08.09.2010-Wednesday

Plans are under way to open more industrial villages in the North, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda said.

Speaking at the opening of a coir factory set up by the Industrial Development Board at Rs 5 million in Allare Village, Chavakachcheri, under the Mahinda Chinthana Rekiya Bihidora program, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Devananda said 1,000 villages had already been ear-marked to establish and develop industries suiting their localities.

Allare and Vathiri Villages in Jaffna District too come under this program, the Minister added.

Minister Devananda said the Co-operative Society in the village was granted Rs 500,000 earlier to improve agricultural farming.

Their demands of a vehicle to transport coir related products, a store house and a sales outlet too, would soon be granted, he said. The 35 employees recruited to the factory will be trained by the Industrial Development Board while monitoring of the factory will be done by the Industrial Development Board.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/09/08/news38.asp

08.09.2010-Wednesday

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday directed officials to conduct a full scale survey on inoperative rice processing centres including the Vanni rice processing mill and bring them back to operational level soon. The President was addressing a progress review meeting of the Cooperative and Internal Trade Ministry at Temple Trees.

The President and the officials dicussed the future plans of the Ministry in line with the Mahinda Chinthana Policy framework.

He expressed the need of a viable mechanism to fulfill the rice requirement of the country during the upcoming festive season. Ministry officials were ordered that a reserve of essential foods be maintained in the country at all times.

The President opined that paddy production needed to be promoted by strengthening farmers at low income families should be assisted by providing rice and other essential foods at a concessionary rate.

President Rajapaksa emphasized that the production centres should be uplifted. He drew the Ministry officials’ attention to complaints received over the misconduct at certain institutions that come under the Cooperative and Internal Trade Ministry purview.

The dossier containing complaints were handed over to Cooperative and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando for further action. The President said the details of rice processing units and storage facilities are included in the dossier and expected that action would be taken by officials.

Deputy Minister Neomal Perera, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Ministry Secretary Anura Edirisinghe also participated.

08.09.2010-Wednesday

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne presented the Bill titled 18th Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament yesterday amidst disturbances and point of orders raised by Opposition members against the Bill.

Accordingly, the Bill is scheduled to be taken for debate today and the vote is to be taken this evening.

The Prime Minister tabled the Bill and soon after that TNA MP M Sumanthiram raising a point of order said the Bill has to be presented to the Provincial Councils before it comes to Parliament.

According to the Constitution, the Bill which affects Provincial Councils must be referred to the Provincial Councils first and then only it could come to Parliament, he said. Since the 18th Amendment envisages to abolish the Provincial Police Commission and Provincial Public Service Commission, it has to obtain the approval of Provincial Councils, he said.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the House must pass a resolution before the moving of an urgent Bill and that there was no such resolution passed.

Therefore, this would not become law even if its passed in Parliament.

He said that the Supreme Court has only power to determine whether the Bill needs a special majority or referendum to be approved.

As members of both sides were expressing their opinions of the way the Bill was moved, Prime Minister D M Jayaratne said that the Bill is not needed to be referred to the Provincial Councils. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said that the Supreme Court determination has not mentioned any need of the Bill to be referred to the Provincial Councils.

08.09.2010-Wednesday

Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms D. E. W. Gunasekera said that he had obtained Cabinet approval to grant Micro financing for self employment and housing loans to the lowest segments of the Tamil society in the North and East.

He said that loans up to a maximum of Rs 250,000 would be granted through the AGA s and District Secretariats by the Bank of Ceylon at low interest rate of 4 percent per-annum with a repayment period of over 10 years.

He said that the Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon Dr. Gamini Wickremasinghe had agreed to release Rs. 100 million which would be dispensed as Micro loans by the end of December 2010.

Following representations made by the general public at Mobile Service Clinics in Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya recently, the Minister submitted a Cabinet Paper after taking into consideration the plight of the lowest segment of the Tamil people who had no one to turn to for any sort of assistance to uplift their lives through self employment or construct a shelter over their head.

The Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka said that the special feature of the mobile service clinics was that 99.9 per cent were women. The majority of them were marginalized as a result of the caste system prevalent in the Northern Region.

Many of those women were either young widows who had lost their husbands to the conflict or those whose husbands were in custody and had suffered a lot by being sandwiched as a result of the conflict between the LTTE and the Security Forces.

The Micro loans would be granted in coordination with the Ministries of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms, National Housing Development Authority and Economic Development.

Branch office of the Ministry of Rehabilitation is to be opened in Vavuniya shortly so that the people need not travel to Colombo, as in the past, to obtain Bank loans and none would need political affiliations to get these loans approved.

Courtesy : The Island

08.09.2010-Wednesday

The Department of Registration of Persons has streamlined the issuing of National Identity Cards to citizens above 16 years to ensure a better service to the public under new Commissioner General Jagath P Wijeweera.

At present around 3000 NICs are issued per day. In addition another 600 NICs are issue under the one day service, the Commissioner said.

Usually there is a demand for NICs from schools when the Advanced Level and Ordinary Level examinations are held. The principals of all the schools should not wait until the last moment to apply for the NICs of their students.

It would be easy if they collect the applications and forward them as they collect the applications from the students without waiting till the last student handover the application, he noted.

In the past there were a number of malpractices in the department in connivance with persons in shanty boutiques around the department premises. These have been removed under the present administration . Earlier touts had taken bribes from public promising various services and were operating from these shanties. Now we have flushed them out Wijeweera explained.

At present all members of the public who come to the department are taken in and number of counters are provided for services. Seats are provided for the other members who accompany applicants until the work is completed. NICs are issued on applications made through Grama Niladharis and Divisional Secretaries. Any amendments to an existing NIC should also made through an application.

Usually a birth certificate, certificate of residence and five photographs has to be sent along with the application to obtain a NIC.

In the case of members of Maha Sanga a certificate of lower/higher ordination issued by the Department of Buddhist Affairs should be produced. In case of other religions certificates from their religious authorities should be produced.

However, the main problem is that there is no public transport service on Jawatta road from Colombo Fort or Pettah.

Therefore people coming from far away places are put in to great inconvenience to reach the most essential government department issuing NICs.

08.09.2010-Wednesday

A computer can never be a substitute for a book or a newspaper, US Ambassador Patricia Buttenis said.

"Although I recognize the invaluable role technology plays in the information age, a computer will never be a substitute for a book, magazine or newspaper," she said delivering the keynote address at the Sri Lanka Library Association (SLLA) golden jubilee, Colombo regional seminar.

It was held at the Industrial Technology Institute Auditorium, Colombo 7.

"In the age of information each librarian is an educator. As librarians you must find ways to empower people with access to more than just information. You must also help people to access knowledge,” she said.

“Librarians can establish book clubs for children as well as youth and adults. Parents are always eager to find educational experiences for their children outside the classroom," the Ambassador said.

SLLA President Upali Amarasiri delivered the welcome speech. Guest of Honour Vijitha de Silva and librarian Kamanika Perera also spoke.

The vote of thanks was proposed by SLLA Secretary Puspamala Perera.

07.09.2010-Tuesday

Over the past few years, the Sri Lankan Government has endeavoured to increase public awareness about human trafficking, to improve law enforcement efforts, and to increase budget allocations for anti-trafficking activities, stated the U.S. Ambassador, Patricia Butenis.

She was speaking at the launch of the MTV Video, 'Sold' that describes human trafficking, airing on state television, Rupavahini this evening.

New laws enacted just last year have given the Bureau of Foreign Employment more power and resources to go after illegal labour traffickers here in Sri Lanka, she added.

"I want to commend the Ministry of External Affairs and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, which together took the lead on anti-trafficking efforts here, and Rupavahini, which will air the film on national television", she said.

