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Senior DIG files case against
Presidential Commission findings Senior DIG of Police, Aditiyapala Sumanasiri Seneviratne, has filed an application for a Writ of Certiorari, in the Court of Appeal, challenging the adverse findings made against him, by the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry, which probed the killing of Mr. Lalith Athulathmudali. The first two respondents cited in the petition are, Tissa Dias Bandaranayake, retired Supreme Court Judge, Chairman of the said Presidential Commission and G. W. Edirisooriya, High Court Judge, member of the Commission. The petition said that the Commission findings, are a breach of statutory duties, errors of law and departure from due and fair procedure and a denial of natural justice. The petition stated that the said findings are liable to be quashed by the issue of a Writ of Certiorari, since the findings were wholly unreasonable and irrational. The petition requested that the petition be transferred to Supreme Court, by reason of Provision of Section 18(A) of Commissions of Inquiry Act No. 7 of 1978, as amended by Act No. 4 of 1979. The application is to be supported in the Court of Appeal on July 15, by President's Counsel, Mr. K. N. Choksy, instructed by Mr. H. J. Paul Ratnayake. The report of the Presidential Commission had said that petitioner Seneviratne, was among the nine police officers who had been in a conspiracy group, that had plotted to kill, Mr. Lalith Athulathmudali. Tamil parties call for mass graves probe COLOMBO, July 13 - Sri Lanka’s Tamil political parties on Monday called for an immediate probe into a report of mass graves in northern Jaffna, where international human rights groups have said about 600 people disappeared during a military campaign in 1996. "The government cannot be silent. It has to take it seriously and investigate whether this report is true or false," Suresh Premchandran, leader of the Eelam Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), told Reuters. The report comes from a soldier sentenced to death by a court in Colombo for the murder of a teenage Tamil schoolgirl. He has stated he is prepared to identify the graves of 400 Tamil youths who allegedly disappeared in Jaffna when government troops took control of the peninsula after driving out Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels from their long-time stronghold. The soldier was among five others and a policemen who were sentenced to death by a court two weeks ago for the rape and murder of the schoolgirl, her mother, brother and a neighbour in Jaffna in September 1996. "In the background of this statement and also reports of more than 600 disappearances in Jaffna, it is necessary for the government to take serious note and start an investigation," said Murugasu Sivasithamparam, leader of the moderate Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). Sivasithamparam said he was sending a letter to the Human Rights Commission calling for a special investigation. Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said last year some 600 people had disappeared in Jaffna in 1996. The LTTE have been fighting for a separate homeland in Sri Lanka’s north and east since 1983, accusing Sinhalese majority of oppressing Tamil minority. There has been no immediate reaction from the government to demand for a probe, but army chief Major-General Rohan Daluwatte told the independent Sunday Leader newspaper that no action had been taken so far and it was the responsibility for the police to investigate. Dharmalingam Sidharthan, leader of the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil (PLOTE), said his party had raised the issue of mass graves in parliament and it was up to the government to act upon it. "We have informed the president (Chandrika Kumaratunga) and are waiting for a reaction," said Premchandran. Security operations before SAARC by Shamindra Ferdinando Both Colombo Police and Operations Command Colombo [OCC] have stepped up security operations in the City ahead of the forthcoming meeting of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation [SAARC] senior officials said yesterday. Colombo Police will be responsible for providing security to the visiting Heads of State their delegations and venues. The VVIPs are scheduled to visit a tourist resort in the outstations during their stay here. Colombo security was placed under OCC in November last year after terrorists made an abortive bid to blast the Kelanitissa thermal power station. Authorities said that a series of security measures will come into force ahead of the conference scheduled to begin on July 29. Restrictions on vehicular movements will be imposed [in the City] during the conference. Officials said that already a series of measures have been taken to prevent possible terrorist attacks. The last major terrorist related incident occurred in Colombo