A helping hand

LP Ariyawathie is back at her at her village and recovering thanks to the care of family and well wishers after a successful surgery which removed nails from various parts of her body.

G.L briefs monks

External Affairs Minister G. L Peiris briefed the chief incumbents of the Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters in Kandy today on the proposed 18th amendment to the constitution which will be debated in Parliament this week.


The Minister told the monks that the opposition was giving the wrong impression about the constitutional amendments especially on the extension of the President’s term.

Meanwhile the opposition UNP also briefed the chief incumbents of the Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters today on why they are opposing the 18th amendment to the constitution. (Daily Mirror online)

Schools reopen tomorrow

Schools will reopen for the third term tomorrow. Schools used as GCE A/L and Grade Five scholarship paper marking centres will not reopen tomorrow, Education Ministry, sources said.


The third term for Muslim schools will commence on September 13. The marking of A/L papers will begin under three stages in 46 schools islandwide. Stage one and Grade 5 scholarship examination evaluation centres will start on September 13.

Schools used for the second stage will start on September 20 and third stage will start on September 27.

No resolution against 18th amendment - OPA

The Organization of Professional Associations (OPA) Vice President Methsiri Cooray yesterday said, an article involving their Organization which appeared in a weekend newspaper, under the heading “OPA expresses deep concerns on 18th Amendment,” is highly misleading .


Cooray said, there had been no such resolution reached by the OPA Executive Committee and their members on the 18th Amendment to express its “deep” concerns about it.

The statements in the article do not represent the OPA , save a resolution by it . The statements in the article is said to have been issued by the OPA General Secretary.

But OPA press statements can be issued only by the OPA President and that is in accordance with decisions and directions of the OPA Executive Committee(Article 8.1.C of the OPA Constitution) The statement in the article is incorrect and misleading,” he said.

There was neither meetings nor discussions by the Executive Committee of the OPA on the subject concerned. Hence there was no ground for a resolution, he explained.

The General Secretary’s action in assigning and issuing a press statement is unconstitutional and irregular, he pointed out.

Ranjan quizzed over fraud

United National Party Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake gave a statement to the Katugasthota Police yesterday over an incident involving financial fraud. Ramanayake had allegedly obtained Rs one million from a schoolteacher promising her that he would marry her.


The Minor Complaints Unit OIC Chief Inspector Jayantha Samarakoon recorded the statement from MP Ramanayake for about one hour.

Kandy Special Crime Investigation Unit has forwarded details regarding this incident to the Kandy Magistrate’s Court.

Accordingly, the police has produced several receipts and bills paid by the teacher on behalf of Ramanayake to Courts such as mobile and fixed line telephone bills, a receipt issued by the State Mortgage Bank for paying housing loan installments, and a receipt issued for repairing a vehicle.

The case will be taken up on February 2, 2011. Further inquiries are being carried out.

Constitutional reforms to enable rapid development - Minister Wimal Weerawansa

The Government will amend the Constitution to fulfil the aspirations of the people through social transformation and sustainable development, said Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa inaugurating the second phase of the Nagamu Puravara program in and around Colombo. The inauguration coincided with the World Habitat Day held on August 28 at Navagampura housing scheme of Baseline Road, Colombo.


Theme for the World Habitat Day this year 2010 was “Better City - Better Life”. To coincide with World Habitat Day 170 renovation programs of 70 housing schemes in Colombo city have been implemented to uplift infrastructure facilities of housing schemes. The overall cost for these programs were estimated at Rs 35 million.

The amendment to the Sri Lanka Constitution will be made under three phases shortly to enable to expedite development process under peaceful atmosphere after the end of 30 years prolong conflict of this country, the Minister said.

“Today, unauthorized constructions are the main problem in urban development activities. Under the guidance of the President a systematic development program is being implemented in urban areas. In parallel to these development activities, settlement development programs will also be implemented systematically. The unauthorized constructions will be dismantled to streamline the systematic development of the settlements with the intention of providing better living conditions in a hygienic and eco-friendly environment,” he said.

