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Presidential Security Division draws fire for third time
PSD were the hitmen – UNP

by Shamindra Ferdinando
The UNP has renewed its attack on President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Security Division accusing it of executing last Thursday’s crushing of demonstrations against Mrs. Kumaratunga’s failure to keep her promise to abolish the executive presidency.

The Division, under fire for its alleged involvement in malpractices during the January 25 elections to the Wayamba Provincial Council and also March 28 incidents at the re - election of Thilanga Sumathipala as the President of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board is now being blamed for leading the police assault on anti - government demonstrations.

Senior UNP officials claimed that officers and men in civvies attached to the Presidential Security Division [PSD] launched indiscriminate attacks on demonstrators including MPs. UNP’s General Secretary and Ratnapura District MP Gamini Atukorale said that the well planned attack on the demonstrators was executed by the person in charge of the PSD.

Atukorale had been critical of the PSD’s conduct on at least two previous occasions.

Atukorale insists that the PSD should not get involved in normal police operations.

Victor Perera, the DIG in charge of the PSD and its director ASP H. A. N. S. Karunaratne were not available for comment on Friday. The PSD comes under the direct supervision of the IGP Lucky Kodituwakku.

In late February during a meeting between PA and Opposition delegations at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss ways and means to hold incident free elections in five provinces, President Kumaratunga and Gamini Atukorale clashed over the PSD’s role in Wayamba violence.

President Kumaratunga had flatly rejected Atukorale’s allegations against her Security Division. Just four weeks after that, the PSD personnel on a request by Mr. Clifford Ratwatte who ran unsuccessfully for president of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board were present near the Board headquarters. Both Messrs Perera and Karunaratne were seen outside the Board headquarters.

The government and police headquarters had so far ignored charges against the PSD.

Senior police officers defended the use of PSD personnel during Thursday’s police and armed forces action against groups of allegedly violent and unruly demonstrators. The UNP has admitted that demonstrators were on their way to the Temple Trees The PSD, police sources said, had no alternative but to assist the police to block them.

The police estimated that approximately 10,000 people had been involved in the demonstrations.

A senior officer involved in Thursday’s police operation said that the UNP did not seek permission to conduct its protest marches. "The UNP", he said "indicated that they wanted to hold three protests near Maradana junction, Borella junction and Havelock road around 4 pm, the same time the JVP was given permission to hold anti-executive presidency protest opposite the Fort Railway Station.

But they began their protests around 2 pm and were marching towards the Temple Trees two hours later. We were not prepared to handle three separate demonstrations," he admitted saying that the UNP wanted to provoke a series of incidents to capture media attention.

A senior spokesman for the Operations Command Colombo [OCC] Friday said that troops were deployed in support of the police. Although they were not equipped to handle crowd control operations, there was no alternative when demonstrators threatened to march towards Temple Trees.

A few months ago, the OCC was blamed for deploying troops in support of police when people went on rampage at Maligawatte after the arrest of a group of men allegedly involved in a killing.

Senior police and military officials said that troops will continue to be deployed in support of the police if necessary.

They said that personnel attached to security units of various politicians and armed forces officers had been on and off accused of being involved in incidents.

Editors’ Guild denounces attack on journalisits

The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka in a statement yesterday denounced the physical attack on media personnel covering the UNP demonstration last Thursday against the PA government’s failure to adhere to its promises.

The perpetrators and their despicable actions should be condemned, the Editors Guild said.

The working journalists of this country have been horrendously targeted through the use of rubber bulletsh, tear gas, batons, and high pressure water cannons by men identified as those belonging to the Presidential Security Division during the attack, the statement said.

This has resulted in ten journalists being either hospitalised or having to seek medical treatment. Costly damage has also been caused to the camera equipment belonging to mediamen, it said.

Some of the media personnel who suffered at the hands of dictatorial elements in the police belong to many news gathering organisations, the statement noted.

