No leeway for Tamil teachers
Sri Lanka''s Commissioner General of Examinations Monday rejected an appeal made by the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) to postpone the Limited Competitive Examination of Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service Class III scheduled to be held only in Colombo on February 11 for a later date and also to take immediate steps to hold the examination in the northeast province to make it easy for the Tamil medium candidates to take the exams.
CTTU appealed for the postponement of the examination as Tamil medium teachers and principals in the northeast have not prepared for the examination due to tense situation that prevailed in the province since December.
CTTU also made a case for holding the examination for NE applicants in the province itself as the current security situation in Colombo is not conducive for the teachers and principals to travel and find lodging facilities in the capital.
But the Department of Examinations said it is not in a position to postpone the examination and also to hold it for Tamil medium candidates in the northeast as necessary arrangement has been finalized to hold the examination in Colombo only.
About thirty thousand candidates are expected to sit for this examination, which is to be held on February 11 in Colombo.(TamilNet)
Vavuniya traders under fire
Traders of Vavuniya have become the target of intimidation by unidentified armed groups withthe anonymous callers using mobile phones demanding cash over the telephone, Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan, Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP said last week in an urgent letter to the Sri Lanka President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse.
Traders who defy the extortionists, as well as their business establishments, have become targets for gunfire and grenade attacks the MP said. A few traders have already been killed recently, he added.
"Traders allege that the armed groups move about with the blessing of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, and point out that in Vavuniya, where many security points line the streets, armed outsiders cannot move about without the knowledge of soldiers manning the checkpoints," said Mr.Adaikalanathan.
“Traders have complained that they have no other alterative but to shut down their shops indefinitely if this intimidation is allowed to continue,” he said.
“Hence I appeal to Your Excellency to take immediate action to bring an end to these atrocities so that these traders could continue their trade peacefully without any fear and hindrance," said Mr. Adaikalanathan in his letter.
USAID funds federalism seminar
The US Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), held a symposium Monday titled "The future of Sri Lanka and the federal idea," engaging more than 500 participants in a discussion on the history of the country''s conflict, past attempts at negotiated settlements, and the basic facts about devolution of power and federalism.
The symposium at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Center was the culmination of a series of grass roots-level workshops facilitated by CPA that involved more than 25 community groups and was funded through a grant from the USAID Office of Transition Initiatives.
USAID said it hopes to establish a core group of trained and informed key community leaders who can transfer their knowledge to the public at large, on the basis that improving community awareness of federalism as a model of power sharing could help provide a solution to the Sri Lankan conflict.
"Federalism is one model for a non-violent solution,” U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jeffrey J. Lunstead said at the opening, adding, however, “the United States has no desire to tell Sri Lanka how to run its country or what kind of model to adopt.”
The symposium was organized in response to the widely held view that a dearth of information exists at all levels about the process of federalism and its implications for Sri Lankans, as well as some of the other core issues under discussion and debate.
"Educating and informing the public at large about this concept will allow them to participate more knowledgeably, and confidently, in this important conversation," USAID Mission Director Dr. Carol Becker said.
SLMC blames police partiality for violence
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has requested President Mahinda Rajapakse to appoint a Presidential Commission to inquire into the conduct of the Police in the violence that took place in Dharga Nagar in southern district of Aluthgama.
Mr. Rauff Hakim, SLMC leader, alleged that the partiality of the Police had contributed to the escalation of the violence against the Muslim people in the area, sources said.
Several shops of Muslims were burnt and properties damaged in the violence. Goons in the presence of the policemen set fire to Muslim business establishments while the curfew was in force. Police were also involved in looting those shops, residents allege.
A police officer in the traffic unit had spread a false rumour that a Sinhalese was killed by a Muslim person and Muslim people were preparing inside a mosque to attack Sinhalese. This contributed to the escalation of the violence between the two communities, according to locals.
