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First draft of US resolution in circulationAnti - Sri Lanka resolution for UNHRC

Kaushalya in ICC Women’s World Cup Team of the tournament

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Nadira GUNATILLEKE(dailynews.lk) Sri Lanka’s poverty index was 22.7

percent in 2002. Today it is only 8.9 percent. But

on the other hand, under-weight child births have

increased to 16 percent. Over 20 percent of

schoolchildren suffer from malnutrition. This is the

result of negative changes of lifestyle. However

Divineguma will stop this, Divineguma National

Programme Director Jayatilleke Herath said.

Herath said Sri Lanka introduced many poverty

alleviation programmes such as rice coupon

(ration), Janasaviya, Samurdhi, etc in the past.

“They were not failures but all were social welfare

programmes and the dependent mentality was

always there,” he said.

Presenting statistics, he said Rs 173,277 million

was spent to import food in 2011. “In 2010, we

spent Rs 29,214 million to import milk powder.

This figure rose to Rs 38,000 million by 2011. We

spent Rs 9,475 million to import onions in 2011.

Another Rs 1,6276 million was spent on

importing canned fish. We can save all this

money through Divineguma,” he said.

Herath said household economic units need to be

established under the Divineguma National

Programme because of the unhealthy lifestyle

which penetrated into the country through the

open economy introduced in 1977.

“This has affected the health and nutrition intake

of the people . There was a drastic change in

food and consumption habits in the family units

due to the transformation in social, economic and

cultural structures in the country during the last

few decades. Child malnutrition went up rapidly

as a result of these changes. Healthy and

traditional habits such as drinking fresh milk,

eating fresh vegetables picked up from the home

garden etc will be promoted through

Divineguma,” he said.

* CIA’s hunt for terrorists

by Shamindra Ferdinando(island.lk) A top level investigation has revealed

that Sri Lanka not only allowed the use of its

only international airport at Katunayake for

flights associated with US extraordinary

rendition project but also handed over a terror

suspect apprehended on its soil to US agents.

The then UNP-led UNF government had

arrested the wanted foreign national following

the US government making representations, in

the wake of an international hunt for key al-

Qaeda operatives. Sources said that the

suspect’s nationality was yet not known.

Authoritative sources told The Island that the

then President Chandrika Kumaratunga, in spite

of being the Commander-in-Chief of the armed

forces, hadn’t been informed of the UNF’s

decision to facilitate the secret operation.

The inquiry got underway close on the heels of

the New York-based Open Society Foundation

(OSF) alleging that there had been no known

judicial cases or investigations in Sri Lanka

relating to its participation in CIA secret

detention and extraordinary rendition

operations." A report recently released by the

OSF dealt primarily with human rights abuses

associated with the

CIA’s post-Sept.

2001 secret

detention and

extraordinary rendition operations.

Sources said that the Defence Ministry was still

in the process of inquiring into OSF allegations

in a bid to identify those who authorized the

operation.

Sri Lanka got involved in the top secret CIA

operation following the US advice that it revamp

its armed forces as well as intelligence

gathering operations.

Although 54 countries were involved in the

operation, actual arrests were made by only

some including Sri Lanka on behalf of the US.

The 54 countries that aided in post-9/11

renditions: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria,

Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia-

Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, the

Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt,

Ethiopia, Finland, Gambia, Georgia, Germany,

Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran,

Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Lithuania,

Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritania,

Morocco, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania,

Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri

Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, United

Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan,

Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

(dailymirror.lk)Daughter of slainparliamentarian

Baratha LakshmanPremachandra

points to an objectwhile walking out

of court in ajoyous mood. TheAG directed theCID to file cases

against theaccused in themurder of herfather and twoothers. Pix by

Kithsiri De Mel.

Won a battle but the war looms

SL not only facilitated US rendition projectbut also nabbed key al-Qaeda suspect

(island.lk) Former President

Chandrika Bandaranaike

Kumaratunga on Sunday

revealed her intention of writing

her autobiography and said that

she was not afraid to say that

though the country had won the

war it had lost the peace.

She was speaking at a

ceremony to commemorate her

husband Vijaya Kumaratunga’s 25th death

anniversary at the Western Province Aesthetic

Institute. She said that throughout the last

seven years she had been made to suffer. The

media questioned her on such harassment, but

she did not complain.

Among others present on the occasion were

Madampagama Assaji Thera, Dr Rajitha

Senaratne, Rupa Kumaratunga and Dr.

Jayampathy Wickramaratne.

Steep drop in Lanka’s poverty index

Chandrika to write her autobiography

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by Maheesha Mudugamuwa(island.lk) Leading environmentalists urged the

Indian government to protect Sri Lanka from the

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, as it had

developed leaks even before being commissioned.

Environmental Lawyer Jagath Gunawardena

yesterday noted that the relevant Atomic Energy

Authority should take necessary steps to check

the radiation levels in the sea water and air to

determine whether any radioactive materials had

reached the country already.

He told The Island that the relevant authorities

should consider that a serious matter and should

act immediately to protect Sri Lankans, especially

the people who lived in the Northern and Eastern

provinces.

"If there is any major leak it will devastate Sri

Lanka," Gunawardena stressed.

However, last year Atomic Energy Authority chief

Dr. Ranjith Wijewardane urged the public not to

panic over KKNPP as there wasn’t any immediate

danger of any radiation leaks, requiring mass

evacuations, noting that people living in the

Northern Province should not be frightened of the

plant.

Responding to a query by The Island yesterday Dr.

Wijewardane said that he couldn’t answer any

questions from the media as his Minister Patali

Champika Ranawaka had asked him not to talk to

the media.

Meanwhile, all efforts made to contact newly

appointed Technology, Research and Atomic

Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, to

obtain his comments, proved futile.

Kudankulam is situated in the Tirunelveli district in

Tamil Nadu, 25 km North-East of Kanyakumari

and 35 km from Nagercoil. It is also approximately

220 km from the western coast of Sri Lanka.

Indian reports have indicated that Russian experts

working there are unable to plug the leaks.

(island.lk) While making regular demands on Sri

Lanka over accountability issues, Britain has had

no qualms about selling Colombo "small arms

weaponry, ammunition and various other military

equipment" last year, a report in the UK Guardian

newspaper revealed yesterday.

"Statistics taken from the British government’s

own database for strategic export controls show

items ranging from assault rifles and shotguns

through to weapons sights, pistols and

ammunition were sold last year to the South

Asian nation’s government, which has been

accused of extensive human rights violations in

relation to its treatment of its Tamil minority and

the suppression of armed separatists, who have

also been accused of abuses", the Guardian

report said.

It said more than £2m worth of sales last year fell

into the "ML1" category – which is used by the

government to denote small arms and weapons –

according to figures scraped from the

government’s database for strategic export

controls by the Campaign Against the Arms Trade

(CAAT).

Sri Lanka is listed by the Foreign Office as a

"country of concern" because of its human rights

record.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business,

Innovation and Skills (BIS) said it does not

comment on individual licence requests, the

application or the end user, but added: "The UK

government takes its export licensing

responsibilities seriously and operates one of the

most rigorous arms export control regimes in the

world.

"Any application to export a product covered by

an export control is assessed against

internationally recognised criteria on a case-

by-case basis.

"Each assessment we make takes into

account the intended end use of the

equipment, the behaviour of the end user, the

risk of diversion and the prevailing

circumstances in the country concerned. We

pay particular attention to allegations of

human rights abuses."

GK case: JudgeAmaratunga declines

to sit on Bench(dailymirror.lk) When the fundamental rights

petition filed by Golden Key Credit Card

Company depositors came up before the

Supreme Court today, Presiding Judge N.G.

Amaratunga said he would not participate in

the proceedings.

The Bench comprising Justices N.G.

Amaratunga, K. Sripavan and S.I. Imam

directed the SC Registrar to submit the matter

to the Chief Justice for the nomination of a

new Bench.

The matter was fixed to be mentioned on

March 4.

The petitioners cited the Central Bank

Monetary Board, Finance Minister, Ministry

Secretary, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard

Cabraal, Golden Key Credit Card Company,

Lalith Kotelawala, Khavan Perera, Sicille

Kotelawala, seven others and the Attorney

General as respondents. M.A. Bastianz with

Sudath Jayasundara instructed by K.

Ganeshayogan appeared for the petitioners.

(S.S. Selvanayagam)

Night club killing: fivesuspects remanded

by Madura Ranwala(island.lk) Five suspects arrested over the

killing of a 26-year-old youth, in a night club

brawl on Valentine’s Day, were remanded till

February 28 by the Hulftsdorp Magistrate.

The suspects were from Colombo 12, 14, 15,

Baticcaloa and Maligawatte. The deceased

was identified as M. Jayakumar of Barnes

Watte, Colombo 7.

The suspects had allegedly assaulted the

victim after he came out of the club around

2.00 a.m. The rift between victim’s party and

the suspects had begun while he was dancing

with a group of other youth inside the club,

according to the police.

The Kollupitiya Police, conducting

investigations into the killing, found that it was

an argument that led to the killing as the victim

had knocked against another youth while

dancing and was attacked in retaliation.

By Norman Palihawadana(island.lk) A high ranking administrative source

said yesterday that the Colombo Kachcheri had

been set on fire, by some elements, with a view to

destroying certain documents relating to the

construction of the new six storey District

Secretariat at Narahenpita.

"There had been a financial fraud in the project

and those responsible would have set the

Kachcheri ablaze as the relevant documents were

stored there," the source said.

He however said that the targeted documents

were not destroyed by the fire since they had been

shifted to a secure area a few days earlier.

The Colombo Kachcheri was destroyed in the

November 26 fire. Soon after that the Government

Analyst said that it was a case of arson.

Public Administration Minister John Seneviratne

has appointed a committee to probe into the

building fire.

The estimated cost of the new building at

Narahenpita was 140 million rupees.

(ft.lk) A Buddhist monk speaks to an injured Myanmar national,who was rescued by the Sri Lankan navy, in Galle February 17,2013. The navy said it rescued 32 Myanmar nationals who were

stranded after their wooden vessel begun to sink in the deep seasoff the eastern coast. Picture taken February 17, 2013. REUTERS

A Buddhist monk speaksto an injured

Myanmar national…

Alarm sounded over danger to Lankafrom Indian radiation leaks

Guardian reveals British arms sales to Sri Lanka

Kachcheri fire targeted vital documentsrelated to fraud

Ambassador Pererarecalled from Rome

By Mike Andree(island.lk) The services of

Asitha Perera, Sri Lanka’s

Ambassador to Italy, Greece

and Albania and High

Commissioner to Cypress and

Malta, have been terminated

by the External Affairs Ministry

on the instructions of

President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The External Affairs Ministry

yesterday dispatched the

letter, signed by Secretary

Karunatilake Amunugama, to

Asitha Perera stating that his services had been

terminated and ordering him to report to

Colombo on March 20. 2013, sources said.

Perera’s removal is consequent to numerous

complaints made to President Rajapaksa, during

his visit to Italy, by the Sri Lankan expatriates.

The Sri Lankan community in Italy is the

strongest in Europe and one that curbed the

activities of the LTTE

activists. Perera succeeded

Hemantha Warnakulasuriya,

who had been at the forefront

of Sri Lanka’s offensive there.

At a meeting the President

had with the Lankan

Diaspora, Ven. Dambadeniya

Dharmarama Thera, Chief

Incumbent of the

Dharmasoka Vihara in Rome,

appealed to President

Rajapaksa to recall

Ambassador Perera as no

one was happy with him. But,

the President had replied at

that time that it was

impossible to recall an

ambassador.

Two envoys have returned to

the country from Italy

complaining that they cannot

work with Ambassador

Perera and the Ministry is in

a quandary as to how to

replace them as they are

senior diplomats.

This is the first time in the

history of the external affairs

Ministry that an Ambassador

has been recalled and his

services terminated.

(dailymirror.lk) TEHRAN-An Iranian cultural

official rejected some media reports alleging that

he has called for a ban on the imports and sales

of Buddha stautes in Iran, saying that his

remarks have been "misquoted".

Some media reports have recently quoted

Secretary of the Headquarters for Supporting

and Protecting Cultural Works Saeed Jaber

Ansari as saying that the statutes which

represent the saints, beliefs and values of other

religions than Islam, specially the Buddha

Statutes, should be taken away from shop

windows and their imports to Iran should be

banned.

Speaking to FNA on Tuesday, Jaber Ansari

strongly rejected such reports, and stressed that

they are just the result of misinterpretations.

"Unfortunately, my remarks have been

misinterpreted," he said, and further explained, "I

just meant the illegal imports of certain cultural

works and items and in violation of the customs

(rules and regulations)."

"From our point of view, disrespect for the beliefs

of other religions is unacceptable," he reiterated.

Iranian official rejects reports on banon Buddha statues

Religious ceremonymarks founder’s birth

anniversary(dailynews.lk) A

religious ceremony

to mark the 127th

birth anniversary of

D R Wijewardene,

the founder of the

Lake House Group

of Newspapers,

will be held on

February 22. All

night pirith

chanting and

dhamma deshana

will be held on

February 22 at 9

pm.

An alms giving to the Maha Sangha will be held

the following day.




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(dailymirror.lk) The Buddha statue has become a

banned item in Iran and the Iranian authorities are

confiscating Buddha statues from shops in Tehran,

to stop the promotion of Buddhism in the country,

foreign media reported quoting Iranian’s

independent Arman daily.

Buddha statues have been labelled as symbols of

“cultural invasion,” an official for the protection of

Iran’s cultural heritage, Saeed Jaberi Ansari, was

quoted in the independent Iran-based Arman daily

as saying.

Meanwhile, Saeed Jaberi Ansari reportedly

confirmed on Sunday that the “cleansing” would

continue and authorities would not permit a

specific belief to be promoted through such items.

He did not say, however, how many Buddha

statues had already been seized, Al

Arabia reported.

Some Iranians buy Buddha statues to

decorate their homes and cars. Most

are made in China and come from

Iranian free-trade zones in the Gulf,

reports stated.

Under Iran’s constitution, Christian and

Jewish beliefs as well as

Zoroastrianism are recognized

alongside Islam, the official religion.

The law says that in general the rights

of all non-Muslims should be observed.

(sundayobserver.lk) Twenty-two students of St.

Bridget's Convent, Colombo, have achieved 3'A's

at the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination held in

August 2012, of whom twenty were from the

Commerce Stream, one from the Arts Stream and

one from the Science Stream. A total of 161

students sat the examination of which 120 are

eligible for University Admission.

Another creditable achievement was in the London

(A/Level) Section - June 2012, where a student

was awarded the World Prize for Accounting.

The School has made steady progress under the

guidance of the Principal, Rev. Sr. Shermila

Jayawardena, and this year's achievements in the

academic field have certainly been a record for St.

Bridget's. She attributed this success to the hard

work and dedication of both teachers and

students.

By Indika Sri Aravinda(thesundayleader.lk) The particles found near

parliament in Kotte recently are not from a

meteorite, Dr Chandana Jayaratne, Senior

Lecturer in Physics at the University of Colombo

and Consultant of Astronomy and Space

Applications at the Arthur C. Clarke Centre said.

Dr. Chandana Jayaratne told The Sunday Leader

that investigations revealed that the particles were

from melted carbide used for metal welding

purposes.

The particles had fallen in the garden near a

house two weeks ago and reports at the time said

that it was almost certain it was part of a

meteorite.

Meanwhile, commenting on the meteorite which

fell in Russia on Friday, Dr. Chandana Jayaratne

said that it was the biggest to fall on earth in

recent times.

He said that in Sri Lanka the last meteorite to fall

on earth was in Negambo two years ago. He said

that particles from that meteorite had partially

damaged some houses in the Dehiwala and

Bambalapitiya areas. He said that it was difficult to

escape from a meteor shower and the public

should be mindful of the radiation if such particles

were to fall in Sri Lanka.

(sundaytimes.lk) Four members of the Board of

Governors and the Manager of one of the leading

private schools in the country, Trinity College,

Kandy, resigned this week, citing subversion of

previous decisions taken regarding the suitability of

the Acting Principal to hold the post.

The four members of the Board of Governors are

Trinity OBA (parent body) President Nissanka

Nillegoda, Prince Nayagam, Sanjiva Wijesinghe and

Jayantha Jayawardena. The Manager is Dr.

Thalgahegoda. Their resignation is in protest of

what they call the questionable teaching

qualifications of the Acting Principal, and his rank in

the Army at the time of retirement.

The Board of Governors, at its previous meeting in

October last year, decided that, as the Acting

Principal was unable to produce the relevant

teaching certificates, his employment would not be

renewed at the end of his contract. They say that

the Chairman of the Board, Bishop Shantha Francis

had, however, extended the contract of the Acting

Principal, contrary to the decision of the Board of

Governors. Bishop Shantha Francis told the Sunday

Times that the OBA President was in any case due

to end his term while the others have resigned on

difference of opinion.

(sundayobserver.lk) Adiwasis sell their products: Dambana, an Adiwasivillage has become highly commercialised due to the influx of visitors.

Adiwasis have given up their traditional livelihood means and todayturn out ornaments. Here two Adiwasis wait eagerly to sell their

products. Pic: Mahil Wijesinghe

Buddha statue taboo in Iran

Trinity College board, manager quit over actingprincipal’s extension

Particles In Kotte Not From A Meteorite

St. Bridget's excels at A/L exam

Facts in stories needto be checked

A news story (Online, February 16), headlined

'British reporter shot in Sri Lanka', created the

false impression a British journalist was the

victim.

The headline suggests, mistakenly, that Faraz

Shauketaly was either a British journalist on

assignment in Sri Lanka, or was based in Sri

Lanka for a British news organisation. In fact, Mr

Shauketaly is a Sri Lankan of dual nationality,

with British citizenship, and was working as a

journalist on the Sri Lankan newspaper The

Sunday Leader.

I would have expected a news organisation such

as yours to be extra-vigilant in checking your

facts without, inadvertently perhaps, pandering

to the rhetorical outbursts of those who thrive on

falsehoods and disharmony.

NEVILLE DE SILVADeputy High CommissionerHigh Commission of the Democratic SocialistRepublic of Sri Lanka

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(dbsjeyaraj.com) PRESS TRUST OF INDIA-The

Channel 4 documentary featuring pictures of the

alleged coldblooded killing of LTTE chief Velupillai

Prabakaran’s 12-year-old son has been dismissed

by Sri Lanka as “lies, half truths and numerous

forms of speculation.”

The documentary titled ‘No War Zone-The Killing

Fields of Sri Lanka’ is to be aired in Geneva at the

next session of the U.N. Human Rights Council

(UNHRC) in March.

The pictures have once again raised questions

about the conduct of the Sri Lankan armed forces

during the final stages of the operation against

Tamil Tigers and dealt another blow to the

government’s attempts to head off a critical

resolution at the UNHRC.

