.

Tamil parties ‘join’ LTTE over international mediation

Tamil political parties have joined LTTE terrorists in attacking Sri Lanka’s position that the ongoing war against the LTTE was an internal matter and no third party including the UN could play a role to end it.

Tamil politicians said that they are not prepared to accept the government’s position. The government, a senior TULF official said must be prepared to seek international mediation to end the crisis.

The National Movement Against Terrorism [NMAT] and other groups which oppose the proposed devolution package agree with the government‘s position.

Tamil politicians who co-operate with the PA government are angry and upset over the outright rejection of the international mediation, political sources said.

The Tamil parties had been supportive of LTTE’s attempts to involve South Africa, France or the UN.

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in New York with President Chandrika Kumaratunga for the UN General Assembly last Monday rejected calls for third party mediation saying that he does not see any role for anybody, in terms of mediation, simply for the reason that he does not think it is necessary.

Kadirgamar’s rejection came amidst a concentrated effort by the LTTE, several foreign funded NGOs, the Catholic clergy and some foreign governments to Sri Lanka to agree for third party mediation.

The UNP too supports Kadirgamar’s position that the crisis was an internal matter.

Both the PA and the UNP have repeatedly said that they do not object to some kind of facilitation to resume negotiations with the terrorists.

Colombo based Tamil politicians and the peace lobby, have joined the LTTE in condemning the government position. Rejection of calls for international mediation, they said, is a clear signal that the armed forces would go ahead with major operations in the Wanni theatre and other parts of the North East.

The TULF, the PLOTE, the EPRLF, the TELO and other Tamil organisations have been urging the government to agree to international mediation to end the North East conflict. These political parties and other organisations stepped up calls for international mediation after the LTTE managed to stall the last month’s offensive in the western part of the Wanni.

Senior military officials said that Periyamadu setback would not put an end to the ongoing armed forces campaign to weaken the LTTE.

The sources said that last week’s rejection was also a signal to the business community that its effort to bring the government and the LTTE for a fresh round of talks would face serious difficulties. Government leaders privately admit that there would not be any peace even if the UNP supports the devolution package in Parliament unless the armed forces destroy the LTTE, the sources said. (SF)

Ranil’s train ride plan leaked

The UNP is concerned about a ‘leak’ of its plan for party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to take a train ride on the Ruhunu Kumari last week and respond to public questions and also listen to public opinion.

"The plan that he would take the train ride leaked and a PA politician was able to organise a group of people to ask him hostile questions. They followed him from carriage to carriage. But Wickremesinghe was unfazed and he responded to their questions,’’ a UNP source.

However he expressed concern about the leaking of the UNP plan that enabled the PA to organise a counter and try to indulge in some spoiling tactics.

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How did VIP’s body armour go to underworld?

A senior police officer yesterday said that late last week’s recovery of a bullet proof jacket [body armour] from a shed adjoining an abandoned house at Arawwala allegedly belonging to a slain underworld figure has prompted police investigaters to request armed forces assistance with regard to the ongoing inquiry.

All body armour in use here had been acquired from abroad. General public have no access to import body armour.

The three services and the Police Special Task Force [STF] use body armour. However, police authorities said that the recovered jacket had not been the type issued to ordinary troops fighting the LTTE. "This is something special," one officer said adding that similar jackets are used by both opposition and ruling party politicians under LTTE threat and also some senior armed forces officers. The jackets used by troops particularly the infantry have collars but this particular one sans collar is worn under shirt.

Police said that the recovery was made by Mirihana police investigating the September 25 killing of six underworld activists inside a car at Delkanda junction. The sources said that the jacket had been recovered from a shed adjoining the abandoned house allegedly belonging to one of the persons who died in the attack. Police said that they were surprised to recover five foreign made pistols and revolvers from the car.

Over a dozen persons had been arrested in connection with their involvement in the killings.(SF )

Brewery defends ‘Lion’ brand against nationalist attack

By Suresh Perera
The Ceylon Brewery Ltd., under fire from the Buddha Sasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs Minister for ‘denigrating the lion symbol to advertise liquor’, defended itself by saying that the lion figure used to promote a brand of beer it brews is that of a sleepy African lion and has no relevance to the symbolic, stylized lion with the sword on the national flag.

