By Sena Thoradeniya

(Continued from May 18, 2024)

1.Personal Attributes of GR

Though he failed as a President due to various factors and had to abdicate his presidency, there were many personal attributes favourable to GR. These personal attributes profoundly augmented his victory at the Presidential Elections. He was hailed and acclaimed as a hero and a leader who rescued Mother Lanka from the clutches of separatists as the Secretary of Defense, brother of MR who gave political leadership to the war efforts. He was responsible for urban development and beautification of the city as the Secretary of Urban Development, much-admired as a worker who showed results, a straightforward, simple, no-nonsense man, feared as a person who cleaned the underworld, not a showman who did not don the Rajapaksa trademark satakaya.

Even though this aspect was not brought to the winning equation, he was the son of D.A. Rajapaksa, nephew of D. M. Rajapaksa and cousin of George Rajapaksa, formidable persona in national and local politics. Although vilified by the Galle Face protesters later for the comparison, labelling him as a Lee Kuan Yu, a Mahathir Mohamed and a Putin, added more vigor to his election campaign and the resultant victory.

Does Malimawa and Anura Kumara have such advantages as GR? None.

Above all else, it was the last chance the Sri Lankans got to free themselves from US and Indian meddling and their lackeys as the disintegration of the national state and the recolonization of the country under a different guise were imminent. Full implementation of the 13^th Amendment, inking ETCA, SOFA, ACSA and other agreements detrimental to Sri Lankan State, granting whatever possible rewards to Tamil Eaalamists and Tamil diaspora were in the offing. Magnitude of these issues were exhibited at the Galle Face Protest that resulted in ousting him, less than three years after coming into power.

The handlers of Galle Face protesters succeeded in disintegrating the nationalist forces and making the national movement weakened and leaderless. Some of those who were in the forefront of GR’s campaign had gone to the camp of the enemy.

Can Anura Kumara, Sajith Premadasa, Ranil Wickremasinghe or any other dissident of SLPP who bellow rhetoric from rooftops, substitute the leadership of the nationalist forces. Highly unlikely. Mainly for the simple reason that their foreign masters and local allies will not allow them for such an alignment.    

2. Leadership Qualities of Anura Kumara

Without going into a detailed account of leadership theories, briefly we state that leadership is simply described as the ability to influence others. Hallmark of leadership is power coupled with influence. Anura Kumara may have power as the leader of the JVP/NPP; but it is doubtful whether he has influence over all his members. Gaining power as the elected President and influencing most of the countrymen are herculean tasks.   He has gained legitimate power because at present he is the leader of his party; but again, it is doubtful whether he has expert power (power through expertise) and referent power (initiation, power through personal identification, inspirational appeal and charisma), two vital sources of leadership, power and influence. The leaders were told to be wise, bold, willing to compromise and well-advised.

What we observe in Anura Kumara is that he is very good at information distortion or twisting facts and providing absurd interpretations to known facts, events and persona, a dubious method used by him to remain as the leader or a main contender for the top post.

3. Great” Man Theory and Trait Approach

Although it appears archaic and feudalistic and despite major criticisms levelled against Great Man” Theory and Trait Approach, they are still adopted to predict leadership behaviours and abilities of leaders/politicians.  Great Man” theory of leadership implied that some persons are born with certain traits that allow them to emerge out of a situation or history to become leaders. How great leaders shaped the destiny of their countries or world? Were there something extraordinary in their personalities, attitudes, behaviours and perceptions that enabled them to have a profound impact on history?

This evolved into Trait Theory of leadership. The underlying assumption of the trait approach is the existence of some basic traits or a set of traits that differentiate leaders from non-leaders. They are physical, personality, personaland social traits that distinguish leaders from non-leaders.  This list is very long. Personal appearance, attractiveness, above-average height; self-esteem, integrity, confidence;speaking skills (speaking ability is not verbosity or pomposity, occupying the rostrum for hours and hours, blastingmicrophones;the speaker should be able to speak to different types of audiences, adopting his theme and style to suit the specific audience; listen to what Sajith Premadasa utters in his  many encounters with school children), power to influence others,  the art of providing solutions to identified problems, intelligence or ability to process information and analyse alternatives, will to translate words into deeds, good vocabulary, self-confidence, non-verbal communication (there are many); judgement, intelligence, intellectual capacity, empathy, patience; are some of these traits.

Some people become leaders because leadership is thrust upon them. We have experienced that catastrophe in 2005 electing a Grama Sevaka as the President.

4. Trait Approach Applied to Anura Kumara

General perception of the people outside JVP/NPP circles about Anura Kumar is not so positive; some of his adversaries say that his inability to converse in English is his biggest drawback; this is the reason why right liberals and NGO cabal who support NPP promote Harini Amarasuriya above him. We do not think that this as a disadvantage as he can get the services of whispering interpreters or simultaneous interpreters (using headphones) if he is elected as the Head of State when he meets with foreign leaders. But his adversaries argue that being a citizen of an English colony his position is quite different from a leader who speaks either Spanish, Chinese or Korean. Leaders of Anglophone” Africa of western, eastern and southern parts of Africa do not encounter this problem.

Anura Kumara is timid in his appearance with foreign envoys. He cut a sorry figure in his meetings with Julie Chung, kowtowing as her baggage boy on the eve of his departure to the US; but this man in his meetings denigrates Pohottuwa supporters as a set of serfs who bend as arecanut trees before Basil.

Many questions are raised about his personal life (his marriage, children, how his children got employment etc.). In Sri Lanka personal life plays a major role in national politics. Against this backdrop how could Anura Kumara poll exceeding 50% (or as some say 70 lakhs of votes) of the total votes cast and Malimawaobtaining 113 or 2/3 as some say at the next parliamentary elections?

Somavansa Amarasinghe the late leader of JVP, who succeeded Wijeweera, writing a book titled Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Vandaneeyayi- Hathara Denage Kalliya Nindaneeyayi” (Glory to the JVP- Down with the Gang of Four) in 2015 discloses reasons for his leaving the JVP. He branded Anura Kumara, Tilvin Silva, Lal Kantha and Vijitha Herath as the Gang of Four. Condemning them as the people who ruined the JVP he adds that all these are conceited mutts, ethically corrupt, degenerated to the core who are averse to self-criticism.  Amarasinghe says that Anura Kumara became conceited after becoming the leader, he is suffering from both inferiority complex as well as superiority complex; feeling inferior because he is a short person.  He says Lal Kantha after the demise of Wijeweera thought JVP was over and began to sell ice cream and yoghurt. Our informants say that he was a small-scale chicken farmer.

There is no correlation between height and effectiveness of leadership although height is considered as an integral part of physical traits of a leader. Queen Victoria, Napoleon, Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Deng Xiaoping, Churchill, Hitler, Mussolini, Gandhi and many more were short people. They were effective leaders as well. It is ludicrous bringing above – mentioned leaders for a comparison with Anura Kumara.  But in Sri Lanka among the villagers there is a saying, not to trust short men and tiny anthills (miti minihai- miti humbahai visvasa karanta epa”).

Without any sizable votes from North, East and the Hill Country, Anura Kumara does not have any favourable political, socio-cultural factors to boost his campaign in the South. He does not have any special personal attributes except rhetoric and arrogance, scaring his opponents with harsh treatment once he comes into power. Platform oratory does not bring votes. Now JVPers have become an elitist group in Sri Lanka with a penchant for high end designer ware.

Can JVP/ NPP reveal the amount they receive as funds, their funding sources? Can they fool the people anymore that they wear high end designer ware given to them by others? Not a single JVP/NPP bigwig wears the same dress any other day or for any other occasion. Even the old Tilvin matches with the young mavericks.

5. Anura Kumara’s Shallowness and Ignorance

Integrity, intellectual capacity, sound theoretical background, at least a fundamental knowledge of historical, cultural and sociological factors are essential ingredients needed to be an effective leader. We observe that Anura Kumara lacks these rudiments except bellowing and thunder at public meetings and You Tube interviews, shouting in a deep voice. This is not a good trait of a leader. It is said that ignorance is the enemy of its owner.

In a You Tube interview we heard Anura Kumara marketing his childhood poverty; being impoverished he was forced to sell mangoes, cigarettes, toffees and lozenges in train during school vacations; did earthwork earning 20 rupees a day. But he vilifies parliamentarians who have humble beginnings. At the pensioners’ meeting held recently he scoffed at a Southern politician as Canter Piyasena”. Was he referring to a person who operated Canter excavator?

He said that he wore old broken slippers to school; is that the reason JVP and its offshoot FSP forcing freshers to wear bathroom slippers and hand sewn cheetta (chintz) frocks and carry silisili bags? 

 He said that his family did not have a postal address; that their postal address was deke signal kanuwa” (second signal post).

In villages we did not have house numbers until recently. As postal addresses we had person’s name, village name and postal town without house numbers. Postmen knew villagers by their names and in which hamlet of the village they lived as a very few people of the village received letters. Sometimes letters were kept at the village co-op store. Villagers were identified by Walawwas, Gedera Names (for example Batagalle Gedera, Viyannala Gedera) or the hamlet they lived (for example Giradeniya Gammadda, Puwakgahadeniya Gammadda ) or by the profession of the addressee (as iskole mahattaya, p(f)iscal mahattaya, op(ff)icer(a) mahattaya, veda mahattaya) or by a watta (highland- for example Gurugalwala Watta) or a locus (or loci)- place/s of residence (concentrations of kinsmen) identified with certain castes,a natural or man-made landmark (for example a tree as in nagahamula, galambalama, iskole langa or deke ela” (channel no. 2-  in colonization schemes), deke signal kanuwa” as in Anura Kumara’s case). Having no house number did not signify poverty. To understand this one should not be an expert in Rural Sociology.

To dispel criticisms leveled against top members of his team, Anura Kumara said that Vijitha Herath’s wife owned a row of houses and boutiques at Narahenpita including Mahinda’s Abayaramaya; Lal kantha’s father was a landlord at Mihintale (what land at Mihintale except jungles and shrubs? Somavansa Amarasinghe wrote that Lal Kantha was selling ice cream and yoghurt); further Anura Kumara stated that Wasantha Samarasinghe belonged to a Gambhara family in Tambuttegama in the NCP (earlier dense jungle area, cultivated from Mahaveli waters). What Anura Kumara wanted to drive home was that his people are not poor beggars”.

Tracing origins of Samarasinghe to Gambharaya System in Tambuttegama showed Anura Kumara’s poor knowledge of sociological factors. Who were Gambharayas? Were there Gambharayas in NCP? Refer any source from earliest times from – R.W. Ivers, English Government Agent of NCP, who wrote Manual of the North Central Province” (1899), to Prof. Ralph Peiris or Prof. Ukku Banda Karunananda.

Gambharaya System now defunct, existed in the Hambantota District since 1880s when new lands were bought by rich people who lived outside the district. All of them were absentee-landlords. They wanted managers-agents to supervise cultivation activities of their fields. This manager-agent was known as gambharaya, an intermediary between the absentee – landlord and landless tenant farmers and hired migrant laborers respectively. Gambaraya provided working capital, seed paddy, farm utensils and buffaloes to the cultivators and collected the harvest. Since large tracts of paddy needed many buffaloes for ploughing and threshing gambharayas became owners of large herds of cattle. Landless tenant farmers and hired migrant laborers were dependent on him. Gambaraya was an exploiter, oppressor and a ruthless money-lender, all in one. They were able to control the personal and familial lives of the tenant cultivators. Paddy Lands Act of 1958 and Land Reforms in 1972 brought changes in the Gambaraya System.

Anura Kumara who worked in Hambantota District as a novice political activist should have studied its socio-economic conditions before mobilizing youth as cannon fodder. Still he has time to read what the late Prof. Hiran Dias (1976) had wrote about Gambaraya System. The term Gambaraya was loosely used to descendants of old Gambarayas or cattle owners who have large herds of cattle grazing together, sometimes exceeding 1000 animals, especially in areas such as Suriyawewa, Badagiriya and Angunukolapelessa.

These peasant producers did not possess the means of production – land etc.  To my knowledge our researchers have not investigated whether the Gambharaya System, an example for agrarian capitalism or shows agrarian origins of capitalism. Servile forms of dependence of the peasants were retained by this system. We are unaware whether Anura Kumara extols this archaic system connecting it to his labour aristocrat Samarasinghe.

Marketing his childhood poverty, Anura Kumara warns us not to treat JVP/NPP as a party of the poor; according to him they are not a party of the poor but a party that works for the poor. Judging by their life styles and their sartorial elegance nobody doubts that JVP/NPP is a party of the poor.

This statement has a profound significance as it shows the right deviationist politics of the JVP/NPP, how they have metamorphosized into a party of upper segments of the middle class.

Although the old left- LSSP and CP had many weaknesses they never said that their parties were not the parties of workers and peasants. Although a corrupted version of L’Internationale (Arise ye workers from your slumbers- Arise ye prisoners of want”) they still sing, sadukin pelenawun den ithin nagitiyaw”. Did the Bolshevik Party or CPC say that theirs were not parties of workers, peasants and exploited and oppressed people?

At a meeting held in a foreign country Anura Kumara was asked by a member of the audience his views about multilingualism, multiculturalism and LGBTQIA+ rights. Instead of giving a straightforward answer he digressed and talked about customs, traditions and norms associated with different religions. The person who raised the question may have forgotten what he had asked in the process. What he wanted to drive home was that Buddhist politicians are using so-called purity of Theravada Buddhism to come into power. He did not mention how Christians, Hindus and Muslims using their own religions to come into power and ISIS terrorists who used religion to carryout Easter Sunday massacre (sons of his National List man) or how Tamil Hindu politicians placing sivalingams and performing Pongal in ancient Buddhist Viharas in the North and the East for political expediency.

In this instance also he showed his ignorance saying Hindus have Geethavaliya as their Holy Book (instead of Bhagavat Geetha).  Geethavaliya is the Sinhala word for Psalms, a book in the Old Testament. Should we pardon the Born-Again cosmopolitan person Anura Kumara for these lapses, who made graphite from miniran addressing an audience in the US?

It was reported that the Indians are ready to acquire our graphite mines; so far, no word from the JVP/NPP leader who wanted to make graphene from graphite when he comes into power.

Anura Kumara’s ignorance of mineral resources of Sri Lanka was revealed when he said in America that he will turn our miniran (plumbago/graphite) into graphite to earn more foreign exchange and resuscitate the economy. If he meant graphene by graphite, in our article posted on November 1^st, 2023, we described what is meant by graphene and questioned how he is going to isolategraphene and obtain the knowhow, expertise, infrastructure and investment to isolategraphene.

Marketing childhood poverty is a ruse used by many who rose from downstairs to take control of the affairs upstairs. Another NPP central committee academic attached to Peradeniya in his formative years used to announce that his father was an illiterate carpenter and he as an undergrad broke metal and mixed concrete at construction sites around Colombo. Another NPP academic from Rajarata now bellows that his father was a bothal paththara karaya” (a collector of old bottles and newspapers) who fed 9 children with his daily earnings. All these bitter memories evaporate into thin air when they marry (mostly their undergraduate- students) and send their children either to Trinity or Kandy Girls’ High School!  

6. The myth that JVP/NPP did not participate in governance

The JVP/NPP show themselves to the gullible voters as a set of paragons of virtue, an unspoiled, uncorrupted lot who preserve their purity. But the history of JVP reveals something else.

JVP supported the Coalition at the 1970 elections, and within less than a year took arms against it. Getting an amnesty from JRJ, Wijeweera started a campaign against SLFP Gamanaka Avasanaya” (End of a Journey) to weaken JRJ’s main rival Sirimavo; supported JRJ in 1980, working against the General Strike.

JVP mooteda Parivasa Anduwa” supporting CBK; four JVP bigwigs received Ministerial appointments under CBK.Anura Kumara in 2004 was CBK’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock Development, Lands and Irrigation, lifeblood of millions of peasants. His deputy was Bimal Ratnayaka, husband of NPP Central Committee member who proposed legalizing prostitution in Sri Lanka.

What did Anura Kumara do with this important portfolio to the country in general and peasants in particular? At least he was not able to enlarge his voter base. Failing miserably as a minister he had to abandon Kurunegala District (one of the largest agricultural areas in Sri Lanka) and find refuge in Colombo District which has the strongest middle class backing to him.

Can such a person rescue a country from this political, economic and social turmoil?

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, another vital area that can be utilized to mobilize people in support of their cause was given to Chandrasena Wijesinghe; Nihal Galappaththi who hails from a fisher family was made his deputy.

The next vital Ministry which has a bigger impact to rural artisans, craftsmen, small scale industrialists- Rural Industries became the domain of bigmouthed Lal Kantha; his Deputy was Sunil Handunnetti, who talks much about economy, tipped to be Anura Kumara’s Finance Minister in his fairy-tale cabinet. Cultural and National Heritages, responsible for art, literature, culture including the most important National Film Corporation were in the hands of Vijitha Herath; his deputy was know-it-all man, Samantha Vidyaratna who attempted to sabotage Uma Oya hydroelectricity project. Where were these environmental crusaders when JR Government devastated Dumbara Valley under Accelerated Mahaveli Project?

As we have expressed in our earlier writings these four Ministries should have been used as a pedestal to mobilize masses- peasants, fishermen, artisans, artists, most of our population. All were in their young age; graduates except Lal Kantha. It was a plain sailing without any turbulent winds. But all failed like a broken compass without the magnetic needle.

JVP supported MR without accepting any portfolios; some have argued that it was against coalition politics as the JVP had entered into an agreement with MR. But at the crucial stage in the war against the Tamil Tigers, the JVP attempted to wreck the war efforts defeating the budget.

JVP supported SF along with TNA and other Tamil and Muslim parties. The then leader of the JVP, Somavansa Amarasinghe wearing a three- piece suit embraced RW at a meeting held in support of SF. It may be true what Somavansa Amarasinghe writes in his above-mentioned booklet, that he taught all his young buddies table manners and how to use cutlery and crockery and etiquettes to follow while meeting foreign dignitaries. Thanks to Somavansa Amarasinghe, now all have mastered this craft.  

JVP supported MS with TNA and other Tamil and Muslim parties again andpropped up Yahahapalana government without allowing it to collapse. It was said that Anura Kumara had a special office at Temple Trees; JVP cannot absolve itself from yahapalana blunders.

All agree that the marriage between NPP and yahapalanagovernment brought calamitous consequences to the so-called purity”, perfection” and acceptability” of JVP/NPP. Their efforts in chasing after rogues” became nothing and as a result they lost credibility and became a laughing stock and was treated as an appendage of Yahapalana government and a partner of its sins. They had to defend the bond racketeers, shield them and tolerate the bond scam.

JVP could not retain Tissamaharama PS, touted as a model to all PSs; sold frequencies got free to V FM radio. How can they assume a much more responsibility governing a country is the biggest question?

NEXT – PART IV

Palitha Ariyarathna

The Dark Knight Rises,” directed by Christopher Nolan, is a cinematic masterpiece that transcends cultural boundaries, exploring complex themes of ideological conflict and moral ambiguity. This article offers a dual perspective, examining the film’s universal themes through a global lens while also delving into its resonance within the context of Sri Lankan culture and the pursuit of spiritual liberation.

The Ideological Spectrum: Globally, The Dark Knight Rises” presents a nuanced portrayal of ideological conflict, with characters representing diverse philosophical positions. Batman embodies the ideals of liberalism, advocating for individual freedoms, justice, and the rule of law. Conversely, Bane emerges as a symbol of radical communism, espousing notions of class struggle, equality, and revolutionary upheaval.

In Sri Lanka, the film’s exploration of ideological conflict resonates with the cultural context of Sinhala Buddhist liberalism, which encompasses principles of individual freedom, moral responsibility, and the quest for spiritual liberation. Rooted in Buddhist teachings, this ideology emphasizes the attainment of Nirvana, the ultimate state of enlightenment and liberation from suffering.

Interpreting Characters Through Global and Sri Lankan Perspectives: Batman’s struggle against Bane reflects the eternal battle between light and darkness, justice and tyranny, echoing universal themes of heroism and villainy. However, when viewed through the prism of Sinhala Buddhist liberalism, Batman’s quest for justice parallels the archetype of the Bodhisattva, embodying principles of righteousness and moral duty in the pursuit of collective well-being.

Bane’s descent into darkness symbolizes the pitfalls of ignorance and attachment, reminiscent of the Buddhist concept of Tanha (craving) and Dukkha (suffering). His quest for power and revolution serves as a cautionary tale against the illusions of materialism and egoism, resonating with the broader themes of ideological extremism and the corrupting influence of power.

The Pursuit of Nirvana: While globally, the characters’ struggles reflect ideological conflicts and moral dilemmas, in  Sri Lanka, the ultimate goal of liberation transcends earthly power and political ideologies. Sinhala Buddhist liberalism seeks to achieve Nirvana, the cessation of suffering and the attainment of spiritual enlightenment. The Dark Knight Rises” serves as a metaphorical journey towards this higher state of consciousness, where the battle between good and evil culminates in the triumph of wisdom and compassion.

The Dark Knight Rises” offers a compelling narrative that resonates with audiences worldwide, exploring universal themes of ideological conflict, moral ambiguity, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. Through a dual perspective, we can appreciate the film’s resonance within the global context of liberalism and communism while also exploring its deeper significance within the cultural framework of Sinhala Buddhist liberalism and the pursuit of spiritual liberation. In doing so, we gain insight into the complexities of human nature, the universality of moral principles, and the enduring quest for enlightenment and collective well-being.

Film Review by Palitha Ariyarathna

Bodhisattva: In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is an enlightened being who delays entering Nirvana to assist others in achieving enlightenment. They embody boundless compassion and guide beings towards liberation from suffering. Batman: Batman, a fictional character, is the alter ego of Bruce Wayne, driven by the trauma of his parents’ murder to fight crime in Gotham City. His mission is rooted in personal justice and protecting the innocent within his city.

Enjoy watching the film on Dialog TV at 8 PM today!

KAMALIKA PIERIS

The Hindu religion has been given a visible boost in Sri Lanka in the past two decades. It received state patronage. Hindu festivals were   celebrated at President’s House and Temple Trees.

In 2003 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had for the first time directed that a National Deepavali celebration be held. It was held at New Kathiresan Hall.   Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister and Mahinda Rajapaksa as Leader of Opposition   attended.

In 2021 Maha sivarathri was celebrated at Tirukeethesvaram temple in Mannar with the support of the government of Sri Lanka, High commission of India and All Ceylon Hindu Congress

In 2023 a special Deepavali celebration was held at the Presidential Secretariat and   the     Chariot festival of the Sammanakodu Kataragama Temple started from Temple Trees. Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena made   offerings.  Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Minister Douglas Devananda, MPs Mano Ganesan, Suresh Vadivel, Aravinda Kumar, also took part at the event. In 2024 Sri Lanka’s Embassy in Rome celebrated Thai Pongal at the Embassy premises.

Other institutions also followed this policy. In 2003, People Bank celebrated Deepavali by organizing a series of island wide ceremonies with it main function at Wellawatte bank.  In 2022 People’s Bank conducted Thai Pongal celebrations at its Wellawatte and Kotahena branches.

The Hindu community has been elevated in other ways too. All Ceylon Hindu Congress celebrated its Diamond Jubilee with an International Hindu Research conference at Nallur, Jaffna in July, 2015.

In 2019 Jaffna MP E. Saravanapavan stated in Parliament that Sri Lanka should have a Hindu University for Hindus to research and learn about the religion. Like the Buddhist University, there should be a Hindu University.

In 2021 the newly edited 12 volume Hindu Encyclopedia was launched on Maha Sivaratri Day at Temple Trees with Mahinda Rajapaksa, then Prime Minister as well as Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister, as the Chief Guest. The Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs Department had edited the Encyclopedia. The Encyclopedia had begun in 1988. At this event 50 Kovils were given Rs 50,000 each to celebrate the Maha Sivaratri Day.

 As usual, there were complaints.  Liquor shops functioned during the Hindu festivals, while it was closed during Buddhist religious festivals and activities. When liquor shops are instructed to close during Poya Days, then it should follow same pattern during other religious festivals, especially in areas which have a majority Hindu population, complained an MP in 2019. Hindus who live in the Wellawatte area, who want to conduct their funerals according to Hindu rites should be allocated a place with the required facilities, he added.

There was exaggeration as well. Chelvathamby Maniccavasagar writing to the Hindu section of the Daily News refers to myths about Hinduism in Sri Lanka.  These say Vijaya promoted Hinduism in Sri Lanka and ordered five Shiva temples to be built in the four corners of Sri Lanka.  They are Tirukeethesvaram and Koneswaram in the east, Munneswaram in west, Naguleswaram in the north and Chandraprakasam in south. Also Vijaya had   established Maviddapuram temple in Jaffna.

There was a visible spate of Kovil  building  starting in the 1990s  Kovils were built in order to establish Sri Lanka as  place of substantial Hindu worship. Between 1999 and 2002 the following were built.  Kovil was constructed over night in Trincomalee on Orrs Hill, constructed in one day. Another kovil was built at Akkaraipattu. Hanuman temple was constructed in Nuwara Eliya, facing Sri Pada and overlooking Kotmale.

The small inconsequential Sita Eliya (actually Sitala Eliya”) temple of yore has been developed into a conspicuous edifice patronized by persons going along the N’Eliya- Badulla road. This is now presented as a tourist attraction. The idea is to create a Hindu base for N’Eliya and the up country, with emphasis on Ravana in Bandarawela. The construction of this temple was assisted by the army, in order to promote good relations between Tamils and Sinhala. It was done by workmen from Tamilnadu on visas reported the media.

