thecolombotimes wishes a merry X-Mas and  a happy new year Swiss aid, disaster relief and environment experts ensure  future reconstruction efforts do more  good than harm. Sunil C. Perera in Colombo The specialists were in agreement that the poorly co-ordinated and careless response in Sri Lanka to the 2004 tsunami inflicted more damage than the tidal wave itself. "Haphazard clearing of mangroves, mining of sand dunes and inappropriate dumping of debris, [caused] water contamination and blocked drainage canals," pointed out the Swiss-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) in a sobering report. Erika Placella, a project analyst from Swiss Solidarity - the fund-raising arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation - admitted on Thursday that some Swiss non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were part of the problem. They had received money from the foundation to build housing for tsunami victims that was set up on ground lacking proper drainage. The houses now stand in water. Placella told swissinfo that NGOs only receive money for reconstruction projects from the fundraiser if they meet stringent standards, including environmental criteria, but this, she admitted, could be loosely interpreted. The Bern meeting broke new ground after aid experts publicly acknowledged the need to take environmental issues into account from the very moment disaster strikes, be it a tsunami, earthquake or hurricane, if recovery is to be sustainable. "What we are now realising is that we should do more for the environment in the early recovery phase," explained Alain Pasche, an environmental and industrial safety consultant to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and its Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA). "And we have to do it in the right sequence, using the right tools with the right mechanism for handover" to aid agencies once emergency relief efforts are complete, he added. The experts acknowledged that donors are rarely willing to fund environmental programmes on their own, such as reforestation efforts. But the tsunami and more frequent extreme weather events had made governments take note that ignoring the environment often comes at the cost of human life. Simon Rietbergen, an ecosystem management specialist at the IUCN, said it was the job of organisations like his own to make states aware of the environmental impact on humans. At the same time, he added, environmentalists had to learn how to adapt to crisis situations. "The Sri Lankan government comes to you and says it wants to find 300 sites where it can settle more than 600 people in each site and it has to be done in three weeks time," he told swissinfo. "We said we didn't know how to do that. "In the environment movement, a lot of us are scientists, and we like to be thorough but the name of the game in disaster management and disaster response is cutting corners intelligently, and not being slow." He said by using maps detailing protected areas such as wetlands and showing elephant migratory routes, his agency could show the Sri Lankan government which of its proposed sites to settle people displaced by the tsunami were suitable. This would spare sensitive areas, and in the case of the elephants, avoid conflict with the large animals that can do untold damage to houses and crops. Pasche warned that greater efforts were also needed to educate authorities in the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters about the necessity of better preparation. "We can help governments set up the right mechanisms so they can respond to environmental threats and disasters. This is new for many countries," he explained. "A government has to learn how to structure its environment ministry for rapid response because this ministry is not considered a potential responder or useful partner during a crisis. "So we have to train fire fighters, police and the army to use the ministry's resources such as its laboratories, impact assessment capabilities and data bases." Placella said the tsunami provided at least a wakeup call for donors. Previously, she said, "the environmental awareness was lacking." End Janadhuka alleviation program initiated by UNP will continue The UNP has been a Party that has shown primary concern for the people. Therefore, it had to represent the will of the people by rejecting the wavering, anti national and despotic policies of the Govt. trampling and crushing the masses with untold burdens and hardships. This is a Govt. that is having no plan, program or aim drifting on corruption, tyranny and wastage of people’s monies. Unlike a party that changes its color and policies within just 25 days, UNP has always been steadfast in its policies, plans and programs. Once again we emphasize that UNP as a Party will continue to pursue its objectives totally oriented to the upliftment of the people and alleviation of their hardships. Abductions, intimidations and murder threats to MP’s under this Govt. is no secret. The UNP severely condemns these actions brazenly committed by the Govt. which the country witnessed during the pre budget period. The Govt’.s backslide has begun, and this cannot be averted any longer by its continued lies, false promises and deceits. End The Swiss Red Cross (SRC) has rejected sharp criticism of the management of its Sri Lankan tsunami projects Sunil C. Perera in Colombo In an article in Zurich's Tages-Anzeiger newspaper on Monday, Max Seelhofer, the former SRC head of delegation in Sri Lanka, accused the organisation of poorly utilising millions of francs of donor money and of bad planning. "The Swiss Red Cross has made management errors," said Seelhofer, who was in charge of post-tsunami reconstruction work in Sri Lanka from March 2005. In particular, Seelhofer, 58, criticised his former bosses for their slowness in sending engineers to Sri Lanka to coordinate the reconstruction of houses following the tsunami in December 2004. While waiting for them to arrive, the costs of construction materials and salaries skyrocketed, resulting in heavy costs for the organisation. The former delegate said he gave his superiors ample warning about these "failures" but they ignored his "cries for help". Seelhofer was made redundant in September 2006. Criticism of Sri Lanka tsunami projects is nothing new. In November Swiss aid experts publicly acknowledged that the poorly coordinated and careless response in Sri Lanka to the 2004 tsunami inflicted more damage than the tidal wave itself. In response, an SRC spokesman, Karl Schuler, rejected Seelhofer's "baseless" accusations of mismanagement but acknowledged that the organisation could have acted quicker in sending engineers. "From the beginning, we could have been more optimal in our planning," he conceded. In May 2005, six months after the tsunami hit the island, one SRC construction engineer was on the spot and a second arrived two months later, he said. Schuler argued that, at that time, the organisation was still focusing on emergency activities and it was impossible to start reconstruction work. Initial activities involved preparing the terrain and repairing infrastructure, he explained. The SRC spokesman denied that Seelhofer had been sacked as a result of the dispute, arguing that it had been caused by a "loss of confidence" between the former head of delegation and headquarters, and with his team in Sri Lanka. Schuler refused to go into details about the reasons for Seelhofer's dismissal, however. He claimed that Seelhofer's arguments were personal and his public criticism resulted from his "bitterness" towards the SRC. According to Schuler, so far 500 houses have been built or renovated by the SRC in Sri Lanka. Another 3,600 have been constructed by locals with SRC support. Between now and the end of 2007, 6,000 homes will have been built or renovated with SRC support, costing some SFr43 million ($35.18 million). End President scoffs at national govt. By Munza Mushtaq Hot on the heels of a major Budget victory, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ruled out a national government with the country’s main opposition, the United National Party (UNP). The decision was conveyed to government members during a gala dinner hosted at Temple Trees on Friday night to celebrate the government’s Budget triumph. UNP dissident and now Construction and Engineering Services Minister, Rajitha Senaratne told The Nation yesterday that the President had informed him on Friday that he was no longer interested in teaming up with the UNP to establish a national government as he believed that he was capable of ruling the country on his own. Government members including ministers and deputy ministers were invited to Temple Trees by the President soon after the Rajapaksa-led administration won the crucial third reading of the 2008 Budget with a majority of 47 votes in Parliament on Friday evening. The invitation was to celebrate the government’s successful victory during the vote despite a few hiccups, which included the defection of National Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike to the opposition. The government members were accorded a sumptuous meal on Friday night, which included the choicest of wines and other alcoholic beverages to celebrate the government victory. The President had initially briefed his ministers about the victory and the government’s next move. He had also announced that plans were underway to resume the All Party Conference as early as this week and that a solution to the ethnic conflict would be announced very soon. The Nation learns that the President had taken a decision to resume the APC following his Japanese tour which ended last week. Japan, a co-chair, had urged Rajapaksa to consider a solution to the conflict on an urgent basis and bring out a package acceptable by all parties in Sri Lanka, which may have led to his decision to resume APC sessions. End Anura B. crossed over to the opposition  Sunil C. Perera in Colombo Anura Bandaranaike, National Heritage Minister crossed over to the opposition. According to the sources, Anura Bandaranaike came to the parliament around 3.30 PM along with UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and Ravi Karunanaike from the opposition entrance and sat in the front row of the opposition bench. End Caritas commerates thrid year of the tsunami disaster Sunil C. Perera in Colombo Caritas Sri Lanka commemorated three years of the Tsunami disaster with the handing over of 76 houses to beneficiaries in collaboration with Caritas Trincomalee–EHED and other implementing partners on Wednesday, December 12th 2007 at Konesapuri, Trincomalee.  