Arugam Bay Information

Arugam.info is about to be complimented by similar information sites soon.
In future, news and events concerning our surounding area will have their own home.
For this purpose PottuVille.info, Lahugala.info and so on are already under construction.
Hopefully this move will allow us here to concentrate just on local issues concerning the famous Bay@Arugam!
Wait for our next post & feature: “Uptown Top Banking”; on this site soon.
For all of our German friends Arugam.de has just been registered:
Ihr werdet sehr bald Eure eigenen Seite haben!

POTTUVIL: One of the three fishermen, missing two months ago in the Pottuvil sea, arrived from Myanmar recently.

The three fishermen Abubucker Abdul Raheem, Thangarasa and Samurdeen went fishing from Sainthamaruthu Maligai Kaadu on July 2 in a fishing boat. Air Force planes were engaged in search operation in the sea from Pottuvil to Valaichenai on the request of Housing and Construction Minister Ferial Ashraff after they were reported missing.

Abdul Raheem, the only survivor and his family, the Sainthamaruthu Fishermen’s Union members paid their gratitude to Minister and other officers for bringing the him to the country.

National Housing Development Authority Chairman Mohammed Rafeek, Coordinator M.H. Mansoor, Sainthamaruthu Fishermen’s Union members, S.T. Kabeer, Noordeen and Ahamad Marikkar took efforts to bring the survivor to Sri Lanka from Burma.

see the original article:

http://feeds.myanmarnews.net/?rid=5434985&cat=c3891022f175b678&f=1

by Dayan Jayatilleka
Mao Ze Dong, arguably the greatest military theorist of the 20th century and one of its finest philosophers, enjoined his followers to “turn bad into good!” The timing of the Supreme Court judgement was, as Dr Sarath Amunugama among others is reported to have said in Cabinet, not a good thing. But now that it has been rendered, and is in some senses irreversible – it is never a healthy thing for the executive or legislature to display scant regard for a Supreme Court decision – one has to make the best of it, and if possible turn it to good use. Just such a possibility has opened up with the reported comment of Karuna’s TMVP welcoming the decision of the Supreme Court.

“De-merger gives East a chance to decide its future says Karuna

The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP), the political arm of the Karuna faction, says the de-merging of the North East gives the chance for the people of the East to decide their own future and not be “political orphans” anymore.

In a statement emailed to the Daily Mirror the TMVP said the rights and aspirations of the Eastern people were rejected under the guise of war and now that they have been given the chance to decide the fate of their own future, the de-merger should be welcomed.

‘Because of the war a certain section was at an advantage in the areas of political, security, education, employment and residence, creating unfairness to the eastern people. But now a full stop has been placed to that and the eastern people can elect their own representatives to address their problems. This is a victory they have got,’ the TMVP statement said.

Now that the Supreme Court has decided to de-merge the North East, the TMVP says the country should respect the wishes of the Eastern people by accepting the decision which will in turn help the future of the country.” ( Daily Mirror Oct 23, 2006)

While it is important not to let down the non-LTTE Tamil moderates, it is also important to note that they are not all of one mind, and that of them, those who militarily challenge the LTTE, those who are the objective allies or quasi allies of the Sri Lankan armed forces, those who have the military potential to defeat the Tigers, are the most important. Choices must sometimes be made, and if so, the priority must be accorded the Karuna faction.

It seems that the Karuna group sees an opportunity to liberate the Tamil people of the East from the North, in the Supreme Court decision. If a separate provincial council is set up for the east and an election is held, the TMVP stands an excellent chance of being elected and thereby wielding real power, authority and influence. Endowed with some degree of electoral legitimacy, it can act as a strong partner and ally of the Sri Lankan state, can be put forward as a stakeholder in the conflict, a new partner in the peace process and introduced to the outside world.

