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Okanda

Saturday, February 16, 2008

An accident: Story

An accident
By Dibyajyoti Sarma

To sit alone near a crowded sea-shore like the one in Juhu can be quite a task. The solitude of the jungle has its own charm; the silence among the crowd is quite unnerving. It would have been different in Calcutta; IA?a??a??ve a routine there to ward of my loneliness. IA?a??a??m new in Bombay, a tourist and evenings are the bad times for a lone and poor tourist.
I pass time by looking at the crowed, especially a couple, standing near the approaching waves, the husband with his hands in the pocket of his trousers and the wife clutching the fluttering pallu of her sari by her left hand; I am especially looking at her. I donA?a??a??t know why.
A small boy selling small sea shell key chains accost me. Sir, take this bunch for forty rupees. I inform him that I donA?a??a??t have money. He asks me not to make jokes with him and tells me: sir, you are like my big brother, IA?a??a??ll give you the whole bunch for twenty rupees. Take it sir. Impressive marketing! I give it to the young chap. Does he go to school? I ask him. Yes, he answers.
Excuse me, Okan? The key chain seller nudges me; someoneA?a??a??s standing behind me, clutching the fluttering pallu of her sari by her left hand.
Excuse me, are you Okan, Okan Bhatt? I look at the woman. Yes, thatA?a??a??s me, and you?
Dada, IA?a??a??m Nila. DonA?a??a??t you remember?

Some things cannot be forgotten, but it is difficult to remember either. They try to cease the movement of time. They are like thorns in the garden of spring forgotten in the big fair of life, and one day when it pricks the sole of your chapped feetA?a??A?
I donA?a??a??t remember when I last saw Nila. The last time I went to her house, Machima prepared luchi and aloo bhaji, especially for me. And she cried. No, no, I forgot. I went to her place again for one last time. That evening too, Nila was not at home.
Machima opened the door. Seeing me she said sweetly, A?a??A?Come, come, IA?a??a??ve prepared khir today. I said I was in a hurry, just stopped by to say this: A?a??A?If you are sure, then let Nila marry him. I donA?a??a??t have any problem. IA?a??a??ll just disappear from her life. Let her be happy.A?a??A? Machima stood frozen on the threshold. She knew how much I loved Nila. She knew how much Nila loved me.
For many years I was even scared to think whatA?a??a??ll happen if I just bump into Nila some day. IA?a??a??d imagine, after seeing me sheA?a??a??ll break into tears, will call me names A?a??a?? coward, hypocriteA?a??A? will slash my hand with her long fingernails – nothing of that sort happened.
A?a??A?Okanda, after so many years,A?a??A? she cried. What are you doing here?A?a??A?
A?a??A?What are you doing here?A?a??A? I ask back. A?a??A?How did you recognize me? My appearance has changed a lot.A?a??A?
A?a??A?Of course, one can count the hair on your head. But is it possible to forget you?A?a??A?
I search for malice in her voice. There is none. It is the plain expression of a plain truth.
A?a??A?We live here, what else,A?a??A? she informed and called out to the man with his hands tucked in the pockets of his trousers. A?a??A?Rana, Adige asho, come hereA?a??A?A?a??A? Then she turns towards me and asks: A?a??A?WhoA?a??a??s with you?A?a??A?
None. I answer. I am alone.
A?a??A?Not married yet. Or ashamed to travel with your wife?A?a??a??
Before I could muster an answer, like an obedient student, her husband stands beside her. Nila introduces him to me. By the look of it, heA?a??a??s certainly one of those big corporate bosses: manicured nail, a wiseacre smile, and an unimaginative face.
She asks me what I was doing in Bombay. I mumble something. She talks about herself. SheA?a??a??s in Bombay for last two years with her husband. Next year they are moving to Australia. I feel like having a cigarette. I control myself. How Nila used to fight with me about my smoking habits. Finally I had to quit that small addiction of mine. It is a long time since I began smoking again. I look at her husband and smile. Does he smoke when sheA?a??a??s not around?
Once I thought I would never be able to face Nila again. And here she is, talking animatedly to me in a crowed beach, as if nothing had ever happened between us, as if she was not betrothed to me, as if she never told me that she could feel my breath inside her bones, as if we never planned our lives together.
ItA?a??a??s not meeting Nila, but the banality of the situation, the way she is responding to this sudden, strange meeting, the way she is blabbering, animatedly, the way her husband is grinning encouraginglyA?a??A?
Want to have some coffee? I ask and she answers, A?a??A?no, bhel.A?a??A? Her husband looks at her. Probably it hurts his ego. I join in some small talk with him. Just courtesy. Did Nila ever told her husband about me? If yes, just how much? Nila offers a plastic plate of Bhel to her husband and then one to me.
Nila enquires where am I am staying in Bombay. Then she asks tell me where you live in Calcutta these days. I will try to see you next time I am there. I look at her searchingly. Why she wants to see me again? Whatever was there between us is all over. I donA?a??a??t want to scratch all those wounds that are, thank god, healing. This, today evening was an accident. Nila shrugs her shoulders and says: A?a??A?Leave it. God knows when IA?a??a??ll go home again.A?a??A?

Am I jealous of Nila? Or am I angry with her? Bitch! Once she said, if she canA?a??a??t marry me, sheA?a??a??ll remain a spinster. And today, how sheA?a??a??s fluttering around her rich husband. As if she doesnA?a??a??t remember me at all.
And I? When people ask, I tell them, I got divorce before marriage. I donA?a??a??t have the courage to put my hands into burning fire again. People laugh, they pity me.
Perhaps Maya was right after all. Whatever was supposed to happen between you and her is already over. And it was your decision. But is it wise to destroy everything for that one decision? IA?a??a??m not asking you to forget Nila. But donA?a??a??t kill yourself with her memory. You can start your life all over again. With meA?a??A?
One day she too got married to someone else.
That decision was mine too.
It was a difficult time. Nila had already completed her graduation. Her family wanted her to get married soon. I was still struggling, doing odd jobs.
Machima said, son, why donA?a??a??t you two get married. YouA?a??a??ll get a good job one day. Nila too can find something for herself. And for the beginning, even NilaA?a??a??s father can help.
Those were depressing days. Those were the days of blunt ego. Nila cried. I screamed like mad: A?a??A?Marriage, marriage. Just get married and youA?a??a??ll see how all the love just vanishes like a smoke when thereA?a??a??s no money.
Leave that to me. IA?a??a??ll manage. She said.

Serving me some extra aloo bhaji, Machima informed. A proposal has come for Nila. A suitable boy. Good job and everything. I didnA?a??a??t know how to respond. Sitting beside me Machima said: We canA?a??a??t even say sheA?a??a??s engaged, can we?
That night I took the decision. Let Nila get married. ThatA?a??a??s better for her. ThereA?a??a??s no point spoiling her life with a futureless person like me.
And that morning, I removed everything from the garden of my desire, packed the sun in a black cloth and locked it inside a cupboard. I tried to stop the passing current with my fist. There was no option but to burn away into a heap of ash.

Room service comes at eight. Then whoA?a??a??s knocking at my door at six in the morning? Yesterday was a bad night. I didnA?a??a??t sleep a wink. I open the door, disturbed, irritated.
You? ItA?a??a??s Nila in front of me; a big polythene bag in her hand, water still dripping from her long flowing hair.
A?a??A?WouldnA?a??a??t you invite me inside?A?a??A? she asks. A?a??A?You are surprised, arenA?a??a??t you? She closes the door and sits on a chair. SheA?a??a??s wearing a cloud white sari. A?a??A?We werenA?a??a??t supposed to meet like this, isnA?a??a??t it?A?a??A?
It was an accident. I grin foolishly. If I were you, I would have just disappeared from the scene.
A?a??A?I know. You are cowardA?a??A?A?a??A?
Finally. Finally. I am prepared. After all these years, I have to face all her bickering.
A?a??A?But Okanda, I couldnA?a??a??t. All these years IA?a??a??ve been praying to god only for just one thing, that you are still alive, that I see you at least once. You just disappeared. How I tried to find any information about you.A?a??A?
Bending my head down, I listen. What is there for me to say?
A?a??A?I couldnA?a??a??t OkandaA?a??A? IA?a??A? IA?a??A? still love you.A?a??A?
No. Those are stories from the previous birth. I donA?a??a??t remember.
Would you like to have some tea? I ask.
A?a??A?No,A?a??A? she answers. A?a??A?I have to return back soon. I told Rana that I am visiting a temple.A?a??A?
Why? Why Nila has come to meet me? I canA?a??a??t ask.
A?a??A?Why didnA?a??a??t you get married, Okanda? Seems you tell people that you got divorce before marriage A?a??a?? do you tell them who filled for divorce?
Have you come to ask me this? Have you come to do the accounts?
A?a??A?You did all the accounting, didnA?a??a??t you? I had to accept you rulings. DonA?a??a??t think that you are the only one who failed. I lost too.A?a??A?
Then why have you come to meet me without telling your husband?
Without speaking a word Nila gets up and picks up the polythene bag. ItA?a??a??s filled with marigold flowers, my favourite. She spread the flowers on the bed.
What is all this drama, Nila?
A?a??A?Drama?A?a??A? she sits next to me on the bed and takes my hands between hers. (Oh, these hands!) Then she speaks softly: A?a??A?Drama? You played drama with me, Okanda. You just disappeared into the blue. CouldnA?a??a??t even trust me that much that I could love you without any money.
My hands are between hers. She smells of jasmine. What is there for me to say?
You are happy with your husband, arenA?a??a??t you?
Nila smiles. A dazzling smile. A?a??A?How easily you could ask, am I happy? Yes sir, I am very happy. Did I surprise you? I hope not. IA?a??a??m very happy with Rana. My husband is a good human being and he loves me. And heA?a??a??s rich. What more do you want from a husband anyway?
Her voice trails off. A?a??A?And suddenly amidst the luxury of my husbandA?a??a??s home I scream out in pain.A?a??A? She pulls my hand and puts it on her heaving bosom. A?a??A?ThereA?a??a??s a live wound thereA?a??A? sometimes it painsA?a??A? then I need youA?a??A?
A?a??A?IA?a??a??m still in love with you.A?a??A?
Nila. Nila. DonA?a??a??t speak a word. Please. IA?a??a??ve wrapped the sun with a black cloth. DonA?a??a??t uncover it.
Nila, it was not a good idea for you to meet me.
A?a??A?For one last time.A?a??A? She smiles. She gets up from the bed and stands before me. So, Mr Bhatt, since you had your divorce before marriage, how about honeymoon after divorce.
She pours her fingers through my unkempt hair. A?a??A?You know, finally, Rana and I have decided to have a baby. According to the doctor too, itA?a??a??s the right time.A?a??A?

