Sri Lanka buying advanced fighter jets from Russia

Sri Lanka’s air force is shortly to take delivery of five advanced fighter aircraft from Russia to counter the threat posed by the LTTE’s air wing, The Nation newspaper reported Sunday. In addition to buying the five MiG 29 interceptors, Sri Lanka is looking to upgrade its ground attack Kfirs to interceptor role by adding radars and missiles, the paper said.

“Though the Sri Lankan officials were in talks with their Indian, Pakistani and Chinese counterparts, it is reliably learnt that the new MiG 29s joining the air force, are from Russia,” the paper said, adding that India has been manufacturing the interceptor since the 1980s.
The average price in the world market of the MiG 29 is in the range of US$ 15 million, it said.
The MiG 29 fighter aircraft designed in the former Soviet Union, for an air superiority role entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983. It is now in use with the Russian Air Force (which reportedly has over 450), as well as in many other nations, including India (which has over 60).
The MiG 29 was mainly produced to counter leading US fighter aircraft such as the F15 and F16 and in most of its variants has only an air to air strike capacity, the The Nation said. “If the necessary upgrades are not carried out on the newly acquired aircraft, their role would be limited to intercepting the LTTE’s light aircraft, with limited contribution to the main task of the SLAF, which is ground attack.”

UK arms sales to Sri Lanka match tsunami aid

Britain licensed £7 million worth of weapons and military equipment for export to Sri Lanka this year alone, it was revealed during a debate in Parliament Wednesday. The sum matches the amount of British aid provided in the wake of December 2004 tsunami. On Thursday the UK government said it was holding back half its £3 million annual aid allocation for this year citing British concerns over human rights in Sri Lanka.

“Inquiries that I have made reveal that £7 million-worth of [UK] arms were licensed for delivery to Sri Lanka in the last quarter for which figures are available,” Joan Ruddock, a ruling Labour party MP, told the House Wednesday during a landmark debate on Sri Lanka.

“Licenses were for armoured all-wheel drive vehicles, components for heavy machine guns, components for military distress signalling equipment, and many other types of equipment, including military aircraft ground equipment and communications equipment, and small arms ammunition,” she said.

“All of that is military equipment that could conceivably be used in the conflict,” she said.

“I know that our Government have obeyed the rules—the EU and the national criteria by which we agree export licences. There is no question of wrongdoing. However, … I ask the Minister to consider whether those export licences and similar licences should continue when a live conflict is clearly under way in the country.”

However, government ministers did not respond to Ms. Ruddock’s question.

Later in the debate, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development Gareth Thomas said in the wake of the December 2004 tsunami, Britain “committed aid of about £7 million immediately after [it] struck.”

Of this sum, about £500,000 is outstanding, Mr. Thomas said. It had been allocated to “to develop the capacity of the North-East Provincial Council to lead the recovery process,” he added.

The council has since been disbanded when the North-East Province itself was demerged by the Sri Lankan government last year.

Meanwhile the UK said Thursday is to withhold £1.5 million of aid this year.

Britain agreed in 2005 to provide Sri Lanka £41 m ($81.6 million) in debt relief until 2015, in yearly instalments of 3-6 million pounds, as long as Colombo met a series conditions, Reuters reported.

Britain was due to make a payment of 3 million pounds this year, or around $6 million, and has paid just half.

"What we have said for this year is we are making half of the agreed payment because there is an ongoing consultation process about progress towards meeting the conditions agreed between the two governments," the spokesman for the British High Commission in Colombo said.

SLFP to handover party proposals to APRC today

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will officially handover its set of proposals to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) today whereby it intends to seek a solution to the country's decade old ethnic problem and create a sustainable development and good governance within the country's administrative structure.

SLFP General Secretary Minister Maitripala Sirisena will present these set of proposals to APRC Chairman Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana.

"This is a home grown model formulated by the SLFP based on the Grama Rajya concept. This is not a final solution. This is only a set of proposals put forward by the SLFP as an approach to reach a common consensus on key major issues. Modalities will be worked out later," Chairman of the SLFP Committee appointed to prepare these set of proposals Minister Prof. Viswa Warnapala told a media briefing yesterday.

