Apr 25, 2013 (LBO) – Profits at Lighthouse Hotel Plc, a unit of Sri Lanka’s Jetwing group fell 29 percent to 57.1 million rupees in the first quarter of 2013, interim accounts showed.

The firm reported earnings of 1.24 rupees for the quarter, in accounts filed with the Colombo Stock Exchange.
In the year to March profits rose 1 percent to 112.1 million rupees giving earnings of 2.44 rupees per share. In addition the firm also made asset revaluation gains of 12 million rupees, in the year.

Lighthouse is the first hotel to file accounts in the March earnings reporting season. Sri Lanka’s Employees Provident Fund owns an 11.05 percent stake in the firm.

In the March quarter revenues fell 5 percent to 203 million rupees, and cost of sales rose at a faster 16 percent to 39.4 million rupees, causing gross profits to fall 9 percent to 163 million rupees.

This year the Galle Literary Festival was not held in January 2013, which analysts say could have hurt revenues of hotels in the Galle area, where Lighthouse is located.

Sri Lanka has also been getting negative publicity over the killing of a tourist and the rape of his girlfriend by suspects that include a politician and the lack of any prosecutions, amid an overall perception of a breakdown in rule of law.

But many of Sri Lanka’s hotels are also overpriced compared to competition according to some critics, which means aggressive promotion is needed to maintain prices.

The industry has been calling upon authorities to use a cess tax collected from them for and aggressive promotional campaign.
Last year the rupee fell by about 10 percent making the country cheaper for foreigners in countries with stronger exchange rates. Economic troubles in Europe may also be hurting the travel industry.

Lighthouse Hotel plays in the top end of the market.

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Ministry of Culture and the Art of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka will co-organise the Korea -Sri Lanka Friendship Evening at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa theatre on April 25 and 26 at 6 pm.

The event celebrates the 1st anniversary of the state visit of Mahinda Rajapaksa to the Republic of Korea. Further, the Korean tele-drama, Janggumi, Jewel in the Palace (Sujatha Diyani) recently became extremely popular in Sri Lanka and the growing popularity of K pop among Sri Lankan youth shows that there is a new opportunity to enhance relations between the two countries.

Korean Restaurants in Colombo

tours to Sri Lanka for Koreans

What are moonstones?  Semi-precious stones found in Sri Lanka.

Along the coast between Galle and Colombo there are many interesting places to visit. In and around Meetiyagoda there are several moonstone mines.

One can visit a mine  one belonging to Baruwallage Gems. Most of the mining is done by hand. Workers dig in deep pits using candles for light.

The candle acts like a canary in other types of mining. If the oxygen is at an unsafe level the candle goes out.

Once the bucket of dirt is brought up it is washed and potential gem stones are removed. In the adjacent factory the stones are cut, polished and mounted.

The ones with a blue hue are the most favored.

Marine Turtles of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has five species of marine turtles, many of which are on the endangered list.

At  the Sea Turtle Hatchery  Mr. Fernando explains the process of getting the eggs from the beach, incubating them, and then raising them until it is time to return the turtles to the sea.

The females are kept in protective custody until they are five years old and able to survive. Once a female is about 20 years old it will come back to the beach where it was hatched to lay her eggs in the sand and then she leaves.

The unprotected ping pong-like eggs are easy prey for birds and other animals so they are rescued and cared for at the hatchery.

They also keep turtles that have been injured (mainly in fishing nets), are blind (1 in every 1,000 is born blind) and they also have a rare albino one.

The entire hatchery was washed away in the 2004 tsunami and has been rebuilt with the help of donations from visitors.

The Madu River boat trip

You can see huge  river monitors relaxing under a bridge, young lads rowed out to show us their pet monkey,  passed thru many fish farms, and boated through some mangroves.

Your first stop is at Cinnamon Island where you can learned about growing and harvesting cinnamon,  Then you will stopped by a 200-year-old temple.

At tilapia fish farms you can have a fish massage, which means the fish nibbled at the skin on our feet.

(Good grief will these fish then be served in a restaurant.) It was very ticklish.

In the quiet hills of Sri Lanka, plans are afoot to build a temple for goddess Sita at Divurumpola, near Nuwara-Eliya, a place believed to be associated with the Ramayana.

The website of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) says it is where Sita underwent ‘Agni Pariksha’ (test by fire).

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan mooted the project in September 2012 when Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Sanchi to inaugurate the University of Buddhist-Indic Studies. Mr. Chauhan offered to fund the project, sanctioning Rs. 1 crore.  Sri Lankan government recently cleared the building plans, and construction would begin soon.

