Lost and found; the Horton Plains slender loris

(July 19, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity) A mysterious primate driven to the brink of extinction by Britain's taste for tea has been photographed for the first time. The Horton Plains slender loris, found only in Sri Lanka, was for more than 60 years believed to be extinct.

Then one was spotted fleetingly in 2002 when a light shone in its eyes and was reflected. Researchers have now managed to get the world's first pictures of the animal.

More than 1,000 night surveys were carried out in 120 forested regions by Sri Lankan researchers working in partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The loris was found in half a dozen regions and researchers managed to capture three live specimens long enough to measure them.

The prime reason for the animal's rarity is the loss of its natural forest habitat, which has been largely destroyed by the drive to create tea plantations. The loss of land to other crops also contributed.

Estimates suggest there are just 100 left, putting it among the world's top five most threatened primates. But so little is known about the animal that numbers could be below 60 – which would make it the rarest species.

Dr Craig Turner of ZSL said: "There's been a lot of loss of habitat historically. Forest covered much of the south-west area of Sri Lanka, but it's been cleared for agriculture and tea estates.

"More recently they've been cleared for firewood collection. We are now left with a very few islands of forest that aren't connected.

"Because they [lorises] are so rare and because for many years they were thought to be extinct, virtually nothing is known about them."
-www.guardian.co.uk/


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Barbarian Reef coral algae will make the sperm of sub-fertile males move fast

Barbarian Reef

(July 18, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Sri Lanka Industrial Technology Institute has discovered a herbal drug that can cure sub-fertility of males.

This drug can make the slow moving sperm move fast.

A research team of the herbal plants division of the Industrial Technology Institute has conducted experiments in regard of a red algae found in the coastal areas of Beruwala in the Kaluthara district.

Gelidiella, the algae, grows naturally in the Barbarian Reef of Moragalla, Beruwala, a coral reef that is situated very close to beach in an area surrounded by tourist hotels.

The significant drug extracted from the herb is named as S-Act-2 and it is proved able to move even the still living sperm of males, says the chief of the herbal plants division of the Industrial Technology Dr. Sirimal Premakumara.

Dr. Premakumara says that the drug is clinically tested and proved of hazard free. However, the drug is not given orally and it needs to be used clinically in intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF) .

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Electoral reforms or state reforms? Listen to minority communities of Sri Lanka

(July 17, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity)A dialogue is underway between the President and the major opposition United National Party (UNP) regarding the constitutional reforms.

This dialogue can at least have an impact on the President Mahinda Rajapaksa's possible backward moves to guarantee a royal future for his son Namal Rajapaksa as his uncontested successor.

Opposition can push the President for more democratic reforms even in the context the President may try to achieve his ulterior goals. The President's plans to remove the two-term limit of Presidential terms have been challenged indirectly by his party stalwarts as well as his family. He cannot push Namal into the throne so easily in this backdrop.

Now, the President indicates that he is ready to extend this dialogue even to get the National Democratic Alliance (DNA) that comprises of his arch rival ex-Army Comander and defeated Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka and the Marxist People's Liberation Front (JVP) involved in it.

But still there are no indications that he is going to have a proper dialogue with the representatives of the minority communities of Sri Lanka at least regarding electoral reforms.

In the Presidential campaigns of both opposition and government candidates in the election 2010, both candidates promised to abolish the executive presidency. Mahinda Rajapaksa promised in 2005 to abolish this draconian power within his first tenure itself. Still he has time until November in which he has planned to swear in for the second term.

Ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has a long history of promising to abolish executive Presidency. In 1994, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga promised to do so but remained clinging in the power for two terms and passed the hat to the next President.

The proportional representation system has also come under severe criticism in the majority Sinhala community. They try to project their need for change as a common need of the entire polity undermining contradictory views or reservations of the minority communities.

After all, while all were in a verbal war regarding the constitutional reforms, the Tamils in Northern and Eastern Provinces fought a bitter battle for state reforms. They experimented in state formation as well through the Tamil Tigers' state within the state.

