News

Sri Lankan sailor rescued off Jazan, Saudi

2010-12-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

Saudi Border Guards in Jazan have rescued a Sri Lankan sailor after they received information from the captain of a ship that he was injured during his journey from Spain to Malaysia.

Maj. Gen. Zameem Al-Sawat, director of the Border Guards in this southern province, said the rescue operation took place on Friday.

Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Al-Ayedi, commander of Border Guards in Jazan instructed Col. Yahya Jabari, commander of marine units, to save the injured sailor who had lost some of his fingers. Measures have been taken to provide the sailor with necessary medical care before sending him to his country, in accordance with international regulations.

Maj. Gen. Al-Ayedi, who followed the rescue operation, noted the role of marine patrol officers in protecting security and providing guidance and other assistance to sailors, Arab News reports.

Sri Lanka seeks $2.7 bln post-war tourism investment

2010-12-03T19:35:00.001-08:00

Sri Lanka aims to attract $2.7 billion in investments to upgrade its post-war tourism capacity, with the goal of growing revenue by more than 700 percent by 2016, the state-run tourism board chief said on Friday.

Since the end of a 25-year war in May 2009, the Indian Ocean island nation’s tourism industry has been surging with arrivals in the first 10 months climbing near a new peak and revenue reaching a record of $437.9 million.

The teardrop-shaped island off India’s southern tip still attracted tourists during the war with the Tamil Tiger separatists, which ended in May 2009, but the long conflict cut investment into a sector that even now is straining its capacity.

“We need about 50,000 rooms to cater to 2.5 million tourists. Right now, Sri Lanka has only 14,000,” Nalaka Godahewa, the head of Sri Lanka Tourism Authority, told Reuters in an interview.

Godahewa said the country needs investment of up to 300 billion rupees ($2.7 billion) to construct around 30,000 high-quality rooms in the next five years. The size of investment will determine the tax concession on offer, he said.

The government’s goal is to attract 2.5 million tourists and $2.5 billion in revenue from them annually by 2016.

“The main bottleneck is the capacity. At the moment, the focus is on infrastructure, which is happening and will happen quite aggressively in 2011,” Godahewa said.

The Colombo Stock Exchange’s .CSE hotel and travel index .CSEHT has outperformed the overall market, gaining 290 percent since the end of the war against the 243 percent rise in the wider bourse, which is Asia’s best performer this year and last.

‘VIRGIN TERRITORY’

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government has made tourism’s revival a core of his plans to renew Sri Lanka, which for decades was a prime destination because of its abundant beaches, wildlife, ancient temples and misty green hills.

But its hotels and quality of service, neither what they once were before the war, now have to compete with the nearby Maldives, where remote atolls attract people to $1,000-a-night rooms, and other Asian destinations like Thailand and India.

Godahewa forecasts 700,000 arrivals and $1 billion in revenue in 2011 against the expected 600,000 and $590 million this year. The key will be raising the average daily spend of tourists to $125 from the current $80, Reuters.

SLMC MP Mashoor passes away

2010-12-01T19:37:00.001-08:00

SLMC Vanni District MP Noordeen Mashoor had passed away this morning due to a heart attack, SLMC General Secretary Hassan Ali told Ada Derana a short while ago.

Lanka hires PR firm for 2018 Commonwealth Bid

2010-11-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka issued a statement saying it has hired a public relations firm to advise in its bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games in southern Hambantota. The public relations firm of Bell Pottinger and other units of Chime Communications marketing group will act as advisers to Sri Lanka’s bid.

Central Bank Governor Ajith Cabraal said in the statement, “the appointment of this advisory team reinforces how important the 2018 bid is to Sri Lanka”.

Cabraal heads a government organizing committee for the country’s 2018 bid.

The team includes Populous, (formerly HOK Sport) a sports architect and major event specialist now working on the Sochi 2014 Games and is the official architectural and overlay design services provider to the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Games Bids reports.

Wikileaks confirms that US led the international op. against Lanka – Wimal

2010-11-29T19:26:00.001-08:00

This is what we said from the start, Construction and Housing Ministers Wimal Weerawansa told Ada Derana regarding the Wikileaks documents on Sri Lanka. He added that this substantiates the fact that it was the US that led the International operation against Sri Lanka. They wanted to isolate us internationally, Wimal claimed.

Weerawansa went on to state that because Sri Lanka did not follow US orders, they wanted to defeat the government and appoint those in favour with them. This confirms what we’ve been trying to say from the beginning, he reiterated.

When contacted the Spokesman for the Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry Bandula Jayasekara said that he ‘cannot comment’ on the matter.

Daughter of shopkeeper, sees him being killed on CCTV during robbery

2010-11-28T19:59:00.001-08:00

Officers outside Select Convenience Store in Kingstanding, Birmingham, last night where the shopkeeper was stabbed. He was pronounced dead at the scene

The teenage daughter of a Lankan born shopkeeper in UK stabbed to death during a suspected robbery watched in horror as the attack was shown on CCTV in the family’s flat upstairs.

She saw attackers armed with a knife try to grab cash from the till, and called the police.
The 48-year-old shop owner was found dead with three stab wounds. Another shop worker suffered head injuries and is recovering in hospital.

Saturday evening’s attack came as leaked documents suggested a Tory pledge to jail thousands of knife thugs would be ditched. The move risks a public outcry over offenders escaping prison with a community punishment instead.

The victim was Suppiah Tharmaseelan who ran the Select Convenience Store in Kingstanding, Birmingham.

He and his 34-year-old wife Sangeetha had lived above the shop with their two sons and daughter, who is thought to be 15, for about a year. The family are originally from Sri Lanka.

Officers were called to the shop, also known as Haresh’s Superstore, at 9.50pm on Saturday.

Abid Hussain, 40, who owns a takeaway next door, said Mr Tharmaseelan was a hard-working family man who had never experienced trouble before.
‘The family told me that a few people came inside and that they wanted money and they tried to get it from the till,’ he said.

‘They had a knife and the family said his daughter witnessed the whole thing and called the police.

‘His wife had been in France visiting family and her relatives told her to come back because her husband had been injured. They did not want to tell her he had died because they didn’t want to panic her.’

Mr Hussain added: ‘I saw him just hours before he died and he was very happy serving customers and he told me his business was going well.

‘I can’t believe that he is no longer in this world over just a few hundred pounds.

‘He’d never had trouble before. There are kids who hang around here, but you let them get on with it and you don’t say anything and it’s fine.’ West Midlands police said Mr Tharmaseelan had been found with stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A spokesman said four men were seen running from the shop following the stabbing.

The spokesman added: ‘At this stage the motive for the attack seems to be a robbery.’
Witnesses said that two people were captured on a nearby shop’s CCTV running from the store and into a waiting car.

Mr Hussain added: ‘A police officer told me he was stabbed three times and he was dead on the spot.

‘This is society now, it can happen anywhere.’
He said those who owned shops on the same parade were now very cautious and had asked the police for reassurance.

Police said a post mortem examination would be carried out in ‘due course’, adding that officers would be carrying out extra patrols in the area throughout the day ‘to reassure the community’.

A man and a woman, both in their twenties, from the Sutton Coldfield area, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

dailymail.co.uk

Lanka to approach baby’s parents for Rizana’s pardon

2010-11-26T20:21:00.001-08:00

A Cabinet minister from Sri Lanka said he would visit Riyadh shortly to seek a pardon from the parents of the four-month old infant that Rizana Nafeek was found guilty of murdering by a Saudi court. Nafeek has been sentenced to death.

“I am planning to come to the Kingdom to personally make an appeal to the father of deceased infant, Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al-Otaibi, to pardon the convicted maid on humanitarian grounds,” Sri Lankan Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen told Arab News on Wednesday.

The minister said the Sri Lankan government respects the judicial decision and it is also in sympathy with the bereaved family. However, he added that the government thought it would be appropriate at this juncture to make a final appeal to the aggrieved parents whose decision could change the fate of the Lankan maid who had come to the Kingdom in 2005 as a minor with a fake birthdate on her passport saying she was of legal age to work in Saudi Arabia. Hired as a maid, Nafeek was given nanny duties and claims the newborn she was given to take care of choked to death during bottle-feeding during her second week on the job. The parent alleged she murdered the child and a local court found her guilty. The Supreme Court later upheld this verdict.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa made an appeal to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah requesting clemency for Nafeek.

“Nafeek’s case has generated a lot of sympathy from Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities in Sri Lanka. They are conducting special prayers to invoke the blessings of God to rescue the maid from the executioner,” the minister said, adding that his ministry officials are in touch with Nafeek’s parents in her hometown of Muttur to console them in their distress.

Bathiudeen is positive that the Saudi parents would consider a pardon in favor of Nafeek. “It is divine to pardon,” he said.

The Supreme Court in Riyadh upheld the death sentence given by a three-judge panel at the Dawadami High Court on June 16, 2007. According to the verdict, Rizana murdered the infant when she was asked to bottle-feed the baby by the sponsor’s wife.

“We have no serious labor problems among (Lankan workers in Saudi Arabia),” Bathiudeen noted, saying that a few sporadic problems are only from a fraction of the whole Lankan population in the Kingdom.

Basil Fernando, director of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), which has been active in this case, said his organization had sent an appeal to all foreign missions based in the Kingdom to exercise their influence to negotiate a pardon from the parents.

“We are trying all avenues to save the life of this girl,” he said. “I am sure the parents will show mercy on this girl, who was only 17 when the incident took place.”

It is illegal for a foreign resident under the age of 18 to work in the Kingdom. It is believed that a facilitator in Sri Lanka forged Nafeek’s age in order to send her to the Kingdom as a housemaid who was then given nanny duties by her employers. Nafeek’s passport stated her date of birth as Feb. 2, 1982. The certified copy of her birth certificate indicates her actual date of birth as Feb. 4, 1988. Respecting the Supreme Court’s final verdict, Fernando said he had the sought the United Nations intervention with the Saudi government to resolve the case. He said UN officials would take up this matter with the Saudi government’s Human Rights Commission to persuade the parents to consent for a pardon on humanitarian grounds, Arab News reports.

Prevent abuses against migrant domestic workers: A letter to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka

2010-11-24T19:10:00.000-08:00

Several Human Rights and Migrant Rights organizations have written a joint letter to the Governments of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka appealing them to take comprehensive measures to ensure that migrant worker abuse is curbed

To the Governments of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka,

In the wake of recent cases of alleged abuse against Indonesian and Sri Lankan migrant domestic workers employed in Saudi Arabia, we write to urge your governments to ensure a timely and comprehensive response to these individual cases and to implement systemic reforms to prevent such abuses in the future.

Since August 2010, three cases of migrant domestic workers suffering extensive physical injuries, and in one case, death, have surfaced. These include:

* Kikim Komalasari, a 36-year-old Indonesian domestic worker whose body was recovered in Abha this month with signs of extensive physical abuse.
* Sumiati Salan Mustapa, a 23-year-old Indonesian domestic worker who is currently in a hospital in Medina with burns and severe physical injuries.
* L.D. Ariyawathie, a 49-year-old Sri Lankan domestic worker who had 24 nails removed from her body upon returning to Sri Lanka in August 2010.

We acknowledge the steps your governments have taken thus far to provide health care to the survivors of alleged abuse, and to open criminal investigations in these cases.

While there are a few examples of Saudi courts convicting employers for abuse, we are concerned about the Saudi judicial system’s failure to provide consistent access for migrants to qualified translators and lawyers during legal proceedings. Restrictions and gaps in Saudi policies compound difficulties faced by migrants seeking justice, such as immigration rules that prohibit victims from working or moving around freely until the conclusion of criminal cases, which make it extremely difficult to stay in the country legally after employment has terminated. Migrant workers who have been abused also suffer because of the poor and overcrowded conditions in embassy shelters where victims usually stay, and threat of spurious counteraccusations by former employers.

For example, in 2008, a 28-year-old Indonesian domestic worker in Medina, Keni binti Carda, accused her employer of burning her repeatedly with a hot iron all over her body, prying her teeth out, and subjecting her to psychological abuse including murder threats. She was only able to report her allegations of abuse at the airport upon return to Indonesia. Almost one year passed before the Indonesian and Saudi governments were able to arrange for Keni binti Carda to return to Saudi Arabia and for criminal proceedings against her employer to begin. Since early 2009, she has been confined to the shelter at the Indonesian consulate in Jeddah along with her baby, unable to work or to resume her life in Indonesia while waiting for the court case to conclude.

In another case, Nour Miyati, an Indonesian domestic worker, sustained serious injuries and lost her fingers due to gangrene in 2005 after her employer locked her up, physically and verbally abused her, and deprived her of food. Her employers then filed a countercharge against Miyati for making false accusations, for which a court sentenced her to 79 lashes. Another court subsequently overturned her conviction, but then dropped the charges against her employer in 2008 despite strong evidence, including her employer’s confession and medical reports indicating physical abuse.

Complaints mechanisms that are weak and not easily accessible to migrant workers also mean that some cases are never reported. We are seriously concerned that many additional cases of abuse never reach authorities because domestic workers are isolated in private homes, unfamiliar about the ways and means of seeking help, isolated by language barriers, and subject to their employers’ ability to arrange their repatriation at will. As in the cases noted above, sometimes victims of abuse are only able to seek help when they return to their home countries.

