Sunday, December 22, 2013

Brought To Sihaladipa And Put Into Sihalabhasa For The Benefit Of The Dipavasin

By Darshanie Ratnawalli -December 22, 2013

Darshanie Ratnawalli

The author of “The Numbers Game”, probably the most informed study of the death toll for the last stages of the Elam war was telling me, that once in 2008, he was so appalled by the ignorance displayed by H L Seneviratne in anewspaper article that he immediately started digging for authoritative sources on the subjects HL was making fast and loose with and discoveredJames. W. Gair, K.R Norman and Richard Salomon[i]. When I read HL subsequently, I too was at first appalled. Then I thought what’s there to be appalled about, if the result of one man’s appalling display of ignorance was to motivate another to dig and unearth? So H.L’s was a bracing display of ignorance, and it went like this;

“In the broad perspective, one look at the ethno-demographic spread of peoples in the subcontinent makes it quite obvious that the Sinhalese are a variety of Tamils, as are other ethnic and linguistic groups of South India. It is because of the twentieth century Sinhala-Tamil rivalries that this fact is forgotten or explicitly denied. In particular, it is striking that the Sinhala Buddhists have forgotten the fact that it is in South India that Buddhism survived centuries after its disappearance from the north. It is very likely that the great Buddhist commentator Buddhaghosa was a Tamil monk, although Sinhala monastic tradition is keen to place him in North India…. And the Sinhala language, considered “Aryan”, is Tamil in its grammatical and syntactic structure, with a vocabulary of about twenty or more percent Tamil”.

To a questing person brought up in Britain in English and handicapped in Sinhalese (as the “N Game” author is) Gair was a flare that lit up the darkness that H.L Seneviratne wished to share. Let us switch on James W. Gair in “Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan Isolate”[ii] (Full text here);

“Indeed, Sinhala has retained its Indo-Aryan identity despite the constant contact with Dravidian languages, a persistence that I referred to in the same paper as “a minor miracle of linguistic and cultural history” (Gair 1976b:259). It has emerged as a language with a unique character within the south Asian linguistic area, a result of its Indo-Aryan origins, Dravidian influence, and independent internal changes. There were other influences as well, some of them from the languages of successive colonizers, but it is often overlooked in this regard that there was clearly some other, apparently non-Dravidian, language (or languages) spoken on the island before the advent of Sinhala. This is shown not only by the existence of the aboriginal Veddas (whose language is now essentially a dialect of Sinhala) but also by the existence of a number of items in the Sinhala vocabulary that cannot be traced to either Indo-Aryan or Dravidian languages. (See Hettiaratchi 1959, 1974; De Silva 1979: 16). The role that some indigenous languages, or language, played in the formation of Sinhala has not really been investigated but it may well have been more than is generally recognized.”

( December 22, 2013 - Colombo - Sri Lanka Guardian) Unfortunately, one gets the impression that Buddhism as practiced in Sri Lanka is not entirely based on its original scriptures as preached by Lord Buddha but often in so far as the attitude towards the Tamils is concerned the teachings of the great Buddha are superseded by the myths of the fanatical authors of the Mahavamsa written nearly 1300 years after Lord Buddha and 800 years after the war where the Sinhalese king Dutu Gemunu vanquished the Tamil king Elara some 2300 years ago.

The Culture of Impunity by nelvely

உதயன் செய்தியாளர் மீது நேற்று திடீர்த் தாக்குதல்

உதயன் பத்திரிகையின் வன்னிப் பிராந்தியச் செய்தியாளர் ந.கிருஸ்ணகுமார் நேற்று மாலை 5.30 மணியளவில் அவரது வீட்டில் வைத்து மூவரால் மோசமாகத் தாக்கப்பட்டார். தலையில் படுகாயமடைந்த அவர் சிகிச்சைக்காக கிளிநொச்சி பொது வைத்தியசாலையில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

செய்தியாளரின் வீட்டுக்கு மோட்டார் சைக்கிளில் சென்ற மூவர் செய்தியாளரை வீட்டுக்கு வெளியே வருமாறு அழைத்தனர். அவர் வாசலுக்கு வந்ததும் அவர் மீது கொட்டன்களால் சரமாரியாகத் தாக்கினர். செய்தியாளர் குக்கூரலிட்டு கத்தினார்.

தாக்கியவர்கள் அங்கிருந்து தப்பியோட முற்படுகையில் அயலவர்களால் ஒருவர் மடக்கிப் பிடிக்கப்பட்டு பொலிஸாரிடம் ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்டார். மற்றையவர்கள் அங்கிருந்து தப்பியோடி விட்டனர்.

