Tamil voters in Britain behind London's Sri Lanka stance: WikiLeaks

Sat, 04 Dec 2010

Berlin - The British government's concern for ex-pat Tamil voters in marginal constituencies at home drove London's criticisms of the Sri Lankan government's actions in last year's ending of the country's civil war, WikiLeaks diplomatic cables suggest.

David Miliband, then British foreign secretary in a Labor government, was outspoken in criticism of the actions of the Colombo government as it closed in on Tamil fighters in the north of the island, where many thousand civilians were also sheltering.

The cable noted "the have ry vocal' Tamil diaspora in the UK, numbering over 300,000" people.

"With UK elections on the horizon and many Tamils living in Labor constituencies with slim majorities, the government is paying particular attention to Sri Lanka," read a cable from the United States embassy in London from the spring of 2009.

As the Sri Lankan military made its final push in the early part of 2009 against the militant Tamil Tigers, human rights groups warned of extreme abuses taking place, and United Nations officials estimated that thousands of civilians might have been killed in the final weeks of fighting.

Another cable, from the US Embassy in Colombo, highlighted that US diplomats had concerns over human rights abuses and the failure of the government to adequately address the charges.

The "responsibility for many of the alleged crimes rests with the country's senior civilian and military leadership, including President Rajapaksa and his brothers and opposition candidate General Fonseka," a message said.

The British foreign office led a concerted diplomatic effort against the government in Colombo, in an effort to allow humanitarian aid to reach Tamil civilians and stem the violence.

However, when Western governments finally did call Colombo before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, developing countries backed Sri Lanka in its dispute with its former colonial master.

The final resolution from the council ended up praising Sri Lanka's government - despite an outcry from human rights groups concerned for the mostly Tamil civilians in displaced persons camps.

But the cables also noted an "obvious split" between Tamils in Sri Lanka and the diaspora, with the ones in country less intent on pressing the issue of accountability for war crimes, while those abroad "would like to see the issue as an immediate top-priority issue."

The Tamils in the country, under pressure from the increasingly authoritarian government, felt themselves "vulnerable to political or even physical attack if they raise the issue of accountability publicly."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/356539,sri-lanka-stance-wikileaks.html.

Sri Lankan minister protests against Tamil rally in London

Fri, 03 Dec 2010

Colombo - A Sri Lanakan minister and his supporters demonstrated Friday outside the British High Commission in Colombo against a London protest rally which led to the cancellation of a public appearance by President Mahinda Rajapaska.

Minister of Construction Wimal Weerawasna, who leads the National Freedom Front party, said the British government had failed to prevent demonstrations against Rajapaksa in London, bringing disrepute to the president and to the country.

Rajapaksa was due to address the Oxford Union on Thursday, but the organizers canceled the event due to protests by Tamil minority groups.

Tamil groups have been protesting over alleged human rights abuses during the final stages of the military operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels who were defeated in May 2009.

"The British government has given a free hand for pro-LTTE demonstrators, despite the organization being banned in the United Kingdom," Weerawasna said.

The minister and his supporters chanted anti-British slogans and displayed posters saying "Britain - Go to Hell," or "Do not support Terrorism," and "Hands off Sri Lanka."

Rajapaksa was to return to Sri Lanka later on Friday.

The government has accused an opposition United National Party parliamentarian of traveling to London to organize the protests.

Jayalath Jayawardena, who denied the allegations, narrowly escaped physical assault in parliament Thursday by ruling party ministers and lawmakers.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/356381,protests-tamil-rally-london.html.

Town election official attacked in the Philippines

Manila - A town election official was shot by an unidentified gunman in the southern Philippines, three days before the scheduled national and local elections, a police report said Saturday.

Jay Actub Salinas was wounded late Friday in front of his home in Loreto town in Agusan del Sur province, 875 kilometers south of Manila.

Salinas has just delivered the memory cards of the vote-counting machines at the town elections office when he was attacked.

Police investigators said the victim was in stable condition and was being treated at a hospital in nearby Tagum City.

Police and soldiers have vowed to maintain order during Monday's elections, when more than 50 million registered voters are to choose the next president, vice president, 12 senators, more than 200 congressmen and nearly 18,000 local officials.