on February 5 this year just a few hours after Prince Charles left Colombo.Two weeks before the February 5 explosion at Slave Island terrorists blasted the Sri Dalada Maligawa. Gang relieves train commuters Moratuwa police arrested a gang of thieves who robbed cash and jewellery from train commuters yesterday morning. A train from Aluthgama to Colombo had been approaching Egoda Uyana Railway station when four members of the gang had forcibly removed several gold chains from the commuters around 4.30 a.m. yesterday. "The commuters raised cries and some policemen from the Crimes Branch of Moratuwa gave chase and arrested them," police said. The Station Master of Egoda Uyana Mr. Samaraweera said that relieving rail commuters of cash and their valuables was almost a daily occurrence. The arrested suspects are being interrogated under the directions of OIC Crimes Moratuwa IP Premaratne. Priyani Soysa withdraws case The Special Leave to Appeal Application, filed in the Court of Appeal, by Professor Priyani Soysa, were yesterday withdrawn. Mr. R. K. W. Goonesekera, Senior Counsel for Prof. Soysa said that, he wished to withdraw the application. Accordingly, the court dismissed the application, in consequence of the withdrawal being permitted. Mr. R. K. W. Goonesekera: The application should be proforma dismissed. Mr. Romesh de Silva, PC and Senior Counsel for Mr. Rienzie Arsekularatne, (Additional Solicitor General), objected and said that, it was dismissed, since the petitioner withdrew the application. Mr. Romesh de Silva (PC) : In fact, I came prepared to argue, my point. I did not know the application was going to be withdrawn. Mr. R. K. W. Goonesekera: According to rule 22/5 of Court of Appeal rules, an application of this nature should be dismissed. Court: Court wished not to make any further order. Court will refrain from making any further order. Mr. Goonesekara said that his client will file an appeal in the Supreme Court, shortly. The Court of Appeal bench of yesterday comprised, Justice Ismail, President of the Court of Appeal and Justice T. B. Weerasuriya. The Court of Appeal on June 24 declared in a judgement that Prof. Priyani Soysa was negligent in treating the late, four year old Subani, daughter of Rienzie Arsekularatne, Additional Solicitor General. The court granted damages to Mr. Arsekularatne. The appeal in question is against this said judgement. The appellant being Professor Priyani Soysa, who had treated Subani in 1992. Mr. Rienzie Arsekularatne had initiated action against Prof. Soysa, in the District Court in 1993. The District Court had declared Prof. Soysa negligent and awarded damages to Mr. Arsekularatne, the father of deceased Subani. Prof. Soysa consequently appealed to the Court of Appeal, against the District Court order. President's Counsel Mr. Romesh de Silva with Mr. Palitha Kumarasinghe, Mr. Harsha Amerasekera, and Mr. Sudath Caldera appeared for Mr. Rienzie Arsekularatne. Mr. R. K. W. Goonesekera with Mr. E. D. Wickremanayake, Mr. S. C. Crossette Tambiah and Mr. Hugo Anthony appeared for Prof. Soysa. Central Bank should allow
commercial banks to pay interest on current accounts It is a crying shame that customers of banks in Sri Lanka who maintain credit balances in their bank accounts are not paid interest on such balances. This non-payment of interest on monies of customers held in current accounts at commercial banks is regrettable and unsavoury feature of banking in this country. In most developed nations commercial banks pay interest on such credit balances. An equally bad feature is that the Central Bank in Sri Lanka has also prohibited the payment of interest on savings accounts in commercial banks if such accounts had more than four withdrawals per month. Such accounts were being treated by the Central Bank as being equivalent to current accounts to fall within the embargo on the payment of interest. Both these features were unsatisfactory and hurt the development of banking and the spread and increase of bank customers and should be done away with. These views were expressed by Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria who is currently an Associate Professor of Banking Law at Australia's Monash University. Dr. Weerasooria is also the Director of the Banking Law Centre at the same University. He was here in Sri Lanka to address a Banking and Finance symposium organised by the Sri Lankan Association of Professional Bankers at the BMICH held on Friday 10 to Sunday 12 July on Banking in the Year 2000. The symposium was opened by the Minister for Trade and Food Kingsley Wickremaratne and Mr. A. S. Jayawardena the Governor of the Central Bank and John Buxton head of England's Barclays Bank - who also delivered the key-note address. In an interview with the 'Island' newspaper Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria who spoke at the symposium on legal issues affecting banking in Sri Lanka said