President to India for talks with Manmohan

By The Sunday Leader Political Editor

President Mahinda Rajapakse is to visit New Delhi for one to one talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the second week of November, The Sunday Leader learns.

The President is to discuss the security situation in the country and the plans to introduce a political solution to the ethnic conflict with Prime Minister Singh in addition to the steps taken to address the humanitarian crisis in the Wanni.

Informed sources said the President's visit will be a follow up to the meetings Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse had with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon.

The firm date for the meeting scheduled for the second week of November is to be finalised after the preliminary groundwork is done, a top source said.

Highly placed sources in Government told The Sunday Leader President Rajapakse preferred to deal with India in resolving the ethnic conflict rather than with the West and that it was a policy set out in the Mahinda Chinthana.

The President told the Chennai based Hindu newspaper last week that the Government is fully committed to a negotiated political settlement based on a devolution of power ensuring the democratic, political and linguistic rights of 'all our Tamil brethren within an undivided Sri Lanka.'

He also categorically ruled out a military solution to what was described as a political problem.

The Sunday Leader learns the President will also invite the Tamil National Alliance for a meeting this week to discuss the way forward on the political solution in addition to convening a meeting of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC).

The TNA was invited to a meeting by the President on Saturday, October 25, but it was later postponed after Rajapakse was informed that the TNA leadership was in Tamil Nadu.

The APRC is scheduled to meet on Monday and Tuesday. A top source said the President may convene a meeting of the Committee to personally issue instructions on the way forward.

The President met Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday, October 24 where the importance of proceeding with a political solution was discussed.

Wickremesinghe who informed the President he will be leaving for Japan on Saturday, November 1 said UNP MP and President's Counsel K.N. Choksy can be contacted for discussions on the outstanding issues arising from the APRC.

It is learned Wickremesinghe will visit New Delhi after the President returns from his discussions.

Fierce sea battle off Nagarkovil  

Meanwhile, the TamilNet website quoted the Sea Tigers as claiming that 20 LTTE boats took part in the battle and that they destroyed two naval vessels, an Israeli built Dvora gunboat and a hovercraft.

The Tigers also claimed to have damaged a "Jet vessel of the SLN, although the government did not report damage or loss of any of its own naval craft.

The Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) claimed in a statement that 18 LTTE cadres were killed and 16 wounded in the naval engagement, although TamilNet reports that only seven LTTE sailors, all suicide cadres, were killed. The MCNS statement further claimed that five sailors were injured in action  while the LTTE claimed at least four navy personnel were killed .

According to the Defence Ministry, the air force also engaged the LTTE fleet at 8:30 a.m. destroying two boats and killing a further  three  sea tigers.

The Defence Ministry also claimed that seven senior sea tigers were among those killed.

Wanni food convoy to move tomorrow

By Arthur Wamanan

The delayed food convoy to the IDPs in the Wanni will travel tomorrow, UN and government officials said.

UN spokesperson Gordon Weiss told The Sunday Leader that the weekly food convoy jointly organised by the UN and the government, which was scheduled to travel to the Wanni last Friday, will leave tomorrow.

Commissioner General of Essential Services S.B. Divaratne said that the UN convoy of 30 trucks will contain 438 metric tonnes of food items.

"Items such as rice, dhal and oil will be sent in the convoy," he said. Divaratne had also met the Government Agents of Kilinochchi and Mulaithivu last Friday to assess the progress of distribution of essential items in the Wanni.

"We have already established a buffer stock in the Wanni. According to the Government Agents, most of the stores are now full and they are finding it difficult to store the food items. There are no problems at the moment with regard to the essential items in the Wanni," he said.

The government officials in the Wanni said that there was an urgent need of shelter materials due to the rains.

Divaratne added that shelter materials will be sent with the next convoy, as the government agents had given the specifications only last week.

"There will not be a separate convoy for the shelter materials. The materials will be sent with the weekly convoy, as they (shelter materials) too are provided by humanitarian organisations," Divaratne added.

UNP to present alternate budget

The UNP will this week present an alternate budget in Parliament setting out how the party plans to address the economic issues confronting the country.

The Government is to present its budget on Wednesday, November 5.

The alternate budget of the UNP is to be presented by Colombo District MP Ravi Karunanayake.

The Sunday Leader learns, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who left for Japan yesterday had directed all UNP parliamentarians to be present in the House when the party's alternate budget is being presented.

Western and Central PCs to be dissolved

The government has decided to dissolve the Western and Central Provincial Councils before November 15 and call for elections early in January it is learned.