Dozens of people have been killed and injured since the campaign period started in January, but police said the toll was far lower than during the 2007 election, when more than 100 people were killed.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322601,town-election-official-attacked-in-the-philippines.html.

PREVIEW: Filipinos looking forward to picking new leader

Manila - Vilma Fernando couldn't hide her excitement about the upcoming elections.

The mother of four said she and her relatives had already prepared a list of their choices, from president to municipal officials in their town of Lubao, 75 kilometers north of Manila.

"We are voting straight Liberal so hopefully there will be change," Fernando, 35, said. The Liberal Party presidential candidate is the frontrunner, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

"We have had enough of President (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo, there were too many bad things that happened during her administration," she added. "It's time to replace her and her people."

Her sentiments are shared by many Filipinos eager to choose a new leader after nine years of an Arroyo administration overshadowed by corruption scandals, allegations of fraud, patronage politics and mistrust.

More than 50 million Filipinos have registered to vote on May 10 for a new president, vice president, legislators and thousands of local officials. Turnout is expected to be higher than the 77 per cent at the last presidential elections in 2004.

Nine candidates are running for president, but surveys show that three candidates dominate the race - Aquino, Senator Manny Villar and former president Joseph Estrada.

Arroyo's candidate, former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, is trailing behind at fourth place.

Jun Salipsip, president of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, said he believed that Filipinos were making their decision not based on who could manage the country better but who they could trust with their future.

"Whereas before (people said) let's pick someone who knows what to do or someone who can do it, now (they ask) is he trustworthy, is he someone who will take care of the country, is he someone who will take care of us," he said.

"The feeling is that we need somebody who can inspire us, who can raise our self esteem because we have been known as the most corrupt, we have been known as the country plagued with all sorts of scandals and anomalies," he added.

Professor Benito Lim of the Ateneo University said Filipinos were also looking for a new leader with no links whatsoever to the outgoing administration.

"They have been so dissatisfied with Arroyo's performance that this is their chance to get rid of her," he said.

Lim cited poverty, unemployment, graft and corruption and problems arising from climate change as among the top issues that the next government must prioritize.

Salipsip said the next president of the Philippines must also concentrate on raising revenues for the government to allow better delivery of basic services, improving infrastructure to attract investors and create more jobs and regaining public trust.

Prosecuting Arroyo and her allies for alleged corruption and other wrongdoings should also be a priority, but the new administration must allow the legal processes to work and avoid getting derailed by vindictiveness, he added.

Amid the high stakes, jitters are mounting over a new automated system that would count the votes electronically for the first time in the Philippines.

While election officials stressed that the system would prevent cheating, which has traditionally marred Philippine polls, critics noted that poor preparation has led to weak security measures that could allow digital fraud.

The doubts have triggered warnings of violence and another "people power" revolt similar to the 1986 uprising that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos and catapulted Corazon Aquino to power.

Dinky Soliman, a former Arroyo cabinet member now with the Liberal Party, said anger at the government would finally blow if cheating occurred in the elections.

"People are telling us that they will go out into the streets if there is massive cheating," she said. "People want to see an election, but if victory is stolen from the person who we thought would win, the seething would really erupt."

Arroyo has been accused of cheating in the 2004 polls. She and her camp denied the allegation, but no formal investigation was conducted to disprove evidence of the alleged fraud.

Soliman urged people to be vigilant on election day to thwart any attempts to hijack the vote.

For Gabriel Santos, a garbage collector with seven children, May 10 will be just another day for his family.

The Santoses live in a cramped shack in Manila's biggest dump, where they collect recyclable materials to sell.

"I don't really pay much attention to politics," he said, as he sorted out dirty plastic bottles. "I just want to be able to work and live decently. I have very few wishes in life, I just want us to be able eat three times a day."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322036,preview-filipinos-looking-forward-to-picking-new-leader.html.

PROFILE: Democracy icon's son electrifies Philippine voters

Cebu City, Philippines - Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is no rock star, but the crowds turning out to see him campaign for president of the Philippines might make one think that he is.

"Oh, I'm so excited to finally see him in person," Malou Garillos gushed as she snapped photos during Aquino's visit to the municipal hall in Cebu City, 585 kilometers south of Manila.

