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Superintendent’s bungalow set
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 A loved one gives a warm embrace to one of them. There were many such moving scenes at yesterday’s meeting at the Army Headquarters. Pix. by Jude Denzil Pathiraja |
Superintendent’s bungalow set on fire
Army called in to quell estate riot estate riot
By Franklin R. SatyapalanThe army was called in yesterday to stem a tide of violence which rocked Passara group estate in Badulla after hundreds of striking workers ran amok torching the Superintendent’s bungalow and his vehicle and a police jeep on Sunday night, security officials said.
A police party sent to the area to bring the situation under control, was also attacked by mobs critically injuring a police constable.
The army was deployed yesterday to assist police to tackle the situation and prevent a spill-over of the violence, the officials said.
The police team initially sent to the estate was attacked by mobs who later set ablaze the jeep.
For the past 40 days over 1700 workers of Passara Group managed by Hapugastenna Plantations and belonging to James Finlay and Company had been on strike demanding the transfer of the estate superintendent Ranjith Gunatilleka. Last Monday, an additional 20,000 workers belonging to 16 plantation groups in the Passara AGA’s division struck work in solidarity with their striking colleagues at Passara group and threatened to launch a fast-unto-death unless the management gave into their demand to transfer the superintendent.
Last Sunday, the 48th day of the strike, around 7 pm around 200 workers from Passara group had attempted to storm the superintendent’s bungalow when the two policemen on duty had opened fire into the air. The Policemen had managed to arrest and tie up two of the workers. In the melee a labourer identified as Anthonisamy had been injured and was admitted to Passara hospital, police said.
The mob had dispersed after police fired warning shots into the air,but around 7.45 pm the same day,hundreds of enraged estate workers including women had disconnected the power and telephone lines of the bungalow, cut trees across the road and set fire to the bungalow and the superintendent’s jeep. The two police constables had been helpless as hundreds of workers stormed the bungalow and torched it, police said.
The superintendent had been in his bungalow at that time, but had managed to escape.
A police team sent to the estate was also attacked by the mob who later set fire to the jeep. A PC identified as Abeywickrema was seriously injured as a result, according to police.
Police said the situation is now tense but quiet.
DIG (Uva) Kumarasiri Gamage who assessed the situation called for military assistance to maintain law and order. Troops from Diyatalawa have been deployed in the area while additional policemen from stations in Badulla district have been brought down for this purpose, police said.
Trade Unions are also assisting the security authorities to restore normalcy.
Passara OIC IP L. P. S. Silva said no arrests have been made so far.
Liam Fox successor in town next week
Implement Fox agreement, call by UNP
by Shamindra FerdinandoThe UNP yesterday declared that it wants the government to implement the April 1997 agreement worked out by former Minister of State in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Dr. Liam Fox, an authoritative party official told The Island last night. A top level UNP delegation led by party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told the joint committee of business leaders during a meeting at Wickremesinghe’s private office yesterday of the need to implement the Fox agreement without further delay.
The call for implementation comes less than two weeks before Dr. Liam Fox’s successor, Derek Fatchett arrives in Colombo to participate in a series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence.
He is the senior most official scheduled to visit since Tony Blair’s Labour Party came into power in May 1997.
The agreement, under fire by Sinhala hardliners aims to develop a genuine bipartisan approach to resolve the North-East crisis. Both the ruling party and the UNP have repeatedly accused each other of breaking the controversial agreement.
The joint committee last week had a meeting with President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
The UNP had urged the joint committee led by Lalith Kotelawala to inspire the government to implement the Fox agreement in full. In April 1997 after secret negotiations, both the government and the UNP agreed to take the Dr. Liam Fox’s initiative.
Under the agreement the incumbent President will brief and seek the opinion of the UNP on significant developments, both in the strictest confidence , if in government, the UNP leader will reciprocate; the party in the opposition will not undermine any discussions between the party governing and the LTTE or any other organisation, if these discussions take place with the concurrence with the opposition party; against the background of such concurrence , on election to government, either party will honour all such decisions in full.
The agreement was reached after both Messrs. Lakshman Kadirgamar and Ranil Wickremesinghe had meetings with former British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Malcom Rifkind and Dr. Liam Fox on the British experience of bipartisan approach in relation to efforts to solve the Northern Ireland crisis.
Just six weeks after reaching the agreement, the government launched the biggest ever ongoing combined security forces campaign, Jayasikuru to crush LTTE power in the Wanni.
