Government must take responsibility of Maheshwaran's case- UNP

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
The United National Party condemns killing of UNP parliamentarian T.Maheswaran and said the government must take responsibility of this case.
Secretary General of the UNP Tissa Attanayaka said the government reduced Mr.Maheshwaran’s security after the MP criticized the government affairs and arrest of innocent Tamils. During the Parliament a heated debate was erupted between United National Party (UNP) MP, T. Maheshwaran and government's Chief Whip Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle at the parliament today on the arrest and detention of Tamil people during the search operations conducted recently.
The UNP MP urged the government that it must take immediate actions to release those innocent Tamil civilians who have been detained by the government. He requested the government to hand over the children who have been detained to him so that he can arrange them transport to their native places. MP Maheshwaran also noted that whereabouts of 19 people who said to have arrested recently are not known. He also revealed that there are many Sinhalese and Muslims among the arrested.
Mr.Maheswaran was also a victim during the last General election and he was shot and seriously wounded by unidentified gunmen in downtown Colombo. Mr. Maheswaran was fired at by the gunmen when he was returning after an election campaign meeting in the crowded suburb of Jinnthupitiya , Colombo.
He was killed in a shooting that took place near the Sivam Kovil in Kortahena on Monday morning.Media Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the incident occurred around 10.00 a.m. The MP was seriously injured and admitted to the National Hospital. After the admission he was dead.
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Hope says two million people die due to water born diseases annually

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
Chairman of the Hopes International Charity Indra Deva Adithya says 1.1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, and nearly 2 million people die each year due to waterborne-related disease (90% of which are children under the age of 5.) By providing a source of clean, safe drinking water to those in need, we are preventing waterborne disease and circumventing the need to treat it. For those without access to doctors and antibiotics, this prevention is literally life saving.She explained these details according to their recent survey on water born diseases and said the second biggest killer of children in the world is neither malaria, nor tuberculosis, nor AIDS - its diarrhoea.
In the past 10 years diarrhoea has killed more children than all the people lost to armed conflict since World War II.
In 1998, 308,000 people died from war in Africa, but more than two million (six times as many) died of diarrhoeal diseases.
In China, India and Indonesia twice as many people are dying from diarrhoeal diseases as from HIV/AIDS
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that diarrhoea and respiratory infections are responsible for two thirds of child deaths.
UNICEF estimates that diarrhoea alone kills one child every 30 seconds.

Millennium Development Goals
4. Reduce child mortality
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Causes of Diarrhoea
The prevention of microbiological contamination in water is the measure likely to have the greatest impact. Microbiological contamination in water means contamination by disease-causing organisms (pathogens).

Preventative measures

There are many high cost methods being used to prevent diarrhoeal diseases: the promotion of breastfeeding, adequate complementary feeding, measles immunization, safe water supply, and safe faeces disposal.
Improved water quality reduces childhood diarrhoea by 15-20% and better hygiene through hand washing and safe food handling reduces it by 35% Hand washing .
A recent study in 2003 suggests that hand washing with soap, particularly after contact with faeces reduces diarrhoeal incidence by 42-47 percent, while other ongoing work suggests a 30 percent reduction in respiratory infections is possible through hand washing.
In developing countries most households have soap but only 15-20% of people routinely use it to wash their hands at appropriate times. The cause of low hand washing rates is rarely a lack of soap. Soap is present in the vast majority of households worldwide, but it is commonly used for bathing and laundry, not hand washing. Lack of water is usually not a problem either, as hands can be effectively washed with little, or recycled, water. In studies around the world, the main reason given why rates of hand washing with soap are so low is that it is simply not a habit.
Approximately one sixth of the world population - a total of 1.1 billion people - remain without access to a clean water supply, however studies have shown that hand-cleansing with soap improves hand cleanliness even when contaminated water is used or hands are dried on clothing.
When hygiene promotion is combined with access to improved water supply and sanitation, the estimated cost is only US$ 3 per household per year for each averted case of diarrhoea in children under five. When no water and sanitation facilities are provided, the cost of promoting good hygiene is obviously higher. However, it costs only US$ 6 per household per year to keep a child free from diarrhoea when hygiene is improved without the costs of hardware.
Due to the fact that hand washing can prevent the transmission of a variety of pathogens, it may be more effective than any single vaccine. Promoted on a wide-enough scale, hand washing with soap could be thought of as a ‘do-it-yourself’ vaccine.

Public-Private Partnerships

Because both the public and private sectors have an interest in promoting hand washing, country programs usually take the form of a public-private partnership (PPP). While the public sector can be wary of working with industry and the private sector sceptical that working with government would produce significant results, both sectors stand to gain from cooperation.
(Used in Guatemala effectively - Following the introduction of the Guatemalan Handwashing Initiative in 1998, there were 322,000 fewer cases of diarrhoea each year amongst the 1.5 million children under 5 nationwide in the country's lowest income groups)
SODIS, Solar Water Disinfection
An estimated 1.1 billion people rely on unsafe drinking-water sources. Even more are likely to be using microbiologically contaminated water if one takes into account re-contamination during water collection and transport, the use of unsafe storage vessels and poor hygiene.
The following technologies are regarded as ‘improved water supply’: household connection, public standpipe, borehole, protected dug well, protected spring, rainwater collection. The water quality in improved water supply systems often is affected from unreliable operation and lack of maintenance, or the water is subject to secondary contamination during collection, transport and storage. So while the countries in the world that are now classified as having improved water supply do have access to water, more efforts are required to make that water safe for drinking.
SODIS, Solar Water Disinfection, improves the microbiological quality of drinking water, using solar UV-A radiation and temperature to inactivate pathogens causing diarrhoea
The Method
The Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) process is a simple technology used to improve the microbiological quality of drinking water. SODIS uses solar radiation to destroy pathogenic micro-organisms which cause water borne diseases. SODIS is ideal to treat small quantities of water. Contaminated water is filled into transparent plastic bottles and exposed to full sunlight for six hours.
Sunlight is treating the contaminated water through two synergetic mechanisms: Radiation in the spectrum of UV-A (wavelength 320-400nm) and increased water temperature. If the water temperatures raises above 50°C, the disinfection process is three times faster.
Benefits
Uses solar radiation to clean biologically infected drinking water. Uses cheap, readily available containers such as clear glass or plastic bottles or bags. No or extremely low costs. Ideal for household quantities. Traditional and tested historical method. Saves on electricity bills as it is used a substitute for boiling water to remove bacteria. Needs clear water, turbid water must be filtered to remove particles. Needs daylight from clear or cloudy sky. Needs organized exposure of containers. Exposure time varies depending on latitude and strength of daylight. A survey assessing the socio-cultural acceptance of SODIS revealed that users appreciate the sustainable and simple water treatment method. An average of 84% of the users stated that they will certainly continue to use SODIS after the conclusion of the demonstration projects. About 13% of the users consider to maybe use it in the future, while only 3% refuse to use SODIS as their health is not affected by the present water quality
Promotion of SODIS

Who are the promoters?
The promoters are the contact persons between the local population and the institution that wishes to disseminate SODIS. The promoters transmit the knowledge on SODIS and they are the ones to verify the correct application of the method.
What do the promoters do?
The promoters teach the correct application of Solar Water Disinfection. By regularly making home visits, the promoters check the application of SODIS and correct possible mistakes made by the users.
What kind of knowledge must the promoters have?
As SODIS is a method to improve the quality of drinking water, it is important, that the promoters have good knowledge about all issues related with water and sanitation. They must be able to explain local communities the relation between the quality of drinking water, safe handling of water, contamination of water, disposal of excreta, and the effects on health. The promoters must have knowledge on water sources and water distribution systems and the problems connected with maintenance. They must understand different methods and possibilities to disinfect drinking water at central or household level and know the advantages and disadvantages of the different water treatment methods.

What kinds of qualifications are required from a promoter?
As the promoters are the ones who are in direct contact with the population, they must have a very good and clear understanding of SODIS and general hygiene practices. They must be able to transmit their knowledge to people with little or no school education. Therefore it is important that the promoters are familiar with the local community and have a good relation with the people. They must be able to speak the local language, have good communication skills and an active personality. The promoters have to be able to start and guide group discussions.
Practical examples
In the 1990s Conroy conducted health impact studies with Maasai communities in Kenya and found a 16% reduction of diarrhoeal illnesses among children under 5 and a 24% reduction of severe diarrhoea among children of families that used SODIS treated water
A study in Bolivia in 2003 showed that the consumption of SODIS treated water has a significant impact on health: children of families regularly using SODIS, had 35% less diarrhoea
Health centres of the local government in East Lombok, Indonesia introduced SODIS in more than 60 villages during 20 months (2003-2004). Two thirds of the population, 80,000 people, now use SODIS for the treatment of their drinking water. Water quality tests have shown that the average contamination with E.coli of 164 CFU/ 100ml has been reduced to an average contamination of 4 CFU/ 100 ml. The data on diarrhoea incidence gathered by the health centres showed that diarrhoea in the local population has been reduced by 73%.
The Nepalese NGO ENPHO disseminates SODIS since 2002 in the Kathmandu valley and the Terai flatland of Nepal. A diarrhoea reduction of about 50% among children below 5 years was achieved among the 5000 families trained in SODIS. A similar effect was observed during a health study among children below 5 years in Uzbekistan. Children of SODIS users had a reduction of diarrhoea incidence of 53%, whereas in the control group the occurrence of diarrhoea illnesses increased.
SODIS health impact study was implemented from February to August 2002 in the urban slum in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The research team assessed diarrhoeal morbidity in children under 5 years. 100 children were assigned to drink SODIS treated water. The diarrhoea incidence of SODIS users was reduced by 40% as compared to the 100 children within the control group
Why use both?
Interventions simultaneously addressing different contamination routes such as water- or surface transmission as well as secondary contamination, are more effective. Furthermore, if general hygiene education is disseminated at the same time as the technology, other main transmission routes such as person-to-person and food borne transmission can be prevented. Multiple interventions can thus achieve a considerable effect on the population’s health.
Hygiene education messages should be positive and build on the local cultural knowledge, beliefs and values. Before people adopt a new hygiene practice, they will ask themselves how the new practice fits into their ideas and affects their lives. They will adopt a new practice, if they believe that the practice has net benefits for health or other benefits, and if they consider these benefits to be important.
Connection with preventing Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs)

Cause nearly 4 million deaths each year yet approaches to preventing deaths have been curative as opposed to preventative. Need to focus on reduction in transmission of the infections not just in treatment.
The link between diarrhoeal diseases and ARIs is that the pathogens which cause diarrhoea can also cause respiratory symptoms. This is true particularly of the enteric viruses, such as those which cause ‘gastric flu’. The second connection is that both respiratory and enteric pathogens are often transmitted on surfaces and that the surface we most often use to inoculate ourselves with infection is the skin of our hands.
The link between hand washing and ARI is more than a hypothesis for speculation. A quick search of the literature found six studies, all showing that hand washing reduced the risk of ARIs to a significant degree. However, all were conducted in industrialized countries

Strategy
Promotion of appropriate hand hygiene is complex. Successful promotion in health-care settings requires system change, education and motivation of caregivers, leadership, administrative support, and, in some instances, empowerment of patients. Multimodal interventions have more chance of success than programmes focusing on a single element and have sustained effects, for example: intensive ongoing education and encouragement, distribution of free soap, and focused group discussion.
End

