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| VVIP gets "un-tappable'' phones By Franklin. R. Satyapalan Suntel's marketing director, Manilal de Mel confirmed that some phones have been supplied but refused to say where they had been fixed. De Mel claimed that their fixed digital phones cannot be tapped by anybody as the equipment converted the caller's voice into a data mode for onward transmission and reconverted to the voice mode at the other end. He said that in analog equipment, the voice is amplified and transmitted on the same frequency on copper cables and could be tapped anywhere between the caller and the receiver. A Ravaya report last weekend alleged that the president's phone was tapped by state security agencies. This was firmly denied by the National Intelligence Bureau. De Mel explained that in their equipment, the voice is encrypted (coded) and de-coded unlike in analog technology. "We have even supplied a line to the Colombo Fire Brigade and the Kelanitissa Power Station which had a problem reaching the Fire Brigade after a bomb blast. But with our hotline, the brigade gets first priority whatever the congestion,'' he said. Crucial election in next few months says GL Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris has hinted of the possibility of a "crucial election'' within the next few months to break the impasse on political and constitutional reforms, Indian reports said. He had however said that "we are not decided on the timing of the elections.'' Interviewed by The Hindu in Chennai (Madras), the minister had said that the 4-year time-limit (from the last presidential poll) after which a presidential election could be held in the country under the 1978 constitution would pass in November. It would then be technically possible to call elections, though the government has not taken any decision. The interview did not, however, indicate whether the elections the minister was talking about would be a presidential or parliamentary or something less important. But analysts pointed that he had referred to the 4-year barrier relating to a presidential election. The widely held view is that the government feels stronger with a presidential election than any other. The Hindu quoted Prof. Peiris saying: "In the absence of a bipartisan consensus with the main opposition UNP we are unable to finalise the devolution package and the electoral reform measures. But we are only 17 seats short of a two-thirds majority and in a new election, it is quite possible that with the help of other parties, we will be able to gather enough support for changes.'' The minister had said that the devolution package will be one of the cardinal issues in "crucial elections within the next few months.'' He had also said there was the possibility of a referendum in a direct appeal to the people. "A certain degree of departure from orthodoxy is required in the national interest. This is particularly because we are short of a two-thirds majority in parliament,'' he has said. Maintaining that the abolition of the executive presidency, the devolution package and electoral reforms were still the main objectives of the People's Alliance and Chandrika government, he had said that "the three were inter-linked and cannot be dealt in isolation and would figure prominently in the crucial elections'' ahead. Special Police unit to counter internal anti-state threats by Shamindra Ferdinando "The Special Branch was created in place of the Security Investigation Division," an officer said. The Security Investigation Division which played a crucial role during the bloody anti-insurgency campaign against the JVP has been disbanded. SSP N. Ilangakoon who was previously attached to the elite STF has been appointed Special Branch's director. Setting up of the Special Branch was one of last acts of former IGP W. B. Rajaguru. "At the time it was created there was evidence to suggest that Rajaguru will continue to hold the top post for a few more months," sources said. Several months ago, the government requested retired IGPs Frank de Silva and Cyril Herath to beef-up the NIB as part of the changes effected. Former CID head T. V. Sumanasekara, the only retired DIG to serve the department on contract has been placed the second in command of the NIB. Informed sources said that the Special Branch will have a crucial role to play. Highly placed police sources said that there will be a series of changes in the top positions of the department probably this week. "At least five vacancies have been created at the headquarters in view of the recent retirement of officers and other reasons," police said. The posts of Senior DIG/Administration, Support Services, Ranges one, Crimes and Operations and Intelligence and Security remain vacant for the past several days. All these positions are held by senior DIGs. The second senior officer in the department [before retirement of Rajaguru} Dr. Dharmadasa Silva who held the post of senior DIG/Administration has gone abroad on an official assignment. He is not expected to return until late this month. However some sources said that he too will retire over the appointment of Lucky Kodituwakku as IGP. Earlier Messrs Kingsley Wickremasuriya and Gamini Gunawardene retired for the same reason. "New appointments are expected to be made this week," sources said. Ahead of proposed changes, a fundamental rights petition which had been filed by senior DIG H. M. G. B. Kotakadeniya in December 1996 challenging the placing of then senior DIG Lucky Kodituwakku above him in the order of seniority was withdrawn a day after Koditiwakku replaced Rajaguru as the police chief. The Bench [SC] has comprised justices R. N. M. Dheeraratne, Dr. Asoka de Z. Gunawardene and L. H. G. Weerasekara. Editors Guild meets Ranil on media laws UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last week told a delegation from the Editors Guild of Sri Lanka that his party would co-operate with the liberalising of the laws regulating the media here. The Editors Guild is meeting leaders of recognised political parties in an effort to win their support for evolving a new media culture in the country. The Guild will be shortly making representations to the parliamentary select committee on the legislative and regulatory framework relating to the media. Wickremesinghe