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The Ten Commandments of Mahinda Rajapakse

2011-11-07T23:04:00.000-08:00

His Eminence Malcolm Rajasloana

(This was inspired by the article, Thou shalt not oppose the ruling family: New First commandment for Sri Lanka, by Tisaranee Gunasekara which appeared in Transcurrents, 5 November, 2011)

"I am the LORD your President who brought you out of the war with the LTTE. You shall have no other gods in My presence..."

"Do not make an image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above unless it makes ME look good."

"Do not swear falsely by the name of the LORD unless you happen to be Mervyn Silva"

"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it quiet without disturbance so that I can rest."

"Honor your father and your mother, but not above MYSELF, my brothers, sons uncles, nephews and wife."

"Do not murder. That is MY job!"

"Do not commit adultery unless you are Duminda Silva."

"Do not steal, unless you give ME ten percent."

"Do not bear false witness against your neighbor unless he is an opponent of MY regime."

"Do not covet your neighbor's wife, unless you are Malaka Silva."

Let's see, who's on the Winner's Podium today?

2011-11-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

by Stewart Kudupakse

(November 03, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)

Well folks, up until this morning it was a very close race.

Yessir, very close indeed. As the most annoyingly amusing person in Sri Lanka Mervyn the Vermin was winning by a length, having rounded the last bend he was heading for home at a comfortable pace. Having fraudulently obtained money with a bad cheque, threatened staff of the Canadian Embassy at gunpoint and tying a government official to a tree, you would think that nothing could surpass him.

Wrong! Think again.

From out of the pack gallops Duminda and he closes in on Mervyn in leaps and bounds passing him comfortably yards before the finishing post. How did he accomplish this amazing feat you might ask?

This humble individual has been accused of rape and molesting his girlfriend, the delectable Anarkali Arakasha. This hit the headlines but as is customary in Sri Lanka the matter just died a death and nothing happened. Then of course there is the small matter of his insurance fraud of nothing less than Rs. 17 million. How did this come about? Back in August He crashed his car and then six days later took out an insurance policy on it. Two days after the policy was in hand he made a claim with the insurance company for the total loss of his vehicle as it had hit a telephone pole. (Judging by the condition of the vehicle he must have hit the entire telephone company). Investigations by the insurance company revealed the truth and a report was made to the police who admittedly openly that while they thought there was sufficient evident to act against Duminda they did not due to enormous political pressure. "We would have been in deep trouble if we raised any issue then," said one high ranking officer, who, with a penchant for self preservation declined to be named.

And so folks it's Duminda by a head, taking the lead as Sri Lanka's most deplorable example of what any person can do if you have the patronage of the Troika.

Stewart Kudupakse is an author and satirist who also has a penchant for self preservation.

PAKISTAN: Devastating floods and the criminal negligence of the authorities What plans are underway to deal with the aftermath of this year's flood?

2011-09-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

An Article by the Asian Human Rights Commission

Baseer Naveed with Stewart Sloan

This article may be seen at: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-ART-053-2011

Ongoing flooding due to monsoon rains has inundated the entirety of the Sindh province causing billions of Rupees in damage and the loss of crops alone is estimated to be Rs. 5.6 billion. The people in many areas, particularly those of Khaipur district in the northern part of the province, Sanghar, Tharparker, Umerkot and Mipur Khas districts in the central part and the entire Badin district and its surrounding areas in the south have been badly affected. The floods have also been felt in and around Karachi, the capital of the province. Those most affected are members of the farming community and many families have had to leave their homes and farms with as much as they can carry. Having lost their crops they have only their livestock left and the cows and bullocks are being dragged along after them. It is estimated that five million people are displaced and a further two million are directly affected, over four million acres of land are flooded and unusable.

Altogether a total of 22 out of the 23 districts of the province have been directly or indirectly affected and living in a large city offers no protection from the flood waters. Indeed, even the cities have been inundated due to the poor drainage facilities. Facilities which the citizens have been complaining about for several years and which the provincial government has been promising to improve for even longer. Enormous amounts of funds donated by international donors have been lost due to wastage and corruption as may be seen by the World Bank Funded Left Bank Outfall Drain which is one of the main causes of the flooding.

In fact, after the catastrophe of last year it was predicted that this year's monsoon would be extraordinary. The government was made fully aware of this and offers of international aid were arrogantly turned down with the explanation that the government was fully in control of the situation. This mindset is the result of the centuries-old bureaucracy which dictates that catastrophes such as this are merely an opportunity of misusing the aid meant for the people. This is particularly visible in the Badin area which was one of the worst hit, there is hardly a square foot of dry land and yet, despite receiving international aid almost immediately no assistance has been seen. This situation is now seen in many areas and it is difficult even to find a dry spot to erect a tent.

The Irrigation Secretary informed the government that the flooding on this occasion was reportedly caused by "..... an unusual and unexpected wave of flood and monsoon rains had increased the amount and pressure of water." However, the truth of the matter is that despite the flooding of last year which caused the single most devastating natural catastrophe in the history of the country, little, if anything has been done to prepare the country for a repetition; a repetition which is now in full swing. The government paid lip service to the potential for further catastrophes by setting up Disaster Management Authorities in each province which have proved to be largely if not totally ineffective.

It is only now that the government is examining the conditions of the bunds and embankments which are only just, if at all, holding the flood waters at bay. In the meantime hundreds of thousands of people are trapped due to the flooding of the roads and it is the women and children who are suffering the most due to the lack of safe drinking water, milk and food. As was seen in the last catastrophe the response from the government was very slow due to the lack of a proper relief system and resources. While the refugees are slowly making their way towards the ever decreasing drier regions of the province there is little in the way of facilities to accommodate them. Those fortunate enough to have reached the comparative safety of a camp are lucky if they have one meal a day. Safe drinking water is totally unavailable in most areas.

It has been reported that the Government has established 1400 camps across the flood-affected areas. However, these camps alone cannot assist more than 20 percent of the affected people.

The army and navy have been mobilised and have started airlifting dry food packs, medicines for the treatment of diarrhoea, gastro-enteritis and other diseases. This also includes anti snake bite serum. Tents and other temporary accommodation are being provided but very slowly and the condition of some of the refugees remains perilous. However, this is seen as a public relations effort on the part of the armed forces to show that they are indeed doing something.

What is sad about this is the fact that if they put as much effort into actually doing something instead of just being seen to do something the situation of the affected people would be much improved. It may be said that the armed forces are simply following the lead of the government and provincial authorities as the president and prime minister are out of the country and have not seen fit to return despite the enormity of the catastrophe. There has been little or no sign of the local administration. Similar to last year's floods the Chief Minister of the province, Qaim Ali Shah, has visited affected areas and made the usual promises none of which have come to fruition.

The local NGOs, political parties, the government and international aid agencies are appealing for donations but it is feared that much of what is donated will once again be lost to misuse and corruption. Indeed, it has already reported that donated relief items are available for sale in the open street markets.

The scope of the humanitarian disaster has yet to be realised. The worst situation will be seen when the flood waters finally recede. It is then that the carcasses of the farm animals and domestic pets that died in the flooding will be seen rotting in the open air and in what used to be drinking wells. Disease will spread faster than the medical aid can be distributed and it is then that the world will see the totality of the disaster. It is then the government will hold their hands to the international aid agencies. Around 500 people including children are already dead and this figure is likely to rise due to the spread of disease.

What is very frightening about this is the fact that it is unlikely that any lessons will be learned from this year's flooding. Taken into consideration with last year's disaster it can be safely predicted that this is going to happen again. The poor and vulnerable will bear the brunt of the criminal negligence of the people who are supposed to be protecting them. The question is: will the government be ready this time. The unfortunate answer must be, "No".

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia, documents violations and advocates for justice and institutional reform to ensure the protection and promotion of these rights. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

King George the Fifth -- before and beyond

2011-09-05T01:05:00.000-07:00

Stewart Sloan

(This was published in Family and Friends from Shanghai and Hong Kong an open group on Facebook)

I started my secondary school education at St. Joseph’s College in Kennedy Road. St. Joseph’s is a Catholic school and most of the teachers were Brothers. In those days corporal punishment was still permitted and unlike KGV, where only the headmaster was allowed to wack the students, in St. Joseph’s any of the brothers could punish the students they deemed to have been naughty. The punishment itself was not severe and the sting of the teacher’s ruler on the palm of the hand soon faded; what hurt me more was the fact that we were never told the reason for our punishment. Every Friday morning the form teacher would call out a list of names and we would step out to the front and await our turn with the ruler. One of the brothers was particularly sadistic and it came as no surprise when, one day one of his student victims placed a hypodermic syringe under the cushion of his chair. I will leave his reaction to the reader’s imagination. Needless to say he didn’t get much sympathy and the only reason no one laughed was because of the threat of future punishment.

St. Joseph’s was then, and is today, a school with an enviable scholastic record and they didn’t have the time to commit to slower students. After a trying year my parents transferred me to King George the Fifth and then the fun started.

I was initially placed in Form 2E until the school realised that they didn’t have enough students to justify an additional class and we amalgamated with 2D, my first promotion!

I was not a very good student. It seemed that as soon as I started making progress in any one class or subject they would transfer the teacher. The next two years were a series of failures to which my parents became accustomed to.

Then I started writing and everything changed. I found that there was something I could do in life better than anyone else.

At the end of every school year the teacher would stand up at the head of the class and read out the class positions. In a class of an average of 22 students I usually came 22nd and then suddenly it was the end of Form 4. The teacher, a kind lady whose name I don’t recall now stood up at the head of the class and started announcing the positions. It was customary to start at the last place and work towards the first. Accustomed as I was to being number 22 I was surprised when my name wasn’t called. We progressed to 10th and then 5th and then 2nd and lo and behold to everyone’s amazement (including my own), my name was called. I remember that the teacher asked me how I felt. I recall that I just sat there opening and closing my mouth for a few moments before muttering something like, “OK”.

The Headmaster in those days was E.W.D Gore, known affectionately to his students as ‘Egore’. Egore was so impressed that he wrote a personal letter to my mother congratulating me on my progress and saying that I shouldn’t put off my small setbacks. In this case the small setback was getting 2 out of 200 for my maths test. They gave me one mark for turning up and another for getting my name correct.

For what it’s worth I finally got an O Level equivalency in maths when I was 44 years of age.

Corporal punishment to be banned in Sri Lanka

2011-09-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

(Children are the future of every family, culture and country. They must be protected from persons who believe themselves to be in position of impunity. They must be nurtured, encouraged and given every opportunity of fulfilling the potential that every human being has).
by Stewart Sloan

(September 02, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) A recent article in the Sri Lankan press announced that corporal punishment in schools, children's homes and prisons is to be made a punishable offense. (No corporal punishment, Daily Mirror, 2nd September 2011 by Sandun A. Jayasekara). This is incredibly good news for the thousands of innocents who are affected by corporal punishment every year in the country.

Frequent reports are received about school children, sometimes not yet in their teens, being severely beaten by their teachers and principals. The physical damage, which sometimes amounts to severe injuries such as partial loss of hearing, contusions and sprains, is only one part of the problem. The worst part is the anguish the child undergoes knowing that the physical punishment he has received is in no way justified by his alleged 'crime'.

Often the usual scenario is that the parents of the child find out about the incident and either go to the school themselves or the nearest police station to file a complaint. The educational authorities arrange for a reconciliation meeting between the teacher involved and the parents knowing full well in advance that they will support the version of the teacher. The child is considered biased; a trouble maker and someone who is simply trying to bring the school into disrepute. At the school the parents are given the teacher's version of the event. There is no fairness involved; the child was rude, obstructive and/or stole something from either the school or another student. The parents are forced to either accept the school's version of the incident or, if they feel that this version doesn't jell with that of their child they have the option of making a complaint to the educational authorities or the police.

What happens next is almost laughable in its commonality with all similar cases. What happens is absolutely nothing!

The situation is similar when the parents go to the police. The officers will take a statement from the child and the parents and then perhaps, if they are feeling diligent, take the child for a medical examination. Then, similar to the educational authorities they call the teacher in for a 'talk'. They listen to the teacher, weigh up the version of the child and without fail, support the version of the school. The end result of this is that the child, having suffered physical trauma, is then subjected to the embarrassment of being called a liar. Invariably, the child is either expelled from the school or simply refuses to go back for fear of ridicule by the teachers and other students. Many children are so traumatised that the incident brings their education to an abrupt end.

The Women Empowerment and Child Welfare Ministry is behind the move to introduce this law and are to be congratulated for its forward thinking. However, once such a law is introduced it is vital, absolutely vital that the government of Sri Lanka ensures that complaints made under this legislation are investigated thoroughly and with impartiality. Sadly, the speed with which Sri Lankan police officers are corrupted means that, as in the past, they will likely side with the school and teachers for a 'consideration'. This will simply make a mockery out of a law designed to protect children from persons in a much higher and more powerful position. If this happens it will be yet another example of legislation designed to protect the innocent being wasted.

Children are the future of every family, culture and country. They must be protected from persons who believe themselves to be in position of impunity. They must be nurtured, encouraged and given every opportunity of fulfilling the potential that every human being has.

(The author is a father of two, one son born to his first wife and the second one was adopted. He has worked as an English teacher with children as young as two and a half years).

The Grease Yakas -- an international conspiracy to embarrass Sri Lanka!

2011-08-22T02:26:00.000-07:00

by Stewart Greasywalla

(August 22, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Sri Lankan people will be pleased to know that investigations carried out by a freelance foreign journalist has discovered that the 'Grease Yaka' incidents are just another plot to discredit the government. Working under cover, and at considerable risk to himself, the journalist was able to interview three of the Grease Yakas that the government claim does not exist!

The report by the journalist:

Acting on a tip off I went to Siyabalanduwa, an area which, for those readers who are not family with Sri Lanka, is situated in the South East a short distance from the city of Badulla. The information provided indicated that three such Yakas would be on the prowl for victims on a certain evening of the week. I therefore arrived at Siyabalanduwa in the late afternoon and had an early dinner so that I could position himself on the street, a likely victim for an attack.

The town quieted down quite early and apparently I was not the only one who had received information of a possible attack, the townsfolk wanted to get off the streets while it was still light. It was necessary to walk as quietly as possible while at the same time making myself obvious so that I was not suspected of being a Grease Yaka and lynched by a frightened mob. It was while I was standing in the cover of a faulty lamppost that I was set upon by 'something'.

The first thing I noticed was the pungent smell of grease as the Yaka enveloped me is his arms. I would have struggled but, quite frankly, was overcome by fear -- and the smell. I must have passed out because sometime later (it was half an hour, as it turned out) I awoke to find myself lying on the floor of an abandoned house. There was light from a paraffin lantern which sat on a rickety table in the centre of the room and I raised myself into a sitting position as quietly as possible. Then one of the Grease Yakas stood in front of me.

I confess that my heart was pounding in my heart. I had no idea what this creature intended to do with me or whether I would ever see the light of day. Then I heard a voice from behind me and turning my head, to my horror saw two more Yakas standing there. One of them was drinking from a bottle of Lion Larger.

"Bloody Hell", the one holding the bottle said. "It's a bloody foreigner".

"Oh bugger," said the one in front. "That's going to muck things up a bit".

Slowly, my heart slowed down to the point where it was only thumping in my breast. At least it was still pumping I thought to myself. Whoever these people were, they were not demons from Sri Lankan mythology that was for sure.

"Wha, wha, what are you people?" I stammered.

"At least he speaks English," said one of them.

I was totally confused. The three, men, as I now realised they were, came to stand in front of me. By the light of the paraffin lamp I was able to tell that they were tall, slim and wearing clothes that they, or someone, had liberally covered in foul smelling grease. My journalistic blood was up and I knew that I had a story; all I had to do was get it, and get out alive. I decided to try the tough guy approach.

Gathering my wits I put on my most authoritative voice. "I'll have you know that I am here at the personal invitation of a very, very high ranking member of the government. He is indeed even a close relative of the President himself!"

"Hmm", said one of them. "You see that's rather strange Old Chap. Because you see, we're here on the same instructions. In fact, our instructions came from the very person you claim to be representing."

"Go...Go....Gota.... ." I stammered.

"Now, now". He said. "It wouldn't do to give away secrets now would it?"

There was a loud commotion outside the house and without warning the door burst open and half a dozen heavily armed police officers entered.

The three "Yakas" were arrested and handcuffed. One of them quickly pointed out that I was not one of them and should be released at once. The Officer-in-Charge looked me up and down and said in perfect English, "I'm sure we can think of something to charge him with".

"Suggest you let him go, Old Boy, wouldn't want him giving the game away would we," said the same one.

I couldn't resist and despite any danger I might have been in asked the question. "What exactly is the game?"

"We've been running around dressed like this for days now, waiting to get arrested by the Sri Lankan police who will announce to the local public and the world at large that the whole Yaka story was just another plot by the west to embarrass the country. When they announce in the press that the Yakas are, in fact, foreigners dressed up to look and act like devils one of the ministries will announce that we were employed by a TV channel, I'm sure you can guess which one, I'm not going to tell you but it comes after 3 and before 5."

The three 'Yakas' were taken outside and loaded into a police van. I couldn't help but notice it was white and the registration plate seemed to have fallen off. The Officer-in-Charge took one last look at me and shrugged his shoulders before walking out.

I was left alone in the abandoned house with my thoughts my still hammering heart and what remained of my wits. I didn't want to leave the comparative safety of the house so waited for the morning. It took forever to come.

The US enters Sri Lankan airspace

2011-08-10T02:40:00.000-07:00

Did they or didn't they and what if they did?

It is this same arrogance that allows the Americans to violate Sri Lanka's or any other country's airspace with impunity.
by Stewart Sloan

(August 10, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) Recent reports in the Sri Lankan press have revealed that American airplanes entered the territorial airspace of Sri Lanka. Interestingly this has been both denied and confirmed by the government who are very good at first denying things and latter admitting to them. This comes in light of the fact that this same government is now admitting that civilians were killed in the final stages of the war against the LTTE. However, the intrusion into Sri Lankan airspace has been empathically denied by the US navy.

I don't know who I feel sorry for the most in this instance; the sovereignty of Sri Lanka has possibly been violated by the arrogance of a mightier nation. Let's face it: there is more destructive fire power in the USS Ronald Reagan, the aircraft carrier thought to be involved, than the entire Sri Lankan military apparatus. So, the fact remains, if the US did violate Sri Lankan airspace, what exactly is Sri Lanka going to do about it?

If the Americans are known for anything it is their pure, unadulterated arrogance. They come and go as they please which is blatantly evident by their actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Three years ago in Hong Kong a plain clothed American tried to leave the territory with a loaded ammunition clip in his possession. The carrying of any weaponry, including self defense items such as pepper spray is strictly controlled, and therefore this man was arrested and held. He was, he announced, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI is known to be a domestic institution with no jurisdiction outside the continental USA, so by what right or authority was this fellow carrying a loaded clip. The immigration officers handed him over the police who held him while communications flew back and forth to the American Consulate General. They, with incredible arrogance announced that he was, in fact, an FBI agent and that they should release him IMMEDIATELY! No apology or explanation was received regarding the incident.

It is this same arrogance that allows the Americans to violate Sri Lanka's or any other country's airspace with impunity.

Whether they did or not one more thing is interesting. The Americans are displaying the very same arrogance shown by Mahinda Rajapakse and his brother, who, two years ago denied that any civilians were killed during the final stages of the war and then recently, very calmly announced that, perhaps, some might have been killed but that this amounted to nothing more collateral damage. No apology or explanation for this sudden turnabout was offered; they just offered it up and demanded that the people of Sri Lanka and the international community accept it. Interestingly, collateral damage is of course something else that the Americans know all about as in the first Gulf war more British servicemen were killed by American friendly fire than by the Iraqis themselves.

So on the arrogance front, it's one point to the Rajapakses' and one hundred and one to the Americans!

After all, who is going to argue with the USS Ronald Reagan?

Foxes, lions, tigers and elephants -- Sri Lanka exports anacondas

2011-07-18T00:48:00.000-07:00

Stewart Elephanpakse

(NB: This was eventually published in the Sri Lanka Guardian on 27th July, 2011)

(Unpublished) There is a strange combination of animal affairs in the Sri Lankan press today (July 11) but I suppose this is only natural in a country that imports camels. (Caligula and Rajapakse -- Horses and Camels by Stewart Rajapakse -- Sri Lanka Guardian January 26, 2011)
First we have the story that Liam Fox paid a visit to Mahinda Rajapakse, Sri Lanka's self-styled lion. Fox almost certainly didn't say what Mahinda wanted to hear when he called for freedom of expression, accountability and positive attitudes. Only one of these would have been really welcomed by Mahinda, the call for positive attitudes, because we can all be certain that if Mahinda is positive about anything it's the speed with which he plans to consolidate his hold over the people he is supposed to be protecting. Then of course Fox really put his paw in his mouth when he said that he was looking forward to the publication of the LLRC report in November this year. Sadly this doesn't say much for Liam because anyone believing in the credibility of the LLRC report has obviously been outfoxed by Mahinda and his brothers.

Then we have the article about how Sri Lanka is going to trade anacondas for tigers (the furry kind, not the terrorist type). One might think that there is something ironic about a country that exports anacondas. But then, if we consider that the country is exporting a disgraced Inspector General of Police as the Ambassador to Brazil and has already exported a military officer suspected of war crimes to the United Nations, perhaps this is not so strange.

Then there is the news that Sri Lanka will have to import tuskers ('elephants', for those that are unfamiliar with the term) from India for the Perheras. Sri Lanka used to have more elephants than you could shake a stick at; unfortunately it was decided that they were not as important as everyone thought they were and now when one of them dies it is the people that mourn them, not the government. The thought springs to mind that they should have looked after the ones they had a bit better. Apparently however, there are plenty of them available because the government, in the form of the Wildlife Conservation Department Director General Dr Chandrawansa Pathiraja, has emphasised that no elephants in the South will be relocated due to the construction of an airport runway or for the proposed Games City in Hambantota. Hmmm, whenever a representative of the Rajapakse government categorically announces that something is not going to happen I always think it's time to start worrying. If I was an elephant I'd start packing my trunk. And that reminds me of an old story; what is gray, has four legs, a head, a tail and a trunk?

Why, a mouse going on holiday of course!

Pigs can fly, the earth is flat and there are no secrets in Sri Lanka

2011-07-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Stewart Sloan

(July 07, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) Once again President Mahinda Rajapakse stretches our credibility by announcing boldly in public that there are no secrets in Sri Lanka. In a meeting with a group of media persons and editors Rajapakse said that any attempt to pass a bill protecting the peoples' right to information was unnecessary as he could personally ensure access to information. All we have to do is ask him.

The next thing you know he'll be telling us that pigs can fly and the earth is flat. I'm reminded of a line from George Orwell's Animal Farm: If Comrade Napoleon said it, it must be true! So, therefore, ergo and to wit (to coin a phrase) if we want to know something all we have to do is ask Comrade, er, President Mahinda.

A barrage of questions spring to mind and as he stated in public that: "..... he could ensure access to information excluding what was covered by the Official Secrecy Act and national security," here we go.

Please President Rajapakse, tell us the whereabouts of Prageeth Eknaligoda, who actually killed Lasantha Wickrematunge and on whose orders, why are all the key governmental posts filled with your brothers and relatives, did your son actually pass his law exam or did you fix it for him, who killed the 17aid workers of Action Contre la Faim, who was responsible for the deaths of the five students killed in Trincomalee and, perhaps most importantly, as you are now so willing to reveal the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, did you win the last presidential election fair and square?

So many questions, so little time!

Please President Rajapakse, fulfill as least one promise you have made in public. Make us believe in flying pigs

The Real History of the Dragon Boat Festival

2011-06-28T23:58:00.001-07:00

Stewart Sloan

It was a dark and stormy night and the lights in the Counsellor's office flickered with the electricity in the air. Mr. M. Lee was startled by the shrilling of his phone and paused to get his heart back to normal before picking it up.