‘As the pioneer in the beer industry in Sri Lanka, we have no intention of discrediting the lion flag or the nation’, the company’s Director/Chief Executive Suresh K. Shah, said.

Minister Lakshman Jayakody in a letter to Shah has complained that ‘there is continuous public criticism levelled at his Ministry and the government as well as serious objections from the public to the use of the lion figure on advertisements being displayed in front of liquor sales outlets and in other promotional material being displayed in public by the Ceylon Brewery Ltd.’

‘It’s a coincidence that we have used a lion symbol on one of our brands of beer. It’s in no way associated with the lion flag. It’s a very different lion that we have used’, Shah said in an interview with the ‘Sunday Island’.

‘Our brewery has a recorded history of 118 years. We were turning out beer long before the national flag came into existence’, he pointed out.

According to chronicled history, the Ceylon Brewery was established in 1881, ‘but there is evidence to suggest that we may have been linked to the brewery Sir Samuel Baker, an explorer who visited Ceylon in mid 1800, started in Nuwara Eliya’, Shah said.

Asked whether he has responded to the Minister’s letter, the Chief Executive said that it will be done in due course, but the reply will not be made public. ‘We are looking at a couple of options, but it’s not fair to disclose them.’

Around the world, names of birds and animals are used to market beers, he said citing some of the better known brands, ‘Kingfisher’, ‘Red Bull’, ‘Tiger’, ‘Swan’ and ‘Cobra’. It’s a common practice. There is a brand of Lion beer in South Africa as well, he noted.

‘In Sri Lanka there are other products which also use the lion symbol, but I don’t know why only we are targeted when the African lion figure we use, in no way resembles the sword-carrying symbolic lion on the national flag’, he said.

Minister Jayakody says in his letter that he is aware that Ceylon Brewery is engaged in a business that’s legal. However, everything that is legal would not necessarily be honourable and morally correct.

‘We have never done anything dishonourable or immoral’, underscored Shah, who took over as the company’s top executive in 1991.

Ceylon Brewery which produces ‘Lion’, ‘Carlsburg’, ‘Lion Stout’, ‘Guinness’ and ‘Strong’ brands is the market leader. The other two breweries in the country are McCallum Breweries (Cey) Ltd., and United Breweries.

He said that with the impending ban on liquor advertising, breweries will not be able to sponsor even an art exhibition, let alone a national sports event. ‘We have been extending a helping hand to divergent sporting activities, but all this will end with the ban.’

Describing the proposed ban on alcohol advertising as ‘silly’, Shah stressed that the question which has to be addressed is the alarming rate of consumption of illicit hooch. ‘It’s a shocking 64%, but according to independent reports it’s more than 70%. Illicit liquor is cheaper and readily available than the legal product. Legally distilled alcohol can be advertised and that’s the only advantage it has over what’s produced illicitly.’

Clothes are washed because they are dirty and not for the reason that soap, washing powder or a washing machine was advertised. It’s need-driven. Advertising only helps to shift from one brand to another within a category. Foreign tourists visit Sri Lanka and the majority go back after enjoying the hospitality, but a minute percentage abuse our children. Does this mean that the country should ban tourism or stop promoting our country as a tourist destination?, he asked.

‘It’s not use but abuse which is harmful and has to be curbed’, Shah said.

New Zealand and Finland have revoked their decisions to ban alcohol advertising, he observed.

As the market leader, the public wouldn’t place such enormous confidence on Ceylon Brewery if the intention was to discredit the country through the use of the lion symbol, the Chief Executive explained.

Navy intercepts Tiger boats from India

Navy yesterday attacked Sea Tiger crafts at least 40 nautical miles off the east coast destroying at least one and causing damages to two other crafts, security sources said last night. Two pairs of Fast Attack Craft [FACs] attached to Navy’s Eastern Command operating off the Mullaithivu coast had detected the enemy boats movement and swung into action.

"We believe they were trying to smuggle in fuel from India," a senior armed forces officer said adding that one of the four Sea Tiger boats caught fire and sank. Other boats despite being hit by naval fire, managed to escape.

