Troops enter Mallavi area: Heavy fighting escalates

Infantry, armour and artillery formations of the Army's 57 Division have overrun LTTE forward defences and reportedly entered into general area Mallavi in Mullaittivu district, following fierce fighting since this morning (Aug 31).

According to military, troops have gained control over key LTTE outposts in the area and positioned tactically in the probable fall of the garrison township, despite heavy resistance from LTTE.

Mallavi is a strategically important LTTE garrison located along the Vellankulama - Mankulama main road, linking the Mannar- Pooneryn (A-32) main road and the Kandy- Jaffna(A-9) trunk road. Due its significant positioning this area has been used as the hub of LTTE's administration and logistic activities, accommodating over dozens LTTE offices, defence observes state.

Initial reports from Wanni military sources further said that the troops are engaging heavy artillery and increasing the forward thrust into the Mallavi town area.

Pro-LTTE media have remained tightlipped and declined to comment on the latest ground situation, defence observes further noted.

Security Forces gain control over earth bund: 7 terrorists killed, 9 wounded- Kilinochchi

Troops of the 58 Division operating Northwest of Nachchikudha in the Western Mullaittivu battlefront, have reportedly gained control over an LTTE built earth bund located West of Vannerikkulama, Sunday (Aug 31) afternoon.

According to Wanni security sources, 7 LTTE terrorists were confirmed killed and 9 others wounded in the fighting repoprted since this morning.

Troops are now consolidating defence in the area, sources further said.

Fire onboard Navy vessel

A fire broke out in the generator room of the navy vessel 'Sagara' which was at the Colombo Port last night. Police say a short circuit was believed to have been the cause of the fire. An investigation is underway.

JVP MP deported from Japan

A JVP parliamentarian has been deported from Japan after being detained and questioned at the Japanese airport by officials, well informed sources said.
The MP together with another party official had reportedly been questioned on Friday for several hours, among other issues, on the purpose of their visit to Japan.

Subsequently the MP was deported while the other JVP member was permitted to proceed with his visit to Japan.

Though the actual reason for the detention and deportation is still not clear, there is speculation that illegal fund raising may have been one of the reasons.

When contacted by media, Ambassador Ranjith Uyangoda said yesterday he had heard of reports of such an incident taking place but was unable to verify the details as the Immigration and Emigration offices in Japan were closed for the weekend.

However JVP general secretary Tilvin Silva said he was not aware of any JVP MP being detained or deported from Japan.

The JVP maintains an office in Japan with a strong membership base which supports and funds its political activities in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile in May the JVP branch in Japan said it had severed all connections with the party over the ousting of Wimal Weerawansa, ten other MPs and a large number of party members.

The branch claimed that its comrades in Japan had credited the money they earned to the party fund and also funded all elections except the Eastern Provincial Council polls.

It also claimed in a statement that it had loaned a large sum of money to the party on various occasions yet none of it was repaid but the JVP said it had no connections with the branch in Japan.

Brian Angunawela steps down as Chairman EDB

Chartered Accountant and Management Consultant Brian Angunawela relinquished duties as Chairman EDB from August 31. Mr. Angunawela was appointed to the post in the year 2005. During the past three and a half years he served for two Cabinet Ministers.Coming from the private sector Mr. Angunawela was instrumental in re-organizing the Mushroom Development and Training Centre a project under the purview of the EDB into a profit making venture.
Under his leadership the EDB was able to resurrect and commence operations in the Uva Paranagama Export Production Village and the Tissamaharama Export Processing Village.

During his tenure of office the EDB launched several programmes in the provinces linking the rural producer with the exporter in Colombo thus creating avenues to open the flow of export revenue directly to the rural sector.

Fruits and Vegetables, Spices, Coir Products and Ornamental Fish were among the sectors promoted in Matara,Hambantota,Angunakolapelessa,Thambuttegama, Polonnaruwa,Tissamaharamaya,Kuliyapitiya Uva - Paranagama and Embilipitiya during this period.

NGJA to certify gems by variety name

Sri Lanka’s National Gem and Jewellery Authority decided to modify the detailed certificate issued for gems, in the interest of the trade.
Currently the certificates are issued only by a gem stone’s family or mineralogical name. This system however, has led to confusion among gem traders. According to them this unfamiliar mineralogical name in certification makes customers confused leading to the possibility of loosing a particular sale.

In trading gem stones, the seller and buyer both generally use trade names such as Blue Sapphires, Rubies and Alexandrites.

Hence when a customer requires a certification for a gem he expects the certification by the trade name.

Certificates are issued by the NGJA branches in Colombo, Ratnapura, Beruwala and the World Trade Center, Fort. The services of all valuers /gemologists are utilized for this purpose on a daily roster basis.

When the system of certifying gem stones by the NGJA commenced in 1980, the detailed certificate was initially issued by trade names. Later on however due to conflicts of practicing criteria, usage and other matters, the trade name was changed to the mineralogical name.

Corundum is Sri Lanka’s most valuable gem resource. In the trade Blue Corundum is called the Blue Sapphire; Pink Corundum is called the Pink Sapphire, Pinkish Orange colour Corundum Padmaraga, red colour Corundum Ruby, yellow Corundum the Yellow Sapphire and so on. Most of the trade names for corundum are formed with the stone’s body colour used as a prefix.

Some gems are formed with two or more colours. Then the colour combination can be interpreted by two pairs of human eyes in two different ways. Due to this customer confusion can arise. Padmaraga, orange sapphire and Alexandrite fall into this category. To minimise such conflicting errors certificates for such gems will be issued only at the NGJA Gem Laboratory in Colombo by a panel comprising three valuers / gemologists.

Four LTTE women fighters among 5 killed in Vavuniya clash

Five LTTE caders including four women fighters were killed in a clash with troops in Palamudai in Vavuniya on Sunday night.

Troops recovered their bodies this morning and handed them over to the Vavuniya hospital from where they would be handed over to the LTTE by the ICRC.

7 top Asians, group receive RM Awards for 2008

Seven individuals and one organization from India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and Sri Lanka received Asia’s premier award, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, for the year 2008 during presentation ceremonies at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City yesterday, the birth anniversary of the late president.


The awardees are:

Grace Padaca, from the Philippines, for Government Service. She was recognized for "her empowering voters in the Philippines’ Isabela province to reclaim their democratic right to elect leaders of their own choosing, and to contribute as full partners in their own development."

Center for Agriculture & Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), from the Philippines, for Public Service. It was honored for "successful adaptation of microfinance in the Philippines, providing self-sustaining and comprehensive services for half a million poor women and their families."

Therdchai Jivacate, from Thailand, for Public Service. He was honored for "his dedicated efforts in Thailand to provide inexpensive, practical, and comfortable artificial limbs even to the poorest amputees."