The theme for this year’s commemoration was, ‘Empowering communities through rebuilding lives.’ The Chief guest, Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera, Chairman of the National Catholic Commission for Justice, Peace and Human Development, Rt. Rev. Dr. Bishop Kingsley Swampillai, Bishop of Batticaloa and Trincomalee, Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Anradi, Bishop of Anuradhapura, Rt. Rev. Dr. Winston Fernando, Bishop of Badulla, Rev. Fr. Damian Fernando, National Director of Caritas Sri Lanka and Rev. Fr. Francis X. Dias, Diocesan Director of Caritas Trincomalee - EHED together with other distinguished National and International Caritas Staff, were welcomed according to traditional Hindu customs.  The guests were led in procession to the ceremonial plaque to the sound of traditional music and dance. The Tsunami plaque was ceremonially declared opened by the chief guest and the crowd was led with an inter-religious prayer session which was conducted by the peace unit of Caritas Trincomalee – EHED. The housing site in Konesapuri is a multi-donor site on a land provided by the Government. From a total of 500 houses, 103 houses were built by Caritas Trincomalee – EHED in this relocation site. Twenty seven (27) houses have already been handed over to the affected families in phase one. “Caritas Trincomalee – EHED has built 418 houses and 86 are in progress and we will be handing over 76 houses to new beneficiaries. Caritas Trincomalee – EHED had initially chosen 4 DS division in Trincomalee sites to construct houses, namely, Mutthur, Kinniya, Kuchchaveli and Town and Gravets with a target to build 827 houses but due to the conflict situation we had to withdraw from Mutthur,” said Fr. Francis X. Dias in his welcome address.  “Caritas Sri Lanka has completed a total of 6338 permanent houses for the tsunami affected while 1562 are still in progress, according to the statistics upto 30th November 2007,” explained Rev. Fr. Damian Fernando, National Director of Caritas Sri Lanka – SEDEC addressing the crowd.  Caritas Sri Lanka was able to achieve this target through the continuous collaboration and support received from the worldwide Caritas Confederation representing 162 member countries. “We acknowledge your contribution especially Caritas Switzerland, Caritas Austria and Luxembourg for supporting this housing scheme,” he further stated. In his address he also thanked Bishop Chairman, the Bishops Conference and the Tsunami Task force members.  Rt. Rev Dr Kingsley Swampillai too thanked the donors in his address, “Thank you to our generous donor partners and communities, God provided us these kind donors to rebuild the nation.” The Government have also maintained close contacts with Caritas Sri Lanka and have supported initiatives to rebuild the lives of the tsunami affected. This fact was evident by the message sent by Honourable Minister Basil Rajapakse, for the event as he could not attend the ceremony. The message was read by Rev. Fr. Damian Fernando. “Caritas Sri Lanka has provided shelter to thousands of people affected by the disaster and have closely worked with the beneficiaries,” he read. The additional Government Agent of Trincomalee, Mr. Nadaraja also praised the efforts by the, “Directors and the officers of Caritas Trincomalee – EHED who supported the Government in the recovery process to ensure a better life for the people. “They are committed to build the nation,” he said.  Mr. Theivendirajah, Manager Tsunami Programme relating his tsunami experience of said, “As Pope Benedict XVI asks us to do, Deus Caritas Est(God is Love) and as  ‘Caritas’ means love, it is the responsibility of the church and Caritas Sri Lanka to show solidarity and love towards the people affected.”  Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera also reiterated the fact the, “church is committed to rebuild the lives of the people and that it should embrace the needs of the people. The Peace Task Force established by the Catholic Bishops Conference is also committed towards advocacy and building mutual understanding among all people. It is our duty to build a strong inter-religious alliance.” Representatives from Caritas Switzerland and Belgium also expressed their gratitude and congratulated Caritas Sri Lanka for handling such a catastrophe and for succeeding in providing relief to those affected.  The chief guest Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony together with other distinguished guests symbolically opened these new houses. The Tsunami song, cultural dances and sharing of experiences by the beneficiaries enlivened the day’s celebration.  END   SL government condemns British High Commissioner’s statement   Sunil C. Perera in Colombo A local legislator Jeyeraj Fernandopulle said in parliament on Thursday that the government thoroughly condemns the facts stated by the British High Commissioner at the Dudley Senanayake commemoration oration. The Minister replying to a query made in this regard by JVP parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa also said the British High Commissioner has no right to meddle in the internal political affairs of the country. Mr. Weerawansa inquired on the measures to be taken against the High Commissioner for making a statement in contrary to the diplomatic norms of the country. Member Rauf Hakeem has complained that security provided to himself and three other members who sat in the opposition has been reduced from yesterday. Minister Fernandopulle responding to this accusation said the security entitled to a party leader has been provided to Mr. Hakeem as well. The protection provided to an ordinary parliamentarian has been provided to the three other defected MPs. End UNP gets exclusive right to publish “Siyarata”     By Susitha R. Fernando The Colombo Commercial High Court yesterday issued a permanent injunction preventing UNP’s official newspaper “Siyarata” being published by anyone else other than the UNP. Commercial High Court Judge Ms. Rohini Walgama made this order following a civil suit filed by General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake, chairman of the Media Committee, Lakshman Kiriella and the publisher of the ‘Siyarata’ newspaper Egodage Nihal Abeysekera. When the case was came up before the court, the plaintiffs had asked court to issue a permanent order preventing the UNP’s official newspaper ‘Siyarata’ being published by defendant R. M. D. Sirisena of Temple Road, Kirulapona, Colombo-5 or anyone else under the same or similar title. Earlier the court had issued an interim injunction. Filing under the Intellectual Property Act, through attorney-at-law G. G. Arulpragasam the plaintiffs said ‘Siyarata’ was the official publication of the United National Party since 1954 and the public of Sri Lanka have at all times associated ‘Siyarata’ and the goodwill and reputation attached to it with the UNP.    End Deutsche Bank appoints new head of global transaction banking in Sri Lanka Deutsche Bank has announced the appointment of Hemaka Perera, as the new head of global transaction banking in Sri Lanka, effectively immediately.    In his new role, Mr Hemaka is directly responsible for leading product innovation and growing the bank's transaction banking corporate platform in Sri Lanka. He will report locally to Deutsche Bank's chief country officer in Sri Lanka, Rohan Rodrigo, and regionally to Thomas DuCharme, head of global transaction banking (GTB), Deutsche Bank Asia. Prior to this role, Mr Hemaka was senior relationship manager, GTB, Deutsche Bank, where he managed a portfolio of multinationals and large local public and private sector corporate clients. Mr Hemaka holds a master of business administration from the Edith Cowan University, Perth Australia. Mr Rodrigo said: "Sri Lanka is one of the key strategic markets for Deutsche Bank and we are optimistic about its growth prospects and potential. Mr Hemaka's appointment reinforces Deutsche Bank's commitment in Sri Lanka whilst supporting our expanding client base."   Conservatives put Darfur to the fore again after Salih Mahmoud Osman is awarded EU's top human rights prize   Strasbourg 11th December -- A human rights hero whose own family has suffered death and torture and who was imprisoned by the Sudanese government for over seven months in 2004 without charge or trial was today presented with the EU's top human rights prize in the European Parliament. Salih Mahmoud Osman risked his own life to provide legal and medical aid to the countless victims of Sudanese civil wars. As well as dealing with the victims of abuses, Mr Osman has catalogued the crimes that have taken place in the Darfur region, becoming the voice of Darfur and a symbol for the establishment of the rule of law in Sudan . Mr Osman's candidacy was promoted by Nirj Deva MEP, Conservative Coordinator of the Development Committee, who said: "Conservatives were instrumental in initiating Mr Osman's name as a candidate for the Sakharov Prize. As our leader, David Cameron, has for two years urged collective action in Darfur I am humbled and pleased that now the whole Parliament has accepted our nomination. In the face of violence and arbitrary power, Mr Osman stands up for true dialogue and justice.  "I am delighted that I was able to get the Parliament to honour him for his work so that we can highlight the appalling genocide in Darfur, a continuing killing field which we must not let the world forget about as we did in Rwanda . Both Zimbabwe and Sudan are a continuing blot on the conscience of our generation."                         Addressing the plenary in Strasbourg, President Pöttering said: "In the face of violence and arbitrary power, Mr Osman stands up for dialogue and justice. And there can be no democracy without justice. By granting the Sakharov Prize to Salih Mahmoud Osman, the European Parliament shows its support for the action of this courageous man who has become the voice of Darfur, and through him, for the establishment of the rule of law in Sudan".  According to the sources over two decades during Sudan's various civil wars Salih Mahmoud Osman (b.1957) has risked his own life to provide legal and medical aid to the countless victims of the conflict. Working with the Sudan Organisation Against Torture ("SOAT') he has given legal protection and representation to the victims of human rights abuses.  