One of the photos shows Balachandran

Prabakaran sitting in a bunker, alive and

unharmed, in the custody of troops. Another, taken

a few hours later, shows the boy’s body on the

ground, his chest pierced by bullets.

“This is not the first time such unsubstantiated

allegations have been levelled against the Sri

Lankan forces,” military spokesman Brigadier

Ruwan Wanigasooriya said.

“Interestingly, these come up as we near a

UNHRC meeting and die down thereafter. No

substantive evidence has been presented for us to

launch an investigation. Unfortunately, it appears

that the parties who float such baseless

allegations never want these to be investigated or

solved. They want to keep them as mysteries in

order to tarnish the country’s good image as and

when it suits their agendas.”

Mr. Wanigasooriya said that if the Channel 4 was

interested in having them investigated, it should

cooperate with credible evidence and the Army

would institute a probe.

Channel 4’s documentary director Callum Macrae

said the documentary aimed to test India over its

next move in the UNHRC resolution against Sri

Lanka. India had voted against Sri Lanka at last

year’s resolution. “The new evidence in the film is

certain to increase pressure on the Indian

government to not only support a resolution on Sri

Lanka and accountability, but also ensure that it is

robustly worded, and that it outlines an effective

plan for international action to end the impunity in

Sri Lanka,” Mr. Macrae said.

(colombopage.com) Feb 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka's

Permanent Representative to the United Nations in

Geneva, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, is to

head the activities at the UN Human Rights

Council (UNHRC) on behalf of Sri Lanka at the

moment.

The local media has reported that Aryasinha was

likely to lead the Sri Lanka delegation at the 22nd

session of the UNHRC scheduled to begin later

this month.

Secretary of the External Affairs

Ministry Karunatilaka Amunugama

has said that Aryasinha has been

asked to head the activities on

behalf of the country in the

UNHRC.

He has noted that the Sri Lankan

government delegation to visit

Geneva for the sessions is yet to

be named.

However, earlier reports said that

the President's human rights envoy,

Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe

would head the Sri Lankan

delegation at the UNHRC as he

has don in the previous sessions.

Pictures of LTTE Chief’s son’s Alleged KillingDismissed by Colombo as “Lies,Half-truths

and Numerous Forms of Speculation”

Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UNin Geneva to head the activities at UNHRC

(Asiantribune.com): The lawyer appointed by

Venkadasalam Sudeshkar’s mother has already

filed appeal in the Supreme Court of Qatar against

the death sentence imposed by the Appeal Court

of Qatar, on 31 December 2012.

Sudeshkar’s mother has retained Dr. Mohamad

Bin Ahamed Al- Mohannadi, the Qatari lawyer who

appeared for him in the Court of Appeal and Sri

Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment has agreed

to pay Qatari Riyal 25,000/ (Twenty-five thousand)

as the retainer for the lawyer.

Asian Tribune learnt all

the connected papers for

appeal had been handed

over to the Qatari lawyer

by the Sri Lankan

Embassy in Qatar and

the lawyer has filed the

necessary appeal

papers with the

Supreme Court of Qatar.

Venkadasalam Sudeshkar is a Sri Lanka from

Kala Eliya, and holder

of Sri Lankan Passport

No. 4031544.

Venkadasalam Sudeshkar: Sri Lankan on deathrow in Qatar – Appeal papers filed




by Mike Andree(island.lk) The Sri Lankan

community in Italy staged a

massive protest against the

conduct of Sri Lanka’s

Ambassador in Italy Asitha

Perera. They appealed to

President Mahinda Rajapaksa

to recall Ambassador Asitha

Perera, as his administration

had failed to keep up to the

standards maintained by the

Embassy before he assumed

office, sources in Italy said.

The demonstrators said that

certain schemes launched by

the Embassy in order to help

the Sri Lankan Diaspora, such

as opening the Embassy on

Sundays, had been done away

with. Whilst showing their

unstinted support to the

government and the President,

they lamented that the present

Ambassador had miserably

failed to serve the Sri Lankan

Community and protect his own

staff from agents who had

threatened and intimated

Diplomatic officers and the

embassy staff making it

impossible for them to work in a

tense environment, the source

said.

(dailymirror.lk) The European Union today

decided to support the US sponsored resolution

against Sri Lanka at the forthcoming UN Human

Rights Council session in Geneva, an official

document said.

The document, which was adopted by the EU

foreign

ministers in

Brussels on

Monday, reads that, “the EU will also support

efforts aimed at keeping the issues of

accountability and reconciliation as well as the

current human rights situation in Sri Lanka on

the agenda of the Human Rights Council.”

The Council's conclusions stress the importance

of addressing key human rights concerns in

Syria, Mali, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic

of the Congo, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan.

by Ananda Agalakada(sundayobserver.lk) Food exports from Sri Lanka

to Muslim countries, especially to the Middle East

may be adversely affected if Halal certification is

withdrawn, Businessman cum Colombo District Sri

Lanka Freedom Party organizer M. Fawzan Anwer

said.

He said that food exports to Middle East alone

exceed US $ 1 billion per annum.Anwer pointed

that the Halal certification implemented by All

Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) was legal and

transparent.

He also said that Halal certification process was

completely voluntary and ACJU do not force

Muslims, or anyone else, to consume Halal foods

and also do not compel companies to follow suit.

What the ACJU offers is a standard certification

and not anything else, he said.

He also said that some have misunderstood the

meaning of Halal and added that Halal means

lawful in Arabic and is used to identify any object

or action which is permissible to use or engage in

according to the Islamic law and this was not

limited to food and drink alone.

He went on to say that Halal products were not

exclusive for Muslims and it can be used freely by

non-Muslims as well.Anwer pointed out that

countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore

have successfully integrated the Halal system in

their business environment without any

controversy. This has also spurred business in

those countries, he noted.He questioned whether

there was an outside attempt to create communal

tension using the issue to stall development at a

time when the country is moving forward rapidly.

By Indika Sri Aravinda(thesundayleader.lk) The main

opposition United National

Party (UNP) has issued an

open invite to former Army

Commander Sarath Fonseka to

be part of a joint opposition.

UNP National Organiser Daya

Gamage said that the UNP had

already invited opposition

political parties to be part of the

joint opposition.

He told The Sunday Leader

that the open invite also stood

for Fonseka and the UNP was

willing to work with him if he

considers the invitation.

Gamage meanwhile also said

that there are so many critics of

UNP leader Ranil

Wickremesinghe within the

party.

However he said the party has

no intention of sacking any

member or taking revenge.

He said that the party

disciplinary committee has a

duty to investigate members

who openly criticise the party.

However he said a probe by the

disciplinary committee is just a

procedural act and not an

attempt to remove any member.

Gamage also said that the UNP

is hopeful of garnering more

votes at the next provincial

council election. He said the

UNP is targeting a membership

of 300,000 by the year 2014.

Ranil moots body tomonitor LLRC

(sundaytimes.lk) Opposition United National Party

Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe called for the

appointment of a committee comprising

government, opposition and civil society members

to monitor the implementation of the Lessons

Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC)

recommendations.

Addressing a media conference in Kilinochchi at

the conclusion of a two-day visit to the north, the

opposition leader said the move would help to

mitigate international criticism on the non-

implementation of the LLRC recommendations.

He said that the Government could appoint 25

members and others should be from the opposition

and civil society.

A destitute woman telling her story of despair toOpposition UNP leader and pleading with him to help

her when he visited Kilinochchi. With Mr.Wickremesinghe is TNA Parliamentarian Mavai

Senathirajah. Pic by Romesh Dhanushka

Halal certification legal and transparent -Fawzan Anwer

Italian Lankans protest againstSL ambassador

UNP Invites Fonseka

EU decides to support US resolutionagainst SL

By Shamindra Ferdinando(island.lk) Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj.

Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe on Saturday said

that since the conclusion of the conflict in May

2009, the army had considerably reduced its

presence in the Jaffna peninsula.

Responding to criticism of an

overbearing military presence, Maj.

Gen. Hathurusinghe said that the entire

army deployment there comprised

13,100 officers and men, whereas at

the height of the conflict the army

maintained a 43,000 strong force.

"Today, our presence is diminished,

though some people still speak of a

heavy military deployment," Maj. Gen.

Hathurusinghe said in response to a

query.

The combined SLN and SLAF strength in the

peninsula was one third of the army deployment,

the SF commander said. According to him, at the

time he took over the Jaffna command in Dec

2009, the army contingent comprised some

27,400 personnel.

The Jaffna Commander emphasized that there

hadn’t been any protests by ordinary people

against the army presence, though some

interested parties were campaigning for

further troop withdrawals.

Commenting on the ongoing expansion

of the security forces base at the Palaly,

Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe said that

Palaly-Kankesanthurai sector was of

pivotal importance to overall security of

the peninsula. Those critical of

expansion at Palaly had conveniently

forgotten that the military gave up all

other high security zones in the

peninsula, except Palaly over the last

three years. Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe invited

those who had been critical about post-war living

conditions in the peninsula to examine the

situation on their own. Jaffna was open for scrutiny

by political parties, as well as anyone wanting to

know what was going on, the Maj. Gen. said.

Forces’ presence in Jaffna diminished–Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe

HRW urges UNHRCto launch inquiry

on Sri Lanka(adaderana.lk) At its March 2013 session, the

United Nations Human Rights Council should

authorize an independent, international

investigation into war crimes committed during the

final months of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict, Human

Rights Watch said in a letter to council members

today.

Since the council adopted a resolution on Sri

Lanka at its March 2012 session calling for action,

the Sri Lankan government has taken no

significant steps to provide justice for victims of

abuse and accountability for those responsible,

the HRW website reported.

“Over the past year the Sri Lankan government

has alternated between threatening activists who

seek justice and making small, cynical gestures to

keep the international community at bay,” said

Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights

Watch. “The Human Rights Council should dismiss

these tactics, end the delays and authorize an

independent, international investigation into the

estimated 40,000 civilian deaths at the conflict’s

end.”

On February 11, 2013, the UN Office of the High

Commissioner for Human Rights issued a highly

critical reporton the Sri Lankan government’s

failure to provide justice and accountability and

urged “an independent and credible international

investigation into alleged violations of international

human rights and humanitarian law”, the website

further reported.

Human Rights Watch called on Human Rights

Council members to support a resolution that

would establish an international investigation

under the high commissioner’s office.

‘Utter rubbish’(ceylontoday.lk) The government yesterday said it

was not bound to reveal the details of deals

pertaining to weaponry or military equipment.

Rubbishing British media reports accusing the

British Government of providing military equipment

to Sri Lanka, Lakshman Hulugalle, Director

General of Media Centre for National Security

(MCNS), when contacted said; "Those are mere

allegations levelled by certain British media citing

unconfirmed sources. Anyway, we are not bound

to reveal details of our arms deals."

The British Government has come under severe

attack by the British media for supplying military

equipment, including arms to the Government of

Sri Lanka, which they said 'has been accused of

extensive human rights violations.'

Geneva preparationsnot shared with the

UNP: Govt

UK hasn't approvedexports of arms to SL

military-Burt

US confirms resolutionon Lanka

(dailymirror.lk) The government in response to

assertions made by the UNP to the effect that

the country is not prepared to face the upcoming

UNHRC sessions said “The government is fully

prepared both internally and externally for the

UNHRC sessions”.

Speaking to Daily Mirror Government

spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said

the government has made all preparations for

the upcoming sessions.

“We don’t share our preparations with the UNP.

We have done everything in order to prepare

ourselves for this upcoming session” he said.

Earlier Secretary to the Ministry of External

Affairs Karunarathne Amunugama said the

government has taken all measures to ensure

the LLRC finding were implemented in keeping

with the resolution passed in Geneva last year.

(Hafeel Farisz)

(dailymirror.lk) Britain has denied media reports

that it sold more than £2m worth of small arms

weaponry to Sri Lanka’s military last year.

The London based Independent newspaper

reported that,“small arms weaponry, ammunition

and various other military equipment were

among millions of pounds' worth of goods

exported last year from Britain to Sri Lanka

under licences for arms and other closely

regulated exports.”

“UK hasn't approved exports of small arms to Sri

Lankan military. Majority of export licences

approved, including all those for small arms,

were for private security companies countering

piracy in region,” Parliamentary Under Secretary

of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Alistair Burt has tweeted.

dailymirror.lk) The State Department said today

the US was 'deeply concerned about allegations

of violations with regard to humanitarian law and

human rights' and reiterated it would introduce a

resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights

Council in Geneva. Answering a question posed

by a journalist at the daily news briefing, State

Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland also

said the US welcomed the report by UN Human

Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay

“We continue to be deeply concerned by

allegations of violations of international

humanitarian law and human rights in Sri Lanka.

We support a full accounting for all who are

engaged in acts of violation of international

humanitarian law. We also welcome the report

by UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi

Pillay. We also note the strong concern about

the Sri Lankan Government’s lack of action to

address these long standing issues of

reconciliation and accountability. And as you

know, we plan to introduce our own resolution on

this at the Human Rights Council,” Ms. Nuland

said

(




WWW.NEWSLANKA.NET




by Saman Indrajith(island.lk) DNA leader and former Army

Commander, General Sarath Fonseka yesterday

said that he came to know of his wife’s possible

candidacy for the chief ministerial post in either the

Wayamba or Central Provincial Council,

both of which are expected to be dissolved

soon, only through newspapers.

"Nobody mentioned such a thing to me,

until I saw it on newspapers. Nobody has

so far asked her to contest a provincial

poll."

Contacted for comment on certain reports

that he was planning to form a new political

party on Saturday (23) at Kurunegala

under the name ‘Jathika Pavura’, Gen

Fonseka said there was no truth in those

stories. The ‘Jathika Pavura’ was only an

alternative organization to serve an umbrella for

political leaders from various parties of the

Opposition. "We plan to invite Sajith Premadasa

and Karu Jayasuriya of the UNP and politicians

such as Mano Ganeshan. We hope that they

would come and join us. Already UNP dissidents

such as Palitha Rangebandara, Ashoka

Abeysinghe, Maithree Gunaratne and Shiral

Lakthilaka have promised to attend

Saturday’s event at Kurunegala."

The ‘Jathika Pavura’ would open its district

head office in the Kurunegala Town on

Saturday.

Gen. Fonseka said that a new party would

certainly be formed and it would contest the

polls for the councils in the Central and

Wayamba provinces. "Yet, we have not

decided on a name for it. The ‘Jathika

Pavura’ could be used as a stepping stone

for the new party," he said.

Upali Amarasiri and Palitha Pelpola had been

named as the President and General Secretary of

the ‘Jathika Pavura’ organization, party sources

said.

(dailymirror.lk) The Sri Lanka Army today charged

that whenever a UNHRC meeting is to take place,

some pro-Tamil separatist organisations abroad

come up with various allegations to tarnish Sri

Lanka’s image but they die down when the

meetings end.

“They use lies, half-truths, rumours, and numerous

forms of speculation and interestingly these come

up as we get closer to a UNHRC meeting but die

down thereafter,” military spokesman R.

Wanigasooriya told Daily Mirror online.

He was responding to latest allegations by

Britain’s Channel-4 depicting photos of the slain

LTTE Leader’s youngest son while he was alive

and after his death.

Brigadier Wanigasooriya said during the last few

UNHRC sessions, those pro-Tamil separatists

groups came with various types of allegations as

well.

“If there is genuine concern in bringing

perpetrators to justice the concerned parties have

to make complaints to the police with whatever

evidence have rather than floating rumours and

baseless allegations through the internet and other

media. I wish they were more interested in having

these investigated, and if they cooperate with

credible evidence we shall solve these once and

for all,” he said in a statement to the media.

The Brigadier also said that no substantive

evidence has been presented for the Army to

launch an investigation. “Unfortunately, it appears

that the parties who float such baseless

allegations never want these to be investigated or

solved. They want to keep them as mysteries to

tarnish the country's good image as and when it

suits their agendas,” he said.

by Dasun Edirisinghe(island.lk) JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe

said that all should unite to defeat attempts, by

the United States and its allies, to jeopardize

world peace, security and reconciliation.

Addressing the 22nd Rotary District Conference

at the BMICH, he said that all were aware that

there were more than 1,000 US military bases

around the world.

The JVP believed that there was no threat

whatsoever to the US or its interests anywhere in

the world Amarasinghe said.

"Sooner than later, let us work hard together,

although we agree to disagree on many issues,

for the victory of Panchaseela Principles of

Peaceful Co-Existance," the

JVP leader said.

Amarasinghe said that total

worldwide military spending

in 2009 was $1,531 trillion.

"Now it should be definetely

much higher than that

amount."

He said that it represented a

49 per cent rise in real terms

since 2000. The USA and its

NATO allies accounted for 70

per cent of that figure. The

USA alone spends 43 per

cent of the total, and is by far the world’s biggest

arms dealer, with 30 per cent of global arms

exports, he said.

Recently, the US Congress approved, in the face

of deepening economic crisis at home, USD 725

billion for defence spending in 2011. That was the

largest military allocation since the Second World

War and the highest in history, Amarasinghe said.

"The pretext of preventing terrorism, has not

reconciled the American public to the imperialist

war in Afghanistan," he said.

Amarasinghe said that the opinion polls showed

that 63 per cent of Americans were opposed to

the war, but since these discontented people

were not organized politically, the US and NATO

had been able to carry on their invasion of Iraq

and Afghanistan in the face of majority opposition

at home.

Iran, North Korea and the Palestinian Arabs were

the most threatened by future US – Israel - NATO

aggression. Warlike Zionist Israel seemed very

keen to immediately attack Iran, which was now

completely encircled by US military bases, the

JVP leader said.

He added that the US government had never

accepted its ejection from Iran in 1979, and had

left no stone unturned, since then, in its attempts

to re-establish imperialist dominance over that

country.

by Franklin R. Satyapalan(island.lk) A Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)

proposal,. that re-demarcation of the local

boundaries of the country be carried out on ethnic

and religious lines, has caused serious worry to

the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU).

The JHU has serious concerns that the re-

demarcation in such a manner could have a

disastrous effect on the country’s sovereignty,

National integrity and Unitary status.

National Organizer of the JHU Nishantha

Warnasingha said yesterday "We do not argue

against and have no objections that the

government is concerned about re-building,

reconciliation and ethnic harmony among the

communities following the liberation of the country,

but it should not be done at the expense of the

Sinhalese Buddhist majority in the country."

"JHU General Secretary Minister Champika

Ranawaka has already expressed our objections

to the Government in the strongest terms and

written to senior Presidential Advisor Minister Basil

Rajapaksa and the Chairman of the National

Delimitation Commission Jayalath Dissanayake

asking for an appointment to make

representations," he said adding "We are very

much concerned about the SLFP’s proposals on

re-demarcation of the local boundaries in the

Central, Eastern, Northern and the North Central

Provinces."

