Police nab four J’pura students with ganja BY NORMAN PALIHAWADANA Four undergrads of the Sri Jayawardenapura University were nabbed by the Vice Squad of the Nugegoda Police Division with four packets of ganja in their possession on Saturday (June 18) night at Wijerama Junction. A Nugegoda police source said that they went to arrest a ganja businessman, but searched the four suspects on Vol. 30 No. 183 Monday 20th June, 2011, 40 pages Rs. 20 Registered in Sri Lanka as a Newspaper - Late City Edition SRI LANKA THE CRISIS IN LET US GET JVP SAYS NO FIGHT BACK UNIVERSITY RID OF THE REPETITION OF AFTER ENGLAND EDUCATION DENGUE VIRUS VIOLENT PAST 7 10 12 16 DECLARATION BCCI not to allow Indian cricketers to play in ‘unofficial’ SLPL GR alleges TNA split BY S VENKATNARAYAN, Our Special Correspondent NEW DELHI, June 19: The Board of Control for ments, conducted by the BCCI. Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided not to allow its A dozen Indian cricketers, whose talent was on players to be part of the Sri Lankan Premier display during the last four IPL tournaments, were over Sampanthan’s League (SLPL) Twenty/20 championship. to play in the inaugural tournament. They are: The board insists its decision has nothing to do Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, Dinesh Karthik, Irfan with protecting its cash-rich Indian Premier Pathan, Manish Pandey, Manoj Tiwary, Paul League’s brand value. Valthaty, Ravindra Jadeja, Saurabh Tiwary, Umesh The 19-day inaugural tournament is scheduled Yadav, Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar. reconciliation move to be played in Colombo beginning on July 18 and Their participation now looks unlikely. conclude on August 6. It is modelled on the wildly However, cricketers from Pakistan, West Indies, popular Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tourna- ‘TNA pressured US State Dept. several diplomatic missions to take up Alaveddi issue’ Ranil calls for BY SHAMINDRA FERDINANDO efence Secretary Gotabhaya concerted effort to Rajapaksa alleges that a sec- Dtion of the Tamil National defeat C-4 propaganda Alliance (TNA) is all out to sabotage an effort by TNA leader MP R. BY PIYASENA DISSANAYAKE Sampanthan to normalise relations between his party and the govern- Opposition and UNP Leader ment. Ranil Wickremesinghe on The Defence Secretary Saturday called for a concerted Rajapaksa, yesterday, in an interview effort to clear Sri Lanka’s name with The Island, said that he had vis-à-vis the Channel 4 documen- received a letter from MP tary aimed at demonizing the Sampanthan seeking assistance for Led by MP Mavai Senadhiraja, TNA MPs arrive at Jaffna Civil country. his party to engage in political activ- Affairs Office on Saturday to meet Jaffna Commander Maj. Gen. The government should shed ity in the Northern and Eastern Mahinda Hathurusinghe. In the background is one of the vehicles, petty political Provinces. The TNA leader had gone which the TNA said was damaged by the army. differences and to the extent of expressing his will- cooperate with ingness to work with the army, the Defence no option but to disclose the meet with MP all patriotic Secretary said adding that the government appreci- Sampanthan due to last Thursday’s incident at forces for that ated the veteran politician’s effort. Alaveddi in the Jaffna peninsula. A section of the purpose because Asked whether he had the opportunity to dis- TNA is obviously against Sampanthan’s move and the Channel four cuss the matter with the TNA leader personally, the is working overtime to derail national reconcilia- propaganda Defence Secretary said that he had met the TNA tion process. Anyone who doubts my account of the adversely affect- leader in the presence of Indian High circumstances leading to Thursday’s incident could ed the country Commissioner Ashok Kantha at India House on contact MP Sampanthan, who is now in India, as a whole, the June 8. The meeting had taken pace at the invitation Rajapaksa said. Opposition of the Indian High Commissioner, the official said. According to the Defence Minister, R. Ranil Leader said The Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said: “I have addressing a UNP rally at Ehaliyagoda. The government ought to exer- cise patience and act cautiously in dealing with the international Former First Lady Hema Premadasa and UNP Co-Deputy Leader Karu Lankan Tamil issue in TN has changed community, the Opposition Leader Jayasuriya were seen sharing a light moment following the hun- said. dredth birth anniversary of Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake at the It was not the first time the little over time - Survey report Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo yesterday. (19). Channel 