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Deputy minister wants Anamaduwa violence
to end Amidst continuing polls related violence in the North Western Province [NWP], a Deputy Minister representing the Puttalam district has called on the ruling party to bring an immediate end to violent activities of a gang led by a PA MP. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Deputy Minister W. Milroy S. Fernando yesterday told 'The Island ' that he has requested Samurdhi and Youth Affairs Minister S. B. Dissanayake in-charge of the campaign in the Anamaduwa electorate to take immediate steps to control this particular MP and his followers. "I have made representations to PA General Secretary D. M. Jayaratne and Leader of the House Ratnasiri Wickremenayake in this regard," he said. The PA General Secretary D. M. Jayaratne is in-charge of the campaign in the Puttalam district, the scene of dozens of polls related incidents in the past three weeks. He said that some of the violence and threats had been directed against PA candidates over the battle for preferential votes. Deputy Minister Fernando said that he had requested party seniors to brief President Chandrika Kumaratunga about the adverse impact created as a result of polls related violence. Fernando pointed out that the ruling party was in a position to win NWP polls without resorting to violence. "There was no need to engage in any type of incidents to win this poll," he insisted adding that ruling party initiated incidents will only help the UNP. However, there had been no killings or any other serious incidents. "No one had been shot dead, knifed or abducted so far," he said pointing out that the level of violence the SLFP and other parties had to face in the NWP during previous polls was much higher. Deputy Minister Fernando was among several other PA politicians who said that violence directed against the DUNF in 1991 by UNP politicians of the area was worse than current level of politically motivated incidents. Athulathmudali’s meeting at Pannala was attacked resulting in the death of one person and serious injuries to several others. He admitted that it was no excuse for them to engage in polls violence. "We came into power promising a permanent end to political violence," he said. Asked whether PA leaders in the NWP had tried to persuade this particular MP to end his terror campaign, Fernando said that he [MP] was not a man to listen to reason. He always denies any involvement in incidents, Fernando said. Deputy Minister Fernando said that PA’s opponents have been given the chance to go on the offensive as a result of incidents. He pointed out that any minor incident can be presented in a way to indicate that the state was sponsoring widespread violence with a view to winning the January 25 poll. The President has placed minister D. M. Jayaratne in-charge of the Puttalam district comprised Puttalam, Anamaduwa, Chilaw, Nattandiya and Wennappuwa electorates. Kurunegala district has been divided into two sectors. Ministers Dharmasiri Senanayake and Jeyaraj Fernandopulle have been placed in-charge of the two sectors. Deputy Minister Fernando said that a minister and a deputy have been placed in-charge of each electorate in the NWP. Kurunegala district comprised Nikaweratiya, Yapahuwa, Hiriyala, Wariyapola, Panduwasnuwara, Bingiriya, Katugampola, Kuliyapitiya, Dambadeniya, Polgahawela, Mawathagama and Dodangaslanda. Fernando said that the UNP too were responsible for dozens of polls related incidents. Some of them are talking like kids, the Deputy Minister said pointing out that despite being in the opposition they had managed to bring in enough muscle to create trouble in the province. Former cabinet minister Joseph Michael Perera in-charge of the campaign in Anamaduwa, the scene of the highest number of incidents so far, said that the police had failed to take action against those engaged in incidents. "Several vehicles operate without number plates," he told 'The Island' yesterday adding that armed persons travelling in these vehicles pose a serious threat to UNP supporters. Asked whether he had sought Minister S. B. Dissanayake’s support to bring the situation under control, he replied in the negative. "I hope to speak to SB in this regard," he said revealing that the party has made representations to police headquarters. The IG police was on record as saying that police will not permit anyone to engage in violence. However, there was no evidence so far to suggest that police in the NWP had moved against those engaged in incidents. Since the nominations day there had been over 100 complaints. Political sources said that some of the violence had been initiated by UNP MPs and their supporters who