Sri Log

Feb 29, Colombo: The minor employees of Sri Lanka hospitals are to strike work today demanding immediate solutions to a number of problems in their services.

The strike is led by the All Lanka Health Workers’ Union and the minor employees such as attendants, general laborers and sanitary laborers are to join the protest.

Employees of three hospitals, namely, Maharagama Cancer Hospital, Castle Street Maternity Hospital and Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital of Colombo will not join the strike due to essential duties, the secretary of the All Lanka Health Workers’ Union Gamini Kumarasinghe said.

A protest demonstration is to be held today at 12 noon outside the Colombo National Hospital with the participation of the minor employees of health services.

Feb 29, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Sinhala National and Buddhist Organizations have commenced collecting one million signatures for a petition demanding the abolition of 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

The Collective of National and Buddhist Organizations demands to abolish all power devolution measures and to bring state back to total unitary nature.

The signing of petitions commenced yesterday at the sacred Bo Tree of Colombo Pettah with the participation of the leading activists of the National and Buddhist Organizations led by Gunadasa Amarasekera.

The organizers of the campaign named ‘This is the Last Chance’ will hand over the petition with one million signatures to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Feb 28, Geneva: Thailand has publically come to the aid of Sri Lanka in its struggle to convince the United Nations Human Right Council that it should be given enough time to complete its domestic process for national reconciliation.

Thailand, one of the 47 members of the UNHRC has said that the Council should take into account the views of countries concerned and the efforts they have made when making decisions.

Addressing the High level Segment of the 19th session Monday, Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul has said that in Thailand’s view the Council should pursue further efforts to enhance a cooperative approach, particularly on country situations and make use of the available tools in a discerning manner.

The Council should allow adequate time to exhaust domestic remedies and engage them in the whole deliberation process, he has said.

Sri Lanka has made considerable advances towards reconciliation and sustainable development after years of strife, the Thai envoy has pointed out.

“We view that Sri Lanka’s home-grown process should be prioritized to address the remaining issues,” he has said.

“We thus support the Sri Lankan Government’s voluntary engagement with the international community. We also value its efforts to consider how to best implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC),” Thailand has declared.

Portugal, which is not currently a member of the Council, recognized the LLRC report saying that it included important, constructive elements and encouraged the Sri Lankan government to implement its recommendations.

However, the Portugal Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paolo Sacadura Cabral Portas has stressed that the issue of accountability for serious human rights and humanitarian law violations has also to be dealt with and is a requisite for reconciliation.

Sri Lanka is bracing to avert a possible a UN resolution which has the backing of the United States and the European member states in the Council.

Following the address to the Council yesterday, Sri Lanka’s representative to the 19th session Plantation Minister and President’s Special Envoy for Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe said the reaction to his speech has been very positive and Sri Lanka has received support from several member states.

UN sources say the Council is somewhat toning down the draft resolution from its initial tough stand to gain a wider support from the member states and member states receiving aid support from the United States are more likely to support the resolution against Sri Lanka.

Feb 28, Colombo: The High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka, Ms. Seema Illahi Baloch, inaugurated the Exhibition of Contemporary Sri Lankan Art Tuesday at the National Arts Gallery in Colombo.

The week long Exhibition, opened from Tuesday 28th February to Sunday 04th March will be featuring 101 paintings, and a number of sculptures and art pieces of New Artists (Nawa Kalakaruwo) from Sri Lanka.

The Nawa Kalakaruwo Exhibition is organized by the George Keyt Foundation with the sponsorship of Brown Company.

In her opening remarks the High Commissioner of Pakistan said that with such artists, Sri Lanka can look forward to a very interesting and bright future full of surprises and even great works. The artists exhibiting in the Nawa Kalakaruwo exhibitions have struck out on new and interesting paths and their handling of the medium, the conception and imaginative richness show exceptionally high levels of confidence and versatility, she added.

