

As few now doubt the nuclear attack of May 4, 2013, even fewer doubt Israel’s forays into Syria, armor and mobile artillery, in support of rebel forces now increasingly mercenaries, terrorists and criminal elements.

Conversely, with Hezbollah holding Syria’s flank, well supplied with, not only advanced anti-armor weapons but newly upgraded shoulder launched air defense systems as well, Israel’s ability to operate against Syria from Lebanon will end.

FORTRESS GOLAN AT RISK

Israel continually talks of the threat to Tel Aviv posed by Syrian missile systems. However, the Russian Iskander system places a price tag on Israel’s actions that Israel may not be willing to pay.

The Iskandar can not only take out Patriot III batteries but can quickly cripple Israel’s armored forces and fortification on the Golan Heights.

The Iskandar is powerful, extremely accurate and impossible to stop.

Iskandar batteries, protected by S 300 air defense systems, successfully counter Israel’s air defenses and leave both armor and fortification totally vulnerable,

The most important aspect, of course, is that these are purely defensive systems.

POLITICAL CONCERNS

It is increasingly obvious that a political settlement in Syria is going to be needed. Were it not for the interference of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Israel, and the plotting of the NATO powers, such a settlement conference would be underway.

Too many have died and each death benefits only: Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia and NATO.

What is broadly recognized is this fact; the rebel forces as they are currently configured, were they to triumph, would lead Syria into a decade of civil war, one where the current body-count, be it 50,000 or 100,000 would seem insignificant.

One might also ask why Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and their friends would back forces closely aligned with terrorism and extremism.

DOMINO EFFECT

There is little doubt that a globalist agenda is behind the war on Syria. This is only a stage in a broader war on Iran, followed by subjugation of Afghanistan (good luck with that) and a forced collapse of Pakistan.

The rationale, of course, involves oil and gas. As the planet has proven to be awash with oil and gas reserves, enough for centuries, particularly if alternative energy technologies continue to be suppressed, only total control of supply, delivery and active and criminal manipulation of market pricing structures can offer an adequate return.

Control of world currencies, the Federal Reserve System in the US, the failed financial system of the European Union and the IMF are required.

The methodologies, each representing an attack on the citizenry of the world, driven by outmoded Malthusianistic principles, are intended to deprive billions of basic human needs and, of course, any human rights as well.

It may all be turned around in Syria if the world finally awakens to the real threat.

Gordon Duff is a Marine Vietnam veteran, a combat infantryman, and Senior Editor at Veterans Today. His career has included extensive experience in international banking along with such diverse areas as consulting on counter insurgency, defense technologies or acting as diplomatic representative for UN humanitarian and economic development efforts. Gordon Duff has traveled to over 80 nations. His articles are published around the world and translated into a number of languages.

Emerging signs of anti-China sentiments

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:19:00 +0000

| Upul Joseph Fernando

( May 22, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Even before Sri Lanka gained independence, the country drew a certain amount of disapprobation from the US and the West due mainly to the Leftist political leaders and their adherence to theoretical political systems that were shunned in those countries.

With President Rajapaksa coming into power in 2005, China-Sri Lanka relations took a quantum leap to a much higher level than before. China's help for the 2009 ultimate war victory was a most crucial factor. Thus China got closer to the heart of the people of this country.

Incurring India's displeasure was the result of J.R. Jayewardene's short-sighted policies and arrogant demeanour in his interaction with that country. During the 1977 elections, JR and his bandwagon went round the country throwing insults and casting aspersions on Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay, who were family friends of the then Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike. His ire stemmed from the fact that Indira Gandhi was acting as a protective shield for Mrs. Bandaranaike and her various undemocratic actions during that period.

When JR came to power defeating Mrs. Bandaranaike, India pursued a covert external policy, which was seriously detrimental to Sri Lanka's interests. It had started arming and training LTTE terrorists on its soil, giving rise to a highly vociferous agitation against India within the government ranks. Later, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) used the anti-India sentiments spawned by the then United National Party (UNP) Government, to agitate against the Indo-Lanka Accord.

A true friend

In those days, China had commanded a certain amount of respect from the common people of this country. Many regarded China as a true friend, when the country was in need. It does not mean that China kept a clean record of non-interference in Sri Lankan affairs. The 1960-65 Dudley Senanayake Government entertained certain suspicions about the role played by the Chinese Embassy in Colombo, especially due to its close affinity with Ven. Henpitagedera Gnanasiha Thera, who was a well-known sympathizer of the SLFP. The UNP even visualized a Chinese hand behind the 1966 coup attempt and therefore bi-lateral relations between China and Sri Lanka during that time were not at their best.

When Mrs. Bandaranaike regained power in 1970, the picture changed somewhat to one of friendly and easy-going relationship; at least in the beginning. Later, when the government was confronted with an insurgency in 1971, a certain amount of suspicion fell on China due to some unexplainable circumstances, which were noted then. The following extract from Shelton U. Kodikara's book Foreign Policy of Sri Lanka will elucidate this matter further.

"The traditional Bandaranaike policy of close friendship with China was resumed with special emphasis excepting for a brief interlude during the height of the April insurrection of 1971 in Sri Lanka, when Chinese complicity in the insurrection was suspected. Suspicion of a possible Chinese role in the insurgency centred on a mysterious Chinese ship carrying arms consigned to Tanzania, which was in the Colombo Harbour at the time of the commencement of insurgent attacks and when China became the only major power, which failed to respond to the Sri Lanka Government's appeal for military assistance, the ship itself sailing away while the appeal to China for such assistance was under consideration in Beijing.

The insurgency had drawn its intellectual stimulus from a variety of Marxist sources, among its ideological forebears being Mao Tse Tung, Kim II Sung and Che Guevara. The Sri Lanka Government ordered the closure of the North Korean Embassy on the ground that some of its activities had given strength and support to the insurrectionists, while the erstwhile leader of the pro-Beijing Communist Party was taken into custody. Meanwhile, four Indian frigates joined Sri Lanka patrol boats in a search for mysterious Chinese ship, which had disappeared. Sino-Sri Lanka relations were restored to normalcy only after Mrs. Bandaranaike broadcast to the nation, late in April, that foreign powers were not involved in the insurgency, and after Chou En-lai himself wrote to her stating that 'friendship between China and Sri Lanka is in the fundamental interest of the two peoples and can stand tests,' and that 'the Chinese Government and people highly treasure the friendship between our two countries.'

The letter also commended the Sri Lanka Government in having brought under control a handful of persons who style themselves Guevarists, and into whose ranks foreign spies (have) sneaked. The letter was accompanied by an interest-free, long-term loan of Rs 150 million."

The 1977 Government of J.R. Jayewardene, unlike that of Dudley's, had the foresight to rekindle friendly relations with China, which stood in good stead when war started with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), post 1983. Subsequently, the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government, which came into power in 1994 continued to maintain good relations with China and obtained substantial help from it for the war effort. Over the years as a result of its unstinted assistance to Sri Lanka, China developed a good name among the local populace.

China gaining ground

With President Rajapaksa coming into power in 2005, China-Sri Lanka relations took a quantum leap to a much higher level than before. China's help for the 2009 ultimate war victory was a most crucial factor. Thus China got closer to the heart of the people of this country. Be that as it may, a change of attitude among the people is increasingly gaining ground from recent times, a precursor of perhaps the parting of ways. Disenchantment started to seep into the minds of the people insidiously due to unsatisfactory results so far of the Hambantota Harbour and Mattala International Airport, which were built with massive Chinese loans. The Opposition has also drummed into the minds of the people that it is not only the heavy losses incurred from the projects that add more burdens on them, but that they will have to also undergo further economic hardships in time to come, when these loans and interests will have to be paid, invariably by taxing the common man who is unbearably taxed even now.

The failure of the Norochcholai Power Plant has contributed in no small measure to the people's disappointment with Chinese projects. They were expecting much-needed relief to them from high electricity charges, when the Norochcholai Power Project was commissioned. Instead, the people were slammed with an unbearable electricity tariff hike by the government; Norochcholai breakdowns being a main contributory factor. Now people lament instead of paying less for electricity, they have to pay more. Norochcholai has dashed their hopes.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank earned notoriety among people for causing economic hardships to the poor by supplying bigger and bigger loans to the country for least productive and unnecessary projects. Exim Bank of China, which had provided loans to finance a host of unproductive and economically unviable projects, is now drawing the ire and condemnation of the people. Worse still, Left-leaning workers who are invariably pro-Chinese seem to be getting disillusioned as they think that China is protecting an undemocratic government, which draws international condemnation for its acts of commission and omission. Presumably, it is now slowly dawning on the people that China, after all is not the true friend of the people they thought it to be.

'Metus est Plenus Tyrannis'

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000

| by Mangala Samaraweera

( May 22, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) In Latin there is a saying, 'Metus est Plenus Tyrannis' which means, I am sure as the Foreign Minister who is well versed in many 'tongues' knows, that fear is plentiful for tyrants and that a tyrants fate is to sit daily under the sword. Or as Shakeapear said 'heavy is the head that wears the crown.' In the Sri Lankan context however, the head in question, perhaps, is more thick than heavy.

Likewise, the Democles's sword hanging above the uncrowned but heavy heads of the Rajapakse tyranny has come in the form of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting - CHOGM- scheduled to be held in Colombo this November.

For many years, the Rajapakse regime continued to fool a gullible public and a blue eyed international community with lies and duplicity.

As Tisaranee Gunaskere, a courageous columnist wrote in her blog this week "Lies and dissembling, false promises and mendacious declarations, illusions and delusions form the bedrock of Rajapaksa governance. The Siblings are master-illusionists; they excel at using words to create a totally unreal counter-reality.' They did that when they called the Fourth Eelam War a ‘humanitarian operation with zero-civilian casualties’ and open prison camps ‘welfare centres’; they did it when they called the 18th Amendment a democratic measure, the Impeachment travesty a legal recourse and the arrest of Gen. Fonseka a patriotic act.'

However, the Sri Lankan public who were walking around in a somnambulist stupor for while after the defeat of the tigers four years ago are now waking up rapidly to the reality of this evil regime. Like a delinquent child put on probation to gauge whether he deserves a gift for Christmas , the Rajapakse regime is also now under probation in view of the pending meeting in

November and the Human Rights review in March next year.

The fact that the Sri Lankan government has been subject to intense international scrutiny is confirmed by the statement made by the deputy PM, Nick Clegg in the British House of Commons on 15th May:

"...............I assure that the government condemn those violations,the way in which political trials, regular assaults on legal professionals and suppression

of press freedom continue and that too many recommendations of the lessons learnt and reconciliation commission have not been implemented. If such violations continue to ignore their international commitments in the lead up to CHOGM, of course there will be consequences. "

Bob Carr, speaking on behalf of the Australian government says at the CMAG Press conference held at Malborough House in London on 26th April 2013 says that the Sri Lankan governments progress will be monitored. "I think it is a view that many of us hold that in the lead up to CHOGM, this Commonwealth with its adherence to democratic values is in a good position to engage with the government of Sri Lanka and monitor progress."

The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Kamelsh Sharma, in his enthusiasm to hold CHOGM in Sri Lanka at any cost , seems to be very blue eyed about the prospects of making the Rajapakse regime to adhere to the Commonwealth Values and principles , " that are so dear to us". At the CMAG press conference on 26th April, asked by a journalist when he would feel appropriate to stop using his good offices to engage Sri Lanka, Sharma replies and says:

" ...............I do not anticipate that point is likely to be reached because of all the cooperation which I am getting..."

SG also says that he is sure that it will yield good results in all the areas of human rights, of the rule of law, of media freedom, of governance and institution building and strengthening. He will be picking up items from their own report: the LLRC Report.

Mr. Speaker,

I wish I could share blue eyed Secretary Generals optimism of yielding good

results as we have first hand experience of the duplicitous nature of this

regime but I sincerely hope that we are proven wrong and that the Secretary

General is able to stop this drift towards dictatorship in Asia oldest

democracy.

The UNP has consistently supported the holding of CHOGM in Colombo

provided that the outstanding issues relating to the Commonwealth Charter,

UNHRC resolution regarding Sri Lanka and the Presidents own LLRC report

are resolved before CHOGM 2013 commences. This was emphasised by

Hon. Ranil Wickramesinghe when he met the Secretary General in

September 2012 and February 2013.

In fact, with less than six months away, the UNP wish to bring to the notice of

the Secretary General and the Commonwealth, that no broad engagement

has taken place at ground level and the deteriorating ground situation belies

the statements by the SG and Dr. Moni at the press briefing after the CMAG

meeting.

Mr. Speaker,

The Commonwealth Charter was adopted and launched by all

Commonwealth member States during Commonwealth week in March 2013.

The full text of the charter was discussed and agreed by all Commonwealth

heads of Government (including President Mahinda Rajapakse) at the last

CHOGM meeting. This is a milestone for the Commonwealth and for the first

time in its 64 year history, the Commonwealth has a single document setting

out the core values of the organisation and the aspiration of its members.

However, the crisis the SG has to overcome is the discrepancy between the

core values of the Commonwealth and the aspirations of the incoming

Chairperson of the Commonwealth. In the pursuit of absolute political power,

the Rajapakse regime has bee systematically dismantling and weakening

democratic institutions for the last few years and despite the secretary

Generals optimism, there is nothing , absolutely nothing to show that the

regime is willing to change its autocratic agenda. In fact the regime continues

to violate all 16 core values set out in the charter at varying degrees with

impunity.

Due to the constraints of time, I will not list all the continuing violations of the

16 core values of the charter but I will highlight some urgent areas of concern.

1. Independent and accountable institutions are the cornerstones of any

democracy but the government has not taken any action to repeal the

18th Amendment which was a power grab by the executive undermining

the independent police, judicial, elections commissions. This bill was

rushed through Parliament as an urgent bill in 24 hours. If the Government

is sincere about the assurances given to Sharma, they could now display

the same sense of urgency they showed in doing away with the

commissions on September 18th 2010 . In fact the restoration of the

independent commissions prior to the Northern PC elections should be a

sine qua non for CHOGM to be held in Colombo as well as the restoration

of civilian rule in the North and the East. I repeat: the repeal of the 18th

amendment prior to the Northern Elections must be a sine qua non for

CHOGM. The government must not be allowed to water down the 13th

amendment.

2. Under human rights, the charter says, 'we are implacably opposed to all

forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political

belief or other grounds. While the human rights of all those who oppose the

regime is outed with impunity - even the human rights of match referees are

violated by members of the Rajapakse brood; last week referee of a rugger

match was brutally assaulted by a Rajapakse brat when his team lost at a

Rugger match between the Navy and Police.

The Tamil people continue to be humiliated by triumphalist policies of the

government and Hon. Sampantban, the mover of this debate has made a

detailed statement about the trials and tribulations the Tamils are facing

today.

The Muslim and Christian communities have been at the receiving end of

brutal attacks by various extremist so called Buddhist groups working with the

blessings of the defence Secretary. In fact , one of the Muslim leaders, Azzath

Sally who wrote to the UN SG regarding the intimidation of Muslims was

recently arrested and harassed for nearly a week.

Letter tabled.

In fact, the escalation of religious intolerance and attacks against places of

worship was first brought to the attention of the President by the UN Special

Rapporteur of Religion or belief on 7th May 2012.

Letter tabled.

However, no action has been taken so far, and reports of religious violence is

on the rise. Instead of Tolerance, Respect and Understanding , the 4th core

value of the Commonwealth Charter, intolerance has become the order of the

day in Sri Lanka today.

The fifth core value of the charter reiterates its commitment to peaceful and

open dialogue and the free ow of information. The free media continues to

be intimidated and battered, with our best journalists been either dead or

living in exile. As a means of survival most media subject themselves to self

censorship while others who show some degree of independence continue to

be attacked or intimidated.

The New York based Committee to protect journalist in its impunity index

listed Sri Lanka as the fourth most dangerous place for journalists to live in

and attacks against the media continues with impunity.

