Media Has Made UNP Scapegoat for Fear of Criticising Govt
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2 Thursday 14th October, 2010 The Island Home News C’bo High Court premises a dengue breeding place – Health Ministry Mrs. Somawathie Amunugama passes away BY CYRIL WIMALASURENDRE KANDY: Mrs. Somawathie Amunugama, mother of Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Senior Advisor to the President and Deputy Minister of Finance, passed away on Tuesday (12). Late Mrs. Amunugama was The Health Ministry team inspects an abandoned vehicle Entomologist Assistant M. N. de Zoysa Colombo High Court official (left) confronts the media- 105 years at the men and the Health Ministry team time of her demise. STORY AND PICS BY NIMAL DAYARATNE Bandara tested the rain water collected in told The Island that the Colombo High Health Inspector Jayantha Perera. Late Mrs. During a surprise inspection, carried the vehicles in judicial custody and made Court premises had been a dengue breed- By the time an official based at the Amunugama was living in retire- out at the Colombo High Court premises the detection. The ministry recently ing place. “There is no doubt about it,” he Colombo High Court strongly objected to ment after serving as school yesterday, a health ministry team found launched a countrywide programme to said. photographers and television cameramen teacher at Mawilmada Junior several dengue breeding places. eradicate dengue breeding places. The team comprised Dr. Bandara, covering the health team at work they had School and Nugawela Junior A team led by Dr. Thushari Varuna Entomologist Assistant M. N. de Zoysa Entomologist Assistant Zoysa and Public completed their task. School. She was widowed by the death of her husband M. B. Amunugama who was a school principal. Mrs. Amunugama leaves two Canadian Tamils sons Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Asoka Amunugama, fear Ottawa had daughter Sujatha Tennakoon, son- Media has made UNP in-law S. M. Tennakoon, former hand in Thai raids Government Agent and grandson Dilum Amunugama, Central VANCOUVER—The Canadian Provincial Council Member. Tamil Congress says it’s extremely con- Her remains lie at No. 222, cerned by reports 155 Sri Lankan migrants have been arrested in Thailand scapegoat for fear of Galagedara Road, Nugawela. and that Ottawa may have played a role in Cremation takes place at the the crackdown to prevent the migrants Mahaiyawa Crematorium on from setting sail for Canada. Saturday (16) at 3.00 p.m. Congress spokesman David Poopalapillai said his organization has criticising govt spoken with a relative of one of the – Lakshman Kiriella Tamils arrested this past weekend in a raid of 17 Bangkok locations. Govt. plans to plant Poopalapillai said while details are Repercussions for exposing the ‘powers that be’ are well known still sketchy, some of those arrested 2.5 million trees in appear to have been properly registered with the United Nations High ten months Commissioner for Refugees. ! No media institution criticised the 18th Amendment In response to reports that Ottawa BY ZACKI JABBAR BY BINGIRIYA CORR. may have had a hand in the arrests, Poopalapillai said Canada cannot inter- The new media culture was to criticise The Ministry of Environment will change genuine refugees with human the opposition and not the government, Lankan media, which Fonseka, was conducted in secrecy with launch the National Tree Planting smugglers. The Canadian government the UNP said yesterday.Lakshman was living in mortal the public and media debarred from Campaign on Friday (15) at the has vowed to crack down on migrants fear of the Rajapaksa attending the proceedings. Fonseka has Gonagama village in Wariyapola. It is since the vessel MV Sun Sea arrived in Kiriella MP, addressing a news confer- administration, he said. also been deprived of his parliamentary part of the government’s plan to plant British Columbia in August carrying 492 ence in Colombo, said that journalists Kiriella, said that seat. What if the Appeal Court over- 2.5 million useful trees island wide people. were scared to criticise the ‘powers that the imprisonment of turns the Court Martial verdict? Would during the next ten months. “Canada cannot negate its interna- be’ because they knew what would hap- Retired General Sarath this not tantamount to a further injus- Theprogramme will be carried out tional obligations and have countries pen to them. “So, instead of exposing the such as Thailand do its dirty work,” Fonseka was also used tice?” Kiriella queried. under the direction of Anura Poopalapillai said Tuesday. Mahinda Rajapaksa government’s bla- by the media to find Referring to the ruling by Court Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister of A spokesman for Public Safety tant violation of the rule of law, human fault with the Martial I, he said that there was no proof Environment. All heads of govern- Minister Vic Toews said the minister can- rights and good governance, which was Opposition and not a word was uttered to say that