Sri Lanka's hidden Pearl
30 December 2008
Long-term work helps build economies, improve lives
Washington a?? Four years ago, the Indian Ocean tsunami swept over coastal lands in Asia and Africa, killing more than 200,000 people, destroying cities and crippling the ability of the remaining millions to survive.
More hotels to be built in NE:
Daily News
Sri Lanka Tourism (SLT) hopes to elevate its position by 2016 as the highest foreign exchanger earner to the country from the current fourth place.
Chairman, SLT, Bernard Goonethilake said that they hope to attract 1.5 million tourist arrivals by 2016 to achieve this target. Outlining the tourism promotion plan for the next four years, yesterday, he said that they also hope to attract high spending tourists. a??We want to increase the spending power of tourists from the current average of US $ 80 per day to US $ 130,a?? he said.
Sri Lanka Tourism hopes to add 7,000 additional rooms to bring the total strength to over 14,000 rooms to meet the projected demand. He said that with the dawn of peace in the eastern province more hotel rooms will be built in these areas.
The Board of Investment has already signed up with several local and foreign investors. a??Within the next two years there would be 700 rooms in Pasikudah, Trincomalee and Arugam Bay,a?? he said.
Director, Sri Lanka Tourism, S. Kaleselvam said that the industry generated over US $ 350 million last year and there were 389,550 tourist arrivals until last November.
This is a 10 per cent drop compared to 432,892 in the corresponding period last year.
The National Strategy for Sri Lanka Tourism has ventured to place the profile of the country as an Asian tourism icon. a??We want to make Sri Lanka Asiaa??s most treasured destination,a?? he said.
Eight objectives addressing the immediate and long-term needs, also cover the operational aspects as well as the four divisions that formulate Sri Lanka Tourism.
An 11-part strategic framework which addresses the areas of action has been defined and this Strategic Plan provides a blueprint on how traditional and the not so conventional aspects of tourism will be incorporated to grow into sectors such as nature, culture and adventure tourism.
A Tourism Strategic Action Group (TSAG) was set up recently based on the advice of the Minister of Tourism, Milinda Moragoda, to address the challenges ahead of the local tourism sector. It brings together key stakeholders in the tourism industry, enabling them to take quick decisions.
Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Purchase suprax cefixime George Michael said that the global economic crisis has been illustrated by the drastic drop of prices in key luxury hotels and the significant reduction of tourist arrivals in key locations throughout the world.
He said that they would use the Tourism Cess Fund to implement the four-year promotions.
a??This would be around Rs. one billion each year and government funds would not be used,a?? he said.
source:
Mohammed Naalir
At a time when our valiant Forces are achieving a great victory against the terrorists, the Government will also ensure the proper climate for investments in the country, New Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said yesterday.
Speaking to the media after assuming duties as the new Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister at a ceremony held at the Ministry, Yapa noted that the service sector too plays a vital role in the economy saying special attention will be paid towards providing incentives to this sector.
Minister Yapa said all measures will be taken to boost investment and create more job opportunities to the youth in the villages to ease the unemployment problem.
Enterprise Development Minister Mano Wijeratne said that terrorism is on the verge of total defeat. There will no more terrorism after 2009. The Minister said mega development projects will be implemented throughout the country for the benefit of all.
He said that a trade zone will be established in Trincomalee close to the port. Two areas in Ampara and Polonnaruwa have been identified as suitable for trade zones.
Wijeratne said special attention will be paid towards the agriculture, fishing and tourism sectors this year. Pottuvil (Arugam Bay) and Pasikkudah Celexa ibs treatment will also be developed as a popular tourism destination this year.
Under the Industry to the village project, 200 agreements have been signed with local and foreign investors.
One hundred local and foreign investors have already started their industries, he added.
Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and several high ranking officers of the Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Ministry were also present.
source:
Living together is a journey. Ita??s a journey of ourselves. A process of discovering who we are in a family. We are all born into one, whether ita??s a single-parent family or a full-blown family consisting of parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins. We behave in a particular way within a family and our behavior is more or less consistent. We will play the role that we have come to play within the family. But how do we know exactly how we are going to behave when the time comes to start our own family?
Continue reading ‘I LOVE ARUGAM BAY!!’
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Today we remembered events 4 years ago.
We also recall that without your PRIVATE help most of us in Arugam Bay would have gone under since.
The lesson learned is to support individually and NOT give anything to any of the wasteful organizations:
They certainly have done nothing useful in the Bay to this very day.
Thanks, Dear and true friends of the Bay for your unselfish help!
Per Goodman, victim of the Tsunami
The date December 26, 2004 brings back to me sad memories of the tsunami which killed Per Goodman, a Danish national who with his wife Merete, a Danish Architect,A? built the Star Dust Beach Hotel in Arugam Bay.
It was a tragic day for more reasons than one. The love and care he gave his wife and his employees vanished. He gave top priority to the wellbeing of the downtrodden in the locality. His kindness and large heartedness brought him fruitful results in the management of his hotel. He was very close to the Muslims and Tamils of Arugam Bay and Pottuvil who loved him very much and still mourn his death.
