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Death threats for policemen arresting
army deserters Scores of police officers who were instrumental in rounding up army deserters and handing them over to the military have received death threats, police said. It has been brought to the notice of police headquarters that police personnel from various parts of the country, particularly the Central and North Central provinces, have been at the receiving end of anonymous letters and telephone calls ‘threatening them with death for arresting army deserters’, police officials said. In a crackdown, the government ordered police stations countrywide to track down military deserters and hand them over to the security authorities. These directives were given to the police after the expiry of the string of amnesties offered to army deserters on the run. Incidents of assaults on policemen sent to arrest deserters during that time were also reported from various parts of the country, police said. Police said death threats aimed at them had been brought to the notice of high-ranking officials and investigations are underway. Repeated attempts by ‘The Island’ to contact IGP Lucky Kodituwakku or senior DIG H. M. G. B. Kotakadeniya for their comments in this regard, were unsuccessful. Three women LTTE spies arrested A female teacher and two other women were arrested by a special police squad in Trincomalee on suspicion of spying for the LTTE. They had passed on information to the Tigers over the phone, police said. The trio was arrested after their telephone numbers were found in a diary found on the possession of a dead member of the LTTE, police said. On questioning these three women suspects it had been revealed that they had been communicating information regarding the movements of armed forces to the LTTE for a long time. In one instance one of them had given information regarding the movements of a senior police official along with the number of the vehicle used by him. They are also suspected to have supplied information to the LTTE regarding two police informants of the area. The three women are expected to be brought down to Colombo for further interrogation, police said. Maps showing Kandy guard points and
strategic places found in house Police raided a house at Devi Road, and took into custody a youth who had in his possession some maps and plans with important places of Kandy town and army headquarters and guard points marked. The young man had arrived in Kandy recently from Mankulam area. Interrogations have revealed that the suspect youth had frequented several parts of the north including Kilinochchi and Vavuniya, police said. Police suspect that he has been spying for the LTTE from his Kandy ‘base’. The suspect is under detention orders pending investigations on the directions of DIG, Sirisena Herath and Senior SP Nimal Mediwaka. PLOTE
activist killed by LTTE A PLOTE activist was killed and another wounded in an attack by the LTTE pistol group last Friday at Rasendrakulam, Vavuniya. The two PLOTE members were riding a motorcycle when the LTTE pistol gang opened fire on them, police said. The dead member has been identified as Nadarajah Chandramohan while the wounded as one Vasu. Meanwhile a reserve police constable attached to a checkpoint at 4th mile post, on the Vavuniya Horowpotana road was killed in an accident. The victim RPC identified as Upul Priyantha (26197) had been riding a bicycle when he was knocked down by an army lorry at Velikulam, police said. Vavuniya police are conducting investigations. Petitions challenging PC polls bill
before SC today Five petitions challenging the constitutionality of the bill titled, "Provincial Councils Elections (Special Provisions)" will be supported before the Supreme Court today (16). Among the petitioner are the JVP and four citizens. The petitions have alleged that Section 3 of the bill is inconsistent with the Constitution, including the 13th Amendment, to the Constitution, and in particular, in respect of Articles 12 (1), 12 (2), 154 A (2) and 154 Q (a) of the Constitution. The said section alters the rules pertaining to elections, and gives an advantage, to the political parties, presently ruling the country, and their respective candidates, who would or may have had prior knowledge of this intended provision and who could have accordingly, planned their strategies and active pertaining to the said election. The said section places each candidate in jeopardy of being removed from the list of candidates, without their consent. The said section contravenes the equality provisions and is discriminatory. Hence a breach of Articles 12 (1) and 12 (2). The said Section (3) of the bill is violative of Articles 154 A (2) and Article 154 Q (a), in that the Constitutional grant of power of Parliament, to make law for Provincial Councils elections, does not include the power to interfere with and distort, Provincial Council elections which are already in progress. Initially, the Provincial Council polls were gazetted for 28 August 98. By a regulation purportedly made under the Public Security Ordinance, the said date of the said polls were purportedly cancelled. The said polls have not been conducted upto date. Several cases have been filed in the appellate courts challenging the said cancellation. These cases are pending the determination by the Courts. The bill in question was gazetted subsequent to filing of cases in the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court, the petitions had explained in general. Jaffna