UNP parliamentarian killed in Colombo

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
UNP parliamentarian T.Maheshwaran [42] was killed by a unknownn gunman at a religious ceromany held in Kotahena Hindu Temple this morning.
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Pakistan's politics to be played out in Britain

By Matthew d'Ancona
"Even now that the full sorrow of this terrible event is inescapable, it is still too soon to weigh up the consequences or foresee the future." Harold Macmillan's tribute to his friend John F Kennedy hours after his assassination on November 22, 1963, has fresh resonance this weekend as the world reels once again from the murder of a glamorous political dynast.
One of JFK's favourite poems was Alan Seeger's I Have a Rendezvous with Death. On Thursday, Benazir Bhutto kept a rendezvous that was both long predicted and deeply shocking.
No longer prime minister when he wrote his tribute, Macmillan was able to express his bewilderment and disorientation more candidly than would have been possible if he had still been in Downing Street.His reaction was therefore psychologically authentic, capturing the frisson of empathy and fear that courses down the spine of any world leader when they hear such news.
To head a government - or to seek to regain high office, in Ms Bhutto's case - is to join a very exclusive global club of human targets: those who risk extinction simply by turning up to work in the morning. On Thursday, each of them thought: there but for the grace of God.
At such moments, all politicians claim that ordinary politics has been suspended by grief, that the world needs time to mourn and heal before normal service is resumed. Scratch the surface, however, and politics is invariably fizzing away: odds are laid, positions tested and action prepared.
In this case, one did not have to scratch very far.
The lead was taken in the US, where Barack Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, said that his candidate had opposed the war in Iraq precisely because it would divert resources from the fight against al-Qa'eda and its affiliates.
"Senator Clinton made a different judgment, so let's have that discussion," declared Mr Axelrod - as close as he could get to saying that Hillary pulled the trigger, without actually doing so.
In Westminster, with no election imminent, the politics is less explicit. But it is there all the same.
On Friday, Nirj Deva, a Tory MEP and spokesman on international development, broke cover on the website conservativehome.blogs.com in order to apportion blame.
"Through their collective failure to crack down on the extremism that is Pervez Musharraf's dictatorship," he wrote, "Western governments have not just Benazir Bhutto's blood on their hands… but that of scores of civilians who have died in terrorist attacks around the world."
The significance of Mr Deva's outburst is that he said in public what many more senior Tories are saying in private. "We are heading towards an appeasement mentality," one shadow cabinet member told me. "I just don't think Brown focuses on this in any sort of systematic way."
In the week before Ms Bhutto's assassination, the Conservatives had been harrying the Prime Minister on the question of prospective negotiations with the Taliban.
Now, in the wake of fresh bloodshed, Gordon Brown faces a much more pressing series of questions about an Islamic nuclear power that may yet become a failed state.
Principally, he must decide how far and with what conditions to back George W Bush's Pakistan policy - which has been, for six years, "Musharraf, right or wrong."
In particular, the PM must decide how intensively, and how publicly, the British Government should now deal with Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (N): a calculation which has been made more complex by Sharif's pledge to boycott elections if they go ahead on January 8.
Mr Bush's loyalty to Pakistan's president is longstanding and deep, born in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. How Mr Brown handles the Musharraf Question may well be the first real test of the supposedly recalibrated special relationship.
The PM will be mindful that Tony Blair's alliance with Bush over the Lebanese conflict was the proximate cause of the September coup against him in 2006.
While it is hardly likely that Labour backbenchers will rise up against Gordon if he makes the wrong call over Pakistan, the PM will not want to be seen to be supporting a failed presidency in Islamabad merely to placate a failed presidency in Washington.
What has this to do with domestic British politics? Everything. Mr Brown likes to say that "over there is now here" - a more demotic version of Mr Blair's doctrine of global "interdependence". There could be no more vivid illustration of this principle than the fate of Pakistan in 2008.
What happens next there has huge implications for security and the fight against fundamentalism elsewhere, not least in Britain. The prospective disintegration of Pakistan dramatises the integration of the modern world.
Lest we forget: the aspiration to create a Pakistani democracy, founded on the rule of law and anchored by prosperity, is challenged by ancestral forces that have turned this most fragile of states into a breeding ground for jihad.
In April, the Operation Crevice trial ended with the jailing of five men who had plotted to bomb a shopping centre, nightclub and the gas network. Four of the defendants had trained at the same terrorist camp in Pakistan. Three of the four July 7 bombers visited Pakistan in the year before the London attacks.
Omar Bakri Muhammad, the banned Islamist preacher, has described this outsourced training of British jihadis as "National Service" and "part of a young Muslim's religious obligations". These "obligations" include learning how to make bombs, handle rocket-propelled grenades and fire an AK-47.
Over the summer, a 46-minute video-tape was released depicting 250 graduates of one such training camp near the Afghan-Pakistani border, including speeches in English by recruits. "We are not only fighting in Afghanistan," said the Taliban leader Mullah Mansoor.
"We will commit suicidal attacks and we will destroy [the West's] national assets."
Indeed, so direct is the "conveyor belt" between the two countries that one protagonist in the Crevice case forgot the crucial ratios required to mix the explosives and emailed a contact in Pakistan direct for assistance.
Pakistan is both finishing school for British terrorists, and provider of the helpline once operations are up and running.
During 2008, Mr Brown will try to persuade the Commons to extend the maximum pre-charge detention period for terror suspects from 28 to 42 days. He will seek to ratify an EU Treaty that will alter, yet again, the rules of the game governing migration.
As he struggles to restore control of our borders, he will be conscious that 60 per cent of non-EU immigrants are now Muslims: this underpins his concern that the battle for "hearts and minds" be fought at home as well as abroad.
All these, and other controversies, will be made more vivid by the assassination of Ms Bhutto. Hers will be the ghost in the Commons, admonishing MPs to remember what the Islamist enemy is willing to do; that, as much as we would like it to be otherwise, this is a conflict without rules and without limit, in which disengagement is only an option for the deluded.
And, for now at least, the frontline of this conflict is in Pakistan. Already the crucible of jihad, it is an adolescent nation, armed with nuclear weapons, on the verge of collapse.
Benazir Bhutto's rendezvous with death was a reminder of history's caprice: the geopolitical and the personal are often perilously intertwined.
Imagine, if you will, a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing. Well, this is the very opposite. On the eve of 2008, Pakistan is quite simply the most important country in the world.
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Second Construction Trade Mission will visit Qatar in Feb 2008

by Dakshitha Talgodapitiya
Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka (CCI) will facilitate the visit of the second trade mission to the State of Qatar during the second week of February 2008 consequent to the satisfactory results in terms of Business Leads acquired by members of the delegation who visited Qatar during the period 2nd to 5th November 2007 and in view of the prevailing high demand for professional services and contracting capacities from Sri Lanka.

Since CCI has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the proposed mission will seek the collaboration of the Qatar Chamber.

CCI has already established a Special Division for promotion of construction related professional services and contracting capacities, which will provide fee based professional services such as company registration, business registration, equity structuring, compliance with statutory requirements etc. in the State of Qatar.

CCI will also intervene with the Sri Lankan Government and Statutory Authorities to resolve any issues that could impede export of construction related professional services.

The Chamber will carry out an extensive awareness building programme, well ahead of the mission and shall identify potential clients matching the requirements of the members of the mission in order to establish meaningful business linkages.

Such efforts will include Publication of a Mission Directory, Documentary Film of 7 minutes duration, Series of News Releases, Media Conference and Direct Mail to 150 selected companies, in addition to use of Bankers and International Firms of Chartered Accountants to establish linkages.

A professional marketing consultant is also deployed on a success fee basis to facilitate linkage building.

The trade mission will be confined to a maximum of 25 organizations representing firms of Architects, Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Civil Engineering Contractors, Specialized Contractors such as M.E.P., Piling, Interior Decor and landscaping Manufacturers and Vendors furniture of Construction inputs including furniture and accessories.

THE SIREN CALL OF WAR IN THE NEW YEAR

by Jehan Perera
Sri Lanka’s neigbourhood gave an indication of the directions open to the country in the new year. In Nepal, the government and Maoist rebels came to an amicable negotiated agreement on the abolishing of the monarchy and establishing a federal state. Maoist leader Prachanda is also reported to have advised the LTTE to give up violence and enter into the democratic process. On the other hand, the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan showed how violence can suddenly change the political landscape and add to a chaotic situation from which it is going to be difficult to re-emerge. If Christmas symbolizes the never ending hope of humanity for redemption from evil circumstances and for a new beginning, such sentiment was not in evidence during the Christmas season from either the Government of Sri Lanka or the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who continued their pitched battles for territory without any let up. The major casualties reported came in the ground battles, but there were also sea battles and air bombing. The Christmas spirit of love, peace and joy was also far from the utterances of top government leaders at the close of the old year. This may account for Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake’s assertion that the new year would be dedicated to the comprehensive defeat and total elimination of the LTTE. In a statement given prominence in the state media he pledged that the celebrations for 2008 would be on account of the LTTE being totally destroyed and wiped out to restore peace and dignity to all communities. Members of the government appear to be confident that a relatively short time frame is required for the defeat of the LTTE. Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka posited that a kill rate of 10 per day would be able to ensure the defeat of the LTTE’s remaining 3000 to 5000 cadres in the Wanni. The key target appears to be Kilinochchi which is the current administrative capital of the LTTE. The capture of Kilinochchi would indeed be a big psychological blow to the LTTE. They would lose many of the trappings of the separate state they aspire to, which includes large buildings. At present Kilinochchi houses the LTTE’s administrative offices in which dignitaries from outside are hosted. Bt there is a serious danger that the government may be miscalculating the LTTE’s tenacity as a guerilla force and the Tamil people’s own commitment to a federal political solution, which the present government leadership has repeatedly said is impossible to offer. Although the LTTE stands severely discredited in the eyes of most of the world, and justifiably so, it still continues to be a formidable fighting machine. The LTTE has shown itself still capable of mobilising its cadres for suicide attacks. As an independent state of Tamil Eelam appears out of sight, the suffering and discrimination suffered by Tamil people is likely to be the continuing motivating factor. SERIOUS DANGER Top government leaders have been asserting that in a matter of a few months, less than a year, the war could be over. They are confident that the big powers of the world are behind them on account of the much bigger US-led war against terrorism. Although the US has moved to put restrictions on place against direct military aid to Sri Lanka on account of human rights abuses, its allies such as Pakistan stand ready to fill any military vacuum. Indirect Indian blessings to the government may be seen on account of the forthcoming visit to Sri Lanka of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to be the chief guest at the country’s 60th anniversary of Independence. As a result of their confidence the government does not appear to be interested in the slightest in trying to revive the peace process. Instead Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has said that the government can make a fresh start to address Tamil grievances by banning the LTTE and abolishing the Ceasefire Agreement which he said has become a joke. New proposals for a political solution would be put forward by the government after this was done, he said, although it is not clear why those proposals cannot be put forward before such actions are taken which would be the better course. Before the hubris of military victories clouds the judgment of the government leadership, there is a need to recall that even greater defeats inflicted on the LTTE in the past did not end the war. In 1995, the government under President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s leadership recaptured Jaffna city which had been under LTTE control and been made its administrative capital for close on five years. There was much jubilation in the government and the people were made to believe that the war would end soon. But it did not. On the contrary, after the capture of Jaffna the country was to experience the most costly phase of the war with the fall of major military bases, such as Mullaitivu, at the cost of thousands of lives and the loss of long range artillery guns and tanks. As the government forces spread thin to physically occupy more territory, their ability to defend themselves and government property against guerilla attack diminished. The country may be heading for a similar situation today, even though the LTTE has been broken up in the east and the government has access to superior surveillance and bunker busting bombs unlike in the past. The LTTE attack on the Anuradhapura airforce base two months ago was a harsh reminder of the cost of war both in terms of the lives lost and the aircraft destroyed.
The attack on the Anuradhapura air force base was also an indication that the theatre of military action cannot be confined to the contested north and east of the country. This has been seen in previous instances as well, such as the LTTE attack on Katunayake International Airport in 2001 and numerous bomb attacks in Colombo. While the political impact of the Anuradhapura disaster was contained by the government’s subsequent killing of LTTE political wing leader Thamilselvan, the economic consequences are being felt in the spiraling cost of living. Apart from the human cost, the economic cost of the attack will mean further and longer impoverishment of the country and its people. INHERENT DANGER The government appears to be glossing over these lessons from the past also on account of its dependence on its nationalist allies. The budget vote two weeks ago showed that the government no longer enjoys majority support in Parliament. It was the JVP’s abstention from the budget vote that gave the government its victory. But the JVP’s longer term support to the government is contingent on the government catering to the JVP’s own agenda of militaristic nationalism which is composed of anti minority and anti Western sentiment. Although the government may wish to present an acceptable political proposal to win the support of the international community and a section of the Tamil people, the JVP may continue to block it. Significantly Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s pronouncements on banning the LTTE and abrogating the Ceasefire Agreement conform to two of the JVP’s demands made prior to the budget vote and made a condition for their support. When the JVP initially made these demands the government resisted them, perhaps on account of its unwillingness to displease the international community by so clearly shutting the door to any prospects of a negotiated political settlement with the LTTE. However, it now appears that the government is ready to make the call of the JVP its own. Therefore it appears that the government is being compelled, by its own choices and the pressures exerted on it by its allies, to base its political future on the hope of a military victory. Any failure to make a military breakthrough in the next several months will mean that the government will find itself in a politically unsustainable position, with the economy in downward spiral. The danger inherent in the government’s position, especially in the event of a total rejection of the past peace process with the LTTE, is that it is paving the way for a fight to the finish where the costs can be terribly high, success is not guaranteed, and no fall back position will be available. If a situation of crisis and military stalemate develops, the only way out for the country will be a change of government policy in which the leadership is held by those committed to democratic values and to a negotiated political settlement. Such a problem solving leadership will also need to believe in the age old teaching that the sun shines on those deemed to be good and bad alike, and therefore uphold the need for peaceful coexistence as in Nepal. Sri Lanka does have such a leadership, although they are not in positions of power in the government at the present time.
End

