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Sanga and Herath Honoured

Special court for culprits of Jaffna rape and murder

Mother of victim talks with the President

NEWSLANKAPAGE 02 28 MAY - 2015 ISSUE 1225

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(island.lk) Three persons died of inhalingpoisonous gas emanating from a fire that brokeout in a bakery at Maradana yesterday.The fire broke out at the bakery between theElphinstone Theatre and Kaleel Nursing Homearound 12 noon and lasted for nearly one and ahalf hours, according to residents.Regional Officer (Operations) of the Fire Brigade,R. D. Wijesuriya said that he and his team hadrushed to the scene as soon as they wereinformed of the fire but there was a slight delay inreaching the location owing to heavy traffic. "Aswe fought hard to advance through flamesand smoke we found some persons stuckinside the building and removed them.Later, we found a bathroom full of smokeand three persons unconscious inside it.We rushed them to hospital but they werealready dead," Wijesuriya said.The police said that the fire had beendoused with the help of the Colombo FireBrigade. An injured person had beenadmitted to the National Hospital fortreatment and three persons had died.A team from the Government Analyst’sDepartment was expected to visit thescene today (26) to ascertain the cause of

the fire.Six fire engines had been deployed to extinguishthe fire, fire brigade officials said.The fire brigade officials were of the opinion that agas leak in the bakery may have caused the fire.Damage caused by the fire had not beenestimated yet, police said.Identities of the dead were not known at the timethis edition went to press.The fire caused heavy traffic congestion inMaradana and nearby areas for hours fromafternoon to evening yesterday.

By Norman Palihawadane

( ) The Central Board of FilmCertification (CBFC) in India has refusedto certify ‘Porkalathil Oru Poo,’ a filmbased on real life story of televisionjournalist, Isaipriya, who was allegedlykilled in captivity by the Sri Lankan armedforces in the final stages of the civil war in2009, on the grounds that the film couldstrain “friendly relations with foreignStates.” The film director, K. Ganeshan,who is yet to get a formal letter ofrejection from the CBFC, protested thedecision. “What if Sri Lanka is a friendlyState? Are we not allowed to criticiseeven when its armed forces havecommitted blatant human rights abuses?Even the Tamil Nadu government haspassed a unanimous resolution in the

Assembly not to consider Sri Lanka as afriendly nation,” he said.This narrative around the Sri Lankan civilwar has been hotly contested, resulting ina number of films being banned bygovernment and others facing protestsfrom various Tamil groups and parties inthe State. While the critically acclaimeddocumentary ‘No Fire Zone’, made byChannel 4, was banned by the SriLankan government, Tamil studentgroups and parties called for a boycott ofSanthosh Sivan’s ‘Inam’ and Hindi film,‘Madras Café, on the pretext that theymisrepresented the Sri Lankan conflictand tilted the narrative in favour of the SriLankan government.Actor S. Ve. Shekar, the Regional

Chairman of CBFC, defended thedecision saying that the board merelyfollowed the Cinematograph Act.“Basically, the act is very clear:certification of a movie cannot be given ifit could strain friendly relations with aneighbouring country. We have onlyfollowed the rule book. We cannot give acertification based on our whims andfancies,” he says. “We can argue aboutwhat happened during the civil war, butthat doesn’t mean that we have to allow afilm to be screened. Brutal murdershappen in society, but does that mean wecan make a film out of it? The director isfree to screen the movie outside thecountry without any cuts,” says Mr.Shekar. (Hindu)

dailymirror.lk

(ft.lk) (NIE) Colombo: Jesuthasan Anthonythasan,the Tamil Tiger child soldier who attainedinternational stardom when his film Dheepanbagged the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year, haswell and truly abjured violence and separatism,which had marked his life in Sri Lanka.“Though the Tamil Diaspora might want it, theTamils in Sri Lanka are not interested in securingan independent Tamil Eelam or inadopting violence as their creedagain,” Anthonythasan, now 47, toldExpress over phone from Paris.Having authored two well-receivednovels Gorilla and Traitor on theblood-soaked Tamil militant era underthe pen-name Shobasakthi,Anthonythasan has a deepunderstanding of the Tamil question.“Admittedly, the guns are silent now, and peopleare going about their normal chores. But the basicissue of the political rights of the Tamils is still notbeing addressed,” he observed.“Tamils will have to struggle for autonomy, butwithout resorting to violence. The change ofregime has created a conducive climate for a

change of approach,” he said.On Deepan, which is the first ever feature film onthe plight of the Lankan Tamil refugees livingoverseas, Anthonythasan said it brings out starkly,the deprived and depraved lives of illegalimmigrants in France. “It also tells the cluelesslocals who we immigrants are, and what difficultieswe go through.” Asked about the challenges in the

making of Dheepan, Anthonythasansaid: “In the beginning, DirectorJacques Audiard knew nothing of SriLanka’s war and the problems of theTamil refugees. But he workedextremely hard to know the subjectthoroughly. He would discuss minutedetails with us.”However, Anthonythasan feared that

language might pose a problem. He wondered ifthe festival would like a French film where 90% ofthe dialogues were in Tamil. Dheepan is the storyof the escape of a militant, a woman and a childfrom the war zone in North Lanka, disguised as a“family”, and their poverty-stricken and violent lifein a crime-ridden Paris slum. Andrew Pulver of TheGuardian described the film as an “immensely

powerful work.”

No room for separatism and violence,says Cannes star Anthonythasan

Film on slain Lankan TV journalist banned

Bakery fire snuffs out three lives

PAGE 03ISSUE 1225 NEWSLANKA 28 MAY - 2015

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Car falls off bridge;five occupants

injured seriously

(island.lk) Five persons were injured recentlywhen the car they were travelling veered offthe road and plunged into a river near theBattulu Oya bridge. Among them was thedriver of the vehicle.They were rushed to the Mundalama Hospitaland later transferred to the Chilaw BaseHospital as their condtion worsened. Mundalapolice are conducting investigations.

By Nalin Handurugoda, Puttalam Corr.

( ) After a lapse of 162 years, twoAnunayake Theras were appointed to theAsgiriya Chapter by the Karaka Sangha Sabhaled by Asgiriya Mahanayake Most Ven.Galagama Attadassi Thera.The election was held at the Asgiri HistoricPoyage this afternoon, presided over by theAsgiriya Chapter Mahanayake Thera.The 18-member Karaka Sangha Sabha electeduncontested Ven. Panditha Wendurawe UpaliThera- Trustee of the Historic PolonnaruwaSolosmastana and Ven. Panditha WarakagodaGunaratna Thera - Trustee of the HistoricMuthiyangane Raja Maha Viharaya.This election of the two Anunayakes was doneaway with by the British when they found that theAnunayake of the Sath Korale who held the lastappointment was against the British. They did notappoint a Anunayke thereafter since all theseappointments to the two Maha Vihara's were doneby them until 1853.

However, the newly elected Mahanayake Thera ofthe Asgiriya re-introduced the appointment of thetwo Anunayake Theras to the Asgiriya chapter.(L.B.Senaratne)

dailymirror.lk

(adaderana.lk) A 30-year old man from the Jaffnawas arrested for using deception in his UK visitvisa application. He was found to have previouslyapplied under a different identity.The visa applicant was referred by UK Visas &Immigration to the Fraud Investigations Bureau,the UK High Commission said in a statement. Thesuspect had previously been refused a UK visawhen using the same name, but with a differentdate of birth and family details.As well as receiving a visa refusal the applicanthas been given a 10 year ban on travel to the UKand faces prosecution for his actions from the SriLankan authorities.UK Visas and Immigration Operations Manager,Tony Williams, said: “We will not tolerate abuse of

the UK’s Immigration rules. Where we seeevidence of abuse, we will take action againstthose involved.We strongly advise visa applicants to be open andhonest in their applications. Each application isconsidered on its individual merits and a previousvisa refusal doesn’t necessarily mean that the newvisa will get refused. However in cases ofdeception or where false documents are submittedwe will always refuse the applicant and as in thiscase there could also be wider ramifications. .”All visa applications are subject to extensivechecks by trained forgery officers, and thisdeception was uncovered following these routinechecks, it was reported.

UK visa applicant arrested for fraud Two Anunayake Theras appointedafter 162 years

(ft.lk) The Inspector General of Police (IGP)yesterday ordered the transfer of several seniorpolice officers in Jaffna with immediate effect,following the violence which broke out betweenprotesters and the police.According to police headquarters, theSuperintendent of Police (SP), AssistantSuperintendent of Police (ASP), the HeadquartersInspector (HQI) of the Jaffna Police and the HQI ofKayts Police have been transferred on servicerequirements with the approval of the Public OrderMinistry Secretary.

A large group on 20 May staged a protest outsidethe Jaffna court demanding that nine suspectsarrested over the gang rape and murder of an 18-year-old student in Punkudithivu, be sentenced todeath.Police used tear gas to disperse thedemonstrators after many of them pelted stones atthe court premises and assaulted police officers onduty. Five police officers were hospitalisedfollowing the incident and 130 individuals wereremanded.

(ft.lk) Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisenatook oaths as Chief Scout of Sri Lanka and Patronof the Guild on 20 May at a special ceremony held

at the President’s Office. Chief Commissioner ofSri Lanka Scouts Prof. Nimal de Silvaadministered the oath and adorned him with anational scarf. The Sri Lanka Scouts constitutionprovides that the President of the country is theChief Scout.The President was enlightened on future activitiesand special programs to be carried out by the SriLanka Scouts Association. During the function thePresident instructed the relevant officials toprovide all assistance to the nation scout troops.The President recalled the experiences he gainedduring his schooling period as a scout. He saidthat the experience gained at that time helped himto strengthen his future activities. Deputy ChiefCommissioner of Scout Shiraz Salih and severalother officers of the Scouts Movement attendedthis function.

Shiranthi to face FCIDon 1 June

Sri Lanka bansGlyphosate imports

St. Benedict’s College150th anniversary

(ft.lk) Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa hasbeen requested to appear before the FinancialCrimes Investigation Department on 1 June.

(dailynation.lk) Sri Lanka has banned theimportation of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH)due to the increased incidence of chronic kidneydisease associated with the use of theseglyphosate formulations.Argentina has also published evidence of chronicreproductive and birth defects in women andchildren linked to glyphosate based herbicides.In light of the evidence linking glyphosate-basedformulations to renal problems it is time NewZealand Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI)implement testing of this universally usedherbicide in its full formulation. This comes afterthe World Health Organisation re classifiedglyphosate category as a 2A carcinogen,published in the Lancet.

(sundaytimes.lk) Celebrating the 150thanniversary of St. Benedict’s College in Kotahena,‘Our Own Show’ is a musical showcase of thetalent produced and honed at St. Benedict’sCollege over the years. The concert on June 6,features a blend of choral, vocal and instrumentalperformances, both classical and contemporary, atthe BMICH main auditorium from 7 p.m. onwards.From early industry pioneers such as thelegendary Raj Seneviratne, The DharmaratneBrothers, Denzil from the popular 1960′s duoDenzil & Bosco and Donald & Benjy from the 80′sband Mirage to modern names in the local musicscene such as The Rebels, Choro Benedicte andthe premier acapella and vocal group in Colombo,Voice.Print, the musical alumni of the college isrich with history.The concert will see the introduction of the ‘JubileeChoir’, a collection of choral singers who havebeen involved in the choirs of St. Benedict’s overthe past years, including popular groups ChoroBenedicteand Voice.Print, under the tutelage ofwell-known choral directors Francis D’Almeida andKrishan Rodrigo.The line-up for the night will feature a widespectrum of music to fit all tastes, ranging fromclassical, jazz, soul, funk, blues and RnB toacapella and Vocal-Play.

(dailymirror.lk) The Mallakam Magistrate’s Courttoday issued a stay order banning any protests,demonstrations or assembly up to 14 days withinthe Chunnakam Police area starting today, thepolice said.The court order had been issued due to a protestthat was scheduled to be held today by the‘Mahajana Balaya Peramuna’ over the incidentwhere an 18-year-old student was gang raped andkilled at Punguditivu in Jaffna.

Customs Directorresigns

(sundaytimes.lk) Customs Director General JagathP. Wijeweera tendered his resignation letter to theFinance Ministry Secretary yesterday, thegovernment news portal reported.Finance Minister Ravi Karunaratne was quoted astelling the media that they accepted hisresignation.Wijeweera decided to resign from his post due topersonal reasons it was reported.The minister said they are now strengthening SriLanka Customs and were finding ways and meansto increase government revenue by making it amore efficient and effective entity.

Ban of protests anddemonstrations in Jaffna

President Sirisena takes oath as Chief Scoutof Sri Lanka

Top police officers in Jaffna transferred

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(colombogazette.com) Private security staff atVienna Airport are suspected of smugglingrefugees, mainly Sri Lankans, through securitychecks onto flights to the United States andBritain, the Reuters news agency quotedAustrian prosecutors as saying.Police are investigating 13 private security staffoperating at Vienna Airport over suspicions theyabused their access to security systems. Oneman from Poland and another from Sri Lankahave been placed in custody pending aninvestigation.British security firm G4S said one of its staffwas under suspicion in the case and had beensacked. The company was working closely withauthorities, it said in a statement.

“We know of 10 trafficking trips, meaning 10flights between last autumn and February,” saida spokesman for prosecutors in the town ofKorneuburg in Lower Austria province.He declined to name any companies involvedand said it was not yet clear how many peoplehad been smuggled through security checks.The men collected between 7,000 to 9,000euros ($7,600-$9,800) per person, thespokesman said.The trafficking scheme, which included usingflight tickets issued to friends andacquaintances, was discovered after suspectstried to recruit a new accomplice. That personthen contacted the police, the spokesman said.One person who allegedly paid the suspects

was refused entryinto the UnitedStates, ringing alarmbells for authoritiesin Austria, thespokesman said.Human traffickingcarries penalties ofup to 10 years in jailin Austria.G4S, which runsservices frommoving cash toprotecting ships, hascome under criticismfor a number of itscontracts, includingits poor performanceat the LondonOlympics in 2012.

Vienna Airport security accusedof smuggling Lankans

(island.lk) Director General of the Commission toInvestigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption(CIABOC) Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe hasbeen cleared of accusations pertaining toreceiving two salaries simultaneously from theAttorney General’s Department and theTelecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC)of Sri Lanka.

The allegation made by four UPFA members ofparliament in the wake of Wickramasinghedirecting the CIABOC to record a statement fromformer President Mahinda Rajapaksa regardingthe then UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayakereceiving health portfolio in the run-up to theJanuary 8 presidential poll.The CIABOC Commissioners, retired Supreme

By Shamindra Ferdinando

(Contd: on P6)

CIABOC DG cleared







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CIABOCfrom P4Court Justice Jagath Balapatabendi, retiredAppeals Court Justice L.K. Wimalachandra andDr. J. Wickramaratne cleared the DG following aninvestigation carried out on her request.During the investigation, the CIABOC was told thatWickramasinghe in her capacity as the SeniorState Counsel and then Deputy Solicitor Generalhad received an allowance of Rs. 15,000 and Rs25,000, respectively for the services provided tothe TRCSL. The CIABOC was also told that shehad been nominated for the task by the thenAttorney General, the late K.C. Kamalasabayson,PC, and her allowance approved in accordancewith the establishment code.Authoritative sources told The Island thatKamalasabayson had stipulated in a letter datedJuly 2, 2003 to the then Justice Ministry SecretaryMrs Dhara Wijetilake that Mrs. Wickramasinghereceive Rs. 15,000 monthly allowance, whereas

State Counsel Sumathi Dharmawardane,Susantha Balapatabendi and NirmalanWigneshwaran received Rs. 10,000 each.Subsequently, Kamalasabayson recommended anincrease in allowances in February 2006 in linewith promotions received by them. The AGrecommended Rs. 30,000 allowance to AdditionalSolicitor General Sathya Hettige, PC whereas itwas suggested that Wickramasinghe in her newcapacity as Deputy Solicitor General be given Rs.25,000 monthly allowance. Senior State Counsel,Balapatabendi and Dharmawardane received Rs.20,000 each.Wickramasinghe told The Island that she had beendefamed though the Opposition was aware of thecircumstances under which she along with severalof her colleagues had received allowances since2003. In their haste to undermine investigationsundertaken by the CIABOC, a vituperative attackhad been launched against her, she said, addingthat investigations were on track.

(colombopage.com) Cambridge, MA: TheKennedy School of Government at HarvardUniversity appointed Sri Lanka-born Americandiplomat Dr. Patrick Mendis as a senior fellow ofthe Ash Center for Democratic Governance andInnovation."I am indeed honored to associate with the AshCenter as I continue my teaching and researchactivities on Sino-American relations," said

Mendis, an alumnus of theKennedy School.Author of "Peaceful War: How theChinese Dream and the AmericanDestiny Create a Pacific NewWorld Order", Mendis will work onprojects related to U.S.-Chinarelations with Director Anthony Saich of the AshCenter.

Court refuses to freeBasil on bail

(colombogazette.com) The KaduwelaMagistrate today refused to free formerEconomic Development Minister BasilRajapaksa on bail and further remanded him.Rajapaksa had submitted an applicationthrough his lawyers seeking bail. Howeverwhen he was presented in court today theapplication was rejected and he was furtherremanded.Rajapaksa was arrested and jailed overalleged fraud committed when he was theEconomic Development Minister. (ColomboGazette)

Tiran will not be arrestedtill case is heard

(colombogazette.com)Parliamentarian andbusinessman Tiran Alleswill not be arrested until acase he has filed is heard,the Attorney General (AG)has said.The undertaking wasgiven by the AG to the Supreme Court todayand the Financial Crimes Investigations Division(FCID) had been instructed to continueinvestigations.Alles, who has been accused of being involvedin fraud, had filed a petition in Court againstmoves to arrest him even before investigationsare completed. (Colombo Gazette)

Muslim MPs proposeretired JusticeSalam to CC

From M. A. Kaleel, Kalmunai Corr.(island.lk) Muslim parliamentarians haveproposed retired President of the Court ofAppeal Justice A. W. A. Salam to theConstitutional Council according to DeputyMinister and Secretary General of Sri LankaMuslim Congress I. Hassan Ali.He said a letter to that effect had been sent toPrime Minister’s office yesterday morning.SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem has praised thenomination of TNA Leader R. Sampanthan tothe CC as the representative of minority partiesin Parliament.Meanwhile, Hakeem has also called for theappointment of a Muslim to the CC to representthe Muslim Community.The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka has also raisedits serious concern over the non-appointment ofa Muslim to the CC. In their appeal to the PrimeMinister they have said the Muslims have facedserious threats over the past decade and theywere instrumental in the 2015 for the regimechange and they should be accommodated inthe CC.

Fonseka says somecrimes took place

during war(colombogazette.com) Former Army Commander,Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, says some crimeshad taken place during the war but they were notsystematic. During an interview with The Guardian,Fonseka said that his conscience is clear and hewould welcome a war crimes investigation to provehis innocence“The army as a whole, I can give the assurancethat we never committed war crimes,” he said.“There were no rapes, no torture during mycommand during the war. I know there have been acouple of allegations. But there should not bereason to try to declare war against the media oragainst the international community. We can clarifyit.”The Guardian reported that to his supporters,Fonseka is a war hero. But to others he is a warcriminal. He insists he has a clean conscience.“My intentions are clear. I did everything in goodfaith. My job was to save the territorial integrity andthe sovereignty of the country. I have done it. I didit as per the rules.” Fonseka also said he no longerharboured ambitions to be president or primeminister. “I am ready to say goodbye to politics atany time. My ambition is not to become presidentor become prime minister, but to ensure that thecountry is taken on the right path.” (ColomboGazette)

JVP decides to boycottNational Executive

Council(ft.lk) The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)announced that it has decided not to take part inthe National Executive Council (NEC).Speaking at an event in Anuradhapura JVP LeaderMP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the NEChas not been convened since 19 April.The NEC was set up, inclusive of representativesof parties represented in Parliament as well asCivil Society organisations, to strengthendemocracy following the victory of MaithripalaSirisena at the Presidential polls in January.The Council had discussed the necessary reformsproposed in President Sirisena’s 100-day plan andhow best to implement them during its previoussessions.

