All UNP parliamentarians are to be briefed on progress and the proposals of the Select Committee on constituionals reforms, party sources said.
They said the move followed requests by several MPs who wanted to know the party’s position as regards certain crucial matters.
Former Minister and senior UNP parliamentarian A.C.S. Hameed, who is a member of the Select Committee, has been appointed by the party hierarchy to brief the MPs on the proposed reforms, the sources said. Besides this, the MPs will also be given training on public relations and media handling by recognised professionals. The UNP has also appointed two committees consisting of three MPs each to strengthen its trade union base and its interaction with universities. The sources said the UNP which recognised the trade union strength as one reason for the PA’s election successes could revamp the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS), the main trade union organ of the party, within the next few months. The party has also introduced a cluster system, bringing together two or three small divisional organisations, under one unbrella and thus producing grassroots level leadership.
A Russian national Taropov Victor (42) was found dead in the engine room of MV Tarasov SC. The post mortem examination held in Colombo revealed that death was due to natural causes.
Mr. Victor an engineer joined the ship when the vessel’s crew was changed in Dubai on May 30. In Qatar it was loaded with a consignment of fertilizer for Colombo, ship’s Chief officer Biabanvayer Igor (36) told City Coroner Edward Ahangama.
On their way to Colombo Mr. Victor was found fallen on the floor of the engine room unconscious. Although artificial respiration was given he died minutes later. The mishap happened about 40 knots to the Colombo Harbour on July 24, he added.
As the dead man was a married Mr. Bilanvayer Igor took charge of the body to be handed over to his wife.
Dr. (Mrs.) D.I.L. Ratnayake in her report stated that death was due to ischaemic heart disease. Mr. Ahangama returned a verdict of death due to natural causes.
Veteran
Tamil Journalist Pon. Rajagopal (65) passed away last Friday after a brief
illness.
Mr. Rajagopal who served at the Virakesari editorial for more than three decades had been functioning as the editor of the Virakesari weekly.
He was instrumental in launching a new Tamil daily "Thinakkural" and served as one of the directors of that newspaper until his death.
Rajagopal was a native of Vaddukoddai, Jaffna and visited several countries as a journalist.
His SLBC programme ‘Vivekachakkaram’ was popular.
After funeral rites at No. 19, St Kilda’s Lane, Kollupitiya yesterday, his body was handed over to the Sri Lanka Medical College.
The influential New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has written to President Kumaratunga urging her to repeal the Criminal Defamation laws in Sri Lanka.
In a statement, the CPJ said "democratic societies did not criminalise critical reporting - they tolerated and protected it."
The CPJ, a non-partisan organization representing thousands of journalists throughout the world condemns the use of Criminal Libel statutes.
"Criminal defamation laws are used to silence dissent against the governing regimes and shield public officials from criticism by the media. Such laws have no place in any country, and are specially to be condemned in a self-proclaimed democracy such as Sri Lanka." the CPJ said.
The text of the statement is as follows:
"The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its deep concern over the recent conviction of Sinha Ratnatunga, editor of the English Language weekly Sunday Times, on charges of criminal defamation brought against him under the Penal Code as well as the Press Council Law of Sri Lanka.
"On July 1, 1997, Colombo High Court Judge Upali Gunawardena convicted Mr. Ratnatunga for a gossip column item published in The Sunday Times of February 19, 1995 which spoke about you attending Parliament Deputy Asitha Perera’s late-night birthday party at a five-star hotel. The story prompted complaints from Your Excellency to the police that the article (which the paper later admitted was incorrect) was defamatory. A 12-month term was imposed under the Penal Code and a six month term was warranted under the Press Council Law provisions. Both sentences were suspended for seven years, according to Agence France Presse. Mr. Ratnatunga’s suspended jail term discourages him from investigative journalism because he would have to serve the sentence if he is convicted for another offence within the seven- year period.
"Although the recently appointed Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera, has promised to promote a democratic and liberal media culture in Sri Lanka, editors of three other newspapers are facing criminal defamation action after criticizing you. The CPJ takes the position that democratic societies do not criminalise critical reporting - they tolerate and protect it. The right to speak freely without fear of government reprisal is at the very heart of democracy.
"The CPJ, a nonpartisan organization devoted to the defence of the rights of working journalists around the world, condemns the use of criminal libel statutes. Criminal defamation laws are used to silence dissent against the governing regimes and shield public officials from criticism by the media. Such laws have no place in any country, and are especially to be condemned in a self proclaimed- democracy such as Sri Lanka.
"We respectfully urge you to use your influence to reverse the indictments against Sinha Ratnatunga. This prosecution represents a precedent in future cases filed against journalists for criminal defamation. Also, we appeal to your office to push for the repeal of the existing law on criminal defamation as the civil law in Sri Lanka is sufficient in the event of any person being allegedly defamed through the media"
Saudi Arabia has announced a three month amnesty for illegal residents from tomorrow - with scores of Asians, including Sri Lankans, weighing the option of surrendering to the authorities right away or facing stiff penalties later.
Thousands of illegal residents, commonly dubbed over-stayers, seek to make a fast buck here, either by getting shelter from local firms or by taking odd jobs and dodging the authorities.
There are nearly five million foreign workers in Saudi Arabia. More than two million of them are from South Asian countries, with some 300,000 Sri Lankans.
Indians, Pakistanis and Egyptians represent a fair percentage of all overseas workers from 190 foreign nationalities. The illegal over-stayers in the Kingdom are estimated at 100,000.
The Kingdom’s regional passport officers have been instructed to expedite the processing of exit visas of over-stayers.
According to passports chief Assad Abdul Karim al Furaih, the new drive to flush out over-stayers will also include penalties on those who shelter and employ them. "This is the last chance for these illegal residents to correct their status or leave the country," Major General Assad said.
Sheltering illegal workers means employing foreigners who have arrived here on the visa of one specific sponsor while actually working for another. This is reportedly a common practice among Sri Lankans who pay anything from Rs. 75,000 to 100,000 for a Gulf visa and end up with just about anybody in the region.
A similar drive in the United Arab Emirates last year had sent a large number of Sri Lankans securing a one way ticket back home.
Continue to the News/Comment page 4 - * Experimenting with political package , * Comparison of the Thirteenth Amendment with the present devolution proposals , * Short build up to the Accord
Return to the News/Comment contents page
| HOME PAGE | FRONT PAGE | EDITORIAL/OPINION | PLUS | TIMESPORTS
Please send your comments and suggestions on this web site to
info@suntimes.is.lk or to
webmaster@infolabs.is.lk