Old foes, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse and one time UNP General Secretary Sirisena Cooray came together last week at the formation of the Organisation for the Protection of the Motherland. All opposition parties except the JVP have lent their support to the organisation Photo By Buddhika Weerasinghe

PM raps intelligence chiefs

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last week warned intelligence chiefs not to leak half baked stories to the media and compromise national security.

The Prime Minister also told the intelligence chiefs what he expected of them was hard intelligence and not gossip.

Wickremesinghe made these observations at a meeting specially convened on Wednesday, January 15 at Temple Trees to discuss the workings of the country’s intelligence agencies.

The Prime Minister had earlier indicated to his ministers he was particularly concerned at the workings of the Directorate of Military Intelligence.

Present at Wednesday’s meeting were Defence Minister Tilak Marapone, Defence Secretary Austin Fernando, Army Commander Lionel Balagalle, Director, Military Intelligence, Brigadier Kapila Hendavitharana, Director National Intelligence Bureau, DIG, F. Alles, Advisor Merril Gunaratne and SP U. Lathiff.

Hendavitharana also figured prominently in the Athurugiriya fiasco.

The Prime Minister indicated at the meeting the need to co-ordinate activities of all intelligence agencies to ensure maximum results. He also said media reports based on intelligence reports of child soldiers in LTTE camps were also grossly exaggerated.

The intelligence chiefs told the Prime Minister though some media reports attributed reports to the intelligence agencies, they were not responsible for any of the leaks.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said in future, the Defence Ministry will officially deny every false report since it could impact on the peace process.

Following Wednesday’s meeting with the Prime Minister, Defence Minister Tilak Marapone on Thursday had a separate meeting with the intelligence chiefs where he called for concrete action.

Minister Marapone who took a swipe at the Directorate of Military Intelligence said the government was looking for hard facts and not guesswork.

It is learnt that large sums of money are disbursed by the intelligence services to agents in various fields with no accountability, but had little to show by way of results.

Hakeem calls on Muslim refugees
to return to the north

Ports Minister and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader Rauf Hakeem says the Muslim community should place confidence in the assurances given by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Chief, Velupillai Prabha-karan regarding their own personal security.

Responding to a question raised by The Sunday Leader as to whether Muslim refugees still faced threats from the LTTE to return to the north, the Minister said the Muslims could have confidence in the assurance given to him during the discussion he held with the LTTE chief regarding their safety.

Hakeem said LTTE Theoretician Dr. Anton Balasingham has continued to inform him that the LTTE would honour its earlier commitment to safeguard the rights of the Muslims as well.

However, the Minister said there is a notable inhibition, which is apparent from the low number of Muslims who have opted to return.

“This inhibition factor has to be overcome by a special programme aimed at Muslim refugees and that task has now been entrusted to Senior Lecturer, Peradeniya University, Dr. H. S. Hazbullah,” Hakeem said.

Dr. Hazbullah was also in the team of advisors who accompanied Hakeem to the last round of peace talks held in Thailand.

The Sunday Leader learns Dr. Hazbullah has also been nominated to the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN).

“The inhibition on the part of the Muslims to return to the north is observed from the figures that show only 100 families opting to Tamil returnees are in their lakhs. This fact has also been emphasised in the peace talks. We know that the Muslims have been living outside the north and east under squalid conditions," the Minister observed.

Minister Hakeem also informed the plight of the Muslim refugees to Japan's special envoy to Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi, who was on a visit to the country when he met him at Temple Trees during a working breakfast hosted to him by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Hakeem also handed over a book titled The Forgotten People, written by Dr. Hazbullah to the special envoy. Ministers Prof. G.L.Peiris and Milinda Moragoda and the Japanese Ambassador were also present.

PA planning general strike 

THE People’s Alliance (PA) is planning a one day general strike on February 6, The Sunday Leader learns.

A discussion to plan the general strike was held last week at the official residence of the Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse, where trade unions from several sectors participated.

In addition to the trade union movements, the meeting which was chaired by Rajapakse was also attended by Dinesh Gunawardena (MEP), Raja Collure (CPSL) and Professor Tissa Vitharana (LSSP).

The Sunday Leader learns that the strike will be launched against the government’s proposed privatisation programme, cost of living and the new labour reforms.

