Crisis In Sri Lanka: News & Updates

[KidRapper]

(Source - Lanka-e-News, May 20, 2010, 10.40 AM) Log in to see links

Sri Lanka is the only country in the world which feels no shame to celebrate war victory keeping the War hero who won the war in jail – General Sarath Fonseka

I am commemorating the war victory today (19) while my photograph is banned. Even announcing my name is banned. After I won the war, I was described as a great war Hero and patriot. I was lauded as the greatest Army Commander in the world. The war Hero then is now made a villain. The patriot then is made a traitor now on flimsy and false charges of a conspiracy filed against me. This is the only country in the world which has displayed to the world that it has no sense of shame to celebrate the first anniversary of the war victory while keeping the War Hero and patriot ( as described by none other than the Govt. itself then) in jail.

The foregoing is an announcement made by the former Army Commander Gen. Fonseka who led the country to victory in the 30 year old war against the deadliest terrorist outfit in the world , and brought an end to a terrorist Organization considered earlier as indefeasible.

The General who is an M P and the leader of the DNA party stated ‘Even though I am kept imprisoned ,I feel it is my duty to express my gratitude on this occasion of the war victory commemoration to all those who helped me to win the war by making supreme sacrifices including their lives to accomplish this victory after 30 years of conflict’

Today , we complete one year following the defeat of terrorism which liberated the country and the people from the curse that lasted 30 years. At this juncture, I am made to remember the immense sacrifices the brave soldiers made on behalf of the country , and the innocent people who bore the sufferings due to the ravages of war.

I pay a tribute to the Army, Navy, Air Force and the civil defense Organizations who from the very outset fought for this victory out of love for the motherland. I also thank the parents with great respect who sacrificed their children by allowing them to take part in the battle . Of course their grief is immeasurable, yet I am sure these parents must be proud now for producing such children who gave away their lives fighting for the motherland..

Some Soldiers are in a permanently disabled state today .They have lost their eyes , hearing and even their legs and arms. My special gratitude to them who lost their precious physical and mental abilities fighting for the cause of the country.

Parents lost their children. Wives lost their husbands. Children lost their parents. Brothers and sisters were lost. I fully appreciate the great patience and endurance of those bereaved families and individuals who are gripped by this indelible grief. Many Buddhist priests and the clergy order too lost their lives in Arantalawa, Sri Maha Bodhi and other religious places. Similarly, priests of other religions died and suffered. I express my heartfelt condolences to all of them who suffered at the hands of the terrorist attacks.

I can still visualize how the whole country and the people en masse cheered me when I , as Army Commander officially announced the war victory. The lion flags which adorned every house, every street and every corner are still vivid in my memory. There was not a single place where my photographs and pictures were not displayed.
Yet, today , on the day this war victory is being celebrated , my photograph is banned. Even announcing my name is prohibited. I was then described and extolled by this very Govt. as the greatest army Commander, War Hero and patriot. But, now I am flimsily accused as having conspired against the Govt. and as a traitor. This is the first and only country. in the world which is commemorating a war victory keeping out the main War Hero who won the war for the country , people and the Govt., purposely and designedly out of it. This is an irony of ironies!

I conclude by expressing my gratitude and appreciation to all those who made sacrifices and extended their co operation and assistance towards winning this 30 year long cruel war .

[KidRapper]

(Source - Lanka-e-News, May 21, 2010, 9.45AM) Log in to see links

Rains claim 18 lives; 0ver 5 lakhs people devastated.

Owing to the incessant torrential rains, 503,977 people of 115, 610 families have been displaced while 18 people have lost their lives, the Minister of disaster management A H M Fowzie stated.

The victims of the Western District have been housed in 81 camps and given relief. 225 houses had been totally destroyed, and another 1039 houses have been partially damaged.

Minister Fowzie revealed these details at a media briefing today (20) at the media and information Ministry auditorium.

Fowzie also added that, Rs. 80 million had been allocated towards relief for these victims by the Disaster management Ministry and 25 million of that sum had been spent so far. These funds are being released through the District Secretaries to provide food for the victims of this disaster, he noted.