Therefore, they are the people that should be consulted somehow if the government really want a sustainable peace through whatever the reforms they are going to propose. But the moves in this regard must be beyond simple electoral reforms. Their demand for a state reform is still valid although the Tamil Tigers' armed struggle was defeated. Tamil struggle has not ended although their armed fight has been defeated.

Meanwhile, the minorities living among the majority community are in fear of losing whatever representation they now enjoy through the electoral reforms.

'The issue of electoral reforms are very fundamental for the Tamil and Muslim minorities live in the southern districts than their counterparts in the northern and eastern provinces. President and leader of opposition should take the Tamil speaking minorities into confidence when dealing with this issue,' said Democratic People's Front (DPF) leader Mano Ganesan in a release issued by the DPF media office.

Ganesan says further in the release, "The national consensus today is for a mixed electoral system encompassing positive features of both first past the post (FPP) and Proportional representation (PR) systems. We endorse this consensus and subsequent national search for an appropriate system. The established apprehension along the line of search is that complete doing away with the PR system would cut down the representations of the minorities inappropriately.

"It should be understood that if any unfair system is implemented, the numerical minority Tamils and Muslims living in the southern districts will be the most affected than their counterparts in the northern and eastern provinces. This is being one of the major core issues being debated over the years in respect of the electoral reforms subject. The fear of the numerical minorities should not be under estimated."

We would like to highlight the following part that clearly portrays the danger of the electoral reforms that does not parallel with state reforms. "Even the mixed system, which is being projected is also has sent an impression of distrust amidst the minority political parties representing the Tamil speaking people live in the southern districts outside north and east. It is essential that all possible avenues must be tried to arrive at the most suitable electoral system. The suitability is to ensure fair minority representation while accommodating positives features of both PR and FPP systems. Disfranchisement and violent denials of voting rights of the Tamil people to elect their democratic representatives have led to turmoil in the past. DPF calls upon the president and leader of opposition to take the minorities into confidence by being mindful of the fear."

This enfranchisement of minority communities in certain districts has already taken place. For instance, the Muslims of Kaluthara district have lost their long lasted parliamentary representation that was guaranteed before the PR system was introduced via Beruwala muti-seat electorate. The sizable community of Indian-origin Tamils that live in this district do not have representation at least in the Western Provincial Council.

These are only two examples. We have just come out of a bloody ethnic war and what now we are in dire need is the reconciliation. among ethnic communities For that, the minority communities are needed to be empowered politically so that they can use their franchise for the development of their community.

For this, we need a state reform plus electoral reforms. These two are like the two wheels of a bullock cart. If one is oversize or under-sized we will not go forward. Instead we will come to the same place after some time.


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Sri Lanka cabinet's Kilinochchi show and the message delivered to Tamils

(July 15, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa held a meeting of his cabinet in Kilinochchi in the heart of the former rebel-held territory sitting comfortably in Kilinochchi headquarters of the security forces in close proximity to Iranawila reservoir on which late Tiger theoretician Anton Balasingham landed the sea plane he was travelling from Maldives. The venue of the meeting was also the headquarters of the Tamil Tigers' proud air wing that one time was a nightmare to Colombo dwellers. .

In the recent past several cabinet meetings were held outside Colombo in most of the occasions when the President was in election propaganda.

The cabinet meeting of Kilinochchi is not one like that. It is a show of power, supremacy and also Sinhala nationalist domination over the subjugation of Tamil nationalist struggle. Therefore. it is worth to the President and to the Sinhala nationalists, despite whatever the cost of this show to the taxpayer.

On the other hand, this show may alienate Tamils further from the Sri Lanka government. No wonder if they despise this act that mock at the resettled people that struggle to build up their lives with several tin roofing sheets and wooden poles. They are in short of very basic amenities. Around 40,000 more IDPs are still to be resettled.

The message delivered by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet is that the central government is in Kilinochchi as well and no power devolution arrangements will come to effect.

