Genaral Sarath Fonseka arrested

Genaral Sarath Fonseka arrested

BBC

The defeated candidate in Sri Lanka's presidential election, General Sarath Fonseka, has been arrested at his office in Colombo.
Gen Fonseka was defeated by incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa last month by six million votes to four million.
Gen Fonseka rejected the results and vowed to challenge them in court.
The initial allegations brought by the government against Gen Fonseka, 59, were put simply as "committing military offences".
The government had earlier been seeking legal advice on bringing a court martial on charges of plotting to overthrow the administration.
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says he later learned from National Security Director-General Laxman Hulugalle that the charges against the general relate to the alleged violation of rules preventing the discussion of political matters while being a member of the military.
He was dragged away in a very disgraceful manner in front of our own eyes
Rauff Hakeem,Muslim Congress leader
Mr Hulugalle said the general would be questioned and put on trial in a military court.
Military law still covered Gen Fonseka despite his retirement, he said.
Gen Fonseka was in charge of Sri Lanka's army when it defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels last year after a destructive civil war lasting more than a quarter of a century.
However, he fell out with President Rajapaksa soon after and the pair fought a bitter election campaign.
War crimes
Gen Fonseka's wife confirmed to the BBC that her husband had been detained after the security presence around his office in Colombo had been stepped up during the day.
Gen Fonseka's secretary, Senaka de Silva, was also said to have been arrested.
Gen Fonseka was meeting a number of politicians who had supported his candidacy.
The Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem told Reuters news agency: "He was dragged away in a very disgraceful manner in front of our own eyes."
Mr Hakeem said the action was "authoritarian and vindictive".

Mr Rajapaksa won the election by 57% to 40%
A spokesman for the People's Liberation Front told Agence France-Presse: "The general refused to be taken away. They grabbed him and virtually carried him away after threatening the others. There must have been over 100 soldiers."
The politicians at the meeting said the military police had given no reasons as they made the arrest.
Mr Hakeem said Gen Fonseka had complained that because he was no longer in the military he should not have been arrested by military police.
Earlier in the day, Gen Fonseka had said he was prepared to give evidence in international courts on any war crimes charges brought in relation to the civil war.
"I am definitely going to reveal what I know, what I was told and what I heard. Anyone who has committed war crimes should definitely be brought into the courts," Gen Fonseka said.
Our correspondent, Charles Haviland, says the arrest was dramatic but not unexpected and there must now be questions about whether this is the start of a bigger clampdown on the opposition.
After the election, the government had accused Gen Fonseka of divulging sensitive information to the public, and of plotting both a coup and to assassinate the president and his family.
Gen Fonseka has vehemently denied the charges.
He said he feared an assassination attempt against him and had been told that airports would not allow him to leave the country.
Analysts had predicted a closely fought election contest between the two architects of the government's victory over the Tamil Tigers.
But in the end President Rajapaksa won the vote comfortably - capturing 57% of the vote, while Sarath Fonseka won 40%.

FROM OTHER NEWS SITES

1.http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6f997986-151a-11df-ad58-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1

2.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/08/sarath-fonseka-arrested-coup-charge

3.http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6173I320100208?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FUKWorldNews+%28News+%2F+UK+%2F+World+News%29

4.http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2010-02/09/content_9446949.htm

5.http://www.dailymirror.lk/index.php/news/1518-general-fonseka-arrested.html

THE KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY- FEBRUARY 5th:

FEBRUARY 5: THE KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY-

By M Raza Malik
Pakistanis, here and across the globe, have been observing 5th February every year since 1991, as Kashmir Solidarity Day to convey the message that at this time of trial they are with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been rendering matchless sacrifices, for the last 63 years, to secure their inalienable right to self-determination, promised to them by the international community.

The people of Pakistan are bound to express solidarity with their Kashmiri brethren, as they share common cultural, ideological, geographical and emotional ties, which have fastened them into one unity for centuries. There is no denying of this historic fact that the Kashmir dispute is the unfinished part of the partition of the Indian subcontinent and peace in the South Asian region can not be established without resolving it in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations.

