Thursday 16th March, 2006 3 Mangala wants global pressure on LTTE Moragahakumbura’s By Sujeeva Nivunhella in London mer Foreign Minister of . These initiatives of machinery of the LTTE, has unsuccessfully attempted Despite the dilemma of having to negotiate with a the members of the international community in con- to portray themselves as a “liberation” movement fight- group who are yet to renounce terrorism and violence, ceding negative incentives to the LTTE have made the ing for the emancipation of the Tamil people. However, Sri Lanka is fully committed to a negotiated political Geneva talks possible. The international community the reality is something completely different. The des- latest novel launch solution to achieve durable peace in Sri Lanka, said must persist with this persuasive approach through ignation of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ports and Aviation, negative incentives until the LTTE agrees to com- countries like the US, the UK, India and the EU’s con- Mangala Samarweera. mence talks on substantive issues. The government of sideration of strictures are a recognition of this fact. While delivering a speech on the topic “Challenges Sri Lanka is strongly supportive of the view that the This brings to the forefront one of the biggest chal- Faced by Democracies like Sri Lanka in Dealing with LTTE should continue to negotiate with the govern- lenges to the Norwegian facilitated peace making in Terrorism’ at the International Institute for Strategic ment instead of using some flimsy excuse, as they Sri Lanka. Studies in London on Tuesday (14), the Minister fur- have done in all past negotiations, to return to hostili- The Minister stressed the main problem the gov- ther said that it was the international pressure which ties”, the Minister said. ernment was facing is how to prevent the instruments brought the LTTE to the negotiating table and he He said, though the LTTE mainly talked about the of peace making, such as the ceasefire agreement, urged the international community to keep the pres- dis-armament of other para-military groups at the from being exploited and misused to stifle democracy sure on otherwise they will return to hostilities using talks, it was an achievement in itself that they came to and human rights in areas dominated by the LTTE. flimsy excuses. the negotiating table. “The LTTE harbours no dissent and have system- President and the govern- Mr. Samaraweera said that after President atically killed every opponent to their brutal regime ment of Sri Lanka are thankful to the international Mahinda Rajapakse was elected last November, he during the past thirty years. More than 70 prominent community for the pressure exerted on the LTTE to took a new approach towards the peace process and members of the Tamil community from Alfred obtained the consensus of all democratic, political par- Duraiappa, former Mayor of Jaffna, to Foreign Minister return to the negotiating table. Several governments The latest novel by Sugath Shantha have taken measures to designate the LTTE as a ter- ties with regard to the ongoing talks with the LTTE and , who dared to voice their sup- Moragahakumbura, a journalist rorist organisation. The EU decided to impose travel it is a clear indication of the seriousness of the gov- port for devolution of power and a non-separatist solu- attached to ‘The Navaliya’ weekly,will be restriction on LTTE members and inscribed on its ernment in finding a durable solution to the conflict. tion to the ethnic issues, were murdered”, Mr. launched on March 16 (Thursday) at 10.30 agenda the question of listing, after the killing of for- He further said that the well-oiled propaganda Samaraweera said. a.m. at S. Godage’s Bookshop, Maradana. The name of the novel is ‘Sepalika Mal.’ ‘Sepalika Mal’ centres on a village girl Sports ... From page 1 who comes to Colombo to find her way in Conflicting claims on torching of the arts field. It discusses the hardships Meanwhile, Sports Minister she goes through in the city and her Kumaratunga tried to cover up the obvious and efforts to survive amidst a male-dominat- state-owned buses in B’caloa said “I have no hand in it.” ed social system. “The affiliates can elect whoever they want,” the Moragahakumbura has been involved Army Headquarters yesterday accused LTTE er and the conductor suffered burn injuries. The sec- minister said, contradicting both Pinnawela’s and in the local women’s publication for over cadres of setting fire to SLTB buses at Valaichchenai ond bus was torched near Kaluwankerni junction. athletics chief, Derwin Perera’s claims. one-and-half decades and is well known Mal,’ there will be two talks delivered by amidst a student protest against continuing abduc- According to a pro-LTTE TamilNet report Meanwhile, Fernando, who managed to secure for his earlier novels which too discussed Moragahakumburua and Chandrasiri tion of students. The attacks were carried out Valaichenai Hindu College was closed as protesters the post of secretary for the year 2006-2007 with a in numerous levels the destinies faced by Dodangoda, a senior novelist and the between 9 am and 12 noon, a spokesman said, demanded the release of students, Jeyaraj Kirisanth majority of 63 votes ahead of P. H. D. Waidyatilake the Sri Lankan woman. Features Editor of ‘Divaina Irida adding that hundreds of students from Kiran and and Suthaharan Kulosan, who were abducted by said yesterday, he was not involved in the ‘inci- At the launch of the book ‘Sepalika Sangrahaya.’ (RSS) Valaichcheni boycotted classes demanding an imme- paramilitary cadres two days ago. dent’. diate end to child abductions. Protesters burnt two buses that defied the hartal, “I don’t resort to back-stabbing. But I know there are a lot of affiliates who wanted Pinnawela out,” he The spokesman claimed that LTTE cadres tried to one near Vallaichenai Police station at 9.30 a.m., and encourage students to go on the rampage. “When claimed, adding that he was certain of being elect- the other near Karuvakerni junction at 11.30 a.m. they failed in their bid, they set fire to two buses ed to the influential post. Paramilitary cadres, riding in a white van on demanding all transport on Batticaloa-Valaichcheni However, Fernando who is a retired Brigadier, Kalkudah road in Valaichenai, had abducted the two road be immediately stopped,” he said. was promoted to the rank of Major General when One of the buses was set on fire near students around 5:30 p.m. Monday, alleged eyewit- his ‘buddy’ became the top ranked administrator at Valaichcheni post office, he said, adding that the driv- nesses. the ministry of defence.

More ... From page 1 facilities. The Education Ministry is Ministry to develop these schools and use not developing these schools but closing them to reduce the rush to admit students them, Mahinda Jayasinghe, General to the popular schools. It is also included Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Service in the Mahinda Chinthanaya as well,” he Union told The Island. said. In 2004, there were no grade one admis- sions to 505 schools. In 131 schools there were only a single admission, 213 schools registered two admissions, and 208 Help save his life schools, three admissions. About 1,600 Dominic Holmes aged schools had less than five admissions, 29, residing at No. 132/2, sources said. Nearly 6,000 schools (about 60 per cent Embaraluwa North, of the total number) have a student - Weliveriya is a father of teacher ratio of 15:1 and they have there- twin daughters aged four. fore become too expensive to operate. According to doctors About 550 schools have only one or two his life is in danger unless teachers, 1,500 have less than fifty stu- heart surgery is not done dents and 4,600 (50 percent of the total immediately which costs number) have less than 150 students. Rs. 700,000/=. “These problems were caused due to The Presidents Fund the government’s failure to develop these has offered him a sum of Rs. 180,000/= and the bal- schools. The World Bank proposed the clo- ance has to be financed sure of schools that have a small number within the stipulated AUCTION SALE of students. But, we stressed to the time of two months. His wife seeks the The pledges pawned and remain unredeemed between 14-Tue- March-2006 kind assistance of 01.01.2004 and 31.12.2004 with donors as she is unable SAKTHI BANKERS of No. 53, SB... From page 1 to meet expenses. Ambagamuwa Road, Gampola 11 13 45 48 07 will be sold by Public Auction requested the court to declare null and Donations can be on 02.04.2006 at 10.00 a.m. at void the vacation/notice served on him remitted to Mrs. M. A. the above premises. 93 D. Perera (wife) Bank 30 A, Ramani Mawatha, and further to declare that he still contin- Negombo ues to be a Member of Parliament, of the A/C No. 207-250261-6 V. Sandrasekaram, 14-March-2006 UNP for the Nuwara Eliya district. People's Bank, (AUCTIONEER) The petitioner had further requested Weliveriya Branch. 65 the court to declare null and void, the 11 18 20 25 30 39 36 appointment of Mrs. Renuka Herath to fill the vacancy 744-029463556 744-029594884 created by the pur- 743-064801284 744-057722624 ported dismissal of 744-015708933 743-054577409 Dissanayake from 744-015711237 738-036228864 Parliament. The 744-049209605 744-002076673 petition had said that the decision of the Secretary General of Parliament an the Elections Commissioner to declare that Dissanayake had vacated his seat in Parliament is arbi- trary and a viola- tion of Dissanayake’s right of engage in his lawful occupation of choice. The petition was supported by Faiz Mustupha PC, instructed by Mrs. Gowri Shangari Thavarasa. The Bench com- prised Justices Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, N. G. Amaratunga and Saleem Marsoof. The hearing of this case was fixed for July 11, 2006.