that he had been told by commercial bankers in Sri Lanka that they were keen to attract more customers by paying interest on balances held in current accounts but the Central Bank does not permit them to do so. In Dr. Weerasooria's view such an objection by the regulatory body was not justified and should be re-examined. Dr. Weerasooria said that what Sri Lanka's Central Bank was prohibiting today was what the Central Banks of developed countries (such as Australia) had prohibited about ten to fifteen years ago. Even in Australia in the 1970s there had been a prohibition on payments of interest in current accounts. This prohibition or embargo was done away with and is not in practice today. At one of the major sessions of the banking symposium at the BMICH on Sunday, Dr. Weerasooria had posed this same issue directly to Mr. Andrew Buxton, the chairman of England's second largest bank, the Barclays Bank who was the main speaker at the symposium. Mr. Buxton had replied that it is now the common practice of all commercial banks in developed nations to pay interest on current accounts. Mr. Buxton added that his own bank - Barclays Bank - had been paying interest on such accounts for over ten years and said that any opposition by a Central Bank to the payment of such interest cannot be justified. At the time when Mr. Buxton made this statement to the entire symposium that interest ought to be paid on credit balances in current accounts, the symposium was being chaired by A. S. Jayawardena, the Governor of the Central Bank. Mr. A. S. Jayawardena did not comment or disagree with Mr. Buxton's views. According to Dr. Weerasooria, Mr. Buxton's views, coming from the chairman of England's second largest bank and the twentieth largest bank in the world, fully endorsed the pleas that Sri Lanka's Central Bank should reconsider its embargo on the payment of interest on current accounts. "Most of the commercial banks in Sri Lanka want to pay interest on current accounts. There are also several senior staff in the Central Bank that are in favour of permitting such payment, but a handful appear to be objecting to it. This is regrettable. This is not a political issue but an issue which should be resolved for the development of banking and in the interest of the public who are customers of banks", said Dr. Weerasooria. Speaking further, Dr. Weerasooria said he read a recent letter to the editor in a newspaper where a member of the public had said "Rather than banks offering gifts and souvenirs to attract more customers why don't the banks pay more interest on monies deposited with the bank". According to Dr. Weerasooria, this appeal from a customer in a letter to the editor endorsed the view he was expressing. Speaking further Dr. Weerasooria said, "banking is basically the art of making profits and getting rich on other people's money". Without public deposits, no bank can survive. Banks, compared with other financial institutions like finance companies are privileged because they can do two things that no other financial institution is permitted to do. Firstly, they can accept demand deposits. These are basically the monies in current accounts. Secondly, only banks can deal in cheques. No financial institution other than banks can pay and collect cheques. The right to handle cheques permits banks to create profit, or to 'create money'. This is well accepted in banking circles. According to Dr. Weerasooria, most commercial banks in Sri Lanka are willing to pay interest on balances above a certain amount in current accounts. Similarly, these banks are willing to pay interest on balances in savings accounts not withstanding the number of withdrawals per month from such accounts. The Central Bank should not stand in their way. In conclusion Dr. Weerasooria said that "the embargo prohibiting the payment of such interest will not adversely affect the liquidity, capital adequacy or prudential supervision of commercial banks by the Central Bank". In his view the Central Bank of Sri Lanka was doing a good job in supervising the capital adequacy, the liquidity and strength of the banking industry in the country. They can continue to do so without putting this embargo on the payment of interest on credit balances in current accounts and savings accounts which have more than four withdrawals per month. If the Central Bank wishes to continue this embargo they should make a public statement on this issue which can be understood by the average customer. The Monetary Law Act or the Banking Law Act under which the Central Bank operates gives no specific power to the Central Bank to impose an embargo on paying interest on current accounts. However, the commercial banks will respect views of the Central Bank if they make a request not to pay such interest. This is traditionally called "moral suasion". The Salgado Commission - The Presidential Commission on Finance and Banking also strongly recommended in their report that the Central Bank remove this embargo on paying interest on current accounts and permit each commercial bank to act as they like. "Job Fair" pioneering