Contempt law to be amended 

The government is to amend the law which established the Bribery Commission to define the scope of contempt of the Permanent Commission Investigating Allegations of Bribery and Corruption.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last week requested Constitutional Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris to prepare a draft amendment specifying the exact scope where the commission can initiate contempt proceedings against it.

The government has taken the view that the commission cannot be a law unto itself and decided on the amendment to prevent the commission being used as a political tool to witch-hunt adversaries.

Meanwhile, a group of lawyers are also expected to file a writ application challenging the legal status of the commission.

A senior lawyer told The Sunday Leader, “the commission is functus since the passing of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution and has no legal status to function and the writ jurisdiction of the court will be invoked towards this end.”

Bus take-over only after 60% of bid price is paid

By Shezna Shums

The Public Enterprise Reform Commission of Sri Lanka (PERC) has requested the investors in the six bus companies to pay the first instalment of 60% of the purchase price for the equity of the bus companies on or before February 13, this year.

The balance 40% of the purchase price is payable by March 13 this year.

According to PERC, only after the handing over of the payment of 60% of the bid price will the management of the bus companies be handed over.

"The execution of management agreements and the shareholders agreements between the companies, the government and the private investors and managers will take place thereafter," PERC Director General Deepal Gunaratne said.

The shares of six cluster bus companies were sold at the Colombo Stock Exchange last week and this comes in a move to increase the profitability of the bus services in the country.

The British company IBIS has bought the shares of the Colombo Metropolitan Bus Company Ltd, Gampaha Bus Company Ltd, Sabaragamuwa Bus Company Ltd and the Rajarata Bus Company Ltd. The shares of Kalutara Bus Company Ltd. and the Mahanuwara Bus Company Ltd. were also sold in the Colombo Stock Exchange.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Secretary, Private Bus Owners Association, Rohan de Silva says that the association cannot foresee any company getting into this venture and earning substantial profits.

According to the agreement the company that buys the shares of the cluster bus companies has a certain amount they can charge and this amount would not be sufficient for the company to have a huge profit.

"Most of the private companies are interested in making profits but with this venture profits will be hard to earn," he said.

He said the private bus owners have to pay only the bus drivers and the conductors unlike a company where there would also be overhead expenses that need to be covered. "Hence running at a profit would be difficult," he pointed out.

"They also cannot charge more than the set amount and if they are to charge less than the private bus operators, the Bus Owners Association will not allow this to happen," he warned.

"There are around 6000 buses attached to the CTB and what we requested the government was to sell the buses to us at a concessionary rate instead of  selling the buses to private companies. We think that the government probably wants a lump sum so they decided to sell the shares at the Stock Exchange," he added

Speaking to The Sunday Leader Deepal Gunaratne said, "This is a government decision to restructure the transport sector of the country."

He said this is also the much needed restructuring of this sector which is to increase the service levels of this industry.

He said the infusion of capital would help improve the efficiency of the sector as well as provide a better service to the passengers.

"The competition will help bring the prices down in the long run and this competition will set the competition in motion," saidGunaratne.

Steps to facilitate return of over
1 million war refugees

The government and the LTTE have agreed to take measures to facilitate the return of over one million Sri Lankan war refugees scattered across the globe, with priority accorded to some 64,000 Tamils in 111 refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, India, the Information Department said last week.

The consensus was reached at a UNHCR sponsored workshop attended by senior representatives of the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) headed by Director, Peace Secretariat, Bernard Goonatilleke on behalf of the Government and Dr. Jay Maheshwaran representing the LTTE, at Killinochchi on Tuesday.

The parties noted that these persons have the right to return to their country of origin as set forth in the International Human Rights Charter and the Covenant of Civil and Political Rights.

They expressed their commitment to launch such programmes to facilitate conditions for the return of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants who fled the country during the two decade-old conflict.

Both the government and the LTTE agreed that no sooner the internally displaced persons are resettled in their original homes, steps would be taken to expedite the return of the 64,000 refugees in Tamil Nadu out of the estimated 85,000 Lankan Tamil refugees living in India.

In this regard, both parties undertook to support "to the maximum extent possible within available resources the initial integration of all spontaneous, voluntary returnees from India to Sri Lanka, providing them with levels of support which are equitable to that provided to spontaneously returning internally displaced persons, and seeking to ensure their full re-integration into society."