SL-US sign new extradition treaty

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and US acting Secretary of State signed the new Extradition Treaty between Sri Lanka and the United States at the US State Department in Washington DC late last week.

The new Treaty replaces the existing pre-independence Treaty between the US and Great Britain on the Mutual Extradition of Criminals signed in London on December 22, 1931 which was then applied to Ceylon.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Kadirgamar said that the conclusion of the Treaty constituted a landmark in the bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the United States. He recalled the Treaty concluded between the United Kingdom and United States of America way back in 1931 and then made applicable to Ceylon as a colonial territory of the United Kingdom.

This pre-independence Treaty continued to be in force over a period of 50 years after our independence, to govern questions of extradition between our two countries. He pointed out that during his visit to Washington DC in October 1997, emphasised the need to re-negotiate the comprehensive Treaty on the extradition fugitive offenders which should reflect current developments and advances in international state practice, paying particular attention to the problem of terrorism. Foreign Minister Kadirgamar was pleased to note that a delegation headed by the then Solicitor General of Sri Lanka who is presently the acting Attorney General visited Washington DC in March this year and was able after just one round of negotiations, to conclude this Treaty. He said the speedy conclusion of this Treaty is testimony to the close understanding and cooperation, which has developed between our two countries over the years.

He said on that the signing of the Extradition Treaty reflects the commitments of the United States to co-operate in joint endeavour to deal effectively with the combating of international crime. In conclusion Foreign Minister Kadirgamar stated that this Treaty would send a clear signal to all criminal elements, that they shall not enjoy safe haven within our territories.

Strobe Talbott, Acting Secretary of State in his remarks while welcoming Foreign Minister Kadirgamar to the signing of this important Extradition Treaty stated the signing of this Treaty will make it more difficult for criminals, particularly terrorists, to find a safe haven in each other’s countries. He went on to further state that the Governments of Sri Lanka and the United States have worked for many years to conclude a modern Extradition Treaty, and its signing today symbolises the co-operation and goodwill between our two countries.

Two-hour demo during Chandrika’s stay in London

From Sujeeva Nivunhella in London
President Chandrika Kumaratunga who attended the UN General Assembly in New York and World Bank and IMF meetings in Washington arrived in London on Tuesday on her way back to Sri Lanka.

While she stayed at the Carlton Towers Hotel for one night en route to New York, she spent a few days with a close friend living here on her way back home. Her daughter Yasodara, a medical student at Cambridge, who was holidaying in Sri Lanka, joined President Kumaratunga in London.

The president was expected to leave London during the weekend but there was no confirmation on her actual date of departure.

During her stay here, an organisation calling itself "Movement for the Defence of Sinhale’’ headed by Wimal Ediriweera and Kamal Rajapakse organised a 2-hour demonstration between 12 noon and 2 pm in front of the Sri Lanka High Commission offices in London.

The demonstrators who were joined by Douglas Wickremaratne of the Sinhala Association of Sri Lankans in the UK and some of its members demanded that Sinhala villagers living in vulnerable border villages be protected from LTTE terrorists.

The demonstrators handed a letter at the High Commission. It was accepted by the First Secretary.

The Movement for Defence of Sinhale demanded that the President resigns from office if she was unable to provide protection to people living in border villages.

Four more non- career diplomats to head SL missions

A clutch of retired public servants are due to be posted to head four Sri Lanka missions abroad while two more ambassadorial appointments will be made from among career officers serving the Sri Lanka Overseas Service.

Among the retired or retiring public servants who are to be posted abroad are Mr. K. C. Logeswaran who recently ended his term as Secretary to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Media to South Korea, Public Trustee U. Mapa to Myanmar (Burma), Deputy Secretary to the Treasury Daya Liyanage to Malaysia and Mr. Neville Piyadigama, who recently retired from his position of Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries to Japan.

The career appointments are those of Mrs. Chitrangani Wagiswara, who last served as Deputy High Commissioner in London to Singapore as High Commissioner and Mr. D Serasinghe, now serving as Director General of Political Affairs at the Foreign Ministry to Cairo as ambassador. He has previously served as ambassador to Kuwait and the Philippines.

