At least four JVP parliamentarians who came out in support of former propaganda secretary Wimal Weerawansa came under attack by suspected party cadres within the last 48 hours.

The attacks saw one of the parliamentarians injured and the houses and vehicles of the four MPs damaged. The JVP parliamentarians who came under attack were Achala Jagoda, Samansiri Herath, Piyasiri Wijenayake and Sujatha Alahakoon.

Jagoda was injured when his house in Ragama came under attack. Herath’s house in Arachchikattuwa was also attacked while Alahakoon’s vehicle was defaced and Wijenayake’s vehicle was taken from parliament.

Last Tuesday, Weerawansa made a special statement in parliament claiming he was being expelled from the party and that the decision was being held back till the conclusion of the Eastern Provincial Council elections on May 10.

He also alleged that there was a conspiracy to oust him from the party and said that the party was ill treating him after he had dedicated most part of his life on behalf of the JVP.

In response to Weerawansa’s claim, JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe told the media that there were serious allegations, including some relating to financial irregularities, against Weerawansa.

"There is a conspiracy against the party. No doubt about it. But the problem here is we do not know where it comes from," he has said.

Amerasinghe has further said, "He has been given several opportunities to reply to the charges leveled by me against him. I myself submitted the charges as they were of a very serious nature. The Central Committee (CC) met on February 26 to discuss the allegations against him and he wanted more time. We gave him time until March 1 and he wanted still more time. When the CC met on March 7 he did not turn up. Then again the CC had another meeting on March 17 to have a discussion about the charges against him but he played truant again.

However, Mr. Weerawansa can still come before the CC and explain."

According to Amerasinghe, Weerawansa had not spoken strongly about the plight of the people due to the ever-escalating cost of living and high prices of essential commodities. "His response to the stand of the party on these matters was always lukewarm and weak," he has said.

However, soon after Weerawansa made his statement, 10 other JVP parliamentarians last week decided to "act independently," in effect breaking away from the JVP.

The MPs who defected from the JVP and their electoral districts are Piyasiri Wijenayake and Jayantha Samaraweera from Kalutara, Sujatha Alahakoon of Matale, Padma Udaya Shantha from Moneragala, Nimal Premawansa from Nuwara Eliya, Priyankara Dissanayake and Samansiri Herath from Puttalam, Achala Jagoda and Deepal Gunasekara from Ratnapura and National List MP Mohamed Muzamil.

One of the defectors, Wijenayake said that the party has been taken to ransom by certain persons in the party hierarchy who are toeing the line of the UNP, International conspirators and imperialists.

"They are attempting to thwart the victory achieved in 2004 with a lot of sacrifices. They are taking this victory to another direction. That is why we are revealing all these betrayals to the public and our party cadres through the media," he told the media last week.

Wijenayake also said that the group would expose the party hierarchy who are under a contract to destroy the party and work according to the wishes of the detractors of the JVP.

Wimal accused of putting deals through with Govt.

A top JVP source told The Sunday Leader that disciplinary action had to be taken against party Propaganda Secretary and Parliamentary Group Leader, Wimal Weerawansa for several reasons including his alleged ‘deals’ with the government.

The source, not associated with the defectors who have pledged support to Weerawansa said on Thursday (10) that the party has cautioned him against forging close links with certain government politicians including powerful backbencher and President’s brother, Basil Rajapakse.

The top source added that when JVP’s one time presidential candidate, Nandana Gunatilleke gave up the party, he did not bring disrepute or open a can of worms in the way Weerawansa did.

"In any party, there are differences in opinion. As much as he has worked to build the image of this party, he has also destroyed it by ‘putting deals through’ with the government," the source added.

He added that the party has received several complaints with regard to Weerawansa’s financial integrity and countered Weerawansa’s claim that he was not offered an opportunity to reply. "By going public, he has made us discuss internal party matters out in the open. The party is disgusted by the fact that he used parliamentary priviledge to attack his own party and sought to highjack the opinion of the cadres in the same way he has done with regard to some decisions," he added.