Prakash Amte and Mandakini Amte, from India, for Community Leadership, who were recognized for "enhancing the capacity of the Madia Gonds to adapt positively in today’s India, through healing and teaching and other compassionate interventions."

Ahmad Syafii Maarif, from Indonesia, for Peace and International Understanding. He was honored for "his guiding Muslims to embrace tolerance and pluralism as the basis for justice and harmony in Indonesia and in the world at large."

Akio Ishii, from Japan, for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts. He was recognized for "his principled career as a publisher, placing discrimination, human rights, and other difficult subjects squarely in Japan’s public discourse."

Ananda Galappatti, from Sri Lanka, for Emergent Leadership. He was recognized for "his spirited personal commitment to bring appropriate and effective psychosocial services to victims of war trauma and natural disasters in Sri Lanka."

The eight 2008 Ramon Magsaysay awardees joined 263 other laureates who have received Asia’s highest honor to date, according to the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF). This year’s winners each received a certificate, a medallion bearing the likeness of the late President, and a cash prize.

Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s highest honor and is widely regarded as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine President, and is given every year to individuals or organizations in Asia who manifest the same sense of selfless service that ruled the life of the late and beloved Filipino leader.

"The Magsaysay awardees of 2008," said RMAF President Carmencita T. Abella, "are indeed pathfinders in a changing Asia, charting new ways to address persistent, often intractable problems in their societies.

"Working in different countries on diverse issues of poverty, prejudice, politics, livelihoods, and health, these awardees nevertheless share an uncommon faith in the tremendous potential of people and social institutions.

"They share as well an indomitable will and persistence to tap into this potential and thus create greater, and lasting, good. Mobilizing many others to join their efforts, their accomplishments bring us reassuring news of progress, justice, healing, reform, and hope.

"In a world grown increasingly fragmented and cynical, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation is uniquely privileged to be the bearer of such inspiring news from Asia," Abella said.

The Magsaysay Award is currently given in six categories:

Government Service — for "outstanding service in the public interest in any branch of government, including executive, judicial, legislative, or military."

Public Service — for "outstanding service to the public good by a private citizen."

Community Leadership — for "leadership of a community toward helping the disadvantaged have fuller opportunities and a better life."

Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts — for "effective writing, publishing, photography, or use of radio, television, cinema, or theater as a power for public good."

Peace and International Understanding — for "outstanding contributions to the advancement of friendship, peace and solidarity as the foundations for sustainable development within and across countries."

Emergent Leadership — for "outstanding work of an individual, 40 years of age and below, on issues of social change in his/her community, but whose leadership is not yet broadly recognized outside of this community."

During the Foundation’s four decades of existence, Asia has made great progress, some nations more than others. Yet the region continues to grapple with problems of poverty, malnutrition, disease, and violence, as well as with newer problems that have come with progress itself, the Foundation said.

In recognizing individuals and organizations who have addressed these issues with extraordinary vigor, integrity, and selflessness, the Foundation seeks to honor the memory of President Ramon Magsaysay and to place living examples of exceptional service before the public.

Currently, India leads the number of awardees with 47, followed closely by the Philippines with 46. The other countries whose citizens and organizations have received the Magsaysay Award are Japan, 22; Thailand, 21; South Korea, 19; Indonesia, 18; Pakistan, 12; Malaysia, 11; and China and Taiwan, with 10 winners each.

Other winners have come from Bangladesh, with nine; Sri Lanka, eight; Hong Kong, six; Vietnam and Nepal, with four each; Burma and Cambodia, with three winners each; Laos and Singapore with two winners each; and East Timor and Tibet, with one laureate each.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) based in New York City in April 1957. With the concurrence of the Philippine government, the prize was created to commemorate late president of the Philippines and to perpetuate his example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society.

In May 1957, seven prominent Filipinos were named the founding board of trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, the nonprofit corporation tasked with implementing the awards program.

Invited to serve as honorary chairman and vice chairman, respectively, were Sergio Osmeña, former president of the Philippine Commonwealth, and Don Exequiel Magsaysay, father of Ramon Magsaysay. Belen H. Abreu, then legal counsel of the Commission on Elections, was asked to serve as executive trustee.

In 1959, the Philippine Congress donated to the RMAF a parcel of land on Roxas Boulevard equivalent in value to the original RBF grant and, in subsequent legislation, gave the Foundation full tax exemption privileges.

Additional grants and a loan from the RBF made possible the construction of the Ramon Magsaysay Center which, since 1968, has housed the RMAF staff and provided revenue to support the Foundation’s work.

Contributions from private individuals and companies in the Philippines and abroad have enabled the RMAF to accept custodianship of the Magsaysay Papers and Memorabilia, to maintain a public library on contemporary Asia, to sponsor national and international symposia on subjects of vital current interest, and to fund continuing projects of awardees through the Program for Asian Projects (PAP).

Today, the awards program is managed by a board of trustees composed of nine Philippine citizens serving staggered fouryear terms. An appointed president oversees the fulltime administration of the program.

The RMAF recognizes and honors individuals and organizations in Asia regardless of race, creed, sex, or nationality, who have achieved distinction in their respective fields and have helped others generously without anticipating public recognition.

The awards were orginally given in five categories: government service; public service; community leadership; journalism, literature, and creative communication arts; peace and international understanding.

In the 2000 Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies, the Foundation announced the creation of the sixth category, Emergent Leadership, which was established with the support of a grant from the Ford Foundation.

The award for Emergent Leadership honors "individuals, forty years of age and below, doing outstanding work on issues of social change in their communities, but whose leadership is not yet broadly recognized outside of these communities." An award in this category was given for the first time in 2001.

The RMAF solicits award nominations from selected persons throughout Asia who are qualified by virtue of position, expertise, or experience each year. Nominations are carefully investigated and the awards themselves are determined following rigorous evaluation by the Foundation’s board of trustees.

Presentation ceremonies are held annually in Manila on August 31st, the birth anniversary of the late president.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE TAMIL DIASPORA

by Jehan Perera

The Sri Lankan diaspora broadly defined consists of all those who have left the shores of Sri Lanka. Some of them have gone abroad only for a short time, such as the migrant workers in the Middle East. But others have been in their adopted lands for over a hundred years, such as those in Malaysia. The Sri Lankan diaspora covers all its communities, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers. But the most influential, and most controversial, has been the largest group, the Tamil diaspora.

The vast majority of those in the Tamil diaspora left the country in the aftermath of the events of July 1983, the 25th anniversary of which was commemorated only recently. The Sri Lankan government sought actively to play down those commemoration events, warning its embassies abroad that there was an LTTE campaign against Sri Lanka. Even within the country, those who organised commemoration events in order to show their solidarity with the Tamil people, found their efforts were viewed with suspicion.