The city employee also brought her teen daughter along see Aquino, the frontrunner in the presidential race.

"He looks very simple," the 40-year-old said. "I really hope he wins because he represents the change we all are aspiring for."

In the nearby city of Talisay, a young woman and her friends waited for more than seven hours in scorching heat just to catch a glimpse of Aquino and take a blurry picture of him on top of a truck.

"That's good enough," she said as they ran towards the truck.

Aquino smiled and waved at the crowd that spilled into the narrow road, halting traffic. People cheered, giggled, jumped and applauded.

The 50-year-old bachelor joked that his trademark yellow T-shirt, quite tight at the start of the day, was already loose because of all the people pulling at it.

"Everywhere we go, there are so many people. I'm happy to be swimming in a sea of people who love me," the scion of the country's most famous political family said. "We are already winners."

Latest polls show Aquino winning the May 10 elections with 39 per cent of the vote. His closest rivals, Senator Manny Villar and former president Joseph Estrada, are tied in second place with 20 per cent.

Aquino is running on an anti-corruption platform, his main slogan proclaiming, "Without corrupt people, there will be no poor people."

He has vowed to not raise taxes and instead increase state revenues by stamping out corruption in government and going after tax evaders and smugglers.

Before he decided to run for president, Aquino was just a legislator with no stellar record as a politician.

One could say that his only claim to fame is that he is the son of two Philippine heroes who played key roles in toppling the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos after a 20-year-rule.

His mother was democracy icon Corazon Aquino who was catapulted to the presidency by the "people power" revolt that ousted Marcos in 1986. His father was opposition senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, whose assassination in 1983 galvanized opposition against the former strongman.

But analysts said the Aquino legacy is a "very compelling story" that Filipinos can relate to in their continuing struggle for change in government.

"The father died as a martyr for democracy and the mother fought a dictator and won," said Jun Salipsip, president of the Institute for Strategic and International Studies. "It's an unfinished business so let the son finish the legacy the parents left behind."

Salipsip said efforts to put down Aquino for his lack of experience and alleged psychological problems have failed to discourage voters.

"The more (his rivals) say that this guy doesn't have experience, the more people say we are not looking for a manager, we are looking for somebody who can lead," he said. "And leadership is all about inspiration."

"He's a guy who we think can lift us because somehow his parents left a ennobling legacy and sacrificed for the people," he added.

While Aquino is almost sure to win the vote on May 10, the presidency "will not be an easy crown to wear," according to research firm GlobalSource Partners Inc's quarterly report on the Philippines.

"The new leader may not have a harmonious relationship with Congress initially," the report said. "Such a scenario would not bode well for fiscal reform."

The US-based think tank said Aquino must "navigate through transaction-driven Philippine politics to take control and neutralize, co-opt, or cooperate with the forces aligned with the current administration" to be able to push for reforms.

"Failing to do so skillfully, he and the country may end up in a stalemate, meaning lost years for getting the economy finally moving forward as it locks horns with Congress," GlobalSource said.

Salipsip agreed that with the high expectations, Aquino could face a "big problem" if he fails to deliver on his promises and provide a strong political leadership.

"When people have put a lot of faith and hope in his leadership and if nothing happens, he's going to be a big disappointment," he said.

"If he has the moral suasion, if he acts the first few days that he sits on the position when the population is still euphoric, he can probably swing (the support of) a lot of congressmen and the senators."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322039,profile-democracy-icons-son-electrifies-philippine-voters.html.

PROFILE: Ousted Philippine president Estrada fights for redemption

Manila - Former Philippine president Joseph Estrada did not hide his excitement when a survey conducted two weeks before the presidential elections on May 10 showed him tied for second place with real-estate magnate Manuel Villar.

"As I told you, I will give them the surprise of their lives," he said, vowing to reach out to more voters in the final days of the campaign.

Estrada - known by his nickname Erap, the Filipono word for friend spelled backwards - predicted that he and frontrunner Benigno Aquino III would battle it out for the presidency come election day.

The 73-year-old former action movie star said he expected his loyal supporters - millions of poor people in slum areas - to vote for him.

"They have proven that they are loyal to me. They are just quiet," he added.

