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All that remains of the CTB bus.
Top inset: monks mourn the
loss of a fellow bhikku. Bottom
inset: Bodies piled up at the
Kalubowila Hospital
Photos By Thushara
Dassanayake |
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Over 165 soldiers killed and 450 injured
in Muhamalai battle
At least 165 army soldiers were reported
killed and over 450 injured in fierce
fighting in Muhamalai on April 23 morning.
The AFP quoting military sources said at
least 165 soldiers were killed and 20 more
went missing.
The AFP report also said the toll makes
Wednesday’s clash the bloodiest in recent
years and that cording to a media rights
group, the FMM, it saw the authorities
extend an "unofficial" press censorship to
hospitals and funeral parlors.
While the government said 43 soldiers
were killed, 38 missing in action and 120
injured, according to military sources who
did not want to be quoted the figures were
much higher.
The Tigers also said that they recovered
a large haul of weapons after the battles.
They had recovered 60 weapons including –
"Forty-one T-56 Type 2 assault rifles, three
T-56 Type-1 assault rifles, five Light
Machine Guns (LMG), two PKT Tank machine
guns, five Rocket Propelled Grenade
Launchers (RPG), three 40 mm Grenade
Launchers, seven anti-armour RPG shells, 21
anti-personnel RPG shells, 26 propellers for
RPGs, 8500 inter-medium ammunition, 1500
chained ammo for machine guns, 104 magazines
and 12 helmets." The weapons had been put on
display in Kilinochchi.
The Tigers released photographs of the
soldiers killed and the weapons captured
hours after the attack.
The Tigers had recovered 30 bodies, 28 of
which were handed over to the army through
the ICRC on April 24. Tiger military
spokesperson Rasiah Ilanthirayan said that
field commanders had informed that more
bodies of the government soldiers were seen
strewn in the area where the clashes took
place.
However Director General of the Media
Centre for National Security, Lakshman
Hulugalle told The Sunday Leader, of
the 38 soldiers reported missing, the LTTE
handed over 28 bodies while five soldiers
had returned to base.
Hulugalle said he couldn’t confirm
reports that the LTTE had taken some
soldiers prisoner.
There were unconfirmed reports on Friday
that some soldiers were taken prisoner by
the LTTE and that the Tigers had called the
families of those soldiers and informed them
of their capture.
"We have not received any such reports,"
Hulugalle said.
Fighting had erupted in Muhamalai in a
narrow land stretch of around 8 km on April
23 early morning around 3 a.m and lasted
over 10 hours, the Tigers said. They also
said that 16 of their cadres had been killed
in the clashes.
The government however claimed casualties
among the troops were lower and that over
100 Tigers were killed in the attack. The
Media Centre for National Security, Defence
Ministry and the army quoted lower casualty
figures among troops. They said that 43
soldiers were killed and 38 were listed as
missing in action.
"Those closely-fought battles claimed the
heroic lives of 43 soldiers and wounded 120
more. Reports also confirmed that some 38
soldiers, most probably trapped in the
clashes, had gone missing," the army said.
"Nearly 169 soldiers were injured. Out of
them 43 had received treatment and returned
to the front. Currently 126 soldiers are
hospitalised for treatment," the MCNS said.
The Defence Ministry said that over 100
Tigers had been killed and released the
names of 81 Tiger cadres killed in
Wednesday’s battles. Defence Spokesperson
Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that over
100 terrorists were killed and 196, injured.
The government however did not release
any photographs of the Tigers killed or any
weapons captured. Tigers and the army
clashed in the same area in October 2006,
when the Tigers resisted an army advance
into their areas. The battles claimed the
lives of over 100 soldiers, though that
figure was disputed by government
authorities.
Soldiers from the Army’s 53 and 55
Divisions engaged the Tigers ahead of their
forward lines in the early hours of April
23. The army said that the Tigers had fallen
back from their first line of defence
allowing the troops to reach the area and
then heavy artillery placed behind the Tiger
front lines had opened up on the troops.
Unconfirmed reports said the Tigers had
deliberately allowed the troops to move up
to their deeply dug and heavily mined first
bunker lines before intensifying artillery
fire.
