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Tiger suicide bombers go high tech

COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels used electronic devices to self-destruct suicide bombers and prevent their being identified in a failed assassination bid that killed 29 people, officials said Tuesday.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas for the first time employed the high-tech systems during Friday’s suicide attack the authorities believe was aimed at a politician returning from parliament.

"The suicide bombers had activated a switch to set off the explosives stuffed into their jackets to go off within an hour of launching the attack," an official close to the investigation said.

"This is the first time we came across this device".

The official said the intention had been to render the body of the suicide bomber difficult for identification.

A bomb disposal squad managed to defuse devices on two suicide bombers who were shot dead before they could blast themselves to pieces.

Any delay on the part of the squad would have led to greater tragedy because of the timing device that could have set off explosions, officials said.

At least eight members of the LTTE’s elite Black Tiger squad took part in Friday’s attack which ended the following dawn.

Fifteen civilians and six policemen were killed and at least 75 people were wounded in the bombing and the rebel shooting spree that followed at Colombo‘s Ceremonial Drive at Borella.

Officials said about a dozen people were under questioning in connection with Friday‘s attack, which is believed to have been aimed at a ministerial motorcade returning from parliament.

Officials said they were trying to find out where the gunmen of the LTTE stored their arsenal of weapons which included armour-piercing rocket propelled grenades, light machine guns and claymore mines.

Investigations are being carried out by a special police team into the breach of security. The guerrillas has smuggled the weapons in two large cricket bags.

The hit squad was discovered before it could ambush the motorcade. However the rebels went on a shooting spree after staging a suicide bombing and fought commandos overnight until eight members of the suicide squad were either killed or blasted themselves to pieces by next morning.

The bombing came as no surprise to many, although police said there had been no intelligence reports about the possibility of an ambush that day.

Press reports two weeks ago said at least six members of the LTTE had infiltrated the capital to stage suicide attacks.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga narrowly escaped assassination when a woman suicide bomber detonated explosives trapped to her body at a rally here on December 18.

Police are still trying to identify the woman who carried out the attack to track down her possible associates.

Twenty-six people were killed and Kumaratunga was wounded in the blast, which also left 110 people wounded. Eighteen days later, another woman suicide bomber killed 11 people near the prime minister’s office.

Army echoes Mahanayakas’ call to destroy terrorists

by Shamindra Ferdinando
The army last week joined the four Mahanayakas and leading anti-devolution groups to voice their belief that LTTE’s terrorism must be defeated through military means.

Army Commander Lieutenant General Sri Lal Weerasooriya Thursday [16] assured the nation that the LTTE would be defeated military if the required number of troops were available. In a hard hitting statement issued through the Defence Ministry, Weerasooriya insisted that the ongoing wave of bombings and other acts of terrorism should be countered by strengthening the army and wiping out the LTTE. He urged the parents to send in their sons to serve the army.

On the same day, the Maha Sangha held a media briefing at the Y.M.B.A. Borella to announce the handing over of a petition to President Chandrika Kumaratunga urging her to ignore any outside mediation, call off devolution talks and crush LTTE’s terrorism.

The calls by the Maha Sangha and the army came just a day after anti-devolution groups held violent protests outside the Royal Norwegian embassy at Number 34, Ward Place demanding an immediate end to outside interference in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs.

Police equipped with tear gas and anti-riot gear moved in ahead of the demonstration.

Some protesters climbed the parapet wall of the embassy, shouting anti-Norwegian slogans while some banged the iron gate demanding permission to enter the premises to hand over a petition.

Later the embassy’s number two allowed a three member delegation that included former Central Bank Governor Neville Karunatillake to enter the compound and accept their petition. The embassy, The Sunday Island learns has indicated that they representatives of anti-devolution groups would be invited for a meeting there.

The leading anti-devolution group the National Joint Committee’s Dr. Piyasena Dissanayake said that the people appreciate army chief’s bold decision. Weerasooriya, he said has quite rightly pointed out that terrorism must be countered with maximum force.

