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We are frustrated that peace is yet to be achieved -Akashi

Japanese Peace Envoy, Yashushi Akashi says Japan and the international community is frustrated that peace is yet to be achieved in Sri Lanka. However, he assured that peacemakers will not give up and will continue to push for peace. Addressing a media conference in Colombo this evening, Akashi said "We all are frustrated that peace is yet to be achieved. But, if you are involved in peace building we should not give up. We will persist."

Akashi said that Sri Lanka is facing a critical period in its political life. He described the situation in Sri Lanka as a state of no war and no real peace. He hoped the country would be in a state of greater stability and prosperity soon. He said they were concerned on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, series of political killings in the east and also in Colombo. He said he was not placing the blame on either side but, noticed that political leaders had increased their security. He pointed out that killings enhanced the mutual distrust between different parties.

Speaking on the proposed joint mechanism between the government and the LTTE, the Japanese diplomat said President Kumaratunga had indicated she would make a final decision on the joint mechanism in the near future. Akashi was full of admiration for the stand Kumaratunga is taking on the joint mechanism. Akashi said he respected the position taken by the JVP and other political parties. "I expect all leaders to state their position, listen to their viewpoint and for them to find a suitable solution. I hope President Kumaratunga will make the right decision after consultations with other groups" added Akashi

The LTTE political leadership had expressed hope that the joint mechanism would be signed and implemented soon since it would be helpful in the delivery of assistance to the affected people. However, Akashi said, in the absence of a joint mechanism the government and the donor countries have to find an alternate solution.

Speaking on the donor forum scheduled to be held in Kandy from Monday, Akashi said "LTTE told me that they were not invited to the donor forum. It is up to the government to decide who should be invited. May be there is a good reason to invite them. But, we must respect the decision of the government." Akashi pointed out that Japan had a strong sense of solidarity with Sri Lanka. He assured that Japan nor will the international community not interfere in the domestic affairs of Sri Lanka.

Akashi who is here on his 10th visit to Sri Lanka as the Japanese Peace Envoy, met with the JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe, Secretary-General of the Peace Secretariat Jayantha Dhanpala, SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, TNA parliamentarians, TULF leader V. Anandasangaree, Members of the Muslim Peace Secretariat, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, LTTE political wing leader Thamil Chelvam, He will travel to Kandy tomorrow to participate in the donor forum.

Foreign aid is no problem in Sri Lanka for post-tsunami reconstruction - but domestic politics could be

Going by official statistics, there is no dearth of foreign funding for post-tsunami reconstruction in Sri Lanka, but analysts warn that domestic political divisions are threatening to delay or frustrate rebuilding.

The finance ministry says it has received commitments from foreign donors for US$1.5 billion (euro1.15 billion) out of an estimated US$2 billion (euro1.53 billion) needed for rebuilding projects over the next three to four years.

That amount is enough to rebuild coasts devastated by the December tsunami, which killed more than 31,000 people across Sri Lanka and affected 1 million others, the ministry says.

But politically, the issue at center stage is whether the Tamil Tiger rebels should have the right to control some of the aid in the areas they rule.

It's a powerful issue on this tropical island, which has seen two decades of war driven by the ethnic divide between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils. The war has left 65,000 people dead, and put the Tiger rebels firmly in control of much of the island's north and east.

International donors are meeting in this central Sri Lankan town starting Monday to review Sri Lanka's needs and discuss development issues.

By now, many thought, a long-planned joint agency between the government and the Tigers would have been created _ a mechanism to oversee the distribution of foreign aid in guerrilla-controlled areas.

Residents in those regions have long complained of a lack of assistance, but international donors are reluctant to give aid funds directly to the guerrillas, who are listed as terrorists by the United States and two other nations.

The joint body, though, remains mired in politics.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga had proposed the joint body, but the Marxist People's Liberation Front, her main ally in the coalition government, has threatened to withdraw if the plan goes ahead, saying it would help the rebels attain their goal of a separate Tamil state. The front controls 39 seats in the country's 225-member Parliament, and Kumaratunga's government could collapse without its support.

``The prime concern for all political parties has been to keep their vote bank intact. Therefore, no national party is willing to be seen to supporting a joint mechanism for Tamil areas,'' said Ilayathamby Dayananda, a Tamil analyst.

``The country is going nowhere with these politics,'' he said.

Rebel supporters see an even more ominous situation.

``As the proposed joint mechanism ... remains mired in Sinhala political maneuvering, deep skepticism has replaced early optimism among the Tamils,'' said the pro-rebel TamilNet Web site, in an analysis of the situation. ``More ominously, a belief is rapidly taking root that Colombo is playing for time and keeping the northeast in the economic and social doldrums while developing the Sri Lankan military for a new war.''

As the extent of tsunami's devastation unfolded in both government and rebel-held areas, many Sri Lankans hoped the tragedy would help the two sides work together.

``When the tsunami struck, help came spontaneously from people irrespective of ethnic, religious or political differences,'' said Kanagalingam Sivajilingam, a lawmaker from the Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance.

``But from the moment politics came into play, there has come a situation where people are not getting any relief whatsoever. This is a serious humanitarian issue, where petty politics should not come in,'' he said.

Suspected rebels kill former fighter in eastern Sri Lanka, military says

Tamil Tiger rebels shot dead a former fighter in eastern Sri Lanka Saturday after he deserted and refused to rejoin the group, the military said.

Ponniah Thamilvanan, 27, was gunned down in Batticaloa district, 220 kilometers (135 miles) east of the capital Colombo, military spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayake said.

Thamilvanan left the group a few months ago and spurned the Tigers' requests to rejoin, said Ratnayake.

Tamil Tiger officials were not immediately available for comment.

Sri Lanka's east has been a hotbed of violence since a senior Tamil Tiger commander broke away from the group last year with some 6,000 fighters in an unprecedented split.

The mainstream Tigers have accused the renegade faction's leaders of collaborating with government forces to attack them.

Continued violence has threatened to derail a cease-fire signed three years ago by the government and the rebels that halted a two-decade civil war.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam began fighting in 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. About 65,000 people were killed before the truce.

Peace talks have been stalled for more than two years due to differences over how much power should be devolved to the island's Tamil-majority north and east.

Khalid

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Miss Universe 2005 contestants (from left) Miss Belize Andrea Elrington, Miss Paraguay Karina Butther, Miss Singapore Cheryl Tay, Miss Sri Lanka Rozanne Diasz and Miss Cyprus Helen Hatjidimetriuo on arrival at a hotel in Bangkok yesterday. Contestants for the Miss Universe 2005 pageant started arriving in Thailand to participate in related events before the contest final May 31.

Congratulations from President to Blair

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has sent a message of congratulation to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The message: "I am pleased to convey my best wishes and warm congratulations on the victory the Labour Party has gained in the General Elections and your election as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for a historic third term.