In 1997 Rs 22 million had been released to rehabilitate three Hindu religious sites on order of President Chandrika. All the small Hindu temples that are being reconstructed in North today have large gopurams, said a commentator in 2014.

The government and the media are helping to reinforce the notion of a Tamil-Hindu north and east. The Vattrappali Kannakai Amman is an ancient and historical temple in Mullaitivu. It is a miraculous one where lamps are lit by using the salt from the sea, the media said.

 Hindu festivals in lesser known places in the east were also given a mention.  In 2016, the media carried a photograph of the  Maha kumbakeshekam of Sri Weeramakaliamman temple in Vavunativu, Batticaloa   and a photo of the water cutting ceremony of Pillaiyar temple, Kaluthavalai, Batticaloa.

The major kovils such as Tirukeethesvaram, Nallur and Trikoneswaram   are given much publicity in the media. In 2011 it was said that Tirukeethesvaram kovil was being considered for recognition as a world heritage site  (Daily News 19.4.11 p 1).

 From 1954 onwards the Hindu authorities were asking that Thirukoneshwaran Eeshwaran Kovil area in Trincomalee   be declared a sacred city. In 2017 this request was repeated. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had said he would consider granting land extension of 378 acres around the Thirukoneshwaran Kovil and Hindus asked that the area could be declared a sacred site as well. MP Devananda said the Kovil had been situated at the same place since 1300 BC even before King Vijaya arrived in the country.

Nallur kovil got much publicity in the media.  For instance Nallur temple is featured in Explore Sri Lanka August 2021 in flattering terms.  Its second court is described as a breathtaking sight.  In 2023, Sunday Times had a photo of the huge crowds at the Nallur Kovil annual festival (Sunday times 17.9.23 p 2).  Mahaviddarpuram temple is also considered to be a significant temple .

Nainativu (Nagadipa) which  Buddhists consider to be Buddhist, is Hindu as well. The Nagapooshani Amman Kovil in Nainativu has been visited by people from all Northern islands as well as faithful devotees from across Sri Lanka, said journalist Dishan Joseph, writing in Daily News in 2021.

 The origins of the ancient kovil can be traced up to the 16th century it is believed the present structure was built during the 1720–1790 period after the ancient structure was destroyed by the invading Portuguese around 1620. The grand kovil attracts around 1,000 visitors a day. The annual 16-day Mahostavam (Thiruvizha) festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Aani (June/July) attracts over 100,000 pilgrims. There is an estimated 10,000 sculptures in this newly-renovated temple ,concluded Dishan. There was no kovil when I visited Nainativu in the 1950s as a school girl with my parents.

Jaffna is shown as a Hindu city. In 2010, Mahinda Rajapaksa when electioneering was taken bare bodied to Nallur. Biz Pact group were also taken there on a visit. The German Ambassador participated in the Thai Pongal festival at Nallur, bare bodied.

Trincomalee is vital for Eelam, even more than Jaffna. Tamil Separatist Movement  is  therefore anxious to  make Trincomalee  fully       Hindu,  to  further  strengthen the  Eelam claim.    The streets in Trincomalee town when I was last there, sometime before Covid, was simply bursting with   gaudy kovils.  Some were just a few feet apart along the same road  in Trincomalee town.

Hinduism in Sri Lanka has now got tangled up with extremist Indian politics. In 2016 the media reported that Shiva Sena in Mumbai has extended its support to a new Sri Lankan Tamil outfit called Siva Senai consisting of a group of Hindus in Vavuniya led by Maravanapulavi Sachithananthan. This is Sri Lanka’s first right wing Hindu organization said the media.  It accuses the Sri Lanka government of supporting Sinhala Buddhist colonization to undermine the importance of Hindus. It also charges Christians and Muslims of getting huge foreign funds to spread their religion. [1]  

In April 2024, the administrators of Adi Lingeswarar Hindu temple, (a contested site”, located at Vedukkunari/ Vadunagala in Nedunkerni in the Vavuniya district) and devotees in the area had met at Olumadu Community Hall to appoint an administrative board for the Kovil, for 2024-2025.

Five members of Shiva Senai, led by its leader, Maravanpulavu Kanapathipillai Sachithanandan entered the hall uninvited and demanded that  one post in the kovil’s administrative board be given to their organization. The administrators refused to do so and asked the group vacate the premises.  The administrators   would leave the premises if Shiva Senai did not do so. Shiv Senai  stayed put so the kovil’s administrative board and the devotees left. The five Siva Senai members  left the premises an hour  later.[2]( Continued)

[1] Island 15.10. 16 p 3.

[2] https://english.theleader.lk/news/8393-vanni-hindus-reject-extremist-hindutva-organization

Dr.Sudath Gunasekara.Mahanuwara

(First published on 14.9.2023).

I call upon all patriotic Sinhala sons and daughters of our beloved motherland to draw their prompt and serious attention to the arrogant and irresponsible political thuggery publicly and repeatedly displayed by some Tamil politicians in the plantation sector who are trying to make hay while the political uncertainties of this Island nation shine in high heavens as the elections are at our door steps next year. (See attachment)

This army of South Indian Tamil labour presently occupying the plantations lands right at the center of the country on the hills. They represent a sad legacy we inherited from the dark British colonial era. They were imported from South India by the British invaders in the post 1838 period as cheap indentured slave labour to work on their newly opened up coffee and tea plantations on land formally owned by native Kandyan Sinhala people. The virgin high forests above the villages at higher levels were protected as the Kings Forest, which the natives loved with an idolatry equal to their veneration of Buddha”, as John. F. Hurst said in 1890. (The Enchanted Road to Kandy 1890) were uprooted and burned to make room for their new coffee and tea plantations

The entire hill country formed the nation’s prime watershed for millennia that provided the main source for all the rivers in the Island. In short it was the physical stability of this hill country jealously guarded by our ancestors that determined and dictated the survival of the entire life system and the civilization of this Island nation from the dawn of history, just as the heart decides the fate of a being. It was the patriotic Kandyan Sinhala people of this hill country supported by its natural strategic assets who defended the independence of the motherland and a nation for 310 years (1505-1815) against three powerful European invasions.

With the opening up of plantations this Geographical Heartland” of the nation was raped and converted to an enclave of an army of South Indian Tamil labourers nearing 1.2 million labouring for the British from 1838 onwards and it was often kept out of bound for the local sons of the soil by the British. 

These South Indian Tamils who occupy the hill country at present were brought to this country by the British only after 1838.

First, to get cheap labour to fill their colonial treasuries and

Second, to colonize native Kandyan territory permanently with south Indian Tamils to form a British friendly anti Kandyan South Indian enclave right at the center of the country to use them as mercenaries against the local Sinhalese in case they rise against them.

The British also knew that these South Indian Tamils were the arch enemies of the Sinhala nation right throughout history who had unsuccessfully invaded this island nation throughout history starting from the 2nd century BC, the time of Sena Guttika brothers horse traders.

The British thought that the settlement of South Indian labour on the heartland of the Sinhale was the best strategic measure to take revenge from the Kandyan people who successfully resisted their occupation of the Kandyan Kingdom from 1797 and massacred thousands of their men in 1803,1818 and 1848.

 As such settling a permanent South Indian Tamil enclave right at the centre of the Island on its geographical heartland, they thought was the best way to weaken the native Sinhalese by depriving them of all their ancestral lands they owned for millennia. The British also knew that it was from these hills the brave Kandyan Sinhalese successfully defended the sovereignty of the Sinhale for 310 years (1505-1815). 

Third, to change the Islands demographic map to reduce the political strength of the Sinhala majority, of the Island as they miserably failed to colonize the North and the East with Indian Tamils.

Over 1.3 million acres of land owned by native Sinhalese were taken over by force. This land of the native Sinhala people owned by them over the entire hill country from the beginning of history, were taken by force by killing all mails over 16 years, on the orders of murderer Brown wrigg, leaving those spared by the gun and sword to die of starvation and disease introduced by the invaders and chasing out all others en masse to the eastern jungles.

These Tamils were brought to this country by the British to colonize native Kandyan territory permanently with south Indian Tamils, the arch enemies of the Sinhala nation who had unsuccessfully invaded this island nation throughout history starting from the 2nd century BC, the Sena Guttika brothers. The British thought that the settlement of South Indian labour on the heartland of the Sinhale   was the best way to take revenge from the Kandyan people who resisted their occupation of the Kandyan Kingdom from 1797 and massacred thousands of their men in 1803,1818 and 1848. Creating a permanent South Indian Tamil enclave right at the centre of the Island on its geographical heartland they thought was the best strategy to take revenge from them, thereby depriving the native Sinhalese of their mother land. They have been subjected to exodus of all their ancestral lands owned by them for millennia. It was from these hills they successfully defended the sovereignty of the Sinhale for 310 years (1505-1815). 

This most dangerous trend has to be arrested immediately before the whole hill country gets caught up in high communal flames. I attribute the present unfortunate and despicable situation wholly to the political miscalculations of brainless, unpatriotic and opportunistic self-seeking politicians who have appointed these rowdies to high political positions just to woo their vote, even though they never reciprocate. Ranil misuses these appointments as a bait to woo the Estate Tamil votes.  In the 2005 Presidential election they voted for him as they wanted to defeat the SB candidate Mahinda and in the 2019 Presidential election, they voted Premadasa for the same purpose, that is to defeat the Sinhaal Buddhist candidate. But even if Ranil makes all the 250 000 estate Tamils ministers and governors, I can assure he will not get a single vote there, as he is backed by the SLPP, being the decisive factor. It is very unfortunate that Ranil cannot understand this reality.

This Ranil drama is the second episode where such naked political thuggery is being used by these estate labour led by Thondamans on the natives blatantly violating the law of the country by taking the law into his hands as if they are already Indian Maharajas swaying the Indian power of Indian expansionism over the whole of this country. Last week it was Matale (CP). This week it is Ratnapura (SB), Both locations are right at the center of the Sinhale heartland. Meanwhile Ranil has appointed another Thondaman, a mediocre Tamil politician form the hill country,  as the Governor of the Eastern Province, by chasing out a Sinala Buddhist Governor to lure the Tamils in that province as well.

Look at the language these British slave labor leaders use against the sons of the soil, the gestures they cast on the native management and the , and the illegal orders they give demanding the minister of Plantations and the Superintendent of the Estate to resign.  Look at the way they break the law with impunity. The behaviour of some of the puppet Ministers of this government in carrying out the illegal orders” given by these Indian ghosts is even more deplorable and shameful. In both incidents the makeshifts were illegally constructed on estate land illegally encroached by force using political and racial clouts.

Why don’t we, as a proud nation, call upon the President of this country to put an end immediately before it escalates to the whole hill country with political patronage to this Estate Tamil communal thuggery and Indian manipulation and restore law and order in this part of the country telling them that this is Sri Lanka, an independent country and not yet a suzerainty of India as they think. 

We call upon this spineless government to take the following steps in the name of law and order and justice to the sons of the soil, in the name of good governance, if they dream to come before the electorate at any subsequent election. We demand the Government also to take the following steps to curb this illegal intervention by an unlawful group of Indian backed Tamil Politicians, in the name of the native Sinhala nation, the sons of this soil, still commanding 75% of the population of this country.

1.Sack the arrogant Minister and dismantle him of all parliamentary privileges immediately for bringing disrepute to this government by creating uncalled for scenes like this.

2 Also take stern and immediate action against the other MP as well, who aided and abetted the main actor in this incident of breach of law and creating public disorder as well.

3 We request you to direct the relevant Authorities immediately to stop all illegal constructions on State or Private properties by these Indian laborers or any other party and take prompt legal action against them for violating the law and resorting to creating provocative public scenes like this that might lead to ethnic clashes and public disorder in the whole country.

4 To arrest all illicit encroachers on crown lands not only on these estates but also all over the country and take stern legal action against them, restore law and order within the estate sector and reinstate all estate management personnel already sacked on the orders of these Rudy and irresponsible politicians and declare all the estates out of bound for trouble makers.5 Give full legal power for the private companies to run the estate as efficiently as possible to increase production.

6 Cancel the citizenship of all those who violate the law of the land and deport them to India as soon as possible.

If the government does not take immediate action on these mad petty communal politicians  the day these India laborers erect illegal huts, not only on all plantations but all over the country and invade the whole country, like what Rajiv the arrogant did in 1987  in Jaffna, probably with the support of the Indian Government and Modis intervention supported by the so-called  International community  lead by US, UK and the rest of the colonial club with the support of the local Roman Catholic Church all, of whom are determined to wipe out the Sinhala Buddhist from the surface of this land and make this the 29th Indian State under an Indian viceroy stationed in Colombo. (It is surprising that the US Embassy has so far not issued a statement justifying this thuggery)

It was we the Sinhala Buddhists of this country who elected this government and even your predecessor in 2019 to whose mandate you owe public responsibility and not these rowdies of the plantations or the eelaamists of the North as such it is your prime responsibility to honor that mandate and, on our part, we also have a legitimate claim to request you to take action against these rowdy politicians in the name of good governance. IN the event of your failure to bring this unlawful and disorderly behavior of these petty communal politicians we are afraid that the whole hill country might end up in uncontrollable communal flames. Obviously, the question arises as to why should we have a government elected by us if it cannot govern the country properly.

Also, why should we have a government elected by 75 % of its native population, the sons of the soil, if it cannot take these steps to protect this land of the Sinhalese nation, their religion and their civilization that had been governed by our ancestors at very high cost for 2600 years with no interruption.

Let law and order be restored first, and governance follow, or depart. If they don’t listen, the disgruntled masses will rise against this failed government to send it home at the first opportunity they get tomorrow and elect a government that will fulfill their aspirations to save this land of the Sinhala nation for prosperity. The people of this country also should ask this government as to what it is doing by keeping deaf, dumb and blind on the breach of law by these extremist communal rowdies. In this backdrop what justification on earth does the President Wickramsinha elected by the SLPP votes, representing predominantly Sinhala Buddhist votes has to appoint this foreign labour leaders hostile to Sinhala Buddhist and who had never voted the SLPP or SLFP and who never even treat this country as their motherland and worship only their Mother India to high posts as Ministers and Governors to govern the Sinhala people.  At the same time, we also should demand that the Eastern Province Governor should be sacked, who has already committed many violations such as illegally banning the construction of a temple on archaeological ancient Sinhala Buddhist site Boralukanda Rajamaha Viharaya. The Sinhala Buddhist demand that he should be removed from the post of Governor EP and Sinhala Buddhist be appointed as the new Governor. removed forthwith and appoint a Sinhala man or woman of repute as governor there. Governor of the Eastern Province. Senthil Thondaman, has ordered the Divisional Secretary of the Area to issue a letter to the head priest of Boralukanda Rajamaha Viharaya whereas he has no power to do so, said a high official of the EP when inquired that the Div Sec has already been transferred for issuing an illegal order. The Question is why didn’t the President remove the Governor. Definitely because he’s a Tamil from the hill country where Ranil is expecting to get their votes at the next election. What is more surprising is that this is the type of men this government appoint as Governors and Ministers.

 This trend has to be arrested immediately.

This incident again makes a strong case to abolish the PCC and remove all these mad Governors forthwith, thereby saving billions, at a time we are going round the world begging

 Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. PhD 

Sex is a basic human need, common to all people at all times (Shokeir &, Hussein, 2004) and exclusively a biological function, defined based on that individual’s individuality and socio-cultural background (Kumarasinghe et al., 2022).

Ancient Sri Lankans had varied sexual lives. The ancient folklore and texts unveil the traditions of sexual behaviors among the ancient Sri Lankans. In ancient Sri Lanka, sexual desire was considered a vivacious force, and sexuality was redefined as a personal right. These conditions existed until the colonization of indigenous sexualities.

Culture is a drastic factor that affects the sexual lives of people. The ancient sexual behaviors and practices were affected by sociocultural, psychological and, biological factors. Ancient Sri Lanka was a male-centered society. In this society, sex was not considered sinful. Virginity was not viewed as a virtue; there were no practices of veneration of the Virgin.

According to Singh (1999) Sexual perversions are often a product of civilized life and most societies permit some degree of deviant sexual behavior as a relief from stress of routine life.  Sri Lankan culture has its own folklore and myths, and some describe incest, which in today’s world is considered taboo. Incest is sexual intercourse between family members and close relatives. The mythological Story of Sinhabahu describes the origins of the ‘Sinhala’ race testifies to the existence of incest. According to the Sinhabahu legend, the prince Sinhabahu married his own sister Sinha Seewali committing incest. Sontakke (2017) indicates that during prehistoric times, it appears that there was no such restriction on mating in close blood relations.

Buddhism was first brought to Sri Lanka during Mauryan Emperor Ashoka’s period (Sangharakshita, 1975) highlights that Buddhism had no direct concern with the collective life of man on the social and political level. The ancient Sri Lankans lived according to strict hierarchical social organization and kings had unquestionable power. Many kings enjoyed extremely active sex lives. They had harems and used to engage in various sexual activities. The Mahavamsa, the ancient chronicle of Sri Lankan history, describes elegant and extravagant harems owned by powerful kings in ancient Sri Lanka. The kings had the practice of marrying multiple spouses. Polygamy was a vital political aspect of the king. They used servants who had been castrated to work in harems.

There was no rigid gender system in society. The ancient Sri Lankans never had a binary gender system, and there was room for a third gender. The third gender in ancient Sri Lanka were known as pandaka. The people had compassionate attitudes toward the third gender. Although they were identified as seductive, pandakas were inclusive of society. Notably, there was no persecution against them. The third gender has been traditionally perceived and accepted.

Tantric influence on Sri Lankan Buddhism was significant, and Tantric attributes can be seen in ancient Sri Lanka. Many centuries before Sigmund Freud, Richard Freiherr von Kraft-Ebing, Albert Moll or D.H. Laurence, the Tantric Buddhist monks discussed the wider aspects of human sexuality. Tantric practice emphasizes the importance of sexual intimacy and spirituality. The practice intertwines spirituality, sexuality, and a state of mindfulness.

The ancient Sri Lankan women of nobility enjoyed certain individual liberties and sexual freedom. Anula (aka Anuladevi) was the first known queen regnant in Sri Lankan history. The queen Anuladevi of Sri Lanka reigned from 47 BC –to 42 BC had an uncontrollable and excessive desire for sex. She became famous for her promiscuous behavior and had an infamous reputation as a nymphomaniac.

King Kashyapa who ruled the country from 473 AD to 495 AD had his harem in Sigiriya citadel and had Persian beauties as lesser wives. Some of these pretty Persian women were depicted on the Sigiriya Frescoes.

There is evidence that social prostitution existed during ancient times. King Kumaradasa (6th century A.D.)  was highly influenced by the Indian poet Kalidasa and the king invited Kalidasa to live in his royal palace. During his stay the poet Kalidasa was poisoned by a prostitute and his death devastated the king and eventually, the king committed suicide over the poet’s death.

Some kings and noblemen in ancient Sri Lanka enjoy orgies. They practiced unrestrained sexual activity. A stone carving at the Nalanda Gedige, believed to have been built between the 8th and 10th centuries, depicts erotic allure and sexually explicit sculpture on orgies.

Robert Knox who lived as a prisoner for 20 years reported existing abortions and infanticides in the Kandyan Kingdom. He further describes polyandrous union in Kandyan society. Furthermore, he describes customs of hospitality that involved offering guests food, shelter, with one’s own wife or daughter. This tradition was known as Bulath Hiraya. During this period, genetic disorders were emerging due to inbreeding, and this practice was intended to accumulate new genes in the common genetic pool. 

Rukule Padima (intercrural sex, which is also known as coitus interfemoris) was another mode of sexual behavior that was practiced by some aristocrats. They used underage girls for their sexual gratification. Even Pederasty (sexual relationship between an adult man and a pubescent boy) was a common practice among the noblemen. There was no taboo nature, and these practices were accepted in high society. However, there are no historical documents to prove that female pederasty existed in ancient Sri Lanka.

The institution of marriage occupied a unique place and the marriage of cross cousins was an accepted form, and it never fell under incest taboos. However, caste equality was strongly taken into consideration.

Homosexuality was not considered as a deviant behavior in ancient Sri Lanka. There were no legal restrictions on homosexuality.  Some kings enjoyed homosexual unions. The King Sri Vira Parakrama Narendra Singha (1707–1739 AD) was fond of being with young boys with embodiment of feminine traits.

Sexual beliefs and behaviors in ancient Sri Lanka indicate that the islanders relished a greater extent of sexual freedom compared to medieval Europe. There was no concept of sexual sin or sexual persecution that affected the population. The sexual repression carried out by the Inquisition In medieval Europe affected a great number of people. Between the 15th and 18th centuries, some 50,000 women were executed as witches in Europe, and most victims were burned at the stake. Most of these female victims were charged with sexual sins. Sexual attitudes and practices in ancient Sri Lanka indicate that the society had sexual tolerance and compassion. 

References

Kumarasinghe, M., De Silva, W.I., de Silva, R. et al. Unmarried Sri Lankan youth: sexual behaviour and contraceptive use. Contracept Reprod Med 7, 19 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40834-022-00185.

Sangharakshita Bikshu. 1975. Buddhism. In A.L. Basham (ed.). A Cultural History of India. Oxford University Press: 83‐99.

Shokeir AA, Hussein MI. Sexual life in Pharaonic Egypt: towards a urological view. Int J Impot Res. 2004 Oct;16(5):385-8. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijir.3901195. PMID: 15475944.

Singh A. Regulation of human sexual behaviour, sex revolution and emergence of AIDS: a historical perspective. Bull Indian Inst Hist Med Hyderabad. 1997 Jan;27(1):63-74. PMID: 12575704.

Singh A. Social basis of deviant sexual behaviour: a historical perspective. Bull Indian Inst Hist Med Hyderabad. 1999 Jan;29(1):51-62. PMID: 12585287.

Ministry of Defence  – Media Centre

The Diyawanna Vesak Zone 2024, organized by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Independent Television Network (ITN) will conclude tonight (May 25).

Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne and Chairman of ITN Mr Sudarshana Gunawardana, inaugurated the ‘Diyawanna Vesak Zone 2024’ last Thursday (May 23). This is organized in line with the ‘Buddha Rashmi’ national Vesak festival celebrations.

The live telecast of ‘Diyawanna Vesak Zone 2024’ through the ITN channel also began simultaneously in the opening day.

The Vesak Zone consists of decorative Vesak lanterns and colourful light displays illuminating Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha and the Ministry of Defence road in Battaramulla.

Today will be the final day of one of the most colourful Vesak celebratory events of this year and the organizers invite all to visit the Diyavanna Vesak Zone in Battaramulla and witness the dazzling display of Vesak lanterns and decorative illumination.

By Julia Conley

Defense lawyers for Israel did not convince the International Court of Justice that the ongoing evacuation operation in the southern Gaza city had enhanced the security of civilians.”

Emphasizing that Israel had not convinced the International Court of Justice that sufficient efforts have been made to protect civilian life from harm, the ICJ on Friday ordered the Israel Defense Forces to end its military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah at once and to open the southern border crossing from Egypt to humanitarian aid.

Israel must immediately halt its military offensive or any other action in the Rafah governorate which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part,” said Judge Nawaf Salam, president of the court, which is the United Nations’ top judicial panel.

He added that the court was not convinced that the evacuation efforts and the related measures that Israel affirms to have undertaken to enhance the security of civilians in the Gaza Strip and in particular those recently displaced from Rafah governorate [are] sufficient to alleviate the immense risk, which the Palestinian population is exposed to as a result of the military offensive in Rafah.”

Salam said that in examining South Africa’s case focusing on the Rafah offensive, which has forced more than 800,000 people to flee Rafah following the displacement of more than 1 million people to the city since October, the court had found the humanitarian situation in Rafah is now disastrous” and has deteriorated further” since the ICJ issued its last order to Israel in March.

That order demanded that Israel allow desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza, as dozens of deaths from starvation were reported, including among children.

But on May 6, Israel seized control of the Rafah crossing, leaving local hospitals with a rapidly depleting supply of medical equipment and fuel and intensifying the starvation crisis in the city and across Gaza.

The court ordered Israel to open the Rafah crossing for unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.”

It also said Israel must ensure the unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip of any commission of inquiry, fact-finding mission, or investigative body mandated by the competent organs of the U.N. to investigate allegations of genocide.”

The ICJ’s rulings are legally binding but Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who in April called for the total annihilation” of Rafah and other Gaza cities, said Friday that the government will not agree” to stopping its military assault.

Al Jazeera reported that Israel is not planning to respond to the decision of the court, both politically or militarily.”

Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), said countries—including the U.S.—that have continued to fund the Israel Defense Forces as the civilian death toll in Gaza has skyrocketed must halt their support in light of the ruling.

The court’s clear and unequivocal ruling ordering a halt to Israel’s military offensive in Rafah leaves no ambiguity about what should follow: an arms embargo on Israel,” said Whitson. Continued U.S. arms transfers to Israel would constitute deliberate defiance of the court’s orders and make our government complicit in genocide.”

While Israel will not hold itself accountable and will not voluntarily end its crimes,” said DAWN advocacy director Raed Jarrar, the ruling confirmed that international action is needed.”