A Karuna dominated Eastern provincial council would permit the present bipolar balance to be transformed into a multipolar one with a new power centre arising in the east, countervailing the Tiger dominated north and what one of my ex-militant Tamil comrades who was recently in Havana and New York calls “the arrogance of the Jaffna Tamils who think they are the Israelis of South Asia and the Tigers are the armed expression of this arrogance”. An eastern council would permit the long standing zero-sum game to be transformed into a non-zero sum one.

Elections to an Eastern council would have one positive consequence: either the LTTE would have to commit its fighters to disrupting the election, thereby exposing them to Sri Lankan army, STF and K faction firepower, or it would have to conserve its cadres, thereby allowing the eastern council to be elected and established.

A Karuna–dominated Eastern council would achieve two positive results:

1. It would enable Karuna to strengthen himself and expand his base, which in turn would mean that we could hand over many security functions to the Eastern council (the law and order function is devolved and there is provision to raise a police force, hence the earlier North east Provincial Council’s CVF militia) draw down our forces from the East and commit them to defeating the Tigers in the North.

2. With the patronage he is able to extend through the Council, Karuna would be able to raise an army in the East which can work in parallel with the Sri Lankan armed forces in any offensive in the North and the Wanni.

A Karuna dominated council can decide at a subsequent stage, i.e. after the defeat of the LTTE, whether it wishes to opt for institutional linkage with the Northern council in the form of an apex body (Sirisena Cooray’s favourite formula).

Sinhala chauvinists may resent giving Karuna control of the Eastern council, but it is only such an arrangement that can contain Tamil chauvinism in the North – or Northern Tamil expansionism – by changing the terms of the present conflict from ‘Sinhala vs. Tamil’ to ‘Eastern Tamil autonomy and integration vs. Northern Tamil separatism/expansionism’. There are two variants of Tamil separatism: that of Prabhakaran and Perumal (Velupillai and Vardharaja)! Karuna knows that either one of those trajectories will be under the hegemony, or will result in the hegemony, of the wealthier, internationally and regionally (Chennai, New Delhi) connected Jaffna Tamils. Therefore he will resist the secessionist temptation. On balance, this makes Karuna a safe strategic Tamil ally for the Sri Lankan state.

Sources of De-merger

The de-merger of the North and East was only partially a consequence of JVP’s recent legal intervention.

Had the Tamil parties accepted the December 19th 1986 proposal of P Chidambaram, the Tamil people would have obtained a sightly smaller but merged North-east, minus the Ampara district. However, given the usual combination of arrogance and myopia, the Tamil side rejected it, only to wind up today, with almost nothing.

The de-merger is sourced in a lack of legitimacy. That illegitimacy derived from a radioactive combination: the ‘shotgun wedding’ character of that merger by an administration (that of JR Jayewardene) that had lost legitimacy through the holding of a fraudulent referendum instead of a parliamentary election, coerced by the military intervention (the airdrop) by a powerful neighbour which was an ancient foe and had just prior to the merger, prevented the Sri Lankan armed forces from defeating the Tigers after Vadamaarachchi!

JR Jayewardene, co-author of the Accord, promised to campaign for a ‘no’ vote at the referendum while Vijaya Kumaratunga, the most outspoken supporter of the Accord and devolution, maintained a longstanding opposition to the merger (evidenced by the printed proceedings of the Political Parties Conference of mid-1986). So too did his party the SLMP, even after his death.

The de-merger is also ‘materially’ sourced, in the fact of the uneven development of the North east, and the resultant domination of the East by the North, especially Jaffna. This is no Sinhala propaganda creation: my attention was first drawn to the sociological potential for a North/East schism by a path breaking and prophetic research essay by Brian Pfaffenberger in the radical leftwing Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars, almost two decades ago!

When Dutugemunu defeated Elara, he didn’t run the place with a Sinhala Buddhist jackboot. He appointed a Tamil Yuvaraja to run it, with a large degree of autonomy according to its own customs. In any case ancient Lanka had a high degree of regional autonomy in that it was demarcated into three zones: Ruhunu, Maya and Pihiti ratas.