had moved into NWP in support of the candidates. "They create a lot of trouble," sources said. JVP Central Committee and politburo member Wimal Weerawansa said that the NWP poll will be lot peaceful if not for the incidents created by the PA MP operating in the Puttalam district. That does not mean there were no other PA politicians and supporters engaged in violence. He accused both the PA and UNP of resorting to violence. Meanwhile, the UNP has appointed two co-ordinators for Puttalam and Kurunegala districts. Working committee member Rohitha Bogollagama has been appointed coordinator for Kurunegala and A. M. Thalagune, a former Sirikotha official for Puttalam. Arthur C. Clarke on the Third Millennium Vidya Jyothi Sir Arthur C. Clarke says that because the western calendar starts with Year 1, and not Year 0, the 21st Century and the Third Millennium do not begin until 1 January 2001. Though some people have great difficulty in grasping this, there's very simple analogy which should appeal to everyone. If the scale on your grocer's weighing machine began at 1 instead of 0, would you be happy when he claimed he had sold you 10 kilograms of tea? And it's exactly the same with time. We will have had only 99 years of this century by 1 January 2000; we'll have to wait until 31 December for the full hundred, he said in a news release. However, the psychological effect of those three zeroes is much too powerful to be ignored (quite apart from the effect on our computers of the notorious Y2K bug which I describe together with its sure ten years ago in my novel THE GHOST FROM THE GRAND BANKS). So everyone will start celebrating at midnight 31 December 1999; indeed, as Astronomer Royal Dr. Martin Rees once suggested to me, it's a good excuse to make the whole year 2000 one long party! Anyway, we should not be slaves to our particular calendar, which is only one of many — and isn't even correct for Christians; the historical evidence makes it certain that the birth-date of Jesus must have been around 6 B.C (sic). So we're ‘already’ in the Year 2005, and none of the calamities predicted by various lunatic cults have occurred! Meanwhile, I have a modest solution to the problem of nomenclature, which should satisfy all but extreme pedants. Let's call 2000 the Centennial Year — and 2001 the Millennial one, he added. The Joint Operation Bureau commenced functioning yesterday at a simple ceremony under the chairmanship of General Rohan De S. Daluwatte. Three Service Commanders and the Inspector General of Police were present at this ceremony. Joint Operation Bureau which was established with effect from January 4, 1999 commenced official function from yesterday. It will be staffed by the members of the three services and the Police Operational Headquarters reported in a news communique. Bodyguards of Sarath Kongahage remanded Two police bodyguards of UNP Parliamentarian Sarath Kongahage were remanded until today by the Nikaweratiya Magistrate in connection with last Sunday’s confrontation between PA and the UNP supporters at Kobeigane. Both parties had complained against the other to the Kobeigane Police. The tyres of Mr. Kongahage’s vehicle were ripped by a group of persons while it was parked outside the Police station. Meanwhile Police said that a UNP political leader of the Nainamadama electorate in Wenappuwa Anton Tissera had been threatened with death by a Puttalam District PA candidate for the forthcoming election and the Chaiman of a Pradeshiya Sabha. Tissera had heard a noise outside his house around 1.30 a.m. and had found a fifteen member gang armed with weapons. Three gun shots had been aimed at his house, following which he had seen a fire opposite his house. On investigation he had found four burning tyres. An electric bulb outside his house which had been on, too had been smashed by the gang. Wennappuwa Police are conducting investigations. 100th birth anniversary of SWRD The 100th birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike will be commemorated tomorrow (8) by the Pasdunrata Kala Sangamaya at the Wickramashila Piriven Viharaya in Polgampola in association with the Dayake Sabha of the Viharaya. The week-long programme arranged for the commemoration ceremony will commence at 9 a.m., with laying of the foundation stones for the Sanchi style pandal to be erected at the entrance to the Viharaya, by Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Plantation Industries, Anil Moonesinghe, Deputy Speaker, Kumar Welgama, Member of Parliament for Kalutara District, Dr. Ananda Samarasekera, Mrs. A. P. Jayasooriya and several other invitees. This will be followed by the ordination of 25 young novices, the seven-day chanting of pirith and the daily offering