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New bridge for Arugam Bay

Published on 18/06/2008 in Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments

Rajmi Manatunga

The Government will open the new Arugam Bay bridge connecting Pottuvil, Arugam Bay Bonnispaz order and Panama Order chloromycetin otic in the Eastern province from July 1. The bridge constructed at a cost of US $ 10.4 million, will replace the old bridge over Arugam Bay which was severely damaged in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided financial assistance for the construction of the new state – of – the – art bridge which has been designed and built according to US technology.

According to the Highways Ministry, the new bridge comprises two spans measuring 185 metres, and offers user-friendly features like protected pedestrian walkways.

source:

http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/06/18/news21.aspA?A?

Stardust – Arugambay by Athol Travel

Published on 16/06/2008 in Blogs, guesthouse, hotels, press coverage and restaurants. 2 Comments

East Coast
(Arugam Bay)

Stardust Beach Hotel has the finest accommodation at Arugam Bay, on Sri Lanka’s stunning east coast. Stardust is situated between Arugam Bay beach and a large lagoon, with all the best surf breaks within easy reach.

East Coast Surf

Sri Lanka’s east coast gets swell from the southern Indian Ocean, and is best from May to September when the prevailing wind is offshore every morning. The beach break in front of the Stardust Hotel can be OK for body surfing, but the best waves are right-hand point breaks.

Well-known Arugam Point (“The Point”) is a 15-minute walk from the hotel. Pottuvil Point and Crocodile Rock (“Croc Rock”) are less than 30 minutes away in a local ‘tuk tuk’. Several other points can be reached by road.

Stardust Beach Hotel

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The main building at Stardust Beach Hotel was designed by architect and owner Merete Scheller, and completed in 2005. The spacious double rooms include private bathroom, telephone, fridge and your own terrace with views over Arugam Bay. Comforts include quality mattresses, mosquito net, ceiling fan and natural cooling from the delightful sea breeze.You can go surfing, relax on the beach, watch the fishing boats or shop in the local market. Visit some of the historic temples near the village, or check out the lagoon where elephants have their evening ‘shower’. Do a day trip to Lahugala National Park to see wild elephants, or visit Yala National Park, which is home to an astonishing range of birdlife.

Tour Packages
Atoll Travel can book a stay at the Stardust Beach Hotel, whether you’re looking for a low stress surf holiday or a relaxing stopover on a tour around fascinating Sri Lanka.

source:
http://www.atolltravel.com/2008/SriLanka/EastCoastArugamBay.htm Purchase hytrin dose

Nate Berkus

Published on 14/06/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, people and press coverage. 0 Comments

Nate Berkus

I first saw Nate Berkus about 4 years ago on Oprah. This particular show was focused on the terrible aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Like the rest of the world, I was overwhelmed by the devastation caused to many different countries and thousands of people. I grew up on an island so it was hard for me to watch the news reports.

Oprah started to talk to an attractive man seated next to her, who she introduced as her interior designer, Nate. He and his long time companion, Fernando Bengoechea, were swept away from their rented cottage located on a famous surfing beach close to Arugam Bay near Sri Lanka. Berkus survived. His beloved Fernando did not.

I was emotionally affected by NateA?a??a??s recounting of his loss. Here was this gay man who had just had the love of his life taken away from him. I had almost lost my Gary around the same time period. It was not to a monstrous ocean wave but to something just as horrifying- cancer. Gary survived.

I have watched NateA?a??a??s career grow over the years, especially within the Oprah organization. He has his own radio show on Sirius radio. His world renown interior design business Nate Berkus and Associates is one of the most innovative and respected firms of its kind in the nation.

Part of their philosophy:

A?a??A?A?a??A?It is imperative to Nate Berkus Associates that their clients identify with their environment and as a result, become comfortable in their finished project. This principal philosophy of understanding leading to contentment is what sets Nate Berkus Associates apart.A?a??A? ( Firm Overview, www.nateberkus.com).

He has also been featured regularly on her show and in her magazine.

Throughout the time period following the tsunami, I have seen Nate embrace life, show charity and become a real strength to those around him. There is no bitterness in his voice. There are no fists raised in anger towards the heavens. There is no wallowing in self pity.

Nate has been able to move on and make life better. I sense a spirit of purpose in Berkus.

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He has been selected again as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful and Influential Gay People in the USA by Out.Com. He is a great example for us all – gay and straight.

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Nate is also the Host of OprahA?a??a??s Big Give.
source:
http://tasithoughts.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/nate-berkus-a-profile-in-courage
-a-testament-to-life-after-tragedy/

18-year-old massacre

Published on 14/06/2008 in Blogs, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Purchase acticin over the counter The government has decided to commence investigations into the massacre of 401 police officers in Cheap chloromycetin powder November 1990, due to an appeal made by affected family members, Director General of the Media Centre for National Security, Lakshman Hulugalle said. In a statement he said the incident which occurred in the Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa areas claimed the lives of 401 unarmed police officers. A?a??A?The then government signed a treaty with the LTTE which led to the mass murder of these police officers. They ordered the police officers to surrender to the LITE and the LTTE shot them afterwards. The present Opposition Leader Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe was then the Leader of House, while many of the senior opposition members also held positions under the Ranasinghe Premadasa government. Weapons, cement and funds provided by the Government were used by these LTTE barbarians for this massacre. Who gave orders for the police officers to surrender and lay down theft arms? The answer to this question is still a mystery.A?a??A?No investigations were conducted during the time of the incident. Nor has any one been convicted for this massacre. The families of the victims who scarified their lives requested for an investigation to be conducted but had no opportunity. Recently the family members have requested the Ministry of Defence, Secretary of Defence, the IGP and the present Government to conduct an investigation and bring justice to their loved ones, who scarified their lives for no reason. After considering the request the present Government has decided to conduct a full scale investigation into the issue,A?a??A? the statement said.

source:

http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=17811A?A?