Today, in the 21st century, it is necessary to invert the sequence in order to obtain the same result. A Tamil yuvaraja cannot be appointed after the defeat of Prabhakaran. He has to be appointed before that defeat, so as to render that defeat possible.

Prabhakaran’s Project

While Prabhakaran’s defeat is not inevitable, the defeat of his project is. Meaning, he may continue to damage us and destroy our future prospects, but he cannot establish Tamil Eelam, nor can it be established by anybody else. He cannot triumph and we cannot be defeated, existentially. This is not because we are a thrice blessed isle, but because of the nature of his cause, the character of today’s world and the dynamics of contemporary history. A cutting edge study has resulted in a new book entitled ‘No More States: Globalization, National Self Determination and Terrorism’. It is edited by distinguished scholars Richard Rosecrance and Arthur A. Stein. Rosecrance is a research professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, and senior fellow in the Belfer Centre for science and International Affairs at the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Arthur Stein is professor of political science at the University of California, LA, and a former member of the Policy Planning Council of the US State Department. Francis Fukuyama says that their volume “deals with one of the most important issues in global politics”, namely “the question of state fragmentation and state formation”.

Bringing together 15 distinguished contributors, the volume studies the factors that lead to the rise of new nation states, and examine the Middle East, Asia North America, Europe and Russia, “where pressures for new states are intense”. Drawing attention to globalisation/integration/dependency, the nuclear issue, and “the disadvantages of terrorism as a tactic”, the authors opine that the phase of proliferation of nation states is over. “The book concludes that discontented national movements will have to find ways to exist within current geopolitical boundaries.” (Foreign Affairs, Sept-Oct 2006).

This means that Tamil Eelam is a futile fantasy and Sri Lanka, though in dire need of internal reform and domestic change, is here to stay as a state in its present boundaries.

Will CASP actually Grasp what is really needed in our area?
The town of nearby PottuVille welcomed the Vice President of Canadian Agro-Sustainability Partnership (CASP), Mr. Victor and his wife Ms. Petrescu this morning.

As usual, the newly arrived visitors are overwhelmed with proposals and project ideas.
Arugam.info however has observed and is frustrated that during the past 2 years the Bay itself has benefited nothing “Sustainable” from any of the hundreds of organizations passing through our area.
Photos of the auspicious PottuVille welcome ceremony are attached herewith.
Arugam.info has again crossed all fingers and one hopes to be able to report some realistic help and support for the Bay one fine day.

As stated, CASP is looking for Community based projects.
Therefore presentations, suggestions and support for our recommended causes might be welcome directly to:
www.casping.com
victor@casping.com
Hopefully we can avoid further boat donations, having such IT advanage.
Applied “Vorsprung durch Fortschritt?”

Rates as of 2006.10.25 20:09:28 UTC (GMT). Base currency is LKR.

Currency Unit LKR per Unit Units per LKR
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Oct 25, Colombo: A hartal was observed today in the Trincomalee, Mannar, Batticaloa, Ampara and Vavuniya districts in the north and east of Sri Lanka to protest the de-merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

The hartal was called by the Tamil National Alliance. Many shops in these districts were closed today. Public transport functioned, though the number of working buses was low. Wide support for the hartal was seen in Tamil dominated areas.

Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces were merged under the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord in 1987 and de-merged after 19 years by a Supreme Court ruling on 16 October

see the original article:

http://www.colombopage.com/archive/October25140843SL.html

East Coast Drivers and local Boat Captains have complained to Arugam.info.
As from now a special permit needs to be applied for any journey out of the Eastern Side of the island.
Arugam.info has just obtained the first “Travel West” permit, issued this afternoon at PottuVille Police station. A specimen copy of the new document is posted here for you to evaluate. See sample pass below

http://picasaweb.google.com/arugamsurf/Pass
We are informed that only vehicles with such a permission are allowed to travel West, as from today.
No doubt: The cumbersome application process alone should be sufficient to discurage lawbreakers and terrorists to carry out their deplorable plans in the West in future.

