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Filthy magazines ruin morals while minting money
Sex, sadism and seduction

By Suresh P. Perera
Unseen by the naked eye, a tidal wave of lurid material, so obscene and repugnant, is sweeping across the country, devastating young and tender lives and uprooting what's left of the cherished cultural values and lofty traditions.

It's a roaring business for those manipulating this dirty, despicable game. It's not their problem that the children of a nation, torn apart by an orgy of violence and an alarming upsurge of crime, are falling victim by the thousands to the disgusting sexual volcano they are merrily nourishing.

In multi-colours and divergent sexually-appetising names these revolting pornographic publications have emerged. They are in tabloid form, making concealment easy and prices are within an affordable range, anything between Rs. 10 and 25 per copy. There is a glut of the filthy stuff in the market and according to knowledgeable sources, the number published under different names is over 50 per week or fortnight, as the case may be. Of course, they are in Sinhala as that's where the greater market share and the expansive readership remains to be capitalised on.

On an average each of these obnoxious publications has a circulation of 10,000 per issue. On the basis of 50 such tabloids in circulation, it's a shocking 500,000 copies doing their destructive rounds. This relates to direct purchases, but how many tens of thousands more is the overall readership involved as they go from hand to hand?

As the trail of destruction continues, the question that begs for an answer is; what is the police doing?

'Those involved will be dealt with in accordance with the law', assured a high-ranking police official. But, to be 'dealt with' they must be caught in the first place. That's where the stumbling block comes into play. The offensive publications are obviously sold on the sly. 'That's correct, they are not readily available to anyone and everyone. Either, there is a trustworthy clientele or the entire stock is disposed of through 'contacts' who have a market carved out, such as free trade zones', the police official explained.

School boys have easy access to these repulsive creations as they are above suspicion. Sellers are wary of police decoys and take no chances even though the profit margin for them is an attractive incentive, he admitted.

At a time when sex crimes are also escalating in the country, why are the law enforcement authorities impotent to tackle this growing problem which is blighting the future of a promising generation? What has the Cultural Affairs Ministry done to arrest this dangerous trend? Finding answers to these two queries and many more has turned out to be a formidable task.

'Pornographic publications is a sphere we have not concentrated on so far', says senior Superintendent of Police, D. A. de Fonseka in charge of the Anti Vice Striking Force (AVSF).

'We can come down hard on them if there is specific information', he observed.

Incidentally, the AVSF was earlier under the direct supervision of the present IGP Lucky Kodituwakku, who was at that time senior DIG. The squad was responsible for a series of direct hits, busting large-scale vice rings.

SSP Fonseka sought public assistance to crack down on the booming pornography trade. 'There are laws to deal with offenders, but what we need is specific information in this regard', he said.

In 1995, police conducted a string of raids and seized thousands of obscene tabloids printed in Sinhala, but over the past three years police inaction in this direction has allowed the threat to reach monstrous proportions. In the years gone by, each police station in the country had an anti-vice branch, but lack of personnel due to heavy manpower commitments in the North-East theatre of operations had led to their gradual abolition. At that time, even each SSP division had a separate vice squad which carried out their own raids and when this happened within a particular police area, it was a slap in the face for the respective Officer-in-Charge as it was a clear manifestation of his lethargy and apathy. Interestingly, it even suggested that palms were being oiled and hence this 'looking the other way'.

'This kept the policemen on their toes as they dreaded the raiding of a vice den by the SSP division squad', a senior police official pointed out.

Under the 1983 Obscene Publications Amendment to the Ordinance, it's an offence, for purposes of or by way of trade or for distribution or public exhibition to make or produce or have in possession for purposes stated or otherwise, obscene writings, drawings, prints, paintings, printed matter, pictures, posters, emblems, photographs, cinematograph films, video cassettes or any other obscene objects. It's also an offence to carry on or take part in a business, whether public or private, concerned with any of the said obscene matters or things, or to deal in them, in any matter whatsoever, or to distribute them or to exhibit them publicly or to make a business of them. The punishment on conviction by a magistrate, as set out in the Ordinance, is for the first offence, with a fine not exceeding two thousand rupees or imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding six months, or with both such fine and imprisonment. For a subsequent offence committed after the first conviction, the punishment is imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding six months and in addition with a fine not exceeding two thousand rupees.