of alms to the Sangha. The Pasdunrata Kala Sangamaya which has been commemorating the birth anniversary of late Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike every year had decided in association with the Dayaka Sabha to commemorate his Hundredth Birth Anniversary at the Wickramashila Piriven Viharaya as both the late Prime Minister and the present Prime Minister Mrs. Sirimavo R. D. Bandaranaike have visited the viharaya to extend their patronage to its activities in the past, President of the Pasdunrata Kala Sangamaya, Kalasoori Dayaratne Samarasekera, J.P. said. Non-luxury vehicle prices go up Importers of non-luxury vehicles from Japan said that prices of vehicles have risen following the appreciation of the Japanese Yen during the past few months. A spokesman from Toyota Lanka Ltd., said that the exchange value of the Japanese Yen had risen from Rs. 0.52 to approximately Rs. 0.60 over the past three months. He added that this rise in the exchange rate has resulted in the price of the Toyota four-wheel drive double cab increasing by about Rs. 200,000, among others that recorded higher prices. Japanese vehicles sold at United Motors have not suffered a significant price change with the Yen appreciation said Sales Manager, Chandima Jayatilleke. He told ‘The Island’ that the company bases its prices according to the consignments coming in. He said that the price change has been "marginal" and most of it would be absorbed by the company. He added that a percentage of the price increase will be passed onto the customer only if it is at a prohibitively high level that could not be fully absorbed by the company. Another Japanese automobile dealer, Sathosa Motors said that the prices of their Isuzu brand lorries and double cabs have increased by about 5 per cent. Prices of these vehicles have increased by approximately Rs. 50,000 a spokesman said. The 1999 budget presented to Parliament by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Professor G. L Peiris last November proposed concessions on duties of vehicles imported into the country. The proposal applied mainly to vehicles with cylinder capacity of 1,500cc in petrol vehicles and 2,000cc in diesel vehicles. It allowed concessionary rates of 25 and 40 per cent for petrol and diesel vehicles respectively. As a result of the implementation of the budget proposal, many motor vehicle dealers recorded a decline in the prices of vehicles with the prices of luxury vehicles decreasing significantly. A JVP candidate, S. S. A. Ranasinghe had been dragged by his shirt and assaulted mercilessly by supporters of the People's Alliance last Tuesday afternoon. The victim had been engaged in a propaganda campaign for his election at Unaleeya junction at Kithhalawa, Narammala. A group of PA supporters had come in several vehicles and dragged him by his shirt, torn it to shreds and had assaulted him mercilessly, according to a complaint made to Kuliyapitiya Police. Meanwhile the PA office at Mundalama had been set on fire last Tuesday morning by unidentified certain persons, police said. A complaint in this regard has been made by Mundalama Pradesheya Sabha Counsillor, Lal Karunaratne to Mundalama Police. It has also been reported that a bookshop at Mawathagama belonging to Edmond Silva, Co-ordinating secretary to Jonston Fernando, former UNP Provincial Health Minister and candidate for the forthcoming Provincial Council elections had been set ablaze last Monday by unidentified persons. In view of the escalating political violence in the North Western Province the School Development societies in the area have appealed to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to formulate a programme to safeguard those school building's and equipment in them as schools will be used as polling stations during the forthcoming Provincial Council elections. United National Party last week held a conference of all political parties contesting NW Provincial Council elections at Buwaneka Hotel, Kurunegala to forum a joint party form to oppose political violence. But the JVP did not participate in this conference. Liberal Party Muslim Eksath Vimukthi Peramuna and independent groups took part in this meeting political sources said. Foundation stone laid for SL monastery in Lumbini The foundation stone placing ceremony for the Sri Lanka monastery in Lumbini took place on Wednesday, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The foundation stone was jointly laid by Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Minister of Buddha Sasana Lakshman Jayakody. At the invitation of Minister Lakshman Jayakody, Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal jointly laid the foundation stone. The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs of Myanmar, Ambassadors and Diplomatic Corps, Representatives of International Organisations, Delegates to the World Buddhist Summit and Maha Sangha. Minister of Buddha Sasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs Lakshman Jayakody spoke of the significance of the event for Sri Lanka and also the steps Sri Lanka had taken to protect and foster Buddhism. Prime Minister Koirala said that his government would extend every possible assistance to develop the Holy Site ‘Lumbini’. Body fished out from Mannar seas
