China becoming Si Lanka's tourism lifeline

Sri Lanka government's economic lifeline tourism seems moving from lucrative European market, in which the country failed, to China as the government's tarnished international image hinders expansion into high end tourism markets.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau says that the Chinese tourist market has improved immensely during the first six months of the year 2013.

Accordingly, the number of tourists that arrived in Sri Lanka during the first six months of the year 2013 increased to 16,582 from 9622 from the same period of the previous year.

The increase is a growth of 72.3 percent, the bureau says.

The Assistant Director of the Tourism Promotion Bureau Yuvaraj Athukorala said to media that the attempts of the country to tap the Chinese tourism market had gathered momentum.

512,281 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in the first six months of the year 2013 and it is an increase of 13.1 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

Solution for religious hatred

There are enough temples, churches and kovils etc. in this world.

Therefore ban construction more.

That is one solution for the situation.

A permanent solution for the religious hatred is giving up religion.

Follow me men, I blog for it.

Sri Lanka major opposition working committee pardons two rebel MPs

Sri Lanka major opposition United National Party (UNP) media spokesman Gayantha Karunatilake said that the working committee of the UNP had decided yesterday to reinstate the suspended memberships of the Puttalam district MP Palitha Range Bandara and Kurunegala district MP Ashok Abesinghe.

The leader of the party, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe reported to the working committee that he had met the two MPs and discussed a settlement. The two MPs had agreed to grant the support to the party in line with the party constitution, the party leader said.

Accordingly, the disciplinary action against these two MPs would be terminated and the party would consider to reinstate them in the electoral organizer positions they earlier held, UNP media spokesman said.

The two MPs were accused of taking part in a meeting organized at the Hyde Park, Colombo, by the United Bhikku Front with the participation of Sarath Fonseka, going contrary to the Working Committee decision not to participate in the meeting.

SriLanka's opposition demands parliamentary debate and an independent probe on Weliweriya killings

Sri Lanka's opposition Chief Whip John Amaratunga today demanded a debate in the parliament in regard of the deaths occurred in Weliweriya in Gampaha district in military involvement to disperse a group of people agitating for the right of safe drinking water.

Government Chief Whip Dinesh Gunawardane, Minister, said that the final decision regarding the debate may be taken at the meeting of the leaders of the parliamentary groups held today.

Delivering a special statement in the parliament today, the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe questioned why the Army was called to disperse a civilian agitation in a non-major town.

He demanded an independent investigation about the incident.

In response, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the military called to manage the violent protest had to take self defensive and civilian security measures in the context of protestors attacking the personnel with Molotov Cocktail and shooting.

Bailed out Sri Lankan local government chairman parades in his area as a hero despite bribery charges

Sources from Sri Lanka's Meegahathenna area said that the released Chairman of Walallawita Pradeshiya Sabha was parading in the area in vehicle convoy after being granted bail by court.

The local government Chairman Udeni Athukorala who was caught red handed as he was soliciting a bribe of Rs. 1.5 million from the Chairman of Bentara Pradeshiya Sabha in relation to permitting soil transportation business was seen waving to people and participating in welcoming ceremonies organized by his supporters.

Walallavita Pradeshiya Sabha chairman, Udeni Atukorale was released on bail by the Colombo Additional Magistrate today. He was arrested on July 05 by officers of the Bribery or Corruption Commission. 

The suspect was  remanded until July 09 by Matugama Additional District Judge R.A.J. Rajapaksa, who ordered him to be produced in the Colombo High Court today. 

Three international election monitors invited by Sri Lanka for monitoring Provincial Council election

Election Secretariat of Sri Lanka says that three foreign teams have been invited to monitor the Provincial Council elections of the Northern, Northwestern and Central Provincial Councils.

The three international organizations invited to send the election monitors are South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Commonwealth and Association of Asian Election Authorities.

The Election Secretariat has also granted permission to local election monitoring NGOs Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) and People's Action for Fair and Free Elections (PAFFREL).

The secretaries of political parties contesting the three Provincial Council elections requested the Election Commissioner to deploy international monitors. 

Jute to chase the wild elephants that clash with humans of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Wildlife Department has decided to cultivate jute as elephant fence to prevent the wild elephants roaming into human settlements causing damages to both man and the wild elephants.

Addressing a press conference held in the Wildlife Department, the Minister of Wildlife Vijith Vijayamuni Soyza said that the elephants are afraid of this natural thorny cultivation.

So far the Wildlife Department built electric fences to scare away the elephants from villages. However, it has been identified costly for construction and maintenance. The jute fiber fence will be established parallel and close to the electric fence currently constructed to ward off elephants from the fence.

Around 200 humans and 50 elephants die each year in Sri Lanka due to man - elephant conflict.

Sri Lanka's popular jute plant is different from the Indian variety. I think what they are going to grow is the local jute plant.