Isn't migration a right?

Sri Lanka police say that Navy arrested 53 more persons off Nilaveli sea in the eastern coast as they were attempting to migrate illegally to Australia.

The arrested persons have been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations, police say.

Of the 53 persons, 41 are Tamils, five are Muslims and seven are Sinhalese, police say. Two are women.

They have been identified as the residents of Trincomalee, Negambo, Kilinochchi and Jaffna.

Within the month of July, Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 454 persons with nine boats so far for attempting to migrate illegally to Australia.

The majority of the aspirant migrants are Tamils disgruntled in the context of Sri Lanka government's stubborn rejection of addressing their social and political problems.

The government says that the migration drive of Tamils is well thought political strategy of the Ealamist Diaspora.  Let it be so! Then what are the counter initiatives of the Sri Lanka government?

The numbers of Sinhalese and Muslims that want to migrate are also swelling. If the numbers of Tamils are an indicators of repression of minority communities, the numbers of Sinhalese are indications of economic burden.

People as well as animals move away from danger for safety. Isn't it a right?

Share this article

read more...

23rd hour turn of events at the Eastern Provincial Council election of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's major Muslim Party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has decided to contest the Eastern Provincial Council election alone under the symbol tree.

The reasons for the sudden change of SLMC stance is yet to reveal.

SLMC held discussions with all major political parties and by yesterday it was in a decision to contest under government coalition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

However, the SLMC has come to the decision to contest alone at the party Supreme Council meeting held this morning.

A party spokesman said that the decision was to allow more candidates of the party to contest the election.

In another turn of events, government coalition Colombo Municipal Council opposition member Asath Sally who resigned from the seat yesterday to contest the Eastern Provincial Council as an independent candidate has also decided to climb the 'tree'.

Share this article

read more...

Strike of the Sri Lankan university teachers sees new turns

Sri Lanka Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA) has decided to boycott duties pertaining to the evaluation of G.C.E. Advanced Level examination.

The boycott is to be enacted in relation to the 2012 Advanced Level examination sheduled to be held in August.

The FUTA has taken this decision at the executive committee meeting held yesterday, says Terence Madujith, the secretary of the FUTA.

Madujith said that the actions would be taken to inform the decision to boycott the Advanced Level examination evaluation formally to the education authorities.

Meanwhile, Inter University Students' Center Convener Asanka Bulegoda says that they will sue against the university teachers' strike.

Bulegoda points out that the students lost two months and 17 days of academic time due to the previous strike of the university teachers and another 17 days due to the strike of the university non-academic staff.

He argued that the university teachers who should be exemplary people taking students as scapegoats is a wrong move.

The student leader also argued that only a handful of university teachers have done new studies and most of them still teach based on old syllabuses although they were granted a 66.5 percent salary increase this year alone.

Share this article

read more...

Why do public servants of Sri Lanka take to illegal migration?

Police Media Spokesman Ajith Rohana said that 22 persons who were staying in various places hoping to migrate illegally to Australia were arrested yesterday morning from Chilaw.

Investigations have been started regarding the aspirant illegal migrants and more arrests are expected to take place.

Ajith Rohana said that among the 109 persons who were recently arrested while attempting to migrate illegally en route sea to Australia there were 16 public servants also. No wonder the public employees of this country risking their jobs for a better future.

Most public servants who have middle class dreams especially for their children do not sea a good future here. They cannot save the millions of rupees they want to send the children abroad for education and residence after that.

Recent crime wave in the country of which the culprits are mostly linked to the politicians has also pushed the people to desperation.

We should not forget that the public servants were the major force behind bringing this regime to power. They were the most disillusioned lot who were not even granted the Rs. 2500 salary increase promised.

One of the public servants that wanted to migrate has been identified as a police constable.

Sri Lanka Navy that is vigilant on the illegal migrants arrested this group of people 25 nautical kilometers away from Kalkuda of Easter coast from where the multi-day fishing vessel they were on board believed launched.

Share this article

read more...

Sri Lanka Tamil and Muslim parties like to forma an alliance for the Eastern Provincial Council election

Sources close to Sri Lanka's major Tamil and Muslim parties point out that a Tamil Muslim coalition is likely to form at the Eastern Provincial Council election.

Sources say that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) are likely to form a political alliance for the Eastern Provincial Council.

However, the SLMC Supreme Council is to take the final decision on behalf of the party this evening.

However, the details of the deal between the two parties are yet to be disclosed.

SLMC bargained for the Chief Minister post to ally with a major party to form an alliance for the Eastern Provincial Council election to be held soon.

Share this article

read more...

Public Health Inspectors (PHIs)of Sri Lanka strike to protest the killing of a colleague

Public Health Inspectors (PHIs)of Sri Lanka have launched a token strike today in protest of the death of a colleague PHI who was clubbed to death by a person suspected to be a mental patient.

Secretary of the Public Health Inspectors' Association of Sri Lanka , Senarath Bandara said that they have withdrawn from all duties pertaining to the Dengue Prevention Month today as a mark of respect to the Public Health Inspector who was murdered in Thambalagama, Kantale on Monday.