Informed sources said that the elections for these two councils may be held in the first two weeks of January next year.

President Mahinda Rajapakse has called the members of the Central Provincial Council for a meeting at 10 a.m. at Temple Trees today (2). He is also  scheduled to meet the members of the Western Provincial Council at 4 p.m. today.

CEB to incur Rs. 20 m loss per day

By Nirmala Kannangara

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is to incur a loss of over Rs.20 million  per day due to the damage caused to the Kelanitissa Power Station following the terrorist aerial attack on Tuesday night.

Power generation by the Kerawalapitiya Thermal Power Plant to the national grid following the damage caused to the GT 7 (Gas Turbine No: 7) at the Kelanitissa Power Station is estimated to cost over Rs. 20 million  per day to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), reliable sources from the CEB told The Sunday Leader.

Following Tuesday's attack the Combined Cycle Power Plant that consists of the steam and GT 7 power plants were malfunctioning according to the sources.

"The GT 7 power plant was severely damaged but not the steam power plant. As a result of the damage caused to the GT 7 the authorities concerned had to discontinue the functioning of the steam plant in order to ensure that nothing  goes wrong with the machinery.  However the GT 7 power plant has to be repaired and according to the assessment it will take a  few months to repair the machinery," the sources added.

According to the sources all parts have to be imported to repair the machines and the failure to add 160 MW to the national grid from the Combined Cycle Power Plant is to cost the CEB dearly.

"In order to substitute the 160MW generated by GT 7 and Steam plant which generated 50MW and 110MW respectively at the Kelanitissa Power Station, the Kerawalapitiya Thermal Power Plant which is on its test run has initiated generating power from Thursday and adds 100MW to the national grid. Since  Kerawalapitiya  operates on thermal power the loss per day has been estimated to be over Rs. 20 million which is a colossal loss to the CEB," the sources further stated.

Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne was not contactable for his comments.

Legal action against suppression of media urged

By Nirmala Kannangara

The SLFP (M) wing is to instigate legal action against the controversial Gazette notification that suppresses the electronic media, Convener SLFP (M) wing Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera said.

The joint opposition on Friday charged the government for stifling the fundamental rights of freedom of thoughts and expression and accused Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse for being behind this entire affair.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe briefing the media said that the suppression and restrictions imposed on media institutions by the Rajapakse administration was an indication as to how they want to hide the truth from the public with regard to the war situation in the country.

"This unofficial censorship is to hide the war information from the public and according to the Gazette notification, any person who joins any political party cannot have legal authorisation to have a licence to operate a media institution which is ridiculous," Wickremesinghe said.

Meanwhile Mangala Samaraweera said that this course of action would not be the end to a dictatorial regime but the start of a dictatorship governance.

"The economy is in shambles and a mere smoke screen to hide the war situation is shown by the government TV channels in order to hide the Rajapakse brothers' inefficiency and corruption within the government. Since the free media institutions were bold enough to highlight the government's incapability there was no other option but to impose restrictions to control the media institutions that went against them," claimed Samaraweera.

Accusing the Defence Minister and Army Commander of being responsible in fermenting nationalism, Samaraweera said that legal action should be taken against both of them before trying to take legal action against the media personnel.

"Once Gotabaya Rajapakse said that the police had to register the Tamils and Muslims in Colombo because of the 'outsiders' infiltration to Colombo. Who were these outsiders? Whether it is Tamils or Muslims  Sri Lankan nationals cannot be called outsiders, but those who have infiltrated the country from USA after 2005 could be rated as outsiders. The Army Commander too recently stated that Sri Lanka is the country for the Sinhalese, which too is fermenting nationalism. Without taking legal action against these two the Rajapakse brothers want to act legally against the media which tries to ferment nationalism," charged Samaraweera.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauf Hakeem meanwhile accused Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa of introducing a Gazette notification without knowing what the contents were. "When a group of foreign journalists inquired about the restrictions imposed on media institutions, Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa was clueless and had to verify the position from the Ministry Secretary before answering the questions. If the Media Minister has introduced the Gazette notification he should have known what the contents were. This clearly shows that it was the Rajapakse Brothers who have introduced the regulations and not the minister," alleged Hakeem.

Indian film stars stage hunger strike 

Several South Indian film stars staged a hunger strike yesterday in Chennai,

in a show of solidarity with civilians affected by the battles raging in

northern Sri Lanka, the Indian media reported yesterday. 