President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, while addressing a joint session of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Assembly and Kashmir Council in the Assembly Hall on January 05, said that settlement of the Kashmir dispute was vital for regional peace. “As world attention is on Pakistan, then together with Pakistan, the world has to talk about the Kashmir problem as well because only then can peace be brought to the region,” he said. “We cannot de-link regional peace from peace in Kashmir ... we have highlighted this thinking in the world and will keep projecting it,” he added.

The President maintained that Pakistan and India should learn to live in peace. “We know that we cannot change our neighbours but they (India) should also know that they can also not change their neighbours.” He hoped that the people of Kashmir would succeed in their struggle.

In order to realize the importance of the Kashmir Solidarity Day one needs to understand the history of India’s occupation on Kashmir, which dates back to the partition of the Indian Subcontinent. According to Partition Plan in 1947, the Indian British Colony was to be divided into two sovereign states: India comprising Hindu-majority areas, and Pakistan constituted by the Muslim-majority areas of Western provinces and East Bengal.

The partition plan had given the princely states the choice to accede either to Pakistan or to India, considering their geography and demography. As Jammu and Kashmir was a Muslim-majority state, with 87% Muslim population, it had a natural tendency to accede to Pakistan. But the then Hindu ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh and the Indian National Congress by announcing Kashmir’s accession with India under a well thought out conspiracy sowed the seeds of destruction of the future of the Kashmiri people. India landed its paramilitary forces in the territory by totally violating the partition plan and against the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiris.

Right from October 27, 1947, the day when Indian forces landed in the occupied territory, the people of Jammu and Kashmir never accepted India’s illegal occupation of their motherland and they have been struggling to liberate it from Indian subjugation. Their liberation struggle forced India to seek the help of the international community to settle the Kashmir dispute. On January 1, 1948, sensing the defeat to its forces, it approached the United Nations Security Council, which in its successive resolutions, accepted by both Pakistan and India, promised that a free and impartial plebiscite would be conducted by the UN and the people of Kashmir would be given the opportunity to decide their future themselves.

On October 27, 1947, the first head of the Indian state, Lord Mountbatten, is on record having said that since the “question of accession [of Kashmir] should be decided in accordance with the wishes of the people of the state, it is my government’s wish that as soon as law and order have been restored in Kashmir... the question of the state’s accession should be settled by a reference to the people.” The first Prime Minister of India, Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, whose government took the Kashmir dispute to the United Nations, on June 26, 1952, told Indian parliament, “If ... the people of Kashmir do not wish to remain with us, let them go by all means; we will not keep them against their will, however painful it may [be] for us.”

Despite these pledges and commitments by the Indian rulers, the people of Kashmir keep on suffering atrocities at the hands of the occupation troops and their miseries continue unabated. One of the most awful aspects of the Kashmir dispute is the fact that India had taken the dispute to the United Nations itself but later backed away from the promises, it had made before the international community, to resolve the dispute over Kashmir and to let the Kashmiri people chose their destiny by themselves.

It is very lamenting that India claims itself to be the biggest democracy of the world but it continues to suppress the democratic rights of the Kashmiri people with military might. It also describes the Jammu and Kashmir as its integral part in total contrast to the UN resolutions, which describe Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territory. Furthermore, the most deplorable aspect of the picture is that while Pakistan demonstrates considerable flexibility in the dialogue process, Indian intransigent approach remains the biggest hurdle in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

History stands testimony to the reality that despite exhausting all its resources, India has failed to deter the Kashmiris from continuing their struggle for securing the right to self-determination. Its forces have broken all the records of human rights violations in the occupied territory. Indian troops have martyred over ninety-two thousand civilians in occupied Kashmir, killing thousands in custody. These killings rendered more than twenty five thousand women widowed and over one-lac children orphaned. The troops have molested around ten thousand Kashmiri women during the past 20 years and have constantly been using the molestation of women as a tool to suppress the Kashmiris’ spirit of freedom. The whereabouts of thousands of innocent Kashmiris, disappeared in troops’ custody, are yet to be revealed. But all these cruelties could not refrain the Kashmiris raising their voice for freedom from Indian bondage.

Thousands of people in occupied Kashmir poured into streets during the second half of 2008 against the transfer of Kashmiris’ land to non-Kashmiris and in 2009 following the rape and subsequent murder of two Kashmiri women in Shopian in May. They conveyed a strong message to India and the international community that the human rights violations would continue to occur in the occupied territory as long as Indian troops were present there.