They however stressed that further investment was necessary to create conditions conducive to safe and dignified voluntary repatriation. The participants welcomed the priority afforded in the peace negotiations to search for a durable solution for problems faced by victims of the conflict.

Depositors file writ application in Appeal Court

Several depositors aggrieved by the decision of the Central Bank's Monetary Board to cancel the banking licence of Pramuka Bank have filed a writ application in the Court of Appeal on January 16.

The application seeks that the Appeal Court quash and declare invalid the application made without restoring the proper steps provided for by the Banking Act to protect the interests of depositors and creditors of the bank.

The petition is to be supported early next week in the Appeal Court by M.A.Sumanthiran, senior counsel with P.S.Bandaranayake and Rasika Balasuriya instructed by Samanthi Kumarasinghe.

The first and fourth respondents in this writ application bearing NO CA 65/2003 are: The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, A.S.Jayawardena, Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka and P.P. Sirisena, Director of Banking Supervision, Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Pramuka Savings and Development Bank has also been cited as the fifth respondent for purposes of issuing notice of the application.

The petitioners state in their application that they are all people who have placed deposits with Pramuka Bank, the fifth respondent and thus at all relevant times had a legitimate interest in the proper functioning of Pramuka, which is to be achieved by the legal provision for control and supervision by the Central Bank.

Stating that the bank was incorporated under the Companies Act some time during January 1997, with the primary objective of establishing a licensed specialist bank under the Banking Act, and that the Monetary Board of Pramuka Bank was issued a licence under the Banking Act on July 17, 1997. Further, the petition states that the primary objective of the bank is protecting the interests of depositors and creditors.

The petition also goes on to say that the Central Bank failed to utilise the provisions of the statutory powers conferred in it to protect their customers.

Also, that now the Central Bank has taken the extreme step of cancelling the licence of Pramuka Bank.

The petitioners also state that Pramuka could have and still can be revived if the Central Bank takes steps as provided for in the law for this purpose.

Sangha should keep clear of politics

By Risidra Mendis

The Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero bitterly condemned clergy getting involved in politics.

The prelate told The Sunday Leader the voice of the Buddhist clergy would be better heard if they are united under one umbrella and also refrain from confining themselves to different camps.

According to Sobitha Thero though there are a lot of problems such as Tiger courts, LTTE police forces, abductions and arms being purchased in the north and east while the peace process is on, the Buddhist clergy getting involved should not be encouraged. "This does not give any solution the problem," the monk said.

"It is a known fact that many Buddhist monks are involved in various organisations and represent different parties. However I feel as clergy they should represent the national interest of the country" Sobitha Thero said.

Sobitha Thero who represents the National Sangha Council says the only way to a peaceful solution regarding the north and east is through discussions between both parties.

According to the Thero regular discussions should be held with the opposition regarding the peace process. "We don't want another war. For example if a civil war were to break out again and last for another 20 years, the people of Sri Lanka will need at least another 500 years to recover from the damage and trauma" the Thero said.

Anti-corruption drive by police

With a view to eliminating corruption and to make the police force 'corruption free' police headquarters has launched an anti corruption drive that would function under the DIGs, Inspector General of Police (IGP), T.E. Anandarajah said.

According to him the anti corruption drive would be enforced by the DIGs and they in turn would be answerable to police headquarters.

This decision was taken at the recently held DIGs conference in Colombo. It was unanimously decided that such a drive should be launched to bring back the lost image of the Police Department.

According to the IGP, there have been many newspaper reports of police officers accepting bribes but there has not been any concrete evidence to prove that cops are actually involved.

"So far no complaint has been made against any officer. This is why we find it difficult to apprehend anybody and give the necessary punishment.  But with this drive in force, we would be in a position to take such errant officers to task," the IGP said.

The public should also be motivated to cooperate with the Police Department to make this drive a success, he said.

Campus police force ideal - Milinda

Economic Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda last week suggested that establishment of a campus police force would be ideal to deal with the issue of breakdown of law and order in the universities.

He said one of the most disturbing manifestations of the breakdown of law and order in society, is the resurgence of brutality and the law of the jungle in universities.