The JVP, too has joined the anti-Norwegian campaign but probably for different reasons, analysts said. Thousands of JVPers were brought to Lipton Circus on the same day, the army chief and the Mahanayakas called for total war against the LTTE to conduct a massive demonstration.

The demonstration was against the proposed Norwegian mediated negotiations with the LTTE and the ongoing deliberations on constitutional reforms between PA and UNP delegations.

The JVP accused the PA and the UNP of conspiring with Norway.

The JVP has always called for a negotiated settlement with the LTTE. The decision to oppose the PA - UNP talks ahead of possible fresh round of negotiations with the LTTE appeared to have been politically motivated in view of the parliamentary elections scheduled for coming August.

Ministerial sources and a senior UNPer yesterday said that they would continue with the peace initiative despite opposition and setbacks.

Both sides declined to comment on last week’s protests, particularly the four Mahanayakas call to crush the LTTE militarilly. Delegation sources said that they have agreed not to discuss the ongoing deliberations with the press to avoid unnecessary complications.

TamilNet quotes not in Mar. 16 Far Eastern Economic Review

The TamilNet in a March 14 report quotes a Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokesman confirming that Anton Balasingham had undergone treatment in Oslo and refuting comments attributed to President Kumaratunga in her Far Eastern Economic Review interview that Norway had first sought her permission to treat Balasingham.

However, no reference to this appears in the interview published by the magazine in its March 16 issue. In this interview, there is no reference whatever to Balasingham.

Well informed sources said that it was on the Internet edition.

TamilNet quoted the Norwegian foreign ministry spokesman, Ingvard Havnen, saying that ‘’the decision to bring Balasingham to Norway for surgery was taken by Norway on its own, on a purely humanitarian basis. Both parties were informed of the decision."

Havnen is further quoted to have said there was no link between Norway’s humanitarian assistance to Balasingham and her effort to bring about negotiations between the LTTE and the Sri Lanka government.

This report also said that asked whether Balasingham was still in Norway, Havnen declined to comment.

The last three paragraphs of the report quotes the President having told the Review ‘’(The Tigers) have got Norway to take Anton Balasingham to Norway with my permission.

‘’Even after I said yes to his being operated upon, they (Tigers) bombed me and wanted to kill me.... Norway delayed taking him (Balasingham) and helping him because they were naturally very angry - not that they have any special friendship for me, but they didn’t believe in this kind of thing,’’ she said.

‘’And they asked again, ‘’Do you want us to take him?" And I said, "Yes, do that," President Kumaratunga said.

But these paragraphs are not in the published version of the March 16 issue of the Review.

Whether there was a longer version of the interview published on the Internet or anywhere else was not clear yesterday.

There was no confirmation of a Friday report that President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe are expected to hold a joint media conference this week

The report said that they were expected to join the conference through satellite links from Temple Trees. They were to use this opportunity to tell the people of the ongoing discussions between the PA and the UNP and other related matters.

The briefing was expected to take place after the PA and the UNP delegations led by them the third round of bipartisan negotiations.

Mr. Wickremesinghe was not available for comment. A party source said that the Opposition Leader was away in Kandy. However, Mr. Wickremesinghe’s Coordinating Secretary (Information) Saman Athavuadahetti said that he is unaware of this arrangement.

The President, since the December 18 bid to assassinate her during PA’s final campaign rally, has increasingly used this method to address the people.

Violence against Sri Lankan women continues unabated

Geneva (AFP): A special UN human rights rapporteur expressed dismaying Tuesday that gang rapes and murders of women and girls by soldiers in Sri Lanka were continuing unabated.

In a letter to the Sri Lankan government the special rapporteur on violence against women. Radhika Coomaraswamy, expressed her ‘’grave concern’’ over the lack of serious investigations of allegations a press release said.