The homicide occurred as the PHI was engaged in a Dengue prevention programme yesterday. The Public Health Inspectors Association of Sri Lanka demands the government to ensure the safety of Public Health Inspectors.

Share this article

read more...

Is Ranmihithenna tele cinema village another waste of public money?

Sri Lanka Ministry of Media and Information says it has decided to establish an international level tele cinema studio at Ranmihithenna tele cinema village in the Hambanthota district.

However, it is not clear if it is a new move or a part of the original programme.

Ranmihithenna has become yet another waste of public funds and there is reasonable doubt if more investments will effect.

The development will commence this month at the cost of Rs. 400 million, the Ministry says. It is to be offered for filming local and foreign film and tele drama.

Revenue of taxes levied from international film and tele dramas will be utilized for these developments, the Ministry of Media and Information says.

Share this article

read more...

Cash strapped Sri Lanka government to earn money from three wheelers

Sri Lanka government has reportedly decided to establish a bureau or a section to regulate the three wheeler taxi service.

I wonder why the government has not done this so far. There may be half a million three wheeler taxis in the country and the proposed bureau will bring money to the cash strapped government. You can issue route permits to run three wheelers and the unemployed youth that now start small business with three wheeler will have to campaign for local politicians's elections to win a route permit.

Three wheelers are one of the major transport modes of the island and each town has a number of three wheeler stands. The vehicle is spread even to the remotest of villages as a mode of transport. Three wheeler thrives as the Sri Lanka Transport Board buses are put on logs, kota uda.

However, the three wheelers are often blamed for notoriety in driving, overloading, frauds, engaging in crime and whatever else.

Meanwhile, Bajaj India has decided to reduce the prices of the Bajaj three wheelers and two wheelers exported to Sri Lanka by 5% to 14%.

The company has taken this decision due to decline of export of three wheelers and two wheelers to Sri Lanka after the recent vehicle tax hikes by Sri Lanka government. The prices of three wheelers went up by 32% while the price of a two wheeler increased by 29% with the tax increase.

Bajaj India sells 7% of its production to Sri Lanka and they amount 17% of the company's exports.

Share this article

read more...

Schools going, police stations coming in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Minister of Higher Education S.B. Disanayaka recently argued that the closure of schools is a sign of development. Then what about opening police stations or prisons?

Sri Lanka Police Department sources say that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the Inspector General of Police N.K. Illangakoon to submit a report regarding the need of establishing new police stations and police posts in the country.

Accordingly, the Police Department has planned to conduct a survey on the matter. Facts such as population density, mobility and crime ration etc. will be considered in recommending establishment of police stations and police posts, police sources say.

The report of the police Department is to be studied by the Ministry of Defense before its implementation.

The President's office says that he  has directed officials to look into the need of establishment of the new police stations and police posts due to the demands from various sections.

Are there no demands to establish new schools?

Share this article

read more...

Ceylon Teachers' Union protests delay in issue of Z-score result

Ceylon Teachers' Union Chairman Joseph Stalin Fernando says that the delay in issuing of the Z-score pertaining to the university entrance has caused further unrest among the student community.

He said that the steps have not been still taken to issue Z-score even a week after the Supreme Court ruling to annul the previous Z-score and compile a new Z-score for the university entrance of the next year.

UGC says that it will go to Supreme Court to get a clarification regarding the court verdict. UGC argues that the issue of Z-score results is not their task but a duty of the Examination Department.
Share this article

read more...

Padeniya re-elected as the President of Sri Lanka doctors' union

Specialist Children's Nuro-surgeon Anuruddha Padeniya has been reappointed as the President of Sri Lanka Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA).

The election of office bearers of the GMOA was held on June 30th in Colombo in a highly competitive environment.

However, the incumbent President Padeniya achieved nearly 79% of the votes to elect to the post gain.

Specialist doctor Chandika Epitakaduwa re-elected as the Secretary of the GMOA.

GMOA is one of the most powerful trade unions of Sri Lanka with a membership of around
Share this article

read more...

Buddhist extremists exchange fisticuffs in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka' orthodox Buddhist extremists attacked a Fundamentalist Buddhist monk who who claims himself a superior at Baddegama town in the Galle district of Southern Province.

The monk was attacked as he was arriving for a sermon. His unarmed guards that attempted to make way to proceed with the planned sermon were brutally assaulted by orthodox Buddhists.

A group of Buddhist extremists led by a few monks launched.

The victim of the attack was a Buddhist monk called Ven. Pitiduwe Siridhamma Thero a.k.a. Siri Samnthabadra who claimed earlier a micro biology graduate.

Orthodox Buddhists claim that the preaching of Pitiduwe Siridhamma Thero were against Lord Buddha's teachings.

Orthodox Buddhists attacked a center of another person called Siriwardhana a few days ago since he leads a fundamentalist faction of Buddhism.

Share this article

read more...