Damitha's writing

By Damitha Hemachandra

Certain death hangs over the Gilimale Forest Reserve where nearly 200 giants fell in the name of power.
Today the Gilimale Forest Reserve is no more a safe haven for many endemic and endangered flora and fauna. It had been ravaged by power crazy politicians and pusillanimous government officials, who visibly violated the Forest Ordinance (FO) and National Environment Act (NEA) by giving into the power play of politicians.
Thus Gilimale forest reserve, once rated among the top ten biodiversity hotspots in Sri Lanka, which in turn is rated among the top five Biodiversity hotspots in the world, is a giant dying a slow death, a fortress failing its small but important populace.
It all started in September 2004 when a quick clearance was given to a company to build a mini hydropower project (MHPP) within the Gillimale reserve after clearing its’ path through a mere Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), which is after the August 2000, amendments to the NEA is close to public scrutiny and comment.
Despite the fact that clearance of land within a Forest Reserve with a high environment importance would require a full Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), the Central Environment Authority (CEA) had rushed the IEE process, granting approval even without involving the Forest Department, which should have played the role of a project approval agency (PAA).
The Forest Department was kept in the dark during the project approval period although none can enter a forest reserve without the approval of the Chief Forest Conservator.
Not only an IEE was heavily inadequate to portray the environment importance of the Gilimale Forest Reserve but also the IEE approved by the CEA undermined the importance of Gillimale immensely.
Nowhere in the IEE it mentions that Gilimale is a part of an important ecological system including Horton Plains and Peak Wilderness, a water shed, which provides the lower country with a sustainable supply of water and it happily overlooks the fact that the reserve is the home to too many endemic and endangered flora and fauna species including all the 21 bird species endemic to the country, Stemanophorous Gilimalensis, an endemic endangered plant only found in Gilimale and Relic ant (Aneuretus simoni), a living fossil and the first invertebrate to be listed under the IUCN world red list. It has been recorded only from Sri Lanka and it still survives in Gillimale and Pompakelle, a secondary forest in Ratnapura district. It also does not mention the fact both Stemanophorous and Relic Ant are extremely sensitive to direct sunlight and fragmentation and clearance of forest in the middle of the reserve could spell death for them. The IEE fails to investigate the damages of fragmentation, forest clearance and possibility of the introduction of invasive plants to the reserve and their effect on the plants and animals.
Thus it had failed to perform its duty, which should be clear to any mortal by its name yet the land required for the construction of the MHPP was released through a cabinet paper without any delay under a long term lease of 15 to 30 years under the benefaction of Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the clearance of a land patch within the forest reserve started unknown to the general public and the Forest Department.
The first part of the story seems to be too good to be true to a normal entrepreneur, who has to fight the bureaucratic red tape at each step in a project approval process but this project happens to be owned by the wife and brother of a politician turned cricketer.
Thus armed with government sponsorship the project developer went about to deprive the reserve of nearly 150 trees, which stood most probably half millennium but it did not stop there. The same power play was used again in October 2005 to pass a second cabinet decision granting approval for further forest clearance, this time to clear the forest for electric cables, which joins the MHPP to the main grid.
Again the approval was granted in the same haphazard manner this time sans an IEE but through a cabinet paper. The cabinet paper was presented by Former Minister of Finance and Industry and Investment Promotion and the letters announcing the cabinet decision was sent to Ministries Finance, Industry and Investment Promotion and Power and Energy and not to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. The letters were sent by the Secretary General of Investment and Project Facilitation Secretariat and not by the cabinet secretary contradicting the normal procedure.
However the Chief Forest Conservator was called upon this instance to give permission to clear the necessary path and he contradicting the provisions of the FO and NEA had given off hand permission without first conducting an EIA or an IEE.
He, according to Environmental Lawyer Jagath Gunewardhana had obeyed a cabinet decision, which superseded the law of the country and only the judiciary could decide the legality shrouding this aspect.
Yet to Gunewardhana one thing is as clear as crystal – the IEE procedures introduced by the amendment 53 to the NEA in year 2000- should be reversed to its former position.
“ The amendment 53 which removed the IEE process from public comment was a god sent for all anti-environmentalists,” he points out.
“ It had during the last five years had helped to destroy the environment dissimilar to any other regulation. It had got bad projects approved and left the public voice out,” he said.
Gilimale may be among many things a good example of the failing IEE system and the role of CEA in Environment Impact Assessment and the calibre of the evaluators.
The necessity of the CEA always involving a PAA, which has a specialised knowledge about the site and subject, in the IEE process, is clearly highlighted in this case. If the Forest Department and the Wildlife Department was involved during the IEE process of the Power Project it would have been difficult to miss out the forest’s great biological importance. The IEE performed for the project mentions no evaluator yet again raising a question of his or her competence.
According to Gunewardhana there is no clear clarification recommending an IEE or an EIA for a specific type of project. A project would be recommended for an EIA based on the revealing of the IEE or presentations made during the public comments. However not many projects with only an IEE had reached the EIA level after the amendment.
“ Today an IEE had become the easiest way to deceive the public and conceal a bad project from regulations, environment organisations and authorities,” he said.
Meanwhile the Forest Department officials said that they have granted the approval for the project only after consulting the Attorney General’s Department and after being assured of the legality of the cabinet decision while the CEA refused to comment on the particular IEE and the IEE process. A legal battle is also on questioning the legality of the cabinet decision and its ability to supersede the law of the country while the giants at Gillimale awaits a certain death in the hands of power.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Thursday, July 28, 2005