Fonseka’s son-in-law was an ment institutions would be directed to not confirm or deny operational matters. the role of the media, it was resorting to against the government’s ungrateful owner of the said HiCorp subsidiary, plant useful trees in their office prem- The federal government will not sit the new media culture of bashing the ises with the help of their employees. back while Canada becomes a target for treatment of a man who oversaw the which had supplied some equipment to UNP and other opposition parties, since defeat of the LTTE. the military during Fonseka’s tenure as W. E. Jayathilake, the Divisional criminal operations that try to take Secretary for Bingiriya told The Island advantage of the country’s generosity,the it was safe to do so.” Describing Fonseka as a political army commander. that the school children and the teach- spokesman added. Even when the 18th Amendment, prisoner, regardless of the various inter- The treatment of Fonseka, proves ers would be provided with quality Cherdchai Chaivaivid, counsellor and which abolished the good governance pretations that are being given, he said what the international community has coconut seedlings and other plants of head of chancery at the Royal Thai provisions contained in the 17th that the UNP would continue to agitate been saying right along about the Embassy in Ottawa, said there had been rare species to plant in their school Amendment was introduced, not a sin- for his release. absence of the rule of law in Sri Lanka meetings between Canada and Thailand gardens. to coordinate efforts. gle media institution criticised it. This, The “Court Martial II, which under the Rajapaksa government, All farmers’ organizations in the “This is an ongoing process,” he said. then was the true state of the Sri imposed a 30-month jail term on General Kiriella said. country would directly involve in this “We have had very good co-operation and national task, Jayathilake said. understanding with the Canadian gov- ernment, in particular since the Sun Sea, the vessel issue a couple of months ago.” Chaivaivid, however, had no specific information about possible Canadian involvement in the arrests. DEATHS The Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa did not return a call seeking com- Health Minister AMUNUGAMA – W. SOMAWATHI. Beloved wife of late M. B. Amunugama, ment. Maithripala Ottawa has taken steps to create a devoted mother of Sarath, Sujatha & Sirisena hands Asoka and mother-in-law of Palika, S. new class of asylum seeker — the “mass over the letter arrival” — with tougher detention rules M. Tennekoon & Shirley, loving grand- for human smugglers. of appointment mother of Ramanika, Dharshika & Migrants who arrive in large groups to a Nursing Nissanka, Varuni & Rohan, Sanjaya, would have to wait two weeks for their Sister during a Dilum, Avanthi & Daminda, adoring first detention hearing before the ceremony held great grandmother of Harsha & Sunela, Immigration and Refugee Board. The yesterday (13), Sharya, Sachin, Shanuka and Kenuli, first detention review is currently held at the Family expired. Funeral at 3.00 p.m. on Saturday within 48 hours. Health Bureau. 16th October at the Mahaiyawa The changes, expected to be tabled Cemetery, Kandy. Amunugama Seventy six soon by Immigration Minister Jason Walauwa, No. 221, Galagedera Road, Kenney,would also broaden the offence of nursing sisters Nugawela. human smuggling to target ring leaders were given who induce or aid someone coming to appointments KOTTEARACHCHI – G. A. C. Beloved Canada. on the occa- wife of late Pathmakantha Lisa Monette, a Foreign Affairs sion. Assistant Kottearachchi, loving mother of spokeswoman, provided few details Secretary, Dr. Vasantha (Woodcity, Dalugama), Anura Tuesday on the government’s role in the Palitha (U.K.), Renuka (Good Shepherd Balika), Thailand arrests. Nalika (U.S.A.), Anil (Ragama Tyres), “We are aware of the operation con- Mahipala and Col. Lalith (S.L. Army) and Preethika, ducted by Thai authorities,” she said. other officials mother-in-law of Kumari, Gayani, “Canada is engaged with a number of of the Health countries in the region on issues regard- Ananda (Kadawatha Tyres), Mahesh, Ministry look Mangalika, Priyani and Dolard ing migrant smuggling, including pursu- on. ing co-operation with source and transit (Airport), expired. Funeral on 14th countries. We will not comment on opera- October. at 4.00 p.m. at Enderamulla tional issues that may compromise any Cemetery. No. 170, Jayagath ongoing or future efforts.” Mawatha, Dalupitiya, Kadawatha The National News Bureau of (T/P 011-2926651). Thailand, a government public relations SENEVIRATNE – SARATH RANJITH department, said the migrants were of No.3C-134, Maththegoda Housing arrested while waiting to seek asylum to Scheme. Loving son of Stanley a third country. Seneviratne and Wimala Seneviratne, The bureau said most of the arrested had either no travel documents or had Increase in temperature during last four decades beloved husband of Sandya Sepalika, overstayed their visas.