The UNP delegation to yesterday’s talks with the business leaders had included Messrs. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Karu Jayasuriya, A. C. S. Hameed, Ronnie de Mel and K. N. Choksy. The joint committee delegation had comprised seven business leaders.The UNP had also agreed to nominate two representatives to work with business community
efforts to persuade political parties to adopt a bipartisan approach.
Political sources said that the joint committee will have to inform the government of UNP’s call to implement the Fox agreement.
"President Kumaratunga and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe have decided to adopt a bipartisan approach towards the resolution of the conflict" Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar told the press at the ministry auditorium on April 3 last year. The announcement was made after President Kumaratunga and Wickremesinghe exchanged letters in this regard.
Fatchett is expected to indicate Labour Party government support for the implementation of the Fox agreement, informed sources said. During his stay, Fatchett is scheduled to meet Messrs. Kadirgamar, G. L. Peiris, Ranil Wickremesinghe and several other officials and politicians.
Fatchett was previously scheduled to visit Colombo in April this year.
Freed soldiers tell near five-year ordeal at the hands of Tigers
By Norman Palihawadana
Four soldiers taken captive by the LTTE after the Pooneryn attack in November, 1993, and freed by the captors last week spoke to the local and foreign media, about near five years of agony at the hands of the enemy, at a press conference at the Army Headquarters, Colombo, yesterday afternoon. Six soldiers and three civilian employees of the army, who were taken prisoner by the LTTE attack on the Pooneryn army camp were handed over to the ICRC by the captors last week. They were flown to Colombo on Sunday. The four freed soldiers and two civilian employees participated in the press conference arranged by the Army.
Lance Corporal Sampath Perera told the media personnel how the LTTE became jubilant when their forays were successful in putting out of action more soldiers and how they wreaked out their vengeance on the captives when army onslaughts killed more of their members.
He said: "November 10, 1993 was an unforgettable day in our lives. We were engaged on routine security duties in the Pooneryn sector on that day. Around 10.30 p.m. approximately 300 strong LTTE assault group started attacking the area. About 200 soldiers were on duty in that area and resisted the intruders using their full mite. It still puzzles how many of my colleagues died in this battle. Unfortunately 16 soldiers including myself fell into the hands of the enemy. They assaulted us with the butts of their guns. They first took us to one of their camps, a house when they tied our hands to our backs led us to a place in Nagathivanthurai, where they moored their boats.
"We were dumped into a boat and were being sailed across the Kilali lagoon. The boat did not move as fast as our captors wanted to and this infuriated one of them. He gave vent to his anger by mercilessly assaulting one of us. He was lucky to ward off them and save his life.
"We had to face lot of problems when we were detained in the LTTE camps. We received our clothing from our homes through the ICRC.
Lance Corporal Sampath Perera also revealed that Captain Boyagoda, who was captured by the LTTE in September 1994, when they sunk Navy ship Sagara Wardana in the sea off Mannar is living and that he was with him when he and fifteen others were freed by the LTTE last week. There were talk that Captain Boyagoda was in toe with the Tigers. But this is an absolute lie and I can vouch for that he added.
Army private L. P. P. Pushpakumara speaking to the media said he was captured by the LTTE when they attacked the Janakapura army camp in 1993.
Cop snatched gold chain?
Bar owner now ‘dances to the tune’ of police
By Norman PalihawadanaA liquor bar owner in Dematagoda who is alleged to have bragged that he can "make Dematagoda police dance to his tune" and taken a bet with a customer in his bar, who in turn offered his 12 1/2 sovereign gold chain and Rs. 28,000 as a challenge was taken into police custody following a complaint of assault.
However, another group of persons in the bar had assaulted the young man and snatched the gold chain, police said.
Police are also investigating reports that a police Sub Inspector who was also in the bar at that time had snatched the gold chain from the youth. Police are therefore on the look out for the sub inspector concerned to obtain a statement from him.
Further, police are in the know of the registration number of a vehicle that had arrived at the bar at the time of the incident.
Dematagoda police are also trying to trace this vehicle as investigations continue.
No arrests yet in millionaire businessman and wife killings
By Kalinga K. A. Weerakkody.Police investigators probing last Friday’s brutal slaying of millionaire businessman J. P. Samaraweera de Silva (69) and his wife Millie Mannakkara (65) have so far failed to make any arrests.
The bodies of the two victims were found lying in a pool of blood at their palatial residence ‘Rangiri’ at Kurundugahahathapma in Elpitiya, police said.
Police investigations had revealed that Mr. Silva had been living in Hong Kong for about 32 years where he ran a jewellery shop.
