Page Three Tuesday 26th May, 2009

! World View News ! Financial Review ! Leisure Land INSIDE: "308 children lost both parents in war Over 9,000 Tigers to be prosecuted First Lady visits orphans, The Army said 9,100 taken into custody. LTTE suspects would be He also said they would produced before court. be rehabilit ated depending Army spokesman on the nature of crime they Brigadier Udaya have committed. Nanayakkara said that the Among those in custody promises better accommodation suspects include those who were some area leaders. surrendered to the authori - (NP) ties and those who were by Shamindra Ferdinando charge of the Northern The former Commandant asked the children whether they Province told The Island yes - of the elite STF said that p ar- knew the name of the Sri Lankan The government plans to look terday that Mrs. Rajap aksa ent s of some of the children President. A six-year-old boy had af ter 308 children who had lost both had directed Vavuniya now held at the welfare centre promptly said , their p arent s in the war . They are Government Agent Mrs P. M. had been killed while fleeing the police of ficial said. TNA complains not now housed at a welfare centre P. Charles to find a sep arate the LTTE-held area. The Senior DIG said that Mrs established at Menik Farm in the place out side the welfare cen - Responding to our queries, he Rajapaksa had distributed a stock of V avuniya District. tre to house these p arentless said that the children had urgently needed supplies among the allowed to see Moon First lady Mrs. Shiranthi children. come with other families who displaced. (TNA) tainment of the fullest informa - Rajapaksa following a visit to the wel - Mrs Rajapaksa has also Shiranthi had reached army held areas Sources said that many children Parliamentary Group Leader R. tion in regard to the said crisis, fare centre over the weekend has promised to find sponsors for at the risk of their lives during had lost one of their p arent s. A few Sampanthan in a st atement being the sole purpose of the assured the children that they would the children. The government is also recent fighting in the Mullaitivu dis - of them could have been killed fight - issued yesterday said a meeting visit of the UN Secret ary be provided with sep arate accom- expected to explore the possibility of trict. ing for the L TTE, sources said. had been arranged with United General to . modation. admitting them to schools as soon Mrs Lalith W eeratunga who had Nations Secretary General Ban The Secretary General of the Senior DIG Nimal Lewke, in as possible. accompanied the first lady had Ki Moon at 11.30 pm on May 23 UN has himself been deprived (Saturday) at the Bandaranaike of the opportunity of meeting International Airport VVIP with democratically elected rep - Lounge in concurrence with the resent atives of the Tamil people. Commemorating victory Foreign Ministry and the UN The fact that such a meeting of fice but when the delegation was fixed clearly indicates that over terrorism arrived at the BIA at 10.30 pm the Secret ary General of the UN they were informed at the mili - desired to be fully informed. The nation’s long-awaited victory over tary check point that the The fact that the T N A terrorism will be commemorated on June 3, Ministry of Defence had delegation was prevent - 2009 in a special parade at Galle Face informed them not to ed from meeting with the Green, Information Department said yester- allow the T N A delega- Secretary General is an day. This ceremony would be attended by tion. insult inflicted by the Sri President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Following is the full Lankan Government on Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the com- text of a T N A press the institution of the release: Secretary General of the manders of the three forces, the IGP and Further to a request UN. the Chief Civil Defence Force. made by the Tamil It is pertinent to ask Service personnel and commanding offi- National Alliance (TNA) Sampanthan why the Sri Lankan cers of the security forces engaged in direct to the Of fice of the Government prevented a operations in the North and East will take Resident Co-ordinator for the meeting between the Secretary part in this historic event which will be United Nations (UN) in Sri General of the UN and a dele - marked by a special military parade. Lanka, to meet with Mr. Ban Ki gation of the TNA? The celebration will also feature several Moon, the Secretary General of The whole world is aware cultural events. the UN, a meeting was arranged that the entire milit ary operation for 1 1.30 p.m. on 23 May 2009 in the Vanni was conducted in at the VVIP Lounge of the the utmost secrecy and without Bandaranaike International any transp arency and without Airport (BIA). The Foreign any access being granted to UN Nurses warn Ministry of Sri Lanka was agencies, the ICRC, internation - informed of the meeting and al NGOs and even Members of was requested to make all Parliament. This culture of of protest arrangements to facilit ate the