Just last week, the office of 'Janarala', a left leaning tabloid was raided by the

police and the staff questioned about a story relating to LTTE Gold

laundering, the lead story on 12th May 2013. Some web sites which

published this story have also been banned.

Four attacks have been made on Uthyan newspapers in Jaffna, this year

alone. The last being on13th April 2013 when armed men entered the

premises situated in a high security area, burnt the printing press and the

newspapers about to be dispatched for sale.

The US State Departments acting deputy spokesperson, Patrick Ventrell,

referring to the Uthyan on 30 April said, "Uthyan has seen its personnel

beaten, it's newspaper shipments burnt, it's equipment destroyed and its

offices set ablaze in this last month alone."

Mr. Ventrell also says that the assault on the free press extends beyond

Uthyan. The BBC Tamil language programme about Sri Lanka and the

Human Rights Council censored. Reporters have been physically assaulted

and murdered in the years past and a prominent political cartoonist has been

missing for three years.

Core value 16 of the Commonwealth charter talks about the role of civil

society and says that 'we recognise the important role civil society plays in

our communities'. In Sri Lanka today, prominent members of civil society are

continuously harassed and intimidated and the state media continue to

portray these people as terrorist sympathisers and traitors. In fact, as I speak

now, Sagarica Delgoda of the Fredrica Neuman Stiftung has been taken to

the notorious 4th oor of the CID for questioning.

As my time allocation is already over, I would like to say in conclusion that

this is a moment of reckoning not only for the Rajapakse regime but also for

the Commonwealth.

The Rajapakse regime , even at this late stage, must be made to put the

interests of the country first over and above its own narrow and selfish

agenda.

As for the Commonwealth, the Secretary General Sharma must ensure that

the Rajapakse regime meets the values and principles of the Commonwealth

charter not only in word but in deed as well. If not, he will merely be giving the

Commonwealth seal of approval for the propaganda interests of an emerging

dictatorship. Then the Commonwealth Charter will not be worth the paper it's

written on.

The Write STUFF

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:46:00 +0000

| by Victor Cherubim

( May 22, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) “Whispers can sometimes be louder than fanfares” so the saying goes.

The visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to New Delhi on Sunday 19 May 2013, some 27 years after his last visit and the visit of India’s Foreign Minister, Salman Khurshid to Beijing ten days previous, speak volumes about the Chinese proverb quoted by Premier Li: “a distant relative may not be as useful as a near neighbour,” which no doubt has varied overtones.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s sixth visit to China soon to meet the new Chairman and Leader Xi Jinping will be keenly watched, not only the media but by all the powers. How does this fit in China’s dream and how does this fit in Sri Lankan diplomacy, is anybody’s guess.

The media is naturally taking a lot of interest in both visits and developments. Notwithstanding the wit and the diplomacy of the Chinese Premier which we note but the body language of Indian Premier Manmohan Singh in welcoming his guest does matter, thus leading to the signing of Eight (8) agreements for trade between India and China.

In 1962 some 51 years ago China defeated India in its border dispute in the Ladakh region in Kashmir. But times have changed or has the perception altered? The downturn in world economy is partly to account for this new approach between two neighbours. India’s $70 billion trade target with China in 2015 cannot be downplayed. Besides, India’s economy is sagging and there is also the lingering envy of China’s economic success.

The Chinese Premier stated:”both Mr. Singh and I believe there are far more interests than differences between our two sides. We need to confront issues with a broad mind and tackle them in a mature way.”

The Indian Prime Minister went on to state:”we agreed that our special representatives will meet soon to continue discussions seeking an early agreement on a framework for a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable boundary settlement.”

Is there a meeting of the minds?

There has always been a meeting of minds between China and India. The ”border spat” has not derailed a general warming of relations between neighbours in recent times. India and China are members, in fact ardent members of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) forum of emerging world nations. China does not view lightly India’s close relations with the United States. India too does, it appears, view with askance the closer connection between China and the Pacific Rim nations with United States as a key ally.

China watcher, Binoda Mishra says:”China’s policy towards India appears to be more nuanced than many imagine in India.”

India’s attitude towards China’s growing influence particularly in Central Asia is of natural concern to Indian scholars, who are deeply sceptical of China’s ambitions in Central Asia. Yet the omission of Tibet from the joint statement is a clear indication that India does not want to rock the boat.

To my mind, both India and China are still very much concerned with basic balance of power considerations.

Strategists on both sides maintain that “each is too big to contain each other, or by any other country.” India perhaps want a North / South trade route. China may want a Pacific Rim trade route.

Sea vs. Land Power

China’s vision exhorts its faithful to be rich and strong. Like the American dream, China too has a dream.

China’s dream is the power of the sea. Sea power has enabled the West to reach out in history around the world. China’s maritime interests and national security will no doubt bear unique features to the influence of sea power in history of nations.

How does the China-India axis affect Sri Lanka

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s sixth visit to China soon to meet the new Chairman and Leader Xi Jinping will be keenly watched, not only the media but by all the powers. How does this fit in China’s dream and how does this fit in Sri Lankan diplomacy, is anybody’s guess.

Whispers can be louder than fanfares.

Pakistan: More Things Change, More Remain the Same

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:40:00 +0000

| by Mahboob A. Khawaja

( May 22, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Contemporary affairs represent Pakistani nation as divided people, leaderless who have been exploited by the neo-colonial feudal lords causing catastrophic consequences without accountability and engaged in looting the people of their socio-economic, moral and political consciousness for a sustainable future. The nation was incapacitated to THINK with REASON for its future. Elections 2013 facilitated no substantial change in the status-quo of foreign dictated governance except surprisingly people finding Nawaz Sharif as a replacement to Asif Ali Zardari, the previous thug and indicted criminal led regime of the few of which Mr. Sharif was an integral part. This means, the nation will pay with pains, tormenting worries and insane rages of the few egomaniac and perverted rulers who could not THINK right nor lead the nation - the political gangsters and the laughing stalk of the wounded nation and perpetrators of violence and the typical “Right Men” syndrome in its most naked form. Sahrif twice terminated PM on corruption charges and accused by General Musaharf to replace and kill him, could have addressed the issues if he wanted to make a fresh and responsible start in politics. Beginning with “Pakistan: Enigma of Change” in late 90’s, this author has envisaged planned change to make a new beginning only if there were educated and intelligent leaders from the new generation to initiate change and reformation (“islaha”) of the systematic institutionalized corruption prevalent in all aspects of human affairs. Change cannot and will not come out of the nowhere except through men of new ideas, new visionary leadership of integrity and public movement for change. For almost two decades, Pakistan’s capacity for change has been badly fractured and its moral, intellectual and political consciousness and values derailed and undermined by the few. There are three major contending forces escalating conflicts to degenerate the future and cripple the freedom and integrity of Pakistan:

(1) the Generals, who have ruled the country for almost four decades and are not willing to relinquish their own strategic- political powerhouse, militarization of the nation;

(2) Feudal landlords transformed politicians, the systematic by-products of the military Generals are the selected few families - Bhutoos- Zardaris, Sharifs and Chaudris of Gujarat acting as accomplice to support the military-based indoctrination as and when required for all seasons;

(3) People, the besieged masses of Pakistan - the net participatory victims and reactionaries to all of the tragedies for over fifty years.

None of the first two entities were factors in the thinking hub of the Pakistan movement for freedom - a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent and the politically-intellectually enriched people’s democratic movement for the creation for an independent Pakistan. For several decades, the military coups and interventions have degenerated the moral, intellectual and positive Thinking of the society and run the risk of continued decadence and corruption in all major endeavors of national affairs. Pakistan and its people are the victim of this prolonged, cruel and unending tragedy. It clarifies that the Generals and their accomplice so called feudal politicians versus the common masses live in different worlds of perceptions and realities – more in conflicting time zones, not being able to see the prevalent realties of the national affairs to come to understand its essence and urgency for change and reformation. The global community sees them with mistrust and discord, not viable entities of the international system. The irrational system of governance propelled by the few does not offer any rational context to political change and reformation unless there is another bloody outburst challenging the insanity with more vigorous form of tragic insanity. Nobody THINKS of Pakistan, its national interests or the interests of the people- the logical legitimacy factor to the embodiment of Islamic Pakistan. More than forty years of time and opportunities have been stolen from the precious lifeline of the nation of Muslim Pakistan; yet, nobody was ever charged with crime nor punished for their treachery and monstrous actions against the freedom and integrity of Pakistan. East Pakistan now Bangladesh, was lost and surrendered to India because of the plan by the then military-political rulers of the nation in 1971. ZA Bhutto- General Yahaya Khan were the chief conspirators to dismember Pakistan. The traitors were rewarded not punished by the nation.

Leaders create leaders but there were none since the military took over the reigns time and again, stupid and unthinking people will come to occupy the highest offices, negating the very essence of Islamic principles and moral values of the society. Pakistan embodies multiple self-inflicted tragedies unknown in modern history. Power politics in Pakistan has become an outcome of institutionalized corruption, conspiracies, killings, and treachery to the national interests. The Generals, Politicians and Assemblies are all the outcome of this flourishing business industry. Since its freedom, the power was transferred only once peacefully by the British colonial authority on August 14, 1947; otherwise, there is no evidence of peaceful transfer of power to any legitimate leader-party in Pakistan. All the time, there were backdoor conspiracies, killings and trades-in between the few families and the Generals. What happened to East Pakistan, a similar situation is evolving in Baluchistan and Karachi, and all the major actors appear to be same as were at the time in 1971. The first two contending forces are acting on behalf of the foreign masters to further disintegrate Pakistan, and they are well paid and escorted by the ruthless forces of foreign intervention and spying networks. Even if Pakistan is further ruptured, their dividends-pensions and salaries are guaranteed by the Foreign Master. General Pervez Musaharaf currently under arrest and investigation is the role-model of being a subservient to the interests of the foreign Master. Who would know better to calculate the benefits than the former dictator General Musharaf and his immediate colleagues?

Those so called politicians who grab power via backdoor conspiracies and political horse-trading never think of relinquishing their hold on the masses. The rulers are the absolute power in Pakistan. There is no democracy, no political accountability and there is no political system based on any known legitimacy. The Pakistani rulers have acquired indifference to the public interest and insanity and they are victim of their own obsession. Pakistan needs a new political system of governance to be articulated by the new educated and proactive visionary generation of the people. Sahrif and the Generals belong to the dead past, and cannot be a hope for the future. Pakistanis breathe different air in a vicious encirclement of subjugation with a terrible sense of helplessness lacking political imagination and new ideas for the future making. The present rulers deserve a powerful lightning jolt or perhaps to face firing squad because the rational legal accountability process would not do justice to their perpetuated crimes against the nation. One cannot ignore the facts that some vital segments of the Pakistani nation must have been complacent in these schemes of things institutionalizing corruption and cruel politics. Could the Generals, Bhuttos, Sahrifs and Zardari have stolen time and resources on their own without the large participation of bribed people from within the society? Could we call the nation as a “zalam and muzloom quom” for our discussion purposes? Dr Qadeer Khan had rightly asked the question: Do Pakistanis have any Gharait (honor”). Coinciding this concern, one British journalist of the Guardian asked the same “do Pakistanis have any sense of honor?” Who would respond this imperative curiosity?

America is a big game player in Pakistan and its security apparatus. The aid gimmick has kept Pakistan interdependent on the policy making of the US administration and a nation being viewed more liability than an asset to the American geo-political interests in that region. The US leaders allege Pakistani rulers (civilians and military) as “double dealers” paid, bribed but act contrary to the American dictates. The imagery that floats across the globe that Pakistani Generals and politicians are in the paid US basket and survive on its active support to rule Pakistan. The beggar nation that continues to be living at the mercy of the so called US aid money and foods, often defined as conspiracy to fighting proxy wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere. All that can go wrong have gone wrong with the system of Pakistani governance. Every one selling others, every one making cash dollars by trading-in the interests of the Muslim nation. It is business “as usual” and nobody seems to raise any eyebrows anymore in a culture of nuisance, filthy corruption, and non-Islamic governance claiming to be Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Nobody knows where Islam exists or is operative across Pakistan.

In its May 18, 2007, the New York Times published front page article that “Pakistani Generals are paid to do the job.” That was General Musharaf and comrades, exposing the insanity of the “war on terrorism” that Pakistan embraced and the Generals made millions. The terms of reference clearly shows that the US intelligence network and the political leadership have full control over all the major affairs of governance in Pakistan. Zardari and the Pakistani Generals are the stooges of the US managed political chessboard. Do these cruel monsters have a future? Bruce Riedel, One of Obama’s advisors on Pakistan and the War on Terrorism (“Battle for the Soul of Pakistan” 1/4/2013, Brookings Institute and Centre for Middle East Policy) calls it “2013 could be a transformative year for the country, indeed it will be the battle for the soul of Pakistan.” He explains: “One measure of Pakistan's instability is that the country now has between 300 and 500 private security firms, employing 3,00,000 armed guards, most run by ex-generals.” What makes the ex-Generals to create a culture of fear and insecurity? Is it the ex-Generals or the bogus War on Terror they have perpetuated? Is it that they draw their after service gratuities from such crime-riddled adventures? He adds that

“So, it is no wonder that the generals prefer to have the civilians responsible for managing the unmanageable, while they guard their prerogatives and decide national security issues. As important as the coming elections will be, the far more important issue is who will be the next Chief of Army Staff.”

The US administration dictates Pakistani governance of the few. Sahrif is the workable alternative and another “Our Man in Islamabad” replacing Zardari. No matter how suspicious and paranoid the Generals and their by-products- Zardaris and Sharifs appear to be, they are people without rational thinking and freedom of thoughts for the good of Pakistan. Their aims and ambitions are focused on power grabbing, not rebuilding of the much destroyed socio-economic and political infrastructures. Even after recent elections, the nation is divided along many ethnic and political demarcated lines drawn by the few man-made lords. There is no leader or party to envisage unity of the nation and be able to harmonize all the contending forces for the good of the people. Karachi is hallmark of MQM gangsterism in collaboration with the PPP. The daily killing of the innocent is called Karachite politics. Nobody thinks of stopping the bloodshed and bringing the perpetrators to legal justice. Dr Arif Alvi, the new NA elected member of the PTI from Karachi elaborates “How the MQM Works in Karachi”. (The Daily Times, Pakistan, 5/21/2013). Facts are on the wall if there are any Pakistani politicians to safeguard the future of the nation. Prior to the elections, hopes were centered on the Jamait-e-Islami and the PTI- led by Imran Khan - the two political parties of REASON and moral integrity to bring change to a corrupt system of political governance. The outcomes signal a vicious and degenerating political future for the nation. Sahrif and his collaborators have not been raised or educated with moral and intellectual leadership to lead the nation. In all probabilities, these new rulers to be have nothing new and positive for the future of Pakistan. The solution must come out of the NEW THINKING and NEW VISIONS of the young people and new generation of Pakistani scholars and intellectuals who are able to THINK independently and out of the box curtailment. This approach deserves an inward EYE on the objectivity and purpose of political change and reformation of the neo-colonial dominated governance, an eye not merely to change the political faces but to be FOCUSED on the PURPOSE and clarity of political change institutionalized developments holding Zardari and General Musharaf accountable for their crimes and treason to the nation, and rebuilding new political institutions with an instinctive recognition, gradually transforming the obsolete governance and rebuilding unto new and responsible system of political governance. Surely, history will judge the Pakistani rulers by their actions, not by their claims. The HOPE for change and reshaping ANEW Pakistan rests with the new ideas and optimism of the new, educated and intelligent young generation of Pakistanis. All segments of educated, informed and conscientious Pakistanis have genuine interests and priority to rebuild a strong foundation for the unity of the nation and this aim of unity rests with Islam as a powerful and unifying force of change and sustainable development for the future of Pakistan.

(Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: Global Peace and Conflict Management: Man and Humanity in Search of New Thinking. Lambert Publishing Germany, May 2012).