The laws are in place, though the fine imposed on offenders is meagre when taking into consideration the magnitude of the flourishing porno business in full swing and the irreparable damage caused to the society. An offender can get away with a 'fine not exceeding two thousand rupees' for destroying the cream of the nation who are the leaders of tomorrow.

On the basis of an average circulation of 10,000 per week at Rs. 15 per copy, a publisher of such obscene tabloids rake in Rs. 150,000. And if it's Rs. 25 per copy, the amount involved is Rs. 250,000. So what's a fine of Rs. 2000? A pittance they have to part with only if they are caught and hauled before the law, which is not happening. A comfortable position to be in as nobody in authority seems to be bothered about the indecent invasion. They can sit back and relax till the monster at the door storms in. Then, quite tragically, it will be too late to escape.

'It's high time a study is done on pornography in Sri Lanka. It's a far wider subject than obscene reading material', stressed Professor S. T. Hettige, head of the Department of Sociology, Colombo University.

'Sexual crimes are increasing. Massage parlours and certain types of music being propagated come together to create this situation', he said.

Asked about the recent survey he conducted for the Cultural Affairs Ministry on reading habits, Professor Hettige said it didn't dwell on the question of obscene material. 'As it was a household survey, the inclusion of that aspect was not possible', he explained.

For a survey on the use of pornography, young people must be drawn and privately interviewed on the various aspects, including who is influencing them. In a questionnaire they wouldn't admit it, he said.

Can any police officer move in without hesitation to arrest such offenders? 'Of course, the law is quite clear on this. Moreover, under the Police Ordinance, every policeman is considered to be always on duty and have the powers of a police officer in every part of Sri Lanka, a senior officer said.

It's among the duties of a police officer to use his best endeavours and ability to prevent all crimes, offences and public nuisances, he pointed out.

'We have no legal powers to deal with the menace', lamented Ariyawansa Ranaweera, Secretary, Cultural and Religious Affairs Ministry.

The law enforcement authorities must move in the matter and bring the culprits to book, he said.

'We are doing our part by building morals and preserving our culture and traditions. We are also in the process of putting up cultural centres in the country', Ranaweera added.

But, isn't it like pouring water into a bucket with a hole?

'It's easy to demolish, but difficult to re-build. It is left to the police to curb the threat of obscene publications', the Secretary noted.

Professor Hettige referred to massage parlours. That's where the action is. Anything and everything except massaging is done behind those walls. Police are aware of the sordid happenings, but there is not much that can be done under the current context. 'This is because there is no law against massaging', the police official underscored.

There are some genuine massage parlours, but most of the others are brothels under a different name. The massage aspect is used as a front. They can be dealt with under the Brothels Ordinance, for which a warrant from a magistrate must be obtained before the raid. For this, police must first deploy a decoy, offer money for sexual services and establish that a brothel is being run at that particular location, he said.

Business at these so-called massage parlours are brisk so much so that one Colombo hotel runs two of them, the officer claimed.

Where are these sleazy sex tabloids printed and how are the bundles transported to major towns for distribution despite all the checking by the police and the military? The bulk, if not all of them, under various stimulating names are printed in Colombo and stealthily distributed under a massive clandestine operation. Police suspect that they are transported concealed among bundles of other newspapers and as it's not practical to check each and every newspaper in the scores of bundles, they get away to repeat it another day.

'Blue films are available at most video parlours which have mushroomed in the country', admitted SSP Rienzie Perera.

