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Negombo
gangs clash again Two members of the much feared Katunayake armed gang were seriously wounded as a rival gang armed with T- 56 assault rifles opened fire on them around 1.00 a.m. according to police sources. The leader of the gang known as Titus, sources said, had managed a narrow escape amidst fierce firing. At the time of the attack that took place near the 18th mile post on the Colombo-Negombo highway, the gang leader and his aides had been travelling in two vans, which were also damaged in the attack sources said. The injured have been identified by the police as Chaminda Hewavitharana (27) of Kuruneglala and Nihal Ranjith of Matale. OIC Seeduwa Somasiri Liyanage told "The Island" that the rival gang had abandoned the vehicle used for the attack on the scene commandeered a vehicle and fled towards Kochchikade in it. The driver and the van had later been released by them the Police said. The police believe that the attack had been carried out by a break away group from the Katunayake gang who now belong to an underworld organisation known as Jothi-Sathi gang. The police have taken into custody the vehicle left behind by the gang. The police said that the Jothi-Sathi members had been on a mission to ambush a members of the Titus gang who was staying at a hotel in the area when the members of the Titus gang arrived there in two vehicles to visit this member. On seeing the two vehicles the Jothi-Sathi members had opened fire seriously injuring as they did two members of the Titus gang. The Seeduwa police instructed by Negombo SSP Lawrence Amerasena and ASP M. G. Mahanama is conducing further investigations into the incident. UNICEF highlights high percentage of Sri
Lankan children not immunised against measles The 1998 'Progress of Nations' report released by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) notes there are 20 births occurring per 1,000 females aged between 15 and 19 in Sri Lanka. However, it has commended Sri Lanka on its high rate of registering births. Meanwhile, 14% of Sri Lankan children under the age of one, according to the report, are not immunised against measles. On teen births, UNICEF report maintains that the experience of adolescent girls traditionally has been measured by examining rates of pregnancy. In statistics furnished on teenage births in East/South Asia and the Pacific, Sri Lanka is ranked seventh from the top (The countries at the top being those with lower birth rates among teenagers) . It states that for every 1,000 females aged between 15 to 19 in Sri Lanka, there are 20 births. Sri Lanka comes after Cambodia which records 15 births per 1,000 and Singapore, which records eight births. Australia rates worse than Sri Lanka with 22 births while the Republic of Lao records the worst statistic - 50 births per 1,000 teenagers. However, with birth registration and civil rights, the report says that though dealing with economic and other difficulties Sri Lanka still managed to register at least 90 per cent of births. This is despite registering a per capita gross national product of less that $800 a year. Other countries listed in the same context are Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Tajikistan. Sri Lanka is, therefore, the only South Asian country listed among the top ten countries of East/South Asia and the Pacific to register 90% of births and more. Pakistan records a registration rate of between 70% and 89% while India records only 30% to 49% or registered births. The rate of registration is important against the backdrop of why registration lags behind in some countries. The first female High Court Judge in Botswana and human rights lawyer, Unity Dow, notes in the report that "the obstacles to registration are often banal, the product of misplaced priorities and bureaucratic inadequacies". "Poor and rural countries tend to have lower registration rates, struggling as they must to cope with the inevitable shortages of trained personnel and modern technology, the logistical problems of travelling to registry offices and ignorance or fear of the process," she says. As for specific reasons why families avoid registering their children, she says that it is most commonly because they cannot overcome the logistical hurdles of getting to the proper office. The report suggests that governments take steps to solve this problem by decentralising the registrars. The 'Progress of Nations Report' stresses on the importance of birth registration. "Birth registration is the community's first recognition of a child's legal existence," it states, "Children have a right to a birth certificate, and in many cases, they must be registered to gain access to the country's basic services". Even when children do receive services in the absence of a birth certificate, warns the report, the lack of registration means that their needs are not anticipated. "They are more likely to miss out on school and health care and they are more vulnerable to exploitation", it asserts. The UNICEF