Jatika Hela Urumaya said it would support Mahinda Rajapakse as SLFP’s presidential candidate if he was prepared to publicly accept the five concepts adopted at last month’s National Conference.
JHU frontliner Champaka Ranawaka said the five concepts call for the denouncing and preventing terrorism of any sort in the country, recognizing the sovereignty of Sri Lanka, granting state protection to Buddhism as demanded in the Constitution, cessation of selling natural resources to foreigners and amending the present parliamentary electoral system and executive presidency through democratic means.
“We believe this is the wish of many Sri Lankans and if the Prime Minister is ready to give public assurance he would follow the five concepts we would support him”, Mr. Ranawaka said adding that any leader who upholds the five concepts would be supported by the JHU.
After the JHU national conference held at Nugegoda the JHU handed over lists of the five concepts to leaders of the main political parties including Premier Rajapakse and UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Tuesday, July 26, 2005

The Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU) yesterday protested the government’s attempts to dilute the Sri Lankan Army by transferring and reappointing Army and intelligence top brasses to service pool, administration levels and Foreign Service.

Reacting to the appointment of top notch Intelligence office Major General Kapila Hendawitharana as Sri Lankan ambassador to Thailand JHU pointed that the government is supplementing the 22 year old attempt by LTTE to destabilise the sovereignty of Sri Lanka and gaining an Eelam in North and East.
Highlighting previous cases where top brasses of Army had been transferred out of context giving into the pressure by LTTE and TNA, JHU General Secretary Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera urged the Military and public to rise against the sudden transfers of the top military brasses, which could weaken the country military line up.
“The LTTE continues to hunt down Military and Intelligence officers while hiding behind a one-sided Cease Fire Agreement (CFA),” he said adding that the government move is in assistance to the LTTE.
Ven. Thera also pointed out that the present inertness of the Sri Lankan government in defending the interest of Sri Lankan military insults the 18,000 military personals who died and 25,000 who were disabled while protecting the sovereignty of the country.

Meanwhile North and East Sinhala Organisation (NESO) writing to the President and Joint Military Operation Head, Daya Sandagiri also urged them to stop the lightening transfers of the top military and intelligence officials in the North and East, interrupting the present ground defence operation implemented by them.
They urged the President not to provide security to LTTE members while they are launching violent attacks against the Sri Lankan Army, Police and Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil civilians.
NESO also urged the President Kumaratunga and Navy Commander Vice Admiral Sandagiri to grant approval for the Military forces to fire back when confronted by LTTE as self defence and to provide weapons to unarmed intelligence members of the Sri Lankan Army.
While pointing out that the LTTE violence against innocent civilians in the North and East in increasing daily, NESO requested the government grant permission for the civilians to carry weapons for self defence.

Friday, July 22, 2005

The employees who are working at the Timber Corporation on a temporary and casual basis are on a fast unto death protest urging the Environment Minister to make their service permanent.
The workers, who had been employed from the year 2001, had been working for a monthly allowance of Rs. 2500 but had to perform duties similar to those of the permanent employees.
A Timber Corporation Trade Union official pointed out that the Minister had not taken any interest to provide a permanent solution to their problems and now the situation had worsened. He urged the minister to provide an immediate solution to the problem.
However Environment Minister A.H.M.Fowzie said that it was not possible to make this group of workers permanent since there was a shortage of workmen at the Timber Corporation.
The Minister pointed out that most of these workers did not fall under the purview of the recent decision by the Ministry of Public Administration to make the services of the temporary employees permanent. If they had met the required service period and if their service was in demand these workers would have been made permanent.

W@W talks to diver and award winning photographer Nishamini Jinadasa about why it is important to conserve Sri Lanka’s coral reefs

