Tuesday, April 29, 2014

For STOPS dialog Sri Lankan Print Ad Revenue From Fears From Taking Dhanapala Issue Media Ad Revenue For Fears From Dialog STOPS Dhanapala Sri Lankan Taking From Print Media Issue

April 29, 2014

A number of senior editors, Associated with Major Print Newspapers have Confessed to Colombo Telegraph that they feel Unable to Run stories On Ambassador jayantha Dhanapala's unethical dual Capacity As a Director of Dialog Axiata PLC, and a leader of the Civil society advocacy Group, Friday Forum , due to the size of the Company's digital media Advertising and Communications budget. The 2012 Annual report of Sri Lanka Dialog lists an Advertising budget of 7.3 billion rupees.

Jayantha Dhanapala

"This simply shows that what's called good governance, really is very far from simple ethical practice," said a senior Sri Lankan political analyst when contacted for comment. "Whether it is laptops, car loans or advertising, the press is kept."

However, at least two editors have said that they intend to take this issue up in the coming days, due to the serious conflict of interest involved.

A FEW days ago Professor Kumar David said ; "Asking Dhanapala to resign from Friday Forum is 'rubbish'. It would be unprincipled to resign from Friday Forum; Jayantha Dhanapala must take a stand and resign from Dialog. These worthies love money, so it is unimaginable for them to part from big money ! I call up Dhanapala to resign from Dialog and condemn its illegal and unethical behaviour. Then he will win back his self-respect. "

Related posts;

(Lanka-e-News-28April2014, 11.00 PM) On the 22 nd of May When a Team of Police Officers to a Guest house that was laid Siege being run illegally on the coastal strip of Colombo, and was raided, among the several couples who were engaged in illicit sex with a sex Starved DIG was along a Woman Police officer attached to the Police headquarters. thereafter, the Police Law implementing a new Strange and sordid, As Though she had only had interdicted the Woman Police officer solitarily illicit sex - a new method of sexual gratification introduced by the Police under mara's 'Asia's miracle in the making.'

Now DIG Caught Red-handed Rewarded Fornicating Chief Police HQ ..! by nelvely

Basil's Man Tipped To Be Judge Of Supreme Court

April 29, 2014

Reports of appointment to the Next One of the country's APEX Vacancies in the court - the Supreme Court has sent shockwaves Within the Sri Lankan Legal and judicial Circles with a Close Ally of Basil Rajapaksa , priyantha Jayawardena PC Nominated As being a Supreme Court Judge.

His appointment has reportedly been submitted for approval to the Parliamentary Council with the Council expected to approve the nomination.

Priyantha Jayawardena PC who started his legal career as an officer at the Attorney-General reverted to the private bar a few years later. He came into prominence mainly for his connection to Minister Basil Rajapaksa. As He was widely seen playing a Central role in the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Banadaranayake , and according to his sources Close Legal acumen was amply demonstrated in the flawed charge Sheet issued during the impeachment process and several defects in the Divi Neguma Bill which he is reported to have drafted.

Jayawardena was also a beneficiary of the mass elevation of the President's Counsel recently. Colombo Telegraph also learns that Jayawardena was involved in many "deals" as he is also a close associate of business tycoon Harry Jayawardena. As a Supreme Court Judge Jayawardena will hear important commercial and political cases.

Government trying to thwart free and transparent investigation

Monday, 28 April 2014

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has said that the recent actions of the government are seen as an attempt to thwart a free and transparent investigation into the alleged human right violations and accountability issues.

Delivering the Chelvanayagam Memorial Lecture at the Kathiresan Hall in Wellawatta Saturday, TNA Leader R Sampanthan has said that the government action to ban several organizations and individuals for allegedly aiding attempts to regroup the LTTE has also been perceived by independent observers as a reaction to the events that took place at the recent UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva.

The TNA Leader has said that a government has the right to take steps as deemed necessary for good reason.

"It must be conceded that a government has the right to take steps as deemed necessary for good reason," Sampanthan has said.

However, he has added that these actions of the government have been seen as moves to thwart a free and transparent investigation of the matters contained in the resolution adopted at the UNHRC at Geneva.