Even 75% of the English films that are available at these parlours contain fiery sex scenes. The intensity of sex in them is denoted by either X or *. For example, a treble X film is a virtual blue film. This cannot be curbed because unlike films that are screened and dramas staged, these movies are not censored, he said.

Videos flow into the country unchecked and the police can move in only on specific information that a blue film is being shown or somebody is in possession of them. It's not possible to blindly raid video parlours because they are legal entities operating under license, SSP Perera explained.

He recalled that during a visit to London he met a Sri Lankan working in a luxury condominium, who had a huge collection of obscene literature and ponographic videos. 'I was invited by a Syrian friend to dinner at his apartment when I met this boy from Wellawatte. He told me that he collected all the videos and magazines the inmates discarded and channelled them to Sri Lanka to be sold through a 'contact'. He was making a lot of money from this game. This was just one individual. How many others are doing it, maybe on grander scale, and flooding our country with such repulsive material?, he queried.

So-called mini cinemas that have sprung up in Colombo are also exhibiting blue films. Even school children are free to walk in as long as they can pocket out the entrance fee of Rs. 50 or Rs. 75, depending on the 'popularity' of the movie.

'Blue films, liquor, narcotics and prostitution are inter-linked. Mostly, the other components are readily available where a blue film is exhibited. Not only in mini cinemas, even in houses these organised 'screenings' take place. After the film, services of prostitutes are also available to those who seek them', Perera revealed.

Why are the police turning a blind eye to this shocking state of affairs? 'We cannot close them unless on a court order. Police do raid them on information, but we have no powers to shut them down', he pointed out.

The 'Sunday Island' learns that in certain cases, police deliberately ignore the nauseating happenings because of political implications. Some of the figures running these vice dens are stooges of politicians. Hence, they are powerful.

Referring to semi-nude cut outs and billboards put up to advertise certain films, the SSP said they were also a violation of the law.

The sex publications available for sale thrive on imaginary situations and experiences which transport the reader to a sick, depraved and perverted world. For the young probing mind it's a bottomless pit which reduces a tender life to a sexual wreck. In one such sordid 'experience', obviously a figment of imagination, a 14-year-old domestic aide narrates how she enjoyed being raped by the 'mahattaya' who pretended to be sick and stayed at home while the 'nona' was away at work. Even blood cousins are not spared in this vicious campaign to make money at the cost of innocent lives, a knowledgeable source said.

There are in addition to nude photographs, so-called 'specialised' write-ups which cater to womanisers, homosexuals, lesbians, voyeurs, perverts and what have you? All this and more generate sick minds and tend to make perfectly normal children abnormal, the source bemoaned.

Naked photographs of local women are also used in some of them as an added incentive. At first these publications reproduced only foreign pictures of nude females, but it's no longer so. They seem to have 'graduated' as the going is good, the source indicated.

There are also reports that publishers of these pornographic tabloids had jacked up their selling prices as vendors involved in the covert exercise have to be paid more for taking the risk. 'That's correct. Most of them had pushed up their market rates. Some of the publications are now selling at Rs. 75 each, but the demand is growing', the source said.

The publishers target school children and employees of free trade zones, where a ready market exist with a minimal risk factor. Male FTZ employees grab the publications and more often than not, they are channelled to female colleagues, some of whom eventually fall prey to sexual exploits. This has also contributed in a big way to the surge of sex crimes in the country, according to police reports.

Pornography, in whatever form they may emerge, has now become a force to reckon with. Any sensible person will acknowledge the fact that a united and concerted endeavour is urgently required to root out this cancerous menace. It can no longer be nipped in the bud as the deadly tentacles are swiftly spreading and heading for a stranglehold. Appointing Task Forces at this point of time is as futile as locking that stable door after the horses had bolted. What's called for is more teeth to the existing laws to tackle the tragic situation, which is dangerously getting out of hand. All that additional police 'duties' to please politicians can afford to wait. Those who are responsible to the masses for maintaining law and order must move in, even at this late stage, to save our cherished youth. The volcano must not be allowed to erupt. If that happens, decision-makers will have only themselves to blame.