Following is the Text of the High Commissioner’s Speech:

I have always wondered what is it that draws us to works of arts and why is it that some of us are more attracted to certain kinds of paintings or certain pieces of art.

A saying by Oscar Wilde addressed this curiosity : “art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known”. Therefore, just as art is one individuals creation, it reaches out and touches the chords of another individuals imagination and becomes a personal conversation. And that is why some individuals are attracted to certain kinds of art.

An artist like George Keyt is, therefore, a gift to Sri Lanka and has left a great tradition in his individual form of art.

But the greatest gift to Sri Lanka is the George Keyt Foundation which is providing a platform to young artists for their growth and development and providing an opportunity for networking with others.

The greatest artists, be it in our part of the world, or in any other, have struggled during their life times. Such a foundation is indeed a blessing for the young and struggling artists to nurture their talent and finds venues to display that talent.

The greatest fear of any one and especially of a young artist is the fear of failure but as Julia Carman has said “as you move towards a dream, the dream moves towards you”. To all the young artists present here tonight, I say; have the courage to follow your dream. If you have made it to this Gallery tonight you are surely on a path where greater recognition awaits you.

In Pakistan too there are a number of talented young artists emerging from our Universities and art collages. I hope that one day in this art gallery we can have a collective exhibition of young artists from our two countries. We hope that the George Keyt Foundation can take such an initiative. This would be the next step of the MoU signed between the Sri Lankas University of Visual and Performing Art and the National College of Arts in Pakistan during our Presidents visit to Sri Lanka in 2010.

May I conclude by saying that it is indeed a great privilege and an honour to be here this evening and to have the opportunity to be inspired by the works of so many young and talented artists of this beautiful country, Sri Lanka, I wish you well.”

Feb 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) continues to protest against the recent increase in fuel prices with its members in local government bodies carrying out various protest campaigns.

While massive protests were being held across the island against the UN Human Rights Council’s move to table a resolution against the country, seven opposition members of the Matara Pradeshiya Sabha led by Lionel Kodikara had arrived for council sessions yesterday on bicycles as a mark of protest against increasing fuel prices.

Meanwhile, UNP councilors in the Naththandiya Pradeshiya Sabha had attended yesterday’s sessions on bullock carts.

The UNP members in the Kandy Municipal Council attended the sessions wearing black arm bands as a mark of protest against price hikes.

Feb 28, Colombo: Thousands of Sri Lankan protesters marched over to the United States Embassy in Colombo Monday and handed over a petition against the US-backed resolution to be brought at the 19th sessions of United nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.

The resolution, backed by the US and its Western allies, aims to pressure the Sri Lankan government to promptly implement the recommendations made by the domestic Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and to address the accountability issues.

The massive protest march with hundreds of thousands of people carrying placards and shouting slogans commenced from the Bambalapitiya junction and arrived at the Kollupitiya junction where the US Embassy is located.

Major General M.R.W. Soysa has handed over the petition to the US Embassy officials and the Embassy officials have said that they would take the initiative of handing over the petition to the US Government.

The US Embassy earlier issued a warning to the US citizens over the mass solidarity demonstration planned to be held in Colombo and other major cities in the island on Monday (27) against the resolution.

The warning, issued as a public service to US citizens in Sri Lanka and the Maldives warned that demonstrations could occur outside the US Embassy and could continue after Monday and urged the US citizens to closely monitor local media for reports of protests and avoid coming to the Embassy located on the Galle Road when there is a protest in the area.

Feb 27, Geneva: Sri Lanka today said it regrets that the ‘loudest voices’ among the international community vociferous on Sri Lanka’s human right issues are the least forthcoming to support the country in its reconciliation efforts and urged them to enable Sri Lanka to overcome the challenges it is facing in reconciliation and restoration of normalcy in the conflict-affected communities.

