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23rd July 2000

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SLMC to go it alone: Rauf Hakeem

By Chandani Kirinde

Despite an appeal by President Chandrika Kumaratunga for the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to contest elections with the PA the SLMC has decided to stick to its original decision to go it alone.

The Party's General Secretary Rauf Hakeem told The Sunday Times in an interview that his party's decision was very much a final one going by the mood among its members, mainly because the proportional representation system favoured minority or small parties when it came to returning members to Parliament.

In a wide ranging interview, Mr. Hakeem who is also the Deputy Chairman of Committees said he rejected suggestions that his was a communal party and stressed the need for the two major parties in the country to make more concessions to the minorities to solve the country's national question. He also said President Chandrika Kumaratunga was the best among present day political leaders to find a solution to the country's problems.

Q: Will you be contesting the elections alone?

A: Yes, our decision is to go it alone.

Q: Is it final?

A: It is very much a final decision going by the mood of the party, for a variety of reasons.

Q: What are those reasons?

A: Firstly, the very nature of the PR system which is favourable to minority parties ( and smaller parties) where the possibility of returning a member to Parliament is greater as long as you pass the five percent threshold.

Q: Have you informed the PA of this decision?

A: Yes, we have. I myself informed the PA at the last executive committee meeting .

Q: What was their response?

A: In unison, all of them rejected it outright. But later they acceded to our request at least as far as the North and East is concerned. But they are very strongly urging us to reconsider our decision outside the North and East.

Q: Has the President spoken to you personally?

A: Yes. She is urging us to reconsider our position. She has put forward a few reasons why we should do so. As opposed to that we have explained to her our stand. Even from the point of view of the PA itself we have briefed her about the past trends as far as the Muslim electorate is concerned .

There is a chance of the SLMC being able to grab the Muslim vote on its own than when we go it together with the PA. At a time when the Muslims are frustrated with the UNP as well, they are looking for a viable alternative and that may not always be the PA. In the current context they want a very strong, independent voice projecting the separate political identity of the Muslims.

Q: Are you willing to reconsider contesting with the PA, outside the North and East,.

A: There again what we have told the PA is when it comes to wooing the Muslim vote, the SLMC standing on its own would be a better option than the SLMC being with the PA. The SLMC would be contesting Colombo, Kandy and Puttalam districts and 14 other districts. The other districts will be contested under the National Unity Alliance (NUA).

Q: Have you chosen the candidates to contest in these areas?

A: That process has been continuing for the last six to seven months and we hope to concluded it within the next two months.

Q: Will you be continuing your alliance with the PA?

A: It would be strange if we start shifting allegiances on the eve of an election unless it is based on very strong principles. The SLMC has always believed in the concept of political principles rather than any other short term considerations.

Q: Have you made any demands from the PA to consider contesting with them?

A: No, that does not arise. Ultimately it is the numbers in Parliament that matter. If we don't stand a reasonable chance of returning our members on the PA ticket, it is only logical for us to go it alone.

Q: What are your expectations on the performance of the SLMC in the upcoming elections.

A: We will definitely increase the number of seats this time. We are hoping to win 15 seats. We will be surprised if we don't win 12 and we will be disappointed if we get anything below ten.

Q: Can you outline the SLMC progress since it first began contesting elections?

A: We started in 1988 with the Provincial Council elections held for the first time under the 13th Amendment. Since then we have contested 10 elections except for the 1993 PC elections. We have improved our performance over the years. This of course excluded our bitter experience when we contested along with the PA. We found we do not fare as well as can be expected if we had gone it alone. We did contribute immensely to the PA victory in all those elections.

Q: Will you be contesting Jaffna?

A: Yes. we are confident of our seats in the Wanni. In the Jaffna district we feel that we may stand an outside chance. In the last elections our chances were greater because the entire area was under the LTTE and only a very small section of the people voted. In our opinion the results did not reflect the proper will of the Jaffna electorate .

Q: Will it be different this time?

A: It is bound to be very much different. The Commissioner of Elections has said there are 600,000 registered voters and I believe at least half of them will be casting their votes if the LTTE and other groups don't engage in violence.

Q: What would you say to those who label the SLMC as a communal party?