Serious doubts on the inquiries into the mass graves at Matale

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:15:00 +0000

| A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

( May 21, 2013, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) Serious doubts have emerged regarding the future investigations into the mass grave at Matale where the remains of 156 persons have been found. In today's press it was reported that the Judicial Medical Officer in charge of the investigation has been transferred (JMO in charge of Matale mass grave also to be transferred -- Sri Lanka Mirror, May 20, 2013). Furthermore, it is also reported that the magistrate conducting the inquiries is also to be transferred.

These transfers are happening at the same moment when a greater momentum of interest is being expressed regarding the mass grave. A number of persons from the families of missing persons have come forward to the court claiming that the remains may include those of their family members. The newspapers have reported that 13 separate families have already listed their names in the court and according to the JVP, who believes that these remains are of their former associates, there are more persons who have met with their lawyers with a view to presenting their claims to the court.

The key issue in the investigations now is to have the remains tested by DNA experts and thereafter to compare the samples from the remains with the DNA samples of the family members who have come forward. The identification of the persons whose remains lie in this grave is the first step to be taken if this inquiry is going to lead to any judicial process.

The identification of the actual persons who were killed is important not only for judicial inquiries but also from the point of view of the families who have been searching for their missing loved ones for almost two decades now. Besides there is also the social responsibility to bring this matter to a final conclusion through a just and fair inquiry.

However, there is a widespread fear that the government may sabotage the inquiry, particularly as some of the names of suspected perpetrators include some powerful politicians. Among them the most important is the recurrence of the name of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President's brother who is now the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and who has been mentioned as the Commanding Officer of the regiment that was based in this area at the relevant time. The relevant time, according to the findings of the experts is between 1986 and 1991. The university experts who conducted their inquiries to ascertain the possible time period to which the remains belong came to their conclusion on the basis of their observations and tests and ascertained the time as between 1986 to 1991. The period coincides with one of the most brutal conflicts between the Sri Lankan forces and militants led by the JVP which caused the enforced disappearances of around 30,000 persons.

While the JVP claim that the remains may belong to their former supporters extensive evidence led before the commissions which inquired into the enforced disappearances also brought forth evidence of many SLFP supporters and very many innocent persons being among those who became victims of enforced disappearances during this time.

The government and particularly President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the past has been a prominent campaigner against enforced disappearances and he even went before the then Human Rights Commission of the United Nations to complain about the matter. Therefore under normal circumstances the government would have seen some political advantage in dealing with these enforced disappearances as the responsibility for such is attributed to the United National Party which was in power during that time.

However, at present there are other considerations that seem to affect the government's approach to this matter. The government is heavily committed to hushing up all the allegations of human rights abuses attributed to the military and the police. The political system that has emerged in recent times has shifted away significantly from democracy and now relies heavily on the military. As a result any serious inquiry into enforced disappearances may be seen as opening a Pandora's Box. Further to the covering up of military and police abuses another factor that seems to affect the government's approach is the increasing allegations that Gotabaya Rajapaksa may have been seriously involved in the enforced disappearances of the time.

The government recently spoke of the appointment of a commission to inquire into all issues relating to the mass grave. However, this has come under serious criticism as commissions are largely seen in Sri Lanka as means of covering up crimes. There is hardly any credibility attached to the work of commissions. Besides in this instance the matters that are to be dealt with cannot be done by a commission. Establishing the identity of the persons whose remains have been found is primarily a task for forensic scientists whose work would be supervised only by a judicial officer. This inquiry which is one of the most complicated of any criminal inquiry requires the work of skilled and competent criminal investigators and the credible working of judicial officers.

As the appointment of a fake commission would serve no useful purpose in itself, there is a considerable fear that the government may sabotage the inquiry altogether. The transfer of the JMO who did the initial inquiry and who has shown great commitment to his work may be the first step in that direction. The transfer of the magistrate would also cause serious delays. If a magistrate who can be politically manipulated is put in his place many maneuvers might be done to delay or otherwise damage the inquiry.

What is even more worrying is the security of the remains themselves. Earlier inquiries into the alleged mass graves at Chemmani left many unanswered questions about the possible tampering of evidence including the alleged removal of the remains from the site. Given the present utterly disorganised state of affairs in Sri Lanka it is not difficult to tamper with the identified remains at the Matale mass grave. Given also the increasingly degenerating situation of the administration of justice in the country such concerns about the remains found at Matale cannot be treated as an exaggeration.

The United Nations High Commissioner's Office has an obligation to intervene in this inquiry and to ensure that a proper inquiry is conducted and the credibility of the judicial process is maintained.

Meanwhile research into the evidence given at the Commission for Involuntary Disappearances at Uwa Province has revealed more names and other details of persons who disappeared from villages closer to Matale during the relevant period. Earlier the Asian Human Rights Commission published 26 such names and other details in our statement SRI LANKA: Whose remains are in the mass grave at Matale. We are now publishing below the details of a further 28 persons whose remains may be found at the Matale mass grave.

	Name	Place of abduction	Abductees
1	U G Shantha Rathnayake	Abducted from home	Rajwala Camp 1, Kumara 2, Captain Mandis 3, R P Vejasre 4, H G Jyatlaka 5, Jayantha Pushpakumra 6, G Tilkaratna
2	H U Gamine	Matale	Katugastota police 1, Somapla 2, Kodtuvku 3, Kusuma 4, Ranasiha 5,Thisa Disanayake
3	Nimal Siriwardana	Abducted from home	Police officer Gunarathna
4	K G V Ranaweera	Abducted from Home
5	Sisira Sanevirathna	Abducted from Home	Amarasena B G Senevirathna
6	R M Lionel Wijerathna	Abducted from Home
7	M D Kusumsiri	Abducted from Home Kengalle	Amarasena Kalusenavi
8	Indrani Wijekoon	Abducted from Home
9	A G Rupasinghe	Ovilikanda	Ovilekanda Camp Sergeant Jayati
10	H G J Polplandeniya	Abducted from Home	Police Kirebatkubra Police officer Suba
11	P L Sri Lal Ranaweera	Abducted from Home	Owala Camp Waththegama Police
12	B G Henry Darmasena	Abducted from Home
13	G G Karunananda	Ambulpura	Police Katugastota
14	M G Sanath Priyantha Kumara Samarnayake	Abducted from Home Ihagama	Police Galagedara
15	R G Rohana Udaya Kumara	Abducted from Home	Hatralyada Police 1, O I C Pramaratna 2, Atula jaysundara 3, Munasiha 4, Dayananda 5, Disanayake 6, Ananda
16	A G Ranjith Bandara	Kandy G A Office	By a gang of about 4 persons dressed in commando uniform that arrived in a vehicle without a number plate
17	G G Somasiri	Abducted from Home Vavinna	By a gang of about 4 persons dressed in commando uniform that arrived in a vehicle without a number plate Captain M G Rathnayaka
18	Y G Nandana Gunasekara	Nugavela	Katugastota Police 1,Karunratna Malygoda 2,O I C Dasnayake
19	Y G Somapala	Abducted from Home	1.Kodituvku (U N P ) By a gang of about 4 persons dressed in commando uniform that arrived in a vehicle without a number plate
20	A R M Nimal Jayathissa	Abducted from Home	Alawatugoda Police By a gang of about 4 persons dressed in commando uniform that arrived in a vehicle without a number plate
21	G G L Nishantha Weerasinghe	Abducted from Home	Watagama Police 1, upatissa 2 ,Sergeant Lokubanda
22	B G Henry Darmasena	Abducted from Home	By a gang of about 4 persons dressed in commando Uniform arrived in a vehicle Without a number plate
23	Lal Ranjith	Pallakelle K T I Office	By a gang of about 4 persons dressed in commando Uniform arrived in a vehicle Without a number plate
24	S B Anura Herath	Kandy G A Office	Waththegama Police By a gang of about 4 persons dressed in commando Uniform arrived in a vehicle Without a number plate
25	J Vimal Sirisena	Abducted from Home	1,Pallagadara Amarasuriya 2,Ukowela army camp 3,Watagama Police
26	R M Lionel Wijerathna	Abducted from Home	By a gang of about 4 persons dressed in commando uniform that arrived in a vehicle without a number plate
27	S Senevirathna	Abducted from Home	G G Sanviratna (Billa) persons dressed in commando uniform arrived in a vehicle without a number plate
28	A S Sudasinghe	Abducted from Home	1,Lakshman Edirisinghe 2,Rajapksa persons dressed in commando uniform arrived in a vehicle without a number plate

Please also see SRI LANKA: Concern over appointment of commission regarding the mass grave in Matale

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia, documents violations and advocates for justice and institutional reform to ensure the protection and promotion of these rights. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

Four Years On, Genocide Continues Off The Battlefield

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:53:00 +0000

| by Kumaravadivel Guruparan and Sivakami Rajamanoharan

( May 21, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) In May 2009 as the armed conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government of Sri Lanka came to a harrowing end, Sri Lanka's genocidal offensive against the Tamil population of the North-East reached a peak. Four years on, as the Tamil nation - scattered worldwide through decades of oppression and armed conflict - remembers the massacre that took place, the prospect of a stable and secure future remains bleak. Sri Lanka has long proven itself both incapable and unwilling to deliver accountability and justice to the Tamil people, yet the international community too has failed to instigate a credible process towards it. But most of all, the systematic destruction of the Tamil identity continues, unchecked.

It is increasingly evident that the mantra of granting Sri Lanka time, space, economic support and international engagement is not leading to a process of accountability, reconciliation or peace for the Tamils. Torture, disappearance, rape and murder prevail; the economic and political fabric of Tamil society is repressed. What the Sri Lankan government celebrated as the defeat of one of the world's largest ‘terrorist' organisations has not brought security to the Tamil nation.

The true extent of the destruction that took place in 2009 remains unknown. UN estimates of the numbers of Tamil civilians killed range from 40,000 to over 70,000 (notwithstanding the 146,679 unaccounted for). A panel of UN experts, citing ‘credible allegations' of war crimes and crimes against humanity on both sides, concluded that the vast majority of Tamil deaths were caused by government shelling. The panel accused government forces of ordering Tamil civilians into designated ‘no-fire zones' only to shell the areas with heavy artillery, as well as intentionally targeting hospitals. Those Tamils who survived found themselves pressed into government territory and detained in militarised camps for months afterwards. UN experts stated they were deliberately and systematically deprived of humanitarian aid, food and sanitation in these camps through the government's intentional deflation of numbers.

Beyond the constraints of the outdated Genocide Convention and the burden of proof of ‘genocidal intent', to Tamils, there is no doubt that the terror unleashed upon them was genocide. The Tamil use of the term is not hyperbole; it is instead a bold stand of the Tamil nation not to shy away from expressing its self-understanding of its own lived experiences. Crucially, only the term genocide encapsulates the sociological and political treatment of the Tamil nation by the Sri Lankan state over the past 60 years.

Continuum of genocide

History makes clear that atrocities on this scale do not occur in isolation. The massacre of Tamils in 2009 came as the predictable zenith of 60 years of escalating oppression and persecution of the Tamil nation by successive governments. Previous measures such as the Citizenship Act, Sinhala Only Act, standardisation in education and the new republican constitution of 1978 were calculated to undermine the Tamil nation's place in the island and consolidate Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony. Open attacks on the nation were unleashed - the crucible of Tamil history and literature as the Jaffna library was burnt, peaceful Tamil protests were violently crushed and thousands of Tamils were murdered in state sponsored pogroms. It was from this backdrop that the Tamil call for independence in 1976 and armed Tamil resistance advocating secession emerged.

Equally, the mass slaughtering of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians by the ethnically pure Sinhala military in 2009, could not have taken place without the collusion of the Sinhala majority: the competitive chauvinism of the Sinhala polity, active endorsement by large swathes of the media, complicity of the judiciary and the silent apathy of wider Sinhala society.

Whilst the absence of armed conflict has halted overt slaughter, the Sri Lankan state has escalated the dismantling of the Tamil identity in the North-East, deconstructing the very basis of the Tamil assertion of nationhood, homeland and the right to self-determination. Through the appropriation of privately owned Tamil land using dubious ‘legal' measures and wholesale militarised seizure, the state-sponsored resettlement of Sinhala families and the establishment of militarised ‘high security zones', the ethnic demography of the North-East is effectively being re-engineered. Sinhala resettlement was later used as justification for a string of other measures including changing place names from Tamil to Sinhalese and erecting Buddhist stupas while Tamil places of worship such as temples and churches remain destroyed.

It is not chance that the recent accelerated land grabs come as the government, succumbing to international pressure, announced a provincial council election in the North. Though the elections serve no purpose - the provincial council system cannot provide any solutions to the immediate problems of the Tamil people nor form a basis through which a political solution can be explored - the government is actively working to ensure that the Tamil nation is denied control of even a vacuous body like the Provincial Council. The government's introduction of a carefully vetted pool of ‘rehabilitated' Tamil electoral candidates, its active endorsement of paramilitary parties and increasing attacks against members of the Tamil nationalist polity and press, strikes at the very heart of Tamil political power - forcibly dissipating its voter base and installing fear within the electorate.

Alongside the dismantling of Tamil society and polity, the deliberate suppression of the North-East economy ensures that the character of the Tamil people as a nation, with a sustainable homeland, is meticulously erased. Sri Lanka's rhetoric of ‘development' belies the state-sponsored transfer of farming lands to Sinhala farmers, curtailment of Tamil fishing opportunities and the military's encroachment on an array of employment sectors including transportation, housing development and tourism.

Need for accountability

Crimes of this magnitude necessitate accountability and justice. Since 2009, the Tamil calls for an independent, international investigation, as the only means to this end, have been unanimous and unwavering. From Tamil political representatives such as the Tamil National Alliance and the Tamil National People's Front, to Tamil civil society groups in the North-East and the diaspora, there is a resounding consensus: Sri Lanka must not be left to investigate itself. In over 60 years there has been no historic precedent of Sri Lanka delivering justice to Tamils for crimes committed by the state or its stooges. Emboldened by this endemic impunity, it has instead habitually stalled, producing a litany of failed reconciliation initiatives and rejecting external suggestions of improvement. Against a backdrop of intimidation, white-van abductions, and assassinations, it routinely silences anyone attempting to unearth the truth.

From the outset, Sri Lanka responded to credible allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity with outlandish assertions: ‘zero-civilian casualties' and a ‘humanitarian rescue operation'. Its rejection of international calls to investigate both sides was followed by histrionic accusations of neo-colonialists and terrorist proxies levelled against advocates of an international investigation. Sri Lanka's eventual response to pressure, the internal Lessons Learnt Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), in line with its predecessors, resolutely fails to credibly address accountability or justice. From its stated objectives (including to "clear the good name of the army") and formation, to the context of militarisation and intimidation in which it took place, the LLRC has proved the opposite of a credible, independent inquiry.

That it was appointed by the President to investigate crimes that he, as Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and his brother as Defence Secretary, were primarily implicated in, underscores its inconsequence. Crucially, this lack of will reverberates outside the ruling government, into the wider Sinhala polity and Sri Lanka's influential Buddhist clergy, as well as the judiciary and press. Given this, the international community's continued calls for Sri Lanka to investigate itself reveal a dismaying lack of commitment to deliver justice to Tamils.

In the context of an ethnic conflict, a collective sense of closure is vital for any prospect of reconciliation and lasting stability to resolve deep-rooted feelings of anger, resentment and mistrust. In the case of Sri Lanka, closure could not be further away. Four years on, Tamils continue to find themselves at the mercy of those who celebrate the pinnacle of their torment as a ‘victory', and are actively destroying the very fabric of the Tamil identity. Anything short of an international inquiry - be it 'truth and reconciliation' commissions or political settlements in exchange for blanket amnesties - will not only continue to grant impunity and embolden an already brutal regime, but will fuel simmering resentment, and pave the way for yet more intractable conflict on the island. The suggestion that Tamils must trust in the future good will and reformed ways of today's perpetrators and their assenters - who, as numerical superiors within a unitary state, will always remain democratically unchallengeable - is repulsive.

On a global level, the international community's abysmal failure to uphold its own much-touted adage of 'never again' in 2009, has already inspired the macabre propagation of the 'Sri Lankan model of counter-terrorism'. The continued failure to deliver justice for crimes such as genocide will inspire tomorrow's perpetrators worldwide.

