| Policy
on Lankan territorial integrity stands says India NEW DELHI, June 8
(Reuters) - India said on Thursday there were no differences within the federal coalition
government on its policy towards Sri Lanka and it favoured a solution which would respect
the territorial integrity of the island nation.
"There are no differences...Government of India’s policy and position in
regard to Sri Lanka remains what is has been about — working towards and maintaining
the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka," External Affairs Minister
Jaswant Singh told reporters.
"We deplore and continue to deplore all terrorist activities," Singh said
after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security.
The head of India’s Tamil Nadu state, Muthuvel Karunanidhi, suggested on Sunday
that Sri Lanka separate along the lines of the Czech and Slovak Republics or grant more
rights to minority Tamils to end the ethnic strife.
Karunanidhi’s regional Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party is a member of the
federal coalition led by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
The Czech-model offered the means to a "completely peaceful resolution without
shedding a drop of blood", The Hindu newspaper had quoted him as saying.
The Czech and Slovak Republics became independent states in 1993 — 74 years after
Czechoslovakia was founded as a federation — after differences over how much autonomy
Slovakia should enjoy and the pace of economic reform.
But Murasoli Maran, federal Commerce Minister and a leader of the DMK party, on
Thursday said Karunanidhi’s remarks had been misinterpreted by the domestic media.
"The DMK is in full agreement with the decision of the government of
India...certain portions have been taken out and blown out of proportion," Maran, who
attended the cabinet meeting, said.
He said the DMK was for a peaceful and lasting solution and did not want bloodshed at
India’s doorstep.
Tamil Nadu is home to 50 million people who speak the same language as Sri Lanka’s
Tamils who constitute 18 percent of the island’s 19 million population.
Saturday Commentary
‘Patriotic Group’ under fire from both sides
by Prasad Gunewardene
The National Patriotic Group formed by several parliamentarians from the PA and UNP has
come under fire from sections within the two parties. This group was formed by UNP’s
John Amaratunga taking the lead from the UNP side and Dilan Perera from the PA in the
front.Dilan Perera was later joined by Minister Mahinda Wijesekere. But the presence of
Wijesekere and Perera annoyed many UNPers as the duo had been very critical of some UNPers
at a personal level.
A number of UNPers viewed this group with suspicion from its inception. When the UNP
parliamentary group met this week it gave them an opportunity to hit out at this group and
question the legitimacy of the group. Premaratne Gunasekere led the fight. He told leader
Ranil Wickremesinghe that their men have joined those like Dilan Perera to talk of
national interests. Ravi Karunanayake then supported Gunasekere to say that it was Dilan
Perera who went to court to sack Rajitha Senaratne from Parliament. Another backbencher
claimed that Mahinda Wijesekere had been very critical of senior parliamentarian Ronnie De
Mel who had helped Wijesekere and his family members during the 1971 insurrection.
Sarath Kongahage, a member of the Patriotic Group attacked the "Sunday
Leader" and said it was acting in a manner detrimental to national interests and
backed the government action banning its publication. This annoyed Rajitha Senaratne who
said that Kongahage had forgotten the days he supplied photographs of himself (Sarath) and
Chandrika to ‘Sunday Leader" to help Lasantha Wickremetunga to publish articles
against President Kumaratunga. Rajitha went on to recall the political affiliations of
Kongahage to say that Kongahage was in the habit of being close to those opposed to the
UNP leader from time to time and mentioned Kongahage’s closeness to Sirisena Cooray.
Kongahage was one who worked tirelessly to bring back Cooray but all his attempts failed.
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told the MPs opposed to John Amaratunga’s group
that he would personally monitor the activities of the new group to defuse the tension
caused. However, the MPs opposed to this group have sought a meeting with Mr.
Wickremesinghe next week to discuss the issue again. They claim that with elections round
the corner, the government may use Minister Wijesekere and Dilan Perera to influence the
UNPers if it plans to postpone elections saying that the security situation did not permit
the conduct of elections.
