Vol. 31 No. 98 Monday 12th March, 2012, 44 pages Rs. 20 Registered in Sri Lanka as a Newspaper - Late City Edition ENGLAND EXPECT VIETNAM SLAMS DOES PRESCHOOL ANOTHER TRIAL BY ‘INACCURATE’ HUMAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE? SPIN IN SRI LANKA, RIGHTS REPORT 11 12 16 SAYS ANDY FLOWER GoSL reminds US of what its ‘own man’ in Colombo revealed BY SHAMINDRA FERDINANDO vened, though Maj. Gen. and External Affairs officials told The Metha, who had served as Island that the US, too, couldn’t close Sri Lanka striving to defeat a US-led tenure in Colombo in the IPKF commander in the eyes to its own man’s statement if it resolution at the current session of the response to a query the Ampara-Batticaloa was genuinely interested in knowing United Nations Human Rights Council raised by retired Indian sector in 1987, directed the truth. Sources said that all major (UNHRC) strongly believes a statement Maj. Gen. Ashok Metha the question to Maj. Gen. Colombo based diplomatic missions attributed to former US Defence disputed the very basis Shavendra Silva, now at probably had agreed with the US offi- Attache, Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith at a of the assertion that the the centre of a controver- cial’s assumption, though the US State seminar in Colombo can’t be ignored by LTTE wanted to surren- sy over indiscriminate Department distanced itself from the those pursuing the government on the der to advancing troops, Newspaper drops military action on the statement attributed to Lt. Col. Smith. human rights front. though the government Lt. Col. Maj. Gen. Vanni front. The US being a Co-Chair for Sri Lanka’s page-one nude girl The unprecedented statement made ignored the move. Smith Metha Authoritative Defence Germany’s top selling Bild towards the end of Lt. Col. Smith’s The US soldier inter- newspaper has dropped their tra- ditional page-one nude girl after 28 years “It is perhaps a small step from the point of view of women. But it is a big step for Bild and all men in Germany: Bild is abolishing the naked Page-One girl!” the popular paper said. Setback to Kofi Annan’s peace mission to Syria Docs decide unanimously to strike Kofi Annan’s con- to obtain the full allowance as the gov- troversial mission to BY DON ASOKA WIJEWARDENA Syria suffered a new ernment’s expenditure had skyrocketed setback on Saturday he Government Medical Officers’ at the time due to the war. when President Bashar Association (GMOA) General Most doctors were unable to make al-Assad appeared to rule out dialogue TCommittee yesterday unanimous- both ends meet due to high accommoda- because of “armed groups”. ly decided to launch a country-wide tion and fuel costs, the GMOA said. strike after March 13 to protest against Alhough it was a genuine plea of the the non-payment of their Disturbance, GMOA, it had fallen on deaf ears. Availability and Transport (DAT) Doctors had been discriminated against Allowance. The exact date of the trade in this regard as other high ranking Pakistan appoints new union action would be finalized on public officials were being paid Rs. spy chief March 13, the GMOA said. 70,000 to Rs. 80,000 as transport Pakistan appointed a new President Mahinda Rajapaksa, allowance. This was a great injustice head of intelligence on Friday, Treasury Chief Dr. P. B. Jayasundara, meted out to doctors, he said. injecting some uncertainty in Secretary to the Health Ministry Dr. Dr. Ariyaratne added that doctors America’s dealings with an Ravindra Ruberu and the Salaries and attached to all main and base hospitals agency crucial to its hopes of Cadre Commission had agreed to pay would keep away from work but for negotiating a peace deal with the Afghan Rs. 29,000 as DAT Allowance in 2008, but emergency services. Taliban and keeping pressure on al-Qaida. doctors had been paid only Rs. 15,000 up Dr Ariyaratne said: “The GMOA is to now, GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. not affiliated to any political party. It is Nalin Ariyaratne told The Island. a trade union established to protect the Dr. Ariyaratne said that when the welfare of 16,000 doctors. Due to spiral- Obama upgrades President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sunethra Bandaranaike at GMOA delegation met President ing cost of living doctors find it diffi- ‘special relationship’ Saturday’s opening of the newly built Anura Bandaranaike Memorial Rajapaksa in 2008 over the issue, he cult to live near hospitals. Some doctors Ward and blood bank at Wathupitiwela. Former Health Minister Siva agreed with the GMOA’s demand to do not have their own cars and they Barack Obama have to come from far away. The long Obeysekere is also in the pictures Pic Sudath Silva increase the DAT Allowance as he was and his wife Michelle convinced that it was a reasonable delay in the