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GMOA officials surrender but strike goes on
by Chittaranjan de Silva

The leadership of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) against whom warrants were issued by Colombo District Judge A.W. Salam last Friday, surrendered to police yesterday, OIC of the Maradana Police Station A.R. Edirisinghe said.

The doctors were taken into custody, and later bailed out on the personal surety of Rs. 200,000/=, and were asked to appear in court on June 30th for the hearing, the OIC said.

The 12 doctors who surrendered to the Maradana police are Dr. A. Samarasekera (President), Dr. R.P. Dayasena, Dr. G.A. Harischandra, Dr. H.C.N. Fonseka, Dr. P.Gunasena (Secretary), Dr. R. Ekanayake, Dr. S. Gajadeera, Dr. P.S. Hemachandra, Dr. D.D.A. Wijewickrama (Assistant Secretary), Dr. B.V.D.S.P. Abeywardena, Dr. N.J.Nonis and Dr. M.S.Senathipathi, the OIC said.

The GMOA spokesman said that police performed their duty in a very cordial manner.

The GMOA said that they would call off their strike if President Kumaratunga meets with them to discuss the on-going problem. It will also hold a press conference at the doctors quarters today to explain its position following the court order.

Despite the warrants issued for the arrest of the GMOA leaders last Friday and the health services earlier being made essential services by the government , the strike by doctors is dragging on causing untold hardships to patients throughout the country. "Our strike is continuing", a Government Medical Officer’s Association (GMOA) official said yesterday.

The Director of the Colombo National Hospital said that ‘there is no change ‘ in the attendance of doctors. "Today is Saturday, and normally the OPD and the clinics are closed, today, but I cannot comment on the future" , he said.

In the Ragama Hospital too, there was no change in the situation , the hospital’s Director Dr. R. M. M. Rajamantri said. The normalising of the situation, in the hospitals will depend on negotiations between the GMOA and the government, he said.

The doctors strike has severely inconvenienced patients and has sparked large scale demonstrations in the city of Colombo and elsewhere. More than 500 protesters carrying banners with slogans condemning the doctors strike and particularly the GMOA, marched from Punchi Borella to Town Hall yesterday , sources said.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga has given an assurance to striking doctors that if they report to work, she is willing to discuss the issue, Secretary to the Ministry of Health C. Abeygunawardena said.

According to the GMOA it launched the present strike to seek and assurance from the government that the state will implement the National Health Policy which the cabinet had approved.

GMOA which consists of around 5000 doctors does not want the powers vested with the Central Public Services Commission (CPSC) devolved to the Provincial Councils because the doctors claim that the provincial administrations are inefficient.

The GMOA said that the power to appoint Provincial Directors of Health should not be transferred to the provincial councils, since if this occurred then the power vested with the (CPSC) would automatically be transferred to the provinces. But according to the 13th amendment to the constitution the Provincial Councils have the right to the powers which the doctors say must be centralised, Mr. Abeygunawardena said.

Earlier the GMOA said that many hospitals in the provinces which were under the administration of the Provincial Councils have become bankrupt, and fear that the entire health system will collapse if the power transfer occurs.

Responding to allegations made by doctors that the government has not instigated violence against the doctors, Mr . Abeygunawardena said "We are not interested in harassing them", he said.

Legal action has been filed against the GMOA by the Independent Lawyers Association (ILA), which is not a government body and is not linked to the government, he said. He further said that ILA is a charitable non profit association dedicated to preserve justice, and to protect and champion the rights of the public lawfully.

Solve your dispute says SLMA

Sri Lanka Medical Association yesterday called upon the Government and the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) to settle their dispute urgently, as the health care of the people of this country is seriously compromised.