refugees suspend fast The fasting campaign by the Jaffna refugees, who are accommodated at the 3rd Mile Post, Refugee Camp at Trincomalee for the last three days, was suspended until further notice from Saturday following an assurance given by the EPDP leader Dogulas Devananda, MP. The 507 Jaffna refugees who are stranded for the past one month, resorted to the fasting campaign last Wednesday on a rotation basis demanding that they be sent to Jaffna by ship. On Saturday, Mr. Devananda, MP for Jaffna District, sent a message to the refugees that he would make arrangements to send them to Jaffna on or before next Friday. Therefore, he requested them to suspend their fasting campaign. Thereafter it was suspended around noon on Saturday. LTTE hijack four fishing boats The LTTE had hijacked four fiberglass fishing boats in the high seas at Kudiramalia off Kalpitiya last Friday, police said. The four fishermen have told police that their boats worth Rs. 150,000 each, were seized by the Tigers at gun point. The victim fisherfolk had been given two small boats by the armed Tigers to return to the shore, according to the police complaint. A police team led by Kalpitiya OIC IP Siripala Ushetti is conducting investigations. Eight abducted in Trinco by LTTE Defence Ministry spokesman said that five children aged between 12-16 were among eight persons abducted in the east by LTTE last Thursday. According to Serunuwara police abductions had taken place at Thanganagar in Trincomalee district. Military officials said that abductions were the first reported from the Trincomalee district in the recent past. At least 200 Tamil children were abducted in the past two and half months by the LTTE in the Batticaloa district. Tiger
shot dead at Vakarai Batticaloa — Troops in ambush at Vakarai on Saturday shot dead one terrorist. The body was later found and handed over to district hospital Valachchenai. One out of every seven suffer from hunger About three million people have benefited from World Food Programme (WFP) projects in various parts of Sri Lanka over the last three decades, Dr. Suresh R. Sharma, WFP representative in Sri Lanka said. Dr.Sharma speaking at a ceremony last Tuesday to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the WFP in Sri Lanka, said that the total grant aid provided to the country during this period was US$150 million. He added that although the WFP implements several programmes with a high success rate, they are still far from totally eliminating hunger and malnutrition. Sri Lanka needs to increase its domestic food production by improving yields and efficiency of farming systems in ways that do not harm the environment and deplete its natural resources, he noted. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who was chief guest on the occasion said that the WFP was not a programme that existed merely on paper but was one that was "carried out by dedicated men and women out into the field". He expressed appreciation of the work done by the programme in Sri Lanka and acknowledged that the money spent by the programme here and in other countries was money well spent. WFP has provided food assistance to Sri Lanka since 1968 through the implementation of 26 development projects and 17 emergency operations. WFP is the frontline United Nations agency mandated to eradicate global hunger. In 1997, it provided food aid to around 53 million people. A publication "Thirty years of co-operation in Sri Lanka" to mark the WFP’s 30th anniversary was also presented to Minister Kadirgamar at the ceremony. Dr. Sharma in a message published in the booklet said that the most recent health survey in Sri Lanka had shown that about 38% of Sri Lankan children between 3 months and 5 years are underweight. The same survey revealed that 24% of children had stunted growth, one out of five children had low birth weight and 39% of expectant mothers suffered from anaemia. The World Food Programme has supported projects in agriculture, land development, housing, forestry, irrigation, nutrition and conservation of historical monuments in Sri Lanka . Hunger afflicts one out of every seven people on earth, according to the WFP. More than 800 million people are malnourished. Starvation threatens at least another 50 million victims of man-made and natural disasters. Sri Lanka Telecom introduces ISDN
