Letters to the Editor

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) should be congratulated for organising a public forum to discuss the draft revision of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance and create awareness on its implications. WNPS President Ashley de Vos said there would be more workshops.

There seemed to be an undertone of suspicion among some speakers and members on why the discussion had been restricted to government officials without the involvement of the public and experts. The suspicion seemed to stem from the fact that the American rainforest deal inclusive of profit-motivated gene piracy was at the bottom. The question was whether the Ordinance was being doctored for this purpose and for the commercialisation of the country's fauna and flora with the opening of private zoos.

The Wildlife Director's position was that it was only a preliminary draft of part one of the revision which included the strengthening of the Wildlife Department which was understaffed and lacked trained personnel. It was stated that these proposals could be discussed and corrected. The claim that the department could not act effectively due to shortcomings in the Ordinance, including the lack of clear boundaries of parks, was also discussed.

It also came out that there is a discrepancy between the English and Sinhala texts of the Ordinance.

The forum raised the following questions: If political interference is causing encroachment and preventing action against poaching, could this be rectified by revising the Ordinance?

Could the problem of inadequate demarcation of boundaries be rectified by such revision?

If the major cause of ineffectual implementation of the Ordinance is politics, tougher laws would only help politicians and subordinate officials to gain benefits through selective implementation.

The US rainforest deal, especially the people's fears that the country would lose its natural wealth, should be investigated thoroughly.

With regard to the exploitation by outsiders of the indigenous gene pool, the question arises as to whether the country has the capability to develop and market such products.

Rainforests have a high density of life forms and a country's incapability to protect habitats cannot be confined as a national matter.

With the speeding up of gene mapping, it would only be a matter of time before genetic prints of all life forms are taken to ensure survival.

If financial constraints and ineffective management are the cause of the rapid destruction of the habitat resulting in the extinction of indigenous life forms, would it not be better to come to an agreement with any nation or body that has the capacity to help protect and conserve them?

Hopefully, the WNPS will organise workshops on the issues that have surfaced from this forum soon.

The gallows are reserved only for those who have taken human lives without any redeeming circumstances according to the law. The previous government decided to re-implement the death penalty two years ago and the current Interior Minister, John Amaratunga has also realised this pressing need.

With the government and the opposition agreeing in principle, what is needed is action and not procrastination. Delay makes both sides responsible for the numerous killings in the country. Dithering has led to several hundred killings, which could have been deterred by prompt action at that time.

Every religion is based on the concept that good and bad deeds attract similar returns. No religion preaches against enforcement of law and order by the state. In fact, it is considered a duty of the state!

There are some who oppose capital punishment on the grounds of the right to life. Are these "rights" reserved exclusively for murderers? Are there no such rights for their victims? Must law-abiding citizens continue to be terrorised by thugs and murderers? Even simple arithmetic justifies the gallows as murder victims far outnumber convicted murderers. This is due to multiple murders as well as the law giving the benefit of reasonable doubt to the suspect.

The excuse is that there could be a miscarriage of justice. There are at least three levels at which justice can be sought. Free legal aid, I believe, is available for deserving cases. This is a very fine sieve for any miscarriage to go through! Criminal law ensures that no judge will condemn a man to death unless the case is proven "beyond a reasonable doubt”.

Minister Amaratunga has got the picture right. Now we look forward to its implementation. The law-abiding people will be grateful to him and the government for the deterrent action taken once the death penalty is enforced.

The EPF Amendment Bill was passed in Parliament "to ensure that the cost of public pensions will be manageable" as there is a shortfall of Rs. 32 billion annually. This amount and another Rs. 550 billion are required annually and this has been a worry even for the previous regime.

The pensioners, who have been affected by unrectified pension anomalies, would like to know how this crisis was created. I think it all began with the amalgamation of the basic and consolidated salaries in awarding pensions. Then from 1985 to 1994, there were several amendments and adjustments to the old Pension Minute, which caused a serious anomaly in payment to those who retired prior to 1985. Nothing was done, despite several promises, to rectify this. To make things worse, salaries were increased after 1994 and consequently a large number of public servants were allowed to retire prematurely on pensions calculated on their last salary with huge commuted pensions being paid out but not recovered from their pensions. This is why the pension liability has reached Rs. 550 billion.