Jaffna courtsCONT FROM P1... ensure swift punishment for offenders.Official figures show about 2,200 cases of rapeand other forms of serious violence againstwomen and children are reported annually.President Maithripala Sirisena assured a specialcourt will be set up to ensure speedy and properjustice in the case of brutal rape-murder of the

school girl in Jaffna.“We cannot let such incidents to be happenedever in the future in the country,” he added.The President was speaking at a meeting withschool children of Northern Province held atWembady Girls’ School during his sudden visit toJaffna. Children of seventeen schools participatedat this meeting. President air-dashed to Jaffna tomeet the students.Later, the President met the parents of

Sivaloganathan Vithya, the teenager who wasfound raped and murdered recently, at theJaffna Governor’s residence then heexpressed his deep regret over the incident.At the Wembady School, the President alsoinquired into the education of the students andtheir educational requirements.Issues related to lack of infrastructure facilitiesin the area, the building of the sports complex,insufficiency of lectures to the students andspecially the transport facilities problemsfaced by students in Vavuniya, presented toPresident Sirisena.

(colombopage.com) May 26, Colombo: LalithWeeratunga, Secretary to the former presidentMahinda Rajapaksa along with two others will beindicted in the high court over the misuse ofTelecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC)money, according to a media report.Weeratunga, who was the Chairman of theTelecommunications Regulatory Commission duringthe previous government, and two others areaccused of misusing Rs. 620 million of TRC moneyfor election campaigns of former president.Along with Weeratunga, a coordinator to the formerpresident Watinapaha Somananda Thera andformer director general of the TRC Anusha Pelpitaare accused of using the money on a project todistribute Sil clothing among voters on Duruthu

Poya Day, four days before the January 8presidential election.The newly established Financial CrimesInvestigation Division (FCID) of Sri Lanka police hasinterrogated all three suspects.Instead of being arrested by police, the suspectswill be produced in the courts before their arrest, SriLanka Mirror quoting official sources said.Reportedly this measure has been considered afterthe interim injunction issued by the Supreme Courtagainst the arrest of former defense secretaryGotabhaya Rajapaksa.The FCID also questioned Weeratunga over analleged fraud running into Rs. 125 million at theReconstruction and Development Agency (RADA)in 2006.

Harvard appoints Sri Lanka-born Americandiplomat Patrick Mendis as Senior Fellow

Secretary to former Sri Lankan presidentto be indicted over misuse of TRC money




(colombopage.com) May 26, Colombo: TheOpposition Leader of Sri Lanka parliament hasrejected the allegations that the Sri LankaFreedom Party (SLFP) is not interested in the 20thAmendment to the Constitution to bring electoralreforms and emphasized that the party isdedicated to get the legislation adopted.Issuing a special statement, Opposition LeaderNimal Siripala de Silva said the political structurewas hindered through the Executive Presidentialsystem and the preferential voting system affiliatedto it. He said it is the responsibility and obligationof political parties to endow an Executive

Presidential system and a Parliamentary electionsystem suitable to the country.MP de Silva said that President MaithripalaSirisena, who is the Chairman of the SLFP hasexplicitly mentioned about this amendment in hiselection manifesto.The Opposition including the SLFP had made amajor contribution to crafting an initial draft for asystem of appointing a member responsible toevery electorate changing the preferential systembased on the demands of the Opposition includingthe SLFP, the Opposition Leader noted.He called on the Government to approve the 20th

ConstitutionalAmendment Bill attomorrow's Cabinetmeeting and include itin the Parliamentaryagenda.In his statement, theOpposition Leaderfurther said that theysupported the adoptionof the 19thAmendment based ona pledge given by theGovernment that the20th Amendmentwould be compulsorilyimplemented. Heemphasized the SLFPis dedicated towardsthis ConstitutionalAmendment.




(sundaytimes.lk) Two lady teachers and a femalestudent escaped with injuries after a lone wildelephant charged their vehicle at a location alongthe Dambulla – Kandy Road early last morningpolice and hospital officials said. Police andhospital authorities confirmed that the incidentoccurred at around 5.45 am at Digampathana,when a group of 12 female students and twoteachers from the Hinkuragoda Balika MahaVidayala were on a field trip to the PeradeniyaBotanical Gardens.They added the two teachers and the studentsustained non-life threatening head injuries andwere being treated at the Dambulla GovernmentHospital.The vehicle in which the group was travelling inwas badly damaged during the attack. Driver ofthe coach -U.G. Welegedera- said the elephanthad rushed at the vehicle without warning just ashe was taking a sharp bend. He said he hadbraked hard to avoid a head-on collision with theanimal.He added the animal subsequently attacked therear of the vehicle which resulted in some of thepassengers getting injured. Police said yesterday’s

attack was the third by the same animal within thespace of ten days. The elephant has been in thehabit of attacking vehicles and then moving deepinto the forest from whence it reappeared aftersome time.They said this had been the practice of thisparticular elephant and at least 15 persons hadbeen injured in similar attacks which occur shortlybefore daybreak. Officials said they believed theelephant came to the road in foraging for food and

at times turnedviolent whenunable to findfood. Police arenow seeking theassistance of theWild LifeDepartment todrive the animalback into thereservation. -(LB)

The damaged vehicle after it was attackedby a wild jumbo

71st Bradby Shield-2nd leg Encounter:

(Contd: on P25)

by Indika Walagedara(sundayobserver.lk) Royal college Colombothrashed Trinity College Kandy by a record scoreof 49 points (4 Goals, 3 Tries, 2 Penalties) to Nilvictory on their return leg71st Bradby encounterworked off at Royal Complexin Colombo yesterday. At halftime Royal led 18 points tonil.Incidentally this was a recordcreated by the Royalist beingthe highest number of pointsscred against Trinity,surpassing their bestachievement of 44 Nil victoryunder Zulki Hameed in 2002.Match got off to a fantasticstart with both teamsattacking from the start,Royal scored first in the 14th

minute when scrum half Ashok Wijeykumar madea 50 meter kick deep in to the Triniy territory wherea Trinity knocked on and in the ensuing 5 meterscrum Royal Number Eight

Royal regain Bradby Shieldwith rampaging 49-0 win

(colombopage.com) May 27, Colombo: TheCabinet of Ministers of the Sri Lankan governmentis likely to take a decision on the 20th amendmentto the Constitution at its meeting scheduled onWednesday, sources said.The cabinet is expected to reach a final decisionon the draft bill formulated to change the electoralsystem before it is presented in parliament.Minister S. B. Dissanayake, a member of the sub-committee appointed to study the new electionsystem said that by now even minor parties hadgiven positive feedback.Earlier it was planned to present the draft bill inparliament on May 19th. The cabinet howeverdecided to defer their decision on the proposals byone week and appointed a sub-committee to look

into further amending the draft proposals.A five-member sub-committee was appointed tostudy the proposals of each party for theidentification of the basic principles laid down bythem before drafting the final version of the bill thatis to be presented to the parliament.Minister Dissanayake expects the cabinet toapprove the 20th Amendment containing the newelection system at today's meeting.Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader of Sri Lankaparliament MP Nimal Siripala de Silva rejected theallegations that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party(SLFP) is not interested in the 20th Amendment tothe Constitution to bring electoral reforms. Heemphasized that the party is dedicated to get thelegislation adopted.

Ishara Jayawardane( ) Good Governance cannot beachieved in 100 days. Good Governance rests onprinciples and values not in letters and words.Good Governance is based on law and how it iscorrectly carried out. Truth andJustice are its pillars, said formerChief Justice Sarath. N.Silva, at apress conference convened at theOPA yesterday.Speaking on the theme "GoodGovernance, Law and a Tomorrowfor the Motherland," the formerChief Justice said that this countryhas never been in a such a state of perplexitybefore, as it is now."This is a time of uncertainty in the country. I feel I

still have a responsibility and duty.The country is moving towards a dangerous phaseand is taking an alarming and frightening course."I was never opposed to former President MahindaRajapaksa remaining in power. I was opposed to

his 18th Amendment. I told him toretain his post till November 2016.He had the strength to create goodgovernance. After that of course helost the election," the former ChiefJustice said. "I never expectedPresident Maithripala Sirisena tocontest the elections. We were allamazed at his entry into the fray. I

had my reservations about this. Good Governanceis something that takes place over a period oftime."

dailynews.lk

Sri Lanka cabinet expected to decide on 20thAmendment to Constitution on Wednesday

Good Governance cannot be achievedin 100 days - former CJ

Two teachers, one student injuredin wild jumbo attack

Sri Lanka opposition emphasizes SLFP'scommitment for the 20th Amendment

(sbs.com.au) An investigation has found thatmembers of Sri Lanka's national women'scricket team had been forced to perform sexualfavours for officials in order to earn or keep theirplaces in the squad.Sri Lanka's sports ministry said on Friday thatan investigation had found evidence thatmembers of the national women's cricket teamhad been forced to perform sexual favours forofficials in order to earn or keep their places inthe squad.Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body for theisland nation's most popular sport, ordered aninvestigation in November after reportsemerged alleging officials had asked femalecricketers for sex in exchange for being on theteam.A three-member committee, headed by retiredSupreme Court judge Nimal Dissanayake,submitted its findings in a report to the sport'sministry on Wednesday."The committee report found evidence of sexualharassment by members of the Sri Lankacricket women's management team against

several members of the Sri Lanka cricketwomen's team," the sports ministry said in astatement."The (sports) minister intends to takedisciplinary actions against those memberswhere evidence has been found."The statement did not give any details of whatevidence had been found, which officials wereinvolved, or what kind of action would be taken.Local media reports in late October quoted anunnamed senior female cricketer, who claimedthat team management and officials selectingplayers had asked women cricketers to havesex with them if they wanted to make the team.The allegations, which first appeared in theSinhala-language newspaper Divaina, said thesenior player was dropped from the squad aftershe refused to perform sexual favors.Sri Lanka's women cricket team, which lost afour one-day match series by 1-3 to West Indieson Wednesday, is ranked sixth in the world inone-day international games after Australia,South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, andEngland by the International Cricket Council.

Sri Lanka's national women's cricket team'forced into sexual favours'

(newsfirst.lk) President Maithripala Sirisenapresided over a felicitation ceremony for Dr.Milina Sumathipala held inColombo on Monday, May 25. Dr.Milina Sumathipala was theformer Chair of the All CeylonBuddhist Congress.The ceremony held at the BMICHwas organised to mark the 80thbirthday of Dr. MilinaSumathipala who incidentallyprovided leadership in theestablishment of a prominentconglomerate in the country. A book titled Milina,

penned by Edwin Ariyadasa was presented tothe President by Jagath Sumathipala.

Another book titled Diriya Mathawas also launched at the event.Meanwhile, Campbell Terrace inColombo 10 was renamed Dr.Milina Sumathipala Mawatha atan event held on the afternoon ofTuesday May 26.The road was renamed as perthe instructions of PresidentMaithripala Sirisena and wasdeclared open by Speaker

Chamal Rajapaksa.

Two teachers sustained serious head injuriesSome of the injured students.

Pix by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa

Dr. Milina Sumathipala felicitated




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(asianmirror.lk) UPFA MP Faizer Mustapha wasappointed as a Legal Adviser to the President ofSri Lanka.Mustapha, a practicing lawyer, entered politics in2004. He was elected to parliament from KandyDistrict the same year.He served as Deputy Minister of Technology andResearch and thereafter Deputy MinisterInvestment Promotion until he crossed over to theopposition in December 2014 backing the then‘common candidate’ Maithripala Sirisena at the2015 presidential election.

Musthapha resigned fromthis ministerial post justafter a month after takingoffice claiming personalreasons. He said that hewants to give more timeto his legal profession butadded that he willcontinue to support thegovernment despite hisresignation.

(asianmirror.lk) General Secretary of Bodu BalaSena Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera wasreleased on bail by Colombo Magistrate Courts ashort while ago.He was arrested by Kurunduwatta Police thismorning after appearing at the police station.On April 24, Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera and26 others were summoned to the ColomboMagistrate Courts on charges of contempt of courtafter they had taken part in a protest near theBribery Commission, defying a court order.Gnanasara Thera failed to appear in person at the

court on May 8,which led theColomboMagistrate toissue a warrant forhis arrest.He appeared atthe KurunduwattaPolice station thismorning after his arrival in the island from Japanlast night.

By Zacki Jabbar(island.lk) President Maithripala Sirisena says heis committed to eliminating drug dealers and othersocial undesirables from Parliament and theproposed new electoral system will help achievethat goal.Informed sources told The Island when someUPFA MPs asked the President during their groupmeeting held in Colombo last week if the nextgeneral election would be held under the currentelectoral system or the proposed First Past thePost System coupled with Limited PR (FPP&LP)he had replied, "Don’t ask me that question. But,remember, one of the main pledges that I waselected to office on, was to eliminate Kudukarayas(drug dealers) and Rasthiyadukarayas(undesirables) from the legislature. I am alsocommitted to ending the scourge of the Manape(preferential vote) and expect you to back me to

the hilt."Announcing that he would present the 20thAmendment Bill to the Cabinet of Ministers thisweek, the President had said, "Despite objectionsby some parties you were able to get the 19thAmendment to the Constitution passed on yourown terms. Now, I expect you all to support the20th Amendment Bill without any conditions."Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardena told‘The Sunday Island’ recently that Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe had requested PresidentSrisena to dissolve Parliament by the end of thismonth and hold the next election in July.However, UPFA General Secretary SusilPremajayanth said that they wanted the polls to beheld in September under the proposed FPP & LPRSystem after the electoral boundaries were re-drawn. "It can be done within the next two to threemonths" he insisted.

(island.lk) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesingheyesterday directed the Central Bank and theMonetary Board to furnish a comprehensive reporton transactions that had been carried out by theCentral Bank during the previous administration tothe Policy Planning Ministry.An aide to the Prime Minister told The Island last

night that the report would be submitted to theCommittee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and aspecial committee inquiring into stock markettransactions. The official said that the governmentwould fully cooperate with the on-goinginvestigations (SF)

Maithri wants drug dealers et al ousted from Parliament

MR to contest from Kurunegala?Wimal and Gammanpila strongly supportGota’s candidature( ) UPFA Parliamentarian VasudevaNanayakkara said he was opposed to grantingnominations to Basil Rajapaksa and GotabhayaRajapaksa to contest the forthcomingParliamentary election from the pro-Rajapaksacamp.“Both Basil Rajapaksa and Gotabhaya Rajapaksaare not ‘temperamentallysuited’ to contest elections.Therefore, they should notbe granted nominations atany cost,” Nanayakkara toldthe Daily News yesterday.“On the other hand, I cannotagree with their conductwhen they were in power.My support is for MahindaRajapaksa and I am of thebelief that progressiveforces of the country will rally round MahindaRajapaksa,” Nanayakkara said.When queried whether his viewpoints on grantingnominations to the two siblings of the formerPresident would cause a division in the pro-Rajapaksa group, Nanayakkara said there was nosuch development. The Parliamentarian made thisremark against a backdrop where the groupsupporting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is

preparing to contest the Parliamentary election asa separate group. However, the Daily News learnsthat Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpilaare strongly of the view that former DefenceSecretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa should contestthe Parliamentary election from the pro-Rajapaksacamp.Rajapaksa himself stated, several weeks ago, thathe had plans to enter active politics.Sources from the pro-Rajapaksa camp told the

Daily News yesterday thatthe former President mightcontest from the Kurunegaladistrict, moving away fromhis traditional strong holdHambantota.“Hambantota is thetraditional stronghold of theRajapaksas. So, anymember of the Rajapaksafamily can lead the pro-Rajapaksa group in the

Hambantota district. If the former Presidentcontests from Kurunegala there will be anadditional advantage.We believe that the pro-Rajapaksa group holds anedge in the Kurunegala district and the formerPresident will be able to cash in on that,” astalwart of the pro-Rajapaksa group told the DailyNews

dailynews.lk

Nominations to contest Parliamentary election

Vasu opposes Gota and Basil

Faizer Mustapha Appointed Legal AdviserTo President

Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera Released On Bail

PM orders comprehensive report on CBtransactions under previous regime

(island.lk) On invitation fromthe Deputy Minister ofDepartment of InternationalRelations and Cooperation(DIRCO) of Republic ofSouth Africa Ms. NomaindiyaC Mfeketo MP, a GTFdelegation lead by Father SJ Emmanuel met at theSouth African HighCommission, South AfricaHouse at Trafalgar Square inLondon on 25 May 2015.This meeting lasted for twofull hours where various matters on Sri Lanka,particularly in relation to Tamil affairs werediscussed. The Deputy Minister was accompaniedby the High Commissioner to the UK Obed Mlaba,Deputy Director General for Asia & Middle East Dr.

Anil Sooklal, Special Advisor to the DeputyPresident Ms. Nokukhanya Jele, Deputy Directorfor South Asia Tielman Furter and sevveral otherDIRCO and High Commission Officials. Father S JEmmanuel lead a GTF team which comprised ofvarious member countries.

GTF-SA talks

(dailymirror.lk/) Justice Eva Wanasundara, one ofthe three-judges of the Supreme Court bench thatis to hear the fundamental rights petition filed byformer minister Basil Rajapaksa, seeking aninterim order directing the Kaduwela Magistrate torelease him from remand custody, declined to siton the bench on personal grounds.Justice Priyasath Dep was nominated to replaceher.This petition, which is to be heard in the SupremeCourt tomorrow (27), before a three-judgeSupreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice K.Sripavan, Justice Priyasath Dep and JusticeRohini Marasinghe.

The FR petition was earlier listed to be heardbefore Chief Justice K. Sripavan, Justice EvaWanasundara and Justice Rohini Marasinghe.Meanwhile, three other FR petitions filed by formereconomic development secretary Nihal Jayatilaka,former divineguma funds director general KithsiriRanawaka and Divineguma regional directorBandula Tilakasiri on this matter will also be takenup tomorrow by the same bench of judges. Thefour FR petitions have cited 45 individualsincluding several ministers, Police Chief N.K.Ilangakoon

(Contd: on P12)

(adaderana.lk) President Maithripala Sirisena, whois currently visiting Jaffna, pledges that theaccused in the Pungudutivu gang rape and murdercase will be punished even through a specialcourt, the Presidential Media Division said.A recent incident of rape and murder of an 18-year-old school girl had triggered violence lastWednesday in Jaffna, when people who hadgathered outside the court complex went onrampage when police brought the arrestedpersons to the court.A section of the mob, numbering around 400,threw stones at the court buildings and in the

process, vehicles were damaged.As many as 130 persons were arrested by thepolice for rioting. Ten police officers includingSuperintendent of Police of Jaffna weretransferred with immediate effect.Police had to fire tear gas and shops, banks andschools were closed as the protests broughtJaffna, the capital of Northern Province, to astandstill.The protesters demanded that authorities handover nine men who were arrested and about toface court over the incident.