"Mr. Lee, get out of there now, Tung's goon squad is coming to pick you up".

The caller hung up without identifying himself but he didn't have to. Lee knew the man was correct. In the last Legco meeting the Chief Executive had looked in his direction and bellowed, "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest, er, I mean lawyer?"

Lee didn't even bother to collect his brief case; he opened the door of his office, saw that the coast was clear and ran for the lift. Changing his mind he decided to use the fire exit and ran down the stairs.

As he went he wondered how he was to get to safety in his hide-away in the New Territories. The MTR was closed; the Star Ferry had long since stopped running. They would be watching the cross harbour tunnel buses; his only hope was to go to Queen's Pier and see if he could get a water taxi.

He was panting with exhaustion and fear when he arrived and his exhaustion turned to despair when he realised that there were no more water taxis. The Walla-wallas had been put out of business by the tunnel buses years ago. He sat down on the steps and put his head in his hands. He could only wait for daylight and hope that he could get to the Star Ferry without being spotted.

Then he heard a commotion in the water and stared in amazement as a green dragon raised its majestic head out of the water. Apart from the San Miguel tin that had got caught in one of its horns it was a magnificent animal, as dragons go.

Lee sat there dumbfounded, not exactly worried but then this was his first experience with a dragon and he had no idea what to expect.

Then, to his amazement the dragon spoke, "Quickly", it said, "Climb on my back and I will take you to safety".

"But, but, but" stammered Lee, "You're green".

"You try swimming around in this shit for a thousand years and see what it does to your complexion. Hurry now!"

Without further ado, M. Lee climbed on the dragon's back and was taken to safety in the red-light district of Tsim Sha Tsui. (Who would think of looking for a Legco member in a topless nightclub?)

M. Lee was taken to safety and from that day on all the freedom loving people of Hong Kong show their respect to the dragon that saved him by celebrating Dragon Boat Day.

At least I think that's the real version.

Crocodile parks -- eco-tourism and garbage disposal

2011-06-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

by Stewart Crocoloanian

(June 22, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The government of Mahinda Rajapakse has outdone itself once again by combining eco-tourism and garbage disposal all in one fell swoop.

The soon-to-be-opened Crocodile Park just south of Negombo will be, ostensibly, to promote eco-tourism but the wily intelligentsia at Templetrees has another aim in mind for the denizens of the park -- garbage disposal! And what better way of getting rid of unwanted dissidents than to feed them to a dozen or so hungry crocodiles.

About fifteen years ago a zoo located in Shenzhen, Guangdong province in the south of the Peoples' Republic of China came up with a great idea to bring in customers. When it was time to feed the tigers they sold live chickens to the tourists who came to visit. The resulting carnage ended up in a huge profit for the zoo and a huge down turn in the international community's opinion of the PRC.

Will, we must ask, Rajapakse sell off unwanted dissidents to the tourists, local or international to increase sales? We await, as I am sure the crocs do too, with baited breath!

In the meantime, another interesting point is as to where these crocodiles will come from. An article published in the Sri Lankan press states that they will be captured from the Gin and Nilwala rivers and 'released' into the park. Only a mind like that of Mahinda Rajapakse could come up with the concept of taking an animal out of its natural habitat and 'releasing' it into the controlled environment of a park.

Well done Templetrees! Thank you for the endless entertainment you provide.

AIRYN LENTIJA ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

2011-06-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Last year Airyn was one of several writers and poets asked to draft a suitable letter and poem which would be forwarded to President Obama. Airyn duly submitted the draft and poem and did not hear anything else. Yesterday she discovered that her work had been used and published in the Women Thrive Worldwide website after being forwarded to President Obama, the First Lady, Vice President Biden, Secretary Hillary Clinton and others.

The website may be seen at: http://www.womenthrive.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1015&Itemid=28

I am reproducing the letter and poem here for your information.

Thank you,

JS S

AIRYN LENTIJA ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
On November 29, 2010 Airyn Lentija of the Philippines submitted the following letter to the Obama administration in support of the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA).
Dear President Obama, First Lady, Vice President Biden, Secretary Hillary Clinton and the members of US Government:

I am honored to be given this rare opportunity to take over the platform and speak with you about the pains behind the tears I have and felt of the abused young girls, teenage girls and women. With the approach of the IVAWA vote, I am asking you to sign this legislation for the women of the world.

Everyday countless women suffered from Domestic Violence. While it is usually physical violence many people forget that mental abuse can be equally traumatic and far more long lasting. In addition to this every year, women in some parts of the world become victims of acid attacks and while a brilliant reconstructive surgeon might restore their damage skin tissue they will never be free from the horror of what they have suffered, of the pain and anguish they have experienced and the deep underlying knowledge that they will never, ever, be the same woman.

There are teenage girls, forced to marry at a very young age. Some are exploited, sold to be used as sex slaves, farmer labourers and worst they will be killed slowly by the harvesting of their organs. There are women also will suffer and die from the after effects of female genital mutilation, stoning and other forms of brutal, barbaric acts.

As a Domestic Worker, I have seen and reported on stories that happen around the world to my fellow women; victims of illegal recruiters, abused, raped and killed and disappeared....conveniently forgotten.

The worst is the fast rising number of women, teenage girls and young girls as young as five who are trafficked and exploited. Sex tourism is one of the major problems of my country, the Philippines and of the world were women form the greater percentage of victims.

Young girls were usually the target of child pornography. I have read The Diary of a Sex Slave where You Mi described the life she had gone through as flesh seller. How she coordinated with US Goverment and testify to shut some of the brothels in the US. How many You Mi's still exist and live and work like animals?

THE YOUNG VICTIM OF SEX TRADE

While the world is busy 
Rotating madly on its axis 
They were stacked in a half-dozen high,
 Concrete cages,
Waiting for their turn 
To be exploited,
 Tainted, 
Trafficked, 
Sold...

Innocent girls as young as five 
Trapped on the blockade of no-more dreams
Where their blood-curdling screams 
Were persecuted inside them
 Deprived..
 Of being heard...

Behind those walls are painful cries
 Pleas (for education),
Fears (for self worth),
Traumas (for AIDS...for Alienation)
 Have you seen/heard/felt them?

They were there... 
Somewhere...
 God knows what they feel...
The trembling of their knees
 The first time the lining of their dreams 
Were sliced evilly... 
Lacerated...

The nipples of their hopes
 Brutally clawed by the beast 
Of different races 
In less than ten hours

They were there... 
Somewhere...
Paining...
 Penning their blues in the wind
 The words behind their silent weeping 
In every excruciating night
Nights and days of drowning
 In the language of the sex trade 
And not a ghost of a chance 
The eons of light invade 
Their infant lamenting souls

God knows what they feel
 They were there... 
Somewhere

Now I am asking for your kind heart to please sign the I-VAWA. Women deserves to be loved and respected. Please endorse and sign I-VAWA and help free the abused women from injustice.

Thank you, 

Airyn Rano Lentija

Sri Lanka's latest Leadership Training Programme

2011-06-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

Stewart Sloan

(June 07, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) You have to hand it to the Sri Lankan government; it is always on the lookout for different ways and means to make the young people of the country more versatile and competitive in the world around them. In this latest scheme young Sri Lankan girls at a government sponsored training camp were made to watch nude and semi nude cabaret artists in order to overcome their own fear and embarrassment of nudity.

What was not mentioned in the article was what the author has learned from a reliable source: that the passing out parade, which will be held in front of the proud parents, the media and representatives of the government, will be a topless affair.

Yes, Dear Readers that is correct. The forty young ladies currently attending the Leadership Training programme, some of Sri Lanka's brightest, and most well-endowed young women, will let their puppies* out for their country.

If I wore a hat I would be taking it off to President Rajapakse right now. No other leader in the history of the world has ever come up with such a diversity of training schemes. It speaks volumes about the level of his commitment to ensuring that the international community keeps their eyes on the country (and off its human rights problems) which has produced its fair share of beauty queens such as Piyumie Shanika, Aruni Rajapakse, Jacqueline Fernandez and the one and only Rosy Senanayake. And of course, even if they don't do well enough in the programme to pass the final exam, I am sure that Mr. Rajapakse, being the fair minded person that he is, will offer the ladies an air conditioned room with internet access in which to sit their papers. It is the least he can do. After all, he did it for his son.

*American slang for breasts

Stewart Sloan -- Editorial Assistant

2011-05-31T02:34:00.000-07:00

Why am I proud of my work as an editor for the Asian Human Rights Commission? That is because I turned this:

All social securities program really good, timely and epoch-making initiative which is taken by the government. Already formatted a full committee under the Economic minister (others members of the committee taken different minister from deferens ministry) and formatted advisory committee. Formatted others committee as like district committee, sub-district committee and union level committee. Union committee’s job is allowance holder scrutinize. Here conducting corruption when allowance holder scrutinized by the union council chairman and members.

Into this:

All social security programmes that are worthwhile, timely and epoch-making that are taken by the government require the establishment of a full committee under the Economic Minister (others members of the committee may be taken from deferent ministries). This committee, like district committees, sub-district committees and union level committee should scrutinize any incidents or allegations of corruption.

Why do I feel at times that my little remaining hair is turning grey? That is because of this:

Before the shooting incident, members of the TNI make issue that Kiemen Basik's naked body was in the shower with mud and headed to his home (this tradition was believed by local people as an action to learn black magic), then also there is the issue that Kiemen would attack military post.

Little White Lies

2011-05-31T02:24:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem after a near confrontation with the HK Immigration Department. Airyn's visa was running out and she went to the ImmDept for an extension. The officer, too bone idle to handle the matter himself told her to go to Macau for the day and that she would be given an extension upon her return. Fortunately I accompanied her as when we got back to HK we were told that the ImmDept were under no obligation to grant another visa. I was just about to gird my loins for battle when the lady officer relented and granted the visa.

Stewart Sloan

Do you remember a time when
As a child we automatically believed and respected
Anything told to us by an adult, or
A person in uniform?

Adults didn't lie, did they?
Policemen and firemen, the Gods of my youth
NEVER lied, did they?
Of course not!

It was just, well,
They didn't always tell the whole truth.
Sometimes it was just easier to tell a little white lie,
Or a fib.

No real harm done;
No one would be hurt, would they?
And everyone could just get on
With what they were doing.

Naivety dictates that I believe anyone in authority.
If a policeman tells me it is safe to cross the road,
Or a fireman tells me it is safe to re-enter the building,
Or a person from immigration tells me to do something......

....I believe them, wouldn't you?

Because people in authority wouldn't intentionally hurt us.
But under the uniforms they are just people.
People who are tired and want to go home to their families and
A little while lie helps them to get there sooner rather than later.

So, yes they do tell little while lies
And yes, it does cause harm
Perhaps not insurmountable harm but
Harm nonetheless.

And we have to put our trust in these people.........

How the mighty are fallen -- Officers of the Philippines National Police face a courageous young man

2011-05-31T02:21:00.000-07:00

Stewart Sloan

(The Sunday Examiner 1 May 2011) One Saturday evening a few months ago a young man, not yet an adult, from a poor farming community in Mindanao went to meet his friend at a bar in the nearby town. Lenny was looking forward to the evening. Not a great drinker, he had no intention of becoming inebriated, not that he could afford to anyway; it was the fellowship of his friends and peers that he was excited about. But as he approached the bar he saw that there was trouble brewing.

A fight that had obviously started within the bar premises had spilled out into the street. Blows were being exchanged, there was a lot of shouting and some of the ladies were doing to their best to separate the combatants but, actually just adding to the general noise and melee.

It was at that point that Lenny saw the police arriving and, deciding discretion the better part of valour realised that he did not want to become involved. He therefore secreted himself behind some bushes and watched the event unfold. He was so engrossed in what was happening that he did not notice the police officers that were approaching him from behind. Without warning they hauled him to his feet and pulled him into the clearing in front of the bar, cuffing him about the head as they did so.

Roughly they asked him what he was doing hiding in the bushes and Lenny tried to explain that he simply wanted to avoid the trouble that even then, was still going on. Some police officers were trying to extricate the fighters and not having much success but the officers holding Lenny were more intent on roughing him up. The officers, members of the local Special Weapons and Tactics team, did not believe Lenny's explanation and told him that they were arresting him on suspicion of Causing Public Scandal and manhandled him towards a police vehicle. As they pushed him along they struck him repeatedly with their hand guns about the chest. Their arrogance and belief in their own invincibility was such that they carried out this cruelty in full view of the assembled crowd. At least, thought Lenny, when he got to the police station he could explain himself more clearly. However, that was not to be.

Instead of taking Lenny to the station they took him to a building used as a club house for off-duty officers. There they took turns punching Lenny about the head and chest. This torture went on for some time before they made him to clean the toilet which, from its appearance had not been cleaned for some time. They took great delight in taunting Lenny, telling him that they could do anything they wanted to him because there were no witnesses, and anyway, no one would believe him.

After some hours they finally took Lenny to the nearby police station where, due to his age (at the time of the incident Lenny was only 17-years-old) they handed him over the policewoman in charge of the Women and Children's Desk. They completed the paperwork and Lenny was officially charged with violating curfew.

What should have happened was that Lenny should have been placed in a cell while his parents were informed of his arrest. However, that did not happen. In full view of the policewoman, who did nothing to intervene, the two arresting officers continued to torture Lenny. Once again, their arrogance was such that they were unconcerned about the presence of other civilians in the report room area.

Finally the policewoman took Lenny away from the officers. However, she did not make any record of the torture or even listen to his complaint of what he had undergone. Neither did she contact the victim's parents as is legally required for arrested minors. When Lenny asked that he be taken to a hospital to be examined and treated his request was ignored.

Not surprisingly Lenny was severely traumatised by this incident. He dropped out of school and it was almost three months later that he told his parents what had happened to him. Lenny's father made a report to the police but, not surprisingly, no action was taken and no investigation was carried out. It was then that human rights workers became involved and they helped Lenny's father to lodge complaints with the Human Rights Commission and Public Attorney's Office.

This is when the situation went from the sublime to the ridiculous.

When the SWAT officers finally realised that they were in trouble they attempted to make amends. Not by admitting to what they had done and facing their just punishment, but by offering Lenny and his father gifts and bribes in order to get them to retract their complaints.

What is sad about this is that an innocent boy was brutally tortured by the very people that are being paid to protect him and this torture continued in the presence of another officer whose duty was specifically to protect young people.

The case is ongoing and no doubt, with the ability of the Philippine National Police to delay things when it comes to protecting their own will continue for some months now. Hopefully Lenny and his family will remain strong in the presence of the bribes that the officers will continue to offer him and the threats that are sure to follow when they realise that this family want redress for the injustice that happened to their son.

UFOs -- Yet another attempt to discredit Sri Lanka

2011-03-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

by Stewart Mulder Sloan
(The opinions are those of the author)

(March 03, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) The truth, it is said, is out there. Chickens, for example, cross the road. How many chickens do you have to see crossing the road before you accept the fact that chickens cross the road? And speaking of roads, how many pots do you have to find in Sri Lankan roads before you realise that the minister responsible for roads is not doing his job. And who, exactly, is responsible for roads in Sri Lanka; let's see, (quick check on Sri Lankan Ministers website) oops, it is none other than His Excellency the President, Mahinda Rajapakse who is also the Minister for Defence, Finance & Planning and Ports and Aviation. Of course it could be argued that with all that on his plate it is no wonder he doesn't have time to look after the roads.

Almost daily now there are reports on the conditions of the roads in Sri Lanka, even in Colombo and one must question as to whether there might be link between the recent UFO sightings reported in the British press (The Express, March 3) and the abundance of pot holes in the roads. The British gentleman who made the sighting passed on the information to the relevant office in the UK but received the reply that they only had responsibility for sightings in Britain. "Defence of Sri Lankan airspace is clearly a matter for the Sri Lankan Government and you may wish to pursue your enquiries with them." Whether he did or not is not known.

Current and historic science fiction tells us that UFO's are synonymous with the disappearance and mutilation of cattle and even the temporary disappearance of people. This would appear to indicate that the UFO pilots are infinitely more compassionate than Sri Lankan authorities because when they disappear a person that person stays disappeared.

But how can UFOs be blamed for the condition of the roads? Well, obviously the aliens are acting in collaboration with the Tamil Diaspora and perhaps even Western interests to further discredit the Sri Lankan government by digging up samples to take back to their home planet for examination. Perhaps they want to know how to avoid potholes?

Stewart Mulder Sloan resides in Hong Kong where he is employed as an editorial assistant. He has studied the occult and supernatural for more than 40 years and written books on the subject. Comments and suggestions on this article may be forwarded to comments.jss@gmail.com

I'm in the Wrong Business!

2011-03-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

(March 02, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) I have been involved in human rights work for almost six years now and face the age-old problem that many persons confront who make a commitment to this field of work -- my salary just barely meets my requirements.

My problem is not so acute. At my age and with my training I consider myself fortunate to be doing a job that I find satisfying and which allows me to at least feel that I am making a difference to the world. I have colleagues who could be making a medium to large fortune who are content to work in the same field, attempting and willing to make a difference to those around them. These people are lawyers and professionals who willingly accept salaries that are sometime a quarter of what they could be earning. These are the people I admire and am inspired by.

Then there are the people who head up non-profit INGOs that rely on donations from all and sundry to make ends meet. The donations go to the day to day operations of these NGOs, they pay the staff, probably along the same rates as my own, the rent and utilities and whopping great salaries of £ 132,490 to their chiefs!

The question that begs an answer is: do they tell their donors, the corporations, schools and individuals that their hierarchy is getting these salaries?

What I find incredibly hypocritical in all this is that the 'chief' concerned had a personal mandate to alleviate poverty. She certainly did not concern herself with the poverty prevalent in the third world, starvation deaths in India and other such matters when she happily pocketed not only her salary but also a £ 500,000 golden handshake which the NGO attempted to conceal from their supporters.

I have openly criticised the hypocrisy of the Sri Lankan President and his ministers who live in luxury while the poorest people of their land receive a pittance and virtually no help whatsoever from their social welfare systems, but I am not sure, in this instance, which is worse. At least Mahinda Rajapakse's hypocrisy is made public for all to see.

I am definitely in the wrong business.

Posted by Sri Lanka Guardian on 4:55:00 AM. Filed under Business, feature, Stewart Sloan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. comments may also be made to the author at comments.jss@gmail.com

Little White Lies

2011-02-21T04:02:00.001-08:00

By Stewart Sloan (Written after a fun afternoon with the Hong Kong Immigration Department)

Do you remember a time when
As a child we automatically believed and respected
Anything told to us by an adult, or
A person in uniform?

Adults didn't lie, did they?
Policemen and firemen, the Gods of my youth
NEVER lied, did they?
Of course not!

It was just, well,
They didn't always tell the whole truth.
Sometimes it was just easier to tell a little white lie,
Or a fib.

No real harm done;
No one would be hurt, would they?
And everyone could just get on
With what they were doing.

Naivety dictates that I believe anyone in authority.
If a policeman tells me it is safe to cross the road,
Or a fireman tells me it is safe to re-enter the building,
Or a person from immigration tells me to do something......

....I believe them, wouldn't you?

Because people in authority wouldn't intentionally hurt us.
But under the uniforms they are just people.
People who are tired and want to go home to their families and
A little while lie helps them to get there sooner rather than later.

So, yes they do tell little while lies
And yes, it does cause harm
Perhaps not insurmountable harm but
Harm nonetheless.

And we have to put our trust in these people.........

Justification: Sri Lanka's Excellence in Disaster Management

2011-02-09T20:14:00.000-08:00

by Stewart Sloan

(February 10, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) I have been accused on occasion of being sarcastic and even vitriolic towards the Sri Lankan government and the Rajapakse regime. In the aforementioned article I accused the government of turning a blind eye to the suffering of the people while paying more attention to the wellbeing of its MPs.

.....To-date there is no clear indication of just how much the government has allocated for disaster relief but it is known to be less than Rs. one billion. This is significant as the same government, just a few months ago, allocated 1.5 billion for the import permits for the vehicles purchased by the newly elected MPs......

Interestingly, on the day that my article was published there was also another article announcing that the government had set aside Rs. 850 Million towards relief work. Upon seeing this I felt somewhat justified in my approach and 'sarcasm'. Today however, I was completely vindicated by the announcement in The Island (Economist wants govt. plans reviewed following Rs. 50 bn flood damage -- February 8, 2011 by Shamindra Fernando).

I have admitted openly in these pages in the past that I failed O-Level maths while at school and did not receive an equivalency until I was 44-years-of-age, however, even I do not need to bring out my slide rule or calculator to work out that Rs. 850 Million is a bit short of the estimated sum of Rs. 50 Billion caused in damages.

Back to you my beloved detractors.

Sri Lanka's Excellence in Disaster Management

2011-02-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

Reuters Pictures :

People stand at where a dam wall used to be, before it was destroyed by flood waters in Anuradhapura district, 206km (128 miles) north of Colombo, February 7, 2011. Heavy rain triggered flooding in Sri Lanka that killed at least eleven people and is threatening up to 90 percent of the island nation's staple rice crop,. heightening concerns over supply shocks and higher inflation,. according to officials.

by Stewart Sloan

(February 08, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) Let's face it, if there is one thing that they can do properly in Sri Lanka it's manage a good disaster. Does that sound sarcastic? It is not meant to be. Believe me, there is nothing in the very least bit amusing about 42,000 people losing their lives in a tsunami, or thousands of persons being made homeless and destitute by flooding. There is also nothing amusing about millions of dollars meant for relief and reconstruction going missing.

What does, however, raise a smirk is the endless cant by the government that relief operations are in full swing.

In the most recent tragedy six districts have been inundated by as much rain in six days as would normally have fallen in six months. There was initial flooding and before any real relief or humanitarian efforts could be made another flood hit the same areas. As a result thousands of acres of paddy have been destroyed along with vegetable cultivation. This is the most damage caused to Sri Lankan crop cultivation in history. The cost of green chili, a staple, has risen from Rs.150 to Rs. 1000 per kilogram overnight along with other vegetables. In addition 400 head of cattle died and there is no way of knowing what effect the floods have had on the wildlife. It is, however, known that at least four wild elephants, animals revered and appreciated by all Sri Lankans, have died.

The flooding was followed by landslides in many areas and evacuations have been carried out after tests by government geological engineers. Many schools including 48 in the Central Province have been closed. The inmates of Anuradhapura prison were transferred to other locations. However, given the overcrowded conditions in Sri Lankan prisons this may be more of a boon that a curse.

When asked about the relief being provided by the government a Sri Lankan expat merely laughed.

A government circular provided on relief efforts limits the amount that state officers can hand out to not more than Rs. 230/= (US$ 2) per week per person. This circular was suspended but not withdrawn by the president on his return from the US (while it was a private visit the cost involved in this ten day jaunt could have gone a very long way to relieve the suffering of the affected people of his country).

To-date there is no clear indication of just how much the government has allocated for disaster relief but it is known to be less than Rs. one billion. This is significant as the same government, just a few months ago, allocated 1.5 billion for the import permits for the vehicles purchased by the newly elected MPs. Apparently, keeping 225 MPs happy is more an issue that relieving the suffering of thousands of people.

Six years after the 2004 tsunami there are still questions as to how the millions of dollars donated by countries and organisations has been spent, or misappropriated. It is interesting to note that these countries and organisations have not been so quick to jump in with relief as they were in 2004. Perhaps a final accounting of what happened to the tsunami relief funds and exactly what the government is doing to relieve the suffering caused by the present catastrophe might change this.

Stewart Sloan is the author of three novels and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force whom he served as a civilian from 1987 to 1997. He works as an editorial assistant for a regional human rights NGO in Hong Kong.