believed to be from Lionair flight The decomposed body of a male believed to be a passenger of the Lionair flight shot down by the LTTE shortly after take off from the Palaly airbase over three months ago, was recovered from the seas off Mannar on Sunday police sources said. On the directions of the Mannar Magistrate the body was handed over to the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) on Tuesday. Sources said the body is in a highly decomposed state and identification would not be easy. However steps are being taken to publicise the recovery of the body in the hope that relatives of the deceased may be able to assist in the identification. About three weeks ago a wing of an aircraft was found off the seas of Jaffna by some fishermen. This was handed over to the Civil Aviation Department inquiry team. It is learnt that the inquiry conducted into the shooting of the Lionair aircraft with 44 passengers on board about fourteen minutes after take off from the Palaly airbase has been concluded. Shortly after the LTTE brought down the Lionair aircraft the government slapped a ban on all civilian flights to Jaffna. Both Lionair and the other domestic airline Monara Air say they are ready to resume flights to Jaffna at any time. Luxury buses converted to semi luxury ones About 40% of the luxury buses operated by peoplised companies have been converted to semi luxury buses due to the failure of air conditioners in them, SLCTB Chairman Ramal Siriwardena said. The two hundred luxury bus fleet was part of 4900 buses imported during the period of the former government in a time span of one and a half years. These buses were imported from Japan and assembled locally. The air conditioners in them are irreplaceable because spares originate from diverse European countries such as England, Spain and Italy, the chairman told 'The Island'. Of the 200 luxury bus fleet, 140 were distributed among the outstation peoplised depots. Around 40% of this have so far been converted to 'semi luxury buses' as the aircondtioning had packed up, he said. Luxury buses are a popular mode of travel among many people who have to make long distance journeys. Airconditioning though has become essential to those travelling in Colombo city limits due to traffic congestion and high temperature commuters have to endure, he said. When asked whether commuters will stand to suffer as a result, he said the vacuum created due to the exit of these airconditioned buses will be filled by private luxury buses which are plentiful, Mr. Siriwardene said. (CdeS) Appeal Court affirms conviction of
rapist but reduces sentence Court of Appeal that heard an appeal by a convict in a rape case affirmed conviction, but varied the sentence by reducing it from 15 years rigorous imprisonment to 10 years rigorous imprisonment. The Bench comprised Justice F. N. D. Jayasuriya and Justice P. H. K. Kulatilake. Court made order sequel to plea in mitigatoin by attorney at law Nimal Muthukumarana appearing for the accused appellant Kankanamalage Herath Banda. Earlier, Anuradhapura High Court had convicted the accused appellant of committing rape and sentenced him to 15 years rigorous imprisonment. The Order stated that the accused had taken up the position that he did not know anything about the incident which resulted in raping of the virtual complainant and prosecutrix and this charge had been falsely imputed to him because of a land dispute. However the prosecutrix and her father in his evidence stated that his daughter was proceeding towards the house, when the accused who was walking almost abreast of her and that the accused, on seeing the father, had on his own voluntarily offered an explanation for the blood stains appearing in the garments worn by the virtual complainant and stated that his daughter has attained age all of a sudden and as a result her clothes have been soiled with blood. This evidence has not been impugned in cross-examination. Failure to impugn this evidence given by the virtual complainant and prosecutrix and her father taken in conjunction with the version of the accused, renders it highly improbable and the learned trial Judge has rightly rejected the