Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

By Romesh Abeywickrema

Unfortunately for the powers that be, though it may seem the `no news good news` strategy is doing wonders as far as the mainstream media goes, the grapevine, the source the Sri Lankan news consuming public has increasingly come to rely on in the recent past in the evolving atmosphere of media subjugation, is working overtime with information galore on the many deals also known as development projects that are being concluded at the speed of greased lightning.

H. Res. 711 resolution: `Rights of Sri Lankan Tamils`
H. Res. 711 resolution, passed in the US House of Representatives on Thursday Nov 5th, 2009 by a vote of 421 to 1:

Suspend the Rules And Agree to the Resolution, H.Res. 711 with Amendments (The amendments consist of a new preamble, a substitute text, and an amendment to the title)

111TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. RES. 711

Calling on the United States Government and the international community to address the human rights and humanitarian needs of Sri Lanka`s Tamil internally displaced persons (IDPs) currently living in governmentrun camps by supporting the release of such IDPs, implementing and facilitating an independent oversight of the process of release and resettlement, and allowing foreign aid groups to provide relief and resources to such IDPs.

Hit on in a Sri Lankan tuk-tuk
PINK PASSPORT

So, you like girls or boys? my emaciated, five-foot-four tuk-tuk driver asks in an innocent tone with a hopeful glint in his eye.

Normally, when travelling in unfamiliar countries, I wouldn`t blithely announce my sexual orientation to strangers (it avoids unnecessary hassle and inane questions). But I blurt out boys.

I`m not sure why. This guy is the antithesis of my type (I like `em tall, broad and masculine) and I am not remotely attracted to him. I blame the jet lag.

Time

By Amantha Perera / Colombo
Monday, Nov. 02, 2009

Responding to previous international criticism, the Sri Lankan government declared that it would not subject any of its military commanders or civilian officials who led the war to any kind of international investigation or war-crimes tribunal. The apparent request from American officials led to a similar dismissal. In the U.S., the DHS`s office of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE), which reportedly made the Fonseka request, refused to confirm or deny the allegation. ICE spokesman Brandon Alvarez-Montgomery said: `If there was an investigation, there`s nothing we can provide. Especially in cases that are very sensitive under human-rights violations, until that person or group were fully investigated [we] would never comment.`

Why General Fonseka decide to meet U.S. authorities without the knowledge and consent of Sri Lanka Government?

Mon, 2009-11-02 14:48 editor
Daya Gamage US National Correspondent Asian Tribune
Washington, D.C. 02 November (Asiantribune.com):

When Sri Lanka`s Chief of Defense Staff General Sarath Fonseka received a call from an officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security for a `voluntary interview` and was told that the intension of the `interview` was to discuss alleged human rights violations committed by Sri Lanka`s Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa instead calling his government for advise, counsel and guidance he turned to a lifelong friend and the friend`s attorney for advice.

S.Lanka seek to stop US quzzing general over war
(AFP) 10 hours ago

COLOMBO Sri Lanka has called on US authorities to drop plans to interview the island`s military commander over allegations of war crimes against ethnic Tamil rebels, an official said Sunday.

The Colombo government held `very high-level` talks to prevent General Sarath Fonseka, currently visiting Oklahoma, from being quizzed over his conduct during the conflict against the Tamil Tigers, the official said.

By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera
A high-powered Sri Lankan delegation began talks yesterday on the bilateral air services agreement with Oman officials in Muscat aimed at breaking a deadlock over Oman Air`s resumption of flights to Colombo, officials said.

The delegation comprising Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Ranjit Silva, Foreign Ministry Additional Secretary Chitranganie Wagiswara, SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickremesinghe, two senior Civil Aviation officials and a representative from the Attorney General`s Department, arrived in Muscat and on the same day went into talks with Oman officials.

Body blow for banks

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema

Economists and senior bankers warn that the country`s overall banking sector would be dealt a severe blow in relation to its earnings due to the Presidential directive to reduce interest rates of state banks.

The reduction in state bank interest rates are expected to compel private banks to follow suit shortly in order to remain competitive creating a shortage in funds.

Economists note that while interest rates should fall on market reaction, the present decline in interest rates brought about through a Presidential order would create a shortage in funds.

