Author Archive
October 1, 2008 at 11:45 am · Categories: Colombo, English, Human Rights, Human Security, Peace and Conflict | by raja
by R.M.B. Senanayake
The attack on the human rights lawyer Weliamuna in the night where he is living with two small children show that danger is not far away from all citizens who uphold human rights and democratic norms. We the educated and influential in society have been silent when white vans abducted Tamils who ended up in police cells for questioning by the Terrorist Investigation Unit of the Police.
The President has appointed incompetent cronies to important posts in violation of the 17th Amendment. The Inspector General of Police is perhaps one of them if we go by his record of successive failures to enforce the law against influential criminals who have political patronage and protection. So the public cannot expect …
June 24, 2008 at 7:48 am · Categories: Colombo, English, Politics | by raja
In many countries there is a constitutional prescription that parties’ internal operations be transparent, and in accordance with the general democratic mores of the nation. In Germany, parties’ internal organization ‘must conform to democratic principles’, and they have to publicly account for the source of their funds and other assets, as well as for the use of such funds. A Portuguese party ‘must be governed by the principles of transparency, democratic organization and management and the participation of all of its members’. In both Finland and Spain, parties’ internal structures and operation must be democratic.
In some systems there is a requirement for the registration of parties, usually with a requirement to give evidence of a reasonable number of members. Most …
June 23, 2008 at 4:49 am · Categories: Colombo, English, Human Rights, Human Security, Peace and Conflict, Politics | by raja
Abductions continue
Abductions continue unabated and last week five persons all of Tamil identity were abducted from the Kotahena area. Meanwhile threats to abduct and kill intellectuals seem to have started as well. During the Qing dynasty in ancient China all intellectuals were either killed or exiled since they were considered to be a threat to the Emperor’s dictatorial rule. Theodore Roosevelt at the beginning of the last century said “Behind the ostensible government sits an invisible government, owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people.” They targeted citizens who were accused of displaying ‘unpatriotic behavior’ and identified as a threat to the security of the state. The National Intelligence Agency detained and tortured citizens holding them in over-crowded …
June 3, 2008 at 8:31 am · Categories: Colombo, English, Human Rights, Media, Peace and Conflict, Politics | by raja
The Media at a time of war
During the Second World War the German people tuned into the BBC for war news rather than their own radio managed by Goebbels who broadcast war propaganda as news. People under Communist rule listened to Radio Free Europe.
Last week the Secretary of Defense summoned the President and Secretary of the Sri Lanka Journalists Association and gave them a piece of his mind which the journalists have said were indirect threats to their lives. Whether it was a warning, an admonition or threat, the fact is that he expressed the view that during a time of war the media should not criticize the Armed Forces and that if they were to do so the …
May 20, 2008 at 4:59 pm · Categories: Colombo, Economy, English, Peace and Conflict, Politics | by raja
I received a comment from one Mr. Perera from Cairo, who lamented about my opinion on the EU and the GSP+ issue published on Groundviews.
Fortunately for him he is in Cairo and not here. Had he been here he would know about the breakdown of the Rule of Law - the abductions, the extra-judicial killings, the disappearances taking place. The victims are largely Tamil civilians and even if they were LTTE sympathizers we don’t expect the State to act like the LTTE and deal with them according to the law of the jungle. Who does these things we don’t know for sure but only have suspicions. But they are done with impunity and the state law enforcement agencies have …
May 11, 2008 at 8:41 am · Categories: Colombo, Constitutional Reform, English, Human Rights, Politics | by raja
Economic sanctions have been used for foreign policy objectives since the time of Ancient Greece.
The idea that economic sanctions might be an alternative to the use of force received attention after the First World War, largely owing to President Woodrow Wilson’s advocacy. Since World War II, Economic sanctions have been employed to promote democracy and human rights, to end civil war, to stop drug trafficking, to fight terrorism, to combat weapons proliferation, and to promote nuclear disarmament. Since the creation of the United Nations in 1945, the Security Council has imposed sanctions in fifteen cases: Southern Rhodesia (1966), South Africa (1977), Iraq (1990), former Yugoslavia (1991), Liberia (1992), Libya (1992), Somalia (1992), Angola (1993), Haiti (1993), Rwanda (1994), Sudan (1996), …
March 25, 2008 at 8:09 am · Categories: Colombo, Constitutional Reform, English, Politics | by raja
The history of democracy is a history of evolution. In Britain the King was the Head of the Executive. There was the legal principle that ‘the king can do no wrong’. It was a Royal Prerogative to appoint Ministers and officials and dismiss them at his will and pleasure. But Parliament got the King to agree to the principle of ‘no taxation without representation’.
But what if the tax revenue was wasted by the King and his Court? That would be unfair by the people. But Parliament could not punish the King for such misdeeds. So Parliament hit upon the principle that although the King had an absolute privilege to appoint his officials Parliament could hold them accountable for financial misdemeanors …
March 24, 2008 at 7:13 pm · Categories: Batticaloa, English, Peace and Conflict, Politics | by raja
There is much hype by the government spokesmen about how they held an election in the East for local authorities and restored democracy. Now the government is holding a Provincial Council election. They argue that however imperfect the democracy it is a step in the right direction. But how valid is this viewpoint.
The basic premise of democracy is that the people decide who will be their rulers. But this choice must be freely exercised. If there is no freedom of choice then it can’t be considered as an expression of democracy. The former Soviet Union held regular elections to decide on the members of the Parliament. But no one considered such elections a free exercise of choice. Why? Because freedom …
March 21, 2008 at 7:02 pm · Categories: Colombo, English, Media, Peace and Conflict, Politics | by raja
What do enlightened citizens make of the happenings in our country today- the antics of Dr Mervyn Silva, the failure of the IGP and the Polcie to arrest him or even question him and stop his path of inflicint terror on media personnel firstly on Rupavahini workers and now on Sirasa reporters?
Any criticism of the government and its record of violations of human rights media freedom and norms of good governance is met with one answer by Government spokesman. It is a conspiracy with the LTTE by the opponents to discredit the government which is winning the war against the LTTE. It is all a conspiracy by foreign powers to stop the war. Those who stand up against the …
March 16, 2008 at 8:20 am · Categories: Colombo, Human Rights, Peace and Conflict, Politics | by raja
The Rupavahini workers are being assaulted by goons. The workers allege that it is all the work of a Minister who stormed into their office a few weeks ago and intimidated their bosses for not publicizing his political speech. It is the fifth such attack and the politicized Police Force or Farce, seem to be in slumber. Hitherto it has been the Tamil and Muslim community that was at the receiving end of a murderous bunch cloaked with authority. Now it would seem it doesn’t’ matter if the victim is Sinhala Muslim or Tamil. All are fair game.
What has happened to the Rule of Law? Abductions, disappearances, extra-judicial killings are rampant. Journalists are being killed or assaulted. But the President …
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