The Tamil diaspora is seen by the Sri Lankan state as an important actor in the ongoing war against the LTTE that needs to be checked. It is a fact that many, if not most, who left the country did so in circumstances that were extremely painful and bitter to them. They left homes that were burnt, families that were scattered, and a larger society that did not trust them and equated them with the violence of the Tamil militancy. They left for an uncertain future into alien cultures and societies, in which they would be an underclass for many years. But due to the essentially egalitarian and merit-based nature of the Western societies to which they migrated, many of them and their children have finally prospered.

It is no surprise then that large sections of the Tamil diaspora should feel alienated from the Sri Lankan state that failed to nurture, give them opportunities and protect them as equal citizens. The Tamil diaspora has become a source of support for the idyllic vision of a Tamil homeland which the Tamil people can govern, develop themselves, and live in security. Members of the Tamil diaspora, who once were part of the intellectual and social elite of Sri Lanka, have been very effective advocates for the notion of Tamil Eelam and the main source of support for the LTTE which continues the fight for separation.


MAIN CONCERNS

At the same time, however, there is diversity within the Tamil diaspora. One is the difference between the first generation of the diaspora who left the country well before the ethnic conflict got into its violent phase, and the second generation who left after the violence had commenced. The Sri Lankan diaspora in Malaysia includes a small number of Sinhalese as well, and consists largely of the first generation who left Sri Lanka in happier times and have correspondingly happier memories.

Last week I was able to participate in a conference organised by the Federation of Malaysian Sri Lankan Organisations, which is an umbrella group that has been able to bring together many of the Sri Lankan diaspora members of all ethnic communities in Malaysia. Most of the participants at the conference came from the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia, but also from other parts of the world, including Australia, Europe and Canada. One of the highlights of the conference was the participation of a large and multi ethnic group of Sri Lankans belonging the Association of Justices of Peace (JPs) for Human Rights, a Sri Lanka-based organisation.

As could be expected one of the main concerns expressed at the conference was to find ways to sustain the life of the people and families left behind in Sri Lanka. The participants at the conference were acutely aware of the tragic situation currently facing many of the Tamil people of the north. With the Sri Lankan military advancing on LTTE-held territory, the government has been advising the people in leaflets dropped from the air to flee their homes for government-held areas. More than 200,000 people have been rendered homeless due to the recent rounds of fighting.

Ever since the mass exodus of Tamils abroad 25 years ago, the Tamil diaspora has been in an oppositional mode with the Sri Lankan state. There has been little or no attempt on both sides to engage in a constructive manner. A large part of the reason has been the confidence of the Tamil diaspora that the LTTE's armed struggle for separation, which they support, will end in success. So long as this belief, and desire, continues there will be little incentive on the part of the Tamil diaspora to engage constructively with the Sri Lankan state.


RETHINKING GOALS

However, recent developments on the ground and in international politics suggest that the struggle for Tamil Eelam will not be successful. The minds of its different ethnic communities may be separated, but the geographical boundaries of the country will remain intact. The worldwide war against terrorism which is gaining in intensity, the opposition of India to an independent Tamil Eelam led by the LTTE on its doorstep and the determination of the vast majority of the people of Sri Lanka to pay any price to keep the country's borders intact, are most unlikely to be overcome.

This means that if the Tamil diaspora wishes to come to the aid of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, they need to be prepared to engage constructively with the Sri Lankan state, and find ways to do so. It also means that the Tamil diaspora has to reconsider its separatist option and be prepared to accommodate themselves to the reality that the LTTE's military force will not win peace, happiness and prosperity for the Tamil people in the homeland.

The Sri Lankan state also has an obligation to reach out to the Tamil diaspora instead of viewing them suspiciously as agents of the LTTE and of separation. The Tamil diaspora consists of people who were citizens of Sri Lanka, and their children, who continue to yearn for the home they once had in a beautiful island, with people who are closer to them racially and culturally than any other people in the world. One of the anxieties of the Tamil diaspora is that with the passing of the years, and the growing up of their children in foreign lands into the third generation, they will lose their unique identity. But this need not be.

During the period of the Diaspora conference in Malaysia, former Indian President Abdul Kalam paid a visit to the University of Malaya, where our conference was being held. More than 2000 students, nearly all of them members of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia came to listen to President Kalam speak. These were third generation members of a diaspora, and citizens of another country, but their emotional bonds to their Indian homeland were powerful and visible. Even the Sri Lankan diaspora participants could not feel unaffected by the tide of emotion that bonded everyone in the auditorium at that time.

This emotional bonding of the former President of India and the third generation of Indian-origin citizens of Malaysia was not simply a spontaneous phenomenon. It is also one that is carefully cultivated and nurtured by the Indian state, that recognises and calls out to its children and their children living in faraway lands. As a result, wherever there are members of the Indian diaspora, India has its loyal. proud and willing representatives. So must we make it happen for Sri Lanka, with our own Tamil diaspora. Increasing the number of Tamil officers and diplomats in the foreign service and stationing them in Sri Lankan embassies abroad with the specific mandate of reaching out to the Tamil diaspora could be a first step.

The Secretary of Defence visits and assesses security of Mannar

The Secretary of Defence, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksha, accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Donald Perera and the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, visited Mannar yesterday-the 30th August 2008, in order to assess the security situation in the area.

The itinerary of the visit comprised of visiting and assessing security condition of the area under North Central Naval Command. They had visited the naval detachment at Irrukkalmpiddy- the naval installation closest to un-cleared areas, the naval base in Thalaimannar, Special Boat Squadron and the Rapid Action Boat Squadron. He also declare opened the newly constructed two-storied North Central Naval Command Headquarters in Mannar which was built by the naval personnel in the civil engineering branch of the navy within a short span of time like three months saving a large sum of money that would have incurred.

In his visit, the Secretary of Defence, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakshe, had inspected the Special Boat Squadron and the Rapid Action Boat Squadron which has been imposing a severe threat to the LTTE activities in the Mannar Sea and had also spoken to the troops. The boats and the craft used by the Special Boat Squadron and the rapid action Boat squadron, on board one out of which the Secretary Defence sailed around in his inspection tour, have been constructed by the personnel in the naval engineering branch utilizing indigenous material and expertise. The SBS and Rapid Action Boat Squadron very recently raided the Iranativu Island which was under the presence of LTTE cadres.

The naval troops deployed in the North Central Command have successfully been putting in a blockade on the sea route of smuggling weaponry and other war-like materials by LTTE from the narrow sea strip in the Gulf of Mannar.

GSM Asia Pacific Conference to be held in Sri Lanka

The 29th GSM Asia Pacific Conference of the GSM Association is scheduled to kickoff on September 7, 2008 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

This year’s conference themed ‘Beyond 21’ will coincide with the 21st anniversary of the GSM. The selection of Colombo as the event in the regional GSM calendar indicates the stature of the local telecommunication industry and the acceptance of Sri Lanka as a preferred location for international summits.

