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Negotiations for Unitary or Federal loos at Chateau de Bossey
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 12:58 AM SL Time
The LTTE delegation arrived on Saturday in Geneva and the local LTTE office headed by Anton Ponrajah swung into action by organising some local, trusted LTTE families to participate in a welcoming ceremony at the airport. The LTTE had recruited children to participate in the event. This was reported in Colombo as `the Tamil community in Geneva` welcoming the LTTE.
When The Island visited the `Tamil community` in Geneva, they were busy running their many shops, working in restaurants etc and were not interested in Prabakaran or Karuna and only wanted peace in Sri Lanka and to be left alone to carry on their lives.
On Monday, the Sri Lankan delegation landed in Geneva,over an hour late, because of flight delays. The Sri Lankan Embassy in Geneva had not organised for the `Sri Lankan community` to welcome them at the airport as this was not considered appropriate. No children had been recruited to welcome the Sri Lankan delegation.
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Prayers for peace held in Jaffna
Tuesday, 21 February 2006 - 8:29 PM SL Time
`In the forthcoming Geneva talks the Sri Lanka Government should participate with a genuine desire to make compromises opening opportunities to arrive at a just and fair solution to the existential problems faced by the Tamil people,` said Bishop of Jaffna Rev Fr Thomas Saundaranayagam speaking at one of the several events held in Jaffna today praying for peace, sources in Jaffna said.
Saying that `The alarming rise in the Sinhala-Buddhist fundamentalism in the South was central to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka`s multicultural society,` the Bishop urged the Sri Lanka Government that while taking decisions during the discussions. to be cognizant of the destructive history of the past and to recognize that Geneva talks could potentially be the last opportunity to move towards peace.
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Tiger renegades won`t disarm yet
Tuesday, 21 February 2006 - 2:44 AM SL Time
A breakaway Sri Lankan rebel leader, whose feuding with the Tamil Tigers is threatening a fragile ceasefire and is central to peace talks this week, said on Monday his forces would only disarm if the main group does.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa vowed last week to rein in armed groups the LTTE say are attacking them, but V. Muralitharan, alias Karuna, who split with the rebels in 2004, told Reuters his group would resume attacks if provoked.
`If Sri Lanka forces disarm all the armed groups and us ... it will only give legitimacy for the LTTE to extend its writ to kill us,` Karuna said in an e-mail interview confirmed via a personal telephone conversation.
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Politics
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Clash of Chinthanayas in Geneva
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 4:19 AM SL Time
The Norwegian peace facilitators were holding separate meetings with the government and LTTE delegations yesterday in Geneva as the two parties go into direct talks today on a hopeful note.
Norway`s International Development Minister and chief facilitator Erik Solheim arrived in Geneva last afternoon and went into immediate meetings with both parties at the Chateau de Bosey in Celigny, the venue for today`s crucial talks which will focus on the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA).
Mr. Solhiem and Swiss officials will make a special statement this morning prior to the start of the two-day closed-door meeting between the government negotiating team led by senior minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and the rebel team led by LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham, Norwegian embassy spokesman Tom Knappskog told the Daily Mirror.
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Geneva... Co-Chairs appeal for flexibility at today`s talks
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 1:05 AM SL Time
In the response to Government`s request to the Co-Chairs to guarantee LTTE commitment to peace process, the Co-Chairs urged parties `to approach the opportunity with an open and flexible attitude.`
The Co-Chairs in a statement yesterday said that Geneva talks would be `an opportunity to restore confidence in the cease fire agreement and move forward towards a peaceful future.`
Full text of the statement:
`The European Union and the Government of Japan, Norway and the United States, the Co-Chairs, welcome the February 22-23 discussions between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Geneva as an opportunity to restore confidence in the Cease-fire Agreement and move forwards towards a peaceful future.
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Liberate people from `liberators` - A`Sangaree
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 1:03 AM SL Time
The Government should liberate Tamils and Muslims in the Northern and Eastern provinces from the so-called liberators, the LTTE, which has become stronger after the signing of the ceasefire agreement four years back, TULF leader V.Anandasangaree has told the Diplomatic Community in Colombo.
In a letter addressed to the Heads of Diplomatic Missions on Sunday (19), on the Geneva talks, he said he had welcomed the Ceasefire Agreement in the hope that it would bring peace, but later had to change his mind due to the `arrogant dictatorial behaviour of the LTTE cadres`.
He said the government had failed to brief the international community of the ground situation and serious violations of the ceasefire by the LTTE. If properly briefed the international community without pressurizing the government to start peace talks with the LTTE would have demanded the LTTE to release 600 adults and 1,700 children abducted by the LTTE., he said.
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Editorial News
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Ministry must decide: Patients or patents
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 4:23 AM SL Time
In January, Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva ' now in Geneva on a much more important mission ' gave an assurance that within one month he would introduce legislation in parliament to effectively implement the proposed National Medicinal Drugs Policy.