In its work SOAT has been successful in overturning judgements of death or amputation and they are engaged in a campaign to have rape established as a war crime. As well as dealing with the victims of abuses, Mr Osman and SOAT have also been active in cataloguing crimes that have taken place - particularly in the Darfur region of Sudan.  Mr Osman's fight against injustice in Sudan has had a personal cost. Members of his own family have been killed, tortured, or burned out of their homes by the militias. He himself was imprisoned by the Sudanese government for over seven months in 2004 without charge or trial. On 8 November 2005, he was awarded Human Rights Watch's highest honour for his work in Sudan.   Mr Osman currently serves as a Member of the Sudanese National Parliament. In that new role, he is focused on promoting the rule of law through the implementation of the provisions of the interim constitution. End   ITI  developed technology for manufacturing of rice crackers Sunil C. Perera in Colombo The Industrial Technological Institute [ITI] says it has developed technology for the manufacture of rice crackers after several years of research . The ITI said the new rice crackers have two flavours such as chicken and chocolate . The ITI developed this technology for a multi-national company in Sri Lanka- CIC Ltd  and the company now follows this technology to manufacture rice based crackers . According to the company it is interesting to manufacture the new food item . After several laboratory trials, the researchers at the Food Technology Section of the ITI was able to develop a product to match the  company’s  requirements. Rice crackers are flat crispy snacks made with puffed rice grains attached to each other. Although seemingly straight forward, much research is required to produce a satisfactory product, as crackers cannot be made with all varieties of rice. Trials carried out with different varieties revealed that varieties with low amylose content were necessary for the production of high quality rice crackers, said ITI spokesman. During the research a batch of sweet and savoury rice crackers have been manufactured and issued to CIC Ltd., for test market trials from their sales outlets. A launch of this product will also held shortly. Meanwhile local marketers say promoting of rice based sweets would assist the farmers to sell their paddy at a reasonable rate.This effort will be a great assistance for the farming community in the country. End   SL’s first ever uninterrupted satellite TV channel launched   Sunil C. Perera in Colombo   Local film Directress Sumithra Peiris launched Sri Lanka ’s first uninterrupted 24 hour  cinema satellite TV channel CITI HITZ  at a simple ceremony held on Monday in Colombo . This channel includes Sinhala movies , tele-dramas and interviews with film stars and other film artists . Chairman of ONAIR  WORLD PVT LTD  Nimal Laxapathiarchchi says this channel would be aired through the Dailog TV . “At present local film industry is faced a number of problems and most of film theatres face low income due to the lack of film viewers .However we introduced this Cinema channel to attract local viewers and cater the cinema industry, he said. Chief Guest of the occasion Sumithra Peiris said the mobile phone service providers must introduce hand phone TV channels to popular cinema and other tele-dramas in Sri Lanka . According to the ONAIR WORLD the CITYHITZ will feature a unique blend of Sinhala movies , tele-dramas to attract viewers  and the viewers would be able to enjoy all their favorite content uninterrupted , with no commercial breaks .The channel will carry full leangth Sinhala movies and dramas ranging classic hits from the 1960s to the latest blockbusters . The DIALOG Telecomm said its TV channel has over 50,000 viewers and plans to attract another 100000 viewers within next year. The channel uses digital broadcasting system to telecast its programmes and the Chief Executive Officer of the Television  Nushad Perera   said the DIALOG plans to introduce mobile phone based TV channel within a short period. End          Sri Lanka maintains good export growth-Prof.G.L.   Sunil C.Perera in Colombo   Local legislator, Professor G.L.Peiris says the country could maintains good export growth and achieves 14 percent increase when comparing last year’s  export performances. Addressing the two day Workshop on Good Standardization and Conformity Assessment Practice organized by the UNITED NATIONS INDUTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION [UNIDO] in Colombo on Monday the minister said the high quality and internationally accepted standards could increase the export volumes .However the minister said most of industries are located in the Western province and the masses of the other provinces face lack of equal income due to the lack of industries in their areas. He said the government has launched Export villages in the rural areas to solve this income imbalance . Minister Tissa Witharana said the international buyers need quality products and the government has introduced a number of measures to produce quality products and the services. Minister Kumara Welgama said the representatives from the SAARC countries are responsible for standardization and conformity assessment [SCA] .They can share their views and information on ongoing and planned activities to upgrade their SAC systems and to discuss cooperation as a key element to their regional integration process during the two day workshop. According to the organizers regional economic integration has the potential to be a powerful force for both growth and political confidence building in South Asia . But intra-regional trade is hindered by high tariffs ,low quotas ,poor infrastructure and diverse and complex requirements in standards and customs. The start of the implementation of the South Asian Preferential Trading Agreement [SAFTA] in January 2006 has opened  a window of opportunity to push regional integration forward. The Countries of the SAARC are  characterized by significant differences in their level of development , which is reflected by major differences in their quality infrastructure .Some countries already have an internationally recognized standards and conformity assessment infrastructure , whereas some others are faced with a weak , infant or non-existing standards and conformity assessment system. In this perspective , to ensure that services required by producers , governments and consumers in the SAARC region are harmonized and available on a regional basis , the understanding of the regional dimension of SCA is an essential step towards regional integration. The UNIDO is a key player in trade capacity building in the SAARC region and it has implemented a SCA project at the regional level and is also supporting the efforts of individual members to upgrade their standards and conformity assessment capabilities. ISO is also addressing the regional dimension of standards and conformity assessment procedures and is adapting its actions to respond to the growing importance of regionalization of standardization and related activities. In this prospective , ISO and UNIDO have proposed to the SAARC secretariat to organize a workshop to assess both the level of development of SCA systems in the region and the ongoing and planned technical assistance being received. The objective is to identify best practices and solutions for SCA harmonization and cooperation among SAARC countries.         End            NO POLITICAL LEADERSHIP GIVEN TO MODERATE PEOPLE’S VIEWS By Jehan Perera The decision of the Supreme Court to order the dismantling of permanent security checkpoints and to facilitate the movement of traffic on public roads has suddenly changed the landscape of Colombo.  The well known checkpoints, at various entry points to the city, which often delayed the smooth flow of traffic, have a desolate appearance.  Almost immediately motorists took advantage of the court decision to park their vehicles on the sides of roads.  However, in a time of escalating war, this decision is likely to be one over which there will be a lot of heartburn.   In his judgment the Chief Justice Sarath N Silva said that waging war against the state is the severest of offences punishable with death and that members of the security forces have the fullest power to maintain public order and to take action against those who are waging war and are committing other related offenses.  He observed however that when action is directed against persons who are not thus engaged in war and committing related offenses, every precaution and safeguard had to be taken to minimize the resultant hardships.   It is unlikely that anyone with bombs in their vehicle would go through a permanent checkpoint knowing full well in advance that it is there, but would find an alternative way to get to their destination.  This is obviously what has been happening in the context of the bombings in Colombo and elsewhere.  The increased frequency in this type of attacks by multiple parties suggests that a new phase of the conflict has been entered, with non-combatants being targeted in order to gain the military upper hand.  This needs to be swiftly checked by national and international condemnation and pressure upon the culprits. Despite the mass arrest of Tamils, stricter controls at check-points and night visits by armed forces personnel to Colombo households, the security situation has been showing a continuous deterioration rather than improvement. The question the government and the Sri Lankan people now need to confront is whether these attacks on civilians will be halted by a reliance only on increased security measures, even if more skillfully implemented than at present. There is also a need to deal with the issue of security through political means.    Unfortunately due to the unwillingness of both the government and opposition to critically address the issue of national security through political means, there has invariably been an abdication of decision making to the defence authorities which the judiciary has been compelled to deal with in order to uphold the human rights and democratic freedoms of the citizenry.   But there is a constitutional limit beyond which the judiciary cannot be expected to go in remaking the political framework, which is the responsibility of the elected political leadership.     TARGETING CIVILIANS   The worst feature of the present phase of conflict in Sri Lanka is the manner in which civilians have had to suffer.  