GSM Asia Pacific, the regional interest group of the GSM Association consists of 49 countries and over 130 GSM operators. The Asia Pacific Interest Group spans the Pacific rim and includes Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

New comers may receive minister port polios

Elected members of the Sabaragamuwa and the North Central Provincial councils will sworn in as Provincial Councilors within this week and the General Secretary of the SLFP Maithreepala Sirisena said their existing Chief Ministers namely Berty Premalal Dissanayake and Maheepala Herath would be appointed as the Chief Ministers of the respective provincial councils.
However UNP is still on discussions to select their Opposition Leaders .In Sabaragamuwa former Opposition Leader A.A.Wijetunga has shown his interest to hold the post of the Opposition Leader, but Ranjan Ramanayake also shown his interest to hold the similar position.
Major General Janaka Perera who obtained highest votes at the North Central Provincial Council’s election shows his willingness to represent the Opposition Leadership.
Meanwhile Minister Mithreepala Sirisena said a number of new comers who obtained highest votes would be received minister portfolio.
“It is under consideration, he said.
He said another batch of UNP parliamentarians are discussing with the UPFA to join the ruling party.
He said there is no final agreement with these MPs and the UPFA.

Sri Lankan peacekeepers help hurricane victims in Haiti

Defense Ministry report said that Sri Lankan peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) have helped victims of Hurricane Gustav in the aftermath of the storm.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, members of the Sri Lankan battalion distributed food and water and provided medical support. The peacekeepers have helped clean up the waste and rubble that blocked the main streets.

Sri Lanka contributes almost 1,000 troops and police to the United Nations peacekeeping force in Haiti.

Hurricane Gustav has left a trail of death and destruction in several impoverished Haitian communities leaving 71 people dead in the Caribbean, including eight in the Dominican Republic bordering Haiti.

Sri Lankan fishermen urge India to release their boats

A Sri Lankan fishermen's trade union Sunday sought the release of two fishing boats held by the Indian authorities for poaching.

Sirimal Pinto, spokesman of the union, told reporters that they have alerted the Sri Lankan ministry of fisheries on the matter.

'Two boats have been held since Aug 28 by the Indian authorities. They are now being held at Visakhapatnam port,' Pinto said, adding that the two boats were seized by Indian Coast Guards Aug 17.

G. Piyasena, secretary to Sri Lanka's ministry of fisheries said the government was aware of the seizures.

Both Indian and Sri Lankan navies have intensified patrolling in the maritime borders mainly to prevent Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka's north from smuggling in military hardware.

The Sri Lankan Navy early this month refuted Indian allegations of firing at Indian fishing boats and killing several fishermen.

Sri Lanka's Tamils say they are victimized by security forces as war with rebels escalates

(AP) _ People in the poor, mainly Tamil neighborhood in Colombo described it as a harrowing day.

It was 5 a.m. on a Wednesday when police started knocking on doors. They searched hundreds of homes, then forced thousands of men, women and children to get dressed and walk through the narrow streets lined with soldiers to a nearby sports field. Over the next six hours, authorities questioned, photographed and videotaped the neighborhood's inhabitants.

Still, few of those rounded up expressed surprise at the intrusion.

Members of Sri Lanka's minority Tamil community say police raids, harassment, arbitrary detentions and even abductions have become routine in recent years as violence has escalated in the 25-year civil war between the government, dominated by the Sinhalese majority, and the Tamil Tiger militia fighting for a separate state in the island's north and east.

"They think every Tamil-speaking person is a terrorist. They want to control us," said Sanjeevi Ramiah, 47, one of the few residents of the Kimbulla Ela neighborhood willing to speak publicly about the July 2 raid.

While Tamils and human rights advocates complain about police excesses, most agree this Indian Ocean island nation is faced with a serious threat from the rebels.

The Tigers have been blamed for deadly attacks over the past year that have spread fear across the capital, Colombo, in the south. A June bombing on a crowded suburban bus killed 21 people, two days after a blast targeting the railroad in the city narrowly missed a passenger train.

"No one suggests for the moment that there should not be security measures and precautions," said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director of the Center for Policy Alternatives think tank. "At the same time, we need to be a lot more serious in finding the balance between democratic rights and human rights and the right security measures. We can't alienate an entire community, an entire section of the citizenry."

Emergency regulations renewed by parliament each month give the government wide-ranging powers to arrest terror suspects and detain them indefinitely.

With each new attack in the capital, the complex web of checkpoints, road closures and random searches tightens. And many Tamils say their lives grow harder.

They say police assume they sympathize with the rebels' fight for a homeland for ethnic Tamils and single them out at checkpoints and during searches on buses.

Many are routinely detained on minor infractions or for no reason at all, according to residents and human rights groups. Those who fled the northern war zone, where the rebels control a de facto state, say they risk arrest for not registering with police or for having overnight guests without police authorization.

In June 2007, authorities briefly expelled more than 300 Tamils from Colombo boarding houses before the Supreme Court forced them to back down.

Following a pair of bombings in November, the government detained more than 2,000 Tamils in a mass arrest sweep, a common tactic after major attacks. It released nearly all of them days later after a groundswell of criticism.

In addition, nearly 200 Tamils have "disappeared" from the capital in recent years, said Mano Ganesan, an opposition parliamentarian who heads a group that catalogues the disappearances. The government denies any connection to the phenomenon.

"The root cause of this is the unresolved ethnic issue," Ganesan said, referring to the historic tension between the country's mainly Hindu Tamils and the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese. A Sinhalese nationalist movement arose after Sri Lanka's independence from Britain in 1948. The civil war began after a 1983 rebel ambush killed 13 Sri Lankan soldiers and sparked an anti-Tamil riot in the capital that human rights groups say killed more than 2,000 people.

Keheliya Rambukwella, a government minister and its chief defense spokesman, acknowledged Tamils were singled out for scrutiny in Colombo, but only because rebel attackers — who have killed members of all ethnic groups — routinely hid among the capital's large Tamil community.

"It is not a bed of roses. You have to undergo certain kinds of inconveniences," he said. "I really don't think it is discrimination. It is for their own good."

Tamils, just 18 percent of the country, make up as much as one-third of the capital's population, according to officials. And they are an important part of the fabric of Colombo. Some are doctors, lawyers or other wealthy professionals. Some, such as Rambukwella himself, are even government ministers.

While upper class Tamils are rarely inconvenienced, the majority of Colombo's Tamils are poor or lower middle class and feel powerless in the face of the mainly Sinhalese security forces.

