6 Thursday 11th September, 2008 JVP reminds govt. of secret pact with Oslo

JVP able national resource that would had taken a keen interest in the produced even a drop of oil. Oil ated a puppet like Velupillai become successful. Kurunegala decide the future of the country. oil exploration proposal from the exploration was a risky opera- Prabhakaran for them to cash in Though there were District member When the very first cabinet meeting and tion. on our natural resource after about 200 other Bimal Ratnayake, government came to power the President Mahinda Rajapaksa or N. K. Sivajilingam (TNA) they divided the country. They companies they moving an matter was not pursued immedi- the government had nothing to said the oil in the Mannar basin fanned the flames of ethnicity to were not consid- Adjournment ately but after some time lapse an hide. Even other projects of belonged to the Tamil people and use the puppet for their profit but ered. Though the Motion in effort was made to get the seismic national importance like the it could not be explored without it was regret to hear my friend Indian company Parliament on the data from the Norwegians. By Norochcholai and Kotmale power their consent. India may be inter- JVP member Lalkantha naming that was given one oil exploration in Bimal that time they had given the data projects were discussed at the ested in the oil exploration but the President Mahinda Rajapakse Fowzie of the eight blocks the Mannar basin, to a company based in Australia. cabinet and at all stages the India was also giving aid to Sri as a terrorist. Not that I love in the Mannar said the first agreement to Thereafter the government had to President said these projects had Lanka for the purchase of arms. Caesar less but I love Rome Basin was selected it was based explore seismic data in the basin pay the Norwegians 8.5 million to be started to benefit the people. The government cannot ignore more, therefore I would like to in the US and only a minor per- was signed secretly with Norway US dollars but the Australian Oil was politics and interna- the aspirations of the Tamil peo- tell Lalkantha that he should not centage of its shares were held by during the tenure of President company showed the data only to tional conflicts like the war in ple and succeed in this project make irresponsible statements. Indians. who Dr. Neal de Silva an expatriate Iraq or Afghanistan or the that would fail. Lalkantha had said that USA was The Technical Evaluation created a ministry for petroleum Sri Lankan who had worked for Taleban or Al Queda were also Jayantha Samaraweera a notorious country but his Committee appointed by the and appointed a secretary to the an oil exploration company in conflicts over oil. Therefore the (FNN) said the former USSR leader Somawansa was in his Cabinet included members of ministry. Even her Cabinet did Canada whom the minister government had at all stages helped to explore oil at Pesalai three piece suit and wine glass in National Science Foundation and not know anything about her thought was omniscient, invited international tenders but and definite data on oil in our his hand on the US National Day academics of the universities and inviting Norway. Chandrika Ratnayake said. there was very little experience country was found at the time. July 4 at the American Embassy. Dr. Neale de Silva who had given Kumaratunga also brought in Even in countries like USA, in oil exploration in the South But the oil industry was one of The JVP too had a notorious up a more lucrative job abroad Norway to mediate in the peace mineral resources were under great deception and we were past. The word terrorist had come to with the process. the purview of the Pentagon not allowed to explore our oil as (thrasthavadiya) came into the intention of helping the country In 2002 February 11, the Ranil but we were not assigning such the separatists terrorists also Sinhala vocabulary in 1971 dur- but no one should belittle him as Wickremesinghe government importance to the most valu- started their operation at the ing the JVP insurgency when the he was the only Sri Lankan who also secretly signed an agreement able oil resource and now the same time. Terrorism in the post offices were burnt down, had knowledge on oil exploration. with Norway to give them oil first drilling contract had been North was directly related to oil bombs made and people were His services were valuable. The exploration rights without given to an Indian company but we should not allow our attacked and killed and it was parliamentary consultative com- informing his Cabinet or the par- and one tract had been given to national resource to be misused repeated in 1989 and once again mittee was also given the oppor- On Wednesday liamentary group. The agreement that company. The parliament by anyone as even the US the JVP started making bombs tunity to discuss the project and was signed by the Chairman, or the public were not made by Wijitha Nakkawita and President George Bush (Senior) again and killing people. all steps were taken with trans- Petroleum Corporation Daham aware of the conditions of the Lakshmi de Silva was deceived by American Oil President Mahinda Rajapaksa parency. The actual oil explo- Wimalasena who was also a sen- agreement with that company companies that explored oil in never made bombs