Margaux Salcedo, Estrada's spokeswoman, said that in the remaining days of the campaign, the former president will show the people that he is still the best man to rehabilitate the country after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's tumultuous nine-year rule.

"In the next few days we hope to establish that the change that the Liberal Party (of rival Aquino) proposes is empty without a leader with proven competence, political will and commitment to the masses," she said.

Indeed, among the nine candidates for president, Estrada has the most experience of holding office, having served as town mayor, senator, vice president and two years as president.

In 1998, Estrada was elected as president of the Philippines by a landslide, with the biggest-ever lead over his closest rival.

But in January 2001, he was ousted by a military-backed mass uprising over allegations of large-scale corruption and incompetence.

He was detained from April 2001 and eventually convicted in 2007 of plunder by the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, but Arroyo pardoned him a few days after his conviction.

A known womanizer and heavy drinker, Estrada vowed to continue his pro-poor programs, which were stopped after his ouster from office. His slogan promises that "if there is Erap, there is prosperity."

Estrada said that once elected to office he would focus on poverty alleviation, peace and order, food security and addressing graft and corruption.

Political analysts, however, do not share Estrada's optimism that he would win this time.

Benito Lim, a political science professor at the Ateneo De Manila University, said Estrada was already past his prime and appeared to be living in a time warp.

"He said that if elected he is just going to continue the programs during his previous term, he must have forgotten that 10 years have passed and the world economy has changed and the Philippine economy has changed. We have new problems," he said.

Lim also doubted whether Estrada could command the loyalty of the country's impoverished millions.

"He still has loyal followers but this is not enough to propel him to presidency," he said.

Jun Salipsip, president of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, a local think tank, said he believed that Estrada was running merely to clear his name.

"I think he just wanted reassurance from the public that they still love him," he said. "I think he just wanted redemption from the embarrassment he suffered due to his conviction."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322041,profile-ousted-philippine-president-estrada-fights-for-redemption.html.

Philippines to delay presidential polls

Only six days before the Philippines' first automated election, officials say the presidential poll is likely to be postponed due to glitches in the counting machines.

Faulty memory cards used in the vote-counting machines prompted the Philippines election commission to delay the poll in order to eliminate the risk of fraud and violence.

The glitches were found after the country's Commission on Elections conducted the final testing of the devices on Monday and recalled all compact flash cards for reconfiguration, Commission's Spokesman James Jimenez explained.

The Southeast Asian state is notorious for fraud after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo allegedly rigged the 2004 presidential election in her favor.

"Postponement of election is the only remedy to prevent a failure of election," President Arroyo's election lawyer said Monday.

Meanwhile, Margaux Salcedo spokesman for former President Joseph Estrada -- who is seeking to run as president -- ridiculed the issue, saying "It's ironic that poll automation, which is supposed to secure the sanctity of the ballot, is now the very threat to the process."

The Philippines is holding its first computerized election, as earlier in 2005, audio recordings of a phone conversation between President Arroyo and then Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano were released to the public. The conversation allegedly contained discussions about rigging the 2004 national election results.

The crisis escalated when the minority of the Lower House of Congress called for Arroyo's impeachment. Their attempt, however, was blocked by the president's coalition in September 2005. No trial has so far been held over the issue.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125507§ionid=351020406.

Tamil journalist pardoned in Sri Lanka

Colombo - A Sri Lankan journalist sentenced for 20 years for "inciting communal disharmony" is to receive a presidential pardon, External Affairs Minister GL Peiris said Monday.

JS Tissainayagam, a member of Sri Lanka's Tamil minority, was sentenced in August under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

He was charged for printing a monthly magazine in which he had allegedly published material inciting communal disharmony. He was also found guilty of collecting funds through the magazine and thereby promoting terrorism.

Tissainayagam denied the allegations. His conviction triggered protests by media rights activists and international media organizations.

Tissainayagam has filed an appeal against his conviction and was earlier released on bail.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/321704,tamil-journalist-pardoned-in-sri-lanka.html.

Japan provides post-cyclone, 110-million-dollar loan to Philippines

Manila - Japan is providing a 109.8-million-dollar loan to the Philippines to rebuild infrastructure damaged by two devastating cyclones last year, the government in Manila said Monday.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said he signed the loan agreement with Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura.

