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The Best Beaches are on the East Coast

Published on 18/05/2009 in front page, press coverage, Security & Safety and the bay. Closed

With an end to hostilities in Sri Lanka tourism could be set to spread to the country’s troubled north & east.

By Adrian Bridge

Sri Lanka: end of conflict could boost tourism

A beach near the city of Trincomalee, an area that could attract future tourists Photo: GETTY

While it is still too early to predict the future course of events in Sri Lanka, the possibility of a lasting peace opens up the prospect of the great swathes of pristine sandy beaches in the north and east of the country becoming new tourist hotspots.

With the fighting still fresh, outrage over the number of civilians killed and fears that pockets of Tamil Tiger fighters may continue with terrorist attacks, the Foreign Office continues to advise against all travel to the north and east of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka travel experts, however, hope that in the long term, the ending of the 26-year-long civil war will signal a fresh start for tourism in what is potentially one of the most attractive holiday destinations in Asia.

a??This is a good step forward but we have to be cautiously optimistic; there is still a lot of work to be done to bring about a true peace,a?? said Jean-Marc Flambert, who promotes a number of hotels in Sri Lanka.

a??But in fact the best beaches on the island are on the east coast. Also, with the rainy season there coming at a different time to the rain in the south and west it could turn Sri Lanka into a year round destination.a??

Resorts that are likely to become holiday favourites include Nilaveli, just north of Trincomalee, and, further south, Kalkudah and Passekudah. Arugam Bay is set to attract the surfing crowd while Trincomalee itself, described by Admiral Nelson as the finest harbour in the world, could become a major new tourist hub. Continue reading ‘The Best Beaches are on the East Coast’

Flame in Lahuhgala, PottuVille or Arugam Bay?

Published on 29/11/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, people, press coverage, Security & Safety and wild life. 0 Comments

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The nineteenth A?a??A?Great heroes dayA?a??A? (GHD) was observed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Thursday November 27. In recent times the most important event for the LTTE has been its annual A?a??E?Maaveerar NaalA?a??a?? or A?a??A?Maaveerar ThinamA?a??A?held each year.

Various observances are held in Sri Lanka and abroad to commemorate the Tiger cadres who have died for the Tamil cause. A?a??E?Puligalin Thaagam Thamil Eelath ThaayagamA?a??a?? (Thirst of the Tigers is for a Tamil Eelam homeland) is the motto of the LTTE.

An important feature of the GHD has been the ceremony where LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran pays homage to the fallen cadres. The centrepiece of this ceremony is his address to the Tamil people in his capacity as the self-styled national leader of the Tamil Eelam nation.

This yearA?a??a??s GHD address by Prabhakaran came at a time when the LTTE was suffering setback after setback on the military front. It was only last year that Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa predicted that the 2007 Great Heroes Day would be the last one for the tiger chief.

Prabhakaran however is still alive and what is more lived to deliver another GHD address. Given the series of military reversals undergone by the LTTE in recent times many expected or wanted the Tiger supremo to throw the towel in.

A number of articles and even editorials appeared in the Sri Lankan media ridiculing and mocking Prabhakaran and the LTTE for its perceived poor track record in military matters.

There is a widespread belief in the country and abroad that the LTTE is militarily weak and therefore is on the verge of being defeated conclusively by the armed forces. With the Rajapaksa regime utilising its military successes to consolidate itself in power a massive propaganda campaign is on to project an image that the Tigers are on the decline. If recent military developments are the sole criteria to assess the strength or weakness of the LTTE there was some justification at least for this opinion to gain ground.

This impression has led to an atmosphere of triumphalism in the country amidst many sections of the majority community. Those who disagree or dissent are unfairly depicted as traitors or Tiger agents.

There were quite a few who expect Prabhakaran to call it quits or face extinction. A few actually advised him to surrender arms and enter the negotiating process.

It was against this backdrop that PrabhakaranA?a??a??s annual GHD address was delivered last Thursday. If anyone thought of Prabhakaran as a battered, bleeding boxer, reeling on the ropes, gasping for breath, they were mistaken.

The Tiger chief was defiant as ever. Maintaining tremendous serenity amid severe strain, the beleaguered LTTE chief read out his prepared speech in customary style.

Though different analysts tend to draw different conclusions from the address, to this writer, the most significant aspect of the LTTE leaderA?a??a??s speech was his avowed declaration to continue fighting against overwhelming odds.

Here are some relevant excerpts from the translated version in English:

A?a??A?Today, the Sinhala state has, as never before, placed its trust on its military strength, on military modalities and on a military solution. As a result, the war has gathered intensity and momentum. In truth, this is not a war against the LTTE as the Sinhala state professes. This is a war against the Tamils; against the Tamil nation. In short; a genocidal war.A?a??A?

A?a??A?With various countries of the world buttressing the genocidal war on the people of Tamil Eelam, we are waging a defensive war for the freedom of our people.A?a??A?

A?a??A?We have faced forces much mightier than ours. We have had direct confrontations even against superior powers, stronger than us.A?a??A?

A?a??A?We have withstood wave after wave of our enemy attacks. When compared to these happenings of the past, todayA?a??a??s challenges are neither novel nor huge. We will face these challenges with the united strength of our people.A?a??A?

A?a??A?No great changes have taken place in the Sinhala political panorama. Politics there has developed into the form of a demonic war.A?a??A?

A?a??A?When it comes to the Tamil national question, the Sinhala nation is adopting only one policy. It is obviously a policy of suppression. Even the tinge of hope our people had that the Sinhala nation will abandon its path of violence and offer justice, has now evaporated. Our people are not ready to trust the Sinhala nation again and get cheated.A?a??A?

A?a??A?It is true Tamil Eelam is a small nation on the globe. However it is a nation with great potential. It is a nation with a characteristic individuality. It has a distinctive language, cultural heritage and history. As the freedom movement of the people of Tamil Eelam we will never, ever allow Sinhala occupation or Sinhala domination of our homeland.A?a??A?

A?a??A?Whatever challenges confront us, whatever contingencies we encounter, whatever forces stand on our path, we will still continue with our struggle for the freedom of the Tamil people. On the path shown by history, on the command of the circumstances of today, we will continue with our struggle till alien Sinhala occupation of our land is removed.A?a??A?

This writer does not agree with most views expressed by Prabhakaran both in his speech. The thrust of his address is all about laying the blame on everyone else but the LTTE and himself. Always the A?a??A?othersA?a??A? are at fault.

Recent history demonstrates very clearly that the LTTE had not utilised the opportunity that arose for exploring a solution on federal lines through negotiations. But the Tiger supremo is silent on why the tigers agreed in Oslo to A?a??A?exploreA?a??A? and then performed a political somersault.

It is certainly true that Sri Lankan Tamil people are suffering greatly under this government. But it was the LTTE that facilitated the election of Mahinda Rajapaksa by enforcing a boycott of the presidential elections in areas controlled by it then.

Also Prabhakaran in his GHD address of 2005 called the new president a A?a??A?pragmaticA?a??A? man and stated that Rajapaksa would be given time to resolve theA?A? problem Yet within days the Tigers began launching attacks through its A?a??A?acolytesA?a??A? called A?a??A?Makkal padaiA?a??A? or A?a??A?peoples forceA?a??A?.

Then came provocative acts like the suicide bomber attack on Army commander Sarath Fonseka, the blocking of water at Maavilaaru, synchronised attacks on Muhamaalai, Muthur and Mandaitheevu, the artillery barrage on Trincomalee harbour from Sampoor etc.

It was in this atmosphere that the current military campaign was launched by the Rajapakse regime. It has been rather ruthless with little concern for the plight of ordinary civilians.

Despite expressing concern for the Tamil predicament there has been little concrete action by the International community to alleviate it. This is not because the IC is against the Tamils. This unjustified apathy is due to its pronounced antipathy towards the LTTE.

Excerpting certain paragraphs while disagreeing with the essence of arguments expressed in those is merely to draw attention to the actual mindset of the Tiger leader. There is a tendency to be lulled into a false consciousness by believing oneA?a??a??s own propaganda that the LTTE is on the edge of a dangerous precipice.

Several analysts and commentators have portrayed PrabhakaranA?a??a??s speech in a negative light as having been stated from a position of weakness. This may give a A?a??A?feel good feelingA?a??A? to many.

It would however be a grave blunder if one were to write off PrabhakaranA?a??a??s speech as the ranting and raving of a cornered tiger.

As this writer has consistently stated in the past A?a??A?the Tigers may be down but they are certainly not outA?a??A?.

PrabhakaranA?a??a??s utterances about continuing to fight against A?a??A?SinhalamA?a??A? (Sinhale) or the A?a??A?Sinhala stateA?a??A? should not be dismissed as sheer bravado. Rhetoric it may be, disconnected with reality it may be, but nevertheless Prabhakaran means every word of it.

Those who saw visual images of Prabhakaran reading out his speech in Tamil were struck by one thing. Though propaganda in sections of the media stated that the LTTE leader was under severe pressure, the impression gained when seeing him was quite the opposite.

Those of us who have been regularly following his annual addresses were struck by a remarkable change in his demeanour and tone. He seemed relaxed and supremely confident. Serene amidst strain. Prabhakaran looked and sounded like a man in firm control of his destiny. He seemed to mean every word he said.

In this context one recalls an anecdote of 21 years vintage. This was during the time when Indian officials in New Delhi were trying to pressurise Prabhakaran into accepting the proposed Indo A?a??a?? Lanka accord.

At one point former Indian envoy Jyotindra Nath Dixit in typical A?a??A?hectoringA?a??A? mode warned Prabhakaran that he would have to fight the Indian army if he did not accept the accord. To which the LTTE leader replied, A?a??A?I donA?a??a??t want to but I will fight the Indian army if I have to.A?a??A?

Dixit then retorted, A?a??A?Do you know the strength of the Indian army?A?a??A? Prabhakaran replied A?a??A?350,000? 400,000?A?a??A? Then Dixit said A?a??A?Add another cipherA?a??A?. Once again Prabhakaran said that he did not want to fight the Indian army but was prepared to do so if necessary.

Later the LTTE went through the charade of agreeing and adhering to the Indo – Lanka accord. New DelhiA?a??a??s South block thought that Prabhakaran had submitted meekly to the overwhelming might of India and devoured humble A?a??A?kanjiA?a??A? (porridge).

When Dixit began relating the above A?a??a?? mentioned exchange of words on the diplomatic cocktail circuit most people had a hearty laugh. The A?a??A?puliA?a??A? (Tiger) had become an A?a??A?eliA?a??A? (mouse) with India, the joke went.

Yet it was Prabhakaran who had the last laugh,. Belatedly India realised that the tiger chief was dead serious when he said that he was prepared to fight India.

Likewise it may seem amusing to hear Prabhakaran declaring his intent to continue fighting at a time when the Sri Lankan military juggernaut is relentlessly rolling forward. But it would be a monumental error to misjudge or underestimate the man as many have done in the past.

There are two sayings in Tamil about the tiger. One is A?a??A?puli pathunguvathu paaivathatkuA?a??A? (the Tiger crouches only to pounce). The other is A?a??A?puli pasithaalum Pullai ThinnaathuA?a??A? (Even if hungry Tigers donA?a??a??t eat grass).

These sayings about four A?a??a?? legged felines are applicable in politico A?a??a?? military terms to the two A?a??a?? legged Tigers also.

Currently two DVD/Video cassettes are being circulated among the Sri Lankan Diaspora in the west. One is a 32 minute cassette portraying the hardship and suffering undergone by internally displaced civilians in the Wanni. It is emotionally moving to see their tragic plight. There is an open appeal to Tamil Nadu Tamils.

While these cassettes are openly distributed the other 21 minute cassette is clandestinely shown to selected activists and die- hard supporters. Several LTTE leaders and commanders appear in this film emphasising that they are ready and strong to prolong the fight. There are scenes of cadres being trained.

The LTTE bigwigs keep on appealing to A?a??A?pulam peyarntha uravugalA?a??A? (our relatives gone abroad) not to be deceived by Government propaganda that the LTTE is weak. They reiterate that they are waiting for the right time to strike.

They also keep A?a??A?requestingA?a??A? that Diaspora Tamils should continue to support them without faltering until their goal is achieved.

Both these cassettes illustrate the dual approach adopted by the LTTE. On the one hand the humanitarian predicament is focused on to make an emotional appeal while on the other; military strength is projected to retain support of hawkish elements.

This duality can be discerned in PrabhakaranA?a??a??s GHD speech also where he states that the LTTE is prepared for peace but goes on to assert that the tigers will not give up the fight. There is a deliberately instilled sense of ambiguity here.