Young Australian artist, Fleur Childs, was “staying at Arugam Bay, a remote beach community on the east coast of Sri Lanka, when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck. With the works that make up Boxing Day, Childs relives and reimagines her experience of riding the wave that killed over 200,000 people.” Childs is a graduate of the College of Fine Arts. Her exhibition, “Boxing Day,” is on at Sydney’s Blank Space Gallery between 26 October-1 November 2006.

see the original article:

http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2006/10/fleur_childs.php

Q? Q? Q? : Is it safe? Should I travel?
As from today, you will find here, on Arugam.info No.1 position all related issues, discussions and local observations concerning travel security.
Arugam.info has only just realised that Safety Concerns are foremost in your mind!
We thank you for your feed back, suggestions and emails, pointing this out to us.
Rather than giving you our subjective opinion, we are herewith inviting all ‘Insiders’ and recent travelers to post THEIR observations, views, experiences and advice for all to see and share.
Simply click the Comment box below and have your say!

Aljazeera 21-10-2006

Sri Lanka’s war has begun to take on a gruesome dimension with news of innocent civilians being slaughtered becoming commonplace, something that is creating an atmosphere of distrust and making ordinary Sri Lankans nervous.

Mafaz, a Sri Lankan aid organiser who would not give his surname, told Aljazeera.net: “We hear of people being killed all the time, and we don’t know what to think. Of course we want peace, but to be honest we don’t know where it will go from here”.

Accusations abound on each side of the conflict, but who is responsible for the slaughter of ordinary people remains a grey area. The list of innocent civilians who have been killed in the conflict runs into hundreds, but numbers are hard to confirm.

The execution of 17 Sri Lankan aid workers, who were killed with one shot to the head while at work on August 4, exemplifies the confusion of Sri Lanka’s 23-year war. The government has repeatedly blamed the Tamil Tiger separatists (LTTE) for the killing, while Nordic peacekeepers blame government forces.

A second autopsy is now being undertaken to unravel the execution of the 17 Tamil aid workers, who were employed by the French aid organisation Action Contre La Faim (ACF), but whether it will offer any conclusive proof remains to be seen.

Nine out of 15 bodies were exhumed in Trincomalee on October 18 and two bodies were exhumed earlier in the month. The autopsy is to be carried out by a Sri Lankan legal medical team with Australian experts present to observe. The arrival date of the Australians is still not known.

The case

ACF had repeatedly called for an international inquiry to determine the deaths of the 17 Tamil workers, when the first autopsy proved to be inconclusive. But it took two months to get permission from the Sri Lankan government.

Lucile Grosjean, a spokesperson for ACF, told Aljzeera.net: “We have been demanding an independent inquiry ever since”.

Finally on October 4, the court granted permission for the second autopsy but the conditions were that a Sri Lankan medical team would carry it out, and that Australian experts could be brought in to observe.

Grosjean said: “We have however been given the option of having Australian experts present at a second autopsy not unlike the first, they will be there in a supervisory role”.

Serious decomposition

During the first examination the bullets were not found, and according to Sacha Kolar, a specialist registrar in forensic pathology based at the Medico-Legal Centre in Sheffield, UK, with Sri Lanka being a hot climate the bodies will have suffered from some serious decomposition.

This could reduce the clarity on drawing conclusions from forensics on how the killing was carried out, if no traces of ammunition can be found.

Kolar, told Aljazeera.net: “One of the most important factors to consider when looking at cases like this is the experience of the coroner carrying out the post-mortem.

“Also with Sri Lanka being a hot climate the bodies will have serious decomposition, which also brings to mind the question of identity. How confident are you of the identity of the bodies being exhumed”.