The proximity between us recedes. And she whispers on my ear: A?a??A?Give me a baby. Give me a baby from your side.A?a??A?

posted by i write @ 10:11 PM

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Turmoil among Tamils

RefA?A?: HR039/PR/2008A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 14 February 2008

Sri lankan rulers deliberately create
Political turmoil among the Tamils

Who prevents MuslimsA?a??a?? resettlement in Jaffna?
A?A?
There is a long history of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Sri Lanka A?a??a?? it goes back to the post independence era, around 1956.

Soon after Sinhala rule was introduced in Ceylon, (present Sri Lanka), two communal riots were carried out by the Singhalese against the Tamils, masterminded by the respective governments of the day. A?A?These two riots in 1956 and 1958 made Tamils as refugees in the South of the island. Because the victims of these two riots, although refugees, had not crossed any internationally recognised borders, International bodies like the United Nations considered them to be Internally Displaced People (IDPs). Since 1956 there have been five communal riots carried out with a clear agenda of ethnic cleansing. Tamils were killed, raped, disappeared and billions worth of their properties were looted and destroyed.

All these riots and atrocities have been well documented by the UN and many international human rights and humanitarian organisations.

The numbers of displaced Tamils during these communal riots are as follows :

YearA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? No. of refugeesA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? YearA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? No. of A?A?refugees
1956A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 3000A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 1958A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 35,000
1977A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 15000A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 1981A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 5000
1983A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 250,000

The victims of these riots have never been compensated nor have they even been allowed to resettle in the places where they were living before the riots in the South of island. Soon after the worst communal riot in 1983, almost all the Tamils living in the South started escaping from the island, seeking protecting in many western countries. They received no compensation either for the loss of their properties or the loss of their kith and kin. The authorities responsible for refugees in many countries have evidence of these incidents.

Immediately after the 1983 communal riots, armed conflict started in the North East and this has produced many more thousands of, in fact, multiple displacements. Some of these people became displaced as a result of the divide and rule tactics applied by the Sri Lankan rulers to the Tamil community. A?A?In the North East mainly in Amparai, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Mannar and Jaffna A?a??a?? there have been multiple displacements of IDPs living in refugee camps for the last two decades.

Political turmoil

Consequent to the failure of 35 years of non-violent struggle in exercise of the right to self-determination of the Tamils, an armed struggle started in 1983. Since then the ruling powers always created a political turmoil among the Tamils, who had lived in peace and harmony for many centuries, irrespective of religious faith.

Even though there have been many calls by UN VIPs, international institutions/organisations and a Supreme court order (May 2006), IDPs remain in their camps, especially the Tamils denied any glimmer of hope of returning to their own residence or villages.

A?a??A?At the end of 2006, at least 520,000 people in Sri Lanka were victims of conflict-induced displacement in a country of 20 million, making up one of the largest displacement crises in Asia in absolute terms and particularly in terms of the proportion of the population displaced. Upwards of 300,000 people were displaced in the offensive from 2006 onwards, with Tamil and Muslim minorities in the districts of Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Jaffna the most affected. Despite a major return programme initiated by the government in Batticaloa and Trincomalee in recent months, the number of conflict-induced internally displaced people (IDPs) in the country is estimated still to be around 460,000A?a??A? (26 September 2007 A?a??a?? Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre A?a??a?? IDMC).

First racial riot in 1915

During the long history of the island there had never been blood stained stories among the Tamils. The very first racial riot in the island was in 1915. It was between the Sinhala Buddhists and the Muslims – 136 Muslims were killed and 205 Muslims were injured and raped. Nearly 85 mosques were damaged and more than 4,075 Muslim-owned shops were looted by the Sinhala rioters, from Central province to the Western and North Western provinces.

  1. In January 1976, in Sinhala-Muslims riots in Puttalam, a Mosque at Pottuvil (Quela Mosque) was completely destroyed and 18 Muslims who assembled in another Mosque were shot dead by the Police in Puttalam.
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  1. In 1982, from 30 July to 4 August, Sinhala-Muslim riots broke out in Galle and then spread to Kandy, Mawanella and others parts, including Colombo.
  1. In November 2002, Sinhala-Muslim riots took place in Chillaw. A group of Singhalese burnt down many houses belonging to Muslims and several people were severely injured in this incident. A Muslim refugee camp in Puttalam was also attacked and 75 Muslim families were forced to seek shelter in the nearby Mosque.

In Katugoda in Galle, a 22 year old Muslim youth was shot dead and several others were injured.

Muslims living in the North Eastern provinces were always part of Tamil political parties and even won in the post independence elections. The Mother tongue of the Muslims in the island of Sri Lanka is Tamil. This cannot be denied historically or legally. But these days, politically-motivated individuals come out with vague arguments depending on what their purpose is. Some sought to drive wedge among the Tamils.

Political turmoil among the Tamils and the Muslim was created only in the late 1980s when theA?A? government-motivated Muslim home guards, thugs and mercenaries intensified their attacks on the Tamils in the East, especially those in the Amparai district.

Tamils chased out of Amparai

In the 1990s, the Tamils who had been living in Amparai district for centuries were chased out by the government-motivated Muslims, especially from the villages of Samanthurai, Udumpankulam, Chemmanikulam, Thangavelauthapuram, Poorani, Kondavedduvan, Manthoddam, Karavagu, Theekavavi, Palamunai, Ooluvil, Meen Odai Kaddu, Panaamai and Ninthavoor. Many other villages are on the verge of becoming Muslim villages. Meanwhile many Saiva (Hindu) temples were destroyed and Mosques and butcheries were built on the same spot. Examples of this are : A?A?Kali Amman Temple at Karavagu in Kalmunai, Pillayar Kovil at Oddumavaddy, Kannaki Amman Temple at Karathivu, Kali Amman Temple at Sammanthurai. This was the case in Batticaloa and Trincomalee district.

It is common knowledge that the Muslims living in Jaffna were evacuated in 1990 and they were compelled to live in Puttalam. In fact, several times, the political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – LTTE, the late Anton Balasingham, tendered their apology for this unpredicted and unexpected incident.

In 2002, when Anton Balasingam was speaking in a public meeting in Mullaitivu, he said, A?a??A?Linguistically, economically and territorially the Muslims and the Tamils are inextricably inter-related and therefore they have to co-exist as brothers in the northeast. Let us forget and forgive the mistakes made in the past. Tamil Eelam is also the homeland of the Muslims and we have to live in harmony and amity to promote peace and prosperity in the region.A?a??A? (Late Anton Balasingham, 03 April 2002 at Sivasubramaniam Maha Vidyalayam, Puthukuddirrupu in Mullaitivu)

Who prevents MuslimsA?a??a?? resettlement in Jaffna?

Since 1995, the LTTE has not been in control of Jaffna. If this is the case, what has been lacking and who is obstructing the resettlement in Jaffna of the Muslims in Puttalam? There are airports, harbours in Puttalam as well as in Jaffna and the land route, the A9 was opened for nearly four years. This is to say that the government of Sri Lanka prevented the Jaffna Muslims living in Puttalam, from being re-settled in Jaffna. For the last 18 years, the government of Sri Lanka wanted the Muslims to remain in Puttalam, without any fundamental rights, to serve a highly motivated international campaign against the LTTE, that the Muslims from Jaffna had been evacuated by the LTTE. In other words, they were using the Jaffna Muslims to justify the government Sinhalisation and ethnic cleansing of Tamils from the North East.

Last September, a TCHR representative raised the matter about the resettlement of Jaffna Muslims in a meeting held by the Sri Lankan Mission in Geneva. Four Sri Lankan MinistersA?A? – Mahinda Samarasinghe, Keheliya Rambukwella, Athauda Seneviratne and Douglas Devananda, who were on the panel, could not give a proper answer to the question of resettlement of Muslims in Jaffna. This was well witnessed by various diplomats and the representatives of international institutions. This briefing took place as a parallel event, during the 6th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The displaced Muslims living in Puttalam are in temporary camps without any social, economic and political rights. The government, some NGOs and politically motivated individuals in Sri Lanka and abroad are silent about the day to day problems of these people. Just to get their allocated funds from their masters, these NGOs and individuals raise the issue of the Jaffna Muslims.

Even before the Jaffna Muslims moved to Puttalam, the Buddhist monks and Sri Lankan government were very careful with their political agenda that the Muslim population in Puttalam should not be allowed to spread to any other area within Puttalam. This is one of the reasons Jaffna Muslims are without any fundamental rights in Puttalam. It is a pity that those NGOs and others are either finding this issue too complex or are pretending to not understand the real problems of displaced Tamils in general.

Atrocities against the Muslims in Puttalam

In 1974 tension intensified between the Singhalese and Muslims in Mylumkulam in Puttalam. A?A?Government officials and the Police showed their partiality and supported the Singhalese.

In January 1976, as a consequence of the assault of a Muslim youth by a Singhalese bus driver (CTB), Sinhala-Muslims riots broke out in Puttalam. The Muslims in Sirampiaddy, Pottuvil and other villagers were severely attacked. A Mosque at Pottuvil (Quela Mosque) was completely destroyed and 18 Muslims who were assembled in another Mosque in Puttalam were shot dead. The Muslims working in the Cement Cooperation in Puttalam were attacked and no protection was given by the Police.

During this period, only members of the Federal Party raised this matter in the Sri Lankan Parliament.