'varsity scheme "Colombo University has pioneered and broken new ground in the university system in Sri Lanka," said Professor Stanley Tilakaratna, Chairman of the University Grants Commission addressing the inaugural session of the ‘Job Fair’ at the Colombo University ICT Auditorium. The job fair was the first of its kind to be organised in a University in Sri Lanka. Professor W. D. Lakshman, Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo speaking on the occasion said that 50-100 students will be helped to decide which firm or career they will select on these two days. The event was attended by 21 different companies of the private sector. The Career Guidance Unit is a recent development in the University system by the UGC. Five selected universities so far have these units set up from the total of 11 national universities and one open university. The objective of the UGC setting up the units was to provide a link between the employment sector and the education sector. The five universities benefiting from these units so far are the universities of Colombo, Kelaniya, Jaffna, Peradeniya and Sri Jayewardenapura. Dr. Keerthi Premadasa, Director of the Career Guidance Unit, University of Colombo said that the unit was not trying to provide a total solution to the graduate unemployment problem, but was instead trying to reduce the impact. There are two objectives of the job fair, Dr. Premadasa said, one of which is to expose graduates to the private sector and the other is to give the private sector a chance to see the best talent the university has. As companies are becoming more diversified, they should be aware of the different norms and practices, he said. Since some students of the University lack specific targets, it is important for students to know what options they have, the Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University, Prof. W. D. Lakshman said. Professor S. Thilakaratna, Chairman, University Grants Commission said that university students are an elite group of the student community with only 2-3% of the O/Level students and 8% of the students who sit the A/Levels entering university. The private sector which is gradually taking graduates to its fold is realizing the value of hiring the cream of the youth. He said that the Career Guidance Unit is only one element in the package of reforms which includes curricula reforms aimed at increasing the students awareness of the needs, norms and standards of the private sector. Twenty one companies including the giants of the private sector set off job fair with detailed presentations introducing their companies to the audience. A representative of John Keells Holdings said the company hired 7 graduates from the Tharuna Aruna Programme and these graduates are an example of the benefits private companies can derive from hiring local graduates. The representatives of other companies also reiterated the claim that what they require are people who can think and solve problems. Language is not a barrier and graduates pick up fast in corporate surroundings, dispelling the myth that it is only Colombo school students and those who excel in sports that gain entry to their companies. ‘Job Fair’ is a two day event which ends today (14). It was a case of demand exceeding supply with students of several other universities attempting to enter the premises yesterday. These students who were held back by the security officials, said they were misled by news reports giving publicity to the event, which, they said failed to mention was only for the students of the Colombo University. Railway men prepare for
strike action Three trade unions representing station masters, railway guards and locomotive drivers of the Department of Railways decided to call off their proposed token strike yesterday after their demand was granted following a meeting with Minister Fowzie. The Unionists earlier threatened to launch a 24 hour islandwide token strike if railway authorities failed to acceded to their demand and further clarification as a circular by the GMR. The Unions which met Minister of Transport and Highways A. H. M. Fowzie and the General Manager of Railways, W. K. Weragama, on Monday evening decided to call off their trade union action as in view of their demand was granted, Vice President of the Station Masters Union, Ananda Perera told yesterday. The unionists demanded a further clarification of a circular issued by the General Manager Railways on July 8, categorising the station master, guards and driver grades and alleged discrimination against the 3 grades in the payment of overtime. The Unionists claimed that such payments which had earlier remained on the same category within the department had resulted in confusion following