The cameramen who were attacked are Saman Mendis (Dinamina), Janapriya Samaradiwakara (Yukthiya), Buddhika Weerasinghe (Lakbima-Best Photo journalist 1998), Asoka Fernando and Lal Spencer (Sunday Leader), H. A. N. Fernando (Sithijaya), M. A. Pushpakumara and Sanjeewa Chinthaka (Sunday Times), Subha Dissanayake (Rupavahini), and Lakruwan Wanniarachchi (Lankadeepa). Ajith Samaranayake a reporter of the ‘Ravaya’ newspaper, also suffered injuries.

"To assault accredited working journalists while they were performing their professional duties is a crime against democracy and an insult to civil society. Some of the photographers had their film rolls confiscated or exposed and destroyed by uniformed policemen", the Editors Guild said.

These policemen who carried out the dirty work have become a law unto themselves. And those persons, however high they may be who unleashed these brutish men must know that they have not won the day, the statement further said.

Whilst recording last Thursday’s incidents as yet another dark chapter in Sri Lanka’s history, the Editors Guild called upon all democratic forces to clamour for a liberal media policy in order to continue with democratic freedom in the country.

JVP, allies to field common candidate for Presidency

by Shamindra Ferdinando
Amidst their campaign for the abolition of the executive presidency, the JVP and some of its allies are preparing to field a common candidate at the next presidential election, political sources said yesterday.

A senior JVP official yesterday admitted that they are seeking to field a common presidential candidate despite the decision to campaign countrywide against the executive presidency. "Talks are taking place," he said while declining to identify the parties involved.

He declined to comment on the possibility of the LSSP and the CP joining efforts to field a common candidate.

The JVP last Thursday [15] with a protest demonstration opposite the Fort Railway Station launched an agitational campaign on the theme "don’t hold a presidential election." The NSSP and the Muslim United Front had

joined the JVP’s latest campaign and its second protest was held in Galle on Friday. Two more protests will be held in Kandy tomorrow and Kurunegala, the day after.

However, the JVP leadership including the self-exiled party chief Somawansa Amarasinghe is exploring the possibility of fielding a common candidate against President Chandrika Kumaratunga and UNP candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The JVP official said that their candidate if successful will initiate action necessary to abolish the executive presidency. The JVP in 1994 withdrew its candidate Nihal Galappathy after President Kumaratunga assured him that the executive presidency will be abolished before July 15, 1995.

It was not clear whether Hambantota District MP Galappathy will get the nod to contest the next presidential election as the common candidate.

Despite differences between leftist constituents of the PA and the dominant SLFP over the executive presidency, authoritative ruling party sources said the President is confident of keeping the alliance together. The CP and the LSSP refrained from coming onto streets last Thursday against what the UNP and the JVP describe as President Kumaratunga’s failure to keep her promise made to the people that the executive presidency would be abolished.

The CP and the LSSP had set August 31 deadline for the government to abolish the executive presidency. But the parties are sharply divided over the future course of action as the leaders have privately admitted that the SLFP would not accept their deadline.

The JVP during the UNP regime opposed the Provincial Council system, but changed its position and contested PC elections.

The UNP will continue to campaign against President Kumaratunga’s failure to abolish the presidency while getting ready to face the coming presidential election. "We are for the executive presidency but with some modifications," a senior party official said revealing that one member at the last Working Committee meeting had asked the party to take a clear stand on the executive presidency. However, the leadership had pointed out that there is no need to take any stand at the moment.

Political analysts said that the SLFP and the UNP will remain committed to executive presidency with a view to win the minority vote. The TULF, the CWC, the SLMC, the EPDP and all other minority groups both in and out of the Parliament insist that they would not support any party that intends to abolish the executive persidency.

Both the SLFP and the UNP are wooing the minority vote, a CWC MP said pointing out that they are confident that the executive presidency would remain unchanged in view of the current political situation.

Setting up of Civilian Security Zone
LTTE yet to make their position clear – Defence Ministry

The Defence Ministry yesterday said that the LTTE is yet to respond to an army request made through the ICRC, to reconsider its position towards the setting up of a Civilian Safety Zone (CSZ) to serve the humanitarian needs of civilians in uncleared areas in the Wanni.