The international community has an obligation to use pressure and sanctions to force Israel to end its atrocities, just as it used pressure and sanctions to force South Africa to end apartheid,” said Jarrar.

We remind our readers that publication of articles on our site does not mean that we agree with what is written. Our policy is to publish anything which we consider of interest, so as to assist our readers  in forming their opinions. Sometimes we even publish articles with which we totally disagree, since we believe it is important for our readers to be informed on as wide a spectrum of views as possible.

Senaka Weeraratna

I want to place on record information concerning the beginnings of the Unit Trust Industry of Sri Lanka and my pioneering involvement in the promotion of the Unit Trust as a Vehicle of Investment in Sri Lanka. 

It begins in Australia. I joined a boutique law firm, Wilder Moses Bengasino in Melbourne, as an Associate in April 1987.

It handled Unit Trust related work among other commercial law work.

The senior partner, Mr. Joseph Bengasino, had earlier worked in the Corporate Affairs Office of Victoria, Australia where he had examined applications for registration of Companies and had gained a thorough practical knowledge of the subject.

Mr. Bengasino was a specialist in TimeShares. 

I worked with Mr. Joseph Bengasino and several other lawyers, in his law firm and gained good exposure to Unit Trust work.

I was drafting documents for creating public and private unit trusts and amendment of Trust Deeds.

I returned to Sri Lanka in December 1987 for the holidays and I made it known to the Banking Industry that I was prepared to share my knowledge on the subject of Unit Trust gained in Australia and to help launch the Unit Trust industry in Sri Lanka as an alternate form of investment.  

In January 1988, senior officials of the Bank of Ceylon contacted me. They invited me to lunch at Hotel Lanka Oberoi.

I remember the late Mr. K.Sivagananathan who came in the company of Mr. Direndra Abeyratne and another gentleman from the Bank of Ceylon for lunch.

We discussed the Unit Trust concept and how it could be launched in Sri Lanka.

Once these gentlemen from the Bank of Ceylon were convinced that I knew the subject, I was invited to deliver a talk at the Bank of Ceylon on the topic ‘ The Unit Trust as a Vehicle of Investment’.

It was in January 1988. I delivered the talk at the Bank of Ceylon premises. Mr. Robin Talwatte, then Manager of the Bank of Ceylon, presided at the meeting.

It had a distinguished audience. Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, Mrs. Rohini Nanayakkara, Mr. K. Sivagananathan, Mr. Direndra Abeyratne,  Mr. Tiru Vallar (lawyer), Ms. Sunetha de Silva (lawyer and wife of Neville de Silva) were in the audience.

The very next day I was invited by Mr. N.U.Jayawardena, to meet him and explain to him how Unit Trust works.

I met Mr. N.U. Jayawardena at his Mercantile Investments office. His grandson Mr. Milinda Moragoda also joined the meeting.

Between 1988 – 1990 nothing happened.

I kept in touch nevertheless, with Mr. Sivagananathan over the phone from Australia.  

I returned to Sri Lanka in December 1990 for a short break from my work.

I spoke to several people and convinced them that the time was opportune for the launch of the Unit Trust industry in Sri Lanka.

We decided to have a Public workshop and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka ( with the help of Mr. K. Neelakandan, Mr. J.M. Swaminathan, and Mr. Hemantha Warnakulasuriya) undertook to sponsor it. Mr. G.F. Sethukavalar, P.C. agreed to chair the workshop. Mr. R. Senathi Rajah, Senior Partner, Julius & Creasy, was appointed to be the Moderator.

I was made the Course Director. The half-day workshop was held at the Galadari Meridien Hotel on January 19, 1991. 

The Guest Lecturers and Panelists were:

1)    Mr. L. Namasivayam (Secretary–General, Colombo Securities Council)

2)    Mr. A.B.T. Wijeratne (Investments & Capital Markets) Manager, Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka Ltd.

An expert from the Unit Trust Industry of India also spoke at the workshop and shared his experience. He encouraged Sri Lanka to be bold take steps forward and venture into this field.

The audience comprised Lawyers, Accountants, Bankers, Investors, Businessmen, Insurance groups, and the public.

Altogether there were about 60 participants. The workshop was successful. It acted as a catalyst for the commencement of the Unit Trust industry in Sri Lanka.

The media covered the workshop and the ‘Daily News’ carried my paper ‘ The Unit Trust: Its Place in Sri Lanka’s Financial System’ on the editorial page of the newspaper on January 28, 1991 

Until the holding of this workshop, there were no Unit Trusts in Sri Lanka.

Within two months of this public seminar, 4 ( four) Unit Trusts were established in Sri Lanka heralding a new dawn for new investment vehicles in the country.

That was a great step forward.  

Senaka Weeraratna

Gangsters’ Paradise (2024) It might sound strange, but the crime capital of Australia is currently Dubai. That’s because this glitzy mega city in the Persian Gulf has become home to nearly all of our biggest organised crime bosses. Their thinking in moving offshore is that they’re out of reach of federal and state policing authorities, but they might want to think again. As Nick McKenzie reports, an enormous leak of Dubai property records has revealed not only their residential addresses, but also how the city has become the perfect destination for crooks, and suspected criminals, from all around the world to do their dirty business.

By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

Minister Sabry, PC, meets Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard at his Ministry on Monday (20) after she called for Sri Lanka to be referred to the UN Security Council and subjected to international war crimes inquiry. The Tamil Guardian quoted her as having said at Mullivaikkal where she paid floral tributes to those who perished there 15 years ago: “The international community must use their own courts of justice to deliver justice whenever those war criminals are travelling abroad. There is a principle called universal jurisdiction. It must be implemented, including for Sri Lankan war criminals.” Following the meeting at the Foreign Ministry, Sabry tweeted: Whilst assuring continued commitment to upholding Human Rights commitments, I outlined the objectives of the humanitarian operations carried out by government of Sri Lanka to free Sri Lankans belonging to all communities from scourge of one of the most ruthless terrorist organizations in the world, and further recalled that more than 26,000 members of the Sri Lankan armed forces laid their lives, and thousands more sacrificed their limbs to reclaim our nation’s freedom and peace. I further expressed our displeasure on outside influence being brought in to the internal affairs of Sri Lanka by those engaged in vote bank politics to appease a small domestic audience.” Callamard was here for five days, her first visit as the AI Chief.

Fifteen years after the eradication of the LTTE, unsubstantiated allegations regarding the number of dead civilians, LTTEers and missing persons persist. Forced disappearances, as alleged by the UN, remains a major issue, with the concerned demanding accountability on the part of Sri Lanka. How many of those who had been categorized as missing are living overseas, under different identities, with passports issued from various countries. Unfortunately, the powers that be seemed to be wholly incapable of building Sri Lanka’s defence. For one and half decades, they shirked their responsibilities. Shame on this lot.

Parliamentarian Akilan Manoharan Ganesan found fault with the US-led Western powers, successive post-war governments and one-time LTTE mouthpiece, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for what he terms the continuing predicament of the Tamil community.

In a statement tweeted on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the conclusion of the war, the former Yahapalana Minister alleged (1) the international community gave Sri Lanka the go ahead for all-out war against the LTTE (2) Sri Lanka ordered the closure of the Vanni Office of the UN to pave the way for war without witnesses (3) international community failed to ensure a political solution nor address accountability issues, as promised (4) Western powers arranged ‘honeymoon’ between Sri Lanka and TNA (5) Tamil community not allowed to commemorate the war dead (6) President Ranil Wickremesinghe response to Tamils’ concerns and grievances questionable (7) UN failed to ensure the Tamils’ right to commemorate war dead and (8) the failure on the part of the US to convince/compel Sri Lanka to address Tamils’ grievances.

MP Ganesan shared the tweet with his leader Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of the JVP-led Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB). Interestingly, when the UNP backed retired war-winning General Sarath Fonseka’s candidature at the 2010 presidential poll, Mano Ganesan’s party was in that coalition, consisting of the UNP, TNA, JVP and SLMC.

Lawmaker Ganesan chided outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung for the US inaction, despite all of her interferences here, especially in regard to the success of the violent protest movement that ousted the duly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. She conveniently called them peaceful protesters and prevailed on the military and police not to take any action against them. Chung’s successor Elizabeth Horst has already caused controversy by declaring that Sri Lanka imposed a one-year-ban on the entry of foreign research vessels into our waters at their behest. Appearing before the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Horst has stressed the need for the ban that came into effect on January 1, 2024. The US move, made in consultation with New Delhi, is meant to block visits by Chinese naval vessels.

Let us get back to the issue of post-war consensus among the communities on political solutions, the status of the accountability process and foreign interventions.

Sometimes foreign interventions made for strategic reasons (US interventions here are meant to counter Chinese influence, appease India and influence Tamil community) can be quite devastating. So-called bipartisan US resolution that had been introduced to the US Congress calling on the United States to work towards an independence referendum for Eelam Tamils and recognize the ‘genocide committed against them’ by the Sri Lankan state revealed the superpower’s evil machinations here not having learnt any lessons from their vicious plots executed almost world over. They should at least now open their eyes to the calamity they have created in Palestine by their imperialist plots.

If the US is so sincere in its intentions why not it first create an independent nation for the natives of that country, virtually wiped out by numerous acts of genocide committed by white settlers to grab their land. The few natives who survived such pogroms are still more or less confined to reservations created by white colonialists in most hostile environments. As retribution, the world must demand that the US creates native independent states right across the country for each surviving decimated native tribe.

The same goes for Canada which had been found guilty of killing more than 2000 native children, forcefully boarded at Church run schools there, till themid-1990s to make them assimilate into the white man’s world. The victims’ bodies were found buried in unmarked graves in the precincts of those schools.

The circumstances the resolution compared the Sri Lankan situation to that of South Sudan, Montenegro, East Timor, Bosnia, Eritrea, and Kosovo where independence referendums had been held with support from the United States and other countries are a mystery

Parliamentarians, who represent the Tamil community, not only in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, but the Up country region as well, should state their position on the US proposal. The UNP reduced to just one National List seat in Parliament, the main Opposition party the SJB, largest single group in Parliament, the SLPP, and the new darlings of the West, the JVP, too, should reveal their position.

The US-based Tamil Diaspora seems to be working overtime and appeared to have taken the lead in a high profile campaign to carve out a separate state in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Their task has been made easier by an utterly corrupt and treacherous political party system, hell-bent on advancing personal agendas even at the expense of the country’s unitary status.

Lawmaker Ganesan’s hard-hitting tweet must have surprised Western embassies. Or did Ganesan just fire the first shot for a fresh round of ethnic chaos here with a wink from the evil West, whose hands are tainted with so much innocent blood from across the globe. However, the not so young politician conveniently left out any reference to India, whose leadership cannot absolve itself of responsibility for the consequences of the war here that she laid the foundation for. The death and destruction caused by India, in Sri Lanka, in the ’80s, and the revenge assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, in May 1991, by an LTTE suicide bomber, underscored their overall involvement here.

Perhaps, MP Ganesan should consider commenting on the origins of the war as well. The accountability issue cannot be discussed, leaving out India, as she lost nearly 1,500 military personnel fighting the LTTE (July 1987-March 1990).

Having entered the Colombo Municipal Council, in 1999, on the People’s Front ticket, Ganesan successfully contested the Colombo District at the 2001 General Election on the UNP ticket. He was re-elected at the 2004 General Election on the UNP-led UNF ticket. At the 2010 General Election, he moved from Colombo to Kandy but failed to retain his seat. In the following year, he was back at the CMC after successfully contesting the 2011 Local Government polls on the Democratic People’s Front (DPF) ticket. At the Provincial Council polls held in 2014, he was elected to the Western Provincial Council as a DPF member.

The 2015 General Election marked a significant change in Ganesan’s political life when the Yahapalana leadership granted him a newly created National Dialogue portfolio. In the wake of the UNP split in 2019/2020, following the 2019 presidential election, Ganesan switched his allegiance to the Leader of the breakaway UNP faction, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Sajith Premadasa. The outspoken politician contested the last parliamentary poll on the Premadasa–led SJB ticket and was elected from the Colombo district. The war-winning Army Chief is the Chairman of the SJB.

Ganesan leads the DPF (Democratic People’s Front, originally Western People’s Front founded in 2000 to represent the interests of Tamils of Indian origin living in Colombo and its suburbs).

At the onset of the Yahapalana administration, Ganesan played a significant role in establishing the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA). In his capacity as the DPF leader, Mano heads the TPA, comprising the National Union of Workers and the Up-country People’s Front.

However, the TPA seems to be sharply divided over political strategy as the country heads for the next presidential poll. At the recently concluded May Day celebrations, TPA’s Palani Digambaram appeared on stage with Sajith Premadasa, at Thalawakelle, whereas Ganesan joined the TNA May Day show in Kilinochchi.

War without witness

It was nothing but a blatant lie that Colombo District lawmaker Ganesan uttered in his statement that Sri Lanka received the blessings of the international community to conduct a war without witnesses. Let me discuss the MP’s allegation, taking into consideration the Report of the UNSG’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka.

During high intensity battles in the Vanni east, the only permanent hospital functioning in that region was at Puthukkudiyiruppu. Regardless of government denials, that hospital had been hit repeatedly by SLA artillery, including Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRLs) during the January 29-Feb 04, 2009 period. There is absolutely no point in denying that fact.

According to the UNSG’s report that had been officially released on March 31, 2011, the SLA granted UN international staff access to the hospital damaged due to attacks during January 29-Feb 4, 2009. The report also disclosed that there had been two ICRC international members at the hospital when it was hit on February 04 (Paragraph 91).

Therefore, there is no basis for MP Ganesan’s malicious claim that Sri Lanka conducted a war without witnesses. The UNSG’s report also acknowledged that LTTE cadres who had been wounded in fighting in nearby frontline were brought to Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital where the organization maintained a ward for them. (Paragraph 94).

As the SLA further advanced into LTTE-held territory, the ICRC international staff that had been in Puthumathalan throughout the offensive were evacuated by ship flying the ICRC flag on February 10, 2009. Although Sri Lanka didn’t allow UN international staff on that vessel. ICRC ships evacuated thousands of wounded civilians, beginning February 10, 2009 till May 09, 2009, the last voyage before the conclusion of the war. But on 16 occasions, ICRC flagged ships arrived at Puthumathalan during this period, ICRC international staff were allowed to return to Puthumathalan each time the vessels came.

The writer was one of the few journalists allowed to observe the movement from a SLN Fast Attack Craft (FAC) positioned off the Puthumathalan coast in the last week of April 2009 and then visited Pulmoddai where the wounded were handed over to the Indian medical team, based there.

The UNSG report admitted that altogether 2,350 metric tons of food had been delivered to Mullivaikkal, from February 10, 2009 to May 09, 2009 and 14,000 wounded civilians and their relatives evacuated during this period (Paragraph 108).

The ICRC made a bid to bring in supplies and evacuate the wounded on May 15, 2009, but couldn’t do so due to heavy fighting. The bottom line is that the ICRC had access to Puthumathalan till May 09, 2009, just 10 days before the SLA killed LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

The bottom line is that the ICRC remained in Vanni east till late January,though the UN pulled out of Kilinochchi in Sept 2008. However, UNSG report admitted that UN international staff were allowed entry to the Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital, following the January 29-Feb 4, 2009 ,artillery barrage.

The international community never gave Sri Lanka the go ahead for an all-out war in 2006. In fact, Western powers constantly put pressure on Sri Lanka to continue negotiations, regardless of grave provocations by LTTE terrorists. There couldn’t be a better example than the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, at his Bullers Lane residence, in August 2005. The assassination had been carried out just four months before the presidential poll, regardless of the Norway arranged Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) that was meant to destabilize the country.

Western powers, Japan and the UNSC asked the government to continue with the CFA. In April 2006 an abortive bid was made to assassinate Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka. In early Oct, the same year, another abortive suicide attack was mounted on Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In January, 2007, the LTTE blasted FAC, off Trincomalee, killing the SLN crew on board. When the LTTE was behaving as if it was on top of the world, none of those shedding crocodile tears bothered at least to issue a statement requesting the LTTE not to escalate chaos. Then in late July 2006, the LTTE closed down the sluice gates of Mavil-aru, depriving the people downstream of water. In the second week of August 2006, the LTTE declared Eelam War IV with simultaneous attacks on the SLA’s northern frontline and in the East. The rest is history.

Western powers and India never believed that the Sri Lankan military had the wherewithal to bring the war to a successful conclusion. In the wake of a relentless ground offensive, backed by strategic air and naval strikes, in addition to operations carried out in support of the advancing troops, the LTTE retreated on all fronts until they were trapped in Mullaithivu. Once considered to be invincible, the LTTE collapsed within two years and 10 months 15 years ago.

Turning a blind eye to post-war developments

Those who couldn’t stomach eradication of conventional fighting capability of the LTTE continued to find fault with Sri Lanka for various post-war shortcomings. Unfortunately, successive governments haven’t done enough to convince the people and the global community of successful handling of post-war developments.

Sri Lanka can quite rightly be proud of the way over 12,000 LTTE combatants at all levels, including hardcore cadres, were integrated back into the society. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), with the support of the international community, including the UK, the US, Norway, Japan and Australia, implemented quite a successful project to reintegrate them to civilian life, following rehabilitation under military supervision.

The Tamil Diaspora, or Tamil political parties represented in Parliament, never wanted to support that project. They played politics until the government and the IOM brought that project to a successful completion. Tamil Diaspora and Tamil political parties never acknowledged that over 12,000 terrorists were released without being produced in court. They never appreciated the gradual release of land held by the military during the war. Instead, they propagated lies. One of the most blatant lies was the declaration that 104 LTTE cadres, held by the SLA, were poisoned to death. The claim was made by the then Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, his TNA colleagues and a section of the Tamil media.

Retired justice Wigneswaran had no qualms in involving the US by requesting their intervention to conduct medical examination whereas international media gave ample coverage to the TNA lie.

Headline in the Madras-based Hindu online edition of August 18, 2016, updated on Nov 17, 2021, screamed ‘104 LTTE cadres poisoned to death at Sri Lanka rehab centres’ with strap line ‘Startling accusation by Tamil politicians who say the surviving ex-combatants had claimed physical disability as a result’

Wigneswaran went to the extent of seeking the then US Ambassador Atul Keshap’s intervention. Finally, Wigneswaran ended up with egg on his face but that didn’t prevent him from entering Parliament on Thamil Makkal Theshiya Kutani (TMTK), a newly formed political party.

Obviously, Tamil political parties and the Tamil Diaspora never expected Sri Lanka to reintegrate thousands of LTTE cadres, detained during the final offensive, to be rehabilitated and released within a few years.

Then they unleashed a far bigger lie when the SLA was accused of killing and burying thousands in Manner mass graves. The then UN human rights Chief Michelle Bachelet held Sri Lanka accountable. But a US lab revealed that the bones found therein were several centuries old and belonged to the colonial period.

The radiocarbon dating analysis by the Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory in Florida, US, in respect of six skeletal samples sent there in January 2019 determined scientifically that the skeletons belonged to a period that covered the Portuguese and the Dutch rule here. The UN never bothered to verify facts. The global body was in an indecent hurry to heap up pressure on war-winning Sri Lanka.

The following is the relevant section bearing No 23 from Bachelet’s report: On May 29, 2018, human skeletal remains were discovered at a construction site in Mannar (Northern Province), Excavations conducted in support of the Office on Missing Persons, revealed a mass grave from which more than 300 skeletons were discovered. It was the second mass grave found in Mannar following the discovery of a site in 2014. Given that other mass graves might be expected to be found in the future, systematic access to grave sites by the Office as an observer is crucial for it to fully discharge its mandate, particularly with regard to the investigation and identification of remains, it is imperative that the proposed reforms on the law relating to inquests, and relevant protocols to operationalize the law be adopted. The capacity of the forensic sector must also be strengthened, including in areas of forensic anthropology, forensic archeology and genetics, and its coordination with the Office of Missing Persons must be ensured.” The Bachelet report dealt with the situation here from Oct 2015 to January 2019.

If the LTTE hadn’t been eradicated 15 years ago how many more children could have perished in the war? The LTTE mercilessly used child soldiers in high intensity battles in the northern theatre until the very end. Had Sri Lanka been allowed to finish off the LTTE at an earlier stage lives of thousands could have been saved. Had that happened, the war could have been fought to a finish somewhere else not at Nanthikadal from where Prabhakaran was sent to the netherworld.

අජිත් සී. හේරත්  විමර්ශන

  ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානයේ යෝජිත වසංගත ගිවිසුම: එක් සෞඛ්‍යයක් ප්‍රවේශය”, දේශගුණ විපර්යාස භීෂණය සහ ගොවි ජනතාවට හා ආහාරවලට එරෙහි යුද්ධය

අජිත් සී. හේරත්

මෙම මැයි මාසයේ අවසානයේදී ‌ජිනිවාහිදී පැවැත්වෙන ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සම්මේලනයෙදී සම්මත කර ගැනීම සඳහා ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානය විසින් 2005 ජාත්‍යන්තර සෞඛ්‍ය රෙගුලාසි සඳහා සංශෝධන යෝජනාද, නව වසංගත ගිවිසුමක් පිළිබඳ ‌යෝජනා ඇතුළත් කෙටුම්පතක් ද ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමට නියමිතව ඇති අතර එහි සාමාජික රටවල් 194 ක ඡන්දයෙන් එය සම්මත කරගැනීමට අපේක්ෂා කෙරේ. ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානයේ මෙම උත්සාහය තිරයෙන්  පිටුපසින් සිට එය හසුරුවන ගෝලීයකරණවාදි බලවේගවල සහ ඖෂධ සමාගම්වල දුෂ්ට ඒකාධිපතිවාදි අරමුණුද, කෑදර වාණිජ අවශ්‍යතාවන්ද ඉටුකිරීම සඳහා යැයි ලෝකයේ බොහෝ  රටවල විද්‍යාඥයන්,වෛද්‍ය විශේෂඥයන්, නීතිඥයන් ජනමාධ්‍යවේදින්,සිවිල් සංවිධාන සහ  දේශපාලන පක්ෂ වෙතින් චෝදනා එල්ල වී ඇති අතර එමගින් මූලික මානව හිමිකම්, සිවිල් සහ දේශපාලන නිදහස, ජාතින්ගේ ස්වාධිපත්‍යය සහ ජනතා පරමාධිපත්‍ය අහෝසි වන බවට පෙන්වා දී තිබේ.

ප්‍රෝඩාකාරි වසංගත කුමන්ත්‍රණය තුළ ලොක්ඩවුන් වැනි ක්‍රියාමාර්ග හරහා, ගෝලීය සැපයුම් මාර්ග අඩාල කිරීම, වෙළඳපොළ වසා දැමීම සහ නිෂ්පාදනය බිඳ දැමීම ආදිය සිදු කරමින් ශ්‍රි ලංකාව වැනි සංවර්ධනය වෙමින් පවතින රටවල ආර්ථිකයන් බිඳ දමා ඒවා ලෝක බැංකුවේ සහ ජාත්‍යන්තර මූල්‍ය අරමුදලේ මෙහෙයවීම යටතේ බ්ලැක්රොක්, වෑන්ගාඩ්, ජේපී මොර්ගන්‌ චේස් වැනි බටහිර කොල්ලකාරි මූල්‍ය සමාගම්වල ග්‍රහණයට ගත් ආකාරය මෙම වෙබ් අඩවියේ මෙයට පෙර පළ වූ ලිපි මගින්  අප විසින් පැහැදිලි කර ඇත.

මෙම ලිපිය තුළ දී අප විසින් අවධානය යොමු කිරීමට උත්සාහ කරන්නේ ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානයේ යෝජිත වසංගත ගිවිසුමේ අන්තර්ගත එක් සෞඛ්‍යයක් සඳහා වන ප්‍රවේශය” සහ වසංගත ඇතිකිරීමට  හේතුවන එක් සාධකයක් ලෙස දේශගුණික විපර්යාසය යන්න ඇතුළත් කිරීම මගින් ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානය පිටුපසින් සිට එය මෙහෙයවන බලවේග විසින් ඉටුකරගැනීමට අපේක්ෂා කරන ඉලක්ක මොනවාදැයි යන කරුණ  වෙතය.

මෙම ගිවිසුමේ වගන්ති තුළ ඔවුන් විසින් ඉදිරිපත් කර ඇති යෝජනා හුදු වාච්‍යාර්ථයෙන් ගත් කළ එහි කිසිදු වරදක් දැකීමට අපහසු , මානව යහපතම පෙරදැරි කර ගත්, සුන්දර වදන්මාලාවකින් සමන්විත  යෝජනා මාලාවක් බව පෙනී යයි. නමුත් මෙම ‌යෝජනාවන් පිටුපස සිටින බලවේග, ඔවුන්ගේ අතීත ක්‍රියාකාරිත්වයන්, සහ අභිලාෂයන් සහ සැලසුම් තුළ තබා විමසීමට ලක් කරන විට පෙනී යන්නේ  ඒවා මතුපිටින් දිස්වන තරම්  තරම් අහිංසක ඒවා නොවන බව පමණක් නොව සිතාගැනීමටත් නොහැකි තරම් මානව විරෝධී, සාපරාධී සැලසුම් ඒවා තුළ අන්තර්ගතව ඇති බවත්ය.