Whale washed ashore at Weligama Bay

One of world’s largest creatures comes ashore at Weligama: a boon for fishermen — even in death

A great whale, acknowledged as one of the world’s largest living creatures, came ashore at Weligama Bay on Monday morning apparently after dying out at sea. Approximately sixty five feet in length, the whale had become a major attraction to people from near and afar. Hundreds of people -mainly women and children flocked to Kapparatota beach Fishermen were doing brisk business charging Rs. 10 each for a ten minute round-trip by boat to the reef edge where the whale carcass was lodged.

The whale was a baleen whale (on account of "baleen" the thick hair-like straining plates that hang inside its mouth for separating plankton, small fish and crustacea it feeds on from the huge amounts of water it takes into its mouth when feeding). It is believed that the large whale weighing approximately fifty tons, is a Blue Whale. However, according to Fauna International, definite identification must await recovery and closer examination of the carcass and skeleton as the whale was lying upside down making observation of its features difficult, the carcass had also been cut open.

On a conservative estimate made by the Ocean Centre, the boat operators would have collectively made around Rs 50,000 per day from just viewing the whale - with over at least three full days of boat operations. It is believed that this would have brought home to them the reality of the prospects for earning big money from whale watching.

On the ugly side of things, some fishermen had been eyeing the carcass since it was first sighted, hoping to recover the prized "ambergris" now well known to the public as a valuable substance coming from the stomach of certain whales. Ironically, their surreptitious, but no doubt strenuous efforts to disembowel the enormous whale at night - were in vain: Ambergris does not form in the stomach of Blue Whales! The stench and the gargantuan task of turning over tons of putrefying whale intestine atop a rolling carcass would no doubt have sapped the energies and turned the stomachs of even the stoutest of fishermen - their efforts undoubtedly ending in great frustration. Public education, better enforcement and regulation are needed to protect the whales in our waters.

The Police played a significant role in maintaining a presence amidst hundreds of visitors and discouraging further adventures by unscrupulous fishermen to cut up the carcass. NARA officers Ananda Lal and Amarasooriya were at the scene engaged in recovery operations. According to Director General of NARA, Dr Jayakody, the skeleton will be recovered and placed on display at the site where there is also a NARA Station. In 1981, a thirty-foot Humpback Whale was entangled in fishing nets and towed into Chilaw harbour where it lay gasping for three days before dying. The skeleton is on display at NARA, Crow Island. A sixty-foot Blue Whale was also recovered north of Chilaw by

NARA in the 1980s. (OCEAN CENTRE / Fauna International)

Narrowing trade deficit a plus among the minuses
Economy headed for bleak 1999
By Amal Jayasinghe

A close look at the Central Bank’s latest economic indicators project the gloomy prospects of a sharp downturn in the national economy this year, analysts said.

In its latest annual report for 1998, the Central Bank applauded the economy’s "reasonably good" performance in the context of the regional turmoil but described last year as the worst for the national economy since the depression the 1930s. But analysts say that the figures for the first four months of this year point to an even worse period.

Sri Lanka’s exports in the four months to April have fallen sharply by 12.7 percent after recording a modest 2.0 percent increase in the 1998 calendar and a growth rate of 13.2 percent in 1997.

The GDP growth rate for the first quarter of this year was a dismal 2.7 percent compared to 5.7 percent during the corresponding period last year. Private sector analysts say there is little prospect of light at the end of the tunnel.

The Central Bank figures released here showed that the country’s external assets too have fallen by 3.3 percent to 2.8 billion dollars at the end of April compared t the position four months earlier.

Imports also fell dramatically by nearly 17 percent in the first four months of the year with a sharper decline in the import of investment goods needed by industry.

On the up side, the trade balance narrowed to 425 million dollars from 585 million.

Compounding the problems for the economy was the increased crop of tea, the country’s main export commodity, at a time when international prices are falling.

The weekly tea sale in Colombo, the world’s largest, saw prices plummet by 33 percent, the Central Bank said. On top of that, the tea crop in the first four months reached a record 99.4 million kilos (218 million pounds).

"The year 1998 was an unusual year for the (tea) producers, where the fluctuation of the market was unprecedented," leading broking firm John Keells said.