பொலிஸாரால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டவர் நாதன் என்று அவரும் செய்தியாளரின் ஊரை சேர்ந்தவர் என்றும் முதற்கட்ட விசாரணைகளில் தெரியவந்திருக்கிறது.

அரசியல் கட்சி ஒன்றின் நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினரது தீவிர ஆதரவாளர்களில் ஒருவரான இவர் செய்தியாளர் மீது தாக்குதல் நடத்தியதன் பின்னணி குறித்தும் தாக்குதலின் பின்னால் உள்ள அரசியல் தொடர்பு குறித்தும் பொலிஸார் விசாரணைகளை மேற்கொண்டு வருகின்றனர்.

- See more at: http://onlineuthayan.com/News_More.php?id=795092528422812578#sthash.N5cyEip0.dpuf
Uthayan journalist attacked

22 December 2013
A journalist for the Jaffna based newspaper, Uthayan, was attacked by his home in Vanni on Saturday, reported the paper.

The journalist, N. Kirushnakumar, was attacked by three men who arrived by motorbike to his house. He has been admitted to a hospital in Kilinochchi with head injuries.

One of the three was caught and handed over to the police, whilst the others escaped. According to the paper, the attacker who was caught, identified himself as Nathan, and alleged he was a supporter of a "political party". Further details are unknown.

President to merge Rivira & Leader companies!

Sunday, 22 December 2013

The president has decided to merge Rivira Media Corporation and Leader Publications, both of which are under the control of the Rajapaksa family.

Noting that the financial and propaganda performances of the two institutions do no justice to the high costs, he has told the owners to merge both and form a vast media institution. Leader Publications has been bought by Asanga Seneviratne and Rivira Media by Colonel Prasanna Wickramasuriya from Arpico chairman Sena Yakdehige using the money given by casino businessman Ravi Wijeratne.

According to reports reaching us, Rivira Media needs more than Rs. 10 million a month for maintenance, Ravi Wijeratne has pointed out to the president, and noted it was pointless to continue so any further. Leader Publication too, is facing a similar situation. The president has told Col. Wickramasuriya and Seneviratne to merge the two institutions.

Under the merging plan, ‘Sunday Leader’ is to be published on Sundays and ‘The Nation’ as a daily, while ‘Rivira’ to continue both as a daily and a weekender, while ‘Irudina’ as a weekender to cater to UNP and others in the opposition.

Once merged, the president has advised, the Sinhala publications should have senior journalist Upali Tennakoon, presently living in the US, as the consultant. He has asked for a monthly salary of Rs. one million.

Meanwhile, the president has decided to appoint lawyer Gyrika Perusinghe as the Lake House chairman, but he is yet to make any response to the offer. That is because incumbent Bandula Padmakumara is making devious plans to remain in the position. Karunaratne Paranawithana, named to be the Rupavahini Corporation chairman, has asked the president to give him any institution other than a media institution. He is presently engaged in politics in Ratnapura.

Patients In Jeopardy At Kandy Hospital

By Nirmala Kannangara in Kandy-Sunday, December 22, 2013
Pictures by Asoka Fernando

Cancer patients receving Chemotherapy treatment in a corridor

Although politicians boast that Sri Lanka is no longer a third world country, any person who visits the Kandy General (Teaching) Hospital either for treatment or to visit a patient, would wonder whether the country is now a developing country or could be rated below the third world rank.

Patients in Jeopardy at Kandy Hospital by nelvely

‘Lightning Should Strike Tiran Alles For Giving Blood Money To The LTTE’: UNP

December 23, 2013 |

The Mawbhima newspaper which has joined the Sirasa TV network to spearhead a campaign of misinformation and slander against the main opposition United National Party was slammed at the Party’s annual convention on Saturday (21st) by parliamentarian and former Bar Association President Wijedasa Rajapakshe.

Tiran’s residence damaged during a bomb attack, that has been blamed on the ruling party. / File photo

Wijedasa Rajapakshe accused Mawbhima proprietor Tiran Alles of engaging in base treachery by paying money to terrorists at the Presidential Elections in 2005 to deprive the Tamil people of the North and East of a franchise.

