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| LTTE bid to recruit child soldiers by
Amal Jayasinghe The Jaffna based organisation said that the Tigers wanted children over 13-years old to take up arms and halt the army's offensive aimed at capturing the strategic main supply route between Vavuniya and Kilinochchi. While much of this highway has been taken in the year long Jayasikuru campaign, there is yet some distance to cover. The rights group, which is often criticised by the LTTE, said the rebels had stopped targeting students and were sending senior cadres to persuade school children to join the militant group. "You are all happy about the heavy casualties we inflicted on the Sri Lankan forces at Mankulam. But we too suffer casualties in dead and injured", the group quoted a Tiger rebel leader as telling students. "We have plenty of money and ammunition. Unless you join and support our heroic fighting forces, we cannot continue to resist the enemy with the same intensity". The UTHR said the parents have begun asserting themselves and forced the LTTE drop plans to proclaim a state of war. "One respect in which developments are favourable in the LTTE controlled area from a democratic point of view, is that the people are beginning to assert themselves", the UTHR's latest report said. The report said the LTTE was conducting street dramas in a bid to encourage youngsters to join the movement and the theme of one play was to attack the Tamil elite who ask others to send children to battle while protecting their own. "It reveals a mood of such scepticism in the Vanni, that to get any sympathy from the audience the LTTE now finds it necessary to attack this segment among its former supporters, who are again very typical of its overseas support base", the UTHR said. The LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran said just over two weeks ago that they lost 1,300 of their cadres while trying to stop Jayasikuru. Despite reported manpower shortages, two other leaders of the LTTE told a visiting United Nations official recently that the group would immediately stop recruiting children below 17 years and stop using child soldiers. However, the UTHR said the Tigers were faced with poor recruitment as well as desertion, a problem shared by the Sri Lankan security forces. It said one of the reasons for the poor response to the LTTE's recruitment campaigns was a feeling among civilians that they had already sacrificed a good deal for the "Tamil cause" without achieving anything besides death and destruction. Bribery Commissioners to resist pressure to quit Mr. T.A. de S. Wijesundera, the Chairman of the Permanent Commission on Bribery and Corruption, who has been under considerable pressure to resign from this position, has decided to continue in this office. "He was very close to resigning, but has now decided to stay on,'' a well informed source said. Two officials of Avadhi Lanka, an NGO set for promoting public morality and civic accountability, met with Mr. Wijesundera and the remaining commissioner, former IGP Rudra Rajasingham, at their Colombo office a few days ago and prevailed on them to continue. An appeal to this effect was personally handed over. In a letter signed by Mr. R.M.B. Senanayake, its secretary, Avadhi Lanka said that there had been press reports that Mr. Wijesundera was likely to resign from end May and that he was doing so as a result of considerable pressure brought on him. "Those who are pressing you to resign from the post you now hold may have their own reasons for doing so. But Avadhi Lanka wishes to remind you that the only persons who can rightly call upon you to vacate your posts are Members of Parliament sitting in a body and that too only on a resolution passed by two thirds of the House. "You will appreciate that it was not for nothing that such provisions were included in the original legislation. Your term of office runs for five years,'' the letter said. It expressed the view that if Mr. Wijesundera or the other member of the commission (the third post not being filled after Mr. Siva Selliah's death), should resign without being called upon to do so by parliament, "you will betray the interests of the people who are crying out desperately for a society free of corruption.'' They have asked Mr. Wijesundera to abandon any idea of resigning, if he had any idea of doing so. The same request was also made of Mr. Rajasingham. "We cannot think of anyone dedicated to the upholding of public morality who will not endorse our request,'' the letter said. A copy of the letter to Mr. Wijesundera has also been sent to Speaker K.B. Ratnayake with the appeal that he, as the custodian of the rights and privileges of parliament, and more importantly of its conscience, "will see your way to reactivate an institution so important to our national welfare''. They have pointed out that the commission, for reasons beyond its control, was unfortunately unable to perform its work. Ravi challenges G.L., Jeyaraj, PERC for debate Peoples Alliance parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake yesterday challenged Ministers G. L. Peiris, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and the PERC board for a televised debate on Air Lanka. Karunanayaka told "The Island" that none of the issues raised at the recent parliamentary debate on the restructuring of Air Lanka has been answered by the government. "I am prepared to face all of them alone if they agree to a debate. I am also awaiting Jeyaraj Fernandopulle’s reply now that I have refuted his false allegations against me". Karunanayake sa-id his lawyers will