Policemen had failed to discharge their duties impartially and the government should take the full responsibility for the violence, Mr. Hakeem said speaking in parliament on Wednesday in the debate on the Bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Code.(TamilNet)
Plastic containers and bags to be banned
The Health Ministry plans to obtain Cabinet approval to ban the manufacture and the use of polythene and plastic containers to arrest the growing number of dengue cases in the country.
Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has directed Epidemiology Unit Director General Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe to draft the Cabinet Memorandum in this regard because the use of such disposable items including ice cream, yoghurt cups and containers had become ideal mosquito breeding grounds.
A Ministry official said that 15,463 dengue patients had been reported in 2004 of whom 88 died.
In 2005, this number had dropped to 5,211 cases with 26 deaths. However in January alone this year 698 dengue cases with one death were reported.
A ban on manufacturing and use of such disposable plastic items has also been recommended in the five- year programme to eradicate dengue fever from the country.
The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry maintains that deficiencies in the disposal of garbage including used plastic containers and cans have contributed to the spread of dengue in the country.(Daily Mirror)
HIV/AIDS under control – minister
Sri Lanka has succeeded in controlling and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country and the global programme by the UNAIDS has commended the measures taken in this regard, Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition Nimal Siripala de Silva said.
The current rate of prevalence of HIV/AIDS patients in Sri Lanka is 0.03 per cent, which is considered low compared to global trends, and the number of patients registered with HIV stands at 712 while the estimated number of virus carriers is around 3,500, he said.
With the detection of the first HIV/AIDS patient in Sri Lanka in early 1980’s, the World Health Organization initiated an awareness campaign and formulated a short term plan to screen blood donors with the introduction of test kits and training of laboratory technicians.
A national HIV/AIDS prevention project was launched with the aim to support the National STD/AIDS Control Programme of the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition to curb the spread of HIV infection which work towards achieving its goals.
The Minister pointed out that educating the youth and school children is vital in prevention the spread of the disease.
According to 2005 estimates, there are 5,100 people living with HIV/AIDS and over 100 are children under 15. The number of deaths during 2005 were 140.(The Island)
Sri Lanka''s Commissioner General of Examinations Monday rejected an appeal made by the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) to postpone the Limited Competitive Examination of Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service Class III scheduled to be held only in Colombo on February 11 for a later date and also to take immediate steps to hold the examination in the northeast province to make it easy for the Tamil medium candidates to take the exams.
CTTU appealed for the postponement of the examination as Tamil medium teachers and principals in the northeast have not prepared for the examination due to tense situation that prevailed in the province since December.
CTTU also made a case for holding the examination for NE applicants in the province itself as the current security situation in Colombo is not conducive for the teachers and principals to travel and find lodging facilities in the capital.
But the Department of Examinations said it is not in a position to postpone the examination and also to hold it for Tamil medium candidates in the northeast as necessary arrangement has been finalized to hold the examination in Colombo only.
About thirty thousand candidates are expected to sit for this examination, which is to be held on February 11 in Colombo.(TamilNet)
Vavuniya traders under fire
Traders of Vavuniya have become the target of intimidation by unidentified armed groups withthe anonymous callers using mobile phones demanding cash over the telephone, Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan, Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP said last week in an urgent letter to the Sri Lanka President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse.
Traders who defy the extortionists, as well as their business establishments, have become targets for gunfire and grenade attacks the MP said. A few traders have already been killed recently, he added.
"Traders allege that the armed groups move about with the blessing of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, and point out that in Vavuniya, where many security points line the streets, armed outsiders cannot move about without the knowledge of soldiers manning the checkpoints," said Mr.Adaikalanathan.
“Traders have complained that they have no other alterative but to shut down their shops indefinitely if this intimidation is allowed to continue,” he said.
“Hence I appeal to Your Excellency to take immediate action to bring an end to these atrocities so that these traders could continue their trade peacefully without any fear and hindrance," said Mr. Adaikalanathan in his letter.