The couple had returned to Sri Lanka about 10 years back and had been living at Elpitiya. The couple had lived in their palatial house all by themselves. They had not even employed any servants, police said.
On the day in question the victim businessman had left the house to set out on a journey and gone towards the Ambalangoda-Elpitiya Road, which was about 50 yards from his residence, police said.
The assailants lying in ambush had pounced on him and attacked him with sharp edged weapons. They had then dragged the body into the house. Later they had killed his wife as well who was inside the house at that time, according to police.
She had also been cut to death, police said.
Police are baffled by the killings as the motive had not been robbery. Cash and other valuables in the house were found intact.
Police believe that three or four, persons would have been involved in the slayings.
Elpitiya Magistrate and Balapitiya Additional District Judge F. R. Fernandopulle who conducted the magisterial inquiry at the scene of the grisly killings ordered the police to take into custody the suspects in this connection and produce before courts.
He also directed that the dead bodies be sent to the Judicial Medical officer, Elpitiya for post mortem examination.
According to the post mortem report, the back of the heads of the two deceased had sustained injuries caused by a sharp weapon and they had been throttled to death.
Police investigations are in progress.
Religious Assn’s statement on coal power plant
‘Unfair to blame intelligent citizens as drug smugglers’Anamaduwa — "It is unfair to blame the intelligent and reasonable citizens as drug smugglers and those who oppose the proposed coal power plant at Norochcholai in Talawila. It is also not correct to run down the loyalty of civilians when they display their democratic rights were the contents of a statement released by the ‘Puttalam District Religious Leaders’ Association in response to the statement made by Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte to the media, regarding the proposed Norochcholai coal power plant.
The statement by the religious association had been released with the signatures of its Chairman Ven. Mudalakkuliya Rathanajothi thera and the organizer Rev. Fr. Ivan Peter.
The minister had stated that those who oppose the plant are given money by the drug smugglers in the area for if the plant is set up the smugglers would be at bay.
If there are drug smugglers, we will be the first to oppose them. When the protesters are called the cat’s paws of the smugglers what will happen if they say that the plant pioneers would benefit from the commissions. If it happens where will this argument end?
The minister had mentioned about a high security zone. It is certain that the so called security zone around the jetty and the plant would be the knell of the fishing industry in the area. Then the promise given by the CEB that the fishermen could row their boats through the jetties has become a lie.
Although there are various methods of generating power without causing a much harm, the government is not ready to try them. Also the CEB had forgotten the importance of educating the people of the electricity management.
Telecom charging higher rates
by Lishanthie SiriwardenaSri Lanka Telecom is considering a proposal to reach an agreement with the mobile phone operators to mitigate the practice of charging higher rates for calls to mobile phones. According to Sri Lanka Telecom a ‘settled amount’ will be paid to the mobile operators by the SLT if the agreement gets underway.
At present the SLT charges a higher rate (national call rate) from their customers for calling any other operator. The mobile phone operators and the fixed access phone operators have complained to the The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) about the practice of the SLT. A SLT customer who calls a number of a customer belonging to a different service provider in the same exchange area has to pay the rate of a national call.
k The TRCSL says the Sri Lanka Telecom has offered no plausible explanation to the practice of charging a higher rate for a call to their peer operators. The TRCSL says that while this practice is justifiable in the case of mobile telephones, this practice on fixed access operators is not acceptable.
The TRCSL has long approved the charging rates on long distance calls, a SLT official said but was unable to confirm whether the SLT has received approval of the TRCSL to charge a higher amount for calls to other telephone operators. "We have spoken to them about this" a TRCSL official said although declining to predict any settlement in the future. The TRCSL has received complaints from other service providers but the officials could not immediately spell out the course of action that will be taken to deal with what they termed as an unacceptable practice and something alien to other countries.
The SLT defended their practice saying that the customers have been adequately informed by notices sent to them in April this year when tariff rates were revised. Therefore the customers should be well aware of the different charge rates, a SLT official said.
UNICEF ambulance for Mannar hospital
By Harini Dias BandaranayakeThe UNICEF ambulance, reported to have been held in the custody of the Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services (DPDHS), Vavuniya by the Defence Ministry will be granted permission to be used for medical purposes in the Mannar region in a few days time, Mannar G.A. told ‘The Island’.
He said that 125 cases of suspected cholera were treated at Madhu Hospital, Mannar in the last two weeks and that a total of six deaths were reported. Mannar G.A also said that the epidemic in the Mannar region was under control and that cholera was reported only about once a week.