“Delivering homilies about human rights in Sri Lanka at fora such as these would be much more meaningful if they were supported by real and substantial corporation and assistance in keeping with this Council’s Resolution on Sri Lanka in 2009,” addressing the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva today Plantation Minister and President’s special Human Rights Envoy Mahinda Samarasinghe said.

Minister Samarasinghe pointed out that the Sri Lankan government, the UN and the international and local NGOs entered into a tripartite agreement for a Joint Assistance Plan to develop the war-battered North and nearly three years after the end of the war only a meager 35 percent of the plan was funded.

The Minister explained to the Council that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) appointed by the Sri Lankan President has recommended several measures for the future and the government has already implemented some of these measures including the resettlement of IDPs, demining, rehabilitation of ex-combatants, implementation of the language policy, recruitment of Tamil police officers and gradually removing the military from the civil administration in the North.

The government will continue to address the recommended measures comprehensively in a “systematic and thorough” manner, the Minister assured.

He, especially noted that the LLRC’s recommendation on formulating a land use plan for the Northern and Eastern provinces require further study and careful planning.

The envoy differentiated the LLRC report from the report of the Panel of Experts appointed by the UN Secretary-General to probe Sri Lanka’s accounatability issues.

Questioning the credibility of the UN Expert Panel report, which the government has dubbed as ‘Darusman Report’, the Minister said the UN report is based on closed-door hearings of unnamed witnesses who have been provided 20-year immunity whereas the LLRC report recorded on-camera testimonies of named witnesses whose accounts are substantive and verifiable.

He pointed out to the Council that Sri Lanka has taken “clear and definite” steps to implement the recommendations of the domestic process barely two months after the report was made public and the government has looked into a mechanism to address the accountability issues the report has raised.

The Minister assured to keep the Council informed of Sri Lanka’s progress on these issues in the sessions in June, September and in the course of the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in October.

He renewed an invitation to the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Ms. Navaneetham Pillay to visit Sri Lanka to observe the progress.

Read the text of Minister Samarasinghe’s Speech.

Feb 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka Navy will host a two-day workshop beginning tomorrow on the operational issues in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The workshop is expected to enhance Maritime Security and Freedom of the Sea.

Representatives from 14 countries are expected to participate in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) to be held under the theme of “Enhancing Operational Efficiency through Sharing of Information and Coordination” at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo from 28th to 29th February 2012.

The workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to raise issues relevant to Maritime Domain Awareness and sharing of information with a view to achieve better coordination and enhance the operational capability of all entities involved in Maritime Security Operations in the Indian Ocean region, the Navy said.

According to the Sri Lanka Navy, IONS is a regional forum that allows the e Chiefs-of-Navy of all the coastal states of the IOR can periodically meet to constructively engage one another through the creation and promotion of regionally relevant mechanisms, events and activities.

The workshop will allow discussions and to make recommendation for the enhancement of Domain Awareness and information sharing to overcome the operational limitations of everyone involved in day to day management of maritime security of the member nations.

The IONS was launched in 2008 as a regional maritime security initiative in recognition of the centrality of ‘Constructive Engagement’ as the primary means of achieving and assuring mutually beneficial maritime security, stability, safety, and consequent collective prosperity amongst all littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Inventor boosts tea industry

By L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

President Mahinda
Rajapaksa presents the award to Ranjith Rajapaksa

The local expertise should be tapped to manufacture machinery for
indigenous industries said Ranjith Rajapaksa the presidential award
winner for manufacturing the processed tea cutter.

Rajapaksa said that the tea cutter has helped reduced wastage in tea
plucking.

It won the Presidential Award for the best invention in the
agriculture sector at a ceremony organised by the Sri Lanka Inventors
Commission of Ministry of Technology and Research in 2010.

“I have been trained under the renowned Sri Lankan engineer Ray
Wijeyawardena who invented a number of machines. The hand tractor was
invented by Wijeyawardena, he said.