shortly be filing defamation actions against the Rupava-hini, ITN, SLBC," Daily News" "Evening Obsever", "Silumina" and " Dinamina " for highlighting the false allegations made against him by Fernandopulle. The damages being sought is expected to run into hundreds of millions. (ZJ) Two barges sans crew washed ashore by Srian Bulathsinhala According to the sources the two barges had been drifting in the sea for four days. They were spotted by civilians on Friday night. Yesterday morning they were washed ashore. Police said that the length of a barge was 100 feet. Investigators told ‘The Island’ that when the civilians saw the barges they had thought they were carrying arms for the LTTE and had informed the police. The police had gone to Muthupanthi on Friday night and had reported the incident to the Naval base at Kalpitiya to check them out. However, due to the weather being rough the police or the navy had not been able to reach the barges. By yesterday morning the barges had drifted ashore. The police had gone to the scene and done a thorough check and confirmed that there were no suspicious items on board, the police said. OIC Mundalama police Inspector Nimal Fernando said that investigations had revealed that the two barges were made in Madras and belonged to Fort Trust Company of Mumbai. After being manufactured they were to be tugged from Madras to Mumbai. That contract was given to a firm called Siva Credit. The two barges had been towed by a tug boat in the sea 50 miles off Negombo when the rope which towed the barges had snapped. The rope had then gone and fouled around the tug’s propeller which prevented the tug’s crew from securing the barges. That incident occurred on 25 of this month. "We have informed Police Headquarters, the Ministry of Defence and the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka and court regarding the matter," Inspector Fernando said. Representatives of the firm which own the barges had also given a statement to the police claiming their right of possession. "We had asked the assistance of the Indian HC to establish their bona fides, an investigator said. He added that the Indian HC had not replied yet. This incident has been reported a year after the detection of LTTE weapons in the same area. In that detection five suicide kits, hand grenades, Rocket Propelled Grenade Launchers and T-81 assault rifles were recovered by the police. IP Fernando said that in the statement made by the owners of the barges they had said that the contract to salvage the barges had been given to Master Divers Company of Sri Lanka. However they are still on the beach at Muthu-panthi, the police said. Further investigations are being carried out by OIC Mundalama IP Nimal Fernando and OIC Udappuwa police post, IP Liyanage under directions of ASP (II) D. A. U. Abeysinghe and SSP Chilaw Gamini Silva. UNP committee to recommend repeal of SPC Act by Shamindra Ferdinando The committee headed by Colombo District MP Tyronne Fernando comprised working committee members Daya Pelpola [secretary-legal] and Rohitha Bogollagama. The committee is expected to submit its recommendations to the working committee in the second week of June. Mr.Tyronne Fernando declined to comment on the committee’s findings or reveal the identities of those who expressed their views. However according to informed sources, many have suggested that the Act should be abolished."We need a different kind of mechanism in place of the SPC," a political sources said saying that the ruling People’s Alliance [PA] government was using it against political opponents. "The government," he said should reactivate the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption immediately if it has any interest in fighting corruption. The Commission’s Chairman, Mr. T. A. De S. Wijesundara Friday said that he has requested the Inspector General of Police to reassign police personnel to it as the Commission is unable to initiate investigations into the recent complaints made by the UNP. The SPC of Inquiry Act came into operation during late President J. R. Jayewardene’s administration.The UNP working committee is expected to discuss the Tyronne Fernando’s report in detail. Informed sources said that UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has expressed his views to the three member committee soon after the Working Committee established two committees one headed by Party General Secretary Gamini Atukorale to inquire into MP Wijayapala Mendis’s conduct and the other headed by Tyronne Fernando to probe the SPC Act. Both Atukorale and Fernando have said that findings of the two committees will not affect each other in any way.Mr Fernando on May 4 told this reporter that the outcome of his committee’s findings will not affect Atukorale’s committee empowered to probe Wijeyapala Mendis. Political sources said that the UNP was most likely to take tough disciplinary action against Wijeyapala Mendis who last week refused to accept the legality of the probe committee headed by Gamini Atukorale while seeking an end to the SPC Act. UNP sources said that although the Act was used during late President J. R. Jayewardene’s time, both Ranasinghe Premadasa and D. B. Wijetunga did not do so. "It was clear both leaders did not believe in the SPC," sources said adding that there was no need to continue with SPC if the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Corruption and Bribery is allowed to operate independently. "We believe in the Bribery Commission," sources said. The UNP last week made two complaints to the Commission. Indian Ocean living resources threatened,says IOMAC