A DPDHS source said that the ambulance was granted by UNICEF nearly two months ago. Both the DPDHS source as well as a UNICEF source said that there was no sudden disapproval to the usage of the ambulance by the Defence Ministry but instead it was a matter of formalities followed for security purposes.
The DPDHS source also told ‘The Island’ that though there were at least a few ambulances in the cleared areas of Mannar, the uncleared areas had no ambulance for use in an emergency. The UNICEF ambulance was granted not only for the purpose of transporting cholera patients to cleared areas in Mannar but also for other exigencies. The necessary approval will be granted by the Defence Ministry in the next few days and the ambulance will then be used when necessary by the Mannar district hospitals.
PC killed, ten others hurt
From Sihara Latiff in KattankudyA police constable was killed and ten other policemen, including two Reserve Sub Inspectors were critically injured when Tigers attacked the Mahamangamam police post in Batticaloa with RPGs, mortars and automatic weapons shortly after midnight on Sunday, Police sources said.
The attack by around 50 Tigers was mounted around 12.30 p.m. and continued for over an hour police post said.
The PC killed in the attack was identified as RPC Krishantha of Jayanthipura, Polonnarnwa. The injured were admitted to Batticaloa teaching Hospital.
LTTE casualties were not immediately known the sources said.
Reinforcements were moved in to Mahamangamam area and a search operation was in progress police said.
President answers questions posed by Tamils
I am almost a prisoner under certain circumstances - PresidentPresident Chandrika Kumaratunge answered questions sent by the Tamil speaking community relating to problems faced by them, over Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation at 6.45 p.m. on Saturday.
The question and answer session was as follows:
Q: I wish to pose the first question. What made you decide to reply the questions from the Tamil speaking people?
A: Well, you see in the last few years I have been doing this on several TV and Radio programmes where I have fielded questions from the people and answered them on similar programmes like this. The main reason why I thought of doing such a programme is because previously I used to go straight to the villages, people and discuss with them. We used to have long dialogues and work with them. But since LTTE has decided that they will kill me I have had to have very serious security and I am almost a prisoner under certain circumstances. So as I cannot go to the people with the freedom as I used to do previously I thought of doing such programmes and I have done several. This one we decided, we will field questions from the Tamil people especially about their problems.
Q: If there is a problem in this country it is only the ethnic problem. Previous leaders were saying that there was no such problem. Even those, who realised it, could not find a solutions . For example, we can quote former President J. R. Jayewardene. He had the majority and the power. Even in one night he could have solved it. But, it did not happen.
After you came to power, you accepted that there was a problem. You also took several steps in this regard. We were happy too. But there has been no solution yet ,though 4 years have passed. How long we have to wait?
A: Well, you see, to answer that question I will have to go back a little into the past and into the history of the matter. When we came into govt.. 4 years ago, quite rightly as Mr.Thivyanathan and others said promising to solve this problem, we have to look at the situation we inherited from the previous government. At that time there was a government, previous one, which had all sorts of confused views about the problems of the Tamil people. Mr.J.R.Jayewardene stated that the Tamil people did not have any serious problems, he believed that he could use violence against the Tamil people and solve the problem in the same way he used violence continuously against our people, Sinhala people and all other Sri Lankan people as a solution to all political problems. The Tamil people were attacked 4 times between 77 and 83, physically attacked, bodily attacked, their properties destroyed. 1983 was of course, the high water mark of this anti-Tamil violence pracitced by the UNP; horrendous crimes were committed against the Tamil people. Then we had and this of course caused a war, the young Tamil people who were beginning to be militant asking for their rights thought that they will never be able to obtain anything from any Sri Lankan Government with a Sinhala majority. So therefore, they armed themselves, trained themselves and started a war in 1984. Thereafter came Mr.Premadasa and then during Mr.J.R.Jayewardene’s time he was persuaded into the Indo-Sri Lanka pact and offering a political solution, much against his will. He agreed to that . The pact was signed. The solution was offered. But his own government violated the agreement and did not permit the agreement to function at all. Thereafter comes another UNP President to the other extreme and discusses with Prabhakaran in secret and gives him arms and money to kill Sri Lankan government soldiers, and that made the problem even worse.
Another President Wijetunga of the UNP who says Tamil people have no problems at all; it’s only a problem of terror and went on like this. The problem became worse and worse and we inherited a situation where the LTTE was in complete control of the North.
Q: There is an opinion among the Tamil people that the Government is using the political package or devolution proposals as a strategy to continue this war or to suppress their needs or demands of the Tamil people. War has closed down all paths to negotiation or the doors for negotiation with the LTTE. What have you got to say about that?