Two youths shot dead in Jaffna

Unknown armed men shot and killed two youths Sunday afternoon east of Jaffna District Secretariat in Chu'ndikkuzhi, Police said. The victims were identified from the identity cards in their possession as 26-year-old Nithyananthan Thushyanthan, from 120 Brown Road, Jaffna and 29-year-old Kanagaratnam Narmathan, from Kantharmadam 119/2. One of the victims is a student of a Malaysian University, who seems to have come to Jaffna recently.

Police recovered the dead bodies and handed them over to the mortuary of the Jaffna Hospital for identification after Acting Magistrate of Jaffna, Sinnaththuai Kesavan, inspected the crime site.

The killings have taken place in a by-lane, 200 meters from Jaffna Kandy Road.

Ports to get new boss tomorrow

The Government is expected to appoint a new Chairman to head the vital Ports Authority on Monday after its incumbent Saliya Wickramasuriya’s resignation was accepted by the Ports and Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa early this week.

Mr. Wickramasuriya said that his letter of resignation submitted in July was accepted by the Minister on Tuesday and his last day at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority would be tomorrow. The delay in acceptance of his resignation, Mr.Wickramasuriya attributed to him being away in London and the Minister being involved in SAARC summit activities, provincial council elections and the marriage of his youngest son.

According to well placed sources the Government will appoint present Vice Chairman Priyath Bandu Wickrema to the top post . His relations with the unions have been such that in 2004 unions requested the Government to appoint him to the Board of SLPA as their representative.

Present SLPA Executive Director Dr Sanjaya Senarath is expected to be elevated as Vice Chairman.
While Dr Senarath is from the medical field, Mr. Wickrema is a chartered Mechanical Engineer, who joined the Ports Authority as a young BSc graduate in 2001. Hailing from Walasmulla, he completed a PhD in Port Management recently.

Contacted to get a confirmation, Ports Ministry Secretary T. Hewage, however, said he could not answer any of our queries as he was abroad. Ports Minister Chamal Rajapaksa could not be contacted.

Public sector retirement age at 63

More than one million could benefit if new proposal is adopted
The retirement age of some 1.1 million public servants may be raised to 63 in keeping with worldwide trends and the increase in life expectancy of Sri Lankans,Pensions Director K.A. Thilakaratne said yesterday.

He said the move was also aimed at preventing officials from drawing double salaries by retiring at 55 and rejoining to do state jobs, thus getting both a state pension and a state salary. Mr. Thilakaratne said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had studied the proposals and called for trade union observations on the issue before deciding on it.

Under current regulations, the retirement age is 55 but state officials can extend their service until 57 without seeking an annual extension. They face compulsory retirement at 60. Some officials told The Sunday Times the negative aspects of raising the retirement age to 63 would be the blocking of job opportunities of new recruits to the public service and promotions of junior officers.

Mr. Thilakaratne said both positive and negative aspects of the move were being considered with the unemployment issue being given priority. He said there were cases where those who retired rejoined the public service even as secretaries to ministries – thus drawing a big pension as well as a big salary.

Mr. Thilakaratne said the government had taken into consideration the fact that the life expectancy rate had also increased over the years and some of the countries had now increased the retirement age to 65.

President’s men entitled to extension

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has vested in himself the power of extending the compulsory retirement age of any public officer appointed by him. No time bar has been proposed on the extension.

An amendment to the Public and Judicial Officers (Retirement) Ordinance has been effected by the President through an Extraordinary Gazette notification. The Attorney General, the Auditor General, the Ombudsman, the Inspector General of Police, Service Commanders, Ministry Secretaries and Provincial Chief Secretaries are among those appointed by the President.

However, the move would not apply to the Chief Justice and judges of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and High Courts as their age of retirement is specified in the Constitution.

STF member killed in sniper fire in east

An STF personnel was killed in a sniper fire in the Rufaskulam camp in Kanjikudichchiaru camp in the east, police source said.

The victim was identified as Indika.

Shell Gas prices up

Shell Gas Lanka limited will increase the price of a 12.5kg domestic cylinder by Rs.126 with effect from midnight today a company spokesman said. Accordingly the new price of a domestic cylinder will be Rs. 1863.

Tense after minister’s vehicle kills one

Mob assaulted security of Minister P. Chandrasekaran including two police officers, after his vehicle collided with a three-wheeler killing one passenger on the spot, at Dehiowita in Avissawella this evening. The Minister was not in the car at the time of the incident.

SLBC re-launches English Commercial Service

A veteran broadcaster and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Hudson Samarasinghe instructed to re-launch English Commercial Service of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation to provide additional valuable hours for their listeners.
According to Mr.Samarasinghe the re launching of the English service would commence from 1st of September.
Earlier SLBC management has reduced local programmes of the English Commercial service and allocate more time belt for the BBC World Service.
Mr.Samarasinghe has mediated with the BBC management and later reduced BBC time belt , which were used to broadcast BBC daily programmes .
Due to this decision local listeners could listen to more programmes , music and other entertainment programmes.
“It will once again resume its pristine glory. Programmes like Breakfast drive, Classic gold, Bright Spot, Your choice in music, Hits of the past will be aired, said Mr.Samarasinghe. .
Existing Programmes have been re-vamped and new programmes will be added to the channel. At present Sri Lanka has a number of English Radio Channels. However the English service has continued to receive a good response from listeners, he explained.

Troops in pursuit of LTTE: at least 10 LTTE bodies found scattered - Padawiya

Army's elite Special Forces (SF) troops in pursuit of terrorists encircled at Konketiyawa, East of the Padawiya tank have reportedly observed at least 10 LTTE bodies scattered in the area, according to latest reports received, Sunday (Aug 31).

Intermittent gunfire exchanges were reported in the area since this morning our Welioya correspondent said, citing military, as troops further claimed to have sealed all 'way-routes' combined with the Civil Defence Force(CDF) personnel in the area. Details of the latest confrontations are not available our correspondent said, adding that the terrorists' chances of survival are minimum in the area, given the mobility and fire superiority of the Special Forces (SF).

Troops have already seized an LTTE body, a T-56 assault riffle and 3 belt orders in subsequent search operations conducted. The SF troopers were immediately reinforced after clashes broke out between CDF personnel and LTTE since 6.30 a.m, Saturday, when troops on patrol observed a group of terrorists in Army guise attempting to infiltrate into the area. A civilian was also reported wounded due to the indiscriminate LTTE gunfire attack and later transferred to the General Hospital at Anuradhapura.

According to military, the LTTE group may have been given specific orders to infiltrate into the liberate areas and cause destruction to both civilian and military targets triggering a slow down of the military advances into the last LTTE bastions at Kilinochchi and Mullaittivu Districts.

3 personnel were killed including a Civil Defence Force (CDF) trooper, while similar numbers were reported injured in yesterday's confrontation, according to reports received.

Meanwhile, Police have also reported killed a terrorist in general area Vahalkada and subsequently recovered the body, according to defence sources.

