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SLFP
getting ready for media war with Govt.
The SLFP is revamping its media structure and the party is in the process of establishing an electronic media apparatus with the aid of a Chinese media company. Some members of the party who are involved in media operations at the level of publishing newspapers supporting the party are also actively involved in this operation. Former minister Athauda Seneviratne who is involved in this process told The Sunday Times there was such a project but declined to give details. The Sunday Times learns that the SLFP has already started the groundwork with the aid of three SLFP members - Dr. Parakrama Athauda, the son of Mr. Athauda Seneviratne, Ajith Gallage, the owner and publisher of Nijabima newspaper and Roger Godaliyadde, a businessman. They have already given their names to a former registrar of companies who is running a private enterprise which register new companies, for the registration of the new company which plans to start a television and radio network. President Kumaratunga has already sent a list of four names to be added to the board of directors and sources close to the President say that they include the managing director of the Dinakara newspaper and another director of the newspaper, Mervyn Silva. The cost of the project has been estimated at about Rs. 200 million and the three-member committee has already linked up with a Chinese company which has promised to provide the necessary equipment on a ten year lease. The President has said that she will be able to get the licence to run this media operation and has asked the team to pursue with the project. Meanwhile the SLFP is already revamping its website under the direction of Mr. Mangala Samaraweera to develop a much closer relationship with the public and counter government propaganda.
Court took into consideration the Cabinet memorandum authorising the Defence Ministry to proceed with awarding the tender to an Indian manufacturer, which indicated an irregularity in the US$ 18,943,150 deal, which had been converted into local currency as Rs. 2,585,699,346, with an unaccounted for Rs. 700 million being added to it. The Bench comprising Justices Mark Fernando, Ameer Ismail and T.B. Weerasuriya granted leave to proceed for the alleged infringement of Article 12(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to equality and equal protection of the law. Further court directed that all correspondence between the 1st and 2nd respondents, Army Commander Lieutenant General Lionel Balagalle and Defence Secretary Austin Fernando pertaining to the tender procedure, relevant prior and subsequent Cabinet memorandums which has been annexed to the petition and other relevant circulars and guidelines be tendered for the perusal of court. The petitioner, Himani Wijethunge of Harsha International, manufacturer and supplier of uniforms, accessories and body protection items to the armed forces alleges all accepted tender procedures and guidelines had been circumvented in order to grant Tata Advanced Materials of Bangalore, India the opportunity of supplying body armour, flak jackets and ballistic helmets. She states her company submitted a bid for 200 pieces of body armour consequent to the Army Commander inviting bids on October 29, 2001. It was stated that her company's bid had passed all the requisite ballistic tests, was in conformity with the Sri Lanka Army's specifications and deemed the most cost-effective and feasible option. However without affording any valid reasons whatsoever and devoid of any inquiry the Army Commander had suspended the awarding of the tender to her company, she states. She further alleges that calculated moves were underway to favour the Indian company by attempting to procure the items through the Indian line of credit although body armour is not included in the list of items that qualifies for it. Ms. Wijethunge believes that these allegedly irregular moves are due to unlawful gains that have been assured to certain public officials and in the light of this information she has also submitted a petition on March 21 to the Bribery and Corruption Commission. The case has been fixed for hearing on July 1. J.C. Weliamuna with Crishmal Warnasuriya instructed by Lilanthi de Silva appeared for the petitioner. Senior State Counsel Uditha Egalahewa appeared for the State. Death
threat to BBC reporter, says Reporters sans Frontieres BBC correspondent Ponniah Manikavasagam was allegedly threatened following an interview with Dr. Anton Balasingham broadcast by the BBC. The media watch has in a letter to President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called on them to guarantee the safety of Mr. Manikavasagam and all other journalists working in the north and east, and make inquiries to establish who has been responsible for the threats. The letter states that it will be monitoring developments in this case and requests to be kept informed of police investigations. " The organisation is concerned that tension between the government and Tamil rebels could result in a return to violence against journalists. BBC Tamil Service correspondent Mailvaganam Nimalarajan was killed in October 2000 after receiving death threats from a paramilitary group. His killers have still not been brought to trial", it said. Mr. Manikavasagam correspondent for the daily Virakesari and for the Tamil service of the BBC, allegedly received a telephone threat on May 7 a few minutes after the BBC broadcast his interview with Anton Balasingham. He is said to have received a death threat from the unidentified caller who had said, " When we shoot you, you will know who we are". Mr. Manikavasagam
who was able to trace the call to the office of the EPRLF (Vardaraja
Perumal faction) had lodged a complaint with Vavuniya police. Following last week's threat Mr. Manikavasagam has fled Vavuniya fearing for his life. Reporters Without Borders has raised its concern stating that the death threat is the first in the 14 months of the ceasefire. However, EPRLF member T. Subarthan told The Sunday Times that the threat was not by an EPRLF member but by an outsider using the phone. 'EPRLF member Sivam occupies the office with his family at night. He also has a shop close by where he uses a cordless phone to send and receive calls on the same number. On that particular day around 10.00 p.m. he had received a call asking what his place was. He had replied that it was the EPRLF Vavuniya office. A second call had asked for his name which he had given. I was told of the threat incident by some journalist the following day. When I checked with Sivam he said that he had received only two calls", Mr. Subarthan said. Mr. Subarthan said a young mentally retarded boy is kept at the shop and there have been several instances where outsiders have used the cordless phone. "This boy is not a member of the party. He is kept to look after our poultry farm. There have been numerous complaints when others have used the phone. The police have questioned the boy acting on the complaint but he has not been able to give details such as time", Mr. Subarthan said, dismissing allegations that the threats were made by the EPRLF. "On May 13 , a member of TELO, a Tamil paramilitary group which is part of the Tamil National Alliance close to the LTTE, was shot dead in Vavuniya. The TELO had accused the EPDP another Tamil paramilitary group which has assisted the Government in fighting the LTTE, of the shooting. This shooting makes the threat against journalists all the more distressing as it marks a return to violence of a Tamil paramilitary group in Vavuniya", Reporters sans Frontieres said. Advisory
council to help workers Dr. Amunugama who has been made the patron of the Sri Lanka Clerical Service Association and the Sri Lanka Irrigation Service Association has now ventured into the arena of trade union politics. He said that workers affiliated to many other trade unions specially the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) and traditional left parties have come to him to discuss their problems which made him think of setting up this centre. Dr. Amunugama said he will only be setting this centre but its director will be a trade unionist. The centre would be ceremonially opened and operational next week. Its director is to be Mr. A. Samarasena while a team of lawyers including Nigel Hatch, Upali Karunathileke and Anura De Silva will provide the workers legal aid. According to sources close to Amunugama the move to set up this council is to facilitate the SLFP-JVP alliance efforts as the JVP has made strong demands on behalf of the rights of workers and stressed the need to break down traditional union structures. Tigers
exert their power in Jaffna The LTTE has ordered that barber saloons in Jaffna must close on Wednesdays and be kept open on Sundays. Any barber flouting this order would be fined Rs. 100. Meanwhile it is reported that the LTTE is collecting information on sports clubs and youth clubs in the Valikamam West and Sandilipay divisions in the Jaffna district. Names of office bearers and members and details of finances available to the clubs, are said to be of importance. Parents of youths who are members of these clubs are disturbed about this activity of the LTTE and are advising their children to keep away from the clubs. |
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