මෙම ගිවිසුම විසින් සියලුම රටවලට බලපාන පරිදි ගෝලීය වසංගත තත්ත්වයක් හෝ  වෙනත් අවධානයට යොමුවිය යුතු මහජන සෞඛ්‍ය පිළිබඳ හදිසි තත්ත්වයක්”   ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කිරීමේ ඒකාධිකාරි බලය ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානයේ අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජෙනරාල්වරයා වෙත පවරා දෙනු ලබයි.  එමෙන්ම ඒවා වැළැක්වීම, ඒවා සඳහා සුදානම්වීම සහ ප්‍රතිචාර දැක්වීමේ සියලු කටයුතු පාලනය කිරීමේ බලයද ඔහු සතුවේ. මෙම ගිවිසුමේ ඇති වගන්ති අනුව අනාගතයේ ඇති විය හැකි වසංගත ” සඳහා සුදානම් වීමේ පියවරක් ලෙස එවැනි තත්ත්වයකදී අවශ්‍ය කරන එන්නත්,  PCR  රෝග නිර්ණයන කට්ටල  වැනි වසංගත ආශ්‍රිත සෞඛ්‍ය නිෂ්පාදන” මිලදී ගැනීම සඳහා අදාළ ඖෂධ සමාගම් සමග ගිවිසුම් අත්සන් කරමින්  කල් තබා ඒවා ඇණවුම් කළ යුතුය. මේ සඳහා ජාතික ආදායමෙන් විශාල ප්‍රතිශතයක් වාර්ෂිකව වෙන් කළ යුතුවේ. ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානයේ අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජෙනරාල්වරයා තමන් වෙත ලැබෙන තොරතුරු සහ දත්ත” අනුව වසංගත තත්ත්වයක් ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කළ විට ඖෂධ සමාගම් සහ ආණ්ඩු විසින් අත්සන් කරන ලද එම ගිවිසුම් බලාත්මක වන අතර ඒවාට ගෙවිය  යුතු මුදල් අදාළ රාජ්‍යයන් විසින් බැර කළ යුතුය. ඔවුන්ට ඒ සඳහා මුදල් ඒ අවස්ථාවේ නොමැති නම් ජාත්‍යන්තර මූල්‍ය සමාගම්වලින් මුදල් ණයට ගෙන හෝ එය ගෙවිය යුතුය. මෙහි දී සිදුවන්නේ එකී මූල්‍ය සමාගම් හෝ ආයතන විසින් එම මුදල කෙලින්ම ඖෂධ සමාගම්වල ගිණුම්වලට බැරකිරීමය. නමුත් අදාළ රටවල ජනතාව එම ණය සහ පොලී ගෙවීමට බැඳී සිටිති. මෙම ” වසංගත කර්මාන්තයේ ”  සශ්‍රීක  ප්‍රතිලාභවල රස දැනී ඇති ඖෂධ සමාගම් මෙන්ම ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානයද, ජාතික රාජ්‍යයන්හි දූෂිත සෞඛ්‍ය බලධාරින්ද, ඇතැම් වෛද්‍යවරුන් ඇතුළු සෞඛ්‍ය වෘත්තිකයන්ද වසංගත ආඛ්‍යානයන් ” වටා රොද බැඳ සිටින්නේ අසූචි ගොඩක් වටා ගැවසෙන නිල මැස්සන් රැසක් මෙනි..‌  දේශගුණික විපර්යාස කර්මාන්තයටද”  අදාළව පවතින්නේ මෙවැනිම දූෂිත තත්ත්වයකි.

මෙවැනි ඊනියා වසංගත හෝ වෙනත් එවැනි  මහජන සෞඛ්‍යයට බලපාන හදිසි තත්ත්වයන් පිළිබඳව ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානය හරහා ඖෂධ සමාගම් සහ වෙනත් පුද්ගලයන් සහ ආයතන විසින් පෙරට දමන ආඛ්‍යානය ප්‍රශ්න කෙරෙන කිසිවක් ජනමාධ්‍ය හෝ සමාජ මාධ්‍ය ජාලාවල පළවීම වැළැක්වීමට බලය පැවැරෙන වගන්තිද ඉහත වසංගත ගිවිසුමේ සහ 2005 ජාත්‍යන්තර සෞඛ්‍ය රෙගුලාසි සඳහා වන සංශෝධන තුළට ඇතුළත් කෙරී ඇත. සිය බල ප්‍රදේශය තුළ  සාවද්‍ය තොරතුරු, සහ වැරදි තොරතුරු ප්‍රචාර වීම වැළැක්වීම සඳහා ක්‍රියාමාර්ග ගැනීමට ආණ්ඩු වෙත බලකෙරෙන අතර අන්තර්ජාලය තුළ සිදු කරන වාරණය කටයුතු සඳහා ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානය වෙතම  බලය පවරාගැනීමට සැලසුම් කර තිබේ. අනිවාර්ය එන්නත්කරණය සහ බලහත්කාරි පරීක්ෂාවන්ට ලක්කිරිම, නිරෝධායන කඳවුරු තුළ ගාල් කිරීම, රටවල් වසා දමමින් ඇදිරි නීති පැනවීම ආදි කටයුතුවලට සෘජුවම මැදිහත්වීමට ද ඔවුන් මේ යටතේ බලය පවරා ගනු ඇත.

මේ දක්වා ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානය විසින් ජාත්‍යන්තර සෞඛ්‍ය ක්ෂේත්‍රය තුළ ඉටුකරන ලද්දේ මාර්ගෝපදේශන සැපයීමේත් ඒ ඒ රාජ්‍යයන්ගේ ජාතික සෞඛ්‍ය පද්ධතින් අතර සම්පත් සහ විශේෂඥ උපදෙස් හුවමාරුව සම්බන්ධීකරණ ආයතනයක් ලෙසය. නමුත් එය විසින් සපයන කිසිදු උපදේශයක් අනිවාර්යෙන්ම පිළිපැදීමට එහි සාමාජිකයන් නීතිමය වශයෙන් බැඳී නැත. නමුත් මෙම යෝජිත වසංගත ගිවිසුම සහ 2005 ජාත්‍යන්තර සෞඛ්‍ය රෙගුලාසි සඳහා වන යෝජිත සං‌ශෝධන සඳහා සාමාජික රාජ්‍යයන් විසින් මෙම මැයි මසදී අත්සන් තැබුවහොත් ඒවා පිළිපැදීමට ඔවුහු නීතිමය වශයෙන් බැඳී සිටිති. යම් හේතුවක් නිසා ඒවා විසින් තම රටේ ජාතික අවශ්‍යතාවන්, හෝ එහි පුරවැසියන්ගේ මානව, සිවිල් සහ දේශපාලන අයිතීන් උල්ලංඝණය කෙරෙන අවස්ථාවලදී ඒ බව පවසමින් ඒවා ඉටු නොකර සිටීමේ අයිතියක් සාමාජික රටවලට නැත. යම් රටක්  එසේ සිදු කළහොත් ඔවුන්ට සෘජුවම දඬුවම් පැමිණවීමේ බලයක් ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානයට නොමැති වුවද ලෝක බැංකුව,ජාත්‍යන්තර මූල්‍ය අරමුදල,ලෝක වෙළඳ සංවිධානය, එක්සත් ජාතින්ගේ සංවිධානය සහ වෙනත් රටවල් හරහා සම්බාධක පැනවීම මගින් වක්‍රව දඬුවම් පැමිණවීමේ ක්‍රියාවලියක් ස්ථාපිත ජාත්‍යන්තර ආර්ථික සහ දේශපාලන ව්‍යුහය තුළ පවතී.

ප්‍රෝඩාකාරි කොවිඩ්-19 ආඛ්‍යානය හරහා ඔවුහු ලෝකයේ වෙනත් බොහෝ රටවල මෙන්ම  ලංකාවේ ද ආර්ථිකය බිඳ දමන ලදි. ජාතික සෞඛ්‍ය පද්ධතිය විනාශ කරන ලද්දේ ඒ සඳහා වෙන්කිරීම තිබූ අරමුදල් නොපැවැති වසංගතයක් ඇතිබවට මවාපෑම සඳහා යොදාගත් පරීක්ෂණ කට්ටල මිලියන ගණන් මිලදී ගැනීම සඳහාත්, කිසිදිනෙක සෞඛ්‍යමය අවශ්‍යතාවක් ලෙස නොපැවැති එන්නත් වර්ග මිලදී ගැනීම සඳහා ඩොලර් බිලියන ගණන් ගෙවීමත් හේතුවෙනි. ජාතික සෞඛ්‍ය පද්ධතියේ මේ බිඳ දැමීම සැලසුම් සහගතවම සිදු කරන ලද්දක් විය.එහි අරමුණ වූයේ එය නැවැත ප්‍රකෘතිමත් කිරීමේ මුවාවෙන් ශ්‍රි ලංකාවේ සමස්ත සෞඛ්‍ය ක්ෂේත්‍රයම ආක්‍රමණය කර එහි තම බලය පිහිටුවීමය. දැන් ජාතික ඖෂධ නියාමක අධිකාරිය සහ ජාතික එන්නත්කරණ ව්‍යාපාරය පාලනය කරන්නේ බිල්ගේට්ස්ගේ GAVI පදනමේ සහ ඖෂධ සමාගම්වල ඒජන්තයන් විසිනි.

ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානයේ වසංගත ගිවිසුමට එක් සෞඛ්‍යයක් සඳහා වන ප්‍රවේශය” සහ වසංගත අවදානම වැඩි කරන සාධකයක් ලෙස දේශගුණ විපර්යාස” යන්න ඇතුළත් කිරීමේ අරමුණ ඒ මගින් ලෝකයේ ආහාර නිෂ්පාදනය සියතට ගැනීමට අවශ්‍ය නීතිමය පදනම සකස් කරගැනීමය. මෙම ගිවිසුමට ශ්‍රී ලංකාව නිල වශයෙන් අත්සන් තැබීමටත් පෙර සිටම ‌එහි ඇති වගන්ති බොහෝමයක් රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ආණ්ඩුව මෙන්ම ඊට පෙර පැවැති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ ආණ්ඩුවද  විසින්ය ක්‍රියාත්මක කරවා ඇති බව පෙනී යයි.

ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානයේ යෝජිත වසංගත ගිවිසුම: එක් සෞඛ්‍යයක් ප්‍රවේශය”, දේශගුණ විපර්යාස භීෂණය සහ ගොවි ජනතාවට හා ආහාරවලට එරෙහි යුද්ධය – විමර්ශන (vimarshana.org)

Prensa Latina

Colombo, May 23 (Prensa Latina) The Joint Committee of Democratic Unions of Sri Lanka confirmed its support for Cuba’s declaration demanding its fair elimination from the list of states sponsors of terrorism created by the United States.

The organization confirmed in a statement that adding Cuba to the arbitrary list has political purposes and causes serious economic problems for the Cuban people, despite which Cuba resists and is an example for the people who fight against imperialism.

The Committee agreed with the Cuban Foreign Ministry that it is not enough for the United States to recognize Cuba’s full collaboration in the fight against terrorism; they must go further and remove Cuba from the unjust list.

In recent days, various Sri Lankan organizations joined the global demand against the aggressive policy of the United States against Cuba and demanded the removal of Cuba from the unjust list once and for all.

The Left Democratic Front of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka-Cuba Parliamentary Friendship Association also urged the current US government to eliminate the inhumane measures it maintains against Cuba, of proven international rejection.

By Ben Norton Courtesy defenddemocracy.press

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash, sought to unite the Global South against Western imperialism, joined BRICS, advocated dedollarization, and strongly supported Palestine.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19, left behind a legacy of working to build a more multipolar world.

Under Raisi, Iran joined BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Global South-led institutions that he noted could challenge US unilateralism and hegemony.

The late Iranian leader advocated a Look East” strategy, strengthening relations with China, Russia, and other countries in Asia.

Raisi represented a more nationalist wing of the political class in Tehran, which sees the futility of trying to win Western approval, and instead recognizes that Iran’s political and economic future lies in deepening integration with the Global South.

We will not … tie the country’s economy and people’s lives to [the West’s] will”, Raisi declared.

Accordingly, he pursued closer ties with Latin America and Africa, emphasizing the common struggle against Western imperialism.

In 2023, Raisi visited Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. Despite his political differences, he showed solidarity with the socialist governments of these Latin American nations – which, like Iran, suffer from illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States.

In La Habana, Raisi stated, One of the serious commonalities between the two countries is standing against the voracity of the colonial system. Cuba has been standing against American hegemony and voracity for many years, and this resistance of the Cuban people and government is commendable”.

Read also:

Assad in Afrin: Possible ramifications of Damascus’ deployment

Iran’s Foreign Ministry wrote in its diplomatic readout that, when he was in Caracas, Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi praised the years of resistance of the Venezuelan people against imperialism”

In Managua, Raisi declared, America wanted to stop our nation with sanctions and threats, but our nation not only did not stop, but instead, it used the threats and sanctions to build and progress”.

We are certain that Nicaragua too can overcome the US’s threats and sanctions since today the US is in decline and is growing weaker day by day”, the late Iranian leader told President Daniel Ortega.

While meeting with the foreign minister of Burkina Faso’s revolutionary government, Raisi praised the standing and resistance of African countries against colonialism and terrorism, describing it a sign of awakening”.

Africa is the main driver of the development of the Global South”, Raisi said at the BRICS summit in August 2023. Fortunately, the political and economic weight of Africa, which is an inseparable part of the developing world, is growing constantly”.

The late Iranian leader likewise was a vocal advocate for de-dollarization, promoting the use of local currencies in bilateral trade, to bolster economic sovereignty and undermine the dominance of the US dollar.

The hegemony of the Western world contributes to the hegemony of the dollar”, Raisi said in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In order to create a new economic order, it is necessary to remove this instrument of hegemony in world practice, to use national currencies in settlements between countries”.

Read also:

Trump, the psychopath in the White House. The sites he wants to bomb

In a visit to Jakarta in 2023, Raisi signed an agreement for Iran and Indonesia to de-dollarize and use their own currencies in bilateral trade.

While accepting Tehran’s invitation to join BRICS, the late leader stated, The Islamic Republic of Iran decisively supports the successful efforts of BRICS in the direction of de-dollarization of economic relations between members, as well as the use of national currencies and the strengthening of BRICS mechanisms for payment and financial settlement”.

Speaking before BRICS, he also emphasized that one of the challenges in the ‘Southern World’ is the continuation of racist policies, insecurities arising from oppression, occupation, hegemony and state terrorism, especially from the Zionist regime; which not only prevented the Palestinian people from exercising their right to self-determination, but also deprived them of the right to development”.

Above all, Raisi demonstrated Tehran’s unflinching support for the Palestinian national-liberation struggle against Israeli colonialism.

In December, Raisi organized a global conference to support Palestine, which was attended by representatives from more than 50 countries.

At the international meeting, the late Iranian leader condemned the United States as the first and biggest violator of democracy in the world”. He recognized that Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza was only possible because of the substantial support it receives from the US empire, which he condemned as a global hegemonic system” based on imperial oppression.

We remind our readers that publication of articles on our site does not mean that we agree with what is written. Our policy is to publish anything which we consider of interest, so as to assist our readers  in forming their opinions. Sometimes we even publish articles with which we totally disagree, since we believe it is important for our readers to be informed on as wide a spectrum of views as possible.

http://www.defenddemocracy.press/irans-president-raisi-joined-brics-called-to-drop-us-dollar-pushed-for-multipolar-world/

උපුල් ගලප්පත්ති – අරුණ 

ශ්‍රී ලංකා විදේශ සේවයේ දැනට පවතින තෙවැනි ලේකම් පුරප්පාඩුවලින් හරි අඩක් මැති ඇමැතිවරුන්ගේ දූ දරුවන්ගෙන් සැපිරීමට විදේශ කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශය කැබිනට් අනුමැතියක් අපේක්ෂාවෙන් පසුවන බව සති අග අරුණ  වාර්තා කර තිබේ.

කිසිදු තරග විභාගයක් හෝ සම්මුඛ පරීක්ෂණයකින් තොරව මෙසේ රජයේ මැති ඇමැතිවරුන්ගේ දරුවන් බඳවා ගැනීමට යන්නේ විවෘත තරග විභාගයකින් ඉහළ සාමාර්ථ ලබාගත් අයැදුම්කරුවන් 117 දෙනෙක් සිටියදීය.

2021 .04. 09 දින රජයේ ගැසට් පත්‍රයේ පළ කළ දැන්වීමකට අනුව ශ්‍රී ලංකා විදේශ සේවයේ iii වැනි ශ්‍රේණියට බඳවා ගැනීම සඳහා පිළිගත් විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයකින් උපාධිය හිමිකරගත් අයැදුම්කරුවන්ට අවස්ථාව ලබාදුන් අතර, අදියර දෙකකින් පැවති ලිඛිත පරීක්ෂණයකට මෙන්ම සම්මුඛ පරීක්ෂණයකටද මුහුණදීමට ඔවුන්ට සිදුවුහ. විභාගයේ දෙවැනි කොටසට මුහුණදීමට අවස්ථාව හිමිව තිබුණේ පළමු අදියර සමත්වූ විභාග අපේක්ෂකයන්ට පමණි. ශ්‍රී ලංකා විභාග දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව විසින් පැවැත්වූ මෙකී තරග විභාගයේදී පළමු අදියර ලෙස බුද්ධි පරීක්ෂණය සහ අවබෝධය ප්‍රශ්න පත්‍රයක්ද, දෙවැනි අදියර යටතේ ලෝක තතු 1 සහ 2 ද, සාරාංශකරණය මෙන්ම ඉහළ ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිචයක් මැන බලන භාෂා ප්‍රවීණතා ප්‍රශ්න පත්‍රයකටද මුහුණදීමට එම අපේක්ෂකයන්ට සිදුවිය.

මෙම තරග විභාග ප්‍රතිථල මත 40 ක පිරිසක් බඳවා ගැනීමට රාජ්‍ය සේවා කොමිෂන් සභාව සහ කළමනාකරණ සේවා දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව අවසර දී තිබියදීත් විදේශ කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශය සම්මුඛ පරීක්ෂණයෙන් තෝරා ගෙන ඇත්තේ 20 ක පිරිසක් පමණි.

දැනටමත් විදේශ සේවයේ තුන්වැනි ශ්‍රේණියේ පුරප්පාඩු 106 ක් තිබේ. සේවක හිඟය හේතුවෙන් ලොව පුරා මහ කොමසාරිස් කාර්යාල, තානාපති කාර්යාල, හා කොන්සල් ජනරාල් කාර්යාලවල සේවා සැපයීම ගැටලුවක්ව ඇති බවද එම ආරංචි මාර්ග සඳහන් කරයි. එවැනි වාතාවරණයක් පවතිද්දී විභාගය සමත්වූ 117 කින් 20 දෙනකුට පමණක් පත්වීම් ලබාදීමට යන්නේ, සෙසු ප්‍රමාණයම අප්‍රකට මාර්ග ඔස්සේ සැපිරීමට දැයි සැක සහිත බවද විභාගය සමත් වූවෝ පවසති.

මැති ඇමැතිවරුන් තම දරුවන් විදේශ සේවයට යොමුකරන්නේ ඒ සඳහා ලැබෙන විශාල වැටුප ඇතුළු තවත් ආකර්ෂණීය දීමනා රැසක් නිසා බවත්, නවාතැන්, ප්‍රවාහන පහසුකම්, වීසා රහිතව ලෝකයේ ඕනෑම රටක සංචාරය කළ හැකි රාජ්‍ය තාන්ත්‍රික ගමන් බලපත්‍රයක හිමිකම මෙන්ම විවිධ වරප්‍රසාද රැසක්ද හේතුවෙන්ය. මෙවැනි වරප්‍රසාද ලැබ විදේශ සේවයට එක්වන ඇමැති දූ පුතුන් එම රටවලදී විදේශ සරසවි අධ්‍යාපනයේ නියැළීම, පෞද්ගලික ව්‍යාපාරික කටයුතු සිදුකිරීම සහ විනෝද වීම මිස රට වෙනුවෙන් රාජ්‍ය තාන්ත්‍රික මෙහෙවරේ නොයෙදෙන බවද ප්‍රකටය.

– උපුල් ගලප්පත්ති
– අරුණ 

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

මේ වන විට විවිධ පුද්ගලයන් විශේෂයෙන්ම චීවරධාරීන් යොදාගනිමින් සමාජය බිඳවැට්ටවීම සඳහා සිදුකරන මහා ප්‍රහාරයේ පසුබිම සහ ඊට අදාළ න්‍යායාත්මක විග්‍රහය පිළිබඳව මහජනයා දැනුම්වත් කිරීම සඳහා ජාතික සංවිධාන එකමුතුව විසින් පත්‍රිකා ව්‍යාපාරයක් ආරම්භකර තිබේ.

එම පත්‍රිකාව නම්කර ඇත්තේ “සමාජය බිඳ වට්ටවා රාජ්‍යය යටත් කිරීමේ මෙහෙයුම” නමිනි.

පත්‍රිකාව පහළින්…

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Kurundi vihara’s troubles are not over. First it was the stupa, now it is the pilimage. Work on the stupa at Kurundi vihara is complete.  The relics have been deposited and Kurundi stupa is ready for worship. The next step is renovation of the pilimage.

 The Archaeology Department said that they could reconstruct the pilimage exactly as it originally existed, right up to the roof. They had the necessary evidence from the ruins itself. We can fully    create it. We have all the evidence, including evidence on how to do the roof,” they said. Kurundi had a wooden roof. That can be inferred from the pillars.  The carved beam found at the pilimage is also considered to be very special.

However, work on the pilimage has stalled. In January 2024, Ama H. Vanniarachchy investigated for Ceylon Today[1] . The delay was not due to lack of money. The money was there, Bauddhaloka Foundation was funding the project, said Ven. Santhabodhi .

Ama was told that the conservation work of the  pilimage is being delayed, deliberately, for political reasons. Santhabodhi said he thought the  authorities feared that the Tamil Separatist Movement   may oppose the conservation work of  the pilimage. Nevertheless, there are some archaeology officers who are willing to go ahead with the conservation work of the image house, despite  the anticipated conflict, Santhabodhi said.

With the conservation work of the image house  being delayed, the excavated area of the image house, including the  soil layers and unearthed stone objects, is exposed to heavy rains, heat, and soil erosion. The ruins are getting destroyed. The wall around the image house has started to collapse in certain places. Some of the stone pillars are tilted to the side due to soil erosion, as a result of heavy rains. We have fixed props to prevent those pillars from falling,  Ama was told.

Archaeologist Chandima Ambanwala  when interviewed said the main issue is that no measures are taken to conserve the unearthed architectural structures during a given timeframe. This causes severe damage to the unearthed architectural structures. This is extremely serious.

We must understand the gravity of this, he said. Excavating an ancient architectural structure, exposing it and abandoning it  accelerate the decaying process by a hundred times. These ancient structures were under the soil for many centuries, sometimes even thousands of years and during this time the decaying process is under control and stable. Once these structures are unearthed and exposed to natural conditions such as rain, atmosphere, sunlight, heat, humidity and so on, it is open to speedy decay.

 We have many examples of such situations in recent times. The Kawudagala Stupa in Welikanda was excavated but was not followed up by a conservation process. The stupa was destroyed by treasure hunters. Another example is the image house at Kurundi Buddhist monastery. If anyone visits this place now, they can witness the damage caused to the image house after it was abandoned after excavations,”  said Ambanwela.

When asked who should be responsible for the prevailing issue at Kurundi, Ambanwela said   Director General of the  Department of Archaeology (DoA) is to be blamed for this damage because the Department is the institute that is responsible for protecting Sri Lanka’s ancient heritage and it is also the institute that has all the authority to take action for the safeguarding of the heritage. It is the duty and responsibility of the Department to safeguard the ancient heritage sites and monuments in Sri Lanka.”

These architectural structures are getting decayed day by day, at a great speed. Therefore, the Director General and the Department of Archaeology  cannot wipe their hands off of the responsibility of protecting Sri Lanka’s heritage of the people on behalf of the people,” concluded Ambanwala. 

Archaeologist  Gamini Wijesuriya blamed the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. I have been asked to comment on is the status of the excavated image house at Kurundi and why it has been abandoned by the authorities,  said  Wijesuriya. A competent team from the Department of Archaeology has excavated the site, and the next task is the conservation and (interpretation) presentation.

The exposed image house, is being destroyed due to the absence of any action. In my view, such neglect is tantamount to a crime. The remains should be consolidated without further delay. Ven. Santhabodhi  has said that  the  money allocated for the excavation as well as conservation of the site is  readily available.

the DoA has an excellent professional and technical team, together with the accumulated knowledge of 130 years on the subject, and is capable of conserving the remains of the image house, Wijesuriya continued.

The current Director of Conservation, Prasanna Ratnayake, is the  third of a generation of internationally-renowned conservation professionals to hold the position as the Head of Conservation in the DoA. Ratnayake possesses 25 years of experience in the Department as the Head of the Conservation Division with international training and experience. He and his team in the Department can conserve the exposed remains of the image house to the highest international standards within a short period of time”  Wijesuriya said.

 Wijesuriya attributes the  delay in conservation of the excavated Kurundi image  house, to the interference by the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs over the last decade. The current Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs has no clue  about the history and the role of the DoA, which has existed for 133 years.

The Ministry has failed to appoint a competent  head of  the DoA among those serving with experience. Over the last five years, the Ministry has appointed five incompetent and unqualified persons as the Director General of Archaeology, who have miserably failed to provide the required leadership to the competent staff of the Department and disrupted all the normal work. 