A noteworthy aspect of this yearA?a??a??s GHD observances was the military situation and weather.

With the armed forces on the ascendant and Tiger-controlled territory shrinking rapidly, the climate was not conducive for widespread functions. Torrential rains aggravated the situation further.

In such an environment there was a nagging doubt as to whether GHD ceremonies could be conducted anywhere let alone being done in grand fashion.

Yet the LTTE did manage to demonstrate through those ceremonies that they were A?a??A?down but not outA?a??A?.

None of the ceremonies were conducted openly or on a lavish scale. Prabhakaran himself participated at the main function held in an undisclosed location.

He commenced his 25 minute address at 5. 40pm. A minute of silence was observed at 6.06 pm. The sacrificial flame was lit by him at 6.07 pm.

Similar ceremonies were organized simultaneously at different venues.

Pride of place was given to functions in the Eastern Province from which the LTTE was ousted last year. GHD ceremonies indicated that the tigers had re-established a viable presence in jungle areas of the Batticaloa A?a??a?? Amparai districts.

In Amparai district eastern special commander A?a??A?ColA?a??A? Ram lit the flame at a ceremony in Lahugala jungles in Pottuvil electoral district.
Amparai district military commander Nahulan lit the flame in another function held in the Kanjikudichchaaru jungles.

In Batticaloa district the district military commander Umaram lit the flame in Tharavaikulam in the Thoppigala/Kudumbimalai region; Maavadimummaari military chief Kalaimaruthan lit the flame at Thaandiaddy. The political commissar for Maavadimummaari zone lit the flame there. In the Vaaharai region, Aandaankulam military chief Pushpan lit the flame at Aandaankulam. Likewise the Karadiyanaaru military leader lit the flame there.

In the LTTE controlled regions of Wanni the following Tiger leaders lit the sacrificial flames in different locations. Despite Kilinochchi town being besieged by the armed forces LTTEA?a??a??s northern front commander A?a??A?ColA?a??A? Theeban lit the flame in Kanagapuram Great Heroes cemetery;

A?a??A?ColA?a??A? Sornam (some reports said he was injured or dead) lit the flame at Mulliyavalai GH cemetery while Keerthi did so at Viswamadhu. A?a??A?ColA?a??A? Jeyam did so at Oddusuddan while sea Tiger special commander Soosai paid homage at sea to all sea A?a??a?? Tigers who perished at sea. The woman sea A?a??a?? Tiger special commander Poorani and deputy sea-Tiger commander Vinayagam lit the flames in Alambil and Uduthurai respectively.

LTTE finance chief Thamilkumaran, A?a??A?SencholaiA?a??A? orphanage co-ordinator Sudarmahal, Charles Anthony division special commander Vimal, and Military college chief instructor Aathavan, lit the flames in Puthukkudiyiruppu,Vattakkachchi,Kandawalai and Udayarkaddu GH cemeteries respectively.

There are also special memorial monuments for cadres from Batticaloa A?a??a?? Amparai districts, Imran A?a??a?? Pandian infantry brigade and A?a??A?Kutty SriA?a??A? mortar units. The flames in these places were lit by Jeyanthan brigade chief Bhavaan,Kilinochchi district military chief Velavan andA?A? Kuttysri unit chiefA?A? Kalaichelvan respectively.

By staging these ceremonies in spite of a very hostile environment the LTTE has proved a point. The Tigers have shown that despite the strong challenge posed by the armed forces it is a case of A?a??A?business as usualA?a??A? for them in key spheres.

The Great Heroes day events are given top priority in the LTTE scheme of things.

There exists in the martial tradition of the Tamils a concept known as A?a??E?Nadugal Valipaadu,A?a??a?? which literally means worshipping the planted stone.

Until the influence of Aryan-Brahminism pervaded the Dravidian people, the custom in South India had been that of burying their dead. Tombstones were erected at the graves of great heroes fallen in battle. These were honoured regularly through special panegyrical rituals.

The classical Tamil literature of the Sangham era is replete with references to this A?a??E?Nadugal ValipaaduA?a??a?? concept.

Poetic works like A?a??A?pattinappaalaiA?a??A?,A?a??A?MalaipaduhadaamA?a??A?,A?a??A?aingurunooruA?a??A?, A?a??A?ahanaanooruA?a??A?, A?a??A?puranaanooruA?a??A? and A?a??A?TholgappiyamA?a??A? refer to this phenomenon.

The aftermath of the Hindu renaissance period saw Brahminism becoming dominant and altering a way of life drastically.

The decline of Tamil dynasties along with the advent of Moghul, Nayakkar and European colonialism saw the martial tradition among Tamils becoming debilitated.

The custom of paying homage to heroes fallen in battle became non-existent in an environment where war was virtually unknown for generations.

In modern times the LTTE has revived and developed to a great extent the Tamil tradition of paying homage to its fallen heroes just as it re-introduced a martial Tamil culture through war.

When the first Great Heroes Day was observed in 1989, there were only 1,343 martyrs. The tally in 2000 was 16,591. In 2005 the figure was 17,903; this year up to October 30, 1974 tigers comprising 1398 males and 576 females were killed. This excludes about 3,000 conscripts who had not been made A?a??A?fullA?a??A? members and therefore denied great hero status.

The grand total from November 27 1982 to October 30 2008 is 22, 114 Tiger great heroes killed. This comprises 17,305 males and 4,809 females.

As the ethnic conflict continues, the casualty rates also increase. What this means is that more and more Tamil families are suffering the losses of their loved ones and becoming grief stricken.

A qualitative change in recent times has been increased conscription by the LTTE. The emotional reaction of family members towards their kith and kin forcibly taken by the LTTE and sacrificed on the altar of war would be different to those who joined voluntarily.

Denying great hero status to some of those raw conscripts who get killed can only add insult to injury.

Given the current flow of events and the manner, mode and message of PrabhakaranA?a??a??s GHD address there can be little doubt that we are going to see more and more war.

The Rajapaksa regime though unpopular on many fronts is sustained in power mainly through its pro A?a??a?? war policy. In such a situation one can expect an escalation and intensification of war in the future.

Not only will the LTTE resist fiercely but also may launch its long A?a??a?? awaited counter A?a??a?? strike.

Which way the goddess of war would bestow her blessings or curses is uncertain. But the only certainty is that the Tamil A?a??a??populated regions will see an increase in death, displacement and destruction in the days to come. Tamil suffering will continue.

D.B.S. Jeyaraj can be reached

atA?A? Nasonex how much does it cost djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com

Who thinks East? And who thinks “Arugam”?

Published on 24/11/2008 in Blogs, people, press coverage, Security & Safety and services. 0 Comments

23. november 2008

THINK ABOUT EASTERN PEOPLE FIRST!!! TAMIL POLICE FORCE ESSENTIAL!!!

EPC has no powers, says PillayanInterviewed by Chandani Kirinde

Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan conceded that his relationship with Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna had deteriorated in the recent past. Pillayan in an interview with The Sunday Times, while pointing out that police powersA?a??a??that he says would ensure freedom of movementA?a??a??were more important than concentrating on development, also complained that the Provincial Council was not being consulted on any of the projects that have been launched so far.

Excerpts:

What is the relationship between you and Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna?

There is tension over KarunaA?a??a??s demand for restructuring the party. He wants to bring his men to the Executive Committee. I registered this party when the government decided to hold local and provincial elections in the east early this year. Karuna was out of the country at that time. Because we wanted to prepare for elections we registered as the TMVP. There is no necessity to make any changes now. Pyridium phenazopyridine cost

Why is Karuna demanding a restructure of the party and registering it under a different name ?

I understand he is trying to grab political power from us. He does not have any official status in the TMVP. Since he returned he has been trying to forcibly occupy our offices in the Batticaloa district. I have shifted my office to a new building due to this problem.

Karuna didnA?a??a??t want you to contest as the Chief Ministerial candidate but instead he wanted the Batticaloa Mayor, Sivageetha Prabhakaran to contest for the post. Is this correct ?

We decided she was suitable for the MayorA?a??a??s post because of her political experience within the district. The Chief MinisterA?a??a??s post is an important one and it would have been difficult for her to handle the work as there is a lot of pressure. Therefore, I decided to contest for the post.

What are the main obstacles you are facing to develop the province making use of the powers vested in the Provincial Council under the 13th amendment?

To tell you frankly, since I took office in May this year not a single person has been recruited to the Council. I donA?a??a??t have any powers to implement the 13th Amendment. We have asked the central government to give us the powers vested in the 13th Amendment, but Karuna who is with the government is now convincing the government not to give powers to me.

We see a lot of development activities including building of new roads, bridges, providing electricity and telephone facilities to the newly liberated areas. Have you been consulted on these projects ?

No. Only a few cabinet ministers in the district are directly involved in these projects. This is not what we need at the moment. We first need freedom of movement to travel within the district and outside.

We saw that some of the TMVP offices opened by cadres loyal to you, now being closed down. Why is this ?

In the recent past there have been some incidents in these camps located in the mainland as well as in the newly liberated areas. The offices have been closed down to prevent more attacks taking place among the Tamil brotherhood.

There is information that former LTTE cadres whom you have de-listed have returned to the TMVP, stating that their lives are in danger. How serious is the problem of infiltration?

Quite serious. We are trying to identify these people and send some of them back. If they lead a normal life we will leave them alone. Otherwise they will be dealt with according to the law. After the eastern province was cleared, we were aware that a handful of LTTE cadres had returned to the districts of Batticaloa and Ampara. We are currently helping the security forces to track them down.

You are demanding police powers, but in contrast Karuna has said that such powers are not necessary. Your reactions?

If police powers are devolved to the provincial council I can protect all our members. They can also be absorbed into the police force so that they get official recogntion. They will be disciplined and any action could be taken against those persons who act against the law.

What impact has the killing of your private Secretary Krishnaswamy Nandagopan alias Ragu had overall?

His slaying is not only a great loss to me personally but also to the Tamil community on the whole. He was truly concerned about the people of the east. Money and positions were of little importance to him. He was also a knowledgable person. He was born in Batticaloa and based in Trincomalee and therefore had a good knowledge about the problems in the Eastern Province and could have done good service.

You said the killing of Ragu was not the work of the LTTE. But Karuna blames the LTTE?

I will say it again. It was not the work of the LTTE. This was definitely the work of a group who does not like to see the province developing. Very soon I will prove it. We have vital clues. Nobody knew where Ragu and I were staying in Athurugiriya, the day prior to the killing. No one knew of our movements too, except the one other person who was with us. Singulair full price

There are allegations from the Muslim community in Kathankudy, that TMVP cadres are moving into the area and intimidating and threatening them. A few Muslim civilians were shot dead too. How do you hope to foster ethnic harmony in this kind of environment?

Yes, in the past there were some incidents in Kathankudy. We have punished some of our members who were involved in such incidents. Now we have established a good rapport with the Muslims.

There is a strong belief that after Karuna returned he has been having the upper hand by using his powers and influence with the government to sideline you. What is your reaction?

The people in Batticaloa district are aware about KarunaA?a??a??s behaviour and how he betrayed his community by leaving them and trying to lead a life of luxury in a western country. That itself clearly brings out his selfishness. I am the one who helped the government forces to liberate the people of Mutur and Sampoor. Some of our cadres were even killed in the operation, but Karuna did not even express his condolences to the families of these cadres. Because of these incidents the people have lost confidence in him. I challenge him, that if has a support base in the east to come forward and contest the next parliamentary elections.
—————————————————————————-
I have confidence in the Chief Minister

Playing down the reported rift between himself and Pillayan, UPFA parliamentarian Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna said police powers to the Eastern Province were not an urgent need and priority should be given to developing the province. In an interview with The Sunday Times he said he was concerned about LTTE cadres infiltrating the TMVP.

Excerpts:

There are reports about clashes between Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and yourself. Any comment?

We have no major problems. Some of our political opponents and the LTTE are trying to create problems between us. Some media are also involved. There are some minor problems. We are a democratic party and there are bound to be arguments and disagreements, but they are not serious.

Who are these political opponents?

I donA?a??a??t want to say who they are individually, but the TNA is one such group.

Pillayan says that your interest in restructuring the party is to get your members into the Executive committee. What is your response?

Even before I returned to the country, I advised Pillayan to call for a Central Committee meeting and restructure the party by including senior cadres of the TMVP. Presently I am in consultation with some intellectuals to reorganize the party. We will drop the name Puligal (Tigers).

How serious is the threat of LTTE infiltration in the East ?

