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| New Lalith Front to contest PC elections
under UNP banner by Franklin R. Satyapalan In the absence of Mrs. Athulathmudali who is away with a Parliamentary delegation to Amsterdam and South Africa, MP Ravi Karunanayake said that their members had been advised to obtain dual membership of UNP as they were to contest under the UNP banner. This dual membership was still under discussion by their "Politburo", he said. Asked whether it would be unconstitutional for them to run under the UNP while being a constituent partner of the PA, Karunanayake said. "We need not worry since it is not unconstitutional. What does it matter even if it is?" Karunanayake revealed that overtures had been made at the highest level by the PA to their members including Western Provincial Minister Lakshman Abeygunaratne. Certain Lalith Front Provincial Councillors such as Susantha Siriratne, Nandana Mendis, Clement Perera and Susil Kulatunga have joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Karunanayake said that party members had decided that their arrangement with UNP would be formally signed with a legal agreement. A committee consisting of General Secretary of New Lalith Front J. F. Nanayakkara, Siri Andrahennadi, Mangala Ranaraja and Mrs. Sharmila Perera has been assigned to draft a legal agreement to be signed between the UNP and New Lalith Front, Karunanayake said. President summons top SLFPers to PC elections strategy talks President Chandrika Kumaratunga has summoned senior SLFPers to a Temple Trees meeting tomorrow to discuss the provincial council elections likely in July/ August although no firm dates have been set. Tomorrow's meeting will be attended by SLFP Secretary Dharmasiri Senanayake, PA Secretary D.M. Jayaratne and other party seniors. "The president wishes that there be no delay in holding these elections,'' Minister Alavi Moulana said yesterday. The terms of five PCs expire in June while those of the Northeast and Southern Provinces go longer. Mr. Jayaratne said that he would seek an early date from the president for the constituents of the PA to meet and work out their election plans including candidates on a common list. "But first we want a discussion within the SLFP on the number of seats that can be conceded to the other parties,'' he said. He said that although there have been press reports that the Lalith Front will break ranks with the PA, they had not been told anything up to now. He pointed out that the PA constitution prohibits its constituents running alone at any election without the sanction of two thirds of the PA's central committee. "If they contest with the UNP, they cannot remain within the PA,'' he said. Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said that no dates for elections can be fixed until June when the terms of five PCs end. The relevant dates are: Uva (June 7) Central (June 10), NCP (June 14), Western (June 18) and Sabaragamuwa (June 22). The elections will be held according to the 1997 register expected to be certified before the end of this month, the commissioner said. -- (FRS) Indian nuclear tests bar to South Asian free trade? by Amal Jayasinghe SAARC has remained silent on India’s surprise nuclear tests because the charter of the regional grouping precludes it from commenting on internal matters of member states or getting involved in bilateral issues. However, last year’s SAARC summit in the Maldives called for nuclear disarmament, although there was no direct reference to India or Pakistan which is also believed to have a nuclear programme. Asian diplomats here said Pakistan may be keen to attend the next SAARC heads of state meeting here sometime in July to mount a campaign against India on the sidelines of the summit. However, other SAARC members have been clearly cautious in reacting to the Indian tests, Bangladesh and Nepal reacted only 48 hours after the first Indian tests but did not join the international condemnation of New Delhi. Instead, both countries called for restraint and urged all nations to refrain from anymore testing. Maldives and Bhutan have not reacted to the tests while Sri Lanka officially expressed "deep concern" about "missile and nuclear testing in South Asia." Sri Lanka, which is hosting the 10th SAARC summit, is hopeful that the meeting will go ahead although Maldives Foreign Minister Fathullah Jameel expressed fears of a postponement because of the mounting regional tensions. "If tensions between India and Pakistan escalate then there is a danger of one or both asking for a postponement of the summit," Jameel said in a telephone interview from his home in the Maldives capital of Male. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar told a luncheon meeting of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association here Friday that Colombo was not against New Delhi becoming a nuclear power and opposed international sanctions against India. Kadirgamar said despite the mounting tensions between India and Pakistan, he expected the SAARC summit to go ahead in Colombo some time in July. He expected the two Prime Ministers to discuss the nuclear issue during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit. However, fresh security concerns may force the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to stay away and that could scuttle the summit and deprive Pakistan of a forum to attack the nuclear testing. Press reporters in India said a high-level meeting of intelligence officials late Thursday reportedly considered advising Vajpayee of cancelling a July visit to Sri Lanka. Based on reports from various international intelligence agencies, Vajpayee was the world’s most endangered leader after Pope John Paul II, US President Bill Clinton and his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the reports said. India carried out its first three nuclear test explosions just 12 days after Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif opened a South Asian Conference of commerce ministers in Islamabad with a call for regional rapprochement and peace. Trade and Commerce can flourish only in such an environment, Sharif told ministers from member states — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, Asian diplomats in Colombo said India’s nuclear tests could seriously dent SAARC and the first casualty will be economic and trade cooperation. South Asia is to establish a free trade area by 2001 and any concession one country grants to another must be extended to all members. However, analysts said that given the Indo-Pakistan relations, it was too much to expect. The present wet weather will continue over most parts of the island today, the weather man said. With rain and thunder showers predicted, particularly in the afternoon and evenings, it is best to keep your umbrella handy. The forecast said that there will be strong westerly winds in the southwest and over the western slope of the central hills. The rainy conditions due to lower atmospheric disturbances is expected to clear within the next few days, the met official said. There are yet no signs of the monsoon due by the third week of May. It is not possible to say exactly when it will break, he said. There was very heavy rain recorded at Anuradhapura (118.9 mm) Bowatenna (106) and Katunayake (161) over the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. yesterday. Colombo had 39.6 mm. Rainfall was good over the hydrel reservoirs with Castlelreagh getting 77 mm and Kotmale 72.1 in addition to the heavy fall over Bowatenna. 'Hot' money looking for suckers racket resurfaces Remember the letters several businessmen here received, ostensibly from Nigeria, some months ago about the availability of millions of dollars of 'hot' money for business? It was a clear search for suckers to be quickly parted from their cash. CID Director T.V. Sumanasekera took it up at the last Interpol meeting and his Nigerian colleagues had told him that they were on the trail of a gang of racketeers engaging in this fraud. Now more letters are going around, this time allegedly from Zairian temporarily resident in South Africa. No address is give, just phone and fax numbers. Just like the last time. The story is glib. They have USD 17.5 million to do business/investment by importing commodities to the Southern African region. The money had been diverted to South Africa from former Zaire, its initial destination, from the private Swiss bank account of the late President Mobutu. Says a man who signs himself as Lucas Nzala jnr.: "This was made possible due to my father's position as the former prime minister to then President Mobutu ten months ago.'' He goes on to say that they would "love to visit your country for more comprehensive business discussions.........but because of our position as political asylum seekers, it's impossible....'' The story goes that the cash is now lodged with a security company in Johannesburg for safekeeping. "The modalities and mode of payment will be discuss on show of genuine interest.'' We've corrected some of the patchy English. A lot of these letters seem to have gone around. We don't know if any suckers have fallen for the bait. If they had, they would surely have been bitten. "The racket we know of is what is supposed to have originated from Nigeria,'' the CID director said. ``We publicised it to warn people to be careful. We'll follow this up too.'' Meanwhile beware. They say that a sucker is born every minute and fools and their money are soon parted. Island Capers When India exploded a nuclear device in 1974, also on a Vesak day, the news was conveyed to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with a cryptic coded one-liner, "the Buddha has smiled.'' We do not know how the word was passed on to Mr. Vapayee this time but some Indian headline writers, taking the cue from the previous occasion have pronounced that "the