However, sources in the Indian government said they had had only preliminary discussions on the feasibility of the project in the past. But if it was now pursued by private organisations, the government would not have much of a role in it.

When the project is completed, it will be the second Sita temple in Nuwara–Eliya, after the one at Sita Eliya, a Ramayana heritage site.

In 2007, the SLTDA set up a committee to identify Ramayana heritage sites and develop a Ramayana trail for the ‘Indian market.’ So far, 50 sites have been identified, including the ‘groves of exotic herbs dropped by the monkey god Hanuman’ and ‘the ultimate theatre of war,’ where Rama slew Ravana. In sites like Divurumpola, new structures are under consideration.

However, the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, an academic organisation established in 1845, severely contested this project. It organised a symposium in 2010 to demonstrate that these sites were invented by experts appointed by the SLTDA, who distorted archaeological evidence.

The papers hosted on the Society’s website criticise the Ramayana trail as a project meant to enhance the declining tourist arrivals. But this has not stopped the government, and the SLTDA has taken up the Ramayana trail as one of its important projects

Exclusive: David Miliband and Sir Malcolm Rifkind call on the Commonwealth Secretariat to stop Sri Lanka from hosting its heads of government meeting because of the country’s poor human rights record.

described as “grotesque” the notion of the Queen attending the meeting as head of the Commonwealth, if it is to be hosted by what he called a repressive regime, fast “moving towards pariah status”.

Speaking exclusively to Channel 4 News, former Conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind likened it to Pretoria hostingthis November’s heads of government meeting (CHOGM) while South Africa was under apartheid.

Sri Lanka, some of whose leaders face allegations of war crimes and whose increasingly authoritarian government is accused of persistent and serious human rights abuse, would assume chairmanship of the Commonwealth during the CHOGM.

Channel 4 News twice requested an interview with Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, a former Indian diplomat, to respond to the growing disquiet. A spokesman said he did not want to let “the Sri Lanka issue” overshadow events in Commonwealth week, which started on Monday.

The secretary general pointedly ignored a question on Sri Lanka when approached in person by Channel 4 News at a Royal Commonwealth Society banquet on Sunday night.

‘Mistake’ for Sri Lanka to host
“I think it’s a mistake for Sri Lanka to be invited to host the heads of government meeting,” Sir Malcolm told Channel 4 News. “The present Sri Lankan government has done very little to address the human rights issues; tens of thousands are still displaced; there has been no political reform, the rule of law has been traduced – the chief justice was recently sacked – and there’s not been any independent investigation into what was probably the mass murder of Sri Lankan Tamils.”

This “Sri Lanka issue” is known to be an area of concern to the foreign and commonwealth office, which, in a statement to Channel 4 News, said it was yet to decide whether it would boycott the CHOGM in November.

Sri Lanka has breached the most fundamental aspect of democracy, namely the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.
Geoffrey Robertson QC
“The host for each Commonwealth summit should embody our shared values, including respect for human rights and democracy,” the statement read, adding that human rights in Sri Lanka were a matter of concern.

The Queen will on Monday night sign a new Commonwealth charter which commits member states to respect for democracy and the protection of human rights.

The charter lists democracy, human rights, freedom of expression, judicial independence, rule of law and good governance among the “shared values” it seeks to promote. Sri Lanka’s record in all of these areas has been questioned at the highest level.

Mar 09, Colombo: Sri Lanka will mark the World Water Day scheduled for March 22 with a three-day program that includes an international exhibition, a walk for water and a series of seminars.

National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) of Sri Lanka under the guidance of the Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage has made arrangements to celebrate the world water day 2013 from March 20th to 22nd at the Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo.

The Convention expects to bring together all possible stakeholders to create awareness and share experiences on Water Cooperation.

In addition to the three-day international exhibition a seminar session will be held on Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The disease, prevalent in north central and north western Sri Lanka, is believed to be caused by arsenic-containing ground water.

The United Nations has declared the year 2013 as the ‘International Year of Water Co-operation’ to raise awareness, both on the potential for increased cooperation, and on the challenges facing water management in light of the increase in demand for water access, allocation and services.

The Cabinet has given approval to Minister of Water Supply and Drainage Dinesh Gunawardena to proceed with the programme.

Mar 09, Colombo: The Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) 2013 to be held in the Sri Lankan capital in November will bring investment opportunities to the island, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Business Council, Dr. Mohan Kaul said.

According to the Chairman, the CBF2013 to be held from November 12 to 14 in Colombo coinciding with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will benefit Sri Lanka and provide a networking opportunity.