secrecy and lack of transp aren - same. The Foreign Ministry of cy continues in regard to all Sri Lanka confirmed to the UN activities pert aining to the Tamil campaign Of fice that all arrangement s had IDPs. by Dilanthi Jayamanne been made. It was in the pursuit of this The T N A delegation was to culture of secrecy and lack of Nurses in Peradeniya, Kandy and Agriculture and Agrarian Services Minister Maitripala Sirisena assists a child to declare open the Hingurakgoda comprise of R. Sampanthan MP transp arency that the Sri Gampola hospitals warned they would Maharathmale Drinking Water Project on Sunday (24). Deputy Lands Minister , North Central (TNA Parliamentary Group Lankan Government prevented Leader), Mavai Senathirajah MP this meeting. The Sri Lankan st age a two-day picket against the Provincial Minister P. B. Ratnayake, Deputy Chairman, North Central Province Ananda Sarath Kumara are also in picture. opposition to clinical training of stu - (ITAK, General Secretary), Government has obviously a dent s from the Faculty of Allied Health - MP great deal to conceal. This atti - Sciences, Peradeniya. (EPFLF, Secret ary General) and tude of the Sri Lankan The picket is scheduled to be G. G. Ponnambalam MP (ACTC, Government should not deter staged on Wednesday (28) and General Secretary). the pursuit of the truth. Thursday (29). Kataragama festival on grand scale Af ter the confirmation of the W e also condemn the Sri Kandy Branch Union President of meeting by the Office of the Lankan Government deliberate- the Government Nursing Officers by Franklin point out references in chronicles that He said that a Special Committee Resident Co-ordinator of the ly treating the democratically UN, the T N A delegation arrived elected represent atives of the Association, P. B. Ekanayake said R. Satyapalan the area is blessed by the Buddha s had been appointed by Basnayake yesterday (25) they planned a poster visit in the Sixth Century BC. Nilame to monitor the completion of at the BIA at about 10.30 p.m., Tamil people as second-class but was informed at the milit ary represent atives representing a c a m p aign in protest against those who The Ruhunu-Kataragama Maha Basnayake Nilame of the Maha the construction of the 186 roomed have vehemently opposed clinical Devalaya, Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Free Pilgrims Rest in town which check point on way to the VVIP second-class people. That is the Devalaya on Poson Poya Day (June Lounge, that the Ministry of only inference that can be training of student s of the Allied Health 07), will commence the historic has declared the sacred area as the was commenced by former Sciences - mainly the Government Saamaye Pudabima where communi- Basnayake Nilame Kasthuriarachchi Defence had instructed that the drawn from such unbecoming Kat aragama Festival for this year with T N A delegation not be allowed conduct by the Sri Lankan Medical Officers Association (GMOA). Kap Situveema at the Devalaya premis- ties meet. He would preside over the and had been neglected by all It is very clear that there is profession - special meeting scheduled to be held Basnayake nilames thereafter until entry. The T N A delegation Government. es, Senior Secret ary of the Presidential informed the UN representa- al jealousy behind their actions, he Task Force att ached to the Devalaya, in this connection at the Kiri V ehera now. said. Raja Maha Vihare on June (5). He said that on the instructions of tives at the VVIP Lounge of the Pathmasiri Rajapaksa said yesterday. developments. The Ministry of The Peradeniya University filed a This year s festival will enable many The Chief Incumbent of the Kiri President Mahinda Rajapaksa, all fundamental right s case in the Vehera Raja Maha Vihare and the facilities would be provided to all the Defence was unwilling to recon - devotees from the Tamil community of sider it s decision. Supreme Court citing the Health the North and East who had not been Chancellor of the Uva-Wellassa Padha Yathras coming on foot from Ministry as respondent. The University University, V en. Aluthwewa Soratha the North via the Eastern Province. The above action constitutes able to p articip ate on this historic festi - a deliberate denial of the right of claimed that the Ministry was prevent - val for years for security reasons , he Nayake Thera and DIG (Southern- He said that the Sri Lanka Port s ing the clinical training of the student s Range) Jagath Abeysiri Authority Chairman Dr. Priyasath democratically elected repre - told The Island. sent atives of the Tamil people to of the Allied Health Sciences Faculty All communities of the country equal - Gunawardena, District Secretary Bandu Wickrema had consented to (AHSF). The Supreme Court took up Moneragala Rohana Keerthi widen and reconstruct the Bridge convey information in their pos - ly particip ate in this festival from June to session and their views to the the case on May 4 where all p arties in August. The festival commences on Dissanayake, Divisional Secret ary number (2) for the pilgrims