Diaspora Tamils may deny to accept what is offered by the Sri Lanka government. But, is there any other alternative for the Tamils living in this land?

What we lack in this kind of politics is what we need most. It is an honest approach for reconciliation.


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BTI made in Sri Lanka and dengue epidemic

(July 13, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Sri Lanka's Sinhala daily The Divaina newspaper reported today that 1073 dengue patients were diagnosed island wide during the week from July 02 to 09 and four of them died. The number of deaths caused by dengue so far this year is 140.

The Ministry of Health seems totally incapable to arrest the outbreak. The only practical programme they appear to have is the door-to-door visits of the public health officials that warn or punish the public for not keeping their environment clean.

But their power ends near the nose tip of the local government bodies and other state institutes that are responsible for many a case of spreading mosquito-borne diseases. The government has entirely failed to provide basic services such as proper garbage disposal and drainage etc. efficiently to the tax payers.

On the other hand, the public health officials are helpless in giving instructions to prevent mosquito breeding in water stagnating places like fallen dried banana leaves and the inner edge of pineapple leaves.

Meanwhile, Industrial Technology Institute says the BTI (bacteria) produced locally by the institute will be released to the market by the end of July. The news came as the dengue outbreak has caused increase of deaths in the mosquito-borne disease.

The Pesticides Registration Bureau granted permission to the bacteria last week.

Bio Power Lanka company that was contracted to produce the bacteria by the Industrial Technology Institute will release 10,000 to 15,000 liters to the market at the initial stage. The company has capacity to produce the same amount annually, the Industrial Technology Institute says.

The bacteria is in 50, 100 and 200 ml bottles at a concessionary price, the Industrial Technology Institute says.

Bio Power Lanka is licensed to produce the bacteria for five years. We found in Likedin that a person called Kumar.V Deivanayagam the owner of Bio Power Lanka.

The website of Biopower Lanka says, 'Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis variety israelensis) is a bacterial toxin that infects and kills mosquito larvae. It is safe and environmentally sound because it is highly selective, killing mosquitoes and black flies. Bti contains no poisonous chemicals and is completely harmless to other living things!

Compared to harmful synthetic insecticides, Bti kills larvae quickly and efficiently. A moderate to heavy dose has been shown to reduce the mosquito population by one half in 15 minutes and the rest within one hour.
The major advantage is that Bt is essentially nontoxic to people, pets and wildlife. This high margin of safety recommends its use in sensitive sites where pesticide use can cause adverse effects.'



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No killings, abductions, arrests and assaults against journalists but threats in June in Sri Lanka

(July 12, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Following is the report regarding press freedom in the month of June in Sri Lanka issued by a media organization and we believe this report is sent to international organizations to base on these facts in lobbying for freedom of expression. Although there are no killings, abductions, arrests and assaults, the report is full of other incidents.

Monthly report No 06; period covered June  2010

Killings:

1.     June 2010                     -  No killings of media personal reported

Abductions:

2.     June 2010                     - No abductions of media personal reported

     

Arrests:

3.     June 2010                     - No arrests of media personal reported

Assaults:

4.     June  2010                    - No assaults of media personal reported

Threats:

5.     28 June 2010      - Political witch hunt launched against CEO of Lankaenews

State media launched a political which hunt against CEO ofwww.lankanewsweb.com  Chandima Withanaarachchi. The web site publishes critical content has been banned by Government of Sri Lanka for past year.

http://sunandadeshapriya.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/political-witch-hunt-launched-against-ceo-of-lankaenews-web/bbb

6.     27 June 2010      - TU leader forced to resign

Trade union leader Sanjeewa Samarasinghe of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited resigned form his job due to threats coming form higher authorities. Sanjeewa Samarasinghe is the secretary of Jathika SevakaSangamaya, a trade union affiliated to main opposing party UNP.

http://www.lankanewsweb.com/Sinhala/news/2010_06_28_005.html

7.     25 June 2010      - Rivira Editor becomes victim and loses job and salary

Rivira Editor, Upali Tennekoon, who fled to the US with his wife following a brutal attack on him it to be sacked from his job by the new administration at the newspaper organization.