Basil FR petition: Justice Eva steps down

Special court to try Jaffna rape accused - President

( ) Foreign Minister MangalaSamaraweera stating that the governmentrecognises the importance of engaging with thediaspora, said the ministry intends to take the leadin organising a diaspora festival where persons ofSri Lankan origin from around the world in allpossible fields – business, the arts,literature, culture,academia and sports – couldparticipate and explore means towork closely with Sri Lanka includingin reconciliation and developmentefforts.The minister made these commentsduring a meeting with FederalForeign Minister Frank-WalterSteinmeier in Germany.Samaraweera at the invitation of his Germancounterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Berlinfrom May 21 to 23.The visit, which was his first as Foreign Minister,

was focused on renewing relations with Germanyand resetting ties through greater cooperation indiverse fields including technical and vocationaltraining for Sri Lanka’s youth, and expanding tradeand investment.Minister Samaraweera briefed Foreign Minister

Steinmeier as well as dignitaries hemet regarding the government’sachievements related to the ‘100-day Reform Programme’ inestablishing good governance, therule of law, strong democraticinstitutions, reconciliation,sustainable economic development,and in creating a new politicalculture devoid of divisive politics.He explained that the objective of

the government is to work together with theopposition even after the general election to sheddivisive politics and unite in addressing issues ofnational importance including framing national

policies that arenecessary for thenation’s stable andsustainabledevelopment in thelong-term, withprosperity for all.He emphasised thepriority accorded bythe government to theachievement of thetwin objectives of‘reconciliation anddevelopment’ and thepreservation of themulti-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-lingual nature ofsociety includingending impunity andcorruption as

dailynews.lk

(Contd: on P13)

Lanka to organise diaspora festival







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( ) A counter revolution is beingmooted over social media to rob the hard-wonfreedom of the people and these attempts shouldbe defeated, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghesaid yesterday. He made thesecomments when he met several socialmedia groups at Temple Trees andsaid these elements were using thekilling of 18-year old Vidiya in Jaffna tofuel their attempts. Mr.Wickremesinghe said these elementswere using this tragedy for their political agenda.He said these elements who had joined a

politicians to hold a party to celebrate the feat ofraping the 100th girl. “The the former regime whichallowed such things should apologise to women inthe country for not taking any action against the

perpetrators who abused women tofulfill their desires," he said. The PrimeMinister said the killing of Vidya couldnever be condoned and expressed hissorrow over this tragedy. He said theneed for today was a new politicalculture and the path way for such a

culture would be laid after the next generalelection.(Yoyan Perera and Darshana Sanjeewa)

dailymirror.lk By Harischandra Gunaratna(island.lk) UPFA Parliamentarian DineshGunawardena said yesterday that the Oppositionhad informed President Maithripala Sirisena thatRanil Wickremesinghe should relinquish his dutiesas Prime Minister and make way for formerPresident Mahinda Rajapaksa to enter Parliamentas the Prime Minter becuase the Opposition heldthe majority in Parliament,Addressing a news conference at theAbhayaramaya, Narahenpita, Gunawardena saidthe appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as

Prime Minister was unconstitutional and hence heshould step down.Political instability had set in underWickremesinghe’s stewardship, Gunawardenasaid.Gunawardena said without any reason thegovernment was delaying introduction of the 20thAmendment to the Constitution as they did withthe 19th AmendmentDetails about the Treasury Bond Scam had beenalready sent to the IMF, World Bank, ADB and allforeign missions in Sri Lanka, he said.

(asianmirror.lk) Janatha Vimukthi PeramunaLeader Anura Dissanayake on Monday (25)lashed out at former president Mahinda Rajapaksasaying that the latter is trying to protect peoplewho have numerous allegations on corruption.Addressing a meeting at Anuradhapura YouthCentre, Dissanayake pointed out that manyactivities done by members of Rajapaksa familywas currently under investigations of CID.“It is very clear that Rajapaksa is trying to split SriLanka Freedom Party (SLFP). If he wants to makehis side more powerful then he should protect all

the criminals and corruptorswithin the party,” JVP leaderstressed.Dissanayake also said thathe had mentioned that factto the Prime Minister severaltimes. But he cannot be surethat justice will be served tothose criminals under thisgovernment, Dissanayakeasserted.

(adaderana.lk) Those wanting to portray the govt.in poor light could be behind the recent violenceat Jaffna town, says TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran.There is a lurking suspicion over the role of“external elements” in the large-scale violencethat Jaffna witnessed last week.The trigger was a recent incident of rape andmurder of an 18-year-old schoolgirl inPungudutivu, west of Jaffna. When the girl’s bodywas found on May 14, the initial reaction was oneof shock and sadness.“On Tuesday, some individuals asked certainshops and establishments to close down withoutany notice. It was like a scene in Tamil featurefilms,” says Mr. Ravichandran, a member of theTamil Civil Society Forum in Jaffna.

Mob violenceThe next day, the town observed a general strike.But, it was on that day, when the police broughtarrested persons to the court complex that asection of the mob, numbering around 400, threwstones at the court buildings and in the process,vehicles were damaged. Not only this, someagitators wanted the police to hand over thesuspected persons to them.“This kind of response was something that wasshocking to us. Jaffna is not known for this,” saysMr. Ravichandran, adding that traditionally,people would hold placards, demanding speedyaction and justice.Going by the violent response, he says that onegets suspicion that this may be engineered by

the “externalelements.” Herefuses toelaborate theterm “externalelements.”However, thisopinion is sharedby others too.M. A.Sumanthiran,Member of Parliament representing the TamilNational Alliance (TNA), feels that those whowanted to portray the Northern ProvincialCouncil, TNA and the Central government in poorlight were behind the episode. (The Hindu)

‘External elements’ could be involved in Jaffna violence: TNA

Dinesh asks Ranil to quit as PMCounter revolution using social media: Ranil

Rajapaksa Trying To Protect CorruptIndividuals: Anura Dissanayake

(colombogazette.com) Former President MahindaRajapakse has informed his close aides that hewill contest in the parliamentary elections, theXinhua news agency quoted a senior oppositionmember as saying.Speaking on the grounds of anonymity, the seniorparliamentarian said that Rajapakse had alreadybegun to conduct meetings on a weekly basis withthe opposition parliamentarians who were publiclysupporting him and Rajapakse’s future in politicswas being discussed.The former president was defeated in thepresidential Election in January by his one timeHealth Minister Maithripala Sirisena and sincethen he has remained silent about his futurepolitical career.In recent talks with President Maithripala Sirisena,

the first since his defeat, Rajapakse had requestedSirisena to make him the prime ministerialcandidate of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)which was rejected by the president.His supporters including several oppositionparliamentarians have been holding mass publicrallies in many parts of the country in support ofthe former leader and have been calling onSirisena, as the leader of the SLFP, to appoint himas the prime ministerial candidate of the party.Local media reports on Sunday said thatRajapakse had already appointed a shadowcabinet which consists of about 15 formerministers in order to discuss the current politicalsituation, the policies to be adopted andalternative policies. (Colombo Gazette)

By Jayashika Padmasiri(ft.lk) A group of United People’s Freedom Alliance(UPFA) MPs yesterday complained to theInternational Monetary Fund’s (IMF) representativein Sri Lanka against the Government’s economicpolicy and the controversial Central Bank bondissue.UPFA MPs G.L. Peiris, Bandula Gunawardaneand Dullas Alahapperuma lodged their complaintat the Central Bank last morning.Addressing the media after doing so, Peirisaccused the Government of trying to cover uplarge-scale fraudulent activities.“Through the actions of this Government theeconomy of this country has been destroyed andthe repercussions will be felt for 30 years. TheCentral Bank Governor should take responsibilityfor the damage he has done to the country’seconomy. Central Bank Governor ArjunaMahendran also functions as an IMF AdditionalDirector, therefore the IMF has a right to knowabout Mahendran,” Peiris stated.He also revealed that they had alreadycomplained about these issues to the World Bankand the Asian Development Bank.Gunawardane told the media that neither theGovernment nor the Finance Minister was takingany steps concerning the economic crisis faced bythe country. He added that the UPFA was in theprocess of bringing two no-confidence motionsagainst the Prime Minister and Finance Minister.

Alahapperuma thanked the Janatha VimukthiPeramuna (JVP) for bringing Mahendran’s actionsinto the limelight and compared the conduct of theUnited National Party (UNP) and Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe to that of pickpockets inPettah. He said that they were trying to deflectattention from the controversy surroundingMahendran by branding various people thieves.The UPFA MPs also stated that they did not trustthis Government or the Prime Minister with thetask of issuing money. -

Bandula Gunawardane, Prof G.L. Peiris andDullas Alahapperuma lodged a complaint withthe IMF against the Government’s economic

policy - Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

Mahinda has said he will contest the polls

UPFA takes Govt.’s bond scam, economicills to IMF, WB, ADB

By ChamodiGunawardana(ft.lk) Four Sri LankaFreedom Party(SLFP) Ministersresigned from theGovernment afterstating that PrimeMinister RanilWickremesinghe andthe United NationalParty (UNP) could notwork supportively withother parties.Parliamentarians Dilan Perera, Mahinda YapaAbeywardena, C.B. Ratnayake and PavithraWanniarachchi told the media that they wouldhand over their letters of resignation to PresidentMaithripala Sirisena, the SLFP Chairman.Perera revealed that they had all tried hard towork with the Prime Minister and the UNP buthad failed to do so.“Wickremesinghe tried to sabotage the passingof the 19th Amendment and tried to put theblame on SLFP by saying that we were not beingsupportive. At present Wickremesinghe isenjoying the premiership that he obtainedbecause of President Sirisena while thePresident struggled alone to pass the 19A inParliament,” Perera said.He also said that it was up to the people todecide whether they wanted good governanceunder President Sirisena or a deceitfulGovernment led by Prime MinisterWickremesinghe at the forthcoming generalelection.Perera predicted that those who resigned fromtheir ministerial portfolios would become the nextvictims of the Police’s Financial CrimesInvestigation Division (FCID).

“However, we are planning to build a UnitedPeople’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Governmentin the future and currently we are trying toimprove harmony within the SLFP,” Pereraemphasised.Abeywardena explained that his decision toresign from his ministerial position was takenindependently.“The Government promised in the Interim Budgetthat it would provide a concession package ofRs. 10 million for each Parliamentarian to fundrural development projects. Nevertheless, thismoney has not been given yet and as a resultthe development projects have come to a halt.We believe that the UNP was only funding theirmembers to work on rural projects. They haveneglected the SLFP completely,” Abeywardenapointed out.Abeywardena charged that the UNP Governmentwas making them feel uncomfortable by nottreating the SLFP equally as was required inNational Government policies.“Last week some of the local government bodieswere dissolved and the Government handedover those powers to politicians. However, theGovernment does not have any right to do so,”Abeywardena said.

At the head table from left: SLFP Ministers Pavithra Wanniarachchi, DilanPerera, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and C.B. Rathnayake who resigned

from their portfolios – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

Four SLFP Ministers resign from Govt.citing PM’s antagonism

Basilfrom P10and the Attorney General as respondents.The petitioners are also seeking a declarationthat all steps taken in consequence of thegazette no.1901/20 of February 13, 2015 inregard to the Financial Crime InvestigationDivision (FCID) are null and void and has noforce or effect in law. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)




By Charumini de Silva(ft.lk) Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayakeyesterday assured that he would leave no room fordistorting or making undue advantage in settlingthe Golden Key depositors’ issue.The Minister said Golden Key Directors, includingLalith Kotelawala, had made an appeal for assetsto the Supreme Court.“We will vehemently oppose such things. Theyhave not answered the depositors and it is myduty to ensure that the depositors are paid.”He added: “There is one lady who is also trying todistort and take undue advantage. Such action willhave to be reported because one person cannotjeopardise 9,000 people’s deposits. I will not allowthat to happen.”Clarifying why he asked for a withdrawal of all 29court cases the depositors had filed againstGolden Key and its Directors, he explained: “Theyhave taken the Central Bank to task. Why shouldthey have a case against the Central Bank whenwe are the ones who are trying to help them to gettheir money? I cannot be having a problem on myhands and paying out. Therefore I said ‘comeclean, we will help you clean’.”“We have a fiduciary responsibility as the CentralBank to intervene and ensure the problem issolved. Thus, we cannot allow something to go onin another case when the innocent depositors arenot paid,” he added.He revealed that Golden Key assets were beingused by one person who was running a hotel andgetting the revenue.“There are proven receipts. This type of nonsensecannot go on. I am looking at the depositor and

not one or two people who are fraudulentlyrunning the place at the moment,” he noted.The Minister assured all depositors would be paidin cash and not by any other means such asshares, guaranteeing that they would “walk thetalk”.“Our intention is not to provide a temporarysolution to the depositors, but to find ways andmeans to pay the total amount of monies thatthese innocent depositors lost. We will go afterevery single conceivable asset known andunknown to you all and known to us.“Golden Key depositors had many issues,dragging for many years. We have now given theopportunity to solve this issue in a very reasonablemanner. No sooner they withdraw the cases, wewill ensure that we pay within one month or startpaying even before that,” he added.

Ravi pins blameon Cabraal

(ft.lk) Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayakecharged that former Central Bank Governor AjithNivard Cabraal was responsible for the downfall ofGolden Key, charging that Cabraal had notresolved the matter during his tenure. “NivardCabraal must come in. He was a part of the entiregroup’s collapse and he never ensured that therewas a reselection plan; he only allowed cronies torun. Those assets that were there were free tosome of that people he nominated,” Karunanayakeadded.

(asianmirror.lk) Sri Lanka on Tuesday rejectedIndia’s proposal to allow its fishermen to catch fishin Lankan waters for 65 days a year, in what canfurther escalate tensions between the twoneighbours over the issue.“Not 65 days, we will not agree for even65 hours,” Fisheries Minister MahindaAmaraweera said.Speaking in the southern port town ofGalle, the minister said that the Lankangovernment had refused to agree toIndia’s proposal of allowing Indianfishermen to catch fish for 65 days a yearin Lankan waters in its bid to resolve thefishing issue, a major irritant in bilateral ties.Sri Lankan and Indian fishing organisations haveheld several rounds of discussions to sort out thelong-pending dispute.

Both sides claim it is a livelihood issue whichneeds to be resolved soon.Sri Lankan side has also taken strong exception tobottom trawling by Indian counterparts.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’svisit to the Island Nation in March, he haddiscussed the fishermen’s issue withLankan President Sirisena.“This complex issue involves livelihoodand humanitarian concerns on both sides.We should handle it from this perspective.At the same time, we need to find a long-term solution to this issue,” he said inremarks that assumed significance

following Lankan premier Ranil Wikcremasinghe’scontroversial statement earlier that intruding Indianfishermen would be shot by Sri Lankan Navy.(PTI)

By Chandani Kirinde(sundaytimes.lk) Appointments to the proposedConstitutional Council are to be finalised thisweek. President Maithripala Sirisena’s nominee tothe Council is Power and Energy Minister andJathika Hela Urumaya General SecretaryChampika Ranawaka. Tamil National AllianceParliamentary Group leader R. Sampanthan hasbeen nominated to represent political parties orindependent groups in Parliament other than theones to which the Prime Minister and the Leaderof the Opposition belong.The two other parliamentarians who will be in theten member council are Justice MinisterWijeyadasa Rajapakshe and Chief OppositionWhip John Seneviratne while former AuditorGeneral S.C. Mayadunne and former UnitedNations Under-Secretary General RadhikaCoomaraswamy are tipped to be named as two ofthe three civil society members of the CC.There is no decision on who the third member willbe but a nomination will be made in the comingweek, the Sunday Times learns.The Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Leader ofthe Opposition will be ex-officio members of theCC with the Speaker as chairman. The quorum forCC meetings will be five members.

Once the CC is constituted, it will name membersto nine independent commissions set up under the19th Amendment.They include the ElectionsCommission, the Public Services Commission, theNational Police Commission, the Auditing ServiceCommission, the Human Rights Commission, theCommission to Investigate Allegations of Briberyor Corruption, the Finance Commission, theDelimitation Commission and the NationalProcurement Commission.

Lankafrom P10articulated by the President on May 19.Minister Samaraweera noted that the newgovernment’s policy is to create sustainablegrowth by unlocking Sri Lanka’s long untappedeconomic potential through foreign directinvestment, trade and tourism and rule-basedsystems.Highlighting Sri Lanka’s free trade agreementswith India and Pakistan, he encouraged Germanbusinesses to explore the possibility of using SriLanka as a gateway to South Asia and the IndianOcean.

No room for jeopardising Golden Keysettlement plan: RK

Sri Lanka Says No To India's Fishing Proposal

CC takes shape: Members to be named this week

(colombopage.com) May 26, Colombo: Oppositionparliamentarian in Sri Lanka, VasudevaNanayakkara says that former President MahindaRajapaksa will be the prime minister of the nextgovernment.He told a news conference that Rajapaksa wouldnot be disqualified from assuming the role of thePresident under the 19th Amendment in the event

of President Maithripala Sirisena was unseatedthrough an impeachment motion.Nanayakkara explained that Rajapaksa wouldserve for a limited period of time in an actingcapacity until parliament finds an MP to serve asexecutive president for the rest of the term in theevent President Sirisena was ousted.

Opposition MP says former Sri Lankan Presidentnot disqualified from holding office as President




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( ) Blue Mountain Group, receivedglobal recognition and made history for Sri Lankaat the Asia Pacific Property Awards Summit(APPAS) which took place in Malaysia recently.This award was presented to Blue MountainGroup for its innovative take on the concept ofgated community living. At the event, BlueMountain was also the first Sri Lankan real estatecompany to achieve a nomination for theInternational Property Awards which will be held inDecember 2015.Dr. Hiran Hettiarachchi, Group Chairman, BlueMountain, received the award on behalf of themanagement team, at the exclusive APPASpresentation ceremony which was attended byleading property development professionals fromthe Asia Pacific region.The Asia Pacific Property Awards Summitrecognizes excellence in the property industry andpromotes international standards of developmentacross the region. The summit also provides avaluable opportunity for business professionals inthe industry to meet, network, learn and connectwith each other.Each year, a large number of senior delegatesrepresenting the very best property developmentcompanies in the region, gather from across 25countries to celebrate the best residential andcommercial property projects in the industry.Dr. Hiran Hettiarachchi, Group Chairman, BlueMountain said, “We are extremely honoured to

receive this international accolade, which is atestament of our strength and capabilities as aleading property development company operatingin Sri Lanka and Australia. The Asia PacificProperty Awards recognize the very bestcompanies in the industry across the entire region,and we are truly proud that we have beenadjudged a 5-Star winner in the ‘PropertyConsultancy Marketing’ category.”“We are also extremely honoured to have beennominated for the International Property Awardsand we look forward to showcasing our workalongside the very best property developmentcompanies from Africa, Asia Pacific, the MiddleEast, Europe and the Americas,” he said.

dailynews.lk

Dr. Hiran Hettiarachchi, Group Chairman, BlueMountain at the Asia Pacific Property Awards Summit.

(sundaytimes.lk) Sri Lankan photojournalistTharaka Basnayaka has won the coveted GoldMedal at the 2015 International Salon ofReporter Photography (Life Press Photo),organised by the Ukrainian Center forPhotographic Art and “Ostrog Academy” ofUkraine National University. His photographswere selected from among 4734 entries from

44 countries.He also won adiploma under thesports section ofthe samecompetition. Theaward ceremonywill be held in theUkraine NationalUniversity “OstrogAcademy”, Ukraine

on June 11, 2015.The aim of the exhibition is to popularisedocumentary photography and strengthen itsimportance in today’s world.

(nation.lk) Observers of share market activity claimthat buying behaviour of Ceylinco Insuranceshares indicates that Lalith Kotelawala, thetroubled tycoon whose name is inextricably linkedwith the Ceylinco Group, is set for a remarkablecome-back.Speculation regarding a Kotelawala return beganwhen Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake at amedia conference on May 13 urged Golden Keydefrauded depositors to withdraw their case.Karunanayake promised that the Governmentwould take on the responsibility ofensuring that they receive adequatecompensation. He emphasized thatshould they withdraw the case,those with deposits worth Rs 2m orless would be compensated in lessthan a month, with Rs 2-10m withintwo months and others paid offwithin a year.This promise hinted at a deal brewing between thefallen Kotelawala and the Government since itwould be the former who would have to come upwith (hidden?) monies.This view acquired much credence due to themysterious purchasing of Ceylinco Insuranceshares held by the CIESOT Fund. Earlier courtordered that the fund be disposed of and proceedsgiven to Ceylinco Insurance employees. CEISOTheld 22% of the total Ceylinco Insurance shares.Close to half of these shares were purchased intwo strange buys.It was reported in the Sunday Island last week thatShiram Capital of India had picked up more thanhalf the shares divested by CEISOT (6.3 out of the11) while Banque Picter & Cie SA picked up 1.5.This report has not been denied nor have thenumbers been disputed.The said article carried an interesting quote by anunnamed source: “It is interesting that Shriramwas formerly associated with Ceylinco through

Ceylinco-Shriram and had wound up operationsafter failing to pay its depositors with at least oneof its then directors, a trusted aide of theKotelawelas. currently out on bail if my memoryserves me right.”The Supreme Court has noted that during theperiod leading up to September 28, 2009 severalCeylinco Group Companies have disposed largequantities of shares of Ceylinco Insurance and thatPictet & Cie had been purchasing directly.”The Courts further suspected that Pictet was a

proxy for the then Chairman ofCeylinco.The court took cognizance of thefact that Kotelawala has been incontrol of the Ceylinco Insuranceprior to the collapse of Golden Keyand that he was also a controllingmember of the Board of Trustees ofCIESOT. The court determined that

it is highly probable that the said shares havebeen purchased by Pictet & Cie for and on behalfof J. L. B. Kotelawala.According to informed sources Kotelawala’s wifeCecille is due to return to the island early nextmonth. Mrs Kotelawala was also charged in courtand has spend several years out of the country,presumably absconding.If Kotelawala is to return and head the CeylincoGroup with the controls he possessed previouslyhe would have to be cleared by the courts, legalexperts opine. The minister’s guarantees to theaggrieved GK depositors is therefore seen as partof a process to pave the way for the fallen tycoonto rise again.A spokesperson for Kotelawala as well as a highranking official of the Ceylinco Group declined tocomment on the minister’s ‘offer’ or the immediateplans or involvement of Kotelawala with respect tothe Group.