The Eastern Province gets going (or does it?)

Published on 12/06/2008 in Blogs, people and press coverage. 0 Comments

By : Mirak RaheemSri Lankans have become used to the idea of elections every year, so the polls for the Eastern Provincial Council should have been just another routine exercise. Yet this was not the case in early May. These elections were being held for a provincial council that had not been constituted for more than a decade, in a province that had experienced large-scale fighting, destruction of neighbourhoods and public buildings, mass displacement and human-rights violations.

Provincial Councils were first established as a part of the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord, and the north and east were merged in deference to the demand by Tamil nationalists. During the last two years, there have been dramatic changes on the ground. The north and east was de-merged following a 2006 Supreme Court order. The A?a??E?shadow warA?a??a?? between the security forces, the LTTE and other Tamil militant groups became a full-scale war, in breach of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement. In the two years since the de-merger, the governmentA?a??a??s military takeover of the east was almost complete, paving the way for political consolidation.

On 10 May, elections were held in the three constituent districts of the Eastern Province A?a??a?? Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee A?a??a?? amidst tight security, and observed by a number of election-monitoring groups. Some 982,751 registered voters had to choose from more than 18 political parties in order to elect 37 council members, one of whom would assume the post of chief minister. The governing alliance A?a??a?? the United PeopleA?a??a??s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which included the breakaway group from the LTTE, the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikhal (TMVP) A?a??a?? won in seven of the ten polling divisions, with an overall majority of 52 percent and ultimately 20 of the seats. The opposition coalition, of the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), won some 42 percent of the vote and 15 seats. This left just two seats for other parties.

Before getting lost in the political implications of the victory, it could be useful to look at the popular response to the election. Altogether 65.8 percent of registered voters cast their ballot; in Sri Lanka, this turnout is not impressive. The question that civil-society leaders of Batticaloa asked when confronted by the local-government elections that were held in that district this March still stands: A?a??A?For whom are these elections?A?a??A?

High stakes, A?a??E?lowA?a??a?? turnout

Scepticism about the elections was reflected in the voter turnout, which was all the more unimpressive given the urgency with which the government and political parties treated the exercise. Of its massive cabinet of 108 ministers, the government sent many into the three districts, and was eventually accused of misusing government property, vehicles and employees for campaign work. The ministers were also accused of bringing in thugs from outside, who were reportedly involved in intimidation.

The leadership of the SLMC resigned from their parliamentary seats in order to contest the elections. While the main Tamil party from the north and east, the Tamil National Alliance, did not attempt to contest the poll, citing the security situation, this action is unlikely to de-legitimise the results, given the participation of all the other main political parties. But the fact of the matter is that each of these main parties had a point to prove. The government had to establish that it had the popular support of the people it had A?a??E?liberatedA?a??a??; the TMVPA?a??a??s political future depended on its ability to claim the chief-ministerial berth; the SLMC had to show that it carried the confidence of the Muslim community; and the UNP needed to confirm that it had the ability to win elections.

While there were no killings reported on election day A?a??a?? which is significant in a country where this has been a trend A?a??a?? there were various forms of violence and intimidation reported, particularly in Tamil and Muslim areas. The issue of violence and malfeasance is now being raised not just by the political parties, but also by the various election-monitoring groups, with some, such as the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), demanding a re-poll in certain areas. (On the other hand, a group of 17 international observers invited by the government claimed that they had witnessed a free and fair election.) The majority of reported violations were against the TMVP and other constituents of the UPFA. CMEV reported that in several polling stations in Tirukkovil, a largely Tamil area in Ampara, there was A?a??E?impersonationA?a??a??. Here, even children cast votes for the TMVP, using ballot cards that were being distributed in front of the polling station. In Kathankudy, a largely Muslim town in Batticaloa, groups gathered outside polling stations and attempted to distribute false ID cards, so that people could vote.

With the national and international election monitors having departed and political parties back to A?a??E?businessA?a??a??, violence was continuing as of deadline. Some of this is clearly election related. There have been attacks on the houses of candidates and their supporters, particularly in Batticaloa and Valaichennai. In others incidents, such as the shooting of two Sinhala policemen in Batticaloa town on 13 May, the reasons are unknown. There are now worries that these violations will simply become part of the wider human-rights crisis concentrated in the east and north.

While there is a serious need for the Election Commissioner to look into the violations in an independent manner, and conduct re-polling where necessary, the election results cannot be dismissed simply as the result of mass intimidation and fraud. It is conceivable that the political planks of the government and the TMVP did resonate with the electorate. For its part, the government initiated a number of development projects on the ground leading up to the elections, and may have convinced the constituents that supporting the ruling coalition would be the most effective method of securing funds to rebuild livelihoods and local economies. It is also possible that the governmentA?a??a??s evident openness towards appointing a chief minister from any community made it easier to campaign among the minorities. On the security front, of course, the government is on less sure footing, at least with regards to the Tamil community.

