16 arrested in Kurunegala

16 arrested in Kurunegala[ Thursday, 07 July 2011, 04:05.19 AM GMT +05:30 ]The police say 16 suspects have been arrested over an incident which took place in Kurunegala yesterday during a protest by teacher trade unions.

Several teachers who took part in the protest were injured when a gang, which had arrived in a bus, used poles to assault the teachers.

At least 500 teachers took part in the protest near the Kurunegala roundabout yesterday to draw attention to some of their demands.

By this morning the police had arrested 16 suspects over the assault on the teachers and they will be produced in court today.

The Kurunegala police are investigating the incident.

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For the first time Govt. admits 5000 civilians died during the war

For the first time Govt. admits 5000 civilians died during the war[ Thursday, 07 July 2011, 04:10.59 AM GMT +05:30 ]President’s advisor and M P , Professor Rajeeva Wijesinghe yesterday confessed to the fact that he believed about 5000 civilians died during the last phase of the 4th Eelam war between the LTTE and the Govt. armed forces.

He admitted this when partaking in the discussion on the BBC ‘hard talk’ program.

Though the Govt. had been stubbornly stating that during the war no ordinary citizen was killed , this confession by the MP contradicted Govt.’s announcements. When the BBC media personnel questioned on this contradiction , ‘whether isn’t what you said contradictory to what the Govt. had been repeatedly telling ?’ , Wijesinghe replied , the Govt. forces under no circumstances targeted the ordinary citizens when attacking. He added that at that time he was the chief of the peace secretariat , and the figure arrived at was on a personal count by made by him based on the figures reported by the Tamil net compared with the details collected from the security divisions.

In any event , so far no decisions had been taken in regard to granting compensation to the 5000 civilians, but as far as possible immediate action is being taken to put them back in their original places of residence, he pointed out .

Rajeew Wijesinghe also declared that it is appropriate that a probe is conducted into the killings of the LTTE rebels after their surrender to the Forces as alleged by the UN in 2009 and the exposures in the Darusman report.

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Sri Lanka leader says U.K. media “falsified​” facts

Sri Lanka leader says U.K. media “falsified?” facts[ Thursday, 07 July 2011, 04:07.06 AM GMT +05:30 ]A prominent Sri Lankan political figure on Wednesday accused the British media of conducting a hostile campaign against the Sri Lanka Government singling out The Times and Channel 4 for what he described as their attempts to “falsify” facts.

Rajiva Wijesinha, MP, and Adviser to the Sri Lankan President on Reconciliation, said Sri Lanka had been the target of an “astonishing spate of attacks” with several British media outlets appeared “determined to falsify’’.

“The Times engaged in a particularly vicious campaign which another British journalist explained as arising from its association with New Labour…,’’ he said addressing a gathering of expatriates at the Sri Lanka High Commission.

In his presentation `‘Reconciliation in the Context of Channel 4 allegations”, Prof.Wijesinha said the British media coverage had contributed to polarization among Sri Lankans thus hindering efforts at reconciliation. The Channel recently screened a film containing footage that it claimed showed human rights abuses by government forces.

Criticising a Guardian stringer for his “erroneous reports’’, Prof.Wijesinha said:`` His stories had often to be corrected, though he flatly refused to correct the most outrageous of them, when he claimed that 11 women had been found with their throats cut. He confessed that there was no basis for this, and that his source could not be trusted.’’

About Channel 4’s coverage, he said: “From the start it seemed there was a conspiratorial element to it, and their team was soon asked to leave. So it was not surprising that later… they produced the first aggressive attack on Sri Lanka, in the form of a brief clip shown in August 2009. They refused to allow the High Commission to see this in advance, and indeed did not show anyone the video they had received. They even refused to give it to the U.N. Special Rapporteur, who was instead shown another version, different in some particulars, supplied by an outfit called Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka.’’

Prof.Wijesinha enumerated the efforts the Government was making to heal the ethnic divide and, answering questions from the audience, urged expatriates of all ethnicities to come forward and help the Government.