By Damitha Hemachandra

She was inspired to take up diving after watching the movie ‘Great Barrier Reef’ at the age of seven and today after almost two decades she had crossed the seven seas in search of wonderful marine life.
“That film settled an interest in diving and inspired me to take it up. While I was visiting Australia I got my diving license in 1995,” she says.
Today holding a ten year old license to dive Nishamani Jinadasa is a prominent female diver and an amateur under water photographer who has dived at almost all the hot spots in the world including Papua New Guinea, Maldives, California and Sri Lanka.
Her collection of photographs capturing unique behaviour patterns of fish and other sea creatures found around the coasts of Sri Lanka and abroad goes to show what a fine scuba diver and photographer she really is.
Despite Nishamani’s daily job in the finance stream, she has an impressive diving record. Her flair for photography had earned her international recognition at two international competitions she participated in.
Nishamani won her first laurel at Sipadan Islands in Malaysia in 2000.
She had participated at an under water photography and videography competition which was held in Sipadan to boost the diving tourism that was threatened by the kidnapping of 21 American divers holidaying in the area some time ago.
“I participated in the competition since I was longing to dive at Sipadan and I was one of the few amateurs,” she recalled.
Her under water video won the second prize and she was the only amateur, Asian female to win the award.
Later while she was attending the wedding of two Canadian diving buddies,
two of her under water pictures were selected to be exhibited among 200 others at “29th Festival of Underwater Pictures” held annually in Antibes, south of France.
“It was a double festival since I was on the way to Canada to celebrate the wedding of my diving buddies,” she said.
Diverting to the exciting underwater world Nishamani revealed as to how she was diving in North Indonesia while the tsunami struck.
“I was returning to land after an evening dive and the boat was constantly stopped by heavy traffic disturbing my nap. We were unaware of the disaster then and I got to know only after I returned to my hotel,” she said.
Talking of her future plans Nishamani talks of taking up caged diving with Great White Sharks and Ice diving in Antarctica with enthusiasm.
“I’m waiting for some free time ,” she says.
Nishamani held her third photographic exhibition in Sri Lanka recently with a view to enhancing public interest and awareness in protecting corals and marine life around the island. Her exhibition also involved an art exhibition for children; where the children were invited to draw what they saw at the exhibition with a view to inspire interest in conservation at a tender age.
“I realised that despite many campaigns and awareness programmes, adults are finding it hard to grasp the concepts of conservation while children -if moved by the beauty and sensitiveness of nature – would continue to protect it,”
She is saddened that coral reefs of Sri Lanka had not retained their beauty like the ones around Papua New Guinea and Australia.
“Sri Lanka could have a better collection of corals and a wider reef than Australia or Maldives if not for the heavy pollution,” she said.
Despite the fact that she obtained a license in 1995 Nishamani had started diving around Sri Lanka only around 1998/9
“I was saddened by seeing Great Plains of dead coral under water around Sri Lanka,” she said adding that it was this experience which triggered her to initiate conservation attempts. While trying to increase awareness by holding photographic exhibitions, she also has plans to establish an organisation called CORAL or Conservation of Reefs Around Lanka with a view to increase awareness.
“During my trips to diving spots in Sri Lanka I try to educate the public of evils of bad practices like dynamite fishing, over fishing and coral mining,” she said.
CORAL seeks to increase awareness among the coastal population through exhibitions and education programmes and thus lead to sustainable environment management among fisherman and people living around the coasts.
“Since the country does not have a strict monitoring system and law enforcement personnel protecting marine reserves the best we could do is to educate the public and let them take care of the resources,” she said.
Distributing packets of crayons to children who took part in her art competition Nishamani hopes that they would always remember the beauty found in the corals and marine life around it.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Chitrasena, a legendary dancer who won the hearts of not only Sri Lankans but millions of dance lovers the world over died yesterday at the age of 84.
In line with his wishes Chitrasena was cremated last evening at the Borella cemetery and he stepped into immortality in the simple and humble way he lived.
His dance performances during an unparalleled career spanning more than half a century have placed Sri Lanka on the world map. He did for Sri Lankan dance what Uday Shankar had done for Indian dance.
Son of Seerbert Dias, an actor and director of Shakespeare plays who is remembered for the role of Shylock, Chitrasena was encouraged by his father to learn dancing and acting from a young age. He was sent to Santiniketan where his talent flowered. And the handsome, young and gifted Chitrasena later on studied Kathakali from Guru Gopinath and introduced the element of rasa, and the flavour of story-telling into Sinhala dances, transforming the traditional ritual dances into stage presentations of great beauty.
"I intended to make them contemporary. The vitality, the strength and the beauty of the native dance-forms presented in nightlong perfor-mances had to be made stage worthy for people to relish them", Chitrasena said at the age of 82 last year still with fire in his belly. At the National Gallery when an exhibition was held last year Chitrasena got up and joined his dancer-wife Vajira, daughters Anjelika and Upeka and grand-daughters Heshma and Thajing and his students of Chitrasena Kalayathanaya, and executed some movements with indefinable grace. It was sheer magic.
The dancers' leaps, whirls and perfect landing on the beat of a time cycle, to the brilliant drumming by six drummers and the energetic execution of movements kept the vast gathering at the edge of their seats. The Kohomba Kankaria, the Perahera, the processional dances with dancers in silver hats and ornaments, their shining black bodies and fantastic energy, all imbued with contemporary elements, transformed by the genius of Chitrasena, are now famous worldwide.
Chitrasena, along with wife Vajira and their daughters, had dedicated his life to the cause of dance. He has travelled and performed all over the world. His famous ballets Karadiya, Nala Damayanti and Kinkini Kolama are remembered in several countries. Travelling down memory lane, one recalled the truth in the words of Nirupam Sen, the Indian High Commissioner: "Countries like the GDR, the U.S.S.R. and others are no more, nor are their ideologies. But artists like Chitrasena transcend time and space and geographical boundaries, performing and giving delight to thousands of people the world over." It was no exaggeration.
Chitrasena rightly belongs to the select class of pioneers in Sri Lanka, as Prof. Bandula Jayawardhana perceptively put it: "What Wickramasinghe was to literature, Ediriweera Sarathchandra to drama, George Keyt to painting, Lester James Peiris to films, Amardeva to music, Chitrasena is to dance." For Chitrasena dance and life are not separate. And he has passed on this message to one and all. His love for India and his respect for Indian classical dance traditions and its exponents is also transparent. He drew inspiration from Uday Shankar and his own performances of Arjuna are a tribute to Uday Shankar. Looking at the photos of Chitrasena and his wife Vajira leaping in the air one feels it is suggestive of a symbolic leap-- the leap to liberate Sinhala dance from its shackles and to extend the scope of the tradition with contemporary life.
There was an unfortunate incident in Chitrasena's life when, on account of political shenanigans, his house where hundreds of his students studied dance, was pulled down. He was heartbroken! However the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who was at one time his disciple, gave him a lovely plot of land to build his Chitrasena Kalayathanaya. He is a never-say-die artist and to quote a well-known critic: "Like a high priest whose temple lies desecrated, he waits in quiet dignity. He awaits the fruition of his dreams, the rebuilding of his temple of the dance. Beneath the calm exterior lies a restless spirit, a dynamo that waits to be unleashed. A creative artist of his stature is bound to realise his dream".