To reaffirm their political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir like always, this year too, Pakistanis will hold conferences, seminars, demonstrations and various functions. These activities will be aimed at highlighting various dimensions of the Kashmir dispute besides the state terrorism unleashed by India in the occupied territory would be projected in a factual manner. The observance of the day is also intended to remind the international community that it has a moral obligation to play its role in resolving the dispute over Kashmir in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations.

The fact is that the hearts of the Pakistanis throb in unison with their Kashmiri brethren. They feel not only the pain of Indian state terrorism against the Kashmiris but also their sufferings due to natural disasters, the glaring example of which was witnessed after the devastating earthquake of October 2005. The world observed how massively the Pakistani people transported relief goods and provided aid for the rehabilitation to the people in the calamity-hit areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

In the nutshell the 5th of February is a day to pay tribute to the unique sacrifices of the Kashmiri people, who have been carrying on their struggle of freedom with devotion. The observance is also intended to convey India that it cannot hold on Kashmir against the will of the people for long and that it will have to give the Kashmiris the right to live freely.

The writer is a Senior News Editor at Kashmir Media Service and can be reached at razamalik849@yahoo.com

S.B.Dissanayake to contest from Kandy as the organizer for Udunuwara

S.B.Dissanayake to contest from Kandy as the organizer for Udunuwara

Former UNP member S.B. Dissanayaka, who crossed over to the SLFP prior to the Presidential elections, has been appointed as the chief SLFP organizer for Udunuwara and will contest the upcoming General elections from the Kandy district.Speaking to Daily Mirror online Mr. Dissanayaka said that his latest appointment came in the wake of a full presidential pardon.President Mahinda Rajapaksa had granted a full pardon to the UNP dissident, who was earlier sentenced to jail on contempt of court charges by the Supreme Court.S.B. Dissanayake a minister in the then United National Front government was found guilty of having insulted the Supreme Court at a cultivation ceremony in Habaraduwa. He was released on a presidential order before completing his jail sentence.
Read More:http://www.dailymirror.lk/index.php/news/1429-sb-to-contest-from-kandy.html

Come June, India will play Pakistan in Asia Cup

Come June, India will play Pakistan in Asia Cup

Sports

NEW DELHI:

India, which is vying with Pakistan in almost all sports disciplines at the ongoing South Asian Games in Dhaka, will also take on the rival neighbours in cricket soon, though again at a neutral venue - in the Asia Cup from June 15 to 25.

According to sources in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the tournament is likely to be hosted most likely in Sri Lanka. Apart from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh is the fourth team in the tournament. When the tournament was last played in Karachi in 2008, the Lankans had defeated India in the final by 100 runs. India last played Pakistan in the Champions Trophy last year in Centurion.

The ACC has reportedly been forced to consider Sri Lanka as a possible venue as the broadcasters and sponsors rejected first choice Malaysia due to weather concerns. However, sources also maintained that the final call on the venue is yet to be taken. "It's a toss up between Sri Lanka and Malaysia," an ACC official told TOI on Wednesday. "Malaysia was a front runner... but as the broadcasters didn't show interest in having the event in Malaysia, we have changed our plans," ACC president Ejaz Butt was quoted as saying recently. Incidentally, Asia Cup will be clashing with the football World Cup and it will be held right after the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.

However, ACC doesn't seem too bothered about the timing. "It a championships involving the best in Asia and we are confident it will generate enough excitement," the ACC official added. In the backdrop of Pakistani players being snubbed in the recently held IPL auction, the proposed meeting of the neighbours in Asia Cup will certainly generate excitement. However, It's still too early to talk about the possibility of a bilateral series in near future. "As of now, there is no question of having a bilateral series between India and Pakistan. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. We hope the relationship between the two countries improve, which is very important for cricket," a BCCI official said

Asia Cup in Sri Lanka

Asia Cup in Sri Lanka
Chennai: The Asia Cup ODI tournament will be held in Sri Lanka from June 16 to 25 this year.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Syed Ashraful Huq told The Hindu here on Thursday that only the four Test playing nations of Asia — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — would take part in the event.
Ashraful, in the city to hold discussions with BCCI Secretary N.Srinivasan, said “The matches will be staged in Colombo and Premadasa Stadium is the likely venue. In all there will be six league games and the final.
“In the last edition of the Asia Cup, we had Hong Kong and UAE in the tournament but we had to shorten the format this time because of the lack of time available for the major teams.”
He admitted Malaysia was in contention to host the championship. “Yes, Malaysia was in the running. Eventually, the ACC has settled for Sri Lanka.” — Special Correspondent