Toothless dogs and laughing hyenas

2011-02-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

by Stewart Sloan

(February 01, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is a sad reflection on the commitment of the United Nations to human rights that they have not acknowledged the petition, asking for assistance for Prageeth Eknaligoda and when asked for their opinion of the arson attack on Lanka e News had not even heard of the incident. In a hurriedly prepared statement Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Martin Nesirky, said that, "Freedom of the media is vital and journalists should be able to carry out their work without fear of attack or being harassed to do the work that they need to do." What he did not say was that there was very little point in relying on the UN to ensure such freedom.

The hierarchy in the Sri Lankan government must be laughing through their teeth at the lackadaisical attitude of the UN. What happened to Ban Ki Moon's stance on investigating possible war crimes in Sri Lanka? There was the first grandiose announcement of the formation of his committee followed by the statement that they would visit the island nation and then the abrupt about face when the Sri Lankan government announced that they would not be given visas. Well, it was not absolutely necessary for them to visit anyway. You could almost hear the gales of laughter coming from Templetrees.

Eknaligoda's disappearance occurred over a year ago and has been one of the most widely reported cases involving journalists in South Asia. Just one week ago journalists and internationally acclaimed writers boycotted the Galle Literary Festival in support of the beleaguered journalists of Sri Lanka, it was at that festival that Sandya Eknaligoda, Prageeth's wife and their son held placards decrying his disappearance and asked the UN to take note. Is Ban Ki Moon so unwilling to rock the boat that he not only did not see this cry for help but went so far as to ignore it?

Perhaps the United Nations cannot be held solely responsible for the debacle of human rights in Sri Lanka when the rest of the world is more interested in lending money and selling military equipment to the Rajapakse regime. However, Ban has no right to hide behind anyone else's hypocrisy. Ban and the UN are the toothless dogs to Rajapakse's laughing hyenas.

Stewart Sloan is the author of three novels and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force whom he served as a civilian from 1987 to 1997. He works as an editorial assistant for a regional human rights NGO in Hong Kong.

Caligula and Rajapakse -- Horses and Camels

2011-01-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

by 3D -- Stewart Rajapakse

(January 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) In one of its latest white elephant schemes the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse is planning to import 5,000 buffaloes and ten camels from Pakistan within the next three years. The ostensible idea behind this scheme is that the livestock will be delivered to various state farms where they will be bred and the offspring given (given? Has the Rajapakse regime ever 'given' anything away?) to livestock farms around the country. What they plan to do with the camels defies even the author's imagination.

I am, however, reminded of the Emperor Caligula who ruled in Rome from 37 -- 41 AD largely because the two of them were, and are, hopelessly paranoid. Caligula did not trust the senate because he was convinced, rightly so, that they were out to assassinate him. He dismissed many of them, had some killed and had others serve him by running alongside his chariot. He was insanely cruel and on one occasion ordered his guards to throw a section of the crowd into the arena to be eaten by wild animals as they had run out of criminals. Then, of course, one of his most famous exploits came when he tried to make his horse, Incitatus, a member of the senate. In that, we see a distinct similarity to Mahinda who introduced his own son, Namal, into parliament as the Member for Hambantota. Now I am not suggesting for one moment that he resembles a horse, at least in physical appearance, a camel though is another matter. While Rajapakse has not actually killed any of his parliamentarians he has on the other hand filled the Sri Lankan parliament with his cronies in order to ensure that anyone intelligent enough to think for himself will be shouted down, or tied to a tree.

Going back to the buffaloes and camels -- the importation of the buffaloes can perhaps be justified, meat, milk and hide, but no explanation has been given as to why Rajapakse is prepared to spend Rs. 400,000/= of the tax payers money for a camel or Rs. 4,000,000/= for ten of them.

Perhaps he is going to hold them in reserve in case the parliamentarians turn against him. What Caligua tried to do with one horse, perhaps Rajapakse is going to attempt with his camels.

Sri Lankan transparency -- akin to flying in zero visibility

2011-01-24T00:27:00.000-08:00

People going through their daily lives in Sri Lanka have to be able to see where they are going. Airline pilots are trained to fly in zero visibility but only at great and terrible risk to themselves and their passengers. The citizens of Sri Lanka have a right to question the actions of their government, the government has a duty to address these concerns, and they have no right to put up a smokescreen that forces people to fly in zero visibility.

Stewart Sloan

(January 24, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) A recent report in the Sri Lankan press about the favouritism shown to Namal Rajapakse speaks volumes on the arrogance of the ruling regime and the fawning kowtowing of the Law College authorities. As a member of Sri Lanka's first family it was incumbent on Namal to show Sri Lanka and the world at large that he was prepared to 'play the game'; to get through his daily and personal life without any advantages being granted to him due to his being the son of the President. Instead, he accepted a private room in which so sit his exam, he was allowed to retain his mobile phone and he even had internet access. Will it come as a surprise to anyone if he passes with honours?

The excuse given by the authorities of the Law College was that the examination hall was full and this in turn raised several questions. Why did they allow the hall to be overbooked in the first place? They are ultimate authority when it comes to the examinations, how could they provide fewer seats than were needed? Do they not have a list of all the students taking the exam? I cannot believe this to be the case so, how could they justify putting Namal in a private room? Surely he was not the only student to be inconvenienced by the overcrowding? And to maintain at least an air of transparency, why was he not accompanied by an invigilator to ensure that he did not cheat?

Cheat? That is a terrible word and one that casts aspersions on the young man himself. However, Namal Rajapakse, the authorities of the Law College and President Rajapakse have all conspired to cast aspersions on the young man. With the current degree of transparency shown by the government in general and the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission in particular, whose commissioners have never explained the newspaper reports that ordinary people were chased away from testifying by police officers stationed outside the hall where the hearings were taking place, did the President honestly think that no questions would be raised concerning Namal's exam.

More recently questions have been raised about the President granting single tender contracts to the Chinese and as usual no explanations have been forthcoming.

It is indeed simply arrogance that allows the Rajapakse regime to ignore the doubts and concerns raised by the citizens of Sri Lanka and the international community. Might makes right, it ensures sycophantic followers who are only concerned with lining their own pockets and it also ensures that anyone that dares to raise his or her doubts in public are ostracized and intimidated to the point where they have to go into hiding, like the young student who raised the issue of the examination papers being revealed days before the exam was to be held. Instead of acting sensibly on the accusation all that happened was the student was threatened to withdraw his complaint and shut up.

People going through their daily lives in Sri Lanka have to be able to see where they are going. Airline pilots are trained to fly in zero visibility but only at great and terrible risk to themselves and their passengers. The citizens of Sri Lanka have a right to question the actions of their government, the government has a duty to address these concerns, and they have no right to put up a smokescreen that forces people to fly in zero visibility.

Stewart Sloan is the author of three novels and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force whom he served as a civilian from 1987 to 1997. He works as an editorial assistant for a regional human rights NGO in Hong Kong.

Love Poems for Airyn

2011-01-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

tewart Sloan
LAST NIGHT, TODAY AND TOMORROW
Stewart Sloan

I wish I could tell You that we live
in a farie tale world.
I wish I could tell you that we will
be happy ever after.
I wish so many things for you, but
we must both realise that we live
in an imperfect world.

We live in a world where
women and children are raped
and sold into slavery.
We live in a world where men
are tortured and murdered but the very governments
they elected.
We live in a world where
unspeakable things happen to
the best of us. But,
seemingly, never to the worst.

But we, you and I, live and love.
Yes, we will have arguments over stupid things,
petty things. Arguments over important things.
In any human relationship this
cannot be avoided. It will happen!

But we must NEVER let the sun go down on our anger!

Stewart Sloan
MY LOVE CAME TO ME

When I was in pain
My love came to me.
Not from a great distance in miles
But on a great journey of commitment

Tired from a day's work
At a time when she should
Have been resting and eating her food
She came to me.

My Love came to me
To sooth my pain
With gentle, warm hands
Soft words and strong balms

She came to me
To sooth away my fever
To comfort me at a time
When I needed Her love.

My Love came to me.........
For only moments
With a care and love
That will echo for years.

Stewart Sloan
......AND NOW FOR THE NEWS!
Read by our Hong Kong Correspondent

Hong Kong Sunday, 16 January 2011

Typhoons struck Hong Kong yesterday!
Two, in fact,
Fortunately the brunt of the
Storms were concentrated
On the area known as Sloansville.

The first arrived early in
The morning and struck the kitchen,
A disaster area at the best of times;
A potential health hazard.
The typhoon left nothing by
Gleaming dishes and shinning pots
In her wake.

Shortly following, the second typhoon hit the fridge
And larder.
Where there had been left over food
And emptiness
She left in her wake a surfeit
Of largess

Then the two storms merged and
Struck the remainder of the house.
They attacked without mercy!
And where there had been loneliness and desolation
They left only cleanliness, love and happiness, and
The knowledge of a wonderful future to come.

EGYPT/PAKISTAN: A vote for sanity in Egypt -- a lesson for Pakistan

2011-01-15T22:02:00.000-08:00

I wrote the following article for the Pakistan desk of the Asian Human Rights Commission -- it was subsequently published as a AHRC Statement

EGYPT/PAKISTAN: A vote for sanity in Egypt -- a lesson for Pakistan
January 12, 2011

The act of solidarity by Egyptian Muslims towards Egyptian Copts is a glowing example for countries and communities around the world. And it must be particularly noted that Pakistan could be one of the main beneficiaries of this attitude.

As Egyptian Copts prepared to attend mass at churches across the country, thousands of Muslims, including relatives of the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, acted as human shields to protect the celebrating, and terrified Copts, from the terrorist attacks by extremists. The Muslims chanted the slogan: "We either live together, or we die together." The concept was inspired by the Egyptian artist and marathon runner, Mohamed El-Sawy.

The Copts are native Egyptian Christians, a major ethnic and religious group in Egypt. They constitute the largest Christian community in the Middle East

In the midst of sectarian violence the world over and the assassination and threats of assassination to anyone in Pakistan that strays from the demands of the fundamentalists, sanity has prevailed in Egypt. Following a devastating terrorist bombing at a Coptic church in Egypt which killed 21 people and injured 79 others religious tensions rose in the country. The bombing was carried out with the intention of causing rifts and rioting between the Egyptian community and the various religious groups that inhabit that land. There were indeed, riots as the Copts stormed the streets and vandalized a Mosque. It was an act of violence and it was exactly what the fundamentalists wanted. Then, on the event of the Coptic Christmas Eve sanity prevailed.

Following the assassination of the Provincial governor, Salman Taseer, rallies have been held in Karachi in which the speakers, fundamentalists and extremists, called for the death of anyone acting in support of amendments to the country's blasphemy laws. Salman Taseer's assassin Mumtaz Quadri, is being feted as a national hero and speakers declared that if the government of Pakistan proceeded with his prosecution "Thousands of 'Quadris' would emerge from their houses and avenge him".

Pakistanis across the land must take note of the selfless actions of the Egyptian Muslims and emulate their bravery. It is time for the liberals and moderates to stand up to the extremist fundamentalists and say: "This is not what Islam is all about. Islam is a religion of peace!"

And furthermore, the government of Pakistan, the ministers and the law makers must also rise up in support of the people and prove that they are well and truly in charge of the country. Anyone fermenting religious hatred and openly advocating violence against those opposing the fundamentalists must be charged under the relevant sections in the Pakistan Penal Code. It is against the law to incite people to violence and to threaten them if they refuse to comply. This is not a new law that has just come into being; it is an established ruling which the officials of the police and government ministers are conveniently turning a blind eye to in the guise of political expediency.

Sri Lanka's first Formula 1 event ends in failure

2011-01-13T19:57:00.000-08:00

Sarith Mahinda Sloan (F1 Correspondent)

(The F-One News -- March 15, 2016)

(A Formula One track is planned for the New Port City to be constructed in the vicinity of the Colombo Port. According to the Chairman, Ports Authority, Dr. Priyath Wickrama an eight lane F1 track will "definitely" be a part of the New Port City, he said. - A Sri Lankan Sunday publication January 10, 2011)

!!!NEWS!!!

(January 14, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lanka's much feted entry into the Formula 1 racing scene ended in failure today when officers from the New Port City Police set up check points at several places around the 3.3 kilometer track stopping the drivers and arresting several of them for failing to have valid Sri Lankan driving licenses. At several other points around the track drivers were flagged over and ticketed for driving in excess of 70 kilometers per hour.

Schumacher Rajapakse, the Minister for Formula 1 Racing was unavailable for comment. However, the Deputy Minister for Ministerial Affairs and Everything Else, Mervynder Silva announced that he had already planned an attack on the television channels that reported the news and aired it internationally.

Additionally, a spokesman for the President, Mahinda Rajapakse, released a press release in which the President blamed pro-LTTE activists and members of the opposition for blowing the situation out of proportion in an attempt to further discredit the Rajapakse government.

Mahinda bans trousers at Parliament!

2011-01-05T22:43:00.000-08:00

by Stewart Mahinda Sloan

(January 05, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A source within the Rajapakse government that wishes to remain anonymous has informed the author that President Mahinda Rajapakse has instructed the Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resource Development, R. Mahinda Seneratne, to make the announcement that with immediate effect, ministers, Members of Parliament and visitors to Parliamentary debates will no longer be allowed to wear trousers but must instead were sarongs. Ladies will be required to wear saris. When asked as to why the Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resource Development should be tasked with such an important announcement Mahinda Seneratne replied that the Hon. K. Mahinda Rambukwella, Minister for Mass Media & Information had no information on the matter.

The source could not give any details as to why this sudden decision had been made but believed that it was in keeping with the government's plan to ban miniskirts.

"This is obviously the next step in Mahinda's plan to 'Sri Lankanise' Sri Lanka," said the source. Although he had no idea of the time table when the next step would be implemented the source also informed the author that tourists and business visitors to the island nation would be required to purchase and wear satakaya (Red Shawls) upon arrival at Mahinda Bandaranaike Airport.

The author attempted to contact the Hon. Mahinda Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister for Disaster Management for his views on the possible impact of the scheme on the tourist industry. The minister was unavailable but a member of his staff who would only identify himself as, Mahinda, suggested that we contact the Minister for Economic Development who is responsible for tourism and a hundred other things, the Hon B. Mahinda Rajapakse. This gentleman was, sadly, also unavailable.

So, apart from conjecture and hints there is no real proof of Mahinda Rajapakse's plan to Sri Lankanise Sri Lanka. Having said that, I happen to have the contact details of a tailor in Hong Kong that will manufacture satakayas at fire sale prices if anyone is interested.

The great Anthem debate: Mahinda to the Tamils and Muslims -- this is our country

2011-01-05T22:42:00.000-08:00

Uploaded by admin culture, feature, Interview, NationalAntheminSri Lanka, Stewart Sloan 2:12:00 PM
by Stewart Sloan

(January 04, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) In the United Kingdom, back in the 1960s, when it was still a 'United Kingdom,' a group of comedian/musicians produced a long playing record entitled "Fool Britannia". It was nothing less than political satire that poked fun at the government and the Royal family. In parts it was not really that well done but it still managed to incur that wrath of those in power. It was eventually banned from public broadcast but not before it became very popular and embarrassed a lot of people including government ministers. The name of the LP was of course based on the song Rule Britannia which was, and still is proudly sung. It originated from the poem, "Rule Britannia" by James Thomson which was musically arranged in 1740 by Thomas Arne. Traditionally it is associated with the Royal Navy but was also taken up by the army. It must be remembered that in the 1700s Britain ruled a great deal of the world and the navy, in those days, had every right to be proud.

"How then will the Tamil population of Sri Lanka proudly stand up and sing the national anthem of the country whose president has promised reconciliation and unity when there is only one version of the anthem, the one in Sinhala?"

Britain's decline is well documented and need not be expanded upon here. No doubt many ardent Sinhalese nationalists and other former colonies will applaud Her decline, perhaps justly so, but the point is that Rule Britannia is still sung with pride and gusto by all Britons.

How then will the Tamil population of Sri Lanka proudly stand up and sing the national anthem of the country whose president has promised reconciliation and unity when there is only one version of the anthem, the one in Sinhala?

Mahinda Rajapakse has made several public statements about reconciliation, the fact that police officers are expected to speak Tamil so as to be able to deal with Tamils; he has wooed Muslim and Tamil politicians into his government, all in the guise of creating reconciliation. But all these actions are betrayed by the decision of making it necessary to sign the national anthem of Sri Lanka in Sinhala only. Consider the message that this decision is sending to the Muslims and Tamils: This is our country; you can stay here, live and work here as long as you want, but remember, it is our country!

SRI LANKA: Entertainment guaranteed in this island paradise

2010-12-21T18:57:00.000-08:00

It is a tragic contradiction that such a paradise can be home to individuals who care nothing for anyone or anything outside of their immediate family.

By Stewart Sloan
The views expressed are the author's own

Sri Lanka Guardian -- December 22, 2010 -- Sri Lanka, the tear-drop shaped jewel in the Indian Ocean, a paradise of warm sandy beaches, green lush mountains, sacred temples, a history going back thousands of years, and one of the most corrupt governments in the world.

It is a tragic contradiction that such a paradise can be home to individuals who care nothing for anyone or anything outside of their immediate family. An indication of the amount of the corruption might be gauged by the fact that Chandrika Bandaranaike spent more money on the curtains for her apartment in London than she earned in her entire presidency.

Anyone interested in the country and keeping abreast of the rampant corruption need to not spend months, weeks or even days in studying the local newspapers; the last 24 hours tells the interested reader all he or she might wish to know.

For example, a senior nursing officer who had been found guilty of financial fraud has been appointed as the head Nurse of a National Hospital. This is despite the fact that she had been found guilty of no less than seven charges of fraud, one of which was dropped later. In any normal society this person would have been dismissed and sent to jail in disgrace. According to the disciplinary inquiry report there is no recommendation of dismissal, she was merely "firmly advised not to engage in frauds in future".

In another case a top Government official assaulted the employees of a Night Club in Bambalapitiya Police Area and allegedly crashed into two police vehicles while escaping. Typically, as it happens in Sri Lanka, the Bambalapitiya Police has been unable to apprehend him due to undue influence from top government officials.

And yet the fun continues. In another case a Senior Inspector of Police, the Officer-in-Charge of the Nochchiyagama police, Crimes Investigations Unit, opened fire at an unlicensed restaurant because the noise from the establishment was making it difficult for his children to study. The newspaper article stated that the Inspector General of Police was aware of the case and had called for inquiries. In the meantime two questions beg answers. Why was the restaurant operating without a license and why, when the identity of the errant police officer is known, has he not been arrested for discharging his firearm in public and reckless endangerment?

And last but by no means least: university students were assaulted, stripped naked and chased through the streets during the past few days. Who did this dastardly deed? Neo-Nazi's, communist agitators, remnants of the LTTE, no, it was none other than Sri Lanka's very own Minister of Higher Education, S. B. Dissanayake. Will the students or their parents attempt to file reports at the nearest police stations? Would the reports even be accepted and if by some miracle they were, would any action be taken? I doubt it very much.

So, Dear Tourist, come, visit Sri Lanka today. But stay clear of the hospitals, nightclubs, unlicensed restaurants and universities. If nothing else it will be certainly be entertaining.

Stewart Sloan is the author of three novels and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force whom he served as a civilian from 1987 to 1997. He works as an editorial assistant for a regional human rights NGO in Hong Kong.

Hidden Agendas

2010-10-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

Posted by Sri Lanka Guardian feature, Social, Stewart Sloan 7:31:00 AM

"The list of persons who have been disappeared goes on and on and there is no sign that it will ever come to an end. As long as the regime and the Rajapakses' consider themselves above the law they will use the law enforcement personnel for their own ends. And this will continue until they are overthrown." by Stewart Sloan

(October 26, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) A weekend paper published an interview with Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe who is determined to prove that human rights NGOs have a hidden agenda to cause as much trouble for Sri Lanka as possible.

So, yes I confess, I did have a hidden agenda but I have now been encouraged to bring it out into the open. Do I want to overthrow the government of Mahinda Rajapakse? Well yes, I do, but it's a bit difficult when you live several thousand miles away and you do not even hold Sri Lankan citizenship. So what can I possibly hope to accomplish, after all, I am a private citizen, not an NGO with a hidden agenda, so, how can I complete the overthrow of the Rajapakse regime.

I might do it by garnering public opinion. For example, how many people outside of the regime actually have any respect for the king? If the truth were to be told, not very many! But then many Sri Lankans do not have the luxury of living outside of the country, and the reach of the king's bodyguards. They have the well-justified fear of ending up like Prageeth Eknaliagoda; simply disappearing. Or they might be thrown into jail for having had the temerity of running in opposition to the president in the elections.

One of the major problems facing the citizenry of the country is the almost total lack of credible investigations into human rights abuses at the hands of the police or military. The truly amazing thing about this is that the Rajapakses' know full well that everyone else knows full well that no credible investigations are carried out and they don't give a damn. They are truly above, not only the law of the land but also public opinion. Of course, on occasion they might make all the right noises about holding investigations, like for example in the case of the two WMCA workers that went missing after being 'arrested' by plain clothed police officers in broad daylight. President Rajapakse himself promised the parents that if no progress had been made after two weeks he would bring in Scotland Yard to carry out an independent investigation. No progress was made after two weeks and no one from Scotland Yard ever appeared. Perhaps the president did actually ask them to come but they were too busy.

Can President Rajapakse be so arrogant as to believe that the people of the country don't notice these things? Does he honestly think they are as stupid as that? Then of course there was the very sad case of Douglas Nimal, a police officer that threatened to expose the corruption in the police with regard to narcotics. Nimal and his wife were shot dead in broad daylight and once again, the investigation -- let us fool ourselves into thinking that there was actually an investigation -- failed to bring the killers to light. It does not take a Sherlock Holmes to realise that the only persons who might have found themselves in trouble from Nimal's disclosure were the police so any reasonable person would realise that they had a vested interest in ensuring that he did not talk to anyone.

The list of persons who have been disappeared goes on and on and there is no sign that it will ever come to an end. As long as the regime and the Rajapakses' consider themselves above the law they will use the law enforcement personnel for their own ends. And this will continue until they are overthrown. Hopefully this overthrow will be done by means of the vote long before it comes to the point where the people have had enough and resort to violence. Am I advocating the violent overthrow of the regime, no absolutely I am not. But the people of Sri Lanka must realise that it is time for them to stand up in public, point their fingers at the Rajapakses and say, "We have had enough!" It is time for them to demand credible investigations and the prosecution of those responsible. And if they were acting under orders what is the harm, article 35 of the Constitution gives immunity to the president. He is not the one who is going to get into trouble. But if this happens then the police officers who are hauled over the coals might think twice before following the politicised instructions of the regime. And their prosecutions will act as an example to their fellow officers who will then definitely think twice about following mindless instructions to harm their fellow citizens.

Now that I have disclosed my hidden agenda I will have to think of another. All this honesty is depressing me.

Stewart Sloan served as a civilian officer for seven years with the Special Branch of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force. In December 2001 he was awarded a Commanding Officer's Commendation for "Attention to duty of a high order displayed in the pursuit of an operation of major security importance." Stewart currently words as an Editorial Assistant for a human rights NGO based in Hong Kong.

…but only if you can pay

2010-10-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Stewart Sloan

(The Sunday Examiner, Hong Kong 12 September 2010) I visit once every two or three years, despite the fact that my late wife and I bought property and a house in Cebu City. On every visit I notice an improvement in the country’s infrastructure. The roads, the communications and the public services have all improved over the years since my first visit in 1983.

Unfortunately, this cannot be said for the country's health services to the needy, or even for those in the provinces who could afford them.

On my first visit, I was taken to my father-in-law’s farm in the hill provinces of Cebu; Bulak Dumanjug in those days was a village that ran less than half a mile along a dirt road. There were a general store and several small shops that sold daily-need items. There were no communications, and transport to and from the village was by a jeepney that did two trips a day – when its wheels did not fall off!