Indian Ocean nations were last week alerted to the threat facing their ocean living resources at the 13th meeting of the IOMAC (Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Co-operation) Standing Committee which concluded in Colombo on Friday. Sixteen countries and ten U.N. and other organisations including prestigious bodies like the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Oceanographic Commission were among the participants. Conference sources said that an important item of discussion at the meeting was the delimitation of national seaward limits of the continental margin. "Under the Law of the Sea Convention, Sri Lanka has asserted extensive rights to the limit of her continental margin extending to approximately 700 miles in the south east and recognised by the Law of the Sea Conference. "Now states are required to submit information to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf set up to verify these claims. In the central Indian Ocean region, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia have to co-operate in the delimitation of adjoining boundaries. "Expensive offshore surveys and complex scientific and legal formulae have made the task difficult for developing states. Co-operation will help alleviate some of these problems,'' the sources said. The Colombo foreign office has initiated work to consolidate the recognition of Sri Lanka's position secured at the 3rd U.N. conference of the Law of the Sea in 1981. A variety of subjects including marine pollution prevention, the preservation of the marine environment, non-living resources, ocean mapping and energy, ocean industry and services, ocean policy issues and the management of the Indian Ocean were discussed at the Colombo meeting. The countries that attended were China, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Thailand, USAE, USA and Sri Lanka. Organisations represented were the U.N. Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, FAO, UNEP, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, IUCN, Society for Indian Ocean Studies, Fauna International Trust, Institute of Policy Studies and Sea Bird Watch (Sri Lanka). Parties ready for provincial poll The major political parties are now getting into their stride campaigning for the forthcoming provincial council elections likely to be held in August. The ruling PA kicked off its campaign with a Piliyandala rally on Tuesday at which President Chandrika Kumaratunga was the chief speaker. The UNP, JVP, MEP, CWC and SLMC have cranked their campaign machinery, political sources said. PA General Secretary D.M. Jayaratne has summoned the constituents of the ruling alliance for a meeting in Colombo on June 1. Meanwhile the president has summoned the SLFP central committee for a Temple Trees meeting on June 2, Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Alavi Moulana said yesterday. The minister who was very happy at the turnout for the Piliyandala rally said that despite it being a working day, a large crowd had attended. This was an index of appreciation of the president's peace efforts. "She drew a crowd despite problems like the cost of living and unemployment,'' he said. Mr. P.M. Podiappuhamy, general secretary of the PA constituent Deshavimukthi Janatha Pakshaya said that the alliance parties will decide on their candidates only after the June 1 meeting convened by the PA secretary. "Once each of the constituents know their quota of candidates, we can pick our nominees,'' he said. SLFP sources said that the president met partymen throughout last week and getting a feel of the pulse of the people. Various problems that surfaced during these meetings have been addressed. President Kumaratunga is heading a committee directing PA election propaganda and organising election rallies. Mr. D.M. Jayaratne is the convenor of this committee whose other members are Ministers Dharmasiri Senanayake, Alavi Moulana, Maitripala Sirisena, Nandamitra Ekanayake, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Kingsley. T. Wickramaratne and General Anuruddha Ratwatte. D.M. Jayaratne will probably handle the Central Province campaign while Nimal Siripala de Silva will head the Uva campaign, Moulana said. The likely chief ministerial candidate for the NWP is Deputy Minister S.B. Nawinne, for the NCP Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake and for the Western Province, the incumbent Susil Premajayanth he said. The PA secretary said that the alliance parties have indicated the number of seats each wishes to contest. This is under discussion and the final quotas will be decided in consultation with the SLFP central committee and President Kumaratunga. (FRS) Sirisena, Hema, Sajith at Kataragama shramadana in Premadasa's memory Over 3,000 people from all walks of life participated in a recent shramadana sprucing the Kataragama shrine area and the 1987 Gam Udawa site in memory of late President R. Premadasa. Speaking on this occasion, Ven. Aluthwewa Soratha Thero, chief incumbent of the Kataragama Kirivehera, said that President Premadasa was an exceptional leader who understood the hearts and minds of the ordinary people of this country. Whenever he traveled in the remote areas, he was quick to identify the hardships of the people and shortcomings in these places. He would take prompt remedial action and was fortunate in having efficient people like Mr. Sirisena Cooray who was in the thick of the late president's development activities. Since the days of the ancient kings, no leader had contributed as much as President Premadasa for the development of the Kataragama sacred area. Before the