As a very close friend of his, I was fascinated by his strong work ethic. I would watch him serve his guests, while always finding time to talk to his foreign guests and explain to them the necessity to work when his workmen were absent due to ill health. He taught his staff the dignity of labour. The magnitude of his magnanimity can be assessed when you hear many people in Arugam Bay and Pottuvil talk of his contribution to their development.
Coming from a Danish background, he adopted well to the contrasting life style of his workers and neighbours who took to his kind and gentle ways. He would always discuss with his staff how best to satisfy his guests. He would listen to what they had to say and work on the best solution to any challenge. He always wore a smile, never complained, went out of his way to help others, never indulged in self pity and above all he loved to see others doing well. His wife with Goda??s help survived the tsunami.
May God bless him with eternal happiness?
Buy generic anafranil online G. W. A. Perera,
source:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=36138 Risperdal cost without insurance
Post-tsunami Reconstruction in Sri Lanka:
an Analysis of Newspaper Content
by Dileep Chandralal
Professor of Okinawa University
1. Introduction
I have done a survey of newspapers as proxies of media coverage of the post-tsunami recovery situation, focusing on different perspectives on the reconstruction effort. It reveals the practices taken by different sectors, sections or groups, the responses of the affected communities or opinion leaders, the tensions between different social groups or camps and the lack of mutuality and cooperation.
The social context of post-tsunami construction can be divided into two large areas: one area includes the representation of the local community and the other that of foreign participants. Crosscutting these divisions, at the background level, there was a wide range of interest groups such as governments, political organisations, independent bodies, NGOs and activists, academics and professionals, social workers, and individual volunteers. The represented discourses inherently invoke a consideration of differences reflecting writersa?? loyalties to different social groups. The focus of the study was how the text producers, strongly backed up by their respective social contexts, produced the texts and messages, depicting different world views and bearing different results for agenda setting.
My text corpus consists of, mainly, newspapers published during the year 2005. A period of one year was thought of as an appropriate period for depicting individual or collective reflections of, and responses for, the tragedy itself. Moreover, it was during this period that national and international media were bursting at the seams with continuous deliberations, ideas and arguments on post-tsunami reconstruction.
Arugam Bay is situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka’s South-East coast. The Bay is located 220 km due East of Colombo. It is a popular surfing and tourist destination.
Many of the buildings were destroyed in the 2004 tsunami.Due to its popularity among tourists thearea has managed a slow recovery by private initiatives only.
The main road through town has not been repaved yet.By April,2008 no help has been received from any official source or International organizations.
An exception is uncoordinated support for fishing folk as well as many school rebuilding programs, sadly resulting in a continuation to provide only separatist schools for each Community.
He Bay hosts a large fleet of fishing boats which operate off the beach. Many organizations donated boats after the tsunami andas a result there are far more fishing boats than ever before.The main beach is bit dirty as it is used as a garbage dump and a toilet by some locals.Nearby beaches are more esthetically pleasing and also have excellent waves. Arugam Surf Point has a very long, consistent, sectiony right hand break.Many organizations claim to ha ve done extensive work in the area, but locally and on close inspection no progress can be observed so far, end first quarter, 2008.US ‘Mercy Corps’ has been the most active organization, funded by Oprah Whinfrey ‘Angel Network’, following a huge fund-raising TV series in the States.Sadly, none of their projects survived the first year of
operation.A bridge survived the first year of operation. A bridges being constructed by USAID to replace the old, original landmark box girder construction linking Arugam Bay with PottuVille town. There is excellent elephant viewing nearby as well as two types of monkeys wandering around the area.
Arugam Bay is far away! 7 hours drive from Colombo, it has until fairly recently only attracted a tthts. There are now almost dayly flights to Ampara with Sri Lankan Airlines sea planes.
They are presntly applying for a licence to land on Pottuvil Lagoon. The ISA (International Surfing Association) staged Arugam Bay’s first international surfing competition in the summer of 2004, and despite the shocking destruction of the Tsunami, returned again in 2005 to give the battered local economy a boost.
2005 was a difficult year for Arugam Bay as it was one of the worst hit areas of the country.
The post Tsunami recovery has by and large been very quick despite the remoteness of the area. many NGO’s and private organisations like ourselves (LankaRealAid) have help rebuild the area and some of the guest houses are now much better than before the wave. Both north and south of Arugam Bay there are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Sri Lanka.
SURF SPORTS IN ARUGAM BAY
Arugam Bay is on the list of the top ten surf points in the world. Situated on the South East side of Sri Lanka Arugam Bay receives the same Antarctic winter swell’s that hit Indonesia in the in the middle of the year. The best time of the year is between May and November when the predominant wind is offshore for at least the first half of the day.
Due to its location and southerly swell direction the area is dominated by right hand point breaks. There is a beach break in front of the Stardust Hotel, which can be fun for body surfing or for beginners but that’s about it.