After 22 years of fighting we cannot bring every thing under control in one year. There are small pockets of the LTTE operating there. They killed a university student and now a doctor. That doctor was loved by all the people of the area. One lady called me and said the doctor was like her son. The people have clearly rejected the LTTE, but their intelligence operatives are carrying out such brutal attacks to destabilise the east.

But, what about the infiltration into the TMVP?

We are concerned about the infiltration. We have started a screening process with the help of the security forces. We are not going to enlist any ex-LTTE cadres to the TMVP. We are also carrying out search operations.

How did your acquaintance with the Chief Minister begin ?

When I broke away from the LTTE and formed the TMVP, he was one of the people who joined me. In my absence, I appointed Kannan as the leader but, he was killed by the LTTE, then I appointed my brother Reji, but he too was killed by the LTTE. Thereafter, I appointed Pillayan to the position.

Do you have confidence in the Chief Minister ?

Yes I am happy with him. Also it is important that a Tamil person be the Chief Minister of the east. It has proved that the LTTEA?a??a??s opinion that in a de-merged north A?a??a??east the Tamils will have no representation is wrong. Under him, all the communities are working to build up a civil administration.

Pillayan says that his private secretary Krishnaswamy Nandagopan alias Ragu was not killed by the LTTE.

Clearly the killing was carried out by the LTTE. In the past two months, 17 TMVP cadres have been killed by the LTTE. They have tried to infiltrate the TMVP for some time, but have failed. He (Pillayan) made a mistake by saying the killing was not carried out by the LTTE. I regret that statement.

While Pillayan says powers to the province must be devolved under the PC system to the Eastern Provincial Council, you have been holding a different opinion.

We have a lot of work to do in the east. There has been a war in the east for the past 22 years. While Muslims in the area managed to send their representatives to parliament, the Tamil people have been largely without representation. But now we have a chance. We have the Provincial Council administration and our priority is development work. But police powers are not an urgent need. In the past too, the mistake we made was making the same demands over and over again. But now we have to do things differently. We must develop education, sports and entertainment.

Have you discussed the law and order situation in the east with the Government ?

I have spoken to the Defence Secretary and for now we have Deputy Inspector General of Police Shankar appointed as the co-ordinator for the three districts in the east. The Defence Secretary told me there are about 1000 police vacancies to be filled in the east and Tamil youth are needed to be recruited. I have already informed the people. We must now give priority to development.
courtesy:sundaytimes.lk

source:
http://worldtamilrefugeesforum.blogspot.com/2008/11/think-about-eastern-people-first-tamil.html

War wounded hit by absence of doctors

Published on 20/11/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

By Sandun A Jayasekera

Medical officers in State hospitals in the North and East, vacating their places of work on the instructions of the GMOA, have crippled medical care services in those hospitals affecting the treatment of war wounded in particular.

The GMOA advised its members to vacate their places of duty last Monday on security grounds following the brutal murder of Dr. S.W.Pathmakumara, Medical Officer of the Vavunaitivu rural hospital in Batticaloa district on Sunday night.

GMOA committee member Dr. Chandika Epitakaduwa said doctors serving in the two provinces are reluctant to report for duty until adequate security was provided to them. The discussions so far held with the authorities had ended in failure, he said.

A?a??A?We had a discussion on Tuesday with Health Ministry officials and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa but could not reach a settlement.

Though Mr. Rajapaksa had given us many promises earlier no promise has so far been honoured. We cannot take his word to provide security to our membership as a firm assurance. We have instructed our members not to report until adequate security is in place for doctors to work without fear,A?a??A? Dr. Epitakaduwa told the Daily Mirror yesterday. War wounded The GMOA will assess the situation tomorrow before taking a decision, he said.

A?a??A?We do not intend to hold further talks with the Defence or Health Ministry officials. We informed the decision of our membership after FridayA?a??a??s discussion,A?a??A? Dr. Epitakaduwa added.

A top official of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry said that the situation at many State hospitals in the North and East is grave as almost all the war wounded had to be brought to Anuradhapura, Ampara or hospitals in Colombo.

A?a??A?The danger is that seriously wounded soldiers have to be provided first aid or preliminary care before they are airlifted to a major hospital. Almost all the casualties have to be airlifted to the south without casualty management under the circumstances,A?a??A? he said.

Vavuniya District Hospital acting Director, Govri Nandakumar said 12 out of 13 Sinhala medical officers including a surgeon had left the hospital and she is facing difficulty in treating patients, the war wounded in particular.

Kalmunai Base Hospital Director Bhavani Pasupathiraja said all 15 Sinhala doctors have failed to report for duty. A?a??A?I sent some wounded soldiers to Ampara Base Hospital yesterday but it is very difficult to cope with the situation given the unavailability of doctors,A?a??A? he said.

source:
Price emsam A?A?http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=32766

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Hiding away in Arugam Bay: Paul Harris

Published on 14/11/2008 in Blogs, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

More Thrills than Skills – A Half-life in Journalism,m Part 98
Over the next few weeks, allmediascotland.com is to publish, each weekday, extracts from the memoirs of Scottish war correspondent, Paul Harris. A?a??E?More Thrills than Skills: A Half-life in JournalismA?a??a??, is being scheduled for publication next year.

I visited the east with Nanda Godage and we were joined by an Indian journalist, P K Balachandran of The
Hindustan Times. A?a??E?P.K.A?a??a?? was an old Sri Lanka hand who had been in the country several years. Affable and incisive as he was, I was never really sure why he was to join us. I knew why I was there A?a??a?? as a sounding post, with my intelligence background, for Godage.

The visit to the east convinced me more than ever that the LTTE were up to no good. In Pottuvil (March 12), the fears of the Muslim community were clearly expressed in a series of meetings at the appropriately-named Hideaway Hotel. We visited a place by the sea called Kumari and I was moved by the plight of a woman whose son had been taken by the LTTE. Ordinary people clearly feared the stranglehold the LTTE was imposing under the guise of peace. In Ampara (March 14), I was impressed by the men of the Special Task Force (STF).

In Batticaloa, the security forces seemed under no illusion as to what was going down. What they could not understand was what Colombo was up to. On March 16, we crossed into LTTE territory in the company of the local MP, Krishnapillai. The most interesting thing about the meeting was the appearance of his wife. She soon broke down into tears. The price of LTTE support for her husbandA?a??a??s election to parliament had been their eldest son. They had handed him over to the LTTE for military training.

As Nanda spoke with the Peace Secretariat and the Prime MinisterA?a??a??s office on a Sunday morning (March 17) from Trincomalee, the sound of cannon fire broke the still. I assumed they were practice rounds but the firing went on for a quarter of an hour or so and I could see puffs of smoke in China Bay. LTTE gunboats were probing the harbour defences.

In Muttur on March 19, the local Sinhala community revealed they had met and voted to a man, and a woman, for that matter, to leave if the security forces were to withdraw their protection.

Our trip to the east was rounded off on March 20 with an impressive briefing at military headquarters in Minneriya by Maj Gen Sunil Tennakoon, himself a former intelligence officer. In the cool of his air-conditioned office, he gave us a two hour-long briefing and left us in no doubt as to his own views and, indeed, those of the military establishment generally. The LTTE were gathering men and materiel for war.

At NandaA?a??a??s request, I compiled an intelligence report for the Prime Minister drawing together all the strands of our visit and culminating in a risk assessment.

I wrote a couple of articles for the Mirror and my Telegraph articles were re-published in The Island. It seemed to me that the real Achilles Heel of the LTTE might be the organisationA?a??a??s lack of a sense of humour. In my perception, it was an unreformed and anachronistic revolutionary movement spawned a quarter of a century previously in the school of Castro and Guevera. I wrote a number of wry, mickey-taking articles. It seems that these essentially harmless, humorous article really hit home, which was, I suppose, what I wanted.

The intro to one of my Mirror articles raised hackles………..

‘These LTTE people are oh, so charming. With their cheery smiles, mild manners, warm open features and welcoming handshakes they are straight from the Saatchi & Saatchi public relations manual for Transformation of Terrorist Leaders into Genial Uncle Figures. They make the government Information Department chaps look like grumpy ogres. Who could possibly think that friendly, limping man Mr Thamil Chelvam was such a rotter? Then thereA?a??a??s that nice man Mr Karikalan who holds court over the eastern province from his remote fastness in Kokkadicholai.

‘He greets you with a firm handshake, beaming genially from behind a pair of designer spectacles. He reminds you of Mole, rather than Ratty, from Wind in the Willows. Such a nice man . . .Somewhere in the background is that rather tasty looking girl, Banuka.

‘I first noticed her at the Batticaloa Pongu Thamil. She gave a dynamic, powerful performance haranguing the crowd. It was infinitely more effective than that of all the politicos put together. And it was oh, so sexy. A sort of beautiful version of Margaret Thatcher. I have definitely developed a crush on her (Banuka not Margaret Thatcher). SheA?a??a??s an absolute cracker. In more ways than one. Apparently, she sends the female cadres out into the eastern province to deal severely with male A?a??E?eve teasersA?a??a??. They beckon rude boys into back streets for hoped-for hanky panky, then beat them to pulp with karate chops. On second thoughts, I think IA?a??a??ll leave her alone. But IA?a??a??ll still have fantasies about her . . .’ Order differin cream online

Satire is, of course, well established in Britain as both a literary form and a political tactic. It is in its infancy in Sri Lanka and I did not then realise the truly devastating effect my piece would have. The day the article appeared A?a??a?? April 1, appropriately enough A?a??a?? the phone rang from early morning.

Several journalist colleagues wanted to know if the rumour that I was having an affair with LTTE womenA?a??a??s leader, Banuka, was true. What had been meant as wry humour became instant rumour. Nanda Godage was shocked. A?a??A?I hear youA?a??a??ve dared to call Thamil Chelvan a rotter and Karuna a bad egg.A?a??A?

He opined that there could be A?a??A?very serious consequences.A?a??A? At the time, I found that rather amusing in itself. But I was still on the learning curve. . . Within days Prabhakaran had called both Karikalan and Banuka to his jungle fastness in the north for some meaningful discussions.

But the article which seemed to find its mark, long before it was published thanks to surreptitious emailing around the world by the magazineA?a??a??s staff, was one I wrote for Lanka Monthly Digest……

* Send your Scottish media news and gossip, in the strictest confidence, to info@allmediascotland.com

Or phone us on 07710 721 478

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Lost: Facebook, Westwing, Arugam Bay and the Internet

Published on 01/09/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, Ideas, Money Matters, people, press coverage, surf, the bay, weddings and wild life. 0 Comments

Arugam.info needs YOUR help!

Arugam: Lost, FaceBook & Eastern Wings
Since the middle of last Century our mission has been to promote our remote little Bay.
More than 10 years ago this Home Page was established for this purpose.
In the early days of the Internet www.arugam.info (earlier .com) was the very first Web Site within Sri Lanka.
That was a long, long time before the Government, the Tourist Board or any other establishment had even considered the power of this new media.
Why do wee need YOUR help?
We would love to have “Arugam Bay” mentioned in a new film.
We wish to have Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, the producer of popular West Wing to look at Arugam Bay.

Anyone out there has any Ideas?
How to go about it????
This is the BBC article which drew our attention to Aaron and his plans and work:
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has agreed to make a film about the founders of social networking site Facebook.

Sorkin, who Order copegus created US TV drama The West Wing and wrote the Tom Hanks movie Charlie Wilson’s War, has even opened a Facebook account to aid his research.

“I figured a good first step in my preparation would be finding out what Facebook is, so I’ve started this page,” he wrote.

He said the project was a joint venture between Sony and producer Scott Rudin.

Sony has confirmed the as-yet-untitled project is in development.

Relying on fans

Sorkin added he was aware of other pages on Facebook from people who claimed to be him, but had decided it was “flattering more than creepy”.

Aaron Sorkin's Facebook film group
I feel about this introduction the way I felt about Sophie’s Choice – It could have been funnier
Aaron Sorkin

“This is me,” he insisted. “I don’t know how I can prove that but feel free to test me.”The 47-year-old admitted he did not really understand Facebook, or “how I’m going to write the movie”, so was relying on fans to help him.

“I honestly don’t know how this works, which is why I’m here,” Sorkin said.

“If anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to answer them as best I can. If anyone has any comments, Cost malegra I’m glad to listen.”

Before signing off, Sorkin joked: “I feel about this introduction the way I felt about Sophie’s Choice – It could have been funnier.”

Since joining Facebook, the writer has been responding to questions and comments from fans, leading to some further revelations about the forthcoming film.