The Bureau helps provide protection to those Sri Lankans who choose to work overseas but who find themselves in abusive or coercive workplaces once they arrive there. To be clear, even when a person agrees to work in a job abroad, he or she becomes a victim of trafficking if exploited through abuse or violence by the overseas employer, Ambassador Patricia Butenis stated.

All of us; governments, NGOs, the media, and individuals, must partner together to prevent and combat this trans-national crime and to support survivors, the U.S. Ambassador stressed adding, human trafficking is a scourge that recognizes no borders.

Ambassador Butenis also said, "The documentary 'Sold', produced by MTV EXIT, is a powerful and creative way to raise awareness about human trafficking by sharing the stories of real people affected by modern day slavery".

The MTV EXIT public awareness campaign is a regional effort supported by the U.S. Government through the Unites States Agency for International Development. EXIT stands for End Exploitation and Trafficking. It has educated millions of people in both Europe and Asia about the dangers of human trafficking and what ordinary citizens can do to end this exploitation.

The U.S. Government is committed to working with our friends around the world and specifically here in Sri Lanka to end trafficking and support its survivors. The State Department has a specific office, led by an Ambassador, to monitor and combat trafficking in persons around the world. Our Justice Department leads our own domestic efforts to combat trafficking in the United States, because we too are not immune from this problem, she further said.

Courtesy - PRIU

07.09.2010-Tuesday

Indian Army Chief of Staff General Vijay Kumar Singh yesterday stated that the Government of Sri Lanka has performed a commendable task in bringing back the livelihoods of the war affected people in North and East to normalcy.

He made this observation during his discussion with Prime Minister D M Jayaratne at the Prime Minister's Office yesterday morning. General V K Singh is the highest ranking Indian military officer to visit Sri Lanka since the end of the war against terrorism in Sri Lanka.

He arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday on a five day official visit at the invitation of Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya in a bid to promote bilateral military ties and defense cooperation between the two countries.

He was accorded a special guard of honour at the Army Head Quarters yesterday morning. After his meeting with Sri Lanka Army Commander, General Singh called on Prime Minister D M Jayaratne, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defense of Staff and Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke and External Affairs Minister Professor G L Peiris.

In the evening General Singh paid floral tributes at the War Memorial in Battaramulla for IPKF troops.

During the discussion with the Prime Minister, General Singh said that the Sri Lankan Government has performed a commendable task in resettling citizens in the North and East and restoring the livelihoods of the war affected.

The Indian Army Chief further said that each measure taken to uplift the living standards of the resettled people in North and East will bind the country together as a single unit. He added that the people who were under LTTE tyranny will now compare their past experiences with the benefits and relief they are receiving from the Government. He also said that under these circumstances the Government has an excellent opportunity to build up trust and mutual understanding among its people.

General Singh further stated that Sri Lanka Military and Indian Defense Forces are maintaining excellent bilateral relations and understanding.

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne during the discussion stated that the Sri Lankan Government has successfully resettled the displaced people in a relatively short time with the support of the Indian Government.

He added that the people of Sri Lanka have no racist feelings towards each other, but certain politicians are attempting to plant and spread such racial ideology amongst the masses to gain cheap political benefits.

Indian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ashok K Kantha was also present on the occasion.

Courtesy - Daily news

07.09.2010-Tuesday

All Government Sinhala and Tamil schools, including those used for the GCE Advanced Level examination third stage assessment of answer scripts will reopen today for the third term.

Schools used for the GCE A-L 1st stage assessments and Grade 5 scholarship Examination assessments will open on September 13 while schools used for GCE A-L 2nd stage assessments will open on September 20. All Muslim schools will reopen on September 13, the Education Ministry said in a news release.