Three of the point breaks “The Point”, “Pottuvil Point” and “Crocodile Rock” are within a hour tuk tuk ride from the Hotel, with “The Point being visible (15 min walk) from the hotel. There are several other points that are within a 1-hour’s ride or can be accessed by boat. Some of the staff at the hotel surf and are only to happy to help you plan surf trips to some of these lesser known breaks
The Point: This is the main break at Arugam Bay. The point is a long right-hand point/reef break that breaks at the headland in front of Arugam Bay. It is also the best swell magnet of all the points and you can almost always guarantee that the The Point will be a couple of feet bigger than any of the other breaks. It breaks from anything between 2 and 6 feet but tends to max out after 6 foot. Due to its location it is also attracts the biggest crowd but seems to be handle it as it often sections in a few spots. On a good day it provides a clean rideble wall that will barrel in the sections and give you a 400-meter ride right through to the inside. When you ride all the way through the best option is to paddle a few yards to the beach and walk back out to the entry point (booties are advisable as the reef starts from ankle depth). There is also cafA?A?A?run by some of the locals that provides a grant vantage point to watch the action from and take in stock up on energy for the next session.
Pottuvil Point: Pottuvil Point is every surfers dream tropical wave. A long deserted sandy beach doted with some huge boulders at the waters edge, make this wave a favourite with some of the season veterans. Less
crowded because of the hour tuk tuk ride north from Arugam Bay, Pottuvil point provides 800 meter rides from the outside section right through to the beach on the inside. The unique thing about this wave is that for most of it you can be working a four foot face and be only a few meters from the beach as the wave grinds down the sandy point.
The outside section sucks up and throw’s out as the swell raps into the point giving a 30 meter wall to work with before it fades as it hits deeper water for about 10 seconds. The wave then tends to double up as it hits a shallow sand bottom section that will have you hanging in there for all you worth just to try and make the next 40 to 80 meter section. Failure can leave you standing in knee deep water with a mouth full of sand if you manage not to get slammed into one of the boulder’s first.If conditions are right and you can make it through this section then the wave peels perfectly meters from the beach for an eternity until it closes out in the bay and you begin the long walk back. Pottuvil Point needs a decent size swell before it starts working at all and a large swell before the middle section
source:
Cheap finpecia india Arugam Bay is situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka’s South-East coast. The Bay is located 220 km due East of Colombo. It is a popular surfing and tourist destination.
Many of the buildings were destroyed in the 2004 tsunami.Due to its popularity among tourists thearea has managed a slow recovery by private initiatives only.
The main road through town has not been repaved yet.By April,2008 no help has been received from any official source or International organizations.
An exception is uncoordinated support for fishing folk as well as many school rebuilding programs, sadly resulting in a continuation to provide only separatist schools for each Community.
He Bay hosts a large fleet of fishing boats which operate off the beach. Many organizations donated boats after the tsunami andas a result there are far more fishing boats than ever before.The main beach is bit dirty as it is used as a garbage dump and a toilet by some locals.Nearby beaches are more esthetically pleasing and also have excellent waves. Arugam Surf Point has a very long, consistent, sectiony right hand break.Many organizations claim to ha ve done extensive work in the area, but locally and on close inspection no progress can be observed so far, end first quarter, 2008.US ‘Mercy Corps’ has been the most active organization, funded by Oprah Whinfrey ‘Angel Network’, following a huge fund-raising TV series in the States.Sadly, none of their projects survived the first year of
operation.A bridge survived the first year of operation. A bridges being constructed by USAID to replace the old, original landmark box girder construction linking Arugam Bay with PottuVille town. There is excellent elephant viewing nearby as well as two types of monkeys wandering around the area.
Arugam Bay is far away! 7 hours drive from Colombo, it has until fairly recently only attracted a tthts. There are now almost dayly flights to Ampara with Sri Lankan Airlines sea planes.
They are presntly applying for a licence to land on Pottuvil Lagoon. The ISA (International Surfing Association) staged Arugam Bay’s first international surfing competition in the summer of 2004, and despite the shocking destruction of the Tsunami, returned again in 2005 to give the battered local economy a boost.
2005 was a difficult year for Arugam Bay as it was one of the worst hit areas of the country.
The post Tsunami recovery has by and large been very quick despite the remoteness of the area. many NGO’s and private organisations like ourselves (LankaRealAid) have help rebuild the area and some of the guest houses are now much better than before the wave. Both north and south of Arugam Bay there are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Sri Lanka.
SURF SPORTS IN ARUGAM BAY
Arugam Bay is on the list of the top ten surf points in the world. Situated on the South East side of Sri Lanka Arugam Bay receives the same Antarctic winter swell’s that hit Indonesia in the in the middle of the year. The best time of the year is between May and November when the predominant wind is offshore for at least the first half of the day.
Due to its location and southerly swell direction the area is dominated by right hand point breaks. There is a beach break in front of the Stardust Hotel, which can be fun for body surfing or for beginners but that’s about it.
Three of the point breaks “The Point”, “Pottuvil Point” and “Crocodile Rock” are within a hour tuk tuk ride from the Hotel, with “The Point being visible (15 min walk) from the hotel. There are several other points that are within a 1-hour’s ride or can be accessed by boat. Some of the staff at the hotel surf and are only to happy to help you plan surf trips to some of these lesser known breaks
The Point: This is the main break at Arugam Bay. The point is a long right-hand point/reef break that breaks at the headland in front of Arugam Bay. It is also the best swell magnet of all the points and you can almost always guarantee that the The Point will be a couple of feet bigger than any of the other breaks. It breaks from anything between 2 and 6 feet but tends to max out after 6 foot. Due to its location it is also attracts the biggest crowd but seems to be handle it as it often sections in a few spots. On a good day it provides a clean rideble wall that will barrel in the sections and give you a 400-meter ride right through to the inside. When you ride all the way through the best option is to paddle a few yards to the beach and walk back out to the entry point (booties are advisable as the reef starts from ankle depth). There is also cafA?A?A?run by some of the locals that provides a grant vantage point to watch the action from and take in stock up on energy for the next session.