பயங்கரவாதத் தடைச் சட்டத்தை நீக்கக்கோரி வட மாகாண சபை தீர்மானம்

கடைசியாக பிரசுரிக்கப்பட்டது: 28 ஏப்ரல், 2014 - 15:43 ஜிஎம்டி

இலங்கையில் பயங்கரவாதத் தடைச் சட்டம் நீக்கப்பட வேண்டும் என்று கோரி வட மாகாண சபையில் தீர்மானம் நிறைவேற்றப்பட்டிருக்கின்றது.

நாட்டில் அமைதி நிலவுகின்ற போதிலும், தமிழ் மக்களுக்கு அழுத்தம் கொடுக்கத்தக்க வகையில் பயங்கரவாதத் தடைச் சட்டத்தை அரசு நடைமுறைப்படுத்தி வருவதாக இந்தப் பிரேரணையை சபையில் முன்மொழிந்த தமிழ்த்தேசிய கூட்டமைப்பின் வட மாகாண சபை உறுப்பினர் டாக்டர் சிவமோகன் குற்றஞ்சுமத்தியிருக்கின்றார்.

விடுதலைப்புலிகளை மீளிணையச் செய்வதற்கும் முயற்சிகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்படுகின்றன என குற்றஞ்சாட்டி வடக்கில் பலர் கைது செய்யப்பட்டிருக்கின்றார்கள்.

இந்த முயற்சிக்குத் தலைவர்களாக இருந்தார்கள் எனக் கூறப்பட்ட மூவர் இராணுவத்தினரால் அண்மையில் நெடுங்கேணி பகுதியில் வைத்து சுட்டுக் கொல்லப்பட்டார்கள்.

இந்தச் சூழ்நிலையில் திங்களன்று யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் கூடிய வட மாகாண சபை இத்தீர்மானத்தை நிறைவேற்றியுள்ளது.

'பயங்கரவாதத்துடன் சம்பந்தம் இல்லாதவர்களையும்கூட, தங்களுக்குத் தகவல் தெரிவிக்கவில்லை என குற்றம் சுமத்தி பயங்கரவாத தடைச் சட்டத்தின் கீழ் அவர்களைக் கைது செய்து, ஏழு வருடங்கள் அடைத்து வைக்க முடியும் என்றிருப்பது ஏற்க முடியாதுள்ளது' என டாக்டர் சிவமோகன் தெரிவித்தார்.

'அதேபோல கைது செய்யப்பட்ட ஒருவரிடமிருந்து ஒப்புதல் வாக்குமூலம் ஒன்றைப் பலவந்தமாகப் பெற்ற, அதனைச் சான்றாக வைத்து அவருக்கு எதிராக வழக்குத் தாக்கல் செய்ய முடியும்.' என அவர் குறிப்பிட்டார்

பயங்கரவாதத் தடைச் சட்டம் குறிப்பாக வடக்கு கிழக்கு மாகாணங்களிலேயே அதிகமாகப் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகின்றது என்பதால் இந்த பிரேரணையை வட மாகாண சபையில் நிறைவேற்றியுள்ளதாக சிவமோகன் தெரிவித்தார்.

NPC wants ban on overseas groups withdrawn

Tuesday, 29 April 2014

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) - controlled Northern Provincial Council yesterday (28) passed several resolutions demanding that the ban of 16 overseas Tamil groups be withdrawn forthwith.

The resolutions, moved by member MK Sivajilingam was adopted unanimously. The UPFA which is the opposition of the NPC, did not ask for a vote. Instead, it sought to register its protest formally.

The government banned these pro-Tamil groups alleging that they promoted separatism in Sri Lanka with attempts to revive the LTTE.

NPC Chairman CVK Sivagnanam told that the resolutions also called for a political solution to the national question.