Police search Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission office in Chennai for bombs

Police found no truth in the bomb rumor in the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission office in Chennai.

According to sources, Tamil Nadu police thoroughly searched the premises of the Deputy High Commission office, located at 196 TTK Road, Alwarpet, Chennai for suspected explosive materials and found nothing.

Sources said , that Tamil Nadu Police received an anonymous call around 8.30 PM yesterday of bombs being planted in the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission office.

Immediately Police rushed to the Office of the Deputy High Commission and requested office be opened and searched thoroughly, in the presence of High Commission staffs till 2.15 AM this morning and found nothing suspicious inside the chancery building.

Sri Lankan maid’s interpreter turns out to be non-Tamil

Mohammed Rasooldeen

DAWADMI: The interpreter who translated the statements of a Tamil-speaking Sri Lankan maid sentenced to death for the alleged murder of a Saudi baby in her care is an ethnically non-Tamil Kannadiga speaker.

The revelations were made during a high court hearing held here yesterday.

Kateb Al-Shammary, the lawyer representing the maid, Rizana Nafeek, asked whether the interpreter, Karim Mawiya Cader Mohammed, was qualified to accurately translate Tamil into Arabic.

He told the court that he wanted to know whether Mohammed — who has been working for an electronics company in Dawadmi for 20 years and is originally from the Indian state of Karnataka — is proficient enough in Tamil to interpret Nafeek’s police and court statements.

The court told the attorney that it would summon two witnesses to the next hearing to vouch for the translator’s honesty, integrity and ability to translate from Tamil.

Mohammed told the court that he translated Nafeek’s statement in May 2005 when she was brought to Dawadmi, from Jezma, some 100 km from Dawadmi.

“I come to courts on request for translation purposes and I am paid SR100 per case,” Karim told Arab News. He added that he knows Tamil which is widely spoken in India’s Tamil Nadu state and Sri Lanka.

In his written submission, Al-Shammary also argued that Nafeek, who was 17 when she came to the Kingdom on a passport that stated she was 23, was never hired to be a nanny and that the death occurred due to her inexperience in dealing with newborn children.

A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Sheikh Abdullah Al-Rosaimi, decided to hold the next hearing on Nov. 5.

Also attending the hearing was Nafeek, the father of the deceased Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al-Otaibi, Sri Lankan Ambassador Abdul Ageed Mohamed Marleen and a team of officials from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh.

Yesterday marked the fifth time Nafeek appeared at Dawadmi High Court since the baby’s death in May 2005. The court first sentenced her to death in June 2007; the ruling was then appealed a month later. In December 2007, the Cassation Court sent the case back to Dawadmi. In March this year, the Dawadmi court sent the case to the Supreme Judicial Council, which ordered judges to hear the defense attorney’s objections.

Nafeek came to the Kingdom through an unidentified placement agency, which — in violation of Sri Lankan and international laws on trafficking minors — forged the age on her passport to make it appear she was 23.

Nafeek’s birth certificate states she was born on Feb. 4, 1988, meaning she was 17 when she came to the Kingdom.

The family maintains that Nafeek committed premeditated murder. On the day of the baby’s death, the Sri Lankan housemaid was taken to a police station in Dawadmi where she is alleged to have signed a murder confession.

FM's call for combating terrorism in BIMSTEC countries

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama has emphasised the need for enhanced cooperation among Member States of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to combat terrorism.

The Minister expressed his ideas addressing the tenth session of the BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi on Friday (August 29). The Foreign Minister said, "Terrorism is an abominable phenomenon that affects all of us, big and small, directly or indirectly, today. Terrorist groups network with one another globally. Their operations, in our own experience include fund raising through the narcotic trade, human smuggling, procurement of arms and ammunition, and money laundering, all of which pose a grave threat to our societies in more ways than one.

Sri Lanka views the BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism, Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking as an important landmark of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Sector, which would intensify our cooperative efforts in combating terrorism.

The Group on intelligence sharing relating to Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime has had two meetings in Colombo. These meetings have been useful in exploring ways and means to share information to combat terrorism and transnational crime. Enhancement of cooperation in all sectors relating to combating terrorism is crucial. I therefore emphasize the urgent and dire need to further enhances cooperation within BIMSTEC in this important area", Bogollagama said. BIMSTEC had its origin in BIST-EC, when Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand joined to form this new sub-regional grouping in June 1997 in Bangkok. In December 1997, Myanmar was admitted as a full member and subsequently Bhutan and Nepal were admitted to its ranks in 2003.

At the first Summit in July 2004, the leaders of the group agreed on the new nomenclature. Minister Bogollagama held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from India, Pranab Mukherjee, Thailand, Tej Bunnag, Myanmar, U Nyan Win and Nepal, Upendra Yadav, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting. He is also scheduled to call on the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh prior to his return to Colombo.

NCE Export Awards in September

The National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) Export Awards will be held on September 26 at the Hilton Colombo.

The Annual Export Awards conducted by the NCE, is the most glamorous and looked forward to event in the business calendar of Sri Lanka.

The NCE which is the only Chamber exclusively serving Sri Lankan exporters has been conducting this event since 1993 annually. It recognises and rewards export excellence of Sri Lankan exporters, who make an indispensable and vital contribution for the sustenance of the economy.

This year the Chamber received around 140 applications.

Award winners are selected from each of the three major areas of Export of Products, Export of Business and Professional Services and Suppliers and Service Providers to Exporters.

Enterprises which are selected for awards are sub divided into Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large categories to ensure a level playing field for enterprises by comparing the achievements of enterprises of similar size.

The export of products which has been the main area recognised from the inception of the scheme has undergone several refinements to recognise the contribution made to national exports by emerging new product sub sectors such as manufactured jewellery and processed food products.

The export of business and professional services area gives special recognition to the export of financial, educational, medical and legal services, consultancy services, ship repair services, development and export of software and IT related services, services provided by call centres and employment agencies, as it has potential to develop into a major export area as in the case of the apparel sector which has developed to comprise almost 50 percent of Sri Lankan exports over the last two decades.

Fresh attack on LTTE defences; 1 killed, 7 wounded - Muhamalai

Security forces have launched a fresh attack targeting LTTE bunker defences in general area Muhamalai killing one terrorist and injuring 7 others in early hours this morning, 31 August.

Troops have launched this attack around 2.45 a.m on selected terror points observing their activities. Terror transmission also confirmed their damages, intercepted LTTE communication revealed.

HR agencies silent over LTTE's human shield - Karuna Amman

The former military commander of the LTTE and Leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan has called upon international human rights agencies and the UN to urge the LTTE to free innocent civilians as the LTTE is now rounding up civilians to make its human shield for its last stage of the battle in Kilinochchi.

The TMVP Leader also called upon human rights agencies and the UN for a strong commitment to prevent these civilians dying in the battlefronts in Kilinochchi.