The new heads of mission designate are due to be screened by the Parliamentary Select Committee on High Posts.

Weeramantry seeks fresh term at World Court

Dr. Christopher Weeramantry, the distinguished Sri Lankan jurist, is seeking another 9-year term in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, well informed sources said.

Government has backed his candidature and has been lobbying support at the UN in New York as well as foreign missions accredited to Colombo. Sri Lanka’s own missions abroad have been directed to seek the support of the countries to which they are accredited.

There are 5 vacancies arising in the Court and there are 6 candidates. Weeramantry and a candidate from Jordan are seeking the Asian seat.

"Although it is not so formally declared, there is a tendency to think regionally in filling these vacancies,’’ a foreign office source said. "That is why we are actively canvassing for Dr. Weeramantry who has a distinguished record as a jurist and whose judgments have been held in high regard internationally.’’

Jeyakumar stole £ 50,000 pounds worth knickers
Knicker nicker nicked by undie-cover mums

From Sujeeva Nivunhella in London
The mass circulation News of the World that lives on sensation and human interest enjoyed itself in a recent issue with a story starring a Sri Lankan who had made a fetish to stealing women’s underwear from washing lines.

"Knicker nicker nicked by undercover mums’’ blazed an inside page headline on the antics of Nadarajah Jeyakumar who was described as ``a pervert who stole 50,000 pounds worth of knickers from washing lines.’’

The pervert who stole £50,000 worth of knickers from washing lines has finally been hung out to dry — by a gang of fed-up mums.

Nadarajah Jeyakumar spent four years legging it with their underwear, amassing a stocking-pile of camisoles, thongs, G-strings and lacy underwear.

But the knicker nicker was brought down when the women lay in wait for him after recruiting an ex-police dog to guard a washing line purposely packed with panties.

Jeyakumar, 38, couldn’t resist it. He disturbed the dog and was caught by one of the mum’s boyfriends after the ladies chased him through several gardens.

"He would come in the dead of night and pinch my panties and my four daughters’ underwear", said Siham Kassout, owner of the booby-trapped line. "Eleven families suffered the same. We had to catch him".

When Jeyakumar was arrested he was wearing knickers and a ladies’ swim suit. He told them it was to give his hernia support.

Police found 15 sacks of undies at his home in Alperton, Middx, Sri Lankan Jeyakumar landed in Harrow Crown Court — but to the women’s dismay he got a conditional discharge.

Days later he was at it again — but his victim, Helena Confait, 25, was ready for him. Jeyakumar was caught by a light sensor and wrestled to the ground by her ex-paratrooper boyfriend.

Jeyakumar was found guilty of theft by Brent magistrates. He will be sentenced next month.

Det Con Lisa Campbell said, "The women of Alperton teamed up to catch this man. His home was awash with underwear. There must have been at least £50,000 worth".

One victim, secretary Stella Strutton — who had to identify her knickers down at the nick said: "He gave us all a lot of trouble".

Supreme Court allows petitioners in ‘Anduren Eliyata’ rights case

The Supreme Court last week granted leave to proceed in the ‘Anduren Eliyata’ termination case against Ministers M. H. M. Ashraff, Mangala Samaraweera, Lakshman Jayakody and other respondents.

Four viewers of the ITN television programme ‘Anduren Eiiyata’ have complained to the Supreme Court that the decision to terminate the ‘Anduren Eliyata’ programme was unlawful, arbitrary, unreasonable, capricious, male fide and in violation of their fundamental rights to equality and equal protection of the law enshrined in the Constitution.

The petitioners are R. A. P. C. Ranawake of Bulathsinhala, Indika Hewanayake and Mrs. Rupa Dassanayake of Matara and Mrs. Dhammika Jayatissa of Akuressa. They have cited Ministers M. H. M. Ashraff, Mangala Samaraweera and Lakshman Jayakody, Independent Television Network and its Chairman and members of the Board of Directors and the Attorney General as Respondents.

The Petitioners claim that this fortnightly programme on which Ven. Gangodavila Soma Thera participated continuously from its inception in 1998, was a thought provoking and educative one which attracted immense public attention, especially among the youth. They looked up to Ven Soma Thera to educate and guide them on various religious and social problems which affected them and the society in general.