In August 2006, a case was filed by some Singhalese against the purchase of 30 acres of land by Muslims in Palavi, Puttalam. This case was rejected by the Court. When the Muslims who were displaced from Jaffna, were moving onto this land, a group of Singhalese, led by a Buddhist monk, immediately chased them away violently, preventing them from settling in Palavi. On the same day they installed a statue of Buddha in that village.

Presently, Muslim farmers and fishermen in Amparai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee are facing similar problems.

Certain actors in Sri Lanka and abroad are making a good living by talking about the Jaffna Muslims. A?A?In practice, they are not really considering the facts and the historical background of the IDPs. While they speak about the Jaffna Muslims, they seem to ignore the fact that there are thousands of Tamils, who have been chased away from Amparai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee long before the Jaffna Muslims, and also ought to be resettled in their original homes.

The government of Sri Lanka is really taking advantage of the recent turmoil it has created among the Tamils.

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

In another divide and rule tactic practised by the Sri Lankan rulers – tensions and animosity have been created between the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the other Muslim population, often resulting in sporadic violence and killings in Sri Lanka. This has been intensified in recent years.

Since Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power, full swing Sinhalisation and ethnic cleansing has been rampant in the North East. Statues of Buddha are planted everywhere, the names of Tamil villages are renamed with Singhalese names and the Tamils and Muslims who lived for centuries in the North East are chased away over night, while the Singhalese are settled, according to an overt plan to change the demography of the North East.

Mandated silent genocide in the North East

What is happening presently in Amparai, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Jaffna is a mandated silent genocide. Sri Lankan security forces, with the help of the paramilitary are wiping out those who are supporting the right to self-determination of Tamils, and Tamil-speaking youths are kidnapped and killed over-night.

In UN terms, ethnic cleansing is defined as, “a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas”. (UN Doc S/1994/674, para. 130)

According to the think tank of the United Nations, ethnic cleansing constitutes a crime against humanity which could be compared to certain war crimes. These acts also fall within the ambit of the Genocide Convention. Ethnic cleansing has similar features to Apartheid and Nazism. The ethnic cleansing of Tamils from the Eastern part of Sri Lanka is well documented and in the recent past has been witnessed extensively by the International community.

Therefore the United Nations, which has the mandate and authority to investigate, prosecute and punish those who are criminally responsible for the ethnic cleansing, should start the process of investigating the ethnic cleansing of Tamils, in the East and especially in Trincomalee. This should be done at the earliest to bring to justice the higher authorities who ordered the ethnic cleansing and in the meantime to compensate the victims.

Simultaneously, around Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Jaffna and many other villages in the North East, there has also been mass settlement of Sinhalese.

The statistics are for the kind consideration of UN institutions, Experts in the field of human rights, members of civil society and others. The Tables are shown on language basis.

Tamil and Sinhala populations in Trincomalee District, Batticaloa District* (Until 1963 it includes Amparai within Batticaloa district) & Amparai District (created in 1963)

Septilin buy

YEAR

Trincomalee District

Batticaloa District

Amparai District

Tamil

Sinhala

Tamil

Sinhala

Tamil

Sinhala

1827

98.45%

1.53%

99.62%

0.00%

—

—

1881

90.72%

4.21%

93.27%

4.75%

—

—

1891

91.44%

4.3%

93.2%

5.21%

—

—

1901

89.04%

4.22%

92.34%

5.21%

—

—

1911

90.54%

3.82%

92.95%

3.74%

—

—

1921

92.13%

4.38%

93.12%

4.56%

—

—

1946

75.09%

20.68%

92.55%

5.83%

—

—

1953

78.8%

18.22%

87.64%

11.52%

—

—

1963

79.25%

19.9%

95.6%*

3.35%

70.22%

29.34%

1971

70.2%

28.8%

94.49%

4.49%

69.47%

30.18%

1981

65.38%

33.62%

95.95%

3.21%

62.03%

37.64

(http://www.tchr.net/colanization.htm)

Excerpts are given for the consideration of researchers to see how the Sinhalisation is in progress in the North East, especially since President Mahinda Rajapaksa came into power.

A?a??E?Sinhalisation of EastA?a??a??
by M. I. M. Mohideen

The Island, 27 December 2007 – Facts and figures about population growth will help to illustrate how demography patterns have been unnaturally altered or distorted through state aided colonisation, demarcation of new political and administrative units and accelerated irrigation schemes in the Eastern Province.

A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? TrincomaleeA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? BatticaloaA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? AmparaiA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? Eastern
A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? DistrictA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? DistrictA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? DistrictA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? Province

TamilsA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 93,510A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 238,216 79,725A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 411,451
(39.78%)A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? (72.59%)A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? (20.57%)A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? (42.42%)

MuslimsA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 74,403A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 79,317A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 116,481 315,201
(29.26%)A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? (24.17%)A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? (41.66%)A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? (32.49%)

SinhaleseA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 89,341A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 10,646A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 146,371 243,358
(33.96%)A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? (3.24%)A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? (37.77%)A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? (25.09%)

TotalA?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? 245,250 328,170 387,577 978,010

A?A?

The Eastern Province is 3,839 sq. miles in extent. Originally Trincomalee – 1,016 sq. miles and Batticaloa A?A?- 2,823 sq. miles were the districts in this province. According to the 1921 census, the Sinhalese were 3% of the population in the Trincomalee District and 4.5% in the combined Batticaloa and Amparai District. The Sinhalese were less than 4% in the whole Eastern Province.

The Batticaloa District was divided into the present Amparai District – 1,775 sq. miles and Batticaloa District – 1,048 sq. miles in 1961.

Population Increase between 1949 and 1981.

Tamil population increased from 136,059 to 411,451 – 302%, Muslim population increased from 109,024 to 315,201 – 289%, Sinhalese population increased from 27,556 to 243,358 – 883%. The National average increase of Sinhalese during this period is only 238%. The sudden increase of Sinhala population is the result of Government planned Sinhala Colonisation in Gal-oya, Pannal-oya, and Ambalam-oya in Amparai District, and Kanthalai, Allai, Morawewa, Muthalikkulam, Pathaviya (Part), and Mahadiuluwewa schemes in Trincomalee District. (Excerpt)

HEAD OFFICE:

Tamil Centre for Human Rights – TCHR/CTDH
9, rue des Peupliers – 95140 Garge les Gonesse – FRANCE
Contact person : S. V. Kirubaharan A?a??a?? General Secretary
Tel/Fax: + 33 1 42 67 54 36 – Email: tchrgs@hotmail.com / tchgs@tchr.net

TCHR-UK

Tamil Centre for Human Rights – TCHR/CTDH

PO Box 182, Manchester M16 8ED, UNITED KINGDOM

Contact person : Deirdre McConnell A?a??a?? Director International Programme
Fax: + 44 161 860 4609 – Email: tchrdip@hotmail.com / tchrdip@tchr.net

TCHR-NETHERLANDS
Tamil Centrum voor Mensenrechten- TCHR
Stellingmolen 43
1703 TE Heerhugowaard

THE NETHERLANDS

Contact person : I. Chinniah

TCHR-SWITZERLAND Tamilen Zentrum fur Mensenrechten – TCHR
P. o. Box : 319
8172 A?a??a?? Niederglatt, SWITZERLAND
Contact person : Thambirajah Genegatharan
Email : tchrswitzerland@hotmail.com

Published: Feb 14, 2008 4:54:34 GMT
Comments [ 1 ]:

Posted on

Local bombs to kill elephants

How much does infant zantac cost Cheap lozol medicine An elephant has died in Hambantota after an explosive device which it swallowed exploded inside its mouth. This is the eleventh elephant death due to this locally made device called by A?a??E?Hakka PatasA?a??a??, reported from the area in the last few months, the Forest Department officials said. The farmers coat the bombs with animal fodder.
source:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=6173

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arugam pul

Women do penance for elephantsA?A?A? death
Order viramune coupon Saturday February 9 2008 09:44 ISTS Kaththasami Lady era over the counter

COIMBATORE: Ever since the death of three elephants in a train accident near Madukkarai recently, there has been a flurry of reports in the regional dailies about pregnant women in nearby villages doing penance on the advice of a local godman.

Believing the words of the godman that the death of the elephants is a bad omen, many women in Pannimadai village are still performing rituals like lighting A?A?A?deepamA?A?A? with ghee in the evenings and pouring water on Lord Vinayaka.

But godman Ponoothu Malai Amman Arulvaku Sithar P K Narayanasami has scoffed at the newspaper reports that he had advised the local people to do penance for the death of the elephants.

A?A?A?It is irrational to believe that pregnant women will face the wrath of god because of this accident,A?A?A? said Narayanasami, who is staying at Chinnathadagam.

A?A?A?I was upset after seeing the reports. It was all a work of imagination,A?A?A? he added. He accused his friend Rajendran, who is working as a post master in Pannimadi village, of having used his name and misguided the people for his own publicity.

A?A?A?I am a fortune-teller and why should I create panic among the people?A?A?A? he asked.

R Selvi, a resident of Pannimadai, said that on Feb 5, Rajendran approached them and said that to avoid any evil befalling pregnant women, Narayanasami had advised them to mix a variety of grass (A?A?A?arugam pulA?A?A?) in a pot of water and offer it to Lord Vinayaka. Rajendran also asked them to light A?A?A?Panja muga deepamA?A?A? in homes.

A?A?A?We have strong belief in Ponoothu Malai Amman. So we followed what he told us,A?A?A? she said.

source:
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20080208232258&Page=T&Title=
Southern+News+-+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=0

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Arugam Bay Master Plan

Rebuilding Sri Lanka for Tourists:
A Report on the Latest Situation
Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR), Sri Lanka

After the December 2004 tsunami struck, devastating the countries of South and Southeast Asia, the Sri Lankan government moved quickly to announce the launch of a grand plan not just to rehabilitate the affected areas but to rebuild the whole country. They have since gathered commitments of over $3 billion from the international financial institutions and foreign governments to carry this out.

Within days of the disaster, the government had announced that people should not rebuild their houses on the coast. Within weeks, an exclusion zone of up to 200 metres inland from the coast had been announced, displacing fisherfolk and other coastal communities from their land and effectively severing them from their livelihoods. Shortly afterwards, exceptions were announced for tourist businesses, and the government has been talking about the need to promote tourism. In the meantime, non-governmental agencies have been carrying out almost all of the work in cleaning up the destroyed areas, building temporary shelters, regenerating livelihoods and so on.