Muralitharan, who was better known as Colonel Karuna Amman, accused the international human rights organisations of ignoring the plight of these civilians who are being forcibly used in the battlefronts. "I know the mindset of Velupillai Prabhakaran better than any one else. He is now under severe tension as the LTTE is getting badly defeated. He will use this human shield for his survival," he told the Sunday Observer.

According to Muralitharan, over 200,000 people are suffering in Kilinochchi and they are being forcefully kept by the LTTE as the Tigers have closed all possible routes to government controlled areas. He questioned the role played by the international human rights agencies and the UN to highlight the sufferings of these people.

He said, "so far none of these agencies has protested that the LTTE is using civilians as a human shield. They always clamour for human rights when the security forces are heading for Tiger strongholds. Why are they now so silent", the one-time most trustworthy LTTE Leader of Prabhakaran queried.

Muralitharan who broke away from the LTTE accused the LTTE of ill-treating the Eastern cadres and added that the LTTE still keeps over 300 Eastern cadres with the outfit and does not allow them to flee to government controlled areas. "These people are denied all basic human rights and conscription goes on unabated as the LTTE cadres die in the battlefields in numbers", he said.

He said that the LTTE has ordered all government and private sector employees to undergo weapons training and attributed this as a gross violation of human rights as most of these civilians were not properly trained in the use of offensives. "They are being sent forcibly while keeping their loved ones in LTTE custody. These civilians are not left with any option other than to die in the fierce battlefronts", he said.

"Why can't they have a strong lobby against the LTTE", he said.

Muralitharan said that according to information the LTTE leadership had called Pottu Amman to the Muhamalai front.

"He is not a good leader in the battlefront and he does not know anything about ground battles. He has mastered killing people by planting bombs. Soosai has also been called to lead ground battles but he is not a good leader in ground battles", he said.

Meanwhile, Muralitharan who appreciated the efforts by the government to welcome civilians fleeing Kilinochchi said according to information people grouped in numbers are planning to flee terror stricken LTTE controlled areas.

He said that civilians would flee to government controlled areas without heeding LTTE's orders.

Giant's Tank to be rehabilitated after Mannar liberation

The World Bank has allocated Rs. 385 million to rehabilitate the Giant's Tank in the Mannar District under the Re-awakening project launched by the Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development, the Project Director, P. H. Sugathadasa said.

The tank which was the main reservoir in the Mannar district had been abandoned due to the conflict situation for the past two decades.

As a result of the channel system the tank has been filled with mud and its bund has been eroded due to lack of proper maintenance for a long period, he said.

The total capacity of the tank is 31,500 acre feet and it provides irrigation facilities for over 32,422 ha of paddy lands through 223 medium and small tanks in the area, he said.

With the completion of rehabilitation work on this project over 19,887 families will benefit and they would be able to cultivate their lands throughout the year, he said.

Forty Eight injured in Explosion Hospitalized

REPORTS RECEIVED from National Hospital COLOMBO revealed that a few more civilians with injuries sustained in the explosion on the OLCOTT Mawatha, COLOMBO this morning have sought admission for treatment by 2.30 p.m..

Forty one males and seven females including two children were treated at the National Hospital after they were brought in.

According to initial investigations, the explosive device had been placed at a wayside stall where wristwatches were kept for sale.

Police together with Security Forces are conducting further investigations.

Journalists work in climate of fear say media groups

By Chathuri Dissanayake and Damith Wickramasekara,


Media organisations have come out strongly in condemnation of an attack last week by a group of medical students on two photographers and a video cameraman. The journalists, who were conducting random interviews relating to the marking of Advanced-level exam papers, were attacked by students in the vicinity of the Bloemfontein Men’s Hostel of the University of Colombo’s medical faculty, in Colombo 7.

The media groups, who have demanded a full police enquiry, say the government has created an atmosphere that puts journalists in jeopardy. Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association secretary Podddala Jayantha said the government should take responsibility for having created a volatile environment that was dangerous for the media to work in. “A culture where people assault any journalist with a camera or a notebook has been created in our society,” he said. “This is a serious situation, and the government is responsible for it.”


Colombo university medical students give their statements to the Cinnamon Gardens Police Station.
Mr. Jayantha said the country had reached a point where the public believed that journalists could be manhandled and assaulted and their equipment damaged or stolen and that nothing would be done about it.

“The government has worked towards establishing a Mervyn Silva-media culture in the country,” Mr. Jayantha said. “This is why medical students assaulted journalists who were collecting material for a current news matter.”

According to Jatila Wellabada, secretary of the Editors Guild of Sri Lanka, incidents of this kind occurred because of apathy on the part of the authorities in cases relating to violence towards media people. He said that such indifference even suggested that the harassment of journalists would be condoned. “They make the best use of the journalists, and then attack them. This is a regrettable situation,” he said.

Mr. Wellabada called on politicians and responsible citizens to take action against harassment of the media, pointing out that freedom of expression reflected a free society. “Media freedom is strong evidence of democracy and a free society. No one here understands what a free media really is,” he said.

Sri Lanka Photojournalists Association president SriLal Gomes said the state had a responsibility to reassure the people that incidents of this kind would not recur. “First, politicians started assaulting journalists, and now civilians are following their bad example. This should not be allowed to happen. We are asking the government to conduct an independent inquiry and punish the wrongdoers. We are waiting for the state to take action,” he said.

Media organisations are threatening union action if the government failed to take action. “If the police do not take action, we will take action against the police,” Mr. Jayantha said. The assault on three journalists, representing the Lankadeepa daily newspaper and Sirasa TV, occurred on Thursday. Reporters Yamuna Gallearachchi and Janaka Gallappaththi were interviewing members of the public about the ongoing marking of A-Level exam papers.

According to Ms. Gallearachchi, the incident occurred just after the reporters had finished interviewing two students and a family in the vicinity of Carey College, and had stopped to talk to a medical student who was on his way to the medical faculty hostel. The medical student, Nadun Kiribathgoda of Kolonnawa, had agreed to be interviewed.

Photojournalist Ms. Gallappaththi said she had asked the student to turn in the direction of the medical faculty hostel for a photograph, saying she needed to angle her camera away from the glare of the sun. When the reporters were about to leave, they were approached by a young man, dressed in shorts and a shirt, who demanded to know with whose permission they had taken the photographs.

“We were on the road, and none of the photographs we took showed any building in the background. Janaka [Gallappaththi] presented his media ID and explained that the student had given his permission for the photograph. The picture we took did not include the hostel. Janaka further explained that only the student’s profile would appear in the published photo, without any background structures showing,” Ms. Gallearachchi said.

The man in shorts, later identified by the university as a security guard, then attempted to seize the camera from Mr. Galappaththi, at which point Mr. Galappaththi backed away. As he was moving away, he took a snapshot of the man in shorts for reference.