Relations between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom are characterised by a long tradition of friendship and close cooperation, sharing common democratic values and perspectives on a broad range of global issues.

While reiterating the great importance Sri Lanka attaches to its relations with the United Kingdom.

It is my sincere desire to work closely with you to further consolidate this relationship and intensify our cooperation during your new tenure of office for the benefit of our two countries.

Please accept, Excellency, my warm personal greetings for your good health, happiness and continued success".

Khalid

FEATURE-Politics frustrate Sri Lanka tsunami victims

araprakasam Anesteen, a Sri Lankan fisherman, survived the Indian Ocean tsunami but lost his one-year-old son in the waves that engulfed a beach on the northern tip of the island. Five months later, after an outpouring of global aid, the 27-year-old from Sri Lanka's Tamil ethnic minority is convinced victims in the predominantly ethnic Sinhalese south are getting a better deal. "They say they have started building permanent houses in the south. Here they have not even laid a foundation stone," he said near a beach in Manalkadu village -- his home until the Dec. 26. tsunami struck, triggered by a powerful earthquake off Indonesia. "The Sinhalas are getting aid faster than us. I am not angry but we should also be helped, we are also humans, we are also poor. We should all be treated equally." "We've heard it on the radio and read it in the papers," said Anesteen, whose wife was badly injured by the tsunami. In truth, aid is trickling into both areas but the pace is slowing and the poor quality of the projects is breeding frustration. Although Sinhalese areas in the south received faster and better aid in the immediate aftermath of the disaster -- partly because they were closest to the capital Colombo -- the north and the east eventually caught up, aid workers said. But in a country as volatile as Sri Lanka, the perception that minority Tamils are losing out to the south in aid has dangerous implications. It's a perception of bias held by thousands of Tamils in the north and east of a country torn by decades of ethnic unrest in which tens of thousands have been killed. As reconstruction begins, any sign -- real or rumoured -- of an uneven distribution of aid could worsen ethnic rivalries just as the government is struggling to maintain a three-year-old ceasefire between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels. HOPES BELIED The tsunami killed nearly 40,000 people in Sri Lanka. Another 500,000 lost their homes and are either living in tents and shacks or with relatives and friends. Aid agencies and donors pledged $2 billion for relief and reconstruction, although about $500 million has yet to be signed and sealed. The tragedy raised hopes that the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels -- who fought a brutal war for two decades seeking a separate homeland for minority Tamils until a 2002 ceasefire -- would work together to reconstruct the coast including vast swathes under rebel control in the north and east. The two sides agreed to draft a deal to share aid. But the pact, called the joint mechanism, has failed to materialise and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) accuse President Chandrika Kumaratunga of not being serious about it. "There was a hope after the tsunami that there would be a national consensus over tackling the tragedy," said a western diplomat who has closely tracked the aid effort. "But, unfortunately, it hasn't turned out that way and things have gone back to their old ways. People are getting impatient while leaders are playing politics with a disaster," the diplomat said. The delay also reflects strong opposition to the Tamil Tigers from within the coalition government, where a junior partner, the anti-LTTE People's Liberation Front (JVP), has rejected the plan and threatened to leave the coalition -- a move that would lead to the collapse of the government. TOUGH CONDITIONS While politicians squabble, the flow of aid has slowed in the devastated regions. Only $130 million, or a little over 5 percent of the pledged $2 billion, has been channeled into projects. New homes have not been built -- in the north and south. The key parties -- the government, Tiger rebels, the JVP and other groups -- have all launched propaganda drives, only adding to the confusion and sparking charges of bias by the minority Tamils, according to volunteers and political analysts. Today, most tsunami survivors are living in temporary shelters built from palm trees, tarpaulins and tin sheets, which bake in the summer heat. Floors are cracked and rainwater flows inside. Water shortages are frequent. Some survivors complain about the poor quality of rations. All want permanent homes built soon but construction has not begun anywhere, although the government said in March houses would be built in 6-to-9 months. "We recognise that there are great difficulties in undertaking a reconstruction process of this magnitude," said Sanaka Samarasinha, a senior United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) official involved in rehabilitation. "Having said that, several months after the tsunami we think that at a minimum the people ought to know what they are entitled to and when they are entitled to it," he said. Ravi Anthony Fernando, a fisherman who lost his wife and three children, said he was fed up. "I wish I had died too," said the villager from Kallapadu in Mullaittivu district on the LTTE-controlled northern coast. "We don't know how long we have to live in these shacks. We are like slaves, depending on others for everything."

Khalid

Late News

Special exemptions for tsunami hit A/L students

GCE Advanced Level candidates in tsunami affected districts will receive certain exemptions on school project work to compensate for the circumstances under which they have to face the examination in June.

Additional Secretary M.G.T. Navaratne said they have proposed maximum benefits for the disadvantaged students in the tsunami districts but there was no plan to postpone the exam further.

"We will conduct the exam as planned from June 6 to July 1," he said adding that there has been no requests to the Ministry or the Examinations Department to postpone the exam. The individual and group project work as well the school based assessment grades which have made compulsory from 2005, go on record in a special booklet provided by the Examinations Department along with their final exam results.

"The project grades are basically meant to give some insight to the special talents and skills of students and is career related. These grades will have no bearing on university admission," Examinations Commissioner Mahinda Wijayasiri said.

There were about 30 schools with GCE A/L classes out of the 174 schools destroyed in the tsunami. The Ministry launched a special programme with the help of Western province schools, headed by Nalanda College, to help affected AL students to cover the syllabus before June.

The program involved distribution of notes and special classes while the Ministry enroled some of the students in other non-affected chools in the area. At the time of the tsunami on December 26, these students had completed three terms of the first academic year.

The examination was postponed from April to June, changing the initial arrangement to hold two exams, one in April for all students and another later for tsunami candidates. The examinations commissioner said the number of candidates registered for this year's exam has increased slightly over 2004. This year the Department has received 245,657 applications, a little over 5000 as against 240,653 in 2004. The number of school candidates this year is 197,088.

The Department has increased the number of Exam centres to 1785, with 35 new ones.

'Housemaids in Saudi deserve enhanced wage'

Lanka will negotiate with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for an increased salary of SR 600 for its housemaids from June.

"These maids are receiving SR 400 at present deserve an enhanced wage in the present circumstances," the Lankan Consul General in Saudi Arabia, A.M.J. Sadiq told the Daily News.

Sadiq who will assume duties as Lankan ambassador in Riyadh early next month, said Lanka would supply skilled domestic aides and in return expect an enhanced salary for the benefit of the maids who come there for employment.

Referring to the relocation of the counsalate from Al Salama district, Sadiq said that it was done to offer better services in a cosy environment.

"The new place is strategically located in the heart of the town, in the vicinity of the community school, and in proximity to Sri Lankan settlements in the city, he said. Around 150,000 of Lankan population in the Kingdom live in the Western province.