the release of this said circular. "Everybody enjoyed the same scheme of payments earlier. But recently the General Manager issued a circular dividing these three grade into different categories in making overtime payments. This has caused discrimination against the different categories of Class 1, Class 2, Chief guard or driver etc. This system affects seniors in the Guard and Driver grades as well. We protested against this discrimination," he explained. The meeting with the Minister and GMR was attended by President of the Station Masters Union, N. Wickramasinghe, the President of the Guards Union, S. Wijedasa, the President of the Drivers Union, P. Gunasekera, the Vice President of the Station Masters Union, A. Perera and the Secretary of the Station Masters Union, Jayasena. Minister meets hoteliers today on wage increase Labour Minister, W. D. J. Seneviratne, is to meet hoteliers today to discuss a Wages Board-enforced wage increase in the hotel and catering sector which has caused the industry some heartache, authoritative Labour Ministry sources told ‘The Island’ yesterday. The wage increase, recommended by the Wages Board governing the hotel and catering industry, became effective from July 1 this year. All employers in the industry are requested to increase the existing pay of workers in grades 1 to 5 by Rs. 500. Representatives of the Hoteliers’ Association and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) are scheduled to meet the minister at the Labour Ministry this afternoon. The ministry source said the aim of the meeting was "to smooth out the rough edges". An authoritative employer source told ‘The Island’ that when the Wages Board recommendation was first brought up, employers lodged a protest through the EFC. Subsequent to a meeting between the EFC Secretary General, Franklyn Amerasinghe, and Minister Seneviratne, it was agreed that the latter would refer the wage increase recommendation back to the Wages Board for review. Before this could be done, however, the recommendation received the ministry seal of approval from the Deputy Minister of Labour while Minister Seneviratne was attending the International Labour Organisation Convention in Geneva. As it thus received legal status, employers in the trade were obliged to grant all employees in grades 1 to 5 an increase of Rs. 500 from July 1. The EFC has sent a circular to all employers to this effect. The Wages Board governing the garment industry recently effected a wage increase of Rs. 500 for workers in this sphere, too. Thirty four out of 39 Wages Boards in the country are in the continuous process of reviewing wages in different sectors of the private sector. Their recommendations, once signed by the Labour Minister, are legally binding. (NW) Minister trying to shut only chest clinic in Colombo accuses GMOA The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) yesterday accused the Health Minister of trying to close down the only chest clinic in the Colombo district. The GMOA statement says:- The Minister of Health and his henchmen having failed in their attempt to close down the only Chest Clinic for Colombo District at Dean's Road, are now trying to wriggle out of their irresponsible action by publishing incorrect and misleading statements baselessly accusing the GMOA for having highlighted it. We therefore feel it is our responsibility to place before the public for information the true facts. This move had been planned by the Minister without consulting the relevant authorities and sans any consideration to the hardships that the public would have to undergo on his own for reasons best known to him, but we have reason to believe that this move stems mainly from his great fear of contacting TB in view of this Clinic being in close proximity to his office. Besides, equipment worth millions are to be purchased such as video cameras etc. for setting up a Propaganda Unit of the Minister. The Health Education Bureau which is responsible for health education programmes are deprived of such facilities. The Minister is not in the least concerned about the lack of basic equipment in hospitals but is ready and able to spend lavishly to set up this Propaganda Unit to boost his sagging reputation and popularity. However much the Minister tries to focus otherwise, the decision to close down the Chest Clinic at Dean's Road and the underlying motive behind it is security and expansion of the Ministry. Quite suddenly on 28.05.98 a team supposed to have been from the Bio Medical Engineering Department had arrived at the Chest Clinic, Dean's Road, and asked the staff to stop taking X-rays immediately as they would be removing both X-ray plant to Chest Hospital, Welisara. By this date there were two functioning X-ray plants at Dean's Road Clinic (MMR and a large X-ray plant) with one functioning MMR X-ray plant and one non-functioning MMR X-ray plant at X-ray Department, Chest