And she voiced concern about political violence in the south of the country affecting women in particular citing the case of actress Anoja Weerasinghe whose house was attacked reportedly because of her political activities in the United National Party the release said.

‘’The special rapporteur expressed the hope that every effort will be made to prevent further violations through the investigation of the alleged incidents and the prosecution of alleged perpetrators in a manner consistent with international human rights standards,’’ it added.

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Review to stand by its report?

The Hong Kong based Far Eastern Economic Review has a tape recording of President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s interview with it and is expected to stand by the accuracy of its report, well informed sources said.

The UNP took serious objection to a remark attributed to her in the interview alleging complicity between itself and the LTTE. This was taken up at Thursday’s PA-UNP talks and the president had denied the remark. She had said that some newspapers distort her statements and said she would look into the UNP complaint.

In the interview with the magazine the President is quoted to have said: "It appears now, for the past one and a half years, the UNP and LTTE have been working together. And the UNP was counting very much on the LTTE assassinating me during the election campaign."

Island Capers
A matter of timing

Lake House shareholders who had received the company’s just published annual report for 1998 just couldn’t believe the timing of Wednesday’s statement by Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera that the company is a den of corruption, is saddled with inefficiency and unproductivity and that he would retrench half the company’s 2,900 employees within three months.

The report, presented in the format of a tabloid newspaper had a headline that screamed: "Another remarkable and prosperous year for ANCL.’’ Illustrating it was a portrait of the company’s smiling chairman, Mr. Aloy Ratnayake.

A reading of the figures in the profit and loss account showed a trading profit of Rs. 27.6 million in 1998, down from Rs. 44.3 million a year earlier, on a turnover of Rs. 1.36 billion. Thanks to other income, including over Rs. 13 million from the sale of old newspapers, there was an after tax profit of Rs. 48.7 million, down from Rs. 58 million the previous year.

The Auditor General’s comments on matters like accounts receivable is also good reading. We run a report in our business pages.

Former sportsmen should run Cricket Board, says President

Colombo March 15 (AFP): President Chandrika Kumaratunga has said she wants retired players to run the Sri Lanka cricket board and keep businessmen away from managing the game plagued by crisis after crisis.

The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) had not been audited ‘’in any serious way for many years’’ and it had become an ‘’interesting place for people to reside in,’’ Kumaratunga told foreign journalists late Tuesday.

She said she wanted retired cricketers or sportsmen to run the cricket board which had an income of 800 million rupees (10.9 million dollars) but was not properly audited.

"I think businessmen should lay their hands off the cricket boards and allow cricketers, serious sportsmen to take over the cricket board,’’ Kumaratunga said. ‘’I have always had this opinion for a long time.’’

Elections to the cricket board last year were marred by allegations of violence and rigging and following a court challenge, the sports minister appointed an interim board to run the cricket administration.

However, that panel also ran into rough weather recently over differences with the sports minister. Fresh elections due this year have been postponed indefinitely.

A close relative of Kumaratunga contested last year’s elections but was defeated by a businessman who was the incumbent president of the Board. That election is now the subject of a court case.

Cricket is extremely popular in Sri Lanka and the game has attracted hefty sponsorship following the country’s 1996 World Cup win.

Chicago style slaying sends shock waves through political circles

by Shamindra Ferdinando
The continuing violence involving powerful Colombo gangs led to another Chicago style killing at Keselwatte last Sunday [12].

Gamage Ariyapala [33], under investigation for his alleged involvement in a Mafia style "operation" to intimidate leading Pakistani businessmen and force them out of the Pettah wholesale market was shot dead in the evening at his Keselwatte office.

Underworld terror led to the protest closure of all wholesale shops at Fourth Cross Street, Pettah late last month. Police officials who investigated the threats on wholesale traders were asked not to harass Ariyapala, one of the few suspects detained in connection with the inquiry.

"Ariyapala was shot twice, in the head and stomach", Gamage Wilson his 75-year-old father, a retired public servant told this reporter when I met him at the scene of the shooting.