Warnasinghe said that in the most historically and

religiously sensitive areas, such as Sri Pada,

Digawapi, Muhudhu Maha Vihare, Lanka Pattuna

and some archeological sites in the Pottuvil,

Panama and Lahugala areas, in the Eastern

province, and areas like Vavuniya, Weli Oya in the

North, the rights of the Sinhalese should not be

overlooked when re-demarcating local boundaries.

By Shamindra Ferdinando(island.lk) The Global Tamil Forum (GTF),

spearheading a campaign to haul Sri Lanka up

before an international war crimes tribunal, over

accountability issues, has secured space in the

British parliament to mount an all-out attack ahead

of the US moving its second resolution targeting

the country.

According to the GTF, several British politicians,

including the Deputy Prime Minister, who is also

the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg,

are scheduled to address a meeting to mark its

third anniversary at Committee Room 14, on Feb.

27 between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will be

represented by its leader and parliamentarian R.

Sampanthan and attorney-at-law M. A.

Sumanthiran, MP.

GTF spokesperson Suren Surendiran told The

Island that the conference would highlight the

current situation in Sri Lanka, with several

international speakers sharing their opinion.

Member of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s

Panel of Experts (PoE) South Africa’s Yasmin

Sooka and Leader of the Opposition and Labour

Leader Ed Miliband are scheduled to address the

gathering.

Former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is

scheduled to share his views via a video message

but the highlight will be the first ever preview of

new documentary titled ‘No Fire Zone’ alleging war

crimes during the final phase of the conflict.

Surendiran said that ‘No Fire Zone’ was the third

documentary in the ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’

series directed by Callum Macrae. The full

documentary would be screened at the

forthcoming session of the United Nations Human

Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. The Geneva

screening would be followed by special showings

in India and the United States, the GTF

spokesperson said.

Responding to a query, Surendiran claimed that

‘No Fire Zone’ would reveal hitherto not shown

footage depicting irrefutable evidence of war

crimes.

Among the other speakers are Prof. William

Schabas, who appeared in Macrae’s first

documentary, released in June 2011, Dr. Joshua

Castellino and Prof. Elvira Dominguez Redondo,

representing the Middlesex University.

Interestingly, Peter Kellner, Chair of the Royal

Commonwealth Society is scheduled to discuss

the ongoing controversy over Sri Lanka being the

venue for Commonwealth Heads of Government

Meeting (CGOGM 2013) later this year.

By Shamindra Ferdinando(island.lk) Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody

yesterday alleged that the British were playing

politics at the expense of Sri Lanka, hence

undermining the post-war reconciliation process.

The Galle District MP was responding to the UK

based Global Tamil Forum (GTF) planning to use

the British parliament as a platform to target Sri

Lanka. The Deputy Speaker said that the

British action would only strengthen

those who were working overtime to

provoke communal feelings.

The MP expressed shock and dismay

over the British government and the

Opposition accepting the GTF’s invitation

to participate in the Feb. 27 meeting

though the group was propagating

separatist sentiments. Asked whether Sri

Lanka would raise the issue with the

British High Commission in Colombo, Weerakkody

said that the British were obviously supportive of

the LTTE rump regardless a ban on the outfit in

that country. The MP acknowledged that Sri

Lanka’s protests wouldn’t influence the British

thinking due to the Conservatives, the Labour as

well as the Liberal Democrats making a desperate

bid to secure votes.

He recalled the revelation made by whistle blowing

Wiki Leaks as regards the then British Foreign

Secretary David Miliband visiting Colombo in the

company of his French counterpart Bernard

Kouchner in a bid to halt the Sri Lankan offensive

on the Vanni front. A London based US diplomat

was quoted as having said that Miliband’s visit had

been influenced by his own political interest,

Weerakkody said.

The Deputy Speaker pointed out that former

Norwegian peacemaker Erik Solheim, too, was

scheduled to address the gathering in London.

The MP said that he was not surprised by the

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) accepting

the GTF’s invitation. In fact, as one-time

mouthpiece of the LTTE, the TNA had

gone to the extent of declaring the LTTE

as the sole representative of Tamil

speaking people in the run-up to the

Norwegian-arranged Ceasefire

Agreement (CFA) in Feb. 2002.

The TNA had continued to consider the

LTTE as the sole representative of

Tamils until security forces brought the

war to a successful conclusion in May 2009, the

MP said. Although the GTF came into existence

three years ago, at the end of the conflict, all those

involved in the collective throughout the conflict

fully backed the LTTE’s campaign of death and

destruction.

Weerakkody challenged those participating at the

Feb. 27 meeting to prove at least one instance

where they had objected to the LTTE quitting the

peace process in April 2003 during Ranil

Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the Prime Minister. All

of them had kept mum as that served their

purpose, he said.

GTF secures foothold in British parliamentfor anti-SL offensive

Britain undermining Lanka’s reconciliationprocess – Dy. Speaker

JVP leader calls on world to oppose US threat

Gen. Fonseka says learnt of wife’s candidacyfrom newspapers

Usual allegations closer to UNHRC meetings: Army

JHU opposes redemarcation on ethnic,religious lines

(island.lk) In an exclusive interview with Channel 4

News, UN Human Rights

Commissioner Navi Pillay has urged

the Sri Lankan government to provide

immediate protection to Sunday Leader

journalist Faraz Shaukatally, who is

currently in intensive care after being

shot by three unidentified gunmen on

Friday night.

Channel 4 quoted Pillay as having said:

"It’s an act of attempted assassination

so he needs to be protected

immediately."

Shauketaly, 52, holds joint British and Sri Lankan

citizenship.

Ms Pillay said "I’m deeply disturbed by

this particular shooting because he is a

journalist and he’s attached to a

newspaper that’s known to be critical of

the government - particularly on

accountability and in justice issues -

which are issues that I cover. And, I will

be reporting to the Human Rights

Council my concern over extra judicial

killings, abductions and this kind of

treatment and suppression of freedom of

expression."

(Contd: on P12)

Pillay calls on GoSL to protect journalist




Minister Jayasena sayscalled IGP to “seek relief”

(dailymirror.lk) Cabinet Minister Sumedha Jayasena

while admitting that she called the IGP and requested

the release of three illegal sand miners, who were

arrested on December 27, said she intended to make a

statement regarding the issue. “This is all fabrication;

the media is slinging mud at us. There were three

people who were caught on December 27, and they

were helpers working at a building I am constructing

but I had no knowledge of this particular incident.

These people were arrested and they did not know that

it was illegal. They had done this before as well. When

they were arrested I didn’t call any other officer

because I don’t do things like that. I only called the IGP

and asked him to give the people some relief” she said.

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs when asked if

calling the IGP to “seek relief” for those involved in

illegal activities was ethical, the Minister admitted it

was not.

(dailymirror.lk) A Colombo Court today issued an

Enjoining Order on the main opposition United

National Party (UNP) which sought to expel Sri

Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) MPs who voted

for the impeachment of Dr. Shirani

Banadaranayake despite the UNP deciding to vote

against the motion.

Colombo District Court Judge Amal Ranaraja

issued this order operative till March 5 with notice

of injunction and summons issued returnable on

March 5.

SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem, Minister Basheer

Segu Dawood, parliamentarians M.S. Thowfeek,

H.M.M. Harees, M.C.M. Faizal and Aslam

Mohamed Saleem in their plaints cited UNP leader

Ranil Wickremesinghe and General Secretary

Tissa Attanayake as the defendants.

Romesh de Silva PC with Harsha Amarasekera

PC instructed by G.G. Arulpragasam appeared for

the plaintiffs.

They stated that the resolution calling for the

impeachment of Dr. Shirani A.Bandaranayake was

debated and voted on January 10 and 11.(SSS)

SF complains to HRCabout delay byElections Chief

(ft.lk) Democratic Party Leader and former

Army Chief Sarath Fonseka yesterday filed

a complaint at the Human Rights

Commission of Sri Lanka, charging that the

Elections Commissioner was delaying

registering his political party.

Fonseka’s complaint says that the Elections

Commissioner was claiming there was a

technical problem with regard to registering

his party, in spite of an order issued by the

HRC in 2012.

The Elections Commissioner rejected the

party’s registration application on two

grounds when the Democratic National

Alliance revised its name and sought to be

registered as the Democratic Party

following the presidential elections of 2010.

The party filed a complaint with the HRC

which upheld that the Constitution had been

breached by the refusal to register the party

and notified the Elections Commissioner in

June 2012.

The Democratic Party says that since the

Elections Commissioner has not responded

positively to the Commission’s ruling, it is

seeking the further intervention of the HRC

in the matter.

Pillayfrom P10The British media outfit quoted Sunday Leader

editor Sakunthala Perera as having said

Shauketaly was shot while he was on the

telephone discussing a story due to appear in this

week’s edition.

However, when asked about suggestions that the

government could have been involved in the

shooting, Ms Pillay told Channel 4 News: "That’s

why there has to be a proper investigation before

we can conclude that. In the meantime, it’s law

enforcement that has to provide him protection.

And it would demonstrate on the part of the

government that they care if one of their citizens is

fired upon. Everybody should care (about) who are

the people who are going around shooting other

people. This is what law enforcement is about.

"The Sri Lankan government swears by the

integrity of their army and their police, well it’s time

they demonstrated that. These institutions built

into the democracy must now begin to work

properly and this is an immediate instance where

they can demonstrate that. "

Pillay said Sri Lanka must provide a credible

investigation involving the civil society, because "if

it is done by the government or the police

themselves they do not enjoy the confidence of

the people at this stage."

Ms Pillay praised Channel 4’s investigative report,

Sri Lanka’s killing fields on the last few weeks of

the Sri Lankan civil war, broadcast in 2011.

Pillay said: "Let me say how much Channel 4’s

information is appreciated because you have

brought this to the fore. I myself mandated by the

Human Rights Council have been filing reports on

the human rights situation in Sri Lanka - we will be

reviewing that again in March, but I have

consistently called for a credible international

investigation particularly of the occurrences in the

last few days of the conflict."

She added that she was frustrated by the Sri

Lankan government’s lack of investigation, with

offers of UN help, to establish what happened at

the end of the country’s civil conflict.

Ms Pillay insists: "We want to provide them with

expert investigative assistance, we are ready to

provide this kind of assistance and I’m really

disappointed it has not been taken up."

She added: "It’s particularly bad because this was

government forces firing on civilians

indiscriminately - they were shelled and the normal

responsibility of governments is to protect people -

not to kill them."

She said: "I think that is deeply disturbing because

it’s a repetition of the criticism that was levelled

against the United Nations during the Rwandan

genocide and there was a report done after that

with recommendations.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa with students of Mahinda RajapaksaCollege, Matara which he opened. Picture by Sudath Malaweera

Court enjoins UNP from expelling SLMC MPs

(dailymirror.lk) The government has issued a fresh

circular to monitor the construction of places of

religious worship in the country, in an effort to ease

religious tension, the House Leader and Minister

Nimal Siripala de Silva informed Parliament.

Making a statement in the House in response to a

query by Opposition United National Party (UNP)

Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, the minister said

the new circular was in addition to the one issued

in 2008, outlining the criterion to be followed in the

construction of places of religious worship.

He said a committee was also appointed to

monitor such work in future. The committee

comprises the directors in charge of the four

departments overseeing Buddhist, Islam, Hindu

and Christian religious affairs.

The minister requested the opposition to support

the Government in its endeavor to defuse religions

tension before it breaks out into a major

calamity.(KB & YP)

Govt to monitor construction of placesof religious worship

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Visit Peoples-International

(Asiantribune.com): Faraz Shauketaly, 52 who

holds joint British and Sri Lankan citizenship,

was full of praise for the Sri Lankan President

Mahinda Rajapaksa and pointed out of the

‘President ‘s determination to uphold the rule of

law in Sri Lanka’.

Faraz Shauketaly a journalist attached to the

Sunday Leader, a newspapers as described by

Navi Pillay, UN Human Rights Commissioner,

“he is a journalist and he’s attached to a

newspaper that’s known to be critical of the

government - particularly on accountability and in

justice issues - which are issues that I cover.”

But Faraz Shauketaly has said in his statement,

"my family and I would like to thank His

Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his

personal intervention in issuing instructions to

the law enforcement authorities in Sri Lanka to

ensure a thorough and rapid investigation is

carried out into this matter. This clearly

demonstrates His Excellency’s determination to

uphold the rule of law in Sri Lanka.”

The statement made by UN Human Rights

Commissioner, clearly indicates the amount of

bias she harbors against Sri Lanka and

President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Her statement

was intentionally made especially to Channel 4,

with the intention of tarnishing the image of a

sovereign free nation and now her judgmental

ability as head of an important human rights

organization has emerged questionable.

Faraz Shauketaly has also said in his statement

"In this aspect, His Excellency President

Rajapaksa has personally ordered the provision

of adequate protection for me and this aspect is

very much in place now. This was provided

immediately after the incident was reported. I am

clearly very grateful for this support during this

difficult and trying period for me personally."

Given below the full text of the statement made

by Faraz Shauketaly about the attempt on his life

on 15th February 2012.

Begin Quotes:Further to a clear attempt to

assassinate me at my residence last Friday night

by persons as yet unknown, my family and I

would like to thank His Excellency President

Mahinda Rajapaksa for his personal intervention

in issuing instructions to the law enforcement

authorities in Sri Lanka to ensure a thorough and

rapid investigation is carried out into this matter.

This clearly demonstrates His Excellency’s

determination to uphold the rule of law in Sri

Lanka.

My family and I are also mindful of the support

we have had from hundreds of well-wishers

around the world concerned at these rather

traumatic events and we appreciate their

messages of support and concern including that

of the United Kingdom. Due to the wide

international coverage this incident has caused

primarily due to my involvement in the media

industry, we have felt a need to address some of

those concerns.

It would be prudent to note that due to the nature

of my very serious injuries I have been unable to

fully assist the investigative work of the local

Police who are yet to receive my formal

statement of the traumatic events that took place

last Friday night at my home in Mount Lavinia.

Naturally in the fullness of time my statement will

be given to the Police in order that the important

work they are required to carry out will be

facilitated. However my most immediate concern

now is for the recovery of my health and of

course the continued safety of my family and me.

In this aspect His Excellency President

Rajapaksa has personally ordered the provision

of adequate protection for me and this aspect is

very much in place now. This was provided

immediately after the incident was reported. I am

clearly very grateful for this support during this

difficult and trying period for me personally.

The articles that I have written on a variety of

subjects including investigative articles, news

reports, and the column I write, has never been

at cross-purposes and it is acknowledged that

these..

(Contd: on P16)

Faraz Shauketaly statement rebutted HumanRight Chief Navi Pillay’s contention

(thehindu.com) Describing the killing of

Balachandran, the son of LTTE leader

Prabakaran, “as the cold-blooded war crime of

gravest nature and unforgivable act” Chief Minister

Jayalalithaa on Wednesday called upon India to

work together with the United States and like-

minded countries to ensure that those responsible

were made to face an international trial.

Addressing a press meet here at the Secretariat,

the Chief Minister said Balachandran, who was

only 12 years old, was just a child. He had not

committed any crime. He had been killed "simply

because he happened to be the son of

Prabakaran,” she said.

The Chief Minister likened the massacre of Tamils

in Sri Lanka with the Nazi destruction of Jews in

Germany.

She reiterated that an economic embargo be

imposed on Sri Lanka till the Tamils were

rehabilitated honourably and given rights on par

with Sinhalese. A resolution should be passed in

the United Nations to this effect and India should

take the initiative by collaborating with other

countries. She recalled a resolution adopted by

the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2011 on the issue.

Prabhakaran's son killing an act of extremecruelty: Jayalalithaa




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(colombogazette.com) Sarath Dissanayaka, the

former Director General of the Publicity Division of

the External Affairs Ministry, has taken up the

appointment as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Cuba

and also accredited to Argentina.

Sri Lanka’s former Permanent Representative to

Geneva Ambassador Tamara

Kunanayakam had earlier

been appointed to the post

but according to the Asian

Tribune website she has now

been “thrown to the wolves”.

She was supposed to take

over as Ambassador to Cuba

but Asian Tribune learnt that

for reasons not explained,

she did not take up that

appointment and she has

faded off from the limelight.

Furthermore, according to the

Asian Tribune, Ambassador

R.K.M.A Rajakaruna has been nominated as the

Ambassador designate for the new Sri Lankan

Mission in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He has already

left Chennai where he was Deputy High

Commissioner succeeding Ambassador V.

Krishnamoorthy.

Asian Tribune learnt that he is waiting for the final

clearance from Bahrain and it is expected that the

new Sri Lanka Mission in Bahrain will be opened

up shortly no sooner Mr. Rajakaruna takes up the

appointment.

In the meantime Ambassador V. Krissnamoorthy

has been nominated as

Ambassador for Saudi

Arabia and this was

confirmed by Mr.

Karunatilaka Amunugama,

Secretary, Ministry of

External Affairs. He

succeeds Ambasssador

Ahamed A. Jawad, who has

been recalled immediately

after the beheading of the

Sri Lanka House Maid

Rizana Nafeek.

Already External Affairs

Ministry has decided on the

nomination A. L. Sabarullah Khan, as the Deputy

High Commissioner to Chennai. He was formerly

the Consul General for Jeddah and presently the

Director of the Economic Affairs Division in the

Ministry.

(colombogazette.com) A new video, set to be

screened in Geneva on the sidelines of the UN

Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session next

month, shows what it claims to be the son of LTTE

leader Villupillai Prabhakaran being fed inside a

military bunker before being shot dead.

Balachandran Prabhakara, the 12-year-old son of

the rebel leader, was shown in an earlier video

with bullet wounds on his body but the army

denied capturing him during the final stages of the

war.

The Independent newspaper in Britain which

published the latest photograph today said the

images were taken in May 2009 at the very end of

the Sri Lankan government’s operation to crush

the LTTE.

The newspaper report claimed the images,

contained in a new documentary, No Fire Zone,

which will be screened at the Geneva Human

Rights Film Festival during the UN Human Rights

Council meeting in March, suggest the boy was

captured alive and killed at a later stage.

A forensic pathologist who examined the later

images for the film-makers, said the boy was shot

five times in the chest. Furthermore, propellant

burns around the wound suggest he was shot at

very close range.

“The new photographs are enormously important

evidentially because they appear to rule out any

suggestion that Balachandran was killed in cross-

fire or during a battle. They show he was held, and

even given a snack, before being taken and

executed in cold blood,” claimed the film’s director,

Callum Macrae.

“It is difficult to imagine the psychology of an army

in which the calculated execution of a child can be

allowed with apparent impunity. That these events

were also photographed and kept as war trophies

by the perpetrators is even more disturbing.” The

12-year-old’s father, Prabhakaran, was killed along

with most of the senior leadership of the LTTE as

Sri Lanka’s army advanced on the rebels’ position.

There were reports at the time that several LTTE

officials were shot and killed as they tried to

surrender.

