TODAY'S TOP STORY

HIKKADUWA SRI LANKA : Sri Lankan school chilren stand in a queue as they wait for a free lunch offered by a charity organisation 26 March 2005 at the tourist resort town of Hikkaduwa in southern Sri Lanka as the region marks the three-month anniversary of the December 2004 tsunamis that killed nearly 400 people in the town. Nearly 31,000 people were killed in the 26 December 2004 natural disaster.

Post tsunami reconstruction apace

There were distribution of 1000 transitional houses to Internally Displaced Persons due to tsunami in Trincomalee District, on the March 26th , 2005 in order to commemorate the three-month anniversary of the tsunami.
"This will be followed by distributing another 5600 transitional houses, before the Sinhala and Hindu new year festival", according to the Government Agent of, Tricomalee, Mr. Gamini Rodrigo.
Stromme Foundation of Norway is currently focusing on livelihood restoration and also in the education sector. Their programme covers eight Districts in the North, East and the South and as its first initiative 500 micro finance loans were disbursed to a number of tsunami affected families in order to recommence their livelihood.
They have also made arrangements to help a number of poor fishermen by giving them canoes to get back to their livelihood of fishing. In addition, the Stromme Foundation provided dry rations, kitchen utensils, mats, pillows, lanterns, etc., to tsunami affected people who were leaving the welfare centres.
They implemented a unique system called "cash for work" to those who were affected, by way of giving them Rs. 500 per day up to 10 days, in order to restore their partly damaged houses.
Number of families benefited from this were 610 to the value of Rs. 2.5 million. In Batticaloa District, 600 temporary houses and the same number of toilets are being built to commemorate three-month tsunami anniversary.
Under the Economic Recovery Programme of Stromme Foundation, they have made arrangements to help 1200 poor coir rope makers in Ahungalla, by distributing coir rope making machines to them. This programme will be held at Keththarama Temple in Ahungalla on March 28th 2005 commencing 9.30 a.m.
There will be a video conference between citizens in Sri Lanka and citizens in the United States of America and Australia to discuss the tsunami relief effort.
This will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on March 29th, Colombo time and is intended to commemorate the three-month anniversary of the tsunami. This will take place at the Distance Learning Centre at No. 28/10, Malalasekera Mawatha in Colombo 06.
This videoconferencing is part of an ongoing initiative by a coalition of U.S. citizen groups and international relief organizations called "Partners for Progress". Partners for Progress seeks to sustain the visibility of voices from the tsunami-affected regions over the long-term to ensure that there is long-term awareness of and support for rebuilding in the region.
According to the agenda of the video conference, time will be allocated for introductions from various cities of the U.S.A and Australia, with expressions by individuals at each site of their community's concern for the people affected by the tsunami.
Further, there will be presentations by several people in Sri Lanka giving an assessment of the situation here three months later and explaining in terms that the general public can understand what the needs are on ground and how the U.S. and Australia can help. In this part, there will also be a discussion of how U.S. and Australian students can spend their summer in Sri Lanka helping the country as it continues the rebuilding process.

Khalid

Canada frowns on LTTE

Child conscription :
For the first time in its history, the Federal Parliament of Canada has taken up the child conscription issue in Sri Lanka for discussion.
The statement made at the Sub Committee meeting was significant because it was the first time that the issue of child soldiers in Sri Lanka was formally taken up at the Federal Parliament of Canada, a press release issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry stated.
The Canadian Parliamentary Sub Committee on Human Rights and International Development has stressed that the Canadian Government should address the issue of the LTTE's child recruitment and ensure that Canadian funds are utilised for child protection initiatives and prevention of LTTE child conscription.
In a statement issued after a meeting on March 23, Committee Chairman and MP David Kilgour said that the international community has raised major concern over the violation of the human rights of Sri Lankan children by the LTTE and the UN Security Council has discussed it in this regard.
According to UNICEF, the LTTE has even reached the government controlled areas and strengthened the recruitment drive after the ceasefire began in 2002, Kilgour, who was also former Secretary of State Asia Pacific of the Foreign Affairs Department said.
UNICEF documented 3516 cases of child recruitment by the LTTE during the ceasefire. The recruitment became so intense that less than 50 percent children went to school as many parents kept children at home in fear of the LTTE taking them away on the way.
The statement said that children who lost their parents in the recent tsunami are more susceptible to LTTE recruitment now and Canada must address this issue and ensure its funds should meet the objectives, recruitment prevention, child protection, in all areas including tsunami affected areas, relief camps and orphanages.
Deputy Chairman Stockwell Day, Foreign Affairs Critic of the Official Opposition Conservative Party of Canada referred to the LTTE's 'horrendous act' of training children to become human bombs.
He said that he raised this issue in the House of Commons and called upon the Sub Committee to act on a non partisan basis and address the child right violation by the LTTE in Sri Lanka.
He also referred to the necessity of listing the LTTE under the Canadian Anti terrorism legislation. Federal MP Joe Comartin of the New Democratic Party said that a group of Canadian parliamentarians accompanied him to Vanni recently and expressed Canada's concern over the child conscription to the LTTE.