A :That is absolute rubbish and nonsense. As I told you I have it in writing that I proposed to Mr. Prabhakaran in December 1994 while we were negotiating before we even signed the ceasefire. The ceasefire was signed on the 8th of January 95. I proposed to him saying that peace package was in hand. We have already drawn up the devolution proposals and I invited him to discuss this. Shall I say, he suggested the argument that you say, some people are saying, that we are putting this in order to carry on the war. This was during the time we were talking peace . If I wanted to start the war I wouldn’t have talked about negotiating, when we were still not at war. It was Mr. Prabhakaran who started the war . It was he who continues to wage war compelling us, obviously to respond and we, of course, when we do something this Government will try to do it efficiently whether it is peace or whether it is war. Even now I have consistently called upon Mr. Prabhakaran, it has appeared in the media, the messages have gone to Mr. Prabhakaran to the LTTE through various means that we are willing to still negotiate if they are willing to accept certain conditions but they are not willing to accept those conditions. So this story is nonsense. .So if I may finish what I was saying — in this situation therefore. though we were compelled to wage war, first we tried to discuss with Mr. Prabhakaran because we wanted to avoid, at all cost ,starting this terrible war again. We were not permitted to do so by Mr.Prabhakaran, he started war, he engaged us in a military conflict. As a self-rejecting Government obviously when they started killing and shooting and killing innocent people, you cannot just keep quite but while we were waging the war which we do not want to do even now ,the military conflict began by end of the April 95 .We put the proposals to the Government - the political proposals which is a peace package which if LTTE accepted would have been law today, on the third of August 95 ,within 3 months of the war beginning, three and half months we put this proposals to the people . Very few Governments in the world that I know of, which have actually put a peace proposal on the table while engaged in military conflict with the enemy and we invited the LTTE because we tried to pursuade them to come for discussions; they refused . So we made it public and we invited publicly and today with or without the LTTE as I have said, I know that another very big victory that we have won, is that, with these peace proposals for the first time in the history of this country, for the first time in the 50 years after independence, a Government has been able to pursuade the vast majority of all the communities living in this country that a political solution is possible. And we have spent a lot of time, and a lot of energy, at the risk of our own lives, which are constantly threatened by the LTTE, going to the people in the villages and we have persuaded the Sinhalese people for the first time that we must give devolution to the Tamil people and all their rights must be given to them . The vast majority of the Sinhala people have accepted it without any doubt for the first time since independence because of the Government’s efforts. So, that is a very big victory. One cannot say that we have done nothing . We have also persuaded, I believe, the massive majority of the Tamil people that this is a solution to their problems as well as the Muslim people and Malay people and all other minorities living in this country. So, therefore, we try to solve it without a war. We were forced into a war while doing a war which is the very unusual and I would say the courageous thing of putting the peace proposals to the people we have expended a lot of energy, time, tears, and money going to all the peopic explaining this and now convinced the majority of the people that this should happen, and all we need today under this very strange and bizzare Constitution which was formulated by the UNP we need to a two third majority in Parliament to make this peace proposals, legal.
Q: Here Mr. Thivianathan’s question comes relevant. How long we have to wait?
A: Now, according to the UNP’s Constitution we need two third majority. We are short of about 16 votes in Parliament, for the two third majority. Unfortunately, we won over 80% of the electorates in the country in the General Election of 1994. But the UNP had tinkered, manipulated the Constitution in such a manner that even if you get 90% of the seats you still do not have a two third majority in Parliament. Thereafter they have put in to the Constitution that unless you have a two third majority you can’t change even a dot or comma or one word in the Constitution. So with a strange and very immoral Constitution we are stuck and we need to have 16 votes. We are sure of the votes of all the Tamil Parties and Muslim Parties and all that. But we need 16 votes from the UNP which they have consistently refused to give. This is why this has not become law. We have gone through all the constitutional processes, parliamentary processes and every thing and the political processes explaining to the people at meetings and discussions. So now we are not going to be bogged down by this, by the UNP’s sabotage of the Tamil people obtaining their rights in this country. We have actually now through long discussions found solutions to overcome this obstacle which is placed in our path by the UNP’s Constitution and the obstacle which is now operating because of the UNP’s refusal to give us 16 votes. We have found ways and means of doing it, and we hope to do this very soon.
Q: In the statute, Tamil Language is an Official Language. But it has not been given the parity status. Also, when Government vacancies are filled, Tamils have not been given the due place. May I request you to serve the Tamil people without these barriers?