Pottuvil Point: Pottuvil Point is every surfers dream tropical wave. A long deserted sandy beach doted with some huge boulders at the waters edge, make this wave a favourite with some of the season veterans. Less
crowded because of the hour tuk tuk ride north from Arugam Bay, Pottuvil point provides 800 meter rides from the outside section right through to the beach on the inside. The unique thing about this wave is that for most of it you can be working a four foot face and be only a few meters from the beach as the wave grinds down the sandy point.
The outside section sucks up and throw’s out as the swell raps into the point giving a 30 meter wall to work with before it fades as it hits deeper water for about 10 seconds. The wave then tends to double up as it hits a shallow sand bottom section that will have you hanging in there for all you worth just to try and make the next 40 to 80 meter section. Failure can leave you standing in knee deep water with a mouth full of sand if you manage not to get slammed into one of the boulder’s first.If conditions are right and you can make it through this section then the wave peels perfectly meters from the beach for an eternity until it closes out in the bay and you begin the long walk back. Pottuvil Point needs a decent size swell before it starts working at all and a large swell before the middle section
source:
Firstly, I want to thank all of you who have called, emailed and written to find out how we are and what happened to the Hillton, when the tsunami struck on 26 th December. By the grace of God none of my family, any of our staff, or any of our guests were swept away, by the killer wave that smashed into Arugam Bay at about 9.45 that morning. Our kitchen staff were quick to see the danger and alerted the others and our guests just in time for us to scrambled up to the first floor to safety. The wave and water that rushed almost reached to the level of the first story. No words can describe my fear as the water rushed below us.
The wave swept away the Hillton’s kitchen, dinning room and four cabanas. All the ground floor rooms were flooded to their ceilings and their contents destroyed. The side wall of the front two rooms and the boundary wall were also swept away. We and our guest lost everything that was in the hotel.
I and my family decided that we must rebuild the hotel, which was begun by my father more than fifteen years ago. Over the last three months my family has used our savings and borrowed to begin the rebuilding process. The ground floor rooms have been refurnished. A temporary kitchen has been equipped. We’ve bought tables and chairs for dinning and in April we opened again for business!
Still there is much work to do to repair all the damage and replace all that we have lost. To all our regular customers I want to say, a??Please don’t forget to book your holiday with us again this year!a?? And to people coming to Arugam Bay for the first time, a??The Hillton Hotel is one of the most friendly family run hotels on the beach and not even a tsunami can change that!a??
If you are planning to visit Arugam Bay either on holiday or to work with us to rebuild Arugam Bay , stay at the Arugam Bay Hillton.
M. H. A. Raheem
Owner and Manager
Arugam Bay Hillton Hotel
#39 The Hillton Hotel Arugam Bay
It was a gift, its the middle of the off season for Kitesurfing and yet for 1 week we had solid Buy ashwagandha ireland wind due to the depression off the coast of Bengal. Admist the flood, the pot holes and long drive, we managed to reach the destination. Awesome session in extreme conditions.
Also, talking about passions and dreams, Sri Lanka Kite Guru : Mischi became the very How much does clomid cost at kaiser proud owner of a 1974 VW Kitemobile! I am sure you might be able to spot him in Colombo, Negombo one of these days!
Tony Hussain, The Maldives Surf Veteran
Posted by: Shari on December 18th, 2008
Tony inside bowl – Honkys late 70s
On 27 May this year, Anthony A?a??A?Tony HusseinA?a??A? Hinde, the surfer who discovered the waves of the Maldives, died surfing the wave he found in 1973 A?a??a?? the wave where, he said his A?a??A?soul became completeA?a??A?.
Having ridden a wave to the end, Tony did not get back on his board and was spotted floating in the water. Despite the best efforts of fellow surfers and the local doctor he could not be revived. Tony had suffered a sudden heart attack as he finished that wave.
TonyA?a??a??s story is one of the truly great surf fairytales. He was the 20 year old from Australia who went on a surfing adventure at a time when many of the worldA?a??a??s best surf breaks were yet to be discovered. A shipwreck on a deserted island in the middle of the Indian Ocean landed him on the then-unknown Maldives, where he found his own nirvana and made it his life and livelihood.
Tony with the first surfboard ever ridden in Maldives.
In 1973, Tony was traveling with his good friend Mark Scanlon on a surfing trip from Indonesia to Africa. By December they had come as far as Sri Lanka, where, despite neither having any sailing experience, they talked their way onto a 56-foot ketch bound for Africa. The captainA?a??a??s plan was to set sail and let the current push them north, but the December currents drove them south towards the Maldives.