Blue Mountain wins Property Awardsin Malaysia

Lalith Kotelawala in comeback bid?

Sri Lankan photojournalist wins Gold Medal

(sundaytimes.lk) Two Nalandians did the countryproud when they won Gold medals at theInternational Science Project Olympiad (ISPRO)2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia.Rakitha Malewana and Rananjaya Subash, bothsenior students of Nalanda College, Colombo,won Gold for their scientific innovations.Rakitha won for his use of nanotechnology andplant genes to prevent Human ImmunodeficiencyVirus (HIV) infecting the cells of the immune

system, whileSubash won forhis use ofmicroorganismsin water toabsorb impuritiesand consequentlyits purification.This year, over180 young

Scientistsfrom 31 countries participated at the 3rdISPRO. The participating countries wereAfghanistan, Angola, Australia, Bangladesh,Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil,Croatia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iraq,Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan,Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka,Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey and Uganda.Over 60 projects were presented in the fieldsof Environment, Biology, Chemistry, Physicsand Technology.Last year, Rakitha won a Bronze medal at theISPRO for his research findings on the use ofthe chemical, Catechin, extracted from SriLanka Green Tea, in the treatment ofLeukemia using nanotechnology (catechincoated iron oxide nano-particles). This wasconsidered the Best Medical Research in SriLanka last year, and was also selected as afinalist in Young Scientists’ New ResearchForum in Los Angeles.Rakitha, a Biology student, is attached to theMedical Research Institute (MRI) as aScientific Researcher.In 2012, both Rananjaya and Rakitha usedcinnamon and tender jak extracts fortreatment of dengue, by enhancing plateletlevels in blood and were awarded YoungInventor of the Year. (NF)- Samanthika Madhavi- Pix by JayamalChandrasiri

(ft.lk) Group pre-tax profit in FY15 up by 25% to Rs.19.08 b; after-tax profit up 22% to Rs. 15.74 bBottom line up 22% to Rs. 14.35 b; Group revenuegrows by 6% to Rs. 91.6 bFinancial Services and Consumer Foods and Retailstar performersTax expense up 41% to Rs. 3.3 bTotal equity tops Rs. 150 b mark;includes Rs. 62.6 b in revenuereservesGroup assets near Rs. 220 b markPremier blue chip John Keells Holdings(JKH) has proved its prowess in theleague of listed corporate entities,finishing the 2014/15 financial yearwith the highest-ever profits.Announcing its stellar performance, JKH saidconsolidated pre-tax profit grew by 25% to a recordRs. 19.08 billion and after-tax profit by 22% to Rs.15.74 billion. The bottom line or profit attributable toequity holders of the parent grew in a similarfashion to Rs. 14.35 billion in comparison to FY14.JKH’s results in FY15 set an all-time record for alisted corporate entity.JKH’s tax expense grew by 41% to Rs. 3.3 billion.The impressive profitability came despite a modest6% growth in Group revenue to Rs. 91.58 billion.Results from operating activities grew by 18% toRs. 12 billion whilst net finance income rose sharplyby 64% to Rs. 7.4 billion. Finance income includedinterest income dueto policyholders ofthe Union AssuranceLife Insurance Fundas well as capitalgains on disposals ofprivate equityinvestments heldunder John KeellsCapital, gains onshort-term financialinstruments, mainlyat Union Assurance,exchange gains andinterest income atJKH Plc.The total assets ofthe JKH Group grew to Rs. 218 billion from Rs.201.5 billion a year earlier. Total equity rose fromRs. 134.3 billion to Rs. 150 billion and included Rs.62.6 billion in revenue reserves. Net assets pershare were Rs. 138.15, up from Rs. 123.21 as atthe end of FY14. Group liabilities have reported adip to Rs. 67 billion from Rs. 68 billion.For the year ended on 31 March 2015, the

transportation segment’s pre-tax profit was almostflat at Rs. 2.48 billion as against Rs. 2.59 billion inthe previous year. The leisure sector too was samewith Rs. 5.5 billion as against Rs. 5.43 in FY14.Property sector saw it growing from Rs. 1.3 billion to

Rs. 1.5 billion. Consumer Foods andRetail achieved a pre-tax profit of Rs.2.5 billion, up from Rs. 1.3 billion whilethe financial services segment saw asharp increase from Rs. 2 billion to Rs.3.46 billion. At post-tax level financialservices’ contribution doubled to Rs. 3billion from Rs. 1.6 billion.The IT segment posted a pre-tax profitof Rs. 370 million, as against Rs. 316

million. The Others segment reported Rs. 3.2 billion,up from Rs. 2.36 billion.In the fourth quarter, JKH Group revenue grew byonly 1% to Rs. 22.6 billion and results fromoperating activities rose by 22% to Rs. 5.3 billion.Pre-tax profit was Rs. 6.9 billion, up by 11% overthe fourth quarter of FY14 and the bottom line grewby 12% to Rs. 5.2 billion.In 4Q, transportation segment improved its pre-taxprofit to Rs. 641 million, up from Rs. 562 million ayear earlier. Leisure was flat at Rs. 2.28 billionwhilst property segment figure was down to Rs. 580million from Rs. 848 million in 4Q of last financialyear.Consumer Foods and Retail saw significant growth

in 4Q with pre-taxprofit up to Rs. 947million as against Rs.600 million a yearearlier and financialservices tripled theirfigures to Rs. 1.57billion from Rs. 415million.The JKH Board ofDirectors hasdeclared a finaldividend of Rs. 1.50per share, bringingthe total to Rs. 3.50,same as last year.On Monday, the

Board resolved to recommend the increase in thenumber of shares in issue by way of a sharesubdivision of the company’s shares whereby seven(7) existing shares will be subdivided into eight.Accordingly, the price and quantity of the 2015 and2016 Warrants too will be adjusted to reflect thesubdivision of shares.

JKH outshines rest with record profits

Nalandians Rakitha and Rananjayawin Gold at ISPRO 2015




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(adaderana.lk) Sri Lanka’s Merrill J. Fernando,Founder of the Dilmah Tea will be one the fiveHonourees of the 2015 Business for Peace awardof the Oslo based Business for Peace Foundation.Nominated by the Ceylon Chamber of Commercethrough the International Chamber of Commerce,Merrill J will be bestowed withthis honour on 2nd May, whichconsequently happens to be his85th Birthday.2015 Oslo Business for PeaceAward is an annual event andrecognizes the exceptionalglobal business leaders who,through their own actions andcommitments truly are businessworthy, promoting sociallyresponsible and ethical businesspractices in an outstanding way,and standing out as examples tothe world. Honourees areselected by an independent committee of NobelPrize winners in Peace and in Economics, after aglobal nomination process through its partnersInternational Chamber of Commerce, UN GlobalCompact and UNDP.Mr. Merrill J Fernando, who started his career as atea taster, established his own tea brand ‘Dilmah’in 1988 which is today Sri Lanka’s single knownbrand of world repute and soon became a capable

competitor with multinationals. Twenty-five yearsafter the launch of Dilmah, its single-origin,unblended teas are now sold in nearly 100countries. Mr. Fernando is known for sharing theearnings from his business with his staff andworkers. As the business has grown, a minimum

10 percent of the pre‐taxprofit is used to fund the workof his MJF CharitableFoundation, whichemphasizes theempowerment of differentlyable and under-privilegedpeople in their communitieswith dignity and in asustainable manner.Mr. Fernando is one amongthe five business leaderschosen as the ‘The 2015Business for PeaceHonourees’. Among the others

ranks figures such as, Polman of United Kingdom,who is the CEO of Unilever, Poman Lo, a HongKong-based businesswoman and GroupManaging Director of Regal Hotels Internationaland Juan Andrés Cano, CEO of Semilla, an ethicsconsultancy, and Value4Chain firm etc.The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in a statementstated that the “Ceylon Chamber takes pride inbeing able to promote Sri Lankan Business

personalities to thehighest level ofinternationalrecognition andcongratulates Mr.Fernando for beinghonored with thisprestigiousinternationalaccolade, bringinghonour to the Nationand the entirebusiness communityof Sri Lanka. Hiscommitment,dedication anddetermination is a trueinspiration and anexceptional role-model for the SriLankan businesscommunity to follow.”

Sri Lanka’s popular tea producer MerrillJ. Fernando receives 2015 Business

for Peace Honour in Oslo

(adaderana.lk) K.A.S. Subodha Sewwandi, 17, ofBomiriya Central College Kaduwela has won aprestigious award at this year’s Intel InternationalScience and Engineering Fair(Intel ISEF), aprogram of Society for Science and the Public.Subodha received a Fourth Place Award of $500in the Engineering Mechanics: MechanicalEngineering category for the project ‘SupportingRod to Climb Stair Case for Disabled Personnel’.She was adjudged as one of the individual winnersafter showcasing her project in this year’s localcompetition ‘Sri Lanka Science and EngineeringFair.’“Intel believes young people are key to futureinnovation and that in order to confront the globalchallenges of tomorrow, we need students from allbackgrounds to get involved in science,technology, engineering and math,” said Indika de

Zoysa, CountryBusiness Manager,Intel EM Limited,Sri Lanka LiaisonOffice. “I hopeSubodha’sachievement willinspire other youngpeople in SriLanka, to pursuetheir interest inthese fields andapply theircuriosity, creativityand ingenuity tothe common good.I wish her the verybest of luck in her future endeavors.”

Sri Lankan student wins prestigiousinternational award at Intel ISEF 2015

( ) A 24-year-old Sri Lankanpostgraduate student in Chemistry at theUniversity of Maryland, USA, has discovered anagent which will clear oil spills in the sea withoutdamaging the aquatic environment.The student, Jasmin Athas, workingunder the supervision of ProfessorSrinivasa Raghavan, an alumnus of IITMadras, found that a mixture of twofood-grade molecules, Lecithin andTween 80, is an effective emulsifier andis able to disperse crude oil in seawater.In a paper published in July 2014 inLangmuir, the journal of the AmericanChemical Society, Athas reports that Lecithin andTween 80, blended in a 60:40 ratio to create

smaller droplets of oil than current dispersantssuch as Corexit 9500A.The L and T combine allows for more efficientdispersion, Athas claims.

Furthermore, Lecithin and Tween 80are environmentally safe and edible.Lecithin is found in soya beans and isused in making chocolates, and Tween80 is used to emulsify ice cream.Jasmin was drawn into oil spillresearch after it was found that thechemicals used in tackling oil spills, likeCorexit 9500A, were themselves highlytoxic.Raghavan, Athas and Professor Vijay

John joined the project.Courtesy: New Indian Express

dailynews.lk

Lankan student finds green way to tackle oil spills

Fizel Jabir(dailynews.lk) Shangri-La Hotels andResorts launched its luxuryapartments in Colombo on Friday.The project is part of its colossal US$720 million investment in two mixeddevelopment projects in Colomboand Hambantota. “We havecommitted to invest over US$ 720million to complete our projects inColombo and Hambantota. This is avery large financial commitment by aforeign investor in Sri Lanka,”saidMadhu Rao, Executive Director andChief Financial Officer Shangri-LaAsia Limited at the launch inColombo.Under the project two 50-floor 194meters high residential towerscovering a floor area of 145,000 sqmcomprising 406 residential units willbe constructed with a targetaccomplishment in third quarter of2017. Rao said under the integrateddevelopment project with aninvestment of not less than US$ 600million, a 540 key Shangri-La Hotelincorporating a 1,800 sqm ball room,50,000 sqm retail mall and 125,000sqm office space will be constructedin Galle Face.The hotel is expected to commencebusiness in the second quarter of2017 and apartments ready by thelast quarter of 2017, he said. Thefacility will also consist of anexclusive residents club, asupermarket and cinema with world-class shopping and dining areas. Aninternational grade A office tower isanother dimension of the One GalleFace real estate development aimedat providing corporate clients the bestColombo has to offer in one perfectpackage of efficiency and elegance.“We are very excited to launch this project in a cityas vibrant as Colombo, especially given itsimpressive tourism growth potential,” ResidentialSector Sales and Marketing Head Neluka de Alwissaid. “The Residences at One Galle Face” is tailor-made for the discerning investor. As the first

branded residential complex to be constructed inSri Lanka it holds a unique investment propositionbacked by Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel,resort and residential company.The residences component will have 406apartments of two, three and four bedroom units.Additionally, it will contain 16 penthouses, offering

eight Duplex and eight Simplexunits. Cooperating with sistercompanies Kerry Propertiesand Shang Properties,Shangri-La has also developedintegrated properties acrossChina, Mongolia and thePhilippines, including BeijingUKerry Centre, Kerry ParksideShanghai, Shangri-La CentreUlaanbaatar.These mixed-use propertieswhich offer luxurious high-riseapartments, world-class officefacilities and exciting retailenvironments for a range ofguests and residents is tippedto bring a new standard ofliving to Colombo.

Shangri-La unveils US$ 500mGalle Face apartments

Shangri-La Asia Executive Director and Chief FinancialOfficer Madhu Rao with Ministers Kabir Hashim and Ruwan

Wijewardane and Eran Wickramaratne, Colombo Mayor A J MMuzammil and Director M Sajjad Mawzoon inspecting thearchitectural desingnss of Shangri-La Residencies at the

launch in Colombo on Friday. Picture by Sujith Kodithuwakku

Wilfred Shan Chen Woo, Executive Director, Madhu Rao, ExecutiveDirector and Financial Officer, Kuok Meng Xiong, Vice President –Projects and Sajjad Mawzoon, Director. Picture by Ruzaik Farook




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Juliet Coombe( ) Wafts of spices mixed withcinnamon and heady smells of hibiscus hit you asyou enter through the grand teak doors of Landesiby Jetwing, Galle Forts grandest Dutch villa. It isdistinctive from the other Galle Fort merchanthouses due to its outstanding position on MiddleStreet overlooking SriLanka’s oldest hotel TheAmangalla (previouslyknown as the N.O.H) on oneside and the Dutch ReformChurch built in 1755 on theother. A homage to the pastgreat Dutch builders thatengineered the fully walledcitadel situated a minutewalk away from the house isa marvelous creation overfour years by the ownerStephen Labrooy.Dutch OriginThe local joke in the area isthat it is in the middle ofMiddle Street as one side ofthe road is typically Dutchstyle architecture and on theother it is British colonial.Landesis name translatesas ‘of Dutch origin’ –andfrom the moment you enterthe veiled teak crisscross slated door way, you willbe wowed by the colonial elegance of thissplendid building whose architectural brilliancewas a combination of architect Ashley De Vossand Stephen Labrooy.

The colonnaded porch that takes you throughthe grand tropical garden on the ground floorand holds up the main two bedrooms on thesecond floor is breathtaking whether earlymorning or in moonlight. Here one can enjoybreakfast on the top verandah overlooking theold city or a cool drink in the open as the main

dining seating area occupiesviews of both the old streetsand the idyllic tropical garden,where peacocks can be foundfanning themselves lateafternoon.The three-roomed villa is acreation of top architect Ashleyand Stephen whose coat ofarms adorns the frontentrance. Together theycreated this masterpiece as atestament to their Dutchheritage. Using buildingmaterials taken from oldproperties and meticulouslycopying original Dutch stylefinishing’s for example objectslike the splendid chandeliersthat give the place a wonderfulwarm glow at night. “I decidedto photograph an originalDutch chandelier and took it toa wonderful metal craftsman in

Bentota who made copies in brass, extrapolatingthe dimensions of every part from thephotographs”, Stephen explains.Dutch ThaliTo match the opulence of the place a

magnificent banquet style breakfast is serveddaily in a range of dishes called by the staff atropical Dutch Thali, each item set onbamboo string hopper mini trays sitsbeautifully on individual green beetle nutleaves freshly picked from the gardens ofvillages nearby the Fort. Dutch in everysense of the word from slices of Dutch Edamcheese sliced up, to lush homemade fruityjams, curd, pitted green olives and a dozenhome baked white rolls. Thali style mealsoriginated as a Tamil word from India, whichmeans plate with a selection of various dishes,but today the style varies from region to regionin South Asia and at Landesi this is noexception. In Galle Fort in keeping with itstraditional setting it has kept with, using onlynatural local styles influenced by those whohave traded in these waters. Look a little closerand one can see the influence of the SouthIndian fisherman in not only the cooking of fishcurry, but also the style of sarongs available inthe market on Main Street.Go to Parawa Street, a short walk from thehotel and you will find this is the original homeof the South Indian fisherman, one of manydifferent nationalities to have resided in the400 hundred year old Galle Fort.Bottomless RefillsLandesi has made breakfast a choice of Dutch

thali or traditional string hoppers with a variety ofcurries highlighting the delicacies native to thespice region. The villa staff loves the concept of“bottomless” refills on all components of food, theidea being that one eats until fully satisfied, as thisis truly Sri Lankan in spirit and yet tropical Dutchin style. Once you have feasted on your thalifeast, you will be ready to head out into the heartof the old city for either an Amazing Galle ride forthose who like to glide around a place or historicwalk. However many of the guests just kick backand enjoy the villa that the owner who pops inonce a week explains “The magic of the house onMiddle Street is that it is a masterpiece ofcraftsmanship in its own right, one can feel thehistoric roots in the marvelous timber furnishings,detailed work throughout and in particular giantbolts with perfect Dutch replica lamps.”The charming security guard at the entrance that

lets you in and out explains, “All the long doorlatches are copied from original Dutch ones. Theowner had a master craftsman even make specialreplica hinges for the doors and very faithfullycopied all the Dutch style fastenings, furniture andfinishes.“I wanted to get as much detail as possible to beas authentic as those of the master craftsmen myancestors would have employed”, Labrooy says.Most people book for a night and within minutes ofwalking off the busy street, are wowed by itscharms, so much so that they extend for severaldays, as they quickly recognise this is a very raretreat. Added to the spectacular setting of themerchant house are the service staff, that are trulypassionate about making sure you have a superbtime, even giving cooking classes in the afternoonand creating surprise death by chocolate birthdaycakes.

dailynews.lk

The Dutch Thali

Dutch Thali

(adaderana.lk) The Pathfinder Foundation (PF)which has completed developing acomprehensive economic policy reform road map‘ Charting the way forward: Prosperity for All’commenced handing over its copies yesterday.Bernard Goonetilleke Chairman PathfinderFoundation handed over this document to TilvinSilva General Secretary ofJanathaVimukthiPeramuna yesterday (Monday25th May) morning at the JVP – Head Quarters inPelawatte. Director Pathfinder K Balasundaram,Executive Director LuxmanSiriwardena andAmeeraArooz, Project Manager of PF alsoparticipated at this event. This road map forreviving the economic growth and development inSri Lanka has been published in in Sinhala, Tamiland English.At the handing over ceremony Mr. Siriwardenastated that the JVP was the only Party so far toinvite from the public proposals and suggestionsfor formulation of their political manifesto to bepresented at the next Parliamentary Election. Inresponse Mr. Tilvin Silva said that the party wouldlike to continue the discussion on ways andmeans of accelerating the economic developmentof the country.As envisioned the PF will personally hand over

copies of this Road Map to theleadership of all the majorpolitical parties currentlyrepresented in the Parliamentso that it can influence theirelection manifesto makingprocess.This document has beenprepared on the basis of over50 studies previouslycommissioned by thePathfinder Foundation withspecial emphasis on studiesundertaken in 2014 coveringeconomic issues such as:export development anddiversification; strengtheningthe conducive climate for foreign and localinvestment; watering the North Central andNorthern provinces; promoting microfinance toempower conflict affected communities;increasing living standards of plantationcommunities; addressing macroeconomicadjustments and prospects for improvingefficiency and productivity of State OwnedEnterprises.As an independent non-partisan think-tank the