Khalid

Law students honour two illustrious law teachers

Two distinguished legal luminaries Prof. Lakshman Marasinghe and Justice Saleem Marsoof P.C. will be honoured at a ceremony on Tuesday March 29 at 3 p.m. at the Law College Auditorium.
It will be part of the inaugural meeting of the Law Students' Muslim Majlis, which will be followed by a Symposium on the topic 'Monogamy, Polygamy and Bigamy: Some Reflections on the Abeysundere Decision' at which Prof. Marasinghe and Justice Marsoof will be the main speakers. Both speakers have contributed to the development of law through their books, book chapters and articles, and have also written comments on the controversial decision of the Supreme Court in the Abeysundere case which sought to overrule the decision of the Privy Council in the famous Reid case.
The students will felicitate Prof. Lakshman Marasinghe who has been an Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and a Director of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process, on his recent appointment as the Chairman of the Law Commission of Sri Lanka.
Having had his early education at Royal College, Colombo, Prof. Marasinghe commenced reading for a medical degree at the London Hospital Medical College, but suddenly switched to the study of law at the University College, London from where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree with First Class Honours in 1961, and his Master of Laws degree with Distinction in 1963.
He was thereafter awarded the Ph.D. degree by the University of London and the LL.D degree (Honoris Causa) by the University of Colombo. Since 1964 Prof. Marasinghe has been teaching law at several leading Universities abroad, but in 2002 when the Diploma in International Trade Law program was commenced at the Sri Lanka Law College, he was selected to head the local faculty. He also teaches in the University of Wales LL.M in International Trade Law program conducted at the Law College.
Justice Saleem Marsoof P.C., will also be felicitated on his recent appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court.
He was admitted as an Attorney-at-Law in mid 1974 and joined the Attorney General's Department in September 1975 where he served for 29 years before being appointed as the President of the Court of Appeal.
In July 1998, he was made a President's Counsel in recognition of his eminence in the Bar. Justice Marsoof, who had his education at Zahira College, Colombo and Royal College, Colombo, is a Law Graduate of the University of Ceylon, Colombo where he excelled academically winning the Gate Mudaliyar Edmund Peiris prize and the Law Scholarship.
The felicitation ceremony will be chaired by the President of the Law Students' Muslim Majlis, Althaf Marsoof, who will make the welcome speech. Dr. Joe Silva, Principal of the Sri Lanka Law College, who is also the Patron of the Majlis, will deliver the inaugural address.
The felicitation speeches in honour of the two distinguished teachers of the Law College will be made by two students of the University of Wales LL.M program, State Counsel Rajiv Goonetilleke and Ranjan Sriskantha, Attorney-at-Law.

Khalid

No 'de facto' recognition of LTTE

THE Government could sign a deal brokered by Norway with the LTTE to provide a formula for distributing tsunami relief as long as it was not seen as giving the LTTE de facto recognition as a Government, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said.

Addressing the Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA) in Colombo over the weekend, Minister Kadirgamar said: "I am told that the process of a joint mechanism is moving. It is not standing still. It is not going backwards."

The Foreign Minister said the Government's main objective now was to enter into a joint mechanism with the Tigers to distribute foreign aid for tsunami victims in the North-East, some parts of which are held by the LTTE.

Nearly 31,000 people were killed in Sri Lanka by the December 26 tsunamis and two thirds of the victims were in the Northern and Eastern regions.

He ruled out an early resumption of peace talks. "A formal resumption of the peace process is very much on the backburner," Kadirgamar told the FCA meeting.

Peace talks have been stalled since April 2003. Despite the suspension of face-to-face discussions, the two parties are abiding by a ceasefire arranged by Norway and in place from February 23, 2002.

The LTTE earlier this month said they agreed to the joint mechanism proposed by Norway, but there has been no formal announcement on the exact contents of the proposed deal.

An agreement on distributing tsunami aid is needed because international donors and several Governments do not want to give aid directly to the Tigers who are designated a terrorist organisation by countries such as the United States, Britain and India.

Khalid

International community in Beijing helps Lankan tsunami orphans

PROMPT and official assistance from the Government of the People's Republic was received in cash, kind and relief services following the tsunami disaster which affected Sri Lanka.

The people of China including the Special Administration Region of Hong Kong have contributed over Rs. 165,000,000 towards relief efforts through organisations like the China Charity Federation, the China Red Cross, the China Disabled Persons Federation, World Vision as well as private donations from schoolchildren, artists and entertainers.