Notes:

1. It would be a miracle if all this money will be put into its proper use!

[lchathuranga]

tropical rains are usually torrential.It seems that even after 60 years of independence we havan't efficent mechanism natuaral disaster management. As according to my experience most funds was misused by low level official and politician in the relief works after Tsunami disaster.In flood situation it may be the same.Our state mechanism is too corrupted by decades of governance by the leaders who have no will or not politically strong enough to change the situation.

Why does Former Army commander General Fonseka praise himself.Is it because he feels self pity and he thinks to convey it to people by sympatizing soldiers.

Fonseka's daughters' are in USA educating on state funds of Sri Lanka.He has a green card or temporary citizenship in US.He could have been left any time for USA even if Sri Lanka vanishes from map.And I must remember the first hint of Fonseka's home coming to politics was issused by JVP poster claiming that Fonseka had stated in WASHINGTON that if need arose he would even step down from his post to protect the country .Why Washington? No doubt he has strong ties with USA. Did he try of quilsing somehow?

Too sad! people united during the war devide so badly that one side curses other side and exaggerates problems and other side who have power had to ban them and uncover the faults of other which covered previously by themselves when they were friends.

[Mark]

lchathuranga, please do not double, triple post etc. I have merged your posts.

[KidRapper]

Could you please start a new thread for yourself lchathuranga?

I'm not trynna be offensive, but this is getting really ridiculous.

No offense intended!

[lchathuranga]

I am sorry,I don't intend to distrupt you. I just put foward the facts.So I stop.Wish you good luck and bright future!

[KidRapper]

I am sorry,I don't intend to distrupt you. I just put foward the facts.So I stop.Wish you good luck and bright future!

Gee thanx a lot!

Wish you the best too. Nothing personal, just political.

& like you said, "just the facts".

[KidRapper]

(Source - Lanka-e-News, May 26, 2010, 9.30 AM) Log in to see links

If the Judiciary too is being politically tampered with there is no place for a citizen to turn to for justice.

DNA M.P. and Secretary Vijitha Herath speaking to the media at the DNA political office at Rajakeeya Mawatha yesterday (25), said, there are reports in the media that attempts are being made to transfer the Chief Magistrate on political grounds. If this is so, it is a very serious situation. The only place left now for us to seek justice is the Judiciary. We can repose faith only in the Judiciary. If politics is going to interfere with the independent Judiciary, justice and fair play cannot be expected in that sphere too. It is time that the intelligentsia unites to combat this trend, he noted.

Media spokesman on National security, Keheliya Rambukwella had stated that when Gen. Fonseka, the then Army Commander went to China in the final lap of the war, it was the second in command who conducted the war operations. The DNA M P referring to this statement said, Rambukwella may be foolish to nurse that notion in keeping with his characteristic tomfoolery. But, the truth about the war scenario and who won the war for the country need not be over emphasized, as the Army and every citizen is aware. Even a child knows it, though Rambukwella hasn’t even that Kindergarten knowledge. Neither have we time to educate him on this nor the time to waste arguing on this. The DNA M P requested all those who cannot acknowledge that Gen. Fonseka won the war to read the speech of the President in Parliament on the 19th May last year after the war was won., and how the President called upon the General exclusively to cut the cake to celebrate the war victory. Hence, this ‘fairy tale’ about the second in command is good only for kindergarten Rambukwella to be related at his bedside, Herath quipped.

The Govt. going to the extent of prohibiting the publication of articles and pictures of Fonseka associated with his war victory in the media during this week of commemoration of the war victory, is a clear indication of how low the Govt. can descend to in its contemptible conduct. But, the media which defied those Govt. orders and acted fearlessly should be saluted, Herath pointed out.

Notes:

1. Vijitha Herath - DNA M.P. & Secretary

[KidRapper]

(Source - Lanka-e-News, May 30, 2010, 11.00 AM) Log in to see links

People inundated by flood waters MPs inundated by dollars!! - This is Sri Lankan politics fattening even on people's death and despair!