The source also said that the party was of the opinion that Weerawansa has made the party lose its image and credibility to some extent by his conduct and worse still, would be dealt with for making the JVP’ ‘subservient to the government for personal gain.’

Leader press burnt by Govt. charges JVP

JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe addressing a press conference on Wednesday blamed the government for the arson attack on the printing press of The Sunday Leader, The Morning Leader and Irudina saying that no one else could be responsible for such an attack inside a high security zone. "Even a baby will know how this was burnt. The government did it. Write about this, as I say this with responsibility," Amarasinghe charged.

"I want to tell the media something important," the JVP leader began. "Irudina is against the JVP. However this has to be said.

The Sunday Leader printing press was burnt. This was situated in a high security zone. Even a baby will know how this was burnt. The government did it.

Write about this, as I say this with responsibility. We condemned it. This is the first of many acts to be displayed. The final one will be performed by us," Somawansa said.

While making clear that he believes that the Leader papers are "against the JVP," Amarasinghe said that it was a media freedom issue, and that the JVP condemned the attack on the press.

Amarasinghe was speaking about the internal turmoil in the JVP before suddenly branching off to discuss the arson attack on the Leader printing press. He said that he was unable to "get Wimal Weerawansa who is the JVP propaganda secretary and JVP group leader to make a statement in parliament when the innocent Tamils were evicted from the lodges in Colombo."

"Who made the statement? It was Anura Dissanayake," he said.

International community comes down hard on civilian attacks

International condemnation and concerns on civilian casualties in Sri Lanka rose last week with the assassination of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandupulle at a public sporting event.

Among those who condemned the attack was the United Nations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour and Amnesty International.

The blast that killed Fernandupulle left 14 others dead and 90 injured. According to figures released by the government at the monthly extension of the emergency 191 civlian have died in the first four months of this year in attacks blamed on the Tigers and over 400 injured. However figures maintained by international agencies quote higher death figures. The ICRC said that over 180 no-combatants were killed and 270 injured in the first six weeks of this year. Agencies working on protection issues said that the current figure could be around 280 dead and 380 injured. The civilian death toll had gone down in the last month with attacks in civilian areas also going down. However the Fernadupulle attack once again highlighted the wanton targeting of civilians.

"Such violence shows a complete disregard for the right to life and security of Sri Lankans, and breaches the most fundamental principles of international law," Arbour said in a statement.

The Tigers were criticised by her for targeting unarmed civilians. "I remind the LTTE and other armed groups that attacks which directly or indiscriminately target civilians are crimes under international law."

AI also came down hard on the Tigers. "AI reiterates that attacks targeting civilians and indiscriminate attacks violate international humanitarian law which binds all sides to the conflict and constitute war crimes. All such attacks must cease immediately and unconditionally, and perpetrators must be brought to justice," it said.

"More recently, the LTTE has been deliberately targeting civilians in an extended series of attacks. It is a basic principle of international humanitarian law that persons fighting in armed conflict must, at all times, distinguish between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives," it said.

AI also critcised both parties for the violence in the Madhu Church areas. "As a result of intensifying fighting, a historic statue of the Virgin Mary has been removed for safety from the Madhu shrine.7 The LTTE is reported to have used communities around the Church as ‘human shields’ and AI l has in the past raised concerns about the recruitment of children by the LTTE from families living in the locality. The government for its part in April 2008 reportedly shelled civilian areas around the Church in April 2008. The Bishop of Mannar, Rayappu Joseph has repeatedly appealed to both sides to respect the Madhu area as a no-conflict zone."

The JVP defectors have been provided security and in some instances even transport facilities by the Presidential Security Division (PSD).

The JVP defectors led by Wimal Weerawansa claimed upon defection that their action was a result of a conspiracy hatched by the imperialist UNP.

Weerawansa making a special statement in parliament accused the UNP of being behind the conspiracy to oust him from the party and alleged that certain individuals in the JVP, who had close contacts with the UNP, carried out the action.

However, soon after defection, the PSD was reported to have provided security and transport to several defectors.

JVP Kalutara District parliamentarians Piyasiri Wijenayake and Jayantha Samaraweera were provided transport facilities as well as PSD security to escort another defector, Sujatha Alahakoon back to her residence.