A special display and sale of Sri Lankan gems and jewellery was organised by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing on March 04.

For the specific benefit of the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry Seva Vanitha Project for a Children's Home in association with SOS Children's Villages.

Wives and daughters of ambassadors and diplomats of several countries and international organisations accredited to Beijing participated. They modelled jewellery designed by the Chinese company, Lordspek International made with Sri Lanka gems, as well as Sri Lankan-made traditional and contemporary jewellery.

The wives of Ambassadors of Albania, Algeria, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Iceland, Morocco, Italy and the United States of America wore their own national dress with matching Sri Lankan jewellery and gems.

With their Sri Lankan jewellery, wives of Ambassadors of Bangladesh, Chile, Estonia, Malaysia, Mozambique, Singapore and Sweden wore Sri Lankan sarees. They included the "upcountry" saree, the Kandyan saree and the saree worn in Tamil style.

Wives of representatives of the World Bank, the WHO and CNN also modelled. The daughters of the UN Resident Representative in Beijing wore bridal sarees and the traditional Sri Lankan jewellery, representing both the Sinhala and Tamil communities. The wife of the Indian Ambassador was the compere.

Chinese film star Xu Jinglei who won the Best Directors Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival last year also volunteered support for the Sri Lanka project and tsunami relief. She expressed her interest in promoting Sri Lankan tourism and will visit Sri Lanka soon.

Xu has been designated Honorary Goodwill Ambassador for the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. Apart from being the lead actress in the award winning film. Letter from an Unknown Woman, she is also its producer, script writer and director.

Jewellery specially designed for her in the film is to be auctioned as a further benefit for the Seva Vanitha project. Cathy Mao of Lordspek International made a presentation with Chinese models displaying uncut Sri Lankan gems.

She explained the value and special characteristics of Sri Lankan gems, tracing the history of Sri Lanka's gem trade with China from at least the time of the Tang Dynasty.

A raffle held on the occasion netted proceeds of over Rs. 580,000. Prizes were return air tickets to Sri Lanka, Europe, ladies' wrist watches and premium quality Sri Lanka tea.

Video clips, courtesy of Rupavahini, featured children in Sri Lanka recovering from the tsunami and clips of Baby 81.

Dharmadasa Wanniarachchi, Governor, North Western Province and R.D. Wimaladasa, Provincial Minister of Agriculture were present as special guests with their delegation. They were in transit in Beijing on their way to Shangdong Province on the invitation from the Governor of Shangdong.

Among the invited audience of over 300, were senior Chinese Government and Red Cross officials, diplomats, business people and members of the media.

Khalid

Tsunami: Three months on

AT 0758 local time on December 26 last year, exactly three months ago, the Earth's crust deep under the sea off the west coast of Indonesia's Aceh province shifted violently, lifting the seabed by some 15 metres.

The seismic thrust, the world's biggest in 40 years measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, sent shockwaves through the Indian Ocean, unleashing tsunamis speeding at up to 700 kilometres per hour in every direction. Wherever they hit they wrought devastation as never before. It was the worst natural calamity in living memory.

The death toll: The number of people believed to have perished in the disaster stands at more than 273,000. Indonesia was the worst hit country, with 126,715 dead and 93,480 listed as missing.

Sri Lanka lists 30,957 as dead, with 5,637 missing. India, Thailand, Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya were among the other affected countries.

The homeless: In Sri Lanka alone, up to one million people were displaced. Around 500,000 people remain in camps or temporary shelter. There have been no major outbreaks of disease.

Relief: An unlikely coalition of more than 25 nations banded together to help stricken tsunami victims, with troops and military hardware being deployed by countries including the United States, France, Pakistan, Japan, China, Jordan, India, Brunei, Britain and Russia.

Most troops have now withdrawn. Many high profile figures also toured the tsunami-hit region.

Donations, pledges: Countries around the world pledged up to 10 billion dollars in aid.

The UN says some 90 per cent of its 977 million dollar flash appeal to cover the first six months of relief for the disaster has been covered.

It is unclear how much money will eventually reach areas in need of reconstruction and rehabilitation. Officials in Colombo say that of more than 884 million dollars in pledges to Sri Lanka, it had received US$ 95.5 million.

Economic cost: Despite the massive death toll, the economic cost of the disaster will be relatively light since major industrial zones were not touched by the disaster.

Sri Lanka has said reconstruction work and foreign aid will more than offset the economic losses and revised its economic growth forecasts for 2005 upwards to around 5.5 percent.

Khalid

Murali starts new innings in India

Mathimalar Ramamurthy and Muttiah Muralitharan will enter matrimony at the Rani Meyyammai Hall at Egmore, Chennai this morning amidst a host of Indian and Sri Lankan invitees.