MR
calls Somawansa to mediate
JVP rejects
President’s call to forgive Wimal
JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe has
turned down a request by President Mahinda
Rajapakse to permit the party’s dissident
Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa back
into the party fold without answering the
charge sheet served on him.
Amarasinghe who declined to accept
Rajapakse’s intervention in the internal
rift in the party has asked the President
not to intervene in matters concerning the
JVP as the party could solve its own issues.
The President had made the request from
Amarasinghe when the former had made a
telephone call to the latter to discuss the
possible resolution of the present crisis in
the JVP through his intervention.
During the conversation Amarasinghe had
told Rajapakse that the JVP was fully geared
to address the present crisis and added that
the party was well aware that it was the
President and his brother who was behind
Weerawansa’s defection.
Rajapakse had denied any involvement in
the Weerawansa defection and had claimed
they were stories circulated by the UNP.
Amarasinghe however had responded by saying
that he knew exactly what happened and that
the JVP could not be fooled by such stories.
Since the defection of Weerawansa and his
supporting parliamentarians from the party,
the JVP has charged that it was the
government that was instrumental in creating
a split in the party and hampering its
election campaign in the east.
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva has
said that it was evident that the government
was instrumental in creating a rift within
the JVP.
He made this statement in an interview
with a private TV station recently.
Silva also added that one example of the
government’s involvement in the whole issue
was the security provided by the
Presidential Security Division (PSD) to the
JVP defectors.
The JVP defectors were provided security
and in some instances even transport
facilities by the PSD.
UNP accuses UPFA of flouting election
laws
By Nirmala Kannangara
The UNP on Friday accused the government
of engaging in election violence and the
misuse of public property in the run up to
the eastern province election, disregarding
the guidelines issued by the Elections
Commissioner.
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake at
a press briefing in Colombo on Friday said
that 14 incidents of election related
violence and violations have been reported
from April 18 – 24 and accused the police of
failing to take action on the complaints.
"We have brought all these incidents to
the notice of the IGP and the Elections
Commissioner but up to Friday the IGP failed
to take any action against these incidents
which is a clear indication as to how the
police would react on future complaints as
well," claimed Attanayake.
Attanayake meanwhile accused the security
forces in the Eastern Province for
permitting the UPFA candidates to hold
election campaigns and to use public
addressing systems after 6 p.m although the
UNP and its affiliated parties are barred
from holding even pocket meetings after the
stipulated time.
"Why is this double standard? The rules
and regulations should be applicable to all
alike. We also learnt as to how the
Chairperson Batticaloa MC summoned all the
Grama Niladharis in the district for
a meeting in order to get their support at
the forthcoming election. Even when two
police constables arrested a woman with
10,000 polling cards without official seals
in Trincomalee on April 16, the police have
immediately released the woman with the
polling cards. We also learnt that Minister
Susantha Punchinilame has summoned samurdhi
officials to the Ampara District Secretariat
on April 22 to get their help while urging
them to cast the votes of those who have
gone abroad," added Attanayake.
According to Attanayake the government
has promised electricity to Dehiattakandiya,
a better road network in Ampara and housing
loans for Digamadulla residents in order to
influence the people to win the elections,
which is strictly against the election
rules.
"The government is bribing the people to
win the elections. It is strictly against
the election guidelines and the Elections
Commissioner has to take stern action
against those who breaks the law and the IGP
is responsible to maintain law and order in
the eastern province if the people expect a
free and fair election on May 10," the UNP
General Secretary further stated.
Army chief did not act on his own — MCNS
The Media Centre for National Security
dismissed speculation that the Muhamalai
operation was launched by Army Commander
Sarath Fonseka without Defence Ministry
approval and said the security forces had
got on top of the situation.
Director General of the Media Centre for
National Security Lakshman Hulugalle said
there was no truth to the speculation that
the Army Commander had launched an operation
without approval and said such stories were
the work of mischief-makers.
"What happened was that the LTTE tried to
attack us? We repulsed the attack and
counter attacked and got on top of the
situation. There is no question of the Army
Commander launching any operation without
Defence Ministry approval," Hulugalle said.