Those in power and authority who fail to act at the time they should have acted, will one day stand indicted before the court of the people. History will not be kind to them.

A flowering youth torn apart by insidious machinations will not allow the perpetrators to write their own history..........

New trends in fashion

Yellow, green, purple, glossy sea green, metallic deep blue... striking aren't they? But today's adventurous younger generation is defining itself making a fashion statement by supporting these cool colours (or quite horrifying colours, if you are the old fashioned type) on themselves or off themselves.

The funky and colourful shades flooding the market, be it in cars, cosmetics or casual wear, are luring everyone from grandfathers to grand-daughters.

So whether it's the retired gentleman's flashing purple zen or the girl next door flashing her parrot green lipstick, we are slowly but surely giving in to this new trend in fashion.

But this is not happening only in South Asian countries like India and Sri Lanka. We see around us a part of a fast-catching global trend. The inclination towards bright colours is a worldwide phenomenon right now, and the local consumer is only demanding shades based on international tastes. If the world wants funky shades, why not us? With international fashion just a magazine-length away, South Asia is finally catching up with the rest of the world in style and glamour.

And the players in the consumer market are only too aware of this shift. According to a leading businessman in fashion trade, the consumer profile is undergoing a change because people have started thinking that 'colour indicates one's personality'. He agrees that people might be going in for striking colours because of the aggressive lifestyle they indulge in or simply because they want to get noticed on the streets too.

Even the casual wear companies around the world have been offering customers striking colours in garments for years.

An official of a marketing firm which exports garments to the USA, Canada and Europe said: "The colours and trends originate from Italy, but we keep modifying and changing them according to the colour forecast across the globe".

But leading firms have always been giving to its customers new and striking range of shades.

Take the splash of funky colours in make-up, for example. Some of these trendy shades are not in tune with the local climatic conditions and skin types, but still the consumers persist in buying them.

Some firms caters specifically to the fashion arena where at present the bronze and reds are in.

COSMETIC

Director of a cosmetic firm which distributes cosmetic items feel: "To match the colours employed by the fashion designers we introduced the 'Copper and Bronze' collection, which is also popular in the marriage season. Trends are created both internationally and regionally but we in the South Asia are primarily creating them regionally". The customer has to be guided into the world of colour cosmetics and made conscious about the various colours option open to her.

The school crowd holds varied opinions. There are girls who don't like striking shades at all, while some guys just love to see girls as well as themselves supporting them.

From a leading institute in Colombo says "I wear striking shades because I like to look different rather than adhering to the usual colour schemes. Orange is my favourite colour". Others feel differently. "Funky shades strike the eye and make the person wearing them stand out. Sometimes girls and guys prefer being colourfully dressed to draw people's attention away from their real personality", says another girl.

Today's funky-shaders differ from the colourful people of the swinging sixties. Green lipstick and purple cars are hip, but shocking pink shoes are not. At least not yet. Having started with eyeshadows, lipstick and haircolours let's hope that in the next milliennum the taste for flashing fluorescent will finally percolate down to the feet. Wouldn't life be truly colourful then?

Chef Instructor from Hawaii at the Hilton

In preparation for the Battle of the Chefs to be held in June this year, chefs at the Hilton as well as those from the South, Kandy and Negombo are now undergoing a special crash course in presentation of their wares, conducted by Dale Rodomski, Chef Instructor from Hawaii, who has been persuaded by our own Kusuma Cooray, who has made a name for herself as a Chef par excellence in that country, to visit Sri Lanka and enjoy a 'busman's holiday' here.

Dale Rodomski, who is a policeman when he is not working on cuisine, is an Olympic Champion three times over in the sport of tittilating the palates of the gourmet. He has had considerable experience in other countries too, where he has been a judge of the work of other chefs.