Enduring contradiction

The marking of May 18th embodies the enduring contradiction at the crux of the island's ethnic conflict. Amidst heavy restrictions on Tamils in the North-East to exercise their right to memory, the Tamil nation comes together to remember the nadir of the genocide it has faced and that which it continues to face; the Sri Lankan state meanwhile marks its greatest victory. The images of death and suffering that form the collective Tamil memory of 2009 are irreconcilable with the images of triumphant soldiers parading their ‘success' and a jubilant Sinhala nation waving the Sri Lankan flag.

Images of Tamil suffering and the expression of collective agony, though not in itself celebrated, have failed to provoke the collective conscience of the Sinhala nation. When Tamils took to the streets in their hundreds of thousands, to protest day and night against events unfolding, the Sinhala nation applauded the military's progress. What the Tamil nation mourned as the crushing of resistance against oppression was embraced by the Sinhala nation as the restoration of the natural state of Sinhala Buddhist rule across the entirety of the island.

Four years on, the contrast is no less profound. Running directly counter to Sri Lanka's determination to reject an international inquiry, is the Tamil campaign for it. As rallies that took place this May 18th and Tamil attempts at legal action against travelling Sri Lankan military officials reveal, the passing of time has only strengthened the Tamil demand for accountability and justice. Assertions that the quest for justice is being pursued only by the ‘disconnected and radicalised' diaspora, whilst the Tamils in the North-East only desire ‘development', are evidently false. Instead, as recent prosecutions of aging Nazi criminals illustrate, the gnawing ache of injustice felt by those who faced persecution does not diminish with time. It cannot be reconciled with truth alone, and it will not be pacified by economic prosperity. Rather, only everyday security and normalcy can form the foundation on which the quest for justice can be launched. As the Tamil nation takes stock this May 18th, acutely mindful of the on-going structural genocide, the need for justice and accountability is reinforced - and so too the Tamil nation's resolve to pursue it.

Post-war Sri Lanka – where the victim is the culprit

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:50:00 +0000

| by Ranga Jayasuriya

( May 21, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) One should make no apologies to celebrate the victory over one of the most egregious terrorist groups that ever walked the earth.

On the sunny Saturday morning, tanks rolled on the Galle Face Green, Kafir interceptors flew overhead and the Navy gunboats paraded in the adjacent sea on the fourth anniversary of Victory Day. (One boat capsized, during the ceremonial preparations). Even months before that momentous feat in the Nandikadal Lagoon, the text book-styled annihilation of the Tamil Tigers looked like a mere wild fantasy.

It is exactly those sentiments of an accomplishment that was achieved against all odds that the ruling cohort in Colombo wants the nation to remember. There are obvious reasons to celebrate the death of the megalomaniac leader of the LTTE, Velupilllai Prabhakaran, and his bunch of terrorists—though, the high toll of collateral damages would, sometimes, dampen the celebration and warrant circumspection.

However, set aside the often contentious and acrimonious debate on the civilian cost – which, however, is bound to happen in any counter insurgency operation of the Sri Lankan magnitude, the place Sri Lanka has turned out to be since the defeat of the Tamil Tigers is deeply disappointing.

Paranoid

The regime is paranoid, deeply illiberal and is guilty of regular human rights abuses.

None other than President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave voice to those attributes of the Sri Lankan regime when he spoke at the Victory Day Parade on Saturday.

"Foreign forces and pressures, foreign invasions are not new to us," he said.

"In the four years since this great humanitarian victory, there were many strategies tried out by these forces to rule our Motherland. These included the Arab Spring, grease demons, the independence of the Judiciary, media freedom and human rights. There were attempts to make us file answers to such charges almost every six months. It is these sinister aims that are put forward as the protection of human rights and democracy," he said.

Change the venue to Pyongyang, Khmer Rouge's Cambodia or Stalinist Kremlin, and replace the Sri Lankan interlocutor with a local despot of the geographic zone, you would hear the same rhetoric. (Perhaps, barring the grease demons, which is a unique Sri Lanka phenomenon.)

What is self evident in the verbose, like the one above, is the unique story of victimhood international pariahs and their evolving cousins have developed. Ultimately, the plight of myriad individuals, who were abducted in white vans or detained arbitrarily are discounted. The purported victimhood of the State, which is culpable of a multitude of those crimes, is shouted from the rooftop by the executive.

Old wine in new bottles

Such verbose is old wine in new bottles. Rulers have historically highlighted real and imaginary external threats in order to mobilize the local population. For international pariahs, who have failed their people in numerous ways, fear psychosis over the external threat factor provides a convenient scapegoat for their multitude of failures. In the swathes of less enlightened masses that form the receptive audience for those leaders, there are enough willing believers for those rambling.

Therefore, President Rajapaksa held sway over his gullible audience and made them believe his government was a victim of the independent Judiciary and human rights and a multitude of freedoms, the human kind is privileged to enjoy.

When the perpetrator claims for the victimhood, suddenly the victim is made the culprit.

The ex-Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, who was arbitrarily removed from her lawful position or Lasantha Wickrematunge, who was gunned down in broad daylight become the culprits, not only responsible for their own misfortune, but also for slandering the otherwise lilywhite reputation of the government.

That is, however, petty talk which smacks of the lack of sophistication of those who rule this country. The Third World, with a handful of exceptions, has been condemned to such buffoonery since the independence of most of those former colonies. This, therefore, is not a new phenomenon.

Victory not savoured

However, it is petty-mindedness that failed this country in its post -Nandikadal history. The Sri Lankan Forces which destroyed perhaps the worst terrorist group could not savour their victory or keep their heads high on the international front. That is not because several thousand civilians, who were either misfortunate to be in the wrong place, or made a conscious decision to side with the terrorists, perished in the final phase of the conflict. Collateral damages are an integral part of the war and more people have perished in other wars, from Iraq to Afghanistan to Chechnya. The flip side was how the government handled those allegations. The government's conduct was characterized by its manifest paranoia, high-handedness and the resort to dirty tactics of character assassination. It was conduct that cultivated a negative reputation for Sri Lanka.

That petty-mindedness of the rulers failed the country in its post-war democratic transformation. It sanctioned war-time counter terrorism strategies, ranging from extra-judicial killings to abductions, as a solution to peace-time problems. Such warped minds sanctioned the abduction of democratic political leaders and party activists, such as Lalith and Kugan, and reigned over a culture of fear in Jaffna. They provided regular flimsy excuses for the frequent attacks on the media.

However, such antics only galvanized Sri Lanka's place as an emerging pariah. That is a sad metamorphosis for one of Asia's old democracies. And even the leaders' who have come to view themselves as the State within this uneventful island, know deep down in their hearts that they are being viewed with a varying degree of contempt in the world's practicing democracies.

Those leaders also committed a grave injustice against the servicemen, who paid with their lives and limb to defeat a megalomaniac terrorist. Not only did they rob the public adoration the soldiers truly deserve, they deprived them of their professional dignity. Had the government handled allegations of war crime like any other civilized modern military would have done, our servicemen would have been in a better position to project their professional integrity.

The strength of the Sri Lankan defence forces is its trained and battle-hardened rank and file. The rest of the military hardware that were on display, ranging from antiquated T 55 and T 72 Main Battle Tanks, Kafir and M 27 fighters to gunboats, would be turned into a scrap metal by a single advanced fighter jet that modern militaries deploy.

It was the men who flew night missions in those outdated Kafirs, which the Israeli defence force discarded long ago, or commanded gunboats against swarming Sea Tiger boats that truly defined the victory achieved four years back.

Their expertise could have been useful elsewhere in the world, be it in the UN missions or in the form of Private Security consultancy, which makes a brisk business from Afghanistan to Iraq. However, concerns over human rights hindered their optimum international engagement. And some of the battle-hardened warriors were condemned to dig trenches on the Racecourse ground.

Another Kenyan Stolen Election

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:38:00 +0000

| by Thomas C. Mountain

( May 21, 2013, Eretria, Sri Lanka Guardian) That the fix was in was confirmed when the Godfather himself, son of a Kenyan, Barack Obama, called Uhuru Kenyatta, indicted for “Crimes Against Humanity” by those minions of Pax Americana, the International Criminal Court, to congratulate him for successfully conducting another Kenyan stolen election.

As in every election held in Kenya since Independence over half a century ago the ruling “la familia” stole the election “free, fair and square”. “La Familia” in Kenya means the same extended family of

ethnic minority Kikuyu’s ruling Kenya from “Kenya’s Founder” Jomo Kenyatta to his son, Pax Americana’s man of the hour Uhuru Kenyatta, the head of “la Familia” that today owns upwards of 1 million hectares of Kenya’s prime land.

The USA and its western vassals have been running into stormy weather in the Horn of Africa with a shaky Ethiopia, Uganda starting to crack under the strain and the counter insurgency being waged by the AU in Somalia swallowing some 25,000 “peacekeepers” and counting.

Kenya has well over a division of its best troops waging war on the Somali people in southern Somali and increasingly against Kenyan Somalis. There could be no talk of withdrawal of these troops because

of ethnic violence over the latest electoral fraud, and this the army made clear to the “opposition” headed by Raila Odinga who wept for all the world to see when he cried foul, once again, after the results were announced.

Kenya’s stability could not be trifled with over a mere election.

Of course everything was done on the up and up. The Electoral council overseeing the election were hand picked by “la familia” along with every member of the Kenya high courts and all of Kenya’s General

Officers in the Army. So everything went according to plan, pretty much, and another vassal of Pax Americana was duly anointed “President” of another African fiefdom.

Africa remains overwhelmingly a tribal society and Kenya is particularly so. Tribalism is blamed for the regular outbreaks of mass murder that takes place between Kenyan ethnic groups. Yet Kenya’s

tribes somehow overcome such powerful strictures and instead regularly cast their ballots for the ethnic minority Kikuyu tribe?

There are those in the western media who will tell you that Kenya is doing quite well with a growing economy and life is getting better for Kenya’s people.

Don't believe them? Maybe one only needs to see what life is like for millions in the capital Nairobi’s disease and crime infested slums. Or the untold thousands who starve to death in Kenya every year, maybe tens of thousands amongst the victims of the Great Horn of Africa Drought that ravaged northern Kenya a year or two ago.

Since I last wrote about Kenya “la Familia” has outlawed the Independence Movement in Mombassa, driving popular leaders deep, deep underground or on the run in Tanzania one step ahead of Kenyan death squads. All this will succeed in doing in the long run is force Mombassa’s youth into the arms of the hard core “jihadists” who have been pointing out the inevitability of the armed struggle for national

liberation, Islamic in this case.

Oppression breeds resistance, its a law of nature. The more Kenya’s “la Familia” oppress the people of Mombassa the hotter burns the fires of resistance. Such fires maybe tamped down for the time being but

inevitably they will burst out anew with the only answer known to “la Familia” is more of the iron fist, a truly grim future to contemplate.

Kenya is another Africa slave of the IMF, some how managing to stay one step out of bankruptcy thanks to yet another IMF “emergency loan”. Today the Kenyan government includes some 50 ministers who manage to consume half the governments budget while millions suffer from malnutrition, polluted drinking water and no health care.

While food prices continue to climb the IMF continues to demand food price subsidies by the government be slashed. International Misery Fund is what it should be called and Kenyans are just one of many African people suffering under IMF bondage.

But never fear, “Democracy Has Triumphed in Kenya”, this is all the peoples choice. Or isn't it?

Thomas C. Mountain is the most widely distributed independent journalist in Africa, living and reporting from Eritrea since 2006. He can be reached at thomascmountain_at_yahoo_dot_com.

Syria Has No Reason To Use Chemical Weapons

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:30:00 +0000

World View: After the fiasco over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, people around the world are rightly sceptical about claims of gas attacks

| by Patrick Cockburn

( May 21, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) 'I am not afraid of anything except for God and poison gas," said an Iraqi officer who had fought in the Iran-Iraq war. "It's like a ghost. You have no defence against it." Though not a target of poison gas as a member of the army using it, he knew what it did to its victims.

Poison gas is a terrifying weapon. People are still dying in Iran from the effects of ingesting it a quarter of a century ago. It is one of the few weapons to be banned with partial success between its first use on a mass scale in the First World War and again by Saddam Hussein with even greater intensity against Iranians and Kurds in the 1980s.

It is right, therefore, that the alleged attack by the Syrian armed forces using chemical weapons against Saraqeb, a rebel-held town south-west of Aleppo on 29 April, should be carefully investigated. Doctors told the BBC's Ian Pannell that after an artillery bombardment they treated eight people with breathing problems, some of whom were vomiting and others who had constricted pupils.

One woman named Maryam Khatib later died. Her son Mohammed said: "It was a horrible, suffocating smell. You couldn't breathe at all. You'd feel like you were dead. I couldn't see anything for three or four days." Videos taken by local people show a helicopter dropping an object which appears to leave a trail of white vapour.

My experience of trying to report allegations of the deployment or use of such weapons over the years makes me cautious. Local people, including local doctors, are often sincerely convinced that some exotic weapon has been used against them, but they may not have past experience of either conventional or chemical attack.

For instance, doctors in Fallujah west of Baghdad suspect that non-conventional weapons must have been used against the city when it was stormed by US forces in November 2004. This might explain why so many malformed babies have been born since. It is impossible not to sympathise or suppress a feeling of rage over the sufferings of these people.

But, in blaming non-conventional weapons, people may underestimate what conventional munitions can do. In two weeks' fighting in Fallujah in 2004, US marine artillery units fired an average of 379 high-explosive 155mm shells a day into this small city. In addition, American jets flying overhead dropped 318 bombs and, together with helicopters, fired 391 rockets and missiles.

At the time, the Iraqi government of Iyad Allawi made the unlikely claim that just 200 buildings in Fallujah had been destroyed or damaged. A recently published book, The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq from George W Bush to Barack Obama by Michael Gordon and Bernard Trainor, from which the above figures are taken, reveals that the US marines "estimated that out of about 50,000 residences in the city, their operations had destroyed between 7,000 and 10,000, as well as 60 mosques". Perhaps this vastly excessive use of firepower is sufficient explanation for the appalling birth defects.

Allegations about the use of poison gas in Syria are made under the shadow of the notoriously false claims about Saddam Hussein's possession of weapons of mass destruction made to justify the Iraq war. Not surprisingly, this has made the public everywhere in the world dubious about stories about the possession or use of WMD being used to hoodwink them into supporting another war.

Of course, it is much against the interests of the Syrian government to use chemical weapons because this might provoke foreign military intervention. The Syrian army has no need to use it as a terror weapon because artillery, aerial bombardment and death squads are quite enough to frighten people into taking flight. There are already 1.5 million refugees outside the country.

Journalists bear a large measure of responsibility for giving credence to the stories peddled by Iraqi defectors, intelligence services and government about Saddam's WMD. In that case, it should have been self-evident that Iraqi defectors with juicy stories, and the opposition parties that promoted them, wanted to tempt the US into military action against Saddam. When it comes to chemical weapons, the Syrian opposition has similar and wholly understandable motives.

As for the credibility of Western government claims about WMD, it is worth recalling that they tolerated Saddam using poison gas on a mass scale. And they did more than just turn a blind eye. Joost Hiltermann, in his book A Poisonous Affair: America, Iraq and the Gassing of Halabja, writes that Western powers "sent repeated signals to Iraq that the regime could continue, and even escalate, chemical weapons use – which it did, with the Halabja attack [when thousands of Kurdish civilians died] as climax".

Karmas as Dharma: A Hindu Point of View

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:12:00 +0000

| by P C K Prem

( May 20, 2013, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) A man never exists in vacuum and while living he has to exist in the already obtainable surroundings. He inherits social, economic and religious life the moment he takes birth and this situation becomes a learning school for him from the day he begins crawling and mumbling in apparent innocent selfless smile with light of hope and curiosity in the eyes. As he grows up, he begins to speak, walk and gradually understands human relations, society and the moment he is out of the college, he somewhat knows what he is to do in life with the available social, economic and political scenario. A simple thesis it is and everyone knows. As a man struggles, encounters difficulties leading to sufferings, he evaluates his acts – karmas as each person understands. He learns one should speak the truth. Many thoughts of ethical nature assault and he faces a situation where he has to decide between the good and the bad in life as every bond in the society, known or unknown teaches that moral values strengthen life.