The Ministry and those appointed at Director General, Archaeology cover up their incompetency, claiming it is political interference that prevents the conservation of the abandoned image house in Kurundi, continued Wijesuriya.

The latest saga of the series of disruptions done to the DoA is the scheme of recruitment hastily drafted and published by the Ministry, which prevents    members of the DoA from applying for the position! It is clear that provisions have been made for those without any experience in the task performed by the DoA, to apply.  To me, (Kamalika Pieris), this  sounds like sabotage.

It is questionable how those in the Ministry of Public Administration and the Public Service Commission allow such schemes of recruitment to be approved, breaking all accepted norms in the public service.  they owe the public explanations, concluded Dr. Wijesuriya. 

Kamalika Pieris  (that’s me)  spoke to a lawyer who was interested in the Kurundi matter. He said bluntly, that the pilimage conservation was getting delayed because the  cases against Kurundi in the courts of law  were  dragging on.  The Magistrate who heard  the cases has run away. These cases should be concluded as soon as possible.

He  told me that experts warn that that the exposed pilimage ruins  are now starting to deteriorate, and with a few more heavy rains, the pilimage ruins will disappear. The next heavy rain will probably finish it off.

This lawyer also referred to the appointment of the DG of  Archaeology . He said that when   they met the authorities, on behalf of Kurundi , they were told that the pilimage work would be started once the new  DG, Archaeology . But they are delaying the appointment, he said angrily.

My view, (Kamalika Pieris), is that  the Buddhist lobby  must take action to get the conservation work of the pilimage started as soon as possible. I would also add that  even if all the ancient pillars fell down, it  will not be the end of the  Kurundi pilimage.  If the original ruins vanish, the Archaeology Department will be able to   build  a new pilimage modeled on the old one. They have the design and the expertise.  Any ancient pillars still available could perhaps be placed ‘in situ’. Those who  support  ‘Venice Principles’ will be told to shut up. ( Continued)

 LANKAWEB PHOTOS ARE GIVEN BELOW.

Source for photos.  Bauddhaloka Foundation 

[1] https://ceylontoday.lk/2024/01/13/exposed-to-decay-part-i/

Palitha Ariyarathna Writer, Journalist, Author Publisher

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=FPNz-wKLoqw&si=5lf3sp-hekynifs7

ආචාර්‍ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර

*මේ රටේ නිදහස් දිනය විය යුත්තේ මැයි 22 දා මිස 1948 පෙබ 4 දා නොවේ.

* ජාතික දිනය වියයුත්තේ සින්හල බෞද්ධ ජාතිය උපන් පොසොන් දෙපෝදා මිස1948 පෙබ 4 දා සුද්දාගේ මේසය පල්ලේ වැටුණු  මස්කට්ට නොවේ                     

    අද මැයි මස 22 දා සුද්දන්ගේ ග්‍රහණයෙන් රට නිදහස් වූ දාය. එහෙත් එම අඓතිහාසික දිනය, ජනතාව තුල ජාතිකාභිමානය සහ දේශ ප්‍රේමය වඩවන පරිදි උත්සවාකාරයෙන් සැමරීම පසෙක තබා, ජනාධිපති, අගමැති සහ විපක්ෂ නායකයාගෙන් ඒ ගැන පනිවිඩයක් හෝ නිකුත්කොට නැත. එවැනි දෙයක් 1972 මැයි 22 දා සිදු වූ බවවත් මොවුන් දන්නවාදැයි මම නොදනිමි.අතිෂයින්ම සෝචනීයය.නින්දා සහගතය.

මේ රටට පූර්ණ ව්‍යවස්ථාදායක, විධායක සහ අධිකරණ බලතල සහිත පූර්ණ නිදහස ලබාගත්තේ සිරිමාවෝ බණ්ඩරනායක මැතිනිගේ ආණ්ඩුව යටතේ 1972 මැයි 22දාය. 1972 සිට 77 දක්වා එය ජාතික අභිමානයෙන් පැවැත්වූවා. ඒත් 1977න් පසු බලයට පැමිණි ජේ. ආර්. ගේ.එ.ජා පක්ෂය එක් පුද්ගලයකුගේ ද්වේෂ සහගත සිතුවිළි නිසා, නතර කොට යළිත්, 1948  සුද්දා, දුන් සුද්දාගේම දිනයම වූ සැබෑ නිදහසක් නොලැබුණු පෙබ 4 ම මේ රටේ නිදහස් දිනය වෂයෙන්  යළිත් ප්‍රකාශ කලා පමණක් නොව පෙබ 4 වනදා ජාතික දිනය වෂයෙන්ද 1978 ජනරජ ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ  8 වගන්තිය යටතේ ඇතුලත් කොට එය මේ රටේ නීතියක් බවටද පත් කළා.

1948 දි ඉහතින් දැක්වූ මූලික අවශ්‍යතාවන් සහ භූමියේ පූර්ණ අයිතිය (විශේෂයෙන්ම මැදරට කඳුකරයේ) ඇතුළු කිසිවක් ලැබුණේ නැත. ඒවා ලබාගත්තේ 1972 මැයි 22දාය. 1978 සිට ජේ.ආර්  එය සැමරීම අත්හැර නැවතත් පෙබ් 4ම නිදහස් දිනයකොට රටත්, ජාතියත් 1972 දී උපන් දේශයික, ජාතික සහ සාශනික පිබිදීමත් ඒ සියල්ලටම වඩා සින්හලයින්ගේ ජාතික පිබිදීම,නිවහල් බව  සහ දේශානුරාගය මරා දමා නැවතත් සුද්දාගේ වහලුන් බවට මානසික වශයෙන් ජනතාව පත් කළා. ඉන් නොනැවතුණු මේ අධිරාජ්‍යගැති දුෂ්ඨ මිනිසා 1972 දී මේ රට නිවහල් නිදහස් ස්වාධීන ජනරයක් කළ මැතිනියගේ ප්‍රජා අයිතියද අනීතිකව හත් වසරකට අහිමිකලා.

මේ රටේ සිංහල ජාතිය උපන්නේ ක්‍රි පූ.543.

සිංහල බෞද්ධ ජාතිය උපන්නේ ක්‍රි.පූ 307.

1815 න් පසු යටත් විජිත පාලනයෙන් පූර්ණ නිදස ලබාගත්තේ 1972 මැයි 22. ඒ අනුව නිදහස් දින පැවැත්විය යුතු නියම දින මැයි 22ය. ජාතික දිනය නම්කළ යුත්තේද, පැවැත්විය යුත්තේද ජාතිය පිළිබඳ සුවිශේ දිනයක් කේන්ද්‍ර කරගෙනය. ක්‍රි. පූ. 307 දී මහින්දාගමනයත් සමඟ පොසොන් දෙපෝය දින මේ රටේ සින්හල බෞද්ධ ජාතිය බිහිවීමේ ඒ ආශ්චර්‍යමත් සිද්ධිය සිදුවූ බැවින්, මේ රටේ ජාතික දිනය වෂයෙන් පිළිගත යුතු එකම දිනය එය බව මම නිගමනය කරමි.තවදුරටත් මේරට පලමුව බුදුන් වැඩි ක්‍රි.පූ.588 සිට මේ රටේ බුද්ධාගම තිබුණත් රාජ්‍ය  අනුග්‍රහයෙන් රටේ ජාතික ආගම බුද්ධාගාම් වශයෙන් පිළිගනු ලැබුවේ 307 පොසොන් දෙපෝය දින බැවින්, මේ රටෙ ජාතික දිනය වශයෙන් පිළිගැනීමට සුදුසුම දිනය එය වණුයේ එම නිසාය.

එමනිසා සෑම වසරකම මැයි මස 22 නිදහස් දිනය වශයෙන්ද පොසොන් පෝය දිනය ජාතික දිනය ව්ශයෙන්ද ව්‍යවස්ථාගතකොට  මින් පසුව හෝ සෑම රජයක්ම එකී ජාතික දින සැමරීමට පියවර  ගත යුතුයයි මම යෝජනා  කරමි.

මේ වසරේත් එය සැමරීම පසෙක තබා එහෙම එකක් තියෙනවාද කියාවත් නොදන්නා රාජ්‍ය නායකයින් රජ කරණ රට,මේ ශ්‍රී ලන්කාව. තම රටේ නිදහස දිනය වත් නොදන්නා රාජ්‍ය නායකින් සිටින ලෝකයේ එකම රට ශ්‍රී ලන්කාව. ඒ වගේම ඒ ගැන හඬක් නොනගන, විරෝධතාවක් නොපාන මිනිසුන් ද සිටින ලෝකයේ එකම රටද මේ රටය. මෙවැනි නායකයින් සහ මිනිසුන් සිටින රටක් ඉතින් දියුණු  වන්නේ කෙසේදැයි ඇසීම ප්‍රස්නයක් නොවේ.

වෙසක් දා ජනාධිපති යාපනයේ  (ප්‍රවුර්තියක්))

 ඒ මඳිවාට ලෝ පුරා සිටින බෞධයින්ගේ අසම සම දිනය වූ බුදුන් වහන්සේගේ උපත, බුදුබවට පත්වීම මෙන්ම පිරිනිවන් පෑම යන  ත්‍රිවිධ මන්ගල්‍යයම සිදුවූ දින මේ සින්හල බෞද්ධ රාජ්‍යයේ ජනාධිපති රනිල් වික්‍රමසින්හ හෙට සහ අනිද්දා යාපනයේ  හින්දු කෝවිලක, චන්ද වන්දනාවේ සහ මනාප හිඟමනේ. මට පුදුම, බරට බර රත්‍රන් පූජාවකට තිරුපති නොගිය එකයි. එහෙම කලානම් තිරුපති දෙයියෝ මෙන්ම තමිල් නාඩුවේ දෙමළුන්ද, ලන්කාවේ සිටින සියළුම දෙමළුන්ට, රනිල්ට චන්දේ දෙන්ට කියල කියයි. මෝඩිත් කියයි. ඒ වගේම වෙන්කත නාරායනුත් කියයි. එහෙම කළානම් එක ගලෙන් කුරුල්ලෝ දෙන්නයි.චන්ද ලක්ෂ 10 යි.   

ඉස්සර කාලයේ වෙසක් පමණක් නොවෙයි අනෙකුත් පෝයටද සින්හලේ රජු සිටියේ ශ්‍රී දළදා මාලිගාවේ. එසේ කළේ ශ්‍රී දළදා වහන් සේ ආරක්ෂා කිරීම, ඒ කියන්නෙ රටේ බුද්ධ සාශනය  ආරක්ෂා කිරීම, රජ කමෙහි දිවුරුම් දෙන විටම පොරුන්දුවන නිසයි. ඒ ඔහුගේ පළමු වගකීමයි. ඊලඟට රටේ ආරක්ෂාව, පාලනය සහ ජනතාවගේ සුභසෙතට අවෂය කටයුතු කිරීම. එසේ කිරීමෙන් සාශනයාගේ චිරස්තිථිය ඉටුකරණවා.

ඒ වෙනුවට වර්තමාන නායකයින් කියාගන්නා සියළු දෙනාම වෙසක් පෝයදාටත් කරන්නේ ක්‍රි.පූ. 2 වන සියවසේ සිටම රටත්,ජාතියත් සාශනයත් විනාශකළ දෙමළුන්ගේ චන්දේ හිඟාගෙන හින්දු කෝවිල්වලට බඩ ගෑමයි.

හැබැයි මම එකක් කියන්නම්. නළලේ කොපමණ අලුගෑවත්, කොපමණ සළු පෙරෙව්වත් ඔය එකෙක් වත් සින්හල මිනිහෙකුට චන්දෙ දෙන්නේ නෑ. මන්ද,ඔවුන් මේ රටේ ජාතියක් නොවුනත්, ජන වර්ගයක් වෂයෙන් ජාතික හැඟීමක් ඇති පිරිසක් නිසා.  ඔවුන් දෙමළු. සින්හලයෝ නොවේ. දෙමළ දේශපාලකයින් ඔවුන්ගේ මනස් සෝදා තිබෙන්නේ ඒ අන්දමටයි. දෙමළ අපේක්ෂකයෙක් ඉදිරිපත් වූවහොත් දෙමළ 10 ලක්ෂයම ඔහුට. නැතිනම් චන්දය දිනයි කියලා හිතන සින්හලයාට දෙනවා. දීල අසීමිත වාසි ලබාගන්නවා.1948 සිටම මේ සෙල්ලම තමා මේ රටේ සිදු උනේ.

අනිවාර්යෙන්ම ඊළඟට රනිල්, සමහරවිට ලබන සුමානේ, යන්නේ වතුකරයට.එහෙ ගිහින් වසර දහස් ගානක් මේ රටේ භූමිපුත්‍රයින් වූ සින්හයින්ට අයිති ඉඩම්,  වතුකර ඉන්දියානු දෙමලුන්ට දෙන්නම් කියා පොරුන්දුවෙනව හරියෙට ඔහුගේ තාත්තාගෙන් ලැබුණු  ඉඩම් වගේ. නිවාසත් දෙන්නම් කියනව. මෝදි සහ වෙන්කත නාරායන් උඩපැනලා සල්ලි දෙනව. හැබැයි ඒ සල්ලි දෙන්නේ කෙලින්ම දෙමලුන්ට. සින්හලයාට ඔවුන්ගේ ජන්මභූමිය අහිමි වනවා. හැබැයි වතුකරයේ දෙමළු චන්දෙ දෙන්නේ දිනන මිනිහාට.

ඒ නිසා රනිල්ගේ මෙන්ම සජිත්ගේ මොන ඇම දුන්නත් වතුකරයේ දෙමළුන් චන්දේ දෙන්නේ බුද් ධිමත්ව මොකද ඔවුන්ට නායකයෝ ඉන්නවා.  සින්හලයින්ට එවැනි එකෙක්වත් නැත. මේ අතරේ මේ ඉඩම්වල මුල් අයිත්ජිකාරයෝ රනිල්ට, සජිත්ට ඕනෑම දෙයක් කරගන්ට ඉඩ දීලා උඩ බලාගෙන ඉන්නවා. ඔවුන්ට දෙමලුන්ට මෙන්  දේශපාලන නායකයොත් නෑ. ආධ්‍යාත්මක නායකයොත් නැත.

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera Chief Executive Officer Walkers Colombo Shipyard (Pvt) Ltd.

30th December 2020
Honourable Prime Minister Prime Minister’s Office No: 58, Sir Ernest De Silva Mawatha Colombo 07.

Honourable Sir,

High Handed Action by Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation Chairman.
Walkers Colombo Shipyard (Pvt) Ltd. was established in early 2015 with an investment from the Mother Company MTD Walkers PLC to develop and lease the abandoned Mutwal Fishery Harbour for 25 years belonging to Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation (CFHC).
After the successful establishment, the shipyard was functioning well with small to medium scale Sri Lankan vessels and foreign vessels coming in for repair services.
In the supplementary agreement signed with CFHC, there was a clause which stated that we are to obtain a fresh valuation from a government valuer to justify the lease payment already agreed upon which was Rs. 125,000 for the land. The new valuation issued on 25th Of February 2016 came to Rs. 1.7 Million which was based on the entire shipyard premises for a land extent of 3 Acres and 1.86 Perch. However, we at the shipyard only utilize 1 Acre and 30.56 Perch.
This error in valuation was appealed and contested by us via multiple meetings and letters. However, CFHC continued to bill us with the erroneous lease amount for which our lawyers advised not to pay. Since then, the outstanding land lease accumulated to Nearly Rs. 70 Million for which CFHC issued a letter of demand and referred the case to the Attorney General’s Department. Despite our constant efforts of requesting to obtain a fresh valuation, to date, CFHC has not made any effort to obtain the correct valuation from the Valuation Department based on the actual land area for over 3 years.
On the 21st of December, the chairman of CFHC forcibly invaded our functioning shipyard in order to show the premises to a prominent businessman with an ulterior motive to hand over the Mutwal project and our shipyard in Trincomalee illegally to this said businessman. We believe that this delay of obtaining a fresh valuation is intentional and is a rouse to constrict our shipyard financially to eventually kick us out and hand over the business to this new businessman.
Therefore we kindly request to look into this matter to advise Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation to obtain the fresh valuation from the valuation department and resolve this land lease matter in line with the land area shipyard utilizes and help us continue with our services as the second shipyard of Sri Lanka.
Yours truly, ………………………………………………………… Dr. Sarath Obeysekera Chief Executive Officer Walkers Colombo Shipyard (Pvt) Ltd.
Cc: 1. Hon. Douglas Devananda, Minister of Fisheries

by Roger Harris Courtesy counterpunch.org

For all the hullabaloo about free and fair elections” in Venezuela by the US government, its sycophantic corporate press deliberately ignores the elephant in the room – namely, the so-called sanctions designed to make life so miserable that the people will acquiesce to Washington’s plan for regime change.

As Foreign Policy puts it, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro values his political survival above his country’s economic well-being.” Translated from Washington-speak, the US government is blackmailing the Venezuelan electorate with, in the words of Foreign Policy, the looming threat,” of continuing unilateral coercive measures unless they vote against the incumbent in the presidential election on July 28.

The New York Times reports that a Maduro win will intensify poverty,” conveniently omitting the cause will be the tightening of US sanctions. Typical of such coverage, the article blames Maduro for the dire” economic situation, but not until the 25^th paragraph is there even a passing reference to US sanctions.

Such outside electoral meddling by the use of sanctions is orders of magnitude greater than the supposed Russiagate” interference in the 2016 US presidential contest. Washington brazenly leaves no ambiguity about its intent to punish the Venezuelan people for choosing a government not to its liking. With no sense of shame or irony, the State Department imperiously calls this bullying democracy promotion.”

US hybrid war on Venezuela

As documented by Venezuelanalysis, US sanctions against Venezuela are a war without bombs.” These actions, more correctly called coercive economic measures by the United Nations, are killing Venezuelans. Never mentioned in the corporate press is that these unilateral measures are a form of collective punishment, considered illegal under international law.

The over 930 US sanctions are designed to crash the Venezuelan economy and, above all, to prevent any recovery. Initially they succeeded in the former objective and, equally importantly, failed in the latter.

The bipartisan offensive was initiated in 2015 by President Obama, who incredulously declared a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security” posed by Venezuela. (Note, none of the corporate press subjected this extraordinary claim to any kind of scrutiny.) Coercive measures were intensified by President Trump, targeting the vital Venezuelan oil industry. Seamlessly, President Biden continued the maximum pressure” campaign with minor adjustments, mainly designed to benefit US and select foreign business interests.

As a result, Venezuela experienced the largest peacetime economic contraction in recent world history. The free-falling economy suffered triple-digit inflation, again, the highest in the world. Some seven million economic refugees fled the country.

The US continued other hybrid warfare” measures including recognizing Juan Guaidó as the self-proclaimed interim president” of Venezuela in 2019. The then 35-year-old far-right US security asset had never run for national office and was at the time unknown to over 80% of the population. Nevertheless, some fifty US allies initially recognized his government.

Further, US-backed coups have continued since the 2002 one that lasted only 47 hours. Recent capers included the bay of piglets” operation in 2020. Biden recently repatriated two of the US mercenaries, who had been captured in that failed coup, in a prisoner exchange that resulted in freeing Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab.

Coup attempts are ongoing according to the Venezuelan government. US official policy on such extra-legal measures is plausible deniability.”

Venezuela successfully resists

Contrary to all odds and most predictions, President Maduro has turned the Venezuelan ship of state around against such unfavorable winds. By the end of 2023, Venezuela had recorded 11 quarters of consecutive growth after years of economic contraction. GDP growth during the first four months of 2024 exceeded forecasts of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and are projected to be 4% for the year, compared to IMF figures for the US at 2.7% and China at 4.6%.

Today, on the diplomatic front, only the US, Israel, and a handful of other Washington vassals still fail to recognize the democratically elected government of Venezuela. Even the US-backed opposition has itself renounced the Guaidó presidency.

Until recently, Colombia (then a hostile US client state) served as a launching pad for paramilitary incursions onto Venezuela’s western border. In 2022, President Gustavo Petro, the first leftist in the entire history of Colombia, replaced the rightwing Iván Duque. The next year, the friendly Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva replaced the hostile government of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil on Venezuela’s southern border.

Meanwhile, progressive regional governments such as Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Mexico have continued to support Venezuela. Most significantly and indicative of a shifting world order toward multipolarity, Venezuela has strengthened ties with China, Russia, and Iran. This, in turn, has only intensified hostility by the US.

Lessons from the 1990 electoral defeat of the Sandinistas in Nicaragua

Conditions in Venezuela today, in the run-up to the July presidential election, bear some parallels to a similar situation in Nicaragua in 1990. In 1979, the Sandinistas overthrew the US-backed Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua. By the 1990 presidential election, polls looked favorable for the reelection of their FSLN party’s Daniel Ortega.

Everyone, including the US president, who was bent on overthrowing the Nicaraguan Revolution, anticipated a Sandinista victory, according to Dan Kovalik’s book on Nicaragua. But the vote was unfavorable, issuing in seventeen years of neoliberal regression.

Both the State Department and the US ambassador to Managua had made it abundantly clear that the Nicaraguans had best vote the right way” or the US-sponsored contra war would continue. The contras were mercenaries recruited largely from Somoza’s former army who were waging an armed terror campaign against the population.

In addition, the country was under US economic sanctions and suffering from hyperinflation. Brian Willson, who lost his legs in civil disobedience protesting the US Contra War in Nicaragua, reported that the US-funded opposition parties and NGOs in the 1990 election. The CIA alone poured in $28-30 million. Willson concluded that the US purchased the 1990 Nicaragua elections.”

Prospects for the Venezuelan Presidential Election

While Venezuela is not under siege by US-paid mercenaries as was Nicaragua, it is nonetheless subject to Washington’s hybrid war of coercive economic measures, funding of opposition forces, international diplomatic belligerence, and covert actions.

An assessment in February by the US intelligence community found Maduro is unlikely to lose the 2024 presidential election.” A May 3 Encuesta Nacional Ideadatos opinion poll reported a 52.7% preference for Maduro. Other polls give the lead to opposition candidate Edmundo González with the Unitary Platform who allegedly worked with the CIA.

Within the Chavista core – those who support the Bolivarian Revolution of Hugo Chávez and its current standard-bearer Nicolás Maduro – it is only to be expected that there is a certain level of weariness. Venezuelan political commentator Clodovaldo Hernández cites ongoing issues of inadequate healthcare delivery, salaries and pensions that have not kept pace with inflation, erratic electric power, incompletely addressed corruption, and dysfunctional police and judicial services, all of which disproportionately impact the Chavista base of poor and working people. How this will translate come July 28 is uncertain.

The propaganda campaign by the US state and its stenographers in the press to delegitimize the Venezuela election process is ramping up. For example, the US newspaper of record” reports that the last competitive election was held in 2013.” Not fit to print” is the news that the presidential term is six years, or that the US literally ordered the opposition not to run in 2018. The leading opposition candidate at the time, Henri Falcón, was threatened with sanctions when he chose to ignore Washington’s demand.

The very fact that any of the US-backed opposition is contesting in the upcoming election rather than boycotting indicates that they are no longer relying on an extra-parliamentary overthrow of the government. This itself represents a significant victory for the Chavistas.

Roger Harris is on the board of the Task Force on the Americas, a 32-year-old anti-imperialist human rights organization.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/05/22/the-biggest-obstacle-to-free-and-fair-elections-in-venezuela-is-the-us/

Palitha Ariyarathna

Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama (known as the Buddha”) over 2,500 years ago in India, offers profound insights and practical wisdom. While some scholars view it as a philosophy or moral code rather than an organized religion, its impact spans across cultures and continents. Here’s why the world should consider embracing Buddhist principles:

Understanding Suffering

Dukkha (Inherent Suffering):

• Buddhism acknowledges that life inherently involves suffering (dukkha). By recognizing suffering’s universality, we can cultivate empathy and compassion for others.
• The Four Noble Truths, central to Buddhism, guide us toward understanding suffering, its causes, and the path to liberation.

The Path to Enlightenment

• Buddhists seek enlightenment (nirvana) through inner transformation. This pursuit transcends mere belief in a deity.
• The Eightfold Path—comprising right understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration—guides practitioners toward awakening.

Non-Theistic Approach

• Buddhism doesn’t rely on a supreme god or deity. Instead, it emphasizes personal responsibility and self-awareness.
• By focusing on meditation, morality, and wisdom, individuals can attain enlightenment.

Universal Values

• Buddhism encourages ethical conduct, kindness, and mindfulness. These principles resonate across cultures and promote harmony.
• The interconnectedness of all beings underscores the need for compassion and environmental stewardship.

Tolerance and Adaptability

• Buddhism’s diverse interpretations allow for flexibility and adaptation. It coexists with other faiths and philosophies.
• Rather than rigid dogma, Buddhism offers a way of life—a journey toward inner peace and awakening.

As we celebrate Vesak Day, let us reflect on the timeless wisdom of Buddhism. By embracing its teachings, we can foster compassion, alleviate suffering, and contribute to a more harmonious world.

Feel free to explore these ideas further, and may this Wesak Day bring peace and enlightenment to all!