The forthright views expressed by Soma Thera in which he focused on certain Buddhist practices and the present trends where the Buddhists were veering away from pristine Buddhism, made the programme telecast on ITN the most popular and sought after programme which attracted persons from other religions also.

During the Anduren Eliyata programme telecast on 26th July 1999, in response to a letter and other queries received from the public, Ven. Soma Thera criticised Minister Ashraff for being instrumental in settling Muslims on Deegavapi Vihara property in Ampara. This type of action by political leaders, he said, was a threat to the harmony that existed between the Sinhala and Tamil people and Muslims who were normally peace loving, and was detrimental to Buddhists.

The petitioners allege that the 1st respondent, Minister Ashraff initiated a programme in 1996 to create a Muslim settlement in Deegavapi on the pretext that Muslims had been displaced in the 1980s for establishing the sacred area of Deegavapi, but the fact was that they had been given alternative land in Samanthurai which was only about 2 miles away from the land in Deegavapi which they had been cultivating. Although Minister Ashraff had represented to government that Muslims were being settled outside the said 585 acres, he had in fact encroached on about 185 acres of land within the 585 acre allocation by bringing bulldozers and clearing the site.

Minister Ashraff’s response to the criticism levelled against him was that the blocking out and building was due to a mistake of the Survey Department. The petitioners have questioned the propriety of the 1st respondent in attempting to settle Muslims just outside the vihara boundary on which there were so many archaeological monuments, particularly when there was an abundancy of land available outside the temple land and its environs, and alleged that the ulterior motive was to surround the Vihara and commence a process of encroachment and insidious destruction of the Deegavapi Vihara.

The petitioners state that such a serious mistake could not have occurred and that as a political figure in the said area and as the Minister of Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, he had full knowledge of the decision to bulldoze the Vihara land.

The petitioners further allege that for a second time, in 1998 the 1st respondent was instrumental in the total destruction of one of the Parivara Chaitiyas by bulldozing its entirety and removing the material for road construction. Allegations have been made that in many other instances too the 1st respondent had acted in a manner discriminatory of the Sinhala and Tamil population, by citing a number of cases where he had used rehabilitation funds to provide grants to various Muslim organisations and for work on Muslim schools and other buildings used exclusively by Muslims.

The public criticism of Minister Ashraff and the statements by Ven. Soma Thera on the Anduren Eliyata programme of 26th July 1999 resulted in Minister Ashraff submitting a memorandum to the Cabinet of Ministers three days later on 29th July 1999, for curbing and prohibiting certain TV programmes which were likely to cause disharmony between the communities, a step taken with the ulterior motive of terminating the Anduren Eliyata programme and preventing Ven. Soma Thera from criticising the racial actions of Minister Ashraff.

On the basis of this memorandum the Cabinet of Ministers decided to take every possible step to curb such programmes and the Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Media and the Minister of Cultural and Religious Affairs who are the 8th and 9th respondents respectively, were appointed to look into the matter.

Consequent to this the said 8th and or 9th Respondents had requested and or ordered the ITN and its directors and or the relevant officials who are cited as the 2nd to 7th, and 10th respondents, to abolish the programme Anduren Eliyata in which Soma Thera was participating.

The said 2nd to 7th, 8th and 10th respondents have complied with the said directions and abolished the programme.

Ven. Soma Thera has received a letter dated 4th August 1999 from the 10th respondent informing him of the decision to change the Anduren Eliyata programme to one called Dharmapradeepa with a panel of sociologists and paychologists. The decision to terminate the Anduren Eliyata programme was however made maliciously, purely because of the disclosure of certain atrocities committed by the 1st respondent against the Sinhala Buddhists, The programme Dharmapradeepa was merely a pretext to stop the telecasting of Anduren Eliyata.

Among other reliefs, the petitioners have sought relief by way of a declaration that their fundamental rights have been infringed by the 1st to 10th respondents, the cancellation of the decision to abolish the Anduren Eliyata programme and a directive to telecast the programme without any restriction placed on Ven. Soma Thera from addressing over the ITN channel, and compensation in a sum of Rs. one million.