He was at the Hilton the other day to pass on his expertise in presentation of culinary displays that will not merely satisfy the judges, but will make them remember the winners.

The purpose of culinary competitions, he told his chef listeners was to educate them, raise the standard of culinary art, foster the development of new ideas and to encourage camaradie among chefs of the world.

After three days at the Hilton, Rodomski will move on to Ahungalla where he will meet chefs of the South at the Triton. From there he will move on to Negombo and then to Kandy, helping chefs in those parts to come up to scratch before the June competition.

High Fashion
Saree elbows out western styles

by Kirthi Sri Karunaratna
The Sri Lanka America Society Charity Ball which is always a spectacular annual event, maintained its reputation, and was even better than usual, and made a most entertaining evening. Much fun was had by all those present at the Golden Ballroom of the Hotel Lanka Oberoi, decorated with a canopy of balloons, and flags fluttering to add atmosphere to the surroundings.

The dance committee led by Charmaine Kumararatne and Chris Benson spared no efforts to make a total success of event. Music for dancing came from Peter Prins Combo and Pearl who kept the floor packed to capacity with their excellent music for dancing. Quite naturally perhaps, the east mingled with the west in the fashions sported by the women present, with the saree getting an edge over the western styles. Setting the trend was none other than the wife of the American Ambassador Susan Donelly. A shot golden orange and red silk saree with a thread woven pallu she wore with a red blouse, and a strand of jet beads.

Among the many beautiful sarees the black chiffon charmaine wore spangled in comment like motifs in glittering blue was a winner. Devika Jayawickrema had her brown saree embroidered in thread work in a border design in dull gold with touches of coral and turqouise. Her blouse in brown had cutway armholes, and a cutout in front.

Ingrid Wijayanayagam who was on a short vacation back home from Canada took a brief trip into the past and wore a saree of deep purple Mysore georgette bordered in magenta and silver with a magenta blouse.

The saree Audrey Rajendra wore was most unusual. The deep olive green fabric was foil to several designs in gold merging into each other, she wore with a bare shouldered blouse, with the fall of her saree wound round here neck, making a smart drape. Large gold earstuds completed the image.

A Kandyan saree in green with a wide border on the skirt in subdued gold made a distinctive impression worn by Dian Wijewardene. Rohini Cooray had her simple saree of an exquisite pink charmeuse teamed with a cold shoulder blouse, to wear with striking emerald bead jewellery. A rust toned saree was the choice of Saro Jayatilleke to wear with a typical Indian necked blouse. The pallu of the saree was in a caramel with a hint of gold.

Pretty clusters of gold and ecrci embroidery on a porcelian blue was the choice of Nalini de Alwis. She wore a gold necklace and pendulum earrings.

A knitted blouse Nirmal Perera wore with a simple black saree draped with the pleats at the back, the fall in a sweep draped up at the shoulder. The blouse gave the appearance of a lace.

The western clothes that made the mark were those worn by Joan Fernando, Dhammika Amerasekera, Anoma Gauthamadasa and Darren de Alwis. Joan who was the lucky winner of an Air Ticket wore a trouser suit in a pretty shade of shell pink. The trousers and the long flowing top was perman-ently pleated, with the long sleeves in a lace in the same colour.

Dhammika used a collar necklace to add glamour to her brown dress, with the shoulders in sheer chiffon with a suggestion of a sleeve on the slim long gown. A simple black dress was Anoma's choice as foil to a choker necklace of white stones. Darren had the transparent puff sleeves of her black dress worked in stripes of jet sequins for dance time glamour.

Perfumes

Parfumerie the exclusive boutique for perfumes and fragrance launched the new line for men Pi by Givenchy, which is geared to make a strong impact leading into the new millennium. Christine Escoffier who we are now quite familiar with made her unfailing impact with the presentation. A beautifully choreographed pas de deaux executed by Yohan and Yoshita was the highlight of the evening. The choreography was done by Naomi Rajaratnam.

