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If not for Ashraff LTTE would have achieved Eelam – Zuhair
Ashraff memorial meeting in Sammanthurai
Former President J R Jayewardene had, in 1987, merged the Eastern and Northern Provinces under Indian pressure. Then leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) late M.H.M. Ashraff and the Muslims in the country had opposed the merger. They didn’t want to be governed by another minority. Because of the forced merger, new demands of a separate council for Muslims emerged at that time. If not for the SLMC led by Marhoom Ashraff, the LTTE would have achieved its Eelam dream. Eastern Muslims thereby paid a heavy price at the hands of the LTTE in 1989-90 for not supporting the division of the country, President’s Counsel M. M. Zuhair, former Member of Parliament said at the 20th Ashraff memorial meeting held recently at the Abdul Majeed Hall, Sammanthurai, in the Ampara District.
Speaking further, Zuhair said the Muslims of Sri Lanka or the SLMC and its then leader Ashraff never supported separatism or the 30-year LTTE struggle to establish ‘Eelam’. Ashraff and the Muslims were opposed to the division of the country. It was the United Nations that created the first racially based state of ‘Israel’ seven decades ago in multi- ethnic Palestine. There is no place for other races in today’s Israel. It is today a land only for one race. Muslims of Sri Lanka did not want the country divided or to see the creation of a state for one race. Nevertheless Ashraff saw devolution of power as the political answer to the LTTE! Devolution is the only way today to win over the peace!
The meeting presided by Professor Rameez Abdullah was addressed by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran PC, former MP and Chairman Sammanthurai Pradeshiya Sabha A.M.M. Naushad and Deshamanya Irshad A. Cader. The meeting was organised by the Humanitarian Welfare Council of Sammanthurai and the Deshamanya Irshad A. Cader Welfare Forum of Sammanthurai.
The two major communities, Zuhair said have had their own problems. The failed ‘Christian’ coup of 1961 was an attempt to topple the government unlawfully. In 1971, the then JVP led Sinhala youth rebellion to overawe the government ended in failure. In 1988-9 another Marxist inspired major uprising of Sinhala youth to topple the government through criminal force also ended in failure. Meanwhile the 30-year LTTE war to establish a separate state was also defeated. Muslims were the only community that did not have any role in any of these terrorising events. Ashraff’s patriotic role during the 30 year war will never be forgotten. He was however never opposed to the genuine aspirations of the Tamil people of the country.
Zuhair said M.P. Sumanthiran referred to the need for the unity of the Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala people particularly in the East. Muslims will strongly support such moves. But the Tamil demand for merger had always been the major obstacle to this unity.
Genuine concerns have now emerged regarding the preservation of historical archaeological sites in the country. In Pakistan Taxila and other archaeological sites are protected by the government and the people of Pakistan. In Afghanistan, we tend to forget that the Bamiyan Buddha statues were protected by the Muslims there for over a thousand years. These sites also bring them tourist income.
The time has come for Muslims in the East to publicly come forward to protect these sites from destruction. This is also a national duty which is also supported by the Holy Quran. Sura 6 Verse 108 states ‘(Oh believers) Revile not, those whom they worship instead of Allah…’. The reference is to objects of worship. There is a clear Quranic prohibition, apart from the country’s laws, against permitting any form of vandalizing of objects, idols or places of such worship. Of course, archaeological sites are no longer places of worship. It is a national duty by all to protect these sites from damage or destruction, he said.
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PCoI on Easter Sunday attacks:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC is not bound by recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) into the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage, or presidential directives in that regard, according to authoritative sources.
They said that the AG couldn’t under any circumstances initiate legal proceedings until he had received the full PCoI report.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa received the PCoI report on Feb 1. The President’s Office delivered a set of PCoI reports to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Feb 23, a day after the report was presented to the cabinet of ministers. The Island raised the matter with relevant authorities in the wake of a section of the media reporting the PCoI recommending punitive measures against former President Maithripala Sirisena, Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, IGP Pujitha Jayasundera, Chief of State Intelligence Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, Chief of National Intelligence retired DIG Sisira Mendis and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and Samagi Jana Balavegaya MP Rishad Bathiudeen et al over the Easter Sunday carnage.
Sources pointed out that due to the inordinate delay in sharing the PCoI report with the AG, the department hadn’t been able to take preliminary measures required to initiate the proceedings. Sources said that a team of officers would take at least six weeks or more to examine the report before tangible measures could be taken.
