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What is the official death toll?
There is dispute within the Government's main post tsunami relief body on the death toll in the disaster.

At a press briefing held at the Centre for National Operations (CNO) on Wednesday, journalists wanted the figure clarified. Dr. Tara De Mel who heads the CNO said it was 30,920 while Thilak Ranavirajah who heads one CNO task force said it was 39,000 but there was no agreement between them on the exact figure. Several foreign correspondents pressed for a clarification which prompted Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar to query why they were so obsessed with the death toll.

The reason, they pointed out was that their agencies were eager to know the official government death toll and are asking why there are two different numbers being released by one government.

Toilets at places of worship
Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara was among the invitees at a seminar on the "Future of peace process in the post tsunami disaster" in Colombo yesterday. Mr.Lokubandara said he had not come prepared to speak on the subject but said there was one matter he needed to raise.

He said that thousands of people were flocking to temples, churches, kovil and mosques in the post-tsunami era but these places were seriously lacking in toilet facilities.

The Speaker suggested that at least some of the tsunami money be used to put up toilets. Maybe he was thinking of the next tsunami, which would once again turn these places of worship into refugee camps.

New precedent?
During the recently concluded convocation of the Batalanda military staff college held at the BMICH, the seating arrangements on the day has led to some unpleasantness among some in the military hierarchy.

The three forces commanders were given seats on the stage but the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence was not given this honour. The Secretary has now written to the Army Commander and said that this was not in keeping with convention and queried if a new precedent was being set.

Sharp response
The media release of Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) expressing concern regarding corruption and misappropriation of funds within the government drew a sharp response from at least one Ministry, namely the one assigned to the task of relief, rehabilitation and reconciliation.

The Communications Director of the Ministry Dihan Hettige has called the TISL allegation a "concerted and coordinated effort to discredit the government for partisan and political gain. " Strangely it was a TISL report that President Chandrika Kumaratunga quoted in her now famous speech which labelled both the Police and Judiciary as the most corrupt institutions in the country.

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