JAFFNA round UP

Motorcyclist dies


A motorcyclist killed on the spot when van and a motorcycle collided at Neervely Raja Veethy. The motorcyclist was identified as Nimalan (25) of Analathivu. The pillion rider was seriously injured and admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

Dharmalingam death anniversary

The 25th death anniversary of former Federal Party Parliamentarian V Dharmalingam who represented the Uduvil constituency was observed at Thavady by his son Siddarthan (Former MP) and the Federal Party supporters in Thavady, Manipay and Uduvil.

Late Dharmalingam was shot dead at Thavady and a monument has been erected in his memory at Thavady. The 25th death anniversary was held at the Dharmalingam Memorial site.

ACGSS to adopt orphaned children

The All Ceylon Gandhi Seva Sangam (ACGSS) will to adopt who have lost their parents during the ethnic conflict, the Society’s President R Vadivelu said as a preliminary step they have decided to seek legal approval for the maintenance of the orphans. Secondly they will select benevolent persons who are really interested in helping to maintain these children. With the Court approval the children will be maintained in our homes with their finance. The Gandhi Seva Sangam has homes for the maintenance of orphans at Uruthirapuram and Kilinochchi.

Drama depicting Mother Theresa staged

Mother Theresa’s full life history has been written as a drama and staged at Karaveddi in Point Pedro to commemorate her centenary year under the patronage of Rev Fr Paul, Parish Priest, Karaveddi.

This is the first time that the autobiography of a Holy Mother has been staged as a drama in Vadamaradchy. Hundreds of people of all faiths converged at St. Anthony’s Church, Karaveddi to witness the Holy Mother’s sacrificial offers to the poor and destitutes wallowing in the slums of Calcutta.

State hospital price lists on display soon

The Health Ministry will display the price lists and expenses of treatments available at State hospitals. The main intention of this is to make the people aware of the money the Government spends on free health services, a Ministry spokesman said. State hospitals treat people free of charge and offer treatment from minor injury to open heart surgery. Some injections required by cancer patients cost the state over Rs 300,000. Drugs used for cancer patients generally cost over Rs 50,000.


The public is unaware how much the State spends for their treatment, he said.

MEP fully supports Constitutional reforms - Minister Gunawardena

The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna will give its full support to the approval of the 18th Constitutional Amendments. The 18th Constitutional Amendments will be approved with over 160 votes, said Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) Leader Dinesh Gunawardena. The Minister was addressing a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo yesterday.


The MEP has three members in Parliament.

Minister Guanwardena the people have the opportunity to voice their opinion according to the 18th Amendment.

“This would strengthen democracy and accelerate development programs in the country,” he said.

He said, a new five members Constitutional Council will be approved under this amendment. The new Constitutional Council will be represented by the Prime Minister, The Speaker, Opposition Leader and two Members of Parliament.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the only President who has agreed to be present in Parliament once in three months. The new amendment will build a good connection between the President and Parliament, he said.

“We will never use power in a negative way,” he said.

Locally produced BTI will save millions

The locally produced BTI bacteria to eradicate dengue menace has proved successful. The Health Ministry will not need to import BTI bacteria in the future. This will enable the Government to save millions of rupees, Health Ministry sources said.


The Health Ministry’s National Anti- Malaria and Anti-Dengue Program Director Dr Sarath Deniyage said tests conducted by the Health Ministry on locally manufactured BTI bacteria on dengue mosquito larvae were successful. The tests were conducted in Peliyagoda and Mattakkuliya last week in a pilot project by the Health Ministry.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena participated by initiating the the use of locally produced larvicide BTI at a State Engineering Corporation workshop premises in Peliyagoda.

“The locally made BTI bacteria demonstrated that it can quickly and effectively kill larvae of dengue transmitting mosquitoes ,” he said. Bio Power Lanka has produced the bacteria.

The company was contracted by the Industrial Technology Institute to produce the bacteria. It is licenced to produce the bacteria for five years.

Asked if this would mean that the Government would not import BTI bacteria from Cuba as it was planning , Dr Deniyage said the Health Ministry has already placed an order with the Cuban government to import 10 000 litres of BTI bacteria .

The Cuban order was placed spending over Rs 30 million. This was before the advent of a local manufacturer to produce the bacteria, Dr Deniyage explained and added that the stocks of Cuban made BTI bacteria is expected to arrive in the country before the end of September. “Cuban made bacteria too will be used to combat the epidemic,” he said . ”However it will not be necessary to import Cuban made BTI in the future,” he said.