Who is to blame?

The government has publicly been blamed by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) for the killings. The peacekeeping mission issued a report on August 30, that concluded there were no other forces in Muttur, at that time, and blamed the army for trying to cover up the killing by restricting movement of the SLMM in the region.

Based on eye-witness accounts the SLMM report said: “The security forces of Sri Lanka are widely and consistently deemed to be responsible for the incident”.

Finding concrete evidence in times of war is fraught with problems. But Sri Lankans are fed up with their government and do not understand how the country has come to this point after many years of relative calm.

A Sri Lankan taxi driver who lives in Qatar told Aljazeera.net on the condition of anonymity: “I don�t understand what this government is doing. This government is very bad. The former prime minister was much better at handling this issue”.

Logistics of war

Only last month, 11 Muslim labourers were found hacked to pieces 9km south of Pottuvil in Ampara district. They were on their way to fix a sluice gate but never returned home.

Ampara is a government-controlled area and a Sri Lankan military [Special Task Force (STF)] camp is near the location of where the brutal killing took place.

Residents of the town reportedly said that they believed it was the STF who were acting in the area in co-operation with the Karuna faction � a spin off of the Tamil Tiger rebels, who have openly been supported by the STF.

Mafaz said: “It’s no secret that there have been tensions between the local Muslims and the STF”.

The government blamed the LTTE for the killing.

The Karuna faction has been operating freely in government controlled areas since the conflict erupted four months ago.

Thorfinnur Omarsson, a spokesperson for the SLMM told Aljazeera.net: “In the Batticoloa area, which is partly-government controlled, the Karuna faction have been operating quite freely”.

Peace talks

Peace talks are now on the table with a date set for October 28 and 29, when the government and the LTTE will travel to Geneva to hopefully put an end to the conflict.

Analysts say, with the recent upsurge in violence it is difficult to see how anything positive will come out of it. On October 16, at least 103 people – many of them navy sailors – were killed in a bus bomb, which left hundreds injured.

It is likely that the SLMM will play a role in the peace talks, but with the escalating violence, what type of role has yet to be defined.

Omarsson told Aljazeera.net: “One might think there is no use for peace talks under the present situation, but quite the opposite is true. There is a need for peace talks to begin, there is no other alternative than to go ahead with the talks”.

What ever the outcome of the talks and/or the autopsy, it is clear that Sri Lankans have been hurt by the conflict and it has set up a deep distrust for this government. The families of the dead will deserve to be compensated for the loss of their loved ones, how the government will deal with it is yet to be seen.

Sri Lanka’s aid workers continue to work in an environment that is becoming more and more dangerous day by day. The tragedy of Sri Lanka is that not only is the safety of aid workers important to help the thousands of people displaced by the conflict, but also to continue the ongoing reconstruction work in the tsunami affected areas.

Message

While the execution of 17 innocent aid workers remains unsolved it has sent a message to others.

Omarsson said: “It seems the one who carried out this attack did it to send a warning to others. International NGOs across the country have been threatened by anonymous groups. Especially local NGO workers who are working for international bodies”.

Mafaz told Aljazeera.net: “I don’t feel so safe anymore. I am planning to leave Sri Lanka at the end of this month. What can I do?”

see the original article:

http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20061021001657.php

Thursday, October 19, 2006, 13:49 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
The mine was discovered within 15 km of Colombo.

Oct 19, Colombo: The discovery of an 8 kg claymore mine this morning in Mahara forced the closure of the heavily traveled Colombo-Kandy road. The road was reopened after the Sri Lanka Army’s bomb disposal unit successfully defused the bomb.

Around 9 AM, a three-wheeler driver reported a suspicious parcel left at the Pushparama junction to police personnel at the Kadawatha police station.

Civilians were evacuated from the area and the Colombo-Kandy main road was closed until the Army bomb disposal unit could arrive. The mine was defused by 10 AM and the road was reopened for normal traffic. The Kadawatha Police are continuing investigations in the area.