A: Yes, this was one of the questions we looked at after we assumed power in ‘94. We had taken many steps to implement the Tamil Languages Act. When we looked at the reasons why this was not properly implemented - of course, the first reason is that the past Governments did not have the political will or the desire to implement it. They were just trying to shelve it even though it was there in their law. The second major practical problem was that there were very few Tamil translators and Secretaries Typists Stenos, and Translators in the Government Departments to implement the Tamil Language Act. Simply, because the — one big complaint that we get is that Tamil people are sent letters in Sinhalese, which is a very unacceptable thing. According to the law they have to be sent letters in their language and I found that there is a very simple practical reason which is that, there are many Government Departments where there is not a single Translator or Typist. So, we have now corrected this situation partly, we are in the process of correcting it completely, we called for applications. Very few people came. Because a lot of educated Tamil people ran away after black July 83, about 700,000 Tamil people left this country and the others are being forcibly conscripted by Prabhakaran to his army - so there is that problem and also there is a problem of the pay, it is not good enough I hear. So we have now decided to get them on a contract basis at a higher pay. We are taking back retired people who are conversant in Tamil on a contract basis etc, and the problem has been partially solved but not yet sufficiently. I have sent very strict instructions to all the Ministers and Secretaries that the Tamil Languages Act has to be implemented completely in the letter, I know that some people are still not bothering about it, but we keep monitoring and seeing that it happens and I would say that it is 50-60% better but there is still a lot of improvements to be done, we have to keep pushing; 4 years is not a long time you know. Then also we found that there were not enough Tamil teachers in the country. There was a huge shortage, a shortage of about 10,000 Tamil medium teachers in schools and on a directive from me we have taken about 9000 Tamil teachers. They are recruited and now they are being trained and some of them have gone into schools. So within the next one year that problem too will be solved.
Q: In the Krishanthy Murder case, the Government has given us a good judgement. Similarly, will the Government reveal the actual position by taking action on the allegation that there were dead bodies buried in Chemmani.
A: Yes we are in the process as you know of beginning an investigation in to Chemmani also. We will act in the same manner against all alleged human rights violations. We do not know whether it is true, it is only an allegation by one person, but still we will investigate it.
Q: But lot of complaints from Jaffna, that Tamil people are suspecting, there are lot of developments, areas are being banned for civil movement and in the night they see something, people moving around, they still suspect whether unofficially somebody is trying to remove the skeletons buried...
A: This has to be hurried up. In fact I met the Chairman of Human rights Commission just a few days ago, last week and we were discussing about how we should get about it.
Q: Majority of the Tamils, including Estate population have voted for you during the last General and presidential elections because of your promises. But now, injustices under your government are more than that under the UNP rule — it is the general opinion — the five specific problems are:
1. Estate youths are unnecessarily arrested:
2. Final decision in Housing, Land etc,.
3. Final solution to the problem of those who possess Indian passports.
4. Implementation of Tamil Language in estate areas.
5. Monthly salary for estate workers.
Do you have any plans to alleviate the suffering of the estate population on these problems in order to get the support of the entire people of the estate sector..?
A: I am surprised that the gentleman who wrote this letter does not known what has already happened practically; not only do we have plans we have also implemented them in the last few years. For the first time there is a new Ministry created under Mr. Thondaman, the leader of estate Tamil population, one of the leaders, the most senior one of them — Estate infrastructure Ministry, and we have given over all the development works of the Estate Sector to this Ministry and it has drawn up some excellent plans for development of the Estate Sector. They have gone ahead now beginning to implement them; first we have taken over the schools; Estate schools which were in a very bad way. That is what is highly required for the liberation of the Estate youths so that they can educate themselves properly like anybody else in this country and then get jobs like any body else and liberate themselves economically and socially. We have now given instructions and quite a few of the schools have already been taken over. We are going to take over a selected number of Estate Schools into the National Schools System just like all the other schools in the rest of the country. We have already started taking them over and developing them. We are going to do the same with the Estate Dispensaries; some of which are going to be taken over and made into national level hospitals by the Ministry of health and the provincial Councils. We are going to start some good Vocational Training Institutions in the Estate Sector. We have already given over one school to the Ministry of Estate Infrastructure which I am going to develop together with the Ministry of Vocational training and several others are going to be started. We have had very effective housing policy. We believe that every single estate family must have a separate house; that they must be liberated from the terrible line room system started by the British. We have in this year alone spent nearly Rs. 200 m. to build about 13,000 houses in the Estate Sector and this is an ongoing programme which has been undertaken partly by the Ministry of Housing and Construction and partly by the Ministry of Plantation Industry and started this as far back as 1995. This was one of the first things as we came into power I said we must do for the estate people and also another aspect of development – electricity. We are now beginning to develop the electricity in a big way to the estates and the homes and we are taking up all development aspects. And the other thing is passports. As you know a lot of passports have already been given to them. We have started a special programme to quickly give the ID cards to the estate people. Because that is the big problem they have and the remaining people will get their citizenships with the Constitutional Reforms which we are proposing together with the Devolution Proposals etc. and as far as Estates are concerned they had a very serious problem because there are not even a few dozen estate youths, girls and boys who had the qualification required by Ministry of Education to come in as Teachers. So, we decided to lower the qualifications called for when taking people from the Estate Sector. The normal qualification asked for is AL or University Degree. We have lowered it to OL and now we have taken in 1000 estate youths, sorry 1500 estate youths. Once we lowered these qualifications we were able to take in them. They are now undergoing training and some of them have already gone into the Estate Area schools to start teaching. So, these are the long term solutions to the problem. So I don’t know how this gentleman can say it is worse than during the UNP Government, after all these have happened. None of these happened during the UNP Government’s time.