Pathfinder Foundation seeks to promote a livelydiscussion to build consensus among politiciansand the general public on a commonly acceptedpackage of economic reforms. This Road Map,Charting the Way Forward: Prosperity for All andother analytical studies published by thePathfinder Foundation can be found atwww.pathfinderfoundation.org and Readers’comments are welcome [email protected]

Pathfinder Economic Proposals Presentedto JVP General Secretary Mr. Tilvin Silva




(dailynews.lk) The jewel of the east coast, theretro-chic Chaaya Blu Trincomalee belonging tothe Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts chain, celebrated5 eventful years on May 10. Over the past 5 years,the hotel has evolved into the prime leisuredestination on the east coast, not only for itsuber-stylish offering, but also due to its statusas the best whale watching hub in thecountry.Built around the theme of sun, sand andwater-based fun activities, Chaaya BluTrincomalee offers an exciting whalewatching experience for guests that is builton sustainable and responsible tourismpractices. Significantly, the hotel has earnedits reputation by demonstrating a robustsustainability framework that ensures that allits stakeholders are part of the hotel’ssuccess story.While whale watching offers a novelexperience for guests, it is a vital lifeline forthe local community. The hotel has employedlocal fishermen (who ply their boats for whalewatching) and fitted their boats with non-polluting, silent engines so as not to disturb themarine life. The hotel has invested heavily inacquiring such equipment and infrastructure todevelop a professionally-managed whale watchingoperation for its guests. Commencingwith two boat operators, the hotel hasbuilt up a pool of eight fishermen, whoregularly operate the whale watchingexpeditions under the supervision ofChaaya Blu Trincomalee. The hotel hasempowered these boat operators withknowledge about the dos and don’ts topreserve marine life and ensure safetyof guests. Every whale watching trip isaccompanied by a naturalist whoshares his knowledge with the guests.Since the hotel commenced operations5 years ago, it has increased thepercentage of local residents in itsemployment, providing a secure andstable livelihood source for people from

surrounding communities. These employees arefurther supported by free English speaking and softskills necessary for future success in their careers.Another far-reaching sustainability initiativeundertaken by Chaaya Blu Trincomalee is the

preservation and clean up of Pigeon Island, famedfor its live corals and rich marine life. Over-visitation and weak environmental regulations isputting the corals and marine life on the island at

risk, therebythreatening theirexistence. Chaaya BluTrincomalee has takenon the challenge of

educating theirguests who visitPigeon Island aboutthe ecological impactof coral reefs and theimportance of notwalking on orbreaking off corals assouvenirs.The hotel’s efforts atnurturing the naturalwonders of Pigeon Island have beencommended by the Sri Lanka Navy. Further, thehotel organized a clean-up of the coral reef,removing 250 starfish from the coral reefs, asthey feed on and destroy corals. Chaaya BluTrincomalee also works with local municipalauthorities to ensure proper waste disposalmethods on the Island. Annually, the hotel

collects and disposes off nearly 2 tons of plasticwaste, left behind by tourists, even extending itsconcern to beach clean-up campaigns.Chaaya Blu is aspiring towards a zero carbon

footprint status and is continuously monitoring allthe key environmental indicators to achieve yearon year reduction. The hotel recycles water up to100%, thereby causing no run-offs. It alsoundertakes water softening treatment, as only hardwater is available in the region. The hotel isworking hard to minimize waste, bringing down itswaste per guest ratio significantly.Benchmarking many such sustainable practices,Chaaya Blu Trincomalee has an enduring vision forenhancing its clientele while ramping up itsdynamism quotient over the next decade.

Blue Whales in Trincomalee

Chaaya Blu Trincomalee Hotel staff actively cleaning up the beach

Accomplishing five glorious years of sustainable operations

(adaderana.lk) The Galle Face Hotel, havingwitnessed many wedding ceremonies in itshallowed halls over centuries, is now introducing anew wedding experience, giving emphasis to itsdeep-rooted vintage Ceylonese history. With yearsof experience in creating luxury weddingexperiences from across the world, the hotel’smanagement team, namely Mr. Antony Paton –General Manager, has now included to the GalleFace Hotel wedding experience a Wedding Salon,an exceptional luxury wedding planning platform.This development has restored the hotel’s originalarchitecture, introducing a sense of ‘curated’modernity to its surroundings, in order toseamlessly blend the old age and the new. At eachwedding ceremony, one can experience almost a

tangible air of vintage charm in the venue,complemented by the dramatic windows that floodthe space with natural light, giving the capacioushalls a heavenly glow. With a distinct reinvention offacilities and services, one can observe only aslight architecture and structural change. Locatedin the heart of the Colombo city, the hotelundoubtedly enjoys the most picturesquelocation. With the surroundings of abeachside resort combined with thegrandeur and elegance of a heritage hotel,there is no wonder about the Galle FaceHotel being an award winning, historicaltreasure in Sri Lanka.Mr. Thakshila Galappaththy – DirectorBanquets and his team are ready to

welcome you to the Galle FaceWedding experience. “If onewas to ask, why are peopleattracted to the Galle FaceHotel? The reason is that, theycome here because of itscharacteristics, the history andnostalgia that linger at everycorner of the hotel. The hotelwas established in 1864. Andwe want all to experience thedays of yesteryears and indeed give allour customers a unique andmemorable experience. Not only elatedto the weddings ceremony andbanquets, but also the services andother facilities pertaining toaccommodation and dining alternativesare also planned and provided toenhance the satisfaction of those whoselect our hotel for their special day.We are now in the process of gatheringbookings. There will be two main hallsunder this restoration project. One isthe ‘Jubilee Ballroom’ and the other isthe ‘Grand Ballroom’. We are havingtwo different wedding packages whichare named ‘Jubilee Package’ and‘Imperial Package’. The nett cost perperson for the Jubilee package is Rs.6500 whereas the Imperial packagewill be priced at Rs. 7500. These arethe highest prices in the market thusfar. However we are unparallel also inthe superiority in services provided, the

individual attention to detail, the eclectic mix ofimperial tradition, romance, vintage architectureand flavour that lingers in this heritage property.The packages will be inclusive of a horse carriagewith a white horse or a vintage Cadillac and theguest is given the privilege to choose either of

these options to be included on their wedding day”,said Mr. Thakshila.The Grand Ballroom comprises of a very versatilesystem that will tailor the mood and tone of thevenue according to the guest’s preference with achoice from over 16,000 colours to glamourize thevenue. The Wedding Salon, established in front ofthe hotel, offers many resources to the weddingcouple including a conversation room to plan yourwedding with a digital screen that displays imagesand a studio room for photographers. “I call it theperfect Salon to tie up all the loose ends beforeyou tie the knot,” continues Thakshila laughingly.We are hoping to include several photographers,floral designers, plush seating options and evenbeauty experts in our vendor list as well. We will besigning agreements soon with them. If you chooseto have your wedding here at Galle Face Hotelthere will be a dedicated Wedding concierge fromthe start to the end to ensure the smoothcontinuation of the event and attend to anyunexpected requirements. Our menus are visiblysuperior and there are many options to choosefrom. If one requires an additional menu item apartfrom the items included in these menus we have,

we will be more than happy to provide you with acharge. We also have experienced chefs andspecialized experts who have worked around theworld, so the food experience will also be verydifferent. We conduct a staff parade before thewedding where our staff will be suited up with

different uniforms which is anew addition as well. My teamand I are ready to cater to allyour wedding day needs, sovisit us today for anunforgettable tomorrow’smemories” added Mr.Thakshila. He avers further, “ adedicated wedding coordinatorfor Tamil weddings is readilyavailable at all times.”Some exceptional moments inthe history of Galle Face Hotelinclude the celebration of theGolden Jubilee of QueenVictoria in 1887 with thepresence of over 20,000people at the height of Britain’simperial supremacy. Along it’sillustrious 150 year history,royals and statesmen from

across the world have graced the halls of GalleFace Hotel, including the Empress of FrancePrincess Eugenie, Princess Alexandra of Denmark,the Duke of Hamilton, Indira Gandhi, JawaharlalNehru and Richard Nixon. They have all beenunanimous in their appreciation of the uniquearchitecture, the warm hospitality and thepicturesque location of the hotel. The Duke ofEdinburgh, Admiral Louis Mountbatten, EmperorHirohito of Japan and several other heads of statehave also stayed at the Galle Face Hotel, all ofwhich is recorded on beautiful marble and woodenplaques around the hotel.The legendary Galle Face Hotel will provide astunning venue for social gatherings, weddingsand indeed corporate conferences with its elegantballrooms and incomparable service. Through theharmonious marriage of the past and present, thelegacy of the historic Galle Face Hotel continues,providing guests with a distinctive experience at atruly iconic Sri Lankan hotel.Reservations for weddings at Galle Face Hotel arenow open and more information can be obtainedon 011-2-541010 or www.gallefacehotel.com

Galle Face Weddings – An ‘enchanting’ ever after….

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj(dailymirror.lk) “Hamlet without the Prince ofDenmark” is perhaps an apt description of how theInternational Workers Day was observed in SriLanka on May 1st. Instead of being given pride ofplace on May Day, the workers and their tradeunion leaders were virtually ignored by the politicalparties conducting rallies and processions onworkers day. The May Day event has beentransfigured or disfigured into a Political Tamashaby major political parties.The pathetically fractured trade union movementand hopelessly debilitated working classes of SriLanka have either been unableor unwilling to check or counterthis increasing politicizationand consequent diminution ofthe trade union sphere over theyears. The transformation ofMay Day into a political eventwhere the workers were treatedas children of a lesser God isonly symptomatic of a maladythat has afflicted this countryfor many decades. The sea ofred that this writer witnessed on May Day duringhis childhood slowly began changing colour toseas of green and blue over the years. With thepresence of artistes and actors from India onstage, the meaning of May Day got distorted as acultural show.The entry of trade unionists into politics andpoliticians into trade unionism was a slow,creeping process that resulted in the gradualweakening of the working class movement. Tradeunion influence was shamelessly used to enhancepolitical power. Inter-party and intra-partydifferences impacted on trade unions and fracturedthe trade union movement and its activity wasused to build a political base. Trade union agitationwas used as a pressure tactic to gain politicalclout. This negative trend climaxed with themonumental tragedy of Leftist leaders in their newCabinet Minister avatars ruthlessly crushing thetrade union movement on which they climbed topower.It is against this dismal backdrop of a deterioratingtrade union movement, that this column focuses ona man who was perhaps the last of the great tradeunionists. A legend in his lifetime who was at thehelm of a vibrant trade union continuously for aperiod of sixty six years – an unsurpassed record!A trade union leader about whom I have writtenearlier in these columns - who is no more with ushaving passed away last September – and whose93rd birthday falls next week on May 23rd. I am ofcourse referring to Comrade Bala Tampoe whowas the Ceylon Mercantile Union (CMU) GeneralSecretary from 1948 to 2014. Though called theCMU still, the amended name of the union is nowThe Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and GeneralWorkers Union.Being General Secretary of the CMU for 66 yearssince 1948, has been a marvellous achievement.All the more so because of comrade Bala’sethnicity in Sri Lanka’s deeply divided society.Philips Balendra Tampoe was of Jaffna Tamil

origin. The membership of the CMU though multi-ethnic is predominantly Sinhala. This fact has beenhighlighted often by many observers of Sri Lanka’spolitical scene. It is however noteworthy that Balahad never ever projected himself as an EthnicTamil or engaged in communal politics.

Bala was born in Negombo on May 23, 1922 andboth his parents were of Jaffna Tamil stock. Hisfather, Francis Tampoe-Philips was an exciseofficer under British rule who served in variousparts of what was then known as the MadrasPresidency in India. The Madras Presidency

consisted of most districts ofpresent day Tamil Nadu,several regions of present dayAndhra Pradesh and parts ofpresent day Kerala, Karnatakaand Orissa States in India.Bala’s mother BeatriceThangamma Saverimuttu,though hailing from Jaffna,was born in Kurunegala. Herfather was Mudaliyar A.G.Saverimuttu who had been the

Chief Post Master at the General Post Office inColombo for many years. The rank of Mudaliyarhad been conferred on him by the British rulers inrecognition of his distinguished service to thecrown.Bala was born and baptized as a Christian. Hisgiven name then was Balendra Tampoe-Philips.Due to compelling circumstances during schooldays, his mother registered his name as PhilipsBalendra Tampoe when admitting him to RoyalCollege in 1934. Ten years later, after graduatingBala was appointed as a lecturer in Botany andHorticulture at the Peradeniya School ofAgriculture in February 1944. It was then that helegally changed his name to Philips BalendraTampoe and placed advertisements to that effect innewspapers. He became known thereafter in ageneral sense as Bala (derived from Balendra)Tampoe or PB Tampoe.I once inquired about the origins of the Tampoe-Philips name from him in a conversation, Balaexplained thus:-“The first paternal ancestor to convert toChristianity from Hinduism was my greatgrandfather. He took the name Mathew Philips. Hemight have been given his Christian name as wellas his surname by the Christian missionary – whowas probably an American – who baptized him.Mathew Philips was born in 1817 and died in 1852.He was a Tamil Pundit and Teacher. He was alsothe Head Catechist and General Agent in theAmerican Mission Church of that time”.“My paternal grandfather was John Francis Philips,who owned a coconut estate in Pallai in the Jaffnapeninsula where my father was born. Mygrandfather also raised herds of cattle in Pallai.(Cattle and Coconuts - C and C , Bala chuckled).He married the daughter of ThamotherampillaiMcGowan Tampoe, the first Ceylonese Magistrateof Jaffna under British rule in this country. She wasmy grandmother. It may be of interest to note thatwell known film director Robin Tampoe, was the

son of a brother of my father’s mother. Myfather who was the eldest son in the familyadopted the surname Tampoe-Philips byadding his mother’s maiden name to hisfather’s. That is how my original name got tobe Balendra Tampoe-Philips”.

When I asked him to relate the circumstancesunder which he had to change his name fromBalendra Tampoe Philips to Philips BalendraTampoe, Bala had an interesting tale to relate.He also spoke about his siblings and mother inthis regard:-“My father Francis Tampoe-Philips worked indifferent areas of the Madras Presidency. I wasthe third of six siblings, with two elder sisters, ayounger sister and two younger brothers, all ofwhom, but for me, had been born in varioustowns in the Madras Presidency. I happened tobe born, on May 23, 1922, in Negombo,because my mother had gone there to staywith a younger sister of hers, when she wasexpecting a child, who turned out to be me”.“My eldest sister Zena died of doublepneumonia, at a little over eight years of age,in Bangalore, in August 1927. Shortlyafterwards, my younger brother Narendra, ayear younger than I, died of diphtheria. Soonafterwards my baby brother who was ninemonth’s old, also died of the same ailment. Iwas left with two sisters, Irma, a year older,and Cynthia Jayatri, three years younger thanme. The three of us were taught at home by

our mother, as we could not gain entrance toschools in Bangalore straight away when mymother decided to stay there with us instead ofaccompanying my father to various stations in theMadras Presidency”.“My mother sent an application for my admission toa leading Anglican boys’ school, Bishop Cotten’sCollege, in Bangalore. The application wasaccepted and my mother was notified that her sonwas admitted under the name B.T. Philips. In thosedays, there were ethnic quotas in schooladmissions in India and students were classifiedaccordingly. The school officials had mistakenlycategorized the name B.T. Philips as an English orAnglo-Indian student. We did not know this”.“It was when I went to Bishop Cotten’s in 1930; onthe date of admission with my mother, that theschool authorities discovered that I was neitherEnglish nor Anglo- Indian. The British Headmasterinformed her, to our utter dismay, that I could notbe admitted, as I wasneither the one nor theother! The quota foradmission at that time wasfour English or Anglo-Indian students, to oneIndian. That quota hadalready been filled, wewere told. So I wasdeprived of admission tothat prestigious institution”.“A kindly English lady whohad befriended my mothergave us pre-schooleducation, and then lateron she got us admitted toClarence School inBangalore, in 1931. It wasrun by the Seventh DayAdventist Mission, whichshe belonged to”.

“In April 1934, my mother returned to staypermanently in Ceylon with me and my two sisters.I got admitted to Royal College, Colombo later thatyear, thanks to the good offices of Professor C.Suntheralingam, who was then the Professor ofMathematics in the University College, Colombo.He later became MP for Vavuniya and became aMinister in D.S. Senanayake’s first Cabinet at thetime of Independence for Ceylon. When I wasadmitted to Royal College, Colombo in 1934 by mymother, she registered me under the name PhilipsBalendra Tampoe. This was to avoid any possibleconfusion over my ethnicity as in the case of whathad occurred previously in South India, when mymother’s application for my admission to BishopCotten’s College, in Bangalore ended in failure”This then was the story of how Bala Tampoe’sfather Francis Philips became Francis Tampoe-Philips and how the son BalendraTampoe –Philips turned into PhilipsBalendra Tampoe.Bala Tampoe was a colourfulpersonality of multiple dimensions.Underground member of the LankaSama Samaaja Party (LSSP), duringthe second World War days;Agricultural Dept. lecturer who lost his job due toinvolvement in a general strike; leader of the sametrade union for more than six decades; fiery oratorknown for defiant speeches; last living witness ofthe Independence ceremony of Ceylon when theUnion Jack was replaced; key organizer of thehistoric 1953 ‘Hartal’; one time Central Committeeand Politbureau member of the largest Trotskyiteparty recognized by the fourth international;architect of many strikes, including one whichparalyzed the Colombo harbour causingdeclaration of emergency; one of the trouble-making leftists earmarked for incarceration at theNaval armoury by the 1962 coup d’etat planners;pioneer of a collective agreement that proved to bea model for many such agreements; trade unionleader who ushered in the payment of allowancescheme based on the rise in the cost of livingindex; man behind a series of strikes leading toprogressive measures regarding termination ofemployment; co-leader of revolutionary breakawaygroup in LSSP that formed its own party;unsuccessful candidate in three parliamentarypolls; lawyer who defended JVP comrades free-of-charge after the 1971 insurgency; dedicated tradeunionist who drove to office and back for six daysof work, even at the age of 92. These are, but afew facets of comrade Bala Tampoe.

Bala Tampoe’s foray into Parliamentary politicswas not very successful. The CMU’s flirtation withelectoral politics was also a failure. Bala Tampoe

first contested Parliamentary elections in 1960,was fielded by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party(LSSP) under the key symbol in the multi-memberconstituency of Colombo Central returning threeMP’s. March 1960 polls were held at a time whenthe LSSP was expected to romp home as winners,and Dr. N.M. Perera become Prime Minister. Balawas expected to come first in Colombo Central.Yet, it was Dr. M.C.M. Kaleel and RanasinghePremadasa of the UNP, along with the Communistparty’s Pieter Keuneman who won. Bala Tampoecame fourth out of fifteen candidates polling22,228 votes.In the July 1960 elections, the number ofcandidates had dwindled to six. For some reason,the expectation again was that Bala Tampoe wouldbe elected as first MP. But again that was not tobe. Sir. Razeek Fareed from the SLFP came firstwith Pieter Keuneman and Dr. Kaleel comingsecond and third respectively. Bala Tampoe came

fifth, behind RanasinghePremadasa. His vote tallyhad shrunk to 16,406.The LSSP underwent acrisis when the partyleadership opted to form acoalition govt. with theSLFP, led by Prime MinisterSirimavo Bandaranaike. 14members of the then LSSPCentral Committeedissented. These includedBulathsinhala MP EdmundSamarakkody, MoratuwaMP Meryl Fernando,Theoretician V.Karalasingham and BalaTampoe. The dissidentgroup formed the LSSP-Ror LSSP-Revolutionaryparty minus the Karlo

group of Karalasingham that rejoined the parentbody. The mainstream LSSP was expelled fromthe fourth international and the LSSP-R wasrecognized in its place as the Ceylon section of thefourth international.The LSSP-R contested the 1965 parliamentaryelections but did not fare well. Bala Tampoecontested in Colombo Central again but this timeunder the lamp and not key symbol. He came fifthout of ten candidates polling only 4,559 votes.The LSSP-R underwent further fragmentationwhen Edmund Samarakkody left the LSSP-R afterengaging in a vitriolic campaign against BalaTampoe. The Edmund faction formed theRevolutionary Samasamajist Party. Later on itbecame the Revolutionary Workers party.

