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Independence Day at Galle Face Green
The Galle Face Green has been chosen after more than 20years as the venue for the 58th Independence Day celebration.

A Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry spokesperson told The Sunday Times that the venue was changed from Independence Square because the President wanted more people to be part of the celebration.
The days leading to independence will begin with a Prith chanting ceremony on February 2 at Independence Square.

The celebration proper will begin with the garlanding of the first Premier of independent Ceylon, D.S. Senanayake’s statue at Independence Square, followed by religious observations at The Sacred Heart Chapel in Borella, Sri Maha Vidyalaya Pirivena in Maradana, Christ Church in Mutwal, the New Kadiresan Hall in Bambalapitiya and at the Jumma Mosque in Maradana.

Celebrations at the Galle Face Green will commence at 8.00 am and end with a cultural show at the Parliament grounds at 7.00 pm.

Centre Road closed for rehearsals
The road from Galle Face roundabout to the old Parliament roundabout will be closed from time to time to conduct rehearsals of the three forces for the Independence Day celebrations which falls next Saturday, Police Public Relations Bureau said.

The road will be closed tomorrow and the day after from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm, and on Wednesday from 9.30 am to 1.00 pm. On Thursday and Friday it will be closed from 6.30 am to 1.00 pm.

Light vehicles travelling along Galle Road are requested to turn from Sir Marcan Markar Mawatha and proceed along Justice Akbar Mawatha towards Regal roundabout, while buses travelling along Galle Road are requested to turn from Kollupitiya colour lights junction and proceed across Dharmapala Mawatha to Liberty roundabout and Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha or along Dharmapala Mawatha.

Police wants airman
Police wants an airman, who allegedly misfired a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) nearly endangering the lives of 600 garment factory girls close to the Ratmalana air port, surrendered to institute action against him, Superintendent of Police K. Arasaratnam said.

The airman had obtained medical leave on the grounds that his hearing had been affected after the discharge of the RPG which crashed through the factory roof without exploding on Thursday, he said.

Air Force Spokesman, Group Captain Ajantha Silva said a separate internal inquiry was in progress about the misfiring. The RPG landed 100 metres away from the factory’s gas tank and the incident caused the injury of only one female employee when she was cut by one of the roofing sheets.

Sudar Oli’s ‘SSR’ no more
The slain Tamil journalist Subramaniam Suhirtharajan (35) was a native of Veeramunai, a village in Sammanthurai in the Eastern Province. He joined the Sri Lanka Ports Authority in Trincomalee about ten years ago. He was also working as a part time correspondent for Sudar Oli, a Colombo based Tamil daily since its inception. He wrote features and news for Sudar Oli under the name ‘SSR’. He was married and the father of a daughter Mithusha (4) and a son Yathurshan (2).

Newspaper Society condemns killing of journalist
The continuing violence targeted at journalists is causing alarm and anxiety in the media industry, the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka said in a media release.

It said: “The killing of a young Tamil journalist last Tuesday ostensibly for capturing photographic images of the students who were shot dead recently in Trincomalee is the latest of such incidents.

“The newspaper industry has written on previous occasions pointing out that the duty of the media is to protect democracy. And yet the harassment, threat and murder of journalists at alarming regularity only serves to prevent dedicated media personnel from performing their professional duties.

“The President has given his assurance on several occasions that he stands by the Constitution to ensure that Justice and Equality will be the hallmarks of his presidency. Incidents such as this can only damage his image. It is necessary that what he says is what is seen to be done.

“The Newspaper Society calls upon the Government to take sterner steps through all departments that deal with law enforcement to protect and guarantee the safety of all media personnel and to punish the perpetrators of these dastardly crimes with the full force of the law. Otherwise it is the freedom of speech and expression and the Rule of Law that will be destroyed”.

FMM shocked at the killing of another media man
The Free Media Movement (FMM) in a media release expressed its shock and dismay on the killing of another journalist in Sri Lanka a few days ago.
The release said: “Mr. Subamaniyam Sugidharajan, popularly known as SSR, a part-time provincial journalist working for the Tamil language daily, Sudaroli was shot dead in Trincomalee around 6 a.m. on Tuesday. He was 35 years and father of two children aged three and two. Assailants were on a motorbike and fired at him from close range.