Buddha has smiled three times.'' Remember, there were three explosions altogether. The smiling Buddha was a topic of conversation at Fridays Foreign Correspondents' Association (FCA) luncheon at which Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was guest speaker. The large Indian press corps assigned here were a formidable presence at the meeting and explored Colombo's thinking on the Indian action with predictably penetrating questions. The minister handled them all deftly making sure that he enhanced Sri Lanka's national self-interest in the process. Over lunch, FCA president Nirupama Subramanian of the Indian Express confessed her unhappiness about the unfortunate choice of words. She explained that conditions in the Rajasthan dessert in May favoured the natural wiping out of footprints, hence the timing. Vesak and the Buddha analogy in matters of nuclear testing are, of course, unfortunate from the Sri Lankan point of view especially from the land of the Buddha. Mr. Kadirgamar said he would take it up with Prime Minister Vajpayee. Major General Larry Wijeratne's funeral today The funeral of Major General Larry Wijeratne will be held at 4 p.m. with full military honours at the General Cemetery, Kanatta. Former 524 Brigade Commander of Point Pedro in Vadamarach-chi, Brigadier Wijer-atne, 47 was killed by a suicide bomber on Thursday. He leaves his wife, Colonel Indira Wije-ratne and sons Baghaya and Dulanjaya. The cortege will leave his residence (689/B. Akuregoda Road, Pelawatta, Battaramulla) for cremation. Brigadier was killed for his 'hearts and minds' approach says Kadirgamar by Franklin. R.
Satyapalan Military officials in the north said that the late brigadier's successful ``hearts and minds'' approach to the people within his area of command would have angered the LTTE which targeted him. The Voice of Tigers had acknowledged the killing. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar told a meeting of the Foreign Correspondents' Association in Colombo on Friday: ``It is perfectly clear that he was not assassinated because he was a feared military commander but because he was reaching the hearts and minds of the people. That's what is dastardly about it.'' The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) had information that the brigadier, posthumously promoted major-general, was to be targeted in retaliation for the killing of Arjunan, the deputy leader of the Sea Tigers and a senior LTTE fighter at Vadamarachchi and six others by the security forces. This information had been conveyed to Brig. Wijeratne several months ago. Following receipt of this intelligence, the late officer had been conscious of his security which had been tightened. But the guard had been relaxed on his penultimate day in the peninsula when he attended a traders' felicitation lunch just before leaving on transfer as deputy commandant of the Kotelawela Defence Academy. The LTTE appeared to have assessed the possibility of a strike that day, military sources said. They said that the brigadier had spoken warmly of his 30 months in the area and hoped that he would one day return there. The Puloly - Pt. Pedro Traders' Association called for a 2-day hartal on Saturday and Sunday to protest the killing of a much loved officer. Although it was first suspected that a woman cadre was responsible for the killing, a tell-tale mustache established that the killer was a man. No rights abuses after officer’s death — Sri Lanka Sri Lanka’s foreign minister gave assurances on Friday that the recent killing of a top army official would not lead to a repeat of human rights abuses by the military against Tamil civilians in northern Jaffna. "I am confident it won’t happen," Lakshman Kadir-gamar told a luncheon meeting of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association. "The military commanders in the north are a very disciplined people. They will not allow anybody to go berserk. The whole ethos of the army’s conduct in the north has improved considerably than what it was years ago," he said replying to a question. A Tamil Tiger rebel suicide bomber killed Brigadier Larry Wijeratne at Point Pedro in Jaffna on Thursday, raising some fears of a military crackdown against Tamil civilians there. "He has been assassinated not because he was a feared military commander, but because he was reaching the hearts and minds of the Tamil people," the minister said. Hundreds of people disappeared during searches for suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in Jaffna after a similar suicide attack on a minister there in July 1996. The minister, Nimal Siripala de Silva, had escaped unhurt but a senior brigadier and 22 others were killed in the attack. Amnesty International has said that some 760 people disappeared in 1996, most of them after the aborted bid on the minister’s life. Other human rights organisation have accused the military of large-scale violations including