Communalism and

coexistence

The Eastern ProvinceA?a??a??s demography is a tight balance between the three main ethnic groups in Sri Lanka: the Sinhalese, here accounting for a quarter of the population; and the Tamils and Muslims, more or less equally making up the rest. That there is now a contest as to whether the Muslims have overtaken the Tamils as the majority community in the Eastern Province indicates the extreme level of ethnicisation in politics of the east.

It was clear at the outset that this election would be fought on communal lines. The election speeches of a number of the candidates directly addressed the fears of each ethnic group, rather than addressing the shared problems and hopes of the people. The two main alliances sought to present a multi-party grouping and pluralist candidate list, but the communal lines were already clearly drawn. The UNP-SLMC alliance put forward the SLMC leader, Rauf Hakeem, as it main candidate, and warned that electing a TMVP leader could threaten to split the country. But the alliance faced a major obstacle in encouraging Tamils to come forward to vote. Prominent Tamils were simply fearful of contesting against the TMVP.

To be cont.

Himal Southasi

source:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=17527

Treehouse on the Lake

Published on 08/06/2008 in From our own Correspondent, people, press coverage and stop over Ideas. 0 Comments

For you guys who wish to break the long journey to Arugam Bay:
Arugam.info can recommend one more stopover, in the Middle of the island.

Treehouse on the lakeTreehouse Info

…and here is the description, in the owner’s own words:

Lake View Lanka is a quiet, small and friendly srilankan homestay at Chandrika Lake. Just a short distance to the Uda Walawe National Park and the city of Embilipitiya.

Have a great experience sleeping in a basic tree house. The tree house includes a double bed with mosquito net and a small balcony offering the opportunity to relax and read a book, observe activities at the lakeside or enjoy a drink watching the beautiful sunsets over the lake.

There is also a brand new house with a surrounding terrace available. Stay close with a local lovely family. They will offer you excellent and fresh srilankan or western food.

One night at the treehouse is about 1000 Rs. and a night in their just finished guesthouse 2000 Rs. (for a spacious room with double bed and mosquito net).

A?A? Address: Nimal and Kumudu, New Town, Chandrika Wewa, Embilipitiya

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A?A? Directions: Turn left at the last crossing just before Centauria Hotel. Turn right before the lake.

A?A? Website: www.lakeviewlanka.com

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NOTEBOOK OF A NOBODY

Published on 07/06/2008 in people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Civilian deaths are not acceptable under any circumstances
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Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary-General of the Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process, has been extremely prompt with his lengthy response to this column of last week. This columnist had originally stated that the Peace Secretariat was in a state of denial with regard to civilian deaths. Wijesinha says that it is not true and that he would never try to justify civilian deaths. We will accept his word for that but the point made by this column still remains valid. Military operations began not long after the Mahinda Rajapaksa took office. Since then, hundreds of civilians have died. I trust Wijesinha will agree that only some of these have been by the LTTE; some by the Karuna/Pillaiyan Group and some by the security forces. Many of these were not caused by ground or aerial operations in the course of a battle but by deliberate targeting of the civilians. In several cases when the Government and the security forces are accused of causing civilian deaths both by UN and other international bodies and also by local human rights organisations, Wijesinha has been quick to “explain how they happened” (to use his own words). This column does not expect Wijesinha to issue statements on every violation of human rights and on every civilian death. But when he only issues statements A?a??E?explainingA?a??a?? civilian deaths in the course of military operations, is he not being selective? To this columnistA?a??a??s and, I am sure, to most independent observersA?a??a?? minds, this is not just an explanation but a justification. Is that not being in a state of denial?

Wijesinha will no doubt acknowledge that the LTTE has been responsible for hundreds of civilian deaths, as this column and other human rights organisations have accused them of. Would he also acknowledge that the security forces and the Karuna/Pillaiyan Group have also been accused of similar civilian deaths. (Wijesinha does not seem to like this columnA?a??a??s reference to this Karuna/Pillaiyan Group by this name A?a??a?? he prefers to call them TMVP, the name by which they are registered as a political party and with which the UPFA has signed an MoU. More about this later.)

Let us consider just a few well-known cases of civilian deaths : the killing of five students at Trincomalee in 2006, the 17 ACF aid workers at Mutur, the several civilians shot and killed in the churches at Pesalai and Allaipiddy (including five fishermen at Pesalai), ten farm labourers killed in Pottuvil, five students shot and killed at the Farm School in Vavuniya and the civilians (including schoolchildren) killed in claymore mine attacks at Periyamadhu, and Murikandy in the Vanni. Besides scores of individuals, including parliamentarians, clergypersons and ordinary citizens, have been abducted or extra-judicially killed or disappeared without a trace. Given his liberal antecedents, this columnist is prepared to accept WijesinhaA?a??a??s regret over these killings as being genuine. We are also prepared to accept his statement that he is engaged in A?a??E?positive activities in pursuit of peaceA?a??a??. But when he only issues statements “explaining” (or justifying) attacks on civilians, he is treading on vulnerable ground.