"This is of course a very complex issue, which requires urgent addressing," the Minister pointed out in his speech made during the 126th birth anniversary comme-moration of Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

He said that it is extremely important from the law and order perspective, that those behind these heinous crimes face the full force of the law. "Despite tradition and convention we should search for more innovative and effective approaches," he said.

He said the battle for the restoration of law and order in society has to start and start soon. "We must create a society where our womenfolk and children are safe to walk the streets, where people are safe in their homes, a climate where students are free to study unintimidated, where citizens hold each other in mutual respect, where the drug barons are defeated and where the guardians of law and order can hold their heads high and are allowed to carry out duties impartially without fear or favour," he said.

He said most of all Sri Lanka needs to defeat corruption in the police force adding if that is the case, the police should be better paid and properly trained. He said those that are corrupt should be identified and punished whilst those who seek to serve their communities should be rewarded. "Specialists should be rewarded and working in the north and the east should be seen as a challenging promotion and not as punishment," he said.

"The police must be better equipped. For example, if they are to drive in patrol cars then those cars should be brightly coloured so that they act as a deterrent. A proper nationally co-ordinated intelligence network on criminal gangs will need to be funded, forensic science should be the norm in every part of the country with properly trained scientists running them and with the equipment to do more than a basic job," the Minister said.

He said each and every person when coming into contact with the police should also feel that they are properly treated. "The time has come for there to be an external, independent complaints board, possibly under the auspices of the new Police Commission. Inevitably there have been complaints made about the treatment of prisoners in police cells. Again we could take the 'lay visitor' idea from the British system which allows for local independent people to visit police stations at any time of the day and visit the cells. And whilst talking about police stations themselves, in the short term in the north and the east in particular perhaps we should be laying greater emphasis on ensuring that interpreters are permanently based in police stations as well as encouraging language training for police officers.

"Some of what I have talked about is short term and could be easily introduced. Other issues will take longer. Inevitably much of what needs to be done will require funding. Money which currently we do not have," he said.

The Minister further said that essentially the people need to make the police part of their community they serve, adding no policeman can do his or her job properly if they do not know what makes their community function. He said the bad old days of transfers should have no role in the new society the government wishes to create.

"In the new role a policeman might typically be part of the community they serve. Policemen might even have been born and bred in the local area. They will know the people, speak their language and understand their customs and culture. Better still they will know who the criminals are and how to target them.

"Because they are part of the local community the police will have the respect of that community. An outsider has no interest in protecting, mediating and arbitrating, especially if he can't speak the language. He has little interest in ensuring the basic human rights of those he is supposed to protect. But someone who knows their community has an interest in respecting their human rights. Because they live there too, they have an interest in working even harder to seek justice and a peaceful environment in which to exist

"To me that seems to be a fundamental issue in human discourse. Yet that in itself is not enough. If a policeman stands by as a crime is committed or if he allows himself to become the subject of undue pressure then he fails himself and his community. A policeman must be independent of such pressures and he must be professional in his duties.

"This he can only do if he has a deep understanding of the law, why it came about and why it is important for the deeper good of the society he serves. I believe that we need to give each and every policeman a fresh grounding in what is required of him and how he carries out duties. That can only be provided by a new and improved system of national training," he said.

Boy falls ill after consuming Coke: contamination suspected

By Risidra Mendis

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake has directed the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) to intervene and probe the alleged contamination of the Coca Cola can that affected the life of a fourteen-year-old boy after consumption.

The Minister's directive to the FTC is a sequel to the appeal made by Dilshan's father, Prasad Gunewardene by a letter dated January 16.

According to Gunewardene his son was affected by a Coca Cola can that doctors claimed was contaminated by a "substance" in the can. In the letter sent to the Minister Gunewardene has stressed the need to inquire into this incident in the interest of the general public, in order to prevent contaminated and undated drink cans from being sold in Sri Lanka by multi national companies.

According to Gunewardene his son after vomiting had gone unconscious within minutes of consuming the Coke. Doctors at the Colombo North Hospital in Ragama having examined the can had written on the bed ticket that a "substance" in the can had caused ingestion resulting in immediate unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, authorities from the Coca Cola Company had told Gunewardene that an invisible crack in the can causing the leakage of carbon dioxide could have resulted in a poisonous mould being formed inside the can thereby causing harm to human life.

