UNHRC sessions in Geneva:

'Harvesting time' for local NGO goons, bankrupt politicians

Certain Opposition politicians have once again become hyperactive ahead of the next sessions of the United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC) in Geneva this week. These bankrupt politicians who have been rejected by the masses in successive elections know that they could never capture power democratically.

Hence, they continue to indulge in various sinister campaigns to discredit Sri Lanka in the eyes of the international community. The UNHRC sessions provide an ideal platform for these disgruntled elements to tarnish the image of their Motherland.

These notorious Opposition politicians have teamed up with the LTTE cohorts and a section of Tamil diaspora in a well orchestrated campaign to sling mud at Sri Lanka and support Western moves to intimidate Sri Lanka.

These Opposition politicians will be supported by local NGO goons who will throw their full weight in their lust for foreign funding.

At the time of writing, certain Sri Lankan politicians and NGO agents have already arrived in the Swiss capital while the rest are due within the next few days to team up with the Tiger cohorts.

Extremists in the Tamil Diaspora and certain former LTTE activists who had sought refugee status in the West too have arrived in Geneva to exploit the UNHRC sessions to fulfill their personal agendas.

It is still fresh in Sri Lankans' memories the damage that had been done by notorious NGO activists such as Pakyasothy Saravanamuttu, Sunanda Deshapriya, Nimalka Fernando, Jehan Perera and J.C. Weliamuna, who shouted from the roof tops to mislead the international community.

Bankrupt politicians such as Wickremabahu Karunaratne, whose party has failed, to attract even a couple of hundred supporters, too have been working round the clock, and providing concocted stories for the West.

Their disgraceful conduct has been a blessing for certain countries in the West to strengthen their campaigns against Sri Lanka.

With the United States planning to bring another Resolution against Sri Lanka at the forthcoming UNHRC sessions, it will be 'harvesting time' for these NGO activists in Sri Lanka. Bankrupt political parties in the West too could get their coffers filled through LTTE cohorts.

It will be in such an atmosphere that Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe will address the UNHRC sessions on Wednesday.

The Government has made the right choice by appointing him to lead the Sri Lanka delegation as the Minister has a proven track record of defending Sri Lanka on human rights issues at international level, especially at the UNHRC.

However, it will be a tall order for Sri Lanka as the European Union has already extended the support of its member nations for the second US-led Resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC.

At the same time, it must be stated that Sri Lanka has the strength and ability to meet all international conspiracies with the support of its friendly nations.

Adding fuel to the worldwide action of LTTE cohorts is the controversial conduct of the UNHRC head Navaneethan Pillai. She has always conducted herself in a manner that gives the impression that she is an LTTE sympathiser.

What Pillai should decide is whether human rights of terrorists is more important than that of ordinary civilians who had been subjected to untold privations of the terror outfit.

She has no business to meddle in Sri Lanka's internal matters which have got nothing to do with human rights. Unfortunately, Pillai has gone beyond her mandate and commented on Sri Lanka's internal affairs and the constitutional way of impeaching Shirani Bandaranayake from the post of the Chief Justice.

The ex-Chief Justice was found guilty of three serious charges before a Parliamentary Select Committee and was impeached with a thumping two-thirds majority in the legislature.

In a letter to Pillai last week, the Golden Key Depositors Association charged that the UN Human Rights Commissioner should keep her hands off the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. The Association regretted that she has poked her nose repeatedly into the internal affairs of Sri Lanka for the past two years, the letter stated, adding that depositors had been "victimised in the South Asian region's highest valued, white-collar criminal fraud."

The letter also said: "Before showing your concern over the impeachment of Sri Lanka's former Chief Justice Dr Ms Shirani Bandaranayake you should have made an in-depth analysis of all relevant facts leading to the impeachment process of Sri Lanka's Parliament, but instead you have listened to one sided flimsy stories of few bankrupt power hungry politicians in Sri Lanka, Tamil Diaspora, certain Western power blocks and nonsensical NGO's who day-dream of destabilising and dividing the island."

"We request the UNHRC to provide assistance to the 9000+ victims of human and fundamental rights violations in the Golden Key debacle and to take immediate action not against the Government of Sri Lanka, but against both Cecily Kotalawala and Shirani Bandaranayake for committing despicable crimes against humanity unprecedented in Sri Lanka's history.