or used vio- ration will be started about six ior UNP member and on and even the cabinet was not Asian region and we had to be the Mexican Gulf. The US govern- lence but the JVP member months from now and the terms February 22 the same year made aware about the agreement. confident of the steps taken so ment had to pay 38 billion US dol- Lalkantha who inherited the of the agreement with the Indian Wickremesinghe signed the noto- Therefore the minister should far on oil explo- lars to those com- JVP’s bloodletting was now call- based company was not going to rious Ceasefire Agreement with inform the House the full details ration, he said. panies who ing the President a terrorist with- incur losses to our country but the terrorist leader Prabhakaran. about the agreement and the Sagala deceived Senior out shame, Nanayakkara said. would be profitable depending on However the oil exploration and present position on the oil Rathnayaka Bush. Minister of Petroleum and the amount of oil and gas that the CFA were inter-related but drilling project as it was feared Matara District Minister of Petroleum Resources A. H. M. could be extracted from the first the public or the parliament were that India would exploit it to (UNP) said every Agriculture Fowzie said the oil exploration oil drill and the subsequent not made aware of the conditions their benefit with- government had Hemakumara project the government initiated drills. However it was totally of the agreement with Norway out Sri Lanka hopes about oil Nanayakkara was done with transparency and incorrect to say that we had given who were given exclusive rights deriving the maxi- exploration but for said the Eelam the cabinet of ministers dis- oil exploration to India though Sagala of collecting seismic data in the mum profit from the last 20 years it map and Sri Hemakumara cussed the project at all stages. the successful bidder was an Mannar Basin. her own resource. could not be achieved. Though Lanka’s oil Though international tenders Indian based company. India had Although the Norwegians had Minister of the government had paid billions resources map were not two dif- were called and three road shows not attempted to interfere in the collected the data and held it Constitutional on road shows only 3 bidders ferent things but only one thing conducted only 3 companies that oil exploration project but India without giving them to the gov- Reforms D. E. W. came. Again it had come to the and that is why all the interna- submitted tenders were found to is our neighbour but some people ernment no action was taken to Gunasekara said same stage as Pesalai oil explo- tional organizations who were be valid bidders as they had the were trying to propagate an false recover it though it was a valu- the government D. E. W. ration in the 1970’s and had not interested in the oil reserves cre- requisite resources and assets to India-phobia he noted.

Govt sticks to its guns Dinesh won’t answer Ravi

Prime that there was Chief Government Whip and Karunanayake: admissions to universi- terday (10). Minister nothing to add to Minister of Urban Development Who are the traitors? ties giving different He said such students gained Ratnasiri an earlier state- Wickramanayake ment he had made and Sacred Area Development Chief Whip: You aggregate marks for admission to a school in Nuwara Eliya told the Chief saying President refused to could look at the mir- backward districts like District before the examination and Opposition Whip Mahinda answer questions in Parliament yes- ror to see the traitors Nuwara Eliya had cre- the ministry was taking steps to pre- Joseph Michael Rajapaksa had terday (10) when Colombo District who are now trying to ated problems like cer- vent the practice by insisting that any Perera, who made appointed a com- UNP member become clean individu- tain students from candidate for the GCE Advanced Level a lengthy state- mittee to study the addressed him as a traitorous minis- als. I will not answer other districts coming examination should be a permanent ment in Ratnasiri 17th Amendment ter (drohi emathi) in the House during any more questions Ravi Dinesh to Nuwara Eliya to sit resident in the district for a longer Parliament and make recom- question time. from this member. the GCE Advanced period. requesting the implemen- mendations to change the Dinesh Gunawardena: There He was apparently disturbed over Level Examination so that they could The minister was answering a tation of all the clauses weak areas of the amend- were traitors who attempted to over- Karunanayake’s use of words. get university admission under the question from N. D. N. P.Jayasinghe of the 17th Amendment ment. throw an elected government in 1962. Government backbenchers: The lower aggregate marks of that dis- (JVP) Nuwara Eliya District on admis- including the appoint- I have nothing further He asked Karunanayake whether he son of the Boralugoda Lion has not trict. Such irregular things had hap- sion of students who were not perma- ment of the to add to that statement knew who had inherited the traitor- altered his birth certificate! pened, Minister of Education Susil nent residents of the district to the Constitutional Council, the Premier said. ous coup. The district quota system of Premajayantha told Parliament yes- universities during the last 10 years.