He has claimed the scalps of many top-class batsmen with his crafty deliveries, but he took some time to bowl a maiden over. Muttiah Muralitharan has finally found the perfect partner for his life's innings.

Muralitharan found her not on home turf, but in the sunny climes of neighbouring Chennai.

Mathimalar Ramamurthy and Muralitharan (above) will enter matrimony at the Rani Meyyammai Hall at Egmore, Chennai this morning amidst a host of Indian and Sri Lankan invitees.

Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama will be among the special invitees while former World Cup winning captain Deputy Tourism Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, who staunchly defended Muralitharan throughout the infamous chucking episodes in Australia and elsewhere, will sign as a witness. A number of team mates of Muralitharan, including Captain Marvan Atapattu, are also expected to attend. Several former Indian Test players and top politicians from Tamil Nadu will also grace the ceremony.

Murali's surgeon Dr. David Young is also among the invitees. A separate reception will be held at a leading hotel in Chennai tomorrow. Spin wizard Muralitharan is just behind Australian Shane Warne in the world bowling record stakes. Dr. Amunugama is due to meet top Indian leaders after the wedding.

Khalid

Tsunami early warning system - how it works

The writer on the 20km long coastal levee along the Fuji Coast of Japan constructed as a barrier for preventing tsunami from reaching the populated inner coastal region.

Tsunamis or earthquakes can be neither prevented nor predicted. An early warning system that can give sufficient hours of advance notice to coastal communities is a primary way of effective mitigation of this disaster.

Water level gauges are an essential element of a tsunami warning system. They can be used to confirm the generation of tsunami waves following an earthquake. To be effective for warning purposes, water level gauges should be located near the tsunami source region to get the most rapid confirmation of the event. Forecasting tsunamis requires adequate understanding of the phenomenon, good and quick collection of earthquake and sea level data and accurate and fast assessment and interpretation of data.

A tsunami warning centre such as that in operation around the Pacific ocean could have saved thousands of people who died in the Indian Ocean earthquake. Both Sri Lanka and India did not have such a facility mainly because large tsunamis were in the past extremely rare in the Indian Ocean.

In the Pacific Ocean a few tsunamis are reported in any given decade. Between 1975 and 1998 there have been at least eighteen (18) in the Pacific and the adjoining seas resulting in significant human casualties and damage to property. In countries like Japan or USA, people living in coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean where more than 90% of all tsunamis recorded have occurred in the past, are warned and taught to move away from coastal regions after a tsunamigenic earthquake. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) operated by the US in Hawaii and supported by 26 member countries, including Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, USA etc., has many seismic stations, water level reporting stations and dissemination points scattered in the Pacific Basin. Functioning of the system begins with the detection by any participating seismic laboratory of an earthquake of sufficient size to trigger alarms, set at the threshold value of 6.5 on the Richter Scale. PTWC collects seismic data, locates the earthquake and computes its magnitude. When reports from water level stations show that a tsunami has been generated posing a threat, a warning is transmitted to the relevant dissemination centres within shortest possible time.

Japan is located in the circum Pacific tectonic zone where seismic activity is extremely high. Japan being an island nation surrounded by sea is one of the most tsunami-prone countries in the world. Since 22,000 people died in the Sanriku Tsunami of 1896 and another 3000 in 1933, Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) has been in the forefront of providing tsunami warnings for more than 100 years.

Over the years, JMA has been able to reduce the target time of tsunami warning to just 3 minutes since 1994 by using state-of-the-art technology. JMA has improved its seismometer networks (numbering more than 180) and seismic data processing by getting rapid estimation of magnitude of earthquake and location and observing sea level changes using tidal data from more than 100 stations. Even the most modern computer will require much time to study tsunami generation and propagation. JMA has calculated tsunami generation and propagation for 100,000 different simulated cases and obtained estimated tsunami heights and arrival times which are stored as a database.

Essential elements
Minimal information required for tsunami warning constitutes time of origin, location, magnitude and depth of earthquake (hypocentre) and tidal data giving sea level rise. Principal components are the following:

* Network of seismic stations to observe seismic waves * Tidal stations to monitor sea level changes * Dedicated telephone lines to transmit observed data in real time * System to determine immediately the hypocentre and magnitude of the earthquake * Evaluation of possibility of generation of tsunami using sea level changes obtained from tidal stations via satellite * Communication network to disseminate warnings to mass media , local authorities, police and eventually to residents at risk.

Once the tsunami warning is rapidly communicated to people at risk they should be able to respond positively without panicking.

For smooth evacuation in potentially danger areas, prior to the event it is essential to (i) conduct awareness programmes about tsunamis (ii) prepare hazard maps giving previous heights of tsunamis (iii) identify evacuation routes and shelters and (iv) conduct evacuation drill practices periodically for schoolchildren and villagers at risk.