non-payment of the DAT welcome David and demand. President Rajapaksa had Allowance to doctors cannot be tolerat- Samantha Cameron requested the GMOA to wait for a while ed. in Washington this week, and his staff are talking more warmly than ever of Britain. Opening of Anura B ward and blood bank Mahinda recalls close Malaysia asked to support Bahrain protesters resolution on Sri Lanka boost pressure relationship with Anura KUALA LUMPUR: It will be an embarrassment for Malaysia and particularly the Tens of thou- President Mahinda Rajapaksa Rajapaksa stressed the importance of Tamil community if Malaysia does not support a resolution on war crimes commit- sands of anti-govern- recalled his close friendship with utilising funds belonging to his one- ted by Sri Lankan security forces in 2009. ment protesters flood- Anura Bandaranaike and the servic- time friend and associate to put up a The Malaysian press quoted K Arumugam, co-coordinator of the Group of ed a major highway in es rendered by the Bandaranaikes to modern health facility for the benefit Concerned Citizens (GCC), representing 51 Indian-based NGOs, as having said that Bahrain on Friday in the people, when he addressed a pub- of those living in the area. Malaysia should not make same shocking decision where it supported a resolution one of the largest initiated by Sri Lanka on its “military solution” to the opposition rallies in months against the Gulf lic gathering on Saturday after open- Turning towards the late Mr. nation’s rulers. ing the newly build Anura Bandaranaike’s sister Sunethra ethnic conflict in 2009. Bandaranaike ward and blood bank, Bandaranaike, the President said He said this resulted in Sri Lanka being protected now part of Wathupitiwela hospital. that Anura’s sister would have been from facing an international inquiry into war crimes A close associate of the late definitely happy for being able to pro- its security forces committed which resulted in the Angelina Jolie hates Bandaranaike, Tirukumar Nadesan vide such a modern facility. The massacre of thousands of Tamils towards end of the Joseph Kony spearheaded the project, which cost President also referred to the 26-year conflict. approximately Rs. 80 mn. President Angelina Jolie express- es her support for a viral video which calls for the arrest of Joseph Kony, the fugitive leader of the Lord’s ‘India vulnerable to UNHRC Resistance Army militia The Island group in Uganda. stands by its resolutions over Kashmir, Manipur’ Janata Party leader or Manipur, Swamy said and suggest- news story Subramanian Swamy, on Saturday ed that it should urge Sri Lanka to Osama house back on said India should not join human devolve power so as to meet the legit- ! Two private buses belonging to Apropos the slanderous allegation rights groups at a UN meeting on imate aspirations of Lankan Tamils. SB’s brother have been the market The Ceylon Today levelled against The Sunday (Mar. 11). “The Indian Government should torched, papers say. Island on Sunday under the caption, A smart house in a India’s participation in the reso- not succumb to the machinations of ! Now, we know why the gov- bustling town just over 20 Island cooks up comments from Alles, lution would make it vulnerable to ernment readily gives in to miles north of Islamabad Anoma, on March 11, Zacki Jabbar, similar resolutions over Kashmir Swamy bus mudalalis. was lived in by Osama who wrote the story headlined bin Laden and his family Compromises required to secure in 2004, according to new research - and it Fonseka’s release from Prison – Alles, can be yours for £150 a month. which was published in The Island of March 10, 2012 says: Two private buses belonging to SB’s brother set ablaze “No one at The Island asked me to write the story in question. I take the Bandara Dissanayake. Airstrikes kill al-Qaida full responsibility for it which is factu- BY CYRIL WIMALASURENDRE Three police teams have been al to the very letter. militants deployed to conduct investigations. I contacted DNA MP Tiran Alles on Kandy – Two private passenger Airstrikes killed 18 buses belonging to Central Provincial Chairman, Central Provincial the telephone about a week earlier and al-Qaida-linked militants Council’s Chairman Saliya Bandara Council Saliya Bandara Dissanayake asked him about the status of his talks in central Yemen Dissanayake were set on fire in the is the brother of Higher Education Saturday while separate with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to early hours yesterday (11). Minister S. B. Dissanayake and strikes targeted militants secure the release of General Sarath Central Provincial Councillor and in the south, officials said, as the military The two vehicles valued at Fonseka. Mr. Alles spoke to me for UNP Chief Organiser for struck back at the group after it killed nearly approximately Rs.