However when the officials inspected the can they found no expiry date. Only then did the company officials realise that their plant in Singapore was manufac- turing Coke cans with no expiry dates.

Since the unfortunate incident that befell Dilshan on December 28, 2002, he is yet to attend school in the new term. Dilshan has had other complications such as his wrist swelling up due to the drip given in hospital on January 1, 2003 and dizziness, burning sensation down the throat and in the intestinal area with fever on January 6 after this incident. However, the Coca Cola Company officials despite the many complications of Dilshan are yet to contemplate granting compensation to Dilshan.

Indian Ocean flagship of the French
fleet calls at Colombo Port

The French ship 'Marne' is presently at the Colombo Port and will be here till Tuesday, January 21.

The 'Marne' first visited the Maldives and was there from January 11 to 15. The ship's Captain is Lieutenant-Commander Pierre-Henri Favreau.

The 'Marne' is 158 meters in length and 22 meters in width and has a displacement of over 18,000 tons. The ship's crew of 177 includes 13 officers.

This is the flagship of the French fleet in the Indian Ocean maritime zone. Maritime Ltd, is acting as ship chandler for this call.

The Commander in Chief of the Indian Ocean Maritime Zone for the French Navy, Rear-Admiral Richard Wilmot-Roussel, will be on board with his staff of 31 of which eight are officers.

The French Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Marie-France Pagnier, as well as Defence Attach‚ Colonel Jean-Pierre Seznec will accompany the Rear-Admiral during the visit.

The Rear-Admiral will hold talks with Sri Lankan navy, defence and political authorities on ways to increase bilateral cooperation.

Rear Admiral Roussel entered the Naval Academy in 1970, taking part in the 1972 - 1973 officers training tour on board the Jeanne d' Arc. He was then posted on board the coastal patrol vessel Etoile Polaire, positioned in Djibouti.

SC dismisses FR case against Ravi

The Supreme Court has dismissed two Fundamental Rights (FR) applications against Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake as both applications were filed out of time.

The petitioner M.P. Kanthi Fernando alleged that even though she was to complete 55 years, according to the rules and regulations of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) and the Establishment Code which has always been followed by the CWE, she applied for an extension of service on June 6, 2002.

However, the petitioner had received a letter dated December 9, 2002 from the respondent, informing her that since she will be completing 55 years of age on January 9, 2003 she will be retired from that date.   

The petitioner further states that up to July 2002 the practice at CWE has been to grant extensions of service for one year at a time to all employees up to the 60th year, unless they are medically unfit, or refused on disciplinary grounds.

However, having heard the submissions made by both counsel, the Supreme Court upheld the preliminary objections raised by the respondent's counsel and held that the present applications have been filed only on January 1, 2003 and the circular is dated June 25, 2002. Therefore, the petitioner's application in respect of the alleged violation of fundamental rights is very well out of time, according to the court's verdict.

Sanjeewa Jayawardena and Priyanthi Gunaratne instructed by G.G. Arulpragasam  appeared for the respondents. Chamantha Weerakone, instructed by Mala Fernando appeared for the petitioner.

International communications to be
fully opened up PM initiates
communications gateway

The government is expected to announce early this week  the complete opening up of the international communication services sector for private investment, in a bid to increase international accessibility, quality, consumer choice and slash prices.

The government is expected to announce the invitation for applications for new international communication gateway licenses, which would carry an attractive price tag of US $ 50,000, (Rs. 5 million), highly placed government sources said Thursday.

The Sunday Leader learns that there would not be restrictions on the number of such licenses, based on a  directive of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who overruled strong lobbies to restrict such licenses initially for the existing operators.

The complete opening up of the international communication services according to sources is expected to pave the way for ending the inability to reach Sri Lanka from overseas, which results from the internet protocol based calls reaching Sri Lanka through illegal operators, whose calls are in turn  blocked  by  Sri  Lanka  Telecom using special software.

The Sunday Leader learns that even the Prime Minister himself was unable to reach Sri Lanka during his visit to Oslo in November 2002. BOI Chairman Arjunna Mahendran has also bitterly complained about the current situation's  ill effects  on promoting foreign investment and has  expressed his appreciation towards the new concept to fully open  international communication services.