A: It is very unfortunate. There is nothing wrong with having a communal label as long as you don't preach hatred. In my humble opinion, the very nature of our political culture is somewhat communal and all those so called national parties are very much communal parties. These just have a few people of other communities but ultimately when it comes to making a decision it is the will of the predominant majority within that party that prevails. So in fact every party is communal when you look at the nature of them. It is absurd to blame the SLMC alone.

Q: What about the talks between the UNP and PA?

A: Unfortunately whenever these two parties get together, whatever they dish out is too little, too late. They are so tightfisted about parting with power. While preserving the integrity of the nation both parties must be prepared to give more autonomy to the periphery.


Human smuggling across Palk Straits

By Chris Kamalendran

A joint racket by unscrupulous Lankan and Indian agents to woo hundreds of Tamil civilians living in the north to cross over to southern India has been uncovered in the Mannar area, a senior government official and police said.

They said they have found that a group of Indians with the help of Sri Lankans were involved in a major human cargo smuggling racket in the recent months after fighting escalated in the area.

"We have found that local agents are carrying out campaigns in refugee camps in the north to entice refugees to travel to South India," Mannar Government Agent, V. Vishvalingam told 'The Sunday Times'.

To entice refugees, some agents convinced them that they too were fed up of living in Sri Lanka and were trying to cross over to South India, he said.

At least three attempts by the agents to smuggle civilians, including women and children have been detected.

Some of the refugees had been dropped off on islands midway between South India and Talaimannar leaving them stranded to be later rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Mr. Vishvalingam said the agents were charging about Rs. 5000 from a passenger to be ferried across.

He said Indian fishermen were not involved in the racket, but in some instances they had been forced to carry the passengers while on some occasions passengers had been offloaded from boats into Indian trawlers while the fishermen were asleep in them. He said the government had called for an emergency meeting with the Divisional Secretary and the grama niladharis of the Mannar district in order to carry out a campaign calling on people not to fall into the hands of unscrupulous agents.

"We want the public not to risk their lives," he said.

He said the security forces have also been alerted in order to prevent people falling into the hands of these agents and leaving the country.

Mannar District Parliamentarian, Selvam Adai-kalanathan told The Sunday Times that he had brought this issue to the notice of the authorities in Colombo and called for severe action against these agents.

He cited one of the reasons the human cargo smuggling racket has been flourishing as Indian fishermen being allowed to enter the territorial waters of Sri Lanka.

He pointed out that Lankan fishermen are not allowed deep sea fishing.

The Headquarters Inspector for Mannar, Chief Inspector Kiribanda Wijeratne said three men have been arrested in connection with the racket and they were looking for more involved in it.

Early last week an Indian fisherman was arrested for kidnapping at sea, a newly married Sri Lankan girl while she was fleeing to India with her husband, to escape the fighting in the north of the country, sources said.

The fate of the girl identified as Kumudhini (19) remains unknown despite the arrest of the boatman, the sources said.

The girl's husband, Padmarajan of Kilinochchi had made a complaint to the police at Ramanathapuram in South India that on July 6 his wife was kidnapped by four Indian fishermen in a mechanised boat.

The husband had said that 17 refugees were transferred to an Indian fishing boat at mid-sea by the Lankan fishermen for onward passage to India after which the incident took place.

The police have seized the boat used to transport the refugees from mid-sea to shore and identified it's owners.

The husband had identified the arrested boatman as being among the kidnappers and on information given by him the police are hunting for the three others involved in the incident.

Meanwhile the Indian coast guard has stepped up vigil in the coastal villages in the Ramanathapuram district to prevent infiltration by Tiger terrorists and to prevent the smuggling of essential commodities and medicines to Sri Lanka, the sources said.


Rotten deal for quality conscious fish eaters

By Faraza Farook

People consuming fish because of its protein value are only receiving a fraction of the protein as they get low quality fish due to the poor storage facilities and management skills practised by fishermen.

While nutritionists recommend fish for its high protein content, bad management has resulted in quality deterioration of the fish and hence a drop in its nutritional value, Dr. J.M.P.K. Jayasinghe of the Post Harvest Technology Division at the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) said.