to cross the AHS rights application before the Kataragama, T. B. M. Atapattu and the river . Secretary General of the UN on Poson Poya Day with Kap Situveema the grave humanitarian crisis Court agreed not to have clinical train - and ends on Nikini Poya Day with Diya Divisional heads of the CEB, SLTB, The Basnayake Nilame also laid ing for student s of the Faculty in gov - Health, Irrigation, Environment, the foundation stone for the construc - pert aining to over 300,000 Tamil Kapeema (August 6) at the historic civilians in the V anni, the ascer - ernment hospitals, till June 1. Menik Ganga. W ater Board are expected to p artici- tion of a new bridge with dual car - The poster campaign which would He said that following the Great p ate. riageway to replace the old steel also be st aged on the May 28 will be in V ictory the Government has achieved Shantha Swami of Kataragama bridge at the entrance to Sella- protest against the opposition voiced over terrorism to unite the country Bhakthi Peramuna Foundation, said Kataragama. by the GMOA. under one banner, it want s this year s that he was very proud that President He said that on the directions of ‘Kalyana Darshi’ at The GMOA has held that the clini - festivities to take place on a grand but Mahinda Rajapaksa, a son of late D. Minister of Urban Development and cal training of medical student s would spiritual note. Further to that, God A. Rajapaksa founding Secretary of Sacred Areas Development, Dinesh be hindered by the clinical training of Kataragama is known as the favourite Kataragama Bhakthi Peramuna had Gunawardena, the trinkets and Kelaniya Varsity A H S s. It also claimed that the facilities deity of President Mahinda Rajapaksa been able to obt ain the blessings and sweetmeat shops at Sella- The Kelaniya University will V idyalankara Pirivena became available for the degrees of fered by and this year s festival would be very strength of Kat aragama Deviyo to Kat aragama that were in an irregular conduct an educational exhibi - the V idyalankara University in AHSF were inadequate. special. achieve one of the Greatest and disorderly manner, were being tion Kalyana Darshi to mark 1959. Historically the Devale is of greater V ictories by defeating the evil LT T E demolished to make way for a new the silver jubilee from 28th may The exhibition will be open import ance to the presence because it to root out terrorism for good from our shopping complex constructed for the to 30th M a y, V ice Chancellor from 9.00 am to 6.00pm on had been built by King Dutthagamini to motherland. benefit of the devotees. Prof. Sarath Amunugama said 28th, 29th and 30th and special mark his victory of bringing the country Pathmasiri Rajapaksa of the yesterday at a special media st alls allocated to the Army, under one banner in the Third Century Presidential Task Force in briefing. Navy, Air Force and Police BC. It is said in chronicles that the king Kataragama, said that arrangements The University of Kelaniya D e p artment, he said. had made a vow to God Kataragama were on schedule to provide food, has it s origin in the historic In addition, a blood donation that he would liberate the country from drinking water, sanit ary and health V idyalankara Pirivena, founded campaign is scheduled to be CMC to conduct invaders and bring it under one banner facilities to all the T amil, Muslim , in 1875 as a centre of learning held at the university premises and sought blessings promising to build Burgher and Malay devotees who for Buddhist monks. during the exhibition period, he dengue education a Devale in the name of deity. After may come to the only Sacred City in W ith the est ablishment of further said. (IN) In view of the increasing number of defeating the Chola King Elara, the king the country where all the three com - modern Universities in Sri Lanka in the 1940s and 1950s, the dengue cases reported in the city the had completed his vow. Historians also munities meet spiritually. Colombo Municipal Council has declared a two-week period from May 16 to 30 as dengue eradication fortnight. Citizens from all walks of life have been More apply to start industries asked to clean up their environment and There has been an increase in Industrial Development Ministry cent of them were to be est ab - were for the manufacture of tex - products, machinery, vehicle sp are CMC officials will visit market places, bus the number of applications to open had received 1751 applications to lished in the Colombo and tiles, garment s and leather goods. part s, food items and tobacco and railway stations and other congested new industries, government st art new industrial ventures. T h e Gampaha district s at a cost 93 per There were also industries regis - related product s. areas to identify areas suspected to be sources said yesterday. newly registered industries were cent of the tot al value. tered for the manufacture of chem - dengue mosquito breeding places. At the end of last year the valued at Rs 130 billion. 82 per Of these new industries 421 icals, coal, rubber and plastic