"These were resolutions handed over some time back. Now, they have been adopted. There was no opposition to the resolutions as such. Nobody called for a division," he said

SL military photographs students, teachers at schools in Madu, Mannaar

[Tamilnet, Tuesday, 29 April 2014, 05:33 GMT]
The occupying SL Military District in Madu division of Mannaar entered the schools at Valaiyan-kaddu and Kaakkaiyan-kulam and took photographs of the Students, teachers and the principals interrupting the studies. Schoolteachers in Madu division told TamilNet that the SL military was behaving as if the Tamil students and teachers were in a prison the genocidal Sri Lankan State. The latest conduct of the SL military shows how the situation of threat on Tamil students and teachers has worsened from the earlier situation, said Mr Joseph Stalin, the general secretary of Ilangkai Thamizh Teachers Union. The entire education System in the Northern province by the Sri Lankan Government is being militarised, he said.

The independent functioning of schools have already been compromised As to the schools had to inform the SL Military All Their activities in advance. Now has manifested a persistent interference into the Military Threat, Mr. Stalin told Tamilnet.

The SL soldiers were collecting the Personal details of the Students and teachers also.

It is only the zonal directors or the secretary of education in the province who are entitled to collect the details of the students. The Teachers Union strongly condemns the ACT by the SL Military Entering the schools collecting and photographing the details Students and teachers, Tamilnet told Joesph Stalin.

In the meantime, the Zonal Directors of education have been receiving the SL Military Complaints of interference, but they have been unable to voice against the conduct of the SL military as they are unable to confront the SL military establishment that views all the 'government employees' as subjects of the SL State, a zonal director who didn't wish to be named, told TamilNet .

"genocidal The machinery of the State, From the Education ministry of the so-Called to the Central Government in Colombo Sinhala Soldier watching us at the entrance of our school, is suppressing the education of Tamils in particular," said the Zonal Director pointing How at the SL State scuttled a Recent initiative by the Northern Provincial Council to design an independent approach for improvidus the Map of education in the province.

talpa The General Secretary of the ITTU out also that such interference is not allowed to take Place in the Military Northern and Eastern Province districts outside.

The occupying SL Military has also been photographing and collecting details at the households of Tamils IT fully occupied after the Tamil Homeland.

As talpa out the Tamil activists at Geneva, the conduct of the SL Colonial State has only been further emboldened by the human rights discourse at Geneva, which has been subjected to political manipulation by geopolitical powers.

அரசாங்க பணிகளுக்கான ஆளெடுப்பை இராணுவம் செய்வதற்கு எதிராக கண்டனம்அரசாங்க பணிகளுக்கான ஆளெடுப்பை இராணுவம் செய்வதற்கு எதிராக கண்டனம்

இளைஞர்களிடம் நேர்காணல் நடத்தும் இராணுவ அதிகாரி

கடைசியாக பிரசுரிக்கப்பட்டது: 27 ஏப்ரல், 2014

இலங்கையின் வடக்கே யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் இளைஞர் யுவதிகளை அரச சேவையில் சேர்த்துக்கொள்வதற்காக இராணுவம் மேற்கொண்டுள்ள நடவடிக்கையை வடமாகாண சபை அமைச்சர் கண்டித்துள்ளார்.

இது அரச நடைமுறைக்கு முரணானது என்றும் தமிழ் இளைஞர் யுவதிகளைத் தனது கட்டுப்பாட்டினுள் வைத்திருப்பதற்காக இராணுவம் மேற்கொண்டுள்ள நடவடிக்கை என்றும் வடமாகாண விவசாயத்துறை அமைச்சர் பொன்னுத்துரை ஐங்கரநேசன் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

அரச சேவைக்கு ஆட்சேர்த்தல் என்ற மகுடத்தில் வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ள துண்டு பிரசுரம் ஒன்றில், உரிய அதிகாரிகளினால் பல்வேறு பணிகளுக்கு ஆட்கள் சேர்த்துக் கொள்ளப்படுவார்கள் என்று அறிவிக்கப்பட்டதற்கு அமைவாக யாழ்ப்பாணம் கொக்குவில் இந்துக் கல்லூரியில் இளைஞர் யுவதிகளிடமிருந்து விண்ணப்பங்கள் இராணுவத்தினரால் ஞாயிறன்று ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன.