Wijenayake told The Sunday Leader that since his vehicle was nabbed by certain parties and since Alahakoon had no way of returning home, he and Samaraweera escorted her back home with PSD officials.

UNP takes JVP defectors to task

Meanwhile, the UNP hit back at Wimal Weerawansa yesterday for making false allegations against the UNP and of carrying out contracts for the government. The UNP alleged some JVP defectors were to get lucrative business deals from the government while others would be given ministerial appointments and various perks.

UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake told The Sunday Leader that the JVP defectors are sheep in wolves clothing and now the real animals have been exposed.

They are the pawns of the government because they have been getting lucrative business deals from the government he charged. They have been caught with their pants down and they want to blame the UNP but now the truth is out.

These defectors work without a salary but how can they live such lavish lifestyles? Karunanayake questioned, stating that the Presidential Security was even giving protection to Weerawansa and his cohorts.

Weerawansa was only an irritant, and this was the best that could happen to the country, the UNP MP said.

Large-scale military ops bad strategy says Janaka

Large-scale military operations are bad strategy as it incurs massive casualties and is costly both in human resources and finance former Army Chief of Staff, Janaka Perera said.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader Perera commented on the large scale operations and said it was considered bad strategy to go in for large-scale operations when he commanded the joint forces to stabilize the eastern province in 1992-1993.

He said that the strategy was to systematically destroy LTTE camps without large-scale operations, for large scale meant, massive causalities and heavy resistance that proved very costly, both in terms of human resources and finance.

As for security of candidates, he said there were special networks of police and the Army and STF working in specific areas.

Special units operated in the deep jungles and special operations were carried out in Trincomalee and Digamadulla districts.

He said the candidates had no security and only key candidates had security.

"Despite their intensity of the battles that were fought for liberation of the eastern region, the polls were conducted without the presence of armed groups. "The east was learned of the LTTE and this made it not necessary for others to carry weapons. Only the armed forces and police carried arms," he said.

The government has reassigned the frequency 96.7, assigned to Lakhanda Radio for a new Tamil radio channel for a special transmission during the forthcoming eastern provincial council election.

The Tamil channel will go on air on April 21 and will be exclusively used for government propaganda.

The specific frequency was purchased by the Independent Television Network (ITN) during the UNP regime to improve the Colombo transmission of Lakhanda Radio. The ITN management decided on a separate frequency, as there were complaints with regard to poor reception, it is learned.

Informed sources told The Sunday Leader that with the frequency being assigned to another, the Colombo transmission would weaken again.

Lakhanda Radio had two frequencies, 96.7 for Colombo and 88.5 for islandwide and will now have to be content with only one.

The source added that ITN is in the possession of two audio lines, one that is in general use while the other is reserved for emergency operations.

It is learned that the emergency audio line has exclusive use once again, billed to be used to prop up government propaganda during the forthcoming poll.

Two defectors return to the fold

Two of the JVP defectors who followed Wimal Weerawansa have decided return to the party. JVP Matale District parliamentarian Sujatha Alahakoon and another parliamentarian were to return to the party on Friday (11).

According to party sources, the duo have expressed their solidarity with the party after they had realized Weerawansa’s duplicitous act.

Govt. going into eastern polls armed says Lalkantha

JVP politburo member and parliamentarian K.D. Lalkantha said last week, the government was going into the Eastern Polls armed.

"The UPFA is contesting the Eastern Provincial Council polls with the armed Pillayan group. It would be correct to say that the government is contesting the election carrying arms," he said.

Lalkantha has also said that since certain groups were still carrying arms in the east, the provincial council polls scheduled for May 10 could not be conducted in a free and fair manner.

Making a statement to the media soon after his meeting with Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, Lalkantha said that the eastern polls could not be held in a free and fair manner as long as there were armed groups in the area. He also said that although the issue was raised during the discussion with Dissanayake, the commissioner had not paid much attention to it.

The JVP has maintained the stance that the Pillayan group should be disarmed from the east and if the question of their protection was a cause for concern, then the government should take the responsibility of providing them with adequate security.