On the PA side, a number of backbenchers are unhappy over the association of their MPs
with men like Sarath Kongahage and Silva who are active members in that group. They claim
that these two MPS have insulted and criticised their leader, President Kumaratunga in and
outside Parliament causing embarrassment to the President. These two have taken on the
President at personal level and we know how Sarath helped the "Sunday Leader" to
attack Chandrika", said a PA cabinet minister in the Colombo District. He said that
Mervyn and Sarath have now got close to a UNP cabinet minister in the PA government and
the UNP minister was one who was trying to bring in more UNPers into the PA to support the
President.
Majority of the PA MPs say that the formation of a patriotic group among MPs was not a
necessity as both leaders, President Kumaratunga and Ranil Wickremesinghe were fully
supportive of the armed forces to fight the war. "I think MPs from both sides are
patriotic and national minded and I cannot understand why such a group was formed", a
minister from Gampaha District asked.
Reservoirs
water levels swell: no power cuts needed
The water levels of the reservoirs, which plunged to the rock bottom earlier this month
have improved with the onset of the monsoon and there is no need for power cuts, the Power
Ministry said yesterday.
On June 1 the total water capacity of the reservoirs stood at 15.82%, forcing the CEB
to hire thermal plants which are more expensive. The CEB earlier warned that there may be
power cuts if electricity was not used sparingly.
"In the last four days the catchment areas received enough rain and the water
levels continue to go up", an official of the Power ministry said. The current total
water capacity of the reservoirs is 21.38%.
Rantambe has the highest capacity of 76.06% among the reservoirs and Randenigala has a
capacity of 52.2%. Other reservoirs such as Castlereigh - 18.2%, Maussakelle 21.15%,
Kotmale- 17.65% and Samanalawewa- 14.98% have also shown improvements.
Yesterday from 9.00 a.m. to 12 noon the catchment areas have received following amounts
of rain. Nortonbridge 31.5mm, Canyon 37.3mm, Lakshapana 37.7mm, Ukuwela 4.9mm Kelanitissa
36.5mm, Kotmale 13.5mm. (IW)
CV’s funeral today
A State sponsored funeral will be held for Minister of Industrial Development, C. V.
Gooneratne at Peoples Park, down Allen Avenue in Dehiwela today. Late Mr. Gooneratne and
his wife Sharma will be cremated at 4.30 pm at the Peoples Park.
The remains of both Mr. and Mrs. Gooneratne have been lying at the new building of the
Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council since yesterday.
Funeral arrangements have been made to carry the remains of Mr. Gooneratne to
Parliament at 9.00 am today for state honours.
His remains will lie in Parliament from 9.30 a.m.-12 noon today and will be brought
back to the Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council at 12.30 pm, where it will remain
with that of his wife until 4.00 pm.
The remains of both Mr. Gooneratne and his wife will then proceed to Peoples Park in
Dehiwela where they will be cremated following religious observances at 4.30 pm.
International visa racket bared
by Himangi Jayasundere
The Controller of Immigration and Emigration, N. Bambaravanage, yesterday revealed that
several Sri Lankans were involved in an International visa racket in which local human
smugglers were facilitating asylum seekers, to travel to Europe on stolen visas. Officials
of the Department took in to their custody two persons, a forty eight year old woman and a
youth who were preparing to leave the country on stolen shengan visas a few days ago.
Mr.Bambaravanage said that the racket was uncovered during a routine check conducted by
the Department officials on the passports of out bound passengers at the Katunayake
Airport. One of the officers who detected the suspicious passports contacted the German
embassy, since Germany was one of the possible destinations for a person travelling on a
shengan visa.
"The German embassy here confirmed that some of the racketeers had robbed the visa
tickets from a foreign mission in Zurich, Switzerland".
He said that according to the embassy a batch of visa stickers have disappeared from a
foreign mission in Zurich some time ago. The shengan visas allow passengers to travel to a
number of destinations in Western Europe.