Systemic reforms

Approximately 1.5 million migrant women, primarily from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, are employed as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. This work constitutes an important source of income for them and for their families in their home country, while meeting a strong demand for caregiving services in Saudi Arabia. Many domestic workers find good employers and have satisfactory experiences. However, deceptive recruitment practices in home countries, gaps in labor laws, and the consequences of Saudi Arabia’s kafala (sponsorship) system create conditions that facilitate abuse while providing victims little means of redress. Our organizations have documented abuses such as nonpayment of wages, forced confinement in the workplace, confiscation of passports, excessive work hours with little rest, physical and sexual abuse, and forced labor including trafficking.

The recruitment and placement of migrant domestic workers remains poorly regulated and monitored. In their home countries, recruitment brokers frequently give migrant domestic workers inadequate or misleading information about their future employment abroad, or charge them excessive recruitment fees. The burden of servicing exorbitant debts from recruitment fees can put pressure on migrant women not to report workplace abuses for fear of losing their jobs and income.

Under Saudi Arabia’skafala system, a migrant worker’s residency status is tied to her employer, who can repatriate her at will, and must grant explicit permission before the worker can transfer employment or leave the country. These policies give the employer immense control over the worker. Our organizations have documented numerous cases where these restrictions have contributed to workers getting trapped in abusive conditions. This system is practiced in many countries across the Middle East and elsewhere, but is increasingly facing well-justified attacks by government reformers, United Nations agencies, and human rights advocates who accuse it of fostering conditions of exploitation and abuse.

Another major problem is the government’s failure to date to amend the Saudi labor law to include domestic workers among the types of workers who receive legal protections. This lack of status for domestic workers increases the risk they may be subject to exploitative working conditions. In 2005, the government drafted an annex to the labor law that would extend certain protections to domestic workers, including a weekly rest day and annual leave. While the consultative Shura Council approved the annex in 2009, the Council of Ministers has not yet passed this legislation. Currently, domestic workers still have no legal provisions specifying their working hours, weekly rest or annual leave, or payment of salaries.

The Indonesian and Sri Lankan diplomatic missions in Riyadh and Jeddah play a critical role in providing services for victims, such as shelter and legal aid. However, they struggle to handle the high volume of complaints and require sufficient financial resources and staff. Domestic workers approaching the missions for help complain of long waiting periods with little information about their cases. In previous visits to those cities, Human Rights Watch found the shelters grossly overcrowded with unhygienic conditions

We recognize that the Saudi, Indonesian, and Sri Lankan governments have taken steps in recent years to start addressing protection of migrant domestic workers, such as pre-departure orientation programs and incremental labor and immigration reforms. We urge you to increase cooperation to better monitor recruitment practices, ensure provision of qualified translation services during legal proceedings, and provide comprehensive support services to survivors of abuse.

Recommendations to the Saudi Government:

* Cooperate with labor-sending countries to conduct investigations into cases of abuse in a timely manner; prosecute alleged perpetrators, including where appropriate under the anti-trafficking law; allow victims to return to their home countries before the trial and to be flown in or give video testimony when required; and seek both criminal penalties and financial compensation.
* Fulfill promises to reform or abolish the kafala system so that employers cannot summarily cause the repatriation of migrant workers, and so a worker does not require her or his employer’s consent to change jobs or obtain an exit visa to leave the country.
* Adopt the proposed annex to the labor law on domestic workers and ensure that it guarantees protections equal to those afforded to other workers, including a weekly day of rest where workers are free to leave the workplace.
* Conduct public awareness campaigns about domestic workers’ rights and provide complaints mechanisms geared to the needs of migrant domestic workers, including hotlines with staff who speak relevant languages and help desks at airports.
* Provide practical mechanisms to reduce domestic workers’ isolation, such as requiring provision of mobile phones and establishing community centers for domestic workers on their days off.

Recommendations to the Indonesian and Sri Lankan Governments:

* Coordinate between the relevant authorities to ensure legal representation for migrant workers already repatriated to Indonesia or Sri Lanka who have pending cases in Saudi Arabia.
* Improve services, including quality of shelters, legal aid, availability of counseling, and numbers of trained staff for migrant domestic workers at embassies and consular offices in Saudi Arabia.
* Improve regulation and monitoring of recruitment agencies and village-level brokers, with an emphasis on ensuring provision of accurate and enforceable employment contracts and ending the charging of illegal and excessive fees.

Anis Hidayah

Migrant Care

Jakarta, Indonesia

Nisha Varia

Human Rights Watch

New York City, United States

P. Samaranayaka

Migrant Services Center

Dehiwala, Sri Lanka

Viola Perera

Action Network for Migrant Workers (ACTFORM)

Colombo, Sri Lanka

2,689 families affected island-wide due to floods

2010-11-23T19:12:00.001-08:00

Due to showers last night 2,689 families island-wide have been affected, the Disaster Management Centre(DMC) said today. In the Puttalam District due to the overflowing of the Deduru Oya and the inundation of the nearby region, 1802 families(8963 persons) have been affected.

The DMC said that four IDP camps have been established in Chilaw and 719 families(3649 persons) have been displaced.

If I knew, I would have tried to correct him – President

2010-11-22T19:04:00.001-08:00

If I had known that Sarath Fonseka’s son-in-law was an arms dealer, I would have warned him or tried to correct him, President Rajapaksa told the Hindu in a candid interview published today.

When questioned on how the fact that the President knew Fonseka personally and his role as the President interact, he stated that it was a really difficult yet whether you are the Army Commander or not, if you do something wrong, you will have to face it.

An excerpt of the interview;

The other issue that is commented upon and criticised is the jailing and conviction of your former Army Commander, Sarath Fonseka. Neither he nor any member of his family has asked for a presidential pardon. Is it a political problem in Sri Lanka?

No, it’s not a political problem. The law is for all; everybody is equal before the law. Whatever wrong things they have done, they have to face it. People understand this. Some Opposition MPs, thinking they can use this as a platform to gain political advantage, are using his name. But I don’t think it’s a matter over which people are excited. They are not interested.

Neither the UNP nor even the JVP seems to have taken this up in a serious way.

No. When they want to say something or do something, they bring this up.

One is the rule of law and the President’s role. But there is also a personal side. He was your Army Commander, you knew him personally. How do these two sides interact?

Yes, it’s really difficult. But whether you are the Army Commander or not, if you do something wrong, you will have to face it. We never thought he was a man like that, we didn’t know. When he came forward as a candidate, somebody informed and said his son-in-law was an arms dealer. We never knew about this. He didn’t admit it either. He should have informed us. He sat as chairman of the tender board; no Army Commander had done that earlier. We made a man who was supposed to retire in a little while the Army Commander. If I had known that his son-in-law was an arms dealer, I would have warned him or tried to correct him.

I have a political solution in mind - President

2010-11-21T19:04:00.001-08:00

Confirming that he had a political solution to the Tamil question in mind and that discussions with political parties and the people would go ahead, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told The Hindu: “[On devolution] we must know the minds of the people… What we want is reconfirmation of what they want… The solution that I have in mind might not be good enough for them; they might not accept it. Not only the political parties, the people must accept it… We want to appoint a committee, from both sides, and discuss all these.” He indicated that elections to the Northern Provincial Council would take place in 2011.

In a wide-ranging interview given to me at ‘Temple Trees’ in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s powerful President, who began his second term on November 19, answered questions about the prospects of finding a political solution to the Tamil question, the resettlement of all the displaced Tamils in the North, the role of Opposition parties, his initiative for a trilingual Sri Lanka, the jailing and conviction of the former Army Commander, General Sarath Fonseka, and some other current political issues. He characterised bilateral relations with India as “excellent, after the war, and before the war ended.”

Mr. Rajapaksa noted that the principal achievement of his first term as President was the elimination of terrorism and delivery of peace to the people. For the second term, he emphasised that his aim was to “develop the country. After that, the priorities are the people whom we have to win over — the hearts and minds of the people. Now Sri Lanka is one country; it’s not divided. So what we want is to see that the whole nation gets all the benefits, not only one area, not only one community. To develop the economy so that all the people benefit.”

Expressing satisfaction over the process of resettling the 300,000 Tamils displaced by the war, he noted that of the 17,000 or 18,000 who had not yet returned to their areas, at least 10,000 were from areas that had to be de-mined. He expected that by December 2010, the government would be able to “send back everyone other than the people who wish to stay there [in the camps].”

Asked about the removal, through a constitutional amendment, of the two-term bar on holding presidential office, a move which has been criticised, he provided an interesting answer: he had observed that during the second year of the second term, leaders in various countries, including Sri Lanka, became “lame ducks”; he wasn’t going “to walk into that trap” and wanted to be “free from that [constraint].”

What was his message to the Sri Lankan people and to the international community at the start of his second presidential term? “The message to my people,” President Rajapaksa answered, “is that I am concentrating on development work. I want to make Sri Lanka a hub for the development of knowledge, energy, commerce, naval transportation, and aviation. To achieve that, our people must stay together…To the international community, my message is they must understand our position. We defeated terrorists, not freedom fighters. The whole world is facing this problem. So they must realise what we have achieved and help to develop the country, develop the North-East. They must help us not to widen the gap between the communities but to bring them closer. The past is past; you don’t dig into the wounds. We must think positively, not negatively.”

Polythene ban at botanical gardens

2010-11-19T20:34:00.001-08:00

The Ministry of Environment has decided to ban polythene within botanical gardens of Sri Lanka. The Ministry states that taking any sort of polythene product into botanical gardens causes immense damage to the environment.

It is reported that at some days about three tractor loads of polythene waste is being collected at the Peradeniya botanical gardens, and that a similar situations has risen at the Hakgala Gardens and others.

The Ministry of Environment expressed that the polythene ban will firmly be implemented at the Peradeniya botanical garden.

Five years of sexual abuse: Father arrested November 19, 2010 01:21 pm

2010-11-19T00:08:00.000-08:00

A grueling incident where a 13 year old girl was raped over a period of five by her father and uncle was reported from Beliaththa today. Police spokesman Prishanth Jayakodi speaking to Ada Derana said that the father was arrested this morning after the incident was reported.

According to police the father and his brother had started to sexually abuse the girl when she was just 13 years old in 2005. The girl who is 18 now is a resident of Vevithenna, Beliaththa. The father is to be produced before the Tangalle Magistrate Court today. Police are conducting further inquiries to arrest the uncle.

Hearing for Lankan migrant accused of war crimes delayed November 17, 2010 09:06 am

2010-11-16T19:29:00.001-08:00

An immigration hearing for a Tamil migrant the federal government claims poses a risk to Canadian security was postponed Tuesday, to give his lawyer more time to look into the allegations against him.

The man, who was among nearly 500 Tamils who arrived off the British Columbia on the MV Sun Sea in August, appeared before the Immigration and Refugee Board in a makeshift hearing room at a provincial jail in Maple Ridge, B.C.

A federal government lawyer was prepared to present evidence that the man should be declared inadmissible to Canada on security grounds that could include terrorism or war crimes.

If the allegations are accepted by the board, it would put a stop to his refugee claim and likely lead to a deportation order but the hearing was rescheduled to give his lawyer more time to comb through what she described as a mountain of documents.

Ottawa has yet to say what the specific allegations are, but government lawyers have cited two sections of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in their case against him.

One deals with people who have engaged in terrorism, human rights abuses, genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity. The other applies to a person who is a member of a group that engages in terrorism, espionage or has attempted to overthrow a foreign government.

The arrival of two ships carrying ethnic Tamils over the past year in British Columbia has raised the question of whether some of the migrants could be members of the banned terrorist organization the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE lost a 26-year civil war against Sri Lanka’s government last year.

Immigration and Refugee Board member Geoff Rempel ordered the man to remain in custody until at least his admissibility hearing.

“The minister’s arguments were that you’re now facing an admissibility hearing; the outcome of that hearing may affect your eligibility to make a refugee claim,” Mr. Rempel said through an interpreter as the man sat in red jail garb with his eyes fixed on the floor.

“Therefore, if released from detention, you would have no motivation to show up to attend that (admissibility hearing).”

The man was one of 492 Tamil men, women and children from Sri Lanka who arrived on the rusty cargo ship last summer seeking refugee status

They were initially held in provincial jails in the Vancouver area, but under federal law they must be released once their identities have been established, unless they pose a security or flight risk.

About 170 have already been ordered released by the refugee board, although the federal government has successfully challenged a number of those releases in court, the Globe and Mail reports.

Fraud scheme in Kandy uncovered, hunt on for Indian owners - Police November 16, 2010 09:37 am

2010-11-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

Police are investigating a fraud scheme in Kandy and have arrested four employees while the Indian owners are still missing, Senior DIG Central Province Gamini Navarathne told Ada Derana. Police claimed that according to preliminary reports the fraud scheme had duped over Rs. 80 million from the public.

The alleged fraudsters have taken an initials deposit of Rs. 14,500 from the public and given them a CD containing what they claimed were historic books from the UK that were deteriorating. The Fraudsters had asked the people to type out the text that was found as images of pages of books. When a depositor types it out they had received Rs. 6,500 and another CD. The con men had stated that this was a venture to re-print valuable books before they were destroyed.

Navarathne told Ada Derana that the owners are said to be two Indian national and two police teams have been deployed to nab them.

Manju’s B Sample also tested positive November 15, 2010 09:38 pm

2010-11-14T19:25:00.001-08:00

Sri Lanka Boxer Manju Wanniarachchi’s ‘B Sample’ has also been tested positive, however the Sri Lanka Boxing Federation says that they will challenge the result.

The boxer who won the gold medal in the 56 kg Bantam weight category at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi tested positive for the performance-enhancing steroid nandrolone, in the ‘A Sample’ test according to a report sent to Colombo by organisers of the New Delhi Games.