The LSSP-R continued to be under the sway ofBala Tampoe. The CMU was its mainstay. The

LSSP-R did not contest the 1970 Generalelections and accused the LSSP andCommunist party of “misleading themasses”. The party too was renamed asthe Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP)and continued to be recognized as theCeylon/Sri Lanka affiliate of the UnitedSecretariat of the fourth international for

several years.In 1977, Bala Tampoe reversed the earlier positionof not contesting parliamentary polls and fielded afew candidates at the July hustings. Bala Tampoehimself did not contest. The CMU and RMPtogether put forward four candidates on a“revolutionary socialist platform” calling for “theoverthrow of capitalist rule and the establishmentof a Workers’ and Peasants’ Government by themasses”.Upali Cooray and T.N. Perera contested on behalfof the RMP in Dehiwela and Kesbewa, whileVernon Wijesinghe and H.A. Seneviratne were putforward by the CMU in Colombo North andKelaniya. All four fought the election campaignunder the bell symbol. The results were a disaster.The four candidates got 402, 298, 193 and 162 inDehiwela, Kesbewa, Colombo North and Kelaniyarespectively.The failure of the Parliamentary path, and thepersonal electoral defeats of Bala Tampoe in 1960and 1965 were blessings in disguise for tradeunionism in general and the CMU in particular.Bala Tampoe organized a series of more than 70strikes across the country protesting the wayemployers could summarily dismiss workers. Thisled to the then Prime Minister Dudley Senanayakemeeting with him to discuss ways and means ofaddressing the issue. Bala Tampoe proposed thatthe State should step in and examine grounds forremoval. Tampoe submitted a legal draft which laid

Jaffna Tamil Stock

Philips Balendra Tampoe

Royal College, Colombo

Parliamentary Politics

Revolutionary Marxist Party

(Contd: on P21)




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Bala Tampoefrom P20the foundation for the Termination of EmploymentAct that was enacted in 1971.The larger than life image of Bala Tampoe in myperspective kept growing as I too grew up. Manyrelatives and friends in the private sector wereCMU members and the stories they told aboutTampoe enhanced his image further in my eyes.The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-ledinsurgency of 1971 captured the imagination ofyouths in the seventies. Bala Tampoe aided by ateam of dedicated lawyers appeared for many ofthe accused at the Criminal Justice Commission.Even as I lapped up newspaper reports of theproceedings eagerly, my esteem for Bala Tampoetoo increased.

I began interacting with him as a journalist when Iworked at “The Island”. When I first joined thenewspaper in November 1981, I used to cover theTrade Union and Customs as my regular beat.However, I was soon put on the Tamil politicalround at “The Island”. With the ethnic crisisescalating, the “Tamil round” assumed crucialimportance. I found myself writing many newsstories and articles, and even a weekly columnpertaining to the ethnic problem. The trade unionbeat was taken-off and my interaction with BalaTampoe ceased. In 1988 I left the shores of SriLanka. Meanwhile, Bala Tampoe reached theninety-year milepost in 2012.The year 2013 was a blessed year for me as I gotthe opportunity of returning to Sri Lanka after 25years. After travelling about and visiting relativesand close friends, I began meeting “other” peopleduring the latter stages of my stay in Sri Lanka.One such person was Bala Tampoe.I went to the CMU headquarters in Kollupitiya onemorning after a friend had secured an appointmentto meet Bala Tampoe. The CMU office that buzzedvibrantly with activity at one time seemed relativelyquiet now. It seemed to have lost its lustre just liketrade unionism in the country. When I walked into

the hall and saw Bala from afar, the nonagenarianseemed to look the same, despite the witheringgaze of age. When I got closer, I could see the tollof nine decades. Yet, he was quite sprightly in hiswalk and had a firm handshake as usual. Thephysical movements were somewhat slower butunimpaired. His hair remained still with a silverygrey hue.When I sat down to converse, I discovered that thefire in the doughty fighter for workers’ rights wasstill blazing away. He was in full command of hisfaculties. His mind was razor sharp as usual. Theflow of ideas and words gushed forth as in thepast. The familiar gritting of teeth occurredfrequently. The fiery glint in his eyes was veryvisible at close quarters. His memory was fantastic.I would like to conclude this article by excerptingsome passages from an earlier article in thesecolumns on Comrade Bala Tampoe. I do so toprovide greater insight into the man, his missionand on what made him tick for six decades in theTrade Union sphere.

“Bala Tampoe lives in Ratmalana. The CMU officeis in Kollupitiya. Each day he drives from home towork and work to home. Bala drives a vintageVolkswagon that he has been using for decades.He works six days a week and at times sevendepending upon necessity. His workday is around7 to 8 hours daily.I asked Bala Tampoe how he managed to leadsuch a busy, strenuous life at his age. What wasthe secret of his long life, good health, and youthfulenergy?

“I think there are genetic, as well as other reasonsfor my having lived thus far, with the capacity todrive to work and back between my house inRatmalana and the CMU headquarters in Colpetty,five to six days a week, for a full day’s work. Oneis, that I cannot let go of the needs of the Unionand its members. Another is that I have been fairlyfrugal in my diet, and have never been given toexcesses in anything but my activities on behalf ofothers. I also can’t yet bring myself to think ofmyself as old, as I remain young at heart and in

mind”.Bala adds as an afterthought. “An eye specialistrecently observed that I did not seem to have theoptic nerve of a ninety-one-year old, when shehappened to examine one of my eyes! Thatsignifies something that I can’t explain about myphysical condition”.I was curious about his lifestyle and daily routine. Iasked Bala to describe a day in his life. For him a“day in his life” equals a working day. This was hisresponse:-

“I usually wake to the sounds of early birdschirping outside my bedroom window, between5.15 and 6.00 a.m. I then make myself a cup oftea, and sit down to my laptop, to check my e-mailand respond thereto straightaway sometimes, orjust browse a bit on the internet, before I preparemy breakfast”.“It normally consists of cereals - mixed in a littlemilk with curd, a spoonful of kitul treacle and asliced kolikuttu plantain. I am giving you thosedetails because people sometimes ask me aboutmy daily diet, when questioning me about “mysecret”, as you’ve done”.“I normally leave for the CMU headquarters by8.30 a.m., driving my old Volkswagen, which I havehad re-conditioned recently. The Union spends forits maintenance and cost of petrol for my dailytravelling to and from the headquarters. I preferredthat to the Union’s purchasing a new car for me, asits General Council had wished. One of myreasons for that preference was that I am tooadvanced in years to need a car for much longerthan I’ve driven the one I have”!“My working day now normally ends by 5.00 p.m.,but continues till 8.00 or even 9.00 p.m. onWednesdays, when the Executive Committee orthe Working Committee meet alternatively - fromweek to week. It takes me about an hour to drivehome to Ratmalana”.“I have a short nap in the afternoons at theheadquarters; but have found it desirable as agecreeps upon me, to have a longer nap when I gethome, before warming my dinner (prepared for meat the headquarters) on a microwave oven”.

“After dinner, I stretch my legs a bit, walkingaround the house for about fifteen minutes, beforenormally settling down to watch a DVD film till11.00 p.m. or later, depending on how absorbing itis and how tired I may be at end of the the day –and so it ends!Nancy KotalawelaBala Tampoe lives alone. He was married twiceand has two children both of whom are in the USA.I asked Bala about his first wife and children aboutwhom very little is known to current colleagues andcontemporaries.“My first wife was Nancy Kotalawela from Passara.She was a Montessori teacher who had beentrained by Madame Maria Montessori herself inKodaikanal, India. I married her on October 28,1950. Our son Dhiresh was born on December 1,1951; and our daughter Shyama was born onJanuary 6, 1956. We separated in 1957, and weredivorced in April 1966. Nancy left for the UnitedStates in September 1967, taking our two childrenwith her, and kept them out of touch with me formore than thirty years in the States”.

Bala Tampoe’s second wife was MayWickramasuriya who was an institution by herself.They were married on September 22, 1966. Mayworked at the CMU for decades and was well-known in Trade union and Trotskyite circles. Shehad joined the CMU in 1951 and remained anefficient colleague and loyal companion to BalaTampoe. She became assistant secretary of theCMU in 1956. May was paralyzed after suffering astroke in November 1995. She died a few yearslater on December 15, 1998. CMU contemporariesspeak highly of the fond affection with which Balacared for her. Bala describes her as his“companion and comrade”. There is a conferenceroom named after May at the CMU office”. PhilipsBalendra Tampoe now known to all as BalaTampoe is one whose name is indelibly etched inthe Trade union annals of this country. ComradeBala Tampoe may be no more today, but thelegendary leader of the oppressed andunderprivileged will always be regarded as anincomparable Sri Lankan phenomenon!

Ninety-Year Milepost

Vintage Volkswagon

He replied pensively:-

A day In His Life

May Wickramasuriya

Article and Pics by Sherwani Synon(dailynation.lk) Hidden between narrow pathwaysin Dharga Town lies one of Sri Lanka’s best keptsecrets, the residence and garden of Bevis WilliamFrederick Bawa, one of the most renownedlandscape designers of Sri Lanka.Spanning across 20 acres surrounded bywilderness, paddy fields and the odd house, Briefis not an easy placeto find, in fact it wouldbe a treasure hunt ifyou attempt it withoutany assistance fromthe local tu-tukdrivers. Although it’sonly 20 minutes fromAluthgama town tothe gardens, thejourney will make youwonder otherwise,but let it notdiscourage you as itis definitely worth avisit, particularly forthose who lovenature and big openspaces.Brief Gardens is nowowned and comes under the guardianship ofDooland De Silva, a landscape designer and atrusted friend of Bevis Bawa, who inherited theproperty at the landscape designer’s demise.

Narrating the story about the gardens and how itcame to be, Dooland explained that Bevis came tothis area in 1929 at the young age of 20 years totake over the management of the family rubberplantation.“While managing the plantation, he decided tobuild his home here even though this area didn’thave electricity at that point of time. As years

passed by he sold his estate pieceby piece and used that money todevelop his residence and garden.After 40 years of working on it, BriefGardens was finally completed in1970 and two years later he wasasked to open it to the public,” heexplained.Brief Gardens is made up of variouselements in different elevationsfrom contrasting sizes of manicuredlawns to little nooks and cornersand passageways that lead tosecret gardens that can only bediscovered if you go looking forthem. If you’re feet are curiousenough you’re bound to find thelittle spots ideal for reading or aplace where you can admire thebeauty of this green treasure

without being noticed.Dooland explains that prominent architect,Geoffrey Bawa’s estate, Lunuganga is in factinspired by his brother’s creation of Brief Gardens.

Bevis’s house similar to his garden is a uniquepiece of work, ideally located on top of a hill,overseeing the entire garden and the wildernessbeyond and draws certain characteristics fromGeoffrey’s style of architecture. The walls of thehouse are decorated with several paintings doneby Bawa’s friends and associates who visited andlived with him over the decades. Most of these artpieces are signed off by celebrated artists includingGeorge Keyt, George Bevan, Donald Friend,Russel Drysdale, Rachel Southerner and Edward

Scott.When asked what Bevis was like as a person, hisfriend explained that he was a soft spoken gentlegiant (Bevis stood at a staggering height of 6 ‘7inches) who had a love for cars and most of all alove for his garden. Dooland recalls Bevisspending time on the patio (his favourite place inthe house) so that he can steal glances at hisgarden and the world beyond while attending to hisday-to-day work.

Brief Gardens: Sri Lanka’s best kept secret




By Dhananjani Silva(sundaytimes.lk) Showcasing the very best of theyoung thespians, the grand finale of Drama Comp2015 took place at the Lionel Wendt TheatreColombo last week. Having made it to the finalsfrom the semi final round, the three participatingteams from Visakha Vidyalaya Colombo, St.Peter’sCollege Colombo and St. Bridget’s ConventColombo battled it out for the coveted DramaComp Championship.The event was organised by the Interact Club ofRoyal College. No changes to the originalproductions put forward for the semi-final roundwith costumes, stage props and the script seemedto have remained the same, yet the drama teamsmanaged to have the audience spellbound withplenty of poignant episodes and nail bitingmoments.The production by St. Peter’s College was basedon Norman Mckinnel’s ’The Bishop’s Candlesticks’,while St. Bridget’s Convent dealt with issues ofteenage suicide. Visakha Vidyalaya Colombo gotthe audience thinking about being awake when therest of the world is asleep through a play thatunfolds to reveal teen characters searching theirway for connections during the wee hours of themorning.Visakha Vidyalaya walked away with the covetedDrama Comp 2015 championship amid applauseand cheer placing the cast of St. Bridget’s Convent

in the runners- up position. Young Peterite, DevinRandeniya who gave life to a ferocious, hardhearted convict on stage bagged the award for thebest performance in a male role. The bestperformance in a supporting male role went toAvishka Dedigama ( Frankie) and Hiruni YapaAbeywardena (Jake) from Visakha Vidyalaya whilebest performance in a supporting female role wasawarded to Vinuri De Silva (Hayley) from St.Bridget’s Convent.The most memorable performance was won by theensemble cast of Visakha Vidyalaya while St.Peter’s College was adjudged winners for the BestBack Stage award.

Thushara Hettihamu, Delon Weerasinghe andTanya Warnakulasuriya served on the panel ofjudges at the finals and the performances werejudged, taking into consideration various aspectssuch as characterisation, projection, diction,casting, script editing, technique, use of space,concept, synergy between lead roles andsupporting roles, costumes, lighting and soundetc.At the end of the three performances thejudges made their deliberations on stage withregard to the three dramas prior to announcing thewinners.Judge Thushara Hettihamu who spoke on behalf ofthe panel maintained that all three plays weredidactic pieces which had three different styles with

very strong messages to convey.“All three playswere an abundance of talent. But sometimes it isthe way that talent is channeled that becomes thedeciding factor,” he said.Commenting on the Visakha drama, he said thestage craft was fabulous and overall it was asmooth production which had a good transition-something difficult to handle when dealing withisolated scenes. Delivering the message across,Vishaka did it in a light hearted manner using thethematic devices around the drama to put out aserious theme, the judges pointed out.Referring to

the production by St. Bridget’s Convent the judgesfelt the play was theatrically a very soundproduction. The judges felt the play carried astrong theme and demonstrated a stongprotagonist, a good lead and cast. The judgescommented on the young actors of St. Peter’sCollege, saying they did a commendable job inplaying the older roles, adding that playing into anage which the youngsters were not was achallenging task.“Overall, the actors in all three schools did well,” MrHettihamu said on behalf of the judges panel.

Judges Comments

Drama Comp Champions-Visakha Vidyalaya

Best Back Stage winners- St. Peter’s CollegeBest performance in a male role-

Devin Randeniya

Best performance in a supporting malerole- Avishka Dedigama (Frakie) & Hiruni

Yapa Abeywardena(Jake)

Visakha cast steal the show at drama comp

By Neil Iddawala, Deputy SecretaryGeneral of Parliament(sundaytimes.lk) The 19th Amendment to theConstitution introduced the Constitutional Councilto replace the hitherto existing ParliamentaryCouncil. The main objective of introducing aConstitutional Council is the re-establishment of anindependent commission, limiting the powers ofthe President to a certain extent. The SecondReading debate on this Amendment was held onApril 27 and 28 — and on April 28 itself, it wastaken for the Third Reading and passed with a two-thirds majorit — with the amendments proposedduring the Committee Stage. The Speakerendorsed the certificate on the Bill on May 15.CompositionThe composition of the Constitutional Council shallbe ten persons. They shall include, as ex officio

members;- the Prime Minister- the Speaker- the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament- The President of the Republic shall have thepower to nominate one member to theConstitutional Council and such nominee shall bea Member of Parliament.- The Prime Minister and the Leader of theOpposition shall have the power to nominate fivepersons, two of whom shall be Members ofParliament and the other three shall be membersof civil society. The five members nominated by thePrime Minister and the Leader of the Oppositionshall be appointed by the President.- The power to appoint the tenth member rests withthe political parties and groups represented inParliament other than the two parties

represented by the Prime Minister and theLeader of the Opposition. As such, one Memberof Parliament so nominated on the consensusof the majority of the Members of Parliament ofthe political parties and groups represented inParliament other than the two partiesrepresented by the Prime Minister and theLeader of the Opposition shall be appointed bythe President as a member of the ConstitutionalCouncil.Accordingly, out of the constituent members ofthe Constitutional Council, seven will be thoserepresenting Parliament and only threemembers will be members of civil society. Ofthe ten members who are so appointed,theSpeaker will become the Chairman.Five nominees of PM and OppositionThe Prime Minister and the Leader of theOpposition should, in appointing members,ensure that the Constitutional Council reflectsthe diversified character of Sri Lankan society.They should consult the leaders of the politicalparties and independent groups represented inParliament for this purpose.Similarly, members who are not Members ofParliament should be persons of excellenceand integrity who have earned recognition intheir professional lives and should not bemembers of any political party. At the sametime, their names shall be approved byParliament.The President shall be specifically informed as

to the nominees by the Prime Minister and theLeader of the Opposition and the nominees by thepolitical parties and groups represented inParliament other than the two parties representedby the Prime Minister and the Leader of theOpposition. The President shall, before the expiryof fourteen days from the receipt of suchintimation, make the appointments. If the Presidentfails to appoint such members within the period offourteen days as stipulated in the Constitution,such persons shall be considered to have beenduly appointed to the Council with effect from suchexpiry.Term of office of membersThe ex officio members of the Council, i.e. thosewho hold the offices of Prime Minister, Speakerand Leader of the Opposition, shall continue to bemembers as long as they hold such office and afterdissolution of Parliament, until and unless otherpersons are appointed or elected to such offices.The terms of office of the other members arelimited to three years.At the same time, the term of office of any suchmember shall cease before the expiry of the periodof three years if such member- tenders his/her resignation from the membershipto the President in writing- in the opinion of the Prime Minister and theLeader of the Opposition, reaches a state ofphysical or mental disability that renders him/herunable to perform the functions of his officeis found guilty of corruption by a court of law- is subjected to civil disability, or- fails to attend three consecutive meetings of theCouncil without prior approval from the Council.Occurrence of vacanciesIn an instance where a vacancy occurs in respectof those who become members ex officio, personsappointed by the President or elected byParliament shall become members for suchvacancy by virtue of their official position.Apart from that, if a vacancy occurs in respect ofthe other seven members, the President shallappoint a successor for such vacancy inaccordance with the provisions mentioned abovewithin fourteen days from the occurrence of suchvacancy. The term of office of such successor shallbe the period remaining unexpired from the term ofoffice of the member to whom he or she becomesthe successor.

At the same time, the term of office of themembers other than the ex officio members is amaximum of three years as mentioned above andthey cease to be eligible for re-appointment underthe same provisions.All appointments to the Constitutional Council bythe President shall be intimated to the Speakerforthwith.Position of CC upon dissolution of ParliamentNotwithstanding any provisions in the Constitution,when Parliament has been dissolved, the Speakeras at such dissolution shall continue to be theChairman of the Constitutional Council until andunless another person is elected by thesucceeding Parliament to the post of Speaker ofParliament.Similarly, the other two ex-officio members shallcontinue to hold their memberships until the PrimeMinister and the Leader of the Opposition areappointed or elected from among the personselected as Members of Parliament in thesucceeding Parliament.Functions of CCThe main function of the Constitutional Council isto give its recommendations before the Presidentappoints a person as the Chairman or a member ofany of the Commissions specified in the Schedulegiven below (at the end of this section). ThePresident shall on no account appoint a Chairmanor a member of any of the Commissions, except onthe recommendation of the Council.The above provisions are applicable even inrespect of the persons appointed for acting as theChairman or a member of any of suchCommissions.Criteria to be followed in submittingrecommendationsThe main function of the Constitutional Council isto recommend suitable persons whenever calledupon to do so when the occasion arises to appointa Chairperson or Chairpersons and/or a memberor members to any of the Commissions mentionedin the Schedule. In making their recommendations,gender balance and the multi-ethnic character ofthe society shall be reflected. In recommending achairman, names of three persons shall bepresented. The President shall appoint one of thethree persons so recommended as the chairman ofthe relevant Commission.