Conscription of underage children, Human Rights and TMVP

Wijesinha is certainly on very thin ground when he asserts that a high proportion of children in the custody of the Karuna/Pillaiyan Group have been released. This is not the view of independent observers in the Batticaloa District. Hundreds of children were taken away not only from IDP camps but from homes and schools as well. Under 50 have been released. This is certainly a token number meant to fool naA?A?ve folk; and Wijesinha is being incredibly naA?A?ve if he really believes what he has stated.

Wijesinha implies that ever since the TMVP was formed, the Karuna/Pillaiyan Group have turned over a new leaf. We hope he realises that the acronym TMVP stands for Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal, which translated means Liberation Tigers of the Tamil People. Does not that by itself ring an alarm bell in Wijesinha and others who now sing praises of Pillaiyan? The people of the East have yet to see any change in the “liberated” East except a change in the label attached to their tormentors. Abductions and extra-judicial killings go on as before. What does Wijesinha have to say about the new extra-parliamentary tactic of abducting families and relatives of parliamentarians before crucial votes in Parliament? Wijesinha, given the nature of his work and the contacts he has, cannot be unaware that the ground situation for the people of the Batticaloa District has not changed one bit. They still live in fear of terrorism unleashed by both strands of Liberation Tigers but now more dangerously because one strand enjoys the backing and protection of the Government and the security forces.

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This columnist has no doubt that Wijesinha is committed to peace, to observance of human rights and the rule of law and to a just political settlement on the National Question. We have also no reason to doubt that he is engaging himself in A?a??E?positive activities in pursuit of peaceA?a??a??. This columnist has no intention of advising him on how to do his job. But we re-iterate that it will serve his cause better if he refrains from trying to defend the indefensible.

War and Journalistic Freedom

The Defence Secretary recently summoned some working journalists from state-owned newspapers and warned them about the reports they filed. He is reported to have told them that if they criticised the armed forces, the Government would not defend them if they were physically “attacked”. In a parallel development, the website of the Defence Ministry has reportedly referred to such media persons as “traitors”. We now have a clue as to the attackers of Keith Noyahr, though Mervyn de Silva was more open when he took on the Rupavahini editors.

War reporting is a delicate task. While the reporter may be privy to operational details, a responsible journalist will exercise some self-censorship. In the case of the current “war” in Sri Lanka, our journalists have shown discretion. If at all, they could be faulted for excessive self-censorship. Corruption, mismanagement and deliberate and unnecessary violation of human rights, even by the defence establishment and the security forces, needs to be exposed. Such exposes only help to win the war, by rooting out the corrupt and the incompetent from decision-making.

William Burchett was an Australian journalist who was in China as a correspondent of the London Daily Express. In 1945, he was the first foreign reporter to enter Hiroshima after the atomic bombing and filed his A?a??E?scoop of the centuryA?a??a?? in his report as a A?a??E?warning to the worldA?a??a?? that radiation poisoning was a reality in Hiroshima. His story was denied and a campaign launched to refute his claim. He was denounced as having fallen victim to enemy propaganda. Later, Burchett covered the Korean War. A US organisation claimed that the North Koreans had massacred all American prisoners. Within ten days, Burchett had filed pictures of US prisoners-ofA?a??a??war playing baseball and basketball and of a General, reported dead, playing chess with his guards. The Australian authorities had also reported a soldier killed in action. Burchett was able to report to the manA?a??a??s mother and to the Melbourne Sun that he was alive and well. For all his trouble, the Australian Government denied him a replacement Passport.

Despite the harassment he underwent at the hands of defence authorities, Burchett was quite clear about what was required in war journalism. He said: “Being discreet is obviously important but pretty much depends on what sort of field you are operating in, what sort of journalistic domain. If someone knew the date of the landing to open a second front during World War Two and they disclosed it, then they ought to be shot, because that would be risking the lives of tens of thousands of people. A lot of the journalists accredited to the allied side at the time had that date but nobody dared jeopardise the whole operation. ItA?a??a??s an extreme example but shows that while the job of the journalist is to get facts back to the public, exclusively if possible, there are limits.”

source:
http://www.island.lk/2008/06/07/features4.html

Communal violence disrupts relief efforts in the east

Published on 05/06/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

SRI LANKA: Communal violence disrupts relief efforts in the east

COLOMBO, 3 June 2008 (IRIN) – Communal clashes and ethnic tension between Tamils and Muslims have been disrupting humanitarian work in the eastern Batticaloa District of Sri Lanka since 22 May, UN and other relief workers said.

Two Tamils and five Muslims have been killed. Relief officials told IRIN they were reluctant to send staff into the field for fear of getting caught up in the violence.

“I have been unable to travel out since 22 May,” Rev Sylvester Sritharan, head of the Eastern Human Economic Development Centre, affiliated to the Catholic charity Caritas, told IRIN.

“No one wants to take the chance of getting on the road and being unable to turn back,” he said. “We can’t send out field staff, contractors, labourers, no one, we can’t take that chance.”

Humanitarian agencies are assisting 18,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in the district and 124,000 former IDPs who have been resettled in their former villages since mid-2007, Thandie Mwape, head of the Batticaloa field office of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told IRIN.

“They [relief organisations] have been engaged in relief work as well as helping the newly returned regain a sense of normalcy,” she said.