The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence meanwhile accused the LTTE of “another cowardly attempt” to commit “mass murder of civilians” on a weekday morning in this populated area. Kadawatha is only 15 km east of the capital city of Colombo.

The incident follows on the heels of two deadly suicide attacks this week – first on a naval convoy on Monday and then on the Dakshina Naval Base in Galle yesterday – which have left over 100 people dead.

This week has also brought high-level officials from Japan, Norway, and the United States, all of whom have arrived to push for peace negotiations in the wake of increasing violence throughout the country.

see the original article:

http://www.colombopage.com/archive/October19134947CH.html

We are informed that from 1st November, 2006 a Sri Lankan tourist Visa will only be issued for a period of 30 days.
No change of Visa class will be tolerated.
Residents Visas are near impossible to obtain!

Arugam.info has been approached by a few desperate long term expats, some of which have been in Sri Lanka for 10 years and more.
In two cases they are retired people who actually own property and in one case even a small hotel: They have been told to leave the island.
A recent relevant press release is reproduced herewith.

Arugam Bay has always benefited from long term visitors and we are naturally very concerned. Therefore we are actively investigating this matter and we are of course looking for legal loop holes, at the highest level.
As things stand, the normal 30 day visa will continue to be issued on arrival.
This is in line with Government plans to attract only “Quality” Tourists a la Maldives.
But any extension may no longer be granted any Tourist. If this is indeed implemented, it would represent a sharp departure from earlier practice when it was easy to extend a stay to 3 and 6 months at a time.

In a kind of Thai model, one solution would be to leave the island every 30 days to, say India, and return to collect a further 30 days on arrival.

We are informed that the Government has decided to clamp down on low budget and bogus tourists, prevent foreign home ownership and stop frequent abuses of the system by many unqualified NGO’s, foreign Karaoke and Casino bar girls and prostitutes, and many others working on the island without permits.
During the past few days we know that 3 months visas have been issued without much problems; at the published rates.
But, again, officials claim that as from the end of October new rules will be enforced.
19th October, 2006: News just in!
A new Immigration and Emmigration office has been opened in the North Central Province, Anuratnapura today. It is the first provincial office of its kind.
Arugam.info has long negotiated with relevant authorities to establish a branch office at Arugam Bay; we hope it will also happen one day.
Arugam.info is planning to visit this new location soon and investigate if S.L. Visas can be obtained there instead of the Head Office in Borella.
For many years, clever insiders wishing to travel to INDIA followed our advice and obtained their Indian Visa at the Assistant High Commission in KANDY instead of troublesome, long and cumbersome applications lodged at the main, Galle Face location of the India High Commission.
Often, the desired Indian Visa was issued in Kandy at once, or within the same day and in a much better, more polite fashion.

Arugam.info hopes that Sri Lankan Visas can be obtained with similar ease at Anuratnapura.
We will let you know.

London, 20 October, (Asiantribune.com) : British Foreign and Commonwealth office has warned its citizens in Sri Lanka to leave immediately from the North and Eastern provinces. “If you are in the north or east, you should leave at the first available opportunity.”

The warning adds, “There is a high threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka and therefore an increasing risk of British nationals and other foreigners becoming caught up in attacks. These attacks are not confined to north and east; recent attacks have also taken place in central and southern Sri Lanka.”

In a travel Advisory to its citizens in Sri Lanka, Foreign and Commonwealth office has adviced its citizens against all travel to north and east.

“We advise against all travel to the north or east of Sri Lanka. If you are in the north or east, you should leave at the first available opportunity.”

The travel advisory clarifies, “For the purpose of this travel advice, we consider the north to be all areas north of the A12 road (which runs from Puttalam in the west to Trincomalee in the east) including the Jaffna peninsula: and we consider the east to be the districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa, as well as coastal areas of Ampara district north of Panama and east of the A25 and A27 roads, including Ampara town and Arugam Bay.”