“I have a fairly specific idea of what the first 15 pages of the screenplay will be and no idea what will happen on pages 16 thru 130,” he wrote.

“I have very strong feelings about the internet and its effect on our national culture, but frankly those feelings are being countered by the sophistication, kindness, curiosity and wit of the posts in this site.

“You people are screwing me up with your civility and intelligence.”

Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in February 2004 while studying at US university Harvard.

In the website’s early days, membership was restricted to US students, but it now has more than 100 million users worldwide.

In response, AbHa has posted the following Comment on Aaron’s Facebook site:
“There is a remote little Bay, situated on the war torn Eastern Site of the tropical Island of Sri Lanka.
Here you find wild Elephants, a small group of “Lost” type characters (incl. Locke, Charlie etc.!!) The Internet as well as Facebook have been the ONLY vehicle which transformed the entire sleepy Community into an emerging world class mini resort.
We strongly feel that the combination of a tropical paradise, the slow recovery from the Tsunami, the wasted donations and totally inefficient NGO activities, (This surfer’s spot was the hardest hit area in the entire Country), the Love & Romance input as well as the Three Shows on the Oprah Whinfrey show will provide ample input and true life ideas of who Facebook and the Internet has influenced the life’s of Natives as well as visitors.
Many of which have now decided to settle at this place:
Arugam Bay.
see aslo:www.arugam.info
(The very first Web Site, ever, in Sri Lanka – more than 12 years ago)”

We feel that if we can succeed in having Arugam Bay at least mentioned in this new film, it would give a tremendous boost to our little Bay:
If YOU can help us – You would directly help all of us here in Arugam Bay.
Because a few more guests and a little more income is all we need to recover!

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At the opening of the new bridge built over Arugambay….

Published on 20/07/2008 in Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments
by Shamindra Ferdinando
The Island

The UNP-led Opposition at logger heads with President Mahinda Rajapaksa over his cosy relationship with the armed breakaway LTTE faction headed by A?a??E?ColonelA?a??a?? Karuna Amman is seriously disturbed over the international communityA?a??a??s readiness to strike a working relationship with the group.

“We are disappointed,” a UNP MP told The Sunday Island. The international community shouldnA?a??a??t have contacted the TMVP now in control of the first Eastern Provincial Council, the Batticaloa Municipal Council and all Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Batticaloa District. This would only encourage the Rajapaksas and their newly found ally to step up the combined security forces campaign in the Vanni.

But Karuna who recently returned after serving a shortened prison term for violating British immigration laws is expected to keep a low profile.

The government has prohibited foreign governments sending representatives to Kilinochchi after the August, 2005, assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in Colombo.

The government recently rejected an LTTE call to arrange Norwegian representatives to visit Kilinochchi to explore ways and means of kick starting peace negotiations.

The Tamil National Alliance, the SLMC and the JVP, too, criticised the international community for having contacts with the TMVP as the group hadnA?a??a??t de-commissioned its weapons. They said the Rajapaksas would take advantage of on and off meetings between the international community and the TMVP to strengthen their government which was pursuing a military solution. They accused the international community of taking a contradictory stand on the issue. On one hand, the international community wanted the government to disarm the TMVP while on the other hand, an undemocratically elected administration was being international endorsement, the JVP said.

In the run upto the EPC polls, JVP frontliner Anura Kumara Dissanayake accused India of promoting the TMVP-Rajapaksa relationship at the expense of the vast majority of people wanting the restoration of democracy.

The criticism comes hard on the heels of Sri LankaA?a??a??s Ambassador to the EU Ravinatha AriyasinghaA?a??a??s declaration that a visiting EU delegation would meet with EP Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan this week. This would be the first direct contact between the EPC administration and the EU, a Foreign Ministry official said, expressing relief that the EU had changed its previous stance.


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Order eldepryl Government sources expressed the belief the change of the international opinion had been influenced by rapidly deteriorating LTTE military power in the Vanni region where the army was on the advance on a wide front on both west and east of the A9 road.

The EU ParliamentA?a??a??s Delegation for Relations with the Countries of South Asia in Brussels would be headed by its Chairman Robert Evans, Socialist Group member of the UK and would include a cross section of the political groups and member states represented within the EU.

Last month, Sri Lanka declined to take a visiting EU delegation to the East after it refused to meet the newly installed ECP administration.

British Minister Lord Malloch Brown and the Netherlands Ambassador in Colombo Reynout Van Dijk last week met Chandrakanthan in Trincomalee. This followed US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Even Feigenbaum, US ChargedA?a??a?? Affairs James R. Moore and USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn appearing on one stage with President Rajapaksa and Chandrakanthan on July 1 at the opening of the new bridge built over Arugambay. The USAIDA?a??a??s flagship tsunami aid project had cost USD 10 million.

UPFA General Secretary and Minister Susil Premjayanth said the government fielded a TMVP candidate on the government list for the North Central Province at the August 23 election as they were confident of working with the group. “We have every confidence in them,” he said, describing the move as an extension of the government-TMVP political relationship.

The decision to accommodate Batticaloa Mayor Ms P. Sivageetha of the TMVP on the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance (CCHA) had facilitated its relationship with the Colombo embassies, the sources said. Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samaraweera had paved the way for the TMVP entry by inviting Ms Sivageetha to attend a CCHA meeting held in Colombo on April 29 with the participation of US Ambassador Robert Blake and UNICEF Country Director Philippe Duamelle. The CCHA chaired by Samarasinghe had brought the US, EU and UN together, the sources said, adding Ms Shivageetha during the April meeting was given the opportunity to address the gathering.

In her address, she had urged the donors to work through the newly elected Batticaloa MC.
source:
http://www.island.lk/2008/07/20/news3.html

Storm clouds over SAARC summit

Published on 05/07/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments
  • Police and defence spokesman go crude or cynical over attacks on journalists Deltasone how much
  • Ranil rows through party crisis but squabbles continue
By Our Political Editor

A volley of probing questions by Muralidhar Reddy, the Colombo correspondent for India’s national newspaper Hindu, brought some revealing answers from defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella.
This week’s brutal attack on journalist Namal Perera and British High Commission staffer Mahendra Ratnaweera, the journalist noted, were not isolated ones. Perera is acting Manager, Media Advocacy and Media Freedom at the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) and Ratnaweera, Political Officer at the High Commission.

“These incidents have been occurring regularly and the Police have not got any lead. How do you ensure security during the summit later this month of leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC)? Those attending the summit could become possible targets,” he said. The loquacious defence spokesman and Minister, Rambukwella, who has “ready made” answers to questions, responded, “What does SAARC have to do with this? It could even be a personal issue.”
The assault by goons who came in a white van with tinted windows occurred barely 100 metres outside the Military Police Headquarters at Kirullapone. It was also the same distance from the Ministry of Information (and the Government Information Department) from where many a dignitary of the Government piously pontificates on media freedom and vows to protect both democracy and journalists.
Details of the latest incident appear elsewhere in this newspaper. However, Reddy’s question and the answers Rambukwella gave are among major contributory factors that have triggered off concerns in the diplomatic dovecotes of SAARC countries. With only 22 days to go for the summit, some of the key players, The Sunday Times has learnt, are re-assessing the security environment and whether the climate would be safe for their leaders.

New IGP’s assurance

In the case of the assault of the duo, as has been in many other similar incidents, contradictions in statements by those in Government are galore. Medical personnel at a private hospital were still fighting to stop blood oozing out of the wounds of Perera and Ratnaweera, when then senior DIG Jayantha Wickremeratne arrived at the scene that Monday night. In the next few hours, he was assuming duties as the Inspector General of Police.

Speaking to British High Commissioner Peter Hayes outside the rooms of the two victims on the first floor of a private hospital, Wickremaratne said Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, had sent him there. That was to assure that a full investigation would be carried out to arrest the assailants. The same assurance was given to the two victims. He said the owner of the white van had been traced. It later turned out that the number plates (with different numbers in the front and the rear) were fake. One vehicle for which the number was assigned lay at a garage with its engine removed several months earlier. Another, was from a vehicle a hundred miles away.

The bashful or hearty laughter of UNP national organizer S. B. Dissanayke in response to a remark by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Frday may add fuel to the political rumour mill which is already awash with speculation about his political moves. Mr. Dissanayake along with Ministers Mahinda Wijesekera and Bandula Gunawardena met the President to discuss events related to the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Vidyodaya University from which the trio graduated and the President was a young library assistant.

Later, as Police Chief Wickremaratne was to tell the media it was difficult to track down white vans. At any given time over a 500 of them were moving around in city roads. The Police spokesman held another view. SSP Ranjith Gunasekera told the media that some media personnel were using reported threats or assaults to claim asylum abroad. However, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who declared open the US aided bridge at Arugam Bay said the assault was part of a conspiracy to embarrass the Government.
His remarks were to heighten concerns. If there were indeed conspirators who moved around with impunity past checkpoints and the presence of troops/policemen in the City, and could successfully evade arrest, whether security in the City of Colombo and suburbs was adequate was the question. Therefore, could those conspirators endanger the SAARC delegates and the large media contingent who will be there to cover the event?

Of course, security during SAARC has become the nightmare of the authorities. Latest proposals under consideration are to severely restrict entry and exit into the City of Colombo. Ministers and officials taking part in the SAARC summit are also likely to be booked into City hotels and provided security cover during their journey to the conference venue. Among the other security concerns for some SAARC countries is whether Tiger guerrillas will trigger any incidents either before or during the summit. Government officials have allayed their fears with assurances that fighting now is restricted to the Wanni. They have said the guerrillas will no longer be able to carry out any major attack.

Yet, the incident where the guerrillas fired at a helicopter of the Air Force VIP squadron over the skies of Kokkadicholai this week was also cause for concern. This helicopter was one of the ‘chasers’ to the helicopter in which President Rajapaksa flew for the ceremonies connected with the opening of the bridge at Arugam Bay. It had later flown to the SLAF base in Ampara (Uhana) to re-fuel when it was hit by small arms fire and forced to make an emergency landing.

Election fever

On the political front, Government leaders believe that the successful conduct of the SAARC and the “imminent successes” in the campaign against Tiger guerrillas in their stronghold of Wanni would augur well for the upcoming elections in the North Central Province and Sabaragamuwa provinces.

ominations concluded on Friday and both elections will be held on August 23. The twin issues, Government leaders argue, will be disadvantageous to the main opposition United National Party (UNP), which is already plagued by an internal crisis.

In the Opposition UNP, the rumblings seem to simmer down a bit, though its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is not entirely out of the woods. On Tuesday, the Working Committee met, and it was former Health Minister Dr. Ranjit Atapattu from Beliatte who interrupted Wickremesinghe to ask him what the Committee of party seniors set up to study the grievances of a reformist group had come up with.

This Committee comprises those elected to Parliament in 1977 or before that, and is headed by John Amaratunga, a former Minister of Interior. Amaratunga himself was abroad, and Wickremesinghe had to stop in mid-stream and say he would deal with the subject later.

When later came, Wickremesinghe said the Committee was finalising its report, and that he was prepared to go along with its recommendations – provided there was unanimity in the way forward. Differences of opinion and pitting one against the other are now becoming legendary — and Wickremesinghe knows only too well that personality clashes will prevail over issue-based politics.
For instance, the recommendations of the three chief ‘reformists’ – Lakshman Seneviratne (Moneragala), Johnston Fernando (Kurunegala) and Jayalath Jayawardene (Gampaha) are to change the party constitution and clip the powers of the all-powerful party leader; and for the appointment of a new party chairman, deputy leader and three assistant leaders.

The vexed issue of whether Wickremesinghe should continue as both, the Opposition Leader and party leader has now been all but settled, with the demand to oust him from the latter post now fizzling out.
For party deputy leader (the post held by Karu Jayasuriya before his defection), the name recommended is incumbent party Chairman Rukman Senanayake. He was not present on Tuesday, but while there is no apparent objection to this move, the suggestion to make Joseph Michael Perera, the party chairman has run into a wall.

Jayalath Jayawardene had originally objected to this move. Both are from neighbouring constituencies of Ja-ela and Negombo, but the good doctor had later relented. However, Perera’s nomination was opposed on the grounds that he is a Catholic and the party is already under a cloud with the Buddhist majority having lost their confidence to some extent.

Then, there was the suggestion to make S.B. Dissanayake, the National Organiser who spends most of his time in Australia nowadays, Jayawickrema Perera from Kurunegala and young Sajith Premadasa from Hambantota as assistant leaders. There again, while Jayawickrama Perera was not an issue, there were some murmurs about Dissanayake because of his civic disability, and Premadasa due to his young age.