Schools used for GCE A-L 1st stage assessments are Royal College, Ananda College and D S Senanayake Vidyalaya, Colombo, Bandaranaike MV, Gampaha, Kalutara MV, Kalutara, Kingswood Vidyalaya and Girls High school Kandy, Vidyaloka Vidyalaya, Galle, Sujatha Balika Vidyalaya, Matara, Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya, Kurunegala, Badulla MMV, Badulla, Sumana Balika Vidyalaya, Ratnapura and Jaffna MMV, Jaffna. Schools were for Grade 5 scholarship Examination assessments are Susamayawardena MV and Yasodara Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo, Buvanekaba Vidyalaya, Maharagama, St. Mary’s MV, Avissawella, Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya,

Kalutara, Gothami Kanishta Vidyalaya, Gampaha, Udugama Maha Vidyalaya, Embilipitiya, St. Joseph’s Vidyalaya, Bandarawela, Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Mahiyanganaya, Anuladevi Vidyalaya, Galle, Fort, Janadhipathi Vidyalaya, Matara, Rahula Vidyalaya, Tangalle, Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Kuliyapitiya, Carmel Balika Vidyalaya, Chilaw, Swarnapali Balika MV, Anuradhapura, Topawewa MV, Polonnaruwa, Vigneshwarem MV, Trincomalee, St Mary’s MV, Kegalle, Sarasavi Uyana MV, Peradeniya, Ampitiya Beverest MV, Ampitiya, St. John Bosco MV, Hatton, Rajakeeya MMV, Moneragala, Anaipandi Ramakrisnan Mission Balika Vidyalaya, Batticaloa, Tamil MMV, Vavuniya, Hindu Balika MV, Jaffna and Nelliadi MMV, Nelliadi. Schools used for GCE A/L third stage assessments:

Ananda Balika Vidyalaya, and Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, Ratnavali Balika Vidyalaya, Gampaha, Kalutara MV, Kalutara, Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya and Badi-ud-Din Mahamud Balika Vidyalaya Kandy, Vidyaloka Vidyalaya, Galle, Rahula Vidyalaya, Matara, Maliyadeva Model School and Maliyadeva Boys MV, Kurunegala, Dharmaduta National School, Badulla, Ferguson Girls High School, Ratnapura, St. Joseph's Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle, St. Cecilia Balika Vidyalaya, Batticaloa and Wembadi Girls High School, Jaffna.

07.09.2010-Tuesday

The marriage and death certificate of persons could be obtained in 10 minutes at any Divisional Secretariat in the island, Public Administration Minister W D J Seneviratne said addressing the All Ceylon Government Agents' convention at the Jaffna Secretariat yesterday.

That was the third District Secretaries convention and attended by Deputy Minister Dilan Perera, over 150 senior government officials, 11 Divisional Secretaries in the Jaffna district and 25 District Secretaries from other parts of the country.

Jaffna Government Agent Ilameda Sukumar garlanded the Minister and the Deputy Minister and conducted them to the conference room at the Jaffna Secretariat.

Minister Seneviratne said the elected heads and officials should work together. This is a fine concept of Nelson Mandela.

He brought a peaceful revolution and sustained peace in South Africa by adhering to this concept. He said the country needed inspiring and innovative leaders. The people found these norms abundant in the President.

Under his leadership the country had 7.4 economic growth, he said.

07.9.2010-Tuesday

John Keells Group Chairman Susantha Ratnayake yesterday said a concerted effort should be taken by the public and private sector to encourage the Tamil diaspora to make investments in the country particularly in the North and the East.

He was of the view that the Government should introduce an incentive scheme for diaspora members who are willing to invest.

Ratnayake was giving evidence before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission chaired by C R De Silva PC at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute yesterday.

He said the lack of private sector investment puzzled him though 18 months have elapsed since the eradication of terrorism.

He said the private sector should be urged to make more investments across the country with particular emphasis on leisure and tourism industry. He said the members of all communities should have equal rights and privileges. Ratnayake welcomed the Government’s initiative in developing the infrastructure facilities in Northern and Eastern regions.

"The Eastern province has achieved substantial progress in terms of infrastructure development".

He said the tourism industry is rapidly developing and the country requires 1.5 US$ billion investment in the leisure industry to cater to 2.5 million tourists in 2015.

