• Monitoring chief works out strategy with PM
• LTTE in 'cultural' raid of Vavuniya
• NE polls as scheduled
• Importance of being Ratwatte
• Tourist chief quits after row with minister
• Businessmen toast Ranil, Prabhakaran
• Power cuts may lead to water cuts

Monitoring chief works out strategy with PM

The head of the monitoring mission immediately went into talks with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees.

Besides the main committee headed by the Norwegian officer, several district level monitoring committees have also been set up. 

The committees will include six from Sweden and others from Denmark and Finland.

LTTE in 'cultural' raid of Vavuniya

By Sunil Jayatillake

In the first week since the ceasefire agreement came into force, LTTE front groups moved into Vavuniya to organise a major event which they called a 'cultural reawakening programme', in which LTTE propaganda material including video footage of its cadres massacring government soldiers was sold to public.

The LTTE was acting under the provisions of the ceasefire agreement which permitted it to engage in "political work" in the country. 

The organisers, including former university staff, teachers and government servants, made elaborate arrangements, decorating the Vavuniya town with, red and yellow flags, the colours used by the LTTE. The emblem used at the show contained the areas of the north and east that has been frequently used in LTTE propaganda material.

The cultural events began at 3 pm on Friday and culminated with a programme at the Vavuniya Urban Council ground only at 7 last morning. The events included song, drama and speech. More than 40,000 persons attended the 'cultural' programme while a team from the Voice of Tigers, the LTTE's clandestine radio, was present there to cover the event.

Within the grounds, LTTE propaganda material including video cassettes on LTTE attacks on the Mullaitivu and other army camps in the Wanni area, LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's pictures and audio cassettes containing Prabhakaran's speeches were available for sale. The occasion was graced by Tamil politicians in Jaffna and Wanni including Minister of Estate Infrastructure P. Chandrasekaran who was elevated to Cabinet status this week. Minister Assisting Wanni Rehabilitation, Noordeen Mashoor Moulana was present for the inauguration of ceremony. Senior military officials in the area who were invited for the event, however, did not attend the ceremony.

Earlier the organisers had collected money from the residents in Vavuniya. Government servants were asked to pay Rs. 300 each, three wheeler drivers Rs. 200 and shop keepers Rs. 10,000.

Some of the shop keepers told 'The Sunday Times' they were forced to pay the money while others said it was a voluntary contribution for the cultural programme.

One of the organisers of the event told 'The Sunday Times' that the aim of the programme was to enlighten the people about Tamil culture and they had no intention of disrupting the peace process.

During the cultural show, the organisers emphasised that they wanted to restore peace in the north and east and would be fully for the ceasefire agreement between the government and the LTTE. 

NE polls as scheduled

The commissioner took the decision after reviewing the situation at a meeting with Government Agents.

Importance of being Ratwatte

By Shane Seneviratne in Kandy and Tania Fernando in Colombo

Lohan and Chanuka, wanted on murder, conspiracy charges are now remanded at the Bogambara Prison Hospital.

Both Lohan and Chanuka Ratwatte, who got chest pains following their surrender to the Teldeniya Magistrate after absconding for nearly six weeks are also receiving food delivered by a Defender Jeep bearing No. 65 - 8999 seen coming into the prison complex.

The preferential treatment for the Ratwatte brothers is also extended to their father, Gen. Ratwatte at National Hospital, where he is warded with 'high blood pressure'.

Also entitled to food from outside, Gen. Ratwatte is having a television set and a mobile telephone in a room all to himself at the paying section of the hospital. On Friday, he even had a visit from President's secretary, K. Balapatabendi, whose driver was seen bringing what looked like a lunch box all wrapped up in a serviette.

While remand prisoners are entitled to only three visitors once a day, the Ratwattes are enjoying unlimited visitors, who don't follow the normal procedure of registering themselves at the Welikada Prison, prior to visiting the General in Hospital. Lohan and Chanuka who are to be produced for an identification parade are supposed to have only close family members, however, they too are enjoying the company of others.

Gen. Ratwatte who is provided three prison guards has his own entourage of security personnel standing guard outside room no. 9 of the Merchants ward, on the basis he is still a prime target of the LTTE.

Meanwhile, parliamentarian Ajantha Zoysa — remanded in connection with the alleged Maturata plot against Minister S. B. Dissanayake — has been warded at the paying ward of the Kandy General Hospital. He is said to be suffering from 'pressure'. 