The diplomat said that the construction of the labour wing of the new consulate costing Rs. 1.6 million was financed by a Lankan expatriate Shahul Hameed Salih, while Dr. Mohideen Mahroof spent Rs one million for the safehouse of the distressed housemaids who seek the mission's help when they are in trouble.

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President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga visited the Sripura and Padaviya areas after participating in the inaugural ceremony of the Dahask Maha Wew program on Sunday. Here President Kumaratunga engaged in a discussion with villagers.

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Tamils protest firing on demonstrators by Sri Lankan security forces

Residents of the northern Tamil-majority city of Jaffna shut businesses, schools and public transportation on Tuesday in a protest over government forces who earlier fired on ethnic Tamil demonstrators in eastern Sri Lanka.

One Tamil man was killed and another wounded on Monday when security forces fired on a crowd of about 300 demonstrators, including some schoolchildren, who demanded that a security checkpoint be removed.

Security officials had blamed the Tamil Tiger rebels for organizing the rally.

The Tiger rebels condemned the shooting on Tuesday blaming Sri Lanka's security forces, and warned the government against banning demonstrations by ethnic Tamils.

``Blocking peaceful protest by the people using arms and violence ... will affect the validity of the cease-fire agreement,'' a rebel statement said. ``We fear that incidents like this will ... create anger among the people and will lead to increased tension in the prevailing fragile situation.''

A 2002 Norwegian-brokered truce has been under increased strain recently with scores killed in violence since a split in the main guerrilla group a year ago.

The strike in the Tamil-dominated city of Jaffna, 300 kilometers (190 miles) north of the capital Colombo, was called by pro-rebel Tamil groups. Reports of similar strikes also came from the predominantly Tamil cities of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and parts of Ampara districts.

The rebels have been fighting since 1983 to carve out an independent homeland for the island's minority Tamils, who claim discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. Nearly 65,000 people were killed before the truce, however, peace talks have been stalled for the past two years.

Powerful Marxists vow to block tsunami aid deal with rebels, say it could divide Sri Lanka

Thousands of supporters of Sri Lanka's Marxist party - a key partner in the ruling coalition - demonstrated Tuesday against a government plan to set up a joint group with Tamil Tiger rebels to distribute foreign aid to tsunami victims in areas under rebel control.

``It will be the beginning of the division of this country if this joint mechanism is signed, so we will not allow it,'' Somawansa Amarasinghe, leader of the Marxist People's Liberation Front, told the rally at a square in Colombo.

Thousands of party members shouted slogans against the proposed deal.

The Marxist party has threatened to withdraw from the coalition government if it sets up the joint aid-distribution group with the guerrillas, saying it would help the rebels attain their goal of a separate Tamil state.

The party has 39 seats in the country's 225-member Parliament, and President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government could collapse without its support.

``As long as this coalition government is in force there will be no joint mechanism,'' party senior politburo member Tilvin Silva said. ``If it does take place that would mean the coalition no longer exists.''

Sri Lanka was the second-worst affected country after Indonesia by the December tsunami, with more than 31,000 people killed and nearly 1 million made homeless. The country's northeast, some of which is under rebel control, was hardest-hit by the powerful waves.

Little aid has reached victims of the tsunami in rebel-held areas. International donors are reluctant to give aid funds directly to the guerrillas, who are listed as terrorists by the United States and other nations.

The rebels have sought to receive foreign aid directly as a step toward self-rule.

The Tigers began fighting in 1983 for a separate state in the Tamil-majority north and east, claiming discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. The conflict left 65,000 people dead before a cease-fire was signed three years ago. Subsequent peace talks broke down a year later.

Khalid

Today top story

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga cutting the first sod inaugurating the second stage of 10,000 tank restoration program opposite the Loolnewa tank in Kahatagasdigiliya in Anuradhapura yesterday.

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Over 300 metric tonnes of Alum from South Africa for tsunami affected areas

A high level team of experts from the South African water sector visited Sri Lanka recently to assist the Southern and Eastern Districts affected by the tsunami.

In response to a request received from the Government of Sri lanka through its High Commission in Pretoria, the Government of South Africa pledged assistance towards the provisions of Alum for water treatment and support for the Government's drive in the reconstruction of the areas affected by the tsunami.

A shipment of 310 metric tonnes of Alum from South Africa, required for water treatment, is due to arrive in Sri Lanka shortly, said Yolande Burger-Ingham, a Civil engineer who worked on several ADB and WB funded projects in South Asia.

Yolande who was in Sri Lanka with her team of civil engineers met National Water Supply and Drainage Board General Manager M. Wickramage and Water Services Support- Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Director Challenge Pelpola at Hotel Galadari recently.

Louis Fourie, Amatola Water Board, James Ngobeni of the South African Black Technical and Allied Consultant Organisations, Rachi Rajagopaul, Umgeni Water, Faan van Rensburg, Botshelo Water Board, Bossie Bosman, Rand Warter and Dr. Danie Wium of the South African Association of Consulting Engineers also participated at the conference held in Colombo.

The team of experts representing the public, private and NGO sectors from South Africa, coordinated through the Department of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka and the national Water Supply and Drainage Board visited the Southern and Eastern District and met with officials to familiarise and get first hand information on the reconstruction efforts of the various agencies in Sri Lanka.

Site visits to the hardest hit areas also served to identify the synergies that can be achieved between needs for permanent reinstatement of water and sanitation infrastructure and potential resources from South Africa.

The South Africa experts held several discussions with the public sector at national, provincial and local levels, as well as the private sector. These discussions highlighted the commitment from officials at all levels to the enormous reconstruction task that lies ahead. It was clear that the greatest challenge would be to coordinate the applications of resources that are available in abundance.

A number of areas were identified where Sri Lankan officials might benefit from the most recent experience in South Africa, where a large-scale service improvement programme has been conducted by the South African Government in collaboration with the South African civil society, and private sector. Such support could include assisting some districts with integrating their planning initiatives to ensure that a balanced development strategy be followed in addressing the needs of the tsunami victims.

Various forms of technical assistance have also been identified, building on the skills of a number of water boards and the private sector in that country. This would typically represent support in issues of water loss management, feasibility studies and operational trouble-shooting, where inputs will be provided by experts from the water utilities and other water institutions in South Africa.

Early childhood development in post-tsunamis, Kalmunai

The Competence Centre for Early Childhood Development (CCECD), initiated a 23 member ECD teacher-training program from those living in the villages of Panduiruppu, Maruthamunai and Periyaneelavanai in Kalmunai for a two-year training program in ECD.

Interestingly, 5 members are male ranging from ages 20-27. The students at the end of the program are each working with 20 children who are mainly from camps and those whose parents cannot afford pre-school education.

Under the program, early childhood education for 400 children from ages 3 - 6 is made possible in these three villages. The areas selected are vital to the cause of the peace process for people of the villages. Marunthamunai provides a healthy filling between Pandiruppu and Periyaneelavanai. The entire project is supervised by committed educators from the three villages called Pesum Nilayam.