technology At a project cost of nearly Rs. 200 million, Sri Lanka Telecom(SLT) has introduced Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) technology to Sri Lanka. ISDN facilities, whereby simultanious transmission and reception of voice, image and data at a high bit- rate enabling faster communication, has been introduced through an awareness campaign to initially facilitate the needs of corporate customers. This launch has brought Sri Lanka on par with the international community with regard to communication technology. Thilan Wijesinghe, Chairman, Board Of Investment, speaking at the Awareness Campaign launch at SLT Teleshop- World Trade Centre last Friday said that even though SLT had faced the problem of irregularities with regard to the demand and supply of telephone lines in the recent past, 1998 had seen a growth rate of nearly 40% in the granting of connections to customers while the granting of cellular lines had risen to nearly 66% since last year. He stressed the importance of consumer awareness concerning the launching of such a facility which offers prospective customers, especially in the corporate sector, increased efficiency in communication, reduced business costs, rapidity in data transaction, tele conferencing and investor confidence. Chief Executive Officer, SLT, Hideaki Kamitsuma, said that SLT hopes to focus on the development of services through the ISDN facility while catering with greater efficiency to the increased percentage of SLT customers since privatization. Nearly 1000 customers have already registered for the ISDN facility while the areas that SLT has covered in granting connections in the first phase during this year include the World Trade Centre, Colombo Central, Mattakkuliya, Mount Lavinia, Slave Island, Katunayake, Kollupitiya, Maradana and Biyagama. Corporate customers of these areas can obtain free ISDN connections to their existing telephone lines. The second phase to be launched next year will include the areas of Havelock Town, Ratmalana, Piliyandala, Moratuwa, Nugegoda and Kotte. ISDN, an alternative public switched telephone network of better quality, also enables fast file transfer between computers, faster internet access, video conferencing, access of information on a network using the same application through remote network access and reception of clearer pictures through remote video surveillance. The process of facsimile is given rapidity of seven times with the ISDN facility. This advanced facsimile system also includes features such as colour pictures, on line editing and document processing on the facsimile line itself. Telephoning, photocopying and laser printing is available in this advanced system as well. After an initial cost of Rs.25,000 per month, the cost for subscribers will be gradually relaxed. While SLT will provide free connections to mostly corporate sector clients in the initial stages, the technological equipment must be bought separately from SLT Teleshops. The Awareness Campaign which is launched in three demonstration points, namely SLT Teleshop- World Trade Centre, SLT Teleshop- Katunayake and BOI Office lobby- Biyagama will continue till December 4 from 10:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m daily. The commercial launch of ISDN facilities will take place soon and services will be available in other business centres as well. Appeal by Canadian Bank Note Co.,
dismissed The appeal by Canadian Bank Note Company against the Colombo District Court order dismissing its suit against Development Lottery Trust of Sri Lanka, was dismissed by the Court of Appeal last week. The Bench comprised Justice Ismail, President of the Court of Appeal and Justice Shiranee Thilakawardena. Earlier the District Court refused a suit by Canadian Bank Note Company for a declaration and an injunction restraining the Development Lottery Trust from calling for tenders for designing and printing instant scratch off lottery tickets in violation of a contract. Colombo District Court made the order sequel to objections filed by the Development Lottery Trust through its Counsel G. G. Arulpragasam on the basis that the tender was called for by cabinet appointed Tender Board and that the Trust was under no obligations to purchase any lottery tickets exclusively from the plaintiff. Aggrieved by the order, Canadian Bank Note Company appealed to the Court of Appeal. Mahinda Ralapanawa, appeared for the plaintiff petitioner Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd. Chanaka de Silva instructed by G. G. Arulpragasam appeared for the Development Lottery Trust. State Counsel Y. J. W. Wijetilake appeared for the Deputy Secretary, Treasury. Meeting held to find ways to improve