defence version. At this stage on instruction received from the accused-appellant who is present in the dock, learned counsel for the appellant stated that the accused-appellant does not wish to impugn the finding and his conviction but learned counsel proceeded to adduce material before this Court in mitigation of the sentence. He has brought to the notice of Court that after this incident the accused-appellant’s family has left the area and taken up residence in Dimbulagala at which place his wife and family are constantly at risk from the terrorists. After trial in this case, the family has been reduced to pecuniary difficulty and poverty. He submits that the accused-appellant deeply regrets his act and evinces repentance, though at this late stage. In these circumstances we affirm the finding, conviction imposed by the learned High Court Judge and having taken all the circumstances and the plea of mitigation into account we reduce the sentence imposed on the accused-appellant to a period of ten years rigorous imprisonment. The sentence of 15 years imposed by the trial Judge is set aside. Subject to this variation of the sentence the appeal is dismissed, the order concluded. Nimal Muthukumarana appeared for the accused-appellant. Senior state counsel Buvaneka Aluvihare appeared for the respondent. Exempt materials purchased for temple
restoration from GST, requests Mahanayake thera The Mahanayake Thera of Asgiriya Ven. Palipana Sri Chandananda has in a letter to President Chandrika Kumaratunga sought GST exemption for building materials purchased for resoration works of the Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa and other Buddhist shrines. The letter with this request was handed over to the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister and Deputy Finance Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris when he called on the prelate last Sunday. The Mahanayake Thera has requested that the building materials purchased for reconstruction or restoration purposes of Buddhist temples and new constructions of such places of worship should be exempted for the GST levy. Timber as well as iron, brass and metal for construction purposes of Buddhist places of worship are purchased from funds collected as donations from the public and other charitable organisations. Therefore such purchases should not be taxed explained the prelate in his letter to the President. UNP candidate complains of death threat UNP NWPC candidate L. M. Ayub Khan and his supporters were threatened to death at Halambawatawana — Arachchikattuwa in Chilaw yesterday around 3 p.m. while canvassing in the area, according to a complaint made by Ayub Khan to the Chilaw police. About 30 persons had come by 4 vehicles. Three shot guns, 5 galkatas and two hand grenades were in the possession of the gang. One of them had fired three times into the air, according to the complaint. UNP Parliamentarians Anura Bandaranaike, John Amaratunga and Joseph Michael Perera also accompanied L. M. Ayub Khan to make the complaint. Chilaw police are carrying out investigations. SC dismisses two fundamental rights
violation pleas The Supreme Court recently dismissed in judgement, two fundamental rights violation pleas, filed by nine businessmen of Mannar, who had cited among the respondents in their petitions, Captain S. H. P. Dhammika Thilakaratne, Lt. K. A. B. C. Kodagoda (both of Town Camp, Mannar) and SSP of Mannar Police, Gunasena Thenabadu. SSP Thenabadu, in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court had said that the petitioner had been arrested by an army party led by Capt. Thilakaratne, when the petitioners were attempting to transport a large consignment of goods from Mannar main island, to the terrorist controlled areas, in the Mannar mainland, where some of the items so transported had been banned. The Army had got suspicions since the consignment of goods transported in two lorries were for larger in quantity than was reasonably necessary for sale in Mannar island, considering the small civilian population, and the number of motor vehicles operating within the island. The goods had been transported in the evening hours of the day from Mannar town, to Erunkulampitiya, which is a scheduled and thinly inhabited area bordering a shallow lagoon. It is a well known among the residents of Mannar that the LTTE on many occasions, in the past visited the area in the nights, to take necessary items for their camps. The petitioners, when confronted failed to give a plausible explanation about the necessity to take consignment of goods estimated to be worth over 40 lakhs to a secluded part of the Mannar island. The petitioners, had been handed over to the Mannar police on 28.10.97. They