"The year which began on a tremendous note for the producers ended poorly with the immediate future looking very gloomy."

The main reason for the sharp increase in prices in the first half of 1998 was the fear that El Nino would play havoc with the tea crop and there would be a global decline in supply. Exactly the opposite happened.

The global tea output in 1998 rose by an estimated 140 million (308 million pounds) thanks to record harvest in India, Kenya and Bangladesh, John Keells said.

It was partly thanks to high tea prices in the first half of last year that saw the economy grow at a modest 4.7 percent last year compared to an expansion of 6.3 percent in 1997.

The budget deficit which was targeted at around 6.5 percent of GDP ended up at a staggering 9.3 percent of GDP, raising alarm bells across the business community as well as investors.

Myanmar FM due on July 15

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar, Mr. U Win Aung is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on July 15, authoritative sources said yesterday.

UK favours direct talks between Govt. and LTTE – AGOTIC
by Shamindra Ferdinando

The British government appears to be in favour of direct negotiations between Sri Lanka and the LTTE, a senior spokesman for Colombo based Tamil action group, AGOTIC said last week.

After meeting senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials and former MP Dr. Liam Fox who brokered a bi-partisan agreement between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Ranil Wickremesinghe two years ago, the President of the AGOTIC, N. Vijayasingam said that he got the impression that the British now favours direct government-LTTE negotiations with the assistance of a mediator.

Vijayasingam, a former advisor to the New Delhi based EU Ambassador in the late 80s returned last week from London after having meetings with the head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s South Asian Department, Stephen Evans and his deputy, Peter West and Sri Lanka Desk Officer Michael Holme.

Asked whether the AGOTIC was involved in the ongoing LTTE bid to seek international support to renew negotiations with the government, he said that they are ready to back anyone if that helps.

He was aware of the arrival of LTTE’s Anton Balasingham in London a few weeks ago to meet with officials and politicians regarding the group’s bid for fresh talks with Sri Lanka.

There was evidence to suggest that British will not hamper the LTTE’s efforts in London. Informed sources said that some foreign governments had backed the LTTE’s bid for peace the time possibly with South Africa as a mediator.

Island Capers
M & M joker

It was speech time at the opening of the spanking new office complex of M & M Ltd. at Rajagiriya. The affair was a bipartisan show politically with both Industries Minister C.V. Gooneratne and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe present at the invitation of industrialist Malik Samarawickrame, a joint partner of international Spewell Group.

Opening batting, the irrepressible CVG who’s good at raising laughs on these occasions said that when he got the invitation from bachelor Samarawickrame on behalf of M & M, he thought that maybe Malik was getting married and the spouse might possibly be another Maithree. (laughter)

And while on the subject of marriage, he couldn’t help slipping in his own definition of this blessed state. "It’s an exercise in higher education where the man loses his Bachelor’s and the woman gains her Master’s," he said. (More laughter).

Getting back to serious business, CVG thanked M & M for contributing to the country’s economic progress and generating employment. And on the subject of employment he couldn’t resist telling another joke. That was about a mother’s letter to a son abroad about his n’er do well father. "He’s got a new job and has 500 people under him - he cuts grass at the cemetery!" (laughter)

The concluding note was a compliment to Samarawickrame for adopting a bipartisan approach by inviting both the government and the opposition for the occasion. Spotting a smiling Ranil, he added "he endorses." CVG closed up by exhorting on the need for all present to join hands and put their shoulders to the wheels of economic development at a truly bipartisan level.

Destruction of generator at Mirusuvil hospital
"Attempt by terrorists to show their presence in Jaffna"
by Shamindra Ferdinando

The recent destruction of a 80 KVA diesel powered generator located in the Mirusuvil rural hospital compound was evidence that terrorists desperately need to show their presence in the Jaffna peninsula, Major General Lohan Gunawardena said on Friday.

The generator was blasted last Monday afternoon at Mirusuvil situated south of Chavakachcheri in the area controlled by Army’s 52 Division.