CBK
informs party decision in writing to MR
Attangalla wants
Rupasinghe as SLFP organiser
Former President and Secretary, SLFP
Attanagalle Central Committee, Chandrika
Kumaratunge has informed President Mahinda
Rajapakse in writing that she and sister
Sunethra Bandaranaike have both declined to
accept the SLFP organizer post of the
Attanagalla electorate as requested by the
party organization and proposed the name of
a Provincial Councilor for the position.
The SLFP Attanagalla organizer post fell
vacant following the death of former
Minister Anura Banadaranaike.
Kumaratunge has informed the President
that the Central Committee had at a meeting
convened in March decided to propose the
name of Western Provincial Councilor Ranjith
Rupasinghe as the party’s organizer for
Attanagalla.
In her letter to Rajapakase, Kumaratunge
has stated that a meeting of the SLFP
Attanagalle central committee was convened
at the request of its members to decide on a
suitable person to be appointed as
Attanagalle organizer.
Kumaratunge has said that her name was
first proposed to the post, but she declined
to accept it. "Then, Sunethra Bandaranaike’s
name had been proposed, but she too had
declined it," the former President has said.
Finally, Rupasinghe’s name was proposed
to the post, as he had been a long standing,
loyal member of the SLFP, Kumaratunge has
pointed out.
Kumaratunge in the letter while
recommending Rupasinghe’s name to the
position has pledged her fullest support to
him in carrying out his work as Attanagalle
organizer.
Kumaratunge has also said that Sunethra
and the rest of the Bandaranaike family were
supportive of Rupasinghe and has urged the
President to appoint him as Attanagalle
orgainser on behalf of the Attanagalle
central committee and it members.
Minutes of the Attanagalle central
committee meeting signed by 26 members has
also been attached to Kumaratuge’s letter to
the President.
Kingsley given DPL
Passport by UPFA Govt.
By Ruan Pethiyagoda
The Chairman of election monitoring group
People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections
(PAFFREL), Kingsley Rodrigo, travels on a
diplomatic passport issued by the UPFA
government.
Rodrigo confirmed to The Sunday Leader
that he was issued a diplomatic passport
"not by this government, but by the last one
over two years ago," referring to the UPFA
administration in which incumbent President
Mahinda Rajapakse served as prime minister.
"I was elected Secretary General of the
Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)
and was issued a diplomatic passport on this
basis," he said.
"Even recently I was re-elected to the
same post, although it was not publicised,
as there is no need to make a song and dance
of these things, " Rodrigo added.
The main opposition UNP earlier attacked
PAFFREL accusing it of bias towards the
government and said the party will not
accept the organisation as independent
election monitors.
A spokesman for the Bangkok based ANFREL,
Adam Cooper, told The Sunday Leader
that its officials and election monitors
"are not normally afforded diplomatic
status, as that is reserved for diplomats."
He said, "a lot of governments even allow
our officials to operate on tourist visas,
although the practice varies from country to
country."
When we asked him specifically about
ANFREL’s affiliates in Sri Lanka, Cooper
requested that we contact them directly for
information on their operation status.
Attanayake refutes
Sirisena’s claim of secret deal with LTTE
By Nirmala Kannangara
The UNP on Friday dismissed the
government’s claim of an alleged deal
between the UNP and the LTTE at the eastern
province election and said it was the same
old bogey of the SLFP at every election.
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake
while refuting UPFA General Secretary,
Maithripala Sirisena’s claim told the media
that the government is now trying its same
old tactic as it is now on the verge of
defeat at the forthcoming eastern provincial
election.
"It was the same tactics they used in the
run up to the presidential election in 2005
and deprived UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe
of winning the election. But later on
Mangala Samaraweera and the late Sripathi
Sooriyaarachchi made public as to how the
then Prime Minister Mahinda Rakjapakse came
to a pact with the LTTE and as to how the
LTTE was influenced to stop the Tamils from
voting for Ranil Wickremesinghe," added
Attanayake.
Accusing the Rajapakse administration of
misleading the general public to win
elections by ‘hook or by crook,’Attanayake
said that the country has now become a
failed state as a result of the government’s
dismal performance.