மருத்துவதாதி, நடனம், ஆங்கிலம், தமிழ் ஆகிய பாடங்களுக்கான ஆசிரியர்கள், பாடகர்கள், வாத்தியம் மற்றும் நடன கலைஞர்கள், கணினி இயக்குநர்கள், விவசாய மேற்பார்வையாளர், விவசாயிகள், தொழிலாளர்கள், மின் இணைப்பாளர், தச்சு வேலை, மேசன், வர்ணம் பூசுபவர்கள், ஒட்டுவேலை, வாகனம் திருத்துவோர், சாரதிகள், கட்டட கலைஞர், பட வரைஞர், கட்டடத் தொழில்நுட்ப உத்தியோகத்தர்கள் என 21 வகையான பணிகளுக்குரிய விண்ணப்பங்கள் ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்படும் என்று அந்தத் துண்டு பிரசுரத்தில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சொடுக்குஆட்சேர்ப்பு அறிவித்தல்

தரம் எட்டு முதல் பட்டப்படிப்பு வரை படித்துள்ள 18 முதல் 30 வரையிலான வயதுடைய பெண்களும், 18 க்கும் 32 க்கும் இடைப்பட்ட வயதுடைய ஆண்களும் இந்த வேலை வாய்ப்புக்காக விண்ணப்பிக்கலாம் என்று அந்தத் துண்டு பிரசுரத்தில் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கின்றது.

அனைத்துப் படிகளையும் உள்ளடக்கியதாக 25 ஆயிரம் முதல், 30 ஆயிரம் வரையில் மாத சம்பளம் வழங்கப்படும் என்றும் அந்தத் துண்டுப்பிரசுரத்தில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கின்றது.

ஞாயிறன்று நடைபெற்ற விண்ணப்பப் பதிவு நடவடிக்கையின்போது நூற்றுக் கணக்கான இளைஞர் யுவதிகள் கலந்து கொண்டார்கள்.

திங்களன்று யாழ்ப்பணம் துரையப்பா விளையாட்டரங்கில் இவர்களுக்கு நேர்முகப் பரீட்சை நடைபெறும் என தெரிவிக்கும் கடிதங்களும் இவர்களுக்கு வழங்கப்பட்டிருப்பதாகத் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மாகாண சபைக்கும் மத்திய அரசுக்கும் அவற்றின் கீழ் இயங்கும் திணைக்களங்களுக்குமே அரச சேவைக்கு ஆட்சேர்க்கும் உரிமையும் அதிகாரமும் இருப்பதாக சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ள வடமாகாண விவசாயத்துறை அமைச்சர் ஐங்கரநேசன், இராணுவத்தின் இந்த நடவடிக்கையை அத்துமீறிய நடவடிக்கை என்று கண்டித்திருக்கின்றார். இதனை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியாது என்றும் அவர் கூறியுள்ளார்.

தமிழ் இளைஞர் யுவதிகளின் சுதந்திரமான சிந்தனையை மட்டுப்படுத்தி அவர்களை தனது கட்டுப்பாட்டில் வைத்திருப்பதற்கான நடவடிக்கையையே இராணுவம் மேற்கொண்டிருக்கின்றது என்றும் அவர் குற்றம் சுமத்தியிருக்கின்றார்.

இந்த நடவடிக்கை குறித்து இராணுவத்தின் கருத்தை அறிவதற்காக இராணுவ பேச்சாளரைத் தொடர்புகொள்ள மேற்கொண்ட முயற்சிகள் பலனளிக்கவில்லை.

A letter to the President from FTZ & GS employees union

Monday, 28 April 2014

Free trade Zones & General Services employees union has requested from the Prsident Mahinda Rajapaksha to make necessary mesures to stop import of labour and providing for contract labour through manpower agencies.

The union sent a letter to the President On 21st April 2014. Please see Full text of the letter here

Leaders and resignations

Editorial- April 28, 2014

The sinking of the Sewol ferry with 300 passengers aboard, most of them schoolchildren and teachers, has sent a political tsunami of sorts across South Korea. Heart-rending images of lifeless bodies of victims trapped in cabins of the ill-fated vessel continue to emanate and protests are still on. Prime Minister Chung Hong-won has announced his resignation over his government's poor response to the disaster, which has left about 200 people dead according to official figures released so far.