rapes, disappearances and deaths in custody. Sri Lanka says it has taken steps to educate its forces on human rights and that the number of disappearances has dropped sharply. — (Reuters) Light bulb ad triggers feminist outrage by Namini Wijedasa The cleverly taken photograph has one purpose - to entice consumers into admiring the technical finesse and quality of a light bulb, leading to an ultimate purchase. "Curves as shapely as a sizzling model's'": the words sweep faithfully along the curves of the woman on paper, aimed at illustrating the "smooth, perfect contours" of the brand of light bulb in question. This advertisement, one of a series in a campaign to sell the bulb, has attracted vehement protests from a group of twenty eight women's organisations. The organisations have grouped together in a coalition called "Women Against Sexist Advertisement". They say that whoever compares the body of a half-clad model to a light bulb and pumps it with sexual innuendo to sell the product has VERY bad taste. Women Against Sexist Advertising have lodged their protests in a letter addressed to the management of the company which markets that particular brand of light bulb. In it, they express their "deep concern at the use of the female body in advertising a light bulb". "We think this is an extremely sexist and demeaning view of women and the use of women's bodies which denote lack of sensitivity and respect to all of us - mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and fellow female colleagues". The coalition also feels appalled at the interpretation of what a model is and "the implication that female models should be semi-clothed and can be described as 'sizzling'". It is, they say, a devaluation of the profession. "We are also disturbed at your view of women which relegates her to the position of a faceless figure with just a body of 'shapely curves'," stresses the letter. "We are at a loss to understand what the shape of a woman's body has to do with the sale of a common household bulb". The letter has elicited no response from the management up to now. The advertisement has so aroused the activists that they have threatened to campaign publicly against companies who continue to use sexist and derogatory images of women to market products. Do advertising firms not realise, they wonder, that more than 50 per cent of their market constitutes of women? Women and Media Collective was one of the twenty eight organisations which lodged their protest. Kumudini Samuel of Women and Media Collective explained to 'The Island' on behalf of the coalition that they have no objection to the use of women in advertising. It obviously has to do with a personal choice made by those particular women. But when such advertisements outdo the boundaries of decency and border on demeaning, it becomes the concern of the entire women's population - and not simply a case of personal choice. "If the projection of a woman in a particular advertisement is flattering and with personality, depicted in a respectable and dignified manner, we would have no reason to complain," she reiterated, "But at present, a category of advertisements has come up that does not further the cause of women as respected individuals". So many advertising groups, she noted, have now resorted to using women - parts of their bodies - to promote the sale of products. "Just parts of them: faces, breasts, legs, arms, all in fragmented ways. This clearly shows they are used only for that chosen part of their body", she commented. It also promotes the ideology that a woman can be used, she opined. The coalition feels that the heads of advertising firms have drawn the conclusion people no longer care how they use women in advertising. "We have also found that when meetings are called to discuss the issue, most of them do not turn up," said Kumudini. The coalition notes it is a disturbing trend. Advantage Sri Lanka was the advertising firm responsible for the advertisement in question. 'The Island' contacted the managing director of the company, Pradeepta Roy, for comment. He insisted that the company never intended to adopt a sexist stand in creating the advertisement. However, he admitted they had failed to give consideration to the fact that it could have been interpreted in such a manner. "We respect womanhood," he stressed, "We only used the woman's body to depict the curve of the light bulb. The curve is important as it gives the product quality. It influences the displacement of light in a consistent manner," he explained. The word 'sizzling' was used to describe the quality of light, he noted. But why did the woman have to be clad in a skimpy bikini, Mr. Roy? "Because other clothing would not have done," he said. Come on now, Mr. Roy, says the coalition. "We felt it was the best way to show the curve," he insisted, "It was not revealing clothing per se for the sake of revealing- it had a purpose, namely to illustrate the perfection of the