Rajapakshe said that those without blood on their hands were appointed to the UNP Leadership Council which is now working towards Party victory. “Those who used to attack Ranil are now attaching Council Chairman, Karu Jayasuriya.” Refereeing to an article in Alles’s newspaper which claimed that lightning had struck Jayasuriya at a rally (Karuta Hena Gahai) Rajapakse said that it was a blatant falsehood and warned Alles that it was not Jayasuriya, who is a staunch Buddhist, who would be struck by lightning, but Alles who had given blood money to terrorists. Wijedasa Rajapakshe further claimed that Tiran Alles had handed over Rs. 784 million to the LTTE on behalf of the Mahinda Rajapaksa campaign in order to ensure a boycott of the poll in November 2005.

“The person who gave blood money to terrorists in 2005 and prevented Ranil Wickremesinghe from becoming the President of this country is today carrying out a similar contract of the regime through his news paper in the hope to prevent a UNP government from coming into power” Wijedasa Rajapakshe added.

President’s Media Director Steals Bed Covers, Photographer Steals Cameras

December 23, 2013 |

The Colombo Telegraph can now reveal the name of the Presidential photographer who was barely escaped arrest at the Dubai Airport last week after stealing a camera worth Rs. 300,000 from the duty free shops inside the airport en route to Colombo from Kenya with President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s entourage.

Vijayananda Herath

Milinda Ratnayake, an official photographer attached to the Presidential Media Unit was caught on close circuit television footage at the Dubai airport trying to make off with the merchandise hidden in his bag. Shop staff had observed him stealing the camera before he was detained by airport security.

“We have the highest respect for President Rajapaksa. We are, therefore, releasing you. Otherwise, you would have ended up in jail,” one airport security official told the photographer.

After his return to Colombo, Ratnayake has been relieved of his duties.

A similarly embarrassing event took place when President Rajapaksa visited Belarus in August this year. An official complaint had been lodged to the Ministry of External Affairs through diplomatic channels that a hotel where the Presidential delegation had stayed in Minsk was missing a bed cover.

The hotel had complained that Vijayananda Herath, the President’s Director of Sinhala Media had taken a bed cover from his room back with him.

"Apey Ranil" transfers his powers to LC, calls for end to Rajapaksa dictatorship, corruption

Ranil in talks with several opposition parties to fight provincial & national elections in 2014

by Zacki Jabbar-December 21, 2013

Amidst a catchy song, "Apey Ranil," sung to an upbeat tempo, the UNP yesterday held its 55th annual Convention at "Srikotha" with the central theme being relief for the long suffering masses, abolition of the Executive Presidency and an end to corruption and lawlessness.

The proceedings went off smoothly with all participants body-checked and armed policemen providing security within the complex.

Wickremesinghe revealed in the course of his speech that he was in talks with several opposition parties to form an alliance to fight several provincial and national elections which will be held in 2014.

A relaxed, smiling and apparently relieved Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is now designated as the National Leader having delegated his powers to the Leadership Council (LC), kept waving to those who had gathered at "Srikotha" while the words "Apey Ranil" which was part of the song’s chorus kept extolling his virtues as a clean and uncorrupt politician.

The lyrics brought a smile to many of those present with some clapping in rhythm after the speakers who preceded him had called for unity while criticizing the Rajapaksa regime for ruining the country with its short sighted policies which had resulted in an unprecedented debt burden, reeking corruption and lawlessness as never experienced since Independence.

Rolling up his sleeves, Wickremesinghe urged party members to get on the streets to oust a government which had made a mockery of democracy and good governance in the post war era through its " 30 percent commission" politics and ego boosting propaganda exercises. The cost of these was recovered from the masses by heavily taxing essential goods and services.

The entire country, he said, knew that the Rajapaksa regime was corrupt to the core and it had been proved beyond doubt with national debt, which stood at Rs.1.6 trillion after 55 years of Independence, zooming to Rs.6.6 trillion within the last eight years.

Wickremesinghe observed that unlike at past Conventions when the leaders powers were strengthened, yesterday was a historic day since it marked the transfer of the leader’s authority to the LC.

"I have given my powers to the LC because I want the UNP to win and also develop a future leadership. Enough is enough. All should rally round to ensure the party emerges victorious once again,’’ he said.

There was no point in crying while seated on a hansi putuwa (armchair), he said recalling that some had laughed at him when he said at the beginning of this year that 2014 would be election year.

"Those who listened to me and organized their branches would benefit. To those who laughed at me, all I can say is get on the streets immediately and campaign hard to make up for lost time."