The Korean PM's statement giving reasons for his resignation deserves to be framed and hung in the offices of all heads of state, especially in this part of the world. He has said: "Keeping my post is too great a burden on the administration .... On behalf of the government, I apologize for many problems from the prevention of the accident to the early handling of the disaster. There are too many irregularities and malpractices in parts of society that have been with us too long and I hope those are corrected so that accidents like this will not happen again. "

Some leaders resign, taking the responsibility for omissions and commissions which, in some cases, should, in fact, be blamed on others, because it is not greed for power and wealth that has driven them to take to politics. Resignation may come as a relief to them.

Leaders we are burdened with would stick to their positions like limpets even if the ship of state steered by them were to capsize due to their fault, so to speak. They won't care whether keeping their posts is too great a burden on their governments and will do everything in their power to remain in power. A Head of State, it may be recalled, once flew out of the country while a vital oil installation was burning after a terror strike which occurred owing to a serious security lapse.

Only one leader had the courage to step down, taking the responsibility for a disaster of a different nature. Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake resigned in the aftermath of the 1953 hartal which led to a brutal crackdown; the police shot dead some protesters and injured hundreds more. (Head of the UNP Leadership Council Karu Jayasuriya was spot on when he said the other day that the executive presidency would not have caused so much of concern to anyone if Dudley had been the Head of State!) All his successors have either resorted to questionable methods to retain power or made abortive attempts to do so. One of them even had to be 'retired' by the judiciary and another has done away with the constitutionally prescribed presidential term limit.

Another reason for the South Korean PM's resignation is said to be misleading information his government provided to the families and relatives of the victims immediately after the ferry disaster. A claim was initially made that all students had been rescued. All hell broke loose when the truth became known. But, our leaders are free from such trouble. We have had in this country a separate ministry that specialises in disseminating misinformation which would put even Goebbels to shame posthumously. Successive governments have made use of this institution to make mountains out of molehills and vice versa, depending on the political needs of the powers that be.

The difference between statesmen and politicians is that the former have their resignation letters ready to be tendered should anything go wrong and the latter demand others' resignations and save their skin.

284 Incidents Against Muslims; Salley Lodged A Complaint With The Special Police Unit

April 29, 2014

Azath Salley, the leader of National Unity Alliance and Member Central Provincial Council yesterday lodged a complaint of 284 incidents against Muslims with the Special Police Unit set up by the President to handle religious intolerance at the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs.

During the visit to the Special Police Unit Azath Salley said; “We have lost all confidence in the police with their lack of actions against persons who were responsible for such incidents, as seen by no arrests up to date; We have lodged a complaint due to the President having set up the special unit and to ensure that no one will on a later date state that no complaints have been lodged for them to take relavent measures.”

Read the 284 incidents report here

Army to probe 3 soldiers over murder

By admin on April 28, 2014

Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake has directed the Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police (SLCMP) to conduct an investigation into the alleged involvement of three soldiers in the contract murder at Wellawa and initiate a Court of Inquiry (CoI) for trial, the army media unit said.

On hearing that three soldiers against a contract payment of Rs 2 million have murdered the husband of a woman on her insistence and were subsequently remanded by the Kurunegala Court after the Wellawa Police arrested them, the Commander of the Army directed the SLCMP to cooperate with civil sector law enforcement authorities and initiate parallel army investigations.

The Commander of the Army maintains that a handful of those soldiers who joined the organization during the height of humanitarian operations, remain less convinced of the reputation and the dignity of the Sri Lanka Army and thus contribute to anti social acts of this nature.

Instructions have already been issued to take action against such errant soldiers in parallel with ‘zero tolerance’ policy on Army wrongdoers and expel them from the Army upon conclusion of CoI hearings. (Colombo Gazette)

Sri Lanka approves $400 mln resort project, without casino

Fri Apr 25, 2014

* Australian casino company plans hotel and leisure complex

* Religious leaders, opposition politicians oppose it

* Minister says no casino allowed, but sceptics doubt that

By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal

COLOMBO, April 25 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's parliament approved a $400 million development by Australian casino operator Crown Resorts Ltd on Friday, but said it would not be allowed to open a casino there.

The hotel and shopping complex proposed by Australian gambling tycoon James Packer's company is opposed by religious leaders and opposition parties who fear it will eventually be allowed to operate a casino, something they see as a threat to traditional Buddhist morality.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that would not happen.