Relief and recovery efforts were disrupted for a week in late May, the Inter Agency Standing Committee (ISAC) reported in its 30 May situation update.

“Humanitarian operations were disrupted in the district between 22 and 28 May as a result of the clashes,” the report said. “As the southern route [from Batticaloa] through Kathankudi and the northern route through Eravur remained flash points during the week, with curfews imposed at times, most agencies limited their movements.”

“A week of tension”

A local Tamil working with an international agency was attacked by a mob on 26 May in Eravur town north of Batticaloa City, which is 300km east of the capital, Colombo, heightening agencies’ reluctance to send their staff into the field, Sritharan told IRIN.

“It was a week of tension and agencies restricted movement,” Mwape said. “Public life was also at a standstill with no transport and government and private offices closed.”

Clashes were triggered by the 22 May killing of two members of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP), the prominent Tamil political party in the district, in Kathankudi, a Muslim majority town south of Batticaloa City.

“There is a history of tension between the two communities and the killings of the TMVP members added to it,” according to Mujeeb Rahaman, information officer of the Colombo-based Muslim Information Centre (MIC) rights group.

Two Muslims were killed on the same day in Kathankudi and another Muslim woman died during mob violence in Eravur on 26 May, according to police.

At least 300 Tamil families from Ariyampathi, a village near Eravur, sought shelter in schools and churches between 27 and 29 May, fearing reprisals, Sritharan said.

The situation was finally brought under control with the direct intervention of Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, the head of the TMVP and chief minister of the new Eastern Provincial Council.

Despite Chandrakanthan’s intervention, tensions rose again on 1 June after the body of a Muslim was recovered in Kathankudi.

On the morning of 2 June, residents of Eravur and Kathankudi remained indoors and public transport was limited, Sritharan told IRIN. Muslims in the two towns had also called for a general work shutdown to protest against the latest murder.
“Under conditions like this how can we take a chance to go out?” he asked.

“People are still scared and nervous, and rightly so,” MIC’s Rahaman told IRIN. “The killings have not stopped, that is where the fear is.”

UN officials in Batticaloa said that if the high-level discussions between the two communities continued, calm could be restored in Batticaloa.

“We hope that the dialogue continues,” OCHA’s Mwape said. “It will help to bring down the tension and restore trust between the communities, and hopefully enable us to get on with our relief and reconstruction activities.”

ap/bj/mw[END]

source:
http://www.irinnews.org Purchase phenergan

Potuville Point real-estate controversy

Published on 02/06/2008 in Blogs, Ideas, Money Matters, press coverage and the bay. 1 Comment

June 2, 2008 A?a??a?? cerno

Potuvil Point pictured below from Google Earth, is located at the northern end of Sri LankaA?a??a??s famous Arugam bay.Potuvil Point - Google Earth close up facing South

Potuvil Point from Google Earth Facing North

This isolated surfing paradise is the centre of an expose on what appreas to be some shady real estate deals. The story has a familiar recipe of neo colonial symbolism – foreign nationals buying land from locals, accusations of corruption, and real-estate developed building resorts on pristine beaches in the third world. It is the sort of thing that can bring out the environmental activists into the streets.

The expose is written by Frederica Jansz (who has previously rattled a lot of people including the LTTE) and is currently listed as a contributor to Montage Lanka. The gist of the accusation is that two locally based British nationals have been selling land in Sri Lanka to overseas buyers at inflated prices – while evading Sri Lankan taxes and immigration laws.

You can read through the details on Glycomet online dictionary FredericaA?a??a??s article A?a??A?Land grabbing and the Sri Lanka GovernmentA?a??a??s silenceA?a??A?. The article was also carried by the The Sunday Leader newspaper on 20 March 2005 under the same title.

The first link to the article on this blog is to the text cached by Google. The article was originally hosted on culturalsurvivaltrust.org which is off line as I write (on June 2nd). The domain remains registered to A?a??A?Kataragama Research PublicationsA?a??A?. This organisation also owns quite a few other domains including livingheritage.org – most of them (I wasnA?a??a??t able to check each one) are off line as off 31 May – 2 June 2008. You might be able to access their content through Google cache until hopefully the web-site return.

Interestingly the late Manik Sandrasagra was involved with the Living Heritage trust that used the livingheritage.org domain. The fact that the website of an organisation concerned with sustainability and ecology carried the article seems to suggests that there were/are deeper concerns about the development.

Online, the whole issue seems to have quietened down after 2005. Perhaps everything was resolved. Or as with such things in Sri Lanka forgotten under other concerns.

The master plan for a tourism related development for Pottuvil Point is online. Interestingly both pottuvilpoint.com and Lankarealestate.com (the online face of the subject of FredericaA?a??a??s expose) are registered (whois search as of June 1 200 8) to the famous Clarinase price australia Dome apartment at Galle Face Court featured in Sri Lanka lifestyle/interior design articles and books. Turns out the location belongs to Giles Scott, one of the British Nationals named in Frederica JanszA?a??a??s article.