However Sri Lankan sports chiefs who had confiscated the gold medal won by boxer had stated that no action will be taken against Manju until the ‘B Sample’ proves him guilty. They also gave him two weeks to answer to the doping charges.

It had been announced previously that the boxer will face a two-year ban and will be stripped of his medal if his ‘B Sample’ test proves positive.

The 30 year old pugilist created history by becoming the second Sri Lankan to capture a boxing gold medal at the Games by beating rival Sean McGoldrick of Wales

Tamils in remand prison for over 15 years: Report November 14, 2010 9:05 am

2010-11-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

A group of Tamil Tiger suspects arrested more than a decade ago has written to a pro-government Tamil parliamentarian asking his help to get them released.

One suspect who has been held for over a decade without being charged told BBC Sandeshaya that nearly 30 suspects are being held for years in remand prison.

The group has earlier approached many other parliamentarians but the inmate who wished to be anonymous said they said received no favourable response from authorities.

“We are routinely taken to the courts and then brought back to prison. Lawyers ask for too much money to appear for us. We are suffering, our families are suffering,” he said.

“It is better to die than suffering like this.”

He said it is up to the Attorney General (AG) to decide whether to charge them or release.

Justice Minister Athuda Seneviratne admitted that some suspects are being held for years without being charged.

He told BBC Sandeshaya that the delay is due to charges against these suspects are “serious and based on some witness accounts.”

Some suspects are thought to have acted against the national interests in Sri Lanka, he added.

However, Minister Seneviratne said, action will be taken to charge or release them “as soon as possible” after discussions with the AG and other authorities. – (BBC)

Joint UN-Govt. assessment begins in flood-affected areas November 13, 2010 08:54 am

2010-11-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

United Nations agencies have begun a joint assessment mission with the Government of Sri Lanka after record rains caused flash floods in parts of the capital, Colombo, and other areas.

The floods, which have affected several districts, have been caused by what is reportedly the heaviest rainfall in Colombo in 18 years, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

Nearly 186,900 people, the majority of them in Colombo, have been affected as of 11 November, according to the National Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

The DMC is carrying out a rapid assessment together with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and OCHA.

According to media reports, the flooding has left tens of thousands of families homeless, disrupted traffic and submerged the country’s Parliament in four feet of water.

United Nations agencies have begun a joint assessment mission with the Government of Sri Lanka after record rains caused flash floods in parts of the capital, Colombo, and other areas.

The floods, which have affected several districts, have been caused by what is reportedly the heaviest rainfall in Colombo in 18 years, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

Nearly 186,900 people, the majority of them in Colombo, have been affected as of 11 November, according to the National Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

The DMC is carrying out a rapid assessment together with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and OCHA.

According to media reports, the flooding has left tens of thousands of families homeless, disrupted traffic and submerged the country’s Parliament in four feet of water.

Navy deploys flood relief teams November 11, 2010 08:28 am

2010-11-10T19:30:00.001-08:00

Flood relief teams of the Sri Lanka Navy have been deployed in Colombo to assist people affected by the flood, Navy Spokesman told Ada Derana a short while ago. Several areas in Colombo still remain highly flooded and thunder showers are expected in the evening according to the Meteorological Department.

Navy deploys flood relief teams November 11, 2010 08:28 am

2010-11-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

Gambling Bill in Parliament today November 10, 2010 08:51 am

2010-11-09T19:25:00.001-08:00

The Gambling Bill will be presented in parliament today as decided at the Party Leaders’ meeting yesterday. The Party Leaders’ meeting which took place at the parliament decided to present the amended Gambling Bill.

Iran exports $520m technical services to Sri Lanka - Mehdi November 9, 2010 08:18 am

2010-11-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

Iran carried out $520 million of technical and engineering services in Sri Lanka, the Iranian Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said on Monday. During his meeting with the Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris, Ghazanfari declared Tehran’s readiness to boost economic cooperation with Colombo, IRNA News Agency reported.

During the meeting the two sides discussed construction of a new oil refinery in Sri Lanka by Iranian experts, exporting Iranian LNG to Colombo, and boosting tourism.

For his part Gamini Lakshman Peiris thanked Iranian experts for carrying out projects in Sri Lanka and called for expansion of economic ties between Tehran and Colombo.

The 9th Joint Economy and Trade Cooperation Committee meeting between Iran and Sri Lanka, was held on 13-15 September.

In the meeting the two countries commerce ministers signed six MOUs and cooperation agreements in the fields of customs, sisterhood between Shahid Rajaei and Colombo ports and acceptance of each other’s maritime certificates.

Also in this meeting agreements were made between the two countries in the fields of science, culture, art and standardization.

An increase in trade, holding international exhibitions, enhancing maritime relations and implementing engineering and technical projects were among other agendas during the meeting.

In April 2008, Iran began work in several infrastructure development projects in Sri Lanka, all part of a $1.5 billion loan to the South Asian island. These projects included doubling the oil refinery capacity of Sri Lanka’s Sapugaskanda refinery as well as building a 100-megawatt hydropower project and irrigation plan in Uma Oya. In June 2009, the country signed a $106 million agreement with an Iranian firm to provide electricity to roughly 1,000 villages in Sri Lanka

Police ‘unaware’ of prisoners’ sensitivities November 8, 2010 08:56 am

2010-11-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

The government says that it will carry out an inquiry about an attack on police in a Sri Lankan jail that left almost fifty police officers and some prison officials injured.

Prisons deputy minister Wijithamuni de Zoysa say that police not been sensitive about prisoners’ feelings would have led to the attack in the Welikada prison on Sunday.

“Prisoners have an animosity towards police and judges,” the deputy minister told BBC Sandesaya.

“Therefore, searches should be carried out in the manner that a doctor examines a patient than rough handling.”

The police had entered the Welikada Prison in the capital, Colombo, in an early morning raid.

They were searching for illegal drugs as part of a nationwide campaign against narcotics. But some prisoners resisted the search and inflicted head and chest injuries on the officers.

“The situation is now under control,” said deputy minister de Zoysa.

The minister says police had to involve in the search as prison officials are “corrupt.”

Commissioner General of Prisons, Maj Gen VR de Silva told BBC Sandeshaya that the search was conducted in every prison after obtaining a warrant from a court but there were no troubles in other prisons.

Palmyrah to ‘keep away elephants’ November 6, 2010 8:38 pm

2010-11-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

Palmyrah trees have been identified as a way of keeping wild elephants away from human habitats. At a presentation convened by Practical Action, a non governmental organization it was revealed that the electrified fence erected to keep away elephants has failed.

Elephant corridors have been obstructed by the expansion of human settlements.

Farmers from Vanathavilluwa of the Puttalam district said that cultivation of crops such as Manioc has become impossible.

Ranasinha Perera said that he was part of a team that observed elephant behaviour in remote areas that found out that elephants don’t cross the Palmyrah fence.

“An electrified fence will stand only for ten or twelve years but a Palmyrah tree will survive for more than a hundred years, said Ranasinha Perera.

Perera further said that farmers in the Trincomalee and Putalam districts have successfully used Palmyrah fencing to keep elephants away

Sri Lankan to spend $1b on roads after war November 4, 2010 08:22 am

2010-11-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka plans to spend a billion dollars in foreign aid to rebuild roads as the island emerges from nearly four decades of ethnic fighting, a top official said Wednesday.

Sri Lanka’s Highways Ministry Secretary Wasantha Karannagoda said they had secured funding to rebuild and repair nearly 4,000 kilometres of roads over the next two years.

‘Some of these roads had not been maintained for the past 25 years or more because of the conflict,’ Karannagoda said while announcing the final stages of a 100-million-dollar French-funded road project in a former war-zone.

The French aid was given in 2008 and is in addition to another billion dollars secured from among others the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, European Union, China and Japan.

‘We see improved road connectivity helping build communal harmony and is a very important part of peace and unity,’ Karannagoda told reporters. He was the navy chief when troops crushed the LTTE in May last year, AFP reports.

It was ‘an attempted honour killing,’ court told November 2, 2010 09:16 am

2010-11-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

A Sri Lankan born Canadian father’s attempt to drive over his daughter, her boyfriend and his son-in-law was “akin to an attempted honour killing,” a Crown attorney said Monday.

Prosecutor Eadit Rokach is seeking a six-year prison term for Selvanayagam Selladurai, who pleaded guilty last month to three counts of aggravated assault using his mini-van for the June 1, 2007, incident near Stephen Leacock Collegiate.

Rokach said the 46-year-old father of six disapproved of his daughter’s boyfriend, because he came from a lower caste in their native Sri Lanka. Selladurai was initially charged with attempted murder and other related offences but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence.
Justice John McMahon will sentence him Tuesday.

“This is akin to an attempted honour killing, although it’s not attempted murder because it is a guilty plea to aggravated assault,” said Rokach.

“He accelerated his car, drove straight at them and struck all three, dragging his daughter and son-in-law for five metres until the minivan crashed into a fence,” said Rokach.

After the accused ran them over, he pursued the boyfriend, threatening to kill him, court heard. The victim, who suffered a sprained ankle, made it to Leacock, where a teacher held off the angry father until paramedics arrived.

“He had fears that no one in his community would see his daughter as a viable wife (because of her relationship with the boyfriend),” said Rokach. “That his behaviour was criminal and fuelled by his cultural beliefs is an aggravating factor.”

The accused’s daughter Anitha Selvanayagam, 16, left home for three days due to the dispute about the boyfriend.

Her older sister Jenitha searched for them and found Anitha, boyfriend Prashanna “Pram” Anadarajah, 18, and brother-in-law Lenin Sandrasingam, 21, in a Birchmount Rd.-Sheppard Ave. E. area strip mall, court heard.

Jenitha phoned her father to arrange a reconciliation.

Instead of a peaceful meeting, the accused drove his van at the trio.

The son-in-law, Lenin, suffered a broken pelvis while the daughter suffered a head cut and shoulder injury.

“He just lost it, he came to a point of uncontrollable anger,” said defence lawyer Michael Engel. “But he never intended to hurt his daughter.

“His conflict comes from his daughter choosing a non-traditional lifestyle,” Engel said.

Selladurai said in court he opposed his daughter’s relationship with the teen because he feared for her safety because of the boyfriend’s violent enemies, not due to a caste difference.

A report indicated Selladurai was suffering from a depression since 2006 when his eldest daughter left home to live with her boyfriend in a common-law relationship, which violated the father’s cultural values, Toronto Sun reports.

World Prosperity Index: Sri Lanka climbs to 59 November 1, 2010 08:30 am

2010-10-31T20:34:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka has climbed 9 positions from 2009 and is ranked 59 among 110 nations, in the World Prosperity Index announced today. India, Pakistan and Indonesia who are from the Asia Pacific region are ranked well below Sri Lanka in the rating for 2010 released by London’s Legatum Institute.

The prosperity index is based on 89 variables over 110 countries, grouped into eight sub-indices, and claims to comprehensively rank the level of prosperity in 110 nations of the world.

It is done by taking into account both economic growth and citizens’ quality of life, drawing on data from various sources, including the Gallup World Poll 2009 and UN development Report.

“The Legatum Prosperity Index is the world’s only global assessment of wealth and well being. It uses a holistic definition of prosperity, which includes factors ranging from economic growth to health and education, to personal freedom and governance,” Legatum Institute Senior Fellow Ashley Lenihan said.

India has slipped 10 places to the 88th spot, way below neighbouring China, in the World Prosperity Index. Last year India stood at 78th position, according to London-based Legatum Institute that compiled the index. Agencies

World Prosperity Index: Sri Lanka climbs to 59 November 1, 2010 08:30 am

2010-10-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

Douglas Devananda case: Madra HC ruling on November 2 October 29, 2010 09:43 am

2010-10-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Madras High Court will give its ruling on November two on a petition by a Sri Lankan minister, seeking to set aside a 1994 order declaring him a proclaimed offender in connection with a murder case in India.

Justice G M Akbar Ali fixed the date for orders after hearing arguments by counsel for the minister Anandan alias Douglas Devananda and the government side. In his petition, Devananda said the offence took place on November 1, 1986 at Choolaimedu.

It was alleged that he and the other accused, who were also Sri Lankan Tamils, had a quarrel with some local people on Diwali day. One Thirunavukkarasu died when he was shot at. Devananda said the trial court had failed to note that an agreement had been reached between India and Sri Lanka in July 1987. After he was enlarged on bail, he was expatriated to Sri Lanka. Therefore, he said, he believed that the case against him had been dropped. There was no place of residence in India for him after his expatriation.

Therefore, on the basis of the Aminjikarai police inspector’s report that he and other accused were absconding, no proclamation order could be passed, he claimed. Stating that he was willing to face trial, Devananda, however, sought to set aside the proclamation order of June 30, 1994. In his counter, then Aminjikarai police inspector, presently posted at Choolaimedu police station, S Selvakumar, said the case had been transferred to Choolaimedu police station on the point of jurisdiction.

A case had been registered in Choolaimedu police station under various IPC sections relating to punishment for rioting and murder read with section 25 of the Arms Act on November 1, 1986. It was based on a complaint by one Nagaraj against Selvanathan alias Ragavan and nine others and an investigation was conducted. Based on the inspector’s report, the additional sessions court declared the 10 accused, including Devananda as proclaimed offenders and it was published in Tamil and English newspapers.