Several South Indian artistes including Nepolean, Styaraj, Vijay, Arjun,

Pasupathi, and Manorama attended the fast organised by the South Indian

Artiste's Association (SIAA), both NDTV and ANI reported.

Speaking to media at the day-long fast, SIAA president R. Sarath Kumar said

the program was organised "to express the association's solidarity with

Tamils living in Sri Lanka and support them."

He praised the Tamil Nadu state government and Indian central government for

"taking steps to find an amicable solution on the matter," and said he hopes

that normalcy will return to Sri Lanka soon.

Meanwhile, The Hindu yesterday reported that "nearly 75 percent" of shops in

Chennai and almost half the rural shops in Tamil Nadu were shut down on

Friday, in a protest organized by a DMK-backed trade union.

The traders were demanding an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka and the

distribution of relief materials to affected civilians through a UN agency,

The Hindu further reported.

Karuna, Moulana trade charges

Mobile companies to keep tab on child sex abuse content

A leading mobile company has taken the initiative to prevent  access to child sexual abuse content from external websites  through their services.

Dialog Telecom PLC has joined the GSMA's Mobile Alliance against the sexual abuse of children and supports the GSMA Mobile Alliance that works towards protecting the rights of children and preventing their sexual exploitation.

The company will support the GSMA Mobile Alliance's mission of obstructing the use of the mobile environment by individual and organisations wishing to consume or profit from child sexual abuse content.

"Dialog has to be commended for its leadership in addressing this important issue. We call on more Asian mobile operators to join the Alliance and take further steps to prevent their networks from being used as a means of accessing or hosting pictures and videos of children being sexually abused," says CEO and member of the GSMA Board Rob Conway.

"We are restricting internet access to child sexual abuse content via mobile phones to coincide with the International Children's Day 2008," Chairman NCPA Jagath Wellawatte said.

Group Chief Corporate Officer Dialog Telecom PLC Mothilal de Silva added that as a responsible Corporate they agree with the Mobile Alliance against child sexual abuse content  on the need to be mindful and on ensuring a proper balance between the interests of law enforcement and respect of fundamental human rights on this subject matter. "We feel that controlling this type of menace is important to protect our future generations from exploitation and ensure information security," de Silva said.

Golden Anniversary of SL Housewives' Assn.

The Sri Lanka Housewives' Association (SLHA), the largest women's organisation in Sri Lanka will celebrate its Golden Anniversary with a gala banquet and evening of entertainment from 7 pm onwards at the Holiday Inn Hotel on November 8.

The SLHA has a membership of over 5000 in Colombo and 17 branches islandwide. Music for the Golden Jubilee Night will be provided by the popular band, Friends in Harmony who will play  golden oldies, music for dancing and accompany the young at heart in a sing-a-long session to keep the 18 to 80s in a fantastic mood.

The evergreen Faizal will compere in his inimitable style and entertain the audience with many surprises and games.

The principal sponsor is Reckitt Benckiser (Sri Lanka) Ltd. Valuable prizes will be offered on the ticket and souvenir draws. A limited number of  dinner tickets are available at Rs. 2000 per head at the SLHA headquarters, 179 Sir James Peiris Mawatha, Colombo 2.

Evicted payment hawkers yet to receive stalls

By Risidra Mendis

The Mahinda Chinthanaya has once again failed to fulfill the promises made to pavement hawkers at the Janatha Pola in Nugegoda.

Pavement hawkers who were forced to leave the pavements with the promises by the Sri Jayawardenapura Cooperative of suitable shelter inside the pola are yet to receive the basic facilities.

Speaking to The Morning Leader Secretary, Sri Jayawardenapura Cooperative Janatha Pola United Associates (SJCJPUA) Nisalka Sumithrarachchi said some pavement hawkers were allowed to sell vegetables inside the Janatha Pola while others were forced to go back to the pavements due to the harassment from Jayawardenapura Cooperative officials.

"When a decision was taken to shift the pavement hawkers into the Janatha pola we appealed to Minister of Urban Development Dinesh Gunewardene, and Western Provincial Council member Piyasena Dissanyake to get the Sri Jayawardenapura Cooperative to undertake the administrative work," Sumithrarachchi said. 

On February 2, 2006 on the request of Gunewardene and Dissanayake the cooperative undertook the administrative work of the Janatha pola. On March 24, 2006 the then Chairman of the cooperative and government officials erected a plaque and hoarding on the land selected to build the Janatha pola.