Sri Lanka’s Independence Commemoration in France

Sri Lanka’s Independence Commemoration in France

(Asiantribune.com):
The 62nd Anniversary of Independence of Sri Lanka was commemorated at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Paris with special religious observances at the Embassy premises yesterday (4th February 2010).
Clergy representing all the main religions in Sri Lanka participated in theceremony and invoked Blessings on His Excellency the President, the Cabinet of Ministers, armed forces, the Public Service, the country and people.
The National Messages of Sri Lanka’s President, Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were read out at the ceremony.
Sri Lanka President in his message recalled with gratitude the role played by patriots in the struggle for independence and also paid tribute to the heroic troops and their families for the sacrifices made in the battle against terrorism. Special mention was also made of the friendly nations from the East to the West, who understood and supported Sri Lanka ‘to achieve the objective of true freedom for our country and people’.
Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka in his National Message opined that ‘the value of freedom is deeply felt when it is lost, more than when it is enjoyed.’ He called on ‘all citizens of the country to unite to bring a brighter future to our motherland.’
Marking the Anniversary of Independence, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama pointed out that ‘rising from the shackles of colonialism sixty two years ago and annihilating and almost three decade long grip of terrorism from our shores eight months ago,’ ensured the celebration of independence with a sense of oneness and pride. He also observed that ‘a new era of peace and hope has dawned for the country with a renewed mandate for the continued leadership of President Rajapaksa, that too with the beginning of a new decade.’
Addressing the gathering the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in France, Lionel Fernando noted that independence was being celebrated under one writ after a considerable period of time and this bade well for the future as the country was about to embark on a new era of development and reconciliation.
A special alms giving was also arranged at the Embassy.

Celebrating Sri lanka independence

Celebrating Sri lanka independence

http://www.dailymirror.lk/

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse hoists the national flag during the island's 62th Independence Day celebrations outside the highly venerated Temple of the Tooth in the central town of Kandy on February 4, 2010. Sri Lanka, which won independence from Britain in 1948, marks the first national celebration following the crushing of Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009. AFP

62nd Independence Day has special significance - President

The 62nd anniversary of independence we mark today has special significance being the first such celebration of our freedom since the defeat of terrorism in our country last year, and also as it takes place soon after our people have expressed their firm and resounding commitment to democracy, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Independence Day message.
The freedom from colonial rule that we gained 62 years ago is now more meaningful, the President added.
As we move into the new era of peace in our country, we are ready to face the challenges of the future. It is necessary that we give equal priority to the tasks of national reconciliation and the building of trust among all sections of our people, as well as to development that will take us to our rightful place in the community of nations, he continued.
On this historic and significant anniversary of freedom, let us re-dedicate our nation to the ideals of peace, tolerance, mutual trust and progress, in the democratic tradition our people have cherished and protected as the oldest democracy in Asia, President Rajapaksa further stated.
Following is the full text of the message :http://www.news.lk

Sri lanaka celebrate 62th Independence day

Sri lanaka celebrate 62th Independence day

President to regain what Lanka lost

http://www.dailymirror.lk/

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing the nation at the Independence Day celebrations in Kandy a short while ago gave an assurance that he will use his fresh mandate to regain what the island has lost during the war.

While noting that this is the first celebration since the defeat of terrorism, President Rajapaksa also said that he will rebuild the country especially the areas which were devastated during the 30 year conflict.Later speaking in Tamil, the President said that now the people can live in peace and in safety and go anywhere they wish with no fear or restrictions.

He also said that the country should solve its own problems through dialogue. He also urged the Tamil people not to forget their motherland and said the people should not be misled for petty political gain.President Rajapaksa added that he had not taken any decision which would betray the country and that all his decisions were in the best interest of the nation.