Gunawardene said that the rural hospital and a large number of families living in the area had been affected as a result of the terrorist act, the latest in a series of attempts to establish the district.

Last week’s attack on Jaffna’s electricity supply was the first since the government restored power to some areas after Riviresa troops regained the peninsula in early 1996.

The British government too has helped Sri Lanka to restore electricity to parts of the peninsula.

Gunawardene said that police had questioned some people regarding the attack. However, so far police and military authorities had failed to identify the device or the type of explosives used to destroy the generator.

The government, he said had restored electricity to some areas despite serious difficulties. The most senior officer in the northern theatre, Gunawardene said that terrorists want to deny electricity and other facilities to the people. "They also wanted to show their presence here by destroying civilian facilities."

He said that the destroyed generator will not be replaced. The people, he insisted must co-operate with the police and the armed forces to neutralise small groups of infiltrators operating in the peninsula.

Gunawardene said that despite on and off terrorist attacks, troops continue with regular operations to track down infiltrators.

The day before the Mirusuvil blast, troops shot dead two hardcore terrorists posing off as civilians during a brief gun battle at Kokuvil. One infiltrator had managed to escape, he said. The terrorists had resisted arrest when troops swooped down on them. They fired first and troops retaliated killing them, he said adding that their bodies were later handed over to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

One 9 mm pistol, two magazines, two hand grenades, one communication set, six torch batteries and two national identity cards had been recovered from the scene of the confrontation.

Conspiracy to bring in thugs to Eppawela area say trade unions

Nine powerful trade union organisations, alleging a "sinister conspiracy to introduce armed thugs into the Eppawela area," have declared their solidarity with the people of the area in opposing the proposed Eppawela phosphate project that threatens to displace them and/or destroy their way of life and environment as well as their ancient cultural heritage.

The unions have written to President Chandrika Kumaratunga calling on the government to abandon any further dealings with Freeport McMoran / IMC Agrico and/or the Tomen Corporation of Japan relating to the Eppawela phosphate project.

"We call upon you instead to honour your own express pledge to the people of Eppawela in the general election campaign of August 1994, that you will not allow the valuable national asset of the Eppawela phosphate deposit to be handed over to the transnational company (Freeport McMoran) with which the previous UNP government had commenced negotiation in March 1994," the unions have said.

The signatories to the letter are the leaders of the Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers Union (CMU), Ceylon Bank Employees Union, Union of Post and Telecommunication Officers (UPTO), Confederation of Public Service Independent Trade Unions (COPSITU), Technological Service Trade Union Federation, Public Service United Nurses Union, Ceylon Estate Staffs’ Union, Ceylon Railway Station Masters’ Union and the Anthar Viswavidyaleeya Vurtheeya Samithi Maha Sammelanaya (Federation of Inter-University Trade Unions).

Ven. Mahamank-adawela Piyarathana Thero, chief monk of the Galkande Purana Viharaya at Eppawela who is leading local villagers opposed to the phosphate project, has apprised the unions of attempts by armed thugs to intimidate or attack not only the villagers but also the inmates of the temple including the high priest the unions have said.

The series of incidents outlined by the monk include a clash between villagers at Kadigawa close to Eppawela and a gang of about 150 persons brought in that morning. The clash had occurred after the villagers had questioned the gang engaged in fencing off an acre of land at the centre of the village. Their leader had claimed that he had a license to explore the land to find out whether there were phosphate deposits there.

"The villagers had said that they would be unable to live in the village if excavations were carried out in the middle of the village and they would not allow excavation there," the unions have said in their letter to the president.

A few days thereafter, between 12 midnight and 1 a.m. a gang of unidentified persons have been seen moving around the temple premises by neighbours who had reported this to the priest. Two nights later, also after midnight, the priest himself had seen a van that had entered the temple premises. Its lights had been switched off following the sighting of the vehicle.