The Sri Lanka Tourist Board website says, A?a??A?In a cruel twist of fate, nature has presented Sri Lanka with a unique opportunity, and out of this great tragedy will come a world class tourism destination.A?a??A? However, this A?a??A?unique opportunityA?a??A? seems to be reserved solely for developers and those who can afford a A?a??A?world-class tourist destination,A?a??A? but for the majority of tsunami survivors, the opportunity for rebuilding their lives with dignity and sustainability will be lost. For them, the A?a??A?cruel twist of fateA?a??A? was not in the tsunami, but lies in the governmentA?a??a??s tourist- and business-oriented rebuilding plan.

The Master Plans: Arugam Bay, a Blueprint for Sri Lanka

Plans are now being developed to transform 15 coastal towns all around the island into tourist resorts as part of the post- tsunami rebuilding process. The 15 towns under discussion, Wadduwa, Beruwala, Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Unawatuna, Koggala, Matara, Hambantota, Tangalla, Yala, Arugam Bay, Passikuddah, Nilaweli and Kalpitiya, have been singled out for redevelopment according to different themes.

The first plan to emerge was that for the redevelopment of Arugam Bay, a small town nestled on the edge of a 300 hectare lagoon on the east coast of Sri Lanka, which just happens to be one of the best surfing spots in the world with beautiful beaches. There are indications that this will serve as a model for all the other areas.

Redevelopment Plans A?a??A? Grandiose and InappropriateA?a??A?

The Arugam Bay Resource Development Plan covers a stretch of land 17km by 5km between Komari and Panama, including Pottuvil Town. It envisages the total reorientation of the area away from the current fishing and agricultural communities, supplemented by seasonal guesthouses, into a large development of hotels (A?a??A?low cost budget windsurfer to 5-star touristA?a??A?), a commercial centre (A?a??A?shoppersA?a??a?? paradiseA?a??A?), a yachting marina, floating plane pier and helipad. According to the plan, while only 9 out of 25,000 hectares are currently being used for tourism, this figure is set to increase exponentially through the redevelopment.

Consultants contracted to work on the redevelopment admit that they, A?a??A?have drawn heavily upon past plans (esp. the Tourism Master Plan)A?a??A?which was widely recognised as being A?a??E? grandioseA?a??a?? and A?a??E?inappropriateA?a??a??,A?a??A? referring to a report of the Asian Development Bank. The disconnect between the planned development and the interests of the people is illustrated in the following quote, A?a??E?the location of the helicopter pad near the new pedestrianised road will bring a new vibrant life in to Arugam Bay town centreA?a??a??.

Government Coercion Forces Out Coastal Communities

In the name of A?a??A? redevelopment,A?a??A? the Sri Lanka Tourist Board is ready to acquire not only all the land within the buffer zone declared by the Taskforce for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) of 200 metres from the high tide line, but also a stretch up to a kilometre wide running along 3 kilometres of the coast beyond the buffer zone, as well as a belt of land over 600 metres wide in places around the edge of the lagoon. In addition, an area of sea next to the lagoon entrance will be appropriated for the yachting marina and a strip across the middle of the lagoon for the floating plane landing pier.

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This proprietary sentiment was reflected in statements made by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board Chairman at a meeting organised by Sewalanka Foundation between the community and the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. Saying, A?a??A?The land belongs to the government. Maybe your forefathers lived in that area, but the 860 acres belongs to the government. It will be developed as a tourist zone. We will put up buildings and develop the area and we will ask you to come and work thereA?a??A? After I became the Chairman I captured 5,000 acres of land for the Tourist Board. My target is 15,000 acres,A?a??A? the Chairman left no room for doubt about the true nature of the plans for reconstruction.

There are plans for new housing for the estimated 5,000 displaced families in 5 separate inland locations, in all cases behind areas zoned off for tourism. These resettlements are located well over 1km from both the sea and the lagoon, which are rendered practically inaccessible by the new tourist infrastructure. The plan proposes to allocate houses in the resettlement districts by drawing lots, and there is blatant coercion to move from the government, saying through the Tourist Board that A?a??A?these houses will be given to people who support our program.A?a??A? Further threats from the Tourist Board hint at state oppression of non- compliants, threatening communities that A?a??A?if you built any illegal structures in Arugam Bay, the army and the police will have to come and remove them.A?a??A?
The document also says that the over 70 existing guesthouses and numerous other small enterprises that will have to be relocated would, if they were already registered businesses, be given the option of leasing land within the zones for a period of up to 30 years, while unregistered businesses would have no such rights. None of the businesses will receive compensation.

$80 Million of Tsunami Funds Spent on Creating a A?a??A?Tourist ParadiseA?a??A?

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The initial investment in the planned development is estimated at $80 million. Of that, $50 million is earmarked for a bridge over Arugam Lagoon, which according to the plan A?a??A?will stand as an inspirational symbol that shows progress towards the achievement of prosperity for Arugam BayA?a??A? as A?a??A?the gateway to a tourist paradise.A?a??A?

Another $5 million is allocated for a new road around Arugam Lagoon, and $20 million is proposed for the construction of the new inland townships of 2,500 houses each. The remaining $5 million is slated for water supply and sanitation systems in the new townships and the tourist zone. The cost of the other proposed infrastructure, such as the floating plane pier and helipad, is not yet included in the overall plan, although it is stated in the document that such amenities will have to be funded either by investment by the government or from NGOs.

================================

What else could $80 million do?

The government has decided to stop the weekly food grant of 200 rupees in cash and 175 rupees in rations for the 881,000 people affected by the disaster. $80 million would be sufficient to extend this relief for all for another 6 months.

The government has only started to build 1,659 permanent houses to replace the 41,393 that were completely destroyed, a mere fraction of the housing desperately needed by tsunami victims. $80 million would be enough for 32,000 families to build houses.

================================

Redevelopment Plan Conceived in Isolation

The plan was apparently initiated independently by the Rebuild Sri Lanka Trust, which was set up in the aftermath of the tsunami by 4 individuals and started working in the Arugam Bay area as a A?a??A?non- political private sector initiative.A?a??A? The Trustees include the managing director of Maxim Ltd., a garment manufacturing company; a senior partner in a Colombo law firm, specialising in foreign investment, infrastructure development advisory services and real estate; the Managing Director of Expolanka Freight Ltd, a transport services company; and a retired doctor.

The Rebuild Sri Lanka Trust had within a month of the tsunami contracted a series of consultants to work on the plan. These are Dutch engineering consultants Arcadis; ECOPLAN-Z Limited from New Zealand; and EML Consultants from Sri Lanka. All of these consultants are involved in or are directly linked to work on large Asian Development Bank or World Bank infrastructure projects. The local company, EML Consultants, according to their website, normally works in facilitating US investment in water and environmental services, in carbon trading and in the promotion of plantation agriculture and floriculture.

The plan was finalised in late April of this year, and states that at the time of writing the President had already given approval, and was A?a??A?keen to see the action projects proposed in the report are implemented without delay.A?a??A? In fact, USAID had already published a presolicitation notice for a contract to construct the bridge, road, water supply scheme and wastewater system in Arugam Bay by 8th April 2005, and hosted a pre-bid conference for potential contractors in Colombo on 10th May 2005.

The first the residents of Arugam Bay heard of the plan was at a meeting organised by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and Sewalanka Foundation in Colombo on 17th May 2005, nearly a month after the plan had been approved and finalized by the government, and more than a month after the USAID presoliciation notice was issued.

An assessment of the plan carried out by Arcadis said A?a??A?the most important shortcoming is that it has largely been produced in isolation in Colombo, with little or no stakeholder involvement. It is evident that the team spent only two days in Pottuvil – Arugam Bay, and apart from the GA officer in Ampara and the DS in Pottuvil, they met only with INGO staff.A?a??A?

================================

Business Interests at the Top

The plan falls under the remit of the Taskforce for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN), an extra-governmental body functioning under the authority of the President. TAFREN is headed by 10 business leaders, at least 5 of whom own or manage companies that operate beach hotels.

================================

For Tsunami Victims, Another A?a??A?Cruel Twist of FateA?a??A? In Store

The picture that is becoming clearer by the day shows that the direction being taken in the post-tsunami rebuilding is completely counter to the interests of those people who have suffered in the disaster. They are being driven off their land and out of their livelihoods in the name of a grand plan for the A?a??E?modernisationA?a??a?? of the country.

This process started long before tsunami, but it is now being pushed with the weight of the $3 billion the government has gathered in the name of the tsunami victims. If all of the 15 tourist townships require an investment of $80 million, the cost will be $1.2 billion, or a massive 40% of the total amount committed. If all of the 15 tourist township plans follow the model of Arugam Bay, the number of families pushed out to make way for hotels, yachting marinas, helipads and floating plane landing strips could be well over 75,000.

source:
http://www.50years.org/cms/ejn/story/274
published September, 2005 – but only found on the net now, January, 2008

Posted on

Sport sans Frontieres Blog

Salut,

Le petit billet du jour aura pour thA?A?me mon boulot au Sri Lanka.

JA?a??a??ai A?A?tA?A? recrutA?A? comme responsable de programme par Sport Sans FrontiA?A?res (SSF) (www.sportsansfrontieres.org) pour une durA?A?e dA?a??a??un an. La mission existe depuis maintenant 3 ans (mission post tsunami).

A?A?

Pendant un an je vais habiter avec Valentine (enfin dA?A?jA?A? surnommA?A?e violette pour des raisons dont je suis innocent), chef de mission, et Guillaume, responsable de programme (il sA?a??a??occupe de 22 A?A?coles de la ville de Pottuvil, et coordonne et forme les animateurs de lA?a??a??A?A?quipe et des instituteurs locaux). La premiA?A?re est de Aix en Provence, le second palois.

A?A?

Mes missions sont multiples car je suis responsable de 3 programmes diffA?A?rents.