"It was the UNP that suffered most at the
hands of the LTTE and not any other party.
Our leaders were murdered and the present
leader was deprived of a historic win. With
all those it is hilarious to hear the UPFA
General Secretary’s claim that the UNP is
having a secret deal with the Tigers to win
the elections. The Rajapakse administration
is responsible for the rising CoL,
inflation, bribery, corruption and human
rights violations in the country. In this
backdrop they are trying to accuse the UNP
unsuccessfully," alleged Attanayake.
Meanwhile Attanayake urged President
Mahinda Rajapakse to appoint the select
committee that was requested by the late
Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi to probe into the
government’s scandalous deal with the Tigers
at the earliest.
"Let the government show its transparency
by appointing the Parliamentary Select
Committee to probe the alleged Tiger deal
the government had, to win the elections,"
Attanayake said.
Mihin Air faces threat of grounding
Mihin Lanka is expected
to be grounded soon with the wet lease of
its Airbus A300 expected to expire on April
30.
The Sunday Leader
learns that Mihin Lanka has been trying to
get two new aircraft on lease, but had not
succeeded up to Friday. It is learnt that
Mihin Lanka has approached Turkish Air,
which had agreed to provide the aircraft on
lease subject to a sovereign guarantee or a
guarantee from a recognised bank.
Informed sources said
Mihin Lanka had through SriLankan Airlines’
Manoj Vaas Gunawardena offered a guarantee
from the Lankaputhra Bank which had not been
acceptable to the Turkish airline.
It is also learnt that
Mihin had looked for aircraft in France and
Deccan Air but had not succeeded.
Meanwhile, Mihin Lanka
CEO, Sajin Vaas Gunawardena will relinquish
his duties on April 30 and will be succeeded
by current China Country Manager, SriLankan
Airlines, G.T. Jayaseelan.
An airline source said
that Gunawardena was resigning as CEO not
leaving any aircraft for the new CEO to
operate an airline.
However, a Mihin Lanka
director told The Sunday Leader that
they have two aircraft which are completely
operational and that they would be
converting one aircraft from a wet lease to
a dry lease.
He said they will
announce their new operational plans at a
media briefing this week.
TMVP cadre shot dead in Batty
A TMVP political cadre
was shot dead by an unidentified gunman in
Batticaloa last evening.
TMVP Spokesperson Azath
Moulana told The Sunday Leader that
the cadre was shot while he was engaged in
political activities. He alleged that an
enemy political force had shot the TMVP
member.
"Apart from the LTTE, we
also have political enemies as well, so it
is one of them who has shot our political
cadre," Moulana said.
Ranil to deliver
Athulathmudali oration
The Institute for
Democracy and Leadership and its partner
Freidrich Naumann Stiftung will host a
memorial oration to commemorate the 15th
death anniversary of the late Lalith
Athulathmudali on April 28 at 6 p.m. at
Committee Room B of the BMICH.
Leader of the Opposition Ranil
Wickremesinghe is to deliver the oration on
the theme "People’s sovereignty means
universal franchise and liberty," on the
invitation of UNP MP and Chairman, Institute
for Democracy and Leadership, Ravi
Karunanayake.
Mismanagement
the order of the day
The recently elected management of the
Cooperative Society of Bokundara Piliyandala
(CSoBP) is reported to be harassing its
employees who stand against the
maladministration, The Sunday Leader
learns.
The Cooperative Society, which at one
time recorded profits, is now allegedly
rampant with bribery and corruption, as the
newly elected Chairman and the Board of
Directors together with the Personal
Manageress are misusing their powers for
personal gain, the CSoBP sources said.
"Earlier the Piliyandala Cooperative
Society was one of the highest revenue
earners within the Western Province but
since the assumption of the present board of
directors 11 months ago every thing changed
dramatically," CSoBP sources said.
According to the employees, Personnel
Manageress P.L.S. Perera who is also the
Secretary to the Board is a permanent
employee and is allegedly misleading the
directors, which has become the main cause
for the maladministration.