indicated that he favoured the amending or repealing of existing laws that curbed media freedom and the enacting of new laws that enhanced such freedom. Among the matters he said he would support would be the abolition or amendment of existing criminal defamation laws in accordance with prevailing laws in liberal democracies, the introduction of a Freedom of Information Act and the replacement of the Sri Lanka Press Council with a more acceptable body. He agreed on the need for a mechanism to ensure that the state-controlled media was non-partisan in reporting the news and mentioned the BBC in this connection. He also said his party would look into the possibility of making meetings of parliamentary committees open to the press and said that he saw no reason why this should not be done. The Guild brought to Wickremesinghe's notice that an amendment to the Evidence Ordinance, that made conviction in a criminal defamation case conclusive proof of civil defamation, had been passed during the UNP boycott of parliament. It was urged that this should be reversed. The opposition leader said he would study the possibilities. Editors of both state and privately owned media participated at the meeting with Wickremesinghe. UNP ready with stand on land policy The UNP's committee on alternate constitutional proposals have now finalised the party's stand on the vital land question. Its proposals will be presented to the working committee at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday and, if approved, will be placed before the parliamentary select committee on constitutional reforms the next day, party sources said. It is understood that the committee has recommended the vesting of power regarding land matters on a Land Commission and that land distribution in any given province conforms to the present ethnic ratio. If the center, province or a local body needed more land than thus allocated, they should go to the Land Commission with their request. If they are aggrieved over the decision of the commission, they will have recourse to an Arbitration Council and a final appeal to the Supreme Court, these sources said. Mr. Tyronne Fernando, a member of the UNP committee said that their party was firm in its stand that none of the nine existing provinces should be re-demarcated. They were for a referendum in the Eastern Province at a later stage to decide whether the present north-east merger should stand. He said this in response to a question on their stand on a separate Muslim province. Fernando also said that they fully agreed that more power should be devolved to the provinces under the 13th amendment. (FRS) Blood bath on the Colombo bourse In what John Keells described as a "blood bath on the Colombo bourse" share prices tumbled unbelievably last month with the All Share Price Index (ASPI) shedding 100.3 points (16.8%) and the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) dropping 192.5 points (21.5%). "Blue chips lead the dive," Asia securities said explaining that although foreigners were initially responsible for driving prices down, locals joined the bandwagon in the second half of the month as fears of a further wave of foreign selling intensified. "Confidence crumbled and the downward momentum accelerated when Russsia capitulated and effectively devalued the rouble causing jittery local retailers to dump shares at almost any cost," Asia said. "Although local institutions were seen aggressively selling the large caps at the beginning of the month, they were subsequently beaten into inaction as their portfolio values plunged below cost." The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) reported that the all share index which peaked this year at 789.7 on May 4 had dropped to a 7-year low of 496 on Aug. 31 - its lowest since May 31, 1991. Foreigners have been pulling out aggressively from the market, a process that began in July and continued last moth. The net outflow of foreign funds last month was Rs. 164 million. Foreign purchases accounted for a mere 21% (Rs. 268.6 million) of the total while foreign sales were 33% (Rs. 432.9 million) of the total transacted, the CSE said. CSE said that in the current unsettled economic climate worldwide, regional markets too had also dropped significantly in August. Karachi was an exception reporting a 5% gain. Bombay and Hong Kong (Hang Seng) shed 10% last month while Kuala Lumpur lost 25%. Veterinary don urges more pig production The pig industry in Sri Lanka has been a sadly neglected one bemoans Dr. Thakshala Seresinghe, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Animal Science of the University of Ruhuna. It ranks fourth in the Sri Lankan market of animal products, with chicken having 36 percent, beef with 18 percent and fish ranking second with 29 percent. Pork accounts for just 9 percent . Dr. Seresinghe says that pork remains the least available meat source in the local market in spite of a high local demand. Citing the Jardine and Fleming index, Dr. Seresinghe gives the pig population in this country as around 80,300, pigs being reared mainly along the coastal belt from Puttalam to Kalutara. But, he says, pig performance is poor as a result of erratic and low quality swill feeding, attributable, he says, to the high cost and lack of concentrate feeds. He also gives other reasons for poor pig performance, such as poor veterinary services, crude method of slaughter of pigs and lack of methods to prevent pollution due to pig farming. Dr. Seresinghe claims that there is a rapid increase in the demand for processed pork products, as processed pork can be kept for longer periods than other meats and can thus be distributed to a wider section of the population. He claims that in 1996 15,200 kg of pork, valued at 1.5 million rupees was exported to other countries. Promoting the pig industry can be profitable to this country claims Dr. Seresinghe for the reason that pigs convert cheap feeds to meat twice as efficiently as other ruminants; they possess the potential to be highly productive because they are capable of producing large litters after a relatively short period of gestation, and the output of meat per ton of live weight is six times that of cattle. He adds that the relative small size of the pig, when compared with cattle provides more flexibility