A?E?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? Le premier, appelA?A? A?A?A?A?Youth ClubA?A?A?A?. Ce sont en fait des centres sportifs crA?A?A?A?s par SSF, et encadrA?A?s par des animateurs locaux que nous encadrons et formons. Ils sont au nombre de 6. Ces centres sportifs sont ouverts 4 jours par semaine. Mon rA?A?le est donc dA?a??a??en faire le tour, dA?a??a??A?A?valuer les sA?A?ances des animateurs, et de faire une rA?A?union une fois par semaine afin de continuer leur formation et de rebondir sur ce qui a A?A?tA?A? fait (en bien ou en mal). Notre but sur ce projet est la pA?A?rennitA?A? des youth club pour 2009, mais A?A?galement leur autonomie, tout comme celle des animateurs.

A?E?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? Le second, appelA?A? formation A?A?A?A?AkkarapatuA?A?A?A? (du nom de la ville oA?A? se passe la formation, A?A? 1h30 de route dA?a??a??ici). Il sA?a??a??agit pour moi de former des instituteurs dA?A?jA?A? en poste, et cela une aprA?A?s-midi par semaine pendant toute lA?a??a??annA?A?e. Mon but est de leur faire intA?A?grer le sport comme outil A?A?ducatif. La tache nA?a??a??est pas aisA?A?e dans un pays oA?A? le sport nA?a??a??existe que par le cricket et la compA?A?tition de haut niveau. Point de sport A?A? lA?a??a??A?A?cole ici.

Ce programme concerne 40 personnes que je dois en plus suivre sur le terrain une fois par semaine (ils sont rA?A?partis par groupes de 2). Au final, il y a un examen thA?A?orique ainsi quA?a??a??une note concernant la pratique.

A?E?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A?A? Le troisiA?A?me, appelA?A? formation A?A?A?A?AddelachchenaiA?A?A?A? (du nom de la ville oA?A? se passe la formation, A?A? 2h de route dA?a??a??ici). Elle est plus ou moins la mA?A?me que la prA?A?cA?A?dente, mais lA?A? ce sont es professeurs et instituteurs en formations. Je lA?a??a??ai aurais une aprA?A?s-midi par semaine (3h) en thA?A?orie, et 1h30 en pratique par semaine, et cela pendant 6 mois. Puis les 6 derniers mois, ils seront en stage dans des A?A?coles, avec obligations de faire pratiquer le sport une fois par semaine A?A? leurs A?A?lA?A?ves.

Ils sont au nombre de 20 et sont rA?A?partis sur une surface qui va mA?a??a??amener A?A? faire beaucoup de route (vraiment beaucoup car 4h de route pour A?A?valuer des A?A?lA?A?ves, cA?a??a??a fait vraiment beaucoup). Buy astelin online

La encore je dois crA?A?er lA?a??a??ensemble des contenus de cours, et les A?A?valuer.

A?A?

Voila un petit peu de quoi va A?A?tre composA?A? mon quotidien. Pas de tout repos. Mais ne vous en faites pas, il y a plein de choses que je vais faire en dehors du boulot. A commencer par surfer. Mais aussi visiter ce beau pays quA?a??a??A?A? lA?a??a??air dA?a??a??A?A?tre le Sri Lanka (malgrA?A? le fait quA?a??a??en ce moment, pour raisons de sA?A?curitA?A?, nos dA?A?placements dans le pays soient trA?A?s limitA?A?s).

Sport Sans Frontieres (Nicolas DASSIE)
Central Road

Cheap bestina reviews

Pottuvil 08 (Sri Lanka)

tel portable:

source:
http://nicosrilanka.spaces.live.com/default.aspx

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Virtual Globe Trotting: Sri Lanka

January 22nd, 2008

One of my greatest wishes and goals in life is to travel around the world and explore. I would like to have what I call little mini adventures. I love the sense of freedom you get when you travel. Like you can leave all the other stuff in your life at home and just enjoy the pleasures and sites of someplace new, try new things, eat new foods and just explore.

Since I canA?a??a??t just pick up and leave for these great adventures whenever I want, I do still want to learn about new places and cultures and sites. My not so very original idea instead is to read travel guides or watch videos about the places I would like to visit.

Recently while surfing channels on the TV, I found a series called Globe Trekker on PBS. I watched a program last night on Sri Lanka and the Maldives. One of the places the host visited was the Buy accutane 5 mg Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage in Kegalle, Hill Country, Sri Lanka. Apparently when the farmers started taking over more and more land to tea plantations, the elephants were driven out. The orphanage is home to these displaced elephants and also home to many injured elephants due to land mines. You can visit and observe them feeding the elephants as well as watch them go in the water for bath time, which was totally adorable and really tugs the heart strings.

I also found her visit to Arugam Bay in Ampara, Southeast Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia Bupron purchase to really interesting. Because of an ongoing civil war with the Tamil Tigers, the region has its share of terrorist activities occasionally. But apparently both sides of this war, donA?a??a??t have a problem with tourists visiting the area. Some of the most beautiful beaches are there and hard core surfers from around the world go there to surf. I thought their travel advice was pretty practical. ItA?a??a??s like anywhere else in the world, there are good areas and bad, just stay in the areas that are good and donA?a??a??t just wander around, because youA?a??a??ll run into problems. They used NYC has an analogy for this.

As for the Maldives Islands, there are 1190 of them. Tourists can only stay on a fraction of them. I learned they are very careful about conservation on those islands and the sea surrounding them. The host was saying that the islands are a divers paradise and I can believe it. The sea life was really quite amazing.

One of the cool things about learning in general to me is making connections. For example this morning when checking Google news I came across an article about Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers. I can honestly say that normally I would probably have passed over that article and never read it. But now that IA?a??a??ve watched that program and understand a bit more about the conflict goin on and seeing the people who live there, its a connection.

Anyway, just thought I would share my little virtual journey. Check out the program and links. Enjoy!!

source:
http://gottahavemoxie.org/blogs/2008/01/22/virtual-globe-trotting-sri-lanka-and-the-
maldives/

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Why Aid Doesn’t Work
Viewpoint
By Fredrik Erixon
Chief economist, Timbro


Trading on Singapore's stock exchange - the way forward for Africa? AP/Ed Wray
Sound economic policies, not aid, have lifted millions of Asians out of poverty
Fredrik Erixon

The case for aid: Jeffrey Sachs

The aid sector is booming. In the last three years, foreign aid has risen by one third and today stands at US$78.6 bn. In 2010, government spending on aid is projected to be above US$125 bn a year.

What are we to expect from this new wave of aid spending? Will it, once and for all, lift people out of poverty or will it most likely achieve very little – perhaps even be counterproductive?

These are the core issues. Hardly anyone opposes the idea that first-world countries should assist developing countries, if that assistance helps countries to develop. The question is: does it?

I am afraid it does not.

Failure of the big push

The new ‘big push’ of development aid has been tried many times before but always with dismal results. The call for redoubling aid to eradicate poverty has been responded to many times over, but it has never delivered what it promised.

In spite of more than US$1 trillion in aid to Africa over the last 50 years, the big push in development has yet to occur.

Between 1970 and 1995 aid to Africa increased rapidly and aid dependency (measured as the aid-to-GDP ratio) stood at nearly 20% in the early 1990s. Measured differently, the mean value of aid as a share of government expenditures in African countries was well above 50% between 1975 and 1995.

Graph showing inverse relationship between aid and growth in Africa over three decades.

As African aid rose, growth slowed. World Development Indicators Online

During the same period, GDP per capita growth in Africa decreased and was for many years even measured in negative figures. The unfortunate fact is that most African countries are poorer today then they were at the time of their independence from colonial powers.

If the idea of aid had been true – in particular the alleged link between aid, investment, and growth – many of those countries would today have eradicated extreme poverty and have a GDP per capita similar to that of New Zealand, Spain or Portugal.

If nothing else, aid to Africa seems to have lowered rather than increased economic growth.

Corruption and bad decisions

Why has aid failed to deliver higher economic growth for developing countries?

Order aceon

AID AND DEVELOPMENT
Who are the biggest donors and who are the biggest recipients?

In graphics

Partly because aid has not been spent in the way it was intended. Instead of gearing up investments, money was spent on current spending and public consumption – which, in turn, led to a rapidly growing public sector in the economy.

Needless to say, this strengthened other socialist tendencies in the economy and investment became, in many developing countries, mainly a government activity.

In addition, aid boosted fiscal budgets and led to a rapidly growing number of parastatals and state-owned enterprises. Largely supported by the donor community at the time, these soon became arenas of corruption and this corruption spread like wildfire to other parts of the society.

Soldier guards the tomb of ex-President Samora Machel and other liberation-era heroes. AFP/Getty/Alexander Joe

Mozambique and other African countries adopted Socialist policies

The tragedy of aid, as been shown in numerous evaluations and by World Bank research, is that donors are part of the problem of corruption; aid often underpins corruption, and higher aid levels tend to erode the governance structure of poor countries.

In other words, donors have failed to follow the chief principle of the Hippocratic oath: do no harm!

However, the major reason for the low effect of aid has been policies detrimental to economic growth in the recipient countries.

Closed African doors

It is sound economic policies, not aid, that in the last decades have lifted millions – even billions – of Asians out of extreme poverty, and provided the resources to limit the extent of (or in some countries, eradicate) starvation, diseases, and other visible signs of poverty.

Inversely, it is bad economic policies that still keep millions of Africans in deadly poverty.

When several Asian countries started to open up for trade and foreign direct investment, the policies that created the ‘Asian Tigers’ and the ‘Asian Miracles’, many African countries headed for a model of economic autarky, closed the borders, and regulated the domestic economy to absurd degrees.

It is hardly surprising that this strategy of development has failed bitterly.

What is more, donors supported these policies. And many donors are still pouring money into countries with policies detrimental to growth.

Instead of focusing on the quality of aid and how to raise the output through a more productive use of aid, donor countries and others are solely occupied by increasing the quantity of aid.

Regrettably, caution is therefore warranted. Aid to countries that are not performing well tends to strengthen the factors of under-development, and increased aid to countries that have entered the economic reform route runs the risk of derailing the reform process.