The petition was supported in the Supreme Court by Mr. R. K. W. Gunasekera PC, Mr. Manohara de Silva and Mr. Indra Ladduwahetty instructed by Lilanthi de Silva, before a bench comprising Justice R. N. M. Dheeraratne, Justice A. S. Wijetunge and Justice Shirani Bandaranayake.

Leave to proceed was granted and arguments were fixed for 17th February 2000.

Open University offers textile technology diploma

The Department of Textile and Apparel Technology of the Open University of Sri Lanka will next year launch a diploma program in apparel production and management, Mr. Ravindra Jayananda, head of the department said.

"This program is designed to cater to those who intend to join, or those who are already employed at supervisory, executive or managerial level in the apparel industry. The medium of instruction of this program is English," he said.

The areas that will be covered in this 2-year program offered in the distance mode include raw materials for garments, garment costing, quality assurance and testing, production planning, garment manufacturing process, merchandising, marketing, and international environment of the apparel business.

Jayananda said that even employed people will be able to follow this program without disrupting their day to day work. Classes and examinations will be held during weekends and/or public holidays.

He said that they will be using printed material and audiovisual aids in their teaching methodology and students will be free to learn at their own pace.

"They are free to choose courses to be followed within an academic year, depending on their other commitments," he said.

Applications for this program may now be obtained from all regional and study centres of the Open University up to October 29. Applications close on November 8.

Fight not against Tamils, but Prabhakaran and his gang — Avadhi Lanka

Speaking to a group of Avadhi Lanka activists recently, Champika Ranawake, the national organizer of the National Movement against Terrorism declared that their organisation is not all opposed to the Tamil people. "They are citizens of this country and are our own people," he said. "Our fight is against Prabhakaran and his gang of terrorists who have to be fought and defeated," Ranawake emphasised.

Thousands of Tamil people have taken up residence in Colombo and its surrounding areas because the terrorists have made it impossible for them to live in the region which they consider their traditional homeland. These innocent Tamil people feel safe only among the Sinhalese.

The government has done nothing to educate the Tamil people who live in a closed society unlike the Sinhala people and those belonging to other ethnic groups, that their real enemy is Prabhakaran and his terrorists who seek to impose their will on them and create a separate state.

Terrorism cannot be fought by the armed forces alone. To defeat terrorism the entire country has to be mobilised through a national awakening movement and this the government has failed to do.

The ultimate aim of Prabhakaran is to make this island a part of India. That is why the fight against terrorism has to be fought at all levels, Ranawake added.

Overloading in buses despite fare hike

Overloading is continuing unabated despite the recent 25% fare hike which prohibits the breed of airconditioned intercity buses from carrying passengers in excess, the Officer-in-Charge of Colombo City Traffic said.

‘It’s a sad situation as there is no effective traffic policing outside city limits’, Inspector N. K. Seneviratne said.

City Traffic police have made several detections of overloading even after the fare revision came into effect, but these private busmen are so insidious that they start taking in ‘standing passengers’ after they skip city limits, OIC Seneviratne said.

Passengers pay more for a comfortable ride. It’s unfair to accommodate people in a hurry who will even opt to travel atop the roof of a lorry, at the expense of commuters who look forward to a relaxed journey, he explained.

‘According to complaints, especially at Kirulapone and Kohuwala they overload to such an unacceptable extent that passengers are transported like cattle in these intercity buses’, he said.

Describing most of these private bus operators as an uncouth lot, OIC Seneviratne said that his men show no mercy and wrong-doers are adequately dealt with in accordance with the law.

Reports speak of insufficient traffic policing outside city limits leading to a free-run by these private busmen who jacked up fares by as much as 25%, but continue to overload in gross violation of the law.

Seneviratne said that under the law any police officer can make a traffic detection and not necessarily policemen attached to traffic divisions. — (Suresh)

Shell to tap solar energy

Shell International Renewables, entered the renewable energy market in Sri Lanka, with the acquisition of Solar Power & Light Col. Ltd., a local company that has been selling solar systems for over ten years. Shell Renewables is one of "Shell Global" core businesses which was set up with an investment of US$ 500 million to develop new sources of energy globally. Shell believes that renewable energy will play a significant roll in the world’s energy requirement.