Hospital, Welisara. Disregarding the administrative procedures that has to be followed when equipment is shifted from one institution to another, the MMR X-ray plant at Chest Clinic. Dean's Road was virtually by force removed and taken to Welisara Hospital. Welisara Hospital authorities were totally unaware of this move, and naturally surprised when the X-ray plant arrived there suddenly Since there was no issue order or any instructions, the X-ray plant was not installed. However the non-functioning camera unit of the X-ray plant was replaced and made functionable on a subsequent day. By the time the camera unit of the X-ray plant brought from Dean's Road Clinic was found missing. The X-ray plant that was brought from Dean's Road Clinic was not restored to function. Even if it is restored to function, all three X-ray plants cannot function together because of radiation hazards and other constrains. Therefore there was no increase of facilities to Chest Hospital, Welisara, as claimed by the Ministry. When the GMOA pointed out that certain parts of the X-ray plant were missing the Publicity Officer to the Minister of Health, accompanied by a team from the Bio-Medical Engineering Department and a Deputy Director General suddenly arrived at the X-Ray Department at Chest Hospital, Welisara on 10.07.98 and replaced parts and installed the third MMR X-ray machine at Chest Hospital. Welisara. They had forcibly recorded some statements from the staff of the X-ray Department and video-filmed the X-ray unit in order to show that all X-ray plants were in working order and there was no problems as highlighted by the GMOA. However, it was only as a result of the GMOA highlighting this issue that the two additional X-plants were restored to fucntioning order at Chest Hospital, Welisara. Be it as it may, a large number of patients and those who come for medical examinations to Dean's Road Chest Clinic are greatly inconvenienced due to the harassment caused at the entry point to the Chest Clinic. Dean's Road. Purely for the purpose of maintaining statistics as required by the Minister has aggravated the problem further. The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment has issued a circular to all licensed foreign employment agencies making membership with the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) mandatory to all. However, the other major association in the trade -- the Federation of Licensed Employment Agencies (FOLFEA) - yesterday said they were seeking legal advice and would challenge this circular in courts. FOLFEA president, Suraj Dandeniya, claimed that the chairman’s circular was a violation of fundamental rights. The new circular states that under Sec. 54(3) of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Act No. 21 of 1985, all agencies are requested to become members of ALFEA "before asking for the renewal of licences". This is also in keeping with a 1995 letter from the Attorney General’s Department to the Chairman of the SLBFE saying that "Section 54(3) of the said Act is mandatory and that every licensee is required thereunder to become a member of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies". The letter notes the bureau could refuse to renew the license of a licensee who has failed to become a member of the Association under section 30 (a) of the said Act. Mr. Dandeniya maintained that instructing licensed agencies to be a member of ALFEA alone is a violation of fundamental rights. The latest dispute is only one in a series between the two main contenders for membership of licensed foreign employment agencies in the country. (NW) Worker Fund Society in dire
straits due to Central Bank apathy The Worker Investment and Credit Fund (Guarantee) Ltd. (WICF) which is experiencing a severe financial crisis due to the previous government’s change in the administrative policy in closing down some state institutions, privatising and premature retirement scheme has once again appealed to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to register the Fund as a Finance Company under the Central Bank. Chairman of the WICF, Albert de Silva told ‘The Island’ that as a result of the previous government’s administrative policy and the continuance of that policy by the present government, the Fund has been seriously affected with thousands to whom money was loaned had defaulted and they could not be traced. He said that when the WICF applied to the Central Bank in 1991 to be registered as a Finance Company with the required capital of Rs. five million, the Central Bank had responded that the application was too late for registration that year and had requested to apply the following year. The WICF agreeing to the conditions of the Central Bank had applied again in 1992 but had so far received no response. Mr. De Silva noted that following representations made to the Minister of Justice and Deputy Minister of Finance Prof. G. L. Peiris, the