The training participants selected for this program were trained by a team of early childhood educators from the Association of Montessori Directresses (AMD), Sri Lanka. The program also includes vocational training.

Everything we did from day one was absorbed like that of ink on blotting paper. The student teachers were all agog with excitement that finally some interest was shown in them.

No cameras flashed, no TV crews were present with their annoying lights, no eloquent speeches were made, and most importantly no Ministers or any 'important' mortal invited to the opening ceremony. Everything went like clockwork for the entire two weeks and we topped it all with an exhibition of all the work that was done.

The exhibition lasted three hours with a steady stream of curious onlookers and many 'oohs' and 'aahs' were heard from teachers and parents. The zonal directors in early childhood development, education officers, as well as Principals of schools. Teachers and Students attended this special feature. The Ministry of Education in Colombo could take a page out of the Eastern Block on the functions of a separate authority for early childhood development.

Not that the teachers had no inkling on the subject of ECD as some of their Colombo counterparts would have you think. Indeed they knew lots of theory by attending the many seminars organized by government and NGO sectors. In fact they were over-exposed to theory.

They had the right theory and the right knowledge BUT what they gained here was the practical aspect of classroom management, practical-life skill training, lesson planning and a host of other areas we take for granted in our own classrooms. We filled in the gaps although we found that the gaps were rather large and could not be filled in a hurry! They took to all this like ducks to water and even taught us a few home truths of their society. We were humbled by the eye-openers and are richer by far for knowing.

The program is unique because of this element. It caters to teachers taking into account the strengths and weaknesses in the segment of society a teacher work in. Through this interaction the early childhood educator in Kalmunnai will be on par with that of her (or his) counterpart in Colombo - or from anywhere in the world.

Hands-on practical training was given priority - be it learning origami, carpentry, crocheting, art, craft, designing a home/school facility, phonics or math. Many teachers as well as experienced educators commented on this feature.

The entire project is unique because of this factor. Too often I have seen the looks of anxiety and uncertainty on the faces of non-English speaking pre-school teachers when they attend the CCECD monthly seminars.

They understand but do not speak. They are more than keen - in fact keener - to know about being a good teacher so that the children in her care gets the best from her.

Unfortunately, she is usually swept aside. Even if she sits on the lap of the English-speaking teacher no way will she gain entrance to making a statement. For the bold ones with the "me-no-care/l-ol'ly-2-awn-learn English speaking" a kind of embarrassed silence follows a simple statement she makes with ghastly grammatical errors. Feet shuffle, loud coughs nearing guffaws, scratching of heads and kind of quirky smiles appear at the corners of well outlined lips. Poor thing! To think that she maybe a far more committed educator than the manicured types - ouch!

This program therefore allows teachers of all sorts, shapes and sizes (without the superior attitude) to further education facilities on ECD. You will find yourself graduating after a period of 4 years depending entirely on the time and energy you put into the projects under the CCECD. Teachers have access to all our seminars on related topics to early childhood.

For special training-of-trainers (TOT) programs usually in tsunami affected areas, AMD teachers are handpicked to undergo training in working with student-teachers in post-trauma situations. If you would like to join our programs during vacation time and help other teachers or learn more about CCECD, please call 077-900-5346 or write to CCECD, 713, D.P. Wijesinghe Mw., Pelawatta, Battaramulla.

by - Shanthi Wijesinghe, Chief Administration Officer/ Vice-Chairperson - Competence Centre for Early Childhood Development (CCECD), Sri Lanka. Exec. President - Association of Montessori Directresses, (AMD) Sri Lanka.

Youth shot dead at Dehiwela

A Tamil youth identified by Police as Nadaraja Jeewaratnam (28) was shot dead at point blank range on Saturday night in Dehiwela, Police said.

According to the Dehiwela Police, unidentified persons had fired seven shots at the victim using a 9mm pistol around 9.10 pm along Second Lane, Dehiwela. Police informed by a neighbour rushed to the scene and had found a passport and an identity card belonging to the suspect.

Police who traced the location on identity card had found the address at Jintupitiya, Colombo 13 to be fictitious. The victim was conducting tuition classes in Dehiwela. Dehiwela Police are on trail of the suspects still at large.

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CEB Unions call off TU action

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) unions yesterday decided to abandon the continuous Trade Union action scheduled from Tuesday (10) after they were given an assurance by the Government that the CEB will not be privatised.

Power and Energy Minister Susil Premjayantha, Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama and Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Power Energy MInistry Secretary P. Virahandi and thirty trade union leaders participated in the discussions at Temple Trees prisided over by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

After four hours of discussion they reached a consensus. After agreeing to the final terms Union leaders urged the Government members to give a written undertaking.

Thereafter, Finance Minister Amunugama, Power and Energy Minister Premjayantha and Secretary of the Power and Energy Ministry P. Virahendi signed a document, which contained two assurances:

Cabinet paper submitted on 04/05/2005 to restructure the CEB will not be supported at the next Cabinet eeting scheduled for Wednesday May 11.

l To draft a new Reform Bill with the discussion of Unions after studying the Electricity Reform Act No 28, 2002 and CEB Act without changing the identity of the CEB but allowing provisions to establish companies and institutions under the CEB to improve the efficiency to obtain financial assistance from donor agencies.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa during the discussion reiterated that the government would not privatise state resources and would act in accordance with the wishes of all parties in the governing Alliance.

Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama thanked the Unions for their co-operation and said "all our doubts are cleared now. Certainly have no intention to privatise the CEB. The conflict between us turned to an understanding. We shall now work for low cost power generation."

CEB Unions Convener Ananda Nimalaratne speaking requested the Government members to keep to promises. He said that Unions never launched any Trade Union action to cripple the CEB or create inconvenience to the public. "Our union action was to protect the CEB going into the hands of the private mudalalis but we will support the Government for a restructuring process to improve efficiency", he added.

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Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama, Power and Energy Minister Susil Premjayantha and Secretary of the Power and Energy Ministry P. Virahandhi signing the document assuring that the CEB will not be privatised.

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Sri Lanka Tigers getting more aircraft: Indian foreign minister

NEW DELHI - India is concerned about information that a Tamil rebel group in neighbouring Sri Lanka has built an airstrip and acquired aircraft, Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said in remarks published on Saturday.

Sri Lanka’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were believed to be getting more aircraft, the minister said in an interview with The Hindu newspaper.

“We are concerned about the LTTE having built an airstrip and having two aeroplanes and there’s news about more coming,” Singh said, but did not elaborate.

Sri Lanka told neighbouring countries recently it was worried about the guerrillas acquiring flying capability while the two sides observed an Oslo-brokered truce that has been in effect since February 23, 2002.

Colombo said it had information that the guerrillas had built an airstrip in LTTE-held Iranamadu in the country’s north and that they had acquired two light aircraft. It said this would violate the ceasefire agreement and pose a threat to national security.