 http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2010_06_26_001.html

8.     24 June 2010      - A mad slinging journalist gang against Sri Lanka – state media

It has been reported that ten media personal, who have left the country on many pretexts and applied for political asylum are engaged in a conspiracy against Sri Lanka.These persons are in close contact with INGOs which are trying to instigate UN against war crimes in Sri Lanka. They have received many privileges because of these contacts.

read the original story here : http://www.silumina.lk/2010/06/20/_art.asp?fn=aa1006204

9.     22 June 2010      - Sinhalese with LTTE leader photo further remanded

Puththa’lam Magistrate Monday ordered further remand till June 30 for a Sinhalese civilian Amarasingha Chandana when he was produced from prison on a charge that he was carrying a photograph of LTTE leader VelupillaiPirapaharan.

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=32034

10. 19 June 2010      - Screen of the film hall torched

On 19th  an unidentified group torched the giant screen at the Shanthicinema, a day before the Tamil version of the movie Raavan (Raavanan) was screened. The movie’s main stars Abishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and its director Mani Ratnam were among those who did not attend the IIFA ceremony in Colombo.

http://sunandadeshapriya.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/iifa-row-hits-batti-in-dramatic-scene/

11. 08 June 2010      - Eknaligoda’s colleague under threat

A group of unidentified men had broken in to the residence of a colleague of missing Lankaenews journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, who was involved in media and propaganda activities with him, Disnendra Perera on the 31st. The group had broken in to the house with the intention of abducting Perera.

http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2010_06_07_006.html

12. 06 June 2010      - Threats to lankaenews

          The threats on the Lankaenews website have recommenced with the government       now receiving the cooperation of the landlord of the office premises rented out by the      website. http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2010_06_09_006.html

Censorships:

13. 26.June .2010     - Church demolished

About 100 police officers who had arrived at a Christian church in Rajagiriyaalong with officials from Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s Urban Development Authority (UDA) and had demolished the church yesterday (25).

http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2010_06_26_008.html

14. 20 June 2010      - Call to ban Tamil Nadu films

An unidentified group has called on theatre owners in Batticaloa to refrain from screening movies produced in Tamil Nadu in a move to hit back at Indian film stars who boycotted the recent IIFA awards ceremony in Colombo.

http://sundaytimes.lk/100620/News/nws_03.html

Exiled:

15. June 2010            - Two more journalist left the country

A Programme producer of state controlled TV station left the country because of  death threats. He has been receiving continuous threats since January.

A Tamil newspaper cartoonist form Jaffna left the country for  safetyreasons.

Both of them reached their destinations safely.

Releases:

16. 21 June 2010      - Safe Passage for Tissainayagam Just One Step Toward Free Media in Sri Lanka - IFJ

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is relieved that J.S.Tissainayagam is safe, following more than two years of an ordeal in which the Sri Lankan Tamil journalist was accused, charged and tried for terrorism for his journalistic reporting on human rights issues.http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/safe-passage-for-tissainayagam-just-one-step-toward-free-media-in-sri-lanka

17. 19 June 2010      - Freed Sri Lankan journalist Tissainayagamarrives in U.S.- CPJ

          The Committee to Protect Journalist welcomes the arrival in the United States of Sri   Lankan journalist J.S. Tissainayagam, who arrived at Washington’s Dulles   International Airport on Saturday morning.

          http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/06/freed_sri_lankan_journalist_ti.html

18. 16 June 2010      - Journalist Escapes Abduction, Unidentified assailants tried to abduct - IFJ

Mawbima reporter Disnendra Perera at his Colombo home in Sri Lanka on May 31, according to local news reports. Perera, a close colleague of missing Lanka-e-News journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, reported receiving death threats from unknown people demanding he give them a file of documents they claimed Eknaligoda had given him. http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/colleague-of-missing-journalist-under-threat-in-sri-lanka

Protests:

19. June 2010           -  No media protest were reported during the month of June.

Notable developments:

20. 30 June 2010      - Visa's of Non Violence Peace Force staff terminated

On 26^th June 2010 Controller of immigration  ordered the country director and coordinator of Non Violence Peace Force (NVPF) Colombo office to leave the country by 30^th June 2010. No reasons were given for the termination of their visas. In recent past  NVPF played a vital role in providing in country safety for human rights defenders including journalists. Both of them were given one week more to hand over their responsibilities and both of them left the country on 7^th July 2010. Newspapers reported that both of them have been declared persona non grata by  government of Sri Lanka.