shramadana commenced, the chief incumbent of the Sri Sarananda Pirivena, Anuradhapura, Ven. Girambe Ananda Thero, conducted a religious ceremony at the Kirivehera. The shramadana continued from morning till 6 p.m. in the evening. Among those who were present on this occasion were Mr.. Sirisena Cooray, Mrs. Hema Premadasa, Mr. Sajith Premadasa, MPs Sarath Kongahage and Asoka Wadigamangawa, H.R. Piyasiri, P.S.L. Galappatti, UNP Treasurer Milroy Perera, Sharmashakthi Chairperson Shanthini Kongahage, Colombo MMCs Azath Salley and Vijitha Kadiragonna, Southern Provincial Councillor Yusoof, chairman of the Hambantota Pradehiya Sabha, the UNP's Habaraduwa organiser, Maithri Gunaratne, Lionel Ipolawatte and many others from various parts of the country. Hameed calls for an end to nuclear testing By Walter Nanayakkara In a private members motion he has given notice of. Mr. Hameed also states that the international community should exert maximum pressure to bring about an immediate end to such tests as it is a set back to the achievement of general and complete disarmament. The motion reads as follows: "That this Parliament is of the opinion that nuclear testing in any part of the world by any country be condemned and the international community be called upon to excert maximum pressure to bring an immediate end to such tests since it is a setback to the achievement of general and complete disarmament, and an act contrary to the spirit of the recently concluded indefinite extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty". Mr. Hameed said yesterday he moved the motion first in 1996, in the wake of the French nuclear tests conducted in South Pacific in that year when there was a chain of international reaction to the French action. The motion is relevant in the present context where two neighbouring countries India and Pakistan have conducted nuclear tests in their territories leading to serious international reactions he said. Sabaragamuwa University holds its 1st convocation on June 3 President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will be the guest of honour at the June 3 convocation of the Sabaragamuwa University, where the Most Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maithree Nayaka Thero and Minister of Education and Higher Education Richard Pathirana will be conferred honorary degrees (D. Litt), Vice Chancellor Prof. Dayananda Somasundara said. The ceremony will commence at 2.00 p.m. at the University auditorium in Belihuloya. The first convocation to be held since the founding of the university in 1996, this occasion would see the graduation of 283 students belonging to eight subject streams. The courses include Bachelor of Science (BSc) Business Management, Financial Management, Tourism Management, BSc Food Science and Technology, BSc Export Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Food Science and Plantation Management. All courses have been conducted in the English medium and the courses in Business Management and Financial Management could be followed in the Sinhala medium also. Out of the graduates, three have secured First Classes 47 Second Class (Upper Division), 42 Second Class (Lower Division) and 191 have obtained ordinary passes. "The Sabaraga-muwa University has pioneered in introducing Tourism Management, Food Science and Technology and Plantation Management courses at first (basic) degree level", Prof. Somasundara pointed out. All graduates have had English and Computer studies included in their courses as compulsory units. "Those who offered Tourism Management have studied German, Japanese, French and other foreign languages", the Vice Chancellor added. Most courses including Business Management, Financial Management, Tourism Management and Agriculture have had their students exposed to practical orientation at state and private sector institutions training centres. British trade mission due here The Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry will be bringing a trade mission to Sri Lanka from 15 to 19 June. It will consist of 23 mission members offering a wide range of goods and services. This will be the Chamber’s second visit to Sri Lanka following the success of their first visit in June 1997. The mission members will be exploring new business and investment opportunities in Sri Lanka and will probably call on the Minister of Internal & International Commerce and Food, Kingsley T. Wickramaratne as well as the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce during their stay, a British High Commission Press release states. Products and services on offer will include machine tools, laboratory chemicals, power generators, automobile and industrial maintenance consumable, healthcare products, uniform clothing, garment accessories, bakery equipment, administration and accounting software, industrial products catalogues, human resource training business condultancy, training in crime investigation and market development services. 