Mawbima News

A important member of the Opposition United National Party on Friday urged Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to unblock Colombo Telegraph, claiming that it offers views of a broad section of society and not news.

UNP MP Dr Harsha de Silva has created this request for the duration of his speech in parliament on the budget. He mentioned that the curb on media freedom has resulted in a number of internet sites being utilised to market news and views.

Earlier in the day, Media Minister Rambukwella denied there were attempts by the government to curb media freedom in Sri Lanka. Another UNP MP Sujeewa Senasinghe mentioned that several journalists have been forced to flee the nation out of fear.

Connected posts

President Rajapaksa Phoned TRC Palpita To Ask Colombo Telegraph Blockade

Ranil Demands Rajapaksa Unblock Web Websites

TRC Head Palpita ‘Selective’ And ‘Inconsistent’

Dhanapala Measures Down From Dialog Board

Fears For Ad Income From Dialog Stops Sri Lankan Print Media From Taking Dhanapala Concern

Dhanapala Have to Take A Stand And Resign From Dialog, Condemn Its Illegal, Unethical Behaviour – Kumar David

‘I Give Dhanapala The Advantage Of The Doubt’ Says Radhika

Calling Jayantha Dhanapala A Liar, Or The Tragedy Of Lankan Public Life

Swedish Govt. Appointee Dhanapala’s Unethical Behavior Embarrassment To The SIPRI

‘Dhanapala Need to Choose’ Says Saravanamuttu

Picture Proof: Following Dhanapala Addressed BASL Meeting Dialog Blocked Colombo Telegraph Once more

Unlawful Restrictions On Media By State Or Private Actors Is A Matter Of Critical Public Concern And Have to Be Questioned – Bishop Chickera And Prof. Savitri

Dialog Unblocked Colombo Telegraph For Dhanapala To Address A Public Meeting

Jayantha Dhanapala Is A Liar Caught Lying Over Silence On Colombo Telegraph Blocking

Jayaratne Says Dhanapala Will Stand By Greatest Practices, Dhanapala Pussyfoots On Illegal Web Blocking

International Press Institute Urges UN To Make certain Interference With Colombo Telegraph Ends

Colombo Telegraph Has Every single Proper To Raise Dhanapala’s Conflict Of Interest Friday Forum Member Speaks Out

Write-up 19 Slams Ban On Colombo Telegraph Site

Dialog Board Director And Friday Forum Member Jayantha Dhanapala Fails To Stop CT Blockade On Dialog Network

Dhanapala Might Be Influenced By Massive Payment He Receives From Dialog – Professor Kumar David

‘Dhanapala’s Position Ethically Untenable’ Says Dr. Pradeep Jeganathan

Sara Says ‘Dhanapala – WebBlocking’ Problem Demands To Be Resolved Inside The Framework Of Very good Governance

Subtle Enterprise Interests Much more Damaging Than Anti–Democratic Regime: Dhanapala Need to Answer Conflict Of Interest Concerns – Dr. Nirmal Ranjith

Sri Lanka Blocks Internet sites And The President Lies On Twitter

As soon as Once again Colombo Telegraph Blocked Dialog And Etisalat Tamper DNS Responses 

TRC Blocks Colombo Telegraph, Warns Service Providers To Keep It’s A ‘Technical Glitch’

Colombo Telegraph Blocked, How To Attain Us Now: Sri Lanka Telecom And Mobitel Joins The DPI Club!

Sri Lankan Govt. Periodically Blocked Colombo Telegraph In 2013: US Human Rights Report

History of Colombo Telegraph blocking

Very first -December 26, 2011 – We are blocked but we will not be stopped

Second – May 8, 2012 – Colombo Telegraph Blocked Once again

Third – March 29, 2013  – Sri Lanka Blocks Colombo Telegraph and Selected Tweets: Colombo Telegraph Unblocked

Fourth – August 23, 2013 – Colombo Telegraph Blocked, How To Reach Us Now: Sri Lanka Telecom And Mobitel Joins The DPI Club!