Among the charges levelled against the
management is the misuse of official
vehicles, using abusive language on
employees, stealing vehicle batteries,
recruiting untrained personal stooges for
the security department, earning commissions
from all consumer items and sacking of
employees who stand against the
malpractices.
Meanwhile, Minister of Cooperatives of
the Western Provincial Council Dulip
Wijesekara told The Sunday Leader
that he had already warned the board of
directors to stop harassing the employees.
"In the past it’s the cooperative society
funds that used to get all our buildings
built but under the present management the
investments have come down alarmingly as a
result of rampant bribery and corruption. No
extension of service was given to the
Transport Manager who did not allow the
management to misuse the official vehicles.
Also it was he who stood against one of the
directors — Sumith Wanigasiri — who has used
official lorries to get down goods to his
private boutique. Interestingly the
Personnel Manageress is supporting the board
of directors takes stern action against the
employees who stand against the misdeeds.
Two more employees were removed recently
without any explanation and withheld their
salaries which is strictly against the
labour rules," the sources added.
Refuting all allegations levelled against
the board of directors Chairman CSoBP Susil
Premachandra Perera told The Sunday Leader
that the co-operative society has flourished
under his management.
However, according to the sources,
Minister of Cooperatives of the Western
Provincial Council Dulip Wijesekara has
reprimanded the Board of Directors and the
Personal Manageress on April 9 for their
course of dictatorship within the CSoBP and
had given an ultimatum of 30 days to rectify
their misdeeds.
Meanwhile, Minister of Cooperatives of
the Western Provincial Council Dulip
Wijesekara told The Sunday Leader
that he had already warned the board of
directors to stop harassing the employees.
Violence on the
increase in the east
There has been an increase in election
violence in the east within one week since
April 18, according to monitors.
Twenty three complaints regarding
election violence have been recorded by the
police while the People’s Action for Free
and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) has recorded 18
complaints, with the numbers likely to
increase in the coming days, PAFFREL
Chairman, Kingsley Rodrigo told The
Sunday Leader on Friday.
The number of complaints is expected to
increase as the polling date draws near, he
said.
No complaints were recorded by PAFFREL
since the filing of nominations on March 28
till April 18, Rodrigo said.
Rodrigo stated that no complaints have
been reported to PAFFREL by the UPFA so far.
"It is surprising that we have not
received a single complaint from the UPFA.
However, I am not aware of the complaints
received by the police. Some of the
complaints recorded by us have not been
recorded by the police and vice versa," he
said.
"The reason as to why there were no
complaints till April 18 was that the
political campaigns by the parties were not
intense. But the situation would change as
the polling date draws near. The political
campaigns would then be more intense," he
said.
The Centre for Monitoring Election
Violence (CMEV) stated that it was not
monitoring the eastern provincial council
polls.
"We have not decided whether to monitor
the elections so far. Therefore, we have no
details of election related violence and
complaints," CMEV officials told The
Sunday Leader.
Dengue and
chikungunya on the increase
By Nirmala Kannangara
The reported number of dengue and
chikungunya cases in the city have seen an
alarming increase creating a threat of an
epidemic, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO),
Colombo Municipal Council Dr. Pradeep
Kariyawasam told The Sunday Leader.
One hundred and forty dengue cases and 11
Chikungunya patients have been reported
while one chikungunya death too has been
reported since January, which is an increase
compared to the first three and a half
months during the previous year, Dr.
Kariyawasam said. "Although the CMC was able
to control dengue and chikungunya menace up
to a point last year, the figures in the
first three and a half months this year show
a steady increase in mosquito density in the
Colombo Municipal Area," he added.
JVP
changes format of party letterhead
The JVP has decided to change the format
of the party letterhead.
The decision was taken following the
alleged misuse of the party letterhead by
certain groups to issue bogus statements to
the media.
The new JVP letterhead is to be used as
the party’s official documents with effect
from April 26.
Earlier, JVP General Secretary Tilvin
Silva complained to the Inspector General of
Police (IGP) that a certain group has
conspiratorially issued a media communiqué
to several media institutions using
letterheads of the JVP.
Silva has said that this communiqué had
also been attributes to the JVP politburo.
