An extraordinary Gazette notification last week excluded these two items from the list of banned or restricted items. Items now banned in the Northern province are Unlicensed Arms/Ammunition, Unlicensed Explosives, Remote Controlled Devices and Binoculars/Telescopes.

Items which are restricted and issued on permits to the North are Diesel, Petrol, Cement and Iron Rods. In the Eastern Province, only two items, Unlicensed Arms/Ammunition and Unlicensed Explosives now remained banned. Interesting enough, Remote Controlled Devices and Binoculars/Telescopes are not banned in the East. Needless to say one could take these two items to the East and then smuggle them to the North to beat the ban.

The sequence of events leading to the relaxation of the ban on pen torch batteries and barbed wire have been thorny issues too. The enforcement of such a ban or its relaxation lies in the hands of the Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. However, it appears that the authorities have not been successful in persuading the present incumbent, Sripathi Sooriaratchi, to effect the relaxation.

Hence, Defence Minister Tilak Marapana, in an extraordinary notification (under the Prevention of Terrorism Act) empowered the Defence Secretary to specify (through a Gazette notification) if any article, in his opinion, is capable of being used "in a manner harmful to national security" in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
Now that it has been gazetted, the Defence Ministry has asked for 200 copies from the Government Printer for distribution.

Navy Chief on the peace process
Sri Lanka Navy's intercep tion of two fishing trawlers loaded with mortar shells and Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) on May Day, has prompted its Commander, Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri, to send a signal to all establishments.

He discloses that "the highest authorities in the Government have appreciated the SLN action in ensuring the Government peace process remain on track thus bringing credit to SLN."

The reference of course was to commendations made by Defence Minister Tilak Marapana who was at the Operations Room of the Navy on the night when the Navy intercepted the two fishing trawlers carrying out a ship to shore transfer.
He says "the manner in which the tense situation was handled by the Eastern Naval command on the evening of 1st May, 2002, off Vakarai in defusing a possible disastrous outcome is highly commendable."

He points out that "Sri Lanka Navy should be mindful of the importance of the peace process and the efforts taken by the Government to bring peace to the country thereby improving the economy and living standard of the people." Pointing out that all members of the Navy should be "proud of the action displayed" Vice Admiral Sandagiri says Navy personnel should "act with restraint and wisely with responsibility in achieving the Government's aim to bring about everlasting peace in the country."

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