dairy industry A high level meeting attended by the Minister of Livestock Development and Estate Infrastructure S. Thondaman, along with the Managing Director of Lanka Dairies Ltd., D. H. S. Jayawardene and Board of Directors was held last week at the Welisara Factory premises. The meeting was held to discuss plan for the enhancement of the dairy industry and methods of improving the quality of milk. Speaking at the meeting, Managing Director, Lanka Dairies Limited, D. H. S. Jayawardene said, the company was the first BOI company to start operations to improve the Dairy Industry in Sri Lanka. About three years ago Lanka Dairies Limited launched its UHT long life milk under the brand name "Daily", which two flavours, chocolate and vanilla. Today it has added two more flavours, banana and strawberry. There are many more flavours to follow, he noted. The product "Daily" is the number one choice in Maldives and the company is proud to announce this, the MD said. The liquid milk has competition with carbide liquids which has a high demand and a greater market share. The company is progressing well, he observed. Lanka Dairies Limited collects over 5,000 litres of fresh milk daily. It has plans to improve this in the future. The company pays the farmers at the farm gate an average of Rs. 13.30 per litre of milk, without deducting transport cost. The company claims that this is the highest price paid for milk in Sri Lanka. Being the pioneer dairy development company in the country it has invested a lot of money in developing the dairy industry. The primary objective of the company is to improve the quality of milk that is being collected. To achieve high standards, Lanka Dairies Limited, provides services such as cattle feed, medicines, veterinary services and artificial insemination. The company also conducts training programmes to educate milk farmers of better methods of improving the quality of milk. The company maintains a number of collecting centres including Galgamuwa, Kotawehera, Haldamulla, Anamaduwa and Dambadeniya. The total investment in this industry by the company is Rs. 300 million and about 400,000 families are involved in this process, making their living from it. An automated yoghurt plant costing Rs. 10 million is to be imported to boost the number of value added products, a senior official said. The company has a staff of 150 employees. Licence of epileptic lorry driver
suspended Court of Appeal last week ordered that an accused driver who was suffering from epilepsy should not be allowed to be a source of danger to the community and to himself by driving motor vehicles. Court suspended his driving licence until he appears before three medical boards in a time frame of three years. Court also set aside the finding and conviction and sentence imposed on the accused driver, an epileptic, on the ground that he had committed without consciousness and without volition the act of criminal negligence. The Bench comprised Justice F. N. D. Jayasuriya and Justice P. H. K. Kulatilaka. The accused appellant S. Sirisena was charged with driving a lorry recklessly or negligently and with having caused the death of Suppiah Alageswaran and with having caused injuries to K. K. Ariyadasa and Mariapillai Rengasamy. After trial the learned Trial Judge had held against him. Dr. Ranjith Fernando with Nihal Gurusinghe, Anoja Jayaratna and Subashini Godagama appeared for the accused appellant. Senior State Counsel Vijitha Malalgoda appeared for the Attorney General. Justice Jayasuriya with Justice Kulatilaka agreeing stated as follows in the Order: At the trial the accused had produced a medical certificate and report that he was subjected to EEG examination which was held on the very day that the motor collision occurred and it revealed that the accused was prone to epilepsy and that he was suffering from it. The accused in his dock statement stated that from his early childhood he had been subject to epilepsy and his mother had taken care of him. On the day in question, he had proceeded from Kurunegala driving this lorry towards Colombo and when he reached Colombo, he felt faintish. Thereafter, he had washed his face and continued to drive the lorry which had to be brought to a halt at a signal light post at Armour Street. The evidence elicited by the prosecution disclosed that this particular lorry was halted at a signal light post in a stationary position. Thereafter, the vehicle had been driven very fast and in the process it went over to the opposite side of the road, knocked a pedestrian who was walking on the edge of the pavement on the opposite side and had knocked down a transformer belonging to the Ceylon Electricity BoardThereafter, it had proceeded again and caused damage to a house which was situated on the edge of the roadside. These facts disclosed that the lorry in question was driven at a very fast speed right across the road. Thereafter on noticing the green light, he commenced to drive the lorry and as he was driving the lorry, he felt faintish and his eye-sight failed him. He was unconscious and he did not know what had transpired thereafter. He regained consciousness at the Armour Street police station. He was thereafter admitted to the hospital where he was treated for three days. "The accused had raised the plea of epilepsy, that the accused was suffering from the disease at the time of the incident and the defence of automation. We stress and emphasise that in a plea of automation, the accused must lay a sufficient foundation for his plea by leading evidence that the mind of the accused was not controlling his limbs at all at the time of the commission of the offence. He must establish that his acts were convulsive and not purposive in any manner. "We record and firmly lay down our finding that the accused has committed without consciousness and without volition the act of criminal negligence as defined in section 298 and section 328 of the Penal Code." Adolescent health gaining serious