How will the EPF Amendment Bill help adjust pension anomalies? Are the pensions of parliamentarians affected by this Bill? What percentage of the Rs. 550 billion is utilised to pay the pensions of past presidents and parliamentarians will be an interesting statistic. Will the Deputy Minister of Finance clarify this issue?

I was dismayed and disappointed with the statement made by Colombo's Anglican Bishop Duleep de Chickera (The Sunday Times, February 9 on homosexuality).

Fortunately, another Christian pastor was quoted as saying, "For anyone who claims the Bible as his or her rule for faith and practice, a homosexual lifestyle is not an option. Clearly, homosexual practice is unapologetically condemned in the Christian Scriptures."

This would have, in great measure, helped the reader who might not be Christian to get a correct understanding of the Christian contention on homosexuality. The Bible (the Word of God) which is the foundation of the Christian faith provides in Romans Chapter 1 and Verses 26-32, a graphic description of the origins of homosexuality and what caused its manifestation in human beings.

What Rt. Rev de Chickera should have stated is that there is proven deliverance through Jesus Christ to all those who are in a state of inherited or acquired disequilibria. I know of one who bears testimony to such deliverance and today works among those who desire to be similarly delivered.

As an Anglican Christian, from my Sunday school days, I have believed the words spoken by Jesus who, as recorded in John Chapter 3, Verse 17, says: "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." Again as recorded in Luke Chapter 19, Verse 10 He says: "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost".

Thus, I am saddened by the failure of the Bishop to encourage human beings to regain themselves rather than condone an identity, which is not of God. God created Adam and Eve and not Adam & 'He'!
Frustrated Anglican
Colombo 7

Having played a little cricket, I know that it is easy for other people to comment after a match, but it is the players who have to face the pressure on the field. However, I feel losing to Kenya cannot be described as just bad luck and forgotten easily.

No member of a team should be made to feel indispensable. This is one of the reasons why Australians are successful. Greg Blewett, Stuart Law and Mark Waugh were dropped when they failed in a few matches, despite having superb, if not brilliant, overall records. Going by Australian standards, some of our players should have been dropped a long time ago. There may be talent, but performance must justify any player's inclusion in the team.

Another lesson we should learn from Australia is consistency. Winning one or two matches does not mean we can lose the next seven or eight. This again means no player can think he cannot be dropped. Sri Lanka has several talented youngsters who deserve to play when they are young. Over to you selectors.

The Sri Lanka Medical Council is responsible for conducting the external pharmacists' examination. Each year thousands of candidates prepare for this exam with a view to pursuing a career in pharmaceuticals.

In addition to spending money for the preparation, Rs. 1,500 has to be paid as examination fees. The last examination was held in June 2002, with the results being released only after seven months. The successful candidates are usually called for a viva.

Here too the results are delayed. These delays cause frustration and anxiety among students. Numerous representations made to the Registrar of the Sri Lanka Medical Council have fallen on deaf ears.

The country is facing a dearth of pharmacists. Therefore, to fill the vacancies with qualified pharmacists, this examination should be held at least twice a year. The Ministry of Health should cut out the delays.

On November 16, 2002, V. W. Kularatne, an eminent lawyer, left this world. He was a gentleman par excellence.

Mr. Kularatne who began his career in the Meteorological Department in the 1950s later chose law as his career, joining the Law College in 1958. On taking oaths in 1963, he established the law firm, Murugesu and Kularatne in partnership with another lawyer. Later he formed his own firm, V. W. Kularatne Associates. He excelled as an advocate in labour cases.

He became a controversial figure when he submitted a report on ragging at the Vidyalankara University. In his report of 1975, Mr. Kularatne recommended that ragging should be banned in universities and more effective security measures enforced with wide powers for the administration. The Kularatne Commission recommendations are respected even today.

He was well-known in the SLFP, which he served as senior Vice-President and as President of the SLFP Lawyers Association. He was a leading campaigner for Hector Kobbekaduwa in the 1982 presidential election campaign.

Mr. Kularatne was associated with the drafting of the Land Reforms Law and headed the Board of Review of the Acquisition of Business Undertakings by the government.

Though on several occasions he was offered top positions in state-owned organizations and also diplomatic postings, he declined them politely.

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