Prabhakaran’s body was displayed on state

television, part of the front of his skull missing,

also suggesting he may have been shot at close

range. The Sri Lankan authorities have always

denied shooting anyone who was trying to

surrender. Last night, Brigadier PR Wanigasooriya,

an army spokesman, said Sri Lanka had been a

repeated victim of “lies, half truths, rumours, and

numerous forms of speculations”.

“No substantive evidence have been presented for

us to launch an investigation,” he added, referring

to alleged human rights abuses.

(adaderana.lk) Indian Union External Affairs

Minister Salman Khurshid has said he had seen

the pictures and the report on the alleged killing of

LTTE chief V. Prabakaran son but could not vouch

for their authenticity.

Mr. Khurshid was asked about the government’s

response to the op-ed in The Hindu’s Tuesday

edition based on a British documentary featuring

the pictures of the killing of Prabakaran’s 12-year-

old son, Balachandran. Sri Lanka has dismissed

the report as “lies, half-truths and numerous forms

of speculation” and suggested such reports make

a comeback around this time of the year when Sri

Lanka’s human rights situation comes up for

appraisal before a United Nation’s committee.

The External Affairs Minister said Sri Lanka was

an important neighbour and friend with which India

has been intensifying ties in all fields. At the same

time India has voiced concern over the human

rights situation and voted against Sri Lanka last

March at the United Nations Human Rights

Council (UNHRC).

The documentary titled ‘No War Zone-The Killing

Fields of Sri Lanka’ is to be aired in Geneva at the

next session of the U.N. Human Rights Council

(UNHRC) in March.

(dailymirror.lk) Former Army Commander Sarath

Fonseka speaking to Daily Mirror online said the

Army had “no information” about the deaths of

slain LTTE leader V. Prabhakarans, “ wife,

daughter and youngest son”.

“After the final battle which went on from 2009

May 17 night, 18 and 19th till about 10 o clock, we

only recovered Prabakharans body together with

about 400 other terrorist dead bodies, and his

elder son’s body, his elder son Charles Anthony.

These two bodies were personally identified by the

present member, I think, of the cabinet Karuna

Amman, who was the LTTE military wing leader at

the time before he joined the government. He

himself went and identified these two bodies” he

said.

Video claims Prabha’s son was fedand then killed

Cannot vouch for authenticity of Balachandranpictures – Indian Union EA Minister

Army had no info. about Prabha’s family- SF

Tamara out, Dissanayaka new envoy to Cuba

(colombogazette.com) The government has sent

its observations to the report on Sri Lanka by the

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi

Pillay, and has requested amendments to 37

points mentioned in the report.

In a response sent to Pillay’s office detailing its

observations on her draft report on advice and

technical assistance for the Government of Sri

Lanka on promoting reconciliation and

accountability in Sri Lanka, the government

insisted that all references made to the Panel of

Experts (PoE) appointed by UN Secretary General

Ban Ki-moon be removed.

The government said it does not extend any

credence or legitimacy to the Panel of Experts

report as it is not the product or a request of the

UN Human Rights Council, the UN General

Assembly or any other UN body.

“The PoE Report on Sri Lanka which was

commissioned by the UN Secretary General was

the culmination of a private consultation that the

latter sought to advise him on. As it has not

received the endorsement of the

intergovernmental process, it has neither credence

nor legitimacy within intergovernmental fora. The

PoE’s mandate did not extend to fact finding or

investigation. In its Report, the three-member

Panel also makes it clear that the assertions set

out therein remain unsubstantiated and require a

higher standard of proof. For these reasons, the

government does not extend any credence or

legitimacy to the PoE Report,” the government

said.

In her report Pillay has demanded an

independent and credible international

investigation into alleged violations of

international human rights and humanitarian

law in Sri Lanka, which could also monitor any

domestic accountability process.

She notes that while the government has made

significant progress in rebuilding infrastructure

and while the majority of internally displaced

persons have been resettled, considerable

work lies ahead in the areas of justice,

reconciliation and resumption of livelihoods.

Pillay also calls for the establishment of a truth-

seeking mechanism as an integral part of a

more comprehensive and inclusive approach

to transitional justice.

On the issue of enforced disappearances, the

government told Pillay in its observations that it

has on numerous occasions provided

information to the UN Human Rights Council

on the process adopted with regard to

disappearances. The government said that the

generalization made highlighting a few isolated

incidents as a spike in reports of abductions

and disappearances in the period last quarter

of 2011 to mid 2012 is inaccurate.

“As a case in point, categorizing the case of a

‘diplomat’s child’ is erroneous. Investigations

have revealed that this case cannot be

categorized as either an enforced

disappearance or

abduction and the

incident appears to be

of a personal nature

and the child has not

been forthcoming in

revealing the truth,”

the government said.

The government also

said that it is

inaccurate for Pillay’s

report to state that Sri

Lanka “has no

comprehensive

national policy on

IDPs”. Pillay’s report

was made public last

week and a draft was

sent to the government

two weeks ago.

(Colombo Gazette)

Government sends 37 observations to Pillay

(colombogazette.com) A Court of Inquiry,

appointed by the Commander of the Army

Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya to inquire

into the observations made by the Lessons Learnt

and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in its

report on alleged civilian casualties during the final

phase of the war, handed over its findings to the

army today. The five-member Court of Inquiry was

appointed on 2 January 2012 by virtue of the

powers vested in the Army Commander, the army

media unit said. President of the Court of Inquiry

Major General Chrishantha De Silva handed over

the Court of Inquiry Report to the Commander of

the Army Lieutenant General JagathJayasuriya at

the Army Headquarters. Considering the evidence

presented before it,the Court has concluded that

the Army High Command had addressed their

minds to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) well

in advance as far back as 1990 and all troops have

been educated to observe the standard

procedures that are followed to prevent civilian

casualties. The report said that evidence has

conclusively established that the humanitarian

operation was conducted strictly in accordance

with the “ZeroCivilian Casualty” directive made by

President Mahinda Rajapaksha and commanders

at all times obeyed the said directive and the

directives from the higher headquarters with regard

to No Fire Zones (NFZs) and even where the LTTE

terrorists had fired from NFZs, commanders

refrained from firing at such NFZs. It has also been

revealed that artillery commanders had added 500

m to the boundaries of NFZs given by higher

headquarters thereby extending the boundaries of

NFZs by 500 m.

“Evidence revealed that at all stages of the

Humanitarian Operation, the Sri Lanka Army

behaved as a well-disciplined military force

observing the IHL and law of war and they took all

the precautions to avoid civilian casualties and all

those who came under the control of the Sri Lanka

Army, including surrendered/captured LTTE

cadres, were treated humanely observing the IHL

to the letter. On the contrary, shocking details

(Contd: on P19)

Army Court submits report on war casualties

(sundaytimes.lk) Around 1700 votes were castat the Colombo District Court voting centre at

the Bar Association Election 2013 by 3 pmtoday. Three candidates President’s CounselTirantha Walaliyadda PC and Senior Counsel

Upul Jayasuriya and R.R. Thaigarajah arecontesting at this year’s election.

Bar AssociationElection 2013




WWW.NEWSLANKA.NET

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Saudi Arabia withdrawsambassador to Sri Lankain widening dispute over

execution of maid(foxnews.com) Saudi Arabia says it has called

back its ambassador to Sri Lanka following a

similar move by the South Asian nation to protest

the kingdom's beheading of a Sri Lankan domestic

worker last month.

The two countries have been at odds since the

January execution of Rizana Nafeek, who was

convicted in the death of a Saudi baby in her care

in 2005.

The case spurred global appeals for leniency

because she was 17 at the time of the infant's

death. She had denied strangling the 4-month-old

boy.

The official Saudi Press Agency said on

Wednesday that the ambassador was called to

Riyadh for consultations. Sri Lanka withdrew its

ambassador to the Gulf kingdom after the

execution.

Clergy Want Int'l Probe onSri Lanka Civil War

By KRISHAN FRANCIS(abcnews.go.com) - Christian clergy from Sri

Lanka's ethnic Tamil-majority north have asked

the U.N. Human Rights Council to push for an

independent international inquiry into alleged

atrocities in Sri Lanka's civil war.

A letter dated Monday and signed by 133

Roman Catholic, Anglican and Methodist

pastors and nuns said the government lacks

the will to resolve causes of the conflict on its

own.

"We are convinced that the root cause of these

problems is a lack of political will," the letter

from the clergy said.

"Hence, it is our firm conviction that technical

assistance from the U.N. in the form of training,

advice, financial and material support will not

suffice." They called for an international,

independent commission of inquiry.

(adaderana.lk) Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem

today stated that they will make sure injustice is

not caused to any student from the decision to

revise the syllabus of the Law College entrance

examination.

Hakeem stated that he even obtained advice

regarding the matter from the Chief Justice,

who he had met and held discussions with.

The Minister made these comments in

response to a question raised by DNA MP

Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Parliament today

(19).

Dissanayake had accused that the decision to

revise Law College entrance exam syllabus had

caused great injustice to the students.

On February 01 the Council of Legal Education

(CLE) decided to reduce the Law College

entrance cut off marks to 66 marks while the

law entrance examination syllabus was revised

from one subject to two.

Two examinations, namely the language paper

and the general knowledge and intelligence

paper, were introduced from 2013.

The total intake of students to the Law College

was also increased to 551.

(Asiantribune.com): The Cabinet subcommittee on

Religious Harmony appointed by Sri Lanka

President Mahinda Rajapaksa met yesterday

afternoon and decided to take steps to

immediately diffuse tension that is emerging

gradually on a threatening proportion to bring

about religious disharmony an disturbances in the

country. The first committee meeting of the

Cabinet subcommittee on Religious Harmony met

in the Parliament Committee Room No.8.

The meeting was chaired by Senior Minister

Ratnasri Wickramanayake.

It is learnt that the Cabinet subcommittee studied

problems regarding the campaign that is being

carried out virulently by Bodu Bala Sena about the

halal foods and halal foods branding and also of

the reaction by the Muslim groups.

It is learnt that tension is emerging gradually, as

two opposing religious groups are bracing

dangerously to create chaos, mayhem and

disturbances in the country.

Asian Tribune contacted a few members of the

Cabinet subcommittee and they told that the

Cabinet subcommittee when it met yesterday for

the first time, they went through the complicated

issues connected with the labeling of halal foods

and various other issues connected with that.

The subcommittee also has decided to summon

on 21st February, the opposing religious groups -

Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) and All Ceylon Jamiyyathul

Ulama (ACJU) , who are involved in certifying

halal foods.

It was decided to diffuse the situation immediately

by coming up with some compromise solution and

stop the campaign against each other’s religion

and to ensure that things will not go out of control

and harmony in the midst of both the religious

community remains.

The Sub Committee has decided call the opposing

parties for talks separately.

It is learnt that the cabinet subcommittee also

suspected that there are some small

fundamentalist groups on either side and they are

trying secretly promoting campaigns against each

other to inflame the situation and bring about

disturbance and tension in the country.

Also Asian Tribune learnt of some Cabinet

subcommittee members also spoke of some

foreign hands behind all these anti- religious

campaigns.

Asian Tribune learnt all the party leaders in the

United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA)

Government were represented in the Cabinet sub

committee on Religious Harmony.

On the 14th of April, after the Cabinet meeting,

Ministers A.L.M.Athaula, Rishad Bathudeen,

Vasudevan Nanayakkara, Dinesh Gunawaedene,

Rauff Hakeem and A.H.M.Fowzie met President

Mahinda Rajapaks and brought to his notice

about the threats on religious harmony gradually

emerging in the country.

After a discussion on the subject, President

Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed a Cabinet Sub-

Committee on Religious Harmony.

The committee consists of all the constituent party

leaders of the ruling UPFA - Ministers Ratnasri

Wickramanayake, Rishad Bathudeen, Douglas

Devananda, Vasudeva Nanayakara, D.E.W

Gunasekera, Prof. Tissa Vitharana, Dinesh

Gunawardene, A.H.M.Fowzie, A.L.M.Athaula,

Patali Champika Ranawaka, Rauff Hakeem

Wimal Weerawansa, and Basil Rajapaksa.

Senior Minister Ratnasri Wicjramanayake is the

chairman of the Cabinet subcommittee.

Cabinet Subcommittee on Religious Harmonyto take immediate measures to diffuse

tension in the country

Erecting Buddha Statueson pavements, banned

Erecting and sculpturing of Buddha Statutes on the

pavements have been prohibited in Ratnapura

District as it was considered an insult for Lord

Buddha.

The decision was taken by the Commissioner

General of Buddhist Affairs, Mr. Chandraprema

Gamage.

The prohibition of erecting, constructing and selling

Buddha Statues on the pavement was imposed

after considering a complaint received by All

Ceylon Buddhism Protection Board.

The prohibition will be applied to all districts across

the island.

No injustice from new law entrancesyllabus - Hakeem

The premier integrated telecommunication service

provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Plc (SLT) yesterday

announced its Group and Company financial

results for 2012, notching up Rs. 6.17 billion group

operating profit, a growth of 19% year-on-year

(YoY).

Despite the gain on foreign exchange translation

in the second half of

the year due to the

appreciation of the

rupee against the first

half, cumulative

translation loss on

exchange for the full

year has diluted

the Group Profit

Before Tax (PBT)

and Profit After

Tax (PAT). On a normalised basis (without

exchange loss on translation), the group has

reported a PBT of Rs. 7.2 billion, an increase

of 12% and PAT of Rs. 5.25 billion, an increase

of 10% YoY.

However, after the loss on exchange

translation, Group PBT and PAT declined by

3.2% and 10% to Rs 5.97 billion and Rs. 4.04

billion respectively.

SLT said 2012 has been a challenging year for

the Group with the increase in fuel prices,

hikes in energy costs and the rise in other input

costs which exerted excessive pressure on the

profitability of the group. SLT Group Revenue

increased by 10% YoY to Rs. 56.77 billion.

The year marked another milestone for the

SLT Group as it published its maiden annual

financial statements based on new Sri Lanka

Accounting Standards applicable for the

financial period beginning 1 January 2012.

Commenting on 2012 results, SLT Chairman

Nimal Welgama said: “As the country’s

premier integrated communication service

provider, the SLT Group has been a catalyst of

change and transformation in post-war Sri

Lanka, truly connecting the entire nation as

‘One Country. One Voice.’ During the last

three years the SLT Group has spent Rs. 42

billion in capital expenditure displaying our

passion and

commitment to the

rapid growth of ICT in

the country and further

strengthening the

position of the SLT

Group as a key

contributor to the

ambitious development

plans of the

Government.

Operating results of

2012 and investments

made in network

modernisation,

capacity and coverage

expansion

demonstrates our

quest and vigour to

add value to our

stakeholders.”




The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, DC is

organizing a special flight to arrive at the new

Mattala International Airport during the

Inauguration Ceremony on March 18, 2013. We

invite all of you to join this group flight and be part

of this monumental event in Sri Lanka's aviation

history.

Travelers departing from the United States can

reach Dubai from any of the destinations in which

Emirates operates in the USA (Washington DC,

New York, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San

Francisco, and Seattle). They will depart the

United States on March 16th, and the group will

meet in Dubai and then travel to Sri Lanka on a

special flight arranged by Emirates. International

travelers are very welcome to join this group as

well, and they can depart from their own countries

and meet in Dubai for the group flight. The special

flight will depart from Dubai for Mattala

International Airport on the morning of March 18th

and arrive during the Inauguration Ceremony,

which will broadcast live.

After the official ceremony, travelers will have 2

different options:

- Once the ceremony ends, travelers

can be transported by luxury buses to Colombo

free of charge, and then plan to return on their

own schedule departing from Katunayake

International Airport. These travelers will only pay

for the flight, which will be discounted and cost

less than a typical Emirates flight.

- For visitors interested in touring Sri

Lanka, the Embassy will coordinate with travel

agents to arrange a 10 day tour in Sri Lanka.

Travelers can plan to depart from Katunayake

International Airport on approximately March 27th

or they can further extend their time in Sri Lanka

as they wish. These travelers will pay for the flight,

which will be discounted and cost less than a

typical Emirates flight. They will also pay for

hotels, transport, and accommodations for the

tour, and the Embassy is currently working on

arranging a special price.

All interested parties are highly encouraged to join

this special trip to witness this historic occasion for

the opening of the 2nd international airport in Sri

Lanka. Please contact the Embassy to make

reservations as soon as possible, as there is

limited capacity and many spots have already

been filled.

In addition to Sri Lankan-Americans, this group

flight already includes ambassadors, diplomats,

travel writers, journalists, business delegations,

government officials, and people traveling from

other countries outside the United States.

Interested parties both in the US and outside the

US should contact the Embassy by February 25th.

Option #1

Option #2

SPECIAL FLIGHT FROM USA TO MATTALAINTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

INAUGURATION IN SRI LANKA

(dailynews.lk) When Vietnam show case Cu Chi

Tunnels it is called “war tourism”. We Sri Lankans

call it “War remnants” of the 30 years battle with

the LTTE which ended in Mullaitivu and

Nanthikadal area in 2009.

The third tour to Mullaitivu will take place on March

6 spanning two Nights and three days.

On day one it will be a direct transfer from

Colombo to Mullaitivu with a lunch break in

Medawachchiya Rest House (CHC Branding). The

group travel via Vauniya, Omanthai, Puliyankulam,

Nadunkeni, Oddusudan to reach Mullaitivu.

The next day the group will visit all war zone sites

which include Nanthikadal Lagoon,

Vellamullivaikkal, Pudumathalan and

Puthukuduirrippu among others.

The tour starts with the “prize visit” to pirated ship

M.V Farah, Parabhakaran’s House with four tier

bunker, Soosai’s House, shooting range,

swimming pool with a length of 82 feet, unfinished

submarines, submarine testing pool, thousands of

vehicle skeletons in graveyard, sea tiger vessels,

which covers a whole day from dawn to dusk.

The night stays will be at Army’s Lagoon View and

Green House within the Mullaitivu Army Head

Quarters.

Faraz Shauketalyfrom P12have been balanced and equitable in every way.

My family and I are confident that once the

necessary statements have been made the

authorities in Sri Lanka will be able to fully

investigate, apprehend and prosecute to the full

extent the law permits, those responsible for

planning and executing the cowardly attack on my

life. My family is deeply grateful for the efforts and

support received from the United Kingdom

Authorities in Sri Lanka and would like to urge all

concerned that until such time that the

investigations are completed, it would be unfair

and inequitable to rush into conclusions that may

have no basis in fact. We urge the international

community to bear with these particular

circumstances which we acknowledge are both

difficult and important to completely investigate.

Faraz Shauketaly,

Journalist, Mount Lavinia

(sundaytimes.lk) Persons of Sri Lankan origin

currently holding foreign passports are to be

granted concessions to invest in the real estate

sector in the country. The concessions come in

terms of the scheme of payment which was

hitherto extended only to Sri Lankans living

overseas, but continuing to hold Sri Lankan

citizenship.