matter had been referred again to the Central Bank. He added that the Central Bank had agreed that the financial crisis in the WICF was caused mainly due to the change of policy of administrative actions of the governments but had regretted that it was unable to help the Fund as it was a ‘Welfare Society’. ‘It is unfortunate that this reason for not registering as a finance company was not given six years earlier’, he lamented. Mr. de Silva said that when permission had been sought by the Central Bank to allow the Seylan Merchant Bank to take over the Fund it had been granted on the condition that the Seylan Merchant Bank could not call for new deposits. ‘This unhelpful attitude of the Central Bank has put the WICF owned by the poor workers in dire straits’, he claimed. He explained that if the Seylan Merchant Bank is allowed to take over the Fund and enrol new members, the new members would naturally save with the WICF owned by the Seylan Merchant Bank. Friends of Sri Lanka in
goodwill gesture As a goodwill gesture to safeguard people living in the villages of the North-East, the Friends Of Sri-Lanka group in Canada has borne the cost of three warning sirens. UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayewardena, told ‘The Island’ that this was part of the special progamme launched by him to protect villages in 6 districts namely Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Moneragala. "After 6 p.m. villages are in total darkness and the villagers can gather no sign of any impending attack" Dr. Jayewardena said. "It is at night that these people are more prone to attacks by terrorists. There have been incidents where they have been brutally attacked and their houses torched at night." Although these people are helped with provision of essentials such as food and clothing by NGO’s, the villagers have appealed for some form of additional security. To watch over the village at night home guards are on patrol. These guards are actually residents from the village thereby assuring greater dedication and concentration in their nightly routine. However, should one of them encounter any danger there is no way of communicating a warning to the others as they do not possess equipment such as walkie-talkies. "Because of this danger 59 sirens were installed in villages in the North-East over the last 2 years and so far these villages have not come under attack," Dr. Jayewardena explained. These sirens are hand operated, portable and can carry sound to a radius of one and a half kms. The cost of each siren is about Rs. 10,500 and a company that wishes to be unidentified has come forward to manufacture them locally. These devices were used even in the time of World War, he said. Dr. Jayewardena emphasised that these sirens were not used for destruction but were for the protection of the people. "If these people were provided with a gun it would mean that they are being encouraged to kill. That is not what I intend". There is no racial discrimination in the implementation of this programme he further said. Even the Tamil and Muslim villages have these sirens to protect them as well. When asked as to why the funds for three more sirens came from Canada, Dr. Jayawardena replied that a news item which had appeared about this programme had aroused interest and the Friends Of Sri-Lanka group in Canada had voluntarily gathered funds for the purchase of three sirens to do their bit in helping to safeguard the people in the vulnerable villages in their motherland. Pushpakala Sinnathuray wins prestigious award The United States Achievement Academy announced that Pushpakala Sinnathuray from U.S.A. has been named a United States National Colligiate award winner in Government. This award is a prestigious honour very few students can hope to attain. In fact, the academy recognises fewer than 10% of all American college students. Pushpakala Sinnathuray, was nominated for this national award by Katherine Houghton, a dean at the college. Pushpakala Sinnathurary will appear in the United States Achievement Academy Official Collegiate Year book, which is published nationally. "Recognizing and supporting our youth is more important than ever before in America's history. Certainly, United States Achievement Academy winners should be congratulated and appreciated for their dedication in excellence and achievement," said Dr. George Stevens, Executive Director of the United States Achievement Academy. The Academy selects winners upon the exclusive recommendation by professors, coaches, counsellors and other qualified sponsors and upon the standards of selection set forth by the Academy. The criteria for selection are a student's academic performance, interest and aptitude, leadership qualities, responsibility, enthusiasm, motivation to learn and improve, citizenship, attitude and co-operative spirit, dependability, and recommendation from a professor or college official. Pushpakala