Monday, July 18, 2005

The Health Ministry on Friday put the public on alert again against dengue with 405 dengue cases being reported in June with 99 cases being reported from Colombo.
The high numbers compared with the low numbers in past months is blamed on the present rain pattern of long periods of rain interspersed with dry days accelerating the spread of mosquitoes.
Meanwhile the Health Ministry also reported 14 deaths from dengue during the last six months with 10 deaths being reported from Colombo.
The government allocated Rs. Three million for each district for dengue control programmes and Health Ministry officials pledged to continue the mosquito control work in each district to bring down the numbers.
According to Health Ministry officials year 2005 had seen a 73% deduction of dengue cases and deaths compared to last year.
Since last year the Health Ministry had handed over the dengue control and prevention programmes to a group headed by an epidemiologist based in each district to bring about the claimed results.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Saturday, July 16, 2005

The Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU) on Thursday questioned the validly of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the LTTE, which was being abided only by the Sri Lankan military.
While urging the government to allow the military to retaliate against any LTTE attacks without restricting them to the camps, JHU General Secretary Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera said the Army was no longer responsible to the CFA, which the LTTE had already violated nearly 3,000 times.
“The LTTE continues to kill innocent civilians, Army intelligence and political opponents despite the CFA,” he said adding that the LTTE had continued this violent behavior despite being admitted to the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS). He further reminded that the SLMM failed to respond when the LTTE was assassinating pro-Karuna members and that it overlooked the incidents as being internal disputes of the LTTE.
The Ven. Thera said the Army had no need to provide protection to LTTE cadres from the Karuna faction and questioned the present stance of the SLMM and the Norwegian peace facilitators. The JHU questioned whether the government was to continue with the CFA at the expense of soldiers’ lives as nearly 50 of them were injured by LTTE attacks.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Friday, July 15, 2005


The JHU yesterday urged Britain to take immediate action to eradicate global terrorist groups including the LTTE through political and financial alienation.
The party’s General Secretary Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera in a letter to British High Commissioner Stephen Evans said organizations like the LTTE and Al-Qaeda were threatening the democratic principles and human values of a civilized world.
Quoting a report by Rohan Guneratne on the links between the Al’Qaeda terrorist network and the LTTE, the monk said the LTTE was closely linked with international terror organizations and were sharing terror strategies threatening world peace.
Ven. Sobitha Thera alleged the LTTE was assisting the Al’qaeda in transporting weapons and trainees to destinations using state of the art shipping networks.
“According to Rohan Guneratne and other defence analysts, the LTTE has been the authors of the suicide bombing concept and later shared its knowledge with Al’qaeda,” the monk said.
Highlighting former cases of violence and aggression by the LTTE in Britain, Ven. Sobitha Thera asked the High Commissioner not to assist LTTE attempts to collect funds through the P-TOMS.
The Thera said while the US and Japanese governments had pledged not to direct aid to the regional fund of P-TOMS, there were fresh attempts by the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to undermine the stance taken by US and Japan. “They are now trying to divert the funds to the National Committee or the so called APEX body of P-TOMS to mislead the international community,” he said.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Friday, July 08, 2005