Wilson said that two persons, both wearing caps and carrying guns got out of a white coloured car and walked to his son’s office. He said one carried a pistol and the other a weapon which looked like a repeater shotgun. Wilson had been outside the office at that time.

The gunmen walked towards the office and stopped outside it. One of them then fired two shots at Ariyapala after shouting "don’t get up we are from police"

Wilson said that the whole incident did not take even 30 seconds. He said that just a couple of minutes before the shooting he talked to his son and at that time he was changing channels after watching the first day’s play of the third and the final test match between Sri Lankan and Pakistan.

Ariyapala’s killing sent shock waves through political circles. He was no ordinary businessmen, one said pointing out that Ariyapala was close to many politicians on both sides and was among the delegation that accompanied the UNP dissidents to Temple Trees just weeks before the December 21, 1999, presidential election.

Wilson said that the police has not even bothered to record his statement. "They will never catch the killers," he said declining to comment on possible suspects.

However, he admitted that his son’s involvement with former UNP strongman Sirisena Cooray’s Puravasi Peramuna or the recent case that linked Ariyapala to the alleged Mafia style tactics against some leading Pettah wholesale traders could have prompted the attack.

Dr. Wimal Wickramasinghe, Puravasi Peramuna’s General Secretary is convinced Ariyapala’s killing has nothing to do with the victim’s role in the party. Ariyapala had been responsible for Keselwatte area and was considered a person with considerable influence over various groups.

Wickramasinghe said that the late Ossie Abeygunasekera introduced Ariyapala to Sirisena Cooray a few months before he was killed in the Thotalanga bomb blast.

Inquiries revealed that Cooray had helped Ariyapala to acquire a top floor apartment at relatively new government flats at Vajiragnana Mawatha a little distance away from the Maradana police station. I visited this flat where a number of Ariyapala’s relatives live. They talked fondly of him and showed a couple of albums containing photographs of Ariyapala with many politicians including Cooray.

Over the years, Ariyapala’s influence grew as his relationship with Cooray allowed him to go places. He had been close to some of the UNP dissidents and some PA politicians including Jeevan Kumaratunga, Bharatha Lakshman and A. H. M. Fowzie among others.

This was evident when Ariyapala was allowed to accompany the dissidents led by Sarath Amunugama when they first met President Chandrika Kumaratunga and almost all her cabinet colleagues at the Temple Trees last year.

Minister Sarath Amunugama, Jeevan Kumaratunga, Bharatha Lakshman and Sirisena Cooray were among many politicians who visited Ariyapala’s Keselwatte office and residence to pay their last respects. Cooray delivered the funeral oration.

Ariyapala had been close to many powerful families including the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s family. People close to him said that Ariyapala played a key role in promoting the former first lady, Mrs. Hema Premadasa’s bid to enter active politics through Colombo Central electorate.

He knew many policemen including senior officers, Ariyapala’s father said. Ariyapala’s brief success story appeared to have been the story of many other youth who died in a hail of bullets. They knew politicians, businessmen and earned millions and then faced unknown hoodlums on their way to the top of the crime world.

Call to ban illegal ‘half cut’ vehicles

The Used Motor Spare Parts Importers Association (UMSIA) yesterday called upon the government to enact specific legislation to deal with the illegal fabrication of vehicles by welding two ‘half cuts’.

It also urged all authorised personnel such as the police and the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to take necessary action to stop these illegal vehicles being used on the road.

As an association deeply committed to protect the legitimate interests of importers of used motor spares, we wish to reiterate that we are totally opposed to the local fabrication of vehicles by welding two ‘half cuts’. This is not only an unethical business practice, but it’s illegal as well, UMSIA President A. Buddhika De Silva said in a statement.