"We will not allow casinos. I emphasise that. They (investors) asked (for permission for casinos), but we did not grant permission and we will not allow it in future either," he said at a heated debate in parliament.

Opponents expressed scepticism, noting that excluding a casino at the resort had not been written into law.

"Why is the honourable minister misleading this house, the entire country, and the Buddhist clergy? I have the gazette with me," opposition lawmaker Joseph Michael Perera told parliament, referring to the official journal that publishes legislation.

The gazette states that the Crown project will be a 400-room tourist resort with shopping malls, offices and "associated facilities". Opponents say that vague phrase might give the company room to open a casino in the future.

Crown Resorts Ltd was not immediately available for comment.

Packer, one of Australia's richest men, first obtained cabinet approval for Crown's projects in September, but the terms were altered and the process has been delayed.

There are only a few, mostly small-scale, casinos in Sri Lanka and opponents of bigger operations fear they would lead to a boom in prostitution and damage religious values and culture in the mainly Buddhist island nation.

Parliament approved two other projects: a $300 million resort near Packer's planned complex, and a development called Water Front by Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings , which also plans to include a casino, worth up to $850 million. (Writing by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

JVP threatens turmoil to block proposed casino resorts

By Dasun Edirisinghe- April 28, 2014

The JVP yesterday threatened to block proposed luxury hotels with gaming facilities, even though relevant regulations had been approved by Parliament last week.

Addressing a media conference at the party head office in Pelawatte, JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath said that his party would mobilise people against the implementation of the casino projects.

Herath said that 52 ruling party MPs had either absented themselves or voted against the government move to set up foreign casinos.

Herath said that it was the first time after 2010 that the government had failed to muster a two-thirds majority for a Bill.

The Gampaha District MP said that the government MPs too were against casinos, but some of them had lacked the courage to vote against them, but Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera had demonstrated that he had a backbone by voting against the government move.

Herath said the JVP had decided to do everything in its power to scuttle the government plans to build a black economy dependent on casino etc.

Kidney racket and dysfunctional medical laws

April 29, 2014

Some unscrupulous Sri Lankan doctors have allegedly made a fortune by luring poor Indian men to sell their kidneys, which were then transplanted in new recipients who coughed up on average 4-5 million rupees for their organ transplants. Information revealed by three Indian agents who were arrested by the Police in Andhra Pradesh is sickening. Police say that the suspects who themselves had sold their kidneys to rogue Sri Lankan doctors have facilitated the sale of 21 kidneys of poor Indian villagers during the last several months.

Worse still, Police say many of those hapless Indian kidney donors have been duped by Lankan doctors. One such victim, known as Kiran was quoted in the flagship Indian newspaper, the Times of India, as saying that though he was initially promised a half a million rupees, doctors after removing his kidney paid him only Rs 390,000. Those very doctors had been making a fortune, charging 4-5 million rupees from the patients in order to transplant those unlawfully obtained kidneys.

What has allegedly taken place in some of those state-of-the art private hospitals in Sri Lanka is a mafia- styled exploitation of the poor and the vulnerable. The lax legal regulations governing organ transplant in Sri Lanka and the sense of urgency of the life saving operation has been exploited by the unscrupulous entities in the medical profession to make a fast buck at the expense of poor and vulnerable donors and equally helpless recipients.

Incriminating details unearthed by the Indian police have proved a nexus between some of the local doctors, Indian agents, donors and recipients. Some rogue doctors have operated safe havens for unscrupulous organ donors and paid their expenses during their stay in Sri Lanka as part of a monetary package that the donors have been promised in return for their kidneys.
It is disturbing that the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA), which has regularly been speaking up for the professional rights of the doctors is maintaining a deafening silence on the scam. Such a silence could well be opportunistic.

The Ministry of Health has launched a probe on all kidney transplant operations performed from January 2013 to April 2014 at private hospitals in the country.
Director, Private Medical Institutions Development Unit, Dr. Kanthi Ariyaratne, has been instructed to investigate the donors, the surgeons and medical teams that performed transplant operations and as to whether any exchange of money had taken place or any third party had been involved in obtaining kidneys .