proportions in SL Adolescent health concerns gain serious proportions in Sri Lanka, particulary with the threat of AIDS and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, said Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Nimal Siripala de Silva, last week. Speaking at the launching of the European Commission - UNFPA project on Reproductive Health Information, Councelling and Services for Adolescents and Youth, the minster said the NGOs under the leadership of Family Planning Association are heading the project.The Minister thanked the NGOs for coming forward to implement this project. In addition to certain draw backs in the health sector, over 7% of pregnancies in this country are to teenagers. Anecdotal evidence indicate that abortion level in the country is increasing. Although the number of abortions done by adolescents are not known, it is possible that abortions occur among adolescents and unmarried youth, the Minister noted. Child prostitution is also assuming serious dimensions. All this shows that the need to address adolescent, reproductive health as a matter of priority. It is pleased to note that sufficient focus is given to this project , to vulnerable adolescents and youth. As it is aware, within the Ministry of Health, a National Adolescent Health Steering Committee which provides guidance and direction in the field of adolescent health, has been created. This committee will be informed of the progress made of this project and seek their assistance as and when necessary, the Minister observed. Head of European Commission Delegation to Sri Lanka, Iikka Uusitalo said, despite the favourable demographic indicators in Sri Lanka, there are major health issues that need to be addressed. An important issue is the need to provide reproductive health information and services including counselling to young people. Attention need to be specially focus on vulnerable groups. These groups include young women workers of the Free Trade Zone and of other industrial areas in the country, adolescents and youth living in the conflict areas of the North and Eastern province and displaced persons. This programme is to address the issues of sexual and re-productive health. The scope of it is to elaborate actions implemented by non- profit organisations and other organisations. This should be in compliance with the national strategies as well as the European Commission sectoral and in country approaches. In this way, this programme will be able to take in to account the inter-related issues of population and development, develop a multisectoral approach of reproductive health and complement other European Commission initiatives in this field, Iikka Uusitalo said. The Minister of Social Services, Berty Premalal Dissanayake said, it is the responsibility of the Ministry to direct and guide the NGOs in these worthy causes. The Minister assured all possible assistance by his ministry. It is not only national level NGOs, but also the grass roots level NGOs are mobilised through this project to cater to the needs of young people, he said. Community participation has been a very important aspect of development in the country from historical times. It gives a great pleasure to see that this project too is following the age old tradition of mobilising the community for development activities, the Minister noted. The awards for the winners of a world art competition which reached the final round, was presented by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. Need of the day: quality professionals
and quality service What we need today are quality professionals and quality service Minister of Internal and International Food and Commerce Kingsley T. Wickremaratne noted. Stressing the importance of quality professionals, he said that when a country starts maketing cheap labour there will be no development.He was speaking as chief guest at the 7th convocation and 10th anniversary of the Association of Accounting Technicians of Sri Lanka at the BMICH recently. What we need are quality professionals and quality service within the shortest possible time. To witness a rise in the per capita income of the country it is important to market quality labour. Computer literacy is also an important area in the 21st century when literacy would be redefined and computer literacy would be taken into account.Our literacy rate which stands at 87% at present