Ratnayake said the country should also focus on Foreign Direct Investment sector.

He elaborated the John Keells company's efforts in promoting the English language among students in rural areas. He said the John Keells Foundation has funded a scholarship scheme to promote English language skills as its Corporate Social Responsibility drive.

Meanwhile, Lessons Learnt Commission Chairman C R De Silva PC said the English language will help upward mobility for the younger generation and understand fellow communities. He was of the opinion that English as a link language should be promoted. The Commission Chairman said he was impressed by the program launched by the John Keells Company to promote English among students in rural areas.

He asked Ratnayake whether such a program can be implemented across the country through the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Ratnayake said he would take this matter up with chamber.

06.09.2010-Monday

President Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday urged the teachers in the Uva Region to work for the betterment of the student population. He further said that since he assumed office of Presidency the students -teacher ratio has come down to 15 to 01 in the Uva region as more teachers have been appointed to schools.

"During the last few years around 40, 000 teachers have been given new appointment by the government. But we still receive complaints of teacher shortages ",said President asking the politicians not to get involve with teacher transfersPresident Mahinda Rajapaksa  handed over 470 teaching appointments to employees from various departments in Uva Province at Uva Provincial Council auditorium.  

The appointments were given under a government programme to provide employment to 40,000 graduates. The President also visited the historic Buddhist temple in Badulla Muthiyangana Rajamaha Vihara and received the blessings from the Chief incumbent Venerable Muruddeniye Dammarathana Nayaka Thera.  Ministers C.B. Ratnayake, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Deputy Minister Dilan Perera, Governor of Uva Province C. Nanda Mathew, Chief Minister of Uva Province Shashendra Rajapaksa and President's Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath also participated in these events.   

The appointments were given under a government programme to provide employment to 40,000 graduates. The President also visited the historic Buddhist temple in Badulla Muthiyangana Rajamaha Vihara and received the blessings from the Chief incumbent Venerable Muruddeniye Dammarathana Nayaka Thera.  Ministers C.B. Ratnayake, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Deputy Minister Dilan Perera, Governor of Uva Province C. Nanda Mathew, Chief Minister of Uva Province Shashendra Rajapaksa and President's Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath also participated in these events. 

06.09.2010-Monday

The Government will amend the Constitution to fulfil the aspirations of the people through social transformation and sustainable development, said Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa inaugurating the second phase of the Nagamu Puravara program in and around Colombo. The inauguration coincided with the World Habitat Day held on August 28 at Navagampura housing scheme of Baseline Road, Colombo.

Theme for the World Habitat Day this year 2010 was "Better City - Better Life". To coincide with World Habitat Day 170 renovation programs of 70 housing schemes in Colombo city have been implemented to uplift infrastructure facilities of housing schemes. The overall cost for these programs were estimated at Rs 35 million.

The amendment to the Sri Lanka Constitution will be made under three phases shortly to enable to expedite development process under peaceful atmosphere after the end of 30 years prolong conflict of this country, the Minister said.

"Today, unauthorized constructions are the main problem in urban development activities. Under the guidance of the President a systematic development program is being implemented in urban areas. In parallel to these development activities, settlement development programs will also be implemented systematically. The unauthorized constructions will be dismantled to streamline the systematic development of the settlements with the intention of providing better living conditions in a hygienic and eco-friendly environment,"he said.

06.09.2010-Monday

A new leather factory at cost of 10 Million rupees is to be set up in Vadamarachchi under "Mahinda Chintana: Rekiya Bihidora" Programme. The Vadamarachchi industrial village, 217th industrial village set up under "Mahinda Chintana" Programme, will generate more employment opportunities for Tamil youths in order to grab them into the country's production.

Meanwhile, Rs.5 million worth coir factory was also set up in Chavakachcheri, under the same programme. 35 employees were recruited to be trained by the Industrial Development Board of Ceylon (IDB).

The government recently completed de-mining in the Vadamarachchi East area and resettlement of IDPs in their native places is also now being carried out.