Civilians have been targeted through bombs left in public places, claymore mines that target public buses, air bombings that destroy civilian infrastructure and deliberate shootings.  Civilians have been used as human shields and been forced out of their homes in large numbers to facilitate military operations.  LTTE leader Velupillai Pirapaharan’s most recent speech alleged that the Sinhalese nation was trying to eliminate the Tamil nation.  This is an argument of the same genre as the crude logic that alleges that all Tamils are LTTE.  Both are formulas to justify the targeting of civilians.   In these circumstances the recent people-friendly judicial decision was undoubtedly a bold one, more so as it is taken during a time of war.  In February 2002 when the government signed the Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE, a similar order to dismantle security checks and barriers went out to the security forces from the government headed by then Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.  But that decision was made in a time of honeymoon with the LTTE when peace seemed to have dawned and when both the government and LTTE seemed to be moving towards a political solution to the ethnic conflict.     Periodically there have been suggestions that Sri Lanka is heading towards increased militarization and military rule as a result of the government’s seeming determination to engage in all out war against the LTTE.  But any such impression has been dispelled by the acquiescence of the defence authorities in the Supreme Court’s decision.  Just as they deferred to the then Prime Minister Wickremesinghe’s decision to remove the checkpoints in 2002, the defence authorities have deferred to the judiciary today.  Once again the resilience of the institutions of democracy in Sri Lanka has made themselves felt with the latest Supreme Court decision.    Unfortunately the weakness of democracy in Sri Lanka at the present time is that there is little or no political leadership being given to the large section of people who wish for a political solution to the ethnic conflict on a humanitarian and just basis to all.  In the past two years, since the advent of the present government, it has been left to the Supreme Court to take bold decisions that are mindful of the basic human rights of the Tamil people.  Earlier in June this year, when it seemed that an unstoppable security juggernaut had started to evict Tamil people who were temporary residents in Colombo, the Supreme Court stepped in to stop that mass violation of human rights.   The problem is that the main political parties are not playing their due role with regard to educating the people and standing up for the just rights of the Tamil people in particular.  The recent proposals put forward by the UNP for a new constitutional order are an example of this reluctance to take up issues pertaining to the ethnic conflict.  The UNP has demonstrated political astuteness in proposing a curtailment of the powers of the Executive Presidency and making it accountable to Parliament and also proposing other aspects of good governance.  However, they have had little to say about the solution to the ethnic conflict or about preserving the human rights of the people in this time of war.   PEOPLE’S GOODWILL   The Supreme Court decision on the removal of checkpoints was also one of the topics discussed at a meeting of the Colombo District Network of organizations and individuals of the National Peace Council.  There were about 80 participants drawn from different walks of life­some being retired school principals and government servants, others being young private sector employees.  One of the most encouraging moments at the meeting was the reaction to the statement of a Tamil participant with regard to the Supreme Court decision.  She said that she could not be entirely happy with the decision because the problems of the Tamil people would not end with it.   The security threats by the LTTE, which has exploded bombs targeting civilians in Colombo make it imperative that the security forces adopt alternative means of foiling these acts of terror.  The Tamil participant said that now the security forces would be doing more random checks which could pose even dangers to the general public.  She gave the example of how a police officer had entered a bus and asked one of the Tamil passengers to open a box.  If the box had contained a bomb, she feared the entire bus and all the passengers would have been blown up.  She proceeded to list a number of harassments that Tamil people were being subjected to on a routine basis.   What was very moving was the spontaneous applause that this woman received when she came to the close of her peroration.  Most of the other participants were Sinhalese, but what she had said had touched them.  There was a communion of spirits of people touched by the higher qualities of empathy, compassion and solidarity.  There is likely to be a vast reservoir of such goodwill in society that could even now salvage Sri Lanka from the moral abyss that the current phase of war is taking the country towards.  But there needs to be strong political leadership that can harness these positive energies.   In these bleak days, the main burden of providing a voice to the people’s aspirations for justice, fair play and inter ethnic harmony has fallen upon civil society organizations.  Members of civil society groups are generally best equipped to present alternative views at seminars, build networks of like-minded groups, and to advocate through email and media campaigns.  Despite their limited capacities they have kept alive the notion that there is indeed an alternative way of governance and conflict resolution, and that the people will give their backing to such leadership.  But in the final analysis it is the political leadership, with macro scale decision making power, who must shift the parameters of society and take us to a better future. End Doha Bank signs fund transfer deal with Lanka’s Hatton bank Doha Bank has entered into an agreement with Hatton National Bank (HNB) of Sri Lanka for online electronic funds transfer from here to the island-nation. The banks agreed to generate local business for each other, particularly from non-resident Sri Lankan staying in Qatar. The agreement was signed December 3 at the Doha Bank head office by CEO R Seetharaman and Jayantha Perera, Senior Deputy General Manager (International Business Development) of HNB. Seetharaman highlighted the presence of the Sri Lankan community in Qatar. He said that there is a need for the banking industry here to have a convenient home country banking arrangement in Qatar for Sri Lankan expatriates to conduct money transfers and for other banking needs. The tie-up will benefit the Sri Lankan community here and also in Dubai, where Doha Bank has a presence. The services will be offered through the bank's International Relations Centre. Perera said the arrangement with Doha Bank will benefit Sri Lankan expatriates in Qatar in meeting their home country banking needs and quick remittance of money from here at an affordable cost in a convenient way. He said this initiative would grow to other areas with an ultimate aim of serving Sri Lankan expatriates, both at individual and the corporate levels, globally. Present at the signing were A G Abeyesekara, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission of the Sri Lankan embassy, Abdul Rahman Al Meer, Executive Manager (Retail Banking), Abdullah Al Assadi, Head of Private Banking and R Ganesan, Executive Manager (International Banking). German owned Sport Hotel  attacked by a criminal gang for the second time within one week. Sunil C. Perera in Colombo The Hotel “Aquarius Sports Resort, Beach Road, Marawila” had been attacked the second time within a week. " Last night a gang of approx 15 to 20 “unmasked” men  gutted down 12 rooms . The estimated damage goes in multi million SLR. At the time of the incident German and American guests were residing in the hotel, fearing for their lives.  The incident happened at 01.10h on Wednesday 05th Dec 2007 – The Police was informed with  119 at 1.18h – the  Marawila Police  came at 1.35h together with our security who went to the Police Station to bring two Police officers to the site, since they were unable to come on their own, said Dr. Dietmar Doering, Chairman of the Aquarius Hotel. "On Poya day, just one week ago 4 rooms of our hotel, which has been leased out to a local party, were smashed by which looks like the same or related gang. A driver of a Government Minister from the area had refused to pay a bill and a subsequent fight resulted in the destruction of our 4 hotel rooms and 2 shops in Marawila. Vehicles too were smashed. The total damage was around SLR 15 Million.  A high level  supported settlement subsequently  resolved the dispute while none of the parties claimed damages from the other party, he said. "We are now in progress of winding up all hotel related operations in Sri Lanka with immediate effect, since the lives or our guests, staff and securities are in great danger. Law and order is no longer in the hands or in control of the authorities here. We are also in progress of issuing warning notices to European Travel Trade Organisations based on the incidents which happened here last night, he explained. "We are under the strong impression  that all culprits are known to the relevant Police Station but no arrests had  been done, either on the first incident nor now at the second one. Should the first people be killed that appropriate action is taken by the authorities here?The American and German Embassy had been informed in the early hours of today. The American Consular instantly reacted and advised to be updated of the situation. The German Embassy was informed too but did not respond or reacted so far, he said. End Security Measures Alone Cannot Protect Civilians Sunil C. Perera in Colombo A pattern of attacks on the civilian population appears to have taken hold with with the latest claymore mine attack on a public bus in Kebettigollewa in the Anuradhapura district, where a similar claymore mine attack took the lives of more than 60 people last year in June. The National Peace Council condemns this bomb blast suspected to be by the LTTE which took place on December 5, killing 16 persons and wounding at least 38 others. The increased frequency in this type of attacks by multiple parties including government