The Company will be called Shell Renewables Lanka Ltd and its activities will complement the government initiative to provide electricity to rural homes not served by grid electricity. The World Bank assisted "Energy Services Delivery Project" of the Government, has targeted thirty thousand unelectrified rural homes in Sri Lanka.

Pradip Jayewa-rdene, Managing Director, Shell Renewables Lanka Ltd, said that the Shell Solar Home System is a reliable, low maintenance system which will meet the electricity requirement of rural homes.

Mr. Idris Jala, Country Chairman for the Shell Companies in Sri Lanka said "This entry is evidence of Shell’s confidence in Sri Lanka and it goes hand in hand with the Government initiative to provide electricity islandwide using abundantly available renewable sources such as Solar Energy."

Ravi K. writes to President about lawlessness in Kotte

Mr. Ravi Karunanayake, MP, has written to President Chandrika Kumaratunga about the deteriorating security situation at Kotte where there have been 11 killings in September alone.

Itemising the killings, attacks on media personnel in the Kotte area since 1995 (there have been 5 such incidents), armed break-ins and the presence of armed gangs loitering in the area, the MP has called for an immediate investigation. He has alleged that the culprits "seem to be having the blessings of a few well connected persons in very high privileged positions."

Karunanayake, a Lalith Front national list MP who is nursing the Kotte electorate, says that the area had been at the receiving end "of a lot of mysterious deaths, intimidation and violent attacks," over the last couple of months.

"Most of them occur during broad daylight and to date no arrests have been made for such unfortunate incidences," he has told the President.

Listing the September killings at Delkanda and Rajagiriya where 6 people and 3 people were killed in two incidents and two other murders along the Nawala-Narahenpita Road and at Pita Kotte, Karunanayake makes the point that the common factor was that all these crimes came under the Mirihana police station.

In addition to the September murders, he has also drawn attention to attacks on media personnel in the area since 1995 and also armed attacked, loitering of armed gangs in the area. The latest such incident was on September 10 when a group of armed persons with walkie talkies had been seen loitering around Danduwa along the Parliamentary State Drive.

The MP has made no allegations against the police saying that they have done their best but faced many obstacles including political pressure. He said that it is necessary to investigate whether these incidents have resulted by "design or by default."

Karunanayake has asked that if this kind of lawlessness is evident in the capital city of the country (Sri Jayawardanapura), how would law and order be properly maintained in remote areas?

The incidents Karunanayake has listed are as follows:

Attacks on civilian life (1) Six people brutally killed in a vehicle at Delkanda on 25.9.99. (2) Three people killed at Rajagiriya on 23.9.99. (3) Mr. Rodney Bertram Dias killed along Nawala/Narahenpita Road on 11.9.99.

Attacks on media personnel (1) Mr. Lasantha Wickra-matunga was attacked on 6.2.95. (2) Mr. Iqbal Athas was attacked in November 1997. (3) Mr. Lasantha Wickram-atunga was attacked on 17.6.99. (4) Mr. Sri Lal of Lakbima was kidnapped and attacked in 1999. (5) Mr. Rohana Kumara, Editor Satana was killed on 7.9.99.

Fully armed personnel breaking into places or loitering around places (1) A gang of 4 people fully armed broke into a shop at Pelwatta Junction and robbed money at 1730 on 6.8.99. (2) A similar thing occurred at a jewellery shop at Pelwatte on 8.8.99 (3) Armed personnel with walkie-talkies were loitering around Danduwa along Parliamentary State Drive.

LTTE infiltrators caught

By Kalinga Weerakkody
Police have captured two key LTTE infiltrators in Vavuniya who were responsible for a spate of attacks on transformers and other government property in the region.

The two men who had sneaked into Vavuniya under the guise of social workers, are now under interrogation, police said.

Police investigations had revealed that some LTTE cadres had been deployed under the supervision of the arrested duo and their mission was to supply information on VIP and troop movements.

Vavuniya SSP Brian Amunugama said that more information on the two men in police custody cannot be divulged as it would hamper ongoing investigations.

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