On the third night, when they thought they were in the middle of the ocean, the boat was hit by a four-foot wave. Luckily they managed to surf the boat in to the deserted shore – Tony Hussein had landed on the Maldives. In the morning they realised they were A?a??A?in a beautiful lagoon, surrounded by a beautiful reef and covered by an equally beautiful skyA?a??A?.
Tony doing a cutback at Pasta Point.
Despite the captain deciding not to stay, Tony and Mark salvaged the boat and sailed it around the islands – at the time one of the most deserted places on earth. One day on this journey of discovery they rounded a headland where A?a??A?there was a wrapping, blue, perfect left-hander, offshore wind, six feet, breaking off a deserted island with no other surfer for a thousand milesA?a??A?. As luck would have it, there was a right-hander just as perfect on the other side of the island. After just one session there, Tony decided this was where he wanted to live.
Tony sailing his dhoni.
The Maldives opened to tourists in 1972 but by December 1973, Tony estimated, there had only been A?a??A?maybe 100 people throughA?a??A?. Tony and Mark were the first to arrive on their own and the local government agency didnA?a??a??t know what to do with them. There were no guest houses in the Maldives, so they billeted with locals until Tony rented a house, for seven dollars a month for a year.
A?a??A?I was 20 and thought IA?a??a??d died and gone to heaven,A?a??A? he said.
From 1974 to 1984 Tony and selected friends surfed the Maldives area by themselves. They would simply walk to the end of the island and paddle out or sail in TonyA?a??a??s small dhoni, a single-sailed local transport vessel, to other islands nearby. They would leave their boards in the jungle and sail back and forth.
Ton in a bottom turn.
If they saw another yacht sailing by they would belly the waves straight in and hide in the bush. Tony gave the waves heA?a??a??d discovered names, by which they are now widely known. He originally named both the left and right breaks Sultans, but later changed the left to HonkyA?a??a??s after his nickname Honky Fats Waller.
In 1984, Tony got his first outboard motor, mounted on the back of his dhoni. This was a major advancement after ten years of sailing and poling between islands and in and out of lagoons. In the Maldives Tony found personal as well as surfing nirvana, converting to Islam in 1977. He said his conversion was a A?a??A?way of thanking Allah for guiding me to the Maldives and for the good fortune IA?a??a??d had thereA?a??A?. He also liked the fact that the people of the Maldives were like Polynesian Muslims, a more casual, but very respectful sort of Islam. A?a??A?They respect the religion here but theyA?A?re not hardcore about it,A?a??A? he said.A?A?In 1983 his naturalisation was completed when he married a local Maldivian, Zulfa, with whom he had a son and a daughter.
Young Tony and Zulfa
ItA?a??a??s estimated that only about ten different white men had surfed HonkyA?a??a??s up until 1984 – now thatA?a??a??s a well kept secret. But in the mid-eighties, more surfers arrived through the introduction of friends. Tony said heA?a??a??d always known that one day the Maldives would be exposed to the world and thought he would open a surf travel company. So, in 1989, in partnership with good friend and surfer Ian Lyon, Atoll Adventures was begun.
Ian and Tony met in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka in 1980, but it was several years before Tony let Ian in on his secret – the surf in the Maldives – and then it was with some urgency. Tony wrote to Ian saying that, due to a change in the laws in the Maldives, if he was to come surfing there, he had to get there before May 1984. Ian arrived soon after receiving the letter and had two monthA?a??a??s of perfect surf with Tony.
Ian describes Tony as one of the most interesting people he has ever known, a man he admired and loved as much as a brother. He says that first trip was one of the best experiences of his life.A?A?A?a??A?Staying in this isolated country of tiny islands with a culture and people unlike any others I had experienced. Surfing perfect waves with only a few friends and getting to know Tony really well, understanding and appreciating just how amazing his life of the past ten years had been and being part of an incredible secret.A?a??A?
Together, Tony and Ian introduced surfers to the incredible secret. In the early years of the business, Ian says, they had a hard time even convincing people that there was surf in the Maldives. People would ring and abuse them. ThereA?a??a??s no surf in the Maldives, they would say, accusing them of running an imaginary surf camp.
Tony and Boppa
Now, Atoll Adventures is the leading surf travel company to the area and the resort they pioneered on Pasta Point has become the most popular surf location in the Maldives.
Tony often said he would spend the rest of his life in the Maldives and this is exactly what he did.
In an earlier issue of Surfing World (SW 299), Tony said: A?a??A?I have been very happy here, happier than I ever thought possible. Again I want to thank Allah for all that he has given me. I have lived a lucky life, a dream life, in my years in the Maldives. My only regret is that Simon Anderson didnA?a??a??t invent the thruster 15 years earlier.A?a??A?
TonyA?a??a??s wife of 25 years, Zulfa, died in January 2008 while undergoing treatment for Leukemia at Wollongong Hospital. He is survived by his son Ashley (23) and daughter Mishal (15). Ashley has deferred his university course in Sydney to return to the Maldives to attend to family affairs and learn everything about the operations of Atoll Adventures. Mishal is at boarding school in Brisbane.