forces suggests that a new phase of the conflict has been entered, with non-combatants being targeted in order to gain the military upper hand. The events of the last week strongly suggest that despite the mass arrest of Tamils, stricter controls at check-points and night visits by armed forces personnel to Colombo households, the security situation is deteriorating rather than improving. These measures do not appear to provide greater civilian security and we are now seeing the tragic result of this lack of protection. The question the government and the Sri Lankan people now need to confront is whether these attacks on civilians will be halted by a reliance only on increased security measures. This point has been raised by the Supreme Court in its recent ruling against security checkpoints that dot the city. In the course of a judgement of a case filed for alleged arbitrary arrest and detention at a checkpoint on a main road in Colombo, the Supreme Court pointed out that checkpoints obstruct the free movement of Sri Lankan citizens and that checkpoint personnel harass them as they go about their lawful business. The court also pointed out that these checkpoints had been of limited effectiveness in preventing attacks. We ask the government to consider whether the current security measures are successfully combating the horrifying attacks on civilians of the type we have seen in the recent past. NPC believes that a military approach will not end the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka, nor will guarantee the safety of civilians. We take strength for our own continued activism in favour of democratic rights from the judicial support for the fundamental rights of Sri Lankan citizens to be treated as equals before the law and to enjoy their full freedoms.  We call for a resumption of political dialogue on a political solution while demanding an end to attacks on civilians by all sides and for the protection of civilians at all times. End Saudi court to hear appeal of condemned Sri Lankan maid An appeal hearing was set to take place yesterday in the case of a Sri Lankan housemaid condemned to death in Saudi Arabia, the Arab News reported. A three-judge panel will hear the appeal of Rizana Nafeek, who was convicted of strangling to death her employer's four-month old baby in 2005, the English language daily reported. "There is every possibility of Rizana being acquitted and for her to be free from this case once and for all," Sri Lanka's deputy minister of foreign affairs, Hussain Bhaila, told the paper. Another Sri Lankan housemaid, Anista Marie, was rescued from her abusive Saudi employers and will receive a 5,000 dollar payout and a ticket home after going public with allegations of ill-treatment, a Sri Lankan diplomat in the ultra-conservative kingdom said in September. Around 550,000 Sri Lankans live and work in Saudi Arabia, many of them as domestic helpers or drivers. They are a key source of foreign currency for Sri Lanka. End MP in charge of anti-terrorism scrutiny speaks at event linked to Tamil bombers The MP who heads the parliamentary body scrutinising Britain’s counter-terrorism laws addressed a rally at which a plea for support for suicide bombers was broadcast, The Times has learnt. Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, addressed the annual Tamil rally in the ExCel centre in East London. He spoke after partipants watched a televised address by Velupillai Prabhakaran, the commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist organisation banned by the Home Office. Mr Vaz, the MP for Leicester East, was joined by a fellow Labour MP, Joan Ryan. Their presence drew an angry response from the Sri Lankan High Commission, which released a statement claiming that the event was a “clear violation of the UK terrorism laws”. The rally was organised by British-based Tamils on the birthday of the Tamil Tiger leader. In his address, Mr Vaz told an audience of more than 10,000 people: “I understand the demands made by some for an independent Tamil state. They will grow, unless there is justice.” Ms Ryan, the MP for Enfield North, told the rally: “I am sorry to have to remember the 70,000 innocent Tamils who lost their lives in the struggle. We must pursue the aims and values for which they lost their lives.” Earlier in the day, Mr Prabhakaran, in full military dress and in front of the LTTE flag, appeared on six giant screens calling for “the entire Tamil-speaking world to rise up for the liberation of Tamil Eelam”. In a reference to the LTTE’s use of suicide bombers, he said: “The immeasurable dedication and sacrifice of our heroes is delivering a message to the Sinhala nation.” The Sri Lankan High Commission accused Mr Vaz yesterday of being “partisan to a proscribed terrorist group” and claimed that the event was organised by apologists for terrorists. “This event was organised by a front organisation of a terrorist group for fundraising and propaganda purposes,” a spokesman said. When told of the contents of the LTTE leader’s speech and of the criticisms of the Sri Lankan Government, Mr Vaz, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, responded: “I’m not really interested in [the contents of Mr Prabhakaran's speech]. “I was there to deliver a message from the all-party group, which is what I do. I was there to deliver a message from my constituents. I have many Tamil people in my constituency.” Mr Vaz said he was unaware that the Tamil leader was going to speak. Under the UK Terrorism Act, the Tigers are banned from raising funds, holding property or operating in any form. It is an offence to glorify their activities, or incite others to support them. Ms Ryan also said that she did not realise that Mr Prabhakaran had spoken. “I told the meeting that we need to find peace through peaceful means and, as is the case in all such conflicts, a negotiated settlement needs to be found urgently,” she said. As well as watching a speech by the Tamil Tiger leader, people at the event displayed LTTE symbols, and remembered LTTE suicide bombers. The Sri Lankan High Commission alleged that the rally served as a fundraising event for the group. On arrival all guests, including a reporter from this newspaper, were approached and asked to purchase a single glorylily (the LTTE “national” flower) for £5. A Times investigation earlier this year discovered that Tamil shopkeepers were being asked to contribute up to £50,000 towards the cost of “the final war”, with threats made against relatives in the country if they failed to comply. The date of the rally, November 27, Heroes Day, is linked with the LTTE. It falls on the birthday of Mr Prabhakaran, and it is marked by Tamil Tiger sympathisers around the world. Mr Prabhakaran’s speech from the Sri Lankan jungle has been televised at every previous UK Heroes Day. The British Tamil Forum, which helped to organise the event, says that the funds went towards covering the costs of hiring the venue, and says it is the victim of a smear campaign by the Sri Lankan Government. Mr Vaz, 51, has been vocal in his desire that UK restrictions on the Tamil Tigers should be lifted. Mr Vaz, the former minister for Europe, was suspended from Parliament for a month in 2002 for obstructing an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have been fighting a separatist war for an ethnic Tamil homeland in the north of Sri Lanka for 25 years. Since then, the LTTE has formed its own de facto one-party state in the north of the country, becoming one of the best-organised rebel groups in the world. Its “Black Tiger” brigades pioneered the art of suicide bombing, and were linked to the 1991 assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. In 2004, Amnesty International said that LTTE fighters were beating up parents who refused to give up their children as child soldiers. The police, who recorded the gathering, told The Times that they were “assessing material from the event to ascertain if there is any evidence of criminal offences being committed”. End Grand Lyon offers further assistance to Sri Lanka Mr.Dakshitha Talgodapitiya, Alain Joly and Tima Lazarus addressing the press conference Sunil C. Perera in Colombo A leading French Community organization -Grand Lyon plans to further assists Sri Lankan community projects and said the organization is willing to complete the second phase of the walasmulla Hospital which assists to installation of sewage and surface drainage systems and collection and disposal of solid and toxic waste . This project is expected to be commenced immediately by the Technical Division of the Chamber of Construction industry Sri Lanka, said Vice President of the Grand Lyon Mr. Alain Joly . Speaking to media he said the Grandlyon will also undertake a community based water and sanitation Management project in the Hatton area to supply water to 115 families and a maternal School in the plantation sector. Honouring a pledge made to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, by Alain Joly, Vice President of Grand Lyon assisted to fund the Refurbishment of the Water Supply Scheme at the Walasmulla District Hospital which included the provision of a purification plant. The project, which was carried out as a gift from the people of Grand Lyon of France, was inaugurated on 25th July 2007 by Chamal Rajapaksa, Minister of Ports and Aviation and Irrigation and Water Management in the Company of Madam Claude Lardy, President of Bioforce, France and Mr. Guy Peyretti, Deputy Director General of Grand Lyon. Grandlyon , with an Annual budget of 1.5 Billion Euros , oversees Water, waste ,Traffic management among it’s activities, for the City of Lyon and 55 surrounding smaller towns with a total population of 1.7 million . This project was executed by the Chamber of Construction Industry as a part of it’s CSR initiative in association with the Chamber's Development Partner, Bioforce Development Institute of France, within a short span of four months. Having completed the upgrade of the water supply scheme, Mr. Alain Joly visited Walasmulla Hospital on last week in the company of Mr. Dakshitha Thalgodapitiya, CEO/Secretary General of the CCI,and Ms.Rambukwella,Ms.Amy Fernando of INVESTOR SERVICES ASIA to personally identify further needs of the hospital and has now sought the assistance of the Construction Chamber to undertake a project involving refurbishment of sewage and drainage systems and installation of appropriate methods for collection and disposal of solid and toxic wastes. Walasmulla