The counter charged the accused with evading appearance before the trial court and hence proclamation procedure was adopted against them as per law. The petition itself was not maintainable as the proclamation had to be agitated only before the trial court, the prosecution contended. Devananda’s visit to India as part of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa-led delegation in June triggered a controversy after a pro-LTTE group filed a petition seeking his arrest. However, he had claimed that he was covered by immunity offered as part of the Indo-Sri Lankan accord, PTI reports.

Sumedha Thero released on bail October 28, 2010 12:05 pm

2010-10-28T01:36:00.001-07:00

Ven. Uwathenne Sumedha Thero who was arrested before the last Presidential election for the alleged illegal possession of a bomb and other arms by the Police and remanded, was released on a cash bail of Rs. 100,000 and a surety bail of Rs.1 million by the Colombo High Court today.

Court further remanded three suspects including Ven. Uwathenne Sumana thero. The High Court also confiscated the passport of thero who was released on bail.

India officially acknowledges Praba’s death October 26, 2010 08:52 am

2010-10-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

The former LTTE supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, is no more the prime accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. In the first official acknowledgment by India of the LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran’s death, a designated court for Tada cases in Chennai has dropped all charges against him, on the basis of a CBI report.

“The case against the absconding accused A1 Prabhakaran, A2 Pottu Amman alias Shanmuganathan Sivasankaran is hereby dropped and the charges against them ordered abated,” ruled the designated judge, K Dakshinamurthy, a couple of weeks ago.

The case and charges against Prabhakaran’s trusted lieutenant and LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Amman were dropped based on the report filed by the CBI’s Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA), which was formed in 1998 to probe the wider conspiracy behind Rajiv’s 1991 assassination. Under Indian law, charges against the accused abate automatically on their death.

On May 18 last year, capping the defeat of LTTE, the Lankan government declared the death of Prabhakaran in battle. Though photographs of the bullet-riddled body of the LTTE leader were released to the world, the island-nation had not yet issued a formal death certificate authenticating his death. In the case of Pottu Amman, Lanka has not furnished any photos or certificates, fuelling rumours all over the Tamil diaspora that the two were still alive.

However, last year, when a case pertaining to the 1989 assassination of the moderate Tamil politician A Amirthalingam came up for hearing, the Lankan police filed a report declaring that Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman were dead.

About six months ago, the MDMA filed a report based on the Lankan government’s disclosure, stating that the case could be closed as the two LTTE leaders were dead, as acknowledged by Sri Lanka itself, Indian media reports.

Nafeek’s death sentence confirmed October 25, 2010 08:50 am

2010-10-24T20:19:00.001-07:00

The Supreme Court in Riyadh has endorsed the death sentence given to a Sri Lankan maid who murdered a Saudi infant in 2005, sources from Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Ministry told Ada Derana.

A three-member panel of judges from the Dawadami High Court headed by Chief Justice Abdullah Al-Rosaimi found Rizana Nafeek guilty of murdering the four-month-old son of Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al-Otaibi and sentenced her to death on June 16, 2007.

The court heard that Nafeek killed the child after she was asked to bottle-feed him by the sponsor’s wife.

The court informed Nafeek that she could file an appeal against her death sentence, which she did.

When the maid’s case was referred to the Supreme Court via the Court of Cassation, the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) assigned Saudi law firm Khateb Al-Shammary on a reported SR150,000 contract to defend her.

The Supreme Court referred the case again to the Dawadami court for further clarification on the appeal made by Al-Shammary before issuing its verdict.

Nafeek arrived in Riyadh on May 4, 2005 to work as a housemaid for Al-Otaibi. According to Nafeek’s passport, her date of birth is Feb. 2, 1982, while her birth certificate indicates her actual date of birth as Feb. 4, 1988.

She is suspected to have killed the baby on the afternoon of May 22, 2005. She was arrested by Dawadami police officers the same day, and allegedly confessed to killing the child.

AHRC Executive Director Basil Fernando told Arab News by telephone from Hong Kong Sunday that he would seek the help of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to resolve the case.

He also appealed to Al-Otaibi to consider sparing Nafeek’s life on humanitarian grounds and give her clemency.

“At the moment, we have no comment on the verdict of the Supreme Court,” a senior diplomat from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh said.

A social worker who visited Nafeek in jail during the weekend told Arab News that the maid was fine and desperate to see her parents and family.

“Although the prison authorities are aware of the final verdict, they have not told her, nor have I,” the social worker said.

Will Ketagoda opt to sit on Fonseka’s seat? October 23, 2010 09:00 am

2010-10-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Following the rejection by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) member Lakshman Nipunarachchi to fill the seat which the Secretary General of Parliament has deemed vacant, the next question is who would be willing to fill it.

Following the imprisonment of former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, who is also the leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) which contested the last General Elections with the JVP as a constituent partner, The Secretary General of Parliament had informed the Elections Commissioner (EC) that Mr. Fonseka had ceased to be a Member of Parliament and that the EC should nominate another from the party to fill the vacancy.

Accordingly, the EC had named JVP’s Nipunaarachchi as he was the next in line on the preferential vote list of the DNA.

However, Mr. Nipunaarachchi declined to fill the vacancy stating that the JVP did not accept the conviction of Mr. Fonseka and hence it did not accept that the seat was vacant.

Sarath Fonseka and Sunil Handunnetti were the elected members from the DNA in the Colombo District, followed by Lakshman Nipunarachchi third on preference and Jayantha Ketagoda coming fourth.

According to the General Election regulations if a Member of Parliament loses his parliamentary seat, then the next person from the same party who received the highest number of preferential votes in the District fills the vacancy thus created.

With Nipunarachchi, in accordance with a party decision had declined the invitation and also personally stating that he would not be filling the vacancy as the seat belonged to Sarath Fonseka and no one else, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva told the media that had they filled the Parliamentary seat of the former Army Chief, it would show that they would were giving in and approving of the government’s conduct in imprisoning Mr. Fonseka.

However, there is speculation whether the third next on the Colombo District preferential vote list from the DNA, Jayantha Ketagoda would opt to fill the vacancy, with pressure also mounting that Sarath Fonseka’s wife Anoma be appointed.

After Nipunarachchi, the next in line on the preferential votes list of the DNA Colombo District candidates is former UNP Western Provincial Councilor Jayantha Ketagoda. Mr. Ketagoda received 22,193 preferential votes at the 2010 General Elections.

When Adaderana spoke to Mr. Ketagoda, he said that he had no intention right now to occupy Sarath Fonsekas seat as he and the party had faith on the Sri Lankan judiciary and that they expected a favourable verdict from the courts on Fonseka’s Parliamentary position.

Originally a member of the Opposition United National Party (UNP) Jayantha Ketagoda threw his weight behind Sarath Fonseka during the last Presidential Election, where the UNP itself was a constituent of the ‘Swan alliance’. Following his defeat and since the UNP opted to go it alone at the General Elections, Mr. Ketagoda along with several other UNPers decided to go along with Fonseka’s DNA.

Before entering the political arena from the Kaduwela Pradeshiya Sabha in 1991 Jayantha Ketagoda was a well known stage, cinema and teledrama actor.

Ottawa aims at refugee fraudsters October 21, 2010 09:52 am

2010-10-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Canadian government will unveil a sweeping package of reforms Thursday aimed at cracking down on refugee fraudsters, QMI Agency has learned.

Among other things, Ottawa will make it easier to kick out bogus refugees who travel back to the country they claim they are fleeing from for vacations, and will move to restrict the health-care benefits refugees receive in Canada while they wait for their claims to be processed.

Government sources said the package of measures to be announced Thursday is partly a response to stories QMI Agency published earlier this year about abuse of Canada’s immigration and refugee system.

In August, QMI Agency reported on a secret government survey that showed that many Tamils who came to Canada claiming that their lives were in danger in their native Sri Lanka subsequently returned safely to that country. They would then come back to Canada and wait out their refugee claim.

In legislation to be tabled Thursday, the government will make it easier to revoke someone’s refugee status immediately if a refugee claimant heads home for holidays, birthdays or to sponsor other family members.

“It’s a serious problem,” said one government source.

The package of measures to be unveiled Thursday is also a response to “a rising unease among all Canadians about immigration”, the source said, sparked by the arrival in August of a boatload of Tamils claiming refugee status on Canada’s west coast. Many in the government believe that some or most of that group of about 500 Tamils are not bona fide refugees but are simply trying to jump ahead in Canada’s long immigration lineup.

CTV News reported Wednesday that the new legislation will give the federal government new powers to detain migrants and human smugglers for up to one year or until their identity and status is determined. The network also reported that bogus asylum seekers will remain behind bards until they are deported.

QMI Agency has also learned that the government will also announce some regulatory changes so that health-care benefits that refugees receive will be no more generous than those most Canadians receive.

A QMI story in September reported that refugees were getting a health-care plan that included many extras, such as free prescription glasses, that most provincial health care plans do not pay for. The new regulations will mean refugees will no longer get those “extras” for free but will still qualify for the basic health-care coverage of most provincial plans.

Ministers Jason Kenney and Vic Toews - responsible respectively for immigration and public safety - will announce the package of measures in Delta, B.C., Thursday on a dock next to the MV Ocean Lady, the human smuggling ship that arrived on the West Coast last October, The Toronto Sun.

Man convicted of trying to buy U.S. weapons for LTTE October 19, 2010 08:36 am

2010-10-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

A Singapore man was convicted by a Maryland jury Monday of attempting to purchase American arms for use by the Tamil Tigers, a U.S. designated terrorist group in Sri Lanka.

Balraj Naidu, 48, was found guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist group, and he now faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.

According to a press release by the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland, Naidu and his co-conspirators wanted to obtain grenade launchers, sniper rifles, machine guns and other state-of-the-art U.S. weapons. In 2006, Naidu and his associates started dealings with an agent for an undercover business in Maryland to obtain weapons. According to the U.S. attorney’s office, one of Naidu’s co-conspirators named Haniffa Bin Osman during the summer of 2006 traveled to Baltimore, where he examined the arms and test-fired many of them.

Representatives of the Tamil Tigers then made a wire transfer to the undercover business for $250,000. That was a down payment on a total price of $900,000. The government says 28 tons of weapons and ammunition were air-lifted to Guam. A group of conspirators inspected the shipment and then another payment of $450,000 was transferred to the undercover business.

At that point, Naidu and his co-conspirators were arrested.

Naidu is scheduled to be sentenced in December. Osman and three others pleaded guilty and received sentences ranging from three years to almost five years.

The Tamil Tigers organization sought to overthrow the government of Sri Lanka in a 26-year insurgency that ended last year. The group frequently used suicide bombers to attack military and civilian targets.

The State Department designated the group a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997, and it is not allowed to buy weapons or try to raise money in the United States, CNN reports.

Sri Lanka to ensure equity to minorities - GL October 18, 2010 08:31 am

2010-10-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka is seriously considering a better power sharing mechanism at the national level to ensure equity to all its citizens, particularly the Tamils and other minorities.

This was stated by Sri Lanka’s Minister of External Affairs, Prof. GL Peiris, while delivering the second RK Mishra Memorial Lecture, organised by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in New Delhi on Friday night.

The theme of the lecture was “Growth, Equity and Security: Constitutional Imperatives for South Asia”.

Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi. He met the Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and the President Pratibha Devisingh Patil. Rajapaksa, who was re-elected in January this year defeating the common opposition candidate and former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka, will begin his second innings in office from November 19, 2010 and would announce a new government.

Prof. Peiris said though the 13th Amendment, which empowers the provincial governments, had been a significant achievement in the devolution of power in the island country, Sri Lanka still thinks a lot more needs to be done for better sharing of power and ensuring equity at the national level.

“We need a viable power sharing mechanism at the national level. We are seriously considering this,” the minister said.

According to Prof Peiris not any particular system of governance is suited for everyone. Saying that Sri Lanka had experimented different kinds of system, he said “we need a hybrid system (of different kinds of governance) that combines both first-past-the-post system and the proportional representation system. It will be the best answer to Sri Lanka’s challenges”.

Emphasising on the need for security, Prof. Peiris said Sri Lankan people were now celebrating the emancipation from LTTE terror which had affected the country for more than two decades.

He said the Sri Lankan government was seeking the active support and help of its diaspora for strengthening and consolidating peace and rebuilding the war-ravaged northern and eastern regions.

Expressing the Sri Lankan Government’s resolve to ensure peace in the South Asian region, the minister said his government was working very closely with all its neighbours, especially India, in fighting terror, The Financial Express reports.

Lanka seeks Indian tips on language gap: Report October 16, 2010 09:07 am

2010-10-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka has asked India for help to emulate its three-language education policy to teach Tamil in Sinhala dominated areas and Sinhalese to ethnic Tamils in the island nation slowly emerging from decades of ethnic conflict.

The HRD ministry will soon send experts to Sri Lanka to share India’s experience in handling linguistic differences and to explain the nuances of India’s language policy, government sources told Hindustan Times. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Pereis on Friday met HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

Under India’s three language formula, schools students across India learn English, their mother tongue and a third language that depends on the most widely spoken language in their state. Students in Hindi-speaking states learn one of the other official languages of India as their third language while students in other states learn Hindi as their third language.

“The fundamental idea behind the three-language policy is to ensure that every child studies in his mother tongue and one national language, while also learning the basics of a third language that will help understand other cultures of the country,” a government veteran explained. The third language is usually taught predominantly at the secondary school level.

Sri Lanka, source said, is keen to emulate the policy to ensure that ethnic Tamils are taught at least basic Sinhalese and the Sinhala speaking majority learns Tamil as well.