More to rebuilding than reconstruction

By Paul O'Callaghan

HOW can aid donors assess the success or failure of Australian non-profit aid agencies in their tsunami responses? How do agencies know when to withdraw from the various tsunami-affected countries?
The answer to both questions is much the same as if we were talking about a response to an Australian bushfire disaster: we need to listen to what local communities say. In the case of the 30 Australian aid agencies working with hundreds of devastated communities, the message has been emphatically positive.
Unlike some Australian commentators who appear to believe there are ideological conspiracies afoot, the community leaders with whom Australian agencies work have urged them to continue their work there. In Sri Lanka, Caritas was awarded the Government's highest award for its tsunami response. The head of the Indonesian tsunami relief agency, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, has also been positive about agency contributions.
The fact that so many national, provincial and community leaders in tsunami-affected countries have expressed appreciation for the work of Australian agencies highlights the comprehensive approach they have taken to such a complex humanitarian response.
International agencies had never responded to a disaster of the scale and complexity of the 2004 tsunami. In addition to the 230,000 immediate deaths, millions of people were made homeless. Most of these people were traumatised because of the loss of many family members. Aceh and Sri Lanka had been mired in civil war for the preceding decades, with the two conflicts accounting for more than 100,000 deaths.
Australians familiar with the protracted conflicts in these communities before the tsunami would understand how difficult it is to achieve a sustainable humanitarian response to such a vast natural disaster. They also know the speed of the international response, including Australia's non-profit agencies, saved tens of thousands from death and disease. Contrary to popular myth, the type of work done by the 30 Australian aid agencies was determined jointly with local communities, not imposed on them. These communities didn't just seek help rebuilding houses and schools. They also wanted to help their traumatised people. This is why they continue to value programs related to psycho-social counselling, gender-related education, promotion of interfaith understanding and a range of civic development activity.
Could the tsunami response of governments, international agencies and non-profit agencies have achieved better outcomes? Probably, but we mustn't lose sight of the unprecedented combination of circumstances they faced.
The speedy response of Australian agencies saved many lives and helped local communities start the process of taking charge of their own reconstruction process. Much has been learned about planning for exceptionally complex responses, especially where communities have already been crippled by civil war.
Paul O'Callaghan is executive director of the Australian Council for International Development.
End

Emirates to talk to SriLankan

Two senior executives from Emirates Airline are due in Sri Lanka this week to try and restart negotiations over the renewal of the Dubai based carrier's management contract for SriLankan Airlines, reported Gulf News citing a local newspaper. Talks have been ongoing for 18 months but fell off the rails earlier this month after the Sri Lankan government revoked the work permit of Peter Hill, employed by Emirates as SriLankan's CEO.
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Another price hike by Shell Gas

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo

A leading gas distributor - Shell Gas Lanka Limited says the price of gas has to be increased due to the unprecedented rise of LP Gas prices in the world market.
Gas prices in the global market increased by 30 percent during the period of September to November this year. The price of 12.5-kilogram domestic Shell Gas cylinder will be 1,488 rupees in Colombo with effect from midnight on the 1st of January.
A 2.3-kilogram gas cylinder will be sold at 274 rupees. Shell Gas says the Consumers Affairs Authority has approved the new price revision in line with the Pricing Formula.
End

Child soldiers still being recruited in Lankan rebels

United Nations, (UNI) Separatist Tamil Tiger rebels and a breakaway group known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthali Pulikal (Karuna faction) continue to abduct children to fight as soldiers in the bloody ethnic conflict of Sri Lanka, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a new report.
Covering the period from November 1, 2006 to September 14, 2007, the 20-page report made public yesterday, noted that ''both parties have failed to cease the abduction, recruitment and use of children''.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the TMVP (Karuna faction) which split from the Tamil Tigers and now supports government troops have also failed to release all children associated with their forces and engage in transparent procedures for release and verification, which includes allowing the UN Task Force on monitoring and reporting full access to military locations under their control, Mr Ban wrote in the report.
Between November 1, 2006 and August 31, 2007, some 262 children were recruited by the LTTE, including 32 who were re-recruited, according to reports received by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
This represents a significant decrease as compared to the previous 12-month period, when 756 children were reportedly recruited, including 97 who were re-recruited.
Despite some advances in dialogue between UNICEF and the LTTE's so-called Child Protection Authority which deals with child recruitment issues, there have been several hurdles such as the LTTE's insistence that only children born after January 1, 1990 ''who are 17 years old'' would be released. This is in disregard to both international and national legal standards which state that 18 years is the minimum age of recruitment.
Meanwhile, the number of children recruited by the TMVP (Karuna faction) rose to 207 between November 1, 2006 and August 31, 2007 from 193 in the previous 12-month period, UNICEF said.
''Despite initial engagement on an action plan, the TMVP (Karuna faction) demonstrated bad faith on a number of occasions, including leading the United Nations to a falsified training camp in Batticaloa and re-recruiting children within days of releasing them in the presence of UNICEF,'' the report stated.
''As of September 2007, the TMVP (Karuna faction) has not demonstrated a full commitment to stop recruiting children and has not released all children within their ranks,'' it added.
Mr Ban applauded the Sri Lankan Government's creation in April 2007 of a special task force on children and armed conflict, and called on authorities to take measures to prevent armed groups' abduction and recruitment of children as soldiers and to secure the release of current child soldiers.
He urged all sides to abide by the recommendations of his previous report, in which he appealed for peace and for the cessation of the recruitment of children as soldiers.
End

SL government carts away CB's office

The year is ending on a sombre note for former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumratunga. All office equipment in her fortified house has been carted away by government workers following a Supreme Court ruling that former presidents were not entitled to residence and office at government expense.
The court's ruling had come way back in May, but the government issued an eviction notice only on Sep 30, significantly, after Kumaratunga had failed to invite President Mahinda Rajapaksa or his family for the grand reception she had held to celebrate the marriage of her daughter Yashodhara, The Sunday Times reported.
Hoards of government workers took away Kumaratunga's office equipment Thursday. At the time of the closure of her office, the ex-president had 25 government staff working for her.
Kumaratunga has had a bad run in the matter of retaining her office. In 2005, the Supreme Court upset her bid to get one more year as president. Earlier, her ambitious plan to get a new presidential palace cum office built over a large area at Madiwela in the outskirts of Colombo was thwarted by a public outcry.
The year-end has also been a season of expulsions of high profile foreigners from Sri Lanka.
Following the cancellation of the work permit given to Peter Hill, the British CEO of national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines, earlier this month, the government expelled Norbert Ropers, director of the controversial Swiss-German funded Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies.
Hill had declined to accommodate a last minute request from president Rajapaksa's office for 35 seats for the president and his entourage in a fully booked London-Colombo flight recently. The president and his jumbo retinue were returning from a private visit to Britain.
But the Dubai-based Emirates, which runs Sri Lankan Airlines, did not take Hill's ouster lying down. It said that Hill would continue to be CEO and operate from Dubai. Industry sources say that the Emirates-Sri Lankan Airlines tie up is on its last legs.
Ropers was expelled for not responding to a call by a parliamentary select committee on NGOs to appear before it to answer allegations that NGOs were hand in glove with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The Beghof Foundation's case for not appearing was that it was not an NGO and that it existed in Sri Lanka on the basis of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of Sri Lanka.
Recently, there were shrill calls from Sri Lankan nationalists for the expulsion of British High Commissioner Dominic Chilcott for having said in a public lecture that there was nothing objectionable in the Tamil Tigers asking for a separate state of Tamil Eelam and that what was unacceptable was their violent methods.
End

CID grills SLRC officials

by Jayantha Sri Nissanka
The government has launched a witch-hunt against senior officials of Rupavahini who rebelled against the Labour Minister Mervyn Silva’s antics within the premises of the Rupavahini Corporation, exposing his political thuggery via a live telecast.
The CID has questioned top Rupavahini officials over the live telecast of last Thursday’s mayhem in the premises of the national television channel. Rupavahini officials have been questioned as to why other media networks were allowed into the premises to report events which unfolded after the notorious SLFP strongman in Kelaniya, Mervyn Silva allegedly assaulted the News Director of Rupavahini, T.M.G.Chandrasekara over not reporting a speech Silva delivered at the opening of Mahanama Bridge in Matara. Although the antics by Mervyn Silva accompanied by his underworld thugs were shown live to the nation, police are yet to take action against the notorious politico who is synonymous with thuggery.Colombo Chief Magistrate, Macky Mohammed on Friday expressed strong displeasure over the failure of the police to act against the culprits in this regard. Instead of pressing charges against Mervyn Silva, the CID on Friday grilled senior officers of Rupavahini throughout the day, over who authorised the live telecast of the incident.LAKBIMAnEWS learns that the government was planning to interdict many employees who took part in the ‘gherao’ protest against Silva.The Ministry of Media and Information has found fault with senior officers and had called for an inquiry, Rupavahini senior officers told LAKBIMAnEWS. The Ministry has blamed top officials for the live telecast and warned that they would pay dearly for bringing the Government to disrepute by telecasting the mayhem uninterruptedly until Minister Mervyn Silva was evacuated by a contingent of Army Commandos.A senior government Minister was furious over allowing Sirasa Rupavahini to telecast the incident live from the Rupavahini premises —- and allowing other Media to cover the incident.
End