will drop to 40 % if we are not computer literate at the turn of the century, he said. Although efforts were made to streamline informal economy with development by fomer finance ministers this failed because no secret can be kept in the world today, with the advancement of technology. The Internet has penetrated in to our bedrooms bringing the world and its evils closer to us, the Minister said. He added that the Ministry joined microsoft in setting up an Information Technology Institute in Matale.The Mahapola Trust Fund also offers post graduate and diploma studies in computer. He said that very soon he hoped to introduce a bill in Parliament to incorporate the AAT. This will enhance its standing in the sphere of accounting education, he said. Emphsising on the importance of English literacy in going forward, English is important because it is no more merely a language but a means of communication he said giving examples of the Japanese and Germans who have adopted it as a bussiness language. Mayor of Colombo Karu Jayasuriya who was guest of honour said that although Sri Lankans as a nation were highly literate they lacked skill.If we are to receive NIC status we must develop skills. He congratulated the AAT on their efforts to streamline the local government sector for development by conducting courses for them. He added that a career guidance centre has been set up at the public library under the purview of the Colombo Municipal Council. Forty to fifty people visit it every day he said. Lakshman R.Watawala, president AATSL said that the AATSL had been set up ten years ago through an initiative taken by the Institute of Chartered Acountants of Sri Lanka(ICASL).This was following a report submitted by the inception mission of the Asian Development Bank which highlighted a lack of accounting technicians in the country in their report in 1986. He said that AATSL has produced 2037 fully qualfied accountants and 1800 finalists in the last ten years. One of the main achievements during this period have been obtaining associate membership of the International Federation of the Institute of Accountants (IFAC) and Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants which has given it international recognition. He said that the AATSL received a funding of Rs.9.4 million under the MOF-ADB project for deveopment of the new syllabus which will be implemented in June next year, study packs, purchase of computers and other equipment. The AATSL examinations conducted with the assistance of the Examination Department will be taken over by AATSL with effect from June 1999 he further said.The bill for incorporation of AATSL by an act of Parliament has been submitted and is awaiting approval.He added that this could provide exemptions where tax was concerned and that this money could be utilised for the education of students, and scholarships for the local government sector.He explained that the AATSL provided two years practical training which was an essential ingrediant in a professional course. The AATSL qualification provides a fast track for students to register with ICASL after the GCE A/L examination.AATSL qualifications are recognised by CIMA, ACCA and other professional bodies, local and foreign universities he added.AATSL has also been the first accounting body to go to the Maldives to conduct courses. Lal Nanayakkara President ICASL said that, ICA was the first incorporated body of accountancy by an act of parliament.The ICASL has always taken a keen interest and guided AATSL in all its activities.Eight members of the governing council of AATSL are nominated by ICASL he said. The council of ICASL has approved the granting of very liberal exemptions from its examination subjects to past finalists of AATSL he said. DDG calls for better co-operation Douglas J. Merrey, Deputy Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) called for better cooperation and collaboration among research institutions in the area of water resources. Speaking at the opening of the national conference on " The status and future direction of water research in Sri Lanka" held at the BMICH recently, he said if there were better cooperation and collaboration among research institutions and researchers supported by policy makers and other consumers who can make practical use of research results, Sri Lanka can become a pioneer in this area and its researches can contribute not only to solving problems in Sri Lanka , but other countries as well. Merrey said that Sri Lanka may seem to be a country with abundant water resources but it has already begun to be affected with drought, competition for scarce water and decline in water quality. He pointed out that recent research done by the International Irrigation Management Institute ( IIMI) in Sri Lanka at a number of districts in the dry zone were facing water scarcity. This would only go worse with population increase and economic development, he said. |
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