Other attempts 

October 26, 2012 – Colombo Telegraph Was Hacked

August 9, 2012 ColomboTelegraph Password Cracking Try Blocked

Freedom Residence Report: Freedom On The Net 2012, Sri Lanka Is A Country At Threat

By Tisaranee Gunasekara –

“Negligent, ambitious, and perverse Princes are the real causes of public misfortunes.” – D’Holbach (Excellent Sense Without having God)

This month, a female university-entrant fell off a seven-foot wall and suffered spinal injuries[i], even though participating in the Leadership Coaching Programme in an army camp.

The military spokesman says the wall was just six feet high. Let’s think him.

What sort of ‘leadership training’ entails jumping from a six-foot wall? Armed robbery? Kidnapping? Movie stunts?

What is the logic of herding students into army camps and forcing them to engage in mindless and useless pursuits which have no place in a normal law-abiding civilian existence?

The leadership education programme is a close to best symbol of Rajapaksa pondering and Rajapaksa governance. It is unnecessary, does no good to anyone and senseless virtually to the point of insanity. It has not achieved any of its stated aims. The execrable practice of ragging continues the only distinction is that freshers get ragged twice &#8211 by the military as nicely as by seniors. (The Leadership Education Programme may broaden the sadistic horizons of future raggers, teaching them more degrading, hazardous and inhuman ways to torture the next batch).

The Leadership Education is a waste of everyone’s time and everyone’s money.

But it will not be scrapped due to the fact it is a brainchild of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Scrapping the programme would be akin to admitting that the Rajapaksas can make blunders, which violates a essential maxim of Rajapaksa rule – Rajapaksa infallibility.

The leadership instruction programme also provides a clear warning of the future awaiting Sri Lanka, if Mahinda Rajapaksa wins a third term.

Mahinda is not just Mahinda. Mahinda is Basil and Gotabaya, Namal and Shashindra, siblings, nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws. And acolytes, always acolytes, those pawns empowered and glorified for 1 crowded hour &#8211 or two. There will usually be Sajin Vass Gunawardanes, Sampath Chandrapushpas, Duminda Silvas and Mervyn Silvas (and their sons) and Galagoda-Atte Gnanasaras. The Rajapaksas cannot rule without them.

Is this the future we want?

This is the future we will have, if Mahinda Rajapaksa wins a third term.

Mahinda Rajapaksa defeated the LTTE. He did not do so alone but let that be. Is defeating the LTTE a logical cause to give him a third term, understanding what he and his brothers did in the second term?

Make Mahinda Rajapaksa a gazetted national hero. Give him all the accolades and statues his megalomanic heart craves for. Rename every public facility following him. Make his birthday a national vacation. Have an annual parade honouring him. But do not give him a third term, so that he can institutionalise familial rule and render dynastic succession inevitable.

It is only in fairy tales that the monster-slayer gets the country as a reward. This is actual life.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is indubitably a friendly man. Fine set up a Mr. Conviviality award and give it to him every single year. But that is not a good adequate reason to vote for him, realizing what he will do and what he will enable his brothers, relatives and acolytes to do.

Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot defend national sovereignty. He is in the method of turning Sri Lanka into a Chinese protectorate. Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot create peace. He has failed to reconcile the Tamils whilst antagonising the Muslims and the Christians.

The only way Mahinda Rajapaksa can defend territorial integrity is by igniting another unnecessary war with an additional minority and winning it – right after a number of much more decades of bloodshed and mayhem.

Mahinda Rajapaksa’s thought of development is to create expressways, airports and ports, although ordinary folks like, his personal Sinhala-base, sink into greater want.

Do we want the Rajapaksas – and that means all the Rajapaksas, not this or that Rajapaksa, simply because theirs is a loved ones business – to rule this nation for at least six a lot more years?

Do we want Gotabaya Rajapaksa in parliament, poised to step into his brother’s presidential shoes, legally and constitutionally?

Do we want a entirely degraded judiciary? Do we want judges who are manifestly the pawns of the rulers?

Do we want the new Rajapaksa commonsense to grow to be hegemonic? Do we want impunity, abuse and corruption to turn out to be the only normal the next generation of Lankans know?

Do we want the militarization of economy, civil society and our minds? Do we want a morality which despises the weak and worships the powerful and the effective?