DON'T JUDGE ME BY MY ASSOCIATES

Who doesn’t know about the Mervyn Silva saga of last week —- the sordid story of his assaulting Rupavahini News Director, to be counter-attacked by enraged Rupavahini staff. However, this poster in Kelaniya seems to say it all - nothing has happened, Mervyn Silva is highly connected, and guesses are that his “friend from Ruhuna’’ — as touted in the advertisement here —- will not lift a finger against him.It is known that Mervyn Silva helped secure the crossover of UNP’s Mahinda Rathnatilleke, negotiated with Arjuna Ranatunge not to crossover, and spearheaded the disruption of the Nugegoda anti war rally etc., All of this means President Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot abandon the notorious Mr Silva, because of what he owes him.....
End

Deputy Minister Mervin Silva under attack

Staff of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation made a strong protest against Deputy Minister Meivin Silva and he was held as a hostage by the SLRC employees after he assaulted the News Director of the SLRC.According to the SLRC sources minister Silva had stormed into the SLRC newsroom and dragged Mr.T.M.G.Chandrasekara by the neck to the chairman's office and assaulted him. Angry SLRC workers then prevented the minister from leaving the premises until he apologized.
The minister was later released by the SLRC staff and Armed Commondos rescued him. He was also physically attacked by the angry workers when he was leaving , the sources said.
Meanwhile Minister of Media Anura Priyadarshana Yapa condemned the minister's attack.Meanwhile central committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party will take action on Minister Mervin Silva's issue when it meets on 2nd January.
Meanwhile hospital sources said Mr.Mervin Silva was adimitted to the merchant ward of the National hospital.
End

A leading exporter in Central Province cries for infrastructure

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
A leading organic food manufacturer and exporter Bio Foods [PVT] Ltd complains a number of government agencies do not attend to solve entrepreneurs’ grievances to smooth their manufacturing processes.
At present the company maintains good growth and it is the only company which received the world’s 1st Fair Trade registered processor and exporter of organic spices and wants to be the best in its field in South East Asia. The company produces value-added products in green and black tea, spices, herbs, curry powder, desiccated coconut, cashew, treacle, juggery and coconut oil .These products are exported to selected overseas buyers in Europe and Asia, paying a premium with part of it going to farmers and producers in the country for their social welfare.

Chairman and the Managing Director of the Bio Foods [PVT] Ltd , Eco Foods [PVT] Ltd, and Biodynamic [PVT] Ltd Dr.sarath Ranaweera said that his company has made complaints to all responsible government authorities but the authorities keep on silence on his complaints.At present the company suffers lack of infrastructure at its factory located in Seethavalley Estate , Nillabe , Central province.
These companies manufacture value added organic teas, spices and herbs for the export market , mainly to European countries .The Chairman said his plan is to earn 500 million rupee as turnover. these projects daily generate additional employment to a large number of people in the area and also a large number of small farmers in the district will be greatly benefited.“Our manufacturing plants and the processing units are located in this estate and we still face lack of telecommunication facilities, motorable roads , proper commuter services and other common infrastructure, he said.
The company made written complaints to the Ministry of Industrial Development, the BOI, Sri Lanka Telecom, Regional Transport Board and also made verbal complaints to the area ministers and the top level government officials.“So far we received only written responses from those ministries and the top officials of the government but our requests are still on hold and the company have to face these obstacles , but export a large stocks of organic food products, he explained.
“We brought our matters before the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka but problems are still with us, he said.According to the BOI, the BOI mediates industrialists’ problems to find positive solutions. However the government or any other responsible institution still not facilitate the company ‘s obstacles which could be solved by them.
Bio Foods’ James Valley Organic Tea Factory has been recently awarded with the one star rating of the Ceylon Quality Certificate under the Quality Management System of the Sri Lanka Tea Board. Value addition at Bio Foods is 90 percent with raw material coming from nearby fields while Rs 2.3 million is spent annually on international certification.
End

Ceylon Petroleum to Shut Refinery Starting January

By Sophie Tan

Dec. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Ceylon Petroleum Corp., Sri Lanka's state oil company, will shut its 50,000 barrel-a-day refinery for six weeks starting Jan. 21 to carry out routine maintenance, a company official said.

Ceylon Petroleum will boost imports in the next two months to cover the shortfall in production, Sarath Kotahachi, an import manager, said by phone today.

Sri Lanka, which imports all its oil, secured a $700 million loan from Iran to double refinery capacity and reduce the drain on foreign exchange reserves, Minister of Petroleum A.H.M. Fowzie said on Nov. 30. The refinery expansion, funded with a 10-year Iranian credit, may take about four years to complete, Fowzie said.

The refinery, the nation's only plant, supplies more than 60 percent of domestic oil-product demand and is located in the western province of Sapugaskanda.
End

Indian-origin refugees to get Sri Lankan citizenship

The Sri Lankan government is all set to give citizenship to 28,500 Tamils of Indian origin now living in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu without any documents to prove their nationality.

Following consistent efforts by NGOs, officials and political leaders in Sri Lanka and India, the Sri Lankan cabinet has approved a proposal by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to grant citizenship to these "stateless" people, who had fled the island because of ethnic riots and war since 1977.

Many had left Sri Lanka with no documents of any kind to show that they were Sri Lankans.

At the initiative of the JVP, a parliamentary committee was set up to supervise the implementation of the cabinet decision.

The lone Tamil MP from the JVP, Ramalingam Chandrasekharan, who was chairman of the committee, visited Tamil Nadu and studied the problem of the refugees. He came back convinced that the refugees would return to Sri Lanka if only the legal hurdles were removed.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan Law Commission had suggested some amendments to the citizenship law to allow grant of citizenship to the people who did not have the right documents to prove that they had been continually resident in Sri Lanka from 1964 onwards — a basic requirement for citizenship by registration in the case of Indians.
End

Private sector wrath on Mahinda

Businesses angry over President turning blind eye on his Foreign Minister’s ill advised moves to recall envoy in EU amidst upcoming crucial negotiations for trade concessions
The country’s private sector is fuming over President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s failure to intervene and prevent his Foreign Minister from effecting what appear to be ill advised moves to recall envoy in Brussels, amidst crucial negotiations for trade concessions from the European Union (EU).
The victim is Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Brussels and former Director General of Commerce K.G. Weerasinghe, who is a top public servant. The recall by roving Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama is ahead of the completion of Weerasinghe’s three year term. Furthermore, the key Trade Officer too has been recalled.
The reason for private sector anger over the recall is that Sri Lanka has to make a fresh application to continue enjoying concessionary access regarding exports into the EU.
Private sector, especially the apparel industry, relies heavily on the EU as a major market and concessions offered to Lanka is also a magnate to draw fresh Foreign Direct Investments.
Sources said that the existing EU’s General System of Preferences (GSP) plus scheme expires this year and Sri Lanka, from next month, has to reactivate the entire lobbying process afresh. In that context, recalling the Ambassador, whose core expertise is trade negotiations, by April 2008, has caused serious concern within the apparel trade.

“Though we enjoyed GSP + benefits for three years, the country needs to start from zero, a fresh lobbying process. This is a very complex and challenging task. We understand that in the new round, EU has proposed more favourable terms for Least Developed Nations (LDCs) and reduced concessions to Sri Lanka,” apparel industry sources said.
Apart from the challenge of fresh lobbying, the EU has also revised the Rules of Origin (ROO) for exports to enjoy concessions under the second round of GSP+. It is learnt that LDCs has been proposed a 30% ROO requirement, while for Sri Lanka it could be as high as 50%.
“These changes require substantial and effective lobbying from earlier on and to recall the Ambassador cum former chief of Department of Commerce is a serious insult to the trade. It also undermines the government’s commitment to support the apparel sector,” analysts opined.
Perhaps to signal that he is insensitive to industry concerns, as well as the growing criticism, the Foreign Minister has also recalled key Trade Official D.W. Jinadasa, with effective from January 31, cutting short his tenure, which began in early this year.
Sources said that the recall of the Trade officer, also from the Commerce Department was over flimsy reasons and was certainly ill-timed.
“These hard negotiations with EU cannot be done by junior officers or by parachuting people from elsewhere. The two recalls are serious mistakes that would threaten the success of the crucial apparel industry,” they alleged. Shipments of apparel account for 40% of total exports. The EU GSP+ scheme also benefits several other export products.
As opposed to the tougher US market, the EU has helped Lankan apparel exports to grow overall. Total apparel exports had increased by 10% to US$ 2.7 billion in the first 10 months of 2007.
End

Sri Lanka opens showcase bridge on tsunami anniversary

MATARA, Sri Lanka (AFP) - Sri Lanka marked the third anniversary of the devastating Asian tsunami by opening a showpiece bridge in the south of the island where 31,000 people died.
President Mahinda Rajapakse formally commissioned the 116-metre (383 feet) bridge across the Nilwala river here in this southern coastal town of Matara 160 kilometers (100 miles).
Rajapakse observed two minutes of silence at 9.25 am, the time when the first giant waves lashed the coastline in a disaster that also displaced a million people on the island.
Rajapakse later followed three school bands across the six-lane bridge, the widest in the country, that was damaged during the tsunami on December 26, 2004. South Korea gifted the seven-million-dollar structure.
Sri Lanka declared the anniversary "national safety" day," said disaster management minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.
The ministry which is tasked with organising post-tsunami reconstruction work announced island-wide ceremonies to create awareness on how to deal with such disasters in the future.
Sri Lanka's post-tsunami reconstruction work has been dogged by graft and renewed fighting that has blocked relief to survivors, with less than a fifth of the money pledged properly accounted for, according to watchdogs.
Foreign aid pledges for rebuilding topped 3.2 billion dollars, but Sri Lanka says it has received only 1.2 billion dollars.
And out of that, 634 million dollars -- less than 20 percent of the original amount pledged -- had been spent by the end of November, according to Transparency International, an international watchdog on corruption.
Sri Lanka's government claims success in rebuilding homes, but international agencies say major problems remain. Huge amounts of foreign cash that poured in did not reach its intended destination.
While the authorities claim they built more houses than required, many people still live in makeshift dwellings for reasons ranging from poor building standards to rebel fighting in areas where the new homes are located.
End

Sri Lanka navy detains 'suspicious' Indonesian boat: official

COLOMBO (AFP) - The Sri Lankan navy detained a "suspicious" Indonesian vessel off the island's east coast, an official spokesman said.
The Indonesian registered boat was carrying a 12-member Indonesian crew when the navy detected it 95 nautical miles (109 statute miles) east of Arugam Bay, navy spokesman D. K. P. Dassanayake said.
He said naval officers were still in the process of questioning the crew.
Sri Lanka has stepped up naval patrols to intercept Tamil Tiger rebels smuggling weapons.
In October, the navy claimed it had virtually destroyed the ability of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to smuggle weapons into the island after sinking what it said was the rebels' last gun-running ship.
Sri Lanka is pressing for a military victory over the Tamil Tigers who are fighting for a separate homeland for the ethnic Tamil minority in the Sinhalese-majority nation. Tens of thousands have died on both sides since the conflict erupted in 1972.
End

French journalists arrested in Sri Lanka

At least two French journalists have been arrested in Sri Lanka's south for filming a detention camp without permission, police said Tuesday.
The police at Ratgama, about 104 km south of Colombo said that the two French men belonging to "France 24 TV" were arrested Monday evening for filming the area surrounding the Boossa detention camp.
Police spokesman Jayantha Wickramarathne confirmed the arrest of two French men, but said the authorities are not sure whether they are journalists or not.
"They were arrested by the Army because they didn't get permission to film the area," said Wickramarathne, adding that they are still under custody.
The Boossa camp, just 4 km away from the Ratgama police station, drew attention late November when a large number of Tamil minority were rounded up in Colombo and its suburbs on suspicion of links with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The arrested were sent to the Boossa camp. Similarly in June this year Tamils rounded up in Colombo on suspicion were also sentto Boossa.
The authorities say the roundups are important to ensure national security as Tamil Tiger rebels infiltrate the capital to carry out attacks.
The LTTE has been fighting more than two decades to set up a separate homeland for the minority Tamils in the north and east, resulting in the killing of about 70,000 people.
End

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE: MAKE 2008 THE YEAR OF VICTORY!