The two passengers who were taken into custody of the Department of Immigration and
Emigration were produced before the Negombo Magistrates Court and later bailed out.
However Mr. Bambaravanage said that the Department has handed over the subject to the CID
who are presently conducting investigations in to this International racket.
Mr.Bambaravanage said that he was not aware of how many persons may have been smuggled so
far nor how much they have been charged for this service. "They would have probably
paid several lakhs of rupees" he said referring to the asylum seekers.
The passports presented by the two persons have had stickers similar to those that were
robbed in Zurich, pasted on them.
Meanwhile the Department of the Immigration and Emigration further revealed that
"The leading human smuggler who is from Poruthota in Negombo and travel agents who
manipulate this cladestine operation are being interrogated in order to round up all
concerned". The person identified as the key smuggler is reported to have approached
an airline, which had in turn issued two tickets to a local travel agency, the alleged
smuggler is believed to have purchased the tickets from the travel agency, on behalf of
the two persons who were taken into custody. According to the Controller of Immigration
this person is a frequent visitor to a number of airline offices.
Troops patrol ahead of defences
The Special Media Information Centre of the Government said yesterday that in Jaffna
troops attacked and destroyed a terrorist bunker in Chavakachcheri area around 9.30 a.m.
on Thursday.
A security forces fighting patrol operating ahead of the defences in Colombuthurai area
confronted a group of terrorists causing the terrorists to withdraw with their casualties.
Two soldiers were killed and twelve wounded due to the confrontation. Troops subsequently
recovered fourteen anti personnel mines from the area.
Having observed a terrorist movement in Chemmani area, troops engaged the terrorists
with small arms. Ground troops confirmed that six terrorists were either killed or wounded
in this confrontation.
In Parliament on
Thursday
Extension of State of Emergency
You should not use mythology to prove your notion — Batty
by Walter Nanayakkara and Kesara Abeywardena
Parliament met at 10.00 a.m. Thursday 8th, June, 2000.
Speaker K. B. Ratnayake presided.
After presentation of reports, House resumed debate on the extension of the state of
emergency by one more month from June 4, 2000, in the entire island.
Batty Weerakoon, Minister of Science and Technology said the UNP must not depend on
mythology to draw parallels between the doings and not doings of the Government. King
Richard III of England and his horse were all mythology. Shakespeare’s works are full
of such mythologies. You must not use them to prove your notions.
It is not true to say that the government paid Rs. 400 million to Shell Gas for them to
build their gas terminal.
It was given as a subsidy to keep the price of gas, that was being raised by Shell Gas.
But it is no longer possible to pay such a subsidy in the current situation of growing war
expenditure. The President has already explained this.
The Shell Gas was sometimes not telling the truth. When it reduced the weight of the
LPG in the cylinder they said they were doing it with the approval of the Institute of Sri
Lanka Standards. I inquired from the Institute but found that it was not true.
W. J. M. Lokubandara, Badulla District — UNP said the great Parliamentarian C. V.
Gooneratne is no more. We will not any more hear his deep voice during debates in the
House. He was a much lovable opponent who would crush his critics by his sound arguments.
But outside the House he would pat his opponent on the shoulders and talk to him in a very
friendly manner. That was his sweet nature.
Mr. Batty Weerakoon told the House that he was unaware of the reduction of the quantity
of gas in the cylinder. How can he say this? He is the Minister of Science and Technology.
The emergency regulations promulgated on May 3, was approved by the House a few days
later in the same month. But subsequently the regulations were amended. The amendments
were however not presented to Parliament. Is there any validity in these amendments? I
think the amendments are illegal.
The Competent Authority is trying to stifle the freedom of the media by enforcing the
rules in the rudest possible manner.
The restrictions on freedom of the media is counter productive. When there is a war the
people should know what was happening. People should know the truth.