Until then, a man lives life as it comes to him but slowly as he learns vagaries of life and existence constituting joys and pleasures, sufferings and pains of earthly life and gets ready to confront realities of worldly life. Apparently, a man understands that agonies and miseries are inseparable from life but surprisingly, he fails to grasp the causes and if he understands, he tries to ignore. When sufferings are primary in life then, why a man does not make efforts to find a way out. If remedy exists for a disease ailing a body, why then sufferings and anguish of the mind and body, should not find an answer. Genuine efforts are made to eliminate sufferings and pains whether mental or physical from life but after one gets relief, one forgets and restarts life. No one can escape work – either obligatory or otherwise. Karma defines and expresses life. A life of activity is much more significant and superior than a life of idleness or lethargy. In Bhagavad-Gita, lord Krishna says:

Niyatam kuru karma twain karma jyaayo hei akarmanaha

Sarirayatra-api cha te na prasidhyeda akarmanah

You should perform allotted duties –the obligatory functions, because action is superior to inaction. If you abstain from action, you cannot maintain your body even. (Chapter III, Verse 8)

Karma is essential and none can say that he does not know the causes of pain but search for a permanent resolution remains incomplete, for a man very soon learns that joys and pains in life are concomitant, and not a moment goes without experiencing pleasure and suffering while a man is engaged in karma. If pleasures gain ascendency, the sufferings subside but the incidence of the twin attributes continues. Sufferings in a man’s life originate from certain obvious or imperceptible backdrops of flaws or intuitive limitations (negative/unethical or positive/ethical qualities) when he fails to adjust or rearrange priorities of life. Sufferings born of the failure of fulfillment of desires after putting in efforts with sincerity usher in a life of miseries or delight with offshoots of reward or punishment and here, one infers that a man cannot grow or progress without a life of activity.

~*~

A man is aware of the consequences of his acts and words spoken. He understands the virtues or the sins inherent in the spoken words as well as acts, and invariably knows the retribution for acts/karmas performed with malevolent intent. For an ordinary man, it is essential to know the fundamental reasons. He questions within. Why he did a wrong or right and what far? What was the purpose? When he analyzes each word and act, he arrives at the probable cause of thoughts, words and actions. He realizes that the ethical worth in words, thoughts and acts is superior, meaningful and inspiring than acts done with iniquitous objective. Moral quality leads to joy abundant while unethical conduct brings miseries. A question naturally disturbs as to why this happens. Whatever may the consequences of a life of activity or inactivity, one must continue to do his duties irrespective of the results that is what one learns when the great Lord says:

Karmani eva adhikaraste mah phalesu kadachana

Mah karma phala hetu bjur mah te sango astu akarmani

Your right is to work (duty) only but you have no right over the fruit. Neither you should become an instrument in turning your karma (act) bear fruit (reward) nor should you incline towards inaction. (Chapter II, Verse 47, Bhagavad-Gita)

One should perform his duties well without ever thinking of the fruit. To engage oneself selflessly in some work for the wellbeing of people is a virtue, every man should imbibe.

Karmas and the Three Gunas

Living with a sense of truth and probity brings happiness while pretense and depravity cause sufferings. An ordinary man undergoing sufferings would seek refuge at the feet of god or goddess or consult pundits or astrologers for getting rid of the agonies. He would slowly comprehend the nature of acts –karmas, and with a hesitant mind turn to prayer and worship, as life of dharma appears a better solution to pains and afflictions. A man begins exploring the nature of karmas and steadily understands that every act originates from attributes of three gunas namely sattva, rajas and tamas. The conduct and nature of man depends upon the impact of gunas on him. When he turns to religious books, he knows the true meaning of sattva, rajas and tamas. Various scriptures exhort men to live honestly and candidly, which is nothing but a life of dharma. In karma of truth and upright nature is inherent the dharma of man, for karma performed with a clean motive to serve man is dharma, for religion is not the subject of scrutiny where it functions as a motivating factor in life of a man.

However, when a man confronts difficulties in life, he turns to religion and god. For a while, peace and inspiration permeate mind and heart. Noble thoughts encourage him to act elegantly. Life of a contemporary man irrespective social, economic or other status is contaminated as negative qualities of jealousy and hatred, passions, greed and aggrandizement determine his life one witnesses around. Unfortunately, even those who should lead the people to growth and prosperity are unquestionably not carrying out their duties, and so a depressing scenario engulfs.

Mind is ever active and moving, as words, thoughts and feelings at the experiential level within bear the burden of corporeal world. Acts/karmas are inscrutable in nature and inherent instincts of survival decide the individual’s course of life. Acts/karmas are precursors to relations with created beings so feelings of love, passion, anxieties, thirst, uncertainties, jealousy, hatred, greed and attachment take birth. Karma carries the yearning for reward of whatever nature it may be. Social obligations presuppose definiteness and thus, liberation from worldly joys or sufferings thereof becomes difficult.

Karmas, if understood correctly, guide a man to freedom from earthly shackles. Karmas acquire varied characteristics depending upon man’s nature. Karmas connect him to societal relations in totality and prove bondages. Karmas, pleasant and enjoyable when do not create obstacles, are preyas, for such karmas cause attachment to material joys transient, and therefore, fleeting nature of enjoyment brings pain, grief and sorrow. Virtuous and humanistic thoughts originating from acts enrich man with inner ecstasy and bliss, for at this moment, karmas are bereft of the thoughts of reward. Impassiveness towards fruit brings inner peace, and proves enlightening not only to man as such but also to the world. Here, karmas attain a unique characteristic called shreyas.

~*~

A dialogue on the meaning of preyas and shreyas forms a solid background of conversation of tremendous purpose between a young Nachiketas and Yama. Lord Yama in chapter I, valli ii (valli is attached to different branches of holy Vedas as if a creeper or a division) of Kathopanishad explains that shreya means good or in other words, good means sattva gunas or virtues. It is knowledge that takes a man to deliverance – the final liberation. On the other hand, preya relates to sensual joys and enjoyments, having basis in tamas gunas. It is also obvious that rajas gunas do contain elements of tamas and thus, a life of purity appears illusive. Human beings engaged in acts/karmas definitely attain what is good and noble and what is pleasurable and enjoyable. Therefore, it is apparent that the objective of karmas is to infuse inner joy and delight to man and society. Karmas put on the face of dharma – truth and uprightness, when these provide joy and happiness.

Virtuous conduct encompasses truth and forthrightness in acts and therefore, thoughts and words justify acts and then, karmas become dharma and this unique merger glorifies man’s existence. It is oversimplifying a complex issue but for an ordinary man, it is so simple and yet, has great significance. Through righteous and truthful acts, he can spread message of love and peace, truthfulness and justice, self-sacrifice and abandonment of attachment to the material world. Ethical approach to relations and material joys around transforms every word and act into an undividable commitment to human beings and society as such. In other words, it is a spirit of disinterestedness in the reward or fruit of karma. To perform one’s duties whether social or otherwise, is the real dharma of man irrespective of the status or position he holds in the social, economic or political hierarchy. In this light, if one weighs up words and acts of a modern man, the decay ubiquitous would be obvious.

Undoubtedly, religion or dharma means scriptural knowledge and adherence to the principles of dharma but from a realistic perspective, it relates to routine ennobling activities of man. In reality, karmas infused with the spirit of morality determine the entire social life from the social, economic, psychological and philosophic, political and religious aspects. Karmas are integral to the essence of dharma and evaluate man, performing duties with a sense of integrity, truth, principles and uprightness essential for the growth, evolution and affluence of man and humanity. Enrichment of man not only relates to material opulence but growth of inner man that begins to tread the path to truth and salvation spreading light and hopes around.

~*~

Our saints and sages have always exhorted us to perform duties religiously and righteously. In simple words, one is attracted to these words of Veda:

O citizens of the world,

Live in concord and harmony

Live properly organized and show cooperative spirit

Speak truth with one voice

And resolutions and decisions should be made in unison,

This is what our great ancient seers and sages,

The great leaders and wise teachers and preceptors

Have said and adhered to these principles righteously.

In the same way, O citizens, you should not falter

When carrying out your duties.

(Rig-Veda)

These unadorned words speak of perennial truth. If a man accomplishes his work religiously, it means he is selfless and not attached to the fruit of karma. Only this spirit among men will lead to peace and harmony, which a modern man needs so urgently. The nobility and selflessness in karma encourages love and respect for the society while helping the distressed, for when a man invokes innate energy born of pure and righteous karma one espouses a great cause for the benefit of society and humanity. Karma, not conducive to the ethical growth of man and society and destroys the objective of life, is adharma – immoral or destructive acts, words and thoughts. An act of adharma or unrighteousness or dissipation does not benefit or purify man but contaminates and wipes out refinement. Adharma, in truth, does not contribute to the true development of man and humankind.

Culture of values and graciousness harmonizes social, economic and political thought, proves therapeutic little by little but definitely as it cleans not only an individual but also the polluted system. A contemporary man adopts a negligent and deceptive approach deliberately, for he cannot fight against the forces of greed, hatred, corruption and dishonesty but wishes to progress materially with the support of these negative qualities. He refuses to follow laws of dharma or righteous act, and thereafter, disfigures and contaminates cultural values based on karmas as dharma or dharma as karmas or religious dictums. The acts or karmas are causes of not only joys and pleasures but also afflictions as said earlier. The real joys of life relate to inner man – the self. If a man lives with truth, integrity, honesty, uprightness, ethical principles, he becomes a source of strength to the society.

The Mystifying Play: Prakriti and Purusa

It is important that a discriminating man comprehends the nature of man. Karmas depend upon the nature of man – prakriti, having dominant components three gunas – sattva, rajas and tamas. A man ought to exercise control over nature and conduct. Without restrain, prakriti brings aberration, failures, transitory joys and victory, and illusory notions about life and existence. The ingredients of prakriti determine total existence of man with its social and intellectual life and if prakriti is predominant, it causes instability and disarray because it is further determined by the gunas – evolved from prakriti, namely sattva, rajas and tamas, which review and appraise the attitude and conduct of man. Therefore, one can conclude that prakriti is the mother of creation.

The truth and fact reveal another implication of karmas – the consequence of above three gunas born of Prakriti:

na hi kaschit kasanami api jatu tisithati akarmakrit

karayate he a-vash karma, sarvaha prakrit jaiha gunaiha

No one can ever really stay action-less even for a moment because everyone is helpless and is driven to action by the force of gunas – qualities that are born of nature – prakriti.

(The Bhagavad-Gita Verse 5 Ch. 3)

It is obvious that prakriti is the origin and source of wide-ranging karmas and its related ramifications and thus, the individual soul is the field of experiences of enjoyments and grief or distress. Purusa symbolizes father and as such, nature appears ubiquitous and pervasive, and the birth of created beings represents and signifies the principles of sacred union between the prakriti and the purusa. In other words, it means it is the birth of soul (individual) in wombs of purity/good – optimistic/affirmative or pessimistic/negative qualities.

The knowledge of nature – prakriti and purusa, and its influence on man and society would reveal many essential features of human behaviour. An analysis of the power of the three constituents of nature – sattva, rajas and tamas would facilitate correct approach to man’s acts, words and thoughts. These characteristics of nature operate in the life of man ingeniously and unnoticeably. Its subtle, indirect and invisible working in the life of man brings many changes.

~*~

These gunas function inside the man – in the mind and heart, and effectively influence the intellect and psychological frame. Disguised inner man remains unnoticed and undetected until it signals its presence in acts and thoughts – in truth the pattern of karmas. Sattva guna symbolizes purity, grace, decency, truth and honesty in words and acts. It illuminates the man within and creates an aura outside spreading message of love, peace, compassion and harmony. Sattva chases away miseries, vices, greed and maliciousness from life. If men inculcate sattvic qualities – purity and sacredness in conduct, thoughts, feelings and acts, society and the world will become supremely blessed. It is ascendancy from the material world to the intellectual, the ethical and finally a step towards the spiritual.

Virtuous qualities (sattva gunas – truth, righteousness, serenity and poise) fill with inner harmony and pure thoughts and at that moment, a man turns into an embodiment of love and compassion so essential for the growth and progress of man and society. In truth, good things happening around bring brilliance on the faces of people –consequences of virtuous life. A man with rajasic temperament harbors feelings of passion, attachment and infatuation for money and power, magnificence and splendeur. He is more interested in the pleasures of the world and aspires to collect material comforts and power. The preponderance of rajas qualities distracts him from sattvic living. At times, he displays interest in virtues and performs certain karmas that help man and society.

If he acts with sattvic propensities, it is a temporary phase because he is more eager to enjoy life of wealth, comforts and power that damage, destroy and impair sattva gunas. He undoubtedly, contributes to life of men around because he is dynamic and active in diverse endeavours, which bring achievement and brilliance but these attainments give transitory joys while the self – the inner man, remains partially gratified. One can infer that sattvic qualities bring meaning to life. A sattvic man glorifies and brightens up the inner man and spreads goodwill and purity outside, and thus, such a man proves an asset to the society. Whereas a man of rajasic nature though brings material brilliance in life but the inner man –the self is rarely at peace, for passions and ambitions disturb and provoke him so the man is ever disgruntled and yearns for more power and wealth. Outer embellishments fascinate this man rather than the beauty and glory of self – the soul, the inner man. If ever he evinces interest in sattvic qualities of life, it is a short-term journey, for he is uncomfortable. He is more inclined towards the tamasic areas of activities one can conclude.

A man of tamas nature casts a magic spell on men with sattvic and rajasic qualities, for in the initial stages these qualities appear pleasing to the mind, heart and senses. A tamasic person pollutes the environment where sattva and rajas gunas survive. Lethargy, neglect, violence, inertia, passions, cruelty, harshness and callousness are the overwhelming qualities of tamasic man. He is deadly inhuman and unsympathetic and least obliging to man and society. Without agreeable characteristics, he enjoys hurting others. He is violently sardonic and derives pleasure in the sufferings of fellowmen while compunction and love for humanity are absent.

In depth, analysis reveals that rajas and tamas qualities are less demanding and more pleasure giving and therefore, drive a man to materialistic consideration where tamasic man is more spiteful, atrocious, sadistic and violently heartless, and viciously contaminates the surroundings. To love and acquire wealth and power are the characteristics of rajasic nature, and rajasic man directs energies and endeavours towards the attainment of material objects. Rajasic is not only interested in self-promotion and glory but also exercises authority and resources for the wellbeing of man and humanity.

~*~

Sattvic symbolizes virtues, moral principles, love, worship, prayer, effulgence, compassion and understanding of self and a wish to go beyond the earthly existence one concludes. A sattvic man loves man, humanity, and works for the objective of bringing happiness and prosperity to all irrespective of caste, colour or creed. He is a true humanitarian. He is calm, serene and loves to live in harmony with all created beings. A man of rajasic temperament is unsympathetic to sattvic life. Rajasic man wields terrific energy, force and enterprise, opulence, power and brevity and deep deliberation and planning, and loves to control men and material and thus, for the attainment of these objectives makes efforts and tends to adore tamasic qualities.

Indulgence, immoderation, ferocity, wickedness, repulsion, hatred, lethargy, indolence, and a sense of destruction, ignorance, foolishness and violence, impudence and recklessness, sadism and pathetic lack of love and compassion govern the mind and heart of a man with tamasic qualities. One cannot expect anything from such a man, for he spreads malice and hatred and loves to hurt others. All the three qualities are born of karmas one knows. In other words, one concludes that a sattivic man abandons material gains and bodily enticements with a sense of total detachment. He is aware of life’s ultimate reality and purpose. Consciousness of the self grants him blissful state of mind and heart. If a man of rajas nature abandons excitement, he is full of sorrow and miseries, and instinctive predilection to outshine, forces him to acquire worldly pleasures, power and wealth again. However, for a man of tamas nature, existence is at the animal level one is prone to observe.

