The Island Home News Thursday 23rd September, 2010 5 CPA... From page 1 Norway to... From page 1 DNA General Secretary had made an attempt to show Ranil apologises to voters on behalf Muslim community, shortcomings in the CFA, limitations of that the recent passage of the 18th the Nordic truce monitoring mission and aid as a tool to facili- Amendment to the Constitution and the tate the peace process. detention of DNA leader MP Sarath Of the NOK 2.5 billion spent by successive Norwegian Fonseka had been taken up at the governments from 1997 to 2009, about NOK 100 million Nairobi meet. of UNP MPs who crossed over to Govt. was spent on the peace process. Among the recipients of MP Vijitha Herath on Tuesday told NOK 100 million were the Norway-led truce monitoring The Island that the CPA had rejected the constitutional amendment that ! They have breached the public trust placed in them mission and the Peace Secretariats set up by , removed, among other things, the presi- the LTTE and Muslim politicians. dential term-limit. Herath said such Norway launched the investigation in the wake of Sri measures were detrimental to democra- ! Lakshman Seneviratne gave ‘false’ evidence against Lanka’s own inquiry headed by former Attorney General C. R. cy.Herath said that good governance and de Silva making headway,though a section of the international BY ZACKI JABBAR democracy had been among the issues “We,will be initiating to be a fabrication.I, have community is sceptical about the process. taken up at the conference. The CPA had Leader of the UNP Ranil disciplinary inquiries already called for his Former Peace Secretariat heavyweight Dr. John Gooneratne asserted that the two aspects had been Wickremesinghe yesterday apol- against the six MPs,on explanation.This would recently told the Lessons Learnt Commission (LLRP) that the under threat in several Commonwealth ogised to the public,on behalf of behalf of the people who also form one of the then Sri Lankan government had wanted the CFA to pave the countries. The MP went on to say that the six UNP MP’s who had had voted for them.They charges that would be way for talks to find a negotiated solution, prohibit smuggling the CPA had also recognised the threat of several Commonwealth countries gradu- recently crossed over to the gov- might go to courts and presented against him,at of arms, ammunition and equipment, ensure freedom of move- ally sliding towards dictatorships. ernment and voted for the 18th obtain stay orders,but the disiciplinary inquiry.” ment for other political parties in LTTE-controlled Kilinochchi Minister Samarasinghe said that the Amendment to the that will not preclude us It was General and Mullaitivu and prevent forcible conscription. Dr. CPA had agreed that there shouldn’t be Constitution,in violation of the from asking them to Ranil Fonseka who led the war Gooneratne said that Norway hadn’t accepted any Sri Lankan authoritarian governments and dictator- wishes of those who had sent explain their conduct,in effort against the LTTE proposals. ships and nothing could be as foolish as them to parliament. violation of a Working and ensured its defeat,but a war The Island learns that the focal point of the Norwegian the latest DNA assertion that Sri Lanka Addressing the UNP Youth Committee decision to oppose hero has now been subjected to a investigation would be its efforts during the last five months of was targeted by the CPA. Front in Colombo,he said that the 18th Amendment.” great injustice,he said. the war beginning with the liberation of the LTTE-held The Kalutara District MP empha- parliamentarians Abdul Wickremesinghe,said that “The UNP may have policy Kilinochchi. sised that President Mahinda Cader,Lakshman Lakshman Seneviratne had also differences with General The Sri Lanka army wrested control of the Kilinochchi Rajapaksa’s government had followed the due process in traducing the 18th Seneviratne,Earl violated party discipline,by giv- Fonseka,but the treatment meted township in the first week of 2009. Fighting raged on several Amendment to the Constitution. The Gunasekera,Manusha ing “false” evidence against out to him cannot be fronts in the Vanni east before troops cornered LTTE leader likes of MP Herath had conveniently for- Nanayakkara, Retired General Sarath Fonseka justified.Even if the victim was Velupillai Prabhakaran in the Nanthikadal lagoon on May 19. gotten that 161 MPs representing 15 out and , by in the first Court Martial. Sambandan or Wimal Among the issues expected to be investigated are interna- of 17 political parties and groups in par- supporting the 18th Amendment “Lakshman’s evidence at the Weerawansa,we would still tional efforts to secure the release of civilians in LTTE-held liament had voted for the Amendment. to the Constitution,had breached first Court Martial against protest on the basis that it was areas, facilitate surrender of what was left of the LTTE, inter- Asked whether MP Herath had the trust placed in them by the General Fonseka was checked wrong.” national efforts to force Sri Lanka and the LTTE to abide by raised domestic political issues at any of voters. with many in the UNP and found international humanitarian laws and the response of the inter- the forums during the Nairobi meet national community to Sri Lanka’s military action during the (Sept 11-18), Minister Samarasinghe last five months of the war. replied in the negative. MP The teacher trainees at the Samarasinghe said that his Opposition Akuressa Nilawala College of The investigating team is expected to contact key stakehold- colleague may have discussed such Education, its tutorial staff and the ers in SL, the international community, Tamil Diaspora and issues with visiting delegates over a cup non-academic employees conduct- key foreign officials, including UN top guns involved in the of coffee at the cafeteria. He