Kottawa driver identified by Harischandra said, there was no woman in the Gunaratna vehicle when it came to an The police have identified abrupt halt after the driver was the driver, of the van, shot dead shot after chase. by the Army Rapid Deployment The driver of the van died Squad riders on Tuesday on admission to the Homagama evening at Kottawa for not obey- hospital. ing their orders to stop at the When the vehicle was road block at Homagama, as 35- ordered to stop at the road block year-old W. Wimaladharma of the driver sped off injuring Rajakadaluwa, Chilaw, police three army riders. spokesman SSP Ranjith They have been transferred Gunasekera said. to the National Hospital while a civilian who was injured in the The prize giving of the first ever mobile phone game ‘Colombo Wate’, was held Army riders swung in to at the BMICH with national cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya as chief guest. Creator action after the emergency serv- incident is recuperating at the Homagama hospital. of the game, Managing Director of GTS Company, Dehiwala, Gihan Fernando ice relayed information to them addresses the gathering. At the head table are Chief Guest Jayasuriya, Prof. that it had received a telephone Both the Post-Mortem and the Magisterial Inquiry have Rohana Samarajeewa, Kalasuri Arisen Ahubudu, Dr. Ajith Madurapperuma of call to the effect that a woman Moratuwa University and Daya Rohana Atukorale. The Ministry of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development on the was being abducted by a group been conducted and the police directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, donated Rs 2 million for the persons in a van. will be ordered by the development of the National Namal Uyana. Manager Prasanna However, SSP Gunasekera Magistrate to submit all evi- Silva hands over the cheque for the donation to Namal Uyana Chief dence , SSP Gunasekera said. Incumbent Ven Wanawasi Rahula Thero. Directress Ms M Renuka is also in If allowances not paid, we picture. Ratwatte thero dead UN ... From page 1 strike, warns Ayurvedic Docs by Cyril Wimalasurendre - their work in safety, The All Ceylon Government Commission. “They have been mere- as well as to reach per- – The Ven. Ratwatte Ayurvedic Medical Officers Union ly playing ball with it”, he said. sons affected by the yesterday warned they would launch He said the ayurveda doctors had Siddhartha Thero, founder of the fighting who need a strike again if the Ministry failed not been paid their allowances for internationally famed humanitarian assis- to take action to pay their the past twelve years. Dhammakuta Vipassana tance.” allowances. Doctors at the Borella “It’s time that we called the shots Meditation Centre of “The Secretary- Ayurvedic Teaching Hospital refused since they are taking such a laid- Mahakanda, Peradeniya, passed General reminds all con- away on Tuesday (09) at a private cerned of their obliga- to perform extra and special duties. back attitude towards our problem,” hospital in Kandy.He was 85 tions under internation- “However, after three weeks we Samarakoon warned that the years old. al humanitarian law, still have not been able to settle our ayurvedic doctors of the North The late Siddhartha Maha especially in regard to problem,” General Secretary, All Western, Western, Wayamba, Thera was the youngest son of the principle of propor- Ceylon Government Ayurvedic Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces Sir Kuda Ratwatte. He was cousin tionality and the selec- Medical Officers’ Union Dr. U. C. K. would resort to trade union action. of General Anuruddha Ratwatte tion of targets. “ Samarakoon said yesterday. The min- The union has decided to boycott the and of Prime Minister Sirimavo He emphasizes isterial board has merely shifted the function which will be held for the Education Minister Susil Premajayanth hands over funds for the purchase of Bandaranaike. His remains will strongly the importance issue of our allowances on to the opening of the new building at the lie at Dhammakuta Vipassana National Salaries Commission. Since Borella Teaching Hospital on books for school libraries to principals of schools during a ceremony held at of a negotiated settle- Centre, Mahakanda, till 12.30 p.m. then it’s being passed from September 26. the Education Ministry on Tuesday (9). Principal of D. S. Senanayake College, ment to the political today (11). Cremation takes place problems facing Sri Ministries of Public Administration, “The President will be chief guest Colombo, Ashoka Hewage receives funds from the Minister. Additional at Ratwatte burial grounds, Lanka, the spokesper- Indigenous Medicine, Department of on the occasion. So, let him also Secretaries to the Education Ministry, W. Dharmadasa and Sandhya Pitakanda Nittawala at 3 p.m. 11). son said. Ayurveda and the Salaries know our plight,” he said. (DJ) Wijebandara were present. (Pic by Jude Denzil Pathiraja)