“Janaka then fell, and the man tried to grab the camera, and then others came and started to beat Janaka,” Ms. Gallearachchi said. “They then went back into the university premises, taking with them the camera equipment. We stopped outside the gate of the hostel and asked for the camera. In the meantime, we called the Sirisa office, and we also called 119. The police came on the scene some time later.”

According to Ms. Gallearachchi, a group of medical students emerged from the hostel and surrounded Mr. Galappaththi and started assaulting him. Meanwhile, other students started to threaten and hurl abuse at Ms. Gallage.

“All the while, we remained outside the university premises. When the police arrived, they put us inside their jeep,” Ms. Gallearachchi said.

Lankadeepa’s Shantha Rathnayake, the other photojournalist, said that when he arrived on the scene he saw both Mr. Galappatti and Ms. Gallearachchi standing on the road and being harassed by students.

“I saw the Sirasa cameraman recording the incident. I quickly took a few photographs, put my camera away inside my vehicle, and ran to help the Sirasa journalist who was being attacked by a crowd of about 50 students. I couldn’t do anything. They dragged him into the hostel premises and continued to attack him.”

Lankadeepa’s Mr. Rathnayake said the police arrived before the students could turn on him, but found his camera equipment missing when he returned to the van. Dushantha Manoj, another Sirasa TV employee, said that when he arrived on the scene, he saw Mr. Galappatti being attacked.

“I immediately started to record the incident. The students then came up to me and grabbed my camera. I showed them my ID and told them I had come to help my friend. They seized my ID and hit me. Some police officers were looking on as I was dragged into the hostel grounds and beaten up. Shortly after, police officers intervened and put me into their jeep.”

The medical students, on the other hand, have a different story to tell. According to Medical Faculty Students’ Union president Kasun Weerakkody, the Lankadeepa journalists had forced their way into the hostel premises, and refused to produce any kind of identification. “The photojournalist would not identify himself, and acted aggressively towards our sub-warden, who was only doing his duty. We got involved in order to defuse a tense situation,” he said.

He added that the Sirasa TV journalist had attempted to film the university premises without permission.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, the University of Colombo vice-chancellor, Shanika Hirimburegama, said she would decide on what action to take once she had received the police report on the incident.
She added the university required permission through the proper channels for photographs to be taken of the university. “We are in high security zone,” she explained.

Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara told the newspaper that the police had already submitted a report on the incident to courts.

“All parties involved have been ordered to appear in court on October 10. Meanwhile, we are continuing our police investigations,” he said.

They are supposed to heal, not wound: Publishers

The Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka issued a statement condemning the assault on three journalists by students of the Medical Faculty last week.

‘It is with a sense of regret and even greater concern, that the Newspaper Society unreservedly condemns the meaningless assault on Lankadeepa Journalists Gallappaththi and Gallearachchi, and Sirasa correspondent Manoj Dushantha. This violence was perpetrated by a group of students of the Medical Faculty’ the statement said.

The Newspaper Society further said the public pays for the education of these students in the anticipation that they will be the healers of the future. Instead they have chosen to be those inflicting injury on this occasion, on media personnel who were merely going about their duties. ‘Students of the Medical Faculty comprise the elite of our youth who must aspire to the highest levels of professionalism in their discipline. The crude behaviours of some of them, have cast a sad reflection on the entire faculty,’ it said.

Infection has spread: Editors Guild

The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka has condemned the attack by Medical Faculty students on two photographers and a video cameraman and pointed out that failure to take action against high profile individuals have created an atmosphere for sections in low ranks to carry out attacks on journalists.
The statement said: The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka vehemently condemns the despicable attack on four journalists and seizing of their camera equipment, by a group claiming to be students from the Medical Faculty and security personnel of the faculty hostel.

The Guild does not approve of these continuing acts of violence and intimidation targeting journalists and requests immediate legal action against those responsible.

In recent times journalists have been subject to assault and abduction. Action not being taken against the perpetrators of these crimes has resulted in an increase of such incidents. It was high profile individuals who were behind a majority of violence against journalists in the recent past. However, since no action was taken against any of these individuals, the infection has spread to others.

This trend of intimidating the media by persons of all walks of life has a negative effect on the freedom of expression of a democratic society. The Guild will continue to support the action taken against this trend by various media personnel and organisations.

LTTE body found in Kahatagasdigiliya

The body of a member of the LTTE team that attacked Padaviya Police post last morning, was found in Kahatagasdigiliya with gunshot injuries last night. Police fired at the LTTE cadres when they attacked the police post.

India trains Lankan police

A team of 125 Sri Lankan police personnel today landed in Chennai en route to New Delhi for a month's training. The team, which had come from Baticola, would be leaving for Delhi later in the day.

Jaffna MC polls to be held soon

In the wake of the Eastern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council elections, the government is now planning to hold elections to the Jaffna Municipal Council to gauge public opinion in the northern capital, a Minister said yesterday.

EPDP leader and Social Services Minister Douglas Devananda said the election would be conducted soon and the government was holding a series of discussions to work out the preliminaries. “We will be able to conduct it before the end of this year.

This is to test the waters in the peninsula,” Mr. Devananda who represents the Jaffna district as an MP said and added that this would be followed by elections to the Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas in the district.

He said in lighter vein that this election would be a battle between him and TULF leader V. Anandasangaree.

The elections to the Jaffna Municipal Council were last held in 1998 after the peninsula was liberated from the LTTE. The TULF won the elections at the time and took over the administration of the council.

TULF member Sarojani Yogeswaran was elected Mayor but she was gunned down allegedly by the LTTE soon after her election to office.

Her successor K. Sivapalan also died in a bomb blast in September 1998 that targeted a Jaffna meeting between the councilors and security officials. He was succeeded by parliamentarian N. Raviraj.

Meanwhile, EPRLF leader P. Sritharan said that he too had heard about government plans to hold elections.

“We will definitely contest if there is an election,” he said.

SLRCS in solidarity with flood victims in Bihar State India by making a cash donation

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society made a donation of CHF 10000 (US dollars 9100) to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on 30th of August for utilization in its services in the emergency phase in multilateral programming aimed at the recent flood affected people in Bihar State in India.

SLRCS made this donation from the money generated through public donations and cooperate funding collected through the Emergency Disaster Response Fund of the Society.

President of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society Jagath Abeysinghe handed over the cheque to Paul Emes, Head of Delegation, IFRC Colombo to send it to Regional Office in India.

Mr. Emes while thanking the SLRCS for the contribution said that this was a sign of Federation had become global. He recalled that the SLRCS had made similar donations when people affected by disasters in China and Myanmar.

National Secretary of the Red Cross Society S.H.Nimal Kumar was also present at the handing over.