"The delay, needless to say, is prolonging efforts to expedite humanitarian needs of civilians via Mankulam, — a choice made by the LTTE themselves from three different routes suggested by the army’, Operational Head-quarters said in a communique.

‘However, in a Press release faxed to Colombo based media on Friday, July 15, the LTTE has sought to divert attention from the real issue - the setting of the CSZ - and has made a vain attempt to mislead the local and international community’, the communique said.

The news release claims ‘LTTE leadership has rejected the government’s proposal that the Tamil guerillas should withdraw five kilometres from their present forward defence lines.’

‘The Sri Lanka Army has made it clear that the CSZ should encompass a distance of five kilometres from Mankulam i.e. from 140.2 mile post, the furthest point under army control. To claim that ‘the LTTE should withdraw five kilometres from their present forward defence lines, quite clearly, is grossly misleading’, the Ministry said in its communique.

The LTTE claims that the proposal to establish a CSZ has "serious strategic and military implications disadvantageous..." and adds that "withdrawal of its forces to several miles back from the present entrenched positions... Might encourage the Army to embark on a new adventure to move forward along the A-9 highway."

The Sri Lanka Army has made it quite clear the proposal to set up a CSZ was made bearing in mind the need to avoid/minimise confrontations that will cause severe hardships to civilians. The SLA also asserted that the extent which the LTTE wants to call a "demilitarised No Man’s Land," a 250 square metre area, is hardly adequate to ensure the safety of the civilians. The extent is half the size of a football field.

In making the proposal for a Civilian Safety Zone, the Sri Lanka Army, like any Army in a similar situation, was fully conscious of the military implications and disadvantages it faced. Yet, bearing in mind the suffering of the civilian public, the SLA made the proposal not withstanding the security implications involved, the communique said.

The press release claims "The LTTE suspects the withdrawal of its forces to several miles back from its present entrenched positions...." Once again a misleading claim when the length of the CSZ is only five kilometres and not "several miles."

To hide behind purported "strategic and military implications" and to claim that the CSZ might encourage the Army to embark on a new adventure to move forward along the A-9 highway" is a mischievous exercise in futility.

The Sri Lanka Army proposal for a CSZ, made through the ICRC, has been acknowledged by the both the local and international community as a welcome move. The SLA will naturally honour its obligations in the spirit in which they have been made.

But the SLA, which is fighting a separatist war, cannot be expected to give assurances to allay purported LTTE fears or paranoia of "strategic and military implications."

It has become very clear that the LTTE’s delaying tactics, for reasons better known to themselves, is placing greater hardships on a civilian population whose cause it claims to champion, the communique added.

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"Let’s be computer literate but not computer addicted’’
Goolbai Gunasekera warns of pitfalls in computing

One of the country’s leading educationists, Mrs. Goolbai Gunasekera, Principal of the Asian International School (AIS), has sounded a word of warning about the current obsession among parents and students on computing.

In a recent Prize Day speech, Mrs. Gunasekera said that parents seem to think that just because a child plays around with a computer at home, he is going to be able to handle Advanced Level and Ordinary Level syllabuses in computing.

"This is not so. Those syllabuses are difficult. The projects that need to be done are onerous and require great discipline. Computing as a subject is not an easy fourth subject alternative at the AL examination,’’ she said.

AIS, however, recognises the importance of the subject and the principal said that in the past year the school had upgraded its computer section at considerable expense with the purchase of 12 additional computers. Air-conditioning too had been installed.

"Yet I feel that a word of warning is appropriate here,’’ she said dealing with the demands of the OL and AL syllabuses on the subject.

"I also sound a further note of warning, I am aware that computers are now a part of our world. We should all be computer literate but we should not be computer addicted. there are many hazards in the overuse of computer as far as children go.’’

She said that it had been found that migraine and even epilepsy can be triggered by constantly gazing at a computer screen. Children were beginning to depend on their computer for friendship and are losing contact with people.

"The computer gives them all the company they need and the awakening to reality can cause grave psychological problems. Ties of personal relationship are loosening,’’ she said.