"A common consensus should be reached with other political parties at the All Party Conference to transform this SLFP document into Government proposals," he said.

"The SLFP firmly stands for a negotiated settlement based on the devolution of power. As enunciated in the Mahinda Chintana, we have formulated this indigenous model by safeguarding the country's unitary State, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have also proposed a mechanism to prevent the separatist tendencies in the country."

Through these proposals, the SLFP has proposed a Parliamentary model of Government and a Cabinet system of Government led by the Prime Minister. The SLFP intends to abolish the Executive Presidency if a national consensus is reached upon. Otherwise it would be continued with certain amendments, the Minister said.

"According to the SLFP proposals, we have recognised the district as the unit of devolution. If it is necessary, provisions have been introduced to amalgamate two districts. There are 25 districts. It has been proposed to increase this up to 30 based on demographic and geographic factors. All these amalgamations will be made by safeguarding the rights of the minority communities," he said.

Prof. Warnapala said: "According to our set of proposals, we have devolved power to the people and not to institutions. We also intend to amend the present Municipal Council and Urban Council Acts and to formulate a Consolidated Local Government Act.

"The SLFP is a strong political party. It is not only a political party but also a political phenomenon. The SLFP believes the people should adopt new measures to make a fresh start. Therefore the SLFP has presented these set of proposals to take the country forward and find a solution to the country's national problem."

Minister Sirisena said the SLFP Central Committee has unanimously adopted these set of proposals. The draft of these proposals were announced at the PA May Day rally on April 30. Various successive Governments have put forward their proposals on the North and East problem. Sometimes, these proposals have been praised and sometimes such proposals have been highly criticised.

Therefore President Mahinda Rajapaksa once he assumed duties called the All Party Conference (APC) to find a lasting solution to the ethnic problem. In addition, the APRC was also appointed to obtain the views of the political parties, he said.

According to the Minister, the APRC has met 28 times while the APC has met five times under President Rajapaksa's patronage. This clearly indicates that the SLFP has acted in a more responsible manner to find a solution to the ethnic problem."

"We invite all political parties to express their views in this regard. This is not our final proposals. These SLFP proposals should be further discussed at the APC."

Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said: "This is only a beginning. Through these proposals we intend to reach a consensus among political parties on key major issues. Then we can go for a solution based on these factors."

The Minister said if the UNP was so concerned about the country, why don't they submit their proposals. This shows the political dishonesty on the part of the UNP.

Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said these proposals were formulated after extensive discussions by the SLFP Central Committee.

This is a very democratic document formulated by the SLFP.

Courtesy : Daily News

AMERICAN RAPE STATISTICS

Somewhere in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

In 1995, 354,670 women were the victims of a rape or sexual assault. (NationalCrime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics , U.S. Department of Justice, 1996.) Over the last two years, more than 787,000 women were the victim of a rape or sexual assault. (National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S.Department of Justice, 1996.) The FBI estimates that 72 of every 100,000 females in the United States wereraped last year. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Statistics, 1996.)

SILENT VICTIMS :

One of the most startling aspects of sex crimes is how many go unreported. The most common reasons given by women for not reporting these crimes are the belief that it is a private or personal matter and the fear of reprisal from the assailant.

Approximately 28% of victims are raped by husbands or boyfriends, 35% by acquaintances, and 5% by other relatives. (Violence against Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994)

The FBI estimates that only 37% of all rapes are reported to the police. U.S. Justice Department statistics are even lower, with only 26% of all rapes or attempted rapes being reported to law enforcement officials. In 1994-1995, only 251,560 rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement officials -- less than one in every three. (National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1996.)

An overwhelming majority of rape service agencies believe that public education about rape, and expanded counseling and advocacy services for rape victims, would be effective in increasing the willingness of victims to report rapes to the police. (Rape in America, 1992, National Victim Center with Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center.)

LIVING IN FEAR :

According to the U.S. Department of Justice: (All statistics are taken from: Violenceagainst Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994.)

· One of every four rapes take place in a public area or in a parking garage.

· 31% of female victims reported that the offender was a stranger.

· 68% of rapes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

· At least 45% of rapists were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

· In 29% of rapes, the offender used a weapon.