Romulo welcomed the aid, extended in response to the Philippines' request for help after the storms.

"This Japanese assistance package will provide much-needed funds for rehabilitating our physical structures and assets and improving their carrying and load capacity," he said.

"More importantly, this vital package helps us lay the foundations for our climate-proofing efforts," he said. "This is a vital task, given that typhoons and extreme weather events can only be expected to increase in intensity and frequency as a result of climate change."

Nearly 1,000 people were killed by floods, landslides and other accidents caused by Tropical Storms Ketsana and Parma in September and October.

Ketsana dumped one month's worth of rain in less than one day and caused the worst flooding in metropolitan Manila and nearby provinces in more than 40 years.

Many roads, bridges, power lines, homes and schools were damaged or destroyed by the two cyclones. Some communities in the northern Philippines are still difficult to reach because of the devastation.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/320554,japan-provides-post-cyclone-110-million-dollar-loan-to-philippines.html.

Malaysia admits arresting and deporting Sri Lankan rebels

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia has arrested and deported several leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) since the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka last year, officials confirmed Friday.

Key members of the Tamil Tigers were caught and then deported by Malaysian police between August last year and March, Home Ministry officials said.

"We did not want them here any longer than necessary," Director of Special Operations Fuzi Harun said.

"Our preventive action was to stop them from turning the country into their hub or base for global terrorist operations," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times newspaper.

Sri Lanka's military defeated the LTTE last year after 26 years of civil war. Rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed, and the surviving leaders went into hiding.

In a statement issued Thursday, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the arrest of the LTTE leaders was made known to Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the time.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/320185,malaysia-admits-arresting-and-deporting-sri-lankan-rebels.html.

Sri Lankan new premier swears in

Sri Lankan new Prime Minister Dissanayake Mudiyansalage Jayaratne has taken the oath of office following the ruling party's landslide victory.

Jayaratne, one of elder statesmen of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) was elected as premier on Thursday by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to head the government in the parliament.

The victory of the UPFA was achieved after voting was re-run in two districts, which had canceled the polls due to fraud.

The ruling party that managed to secure 140 seats in the 225-member parliament, however, missed the opportunity to rewrite the constitution as it fell six seats short of the two-thirds majority that would enable the party to change the constitution.

UPFA's nearest rival, United National Front, could pick up only 60 seats. An ethnic Tamil party and a coalition led by the country's jailed former army chief won 14 and seven seats, respectively.

Jayaratne's political background goes back to 1970 when he was first elected to parliament. He is the founding member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the second-largest in Sri Lanka and the main party in the ruling coalition.

The new parliament will convene on Thursday for the first time.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124045§ionid=351020406.

Islamic Convert's Detention Sparks Debate on Tolerance

(WARNING): Article contains propaganda

* * * * *

By Feizal Samath

COLOMBO, Apr 8, 2010 (IPS) - Issues of religious tolerance, the rule of law and freedom of expression in this mainly Buddhist country are being thrown into debate by the detention of a Sri Lankan Buddhist woman who converted to Islam and was writing a book on her conversion.

Sarah Malathi Perera, a 38-year old migrant worker who has lived in Bahrain for 20 years, was detained by police in Colombo under emergency regulations on Mar. 20, ostensibly over a book she had written and published on her conversion to Islam.

But police have since given different versions of the reasons for her detention, saying that the book was offensive to Buddhism or that she was being probed for links to Tamil militants and Muslim extremist groups.

On Tuesday, police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody was even more vague. "She has been detained under emergency regulations but I don’t have details as to why she is in detention. Let me check and let you know," he told IPS. He was the same official who earlier gave different reasons for Perera’s detention.

The incident reflects a cultural and social intolerance that Sri Lankan society has never previously experienced, argues Dayan Jayatillaka, former vice president of the U.N. Human Rights Council and former chairman of the intergovernmental working group on the implementation of the Durban declaration against racism.

"How (else) should we begin to define a country in which an unarmed young woman, a woman who has not harmed anyone, is detained in a police station under emergency laws or anti-terrorism laws, for writing a book, and a book which does not call for violence against anyone?" Jayatillaka said in an interview.