06.09.2010-Monday

Heralding a new era of military cooperation, regional understanding and further promoting mutual bonds of long-lasting friendship between India and Sri Lanka, General Vijay Kumar Singh PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC, Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army, along with a high-level Army delegation, arrived in Sri Lanka Sunday (5) afternoon to a rousing reception, accorded by his Sri Lankan counterpart at the Colombo International Airport.

Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army and Mrs Manjulika Jayasuriya, President, Seva Vanitha Army Branch warmly received the visiting Chief of Army Staff General Vijay Kumar Singh, Mrs Bharti Singh, President, Army Wives Welfare Association, Major General Harminderjit Singh Sachdev SM, General Officer Commanding, Infantry Division, Brigadier Jatinder Pal Singh, Military Assistant and Mrs Aravinder Kaur before they were conducted to the VIP lounge in a colourful procession, comprised of Sri Lankan traditional dancing troupes. The visiting Army Chief left his signature in the VIP book at the airport at the request of the chairman at Colombo International Airport.

The Indian Army delegation was afterwards flown directly to the Army Headquarters where they were cordially received by Major General Daya Ratnayake, Chief of Staff and his spouse, Mrs Damayanthi Ratnayake. Later on, the visiting Chief of Army Staff General Singh and his delegation were to call on High Commissioner of India for Sri Lanka.

Courtesy : Army Media

06.09.2010-Monday

Schools will reopen for the third term tomorrow. Schools used as GCE A/L and Grade Five scholarship paper marking centres will not reopen tomorrow, Education Ministry, sources said.

The third term for Muslim schools will commence on September 13. The marking of A/L papers will begin under three stages in 46 schools islandwide.

Stage one and Grade 5 scholarship examination evaluation centres will start on September 13.

Schools used for the second stage will start on September 20 and third stage will start on September 27.

06.09.2010-Monday

Students studying at the Colombo University selected from Mullaitivu and Killinochchi district met with the Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister and EPDP Secretary General Douglas Devananda on Saturday evening (04.09.2010) and held a discussion.

"You have to study well in the university and emerge as good citizens of the country and at the same time you have to be helpful to your society too", said Minister Devananda during his discussion with the university students.

He emphasized the students to make maximum use of the given opportunities and also urged them to study the Sinhala language as well.

"According to me, as Sri Lankan citizens it is essential for Tamil people to study Sinhala and Sinhala people to study Tamil language", he said further. He said if such system exists in the country then there won’t be any language problem.

05.09.2010-Sunday

For Muthurasa Sivanesarasa age is no barrier to catch up with him lost opportunities. At 25 he was studying in the Advanced Level class. He had to shift from his favourite field - medicine to agriculture.

As a youth he aspired to become a doctor but that dream could not be realised since the LTTE conscripted A/L students including Muthurasa who were studying medicine.

" The LTTE said that they also could give us the same education and we don't have to sacrifice our youth for five years. If we joined their medical unit we could become doctors sooner as they give us the same education", Muthurasa, the former LTTE cadre said.

The LTTE's assurance became a ruse just after six months of their training. The newly 'graduated' LTTE doctors had acquired some experience in dispensing drugs, cleaning wounds, putting dressing and other basic field first aid.

The new batch was asked to be on-call to go to Forward Defence Lines (FDLs). Muthurasa escaped the outfit and started attending classes to pursue his childhood dream. In 2002 he sat for the A/L and got one Credit pass for Bio-Science and three simple passes, which were not enough to enter the university.

Life for Muthurasa was not as easy as he thought as he lost his mother and sister during tsunami that stuck the Mullaithivu district. His father became disabled. Abandoning his plans for higher education, he did odd jobs to feed the family.