Half of Sri Lankans lack dietary energy - study

Half of all Sri Lankans do not get the minimum calorie daily requirements according to the latest studies of the government.

"An average poor in Sri Lanka receives only 1696 kilo calories per day while a Non-poor receives 2194 kilo calories, and 50.7% of the population receive less dietary energy than that set as the minimum level required," the latest poverty study by the Department of Census and Statistics said.

The report titled Poverty Indicators — Household Income and Expenditure Survey - 2006/07 said that the minimum daily calorie intake was set at 2030 kilo calories.

The study also said that there were wide disparities among the regions in Sri Lanka. While the urban population consumed only 65% of the national requirement, urban areas recorded higher daily dietary consumption and needs.

Poorer districts like Moneragala, Nuwara Eliya and Hambantota topped the list of high energy requirements primarily due their agro based economy.

The survey also found that 15.2% of the population or 2.8 million persons fell below the poverty line of Rs. 2233 total expenditure per person per month.

Over 82% of the poor were from the rural areas while the estate sector contributed 11% and the urban population 6%. The Central Province recorded 20.4% of the poor followed by Sabaragamuwa 16%, Western 16%, and North Western.

Ratnapura District recorded 10% of the poor while Nuwara Eliya and Kurunegala recorded 9% and 8% respectively.

The survey found that national poverty levels had fallen since 1995/96, and between 2002 and 2007 the drop in poverty levels was one third.

City hotels face huge losses due to closure of roads for VVIP travel

The sudden closure of roads for VVIP movements in Colombo has badly affected many city hotels in and around the President’s House in Colombo, the City Hotel Association (CHA) told The Sunday Leader.

According to the sources the worst affected hotels are the Ceylon Continental, Galadari, Galle Face Hotel, Taj Samudra and the Holiday Inn Hotel, which are in close proximity to President’s House.

As a result the occupancy rate in city hotels have dropped to 35% - 40% while the banquet and food/beverage departments too have recorded revenue losses that forecast a gloomy period ahead for the city hotel industry according to the CHA sources.

 "Whenever the President, the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary, the IGP and the three armed forces chiefs travel, most of the roads are closed for 30 minutes or more. The sudden closure of the roads has caused inconvenience to hotel guests especially the foreign tourists and has resulted in a wrong signal being sent out to the outside world," added the sources.

Meanwhile according to the Galadari Hotel, its sales had dropped considerably since the introduction of sudden road closures. Hotel officials told The Sunday Leader that they have recorded a steady decline in banquet bookings, which is a colossal loss to the hotel. "Whenever a helicopter lands or takes off at the Army and Defence Ministry grounds the roads are suddenly closed and this has resulted in even local pedestrians and motorists facing a dilemma," the hotel said.

According to Galadari sources people have opted to hold their receptions out of Colombo as a result of the ad hoc and unpredictable traffic situation within the city. Meanwhile officials further stated that many tourists have complained to hotel authorities that they had missed their flights due to these sudden road closures and said the worst affected was their food outlet — Café 64 which faces the Galle Face Green.

"Its horrible, as just a few minutes before the road closures security personnel do come to the Café 64 entrance and neither the guests inside the café nor those who want to go for a meal are allowed to move till the VVIP movements are completed. This has deprived our guests’ independence within the hotel premises," charged the sources.

"The country’s leisure industry is suffering due to the security situation and the sudden road closures have now given adverse publicity to the tourism generating markets in the world leaving the once flourishing industry in a pathetic situation," the sources further stated.

The child help line 1929 is to promote awareness on the rights of the child, this New Year with the new child rights awareness campaign to be aired on television.

Director of this campaign, Kanthi Goonathilake speaking to The Sunday Leader said that the help line receives a lot of calls from persons regarding issues such as child labour, corporal punishment and mental abuse of children.

The director explained that once they receive a complaint regarding a child, a child rights promoting officer is sent to the location to find the place and carry out an inspection while the Women and Children’s Bureau police officers in the particular area is also kept informed.

Once a problem is brought to the officials’ notice, they will try to find a solution to the issue and settle the problem.