Tony and Zulfa
Posted in: News Stories, Surf history, Top stories. Tags: A TRIBUTE TO THE MAN ACKNOWLEDGED FOR DISCOVERING HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE MALDIVES, Anthony Hinde, coastalwatch, doug lees, surfing world, Tony Hussein.source:
http://www.realsurf.com/2008/12/18/a-tribute-to-the-man-acknowledged-for-discovering-hidden-treasure-in-the-maldives/
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IntA?a??a??l operations re-launched this month :
Mihin Lanka will introduce domestic flights to three destinations after launching their international schedule end of this month. This would be done within three months and the management hopes to lease 17 new aircraft for these operations. The airline is looking at flying to Trincomalee, Palaly and Ampara mainly targeting the local business clientele.
Chairman Mihin Lanka, Raja Edirisuriya speaking to A?a??E?Daily News BusinessA?a??a?? said that they want to make Mihin, the best low cost airline in the region. A?a??A?We are adopting new strategies and have launched a new business model to make the airline a viable venture,A?a??A? he said.
The agreement to lease a new aircraft from a French company was signed last week and the new 186 seater Boeing would arrive in Sri Lanka on 19. The wet lease agreement would be reviewed once again in three months and the airline is next looking at a more profitable one.
A four member international technical team will arrive this week to train the local airline crew for these operations.
Under the first stage the airline will operate six weekly flights to Dubai leaving Colombo at 10 p.m. In addition there would be five to three frequencies to both Trevendrum and Trichi. The Bodhgaya flights will operate from February 15.
A sum of over one million US dollars that were in arrears to companies in both India and Dubai were also paid last week.
A?a??A?Mihin is a new year gift from the government to the masses,A?a??A? he said. He said under the new roll out plan a home grown call centre was established with an investment of less than Rs. 200,000.
A?a??A?Earlier Rs. 2.5 million was spent to maintain it each month,A?a??A? he said. The hotline for the call centre is 2002255.
The new CEO, Kapila Chandrasensa said the operations would be highly profit oriented and the airline would be a mixture of a low cost and a full service airline.
A?a??A?We are not going to eat into the SriLankan airlines market and are looking at new synergies to tap the masses,A?a??A? he said. The fares would be less than the current prices and enhanced on board service would be offered for Dubai flight.
A?a??A?While the Dubai flight targets the Sri Lankan expat workers the Indian flights would be mainly for Indian passengers who wants to fly international from Colombo.
Indian flights (Bodhgaya) will also target first time travelers and the Buddhist pilgrims who cannot afford high airfares,A?a??A? he said. He also aid the global airline industry is facing a crisis due to the world economic downturn. A?a??A?However good governance would allow Mihin to stay afoot,A?a??A? he said.
On the lighter side of Silly Lanka life we have found this article:
December 15, 2008 A?a??a?? cerno
In hisA?A?speech, the minister pointed out thatA?A?FlatulistA?A?themedA?A?entertainmentA?A?is an ideal form of low cost socialA?A?recreation. He thanked the association for its patriotic role in maintaining public morale in a time of war and global economic difficulties. He said that bothA?A?Up country Mango Cultivation policy and the RCFA would clearly benefit fromA?A?Flatulence. He invited the RCFA to make a concerted drive to recruit rural members into its ranks. With this aim in mind, A?a??A?Unum saltum et siffletum et unum bumbulum How much ranitidine can i give my dog A?a??A? has been translated into Sinhala and Tamil. The minister hoped that when the war was over, widespreadA?A?Flatulence willA?A?strengthen the bonds between all Sri Lankans.
Following his speech students from two Maha Vidyalayas in Vavuniya and Matara gave maiden performances of the translated songs. Many in the audience,A?A?includingA?A?the minister were moved to tears.A?A?Attendees were encouraged to fill out A?A?an online surveyA?A?at the end of the proceedings.A?A?The recital ended with the national anthem performed by theA?A?RCFA orchestra.
Dissociated Fake Press.
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Daya Gamage A?a??a?? Asian Tribune US Bureau presentation
Washington, D.C. 12 November (Asiantribune.com): “An important part of achieving a political solution and reconciliation between all of Sri LankaA?a??a??s communities will be to improve human rights in Sri Lanka. The high numbers of extra-judicial killings, abductions, and other human rights violations in Sri Lanka have disproportionately affected Tamils. A concerted effort to end such practices and bring the culprits to justice would not only hasten reconciliation in Sri Lanka, it would allow countries like the United States to do more in Sri Lanka.”
The American Ambassador in Sri Lanka Robert Blake made the above remarks on December 11 when he addressed the American Chamber of Commerce in Colombo on an issue thatA?a??a??s discussed widely in this Indian-Ocean Island nation A?a??A?US Perspective on the Situation in Sri LankaA?a??A? reiterating that this was the right time for political solution in Sri Lanka.
Earlier this week his political chief in the embassy was awarded the highest distinguish award by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington for his superior reporting on Sri LankaA?a??a??s political and human rights situation.
Before any comment from Asian TribuneA?a??a??s U.S. Bureau we carry the full text of American AmbassadorA?a??a??s remarks made before the American Chamber of Commerce.
Full text of remarks by Remarks by Ambassador Blake:
Good afternoonA?a??a??thank you Gordon, and the rest of the AmCham board and members, for welcoming me here today. ItA?a??a??s a pleasure to have the opportunity to address AmCham again and see so many old friends.
