UNP runs into more violence in Kurunegala

By M.Ismeth and Dilrukshi Handunneththi

The political violence which erupted in Eppawela on Friday spilled over to Kurunegala yesterday when a gunman wielding an automatic weapon was arrested at a UNP meeting amidst other incidents, opposition sources said.

The UNP which held three meetings in Giribawa, Galgamuwa and Moragolla yesterday ran into fallen trees and burning tyres on the road, while some residents said they had been threatened not to attend the meeting.

The arrest of the gunman alleged to be the security officer of a PA politico was made while Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was leaving the meeting.

On Friday, several houses and vehicles were torched at Eppawela, Galnewa and Kalawewa in what was seen in opposition circles as an anti-UNP onslaught by PA supporters to disrupt the UNP organised demonstrations against the sale of the Eppawela phosphate mines to a foreign company.

Violence erupted when several employees of Lanka Phosphates on Thursday were putting up posters against the sale of the mines. PA supporters are alleged to have surrounded and attacked them.

In this connection, the Thambuttegama Magistrate had issued warrants for the arrest of four North-Central Provincial Council members and a police officer, after a complaint had been lodged by the NCP Chief Minister Jayasena Dissanayake.

Mr. Dissanayake told The Sunday Times he had to go to courts as the Senior police superintendent of the area did not care to entertain his complaint.

Some of the vehicles used in the attack belonged to PA members and one particular vehicle belonged to a VVIP, it is alleged.

Mr. Dissanayake charged that some service personnel who had come from Colombo in civvies were also involved in the attack.

Citing the death threat on Sunday Times Consultant Editor Iqbal Athas, the Chief Minister said it now seem to be a growing trend for some service personnel top come in civvies and attack civilians.

Meanwhile, UNP General Secretary Gamini Atukorale fired off a tough letter to Police Chief W.B. Rajaguru on Friday demanding that full security be given to the UNP rally presided over by Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He referred to the alleged attack on NCP Councillor A. Jayatilleke by armed thugs at the UNP office Kekirawa, and several other attacks on UNP organisers and Pradeshiya Sabha members.

Complaints have already been lodged with the police from the Thambuttegama, Talawa and Eppawala areas that UNP supporters and activists have been assaulted by armed PA goons.

Mr. Atukorale also said he had reliable information that these acts of violence were directed and co-ordinated by interested parties from high places to prevent or disrupt the UNP meeting.

Speaking from opposite the Lanka Phosphates site, Mr. Wickremesinghe accused the government of destroying industry, culture and agriculture of this country. Mr. Wickremesinghe said that as Minister of Industries he had opposed any moves to hand over the Eppawala mines to a foreign company. Ms. Kumaratunga also had earlier vowed that a foreign company would be allowed to take over the mines only over her dead body.

CEB unions: tell us what pay report says or...

The Joint Front of The Ceylon Electricity Board Trade Unions will resort to trade union action next week demanding CEB officials to make public a committee report on salary anomalies.

Last Thursday, the unions picketed opposite the CEB protesting against the failure to make public the report.

The Ceylon Electricity Board, a few months back, requested an independent consultant group to report on salary reforms for the workers. The report which was handed over to the CEB Board is yet to be implemented. The trade unions demand that the report be circulated among them to study the proposals.

President of the JFCEB, L. Nelson told The Sunday Times that they had a right to see the report before it is implemented as it concerns their welfare.

'We have been informed that the proposals are not for our benefit. This is unfair. We should be given a chance to air our views. It is public money which paid for the report. We have all the right to demand the report,' he said. He added that as no assurance was forthcoming they will resort to trade union action.

"We will have a committee meeting on Tuesday and take action. So far we have not got any assurance that the report would be released. We have not been officially informed of a date to discuss the matter,' he added.

However, Vice Chairman CEB Neil Perera told 'The Sunday Times' that a special Board meeting will be held on Thursday to discuss the committee report. He dismissed the trade union action as irresponsible and unjustifiable.

VIP chopper turns girls in white, brown

Who was this spoil sport?

By Shelani de Silva

Musaeus College girls were thrown into a panic during their annual inter house sports meet held at the Race Course in Colombo on Wednesday when they were given just three minutes to evacuate the grounds to make way for a helicopter carrying a VIP to land.

The primary students who were all lined up for the march past and the prize giving , were caught up in a cloud of dust and were seen running for cover when the chopper landed.

The girls had no idea of what was happening and panicked only to see a top VIP getting off the chopper and driving away, while they in their white uniforms (now turned brown) tried to settle down.