Ranil to play lone innings

It appears as if the leader of the UNP, Ranil Wickremesinghe is going to play a lone innings in the country's main Opposition. With the UNP postponing the appointment of a Deputy Leader at successive meetings and Ranil's recent statement on party organisers, it looks as if he is going to play solo without trusting anybody too much.

The UNP seems to have abandoned the idea of appointing four deputy leaders by amending the party constitution. Ranil would have initially thought of doing it so that he could make Sajith a less important character in the UNP. But Sajith promptly rejected it, saying that he does not like to share the post with three others. Ravi Karunanayake, Kabir Hashim and Daya Gamage were the others who were to be named as deputy UNP leaders along with Sajith.

However, Sajith may not get anything as Ranil would opt to keep the post, which was previously held by the Hambantota District parliamentarian, open. There are moves to give more responsibility to party seniors such as Ravi Karunanayake and Lakshman Kiriella, known to be ardent supporters of the UNP leader. Karunanayake and Kiriella are the favourites if Ranil opts to select anyone else for the deputy leader's post, other than Sajith.

The forthcoming Provincial Council elections may create further divisions within the UNP with rebel MP Palitha Range Bandara threatening to form a breakaway group to join defeated presidential election candidate Sarath Fonseka, who has been abandoned by the JVP and the UNP since his 2010 election debacle.

Range Bandara expects all those who oppose Ranil's leadership in the UNP would follow him. But parliamentarians Dayasiri Jayasekera and Buddhika Pathirana, who were known to be the Reformist group members supporting Sajith's candidacy, are unlikely to do so.

The duo maintains a low profile after Sajith was forced to abandon his leadership dreams after Ranil took absolute command with the support of the Working Committee.

Keheliya asks why Channel 4 took four years

The British television channel, Channel 4, better known for dishing cooked up stories to discredit Sri Lanka, dropped yet another bombshell on the eve of the UNHRC sessions by telecasting a highly controversial set of photographs, claiming to be the last moments of Velupillai Prabhakaran's second son.

Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella last week questioned why Channel 4 waited for almost four years to release these pictures and said it was a move to mislead the international community before the UNHRC sessions. "The entire Channel Four episode is fabricated and the government completely denies and rejects the so called allegations in their footage on the last stages of war in Sri Lanka," he said,.

Speaking at the Cabinet press briefing at the Ministry auditorium, Minister Rambukwella said that the release of this kind of sensational footage on the eve of the UNHRC session in Geneva is an organised agenda of the pro LTTE diaspora to tarnish the image of the country.

The minister questioned why Channel Four took 3-4 years to come up with this documentary without releasing it soon after the war.

Observing a pattern, the minister said it could be easily predicted the next doctored documentary of the Channel Four on the war in Sri Lanka would be released just before the UNHRC session next year.

The minister requested reporters to critically analyse the content of the footage adding that the government had also challenged them on earlier occasions. He said these charges have been directed at the entire defence establishment, observing that the security forces including the former Army Commander had plainly rejected these claims. He said a technical analysis on the latest documentary released by the Channel Four on Sri Lanka is now in progress. He said the government is ready to face any situation at the UNHRC session, adding that it is strategically working to meet the challenges successfully. He said the government has taken a decision to send only a team comprising officials to the up coming Geneva sessions.

English peoplised

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who always enjoy the company of schoolchildren, had another memorable event last week as the Government's project to provide more facilities to children to learn English reached phase three. "The English language should be used as a tool by the younger generation to achieve their objectives.

The government has well understood the importance of providing facilities to improve their skills in English, the President said at the launch of phase III of English as a Life Skill program at Temple Trees on Tuesday.

"It is our duty to provide the necessary tools for students to learn the English language," he said. The Tamil and Sinhala students did not receive opportunities to learn each others languages, he said. President Rajapaksa said the country had an era in which the English speaking elites had the social upper hand and they mocked rural students who tried to speak in English. He said they were ridiculed by these elites when these children of the rural masses were making pronunciation or grammatical errors. "This is the reason why the children of the rural masses were suffering from Anglophobia. They were afraid of speaking in English," he said.

This society looked upon them with contempt. There is a shortage of English, Science and Information Communication Technology teachers in schools, the President said.

The President said the country's masses could not reap the real benefits of the free education system though it was introduced to the country several decades ago.

A set of 50 English language learning DVDs for Grade 10 and 11 students and a tool box of activities for teachers from Grade 6-11 were launched on this occasion.