"Rev. Piyarathana has informed us that he considers that there must be some connection between the intrusion of unidentified persons into the premises of his temple, after midnight, on two occasions......and that he is the president of the Committee for the Preservation of the Eppawela Phosphate Deposit. We have no doubt that his suspicion in this respect is well founded," the unions have said.

Their letter also alludes to the bad reputation of Freeport McMoran which has been branded the "world’s worst polluter" and the recent exposure of the company’s activities in Indonesia.

Batty leads team to world science parley

Science and Technology Minister Batty Weerakoon has led a delegation to Budapest (Hungary) for the World Conference on Science for the 21st Century, a ministry spokesman said.

The other members of the delegation are Ministry Secretary H.A.Wimalagunawardhane, Advisor Prof. Tissa Vitarana and Dr. R. O. B.Wijesekera, Chairman, National Science & Technology Commission (NASTEC). Prof. Senaka Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka’s ambassador to France and permanent delegate to UNESCO will also join the delegates from Colombo.

Based on suggestions from India, a position paper for the World Conference on Science is being drawn up by Sri Lanka, which holds the present Chair of the SAARC Science and Technology Technical Committee, a news release from the Science and Technology ministry said. This was to be finalised at a meeting of the delegates from the SAARC countries scheduled in Budapest yesterday.

The Sri Lankan delegation has identified some issues like the "brain drain’’ problem for inclusion in the position paper. Mr. Batty Weerakoon will present SAARC position to the conference as the current chair of the association.

"It is recognised that the difference between developed countries and developing countries is to a considerable extent, influenced by the gap that exists in the application of science and technology. In the context of current world developments, such as globalisation, this gap appears to be widening. It is vitally important for the development of the Third World countries and the future of our people that this gap be narrowed. It is hoped that this important conference will initiate concrete steps towards achieving this objective,’’ the news release said.

Novel concept for globe trotters
by Chittaranjan de Silva

Hambantota’s "The Oasis" which recently became Sri Lanka’s first Time Share Resort in keeping with the modern day demands in the Hotel Industry is striving to keep ahead and attract more tourists. The unspoilt natural coast, and the breath taking scenery which surrounds the resort is captivating to the visitors, Worldwide Holidays Pvt Ltd which is marketing the resort said.

"Boat rides in the lake, squash, beach volleyball , sea bathing , etc are some of the attractions of the ‘oasis’. Archaeological and religious sites at Kirinda, Tissamaharama, Situlpauwa or Kataragama are very alluring to the travellers. Discovering wildlife and nature in the Bundala and Udawalawe national parks or bird watching at Kalametiya are other pastimes which the ‘oasis’ offers to the visitors", Worldwide Holidays said.

Worldwide Holidays, marketeer for Resort Condominium International (RCI) in Sri Lanka has introduced a novel concept named the "Holiday Ownership" for all globe trotters for the first time in Sri Lanka. "RCI is the largest and the most successful timeshare holiday exchange company in the world. RCI provides only exchange services to timeshare owners and does not own, manage or sell holiday time on behalf of the resort RCI said. Sri Lankan holiday lovers today have the option of holidaying in over 93 countries by becoming a part of "The Oasis" holiday exchange program, Worldwide Holidays said. The ‘Blue’ season membership entitles a person to visit the resort during the off season. Standards are the same for the 4000 RCI resorts around the world and therefore holidaymakers can expect the same service, which is very advantageous to them, it said.

"Time sharing is the purchase of holiday time at a specific resort location. Often sold in weekly intervals , buyers can purchase as many weeks as they require in a year. Most consumers purchase one week a year for a predetermined number of years such as 30, 50, 80 or more years", RCI said.

Boycott of classes due to a hijab
by Saman Indrajith

Tamil students of a girls’ school in Badulla continue to boycott classes following a dispute over two Muslim women teachers being asked to remove their hijab by the principal, police sources said.

The two Muslim teachers had complained to Badulla police that they were ordered by the principal of the school to remove their hijab when entering the school, the source said.