"These officials promised us that the Janatha pola would be built within one and a half years from this date. The cooperative told the pavement hawkers to make donations towards the building. When we said we don't have the money to pay them the cooperative officials promised to grant us loans of Rs. 5 lakhs per hawker through the Rural Bank on the agreement that the hawkers become members of the cooperative. It is two years and seven months since then but the pola building is yet to be completed," Sumithrarachchi explained.

He added that a request to meet with cooperative officials was not granted. "When the SJCJPUA held a picketing in August 2007 cooperative officials asked pavement hawkers to make a payment towards the building. The officer who collected the payments from the hawkers didn't give the money to the cooperative. On September 22 this year the water supply was cut," P. Nimal Silva said.

Commissioner Department of Cooperative Development Western Province S.H.Hewage was not available for a comment.

Australian senator calls for the proscription of LTTE

Australian Senator Stephen Hutchins has called on the country's government to take steps to proscribe the LTTE as a terrorist organisation under the Security Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2002.

The senator had made this request following the suicide bomb attack in Anuradhapura on  October 6, which killed Sri Lanka's former High Commissioner to Australia, retired Major General Janaka Perera and several others. 

Senator Hutchins in a letter dated October 8, addressed to the Attorney General of Australia, Robert McLelland and copied to Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, the Senator for New South Wales and Chairman of the Australia-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group, stated that, "it has been common knowledge for years that Australian-based  Tamil expatriates have used Australian organisations and businesses as fronts to funnel money back to the LTTE."

Senator Hutchins had also pointed out that the country would be sending a strong message that it does not tolerate terrorism, by proscribing the LTTE  and holding local Tamils accountable.   "Only through proscribing the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, will we be able to empower the Australian government to take appropriate action against individuals who insist on funneling money to this organisation." 

 Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had also called upon his Australian counterpart, Stephen Smith to proscribe the LTTE during his recent visit to Canberra. 

"The Australian Minister had responded by stating that this matter is currently under consideration by the Attorney General," a statement by the Foreign Ministry said.

"No statements affecting India's sovereignty"

Chairman of the Indian Film Artistes' Association (FAA), R. Sarathkumar had called upon the actors not to make statements affecting India's sovereignty during the protest against the attack on Sri Lankan Tamils.

The protest organised by FAA was to be held yesterday at Thiyaharaya Nagar, Chennai. Two Tamil Directors, Ameer and Seeman who were arrested for making statements in favour of the LTTE during a protest in Rameshwaram on October 19 were released on bail last Thursday.

A string of protests were held in Tamil Nadu last month by various organisations against the 'genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.'

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister last Sunday (26) said that he would not pressurise the Central government on the Sri Lankan issue following the Indian government's promise to send 800 metric tonnes of essential items.

However, the Tigers last week said that the Air Force had recommenced attacking civilian targets in the Wanni days after the Tamil Nadu intervention.

Pro-Tiger websites quoting a statement by the LTTE Political Wing stated that at least two persons had been killed last week due to artillery and air attacks carried out by the military. A 16 year-old student was also among those killed, according to the sites.

Chinese melamine scandal widens

The toxic chemical melamine is probably being routinely added to Chinese animal feed, state media has reported. Correspondents say the unusually frank reports in several news outlets are an admission that contamination could be widespread throughout the food chain.

The problem widened last weekend when the authorities in Hong Kong reported that melamine had also been detected in Chinese eggs. Four brands of eggs have since been found to be contaminated, and agriculture officials speculate that the cause was probably melamine-laced feed given to hens.

The feed industry seems to have acquiesced to agree on using the chemical to reduce production costs while maintaining the protein count for quality inspections, the state-run China Daily said in an editorial.

Nidhan Wastu deposition ceremony

Nidhan Wasthu deposition ceremony of newly constructed Chaithaya at Narahenpita Dabare Mawatha Sri Gauthama Viharaya will be held on November 3 (Monday). The deposition of Nidhan Wasthu will take place at the auspicious time of 10 am under the patronage of Viharadhipathi Rev. Omalpe Sumanaratana Thero. The dayaka sabha of Gauthama Viharaya will organise the event.

No action on those found guilty of bribery and corruption- Sally

By Nirmala Kannangara

The municipal administration in Colombo over the past few months has been plagued by mal-administration alleged former Deputy Mayor Colombo Municipal Council Azad Sally.

The Western Province Chief minister's failure to take necessary action against the council over the past 10 months based on the one-man commission report by retired Appeal Court Judge Chandradasa Nanayakkara has led to a group of Colombo residents to instigate legal action against the administration.