· In 47% of rapes, the victim sustained injuries other than rape injuries.

· 75% of female rape victims require medical care after the attack.

NOT JUST A FAMILY MATTER :

Family violence and abuse are among the most prevalent forms of interpersonal violence against women and young children -- both boys and girls. The sexual abuse of a child should never be "just a family matter," but many children are afraid to report an incident to the police because the abusers are too often a family friend or relative.

Approximately one-third of all juvenile victims of sexual abuse cases are children younger than 6 years of age. (Violence and the Family, Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family, 1996.) According to the Justice Department, one in two rape victims are under age 18; one in six are under age 12. (Child Rape Victims, 1992. U.S. Department of Justice.)

FACE OF AMERICA :

About 81% of rape victims are white; 18% are black; 1% are of other races. (Violence against Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994.)

About half of all rape victims are in the lowest third of income distribution; half are in the upper two-thirds. (Violence against Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994.) There were 71 forcible rapes per 100,000 females reported to United States law enforcement agencies in 1996. 2

Data from the National Women 's Study, a longitudinal telephone survey of a national household probability sample of women at least 18 years of age, show 683,000 women forcibly raped each year and that 84% of rape victims did not report the offense to the police.3

Using Uniform Crime Report data for 1994 and 1995, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that of rape victims who reported the offense to law enforcement, about 40% were under the age of 18, and 15% were younger than 12.4

In a national survey 27.7% of college women reported a sexual experience since the age of fourteen that met the legal definition of rape or attempted rape, and 7.7% of college men reported perpetrating aggressive behavior which met the legal definition of rape.5

The National Crime Victimization Survey indicates that for 1992-1993, 92% of rapes were committed by known assailants.1 About half of all rapes and sexual assaults against women are committed by friends and acquaintances, and 26% are by intimate partners.1

Risk factors for perpetrating sexual violence include: early sexual experience (both forced and voluntary),6 adherence by men to sex role stereotyping, 7,8 negative attitudes of men towards women,6,9,,10, 11,12, alcohol consumption, 8,13 acceptance of rape myths by men.8,9,12,14, 15

Non-forceful verbal resistance and lack of resistance are associated with rape completion.1, 6

The adult pregnancy rate associated with rape is estimated to be 4.7%. This information, in conjunction with estimates based on the U.S. Census, suggest that there may be 32,101 annual rape-related pregnancies among American women over the age of 18.17

Non-genital physical injuries occur in approximately 40% of completed rape cases.18 As many as 3% of all rape cases have non-genital injuries requiring overnight hospitalization. 19

Victims of rape often manifest long-term symptoms of chronic headaches,18, 20fatigue20, sleep disturbance20, recurrent nausea,20 decreased appetite,21 eating disorders,22 menstrual pain,18 sexual dysfunction, 23 and suicide attempts.21 In a longitudinal study, sexual assault was found to increase the odds of substance abuse by a factor of 2.5.24

Estimates of the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases resulting from rape range from 3.6% to 30%.18,22 HIV transmission risk rate from rape is estimated at 1 in 500,22,25 although a few probable cases have been documented in Sweden and Great Britain. 26,27

Victims of marital or date rape are 11 times more likely to be clinically depressed, and 6 times more likely to experience social phobia than are non-victims. Psychological problems are still evident in cases as long as 15 years after the assault.28

Fatalities occur in about 0.1% of all rape cases.29,30

A study examining the use of health services over a five year period by female members of a health maintenance program found that the number of visits to physicians by rape victims increased 56% in the year following the crime, compared to a 2% utilization increase by non-victims. 31

The National Public Services Research Institute estimates the lifetime cost for each rape with physical injuries which occurred in 1987 to be $60, 000.32

Battling a Man-Made Tsunami in the Guise of War

With the Vakarai resettlement now completed the government is considering returning around 150 000 IDPs from Vaunativu. Exactly when these resettlement programmes will be launched is still a mystery and pipeline plans for IDPs from Mutur and Trincomalee remain as murky as the skies overhead. Without even food in their bellies it is at best difficult to predict when these people will have a place to call home and if their lives will ever be rebuilt to include hope and happiness.