District Hospital, situated in the Hambantota District, has been in existence for over 100 years and caters to the Medical Needs of over 100,000 persons. The proposed project is designed to eliminate contamination of ground water and will put an end to open solid and toxic waste dumps and release of sewage, fecal matter, foul and waste water without proper treatment, which has been a cause for concern. Efforts of Grand Lyon to improve the overall hygiene and environment of Walasmulla Hospital were discussed with Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, who was visited by Mr. Alain Joly in the company of Grand Lyon’s local representatives Mr. Tima Lazarus, Ms.Shriani Rambukwella and Mr. Thalgodapitiya on Wednesday morning. Minister Rajapaksa while thanking Mr. Alain Joly for his personal commitment and humanitarian efforts, expressed his appreciation to Grand Lyon and the Chamber of Construction Industry for their contribution. During the discussions Minister Rajapaksa also emphasised the need to provide capacity development of the hospital to undertake an effective maintenance programme to ensure accrual of real benefits on the substantial investment made by Grand Lyon and the efforts of the Construction Chamber in execution of the project. He also requested Grand Lyon - Bioforce CCI Partnership to visit Walasmulla on a regular basis to monitor the progress of the Project and assess the needs of the hospital, while assuring his personal participation and intervention. On behalf of President Rajapaksa, the Government of Sri Lanka and the people of Walasmulla, the Minister conveyed his gratitude to grand Lyon and the Construction Chamber for taking the initiative and looked forward to a long term association to improve the quality of life of the people in the area. Minister was also very appreciative of the Construction Chamber's efforts to train construction craftsmen by establishing a centre at Thamaduwa, a few kilometers away from the Walasmulla Hospital. Walasmulla District Hospital is now being upgraded to the status of a base hospital. Technical Studies for installation of sewage and surface drainage systems and collection and disposal of solid and toxic waste are expected to be commenced immediately by the Technical Division of the Chamber of Construction industry Sri Lanka. According to the sources ,Mr.Joly also paid a courtesy call on ,Michel Lummux, the French Ambassador for Sri Lanka & The Maldives . End   Groundviews Wins 2007 Award of Excellence in New Communications from Society for New Communications Research Groundviews, Sri Lanka's first citizens journalism website (http://www.groundviews.lk), is pleased to announce that it is a recipient of a 2007 Award of Excellence in the Nonprofit division of the Society for New Communications Research Awards program. The Society honors innovative individuals, corporations, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and media outlets that are pioneering the use of social media, ICT, mobile media, online communities, virtual worlds and collaborative technologies in the areas of media, marketing, public relations, advertising, entertainment, education, politics and social initiatives. The award winners were announced at the Society's awards gala at the Colonnade Hotel in Boston, Mass on December 5th, 2007. Launched in December 2006, Groundviews features an unparalleled range and depth of ideas, opinions and analyses on humanitarian issues, media freedom, human rights, peace, democratic governance and constitutional reform. The site now attracts over 600 page views a day from Sri Lanka and abroad. "Groundviews exemplifies the mission of this awards program: the successful and innovative use of new communications solutions and social media practices to enhance communications and relationships," commented Mike Manuel, SNCR Best Practices committee chairman. "The content and discussions on Groundviews, coupled with its high standing amongst local and international civil society and media, clearly demonstrates the potential of new media to deeply contest the status quo" said Sanjana Hattotuwa, Editor of Groundviews. "The primary objective of Groundviews was to set a standard for and raise awareness on citizen journalism in support of peacebuilding. The initiative has largely succeeded in this regard." End Janashakthi - ICICI bank in discussion for strategic tie-up From Sunil C. Perera Janashakthi Insurance, the revolutionary trendsetter in the Sri Lankan insurance industry, and the ICICI Bank, India’s largest private bank with assets of over USD 92 billion (as of September 30, 2007) and presence in 18 countries worldwide, recently concluded discussions for a bancassurance channel agreement in Mumbai recently. This follows the recent visit to Mumbai of a high powered delegation of Janashakthi professionals headed by General Manager Sales and Marketing Ravi Liyanage. "Janashakthi Insurance is extremely pleased to have an opportunity to be associated with the ICICI Bank, having seen the enormous success achieved by the ICICI Group. With the expected new partnership, ICICI Bank customers in Sri Lanka will receive an exclusive and wide array of financial solutions and services at the bank premises itself either by sharing the Janashakthi extranet or through web enabled online services apart from the professional advice by insurance professionals placed in the bank premises. The proposed business model will fundamentally change the status quo from a "service centre" to a highly customised "Sales Centre". Janashakthi Insurance customers too will receive exclusive banking solutions from our bank partner ICICI Bank", Liyanage said. This proposed channel will initially provide insurance products such as Janashakthi Full Option (motor insurance), Janashakthi Awaranaya (fire and burglary insurance), Janashakthi Worldwide Travel, Janashakthi e-marine and Title insurance. Life insurance products such as Decreasing Term Assurance under Janashakthi Loan Guard, Janashakthi Vishrama  Retirement Fund will too be available under this arrangement. Janashakthi’s constant investment in a state-of-the-art IT system has enabled the Company to offer prompt, convenient and efficient services to policy holders all over the country. The company constantly invests in new technology to establish itself as the most technologically superior insurer in the Sri Lankan market. It has established many industry records surpassing long standing insurance companies in the market by being in operation for only 13 years. Janashakthi is the first and only insurer to be awarded ISO 9001:2000 international quality accreditation from the International Standards Organization for both life and general lines of operations adapting its operational procedures and systems for the continuous improvement of its quality management system. Head, ICICI Bank Sri Lanka Prem Thampi said, "We are exploring the business model that was suggested by Janashakthi Insurance. We definitely feel that ICICI Bank customers will benefit from such innovative insurance products and ICICI Bank, in turn, would be able to reach out to all Janashakthi customers and offer them world class banking products along with special offers from time to time. ICICI Bank in India has successful bancassurance tie-ups with ICICI Lombard in the general insurance sector, and ICICI Prudential in the life insurance sector which are the leading private sector insurance companies in India". The Janashakthi team from Sri Lanka held discussions on the banc assurance model and understanding of best practices in the Indian insurance market with Mr. Sushil Rele Chief Insurance Officer (Life Insurance), ICICI Bank, Mr. Amit Sirsikar Assistant General Manager International Retail Group, Mr. Venaktcahlam Iyer, Head of Bancassurance ICICI Prudential and Mr. Krishnadas Nair Chief Insurance Officer (General Insurance) ICICI Bank. From ICICI Bank Sri Lanka Mr. Romesh Elapatha, Deputy Country Head and Mr. Kurien Elias, Senior Vice President were also present for the discussions. ICICI Lombard General Insurance is a joint venture between ICICI Bank India and Fairfax Financial Holdings of Canada. The life insurance distribution model will be aligned with the business model of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, which is a joint venture between ICICI Bank and Prudential PLC - a leading international financial services group headquartered in the United Kingdom. ICICI Bank offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and through its specialised subsidiaries in the areas of investment banking, life and non-life insurance, private equity and asset management. ICICI Bank is a leading player in the retail banking market and services with its large customer base through a network of over 950 branches and extension counters, 3600 ATMs, call centres and internet banking (www.icicibank.HYPERLINK "http://www.icicibank.com/" \t "_blank" com). ICICI Bank set up the International Banking Group (IBG) in 2002 to implement a focussed strategy for its international banking business. Within a short span of five years, ICICI Bank’s international presence currently spans 18 countries and includes wholly owned subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Canada and Russia; offshore banking units in Singapore and Bahrain; a branch in Dubai International Financial Centre, branches in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Qatar and ICICI Bank UK branches in Belgium; and representative offices in the United States, China, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. End Responsible agencies deny to accept tsunami construction proposals-CCI   Sunil C. Perera in Colombo   After the tsunami destruction a number of INGOs and NGOs came to assist Sri Lanka and most of   Non Governmental Agencies entered to construct houses in the tsunami affected areas. These agencies also held ceremonies to handover houses to the tsunami affected families and a number of allegations also raised by local media , house owners and other organizations due to the low quality of the tsunami housing construction. “Main reason was these housing construction agencies , specially NGOs and INGOs had not  construction experience , said Chief Executive Officer of the  Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka (CCI)  Dakshitha Talgodapitiya . Speaking to media he said the CCI is  the Apex Body founded by all institutions and associations of construction professionals such as Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA), Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Institute of Town Planners, Association of Consulting Engineers and the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) by addressing a letter on 12 January 2005  to then President of Sri Lanka offered Chamber's unstinted support and professional expertise in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Tsunami areas. It made continuous representations to the Presidential Secretariat for inclusion of a member / representative of the construction industry in the Task Force for rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN). Regrettingly not a single member from the Construction Industry was appointed to TAFREN nor formal consultations did take place with this Chamber.   “To the best of our knowledge most construction activities in the Tsunami affected areas were not carried out by ICTAD registered contractors, he explained.   “However, it is the responsibility of the Government, or the designated Government Agencies to ensure that the required quality of construction is adhered to particularly with related to disaster situations and in the rehabilitation of areas affected by a disaster. OECD Development Assistance Committee in fact did enunciate a programme which is known as revised principles for donor action in anti corruption and number of expert meetings on preventing corruption in the Tsunami relief efforts have been held. It is pertinent to note that public participation in anti corruption activities in particular through cooperative relationships with civil society groups such as Chambers of Commerce and Professional Associations,  protection of whistle blowers and monitoring of rehabilitation programmes and activities have been spoken of and reiterated at many a forum, he said.   The Sri Lankan Tsunami rehabilitation was carried out mostly by NGO's and other organisations that cropped up as mushrooms with least intervention from the Government and construction industry regulating authorities. Shortage of construction skills and required basic material including sand could also be attributed as a reason for poor quality of construction,  It may be necessary even at this stage to carry out a post mortem exercise to ascertain the total inflow of funds to Sri Lanka and the amount of funds that could be accounted for as benefits to targeted beneficiary groups. A  need has now arisen to introduce mechanisms to handle needs assessments, procurement and implementation including contracting and execution of projects to ensure transparency and accountability of donor funding in the rehabilitation of disaster affected areas.   Natural disasters have no time frame, no boundaries and possesses no sense of sympathy, consequentially when they strike they also present tremendous challenges to those that offer and provide aid to the victims. It is also highly probable in the midst of natural disasters that there may exist corrupt elements who like vultures preying on human misery, will take every opportunity to swoop down on the helpless innocent and woefully desperate victims in need of aid and assistance. Sri Lanka had no past experience of facing a natural disaster prior to 26th of December 2004. There is very little evidence that threat of corruption and abuse was eliminated or minimized in Tsunami Relief Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Programmes.   It is inconceivable to control corruption in the context of a disaster of the magnitude of the Tsunami without the necessary legal framework, institutional infrastructure and without making an effort to mobilize the resources of professional groups and civil societies such as the Chamber of Construction Industry which had the capacity, expertise, commitment and integrity to cooperate with the Government.   “At least the present Government should introduce and strengthen legal and institutional Framework for reconstruction activities in the aftermath of a disaster as an essential and an integral part of the disaster preparedness strategy. Such an effort must be on Public - Private Partnership basis only. Civil Society has a definite role to execute, he said. End Rs 3/- Maximum Voice Call Rate on Dialog 3G SuperLine From Sunil C. Perera  Dialog Telekom Plc Sri Lanka’s leading mobile operator announced a 3G based tariff package with a Maximum call rate of Rs 3/- Per Min. 3G SuperLine is based on the company’s Dual-Line SIM card wherein consumers can now install the 3G SuperLine as their Line 2 connection. 3G SuperLine functions only within the company’s rapidly growing 3G coverage and customers logging in to Line 2 are guaranteed of a maximum call charge of Rs 3/-. In addition, all incoming calls on 3G SuperLine are free of charge. The 3G SuperLine SIM Card will cost Rs 1,000 but can be obtained Free of Charge during the month of December as a part of Dialog’s Seasonal rewards campaign. Dialog 3G is South Asia’s first 3G Network and since its launch in 2006, has grown rapidly to cover a large number of cities in Sri Lanka. Dialog 3G coverage spans Greater Colombo and over 100 secondary cities and towns including Kandy, Bentota, Ambalangoda, Galle, Wennapuwa, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Habarana, Kandalama Negombo, Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, Bandarawela, Kalutara, , Gampaha, Sigiriya and Nuwara Eliya D2D calling is available on the 3G SuperLine at Rs 2/- per minute, providing the undisputedly cheapest method of reaching 4 Million Sri Lankans on the Dialog network. Tariff rates dip to as low as Rs 1/- for D2D SMS and late night calling. Speaking on the company’s latest tariff offering, Dialog Telekom Plc Group Chief Executive Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, “When we took the bold step of investing in South Asia’s first 3G Network, we set ourselves an overarching objective of deploying this cutting edge technology and infrastructure towards making communications more affordable for our customers. While Dialog 3G offers a wide range of world class value added services including video calling in Sri Lanka and overseas, the 3G SuperLine innovation delivers the value of 3G technology in a very basic form  the lowest ever mobile phone charges in Sri Lanka”. “Customers wishing to register for 3G SuperLine on Line 2 of their SIM card would need to obtain a 3G SuperLine SIM card from any Dialog Service centre” explained Chief Operating Officer for Dialog Mobile, Mr. Supun Weerasinghe. “Line rental for 3G SuperLine is absolutely free for our Super 500 customers while a minimal line rental of Rs 100/- would be charged for other package holders”. End JVP leader says he is ready to sell umbrellas Sunil C. Perera in Colombo  JVP leader Somawansa Amarasingha says that the Kadurata Umbrella Industries provides employment for local youth and save foreign exchange . “If any local industry is protecting Sri Lankan foreign funds and provide ample jobs for the unemployed masses the JVP ready to support them. I came to sell umbrellas of the Kadurata Umbrella industries , said Somaeansa Amrasingha who delivered his speech during the 3oth anniversary of the Kadurata Umbrella Industries, Kandy, held at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo on Friday. “Earlier most of them had a misunderstanding about JVP’s policies on private sector.We assist private sector to develop the country .But the government must obtain their support to go a head, he said. Explaining varieties of umbrellas in overseas he said most of the umbrellas cannot be used during the rain and some umbrellas are not suitable to be used in dry weather. “However Kadurata umbrella has over 30 years experience and they make low priced, but quality umbrella to the market, Amarasingha said. “This is a national industry and all of us must protect these types of local industries , he explained. Explaining JVP’s idea on private sector and joint ventures with overseas companies, he said the government must obtain 50 percent share of any industry if the government must do business with them. We need favorable conditions if we do business with the overseas entities, he said. Industries Minister Kumara Welgama said the government now provides equal concessions for the local companies. Earlier governments had granted BOI facilities only for the overseas companies. Most of BOI companies failed and abandoned their workforce and businesses, he said. The Kadurata Umbrella Industries has commenced their business with 10 employees in 1977. At present we have 60 percent of market share and plans to introduce new varieties of umbrellas for the local market, said Chairman of the company M.H.M.Siddeek. The Kadurata Umbrella Industries now owns two manufacturing plans in the hill capital and produces 57 umbrella varieties using modern technology. The company is the pioneer in Logo printed umbrellas for various companies and engaged mosquito nets and raincoats manufacturing sectors. Speaking to media Siddeek said the company has no plans to expand its businesses to overseas due to the low- priced and low – quality Chinese products. “We cannot compete with the Chinese manufacturers due to their low cost of production .We also need some concessions from the government to carry out our businesses .At present we pay all government levies , he explained. End      Zee sells ICL’s global rights for $10 m Despite low initial TRPs, the Zee group sold the international broadcast rights for its Indian Cricket League (ICL) matches to three global distributors for an estimated $10 million, industry sources said. The three distributors are Astro PPV -– a leading direct-to-home distributor for the South-East Asia region, the Sri Lanka-based Derana and Gateway, which reaches countries in Europe and the US, among others. The broadcasts on these platforms will be in addition to Zee’s reach in other countries through channels such as Zee TV. In an attempt to shore up advertising support for the group which has been minimal on the poorly-distributed Zee Sports, Essel group decided to show the first 30 minutes of ICL matches on all group channels except its two movie channels. As per the deals struck on Monday, ICL’s ongoing Twenty20 matches will be telecast on Zee Sports across the UK, US, South Africa and other African countries, the Caribbean region, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. While Essel group executive V-P Ashish Kaul did not confirm the amount for which the deal had been struck, he said it was the first time a domestic sporting