By DAYAN JAYATILLEKA

“…You can’t make the mistake of being weak. If you’re weak with security, you are defeated.” - Fidel Castro: My Life (2007: 321) We are about to step into 2008, the 60th year of Sri Lanka’s Independence. It shows every sign of being a decisive year. Indeed it must be made so. Sixty years after independence is the right historical and psychological moment to resolve the major problem facing Sri Lanka. That is the reunification of this small island. Sri Lanka’s natural borders must be its political boundaries. Its armed forces must enjoy the sole monopoly of violence throughout its territory. Whatever its internal arrangements, the country must be one, single, indivisible political entity. What does this mean in concrete terms? It means that the LTTE must be eliminated as a military challenge to Sri Lanka’s unity and territorial integrity. This in turn means that the Tigers must no longer be an armed force capable of rivalling Sri Lanka’s armed forces. The LTTE must no longer exist as a parallel army. This entails the destruction of the LTTE as a fighting force; the elimination of its leadership, its armed cadre and military assets. This would create the opportunity for the LTTE to convert itself into a democratic political formation, provided it accepts that any solution to Tamil political grievances and identity issues must be pursued peacefully and democratically within the parameters of a single, united Sri Lanka. This objective is both imperative and feasible. It is imperative because any sustainable progress requires the elimination of the enemy armed force and its capacity for instant destabilisation. The varied futures envisaged for the country by leaders as diverse as Presidents Jayewardene, Premadasa and Kumaratunga were thwarted by one factor: Prabhakaran. Sri Lanka can move forward only if it eliminates the obstacle in its path. Its economy can grow in a sustainable manner only if military expenditure levels off and is progressively reduced, and more fundamentally, if the national market is reunified, which means the reunification of the national territory as a single space. After decades of armed conflict punctuated by ceasefires and internationally mediated negotiations, the elimination of Jonas Savimbi was the key to peace and prosperity in resource rich Angola. The war can be won. We are at a rare moment in our country’s history in which we enjoy a favourable confluence of factors: a President (and Defence Secretary) with political will and determination; an experienced and respected military leadership; massive popular support; high military morale; increased recruitment; high performance on the part of all three armed services. Those who make the most facile parallels with the Bush administration, Iraq, Afghanistan and all points of geography and history would do well to ponder the statistical fact that after a quarter century of military conflict, the Sri Lankan people are not about to throw in the towel and bring the boys back home, for the simple reason that the boys are fighting precisely for their home, and therefore a massive 84 % percent of a huge 75% of the island’s people, a massive majority of the majority, support the President’s war effort. So too does a significant (under the circumstances) segment (20%) of the main Tamil minority. The war is now a People’s War. That is also the secret of the Govt’s success in defeating the Budget conspiracy: no party or formation which bases itself at least in part, on a nationalist or patriotic appeal, can afford to be seen to topple the Government at the expense of the war effort and to the benefit of the LTTE. This is also why the Govt does not have to succumb to every slogan of the more extremist or radical nationalist forces but can negotiate if not from strength, certainly not from inferiority. 2008 must then be designated as our Year of Victory. Certainly the war cannot be won by solely military means, but let there be no illusions: a war can be won only by primarily military means. The main, central and decisive effort in the coming year must of necessity be military: in a war, the armed struggle is the main axis and ‘motor force of development’ of the historical process. All else is utopianism. However the war effort must be supported by politics and diplomacy. Prabhakaran will attempt a replay of 1987, when he successfully leveraged the external factor (at the time, sub-regional, i.e. Tamil Nadu). Today it will be pressure from those countries which have a large, electorally significant Tamil Diaspora, which plays a role more like the notorious Miami mafia than the Jewish lobby. These Western states seem determined to prevent the military victory of the Sri Lankan state over the Tigers, and seem to prefer the survival/existence of the Tigers as a military entity. Sri Lanka cannot afford to be deterred by these pressures, and sacrifice its future. Any student of the Cold War would recognise the use of the instrument of Human Rights and so-called ‘dissident civil society’ by the West, to penetrate and undermine regimes and states. Sri Lanka cannot make the mistakes of Gorbachev (the latter years) and Yeltsin, be tranquilised, have its sovereignty penetrated, be weakened and dismantled as countries. Sri Lanka cannot be oblivious to the use of the slogan of “humanitarian crisis” to dismantle the former Yugoslavia. Today the West stands ready to ignore the UN resolution that reiterates that Kosovo is a part of Serbia, and to recognise Kosovo as an independent state. The anti-Sri Lanka campaign will accelerate next year as Sri Lanka makes headway in the struggle to overcome the Tigers. The West, preceded by the Western-dominated media, will howl about a “humanitarian crisis”, and brandish the policy of R2P (‘Responsibility to Protect’) at us as we close in on Prabhakaran’s bunker. However, in our case R2P is ultimately something of a paper tiger. It works in a context such as the former Yugoslavia, a country put together in the post-war years from the most diverse components (in bold, laudable experiment by Tito). Sri Lanka is not a failed or failing state. It is a continent too far for an imposed R2P to be sustained. It is located in Asia, has a distinct cultural identity and a decisive homogeneous majority, a consciousness of a continuous existence as a state entity, an educated and militant youth population. And no part of Sri Lanka hankers after EU membership! The coming anti-Sri Lanka campaign must be blunted by three counter-thrusts. We must rebuild our national defences by rejuvenating our National Human Rights Commission and/or creating new and credible institutions headed by internationally respected Sri Lankans. It must be recognised however, that human rights violations will drop off drastically when the war is over, when the enemy has been defeated – just as human rights violations in the South of Sri Lanka dropped off sharply when the JVP had been militarily defeated. The re-enfranchised Tamil people will swiftly recover their rights in a peaceful environment where the highly competitive politics of Sri Lanka’s proportional representation come into play. We must devolve power to the North and East, swiftly and sustainably. This means, as a first step, reactivating the 13th amendment, as proposed by Douglas Devananda. The weight of the Indian state upon the Sri Lankan and the reluctant cooperation of a Government with a 5/6ths majority in parliament, could not secure in 1987, the “Indian Model” so beloved by certain Tamil moderates. The 13th amendment is as good as it gets, and any improvement will have to await a more favourable parliamentary balance of power, with a drastically altered mass consciousness. (Faced with the stark choice at a referendum of deleting the term “unitary” from the Constitution, I do not see the majority of Sri Lankans, voting “yes”). A realist solution would aim to protect the 13th amendment from further roll-back as was threatened earlier this year. Mr Devananada’s Tamil rivals may depict themselves as more pro-Indian than he, but it does not suit India’s interest to have a pro-Indian Tamil politician who is so unacceptable to the Sinhalese that he winds up in India, a la Vardarajahperumal! Devananda is a Tamil politician who is loyal to Sri Lanka and close to India; therefore able to act as a bridge. He is the only Tamil politician who will accept a solution within the existing Constitution, and is also the only Tamil politician trusted sufficiently by the Sinhala South, to be permitted to hold a significant measure of power in the strategically sensitive North. Like the 13th amendment, Mr Devananda is also as good as it gets. Reactivating the 13th amendment in the present day translates itself into an interim administration in the Northern Province and early Provincial elections in the East. Our foreign relations must be consciously reoriented, and foreign policy must turn for inspiration to “Kadirgamar Chinthanaya”. Those Sri Lankans whose natural tendency is to ask “ how high?” when the West says “jump”, as well as those whose knees knock at the thought of Western cutbacks, neither recall the history of Sri Lanka’s own foreign policy nor understand contemporary international relations. It was in the 1950s, in response to the Rubber-Rice Pact between China and Sri Lanka (under a UNP administration!) that US Congress passed the Hickenlooper Amendment cutting aid to our country- yet we did not waver, still less wilt. As for those who would counter that the Socialist camp existed at the time as an option, it is to be recalled that the “moment of uni-polar hegemony” has passed its zenith or is in crisis, and we live in the period of the Iraqi debacle, the revitalisation of Russia, the rise of China and tendencies towards multi-polarity. Under President Rajapakse, Sri Lanka has already embarked upon a diversification of its dependence. To avoid a tedious debate on foreign policy, for which I have no time, working as I am at one of Sri Lanka’s global FDLs here in Geneva, I would only remind the incorrigibly negativist and the defeatist that Sri Lanka’s finest foreign policy thinker the late Lakshman Kadirgamar had already, in the last stage of his tenure and life, publicly signalled the geopolitical/geo-strategic reorientation of Sri Lanka’s external relations. I advocate a return to that emergent thrust, within an overall Realist policy of power balancing, especially multi-polar power balancing. Until this war is over and won, our foreign policy has to be the handmaiden of strategy, an overall strategy whose primary goal and objective must be the unification of the state through the military defeat and destruction of the secessionist-terrorist enemy, the LTTE. Foreign policy must be defence-driven, rather than the other way about. It cannot be oriented towards those states that have large Tamil lobbies and which instrumentalize human rights hypocritically to prevent our victory. It must be oriented towards precisely those states, blocs and tendencies which are uninfluenced by such lobbies, and are in favour of combating that which China refer to as “the Three Evils: Separatism, Terrorism and Extremism”. In our 60th anniversary year Sri Lankans would do well to be inspired by the words of Fidel Castro, a product of another small island nation in the tropical sun. In his 700 plus page autobiography My Life (2007) Fidel Castro says “Those who don’t respond, those who don’t fight, those who don’t combat, those people are lost from the beginning, and in us, you’ll never find that kind of person.”
End

India offers scholarships to Sl students

India is providing scholarships to students from Sri Lanka to study in various universities in the country.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo has offered 40 scholarships to Sri Lankan students to follow undergraduate courses in various universities in India during the forthcoming session.
Besides a monthly sustenance allowance, all scholarships cover full tuition fees for the entire duration of the course. It also covers accommodation allowance and an annual grant for books and stationery.
Besides, all scholars are provided with health care facilities, first class train fare and an annual grant for educational tours to various parts of the country, a High Commission statement here said, adding the last date for applying was January 10, 2008.
End

Sri Lankan house maids to get a pay hike from next year

Sri Lankan housemaids in the UAE will have to be paid a minimum salary of Dh825 per month from January 1, 2008.
Officials from the Sri Lankan Consulate in Dubai yesterday said that the Sri Lankan missions have notified recruiting agents of the revised minimum wages.
The Sri Lankan government has revised the minimum wages of housemaids in the entire Gulf. While Dh825 has been set for the UAE, the wages in other countries in the Middle East have been set according to their respective per capita income.
Sri Lankan Consul-General Wasantha Senanayake said, “We have sent a circular to all the agents this week stating that any new contract drawn for housemaids from January 1 will have a minimum wage of Dh825 vis-a-vis the existing Dh600. All employers will have to pay Sri Lankan housemaids this revised amount.”
This decision comes in the wake of the visit by Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare, Dr Keheliya Rambukwella, to Dubai in October, when he told reporters that the government was considering increasing the wages.
Senanayake clarified that agents are permitted to bring housemaids for Dh600 till January 31 on contracts which have already been approved by the Consulate and the Embassy.
According to procedures, the missions first approve the contract drawn up by the agent, after which the housemaid is brought from Sri Lanka to the UAE.
“Since these contracts have already been approved by us, the minimum wage will remain Dh600. However, anyone brought in after January 31, will have to be paid Dh825,” he added.
He also noted that any contract renewed after January 1 will be considered as a new one and the employer would have to pay the revised wage.
End

Moves to scuttle APRC with foreign jaunt?