Mrs. Gunasekera said that while the computer is an aid to an easier life, it is not life itself. ``Cruising the Internet randomly is probably the single most negative influence in the world of today as far as young minds are concerned. A computer is not a toy for a child. It is not status symbol. So parents, please be careful,’’ she said.

In the course of her report, she also commented on the ``great deal of negative criticism’’ children in international schools draw from those who consider them elitist, exclusive and out of touch with Sri Lankan aspirations.

``Our students are serious, hardworking, easily guided, non-rebellious, well mannered, discipline and controllable. At AIS and I know in all other good international schools, the fine exam results, the achievements in sports, drama, debate and other areas, prove that we are doing something very right with the youngsters in our care.’’

Talking of her own school she said: ``speaking for the AIS student body, I can truthfully say they are very Asian in outlook and mentality but they fuse the cultures of both east and west into one happy blend. Surely this makes them the ideal world citizen?’’

Frenzied activity on CSE last week with 4.8 million shares transacted
Stassen becomes biggest stakeholder in Aitken Spence

The acquisition of a 17 percent stake in the Aitken Spence conglomerate on the Colombo bourse last week by the powerful Stassen business group was the hottest talking point in city business circles on Friday. This group, through its Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka, has now become the biggest individual shareholder of Aitken Spence.

hat the Carsons Group, through its investment vehicles like the Ceylon Guardian Investment Trust and Ceylon Investments, was buying into Aitken Spence and had by early July acquired 10% of that company.

Further large parcels of Aitken Spence was done last week and the Carsons stake, according to knowledgeable sources had risen to around 15% when a new player - Stassen through the cash rich Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka - entered the ring.

While the drama involving his company was taking place, Aitken Spence’s Chairman and CEO, Mr. Ratna Sivaratnam, was holidaying abroad. Well informed sources said that he was in touch with developments on the phone and was expected back in Colombo yesterday night.

The Aitken Spence directors including Sivaratnam, Michael Mack, G.C. Wickramasinghe and Norman Gunawardene (who have all been the head of the company) have sizable personal stakes in the company. C.P. de Silva, a former chairman who sold out much of his substantial holding long ago when share prices were at their peak, is believed to have been among those who sold off his remaining stake of about 400,000 last week.

On Monday 215,900 Aitken Spences were done with the price rising a mere 25 cents. The bidding was getting hotter next day with 499,800 transacted and the price rising to Rs. 100. By Wednesday, Aitken Spence shares on offer were a relatively modest 55,300 and the price remained at Rs. 100 a share.

The real action began on Thursday when over a million Aitken Spences (1,095,800) were done with the hundred rupee price jumping by ten rupees. Analysts said that this seemed to be the time that the Carsons group realized that a more powerful player was in the fray and decided make a quick capital gain off the competitor interest in the share.

On Friday nearly three million Aitken Spences (2,961,700) were done with the price going up another five rupees to Rs. 115. Well informed sources said that Carsons sold off some of the shares they have been buying and these were part of the very large parcel taken by Stassen.

``Stassen has a lot of liquidity through the Distilleries Company on any given day and few can match its money power,’’ said one analyst. ``Carsons also played a canny game and cashed in on the situation taking a capital gain of several million for its investment companies.’’

But the Carsons interests, who began buying into Aitken Spence with a reckonable holding of its shares, still hold around 4.5% of Aitken Spence having sold off about 10% during last week’s action.

Last week’s activity saw 4.8 million Aitken Spence, representing about 18% of its issued capital, transacted.

The question now is whether Stassen will raise its Aitken Spence stake to 20% so that the Distilleries Company can consolidate the Aitken Spence performance into its accounts on an equity basis.

Most analysts were convinced that it was unlikely that the stake in Aitken Spence by any one company under the Stassen umbrella would be raised to 30%. ``That would trigger the rule that they must make a mandatory offer to all shareholders at Aitken Spence. That may not make sense unless the shares can be snapped up at a truly bargain price,’’ one analyst said.