Health Services Trade Union Alliance (HSTUA) yesterday staged a protest opposite the Health Ministry against what they called the indifference shown by the health officials to the demands and the working situation of the health officials.
HSTUA President, Saman Rathnapriya told the Daily Mirror that health officials had so far failed to respond to the demands of the health workers with a view to force them to take up trade union action and tarnish the image of the free health service in the country in the eyes of the public.
The HSTUA demands include the issuing of a circular to correct salary scales as fixed by the budget, amendments to grades and portfolios to create a quality health service, providing junior health workers with training and introducing a new post of health assistant to assist Junior Health Workers.
Rathnapriya said despite reminding and peaceful campaigns launched by the HSTUA the Health Ministry had refused to grant or discuss the demands forcing them to seek trade union action and alleged that it was an attempt by the Ministry to disrupt public health service and hand over its operations to the private sector.
Meanwhile Ayurvedic health workers attached to government service will launch a two-day token strike starting from today with a protest march at the Borella Ayurvedic Hospital.
Dr. U.C.K.Samarakoon of the All Ceylon Health Services Union (ACHSU) said that the Ministry of Ayurveda had been ignoring the rights of the Ayurvedic workers for the past eleven months with mere lip service without granting a permanent solution to salary anomalies of the Ayurveda workers.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Tuesday, July 12, 2005

The Negombo Base Hospital staff and doctors launched a token strike yesterday against what they called a campaign of abuse launched by a group of NGOs and the state media and urging the health authorities to take immediate action to stop it.
The hospital staff said that they would discontinue the admission of infants to the hospital’s Premature Baby Unit henceforth, close the Surgical Ward at 4.00 pm and suspend planned surgeries after 12.00 noon.
They also said the number of patients admitted to Wards would be limited to the number of beds in each ward and the patients checked at the OPD would be restricted.
Meanwhile, the GMOA said this ‘unfounded accusations’ levelled at the Negombo Base Hospital staff could affect the country’s public health service.
“The medical staff of the country had been performing a commendable duty in managing the public health service on par with health services in developed countries under minimum facilities,” GMOA secretary Uditha Herath said.
He further alleged that a regional politician, who was attempting to build Paying Ward complex with the funds allocated for the development of the hospital, was trying to undermine the services by the hospital with the assistance of a brother who was appointed to a government media station recently.
Dr. Herath said if any mistreatments or misdiagnosis had been committed by the hospital medical staff, the Health Ministry should take action against those concerned.
“Since the investigations have proved that there had been no mistreatment, further accusations are baseless and malicious,” he said.
The GMOA also urged the Health Ministry to implement recommendations made by the Association to assure patients’ rights in general.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

The Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU) had decided to provide an opportunity to lay members to contest the next Parliamentary election on the JHU ticket, JHU Media Secretary Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said.
The JHU politburo had decided to field lay candidates on the party list revoking its previous decision to allow only bhikkhus to contest.
Mr. Warnasinghe also said the JHU is preparing itself to face a Parliamentary election, which he predicted would be round the corner soon.
“We are strengthening village-based organizations and holding small meetings to inform the public of misdeeds of the government,” he said adding that plans to launch islandwide bodu samuluwas to enlighten the public are being made.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Thursday, July 14, 2005

The Ministry of Environment is looking at the possibility of using an abandoned quarry at Mahara as a dumpingt site for the nearly 1000 tons garbage collected by the Western Province daily.
Addressing a workshop for the enhancement of legal frame work on waste management Minister A.H.M.Fowzie said that the Central Environment Authority (CEA) had concluded a Rs.1.8 million feasibility study on solid waste management for the western province,. The study performed under the National Strategy for Solid Waste Management provides a frame work for improved cooperation between the environmental authorities, the Urban Development Authority, Provincial Councils and local authorities in coordinating matters related to solid waste management.
The study also calls for the strict implementation of Reduce, Recycle and Re-use approach for tackling the solid waste problem. Importance of segregation of waste at the source of generation too is recommended as a must.
The study highlights the need of simple biological treatment since more than 80% of our household garbage are biodegradable. It stresses that all local authorities should take expert advice in establishing and operating their own compost plants while encouraging all the houses to have small compost barrels.
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources had taken several steps facilitating management of solid waste including the provision of technical assistance and funds for the local authorities.
The minister however revealed that some of the projects had failed due to lack of public cooperation and political commitment and called for strong political commitment in implementing effective solid waste management modes for Sri Lanka.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