Sinnathuray is the daughter of Rajah Sinnathuray, J.P., and late Malini Sinnathuray (Attorney-at-Law), from Colombo. The grandparents are late Proctor A. Mahesan and Mrs. Mahesan of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and late Mr. & Mrs. S. J. Sinnathuray, of Colombo. Lankan conferred with highest Brazilian national honour The President of the Federative Republic of Brazil on June 1 by decree conferred upon Milinda Moragoda the honour of Officer of the Order of Rio Branco, which is one of the highest national honours of the Republic of Brazil. Mr. Moragoda is Chairman of Mercantile Merchant Bank Ltd. and Honorary Consul for Brazil in Sri Lanka. The Ambassador of Brazil accredited to Sri Lanka, based in New Delhi Luiz Filipe de Macedo Soares, formally bestowed this honour on behalf of the President of Brazil on Mr. Moragoda at a ceremony held in Colombo on June 29. The Order of Rio Branco is named after a national hero of Brazil, that country’s most distinguished and respected diplomat, the Baron of Rio Branco who was the Foreign Minister of Brazil at the beginning of this century. He was responsible for peacefully resolving all Brazil’s border disputes. Brazil which is the fifth largest country in the world, occupies nearly half of South America and has a land mass of over 8 1/2 million square kilometres. It shares borders with 10 countries. Furthermore, Baron of Rio Branco’s tenure saw the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Brazil and the United States. His many diplomatic initiatives built the foundations for the position of leadership Brazil occupies within the international community today. He was also responsible for establishing the basis for modern Brazilian diplomacy and foreign policy, a fundamental premise of which is that the subject of foreign affairs should be above parochial politics and factional interests. Brazil with a population of 160 million people, the 8th most populous country in the world, has a GDP of US$ 800 billion, making it the seventh largest economy. Recently Brazil along with the United States was made the Co-Chairman of the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations, an initiative which has as its objective the creation of a free trade block within North and South America by the year 2005. Over the last four years under the reform minded leadership of President Cardoso, the Brazilian economy has been completely liberalized and the country has become a strong and important player in the sphere of international trade and investment. This same period also saw national inflation come down from 40% per month to 3 1/2 per year! Through prudent economic management Brzail has in many ways successfully minimized the negative fall out from the East Asian crisis on its own economy. Today, there is a consensus among international observers that Brazil, together with China and India, will emerge to become the economic and industrial power houses of the next millennium. Notice on Chandrasekaran President of the Upcountry People's Front P. Chandrasekaran accused in a case of Contempt of Court, was issued notice by Colombo District Judge Sarath Ambepitiya yesterday. Secretary General of the Front Bawa Abdul Cader is the plaintiff in the case. President's Counsel S. A. Parathalingam appearing with Faizer Musthapha on behalf of the plaintiff submitted that the Court on June 26,1998 issued an enjoining order restraining the President of the Front from authorising M. Sivalingam, a senior member or any other person from carrying out the functions of the Secretary General of the Upcountry People's Front. The Front President made an application to suspend the enjoining order but the Court after hearing submissions by both parties refused the said application on July 3, 1998. On July 3, 1998, the plaintiff signed the nomination of the Front as its lawful Secretary General for the Nuwara Eliya district for the purpose of contesting the Provincial elections and handed over the said paper to his authorised agent S. Arulappan to forward to the Returning Officer. A set of nomination papers signed wrongfully and illegally purported to be signed by the third accused M. Lawrence as Secretary General of the Front with the authority consent and acquiescence of the first and the second accused, all acting in violation of the enjoining order issued by Court was handed over to Nuwara Eliya Kachcheri for the purpose of contesting the Provincial Council elections from the Front. Subsequent to both sets of nomination papers being accepted at noon on July 3, the nomination papers purported to have been signed by the third accused was accepted. Mr. Parathalingam, concluded that the said acts of the accused constitute an act of contempt of court in violation of the enjoining order. P. Chandrasekaran, A. Lawrence and M. Lawrence are the accused in the case. |
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