There were no health services apart from the so-called witch doctors, who diagnosed every illness as having been caused by a spirit. For a few pesos they were willing to bless a candle, the burning of which would drive the evil out.

On the evening of my first day, relatives carried in a young man who had a cyst on his hip and asked me to help him. The cyst was by this time the size of a tennis ball. Although I was not medically trained at that time – I later went on to become a first aid instructor – I could see that hot compresses could reduce the swelling until the puss was extracted.

If there had been no doctors for miles around I might have been willing to at least try something. However, even today I would not be willing to risk a person’s life in the knowledge that there was, in fact, a doctor in the vicinity. "Why didn't you call him," I asked? The answer, even today, leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The doctor would not come, as the patient had no money to pay him.

"I will pay him," I said, still unable to come to terms with the fact that a medically trained physician, who had taken the Hippocratic oath, refused to treat a person because he could not afford to pay him. "I will pay him," I said, but I had no intention of speaking with him or even acknowledging his existence.

In a short while the doctor arrived. He was a young man who carried his equipment and medicines in a black leather bag. When he arrived, the first thing he did was to take his fees and only after that he looked at the patient.

It was a quick operation; an incision to drain the puss, suturing, bandaging and a few pills to ease the pain. The patient healed quickly and within a week was back on his feet. What is terribly sad is the fact that even today, despite all the roads, electricity and televisions, there are still scant medical services available in the hill provinces of the Philippines, and the few available demand payment first.

On a later visit, my wife and I went to the only hospital in the seaside town of Barili, a beautiful little town that has retained a great deal of its Spanish influence. The hospital is on the outskirts of the town. The person we went to visit suffered from diabetes and the disease had caused gangrene in his leg, which had to be amputated.

By the time we visited he had recovered from the operation and was sitting up quite cheerfully in bed. He was grateful for our visit and we spoke for some time. During the discussion a nurse came in to give him his antibiotics and it was then that the patient’s wife unlocked the cabinet beside the bed and withdrew the medicine for the nurse. The nurse administered the injection and returned the unused portion to the wife, who locked it up and went away.

When I asked why the medicine was locked up in the cabinet, the wife explained that patients had to supply their own medication. ""Isn't it supplied by the hospital," I asked? "It could be," came the answer. "But the quality and supply is unreliable and so it is better to personally get it if one can afford it."

This is the state of healthcare in a country where the rich and famous, who travel in chauffeur-driven cars, accompanied by minders and government officials of the health department travel overseas to conferences in which they seek international aid for their health schemes.

It is almost 26 years since my first visit to Bulak Dumanjug. The road is slightly better, with fewer potholes, and villages have electricity by which to watch television. But there are still no medical facilities, no doctors and no clinics. Yes, the jeepneys run more frequently and can transport a sick person to Dumanjug, the nearest town, or the hospital in Barili – but only if you have the money.

--
(Stewart Sloan works for the Asian Human Rights Commission. He is the author of three works of fiction based in Hong Kong, where he has lived all his life, and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, whom he served as a civilian for 11 years. He was married to the late Quirina, who was born in Cebu).

This article was first published in UPI Asia under the title, The cost of ill health in the Philippines.

Fonseka sleeps in a cell, KP in a velvet cage

2010-10-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

I have just received information from the Sri Lanka Guardian that as of 2:30 pm Hong Kong time, less than 24 hours after this article was uploaded it has been viewed by over 1,000 readers.

Stewart Sloan

(The opinions expressed at the author's own)

Published in the Sri Lanka Guardian, October 7, 2010

So how does the Rajapakse regime reconcile their treatment of former LTTE cadres who fought for the overthrow of the government of Sri Lanka with that of the General who fought, and suffered terrible injuries, to rescue it from their clutches? Now bereft of his medals and his military pension, his future is bleak, even if he were to be released tomorrow.

In a rare gesture of compassion the Rajapakse regime has announced the release of a group of Tamil Tiger rebels after only 16 months of government detention. Can we hope for a similar gesture for Sarath Fonseka?

Do not misunderstand me, I have written adverse comments about what I consider to be the 'two faces' of the General in these columns in the past and I have not changed my mind. The General announced to the world that he would be happy to testify before the UN on the atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces in the closing days of the war with the LTTE, only to announce a few days later that, yes, he would testify, but only to clear the good name of the Sri Lanka Army. This I considered to be a terrible 'about-face' and not worthy of a man capable of defeating the might of the LTTE and standing up to the Rajapakse regime.

However, there are extremely serious discrepancies in the way that former LTTE cadres are being treated in comparison with the General.

Take the situation of Daya Master, the former media officer and the official translator George Master who surrendered to the Sri Lanka Army during the last days of the war and who were released after only a few months by the Magistrate's Court of Colombo. They now live in comfortable circumstances as opposed to the General, who, it is reported, sleeps on the concrete floor of his cell.

Kumaran Pathmanadan, internationally known as KP, was the chief procurer of arms for the LTTE. He was widely believed to have been the mastermind behind the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and upon the death, under suspicious circumstances, of the LTTE leader, Prabakaran, an announcement made by the LTTE's Executive Committee declaring him to be their newly appointed leader. He was arrested on August 5, 2009 but continues to live the life of Riley. Although officially in the custody of the Sri Lanka Army he lives in luxury and is in frequent communication with the outside world from the confines of his velvet cage.

So how does the Rajapakse regime reconcile their treatment of former LTTE cadres who fought for the overthrow of the government of Sri Lanka with that of the General who fought, and suffered terrible injuries, to rescue it from their clutches? Now bereft of his medals and his military pension, his future is bleak, even if he were to be released tomorrow.

Sadly this is just another piece of evidence that reveals how the regime is manipulating the justice system of Sri Lanka for their own ends. We must wonder what promises were made by the Masters and KP to avoid having to sleep on the floor of a concrete cell.

Stewart Sloan served as a civilian officer for seven years with the Special Branch of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force. In December 2001 he was awarded a Commanding Officer's Commendation for "Attention to duty of a high order displayed in the pursuit of an operation of major security importance." Stewart currently words as an Editorial Assistant for a human rights NGO based in Hong Kong.

ASIA: WUNRN Presentation on acid attacks

2010-09-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

Acid attacks on women and children (or anyone else for that matter), is an issue that I have been following and reporting on for several years now. It is impossible for anyone who has not suffered such horror to imagine what the victim goes through in terms of pain and trauma; the knowledge that even if you survive, your life as you know it has ceased to exist and you are left only with a scarred face and body; and the memory of the attack.

The Women's UN Report Network has produced a PowerPoint presentation on the issue and I was asked to prepare a Press Release for the Asian Human Rights Commission to announce. The reason that I am including it here is that fact that it has been picked up by international news agencies and has received wide publicity.

The Press Release follows. If the links do not work please block and copy them into your browser.

Thank you,

Stewart.

ASIA: WUNRN Presentation on acid attacks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
AHRC-PRL-020-2010
ASIA: WUNRN Presentation on acid attacks
(Hong Kong, September 28, 2010) Acid attacks occur with frightening regularity in many countries of Asia. Whether they are done out of revenge, religious intolerance or simply pure malice, the horror perpetrated on the victim is inhuman. It is an issue that the AHRC has reported on frequently.

The Women's UN Report Network -- WUNRN has produced a presentation to provide information on this form of abuse against women and children.

"Acid violence drastically changes the life of the victim including education, employment and other aspects of normal life. Survivors often have to face social isolation that further damages their self-esteem and confidence and undermines their professional and personal future".

From the introduction found in the Presentation

The presentation may be seen at: http://www.wunrn.com/powerpoint/aa_10.pps
Further information may be seen in many of the articles published in Human Rights & Culture at: http://hrculture.blog.humanrights.asia/

# # #
About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.
Posted on 2010-09-28

Hand grenades, arrogance and gullibility

2010-09-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

"The arrogance of the Sri Lankan police never ceases to amaze me. They come up with these stories almost every month and because the rule of law situation in Sri Lanka has deteriorated to the point where there is no command responsibility they get away with it. From the Inspector General of Police all the way down to the Police Constable on the street, there is no accountability."

by Stewart Sloan
(The opinions expressed at the author's own)

(September 24, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is an almost weekly occurrence now that the Sri Lankan police report the shooting to death in custody of a criminal when he attempted to throw a hand grenade at the officers. I am not sure what annoys me more, the incredibly poor standard of policing in the country or the fact that the Sri Lankan police think that we are all idiots.

NEWS: UNDERWORLD LEADER KILLED IN POLICE FIRE
September 22, 2010: Dematagoda Kamal, said to be a leader in the underworld, died in police fire at Diddeniya in Hanwella last night.
According to police, the suspect had been arrested last evening in the Diddeniya area in Hanwella along with a pistol and ammunition.
A high-ranking police officer said that when the suspect was taken to the Diddeniya area to locate a firearm and a haul of drugs, he had attempted to lob a hand grenade at them forcing police to open fire..........

- From an article published in Newsfirst.lk on the 23 September)

Let us take the typical scenario (two of which occurred within the last few weeks). A criminal is arrested for whatever reason and the police take him to a weapons cache. During the proceedings the criminal, no doubt a heinous and dangerous person, grabs a hand grenade and attempts to throw it at the officers; as a result of this cowardly act they bravely shoot him dead. The only witnesses to the incident are the police officers themselves so there is no one of an independent nature to corroborate their version of the events.

But, please, let us take a close and serious look at this scenario.

Any suspect, whether a known criminal or not, when being transported outside a police station should be securely handcuffed and closely guarded. This is not just for the protection of the police officers but also the suspect himself. Under Sri Lankan law as well as international law, a suspect is innocent until proven guilty. It does not require 15 years of experience in policing to know this. It is simply common sense. Any suspect must be considered dangerous until proven otherwise and it is recognised procedure to ensure the safety of the accompanying officers and the suspect himself at all times. Yet amazingly, all these suspects that are taken to a weapons cache to show it to the officers are able to grab hold of a grenade which they then attempt to throw at the officers. This raises several questions.

Anyone who has ever seen a war film will know that grenades are indiscriminate killers. They explode. They throw out shrapnel in all directions, killing the targets and, in close quarters, the person who threw it as well. So, the obvious question is, why would anyone throw a grenade in the knowledge that it is going to kill them as well as their intended targets. I suppose it is feasible that one out of every five criminals might be suicidal and uncaring as to whether they live or die, but all of them?

If the suspects have been keeping a cache of weapons for any length of time they would be in the position to know exactly what was there other than the grenades, perhaps a pistol, a T56 or some other weapon more suitable to killing or wounding the people around you without killing yourself at the same time. Why then do the suspects always opt for the grenade?

And then of course there is the obvious question: where do all these grenades come from in the first place? Is the Sri Lankan army so lax with its ordnance that it habitually looses the odd dozen grenades? If that is the case then the Secretary of the Ministry of Defense has a lot to answer for. And when these grenades do go missing what action is taken? Is anyone held responsible? There must be a tremendously profitable black market for these weapons if the street level criminals can get hold of them.

The arrogance of the Sri Lankan police never ceases to amaze me. They come up with these stories almost every month and because the rule of law situation in Sri Lanka has deteriorated to the point where there is no command responsibility they get away with it. From the Inspector General of Police all the way down to the Police Constable on the street, there is no accountability.

It is time for the people of Sri Lanka to say enough. It is time for the Magistrates to question the continuing incidence of the extrajudicial killing of suspects (against one of whom just recently there was no arrest warrant and no record of arrest. The first information that the Magistrate had that the fellow had been arrested in the first place was when the police officers told the court that they had killed him because he had tried to throw a bomb at them). The police know full well that without any independent witnesses the Magistrate has no option but to accept their version of the story. But when the same story is presented to the courts time and time and time again, is it not the duty of the Magistrates to question it?

It is the opinion of the author that both the Inspector General of Police and Secretary of the Ministry of Defense have some explaining to do; the IGP for the laxity of his officers in transporting criminals and the Secretary for the seemingly constant supply of hand grenades to the underworld. As for the arrogance of the police officers themselves, that is the responsibility of every Sri Lankan that remains silent when yet another suspect is extrajudicially killed for trying to throw a hand grenade at officers of the Sri Lankan Police Service.

Stewart Sloan served as a civilian officer for seven years with the Special Branch of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force. In December 2001 he was awarded a Commanding Officer's Commendation for "Attention to duty of a high order displayed in the pursuit of an operation of major security importance." Stewart currently words as an Editorial Assistant for a human rights NGO based in Hong Kong.

Mervyn, the IGP and proof positive

2010-09-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Stewart Sloan
The Sri Lanka Guardian – September 13, 2010
The views expressed at the author's own

I am sure that it is with much consternation to the ruling regime that the Sri Lanka Police Service has proved that they are not the complete idiots they portray themselves to be.

An editorial in a popular Sri Lankan newspaper reported the story of how the police were able to apprehend a heinous criminal and present her before court with sufficient evidence that the judge ordered bail in the sum of Rs. 100,000/=. What was the crime that called for such a stiff amount? She stole Rs. 5/=. Yes dear readers, you have read this correctly, it is not a misprint; a young girl with the most criminal intent stole five rupees! When the matter was reported to the police in Thebuwana, Kalutara, they sprang into action and arrested the culprit within moments.

Therefore, ergo and to wit, we all owe Inspector General of Police, Mahinda Balasuriya a heartfelt apology. Indeed, he should be commended by President Mahinda Rajapakse for proving once and for all that the Sri Lankan police can do their job with professionalism and honour.

Now that we have that out of the way the problems set in. Now that it has been publically acknowledged that the Sri Lankan police can do their job it is time for them to continue doing so and this is where President Rajapakse might not be so pleased.

They should immediately arrest Mervyn Silva for publically threatening the press for writing anything that he might consider offensive to the government. To quote the gentleman himself, ".... journalists should not write in a way which would ultimately force them to be hanged". They should also reopen the case in which Mervyn manhandled a Samurdhi officer and tied him to a tree as there is sufficient photographic evidence to prove this. The last time I looked the SLFP disciplinary committee, who found him innocent, is not a legally constituted judicial body and while they might have found him innocent a court of law might deem otherwise. They should also reopen the case against Mervyn for fraudulently issuing a cheque in the sum of Rs. 70,000/= in 2007 for which he was only asked to pay Rs. 2,500/= in costs. Okay, let us do the maths here: Fraudulently issuing a cheque in the sum of Rs. 70,000/= results in costs of Rs. 2,500/=, stealing Rs. 5/= results in bail of Rs. 100/000/=. If the survival of the world relied on my mathematical capabilities we would all be in serious trouble but even I can see a discrepancy here.

There is plethora of cases the police can sink their teeth into. The disappearance of Prageeth Eknaliyagoda, the assassinations of Sugath Nishanta Fernando and Lasantha Wickrematunge would be a good start. Using the same fervor and professionalism that they used in the arrest of the 13-year-old girl for stealing Rs. 5/= they should be able to solve these cases within days if not hours.

Dear Mr. Balasuriya, your officers have provided proof positive that they are capable of ensuring law and order and you may be proud of them. Now please ask them to do their job.

Stewart Sloan is the author of three novels and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force whom he served as a civilian from 1987 to 1997. He works as an editorial

Mervyn Silva: a good man or misguided miscreant? His private war on dengue

2010-08-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

by Stewart Sloan
(The views expressed are the author's own)

(August 31, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) I recently had the honour of editing a lengthy article about the outbreak and spread of dengue fever in Sri Lanka. It was an eye opener. I knew from my past research and studies that dengue is endemic and a real threat to the citizens of Sri Lanka. However, what I was blissfully unaware of is the government's seemingly total disregard of the very real danger this disease poses to the people and the lack of any real eradication programme.

This government, who only 15 months ago decisively defeated the LTTE has all the finances, resources and personnel available to start an immediate campaign for the control, if not eradication of this killer disease from the shores of its country. Why then are they not doing it? What possible excuse does the Rajapakse regime have for denying the people of the country their constitutional right to health?

Dengue eradication programmes have been instigated with success in many places around the world. Hong Kong started its eradication programme in the late 90s and by 2007 had wiped it out. Of course, a disease such as dengue can never be considered fully eradicated, but constant monitoring ensures that if it ever re-emerges it can be dealt with instantly.

How did Hong Kong eradicate dengue? They like many countries and territories around the world used the vector surveillance system and a special instrument known as an oviposition trap. The ovitrap, as it is known, has been used in conjunction with the vector surveillance system since the 1970s. Yet the ovitrap and the surveillance system are unknown in Sri Lanka. How can this possibly be the case? How can it be that the government of Sri Lanka, the government that successfully defeated the LTTE, with its suicide bombers and military might, cannot launch such a programme to save its people?

The vector system and the trap basically work in the following manner. Using the ovitrap in various locations or vectors, dengue carrying mosquitoes are trapped so that their existence in any one area can be detected. The vector system is then created so that the relevant authorities can maintain records on which areas are at risk so that concentrated efforts at eradication can be made. What is needed here is not an outlandish amount of money and hundreds of thousands of trained personnel. No new technology has to be developed or invented. It is readily available as is the assistance in setting up such a system.

Mervyn's private war on dengue

Much has been written in the Sri Lankan press in recent years about the exploits of Mervyn Silva. From his son's fight at a nightclub and Mervyn's attempt to storm the Canadian Embassy to obtain a visa for him, to his siege of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Cooperation. And of course, more recently his alleged assault of a Samurdhi officer who he is supposed to have tied to a tree for failing to attend a dengue control conference. How is it possible that Mervyn Silva, the bully, the ruffian, the ruling regime's court jester is the only member of the Rajapakse government that believes strongly enough in the very real threat to the country that dengue poses?

Now Mervyn has been sacked from his position and thrown out as chief organiser of the Kalaniya constituency of the SLFP for this latest antic. The Sri Lankan public, once again is having a good laugh at him. After all, you can't go tying civil servants, no matter how junior to trees. But I suggest that if, in fact, Mervyn did tie this man to a tree he made another serious error; he tied the wrong person to the tree.

People are suffering and dying in a potential land of plenty. The war with the LTTE is over. The money used to build up the military might of Sri Lanka at a time when such might was needed should now be spent to eradicate dengue.

Are the Buddhist monks who marched for Mervyn's reinstatement the only people that can see what he was trying to do? No doubt it will come as a shock to many people to learn that they have to apologise to him.

Who should Mervyn tie to a tree next?

Sloan is the author of three novels and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force whom he served as a civilian from 1987 to 1997. He works as an editorial assistant for a regional human rights NGO in Hong Kong.

Police probe on nightclubs, another opportunity to make money?

2010-08-04T19:12:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 To say that corruption does not exist in the Sri Lankan police force is to stretch credibility. Of course it exists, at all levels, and it extends up to the patrons in the political sphere.
............................

by Stewart Sloan
( The views expressed are the author's own)

(August 04, Gong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) Underage drinking is a problem that should be taken seriously in that it can lead to early age alcoholism and drug use. The experimentation with 'soft' drugs such as marijuana can lead to dependence on the harder addictive narcotics such as cocaine and heroin, all of which are readily available to anyone who wants them and all of which kill.

And so the Sri Lankan police have begun a probe into nightclubs that allow underage drinkers into their establishments. This probe is apparently in response to a series of complaints by unknown persons; quite possibly the parents of such children.

Underage drinking is a problem that should be taken seriously in that it can lead to early age alcoholism and drug use. The experimentation with 'soft' drugs such as marijuana can lead to dependence on the harder addictive narcotics such as cocaine and heroin, all of which are readily available to anyone who wants them and all of which kill.

Of course, not all young people are stupid enough to go down this route, but if one in ten does, then that is one too many.

So the police are to be congratulated for taking the initiative in this probe. The bar and nightclub owners know exactly what they are doing when they sell liquor to an underage person. The responsibility lies firmly with them and hefty fines and prison sentences for repeat offenders will make a difference. However, in order for this to make a difference the legislation on providing liquor to underage drinkers must be enforced. And sadly, in Sri Lanka, enforcement of any law is very much at the discretion of the investigating police officer or his seniors.

To say that corruption does not exist in the Sri Lankan police force is to stretch credibility. Of course it exists, at all levels, and it extends up to the patrons in the political sphere. So if the bar or nightclub owner has a tame politician under his belt it is no great hardship for him to request that the investigating officer look the other way. The politician simply has a word with the officer concerned and the job is done. Almost every day there is an example of this type of thing. The recent arson attack on the Siyatha TV station and radio broadcast facilities of the Voice of Asia Network in the early hours of July 30 is a prime example of the authorities turning a blind eye to a crime.

This attack took place in an area virtually festooned with police checkpoints. It is a well known fact that the officers manning these checkpoints stop almost every vehicle passing through to see if there is any possibility of extorting money from the drivers. Even Sri Lankan judges have deplored this state of affairs. How is it possible that the two vehicles carrying the arsonists and their weapons were not stopped either going to or running from the attack; an attack that occurred within striking distance of Temple Trees, where security is maximised?

So is anything to come of the police probe into underage drinking or will it just be another opportunity for the Sri Lankan police to earn some extra money? The health and lives of young people are at stake here and it is the responsibility of the police to enforce the legislation that controls the sale of liquor to minors. This is a responsibility that cannot be neglected for the opportunity of making money.

Stewart Sloan is the author of three novels and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force whom he served as a civilian from 1987 to 1997. He works as an editorial assistant for a regional human rights NGO in Hong Kong.

The King with Two Faces

2010-07-12T02:33:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 12, 2010The King with Two Faces
In all honesty no one who has experienced it firsthand has any knowledge of what Fonseka is going through at the hands of his captors. Quite possibly the retired general's nerves just gave out. .................................

by Stewart Sloan
(The views expressed are the author's own)

(July 12, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) As an international observer I was fascinated by the Sri Lankan Presidential Elections which were held on the 26th January, 2010. While there were several contenders the main characters in the field were the incumbent president, Mahinda Rajapakse and the man who would be king, retired general, Sarath Fonseka.

Much has already been written about the election and it is not my intention to go into great detail about it here. However, I must say that I believe the results to have been rigged in favour of Rajapakse in the most blatant manner. So sure of the government's victory, and so arrogant as to believe that no one would challenge the results, ballot boxes containing votes in favour of Sarath Fonseka were discarded in a field adjoining a voting station at Ratnapura. This degree of arrogance is truly mind boggling.

It probably came as no surprise to anyone when the news broke that Fonseka had been arrested. But the manner of this arrest was surprising, even for Sri Lanka. The arrest was carried out with no form of due process and in the most horrendous fashion so as to cause maximum humiliation to Fonseka himself and the obvious intimidation to his family and followers. He was literarily dragged out of his election offices by the ankles.

For the next few months I, and the rest of the world watched as Sarath Fonseka was treated with the utmost contempt. A group on Facebook was created, Free the GENERAL has, to-date, 2,463 members. Every day I logged into the Sri Lankan news papers expecting to read the news that he had been killed while attempting to escape; that his wife had managed to smuggle in an AK47 and twenty hand grenades in his lunch box with which the general had tried to kill his guards.

Numerous articles have been written demanding his release, protests held in Colombo and elsewhere and the clergy both Christian and Buddhist have agitated for his release. And yet his court martial goes on. Then the general's courage shone through; he would testify, he said, before the UN on the issue of war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan Army at the close of the war between Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, the LTTE.

This, I thought was a true test of the man's mettle. Incarcerated by the Rajapakse regime, completely at their mercy and suffering from the effects of his injuries he received in a terrorist bombing some years before, here was a man that was not going to allow the Rajapakses to intimidate him. He would testify before the UN and the world would have first hand evidence of the war crimes which included the slaughter of surrendering LTTE soldiers and that the orders to kill them had come from no less a person than Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the Secretary of the Ministry of Defense and Mahinda Rajapakse's brother. European journalists jostled for the 'honour' of interviewing Gotabhaya who made no bones about the fact that he would have Fonseka hung if he had the temerity to do such a thing.