@ Vesak Day-Palitha Ariyarathna

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

There are allegations that monies sent by JICA to implement a survey and conduct workshops to combat bribery and corruption in the country have been misappropriated

JICA acknowledges that it collaborated with the BASL to initiate a drive against bribery and corruption in Sri Lanka

BASL maintains that it is erroneous to say that JICA has given a grant or money to BASL to conduct a programme

What can the citizens of this country expect from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), which plays a crucial role in administering justice and upholding the rule of law when its principal office bearers are allegedly involved in massive corruption? This seems to be the question raised by law abiding citizens of this country regarding the BASL. 

Five members of the incumbent BASL are under the spotlight for allegedly syphoning money the Association received from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to implement a survey and conduct workshops to combat bribery and corruption in the country.
As per the information received, JICA had given Rs 21 million to the BASL for this purpose. It is alleged that these five members have pocketed out Rs.19 million out of the total monies the BASL had received.

As per the BASL Financial Report April 2024- a copy of which this newspaper is in possession of- BASL President Kaushalya Navaratne PC has received Rs.6 million while Deputy President Nalinda Indatissa PC has received Rs. 3 million. But when this issue was taken up on May 11, at the Organization of Professional Association (OPA), it was revealed that both Navaratne and Indatissa had ‘donated’ Rs.6 million and Rs 3 million respectively a few days before to the BASL for an undisclosed purpose.

As a member of the Bar Council, this is the first time I came to know that these two PCs, have made such a large donation towards the BASL. They should tell us as for what purpose this money was given? This act shows that they got money from this project. This is a bad precedent. People of this country keep faith on the BASL’s elected office bearers to stand by them, but if they are engaged in bribery or corruption who can take action against them,” a Bar Council member said on strict condition of anonymity. 

In order to obtain comments regarding the allegations levelled against these officials this newspaper send text messages to President Kaushalya Nawaratne PC, Deputy President Nalinda Indatissa PC and former Deputy President Shavindra Fernando PC. Other than the incumbent President, the other two officials had not responded to the message this newspaper sent, until the paper went for publication.

BASL President Navaratne PC said that it is erroneous to say that JICA has given a grant or money to BASL to conduct a programme, but it’s a payment channeled to the BASL to be paid to the team members for their professional services in addition to the payment made to the BASL by JICA.
Unfortunately people with ulterior motives have spread the false news. This has damaged the reputation of the BASL and the entire legal fraternity. Thus, depending on the Executive Committee decision, steps would be taken,” said Navaratne PC. 

Meanwhile, responding to an email this newspaper had sent to JICA Colombo Office to find out how much they released to the BASL and for what purpose, Senior Representative for JICA in Sri Lanka Office Ms. Ide Yuri sent their response by email dated May 14 which states as follows: ‘Dear Ms. Nirmala Kannangara, Thank you for your inquiry. Please kindly be advised that JICA recently conducted a survey and some workshops on anti-corruption issues which went on very successfully. We had a contract with BASL to implement that survey and workshops. The contract and all payments to BASL were completed based on JICA’s procurement rules. We are not in a position to explain what happened at BASL regarding the contract with us’.  

 ‘Please contact BASL if you need more information. We do appreciate your understanding. Kind regards, Ms Ide Yuri, Senior Representative, Sri Lanka Office JIC

Meanwhile, JICA has also sent a link to the newspaper, regarding this project which states that JICA and BASL collaborated in the drive against bribery and corruption in Sri Lanka. 

It further states, ‘As a key step of JICA’s initiative in supporting the Sri Lankan authorities to combat bribery and corruption, a series of introductory workshops were conducted between the 19th and 28th February, for the officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) as well as other key actors of the justice system. 
‘The Workshops introduced the topics of Whistleblower Protection, Deferred Prosecution Agreements and Anti Money Laundering measures which come under the purview of the CIABOC through the new Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, which came into operation in September 2023.

‘The Act significantly widens the scope, authority and responsibility of CIABOC, and provides it with instruments some of which no other law enforcement agency possesses. The Workshops were intended to support CIABOC and other stakeholders in effective use and implementation of these provisions.
‘The Workshops were organized by JICA in collaboration with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL). The Workshops brought together eminent Sri Lankan legal experts who were joined by international experts from Japan, The United States Department of Justice, FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Crime Agency and the Asia Pacific Group for Anti Money Laundering, enabling the participants to gain from a wide array of insight and experience’ 

Meanwhile, as a member of the Fourth Estate, whose duty is to support good governance, transparency and rule of law, this newspaper sent a letter to the office of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC, to know what meaningful action his office will take regarding such a heinous conduct by BASL officials; individuals who are supposed to belong to the esteemed legal profession. 

Unfortunately people with ulterior motives have spread the false news. This has damaged the reputation of the BASL and the entire legal fraternity. Thus, depending on the Executive Committee decision, steps would be taken – BASL President Navaratne PC –

Excerpts of the letter sent by this writer to the Chief Justice’s office state, ‘Your Lordship, I am Nirmala Kannangara, Editor Investigations, Daily Mirror Newspaper.
‘I am writing this letter to bring to Your Lordship’s kind notice of a matter in which the principal office bearers of the BASL, the apex body of the legal profession which is also vested with power of disciplinary control of Attorneys at Law, has misappropriated millions of rupees given by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
‘I have been writing many reports on BASL over the past several decades; many of which were complimentary. During the last few decades BASL has become a role model in pinpointing and acting against corruptions and irregularities of the consecutive regimes from time to time which is very encouraging.

‘But, today, I am dismayed and greatly purported of certain revelations that I have come across of recent happening at the BASL involving its very top office hierarchies..
‘It has become known that JICA has funded Rs.21 million to BASL for a certain anti-corruption project that is supposed to have been formulated by the latter

‘It is not known, whether this project had been approved by the Bar Council. It appears that both President and the Deputy President of the BASL have involved themselves as resource personnel of this project, including Rashmi Indatissa (niece of the Deputy President) and Nuwan D’ Alwis (son of the incumbent President’s senior). Shavindra Fernando (former Deputy President) has also been named in this panel comprising resource personnel.
‘It has become known that neither the Executive Committee nor the Bar Council has approved these payments of approximately Rs. 19 million paid to these five individuals.

‘According to JICA, they had a contract with BASL to implement a survey and conduct workshops on anti-corruption issues in the country and all payments to BASL have been completed based on JICA’s procurement rules. It has been reflected in the BASL accounts and I have attached copies of the accounts for your perusal to show how money has been paid to President Kaushalya Nawaratne PC and Deputy President Nalinda Indatissa PC; which amount to a staggering Rs.6 million and Rs.3 million respectively from the funds they received from JICA.
‘It has shocked my conscious to learn of such a fraud, as the Bar Association membership has kept total trust on the elected principal office bearers to perform an honourable service  with no remuneration. It has also become known that Rashmi Indatissa too has been a ‘beneficiary’ in this episode obtaining Rs.4 million payment while Shavindra Fernando and Nuwan de Alwis, received Rs.4 million and Rs.3 million respectively..

‘Upon realizing this, it become the focal point at the Executive Committee meeting of the BASL held on Saturday May 11, at the OPA. It was revealed at that stage that both the President and the Deputy President have made donations to the BASL to the tune of Rs.6 million and Rs.3 million respectively, few days after they received the money from the BASL

Shavindra Fernando

Nalinda Indatissa

‘Hence, they are liable for prosecution under the law of the country, I am bringing this to Your Lordship’s notice in order to examine the fraudulent conduct of these Attorneys –at-Law and to inquire and deal with them on professional turpitude and or misconduct accordingly..

‘I am making this complaint to Your Lordship, as the Editor Investigations of Daily Mirror Newspaper and as a member of the Fourth Estate whose duty is to support good governance, transparency and rule of law
‘It is my duty individually to bring such matters to the relevant authority seeking meaningful action to be taken on such heinous conduct of people who are supposed to have belonged to this esteemed profession’.
Be that as it may, it is alleged that this issue has been brought to the notice at the Ex.Co. Meeting held on May 11, 2024 at the OPA. 

 If this was not brought up to the notice of the ExCo members by the newly appointed Secretary, this fraud would have gone unnoticed and would have been easily swept under the carpet. Although initially it was not revealed how much money Shavindra Fernando PC and Nuwan de Alwis syphoned, we came to know that they have obtained Rs.4 million and Rs.3 million respectively all amounting to Rs.19 million in between five of them. Why these five members didn’t obtained prior approval from the ExCo and Bar Council before the money was taken has raised eyebrows among our membership. The Bar Association membership perform an honourable service with no remuneration.  If they are now claiming that this money was given to them, they would have clearly inform the ExCo and Bar Council members about the money they received from JICA. We are going to take up this issue at the next ExCo meeting on May 25th,” sources said on strict condition of anonymity.   

The sources further said that it is up to the law enforcement authorities to take action against these five BASL members for committing the offences of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of funds, as they are liable for prosecution under the law of the country. 

පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සභානායක කාර්යාලය

මෙරට 13,000කට අධික ග්‍රාම නිලධාරිවරුන්ට අනන්‍ය වැටුප් තලයක් ලබාදී වැටුප් සහ දීමනා ඉහළ නැංවීම සඳහා කැබිනට් අනුමැතිය ලැබී ඇති බවත්, ඒ අනුව ශ්‍රී ලංකා ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී සේවය ස්ථාපිත කිරීම සඳහා එම සේවා ව්‍යවස්ථා කෙටුම්පත රාජ්‍ය සේවා කොමිෂන් සභාවේ අනුමැතිය සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කර ඇති බවත්, එය විශාල ජයග්‍රහණයක් බවත්, රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන, ස්වදේශ කටයුතු, පළාත් සභා හා පළාත් පාලන අමාත්‍යවරයා වෙනුවෙන් ප්‍රශ්නයකට පිළිතුරු දෙමින්, ස්වදේශ කටයුතු රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය අශෝක ප්‍රියන්ත මහතා පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට 2024.05.22 දින අනාවරණ කළේය.

ඒ අනුව GN නමින් නව වැටුප් කේතයක් ග්‍රාම නිලධාරිවරුන් සඳහා හිමිවන අතර,අලුතින් එම සේවයට එක්වන ග්‍රාම නිලධාරිවරයෙකුගේ මූලික වැටුප රු. 28,940 සිට රු. 30,140ක් දක්වා ඉහළ යනු ඇත. ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී සේවයේ 2 ශ්‍රේණියේ  ආරම්භක  වැටුප රු.33,690 දක්වාත්, 1 ශ්‍රේණියේ ආරම්භක වැටුප රු.38,590ක් දක්වාත් ඉහළ යාමට නියමිතය. අදාළ ප්‍රාදේශීය සභා සීමාව තුළ මාසික කාර්යාල දීමනාව රු. 1000 සිට 2000 දක්වාත්, නගර සභා සීමාව තුළ රු. 1500 සිට 3000 දක්වාත්, වාර්ෂික ලිපි ද්‍රව්‍ය දීමනාව රු. 1500 සිට රු. 3000 දක්වාත් ඉහළ නංවා 2024.04.01 සිට ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමටද අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩල අනුමැතිය හිමිව ඇත. මීට අමතරව අනෙකුත් නිල ඇඳුම්, ගමන්, සන්නිවේදන දීමනා වැඩි කිරීම සඳහා, 2025 අය-වැය පිළියෙළ කිරීමේදී, මහා භාණ්ඩාගාරය සමග සාකච්ඡා කර පියවර ගැනීමටද රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන අමාත්‍යංශ ලේකම්වරයාට නියම කර තිබේ.

රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරයා පැවසුවේ, විෂය භාර කැබිනට් අමාත්‍ය අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා සහ තමන් ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී වෘත්තීය සමිති නියෝජිතයන් සමග අඛණ්ඩව සාකච්ඡා කරමින් මෙම ජයග්‍රහණය ග්‍රාම නිලධාරිවරුන් වෙත ලබාදීමට කටයුතු කළ බවය. රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන, ස්වදේශ කටයුතු, පළාත් සභා හා පළාත් පාලන අමාත්‍යංශයේ ලේකම්වරයාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් නිල මැදුරේදී 2024.05.20 දින පැවති සාකච්ඡාවේදී ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී වෘත්තීය සමිති සන්ධානයේ නියෝජිතයන්ට මෙම විසඳුම පිළිබඳ කරුණු පැහැදිලි කර ඇති බවද ඔහු කිය. ඒ අනුව වඩාත් කාර්යක්ෂම සහ ඵලදායි මහජන සේවාවක් පවත්වාගෙන යාම සඳහා, ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී දීමනා ඉහළ නැංවීම පිළිබඳ 2024.03.11 අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩල තීරණය මගින් අනුමැතිය හිමිව ඇති බවද, අනන්‍ය වැටුප් තලයකට කැබිනට් අනුමැතිය හිමිව ඇති බවද, ශ්‍රි ලංකා ග්‍රාම නිලධාරි සේවය ස්ථාපිත කිරීම සඳහා, ශ්‍රී ලංකා ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී සේවයේ සේවා ව්‍යවස්ථා සංග්‍රහය(කෙටුම්පත), රජය සේවා කොමිෂන් සභාවේ අනුමැතිය සඳහා මේවනවිට ඉදිරිපත් කර ඇති බවද රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරයා පැවසීය.

අනුර දිසානායක මන්ත්‍රීවරයා ස්ථාවර නියෝග 27-2 යටතේ රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන, ස්වදේශ කටයුතු, පළාත් සභා හා පළාත් පාලන අමාත්‍ය, අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතාගෙන් විමසූ ප්‍රශ්නයකට පිළිතුරු දෙමින් ස්වදේශ කටයුතු රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය අශෝක ප්‍රියන්ත මහතා, වැඩිදුරටත් කියා සිටියේ නව ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී පත්වීම් 1942ක් ලබාදීමද ලොකු ජයග්‍රහණයක් බවය.

patriotic people’s front assam

Guwahati: Expressing shock and dismay over the Dudhnoi incident, where two teenage girls were gang-raped and a youth was killed by a group of hooligans, a nationalist forum in northeast India demands a stringent punishment to those criminals. Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) also urges Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the State home portfolio, to take personal interest in delivering justice to the victim families as early as possible. The forum also appreciates conscious organisations namely All Bodo Students’ Union, All Rabha Students’ Union, Sutradhar Students’ Union, Barman Kachari Students’ Union, Prabajan Virodhi Manch, etc for their serious concern over the brutal incident, seemingly engineered by a group of Bangladeshi origin Muslims.

It may be mentioned that both the girls (belonging to Bodo community) were raped by three suspected Islamists on their return from a Bihu function on 3 May 2024. The girls were abandoned at the roadside by the perpetrators. The concerned families lodged a complaint at Dudhnoi police station under Goalpara district in western Assam. Meanwhile, on the night of 5 May, a team of Village Defence Party (VDP) members went to confront Dhan Ali Talukdar, an accused in the incident, where a group of goons attacked the team with sharp weapons. Hiranmay Khakhlari, a team member, sustained serious injuries and he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Later Hiranmay, also from Bodo community, was shifted to a private hospital in Guwahati, but succumbed to injuries on 17 May.

Meanwhile, the police had picked up Shekabar Ali and Parbina Begum in connection with the murder of Hiranmay. Moreover, Dhan Ali Talukdar along with Bahar Ali and Rahman Ali were arrested accusing their involvement in raping both the Bodo teenage girls. PPFA, in a media statement, also supported the demand for compensating the family of Hiranmay with Rs 20 lakh and Rs 5 lakh to the families of each teenage rape victim. Moreover, PPFA urges the government to take pragmatic initiatives to verify the draft National Register of Citizens for Assam with the base year of 1951 and punish those guilty in fraudulence and money laundering during the NRC updation including those from the electronic media outlets.

By Rohana R. Wasala

The following is a tribute to the late Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar, the then foreign affairs minister of Sri Lanka, who won UN recognition for an international Vesak Day holiday twenty-four years ago.

Buddhists annually celebrate the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day as the day that the Birth, the Enlightenment and the Parinibbana (passing away) of the Buddha (the Enlightened One) took place twenty-five centuries ago. The founder of Buddhism was born as prince Siddhartha Gautama at Lumbini in the southern part of present day Nepal north of India in 623 BCE as officially recognized by the World Heritage Convention of the UNESCO. The place is protected by the government of Nepal. 

This year (2024) Vesak Day is observed in Sri Lanka on May 23. Thailand is hosting the 19th United Nations Vesak Day at Ayutthaya, Bangkok on 19-20 jointly organized by the Thai government and the Supreme Sangha Council of that country.  Vesak Day was not celebrated as a UN recognised international holiday before the year 2000. On May 18 that year, Vesak day was marked as an international holiday by the UN for the first time. This was as a result of long overdue recognition being won at the world body by the then Sri Lankan foreign minister (indisputably the best we’ve ever had) Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar (LK) as, in his own words, ‘….acknowledgement of the contribution that Buddhism, one of the oldest religions in the world, has made for over two and a half millennia and continues to make to the spirituality of humanity …….’. This achievement was made possible, probably almost entirely, by the force of his personality and his standing among his colleagues from diverse nations (politicians and diplomats) in that august assembly. Even LK himself didn’t expect the enthusiastic support he got for his resolution from countries (that have little to do with Buddhism) such as Iceland, Ireland, Slovakia, Spain, USA, Turkey and the Russian Federation.

In my personal estimation, LK with his unmistakable overall cosmopolitan outlook was the only true nationalist politician the country has had for nearly half a century. Feelings such as patriotism, nationalism become pernicious religions when they are adopted to serve one’s own narrow selfish motives, consciously or unconsciously. LK did not ‘become’ a patriot or a nationalist to hoodwink the masses and grab power for ego aggrandizement and for family-bandyism, evils that we have so long indulgently tolerated in our elected rulers. (Aside: Even if not assassinated by the LTTE as he actually was on August 12, 2005, had he continued with his cosmopolitan nationalist politics, LK wouldn’t have survived long in one piece among his contemporary political friends and foes alike, who are still alive! His concern for the good of his own people, fellow Sri Lankans, was a manifestation of his non-sectarian concern for all humanity (inspired no doubt by his Christian upbringing reinforced by his later discovery of the commonality between Christ’s and Buddha’s teachings). That must have been a key factor behind his determination to have Vesak recognised by the UN. 

As the scion of a generational Anglican Christian family, Lakshman Kadirgamar was invited to deliver the Rev. Celestine Fernando Memorial Oration on October 9, 1992. The topic he was given was ‘The Social Relevance of the Bible for Our Times in a Non-Christian Society’. He asked for and was granted ‘the liberty to treat the topic assigned to me in any manner of my choice’.

Justice C.G. Weeramantry who was in the audience praised LK’s speech as ‘a memorable exposition of comparative religion in a historical setting. He described different creeds as the historical formulations of the formless truth”, and spoke of the different shapes of vessels which contained the treasure which was one and inviolate”….’. But, unsurprisingly, LK’s lecture did not go down well with some Christians because of his laudatory references to the Buddha. LK had said: ”Among the inspiring treasures of the human spirit is the memory of Gautama, the Buddha. His hold over the imagination of millions of our fellow human beings is immense; his inspiration to braver and nobler living for centuries is incalculable; his contribution to the refining of the spirit of man and the humanising of human relations is immeasurable. And yet, attempts were made by men fighting under other flags, earnest lovers of their kind no doubt, to destroy the memory of that great soul, to terminate his influence. We can only attribute those efforts , to prejudice, to ignorance”. In my opinion, these words of LK are still most relevant to the situation in Sri Lanka.

‘According to someone present at that lecture, Kadirgamar’s main thesis was that Christianity shared many values and teachings with Buddhism and that Jesus had been influenced by the teachings of the Buddha. These views correspond to the thesis in the famous book by the German theologian Holger Kersten titled Jesus Lived in India – His Unknown Life Before and After the Crucifixion.”

Lakshman Kadirgamar was a rare human being and a great Sri Lankan. May his memory be a blessing to us all!

 I wish to thankfully mention here that I drew the above information about the late Lakshman Kadirgamar (which supplemented my own prior knowledge about him) and what I have put within quote marks from ‘THE CAKE THAT WAS BAKED AT HOME LAKSHMAN KADIRGAMAR: Snapshots of the Man’s Life’ by His Daughter AJITA KADIRGAMAR ’ pp.302-316 (Vijitha Yapa Publishers, Colombo, 2015)

Matanat Nasibova Caliber.Az

Macron’s France is once again reaping the fruits of its failed policy toward overseas territories, particularly in New Caledonia, where unrest has been raging since May 13 over a bill that envisions granting the right to participate in regional elections to people who have lived in the archipelago for more than 10 years.

Thus, the French Le Monde writes that the riots in New Caledonia are the strongest since the 1980s, and BBC News reports that the representation of the central French authorities announced that law enforcement forces have unblocked the road between the airport and the capital of this Pacific overseas territory of France. However, the local population is not about to surrender to the mercy of the French gendarmes.

Why did France have a death grip on New Caledonia? The answer is obvious: control over this territory is of great strategic importance to Paris. Firstly, it allows France to maintain its geopolitical and military influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Secondly, New Caledonia is the fourth largest producer of nickel in the world, the demand for which, according to experts’ forecasts, will only increase. So France, as they say, has something to fight for in this region. This explains why Emmanuel Macron is willing to undertake any ventures to maintain control over this strategically and economically important region. Back in July last year, speaking in the central square of New Caledonia’s capital, he urged the inhabitants of the overseas territory to forget about separation from the metropolis and promised them a constitutional reform.

I hope that the revision of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic can take place at the beginning of 2024, it will be a revision of the part of the Constitution dedicated to New Caledonia,” Macron promised then but did not keep his word. It is also known that all three referendums on New Caledonia’s withdrawal from the French Republic, as stipulated in the Nouméa Accord, were not successful for supporters of independence, and Paris, which supports separatist elements in other countries, did not allow New Caledonia to realize the right to self-determination.

In fact, the current unrest in Nouméa once again confirms that France’s policy towards its overseas territories”, or, in fact, colonies, remains discriminatory. Amazingly, while losing its influence in New Caledonia and Africa, Paris is at the same time trying to interfere in the internal affairs of other states, in particular Azerbaijan.

While supporting Armenian separatism, France accuses Azerbaijan of the events in New Caledonia. Let us recall that on May 16, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin in an interview with France 2 TV channel made a statement that Azerbaijan interferes in the situation in New Caledonia, supporting political movements advocating its independence from France.

 These are not fantasies. Unfortunately, some separatists have made a deal with Azerbaijan,” Darmanin said without specifying what kind of interference he was talking about.

By the way, this is not the first accusation against Azerbaijan by a French politician. As previously reported by La Tribune, he recently addressed the Legislative Commission of the National Assembly, where he condemned the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the Congress of New Caledonia by the Milli Majlis (parliament) of Azerbaijan, calling Baku’s actions extremely destructive interference”.

Baku, in turn, in response to the unjustified attack of Paris advised to pay attention to the failed policy of their country with regard to overseas territories, which was the reason for such protests”. It is clear that Paris does not have any evidence of Baku’s involvement in the riots in New Caledonia, and all that France can appeal with is just unsubstantiated accusations not supported by any facts. One doesn’t need to be a genius to understand that the main reason for the latest unrest in New Caledonia is Paris’s neocolonial policy, which the indigenous population of the archipelago refuses to accept.

On the other hand, Azerbaijan has never hidden that it is an opponent of colonialism, which is confirmed by the establishment of the Baku Initiative Group in Baku on July 6, 2023, by the participants of the conference Towards the total elimination of colonialism”, which included activists from various French territories seeking independence. It is clear that the appearance of the Azerbaijani flag at the demonstrations in New Caledonia came as an unpleasant surprise to the French authorities, although there is a logical explanation for this too.

First of all, taking into account that the initiative group expressed solidarity with the Kanak people and condemned the recent electoral reforms in New Caledonia, the appearance of the Azerbaijani flag at the protests of independence supporters in New Caledonia as a sign of gratitude to Azerbaijan was natural.

Secondly, France, which now accuses Baku of allegedly supporting separatism” in New Caledonia, has itself repeatedly made unreasonable demands to Azerbaijan to ensure the right of the Armenians of Karabakh to self-determination” and to this day continues to arm Yerevan, pushing it towards a new war in the region.

Against the background of the openly hostile policy of Paris, it is reasonable to ask: what reaction did France expect from Azerbaijan? It is obvious that after the serious failure of French neo-colonial policy in Africa, Paris is trying to push its interests in the South Caucasus region in order to somehow raise its shaken image in the international arena.

Azerbaijan, in turn, in contrast to France’s policy, by its balanced policy makes it clear to the Fifth Republic that it will not silently watch the growth of neo-colonialism not only in African countries but also the provocative steps of Paris in the region.

Finally, it should be noted that France’s neocolonial policy is doomed to failure after a series of recent events, starting with the withdrawal of French troops from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and ending with the current protests in New Caledonia, the consequences of which are sure to promise Paris another political upheaval, after which the Fifth Republic will not have time to interfere in the affairs of the countries of the South Caucasus.

Caliber.Az

By Raj Gonsalkorale

During the war, leaders of the Allied countries—the Soviet Union, United States, and Great Britain—received reports of mass shootings of Jewish civilians, including women and children. In 1942, they learned of the Nazi plan to annihilate Europe’s Jews. While leaders occasionally publicly denounced violence towards Jews, they prioritized winning the war over rescuing Jews – The holocaust encyclopaedia https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/question/how-did-leaders-diplomats-and-citizens-around-the-world-respond-to-the-events-of-the-holocaust

Impotency of the world caused 6 million Jews to die in the hands of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi supporters. History is repeating itself now with the then oppressed becoming the oppressor today massacring Palestinians and decimating their land and homes while the world looks on as they did when the Jews were annihilated. Barring the numbers killed, the plight of the Palestinians is no different to the plight of the Jews.

