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Trumpet call to save baby elephants
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A growing tendency towards catching baby elephants and registering them through “various unscrupulous means as tamed elephants or tuskers” has come to light.
That home truth comes from Wildlife Resources Conservation Minister Gamini Vijith Vijayamuni Zoysa.
The reason for this, he says, is the failure to update registration procedures for the past 23 years.
Hence, the Minister wants new regulations formulated by the Legal Draftsman. This is after an official Committee comprising representatives of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Department of National Zoological Gardens, Animal Production and Health Department was appointed to study and report on the matter.
Minister Zoysa wants the Committee to focus attention on three aspects:
1. The number of tamed elephants or tuskers required for Pereheras has increased in recent times due to the growing popularity of such events.
2. Loss caused to the wild elephant population due to illegal poaching by individuals who obtain custody of them by registering them under Section 22 (6) of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance or any other manner.
3. Compelling the authorities to take legal action against individuals to curb illegal practices associated with elephants and tuskers, to ensure the welfare of tamed elephants and to conserve the elephant population of Sri Lanka.
The minister has noted that legal provisions of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance on tamed elephants set out the law. This is besides regulations promulgated in 1991 for registration of elephants and tuskers and the issue of licences for them.
In terms of the regulations, Mr. Zoysa has said, 345 tamed elephants or tuskers have so far been registered with the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Of them 86 have been reported dead while 91 are with the Department of National Zoological Gardens.
Under the Ordinance, Minister Zoysa says, “Any person could own or obtain the custody of an elephant through a sale, gift or death of a previous owner or in any other manner.”
Cheeky joke for Kshenuka
More often than not, meetings of the National Security Council are on a serious note. Understandably so since the matters for discussion focus on issues relating to Sri Lanka’s security.
That is not to say that the sessions are always staid and boring. Last Wednesday, a top intelligence official prompted loud laughter.
When External Affairs Ministry Secretary Kshenuka Senewiratne walked in, the man covered his cheeks with his left and right hand. Even the EAM Secretary could not help but laugh.
The joke of course was the result of Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Monitoring MP for the Ministry of External Affairs, allegedly slapping Sri Lanka High Commissioner to the UK, Chris Nonis during a dinner party in New Jersey.
Slap bang: Even the host now a ghost
The controversy over the Sajin Vass-Chris Nonis altercation on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly sessions last month is refusing to go off the spotlight.
Virtually all those who were at that dinner have been strongly advised to deny their presence in order to prevent even juicier tit-bits leaking out — besides the “thundering slap” at Nonis.
The widespread joke is that even the host is apparently denying he was present at his own dinner.
The Sunday Times, which perhaps had the most authentic version of the incident, asked a returning delegate whether he was present at the dinner. “Not to the best of my knowledge,” he said, amidst loud laughter as he dodged the question.
Commercial leisure parks in Greater Hambantota
The Government wants to set up Commercial, Industrial, Recreational and Leisure facilities at identified areas under the Greater Hambantota Master Plan.
The proposal to set up these facilities through the Board of Investment comes on a recommendation made by Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena.
The Ministry of Defence and Urban Development and the Ministry of Housing and Common Amenities have sought time to study the proposals.
Worldwide demand for Lanka’s Agar
The Government is examining a proposal to do away with legal barriers for the export of Wallapata or Gyrinops.
The proposal has come from Wildlife Resources Conservation Minister Gamini Vijith Vijayamuni Zoysa.
Strips of the inner bark of this tree are used in the rural areas to make wrapping materials. In addition, hardwood of this tree is used for producing ornamental items while resin is used to produce various herbal products and perfumes.
Minister Zoysa notes: Certain species of funguses available from the stem of the Walla plant are used to produce a chemical substance emanating the fragrance of Agar. A higher value Agar could be produced by extracting this chemical substance. There is a high demand in the international market for Agar extracted in this way. It is popular in Europe and Arab countries as “Sri Lankan Agar.”
Azeez and Aruni: Silver lining for Lanka’s doghouse diplomacy
At a time when there are ominous dark clouds hanging over the scandal-ridden Ministry of External Affairs, there seems to be at least one silver lining — as reflected in the international recognition we have achieved in the Austrian capital of Vienna.
For the first six months of this year, Sri Lankan envoy A.L.A. Azeez, a longstanding career diplomat, had the distinction of chairing the 132-member Group of 77, the largest single coalition of developing countries (plus China). And his chairmanship was doubly significant because it coincided with the 50th anniversary of the G77.
Just after he handed over the chair to the Philippines, Mr. Azeez was elected President of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world’s top nuclear watchdog where the strategic interests of many powerful countries, including the nuclear powers, often compete and overlap.
Weighing on his shoulders are three more high level posts: currently he is the interim president of the Industrial Development Board of the Vienna-based UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and chairman of both the Working Group A of the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the UN Multilateral Diplomatic Committee.
Not surprisingly, this is the first time that Sri Lanka has chaired most of these international bodies in Vienna. And all of the elections were unanimous without a competitive vote.
During a meeting of the General Conference of the IAEA recently, Director-General Yukia Amano and Ambassador Azeez shared the stage with another former Sri Lankan career diplomat Aruni Wijewardena who recently joined the IAEA as Director of its Policy Making Organ’s Secretariat. Ms. Wijewardena was a former Sri Lankan ambassador to Austria.
It was a rare double distinction for Sri Lanka before a gathering of thousands of delegates and officials participating in the annual conference. But both career diplomats seem to be unsung and unheralded in the corridors of the Ministry.
Deputy minister bawls at Chinaman charge
Rohitha Abeygunawardena, the Deputy Minister of Ports and Highways, seems unaware that a Chinese national signed a key agreement on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government recently.
The matter came up during a Thursday night political discussion on a private television channel.
Scoffing at the deputy minister, the JVP’s Wasantha Samarasinghe charged that China was so involved in the country that a Chinaman had signed the Colombo Port City agreement for the Sri Lankan Government.
Mr. Abeygunawardena broke in angrily, shouting at him and repeatedly accusing him of lying.
“Who signed the agreement then?” Mr. Samarasinghe asked. The Minister said that Ministry Secretary R.W.R. Premasiri had done it.
The deputy minister does not seem to have seen the official list of agreements. It was widely circulated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s office. While it is true that one document – simply titled on the list as “Agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt.) Limited” – was signed by Mr. Premasiri, another was entered into between two Chinese nationals.
Numbered 21 on the list, it is called the “Term Sheet Agreement of Colombo Port City Development Project Phase I”. And it plainly states, “Signed for Sri Lanka: Mr. Mo Wenhe, Chairman of China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd” and “Signed for China: Mr. Hu Huaibang, Chairman, Executive Director, China Development Bank”.
Even after he was shown the relevant section of the list, Minister Abeygunawardena did not accept the facts. Perhaps he could not believe it either.
Abin for Ayurveda
A five member committee of officials will determine whether opium (Abin) should be issued for the production of indigenous medicine under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, ministers have decided.
It will be headed by a Deputy Secretary to the Treasury. The nominee will be named by the Secretary to the Treasury.
The other members are the Controller General of Imports and Exports, the Director General of Health Services, the Commissioner of Ayurveda and a senior officer nominated by the Chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board.
A senior officer of the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine nominated by the Ministry Secretary will serve as Secretary to the Committee.