The Exchange Controller has offered concessions

to Sri Lankans of foreign citizenship to allow them

to purchase real estate in the country in Sri

Lankan rupees, to be paid out from their Non-

Resident Foreign Currency (NRFC) accounts. All

payments made should be credited to ‘Non-

Resident Blocked Accounts’ opened with

authorised dealers in Sri Lanka, in the name of the

seller.

The decision has been taken to assist local

entrepreneurs in the tourism economy with foreign

investors who form an equity partnership of at

least 30%, with local investors being given

concessions on land leasing.

Meanwhile, a Cabinet paper to ban the sale of any

State land will be presented to the Cabinet of

Ministers next week by Lands and Land

Development Minister Janaka Bandara

Tennakoon. He told the Sunday Times details of

the new land sale restrictions will be announced

this week.

Lankans of foreign citizenshipcan now buy land here

TRAVELON introduces packages to Mullaitivu

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa

opened Sri Lanka's first underwater tunnel

aquarium at Water World, Biyagama.

Built on a 47 feet-long concrete platform at a cost

of Rs. 60 million, this tunnel is 30 feet long and 37

feet wide. The Japan-manufactured glass

covering used for the purpose is three inches

thick. Raw material required for the construction

was obtained from Canada and Thailand while the

US and New Zealand provided technical know-

how. Singapore and Taiwan too supplied

equipment for the purpose.

Although the construction was done in 13 months

the planning of the tunnel took nearly three years.

Fish exhibited in this aquarium have been

obtained from Dehiwala, Negombo, Galle, Matara,

Trincomalee and Batticaloa. The tunnel holds

more than 200,000 litres of sea water and is home

to more than 500 fish of many varieties.

Up to now Sri Lankans were compelled to travel

outside Sri Lanka to visit such an underwater

tunnel. With the completion of this tunnel they will

have the opportunity of having the same

experience here at little cost.

Water World is the only public aquarium in Sri

Lanka, located on a scenic five acre-property on

the banks of the Kelani River. The unparalleled

range of aquatic life includes fresh water, marine

and brackish water fauna and

flora, from eco systems

around the globe.

Economic Development

Deputy Minister Susantha

Punchinilame, Disaster

Management Deputy Minister

Dulip Wijesekera, Western

Provincial Council Minister

Nimal Lansa, Water World

Managing Director Darshana

de Soysa and Provincial

Council and Pradeshiya

Sabha members too

participated in the tunnel

opening ceremony.

Photograph byDhashana Karunarathna

Basil Rajapakse opens Sri Lanka'sfirst underwater tunnel aquarium

SLT ups operating profit by 19% to Rs. 6.17 b

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi

celebrated 65th Independence Day of Sri

Lanka at the Embassy premises on 4th

February 2013 under the patronage of

Dr. Mahinda Balasuriya, the

Ambassador of Sri Lanka for the United

Arab Emirates.

The event started at 7.30 am with the

hoisting of the national flag of Sri Lanka

by the Ambassador which was followed

by the recital of national anthem by the

students of Friday Daham Pasala. After

lighting the traditional oil lamp,

Jayamangala gatha were recited by

students. Next, the Independent Day

messages of President, Prime Minister

and Minister of External Affairs were

read in three languages.

The Ambassador addressed the

gathering and in his speech he noted

that the nation gained its first

independence in 1948 from the grip of

colonialism and next it obtained

freedom from the clutches of brutal terrorism

which agonized the entire country for almost

three decades in May 2009. The Country won

the war against terrorism in 2009 and now it is

waging an economic war to develop the

country. He appreciated the valuable

contribution made by Sri Lankan expatriates

who earn and remit much-required foreign

exchange to

the country

which was

large enough

to pay the

salaries of

public sector

employees

and to import

the total

petroleum

requirements

in 2012.

The Independence Day morning program

ended at 9.00 am with the serving of traditional

Sri Lankan food by the participants.

The Diplomatic Function to mark the Sri

Lankan Independence Day was held on

the same day at Intercontinental Hotel,

Abu Dhabi starting from 7.30 pm. The

event was very well attended by the

senior officers of the UAE Government,

Diplomats representing many

countries, officials and distinguished

members of the Sri Lankan

community in Abu Dhabi and other

emirates of the UAE.

The Chief Guest of the event was Dr.

Thariq Al Haiban, Under-Secretary

(Political Affairs) of the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs of the UAE. Several

high-ranking officials from the

Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior,

Trade and International Trade also

graced the occasion.

The Cocktail started at 7.00 pm at

the main hall and the VIPs were ushered to

the Liwa Ballroom from the adjoining Majilis

(Waiting Room) by the Ambassador at 7.30

pm. Nationals anthems of the two countries

were played and the Ambassador

addressed the gathering thereafter. The

Ambassador highlighted the fact that all Sri

Lankans are proud of their President

Mahinda Rajapaksa who defeated terrorism

through his bold and courageous

leadership and is shepherding the nation

for a faster economic development. He also

thanked the Government of the UAE for

providing large scale job opportunities for

Sri Lankans at different levels.

In addition to the above two events, functions

were held to celebrate Sri Lankan

Independence Day at several other places in

Abu Dhabi including Hotels Le Meridien, Yas

Rotana, Jumera Etihad Towers, Crown Plaza,

Sheraton and Aloft by Sri Lankan community

in Abu Dhabi.

- Asian Tribune -

PAGE 17ISSUE 1107 NEWSLANKA 21 FEBRUARY - 2013



The High Commission of Sri Lanka in London held

a full day mobile service at Jain Community Centre

in Manchester on 2nd February 2013 to provide

consular services to the Sri Lankan community

living in the Greater Manchester area. The services

included registration of births, renewal of

passports, acceptance of applications for new

passports and other consular services.

It was organized by Mr. Chaminda Kularatne

(Attorney-at-Law) Head of the Consular and

Immigration Division under the guidance of the

High Commissioner for Sri Lanka Dr. Chris Nonis

in collaboration with the "Sri Lanka Muslim

Diaspora Initiative UK" and Sri Lanka Integrated

Cultural Association Greater Manchester.

A large number of individuals from all communities

in Sri Lanka and residing in Manchester,

Birmingham and Scotland benefited from this

mobile service. This is part of a wider programme

to take the High Commission's services directly to

the Sri Lankan community in the UK. This is the

first mobile service conducted this year. There

were two mobile services held in Crowley and

Leicester areas in 2012. The High Commission

intends to provide similar mobile assistance in

other cities of Britain in the future.

Ven.Pidiwille Piyatissa Nayaka Thero of

Kethumathi Buddhist Vihara in Manchester and Mr.

Neville de Silva, Deputy High Commissioner were

also present on this occasion.

Staff of the Consular and Immigration Division of

the High Commission volunteered their services to

make the event a success.

High Commission of Sri Lanka

London

Serving the Sri Lankan community - a Consular Mobile Serviceorganized by the Sri Lanka High Commission in the UK

65th Independence Day Celebrations in Abu Dhabi, UAE by Sri Lanka Embassyand Sri Lankan expatriate community




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Premasara EPASINGHE(dailynews.lk) Way back in 1987, as the Public

Relations and Marketing Personality of Bank of

Ceylon, as instructed by my General Manager A S

Jayawardena, I met Sunil Shantha, great musician

and artist and invited him to be our Gguest artist in

our prestigious Aradhana programme. This great

personality, who was my idol, turned down the

offer. I quote what Sunil Shantha expressed.

"Mr Epasinghe, why don't you invite Victor

Ratnayake, I can proudly say he is number one in

Sri Lanka today, tomorrow and in future. He is a

creative artist. I have the highest respect and

regard for Victor."

Out of the musicians, that made an indelible mark

in Sri Lanka, Maestro Victor Ratnayake occupies a

very prominent place. He revolutionised the

musical score of Sri Lanka, with his prestigious SA

concert.

Undoubtedly, SA, was the most enthralling musical

entertainment experience, Sri Lankans enjoyed for

more than three to four decades.

Victor Ratnayake is entirely a fantasy figure or a

product of imagination, perceptive, soliderly and

honourable. He possesses a golden heart. He is a

man of honesty and integrity. He possesses some

magic to attract individuals.

Music can be defined as the art of arranging the

sounds of voice (s), or instrument (s), or both in a

pleasing sequence or combination. Musician is a

person who makes music by playing or conducting.

Music is a soothing balm to your body and mind.

My association with Ratnayake began in 1980s,

when I presented the Bank of Ceylon (BoC)

Aradhana musical extravaganza. It was a half hour

programme aired from 7 to 7.30 pm on every

Tuesday. This was an audience show. We used to

record two or three programmes weekly. We

featured one artist for atleast three months. Some

of the most prestigious artists like Amaradeva,

Nanda Malini, Mr and Mrs Sanath Nandasiri, Sunil

Edirisinghe, Edward Jayakody, Chandralekha

Perera, Malini Bulathsinhala, Mr and Mrs

Dayaratne Ranatunge, Ivor Dennis, Somatilake

Jayamaha, Latha are probably some of names of

the few, that comes to my mind.

Out of all these artists, Victor Ratnayake was

number one, according to a survey conduced by

BoC Public Relations and Marketing Division. In

this novel programme there were no

advertisements.

Victor Ratnayake helped me in recording the

Aradhana theme song. An officer attached to BoC

Mahinda Opatha and I burned mid-night oil in

recording this song at a private advertising studio.

Aradhana became an instant hit. It became a one

of the most popular programmes aired over Sri

Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) in 1970s-

1980s period.

Hailing from a very prestigious

family from the hill capital, Kandy,

Victor Ratnayake's father was

Ratnayake Arachchilage Don

James. His mother's name was

Abeykoon Mayadunnege

Sumanawathi. Ratnayake was

third in this family, which

consisted of five girls and five

boys. They are Wilfred,

Leelawathi, Victor, Somapala

Ratnayake (Reputed Director of

Music), Kusumawathie,

Ariyawathie, Jayasumana,

Lakshman and Preeman.

I presume Victor Ratnayake

inherited his musical talent sweet

and dulce voice personality and

creativity from the samsaric

journey.

He is a pleasant, charming,

lovable person full of kindness

and compassion. He is always with a smile. He is

an unassuming fine human being. He always gave

a helping hand to up and coming artists. He never

cared for financial gains or positions.

As President United States of America (USA)

Abraham Lincoln once, said, "There is a lady

behind the success of any great man," late Chitra,

Ratnayake's beloved wife, was a great inspiration

to him and family. Both of them, brought up their

lovable disciplined children who are today, useful

citizens of this country. Chitra and Ratnayake can

be proud of their children, grandsons,

granddaughters. Her demise was an irreparable

loss for the entire family and for all of us. She was

a sweet, charming, epitome of womanhood. They

are blessed with children. They are ethically

siblings of an illustrious father. They are Jayantha,

Lelum, Chandani and Manjula.

Victor Ratnayake opens his professional career as

a music teacher at Attalapitiya, Bandarawela in

1960s. Then, he joins Nakkawatta MMV and

leaves the Education Department from Thurstan

College. He left the teaching profession serving

nearly nine and half years, forgoing a government

pension and concentrated as an artist.

In July 20, 1973 he held his first

SA concert and ended this

musical extravaganza in July 20,

2012. During this period, nearly

39-40 years, there were nearly

1500-2000 shows and some of

them were in foreign soil. To

begin a programme may be easy,

but, to sustain it is a difficult task.

But this charming man

Ratnayake, sustained it.

Undoubtedly, it is a record. It is

simply magic. It shows the

character of Victor Ratnayake. In

early 1970s he became a radio

artist and his first song was

written by Arisen Ahubudu -

Sinda Binda - Mohaduru Papa,

Golumuhude Mutu - Ate.

He directed music in about 15

films. He directed music in the

Matara Achchi film for the popular

song Sandakada Pahana where

the lyrics were written by late Wally Nanayakkara.

This song introduced another fine artist to Sri

Lanka - Suni Edirisinghe.

The success of an artist or singer will always

depend on the lyric writers and the orchestra.

Victor Ratnayake was so fortunate that he had the

two of the best lyric writers.

They are erudite scholar, highly respected

Professor Sunil Ariyaratne and late Preamkeerthi

De Alwis. There were number of popular songs

written by two of them. Out of many beautiful

songs sung by Ratnayake two of the most popular

songs out of so many were Meena Nuwan Yugin

Balan Meena and Api Okkoma Rajawaru which

were written by Prof (Dr) Sunil Ariyaratne. He is a

National Asset to Sri Lanka. In fact Api Okkoma

Rajawaru is like our second National Anthem of Sri

Lanka. When Victor sings this song with his

melodious voice audience gets such a "kick" they

virtually dance on the floor.

I have noticed in most of the foreign countries I

visited, Sinhala families possess many DVDs and

cassettes of Victor Ratnayake. This great artist

Victor Ratnayake presented a novel musical

programme titled Ira Handa Tharu - on his 71st

Birthday which fell yesterday.

This show was a novel experience as his children,

grandchildren, all were on stage. Ratnayake's son

Jayantha Ratnayake, Chip of the old Block

directed music in Ira Handa Tharu. All children,

grand daughters and grand sons sang along with

Ratnayake. This was the first occasion where two

or three generations entertained the "Rasikas of

Sri Lanka - with Victor Ratnayake."He sang

Sinhala, Tamil, English and Hindi songs.

Ratnayake sang the Deedar's popular song sung

by Mohamed Rafi - 'Merika Kahani.'

I felt that this programme was more like a grand

tribute to felicitate Ratnayake's birthday by his

beloved children, grandchildren, musicians, lyric

writers and last but not the least millions of

"Rasikas" who appreciate Ratnayake's sweet

melodious songs and music. Ratnayake is loved

by everyone. In turn Ratnayake loves all of them.

This unassuming man, is honest and possess high

integrity.

The script of Ira Handa Tharu was written by the

reputed Bandula Nanayakkarawasam. The music

was be in-charge of Ratnayake's son Jayantha.

This programme was presented by Sandamali

Hewanayake and Wasantha Rohana., two of the

best in the business.

The title Ira Handa Tharu was given by Venerable

Medagoda Abhayatissa Nayake Thera.

Ira Handa Tharu musical show of Victor Ratnayake

was held yesterday at Museaus College, Colombo

auditorium to coincide with Victor Ratnayake's 71st

Birthday. Dear Victor, you are a rare gem and a

national asset. May you live long!

Words of wisdom!

Early times

Success

VICTOR RATNAYAKE - a gem in Sri Lanka's music arena

G P Dhanatunga(dailynews.lk) There is an old saying that truth is

sometimes stranger than fiction. This phenomenon

did take place here when a non-national was

honoured as a National Hero of Ceylon. This is

likely to be the only unique instance in the world

where a non-national is honoured as a national

hero.

It was in the year 1967 when Dudley Senanayake

was Prime Minister, realising the great volume of

work done by Colonel Olcott to restore Buddhism

in this country and also to teach English to

Buddhist children in a Buddhist environment,

requested the then Cabinet to pursue

parliamentary sanction and honour Colonel Henry

Steele Olcott as a National Hero of Ceylon.

It was a co-incidence I believe that this

posthumous honour was awarded on the 60th

death anniversary of Colonel Henry Steele Olcott

who departed on February 17,1907. In

appreciation of the valuable gesture of Dudley

Sananayake he well deserves public applause.

Buddhism in peril

Buddhism was introduced to Ceylon from India

with the arrival of Ven. Arhath Mahinda Thera by

air with five others around the year 220 BC. There

were several minor invasions from South Indian

States, but there were no major threats to

Buddhism in the country. The real organised threat

to Buddhism came in year 1500 with the invasion

of the coastal areas by the Portuguese who

resorted to atrocities on Buddhist monks and

destruction of places of religious worship. Next

to trade the main aim of the Portuguese was

propagation of Catholicism.

With the passage of 150 years the Dutch, who

overpowered the Portuguese with the help of

the Sinhala Kings, were against the spread of

Catholicism, but propagated their own version

of Christianity. However the Dutch were not

brutal in attitude as the predecessors.

In yet another 150 years the British overran the

coastal areas driving out the Dutch. The British

rulers did not have religion in their agenda but

they turned a blind eye to the numerous

Christian missionaries who followed them and

started their religious propagation work in

various parts of the country.

By 1850 the people of this little island had been

under foreign oppression for 350 years and as

such Buddhism was on a very low ebb and

sliding down towards annihilation. Some bold

monks at Dodanduwa and Panadura started

Buddhist Sinhala Schools. Around this time

there was open tension between Buddhists and

Christians, resulting in the ‘Pancha Maha Vada’

whereby Ven. Mohottiwatte Gunananda Thera,

the silver tongued orator came into prominence.

The story as told by Theosophists

A book published on the ‘five great debates’ got

into the hands of Colonel Henry Steele Olcott

who along with Madam Blavatsky and few

others in America had in the years 1875

established The Theosophical Society and was

in search of the ‘Truth’. The Buddhist views

expressed in the book appealed to Colonel Olcott

and other members of the newly formed society

and he and Madam Blavatsky decided to sail to

India.

As much as Buddhists, Theosophists do believe in

unseen beings, unseen abodes and unseen

powers that dominate the human world and its

beings.

The belief of the Theosophists

is that the protection of

Buddhism in Ceylon had been

delegated to a Master named

Kuthumi whose abode is the

Himalayas. A Master is an

equivalent of an Arahath in

Buddhism.

It was visualised by Master

Kuthumi who possessed divine

powers that only a white

skinned powerful personality

who could fathom the value of

the greatness of Buddhism can

persuade the white skinned

rulers at the time to grant

redress to the requests of the

dark skinned Buddhists to save

Buddhism from eradication from this country.

It is said that Madam Blavatsky who was in France

at the time after being trained whilst in India, to

communicate spiritually with the Masters, was

ordered to proceed to America immediately and

bring Colonel Henry Steele Olcott to India and then

Ceylon.

Arrival of Colonel Henry Steele Olcott in Galle

It was a long and tedious assignment for Madam

Blavatsky but she received all assistance and

guidance spiritually from the Masters.

The book on the ‘Five Great Debates’ which came

into the hands of Colonel Olcott created a special

interest to communicate with the silver tongued

orator, Ven. Mohottiwatte Gunananda, who was

soon enrolled as a member of the Theosophical

society of New Jersey. In turn Ven. Gunananda

invited Colonel Olcott to visit Ceylon so that he can

meet the other learned Monks and also see the

sad plight of the Buddhists and the perilous

situation that Buddhism is placed.

The two founders of the Theosophical Society left

America by Steamer and arrived in India in 1878

and after setting up their headquarters in Adyar,

Chennai they sailed to Ceylon and arrived in Galle

in 1880. Colonel Olcott in no time assessed the

situation in the country as there were 805 Christian

schools against only four Buddhist Sinhala

Schools.

He soon collected a group of national

minded and enthusiastic Buddhists

and set up a society naming it

‘Buddhist Theosophical Society’ with

the prime task of setting up Buddhist

Sinhala schools in the country and

where ever possible Buddhist English

schools.