Asked if the local manufacturer could produce required amounts of bacteria to fight dengue menace at epidemic levels, Dr Deniyage said the company had said they have enough bacteria to meet the local demand.

They have already provided the Ministry with 5,000 litres of bacteria. The Bio Power Lanka said they have 10,000 litres of BTI in stocks.

Meanwhile, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr Pradeep Kariyawasam said they are happy to purchase the locally made BTI bacteria if the bacteria is proven successful.
Kariyawasam said, the CMC spends about Rs 3 million to import BTI bacteria. And they will also be able to save a million or two with the availability of locally produced BTI bacteria.

”We await a report from the Health Ministry about results of their tests conducted on locally produced BTI on dengue mosquito larvae,” he added. (Daily News)

Proposed Constitutional reforms: Asgiri Nayake Thera bestows blessings

*Constitution should not bar popular mandate


*Opposition should also support reforms

A leader loved by the people and sincerely committed to the welfare of the country should have the opportunity to rule the country without any legal constraints as long as the people desire so, said Asgiri Mahanayake Most Ven Udugama Sri Buddharakkhita Thera when he met External Affairs Minister Prof G L Pieris.

The Minister was on a mission to brief the Mahanayake Theras on the proposed Constitutional reforms.

“The country must have a stable ruler with necessary powers. There should be no term limits for a leader who loves the people and contributes to the country’s development. If the people demand his leadership without rejecting him, it is wrong to impose constraints on his rule,” the Mahanayake Thera said. He also said that the proposed reforms are being brought not for the President’s personal gain but for the benefit of the country. As such other groups also should support his endeavour, the Nayake Thera added.

“Through the amendment there won’t be any extension of the duration of the Presidency because the people would be free to elect anyone of their choice. If someone else gets elected he also could stay in office as long as the people wish.”

The Maha Nayake Thera also called on the Opposition to support the reforms as they are beneficial.

There is a huge development drive in the country and it should not be interrupted, he said.

“That is why our blessing are for the reforms,” the Nayake Thera said.

External Affairs Minister Prof Peiris also met Malwathu Mahanayake Most Ven Tibbotuwawe Sri Sidhartha Sumangala Thera. He handed over a document containing a summary of the proposed reforms to both Mahanayake Theras.

He explained how investments have started to flow in and a great development has taken place in the country since the end of terrorism.
For uninterrupted progress of economic development a stable leadership is required, he said. In his opinion the proposed reforms extend the scope of universal suffrage and reinforce democracy.

It is the people who will decide whether the incumbent President wins or loses, he said.

The Minister further said, “in the present circumstances the President as Commander in Chief has the power to give necessary directives with regard the Constitution with respect to the Armed Forces.

However with respect to police, this power has been devolved through the independent commissions.

The proposed reforms intend to confer undevolved power to the President with respect to the police too.”

Tamil migrants make risky deals to flee Sri Lanka

The hundreds of Tamil migrants who travelled across oceans on rickety boats to come to Canada faced danger at every turn. They left their homeland, cut deals with dangerous people and put their lives at risk.

David Poopalapillai, the national spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress, said his organization routinely hears from Tamils who have been burned trying to get out of Sri Lanka.

Recently he spoke with a woman who was calling from Malaysia. She had survived an episode at sea where a boat capsized and eight migrants died.
"Many times they are being fooled, many times they die," Poopalapillai told CTV.ca in a telephone interview from Vancouver.

Even those who arrived by boat in British Columbia last month were not guaranteed of their safety: A 37-year-old man died en route to Canada and his body was buried at sea.

Yet a recent report in the Globe and Mail reveals that dozens more Tamil migrants are stationed in hotel rooms in Thailand, waiting for their own chance to head for Canada.

These migrants are gambling that it is better to try to land in Canada than it is to end up in India and Malaysia -- or other countries that have not signed the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention -- where the process can drag on for years.

Migrants who land in one of these countries can stay in limbo "for the rest of their lifetime," said Poopalapillai, with faint chance of their refugee cases being resolved. Canada adheres to the refugee convention, which obliges Ottawa to take in the people who land on Canadian soil seeking asylum.