Silva has submitted a copy of the alleged
media communiqué along with his complaint
and has requested the IGP to conduct an
investigation into this matter.
CDF Commanding Officer accused of
campaigning for UPFA in east
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
A complaint on the exploitation of a
state position in the run up to the Eastern
Provincial Council polls was lodged with the
Trincomalee Assistant Elections Commissioner
last week.
Commanding Officer of the Civil Defence
Force (CDF), Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera
has allegedly ordered members of the force
to actively participate and support the UPFA
as much as possible to ensure the victory of
the government at the Eastern Provincial
Council elections.
JVP chief ministerial candidate, K.G.
Wimala Piyatissa has lodged a complaint in
this regard with the Trincomalee Assistant
Elections Commissioner, Mapa Bandara.
According to Piyatissa’s complaint,
Weerasekera after visiting areas of
Trincomalee, Morawewa, Gomarankadawala,
Kantale and Seruwila has allegedly summoned
members of the civil defence force and
called on them to support the government at
the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council
elections.
Piyatissa in his complaint has charged
that Weerasekera’s actions were an
exploitation of a position of the state.
The complainant has urged the Assistant
Elections Commissioner to prevent the
attempt and to ensure that CDF personnel
were allowed to exercise their franchise
according to their conscience.
Bandara confirmed to The Sunday Leader
that Piyatissa had indeed made such a
complaint.
He said that Piyatissa in his complaint
had said that he had heard of Weerasekera’s
alleged order given to members of the civil
defence force.
Bandara said that when the security
forces were contacted to confirm Piyatissa’s
allegations, the response given to him was
that Weerasekera had met with the members of
the civil defence force to discuss their
deployment during the election period.
"They said that he was not involved in
any political discussion, but was engaged in
discussing on how deployments should be made
during the election," he said.
However, Bandara said that a copy of the
complaint has been sent to the Elections
Commissioner’s Department in Colombo.
Attempts by The Sunday Leader to
contact Weerasekera failed.
FM responds on
Canadian PM’s message
The Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry in a
letter dated April 24, replied to an
article in The Sunday Leader of April
20, regarding the failure of Sri
Lanka’s Foreign Ministry officials in
Canada to appraise the Canadian government
of the nature of the Sri Lankan New Year
celebration.
The Canadian Prime Minister had earlier
issued a statement widely publicised in
Canadian media wishing the "Canadian Tamil
community" on the occasion of "the Tamil New
Year."
According to the Foreign Ministry, the
Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Ottawa had
written to the Canadian Prime Minister
following the error many days after, that is
on April 16 as claimed by the Foreign
Ministry and well after the news had already
been publicised in Canadian newspapers later
on April 16, "informing him of the correct
position."
The High Commissioner’s letter to the
Canadian PM had apprised him of the fact
that the "Sinhala and Tamil New Year" is
celebrated by all ethnic groups in Sri
Lanka.
"I have to respectfully state that you
stand corrected on the statement made with
reference only to a Tamil New Year," the
Ambassador had written to the Canadian Prime
Minister, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The Canadian Prime Minister had,
according to the Foreign Ministry, issued a
new message with reference to both the major
Sri Lankan communities. Our article, and the
"comments attributed to" UNP MP Ravi
Karunanayake, wrote the Foreign Ministry,
cast "aspersions on the Sri Lankan Foreign
Service and diplomats representing the
country in Canada."
Editor’s Note: The story, and
Karunanayake’s comments highlighted the
utter failure of the Foreign Ministry to
have any meaningful dialogue with a friendly
nation.
This is even more pathetic as the
Canadian Prime Minister is a Conservative
who worked towards getting the LTTE banned
in Canada. The fact is the new diplomats
seems to be spending more time writing
copious and unfounded articles about
themselves in the state media than doing
anything to justify their huge salaries.
Neither could they prevent such
an embarrassing incident from occurring in
the first place. All it took was sincere and
continuous quiet diplomatic engagement. Not
sporadic bursts of photo opportunities by
Johnny Come Latelies with no prior proven
records in any sphere.