Trade in the aid

Bono and Sir Bob Geldof at July's G8 summit. Kirsty Wigglesworth PA

Do Bono and Sir Bob know how the extra aid should be spent?

The question then is not if rich countries can afford to give more aid to developing countries. It is obvious that they can.

The question is whether this aid can reduce poverty by promoting economic growth.

Sadly, the history of aid does not show that it can. Nor does it seem that world leaders, not to mention Bob Geldof and other campaigners, have any real idea how the aid given can be made more effective.

So, here is what donor countries should do.

  • do not spend any more money on development aid
  • withdraw all aid to countries that are not pursing sound economic policies and that fail seriously to build institutions for democracy and transparency
  • countries that meet these high standards should, within a limited period of time, be assisted with ‘locking-in’ already accomplished reforms and, in particular, with pursuing additional reforms
  • rich countries should immediately open up their markets for exports from poor countries

Price of clarina anti acne kit Trade has proven to be instrumental to poor countries development. Aid has not.

Fredrik Erixon is the chief economist of Timbro, a Swedish think-tank, and author of Aid and Development: Will it Work this Time? (International Policy Network, 2005)

source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4209956.stm

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School Lunch at Arugam Bay

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Ghost Town Arugam

Well presently i sit in a nice and breezy mountain towncalled ella. It is about 1000 meters above sea level and the views are amazing. I can werar jeans here because its a little cooler. that excites me. We are staying at a wicked place with amazing food… and at the price of 3$ a night you cant go wrong..

I dont remeber the last time i wrote but i guess ill tell you what weve been doing the last few days. We went to a national park on a jeep safariand saw some crazy cool animals.

We then proceded to the east o fthe island to a place called Glucotrol xl cost arugam bay Prilosec for infants cost . It was a ghost town since its not peek tourist season. There were no waves for surfing and there was like 1 store open. But we found a sweet place to stay and met 2 girls . one from cali, and the other from the UK. We have been travelling with them the last 4 days. We left there to come here to ella. It was only like 200 kms but we had to take 3 bus’s , 2 tuk-tuks and a train and it took all day. Transport sucks in Sri Lanka.

But ive enjoying being mellow in sri lanka. Ive been able to read and write alot.
The tea is so good here.
The people are very kind.(although they stare alot)
Pray for the people of Sri lanka during the time of this civil war. 2008 will be a bad year for Sri lanka if something doesnt change.

Pray for health and for safe travel. We leave on the 27th.
Miss you all.

reuben
God Bless

source:
http://reubenwurtz.blogspot.com/2008/01/ella-ella-eh.html

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Mosque Prayer Times

Pottuville, Sri Lanka Prayer Times
also valid for Arugam Bay Mosque

Prayer Schedule January / 2008
Day Date Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha
17 Thu 5:06 6:19 12:13 3:34 6:06 7:15
18 Fri 5:07 6:19 12:13 3:35 6:07 7:16
19 Sat 5:07 6:19 12:14 3:36 6:07 7:16
20 Sun 5:07 6:20 12:14 3:36 6:07 7:17
21 Mon 5:07 6:20 12:14 3:36 6:08 7:17
22 Tue 5:08 6:20 12:15 3:36 6:08 7:17
23 Wed 5:08 6:20 12:15 3:37 6:09 7:17
Monthly/Annual Schedule
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Latitude: 6.8667 Longitude: 81.8333
Timezone: GMT +5.50 Juristic Method: Shatavari kalpa price Standard
Calculation Method: Muslim World League
Click Here To Change

Allah says: “Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of poor-rate.” 24/37

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Reconsider your need to travel to Sri Lanka !

Safety and Security

Terrorism

Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.

Civil Unrest/Political Tension

We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Sri Lanka at this time because of ongoing civil unrest, the volatile security situation and the very high risk of further attacks by the LTTE. There have been attacks against aid workers. Attacks occur frequently and further attacks can happen at any time, anywhere in Sri Lanka, including the south. Australians could inadvertently become victims of violence directed at others.
Tensions between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are high. There has been a significant escalation in the number of serious incidents of politically motivated violence, including in tourist areas in the centre and south of the country. On 2 January 2008, the Government of Sri Lanka announced it would withdraw from the ceasefire agreement it signed in 2002 with the LTTE. The security situation could deteriorate further without warning.
You should pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media and other local information sources for information about possible new safety or security risks.
On 27 November 2006, the LTTE indicated that it would pursue an independent state through renewed struggle rather than negotiation. Road access to the north of the country, including to Jaffna, has been restricted because of intermittent fighting at Muhamalai. A State of Emergency was declared by the Government of Sri Lanka on 13 August 2005 following the assassination of the Foreign Minister and remains in effect. The State of Emergency gives additional powers to security forces including the authority to establish road blocks and impose curfews. Further powers were given to the security forces under emergency regulations introduced in December 2006.
Air and ground attacks in late 2007 in areas held by the LTTE escalated the conflict in the north. On 2 November 2007, the LTTE announced that the leader of its political wing was killed in an aerial attack by the Sri Lanka Air Force. These events may increase the risk of further attacks by the LTTE in any part of Sri Lanka, including Colombo.
On 5 December 2007, 15 civilians on a public bus in North Central Province were killed and 23 injured in a roadside bomb attack.
On 28 November 2007, an explosion in a clothing shop in a Colombo suburb killed 20 civilians and injured 34. These attacks appear to have targeted civilians. Also on 28 November 2007, a suicide bombing at a government ministry in central Colombo killed two people and injured a further two. On 2 January 2008, a roadside bomb targeting a military bus killed four people and injured 23 in central Colombo. The majority of those killed and injured were civilians. On 8 January 2008, a Sri Lankan government minister was killed and 10 civilians injured in a roadside bomb attack targeting the minister’s convoy. The attack took place on the road between Colombo’s international airport and the city centre. A second blast occurred in a phone booth near major hotels in the Fort district and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Air Force headquarters.
Although tourists have not been targets of politically motivated violence, the LTTE have undertaken attacks at locations frequented by tourists, including the international airport in Colombo and the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. There has been a significant escalation in the number of serious incidents of politically motivated violence throughout Sri Lanka, including in tourist areas in the centre and south. On 22 October 2007, the LTTE launched a ground and air attack on the Sri Lanka Air Force base at Anuradhapura, near the popular tourism facilities in the cultural triangle. The attack killed over 30 people and destroyed several military aircraft. Several bombs were reportedly dropped on the base during the attack. On 15 October 2007, the LTTE attacked a military camp located in Yala National Park, a popular tourist location, killing eight people. On 16 October 2007, a military vehicle hit a landmine in Yala National Park in Southern Province killing one and injuring three people.
Attacks could occur at any time and in any place, including infrastructure associated with the Sri Lankan Government such as military establishments, public transport, airports, sea ports, oil depots and public buildings, as well as political offices of anti-LTTE Tamil organisations. Nearby locations could sustain collateral damage. Potentially affected locations also include shopping malls, clubs, hotels, restaurants, bars, movie theatres, schools, places of worship, embassies, tourist areas (including national parks), markets and outdoor recreation areas, major sporting events and religious festivals.
Events of political significance, including elections, could be catalysts for violence and civil unrest. You should avoid all demonstrations and large public gatherings as they may turn violent.
You should be particularly vigilant on and around anniversaries and days of national significance such as May Day (1 May), Vesak (which falls in May), the Kandy Esela Perahara Festival (which falls in August), Heroes week (late November), the Tamil and Sinhala New Year festivals (13-14 April), the anniversary of the 2002 cessations of hostilities (22 February) and of the first LTTE suicide bombing (5 July), as militants have in the past used such occasions to mount attacks. Security forces discovered an explosive device and components for an explosive device in central Colombo in early October 2007. On 23 August 2007 police arrested five men for allegedly planning an attack on the Kandy Esela Perahara Festival. There were further arrests on 26 August 2007 following the recovery of an unexploded bomb on a street in Kandy.
On 28 May 2007 a bomb blast near a Sri Lankan Air Force base south of Colombo killed at least seven civilians and injured more than 35 other people, including Sri Lankan Police personnel. On 29 April 2007 Tamil Tiger aircraft bombed the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) base at Ratmalana and an oil refinery in Colombo. On 26 April 2007 the Bandaranaike International Airport near the capital Colombo and its access roads were temporarily closed when Sri Lankan troops at the nearby SLAF base at Katunayeke fired anti-aircraft guns following reports a Tamil Tiger aircraft was in the area. The LTTE launched aerial attacks on the SLAF base on 26 March 2007, forcing the temporary closure of Bandaranaike International Airport, and on the SLAF base at Palali, Jaffna on 23 April 2007, killing armed forces personnel. The Sri Lankan Government has warned more aerial attacks could occur, including, but not limited to, in the High Security Zone in Colombo 1 and 2 suburbs and parts of Colombo 3 suburb where a number of international hotels are located.
You should avoid anti-aircraft batteries and their immediate surroundings, including high-rise buildings, especially during blackouts. New batteries have been established in central Colombo in areas frequented by tourists, including hotels. . In the event of anti-aircraft fire you should stay indoors in a secure location because of the risk of falling projectiles and shrapnel. You should also avoid travelling at night time when anti-aircraft fire is more likely to occur. On 29 April 2007, 14 people were injured and buildings were damaged after anti-aircraft weapons were fired over Colombo.
In the event of a Sri Lankan Government-enforced security related blackout, Australian government officials have been advised to avoid anti-aircraft batteries and their surroundings, including tall buildings and to take cover in a secured area for protection against projectiles, likely to be on the ground floor of an internal room with solid concrete walls and ceiling and no, or limited, windows. If unable to leave a tall building, they have been advised to take cover in an inner room with solid walls using heavy furniture for additional overhead protection. They have been further advised to stay indoors for at least one hour after the cessation of firing of any anti-aircraft guns.
Due to the on-going conflict, the SLAF base at Katunayeke could be targeted at any time. The co-located international airport could be closed without warning and commercial aircraft could be at risk, particularly at night. In light of the increased threat, some airlines have suspended flights to Colombo or changed flight schedules suspending commercial late night flights. We recommend you contact your airline to confirm flight details.
Recent reports indicate that terrorists may be planning suicide attacks against the headquarters of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) in Sir Chitampalam A Gardiner Mawatha in central Colombo and the main SLAF fighter wing at Katunayake, collocated with Bandaranaike International Airport, the country’s main international airport.
Truck bombings could occur at any time in any part of Sri Lanka. You should exercise extreme caution, maintain high personal security awareness and avoid locations known to be targeted by terrorists in Sri Lanka. On 24 July 2007 a roadside bomb targeting a military bus in Mannar district killed nine soldiers. On 24 May 2007 a road side bomb targeting a military bus was detonated in the Fort Area of the Colombo 15 suburb near the port and naval base, killing one soldier and injuring several others, including civilians.
We are aware of media reports that the High Security Zone Residents’ Liberation Force (HSZRLF) has threatened to attack civilian targets in the south including hospitals and dams. The Ellalan Force, which claimed responsibility for the bombing of civilian buses on 5 and 6 January 2007, issued a statement on 21 January threatening further attacks.
Northern areas (including Wilpattu National Park): We advise you not to travel to the north of Sri Lanka, including the area north of the highway between Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Polonaruwa and Wilpattu National Park. An explosion in Wilpattu National Park in May 2006 killed seven visitors. The Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE have engaged in significant battles in the area between Mannar and Omanthai near Vavuniya, as well as Muhamalai in Jaffna. In October 2007, the government began a new offensive against LTTE positions north of Giant Tank near Adampan in Mannar district.
East and south-eastern areas (including Yala National Park): We advise you not to travel east of Pollonaruwa town on the A11 road or to points east of a straight line between Polonaruwa town and the South Coast, passing through Badulla including Yala National Park. On 16 October 2007, the LTTE attacked an army camp in Panama in Ampara district in the east. A day earlier, the LTTE attacked a military camp in Yala National Park in Southern Province near Hambantota. Eight people were killed. Vehicles travelling in Yala National Park hit landmines in October and November 2007. Vehicles have reportedly been attacked with improvised explosive devices in the vicinity of Yala National Park and Kataragama in the South-East.
There have been incidents of violence against aid workers. On 20 August 2007, a member of the Danish Demining Group was shot dead in Jaffna, while his co-worker was injured. On 23 June 2007 an aid worker with the Danish Refugee Council was shot dead in Jaffna. On 2 June 2007, two volunteer Red Cross workers were abducted from a train station and murdered. On 13 June 2007, an expatriate aid worker with Mercy Corps was shot on a beach at the Club Oceanic Hotel in Trincomalee.
The Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE have engaged in significant battles in Mannar district between Adampan and Madhu, as well as near Omanthai in Vavuniya district and in the general vicinity of Trincomalee. In November 2007, the Government of Sir Lanka attempted to breach the LTTE’s defences in Jaffna. Military strikes have also occurred in the Batticaloa, Ampara, Mannar, Mulaitivu, Killinochchi and Hambantota districts. Travellers have inadvertently been caught up in these actions. An attack on a passenger train on 6 June 2007 in Batticaloa district derailed several carriages and caused injuries to a number of civilians. A passenger train was attacked with an improvised bomb on 18 December 2007 in Trincomalee, causing no injuries.
Reports indicate a pro-government Tamil paramilitary faction has threatened aid workers operating in Eastern Province.
If you are already in the “Do Not Travel” areas described above, including the Wilpattu or Yala National Parks, and concerned for your safety, you should consider departing if it is safe to do so. Politically motivated violence including assassinations, bombings in public places and on roads is escalating and there is widespread civil unrest. Communal and inter-ethnic tensions in these regions are very high and further violence is highly likely, particularly between Muslim communities on the east coast and pro-government Tamil paramilitaries.