We are reaching the end of February and parliament is not scheduled to meet again this month and the legislation would hopefully come only next month. The Health Minister made his promise during a TV interview in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaka. The President, who is essentially a socialist and recognizes the value of a National Medicinal Drugs Policy based on the Senaka Bibile Principles, has assured advisors that he would personally see to the implementation of the policy. Since the Health Minister made the promise in the presence of the President we believe the President would ensure that the promise is kept.
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The unholy at holy shrine
Tuesday, 21 February 2006 - 2:23 AM SL Time
Nominations for the mini polls submitted, accepted and rejected, the candidates are now thronging to Kataragama to invoke God Skanda`s blessings for their mundane political projects, as we reported yesterday. Callous as they may be to others, they dare not utter or commit anything that they fear might offend that God of War known for his divine wrath. They are willing to make any vow to have their wishes granted. It is perhaps the only place where they offer pooja to someone else at their expense. Such is the reverence political potentates have for God Kataragama, who according to his anthropomorphic images, has six heads and twelve hands.
We have politicians worshipping God Skanda before and after elections but their piety hasn`t transcended the precincts of that holy shrine, outside which they become demigods and expect the people to do to them what they do to God Kataragama'pay homage. Pooja appears to be the only thing that they have borrowed from Kataragama. Without some kind of pooja offered to them, nothing gets done, unless a miracle happens. Some of them, who have an insatiable thirst for blood ask for bili pooja (human sacrifices) and their minutemen readily oblige. Hence, the political killings in this country.
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Astuteness, cunning and manoeuvring
Monday, 20 February 2006 - 4:45 AM SL Time
The Trotskyite firebrand Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne, who jumped on the UNP bandwagon on Friday after S. B. Dissanayake`s release on a presidential order, had something interesting to say about President Mahinda Rajapakse. `My mother used to tell me,` said Bahu, `those who lived beyond the Benthara Ganga were cunning, and the deeper you go into the South, the more cunning the people get. And Mahinda comes from that part of the country.`
Very true! Mahinda has even won over Bahu`s revolutionary soul mate Vasu, who is now the UPFA mayoral candidate for the CMC. The JHU and the JVP are chalk and cheese ideologically but Mahinda has them on his side. They campaigned harder than his own SLFP to make him President.
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| Security |
Army refutes Tamilnet story
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 9:06 AM SL Time
The Army yesterday refuted LTTE allegations that an Army Deep Penetration Unit had placed a claymore mine in the uncleared area of Mahilankulam, 25 km southeast of Mannar.
The Army said that this story published in the TamilNet is completely false, unfounded, malicious and fabricated with sinister motives.
The Army in a statement issued yesterday said this fabricated story has been published by the pro-LTTE website to cover the true facts and figures related to the continuous detection of more and more deadly LTTE claymore mines, explosive devices, arms and ammunition in the recent past from cleared areas in Mannar, Jaffna, Batticaloa and elsewhere in the North and East.
Security Forces assisted by the police in a number of search operations in cleared areas after December 1, 2005 to date have recovered a total of 40 LTTE claymore mines, 10 T-56 weapons, three pistols, light machine guns, mini Uzi guns, Rocket Propeller Guns (RPG), hand grenades and over sixty two thousand (62,000) detonators and large stocks of gelignite sticks used for production of bombs and other lethal explosives.
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UNP goes to courts, slams Returning Officer
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 4:21 AM SL Time
The main opposition UNP yesterday petitioned the Court of Appeal saying the order by the Returning Officer rejecting the party`s nomination list for the Colombo Municipal Council was a grave error of law, unsupported by evidence, ultra vires and patently lacking in jurisdiction.
The party asked the Court to direct the Commissioner of Elections and the Returning Officer to forthwith accept the nomination list of the UNP for the CMC.
The party in its petition said the Returning Officer had assured that it would be granted an opportunity to make representation if there was any issue with regard to its nomination list but he proceeded to make a summary order of rejection without giving the UNP a chance to explain its case.
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Workshop on promoting child rights
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 1:00 AM SL Time
The second round of workshops conducted by the Monitoring and Review Division of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on protecting and promoting Child Rights commences on February 23. The District Secretaries, Divisional Secretaries, and Senior Police Officers will be the guests of honour. Child Rights Promotion Officers, of Women`s and Children`s Desk of Police Stations, Probation Officers, Social Services officers and Early Childhood Development Officers of respective provinces will participate in the workshops.
The programmes are targeted at improving state related activities regarding Children`s rights, Director of the Monitoring and Review Division of the HRC Attorney - At - Law Thilani Rajapakse said.
The scheduled for February, March and April are: Sabaragamuwa Province-at Ratnapura district secretariat February 23, Western Province- at Mahara Divisional Secretariat on February 28, North Central Province- at Kebithigollewa Divisional Secretariat on March 02, Southern Province- at Tangalle Divisional Secretariat on March 17, Southern Province- at Ambalangoda Divisional Secretariat on March 21, North Western Province- at Putthalam Divisional Secretariat on March 28, Uva Province - at Badulla District Secretariat on April 04 will be held.
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Business / Economy News
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CEB unions split over today`s work stoppage
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 4:22 AM SL Time
Trade unions in the Ceylon Electricity Board appeared to be split yesterday on a proposed work stoppage today in support of demands for salary increases.