has recognised measles as one of the six major child killing diseases. It asserts that measles kills more children than any other disease currently preventable through vaccination. It is therefore alarming that Sri Lanka is listed as eighth from the top, with 14 per cent of children under one going unvaccinated. Meanwhile, the overall measles vaccination rate for developing countries now hovers at 77 per cent of children under the age of one, according to the UNICEF. It says measles continues to thrive in the cities of Africa and Asia, especially in deprived neighbourhoods. US applauds Krishanthy verdict State Department spokesman of the U.S.A James Rubin in a statement issued yesterday (8) said the United States applauded the guilty verdict reached by the Sri Lankan High Court in the Krishanthi Kumaraswami case involving the rape and murder of a school girl and the murder of three others in Jaffna peninsula in September 1996. The full text of the statement is as follows. The United States applauds the guilty verdict reached by a Sri Lankan court in the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy case involving the rape and murder of a school girl and the murder of three others in the Jaffna Peninsula in September 1996. The outcome of the trial marks the first time Sri Lankan security forces personnel have been convicted of human rights violation in a criminal case. Although human rights violations remain a problem in Sri Lanka, the United States hopes the outcome of the trial will prove a lasting measure of Sri Lankan government's commitment to upholding human rights. The motion to extend the state of emergency was passed in parliament yesterday by a majority of 29 votes. 112 voted for and 83 against the motion. The TULF and SLPF member Nihal Galappaththy opposed the motion. Chandrika on a private visit overseas President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday left the country with her two children on a private visit overseas, Presidential Secretariat announced. Justice Ismail yesterday took oaths as the President of the Court of Appeal, before President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. X’ray machine vital component missing
states GMOA: ministry denies A vital component of the MMR X-ray machine, which was removed from the Colombo Chest Clinic (CCC) to the Welisara Respiratory Disease Hospital (WRDH), has been robbed by unknown persons, crippling this expensive machine, a hospital source told ‘The Island’. The MMR machine had been brought to the Welisara hospital recently by an engineer attached to the Bio-Medical Engineering Service without prior notice and dumped in an open place. This engineer had not handed over any of the documents with regard to the removal of the machine to the hospital authorities. Therefore, no one had been given the responsibility to look after it. "Neither any administrative officer, doctor nor radiographer was there to claim responsibility to this machine" the source alleged. The WRDH has one MMR machine and another larger X-ray machine at the moment which are functioning well. The WRDH has earlier been handling around 40 medical examinations for government servants per day but after the circular issued by the Ministry of Health recently saying that medical examination reports are issued only at the WRDH from July 1, 1998, it is now issuing around 60 reports a day. "People, specially newly recruited security personnel are coming here in hundreds a day for medical examinations but we cannot cope with such a number. Many are compelled to go back dissapointed under this situation," the source said. When contacted an official of the WRDH, said that the MMR machine brought from the CCC recently was installed at the hospital and was functioning at the moment. He also claimed that one machine which had been condemned by the Ministry officials was dumped at an open place in the hospital premises. The GMOA totally denied this saying that they could prove that the machine in open place was the machine brought from the CCC a several days ago. "Now this expensive machine is not usable either at Welisara Chest Hospital or at CCC. "We challenge the Ministry officials to bring back the machine and relocate it at the CCC, if they can, the GMOA said. Leave to appeal application
of Priyani Soysa to be supported in court on Friday The application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, filed by Professor, Priyani Soysa, is to be supported in the Court of Appeal on Friday. Professor Soysa is seeking permission of the Court of Appeal, to appeal against the recent Court of Appeal judgment, which declared that she had been negligent in treating, four-year-old Suhani Arsecularatne, in 1992. The respondent in the leave to appeal application is Rienzie Arsecularatne Deputy Solicitor General who was the father of child. Professor Soysa's application will be supported in the Court of Appeal by R. K. W. Goonesekera with E. D. Wickramanayake and Hugo Anthony. President's Counsel, Romesh de Silva, with Palitha Kumarasinghe, Harsha Amerasekera and Sudath Caldera will appear for Mr. Arsecularatne. The Court of Appeal bench will comprise, Justices C. V. Wignaswaran and T. B. Weerasuriya. On June 24, 1998, Court of Appeal declared Professor Soysa negligent and awarded Rienzie Arsecularatne damages Lanka’s first wind power project in