All of you represent the best of Sri LankaA?a??a??s business community—companies large and small that cover a range of sectors and collectively employ tens of thousands of Sri Lankans. Beyond being successful businesspeople, you also have something very important to me in common. That is a connection to the United States. All of you do business with my country and help build people to people ties that are so important to our bilateral relations.
IA?a??a??d like to build my remarks today around three themes that go to the heart of U.S. policy toward Sri Lanka. They are:
First, the need for a political solution and improvement in human rights to help end the conflict and achieve national reconciliation;
Second, new directions in U.S. assistance in Sri Lanka; and
Third, how the U.S. and Sri Lanka can weather the current financial turmoil.
With respect to the first question, there are many in Sri Lanka who argue either that there is no need for a political solution in Sri Lanka or that such a solution can await the end of the conflict.
U.S. policy has remained consistent on this important point: we think the right time for a political solution is now. American policy toward Sri Lanka has been dominated for the past twenty-five years by the civil conflict that has plagued and terrorized this nation. From investment to trade to military support to development assistance, the conflict influences nearly each and every aspect of our relationship. And for the past quarter century, the United States has remained committed and actively engaged in supporting an end to the conflict. Our position has remained constant and unwavering: LTTE terrorism cannot be tolerated and the rights of all Sri Lankans can best be protected and promoted through a political solution to Sri LankaA?a??a??s conflict that meets the aspirations of Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese.
One important way forward is for Sri Lanka to complete the work of the All Parties Representative Committee, which has reached agreement on 90% of a blueprint for constitutional reform that most Sri Lankans believe offers great promise. However, it remains for the countryA?a??a??s two main Sinhalese parties, the SLFP and UNP, to agree on the document, which has proved a significant hurdle thus far.
Pursuing both a political solution and achieving a military victory are not mutually exclusive. In fact, reaching a political solution now could significantly weaken the LTTE in several ways.
It would disprove the LTTEA?a??a??s claim that they are the sole representative of Sri LankaA?a??a??s Tamils and are the only ones who can address and safeguard their interests.
It would diminish support for the LTTE, both within LTTE-controlled areas and among the Tamil Diaspora community abroad.
And it would help reassure the more than 200,000 displaced by the conflict in the Vanni that they can move south where they could aspire to a better future.
An important part of achieving a political solution and reconciliation between all of Sri LankaA?a??a??s communities will be to improve human rights in Sri Lanka. Yesterday was Human Rights Day—the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The high number of extra-judicial killings, abductions, and other human rights violations in Sri Lanka has disproportionately affected Tamils. A concerted effort to end such practices and bring the culprits to justice would not only hasten reconciliation in Sri Lanka, it would allow countries like the United States to do more in Sri Lanka.
This leads me to my second policy theme: US aid to Sri Lanka. Over the past half century, the United States has provided more than two billion dollars worth of assistance to the people of Sri Lanka. We have done this for several reasons A?a??a?? to help Sri Lankans increase their economic opportunities and improve their quality of life, and to help ease the hardship caused by this brutal conflict.
One immediate assistance question for the United States is: with the Government liberating large parts of former-LTTE controlled territories, how can my country best support the urgent needs of the people in those areas?
The answer to this question focuses on our development program, led largely by the US Agency for International Development. USAID has undertaken several important initiatives in recent years. First, AID recently concluded the last of its projects aimed to help the Sri Lankan people in the tsunami-affected areas of the south and east to recover from this terrible tragedy. Our $135 million program enabled the reconstruction of the Arugam Bay Bridge, the reconstruction or rehabilitation of nine vocational training schools, the upgrading of three fishing harbors which were damaged by the tsunami, and even the construction of 87-playgrounds to help children recover from the trauma, among many other good activities.
Now, geographically, the focus of our assistance programs has shifted and our development efforts are concentrated in the recently liberated regions of eastern Sri Lanka. Over the next four years, we will focus our development efforts on two programs: A?a??A?Connecting Regional EconomiesA?a??A? or CORE and A?a??A?Supporting Regional GovernanceA?a??A? or SuRG (we Americans love our acronyms!).
The CORE program is designed to increase social and economic security in Eastern Sri Lanka. By addressing the disparity in economic development between Eastern Sri Lanka and the more prosperous Western Province, CORE aims to establish conditions whereby sustained economic development can be launched.
Projects funded under the CORE initiative are designed with five goals:
-First, support livelihood development for vulnerable populations;
-Second, promote the development of agriculture-based value chains;
-Third, ensure that groups in conflict-affected areas benefit from participation in these value chains and our other efforts;
-Fourth, implement a workforce development strategy;
-and finally promote a business enabling environment.
The SuRG program aims to support and facilitate increased citizen engagement in regional and local government, strengthen inter-community reconciliation, and promote social equality by, for example, promoting citizen interaction with government institutions, and strengthening the capacity of journalists and media outlets in the East.
Programs like CORE and SuRG are essential to connecting and integrating the Eastern Province with other provinces. At the end of the day, if the young people of the East, have a job, can care for their families, and have their voices heard by elected representatives, it will reduce the chance the LTTE could ever reconstitute itself in the east and will help to promote economic, social and political stability in the country.