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Doctors in Jaffna protest over disrespectful treatment

Doctors at the Jaffna Hospital today (July 7) have gone onstrike in view of the troublesome situation at the Hospital which is attributedto the behavior of the private security officers, the Government MedicalOfficers Union stated.

 

Secretary of the Union, Dr. Chandima Epitakaduwa stated thatthe security officers had been treating the staff at the hospital in a disrespectfulmanner while stating that if measures are not taken to replace or remove thesesecurity officers by tomorrow (July 8) the doctors of the Jaffna hospital will resign.

SL High Commissioner to meet with Jaya?

Encouraged by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?s assessmentthat Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was ?fully conscious? of therealities of managing the India-Sri Lanka relationship, Colombo is learnt tohave asked its envoy to engage with the Tamil Nadu government.

 

Moves are afoot, sources said, to schedule a meeting betweenSri Lankan High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam and Jayalalithaa in the comingweeks.

 

The Sri Lankan envoy returned from Colombo on Tuesday andofficials familiar with the developments said this ?reaching out? was aconscious decision taken by the Sri Lankan government.

 

Sri Lanka is quite enthused at the PM?s assessment of theTamil Nadu CM. He had told editors at last week?s interaction, ?I have had goodcooperation with Jayalalithaaji. I raised this matter with her the very firsttime. Whatever be the resolutions that were passed in the Assembly, I found herfully conscious of the complexities and the realities of managing thisrelationship.?

 

Officials said the engagement with the new CM had begun soonafter her landslide victory in the Assembly polls in May. Lankan ForeignMinister G L Peiris wrote a ?congratulatory letter? to Jayalalithaa, wishingher welland indicating Colombo?s intention to ?work with her?. (IE)

Pak, Sri Lanka trade bodies can enhance ties - Bathiudeen

Sri Lanka aims to boost economic, trade and commercial tieswith Pakistan. Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister for Industries and Commerce of SriLanka Wednesday said Sri Lanka is Pakistan?s biggest trading partner in SAARCoutside India and we share common perceptions on many regional and globalissues.

 

 

Speaking to business community at FPCCI Bathiudeen said thecurrent bilateral trade volume stood at $338 million, which could be increasewith the help of private sector. He said balance of trade has always been infavour of Pakistan, which was contributing to economic development of abrotherly country.

He said both governments have agreed to provide enhanced opportunities to theprivate sector to interact to benefit from untapped potential. Plans to cementlinks and other steps to further encourage Pakistani investors are on thecards, he added. He invited Pakistani investors to his country saying thatstrong post-war growth potential was an opportunity for everyone.

Pakistanis can get trade concession in all the countries and groupings of whichSri Lanka is a signatory. He informed we urgently need some fifty thousand headof cattle from Pakistan. Raza Khan of FPCCI said 8.1 percent growth, per capitaGDP hike to $2400 and economic freedom standing at 57.1 proved that investorshave trust in policies of Sri Lankan government, Daily Times reports.

Government representa​tives to meet Tamil Nadu CM

Government representa?tives to meet Tamil Nadu CM[ Thursday, 07 July 2011, 04:15.04 AM GMT +05:30 ]Encouraged by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assessment that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was “fully conscious” of the realities of managing the India-Sri Lanka relationship, Colombo is learnt to have asked its envoy to engage with the Tamil Nadu government.

Moves are afoot, sources said, to schedule a meeting between Sri Lankan High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam and Jayalalithaa in the coming weeks.

The Sri Lankan envoy returned from Colombo on Tuesday and officials familiar with the developments said this “reaching out” was a conscious decision taken by the Sri Lankan government.

Sri Lanka is quite enthused at the PM’s assessment of the Tamil Nadu CM. He had told editors at last week’s interaction, “I have had good cooperation with Jayalalithaaji. I raised this matter with her the very first time. Whatever be the resolutions that were passed in the Assembly, I found her fully conscious of the complexities and the realities of managing this relationship.”

Officials said the engagement with the new CM had begun soon after her landslide victory in the Assembly polls in May. Lankan Foreign Minister G L Peiris wrote a “congratulatory letter” to Jayalalithaa, wishing her welland indicating Colombo’s intention to “work with her”.

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