All was quiet for a few weeks and I am sure that many of the other observers would dearly love to know what went on behind closed doors. Where there threats, or promises of leniency; perhaps even the promise a reward for changing his story? Whatever happened, last week Sarath Fonseka announced that, yes, he would testify before a UN inquiry, but it would not be to denounce the Sri Lankan army or Gotabhaya Rajapakse but rather to clear the 'good name' of the Sri Lankan army.

This was something of an about face and no one can help but wonder what brought it on. Suffice to say, Fonseka's stock fell badly in the minds of many of his followers and supporters.

In all honesty no one who has experienced it firsthand has any knowledge of what Fonseka is going through at the hands of his captors. Quite possibly the retired general's nerves just gave out. Whatever the case there can be no doubt that he has been effectively silenced. The man who would be king has two faces.

Stewart Sloan is the author of three novels and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force whom he served as a civilian from 1987 to 1997. He works as an editorial assistant for a regional human rights NGO in Hong Kong.

Kidney Kids--Providing dialysis machines and treatment for children--Don't belittle the humble ring pull Stewart Sloan*

2010-05-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

There are branches of Kidney Kids in many countries of the world.

The concept behind this not for profit organisation is to provide vitally needed medical support for children suffering renal failure; they also, perhaps equally importantly, arrange for emotional support and information for their parents by parents who have been through it themselves. This is done through counseling, educational materials and social events.

No one can understand the commitment in both time and money involved in seeking treatment and the accompanying exhaustion if they have not experienced the grief of having a close relative, whether a child or an adult, suffer renal failure.

Caregiver burnout is a real threat. Dialysis is required up to three times a week and must, under no circumstances, be missed. This places tremendous pressure on the parents and relatives of patients. A helping hand to take the patient for treatment on just one of these days each week is more of a blessing than many of us would realise.

In Hong Kong a locally based businessman has taken an active role in providing assistance to one of the Kidney Kids branches, Kidney Kids of New Zealand.

Colin Barlow, a New Zealander himself, is a dental technician by trade and several years ago on a visit to his home country came into contact with Paul Norfolk, the Chief Executive of Kidney Kids of NZ Inc. Colin learned that one way to take an active part in assisting was to collect ring pulls from soft drink (and beer) cans (Kan Tabs). These are sent to New Zealand where they are sold for scrap and melted down and the money received goes to the purchase of dialysis machines and the cost of treatment. (In a local event in New Zealand a load of aluminium ring pulls and screw caps weighing 1,369 kgs brought in NZ$ 2,464). Colin put the word out to his friends and the ring pulls started pouring in from individuals and restaurants and bars. Now Colin, with the assistance of Air New Zealand sends packets of up to 20 kgs back to New Zealand on a regular bas is.

Lots of little bags of ring pulls add up to a big box when donated regularly. To donate ring pulls in Hong Kong please contact Stewart at sloanbooks@gmail.com or Colin at chevlab@gmail.com. Elsewhere please refer to the websites below:

http://www.kidneykids.org.nz/
http://www.kidneykids.org.uk/
http://www.kidneykids.org/
http://www.kidney.org.au/ForPatients/KIDneyKids/tabid/613/Default.aspx
*Stewart's wife Quirina died in December last year after a five year battle with renal failure.
** To see the latest issue of this News Letter please see: http://newsletters.ahrchk.net/hrc/docs/AHRC-ART-053-2010.pdf

Vitriolage--The horror and injustice of acid attacks

2010-05-13T01:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

This article was uploaded by the Asian Human Rights Commission.

[AHRC Article] ASIA: Vitriolage -- the horror and injustice of acid attacks

FOR PUBLICATION
AHRC-ART-049-2010
May 13, 2010

An Article by the Asian Human Rights Commission

ASIA: Vitriolage -- the horror and injustice of acid attacks

Baseer Naveed and Stewart Sloan

"Acid will be thrown on the faces of women and girls who step out of their houses without covering their faces… People who fail to comply with these orders will themselves be responsible for the consequences."

This was the announcement made by the Baloch Ghaeratmand Group; until recently a little known fundamentalist group in Pakistan that has carried out their threat on several occasions. Their attacks have resulted in the victims suffering inhuman pain and unimaginable mental anguish. Despite strikes by the citizens and demands that action is taken, the government has done nothing to bring the perpetrators to justice, nor have they done anything to prevent future attacks.

A recent press release by Women without Borders left no doubt as to the effects, both immediate and following an attack:

If the victim survives, the effects of acid attacks are life-changing. Acid burns through eyes, skin tissue, and bone. Usually, the victims are left blind and with permanent scar tissue. Their bones are often fused together—jawbones sealed tight, chins locked to chests, hands left permanently contorted in the position they held as they tried to deflect the splash. The psychological scars are even worse. Depression, anxiety, shame—these would be part of the emotional aftermath of any scarring injury, but victims of acid attacks are also often ostracized by their communities and even held responsible for incurring the attack they suffered.

http://www.women-without-borders.org/news/193

Acid attacks, of which the victims are invariably women, happen in several countries of Asia. Sadly, very little is done to prevent them and even less to bring the perpetrators to justice. They are done for religious reasons and as acts of revenge and sometimes as acts of mischief. There were several recent incidents in Hong Kong when bottles of acid were thrown into crowded shopping areas from buildings overhead. The police reacted quickly and have arrested at least one man but it is feared that not all of the attacks were carried out by the same person.

In Thailand acid attacks are frequently the result of revenge attacks by housewives who are convinced that a certain lady is having an affair with her husband. In June 2007 a mother and daughter were charged with throwing acid in the face of a 23-year-old woman because they believed she was having an affair with the mother's husband. Until legislation was introduced to control its sale, acids and other corrosive liquids could be purchased on the street. It is still available on the black market.

Asia and South East Asia however, are not alone in suffering these attacks. While the majority of attacks in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are carried out for religious reasons, in the west it is usually for revenge. Regardless of where they happen, the attacks come without warning and there is little or no defence against them. The acids used, either hydrochloric or sulphuric, eat through clothes, flesh and bone almost instantly. The only course of action, which must be taken immediately, is to wash the affected areas with water. As most attacks happen in the street this is unlikely to happen, allowing the effects of the acid to run their course.

There are several organisations, international and local offering assistance to victims of acid attacks and these are listed below. The following poem by Airyn R. Lentija highlights the feelings of desolation known by the victim.

VITRIOLAGE
Airyn R. Lentija

Just as my scarred hands hold these rails
so the tiny drops
of my faith make me live, too.

I, who never asked for this blindness,
The scarring of my face and body that
erased my existence to the real world...

embarassed...
in fear of the stigma and of prejudice
that bubbles from the mouth
of the community I once belonged to.

I am a mother turned into a baby,
desperately dependent...

I am a teenager who forgets how it was to be a teenager...

I am a lively lady that used to enjoy the company of my peers...

A victim of vitriolage,

I am shunned now...
and relive the vivid memories that lift me
to another level of distress, of such agony,
that my mind almost shut down,
they called...

a psychologist for in-depth intervention,
counselors...

A brilliant mind may give a hand
to restore my damaged skin tissue;
surgical treatment...

Yet I will never be free
from the memory of such pain,
such punishment
nor will I be Me again...

Note: This poem will also be published under the title: Testimony of Acid Attack Woman Victim.

The three pictures below show a victim before the attack, during treatment and more recently, tying hard to get on with her life.

Relevant organisations:

The Acid Survivors Foundation--Bangladesh-- http://www.acidsurvivors.org/
The Acid Survivors Foundation—Pakistan-- http://acidsurvivorspakistan.org/
The Acid Survivors Trust—Canada-- http://www.acidviolence.org/index.php/news/acid-survivors-trust-canada/
The Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity (CASC)-- http://cambodianacidsurvivorscharity.org/

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

This Article was also posted in the E-Publication Sri Lanka Guardian

Posted on 2010-05-13

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

2010-05-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Lakbay Dangal—Jose Rizal and Filipino history in Hong Kong today

2010-04-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

Stewart Sloan

On Sunday the 14th March a unique organisation met in Chater Gardens in Hong Kong. The brainchild of Fr. Roberto Reyes, the Running Priest, a group of Filipino domestic helpers, journalists and friends met to inaugurate Lakbay Dangal—an association determined to bring out the historians and tour guides among the Filipino community in the territory.

After introducing the concept, about which more later, Fr. Roberto led the group in a tour of historical areas of the Central District, the business hub of Hong Kong. Many of us, myself included, had no idea that the antiquities board, dedicated but not the most audible of Hong Kong government departments, had raised several plaques dedicated to the memory of Jose Rizal.

Jose Rizal is perhaps best known for his activism against the Spanish colonial government in the Philippines and his subsequent execution. However, perhaps not many people are aware that he was a man of wide ranging talents and skills. Rizal's multifacetedness was described by his German friend, Dr. Adolf Meyer, as nothing short of stupendous. He was a polymath with the ability to master various skills and subjects. He was an ophthalmologist, sculptor, painter, educator, farmer, historian, playwright and journalist. Besides poetry and creative writing, he was interested in architecture, cartography, economics, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, dramatics, martial arts, fencing and pistol shooting. He was also a Freemason, joining Acacia Lodge No. 9 during his time in Spain and becoming a Master Mason in 1884. Jose Rizal was executed by firing squad in December 1896 at the age of 35.

At least one of these plaques had been in place for several years and I could not help but wonder how many times I had passed underneath it without the slightest knowledge of its existence. The one in D' Aguilar Street identifies the location where Rizal opened one of his eye clinics.

Lakbay Dangal—a 12 month 'histourism' training programme

Fr. Roberto's plan in creating Lakbay Dangal has many aims. The first is to reveal to the Filipino community itself that there is a link between Hong Kong and the Philippines in Rizal's history in the territory. By bringing this to the fore he also hopes that the Filipino ladies who work here as domestic helpers will see themselves, and be seen by others, as much more than cleaners and babysitters. A good knowledge of the various historical sites in and around Central and other areas of Hong Kong will give these ladies the opportunity to show off these sites and reveal their historical and cultural significance to others.

In order to accomplish this trips are planned to sites such as Stanley where you can see both history in the form of the War Cemetery where many of the soldiers and civilians killed during the Japanese invasion were laid to rest and also one of the most favourite tourist sites in the territory, Stanley Market. Stanley used to be famous for its 'seconds' shops; shops that sold items of clothing that had been rejected by the buyers and were picked up by the Stanley vendors. Sadly, as with all things, progress stepped in and many of the shops are now up market and costly. However, that does not seem to deter many of the western tourists that visit the place.

Speakers will be tasked with the job of finding out as much as they can about the various sites and take turns at giving lectures to their fellow trainees. One such gathering was held on Sunday the 4th April and another is planned for the 25th. The ladies have shown great enthusiasm for this project and are to be congratulated for their zeal. Thanks must also go to Fr. Roberto who will visit the territory as often as his schedule permits to encourage and assist in the training.

Domestic Helper Tour Guides; Ladies with the knowledge, willingness and ability to show others, not only Filipinos, but anyone interested, that there is more to Hong Kong than tall buildings.

Anger Management – pros and cons

2010-03-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

I am sure that the people who know and work with me will be surprised to know that I used to have an anger management problem.

The following incident will clarify any questions as to this matter.

When there is horse racing on a Wednesday evening or Saturday at the Shatin Jockey Club some of the Lo Wu trains are diverted from Fotan to the Race Course Station. Under normal circumstances announcements are made at the earlier stations where I might board the train so that I know to wait for another train. Occasionally the staff forget to make the announcement and many is the time I have watched in dismay as Fotan flashes past and I arrive, reluctantly, at the Race Course. Here I have two options, get off the train, cross the platform, get back on the train, return to Shatin and wait for the next train which is going to Fotan. The second option is to stay on the train and go to the Chinese University Station and do the same thing.

A few weeks ago I got on the train at Kowloon Tong and forgot to double check as to whether the train was going to Fotan. This was my fault. However, I was annoyed; quite rightly so on this occasion because there were no announcements, and I ended up at the Race Course. I got off the train and made a point of telling the platform supervisor that there had been no announcements on the train. Much to my surprise this gentleman could not have cared less and my respect for the management of the MTRC fell a few notches. I wasn't going to get any sense out of this fellow so I just waited for the next train and returned to Shatin.

On arrival at Shatin I went up to the concourse which I crossed and descended to the correct platform for the Fotan train. It arrived shortly and I boarded and moments later arrived back at the Race Course Station. Once again there had been no announcements.

Three months ago I would have had a long conversation with the Station Master in which I would have seriously questioned his pedigree. However, on this occasion I meekly crossed the platform, boarded the train and returned to Shatin where I left the station and walked back to Fotan, a distance of just over a mile. It seemed to be the less complicated and safer option and it made the beer taste better.

Now what were you saying about my anger management?

Update

2010-03-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

I confess, I'm blowing my own horn here but I recently came across two very flattering bits of news on the internet. The first entails a review of Temutma, the book I wrote in partnership with Rebecca Bradley. Temutma was published by Asia 2000 who was remiss in informing us that they had sold the publishing rights to a German company, Union Verslag, who are now producing audio copies of the book. Neither Rebecca nor I have ever seen a penny in royalties from the sale of these audio books. However, the review, which is copied here, soothes my wounded pride somewhat.

Possibly the BEST vampire novel since Dracula. March 9, 2005
By Devlin Tay (Adelaide, Australia)
"Temutma" is a little gem of a horror novel from Hong Kong that most readers would unfortunately never have heard of. It is quite possibly the BEST vampire novel I've ever read since Dracula (take that, Anne Rice) - and I say this not because of Temutma's literary merits, but because of its frenetic pacing and the atmosphere of sheer terror that it evokes. Set in Hong Kong in the early 1990s, an ancient horror awakens deep within the catacombs of Kowloon's famed Walled City. A series of grotesque murders are committed on one single night, leaving the Hong Kong police completely baffled. The murders are seemingly unrelated; but for the fact that the crime scenes all fall on a direct line of sight beginning from the Kowloon Walled City, across the narrow strait separating Kowloon from Hong Kong island, to the Bank of China building, and finally ending at a luxury home at the Peak. All victims had been drained completely dry of blood. Even more strangely, one of the first victims had been seen following a subsequent victim hours after he supposedly died, according to forensics. As the chief investigating officer, Superintendent Michael Scott of the Royal Hong Kong Police, delves deeper into the mystery, little does he know that he will soon come face to face with a being more ancient and powerful than he could ever imagine - an amoral being whose only instinct is to satisfy his own bloodlust. Rebecca Bradley and Stewart Sloan successfully weave Chinese superstition with vampiric lore into a melange of fear and action so thick one could almost imagine watching the story unfold in a Cineplex with full DTS surround sound. The characters are believable, the action is evenly paced, and the horror is conveyed though a finely-balanced mixture of suspense and gore. Temutma, the eponymous vampire, is a creature so believably alien, repulsive and evil - and yet strangely compelling. There is none of that vampiric angst, the likes of which authors like Anne Rice are so fond of, to be found anywhere in this book. Here, at last, is a creature that stalks, tortures, kills and inflicts pain simply because it is what it does - much like the way a cat hunts for, and plays with, its prey purely out of instinct, the way all cats do. Five stars and two thumbs up!

The other bit of news that cheered me up was the news that my first book, 'The Sorceress' which was published in 1994 and sold for the grand sum of HK$ 70.00 is available on a second hand book website for the price of HK$ 168.20!

The question that now begs to be asked is, if I'm that good, why aren't I sitting on a beach somewhere sipping champagne?

Human Rights Activists - Fr. Roberto Reyes - The Running Priest

2009-11-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

Whether you address him as ‘Robert’, ‘Roberto’ or ‘Father Roberto’, Fr. Roberto (as I call him) is all things to all men. I might be getting myself into trouble with the Catholic Church if I said that Fr. Roberto was a humanitarian first and a priest second, but the fact remains that Fr. Roberto is there for the people, catholic or otherwise; a priest, a confessor, but first and foremost, a friend.

Fr. Roberto was born in Tondo, Manila, the eldest of four children. His parents, now retired, were an accountant and a school teacher. In 1970, Fr. Roberto entered the San Jose Seminary School in Novaliches, Quezon City and eventually became a priest. After serving in numerous parishes, he became head of the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice at the University of the Philippines.

It was in the year 2000 that Fr. Roberto was to earn the nickname, the Running Priest when he did solo marathons to drum up support for a campaign to force the then President Joseph Estrada to step down. During that period he spoke at Catholic schools and universities, on issues of political reform and good governance and it was not long before his personal convictions got him into trouble.

In 2002, Fr. Roberto surrendered to the police to face libel charges filed by Cagayan Representative Jackie Ponce Enrile, whom he allegedly implicated in the murder of his nephew during Martial Law. He was immediately freed after two days of incarceration through the help of the members of Parish of the Holy Sacrifice.

More recently he has been involved in numerous protest activities supporting the call to remove President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from office. At the peak of his protest activities against Arroyo's government, he was advised by his superiors to take indefinite leave of absence. He went to southern China and spent a year teaching English. A year later, he moved to Hong Kong and taught anthropology of religion in a university before joining the Asian Human Rights Commission in 2007.

Throughout this period Fr. Roberto Reyes remained involved in missionary work, including administering to sick and dying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). His experience was chronicled in a book "Vincent, Dying and Living," which contains his personal reflections and recollections as he detailed the struggle of his brother who died of lung cancer, as well the struggles of many OFWs in Hong Kong whom he had met and ministered to in the last days of their lives. It was during this time that I personally came to know Fr. Roberto and realised the depth of his compassion and commitment when he ministered, and continues to minister, to my wife, Quirina, who is an end-stage renal patient.

On November 29, 2007, Reyes was arrested and imprisoned for 15 days at Camp Crame for his participation in an attempted coup d' etat known as the Manila Peninsula Rebellion. In 2008, a year after his incarceration, while associated with the Asian Human Rights Commission, he published his prison journal entitled, Prisons... Manila Pen and Beyond, in which he narrated his memories on the fifteen days he spent in prison.

In September 2008, Reyes launched his website, Parokya sa, the first virtual parish in the Philippines, where his reflections on daily Bible readings, his homilies during Sunday masses, and inspirational messages are posted and shared with everybody. It is Fr. Roberto's wish to reach out to the millions of Filipinos working overseas in various parts of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. The Philippine Online Chronicles, a weekly online publication managed by Vibal Foundation, hosts the website.

(Text by Stewart Sloan, additional information courtesy of http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Roberto_Reyes)

Human Rights Activists – Danilo Andres Reyes

2009-11-05T21:17:00.001-08:00

Danilo, as he is known to his friends and colleagues was born in Tagum, Davao Del Norte, the Philippines in 1979. He graduated from the Lagao National High School in 1995 and in the same year entered the University of Mindanao where he gained a BA (AB) in Mass Communications graduating in 1999. He also did post graduate studies in English. In order to support himself during his studies Danilo worked in a handy craft shop earning five pesos an hour. In the morning before going to university he would sell dried fish in the market. It was during his years at university that Danilo became involved in the student movement attending rallies and discussion meetings on such issues as increases in tuition fees and general issues of social concern such as price hikes.

Danilo’s first paid job was writing for a local weekly newspaper, the Southern Review in General Santos City. His first introduction to human rights violations and abuse by the police was when he was working for the Sun Star Newspaper, also in General Santos city. Part of Danilo’s beat was the local police station where he had, what he thought, was a good rapport with the officers. It was on the occasion of the arrest of several men for alleged terrorist activities in 2001 that Danilo witnessed the extent of police brutality. It was a big case which, at the time was covered extensively in the country’s press. Following their arrest the suspects were taken to the station where Danilo tried to take their photographs. The police officer in charge grabbed his camera and warned him to keep out of the way. The men were taken into the officer’s room and shortly after Danilo heard their cries of pain.

Following this introduction to the realities of human rights abuses Danilo then went on to join an organisation documenting abuses by the military and police in Mindanao. This was during President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s all out war against the Moro Rebels in 2003. One of Danilo’s memories is of having an after work drink with a colleague at a sari sari store just a hundred yards away from the army camp. When the soldiers started their bombardment against the advancing rebels the ramshackle shop and the ground beneath them shook. While the other customers fled Danilo and his companion continued drinking, much to the delight of the proprietor. Such was the level of Danilo’s desensitisation to the situation.

It was during this period that Danilo started sending documented cases to the Asian Human Rights Commission, and when his contract with the human rights organisation ended he was offered an internship with the commission.

Danilo’s commitment and ability was immediately recognised and when he finished his internship the commission offered him a position in a branch office in Manila where he worked on general human rights issues and more importantly, the appalling problem of the extrajudicial killings that were then taking place in the Philippines in huge numbers. An estimated 700 people consisting of grass root and human rights activists were killed or forcibly disappeared during this period.

Now, back in Hong Kong, Danilo continues his work in human rights and is also active with several groups offering assistance to overseas workers, including cancer survivors from the Philippines which number in the hundreds of thousands in the territory. He is also a columnist with United Press International (Asia).

The following newspaper article is a report on the capture of the terrorist which Danilo witnessed when working as a journalist for the Sun Star.

Filipino hostage leader is captured
Richard Lloyd Parry Asia Correspondent - The Independent - Tuesday, 10 July 2001

Filipino troops yesterday seized one of the senior commanders of Abu Sayyaf, the Islamic guerrilla group that has kidnapped and ransomed dozens of people in the southern Philippines. Najmi Sabdula, whose alias is Commander Global, was captured in the town of General Santos on the southern island of Mindanao, 560 miles from their lair on the remote Jolo Island.

Philippines officers said he was responsible for the Abu Sayyaf raid five weeks ago on a luxury island resort and the kidnap of 20 tourists, including three Americans. Since then the guerrillas have humiliated the Philippines armed forces, slipping through the jungle with their hostages with thousands of soldiers and Special Forces in hot pursuit.

Lieutenant-General Jaime de los Santos said: "The capture of Commander Global is a great setback for the ASG [Abu Sayyaf Group]. I think, with this capture, we expect to get further information on their operations."

Brigadier-General Edilberto Adan, a military spokesman, paraded Global on a televised news conference in Manila, saying: "The number one effect is psychological. Now they are realising that wherever they go, they can be captured. They might be able to stage a raid, but they will be pursued and they cannot hide."

The captured guerrilla stood with his hands cuffed and his shoulders bowed, and shook his head in answer to reporters' questions. Three other members of the ASG – identified as Saltima Alih, Alex Sabdali and Jamar – were also captured, after a tip-off that they were in a house close to the airport of General Santos.

Rigoberto Tiglao, a spokesman for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, said: "We see it as another indication that the Abu Sayyaf network is being gradually, but surely dismantled. We see that we're turning the corner now in the fight against the Abu Sayyaf."

But the effect on the ASG remains to be seen. Yesterday, army spokesmen were describing their captive as a mastermind. "He's the think-tank of the group," Colonel Danilo Servando said. "He hatches the plan and other groups carry out the mission."

In reality, Abu Sayyaf, which claims to be fighting for an independent Muslim state in the southern Philippines, is a loose organisation of bandit groups led by individual commanders of equal rank. Several commanders have childish nicknames: there is a Commander Robot and a Commander Boy, as well as a Commander Global, who was nicknamed, like a classroom swot, because of his impressive learning and international perspective. Global and Robot organised the ASG's first kidnap of foreign hostages, from a Malaysian resort island in spring last year. As much as m (£18m) in ransom was paid for the release of the mixed group of Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Malaysian and South African hostages.

Negotiators and intermediaries who met Global describe him as quietly spoken and intelligent, with a distinctive bullet scar on his right cheek. "He's very silent, a good listener, because he listens to what you say and then he'll refute you," one negotiator said. "It's true that he's a thinker – he thinks globally."

Philippines television said the press conference had been delayed after soldiers and police squabbled over the five million pesos (£65,000) offered for Global's capture. (Please see the AHRC Statement PHILIPPINES: Policemen squabble in open court over custody of a detainee for bounty at: http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2009statements/2236/).