Jatika Hela Urumaya General Secretary, Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) agreement had not excluded security camps and high security zones in the North and East from its purview as claimed by the statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat.
Ven. Thera pointed out that the P-TOMS agreement, which was presented to Parliament, does not include any regulation excluding security camps and high security zones of the Sri Lankan Army and Navy from the authority of the P-TOMS central committee or regional committees.
According to Ven. Sobitha Thera, the second article of the P-TOMS agreement does not deal with the security establishments in the two provinces.
“The particular article, as claimed by the President, had not differentiated these establishments from the rest of the tsunami struck area thus bringing them under the P-TOMS committees,” he said.
Ven. Thera questioned as to what action the President could take to stop the LTTE establishing LTTE camps around and within the High Security Zones and Defence camps under the pretext of resettlement of tsunami victims.
“The President as the Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief of forces cannot act if the LTTE was to build another air strip in the Eastern beach as in Iranamaduwa and Thoppur,” he said adding that she herself had handed over that power to the LTTE through the P-TOMS agreement.
The JHU also questioned as to what action the President would take over the killing of two Army intelligence officers by LTTE last Thursday and challenged her to prove the nation the LTTE’s flexibility as claimed by the President at the donor conference. (DTH)

By Damitha Hemachandra
Saturday, July 02, 2005

The foundation stone for the Rs. 24 billion Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP) linking India’s East and West coast is to be laid today by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh amidst heavy protests from Coastal Action Network (CAN), a collection of NGOs and the Tamil Nadu Government.
CAN, which includes a collection of organisations and individuals varying from environmentalists, marine biologists to fisherman are fighting against the canal at courts while the Tamil Nadu Government had refused to grant mandatory environmental clearance to the project.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jeyaram Jayalalitha too is predicted to boycott the festival despite official invitation conveyed to her and representatives of her party.
Yet a Press Release issued by the Indian government informed that the Premier himself would be launching the SSCP, 145 years after it was first suggested by English Officer A.D. Taylor.
The project is predicted to cause great damage to the marine eco system in Gulf of Mannar, including the National Marine Biological Reserve, which houses 3600 species of plants and animals including number of important species of corals.
The whole area is biologically rich and is rated among the highly productive seas of the world. The coral reefs in the gulf houses nearly 750 fish varieties with nearly 800,000 fishermen from both countries being dependent on these fish resources.
The most far-fetched and the worst prediction had been made by, Tamil Human rights and Environmentalist group, Manitham.
Manitham in its interim report on SSCP had predicted that half of Jaffna peninsula and nearly 85 islands on the Western and North Western coasts of Sri Lanka and half of Rameswaram to go under sea if the Miocene era lime stone reef link between the Jaffna peninsula and Rameswaram is to be broken by dredging.
However Foreign Ministry sources said that the Sri Lankan government had not presented any formal opinion on the matter since the inter-ministerial committee appointed to investigate into the matter is yet to reach a final decision.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Thursday, June 30, 2005

Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) General Secretary, Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera writing to the four Mahanayaka Theras of the four chapters reminded of their early pledge to issue a ‘ Sangha’ edict if the President was to sign the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) without consulting the public and the Maha Sangha.
Ven. Thera pointed that the President despite her written promise to the four Mahanayaka Theras had not discussed the P-TOMS agreement with them or had not consulted their opinion regarding it.
“The President had not even presented the Mahanayaka Theras with the draft of the P-TOMS agreement,” he said stressing that the President had once again deceived the country, The Parliamentary and the Maha Sangha.
Ven. Sobitha Thera pointed out that the four Mahanayaka Theras had urged him to give up his death fast on the assurance that they themselves would be leading a public campaign if the President failed to keep her pledge.
“Today the President had betrayed the whole country to the LTTE because of international pressure and its aid packet. The time had come for the Mahanayaka Theras to keep their pledge to myself and the nation,” he said.
Meanwhile JHU Leader, Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera highlighted the fate of the Sinhala Buddhist settlements and their heritage in the North and East Provinces as well as of all the Navy and Army camps in the coastal belt would have to face after the implementation of the agreement.
“Almost 996 km out of the 1124 long eastern coastal belt was destroyed by the tsunami but only 130 km were under the LTTE regime but thanks to the P-TOMS the LTTE could determine the whole process of reconstruction all along the eastern coastal belt,” he said. Ven. Theras urged for a national leadership, which could recover the country from this state of anarchy and called upon the Mahanayaka Theras to give leadership to the Buddhists.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Thursday, June 30, 2005

The JHU is to present a new bill on Tsunami Fund Management to Parliament with a view to minimise the authority of the P-TOMS committees and threatened to move a no confidence motion if the government tried to block the move.
JHU Parliamentary Group Leader Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera said yesterday the bill, which is to be presented as a private member’s motion would deal with the management and regulation of funds donated by donor countries and various international organisations to the government.
“The bill would regulate the financial aid and spendings higher than Rs.100,000 and will also allow any citizen to question the financial functions of any NGO in courts,” the Ven. Thera said.
JHU secretary Champaka Ranawaka said the bill would also stop granting funds to the LTTE through various civil society organisations including the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO).
Discussions are being held with the opposition parties and Minister of Rehabilitation Sumedha Jayasena to acquire the required support needed for the bill, he said.
Commenting on the proposed legal action against the P-TOMS Ven. Ratana Thera said the JHU was seeking further legal opinion over the latest development of appointing government representatives to the P-TOMS policy making committee. “We have information that a Muslim and a non-LTTE Tamil are to be appointed as government’s two representatives and this move might deprive the Sinhala of any representation in the P-TOMS structure.
Ven. Thera also accused the government of authorising the LTTE to decide on the future of the Sri Lankans living in Southern and Western provinces too by the appointment of a LTTE member to the National Level committee. He said the JHU would take legal action on the issue since the move would violate local and international regulations.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Wednesday, June 29, 2005