Dissanayake has been asking the leadership for a place in Parliament once his civic disability period is over – and the vacant seat of Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauf Hakeem, but Hakeem seems to want to return the National Legislature, and this will put paid to Dissanayake’s re-entry to where he once held forth.

In the meantime, he has kept a line open with President Rajapaksa, earning the displeasure, and mistrust of UNPers. The point that young and not-so-young MPs who see themselves as future leaders were not even in the running for these posts – Ravi Karunanayake, Vajira Abeywardene etc., was also a matter for consternation in some quarters.

And so, the debate went on in the corridors and within the Working Committee of the Grand Old Party, and Wickremesinghe thriving on the differences said that the discussions should not revolve around persons but positions. But what he did not say, nor the party think of discussing, was that what was most important was neither persons nor positions, but the issues that the UNP had to take cognizance of if it was to reverse the losing trend, and start winning elections once again.

Lakshman Seneviratne, one of the frontline ‘reformists’ said he wanted to clarify matters. He had been talking behind closed doors that he felt the party leadership had ‘planted’ a story in a popular Sinhala daily that he was acting as the cat’s-paw for the 17 UNPers who abandoned the UNP and joined the Rajakapsa administration. Inside the Working Committee he rose to deny this, and said that he was a UNPer, would stand by the leadership and only wanted to ensure the party’s victory at future elections.
In this general state of confusion, Ranjit Atapattu, the elder statesman who raised the issue first, could only say that he had his own views to make to the Committee, and he was asked to convey them in due course. Wickremesinghe said the Committee should identify common issues and the party must come to some general agreement on these common issues, and with that neatly rode the rough waves against him to beach safely.

One of the most vociferous critics of Wickremesinghe, Johnston Fernando, a former Youth and Sports Minister had his lips sealed. There was not a word, not a hum from him right through the proceedings. Clearly, someone had advised him to keep mum.

Campaign funds

As the coming weeks will see heightened activity in the Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provinces in view of the August 23 elections, it was natural for the party hierarchy to discuss how best they were going to meet the challenge.

For the NCP, the UNP had a fairly powerful candidate in Major-General (Ret.) Janaka Perera, who was returning from Australia (this is not a new phenomena – most modern Sri Lankan politicians, Government and Opposition, seem to be having homes in foreign lands and politicking here) to his baptism in politics.
Perera had been testing the murky political waters for some time, dipping his toe, and running back to Australia. But now he has committed himself to the deep end of Sri Lankan politics, and he has taken upon himself an assignment no second to those he would have faced fighting the LTTE during his career in the army.

Before his arrival in Colombo, Perera has been asking whether he will have the financial resources from the party to mount what would be a fairly expensive campaign. He was assured party funds, but later began complaining that tight-fisted party managers were depriving him of funds. Now that he has got some of it, he has been told not to squander all of it in the first month itself, and to save some for closer to the polls date.

To face fire with fire, the government has put forward a wounded soldier, the sole survivor of the 1992 deaths of the country’s top-most Generals in the island of Kayts off Jaffna. This is proof that the government is not taking Maj-Gen. Perera’s entry into politics from the UNP lightly.

Sabragamuwa scenario

The UNP’s nominees for the Sabaragamuwa province however had a little coup de theatrics. Taken unaware by the announcement of the election, the UNP was obviously caught flat-footed. Its MPs from the area, Ms. Thalatha Atukorale and Dunesh Gankanda were thrust into the forefront by the party in the absence of a second rung of politicians. Atukorale had just returned from a visit to the US, and neither she nor Gankanda were keen to sacrifice their parliamentary seats, even if it meant being an apparent Chief Minister candidate for the entire province.

In to this vacuum, actor Ranjan Ramanayake threw his hat in from the blues – or in this case, the greens. According to party insiders, his candidature has been supported by Sudath Chandrasekera, a personal friend of his, and who wears the hat of private secretary to Wickremesinghe. A press interview had been arranged for Ramanayake where he said he was willing to come forward.

The party leadership, desperately searching for a team leader for Sabaragamuwa was delighted at the response. Atukorale and Gankanda were the first to lend their support, but it seemed that was more to get out of the situation themselves rather than any love for Ramanayake.

Former Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyeratne also offered to contest if he was to be given the Chief Ministership should the UNP win. His long years as DN of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the temple of the Tooth, would stand him in good stead in a mainly Sinhala-Buddhist province, whose centre of gravity is the holy Maha Saman Devale’ in Ratnapura.

However, Wijeyeratne’s candidature was shot down as soon as it took off. Those supporting Ramanayake, who ironically hails from the Catholic belt of Katana in the western province, with no connections whatsoever in Sabaragamuwa argued that should Wijeyeratne contest, the incumbent DN, Neelanga Dela Bandara would throw his weight against Wijeyeratne.

This is going on the basis that Bandara will not otherwise throw his weight behind the Rajapaksa administration, which fully backed his own candidacy when he was elected for the post he now holds.
The UNP hierarchy insists that Ramanayake can win the youth vote and with the traditional party votes, can make the difference.

Others think otherwise, and fear the party coming a cropper. To make matters worse, the party left out an up-and-coming grass-root level politician named Manju, a Praadeshiya Sabha member from Mawanella, whose inclusion was reportedly objected to by Kabir Hasheem, MP from Mawanella.

The UNP has to contend with some heavy-weights like Ministers John Seneviratne, Pavitra Wanniarachchi, Susantha Punchinilame and Mahinda Ratnathillake, seasoned politicians working the government machinery in the province.

The UNP was crowing over the fact that Punchinilame’s brother cum private secretary is going to be a UNP candidate. “He has crossed over”, said one prominent UNPer, but others said that the Punchinilames are UNPers anyway, just that Susantha Punchinilame joined the government, and it makes good insurance policy to hedge the bets.

The UNP also appointed two committees to spearhead the campaign in the two provinces. Rukman Senanayake will be the chief campaign coordinator for the North Central Province with Gamini Jaywickrema Perera being the Anuradhapura district coordinator and Lakshman Kiriella being the Polonnaruwa District coordinator. Others in the NCP campaign committee are Sajith Premadasa, P. Harrison, Earl Gunasekera, Chandrani Bandara and Dr. R. John Pulle.

The UNPA?a??a??s Sabaragamuwa campaign committee is headed by National Organiser S. B. Dissanayake with Ravindra Samaraweera being the Kegalle District coordinator and John Amaratunga Ratnapura coordinator.

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Others in the Sabaragamuwa campaign committee are: Thalatha Athukorale, Kabir Hashim, Dunesh Gankanda, Champika Premadasa and P. D. Kurukulasinghe. Not to be distracted though from the main objective of the Opposition, to oppose the government especially in Colombo, the UNP has also worked in a frenzy-like mood.

It has appointed its Kandy leader Lakshman Kiriella to ‘carry the party message’; Wickremasinghe himself will take charge of the ‘Ops Room’; there will be people tasked for ‘Fund Raising’; and next Wednesday (July 9) they will start recruiting volunteers who will take an oath to engage in Gandhian style (or JR style?) non-violent protest “until freedom is obtained”, as one party leader acclaimed.

Meanwhile, the violence has already begun. In Anuradhapura, three UNPers have been attacked, and in the recently liberated Dimbulagala, a sub-inspector of police and a police party arrived to arrest a UNP organiser – one policeman wearing the telephone number of the Opposition leader on his uniform lapel instead of a real number.
source:
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/080706/Columns/political.html

No bridge too far against LTTE barbarism

Published on 04/07/2008 in Money Matters, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Last Tuesday President Mahinda Rajapaksa travelled to Arugam Bay in the East for the ceremonial opening of the bridge that links Pottuvil, Arugam Bay and Panama. It replaces the former bridge over Arugam Bay that was “destroyed” (sic) in the tsunami of December 2004.

The $10 million bridge is considered the flagship project of the US GovernmentA?a??a??s $134 million tsunami reconstruction assistance programme in Sri Lanka and will provide an important boost to economic development in the Eastern Province.

Apart from this demonstration of the friendship between the United States and Sri Lanka, this bridge is also a symbol of the GovernmentA?a??a??s commitment to develop the East, and its opening was very much in sync with the Negenahira Udawa or Eastern Re-awakening programme.

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Arugam Bay bridge

This was one more practical example of the PresidentA?a??a??s policy of going ahead with development, despite the huge costs and other problems caused by the ongoing military operations to defeat terrorism.

With this new bridge the people in vast areas of the East that were largely separated will be brought much closer and many opportunities will be opened for more economic activities in these areas.

It is the importance of this bridge in improving the living conditions of people in the East, and giving them the opportunity to fully enjoy their liberation from the terror of the LTTE that prompted the President to be there in person for this event.

It is possibly the symbolism that the new Arugam Bay Bridge and its ceremonial opening gave to the GovernmentA?a??a??s efforts towards help realize the aspirations of the people of the East that made the LTTE pick on this particular event to attempt an attack on the PresidentA?a??a??s entourage, hoping it would be able to get at the President himself. The attempt failed. What was struck in the failed attempt was a back up helicopter that had gone to re-fuel after the choppers that brought the PresidentA?a??a??s party to the event had safely landed at Arugam Bay.

This was not a military event. It was also an event with diplomatic presence, including Evan Feigenbaum, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, who was there because of the US contribution for the new bridge, both in funds and expertise.

This was a peaceful event that was intended to provide better living conditions for the people of the East, including its Tamil people, whose liberation the LTTE claims it is fighting for.

In considering all of this, the LTTEA?a??a??s action last Tuesday in targeting a chopper of the PresidentA?a??a??s entourage, albeit one that had no passengers and was returning from fuelling, can only be seen both as a gross act of cowardice as well as one of monumental folly.

Cold-blooded

TULF leader V. Anandasangaree put this act of the LTTE in perspective when he described it as barbaric conduct, and showed how such acts can compel the whole world to join hands to crush it.

In a statement issued from Paris, the TULF leader and UNESCO Madanjeet Singh laureate on tolerance and non-violence, while condemning the attack, sought to tell Velupillai Prabhakaran that this attempted assassination was not less foolish than the cold-blooded murder of the former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, masterminded by the LTTE leader.

His statement warned Prabhakaran that, this type of barbaric conduct on your part, which is virtually a challenge to the International Community, must cease immediately and the LTTE should agree for talks with the Government and lay down arms unconditionally.

At this rate they will lose even the little sympathy the International Community has for their cause – and not for them – resulting in the whole world joining hands to crush them completely. The developments that are taking place in different countries clearly show that this will take place sooner or later.

Whatever the LTTE may think of the GovernmentA?a??a??s strategies of development and seeking to give the people of the East the real fruits of their liberation from Armed Oppressors, there is ample evidence to show that the policy of the President and this Government lays stress on development, and especially the importance of connectivity and easier transport to achieve the tasks of development.

It was not long ago that the Government opened that other important bridge at Manampitiya, a new bridge that replaced the old rail-road bridge that was also washed away in the tsunami.

This was also an important opening to the East and is already showing the benefits it has brought to the people, especially in improving their economic conditions.

Road Builder

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The very word A?a??E?bridgesA?a??a?? indicates the bringing together of people and communities, of crossing barriers. They are a means of closer interaction among people who may have been separated for too long due to physical barriers.

As much as bridges reduce distances and bring people closer, making a significant contribution to the economic development of an area, they also help bring about understanding among people who have been kept apart for long, not only because of terrain, but also due to divisive politics and Armed attempts at destabilisation of the State and moves for separation.

The barbarism of the LTTE would not want to see any bridges built that would bring the people of this country together again, and take them on the path to peace and prosperity. The mindset of the terrorist does not want to see the divisions that they have either caused or exacerbated among communities heal, and the roots of tolerance and understanding take hold.

The terrorist, especially Prabhakaran and the LTTE, would think it best to kill off both the message and the messenger, the message being that of peace, understanding and reconciliation, and the messenger in this instance being the President, who having given the leadership to the liberation of the East from the clutches of terror, is actively working towards developing the region to give opportunities for advancement to the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities there.

More bridges will have to be built for this, and so it will be, despite the displeasure this may give to the LTTE.

Moving from bridges to roads, although there are many who say that there has been no development under this Government, this charge is contradicted when one sees the amount of work it has done in the area of providing better road facilities to the people.

If the British Governor Barnes gained repute as the Great Road Builder of Ceylon, it could well be that Mahinda Rajapaksa will rightly earn the honour and reputation of being the greatest road builder since independence.

This is best seen in the rural areas where there are literally thousands of kilometres of concrete surfaced roads, where once there were only cart tracks or paths where no vehicle could travel, bringing a great boon to the often neglected rural people.