Thousands of wanted posters, with photos of him and five other Abu Sayyaf commanders, have been put up across Mindanao and dropped by plane into the jungle.

Abu Sayyaf commanders are still holding an American missionary couple, who were seized from the resort in May. A third American hostage, Guillermo Sobero, is reported to have been beheaded by the rebels, although there has been no sign of his body.

(Additional text by Stewart Sloan)

Human Rights Defenders - Mr. F M Abdur Razzak

2009-11-05T21:15:00.001-08:00

Human rights defender Abdur Razzak and a colleague, Shankar Kumar Dhali were arrested by five police officers on the morning of 3rd November 2008. They were arrested without warrants, and taken to the Paikgachha police station in Khulna district, south western Bangladesh.

Born in the south of Bangladesh in 1967, Razzak is a law graduate and is presently working as a lawyer’s assistant. He graduated from Southeast University, Dhaka in 2001. Prior to his arrest he supplemented his income by editing a fortnightly newspaper, Gonomichhil, which has published many stories critical of the police and judges, as well as the bribery prevalent in the country.

After being informed of his arrest, his family members went to the police station, arriving at about 11am. They asked Razzak if he had been tortured by the police while in custody. His swollen face gave them the answer they feared. Also his shirt had been taken and he was made to sit on the floor of the cell.

It became evident that Razzak had upset someone with his critical reporting when his wife, Rahima, was told by the Officer-in-Charge of the station that he was under pressure from the court to arrest him. One month earlier a Magistrate had announced in an open court that if anyone were to arrest Abdur Razzak he would issue a warrant of arrest without any delay or hesitation.

The families of Razzak and his companion canvassed anyone they thought might help them to convince the police to release the men. Their rationale was simple; if the police had no case against them they should be released. But more importantly, if there was, in fact, a case against the men they should not be ill-treated or tortured. With Razzak being the only breadwinner, Rahima had to borrow money from her relatives. She also sent her three young children to stay with her sister, so that she was free to visit the police station and other places as necessary. When she was not running other errands, Rahima spent her time outside the police station in fear that something would happen to her husband. Even visiting her husband required the payment of a bribe to the officers.

It transpired that Razzak had been arrested due to his alleged involvement in an abduction case. The police were ordered to conduct inquiries on the 22nd October but even 10 days later, nothing had been done. While in custody Razzak was beaten and publicly humiliated (he was made to walk to and from court in handcuffs with his arms held out in front on him). Huge sums of money were repeatedly demanded from Rahima and other members of the family which they had no choice but to pay in order to protect him from further torture. She also had to prepare his meals, as the police would not provide any food, and then bribe the officers to allow him to eat.

Finally the police investigation in the abduction case started moving and it was found that the young girl who had supposedly been abducted had, in fact, run away from home. Rahima then had to pay for the police to take the girls statement. The payments included transportation costs and food for the officers. She was able to raise the money by selling the little jewelry she had left. Eventually, after a final bribe to a Senior Inspector the abduction case was deemed to be false and after several court appearances was withdrawn in January 2009. At that time Razzak was suffering from a water-borne disease contracted in jail. Rahima was also sick, due to prolonged stress and fatigue. Later, in February 2009, the court dismissed the case as the charge of abduction was proven false.

It says a great deal for Abdur Razzak that despite his ordeal he continues to work on human rights issues. In Bangladesh the tarnishing of individual’s reputation is another problem. In Razzak’s case, his reputation as an honest human rights defender was affected by the many unfounded rumours regarding the causes and circumstances of his arrest and detention. F.M. Abdur Razzak is the Director of the Human Rights Development Centre (HRDC) based in Khulna and is now the editor of the Pakhik Ganomisil Newspaper. He is currently undergoing an internship with the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong.

(Text by Stewart Sloan)

Human rights defenders - Roya Hakakian

2009-11-05T21:14:00.001-08:00

Roya Hakakian was born in 1966 in Iran and raised in a Jewish family in Tehran. In May of 1985, 19-year-old Roya arrived in the United States seeking political asylum, which was granted. She studied psychology at Brooklyn College and went on to earn a Master of Social Work at Hunter College, both of the City University of New York.

Roya is a founding member of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, and currently serves on the board of Refugees International. She has appeared on numerous television shows speaking on the subject of the Middle East and human rights.

Her book, in which she recounts her memories of growing up a Jewish teenager in post-revolutionary Iran, Journey from the Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran was published by Crown and was highly acclaimed. It went on to become a Barnes & Noble¡¦s Pick of the Week, a Ms. Magazine Must Read of the Summer, Publishers Weekly¡¦s Best Book of the Year, and Elle Magazine¡¦s Best Nonfiction Book of 2004. It also won the Persian Heritage Foundation¡¦s 2006 Latifeh Yarshater Book Award and was the 2005 winner of the Best Memoir by the Connecticut Center for the Book. The book has been translated into several languages and is available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain. In 2008 Roya won the Guggenheim fellowship in nonfiction.

Roya is also the author of two poetry collections. The first collection, For the Sake of Water, was nominated as poetry book of the year by Iran News in 1993. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World listed Roya among the leading new voices in Persian poetry. Her poetry has appeared in numerous anthologies around the world, including La Regle Du Jeu, Strange Times My Dear: The Pen Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature. It is also due to appear in the forthcoming W.W. Norton¡¦s Contemporary Voices of the Eastern World: An Anthology of Poems. Today Roya contributes to the Persian Literary Review, and served as the poetry editor of Par Magazine for six years. Her opinion columns, essays, and book reviews appear in English language publications, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal among them. She is also a contributor to the Weekend Edition of NPR¡¦s All Things Considered.

Roya Hakakian has collaborated on over a dozen hours of programming for leading journalism units on network television, including 60 Minutes and on A& E¡¦s Travels With Harry, and ABC Documentary Specials with Peter Jennings, Discovery and The Learning Channel. Commissioned by UNICEF, Roya¡¦s most recent film, ¡§Armed and Innocent,¡¨ on the subject of the involvement of underage children in wars around the world was a nominee for best short documentary at several festivals around the world.

Roya Hakakian currently lives in Connecticut.

(Information from various sources)

Human Rights Defenders -- Waris Dirie

2009-11-05T21:11:00.001-08:00

Waris Dirie was born in Gaalkacyo, Somalia in 1965. In 1978, aged thirteen, she left Somalia to escape an arranged marriage to a much older man and went to England where she lived with and worked for her relatives. Later Waris found work at a local McDonald's in an attempt to make ends meet after a falling out with her hosts.

Her fortunes changed when she was discovered by photographer Terence Donovan, who helped secure for her the cover of the 1987 Pirelli calendar. Following this her modeling career took off and Waris worked for international designers such as Chanel, Levi's, L'Oréal and Revlon.

In 1987, Waris played a minor role in the James Bond movie The Living Daylights. She also appeared on the runways of London, Milan, Paris and New York City, and in fashion magazines such as Elle, Glamour and Vogue. This was followed in 1995 by a BBC documentary entitled A Nomad in New York about her modeling career.

In 1997, at the height of her modeling career, Waris spoke out for the first time about the female genital mutilation (FGM) that she had undergone as a child. The interview subsequently received worldwide media coverage. That same year, Waris became a UN ambassador for the abolition of FGM.

In 1998, Waris authored her first book, Desert Flower, an autobiography which went on to become an international bestseller. She later released other successful books including Desert Dawn, Letter to My Mother, and Desert Children, the latter of which was launched in tandem with a European campaign against FGM.

It was in 1997 that Waris abandoned her modeling career to focus on her work against female circumcision. In 2002, she founded the Waris Dirie Foundation in Vienna, Austria, an organization aimed at raising awareness regarding the dangers surrounding FGM. Waris followed that in January 2009 with the establishment of the PPR Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights’, an organization she founded along with French tycoon François-Henri Pinault (CEO of PPR) and his wife, Hollywood actress Salma Hayek. Waris has also started the Desert Dawn Foundation, which raises money for schools and clinics in her Somalia.

Waris has received many prizes and awards for her tireless humanitarian work, particularly in raising awareness of the dangers of FGM. In March 2005, Waris acquired Austrian citizenship.

(Additional text by Stewart Sloan)

Human Rights Defenders -- Munir Said Thalib

2009-11-05T21:09:00.000-08:00

Munir Said Thalib, or Munir as he was affectionately known was born into a family of Hadhrami Arab and Javanese origins on December 8, 1965, he died at the hands of an assassin shortly before his 39th birthday on September 7, 2004.

In a country that has raised numerous human rights defenders Munir is probably the most internationally well known. Munir studied law at Brawijaya University in Malang in the province of East Java, and in 1989 started his career as a legal aid officer in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya where he was legal counsel for a number of victims of official violence and repression.

Munir became one of Indonesia's leading human rights campaigners and constantly faced intimidation and death threats. He first came to public attention at the end of the Suharto period through his role in a campaign in late 1997 and early 1998 when two dozen pro-democracy activists were abducted in suspicious circumstances. It was during this period that Munir founded the human rights organisation Kontras (Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence) with the backing of 12 pro-democracy NGOs

It was in September 1999 that Munir was appointed to the Commission to Investigate Human Rights Violations in East Timor (KPPHAM) which was set up by Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission. The report of this commission provided evidence of the Indonesian army's involvement in recruiting, financing, training and using the militia which caused such havoc at the time of the UN Referendum. This in turn lead to judicial investigations into the conduct of six senior army officers, including the former Chief of Staff, General Wiranto. Munir also taught human rights in police and army training, seminars and workshops, and was appointed to the drafting committee for law on human rights courts, which was intended to be presented to the Indonesian Parliament during 2000.

It was following this that he accused the Indonesian military of running a criminal network involved in illegal tree logging and drug smuggling.

On September 7, 2004, Munir died on a flight from Indonesia to The Netherlands. The autopsy by the Dutch authorities revealed lethal levels of arsenic in his body. Subsequently much has been written about the trial of the Indonesia agents that carried out the assassination and their subsequent release, re-remand and re-release. However, the purpose of this article to offer praise for this man who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure human rights for his fellow countrymen and bring to the notice of the Indonesian public and the world at large the blatant abuses being carried out by the military and the corruption that was, and sadly still remains, in the government.

Munir was named Man of the Year by the leading Muslim periodical, UMMAT, and as a "young leader for the Millennium in Asia" by Asia Week in 2000. Kontras, one of the many organisations for which Munir worked so hard, received the prestigious Yap Thiam Hien human rights award in 1998.

Human Rights Defenders - Theo Hesegem

2009-11-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

Theo Hesegem is a human rights defender from Papua with an impressive CV.

Theo is the coordinator for the Advocation Network for Law and Human Rights Protection based in Wamena, Papua. Born in Tangma, Kurina in 1971, Theo attended the Agricultural High School in Wamena, graduating in 1992. His human rights activities started shortly after with his volunteer work as an Agricultural Village Supervisor in Tangma. In 1996 he became the Supervisor of the Village Development of IDT ((Inpres Desa Tertinggal) in Silimo. The same year he also became the treasurer of the Silo Foundation. This organisation carries out survey of land rights and culture preservation.

In 1999 Theo entered the world of journalism when he started work as a correspondent for the Jayapura-based biweekly, Jubi (Jujur Bicara) in Wamena. In 2004 he became the correspondent of the Tabloid, Suara Perempuan Papua (Voice of Papuan Women/TSPP), a post that he still holds today.

Theo¡¦s introduction to human rights began when he underwent training organized by ELSHAM Jayapura following which he became a representative of the National Commission of Human Rights Jayapura, and LBH (Legal Aids Foundation), also in Jayapura.

Theo maintains close connections with international organisations and in 2005 became a member of Peace Brigades International. Continuing with his thirst for knowledge and competence he was a trainee at the Annual Human Rights Training, organized by Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi Masyarakat (Elsam), Jakarta in 2006.

More recently Theo has carried out advocacy work, supporting numerous cases involving torture perpetrated by members of the armed forces and the police. Several of the cases he has taken up involved extrajudicial killings by these agencies.

Theo¡¦s daily routine might involve visits to political prisoners, attending commemorations and visits to the graves of human rights victims, public discussions and the presentation of films related to human rights and violence. He also joins marches in various locations celebrating human rights and Peace Days. In addition he also works on the dissemination of Human Rights Law in sub-districts of Jayawijaya and briefings on human rights for members of the police in Jayawijaya.

Active in many civil society organisations, too numerous to list here, Theo has also travelled extensively visiting the United States of America where he met with officials of the State Department, Army commanders, Senators, and a number of international NGOs based in the US. He is currently in Hong Kong where he is undergoing an internship with the Asian Human Rights Commission.

As for the future, upon the completion of this training with the AHRC Theo intends to return to Papua to continue the work he started, promoting human rights and assisting victims of human rights abuses.

(Text by Stewart Sloan)

Human Rights Defenders – Baseer Naveed

2009-11-05T19:28:00.001-08:00

The following article by Jo Baker appeared in the Guardian UK on September 8th 2009. It is a poignant introduction to a man that has sacrificed so much for his beliefs – Ed).

Journalist and activist Baseer Naweed encountered the opaque operations of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies when his son Faraz Ahmed was kidnapped, tortured and killed outside his office during a major campaign against corruption. Five years and various threats later, he works for the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong, but is no closer to the truth.

The Guardian UK
Tuesday September 8th 2009

My whole life I have been an activist. I was a student leader, then joined trade unions, then became an investigative journalist. I wouldn’t say that my son was following me; in fact he would tell me I was making compromises. He’d probably have called himself an anarchist back then.

When he was 14 he started writing on his own, though at that time I didn’t know it. In fact he was like an ordinary Muslim, going to the mosque and praying; it was only when he started arguing about religion and the existence of God with his mother and grandmother that I realised he was a different kind of man.

Faraz was very fond of reading Einstein and Stephen Hawking, and at the time of his death he had just started studying philosophy at university. He would spend days reading books in second- hand book shops, using his pocket money at night to eat dinner with the garbage collection boys – he’d sit with seven or eight. Once I saw him and asked what he was doing and he said: “I have to learn about how other people live”.

I was the community organiser of a big campaign at the time. The Lyari Expressway project would displace 300,000 people from a slum, and the government didn’t have any right to do it. We fought and we got a historical resettlement deal – each family got an 80-square-yard plot and 50,000 rupees (£364) – something like this had never happened in Pakistan. And the size of the plots was good. Here in Hong Kong only the very wealthy have that much space.

This all took three years, but corruption had also started in the use of public funds and we were fighting that too. I was seen as a real troublemaker. I was told that President Musharraf once said to the governor: “You cannot handle that man with white hair (I was not colouring my hair in the way Musharraf did)."

During this time I was being threatened regularly. They would call and say that I was against the army and its chief, Musharraf; that “we will kill you”, or “you won’t be able to walk on your legs.” I told them to go ahead. But my son used to take my mobile phone some evenings and he too would pick up these calls and get threats, though he didn’t tell me.

I presented an Urdu radio program on FM103 called Current Affairs. It was November, I was at the station and people had mentioned mysterious movements around our office. Then my son came to get his fees for university so I told him that he could read out some of the poems we were broadcasting that day by Urdu poet Joan Ellia, who he loved. Then he went to the washroom, but he didn’t return. It was only the next evening when we started to really worry.

The day after that, moments before the news program somebody came and said, “there is a body of a man outside”. I said: “Look, I’m going to start the program, why are you telling me?” But after, I went down. In those days there were two gangs who were always fighting and killing each other, but I thought that the young man looked educated, not like a militant, so I asked the police to check his pockets. He was so mutilated. His whole jaw was out and there was blood oozing from bullet wounds in his back and his neck was broken, I think because of being thrown from an upper window. It was not possible for me to think that it was my son. Then the card came out and, yes, it was him.

You cannot imagine. At the official hospital we sat there for two or three hours with the body of my son out in the open, waiting for an autopsy. They kept delaying and making excuses. A philanthropist organisation eventually encouraged me to bury him, but the police refused to get the body themselves. The mullah and other Muslim people said that it was too late and that the prayer had been completed, so I felt I had to bury him.

A few days after the burial, when our house was full of people, one of my female relatives smelled burning. We rushed upstairs to find all Faraz's photos and some of his writing on fire in the bath; now we have just one or two photos left. Really, these people wanted to punish me.

At first the people were protesting on my behalf but I discouraged street protests and I pursued the case with a human rights organisation. But although the [government] made a committee to probe it, they appointed a higher official who was notorious for putting sensitive cases into cold storage. We had four or five head investigating officers in less than one year, all transferred from the case or suspended. They have given us nothing. And now no evidence is left, my friends in the courts and the police have told me that.

After two days we went up to the top floor of my office building and we found blood stains. So we told police to take a sample of them and they said they would do it. But because I was suffering from depression so bad I could barely talk, barely stand in those days, it was some time before I asked again. Then they said the stains had been washed away because there was rain. So what can you think? After twenty days my other son was dragged out of his school bus and beaten – he was 14 – and told to tell his father not to pursue this case.

I’ve even given them permission in writing to exhume the body. I talked to the superintendent of the civil hospital who assured me that he would get permission from the judge and do the autopsy himself. That was in 2005. Before leaving the country I had gone to see the officers to help some friends of my son who were being interrogated, and the officers said: “We have this report that it was a suicide”. I asked them what finding they had to prove this and they said: “It's just our own conclusion”.

I think there is no hope that the government will solve this case because the military is still so powerful.

Here in Hong Kong my family feels safer and I have more freedom and more space. After my son was taken there was no real hope in life, we were just living for our remaining two children. Working with a direction to help expose other human rights violations gives me energy, and patience and strength.

Once I was in a mood to take revenge, but to whom will I do this? It’s not possible. But last year we did a lot of good work supporting the lawyers in Pakistan as they campaigned against Musharraf, to protect the rule of law and have the Chief Justice reinstated, which eventually happened.

I still work very closely with journalists, NGOs and lawyers in these kinds of cases. Still, really I feel like I’m only living now for my other two children’s dreams – I hope that some of them have survived.

Baseer Naweed was interviewed by journalist Jo Baker

Baseer Naveed has lived in Hong Kong with his wife, daughter and son, since March 2006 and holds the position of senior researcher at the Asian Human Rights Commission. In 2007 Baseer travelled to Geneva where he was awarded an International award as a housing rights defender for his work in providing housing for 300,000 evictees of the Layri expressway project, Karachi, Sindh, a project of General Musharraf’s government.

In 2003 he also became an Ashoka Fellow for his innovative work on peace and civic issues in Karachi city, the largest commercial and industrial city the Pakistan. In 2005 he was given the Human Rights Defender award by the Forum of Professional Organisations.

In 2008 Baseer spearheaded the AHRC campaign for the restoration of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Iftehkar Choudhdry and the fight for the independence of the judiciary. His book, ‘PAKISTAN: Peoples' power calling for reforms - a pictorial booklet on the courageous movement of the Pakistani lawyers and the people for the restoration of the chief justice and the supremacy of the Constitution’, was published by the AHRC.

Baseer will remain in Hong Kong and continue his work as a human rights defender in order to help people who are victimized by the state and its agents.

(Additional text by Stewart Sloan)

Human Rights Defenders Martin Luther King Jr.

2009-11-05T19:25:00.001-08:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Martin Jr. was originally named ¡¥Michael¡¦, In the early 30s his family travelled to Europe where, amongst other countries, they visited Germany. His father changed both of their names to Martin in honor of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther.

Martin Luther King Jr. became a clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States and he is frequently referenced as a human rights icon today. King is recognized as a martyr by two Christian churches.

A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott intended to oppose the city's policy of racial segregation on its public transit system. In 1957 he helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and served as its first president.

His most famous speech, "I Have a Dream" was given during the 1963 March on Washington, where King raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history.

In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means. He also focused his efforts on ending poverty and opposing the Vietnam War, both from a religious perspective.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. national holiday in 1986.

(Text by Stewart Sloan)

Human Rights Defenders - Taslima Nasrin

2009-11-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

Taslima Nasrin was born on 25 August, 1962, in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. A Bengali Bangladeshi ex-doctor turned author Taslima has been living in exile since 1994. She started writing in the late the mid 70s and became famous world-wide in 1991 due to her radical feminist views and her criticism of Islam in particular.

Forced to flee Bangladesh in 1994 Taslima has lived in many countries and after her expulsion from India in 2008 currently lives in New York. Whilst living in Kolkota she was denounced by the Muslim clergy and received death threats from Islamic fundamentalists.

Taslima works to build support for secular humanism, freedom of thought, equality for women, and human rights by publishing, lecturing, and campaigning.

(Note: We had hoped to be able to include some of Taslima¡¦s poems but permission to do so was not received in time. In future issues of Human Rights & Culture we certainly hope to publish some of her work).
Rushdie 'n' Taslima: The yearning to be an Indian

IANS 20 February 2005, 11:12am IST

It should be a matter of pride for Indians that two celebrated writers - Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasreen - virtually look upon India as their home, underlining how the success of its democracy and multicultural polity has made it a favourite of intellectuals and artistes.

Evidence of this yearning to be an "Indian" is again evident in Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen's expressed desire to secure at least the status of a permanent resident in India if she cannot become a citizen.

Rushdie, too, had once written that his first thought following the monetary success of his literary career after the publication of Midnight's Children was to buy a flat in Mumbai.

In The Ground Beneath Her Feet, it is undoubtedly Rushdie, who says the following lines rather than the fictional character Umeed Merchant, aka Rai the photographer - "India, my terra infirma, my maelstrom, my cornucopia, my crowd. India, my too-muchness, my everything at once, my hug-me, my fable, my mother, my father and my first great truth."

Taslima Nasreen, too, speaks in a similar vein when she says, in the rough translation of a Bengali poem - "India was not a piece of waste paper that it should have been torn apart. I want to rub out the word forty-seven. I want to wash out the blackness of forty-seven with soap and water. I don't want to swallow the bone of forty-seven stuck in my throat. I want to vomit it out. I want to recover the undivided land of my forefathers."

As their intensely personal expressions show, neither writer has any time for the partition of 1947. Taslima Nasreen's yearning for an undivided India is all the more strange considering that she is not old enough to remember a pre-partition India. She was born in 1962.

Rushdie was born in 1947, making him a true midnight's child. Yet, if they are conjuring up an idyllic scene, it is possibly because of their distress at the communal prejudices and fundamentalism that have subsequently gained ground in the subcontinent.

What is more, if India is now seen by them as some kind of ideal - "my fable... my first great truth", as Rushdie said, and "land of my forefathers", as Taslima Nasreen has said - the reason presumably is that a democratic and secular India has been more successful in keeping the sectarian sentiments and religious bigotry at bay than either Pakistan or Bangladesh, both with their background of military dictatorships and covert and overt official patronage of fundamentalism.

Although the Iranian fatwa against Rushdie is still valid, as Tehran clarified recently, and it is virtually impossible for Taslima Nasreen to return to the land of her birth because of the threat from the Islamic clerics, the two writers obviously feel at ease in India in spite of the fact that Rushdie's The Satanic Verses remains under a ban, as does the second part of Taslima Nasreen's autobiography, Dwikhandita.

However, as their writings show, they still derive their artistic inspiration from India. Despite his long years in the West, the primary settings of Rushdie's novels are in India - whether it is "The Moor's Last Sigh" or "The Ground Beneath Her Feet", not to mention "Midnight's Children".

Taslima Nasreen's poems, too, are redolent of the Bengal countryside and if she wants to settle down in West Bengal it is evidently because she feels that she can only recharge her literary batteries by being in touch with a part of the subcontinent with which she is familiar.

"I love Bengal", she has said. "My identity as an author will remain intact if I am allowed to stay here".

As politicians and diplomats wrestle with latent suspicions about their motives, the views of writers of this genre have a special value, for their preferences emphasise their search for an atmosphere where the freewheeling human spirit can thrive.

In praising and choosing India, therefore, these kindred souls have given a certificate whose value is immeasurable.