In an obvious reference to Sajith Premadasa’s refusal to contest the next Southern Provincial Council Election as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate, the UNP leader recalled how Gamini Jayawickrema Perera had placed the party before self by resigning from Parliament twice to contest Provincial Polls.

He noted that after the UNP was routed at the 1970 general election. J.R.Jayewardene re-organized the party from scratch and led it to an unprecedented five sixths majority victory at the 1977 parliamentary election. The secret, Wickremesinghe observed, was the unity amidst differences that existed between various personalities even at that time.

The corrupt and dictatorial Rajapaksa regime which had destroyed every possible sector including the economy, education and health can be ousted, the UNP leader said.

The establishment of the Leadership Council which was earlier endorsed by the Working Committee was unanimously approved by the Convention.

The Convention while resolving that the Executive Presidency be abolished and all the Independent Commissions be re-established urged the government to reduce the Cost of Living and provide relief to the people. This had not materialized even over four years after the war ended.

It also called for free education and health to be safeguarded and developed.

The Story Of Sivakami’s Tears

By Mahesan Niranjan -December 22, 2013

Mahesan Niranjan

What a coincidence? On flight BA2042 from Colombo to London two days ago, I found myself sitting next to my drinking partner, the Sri Lankan Tamil fellow Sivapuranam Thevaram. I was returning from a visit to Sri Lanka, giving a talk at a conference

on ICT for Emerging Regions on the subject of modern biology, and taking part in a PhD interim examination of two students whose research — on developing an automatic translation system between Sinhala and Tamil — I help supervise. Thevaram, when I found him, had already consumed a pint of Lion lager, a gin and tonic, and a small bottle of red wine. This was not a surprise.

What did surprise me was that the man was in tears and was staring at some lines in Tamil he had scribbled in his notebook. There were a few drops rolling down his cheeks which he unsuccessfully tried to hide from me. “What is the matter, Machan (buddy)?” I probed. “Well, it is my mothe…” I did not quite catch the last word, did he say “mother” or was it “motherland”?

“Eh?”

Have you ever wondered why we often relate the concepts of mother and country? Motherland, mawbima,thaayaham, mathru bhoomi, and thaay naadu are phrases in common use. On one rare occasion a father to country relationship was attempted (vaterland), but that did not go particularly well. We might think that this mother-country relationship is simply a convenient linguistic construct, invented once and copied in perpetuum. Largely true, but the observation also explains the audacious claim Thevaram made, in response to my “Eh”: Read More

Casino hypocrisy

Editorial-December 21, 2013

We are sorry to say that the government has been less than transparent about its plans on the mega casinos that, despite all opposition from well-intentioned religious leaders and social activists as well as not so well-intentioned opposition politicians, appear to be going through. A few days ago the Ministry of Investment Promotions published some gazette notices on three mega-projects under the Strategic Development Act entailing investment of US dollars 1.2 billion which is certainly not small change. These so-called mixed development projects include five star hotels, shopping complexes and a convention center. There is no mention of gaming or casinos anywhere in the gazette.

It will be only the very naïve who will believe that plans to make Sri Lanka a high-end gaming center to attract particularly gamblers from India and China have been laid to rest as Deputy Investment Minister Faizer Mustapha appeared to suggest when he was quoted in the press as saying that these `mixed’ projects are not for casinos. However it must be said in fairness that he had also mentioned that casinos are already in operation under the Betting and Gaming Levy Act of 2010 and that casino operations has nothing to do with the mixed development activities. But he has not thought fit to reveal that some casinos will be located within so-called these mixed development projects.

John Keells Holdings, the country’s biggest market capitalized business conglomerates, is one of the private sector investors which, through its Waterfront Development Project, plans to let out space for a world class gaming facility. JKH is clearly on record saying it does not intend running casinos not having either experience or expertise in such businesses. Its plan is to let out luxury space in the new development to a reputed international casino operator. Tuesday’s publication of the gazette notices as well as the deputy minister’s statements on the subject had not in any way dampened the appetite for JKH shares on the Colombo bourse. In fact the counter, as well as attached warrants, is the most sought on the CSE and their prices have been rising. All this indicates that hardnosed investors are quite confident that JKH’s Waterfront Project for which the company’s former Glennie Street headquarters as well as Slave Island property belonging to its subsidiary, Ceylon Cold Stores, have already been demolished will proceed as planned.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is on public record saying that no new casino licences will be issued. There are five existing licences. Mr. Dhammika Perera holds three of them and Mr. Ravi Wijeratne, with whom James Packer is tying up, owns the other two. What is intended is that these licences will cover gaming operations in new locations. Perera, once head of the BOI under the Rajapaksa administration and now Secretary to the Ministry of Transport despite his myriad of other businesses, is obviously a close associate of the government and its hierarchy. Everybody knows the connections. Perhaps less well known is that JKH will work/is working with Perera with regard to the casino to be located at the Waterfront Development Project. Ravi Wijeratne whom Packer is partnering has in recent newspaper interviews been very forthcoming about his own plans which include building a USD 450 million hotel on D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha land (in front of Lake House) that he already owns. He says that a casino will be run in the hotel with his existing licence.