Lakshman Gunasekera, president of the Sri Lanka chapter of the South Asia Free Media Association, says that as journalists, they are concerned that Perera has been arrested under emergency regulations. "Although I have not read her book, this is an issue that concerns freedom of expression," he said.

He added that this kind of reaction is more often seen in situations of serious religious fundamentalism and extremism like Pakistan, Iran or Afghanistan, where writers have been accused of blasphemy against Islam and subjected to verbal and physical attacks.

"This is a country where all religions are respected and tolerated. So why this intolerance?" said a women’s rights activist who declined to be named. Perera returned to Sri Lanka three months back to settle a land dispute concerning her elderly mother in Colombo. She has said she has analyzed the spiritual substance of Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism and Christianity, and published a book entitled ‘From Darkness to Light: Questions and Answer’.

Sri Lanka’s 20 million people comprises 73.7 percent Buddhists, 10.9 percent Hindus, 7.6 percent Muslims and 6.2 percent Christians, and the rest from smaller ethnic groups. Non-Buddhists have the constitutional right to freely practise their religion.

But in recent years, the Jathika Hela Urumaya or JHU (National Heritage Party), a extreme racist party with little support in the country but with huge influence on President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has along with allied or similar groups been suspected of being behind attacks against largely Christian places of worship.

Perera, who wears a ‘hijab’ (dress that covers the body from head to toe), alleges that her arrest came after the courier company she was planning to use to send her books to Bahrain, tipped off the JHU, which in turn informed the police. JHU officials were not immediately available for comment.

Lakshan Dias, Perera’s lawyer, says his client has been informed that she is being detained on charges of offending Buddhism and possible links to Tamil militants and overseas Muslim militant groups. "She has been told that she has been detained under a 30-day detention order under emergency regulations. She has not been informed when she would be produced before a magistrate," he said.

Perera’s case points to a breakdown in law and order more than religious intolerance, some say. "People get arrested over some ideosyncratic issue and then once that happens, the system takes over and you can’t get out," said Jehan Perera, a columnist in the ‘Daily Mirror’ newspaper.

Under the Sri Lankan Penal Code, offenses relating to religion include acts such as damaging or defiling a place of worship, uttering words or sounds or making gestures with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings and trespassing in places of worship.

Jayatillake said the response to Perera’s book could have been a critical review of it, not an arrest. "Isn't this against both Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on freedom of expression as well as the rights and freedoms recognized by the Sri Lankan Constitution? Who decides on arrests like this and what is the law transgressed?" Equally worrisome to some is the government’s use of emergency laws almost a year after its defeat of the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.

"The Sri Lankan emergency means that people enjoy any personal or legal rights solely at executive convenience and discretion," said an activist who requested anonymity. "Accordingly, Ms Perera has been detained without trial, charge, bail or much access to family or lawyers and any legal or procedural safeguards."

Source: IPS.
Link: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50958.

Sri Lanka's first terrorism-free new year for 26 years - Feature

Colombo – Sri Lankans are set to celebrate their traditional New Year free of the threat of terrorism for the first time in 26 years, after the army defeated Tamil rebels in May.

Traditional sports festivals and other celebrations are among the events planned for April 14, as locals take time off and travel all over the country, including to the northern regions held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) until their defeat last year.

The traditional New Year is celebrated by both the majority Sinhalese Buddhists and the minority Tamil Hindus, who account for around 73 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, of the country's 20-million population.

Sri Lankans are enjoying their new freedom to move around the country, as previously strict security regulations were relaxed. "We are having close to 10,000 visitors to the (northern) Jaffna peninsula from the south of the country," said G Kuganathan, news editor of the Tamil daily Uthayan.

"The majority are Sinhalese who were unable to come here during the war," he added.

During the past 20 years the main road between the south and the Northern Province capital Jaffna was closed, except during a Norwegian-backed truce from 2002 to 2006. Even then, few holiday-makers traveled to the north.

But this year, both civilians who were caught up in the conflict and soldiers are enjoying the most peaceful New-Year season for nearly three decades.

"We have given leave to soldiers - except for the minimum required number - enabling them to visit their parents in their villages," military spokesman Major General Prasad Samarasinghe said.