Ninety five families live in neatly rowed tents in this camp, where they arrived on 20th December to live out a bleak Christmas and even more depressing New Year as things went from bad to worse. At first they were looked after by local NGO Sarvodaya who provided them with vegetables in addition to the 200g of rice, dhal, sugar and other meagre dry rations that were provided by the World Food Programme(WFP) . Sustenance that currently has all but run out, with the government doing nothing to replenish the dwindling food resources in Batticaloa.

Dealing with rough living conditions, dismal weather and an empty wallet is still a better option for these people than going home. However, because of the overcrowding in the camps the government has suggested that some families from Vinayagapuram camp be moved to the camps in Valachcheni vacated by families that have been resettled in Vakarai. Another plan is to move the IDPs from Mutur and Trincomalee to a half-way camp in Killiweddi. Both proposals have drawn the ire of these people who insist that they want to remain here until they are sent to their original homes in Mutur, Sampur and Pattalipuram.

By Uditha Jayasinghe

Burnt to the tinge of ebony by the sun, wearing a dust coated sarong and a neatly buttoned shirt surrounded by igloo like tents that comprised of the Vinayagapuram camp E, Lingeswaran looked like a typical Internally Displaced Person (IDPs) with one exception, he had lost a leg due to a landmine.

The first hint of his “uniqueness” was given by the green handled crutches he leant on. Lingeswaran like 158 000 other IDPs had fled to Batticaloa to escape the escalating fighting in the East. Hailing from Mutur he lost his leg in May 2003 while gathering firewood in Pachchanur, near his village. He was only 24 years at the time.

“We go frequently into the jungle to gather fire wood. There were no markers or other indication that it was a mined area. This clump of jungle was 5km from the nearest army camp and as far as we knew there was no LTTE in the area either,” he recalled. Duped by this seemingly innocent plain of land Lingeswaran sacrificed a leg, the insidious mines that have maimed or killed hundreds in the decade’s old war toted up another victory.

Stories such as Ligeswaran’s is far from uncommon because landmine victim statistics clearly show that there are more male victims than females. This is because men move around unprotected areas far more than women to gather fire wood and gather produce, hence they are more likely to fall victim to landmines.

Never to give up Lingeswaran rebuilt his life, eventually marrying a year later and fathering a daughter, who as her father mentioned, ran gaily up and hung on his crutches gazing up at us with mischievous curiosity. Even with an uncertain future facing them and worse living conditions, deprived of food, a livelihood and schooling for his precious daughter Lingeswaran is grateful that he at least still has his family.

A scant comfort that is denied to Thilleinayagam Pidaparam (53). He too left his home to find peace from the incessant shelling and after hundreds of miles of walking finally found his way to this camp accompanied by his wife and only daughter. Heaving a sigh of relief that they were finally safe he settled down in one of the tiny tents to await resettlement by the government once the fighting was over. However, more misery lurked in the shadows. In spite of electricity wires running around the camp and bulbs twinkling like miniature suns inside homes just yards away, along the camp boundary, officials refuse to provide electricity to any of the camps. Instead they were given candles.

On the night of March 5th after a tedious day Pidaparam lay sleeping on the sandy floor of his new “home” when the smell of something burning woke him. Glancing around with eyes stinging from bellows of smoke he saw flames licking at the canvas. Panicking he grabbed his wife and daughter and hurled out of the tent, desperately trying to smother the flames that rapidly engulfed his daughter. Sustaining deep burns on his arms, legs and back he desperately tried to put out the fire swallowing up his eight year old Darshani, but all his efforts were in vain.

When we met Pidaparam he looked like a caricature, a lost soul wondering around the camp, silent in his grief with a face that has had all its happiness beaten out. To him life is too long and has lost all meaning. These were among dozens of people we spoke to as we strolled under a glowering sky ready to empty its wrath on our heads in torrential rain. Though April is not a wet month, even the gods seem to have lost their pity for these deprived people who have litle else to take comfort in or look for help.