A tamasic man is wicked, sluggish and immensely apathetic, lives a life of disrepute and humiliation contributing to his failure and defeat, for he does not grow or progress, but lives like an animal. An alert and moving man upholds rajasic values of life, and thus, a life of activity and incessant efforts lead him to growth and prosperity. Karma’s role is easily discerned in men nurturing tamasic and rajasic qualities. In such men, one notices either suffering or demoniac life or transitory joy, power and adventure. A life of dharma engulfs a man in purity, blissful illumination and enlightenment inner peace, harmony and sanctity.

~*~

In other words, one learns that life of a man on earth in multifaceted forms and shapes depends upon the nature of karmas born of gunas. The words of Swetasvatara Upanishad (Verse 11) are so pertinent here:

Sankalpana sparshana drishti mohaiha grasamabu vrishtya atmaviviridhdhiajanama

Karmanugnaya nukramena dehi sathaneshu rupayana abhi samprapada yate

The verse makes it quite clear that as food and drink contribute to the growth and energy of physique, similarly the progress and growth of an individual soul – inner self, depends upon or is the result of various karmas – actions performed by the being in various stages of life in different forms or shapes. The performance of virtuous karmas help a soul, grow rapidly. One infers that the righteous and truthful actions – karmas purify the heart as food nurtures body. Virtuous karmas/ actions born of sattvic gunas nourish the inner self – the soul. Qualities of mind and heart determine the growth of man. If these are virtuous and chaste, a man proves beneficial to the society and if not, he brings misfortunes.

Man is a wonderful creation of the Invisible – the Supreme Lord. If a man lives with sattva qualities, he achieves freedom. A man of rajas qualities must move life towards sattvic region of living while a man of tamasic nature needs to ascend from the qualities of tamas to the rajas, and then, make genuine efforts to gain purity and bliss. This would enrich life provided he strives hard to fill life with sattva gunas and this path would lead him to freedom from worldly bondages. Sattva, rajas and tamas characteristics guide and control a man. Ultimately, sattivic life fills life and existence with supreme ecstasy, inner knowledge, wisdom and harmony. Probing into the living conditions from the modern background, one finds a disgusting and unforgivable split in the words and acts of man. Disturbing surfeit of rajas and tamas gunas with deadly prevalence of tamas gives birth to greed, violence and corruption without compunction.

Albert Camus and the Liberal Dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:58:00 +0000

| by Ron Jacobs

( May 20, 2013, Virginia, Sri Lanka Guardian) Albert Camus is arguably one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. His relatively short life is well chronicled and the fodder of multiple conversations in university literature classes. His novels and essays raise fundamental questions about life in a world where life can easily be seen to mean absolutely nothing. Like Jean Paul Sartre--another writer with whom Camus is often compared and contrasted--Camus' search for meaning in a world rendered meaningless strikes a chord in every human, especially those who do not seek easy answers. The conclusion these men reached was that it is up to us to provide our own meaning.

It has always been a curiosity, then, why Camus had such a difficult time understanding the desire of the Algerians to create a meaning to their lives that required overthrowing the French colonialists. His understanding that human freedom was perhaps the greatest quality humanity possessed seemed to stop short of recognizing the denial of that freedom under colonialism. This shortsightedness led Camus to justify situations in a manner that remind this reviewer of Rube Goldberg's inventions, only without the result desired. In other words, explanations full of loops and turns but without even the conclusive ending Goldberg’s inventions achieved.

So, it was with just such a hope for clarification that I picked up Camus' recently published (in English) Algerian Chronicles. Perhaps these writing would reveal some clarity to his position not found previously. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. While Camus certainly goes further in explaining his position (or perhaps lack of a position would be a better phrasing) regarding the situation of the French vis-a-vis their occupation of Algeria, that position is no less muddleheaded than any explanation previously published.

This collection of writings includes a number of articles and essays Camus wrote for French journals. It also includes some rather extensive reporting on the situation of the colonized Algerians. These writings do much toward describing the plight of these people, but suffer from an inability to acknowledge, much less examine the root cause for their situation. After citing example after example of colonial neglect and abuse, Camus still fails to point the finger at the cause of these failings. My visceral reaction is simply, how can he not understand that these examples are not failings of colonialism, but exactly how colonialism works. The psychological underpinnings are fundamental to the dynamic, affecting both the colonized and the colonizer.

In what is best described as the liberal dilemma, by refusing to accept that history is as important as the present when examining colonial and imperial situations, Camus’ writing consistently falls short in its explanation of why Algeria and France found themselves in conflict in the years of the Algerian liberation struggle. In the historical vacuum that Camus places himself in, he ends up accepting the facts of French colonialism and oppression as immutable. Furthermore, he seems to reject the idea that the Algerians should have any say in their own future unless it is on terms determined mostly by the French colonizers.

As always, Camus’ writing shines. Reading these relatively short articles prove his ability to evoke emotion and make his argument eloquently. Unbeknownst at the time of their writing, Camus’ writings about the French colonization of Algeria Camus are also chronicling its end. His personal laments regarding that demise represent the thinking of those who either cannot or will not acknowledge that the brutality and theft that all too often defines settler colonialism does not appear able to end without violence and tragedy.

Parallels to the situation of Algeria abound in modern history. One could easily argue that one of today’s still existing examples of this dynamic is found in Palestine. The Palestinians are colonized in their own lands and their struggle to liberate those lands is often violent, as is the repression of that struggle. Most of the solutions presented are those created in Washington and Tel Aviv, much like many of the solutions to Algeria’s situation were created in Paris. The idea that Palestinians deserve the right to determine the nature of their struggle is still not a popular one in imperial capitals. Neither was the idea that the Algerians (or the Vietnamese, to name another people struggling for their liberation) deserved that right in the time of their struggle.

Ron Jacobs is the author of the just released novel All the Sinners, Saints. He is also the author of The Way the Wind Blew: a History of the Weather Underground and Short Order Frame Up and The Co-Conspirator’s Tale. Jacobs’ essay on Big Bill Broonzy is featured in CounterPunch’s collection on music, art and sex, Serpents in the Garden. His third novel All the Sinners Saints is a companion to the previous two and is due out in April 2013. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion, published by AK Press. He can be reached at: ronj1955@gmail.com.

China: Has Emerged as World Power

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:07:00 +0000

| by Dirgha Raj Prasai

( May 20, 2013, Kathmandu, Sri Lanka Guardian) China has a long history. Before 221, Zhou dynasty is the longest dynasty in China history. During the period, great spiritual Saint Lord Confucius had impressed in old China. And then, the unification of China occurred in 221 B.C. by the Emperor Qin Shi Huang-Ti who destroyed the Zhou dynasty and proclaimed himself as China's first emperor. He captured the state power and destroyed and burned all the China's historical sources, materials, inscriptions and temples. The King Qin Shi Huang-Ti had expanded Chinese territory to Mongolia in the north and annexed many places. He constructed the Great wall (approximately 6,000 kilometers long) for the security purpose. He is immortal in his acts not only in China but also all around the world. Emperor Qin Shi Huang destroyed all the historical evidences, but the philosophy of Saint Confucius 25 hundred years old still exists today in China. Confusions philosophy is the light of China. Time creates people and people create history. A man is 'nature' while the history is 'manual'. Time creates individuals that can give creative thought and such individuals become immortal in the world.

About two hundred years ago Napoleon Bonaparte evaluated China saying 'Let China sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.' In deed China has converted the quotation in practice. China has emerged as world power particularly the economically power. Being neighbor, Nepal and China share the common boarder of over 1000 km. We have long and cordial historic relation between our two countries. Nepal can greatly be benefited from Chinese prosperity and incredible economic growth.

China in fact is large country with large economic production and domestic expenditure. In order to maintain the ratio of development through the country, political regions are allocated as per need of the country. In modern China, there are 34 geo-political divisions, classified as 23 provinces, 4 municipalities, 5 autonomous regions, and 2 special administrative regions. Since its foundation in 1949, the People's Republic of China has considered Taiwan to be its 23rd province. However, the Chinese government has never controlled Taiwan. Four major metropolitans namely Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing Municipalities are directly under the Chinese government, with status equal to that of the provinces. In practice, their political status is higher than common provinces and centers of economic activities. Besides two autonomous and self-governing Special Administrative Regions- Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions are sub national subject and are directly under the Central People's Government. Except in foreign policy and military defense, special administrative regions are fully independent. There are five autonomous regions namely Inner Mongolia, Guangxi Zhuang, Tibet, Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uyghur. The autonomous regions enjoy their legislative rights and leadership is appointed from respective minority ethnic group.

China experienced critical stages for many centuries. The great leader of China, Mao Ze Dong made his country recognized by the rest of the world fighting against imperial powers. Modifying (improving) the same policy, another leader Deng Xiaoping brought changes in Chinese communism. Even after the death of Deng Xiaoping, his Chinese policy was continued and China emerged as a global economic power. China, not only in the field of trade and business, but also became able to develop science and technology. Moreover China is heading towards integrated and multilateral development. Adopting the path of open policy, China has stood against imperialism in the globe. Beijing Review of Dec-2012 rightly describes - “The drastic increase of the existing poverty gauge shows that the Chinese government is pragmatic about the difficulties and challenges in faces in poverty reduction. China's poverty reduction drives in unique in history. No other nations in history have ever been able to bring so many people out of poverty in such a short time. China's success is lifting millions of people out of poverty is unprecedented. Currently, poverty reduction not only means providing adequate food and clothing for those in need, it also means letting them live with dignity”.

Though the Communist party of China (CPC) with more than 66 million members is the country’s sole political party in power, but there are also eight other political parties too. China is run through communism principle and is a communist nation.

This is true. But, in practice China is more inclined to capitalist ventures through economic reforms. China’s energy is now mostly concentrated on increasing its products to sell to

the global market, and make Chinese citizens independent. Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping said- ‘Poverty is not socialism, to be rich is glorious.' The leader Deng put forward the concept of building socialism with Chinese characteristics 31 years ago. Recently Communist Party of China, has appointed Xi Jinping as General Secretary and China's President since March 2013. President Xi Jinping succeeded President Hu Jintao. The new President has taken the high priorities on corruption, inequality and the environment. President Xi said- people cannot deny what was done before the reform and opening up based on what happened after it and vice versa. We should seek the truth from the facts and tell apart what is important and what is not.' The president Xi Jinping, has said that he will fight for the great renaissance of the Chinese nation.

China has overtaken Japan as a world's second largest economy. It is accepted that Chinese economy will overtake the US economy almost by 2030. Because, to deliver cheap labor and cheap land of factories that would product with big brands a small prices. The characters between the sociologists and capitalists indicate the case of differences. Several economic forecasts suggest that China's GDP will overtake that of the U.S. in the coming decades. This fact, along with the recent economic downturn in the U.S., may be influencing U.S. perceptions of Chinese strength.

Due to the Nepalese princess Brikuti who married with the King of China- the famous Shronchan Gompo, speeded the Buddhism and the craftsman Araniko who built numerous famous Buddhist statues in China and Tibet. Fr om the time of Shronchan Gompo, Buddhism became gradually popular in China. In ancient time, Manjushree, came to Nepal from greater ancient China and made the Katmandu Valley habitable by draining out of the water as a lake in Kathmandu Valley, and started a new civilization. Prof. Dr.Triratna Manandhar writes-'in fifth century A.D. Faxan, a Buddhist monk and scholar from China visited Kapilvastu and Lumbini. His visit was followed by the visit of Nepali Buddhist scholar Buddhabhadra, to China, Faxian and Buddhabhadra collaborated to translating some of the Buddhist Sanskrit texts into Chinese which staying at monastery in China.

In the seventh century A.D. Xuan-Zang visited Lumbini, Kapilvastu and Kathmandu Vally, and left a short description of Nepal, which gives a short glimpse of Mahayana and Therabad Budhism in Nepal during ancient period. Sino-Nepali relations revived in the 13th Century when Kublai Khan invited a team of artists from Nepal to erect a golden Stupa. A Nepali team led by Arniko visited China and constructed golden pagoda-styled monasteries in Tibet and China to the satisfaction of the Chinese Emperor. Arniko was given a high post in China, and after his death, his sons continued to work in China. Nepal Kings and Prime minister were decorated by Chinese titles. Rana Bahadur Shah got the Chinese title of 'Ertini Wang' and Bahadur Shah- 'Dhung'. Jang Bahadur received a new Chinese title- Thong Ling Pimma Ko Kang Shang.' Then, we are maintaining the cordial relation between Nepal and China.

We Nepalese people have been offending by knowing the conspiracies policy of America. Nepal is landlocked country between two big neighbors– India and China. China always maintained friendly relation with Nepal and extended cooperation on various fields. The President Xi Jinping has already expressed his intention to develop strategic relation with Nepal with the objective of amassing development potentials and contributing to uplifting the life of the people in the region. But Nepal had been influenced by Chinese good conduct- while that of Britain was the Rule of Might. Such behavior has reflected in reality of Nepal, India and China. In fact 'Nepal is a Yam between two rocks.' The quotation of the founder of modern Nepal PN Shah is still relevant. Hence, Nepal is politically neutral. America and UN should understand the compulsion of Nepal. We Nepalese people are neither pro-China and anti-India nor pro-India and anti-China. Due to our nearest neighborhood, we have the sense of cordiality to maintain the balanced relation. Nepal shouldn’t be battle field. From the very beginning of history Nepal and China have been regarding their sovereignty each other. Nepal always respects the Chinese integrity and security. No doubt, Nepal supports- 'One China policy'. Nepal shares Chinese border with Tibet which of course is an integral part of China. Therefore Nepal is strategic partner with China in case of Tibet as well. We do not support Tibet be free.

Long live Sino-Nepal friendship!!!

Email:dirgharajprasai@gmail.com

Garments of Bangladesh , who will pay

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:52:00 +0000

| by Swadesh Roy

( May 20, 2013, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) Bangladesh is the second highest exporter of manufacturedgarments,and one of the poorest countries in the world. This is a contrast, but it is also true that, there are some miracles dissimilarly in Bangladesh. Such as,it is the poorest country in South Asia where its economy is doing better in South Asia.In South Asia, Bangladesh is the densest populated country but the country is doing better in women education, maternal mortality than its neighboring country India, one of the biggest economic powers inAsia.

One of the garment owners of Bangladesh, who is now in the jail for the collapsing of his factory building case, is a supplier of one of the famous company of the world. He had been supplying them his products in same price for last ten years. That is why; the famous garment brand company is selling their products in low cost in every year.

The country, which is doing better in the women education and maternal mortality is now mourning for the death of at least nine hundred women garment workers and more than two thousands wounded; who are fighting for their lives in the hospitals.Those women workers who are now in the graveyard or in the hospitals, they would produce the cheap garments for the people of the rich countries. Their cheap labor is the main mechanism of the profit of the world famous garments brand companies. Their cheap labors have also made some “money Mughal” in Bangladesh ,but they are a few numbers in Bangladesh. Most of the garment owners of Bangladesh are in the tough competition in their business now.Buyers are very much rigid in price. One of the garment owners of Bangladesh, who is now in the jail for the collapsing of his factory building case, is a supplier of one of the famous company of the world. He had been supplying them his products in same price for last ten years. That is why; the famous garment brand company is selling their products in low cost in every year. It is a very excellent strategy of business for a good company but who is giving the opportunity for this `low cost ‘or the` good business tactics’? It is obvious; the poor garment worker is the machine of their good opportunity that can make `low cost’ or good business strategy. But, what the poor workers have, that they can give? They have only starvation and for this starvation, she can sell her labor in any price. She can easily work in a danger condition which pushes her in death many times . She gives her life but there is no more blood in her body that can be reached in the citizen of the rich country who is getting low cost garment.

For producing low cost garment, the owners of the garment factories of Bangladesh cannot maintain the well working condition. On the other hand, getting job in a garment factory for an illiterate girl is an excellent opportunity in Bangladesh. Because it is a small country, its area is one seventh of Thailand but its population is 160 million; besides agriculture, its main wealth is only labor. More than 10 million of labors of Bangladesh are working abroad, and 4 million workers are working in readymade garment factory. Out of four million of garment workers 3.5 millions are women.