New Delhi armed, trained and provided safe haven to Sri Lankan Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, but moved to disarm them after a July 1987 bilateral peace pact with Colombo.

The LTTE repudiated the peace plan and ended up fighting Indian troops who withdrew after a 32-month acrimonious deployment that saw 1,200 of their men killed in action against the Tigers.

Since then, India has concentrated mainly on pushing trade and economic ties with its southern neighbour.

Earlier this month, top civil servants of Sri Lanka and India met in Colombo to review bilateral relations and discussed “defence matters” as well as efforts to boost trade.

Sri Lanka proposed a defence cooperation pact with India in October 2003. There has been no final agreement.

India and Sri Lanka entered into a free trade agreement in 19

Khalid

News Today

Sri Lankan Maids' High Price for Foreign Jobs

KEGALLA, Sri Lanka - The teacher held up an electric cake mixer and told the class of wide-eyed women before her to clean it properly. If it smells, "Mama," as the aspiring maids were instructed to call their female employers, "will be angry and she will hammer and beat you."

Sriyantha Walpola for The New York Times

Some maids being trained in Kegalla, Sri Lanka, will find brutal work conditions in the Middle East.

Sriyantha Walpola for The New York Times

More than a million Sri Lankans - roughly 1 in every 19 citizens - now work abroad, and nearly 600,000 are housemaids.

"This is where you go wrong," the teacher continued. "That is how Mama beats you and burns you - when you do anything wrong."

Eighteen female hands took down every word, as if inscription could ward off ill fortune. Among the women, Rangalle Lalitha Irangame was struggling to keep up, haggard after a sleepless night in the hospital. Her 4-year-old daughter was sick with fever, a worrisome turn for any mother, but a cause for panic for one about to leave for years abroad.

After a year of thinking, 35-year-old Lalitha - who prefers that name - decided to trade her life as a Sri Lankan housewife for one as a Middle Eastern housemaid. After completing their 12-day training, she and her classmates would join a mass migration of women to the Persian Gulf's petro-lubricated economies, trading the fecundity and community of Sri Lankan villages for the aridity and high-walled homes of the Arab world.

Behind those walls the women risk exploitation so extreme that it sometimes approaches "slaverylike" conditions, according to a recent Human Rights Watch report on foreign workers in Saudi Arabia. But while attention has focused on the failure of countries like Saudi Arabia to prevent or prosecute abuses, the de facto complicity of the countries that send their women abroad has largely escaped scrutiny.

For developing countries, migration has become a safety valve, easing the pressure to employ the poor and generating more than $100 billion in remittances in 2003, according to a study by Devesh Kapur, an associate professor of government at Harvard.

More than a million Sri Lankans - roughly 1 in every 19 citizens - now work abroad, and nearly 600,000 are housemaids, according to government estimates. Migrant workers have become Sri Lanka's largest and most consistent earner of foreign exchange, out-doing all major agricultural crops.

In Saudi Arabia, the most common destination, they call Sri Lanka "the country of housemaids." In Sri Lanka they call the maids heroines.

Sri Lanka's government has become an assiduous marketer of its own people. With training programs like Lalitha's, it is helping to prepare what is by now a second generation of housemaids. It even provides a safe haven to shelter, hide and rehabilitate those women who return with broken bodies, lost minds or incipient children.

But it does little to publicize those abuses, protest against them or protect the women for fear of jeopardizing the hundreds of millions of dollars they send home each year.

The women's remittances have built homes, provided capital for businesses, and given the women themselves an enduring confidence. But those gains have come with incalculable hardships.

The women often leave indebted, work virtually indentured and have almost no legal redress against the sexual harassment, confinement or physical abuse they often suffer in the countries they adopt. With no absentee voting rights, they also have no political voice back home.

By one estimate, 15 to 20 percent of the 100,000 Sri Lankan women who leave each year for the gulf return prematurely, face abuse or nonpayment of salary, or get drawn into illicit people trafficking schemes or prostitution.

Many housemaids who run away from their employers are kept in limbo at Sri Lanka's embassies because no one wants to pay their way home. Last year, after their plight was publicized, the government airlifted home 529 maids who had been living for months, packed as tightly as in a slavehold, in the basement of the embassy in Kuwait.

Hundreds of housemaids have become pregnant, often after rapes, producing children who, until Sri Lanka's Constitution was recently amended, were stateless because their fathers were foreigners. More than 100 women come home dead each year, with most deaths labeled "natural" by the host governments, although Sri Lankan officials concede they are powerless to investigate.

Today Top Story

Western Province schoolchildren representing Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim schools participate at the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations at the President’s House, Colombo, yesterday to signify ethnic harmony in the country.

News Today

Sri Lanka president to meet Marxist leaders over tsunami aid to Tamil rebels

Sri Lanka's president on Friday started a key meeting about how to distribute foreign aid to tsunami victims in areas held by the country's Tamil Tiger rebels.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga was meeting with the Marxist People's Liberation Front, which is her party's main partner in the country's governing coalition - and has threatened to withdraw from the government if it sets up a joint aid-distribution group with the guerrillas.

The Marxist party holds 39 seats in the 225-member Parliament, and without its support, the government might collapse.

Details of the meeting were not immediately available.

The Marxist party has said setting up a joint group would help the rebels attain their goal of a separate Tamil state.

The Tamil Tigers have been observing a three-year-old cease-fire with the Sri Lankan government, after fighting a two-decade civil war to try creating a separate homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils. The conflict killed more than 65,000 people.

Government-rebel peace talks have stalled over differences on how much power should be devolved to Sri Lanka's Tamil-majority north and east.

The Dec. 26 Indian Ocean tsunami killed at least 31,000 people in Sri Lanka, and left nearly 1 million homeless. The hardest- hit areas were in the country's northeast, some of which is controlled by the Tamil Tigers.

CEB demands immediate withdrawal of reforms bill, or else all out strike commencing Tuesday

Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) trade unions today threatened to launch an all out strike on Tuesday if the Government does not withdraw the Cabinet paper on electricity reforms which was passed on Wednesday and the Electricity Reforms Bill passed in the year 2002.

The workers also launched a token strike today afternoon at 2.00 p.m., it is scheduled to go on till tomorrow 8 a.m. The striking unions also claimed that even though during their meeting with President Kumaratunga last night she had assured that the CEB will not be liquidated after the reforms are implemented, the Cabinet paper which was passed states that the Board will be liquidated and a new company will be formed in its place. “We are giving the Government time till Monday, by then if they do not withdraw both documents, then we will launch an all out strike from Tuesday onwards,” the JVP backed Lanka Viduli Sevaka Sangamaya General Secretary Ranjan Jayalal warned.

Fuel prices up

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation increased fuel prices with effect from midnight yesterday.