Munza Mushtaq in Colombo,
Steps are underway to send the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) to Northern Ireland and Spain to 'study' the system of governance adopted in the two countries, a local daily said . The move comes from very powerful quarters, The Nation learns, and Tamil political sources have expressed skepticism over the move, charging that it could also be an attempt to scuttle the process by delaying the committee from reaching an agreement.
The APRC, led by Chairman Prof. Tissa Vitarana, has been holding marathon meeting sessions in an attempt to reach a consensus and hand over a report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa before end January.
"The plan to send the committee representatives to Northern Ireland and Spain to study the asymmetrical devolution adopted in the two nations does not make sense, for the simple reason that one did not have to wait to send the committee abroad to study their systems of governance just weeks before the committee is set to wrap up its sessions," well-placed political sources noted.
They also emphasised that if one wanted to learn the system of governance of a particular country, there was absolutely no necessity to travel to that country to study it as one could refer reading material which gives in-depth details on such systems.
The Nation reliably learns that arrangements for the possible impending visit are being organised by a Non Governmental Organisation close to the government. However, the trip is yet to be finalised, the newspaper added.
End

Distortions seen in Sri Lanka 's tsunami recovery

By P.K. Balachandran
Sri Lanka 's recovery from the devastating tsunami of December 2004 has been uneven. Rehabilitation work has notched up significant successes in the Sinhalese-dominated and more peaceful south, but it has suffered greatly in the war-torn northeast, which has a preponderance of the minority Tamils and Muslims.
And it was the northeast, which took the brunt of the killer waves on Boxing Day, which destroyed about 121,000 houses and killed over 30,000 in the island.
Cabinet spokesperson Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said that 99,497 permanent houses had been built and that work on 19,791 units was in progress. Rebuilding has been 100 percent in the south, especially Humbantota district, which is the home of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But the score in the north and east is 80 percent.
In fact, in Humbantota, nearly 3,200 excess houses were built, and these are now occupied by those not affected by the tsunami.
"The northern province still requires completion of more than 9 ,000 houses and the eastern province more than 12,000 houses," Jeevan Thiagarajah of the Confederation of Humanitarian Agencies told IANS.
"Not even 12 percent of fully damaged houses in the north have been rebuilt, and only 26 percent in the east," says NGO Action Aid in its report titled 'Voice from the Field'. This is so even though 60 percent of the damage wrought by the tsunami was in the east, especially Amparai district in the southeast.
Rehabilitation work in the north and east was hampered by the outbreak of hostilities between the Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces in December 2005.
The war has so far claimed 4,500 lives and displaced about 300,000 people. It had added another category of displaced, who also had to be housed, looked after and rehabilitated. Scarce government resources had to be diverted from tsunami-related rehabilitation to the rehabilitation of the war-affected.
Military operations had meant restrictions on physical movement of men and material.
"Access to some construction sites is restricted and transportation of material difficult or impossible," said a two-year assessment report of the International Federation of the Red Cross. World Vision had to abandon a plan to build 200 houses in Ichchilampattu in Trincomalee district because of military operations.
Government had also put restrictions on the movement of strategic goods like fuel and building material to the areas controlled by the Tamil Tigers, thinking that these would be misappropriated by the rebels. This affected rebuilding greatly.
The ILO reported that in the south 90 percent of the affected people had returned to work, but in Jaffna district, isolated from the rest of the island, only 55 percent had. The rest were relying on income from other sources.
As regards the restoration of livelihood, the all-island figures are impressive. About 200,000 persons had lost their jobs due to the tsunami. But according to Thiagarajah, 95 percent of the men, and 84 percent of the women, have started earning again. The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry had given 196,913 grants, and assisted 8,447 micro, small and medium enterprises between 2005 and 2006.
Again, while this is impressive, the schemes have been operative only or mainly in the south, and to some extent in the southeast. The north has been more of less ignored, thanks to the war, which threatens to continue through 2008.
Money has never been a problem. Sri Lanka has received $1.7 billion of the $3.1 billion pledged by the international community for post-tsunami work. More money can be got if the Sri Lankan government is serious about the development of the tsunami-affected areas. But, as in other cases of foreign assistance, the government has tended to drag its feet on submitting suitable proposals. In fact, indications are that post-tsunami work is winding up.
End

Missing infant found in Paduka

The infant who was kidnapped in the Kalubovila Hospital several days ago was found from a house in Thalpathpitiya in Padukka this morning.
The Police Spokesman DIG Jayantha Wickremarathne disclosed that the woman who is suspected to be the kidnapper of the baby was also arrested.
The Kohuwala police raided the house on information received by the Officer in Charge of the Police station.
The suspected arrested woman will be subjected to an identification parade.
Initial investigations revealed that the woman has posed herself as a pregnant mother. Her daughter, it is now revealed, has also supported the woman to kidnap the baby. The husband of the suspected woman is unaware of this incident.
Meanwhile, Sarath Paranavithana, a specialist of the Kalubovila Hospital said the baby’s is in good health condition.
End

DEFEATING RACIST POLITICS­THE WAY OF RELIGION

By Jehan Perera
In ethnically divided democracies obtaining the support of the ethnic majority, by hook or by crook, has been a long proven recipe for electoral success.
Morality and principles of good governance, although spoken from the lectern for public consumption, are of little consequence in the pursuit of power. Over seventy years ago in Germany, Hitler created an enemy out of the Jews and came to power. Nearer home we have Chief Minister Narendra Modi of Gujarat state in India romping home to victory with a large majority of Hindus backing him, although he has been blamed for being one of the chief instigators of the riots that killed over 2000 Muslims in 2002.
In the face of racist politics that makes smaller ethnic communities the villains or the sacrificial lambs, those who speak of dialogue, inclusion and compromise find themselves being excluded. The demogogues who shout about how the race and religion are being threatened and promise to forcibly suppress their opposition with no quarter given are more likely to prevail. Civic and religious groups that speak differently go unheeded by the macro political forces that use their power and money to further the lines of division and to promote their own futures. The same holds true of Sri Lanka. At the level of appearances it might be the case that the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has devised an unbeatable strategy. It is using the ethnic conflict to mobilize the Sinhalese ethnic majority to a war that primarily oppresses the Tamil ethnic minority, tens of thousands of whom are refugees, and hundreds or even thousands who suddenly get arrested at the whim of the government.
Due to the non-democratic and terror-using nature of the LTTE, and the extremity of its separatist demand, the government has been able to project its war against the LTTE and the collateral and sometimes deliberate damage to the Tamil people as a justifiable one to the Sinhalese people. If the political leaders do not have compassion and understanding as their foundations they will misuse their power and make the people of their own country suffer. But the religious message of Christmas is that there is hope. The refugee child who was born on Christmas day eventually converted a large proportion of the world through his own exemplary life. As the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist has written, “Many of us believe that we are powerless, and that we cannot do much to change the situation around us, especially political situations.
The reality is that we can always be someone and do something to change the situation.” In 1969 the Ven. Hanh led a Buddhist Peace Delegation to the Paris Peace Talks that sought to end the Vietnam war.
CHRISTMAS REALITY
Christmas is the celebration of a child who was born as a refugee. His parents had to flee a government that was targeting those deemed to be enemies of the state for brutal execution. The government of that time felt this killing spree was justifiable to preserve the ruler. The concept of human rights, which was devised over many centuries to prevent such situations from occurring again is today a bad word in government circles in Sri Lanka. Tragically, Sri Lanka today has its own version of the ancient Christmas story, particularly in the ongoing experiences of the Tamil people. Several tens of thousands of Tamil people have been newly rendered as a refugee population due to the escalating fighting in areas of the north. There is also the targeting of civilians for brutal execution by extra-judicial means both by government-backed forces and the LTTE. The television news now shows the bodies of the victims in Jaffna. The daily death toll varies, sometimes reaching five or six, such as on one of the days I was in Jaffna recently. But it seems that those in positions of authority take this death toll in their stride because this is a time of war.
They see themselves as patriots and call the death toll collateral damage to appease their conscience. The terrible feature of present day Sri Lankan democracy is that fighting the war has become a matter of self-advancement to those in power. At the recent vote on the budget the government was able to prevail because the JVP, which had been speaking vehemently against governmental corruption and economic failure, decided not to vote against the government.
One of the main reasons for their controversial turnaround was the war. They did not wish to see the government unseated because they approved of how the war is being conducted by the government. In turn, government members constantly assuage the desperation of the people who are feeling the economic pressures of a 25 percent inflation rate by talking about the successes in the war. They promise that the war will be fought successfully and will yield military victory in the north as it did in the east.
The immediate targets that are said to be achievable are the opening of the Mannar-Jaffna sea-side road which, if that area is captured, will make it run entirely through government-controlled territory (unlike the A9 Highway that has to run through LTTE controlled territory) or the capture of the LTTE’s present administrative capital of Kilinochchi.
PEACE STRATEGY
Government strategists appear to believe that a fresh military victory, on the lines of the earlier eastern victory, would give the government a new lease of life. The end of the present rains could see the launch of a large scale military operation. Perhaps it might even give the government the confidence to go in for a snap general election and obtain a clear majority in Parliament. At present the government is hostage to the JVP, as it lacks a majority of its own in Parliament.
Accordingly the government’s strategy for the new year could be one of military victory followed by political consolidation followed, presumably, by further military victories. However, the likelihood of peace and justice dawning through this government strategy is extremely remote if not totally impossible. The Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh who was forced into exile by the US-backed South Vietnamese government has written thus: “My experience with several wars in Vietnam has led me to the firm belief that terrorism cannot be removed by force and that deep listening is more powerful than bombs.
Terrorism is born from wrong perceptions. The terrorists have wrong perceptions about themselves. They have wrong perceptions about us. That is why they want to destroy us, to punish us.” We in Sri Lanka have had the experience of the JVP, which took up arms to correct social injustice. They killed people brutally, burned down government and private property, and were equally brutally hunted down by the government’s security forces. But today they have changed. So has mainstream society that has accepted them as legitimate social and political actors, with a legitimate cause.
The venerable Buddhist monk suggests the way to dealing with those who are deemed to be terrorists. He says, “If we know how they think, how they perceive things, we can help them remove their wrong perceptions. The work of removing wrong perceptions is the foundation for transforming violence and terrorism and fostering peace.”
But it is not only those who fight against the government who need to be addressed. “Like us, political leaders have positive seeds and negative seeds. They may be surrounded by people who do not water the good seeds in them. Their advisers continue to water the seeds of fear, craving, anger and violence in them.
We need to find ways to get in touch with our political leaders and help them,” the Ven. Hanh says. The work for peace in the coming year will require people to see the other’s side point of view, to be willing to break ranks with past conditioning, to cease acting according to the fears and nationalist impulses of their own community, and to engage with those who hold positions of power on the basis of faith that change is possible in societies, politicians and militants alike.
End