had been produced before the Mannar Magistrate on 1.11.97 and remanded. The petitioners were Sivasambu Thilayandan, Francis Alphon and seven others, all of Mannar district. The Supreme Court in a judgement dated 23.11.98, declared that the respondents had reasonable grounds to arrest and detain the petitioners, in terms of Regulations 32(a) and 18 of Emergency Regulation No. 4 of 1994. In the circumstances no violation of Articles 11, 13(1) and 13(2) of the Constitution. The applications are dismissed. Mohan Peiris and Nuwanthi Dias appeared for the petitioners. Kolitha Dharmawardene, Deputy Solicitor General with State Counsel S. Rajaratnam and State Counsel P. P. Ratnayake appeared for the respondents. The judgement was by Justice Dr. A. R. B. Amerasinghe with Justice S. W. B. Wadugodapitiya and Justice L. H. G. Weerasekera agreeing. Floods cause havoc in north and east Floods have created havoc in Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Battcialoa and Vavuniya, areas as a result of torrential rains during the past few days. The worst affected is Vavuniya ,with damage to ten tanks estimated to cost Rs. 1.2 M and destruction of large extents of cultivation. According to Additional Government Agent Vavuniya Mrs. T. Thuraisingham, approximately 4000 families (nearly 16000 people ) have been made homeless. Cooked meals and dry rations are being provided to the victims. The flood situation in Batticaloa has rendered 9,324 families homeless. The Government Agent Batticaloa S. Pathmanathan, said eight divisional secretariat areas have been affected by floods, but more details were not available. The situation at Trincomalee has displaced 9000 families while 1,400 are marooned, according to the Government Agent S. D. Chandradasa. Flood water level in Allakanthurai in Siththaram was about is 5 feet. The flood situation in Polonnaruwa was also bad, but details were not available. Department of Social Services reported that Rs. 4.2 million have already been released by the Government to help flood victims. Cooked meals and dry rations are being provided till the situation comes back to normal. There were also reports of a death from Muttur when a house collapsed after being submerged by flood waters. Reports indicated that 18,000 families have been rendered homeless at Polonnaruwa so far due to floods. The affected families are being given shelter in Temples and schools in the inundated areas. ‘Telecom officials questioned over
customer-related problems Two Officials of the Telecom office, Kandy were questioned yesterday by Prof. Rohan Samarajeeva, Director General of Telecom and two members of the committee on customer-related problems concerning billing, meter reading and customer service and technical accuracy, on the second day of the public hearing convened by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka. The questions put forward by the committee headed by Prof. Samarajeeva touched on how billing was organized and who was responsible for the maintenance of the meter reading and security on the measuring system. One of the officials said the meter is tested periodically and only the telephone numbers of the officials at Telecom are tested for this purpose. As for activities relating to frauds- with regard to putting additional charges to the subscribers bills by employees , there had been only two instances, one in Matale and the other at a hotel concerning IDD calls. Asked what sort of measures have been taken by Telecom office in order to prevent these kinds of activities, one of the officials said that they have strict supervision conducted by various officials. With regard to customer service, the officials said that counters were available to enable the customers to make their payments and it usually took only ten minutes to complete their payments. The offices were open until 5 pm and during peak hours additional staff were appointed. As for safeguards provided to a subscriber when obtaining information they replied that any information would not be given if he/she was not a legal subscriber unless there was a written document by the legal subscriber. Bhikku ward for Kamburupitiya hospital AKURESSA: Kamburupitiya Hospital Development Foundation is to put up a bhikku ward in the Kamburupitiya district hospital with public assistance. It will cost about Rs. 20 lakhs. The rural development soceities in the Kamburupitiya region have already collected a sum of Rs. 1,48,000 for this purpose and the Minister of Rural Development and Information of the S.P.C., Danny Hittetiyage has handed over the money to the President of the Kamburupitiya Hospital Dev. Foundation, Ven. Omare Kasyapa thera. |
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