H’tota The country’s first wind power project will be launched in Ham-bantota, by the Minister of Power and Energy and Deputy Minister of Defence, Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte, today. The project is expected to provide 3 MW of power to the national electricity grid by April next year. The project is to be constructed by N. E. G. MICON of Denmark, at a total cost of Rs. 250 million. The foreign cost of the project is financed by a soft loan from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank and a grant from the Global Environment Facility, under its Energy Delivery Project. The local cost of the project is meanwhile to be made available from the Ceylon Electricity Board’s, renewable energy development budget. N. E. G. MICON meanwhile is reported to have a global network of subsidiaries and agencies in more than 30 countries, with an installation base of nearly 7,000 turbines totalling about 1600 MW capacity. MICON is also reported to have a 100% subsidiary in Chennai, India, —Asian Wind Turbines (Pvt.) Ltd., with responsibilities of catering to the entire South Asia region. According to reports of the Ministry of Power and Energy there is currently a potential for wind power in Sri Lanka’s south eastern coastal belt for the supply of over 200 MW of electricity. A feasibility study carried out by the Ceylon Electricity Board had showed that such grid connected wind plants are feasible in the southern coastal region provided the establishment of the commercial viability of wind power development by the actual construction and operation of a wind power plant. It is in view of fulfilling this necessity that the CEB had opted for the establishment of such a pilot project for which assistance had been provided by the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The possibilities of venturing in to alternate forms of energy outside of the presently existing forms of hydro is being keenly pursued by the government in view of the limited potential in the hydro power sector. Minister Ratwatte in early last month expressed the government’s commitment to the development of alternate forms of energy such as thermal and wind power and invited interested parties from the private sector to help the country meet this demand. The power demand in the country which grows at a 8.4% annually, has seen this increase in view of the rural electrification system mooted by the CEB and the increasing demand for power created by the development in the industrial sector, according to the Ministry of Power and Energy. The Minister further added that the government was looking seriously into the possibilities of creating a feasible balance between the hydro and thermal generation capacity in the country where there was at present a grave imbalance with 86% of the capacity being provided by hydro power. Other projects in the pipeline to be added to the national grid are Kukule Ganga hydro power project (to be commissioned in December 2001), Combined Cycle Plant funded by Japanese aid (December 1999), thermal power plant at Sapugaskanda funded by KFW (December 1998), the recent additions of KHD thermal plant at Sapugaskanda, Lanka Transformers thermal addition at Sapugaskanda, Gas turbine plant addition at Kelanitissa totalling a 651 MW of power. Air Force destroy Tiger bunkers in
Kilinochchi jungles Mi-24 and Kfir attack aircraft of the Air Force had destroyed four rows of bunkers of the LTTE forward defences built within the jungles of Kilinochchi on Tuesday. The number of Tigers killed in that attack was not known immediately. Though the Tigers had aimed missiles at the air craft the pilot officers had successfully evaded them, said Air Commander Jaya-lath Weerakkody to 'The Island'. Meanwhile, troops engaged in Operation 'Jayasikuru' are targeting Tiger bases with mortars and heavy artillery. A large number of Tigers would have been killed in these attacks, stated army sources. It was also presumed that a large number of wounded Tigers would have died without treatment due to the non-availability of medicine. Intelligence information also had revealed that all Tiger leaders and cadres in the Northern area have been enlisted to fight 'Jayasikuru' troops. They are said to be following strategies of LTTE leader Prabha-karan to face 'Jayasikuru' troops. The army had also recovered large catche of arms, ammunition and explosives belonging to the Tigers, the sources said. ‘Tiger Power’ sinking A ship enroute to India with a load of cashewnuts was yesterday reported to be sinking in the seas off Puttalam. This ship identified as "Tiger Power" had left Colombo port last Tuesday (07) with a consignment of cashewnuts. The crew in the vessel had sent signals to Netherland Ship Messages Service and Colombo Radio indicating its predicament. The Colombo Radio Service in turn had contacted all vessels sailing close to the sinking ship and had requested for assistance to rescue the crew. It is understood that already one ship had reached the scene and had saved crew from the sinking ship. It is still not known to which country this ship belonged to, sources said. Goldsmiths writes to
