Page Three Tuesday 26Th May, 2009
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The Island 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 Mahinda Rajapaksa, 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. Tamil National Alliance (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 Sri Lanka. 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 Chandrasiri Gajadeera, 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 Suresh Premachandran- 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.