There can and will be debate about what is a holocaust. What is worse? 6 million Jews dead vs 37,000 Palestinians dead? Homes and families destroyed, and livelihoods gone in both cases. Why did Hitler embark on his killing spree? Why did the world look the other way when Hitler did what he did? Why did Netanyahu and his war cabinet begin the rampage of Palestine and Palestinians? What has the world effectively done to stop this massacre? As Lucy S. Dawidowicz entitled her book on the Holocaust The War Against the Jews, she showed how Germany fought two wars simultaneously: World War II and the racial war against the Jews. The Allies fought only the World War. In regard to Israel today, they have their battles primarily with Iran and Lebanon and their ongoing battle in Palestine. The world does not seem to have any serious interest in Palestine. One wonders what would have happened if Israel was doing what they are doing in Palestine, in Iran instead. Would the world have wakened up then?

The definition of a holocaust in the Brittanica presents some interesting aspects. The Brittanica says the Holocaust, was the systematic state-sponsored killing of six million Jewish men, women, and children  by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II. The Germans called this the final solution to the Jewish question.”

The plight of the Jews has no comparison. Similarly, the plight of the Palestinians has no comparison. What is interesting is the purpose of the Jewish massacre and the purpose of the ongoing Palestinian massacre. Nazi Germany called their campaign the final solution to the Jewish question.” Today, Israel is saying their Palestinian campaign is the final solution to ending the Hamas inflicted violence against Israel. As did innocent Jewish men, women and children perish, innocent Palestinian men, women and children are paying the price for the ambitions of leaders, both in World War 2 Germany and in Israel today.

Even before the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, they had made no secret of their anti-Semitism. As early as 1919 Adolf Hitler had written, Rational anti-Semitism, however, must lead to systematic legal opposition.…Its final objective must unswervingly be the removal of the Jews altogether.” In Mein Kampf (My Struggle”; 1925–27), Hitler further developed the idea of the Jews as an evil race struggling for world domination.

While not ascribing any evilness to Jews; in terms of domination, especially in the US, was Hitler right? Jewish influence in the US has basically given them the power to virtually dominate the world when it comes to the Palestinian issue. The fact that no country in the world, including China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, France, the UK and other mid-eastern oil rich countries have been able to prevent what is happening in Palestine demonstrates the fact that Israel dominates the world when it comes to the Palestinian issue. Palestinian lives, their homes, their livelihoods do not matter to Israel, nor the rest of the world.

Hitler’s worldview revolved around two concepts: territorial expansion (that is, greater Lebensraum—living space”—for the German people) and racial supremacy. After World War I, the Allies denied Germany colonies in Africa, so Hitler sought to expand German territory and secure food and resources—scarce during World War I—in Europe itself. Hitler opposed Jews for the values they brought into the world. Social justice and compassionate assistance to the weak stood in the way of what he perceived as the natural order, in which the powerful exercise unrestrained power.

In Hitler’s view, such restraint on the exercise of power would inevitably lead to the weakening, even the defeat, of the master race. One has to question the Jewish values that Hitler had a problem with. What has happened to them today? Is Israel now taking a cue from Hitler and decimating Palestine for fear that they, Palestine, will one day defeat the master race (in their minds), Israel?

Israeli encroachment into Palestinian territory does not seem different to Hitler’s territorial expansion or  greater Lebensraum—living space”—for the German people. Rather than negotiating living space” with the Palestinians, which Israel has never done in a serious manner, they have chosen to encroach and take over territory. The notional self-government granted to Palestinians in some areas of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza is a farce. They are surrounded by the Israel military, by high walls and barbed wire barriers, high security, and no rights to move between such self-governed” areas.

The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect which attempts to save lives by mobilizing the international community to act in situations where populations are at risk of mass atrocity, says the following about the subjugation and occupation of Palestine by Israel. Palestine, encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – has been occupied by Israel since 1967. Various UN officials and investigative mechanisms have reaffirmed that Israel’s permanent occupation of Palestinian territory has no legal validity and has resulted in de facto annexation, which may amount to a war crime. The occupation has been characterized by the perpetual expansion of Israeli settlements into Palestinian territory with the aim of altering its ethnic demographics. The Israeli government has established a two-tiered legal and political system that provides comprehensive rights for Jewish Israeli settlers while imposing military rule and control on Palestinians without any basic protections or rights under international law. In March 2022 the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the OPT reported that this system satisfies the prevailing evidentiary standard for the crime of apartheid, a crime against humanity https://www.globalr2p.org/countries/israel-and-the-occupied-palestinian-territory/

The Global Centre goes on to say that Palestinians are regularly subjected to violence by Israeli settlers, including physical attacks, shooting with live ammunition, torching of fields and livestock, theft and vandalization of property. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2023 was the deadliest year in the Occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the UN began documenting casualties in 2005, with over 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis killed between January and September. Since 7 October, there has been a sharp increase in unnecessary and disproportionate force by Israeli forces – including airstrikes, violent military tactics during search-and-arrest operations, and incursions by armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers sent to refugee camps – resulting in over 365 Palestinians killed and at least 4,288 injured in the Occupied West Bank. Israeli forces have also conducted daily mass arrests, with thousands of Palestinians arrested, as well as denied medical assistance to those injured in attacks. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has reported numerous incidents of alleged torture and other ill-treatment against Palestinian detainees. Settler violence has also escalated, with Palestinians facing an average of four attacks per day. Israeli settlers have killed eight Palestinians and injured 114, while over 1,200 have been displaced. OHCHR has reported that settlers carrying out these attacks are at times acting with the acquiescence and collaboration of Israeli forces and authorities. Five Israelis have also been killed in attacks by armed Palestinians”

The ordinary people of Israel must wake up and see the atrocities their leaders and their military are committing in Palestine. They cannot keep electing hard liners like Netanyahu and members of his war cabinet to govern Israel. If they continue to do so, they will ensure the strengthening of hardline elements in Palestine. The world will not stop this inevitability and ongoing perpetuation of violence, against the Israeli’s as well as Palestinians. Only the people of Israel can if they live up to the values Hitler was so afraid of, social justice and compassionate assistance to the weak. If not for any other reason, in self-interest, Israelis should turn to moderates in their country to save it from a guaranteed cycle of violence.

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Kurundi vihara is the first monastery to be conserved in Mullaitivu district, as far as I know. This alone makes Kurundi special. The other thing that makes Kurundi special is that it is right   in the middle of Eelam. So Kurundi is political as well.

Ruins like Kurundi are reminders of an earlier age when the north and east were securely Sinhala and Buddhist. Kurundi   vihara, originally Kurundavashoka vihara, was the leading monastery in Mullaitivu in the Anuradhapura period. Kurundi was a large monastic complex, spread across 400 acres.  

Kurundi vihara was a very significant vihara in Anuradhapura times.  Kurundi attakatha was written at Kurundi, which means that Kurundi had a direct link to Mahavihara in Anuradhapura. Kurundi held an inscription which was addressed to all monasteries in the area. This shows that Kurundi was the leading monastery in Mullaitivu area.

HCP Bell said that this was the largest monastery he had seen in that area. The     100 steps seen by Bell can still be identified. In 2013 Medhananda said that he saw the most ruins at Kurundi. Have not seen so many ruins in any other place I have gone to, he said.

Kurundi has distinctive features. Kurundi stupa was a very early stupa.  Those stupas did not have pinnacles. They were topped by chatra and yupagala. At Kurundi, we found the yupagala and installed it   , said Department of Archaeology.

Buddhist structures are usually of brick, but at Kurundi they have used Kabok instead. Stupa has   had a row of elephants made from kabok, as well. There was   a special binding between the kabok stones, the archaeologists said. Over 500 metal nails were found at the site. The small terra cotta figures found there were fine specimens of Anuradhapura craftsmanship.  The carving on the door frame of the pilimage was a rare item.

The Tamil Separatist Movement had known about Kurundi. They had entered Kurundi reservation, during the war and damaged the pilimage. Kurundi had a large inscription which was already   broken when found in 1949. In 2018 when Kurundi was excavated, it was in six pieces.  Department of Archaeology put it together. The Department said that it had been deliberately destroyed. It did not break due to natural causes. Buddha statue and bodhisatva statuesas well as a yupa gala and yantra gala    also appeared to have been deliberately damaged.

Tamil Separatist Movement is desperate to halt the forward march of Kurundi monastery. The conservation of Kurundi has led to much frantic Tamil agitation. I cannot recall anything like this taking place ever before.The Department of Archaeology has been conserving stupas for decades, without anybody caring or objecting. But Kurundi is different.

 The opposition at Kurundi is due to the geographical location of Kurundi. Kurundi is in Mullaitivu. Mullaitivu is important for Eelam. The northern and eastern provinces meet at Mullaitivu. If a Buddhist wedge is created at Mullaitivu, then it will affect Eelam. That is why the Tamil Separatist Movement is having kittens over Kurundi.

The work on Kurundi was regularly interrupted by the desperate Tamil Separatist Movement who   tried hard to stop the rise of Kurundi. Gajan Ponnambalam made a complaint on Oct 8 2022 regarding the Survey Department team going to Kurundi[1]

Kurundi conservation faced obstacles and delays due to the actions of the Tamil Separatist Movement.  Conservation work stopped several times due to demonstrations and court cases.  Work went on in a stop-start manner.   

Due to a law   suit we could not do anything for two years,     said Santhabodhi. Work on Kurundi was halted in 2018 due to a court case against Santhabodhi and the   Department of Archaeology.  While the   case going on, Tamils renovated the wewa, destroying much that was archaeologically valuable.  The case ended in 2020. Lawyers appeared free and they won the case. In January 18 2021 the Department of Archaeology started excavating.

Work stopped again after the commotion at the relic enshrining.  At the enshrining ceremony the police turned back the cars of the Buddhists but did not stop the Tamil Separatist Movement from coming in, said Santhabodhi.

Tamil Separatist Movement never expected a young bhikkhu, Santhabodhi to turn up at Kurundi in 2018 with a desire to revive Kurundi. The Tamil Separatist Movement heavily criticized Ven. Santhabodhi. Tamil Separatist Movement targets me in their media channels,   because of Kurundi, Sapumalgaskada and Nayaru Gurukanda, said Santhabodhi. I am presented as a monk who was getting ready to invade the Tamil homeland. Other improbable allegations are also made.

Santhabodhi said that he did Kurundi under great difficulty. He    had to raise the money, face court cases, had encounters with police. Santhabodhi faced threats and blows.  He faced intimidation from the start.

When the project started, the Archaeology Department gave a letter to Santhabodhi permitting him to do work at Kurundi. But when we went to Kurundi to make a mura kutiya on October 5th 2018, we found that there was a problem with permission, said Santhabodhi. The Forest Department has not been informed. So we had to go back. On the way back,   150 Tamils came and surrounded the car, threatened us and hit us. The threats are continuing said Santhabodhi, in a You Tube interview in August 2022 (Gaja TV).

Tamil Separatist Movement did however succeed in shaking the confidence of the Buddhists. The Kurundi team was told that Tamil Separatist Movement was going to take action against Kurundi. The team, not knowing much history, was alarmed. Fortunately they found an inscription which when cleaned up, showed that Kurundi was a Buddhist site. it was the inscription by Udaya VI which had seen by Sirimal Ranwella.  

Similarly, former Chief Justice Sarath Silva, referred to the Kurundi findings of HCP Bell, and remarked , inter alia,  that Bell was the first to record Kurundi. Bell was not a Buddhist, he added. It is the white man who showed Kurundi to us, we must be grateful to them, he said. This was said in passing, without emphasis. (Bell did not possess divine vision.  The natives would have given him the locations and he carried out the investigations).

Kurundi vihara is the first Buddhist monument that, as far as I can recall, has been officially called a contested site”. Buddhist archaeological remains become sites of conflict when Sinhalese people enter into areas inhabited by Tamils and Muslims, said Tamil Separatist Movement. As a contested site, Kurundi had to compete with a bogus kovil where they were worshipping a trident, a yupa gala and a korowak gala.

Kurundi has made a strong case for itself using social media.There were heaps of well crafted You tube presentations such as:

. https://youtu.be/k8V1TQSbTQg;

Here are three selections from these You Tube chats. 

• කුරුන්දි විහාරය ගැන ඔබ නොදත් කරුණු | Kurundi Viharaya | Rawana Production July 15,2023. It was said, Now Tamil Separatist Movement  is getting ready to create trouble

• කුරුන්දි විහාර අර්බුදය | Sri Lanka Tv/  July 2023. Kurundi ruins are not in a settled area, that means, an area in which people live. People do cultivate on archaeology reserve land, but that does not make it legal.

• YouTube channel ENTERTANING SPOT, featured Kurundi on June 14.2023. Santhabodhi, who appears prominently in all videos on Kurundi spoke. Here are some of the things he said: He said that Mahavihara was the first monastery, not the largest monastery. At Kurundi, the ancient Kurundi  pond was turned into a wewa, without permission. Tamil Separatist Movement charges that we have occupied lands which they had cultivated for ages in Kurundi.  That is not so. They have deforested  5 acres of forest reserve containing ruins, in 2019,  and say it was  ancient paddy lands. They have no documents to show  ownership. They are at fault. Don’t listen to the  Tamil Separatist Movement . .https://youtu.be/Q4vIO5jjvmY

Bauddhaloka Foundation  which funded the conservation of the Kurundi stupa also helped in the dissemination of information on Kurundi. It had a superb symposium in May 2023, in Sinhala, for the local audience, where the persons involved in Kurundi work spoke of what they had done. It was very informative.

Bauddhaloka Foundation   also had a webinar on the history and archaeology of Kurundi for western audience, in English on October 28. 2023

The Kurundi team  is  not giving in  nor is it keeping quiet. Kurundi is  fighting back.  It has presented its own case admirably. It has produced a large, heavy book about itself. KURUNDI VIHARA VAMSAYA”, subtitled ‘Mullaitivu Nagachola maha vana meda pihiti iparani bodu puda bimaka katawa”, published by Sarasavi, 2023, 431 pages. It gives a full account of the Kurundi matter. It is chock full of photos of everything and everybody connected to Kurundi, so it is pictorial too. It is an excellent record.

That is not all. Kurundi has its own website. https://www.kurundi.lk/ and its own logo.

Kurundi Rajamaha Viharaya,
Thannimurippu,
Mullaitivu,
Sri Lanka( continued)

[1] https://youtu.be/Mu077_2dR8Y.

KAMALIKA PIERIS

This essay is a continuation of the previous essay which ended with the statement that Kurundi vihara had its own web site.  This website contains a booklet on Kurundi.  This booklet can be downloaded from the website. https://www.kurundi.lk/kurundi-booklet/.

The text   is wide ranging, it explains what happened at Kurundi, and also comments on Tamil separatism and the Burra Charter. Here are some of the statements made in the booklet. [1]

• Kurundi Booklet said Sri Lanka has a high density of archaeological heritage. Sri Lanka’s vast number of ruined temples scattered all over the island and especially in the North and Eastern provinces, indicate the spread of the Sinhala-Buddhist civilization many of them are being destroyed and vandalized, the lands of some ancient sites are being encroached upon. Vandalizing archaeological ruins is illegal.
• During the Eelam war, the Buddhist ruins were destroyed. Many of the ruined granite pillars and carved stones were used in other buildings as stepping stones or walls. When one travels in these areas, the damage is clearly evident.
• As the dispute at the Kurundi temple came into the spotlight, discussions about hundreds of ancient sites in the North and East came into the limelight. The many issues faced by these sites were brought into the discussion.
• Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage is the biggest threat to proving the existence of a Tamil homeland in the North and East. This is why for decades, the many sites and monuments in the North and East are being destroyed and vandalized. During the war, for almost three decades, in the areas that were under the control of the LTTE, many sites and monuments were either destroyed or kovils were built on them.
• In keeping with this, during the people’s protests and pride walks held in Colombo recently some ventured their anger against the archaeology and Buddhist work happening in the North and East. They were holding slogans saying that the ‘Buddhisization of the North-East- Traditional Tamil Homeland’ must be stopped and.
• Based on archaeological and historical evidence, there is nothing new to ‘Buddhistize’ in the North and East of the country. The vast number of temples scattered in these areas bears the place’s historical identities. It is not that monks or the Sri Lankan Government, or the Sinhalese are going to the North and East to set up temples. They have always been in those areas and what is being done now is reviving them and reconstructing them.
• There never had been a historical Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka and in the North East. The Tamil villagers today are all established during British rule. During the time of the British rule of Sri Lanka, Tamil people were settled in the Mullaitivu district, and it was those who forcefully encroached on the lands of many historical Buddhist temples of the North and East. They have also succeeded in obtaining land deeds for these encroached lands of Buddhist temples and ancient Sinhala Buddhist villages.
• Similarly, they have attempted to build a kovil near the Kurundi monastery and venerate it. There is evidence that it was started to rebuild this kovil in 1981. We need to understand what is going on.
• The objective of this booklet is to present to you a brief history of this ancient Buddhist monastery, its archaeology, recent conservation work, how it is not going against any national or international archaeological conservation laws and policies, and how the extremists are attacking the place, attempting to damage the place’s identity. Revealing the damages or threats to a heritage site, is not to provoke racism, but to protect the country’s national heritage.
• The evidence points out the fact that the Kurundi ancient monastery was a flourishing Buddhist monastery since the early historical times and it was located in a Sinhala Buddhist settlement. Evidence also proves that hundreds of Buddhist monks lived in the monastery. Today it is identified that the entire monastery land is spread across more than 400 acres.
• We also must understand that the ancient Kurundi Buddhist Monastery is not only a heritage of the Sri Lankan Buddhists but also of all the Buddhists of the world. Therefore, the ancient Kurundi Buddhist Monastery should be listed and protected as a World Heritage Site.
• The archaeology work was started in 2021 and the plan was to complete the stupa conservation based on the proposed plan (by archaeologists). On the day of enshrining the sacred relics of the Buddha inside the stupa, Parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and their supporters disturbed this event and force-stopped it. They claimed that the place belongs to their ‘homeland’ and the temple, in fact, is an ancient kovil (which does not tally with archaeological and historical sources).
• The chain of events that followed was witnessed by the whole country and in the end, the DoA was allowed to continue with their archaeology work at the place without any disturbance. However, the disputes and distractions created by these groups did not end then and there. Instead, it continued. Therefore, we will brief the incidents starting from 2018.
• On 4 September 2018 when we first commenced work this group came and created obstacles for our work and filed a court case. Then they continuously did false accusations and delayed the court proceedings.
• In January 2021 once again they created disturbances for the work at the temple. Despite the obstacles, we managed to start the work at the temple. Without stopping there, they continued to disturb our work and even provoked the people in the nearby villagers. Members of Parliament representing the TNA arrived at the temple and created big issues here, demanding to halt the work at the temple.
• Once again in August 2021, a court was filed at the Supreme Court. The 2018 case at the Mullaitivu Magistrate court was filed again and again based on false accusations, and the development of the temple was stopped from time to time due to this.
• Then on 12 June 2022, the religious festival was organized to enshrine the sacred relics inside the stupa, these politicians arrived here with people who provoked and stopped the religious festival. Hundreds of Buddhist monks arrived for the festival, representing the three Buddhist sects of the country, including many most venerable chief monks. The violent group insulted and harassed these Buddhist monks and verbally abused them with filth. A similar incident once again occurred on 21 September 2022 threatening the well-being of the ancient temple.
• This ancient temple should be developed and maintained and by doing so no harm to caused to anyone. In fact, when the temple is developed, a large number of pilgrims and tourists will visit the place on a daily basis and it will be a good income source for the villagers.
• The legal authority over the Kurundi site is with the Department of Archaeology. Ensuring its protection and other archaeological and research work is the professional responsibility of the DoA. Any other institution or political party cannot distract that legal authority. Nothing prevents the Department of Archaeology from undertaking the reconstruction of a stupa in an archaeological site as has been done since the 60s.
• Current archaeological works at the site are not violating the rights of an individual or a group; instead, that is an official intervention in safeguarding a people’s heritage that has a Buddhist cultural identity. If one says the work (conservation, restoration, excavations, publication, etc), is illegal, what the DoA has done for the past 132 years is illegal, unscientific, and anti-social.
• Kurundi is a heritage site under the existing law of the country which is identified as an archaeological reserve. What you do with such a site is given in the Antiquities Ordinance under which, reconstruction of a stupa is not prohibited.
• the archaeological work that has been done at Kurundi temple by any means cannot be interpreted as illegal according to local and international laws or policies. Also, based on these laws and policies, and charters, none of this construction falls under new construction work; they all are archaeological conservation work.
• The care of this heritage is primarily the responsibility of the religious community for whom this heritage has importance, at local and/or global levels. The conservation of living religious heritage is ideally initiated by the religious community and carried out in collaboration with conservation professionals and all those concerned.
• Considering the religious significance of a stupa Buddhist community decided to reconstruct stupas that are in ruined conditions, which is a long-established tradition in this country. In Sri Lanka, we have reconstructed many stupas with the addition of large amounts of bricks to regain the form suitable for worship. Principles for such interventions are still being discussed with no coherent agreements at the international level.
• It must be taken into consideration how the relevant culture has traditionally preserved its heritage in the past when the archaeological heritage of a living culture is subjected to conservation. These traditional knowledge systems are also part of heritage. Local heritage should not be completely subjected to foreign conservation methods. Heritage should be conserved by preserving its liveliness. To continue in a ruined state for a longer time results in the death of the culture.
• When it comes to Stupa Conservation, the international charters have some interesting mentionings. According to the Venice Charter, the level of restoration should be decided on the nature of the factors. Authentic texts, laws, and policies should be used in this process and It also states that the changes made over time should be respected while preserving the building. When these are applied to the issue at Kurundi, the problem can be solved; the needed restoration work can be done based on the archaeological facts.
• The conservation of the stupa and image house at Kurundi oscillates between traditional conservation and modern materialistic conservation views. There is no universal law that defines what you do with (interventions) a heritage site or an archaeological site. .According to the Burra Charter, conservation should be minimal physical intervention and should be done with attention to the cultural significance of a building.   ( CONTINUED)

[1] https://www.kurundi.lk/kurundi-booklet/ 2023

යසස් ධර්මදාස, ලේකම්, ගෝලීය ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සංසදය.

යුද්ධය මානුශික මෙහෙයුමකින් අවසන්කර වසර 15 ක් සපිරෙන මේ මොහොතේ, එම බෙදුම්වාදීන්ගේ මනදොල සපුරාලන්නට පනතක් ගෙන ඒම පිළිබඳව බලවත් පිළිකුල ප්‍රකාශ කරන බවත්, සත්‍ය සෙවීමේ කොමිසමේ අරමුණ හුදු සත්‍ය සෙවීමක්ම නොවන බවත් ගෝලීය ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සංසදයේ ලේකම් යසස් ධර්මදාස මහතා පවසයි.

මේ පිළිබඳව වැඩිදුර තොරතුරු අනාවරණය කරන ඒ මහතා මෙසේද සඳහන් කරයි,

“රණවිරුවන් ව්සිනම දාහකට දිවි අහිමිකරමින් තවත් රණවිරුවන් දොලොස් දාහක් ආබාධිත කරමින් තිස් වසරක් පැවති බෙදුම්වාදය සාක්ෂාත් කරගැනීම සඳහා පැවති යුද්ධය මානුශික මෙහෙයුමකින් අවසන්කර වසර 15 ක් සපිරෙන මේ මොහොතේ, එම බෙදුම්වාදීන්ගේ මනදොල සපුරාලන්නට පනතක් ගෙන ඒම පිළිබඳව අපගේ බලවත් පිළිකුල ප්‍රථමයෙන්ම ප්‍රකාශ කරමු. මේ සත්‍ය සෙවීම නමින් කරන්නට අරාඳින්නාවූ මහා පාවාදීම කුමක්ද කියා විමසා බලමු.

අපේ රටේ සමහරක් ජනතාව, විශේෂයෙන්ම තරුණ ප්‍රජාව, හිතන්න පුළුවන් සත්‍ය සෙවීමක් පිළිබඳව ඇයි මෙතරම් අකමැති, සත්‍ය දැනගත්තම කාටත් හොඳයිනෙ, අනෙක ඕකෙන් හොරා කාපු රාජපක්ෂලටනෙ ඳඬුවම් විඳින්න වෙන්නෙ කියල. විශේෂයෙන්ම මිමී එකකට එහා දෙයක් නොකියවන රෝං ජෙනරේෂන් එකකට එහෙම තමයි හිතෙන්නෙ. නමුත් ඊට එහා දැනුමක් ඇති පිරිසක්, විශේෂයෙන්ම 69 ලක්ෂයකින් පත්කරන ලද නියෝජිතයින් පිරිසක්ද, මේ මිමී ගොනුවට අලුතින්ම එකතුවී සිටීම අභාග්‍ය සම්පන්න කරුණක් ලෙසයි අප දකින්නෙ.