Continuous effort is essential for education and training since people tend to forget the dangers as probability of tsunami occurrence in the Indian Ocean countries particularly is low if old records are any indicator.

In the aftermath of the massive and disastrous tsunamigenic earthquake of 26/12 we have to learn from the long and successful post-tsunami experiences of the Pacific Rim countries and take appropriate steps to establish a tsunami warning facility in Sri Lanka / SAARC region and be prepared for any possible future threat from the Indian Ocean. It should be noted that the geological conditions of the occurrence of earthquakes in the Indian Ocean region are different from those in the Pacific Ocean. It is necessary to recognize the type of tsunami -local or distant or both - that could attack the countries in the region. If there is no risk from local tsunamis, it would be sufficient to establish a system to monitor a tsunami warning from a regional Tsunami Warning Center 24 hours a day and each country could determine its responsibility and initiative and decide if a warning should be issued or not.

Although research studies indicate that the probability of an immediate repetition of a tsunami is low from the same location of the earthquake, there is always the possibility of an earthquake from a different location.

Past records and years of earthquake research have shown that it is not yet possible to predict with precision the exact date and time of earthquakes even with modern equipment available in countries like USA and Japan. Present thinking is that an earthquake can happen anywhere anytime. Same is true for tsunamis. But with a tsunami warning system in place, most people will have time to evacuate to high ground or safe locations (e.g 3rd floor or above of nearby strong buildings- ideally reinforced concrete buildings) unless the earthquake occurred very close to the coast.
Since the minimum period required to give warnings about tsunamis currently is three minutes, it may be too late for residents of such coastal areas by the time they receive the warning.

Therefore they should run immediately to high ground if they feel a strong earthquake had occurred as judged by strong earth shaking and damage to houses. Even in countries like ours, until the tsunami warning system is established - which may take a considerable period of time- people living in coastal areas should be on high alert if they feel a strong earthquake and run to high ground or to 3rd floors or above (considering the height of the previous tsunami) of strongly built houses of the vicinity.

Awareness and education programmes are sometimes more effective than sophisticated and expensive warning systems.Such programmes also can save hundreds and thousands of human lives. In this regard it is essential that measures are taken to include Disaster Management and Mitigation as a subject in the school curriculum so that awareness programmes will continue without much effort.

(The writer was recently in Tokyo attending a Workshop on Tsunami Early Warning Systems and conducted field visits to tsunami preparedness facilities in Numazu City, Shizuura District).

Khalid

Kadirgamar at UN Human Rights Commission

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar

SINCE its establishment in 1946, as a functional Commission of the ECOSOC, the Commission on Human Rights has continued to heed the voices and sentiments of the countless numbers of the aggrieved as well as the representations of almost all member and observer States of the United Nations. This attention and focus have had their negative and positive repercussions. On the positive side, the goal of promotion and protection of human rights is now both a cross-cutting and integrated item on the UN agenda. No State can be oblivious to its widening ramifications and consequences. In turn, this wider focus and attention has resulted in greater calls for the Commission on Human Rights to deliver on its mandate in an equitable and fair manner. In fact, such criticism has reached a stage where the credibility of the Commission on Human Rights is now at stake. This issue has no doubt gained the attention of Secretary General Kofi Annan as evidenced by the appointment of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change which has now submitted its report.

The report of this High Level Panel appointed by the Secretary-General has proposed far-reaching structural changes in the Commission. Sri Lanka is of the view that these proposals merit careful consideration and that any reform should be pursued in a comprehensive and balanced manner, which should also lead to the strengthening and revitalization of the principal organs of the UN such as the General Assembly and ECOSOC.

I am addressing this Commission at a time when my government is making a concerted and determined effort to rebuild a nation faced with the calamitous event that occurred on 26 December 2004, just over two months ago, when fatal waves suddenly struck the southern and eastern coasts of Sri Lanka with unimaginable ferocity. It took away thousands of innocent lives and massively destroyed infrastructure along the coast.
The government moved into action within less than one hour and commenced the distribution of food and other relief items to the North, South, East and West, without any discrimination whatsoever.

The armed forces, the Police and the entire public service toiled unstintingly through day and night. Within a month detailed plans were formulated for a reconstruction programme - building houses, schools, hospitals, roads, railways, fisheries harbours, the power and telecommunications supply. The government apparatus for the distribution of supplies is effectively in place.

