According to Army sources, Sinnaturai Selvanaathen ,22, and Subramanium Gunesekaram ,25, were shot dead around 9.20pm after they were abducted from their house at Sevanapitiya to Karapola junction.
Unidentified gunmen had repeatedly opened fire at pointblank range using T56 weapons, Army officials said. Reports said the gunmen had accused the victims of assisting the LTTE and their leader Prabhakaran before opening fire.
The incident was informed to the SLMM, the Army said.
It was a moving scene at the Matara Sujatha Balika Maha Vidyalaya auditorium on Saturday when the Foundation for the Protection of Unprotected Children presented cash donations and scholarships to nearly 500 children who have lost their parents at a ceremony presided by Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva PC.
As the children who had lost their parents for no fault of their own came on stage to receive their awards, paid obeisance to the Chief Justice and the Chief Justice in turn patted an caressed them with words of consolation after handing over the awards.
The Foundation playing good samaritan is looking after these children as foster parent.
The Chief Justice and the other special invitees were escorted to the venue by the Sujatha Balika Maha Vidyalaya dancing troupe.
The girls from Sujatha Balika Maha Vidyalaya performed a dance, while the Chief Justice and the other special invitees lit candales to inaugurate the proceedings.
The Foundation of Protection for the Unprotected children has been set up by Southern Range Deputy Inspector General of Police D. W. Prathapasinghe, who is also the Chairman of the Foundation, at Kathaluwa in the Ahangama Police area.
This has formulated a scheme of "Foster Parent Scholarships" to support the unprotected children so that they can escape the perpetrators of crimes or economic and social situations whilst continuing to have contact with responsible family members.
Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC said the Foundation for the Protection for the Unprotected Children is an inspirational scheme for the restriction of crime in particular and also of natural occurrences. The main objective of the foundation is looking after the unprotected children with love, kindness and compassion. The institute provides professional, legal and spiritual guidance, the Chief Justice added.
The Chief Justice emphasised two major issues in life - what is correct and what is wrong. What is correct is to do good things to others and what is wrong is to do wrong things to others.
'We must educate these children to do good things to others in their lifetime,' the Chief Justice added. "The children who had lost their parents are not left along. It was an excellent move by DIG Prathapasinghe to set up a foundation of this nature to cater to children who have lost their parents," the Chief Justice said.
DIG Prathapasinghe who is responsible for looking after the welfare of over 68 children who are 'victims of crimes' said that the foundation considered it important to maintain self-respect and dignity. In supporting victims, its aim is to break the cycle of victims becoming offenders. This is an important way of crime prevention.
DIG Prathapasinghe paid a glowing tribute to former Chief Justice Hema Basnayake, Ms. Himalee Basnayake and their family members for donating a four-acre-land and the building to house the Foundation. This building is their ancestral 'Walawwa' at Kathaluwa, Ahangama, the DIG said.
"There were a series of cases where under aged children had been molested by their fathers or relatives. As a result the children could not continue with their education and they fall into a vicious circle of neglect and abuse and as a consequence they become involved in crime themselves", he said.
"In some instances the father kills mother and goes to jail. The innocent children of such families are adversely affected and their education, food, health and other basic requirements come to a standstill, the DIG said.
"Criminals kill the parents and elders and as a result the children of such families are penalised physically, mentally and economically. The Foundation takes a holistic approach to restoring victims of crime and natural occurrences, DIG Prathapasinghe emphasized.
Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC who at an earlier date visited the foundation and directed DIG Prathapasinghe, to adopt children who had been affected by the tsunami.
Prof. C. A. S. Wickrema, Ms. Wickrema of USA and Sujatha Balika Maha Vidyalaya Principal Ms. K. P. Liyanage also participated at the ceremony.
Wimalaratne Mapitigama delivered the vote of thanks. Southern Range Crimes ASP Prematilleke Hettiarachchi and Inspector Leelawansa conducted the proceedings.
Khalid
The children who were displaced in the Colombo Division Police area following the tsunami were re-settled within a week and arrangements were made for those children to attend schools in order to continue with their education, said Colombo DIG Sirisena Herath at a Counselling meeting held with the participation of all religious dignitaries in Colombo recently.
Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana and UNICEF Country Representative Ted Chaiban were the chief guests at the ceremony.
Ven. Ethkanda Saddhajeewa Thera, Jayawardenapura University Vice Chancellor Chandima Wijebandara, Prof. Gnanadasa Perera, Dr. Ramani Perera, Dr. Ms. I. Jayawardena and several other lecturers participated in the Counselling meeting.
DIG Herath said that those displaced people, children and the others are given shelter in Temples, Churches, Mosques and school buildings in the area. The Police are making arrangements with the assistance of the public to re-settle these people as early as possible.
"Not a single robbery or rape was reported from the Colombo area due to the immediate steps taken to prevent any outsiders entering the area without the knowledge of the people of the area.
On the directions of Colombo DIG Herath, two riot squads of the Field Force Headquarters, life saving squads and roads blocks were deployed to prevent any situation in the area.
A special squad will also be sent to the Southern Range on the direction of IGP Chandra Fernando to assist the displaced persons following the tsunami tidal waves, DIG Herath said.
Colombo North Senior SP H. S. Dayananda, SP H. A. K. Nanayakkara, ASP Bandula Wijewardena, City Traffic ASP Anton Prabath Sirikumara, Chief Inspector D. S. Jayasinghe, OIC, Grandpass Police, Chief Inspector U. S. Bandaranayake, OIC, Modera and Sergeant Senanayake of the Colombo DIG's Office also participated in the Counselling meeting.