It certainly get murkier all right. If anyone knows better/up-to-date info, you know where the comment box is :)

The marginally more adventurous can explore Potuvil point via satellitesights.com

source:
http://cerno.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/potuvil-point-real-estate-controversy
-from-google-earth/

NGO’s & UN abusing Children

Published on 27/05/2008 in Money Matters, people and press coverage. 0 Comments

A UN truck

UN peacekeepers stand accused of abusing those they are sent to protect

Children as young as six are being sexually abused by peacekeepers and aid workers, says a leading UK charity.

Children in post-conflict areas are being abused by the very people drafted into such zones to help look after them, says Save the Children.

After research in Ivory Coast, southern Sudan and Haiti, the charity said an international watchdog should be created to deal with the issue.

The UN has said it welcomes the report, which it will study closely.

Save the Children said the most shocking aspect of child sex abuse is that most of it goes unreported and unpunished, with children too scared to speak out.

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A 13-year-old girl described to the BBC how 10 UN peacekeepers gang-raped her in a field near her Ivory Coast home, and left her bleeding, trembling and vomiting on the ground.


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The victims are suffering sexual exploitation and abuse in silence
Heather Kerr
Save the Children

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No action has been taken against the soldiers.

The report also found that aid workers have been sexually abusing boys and girls.

After research involving hundreds of children from Ivory Coast, southern Sudan and Haiti, the charity said better reporting mechanisms needed to be introduced to deal with what it called “endemic failures” in responding to reported cases of abuse.

It also said efforts should be made to strengthen worldwide child protection systems.

Heather Kerr, Save the Children’s Ivory Coast country director, says little is being done to support the victims.

“It’s a minority of people but they are using their power to sexually exploit children and children that don’t have the voice to report about this.

“They are suffering sexual exploitation and abuse in silence.”

Save the Children says the international community has promised a policy of zero-tolerance to child sexual abuse, but that this is not being followed up by action on the ground.

A UN spokesman, Nick Birnback, said that it was impossible to ensure “zero incidents” within an organisation that has up to 200,000 personnel serving around the world.

“What we can do is get across a message of zero tolerance, which for us means zero complacency when credible allegations are raised and zero impunity when we find that there has been malfeasance that’s occurred,” he told the BBC.

source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7420798.stm

Arugam Bay: The Point

Published on 25/05/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, people, press coverage, surf and the bay. 0 Comments

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The point of me being here is the point, Arugam Point. Twice a day I make the fifteen minute walk from my hut, up the south end of the bay to the coral prominentary jutting into the Indian Ocean which causes swells from the south to form into waves as they hit the shallow reef and then refract around the point into the bay giving long surfable waves which peel from left to right.

The evening I arrived I threw my bags into The Nest and made straight for the point to get half an hours water time before dark. The set waves were 8-9ft on the face and barreled in one section. I paddled out in the lull between sets but my timidness amongst a pack of seasoned locals and travellers ensured I didnA?a??a??t snag one of the big fellas, but I snuck onto a couple of smaller waves on the inside. Since then the size has dropped to not much beyond head-high but IA?a??a??ve surfed the best waves of my life. IA?a??a??m really getting to know the wave, and surfing with the wave like never before. IA?a??a??m paddling into position, making the drop and immediately taking a high line along the wave to gain speed in order to make it round the fast breaking section 20 metres down the line, after which the wave slows so a cut back gets you back into the curl of the wave to begin generating speed down the line to make the next section. You can connect these sections up from the point down into the bay, probably one hundred metres or more, but as the season progresses and more sand is pushed over the reef these sections connect up to give rides of nearly eight hundred metres! IA?a??a??ve by no means got this wave dialed and continue to get tumbled over the reef as waves close out on me or I completely misjudge a turn but the simple joy when it all comes together, as all thought disappears and you exist purely in the that moment with that wave is pretty specialA?a??A?. then Crunch! You snap a fin plug out of your board and begin a satisfied trudge back to the A-Bay board repair shack.

ThereA?a??a??s a laid-back and friendly atmosphere in the water with the same faces – Aussie, American, Sri Lankan, English, Japanese, South African, French, Finnish, Spanish and Israeli A?a??a?? appearing day in day out. I would guess there are about twenty five surfers in town but thereA?a??a??s usually no more than 10 out at any one time and apart from some sour faced israelis there are smiles, waves, chats and the waves are shared by all.

Posted by Ed Templeton at 18:43

source:
http://ed-templeton.blogspot.com/2008/05/point.html

Arugambay: Band of brothers

Published on 24/05/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, parties, people, press coverage, surf and the bay. 0 Comments

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I like the company of men as much as the next man, but it dawned on me after a few weeks that I do miss the softness, beauty, wisdom, care and openness of female companyA?a??A?

Why donA?a??a??t women surf? Well, of course they do, but not in the numbers that men do, and there certainly arenA?a??a??t many hereA?a??A? in fact thereA?a??a??s only 1 Japanese woman who is surfing here, and the only other females IA?a??a??ve met are Mel, Rosie and Flora who were all here with surfing boyfriends. In fact the same was true of Bali when I was there unless you were in Kuta with itA?a??a??s A?a??E?resortA?a??a?? facilities A?a??a?? beaches, bars, restaurants, shops etc. A?a??a?? the female count was disturbingly low. I know women are different, but why isnA?a??a??t there a comparable urge to surf between the sexes? So hereA?a??a??s the theory IA?a??a??ve come up with: Women are more naturally connected to their Self and are less driven by their ego therefore they donA?a??a??t have the physical urge that men do to find complex ways of suppressing the ego to glimpse that true inner self by surfing or engaging in other A?a??E?danger sportsA?a??a??A?a??A? still theyA?a??a??re missing out, and so are we!

