| Sri Lanka leader to be guest at close of Commonwealth Games Mahinda Rajapaksa to join Prince Edward at ceremony despite allegations of human rights abuses by Colombo governmentMahinda Rajapaksa, the controversial president of Sri Lanka, is set to be the guest of honour at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in India, on Thursday night.Diplomatic sources and protocol officials in Delhi today confirmed that Rajapaksa had accepted a "joint" invitation from the Indian government and the event organisers, and would be flying to India on Wednesday.His presence next to Prince Edward, who will close the games on behalf of the Queen, will spark anger from campaigners who have accused Rajapaksa of failing to protect many thousands of civilians who died in battles which ended the long civil war against Tamil separatists last year, and of flouting international human rights law.In January, the 64-year-old politician won a second six-year term in a landslide victory and recently pushed through a constitutional amendment that will allow him to stand an unlimited number of times.Rajiva Wijesinha, a Sri Lankan member of parliament and former minister, said that it would have been "rude and improper" not to accept the invitation."We've moved on. A lot of people are now aware that the allegations against us were not correct and the new government in the UK have made it clear that they are not continuing the patronising attitude of their predecessors," he told the Guardian.Aslam Khan, head of protocol for the games, confirmed that the choice of guest for the closing ceremony in the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Delhi was a "joint venture between the Indian government and the organising committee". Rajapaksa is not expected to speak at the event, Khan said.Tamil campaigners expressed outrage. "It is a shame. The Commonwealth is mainly composed of developing countries and needs to apply international law and humane standards," said Suren Surendiran of the Tamil Global Forum.Sri Lanka was blocked from hosting the next meeting of Commonwealth leaders in 2011, after Britain and Australia joined forces last year to protest at alleged human rights abuses. "It is unfortunate that the heads of state says one thing and then there is inconsistency," said Surendiran.The head of the Commonwealth is the Queen but due to an overcrowded travel schedule, Prince Charles opened the games.The presence of Rajapaksa among the senior dignitaries in front of 65,000 spectators and hundreds of millions of television viewers will renew criticism of the Commonwealth for avoiding tackling tough issues.Last week, the Guardian revealed that the current secretary general, Kamalesh Sharma, had told his staff that it was not the organisation's role to "speak out" against abuses by the 54 member states.David Cameron and the foreign secretary, William Hague, have both said they will put new emphasis on the Commonwealth in Britain's foreign policy.India's invitation is part of a charm offensive aimed at countering diplomatic inroads made by China in Sri Lanka in recent years. The two Asian powers are both investing much effort in wooing Rajapaksa, who remains popular with the Sinhalese majority in the island state, with economic aid packages, technical help with infrastructure projects and other initiatives.The Sri Lankans are considering their own bid for the Commonwealth Games. Rajapaksa is hoping to win the 2018 event for Hambantota, the southern Sri Lankan port, which is his home town.Sri LankaCommonwealth Games 2010IndiaJason Burkeguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
The Israeli Loyalty Oath: What is Netanyahu Up To? Israel's Prime Minister is backing a controversial loyalty oath. But what has it got to do with the peace talks? feedproxy.google.com |
America's Toughest Sheriff rallies Tea Party troops against illegal immigrants Arizona's Joe Arpaio brings his round-'em-up-and-deport-'em politics to Las Vegas on latest stop of Tea Party ExpressIf confirmation were needed that the Tea Party movement is motivated – at least out west – by anger over illegal immigration and a desire to turn America into a closed fortress, then it was provided in Las Vegas.In a packed saloon on the edges of town last night, the Tea Party Express battle bus rolled in and fired up a crowd of about 2,000 supporters with lurid tales of the war against the illegal hordes.The headline speaker was "America's Toughest Sheriff", Joe Arpaio, from Maricopa County in Arizona, which covers the state's capital city, Phoenix. He has lit the fuse of the immigration debate in America with his hardcore round-'em-up-and-deport-'em politics.As he came on stage the crowd gave a huge roar of approval, and a Tea Party band sang: "We stand with you Arizona / The rule of law in this land / What part of 'illegal' don't they understand.""It's very simple," Arpaio began. "I have the solution, but nobody wants to listen to me." The crowd booed.The simple solution he offers is to round up largely Hispanic workers in factories and farms, filter them for those who lack immigration documents, and slap those people into a makeshift prison he erected using tents in the desert ahead of their deportation."You guys have got deserts here," he said to the adoring throng. "Why don't you put tents up here?"Arizona's recent attempt to extend Arpaio's tough approach across the whole of the state provoked a heated national debate. The law is at a standstill pending legal challenges, including several from the federal government."I've been accused of being a racist and every name in the book. The federal government is investigating me. But every time they come after me my polls go higher," Arpaio said.Immigration has been one of the most contentious issues in the tight race in Nevada between Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the Senate, and the Tea Party-backed Sharron Angle, who is trying to unseat him.Angle has accused Reid in TV advertising of extending social security payments to illegal immigrants. He has accused her of lying on the issue.With unemployment running at almost 15% in Nevada – the highest rate in the US – and more than 20% in Las Vegas if you add in underemployment, the level of anger at the Tea Party saloon was palpable. "Dump Reid" stickers and T-shirts were everywhere."Reid represents everything I don't like about the federal government," said a property broker called Jeff, who asked not to give his last name. "He's part of the party that needs to be over, done."Karen Wells, who owns a small business making glider aeroplanes, said: "He's been in there too long. We need to fire them all and start over. They're taxing me out of business, I've lost 75% of it already.""Save our liberty from socialism," read a banner with a plastic model of the Statue of Liberty attached to it. The display was wielded by Jody Black, who receives unemployment benefit – having recently had to shut down her antique shop in Las Vegas – as well as Medicare health provision as a older person.Both forms of assistance come from the government, which she blames for killing off innovation and turning America into a socialist regime. How does she square the circle of her beliefs and the personal subsidies she gets from government?"We've been contributing to the fund, it's our money and we want it back. We had no choice. It's the liberals who have been taking money out of the fund and giving it to the illegals."As she spoke the band played on. "It's time they heard these words: Let our borders be secured / With Arizona we should take a stand."Tea Party movementUS politicsUnited StatesRepublicansNevadaArizonaEd Pilkingtonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Fear amid Haiti cholera progress The numbers of people killed by cholera in Haiti has slowed, the government says, as aid agencies seek to stop the disease from spreading in the capital. bbc.co.uk |
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