‘There have been certain Press reports that the local fabrication of luxury vehicles has led to the denial of revenue to the government. As a responsible association, with a membership of over 100, we call upon the government to enact specific legislation to deal with such illicit practices, if any. In fact, we are totally opposed to the import of such automobile ‘half cuts’ used for this purpose’, the UMSIA statement underscored.

‘However, we wish to categorically state that the overall restriction on the import of vehicular ‘face cuts’ and ‘nose cuts’ is unfair, unjust and unreasonable. For example, the import of a ‘face cut’ of a vehicle comprising of the windscreen, dashboard, fuses, relay, A/C blower unit and steering column/wheel cannot under any circumstances be used in the assembly of a motor vehicle without the other parts’, the UMSIA President pointed out.

‘We therefore feel that the government decision to restrict the import of this category of used motor spares as well, is a crushing blow to the trade, which will unfortunately result in loss of revenue and employment,’ De Silva added.

NMAT condemns Norwegian mediation

The National Movement Against Terrorism [NMAT] last Wednesday warned Norwegian embassy that it would do everything possible to block the ongoing’ Norwegian attempts to mediate between the Sri Lank an government and the LTTE.

The NMAT in a one - page letter dated March 15 addressed to the Norwegian ambassador in Colombo, said that ‘in spite of our protests, if your country with obvious pro-LTTE sympathies, is determined to be the mediator in the peace talks, the NMAT will utilize every possible avenue to organise the people and rise against your attempts,"

The letter was handed over to embassy’s Minister Counsellor Ms. Betzy M.E. Tunold.

The following is the full text of the letter:

"The Foreign Minister of your country visited Sri Lanka and prepared the background for "peace talks" with the L.T.T.E. While your country is enkindling hopes of peace in Sri Lanka, the barbaric Tamil Tiger Terrorists have intensified their attacks. Shielding behind the so called peace talks the Tiger Terrorists are massacring the unarmed civilians in the south. They are also targeting the political and military leaders.

In the attack of Rajagiriya, Colombo on the 10th of March 2000, a total of 16 civilians and 6 police personnel were killed. The number who received serious injuries was about 64. There was severe destruction of property and many have been made homeless. This is the 136th mass massacre by the L.T.T.E. against innocent civilians. One cannot have any hopes of peace with the Tamil Tiger Terrorists. This is proved amply by the previous experiences. The "peace talks" and political proposals cannot solve the Tamil Tiger Terrorist problem. Isn’t your country aware of their past acts of atrocity written in blood?

Your country also should be responsible four all the deaths and destruction the mass massacre of the 10th of March 2000.

Your country is not impartial. Facts prove that you are pro-LTTE. Moreover this is an internal problem of Sri Lanka. Our country should arrive at the solution to our own problem. The interference by your country is completely rejected by the Sinhalese.

In spite of our protests, if your country with obvious pro-L.T.T.E. sympathies, is determined to be the mediator in the "peace talks", the National Movement Against Terrorism will utilize every possible avenue to organize the people and arise against your attempts which will end in disaster as events in the past have," proved.

Only a terrorist problem, not ethnic — Mahanayake Theras

‘It’s our conviction that what prevails in this country is a Tamil racist terrorism and not an ‘ethnic’ problem. This has been launched by a group of Tamil terrorists against the State. This terrorism, and not the Sinhala people or the government, is the sole problem confronting the Tamil people in this country today. In this situation, the only solution is to use the power of the State to crush terrorism and firmly establish the writ of government and law and order throughout the country’, the Mahanayake Theras said in a memorandum sent to President Chandrika Kumaratunga last week.

It further stated:

The position of the Mahanayakas of the three Nikayas concerning the amendment of the Constitution proposed by your Government in October 1997 was conveyed by us to you on January 30th ,1998 . A copy thereof is annexed. We express our appreciation to you for not presenting those proposals to Parliament. Nevertheless it appears that the Government is attempting to introduce the same proposals in a different garb. It also appears that the Government is preparing to negotiate again with the LTTE terrorists on the intervention of the Government of Norway, to solve the so-called ‘ethnic problem’ said to prevail in this country. We consider it a duty, we owe to the Nation, as Mahanayakas to strongly oppose this.