Q: During the last four years you have appointed several Commissions. Why can’t you appoint a Commission to investigate into the 1983 Black July incidents?
A: Yes that is a good question. But there are so many violations of human rights, so many acts of corruption which the last Government was engaged in - hundreds of them, that if we start appointing Commissions into all these, even the most important ones, there will be at least hundred Commissions; but I do admit that 1983 July incidents were very serious incidents that need to be investigated. Up to now, the principle we have used to decide which Commissions to appoint about which problems as I said there are hundreds of problems that you can appoint Commission about are the ones where the people have agitated a lot, asking for a particular Commission about a particular matter. In 83 July, we had no requests at all actually and I have been saying from time to time that we must do this. Probably the reason that the people did not think of asking is because the conclusion is foregone. Every body knows that it was the organised mafia of the goons squads of the UNP that perpetrated those crimes and 3 or 4 main people who did it, who gave the orders, who organised it are all no more. So hope the chief people in the UNP Government itself. So this may be why the people have not bothered us to ask but I think some day we will have to do this.
Answer (Ctd):
I would like to say nothing which I thought the question will come up but it hasn’t come up I am surprised which is that the Tamil people feel they are harassed to some extent or even to a greater extent, by the security measures that are in operation in Colombo especially. I would like to say something about this. We are very conscious of this, I have spent a lot of time. I am actually very upset by some of the excesses that are practised by the Security Forces. Especially some people in the police, of course, I must say here that as long as the LTTE obstinates itself to send little children who they grabbed from their parents 11-12 year children - with cyanide capsules strung around their necks and explosives tied to their waist to destroy hundreds of innocent civilians whilst destroying themselves also. We have to ensure the security of all the people in Colombo and in this country Sinhalese, Tamil and everybody. Therefore as a responsible Government unlike the UNP Government and unlike Mr. J. R. Jayewardene once said. I am not willing to say that the people of this country have to look after themselves. After July 83 he said that. As a responsible Government we cannot say that. We will not say that. We are responsible for the security of every single citizen in this country, in every part of this country. So, therefore, we have to have strictest security measures to protect the people against the LTTE’s terror. Therefore, unfortunately, it is the Tamil youths the LTTE keeps sending to Colombo every week, we arrest some people through the search and cordon and search at checkpoints security. Can you know at the check points through the check point security, who have been sent here with all kinds of tasks to do all kinds of terrible things to one of us or to innocent civilians: So, we have to carry out security checks and all these check points and all these things which are terrible and we are looking forward to the day we can do away with all this. Naturally it is the Tamil people who get searched and harassed more than the others because the LTTE uses Tamil people. But every time, this situation has been misused unfortunately well by the extremely irresponsible opposition that we have. I know that the opposition is using police officers who are close to them, who are politically close to them, who are consciously harassing Tamil people unnecessarily, when they interrogate them and doing unnecessary things you must do security but you don’t have to over step the mark and they are over stepping the mark to bring disrepute to the Government. And it has been reported to me over and over again by Tamil people, by friends, people known to me and others where especially police officers have harassed them and when they say why you are doing this and why we are harass unnecessarily, they say why don’t you go and tell Chandrika because you voted for her; and some people who say at last elections you voted for her and you got this; and at the next election you can decide to vote otherwise. They are actually canvassing for the UNP and we know who these people are. We have taken action against some of them and they take bribes from Tamil people, they arrest the take them to police stations. This happens in a few police stations in Colombo and ask for money to release them, as much as Rs. 25,000 in some cases, in some cases Rs. 2000 from very poor Tamil boys. I have personally spent many many hours with the IGP, with the relevant police officers, with the DIG evolving, formulating various systems to try to control this kind of unnecessary things happening while ensuring that security checks are done.