Do we want a nation which can’t defend its most vulnerable (children and the elderly) even as it spends most of the national wealth on defence?

Do we want an acolyte-capitalism and a serfocratic administration, a nation exactly where Dhammika Pereras rule the economy and Sajin Vaas Gunawardanes thump Chris Nonises?

Do we want a nation where advancement and security depends on slavish obedience to Rajapaksas?

Do we want Sri Lanka to grow to be a battleground of regional and international powers?

Do Sinhalese want a lasting peace or a new war with one more minority?

Do Tamils want to live under de facto occupation, a life of worsening humiliation, powerlessness and insecurity?

Do Muslims want to grow to be the new Tamils?

Do Christians want to live like second class citizens?

Dislodging the Rajapaksas will not solve all Lankan troubles. But the absolute majority of Lankan difficulties can’t be solved without dislodging the Rajapaksas.

The Final Trapdoor

Defeating the Rajapaksas becomes an uphill job with every single passing year. Not due to the fact the Rajapaksas turn into far more well-known, but because the Rajapaksas make the politico-electoral playing field much more uneven, from within.

But economic discontent is growing, specifically among the Sinhalese (as the CPA survey reveals). That provides the opposition a trapdoor of opportunity, a decent opportunity of pushing the election into a second round. For the opposition, an outright victory is not necessary preventing an outright victory by the Rajapaksas will suffice because it can result in a political tsunami, such as within the SLFP.

If the Rajapaksas win the presidency, they will move swiftly to neutralise the most efficient figures in the opposition. As soon as the opposition is reeling from attacks, arrests, calumnies and internal squabbles, the parliamentary election can be held. When a Rajapaksa occupies the PM post, the Achilles Heel of familial rule will be no far more.

Life has not improved for Tamils and Muslims during the second Rajapaksa term. But has life turn into much better and happier for the Sinhala majority during the second Rajapaksa term? The Sinhala-South may possibly not be interested in the atrocities committed throughout the war and in the aftermath. They may possibly be indifferent to Tamil and Muslim problems and fears. But has the situation of the Sinhala-South enhanced for the duration of the second Rajapaksa term? Are Sinhalese greater off socio-economically, a lot more safe and much more hopeful about the future than they were in 2010? Are they satisfied about the path in which the Rajapaksas are taking the nation? Are they willing to sacrifice the fundamental rights they take so much for granted and the prospect of a far more peaceful and prosperous future, for the sake of a dead or an unseen enemy?

The Rajapaksas will attempt to muddy the waters of our thinking by screaming about Tigers and Jihadists, traitors and conspirators, so that we forget the actual situation.

Do we want a Rajapaksa future? 

By Nagananda Kodituwakku –

Both the Executive President Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa and Mr Mohan Pieris appointed to the workplace of the Chief Justice have taken oath as required by post 32 and 107 and Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, to carry out the duties and discharge the functions of their respective Offices and to uphold and defend the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the very best of their ability.

The complete nation is totally aware that Mr Mohan Pieris was appointed to the Workplace of the Chief Justice by the President Rajapaksa, when there was no vacancy existed in the office and by forcibly denying the incumbent Chief Justice, Dr Shirani Bandaranayake of her correct to carry out the duties of workplace of the Chief Justice. In quick Mr Mohan Pieris need to have been fully conscious that accepting the workplace of the Chief Justice when there was no vacancy was clearly a violation of the law and in the provided circumstances any oath or affirmation taken to uphold the office of the Chief Justice would turn into void from the starting and thereby any selection made by him or by any bench appointed by him would have no legal impact at all. They are bound to be declared invalid when the Rule of Law is restored in this nation and therefore the billions of taxpayer’s funds spent on the Supreme Court in the course of his period would go waste.

Contesting for two^nd term of the Executive President

The Individuals of this country are fully aware that President Rajapaksa did utter no word for the duration of his election campaign for a second term, in search of a mandate from the individuals to amend the Constitution, enabling him to contest for a third term. For that reason enacting an amendment to the Constitution (for a third term), which only gives for two terms in office beneath the prior law was not only unlawful and but morally a wrongful act on the element of the President and amounts to violation of the oath taken in terms of the 4^th Schedule of the Constitution.