The JVP-backed Lanka Viduli Sevaka Sangamaya leader, Ranjan Jayalal, claimed they had the support of several unions and some 14,500 employees for the work stoppage and demonstration today.
But another CEB trade union alliance claiming it had the support of some 40 unions said yesterday they would not support today`s work stoppage which was unethical and had the backing of only a few unions.
The trade union alliance`s convener Ananda Nimalaratne said the work stoppage was unreasonable as the unions had at earlier meetings agreed to give Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne time till March 15 to implement the salary increases.
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Sri Lanka moots Buddhist pilgrimage trail
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 1:08 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka has mooted the idea of a Buddhist pilgrimage trail to attract tourists from China, Japan and Korea.
Its Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike told The Hindu that Nepal, India and Sri Lanka had the potential to attract tourists from these countries if they got their act together.
Mr. Bandaranaike, here on a personal visit, said earlier Sri Lanka had tried to sell itself as a sun-sand-sea destination. Despite being cheaper than many countries, the response left much to be desired. `I visited China twice last year. There is a growing middle class in China. But they are not interested in merely the sand and the sea. They want something more. After some research, we found that the Buddhist pilgrimage trail would work.`
The Minister said the trail would begin in Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, and wind its way through Bodh Gaya, Saranath and other destinations in India before ending in Sri Lanka. In his country, there were many sites, including the Temple of the Holy Tooth Relic at Kandy. `We now have direct flights from Colombo to China, and I think it would work well.` Lumbini is at the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal, and is one of the four holy places of Buddhism. The sites of his enlightenment (Bodh Gaya), first discourse (Saranath), and death (Kusinara) are in India.
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HISA solutions to enhance hotel services
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 1:06 AM SL Time
Hotel Information Systems Asia Pte Ltd. (HISA) has launched two innovative internet solutions, recently in order to enhance hotel services.
These two new solutions are named `HIS Core` and `epitom.Net`.
According to the HISA, `HIS core` solution is a comprehensive suite of internet native, browser delivered software applications developed by HIS. It provides tools for Property Management, Coporate Management, Distribution Channel Management, Central Reservations, and Reservation Portal.
`This suite of solutions is designed specifically to enable hoteliers to centralize multy 'property operations, improve guest loyalty, increase profitability and improve revenue management` said HISA General Manager, Serene Ng explaining about their solutions.
According to her `core` is built with Java 2tm Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and BEATm Weblogic,two of the most modern enterprise tools available allowing it to be, globally deployable and highly scalable.
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| Sports News
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Tharaka makes Thomians see stars!
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - 12:59 AM SL Time
Right arm paceman Tharaka Waduge, who picked up seven wickets for 30 runs guided Isipatana to an emphatic 61 run victory over S. Thomas` College, Mount Lavinia in the curtain raiser of the limited overs Black and Gold triangular cricket tournament, hosted by DS Senanayake College, played at DSS grounds, on Monday.
After being bowled out for 168, Tharaka Waduge did exceptionally well to restrict S. Thomas` to a paltry 107.
The Thomians, after starting well with a formidable second wicket stand of 70 runs were restricted to a disappointing 107 as Tharaka Waduge spearheaded the attack to skittle them out with 21 overs to spare.
Waduge`s 7-30 came in his 10 over spell which included two maidens.
Naveen Perera, Nizam Mazahir and Ruchira de Silva were the only Thomian batsmen to top 20 runs.
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Kaluperuma delivers black magic
Tuesday, 21 February 2006 - 2:24 AM SL Time
The chairman of the Sri Lankan selectors Lalith Kaluperuma and his English counterpart David Graveney have much in common. Both were off-spinners who disgraced their countries by signing up for rebel tours to South Africa in the 1980s. While David Graveney never threatened an international career, Kaluperuma`s South African sojourn ended his test career after a few months in 1982.
I have only vague memories of watching Kaluperuma bowl in Sri Lanka`s inaugural test match in 1982, which I watched as a curious nine year-old. What I vividly recall is a spectacular catch that he took in the gully in the second innings. I later learnt that Kaluperuma was a specialist in the gully region.
Whenever he took wickets in club cricket, the papers used to announce his achievements with headlines that read `Kaluperuma performs black magic`. This was a clever pun on the Sinhala rendition of Kaluperuma`s name.
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Pakistan create history - retain Under-19 World Cup
Monday, 20 February 2006 - 4:56 AM SL Time
Defending champions Pakistan created history in the ICC Under-19 World Cup by becoming the first country to retain the title when they beat arch rivals India by 38 runs in the final played under lights at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.
It was a low scoring final dominated by bowlers. Pakistan were dismissed for 109 but hit back hard through their pace trio of Jamshed Ahmed, Anwar Ali and Akhtar Ayub to rip through India`s formidable batting line up and have them shot out for 71, the lowest total in a final and the lowest by India in the history of the competition. Pakistan won the last World Cup held in Bangladesh in 2004.
Ahmed gave Pakistan the perfect start when they started to defend their small total by bowling Gaurav Dhiman for a first ball duck.
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