Soon after the tsunami struck our nation, the world came to our assistance in an unprecedented manner. Many Governments, the United Nations and other inter-governmental organisations, and non-governmental organisations have offered us considerable assistance in rebuilding our nation. We are also deeply touched by the magnificent expression of solidarity and generosity of the ordinary people from countries across the globe. This has given us much courage to face the arduous challenges posed by the tragedy of 26th December. It also gives us renewed hope in humanity. We have experienced the warmth of human feelings, the true spirit of humanity, across tens of thousands of miles, over numerous boundaries of ethnic and religious difference, at a time of terrible calamity and vulnerability. On this occasion, I would like to convey on behalf of my Government and the people of Sri Lanka our deep and abiding gratitude for every word of sympathy and encouragement and all the assistance we have received from across the globe. I sincerely thank the governments represented here for all that you have done to sustain us at a time of the deepest national tragedy for Sri Lanka.

As a member of the Commission on Human Rights, intermittently, for many years, Sri Lanka has participated in its work in a spirit of cooperation and with an unreserved commitment towards promoting and protecting human rights both nationally and internationally. This policy of Sri Lanka has been based on our national ethos derived from age-old traditions as well as our commitment to democracy and freedom. Successive elected Governments in my country have therefore recognized the promotion and protection of human rights not only as a constitutional obligation but also as a fundamental duty.

Sri Lanka has assiduously followed a tradition of close and constructive cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights in a spirit of openness and we are proud of our record in this regard. This tradition continued despite the armed conflict in my country, by regularly inviting special rapporteurs, working groups and treaty bodies to visit Sri Lanka. The national human rights protection system has been strengthened further to be in line with Sri Lanka's constitutional and international obligations as a party to 17 international human rights instruments including all seven major human rights conventions and treaties. A positive result of the close interaction between the Commission and our Government is the indication of the clear recognition and constant reiteration of human rights values, norms and standards by the judicial and legislative systems in our country. Recent judicial decisions of the Supreme Court have in fact expanded the scope of fundamental rights by reading international human rights covenants into domestic legislation.

It is our experience that international obligations when undertaken voluntarily serve to create the necessary thrust and enabling environment for the strengthening of the capacity of national mechanisms. The ratification of the UN Convention against Torture in January 1994 and accession to the Optional Protocol to the ICCPR in October 1997 at a time when the country was confronted with an extraordinary security situation arising out of terrorism, further demonstrated Sri Lanka's commitment to openness and accountability in the promotion and protection of human rights even under difficult circumstances.

There is a marked decrease in the allegations of violations of human rights communicated to the Government by special procedure mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights.

The Government of Sri Lanka taking serious note of recent allegations regarding torture while in police custody has introduced short and long-term preventive mechanism to address the issue, in line with recommendations of treaty bodies. The Government of Sri Lanka condemns torture without any reservation. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has also adopted a zero tolerance policy on torture. Under domestic legislation torture is considered a serious crime which carries a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years rigorous imprisonment. The government looks forward to having a constructive dialogue with the Committee Against Torture when Sri Lanka's second periodic report is taken up for consideration.
The Attorney General has currently withdrawn one thousand indictments under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and over 300 persons who were held in preventive detention under the provisions of this Act have been released.

It is the expectation of the government that with the progress of the peace process and the consolidation of peace, the Prevention of Terrorism Act will become an obsolete piece of legislation. The government has also allowed the Emergency Regulations framed under the Public Security Ordinance to lapse in the light of the prevailing environment. The total effect of these measures is that any arrest, detention or investigation will be conducted only under the normal laws of the land.

Sri Lanka has established and strengthened a viable domestic institutional structure to provide redress to those aggrieved by alleged human rights violations, set high human rights standards and monitor situations. In this regard the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka which has a far-reaching mandate has investigative and advisory functions as well as a conciliatory and mediatory role.

The Supreme Court has also referred a large number of fundamental rights cases to the Commission for the purpose of inquiry and resolution. The Government of Sri Lanka has provided adequate resources to our Human Rights Commission to facilitate the effective discharge of its responsibilities. The government has also established human rights directorates in the three armed forces and the police which are functioning under the guidance of the respective commanders of the armed forces and the Inspector General of Police. The three forces and the police are also represented in the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Human Right issues which has been set-up to monitor human rights violations and direct and supervise relevant authorities to take prompt action with regard to such violations.

Extreme poverty is one of the central challenges we face today in ensuring that globalisation becomes a positive force for all the world's people instead of leaving billions behind in squalor. The realisation of economic, social and cultural rights can provide a sustainable basis to address the root causes of poverty.

Sri Lanka's early success in achieving high standards of social development even for a comparatively poor country continues to receive international attention today. In September 2000, Sri Lanka together with other members of the United Nations committed itself to achieve a set of time-bound and measurable goals for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. Sri Lanka today is well on its way to achieving the Millennium Development Goals through the involvement of a wide range of partners and stakeholders who have succeeded in creating a broad national ownership and awareness on these goals.

Sri Lanka remains in the forefront of the campaign to have the use of child soldiers condemned and banned worldwide. In 1997 I brought the question of child soldiers to the attention of the UN General Assembly by endorsing the findings of the Graca Machel Report of 1996.