These 3.5 millions get very poorsalary; they work in a bad working condition, but it has made a tremendous women empowerment in Bangladesh. It has changed the bottom line of the society. Before this garment uprising in Bangladesh, only educated middle class women were eligible for working in office or factory. Once Bangladesh had a large number of jute industry but women were not eligible to work there. Readymade garment industry has changed that situation and impact of it, now a huge number of women work in agricultural sector. So, now a huge number of women in Bangladesh can sow their hope in their own way. They can take the decision in their own way; even they have the same priority in decision making of their family. This big change has come through the garment industry in Bangladesh. It is the social impact of the garment industry in Bangladesh on the other hand; its economical impact is huge in Bangladesh economy. Bangladesh earns more than $20 billion in a year. It is helping to change the economy of Bangladesh.

But after an awful death of one thousand garment workers; it is a million dollar question that is it possible to continue the garment industry in Bangladesh in such a poor working condition? It is very impossible. Government of Bangladesh has started to take action against the poor working condition. They have already closed fourteen industries for their poor working condition. Government has closed the fourteen factories but is there any magic stick in the hand of the government that can help to improve the working condition of the garment factory in Bangladesh? Its answer is no, because garment sector is a private sector and its main capital is low cost labor.Bangladesh can maintain low cost but the rich countries have to think how low they want? They are saying if Bangladesh does not improve the working condition and spreads the facility of the workers, they will not buy the product. They are claiming Bangladesh is violating the human rights. They are giving many types of pressure, but they have another duty to see the other side of the coin. What their famous companies are behaving with Bangladesh? They do not increase their price according to the world market even they do not pay properly. Sometimes they violated their contract regarding payment mode.But as a poor country, and in a competitive market, the garment owners of Bangladesh have to take it easily.

So, after this unpleasant incident and the death of thousand workers now it’s the time to come to a point for international buyers, garment owners and the government of Bangladesh that, how they will manage the good working condition of the workers. In the meantime, the poor works of Bangladesh, who were called by the Pope slaves,have given more blood. So, now it’s the time to stop more bloodshed. It is time to find out how the good working condition of garments factory in Bangladesh will be ensured. Who will pay for it?

Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor, The Daily Janakantha,Dhaka, Bangaldesh

Sri Lanka to sign search and rescue agreements

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:23:00 +0000

| by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne

( May 20, 2013, Montreal, Sri Lanka Guardian) It was both heartening and encouraging to read a recent news item that Sri Lanka was taking measures to sign agreements with neighbouring countries pertaining to search of aircraft and rescue of persons involved in an aircraft accident.

After the events of 11 September 2001, it is only natural to assume that there is continued awareness of the possibility of aircraft being used as weapons of destruction. From a social and political perspective, the world has to prepare for eventualities leading up to search and rescue of aircraft (SAR) that may need to be located without loss of time and the passengers and crew rescued. There are already two international treaties on the subject, although one - the Brussels Convention of 1938, has unfortunately not been ratified by the requisite number of States and has therefore not come into effect. The Brussels Convention contemplated only assistance and salvage operations at sea. The other treaty is the Chicago Convention of 1944, which requires member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to fulfil their obligations according to a provision that requires a State to provide such measures of assistance to aircraft in distress in its territory as it may find practicable, and to permit, subject to control by its own authorities, the owners of aircraft or authorities of the State in which the aircraft is registered to provide such measures of assistance as may be necessitated by the circumstances. Each State, when undertaking search for missing aircraft, is also required to collaborate in coordinated measures which may be recommended from time to time pursuant to the Convention.

An Annex to the Convention further provides for a State to arrange for the establishment and provision of SAR services within their territory on a 24‑hour basis. The State is further requested to delineate the SAR process under the Annex on the basis of regional air navigation agreements and provide such services on a regional basis without overlap. A search and rescue region has been defined as “an area of defined dimensions within which SAR service is provided”. These basic principles have been in place since 1952.

In the case of the Africa-Indian Ocean Region, the ICAO Regional Air Navigation Plan addresses issues of Search and Rescue by pointing to the provisions of the ICAO Search and Rescue Manual, referring in particular to the need for aircraft to carry specified equipment, carry out paper and communications exercises and, more importantly, for the need for States to pool their resources and provide mutual assistance in the case of SAR operations. The Plan calls for precise agreements between States to implement these measures. The ICAO Regional Plan also calls upon States, in order to ensure compatibility between aeronautical and maritime search and rescue regions (SRRs), and aeronautical search and rescue authorities, to maintain close liaison with their maritime counterparts and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

In 1985, ICAO signed a memorandum of understanding with IMO concerning cooperation in respect of safety of aircraft operations to and from ships and other marine vehicles and of aeronautical and maritime SAR activities. Both ICAO and IMO signed this understanding with a view to ensuring the best possible coordination of activities between the Organizations in matters concerned with the safety of aircraft operations to and from ships and other marine vehicles and with aeronautical and maritime search and rescue operations, agreeing to make arrangements for consultations between the Secretariats of the two Organizations in regard to these matters, with a view to ensuring consistency or compatibility between services and procedures in all cases where joint efforts or close cooperation may be required and in order to avoid any unnecessary duplication of efforts by them.

The dilemma facing many States extending both to airports and airlines, relates to the lack of rapid response, adequate equipment and well‑trained crews, all of which are critical to passenger survival in the event of an aircraft disaster. Although most States are particularly mindful of these compelling needs, they are by no means confined to a particular region. An example of this crisis is the 1980 incident of a Saudi Arabian Airlines L-1011 catching fire shortly after leaving Riyadh Airport. Although the pilot turned back for an emergency landing and made a perfect touchdown, nearly 30 minutes passed before firemen managed to go in, by which time all passengers and crew had perished. This could have been a survivable accident. To the contrary, a hijacking incident involving a Boeing 767 aircraft on the shores of Comoros, in November 1996, when the aircraft crashed due to lack of fuel, showed how spontaneous reaction from even non‑trained professionals at rescue efforts could help. In this instance, the quick response of tourists at the scene ensured that 51 of the 175 passengers on board were saved.

What are the responsibilities of States in SAR? In its Report to the General Assembly in 1949, the International Law Commission recommended a draft provision which prescribed that every State has the duty to conduct its relations with other States in accordance with international law and with the principle that the sovereignty of each State is subject to the supremacy of international law. This principle, which forms a cornerstone of international conduct by States, provides the basis for strengthening international comity and regulating the conduct of States both internally - within their territories - and externally, towards other States. States are effectively precluded by this principle of pursuing their own interests untrammelled and with disregard to principles established by international law. SAR is an excellent example of collaboration of States and the recognition of the sovereignty of States.

Are SAR services provided gratuitously by States? Or do States charge for rescuing those in distress? Under the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, States are obligated to render gratuitous assistance to any person in distress and that there was no attendant cost‑recovery mechanism in SAR in the maritime field. Based on the above deliberations ICAO undertook a study as to the position of States and the implications of amending ICAO policy with regard to recovery of costs for civil aviation related to SAR services presided by other than permanent civil establishments. ICAO has developed guidance on the establishment of organizations at the regional level for SAR activities and has conducted a study on the establishment of regional or sub‑regional SAR mechanisms and how they might be funded as regards civil aviation.

In the aviation perspective, an equitable cost recovery system could proceed from an accounting of total air navigation services costs incurred on behalf of aeronautical users, to an allocation of these costs among categories of users, and finally to the development of a charging or pricing policy system.

Another type of terrorism

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:17:00 +0000

| by Ali Sukhanver

( May 20, 2013, Islamabad, Sri Lanka Guardian) Though the nation is very much delighted over the continuity of democratic process in Pakistan but this feeling of joy and happiness won’t last longer if the tree of democracy does not bear the desired fruit. The list of the problems which this nation has been facing since long is not endless but it requires a lot of hard work, determination and above all a sincere will to resolve these problems. Unfortunately in the previous five years, the elected government wasted a lot of time in strengthening itself in the name of stabilizing democracy and nothing could be done for the betterment of common people and prosperity of the country. The PPP government could have delivered a lot to the people if the democratically elected representatives had behaved in a sensible manner. The situation today is the same as it was five years back. Ever increasing energy crisis, unemployment, scarcity of opportunities, a feeling of disappointment and depression and above all the uncontrollable wave of terrorism; in short nothing could be changed. The way the whole nation reacted to the inability of the previous government is very much obvious from the results of the recent elections. Same would be the fate of the newly elected public representatives if they did not learn a lesson from the past. The people of Pakistan demand nothing but peace and prosperity and both these desires are unachievable unless the menace of terrorism is crushed with iron hands.

It is very much true that the issue of terrorism is not a new-born issue; this nation has been facing the evil of terrorism since long but the situation aggravated a lot soon after the Lal Masjid operation in 2007. A recent report on terrorism in Pakistan says, “Soon after the Lal Masjid operation in 2007, the situation abruptly changed and terrorists started targeting government installations and security forces. In the last five years, only in KPK and FATA the terrorist attacks took lives of more than 12,456 innocent citizens and security personnel. At the same time moreover 10,000 militants were also killed by the security forces.” In short the wave of terrorism deprived almost 230000 people of their lives during the last five years only in KPK and FATA and unfortunately all of them were the Muslims. More unfortunate is the fact that Pakistani leadership totally failed in preparing any strategy which could help and support in elimination of the menace of terrorism. The nation had been looking towards the authorities concerned for the solution of this problem but nothing could be done though the intelligence agencies had been issuing all necessary warnings in this context.

More painful is the fact that when the whole nation was fully involved in the process of electioneering, the terrorists were spending all their strength and force to blight the atmosphere and disrupt the process of electioneering. Their sole aim was to frighten the people and prevent the voters from active participation in elections. Some of the terrorist groups even warned the masses in FATA and KPK to refrain from casting their votes because democracy is absolutely an un-Islamic practice in their opinion. Thank God; the nation realized that free and fair elections are the only option for the Pakistanis who desire for a peacefully prosperous country. Fortunately this desire of the nation got full support from the Armed Forces of Pakistan. Just twelve days before the general elections, addressing the grand celebrations of Yaum-e-Shuhada in Islamabad the Chief of the Army Staff General Kiyani ensured the nation that the Armed Forcers would extend all possible support to hold fair, free and transparent elections because these elections would provide the base for finding solutions to many questions including the question of War on Terror. Now the formation of the newly elected democratic government is in process. Still there are a few constituencies where the Election Commission of Pakistan has ordered for re-polling. Soon the situation will be very much clear and the ball shall be in the court of newly formed government. People are looking towards Miyan Nawaz Shareef and Imran Khan with confident eyes. They are sure that these two party-heads have all ability, determination and the sincere will to give a new life to Pakistan.

The newly elected government shall have to concentrate seriously upon the issue of terrorism because no efforts for peace and prosperity could be fruitful unless this issue is resolved. The democratic representatives have full support of the nation and of the security forces of Pakistan. So they must take advantage of this trustful support and take stern action against the menace of terrorism. Here this thing must also be kept in mind that terrorism does not mean only the militant activities of the religious extremists; terrorism has so many other forms and shapes. All those who try to air and exploit the ethnic, racial or sectarian differences through their speeches, writings or actions are also terrorists. They are the people who want to see the nation in a continuous state of war for their trivial interests. The newly elected government shall have to be very much prejudiced and rigid against all those who talk against the ideology and unity of Pakistan whether they are in Quetta or Karachi. Such people must also be dealt as terrorists.

Genocide masqueraded and paraded as victory over terrorism

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:02:00 +0000

| by Pearl Thevanayagam

(May 20, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Article 2 of the 1948 UN CPPCG (Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide) defines genocide as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Four years ago the government fulfilled its credentials and passed with flying colours its graduation on genocide as defined by UN CPPCG on ethnic Tamils who comprise 12 percent of the 21 million strong population.

The Sunday Times and The Island editorials are very modest and smug about the victory parade celebrations. Inwardly gloating and outwardly pretending to smack the hands of the government not for celebrating the genocide of 100,000 Tamils but for spending lavishly on the tamashas with public funds.

Had it not been for LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran and JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera and their insurgents the world would not know the human wrongs committed by the island’s trustees aka governments since independence in the name of national pride.

Both the LTTE cadres and Marxist Sinhala youth were primed into rebellion in their youth when their hormones were raging and whose hopes for a better future seemed utterly bleak as government after government chose to turn a blind eye to their aspirations and ambitions for a better future.

Tamils were not saints. They subjugated those belonging to so-called low castes into subservience as much as the British limited education up to Grade Five for indentured Tamil labourers from South India so that they could sweat it out in the tea plantations to fatten their coffers. Ethnic Tamils and Sinhalese refused to cow down to the British and become coolies. To this day Tamils are playing their caste card to gain political mileage and even as refugees in foreign countries they trumpet caste impressing naïve foreigners.

These refugees are a far cry from the conservatism associated with ethnic Tamils. Gone are the days when a young man is ostracised for being seen in a toddy tavern never mind a Tamil girl. Food and Wine supermarkets are simply grand arrack taverns.

Culture and morals take a back seat when it comes to making money and Tamils are obsessed with accumulating. Perhaps this is veering off the subject at hand which is the commemoration of a genocide fours years ago.

Tamil struggle to gain parity with the Sinhalese was time and again curtailed by elite Tamils intent on their own selfish motives. Tamils were let down not just by the Sinhala majority government but by their own leaders. From G.G.Ponnambalam to Lakshman Kadirgamar, from Neelan Thiruchelvam to Anandasangari they failed to fulfill the aspirations of the rural and oppressed Tamils.

Until Western media descended on Sri Lanka and managed to raise their images struggling in war-torn areas and the Tamil refugees abroad who spoke for them in every corner of the world, their plight went largely un-noticed.

Enough has been written about the war which parallels with wars in Africa, Middle East, Bosnia and Afghanistan. Unlike these other war-torn nations Sri Lanka is a tiny island and taken proportionately Tamil pogrom is best defined as genocide.

Now Sri Lanka’s war is on UN and world agenda and sustaining this momentum through campaigns and rallies is the only option to prevent a repeat of the war that ended.

(The writer has been a journalist for 23 years and worked at Weekend, The Daily News, Sunday Leader and Weekend Express in Sri Lanka as sub-editor, news reporter and news editor. She was Colombo Correspondent for Times of India and has contributed to Wall Street Journal; Washington Bureau, where she was on work experience from The Graduate School of Journalism, UC Berkeley, California. Currently residing in UK she is also co-founder of EJN (Exiled Journalists Network) UK in 2005 the membership of which is 200 from 40 countries. She can be reached at pearltheva@hotmail.com)

Disfigurement – Help or Harm?, I say help!

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:55:00 +0000

| by Ishara de Silva

( May 20, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) A strange occurrence came up when I was only a teenager and first trying to get into journalism. I was invited to BBC World on a placement, which I took on earnestly. But, again, a strange thing happened. I began discussing problems in Sri Lanka, and there was a bit of a disagreement with the Editor.

I had asked the Editor there, why the media had failed to report the fate of Sri Lankan Tamils properly, despite a media ban there at the time, and despite the later allegations of war crimes investigations after the war, something I disagree with.

Better to reconcile and unify than waste time on the past. Thinking about the past, only leads to repeating history, as Ajahn Brahm, head monk of the Buddhist society of Western Australia, so succinctly points out.

Forgiveness, as all ways, is a much wiser option.

But, getting back to the point, when asking about the BBC’s reluctance to get to the truth, and instead remain independent, a peculiar thing happened. Now, to my surprise, the Editor had pointed out that disfigurement of staff employees, was the problem. Now that may sound a bit odd if not for Buddha and Plato.

Plato had said that poor looks or ugliness was the personification of evil, whereas some Buddhist literature says it comes from anger in a previous life. But the crucial point is this: Disfigurement can be overcome if future lives is true, something, Rebirth, that is, western science is beginning to accept.