Several areas in Sri Lanka under flood

The local meteorologist say rainy weather will continue over the next few days.
They forecast rain in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, Uva, Southern and Central provinces. The public is cautioned regarding landslides that could occur in several areas of the Galle district.
The number of displaced due to heavy showers experienced over several days is around ten thousand families. Director of the National Disaster Management Centre M.D. Hettiarachchi says fifty houses have been completely destroyed. He said around 500 other are partially damaged by rain related incidents.
Assistance continue to be provided to those affected by rain. Mr. Hettiarachchi said a new government circular has increased financial allocations for disasters such as the present condition.
Transportation has been hindered along the Moneragala-Colombo road as the Galwala junction in Kumbukgala is inundated by heavy showers. Therefore, police request commuters to use alternative routes.
The Disaster Management Centre for Polonnaruwa says around 20 thousand acres of paddy fields in the Polonnaruwa district is under water. Transportation is obstructed along several roads including the Manampitiya, Medirigiriya and Somawathiya roads. The number of displaced families in the district is around five thousand. A special train service from Manampitiya to Kaduruwela is operating to assist victims. A bus service also operated from Manampitiya. Our correspondent says boats are being used to save individuals trapped by flood conditions.
End

The Voice of peace from Jaffna

By Dr.Jehan Perera

The attention of the country in the past week was riveted upon the crucial budget vote in Parliament. A defeat of the budget would have led to a period of uncertainty, and even to the downfall of the government. The government’s victory in the vote will undoubtedly shape the course of events in the short term. The role played by the JVP, which reversed its previous stance of voting against the budget and abstained on this occasion was decisive. It will add impetus to the inevitability of escalated warfare, seen by both the ruling party and the JVP as key to the solution to the LTTE’s challenge to the state.
One of the significant features in the budget was the substantial increase in the defence allocation. The likely aftermath of the budget victory is an increased effort by the government to push into the LTTE’s heartland of the Wanni in the north possibly early in the new year. It is significant that so far the LTTE has not been able to launch any militarily significant operation against the government forces arrayed in the north. Usually the monsoon rains at the end of the year have afforded the LTTE the opportunity to launch crippling attacks against the less mobile government forces.
At the present time, however, and unlike in the past, it has been the government that has been keeping the pressure on the LTTE with relatively small scale probes and attacks on a multiplicity of fronts. This seems to have had the effect of forcing the LTTE to spread out its forces to defend territory from government advances. There has been a regular death toll inflicted on the combatants on both sides. But the LTTE, with its smaller numbers, and difficulties in recruitment, is likely to be under greater pressure.
The anticipation of more intense and bloodier fighting to come may not perturb most of the LTTE’s overseas backers for whom life goes on as usual. But within Sri Lanka itself there is a sense of utter despondency among the Tamil population. A recent public opinion poll conducted by the Social Indicator unit of the Centre for Policy Alternatives has shown a dramatic contrast between the Sinhalese and Tamil perceptions of the government’s current strategy of military confrontation against the LTTE. Upwards of 85 percent of Sinhalese agree with the government while the reverse is true of the Tamils.
The Social Indicator survey shows that the polarization between the ethnic communities is greater than it has ever been in recent times. It is a truism that violence begets violence and hatred does not cease by hatred. It is therefore only to be expected, by those who think rationally, that the pursuit of a military solution will increase the intensity of the very ethnic conflict that gave birth to Tamil militancy, including the LTTE. The justification for a renewed search for a non-violent solution to the ongoing conflict stems from a recognition of this basic reality, that there cannot be final victory through a military solution and that war cannot bring lasting peace.
JAFFNA CONFERENCE
At the same time as the budget debate was taking place in Colombo, an international conference on peace in Sri Lanka was taking place in Jaffna. This was the first such event to take place in Jaffna for many years. It was all the more remarkable that the event could take place at the present time when the clouds of war hang heavy over the north and travel to Jaffna is especially restricted with the closure of the highway to Jaffna. All foreigners, whether being tourists or humanitarian workers, require special government clearance to travel to Jaffna by available sea or air routes.
Unfortunately, at the present time, the conflict in Sri Lanka is leading to destruction and suffering on a large scale that is taking its toll most heavily on the Tamil people of the north. The decision to make Jaffna the location of the International Summit of Religious Leaders on Peace was to express solidarity with all those who continue to live in situations of violence and despair due to the ongoing conflict. The venue of the meeting was the Jaffna Public Library, which was burned down in 1981 in the course of the conflict and rebuilt nearly two decades later to be a testament to a new era of peace and national reconciliation, which is still to dawn.
The meeting was organized by the World Conference of Religions for Peace together with its local counterpart and the National Peace Council, which was how I was able to be present. There was resistance from sections of the government to this conference who may wish to keep civil society organizations on a tight leash. But there was approval for the conference at other high levels that included the Defence Ministry. The ability of the organizers to conduct the event without any interference from the government or LTTE helped to keep it an independent civil society initiative.
The participation of Japan’s special envoy Yasushi Akashi who has dedicated himself to reviving the peace process also helped to elevate the significance of the conference. Mr Akashi was warmly welcomed by the religious leaders, media and leading citizens of Jaffna who attended the conference. He met with the participants in groups and individually. His presence in Jaffna was an antidote, even if only for a short while, to the sense of political isolation that Jaffna suffers from, and may contribute to restoring the faith of the Tamil people in general about Japanese mediation.
In his public pronouncements, Mr Akashi said that as Sri Lanka’s largest donor, Japan could ask the Sri Lankan government for an adequate response to the grievances of the Tamil people. He said that a ceasefire was a first step in evolving a durable framework for a just and lasting solution, and that gains for one must be gains for all communities. He also affirmed the need to respect diversity in the modern world, pointing out that even the most powerful nations today could not impose their will upon others.
Mr Akashi was not the only member of the international community of high standing at the conference. Others included Most Venerable Tep Vong, the Supreme Patriarch (Mahanayake) of Cambodia and Ms Ela Gandhi, grand daughter of Mahatma Gandhi and a former MP in the government of the great peace maker Nelson Mandela. The fact that leaders of this stature were prepared to take the risk of traveling to Jaffna reflects the goodwill that sections of the international community have in helping Sri Lanka to resolve its conflict through peaceful means. The moment that the fighting ends, this goodwill can be converted into moral and material resources that can heal and reconstruct Sri Lankan society.
WAY FORWARD
As an outcome of their experiences in Jaffna and deliberations at the conference with Sri Lankan religious leaders, the participants identified peace building efforts in several important areas. They urged positive action on the part of the international community by the reactivation of the donor co-chairs, and the enhancement of Japan and Norway’s facilitative roles, to re-open the path for fresh negotiations between the government and LTTE, and by the provision of increased development assistance to reconstruct the war-torn areas, empower local community groups, rebuild the livelihoods of war-affected people and strengthen the national economy
The religious leaders also expressed their support for all initiatives aimed at bringing the ongoing war to an end through an immediate cessation of hostilities, preparing of political proposals by the government in consultation with all parties, including the Tamil political parties, propagating the need for a power-sharing constitutional framework in which people enjoy the political right to develop their communities, opening of all roads, including the A9 highway to Jaffna, and resettling of all displaced persons, including the Muslim community of the north, with their consent, and improving internal trade and marketing between the north east and south, which will build goodwill between communities and reduce economic pressures.
In addition, they called for an immediate end to the use of claymore mines, artillery firing and bombings that have targeted civilians, forced conscription of children an adults into armed groups, abductions, disappearances, extortions and extra-judicial killings of civilians, harassment of Tamil people through draconian provisions of the law that permit arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention and forced resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons in locations not of their choice.
Tragically the current focus on war suggests that few if any of these recommendations will be immediately subscribed to by the conflicting parties to which they were addressed. However, one of the main purposes of religion is to give hope and strength that comes from faith, to work for peace. A play staged by the youth of Jaffna belonging to the Centre for Performing Arts showed the banners of war being pulled down to be replaced by the banners of peace. The young people seemed so happy on the stage, but the reality of their lives is fear, with two to six people, most of them youth, being subjected to extra judicial killing nearly every day. If even one of the two conflicting parties chooses to take a different path, their future could be entirely different.
End

Religious Leaders call for peace

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
Senior religious leaders from Sri Lanka and a high-level multi-religious delegation of the World Conference of Religions for Peace from six other countries such as Cambodia, Japan, Norway, Pakistan, South Africa and the United States met in Jaffna on December 12-13, for an Inter Religious Summit on Peace in Sri Lanka.
The meeting was organized by the World Conference of Religions for Peace, its Sri Lankan counterpart, the National Conference of Religions for Peace and the National Peace Council, and is one of a series of meetings to support the formation of an inter-religious council that includes the religious leadership from across Sri Lanka. Future meetings are planned in the near future for Kandy and Trincomalee.

The decision to make Jaffna the location of the first meeting was to express solidarity with all those who continue to live in situations of violence and despair due to the ongoing conflict. The National Peace Council wishes to acknowledge the cooperation received from the government, and the Defence Ministry, to fly the international participants and several of the local participants to Jaffna.

As an outcome of their experiences in Jaffna and deliberations at the conference, the participants identified peace building efforts in several important areas. They urged positive action on the part of the international community by the reactivation of the donor co-chairs, and the enhancement of Japan and Norway's facilitative roles, to re-open the path for fresh negotiations between the government and LTTE, and by the provision of increased development assistance to reconstruct the war-torn areas, empower local community groups, rebuild the livelihoods of war-affected people and strengthen the national economy

The religious leaders also expressed their support for all initiatives aimed at bringing the ongoing war to an end through an immediate cessation of hostilities, preparing of political proposals by the government in consultation with all parties, including the Tamil political parties, propagating the need for a power-sharing constitutional framework in which people enjoy the political right to develop their communities, opening of all roads, including the A9 highway to Jaffna, and resettling of all displaced persons, including the Muslim community of the north, with their consent, and improving internal trade and marketing between the north east and south, which will build goodwill between communities and reduce economic pressures.

In addition, they called for an immediate end to the use of claymore mines, artillery firing and bombings that have targeted civilians, forced conscription of children and adults into armed groups, abductions, disappearances, extortions and extra-judicial killings of civilians, harassment of Tamil people through draconian provisions of the law that permit arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention and forced resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons in locations not of their choice.