in marketing and consumption and gives a quicker turn over rate of investment when compared with cattle. European Community assists to establish 'Dendro-thermal project' By Azhara Raban Speaking at the press conference, Mr. D. G. Senadipathy said that the Forestry Master Plan has identified over 600,000 hectares of land as scrub- land and over one million hectares as chena land, which could be used for fuel-wood plantations and thus prevent further degradation. Mr. Senadipathy said that ten million tons of fuel-wood could be harvested annually equivalent to heat energy 2.5 million tons of oil. This project will be environmentally desirable and also prevent soil erosion. The second stage of the experiment is to use natural resources. There are several potential energy resources which are often wasted inconspicuously in the environment, the main one being sea-waves, said Mr. Senadipathy. He went on to explain that after a series of surveys and experiments conducted by the staff and the undergraduates of the Faculty of Engineering, Peradeniya, it has been decided that one of the best sites for the location of the waves-energy power plant is Roomassala, Galle. Since seawater is used as the source of energy production there will be no emanation of carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere. Both these projects will save a considerable amount of foreign exchange, as a large amount of foreign exchange is used to import oil and coal to meet the electricity requirement of the country. He went on to explain that the Electricity Board supplies only 33% of the country's energy requirements. Out of this, 11% comes from Hydro Electricity Generations and another portion is supplied from Thermal Power which are dependent on oil. Thus foreign exchange could be saved by substituting fuel-wood in the area of Thermal power. SC holds violation of human rights: awards compensation The Supreme Court last week held the Police arrest of the petitioner Gamini Abeyratna, Secretary-General of the Swiss-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce illegal and was in contravention of Article 13 (1) of the Constitution. The Court awarded the petitioner Rs. 50,000 as compensation and Rs. 5000 as costs. The petitioner had alleged in a fundamental rights application that she was illegally arrested, detained and was subjected to degrading and inhuman treatment by police for political reasons. Upul Jayasuriya counsel for the petitioner had submitted his client was arrested allegedly for the murder of Matale Municipal Councillor Razmar Hussain. But in fact he was arrested on suspicion that he had helped former SP Douglas Peries flee from the country. He was arrested by Inspector Ampawila on the instructions of SP Bandula Wickrama-singhe cited as second respondent to the application. Jayasuriya further submitted that two respondent police officers brutally assaulted the petitioner in order to force a statement from him to implicate the leader of the opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe that he also helped Douglas Pieris to flee from the country. The bench which was chaired by Justice R. N. B. Deeraratna comprised Justices P. R. P. Perera and D. P. S. Gunasekara. Suspicious activities in Chemmani The parents of those who have disappeared in the North have expressed concern over the suspicious activities in Chemmani area of Jaffna peninsula at night. The claim they had seen headlights of vehicles moving about the area, reports from North said yesterday. They allege that official action is slow because the authorities know there was a mass grave in the area. In the circumstances they fear that attempts are being made to tamper with the evidence. The suspicions have deepened due to the rejection of demands for international observers to oversee the investigation and exhumation. "When the Northeast monsoon breaks by the end of September, any tell-tale excavation marks would be erased," they said. (FRS) Fast to go on until rations restored By Franklin R.
Satyapalan The refugees vow to continue their month long fasts in batches before all governmental offices from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until the government restores their rations in full, the reports said. Meanwhile Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) and head of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority for North (RRAN) N. A. Obadage had informed the GA's of Mullaitivu and Killi-nochchi that dry rations would be granted only to those who enter refugee camps in cleared area of Manner and this also to only those refugees who had been displaced from Jaffna, governmental sources said. All Tamil political parties including the lenders of PLOTE, EPRLF, TELO, EPDP and TULF have agitated for the past month on this issue and written to President Chandrika Kumaratunga to restore these rations to displaced Tamil refugees, Tamil political sources said. According to RRAN sources one in every 22.5 persons of a population of 18 million was a refugee. A UN committee has reported that it was alarmed by the results of an independent survey estimating the incidence of undernourishment among women and children living in these areas to be high as 70%. The committee had recommended that the government revises its food assistance programmes in the affected areas with a view to improving the nutritional standards of food particularly to children and expectant and nursing mothers. Sources from Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) said that restoration of dry rations to displaced refugees in Mullaitivu and Killinochchi was under review and a decision would be taken by President Chandrika Kumaratunga when she returned from South Africa. Last week opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe moved an adjournment motion in Parliament to protest over the reduction of dry rations to refugees in the Vanni. Wickremesinghe highlighted the tragic plight of the ordinary civilians in the Vanni and warned the government "not to use food as a weapon of war." Auxillary Bishop of Colombo Malcolm Ranjith, Bishop of Jaffna, T. Sundara-nayagam and Bishop of Mannar Rayappu Joseph, visited the fasting refugees and sympathised with them over the plight, reports from North said. |
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