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Dissolve
Northern local bodies-ACTC Their terms
were extended in April this year. The ACTC has called on the PM
not to extend the term stating that the councils are highly politicised. ACTC General Secretary A Vinayagamoorthy told The Sunday Times that the main reason for the Councils to be politicised is due to the EPDP. 'The EPDP, which is a very corrupt party, is controlling all the local bodies. If it continues in power there will be a lot of problems', he said.
'Budusamaya
saha Sri Lankave janavargika gattanaya ' (Buddhism and Ethnic Conflict
in Sri Lanka) was the title of the June conference and the book
which was launched on Friday at the Mahaweli Centre, containing
presentations made at that conference. This book comprises
presentations by participants at the conference held at the Bath
Spa University, U.K., organised by the UK Association of Buddhist
Studies. A representative
of the Buddhist Federation of Norway, Bjorn Peter Hernes, participated
at the book launch. This organisation begun in 1979 comprises approximately
8,000 members. The book was
presented by the Editor, Ven. Deegalle Mahinda Thera to Ven. Dr.
Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thera, Prof. of Pali and Buddhist Studies,
Sri Jayawardhanapura University. Accepting the
book, Ven. Wimalaratna said he did not agree with the title of the
June conference and therefore did not attend the conference. "I received
an invitation to this conference in the UK but did not participate
in it as a wrong impression may be given by its title," he
said. "This
conference had been organised by a Norwegian Buddhist society. It
is the Norwegian Government that is providing the funds for this
society. We have a doubt regarding the role of the Norwegian Government
in the peace process. I think it is not impartial. They don't meet
the Maha Sangha and other parties," he added. The chief speaker
at the book launch, Prof. J.B. Dissanayake said Western journalists
are in the habit of classifying our people as Sinhala Buddhists.
But is it a Sinhala Buddhist problem here, he asked. It is wrong
to say that the Sinhala Buddhist Army attacked the terrorists. This
creates a totally wrong impression, he said. Ven. Maduluwawe
Sobitha Thera who was listed to make a short address said the MoU
had already been broken more than 500 times. Even last week a ship
of armaments came in and the forces were unable to stop it, he said.
"At the
same time they are calling for the immediate removal of security
forces from High Security Zones. Therefore a justified feeling of
fear has crept into the minds of the Sinhalese and Muslims of this
country" he said. Meanwhile,
another priest in the audience, Ven. Athureliye Ratana Thera said
the actual events of the conference had not been recorded in the
book. The intervention of Norway in our internal problem has become
an issue. Some of our priests dance to the tune of foreign donors,
he said. However, Ven. Deegalle denied he had accepted any funds. "We would not have been able to accomplish this task if the Norwegian Buddhist Society didn't give us funds" he said. BC
Perera passes away He started
his journalistic career as the Negombo correspondent to the Daily
Mirror in 1970. Thereafter, he joined the Daily Mirror editorial
and worked there till 1981. He was also the correspondent to the
Asia Week. In 1981, he
joined the Island newspaper where edited the travel and film pages.
He was recognised as one of the finest film critics in the country.
BC retired in 1994 due to ill health. He leaves behind Amantha (The Sunday Leader) and Amindha (Westgate International). |
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