Step by step, the military push entered the door-step of the Mullaithivu district. They felt the gravity of a fierce battle and had to share the land with thousands of displaced civilians who had been herded by the LTTE. The LTTE started grabbing whoever could fight to strengthen its man-power but left trail of disaster for the breadwinners of displaced families. That brought luck for Muthurasa as he was the only soul left to feed the family. Muthurasa's brother-in-law, who was dragged by the LTTE to fight, was killed and later the LTTE Police seized his 15-year-old son. The following day the boy returned home and Muthurasa had to hide him in an under-ground bunker. The LTTE Police threatened to take Muthurasa to treat the wounded cadres at the FDLs if he did not return the boy.

Then he surrendered himself to the military with his disabled father, sister and the boy. His sister and father had gone back to their home after leaving the welfare centre. The boy later released after being rehabilitated.

Muthurasa now wants to study agriculture as he thinks he can get a good government job.

As lots of people in his areas depend on agriculture, he also wants to engage in paddy cultivation.

"When I looked back, I never thought I would live. We suffered a lot", he said.

Muthurasa and his colleagues, the ex-LTTE cadres of the Rehabilitation Centre at Vavuniya Tamil Primary School, sat for the A\L Examination last week.

Students sat for the examination from all the streams - Art, Commerce, Bio and Mathematics. They were taught by the teachers of the Tamil Maha Vidyalaya, Vavuniya. Special Seminars were held at weekends to help them catch up with the missed lessons by the specialised teachers of the Department of Education.

During the closing months of the 30-year-old conflict nearly 12,000 LTTE cadres surrendered to the military. Majority of them were youth who had been abducted by the LTTE during the final months of the battle to strengthen its shrinking man-power against the military push.

Like Muthurasa, several LTTE cadres attempted to leave the outfit, but the LTTE still holding the civilians as a human shield to halt the advancing military operation, came hard on those cadres who tried to flee. The LTTE police was used to launch cordon and search operations to take back the cadres, who had escaped fighting.

According to the ex-LTTE cadres undergoing rehabilitation, a large number of their colleagues were killed by the LTTE police. "They shot, those who tried to flee, in public as a deterrent punishment. Later, those who tried to escape were thrown to FDLs to fight. Many who became disabled were denied treatment as a punishment", they said.

V. Trasalingam was there to see his son - Pirabu (22) who was abducted by the LTTE in 2007 while returning from school. Displaced and now living in the welfare centre at Vavuniya, Trasalingam is waiting to go back home.

"I have four sons and two daughters. After the LTTE abducted Pirabu, he returned home and pleaded to hide him from the LTTE. While he was hiding with my relatives, the LTTE imprisoned me until my son was returned to them", he recalled.

Trasalingam was once beaten by the LTTE police as his son overstayed. At last Pirabu decided to return to the LTTE to save his father's life. He was later deployed at the FDL as a punishment.

The family was on the run after the military captured Visuwamadu. Trasalingam struggled to save his other two young sons from the LTTE police which conscripted under-aged children.

"In each temporary hut we dug a bunker and kept our children there. Day and night my wife and I guarded the bunker. When darkness fell my children crept out of the bunker. They were fed with few spoons of rice and a dhal curry which was cooked hurriedly ", he said. The day family together with hundreds of others surrendered to the soldiers turned a new life in their lives.

"Until we came to Vavuniya, we never thought we would be united again. All the time I prayed the God to keep my children together", Trasalingam said that he was happy as his sons, including Pirabu, who is undergoing rehabilitation, are studying and preparing for their examinations.Wimaladevi is also happy as her son was sitting for the A/L Examination. Her son Kumar too was abducted by the LTTE while he was studying at the A/L class in 2008.

"I never thought my son would ever sit for the A/L Examination. He is a studious child and never wanted to join the LTTE. He was always worried that the LTTE abducting his friends," she said.When Kumar refused to go with them, the LTTE police threatened to take his sister. It made him surrender and go with the cadres.Wimaladevi had come to see Kumar and give him some model test papers and lunch packet cooked by her.

Wijekumar Sellakumar who was studying at the Gamini Maha Vidyalaya, Watthegama came to see his sick grandmother at Kilinochchi in 2006. The LTTE suspected that Sellakumar was a spy and took him into custody.