said that no ed an anti-dengue campaign in process. one had raised DNA MP Fonseka’s issue Tibbotuwewa town in Akuress in UN Secretary General ban-ki moon, too, has appointed a with him or other members of the gov- cooperation with Athuraliya special panel to advise him on alleged war crimes charges lev- ernment delegation, though MP Herath Pradeshiya Sabha, Public Health elled against the Sri Lankan forces during the final phase of the claimed to have submitted a letter from war. He has made his move after former army commander the DNA to the Secretary General of the Inspectors and Akuressa police General Sarath Fonseka’s unsubstantiated allegation that CPA, Dr William F. Shija regarding the environmental unit. The teacher Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa ordered the army to ongoing efforts to politically destroy trainees and Chairman Akuress DNA leader General Sarath Fonseka. PS, Nihal de Silva appear in the kill surrendering LTTE cadres on the Vanni east front. MP Samarasinghe said that Sri group photo. (Pic by Saman Upul The Norwegian investigation is expected to be finalised in Lanka had been discussed only when he Pinidiya, Akuressa) April next year. Sources said that the findings of the Norwegian made a presentation on Sri Lanka’s as well as Sri Lankan and UN investigations would give a clear migrant worker community. picture of what went wrong with the high profile Norwegian Samarasinghe said that he had empha- effort, which had the backing of the US, EU and Japan as well From page 1 sised the importance of the Norway seeks... as international INGO network and lending agencies. Commonwealth making an effort to com- rebuilding the country and recon- scope for development and invest- pel countries, which depended on for- ciliation among communities. ment in that sector. eign workers to implement what he From page 1 The Norwegian leader said that Solheim said that the leaders Treasure... called human rights standards in rela- tion to migrant workers. Norway was eager to play a sup- of the expatriate Tamil communi- The Polonnaruwa Magistrate remanded the police person- Minister Samarasinghe said that he portive role in Sri Lanka. ty in the West should take a prop- nel and civilians till October 4, when they were produced before would also go before the forthcoming When asked what role er view of the changes now tak- him on Tuesday. sessions of the Inter-parliamentary Norway could play in strengthen- ing place in Sri Lanka and how Police sources said that Hapugoda was among the few offi- union in Geneva, where a committee for ing the peace and also assist in best those developments could be cers who had served overseas. IGP Mahinda Balasuriya is human rights of parliamentarians was reconciliation, President used to benefit by the Tamil peo- expected to brief the media on the ongoing investigation into the abortive treasure hunt by a police team. scheduled to take up General Fonseka’s Rajapaksa said the best role for explained that there was no pur- ple and the country. detention. The former President of the Norway today would be to assist pose in those who claimed to sup- Prime Minster Stoltenburg human rights committee of parliamen- in development. port the Tamil people, campaign- looked forward to continued co- tarians emphasised that the Opposition The President, while recalling ing for them from abroad; they operation between Sri Lanka and was making another attempt to deceive the international community. According how Norway had taken the initia- had to return to Sri Lanka and Norway in areas of social and to him, the UIPU had called on the gov- tive through NORAD to help the work with the Tamil people at economic development, invest- ernment and the Opposition to make people of Hambantota many home, the President said.. ment in the new economic envi- representations following a request by decades ago, when there was no Minister Solheim, Norway’s ronment following the end of the UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena. help for such rural areas, said Minister for the Environment conflict, and the emergence of a The UNP and the DNA will be repre- there was ample scope for and International Development fresh and mutually beneficial sented by Dr. Jayawardena and National Norway to be associated in such expressed an interest in visiting relationship between the two List MP , respectively. development work in all parts of Sri Lanka to identify areas in countries. Samarasinghe will be accompanied by the country. which the two countries could Associated with President Minister . In discussing the situation cooperate in development activi- Rajapaksa in the discussions MP Samarasinghe said that nothing could be as ridiculous as the UNP and regarding the Tamil people and ty.He suggested areas such as the were External Affairs Minister the JVP making representations to the the possibility of being engaged protection of the environment, Prof. G. L. Peiris, Secretary to the IPU on behalf of General Fonseka, while in the developing political fisheries and the hospitality President Lalith Weeratunga, they were pointing fingers at each other process among them, President industry. Secretary, External Affairs for not doing enough to help Fonseka. Rajapaksa was of the view that President Rajapaksa Romesh Jayasinghe, Namal JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva the problems of the Tamil people informed the Norwegian dele- Rajapaksa MP, Sri Ranga MP and is on record as saying that the UNP should be resolved through their gates that Tourism in Sri Lanka Dr. Palitha Kohona, Permanent couldn’t be trusted to throw its full leaders within the country. had risen by 196 per cent during Representative of Sri Lanka in weight behind the on-going campaign in President Rajapakasa the last year, and there was ample the UN. support of Gen. Fonseka.