Students in Sinhala dominated areas may learn English and Sinhalese as principal languages with Tamil as the third language, and students in Tamil dominated areas may learn Tamil and English along with Sinhala as their third language.

India can also share its experiences battling language politics. The three language policy was the outcome of staunch protests in southern India against the perceived imposition of Hindi as a principal language in educational institutions.

Asylum seekers seek money not safe haven - GL October 14, 2010 08:20 am

2010-10-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Lankan asylum seekers who attempt to reach Canada by illegal boats are economic migrants and not fearful refugees, Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris says. And a recent internal study by the Canadian High Commission in Colombo seems to give the minister’s claim some credence.

He adds that the aspiring refugees are being dishonest when they tell Canadian officials they fear for their personal safety in Sri Lanka

Peiris says the asylum seekers are economic migrants, not fearful refugees.

“‘There is no legitimate basis for an application of refugee status at all,”‘ Peiris said in an interview with the Star in his Colombo office.

“‘The changes which have come about in this country in recent months remove any fear on the part of a community of people, groups of people, or individuals of systematic persecution.

“‘The people who are now asking for refugee status are doing so for economic reasons, not because they fear for their lives. Okay, that is part of human nature. Everybody wants to improve their lot in life.

“‘They want to see greener pastures. That is fine. But to ascribe that to atrocities that are alleged to be taking place in this country, or to hide behind a smokescreen of imagined delinquencies or wrongdoings is, to say the least, disingenuous and it also does harm to the country.”‘

The Canadian High Commission in Colombo recently conducted an internal study and examined a limited number of case files of Sri Lankan Tamils who have been granted asylum in Canada since the end of the Sri Lankan civil war in May 2009. In more than half of the cases, the refugees had later returned to Sri Lanka after receiving Canadian citizenship and passports.

“‘It certainly raised some eyebrows,”‘ Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said recently in an interview with the Star in New Delhi.

“‘It’s a limited sample size but we do have a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest there’s a lot of people who gain protected status and return to their original country. We believe there is widespread abuse of our asylum system.”‘

To help stem the flow, the RCMP is set to open its first office in Colombo, officials said, part of a new effort to prevent migrants from setting out for Canada. Earlier this week, 155 Tamils were arrested in Bangkok. Reports suggest Canadian officials may have had a hand in tipping off Thai officials about the group.

Peiris also pointed out that Australia has suspended its processing of refugee applications from Sri Lankans.

“‘They said, ‘We are satisfied with the progress Sri Lanka has been making.’ That was a clear acknowledgement of the fact that we are moving in the right direction.”‘ The Star reports.

WHO approves machine capable of identifying multi-drug-resistant TB strains in 90 minutes October 13, 2010 08:12 am

2010-10-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

The World Health Organization has said one in three cases of tuberculosis go undiagnosed in the in Asia-Pacific region, as it approved a new machine that can identify multi-drug-resistant strains in just 90 minutes.

The machine, developed with the help of the Gates Foundation, is one of a number of tools being deployed to help identify more than 600,000 cases that go undetected in the region.

World Health Organization adviser Catharina Van Weezenbeek said the machine detects resistance to the powerful drug rifampicin, a process that would normally take up to six weeks in an advanced laboratory.

“The machine is the size of a cappuccino machine and is a standalone and can be made available at the district health office level, which means that we can now detect multi-drug strains of TB in just 90 minutes and much more accurately, quickly and cost-effectively,” she told AFP.

Van Weezenbeek said that although WHO estimates there are 1.94 million TB cases in the Asia-Pacific, only 1.3 million of them go identified because of a lack of equipment and laboratory facilities.

“Those cases that are not diagnosed are continuing to spread the disease. The whole idea about TB control is not only to save people but to cut the chain of transmission before the situation worsens,” she said.

The Xpert MTB/RIF machine was developed earlier this year by the Foundation for Innovative new Diagnostics, a Geneva-based non-profit body funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Van Weezenbeek said the machine is now part of the WHO’s regional strategic plan to combat TB and will be deployed in areas with a high rate of multi-drug-resistant TB.

She said that along with other tools which are still in the approval process, they would “revolutionise” the detection of TB.

Although TB cases have fallen from 3.5 million in 2000 to 1.94 million cases in the region last year, the Asia-Pacific still accounts for 21 percent of cases globally last year.

Sri Lanka bourse ends flat ahead of Q3 earnings October 12, 2010 08:22 am

2010-10-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

COLOMBO (Reuters): Sri Lanka’s benchmark share index closed flat on Monday after rising almost 1.7 percent in early trade as selling by retail investors offset bargain-hunting buying pressure

Sri Lanka’s main share index CSE edged 1.00 points or 0.01 percent up to 6,834.61. It is Asia’s best performer in 2010 with a 101.9 percent gain. Last week, the index fell 5.3 percent in through Thursday before rising 0.9 percent on Friday.

Analysts said investors were waiting for direction and the key factor would be September quarterly earnings, which are expected to be released starting from this week onward.

Conglomerate Aitken Spence SPEN.CM, which started trading after a 15-for-one share split, gained 1.7 percent.

The index has dropped to a neutral region from the overbought zone with the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) on Monday was at 66.6, below the upper neutral limit of 70,

Thomson Reuters data showed. The index was at 92.4 on Oct.1.

It is trading at the highest forward price-to-earnings ratio in Asia and global emerging markets at 21.3 times, compared with 13.3 for all of Asia and 12.3 for global emerging markets, Thomson Reuters StarMine data showed.

Market turnover was 6.7 billion rupees ($59.9 million), more than eleven times the 2009 average. Foreign investors sold a net 542.8 million rupees in shares and they have overall sold 18.3 billion rupees’ worth this year.

LTTE spokesman ‘missing after arrest’ October 11, 2010 07:21 am

2010-10-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Two prominent LTTE leaders in Sri Lanka are missing after arrest by the army last year, their wives have told a presidential commission, BBC reports.

LTTE spokesman Rasiah Ilantherian and head of the Tiger intelligence wing in Batticaloa, Prabha have not been seen since being detained, they said.

The two wives were among hundreds of Tamil and Muslims testifying to the panel in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka.

Many Tamil civilians complained about missing relatives.

The government has made no comment about these cases, but has previously rejected accusations of abductions by human rights groups.

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission has been conducting hearings over the weekend.

Punitharuban Vanitha, the wife of the Tamil Tiger spokesman Ilantherian said her husband was taken away by the army on 17 May 2009, just before the Tigers suffered their final defeat.

She was told, she said, that he would be returned after treatment for minor injuries. Ms Vanitha says that she has not seen her husband since then.

Bobitha Prabhaharan, the wife of Prabha, also said her husband was detained in May last year, and has heard nothing from him since.

Muslims’ lands ‘occupied’

Representatives of the Muslim community, meanwhile, told the panel that Muslims are yet to resettle in their ancestral lands as Tamils are still occupying it.

They warned of renewed conflicts if steps were not taken to give back land captured by the Tamils during the conflict.

The panel was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to investigate events from 2002 to end of the conflict in May last year, and recommend measures for reconciliation.

Critics, however, have questioned the credibility of the investigation and whether its report would ever be published.

President to be sworn in on 19th Nov. October 10, 2010 09:05 am

2010-10-09T21:00:00.001-07:00

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be sworn in for the second term on 19 November, President’s Media confirmed. It has been stated that the inauguration ceremony will be held in Colombo.

It was previously reported that the President would be sworn in at Anuradhapura on the 18th or 19th of November.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa held the Presidential Election in 2009 with one year still remaining in his first term. Thus the first term of President Mahinda Rajapaksa will conclude on the 18th of November.

Three days in the dark, complain Ukuwela residents October 9, 2010 8:22 am

2010-10-08T20:36:00.001-07:00

Around 10 houses at Thawalankoya in Ukuwela have been suffering a power cut for the last three days, complain residents of the area.

These residents from Thawalankoya, a few kilometres from the Matale town on the Wattegama road have been without electricity since around 11.00 am on Wednesday (Oct. 06). Their complaints to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) office in Matale have not yielded results, they complain.

The response from the CEB Area Office has been that they had dispatched a team to rectify the fault. But no such team has visited the affected homes, according to the residents. However, some repairmen had arrived to a place about a kilometre away and replaced some overhead cables to recommence supplies to a few other houses.

The rest are still waiting for another day to see their supplies recommence, though they pay their electricity bills regularly.

Police seek media assistance to nab porn stars October 7, 2010 07:56 am

2010-10-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Police said that they would seek the assistance of the media to identify males and females who had starred in locally made pornographic movies. Their photographs are to be published in the media in a bid to seek more information, said the Police Children’s and Women’s Bureau.

While courts last week had ordered the Sri Lankan Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) to ban another 180 local porno sites, pushing the total to over 400, police are to arrest the suspects involved in acting as well as producing pornographic movies. They did not specify the number of persons in the list which is to be filed in courts today (October 7).

Relationship between Europe-Lanka strong and old - EC President October 6, 2010 09:06 am

2010-10-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy has characterized the relationship between Europe and Sri Lanka as “strong and a very old one”, and that between Belgium and Sri Lanka as “excellent”

Mr. Van Rompuy, who was previously the Prime Minister of Belgium, made these observations when he and Madam Van Rompuy participated as the Guests of Honor at a concert by Sitar Virtuso Pradeep Ratnayake and his ensamble held at the Palais des Beaux Arts (BOZAR) in Brussels on Saturday (2 October 2010). The event was part of the cultural programme held to coincide with the Asia-Europe Summit Meeting (ASEM8) which is taking place in Brussels from 4-5 October.

Reminiscing on his visit to the island in 2000, President Van Rompuy said “ personally, I have the best memories of my trip to Sri Lanka. At the time I was an opposition member of the Belgian Parliament.” He recalled visiting Colombo and Kandy and meeting with Sri Lankan leaders. The EC President who along with other guests had prior to the concert savored “Ceylon tea” at the Sri Lanka tourism, travel and trade promotion held at the BOZAR, reminded his audience that “tea was first planted in Ceylon by the British”, and that “two more members of our EU member states – the Portuguese and the Dutch have influenced and marked the history of the island”. He added “Sri Lanka and Europe have influenced each other for hundreds if not thousands of years. Let me stress this was not all one way. Around 500 BC Sri Lanka had already constructed some of the largest reservoirs and dams of the ancient world.” Noting that “the art, musical, theatrical and dance heritage of Asia is exceptionally rich and sophisticated, and continues until today to exercise a strong influence”, the EC President described Pradeep Ratnayake “as a living example of blending different influences from the North Indian to jazz and western classical music”.

Fire irrupts at Agri. Ministry building October 5, 2010 09:48 am

2010-10-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

A sudden fire has irrupted at the Agriculture Ministry building in Battaramulla. The Thalangama Police says that the fire broke out in the first floor of the three story building belonging to the Ministry.

According to police reports about two rooms in the buildings have been destroyed due to the fire. The Fire Brigade and the Thalangama Police had jointly extinguished the blaze while the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

VIDEO: Minister’s Defender causes water cut October 4, 2010 11:57 am

2010-10-04T02:14:00.000-07:00

Water supply to several areas in Colombo has been temporarily disrupted after the main water pipeline near the Diyawanna Oya was ruptured due to a vehicle collision. The Defender vehicle involved in the accident is rumored to belong to a high ranking government Minister.

The vehicle is reported to have skidded off the road and gone down the bridge near the Diyawanna Oya close to the Parliament and had hit the water pipeline below the bridge causing it to burst. The pipeline travels from the Ambathale Water Purification Plant to Dehiwala and other parts of Colombo.

Due to this the following areas will face temporary water cut till 9.00 pm today, according to the National Water Supply and Drainage Board:

Borella, BauddhalokaMawatha, Jawatta, Thunmulla, Havelock Road, Thimbirigasyaya, Polhengoda, Pamankada, Wellawatte, Bambalapitiya, Kirulapana to Nugegoda Junction, Attidiya, Mulleriyawa, Badowita, Kalubowila, Kohuwala, Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia, Ratmalana, Thelawala, Kohilawatta, Udumulla, Kotikawatte and Himbutana.

N Korea sold weapons to LTTE says security expert October 3, 2010 12:20 am

2010-10-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

North Korea had sold weapons to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) since the end of 1997, says the Head of the International Centre for Political Vilolence and Terrorism Research, Professor Rohan Gunaratna.

He told the BBC Sinhala Service that ninety five per cent of the weapons had been bought from North Korea though they were manufactured in China.

The procurement was done by LTTE leader, Ponnaiah Anandarajah, he said.

Anandarajah had initiated an agreement with the North Korean intelligence service through which weapons were purchased.

The weapons thus bought between 1997 and March, 2009 had been transported from ships purchased from Japan, Dr. Gunaratna said.

Asked what evidence would prove his facts, Dr. Gunaratna said that he was able to interview some LTTE members who were involved in transporting weapons. Some of them even had stayed in North Korea, he said.

“It was only after interviewing them that we were able to disclose this information,” he said.

He said payments for weapons purchased were paid at North Korean embassy in China.

Asked whether a country like China would not know where the weapons sold to North Korea were used, Dr. Gunaratna said that China was not aware of, and had no suspicion about its dealing with North Korea. – (BBC)

Police to accept illegal firearms in East October 2, 2010 10:20 am

2010-10-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

An order has been issued to hand over all unlicensed weapons in the Eastern Province to the police. It is stated that anybody in possession of unlicensed firearms should hand it over to the nearest police station before 30th October.