(Contd: on P24)

The who, what and how of our Constitutional Council




In commemoration of Vesak celebrations 2015, aspecial Sil programme in English for our youngdevotees aged 5-12 was held at the Bradwellcommunity hall in Stoke On- Trent on the 17thMay followed by “Sanghika Dana” and otheractivities.Theevents were organised by the organisingcommittee of the Stoke Dhamma School under thepatronage of Venerable Pidiville Piyathissa thechief incumbent of Ketumati Buddhist Vihara-Manchester.The little children seemed very excited and happyas they paraded the hall clad in pure white SriLankan national costumes bringing flowers,incense and candles chanting “Sadu,Sadu” as theyheaded for “Budda Pooja”.Venerable Galpoththayaye Pemananda Theroadministered “Ata Sil”to the little devotees followedby simple meditation sessions. VenerableUdunuwara Indarathana Thero conducted anotherDhamma sermon about the values of a better

human being depicting the stories from the time ofthe Lord Buddha, targeting the young devotees aswell as the parents.After the Sil programme the children engaged inmaking anddecorating their own pop -up Vesakgreeting cards to be sent to their families. This wasfacilitated by a group of dedicated parents of theStoke On-Trent Dhamma School.Time flew by in the morning after the “SangikaDana” as the children were engulfed in thechildhood joys of Vesak, appreciating thehandmade Vesak lanterns which adorned thevillage hall. They were then treated in to “Dana”for the day which definitely was a newexperience. It was followed by the lunch to theparents and families.As this was the final event of a series of Vesakprogrammes organised by Ketumathi BuddhistVihara there was a Vesak concert where childrenperformed “Vesak Bakthi Gee”,dramas andBuddhist songs in keeping with the tradition of

our motherland.In his vote of thanks the chief incumbent VenPidiville Piyatissa Thero once again emphasisedthe importance of persuadingour youngergeneration to follow the noble truth of Buddhism,whilst thanking all the parents and other resident

monks of the temple, who worked so hard to makethis event a success in every aspect. Finally thelittle devotees were lucky enough to attend aDhamma school session at the end of a veryeventful day as it was the 3rd Sunday of themonth.

Vesak celebration of Stoke Dhamma School

Eric W Dolan( ) Researchers from Belgium andTaiwan have found that being exposed toBuddhist concepts can undermine prejudicetowards others and lead to increasedprosocial behavioral intentions.Buddhism contains a variety ofteachings and practices - such asmeditation - intended to helpindividuals develop a more open-minded and compassionatepersonality. Unlike the threedominant monotheistic religions, itdoes not draw a sharp line betweenbelievers and unbelievers.In three separate experiments of 355individuals, the researchers foundthat being exposed to words relatedto Buddhism could “automaticallyactivate prosociality and tolerance, inparticular among people with socio-cognitive open-mindedness.”The study adds to a growing body ofresearch about priming, a phenomenon inwhich merely being exposed to certain wordsor concepts changes the way people think orbehave. It was published in the April issue ofthe Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

When Westerners familiar with Buddhism readreligious words like “Dharma" and “Nirvana” -which they were exposed to under the guise ofcompleting a word puzzle - they reported lower

negative attitudes toward outgroups comparedto participants exposed to positive non-religious words like “freedom.”Westerners with a Christian background alsobecame more tolerant after being exposed to

Buddhist concepts, though only among thosewith a predisposition for valuing the welfare ofall people and an aversion towardsauthoritarianism.

Implicit association tests showedthat these participants were lessprejudiced against African peopleand Muslims than participantsexposed to Christian concepts orneutral concepts.Westerners with a Christianbackground also scored higher onmeasures of prosociality after beingexposed to Buddhist concepts.Surprisingly, participants did notscore higher on measures ofprosociality after being exposed toChristian concepts.The effect of being exposed toBuddhist concepts was notrestricted to cultures in which thereligion was seen as particularlyexotic, the researchers said. Beingexposed to Buddhist concepts also

fostered increased tolerance and prosociality,compared with neutral and Christian concepts,among participants living in Taiwan.“To conclude, we think that this work provides,

for the first time, experimental evidence in favorof the idea that in both the East and the West,across people from both Christian and EasternAsian religious traditions, Buddhist conceptsautomatically activate positive social behavioraloutcomes, that is, prosociality and lowprejudice, in particular among people withpersonal dispositions of socio-cognitiveopenness,” the researchers wrote.“Unlike Christian and other monotheisticreligious systems that paradoxically seem toencourage not only prosociality but alsoprejudice, Buddhist ideas favor bothprosociality and outgroup tolerance, and theseideals seem particularly efficient (in leading toaction) for people with relevant personalitydispositions.”“Emotional (compassion) and cognitive(tolerance of contradictions) mechanismsexplain, to some extent, how Buddhistconcepts, across cultural and religiouscontexts, enhance prosocial and tolerantattitudes and behavioral tendencies. Religiousand cultural characteristics ‘travel’ andinfluence people’s attitudes and behavior in aglobalized world even at the implicit level ofconsciousness,” the researchers concluded.- www.psypost.org

dailynews.lk

Study finds being exposed to Buddhist concepts reduces prejudice and increases prosociality




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Constitutional Councilfrom P22Chairpersons or members to Commissions shouldbe appointed within fourteen days from the receiptof the recommendations by the President.If the President fails to make the appointmentswithin the said period of fourteen days, suchpersons as have been recommended by theConstitutional Council for membership shall beconsidered to have been duly appointed to suchCommissions at the end of such period.In the same way, the person whose name appearsfirst in the list of three persons recommended bythe Constitutional Council for appointment asChairman of a Commission shall be considered tohave been appointed as the Chairperson of suchCommission.Removal of chairperson/member from acommissionWhere provisions have been made in theConstitution or any other written law for theremoval of a Chairperson or a member of aCommission who has been appointed on therecommendation by the Constitutional Council, noremoval shall be effected except as provided insuch provision.Where no such provision has been enacted, thePresident shall remove such person only on theprior approval of the Constitutional Council.Schedule- Elections Commission- Public Service Commission- National Police Commission- Auditing Service Commission- Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka- Commission to Investigate Allegations of Briberyor Corruption- Finance Commission- Delimitation Commission- National Procurement CommissionCC approval for appointing persons to high postsThe second main function of the ConstitutionalCouncil is to grant its approval for the appointmentof persons to the posts given in the Schedulementioned below (at the end of this clause).When the President performs his or her functions,he or she nominates persons to posts in variousinstitutions. However, in appointing persons to theposts mentioned in the following Schedule, theapproval of the Constitutional Council should beobtained. The President should not make theappointment to such posts without the approval ofthe Constitutional Council.This provision shall be applicable in respect of anacting appointment that is made for a period notexceeding fourteen days in any of the postsspecified in the Schedule.Similarly, approval of the Constitutional Councilshall be obtained for acting in any such post forsuccessive periods not exceeding fourteen daysand no person shall be appointed unlessrecommendations have been obtained as stated.The provisions of the Constitution or any other

written law shall be followed for the removal of anyof the persons holding office or has been appointedto act in any of the posts specified in the Schedule.In granting approval for the posts of Judges of theSupreme Court, President of the Court of Appealand Judges of the Court of Appeal, the ChiefJustice shall be consulted.Schedule- Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court- President of the Court of Appeal and Judges ofthe Court of Appeal- Members of the Judicial Services Commissionexcept its Chairman- Attorney General- Auditor General- Inspector General of Police- Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration(Ombudsman)- Secretary General of Parliament.CC meetings and its quorumThe Secretary General of the ConstitutionalCouncil shall, upon the directions of the Chairmanof the Constitutional Council, convene themeetings of the Constitutional Council. TheConstitutional Council shall meet at least twice amonth or as frequently as possible when necessaryfor the performance of its functions.The Chairman shall take the chair of theConstitutional Council and in his/her absence, thePrime Minister and in the absence of the both theChairman and the Prime Minister, the Leader of theOpposition shall take the chair.The quorum of the meeting of the ConstitutionalCouncil shall be five members.CC decisionsEvery effort should be made to get therecommendations, approvals and decisions madeby the Constitutional Council unanimously.However, when such unanimity is not possible,they shall be supported by not less than fivemembers present at the relevant meeting. If thisrequirement is notfulfilled, such decision,recommendation orapproval shall have noeffect.Although the Chairman,or any other personchairing the meeting,does not have a voteinitially, where the voteson each side are equalin a division on anyissue, the personholding the chair shallhave a casting vote.Manner of functioningThe manner in whichthe functions of theConstitutional Councilare conducted and theprocedure forrecommending personssuitable for the

Commissions and for the approval of appointmentof persons for certain posts, and the procedure forconducting its meetings should be decided by theConstitutional Council. The Constitutional Councilshall have the power to make rules necessary inimplementing the duties and functions of theConstitutional Council and such rules shall bepublished in the Gazette and shall also besubmitted to Parliament within three months fromsuch publication in the Gazette. The ConstitutionalCouncil shall have the power to function despite itbeing constituted or established fully or anyvacancies in its membership and similarly nomove, work or decision of the ConstitutionalCouncil shall be ineffective or shall be deemedineffective owing to its not being fully constituted ordue to any vacancies that may have occurred.Reportage of CC affairsThe Constitutional Council shall, during everyquarter, submit to the President a report of itsfunctioning for the preceding quarter.Finality of decisionNo court shall have the jurisdiction to entertain asubmission to examine or make a determination onor to question in any way for any reasonwhatsoever any decision, approval orrecommendation made by the ConstitutionalCouncil. Nevertheless, this shall not be understoodor construed to pose restrictions on Article 126 ofthe Constitution.Staff of the Secretary GeneralThere shall be a Secretary General to theConstitutional Council, who shall be appointed bythe Constitutional Council for five years. Suchperson shall be eligible for reappointment.The Constitutional Council shall appoint suchofficers it deems necessary for its functioning uponsuch terms and conditions as it may determine.FinanceAll expenditure of the Council shall be charged tothe Consolidated Fund.

You probably think you're simply making suggestions. Trouble is, no oneseems to have the same views as you. Don't worry. The planet ofcommunication has gone haywire, so messages are being distorted andeveryone is more sensitive than usual. Here's a basic rule: if it's too late tochange, look for positive outcomes. If not, give advice when asked. Shareyour gifts. It's no fun playing alone.

Be careful. The planets are teasing you, leading you to believe things thatsimply aren't true. The idea is to shake you out of your rut. Admirable, butunnerving. You must make a clear decision about your love life - and stickto it. Make no decisions about work or money until mid June. Never be tooproud to apologise, even if you don't think you're the guilty party.What matters here is love. Not pride.

An old problem at work has resurrected itself. And, once again, you arecentre stage. This time there's no dodging out the back door or confusingeveryone with intellectual verbiage. It's time to apologise (even if it's notyour fault), find a solution and get on with it. This whole drama is farbigger in your head than it ever was in the office. Real life is never as badas your fears. Concentrate on love.

When is it going to dawn on you that power struggles are futile? What'sthe point of winning a battle if it means the troops are going to hate you asa result? Here's the deal: at work, make sure everybody understandsyou're available for a chat. At home, get out your tool kit and startrebuilding some serious bridges. That problem with the siblings alsoneeds to be addressed. Be humble.

Be vigilant this week, or the career could go off the rails. The problem is,no one's paying attention to anything you're saying. Your salvation canbe found in creativity, the only arena where no one expects rationalthought. If you can, extricate yourself from any long-term contract. Signnothing new until well into next month. But if you're ready to share thatheavy secret, there's no time like now.

For once, you won't worry about dashing into the next adventure on yourown. You're in the mood to explore - yourself mostly. If you become a bitfrayed at the edges, you won't have to concern yourself with damagecontrol when your manners are back in place. You're learning andgrowing but, for now, hopefully not signing anything. Your powers ofdeduction are not what they were.

Now and then, the planets toss boulders in our path. The way in whichwe negotiate our way around them ultimately shows us what we reallywant - and what we're willing to fight for. If you're sitting on the boulder,hitching a ride, it might be time to move on. How about a look at yourlove life? Intellect and communication skills are on the fritz. How aboutan evening spent with your heart?

Been keeping quiet about an assortment of offences? It's not like you, andall that's about to change. The planet of rage, passion and wild creativespurts is open to offers. Do you want to fight the old fights? Or find areason to feel passionate and creative? Up to you. Other than that, moneyis on offer if you're willing to put in a little overtime. Look for opportunitiesand a space to display your wares.

Rare displays of affection leave your partner wondering whether you'vebeen up to something. Be sincere and ask yourself how much you'reenjoying the new you. This week's madness allows you to push as manyenvelopes as you're able to. The only problem with your energy is yourunwillingness to change. Now that that's out the way, you can explore sidesof yourself you didn't know existed.

Use your wonderful mind to separate fact from fiction. Watch your cashand say no to all fabulous offers. By mid-June you'll have a deeperperspective from which to judge. Your personal life is demanding ahearing. Try a weekend away with all the people you love. Or one of them,at least. You're in a flirtatious mood, so watch yourself around anyone whocould get hurt. Have some fun.

The impetuous planets are nudging you to spend every cent. It might be agood idea to lock up your credit cards for a while. The people in your lifeare being demanding. There'll be some juggling to do if you're hoping tokeep them all happy. Or you could ask them to manage their own lives fora week and dash off for some recreation yourself. It's about time you didsomething selfish. Guilt free.

Gemini(the Twins) 21st May - 20th June

Cancer(the Crab) 21st June - 20th July

Leo(the Lion) 21st July - 19th / 22nd Aug

Virgo(the Virgin) 20th / 23rd Aug - 22nd Sept

Libra(the Scale) 23rd Sept - 22nd Oct

Scorpio(the Scorpion) 23rd Oct - 21st Nov

Sagittarius(the Archer) 22nd Nov - 20th Dec

Capricorn(the Goat) 21st Dec - 20th Jan

Aquarius(the Water Carrier) 21st Jan -19th Feb

Pisces(the Fishes) 20th Feb - 20th March

Aries(the Ram) 21st March-20th April

Taurus(the Bull) 21st April - 20th May

Pay attention to the company you're keeping because just abouteverything is influencing your behaviour. If you're angry, no one will beleft in any doubt as to the cause. If you're happy, find ways to share.You're at your verbal peak, chatting cheerfully to everyone. Fun withinteresting people is the theme of your week. Try not to waste itmessing about with anyone who gets on your nerves.




Please contact:

Mr Nimal Navaratne (Media Coordinator) 07919 541903

Mr Upali Jothiratne (Hony President) 020 8450 9052

Mr Lenie Ludwick (Football coordinator) 07904 362 900

For Application forms, apply to

Dr Sam Wickremaratne (Tournament co-ordinator) 0748 552 888

Please contact:

Mr Nimal Navaratne (Media Coordinator)

Mr Upali Jothiratne (Hony President)

Mr Lenie Ludwick (Football coordinator)

For Application forms, apply to

Dr Sam Wickremaratne (Tournament co-ordinator)

07919 541903

020 8450 9052

07904 362 900

0748 552 888

Sri Lankan FootballAssociation UK Presents

Tenth Seven -A- Side

Football Tournament on

at

Northwood Park, Chestnut Avenue,

Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 1HR

Sunday 26th July 2015

Northwood Football Club Grounds,

(Nearest tube station Northwood Hills, Metropolitan)

Other attractions:-

Ladies Softball Cricket Match, Under 14 Junior Football.

Sri Lankan Food Stands, Picnic Area, Ect....

Funds raised in aid

of Rural Youth Football

Development in Sri Lanka.

Funds raised in aid

of Rural Youth Football

Development in Sri Lanka.

(dailysports.lk) The Ex- president of the FootballFederation of Sri Lanka, Mr Ranjith Rodrigo kickedoff proceedings at the FFSL elections held at theSports Ministry Auditorium, Colombo. Followed by

the national anthem, the voting commenced after a19-year drought.With a total of 88 votes, Mr. Anura De Silvacomprehensively won the elections beating hisclose opponent Mr. Nisam Packeer Ali by a marginof 38 votes. Immediately, he delivered a statementsaying “Today Football Won”.Meanwhile, Mr.Balendra Anthony was elected asthe General Secretary and Mr.M Fazlan won the“treasurer” post. The members below were electedas Vice Presidents,Mr. Soosaipillai AnthonypillaiRetired Senior D.I.G K.P.P PathiranaBrig. H.D.W. KariyawasamMr.Nalin SilvaMr. Robert PeiresApart from the elected members, certain otherposts were designated without a contest,Mr.Sagara C. Piyathilaka – Assistant TreasurerMr.U.L Jaswar – Deputy Secretary (Admin)Mr.M.S.M Faiz – Deputy Secretary (Technical)However, the highlight of the day was when the ex-president Mr Ranjith Rodrigo handed over a footballas a token to the newly elected President Mr.AnuraDe Silva.

Mr Ranjith Rodrigo hands over a football as atoken to the newly elected president

“Today Football Won” – Anura De Silva(President of FFSL)

By Farhan Uvais(dailysports.lk) Despite a tough comeback, the SriLankan Wheelchair Tennis players, UpaliRakakaruna and Gamini Dissanayake managed todefeat Italy (2-1) at the BNP Paribas World TeamCup in Turkey. While taking Pool D intoconsideration, the Sri Lankans appear to be in asatisfying position after the significant win.This winning start is believed to have given the2012 Bronze Medalists, Sri Lanka a massive boost.While taking the tournament as a whole, a total of52 teams from 28 countries are competing in fourdifferent categories.The results of the three sets are as below,Sri Lankan defeated Italy (62 63)Italy defeated Sri Lanka (57 63 75)Sri Lanka defeated Italy (63 63)As the competition progresses, both Sri Lanka and

Italy are now set to face Spain. The competition isset to go on till the 31st of May 2015.

Sri Lankan wheelchair Tennis player GaminiDissanayake in action

Sri Lanka Beat Italy – BNP Paribas World Team Cup

By Farhan Uvais

(Contd: on P30)

(dailysports.lk) The 30-year-old all-rounderShashikala Siriwardene was lately hailed forreaching a milestone by taking 100 wickets andscoring 1000 runs. She is now the first SriLankan female cricketer to accomplish suchstandards in the international level.Her all-round performance has impressed SriLanka throughout the days. Shashikala being akey contributor was ranked the World’s topwomen all-rounder in 2014.Her current batting stats show that she hasscored 1554 ODI runs and 618 T20 runs in just87 and 42 appearances respectively. With thehighest ODI score of 68, she has 7 internationalfifties under her name.