SC grants leave to proceed in rights plea over sudden transfer of SSP

The Supreme Court Friday granted leave to proceed in a fundamental rights case instituted over last month’s sudden transfer of Nuwara Eliya SSP Pujitha Jayasundera. The transfer sparked off unprecedented public protests in Nuwara Eliya and Colombo.

The case has been filed by three members of the National Movement Against Terrorism together with five residents of the Nuwara Eliya District, alleging that the transfer was made due to pressure from Ceylon Workers’ Congress leader S. Thondaman following a stand off between his supporters and the NMAT in Nuwara Eliya town on the eve of May Day, when the latter had arranged a public meeting to protest against Tiger terrorism.

Legal circles point out that the case is unique in the field of fundamental rights litigation in Sri Lanka in that it is not the police officer who is challenging the transfer but a group of citizens who claim that their own right to equality before the law and the equal protection of the law is infringed when there is political interference with the discharge of duties by the police.

The Bench comprising Justices Dheeraratne, Wadugodapitiya and Ismail granted leave to proceed under Articles 12 (1), 12(2) and 14 (1)(a), (b) and (c) of the Constitution, covering equality and equal protection of the law, freedom from discrimination, freedom of speech and expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association.

(See Legal Watch)

Assault on women at demo condemned

The Sinhala Kanthabhiurdhi Sangvidhanaya (SKS) condemned the assault on women during last Thursday’s demonstration at Town Hall.

Women at this demo had been singled out for assault with clubs and iron rods. A former woman minister who had been herself been in charge of women’s affairs had been put down on the ground and was stripped of her saree. Another former woman minister was set upon with iron rods and wooden clubs, SKS said in a press release.

Three other women had also been clubbed and at least two had suffered fractures, it said.

Condemning all types of violence against women by whosoever and irrespective of party loyalties, the SKS called upon all political parties not only to refrain from any manner of harassment or violence against women but also to actively uphold all rights of women.

Cooray files defamation case against ANCL

By V. Varathasuntharam
Ex-minister of the UNP government Sirisena Cooray has filed a civil defamation suit against The Associated Newapapers Ltd in the District Court of Colombo for publishing articles defamatory of him with express malice.

In this suit filed by D. M. Swaminathan Associates, he has cited articles published in Dinamina, Silumina and Daily news under different headings, and on different dates.

It even stated that the articles referred to the plaintiff as a person who was responsible for violence and thuggery and all the conspiracies in the country, who had no respect for law and order in the country, who has scant respect for the law, who is connected with political assassinations in the country and is likely to engage in future assassinations, he was responsible for creating terror in the country.

The plaintiff pleads that the said articles contain allegations which are false and malicious and defamatory of him, were published by the defendant with express malice. The plaint stated that the plaintiff was a Minister of Government of Sri Lanka under the President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Chairman of Premadasa Centre and was in the process of organising the 73rd Birth Anniversary of late President Premadasa, a member of the United National Party from 1950 and was its General Secretary from 1991 to 1994 Mayor of Colombo and Chairman The Premadasa Centre from 1994 todate.

The Plaint was settled by President’s Counsel Romesh De Silva (PC) with Geethaka Goonewardena instructed by D. M. Swaminathan Associates.

Police still unable to track down four killers

by Kalinga K. A. Weerakkody
Police have so far been unable to track down the four men who escaped in a vehicle after killing a person near the Nugegoda, Delkanda junction at broad daylight last Friday.

Police said that the victim had been identified as Sujith, a resident of Maharagama. He was shot with a pistol while travelling on his motorcycle. The victim had also opened fire at the attackers and boarded a private bus travelling towards Maharagama. The gunmen had followed him and opened fire again injuring him. He had then got into another bus heading towards Colombo carrying army personnel. Leaving his pistol on the bus, he had managed to jump out and get into a three-wheeler, police said.

The three wheeler driver had taken him to the Kalubowila hospital where he had succumbed to his injuries, police said.

According to the witnesses the attackers had fled in a vehicle after the shooting.

Kohuwala OIC, IP, P. Kaviratna is handling investigations under the directions of SSP Dayaratna.