Ninety five families live in neatly rowed tents in this camp, where they arrived on 20th December to live out a bleak Christmas and even more depressing New Year as things went from bad to worse. At first they were looked after by local NGO Sarvodaya who provided them with vegetables in addition to the 200g of rice, dhal, sugar and other meagre dry rations that were provided by the World Food Programme(WFP) . Sustenance that currently has all but run out, with the government doing nothing to replenish the dwindling food resources in Batticaloa.

“The food is not enough. We only got food to last us two weeks. There is little work to be had and even that is not consistent. We are labourers and are prepared to work but finding jobs in Batticaloa is difficult. We have no way of feeding our children and cannot go back to our homes because of the fighting,” explained K. Sammugarajah (55) who was displaced from Pattalipuram and is living here with his wife and two children, both of whom are married.

To combat the unemployment problem the Provincial Council provides them with work in road repairs, cleaning public places and other odd jobs. In addition to help pass the time these tasks also earn them a wage of Rs.400 a day and the full amount is paid once a week. However, since there are about 100 families in the camp and limited work the jobs are rotated on a weekly basis among 42 workers. Nonetheless Rs.2 800 is a fortune for these people who are otherwise dependent on handouts.

Dealing with rough living conditions, dismal weather and an empty wallet is still a better option for these people than going home. However, because of the overcrowding in the camps the government has suggested that some families from Vinayagapuram camp be moved to the camps in Valachcheni vacated by families that have been resettled in Vakarai. Another plan is to move the IDPs from Mutur and Trincomalee to a half-way camp in Killiweddi. Both proposals have drawn the irk of these people who insist that they want to remain here until they are sent to their original homes in Mutur, Sampur and Pattalipuram.

“Killivedi is far from our homes. If we are moved there who can tell if we will ever be allowed to return home. To the best of our knowledge there are no landmines in our villages so if it is safe we want to go back. That is all we ask. If not we want to stay here. We don’t want to be herded around like cattle. We have been travelling constantly from April last year and we are afraid to leave,” said V. Kiridara (26) who is from Thalankuda and is living with his wife and child at the camp.

Indeed since 25th April 2006 around 1 500 people literally trekked hundreds of kilometers on foot, starting from Trincomalee. The first stretch of their journey covered the route from Trincomalee to Pattalipuram and then they were settled for a short time in Nallur. With the fighting getting ever closer they were forced to uproot again and continue southward passing Illpanthurai, Kadiraweli and Vakerai finally ending up in the outskirts of the Batticaloa town by the latter part of December.

Having come all this way together, neighbours were separated from each other when the government divided families at Welikanda before allocating them to camps. Some were sent to a camp in Kurukalmadam, which is 16km from Vinayagapuram camp and Ariyampadi, which is just a few kilometers away. But hospitality visits are rare and no one knows how the other families are faring.

Stunned by the hardships endured by these people, spawned by a problem they did not create but are paying for I asked if any of them had been displaced before. A resounding “no” was the answer but to my surprise a small woman clad in a torn red sari contested this verdict. Nagamma belongs to one of 125 families who were displaced when the tsunami swept through Tharamundal in Trincomalee.

A man-made tsunami in the guise of the war has made her homeless yet again and hers is one of the three families that were displaced by the tsunami and subsequent fighting living in the Vinayagapuram camp. Even though 1/3 of the Batticaloa population has been displaced by the recent fighting, which is on par with the tsunami numbers no structured aid effort is forthcoming from the South.

With the Vakarai resettlement now completed the government is considering returning around 150 000 IDPs from Vaunativu. Exactly when these resettlement programmes will be launched. It is still a mystery and pipeline plans for IDPs from Mutur and Trincomalee remain as murky as the skies overhead. Without even food in their bellies it is at best difficult to predict when these people will have a place to call home and if their lives will ever be rebuilt to include hope and happiness.

“Karuna Faction Running Its Writ in Pottuvil”

Daily Mirror editor receives serious threat from Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary News Highlights of the week

Sri Lanka`s Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa threatened the editor of a leading English daily on Tuesday, saying the paper`s coverage of actions of the Karuna Group had angered the Army-backed paramilitaries, a media watchdog said. Mr. Gothabaya, brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, had Tuesday morning telephoned Ms. Champika Liyanarachchi, editor of the Daily Mirror to say she should not be surprised if the Karuna Group turned its violence against her and if so, she shouldn`t expect government protection, the Free Media Movement (FMM) said

In an article titled `Karuna faction running its writ in Pottuvil` on Monday, the Daily Mirror reported the paramilitary group is creating havoc in the Muslim-dominated Pottuvil town in Ampara, moving around freely with weapons in government-controll ed areas while law enforcement authorities are allegedly turning a blind eye.