"Norway takes the foremost place amongst the countries sponsoring Tamil terrorism from its very inception. Moreover, we believe that the involvement of a foreign party for the purpose of negotiations would finally result in the intervention of foreign armies in the internal affairs of this country. There would then be a major threat both to our independence and national security as well as to the entire South Asia region. The experience of previous negotiations is that discussion with the LTTE is a futile exercise.

"We believe that the proposed "peace talks" would result in harm to the Nation as well as to you and, no good will be done at all. Therefore, we now advise you to act as a Patriotic Head of State by ceasing all negotiations immediately, crushing this cruel terrorism without delay by the us of State power and giving up proposals which will lead to the division of the country. Towards this end you will always receive our blessings. The signatories are Rambukwelle Sri Vipassi Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter, Udugama Sri Dhammadassi Ratnapala Buddharakkhita Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter, Madihe Pannasiha, Uttaritara Mahanayaka Thera of the Amarapura Sangha Sabha, and Veveldeniye Medhalankara Mahanayaka Thera of the Ramanna Nikaya.

Germans released on bail

From Wimal Keerthi in Negombo
The two Germans who were arrested by the police for allegedly attempting to assemble a plane without permission from the Civil Aviation Department, were produced in court on Friday evening and released on bail.

The suspects were ordered to appear in court on Monday (20) by Negombo Magistrate and Additional District Judge, Saman Wickremarachchi.

The two Germans have been identified as Uwe Baker (38), a technical engineer attached to an engineering company, and Uli Kurule (42), Managing Director of ‘Sky Sports’, a Board of Investment (BOI) approved company in the Katunayake Industrial Zone.

The report by the Negombo police, who produced the suspects in court said that the engine of the aircraft assembled illegally had been imported by the company ‘Sky Sports’.

The company had not given the reason for importing the engine, the police report said.

It further highlighted the danger of this aircraft falling into the hands of the LTTE, and had added that in such a scenario the destruction caused by the aircraft would have been immense.

If the LTTE had access to the aircraft, then the Katunayake Airport would have been in great danger, the report said. The Attorney General’s advice had been sought to file action against the suspects.

The defendants were released on bail by the judge after considering the representations made by defence counsel Nishedra Ekanayake and Godfrey Cooray. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Negombo, Makulakumara Varushyaperuma prosecuted.

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Chandrika, Ranil to hold joint media confab?

There was no confirmation of a Friday report that President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe are expected to hold a joint media conference this week

The report said that they were expected to join the conference through satellite links from Temple Trees. They were to use this opportunity to tell the people of the ongoing discussions between the PA and the UNP and other related matters.

Mr. Wickremesinghe was not available for comment. A party source said that the Opposition Leader was away in Kandy. However, Mr. Wickremesinghe’s Coordinating Secretary (Information) Saman Athavuadahetti said that he is unaware of this arrangement.

The President, since the December 18 bid to assassinate her during PA’s final campaign rally, has increasingly used this method to address the people.

Compensation to next-of-kin of Lionair victims to be given soon

The process of payment of compensation to the next-of-kin of the victims of the Lionair crash is expected to begin this week, a top airline official said.

The claims submitted to the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation with regard to the crew of the missing aircraft have already been approved and payment at the rate of Rs. 500,000 per member is being awaited, the Lionair official said.

The ‘passenger claims’ amounting to US$ 5,000 (approximately SLR 365,000) per person will go before a committee of the corporation as the amount involved is big and the green light is expected this week, she said.

The Russian-built aircraft, an Antonov-24 with 48 passengers and a six-member crew on board disappeared on September 29, 1998 off the Mannar coast while on its way to Colombo from the Palaly airbase.

Dismissing charges that Lionair is dragging its feet on honouring these claims, the official explained that there was no inordinate delay in compensating the families of the victims, as by law, it’s only one year after that those who were on board could be presumed dead.