Nor are they the first of their kind. Octavio Paz, the Mexican Nobel laureate, was no less impressed by India's "incredible diversity, the coming together of extreme contrasts: the modern and the archaic, abundance and poverty, sensuality and asceticism, weakness and violence, the plurality of castes and languages, gods and rites, customs and behaviour". Clearly, it is a writer's paradise, a cornucopia of events and images to satisfy nearly all of an artist's needs.

In the 19th century, when repressive regimes were the norm in Europe, England used to be the home of exiles like Marx and Lenin, who could only have faced incarceration in their lands of birth, Germany and Russia. Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, South Asia presents a dismal picture of autocratic rulers, civil strife and fledgling, uncertain democracies stretching from Afghanistan to Myanmar. The scene has been made worse by the presence of religious fanatics, intent on stifling freedom of all kinds, whether political or artistic.

Since India provides a ray of hope in this all-encircling gloom, it can seem like an attractive destination for writers on the run from bigots.

From the Times of India
(Additional text by Stewart Sloan)

Human Rights Defenders

2009-11-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

As the editor of the E-publication, Human Rights & Culture I have started a section on human rights defenders. I will be publishing these articles in this blog over the next few days. Past issues of Human Rights & Culture may be found at: http://newsletters.ahrchk.net/hrc/

Stewart

Childhood memories, centipedes and a snake bite

2009-10-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

It is funny how some things stick in your mind. I recall many moments with my father when I was five or six, both happy and sad. I remember him carrying me about the house when my legs froze up after I received a polio injection. No one really knew how children would react to these truly horrendous shots and I was virtually crippled for days. My father would carry me from my bed to the recliner in the living room every morning before he left for work. I remember him getting really annoyed with me when I wouldn’t leave him in peace to do his gardening; and I remember kissing him on the forehead as he lay in a coma in his room in the Matilda hospital the night before he died.

In the late 50s Dad was fortunate enough to be able to obtain a plot of land on the Ngong Peng plateau on Lantao Island. In those days, as now, the only way you could purchase what was then Crown Land was through a public auction. And then sometimes, but very infrequently, you might be fortunate enough to find a family that wanted to sell a plot of ancestral land. And this is how my father was able to obtain his land.

Dad was an engineer who was a frustrated farmer. He would plant field after field of vegetables and potatoes and at the right time of year we would enjoy the produce of his labours.

At that time we lived in Wanchai and would travel up to Ngong Peng only once or twice a month as there were no buses in those days. We would travel to Tai O or Tung Chung, both fishing villages, and then walk up to the house, which would take us several hours. I must have been a real chore for my father as I hated walking and spent most of the journey complaining and begging to be carried.

As we would stay away from the farm for weeks on end my father hired a recovering leper to work as a caretaker and gardener. One of the childhood memories I mentioned earlier was when this man, whose name I sadly don’t recall, came to my father with one of the biggest centipedes I had ever seen. He explained to Dad that this was a very special creature and rich in healing powers. (Centipedes are also rich in venom which causes excruciating pain in adults and even death in the very young or elderly). He then went on to explain that what he had to do was drown the centipede in brandy in order to promote this healing ability. Dad, being Scottish had more faith in the healing powers of good brandy rather than six inch centipedes but to keep this chap happy gave him a cheap bottle of brandy. Absolutely delighted the man uncorked the bottle and dropped the still wriggling insect into alcohol. I’m sure it died a peaceful, blissful death. Dad returned to his gardening and I completely forgot about the entire matter.

It was some months later when the crops were ready to harvest that Dad invited his sales team for what they thought was going to be a pleasant relaxing weekend on the farm. Upon arrival they were each handed a shovel and pointed in the direction of a field. Things progressed happily and rattan baskets of vegetables and potatoes soon lined the verandah. Then one of the salesmen was bitten by a snake.

He was carried into the house in a swoon and Dad was seriously concerned. The man had not seen the snake that bit him and therefore could not identify it. There were no medical facilities on the plateau in those days and if the snake was venomous, as many of them are, there was precious little time to treat him. In those days, snake serum was specific to the snake, giving the wrong serum, even if it had been available, could have killed the victim as quickly as doing nothing at all.

In the confusion of the scene the gardener arrived with his bottle of brandy containing the centipede which by this time had turned a lovely shade of green. I watched, fascinated, as he brushed passed the worried salesmen and administered a shot glass of the ‘medicinal’ brandy to the victim and then rubbed a liberal amount on the bite itself. To this day I do not know whether it was the shock of being bitten or the sight of the centipede floating in the brandy he had just swallowed but the fellow promptly passed out.

He was tucked up in a blanket and two of his companions were tasked with watching over him. Solemnly the rest of the team filed out onto the veranda where my father promptly got them drunk. And then we waited. Periodic reports came from the window of the living room where the patient was sleeping. He was still breathing and appeared to be asleep as opposed to unconscious. I did not know the difference then (I’m not sure I know it now). And then after almost two hours he awoke.

There were cries of surprise and joy as he hobbled out onto the veranda shaking his head. There was a little pain from the bite but he showed no sign of fever. He sat down for a few moments and then accepted a glass of beer from one of his friends.

To this day I don’t know whether it was a venomous or non-venomous snake that bit him. One of the most common snakes in the area is the brown rat snake which gives a strong, painful bite but is non-venomous. The rat snake of course, is accompanied by the bamboo snake, the banded krait (both vipers and extremely dangerous, not only because of their venom but because they are extremely lethargic and most attacks come from being trodden on), and of course the Chinese cobra which will kill you as soon as look at you.

Of course there is the possibility that the medicinal brandy was responsible for curing the chap of a potentially lethal bite. Remember that the next time you come across a centipede and happen to have a cheap bottle of brandy in the kitchen.

My Wife, Myself and the Prince of Wales Hospital

2009-07-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

(Our continuing adventures at the Prince of Wales Hospital)

I am no stranger to hospitals having inhabited several of them myself, on one occasion it was for a period of two months. At one time or another I have broken both legs, crushed my right foot in a motorcycle accident, broken fingers, most of my toes and my nose, three times. Therefore, I am no stranger to pain, distress and blood, both my own and that of others.

In the late 90s I worked part time as a Dive Master and as such had to undergo Medic First Aid training; at one time I was even a MFA instructor. It was while I was working as a Dive Master that one of the novices under my care managed to hit himself over the head with a scuba tank. It was quite fascinating and it all happened so fast I am unsure, to this day, how he actually did it. At the time I was tempted to ask him to do it again so that I could see how it had happened, but I didn’t think he would appreciate the request. Fortunately it was a minor scalp wound but like all scalp wounds it bled profusely. Since then I have assisted accident victims on numerous occasions without any squeamishness or trouble on my part. It is therefore a problem for me when I become completely unglued when dealing with the staff at the Prince of Wales Hospital.

My readers will know from my previous work that my wife, Quirina, is a dialysis patient. A few weeks ago 'Rina phoned me from the hospital to say that she was unwell and asked if I would pick her up after her dialysis exchange. I duly did so and took her home where, she told me that she was going to have an early night. It was the following morning that 'Rina complained of chest pains and I immediately took her to the hospital. This is where things started to go wrong and I have come to realise that there is some mystical, perhaps esoteric juxtaposition in the relationship between 'Rina, myself and the Prince of Wales Hospital.

The journey from our home to the hospital is one that we have made countless times. We found a taxi outside the village and I gave the driver the location in Cantonese. “Wai yee see”, (The Prince of Wales Hospital) and “yat lao”. Yat lao technically translates as 1st floor but where hospitals are concerned is a euphemism for Accident & Emergency (which are always on the ground floor so that ambulances can offload patients quickly and efficiently). It never occurred to me that this driver didn’t know that and on arrival at the hospital he took us up the vehicular ramp to the 1st floor. I then had to virtually carry 'Rina through the lift lobby down to A & E where I sat her down on a chair at the triage station and then went to complete the admission procedure. There was only one reception window open and before me was an ambulance attendant who was registering on behalf of an accident victim he has just brought in. Apparently the poor victim was unconscious and therefore unable to assist with any of the usual questions. All the attendant had was the fellow’s identity card; there was no proof of address and no contact details for the next of kin, all vital information to the procedure. Meanwhile there was 'Rina sitting in the triage station clutching her chest.

Finally it was my turn. Having been through this so many times I knew exactly what was required. I presented 'Rina’s identity card and $100, the admission fee for local residents. Nothing more was required because they already had her records in their computer. Just to be on the safe side, however, the clerk asked me the usual questions about address and telephone.

Now you have to remember that here we were in the Accident & Emergency area of a hospital, my wife was at the triage station in full view of the admission desk, obviously in distress, and I was hopping from one foot to the other waiting for something to be done. It was at that point in time that the clerk asked me, “Do you want to see a doctor?”

I was silent for a moment, unable to be sure that I had actually heard the question. Several responses came to mind, for example: no, I’d like a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, or, no, I’d like a Big Mac and French Fries. Eventually however, my response came in the form of a question that was aphoristic in nature and I will leave the reader to imagine what it might have been. The clerk turned pale and handed me the paperwork.

'Rina went through triage in record time. As soon as they found that she was suffering chest pains they pulled out all the stops and she was seen within moments by the house doctor. She was X rayed, had an ECG, blood samples were taken and she was warded within less that 30 minutes. 'Rina was good hands. I, on the other hand, was a blithering wreck.

The cost of ill health in the Philippines

2009-07-02T20:51:00.001-07:00

Guest Commentary Published: May 12, 2009 by UPI Asia

Hong Kong, China — I am not a frequent visitor to the Philippines; I visit once every two or three years, despite the fact that my wife and I own property and a house in Cebu City. On every visit I notice an improvement in the country’s infrastructure. The roads, the communications and the public services have all improved over the years since my first visit in 1983.

Unfortunately, this cannot be said for the country’s health services to the needy, or even for those in the provinces who could afford them.

On my first visit, I was taken to my father-in-law’s farm in the hill provinces of Cebu; Bulak Dumanjug in those days was a village that ran less than half a mile along a dirt road. There were a general store and several small shops that sold daily-need items. There were no communications, and transport to and from the village was by a jeepney that did two trips a day – when its wheels were not falling off, that is.

There were no health services apart from the so-called witch doctors, who diagnosed every illness as having been caused by a spirit. For a few pesos they were willing to bless a candle, the burning of which would drive the evil out.

On the evening of my first day, relatives carried in a young man who had a cyst on his hip and asked me to help him. The cyst was by this time the size of a tennis ball. Although I was not medically trained at that time – I later went on to become a first aid instructor – I could see that hot compresses could reduce the swelling until the puss was extracted.

If there had been no doctors for miles around I might have been willing to at least try something. However, even today I would not be willing to risk a person’s life in the knowledge that there was, in fact, a doctor in the vicinity. Why did they not call him, I asked? The answer, even today, leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The doctor would not come, as the patient had no money to pay him.

I will pay him, I said, still unable to come to terms with the fact that a medically trained physician, who had taken the Hippocratic oath, refused to treat a person because he could not afford to pay him. I will pay him, I said, but I had no intention of speaking with him or even acknowledging his existence.

In a short while the doctor arrived. He was a young man who carried his equipment and medicines in a black leather bag. When he arrived, the first thing he did was to take his fees and only after that he looked at the patient.

It was a quick operation; an incision to drain the puss, suturing, bandaging and a few pills to ease the pain. The patient healed quickly and within a week was back on his feet. What is terribly sad is the fact that even today, despite all the roads, electricity and televisions, there are still scant medical services available in the hill provinces of the Philippines, and the few available demand payment first.

On a later visit, my wife and I went to the only hospital in the seaside town of Barili, a beautiful little town that has retained a great deal of its Spanish influence. The hospital is on the outskirts of the town. The person we went to visit suffered from diabetes and the disease had caused gangrene in his leg, which had to be amputated.

By the time we visited he had recovered from the operation and was sitting up quite cheerfully in bed. He was grateful for our visit and we spoke for some time. During the discussion a nurse came in to give him his antibiotics and it was then that the patient’s wife unlocked the cabinet beside the bed and withdrew the medicine for the nurse. The nurse administered the injection and returned the unused portion to the wife, who locked it up and went away.

When I asked why the medicine was locked up in the cabinet, the wife explained that patients had to supply their own medication. Was it not supplied by the hospital, I asked? It could be, came the answer. But the quality and supply is unreliable and so it is better to personally get it if one can afford it.

This is the state of healthcare in a country where the rich and famous, who travel in chauffeur-driven cars, accompanied by minders and government officials of the health department travel overseas to conferences in which they seek international aid for their health schemes.

It is almost 26 years since my first visit to Bulak Dumanjug. The road is slightly better, with fewer potholes, and villages have electricity by which to watch television. But there are still no medical facilities, no doctors and no clinics. Yes, the jeepneys run more frequently and can transport a sick person to Dumanjug, the nearest town, or the hospital in Barili – but only if one has the money.

--

(Stewart Sloan works for the Asian Human Rights Commission. He is the author of three works of fiction based in Hong Kong, where he has lived all his life, and a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, whom he served as a civilian for 11 years. His connection with the Philippines spans 27 years, thanks to his wife, Quirina, who was born in Cebu. His recent interest in the country has focused on the extrajudicial killings that have been a feature of the Arroyo regime).

A brief moment of levity in Accident and Emergency

2009-06-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

The good people who read my work will recall that my wife is a dialysis patient and undergoes haemodialysis twice a week.

One of the drawbacks with taking haemo (as it is known) is that the patient is susceptible to fluid overload as the kidneys cannot handle excess fluids. This can be extremely dangerous as the fluids can build up in the patient’s lungs thereby effectively drowning them.

On Monday the 15th June as I was getting ready to leave for work my wife very wisely advised me that she felt the symptoms of fluid overload. I immediately offered to take her to Accident & Emergency at the Prince of Wales Hospital. She dressed and we were in a taxi within moments, arriving at A & E at 7:15. In an effort to be helpful (and save time) I explained to the doctor at the triage station that ‘'Rina was a dialysis patient, had a history of respiratory problems and was showing signed of fluid buildup in the lungs which was causing respiratory problems. This man had either just come on duty or was just going off and showed no interest in my effort to be helpful. Instead he read out a list of symptoms and asked if she had any of them. I suppose he was just doing his job.

Very quickly we were taken to an A & E cubicle and seen by another doctor who agreed that it was very likely to be fluid buildup. He arranged for an ECG and an X-ray which were carried out quickly. ‘'Rina was then wheeled into a waiting area. By this time it was around 7:40.

And we waited. And waited. At around 10 am I went to the nurse’s station to find out what was happening and was told that they were still waiting for the doctor to take a look at the X-rays. No problem, I told her (I do appreciate that they handle hundreds of patients daily), I just wanted to know what was happening. I returned to the waiting area and it was a few minutes later when a man was wheeled in on a gurney. It says a lot for the level of the boredom that we go through that we take an interest in the patients around us. This man was in his mid to late thirties and was still dressed in his street clothes. After a few minutes he sat up on the gurney and noticed the toilet just across the corridor. Gingerly, he eased himself off the gurney and hobbled into the toilet. It was at that time that the local constabulary in the form of three police officers arrived, two men and a WPC. They took one look at the vacant gurney and went into a panic. There was a lot of arm waving and jumping up and down on the spot. The WPC took out one of her mobile phones and tried to make a call. Mobile phone signals are notoriously bad in some areas of the hospital and eventually she went to the nurse’s station and used their land line. A few moments later hospital two men in crisp white shirts and badges identifying them as hospital security arrived. The five of them surrounded the vacant gurney and started shouting at each other oblivious of the sick patients around them. Apparently, whoever the patient was, someone should have been looking after him. As far as the police were concerned he had not been officially handed over to them and was therefore the responsibility of the hospital, while the hospital security men were claiming the exact opposite.

It was at this point in time that the object of their concern walked out of the toilet, eased his way through the assembled police officers and security men and climbed back onto the gurney. Suddenly there was silence until one of the security men made a time honoured Cantonese comment to the senior police officer about what he could do with his mother. The security officers stomped off back to wherever they lived and the policemen surrounded the gurney, no doubt to make sure that this fellow wasn’t going to get away from them again.

The entire episode only lasted about five minutes but it helped to pass the time.

(Stewart’s wife, Quirina, was diagnosed with renal failure in 2004 and is currently undergoing dialysis).

Another exciting day in the life of.....

2009-06-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

The time was 6:20 am, I climbed out of bed, and as I usually do headed for the shower to prepare myself for the day. I sluiced myself down, lathered myself up and shampooed the little hair I have left. It was at the point when I was completely covered in soap and shampoo and contemplating shaking hands with the vicar in the rain that that I heard a crash from the kitchen adjoining the bathroom.

I slid open the door to find that Charley the Cat had jumped onto the top of the kitchen shelf and knocked off a full bottle of white vinegar. I surveyed the damage; there were shards of glass and vinegar all over the kitchen floor. Just as I was considering Charley’s fate with the shower hose a four inch poisonous centipede slithered out from under the shelves and disappeared under the cooker unit.

I thought for a moment, then went back inside the shower and slid the door shut.

Another exciting day had begun in the life of........

My Holy Roller Days - Adventures at the YMCA

2009-01-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

An article shortly to be published in the next edition of Human Rights & Culture. Following the article is a reader's comment.

My Holy Roller Days - Adventures at the YMCA
Stewart Sloan

The years from 1975 to 1980 are what I refer to as my holy roller days. I was ‘born again’. It was a period of my life that I look back at with a degree of embarrassment and also relief. Relief that, having gone through them, it’s something I don’t have to do again. It had its moments. I had all the answers; I was invincible. And I was also broke.

I found a job at the Young Men’s Christian Association in Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui (Hong Kong) as a driver for their mobile book shop. These were the days before the handover to Mainland China and there was a large contingent of British Forces scattered throughout the territory. Actually, in those days Hong Kong was still referred to as a ‘colony’. It wasn’t until the 80s that this term was considered a no-no.

I would drive a Toyota Lite-Ace van, laden with paperback books and magazines to all the buildings about the colony that were occupied by British Forces families. These ranged in area from Stanley to the north New Territories. On Mondays we would go to Hong Kong island, Tuesday was my day off and from Wednesday to Saturday morning we went to Sek Kong Military camp. My companion on the drive was a Mr. Wong. Mr. Wong was a very pleasant gentleman who had been employed by the ‘Y’ for years. His joys in life were swimming and sleeping. On the first I was happy to oblige him by driving past all the better beaches like Stanley and Deep Water Bay so that he could have a dip. As far as sleeping was concerned, Mr. Wong was an insomniac and would catch up on badly needed sleep whilst I was driving. It says a great deal for him that he could sleep while I was driving.

When we were not driving around the colony selling books to bored British housewives we worked in the book shop. It was not particularly onerous work and some of the staff kept us amused. One of these chaps was named Samuel. Samuel has a problem (the details of which were never explained to me) which required him to take tranquilisers. Unfortunately, Samuel was a young man and like most young men, myself included, he enjoyed the occasional beer. And this is where it all went wrong for Samuel, but more of that later.

My employment with the Y only lasted for six months and most of the time it was all quite mundane. There were however, two incidents that stuck out in my mind.

One of the locations we sold our books and magazines was at Sek Kong Military Camp at the bottom of Route Twisk. Route Twisk is a road that was built by the army to connect the Sek Kong Air Strip with Kowloon. It is a dangerous, winding road that runs over Tai Mo Shan and has seen its share of sadness. This was never more so than on one day in 1977 when a Kowloon Motor Bus single-decker lost its brakes coming down the last section of the hill. Almost completely out of control it ran the junction at the bottom of the Twisk, mounted the pavement on the other side of the road and plowed into a family owned supermarket where it burst into flames. I don’t recall the number of fatalities but apart from those that died in the accident many of the passengers suffered severe burns. I do recall that the daughter of the owner of the supermarket was due to be married in a few weeks time. Completely unaware of the catastrophe that was going on less than half a mile away Mr. Wong and I packed up the shop and headed down the hill to find ambulances and fire engines completely blocking the way. At the time we had no idea of the extent of the tragedy and saw it only as a nuisance. It was not until we saw the news that evening that we came to know how close we had been.

Another incident happened a few months later.

I lived at the time in the north wing of the YMCA. In those days the Y was made up of three separate buildings that had been built over the years. The north wing was the oldest and was being used as a dormitory. There were private rooms, mostly taken by the staff on the 3rd and 4th floors. My room was on the 4th floor.

One night I was settling down with a good book when I heard a commotion out in the corridor. Someone was shouting, “Where is he? Which is his room?” Whoever it was it was unlikely that they were looking for me as everyone knew my room number. Then I heard, “SLOAN, I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”

‘Oh great’, I thought. I’ve upset someone and I don’t even know who it is. Then the person was banging heavily on my door and I recognised Samuel’s voice. I couldn’t possibly have upset Samuel, I thought, I’ve hardly even spoken to him. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Me: Hello Samuel.

Samuel: I’m going to kill you!

Me: Okay, do you want to talk about this?

Samuel thought for a minute. I got the impression he has just realised where he was and couldn’t remember why he was there or how he got there. He looked about the corridor and seemed at a loss for something to say. I said, “Samuel, why don’t we go back to your room”. Silently he turned and I put a friendly arm about his shoulder. I can’t remember what we talked about as we walked back to his room but I am sure that it was pretty innocuous. Finally, after what felt like ten hours we were at his door and I opened it for him. Samuel walked inside and I saw him sit heavily on his bed. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, and closed the door quietly. I made my way as silently as possible to the stair case, intending to get to the admin office and seek help. I got as far as the top of the steps when I heard a door crash open and Samuel yell: “SLOAN, I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”

I sprinted down the stairs three at a time and rushed out into the car park, I was a lot fitter in those days. There, in the form of two of my colleagues lay salvation. One of them, Edward was one of the aquatics instructors, Portuguese by birth but more importantly six foot tall and twice as wide. I made a beeline for him and he saw me coming with Samuel in pursuit. I didn’t say anything, just hid behind him as Samuel screeched to a halt in front of him.

Edward was obviously accustomed to Samuel’s problems (I wish someone had told me about them). Edward barked an order and Samuel did an about face and meekly walked by to his room on the 3rd floor where he climbed into the shower fully dressed. He was still in the shower when the Assistant Secretary found him.

It was shortly after that incident that my hair started falling out.

A reader’s comment:

S,
There is something smooth and flowing in your writing that makes reading a pleasure--even when it is sad. So thanks for that. But what really happened to Samuel, did he commit suicide?
sh.

Constipation – Pashtun warriors and me

2008-11-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

Constipation – Pashtun warriors and me

Stewart Sloan

One of the most common problems amongst dialysis patients, as any one of them will tell you, is the very strict diet they have to adhere to. Depending on the severity of the affliction, often they are allowed only 500ml of water a day. This is because their bodies cannot handle fluids and any excess can build up in their lungs and cause a dangerous respiratory problem. A side effect of the strict diet and minimal fluid intake is constipation. My wife, who suffered renal failure four years ago, occasionally suffers from this and uses glycerin suppositories.

A few months ago as I was leaving for work on a Saturday morning my wife asked me to buy another packet of suppositories for her. As we were chatting before I left she also explained another problem, dry, painful skin around the nostrils. I recalled that a friend of mine suffered a similar problem and he treated it with a dab of Vaseline. I promised to buy her a packet of suppositories and a small jar of Vaseline and left for work.

A word of explanation: I go into the office on Saturday mornings to take care of any last minute emergencies (quite common in the human rights field) and tidy up any outstanding work. It is a good chance to work without interruption and enjoy an hour or two of peace and quiet.

On my arrival in the office this particular morning the very first thing I noticed was a green wallet lying on the floor. It was hard to ignore. I picked it up. It was made of soft green leather and was absolutely packed with money! “Oh Lord”, I prayed. “Don’t let there be an ID card.”

