Double standards in fighting terrorism
A news report filed by the Washington Post Service states that President
George W. Bush had told the American public that the military strikes in
Afghanistan had put the Qaeda network "on the run". He had added, "We must
defeat the evil-doers wherever they hide. Success or failure depends not
on bin Laden, success or failure depends upon rooting out terrorism where
it may exist all around the world."
This is like sweet music to the ears of peace loving Sri Lankans both
Tamil and Sinhala. Today in Sri Lanka there exists Prabhakaran, a ruthless
terrorist who has been developing 'human bombs' of mass destruction which
have destroyed over 60,000 people and billions of dollars worth of public
assets.
He seems to have perfected the art of 'suicide technology' by forcibly
taking children as young as eight and sending them to fight at the front
at 13. He has through indoctrination and various psychological means brainwashed
these young recruits to commit suicide while his own family is safe.
Supposedly, many young recruits are girls whose families are coerced
into letting their children into his camps. As the evidence clearly shows,
if the attack on the airport on July 24 went ahead as planned, Sri Lanka
would have been the first country to have suffered at the hands of suicide
pilots.
A closer look at LTTE suicide missions shows that the LTTE are the masters
of this technology having carried out nearly 200 suicide missions both
here and in India. It proves beyond doubt that the LTTE is an international
terrorist organization with an international network and with strong ties
with other terrorist groups abroad.
If President Bush is serious about the war he has declared on terrorists
worldwide and those who harbour them, then he must act now to hunt and
capture Prabhakaran and LTTE activists and help destroy his sources of
money and weaponry.
The international community should not have double standards in fighting
terrorism.
N.J. Perera
Dehiwela
All this fuss over a name
In almost all specimen applications for employment published in the Government
Gazette and newspapers, the applicants are required to furnish the name
in full, surname and maiden name.
Why repeat the surname when the full name has already been written?
Maybe the applicant should be asked to furnish only his full name.
Will the authorities please look into the matter.
Danapala Patabendi
Ambalangoda
Dedigamuwa mountain weeps
Dedigamuwa mountain, just 12 miles from Colombo, the closest mountain range
to the capital was declared a designated area for a special landscape conservation
project by Indika Gunawardena as Minister of Urban Development, Housing
and Construction during his tenure. The order in relation to this declaration
appeared in the Govt. Gazette Extraordinary No:1122/19 of 09-02-2000.
When Mangala Samaraweera took over as minister he repealed that order
as per Govt. Gazette Extraordinary No. 1187/11 of 06-06-2001.
Why was this order revoked? No one knows. Now wanton destruction has
been caused in the area due to a massive quarry project in and around the
mountain range.
This mountain range is one of the few tourist attractions, close to
the capital. The silver grey waves of the sea on the skyline, the sky-scrapers
kissing the blue sky, Adam's Peak and other places of interest can be seen
with the naked eye. The panoramic view of green paddy fields and Hettige
Oya at the foot of the mountain, full of lotus are a photographer's paradise.
The fauna and flora on the eastern side of the mountain are akin to those
found in Sinharaja.
Unfortunately, the virgin forest is being cleared or destroyed, causing
soil erosion. And Dedigamuwa mountain weeps.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga should look into why the Dedigamuwa
mountain range was declared a part of the designated area for the Kaduwala
special landscape conservation project and repealed subsequently, despite
protests by environmentalists.
Jayantha Galagedera
Dedigamuwa
Words, words, words
The misuse of words and also mis-spelt words on signboards are not only
hilarious but also pathetic.
No wonder we are so good at cricket. What else would you expect with
so many 'Batting Centres' in the island? Going past a row of shops in Gunesinghepura
I noticed that a cafe was advertising "shortis'. Also on offer were plain,
egg and 'horny' hoppers.
There is also this trader offering generators of Honda - Japan. Prominence
is given to a Suzuki generator picture, while someone else is selling 'water
tanks that rise high'.
A recruiting agency boldly advertises, 'No fees charged until visa is
obtained.' Does that mean that the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment
approves of fees being charged from successful applicants?
Finally, at the wine store close by, the guy is wearing a T-shirt that
proclaims,' What you see is what you get - What you don't see is even better
yet!'
M. Nizam Samoon
Kudabuthgamuwa
It was SWRD, not the UNP
The Sunday Times of September 30 states that "the UNP made its first political
appointment in the 1960s to ... a ministry secretary". This is factually
incorrect. The first political appointment in the government service was
made by Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike in 1956/57 with the appointment
of a non-Ceylon Civil Service man to the Department of Labour and then
as Secretary to the same Ministry ignoring all the objections of the CCS
Officers' Union.
That was not all. Ceylon citizenship was also sold to Indians such as
Mahadeven and Thondaman of Kotmale (they were not so-called Indian labourers)
to get over loans and mortgages during this period. This was continued
by SWRD's successor W. Dahanayake
Retired SLAS Officer Colombo |