Declaration for Presidential Election nicely just before the end of term in office with intent to contest for a three^rd time

The shelf life of the workplace of the President is nonetheless two a lot more years from completion but the President calls for an election with a fantastic craving for reelection. And there are several arguments against this move on the basis that President can’t contest for a third term as he has been elected beneath the preceding law which permits only two terms with no expressed provision in the amendment, accommodating the one particular in office also to turn out to be eligible.  This argument is straightforward and simple and there is no ambiguity at all about the retrospective impact of the 18th amendment in the absence of expressed provision in the amended law supplying otherwise. And on the other hand there is no question of law arisen, which is of such public value to receive the opinion of the Supreme Court, whereas the problem raised is purely concerning the interests of an person.

Insulting the intelligence of the people

Yet, having doubts about his eligibility, President Rajapaksa has resorted to abuse the provisions of Section 129 of the Constitution that is meant to be used in matters concerning national value and not on any particular person. Relying on this provision of law the President has sought the opinion of the Supreme Court on 05^th Nov 2014 and currently the President himself and several of Cabinet Ministers have expressed their self-confidence in ‘the would be ruling’ and challenged these who oppose the move of the President to go prior to the Supreme Court.

The Registrar of the Court has now notified the Bar Association about the President’s reference and known as for only written submissions, if any, on the matter prior to 07^th Nov 2014, which would be decided by the Court in private.

One particular can clearly argue that this act by the Supreme Court clearly amounts to be a betrayal of the people’s judicial power as the Judiciary of this country workout routines people’s judicial energy on trust and not the judicial energy of the executive president in workplace.

This hasty choice generating, denying a fair opportunity to the people, becomes more severe as there is no urgency whatsoever and not even a date for such an election has been declared but by the government. The President of the Bar Association, Mr Upul Jayasuriya says that the ‘hearing’ on the matter has been concluded in a double swift time on the Presidents reference.

In this background the only hope for the individuals is that a future government would take corrective measures to restore the rule of law and great governance in this country and would take measures to deal appropriately with these who continue to abuse the Executive, Legislature or Judiciary Offices for improper considerations.

It is prudent to each and every Statesman to understand from the history. For instance, Adolf Hitler reestablished the pride of Germany as a nation following the World War I. And if he had ended his political career or died ahead of 1939, (ahead of the World War II), he would have been admired and respected as 1 of the greatest Statesmen in the German history, but endless craving for energy brought him down from a national hero to zero. The living instance is Burkina Faso exactly where the Executive President had tried for a third term and ultimately had to flee the nation to save his life.

What the President of Sri Lanka should contemplate is that he ought to leave all the good items he did for the nation given that his election to the Workplace to go into the history intact. Endless craving for energy only brings disaster for men and women as effectively as for their respective nations.

How can one forget the fate of our friendly nation Libya, purely because of the dismal failure on the part of Colonel Muammer Gadaffi to step down in the right time as a national hero!

In the wake of many news web sites very essential of the Government of Sri Lanka giving sudden prominence to UNP Gampaha District Parliamentarian and Chairman of the UNP’s Leadership Council Karu Jayasuriya, Colombo Telegraph is compelled to question him on the nature of his connection with these who operate these web sites.

According to media reports this past week Karu Jayasuriya now seems to be the top contender as the presidential candidate proposed by the opposition parties, other feasible choices former President Chandrika Kumaranatunga, Leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Ven Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, the convener of the National Movement for Social Justice.

On October 23rd, Karu Jayasuriya telephoned the Colombo Telegraph editor and presented him a monthly payment of Rs 50,000/- ‘in appreciation of the operate that Colombo Telegraph does’. Jayasuriya did not state for how extended this payment was to be created. The situation did not arise since the editor politely declined the supply.  The editor, additionally, reminded Jayasuriya that it was he who interviewed him when he 1st came in to politics in 1995. At that time Jayasuriya had told the journalist that he hoped he would continue perform towards the independence of the media. The Colombo Telegraph editor pointed out to Jayasuriya that he functions these days as an independent media entity and said he did not want any income.