The Defence Secretary had told Ms. Liyanarachchi her paper`s story had angered the Karuna faction and, furthermore, was written against the Government, the FMM said.

In the eventuality of Karuna Group violence against her, Mr. Gotabhaya had said Ms. Liyanarachchi should not expect any security from the government to protect her, the FMM said. Muslim Guardian publishes below the news items and articles appeared in various sources in this regard for its valuable readers to decide.

Government of Sri Lanka vehemently rejected the claim and published a statement on this regard. According to the statement;

Defence Secretary Denies Threatening Media Personnel
Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa vehemently denies the accusations levelled against him by certain media movements that he had threatened an editor of a local English newspaper. Speaking to defence.lk website, the Defence Secretary said that this is yet another calumniation made against him by LTTE proxies annoyed by the effective anti-terror campaign carried out by the Ministry of Defence.

While admitting that he had had a telephone conversation with the said newspaper editor yesterday, the Defence Secretary said that it was just a frank exchange of ideas on two controversial articles published on the said newspaper. He further stated that he did not make any threat to the said editor than openly expressing his views and was surprised how certain media had exaggerated the issue.

Speaking further Defence secretary said, that freedom of expression should not only be limited to media personnel, but others should also have the right express their views on the professional work of any media person.

"In my view the two articles I have highlighted during my conversation with the said editor may be detrimental to the national security. One of them aimed at promoting racial hatred between Tamil and Muslim people living in the East and the other was trying to damage the good image of the Security Forces. I do not find any reason to refrain from expressing my view to the editor of the newspaper that publishes such articles" the defence secretary said.

"I also think it is my responsibility to do so, because the racism is the greatest threat to our society and the nation's solidarity. It is the duty of the press to promote unity and cohesion in the hearts and minds of people; not to publish material tending to support such harmful ideologies, he added.

Finally, the Secretary Defence expressed his concerns over the intolerant behaviour shown by some media personnel at constructive criticism. "None can claim free from biased or prejudice unless he or she cannot stand constructive criticism" he concluded.

However pro-LTTE website Tamilnet also had given a priority on this issue and says;

SL President Pooh-Poohs Gothabaya Death Threat
Before leaving for Italy Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa telephoned Ms. Champika Liyanarachchi, editor of the Daily Mirror, in a bid to defuse the controversy that has erupted over the death threats she received Tuesday from Defence Secretary Gotathabaya Rajapaksa. The President had suggested to Ms. Liyanarachchi that she had overreacted to Mr. Gotabhaya’s “expressions of concern for her safety,” Presidential Secretariat sources said.

On Tuesday Gothabaya had threatened Ms. Liyanarachchi, saying the paper’s coverage of actions of the Karuna Group had angered the Army-backed paramilitaries. According to the Free Media Movement (FMM), the Defence Secretary had telephoned the editor to say she should not be surprised if the Karuna Group turned its violence against her and if so, she shouldn’t expect government protection.

Sources close to the Daily Mirror said Tuesday that Mr. Gothabaya had been explicit. Speaking in English, the incensed Defence Secretary vowed to Ms. Liyanarachchi: “I’ll exterminate you!” He had also attacked another journalist with the Daily Mirror, Uditha Jayasinha, describing her as “a prostitute whose mother has been sleeping with the Tigers.”

On Wednesday morning President Rajapakse telephoned Ms. Liyanarachchi, saying the incident had been brought his notice by ‘a journalist.’

The President said that Mr. Gothabaya had only wanted to “express his concern for [Ms. Liyanarachchi’ s] safety” after her paper published an article on violence by the Karuna Group and suggested the government was complicit. Ironically, Ms. Liyanarachchi was seen by many as having good links with President Rajapakse’s administration and political camp.