As for her career inbowling, Shashikalahas managed topick up 101 ODIwickets and 43 T20wickets throughout.Apart from herdomestic cricket,she was nominatedfor the Asia WomenXI team as well.With her right-handbatting and left armoff breaks, Shashikala has stood out as the mostimportant

Shashikala receives a special award

(dailysports.lk) The Sri Lankan squad has beennamed for the AFC U14 Regional Festival ofFootball from the 21st to 27th of May in Tajikistan.With Mohammed Azwan as the head coach,talented young players were selected from schoolsall around the island.While Mohamed Shabeer from S.Peter’s Collegewas named the captain of the team, Mr DhanushkaSampath Liyanagunawardane and MrKarunanayake Kularathnage Kushan Indi werenominated as match officials for the event.NameSchool1. Chenura Chamod - Maris Stella College,Negombo2. Mohamed Shaeen - Zahira College – Colombo-103. C.A.Jenushan - St.John’s College – Jaffna4. G.Kajanan - Mahajana College – Jaffna5. Promod Dilshan - De Mazenod College –Kandana6. Banu Achiramal - De Mazenod College –Kandana7. Avishka Deshan - De Mazenod College –Kandana8. Avishka Jeewantha - De Mazenod College –Kandana9. Mohamed Mushfir - Hamza College – Colombo-

1510. Mohamed Shabeer - St. Peter’s College –Colombo-411. Lakshan Perera - St.Joseph College –Anuradhapura12. Ruzaik Ahamed - Kalugamuwa MV – Gelioya13. Mohamed Shahan - Hameed Al HuseinieCollege – Colombo14. Praneeth Shaminda - St. Mary’s College –Pitipana , Negombo15. Dinindu Kaviendya - St.Joseph College –Colombo-1016. Vinaath De Costa - Thurstan College –Colombo17. Themiya Dias - St. Anthony’s College – Wattala18. Abdul Rahman - Al Humessara MV- Beruwala19. Deshan Dinuwara - Sri Pada College – Hatton20. Isuranga Nanayakkara - Sri Pada College –HattonOFFICIALS1. H.K.Jayasekara - Chef-De-Mission-DeputyDirector -Ministry of Education2. Sarath Rathnaweera - Manager-Secretary -SLSFA3. Mohomed Ajwad - Head Coach4. Jude Sudarman - Goal Keeping Coach5. Kumara Silva - Physio-FFSL

Sri Lankan squad departs to Tajikistan – AFC U14

Royal regainfrom P8Supun Warnakulasooriya went over the line for atry which was converted by full back Ovin Askeyto give Royal a 7 Nil leadRoyal received a penalty in the 20th minute ofplay for a infringement by a Trinity player and theeasy 20 meter penalty was put over by Askey tomake the score 10 nil in favor of Royal.In the 35th minute of play Royal work their linebeautifully and ball changed several hands fromfly half Gayal to Centre Akash Iddawela whogave a brilliant inside pass to his pencil sizedwinger Shabith Feroz who went through fourTrinity defenders to score a try with a sheer burstof speed. Askey surprisingly missed theconversion; Royal increased their lead further to15 points to nil.Royal went further ahead during the injury time ofthe first half when Askey made no mistake with apenalty put over to take the score to 18 nil. Thisscore stood till the half time.Royal came into the second half with a differentgame plan and opened scoring in the very firstminute off a rolling maul when their vice captainand flanker Keshan Peiris went over for a trywhich was brilliantly converted by full back Askeyfrom the touchline to increased the score to 25Nil.They scored again after 8 minutes later through

their crack centre Akash Iddawala who went overfor a try and Askey missed the conversion , Royalled 30 Nil.From this moment onwards Royal opened up thegame and In the 57th minute of play Trinity playermade an aimless kick which was collectedbeautifully by Royal speedy winger MahimaGamage who ran almost 70 meters to score nearthe corner flag, Royal Full Back Askey made afantastic conversion to increase the score to 37points to Nil.Royal scored again three minutes later whenthey work their three quarters from their own 22line where ball changed several hands to wingerMahima Gamage again, who went through theentire Trinity line covering 40 meters to score abrilliant try. Askey missed the difficult touch lineconversion. Royal led 42 Nil.In the 70th minute of play Royal number eightand their unsung hero of the day SupunWarnakulasooriya scored ones more through arolling maul and the conversion was put overbeautifully by their full back Ovin Askey to takethe score to 49 nil in favor of Royal.Royal had a fantastic chance to put the halfcentury on the board but their replacementwinger Andrew de Silva dropped the ball justyards away from the try line to the utter dismay ofall the Royalist present at the grounds sincethere were no Trinity defenders ..Aruna Rankothge refereed.




11.5 perches

21.5 perches

Academically

Academically/professionally

Anglo-Sri Lankan

Brand new Apartment

Crescat Apartments

Experienced carer

Female Vocalist

Home visiting

House for sale

I am looking

Live in Nanny

Keyboard Player

Moratuwa

Mount Lavinia

Muslim Bride.

Professional family

Professionally qualified

Seeking a professional

Sinhala Catholic/Govi

Sinhala G/B

Sinhala GB

Sinhala Govi Buddhist

Sinhala Roman Catholic

Sinhalese RC

Sixty Perches

Sri Lankan born

Two storied,

Wanted in Stevenage

Wanted Temporary home

land for sale in Kotahena with ahouse, one minute walk from the Kotahena PoliceStation Rs 2.3 million /P/P offers negotiable.Interested buyer contact Joe 07423560649 or0207 373 9376

for sale on Rawatawatte Road,Moratuwa. Prime land. 68000 UK pounds. Ifinterested or for further details please contact JonPerera on 00447908087944 [email protected]

and professionally qualified withsober habit partner sought by B/K mother C/Tamilfather .Graduate in Neuroscience Msc and readingPHD.Working in NHS.Well mannered Buddhist/Catholic religion (willing any), Born in 1989,charming pretty and down to earth.5'4"Height.please respond with all [email protected]

qualified, kind,caring partner below 33 years sought by S/Bprofessional parents , for their pretty, 5' 2”, 27 yearold only daughter who is an MBBS doctor. She isborn and brought up in UK according to Sri LankanBuddhist values. Reply with family details Email:[email protected]

couple, London residents, seekan apartment/annexe at a reasonable rent, for amonth's holiday let, in January/February 2016.Preferred areas: Mount Lavinia, Wellawatte,Bambalapitiya. Payment can be made in Sterlingor Rupees. Please telephone 020 8660 7973 orrespond with full details [email protected]

for sale in ICONIC, 110Parliament Road, Rajagiriya, Colombo 8. 1600+Sqft Apartment with full Condominium facilities.Living/Dining, 3 Bed Rooms, Master and GuestBed Rooms with En Suite, Common Bathroom,Pantry, Servant Room/Bathroom, Balcony. Pleasecall UK Owner at 07554016173 or 07584401724.

within Cinnamon GrandHotel premises Colombo 3 for Sale. One, two andthree bedroom furnished apartments. Swimmingpool. Gym and Sauna. For details phone0094785664325, 0094717437246,00447917153493 or [email protected]

available Experienced SriLankan home carer available for full time/ part timein London and surrounding areas. Offering a veryfriendly service with high standard of care for veryreasonable rate. References available. Pleasecontact Thishan. TP-07872681703

needed for a new SL band withgreat musicians. Must sing English & Sinhalesesongs up to very high standards. Play aninstrument / Percussion is a great plus. NoSolo/Duo acts [email protected]

teacher. Formerly at royal college-Colombo, British school-Colombo and Colombointernational school. Head of biology at anindependent school in London. Teach biology toGCSE & GCE as and a2 levels. Contact07412093850

on 5 perches land. By JaffnaColombo road. No brokers please.Contact 0208 7857041

for a full time job in admin, secretarial& pa or receptionist cum telephone operator,available asap in UK. I am an organized, confidentand motivated, bilingual (English/French), EUcitizen. [email protected]

needed for a professional familywith two kids aged 3 and 7 living in Kingston.Children attend full time nursery and school.Accommodation provided. Support needed in lighthousehold duties and light child care. Contact 07766038750 or Email: [email protected]

needed for a new SL band withgreat musicians. Must have ProGear+transport.Lead & backing vocals is a great plus. Must playEnglish & Sinhalese songs up to very highstandards. No S950 Solos/Duos. [email protected]

- 44/5 Charles Place- 5mins walk to(Galle Road/Rawatawatte Yunction) 3 Bed Housewith all facilities in vacant position, on 14.1 perchesinclusive of 7 perches on side to sell or suitable tobuild another house. Perfect Title £49000 ornearest offer. Tel: 0208-863-2900

Apartment for Rent Threebedroomed apartment close to beach withbeautiful views, fully air-conditioned, hot water,fully furnished,24 hour security, standby generator,allocated parking, located close to shops,restaurants and and public transport. £ 500 pm or£ 450 for periods in excess of 6 months plus bills.Minimum period 3 months. 07737565670 /02087867726 / 07828272189 [email protected]

Tamil Christian British parents,seek a Muslim partner for their converted Muslimson, who is British, professional, 33 years and 5'9''tall. Please reply with details E-mail:[email protected]

need live in nanny or aupairto help with our 2 children 2 and 4. They attendschool and nursery. Help also needed withhousework/cooking. Accommodation, food and allbills included. Salary negotiable. Experience andreferences essential. ASAP start. Long termposition. Phone 07824830578.E-mail: [email protected]

teacher offers tuition inmaths, English up to 13 years. Common entranceexams in verbal, non verbal reasoning skillsinclusive. Ring 07758355357.

partner for my daughter.30 years old and studied at Museaus College,Colombo. Graduated from University of New Delhi.Completed her MBA in International Trade andLogistics at the Post Graduate Institute ofMarketing, Colombo. She is attractive, 5' 7" tall anda strong Buddhist. Email [email protected]

professional parents in U Kseek professional fair, pretty ,slim daughter fortheir 27, 5 11, fair, handsome son employed highposition in a Bank. Posses and inherit assets inLondon and Sri Lanka. Reply [email protected]

- Academically professionallyqualified partner sought by Colombo GB parentsfor fair, smart 1985 born daughter 5'3” working inLondon. BA (Hons), MSc qualified. Reply withfamily details and horoscope to email:[email protected]

parents in UK seek a well-mannereddaughter below 30yrs with non malific Horoscopefor 32yr, 5'8" B.Sc Bio from a prestigious Universityin UK presently pursuing P/T Masters & working inIT. HC important sons 2nd & 7th house empty.Reply with details & HC.E-mail: [email protected]

Parents in UK looking fora qualified professional resident in UK for their33years very fair & pretty daughter born & bred inUK, qualified in Law (LLB Honours, LPC ) living &working in London. Please send all details [email protected]

- parents resident in theColombo and brother living in UK seeks aprofessionally qualified, well mannered son fortheir 27 year old daughter, who is working as anassistant manager for a multinational shippingcompany in Colombo. Kindly reply with familydetails to [email protected]

K/G parents seek academically andprofessionally qualified pretty, slim, fair daughterpreferably from UK to introduce to our son for arelationship leading to marriage. He is BritishCitizen 5'11' (June 1991) fair, handsome, qualifiedEngineer working for a leading company in UK.Reply with family details:[email protected]

land for sale Athurugiriya. Sixtyperches land with a tree bedroom house. Close totown Athurugiriya. Ample fruit trees plus timbertrees. 30 min to Colombo. Access to motorways.Rs 2,75000./ P/P offers negotiable. Interestedbuyers to view the property contact Asitha 0094 112898177 or call 020 8361 8852

, Sinhala very down to earth(Professional British citizen) good looking gent 39YO, 5'8" tall with good qualities seek charmingbride to get married. Students ok, Religionimmaterial. If you are interested please e mail withcontact details, confidentiality [email protected]

3000 Square Block house in acentral location in Pamankada, Colombo 06. 6bedrooms, 3 toilets, 2 balconies, 2 living rooms,pantry, kitchen, maid room and toilet. Large gardenwith parapet wall. 3 phase electricity. Extent 20.26perches. TEL +13479351525 (U.S.A ).E Mail: [email protected]

, Hertfordshire to look aftera gentleman who had a stroke. Needs assistancewith all personal care. Salary negotiable. Moreinformation contact 07867419804 or 01438 725090 after 7pm.

help/cook - Sri Lankancooking, 15 hours over five days of the week, 3hours per day including Sundays Kensington area.Good hourly rate, work permit and NI Numberrequired. Tel: 07886694890 or 0207-795 1664.

Newslanka - P. O. Box 27429 - London SW9 7WHinfo newslanka.net@

CLASSIFIEDS ARE FREE

Payment & wording have to be in our office by Monday 12.00 pm for publication in that weeks paper.

There will be a postal charge for replies sent to you. T&C's apply. SEE - http://www.newslanka.net/classifieds_terms_and_conditions.html

DO YOU GET NEWSLANKA IN YOUR LOCAL AREA? IF NOT, PLEASE ASK YOUR LOCAL SRI LANKAN / INDIAN /PAKISTANI / WHATEVER NATIONALITY GROCER / NEWSAGENT / RESTAURANT IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TORECEIVE NEWSLANKA ON A FREE WEEKLY BASIS. IF THEY WOULD LIKE THE PAPER, EITHER THEY OR YOU COULDGET IN TOUCH WITH US WITH THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS. CALL US ON 020 7978 9030 [email protected]

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Please take the usual care when arrangingmeetings with prospective partners, etc...Please note that replies to classifieds areposted once a week. To reply to theclassified ads, just write down all the detailsyou wish to mention & post to the NewslankaP.O.Box address. Write the referencenumber of the ad on the outside of theenvelope. We will then forward it to theadvertiser. If you receive replies and are notinterested, then it would be nice to say no-thank-you to the people who write to you.Please try to return photo's when sent with astamped self addressed envelope.

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Poson 'Bhakthi Geetha'

Program

Sunday, 7th June 2015

Dear Devotees, A special 'Bhakthi

Geetha' program is schedule for the

poson poya day on

We would like

to kindly invite you to attend this event.

We will be very thankful to you, if you

at Sri Sambuddha Viharaya.

confirm your attendance over the

telephone(0151 352 9504) before this

Friday 6.00pm. Your participation

and co-operation on this regard is

very much appreciated.

Theruwan saranai..!

*13th Annual Blood Donation*at

The Avenue,Chiswick W4 1UD

Dear All,We are pleased to invite you to participate in the13th annual blood donation campaign.This will be held at the London Buddhist Vihara,Vihara Hall (located at The Avenue, Chiswick,London W4, closest tube: Turnham Green) onSUNDAY 31st of May from 9.30-12.30 and 14.00to 16.30.Since inception, over 1300 people have donatedblood, of which 500+ were new donors.Please participate this year and do somethingamazing, if you can. If you come during lunch timewhy not enjoy a home cooked curry!We would be grateful if you could pass this emailto somebody who would be interested in donatingblood on this day.We strongly recommend you book anappointment by calling 0300 123 23 23 to avoiddisappointment on the day.NEW DONORS ALWAYS WELCOMEWe strongly recommend attendance byappointmentSave a life - give blood

The London Buddhist Vihara

Sunday 31st May 20159.30-12.30 & 14.00 - 16.30

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(colombogazette.com) Sri Lanka has lostthe right to host the 2017 Asian YouthGames because of political interferencefrom the government, the OlympicCouncil of Asia (OCA) said.The multi-sport event set to be held in thesouthern town of Hambantota waswithdrawn “due to problems with theautonomy of the National OlympicCommittee from the government”, anOCA statement said.The statement gave nofurther details aboutwhat the governmentinterference might haveinvolved. Thetournament will insteadbe offered to Jakarta asa test event for the2018 Asian Games,with a final decision on

the new location due at the OCA generalassembly in September.Hambantota’s hosting was earlier indoubt after media reports last yearsuggested the OCA, run by Kuwaitipowerbroker Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, was unhappy with the progressbeing made.In the same statement, the sheikh, whoholds wide influence in world football as

well as the Olympic movement, thankedSapporo for “stepping in” to hold the 2017Asian Winter Games.Sheikh Ahmad added that it was not easyto find hosts for the continent’s WinterGames and he urged either Beijing orAlmaty, who are bidding for the 2022Winter Olympics, to hold Asia’s 2021edition as a test event. (Courtesy AFP)

Sri Lanka loses rights for 2017 Asian Youth Games

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Sprinter improves Dharsha’s 200 metres recordfor a second time

by Reemus Fernando(island.lk) Just two days after being included in theSri Lanka team for the Asian AthleticChampionship, St. Joseph’s Balika sprinterRumeshikaRatnayake provedbeyond doubt thatshe is a futureprospect as sheimproved onDamayanthiDharsha’s JuniorNational 200metres record forthe second time inthe meet on thethird day of theJunior NationalAthleticChampionship atthe MahindaRajapaksaInternationalStadium onMonday.The athletecoached by A.D.Nandawathie(Nanda) produceda blistering 24.12 seconds performance to win theUnder-20 girls’ 200 metres title.

That was the second time that Ratnayake betteredthe meet record after having first smashed it onSunday with a 24.27 second feat in the heats.Dharsha’s 24.4 seconds (hand timing) record hadstood unshaken for 22 years before the sprinterfrom Kegalle broke it on Sunday.

The school girl was a revelation at the recentlyheld senior athletic trials where she turnedtables on senior athletes to finish first in the100 metres dash. Despite clocking 11.81seconds in the final she was not selected inthe team for the Asian Athletic Championship.Officials of her school and enthusiasts had tocampaign heavily before she was included inthe team at theeleventh hour.The 18-year-old isset to break AsianGames medalistDamayanthiDharsha’s 100metres JuniorNational recordtoday. Dharsha’srecord stands at12.0 seconds.In thecorresponding boys200 metresGateway Collegesprinter smashed Shehan Ambepitiya’s meet

record when he clocked 21.88 seconds. St. Mary’sChilaw athlete M. Safran and Nalandian L.S.N.Perera who shared the second and third places

respectively in a photofinish too bettered theprevious record.With Wijesekara goinggreat guns,Ambepitiya’s 100metres record toowould be up for grabstoday.On a day dominated byfurious sprint finishesand record breakinghurdles feats AsianYouth Championshipmedalist YamaniDulanjali ofAmbagamuwa Centralcruised to a recordfinish in the Under-18girls’ 400 metreshurdles. She clocked62.12 seconds to erase

the previous recordheld by SumanaBalika athleteGimhaniJayathilaka.Former KuliyapitiyaCentral athleteDilhani Fernando,now competing forLumbini College,established a newmeet record in theUnder-20 girls 800metres. She clocked

2:12.33secondsto pipRatnayake Central athlete PramodaAbeysinghe to the second place.Ratnayake Central won many an agegroup 800 metres with HarshaSandaruwan winning the Under-16boys event in a new record time of2:00.59 seconds. He was closelyfollowed by teammate LakshithaWeerasinghe.In the corresponding girls’ event T.Densike of Kilinochchi District AthleticsAssociation turned tables on

formidable Ratnayake Central athletes to win theevent in a time of 2:23.94 seconds.In a closely contested Under-18 boys 400 metreshurdles final Maris Stella College’s UdithaChandrasena pipped St. Sylvester’s College

hurdler Rajapaksha tothe second place towin the event in anew record time. Heclocked 53.38seconds whileRajapaksha returneda time of 53.94seconds. The duowho have alreadyqualified for the IAAFWorld YouthChampionship furtherconfirmed theirqualificationyesterday.Today is the final dayof the 4-day JuniorNational AthleticChampionship.

Rumeshika set to break Dharsha’s 100 metres record

( ) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmeda short while ago today (26) that former SouthAfrica allrounder Jonty Rhodes will arrive in SriLanka to join the national cricket team’scoaching staff.“Jonty Rhodes the former South Africangreat will arrive today (26) in Sri Lankaon a short stint for 10 days as a fieldingcoach. Jonty is here ahead of the homeseries against Pakistan which startsnext month,” the SLC mediacommuniqué stated.“Jonty Rhodes will educate the coachesapart from the national cricketers and othernational, development and junior teams on the

latest techniques of fielding,” it added.Whilst being noted for his quick running as a right-handed batsman, Rhodes was especially noted for

his fielding, particularly catching, groundfielding, and throwing from his mostcommon position of backward pointduring his international career for SouthAfrica which spanned from 1992 to2003.Reports and statistics in late 2005showed that since the 1999 CricketWorld Cup, he had effected the ninthhighest number of run outs in ODI

cricket of any fieldsman, with the third highestsuccess rate.

During his career he also played club cricket for theUniversity of Natal in Pietermaritzburg and first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County CricketClub, KwaZulu-Natal and Natal.Rhodes retired from Test cricket in 2000, and fromone day cricket in 2003 after an injury during the2003 Cricket World Cup.Rhodes also represented South Africa at hockey,and was chosen as part of the 1992 OlympicGames squad to go to Barcelona; however, thesquad did not qualify to go to the tournament.

sundaytimes.lk

Jonty Rhodes to join Sri Lanka team on short stintShashikalafrom P25player in the national team lately.During her One Day International debut againstthe West Indies women in March 2003,Shashikala scored a valuable 29 and picked up2 wickets at the same time by only conceding 20runs in her 8 overs.After being the skipper of the team for 80 limitedover matches, Shashikala stepped down fromthe leadership role in April 2014. As a captain,she took Sri Lanka to a valuable series winagainst the West Indies Women in 2008 andacquired a tri-series win against Pakistan andBangladesh as well.







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