With the AG scheduled to retire on May 24, 2021, even if the AG Department received the P CoI it would be quite a tough task to initiate proceedings ahead of retirement, sources said. However, in terms of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution enacted in last October, both the AG and the IGP could receive extensions beyond 60 at the President’s discretion.
Dappula de Livera received an Acting appointment as the AG a week after the Easter Sunday carnage whereas his predecessor Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, was elevated to Chief Justice.
Responding to another query, sources said that the Attorney General two weeks ago requested Secretary to the President for a copy of the P CoI. However, the AG was yet to receive one, sources said. In spite of the AG not receiving a P CoI copy, the AG had instructed the IGP to obtain a copy of the report when he requested the police to complete investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage. The AG issued specific instructions after having examined police files pertaining to the investigations.
The IGP, too, hadn’t received a copy so far though some sections of the report were in the public domain.
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage displayed at a live political programme on Derana a copy of the P CoI report he received at the cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
Sources said that the Attorney General’s Department couldn’t decide on a course of action in respect of the Easter carnage on the basis of a section of the report. In terms of the Commission of Inquiry Act (Section 24), the AG enjoyed significant powers/authority in respect of investigations; sources said adding that the Department urgently required both the P CoI report and police investigations report. The Attorney General’s Department has raised the delay in receiving a P CoI report amidst the Catholic Church attacking the government over the same issue.
Sources said that ministerial committee appointed to study the P CoI report couldn’t decide on how to proceed with the recommendations and the matter was entirely in the hands of the AG. Sources pointed out that the delay on the part of the government to release the report had received the attention of sections of the international media, including the New York Times. Public Security Minister retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera having met Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the Bishop’s House on Dec 8, 2020 said that the AG would get a copy of the P CoI report once the President received it. Minister Weerasekera said that the CID had handed over the relevant files after having completed investigations into eight blasts. Referring to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report on the Easter Sunday carnage, the former Navy Chief of Staff said that all such documents would have to be brought to one place and considered before initiating legal proceedings. Acknowledging that there could be delays, lawmaker Weerasekera said that on the instructions of the Attorney General a 12-member team of lawyers was working on the case. The minister vowed to expose the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks. Investigations continued while some of those wanted were overseas, the minister said.
The minister acknowledged that the Attorney General couldn’t proceed without the P CoI report. Minister Weerasekera reiterated that once the President received the P CoI report, it would be sent to the Attorney General. The minister said that there were documents two to three feet high that needed scrutiny. The minister assured comprehensive investigation. The minister said that investigations pertaining to eight blasts had been completed and the reports handed over to the AG. However, the Attorney General had found shortcomings in those investigations.
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By Saman Indrajith
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday bombings had failed to identify the mastermind of , the JVP said yesterday.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said that the PCoI report had levelled accusations against former President Maithripala Sirisena, former IGP and head of intelligence for their dereliction of duty, shirking of responsibilities and not taking action to prevent the attacks and negligence. There were reference to the causes of the terror attacks and actions to be taken to avoid such attacks and the influence of extremist organisations. “However, there is no mention of the mastermind of the attacks, the handlers of the attackers and those whose interests the carnage served. It is also not mentioned whether there has been any foreign or local organisation behind those attacks. As per the PCoI report the attack took place as a result of culmination of extremism.
“According to the PCoI the extremist activities were a result of the prevailing political situation then. The entire nation was waiting to see who was responsible and who masterminded those attacks. The PCoI has failed to identify the true culprits responsible for the terror attacks. The report says that the leader of the suicide cadres killed himself in the attacks and it was a puzzle. That means those who are actually responsible for the attacks are still at large. The report does not provide exact details of the sources of the attacks. The PCoI had sittings for one year and five months. It summoned various persons and got their statements but it has failed to shed any light on the terror attacks. Everybody knows that the top leaders of the government and heads of security and intelligence establishments failed in their duties. Ranil Wickremesinghe was the second in command and he too is bound by the responsibility but the PCoI report fails to identify him as one of the persons against whom legal action should be instituted. The PCoI has treated Wickremesinghe and former President Maithripala Sirisena differently. We are not telling that this report is a total failure but we cannot accept this as a complete report. The PCoI handed over its report to the President on Feb 1. After 23 days it was sent to Parliament. Now, a copy of the report is there in the parliamentary library for the perusal of MPs.”
Herath said that the PCoI did not have powers to take punitive action. “It only has powers to name those responsible and recommend action to be taken against those named.