The cooktail that followed hosted by Manu Hundlni and Reshmibrought together a galaxy of fashion conscious women, who made their fashion statement the 36th. Floor of the East Tower of the World Trade Centre, way above Colombo.

Beatrice Welgama came with the whole family consisting of her daughters and two grand daughters. In dignified good taste Beatrice wore a saree of a terra cotta bordered in four stripes, in black, ecru, and orange. A simple gold necklace and stud earrings were her ornaments.

Following the always well dressed mothers were Prithiva Nanayakara and Nadine Pelpola. Both favoured western trends, the one in a bare shouldered dress with straps in black, and the other in short dress of wine red velvet, also with straps.

A little black dress was also the choice of Vajira Ameen, the petite one time model. Tania Pillai used a black embossed top with long sleeves to wear a slim skirt on black. A trendy hairstyle enhance the exotic look.

Christine Escotfier who has worn something unique at every launch she has flown out for, this time wore a smart trouser suit, in a black and metal grey striped fabric, she brought elegance and cocktail glamour to, with a collar necklace of metallic grey.

Violence against women

UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Nafis Sadik addressed global conference, on Violence against Women.

Perpetrators of violence against women worldwide must be held accountable for their actions. All too often, they receive light sentences or are excused with a reference to family honour. "Such attitudes must be eradicated," the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Nafis Sadik, said today in a statement for International Women's Day, Monday, 8 March. She encouraged all governments, non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society, including the private sector, to work to end all violence against women.

"The very same biological function that ensures that societies survive, thrive and reproduce, is the very same one that makes women the targets of violence," Dr. Sadik said. "It is time that everyone of us, individually and collectively, takes a stand to eradicate violence against women in all its manifestations. We must break the culture of silence on violence against women. We must promote zero tolerance of violence against women everywhere. "

Along with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Dr. Sadik was a lead panellist at the global videoconference entitled "A World Free of Violence Against Women", arranged by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). The 90-minute conference was held in the United Nations General Assembly Hall on International Women's Day from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

In her statement, Dr. Sadik urged a strong stand against the "most endemic form of violence against women", domestic violence. The family, often thought to be a safe haven for girls and women, is now increasingly a locus of violence.

"Women and girls are actually at greater risk of violence from members of their household than from strangers, " Dr. Sadik said. She added, "Many forms of communally sanctioned violence against women, such as female genital mutilation (FGM) or 'honour' killings, are associated with the community's or the family's demand for sexual chastity and virginity."

"Women's and girls' reproductive and sexual health`" she said, "should not depend on the perceptions and feelings of those wielding authority over them, be they the State, the Church, the community or the family, but must be guaranteed as a basic human right."

"Violence against women," Dr. Sadik continued, "knows no class, race, or age. It exists across all socio-economic groups, and it is a daily phenomenon in the lives of women throughout the world and throughout their life cycle. Even before they are born, girls suffer from the consequences of a widely prevalent sociocultural disposition that favours boys over girls. "

"In some countries, a strong preference for boys leads to the killing of girl children and selective abortion of female foetuses," Dr. Sadik said. "Where resources are scarce, boys are often more likely to receive enough food, education or adequate medical care, which logically leads to poorer health in girls, and even to higher mortality rates on their part. "

UNFPA is fighting violence against women in several ways: by helping to establish women's health centres; supporting violence counselling and campaigning against female genital mutilation where it persists. Also it has named Goodwill Ambassadors to call attention to the plight of women everywhere. All over the world, UNFPA supports advocacy to improve the status of women and point out the harmful effects of violence on families, women and girls, as well as on society as a whole.

The United Nations Population Fund is the world's largest multilateral source of population assistance. Over the past 30 years, the Fund has provided $4.3 billion in assistance to more than 160 countries. The Fund's priority programme areas are reproductive health, population and development strategies, and advocacy.

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