president on arbitrary arrest The Ceylon Goldsmiths' Union has written to President Chandrika Kumaratunga protesting against the treatment they receive at the hands of the security forces, and sought presidential intervention in the matter. President of the Union P. M. Selladurai claims in his letter that the security forces have arrested most goldsmiths in Colombo, Negombo and many parts of the country, because their national identity card (NIC) says that they are from Periya Porathivu, which is in the Eastern part of Batticaloa. Protesting against this method of arrest and says that, " it is unjustifiable to assume that goldsmiths from Periya Porathivu are also terrorists." The letter to President Kumaratunga states that the goldsmiths start their career at the young age of 12 years and they have no connection with the LTTE. Goldsmiths in the Eastern province from areas such as Periya Porathivu, Manaitivu, Pattapuram, Ondachimadam, Annamalai and Eravur have been engaged in the trade since the age of 12 years along with Sinhalese people in Colombo, Negombo, Galle, Kandy, Kalutara, Ratnapura and other places. Further, Periya Porathivu is the centre of Porathivupattu consisting of 40 villages, out of which the address of the people living in 10 villages carry the name of Periya Porathivu, because the post office is situated at Periya Porathivu, the Union President says. The residents from Thikkodai, Palugamam, Kumbankeni, Punnakulam and Kovil Porathivu also have their addresses in the NICs as Periya Porathivu, he pointed out. The union appeals to the President to take necessary action to prevent violation of human rights in respect of these goldsmiths who are earning and living in Colombo and other parts of the country. Earlier, reacting to an appeal made by the Sri Lanka Jewellers' Association, President Kumaratunga ordered the Inspector General of Police W. B. Rajaguru to draft a set of new guidelines for the police on how to carry out investigations into theft. Misappropriation and robbery of gold or jewellery. Those guidelines were introduced because the existing ones proved ineffective and often civilians complained to police headquarters that the policemen abuse the law and hamper investigations for their own benefit. Opinions expressed in 'Sunday Leader' made in
good faith without malice The opinions expressed in the 'Sunday Leader' regarding the credit card transactions constitute fair comment made in good faith and without malice on facts that are matters of public interest. Thus states the letter written by Samararatne Associates on behalf of 'Sunday Leader' in response to the letter of demand sent by Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera through his Attorney-at-Law Mrs. P. Narendran claiming a sum of Rs. 300,000,000 as damages for several publications. The letter of demand sent by Minister Mangala Samaraweera stated that the said publications were completely false, malicious and published with the sole intention of defaming his character and tarnishing his public image which he had earned during his political career. Samararatne Associates in its reply stated that his client affirms the truth of the statements contained in the publications. Its client owed a duty to the public to publish the said facts in the public interest. In the aforesaid circumstances its clients would have acted in breach of such duty owed to the public if they had suppressed those facts in their possession. The facts contained in the said publications were true in substance and constitutes matters of public importance. The clients published them bona fide believing them to be true. The said publications were made on a privileged occasion. The clients were not liable to make any payment whatsoever, the reply by Samararatna Associates concluded. Kandy Lalith Front rejects bid to join UNP Kandy: The Kandy District Organisation of the United Lalith Front has written to its party leader Mrs. Srimani Athulathmudali saying that it rejects in toto the party's move to coalesce with the United National Party (UNP). The Kandy District organiser of the NDUNLF Don Mahinda Jayawardena in a letter to Mrs. Sri-mani Athulathmudali has stated that the view expressed at a recent meeting of the district organisation chaired by the party member of the Parliament was that the ULF should not have any coalition with the UNP but retain its own identity. The letter further states that Mrs. Athulathmudali had accused those who had connections with the UNP of slaying her husband, the founder of the party. She had also said that she would never have connections with the UNP. But now talking about