curves in the light bulb". Mr. Roy also raised the point of using men in advertising. "If the biceps or muscles of a man could have done the job, we would have used such a photograph," he noted, "It is not a case of never using men or using only women. It is a case of relevance. Here, it was relevant to use a shapely woman". Not so, in Kumudini's opinion. "I mean, I'm sure a man could have been posed in some way or the other to produce a few curves? Why not use men?" she demands. He also explained that other images used to promote the bulb included a necklace (to illustrate a bright filament), a gas balloon (to portray a powerful gas composition) and a suspension bridge (depicting a durable filament support system). All very clean. This, he says, proves his point that they intended to take each aspect of the light bulb separately and illustrate it with images that best portray these qualities. For this advertising firm, it is all a case of relevance. They felt a semi-nude woman would apply best to the sort of advertisement they had in mind. But for women's groups, it is tasteless. And there certainly are more sensitive ways of advertising. Women's groups fear that due to a lull in their protests, the emerging trend has been to opt for sexist advertisements. Many are the advertisements (both on print and electronic media) that adopt images of a woman's body to sell products. Often, they are fraught with sexual innuendo that cause embarrassment to the fairer sex. Many women are not happy... and they wanted the advertisers to know. Security at Yala Park gets high priority at SP Governor's meeting by Sakuntala Perera The meeting follows an attack on a security forces patrol at the park close to Warahena early Thursday morning by suspected Tiger terrorists. A group of seven or eight terrorists had opened fire at a group of soldiers on a routine security patrol in the Warahena, area about 12.30 am, the Director said. Nobody had been injured in the attack. He said that the meeting will also go into existing visitor facilities in the park, entry fees, security measures and the general ground situation in the park. The meeting is expected to be attended by the Brigade Commander of the Yala National Park, Brigadier H. A. N. T. Perera, the Director of Wildlife Conservation, the Assistant Director of Wildlife Conservation for the Southern Province, Chandra Jayawardena and the Chief Secretary of the Southern Province. Director Jaya-sekera further added that he was "satisfied with the existing security measures provided in the national park by the armed forces. "I am very satisfied with the security that is presently provided. The armed forces are doing a very good job. We have their hundred percent cooperation," he said. The Yala National Park came under a Competent Authority through special emergency orders by President Kuma-ratunga, last October. Over 400 servicemen were thereafter deployed in this park and a Naval sub unit set up. The Yala National Park has continued to come under terrorist attacks from June 1996. But both the Wildlife Department and the responsible Plantations Ministry discounted an LTTE hand. They blamed internecine quarrelling for the incident which included torching of three park bungalows. It was also claimed that the attacks were inside jobs intended to discourage visitors and leave an open field for illicit gemming, felling and poaching. The unfavourable security environment in the park led to some employees quitting their jobs in fear of their lives. The director also said that Monday’s meeting will consider the possibility of the Southern Provincial Council helping the Wildlife Department with park fee revenue as the present voted funds were inadequate to properly run the park, the director said. Women’s organisations must work together Former Ambassador Manel Abe-ysekera has called upon women’s organizations to work together if they are to be an effective global voice for women.
Also addressing the AGM, women’s activist Manouri Muttettuwegama, commending the Soroptimists for their endeavours pointed out that broad basing and extending the membership of the organization within Sri Lanka would have a large impact on women. Making reference to their Thimbirigaswewa project, she said that her recent experience as Chairman, Commission on Disappearances in the Western, Saba-ragamuwa and Southern Provinces had shown that there was a crying need for small projects in those areas. Dean of the Faculty of Law University of Colombo, Prof. Sharya de Soysa was elected the new President of the organization, while Ms. Radha de Mel was elected Vice President, Ms. Lucille Dahanayaka as President Elect, Mrs. Merle Amaratunga as the Secretary, Mrs. Onitha Gunatunga as the Treasurer and Ms. Tara Ramanayaka as the Program Action Officer. The newly elected Committee comprises Ms. Beryl Gunasekera, Ms. Celine Perera, Ms. Maureen Ramachandra, Dr. Brighty de Mel and Ms. Padmini Samarasinghe.