A single week soon after the aforementioned phone get in touch with, Karu Jayasuriya has been offered a lot of prominence in a number of news web sites.  Colombo Telegraph is for that reason compelled to ask Karu Jayasuriya whether or not he had created a equivalent provide to those who run these web sites ‘in appreciation of the work they do’ or for any other cause.

Colombo Telegraph feels it is Jayasuriya&#8217s duty to disclose the nature of his partnership with the said sites, specifically in view of the fact that Jayasuriya was the really individual who campaigned for the Appropriate to Information and transparency.

By Shyamon Jayasinghe –

In today’s Lankadeepa I read a story about the Kataragama Devale that made me wonder if I had travelled in time toward somewhere in the 10th  century in Sri Lanka. This story is mentioned to be primarily based on an account provided by the chief Kapumahattaya of the Devale, Mr Somipala Ratnayake. Claimed as obtaining been written by the ‘editorial board,’ the story, as a result, is invested with some authority and official stamp from what goes as the most well-known Sinhala every day in Sri Lanka. It is an axiom that newspapers have a tendency to reflect the good quality of its readership. If that be so, oh what faith can we have about Sri Lanka making any headway with a sort of media like this and a type of 10th  century gullible population?

The story begins by saying that the God Kataragama is a most strong deity. He is none other than the regional ruler, King Mahasena. The site of the Devale is in reality the web site where the king’s palace had after been. Now, there isn’t a shred of historical proof to help this statement but that doesn’t worry the ‘editorial board.’ Far more to come: The Buddha after visited this spot and gave a sermon to the king. No proof at all that the Buddha ever came to Sri Lanka. But no worries continue. Possessing listened to the sermon, the king quickly reached the state of ‘Sovan.’ What magic! Just a single sermon and hey presto the king shoots up into a sublime state. Was the Buddha so seductive?

When the king reached that state he had requested the Buddha for a ‘pooja wattiya.’ This indicates an providing. Height of cheek, I believed! The Buddha felt about his head pulled out a lock of hair and gave it to the king as his offering. Treasure hunters, right here is a winning aim for you: this lock of hair is buried under the present Kiri Vehera. Our political heavyweights can head toward this spot and hold digging beneath the base of the Vihara like termites. Now that they don’t seem in Parliament for critical company they could turn into treasure hunters.

King Mahasena eventually passed away in India and reappeared as the deity of Kataragama. Why did he go to India at all? The ‘editorial board’ is pleased accepting such bull. The deity when met King Dutugemunu and gave his blessing to fight King Elara. Why on earth did a deity show favour like this to one of the warring parties? In addition to, King Elara, according to historical records, had been a benevolent king who even did a lot for the Buddha Sasana. He would not have reigned for forty years had he not received well-liked assistance from the Sinhalese folks. The story gives a clue and that is that Dutugemunu had had a deal with the deity to build a palace with gold tiles and make arrangements for day-to-day poojas to the deity. If this wasn’t plain bribery then what was it? If this was his behaviour the deity could not have been the exact same particular person who had morphed into ‘Sovan’ soon after receiving Buddha’s one power-packed sermon.

The war won, King Dutugemunu returned to Kataragama Wedihitikande, met the deity and announced that he is about to fulfill his guarantee of the palace.

This complete crap of a story written by ‘the editorial board’ of the Lankadeepe mercifully ends with an outstanding prophetic statement alleged to have been produced by the deity who declined to accept the promised gift. The deity said: “Oh King! There is no point in creating luxury palaces even for me due to the fact very quickly the country will face a ‘kali yugaya’ (evil period) when men and women will no longer worship the Buddha or the deities. Consequently, Oh king, refrain from your great creating plans. Individuals will destroy them all. Create one thing quite modest.”

That Kali Yugaya has arrived nowadays. Praise be to the deity of Kataragama! The deity deserves a ‘malwattiya’ for that bit of prophetic warning.

Readers, if you take place to check out Kataragama you ought to follow the guidance of Mr. Ratnayake who in this fairy tale explains that the deity personally appears on Tuesdays. “As he arrives, a red light sweeps across the Devale,” says Mr Ratnayake.

If any of you have noticed this red light you are bloody fortunate. A word of caution: be sure it is not the chief Kapuwa himself who emanates the light.