The Forum will bring together over 1000 Business and Government Leaders at the largest business event ever held in Sri Lanka to discuss the key economic and business issues of the day, form new partnerships and create contacts, according to the organizers.

Dr. Kaul last week held a discussion with the Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris and representatives of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Sri Lanka on the arrangements for the meeting of the Commonwealth Business Council which organizes he forum with Sri Lanka.

He says that Sri Lanka will receive about US$ 2 billion investment income by hosting the event and the even will provide Sri Lanka an opportunity to invest in other Commonwealth countries as well.

The theme of CBF 2013 is “Partnership for Wealth Creation and Social Development: The Commonwealth, Indian Ocean and SAARC”.

Dr. Kaul said non Commonwealth countries like China will also be invited to participate in the business forum to provide a platform for interactive networking.

The forum will focus on areas, such as, ports and shipping, agriculture, housing, tourism, education, IT and development in Sri Lanka.

Several meetings will be held after the forum in regional locations such as Hambantota, Jaffna and Kilinochchi showcasing investment opportunities in these regions, the Commonwealth official said.

Nov 09 2012, Colombo: Korean Airlines will once again commence direct flights to Colombo from next month, the airline has announced, here today.

South Koera’s national career, Korean Air, has called it an aggressive measure in a quest to expand its routes, which will start direct flights from 23rd December 2012 from Seoul to Colombo.

Korean Airlines route to Colombo will facilitate the travelers of both countries as well as to those who travel between Colombo and North America via Seoul’s Incheon International Airport.

The Korean Air will operate thrice a week flights between Colombo and Seoul on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

The Korean air carrier decided to focus on long-haul international routes as competition on short- and medium routes has intensified with the launch of budget airlines. It aims to attract transfer passengers and maximize profit on new routes, taking advantage of its numerous fleet.

“We were able to reap an operating profit of W300 billion (US$1=W1,085) in the third quarter largely because we developed new long-haul routes and lured transfer passengers,” said a Korean Air staffer.

International flights have been returning to Sri Lanka after the end of the war in May 2009 boosting the tourism industry in the country.

In the recent boost in Sri Lanka’s aviation industry, most of the premium airlines are re-instating the flights.

The flag carrier of the United Kingdom, British Airways is to resume flights to Sri Lanka from Gatwick Airport on 31st March 2013.

Check out Special tours to Sri Lanka for koreans

Mar 04, Colombo: The Mawbima Lanka Foundation, a non-government, non-profit organization in Sri Lanka has sent letters to foreign missions in the country calling on them to oppose the US resolution against Sri Lanka to be tabled before the ongoing UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions.

The Foundation has said it considers it is their prime responsibility to raise a strong voice against what it sees as an extremely biased approach by the UNHRC headed by Navanetham Pillay.

“Whilst making these false charges against Sri Lanka that are alleged to have happened during a terrorist war against a democratically elected government in Sri Lanka, Ms. Navanetham Pillay completely ignores blatant human right violations in many other places in the World. Anyone who read newspapers can see the extent of human rights violations taking place in many countries in the World for which, Ms. Navanetham Pillay has no concern whatsoever. This clearly shows the vested interests of Ms. Navanetham Pillay and her continuing animosity against Sri Lanka,” the letter has stated.

“Sri Lankans have made heavy sacrifices for over 30 years and now shall be allowed to enjoy the peace that they have won by defeating the ruthless terrorists. Most of the Tamil civilians in North and the East of Sri Lanka are enjoying the peaceful developments that are taking place in their hometowns and will not like to see another war in their areas. In the recent past countries such as Iraq, Egypt and Libya have ended up in total chaos and innocent civilians are getting killed in large numbers every month for the sake of political and economic gains of a few other countries,” the organization has added.

According to the Foundation, Pillay and the Tamil Diaspora were attempting to destabilize the smooth running of Sri Lanka.

Mar 04, Colombo: A group of university lecturers, trade union leaders, representatives of students’ organizations and several civil society movements in Sri Lanka have formed a movement to agitate for the protection of free education in the country.

Co-convener of the National Movement for Protecting Free Education, Ven. Dhambara Amila Thero has said at the launch of the movement that awareness needed to be created among the people on the need to protect the free education system in the country.

He has observed that concepts like cluster schools, Navodya schools, super schools are personal projects of members in the government.

He has added that the government’s latest thousand schools project would be another failed project in two years.

According to Ven. Amila Thero, the movement would carry out a programme to win free education for the children of the country.

Also, Co-convener of the Movement, Senior Lecturer Devaka Punchihewa has said the government that wastes 2 percent of the GDP for frauds, corruption and wasteful spending, but allocates only 1.56 percent of the GDP for education.