He along with Madam Blavatsky drove

to Colombo by horse carriage. Before

leaving Galle they were administered

Pancha Seela and then confirmed as

Buddhists thereafter. On arrival in

Colombo he soon set up another

‘Buddhist Theosophical Society’ for

the same purpose as in Galle. His

second visit to Ceylon was in 1881.

He found that the BTS had been able

to start only a Sunday School and not

any five day school due to want of teachers with

ability to teach Buddhism in Sinhala or English.

He sat up and wrote a book named Buddhist

Catechism in question and answer form, so that

any one who can read English can be a teacher of

Buddhism.

This book was translated to Sinhala almost over

night, printed and distributed. Even so BTS failed

to start a school till C W Leadbeater came to

Ceylon in 1885 and started the first Buddhist

English School in ‘Maliban Street, Pettah’ on

November 1,1886. This school was shifted to

Maradana and named Ananda College in 1895.

There were a numerous sacrifices that Colonel

Olcott made to protect Buddhism in Ceylon and

give Buddhist Children an English education in a

Buddhist environment to keep them away from

Christian influence. It was in appreciation of his

tireless services in Ceylon that he was honoured

with the title National Hero of Ceylon.

Colonel Henry Steele Olcott

Our alien HERO:

Colonel Henry Steele Olcott's :106th death anniversary




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Army Courtfrom P14of war crimes committed by LTTE terrorists such

as using of civilian as Human Shields, summary

executions of civilians who attempted to escape

to army lines, forced conscription of children for

combat purposes were revealed at the inquiry.

The court noted that the international community

had failed in their duty to stop the war crimes

committed by the LTTE terrorists,” Army

spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya

said.

From the testimony presented, the Court

concluded that the instances of shelling referred

to in the LLRC Report were not caused by the Sri

Lanka Army and civilian casualties might have

occurred due to unlawful acts by the LTTE.

These acts include targeting civilians fleeing to

the safety of Army held areas and likely routes of

escape, dropping of artillery rounds fired by ill-

trained LTTE gunners on to civilian

concentrations, employment of sub-standard

artillery guns and incompatible and sub-standard

artillery rounds obtained from illegal sources by

the LTTE, forced conscription of civilians

including children and old people by LTTE for

combat purposes, thus exposing them to danger.

The Army Court will now proceed to investigate

the 2nd part of their mandate which covers the

Channel 4 allegation on summary executions of

captured LTTE cadres. The Commander of the

Army will study the Court of Inquiry Report and

hand over the Report along with his observations

to Secretary Defencein due course. (COLOMBO

GAZETTE)

On the occasion of the 23rd

th February 2013. The programmecommenced with the Buddha Puja at 7:00pm.The Paritta Chanting began at 8:00pm and theceremony culminated with the at7:00am on Sunday 17th February 2013.

The Paritta chanting commenced at 8:30pm. HEDr. Chris Nonis led the procession holding therelic casket followed by Mr Chaminda Kularatnewith the Pirith Pän Kalaya and Mr ChandraMo

he Maha Pirith. HE Dr. Chris Nonis, High Commissioner of SriLanka, Mr. Chaminda Kularatne, Minister-Counsellor, Consular Affairs and Immigration,Mrs. Pradeepa de Saram, Minister Counsellor;Mr. Lionel Wijeratne and Mr Nalin Perera, PublicRelations Officer, Ceylon Tourist Board wereamong the distinguished guests present.The ceremony closed with the and

The Pirith Mandapaya was beautifully crafted byMr. Jayaratne Bandara and friends.

anniversary of thepassing away of Dr Hammalawa SaddhātissaMaha Nayak Thero, VenerableAggamahapandita Galayāye Piyadassi SanghaNayasa Thero organised an All-Night PirithChanting Ceremony at the Sri SaddhātissaInternational Buddhist Centre on the night ofSaturday 16

heel-dāna

After the welcome speech by Ven. GalayāyePiyadassi Nayaka Thero, Ven. Dr. HāndupelpolaMahinda Nayaka Thero and Ven. KachchiwatteBodhiseeha Thero conducted the BuddhaPujāva.

nerawela with the Piruwānā Poth Wahanse.Mr Chandra Monerawela, Trustee of the SSIBCinvited the Maha Sangha to conduct theSarvarātrika Paritrāna Dharma Desanāwa. VenGalayaye Piyadassi Nayaka Thero introducedthe Maha Sangha participating in the ceremony.Ven. Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Theroadministered the Five Precepts. Ven. Dr.Murungasyaye Gnanissara Chief AdhikaranaSangha Nayaka Thero of Paris delivered the

Anusāsanā. Ven. Mānampita Amitha Thero ofthe London Buddhist Vihara led the chanting oftAmong the distinguished Maha Sanghaparticipating in the Chanting Ceremony were:Ven. Aggamahapandita Galayāye PiyadassiSangha Nayaka Thero; Ven. Dr HāndupelpolaMahinda Nayaka Thero; Ven. BogodaSeelawimala Nayaka Thero, Head of theLondon Buddhist Vihara; Ven. MurungasyayeGnānissara Thero, Chief Adhikarana SanghaNayaka Thero of Paris; Ven. Dr. KabaläweSirisumana NayakaThero, Plaistow BuddhistVihara; Ven. Dr. Urugamuwe GnānissaraNayaka Thero, Nadugala Rajamaha Vihara; VenJankurawela Sirinivāsa Nayaka Thero,

Bodiyanganaramaya, Hettipola, Sri Lanka; Ven.Teldeniye Amitha Nayaka Thero, NottinghamSantha Buddhist Vihara; Ven. Mākure MangalaNayaka Thero, Lumbini Buddhist Vihara, EastLondon; Ven. Māpalagama Soratha Thero,Jetavana Buddhist Temple, Birmingham; Ven.Matugama Pālitha Thero representingLetchworth Buddhist Temple and ScotlandBuddhist Vihara; Ven. Akurala Samitha Thero,Dhammaniketanaya, Letchworth; Ven.Punchiwewe Sirinanda Thero, Maha Vihara,Birmingham; Ven. Lunugamvehera RewathaThero, Sri Lanka; Ven. Kacchiwatte BodhiseehaNayaka Thero, Kacchiwatte Viharaya, Galle;Ven. Mānanpita Amitha Thero, London BuddhistVihara; Ven. Kahataruppe Vajira Thero, Badulla;

Ven. Nepal Sumana Thero; and, Ven.Waskaduwe Subodhi Thero.

heel-dānapunyānumodanā in the morning. A large crowdparticipated in this commemoration ceremonyfor a great Dharmadūta scholar monk.




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23rd Commemoration of internationally recognised scholar monkDr Hammalawa Saddhātissa Mahanāyaka Thero at Kingsbury

Photos: Tissa Madawela,Wickrema and

Lahiru Aturaliya




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Chelvathamby Maniccavasagar(dailynews.lk) The annual festival of Matale Sri

Muththumari Amman Temple commenced last

week and the chariot festival will take place on

February 25, 2013 followed by water-cutting

ceremony.

In fact, the Hindu temples are intended to instruct

men in the art of removing the veil of attachment

that covers their hearts. Thus, the renowned Poet

Thiyagarajah cried in the Temple at "Thirupathi",

Remove the Veil O!

Remove the veil of

attachment, the veil

of pride and hatred.

Temples are the

centres of discipline

where the aspirant

is guided step by

step to attain the

vision of truth. They

are the schools for

the training of the

spirit. They are

meant for the

testing of values of

life and to awaken

the Divinity in

humanity inducing

men to believe that

the physical frame

in which he lives is itself the House of God.

In Hinduism, the Supreme Lord is represented by

Maheswara and His power is represented by his

consort Sakthi, Devi, Durgai and Kali. Just as the

husband and wife take care of the family so does

Shiva and Sakthi look after the affairs of the

universe. Sakthi is the embodiment of power. She

is the supreme power by which the world is made

to function. In one of his poems T S Eliot has

described the predicament of man who with all the

progress and success he had made in science

and Technology finds that endless inventions and

experiments bring us knowledge of motion, but not

of stillness, knowledge of words and not of the

word. Lord Shiva without Sakthi is all stillness

since it is Sakthi which stirs Him to motion and

speech.

Shiva is the word, it is Sakthi which moves Him to

words. The union between them is represented by

the image of Shiva as "Arthanariswara" half man

and half woman. Sakthi herself takes different

forms. Sometimes, she is stern and formidable.

Furthermore, of the many Gods in Hindu

Pantheon, none is revered more than Mother

Goddess. She is Parvathy, Durgai and Kali.

Indeed, the compassion a mother shows not only

to her children, but also to the community has no

parallel. In the religious parlance the Divine mother

is termed as an extra ordinary intermediary who

pleads with God to show mercy to a real penitent

when he may not be inclined to do so in view of

the enormity of his sins.

In fact, the Matale Sri Muththumari Amman Temple

is an ancient and historical temple which is

worshipped by Buddhists and Hindus alike. Indeed

several miracles have taken place in this temple.

Once, a woman was robbed of her "Gold Thali"

which is considered to be a sacred one during the

Chariot festival of

this temple. When

she lost this gold

chain (Thali) she

started crying and

searched for her

Thali everywhere in

the massive crowd.

But, to her surprise,

a young girl

appeared before

her and handed

over the lost "Gold

Thali" and suddenly

vanished.

Troubled times

Further, during the

ethnic disturbances

in 1983, this

Temple's chariots

were burnt down and thereafter with the grace of

Sri Muththumari Amman five chariots

(Pancharatham) were constructed with

tremendous effort and dedication of late

Marimuththu Chettiar and members of the Board

of Trustees and devotees of this temple.

The five chariots (Pancharatham) carved out of

pure silver and laden with Gold Deities, studded

with Diamonds, Rubies, Amethyst etc move slowly

from the temple surrounded by thousands of

Devotees from all parts of Sri Lanka, symbolises

peace, communal harmony and prosperity.

Furthermore, the chariot symbolises human body

and the statue of Sri Muththumari Amman is the

soul. In front of the chariot are the wooden horses

depicted as galloping and the reins are attached to

their mouths and held in the hands of the image of

Sri Muththumari Amman. These horses represent

human passions and the reins symbolise the

necessity of restraining and guiding these

passions.

The Journey of the chariot through the streets

symbolises the progress of life. This shows that

throughout one's life a man must control and guide

his passions. These passions are the motive

powers, the driving force of life, but unstrained and

unguided they will wreck a man's life. This is the

symbolic meaning of the chariot festival.

Sakthi

Symbol

Matale Sri Muththumari Amman Temple

(dailynews.lk) “The Holy Prophet Mohammed was

a role model for all Muslims to emulate and mould

their lives accordingly”, stated His Holiness

Moulana Sheikh Affeefdin Al Jailani a direct

decendent of the Holy Prophet. He was the Chief

Guest at the 50th Anniversary celebrations and

Meelad-un-Nabi ceremony organized by the Galle

Muslim Cultural Association (Inc.) at the Galle Fort

Ramparts on January 26. He further urged

Muslims to be

friendly and helpful

to all of God's

creation. Almighty

God sent the Holy

Prophet to this

mundane world as a

“mercy unto his

creation”. Hence we

should take a cue

from his excellent

moral character.

Senior Minister A H

M Fowzie who was

the Guest of Honour

called upon Muslims

to lead good lives

and shun bad

behaviour. We

should be kind and

friendly with our

neighbours and

people of all

communities in

general as

exemplified in our

noble religion,

declared Minister

Fowzie.

Sheikh

Immamudeen Abu

Hijileh, Islamic

scholar from Yemen

Guest Speaker

stressed on the need

to follow the

footsteps of the Holy

Prophet. As stressed

in the Holy Quran if

one were to achieve

success and love

God Almighty, one has to emulate The Holy

Prophet in all aspects of life.

The President of G M C A Nusair Samsadeen and

the Chairman of the Golden Jubilee

Commemoration Committee Alhaj Ziqufy Ismail

also addressed the large gathering.

Master Muhammadh Rizkhan Rifdhi, the winner of

the International Quran Contest held in Mecca

Mukarma kept the crowd spell bound with his

rendition of the award winning Quran recital.

Winners of the various contests also delivered

speeches, Qaseedas and Qirath. The Galle Fort

Ahadiya students welcomed the Guests with the

Welcome Song. Amongst the distinguished guests

present were Southern Province Governor Kumari

Balasuriya, Mayor of Galle Kelum Seneviratne,

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakody, Dr

Ramesh Pathirana (MP) Ambassador of Iran in Sri

Lanka Mohamed Nabi Hassani Pour, High Priest

of the Sri Sudharmaramaya Temple Rev

Hemaloka Thera and Southern Provincial

Councilor Rev. Baddegama Samitha Thera also

graced the occasion.

The meeting and prize distribution was proceeded

by a colourful procession consisted of traditional

Moorish cultural troupes from the Galle Fort

Mosque to the meeting venue.

It was indeed a grand finale of the GMCA's 50th

Anniversary celebrations. A colourful Golden

Jubilee souvenir depicting the past history of the

GMCA was also released.

Chief Guest His Holiness Moulana Sheikh Afeefdin AlJailany, Senior Minister of Urban Development, A H MFowzie and the Guest Speaker from Yemen ShaykhImadudeen Abu Hijileh, Founder Al-Razi Institute,

Boston are taken in a colourful procession from theGalle Fort Meeran Mosque to the Galle Ramparts

Matale Muththumari Amman Annual Ther Festival

50th anniversary celebrations




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*No more monopoly of the language*Should be used as a tool by the young

Chaminda Perera(dailynews.lk) English language should be

used as a tool by the younger generation to

achieve their objectives. The government has

well understood the importance of providing

facilities to improve their skills in English,

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday.

“It is our duty to provide the necessary tools

for students to learn the English language,”

he said.

The Tamil and Sinhala students did not

receive opportunities to learn each others

languages, he said. President Rajapaksa said

the country had an era in which the English

speaking elites had the social upper hand and

they mocked rural students who tried to

speak in English.

He said they were

ridiculed by these elites

when these children of

the rural masses were

making pronunciation or

grammatical errors . “This

is the reason why the

children of the rural

masses were suffering

from Anglophobia. They

were afraid of speaking in

English,” he added. This

society looked upon them

with contempt. There is a

shortage of English,

Science and Information

Communication

Technology teachers in

schools, the President

said. The President said

the country’s masses

could not reap

the real benefits

of the free

education

system though it

was introduced

to the country

several decades

back. President

Mahinda

Rajapaksa was

speaking at the

launch of phase

III of English as

a Life Skill

programme at

Temple Trees

yesterday.

A set of 50

English

language

learning DVDs

for Grades 10 and 11 students and a tool box

of activities for teachers from Grade 6 – 11

were launched on this occasion.

The DVDs were produced by the National

Institute of Education together with English

teachers and education directors in rural

schools. Students of nine schools

representing each province received DVDs

from the President. President Rajapaksa said

opportunities were not made available for

students to learn languages such as English.

He said graduates who were recently

appointed as ICT teachers have refused to

work in rural schools. The President said the

government is providing IT and multi - media

facilities to schools.

He said the students have started talking in

different languages now and the teachers are

keen in teaching languages too.

President Rajapaksa said students would be

more enthusiastic towards learning English, if

marks are given to their oral and listening

skills. He said students should be given more

time to prepare themselves before this move

is implemented. The President said the

shortage of English teachers will have to be

quelled before the implementation of this

programme.

President Rajapaksa said schools need 400

English teachers and these vacancies should

be fulfilled. Education Minister Bandula

Gunawrdena, Education Ministry Monitoring

MP Mohanlal Grero, Governors of nine

provinces, Secretary to the President Lalith

Weeratunga, Presidential Advisor and

Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative on

English as a Life Skill Sunimal Fernando were

present.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa hands over an English language learning DVDto a student. Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena, Education MinistryMonitoring MP Mohanlal Grero and Presidential Advisor and Coordinator ofthe Presidential Initiative on English as a Life Skill Sunimal Fernando were

also present. Picture by Sudath Silva

(asiantribune.com) Ten thousand devotees from

India and Sri Lanka to participate in the annual St

Anthony’s Church festival in the Katchativu islet.

The two-day annual festival at Katchativu islet will

commence this year on 23rd February. The main

mass and the car festival will be held on 24th

morning.

Katchativu, is a small islet located in the Palk Bay,

a mile long, three quarter mile broad at its widest

and area-wise less than half a square mile. The

extent of the islet is 112

hectares.

It is situated 14 miles south-

west of Delft, an island off the

northern coast of Sri Lanka

and 15 miles north-east of

Pamban, off the southern

coast of India, about half way

between the mainland of India

and Sri Lanka and lies at the

periphery of Sri Lanka's area

of sovereignty.

Under the treaty agreement of

1974, Indian fishermen do not

have rights to fishing around

the islets of Katchativu as it is

within the territorial waters of

Sri Lanka. Indian fishermen

were only allowed to dry their

nets and use church for

religious observance.

With the 1976 agreement,

where delimitation of

International Maritime

Boundary Line (IMBL) was agreed upon as

required by the United Nations Convention on the

Law Of the Sea (UNCLOS), Indian fishermen do

not have any right to even engage in drying of nets

and use of Church in Kachchativu as 1976

agreement supersedes 1974.

The islet of Katchativu is known as a parched and

almost a barren island, uninhabited with no source

of drinking water and the whole islet is covered

with thorny shrubs.

St.Anthony’s Church is located in the islet of

Katchativu - is said to be the only pilgrim centre

that is being visited by devotees of two countries in

the world.

The only structure in the Island at present is the St.

Anthony’s church which is worshiped as kaval

Deivam (Protecting deity) by fishermen of both

countries - Sri Lanka and India.

St. Antony, patron-saint of seafarers, to whom the

feast is dedicated.

There is no shelter, no food, and nothing to sight-

see, except the choppy blue waters of the Palk

Straits all round.

The religious structure, St.Antony's Catholic

Shrine, holds 100+ year old traditions, and it was

said to be built by an Indian Catholic.

To visit the shrine for its annual festival Indian

devotees are not required either to possess

passport or visa for visiting Kachchativu .

The church festival normally continues for 3 days.

The priests from both India and Sri Lanka conduct

the mass and car procession.

The festival has been held every year since 1939

at the St. Anthony’s Church in Katchativu islet.

It stopped in 1983, when ethnic strife was at its

peak in the island nation, the festivities

resumed again in 2010.

Devotees, mostly families of fishermen from the

coastal Rameswaram district, would take a

four-hour boat ride across the Palk Strait and

throng the islet every year a day before the

festival.

Sri Lankan devotees used to participate in the

annual festival, and they also used to actively

participate in the barter business with the visiting

Indian devotees and their numbers dwindled after

the ethnic war broke out in 1983. Gradually the

Lankan devotees almost stopped visiting

Katchativu until the year 2010, when they

participated again in the festival.