ප්‍රථමයෙන්ම මේ සත්‍ය සෙවීමේ කොමිසමේ අරමුණ හුදු සත්‍ය සෙවීමක්ම නොවෙයි කියා අප වටහා ගත යුතුයි. එසේ සත්‍ය සෙවීමක් සිදුකිරීමට අවශ්‍යනම් එය මේ නවලිබරල් ක්‍රමයට සිදුකළ නොහැකියි. සත්‍ය සෙවීමටනම් ගතානුගත ස්වභාවික යුක්තිය ක්‍රමය අනුගමනය කළ යුතුයි.

මේ සත්‍ය සෙවීම සිදුවන්නේ 2015 මෛත්‍රී රනිල් සුසිල් පාඨලී අනුර ප්‍රමුඛ යහපාලන රජය විසින් සමානුග්‍රහයදී ආරෝපණය කරගන්නා ලද අපේ රණ විරුවන් යුද අපරාධකරුවන් වේය යන පූර්ව නිගමනය මත හා ඊට ලබාදෙන ලද ඳඬුවම් පිළිගනිමින්. ස්වභාවික යුක්තිය පසෙකලා, සාක්ෂිකරුවන් ආරක්ෂා කිරීමේ පනත හෙවත් චෝදනා කරන්නවුන් කවුද කියා හෙළි නොකර, ඉන් සාක්ෂිකරුවන්ගෙන් සාක්ෂි පිළිබඳව විශ්වාසනීයත්වය තහවුරු කර ගැනීමට ඉඩ නොතබා කටයුතු කිරීම තහවුරුකර ඒ ඔස්සේ සත්‍ය සෙවීමක් පිළිබඳව කතාකරන මේ පනතින් එහි යටි අරමුණු මොනවාද නොදන්නා අය හිතන ආකාරයේ සත්‍ය සෙවීමක් මෙම කොමිසමෙන් බලාපොරොත්තු විය නොහැකියි. මේ කොමිසමේ සත්‍ය අවශ්‍යතාවය වන්නේ ඒ 2015 පිළිගන්නා ලද 30/1 ජිනීවා ප්‍රඥප්තියේ ඉතිරි නියෝග පිළිපැදීම හා ක්‍රියාවේ යෙදවීමයි. 

තිස් වසරක යුද්ධය 2009 දී මානුශික මෙහෙයුමකින් නිමවා වසර 15 ක් සපිරෙන මැයි 19 දින මේ හුදු සත්‍ය සෙවීමේ කොමිසම් පනතට මූලිකව බලපාන්නාවූ කාරණය පිළිබඳව අවධානය යොමු කරමු. මේ සඳහා මූළිකව බලපා තිබෙන්නේ 2015 වසරේ සැප්තැම්බර් 16 දින ජිනීවාහි මානව හිමිකම් කවුන්සිලයේ තිස්වෙනි සැසිවාරයට ඉදිරිපත්වූ “ශ්‍රී ලංකාව පිළිබඳව මානව අයිතිවාසිකම් මහ කොමසාරිස් කාර්යාලය මගින් කරන ලද විමර්ශනයේ වාර්තාවේ (OISL)” සඳහන් “ප්‍රධාන සොයා ගැනීම්” සහ “යුක්තිය හා වගවීම” යටතේවූ “නිගමන හා නිර්දේශ” ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමට ගන්නාවූ අවසාන අවශ්‍යතාවය සැපිරීම වේ.

FCID යනම්වූ, සාමාන්‍ය අධිකරණ ක්‍රියාදාමයෙන් බාහිරව ක්ෂණිකව දූෂණ පිළිබඳව කටයුතු කිරීමට බලය පවරා තිබූ,  ලිබරල් ආයතනයක් මගින් විවිධවූ හොරා චෝදනා යටතේ ගොනුකළ නඩුහබ වලට හිරේ විලංගුවේ වැටෙමින් කාළය ගෙවීමට සිදුවීම හේතුවෙන් ජිනීවා චෝදනාවලට විත්තිවාචිකයක් සෑදීමට මානුශික මෙහෙයුම සිදුකළාවූ රාජපක්ෂ වරුන්ට කාළයක් නොතිබූනේයැයි අප සිතූ හෙයින්ද, දෙමළ කොටි ඩයස්පෝරාව දිගින් දිගටම ජිනීවාහී මානව හිමිකම් කොමිසම නමැති නරාවලෙහි පාලුගෙයි වලං බිඳිමින් සිටි හෙයින්ද, ඒ වෙනතෙක් අපේ රණවිරුවන්ගේ නිර්දෝශී භාවය පිළිබඳව කිසිදු ලියවිල්ලක් මානව හිමිකම් කොමිසමට ඉදිරිපත්කර නොතිබූ හෙයින්ද; 2016 වසරේ අගභාගයේදී ජාතික සංවිධාන එකමුතුවේ පැවරුම අනුව, ගෝලීය ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සංසදයේ අනුග්‍රහය මත ඉහත සඳහන් “OISL වාර්තාවේ සඳහන්වූ විමර්ශණයේ ප්‍රධාන සොයා ගැනීම්” පිළිබඳව විමර්ශණයක් ස්වාධීන විද්වත් මංඩලයක් විසින් සිදු කරන ලදී. එම විමර්ශණ වාර්තාව සහ නිර්දේශ “විරුවන්ගේ විත්තිවාචිකය” ලෙස 2017 මාර්තු මස 12 හෝ ආසන්න දිනක තුම්මුල්ලේ ශ්‍රී සම්බුද්ධත්ව ජයන්ති මන්දිරයේදී ප්‍රධාන රණවිරුවන් විසින් අනාගත ගැලවුම්කරු වේයැයි සිතූ ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතාටද, එම අවස්ථාවට ආරාධිතව පැමිණසිටි දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා ප්‍රමුඛ මහජන නියෝජිතයින් හටද මහා සංඝයා වහන්සේ ඉදිරියේ උත්සවාකාරයෙන් මහත් බලාපොරොත්තු ඇතිව ප්‍රධානය කරන ලදී. එහි එක් පරමාර්ථය වූයේ රට රැකගත්තාවූ රණවිරුවන්හට එල්ලවී ඇති චෝදනා නිශ්ප්‍රභා කිරීම සඳහා ගෝඨාභය හා දිනේශ් ඇතුලු කණ්ඩායමට අවශ්‍ය සාධක සපයාදීමයි. බලය ලැබුන පසුව ඔවුන් ප්‍රථමයෙන්ම අමතක කර දැමුවේද එම අවශ්‍යතාවයයි. ඒ වෙනුවට ඔවුන් තෝරාගත්තේ යුද අපරාධ චෝදනා පවතිද්දීම ඳඬුවම් වලින් බේරීම සඳහා “මධ්‍යස්ථ දෙමල ප්‍රජාව එන්ගේජ් කරගැනීම” නම්වූ සට්ටැඹි තියරියයි.

“විත්තිවාචිකයෙන්” ජාතික සංවිධාන සඳහා නිර්දේශිතවූ නිර්දේශිතයන් තුනෙන් එකක් සපුරනුවස් ගෝලීය ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සංසදය ප්‍රමුඛව විශ්‍රාමික දෙවන නාවික කොමදෝරු සරත් වීරසේකරයින් විසින් එම “විත්තිවාචිකය” 2017 මාර්තු මස 20 හෝ ආසන්න දිනක ජිනීවාහී මානව හිමිකම් කොමිසමට බාරදෙන ලදී. මෙම විත්තිවාචිකය මගින් මානව හිමිකම් කොමිසමෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියේ OISL වාර්තාවේ සඳහන් කරුණු පිළිබඳව අපක්ෂපාතී වාර්තාවක් කැඳවන ලෙසත්, OISL වාර්තාව පිළිබඳව රජයේ ස්ථාවරය ප්‍රකාෂ කරන ලෙසත්, මානව හිමිකම් කොමිසමේ සිදුවූ දෑ පිළිබඳව එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානය දැනුවත් කරන ලෙසත්, එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානයේ විශේෂ වාර්තාකරුවෙක් OISL වාර්තාව නැවත විමර්ෂණය සඳහා යොදවන ලෙසත්, එතෙක් OISL වාර්තාවේ නිර්දේශ ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම තහනම් කරමින් මානව හිමිකම් කොමිසමට තාවකාලික තහනමක් පවරන ලෙසත් වේ.

මාතෘකාවේ සඳහන් යෝජිත කොමිසම් පනතට අදාල “සත්‍ය” මේ වනවිටත් සිවිල් යුද්ධයක් පැවතියාවූ රටක සෙවිය හැකි ප්‍රමාණයටත් වැඩියෙන් “සොයා” ඉදිරිපත් කර ඇත. මේ සොයාගත් දෑ බීරි අලින්ට වීණා වයන්නාසේ වීමද, එම සොයාගත්දෑ අදාල රජයන් විසින් නිසි ආකාරයට පරිහරණය නොකිරීමද මේ අනවරතයෙන් සිදුවෙන අනවර්තයට හේතු පාදකව ඇත.

“විත්තිවාචකය” සම්පාදනය වූයේ එවකටත් සම්පාදනය කර, එහෙත් වැඩක් නොගෙන හමස් පෙට්ටියට යවා තිබූ, යුද අපරාධ පිළිබඳව ගවේෂණය කරන ලද යුද විශේෂඥයින්ගේ වාර්තා හතක් පදනම්ව බැවින්, මෛත්‍රී රනිල් සුසිල් පාඨලී අනුර ප්‍රමුඛ යහපාලන රජය “අපේ රණවිරුවන් යුද අපරාධකරුවන්වේය” යන්න සමානුග්‍රහයදී පිළිගන්නාවිටද ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ රණවිරුවන්‍ යුද අපරාධකරුවන්වේය යන චෝදනාව නිශේධනය කිරීම සඳහා අවශ්‍ය සාක්ෂි සම්භාරයක්ම සම්පාදනය කර තිබුණි. සිදුවූයේ හුදු රාජපක්ෂ විරෝධය හේතුවෙන් දුෂ්ඨවූ යහපාලන රජය මහා පිංතූරය අමතක කරදමා රට බෙදුම්වාදයට නතු කරන අවස්ථාවාදී තොණ්ඩුව සියතින් ගෙලලා ගැනීමයි. 

එම කරුමයේ උරුමයට එදා කරගැසීමට සිදුවූ එවක ජිනීවාහි මානව හිමිකම් සමුළුවේ නිත්‍ය නියෝජිත රවිනාථ ආරියසිංහ මහතා අප සමග පැවසුවේ “යුද අපරාධ චෝදනා තිබෙන තාක්කල් එම චෝදනා හිසට උඩින් සිහින් කෙස් ගසකින් එල්ලා ඇති තියුණු අසිපතක්සේ අපට එරෙහිව පවතින” බවයි. මෙම කරුණ ඕනෑම සාධාරණ සිහියක් ඇති තැනැත්තෙකු හට වැටහෙනු ඇත. එය අවබෝධ කරගැනීම සඳහා නීතිය පිළිබඳව කිසිදු ආචාර්‍ය මහාචාර්‍ය පට්ටමක් අවශ්‍ය නොවේ. පලාගිය ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතාට පලායන්නට සිදුවූයේද රණවිරුවන් හට එම යුද අපරාධ චෝදනා පවතිද්දීම “මධ්‍යස්ථ දෙමළ ඩයස්පෝරාව එන්ගේජ් කරගෙන ඳඬුවම්වලින් ගැලවීම සමථයකට පත්කරගත හැක” යන “සට්ටැඹි උපදේශය” පිළිගැනීම නිසාවේ. ගෝඨාභයගේ “ජනාධිපති ධූරයෙන් මා නෙරපීමේ කුමන්ත්‍රණය” පොතේ ඒ පිළිබඳව සටහන්ව නොතිබීම තත්කාලීන කරුණු පිළිබඳව එතුමාගේ පවතින අවබෝධය පිළිබඳව තක්සේරුවක් සේ බැහැර කළ නොහැක. කරුණු වසංකරමින් නිසොල්ලාසයන් ලිවීමද කුමන්ත්‍රණය තවමත් ඉදිරියට ඇදෙන බවට සඥාවක් විය හැක.

විමර්ශනයේ ප්‍රධාන සොයා ගැනීම් ලෙස සඳහන්ව ඇත්තේ (1) නීති විරෝධී ඝාතන (2) නිදහස අහිමි කිරීමට අදාළ උල්ලංඝනයන් (3) බලහත්කාර අතුරුදහන් කිරීම් (4) වධ හිංසා හෝ අනෙකුත් ආකාරයේ කුරිරු, අමානුෂික හෝ අවමන් සහගත සැලකීම් (5) ලිංගික හා ස්ත්‍රීපුරුෂ සමාජ භාව පදනම් ප්‍රචණ්ඩත්වය (6) පැහැර ගැනීම් හා බලහත්කාර බඳවා ගැනීම් (7) ළමුන් බඳවා ගැනීම හා එදිරිවාදිකම්වල යොදා ගැනීම (8) සිවිල් ජනතාවට සහ පොදු ස්ථානවලට සටන්වල බපෑම (9) යාම් ඊම් පාලනය (10) මානුශීය ආධාර අහිමි කිරීම, සහ (11) තීව්‍ර පිරික්සුම හා අභ්‍යන්තරව අවතැන් වූ පුද්ගලයින්ගේ නිදහස අහිමි කිරීම යන කාරණා වේ.

විත්තිවාච්කය විසින් විමර්ශණය කරන පරිදි OISL චෝදනා එකොලහෙන් තුනක් LTTE සංවිධානයට එරෙහිවද, තුනක් පොදුවේ LTTE හා ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජය වෙතද, පහක් ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජයට එරෙහිවද එල්ලකර තිබුනි. ඉන් එක චෝදනාවක්, එනම් ඉහත 11 වන චෝදනාව, විත්තිවාචිකය සම්පාදනය කල කාලය වනවිට අවසන්ව හෝ අවසාන අවස්ථාවේ පැවතුනි. LTTE සංවිධානය වෙත එල්ලවී තිබුනේ ඉහත 6, 7 සහ 9 චෝදනාවන් වේ. පොදුවේ එල්ලවූ චෝදනාවන් වූයේ 1,8 හා 10 යන චෝදනා වේ. විත්තිවාචිකය විසින් සළකා බලනු ලැබුවේ ඉතිරි චෝදනා හතර සහ පොදු චෝදනාවේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජයට එරෙහිවූ චෝදනා පමණක් වේ. මෙහිදී ජේෂ්ඨ නීතිවේදී දර්ශන් වීරසේකර මහතා විසින් පරණගම කොමිසමේ සඳහන්ව තිබූ යුද අපරාධ විශේෂඥයින්වූ රාජ නීතිඥ සර් ඩෙස්මන්ඩ් ඩි සිල්ව, මහාචාර්‍ය ඩී.එම්. ක්‍රේන්, රාජ නීතිඥ සර් ජෙෆ්‍රි නයිස්, රාජ නීතිඥ රොඩ්නි ඩික්සන්, මහාචාර්ය මයිකල් නිව්ටන් සහ මේජර් ජෙනරාල් ජෝන් හෝම්ස් යන මහත්වරුන් විසින් සම්පාදනය කරන ලද වාර්තා සහ ලිපි විත්තිවාචිකය සම්පාදනය සඳහා භාවිතා කරන ලදී. එසේම යුද සමයේ යුද්ධ භූමියේ සිටි විදේශික වාර්තාකරුවන්වූ ෆ්‍රන්ට්ලයින් සඟරාවේ මුරලිදර් රෙඩ්ඩි, රොයිටර් ඡායාරූප ශිල්පී ඩේවිඩ් ග්‍රේ ආදීන්ගේ වාර්තාද, යුද්ධයේ අවසාන කොටසේ යුද්ධ භූමියේ සිටි වෛද්‍යවරුන්ගේ වාර්තා, LTTE යේ දේශපාලන අංශයේ ප්‍රධානී තමිලිනී ජයකුමාරන් මහත්මියගේ ප්‍රකාෂයන්, එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානයේ කොළඹ ප්‍රකාෂක ගෝඩන් වේස් මහතාගේ ප්‍රකාෂණද, ICRC වාර්තා, UN වාර්තා, LLRC වාර්තා, CCHA වාර්තා, විකිලීක්ස් හා දේශපාලන රැකවරණය ලැබීමේ අයදුම්පත්‍ර ආදිය ද විමර්ශණය සඳහා භාවිතා කරන ලදී. දර්ශනයන්ගේ විමර්ශණය අනුව අපගේ රණවිරුවන් යුද අපරාධ සිදු නොකරන ලද බවට නැවත තහවුරුවිය. 

දර්ශන් වීරසේකරයන්ගේ මෙම විමර්ශණයේදී සාක්ෂි අපරාධ නඩු වලට අදාල සාක්ෂි පසිඳලීමේදී භාවිතාවෙන සාක්ෂි විධි ක්‍රම පහෙන් හතරක්ම භාවිතා කර ඇති අතර OISL වාර්තාවේ සාක්ෂි ප්‍රමිතිය “විශ්වාස කිරීමට සාධාරණ හේතු” නියමය වන අතර එය නීතියේ යම් නිශ්චිත චෝදනාවක් ස්ථාපිත කිරීම සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කළ යුතු සාක්ෂියේ පහළම ස්ථරය ලෙස නීතියේ පිළිගැනේ. ජාත්‍යන්තර අධිකරණයට අනුව චෝදනා එල්ලකිරීම සඳහා අවම වශයෙන් චෝදනාවල සංවේදී හෝ සාධාරණ සාධාරණීයකරණයක් පැවතිය යුතුය. නමුත් එවන් සංවේදී සාධාරණීය හෝ සාධාරණ සාධරණීය වාතාවරණයක් OISL වාර්තාවේ නොමැති අතර චෝදනා සහ ඳඬුවම් සියල්ල ඒක පාර්ශිකව තීරණය කර ඇත. ඒ සඳහා අවාසනාවට කුහක අමනෝඥ යහපාලන රජයද සමානුග්‍රහයදී සම්මාදම්ව ඇත.

2017 වසරේදී එංගලන්ත පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සභික නෙස්බි සාමිවරයා විසින්ද ශ්‍රී ලංකාව යුද අපරාධ නොකරන ලද බවත් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට පණවා ඇති යුද අපරාධ චෝදනා ඉවත්කළ යුතු බවත් ප්‍රකාෂ කරන ලදී. නෙස්බි සාමිවරයාගේ එම හෙළිදරව්ව බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය රජයේ රහස්‍ය ආරක්ෂක වාර්තා තොරතුරු දැනගැනීමේ පණත යටතේ ඉතා අසීරුවෙන් ලබාගන්නා ලද බවද එතුමා ප්‍රකාෂ කර තිබුනි. එම අතරින්පතර තොරතුරු සඟවාතිබූ වාර්තාව නෙස්බි සාමිවරයා විසින්ම මෙම ලියුම්කරු සහභාගීවූ එංගලන්ත පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ රැස්වීම් ශාලාවක පැවැත්වූ රැස්වීමකදී අපවෙත පරීක්ෂාව සඳහා ලබාදුනි.

මීට අමතරව, නෙස්බි සාමිවරයාගේ ඉල්ලීම මත, යුද්ධයේ අවසාන සමයේ සිදුවුනා යැයි ප්‍රකාෂිත සිවිල් මරණ සංඛ්‍යාව පිළිබඳව වැප්ස් සංවිධානය මගින් ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලද යුද්ධයේ අවසාන සමයේ සිදුවූ සිවිල් මරණ පිළිබඳව වාර්තාවක් පාදකව තවත් වාර්තාවක් නෙස්බි සාමිවරයාවෙත යොමුකරන ලදී.  එම වාර්තාව පසුව මානව හිමිකම් සමුළුවටද යොමුකරන ලදී. මෙම වාර්තාව සම්පාදනය කරන ලද්දේ LTTE යේ නිල මාද්‍යවූ TamilNet වෙබ් අඩවියේ යුද සමයේ තත්ත්කාලීනව පලවූ මරණ වාර්තා පාදක කරගෙන වේ. එම තත්කාලීන වාර්තා අනුව යුද්ධයේ එම වකවානුවේදී POE වාර්තාව හෙවත් කුප්‍රකට දරුස්මාන් වාර්තාව ඇතුලුව රායප්පු ජෝෂප් කතෝලික පියතුමා ඇතුලු විවිධ සංවිධාන සහ ඩයස්පෝරාවන් කලින් කලට පවසන පරිදි 40,000 සිට 120,000 ක්වූ සිවිල් වැසියන් සංඛ්‍යාවක් නොව, යුද්ධයෙන් මියගොස් ඇත්තේ 7,735 ක් බවට සනාතවිය. නෙස්බි සාමිවරයාගේ හෙළිදරව්ව ආකාරයට මෙයින් සියයට විසිපහක් අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම LTTE සාමාජිකයින්වේ. ඒ බව යුද සමයේ මිනිස් පළිහේ රැඳී හිටි හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මංත්‍රී මෙන්ම සටන් පැවති ප්‍රදේශ වල සේවයේ නියුතුව හිටපු වෛද්‍ය වරුන්ගේ සාක්ෂි වලින්ද සනාත කර ඇත.

එබැවින්, “සත්‍ය සෙවීමට” තවත් අණපනත් ගෙන ඒමට අවශ්‍ය නැත. මේ වනවිට “සත්‍ය සොයාගෙන” බොහෝ කලක් ගතව ඇත. “සත්‍ය සෙවීම” නමින් මේ සිදුකිරීමට කැසකවනු ලබන්නේ අබලන්ව වැටී ඇති රට වෙනත් දුෂ්ඨ අරමුණක් වෙනුවෙන් ඇදගෙන යෑමයි. 

ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂයේ නායකත්වය, රට යුද අපරාධ ගැටයේ පැටලුවාවූ යහපාලන රජයේ ජනාධිපති විසින්ම, රණවිරු දඩයමට අදාල අණපනත් හතකට දායකවූ පුද්ගලයෙකුට කඩිමුඩියේ පැවරීම සිදුකිරීමද මේ කුමන්ත්‍රණ වල තවත් පියවරක් විය හැක.

අප මෙහි සඳහන් කරනු ලැබුවේ අභූත යුද අපරාධ චෝදනා නිශේදනය හෙවත් “සත්‍ය සෙවීම” පිළිබඳව අදාල කරුණු පමණයි. මුහුණ දියයුතු සහ පරාජය කලයුතු දුෂ්ඨ අරමුණු වන්නේ පනතේ ඉතිරි කොටස වන “වගවීම සහ වැලැක්වීම” යටතේ යෝජිත කරුණු සම්භාරයටවේ. එම දුෂ්ඨ අරමුණු වලින් ගැලවීම මධස්ථ මතධාරී දෙමල ඩයස්පෝරාවක් “එන්ගේජ්” කරගැනීමෙන් ඉටුකළ ගත නොහැකි බව සට්ටැඹිධාරී නීතිවේදීන්ට හා ගෝඨාභයට දැන්වත් වැටහෙනු ඇතිද කියා සිතිය නොහැක. “එන්ගේජ්” උනේ කවුද කරේ කවුද කියා විමල්, තෝරදෙණිය ආදීන්ගේ ග්‍රන්ථ වල සේම කතානායකට එරෙහිව ගෙන ආ විශ්වාසභංගයෙන් පසු කතානායක කළ හෙළිදරව්වෙන්ද පැහැදිලි වේ. එසේම, OISL වාර්තාව මගින් වාර්තා කර ඇති ප්‍රධාන සොයා ගැනීම් සියල්ල අසත්‍ය බව ඉහත සනාථ කර ඇති බැවින්, තව දුරටත් OISL මගින් සිදුකර ඇති නිර්දේශයන් හා නියෝගයන් ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම අවශ්‍ය නොවන බව රජයට වැටහිය යුතුයි. ඒ සඳහා කටයුතු කිරීමට පක්ෂයක් හෝ මංත්‍රීවරයෙක් ඉදිරිපත් නොවීමද කනගාටුවට කරුණක්.

එබැවින් දැන්වත් මේ රාජ්‍යය දුර්වල කරන රට බෙදන දුෂ්ඨ ක්‍රියාවලියෙන් ඉවත්වෙන ලෙස හා එම දුෂ්ඨ ක්‍රියාවලිය පරාජය කරන ලෙස, අඩුම තරමේ 69 ලක්ෂයේ ඡන්දයෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තු ගිය, සැමගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටිනව.

එසේම අරුන් සිද්ධර්ථ මහතා වෙතද ඉල්ලීමක් කිරීමට කැමතියි. ඔබව යූඑන්පියේ සංවිධායක ලෙස පත්කිරීම බාධාවක් ලෙස නොසළකමින්, ඉහත OISL විමර්ශණ මගින් LTTE ය වෙත කරන ලද චෝදනා 1,6,7,8,9 හා 10 පිළිබඳව විමර්ශණයක් කිරන ලෙස ඉල්ලා සිටිනව. ඔබ විසින් LTTE යෙන් තාඩනයට හා පීඩනයට ලක්වූ ජනතාව පිළිබඳව සෙවීමට නියමිතවූ ව්‍යාපෘතිය හා මෙම ක්‍රියාවලිය සමපාත වෙනු ඇති කියා හිතනව. එබැවින්, ඒ පිළිබඳව ඔබගේ කඩිනම් අවධානය යොමුකරණු ඇතැයි විශ්වාස කරමි.”

– යසස් ධර්මදාස, ලේකම්, ගෝලීය ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සංසදය.