Incoming calls for mobile phone users may be free from next year

by Lishanthi Siriwardena
Mobile phone users are expected to benefit from a new system call Calling Party Pays (CPP) system to be introduced next year. Mobile phone operators who at present pay Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) for calls made from a SLT phone to a mobile phone will not have to do so under a new system to be introduced by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC). If the CPP system is implemented, mobile phone users will not have to pay for incoming calls but the fixed phone users will have to pocket out additional charges to reach mobile numbers, the TRC said.

The TRC has called for public views on the CPP which is due to be implemented by the end of next year. The mobile users will benefit as they don’t have to pay for incoming calls once CPP is implemented, the TRC said. ‘The commission believes that CPP is equitable as it treats all networks in the same way and will improve network efficiencies and mobile penetration rates in Sri Lanka’, it said.

It is important to get the views of the subscribers about CPP as well, the President of the Telephone Users Association, Trevor Alphonso said. CPP will cause fixed telephone tariffs to increase as the subscribers will have to pay additional charges to reach mobile numbers, Mr. Alphonso said. The TRC called for comments from the public. There should be a little more awareness of what CPP is or the public hearing would draw only people with a technical knowledge. It is important to get the views of the ordinary phone subscribers as well, he said.

We have taken steps to launch awareness campaigns, a TRC official said. It is expected that the public hearing will be completed within a period of nine months and that the necessary preparations can be made for implementation of CPP by end of 2000 should the Commission so decide.

The charges paid by mobile operators for calls originated by their customers and terminated in the SLT network were reduced in a mobile interconnect decision issued by TRC that will come into effect in August 1999. Interconnection with Suntel and Lanka Bell and among the mobile operators is governed by a ‘sender keeps all arrangement’ where each party terminates the others calls without payment in return for similar treatment by the other.

Clarence Wijewardene commemoration

The Clarence Wijewardene Memorial Foundation has made arrangements to hold the Clarence Wijewardene Commemoration Programme on Sunday, August 1 at the Public Library auditorium.

The contributions made by the late vocalist to the Sinhala music scene and his musical talent will be discussed and presented by way of speeches and song recitals.

Professor Sunil Ariyaratne and journalist Tissa Abeysekera will be the chief guests. Songs will be rendered by Sangeetha Nipun Sanath Nandasiri, T. M. Jayaratne, Priyankara Perera, Indrani Perera and Annesley Malawana.

An annual award in memory of Clarence Wijewardene will be presented from this year. Noel Ranasinghe who has done much for group recitals in the local music scene, will be the recipient of this year’s award.

Fans of the late singer and artistes in the music industry and film scene are invited for this commemorative programme, the organisers said.

Claims Rs. 2 million in damages
Mannar SP files second rights violation petition

By Chitra Weeraratne
Superintendent of Police, Mannar, Lalith Lekamge has in a second fundamental rights violation petition complained to the Supreme Court that he had learnt from the DIG (Vavuniya) that two disciplinary inquiries are going to be conducted against him (Lekamge), and that these two proposed inquiries are unfounded and vexatious.

The petition alleged that the proposed disciplinary action is initiated by DIG T. I de Silva of Police headquarters, Colombo at the instigation of IGP B. L. V. de S. Kodituwakku.

The petition said that these inquiries are dependent on an anonymous petition and they are very unreasonable, arbitrary and in violation of Article 12 (1) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

In view of the proposed charge sheet, the petitioner will not be promoted to grade 1 rank by the Public Services Commission.

The continued harassment caused to the petitioner by the IGP and six other respondents has caused him embarrassment and pain of mind. The petitioner has had no peace of mind to serve in an operational area.

The petitioner has claimed damages in Rs. 2 million.

The petition added that prior to getting transferred to Mannar with immediate effect on September 10, 1998, the petitioner had served as Director, Supplies, at the police headquarters and detected many frauds. He had recommended the interdiction of the sixth respondent, ASP B. V. Ranaweera and some other police officers.

While these frauds were being investigated, the petitioner and his family members had received threatening telephone calls to his residence at Mt. Lavinia.