As many travellers in Arugam Bay have gravitated to SooriyaA?a??a??s for RamA?a??a??s hospitality and culinary skills the evenings are spent round a communal table, playing cards, eating, drinking, smoking, and telling stories & jokesA?a??A? which is all well and good but some of these young men are here to party aswell as to surf an getting desperate to just see a woman. My needs arenA?a??a??t quite so primal as my intention for this trip was more as a retreat than a rave but A-Bay is beginning to seem like borstal-with-a-view but with more beer, surf and better food.

IA?a??a??ve learnt to exist well in these testosterone fuelled environments from my school days but IA?a??a??m not entirely comfortable . As evenings progress and otherwise decent aussies show their deep seated bigotism and racism A?a??a?? I havenA?a??a??t met an Australian man who isnA?a??a??t racist yet A?a??a?? IA?a??a??m disappointed to find most others at the table laugh and join in with the A?a??A?abboA?a??A? jokes, except perhaps Panu, a warm and gentle Finnish man. It must be born of ignorance over contemplation because on every other level I really get on with these people.
As we all get to know each other better the sessions at the point are getting more and more convivial. The brotherly concept of surfers calling us A?a??E?tryersA?a??a?? into makeable waves and pulling out of waves to let us get the tail end is a beautiful thing. Whoops go up when a good wave is ridden and thereA?a??a??s genuine shared joy as the learners improve.

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Green quest in war-torn nation

Published on 24/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments
Jim Jarvie, 47, Mercy Corps director of climate change and environment

IT’S not a country which has had its troubles to seek – a fact borne out by the blown-up tanks which have been left scattered across the dusty landscape of Afghanistan.

Amid the violence, bloodshed and turmoil which has racked this country, there is another casualty, one which is often overlooked but which experts say needs to be healed in order to give the nation and its citizens a brighter future – the environment.

Which is why Mercy Corps’ director of climate change and environment, Jim Jarvie, is visiting the country to see how its natural resources can be conserved and restored.

He says: “One of the indirect problems of the wars is environmental degradation which is horrendous. There’s not a lot of forest left after 30 years of civil war which has broken down enforcement of land use laws. And agriculture is a key part of Afghan life. We have been working with local people on planting new crops to stabilise river banks and return to environmentally friendly farming methods.”

Mercy Corps is also joining forces with Edinburgh University to look into wider climate change issues in countries like Afghanistan to try to find out what the impact has been.

Jim says: “We are looking water access in Afghanistan, desertification in Niger and rising sea levels in Indonesia. We want to get a baseline on what climate change is doing to these countries.”

During his two-week trip earlier this month Jim also witnessed the brutality of daily life – with conflict within families as well as warring factions.

He says: “There are a lot of people with missing limbs blown off by landmines. There is a lot of domestic violence too, a lot of people who are pretty desperate.”

Jim, whose family are based in North Berwick, began working for Mercy Corps after the Asian tsunami when he and wife Laurie Pierce, 50, were carrying out conservation and conflict management work for other organisations in Sri Lanka.

He says: “There were bodies on the beach and it was difficult work but it was good to be doing something. We had been at a place called Arugam Bay three days before it happened and we went back to help and started working with Mercy Corps.”

Later he worked on longer term projects becoming first director of programmes for Sri Lanka and then acting country director.

Jim’s current role, which he began in March last year, has also taken him to New Orleans to see how people are recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Mercy Corps has been helping through work recycling parts of houses such as doors to use in the reconstruction of the area.

He says it was shocking to see how poorly the US was doing in helping victims.

He says: “It was as bad as the Third World.”

The full article contains 485 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1


Focus on the East

Published on 23/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Thursday, 22 May 2008
Intelligence units have claimed some NGOs have provided rations and other assistance to LTTE units presently operating inside Yala Sanctuary. They have given this assistance in the guise of helping Hindu pilgrims making their annual pilgrimage by foot from the East to Kataragama. The rations and other equipment are believed to have been given between Okanda and Panama in Ampara.

Meanwhile ethnic violence rose its ugly head again in the East with the assassination of the TMVP Political Head for Kathankudy Shanthan and his aide Raman Parasuraman while riding a motorbike near Kathankudy Bus stand at noon today by alleged ‘Jihadi’ Gunmen notorious for their activities in the Muslim enclave of Kathankudy, 3kms from Batticaloa Town.

TMVP gunmen killed 3 Muslims in retaliation at around 12.20pm injuring 11 civilians including one Sinhalese near Arayampathi Tamil village. The Karuna group is notorious for its anti-Muslim stance despite having a Muslim spokesman. Defence sector sources warned growing ethnic disharmony could facilitate furhter LTTE infiltrations.

The TMVP resettled a large number of Tamils from former LTTE controlled areas at Karbala, a village originally belonging to Muslims from Kathankudy. Shanthan played an important role in that and also in the recent election campaign for the TMVP from his office at Kathankudy.

Meanwhile M.L.A.M. Hizbullah was sworn in today as the Minister of Health for the Eastern Province. Government Muslim leaders and others in the East had convinced Hizbullah to accept the post after he initially elected to leave the UPFA with two loyalists.