Sri Lanka has recently been eying to become a hub for medical tourism. However, in a rush to attract more medical tourists, the country's medical authorities have turned a blind eye to the breach of established ethical practices of medicine. Why the Indians flock to Sri Lanka to undergo kidney transplants was obvious and it ought to have been a cause for concern. The Indian law dictates that no one except near relatives can donate organs without the permission of the authorization committee appointed by the Indian health officials. That committee looks into the finances, background and intentions of the donor and his relationship with the recipient in order to ascertain whether there is any form of financial transaction between the two.

Whereas the regulations on organ transplant in Sri Lanka is vague, especially when both the donor and the recipient are foreigners. This particular lacuna has been exploited by the rogue doctors and organ agents, turning Sri Lanka into a black market for illicit organ transplants.
The Health Ministry should act with a sense of urgency to combat organ trafficking and other assorted medical crimes in Sri Lanka, before it blemishes the image of the country.

MERS Cases Spike As Virus Makes First Appearance In Egypt

An Asian worker and a Saudi policeman wear mouth and nose masks while they are on duty at the King Fahad stadium in Riyadh on April 22, 2014. (AFP) | FAYEZ NURELDINE via Getty Images

Joshua Hersh-04/28/2014

ISTANBUL -- A highly deadly and little-understood virus that has struck fear across the Middle East and caused more than 100 deaths in the region made its first appearance in Egypt last week, coinciding with a spike in patients in Saudi Arabia, its place of original identification.

The virus, known as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS, is closely related to the Asian flu SARS, which sickened thousands of people and left nearly 800 dead a decade ago. Thus far, MERS, which was first detected in 2012, is not believed to be nearly as contagious as SARS, and not everyone who contracts the disease becomes ill. However, MERS is significantly more fatal, with no known vaccine or cure.

Despite the relative difficulty of acquiring the disease, it continues to spread. Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia reported 26 new cases of MERS and 10 deaths, an alarming increase, according to health officials there.

Also over the weekend, Egyptian authorities confirmed their first official case of the virus in a 27-year-old civil engineer who had recently returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia.

Public health advocates and watchdog groups have criticized Saudi officials for failing to fully acknowledge the severity of the crisis. More than three hundred cases have already been linked to the Kingdom.

A week ago, in apparent response to these criticisms, the Saudi leadership fired its Minister of Health, Abdullah al-Rabia, who a day earlier had told reporters that he had no idea why cases of MERS were rising so dramatically.

But the government has also continued to caution against panic, saying that the spike in cases could be tied to the changing seasons.

"We have faced an increase in the number of cases around the same time last year at the end of winter," a Saudi health official told reporters, according to CNN.

In a recent report on the virus, the World Health Organization also suggested that seasonality may play a role, as could an increased vigilance for testing. But the report warned that more cases of MERS seem to be spreading through person-to-person contact, a worrisome development. Previously, most cases were believed to be linked to people who acquired the disease from contact with camels.

Still, the WHO said there is little evidence that patients who acquired the disease in Saudi Arabia before traveling abroad have spread it further, suggesting the virus remains relatively contained to the Middle East, and has not grown more contagious since it was first detected.

Most of those who have acquired the disease, the organization said, are health care workers who did so through contact with sick patients in the hospital.

Some public health experts have cautioned against overreacting, pointing out that as long as the virus remains difficult to contract, it is unlikely to develop into a full-blown epidemic.

THE RISE OF INDIA’S COMMON MAN

Could India's third-party candidate be the country’s kingmaker? Or is he just tilting at windmills?

BY -APRIL 28, 2014

VARANASI, India —At Indian political rallies, singers and minor officials typically warm up the crowd until the candidate arrives — typically quite late. At an event in mid-April in a slum neighborhood of Varanasi, one of the great cities of the “Hindi heartland,” the local talent extolled the virtues of Arvind Kejriwal, the head of the upstart Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or Common Man Party. “This economy is for the elites and the rich,” he crooned. “The policymakers are in the pockets of the World Bank and the IMF. You’ve been left with no job, so you might as well pull a rickshaw.” It might have sounded better in the original Hindi.