Nonetheless, other Buddhists say good looks comes from kindness, again, from a previous life. Which means, all of us can be good looking in future lives if we are kind now.

So, let us help, rather than harm people suffering from poor looks!

To do this, the following model might help.

If both material reality and mind are moving to the end of suffering, Buddha’s purpose for mind, then that would equal Heaven- where good looks would be at the pinnacle. But, achieved, to include Buddhism and Hinduism, achieved over life episodes!

The thing to do, for those suffering from poor looks, if this model is suitable, is to say however much I suffer, I will continue to act in a way that is generous, kind, compassionate etc, and then do it, like Gandhi did in the Indian independence movement.

Now Changing Faces, the charity that deals with disfigurement in the UK, said they understood where I was coming from, but couldn’t comment on philosophy. Thankfully, their task, they said, was to help people who suffer from it, either at birth or after a fatal accident or through cancer, and help them get on with their lives and cope with their feelings, a much needed service.

But this long-term perspective, offered by Buddhism, is also useful.

For it shows that the moral factor in the philosophy of beautiful looks is not fatalistic, but that there is hope for those suffering from disfigurement or poor looks, to overcome their agony, and to do so over the life episode process particularly.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :Ishara de Silva edited the UK national newspaper, The Asian Times, and was invited by Opinion Leader (UK), a market research company specializing in the views of opinion formers, to participate in leadership research.

Pick another day

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:03:00 +0000

| by Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

( May 20, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The usual polarised debate is on again, on the issue of the Victory Day commemoration. This time there are three sides, not the usual pair of suspects.

One side denounces the commemorations as divisive, upholds the right of the Tamil people to commemorate their dead and calls for a national day of remembrance or mourning.

Another commemorates the Tamil side, uses the occasion to denounce as ‘genocidal’ the Sri Lankan state, government, leadership, armed forces and the climax of the war itself.

The third side commemorates the victory of May 18th and arrests or justify the arrests of those who celebrate it as a day of mourning.

"Those who fail to recognise Sri Lanka’s enemies and take a stand in defending the country from them, will fail to convince the people and will therefore discredit their own valid arguments on other issues."

A positive historic event must be celebrated irrespective of developments further downstream from that event. To reiterate, however negative subsequent developments may be, a historically positive even must be commemorated. This is why the Fourth of July, America’s Independence Day must be celebrated irrespective of slavery, segregation and the Vietnam War. It is why July 14th Bastille Day must be celebrated irrespective of the Great Terror or the Battle of Algiers. It is why the October Revolution must be celebrated, irrespective of the Gulags. It is why our Independence Day Feb 4th must be celebrated notwithstanding July ’83. It is also why it is right and necessary to commemorate our war victory of May 2009, despite the erroneous path we have taken in the postwar years.

As a country we were resurrected, even reborn on May 2009. That month blessed us with two broad consensuses. One was national, local, domestic: the relief and celebration over the victory of May 18th. The other was international, external and took place ten days later in Geneva. The Sri Lankan government has frittered away the international consensus while the Sri Lankan Opposition and the Tamil nationalists never bought into and stood aside from the domestic consensus. That is our crisis.

No Sri Lankan citizen or concerned observer of Sri Lankan affairs should fail to observe the photographs of the demonstration in London on May 18th. Described as the largest since May 2009, the pictures showed thousands of Tamil demonstrators denouncing the events of May 18th 2009, which in and of itself, may be said to be fair enough. What cannot fail to escape attention is that the demonstration was replete with Tiger flags; not one or two or a few dozen, but hundreds. The event was addressed by members from all major British political parties. (It was also addressed by video by a member of the TNA and another of the joint opposition alliance Vipaksha Virodaya). If they had any problem with the ubiquity of Tiger flags, they didn’t say so.

The demonstration wasn’t a figment of the imagination of the Sri Lankan state. Nor did High Commissioner Chris Nonis pay the bill for it.

While it is true that the political behaviour of the Sri Lankan state and government has kept open and even widened the space for pro-Tiger activists the world over, Colombo can only be held responsible in the most indirect sense for what happened on the streets of London on May 18th this year. This is because there were similar and actually far larger demonstrations on the same streets in the last months and weeks of the war in 2009. Therefore, the demonstrations and the Tiger flags are not the result of what took place after the war or even what happened on May 18-19th. I know. I was there when Geneva traffic was snarled up by tens of thousands of Tiger flag bearing demonstrators and a 21 year old man from London immolated himself in front of the Palais de Nations.

Neither in 2009 nor in 2013 have any of the significant Tamil nationalist political formations or frontline political personalities condemned the demonstrations for bearing the Tiger flag (with the 33 stylised bullets). This is why, in the eyes of the Sinhala majority and the armed forces, they are not devoid of the taint of collusion with separatist terrorism and may prove incapable of not behaving as proxies, if push comes to shove.

This is also why the entirely justifiable criticisms that Tamil parties and public personalities make of the post-war policies of the Government, do not carry the full moral weight that they otherwise might.

It is difficult to occupy the moral high ground when you are blind to the atrocities of the worst of the perpetrators and to their continued presence in the ranks of offshore politics (in Tamil Nadu and the Diaspora).

There was another noteworthy event on May 18th. Mr Rudrakumaran of the TGTE issued a Charter for an independent Tamil Eelam. No Tamil party has rejected or criticised it, so far.

As for the Southern liberal/pacifist critics of the State, their often justifiable criticisms are morally vitiated and lack resonance, when these criticisms are devoid of any stronger or even corresponding criticism—and in some cases any criticism at all—of the LTTE flags, and the pro-Tamil Eelam slogans issued on May 18th. It sometimes seems as if they have more of a problem with Mahinda Rajapaksa than they had with Velupillai Prabhakaran and have with those who carry his effigy.

What do those flags show? The most charitable interpretation is that these mobilisations are uncritical of the LTTE. The more realistic explanation is that they are essentially pro-separatist; even pro-Tiger. What does the presence of British politicians prove? The fact that they fail to insist on an absence of Tiger banners if they are to address a gathering shows that they are either uncritical of or tacitly supportive of the cause of Tamil separatism.

These are not merely enemies of the Rajapaksas. If they were they would limit themselves to issues of governance, human rights, a critique of nepotism and oligarchy and post-war policies in the North. No, these are enemies of the war and our common victory; they are enemies of our armed forces; they are enemies of the very idea of an independent, united and sovereign Sri Lankan state; of Sri Lanka as a single country.

The vast majority of the people of this country will never regard the Rajapaksas as greater enemies than those who brandish Tiger flags in London and Chennai. The people are right not to do so. It is both shame and folly that there are those who seem to regard the Rajapaksas as the greater enemies.

Those who fail to recognise Sri Lanka’s enemies and take a stand in defending the country from them, will fail to convince the people and will therefore discredit their own valid arguments on other issues. A viable opposition to the Rajapaksas can only issue from within a defence of Sri Lanka and the war against the Tigers; from the ranks of those patriots who continue to oppose the Tigers and the Tamil separatist project.

What then of the Tamils’ right to mourn? The matter is easily resolved. The Sinhala hardliners are wrong when they refuse to allow the Tamil people to mourn those who died in the war, including those who died while fighting for the other side and opposing cause. Sophocles’ Antigone has established the case in universalist moral philosophy, though few if any, of the Sinhala hawks would have heard of, let alone read, the classic tragedy. Perhaps Prof Rajiva Wijesinha should be invited to give the Govt parliamentary group and MoD bureaucracy a lecture on it.

There is however, a crucial point that needs making. The Day of Mourning or Remembrance cannot and must not be May 18-19th. Victory day is just that: it commemorates a historically significant triumph over a cruel foe. It commemorates the heroism of the armed forces and our citizens who did not capitulate to terrorism and separatism. It celebrates the spirit of resistance of our nation. It salutes the memory of the sacrifices of the soldiers, sailors and airmen, and the families and communities from whose womb they emerged. It was a glorious day of liberation and reunification of a divided state, an island country. It needs celebrating down the ages. It must be a stand-alone event. In that sense May 18-19th are sacrosanct.

There is an element of forgetfulness or subterfuge in the attempt to commemorate May 18th as the day of National Mourning. There were no significantly high Tamil civilian casualties on that day. May 18-19 were the days in which the army closed in on and finished off Prabhakaran and his praetorian guard, in the Nandikadal lagoon. What’s there to mourn? What’s there not to celebrate? By then, the Tamil civilians had for the most part been liberated by the soldiers who sacrificed life and limb to break through the impressive bunker-bund complex of the LTTE. Those Tamil civilians, who had died, as collateral casualties or by design, had done so in earlier weeks and days. Those horrific episodes of a few Tiger captives who may have been executed after the conflict –because 11,000 surrendered of which 10,000 have been released—were not, by definition, ones which involved civilians. Therefore there is no logic by which May 18th should be declared a national day of mourning or remembrance, or anything other than Victory day. I correct myself: there is such logic; one which mourns the end of a Tamil secessionist war by the defeat of the Tigers and the victory of the Sri Lankan armed forces. That logic will never be acceptable to the vast majority of the Sri Lankan citizenry.

The same goes for November 26/27th, so-called Mahaveera Day. It is not a day for commemorating the Tamil dead or those of all communities who have died. It is the day on which the LTTE commemorated its fighters, including terrorist suicide bombers. Such commemoration on that day must not be permitted on Sri Lankan soil.

A Day of Tamil Mourning or Sri Lankan Remembrance is a necessary catharsis. Perhaps it should be July 23rd or 29th. It should just not be on Victory Day, May 18th.

The Agony of Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Sri Lanka Guardian) — Sun, 19 May 2013 05:10:00 +0000

| by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“To change masters is not to be free”

Jose Marti (eddosrios.org )

( May 19, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The photograph2 is iconic; Alavi Moulana, 83 years old and an SLFP veteran of 52 years, bending down and kissing the hand of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

That picture is revelatory of the current Lankan reality at multiple levels. It shows what citizens have to do if they are to prosper under Rajapaksa Rule. It shows what SLFPers have to do if they want are to get ahead in a Rajapaksa-party. It shows what minorities have to do if they are to survive in a Rajapaksa country.

The Rajapaksas believe that by defeating the LTTE they won the right to do to and with Sri Lanka what they please.

The nature of the war cannot but have a bearing on the nature of the peace that follows, especially if the peace-builders are the same ones who won the war.

Lankan peace is a peace of absences. For Northern/Eastern Tamils it is a peace sans normalcy; they eke out a humiliated and right-less existence, under a de facto military occupation. For the Muslims it is a peace sans security; they live with fear not knowing when – and why - the next attack on their community would come. For the Sinhalese it is a peace sans a peace-dividend; their economic woes are exacerbating. All are being deprived of their political rights and democratic freedoms; all are being compelled to live in a land where the law of the rulers has supplanted the rule of law. The main difference is that many Sinhalese still retain a sliver of hope of a better future; most Tamils probably never had any while most Muslims seem to be losing theirs.

The Rajapaksas have redefined politics as the continuation of war by other means. Disbelieving in the existence of an ethnic problem, they are not interested in implementing a political solution. For them the ‘Northern problem’ was just a ‘terrorist problem’; the terrorists are annihilated, ergo, there is no problem. Their approach to peace building is non-consensual and non-democratic. Minorities, as guests in a Sinhala-Buddhist country, are expected to accept their secondary status with good grace. Those who protest, peacefully and democratically, are treated as racists/traitors.

The Sinhala-Buddhists are expected to be content with their illusory sense of superiority over the minorities and accept the relentless economic-lashings as the price of Pax Sinhala. To take their mind off the absent peace-dividend and other discontents, they are being fed on a daily fare of threats and enemies. According to this racist/xenophobic narrative, though the Eelam War is won, the Tiger is undead, our enemies are legion and the barbarians are at the gate. We must be vigilant about such ‘snares’ as ‘human rights’ and ‘media freedom’.

When the President, himself, in his Victory-commemoration speech, castigates ‘human rights’, ‘media freedom’ and the ‘independence of the judiciary’ as ‘strategies tried out by these (external) forces to rule our Motherland’3, when he equates the protection of democracy and human rights with separatism and does so with a face contorted by anger, the future that is in the making becomes as unambiguous as cyanide.

Hate – and fear – has an indispensable place in this Sri Lanka.

Since peace it is not dependent on the freely given consent of the minorities, an omnipresent military is needed to underpin it; force is also necessary to keep the majority in check. The galloping militarization is thus another indispensable feature of this unequal, unjust and intolerant peace. Lankan militarization is a guided-militarization, a militarization in which the military is subordinate to the Ruling Siblings and functions as an instrument of familial rule. In return, the military is allowed to build its own economic/business empire. The latest step in this process is the creation of ‘army farmers’: “For the first time in military history, persons who were recruited to the Sri Lanka Army as farmers started their duty on the 12th of May” 4. These ‘militarised civilians’ are currently employed at the Kandakadu farm which the army took over from the LTTE. Will Navy-fishermen be next?

This militarization is as disastrous for the majority community as it is for the minorities, and not just for economic reasons. Even as 6,400 acres of Tamil-owned land in Valikamam North is being taken-over to build military cantonments, 1220 acres of Sinhala-owned land in Panama (Ampara district) is being acquired to build camps and hotels. In the confluence of these two acts of injustices, the right-less future which awaits the absolute majority of Lankans can be foreseen.

Enthroning Hate and Dishonour

Last week, the military commander of the Vanni district reminded the Tamil people of one of the most essential components of this peace – the criminalisation of mourning: “Any citizen has the right to commemorate their loved ones but no one can commemorate terrorists who were disloyal to the government. If persons are planning to remember LTTE members it is treason. We will arrest whoever is involved in this”5.

It is one thing to prevent the commemoration of Vellupillai Pirapaharan and other Tiger-chieftains. It is quite another thing to ban hundreds of thousands of ordinary Tamil families from commemorating their loved ones. How would the Sinhala-South have reacted had the government/army imposed a similar ban after winning the Second Insurgency and arrested Sinhala families who mourned their JVP-dead? Would that have led to reconciliation or to greater hate?

Is a mother expected to stop loving her child simply because he/she was a Tiger? Does a parent, a spouse, a child, a sibling, a grandparent become a traitor because he/she weeps for a loved one who fought in the LTTE ranks? How can a human know peace, if he/she is not allowed to mourn a dead child or a parent or a sibling, or a spouse or a loved one? How can there be closure without mourning? How can there be forgetting without remembering?

What kind of peace is this? Perhaps the only kind of peace which can be created by a leadership which opposed the provision of a high nutrition biscuit to Tamil children in the war-zone (by the UNICEF) on the ground that it will be used by the LTTE.

In Sophocles’ Ajax, the eponymous Greek General turns traitor, plans to kill other Greek leaders and, in the end, takes his own life. The enraged Greek commanders order that the ‘traitor’ be denied an honourable burial. Odysseus opposes this order; asked by Agamemnon why he refuses to trample his hated enemy in death, he cautions against trampling ‘justice underfoot’ out of limitless hate and warns: “Delight not, son of Atreus, in gains which sully honour”.

That is Rajapaksa peace, a state poisoned by hate and sullied by dishonour. So ordinary Tamils are banned from mourning their dead; so Gen. Sarath Fonseka has no place in the victory-commemoration.

Imagine the peace Vellupillai Pirapaharan would have imposed on Tamils had he won the war.

The Rajapaksas are increasingly looking like the enemy they defeated. And the peace they are building is disturbingly like the peace the Tiger would have created, a peace sans justice or mercy, a dishonourable, pitiless, intolerant peace; a violent peace.

1 This caption is a quote from Stefan Zweig’s autobiography ‘The World of Yesterday’

2 http://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/bbs-to-destroy-kuragala-islam-religious-site-alavi-mowlana-asked-mr-to-intervene/http://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/bbs-to-destroy-kuragala-islam-religious-site-alavi-mowlana-asked-mr-to-intervene/

3 http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/29630-many-outside-powers-tried-to-rule-sri-lanka-mr.html

4 Sri Lanka Mirror – 16.5.2013

5 News.lk – 18.5.2013