Odds & Ends

It is now more than a month since the Customs sealed a consignment of military type field rations imported by UNICEF as ready-to-eat-meals, but no one seems to know what is happening to the investigation. When we contacted Customs, responsible officials here said they initially held a meeting chaired by a senior Foreign Ministry official to arrive at an amicable solution attended by a UN supply official, as they were not prohibited products.

Since the entire consignment had been packed in military green it was suggested that they ask the UN organization to print in indelible ink on the packets its insignia and a general statement that it had been imported for the use of UN employees and not for resale or any other use. This was to ensure easy identification in case they fall into wrong hands. But they are yet awaiting the Foreign Ministry to follow up on this suggestion.

Last week our exclusive page one lead story was about the Government ordering out the Head of the controversial NGO Berghof Foundation, Norbert Ropers on security grounds. When it was learnt that he was still in Sri Lanka this week, we phoned him on Friday. Dr Ropers maintains that he got his residency visa extended this Monday despite the Government informing him in writing that it was not renewing it any further on December 28.

Unable to believe what we heard we contacted Immigration and Emigration Controller P.B. Abeykoon whether it is true that Dr Ropers’ visa had been extended, he denied doing any such thing.“I should know about it as it is I who extend visas”, Mr. Abeykoon said.

To be doubly sure we contacted the Prime Minister’s office to whom Dr Ropers had appealed against the Government decision. The reply we got from a top official there was “Believe the word of the Controller”. And to think that this NGO was here to teach ‘good governance’ to us yakkos.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama has found a perfect punishment for career diplomats from the time he assumed office, that is at least once a month all officers below the rank of Director General must do duty at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies.

What is so bad about it is that it is a grave yard shift from 4:30 p.m to 8:00 a.m and the work is to monitor foreign telecasts ranging from CNN, BBC to Doordharshan and NHK.

To avoid this dreaded duty some married officers even resort to submitting medicals, but such acts only lead to some others having to do this duty more than once a month. This monitoring station even has a hotline 0777390033 on which it can be reached for information, but hardly anyone in the Ministry make use of it in this day and age of the internet and 24 hour cable TV in their homes. The only person who is not aware of this reality is the Minister, insiders say.

And talking of things foreign, the Ministry had the occasion to welcome the New Year twice over; once when the staff had their traditional kiri buth on Jan.1, and the other on the 3rd when the Minister had returned from abroad. While the first event was a sombre one with staff wishing each other, the second was akin to a tamasha with the Minister around. Only that it co-incided with the tragic bombing of a military bus resulting in the death of school children while the party went on.

A story posted on the official government news portal of Sri Lanka to the effect that a special meeting of the APRC was to be held on Saturday turned out to be a huge blunder. The story had surfaced after a reporter called up the chairman of the APRC Prof.Tissa Vitarana and inquired about his reaction to the abrogation of the CFA.

The Minister had said hisParty would meet on Saturday and issue a statement on the matter. However the reporter misunderstood him and posted the story stating the APRC was holding a special meeting. The Minister has since been inundated with calls from journalists inquiring about the meeting, which of course never took place.