21. 24  June 2010     - POLICE OFFICER APOLOGISES TO MP ROSY SENANAYAKE IN SC-( Right to protest)

A chief police inspector apologized to the UNP parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake in the Supreme Court today.He was the first respondent named in a petition filed by Ms. Senanayake claiming that her fundamental rights had been violated.The petition stated that when Ms. Senanayake was gtakinpart in a protest campaign ‘Jana Bala Kahala Nadaya’, organized by the United National Party on June 03, 2008 against the escalating prices of goods, the police officer had insulted her in foul language.

http://www.newsfirst.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11566:police-officer-apologises-to-mp-rosy-senanayake-in-sc&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18  

22. 14 June 2010 `- NGO Secretariat under Defence Ministry now

The NGO Secretariat which was previously operated under the Social Services Ministry and thereafter the Internal Affairs Ministry now comes under the purview of the Defence Ministry, following the new Parliament taking office.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/front-page-news/13101-ngo-secretariat-under-defence-ministry-now-.html

23. 13 June 2010      - SUSIL KINDELPITIYA RELEASED ON SURETY BAIL

The Colombo High Court today ordered that journalist Susil Kindelpitiya be released on surety bail in Rs. 50,000.High Court Judge Deepali Wijesunderamade this order after taking into consideration the submissions forwarded by attorney at law Shanaka Ranasinghe, appearing for Mr. Kindelpitiya and the state counsels.( Susil Kindelpitiya is former news director of MTV/Sirasa TV channel)

 http://www.newsfirst.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11240:susil-kindelpitiya-released-on-surety-bail&catid=97:news-items-2&Itemid=294

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Duminda Silva and his 400 pink colour shirts

(July 09, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Duminda Silva is a youth MP of Sri Lanka parliament. He is the younger brother of Raynor Silva, a businessman owns several radio stations. One of these radio channel was shut due to dissemination of a wrong news regarding a terrorist attack in the home district of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Duminda Silva was a Provincial Councilor of the opposition United National Party by the time and he crossed over to the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the radio channel license was reinstated to Raynor Silva after that.

One time Duminda Silva was an accused of intimacyual abuse case. The thrilling final episode of his 'love' affair with one time Miss Sri Lanka and now Southern Provincial Councilor Anarkali Akarsha is recorded here.

Duminda Silva, in an interview with the state-owned The Dinamina Sinhala daily today said that his favourite colour is pink and he owns 400 shirts of that colour now.

We were quite interested and searched for the relationship of colour and psychology in internet. Following is an interesting search result.

Pink has a gentle stimulation of heart and blood circulation. Just as pink is nearly red, pink nearly has the affects of red, just not so radiant. It elicits simple emotions such as unselfish love, kindness and consideration. It is an emotionally soothing and calming, warming, cheerful and nurturing color that lessen the feelings of irritation and aggression by surrounding us with a sense of love. A study has even been conducted to show that pink has a subduing effect on violent prison inmates. People who enjoy wearing pink are typically affectionate, sympathetic and understanding. They often need the support of others and can often times be child-like. Pink takes on traits of red and white, therefore it is still a sensuous color while being quite innocent. This combination makes pink quite a sexual color, therefore it is self-explanatory as to why four out of thirty guys chose pink as their choice in bra color. And since it has traits of red, the most appetite stimulating of colors, five percent of people chose pink as their favorite color Jell-O.
(adopted from www.echeat.com)


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