The Rs.2. per litre premium levied on petrol and diesel sold through retail outlets within Colombo Municipal limits was withdrawn. A litre of 90 Octane petrol now costs Rs.74, up from Rs.70 (Colombo) and Rs.68 (outside Colombo). A litre of super petrol (95 Octane) will be priced at Rs.77. The earlier price was Rs.73. Normal Diesel prices rose by Rs.2 per litre in Colombo, with a litre now costing Rs.46. Super diesel will be priced at Rs.51.30 per litre.

Kerosene will cost Rs.3 more per litre, at Rs.28.50. Furnace oil prices too have been revised upwards, with the 1500 Sec variety priced at Rs.28.30 per litre and the 3500 Sec variety at Rs.26.

An emotional farewell

A soldier hugs his mother before boarding the flight to Haiti. The Army is sending a new contingent to Haiti for peacekeeping duties.

News Today

Sri Lanka's tsunami aid deal with rebels to be limited to one year A joint group to be formed by the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to distribute foreign aid to tsunami victims will be limited to one year, officials said Thursday.

The announcement came ahead of a key meeting between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and her main coalition partner, which has threatened to withdraw from the government if such a body is formed.

The areas hit hardest by the December tsunami were in the country's northeast, some of which is controlled by the Tamil Tigers.

The Tigers have repeatedly demanded access to some of the US$2 billion (euro1.5 billion) in tsunami aid promised to Sri Lanka. But most international donors are reluctant to give funds directly to the rebels, which are considered terrorists by India, Britain and the United States.

The group will operate for one year, senior officials said on condition of anonymity, after which an extension could take place if both parties agree. It would deliver foreign aid to tsunami-affected areas two kilometers (1.2 miles) inland from the coastline in six districts in the north and east, they said.

President Kumaratunga is to meet on Friday with the Marxist People's Liberation Front, in a last-ditch effort to secure their support for the joint group, the officials said.

The Marxist party says the group would help the rebels attain their goal of a separate Tamil state, and has threatened to withdraw from the government if it is formed.

The Marxists hold 39 seats in the 225-member Parliament, and without their support the government might collapse.

The Dec. 26 tsunami killed at least 31,000 people in Sri Lanka and left nearly 1 million homeless.

The rebels began fighting in 1983 to carve out a separate state for the 3.2 million Tamil minority, claiming discrimination by the 14 million Sinhalese majority. Nearly 65,000 people died in the civil war before Norway brokered a cease-fire in 2002. Talks to forge a permanent peace deal broke down two years ago and efforts to restart negotiations have so far failed.

Sri Lanka probes claims of ethnic violence that triggered civil war

Sri Lanka on Thursday deployed 59 investigators to probe violence against ethnic minority Tamils in riots that triggered the country's civil war more than 20 years ago.

The investigation comes nearly a year after the government agreed to pay about US$7 million in compensation to 939 victims of the anti-Tamil riots, following a recommendation from a three-member Truth Commission on Ethnic Violence.

There have since been 4,622 new applications for compensation, a statement from the commission said, adding that the new probe will ``ascertain the veracity of the claims made by these applicants.''

The amount of any compensation will depend on the degree of damage and nature of suffering, the commission said.

More than 800,000 Tamils fled to India and Western nations to escape the 1983 anti-Tamil riots, which erupted after a fledgling Tamil rebel group ambushed 13 soldiers.

Thousands of other Tamils joined the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam, or Tamil Tigers, who launched a two-decade civil war to carve out an independent homeland for the Tamils, who claimed discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. Nearly 65,000 people died in the conflict.

Norway brokered a cease-fire in February 2002. The truce has largely held, but government-rebel peace talks broke down two year ago over disagreements about power-sharing arrangements, Efforts to restart negotiations have so far failed.

There are about 3.2 million ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka, an Indian Ocean island nation of 18.6 million.

Kattankudy District hospital affected by Tsunami

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Unidentified group attacks Tamil Tiger rebel office in eastern Sri Lanka

Associated Press, Tue May 3, 2005 01:48 EDT . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Unidentified men fired automatic rifles and lobbed grenades at a Tamil Tiger rebel office in Sri Lanka's volatile east, but the building was apparently empty during the attack, police said on Tuesday.

Separately, attackers fatally shot and killed a village council member in the country's northwest, police said. Authorities blamed the attack on the Tamil Tigers' political office late Monday on a feud between the mainstream rebel group and a faction that broke away last year. ``We suspect the attack was connected to the internecine fighting between the two groups,'' said K.G. Dharmawardene, chief officer in the area.

He said police recovered two T-56 assault rifles at the scene of the attack in Valachchenai village, just north of the eastern town of Batticaloa. Both rebel factions use the rifles. The attack came hours after the funeral in Batticaloa of prominent Tamil journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram, a board member of a prominent pro-Tiger Web site. He was abducted last week in the capital, Colombo, and shot dead. Police have made no arrests but suspect that the killing of Sivaram, whose articles had favored the mainstream Tiger group, was linked to the feud between the two factions. On Tuesday, three men shot and killed village council member H.M. Wasantha of the opposition United National Party in Ratnapura, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of the capital, Colombo, said area police officer T. Solangaarachchi.

Three men shot Wasantha and then fled in a van, Solangaarachchi said. Further details were not immediately available. It was unlikely that his slaying had any link with the rebels or their factional feud, Solangaarachchi said. Also on Tuesday, police found the body of an unidentified youth bound and gagged near a roadside in Eravur village near Batticaloa, said military spokesman Daya Ratnayake. Investigations had begun, he said.Violence has plagued eastern Sri Lanka since the Tigers' ranks split in March 2004. Scores of people have been killed, and the situation threatens a fragile cease-fire between the rebels and Sri Lanka's government.

The Tigers launched a war in 1983 to carve out an independent homeland for the island's minority ethnic Tamils, who claim discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. Nearly 65,000 people were killed before the truce. Subsequent peace talks broke down two years ago.

TODAY'S TOP STORY

The private bus plying from Maduru Oya to Colombo which skidded off the road yesterday at Polgahawela.

Two killed, 21 injured as speeding bus skids off road

Five days after the tragedy at Yangalmodera, a speeding private bus plying from Maduru Oya to Colombo skidded off the road yesterday at Meddalanda, Polgahawela killing two people and injuring 21, Polgahawela Police said yesterday.

One person was killed on the spot and another succumbed to his injuries on admission to Kurunegala hospital.

The speeding bus had gone off the road crashing into several coconut trees as it was competing with another bus, ASP Gamini Gunatilleke in charge of the Polgahawela Police Division told the Daily News.

The accident occurred just half a kilometre away form the Yangalmodera level crossing towards Kurunegala. This level crossing was the scene of one of the biggest accidents in recent times - 35 people were killed when a bus which tried to zig zag through the gap in the closed gates was hit by an intercity train.

The injured were admitted to the Kurunegala Teaching hospital. An employee attached to the National Water Supply and Drainage Board was killed on the spot, Police added.