This is also true of the national highways, where the road surfacing in most areas has been improved and new roads have been built or are being built where there was none earlier. Midst all this there is certainly a shortcoming seen in the roads maintained by the Provincial Councils.

This is a matter that will have to be addressed very soon both by the Government that allocates funds for development work of the PCs, as well as the public who will have to make the PCs more answerable to them on matters of development, especially road building and maintenance.

In the task of bringing people together the decided policy of this government includes the building of more than 200 bridges, which will contribute a great deal to bringing people and communities closer, making a positive impact on their livelihoods and economic opportunities, as well as paving the way for peace and understanding, whatever the LTTE or those opposed to such progress may feel about it.

Last stand

While Anandasangaree says the LTTEA?a??a??s barbarism would soon result in the whole world joining hands to crush them completely and that developments already taking place in different countries clearly show that this will take place sooner or later, there are more reports of the LTTEA?a??a??s growing weakness in the light of the military operations to eliminate terrorism from the country.

The latest such report is from A?a??E?Strategy PageA?a??a??, the authoritative website on military matters the world over. Earlier this week A?a??E?Strategy PageA?a??a?? reported that with more and more civilians living in North sneaking into Government controlled areas, the LTTE has mobilised everyone and everything for what appears to be a A?a??A?last stand,A?a??A? adding that A?a??E?Most of the Tamils in the North donA?a??a??t want to be a part of that [last stand], but opposing the LTTE can get you killed. So those who can are fleeing.A?a??a??

According to A?a??E?Strategy PageA?a??a?? most of the LTTE recruits are poorly trained, led largely via threats to themselves and their families and suffering from low morale. There is little ammo, because of the Navy blockade and the destruction of most of the LTTE boats.

The Government artillery and Air Force are finding more targets, thanks to the interrogation of captured or deserted LTTE fighters, and the long range army patrols inside LTTE territory.

By containing the LTTE to a small portion of the northern coast, the rest of the country has prospered. GDP was up 6.8 per cent last year, and is headed for a seven per cent increase this year,A?a??a?? it further said.

This analysis of the LTTEA?a??a??s increasing military weakness is supported by a writer in the Observer Magazine, special section of The Observer, one of the UKA?a??a??s leading mainstream Sunday newspapers, well known for its independent reporting and analysis. Euan Ferguson writing in last SundayA?a??a??s (June 29) issue of the Observer Magazine describes how the LTTE in its frustration at being thwarted in their attacks on the Government and military, are going for the softest targets of all, the impoverished working people of Sri Lanka.

He gives detailed accounts of how A?a??E?the LTTE, essentially pinned down in two territories, have taken to bombs, on trains and on busesA?a??a??, and that: A?a??E?Desperate tactics have been adopted by the Tigers, but there are increasing signs that by targeting innocent civilians they are fast losing whatever sympathies they once had within the majority Sinhalese populationA?a??a??. Not very far from what Anandasangaree states:

It adds that there has for long been fundraising in the UK for the LTTE; with the Sri Lankan Government estimating that 70m pounds is raised annually in Britain, despite the LTTE being a proscribed organization there.

Bus bombs and suicide killings

Writer Ferguson who has visited Sri Lanka for a second time (the first being in the aftermath of the tsunami in December 2004) describes in considerable detail, not seen by most wire service reports and those of quick-stop, fly-by-night foreign correspondents, how the LTTE targets the civilian population of Sri Lanka, especially its use of bus bombs and suicide killers, as it fails to make any gains in direct confrontations with the countryA?a??a??s Armed Forces.

The number of incidents reported show the writer has spent some time in Sri Lanka and had bothered to visit some of the sites of the tragedies caused by the LTTEA?a??a??s increasing barbarism.

Here are some relevant excerpts about the LTTEA?a??a??s bus bombs and suicide killings from the article titled A?a??E?Lost in ParadiseA?a??a??:

A?a??A?Here are not only the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but their offshoot, the Black Tigers, the suicide squads. According to JaneA?a??a??s Information Group, between 1980 and 2000 the Tigers had carried out a total of 168 suicide attacks on civilians and military targets, easily exceeding those in the same period by Hezbollah and Hamas combined.

And, now, today, thwarted in their attacks on the Government and military, theyA?a??a??re going for the softest targets of all, the impoverished working people of Sri Lanka. The gloves came off again at the start of 2008, with the Government vowing to break the Tigers within a year.A?a??A?

A?a??A?For all those decades of suicide practice, youA?a??a??d think they might be getting the hang of it by now. But in ColomboA?a??a??s Fort Railway Station, a few weeks before my visit, it all went wrong again.

A female suicide bomber, coming off a train from the south, was spotted acting oddly by police – too many clothes for the cloying heat – and fled from the turnstile back into the station. By platform three she sat down and exploded. She took 11 others with her. The 11 dead included half a high school baseball team, and 92 were injured.A?a??A?

A?a??A?Indrani Fernando, saw a suspicious bag left under a seat near the back. When no one claimed it I told the crew and shouted at people to get off,A?a??a?? she says.

The bus halted in the middle of a junction and everyone filed off and began walking away, rather quickly, and the police were called.

Twenty seconds after the driver and conductor had climbed off, the bomb exploded: 10 passers-by were injured, among them children. Indrani later took a congratulatory call from the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, thanking her for her vigilance. I go to see the bus, towed two miles away. The carcass is eviscerated, skeletal: no one would have survived.A?a??A?

A?a??A?Just before I arrived in Sri Lanka, another bus had been blown up a couple of kilometres outside Dambulla, an ancient holy rest-stop on the journey to the East. The 18 killed were almost all pilgrims, and included children.

In the remote southern town of Buttala the rebels had recently failed to kill most of the passengers on a bus with a simple bomb; so they gunned down 32 of them as they fled, in flames.

A?a??A?Desperate tactics have been adopted by the Tigers, but there are increasing signs that by targeting innocent civilians they are fast losing whatever sympathies they once had within the majority Sinhalese population.A?a??A?

A?a??A?And the rebels, essentially pinned down in two territories, have taken to bombs, on trains and on buses.A?a??A?

A?a??A?The night before I fly out I wander down to the beach at Colombo. Within a couple of weeks, it turns out, this unconscionable little war will have erupted ever faster.

A suicide bomber exploded successfully at the start of a marathon just outside Colombo, killing 13 (including a Government Minister). Then a parcel was left on the overhead rack of a bus leaving the depot at Piliyandala, just south of the capital: the fireball killed 24 and injured scores.A?a??A? (Courtesy: Observer Magazine UK)

Attacks on media

The new IGP Jayantha Wickremaratne has a major task at hand, with those who attacked journalist Namal Perera and the Political Affairs Officer of the UK High Commission Mahendra Ratnaweera (a person who is very close to the media) virtually handing him the first big case in his new office.

One hopes that the time Wickremaratne spent as Media Spokesman for the Police would make him more understanding of the situation that prevails, and the worries that journalists and media organisations face today.

While the number of attacks on journalists has been increasing in recent months, and the Police apparently drawing blank on all of them, the IGP will no doubt see the new urgency in tackling this issue with the PresidentA?a??a??s own statement made at Arugam Bay last Tuesday, the day after the attack of Perera and Ratnaweera, when he referred to the existence of a conspiracy to jeopardise and smear the name of the Government through the attacks on journalists.

It is now the task of the Police to get to the bottom of this conspiracy, which one hopes will see the end of this spate of attacks, that is certainly not helping in giving a good image to Sri Lanka and the Government, however sceptical some may be of the reasons for these attacks.

Going by the record so far, it is evident that it is not the number of police teams involved in any probe that matters, but the quality of the personnel and the direction given by those at the top of the Police. IGP Wickremaratne has thus found the best opportunity to prove his mettle as a police officer committed to upholding the Rule of Law.

source:
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/07/05/fea02.asp

Senior U.S. State Department official visits Sri Lanka

Published on 03/07/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Purchase indinavir side Thursday, July 3, 2008, 11:32 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka. How much does lamictal cost uk

July 03, Colombo: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Evan Feigenbaum visited Sri Lanka June 30 and July 1 as part of the U.S. governmentA?A?A?s regular, ongoing consultations with the Sri Lankan Government, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo announced.

He participated with President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the ceremony to open the Arugam Bay Bridge on July 1.

An Embassy statement said during his visit, Feigenbaum also met with senior Government of Sri Lanka officials, including Acting Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Foreign Employment and Defense Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella, Secretary of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, and Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona. He also met with representatives of Sri LankaA?A?A?s leading political parties.

Highlighting that the United States and Sri Lanka have long been partners, Feigenbaum said his meetings helped to further the ongoing dialogue between the two countries.

A?A?A?We continue to have strong concerns about human rights and pressures on the media,A?A?A? Feigenbaum said.

He noted, however, the formation of a ministerial committee to address concerns raised by journalists over their safety and independence. He commended the Government for its role in the release by the TMVP of nearly forty former child soldiers and stressed the importance of releasing all remaining underage combatants.

Reiterating his governmentA?A?A?s support Feigenbaum said the United States will continue to assist in Sri LankaA?A?A?s development, including in the East.

source:
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/July3113229SL.html

About Arugam Pullu

Published on 21/06/2008 in Blogs and press coverage. 1 Comment

About Arugam Pullu(the Green Grass)

Posted: 20 Jun 2008 03:13 PM CDT

(See reason for this A?a??A?errorA?a??A? post below)
This is a sample of the kind of mail you may receive when you subscribe to our mail notification service. Simply enter your mail address in the box, top right hand corner, main page, www.arugam.info:


A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?
How the green grass (Arugam pullu) became the favourite of Lord Ganesha A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?

plganesh.JPG

A?A?A? Here is a storyA?A?A? which tells us the importance of green grass.Once there was a kingdom called Mithilapuri.The King Janakamaharajan ruled the kingdom well.He used to feed the people whoever comes to him.But he had a bad nature that he never used to believe in God.
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? Lord Ganesha wanted to test the king.So he came in disguise of a poor Brahmin with lepersy disease all over his bodyA?A?A? in a very bad condition.The king saw the brahmin and asked his son to feed the brahmin.The brahmin was given lots of food ,but that was not sufficient to satisfy his hunger.
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? The King was not knowing how to please the Brahmin. So he told him politely to go to some other house where he could satisfy his hunger. So the Brahmin enters a poor manA?a??A?s house and askA?A?A? the couple there who were doing puja to give him food.A?A?A? The couple were feeling bad as they had nothing other than the green grass which they offeredA?A?A? Lord Ganesha.The Brahmin asked them to give that to him as he chewed the grass his hunger disappeared.
A?A?A?
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? The poor man and wife came to know that was Ganesha himself who came there.They got his vision.and were showered with wealth.Meanwhile the whole kingdom was becoming prosperous.The king came in search of the Brahmin and saw that was really Lord Ganesh who came to him to test him as he was not believing in God.Lord Ganesha told the king that to him even the green grass given with affection is more than enough than rich food.The king realeased his mistake and there after started believing in God.
A?A?A?
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? Hi Ilanders this story is from Vinayaka pooranam. A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?

source:
http://kuttikuttikathaigal.rediffiland.com/blogs/2008/06/20/About-Arugam-Pullu-the-Green-Grass.html

Editorial by webmistress
(on behalf of AbHa and www.arugam.info)
The above story was actually found by our automatic netfinder system.
The funny symbols on your screen mean that you donA?a??a??t have Hindi language installed on the machine – no sweat!
We translated it for you.
The word A?a??A?ArugamA?a??A? is -as far as we know- fairly unique in the word.

Therefore, we are lucky to get very few wrong messages, i.e articles, places or events which do not refer to A?a??E?ourA?a??a?? Arugam, Bay.
However, we decided to leave this A?a??E?errorA?a??a?? post in its pace, in the long achieves of the period 2004- today which we covered.

Many stories have never been read, because they never made the front page of Arugam.info.
To improve readership, and to make things easy for everyone, we installed an email button on the right hand side.
Whenever ANY article is written and posted on our site: You will get a summary into your mail box.
The above story from India was simply too good to ignore – although it has nothing to do with Arugam Bay.

A?a??A?But has it???
Maybe there is a connection:
A?a??A?ArugamA?a??A?, Great Elephants, a Hindu god, the Green Bay and the Green Grass?
All on the beautiful East Coast of Sri Lanka, often mentioned as Tamil Home Land together with our islandA?a??a??s Northern parts.
What do you think?
Delete or post such articles and thoughts?