4 television had telecast CHENNAI: The AIADMK government has met The opinion poll, conducted by the People Pic by Nimal Dayaratne with a favourable reception among the people for its Studies group of the School of Media Studies, performance during the honeymoon period, an Loyola College, showed that a considerable number opinion poll has found. The survey indicated that of people expressed concern over the government’s the view of the people on the intention to undo most of the Pesticides containing Arsenic: Lankan Tamil issue had changed moves of the previous regime. little over time. The poll was conducted among A whopping 64.9 per cent said 3,123 people across all age groups, Agriculture Minister the only permanent solution to from all districts. the Lankan civil conflict was the Only 54.5 per cent of those sur- creation of a separate Tamil veyed believed the government taken for a ride – Eelam. Further, 69.8 per cent would be able to keep its promise demanded that the Centre desig- of fulfilling all poll promises in 18 nate Sri Lankan president months. That too, only if Chief Wimal’s party Mahinda Rajapaksa a war crimi- Minister J Jayalalithaa commit- nal, through a resolution of ted herself to it. BY DASUN EDIRISINGHE Piyasiri Wijenayake said that Parliament. Even all the schemes and measures of the gov- the Customs had found that While some of the government’s measures have ernment may not be enough to combat the major The National Freedom over 50 types of pesticides in been met with overwhelming support, the people problems that face the State, 40.8 per cent of those Front (NFF) yesterday said 10 containers contained have also expressed concern that the government surveyed opined. Minister of Agriculture arsenic, but some factions would be able to address major issues only partially. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena within the government were had been taken for a ride by attempting a cover-up. They some officials over the issue were trying to help some Foreigner arrested for obtaining of pesticides contaminated unscrupulous multi-national with arsenic. It claimed that companies to amass wealth at money posing as President’s friend certain factions in the govern- the expense of the Sri Lankan PAKISTANIS TIP close friend of President ment were trying to cover up public, Wijenaike said. Lives BY HEMANTHA RANDUNU Mahinda Rajapaksa’s family the import of banned pesti- of the researchers who had OFF MILITANTS was arrested yesterday. cides. detected arsenic in pesticide An Indian national who Pretending to be a friend of AGAIN Addressing a press confer- were in danger and his party had fraudulently obtained Rs. both the President and his son ence at the party head office, 5 million from a Sri Lankan NFF politburo member businessman by posing as a Libya says NATO airstrike hits residential area TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — The Libyan gov- damaged building. ernment said at least four civilians were “There was intentional and deliber- killed Sunday in a NATO airstrike that ate targeting of the civilian houses,” hit a residential neighborhood in the said deputy foreign minister Khaled ! Libya says NATO air strikes are capital, adding to charges that the Kaim during a visit to the site shortly destroying civilians targets. alliance is striking nonmilitary targets. after reporters arrived. “This is another ! Journalists based in the Libyan capi- sign of the brutality of the West.” Doesn’t he know might is right WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. offi- tal were taken by government officials NATO, which has a mandate to pro- and NATO can’t be wrong? cials say Pakistan has apparently to a neighborhood where rescue efforts tect Libyan civilians, rejects allegations tipped off militants at two more were under way at a destroyed building it targets civilians. bomb-building factories in its tribal that appeared to have been partially “We are conducting operations with areas, giving the terror suspects under construction. utmost care and precision to avoid civilian time to flee, after U.S. intelligence Government spokesman Moussa casualties. Civilian casualties figures shared the locations with the Ibrahim said the damage was caused by mentioned by the Libyan regime are pure Pakistani government. NATO rockets and bombs. He wasn’t In this photo taken on a government-organized tour, propaganda,” NATO spokeswoman Oana immediately able to provide the number doctors carry body of a girl who was found in the Lungescu said Saturday. of casualties, but said there were no damaged residential building in Tripoli’s outskirts at a WORLD VIEW military facilities anywhere near the hospital in Libya, on Sunday, June 19, 2011. (AP).