In the areas worst hit by the fighting last year, soldiers are organizing celebrations for the predominantly Tamil villages, he said.

"We are relaxed and have no tension this year as in other years. Even I can take time to visit my parents," Samarasinghe added.

However, an estimated 75,000 Tamil civilians displaced by the war still remain in camps unable to return home, largely due to the unfinished clearing of landmines, the government claims.

New Year celebrations have also been organized for the displaced persons' camps in the north.

As the checkpoints that used to dot the country's roads are disappearing, Sri Lankans are also traveling to other holiday destinations.

"This year we have seen more people in the market places," Wasantha Chandrapala, a journalist based in the eastern town of Ampara, said. "One reason is that there aren't any security problems and the people can move freely."

Ampara was one of the towns seriously affected by the violence, including several fatal bombs during the war.

Nearly three decades of war cost Sri Lanka the lives of over 100,000 civilians and around 23,000 soldiers. An estimated 7,000 soldiers were maimed and more than 300,000 civilians displaced in the final phase of the conflict.

The ruling United People's Freedom Alliance led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa won a landslide victory with over 60 per cent of the vote in last Thursday's parliamentary elections, largely due to Rajapaksa's popularity for ending the war.

Rajapaksa himself recorded a 58-per-cent victory in January's presidential elections, seeing off a challenge by ex-army chief General Sarath Fonseka.

The general, who spearheaded the military campaign against the Tamil rebels, is currently in military custody facing charges of conspiracy against the government and involvement in "fraudulent acts."

Fonseka, previously hailed a hero, has come under criticism for his role since he fell out with Rajapaksa.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318411,sri-lankas-first-terrorism-free-new-year-for-26-years--feature.html.

Six killed in road accident in Philippines

Manila - Six people were killed when a tricycle they were riding in slammed into a passenger bus in the Philippines, police said Sunday.

The victims were traveling to Ozamiz City in the southern province of Misamis Occidental when the accident occurred Saturday, a police report said.

Initial investigation showed the tricycle driver lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the bus on the opposite lane while trying to avoid a child crossing the highway.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318055,six-killed-in-road-accident-in-philippines.html.

New US ambassador arrives in the Philippines

Manila - The new US ambassador to the Philippines has arrived in the country, one month before Filipinos were to hold crucial elections, airport officials said Sunday.

Ambassador Harry K Thomas Junior arrived late Saturday and was welcomed by embassy officials and staff at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

In his arrival statement, Thomas said he was "delighted" to take up his post as new envoy of the United States to the Philippines.

"America and the Philippines are long-standing free partners, we have great plans, and we have much to do together," he said. "I look forward to working with the people of the Philippines."

Thomas said his father, who was in the Philippines after World War II, "always told (him) that he had a great time with the people of the Philippines."

"I hope that I can live up to the work that he and his colleagues did here," he added.

Thomas arrived one month before national and local elections on May 10, when more than 50 million Filipinos were to vote for a new president, vice president, legislators and local officials.

The US has warned of possible violence before and after the elections and has urged its citizens to exercise extreme caution when traveling to the Philippines.

Thomas is a former director general of the US Foreign Service. He was US ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005, and held other posts in India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Peru.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318067,new-us-ambassador-arrives-in-the-philippines.html.

Sri Lanka parliamentary polls close

Polling has passed off in Sri Lanka's post war parliamentary elections amid reports of violence, with President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling alliance expected to win with a clear majority.

Voters lined up at polling booths as the nationwide parliamentary elections opened today throughout the island. Results are due on Friday.

Police had deployed 60,000 constables and kept another 20,000 military personnel on alert to deal with any major outbreak of violence during the voting period.

However, independent observers said the nine-hours of balloting were marred by a shooting incident and reports of intimidation.

The president cast his ballot in his home village of Medamulana south of the country.

Rajapaksa, 64, is seeking a two-thirds majority in parliament which would allow him to change the constitution.

He remains popular among Sri Lankans after bringing the 26-year conflict with the separatist Tamil Tigers to an end last year.

The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) reported 286 incidents of poll-related violence with most complaints being against Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance.

