6th, Octomber 1996

The Computer and Information Technology Council of Sri Lanka (CINTEC) which has undertaken many pioneering ventures in the past to facilitate and encourage the growth of the IT, has embarked on another pioneering venture with the establishment of an Information Technology Law Center.

The Center is managed by the working committee on Law and Computer, says a press release. The center will be ceremonially inaugurated by Bernard Soysa Minister of Science and Technology and Hon.

Professor G.L.Peiris, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Deputy Minister of Finance. The inauguration will be followed by a seminar on Commercial Fraud and Computer Crime to be held on October 12 , from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hotel Intercontinental. Proposals for legislation on commercial fraud and computer crime will be discussed at this seminar which will also be a forum for the public to express their views on the proposals.

The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) will hereafter decide monthly whether it will vote for or against the monthly extension of the emergency.

According to a press release, this decision would be taken on the basis of a monitoring of the emergency.

The press release adds that there have been occasions when the LSSP, though a constituent member of the People's Alliance, has demonstrated its position through abstention from voting in parliament on matters in which it had reservations.

According to the press release, in April when the government imposed the emergency throughout the country, the LSSP saw no justification for this, and as the government was assured of a majority in parliament, the LSSP felt free to demonstrate its position on the matter by not voting for the proclamation of the state of emergency, when it came for ratification by parliament.

Four soldiers were killed and one wounded in a confrontation between the LTTE and troops in the Thennamarachchi division in Jaffna yesterday.

The incident occurred when a group of terrorists attempted to infiltrate the forward defenses in the area. The terrorists suffered heavy casualties from security forces' fire, it was confirmed.

Meanwhile, three civilians were injured in a cycle bomb explosion at Ariyampathi in the Batticaloa district.

Government doctors have flatly rejected a new circular sent by the Minister of Health requiring medical officers at the OPD to sign in and out on a register from December 1.

Minister A.H.M. Fowzie has warned that any OPD doctor who does not sign this register will face a pay cut. A spokesman for the Government Medical Officers Association said yesterday they would ignore the circular and if any pay cut was imposed, serious action would be taken.

He said most doctors maintained a diary where they marked their arrival and departure times. The GMOA felt that was quite adequate as nowhere in the world were doctors called upon to sign in and out.

About 600 illegal immigrants have returned from UAE last week the Advisory Council of the Labor Ministry said.

It said another 1000 Lankans are awaiting departure.

The Sri Lankan embassy in Dubai claimed that well over 5000 Lankans returned before September 30.

The UAE government announced recently that illegal immigrants must either legalize their stay or leave.

Janashakthi Life Insurance Company Ltd., will open its 77th area development office at premises No. 150A 1/6, 3rd Floor, Novelty Building, High Level Road, Nugegoda tomorrow. This area development office will be declared open by Jude Seneviratne Mayor of Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has taken up with his Belgium counterpart, the issue about a child sex scandal involving Belgian paedophiles and Lankan children.

Mr. Kadirgamar at a meeting with the Belgian foreign Minister in NewYork recently discussed reports that the aleged Belgian child sex operator Marc Dutroux had links with an orphanage in Negombo.

" The Sunday Times" learns that Belgium had earlier sought a report from its mission here about the Lankan connections of the international child rapist.

According to reports the illegal orphanages had been providing local children to paedophiles visiting the country and the children were taken to a hotel in Sigiriya. Some of the children also had been smuggled out of the country.

Intarpol assistance has also been sought to investigate the links between the paedophiles in Belgium and Sri Lankan operators.

"The Sunday Times' of August 25 revealed details about two Swedish paedophiles operating in Sri Lanka.

Residents of Meegastenna and Senarathwela villages in the electoral district of Teldeniya, who had to obtain bank loans to wire their houses, are still waiting for electricity connections. The divisional electrical office has not taken any steps to connect them to the power lines. These residents are therefore inconvenienced due to non supply of electricity.

Some of the chief occupants of these houses came to the "Sunday Times' office on Wednesday, and requested the media to help them to get the power supply, by drawing the attention of authorities there.