"This liberalisation would mean that in future the public would not need to trek to the communication bureaus  in certain areas to get cheap international calls, but they could do so in the comfort of their own home. They would even be able to choose the operator through whom they wish to get the call," sources explained.

"The best analogy for this is the situation when cellular telephony was introduced about 14 years ago and now the difference is that this transformation is expected to occur within months rather than years," government sources pointed out.

Ironically earlier this week at a public lecture  Director, Earth Institute, University of Colombia, Visiting Prof. Jeffery Sachs severely criticised  Sri Lanka Telecom's move to keep a tight grip on international under sea cables to Sri Lanka which has partly prevented the reduction of prices and limited the access time for  international communication.

The telecom watchdog,  Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) recently conducted a public consultation regarding  international gateways as well as inter connecting those gateways with existing networks.

The consultants who assisted the TRC on this programme came under criticism from a section of operators who claimed that they were biased as they had previously advised Sri Lanka Telecom and even appeared as their expert witnesses  in a  court case. The TRC later said that the Economic Reforms  Ministry's Public Investment Procurement Unit  appointed  these consultants.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe recently responding to criticism regarding reports of the alleged import of VSAT communication equipment by the LTTE, referred to the new National Communications Policy approved by the cabinet which spells out the government's intention to fully liberalise the communications sector.

Based on this, TRC has sought public views on adopting simplified procedures for establishing satellite access, clearing telecom equipment through Customs and also approval of spectrum equipment, sources said.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe recently launched the e-Sri Lanka initiative that has amongst its objectives provide  rural Sri Lanka connectivity to the information super highway and electronic services. Most of Sri Lanka's existing communication facilities are based in the Western Province.

Job centres to be opened islandwide

Labour Ministry recently launched a programme to open job centres throughout the island. The first such centre was  opened  at Agalawatte by Labour Minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe last week.  Present at the occasion along with the Minister were Norwegian Ambassador, Jon Westborg and President, Chamber of Commerce, Tilak de Soysa.  The Centre which is managed by the Chamber is financed by the Norwegian government.

Record number of tourist arrivals

By Shezna Shums

With the ongoing peace process taking a positive turn, the country anticipates a record figure of nearly half a million tourists this year.

According to the Additional Secretary, Tourism Ministry,  George Michael tourism figures in the country have shown a positive increase as against previous years.

According to him 339,794 tourists arrived in the year 2001 while the following year 393,171 tourists arrivals were recorded.

"This may not be a big increase but it shows that there is an encouraging trend for the tourism industry in Sri Lanka," he pointed out.

According to him the non-traditional markets such as India, Malaysia, China and Thailand are being tapped and in these countries Sri Lanka has got its destination status.

He said the peace process has definitely given out a strong message to the world and has further helped tourists willing to travel to Sri Lanka.

According to  Additional  Secretary,  Citizenship  Branch- Department of  Immigration  and  Emigration, K. D. N. Dharmawardena every month there are more than a 100 people applying for dual passports.

"Unlike the previous times where only about 40 people applied for dual passports, now more  people are applying for it. Those applying for  dual citizenship are mostly from Australia, Norway, Germany, Canada and USA," he said.

The documents that are needed to get this certificate are a Sri Lankan education qualification certificate and assets certificate to show that the person owns land, assets or monetary assets, he said.

Japanese Encephalitis claims seven

AN outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis has claimed seven lives and in addition there are 51 suspected cases in the Ratnapura District, Director, Epidemiology Unit,   Health Ministry,  Dr. T.A.Kulathilake, said.

However according to Dr.Kulathilake, it is well under control now.

Some of the symptoms of this disease  are vomiting,  sever headache, fits and at times the patients can go into a coma.

Committee to assist resettlement of IDPs

A decision was taken to appoint a 21 member committee to take steps regarding the resettlement of displaced people in Jaffna peninsula, sources said.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) held last week in Kilinochchi.

It was decided that seven members from the government  and  seven from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would be appointed to serve on the proposed committee. So far no decision has been taken on the rest of the seven members of the committee.

   SIHRN has further decided to appoint district level committees to take necessary steps for resettlement of the displaced people and their rehabilitation, defence sources said.