The Director said that some of the main problems highlighted by persons through the child help line were specially regarding child labour, corporal punishment, parents scaring the children and such frustrations felt by the children.

The help line 1929 has been in operation for about three months now and is currently working from 9.a.m till 4 p.m, until additional staff can be employed to have a 24 hour help line.

This help line was established under the Child Development and Women’s Empowerment Ministry.

Along with this help line, the assistance of the officers of the Women and Children’s Police Bureau, the National Child Protection Authority and the Department of Probation and Child Care Services officials will also provide their support to cases of child abuse reported on this help line.

ANCL directed to favour JVP defectors

Trade unions attached to the state owned Associated Newspapers Ceylon Limited (ANCL) have alleged that the management has been ordered by higher authorities not to provide publicity to news items related to the JVP.

Union sources told The Sunday Leader that following the split in the JVP, the ANCL administration has received directives from higher authorities not to carry any stories on the main JVP and to provide publicity to the JVP’s Wimal Weerawansa faction.

"The administration has been asked to stop news items on the JVP from being carried in any of the newspaper attached to the ANCL. Even if such a story is to be carried, the respective newspaper has to ensure that Weerawansa or any of the defectors are provided with the opportunity to respond to whatever allegation that is levelled against them by the main party," unions sources said.

Further, it is learnt that the management has also called for an explanation from one of the newspaper editors of ANCL as to why Weerawansa’s response was not carried in a news item published, based on a comment by the main JVP.

"ANCL now seems to have become a propaganda organ for the JVP defectors. The main JVP is expected to be sidelined from now on. Any comment on the JVP is to be taken from Weerawansa or any other defector. If not, the respective newspaper would have to provide an explanation," sources further said.

The defectors initially stated that they did not have any intention of either joining the UPFA or UNP but would take necessary steps to solve the party’s internal problems to make the JVP the strongest party in the country.

One of the defectors, Piyasiri Wijenayake assured the media last week that he would name members who have betrayed the party by taking the JVP in the wrong direction, in the days to come, and further pledged to change the party leadership after consulting party supporters and defectors.

Wimal Weerawansa and 10 other JVP parliamentarians last week decided to "act independently," in effect breaking away from the JVP.

The MPs who defected from the JVP and their electoral districts are Piyasiri Wijenayake and Jayantha Samaraweera from Kalutara, Sujatha Alahakoon from Matale, Padma Udaya Shantha from Moneragala, Nimal Premawansa from Nuwara Eliya, Priyankara Dissanayake and Samansiri Herath from Puttalam, Achala Jagoda and Deepal Gunasekara from Ratnapura and National List MP Mohamed Muzammil.

HIV/AIDS cases decline

The first quarter of this year has recorded 16 new patients of HIV/AIDS, the National STD/AIDS control programme in Sri Lanka said. According to the programme, 11 are males and five are females.

Epidemiologist, The National STD/AIDS programme, Dr.S. Berenagala told The Sunday Leader that the figures of the first quarter of the previous years were higher. He added that the continuous awareness as well as educational campaigns regarding STD and AIDS have contributed to the reduction in the number of AIDS patients.

Awareness and educational campaigns on STD and AIDS have been carried out for the past five years through World Bank funding. These campaigns have resulted in people, especially the high risk categories realising the dangers of the disease and avoiding getting infected.

The World Bank funds being over, new funding is provided by the Global Fund to carry out awareness and educational campaigns on STD/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Sri Lanka.

He also noted that the situation in Sri Lanka is satisfactory as the country continues to record low numbers of HIV/AIDS patients.

"If people have any symptoms they know how to get them checked."

The number of HIV/AIDS patients recorded stands at 973 and there have been five deaths in the island. Awareness and educational campaigns are being directed at the high risk categories such as drug users, homosexuals, beach boys and sex workers.

Govt. says won’t permit increase

The government says that it will not permit a price increase on gas and milk powder any time soon.

Consumer Affairs Minister, Bandula Gunwardena told The Sunday Leader that the government did not have any desire to increase prices of milk powder and gas. However, he said that the government has made alternative arrangements to provide relief to the people.