After three -months training, he was posted to the LTTE's intelligence unit. Later he was deployed as a guard at the LTTE prison at the Vellimullivaikkal. Sellakumar escaped the LTTE several times, but the LTTE Police took him back into the custody. Many were posted to the FDLs as a punishment. "The LTTE could not keep its cadres with it during the final stages.

They knew the LTTE was fighting a loosing battle. People could not tolerate the LTTE as they started beating and shooting the people", Sellvakumar had surrendered to the military on May 16, 2009.

He said that though many cadres wanted to surrender to the military much earlier, the LTTE propaganda through street dramas, which showed the soldiers kill boys and rape girls who surrendered, had deterred them. Sellvakumar wanted to go back to his parents in Watthegama soon. He sat for A/L examination in the hope of pursing his higher education in computer science.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/09/05/fea06.asp

04.09.2010-Saturday

Translation of Douglas Devananda's speech was at times on a virtually word-by-word basis

A key witness at the commission set up to examine the final phase of Sri Lanka's civil war has complained his words were not properly translated.

Douglas Devananda, a cabinet minister and ex-Tamil militant, gave a three-hour testimony in the Tamil language.

But he stopped several times to dispute English translations by an interpreter, who looked tired and stressed.

The panel is investigating war crimes claims at the end of the long war, which the Tamil Tiger rebels lost year.

Mr Devananda, who is the minister in charge of refugee resettlement, also overlooked several requests from the panel's chairman that he shorten or paraphrase his speech, which he read out.

At times the translation was virtually on a word-by-word basis.

Microphone issues

Friday's procedural problems were the commission's first serious ones, although at earlier sessions some witnesses have failed to speak fully into the microphone, and some of those present appeared unable to hear witnesses.

Briefly answering questions from commissioners in English at the end, Mr Devananda was asked about allegations made by Tamils in the north that pro-government elements were engaging in extortion, for instance taking land from farmers.

The minister, a former Tamil militant who crossed to the government side two decades ago, admitted some of this was happening, but said it was "almost under control now".

But he also said that other claims, for instance of kidnappings, were largely "rumours" based on "LTTE [Tamil Tiger] propaganda".

Last month in the northern town of Vavuniya, some civilians told the commission that their husbands or sons had been abducted more than a year ago and never seen again.

Mr Devananda, a victim of repeated assassination attempts by the LTTE in the past, said the defeated separatist movement had "pushed the Tamil people into a pit".

He said they had ignored all humanitarian appeals to let civilians cross to safe areas towards the end of the war.

Mr Devananda said he believed President Mahinda Rajapaksa was an open-minded man committed to peace.

But he repeated his position that the government should implement a long-pending constitutional measure to devolve more powers to the provinces.

There are to be more hearings in the coming month, including some in the former war zone in the north.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11180688

04.09.2010-Saturday

A Chennai-based Sri Lankan Tamil refugee has been arrested on charges of planning trafficking of more than 50 Sri Lankan Tamils, some of them from refugee camps in the state, to Australia, the police said today.

Chandrakanthan, 38, was arrested yesterday by the 'Q' branch police for bringing them to Courttalam near Tirunelveli from various parts of the state to send them illegally to Australia for employment.

Cases under various sections of IPC and Foreigners Act were registered against him, the police said.

Following a tip-off,police conducted a search at a lodge where the group was staying at Courttallam and "secured" 53 Lankan Tamils,including nine woman and five children.

Some of them told the police that they had promised to give Rs three lakh to Chandrakanthan for taking them to Australia and paid an advance of Rs10,000.

Of the 53 persons, 23 had recently come to Chennai on tourist visas from Sri Lanka while an equal number were from various non-refugee camps in the state. Seven others were residing in refugee camps, police said.

'Q' branch police after questioning them handed over to local police for further investigation. Some of them would be taken to Mandapam refugee camp, where their documents could be verified, the police said. (PTI)