The Indian government is going ahead with the laying of the foundation stone on Saturday to build the controversial Sethusamudram Project while the Sri Lankan Government has yet not made any official protest nor has it been officially informed about India’s decission to go ahead.
Environment Minister, A.H.M.Fowzie said yesterday that the Indian government had agreed to recommence the technical sessions on SSCP but said that it had not informed the Sri Lankan government about plans to commence the project on Saturday nor was he aware of the Sri Lankan government lodging any protest against the project with the Indian government.
A Media Communiqué issued by the Indian government stated that the state owned Dredging Corporation of India would be initiating the dredging work at Point Calimere, 45 km away from Kodikarai while the recently formed Sethusamudram Corp has been designated the nodal agency for the implementation of the project.
Meanwhile Indian Shipping Minister T.R.Baalu said that a draft agreement for the signing of a MOU between the Suez Canal authorities and the Sethusamudram Corp had been accepted by both, and would be signed after receiving cabinet clearance. He had further pointed out that all environment issues were adequately addressed while approving the SSCP.
While accusing that the charges levelled against the project were baseless, Baalu said that the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) had taken special care to ensure that the marine wealth, environment and the welfare of the fishermen in the project area were not compromised.
On the contrary, Union of Indian Fisherman Vice President, S.P. Rayappan pledged to stage protests at the inauguration venue on Saturday while Green Peace India too is planning a mass protest and legal action against loss of livelihood to fishermen and damage to environment caused by SSCP.
Dredging of the two channels across the Adam’s Bridge and the shallow of Palk Bank is believed to increase the water flow from Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar disturbing the inland water balance as well as the eco systems in the Gulf of Mannar.
Environmentalists also warn of severe environment impacts like disturbance to marine life, eco system destruction, increased ocean traffic, coastal erosion and possible climate changes.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Friday, June 24, 2005

The JHU yesterday threatened to bring a no-confidence motion against the government alleging that the President had signed the P-TOMS agreement yesterday or would be signing it today.
JHU leader Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera, at a Jatika Sangha Sammelanaya conference said discussions were being held with other political parties to impeach the President if she acted in undemocratic methods of signing the P-TOMS agreement without consulting the public, MPs and the Maha Sangha.
“We would cease to accept Chandrika Kumaratunga as the President if she betrays the country through the P-TOMS,” he said urging the President to resign and hold a Presidential Election within a month.
JHU Parliamentary Group Leader, Ven. Aturaliye Rathana Thera pledged to move the masses against the P-TOMS since the President was planning to betray the country ‘for dollars from Japan and the US’.
“The MPs and the Prime Minister are ignorant of the P-TOMS draft and the Cabinet too is ignorant of it,” he said questioning what democracy was there if the President was to sign the agreement while Parliament was debating it.
The Ven. Thera accused the President of attempting to strengthen the LTTE following in the path of Ranil Wickremesinghe and said the time had come for the President to stop the damage.
“When the President came into power there were only 8,000 deaths in the forces. But today it had increased to 15,000 under her leadership as the Commander-in-Chief,” he said.
Ven. Medhananda Thera accused the President of removing Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara from the Eastern Province under pressure from the TNA and the LTTE since he was neutral during the clash over the Trincomalee Buddha statue issue.
JHU General Secretary Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera presented the JHU’s Five Concepts named ‘Raja Bavathu Dammiko’ or ‘May the ruler be righteous’ - the first of a series of conferences against the President and the P-TOMS.
The Five Concepts pledged to protect the sovereignty of the country, not to enter into any agreements with the LTTE or any separatist terrorist organisation and to amend the present electoral system and also the Executive Presidency.