by Shan
Wijetunge The JVP was represented at these talks last Wednesday by its propaganda secretary Vimal Weerawansa and politburo member M.D. Gunatillake while the NSSP was represented by Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne, Dr. Sunil Ratnapriya and Mr. Neil Karunatillake. Both sides were agreed about the need for left unity. Before Wednesday's meeting at NSSP headquarters, the JVP has also made contact with small left parties to secure the unity objective. They want to follow up with talks with Mr. Vasudeva Nanayakkara and also invite left parties associated with the PA if they agree to leave the government. A JVP politburo meeting on May 9 also discussed the forthcoming provincial council elections. A propaganda campaign in which JVP members of local bodies will participate will be started. Several social development schemes too will be launched using several lakhs of rupees paid to JVPers elected to various local bodies. The return to Sri Lanka JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe was also discussed at the politburo. It was agreed to ask him to delay his return due to the various threats the party faces. Appeal Court orders Grama Niladari appointments by Chitra Weerarathne These fiftynine Grama Niladari officers were among the sixty four persons interviewed and selected by the Southern Provincial Council, in 1993, for appointment. They had filed an application for a writ of Mandamus in the Court of Appeal, invoking the jurisdiction of the Court to implement the directions in Ministry circular dated 31.12.93, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Public Administration and Provincial Councils, in respect of the Southern Province. The circular directed that the candidates selected for the post of Grama Niladari be given their appointments. When the Writ Application was called before the Court of Appeal, in the last week of April 1998, a settlement was arrived at by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Public Administration agreeing to appoint the petitioners, to the posts. The settlement was dated, 27.4.98. The Deputy Solicitor General, Mrs. Eva Wanasundera, appeared for the respondent Ministry of Home Affairs, and Public Administration. Mr. Tilak Marapana, PC with Mr. Nalin Ladduwahetty, Mr. Jayantha Fernando and Mr. Anuja Premaratne for the petitioners, Grama-Niladaris. In this case the Southern Provincial Council, in 1993, had selected sixty four persons, to be appointed Grama Niladaris to the Southern Province. By circular dated 1.1.95, the Ministry of Public Administration took over the function of the appointment of Grama Seva Niladari. As a result the sixty four persons selected in 1993, could not get their letters of appointment. Five out of the sixty four persons, filed Fundamental Rights violation pleas in the Supreme Court and obtained relief. The Supreme Court held that the Ministry's decision to take over the authority to make the appointments was arbitrary and unlawful. The Court of Appeal bench comprised Justices H. S. Yapa and Upali de Z. Gunewardene. by Himangi Jayasundere
Having initially started with radio shows he says "I held my first one man show Shabda Swarna in 1980". Today this is popularly known as "Nimnada". He says he had the good fortune to perform in Middle Eastern countries like Kuwait and Doha in the early 90's, however with the problems that arose due to the Gulf war he returned to Sri Lanka. Since then he has performed both at the Tower Hall and the Elphinstone Theatre. Popular for his shows on television and radio "Sudu Puncha" and "Pipena Kusum" to name two, Abeyratne continues to entertain people using his vocal chords, mouth, nose and tongue. Having grown up close to nature he is inspired by the sounds around him. He says "once you get in to the habit it's not so difficult". Asked if he needs any special training before a show Abeyratne says the most important thing is to stay healthy. He has to take special care of his throat and voice. "A cold during show time is very bad luck". After last month's show he says he had a problem with his throat. Says Abeyratne "I want to make maximum use of this skill while I can, No one can say how long it's going to last". He hopes to produce a cassette which will also feature bird and animal sounds with music but his ultimate hope is to make the Guinness Book of records as the first man to have a one man mimetic show. He will be holding his next show from 3-6.30 p.m. on May 23rd at the Asoka Hall in Horana. Who is the Magistrate in the metropolis, who telephoned an acting magistrate and requested him to discharge a suspect produced before him under the Emergency regulations? The acting magistrate said he could not oblige as the permanent magistrate of that court had told him not to entertain motions. The magistrate insisted that the acting magistrate should release the suspect on bail, as he had spoken to the police and the police were willing not to object to bail. The acting magistrate, who is a regular practitioner in the court and has won the confidence of the magistrate, refused. The same magistrate is said to be defeating the efforts of the government, by releasing army deserters on bail, without handing them over to the police or the army. This has caused concern in the police, as making such arrests is not easy, given that some suspects are important members of the underworld. ‘Aldere legi justitiam decus’ Justice Should be added to Law.