Post translated and edited on demand of the author by:
Your webmistress
Next post I am busy editing:

Buy isoniazid toxicity A?a??A?Lucky Green Arugam BayA?a??A?
Further remark:
www.arugam.info always wishes to stay out of any religion, but at time itA?a??a??s nice to learn something of other believers.
For example, Lord Ganesha stands for:
A?a??A?The God of knowledge and the remover of obstacles A?a??A?
And no matter what we call him/it:
The Bay, as well as the Nation as a whole would certainly welcome any such person, specially in such troubled, war timesA?a??A?
Ganesha (Sanskrit: A?A?a??A?A?A?A?A?a??A?A?A?; GaA?A?a??eA?a??a; listen (helpA?A?info Dramamine buy australia )), also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon.[5] His image is found throughout India.[6] Hindu sects worship him regardless of other affiliations.[7] Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.[8]Although he is known by many other attributes, GaneshaA?a??a??s elephant head makes him easy to identify.[9] Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles[10] and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles (Vighnesha, Vighneshvara),[11] patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom.[12] He is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during writing sessions.[13] Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in clearly recognizable form in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors.[14] His popularity rose quickly, and he was formally included among the five primary deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called the Ganapatya, (Sanskrit: A?A?a??A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?; gA?A?A?A?a??apatya), who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity, arose during this period.[15] The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.
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About Arugam Pullu(the Green Grass)

Published on 20/06/2008 in Blogs and press coverage. 0 Comments

(See reason for this “error” post below)
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?
How the green grass (Arugam pullu) became the favourite of Lord Ganesha A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?

plganesh.JPG

A?A?A? Here is a storyA?A?A? which tells us the importance of green grass.Once there was a kingdom called Mithilapuri.The King Janakamaharajan ruled the kingdom well.He used to feed the people whoever comes to him.But he had a bad nature that he never used to believe in God.
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? Lord Ganesha wanted to test the king.So he came in disguise of a poor Brahmin with lepersy disease all over his bodyA?A?A? in a very bad condition.The king saw the brahmin and asked his son to feed the brahmin.The brahmin was given lots of food ,but that was not sufficient to satisfy his hunger.
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? The King was not knowing how to please the Brahmin. So he told him politely to go to some other house where he could satisfy his hunger. So the Brahmin enters a poor man”s house and askA?A?A? the couple there who were doing puja to give him food.A?A?A? The couple were feeling bad as they had nothing other than the green grass which they offeredA?A?A? Lord Ganesha.The Brahmin asked them to give that to him as he chewed the grass his hunger disappeared.
A?A?A?
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? The poor man and wife came to know that was Ganesha himself who came there.They got his vision.and were showered with wealth.Meanwhile the whole kingdom was becoming prosperous.The king came in search of the Brahmin and saw that was really Lord Ganesh who came to him to test him as he was not believing in God.Lord Ganesha told the king that to him even the green grass given with affection is more than enough than rich food.The king realeased his mistake and there after started believing in God.
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? Hi Ilanders this story is from Vinayaka pooranam. A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?


source:
http://kuttikuttikathaigal.rediffiland.com/blogs/2008/06/20/About-Arugam-Pullu-the-Green-Grass.html

Editorial by webmistress
(on behalf of AbHa and www.arugam.info)
The above story was actually found by our automatic netfinder system.
The funny symbols on your screen mean that you don’t have Hindi language installed on the machine – no sweat!
We translated it for you.
The word “Arugam” is -as far as we know- fairly unique in the word.

Therefore, we are lucky to get very few wrong messages, i.e articles, places or events which do not refer to ‘our’ Arugam, Bay.
However, we decided to leave this ‘error’ post in its pace, in the long achieves of the period 2004- today which we covered.

Order midamor word t>Many stories have never been read, because they never made the front page of Arugam.info.
To improve readership, and to make things easy for everyone, we installed an email button on the right hand side.
Whenever ANY article is written and posted on our site: You will get a summary into your mail box.
The above story from India was simply too good to ignore – although it has nothing to do with Arugam Bay.…But has it???
Maybe there is a connection:
“Arugam”, Great Elephants, a Hindu god, the Green Bay and the Green Grass?
All on the beautiful East Coast of Sri Lanka, often mentioned as Tamil Home Land together with our island’s Northern parts.
What do you think?
Delete or post such articles and thoughts?

Post translated and edited on demand of the author by:
Your webmistress
Next post I am busy editing:

“Lucky Green Arugam Bay”
Further remark:
www.arugam.info always wishes to stay out of any religion, but at time it’s nice to learn something of other believers.
For example, Lord Ganesha stands for:
“The God of knowledge and the remover of obstacles “
And no matter what we call him/it:
The Bay, as well as the Nation as a whole would certainly welcome any such person, specially in such troubled, war times…
Ganesha (Sanskrit: A?A?a??A?A?A?A?A?a??A?A?A?; GaA?A?a??eA?a??a; listen (h

Election ‘fun’ in PottuVille

Published on 11/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments
 
 
Saturday, May 10, 2008

Aswar too becomes a rowdy

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(Lanka-e-News) President’s Adviser A.H.M. ASwer arrived in Sammanthurai, Al-Arfat school polling center in a vehicle bearing the number HW9736, trespassed No: 39 polling center Hall No: 01 and chased away the voters who had come for voting.
UNP media Bureau said that a group of thugs who came in vehicles bearing numbers 64-9347 (Pajero Intercooler), WP HH-7288 and 58-4198 assaulted a group travelled with MP Sarathchandra Rajakaruna at Thampalagamuwa in Trincomalee district.
The Vice Chairman of Ampara Pradeshiya Sabha Udeni Chinthaka came last night around 10 PM in a vehicle numbered 64-1804 and wielding a T-56 rifle and threatened W.A. Subasinghe, a UNP candidate.
UNP media bureau said that a group came in several vehicles with Minister Rishad Badurdheen attacked the vehicle of UNP MP Gayantha Karunathilaka and a group of people who were with him at Thoppur.
Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna came to Hulannuge polling center in Pottuvil in an Irrigation Department vehicle bearing the number 65-7293 and a led a mob to prevent people voting. UNP media bureau further said that armed cadres of Pillaiyan Group allied with UPFA chased away the voters from polling centers in Trincomalee, Thiriyaya, Kiliweddi and Seruwila.

Labels:

source:
Biaxin price list http://www.thecolombotimes.com/2008/05/aswar-too-becomes-rowdy.html

New dawn in East

Published on 10/05/2008 in Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Monday’s live telecast of the Janapathi Janahamuwa (Meet the President) was perhaps a unique programme as it gave the Eastern people, including those in newly-liberated Vakarai (Batticaloa District), an opportunity to interact directly with the President via videoconference.

The sentiments of the people in the three Eastern centres (the others were Kinniya and Lahugala in Trincomalee and Ampara districts) were similar – they were thankful to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and to the Government for liberating the East from terrorism and giving them a chance to breathe freely again.

They also urged the President to accelerate the Eastern Resurgence drive. They also pointed out some problems unique to their own areas. President Rajapaksa noted that this was the very reason why the Easterners needed a separate Provincial Council and local bodies represented by their own representatives who know the needs and aspirations of the local population.

The Easterners were also adamant that the terrorists should never ever be allowed to raise their ugly head again in the East. The President vowed that the LTTE would never gain a foothold in the East again.

The LTTE will be cornered once the civilian administration takes over and addresses the social and development grievances of the people. The Easterners have already realised that LTTE domination resulted only in misery and that only the Government can offer a comprehensive development and welfare programme.

That goal will be affected if a party that is hostile to the Central Government is elected to govern the Provincial Council.

Another significant revelation was that the people have had no trouble from armed groups as alleged by certain parties.

As the President told the Eastern residents, it is time that we stopped casting aspersions on the TMVP simple because it remained as an armed group.

This is certainly not the first time that such a transformation has taken place. Indeed, there are some senior politicians who had participated in the youth insurrection of 1971.

All Tamil militant parties except the LTTE have entered the democratic mainstream today. Should we marginalise and criticise them all because of their past ?

Such a step would be an affront to democracy. It is hard to imagine now, but even the LTTE should be inducted to democracy one day if possible. That is the very essence of democracy – solving problems through the ballot, not the bullet.
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Terror funds

It is rarely that we get a glimpse of the secret operations of the Tigers away from the battlefield. When they do come out, one can realise the extent to which the Tigers will go to secure funds for their campaign of death and destruction.

Such revelations are now being published almost on a daily basis in the Canadian press. According to the National Post, counterterrorism investigators in Toronto have seized a letter signed by the leader of the LTTE directing Canadian Tamils to send him C$ 3 million.

This is by no means a small sum.

It indicates that the extortion of Tamil expatriates remains one of the most effective for the LTTE to fill their coffers, a fact that was also highlighted by the US State Department in its Sri Lanka section of the Country Reports On Terrorism 2008.

Prabhakaran’s letter also proves beyond any doubt that the LTTE operates several front organisations for this purpose, as it was found during a search of the Toronto office of the World Tamil Movement, which had earlier denied any links to the Tigers. In fact, the Canadian Police has described the WTM as the “Canadian branch” of the Tigers.

International cooperation is vital to check the Tigers’ money trail and for that matter, the money laundering activities of all terror groups.

The LTTE has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in Quebec and Ontario and remitted it overseas to pay for arms and other materials.

The LTTE has been banned in Canada, US, European Union and many other countries. Hence, it cannot raise funds under its own name in these countries.

But the LTTE has always circumvented this problem by establishing so-called cultural or social organisations that seemingly have no connection to it.

Other countries should follow the Canadian example and investigate the front organisations of the Tigers.

Cutting off funding is one of the most effective ways of crippling terror outfits and the LTTE is no exception.

In this context, the UN must move quickly on the urgent implementation of international laws on terrorist financing.

source:
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/05/08/main_Editorial.asp

People of the East now enjoy …. says President

Published on 07/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

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The President, Mahinda Rajapakse says the benefits of the development activities enjoyed by the masses in the South will reach the people in the East.The people of the East now enjoy the benefits of freedom and democracy now.

The President further said many, including religious leaders lost their lives in the hands of LTTE. The security forces were able to liberate the whole Eastern Province after the operations held at Maavil Aaru.

The President was speaking at a meeting with the people of three villages in the Eastern Province through satellite.

He said that some of the leaders who signed agreements with the LTTE terrorists were unable to travel to these areas. However, the President pointed out that now they were able to travel by roads to these areas. PeoplesA?A?A? representatives are necessary to identify the problems of the masses. That is why the elections to the Eastern Province is to be held.

A resident of Kinniya who participated this live telecast thanked the President for granting freedom to the people. The President said the Kinniya Bridge will be completed within three months. He also instructed the officials to establish Samurdhi Bank at Panama within a day. Those who say that Pilleyan is armed never pointed out about to disarm Prabhakaran. Some of them who were armed in the past have now entered into the democratic main stream. Some of them are Ministers and parliamentarians.

The President said he would give all cooperation to those appraise democracy after liberating the north. Sri Lanka is a single state and no room will be allowed to break it into pieces.

The President promised to appoint English teachers to Lahugala Maha Vidyalaya and officials to the Hospital. At present electricity has been provided to Vakarai. Answering a question raised by a resident of Vakarai the President said arrangements have been made to provide fishing boats and nets to the people of the area.

The main objective of the government is to allow the people to live freely without fear and suspicion. Now the time has come to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the East. All efforts will be made for the prosperity of the children in future.

The unity of the masses is necessity to achieve this. He also pointed out that some of the Non Governmental Organisations are working to get propaganda credit for the development projects carried out by the government.

The people of Vakarai who participated at the discussion said that they do not know that Pilleyan group is armed. However, they said that the LTTE recruited their children by force for its benefits.

The President also requested not to leave room for the terrorists to control the areas which have been liberated. He also said the basic activities have already in swing to free the people of the north from the clutches of the terrorists.

He said the Madu area has already freed. Very soon the statue of the shrine will be enshrined in the Church. The President also said 30 billion rupees has been allocated for the development of the eastern province.

from Lankaeverything.com :
http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20080507003117.php

In the Eye of the Tiger. Part X

Published on 27/04/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments

Sunday, 23 December 2007

Another Holiday

The yearly “Contract Break” rolled around again, it doesn’t seem that long ago that I was doing it last year. This year was a bit of a repeat of last year, it is such a long way to go to NZ that it is hardly worth doing on the shorter breaks so when the month long break comes, it seems to be the best option.