‘We even obtained letters from the Red Cross in place of the death certificates and submitted the claims to the Insurance Corporation’, she said.

S. Sivapragasam whose wife Tharmanayaki perished in the crash, told the ‘Sunday Island’ that he had duly filled up the relevant forms and forwarded them to Lionair months back, but despite several reminders, he had so far not received any compensation.

‘I am 72 years old and my health is deteriorating. I am subject to high blood pressure from the time I lost my youngest son, S. Arunagirimathan (24) due to aerial bombing in Jaffna on August 20, 1990’, he lamented.

He said he was married to his dear wife for 47 years and is unable to bear up her loss. "I feel that I may not live to receive this compensation due to poor health’, he said.

The airline official said that Sivapragasam had officially handed over his application only in December last year, when the process began much earlier.

All of them will receive compensation soon, she assured. — (Suresh)

EDB mission to US to promote apparel exports

A mission organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board left Sri Lanka early last week to meet leaders of the best selling apparel brands in the USA. The mission undertaken in view of the phasing out of quotas by the year 2005 comprised a group of leading exporters, Chairman BOI and Director, Product Management of the EDB.

Apparels at present are the country’s number one export accounting for 53.5 per cent of total exports. Sri Lanka enjoyed the security provided by the Multi Fiber Agreement for apparel exports to the USA market, which did not necessitate any aggressive marketing. The situation has changed in view of the phasing out of the MFA by 2005. The mission will seek to meet the Chief Executive Offices of 10-15 top brands to encourage at least 5 best brands to set up buying offices in Sri Lanka. Minister, Commercial, Sri Lanka Embassy in the USA who has organised the meetings in the USA, will also join the Sri Lanka delegation, the EDB said in a statement.

Minister of Internal and International Trade and Food Kingsley T. Wickramaratne, who met the delegation prior to their departure said that we should make the year 2003 as the target year to find markets of our own and not wait till 2005 when the quotas are completely phased out.

The EDB has taken the initiative to intensify marketing efforts in the U.S.A. which is Sri Lanka’s leading apparel market, after intensive discussions held with the Exporters, BOI and other parties concerned.

USA has remained the major market for apparel over the years. A population of 271 million with a per capita income of US$ 32,376, makes intensive marketing in the USA a worthy effort, the EDB said.

In 1990, Sri Lanka exported apparel products worth Rs. 16,500 million — 66.46 per cent of total apparel exports to USA, which has increased by 1999 to Rs. 101,464 million — 61 per cent of total apparel exports.

Although the exports to USA as a percentage of total apparel exports has declined from 66.46 per cent in 1990 to 61 per cent in 1999 the total exports to USA has increased. This reflects an increase in total apparel exports from Sri Lanka and the decline in the percentage exported to the USA is a result of a conscious and a vigorous market diversification programme carried out by the EDB to reduce the dependence on a single market, it said.

The visiting Sri Lankan team will offer various incentives for buyers to set up office here to assist Lankan exporters to face a quota free future, the statement added.

British High Commissioner visits Jaffna

British High Commissioner Miss Linda Duffield is scheduled to visit Jaffna next Tuesday.

She will be accompanied by the Defence Adviser Lt. Col Robert Kendell and Second Secretary (Development), Mr. Martin Dawson. The four-day visit, which will be her first since arriving in Sri Lanka, is an opportunity for Miss Duffield to familiarise herself with conditions in the Northern peninsula.

As well as meeting the civil, military, religious and academic leaders in the peninsula, Miss Duffield will visit some of the humanitarian aid agencies operating in the peninsula and see their work in progress. She will also visit areas where Britain is assisting in development programmes.

Rupavahini, ITN not allowed to cover opening of Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia new building

The Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, (SLRC) and the Independent Television Network (ITN) had been debarred from covering the March 10 opening of the Rs. 90 million new office complex of the Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council, reports said.