Since the resumption festivities

in 2010, Sri Lanka Navy has

taken the initiative to run the

annual festival.

All the basic needs of devotees

such as sanitary facilities,

roads, temporary

accommodations, drinking

water and security are being

provided by the Sri Lanka

Navy.

Sri Lanka Navy Spokesman

Commander Kosal

Warnakulasuriya told Asian

Tribune that already Sri Lanka

Navy had discussions with the

Indian authorities and the

Indian devotees will be handed

over to Sri Lanka Navy either

by the Indian Navy or else by

the Indian Coast Guard at the

international maritime

boundary line (IMBL), and from

there Sri Lanka Navy will

escort them up to the islet and on completion o the

annual festival, Navy would escort back Indian

Devotees lounges, boats and hand them over to

the Indian authorities at the IMBL.

Sri Lanka Navy Spokesman Commander Kosal

Warnakulasuriya said Navy would be providing

maximum facilities to the devotees.

The main mass will be on 24th morning and last

year Sri Lanka Navy provided free breakfast to

nearly 6000 devotees who participated in the

festival. When asked, the spokesperson said,

generally Sri Lankan native foods such as milk rice

and other varieties were served as breakfast.

The spokesman said at present the Navy is

involved in renovating the church for the festival.

In the meantime when Asian Tribune contacted

Arumainayagam Suntharam, Government Agent of

Jaffna District, he said that “we are requesting

devotees who are visiting Katchativu to bring their

own meals with them.”

He said, regarding making other facilities, they

have already made the necessary arrangements,

such us putting up tents for devotees, toilets

facilities and the transport arrangements etc., he

said.

Government Agent said that the devotees from Sri

Lanka will be leaving to Katchativu from

Kurikadduvan and also from Dealft (Neduntivu).

He said that Neduntivu Parish Priest Father

Amiltharajh will be officiating the festival mass at

St. Anthony’s Churh in Katchativu. Also Bishops

and others Christian religious leaders are also

have indicated that they will be participating in the

mass.

Arumainayagam Suntharam said that Indian High

Commissioner based in Colombo also has

indicated that he will be coming to Jaffna to visit

the Katchativu festival on the 24th. He said that

they expects about 2000 to 3000 Indian devotees

to participate in the annual festival and he said

there will be more than 6000 devotees from Sri

Lanka will be leaving to Katchativu and he also

confirmed that they expect at least a total of

10,000 devotees from both countries – Sri Lanka

and India to participate in the annual festival this

year.

He said that food is being arranged through the

Neduntivu Multi-Purpose Co-oerative Society

(MPCS) boutiques. The MPCS has indicated that

they will be opening up four to five boutiques. He

further said that the Divisional Secretary of Dealft

(Neduntivu) is also making arrangements to bring

the local production in Katchativu for sale.

Government Agent said that already more than 30

water tanks are being kept at Katchativu and water

will be transported from Dealft.

He said that the first meeting regarding the

necessary arrangements Sri Lankan side should

take was chaired by Minister Douglas Devananda

and accordingly decisions were made.

He also said that already arrangements are made

for the VIPs visiting the festival and also we have

arranged places for devotees stay there.

In the meantime Mr. Lakshman Hulugalle, Director

General of the Media Centre for National Security

has indicated that they are making arrangements

this time to take journalists from Sri Lanka to

Katchativu to cover the festival and transport

facilities will be facilitated by the Sri Lanka Navy

Ten thousand devotees to participate in the church festival in Katchativu

President at launch of English as a Life Skill Phase 3:

ENGLISH PEOPLISED




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Don't overindulge in anyway. If you put your mind to it,

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Things at home may be somewhat rocky.

Lucky day Saturday.

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Qualifies to play in 2017 Women’s WC(nation.lk) CUTTACK: Coming into the 2013

ICC Women’s World Cup, Sri Lanka was an

unheralded team, but their good showing in

the tournament saw them finish in

fifth place, and Shashikala

Siriwardene the captain, believes

her side’s impressive run has

sparked off a new interest in

women’s cricket in Sri Lanka.

“The response from our fans and

well wishers has been

tremendous,” gushed the soft-

spoken Siriwardene. “After seeing

the performance of the side,

especially (Eshani) Kaushalya,

Deepika (Rasangika), (Chamari)

Atapattu and myself, we’ve heard

a lot of people are encouraging

their daughters to start playing

cricket. I think we’re really happy

to have done our bit on that front,

it is very good for the

development of the team.

“The team’s giant killing spree in

the group stages saw it beat England and

India, who were both ranked ahead of Sri

Lanka and were considerably stronger on

paper. In both games, Sri Lanka’s star was

Kaushalya, the big-hitting allrounder. She took

two wickets and slammed 56 against England

to help chase down 238, and also hit a fifty

and picked up a wicket in a famous win over

India. Those performances earned her the title

of ‘Iron Woman’.

“We wanted to give

something back to the

fans when we went

back, I’m sure they

are happy with what

we are taking back,”

said Siriwardene.

“People have followed

our matches with keen

interest. We have had

a lot of advice from

former players,

especially Arjuna

Ranatunga, who has

constantly been

talking to the girls, and

motivating them. His

tips have really helped

us. He is a World Cup

winning captain and

who better than him to help us! We’ve come a

long way as a team.

“The win in the fifth-place play-off clash

against South Africa was particularly pleasing

for Sri Lankan, because it came just two days

after a complete capitulation against the same

bowling attack. The match was set up by the

batters led by Atapattu, who set the platform

with a solid fifty, before Kaushalya and

Siriwardene added the finishing touches to

post a competitive total.“I wasn’t a hundred

percent going into the game,” revealed

Siriwardene. “I was down with cough and

fever but it was a chance for us to prove we

could be fifth in the world rankings, so I was

very keen to play despite being sick, and the

players backed me.”

Looking back at the tournament, Siriwardene

emphasised that the difference in quality

between the top sides and the Asian block

was largely due to lack of exposure,

something she hoped would change going

forward especially after the boost the sport

has received back home.“We are a very

capable side, but I think Sri Lanka and

Pakistan need some more experience in

global cricket,” she said. “Although India didn’t

make it here, they’ve been in the top four. So

we need to ensure we play more often against

sides like New Zealand, England, Australia

and India. That will help. It is disappointing

that none of the Asian teams have made the

final, but we’re glad we got to improve our

ranking and finish fifth here.”

Sri Lanka Women’s captain ShashikalaSiriwardene led her team from the front

excelling in all departments

Trailblazing Sri Lanka gives fans unparalleled joy

By Reemus Fernando(island.lk) St. Aloysius’ College, Galle, are a young

team who are gradually improving.

Although they have not registered outright

victories, the team, captained by opening batsman

Ruchika Sandakelum have almost fulfilled their

plan for the current season by remaining aloft in

the tournament.

Harsha Munasinghe, the coach of the young outfit,

says that as a young team, they have played to

their potential.

Unlike many other First XI teams, St. Aloysius’ do

not have very many seniors in the team. The fact

that the majority of the current outfit will remain in

the team for the next season is proof that they are

a team for the future.

Deputy skipper Nilupul Bimsara is their most

experience player. Apart from him, all others will be

available for the next season.

"This is a young team. They have improved during

the season. I think they have played to their

potential," said Harsha Munasinghe, who is

optimistic that the team will be in good shape to do

well next year.

St. Aloysius’ are drawn in Group ‘D’ where St.

Peter’s, D. S. Senanayake and Nalanda are the

strongest of opponents and their performances

against some of their group rivals prove that they

have actually improved. While they are yet to meet

D. S. Senanayake College, they conceded first

innings points to St. Peter’s and beat Nalanda on

the first innings, at Campbell Place.

The match against Nalanda probably brought the

best out of the team from Galle. St. Aloysius’

bowled to their strength and batted with a lot of grit

to earn vital first innings points against Nalanda.

Left-arm spinners Ashan Madusanka and Pramod

Chathuranga’s impressive bowling feats were the

keys to their success in that match. Madusanka

impressed with a five wicket haul to restrict

Nalanda to 152 runs.

On a difficult wicket, they managed to survive as

the batting line up clicked to post a first innings

total of 181 for nine wickets declared.

Skipper Ruchika Sandakelum, Rashmika

Dananjaya, Damindu Nirmal and Pramod

Chathuranga all made significant

contributions.

The match against their group rival Lumbini

brought out the best of their fighting

qualities, as they defended a low score of

82 runs.

Speedsters Rashmika Dananjaya and

Yasiru Gunawardena combined well to

share the new ball to good effect and rattled

Lumbini for 76 runs.

So far, they have played eight matches. While they

lost outright to Trinity, they managed to remain

unbeaten against the rest of the opponents.

St. Aloysius’ have relied on their top order to

provide runs. While skipper Sandakelum opens the

batting for them, left hander Dilruk Hashan has

scored the bulk of the runs for them this season.

In the bowling department, left arm spinner

Pramod Chathuranga is the leading wicket taker

with over 20 wickets in eight matches.

St. Aloysius’ College First XI cricket squad:

Ruchika Sandakelum (Captain), Nilupul Bimsara,

Dilruk Hashan, Harish Janitha, Akila Gimhana,

Ashan Madusanka, Asitha Jayasuriya, Rashmika

Dananjaya, Yasiru Tharaka, Gihan Niroshan,

Pramod Chathuranga, Navindu Nirmal, Sachin

Chathuranga, Ashen Bandara Hashan Chanaka,

Supun Randika and Kaveetha Liyanage.

St. Aloysius’, a young team on the upsurge

Anuradha ABEYSEKERAA girl from Jaffna, S.Sinthuya of Jaffna Union

College walked away with the Most Outstanding

Player award of the Independence Day

Celebrations All Island (unranked) Table Tennis

Championship 2013 worked off at the S.Thomas’

Indoor Stadium, Mt Lavinia recently. Sinthuya

bagged a triple crown winning all three titles

contested, women’s singles, under

21 and under 18 singles.

It was has been a remarkable

achievement for the Jaffna lass

who travelled over 800 kms to take

part in the tournament. Sinthuya is

considered to be the best TT player

Jaffna has produced in recent

times and has won many titles

earlier at the Jaffna District and

North and East TT Championships.

Tharindu Perera of Isipathana

College, Colombo was adjudged

the boys’ MOP who clinched the

men’s singles and under 21 titles.

The tournament was conducted

under the Asian / German Sports

Exchange programme (AGSEP) in

collaboration with the TT

Association of Sri Lanka (TTASL),

Jaffna District TT Association, and

Vavuniya District TT Association. It

was a tremendous success,

particularly to promote and foster

relationship between the Sinhala, Tamil and

Muslim Communities.

Altogether 432 players took part and for the first

time in Sri Lanka, 65 players from Jaffna District

and 55 players from Vavuniya District participated

in this event totaling 149 participants from North

and East including coaches, teachers and

masters in charge.

The tournament saw 14 singles events on the

cards for boys and girls under-8, under-10, under-

12, under-15, under-18, under-21 including open

men’s and women’s singles.

The main objective of this event was to give

amateur paddlers an opportunity to show their

talents, especially those who are from

outstations. The championship was sponsored by

Abans Ltd while Nilaveli Peace Village and

Aquarius Beach Hotel also supported the event

as co-sponsors. Thanks to the kind gesture of

sponsors the organizers were able to provide

everything free for the North and East

participants including food, accommodation,

transport and entry fees.

A high standard of sportsmanship was

shown by the Jaffna, Vavuniya and players

from South. The AGSEP in collaboration

with the TTASL took all efforts to uplift the

standard of TT in North and East by

conducting coaching camps and

tournaments regularly. Many of the

coaching camps were sponsored by Pesi

Pestonjee, the Senior Director of Abans and

the former President of the Board of Control

for Table Tennis in Sri Lanka.

The results:

Women’s singles : S.Sinthuya of Union

College, Jaffna beat Dilanya Munasinghe of

Musaeus College, Colombo - 11/06, 17/15

Men’s singles : Tharindu Perera of

Isipathana College Colombo beat S

Sajeewan of Central College, Jaffna - 11/02,

08/11, 11/08

Under 21 girl’s singles : S.Sinthuya of Union

College, Jaffna beat S Nishanthini of

Sundarapura GTS , Vavuniya - 05/11, 11/04,11/04

Under 21 boy’s singles : Tharindu Perera of

Isipathana College Colombo beat Gayan

Sanjeewa of Gampola TT Academy -11/09, 11/08

Under 18 girl’s singles : S.Sinthuya of Union

College, Jaffna beat Ashinshani Pothuwila of

Hillwood College, Kandy - 12/10, 11/02

Under 18 boy’s singles : Gayan Sanjeewa of

Gampola TT Academy beat M U M Nawfer of

Belmont Community Centre, of Playgrounds Dep,

- Colombo Municipal Council - 11/09, 14/16, 11/07

Under 15 girl’s singles : Sethma Nethmini of

Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda beat Dewma Chami

of Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda - 08/11, 11/04,

11/01

Under 15 boy’s singles : J Stelon of Central

College, Jaffna beat Nadun Aluthge of Gampola

TT Academy - 11/09, 11/09

Under 12 girl’s singles : Dewma Chami of Anula

Vidyalaya, Nugegoda beat Hiruni Inoshi of

Janadipathi Balika Vidyalaya, Nawala - 11/05,

11/05

Under 12 boy’s singles : Nadun Aluthge of

Gampola TT Academy beat Chanith De Silva of S

Thomas’ College, Bandarawella - 11/07, 07/11,

11/00

Under 10 girl’s singles : Rishani Udeshani of

Prajapathi Balika Vidyalaya, Ambalangoda beat

Chehana Ravindi of Prajapathi Balika Vidyalaya,

Ambalangoda - 11/02, 11/04

Under 10 boy’s singles :

Dasis Manchanayaka of

Royal College, Colombo

beat Puladitha De Silva

of Royal College,

Colombo - 12/14, 11/09,

11/05

Under 08 girl’s singles :

Rishani Udeshani of

Prajapathi Balika

Vidyalaya, Ambalangoda

beat Chehana Ravindi of

Prajapathi Balika

Vidyalaya, Ambalangoda

- 11/08, 11/03

Under 08 boy’s singles :

Gamith Laksara of

Dharmapala Vidyalaya,

Pannipitiya beat Hiruna

Ranawaka of Royal

College, Colombo -

11/03, 11/06

Most OutstandingPlayer (girls)

S.Sinthuya of JaffnaUnion College with

her award

Sinthuya wins triple crown at Independence Day TT

Winners of the tournament with chief guest PesiPestonjee, the Senior Director of Abans (Pvt) Ltd,

Vice President of TTASL Chandana Perera andother officials are seen in the picture.




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By M. Shamil Amit(sundaytimes.lk) The Under 19 inter-school cricket

encounter between St. Joseph’s and St. Anthony’s

Katugastota played at Darley Road ended in a

dramatic eight wicket win for the Josephians which

was also their second outright win for the season

yesterday.

An outright win for either of the team was not on

the card after the first day’s play got off only at

1.35pm with the Antonians ended the day on 129

for 8. The second day’s play saw St. Anthony’s

resuming on their overnight score adding a further

eight runs being bowled out for 137.

St. Joseph’s in reply making steady progress went

into lunch on 103 for 4 and then going for quick

runs they succeeded in only losing wickets at

regular and ultimately declared their innings on

143 for 9.

It’s from here on that the game took a dramatic

turn as St. Anthony’s batting the second time

found spinners Moditha Weerasinghe and

Aravinda Akurugoda too hot to handle.

Wickets began falling like nine pins which ended in

the Antonians succumbing to their lowest ever

score of 35 against the Josephians with Moditha

and Aravinda sharing eight wickets between them.

According to sources the previous lowest score of

the Antonians against the Joes was 40 in 1909.

However St. Joseph’s left with a simple chase of

30 reached the target in the seventh over to take

the Muralitharan-Vaas trophy.

At Bambalapitiya St. Peter’s registered an easy

first inning win over Joseph Vaz while in the Ranil

Abeynaike encounter between S. Thomas’ and

Trinity ended in a tame

draw.

At Darley Road: St.

Joseph’s beat St.

Anthony’s

St. Anthony’s (129/8

overnight) 137 (Viraj

Deepal 35, Nimesha

Gunasinghe 24, Sachin

Bulathsinhala 22, Pavithra

Nanayakkara 17: Moditha

Weerasinghe 5 for 29,

Piyumal Perera 3 for 10)

and 35 (Aravinda

Akurugoda 4 for 1,

Moditha Weerasinghe 4

for 5, Fabian Fernando 2

for 15)

St. Joseph’s 143 for 9

declared (Sadeera

Samarawickrama 46,

Dylan Fernandopulle 35,

Pathum Madusanka 26:

Kavinda Udapola 4 for 17,

Uditha Mahindaratne 2 for

22, Sachin Bulathsinhala 2 for 37) and 32 for 2

(Sadeera Samarawickrama 18 n.o.)

At Bambalapitiya: St. Peter’s draw vs Joseph Vaz

St. Peter’s 286 (Janith Liyanage 77, Shasheen

Fernando 67, Dushan Hemantha 46, Jason

Buultjens 27, Julian de Zylva 19, Chemila

Obeysekera 23 n.o.: Kasun Vidura 3 for 57,

Asanka Ratnayake 2 for 66) 254 for 9 (Lahiru

Milantha 71, Jason Buultjens 32, Janith Liyanage

27, Chemila Obeysekera 25, Dushan Hemantha

23, Julian de Zylva 20: Asanka Ratnayake 3 for

33, Kasun Vidura 3 for 52, Ravindu Dilshan 2 for

46)

Joseph Vaz (118/4 overnight) 190 (Kasun Vidura

69, Primas Obris 26, Sewwinda Silva 52 n.o.:

Krishan Fernando 3 for 37, Chemila Obeysekera 2

for 14, Sahan Nanayakkara 2 for 22, Julian de

Zylva 2 for 43)

At Mt Lavinia: S. Thomas’ draw vs Trinity

S. Thomas’ 107 (Thilaksha Sumanasiri 42, Javed

Bongso 22: Lakshan Jayasinghe 3 for 17, Charith

Sudharaka 2 for 23, Raveen Sayer 2 for 32) and

116 for 3 (Javed Bongso 61 n.o., Thilaksha

Sumanasiri 50 n.o.: Lakshan Jayasinghe 2 for 28)

Trinity (30/1 overnight) 241 for 6 declared (Dinuk

Wickramanayake 93, Ron Chandragupta 73,

Lakshitha Dassanayake 37: Madushan

Ravichandrakumar 2 for 30, Thilaksha Sumanasiri

2 for 71

At Ananda Mawatha: Ananda vs St. Servatius

St. Servatius Matara 163 (Gihan

Nimsara 42, Dilshan Madusanka

41, Romesh Nimantha 26 n.o.:

Sammu Ashan 5 for 53, Isuru

Gunasekera 3 for 59, Dushmantha

Dissanayake 2 for 39)

Ananda 139 for 6 (Thushara

Samarakoon 51, Lakkala

Jayasekera 33: Sanjika Ridma 5

for 38)

At Wattala: St. Anthony’s Wattala

vs Piliyandala Central

Piliyandala Central 144 (Shenal

Deelaka 41, Gimhana Nimsara 28,

Geeth Perera 26, Thanoj Perera

18: Samsun Muneer 3 for 30,

Sanal Udawatte 2 for 18, Rukmal

Perera 2 for 33, Charith Buddika 2

for 36)

St. Anthony’s Wattala 130 for 3

(Yakub Sachin 48, Prasad Daniel

35, Eshan Shehara 19, Charith

Buddika 20 n.o.: Mahela

Harischandra 2 for 43)

At Ambepussa: St. Anne’s vs St.