When the duo had refused to follow the order of the principal saying that they had a fundamental religious right to wear the hijab, the principal had commanded them to remain in the staff room and they were not allowed to go to their classes, it’s alleged.

After the teachers had sought a solution from the educational authorities of the area, the Director of Education had informed the principal that there is a circular from the Ministry of Education allowing Muslim teachers and girls to wear the hijab.

However, it’s further alleged that the Tamil students of the school had been urged to boycott classes exhorting the Muslim teachers to remove the hijab, a source in the Ministry of Education of Uva Provincial Council said.

The Muslims in Badulla Town recently had a special meeting at the town mosque on this issue and had condemned the order by the principal to force the two teachers to remove their hijab, sources said.

With the intention of avoiding a clash, the Badulla HQI had intervened and summoned the two teachers and the principal where he had warned the principal not to harass the two teachers, he said.

A senior official of the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs said that Muslim females have a fundamental right to wear the hijab. There is a circular from the Ministry of Education that Muslim girls and the teachers should be permitted to wear the hijab.

Missing Lionair aircraft
Three Ids, letters identified by relatives

Three national identity cards and seven letters which were among 44 items believed to have belonged to the passengers of the missing Lionair aircraft, have so far been identified by relatives, Mannar SP Lalith Lekamge said yesterday.

Items salvaged from the sea by fishermen and handed over to the Mannar police are now on display at the Bambalapitiya police station for identification.

Miss. Sabaratnam Thilakeswari of Nagar Kovil, Jaffna identified an identity card as that of her father, Nallathambi Sabaratnam, who was among the passengers of the plane which disappeared in September last year.

She also identified seven letters written by various residents of Nagar Kovil which were handed over to her father to be delivered to their relatives in Colombo, SP Lekamge said.

Another person, Kumaraswamy Karunakaran identified the ID card of her father, Thilivambalam Kumaraswamy who was aboard the missing plane with his wife, Sinna Thangachchi.

Govinda Thambiraja of Beach road, Jaffna identified on the identity which belonged to his nephew, Kumaraswamy Ragunadan who had been on board with his wife Chitra.

The items will be on display until this evening, police said.

Bank employee’s suit challenging transfer dismissed
By.V. Varathasuntharam

Colombo District Judge A.W. Salam Friday dismissed a suit filed by an employee of Hatton National Bank challenging his transfer.

Court upheld the objections by Hatton National Bank filed through its counsel G.G.Arulpragasam that the Bank has a right to transfer an employee without malice.

In this case an employee of the Bank T.A.M.de Zoysa had filed a suit through Hussain Ahamed challenging his transfer from Panchikawatte branch to Bambalapitiya which impedes his trade union activities.

The objections of the Hatton National Bank filed by its counsel G. G. Arulpragasam stated that the Defendant Bank has every right in law to transfer the Plaintiff and he has no right in law to take any steps to prevent his transfer.

The transfer was consequent to a management decision taken bona fide in the sole interests of the bank. Bank has no reason whatever to take and will never take management decisions except in the interests of the bank. This action is an abuse of the process of court.

The plaintiff employee has agreed when he joined the bank, when he was appointed a Staff 0fficer, that the bank has every right to transfer the Plaintiff. In the circumstances the Plaintiff cannot now complain that the Bank has no right to transer the Plaintiff. In fact the defendant has every right in Law to transfer the plaintiff.

The Bank has taken an administrative decision (at managerial level) to transfer the Plaintiff. Thus the workings of the bank both vis-a-vis its constituents will be clearly damaged if the transfer does not take effect. It will adversely affect the constituents who want a proper service from the bank.

President’s counsel S.A.Parat-halin-gam with Faizer Mustapha instructed hy Hussain Ahamed appeared for the Plaintiff.

The President’s, Counsel Romesh de Silva with Palitha Kumarasighe instructed by G. G. Arulpragasam appeared for Hatton National Bank.

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