Amid widespread expectation that Mr. Mahinda’s archrival, Ranil Wickremesinghe would win the 2005 President elections, she was the first commentator to emphatically argue the opposite, a media analyst said. And in an interview to the BBC Sinhala service, Laksham Hulugalle, Director General of the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), said of Ms Liyanarachchi: “we work closely work with her and I’m sure the Defence Secretary would never have said those things.” “He’s not there to threaten journalists but to protect the country from threats,” Mr. Hulugalle said of Mr. Gothabaya.

However the FMM noted that government leaders had criticized Daily Mirror on previous occasions as well over is coverage of the conflict.

“It is an open secret that government leaders and close allies are pressurizing independent media to toe its line on war and peace. We see … a calculated process of coercion by the Government that forces media to abandon its role watch-dog of democracy, and instead adopt the supine role of a lap dog to those in power.”

In the mean time free media movement also had condemned and issued a report. According to FMM

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Threatens Editor
The FMM is outraged to receive news that the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksha and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa threatened the Editor the Daily Mirror Champika Liyanarachchi, over the telephone on the morning of 17th April 2007.

The Defence Secretary had allegedly expressed his deep displeasure over the conflict coverage by the newspaper. Referring to a front-page news item published the previous day (Armed Karuna faction running its writ in Pottuvil - http://www.dailymir ror.lk/2007/ 04/16/front/ 1.asp), the Defence Secretary had said the story had angered the Karuna faction and furthermore was written against the Government. He had gone on to say that Champika should not be surprised if the Karuna faction turned violent against her. In such an eventuality, he had said that she should not expect any security from the government to protect her. Citing another article by Daily Mirror reporter Uditha Jayasinha (Mutur IDPs: Battling a man-made tsunami in the guise of war, http://www.dailymir ror.lk/2007/ 04/17/feat/ 01.asp), the Defence Secretary had continued his vicious tirade by castigating the reporter and expressing his severe displeasure that the article carried negative remarks on the Sri Lankan
Army by IDPs.

These statements of the Defence Secretary beggar belief. This gross misconduct of a high-placed public official clearly demonstrates the challenges facing free media in Sri Lanka today. The FMM unequivocally deplores the threat made by the Defence Secretary and condemns what is tantamount to violence against the media. We strongly feel this latest assault on free media essentially ridicules this government’s promises to uphold and strengthen media freedom. Given the volatile situation in the country, the FMM also fears that this threat sends a chilling message to the media community at large in Sri Lanka.

The FMM notes that on previous occasions as well, government leaders had criticized Daily Mirror over is coverage of the conflict. It is an open secret that government leaders and close allies are pressurizing independent media to toe its line on war and peace. We see this latest development as a calculated process of coercion by the Government that forces media to abandon its role watch-dog of democracy, and instead adopt the supine role of a lap dog to those in power.

The government can no longer abdicate the responsibility to prevent a further erosion of media freedom in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the FMM urgently and firmly requests the government to make its position public regarding this incident and also call upon the government to take remedial steps to ensure that loose tongues and wild imaginings of its Ministers and allies are kept in check by educating them on the need to secure and strengthen free media as a vital foundation of democratic governance.

Editor’s Note: Muslim Guardian does not take any responsibility over the republished articles, news, opinions or comments; hence the opinions expressed in the republished articles do not necessarily represent the views of Muslim Guardian. However, Muslim Guardian always welcomes all kinds of opinions, debates and comments through the comments form given below. (April 23, 2007)

Tea estates urged to adopt innovative projects

Tea estates urged to adopt innovative projects

Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI

COLOMBO: Tea plantations should go for innovative projects rather than sticking to traditional patterns, S. Leelaratne, Chairman of Elkaduwa Plantations said yesterday.

Leelaratne said such methods have helped reduced the company’s huge and long-standing losses by Rs. 1.7 million during the last year.

It would have reduced further and reached the breakeven point if not for the estate workers’ latest strike, he said.

This progress was made as a result of receiving a better harvest by pruning bushes and fertilising them on time and cultivating new plants, Leelaratne added.

The Bandarapola Factory, among the five factories closed down last September was opened providing employment to 108 people.