Mary’s St. Anne’s Kurunegala 221 (Chathuranga

Perera 60, L. Jayaratne 57, Vikum Dharshana 43,

Shehan Cooray 30: Dhanushka Sandaruwan 7 for

68, Chamika Senaratne 3 for 56)

St. Mary’s Kegalle 28 for 3 (Chathura Perera 2 for

3)

At Raddoluwa: Sri Pangnananda vs St.

Sebastian’s

Sri Pagnananda MV Raddoluwa 96 (Pasindu

Madawa 19, J. Fernando 19: Pasindu Lakshan 5

for 11, Roshan Krishmantha 5 for 51) and 20 for 1

St. Sebastian’s Katuneriya 123 (Nisal Geeth 34,

Yomal Fernando 20, Roshan Krishmantha 19:

Sujith Pushpakumara 3 for 9, K. Tharindu 3 for 24)

Josephian opener Dylan Fernandopulle,who made 35, cuts this one to the fence. -

Pic. Amila Gamage

Ananda spinner Sammu Ashan whobagged a fifer in action at Ananda

Mawatha. -Pic Ranjith Perera

By Reemus Fernando(island.lk) After consistent top

performances since gaining a place in the

top division of the Under-19 Premier

tournament in 2009, Royal College,

Panadura, are struggling for the first time

in four years to record an outright victory

this season. With rain and unfavourable

weather conditions preventing a couple of

possible opportunities of recording such

victories, they are in to the fifth month of

the tournament, without a win against their name.

But Sumith Prasanna, the coach of Royal

College, Panadura is optimistic that victory is

around the corner.

After seven matches, they have scored four first

innings wins, while conceding first innings

points on three occasions.

The team, led by fourth year coloursman

Thenuka Dananjaya took first innings honours

against Dharmaraja, St. Benedict’s, Vidyartha

and Ananda, while they conceded first innings

points to Richmond, Dharmasoka and

Maliyadeva in other tournament matches.

"Not being able to record an outright win is

the only disappointment. But we have done

well and have remained unbeaten. A victory

might come at any time," said Prasanna.

Incidentally, the team has as many as seven

experienced players in the team. At least five

players have more than three years of

experience playing First XI cricket.

Skipper Dananjaya, third year coloursmen

Damindu Ashan, Madawa Nimesh, Asitha

Fernando and deputy skipper Dulith Gayan

are all experienced campaigners.

Although they have not recorded a victory, the

players have impressed with some sound

performances.

Skipper Dananjaya has started from where he

left off last year. Dananjaya had a fruitful

season and this year too he is their leading

wicket taker. The left arm spinner has taken

around 40 wickets, with a match bag of 10

wickets (4/58, 6/55) against Maliyadeva

College, being his best.

Among the other strike bowlers who have

impressed so far are Hasitha Dananjaya and

Vimukthi Madushan.

Their batting looks more solid this year, with

the top order going great guns. Third year

coloursman Damindu Ashan and opening

batsman Madawa Nimesh have scored the

bulk of runs.

While Ashan has scored nearly 400 runs,

Nimesh scored a century to take his

aggregate past 600 runs in their eighth match

of the season, on Monday.

Back to back half centuries against

Maliyadeva has been the highlight for

Damindu Ashan this season.

Deputy skipper Dulith Gayan, middle order

batsmen Yasith Chamod and Hashan

Padmakumara, Akila Lakshan are among the

leading run scorers for Royal this season.

Royal College First XI cricket squad: Thenuka

Dananjaya (Captain), Dulith Gayan (V. Capt),

Damindu Ashan, Madawa Nimesh, Asitha

Fernando, Hashan Pathmakumara, Akila

Lakshan, Yasith Chamod, Hashan Vimukthi,

Rusiru Ravisanka, Hasitha Dananjaya,

Vimukthi Madushan, Himasha Ranganath,

Pathum Nirmal, Pavan Madurajith, Gihan

Sudarshana, Basitha Lakshan, Deshan

Sandeepa and Chamath Madusanka.

Royal toil in search of first win St. Anthony’s shot out for 35as Joes cruise to victory

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Herath takes 800thFirst Class wicket

SAJEEWA JAYAKODY

(dailynews.lk) Tamil Union’s Rangana Herath took

his 800th First Class wicket in the on-going

Premier League Tournament on Sunday.

Sri Lanka’s leading left arm spinner completed this

milestone when he picked up five for 20 in their

eight-wicket win over Galle Cricket Club at Galle

Stadium last weekend.

Herath is the second leading First Class wicket

taker for Sri Lanka behind legendary Muttiah

Muralitharan’s 1,374 scalps in 232 matches. The

33-year-old claimed the highest number of Test

wickets in the last calendar year by capturing 60

wickets in just 10 outings.

That record is better than English spinner Graeme

Swann’s 59 wickets in 14 matches. Herath, who

played for Hampshire and Surrey, bagged seven

five wicket hauls and two match bags of 10 wickets

in his 10 Test matches last year.

By Harsha AmarasinghePremier League cricket

Second day scores:

Discarded Ragama CC leg-spinner Malinga

Bandara sounded the selectors that he is still in

good shape to make a comeback to international

cricket with haul of six wickets for 90 runs in their

Premier league match against BRC continued on

the second day at Havelock Park

yesterday.Bandara spun out BRC on a good batting

surface for 367 and then Ragama openers Ian

Daniel (162 n.o.) and Udara Jayasundera (139 n.o.)

put on an unbeaten partnership of 309 by the close.

Daniel faced 235 balls and hit

16 fours and three sixes and

Jayasundera faced 203 balls

and hit 15 fours and two sixes

as they made a mockery out of

the BRC bowlers.Sri Lanka Air

Force middle-order batsman

Yashodha Lanka hammered

139 off 116 balls (10 fours and

10 sixes) against Saracens SC

helping his team to reach 423

for 8 on the second day in reply

to Saracens’ first innings of

172.. Sajith de Silva also made

a century (127).

Meanwhile at Maitland Place, SSC dominated the

day against arch rivals NCC with veteran middle-

order batsman Thilan Samaraweera scoring an

aggressive 111 off 136 balls (11 fours and 2 sixes)

to join opener Dimuth Katunaratne’s century on the

first day. SSC piled up 511-7 declared and by the

close NCC were 102 for 3.

Sri Lanka new Test and ODI captain Angelo

Mathews followed his first innings half century for

Colts with another fine knock of 63 not out to place

his club in a strong position against Moors at

Havelock Park. Colts were 232-9 at close and held

onto an overall lead of 278. Moors were earlier

dismissed for 103 with Sajeewa Weerakoon taking

five wickets.

At Maitland Place (SSC): SSC 511-7 decl (122)

(T.Samaraweera 111, D Karunaratne 116, T

Paranavitana 70, K.Silva 45, S.Senanayake 47 n.o,

T.Kaushal 2/98)

NCC 102-3 (25) at close (D. Chandimal 47 n.o,

Angelo Perera 28n.o, S. Senanayake 2/23)

At Kalutara: Navy SC 358 (107) (R.Rasanga 144,

G. Christopher 61, Y.Kumara 52, B. Hasaranga 36,

R.Illeperuma 4/84, A Silva 3/100)

Badureliya SC 117-5 (36) at close (S.Wijeratne

44n.o, Mapa Bandara 38, S.Chamika 3/27)

At Havelock Park (BRC): BRC 367 (91.3)

(M.Cooray 90 n.o, G. Dilruk 76, D. Vitharana 70, R

Thattil 57, M Bandara 6/90)

Ragama CC 309-0 (73) at close (I. Daniel 162 n.o,

U.Jayasundera 139)

At Havelock Park (Colts): Colts 149 (49.1) and 232-

9(65) at close (Shehan Fernando 95, A Mathews 63

n.o, S Kamileen 37, Chathuranga de Silva 4/54,

V.Perera 3/45)

Moors SC 103 (31.2) (I.Ghouse

31, S Weerakoon 5/17, I Jayaratne

3/33)

At Galle: Galle CC 137 (44.3) and

93-3 (42) at close (I.Udayanga 44

n.o, R.Herath 2/10)

Tamil Union 226 (64.2) (Ashen

Silva 59, J.Mendis 55, S

Serasinghe 40, P Gajasinghe 3/53

A.Rideegammanagedera 3/69)

At Kurunegala: Kurunegala 213

(67) and 151-6 (45) at close

(B.Ratnayake 53, M Safras 45, D.Hettiarachchi

3/60)

CCC 220 (60.3) (S. Kandanearachchi 85, Hasantha

Fernando 53, P. Kellepotha 4/57. C Edirisinghe

3/55)

At Panadura: Panadura 214 (48) and 285-5(54) at

close (Chamara Silva 104, C.Peiris 70 n.o, L

Fernando 64, S.Randiv 3/100)

Bloomfield 131 (43.5) (D.Ranaweera 38, C.Peiris

4/20, D.Perera 3/58)

At Rifle Green: Saracens SC 172 (51.1)

Air Force SC 423-8 (89.3) at close (Y.Lanka 139,

Sajith de Silva 127, R.Ratnayake 43, A Kumara 41,

S Dushmantha 3/80)

At Panagoda: Lankan CC 200 (44) and 52-1 at

close (T.Waduge 37)

Army SC 331 (82) (L.Edirisinghe 69, D.Soysa 45,

R.Kavinga 35, S.Jayawardene 33, Sachithra Perera

3/60,)

At Braybrooke Place: Chilaw Marians 140 (33.2) (S

Pathirana 38, S.Dissanayake 4/21, C.Bandara 3/36)

Ports Authority 204-4 (52) at close (S.Kalavitigoda

88, M.Pushpakumara 40, T.Mendis 33)

Ian Daniel | Udara Jayasundera

By M Shamil Amith(dailymirror.lk) St. Peter’s clinched the All Island

Singer interschools rugby sevens title with a thrilling

12 points 10 win over arch rivals Isipathana in the

final played at the Royal Sports Complex ground

down Reid Avenue yesterday. St. Peter’s came

back after trailing 0-10 at the breather.

The final was no doubt going to be a blockbuster

with the two teams having met in some nailbiting

encounters in both versions of the game.

Isipathana went into action in the very first minute

and into the lead through an unconverted try by

skipper Ujitha Prematileke. From there on it was a

ding dong battle with both sides sharing honours

until Isipathana’s Hirantha Perera went over for a

try a few seconds away from the short whistle.

The resumption saw the Peterites getting into

action and they did the same as Pathana with a

first minute try by Anuradha Herath who ran nearly

70 metres with Jerome Canute adding the extra

points to reduce the deficit to 10-7.

Two minutes later the Petes took over the lead with

Anuradha being in the action again. Later with

tempers flaring the game went out of control as

players of both the sides began exchanging blows

which resulted in two Peterites and an Isipathanian

being sin binned.

However the Peterites playing with five players

from thereon kept the

Isipathanians at bay to

secure their second

rugby title for the

season having last

week clinched the

Under 18 title.

Meanwhile CWW

Kannangara MMV

Borella put in another

sterling performance on

the second day when

they defeated Royal

Colombo in the Plate

semi final encounter

and then went on to

clinch the Plate title

with a 15-7 win over

Nalanda.

Ananda and Science

took the Shield and

Bowl titles defeating

Lalith Athulathmudali

MV and Wesley respectively. Peterite Anuradha

Herath was awarded the best player of the

tournament trophy.

St. Peter’s clinch sevens title in thrillerDaniel, Jayasundera in triple century standafter Bandara scalps six




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Call to Old Isipathaniancricketers

(sundayobserver.lk) A meeting of cricketers

who represented Isipathana cricket in the past

is scheduled to be held soon in connection

with the the 50th Thurstan vs Isipathana

Golden jubilee cricket encounter to be played

on March 22 and 23, 2013 at the SSC

Grounds. All past cricketers of Isipathana

College are requested to provide contact

details to K.H. Nandasena on mobile number

0757199896 or Kithsiri Bandara on

0772317444. Contact details could also be

forwarded to [email protected]

Cricket AGM on March 30(dailymirror.lk) The Annual General Meeting of

Sri Lanka Cricket is scheduled to be held on

March 30. The notice carrying the information,

regarding the AGM and calling for

nominations, has been sent to the members

this afternoon" a SLC spokesman said on

Tuesday. The 2013 AGM is in line with the

Gazette notification issued by the Ministry of

Sports related to the new regulations of the

Sports Law and the newly elected members

will hold their respective positions for two

years. The final date for nominations will be

the 28th of February.

All Island Inter-school U-20 Rugby Sevens(nation.lk) Newcomers to Division One rugby CW

Kannangara MMV Borella put up a stunning

performance to book a place in the Cup

Championship quarterfinals of the All Island Inter-

school Under 20 Seven-a-side Rugby tournament

which commenced at the Royal Sports Complex

in Reid Avenue yesterday. Kannangara MMV also

had the credit of creating the biggest upset of the

tournament on the opening day as they scored a

stunning 24-7 victory over Trinity College Kandy

in a group D encounter.

Kannangara MMV was trailing 5-7 at half time but

they came back magnificent in the second-half to

turn the game in their favour while collecting their

points from three goals and one penalty

conversion.As a result of their giant-killing

performances Kannangara MMV were able to top

their group at the completion of the preliminary

round and will now take on St. Peter’s College in

one of the quarterfinals of the Cup Championship.

St. Peter’s College of course

had the honour of recording

the highest total of the day

when they outplayed

Maliyadeva College

Kurunegala by 50 points to nil

in a group C fixture. Meanwhile

the reigning champion

Dharmaraja College Kandy

registered two convincing

victories over Wesley College

and Ananda College to head

group A while the last year

runners up Kingswood College

also joined the line-up with two

easy wins over Lalith

Athulathmudali MMV

Ratmalana and Prince of

Wales College Moratuwa

respectively.

The Cup Championship

quarterfinal draw: Dharmaraja

v Royal at 8.40 a.m, St. Peter’s

v C. W. W. Kannangara MMV

at 9.00 a.m, D. S. Senanayake

v Isipathana at 9.20 a.m,

Nalanda v Kingswood at 9.40

a.m. The Bowl Championship quarterfinal draw:

Wesley v Mahanama at 10.00 a.m, Lumbini v

Trinity at 10.20 a.m, Piliyandala MMV bye,

Science College Mount Lavinia v Prince of Wales

at 10.40 a.m.The Shield Championship

quarterfinal draw: Ananda v Royal Panadura at

11.20 a.m, Maliyadeva v Dharmapala at 11.40

a.m, St. Sylvester’s bye, Lalith Athulathmudali

MMV bye. C.D

A close tussle for possession in the match between KingswoodCollege Kandy and Prince of Wales College Moratuwa on the

opening day of the inter-school rugby sevens tournament whichbegan at the Royal Sports Complex in Reid Avenue.

Pic by Ravindra Dharmatillake

(island.lk) Thilan Samaraweera will replace

injured Mahela Jayawardene in the Sri Lanka Test

squad after the latter was ruled out of the

upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.

Jayawardene is likely to miss the Bangladesh

series after he sustained a fracture to the middle

finger of his left hand during a Premier League

match while playing for Singhalese Sports Club

last Sunday.

Jayawardene has dislocated his middle finger

while taking a catch in the slips cordon. He was to

undergo surgery on Tuesday. Scans have

showed that a chip had come loose from the

bone. Jayawardene may be ruled out of action for

4-6 weeks.

"His scans have already been dispatched to

Australia for further investigations but experts

have said that the forecast is not very good for

the veteran batsman to play the Bangladesh

series," Sri Lanka Cricket was quoted saying

yesterday.

Samaraweera had been dropped from Sri Lanka

Test squad after a poor show in the recent tour of

Australia. But the prolific run-

getter in Tests earlier has

been among runs in the

ongoing Premier League

Tournament this month. He

has made two hundreds and a

fifty in five innings for SSC to

become the second-highest

run scorer of the tournament

so far.

Kumar Sangakkara too, who

suffered a fracture in his hand

during the Boxing Day Test,

was fighting to recover in time

for the first Test against

Bangladesh. He was involved

in light batting in the nets recently. He aims to be

fit for the last round of the ongoing Premier

League before the Bangladesh tour.

Bangladesh are to arrive in Sri Lanka on February

28 for a tour which includes two Tests, three

ODIs, two T20s and one practice match. Their

tour will go on till March 31.

CWW Kannangara stuns Trinity Thilan to replace injured Mahela

Eshani appointedvice-captain

Windies Women’s tour of Sri Lanka

(island.lk) All-rounder Eshani

Lokusooriya who steered Sri Lanka

Women’s team for the fifth position in

the world rankings in the recently

concluded ICC Women’s World Cup

has been appointed as the vice-

captain for the forthcoming West Indies

tour of Sri Lanka.

West Indies team who will arrive in Sri

Lanka this afternoon will be playing

three One-day International games

and five T-20 matches. The series will

get underway with the first ODI

scheduled at the Dambulla

International Stadium on February 22.

All three one dayers will be played at

Dambulla.

The ODI series will be followed by the

T-20 matches which are scheduled

from March 1 at R. Premadasa

International Stadium. All T-20 matches

will be played at the same venue.

Sri Lankan Women’s Squad:

Shashikala Siriwardene (Capt.),

Eshani Lokusooriya (V.Capt.), Chamari

Atapattu, Chamari Polgampola, Dilani

Manodara, Sandamali Dolawatta,

Chamani Seneviratna, Sripali

Weerakkody, Udeshika Prabodhani,

Prasadini Weerakkody, Deepika

Rasangika, Inoka Ranaweera, Nipuni

Hansika and Rangika Fernando

Stand by: Chandima Gunaratne,

Nilakshi de Silva, Oshadi Ranasinghe,

Ama Kanchana and Madhuri

Samudrika

Fixtures:

Feb 22: 1st ODI at Dambulla

Feb 24: 2nd ODI at Dambulla

Feb 26: 3rd ODI at Dambulla

March 1: 1st T-20 at R. Premadasa

March 3: 2nd T-20 at R. Premadasa

March 5: 3rd T-20 at R. Premadasa

March 7: 4th T-20 at R. Premadasa

March 8: 5th T-20 at R. Premadasa.

(RS)




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