It also puts these refugees at the front of the line, which critics say leaves Canada's refugee system ripe for abuse -- including by human smugglers.

"Human smuggling is a despicable crime and any attempts to abuse Canada's generosity for financial gain are utterly unacceptable," Christopher McCluskey, a spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, told CTV.ca in a recent email.

"We will toughen our laws to ensure that we are able to maintain our borders and defeat human smuggling."
A different kind of travel agent Some people would call them smugglers, but the Tamil migrants call them agents.

These "agents" can help spring a person from Sri Lanka by helping them to reach foreign soil through deception, bribery and other tactics.

Sometimes their clients stay in hotel rooms in Thailand, in other cases the migrants could be sitting in a jungle for days, while the smugglers wait for the perfect moment to make them disappear.

Poopalapillai said the migrants don't like to talk much about the agents, nor the methods they use to take them where they want to go.

Such agents arranged for the MV Sun Sea to arrive in B.C. last month, as well as for the Ocean Lady to land there the previous fall.

But a chance at a new life doesn't come cheap. Sun Sea passengers are reported to have paid up to $50,000 each to come to Canada. An Ocean Lady passenger told CTV British Columbia last month that he paid $44,000 for his own voyage.
Sanjeev Kuhendrarajah, a 28-year-old Tamil and former Canadian resident who had an opportunity to ride on the Sun Sea, told CTV.ca in a telephone interview that the cost can vary depending on the deal worked out with an agent.

But $50,000 would be the maximum that a migrant would pay.

"This is Asia, where money talks," said Kuhendrarajah, who rode on a similar boat that was headed for Australia last year. But Kuhendrarajah, who is now hiding in a location he wants to keep private, insisted that the agents "won't just take anybody."

He said the people who made the trip to Canada paid a lump sum up front and will pay the rest later. The smugglers take the down-payment "so they can cover their costs," including a variety of bribes and operational expenses. It's a process that is powered by "a bit of human nature and a bit of greed," which can net the smugglers some major money, Kuhendrarajah said.

Friends and family who live outside of Sri Lanka -- including in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States -- will have vouched that the migrants are good for the money they have promised.

And that's where the money comes from: friends and family abroad who can afford to send funds back to Sri Lanka.

Poopalapillai said the million-plus Sri Lankan Tamils who live outside their former homeland are often asked for help from relatives who remain in the country. They give back because they feel guilty about the good lives they are living away from the problems in Sri Lanka, he said. "The people chip in, it's like a collection," Poopalapillai said.

Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Canada, Chitranganee Wagiswara, points to the fact that the UN recently declared that conditions have "greatly improved" for Tamils in Sri Lanka since the end of the war.

But 16 months after the conflict's end, Wagiswara confirms that nearly 30,000 Tamils are still stuck in camps, unable to return home for various reasons. Destination unknown When Tamil migrants pay the agents and a voyage is confirmed, there is still a lot of unpredictability ahead. Kuhendrarajah, who spent much of his youth in Canada but was later deported back to Sri Lanka following a criminal conviction, said migrants don't necessarily know when they will be leaving or where they will end up.

In the case of the Sun Sea, for example, he "never knew the boat would actually make it to Canada" when he was offered a spot. That contradicts the official story from Ottawa, which is that the Sun Sea set out on a very precise course for Canada from Day One. As Toews told reporters in Halifax this week, the Sun Sea "was not simply a tramp steamer wandering around Southeast Asia and picked up 492 people. This was a very well organized and co-ordinated effort. "Individuals were not picked up, for example, on the shores of Sri Lanka and then they wandered around Southeast Asia for a number of months," he added. "This was a boat…that was specifically outfitted for a long journey and the only destination of that particular ship was Canada. It was a very deliberate journey to Canada."

Then there is the business of how the Sun Sea became the Sun Sea. The ship was previously known as the Harin Panich 19, which was owned by a Thai shipping company until the end of March. That's when Harin Group -- the company that used to own the Harin Panich 19 -- used a third-party to sell the cargo ship to another company, which goes by the name of Sun & Rshiya. The Globe and Mail has reported Sun & Rshiya paid about $175,000 Canadian for the Sun Sea.