Sri Lanka also lost its seat in the Human Rights Council but managed to gain 101 votes, more than half the seats of the council, which is 97 seats. Sri Lanka won 123 seats last year. Pakistan, despite being under a military rule, won what could have been Sri Lanka’s seat in the council.

-defencewire

source:
Cheap antivert medication Get minocycline online http://www.srilankawatch.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=
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Security concerns hold back foreign traveller to the East

Published on 23/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

How much is carafate without insurance By Dilrukshi Fernando

The tourism industry is expected to thrive on a targeted paltry figure of around 1000 domestic tourists in an effort to boost travel to the East within the next quarter, a top government official told the Daily Financial Times yesterday.

The expected number is relatively low due to security concerns which is a factor preventing domestic tourists from touring the area, the official added.

A?a??A?The Ministry of Tourism hopes to engage in large scale infrastructure development and transportation to ensure a growth,A?a??A? the official said. The reason for targeting domestic tourists is a stratagem adopted by the Ministry of Tourism and the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) through which they hope to reach the international market, the official pointed out.

With emphasis on the Eastern Province, a decline in tourist arrivals has been recorded in the Southern District. However the figures show a growth of 8.6% when compared with 2007 according to Tourism Ministry Secretary George Michael. A?a??A?Last year the number of tourist arrivals for March stand at 35,031 while this year it is 38, 049,A?a??A? he pointed out adding that the existing travel advisories and the prevalent security situation in Colombo might be discouraging factors. A?a??A?The industry has made plans to have round table discussions regarding this matter and we hope to meet in Hambantota in June to hold discussion with officials from the hotel trade, representatives from the Chambers of Commerce and Small and Medium Enterprise officials,A?a??A? he added.

In the meantime the transportation sector is to be developed by enabling railway facilities for domestic tourists at Arugam Bay according to Deputy Minister for Tourism, Faizer Musthapha. His comments came at the monthly discussion on tourism held at the Ministry yesterday. A?a??A?The ministry plans to work closely with the Provincial Council which plans to fund certain projects of the Tourism Ministry and SLTB. Finances will also be directed from donor funds.

The tourist police will be deployed in the resorts to ensure the safety of the tourists. A comprehensive website including information of the Arugam bay tourism prospects can be located at www.arugambay.com Generic for maxalt .

Meanwhile, in a technologically advanced initiative a web cam project will be initiated to monitor the wave pattern of the Arugam Bay which is considered one of the top ten surfing destinations in the world. A?a??A?Through this project, surfing enthusiasts all over the world can access the facility on the internet and tour the island for the much loved sport,A?a??A? Musthapha added. Plans also are underway to bring back the international surfing competition currently held in the Maldives back to Sri Lanka.

Steps will also be taken to work closely with the fishing community in the area and ensure that they are provided with basic toilet facilities. A hotel school will also be set up in the areas of Uppuweli and Arugam Bay on government property. A?a??A?This is part of the long term programmes while short term plans include training and skills development of youth whose employment in the Middle East will be ensured,A?a??A? Roy Jayasinghe said. A programme to launch a tourist guide training programme and a A?a??E?Home StayA?a??a?? programme where housewives will be trained on how to entertain guests will also be part of the steps to be taken to boost the Eastern Tourism industry.

source:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=15541

Focus on the East

Published on 22/05/2008 in Blogs, presse-deutsch and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Intelligence units have claimed some NGOs have provided rations and other assistance to LTTE units presently operating inside Yala Sanctuary. They have given this assistance in the guise of helping Hindu pilgrims making their annual pilgrimage by foot from the East to Kataragama. The rations and other equipment are believed to have been given between Okanda and Panama Purchase proventil inhaler Duration of coumadin treatment for dvt in Ampara.

Meanwhile ethnic violence rose its ugly head again in the East with the assassination of the TMVP Political Head for Kathankudy Shanthan and his aide Raman Parasuraman while riding a motorbike near Kathankudy Bus stand at noon today by alleged ‘Jihadi’ Gunmen notorious for their activities in the Muslim enclave of Kathankudy, 3kms from Batticaloa Town.

TMVP gunmen killed 3 Muslims in retaliation at around 12.20pm injuring 11 civilians including one Sinhalese near Arayampathi Tamil village. The Karuna group is notorious for its anti-Muslim stance despite having a Muslim spokesman. Defence sector sources warned growing ethnic disharmony could facilitate furhter LTTE infiltrations.

The TMVP resettled a large number of Tamils from former LTTE controlled areas at Karbala, a village originally belonging to Muslims from Kathankudy. Shanthan played an important role in that and also in the recent election campaign for the TMVP from his office at Kathankudy.

Meanwhile M.L.A.M. Hizbullah was sworn in today as the Minister of Health for the Eastern Province. Government Muslim leaders and others in the East had convinced Hizbullah to accept the post after he initially elected to leave the UPFA with two loyalists.

Sri Lanka also lost its seat in the Human Rights Council but managed to gain 101 votes, more than half the seats of the council, which is 97 seats. Sri Lanka won 123 seats last year. Pakistan, despite being under a military rule, won what could have been Sri Lanka’s seat in the council.

source:

http://defencewire.blogspot.com/2008/05/focus-on-east.html