Since that report the attention of the international community has been increasingly focused on the promotion and protection of the rights of children affected by armed conflict. Following the appointment of the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Mr. Olara Otunnu the plight of children affected by armed conflict received high priority at the United Nations. However the continuation of violations of the rights of concerned children, despite the concerted efforts of the international community has necessitated the Security Council taking a special interest in the matter.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has for many years been engaged in recruiting children for armed combat. This practice has to be viewed against the undertaking given by that entity to Mr. Olara Otunnu in 1998 and the signing of an Action Plan for Children Affected by War in July 2003 by the LTTE under the aegis of UNICEF. In that Action Plan the LTTE agreed to halt the recruitment of children and release all children within its ranks. Despite these solemn undertakings the group has continued the practice of recruiting thousands of children in most cases by force some of them as young as 11-years-old. Moreover the LTTE has engaged in re-recruiting those who had been released and even those who had escaped from training camps through threats, intimidation and physical attacks on the children as well as their family members. During 2004 more than 100 cases of new recruitments and re-recruitments were reported to UNICEF, a high percentage of them being girls. The LTTE has often carried out recruitment by force, abducting children while on their way to school or during religious festivities and beating families and teachers who resisted the seizure of children.

Against this background Sri Lanka has supported the recommendations of the recent report of the Secretary General submitted to the Security Council to be implemented against those who fail to cease the practice of recruiting child combatants. Sri Lanka is of the view that enforcement of these measures on a gradual scale will have a persuasive impact on all those who are deliberately violating the rights of children affected by armed conflict.

We are deeply committed to the continued implementation and consolidation of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Government and the LTTE and to take the peace process forward towards a logical conclusion while safeguarding the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country.

President Kumaratunga in her address to the National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation on October 4, 2004 said that the government was committed to do all that is required to persuade the LTTE to return to the negotiating table.

She added that any agreement to bring peace should be within the framework of a united Sri Lanka guaranteeing the sovereignty of the nation and the security of all its peoples.

Let me conclude by reiterating that the Government of Sri Lanka will continue to pursue its constructive engagement with the UN system and its Human Rights mechanisms. The delegation of Sri Lanka will actively seek to engage with all members of the Commission on Human Rights to narrow differences, reach consensus and to ensure that the current sessions will contribute to our common goal of promoting and protecting human rights.

Khalid

What could be more romantic than tying the knot in paradise itself ? This couple, like hundreds of others from Europe, selected sunny Sri Lanka for their wedding and honeymoon. The Mount Lavinia Hotel (background), with its world famous beach, is a favourite wedding location for foreigners.

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British boy donates £ 4500 for orphaned tsunami children

A nine year old British boy who miraculously survived the Boxing Day tsunami which struck Sri Lanka, yesterday reached out to the tsunami orphaned children in the country with a gift of 4,500 Sterling Pounds collected from his friends in a London Primary School.

Toby Carroll of Devonshire High School presenting the cheque for 4500 pounds collected by his classmates for tsunami relief funds to Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Picture by Nimal Navaratne

In a moving scene which left not a single dry eye among those present, Toby Caroll presented the cheque to Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who is on a visit to Britain to say "thank you" to the British public for their magnificent response during Sri Lanka's hour of peril.

The event took place at Arunde House. The money was raised through what is termed a Bob a Job campaign engaged in by the 400 co-eds (aged three to 13) of the Devonshire House School in North-West London.

For Toby's mother Jackie, though the Caroll family could not do enough for the survivors knowing how lucky she had been to be counted among the parents to see their children alive following that cataclysmic moment.

Jackie Caroll nee Roche incidentally is a descendant of the well known Maurice Roche business family in Sri Lanka.

Recounting the events of that fateful day at the Paradise Beach Resort in Mirissa, Jackie said things happened so fast that she could not picture the happening.

One moment she and her husband were on the top floor cabana and the next thing she knew was they were being swept away by giant waves.

"The cabana suddenly gave way where my husband and I stood and we all fell in a heap. I suddenly saw Toby being held by a Dutch couple and I yelled 'run'."

Later, she saw the Dutch couple running towards a nearby hill holding Toby. Although the memory of that scene keeps haunting her everyday, she still loves Sri Lanka and is planning to make the trip with her family in a couple of months.

Netherlands Govt assists tsunami victims

THE Netherlands Government assisted by Netherlands Alumni Association Lanka (NAAL) donated millions of rupees worth of medical and general equipment to the Galle Municipal Council to be distributed among the people who were affected following the tsunami tragedy in the Galle District.

The Royal Netherlands Embassy Second Secretary Ms. A. A. Ramnathsingh was present at the ceremony held in Colombo yesterday morning.