event had been sold to an international platform as big as this. The three distributors have bought the rights to broadcast all ICL matches. The feeds of the ongoing Twenty20 tournament have already begun. “These broadcasters, in turn, will market the matches and sell on-air inventory,” Mr Kaul said. ratn The group has also introduced a multi-language feed on its direct-to-home (DTH) platform Dish TV in Hindi, Tamil and Bengali, in addition to the existing English feed. This comes days after Zee group announced the highest prize money in domestic cricket -– Rs 3.9 crore for the winning team and a total of Rs 15 crore. End SECURITY PRECAUTIONS YES, MASS ARRESTS NO Hundreds of Tamils residing in Colombo have been arrested in a crackdown reminiscent of the attempt to evict temporary Tamil residents from Colombo in June this year. The national and international outcry and Supreme Court decision to outlaw those evictions led to a public apology from the government. It is likely that the two recent bombings in Colombo, both suspected to be by the LTTE, in which over twenty civilians were killed and many more injured led to the latest phenomenon of mass arrests. The National Peace Council has condemned and called upon the LTTE to immediately halt acts of violence, especially those directed against civilians. We have repeatedly stated our belief that attacks of this nature continue to distract attention, both within Sri Lanka and internationally, away from the crucial issues of Tamil rights and aspirations. The National Peace Council accepts the need for strict security precautions in Colombo. But we cannot accept the large scale arrests of people without following due process and respecting their basic rights.  Like in the case of the attempted eviction, the people who have been arrested include women with children. Some of them are Tamil workers from the central hills who have been living in Colombo for many years. When they are arrested in this manner, they stand to lose their livelihoods for which they do not obtain compensation.  Others are people who have left the north and east where they cannot live peacefully and safely due to the war conditions in that part of the country. The government position seems to be that Tamil citizens from the North and East can only reside in Colombo if they can satisfy the security forces about their reasons for being in Colombo. This is a gross violation of the human rights of citizens under the Sri Lankan constitution and in terms of international law to live or reside wherever they choose to. Several hundred of those arrested have been taken to the Boosa detention centre which is more than a hundred kilometers from Colombo.  There are reports that they had to undergo extreme hardships such as not having water to drink or toilet facilities. NPC calls on the government to take immediate steps to conduct inquiries speedily and according to procedures established by law, and to ensure that those who have been arrested are treated humanely. We urge the government to take immediate steps to inform the relatives of those arrested about the whereabouts of their loved ones. We also call on the government to make public the name lists of those who are in custody and permit access for relatives and legal aid. End   Dialog Telekom launches M-Waste take back programme. From Sunil C. Perera Leading the way in Corporate Environment Consciousness, Dialog Telekom today launched Sri Lanka’s first mobile phone battery and handset take back initiative aimed at reducing electronic (mobile) waste (M-waste). In a unique linkage with the company’s ongoing Joy-Toy programme, Dialog Telekom has pledged to match M-Waste items returned by consumers with monetary contributions towards the gifting of Toys for Needy Children over the Christmas Season. Dialog Telekom has taken the lead in recognizing that going forward M-waste could take the form of a significant environmental concern if forward thinking steps were not taken at an early stage to develop social and institutional consciousness on the subject. With over 7 million Mobile users as of date and rapid growth expected in the sector in coming years, discarded mobile phones, batteries and accessories could contribute to a growing stream of waste in Sri Lanka, if steps towards safe disposal practices were not established in a timely manner. M-Waste if not disposed off safely, would have a harmful impact on the environment, adding to pollution and other ill effects of hazardous waste. Displaying the Company’s commitment to incorporate sustainability into its operations the M-waste take back initiative aims to reduce the levels of M-waste by collecting and recycling used handsets, batteries and accessories. The objective of the initiative is to reduce hazardous M-waste reaching the environment. Dialog also announced that all collected handsets and accessories will be exported to a recycling plant overseas that is equipped with the technology to recycle or refurbish the material.                                                                           “Environmental protection is something that we have always believed in, and have upheld in our CR initiatives. As espoused in our company’s values we are committed to doing ‘Business the Responsible Way’, and this program is a pro-active step that will help mitigate the adverse effects that M-waste has on the environment,” said Mr. Mothilal De Silva, Group Chief Corporate Officer, Dialog Telekom. “With the rapid expansion that we are witnessing in the industry, addressing the issue of M-waste has become a topical necessity,” said Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya Group Chief Executive Dialog Telekom PLC. “The M-Waste take back initiative we launch today will have a significantly positive impact on the environment going forward, and we are confident that the lead we have taken will be supported by other industry players. Our Corporate Responsibility initiatives have consistently championed social and environment issues with a view to seeding and consolidating solutions which are sustainable in the long term.” End DON’T CONDEMN WELL MEANING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT In recent weeks, there has been a concerted effort by the government to discredit international humanitarian organizations by accusing some of them of being supporters of the LTTE. The National Peace Council is very concerned about these allegations, which have damaged the credibility of these organizations and other NGOs that have a long track record of service to the war affected and poverty stricken sections of the Sri Lankan population. Where it concerns the war affected civilian population in the north and east, it is these humanitarian organizations that have often been the main source of institutional solace to the people. We have witnessed at first hand, people in internally displaced camps in the north and east, who affirm that their main if not only consistent source of support has been these international humanitarian organizations. Two of the international organizations that have come in for focused governmental criticism in recent time are UNICEFand Save the Children in Sri Lanka (SCSL).UNICEF is a driving force to build a world where the rights of every child are realized and believes that everyone has a responsibility to see that children are safe. SCSL is part of the world’s oldest, independent international alliance for children (formerly known in Sri Lanka as Save the Children Fund, SCF) working for the protection and full realization children’s rights. UNICEF and SCSL work very closely with the National Child Protection Authority of Sri Lanka which aims for the prevention of child abuse, protection and rehabilitation of victims of abuse. Both SCSL and UNICEF have long track records of humanitarian assistance and promoting the rights of children in this country. In particular they have taken many measures to bring the problem of child recruitment by the LTTE, and more recently by the government-supported Karuna group, to international scrutiny. UNICEF and SCSL have been charged with working in collaboration with the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), which was recently banned in the United States and Sri Lanka for having been a conduit for the raising of funds for LTTE arms purchases.Bothagencies have worked with the TRO on a number of projects but ceased their relationship in 2006 when TRO came under increased government scrutiny and its bank accounts in Sri Lanka were sealed. However, prior to this, and particularly in the period of the previous government when the peace process was at its height, the government itself encouraged humanitarian organizations to work in partnership with the TRO. Both organizations have invited the Government to investigate all of the allegations against them which is a sign of good faith and also an example of transparency that is a model for others in the country. The National Peace Council holds that the TRO, ought to have followed this transparency. TRO’s mission is to provide food, clothing, shelter, and self-development programs to the people of north and east Sri Lanka. The US government has accused TRO of having purchased munitions, equipment, communication devices, and other technology for the LTTE. We condemn the LTTE for co-opting and misusing an organization which had the potential to rehabilitate so many. The direct casualty of the banning of TRO is the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, especially in the North and East the Tamil People who were supposed to be receiving aid in the name of rehabilitation. The LTTE prevented that aid from reaching them and instead purchased arms. NPC is saddened that it is the most needy and vulnerable sections of the people in Sri Lanka who will be the losers as a result of the governmental criticisms of UNICEF and SCSL and by the LTTE's actions with regard to TRO. UNICEF and other NGOs especially in the North and East have provided services to those affected by deprivation and conflict, and now these groups are looked on with more suspicion. These criticisms, compromise their ability to carry out humanitarian and development work and are also putting the safety and security of UN staff and non-governmental organisations at risk. NPC concurs in the government’s position that it is necessary to be mindful of serious misuse of funds. But we also must not condemn and discredit the well meaning international support especially from the UN t