Air Vice Marshal’s writ application to be supported in Court of Appeal shortly
By Chitra WeerarathneAir Vice Marshal Krishantha St. Elmo Perera has filed a writ application in the Court of Appeal challenging his suspension from service, on 23.8.97, by a letter sent by, Air Marshal O. M. Ranasinghe, former Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
The said letter sent by the former Air Marshal had said that, the petitioner was suspended from service, on 23.8.97, for the allegation of "conspiring to promote MI 24 helicopter gun ships, for the Sri Lanka Air Force, without authority".
The petition said that, the first respondent, R. K. Chandrananda de Silva, the Secretary Defence had directed the Air Marshal only to suspend the petitioner from the duties of "Director of Logistics", but the former Air Marshal had gone beyond the directions, and suspended the petitioner from service altogether.
Up to date, no charge sheet has been served on the petitioner, and or an inquiry held in respect of the aforesaid charge.
The petition added that the three persons, who had been named in the conspiracy case, has been discharged by the Fort Magistrate on 7.10.98 in view of the lack of evidence, as evidenced by the proceedings, in Case No. 44377.
Therefore, the petitioner is entitled to be restored to the services with immediate effect as the so called ‘conspiracy suspicion’, had been discharged by the Magistrate on 7.10.98.
The petition requested the court to quash the decision to send the petitioner on suspension from service and duties, and further to direct the Secretary Defence and the Air Marshal J. Weerakkody (the present person in office) to restore the petitioner to his substantative service.
The respondents cited in the petition are, R. K. Chandrananda de Silva (Secretary Defence), Air Marshal O. M. Ranasinghe (former Commander S.L.A.F.) and, Air Marshal J. Weerakkody (Commander S.L.A.F.).
The writ application is to be supported in the Court of Appeal shortly.
NSB’s novel savings scheme enables children to operate accounts
By Himangi JayasundereFor the first time in the history of banking in Sri Lanka children will be given the opportunity to operate their own savings accounts. This follows the launching of a new savings scheme by National Savings Bank. To commemorate World Thrift Day NSB will be lauching two new saving schemes "Hapan" and "Punchi Hapan".
At a press conference recently NSB Chairman, L. D. C. Herath said that they wanted to make a practical contribution to inculcate the savings habit among the people. We have to cater to the requirements of the people which differ from time to time due to socio-economic reasons, he added.
"Punchi Hapan" accounts are for children from birth to seven years. They can be opened and operated on behalf of children by their parents or guardians.
"Hapan" accounts are for children between the ages of 7 and 16, can be opened and operated by children who have completed seven years of age. The maximum age limit for Hapan is 16 years.
Both accounts can be opened with an initial sum of Rs.5/- and offer an interest rate of 1.5% more than the ordinary rate for a savings account at NSB which is 12% currently.
The novel feature about the ‘Hapan’ account is that children will be able to conduct transactions with the banks on their own. This feature distinguishes the ‘Hapan’ account from all other savings accounts in the financial market. According to Mr. Herath, the provision of Section 43 (2) of the NSB Act, a minor who has completed 7 years of age can open and operate a Hapan account. He/she can also withdraw money from his account with 7 days prior notice.
In answer to a question posed by a journalist about this creating a situation where children will be able to misuse the money in their accounts, N.B.S.B.Balalle, general manager said that they were well aware of that fact. He, said that if there is any suspicion after large amounts of money is withdrawn the parents of the child would be contacted and the matter checked.
While children constitute 38% of the population Mr.Balalle said that they had 1.5m minor’s accounts at present.
The NSB has also offered several incentives to motivate children to open accounts with the bank. On opening a ‘Punchi Hapan’ or ‘Hapan’ account a savings till will be given to each child. Those who open accounts with an initial of Rs.100/- will be gifted with a book written and illustrated by Sybil Wettasighe, available in all three languages. The gift coupon issued with the accounts will also enable them to receive Ridee Rekha (Premium savings certificates which will be offered to the winners of the first three prizes.The draw will be held every three months.
This savings scheme will be launched in all the branches of the bank including those in the North and the East. The banks also hope to remain open on Saturdays during the month of November to enable child customers to open and operate their accounts. This practice may continue depending on the response the chairman, Mr. Herath said.