While the petitioner was serving at Mannar, on September 22, October 22 and December 14 last year, police parties had entered the petitioner’s residence at Mt Lavinia and searched the house for an unknown under-aged servant girl. A rights violation plea filed by the petitioner is pending hearing in the Supreme Court.

The search parties had no warrant from a Magistrate, and the petitioner in case No. FR-SC-6/99 had alleged that the search is illegal.

Petitioner Lekamge, in his latest rights violation plea, has requested the Supreme Court to declare that the proposed charge sheet drafted against him is based on insubstantial vexatious allegations made to penalise the petitioner.

The seven respondents are IGP B. L. V. De S. Kodituwakku, DIG T. I. De Silva, Police Headquarters, SSP L. A. Perera, Director, Supplies, police headquarters, SP E. A. A. L. Amarasekera, Director, SIU, ASP (1) D. L. Sumanaweera , Supplies, police headquarters, ASP (2) B. V. Ranaweera, Supplies, police headquarters and IP N. Weliketiya, SIU, police headquarters.

Sriyani’s tele-drama — sequences shot in England

From Sujeeva Nivunhella — Our London Corr.
Popular actress Sriyani Amarasena after producing her last film ‘Tharanaya’ has turned her hand to producing a tale-drama this time. With the help of her co-producers in London Tissa Madawala, Wimal Alahakoon and Lilani Perera, they finished shooting in England last summer. They named this tele-drama ‘Ire Batu Tharuwa’.

Having finished filming in Sri Lanka and while the tale-drama is in the queue to be shown on Sri Lanka television, a special screening was held a few days ago at the Commonwealth hall in London.

The shorter version of 14 episodes of -Ire Batu Tharuwa - was shown to a full house. Sriyani Amarasena and Robin Fernando who are acting in this tele-drama were present for the occasion. The special guest was the Trade Commissioner of the Sri Lanka High Commission, Mr. T. G. Ariyaratne. On behalf of the London producers the guests were introduced and welcomed by solicitor Anura Hegoda.

Before the screening the national anthem was played. Tissa Madawala had done a wonderful job by using visuals for the national anthem using beautiful scenes of Sri Lanka and the Army marching to war. A special dinner was arranged for the film stars and those involved with the tele-drama at the Sinhala restaurant ‘Sekera’ near Buckingham Palace.

The story is about a baby daughter born to a daughter of an estate Superintendent fathered by one of his labourer’s sons. This child was given to a couple living in England to adopt without the knowledge of the baby’s mother. She was told that the baby had died at birth. After many years the mother of the baby found out the truth and came to England looking for the baby. You have to wait for the conclusion to find out whether she found her daughter when ‘Ira Batu Tharuwa’ is telecast in Sri Lanka.

Based on a true story the script of ‘Ira Batu Tharuwa’ was written by Daya Alwis who is himself playing a leading role in the tele-drama. Among the other participants Sasanthi Jayasekera, Ramesh Ekanayake, Seneka Wijesinghe, Harry Wimalasena, Jaya Sri Chandrajith, Sanath Dikkumbura Wimal Alahakoon and Lilani Perera play the major roles.

Talking to the Sunday Island,’ Sriyani said that when they came here to screen her film ‘Tharanaya’ two years ago her friend Lilani encouraged her to produce a tele-drama on a story running between both Sri Lanka and England. However a friend in France told this true story. When she put this idea to Daya Alwis, he wrote the script in no time. She said she is happy that everything turned out so well.

When questioned why she wanted to produce a tele-drama this time she said, "we had to Wait over four and a half years in the queue t screen ‘Tharanaya’ after filming it. It cost us about Rs. 40 lakhs. We even had to take a loan. But ‘Tharanaya’ was not successful financially. There is a crisis in the film industry in Sri Lanka. So I thought I’d better do a tele-drama this time".

The script writer of ‘Ira Batu Tharuwa’, Daya Alwis said, "This is the first time I came to Europe and acted. When Sriyani asked me to write the script I was happy. Now I am more than happy that it came out very well".

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