At the discussion had with Galle Municipal Council Commissioner B. M. Chandrasiri the NAAL representatives had planned to donate equipment needed for the tsunami affected people in the Galle District.

Fifteen Examining beds with mattresses, five bathroom scales, twenty five scales were among the medical equipment donated yesterday.

The other items are five computers, five UPS, five printers, one fax machine, one photocopier, two double door fridges, one freezer, fifteen ladies bicycles, an air-conditioner and fifteen pedestal fans.

These donations were made to the Galle Municipal Council on a request made by Dr. Ms. Sriyani Jayasuriya and Dr. Ms. Lasanthi Colombage, NAAL President S. P. C. Kumarasinghe said.

The other members who participated in the ceremony yesterday were NAAL President S.P.C. Kumarasinghe, NAAL Vice President J. Paranamana, NAAL Treasurer Sumana Liyanage, NAAL Assistant Treasurer S.B. Niyangoda, NAAL Committee Member Ms. Indira Samarasinghe and NAAL Project Coordinator S. Hettiarachchi.

NAAL President Kumarasinghe said that they decided to do necessary repairs and replacements of properties in the past projects carried out by Velsen.

In this context it was decided to request Galle Municipal Council to provide estimates to repair the two houses partially damaged following the tsunami at Mahamodera Watte, Magalla sewing centre and also the play houses at Dharmapala Park.

Khalid

Youth shot in Kalmunai

A youth injured in yet another shooting incident in Periyaneelavani in Kalmunai was admitted to Batticaloa hospital last night.

He was shot at by two unidentified gunmen who came in a motorbicycle around 7.30 last night, Eastern Province DIG Neville Wijesinghe told the Daily News.

He said the youth identified as 'Gajan' was shot at by these unidentified gunmen when he was coming towards Batticaloa with his fiancee from Kalmunai area.

"We still don't have any information whether this incident has any connection with the factional fighting continue in the area," DIG Wijesinghe added.

He said that Police has been informed that the shooting incident could have been the result of a personnel rivalry over a marriage.

The injured person was shot at when he was returning to Batticaloa area after spending some days in her fiancee's house. Police are conducting further investigations.

Khalid

First meeting concludes in Paris

Since the Indian Ocean tsunami devastated several Asian nations in December 2004, the need for an Early Warning System has been discussed at several international fora. The first high level meeting towards this end was held in the French capital early this month. It was organized by the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) at the UNESCO headquarters.

The Sri Lankan delegation was led by Prasad Kariyawasam, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The heads of the Met Department, Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, NARA, as well as the Head of the Hydraulics Department of the Moratuwa University, representing the Ministry of Science and Technology, were the other members of the delegation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The Paris meeting agreed that in the event of a tsunami in the future, warnings should be effectively communicated to the local communities and such advice should be understood at all levels. It was also felt the impact of tsunamis can be substantially reduced through institutional and legislative frameworks as well as community participation. The delegates discussed the importance of safely measures to be followed and how such information could be effectively disseminated to the community at large.

The delegates were of the view a warning system should address all aspects of disaster mitigation. As such it was agreed to set up an Inter-governmental Coordination Group to finalise a blueprint for a multi-hazard tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean.

The member states were tasked with establishing a National Tsunami Warning Center in each of their countries as an operational contact point, as well as identifying a Disaster Management National Focal Point for increasing public awareness of tsunamis.

Technical committees for early warning monitoring and mitigation of disasters are to be set up under the National Council for Disaster Management headed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga. These committees will be chaired by the Director General, National Disaster Management Centre (NADIMAC). Once set up, the national tsunami warning center would be able to receive, react and disseminate warning information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Until such time national early warning centre is in place, an interim technical committee has been set up under the chairmanship of Director General, Meteorological Department.

This committee will coordinate activities with the IOC and also coordinate international assistance. The interim committee will be the contact point to receive advisory information from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) and the Japan Meteorological Agency. These two agencies have agreed to provide interim tsunami advisory information to Indian Ocean countries based on existing facilities until adequate warning capabilities are established within the region.

Khalid

Two LTTEers killed

Two suspected members of the LTTE were shot dead in Karapola, Welikanda on Monday night in yet another tit-for-tat killing in the North-East.

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.

Cash, scholarships for 500 tsunami orphans

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

Children displaced by tsunami in Colombo re-settled within one week - DIG

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

Australian High Commissioner visits the East

Australian High Commissioner visits the East

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

Palmyra based handicrafts to be produced

Rural Development Society members of Puwakpitiya, Galapamula and Ibbankatuwa formed a handicraft manufacturing company to train its members on palmyra-leaf based production of various consumer items. President of Puwakpitiya Rural Development Society, J. G. Jayawickrema chaired the inaugural meeting held at USO National Headquarters at Puwakpitiya.

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