Gunawardena said that there were milk powder packs priced between Rs.235 and Rs.255 available at Lak Sathosa outlets and the cooperatives.

"There is a brand of Australian milk powder imported by the government and priced at Rs.245, Sathosa milk powder is priced at Rs.255 and a pack of Highland is priced at Rs.235," he said.

According to Gunawar- dena people who wish to purchase other brands of milk powder would have to pay more.

"Those who wish to purchase other brands will have to pay more simply for the name," Gunawardena said.

He also noted that cooperatives and Lak Sathosa outlets offered consumer goods at low prices. The 11,000 strong cooperative networks cover only 60 lakhs of the country’s population.

When asked about the plight of the rest of the population, Gunawardena said that the government serviced over 60 lakhs of the population and that it was more than enough.

"The rest who do not purchase their goods from the cooperatives can get their goods from the supermarkets and they may do so because they can afford it," he said.

Devotees have requested the Madhu statue to be brought to government-controlled areas, Vicar General of Mannar, Rev. Anthony Victor Soosai told The Sunday Leader last week.

However, the Mannar Catholic church officials have decided to keep the statue in Tevanpitti for the time being.

The statue was relocated to St. Xavier’s Church in Tevanpitti, 70 km northwest of Madhu on April 3 due to security reasons.

Rev. Victor Soosai said the church had received several requests to bring the statue of Our Lady to the government-controlled areas since it was shifted to Tevanpitti.

He however stated that the requests were not ignored by the church officials and that a decision would be reached on the issue in the near future.

The statue was shifted to St. Xavier’s church in Tevanpitti due to intense shelling in the vicinity of the shrine area.

"We have received several requests by devotees and others to bring down the Statue of Our Lady into the government-controlled areas. However, we have decided to keep the statue at St. Xavier’s church in Tevanpitti for the time being. We are considering the requests to bring the statue and will decide on it soon," Rev. Victor Soosai said.

He further added that devotees living near Tevanpitti have already started visiting St. Xavier’s Church to worship the Madhu statue.

According to Rev. Victor Soosai, more than 25,000 persons who were displaced from Manthai and Madhu live near Tevanpitti.

"They have already started to go to the church to worship the Statue of Our Lady. However, as I said before, this is only a temporary measure," he said.

NWSDB urges price hike

With the electricity tariff hike, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is expected to incur losses unless the water tariff is revised, Deputy GM Commercial, NWSDB, A.W. Gunasekera said.

NWSDB which runs its water purification plants and pumping stations on electricity has to now bear high operational costs as a result of the electricity price hike. "Unless water prices are revised in line with the electricity price hike the board could face huge losses. We are now in the process of analysing the situation," Gunasekera told The Sunday Leader.   

NWSDB which has been a revenue earner will now face a severe financial crisis in the event the Water Supply and Drainage Ministry fails to amend the water tariff. He added that a price revision cannot be expected in 2008 as a result of a policy decision taken by the ministry. The situation will worsen if prices of chemicals used for water purification too increase.

"We have to meet salaries, machinery maintenance and operational costs. It is up to the ministry to decide on a water tariff revision," he added.

Over 2000 Sri Lankans will be performing the pilgrimage of Umra in Saudi Arabia this month.

The Deputy Director, Department of Cultural and Religious Affairs, Meera Mohideen told The Sunday Leader that more people are opting to perform the pilgrimage of Umra because of the rising costs of the Hajj pilgrimage.

The Hajj pilgrimage is obligatory on all able Muslims and has to be done once during a person’s lifetime. Those who can afford to perform the pilgrimage more than once.

But given the rising costs of the Hajj pilgrimage, many people are now going for Umra, explained the Deputy Director.

He also said that April has recorded over 2000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia while May will also see a large number of pilgrims going for Umra, especially during the school holidays.

Apart from these two months, even during the period of Ramazan many people go for the pilgrimage.

Hajj can only be performed once a year, at a given time. However Umra can be performed any time throughout the year.

Furthermore during the Hajj period Sri Lanka is only allocated a given number of pilgrims while there is no limit on the number of people who want to perform Umra throughout the year.