By Damitha Hemachandra
Thursday, June 23, 2005

Aluthgama was a growing farmer village in the early 1990s when the LTTE attacks from Wilpattu pushed the village backwards towards Tanthirimale. The Sri Lankan Army took over the village and stationed a border camp against the terrorists. After a decade, peace has now come to the village.
Sergeant Abeykoon handling the remote controller Pictures by Manoj Ratnayake
Time has changed many things but one thing stays the same - unseen, unchanged, waiting for another victim. The Sri Lankan Army Humanitarian Demining group is labouring hard to remove the mines planted a decade ago.
According to Commanding Sergeant, Rathnayaka, who is in charge of the mining group in Aluthgama off Tanthirimale, their main job is to clear the area of landmines planted on a 15 mile radius as a defence line against the approaching LTTE terrorists.
“The mined line is disrupting the villagers’ path towards the ‘wewa’ and the paddy and therefore we are working speedily to clear the area for villagers,” he said. The group has already cleared an area of 2405 square metres since February 14 and have removed 185 mines. They plan to reach a deadline of the end of this month.
Mine clearance is done mechanically as well as manually with six teams working seven hours a day to reach their deadline. The MV4 mini-flail machine, a remote-controlled clearance system for mechanically assisted mine clearance, which has the ability to clear 1500 square metres a day, does the greater part of the work by removing anti-personnel mines.
The machine can be controlled by the operator using a remote controller stationed 250 metres away. With the press of a button, 34 chains with 17 flails, get into action digging into soil five to seven inches deep and blasting any anti-personnel that gets in the way. The diesel functioning machine has a life time of 1250 hours and will be discarded like a giant war hero at the end of its age.
After the mini-flail machine has done the initial clearance, two soldiers with manual clearing equipment recheck the ground with mine detectors.
First, a 10 metre long area with a two metre width, is cleared of mines creating a passing line and dividing the ground into square patches. Then starting from a corner in the patch, a two metre wide area is cleared demarcated with specially coloured demarking poles.
A blue pole is used to mark the beginning of the day’s work and its end, red, is used to mark danger, while white shows that it is safe to tread. Each mine found at the place is marked with the poles - with a yellow pole being used for anti-personnel mines and yellow, red and yellow for anti-tank mines. If a mine was not found according to the pattern, a red and green pole is set up to inform the other deminers of it. Any unexploded object found at site is marked with a yellow and red pole.
There is discipline and order within the demining camp site with special attention being paid to safety and precaution.
The end of the mined defence line does not end with the end of work - it spreads further than Aluthgama in to Atamune village, while the mine clearance groups are yet to receive orders to proceed further.
A mined futureOver 600 communities are said to be affected by mines with 1063 being injured and 194 being killed since the ceasefire agreement signed in 2002. Nearly 15-20 cases per month were reported immediately after the ceasefire in 2002 but the number had dropped to 4-7 cases per month since the awareness campaign launched in 2003/2004.
Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Ampara Districts and adjacent areas are the worst affected by mines. An estimated number of between 1 and 1.5 million anti-personnel mines, most of which were laid in the latter part of the 1990s, and unexploded explosives contaminate the North and East.
The strategy for humanitarian mine action in Sri Lanka focuses on resettlement and reconstruction, the priorities established by the National Steering Committee for Mine Action (NSCMA) and other stakeholders including national and international organizations.
Yet the danger has increased with many of the mined areas being struck by the tsunami, displacing people as well as landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination. Emergency assessments show that there had been displacement mines with the tsunami just like in the case of floods but the good news is that they have not moved far and remained in proximity to known dangerous areas.
Moreover, the tsunami has changed the coastal landscape considerably confusing people returning to coastal sites as marking and fencing of minefields throughout the coastal area of the North and East too has been destroyed by the tsunami.

Ven Omalpe Sobitha Thera writes to the Mahanayakas

By D. Hemachandra
Thursday, June 23, 2005

The General Secretary of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera, in a letter to the four Mahanayakas of the four chapters, pointed out that the President had failed to keep her pledge to discuss the Post –Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) with the Mahanayaka Theras prior to signing it.
The Thera said, “Norwegians, the movers of the P-TOMS had stated that the composition of the agreement could not be changed to facilitate more Muslim involvement and it is clear that the agreement would not be altered to facilitate the opinions and suggestions of the Maha Nayaka Theras or any other group other than the President and LTTE,”.
Therefore Ven. Sobitha Thera maintained that the President’s pledge of presenting the P-TOMS to the Mahanayaka Theras would be a useless act if its composition could not be revised after gaining their suggestions and opinions.
He also said that the coastal line of the North and Eastern provinces with its defense facilities, infrastructure and Sinhala Buddhist archaeology would be handed over to the administration of the LTTE, according to the P-TOMS draft, published in newspapers.
“However it does not mention any disarmament of the LTTE or of LTTE taking to the democratic path,” Ven. Thera said.
While reminding the Mahanayaka Theras of their early pledge to lead the masses against the P-TOMS if it proved to be undemocratic and disastrous to the nation, Ven Sobitha alleged that the President is continuing in her autocratic and stubborn manner disregarding the views of the public and Maha Sangha, despite her pledge to Mahanayaka Threas.
Mahanayaka of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Thera, Mahanayaka of the Malawattu Chapter, Most Ven. Thibbotuwe Sri Siddhartha Thera, Mahanayaka of the Ramanna Chapter Most Ven. Wewaldeniya Medhalankara Thera and Mahanayaka of the Amarapura Chapter Most Ven. Dauldeniya Gnanissara Thera in a common statement urged Ven Sobitha Thera to abandon his fast-unto-death against the P-TOMS based on the pledge given by the President that she would be discussing the P-TOMS draft with them prior to sign it.