The accident occurred around 6.20 in the morning. Among the injured were four females, one Police officer and two Army personnel, Police said.

S. Selvakumar of Kurunegala, Panagamuwa travelling in the ill-fated bus said the bus was competing with another bus as he got into the bus around 5.45 am. Another bus on the same route passed Kurunegala without stopping there and Selvakumar had got into this bus.

"The bus came very fast. I heard a big sound and I found myself in a stream with that sound as I was thrown out of the footboard. I came out of it and helped the passengers to come out of the bus," he said.

Police arrested the driver and the conductor. ASP Gunatilleke said the bus was taken to Polgahawela Police Station. The Colombo- Kurunegala road was blocked for several hours after the accident and traffic was turned towards Colombo through the new Colombo road.

Polgahawela Acting OIC P.D.R. Kulatunga is conducting investigations under the supervision of ASP Gamini Gunatilleke.

Meanwhile, Warakapola Police said another private bus plying from Maduru Oya to Colombo collided with a lorry at Helagala, Warakapola, around 7 am injuring the lorry driver. However, there was no confirmation whether it was the bus which was competing with the ill-fated bus which had gone off the road at Meddalanda.

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K'tunga hopes LTTE will join democracy

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga hopes that a proposed joint mechanism for relief work for tsunami victims could lead the LTTE to "embrace democracy".

Addressing a gathering of her Freedom Party on Friday night,Kumaratunga said she expected the mechanism to form a basis for resuming the stalled peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"The LTTE can also start doing democratic politics just like the other parties which at one time killed people and indulged in violence-based politics," the president said referring to her main coalition partner, the JVP or the People's Liberation Front.

The JVP is opposed to the joint mechanism proposal, claiming it would give the LTTE recognition.
Kumaratunga said seven of the eight parties in her United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition agree with the joint mechanism.

"I hope the JVP also would realise that a mechanism is needed,"she added.

The JVP has threatened to walk out of Kumaratunga's government if the joint mechanism is implemented.

The government's parliamentary majority hinges on the 39 seats held by the JVP in the ruling UPFA coalition.

Political analysts, however, said the JVP was unlikely to rock the boat and make the Kumaratunga governmentfall as then it would open the door for the main opposition United National Party to return to power.

Today top story

May Day eve TU action: On the eve of International Workers’ Day and in the gloom of the killing of a fellow journalist members of the Working Journalists’ Association trekked it to the 3rd Floor of the YMMA building in Colombo, Fort yesterday to cast their vote to elect office bearers for the ensuing year. Picture shows some members at the polling booth depositing their ballot paper into the ballot box.

News Today

May Day: 10 processions and over 16 rallies

Almost all the functioning political parties and a number of trade unions celebrate May Day today with ten processions and over 16 rallies throughout the country. Sri Lanka Freedom Party led Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will hold their rally at the Galle Face Green after the public march from Campbell Park with the participation of the UPFA leaders. The march will commence at 12 noon from Campbell Park and is expected to reach Galle Face Green, via Borella, Maradana, Technical Junction and Pettah. This year's theme is "National Unity for the Country's Development".

The UNP meeting will be held at the Town Hall Colombo at 4.00 pm under the patronage of party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Their rally will start from Sugathadasa Stadium at 1.00 pm and will arrive at the Town Hall via Sangaraja Mawatha and Borella. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna will hold its rally at BRC Grounds. Party leaders, members and supporters will reach the BRC Grounds from the S.De S.Jayasinghe Grounds, Dehiwala.

The Ceylon Workers Congress will hold its rally in Nuwara Eliya instead of Kotagala. CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman will preside over the event while the rally will be addressed by CWC stalwarts and foreign delegates. CWC members from all the districts will attend the rally.

The Upcountry Workers' Front will be in Badulla under the presidentship of its leader P. Chandrasekaran. Party leaders and provincial level representatives are due to address the meeting.

The National Workers Congress along with the All Ceylon Federation of Free Trade Unions and its affiliated sectoral unions will commemorate Workers' Day at their Workers' Centre, Dehiwala.

National Development Front will also hold its May Day at the D. S. Senanayake Memorial Library, Kandy at 1.00 pm. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Deshapremi Peramuna has cancelled their May Day celebrations but will hold a Bodhi Pooja instead at Jayasekararama Temple at Kuppiyawatta.

A united May Day celebration will also take place at Price Park, Gunsinghapura with the collaboration of 40 trade unions. Government Clerical Services Trade Union celebrates May Day at their head office and the Sri Lanka Pragathisheeli Peramuna will hold its May Day Celebrations at the YMCA Hall, Fort.

Foreign Ministry sponsors tsunami housing project

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar laid the foundation stone for a housing project in Walahanduwa, in Akmeemana, Galle, for tsunami affected families, on Thursday 28th April, invited by Urban Development and Water Supply Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. This project will be carried out by the Urban Development and Water Supply Ministry and will be funded by donations collected by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Sri Lanka Missions abroad after the tsunami disaster.

Over 600 million rupees were collected through Sri Lanka Missions with the generous contributions from members of the public and well-wishers abroad, both Sri Lankan and foreign, following the tsunami disaster. This money will be entirely utilized for providing permanent housing for tsunami affected families.

The Walahanduwa project is only a part of this wider plan to provide housing to people affected by the disaster in the northern, eastern and southern areas of the country.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony, Minister Kadirgamar said Rs. 600 million would fund the construction of over 1000 houses in separate complexes comprising approximately 200 houses each. Minister Kadirgamar said it was a very special occasion for the Foreign Ministry where it was able to do something with direct impact upon the people of the country, although it was unfortunate that it had to be under such tragic circumstances. The Minister emphasized the responsibility of ensuring that this 600 million, which was given by ordinary people abroad, be spent for the benefit of people affected by the disaster without any kind of discrimination.

The Minister added that the special unit within the Foreign Ministry set up for this purpose would be coordinating the progress of the construction project with the Ministry of Urban Development and Water Supply. He further expressed the hope that the project, once started, would proceed without undue delay and said that it would be a happy moment when the families actually take possession of the completed houses.

Urban Development and Water Supply Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Amarasiri Dodangoda, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Chandrasena Wijesinghe, as well as officials of Foreign Affairs and Urban Development and Water Supply Ministries and members of the tsunami affected families in the area also participated at the simple ceremony.

Kahlid

News Today

Government orders full-scale investigation into Journalist’s slaying

The Sri Lankan Government today condemned the abduction and killing of prominent journalist D. Sivaram. In a media communiqué, the information Department said, “the Government unreservedly condemns the reprehensible and dastardly abduction and killing of well known journalist, Mr. D Sivaram.”