According to Musaeus Principal Nita Pilapitiya, a squad of security officials had marched on to the grounds and told them to move the children to a side in three minutes.

"We were shocked, but obliged. Suddenly a helicopter emerged in a huge cloud of smoke. The children panicked initially but later settled down and we got on with the sports meet," she said.

A Police state in the making, Editors warn

The Editors' Guild has said it is of the opinion that due to escalating incidents of the use of strong-arm tactics against journalists there appears to be a drift towards a Police-state.

The Guild also said that the Government, unfortunately, "is gaining currency as one that is becoming increasingly insensitive to media freedom".

In a strongly worded statement issued by its Secretary, The Editors' Guild states:

"The Editors' Guild of Sri Lanka views with utmost concern the escalating instances of the use of strong-arm tactics against journalists and the rapidly deteriorating climate for a free media.

"A fortnight ago, the Guild called upon the government to "closely investigate and identify the forces responsible" for a night raid by armed men on the residence of The Sunday Times Consultant Editor and Defence Correspondent Iqbal Athas, and stated that it is the obligation of the concerned authorities to ensure that journalists can engage in their legitimate duties..."

"It is distressing to note that despite assurances by the Media Minister for a "full investigation" into that raid, it took the CID 13 days to record a statement from Mr Athas.

"In sharp contrast, however, the CID moved at the speed of greased lightning to visit the offices of the 'Silumina' to record statements on the very day of publication, i.e., February 22, from the Associate Editor and two Reporters who wrote an investigative article on LTTE activities in the plantations.

"Under the guise of seeking assistance for information, the CID officers have been, in fact, pursuing the reporters' sources and continued this line of questioning for three consecutive days. When the reporters Keerthi Mendis and Prasanna Fonseka steadfastly refused to divulge their sources, the CID then extended their interrogations to the driver of the vehicle that took the reporters to the plantation areas, opening dangerous new ground in hounding sources.

"The previous week, uniformed policemen at Aranayake had the audacity to torture a young reporter from the Dinamina, Mr Pradeep Kumara Dharmaratne for exposing the proliferation of illicit liquor (Kasippu) in the area. Having forcibly entered the house in which he was sleeping, the police took him away in a vehicle to the police station in the middle of the night.

"After mercilessly assaulting Mr Dharmaratne, the police then attempted to frame him by placing his finger-prints on the liquor barrels and produced the journalist before a Magistrate who released him on Rs.15,000 bail.

"The Guild salutes the courage of this young provincial correspondent and while welcoming the swift response by the authorities to interdict the OIC of the Aranayake Police Station calls for stringent punishment on all officers involved in this despicable episode.

"The Guild also condemns Ports Minister M H M Ashraff's recent remarks on the conduct of the Editor of Thinakaran, the threat to burn its newspapers and his request to have the Parliament pass of the Thinakaran Lobby Correspondent withdrawn.

"The Guild is of the opinion that the aforesaid incidents indicate a drift towards a Police State, and that this Government, unfortunately, is gaining currency as one that is becoming increasingly insensitive to media freedom."

US Peace Corps volunteers to leave by Friday

By Christopher Kamalendran

The well-known and someties controversial US government volunteer organisation Peace Corps is pulling out of Sri Lanka next week in view of what military analysts see as unconfortable risks for its staff here, The Sunday Times learns.

Some 48 personnel working for this organisation, earlier dubbed in socialist circles as a front for the CIA in the cold war era, will be leaving by Friday, informed sources said.

Peace Corps Project Co-ordinator Scott Duncan declined comment on whether or why the group was pulling out, but The Sunday Times learns that it is linked to the rcent US ban on the LTTE and the bomb attacks here.

The Peace Corps, working here for several decades, has carried out community service, rural development and English education projects in urban and village areas.

Meanwhile, the United States Embassy yesterday confirmed a decision was close to being taken on suspending U.S. Peace Corps operations in Sri Lanka because of recent security considerations.

"The decision has not been finalised to temporarily suspend Peace Corps operations in Sri Lanka, but a decision is expected soon," Steve Kraft, the embassy's acting spokesperson, told The Sunday Times. "This decision would be based on the overall security situation in Sri Lanka as it affects Peace Corps volunteers."

The U.S. Government, according to diplomatic and military observers, has been closely monitoring security of Peace Corps operations in Sri Lanka, as is normal in the 86 other countries where the governmental organisation has sent its volunteers on field missions. But, recently, Washington, alarmed by a new spate of LTTE attacks in the capital and south of the country, began to raise doubts over the safety of those 52 volunteers.