The A380 at Changi Airport

I went through Phuket again, Steve was having his 40th birthday so I thought I’d drop in for a couple of ales to help him celebrate. As per usual, it was a pretty crazy week. Highlight would have to be trying to rock n roll dance with a bemused and probably slightly scared Thai girl while Max, an English guy that lives there, belted out Elvis over the stereo of some bar. Should really stay off that Samsong I guess, does funny things to you…

Steve ringing the bell to bring in his birthday
Eddie helping Steve with his birthday bikini and water wings
The girls behind the bar in Sirocco – Goong, Fa and Aon

After that flew to Perth and down to Bunbury for a few days. I stayed with John and Ange, Ange was pretty pregnant by that stage (she’s due around Christmas or New Year). Did a bit of visiting around, saw some of the old flatties etc which was all nice. Went to Perth to catch up with Aza but he got the wrong month – he thought I was talking about December when I was actually talking about November. He’s still Spaza.

Langley Park in Perth

From Perth I trooped on to New Plymouth where I did some hardcore sleeping for a couple of days – achieved about 13 or 14 hours on the first couple of nights. Mum cooked me a lamb roast which was grand and I did a fair bit of lazing about and hanging out with my niece. After that I flew down to Christchurch, my first trip back there in a long time, maybe 6 years. Hasn’t changed too much. Caught up with Greg, Rik and Kate, Setter and Cheryl and Poo as well as doing a bit of shopping.

Mountains north of Christchurch
Greg’s dog Kupa

Next was Blenheim, I hired a relocation rental (which didn’t turn out Fincar price in india to be as cheap as I thought after petrol was $1.70 per litre) and drove up to Picton which was a nice drive. I stayed with Lorree (she was house sitting). On Saturday, along with Andrea, we went and played mini-golf on the Picton foreshore, where I got a resounding hiding from both the girls as they have both been playing a lot of golf lately and had home-course advantage (OK, I was just really crap). After that we had lunch and a few beers. The next day Lorree and I went across to Nelson to see Marco and Anna in Mapua where we had a nice BBQ lunch and a chat and then an icecream at the inlet.

The Kaikoura coast
Mapua
Marco and Isabella
Marlborough

The new week had me in a plane to Wellington, where I stayed with Luke and Anna. I hadn’t seen them in a long time, and they had moved back from Melbourne earlier in the year so it was good to catch up. We did a short pub crawl then went to a Japanese restaurant, then another short pub crawl before having to go home as everything shuts quite early (or doesn’t open) on a Monday night in Wellington. Except for Luke and Anna’s house, where the bar was open until about 4am… Whilst in Wellington I also had lunch with Sean Gledhill and caught up with my cousins in Lower Hutt and my Aunt in Paraparaumu.

Paekakariki and Paraparaumu from Paekakariki Hill
Kapiti Island

Then it was on up to Hawkes Bay for a night with Jock and Kylie before back to Taranaki for Georgia’s 6th birthday party (kids can be so tiring, and I was only there for 1 1/2 hours with all of them!). Next day was on up to Auckland, where I had lunch with Theuns (who I used to work with in Napier) and also saw my Aunty Pat and Uncle Denis and cousins Brian and Craig. Craig had just arrived from Sweden and it’s been a few years since I saw them so we had a cuppa and a chinwag.

Georgia’s “rock star” birthday party – shes in the blue T-shirt and headband

I flew back through Singapore (11 hours, ouch) for an overnight. I got upgraded to a suite at the hotel but couldn’t really enjoy it fully as I was absolutely knackered and only there for about 8 hours, most of which was sleeping. Then back to Colombo where I got stuck until the day before Christmas Eve. Now I’m back out east for Christmas and New Year, Christmas will be in Arugam Bay and New Year I’m not sure about yet.

Ramblings of Fraser at 11:53 AM 0 people talking back

Sunday, 21 October 2007

Work and Play

Just so it doesn’t look like it’s all fun and no work here, I’ve added a couple of pics of some of the roads I am doing at the moment. I’m just about finished the bottom layer of a couple of kilometers, with the macadam (stone) and surfacing to seal it all off will be started soon. We’re going balls to the wall to try and get as much finished off before the rain, but I fear we may be fighting a losing battle.

First (or sub-base for you engineers) layer in Lahugala
Setting out in Panama

Also, here are a couple of photos of beaches that we are lucky enough to be able to enjoy. Both are pretty deserted (Pottuvil Point has a reasonable break so it does get a lot of surfers when it is on) at present which makes them nice. Peanut Farm has a lovely gentle slope and is very calm at the moment, I had a very peaceful swim around there last weekend.

Peanut Farm
Pottuvil Point. How’s the serenity?

This weekend Fergus and I went down and spent Saturday afternoon at Pottuvil Point, where we went for a wee paddle around the lagoon on a contraption consisting of a pallet nailed to a couple of the local fishing “canoes”. During the wet season we’ll get a couple of big torches and go out at night and try and spot crocodiles (there are some “beauties” in there”). Merete (the owner of Stardust where I was staying at the beginning of the year) had the opening party for her restaurant on Saturday night, which she has finished rebuilding after the tsunami. It’s been a bit of a labour of love for her, slowly slowly at times, but she is pretty happy she has finished and it is a beautiful building with great views of the sea and a nice breeze to keep it all cool.

Last week the LTTE attacked a small Army camp south of Panama, inside the Yala National Park. The usual knee-jerk reaction happened, with the military sending in a whole bunch of troops to look for them but by the time they arrived they were long gone. However they have decided to piss everyone off and cut off the mobile networks again in Thirukkovil and Akkaraipattu, and also this time in Pottuvil which they didn’t do last time, so I am kind of cut off with telecoms at the moment, probably for another week or so. It ain’t so bad though.

South Africa won the world cup, at least it wasn’t the Poms. But I’m over rugby…

Ramblings of Fraser at 9:37 PM 2 people talking back

Saturday, 20 October 2007

Gooooooooooood Morning Viet Nam

So off I toodled to Veit Nam (Ha Noi to be precise) for a couple of days for a conference, my nice mid-stint break. I was a little bit excited, a new country and all, and also a chance to get a bit more of an understanding of what the hell we are up to here.
Part of Ha Noi from the hotel
The Red River. It’s not so red, and not as famous as the Mekong

Fergus and I went for the SEACAP (South East Asian Community Access Project) conference. SEACAP is being implemented in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam at present but UNOPS has also secured a contract to implement a similar programme in Sri Lanka in the near future. Basically it’s about assisting with developing national standards for rural roads and providing reliable road access to vulnerable rural communities, kind of the same How much remeron does it take to overdose that we are doing under our EU funded project. We get to build 200 different trial sections and do lots of nerdy engineering stuff with them.

The conference was on 2 days but we arrived a little early so had a free day to have a bit of a wander around the city. Didn’t get too far as it rained a bit (wet season so hardly surprising) so we went and hid in a coffee shop for a couple of hours. After that we wandered through the city, got accosted by a lady trying to sell us t-shirts, who actually followed us down the road on a motorbike twice to show us different stock. Full marks for persistance…We ended up at a small bar/restaurant thing next to the lake which was pleasant (and cheap) for a couple of beers and watch the madness that was going on as the lads from three adjacent restaurants tried to get customers. The later it got into the evening, the more chaos there was as they tried to stop motorbikes and cars, and with “valet” motorbike parking, people would just get off their bikes and leave them in the middle of the road until the lads moved them.

Fergus and a statue

Crazy wiring


Me and a big glass o’ beer. Very heavy, had to lighten it a little…

video
Drummers at the conference dinner


Anyway I quite liked Ha Noi and Viet Nam (what I saw of it at least) and I think it will go on the “visit when I decide to give myself a nice, long holiday” list. One thing that did intrigue me was how they used a version of the Roman alphabet and not script like the Thai or Khmer language or characters like the Chinese. I guess it is a result of the French colonisation.

After Ha Noi, Fergus and I flew to Bangkok for the weekend, after Fergus decided that as it was his birthday on Saturday we shouldn’t spend it in stinky old Colombo. We got in late Thursday night and retired after some pizza and beer just down the road from the hotel.


Bangkok is pretty damned big

On Friday we slept late and eventually I got in touch with Bernardo, the son of Manoel (who we work with). He was in Bangkok on a visa run for a couple of days, so he came over to meet us. We ducked across Sukhumvit Road (a very quick duck, because it is a bloody busy road) and went to the Lebanese quarter for some kebabs and stuff, then jumped on the Skytrain to go to Siam Square and do a bit of shopping. On the top floor of the shopping centre they have car shops – Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Lamborghini etc – so we did a bit of tyre kicking and wondered how the bloody hell they got them up the escalators, and how the bloody hell we could scam them into thinking we could afford to buy one so we could go for a test drive.
Bernardo and Fergus outside Siam Paragon shopping centre
I’m not a big shopper so little things amuse me when shopping, like in the Levi’s shop when the shop girl told Bernardo he was fat and laughed at him, as the size he asked for (that he usually buys, according to him) didn’t fit. He spent the next 30 minutes muttering to himself about it as we walked around the shop.After whiling away a few hours there, we hightailed it back to the hotel to change as we had tickets for the Muay Thai at Lumpini Stadium that evening. We picked the wrong time to travel across town (Bernardo was staying on the other side to us), then travel back to the stadium as it took forever but was kind of cool to see Bangkok’s night action beginning, with all the food stalls and markets springing up everywhere.

We had almost ringside seats at the kickboxing, and they bring beer and food to you so you don’t have to miss any of the action. Early in the night they have the younger, lighter fighters and the more experienced guys later. Unfortunately we had to leave after about an hour or so as we were late for meeting up with Fergus’ friends in a pub somewhere. Bernardo and I could have stayed longer but as we had no idea where the hell we were going, we had to leave with Fergus. We just really wanted to see some teeth go flying…

Kickboxing action

video
Kickboxing Video. The guys in the corners (at the end) were hilarious. Waaaay!

Then we moved on to some pub somewhere and met up with some of Fergus’ friends from when he went to AIT. They were a good bunch and the pub had a good live band playing. However they also sold Whisky and Tequila by the bottle, so I’m sure you can figure out what happened then…I woke up some time the next afternoon, feeling quite strange but I put that down to the Sam Song (Thai rum). Fergus went out that night to have dinner at his friends house which was just down the road from the hotel, but I couldn’t face it and stayed in and went to bed early. We later discovered that no-one could remember who actually paid at the pub, until we got back to Sri Lanka and Bernardo filled us in. Fun times.I like Bangkok, crazy city with heaps and heaps happening all the time. Very noisy and quite polluted though, could get to you after a while.

Ramblings of Fraser at 9:36 AM 2 people talking back

Sunday, 7 October 2007

My thoughts on Rugby

Rugby is a stupid game. That is all.PS Ha Ha Australia

Ramblings of Fraser at 11:26 AM 0 people talking back

Sunday, 30 September 2007

My Shitty Week

Just thought I’d share my shitty week. It was pretty shitty.

Shit Monday: My driver got fired after 1 1/2 years. To be honest he probably deserved it. Bright Spot: Got given 1 kilo of wild pork in Panama (the town, not the country)
Shit Tuesday: Tractor driver working for us in Pottuvil got arrested for “illegally” transporting sand between 2 sites, I spend 1 hour trying to get him released then another 2 at the court.
Shit Wednesday: Meeting with Police in Pottuvil to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Bright Spot: The Pottuvil Divisional Secretary (Government Rep) ragging on the Chairman of the Pottuvil Pradeshiya Sabha (Local Council) for 10 minutes about how hard he finds it to work in Pottuvil, and how he has never had so many problems in any other division he has worked in over the past 20 years. We agree.
Shit Thursday: Not much on the shittiness front this day.
Shit Friday: Boundary wall collapses on a site and kills one labourer and injures another. ’nuff said. Visit wailing family, accident site, got offered to see the body but turned it down. Police arrest Technical Officer and Supervisor but release later. Bright Spot: Get another 4 kilos of Panama pork
Shit Saturday: Visit other man in hospital. Bright Spot: Seems like he will be OK with no lasting damage. Fiji beats Wales (sorry, South Pacific solidarity and our Security guy is a big Fijian).
Shit Sunday: Get some sort of weird allergic reaction to something and lips around left corner of my mouth swell up for a few hours. Bright Spot: BBQing some of Friday’s pork tonight. Have lunch in Arugam Bay with Dawn as she is leaving for a few months. Get word that Annette will be back soon. Don’t have to deal with anything to do with work. Guys are here installing generator so I might be able to sleep in AC at nights now (it’s really hot at the moment).

Conclusion: This week SUCKED.

Had to share that. Hope to have some pics from Ha Noi and Bangkok up soon.

source:
http://intheeyeofthetiger.blogspot.com/