The Travel Advisory has also pointed out; “There are reports of heavy fighting throughout the north and east. This has included the use of ground forces, artillery fire, mines, air and naval attacks. Further fighting could occur with little or no warning.”

““You should follow local developments closely.”

They are told to be aware of their surroundings and alert to changing situations.

The travel advisory cautioned, “You are strongly advised to comply with government and security force instructions. Avoid large gatherings particularly political meetings or demonstrations.”

British nationals in Sri Lanka are advised to avoid military installations which have been the most frequent target of attacks.

Annually 90,000 British nationals visit Sri Lanka. British Foreign and Commonwealth office cautionary note said that British High Commission in Colombo could be approached for Consular assistance for replacing lost or stolen passports and ill health.

- Asian Tribune -

see the original article:

http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/2666

A CHARITY Saunton paddle has raised more than £2,700 to help tsunami victims on the east coast of Sri Lanka.

Seventy-two people took part in the second annual Paddle4Relief organised in August by Braunton surfer Tim Tanton to raise money to build a preschool in Komari.

Despite a fresh northerly wind that made conditions rough, long boards -supported by goat boats, short boards, paddleboards and rescue skis – paddled out to the point to create a memorial circle

“It was a real community event, with experienced surfers and surf lifesavers supporting the less experienced participants through encouragement and physically towing individuals,” said Tim.

“I’d like to give a heart-felt thanks to all those that took part, helped out, and to the businesses that donated such a fantastic array of raffle prizes. I’d also like to say a big thank you to members of the Saunton Surf Life Saving Club for their fantastic support.”

Tim said that work on the project at Komari – 20 kilometres north of Arugam bay where last year funds were used to build and equip a classroom -would start as soon as was safe to travel in the region.

“Civil war is escalating there and friends living in Arugam Bay have suggested it is unsafe at present,” said Tim.

“Numerous locals have lost their lives in recent weeks and others have had their businesses attacked but we still hope that the money will go a long way towards providing the young children of Komari with a preschool.”

If anyone would like to donate money towards the project, they can contact Tim on 07917032523.

see the original article:

http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/northdevongazette/news/story.aspx?brand=NDGOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsndga&itemid=DEED18%20Oct%202006%2013%3A08%3A21%3A100

Do we have to humbly apologize? For our earlier remarks.

The often reported lack of cooperation between rival organizations has been disproven..
On a trip to OKANDA, at the entrance of the Yala East National Park, our reporter could not help to be rather impressed.

Of course, normally only one of the (up to 4) opposing adverts will be seen when hard working NGO’s pose in front of one of the ancient wells at Okanda (and elsewhere) to impress their gullible donors.
Remarkable! What a brilliant piece or coordination! No fighting for dominance here. Normally just one single side of the -still very dirty!! – wells was filmed of course.
Used entirely free of charge as a studio style backdrop for each Organization’s Self Promotion!
Well, well, well! Well done, mates.

Our nasty reporter didn’t apprechiate the wider backdropping either and went even further afield than remote Uganda.
He wanted us to publish shots of choked animals and other horrors – we declined because this is supposed to be a tourist promotion site.
But: Although poor, We do have a consience and concern for our environment!
How about YOU?

Our Wild Life as well as Arugam.info regret that the budget of said Organizations did not stretch as far as the employment of a few local labourers.
Two full months after the Kataragama walk PVC and rubbish still litters one of the nicest part of our island.

10 local guys could have cleaned this beauty spot in one or two days, at ease.
People here do need education; this is where Western “experts” could have made a real difference.
Total cost: 10 x 5$/day = approx. 100$
The painting of self-adverts was obviously much more cost effective.

www.Arugam.info
would certainly be ashamed if our logo would be associated with such mismanagement, anywhere.