USAID funds federalism seminar
The US Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), held a symposium Monday titled "The future of Sri Lanka and the federal idea," engaging more than 500 participants in a discussion on the history of the country''s conflict, past attempts at negotiated settlements, and the basic facts about devolution of power and federalism.
The symposium at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Center was the culmination of a series of grass roots-level workshops facilitated by CPA that involved more than 25 community groups and was funded through a grant from the USAID Office of Transition Initiatives.
USAID said it hopes to establish a core group of trained and informed key community leaders who can transfer their knowledge to the public at large, on the basis that improving community awareness of federalism as a model of power sharing could help provide a solution to the Sri Lankan conflict.
"Federalism is one model for a non-violent solution,” U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jeffrey J. Lunstead said at the opening, adding, however, “the United States has no desire to tell Sri Lanka how to run its country or what kind of model to adopt.”
The symposium was organized in response to the widely held view that a dearth of information exists at all levels about the process of federalism and its implications for Sri Lankans, as well as some of the other core issues under discussion and debate.
"Educating and informing the public at large about this concept will allow them to participate more knowledgeably, and confidently, in this important conversation," USAID Mission Director Dr. Carol Becker said.
SLMC blames police partiality for violence
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has requested President Mahinda Rajapakse to appoint a Presidential Commission to inquire into the conduct of the Police in the violence that took place in Dharga Nagar in southern district of Aluthgama.
Mr. Rauff Hakim, SLMC leader, alleged that the partiality of the Police had contributed to the escalation of the violence against the Muslim people in the area, sources said.
Several shops of Muslims were burnt and properties damaged in the violence. Goons in the presence of the policemen set fire to Muslim business establishments while the curfew was in force. Police were also involved in looting those shops, residents allege.
A police officer in the traffic unit had spread a false rumour that a Sinhalese was killed by a Muslim person and Muslim people were preparing inside a mosque to attack Sinhalese. This contributed to the escalation of the violence between the two communities, according to locals.
Policemen had failed to discharge their duties impartially and the government should take the full responsibility for the violence, Mr. Hakeem said speaking in parliament on Wednesday in the debate on the Bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Code.(TamilNet)
Plastic containers and bags to be banned
The Health Ministry plans to obtain Cabinet approval to ban the manufacture and the use of polythene and plastic containers to arrest the growing number of dengue cases in the country.
Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has directed Epidemiology Unit Director General Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe to draft the Cabinet Memorandum in this regard because the use of such disposable items including ice cream, yoghurt cups and containers had become ideal mosquito breeding grounds.
A Ministry official said that 15,463 dengue patients had been reported in 2004 of whom 88 died.
In 2005, this number had dropped to 5,211 cases with 26 deaths. However in January alone this year 698 dengue cases with one death were reported.
A ban on manufacturing and use of such disposable plastic items has also been recommended in the five- year programme to eradicate dengue fever from the country.
The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry maintains that deficiencies in the disposal of garbage including used plastic containers and cans have contributed to the spread of dengue in the country.(Daily Mirror)
HIV/AIDS under control – minister
Sri Lanka has succeeded in controlling and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country and the global programme by the UNAIDS has commended the measures taken in this regard, Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition Nimal Siripala de Silva said.
The current rate of prevalence of HIV/AIDS patients in Sri Lanka is 0.03 per cent, which is considered low compared to global trends, and the number of patients registered with HIV stands at 712 while the estimated number of virus carriers is around 3,500, he said.
With the detection of the first HIV/AIDS patient in Sri Lanka in early 1980’s, the World Health Organization initiated an awareness campaign and formulated a short term plan to screen blood donors with the introduction of test kits and training of laboratory technicians.
A national HIV/AIDS prevention project was launched with the aim to support the National STD/AIDS Control Programme of the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition to curb the spread of HIV infection which work towards achieving its goals.
The Minister pointed out that educating the youth and school children is vital in prevention the spread of the disease.
According to 2005 estimates, there are 5,100 people living with HIV/AIDS and over 100 are children under 15. The number of deaths during 2005 were 140.(The Island)