Rajapaksa who is the head of the Research and Development Department,
Jinasena Co., Ltd, Colombo said that research and development are vital
for development. Developing countries cannot entirely depend on imported
machinery which do not suit the local requirements. Sri Lanka currently
imports agricultural machinery mostly from China and India. The users of
these machines have come across some difficulties, Rajapaksa said.

Rajapaksa had turned out a number of agricultural and food processing
machines for small and medium sector industrialists.

Korean and Vietnam entrepreneurs showed interest in buying some of
locally turned out agricultural machines after his presentations in
Korea and Vietnam last year. “Our first priority is to satisfy the local
demand and then accept foreign work,” Rajapaksa said. It is the
willingness on the part of the individual to turn out new things that
should take precedence of the assets such as skills and labour, he said.
Agriculture and food precessing machines turned out by Ranjith Rajapaksa
are the reaper, thresher, processed tea cutter and the multi chopper.

A substantial loss of paddy harvest in Sri Lanka is due to the
shortage of labour during the peak season of harvesting. The reaper was
developed as a solution to the problem.

Threshing is difficult during the wet weather conditions, when
traditional methods are not possible.

The thresher was introduced to address this problem. The processed
tea cutter helps improve high quality tea production and reduce the
wastage.

The multi chopper was developed to chop green cuttings, coconut
busks, straw and other bio-degradable materials for the manufacture of
cattle feed and poultry feed.

Multi chopper
Multi purpose grinder
Multi chopper
Processed tea cutter

Extensive reconciliation measures underway – envoy

Sri Lanka has progressively adopted a broad range of measures to
facilitate reconciliation after May 2009 when the conflict against
terrorism ended, Sri Lankan ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya told a
gathering of the Serendipity Group of retired US diplomats. He said
international pressure might make it difficult to enact the Lessons
Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’s (LLRC) recent recommendations.

Jaliya Wickramasuriya

Ambassador Wickramasuriya said that Sri Lanka stood strongly against
a resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council that calls for
Sri Lanka to adopt the LLRC recommendations, noting that Sri Lanka has
already agreed to do so.

“Considering all the changes the country has undergone in the
post-conflict period, it is important that Sri Lanka be given the chance
to overcome its challenges,” Wickramasuriya said.

“It is only natural, then, that Sri Lanka would not wish to encounter
measures that some countries may bring to the Human Rights Council,” he
said. “This pressure from some part of the international community is
unacceptable,” Ambassador Wickramasuriya said.

“It is the firm conviction of the Sri Lankan government that it will
not favour any external intervention to probe into its domestic issues.

Further, such action would not be in keeping with established
international procedure, where the domestic process needs to be
exhausted prior to any international action.”

The ambassador laid out a long record of accomplishments by Sri Lanka
since the end of the conflict, measures taken without international
attention.

They included the resettling of 300,000 people displaced by the
conflict, development work that has helped rebuild areas damaged by the
conflict and revive important livelihoods in northern Sri Lanka, such as
agriculture and fishing, and the rehabilitation of 1,000 former LTTE
child soldiers and about 12,000 adult LTTE terrorists, who have been
given amnesty.

“My point is this: These are home grown solutions,” the ambassador
said.

“They are already in place, and they work.

This is what democracies do. It is the government of Sri Lanka that
is best placed to launch a home grown solution acceptable to all of the
country’s citizens.

This will be done, after all, within the framework of democracy.”
Many in the audience expressed support for Sri Lanka’s accomplishments
and its ability to implement the LLRC recommendations.

Those recommendations include the prosecution of those suspected of
committing war crimes, the resolution of land disputes, the
accommodation of war widows, investigations into those who are still
missing, the issuance of death certificates to those who are confirmed
to be deceased, investigations into armed independent groups and a
number of other measures.

“We have already announced that we will adopt the LLRC
recommendations,” Ambassador Wickramasuriya said. “If it is not quick
enough for some of our critics, we can only offer the record of our
recent past accomplishments.

As I have just noted for you, a good deal of positive change has
already take place.”