The Government has ordered a full-scale investigation into the abduction and killing of Mr. Sivaram and law enforcement authorities will ensure speedy action in this regard. Mr. Sivaram's abduction and killing is the latest in a series of violent acts and political killings that have taken place while the Ceasefire Agreement has been operational. Most recently a Tamil Police Inspector, Mr. T Jeyaratnam, attached to the Terrorist Investigations Unit of the Mt. Lavinia Police was abducted in Colombo. Prior to that a Divisional Secretary was killed in the Eastern Province and a Tamil Government official, a Director attached to the Ministry of Vocational Training was gunned down while in Batticaloa on official duty.

Sivaram was targetted because of his uncompromising coverage of political and military situation- Reporters Without Borders

Bandula Jayasekara in Colombo, SLT 5.50 P.M Friday 29 April 2005. Reporters without Borders say journalist D. Sivaram, editor of Tamilnet and columnist of Daily Mirror was targeted because of uncompromising coverage of the political and military situation, particularly since the emergence of the pro-government Tamil militia headed by Colonel Karuna.Reporters Without Borders say they are revolted at the murder of Dharmeratnam Sivaram "Taraki", editor of the news website TamilNet and Daily Mirror columnist. Four men abducted the well known journalist on 28 April and he was found dead the following morning.

Issuing a statment condeming the killing of Sivaram, RSF say that Sivaram, 46, had often told friends that he feared for his safety. "My life is in serious danger," he told Reporters Without Borders in May 2004 after police raided his house and some pro-government media accused him of being a spy for the Tamil Tigers.

Reporters Without Borders said Sri Lanka's authorities were guilty of failing to combat impunity in past cases of murders of journalists. In several reports, it had shown that the government, headed by Chandrika Kumaratunga, has protected killers of journalists, particularly Tamil militia of the EPDP, elements in the presidential guard and members of Col. Karuna's Tamil militia.The organisation called on the government to now do everything possible to ensure the killers and those who sent them were identified, arrested and put on trial."The premeditated murder of one of the most renowned Tamil journalists is a huge loss for Sri Lanka's press. Through his website that was visited by tens of thousands of people daily, he provided essential news on the situation in the country," it said.

"Whatever one may think of his relations with the Tamil Tigers movement, Sivaram, was a brilliant journalist", the worldwide press freedom organisation added.

News Today

Sivaram's Funeral to be held in Batticaloa

A close family friend of slain Tamilnet editor, D. Sivaram said that his funeral will be held in Batticaloa early next week. He said that the family is waiting for some relatives to return to Sri Lanka from overseas in time for the funeral. Meanwhile government sources told The Lanka Academic say that the government was deeply disturbed by the killing of Sivaram by an unidentified group and the media minister Mangala Samaraweera is expected to make a statement today, condemning the killing. SLMC condemns Sivaram’s murder The abduction and murder of Tamil Net editor D. Sivaram (Taraki) which came at a time when Sri Lankan media personnel were lobbying for media reforms aimed at greater media freedom, is strongly condemned by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) as an act of cowardice and one that would leave an indelible black mark in media freedom of Sri Lanka. Although not everybody agreed with the political posturing of Sivaram, it was a fact that his writing formed an integral part of the politicaldiscourse here. The SLMC join hands with the media rights organizations and other groups urging the government to conduct a thorough, impartial inquiry into the murder of this leading Tamil journalist. In addition we also demand that the government takes genuine steps to improve the law and order situation and creates an environment where all citizens of this country can live without fear. The SLMC conveys its condolences to the family members of Mr Sivaram.

Today Top Story

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga is greeted by the children of Kesbewa SLFP organiser Chandana Katriarachchi at yesterday’s ceremony at Piliyandala. And President Kumaratunga with Western Province Chief Minister Reginald Cooray.

Todays Top Story

A train sent from Colombo pushes the wreckage of the ill-fated bus off the track at Yalgammodara, Alawwa. The crash, which occurred on Wednesday morning, killed 37 passengers in the bus.

Today News

Permanent housing program fast tracked

NINETY per cent of the permanent houses for tsunami affected families will be completed by the fourth quarter of this year, the Government asserted yesterday.

"The bulk of the permanent housing project is to get off the ground by May and June and 80 to 90 per cent of the housing units are expected to be completed by the last quarter," said Mano Tittawella, Chairman of the Task Force for Relief and Reconstruction (TAFREN).

"The State has completed demarcating land for up to 34,000 permanent houses outside the 100 metre buffer zone as of yesterday and they have singed the MOUs with 71 donors to start construction," Tittawella told a news briefing. "May and June will be a decisive period for the housing program. Work has already started on 2,300 houses."

"We have to physically hand over the land at the time of signing the MOU with the donor," Tittawella said adding that the complex process involving land allocation has slowed the pace of housing reconstruction but they have overcome most of the issues now, in response to media queries.

He confirmed that the Government was capable of providing land for all the families needing relocation.

The TAFREN Chief said the Government with the help of foreign and local donors has built 15,470 transitional houses to relocate those in the relief camps and the total requirement of 30,000 houses will be completed by end of May. About 4,000 units are under construction.

Donors have expressed that they need at least 45 days from the MOU to finalise tender procedures and acquire material, one of the major challenges before actual construction could begin.

According to the latest figures of the Census and Statistics Department a total of 77,561 houses have been damaged in the December 26 tsunami which included 41,393 houses completely washed away by the waves.

A total of 194 donors have made pledges to construct about 97,000 permanent houses and these pledges are now being converted to actual commitments.

The Government has also decided to continue the family allowance of Rs.5000 up to June 30.

Tittawella said the President directed the Treasury at a recent meeting to continue this support payment up to June by which they hope the donor sponsored livelihood projects will be set in motion.

"We have paid this allowance for two months, January and February. Then it was stopped pending Treasury clearance," Relief Commissioner Tilak Ranaviraja said.

The Government Agent of Jaffna K. Ganesh, District Secretary of Hambantota, M.A. Piyasena, Batticaloa District Secretary V. Shanmugam, Matara District Secretary H.G. Jayasekera IOM Chief of mission Mary Sheehan and Plan Sri Lanka Director Juliano Fernando made presentations.

Five police teams probe Alawwa train-bus crash

FIVE Police teams on the direction of IGP Chandra Fernando yesterday commenced investigations into the train-bus accident in Yaalganmodera on Wednesday which killed 37 and injured over 40.

North Western DIG Ashoka Ratnaweera told the Daily News yesterday that five Police teams led by the Kurunegala Division SP and four ASPs in the division yesterday interrogated the driver and the bus conductor under strict Police security at the Kurunegala Hospital.

"The two suspects are being questioned by Police yesterday and their statement was recorded," the DIG said.

There will be a slight delay in producing the suspects before the Magistrate since the suspects are receiving treatment but the preliminary investigations will be completed during the course of the day and the suspect will be produced soon as they recover from their injuries, the DIG said. The five Police teams will question the victims in detail and record their statements, the DIG added.

Meanwhile, Kurunegala Base Hospital officials said the death count was 37 and the relatives have already identified 32 bodies with another three more to be identified.

Eight others receiving treatment at the National Hospital are said to be in critical condition.