Crime

There is a danger of kidnapping for ransom of foreign nationals in Sri Lanka, including in Colombo. All Australians in Sri Lanka, particularly those of Sri Lankan Tamil origin, should ensure that appropriate identification is carried at all times.
Violent crime continues to increase, including sexual assault and robbery. Policing in remote areas is often hampered by a lack of resources and poor infrastructure.
There have been incidents of violence against aid workers. On 2 June 2007, two volunteer Red Cross workers were abducted from a train station and murdered. On 13 June 2007, an expatriate aid worker with Mercy Corps was shot on a beach at the Club Oceanic Hotel in Trincomalee.
Petty crime such as pick-pocketing and bag snatching occurs, particularly on public transport.

Local Travel

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Due to the volatile security situation in Sri Lanka, Australian government officials and dependants have been advised to limit travel (particularly at night), maintain a high degree of awareness at roadblocks and checkpoints and avoid using public transport. Australian diplomatic and consular staff have also been advised to exercise heightened security vigilance, avoid travel to locations that may be potential targets and curtail all non-essential travel. Anti-aircraft batteries and their immediate surroundings, including high-rise buildings, should also be avoided. In the event of anti-aircraft fire you should stay indoors in a secure location because of the risk of falling projectiles and shrapnel.
Security personnel may impose curfews, roadblocks and security checks at short notice across the country, and may require proof of identification, such as your current passport.
There can be lengthy delays when travelling to the airport as a result of checkpoints established by the security forces. Sections of the road to the airport are occasionally closed at night, requiring all traffic to be diverted along narrow local roads. Travellers should allow adequate time for security checks on the road to the airport and maintain a high degree of security vigilance if diverted from the main road along the narrow local road system.
Check points between government held areas and “uncleared areas”, (i.e. areas controlled by the LTTE) including on the main A-9 highway which links the north and south of the country, can be closed without notice. The checkpoint at Muhamalai, the entry point to Jaffna, has been closed since 11 August.
Transport conditions throughout Sri Lanka are hazardous. There are a high number of road deaths and injuries, particularly on inter-city buses and three-wheeler taxis. The standard of driving and vehicle maintenance is poor. There have been a number of fatal accidents on Sri Lankan railways in recent years.
Marked and unmarked landmines are widespread in parts of the north and east, especially in Vanni, Jaffna and along the A9 road in the north.
On 28 December 2005 the Government of Sri Lanka announced arrangements for foreigners seeking to enter the uncleared areas of the north and east which are presently under LTTE control. Foreign staff of diplomatic missions, international organisations and international non-government organisations accredited with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be allowed to cross entry and exit checkpoints into uncleared areas without restriction. All other foreigners must seek approval from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence before being allowed to enter uncleared areas. For advice on the location of uncleared areas, you can contact the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence on telephone number (+94 11) 243 3215.
Road access between Jaffna and the rest of Sri Lanka has been closed since 11 August 2006. The LTTE has refused to guarantee the safety of shipping in waters around Jaffna. On 9 November 2006, LTTE Sea Tigers attacked Sri Lankan Navy ships escorting a passenger ferry from Trincomalee to Jaffna. The LTTE launched a suicide attack against a cargo vessel in Jaffna on 21 January 2006. Australians in Jaffna who wish to depart should do so by air.
The waters around the northern and eastern coast of Sri Lanka are declared restricted zones by the Government of Sri Lanka. Government security forces have fired upon unauthorised vessels in coastal areas. In September 2006 a vessel was destroyed in waters beyond the territorial sea.
Piracy occurs in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka. The LTTE hi-jacked a Jordanian cargo vessel off the north-east coast in December 2006. See our travel advice on shipping and ports for more information. The International Maritime Bureau issues weekly piracy reports on its website.

Airline Safety

Due to the on-going conflict, the SLAF base at Katunayeke could be targeted at any time. The co-located international airport could be closed without warning and commercial aircraft could be at risk, particularly at night. We recommend you contact your airline to confirm flight details.
Passengers on international flights to and from Australia are only allowed to carry a small amount of liquids (including aerosols and gels) in their carry-on baggage. You can find out more information at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website. Similar restrictions apply to flights in an increasing number of countries. Contact your airline for further information.
If you have concerns about the safety standards of a particular airline or aircraft, we recommend you research the airline or aircraft through organisations such as Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority Pristiq price with insurance and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has published fact sheets on security for air travellers. When staff at Australia’s overseas missions are advised not to use particular airlines due to safety concerns this will be included in travel advice.
The European Union (EU) has published a list of airlines that are subject to operating bans or restrictions within the EU. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through its foreign assessment program focuses on a country’s ability, not the individual airline, to adhere to international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance established by ICAO.
source:
http://joyceheyzer.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!79F27886F50B9A13!1961.entry?wa=
wsignin1.0

Posted on

Floods everywhere

Cheapest aciclovir cream Floods devastate lives across globe (11 January 2008)

Purchase parietal pleura Floods have wreaked havoc across the world this week as heavy rain hit Southern Africa, Australia, the US, Sri Lanka and Britain.

An Australian woman was killed after flood waters in New South Wales swept her car from a causeway on Saturday.

Thousands were left stranded in eastern parts of the country after some of the worst flooding the country has seen in more than 20 years following a long period of drought.

Aid agencies warned of the risk of diseases from dirty water after floods devastated parts of Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe at the beginning of the week.

Chris McIvor, Save the Children’s director in Mozambique, said: “The warning bells have been ringing for two weeks. The flooding could get a lot worse very quickly.

“We know that what children will need most urgently is shelter, clean water to drink and enough food to eat.”

Officials estimated that millions had been forced to flee their homes and several people are believed to have died.

The downpour has also drowned livestock and left many fields waterlogged, raising the prospect of food shortages in the months to come.

Monsoon flooding forced about 30,000 people in eastern Sri Lanka to take refuge in temporary shelters, according to officials.

Homes in the eastern district of Ampara, a largely flat agricultural area that was hit by the 2004 tsunami, had to be abandoned after heavy rain began on Monday.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in several parts of California after heavy rain and strong winds lashed the state, causing flash floods, mudslides, heavy snow and power cuts.

Torrential downpours also came to Britain at the end of the week, leaving homes and businesses in Ireland and north Wales hit particularly hard by floodwater.

