COLOMBO: A government-appointed panel tasked with investigating the final years of Sri Lanka’s civil war opened on Wednesday in Colombo.
The eight-member panel will hear testimony on five separate days in the capital and two days in Vavuniya, near the former war zone, an official statement said.
The probe is expected to focus on why a 2002 truce between the government and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels collapsed and led to more fighting.
The President’s office says the panel has also been asked to recommend measures to ensure that Sri Lanka does not return to conflict.
Wednesday’s opening was a ceremonial event, with testimony due to start on the second day of the hearings on August 17.
Sri Lanka has rejected a separate United Nations probe into alleged rights abuses during the final stages of the war, which ended with government troops defeating the Tamil Tigers in May 2009.
The UN has said that at least 7,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the last four months of fighting.
Sri Lanka says that no civilians were killed while its forces were vanquishing the rebels, and that it will not allow the UN or any other independent body to probe war crimes allegations.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6291583.cms?prtpage=1
2. Insidious plans afoot to ‘slit’ General’s throat
(Lanka-e-News 11.Aug.2010 4.00AM) Senaka Silva alias Sha Silva who functioned as the Private Secretary to the General Sarath Fonseka during the Presidential elections campaign of the latter, was earlier arrested along with General Fonseka by the Army . Senaka Silva who is in the custody of the CID is now being provided with lavish comforts and luxurious facilities, according to reports reaching Lanka e news.
Senaka Silva who is detained in a special room in the fourth floor of the CID is provided with a television and all luxurious comforts . Certain media also reported last week that attempts are being made to induce Fonseka to join the UNP via Senaka.
For the Presidential campaign of Fonseka , funds were received from various sources . According to sources close to the General , Senaka Silva has spent these monies for various purposes, some of which he was unable to account for. The amount of such unaccountable monies runs into millions. Payments which had to be made out of these monies during the elections have also not been honored by Senaka Silva.
When Senaka Silva was in the Army during the period the Presidential campaign was just commencing , there was an indictment against him for misappropriating many millions of rupees by fraudulent means and was in the trail of the Interpol. But all those charges are now swept under the rug by powerful sources in the highest rungs.
Even during the final stages of the Presidential campaign , most trusted sources who were very close to the General were skeptical about Senaka Silva and were in doubt about his loyalty and allegiance to Fonseka, as his conduct was dubious generally and detrimental to Fonseka. The present lavish treatment meted out to him and the luxurious comforts he is enjoying while within the CID had confirmed the suspicions, General’s faithful associates assert. http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=9859
3. UNP’s Seneviratne Testifies At Fonseka’s Court Martial
UNP parliamentarian Lakshman Seneviratne today (10) went before the first Court Martial against former Army Commander and DNA parliamentarian Retired General Sarath Fonseka nad gave evidence in the case.
Seneviratne is the third witness in the first Court Martial against the General for his alleged involvement in politics while being in the active service.
The Court martial proceeded without the defence counsel for the second consecutive day. Sources close to General Fonskea’s family told The Sunday Leader that the defence counsel had informed the Court Martial that they would not be appearing for the case, as they were on vacation.http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2010/08/10/unps-seneviratne-testifies-at-fonsekas-court-martial/
The first Court Martial is to resume sittings on Thursday (12) morning.
4. Now, UNP says it won’t withdraw from constitutional reform talks
The UNP said that despite the government once again inducing two opposition MPs to cross over to its ranks, in violation of the people’s mandate, it would not withdraw from the on-going bilateral talks on constitutional reforms.
The party’s media spokesman Gayantha Karunathillake MP, told a news conference in Colombo that the UNP was a responsible party and in the national interest would not back out, even though the government was repeatedly acting in an unethical manner, that was tantamount to delivering a thundering slap to those who had voted for the United National Front, at the last parliamentary poll.
He said that in a spirit of cooperation and on invitation by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the UNP had submitted its proposals on changes to the local government election laws and on how best the 17th amendment to the Constitution, a sine qua non for good governance, should be implemented.
"Now it is upto the government to respond to the UNP’s suggestions. Once it has done so, the UNP would submit further proposals on constitutional reforms. It has to be a gradual process with inputs from both sides. Otherwise, there cannot be a tangible progress."
www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=4021
5. Ranil meets President Rajapaksa?
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe have met once again at the President’s House this morning on 10 August. The President and the Opposition leader met each other previously and agreed to continue with the talks on proposed constitutional amendments and electoral reforms.
President Media Unit could not specify the details of the today’s meeting. However when contacted, a few UPFA government and UNP parliamentarians also said they are not aware of such an emergency meeting. Other media organisations were not informed to cover the event.
Pictures are seen here two leaders in conversation while walking through the corridors of the President House. http://www.infolanka.com/news/IL/1402.htm
6. Demining in Jaffna Peninsula will end next month.
Demining in the Jaffna peninsula has been accelerated to make the peninsula a mine-free zone by next month. Jaffna Commanding Officer Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe said that the demining and removal of unexploded devices in many areas of Jaffna including Nannankalappu had been stepped up, and a major portion of the peninsula had already been de-mined.
He said the Army de-miners were removing mines along the Northern rail track, and work on the reconstruction of the rail track could commence as soon as demining was completed. The Major General said several international demining organizations were assisting the Army in this operation. http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20100810_02
7. Govt keen on CEPA; Businessmen say stakeholder views not taken seriously
A government official said the government was keen to enter into a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) with India as long as it was beneficial to Sri Lanka, but businessmen opposing the deal said CEPA was nothing but trouble and criticised the government for ignoring their concerns.
Sri Lanka entered into a Free Trade Agreement with India ten years ago, and while there are benefits, the negative aspects of trading with our closest neighbour have created an opposition base to any moves to expand the FTA. But trade officials point out that with CEPA, problems in the FTA would be ironed out.
"Any trade agreement would have winners and losers, but the government is keen to create a beneficial outcome," Department of Commerce Director General Gomi Senadhira said, addressing a seminar on CEPA organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce together with the Alumni Association of University of Peradeniya (Colombo Chapter) last evening.
India is the third largest trade partner and imports from India have increased at a rapid pace, while the FTA has allowed around 370 Sri Lankan companies to export to India, though the balance of trade has been negative for the country.
"CEPA is a wider solution for issues of trade between the two countries, while it covers more varieties of products than the current FTA, and includes investments and services as well.
"Through CEPA, port restrictions, custom and quota issues would be addressed, benefiting both countries and creating a smoother trade flow. This would attract more Indian investment to the country while enabling Sri Lankan investment into India," he said. However, businessmen opposing CEPA thought otherwise.
"CEPA is still a ghost and our officials are not telling us what is in CEPA. The people have the right to know," said Chairman, Laugfs Holdings and Chairman, Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs, W. K. H Wegapitiya.
"A political decision alone is insufficient for such agreements to take place behind closed doors, as the previous decision on the FTA has not helped the country’s exports but helped Indian imports to grow. And signing such an agreement must not be entered into in haste, because it would block the advantages for local investors to invest in the newly liberated areas of the country," he said.
www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=4058