The senior DIGin charge of the Eastern Province Edison Gunathilaka stated that every police station in the Eastern province has been notified on the matter. He said that these measures were taken after the police received information regarding large numbers of illegal firearms in the province.

The Senior DIG further added that legal action will be taken against anybody in possession of unlicensed weapons after October 30th.

President confirms 30-month jail term for Fonseka September 30, 2010 08:39 am

2010-09-29T20:38:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka’s president has confirmed the 30-month jail term imposed on former army chief Sarath Fonseka following his conviction by a military court, an official said Thursday.

President Mahinda Rajapakse approved the prison sentence for a period of two-and-a-half years after returning Wednesday from New York, where he addressed the U.N. general assembly, a senior government official said.

“The court martial has recommended up to three years in jail, but the president has decided he will be in prison for 30 months,” the official, who didn’t want to be named, said.

Qatari red tape delays Lankan’s body being brought home September 29, 2010 04:29 pm

2010-09-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

Explaining the circumstance of the death of a Sri Lankan at Doha in Qatar on July 7, the Embassy in Qatar states that the body would be flown to the island within a week. The delay has been due to the documents pertaining to the incident being delayed by the Qatari police.

The embassy also states that the Qatari sponsor of deceased P.G.D.L. Bandara had requested a thorough police investigation into the incident. This had caused the delay according to the Embassy.

According to the sponsor, Mr. Bandara, an employee of a company by the name of Sultan Suwaidi Trading & Construction, Doha had set himself on fire at an abandoned accommodation away from the company accommodation on 06. 07.2010. He was immediately rushed to the Hamad Medical Corporation.

The next day the hospital had pronounced him dead. Following this, Mr. Bandara’s sponsor had urged for a thorough investigation regarding the death.

According to Qatari law, its police authorities would not grant permission for a body to be repatriated without the consent of the sponsor. Hence it was not in a position to repatriate Mr. Bandara’s remains to the island till the official documents are handed over to them by the police, states the Sri Lankan Mission in Qatar.

However, since the Police had handed over the documents yesterday (Sept. 28) arrangements are being made by the Mission to fly Mr. bandara’s body home within the week, adds the Embassy.

AUDIO: Teen gives birth, NCPA steps in September 29, 2010 03:45 pm

2010-09-29T05:02:00.000-07:00

A fourteen year old girl has given birth to a child at the Castle Street Maternity hospital, Anoma Dissanayaka, Chairperson, National Child Protection Authority told Ada Derana. The new born is reported to be underweight and undergoing special treatment.

The teenage girl’s father is not there and the mother is reported to be mentally retarded, Anoma added. She also stated that none of the girl’s family members were visiting her at the hospital and Doctors at the hospital had become suspicious when a 28 year old man had started visiting her regularly and had informed the NCPA.

The NCPA has taken the responsibility to protect and house both children under their care until inquires are completed, Anoma said.

Landslide threat near Ramboda Falls, motorists warned September 29, 2010 07:31 am

2010-09-28T20:18:00.001-07:00

Due to the continuing torrential rains there is a landslide threat on the Kandy-Nuwaraeliya road near the Ramboda Falls, Nuwara Eliya District Secretary D.P.G. Kumarasiri. Motorists have been advised not to stop at the usual area where people stop to view the falls.

Also rising water levels of the Kala Weva has caused flooding along the Puttalam – Mannar road.

At least one person is feared dead due to the floods from Galle after he was swept away by floodwater and is still missing.

President returns from US September 29, 2010 07:01 am

2010-09-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

President Mahinda Rajapaksa today returned to the country after visiting the US to address the 65th United Nationals General Assembly, President’s Media confirmed.

Lankan migrant children start school in B.C. September 28, 2010 07:02 am

2010-09-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

Some of the Tamil children who arrived on a boat from Sri Lanka last month have started attending school and early childhood development programs at a Burnaby, B.C., youth detention centre.

The 41 children who started class on Friday were among the 493 migrants who arrived by ship on Vancouver Island on Aug. 13.

While they are not officially being detained, the children are in the care of about 25 mothers who are being held at the correctional facility while immigration officials try to verify their identities.

About 54 children arrived on the ship, but some are too young for the program or have moved to other areas of Canada or were unable to attend for other reasons.

The Burnaby School District, which is running the program in conjunction with B.C.’s Ministry of Children and Family Development, started the classes on Friday, according to Reno Ciolfi, the district’s director of instruction.

The half-day classes are being taught by one full-time and two part-time teachers. Those children too young for school are getting help though B.C.’s StrongStart program, he said. Counsellors and a cultural transition co-ordinator are also involved in the temporary program.

Natural communication

Despite fleeing a war zone in Sri Lanka, a traumatic three-month journey by sea to Canada and a month at the youth detention facility, the children are adjusting to their new environment, according to Coilfi.

“Some of them do have a little bit of ability in English, but I think the best communication is happening beyond language,” he said.

“It’s the smiling and the joking and the interacting that says very clearly to the students that they’re welcome here, that they’re safe here, that we care deeply about their education and that we’re going to work with their mothers to ensure that they get the very best of our services.”

Last week, one of the migrant women gave birth at a Vancouver hospital to a healthy baby girl. About 15 of the migrants have so far been ordered released, CBC News reports.

Three killed, one injured at IPZ rail crossing September 26, 2010 07:46 pm

2010-09-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Three persons were reported killed and one injured when they were knocked down by a train at the railway crossing near the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (IPZ) sub station.

The four apparently had attempted to cross the track while the train was approaching and had been knocked down, said Railways commercial Authority Vijaya Samarasinghe.

Inmates of Trinco prison protest search September 26, 2010 11:14 am

2010-09-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

Trincomalee prisons officials had detected mobile phones and a radio during a search of the prison cells this morning. As these items were confiscated, the inmates had protested by setting fire to their bed sheets, pillows etc.

The inmates of the second floor of the two storied building had created a disturbance against the search and confiscation. Prison guards had managed to douse the fires and 11 inmates have been identified and have been confined separately, said Prisons Commissioner General Major General V.R. de Silva a short while ago.

A Magesterial inquiry is to be held and Prisons officials from Colomboare already on their way to Trincomalee for further inquiries.

No casualties of damages have been reported, said the Commissioner General.

Norway to evaluate unsuccessful Lankan ceasefire September 24, 2010 07:40 am

2010-09-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Norway is to evaluate the ceasefire it brokered between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil rebels in 2002, a Norwegian embassy spokesman in Colombo said Thursday.

The deal fell apart when government troops took up arms again in 2008, and went on to defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May of the following year.

An internati+onal team of European and Sri Lankan experts was to look into the 12 years of Norwegian involvement in the 26-year conflict, the spokesman said under condition of anonymity.

‘The evaluation will help Norway, which continues to assist Sri Lanka in development activities,’ he said.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has previously blamed the Norwegian-backed ceasefire for favouring the rebels and allowing them to rearm, prolonging the conflict.

Rajapaksa on Tuesday requested development assistance during bilateral talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Stoltenberg on Wednesday said that Norway was ‘eager to play a supporting role in the emerging situation in Sri Lanka,’ according to a statement released by Colombo, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports.

Lankans urged to make use of Saudi six-month amnesty September 23, 2010 07:05 am

2010-09-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Saudi Arabia has announced a six-month amnesty for hundreds of illegal foreigners overstaying their visas, and they would be allowed to leave the Kingdom without punishment. Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau urged Sri Lankan nationals in the country who have lost their passports to make use of the amnesty.

In a statement issued in Colombo, it asked them to report to Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate General in Jeddah to obtain emergency travel documents.

“They have been advised to complete the necessary procedures for their departure by reporting to the nearest Department for Foreigners’’ Affairs (Wafideen) from Sept
25, 2010 to March 23, 2011,” the country’s Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The amnesty would cover those who arrived in the Kingdom on Hajj, Umrah, visit or any other type of visa which had expired, or violated Passport Department regulations.

“Violators caught after the grace period will receive tough punishment including jail and fine,” it warned.

The declaration came on the eve of the Kingdom’s National Day, which falls on September 23, when the King usually declares amnesty for a large number of prisoners, including Saudis and expatriates, arrested for petty crimes.

The number of overstayers in the Kingdom has gone down considerably in recent months as a result of the new fingerprinting system and stricter Umrah rules.

Reports suggest an estimated one to three million illegal residents in the Kingdom even though the number of persons entering the Kingdom illegally had fallen by approximately 72,000 over the last two years.

Scholarship results online at noon September 23, 2010 07:28 am

2010-09-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

Contrary to earlier reports, the Examinations Department says that the 2010 Grade 5 scholarship examinations results will be posted only at 12 noon today(23). The results could be obtained at www.doenets.lk

Four killed in accident at Mudalakkuliya September 21, 2010 08:20 am

2010-09-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Four persons have been killed after a private bus skidded off the road at Mudalakkuliya along the Anamaduwa-Chilaw Road, Hospital sources told Ada Derana.

President arrives in New York September 20, 2010 08:21 am

2010-09-19T20:24:00.001-07:00

President Mahinda Rajapakse arrived in New York a short while ago, the Govt. Information Department confirmed. He is scheduled to address the UN summit on September 23.

Sri Lanka woos Hollywood September 20, 2010 06:44 am

2010-09-19T20:23:00.001-07:00

With the LTTE crushed after a quarter century of bloodshed, Sri Lanka is actively wooing Hollywood. ‘We are working to increase our visibility with producers and directors in Hollywood and in other countries,’ Sri Lankan ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya said here.

Hollywood blockbusters ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ and ‘The Temple of Doom’ were both shot in Sri Lanka at a time when the country was only known for its exotic locales -- and serenity.

A veteran Hollywood film location scout who recently spent two weeks touring Sri Lanka said the country will remain a top location for film makers, according to statement from the Sri Lankan embassy here.

‘The extent of its future success largely depends on promotion and ease of production in Sri Lanka,’ said former Warner Bros. worldwide locations executive Bill Bowling.

Bowling said Sri Lanka’s ‘natural beauty’ was an advantage for the island. Its rich animal life could attract documentary filmmakers, he said.

But ‘financial incentives have become the driver for location decisions around the world’, he said, adding Sri Lanka may be best placed to attract TV commercials and documentaries.

In March, Sri Lanka opened the Mahinda Rajapaksa National Tele-Cinema Park in Hambantota.

The state-of-the-art centre includes 235 acres of picturesque landscape featuring lakes, forests, model villages and colonial buildings in addition to industry standard pre-and-post production facilities.

Ambassador Wickramasuriya said: ‘Right now, we are working to increase our visibility with producers and directors in Hollywood.

‘Sri Lanka has demonstrated its ability to attract foreign investment and we will use our strengths, our natural beauty and ecological wonders, to continue to make this a welcome place for the world’s film industry.’ IANS reports.

Prabha may lose party membership - Mano September 19, 2010 10:53 am

2010-09-18T22:38:00.001-07:00

A final decision regarding Prabha Ganeshan, who joined the government from the Democratic People’s Front will be taken when the political council meets on September 22, the party’s leader Mano Ganeshan told Ada Derana.

He stated that most probably it will be decided by the council to cancel Prabha Ganeshan’s party membership. He also added that a disciplinary inquiry is currently being carried out on Prabha Ganeshan and that Prabha was notified about the matter in writing by the DPF’s General Secretary.

Mano Ganeshan says that however their has been no response from Prabha Ganeshan and thus the party has been forced to take a final decision come 22nd.

Three containers exploded – military source September 17, 2010 01:48 pm

2010-09-17T01:15:00.000-07:00

The explosion had taken place when two Chinese nationals of the construction company had come in a double cab and two dump trucks to obtain explosives from three containers which were parked at the Karadiyanaru police station, military sources told Ada Derana.

According to sources one dump truck had blasted and due to a sympathetic detonation all the containers had exploded.

Tamil migrant lawyers face money crunch September 17, 2010 07:53 am

2010-09-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

The organization that provides legal aid in B.C. says it’s running out of money in its efforts to represent the Tamil migrants who arrived in August.

“The society’s immigration funding is limited,” Legal Services Society manager Rod Holloway said in a letter Thursday to lawyers who have been representing the migrants.

“The arrival of … Tamils who are currently detained has placed us in a position where funding their detention reviews … will, very shortly, exhaust our current resources allocated to immigration matters.”

Most of the 492 migrants who arrived on Vancouver Island on Aug. 13 aboard the MV Sun Sea remain in detention in the Vancouver area.

All of the migrants have applied for refugee status, claiming their lives are in danger or that they suffer extreme discrimination as an ethnic minority in their native Sri Lanka.

The funding crunch could leave the migrants without legal representation at detention hearings.

“The Legal Services Society will be considering this issue and may be required to restrict services … to ensure the society remains within budget,” Holloway said in the letter.

Identities at issue

The primary issue in the hearings is the difficulty in establishing each migrant’s identity to the satisfaction of the Canada Border Services Agency.

The CBSA is concerned that some migrants could be members of the Tamil Tigers, an organization banned in Canada as being terrorist.

The CBSA also is bearing extraordinary expenses by keeping the migrants in detention.

The Immigration Review Board said the CBSA is being charged more than $88,000 a day — about $200 per migrant — for a total of more than $3 million for their 34 days of incarceration so far.

Four of the migrants — a mother and her three children — have been given conditional release.

Four other women and five children were about to be released when the federal government filed to block their release, CBC reports.

Ban meets Panel September 17, 2010 07:49 am

2010-09-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

The panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to advise him on matters relating to Sri Lanka met UN Chief yesterday, Martin Nesirky, spokesperson for the Secretary General said.