LTTE's Political Wing Leader S.P.Thamilchelvan, LTTE Peace Secretariat Chief Pulithevan and several others participated on behalf of the LTTE while Secretary General, Peace Secretariat, Bernard Gunatilleke and several other members attended the meeting on behalf of the government. Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo Jon Westborg and the Secretary General of the Japanese Foreign Development Ministry were also present during the three-hour discussion of the SIHRN.

150,000 coconut trees destroyed in the north

An estimated 150,000 coconut trees have been destroyed in Jaffna due to military operations, Coconut Development Board (CDB) sources said.

However, only about 15,000 saplings have been replanted so far, one year after the ceasefire agreement between Colombo and the LTTE, the officials said.

Environmentalists from the north accused the Sri Lanka Army of cutting down thousands of coconut  and palmyrah palms to build bunkers and of  bulldozing paths off the main roads for military traffic.

They said many coconut plantations in the Thenmarachchi area were virtually razed to the ground in sustained barrages by the army in April, 2001.

According to sources large numbers  of coconut trees that were destroyed in 2000 were in Eluthumadduval, Mirusuvil, Nunavil, Pallai, Chavakachcheri, Madduvil and Pachchilaipalli in the Thenmarachchi division.

New courts complexes for Jaffna, Trinco

A new court complex is to be constructed in Jaffna shortly, Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva said last week.

He made this observation at a ceremony to lay  the foundation stone for a new courts  complex in Trincomalee town, which is to be constructed at a cost of nearly Rs. 70 million with  financial assistance from the International Development Agency of the World Bank under the Legal and Judicial Reforms Project.

The Chief Justice said, "this event is significant and historic for several reasons. It is the first time in the country's history that work has been commenced to construct an entirely new courts complex in this important north-eastern city of Trincomalee. Hitherto, we have been housing  courts  in old and dilapidated buildings that have been constructed for different purposes. The event is also significant since it is the first major construction work undertaken by the Legal and Judicial Reforms Project," said Silva.

According to the Chief Justice, the new courts  complex in Trincomalee will have a floor area of 36,210 square feet and would have three storeys and a semi basement and would accommodate six courts.

Fingerprint database to stop "asylum-shopping"

An Europe-wide database of asylum  seekers' fingerprints will come into operation shortly, the BBC reported last week.

The new system - known as EURODAC  -  will enable immigration officers to cross-check applicants' fingerprints to see if they are already on the European database.

It is hoped that it will put an end to multiple  asylum  applications, or "asylum-shopping."

The move comes as the British Parliament's Opposition Law and Order Spokesman, Oliver Letwin,  criticised the chaotic situation in Britain's immigration system.

It also follows the arrest of three North Africans last  Wednesday after a policeman was stabbed to death in Manchester during an anti-terrorism operation linked to the discovery of a deadly poison, ricin, in London last week.

Two of the six men arrested in connection with the London case are teenage asylum seekers - one is Algerian and the other  Ethiopian - housed by Islington Council in a  flat in Wood Green where the ricin was found.

Defence Secretary nominates Karaliadde

Defence Secretary  Austin Fernando has nominated the Ministry's Additional Secretary,  K.W.E. Karaliadde to the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN).

The LTTE last week announced that it disbanded the Sub committee on Normalisation and De-escalation, which Fernando headed.

However, government sources pointed out that for such a disbanding of a committee, both parties, the government and the LTTE should agree, adding that a simple decision taken by one single party would not lead to disbanding a committee. "We could say that the committee is now non functional," they said.

HRC initiates human rights awareness campaign

The Human Rights Commission (HRC)  in collaboration with civil society organisations has launched a programme known as "Dialogue," at various levels, aimed at enabling every citizen  in the country to get  awareness on  human rights.

The People's Alliance for Free and Fair Election (PAFFEREL) is coordinating the work of HRC.

 Executive Director, PAFFEREL,  Kingsly Rodrigo says according to the Human Rights Act No; 11 (1), this activity is now decentralised. According to him there would be 125 Dialogue programmes at divisional level, 25 programmes at district level and eight Dialogue programmes  at provincial level. "The national convention would take place on April 19," said Rodrigo.

The European Union is financing the programme. Rodrigo says this is an awareness programme and the different level committees that are appointed would visit the people and the people could report to such committees regarding human rights violations  and bring such incidents to the notice of the commission. "At present we are concentrating on issues that concern minorities, like the political minority, ethnic minority, religious minority and women and children," he said.