A declaration containing these recommendations and others was agreed to by the religious leaders who subsequently met with the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and also with several political leaders belonging to the government and opposition. The Jaffna Declaration says the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka continues to lead to destruction and suffering on a large scale that cannot be confined to any one part of the country or to any one ethnic or religious community. Members of the religious clergy too, have paid with their lives, for being close to their people and heeding their call for peace and justice. All of Sri Lanka and all Sri Lankans have paid a very high price in terms of lives lost, economic opportunities foregone and in the weakening of the moral fabric of society.

“During the period of the Summit we experienced first hand the difficulties of travel to and from Jaffna. We saw the massive destruction of infrastructure and housing that occurred in previous phases of fighting, the loss of villages and fertile agricultural lands to High Security Zones, and the fear and insecurity in the lives of the people, especially youth, which is dehumanizing to all those affected. The sound of artillery firing, testimonials of daily killings and disappearances, the very large military presence in the city and the nighttime curfew provides added motivation to our work for peace in Sri Lanka, the religious said.

As religious leaders with extensive experience in peace making in other parts of the world, we urge a renewed search for a non-violent solution to the ongoing conflict. We do not accept that there can be victory through a military solution or that war can bring peace. On the contrary, as religious leaders, we believe that violence begets violence and hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love.

As an outcome of our experiences in Jaffna and our deliberations at the Summit we are committed to focusing our peace building efforts in the following areas:

1. Civilian Protection

We call for an immediate end to the

i) use of claymore mines, artillery firing and bombings that have targeted civilians
ii) forced conscription of children an adults into armed groups
iii) abductions, disappearances, extortions and extra-judicial killings of civilians
iv) harassment of Tamil people through draconian provisions of the law that permit arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention
v) forced resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons in locations not of their choice


2. Peace Promotion

We will support all initiatives aimed at bringing the ongoing war to an end through

i) an immediate cessation of hostilities
ii) preparing of political proposals by the government in consultation with all parties, including the Tamil political parties
iii) propagating the need for a power-sharing constitutional framework in which people enjoy the political right to develop their communities
iv) opening of all roads, including the A9 highway to Jaffna, and resettling of all displaced persons, including the Muslim community of the north, with their consent
v) improving internal trade and marketing between the north east and south, which will build goodwill between communities and reduce economic pressures


3. International Community

We urge positive action on the part of the international community by the

i) reactivation of the donor co-chairs, and the enhancement of Japan and Norway's facilitative roles, to re-open the path for fresh negotiations between the government and LTTE
ii) provision of increased development assistance to reconstruct the war-torn areas, empower local community groups, rebuild the livelihoods of war-affected people and strengthen the national economy


4. Religious Community

We, as religious leaders, pledge to

i) ground ourselves and concientise our communities on the basis of the values of peace, justice, reconciliation, forgiveness and repentance
ii) engage in an awareness creating, observation and monitoring role as a support group in a renewed peace process
iii) take inspiration from the declaration of the Mahanayakes of the Buddhist Sangha in Tokyo in June 2002 to support the peace process and to build a united Sri Lanka for all communities
iv) welcome international religious leaders, especially from countries with a Buddhist tradition, to join hands with religious leaders in Sri Lanka in working for peace
v) request the World Conference of Religions for Peace to facilitate a process by which religious leaders directly meet and lobby with the parties to the conflict.

Despite nearly three decades of loss of innocent lives, agonizing suffering and dehumanizing of society, each of our religions call us in hope to believe that peace is possible. We commit ourselves to work together in hope for healing, justice and peace.
End

Current Economy does not allocate a smooth situation for the masses-Dr.Hettigoda

Sunil C.Perera in Colombo

A veteran entrepreneur , Ayurvedic Physician and former Presidential election’s candidate Deshabandhu Dr.Victor Hettigoda says the current economy does not allocate a smooth situation for the masses and the government has no plans to protect Sri Lankan industries and other enterprises.Speaking to media he said Sri Lanka must reduce its unwanted expenditure such as wastage funds for the large cabinet of ministers , for food imports and investing on unsuccessful projects.“If Sri Lanka develops its own agricultural resources we can cultivate each land and become self sufficient on food.However we need a lasting solution for the ongoing conflict, he said.During last presidential Election Dr.Hettogoda had contested it and obtained a successful result and said if he becomes the president of Sri Lanka he will invite the LTTE leader to develop the country and be a member of the government.“If he refuses to accept my invitation I will place my suggestion for the overseas governments and ask their suggestions to lasting peace into the country, he explained.“Without Tamils and Muslims we cannot build a successful economy in Sri Lanka , he said.He also proposed that Sri Lankan farmers need proper agri-market without buyer’s menace. He blamed the open market concept and said if the President J.R.J.did not opened the economy by 100 percent the local industries never dead.“If the government gives priority for 50 percent for the local products we can improve local ventures and become self sufficient, he said.He said he became joker during the Presidential election period due to his election manifesto.“I proposed to give a milk cow to each house and setup a Grain Bank under the purview of the government. But the politicians criticized my proposals and said Hetigoda is a joker. Now the country wastes 17 billion rupee to import milk. If they understood and implemented my proposals the government could improve the dairy industry and save billions of funds in Sri Lanka , he said. He also proposes the current milk production in Sri Lanka must increase by 300 percent to face the international milk prices.In India , the government does not import or use milk powder .They use liquid milk for their day to day purposes. “ We must organise our polices and all plans should be prepared to cater the villages .At present the government has no plans to utilize overseas loans for the fruitful projects, he said.At present Sri Lanka has 109 ministers. If a minister implement a new project per year , the country will receive 109 new projects per annum. During past few years the Great Britain faced IRA threats and later they came into negotiated settlement. Sri Lanka needs similar type of settlement if we want to improve Sri Lanka, he said.Speaking about local political Bikkus he said the Buddhist Bikkus and other religious leaders should not enter politics. They must guide the politicians and show the correct path.During any election all masses excluding politicians become blind and vote for the broken promises. After the election the winning party destroy the country and become rich, he said.He proposed that governments must follow good polices and develop the country if they love to the country and the masses.

End

A local investment company enters film making

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo

A local Investment company - ABC Investments has now entered film making business and plans to continue their film making for local and international theatres.ABC Films PVT Ltd headed by Mr.John Shiran Dissanayaka says their first film is THE ROAD FROM ELEPHANT PASS authored by late Nihal de Silva , who won the state literary award for the best novel of 2003 and the Gratian Prize for 2003.The company decided to invest Rs.24 million for this film and a veteran film producer Mr.Chandran Ratnum who is also the joint Managing Director at the ABC Films PVT Ltd will direct the film. The Muhurath Ulela of the film was held recently at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo with large participation such as film artists , Directors, producers and media.“This film will shoot in Sri Lanka and the company plans to complete the production in August next year, said Mr. Ratnum.“I read Nihal’s The Road From Elephant Pass .Before I completed the novel I had decided that I must make a motion picture of the book, said Ratnum .Responding to media he said that he wrote the film script and Nihal de Silva made his suggestions and corrections .The ABC decided to film the film in the North Western province and plans to go international when it will completes.According to the Chairman of the National Film Corporation Asoka Serasingha , a number of foreign film makers and investors have shown their willingness to film their films in Sri Lanka .“Some investors have signed agreements with local film makers to shoot their films here, he said.However some film critics say that local film industry faces a verge of collapse due to the prevailing economic and war situation of the country.

End

Australia grants 8 scholarships for local professionals

Sunil C. Perera in colombo

The Australian High Commissioner, Dr Greg French, announced today that 8 Sri Lankan professionals had been awarded the prestigious Australian Leadership Award (ALA) scholarship, enabling them to gain PhDs and Masters Degrees in the fields of law, medicine, engineering, economics, trade and food science. This is only the second year ALAs have been awarded under the A$1.4 billion Australian Scholarships program that will target future leaders in the Asia-Pacific, including in Sri Lanka, for advanced study in Australia, the High Commissioner said. Future increases in the program will be subject to the effective application of additional resources and conditional on strengthened governance and reduced corruption in partner countries.The 5 men and three 3 women selected in Sri Lanka are part of an overall intake of one hundred and seventy two 172 ALA scholars from 26 countries across the region in the 2007 intake. In addition to ALAs, 6 Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) were awarded to Sri Lankan government officers to study in Australia in 2008. The Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) aims to strengthen human resource capacity in priority sectors of partner countries. The 3 men and 3 women selected for ADS are from the Ministry of Environment & Natural Resources (Department of Management Services), Ministry of Finance & Planning, Divisional Secretariat in Badulla, National Procurement Agency , Department of Agriculture and Department of National BudgetThe fields of study selected by ADS awardees are, Natural Resource Management, Applied Economics, Engineering, Public Policy, Public Administration and Management.“Australian Scholarships are an important pillar of Australia’s overseas development program and help to build links between people in the region and in Australia”. “They provide opportunities for Sri Lankan people who can play a leadership role to influence social and economic policy and help promote development in their own country”. “Sri Lanka has a strong pool of talented candidates who will be eligible to apply for the estimated 3,200 regional Australian Leadership Awards – which are open to both the public and private sectors - over the next four years”, said the High Commissioner.
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Bio Force Sri Lanka plans to upgrade Maharagama hospital

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
Bio Force Lanka began it's operations in Sri Lanka by assisting the Maharagama Cancer Hospital to upgrade the children ward. This project will continue for another 12 months and BIOFORCE LANKA hopes to donate medicine and disposable medical equipment for the hospital. The Bio Force's Country Co-coordinator Fabien Audoin ,accompanied by Ms.Shriani Ramukwella and Amy Fernando , donated the first first batch of the equipment and medicines on Thursday at a simple ceremony , .Mr.Audoin said, the hospital, specially the Children's ward needs donors to contribute medicines on a regular basis due to the acute shortages . Bio Force is a well known ,Training Institute for Professional Training and Human resouce Management, specializing in International Aid , in France .Bioforce in association with the Chamber of Construction have already opened three training centers in Matara ,Balapitiya and Kalutara , to cater to the unemployed youth to obtain free training in the Construction Sector . The Bio Force Lanka has also upgraded the Water system in the Walasmulla hospital and plans to start the phase two by improving it's sewerage system.At present the Maharagama Cancer Hospital lacks sufficient building space to accommodate patients and the Director of the hospital Dr.Kanishka Karunaratne said his aim is to obtain corporate assistance to solve the prevailing problems."We need additional building spaces to setup a pediatric unit .We also need valuable medicine and some medical equipment, he said.Both Mr.Audoin and Amy Fernando the local coordinators of Bioforce Lanka expressed hope , that they could involve the Private sectors both in France and Sri Lanka to participate in bringing tangible aid to this and other Hospitals .
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Kathy Klugman appointed High Commissioner for Australia

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo

The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith MP, has confirmed the appointment of Ms Kathy Klugman as Australia's new High Commissioner to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, with non-resident accreditation to the Republic of Maldives. She will succeed Dr Greg French who has been High Commissioner since December 2004. Ms Klugman is expected to take up her appointment in February 2008.
Ms Klugman is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is currently Assistant Secretary, South and West Asia Branch. Overseas, Ms Klugman has served as Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore (2005-06) and Third Secretary in Vientiane (1993-95). Ms Klugman has previously served as Deputy High Commissioner in Colombo from 1998-2001.
Ms Klugman has held a range of positions including Assistant Secretary, Mainland South-East Asia and South Asia Branch (2004-05) and Director, East Timor Section (2001-03). She has also worked in the Arms Control and Counter-Proliferation Branch (1995-98) and the Counter-Terrorism Compliance Section (1992). Ms Klugman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Sydney.

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