"Following the Supreme Court directive the Chief Minister who failed to act on the former one man commission report has now appointed yet another one man commission to take action against the council members and officials who were found guilty of bribery and corruption charges. What was the reason for Chief Minister Reginald Cooray not to take disciplinary action against the council when there was plenty of proof as to how they played out public money?" asked Sally.

According to Sally, Chief Minister Cooray's decision to appoint yet another one-man commission was to hood wink the court to cover up his failure to take appropriate action.

"The reason for the appointment of the second commission was to show the Supreme Court that he (Cooray) has taken action, in order to avert any warning against him," alleged Sally.

However Opposition Leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara refuting allegation levelled against the Chief Minister told The Sunday Leader that Chief Minister Cooray's decision to appoint yet another one-man commission was to find out exactly who has to be charged for mal-administration in the CMC.

"Also the first report stated that the council is responsible for  six  out of the eight charges. There are many who have clean hands and minds. So it was unfair by those who have a good track record if all the members are charged. The second commission would find out as to who is guilty and who had no hand in the misdeeds," added Nanayakkara.All attempts to contact Governor Alavi Moulana and Chief Minister Reginald Cooray by The Sunday Leader failed.

IPFM concerned over deterioration of press freedom

The International Press Freedom Mission (IPFM) has expressed its concern over the deterioration of press freedom in Sri Lanka since June.

The IPFM said that it found deterioration in the press freedom situation since its last visit in June 2007, "marked by a continuation in murders, attacks, abductions, intimidation and harassment of the media." In the World Press Freedom Index published by RSF recently, Sri Lanka has fallen to the lowest press freedom rating of any democratic country worldwide.

It also said it was alarmed at the use of an anti-terrorism law 'for the first time in the democratic world' to punish journalists purely for what they have written.

"J.S. Tissainayagam, B. Jasiharan and V. Vallarmathy have been detained since March 2008 and later charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Mission is worried about the dangerous precedent this sets for all media nationally and internationally," it said.

"In recent months journalists and media institutions seeking to report independently on the ongoing conflict have been attacked and intimidated in a seeming effort to limit public knowledge about the conduct of the war and to reveal their sources. This is a violation of the public right to know and the accepted norm that media sources should be protected."

The IPFM also said that media in the north and east have continued to bear the brunt of the worst forms of insecurity. "Media access to war-affected areas is heavily restricted with journalists forced to reproduce information disseminated by the conflicting parties."

"In the LTTE-controlled areas freedom of expression and freedom of movement continue to be heavily restricted preventing diverse opinions and access to plural sources of information."

Media rules gazetted on October 10 by the government provide for a number of contingencies under which broadcasting licences can be cancelled, including seven different grounds related to broadcast content, according to the IPFM.

"Moreover, a popular broadcast channel has been put on notice that it is to submit transcripts of news broadcasts "to be carried" every week as of October 28. The International Mission deplores any effort to impose prior restraint or direct censorship on the media."

Two million square metres of land cleared of mines

The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) has in the last nine months cleared more than two million square metres of land.

MAG's work in Sri Lanka consists of manual clearance, mechanical clearance and Community Liaison activities.

According to MAG, it has cleared 2,239,300 square metres of land through a combination of manual and mechanical techniques. It said that 10 anti-personnel mines and 22 items of unexploded ordnance have been removed.

MAG has been operational in Batticaloa for the last five years, assisting the government in meeting the target to free the country from the impact of mines by the end of 2009.

Local authorities to produce organic fertiliser

By Risidra Mendis

The Environment Ministry has provided facilities to eight local government authorities to produce organic fertiliser.

The Sunday Leader learns that the organic fertiliser is to be produced by recycling garbage under the "Pilisaru programme" initiated by the Environment Ministry. The project is to cost  Rs. 30 million.

Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka has released 30% of the Rs. 30 million to the local government authorities for the implementation of the project. The Minister according to an agreement signed with the local government authorities has requested them to submit a progress report before the end of December this year.

Petrol shed owners flout CAA instructions to display price of 2T oil

By Risidra Mendis 

Petrol sheds in the country have failed to display the price of 2T oil, despite instructions by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA).

Speaking to The Sunday Leader, President AITWDWA Lalith Dharmasekera said that while some petrol sheds continue to sell engine oil to trishaw drivers on the pretext that it is 2T oil other petrol sheds charge exorbitant rates for 2T oil.

"The authorities have increased the price of 2T oil without thinking of the plight of the trishaw drivers. The price of 2T oil was increased from  Rs. 228 to Rs. 262 per litre a few weeks ago," Dharmasekera said.