The public are not likely to take the UNP’s professed opposition to casinos very seriously. Everybody knows that during the UNP’s dispensation several casinos were run in Colombo including in existing five-star hotels which were in bad shape at that time with the war keeping tourists out of the country. Joe Sim was a familiar name in Colombo circles in those days. President Premadasa got rid of him for whatever reason but there is no bar to his returning here. The reality is that massive investments are being made building new hotels as well as refurbishing and expanding existing properties. We have to substantially increase tourist arrivals into the country to ensure that the hotels have sufficient custom to keep them viable. Senior Minister Sarath Amunugama, who is also deputy finance minister, is the only politician that we can think of who has had the spine to call a spade a spade. He said in a recent speech that we can’t expect to grow our tourist industry by bringing foreign visitors here and showing them a few elephants. That is the reality.

Gambling in many forms has been deeply entrenched in this country over a long period of time. There is no escaping the fact that casinos attract other vices like prostitution. Although they are less visible today, a lot of young women of Chinese, Russian and East European origin were a familiar sight around the various casinos already in operation in the country especially late in the night and in the small hours of the morning. The authorities have clearly been ambivalent about this problem, sometimes rounding up the girls but more often ignoring them. Girls such as these will flock wherever high rollers go and we have no doubt that such services are available in other countries of the region where there are big gaming operations. If we develop a gaming industry, and there is good reason to believe that we are moving in that direction despite amateurish efforts to pretend otherwise (till the Provincial Council elections are over?), that is a problem that will be very with us on a scale far bigger than we have hitherto known.

We are too well aware that although the casinos at present are largely, if not exclusively, restricted to Colombo, the bookies or ``turf accountants’’ as they sometimes like to call themselves, are everywhere. Betting on the English races has developed into a major industry today. One of the biggest bookies is a Member of Parliament from the government party. He was a backer of the UNP once upon a time and switched horses shortly before Mahinda Rajapaksa was first elected president. People have ruined themselves by betting on horse racing and the once prohibited race cards are everywhere, easily accessible even to teenagers. The Donovan Andrees and the Mubarak Thahas of yesteryear have been replaced by others who have been bestowed national honours and elected to Parliament. Dr. N.M. Perera as finance minister moved to tax the bookmaking industry and the police stopped harassing the so-called `bucket shop’ keepers. Hopefully, the government gets its fair share of revenue from this activity as well as existing casinos.

Given the investment already poured into the tourism industry, we have to ensure high occupancy of hotels already built and those in the pipeline. It seems to us that the casinos are necessary vice for this. It is time that we took a practical view of the situation and the veneer of hypocrisy that surrounds it is shorn off. But there must be a tight regulatory regime – an area in which Sri Lanka has seen far too many failures. State revenues from such activities must be maximized without cronies being given sweetheart deals and the obvious harm that such less than desirable activities inevitably bring in their wake minimized as far as humanly possible.

LAKSHMAN HULUGALLE HOSPITALISED

December 22, 2013
The former Director General of the now-defunct Media Center for National Security (MCNS), Lakshman Hulugalle has reportedly been hospitalised due to a sudden illness.

Recent media reports had alleged that Hulugalle was linked to the transfer of 23 officers and constables from the Police Department’s Organised Crimes Investigation Unit, who were involved in the raid of a casino that was being operated in the Colombo Town Hall area.

Hulugalle, however, has denied he made any such request.

The Media Center for National Security (MCNS), which was established for the specific purpose of disseminating all national security and defence-related information and data to the Media and the public from one co-coordinated Center, was abolished with affect from November 01, 2013.

The brainchild of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the MCNS was the sole state authority to distribute national security and defence-related Media releases, data, statistics, visuals and other information to the public, produced special dossiers, audio-video clips and various documentaries.

However, Ada Derana learns that Lakshman Hulugalle has been hospitalised today.