Because a budget was not presented so far, the salary increases for Govt. servants; relief measures and development schemes have been stalled. While this is the truly dire situation in the country, at the Cabinet meeting on 29 th however , it was decided that the tax free permit for import of vehicles to MPs shall be increased from Dollars 35,000 to Dollars 50,000 . A loan is also to be passed by the Bank of Ceylon to facilitate the enjoyment of this privilege.

During the last Parliament the maximum value of the tax free permit was US Dollars 35000, and the loan granted by the Bank was at 4 % per annum. But, this time a lesser loan interest rate is being considered.

It is significant to note that the proposal for tax free vehicles for MPs was first made at the party leaders’ meeting, where it was passed without anybody objecting.

Parliamentary affairs Minister Sumedha Jayasena announced the scheme for tax free permit proposal at the Cabinet meeting. It was requested therein to increase the value of the present 35000 dollar permit for each MP to 45 000 dollars.

After some Ministers claimed that this amount is not enough to import a good new vehicle, the permit amount was increased to Dollars 50,000/- with the consent of the President Mahinda Rajapakse. Accordingly, the Cabinet has passed the decision to allow an M P to import a vehicle up to a maximum value of US Dollars 50,000 dollars under the permit.

In accordance with this proposal, MPs who had completed five years in Parliament and the new MPs will all be entitled to these permits. All MPs who were in the earlier Cabinet and now elected again are all who had completed five years. Hence, they will become entitled to another new vehicle with these concessions. They can get down another tax free vehicle and will be entitled to the low interest Bank loan payable in installments via their salaries.

Ordinarily when a luxury vehicle is imported, a tax levy of 400% is imposed. A vehicle worth 50,000 dollars imported under this tax free scheme fetches a price of around Rs. 25 million. On this basis the total tax concession granted to the 225 MPs amounts to Rs. 5250 million! The cost of import of such a vehicle to an MP is less than Rs. 60 lakhs.

To the Govt. which says it hasn't the resources or funds to give the salary increase of Rs. 2500/-per month to the workers which the President promised to give from January 2010; and which is unable to grant their disaster and housing loans until the budget is presented, sees nothing militating, including a non presentation of a budget against the granting of tax free permits to the MPs. These MPs are enjoying these luxuries at the expense of the reeling masses, for it was only recently taxes were imposed by the Govt. on the essential goods like dhal, sugar and other items to meet the expenses incurred in providing luxury vehicles to the MPs.

It is also well to note that it had been reported that sufficient funds could not be allocated to provide relief to those victims of the recent floods and rains because of Govt.'s lack of funds. According to the District Secretaries’ reports, the amount of loss suffered by the people owing to this disaster is around Rs.200 million.

In this sad scenario, aren't these concessions a perfect illustration of heartless political fattening on people’s death and despair??

[KidRapper]

Hi everyone!

This thread's been down for sometime because I was pretty busy during the past few months.

Although I was hoping to bring this thread back up in September, I wish to relate something important to you guys. How the ministers of our new government behave, how they take law into their own hands, & what happens afterwards.

Minister Mervyn ties Samurdhi officer to a tree

Source: - (Lanka-e-News, Aug. 03, 2010, 10.25 PM Log in to see links)

Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva (Log in to see links) has this noon (03) tied a Samurdhi officer to a tree for not attending the dengue eradication campaign held last week.

The officer was released after a short while. The Officer had explained that he could not attend the campaign because his child had been very ill.

Two Samurdhi lady officers who did not attend the campaign have also been severely chided by the Deputy Minister. When one lady officer has objected to the tying of the Samurdhi officer to the tree, the Deputy Minster has scolded her bitterly, and warned that if she does not learn to keep quiet, she too would have to face the same punishment.

Some days ago Minister Mervyn Silva had issued a warning that if a dengue death occurs in the Kelaniya District, those responsible for it will be punished by getting them tied to a tree.

I think its time someone started paying some serious attention to whats going in our country. Coz this is how the henchmen MP's of the tyrant take the law into their own hands.

& the president didn't even say a word regarding this act!