With more than 14 million eligible voters, the CMEV estimated the turnout at between 45 and 50 percent, much lower than the 75 percent recorded in the January presidential election.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122796§ionid=351020406.

Giant lizard species discovered in Philippines

A 180 centimeter monitor lizard, a fruit-eating reptile, has been found for the first time in the forests in northern Philippines.

The newly discovered lizard can grow to more than 180 centimeters in length, but weighs only about 10 kilograms, said Rafe Brown of the University of Kansas, whose team confirmed the find.

The main body length of the reptile can approach 100 centimeters in length, and its long tail may extend that by up to a further 100 centimeters. The lizard has dark skin covered by golden yellow spots and flecks.

The dragon-sized brightly colored species, which is called Varanus bitatawa, has been discovered in the trees of the northern Philippine island of Luzon.

Such discoveries of new large vertebrate species are very rare, especially ones that are so brightly colored.

The lizard, a new species of the genus Varanus, is skittish and able to hide from humans, said Brown in the journal Biology Letters.

"It lives up in trees, so it can not grow to a massive size," Brown said. "This thing is a fruit-eater and it is only the third fruit-eating lizard to be discovered in the world."

The researchers suggested it was a highly secretive species that never left its forests. Researchers are concerned about the future of the species.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122694&sectionid=3510212.

Philippine bishop urges Filipinos to vote wisely in May

Manila - The Philippines' top Catholic bishop Sunday urged Filipinos to wisely choose the country's next leaders in upcoming elections in May.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said the May 10 elections should "lead to a new life and a new encouraging service" coming after Easter, which marks Jesus Christ's resurrection.

"After the resurrection, it can never be business as usual," Rosales said in his Easter message. "After the resurrection, no more shall there be compromising with deceit, dishonesty and worship of money and power."

"Discern with prayerful judgment as to who the nation should entrust with the task of new and inspiring honest leadership that leads to unity and peace," he added.

The Catholic Church does not publicly support candidates in elections in the Philippines, but usually issues guidelines in choosing who to vote for.

Nearly 18,000 national and local positions are up for grabs on May 10, including president, vice president, senators and members of the House of Representatives.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is running for a seat in the House of Representatives, called for unity in her Easter message.

"Let us unite as one nation and collectively work toward a new future for our country - a future rich with hope and possibilities for everyone of us," she said.

Easter is a major religious event in the Philippines, where more than 85 per cent of the estimated 90-million population is Catholic.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/317029,philippine-bishop-urges-filipinos-to-vote-wisely-in-may.html.

Taiwan to join effort to save Pacific islands from rising seas

Taipei - Taiwan vowed Saturday to join the international community in helping Pacific island states cope with rising sea levels caused by climate change.

President Ma Ying-jeou made the announcement in his weekly newsletter, one week after he visited six South Pacific island nations that are among the 23 countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan as opposed to China.

"How would we feel if this beautiful scenery (of the Pacific islands) vanishes in 10 years' time?" Ma asked.

He said that among Taiwan's South Pacific allies, Kiribati and Tuvalu are now only 2 to 4 meters above sea level.

"Some experts predicted that by the end of this century, the sea level will rise 40 centimeters ... and force them to move their people to some other place," he said.

Ma said Taiwan is helping each of its six Pacific allies on environmental protection, solar power, health care and agriculture.

The recognition of Taiwan by the six countries - the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, the Solomon Islands and Palau - and their petitioning of the United Nations to allow Taipei to join UN organizations are vital to Taiwan, which suffers diplomatic isolation because more than 170 countries recognize China, essentially regarding Taiwan as China's breakaway province.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316949,taiwan-to-join-effort-to-save-pacific-islands-from-rising-seas.html.

Gold mine cave-in kills three in northern Philippines

Manila - Three gold miners were killed when a 24-meter-deep pit caved in on them in the northern Philippines, a police report said Thursday.

The accident occurred late Tuesday in Itogon town in Benguet province, 225 kilometers north of Manila.

At least 20 miners entered the mineshaft, but only six were at the bottom when mud and rocks crashed onto them, the police report said.

Three of the workers were rescued and rushed to hospital while the other three died at the scene, it said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316693,gold-mine-cave-in-kills-three-in-northern-philippines.html.