The letter written by the Sri Lankan
High Commissioner in correction was dated
April 16, long after the New Year was over
and long after the damage had already been
done.
The fact is that the Prime Minister’s new
statement received little publicity and his
old reference to a "Tamil New Year" had
already been publicised and is still freely
available. We not only stand by our story
readers are welcome to visit Canadian
newspaper websites to see for themselves.
Domestic gas prices likely to go up from May
1
By Nirmala Kannangara
Domestic gas prices are to go up further
from May 1, The Sunday Leader learns.
Laugfs and Shell Gas Companies have made
applications to the Consumer Affairs
Authority (CAA) seeking a price revision in
domestic gas prices effective from May 1,
but declined to reveal what their
anticipated prices would be.
Director Finance, Shell Gas Company,
Rimoe Saldin told The Sunday Leader
that Shell Gas has made an application to
the CAA for a price revision of a domestic
gas cylinder from May 1, but said that till
the CAA made a final decision they were not
in a position to say whether their request
would be granted or dismissed.
"According to the pricing formula the gas
companies could request for a price revision
once in two months and accordingly we made
an application for a price change from next
month based on the world fuel price in
February and March," Saldin said.
Saldin further stated that although there
was a slight decline in world oil prices in
February and March compared to the two
previous months Shell still had to ask for a
price hike considering the high freight
charges.
Sources from Laugfs Holdings also told
The Sunday Leader that they too were
expecting the CAA approval before April 30
enabling them to revise prices from May 1.
Meanwhile, Chairman CAA, Rumy Marzook
told The Sunday Leader that Shell and
Laugfs gas companies have made applications
to the CAA for a price revision from next
month, but refused to comment as to what the
revised prices would be.
Ven. Amila Thero faults PNM chief
A member of the Patriotic
National Movement (PNM) Executive Council
has alleged that the Movement had
unnecessarily intervened in an internal
issue of the JVP without even consulting the
members of its Executive Council.
PNM Executive Council
Member, Ven. Dhambara Amila Thero, in a
letter to PNM Chief, Dr. Gunadasa
Amarasekera has said that the manner in
which the PNM has acted with regard to the
JVP’s internal issue has indicated the
involvement of the PNM and Dr. Amarasekera
in the issue without allowing the JVP to
resolve it own problem.
Ven. Amila Thero has said
that statements made by Dr. Amarasekera as
the head of the movement and the actions of
a few individuals connected to the PNM have
indicated that the movement has been
intentionally involved in JVP’s internal
issue.
The Thero has charged
that such actions violated the norms of the
PNM, as the practice had been to consult the
Executive Committee when public statements
are made.
The letter has further
stated that such acts would bring discredit
to the PNM, which has been nurtured by all
patriotic forces in the country and that it
was the wish of the country’s enemies to
bring such disrepute to the PNM.
Ven. Amila Thero in the letter has called
upon Dr. Amarasekera to convene a meeting of
the Executive Committee of the PNM
immediately to discuss the controversy in
the organisation.
TMVP pledges to release child soldiers
By Arthur Wamanan
The TMVP last week pledged to release all
underage cadres in its ranks before the
provincial council polls on May 10.
TMVP spokesperson Azath Moulana told
The Sunday Leader that inquiries held
since the beginning of this year had
revealed 48 children were with the group.
Moulana said that none of these children
were given military training by the TMVP, as
they had come to them for protection.
"We discovered that 48 children below 16
years were in the TMVP. We have not
recruited any of them for military purposes.
They came to the TMVP for protection from
organisations like the LTTE," he said.
Moulana further said that seven more
children who are with the TMVP would also be
released before the polls in May.
"We are not doing this for any political
mileage or because of international
pressure. We have been accused of child
recruitment. The government is also facing
problems due to these allegations.
Therefore, we are releasing these children,"
Moulana added. The TMVP has released 18
children in two batches of 11 and seven on
two earlier occasions this year in addition
to the 28 children released on Thursday.
The UNICEF also commended the TMVP on the
release of the 28 underage cadres.
"We are beginning to see significant
progress from the TMVP," UN children’s
agency head in Sri Lanka, Philippe Duamelle
has said.
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