“Tamil language media and journalists are under serious pressure and have also faced numerous threats in the recent past. Four Tamil journalists have been killed during the last 12 months by key antagonists in the conflict. Tamil Newspaper offices have been searched repeatedly by state security forces; several Tamil journalists were assaulted and detained during the last two months.

“The Sudaroli newspaper in particular faced numerous serious threats in the recent past. On August 20, 2005, two hand grenades were lobbed inside its advertising office. In a grenade attack on its printing press on August 29, 2005 its security guard David Selvaratnam was killed. One of its journalists was manhandled and handed over to police as a LTTE spy by pro-government political party supporters in Colombo on August 23, 2005.

“In this disturbing context, the FMM requests the government to take immediate steps to arrest the killers and subject them to the due process of the law. It is time to put a complete stop to the impunity which has been the hallmark of attacks on the freedom of expression in this country and ensure that culprits are arrested and held responsible for their crimes,” the release stated.

FCA deplores killing
The Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Sri Lanka said it condemns the killing of yet another journalist simply trying to do his job in a land wrecked by a civil conflict that shows no sign of abating.

The FCA of Sri Lanka appeals to all sides to stop the killing which creates a climate of fear for practicing journalists and society at large. The FCA of Sri Lanka demands an immediate and comprehensive investigation that delivers results. This is the second time the FCA of Sri Lanka has appealed for this in recent times.

“We have still received no adequate information about the murder of D. Sivaram. The killings must stop,” it said.

Sumathipala J. elected ACBC president
Jagath Sumathipala was elected as the President of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress (ACBC) at its 79th Annual General Meeting held yesterday.
Mr. Sumathipala, a brother of Thilanga Sumathipala, won the election by defeating former ACBC President Sudath Devapura.

Sunil Sarath Kuragama and Maj. Gen. Jaliya Nammuni were elected Joint Secretaries while Roshan Sampath Maddumage and Dr. Praneeth Abhayasundara were elected uncontested as Treasurer and Deputy President.
Kottege Ananada Lakshman, Ranjith Ekanayake, D. Upul Rupasinghe, Asanka Umesh Pethiyagoda, P.J. Priyantha Dayarathne, Wasantha de Dilva, K. Iranganie de Silva, Theja Ananada Kasturiarachchi, M. Aruna Devanmini Rubel and Anura Eliyapura were elected as Vice Presidents while Pushpadeva Pathirage and Sanath Mahesh de Ruberu were elected as Deputy Secretaries.

UNP to get tough with defectors
The UNP has decided to reopen a disciplinary inquiry into dissident Rohitha Bogollagama who joined the Government 14 months ago while instituting disciplinary action against then Chief Opposition Whip Mahinda Samarasinghe and Kandy District Organiser Keheliya Rambukkwella who joined the Government this week.

UNP Deputy Secretary General Tissa Attanayake told The Sunday Times that this time his party will not leave any legal loophole for the MPs to save their seats. As the Supreme Court had ruled that Mr. Bogollagama had not been given a fair chance to express his views, this time the UNP is to invite the defectors to voice their views but would nevertheless suspend their membership there after.

According to the 1978Constitution a Member of Parliament would lose his seat once his party membership lapses. Mr. Attanayake said that according to the UNP Constitution an MP should obtain express permission from the party leadership before he joins another party. Mr. Bogollagama crossed over to the Government on November 18, 2004 and was sworn in as the Minister for Advanced Technology and National Enterprises and later Minister for Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion after President Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected.

Messrs Samarasinghe and Rambukwella have said they would remain in the UNPwhile serving in the PA Cabinet, just like Minister Bogollagama.

Jaffna probe this week
The Presidential committee appointed to inquire and report into several acts of violence in Jaffna since November’s Presidential elections will hold its first meeting in Colombo this week.

After the initial meeting in Colombo, it will move to Jaffna to record evidence in connection with several acts of violence that took place in Jaffna since November last year, Committee Chairman retired Court of Appeal judge Dharmasiri Jayawickreme said.

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