The Ministerial Security Division (MSD) personnel who had taken over the security arrangements as Ministers G. L. Peiris, C. V. Gooneratne, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, D. M. Jayaratne and Amarasiri Dodangoda, among other VIPs attended the opening ceremony, had prevented the television crews from entering the complex, sources said.

‘The MSD wanted a letter from the Mayor and as this strange request, at that point of time, was unacceptable, the cameramen had to return to base’, a State electronic media source said.

The camera crews had briefed their superiors of this unexpected development and with their permission abandoned the coverage, the source added.

The Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia MC had sent out invitations for the opening, but the MSD had insisted on written permission from the Mayor himself for media coverage, Municipality sources admitted.

When the ‘Sunday Island’ attempted to contact Mayor Jayaratne Perera for his comments, his secretary said that the Mayor was busy at a conference. Asked about the incident, the secretary said it was not the fault of the Mayor.

The ‘security people’ had debarred entry to the television crews and the ‘Mayor cannot be running about seeing to everything’, he pointed out.

Asked why the Municipality which had invited the electronic media to cover the ceremony failed to intervene on their behalf, he said that the security aspects were handled by the MSD and it was they who decided. — (Suresh)

Animal welfare legislation to be reviewed

Legislation on Animal Welfare and in particular the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance of 1907 is currently being reviewed by the Law Commission of Sri Lanka with the objective of re-casting and updating such laws.

The Commission, in a statement, acknowledged the increasing public interest in the ethical treatment of animals as reflected in the content of the local print and electronic media, and more specifically in proposals submitted to the Commission by Animal Welfare Societies for an effective legislative framework to protect the rights of animals.

According to the Commission, there are perceived deficiencies in the existing legislation, which was enacted nearly 100 years ago.

The form and scope of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance is considered to be inadequate. The limitations of this statute are apparent when it is compared with the Animal Welfare legislation of other countries and particularly that of India. The existing legislation is perceived to be deficient in the following areas, among others:

• Lack of broad coverage of animal welfare issues
• Inadequate powers of the Police
• Inadequate penalties
• Lack of proper Regulations and Codes of Practice to supplement legislation particularly in respect to transport of animals, loads to be carried or drawn by any animal, and exhibition and training of performing animals

• Absence of regulation of research and teaching activities using animals

• Absence of any provision for the creation of an Animal Welfare Authority to administer Animal Welfare

• Lack of recognition of the right of registered Animal Welfare organisations to intervene in judicial proceedings as the ‘next friend’ of an animal, and the

• Lack of grant of powers to recognized Animal Welfare organizations to enforce the law to protect animals, in a way similar to the grant of powers of enforcement to the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in England and Australia.

The primary aim of the review would be to draw draft legislation for public discussion and subsequent introduction in Parliament. In drawing new legislation on Animal Welfare, the Law Commission will take into consideration the changing community attitude towards animals, advancements in scientific knowledge, the improved understanding of animal behaviour and the content of modern legislation on Animal Welfare in other countries. The Law Commission recognises the need for Animal Welfare legislation to be balanced, humane and to be representative as possible of the broad range of community views on animal use and care, the statement said.

The Law Commission will be using the services of a Legal Consultant Senaka Weeraratna, Attorney-at-Law, for a limited period of time to this exercise. Mr. Weeraratna who has researched and written on Animal Welfare legislation in both Australia and Sri Lanka, has agreed to assist the Commission on a purely voluntary basis in drawing the proposed new legislation.

The Law Commission wishes to invite proposals from members of the public, lawyers, veterinarians, Government Departments, Animal Welfare Associations, schools, tertiary institutions and any individual or institution who has an interest in animals generally, for consideration by the Commission.

All proposals for reform of the law on Animal Welfare should be submitted to: The Secretary, The Law Commission, 93, Insipatana Mawatha, Colombo 5. Fax No. 586002 before April 7,2000.

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