Media Center for National Security abolished
Dec 2nd, 2013

And A Merry Christmas To You Too!

By Emil van der Poorten -December 22, 2013

Emil van der Poorten

Being a glutton for punishment from the usual sources of racist rhetoric, I thought I’d take a short jog down memory lane to provoke them into another frenzy of bad grammar and syntax!

Since my return to Sri Lanka a few years ago, my partner and I have chosen to celebrate the festive season with a little get-together with our neighbours in the (spacious) premises that we occupy. We only have one couple and their children resident on our land now and depend for workers, both full-time and casual, on those living on the informal “colonies” which have grown out of squatter settlements which, in turn, came into existence after the collapse of the estates that the State placed under its management after one of the most inappropriately named pieces of legislation in Sri Lanka’s post-colonial history – “Land Reform.”

I have on previous occasions referred to the economic and social damage done by legislation that was driven by malice and revenge and I am not about to repeat the facts again. Those of my vintage who have observed what became of agriculturally productive land in the mid-country of Sri Lanka, in particular, can speak far more eloquently to that bit of history.

A half-century ago, as a “newly-wed” with an infant daughter, we decided to have a “Christmas Party” for the children of those who were employed by us. Given the extent of replanting and rehabilitation of the ancestral land I was working at the time, the number of children of those engaged in this work was quitesubstantial. In any event, that occasion nearly ended in a calamity when someone decided that the person chosen to be Santa Claus should wear a pair of the cricket boots of that era. These had canvas uppers, hard leather soles with metal hob-nails on them. In any event, when “Santa” entered the front door, his feet which were not usually shod with footwear of any description, took off from under him and he reflexively reached out for some source of support. This happened to be the Christmas tree which had the usual adornment of that time of yards and yards of tinsel. This would have been fine except that the electricity supply to the festive lights on the tree wasn’t perfect and had a few “leaks” that made the tinsel decorations “live!” As a result, Santa received a fairly significant jolt of electricity, let go in a hurry and landed in a heap on the polished floor. No serious damage done, but that was one of the more ill-humoured Santas of my recollection and the children collecting their presents from him were not greeted with an excess of bonhomie. Those who, disconcerted by Santa’s (awful) face mask, raised any kind of protest while collecting their girfts were given (very) short shrift by him! However, all was well that ended well with lots of food and fizzy drinks which we didn’t realize at that time constituted a dentist’s nightmare!

Man assaulted by PS member

By Binoy Suriyaarachchi- December 22, 2013

A 32-year-old individual has been admitted to the Marawila Base hospital after he was allegedly assaulted by UPFA Wennappuwa Pradeshiya Sabha member, Sheron Fernando. The assault had reportedly occurred at a resort located in Marawila area in Wennappuwa, police sources said.

Accordingly, the Marawila police have launched a search operation in order to apprehend the PS member along with four other suspects involved in the incident, following the complaint lodged with the police by the complainant Lahiru Malinga. Malinga in his statement to the police has stated that he was assaulted with a belt and clubs at the
resort by the four individuals accompanied by the PS member.

STF personnel deployed to all administrative districts

Sunday, 22 December 2013

The elite Special Task Force (STF) personnel have been deployed to all administrative districts since the conclusion of the war in 2009, according to the STF Commandant.

STF Commandant DIG R. W. M. C. Ranawaka has told the media that the STF strength comprised 7,800 officers and men, though there was provision for a cadre of 10,000 and that 300 personnel will soon be accommodated at the STF state of the art training facility at Katukurunda after completing their training.

There are 300 persons undergoing training at present.

Ranawaka has added that there was provision for the STF to recruit a further 600 personnel during the next year.

Rajitha’s interview replaced by statement!

Sunday, 22 December 2013

Today’s (22) ‘Sunday Lankadeepa’ has published half a page statement by fisheries minister Rajitha Senaratne, in response to social services minister Felix Perera. As we reported previously, that statement had been carried in place of a full page interview by minister Senaratne at the request of the president’s media unit.

‘Sunday Lankadeepa’s Prasanna Sanjeewa Tennakoon had obtained the interview from minister Senaratne a week ago at a request by the president to the newspaper’s editor. After asking minister Felix Perera to attack minister Senaratne, the president had told the editor to obtain an interview from the fisheries minister against his cabinet colleague.

Following our exposure of these plans, the PMU had ordered the newspaper not to publish minister Senaratne’s interview. When he had inquired as to why his interview was not carried, the newspaper has got a statement from him, which was published in today’s paper.