The George Keyt Foundation will be presenting a massive exhibition of 50 years of Sri Lankan paintings at the National Art Gallery from Sunday, May 24 to Sunday May 31. This exhibition is being organised to commemorate both the fifty years of Independence and also the ten years of existence of the Foundation. The exhibits, which will be displayed in both wings of the National Art Gallery, will be covered by a seventy page catalogue, twenty of which are in colour, which will contain writings about Sri Lankan paintings of the period as well as reproductions of many of the exhibits. A spokesperson for the Foundation told the "Sunday Island" that the undertaking of this exhibition would not have been possible without the magnificent support of the private sector. This support, she said, would be a terrific boost for Sri Lankan artists. Co-sponsors of this exhibition are ANZ Grindlays Bank, Ceylon Tobacco Co., Unilever Ceylon, Seylan Bank, Richard Peiris & Co., Carson Cumberbatch & Co., Union Assurance, Mas Holdings, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, Ceylon Grain Elevators, DFCC Bank, National Development Bank, Ayojana Fund Management, Citi National Investment Bank, Capital Development & Investment Co., NDBS Stock Brokers, Eagle NDB Fund Management and John Keells Holdings. ‘Office 98’ exhibition An exhibition of office equipment - "Office 98" organized by CDC Conventions (Pvt.) Ltd, will be held at the Sapphire Ballroom of the Ceylon Intercontinental on June 5th and 6th from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The first day being exclusively for invitees with pre-scheduled appointments and the second day being open to both the public and invitees with pre-scheduled appointments. Book release The first volume of the Sinhala translation of Sahih Al Bukhary will be released on May 18 by Lakshman Jayakody, Minister of Buddha Sasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs, at the Sir Razik Fareed Auditorium MICH Building, Fort, at 5 p.m. Norwegian Constitution Day Norwegian Constitution Day, organized by the President and the Executive Committee of the Sri Lanka-Norway Society, will be held today at "The Meridian" (Barwil Meridian Navigation Ltd.) The chief guest on the occasion will be Jon Westborg, Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sri Lanka, who will deliver a lecture on Sri Lanka-Norway Relationship. PGIA Annual Congress The 10th annual congress of the Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture of Peradeniya will be held at the Plant Genetic Resource Center, Gannoruwa, Peradeniya on November 19 and 20, 1998. The chief guest on the occasion will be Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, former director of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Manila, and present Chairman of the Swaminathan Research Foundation. Coir and allied products manufacturers meet The first general meeting of the President and the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Coir and Allied Products Manufactures Association, will be held on May 20 at the King’s Court, Trans Asia Hotel at 6 p.m. The chief guest will be Kingsley T. Wickremeratne, Minister of Food, Trade and Commerce. Shaun E. Donnelly, Ambassador of the United States of America will be the guest of honour. Environmental Chemistry course Dr. G. Helz of Staford University, USA, will conduct a short course in Environmental Chemistry at the Institute of Fundamental Studies (IFS), Kandy on May 29 and June 1. Recent advances in the use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy as a tool in geochemistry will be discussed as a special feature during the two day course. Handing over ceremony The ceremonial handing over of the machinery and equipment installed by the Japan International Co-operation Agency to upgrade the Foundry Industry in Sri Lanka, will be held on May 18 at the Industrial Development Board Head office at 10 a.m. C. V. Gooneratne, Minister of Industrial Development, will receive the equipment on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka by the Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka Yoji Sugiyama, who will be handing over on behalf of the government on Japan. 1000 Voice Peace Concert The 1000 Voice Peace Concert, organized by the Colombo YMCA, will be performed at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on May 24 at 5.15 p.m. |
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