Mr. Kraft said there was no way to tell when the Peace Corps might resume its programmes in Sri Lanka, should it actually pull out. But, he added, such a move would only represent an isolated case which would neither jeopardise U.S.-Sri Lankan ties or American interests here.

"If such a decision is reached, it would have no relation with the policies of the Sri Lankan Government or the state of US-Lankan relations which are good," he said. "It would also not affect other U.S. government agencies in Sri Lanka, and would not impact on those U.S. citizens living or travelling in Sri Lanka who we keep regularly informed."

Kandy MC condemn threat to newsmen

By J.A.L. Jayasinghe

The death threat on 'The Sunday Times' consultant editor Iqbal Athas and the assault on Dinamina reporter Pradeep Kumara Dharmaratne recently were roundly condemned by members of the Kandy Municipal Council at a meeting on Friday.

Members belonging to both the UNP and the PA were very critical of what they termed as a new trend to silence journalists.

UNP councillor L. B. Aluvihare said Mr. Athas' Situation Report in The Sunday Times must be irking some people who want to suppress facts on the war.

Deputy opposition leader Sena Dissanayake of the PA said irrespective of party differences, all should unite and condemn the attacks on journalists. He urged that the people responsible for the attacks on the two journalists must be brought to book.

UNP's Edmund Silva asked whether Mr. Athas was threatened because of the exposures in his column about the Air Force.

"Are those people who were exposed in his articles getting a bit jittery?" Mr. Silva asked calling all councillors to condemn "the idiotic way of suppressing the truth and threatening journalists."

UNP throws corruption challenge

The UNP has welcomed President Chandrika Kumaratunga's request from Government MPs to list out instances of alleged corruption and inefficiency in Ministries and Departments.

In a statement issued Friday, the UNP says it was delighted to read the President's comments in The Island of February 27 when a delegation of government MPs met her, and pledged to extend its full co-operation towards this end.

The statement says:

With a view fully to co-operate with Her Excellency in her endeavours to rid her administration of corruption, which she has consistently complained of herself, and while her MPs take time to prepare an inventory of such items which we expect will occupy them for a considerable time, we make haste to place at her disposal for immediate action some notorious instances of corruption.

We offer the following inventory of corruption in the Government for remedial action by the President as proof of our willingness to co-operate with her in her pursuit of good governance: Saline episode, Thavakkal scandal, Galle harbour tender, gas privatization, privatization of Steel Corporation, payment irregularities on the Hilton deal, phosphate scandal, privatization of plantations, defence equipment for Navy and Air Force, misappropriation of dry rations to Jaffna , sub-standard Triple injection, locomotive scandal, issues connected with cement shortage, Hiring of fisheries trawlers, National Insurance, purchasing of HPT building, rice racket, wheat racket, P&O privatization, irregularities of fertilizer purchasing, Customs frauds by Stassens, Issues connected with Pelwatte/Sevanagala, thermal power plant at Kelanitissa, OLL deal, Telecom privatization, World Tel scandal, textile quotas/Sitawaka industrial park.

Asia Siyaka now in business

Asia Siyaka Commodities (Pvt) Limited, the new joint venture between Siyaka and Asia Capital obtained its licence as a produce broker from the Tea Board after some initial resistence from Forbes and Walkers Ltd., from which 14 senior executives quit in early February.

Tea Board Director General R.Maligaspe issued the licence on Thursday after it was duly ratified and unanimously approved by the Board.

The Board comprises Clifford Ratwatte (Chairman) Chandra Wijenaike (Ex Chairman, Planters Association), Michael Soysa (Chairman CTTA), Rohan Illangaratne (Chairman TSHDA), Padma Nanayakkara (Chairman, Private Tea Factory owners Association), Ajit Goonathillaka and representatives of the Ministry of Plantation Industries, Trade and shipping.

The licence was obtained following a stalling operation where lawyers on behalf of Forbes and Walkers — a company with 118 years of brokering experience — made legal objections to Asia Siyaka entering the Colombo Tea auctions.

A petition filed in the Court of Appeal restraining the Tea Board issuing the licence also failed when the Court refused the restraining order.

Ravi Kumararatne of Asia Siyaka told The Sunday Times yesterday that they were now in operation and that tea is being delivered to their warehouses.

The Colombo Tea Traders' Association has also accepted Asia Siyaka membership, Mr. Kumararatna said, adding " We are in business now".

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