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Hundreds of Sri Lankans stage demonstration against war on Iraq
Associated Press,
Sat March 8, 2003 06:43 EST .
KRISHAN FRANCIS - Associated Press writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Hundreds of Sri Lankans carrying placards and shouting anti-war slogans demonstrated Saturday against a possible U.S.-led attack on Iraq, saying that the dispute should be solved through peaceful means. Rev. M. Shakthivel a Catholic priest, said the vast destruction and the many orphaned children living in Sri Lanka - 's war-torn northeast bear testimony to the brutality of war. ``We urge them in the name of humanity, don't bomb Iraq,'' he said. A 19-year civil war killed nearly 65,000 people and displaced 1.6 million in this south Asian island nation. Hostilities came to an end after the government signed a Norway-brokered cease-fire with Tamil Tiger rebels last year. The truce has paved the way for five rounds of peace talks. Ven. Mahamankadawala Piyaratana, a Buddhist monk alleged that a war against Iraq is only a part of a U.S. campaign to manipulate world resources. Placards carried by a protester read ``Iraqi children need food, not bombs'' and ``No bloodshed for oil,'' and some protesters burned a U.S. flag during the protest.
Published: Sat Mar 8 15:55:34 EST 2003
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IT'S NOT CRICKET, STUPID, IT'S COMPUTERS, LOVELY COMPUTERS
Fulbright Scholar Brings Computers to Urban Disadvantaged Children in
Colombo, Sri Lanka.
By Chulie de Silva, Colombo.
You would think on a warm Saturday morning, children in Sri Lanka
would be watching a cricket match and cheering on their heroes. No,
not in Kew Road, Slave Island, a multi-ethnic enclave just five
minutes away from the exclusive Trans Asia Hotel in Colombo's central
down town area. The cricket match played on at the Malay Cricket Club,
on Saturday 25, January but thirty children were flocked round five
computers in a little rectangular room of the Vocational Training
Center (VTC) run by the Sri Lanka Malay Association's (SLMA) Rupee
Fund. [More...]
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Govt. puts pressure on Sri Lanka Telecom to withdraw 250 percent hike on call charges
LAcNet Special Correspondent in Colombo,
13:50 SLT, Saturday March 8, 2003.
The government has moved in to put pressure on the Sri
Lanka Telecom (SLT), which has proposed a 15 percent
overall tariff increase including a 250 percent hike
on call charges on nearly 65 percent of its 800,000
customer base.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has already
assured the public that there would not be a hike
while Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi
Karunanayake yesterday requested SLT to reconsider the
proposed tariff hike on local call charges.
The Minister in a letter to SLT chairman Thilanga
Sumatipala said that the ministry was taking efforts
to bring down skyrocketing cost of living on the
consumer. Rising telecommunication charges also have
contributed to this rising.
Mr. Sumathipala was also told that the present
government External Gateway Operator (EGO)
liberalisation with the aim of providing better
services at competitive or reduced price. As a result,
the mobile phone charges in the market have come down
making a tremendous impact.
"In my view the intention of the reform of
telecommunication services was to facilitate
competition with a view to provide adequate and
affordable services to the larger segments of ordinary
consumers. Unfortunately the effect of this
reorganization has been the opposite of what was
expected,” the minister said.
“The cost of telecommunication services has been
coming down drastically world over, including the
SAARC region. However, the tariff in Sri Lanka has
gone up sharply over the last few years and unbearable
hardships have been caused to the consumers. Therefore
any further increase in the future cannot be justified
under any circumstances," he said.
Published: Sat Mar 8 02:53:01 EST 2003
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Sri Lankan Police Force takes a special oath to prevent deterioration
LAcNet Special Correspondent in Colombo,
13:35 SLT, March 8, 2003.
Sri Lanka’s nearly 65,000 police force today took a
special oath in a move to enhance their quality and to
put a stop to the deterioration of the service.
Police personnel took the oath never to betray their
profession, integrity, character or the public trust.
The officers promised that they would have the courage
to hold themselves and others accountable for their
action in terms of the code of ethics, which has also
been introduced to the police force recently.
The police personnel also vowed to uphold the country,
the laws and the Sri Lanka Police Force.
The compulsory oath is also a move to inculcate the
importance of the ethics, discipline and law and order
among policemen.
The principal ceremony of swearing in was held at
Police Field Force Headquarters at Bambalapitiya
presided over by chief guest Chief Justice Sarath
Nanda Silva. Police Chief T.E. Anandarajah was first
sworn in before the Chief Justice, where the former
opted to take the oath in Sinhala language.
The police force comes directly under an independent
commission headed by eminent President’ Counsel
Ranjith Abesuriya, one time Director-Public
Prosecution. The commission was set up under an
amendment to the Constitution.
Published: Sat Mar 8 02:53:01 EST 2003
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