The restrictions on the other hand are denying the Sinhalese and the Tamil speaking
people of their right to know. News is freely available to international media. While news
about the war front is being kept out of the people, the LTTE is spreading lies
internationally.
Upali Amarasiri (UNP — Galle district) said I also agree with most of what Deputy
Minister Premaratne said. It is said that there is an ethnic problem but I believe that
this is not an ethnic problem but a terrorist problem.
The war today is not fought on a proper plan. The government thinks its main enemy is
the UNP.
In the Southern Province ticket books are printed to collect funds for the Defence
fund, but these tickets do not contain a number. When this sort of fraudulent activity
takes place, people who have a desire to contribute to the defence fund will be
disheartened.
H. M. Weerasinghe, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways said the war affects the
lives of everybody. Every political party should put their heads together and find a way
out of the situation. You must not play partisan politics. The interests of the country
must receive priority.
Renuka Herath (UNP - Nuwara Eliya district) said those ruling the country must take a
lesson from the death of C. V. Gooneratne Minister of Industrial Development at Ratmalana
on Wednesday.
The government imposed emergency laws to harass the UNP. You have banned the
‘Sunday Leader’ and the Irida Peramuna, for six months. The ban comes to an end
in November when the next elections are due. What is the justification in banning
newspapers when there is an election on the cards. The Competent Authority has acted
against democratic principles.
The Elephant Pass setback has been exploited by the government to impose the emergency
laws for the purpose of furthering their political interests.
Political leaders must be honest. Present leaders in power are lacking in honesty.
The increase of gas prices is causing serious problems to domestic users. The Shell Gas
claims that their actions were in conformity with the agreement. What is this secret
agreement? Nobody knows. President says she was powerless to interfere with the decisions
of the Shell Gas. Everytime a government minister made a public statement that the
government would not allow further increase of gas prices the Shell Gas increase the
prices.
Under the cover of the war the government has imposed emergency regulations.
Joseph Michael Perera (Puttalam district - UNP) said I think both the President and the
Opposition Leader should do all that is possible to inculcate a Sri Lankan identity
amongst the people. It should be done immediately so that everybody will develop a sense
of belonging.
If people are to be brought together it should be started at village level. The best
place to unite the village are the places of worship. This should be devoid of political
partisanship.
But there is a grave doubt about the intentions behind the formation of civil defence
committees.
The Leader of the Opposition has acted in a very responsible manner and had taken
decisions never taken by leaders in the past.
If the President is clean in her intentions I request the government to hold free and
fair elections.
Kesara Lal Gunasekera (National List - ULF) said twenty two people including Minister
C. V. Gooneratne, were killed in the bomb blast on Wednesday. Before I start my speech I
must express my grief to the families of the dead.
We have not still come into a common understanding about how we should defeat
Prabhakaran. What we do here in fact is helping Prabhakaran to strengthen himself.
Prabhakaran has succeeded in committing his murderous acts everywhere but we have failed
to bring about a common understanding for the purpose of defeating LTTE.
Ravi Karunanayake (ULF - National List) said we must put an end to the brutal war,
whoever the wagers of the war are.
Everytime something happened the government brings in some repressive legislation. But
has the country moved forward? Are we fighting a war or are we fighting a political
battle?
Let us find who our enemy is? Let us fight our real enemies after that.
Suranimala Rajapakse (UNP) - It is the common view of everyone concerned that all
political parties should cooperate to work out a solution to the national problem.
Government must stop attacking the UNP. The leader of which has extended his hand of
co-operation to the government to resolve the crisis.
Minister of Power and Energy and Deputy Minister of Defence Anuruddha Ratwatta winding
up said I express my deepest regret on the killing of Minister C. V. Gooneratne. He was a
very good orator in both Sinhalese and English. He was a patriot and was deeply concerned
about the welfare of the service personnel.
We will hold the elections in a free and fair manner on the exact date as the
constitution requires.
The resolution was passed. |