The problems were attributed to underdeveloped harbours, lack of infrastructure and the bad management skills followed by fishermen from the point of catching the fish to the point of sale.

"Sixty five percent of the animal protein consumed by Sri Lankans come from fish and fisheries products, but unfortunately we don't get good quality fish," said Dr. Jayasinghe.

One of the main reasons for the quality deterioration is that fish is not preserved at the correct temperature. "They don't use the proper ice to fish ratio which is 2:1," he said.

Explaining further he said that in some instances the low quality of ice used also contributes to the quality deterioration of fish and the problem is worse in those boats that go out fishing for several days. He also suggested that the use of crushed ice was always better than using large blocks of ice.

Sometimes, fishing boats are so small that there is hardly any space to carry ice. Thus the fishermen store only small quantities of ice which is insufficient to preserve the fish until they return, he said.

Storage was another problem. "Wooden boxes are not hygienic. Fishermen should be asked to use clean insulated boxes. Plastic boxes that can be washed are a good option and are now being introduced," he said.

Adding to the poor storage facilities are the sanitary conditions in the boats during long trips which results in the consumer ultimately receiving low quality fish.

The problem is not confined to boats and fish markets alone but is prevalent in supermarkets too. Even in supermarkets where many expect good quality, fresh fish, the temperature is not properly maintained nor are the shelves properly insulated, Dr. Jayasinghe pointed out.

"The quality deteriorates in two ways – internal breakdown of enzymes and the proliferation of micro-organisms from the outside," he said.

Preservation of the quality should start from the time of catching the fish, he said, adding it was essential to maintain the cold chain failing which exposure to heat results in microbiological growth.

Having studied the bad management practices and the post harvest losses during the last three years, especially with regard to tuna fishing, Dr. Jayasinghe said a project demonstrating good management practices will be initiated soon by the Fisheries Ministry.

Suggestions made include improved packing procedures, maintaining the ice to fish ratio, gutting the fish when caught to reduce bacterial proliferation and improving the stacking procedures of fish.

He cited the pollution that takes place from the time of catching the fish as a more serious problem than the recent uproar over the use of the banned substance formalin used in the preservation of fish.

Dr. Jayasinghe also made reference to poor facilities at harbours where a lot of contamination takes place.

" Fishermen use polluted harbour water to wash fish," he said.

A dull outward appearance with blood in the eyes, pink, brown or grey coloured gills, easily removable scales and soft flesh show that the fish is of bad quality while a transparent eye with a hard surface, red gills and shiny scales indicate a fresh fish, Dr. Jayasinghe said.


Devolution perspectives as many see it

By Roshan Peiris

Wide and different views have been expressed by men of standing, both Sinhalese and Tamil, on whether devolution could be the basis for the settlement of the 17-year-old ethnic issue.

Leading lawyer and human rights activist Desmond Fernando was quite certain that "it can be the basis for a settlement. In 1958, one of the basic principles of the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam pact was devolution."

He went on to say that the language issue has been solved "constitutionally and needs implementation. The only problem I see is to work out a proper power sharing."

LSSP leader Batty Weerakoon said "What has to be devolved is what is in the 13th Amendment - namely the powers which were common to both the Central Government and the Provinces.

Mr. Weerakoon stated there was "no clarity on the matter in the national context. There is much confusion in the administration regarding central power".

The new Constitution addresses this problem by removing the list of powers that were common to both the Centre and the Provinces, termed the concurrent list, he said.

He also stated that with regard to the merger of the two provinces the new Constitution is "making an interim arrangement to have a Regional Council that will be appointed by the President in order to administer both provinces, until a fair and free referendum is held."

Leading lawyer Hemantha Warnakulasuriya stated categorically that the "LTTE problem will not be solved by devolution. The LTTE has forthwith rejected the devolution package. One therefore cannot force it on the LTTE."

Secretary to several Prime Ministers and President Premadasa's advisor, Bradman Weerakoon said "For those who have been following the devolution debate closely there can be no surprise that the LTTE has rejected the devolution proposals that are now emerging."