We built too many walls and not enough bridges.
Friday, October 30, 2009 Leave a Comment
By Keerthi Ratnayaka

(October31, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)

Three decades of time people of Sri Lanka were gripped by horror, now a great sigh of relief has flow across the entire nation being finally released from the grip of the fear of terrorism. The Sri Lankan Nation now looks to the future with renewed hope and enthusiasm but a political dialogue needs to be initiated as soon as possible to prevent the Tamils from becoming an oppressed people again.Thus legitimate concerns and aspirations of the Tamil people and other minorities must be fully addressed. Government must aware that defeating a terrorist group does not solve the underlying grievances of its people. Prior to work out what so ever, Government is constituted to face a election. SL political stage warming day by day as Gen. Fonseka`s name is hitting news headlines as a prospective candidate for the next Presidential election. Today Rajapaksha regime is ready to extend even the prime minister post to merely make silence his profile,as Gen.Fonseka has became the most strong symbol of the nation.There are widespread campaigns to have Gen.Fonseka elected as president in near future.Many Srilankans believe that Gen.Fonseka`s stance against corruption and his non alliance to traditional political methods could put the correct path towards the extreme development and law and order of the country .

Has General Fonseka fallen prey to the Blake-Ranil bait?
Posted on October 29th, 2009
Ajit Randeniya
There are signs that the Sri Lankan history is repeating itself. In 1815, the Kandyan chieftains handed over King Rajasinghe and the Kandyan kingdom to the British, barely a decade after the crushing defeat of the colonists attempt to invade Kandy. Now there are signs that General Sarath Fonseka has swallowed or about to walk in to a trap laid by the former US ambassador Robert Blake in connivance with that jelly-back, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The chart shows that the fertility rate in Sri Lanka is 1.99. This is the average number of children born per woman. The fertility rate in Sri Lanka is slightly lower than in the USA, but considerably higher than in the Roman Catholic countries of Italy and Spain.

The fertility rate in India is 2.72, and that in China is 1.79. If the fertility rate is exactly 2, the population will remain static, but if less than 2, the population will decline.

Jacqueline Fernandez the the pretty actress from Sri Lanka is ready to set Bollywood on fire with her debut film Aladin . Jacqueline has acted in the role of Jasmine in Aladin .

Aladin dirrected by Sujoy Ghosh will star Amitabh Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh and Sanjay Dutt in lead roles.

Jacqueline Fernandez hails from Sri Lanka. She was born on June 2, 1985. She has two brothers and a sister. She is half Malaysian and half Sri lankan.

Philip G. Alston is a prominent international law scholar and human rights practitioner. He is John Norton Pomeroy Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and co-Chair of the law school`s Center for Human Rights and Global Justice.[1]

In human rights law, Alston has held a range of senior UN appointments for well over two decades. Since 2004 he has been the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

`The problem with the United States is that it is making an increased use of drones/Predators (which are) particularly prominently used now in relation to Pakistan and Afghanistan,` UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions Philip Alston told a press conference.

Despite last minute attempts by the Government, through diplomatic channels, to make a final plea, an SOS of sorts, the thorny issue, diplomatic sources told the Sunday Times is now a major obstacle. They fear the EU is veering towards a six month suspension of the GSP plus scheme giving time for Sri Lanka to implement the conventions at issue during that period. That is for the resumption of the GSP plus.

A consequence of the move will be an annual loss of US $ 1500 million. It would also lead to unemployment and closure of garment factories unless the Government is ready to pump money to offset the losses.

Political Column, Sunday Times

By the Political Editor

On Friday night, Gen. Fonseka, a US Green Card holder, which affords him permanent residency in that country, flew to the United States accompanied by his wife Anoma. Also travelling was his Military Assistant at the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (OCDS), Brigadier Athula Silva and two commando bodyguards. They boarded a Dubai-bound flight for an onward connection and were due to arrive in Washington DC yesterday. Until Saturday (October 17), Gen. Fonseka`s visit to the US, as revealed last week, was to be part official and part holiday. Official engagements included a meeting in Washington with Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary, South and Central Asian Affairs in the State Department. Another was his presence at the US Pacific Command (PACOM) headquarters in Hawaii. This is to take part in ceremonies where the present commander, Admiral Timothy J. Keating relinquishes office.