Another important component of the Connecting Regional Economies project of interest to all of you is USAIDA?a??a??s resolve to works with the business community to create public-private partnerships to generate jobs and growth.
This model already has enjoyed success in USAID programs with companies like AmCham Members Hayleys and Brandix. We are actively expanding the scope of our partnerships with private companies to help leverage resources and create sustainable jobs. Such programs are at the core of U.S. official assistance to Sri Lanka. I hope that we will be able to expand such programs to areas of the North such as Mannar once conditions permit.
Before I continue to the next policy question, I want to make another important point about U.S. development assistance. U.S. support to development projects in Sri Lanka is not limited to projects funded by USAID or other U.S. Government agencies. In fact, globally, donations from private individuals in the United States to charities, NGOs, and foundations dwarf official U.S. Government development assistance. To put a number to this, 85 percent of all U.S. A?a??a??originated assistance toward development activities around the world is funded by such private donations.
Here too, in Sri Lanka, you can see just how active International NGOs —the organizations funded largely through such non-governmental sources—are.
Of course, itA?a??a??s not just the work of American INGOs but also a whole host of INGOs from around the world. They are not motivated by profit, they are not here to gain financially from the conflict, and most importantly, they are not here to support terrorists or undermine national security as some have wrongly alleged. They are in Sri Lanka because they are committed to working with the people of Sri Lanka to provide new opportunities and renewed hope for the future, and they are doing an excellent job.
This brings me to third area of U.S. assistance, which is emergency humanitarian aid for those displaced and affected by the conflict. So far this year, the United States has donated $32 million dollars in food and other commodity assistance to help those affected by the fighting in the north. Last week, we donated an additional $100,000 in non-food aid to help victims affected by heavy floods in Jaffna and other parts of the North. In both instances, the Government of Sri Lanka has provided us with assurances that urgent relief supplies can and will move safely and quickly to those who need them most.
Any discussion about development and growth in Sri Lanka is irrevocably tied to a discussion about the global economy. Thus, with markets in turmoil and a global recession casting a shadow over the worldA?a??a??s economy, how can the United States and Sri Lanka weather the current financial crisis?
On Tuesday, I delivered a speech outlining the global response to the financial crisis. In a room full of businesspeople I wonA?a??a??t go into detail about the causes and official actions by the global community. You know all this and deal with it on a daily basis.
But I would like to say a few words, about how the U.S. is weathering the storm because the U.S. economy helps drive global growth and is one of Sri LankaA?a??a??s most important markets. Under President BushA?a??a??s leadership, we have adopted numerous measures to boost the US economy, including the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act to purchase distressed assets and provide capital injections into banks. That has helped, but markets remain under stress.
Just about one week ago, the U.S. announced that our economy is officially in a recession. The U.S. Congress is now considering a $14 billion package of loans to AmericaA?a??a??s big three automakersA?a??a??an industry that directly or indirectly employs over six percent of our manufacturing workforce.
President-Elect Obama also has been very active. He announced last weekend that his Administration — once it takes office on January 20 — will undertake the largest public works construction program since our interstate highway program 50 years ago. The program will include infrastructure projects to repair roads and bridges, and create green jobs that reduce energy use and global warming emissions. The President-electA?a??a??s goal is to create 2.5 million new jobs in the first two years of his administration, which would more than offset the number of jobs lost in American in 2008.
Sri Lanka, although not as immediately affected by the crisis as other countries, nonetheless faces economic challenges of its own. Foreign exchange reserves are low, which make it more difficult to maintain trade flows and meet payment obligations. Recent developments in the financial sector are also likely to result in increased difficulties for Sri Lanka in accessing short term trade financing, as well as large commercial loans in 2009. Within both our societies, there is a temptation among some to turn inward. To levy barriers against imports or to “creep away from,” if not outright abandon, international agreements that help facilitate the flow of goods and services would be shortsighted and ill-advised.
Let me conclude my remarks on a positive note. We, Sri Lankans and Americans alike, are faced with tremendous challenges. But both our countries also have the promise of a better future. In Sri Lanka, an end to the conflict could bring unprecedented opportunities and prosperity. In my country, the election of Barack Obama has given us great hope and optimism.
For both of our countries, hope and optimism can translate into peace and economic prosperity. Sri Lanka faces important questions today. What path will lead to a lasting end to the conflict; how can the international community best work with Sri Lanka to foster growth and development; how can our countries avoid the temptation of economic isolationism and work together to overcome the current economic crisis; and perhaps most importantly, how can you overcome terrorism and still protect and promote human rights?
The answers to these questions are not simple, but the United States remains committed to working with Sri Lanka to tackle these enormous challenges.
Barack Obama waged and won his campaign on the message A?a??A?Yes we can.A?a??A? For Americans, this was more than a campaign slogan. The words project optimism, teamwork, and perseverance. This A?a??A?Yes we canA?a??A? attitude doesnA?a??a??t just apply to individuals, but also to partnerships like that between the people of the United States and Sri Lanka. Yes we can address our challenges and Yes we Will continue to work together.
Thank you.
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