Mr. Weerakoon went on to say that the PA and UNP draft proposals do not apparently satisfy even the moderate Tamil parties such as the TULF. He also stated that the provision regarding State land and the unit of devolution are not acceptable to the LTTE. He said it is difficult to believe that the LTTE, which would presumably not move down from the separate state ideology would find the present devolution package politically palatable.

He said "unless the Constitution is given a great deal of authority the LTTE would not be particularly attracted to what the draft Constitution now offers. This he said is a "regrettable conclusion for all who desire peace and an end to the suffering of everyone affected by the war. It is a sorry plight that there is still an unbridgeable gap between the Tamil aspirations and what may be termed the developing southern political concept."

MP of Batticaloa and TULF leader in Parliament Joseph Pararajasingham said that the devolution package cannot be a basis. It is a package which the PA and UNP have arrived at. The LTTE has totally rejected it.

"In our opinion any resolution of the Tamil question should be based on the Thimpu principles."

Former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province Vartharaja Perumal said, "The devolution idea is a good basis for a settlement based on a long term political foundation. I also feel that there are some major corrections and amendments to be made to the devolution package."

Dr. Stanley Kalpage said simply "The LTTE has made it plain they want Eelam so they won't agree to any form of devolution." Director General of the Bandaranaike International Training Institute Vernon Mendis said, "One has to consider that both sides have to agree on the form of settlement. I think devolution as a settlement is both very sound and also very fair. It is a healthy compromise politically speaking as between the unitary concept and decentralisation."

Member of Parliament for the CWC R. Yogarajan commented "Tamil parties have had discussions with the President which were unfortunately inconclusive. Subsequently the government has held discussions with the UNP, where it seems that the devolution proposals have been further watered down. Until the CWC sees the final proposals we cannot say whether devolution will meet with the aspirations of the Tamil people."


Goods & Services tax on Shell: another flare-up over gas

By Tania Fernando

With the imposition of a 12.5 percent Goods and Services Tax on LP Gas, the monopoly Shell Gas company says it will not pass the burden to the domestic users but bulk consumers will have to pay extra — and they in turn may pass it onto the public.

There will be no changes in the price of the 12.5 Kg domestic cylinder which will be sold at Rs. 470, the company said

But, bulk purchasers like auto gas companies, say they will face serious problems.

Lanka Auto Gas Industry chairman W. K. H.Wegapitiya said they had written to the Treasury requesting that they be exempted from the GST as before, since there are around 20,000 vehicles at present using auto gas.

"The total consumption in the auto gas industry is around 500 tons a month from which the government will earn about Rs. 1.9 million as GST, but to meet the additional cost we will have to retrench workers," he warned.

He said they would have to increase the price by at least 15% and plans for expansion would have to be put on hold for the present. "Now with this increase people might start using the domestic cylinder which has a safety risk," he warned.

Mr. Wegapitiya said people might be reluctant to change to auto gas but companies like theirs which had invested large sums of money just could not leave the market but would have to find ways of cutting costs.

While this affects the bulk user, the final cost is passed on to the consumers, since even biscuit manufacturers will have to increase their prices.

The general manager of a leading biscuit manufacturer said this would lead to increase in their cost of production, but they had to think before increasing prices because they operated in a competitive market. "However it is also impossible to continue with the present prices, unless something is done.

We might have to either reduce production or reduce our work force," he said.

This is the fourth time that Shell Gas Lanka has increased its prices within this year. Though the price of the domestic cylinder has not been increased, this increase in the bulk prices will eventually affect the general public.


Apparitions draw hundreds to Katana

Hundreds of people are flocking to St. Anthony's Church at Kongodamulla in Katana, where a mysterious apparition of Lord Jesus Christ and the blessed Virgin Mary has been reported for the past month.

A priest who visited the site said the apparition had first taken place during Vespers at the church on June 22, the eve of the Patronal Feast of St. Anthony. The priest and the lay people reported seeing a cloud when the Blessed Sacrament was exposed followed by the appearance of the blessed Mother carrying Jesus and then the two figures separately.

The apparition took place again on Thursday July 4 and Tuesday July 18 during the Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Novena Masses and Benediction are held every Tuesday and large numbers of devotees are expected to gather at the church on Tuesday in expectation of another miracle.

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