During a question raised at yesterday morning’s briefing at New York Nesirky said that the Secretary General is scheduled to meet the panel ‘this afternoon’ however defended the fact that it was omitted from the UN Chief’s schedule owing to the fact that it was an internal meeting.

The panel announced in March, is supposed to complete its work within four months of formally beginning. However Nesirky failed to mention whether the official clock would begin with the meeting with Ban Ki Moon.

Beruwala Shootout: Five policemen arrested September 16, 2010 08:34 am

2010-09-15T20:14:00.001-07:00

Five policemen have been arrested over the incident where an eight year old boy was killed yesterday in a shootout between police and a gang of robbers in Beruwala, Police Spokesman told Ada Derana a short while ago.

The five policemen were attached to the Maharagama Police team who were involved in the shootout.

CSE price band to be removed? September 15, 2010 07:20 am

2010-09-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Informed sources told Ada Derana that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is contemplating removing the price band slapped on all listed securities. It is strongly speculated that a press conference is scheduled to be held today to announce such a decision by the SEC in Colombo.

Director General of the SEC Malik Cader when contacted said that a press conference is to be held today regarding the price band and more details will be revealed then.

On August 05, market regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission slapped a daily 10 percent upward and downward price band on all listed securities on suspicion of price manipulation.

Protestor on post threatens suicide

2010-09-13T22:15:00.001-07:00

A lone unidentified protestor atop a post near Horton Place round-about threatens to commit suicide if the President does not arrive to meet him. A massive traffic jam has been created around the area.

The man who is currently at the top of the 40 foot post, first had demanded that the President should come and personally speak to him and later given his phone number and asked the President to call him.

Police and the Fire Brigade are making attempts to bring the man down whose has not been identified as he is wearing a helmet.

Batti girl abandoned in Sigiriya

2010-09-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

A 13 year old Tamil girl who had been abandoned at the Sigiriya town is scheduled to be produced before the Dambulla Magistrate today. The girl claims to have had traveled from a relative’s residence in Batticaloa to Sigiriya with an unknown person.
The girl, Sundaramurthi Sonujo says that her two brothers were LTTE cadres who had died during the war while she had lost her parents in the Tsunami. According her she had lived with her parents at Kiran, Batticaloa before the Tsunami had hit the area.

The girl who had difficulties communicating with the police has told them that after her brothers had passed away she had lived at a relative’s house. She says that an unknown woman had taken her from the relative’s house and abandoned her at the Sigiriya town.

The OIC of the Sigiriya police said that further investigations are being carried out as to how this girl from Batticaloa had ended up at Sigiriya and as to who was involved in the abduction.

MV Sun Sea migrant information stolen from CTC office September 13, 2010 07:18 am

2010-09-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Toronto police are investigating the theft of a computer containing the names of Sri Lankan migrants who arrived in Canada last month aboard the smuggling ship MV Sun Sea.

The computer was stolen during a break-in at the head office of the Canadian Tamil Congress, which had been keeping records of the migrants and their families in Canada and Sri Lanka.

As police searched the office Sunday, CTC spokesman David Poopalapillai told reporters outside he fears Sri Lankan intelligence agents could be responsible.

Some of the Sun Sea migrants have said they could testify as witnesses to war crimes committed during the final stage of the South Asian island’s civil war, Poopalapillai pointed out.

“It could be the work of the Sri Lankan intelligence unit,” he said. “Sri Lanka is trying their level best to prevent any war crimes investigation in the future. The families might be intimidated and the war crimes witnesses would back off.”

The RCMP has not shared the names of the Sun Sea migrants with the Sri Lankan government, which has been widely condemned over its human-rights record.

The migrants’ identities are also the subject of a publication ban ordered by the Immigration and Refugee Board. The ban was imposed to protect the refugee claimants and their families in Sri Lanka from reprisals.

Poopalapillai said the break-in could also be a hate crime by someone upset at the mass arrival of the migrants. He said the office, which has been helping the migrants, had received hateful phone calls and emails on the issue.

The break-in happened between 6:30 p.m. Saturday, when the last volunteer left the office, and 9:30 a.m. Sunday, when another volunteer returned in the morning and found the door open and the office ransacked.

“The premise had signs of forced entry and a quantity of electronic equipment was taken,” Toronto police said in a written statement. Police were canvassing the industrial strip mall for witnesses Sunday afternoon.

The theft appeared to be a “targeted job,” Poopalapillai said, adding the thief did not touch an LCD panel television but took the front reception computer and attempted to steal several hard drives but eventually left them. A room used by volunteers working on the Sun Sea case was also ransacked, he said.

The break-in is the latest twist in the story of the Sun Sea, a cargo ship that crossed the Pacific from Thailand carrying a load of would-be refugees from Sri Lanka.

The group said it was assessing which information was on the stolen items.

In the meantime, it said it would attempt to contact the families to let them know their identities may have fallen into the wrong hands.

“The biggest worry about this is the MV Sun Sea information,” Poopalapillai said. “We are worried about the safety and the security of the families back in Sri Lanka.”

He emphasized his suspicions about who was responsible were only allegations at this point, The Globe and Mail reports.

Maids treated better in UAE than other Gulf states – Lankan Consul General September 13, 2010 07:30 am

2010-09-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

“Maids in the UAE are treated better than anywhere else in the Gulf,” a top senior Sri Lankan emissary in the country has said.

Wasantha Senanayake, Sri Lanka’s Consul-General in Dubai, told Emirates 24|7 that the number of complaints they have received from its nationals working as maids in the country has drastically reduced.

“I am not saying that there are no complaints what so ever. But it is negligible. The way you treat your maid, or whoever it could be for that matter, is a reflection of ‘the cultural background’ and we have had very good examples here in the UAE,” he said.

“People here are exposed to different cultures,” he said. Gulf countries continue to attract the largest number of Sri Lankan maids.

“Saudi continues to lead the list in the Gulf, followed by Kuwait and the UAE. The numbers are also a reflection of the demand,” he added.

Meanwhile, commenting on the recent fiasco with the on arrival visa scheme, he said. “It was a good decision to withdraw the order that cancelled the on-arrival visa scheme. It would have had a severe impact on the tourism in the country,” said Senanayake.

“The number of tourists from the region has increased significantly in 2010. It has been going up steadily ever since the internal conflict was resolved. The numbers in 2009 increased by 36 per cent compared to 2008. We registered a 50 per cent growth in January this year compared to the previous year. The trend has continued so far,” he added.

Investment from the Gulf to Sri Lanka has also increased. “We organised one programme for investors in the UAE a couple of months ago. The consulate will organize a second meeting with possible joint venture partners in the coming months. There will be a field trip as well. UAE has been the biggest investor so far. Etisalat has entered Sri Lanka in a major way,” he added, emirates247 reports.

Prisoners granted pardon on welfare day September 12, 2010 11:52 am

2010-09-12T03:03:00.000-07:00

The President has issued a common pardon to 1,312 prisoners including 37 females have been granted a common pardon to mark Prisoners’ Welfare Day, said Commissioner General of Prisons Major General V.R. de Silva.

The Prisons chief said that this group from prisons island-wide consisted of a cross section of persons serving varying lengths of imprisonment for various offences.

The majority of inmates in Sri Lankan prisons are those who serve sentences for minor offences like being unable to pay fines imposed on them by courts, indicate reports.

Sri Lanka remittances rise to $3.8bn after civil war September 11, 2010 08:40 am

2010-09-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

Remittances sent home by Sri Lankan nationals overseas may rise to a record $3.8 billion in 2010, a central bank official said, adding that policy makers will ensure stability of the currency as the flows increase.

In a telephone interview on Friday, Swarna Gunaratne, acting director of the central bank’s economic research department, said: “We are still getting sustained inflows from the Middle East and people are sending more money to their families in the north and east since the war ended.”

Sri Lankan troops defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009, freeing areas in the north and east which were controlled by the separatists for 26 years. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka would “purchase excess foreign exchange in the market” and keep the Sri Lankan rupee stable, Gunaratne said.

Spending on imports will exhaust some dollar inflows and prevent a sharp gain in the rupee, she said.

The Sri Lankan rupee, which has climbed about 2.3 percent since the war ended, was at 112.55 to the dollar at 1:20 pm in Colombo, according to Bloomberg data, arabianbusiness reports.

LTTE foreign delegation member among Lankan migrants - Report September 9, 2010 08:01 am

2010-09-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

One of the 492 Sri Lankan migrants who arrived in Canada last month allegedly travelled to foreign countries with a delegation of LTTE, a hearing into his detention heard Wednesday.

The migrant initially denied any association with the Tigers or having travelled outside Sri Lanka, but when confronted with a newspaper article about the trip, he admitted travelling with the group as a member of the media.

Jennifer Friburg, a government lawyer, said the migrant’s contradictory statements “clearly indicates deception” and “negatively impacts his credibility” and called for his continued detention on the grounds that he posed a possible security threat. It was the first time since the migrants’ arrival on Aug. 13 that government lawyers argued that a migrant should be held on security grounds. Previous cases were held on the grounds that their identities could not been verified.

The migrant in question — wearing a strawberry-coloured jumpsuit and white sneakers — sat stoically with his arms crossed. He did not speak. His lawyer, Antya Schrack, stressed the man travelled as an independent media representative and that there is no evidence he was actually part of the Tamil Tiger delegation.

Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicator Marc Tessler said there “may be an innocent explanation” for the migrant’s actions, but his mention in the newspaper article and his initial denials to investigators about having travelled abroad provide sufficient reason to hold him on security grounds.

Prior to Wednesday’s hearings, lawyers for the migrants had said they expected the government would start asking to detain some of the migrants on security grounds, especially since Public Safety Minister Vic Toews had stated publicly that the migrants included suspected terrorists who belong to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam — a separatist group that battled the Sri Lankan government for 25 years and whose members are banned from entering Canada.

Although hearings for other migrants Wednesday remained largely devoted to providing updates on the status of verifying their identities, government lawyers cited other security concerns in prepared talking points before adjudicators.

They said that authorities had found numerous pieces of identification aboard the ship that had either been torn up or could not be linked to any individuals. The documents included a birth certificate, a death certificate, two ID cards, 300 pieces of various birth certificates and various pages from passports.

The discovery of these items “gives rise to the general concern that attempts have been made to conceal identity,” said Parm Singh, one of the government lawyers.

The apparent fact that the migrants arrived in Canada as part of an organized human smuggling operation and the ongoing RCMP investigation gives rise to concerns about the identity documents being provided, government lawyers said.

One hearing was told that a national ID card that a migrant had submitted appeared authentic, but may have been altered because of the discovery of a “fibre disturbance” on the back of the card.

Government lawyers said they now have identity documents for 380 individuals and that documents for 290 of them have been sent to a lab for analysis.

Assessments for 40 individuals have been completed, though it remained unclear what the outcomes of those assessments were.

Even if documents are deemed to be authentic, they may still have to undergo further checks to ensure they weren’t issued or obtained fraudulently, Singh said. In some cases, investigators have had to contact migrants’ job, school, bank and health records to corroborate information.

Investigators have also had to reach out to agencies in the United Kingdom, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

But migrant lawyer Dan McLeod said during one hearing Wednesday that at least one of the migrants should have been released by now.

McLeod criticized government lawyers for issuing a lot of “rhetoric” and questioned what purpose continued detention would serve.

He requested that a client be released under certain conditions, but that request was denied.

By late Wednesday afternoon, none of the migrants who appeared before an adjudicator had been granted release. They are allowed to have another hearing within 30 days.

Since their arrival, the migrants have been held in three detention facilities: one for the men, one for the single women and one for women with children.

Detention hearings for the men have been held inside cramped trailers set up next to the detention facility.

A publication ban prevents media from reporting certain details heard at the hearings that could identify the migrants, The Vancouver Sun.

PM presents Amendment bill, debate begins September 8, 2010 09:52 am

2010-09-07T21:45:00.001-07:00

Prime Minister presented the 18th Amendment bill to the parliament a short while ago. Only the UNP MPs who stated that they will support the amendment were present in parliament in addition to the government MPs.

After the presentation of the bill, the debate on the amendment commenced.

16 UNP MPs to vote in favour – PM September 8, 2010 09:58 am

2010-09-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Prime Minister D.M. Jayarathne told Parliament that 16 UNP MPs were scheduled to vote in favour of the 18th amendment. He also added that altogether over 160 votes were expected to be cast in favour.

Lifting of two term limit will dilute President’s powers - MR September 8, 2010 07:47 am

2010-09-07T20:14:00.001-07:00

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under fire from the opposition over the Constitutional amendment aimed at removing the two-term limit of presidency, has said the proposed legislation would in fact “dilute” his powers.

“This will ensure supremacy of Parliament and in fact the proposed 18th Amendment will dilute some of the powers of the executive president,” he told media heads and publishers

during an interaction at his residence.

Rajapaksa, who was elected for his second six-year term in January this year, dismissed the notion that the government is rushing through the amendment without consultations, amid growing criticism from the opposition and sections of the media.

He said the Constitutional Council under the 18th amendment will ensure supremacy of Parliament in a better way as the panel will comprise only MPs.

Rajapaksa said there will not be a Presidential representative in the proposed Council unlike a 10-member body stipulated in the 17th Amendment.

The president pointed out that the five-member Council will have the speaker, prime minister, Opposition Leader and two other nominees by the MPs and would have to be approved by Parliament.

In the event of an opposition member getting elected as speaker, the majority control of the Council could fall into opposition hands, an official release quoted him as saying.