rejoining the UNP is a grave injustice done to the late leader, while trying to lead the supporters and trade unions astray. The decision is also shocking, it says. The letter has added that representatives from several constituencies of the Kandy district spoke against any decision to coalesce with the United National Party. Trinco Tamil students boycott classes Tamil students of the schools in the Trincomalee Town are boycotting their classes from today, Wednesday, as a protest against what they called the assault by the Army personnel last Monday, on the students who participated in a peaceful demonstration near the Governor's Secretariat at Inner Harbour Road, in support of the fast unto death of the Eastern Province Unemployed Graduates Association. Tamil children didn't attend their classes in all twelve Tamil schools. In a statement issued by the Students Association, they have condemned the action by the Army and stated that the boycott would continue until the matter is resolved. Meanwhile five Tamil parties, EPRLF, EPDP, TELO, PLOTE and EROS have represented the matter to the President and urged the Government to take action against the Army personnel who were involved in this incident. The Chairman, Urban Council, Trincomalee too has appealed to the President. He states that he was an eye witness on the incident. In the meantime Army and Police Security has been provided to all the schools in the town and the security in the town too has been strengthened. A meeting has been arranged to be held to solve this problem. Kandy goes
dry KANDY: The entire Kandy town went dry yesterday (08) following disruption of water supplies by the Municipal Council due to urgent repairs. Taps will continue to remain dry for at least two days from yesterday to attend to an urgent repair at the major pumping station at Getambe, the Municipal authorities announced Some eating houses in Kandy town remained closed yesterday due to lack of pipe borne water. Even the Kandy Municipal office staff was affected by the disruption of water supplies, sources said. Operational headquarters reported that on Tuesday (07) July around 1.05 p.m. Northwest of Kunchukkulam Jayasikuru troops operating forward of defences sniped and killed 02 terrorists. Terrorists fired mortars at troops manning defences Southeast of Mankulam and Southwest of Olumadu. Troops retaliated effectively with mortars and artillery . Troops continue to dominate areas ahead of defences. In another incident around 4.30 p.m. in general area Kilinochchi, troops observed a concentration of terrorists and engaged with mortars and artillery causing casualties among the terrorists. Kafir ground attack aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force engaged the terrorists who rushed to the location to carry away their casualties. Ground troops confirm 8 terrorists killed and a large number injured due to the air and artillery attacks. On the same day at about 11.25 a.m. at Kilinochchi, troops sniped and killed 1 terrorist. JVSP appeals for recognition as political
party The Secretary of the Jana Vimukthi Sahayogitha Peramuna (JVSP) has filed a Writ application in the Court of Appeal, challenging the refusal by the Commissioner of Elections to recognise the JVSP as a political party. The application has requested the Court of Appeal to issue a mandate in the nature of a Writ of Certiorari quashing the Commissioner's order dated 29.6.98, refusing the recognition of JVSP as a political party, under the Parliamentary Elections Act No. 1 of 1981. The application further requested the Court to issue a mandate compelling the Commissioner to recognise the JVSP as a political party and further to issue an interim order, on the respondent Commissioner to accept the nominations of the JVSP candidates to contest the Provincial Council polls at Uva and Central Provinces. The application is to be supported in the Court of Appeal shortly. The death is announced of Mr. Anthony Colin Walkar, better known as Johnny, on Tuesday, June 23rd, 1998 in Wallingford, England. Mr. Walker first came to Ceylon in 1946 to join the family firm of Walker Sons & Company Limited. He and his wife, Lorna, were an integral part of the business, social and sporting communities in Colombo and up-country, and their two daughters, Shirley and Lesley were born in Colombo. Mr. Walker dedicated 25 years working to develop and expand Walker Sons and his achievements were considerable. Among them were the setting up of Walker's Tours and Travel (Ceylon) Limited and Walker Industries Limited. He only left these shores upon the Ceylonisation of foreign companies in 1972. Mr. Walker leaves his wife Lorna, their daughters Shirley Connell and Lesley Henk, his sons-in-law Denis and Hans and his four grandchildren, Natalie and Jennifer Connell and Christian and Alexander Henk. He will be deeply missed by his family, his many friends and colleagues. A Service of Thanksgiving took place on July 2nd, 1998 in Warborough, England. |
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