80 cadets pass out of Kotelawala Defence Academy By Himangi Jayasundere Eighty cadets passed out at the ceremony. They received the Bachelor of Science (Defence Studies) Degree in Technology, The Bachelor of Science (Defence Studies)Degree in Management and Technical Sciences and the Bachelor of Arts (Defence Studies) Degree which were conferred on the graduands by the Chancellor. Awards to outstanding cadets were presented by the President.. President Chandrika Kumaratunga said that it was the third time she had the privilege of attending the convocation ceremony of KDA which was one of her duties as the commander in chief, it also holds significance at this juncture in our country she said. The Kotelawala Defence Academy has a historic record of producing excellent cadets for the armed forces. Having started in a small way with a gift given by Sir John Kotelawala of his private residence,the president said that the committment by those who had led the academy had paid off today. Speaking in relation to the cadets the President said "I dont have to remind them of the onerous and most noble task they have undertaken from today." They will be called upon to bear great responsibility in assuring the security of the Sri Lankan citizens and the state. She said that the most urgent and trying task of all Sri Lankans today was the protection of the state. About 75% of the military targets and objectives have been achieved the President further said and we have almost reached the end. The country is proud of the manner in which our forces are engaged in reestablishing peace in the North and East. They are constantly faced with the extremely difficult task of trying to identify infiltraters while engaging in normal relationships with the people of Jaffna. The dilemma of this government is that of the many promises we have made to the people, we have been able to achieve all of them except the wiping out of terrorism the president further said. However the armed forces have risen excellently to the situation and their conduct speaks well of the fundamental rights of human beings in Sri Lanka, she further said. "Someone asked me the other day if the military would want peace because they will lose their employment. It did not take me long to reply, she said because I was certain that the military would readily agree to the reestablishment of peace. There is much work to be done, not just in the area of physical rebuilding but also in the mental situation created by the war. There are thousands of children and mothers who have been traumatised by the acts of violence due to the war in the North and East and the political violence in the South. "After such a terrible war we will need to protect the peace that we will finally receive. In this rebuilding process we will need the courage and experience these young people in the army would have gained by then", the President said. The chancellor of the Academy speaking at the event said that the graduands will go out to face the challenges of the world. 'Security covers all economic, social, cultural and humanitarian aspects, he said stressing on the vital role security plays in today's world. He said that the graduands possessed the infrastructure, technical and practical skills, dicilpine and manpower resources. This would enable them to defend the nation and the well being of a vast majority of our people which would always remain their priority. "All of us wish this horrible experience will terminate sooner than later and that we open a new chapter, he further said. Icelandic knowhow to develop fishing industry By Azhara Raban The delegation which included A. Hettiarachchi, Director, Export Development Branch, Dr. Lalith Chandradasa, Chairman of Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Corporation, M. Nagodawithana, Director, Fisheries, was led by Mahinda Rajapakse, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. This was the first visit by any Sri Lankan minister to Iceland. The discussions which were held with the Iceland President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson and the Fisheries and Justice Minister Thorstein Palsson, was on Icelandic input for the development of fisheries in Sri Lanka and to have bilateral co-operation between the two countries. "Our main aim was to seek their expertise on technologies and get joint ventures", the Minister told "The Island". In addition, five industrialists from the fisheries sector had also accompanied the minister. They had discussions with their counterparts on establishing links for the promotion of business between the two countries. Iceland has a highly advanced fishing industry, both qualitatively and quantitatively, as well as a scientifically based fisheries management system, Hettiarachchi, Director Export Development Branch, said. "We want to get their expertise and experience to have such a system in Sri Lanka", he added. He also said experts were already here, for quality improvement and are funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), who will help improve our fishing industry in order to meet the requirements of the European Union. The Ministry will also encourage deep sea fishing, introduce new methods like long lines to catch demersal fish; provide the fishermen with more social security and housing. The Minister said, "our aim is to improve the quality of the industry and also improve inland fisheries". He said he also has the intention of increasing the ornamental fish supply, which is currently 1% of the world demand. A team of industrialists are believed to visit Sri Lanka, within the next couple of months to explore the possibility of having a joint venture on fish production and export. A Colombo-bound goods train from Galle derailed near the 30th mile post between Payagala South and Kalutara South around 3.45 am yesterday,Railway Control reported. As a result of the derailment the Galle-bound Ruhunu Kumari which was scheduled to leave Colombo at 6.25 am had to be cancelled. Two wagons had jumped the rails.The cause of the derailment has still not been established,railway sources said. Railway repair teams were optimistic of restoring normal services by noon yesterday,these sources said. |
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