“We have consulted the Members of Parliament, both of the ruling alliance and the main opposition party, and others too. In fact, we have incorporated some amendments suggested by the opposition...,” Rajapaksa said.

Rajapaksa said that a section of the main opposition UNP MPs asked the government to take an effective action as the present Constitutional Council under the 17th Amendment had led to an administrative deadlock.

They wanted the near anarchic situation caused by the 17th Amendment to be changed, the official website quoted him as saying.

Rajapaksa said the next presidential candidate will be decided by his Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the final powers to elect any person as President will rest with the people. “This amendment will further strengthen the sovereignty of the people.”

Asked whether his eldest son Namal Rajapaksa will succeed him as president, he replied that there were no shortcuts to leaderships.

“It took 40 years for me to come to this position. I was elected to Parliament when I was 23. Even he may have to wait as long. The Presidency is not a 50-metre or 100-metre dash. It is a marathon. This is the advice I give to all those aspiring for political power. Those who take shortcuts will end up in failure,” Rajapaksa said.

He said when the presidency is limited to two terms, the incumbent may become indifferent to people’s wishes during the second term as he or she would not be facing another election.

“That could affect one’s mentality in a way as to waiver in commitment,” Rajapaksa said. “When one is aware that he/she will have to go to the people once again, it will further enhance one’s commitment to the people and that is good for the people and the country.”

The amendment is expected to be passed today as the government appears to have the requisite two-third support in Parliament, with the backing of some opposition MPs, PTI reports.

Ranil seeks Indian help to revive agriculture September 7, 2010 07:19 am

2010-09-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

It will affect the food supply and also have an impact on cost of living,” Mr Wickremesinghe told The Hindu in Chennai.

Mr. Wickremesinghe, who had a detailed discussion with agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan on these issues, said: “India’s technical knowledge and its advances in agriculture… will help not only the people of Vanni region but the whole country.”

The Vanni region, together with the Eastern Province, the North Central Province, and the Mahaweli basin, constitutes the food bowl of Sri Lanka. Most of the rice and vegetables are grown here. There is also significant milk production.

“Most of the people in the Vanni region earn their livelihood from these two sectors,” he said, pointing out how the fighting between the Army and the LTTE in the Vanni region during 2008 and 2009 had devastated both agriculture and fisheries.

“This is having an impact on the economy of Sri Lanka itself as the overall food production has come down,” he said.

In his view, besides reviving agriculture and fisheries, Indiacan help to improve the storage and marketing system through modernisation. He also wanted India’s assistance in water management as there were a lot of small tanks.

“The technical support necessary for this is available in India. The Indian government should also be able to offer necessary financial support... If this is done, Vanni will not only regain its earlier position but also improve its performance in these two sectors, earning more money,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said.

He said this could prove a pilot project for the modernisation of agriculture and fisheries in other parts of Sri Lanka.

“I discussed these issues with Dr. Swaminathan, who has been visiting Sri Lankaand advising the Indian and Sri Lankan governments. He said this can be done and it should be done,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said.

Dr. Swaminathan will visit Sri Lanka next month for an international meeting.

The former Prime Minister said he had already had a discussion with Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao when she visited Sri Lanka.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said political leaders in Tamil Nadu could also help Sri Lankaby urging the Central government to undertake these programmes.

In response to a specific question, he said de-mining was a real problem. “There should be an accelerated demining programme. But the government must be prepared to request help from many of the non-governmental agencies which have the capacity. When I was the Prime Minister, demining was started under the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), and a large number of non-governmental groups helped us. With the capacity available in the developed world, we were able to do demining successfully,” he recalled. However, the mines were laid by both sides during the subsequent fighting.

“Demining will enable the agriculture and fisheries development to take place. Jaffnais a lagoon itself and an ideal area for fisheries development,” he said.

Asked whether he would be able to persuade President Mahinda Rajapaksa to accept the proposals, he responded: “We could only make these suggestions publicly,” The Hindu reports.

Maid could have nailed herself – Lankan physician tells Arab News September 6, 2010 07:43 am

2010-09-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

A senior Sri Lankan physician and university lecturer has told Arab News in a telephone interview on Sunday that the maid found with nails and needles embedded in her body could have inflicted the damage to herself.

“I wish to make it clear that this is not to say that she has not been tormented or tortured by her employer in Saudi Arabia,” said Dr. Susirith Mendis from the University of Ruhuna. “It is possible that she self-embedded the nails (and needles) as a way to escape from her employer.”

The case of L.T. Ariyawathi, a 49-year-old Sri Lankan housemaid, has drawn international attention after 24 nails and needles were found to have been pressed into the woman’s legs, arms, hands and forehead.

Ariyawathi has accused her Saudi employers, a husband and wife, of doing this as a form of punishment since her arrival to the Kingdom in March. Sri Lankan officials are demanding a full investigation and justice while the Saudi Arabian National Recruitment Committee has dismissed the claims are baseless.

Mendis points out that there are worse cases of self-inflicted abuse in the medical literature from people suffering from Münchausen syndrome, a psychological condition where people feign trauma or illness in order to draw attention to themselves. The doctor urged Sri Lankan medical authorities to evaluate the woman psychologically before further communicating with the authorities in Saudi Arabiaon this case. A medical report has been sent from Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia to help in the case.

The doctor added: “While it is possible, and understandable, that she did not tell anybody in Saudi Arabia — even the authorities there — about the alleged torture out of fear of further victimization, it is curious that she did not, on her return, inform her immediate relatives, or even the doctor, that she had been tortured by her employer, who is allegedly the one who inserted heated nails into her body.”

The doctor also suggested that the position of the nails and needles in the maid’s body, including those pushed into the flesh between the thumb and forefinger, are “common and safe places for self-inflicted object embedding.”

In addition to this speculation about how the nails and needles ended up embedded in the maid’s body, the Saudi daily Al-Yaum quoted on Sunday Hashim Al-Zaabi, a school principal in Al-Khafji, Eastern Province, claiming that Ariyawathi worked for his family 12 years ago and had performed “black magic” on his mother.

“I am ready to provide information against the maid during the ongoing investigation,” Al-Zaabi was quoted as saying. “I know she is telling a lie by saying the sponsor planted nails in her body.”

The case has enraged many in Sri Lanka, bolstering calls for a ban on the recruitment of maids for Saudi Arabia.

Mohammed Jaufer, senior recruitment agent in Colombo, told Arab News that there was already a lobby working for this after a recent decision to reduce recruitment fees — the money agents charge to recruit maids for Saudi Arabia.

“Last month Saudi Arabian National Recruitment Committee entered into an agreement with its counterpart in Colomboto reduce the recruitment fees for housemaids from $1,500 to $1,000 which has reduced the agents’ commission,” he said. “They can earn more money by sending maids to other countries in the region.”

Jaufer suggests these recruiters might be using this case to frighten domestics into going to other countries where the commissions aren’t capped at $1,000.

UNP to notify religious leaders of 18th amendment September 5, 2010 09:41 am

2010-09-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

The United National Party (UNP) says that they have decided to inform all religious leaders of the upcoming 18th constitutional amendment brought forth by the government.

UNP Chairman Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said that they will begin the informing of religious leaders after attending to religious activities at the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) today morning.

Deputy Leader of the UNP Karu Jayasuriya and other party representatives are also scheduled to take part in today’s activity.

Child kidnapper dies in police shooting September 4, 2010 09:32 am

2010-09-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

The main suspect of a child kidnapping incident in the area of Sapugaskanda has succumbed to his injuries after being shot by police officers. Police Spokesman SP Prishantha Jayakodysaid that the suspect was shot at when he had attempted to throw a hand grenade at police officers.

The incident had taken place at Kadawatha when the suspect after his arrest had accompanied several police officers to reveal a location where he had allegedly buried a batch of grenades.

The 9 year old child was abducted on 31 August at Sapugaskanda and was later found alive by police in the vicinity of Thalathuoya,Kandy. According to the complaint made by the child’s father at the Sapugaskanda police the kidnapper had demanded a ransom of Rs.800, 000 for the safe return of the child.

However it was later revealed that the kidnapper was an employee of the abducted child’s father.

Maid denies Saudi accusations; reveals how she came through airport September 2, 2010 10:11 am

2010-09-01T21:58:00.001-07:00

Tortured Sri Lankan maid Ariyawathie denied Saudi accusations that she is lying and her story is baseless. Ariyawathie has revealed how she was taken at 2am to the airport and how when the alarms went off at the barrier no one questioned her.

Earlier, Saudi authorities denied her allegations of torture.

The employer’s wife used to hold me down and the daughter held a knife to my neck while the employer stuck heated nails to my body. This torture went on for months,” LP Ariyawathie told BBC Sandeshaya.

Saad al-Badah, the head of a Saudi government department responsible for foreign workers, has told Saudi state television Tuesday night that Ariyawathi’s allegations were baseless and amounted to blackmail.

“The whole story is baseless” said al-Badah. “It is nothing but blackmail by Sri Lankan labour firms.”

Al-Badah said the companies have rejected new labour regulations and salary restrictions imposed by the Saudi government.

Abdel-Hadi Abaeri, head of the security department at the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority has told the media that they received no reports of such abuse at the kingdom’s airports.

Ariyawathie told the BBC that she was afraid to say anything before she left Saudi Arabia as her employer had asked her not to.

Afraid to talk

“I was taken to the airport around two in the morning. The alarms went off when I walked through the barriers. No one questioned me. I was in so much pain, I just wanted to come home”.

Doctors in Sri Lanka have said they removed 13 nails and five needles from LG Ariyawathi after she returned from Saudi Arabia last month. The items had been driven into Ariyawathi’s legs and forehead, they said.

The maid says that even at Colombo airport, she was setting off the security alarms. “Even in Colombo, no one questioned me. If they did, I would have told them about how I was tortured”.

Embassy officials

Al-Badah said authorities have received no complaints from neighbors of the Saudi couple to substantiate the allegations.

Ariyawathie say that she was afraid for her life, that she did not even talk to the embassy official who issued her with the tavel documents for her to leave Riyadh.

“He asked me if anything was wrong, Baaba (my employer) put his finger to his lips and signed me to not to talk”. Ariyawathie told the BBC Sinhala Service.

Army truck goes down precipice, one killed September 1, 2010 10:40 am

2010-08-31T23:06:00.001-07:00

An Army truck has skidded off the road and gone down a precipice at Galagedara killing one soldier, Military spokesman Ubaya Medawala told Ada Derana today. The truck had been traveling from Kandy to Kurunegala when it met with the accident. Two more army personnel have been injured and are being treated at the ICU at Kandy hospital.

Sapugaskanda kidnapping: Main suspect nabbed September 1, 2010 10:57 am

2010-08-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

Sapugaskanda police have apprehended the main suspect behind the kidnapping of an eight-year-old boy from Makola. The suspect had been nabbed in Kurunegala and is said to be an employee of the boy’s father.

The boy who had been kidnapped for a ransom of eight hundred thousand rupees, escaped after he was thrown into the Victoria Tank in Thalathu Oya by his abductors. He had escaped by hanging on to the branch of a tree on the inclined bank.

Later the boy had crawled up the incline and reached the road. A vehicle passing by had noticed the boy and informed the Talatuoya police who have taken custody of the boy.

SC to deliver final decision to Speaker August 31, 2010 03:24 pm

2010-08-31T03:11:00.000-07:00

The proposed constitutional amendments do not reflect the wishes of the people. The government should hold a referendum to obtain the people’s consent. The United National Party (UNP) challenges the government to go for a referendum, said party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake.

The government is attempting to get the constitutional amendments passed by a two thirds majority in Parliament. It is in such a hurry to do this though the masses are suffering under so many problems, charged Tissa Attanayake addressing the media this morning (August 31).

Even though the President’s second term has not even begun the government is in a hurt to extend the term by pushing through the constitutional amendments. This goes against the wishes of the people, Mr. Attanayake said.

An important Bill like this is being brought before Parliament as an urgent Bill without even presenting them to the people. They have a right to know what the amendments are. Hence the UNP strongly opposes this government move to bulldoze the constitutional amendments through parliament, said Tissa Attanayake addressing the media in Colombo.

Go for a referendum: UNP challenges Govt. August 31, 2010 12:17 pm

2010-08-31T03:07:00.000-07:00

JVP to file objections - 2010-08-31

2010-08-31T03:01:00.000-07:00

The JVP will file objections at the Supreme Court today against the proposed 18th amendment to the constitution, JVP media unit said in a statement. The Supreme Court is to take up the bill on the government’s proposed constitutional amendments today.

The bill is to be taken up before a five-member Supreme Court bench to determine if it is consistent with the Constitution.

The JVP in their objection are scheduled to argue that due to elements contained within the amendment it cannot be passed through a Bill in parliament but only through a referendum.

AUDIO: Pro-government Left facing a dilemma - 2010-08-31

2010-08-31T02:53:00.001-07:00

The three parties of the left Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Sri Lanka Communist Party, Democratic Leftist Front have decided following discussions that they would oppose the Executive Presidency and to extend its term limit at the upcoming constitutional amendment, Vasudeva Nanayakkara General Secretary of the DLF told Ada Derana.

However he added that they would like to keep the relationship with the President and the UPFA in good order for which they would have to find a way out. Vasu also stated that due to this reason they would further discuss and make a final decision on how to tackle this problem.

According to principle we are against the proposed constitutional amendment but we want to keep the relationship with the government also, this is the problem, Vasu claims. Hence we will take a final decision soon, he added.