Of course there was. The owner of the wallet was a Pakistani gentleman named Ravi, who was a student with the Hong Kong University. There was a Hong Kong ID, a student ID, a Pakistani ID and a driving license. The man was firmly and positively identified.

As we have a Pakistani gentleman working at the office I called him to ask if he recognised the name and he explained that the fellow was in a panic, thinking that he had dropped his wallet in the street. I told my colleague to contact Ravi, tell him that I had his wallet and to come in and pick it up. As there was a Monday holiday, if he didn’t get it that day he would have to go for three days without any money or ID, bad enough for anyone in Hong Kong but for a foreigner definitely fraught with danger. I was told that Ravi would be in the office within the hour.

I carried on with my work and after about 45 minutes there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find the epitome of the original Pashtun warrior. This gentleman was six foot seven if he was an inch and had a short cropped, jet black beard and piercing eyes. The only things missing were the sword and the long muzzle loader. This was Ravi.

We went through a chorus of ‘thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,’ and me going ‘OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, etc.’ He then put his hand on the broad expanse of his chest and said, “Allow me to buy you some food!” I thanked Ravi profusely, assured him that it was not a problem returning the wallet and hoped that this would end the meeting. He then said the magic words: “Then at least allow me to buy you some beer.” And I said, “OK”.

I packed up, closed up and we went to the nearest 7/11 and became acquainted over a few cans of Carlsberg. Then we got further acquainted over a few more cans of Carlsberg. Ravi, when we got past the ‘thank you’ stage was articulate, erudite, knowledgeable and very well educated. He was fascinated by life in Hong Kong and asked endless questions about the society and life style. All in all he was a genuine, pleasant person. And the more beer I drank the taller and broader he seemed to grow.

It was time for me to go and I started making excuses about how I had to get home to my wife, who was unwell. Ravi was genuinely concerned to hear this and I then explained her health situation over another round of beer. Finally I had to leave and explained to Ravi that I was going to take the train from Mongkok KCR station. Ravi put his hand on his heart and said, “I will accompany you to the station.”

Somewhat worse for wear after seven beers I made my way in the direction of the Mongkok KRC in the company of my very own Pashtun warrior.

At one point we were crossing the road and my mobile phone rang. It was my wife, remember my wife, this is an article about my wife. She asked me where I was and also whether I had bought her suppositories. I mumbled something about having just left the office and assured her that I was on my way at that very moment to buy her pharmaceuticals. Actually it wasn’t a lie for directly in front of us was a dispensary.

And it was here that everything went wrong. I entered, my six foot, seven inch Pashtun warrior at my side and said, quite innocently to the shopkeeper, “May I have a packet of glycerin suppositories and a small jar of Vaseline.” The shopkeeper looked at me, looked up at my Pashtun warrior, who, under the effects of seven cans of Carlsberg was gazing down at me fondly, and then back at me. His faced quivered and he tried hard to suppress the smirk that was even then creeping across it. He took my money wrapped up my purchases and gave me my change. Once again he looked at me, up at the warrior and then shrugged his shoulders.

“Hey,” he said. “It’s none of my business.” And at that point he gave up all pretext of not laughing. I looked up at my Pashtun warrior and sighed. We left the shop in gales of laughter.

2008-09-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

The following article was published in the Asia Sentinel on September 29th 2008

Keystone Cops
Stewart Sloan
Monday, 29 September 2008

Police brutality in Sri Lanka takes on a whole new meaning

A significant problem facing the average Sri Lankan citizen is the real possibility of being illegally arrested, illegally held long past the judicial period of 24 hours and brutally tortured to confess to a crime or crimes they have no knowledge of.

There is a huge list of arrests of this type which anyone from a western culture would dismiss out of hand as being unlikely if not impossible. In any civilised society the police would only arrest a person after making inquiries. That person would not be tortured or pressurised in any manner to make a confession and they would then appear before a court of law. If they wanted to make a voluntary confession, this would happen in the presence of a lawyer. If in the course of the arrest they were injured in any way, they would be offered medical treatment prior to being questioned.

None of this happens in Sri Lanka. The police arrest someone off the street, often beating them up in the process, then take them to a police station and torture them into making a confession. Could this happen in any civilised society? It does happen, on a daily basis in Sri Lanka.

One recent case involved a young man who had acid thrown in his face. The assailant had connections with the local police, and it was actually the victim who was arrested and held in custody for over a week without medical treatment. After pressure from local and international human rights groups the police finally allowed him medical treatment, but by then he had lost his sight in one eye.

In another case a man was arrested in front of his family, held for 12 days and tortured severely to hand over gold items he was supposed to have stolen. During his illegal incarceration he was visited by two lawyers and five members of his family. He eventually appeared in court charged with the possession of a large quantity of heroin, a non-bailable offence that carries the death penalty. The only flaw in police thinking was that the charge indicated he was arrested in possession of the heroin at a time when he was actually already in police custody - a fact confirmed by affidavits filed by the five family members. However, the higher ranking Sri Lankan police authorities, including the Inspector General of Police, National Police Commission and even the Attorney General's Department have done nothing to investigate and verify the validity of these affidavits.

Recently however, the Sri Lankan police showed a remarkable new side to their expertise. A group of senior officers from the Ratnapura Police Station arrested two officers from the Angunukolapelessa Police Station, Tangalle district. These officers were beaten up, taken to the Ratnapura Police Station and beaten again. They were “treated” by an unlicensed medical officer who filed a report that they were drunk at the time of arrest. The reason for their arrest and subsequent torture was that they had had the temerity to overtake a vehicle containing Ratnapura officers.

While this is certainly shocking and is yet another example of police brutality in Sri Lanka there is a bright side to all this. To put it quite simply, when the Sri Lankan police are busy beating each other up it leaves them little time to beat up innocent members of society. That the Tangalle officers were innocent of any crime is beside the point here. At the very least, if and when they return to active duty they might think twice about beating up an innocent citizen.

Comments (3)

Police brutality in Sri Lanka
written by A Tamil , September 29, 2008
The bottom line for all crimes in Sri Lanka is that the country had abandoned the 'rule of law' some 25 years ago and replaced it with the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act imported from former Apartheid South Africa which has been used against Tamils, and against anyone including majority Sinhala people, who may dare to intervene in any manner on their behalf or on the side of the rule of law. Recall how this monstrous law was used only in limited number of cases in the former racist state of S.Africa. The manner of its use in racist and religious bigoted state of Sri Lanka by the ethnic military and ethnicised Sinhala police are fit for the Guiness Book or Records as to number and type of cruelties. It is a lawless state which keeps on committing gross crimes against humanity and war crimes against Tamil people by chicane exploitation of the 'war on terror'after 9/11 with which it is totally unrelated to carry on its long term political agenda of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The UNHRC is well aware of these crimes under international law. But the UN keeps meekly looking on with folded arms.
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written by Joe , September 29, 2008
These kinds of practices are common in India, Pakistan and other 3rd world countries. Sri Lanka is the worst when it comes to Tamils. So pathetic. They all have to be exposed and theeir leaders should be shown these tortures on their faces when they try to make a BIG face.

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written by Prem Jayanthan , September 29, 2008
Your article is great, showing the barbarism of Sri Lanka's police system. Even Sri Lanka's torture tactics are far more gruesome than in civilized countries (chili powder into orifices, nails into toes, sodomy, etc.)

The only thing I would add is that you failed to mention that ethnic minority Tamils face the brunt of this harassment and ethnic profiling as is evident in a government ordered "census" of Tamils in Colombo last week, forcing hundreds of thousands of Tamils to register with the police.
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2008-09-23T23:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The following piece was published in the Asia Sentinel on September 12.

Nobody seems to be weeping for hundreds of thousands of dead non-Americans

Sadly it’s that time of year again when we are subjected to Americans trumpeting the tragedy and misery caused by the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. I in turn say the same thing every year, it was sad, it was tragic and if I could have done anything in my power to have prevented it I would have done so.

My heart goes out to the people who lost fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands and friends when the passenger planes struck.

However, the greatest loss of lives has been caused by America’s continuing quest for vengeance.

Civilian deaths in Iraq: 655,000 and counting.

Renditions: What renditions? Never happened.

And what about Dr. Afia Siddiqui and her children? Kidnapped in Pakistan in March 2003 along with her children, she miraculously turned up in Bagram a few months ago after an international outcry. The fate of her children remains uncertain and she has been charged with attacking American soldiers after wresting a weapon away from one of them.

The last time I looked a fully armed and well trained American soldier would have had no problem with slightly build Pakistani lady who by that time had been incarcerated for five years.

Oil stolen from Iraq: 1,000 barrels a day valued at US$100 plus per barrel. Never acknowledged, never explained. Where is the money going?

And yet America is still seeking out terrorists, real or imagined. What right does any country have to carrying out bombing raids on another country’s sovereign territory? Apparently this most basic rule does not apply to America, which very recently carried out a bombing raid on Pakistan and some months ago bombed a wedding party in Afghanistan. What was their crime?

People are being killed and lives altered irreparably because of America’s war on terror. It is time that the international community pointed the finger at George Bush and addressed him for what he is; a murderer of innocents.

2008-07-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I am happy to inform you that the Asian Sentinel has plublished another of my pieces.

Just Suppossing

Stewart Sloan

20 July 2008

East is east and west is west, but what if the twain had met?

Zheng’s flag ship next to the Santa Maria.

Columbus set off in 1492 in three ships, the Santa Maria of approximately 90 feet, the Pinta, between 60 to 80 feet and the Niňa of 60 feet, the best that Spain had to offer at this time. As history confirms, Columbus set off, not really knowing where he was going, arrived and certainly didn’t know where he was, and came back, not knowing where he’d been.

Let us not be too harsh on the man. This was an age of church-controlled exploration and in the Europe of those days nothing happened without the blessing of the church. Indeed, Columbus was interviewed by no less a personage than Tomás de Torquemada, a prominent figure in the infamous Inquisition that was taking place in Spain at that time, to ensure that he was undertaking this expedition for all the right reasons.

Those reasons, Columbus assured Torquemada, were in keeping with the aims of the Catholic Church. To spread the word of God to the heathens, find a shorter, safer trading route to the Indies, and, if they found any gold along the way, so much the better.

The voyages of Columbus are well documented and there is no need to repeat the details here, other than to say that there is a faction that suggested that Columbus, instead of being hailed as a great explorer, should be classified as a genocidal maniac ultimately responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of natives.

Interestingly Columbus was reported to have used a map originally drawn by a cartographer who sailed with the Eunuch Admiral, Zheng He, and this brings us on to the next point.

About 70 years earlier another explorer set sail with the express purpose of opening up new trade for his country. There was no ulterior motive of spreading religion to the heathen or making them change their life styles to suit his own, his quest was purely and simply trade.

Zheng He’s fleet consisted of over 300 ships and his flagship, while reports vary, was supposed to have been about 400 feet in length. Interestingly, an archeological dig in Southern China in a location believed to have been a shipbuilding area discovered a tiller post some 30 feet in length. It is estimated that the vessel that carried it was in excess of 300 feet.

Zheng He’s flagship carried nine masts and her mainsail was of such size that it took one hour to set. His armada set sail self reliant with supply and treasure ships, and a sizable detachment of marines. His expedition was well planned, well organized and well executed. Zheng He’s fame and exploits, like those of Columbus are also well documented up to the point where it is believed that he rounded the Cape of Good Hope, sailed up the Atlantic and discovered America.

As exciting as this may sound it has never, and will probably never, be confirmed. It does however, open up an interesting scenario.

Just supposing, as Zheng He’s fleet sailed up the Atlantic a space, time warp continuum brought Columbus’s fleet in direct contact with that of Zheng He’s. Let us try to imagine what might transpire as the very latest in Spanish maritime technology comes into contact with that of China.

The crew members of the Santa Maria, when confronted with Zheng He’s flagship might well have thrown themselves to their knees and implored God to save them from this heathen behemoth.

And on Zheng He’s ship his executive officer might well have said, “Ah Sir, look, Spanish boat people. Should we offer them assistance?”

The epilogue, of course, is that the Ming emperors turned their backs on the seas and left Zheng He literally and figuratively high and dry, while the seafaring nations of Europe went on to conquer the world.

Of course this never really happened. But, just supposing……..

2008-06-18T01:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the Asia Sentinel has published several of my articles. I attach two of them here for your reading pleasure:

President Rajapakse seeks to deflect criticism by pointing the finger at other countries

Stewart Sloan 13 June 2008

In January 2007, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, under pressure from human rights activists around the world, did what politicians always do when they want to pass the buck. He created a body with the cumbersome name of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Alleged Serious Violations of Human Rights.

Known simply as the Commission, it was doomed from the very start, as numerous commissions of inquiry have been over decades in Sri Lanka, to investigate human rights abuses. None of them ever produced anything.

Rajapakse had the sense to realize that there was a credibility problem with this latest one, so to convince people of his good intentions he set up the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (the IIGEP). The IIGEP was a group made up of jurists from around the world, each a leading figure in his field. This group was given the job of overseeing the commission, making sure that it was doing what it was supposed to be doing and that everything was open, above-board and transparent.

The problems started almost immediately. None of the victims or their families wanted to give evidence before the commission for fear of possible retaliation by the perpetrators they might identify. The IIGEP raised the question of witness protection in one of their first interim statements. This annoyed the president immensely. No one had given them permission to issue reports, interim or otherwise. The government, through the Attorney General's Department, denied the validity of the IIGEP statement and that set the ball rolling for the jurists’ eventual departure, in April 2008.

Why did all this come about? There has been an international outcry about human rights abuses in Sri Lanka for decades. Rajapakse’s regime is not the first to ignore calls for accountability and an end to what appears to be state-sanctioned impunity. But what made it different for this regime was calls by the United Nations for a UN Monitoring Mission to be set up in the country. The response from the regime was that Sri Lanka was quite capable of handling its own human rights violations, thank you very much.

However, with the departure of the IIGEP and its damning condemnation of the commission, which included the statement that Sri Lanka didn’t appear to have the political will to investigate human rights abuses, the president’s claim that Sri Lanka could do the job appeared to be less than accurate.

Thus calls for a UN monitoring mission continue, as does the regime’s refusal to consider it. International condemnation by persons none other than Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu and other notables continued and eventually led to Sri Lanka being forced out of the United Nations Human Rights Council, an organization the country had belonged to since its inception. And yet Sri Lanka continues to claim that it is capable of handling its own human rights problems.

There is of course the question of sovereignty. No country wants an independent international organisation peering into day-to-day goings-on and it does not help that several western countries are not so squeaky clean either. And, while no argument can excuse human rights abuses taking place with impunity, Sri Lanka’s statement that the international NGOs should take a look at the US, Great Britain and Australia before condemning Sri Lanka is perhaps valid. It simply does not help the international argument for human rights monitoring when a country like Pakistan allows the Americans to carry out renditions of Pakistani citizens, especially when very few voices are raised against it. Certainly the US, Great Britain and Australia have plenty to answer for in the past. The message is quite clear: clean up your own back yard before pointing the finger at us.

But the regime of President Rajapakse is missing one essential point. It does not matter who is carrying out renditions with impunity, it does not matter who is turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in the name of the war of terror, the fact is that human rights abuses and the protection of offending state agents is wrong and must be stopped. Whether this is done with the help of international monitors or by the Sri Lankan state itself does not matter. What matters is that it must be done, and done quickly.

Stewart Sloan is a Hong Kong-based human rights activist.

Civilians Become Cannon Fodder in Sri Lanka
Stewart Sloan
09 June 2008
More bombings take the lives of the innocent in a war without end Murderous attacks on civilians in Sri Lanka appear to be on the increase with several bombings in the last few days in and around Colombo, the capital. The latest attack came last Friday and killed at least 21 people who were travelling on a bus. Twice that many were injured, the numbers including woman and children alike. The bomb itself was a claymore set on the side of the road and detonated by remote control as the bus passed by. The force of the explosion knocked the bus on its side. Just a few days earlier another bombing injured 18 people travelling on a train. It was the second such bombing within a fortnight and in the previous incident nine people were killed and more than 80 were wounded. So far an estimated 70,000 people have been killed since 1983 in one of the world’s longest-lasting and deadliest armed conflicts, although relations between the majority Sinhalese and the Tamil minority had been tense since the British granted the island independence in 1948. Since 2006, in defiance of cease-fire agreements, as many as 200,000 people have been made refugees in their own country as the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam fight for the creation of a separate Tamil state in the northeastern region of the country. At one point, during the height of the conflict, as many as 1 million of the country’s 21 million people were refugees. Despite the signing of cease-fire in 2002, the conflict has continued at varying levels almost without cease. An estimated 4,000 people have died since it evolved again into open conflict in 2005. As many as 200,000 Tamils have simply left and sought refuge in the west and several hundred thousand more have moved to India, according to the CIA World Factbook. The latest bombing, like the others, is suspected to have been the work of the LTTE. However, the question of who carried out the bombings is not the issue. The issue is that both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan armed forces are killing and injuring innocent civilians in the name of the conflict and in violation of international law. President Mahinda Rajapakse has made several recent statements in which he has said that victory is at hand in this 25-year-old conflict, which has claimed the lives of both military personnel and civilians. Unlike his predecessors, Rajapakse has refused to even consider the possibility of holding peace talks with the LTTE. And while both sides are claiming to be the victims of atrocities committed by the other, it is the civilians who are bearing the brunt of the conflict. Reports of civilians being caught up in Sri Lankan Army air raids and shelling are either denied by the government or said to be exaggerated. However, the use of claymore land mines is not the exclusive right of the LTTE, who have complained frequently about the army using them against civilians in attempts to hit their soldiers. Terrorism in any name is still terrorism; whether it is the army carrying out operations in which civilians are killed or injured or the LTTE hitting back at the Sri Lankan government. Sri Lanka has already stated categorically that the government will have nothing to do with UN human rights monitors in the country but this should not prevent the UN from making the effort to bring both sides of the Sri Lankan conflict to the negotiating table to prevent further needless death. Earlier Friday another land mine was defused in Dehiwala. The 5 kg Claymore would certainly have caused more bloodshed and mayhem and no doubt, death and injury to more innocent civilians. It is time to for both parties, the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to return to the negotiating table now. In the meantime, the bombing continues. Stewart Sloan is a Hong Kong-based human rights activist.

THE THING

2008-02-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Readers,

It gives me great pleasure in posting one of my favorite stories, THE THING, which was first published in the AECS Magazine (Association of Expatriate Civil Servants) in the early nineties. It is now included as a short story in Eastern Horrors, a collection of my published and unpublished short stories.

THE THING

The sun set in the western hills leaving the Shatin Valley aglow in its red aftermath and as its light faded the street lights came on, as did the lamps that stood on the promenades that ran along the Shing Mun River.

Up towards the beginning of the river where the storm drains from Tai Wai and the other estates fed into it, the toxic ooze and sludge bubbled in the light of the antique street lamps. One particular bubble grew larger and larger until it was a good three feet in diameter before it burst. Then, as the ooze began to settle back into the fast filling crater caused by the explosion, a cross between a hand and a flipper reached upwards into the evening sky. The hand-like thing was followed by an arm-like thing and after an agreeable amount of time THE THING itself, emerged. It stood waist high in the ooze and looked about itself, reaching up one of the things that it used for a hand to wipe the slime off its one, enormous eyeball. Then it burped, and the stench of its breath made the normal pong of the river seem like rose scented bath water.

It looked towards the first foot bridge and saw dinner travelling along it in the form of three little boys on bicycles. It was not too keen on the bicycles having tried one before that had been dumped in the river by a drunken lover; the lover though, had been quite tasty. THE THING took a step forward and found that its feet-like things were stuck in the mud. It muttered a curse and wrenched them out, one after the other. Now it had to move fast because every time it took a step it started to sink back into the slime and ooze that it had come from. By the time it had got to the foot of the bridge the little boys were gone and it muttered another curse. Then it heard someone calling to it and turned its face upwards into the dim torch beam of a police constable.

“What are you doing down there?” Asked PC Wong, from the safety of the bridge; all he could see was a slime coated figure floundering about in the mud. Must be another drunken lover, P.C. Wong thought to himself. They were forever bringing their lady friends down here, discovering that they wouldn't put out, getting drunk and then throwing their bicycles in the river. How it made them feel any better he did not know, but it happened all the time.

Then another thought occurred to him. This man might not be a drunken lover; he just might be a drunken illegal immigrant pretending to be a drunken lover.

“All right you,” said Wong, as sternly as he could. “Just paddle over there to those steps and you'd better have an I.D. card on you.”

THE THING did not have an I.D. card on it and in fact was not even sure of what an I.D. card was. To the best of its knowledge it had never eaten an I.D. card before. It paddled over as instructed, not the slightest bit put out, it had never eaten a policeman before either and was looking forward to a new culinary experience.

Wong had come off the bridge and was standing at the top of the steps that led down to the river. He watched the dark figure floundering towards him and began to wish that the lighting was a bit better; he looked wistfully at his torch and cursed himself for not changing the batteries before starting his beat.

Then THE THING stood up in front of him and Wong realized that it was not another drunken lover. It was not even a drunken I.I. Although the thing in front of him was still largely covered in slime he could see that it had a face only an Inland Revenue Department, Income Tax Assessor could love.

“My God.” Said Wong.

Burp went THE THING and as its breath intoxicated the unfortunate P.C. it reached out one of its hand-like things and shoveled Constable of Police Wong, into its mouth.

When it had finished it smacked its lips and slowly made its way back to the toxic culvert that it called home, burping happily as it went. It decided that it might give the little boys a miss in the future, there was much more meat on P.C.s and though it was hard to tell from just the one experience, they did not appear to scream quite as much. It just hoped that they would be another one around tomorrow night. But then it thought, you know what they say about policemen: there's never one around when you need one.

A New E-Publication - Eastern Horrors

2007-04-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Readers,

I am happy to announce the launch of my collection of short stories entitled, EASTERN HORRORS in PDF format.

This issue is available now and costs HK$45.00

Please contact me at sloanbooks@gmail.com for information on how to purchase a copy.

Thank you.

Stewart

An e-publication

2007-03-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Readers,

I am happy to announce the re-issue of one of my earlier books, The Isle of the Rat in PDF format.

This issue is available now and costs HK$30.00

Please contact me at sloanbooks@gmail.com for information on how to purchase a copy.

Thank you.

Stewart

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

2007-03-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Readers,

I am happy to announce the publication of MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, a collection of anecdotes about the Royal Hong Kong Police Force.

The book has been delivered and is ready to go. The price is HK$78.00 which includes postage and packaging.

Please send any inquiries to sloanbooks@gmail.com

Thank you.

Stewart

2007-03-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

A New Book

Dear Readers,

I am happy to announce that after months of preparation my next book, May the Force be with You, will be available in a few weeks. The final draft went to the printer along with the cover design yesterday. This is a jpeg of the cover.

I'll write again with information on pricing, posting and availability.

Best wishes,

S.

Disappointments

2007-02-23T20:47:00.000-08:00

A fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula from my teens it was always my ambition to write the quintessential Hong Kong vampire novel. Temutma was co-written with Rebecca Bradley and published by Asia 2000 Ltd; a company I did not share a happy relationship with. It was translated into German and is now sold, without authorization, as an audio book in Germany.

After years of slumber Temuta awakens to an ever changing world; his resting place destroyed by 'progress' he seeks out new victims on which to slake his thirst.

Beginnings

2007-02-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

Hi,

This is just to let you know about another of my books, The Isle of the Rat.

I consider the Isle of the Rat the most interesting thing I have done. Set in the New Territories of Hong Kong in 1908 the research into period, dress, mannerisms and the society of the era taught me more about the former British colony than I thought possible. It was also published by Hong Kong Horrors in 1994.

Three friends go to an island off the eastern coast of the New Territories to set up a bird watching camp. In the night they are overcome by a vengeful spirit. Two of the die horribly and the third is found in the morning a raving lunatic.