Khalid
The Australian High Commissioner, Dr. Greg French, visited the eastern districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara on March 1-3 to inspect the tsunami assistance projects being funded by the Australian Government.
Dr. French held discussions with the Government Agents of Trincomalee and Batticaloa, as well as UN Agencies, NGOs, representatives of civil society and a number of welfare camp committees said Australian High Commission in a press release.
He also observed progress in the Ampara district water supply project, which is being primarily funded and constructed through Australian channels.
The project is already providing access to drinking water to many in tsunami-affected areas of Ampara district. On completion, it will enable access to potable water for almost three quarters of the Ampara district population.
The High Commissioner also presented a cheque to Survivor's Associated for a psycho-social project in 22 welfare camps in Valaichennai and Kalmunai as well as to the Samasta Lanka Praja Sanwardana Association for a water and sanitation project in Komari.
Australia has disbursed over A$10 million for tsunami assistance activities in Sri Lanka, in addition to the ongoing aid program valued at A$23 million annually.
The immediate post tsunami assistance package focused on urgent food, shelter, water and sanitation needs and public health issues was provided through the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, UNHCR, OXFAM Australia and a range of non-governmental organisations.
The Australian Government is currently mobilising further packages for the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase, which will aim to bring together the numerous offers of assistance from Australian State Governments, private agencies and individuals.
Khalid
Galewela Rural Development Officer P. M. Wijerathne, Field Officer of Human Development Foundation K. K. D. Siriyawathie and executive committee members of United Schools Organisation Sri Lanka (USO SL) were also present on this occasion.
The training instructress on palmyra leaf based products attached to 'Jathika Silpa Sabhawa', Chamila Subhashinee Perera was appointed to handle the training of members in various consumer items making use of palmyra, ola, vetakeyya and several other raw materials grown locally.
It was decided to build-up a share capital by investing each member some amount of money according to their ability and to seek the government support to pay for the trainer.
J. G. Jayawickrema, Sanjeewani Rupasinghe and L. W. G. Nanda Kumarilatha were elected President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
Khalid
Batticaloa News
Today is the day of mourn in the Oddamavadi, Eravur area for an Auto driver who was gun down last night at the Navaladi. The incident occurred on 07.03.2005 by the gunmen, an auto was hired by two men to look around the paddy field. During the journey gunmen suddenly barricade the auto and shot driver, the other two escaped and back their home. The theatrical massacre is not a fresh episode in Muslims life. Every day the innocent people’s lives here with high intimidation by the killers.
Ampara News
In Maruthamunai, Sainthamaruthu, Karaitheevu and Kalmunai transportation were cutoff today due to the government not absorbed to resettle the Tsunami affected peoples. The Government has not response sofar to rebuild the Ampra district. They have been camped on the roads and did not allow any vehicle to cross the area. Even a motorbike also did not pass them. Two days resistance is being continued on the road. Later the secretary had paid a short visit and did promise them, we shall started work within two weeks. These unilateral activities virtually affected people heart and mind. Government treats alike and does its best for the nation.
Khalid
Threat to Mahinda's chances comes from Chandrika not Ranil
By sewing up alliances with extremist Sinhala nationalist parties like the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Sri Lankan Presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa has shown that he knows his political arithmetic.
But his calculation may go awfully wrong if the angry President of his party, and the President of his country, Chandrika Kumaratunga, carries out her threat to change the party's candidate, or dissolve parliament. In both cases, Rajapaksa's election machine will be a wreck.
Kumaratunga is very angry that Rajapaksa should strikes deals with the JVP and JHU without consulting her or the authorized decision making bodies of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). The deals, she told Rajapaksa from her camp in
While the SLFP favoured federalism, Rajapaksa had gone and committed himself to the continuance of the unitary system and a hard line approach to the ethnic conflict. The alliances have seriously jeopardized the prospects of peace, national reconciliation and economic development, according to her loyalists. More.
Associated Press, Tue September 20, 2005 02:28 EDT . The main international players supporting Sri Lanka's peace process have warned that it faces ''its most serious challenge'' since a 2002 cease-fire brought a halt to fighting between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels.
The warning was issued in a joint statement from the European Union,
The statement, following a meeting in
While it stopped short of directly accusing the Tigers of killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar last month, it strongly hinted that the LTTE was responsible in the view of the co-chairs.
The assassination was branded an ''unconscionable act of terrorism'' that casts ''profound doubts on the commitment of those responsible to a peaceful and political resolution of the conflict.''
Immediately following this, the co-chairs demanded that the LTTE take ''immediate public steps to demonstrate their commitment to the peace process and their willingness to change.'' They also called for ''an immediate end to political assassinations by the LTTE and an end to LTTE recruitment of child soldiers'' as ''two such steps.''
The
The reference is to a breakaway faction of the LTTE led by the Tiger's former eastern commander best known by his nom-de-guerre, Colonel Karuna.
The Karuna group has been harassing the LTTE particularly in the east and the Tigers accuse the
The statement, one of the most comprehensive issued in recent times, said that the forthcoming presidential election would naturally promote vigorous debate on the best way to advance the peace process and in this context called on all parties to refrain from violence and from making statements that could undermine the peace process.
The co-chairs strongly advocated a solution based on a ''federal model within a united
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, in agreements he has entered with the Marxist People's Liberation Front and the National Heritage Party of Buddhist monks, is committed to a ''unitary state'' as opposed to a federal state.