The DVDs were produced by the National Institute of Education together with English teachers and education directors in rural schools. Students of nine schools representing each province received DVDs from the President. President Rajapaksa said opportunities were not made available for students to learn languages such as English. He said graduates who were recently appointed as ICT teachers have refused to work in rural schools.

The President said the government is providing IT and multi-media facilities to schools.

Sanath becomes tourism brand ambassador

Former Sri Lanka cricket captain turned politician has undertaken to play another role, apart from his public life as a Member of Parliament for the Matara District and Chairman of the National Selection Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket.

The most valuable player in Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup triumph, Jayasuriya has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador for Sri Lanka Tourism.

Buoyed by the successful results achieved in its 2011 campaign 'Refreshingly Sri Lanka - Wonder of Asia', the Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau has started a new campaign for 2013 titled 'Get Sri Lankaned'. The new promotion will be carried out in five emerging markets, including India.

Sri Lanka Cricket, Travel and Tour Operators' Associations and several private institutions contribute and participate in the new 'Get Sri Lankaned' campaign.

It has been planned to spend Rs. 675 million for the 'Get Sri Lankaned' campaign across five countries that include India, China, the Middle East, Japan, and Korea. The largest portion of the funds has been earmarked for China followed by India. Jayasuriya is now in India to play his latest role to promote Sri Lanka, this time as a tourist destination.

Sri Lanka Tourism plans to promote the new campaign on television, outdoor, print, radio and road shows. The 'Get Sri Lankaned' campaign will also include multiple creative, media buying, public relations and event management identities.

Indians formed the majority of tourists who visited Sri Lanka in 2012. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority is hopeful of attracting 230,000 Indian tourists this year and 400,000 by 2016.Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, under this programme of 'Get Sri Lankaned' campaign, will be organising three-day joint promotions in the six major cities in India.

The campaign in Bangalore has already been completed and it will be held in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad as well, the Government Information Department reported.

Teacher-killer JVP exploits 'coconut girl'

The manner in which the JVP engaged in mass killings including innocent teachers in the past is an open secret, Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said. Making a special statement at a meeting of the Western Provincial Council in Battaramulla last week, Ranatunga said that unlike the JVP, they never tried to use schoolchildren to derive petty political gain. He was replying to a statement made earlier by JVP Provincial Council member Dr Nalinda Jayatissa.

Dr. Jayatissa in a statement alleged that an incident which occurred at the Horana Medhankara Vidyalaya recently, led to a national controversy and such things happen because adequate funds are not allocated to schools.

He said collections are made in every school for various activities and there is an on going investigation into the relevant school and the girl concerned. The Chief Minister said there was nothing to hide regarding this issue but he wished to reiterate that the Provincial Council had allocated sufficient funds to each and every school under its purview.

He said: "I held a press conference regarding this whole issue and revealed all facts about the case. I also requested the media to desist from publishing sensational news which could cause an injustice to the schoolgirl concerned.

"I wish to thank the media for heeding my request and acting with responsibility."

Dr. Jayatissa alleged that the Horana Medhankara Vidyalaya had collected nearly Rs. 1 to Rs. 1.2 million and despite having about 11 Education Ministers the issue concerning the student who collected coconuts went far to raise a major controversy.

This led to an uproar in the Chamber and the chairman of the council said he could not allow further debate on the matter. UPFA member Yasapala Koralage said the coconut issue had become a topic of discussion in the school network.

"The land owner had taken the student who robbed the coconuts to the Police with good intentions. But after it went to Court, the lawyer who appeared for the student, tried to divert it to a major political issue. I will fearlessly state that this particular lawyer is a UNPer.

Some people cannot stomach the peaceful environment in schools today," he said.

'No ethnic based land categorisation'

Lands Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon said there was no ethnic based land allocation when resettling citizens in the North.

Speaking on the satyagraha organised by the joint opposition opposite the Durga Amman Kovil in Jaffna last week, the minister said the writ application filed by TNP Parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran against circular 2011/04 created total confusion among Tamil citizens and is misleading. Sumanthiran is complaining that the government is not enforcing the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations and trying to discourage Tamil citizens by creating a bad impression about the resettlement plan, he said.

Minister Tennakoon said there is no land known as Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim land, but it's for all Sri Lankans. The minister said land acquisition was done during the conflict due to the expansion of the High Security Zone and the government had provided compensation to the owners.

Tennakkon said a special discussion to implement LLRC recommendations will be held on February 18 with the participation of officials of the Defence Ministry and the three Forces.

The minister requested Northern citizens to join hands by providing accurate information to the government to facilitate its work.