The ship's flag and nationality were changed the day after the sale. Four-and-a-half months later, the ship arrived in Canada packed with nearly 500 Tamil migrants. "We have not been in contact with the new owner or the vessel itself after it was sold and only found out through the news that she was (used) by illegal immigrants to enter Canada illegally and we are deeply saddened by these (sic) news," the Harin Group told CTV.ca in an email.

Both the Canadian government and the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada have warned that the Sun Sea may have carried members of the Tamil Tigers -- the banned terrorist group that the Sri Lankan government alleges was involved with arranging the Sun Sea's voyage.

Wagiswara said the Tamil migrants who boarded the Sun Sea were likely granted tourist visas to Thailand where they would have stayed before departing for Canada. Asked if Thailand needs to do more to prevent the smuggling of Tamil migrants, Wagiswara said the key is having cooperation between governments.

"It's not an easy task and there needs to be a lot of international cooperation amongst many countries," said Wagiswara, noting that Sri Lanka maintains a dialogue with governments throughout Southeast Asia.

Watching the journeys of the Ocean Lady and the Sun Sea from afar, Kuhendrarajah said their passengers have landed in a good place. "Canada is a good place for refugees," he said.

But the individual migrants who arrived in B.C. on the Ocean Lady and Sun Sea are still not guaranteed to stay, as that will depend on whether their refugee claims are approved. The Canadian government says they are being processed according to the terms of Canadian law. (CTV )

UNP’s Madduma Bandara Undecided

UNP Moneragala District parliamentarian Ranjith Madduma Bandara says his decision on the constitutional amendments would depend on the wishes of those who voted for him at the last general election.


Madduma Bandara has told the media that his decision on whether or not to support the constitutional amendments in parliament this week depended on his supporters.

He has said that he would have to listen to his voters, as they had voted for him even after the UNP had requested the people in Moneragala not to vote for him. (The Sunday Leader)

Mervyn Back In Action

Former Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva has said today (5) that he was still the SLFP organizer for the Kelaniya area and that he never tied a Samurdhi official to a tree.


Silva has observed that he not worried about ministerial portfolios as he was still an organizer and a member of parliament, hence would continue to serve the people in the Gampaha District.

Silva has told the Kelaniya Balamandalaya and Gampaha District Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) organizers at the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha office that no one can destroy his Sinhala Buddhist principles.

The local media has reported that UNP Mayor of the Peliyagoda Municipal Council Ananda Munasinghe had obtained his SLFP membership from Silva during the meeting this morning.

Responding to a question posed by an electronic media insitution at the event about the incident where he had allegedly tied a Samurdhi official to a tree, Silva had said he did not tie anyone to a tree.
Silva had said the Samurdhi official had volunteered to be tied as an example to truant officials and that Councilor Dias had carried out his wishes.

“I ordered him to be untied and took the rope. That is what happened,” Silva had reportedly said.

Responding to another question, Silva had said he was still the SLFP organizer for the area and if not, General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena would not have permitted him to convene a party meeting like the one he was attended at the time. (The Sunday Leader)

UNP MPs Threaten To Quit The Party

UNP members who have said they would vote in favor of the constitutional amendments in parliament this week have warned they would join the government if disciplinary action is taken against them.


The UNP yesterday (4) said the party would take disciplinary action against UNP MPs who vote with the government on the constitutional amendments following a deicison arrived at by the Working Committee last week.

The Working Committee has decided to remove any UNP MP who votes in favor of the constitutional amendments.

UNP parliamentarian Earl Gunasekera has been quoted in the media saying today that the decision by several UNP members to support the government by voting in favor of the constitutional amendments was part of the democracy within the party.

He has said that action should be taken against UNP deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya for joining the government during the war and later rejoining the UNP, if the party is to take disciplinary actions against the MPs who vote for the constitutional amendments.

Gunasekera has warned that the UNP members who have decided to vote with the government for the constitutional amendments will not hesitate to join the government if the UNP attempts to take against them.

Four UNP MPs Abdul Cader, Earl Gunasekara, Lakshman Seneviratne and Manusha Nanayakkara have said they would vote in favor of the constitutional amendments. (The Sunday Leader)