Another 15 suspects, have also been remanded over the case and they are also being well looked after by the same team providing special facilities for the Ratwatte family. 

The eight PSD personnel who deliver the food from the President's Lodge to the remand prisoners in Kandy, threw a party at the Lodge on Friday night. The Bogambara jail guards also attended this party. 

Central Provincial Councillor Sunil Amaratunga who was remanded had also been admitted to hospital. But as soon as he received bail he was discharged from hospital yesterday.

Tourist chief quits after row with minister

Mr. de Alwis, a professional in the travel trade and one-time adviser to the Singapore Tourist Board, was one rare appointee from the previous People's Alliance government who was retained by the UNF due to his experience.

He shot into some prominence in July last year due to his tireless efforts in restoring Sri Lanka's tourism industry which crashed following the LTTE attack on the airport.

Hoteliers had mixed-feelings about Mr. de Alwis' programmes to instill discipline in the trade by insisting on minimum rates to avoid cut-throat competition, but acknowledged him as a man who knew his job. 

Continuing differences with Tourism Minister Gamini Lokuge, a trade union leader of the ruling UNF, climaxed on Friday when de Alwis returned a passport sent by the minister of a party supporter from his constituency, with a request that he be sent for a travel trade fair, ITB in Berlin next week.

Mr. de Alwis had said that the job was for a marketing person and refused to accede to the minister's request. He has told colleagues that he was finding it "impossible" to work due to political interference by the minister in charge.

Mr. de Alwis when contacted by 'The Sunday Times' confirmed the resignation, but declined to elaborate on the reasons for the resignation.

"I only wanted to do a professional job," he said

Last week, Mr. Lokuge accused the country's national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, of damaging the tourist market by its selfish policies in closing down once lucrative overseas stations in Germany and Italy. Calling for an 'open skies policies', the minister said the national airline was hogging all the flights at the expense of tourism, a charge the airline refuted at a news briefing on Friday.

Chairman de Alwis' resignation news co-incided with an official announcement by the Tourist Board that arrivals from the UK dropped by as much as 50 percent for January.

Businessmen toast Ranil, Prabhakaran

The event was the annual Amcham Ambassador's ball at the Colombo Hilton on February 23. US ambassador Ashley Wills, an active backer of the peace process, raised a glass to toast the government, the prime minister, Prof. G.L. Peiris and then Vellupillai Prabhakaran, said one of the invitees at the ball. Glasses tinkled in unison in a spontaneous response from Sri Lanka's business elite — but to the consternation of many present in the audience.

"Toasting Prabhakaran was inappropriate," one of those Colombo businessman present said, adding icily, "It is like the Sri Lankan ambassador in the US toasting Osama Bin Laden — eh what!"

What is more —the LTTE is a banned terrorist organisation in the US, the crusaders against global terrorism and its ambassador toast the terrorist leader. 

Among the invitees was Industrial Development Minister G.L.Peiris.

Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Prime Minster Ranil Wickremasinghe on Friday to express strong American support for the recently signed the ceasefire agreement establishing an indefinite ceasefire between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE.

He said the U.S. hoped that the agreement would lead to negotiations to end Sri Lanka's nearly 20 year-old conflict and appreciated the Prime Minister's efforts to bring peace to Sri Lanka.

Amcham is the Colombo-based American Chamber of Commerce and the ambassador's ball is an annual event to felicitate the US ambassador.

Power cuts may lead to water cuts

By Shelani Perera

Water Supplies and Drainage Board Assistant General Manager H. Chandrasekera said yesterday they were facing a problem in pumping water due to the prolonged power cuts. He said the situation was being analysed and water cuts might become necessary.

In addition, Mr. Chandrasekera said water levels in the reservoirs had dropped and there were technical problems now in pumping water at full capacity.

Meanwhile, as the country reeled under the impact of extended power cuts, the Finance Ministry called for urgent offers for the private sector to provide 200 MW immediately. 

Officials said 20 firms had already responded and more were expected before the deadline tomorrow. 

As an incentive, the CEB has decided to increase the buying price from Rs. 8.70 to Rs. 10.50.

A Meteorology Department official said yesterday intermittent showers were reported and some inter-monsoonal rains were expected within two weeks. But catchment areas were receiving little or no rain.