Kate Martin

source:
http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=14035&channel=0

Posted on

#68 Mambo’s Surf Cafe

2013 update:

Our local correspondents regret that they are unable to provide any further photos, comments or news from this #68 establishment.
Aygestin generic name This is due to the fact that “Mambo’s” management (or their manager) have banned them Order bentyl 10mg from their premises. Even a young child wasA?threatenedA?by him (a Mr. “Ranga”) and a group of A?”Mambo” supporters. We deeply regret this weirdA?behaviourA?and sad incident. And will no longer support or mention this particularA?establishmentA?in future.

However, anyone else isA?herebyA?invited to contribute to this page and post.
Below is an extract from our earlier post.

Arugam.info has not left the boys from Hikkaduwa out for any other reason, but for the fact that their brilliant place is not situated on the main road as such.
In fact, #68 Mambo’s can’t be accessed by road at all: The well developed complex is actually located on the sandy beach, near famous surf point itself. Only a 4×4 can be driven there, across the beach front.

A bit of history:}
Mambo is a house hold name in Hikkaduwa, on the South Coast.
The two resorts are Sri Lanka’s main surfing destinations.
But they have opposing seasons.
About 2003 clever business man Mr. “Mambo” decided to offer all year round facilities to his mainly Japanese guests. When a local offered an ‘inaccessible’ place for sale at Arugam Bay it was time to act and the place was swiftly purchased.
Some nice bungalows were build, a restaurant constructed and best of all:
A good, new PARTY PLACE was born.

Some locals, Arugam Bay – or mostly distant PottuVille people – did not see the benefit such a new, western orientated approach would bring to the area and there has been some predictable opposition.
It has much to do with different life styles – and nothing religious or political of course.

The boys from the South do know how to attract tourists, how to make them happy, how to have a good party and how to deal with western girls:
East Coast guys may have some learning and catching up to do.
Of late, Arugam.info has been informed that Mambo may develop a branch at nearby Peanut Farm – half way between Arugam Bay and Panama.
Another brilliant choice, if so!
Because, away from all this local jealousy, in the middle of an undeveloped, peaceful and beautiful area any visitor and tourist can and will really be able to enjoy a true party in unspoiled nature settings. Without unwanted local interferences.
Arugam.info certainly welcomes #68 Mambo as a valuable contribution to the services the Bay can offer.

Posted on

UL without EK

Bad News also for Arugam Bay.
Emirates Airlines used to send some pilots on a R & R surf stay to the Bay to recover from work stress situations. Bad international vibes about heavy handed attitudes, too.
Read the full article:

Emirates to end Lanka partnership

Epivir-hbv price

By Sanjay Dasgupta
BBC News


Emirates aircraft

Together the two airlines are major carriers to Sri Lanka

Emirates Airlines has announced that it will not renew its management contract with Sri Lanka’s national carrier after March this year. Emirates owns a 43% stake in Sri Lankan Airlines and runs it under an agreement with the Sri Lankan government.

The pull-out announcement follows a row over ticketing between the chief executive of Sri Lankan Airlines and the Sri Lankan government in December.

Relations between the two soured significantly following the incident.

Withdrawn

In December Peter Hill was appointed chief executive of Sri Lankan Airlines by Emirates to run to run Sri Lanka’s national carrier.

Soon after his appointment, he refused a request from the Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, for 35 tickets on a flight from London to Colombo.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa

The president needed to travel at short notice with 35 other passengers

The president, who was in London for a private visit, was rushing home in order to be able to attend a crucial session of Parliament.

But Mr Hill refused the request as the flight was over-booked. Shortly afterwards, Mr Hill’s working visa and residence permit were withdrawn by the Sri Lankan authorities.

Talking to the BBC, Mr Hill said the incident “had some bearing” on Emirates’ decision not to renew its contract.

“Basically the flights had been full for several months and we weren’t able to accommodate that number of people – we were talking about 35 seats here.

“And so we asked them if there was a possibility that only the president and his close relatives could travel, and we probably would have been able to accommodate them with three or four seats.

Personally I feel that after 10 years of putting the airline on the right road to success and profitability, it was a disappointing end
Sri Lankan Airlines Chief Executive Peter Hill

“But obviously we weren’t able or prepared to offload 35 previously booked customers, basically taking the whole of our premium cabin and 17 seats in economy, at that short notice.

“That’s not the way that commercial airlines run their businesses, and we’re a commercial airline.”

Mr Hill said soon afterwards his work permit and the residents permit were withdrawn.

The original contract between Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines had been in operation for 10 years, and would have come up for renewal in April.

Price of brand name wellbutrin Mr Hill said Emirates had made a set of proposals for renewing the contract more than 18 months ago, but had heard nothing from the Sri Lankan authorities.

While Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines insist their parting has been amicable, Mr Hill said that it would nevertheless send the wrong signal to international investors.

“Personally I feel that after 10 years of putting the airline on the right road to success and profitability, it was a disappointing end,” he said.

“But the message it sends out to the international community, I think, is not a good one.”

For its part Sri Lankan Airlines says it will have to put together a plan to continue running its operations from April, which it says it is capable of doing.

source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7175527.stm

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Magul Maha Viharaya – Lahugala

Sri Lanka : Magul Maha Viharaya – Lahugala

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka – Geneva – Switzerland

04th January 2008

by Florence WickramageA?A?

The day was bright and the sea a glittering turquoise blue with a strong wind sweeping over it. Some people standing on a beach saw an object shining with the rays of the sun being tossed to and fro by the ocean waves. They waited till the object advanced towards the shore and was surprised to see that it was a gold-gilded canoe carrying a beautiful damsel in it.

Order fincar They ran towards the palace and informed the King that a golden-canoe was coming ashore with a beautiful princess in it. The King hastened towards the beach but found the boat gone. “Ko Kumari” inquired the King? The boat had been swept away by strong winds towards the village Komarigama (coined with the words Ko kumari) in Arugam Bay. (The canoe had not been able to anchor at Kirinde due to its rocky environment). On inquiries made King Kavantissa was informed that the damsel in the canoe was Princess Devi, daughter of King Kelanitissa of Maya Rata, who was offered as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of the sea-gods as the sea waters threatened to drown villages.

King Kavantissa then hastened to meet the Princess and married her in keeping with traditional customs, and she became Queen Vihara Maha Devi. ” The Magul Poruwa” said to be of the Royal couple could be seen amongst ancient ruins in a temple called “Magul Maha Viharaya” in Lahugala. Princess Devi’s canoe had been washed ashore at Arugam Bay ( coined from the words “ara -gama”) and not Kirinde. This is folklore — as related to us by the Chief Priest of the ancient Lahugala Temple Ven. Hulanduwe Ratanasara Thera.

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Driving along the Wellawaya-Moneragala road after passing Siyambalanduwa for another seven miles one could reach Lahugala where Magul Maha Vihara or Ruhunu Maha Vihara lies.

We visited Magul Maha Viharaya which is in ruins today. Ven. Hulanduwe Ratanasara Thera the 5th generation descendent of the Uva-Wellassa lineage which administered the Magul Maha Vihare is the present Chief Priest. Lahugala belonged to the Ruhunu Kingdom of ancient Lanka. The entire Vihara complex had covered an extent of around 10,000 acres where ruins of a palace, moonstone, monastery, bo-maluwa, stupas, ponds etc. were found scattered all over. A headless white marble Buddha statue was seen lying horizontally in one part of the ruins, which sometimes people step on, Ven. Ratanasara said, taking us round the complex.

The history of this temple goes back to the time of King Dathusena who ruled Anuradhapura from 516 AD to 526 AD. The pillar inscription testifies the founder of the Vihara as King Dathusena. The language and the script can be dated to the 14th century.

There is also a stone wall three to four feet in height. This reminds of a fortress which was erected to protect from outside attack. There is also an entrance to the fortress. The moonstone found on the left side has unique features with a row of elephants and creepers followed by a row of lotus petals. The Chief Priest explained that among other unusual features, the row of elephants in the moonstone with their mahouts was exceptional. In this moonstone with three to four in height and five to six feet wide, the row of elephants has a man following an elephant with his goad clinging on to the animals. This moonstone is said to be the only one of its kind in the country.

There are rock pillars similar to Lovamaha Prasada in Anura-dhapura. There is also ruins of a Dagaba about 30 feet in height. There are three rows of steps leading to the Dagoba on three sides and on the lift side is Bodhighara and also rock inscription protected by an iron railing.

The Ven. Thera showing us round the ruins of the vihara complex observed that there were several villages round the temple and people had fled due to unrest. With the ongoing peace process many were returning to their original places. A perahera has been planned along with other religious ceremonies to be observed during Poson the Ven. Thera said.

We then visited Muhudu Maha Viharaya at Arugam Bay. The wide white beach was endless, stretching for miles and miles. There were excavated ruins and stone pillars which provided evidence of an ancient kingdom which had flourished. The Chief Priest of Muhudu Maha Viharaya, Ven. Kataragama Siriratana Thera supporting Queen Vihara Maha Devi’s story as related to us by the Lahugala Viharaya Chief Priest, showed us partly ruined stone statues two of which were believed to be of King Kavantissa and Viharamahadevi. The moonstone which had been in existence near a ruined “Buduge” had been removed by treasure hunters and the “Mura-gal”had been replaced awkwardly.

Ven. Siriratana Thera showed us ruins and stone pillars of an ancient structure excavated on the vast stretch of the beach, where, he said, a stupa had been erected to mark the spot where Princess Devi had landed. The monk living by himself protecting the ruined temple,is supported by about 12 families living in the vicinity who provide him with the “dana”.

There were sand dunes forming part of the endless beach bordering a tranquil turquoise sea and at one end was the Arugam Bay and the “Ula” with a natural harbour. Several fishing huts were seen dotting the area. Both Chief Priests at Lahugala and Arugam Bay said that the ruins found in these places supported the existence of a royal kingdom of ancient Ruhunu Rata, and believed if chronicled had not sufficiently surfaced. The Ven. Theras said that these places were historically and culturally important and their conservation was of utmost importance to preserve the country’s rich heritage.

(Courtesy: Lanka LibraryA?A?)

Published : Friday, January 04, 2008 12:35:11 PM (Geneva time)
source:
http://www.lankamission.org/other%20pages/News/2008/January/2008-01-04lh.htm