READ;http://www.dailymirror.lk/index.php/news/1414-mr-assures-to-regain-what-lanka-lost.htmlymirror.lk/index.php/news/1414-mr-assures-to-regain-what-lanka-lost.html

President Rajapaksa says Tamils should work with govt.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Sri Lanka's president called Thursday for minority ethnic Tamils to work with the government to settle their differences but said there would be no self-rule for them, as the country celebrated its first Independence Day since the end of a 25-year civil war.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was re-elected last month by a wide margin, largely because of support from the country's Sinhalese majority, said Tamil leaders should not "misguide" people or harbor political ambitions based on ethnicity or region.
"Let's solve our problems ourselves through discussions," he said in the Tamil language.
Sri Lanka received independence in 1948 - emerging from more than four centuries of colonial rule by the Portuguese, Dutch and then British - and ethnic Tamils have since complained of systematic marginalization in governance, jobs and education.
Those grievances led to the birth of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, known as the Tamil Tigers, a rebel group that fought for decades for an independent state for Tamils in the north and east. The war, which ended in May with the defeat of the rebels, left some 80,000 to 100,000 people dead and many Tamil areas in ruins.
There have since been calls for the government to reconcile with Tamils by offering them a degree of self-rule in provinces where they constitute a majority, but Rajapaksa rejected that Thursday.
"Hereafter, we will not entertain narrow divisions based on race, religion, language and political ideology in terms of regions," he said. "There is no one called a minority in this country, all those who love the country are children of mother Lanka."

He said he intends to give some power to all villages in the country to enable people to look after their own affairs.
"Certainly everyone will get equal facilities. This is what you call equality, this is what you call equal rights," he said.
The main celebration for Sri Lanka's 62nd independence anniversary was held in central Kandy town, near the sacred Temple of the Tooth. The town was also the seat of the country's last kingdom before it fell to the British in 1815.
In contrast to previous years' celebrations, Thursday's military parades were low-key - without the display of heavy guns and artillery - and the general public was allowed to attend. In the past, attendance required a special invitation by the government.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/04/AR2010020400301.html?nav=ft_world

Gen Fonseka seeks legal action

Comman candidate Gen.Fonseka seeks legal action against election results
Comman candidate Gen.Fonseka seeks legal action against election resultsGen.Fonseka said he was not prepared to accept the results declared by the Commissioner of Elections would seek legal action to get the results annulled.

Genaral also said the government would have to take the responsibility for his life in case of any unfortunate eventuality.

Comman candidate Gen.Fonseka seeks legal action against election results

Comman candidate Gen.Fonseka seeks legal action against election results

Gen.Fonseka said he was not prepared to accept the results declared by the Commissioner of Elections would seek legal action to get the results annulled.

Mahinda won as the executive president

Mahinda won as the sixth Excutive President

President Mahinda Rajapaksa won presidential election as the Sixth Executive President of Sri lanka by a massive majority of over 1.8million votes on 26th january 2010.

Mr. Rajapaksa led in 17 out of 22 electoral districts gaining 57.88% of the votes polled.

He had polled 6,015,934 of the votes.Common opposition candidate General Sarath Fonsela obtained 4,173,185 votes.

Mr. Rajapaka was re-electedas President with a majority of 1,842,749 votes.

World Bank says global recovery remains fragile

World Bank says global recovery remains fragile

WASHINGTON: The global economic crisis is largely over and a modest recovery is under way but it could quickly lose steam as governments pull back some of the extraordinary liquidity they pumped into markets, the World Bank said on Wednesday.
The World Bank’s annual Global Economic Prospects report for 2010 said the fragile recovery posed special risks for developing countries including stiffer borrowing costs, reduced credit and capital flows.
To deal with tighter financial conditions, which could impede investment, the World Bank said there was “considerable scope” for countries to cut domestic borrowing costs and promote local capital markets.
The report said trend growth in developing countries may be reduced by between 0.2 and 0.7 percentage points over the next five to seven years as economies adjust to tighter financial conditions.
In its forecasts, the World Bank said the global economy was likely to resume growth this year at around 2.7% and then strengthen in 2011 to 3.2%. This compares to an economic contraction last year of 2.2%. Combined, projected growth this year in developing countries should reach 5.2% and rise slowly to 5.8% next year, compared with 1.2% in 2009.
The Bank said the pattern of growth across the world was likely to be highly uneven, with rich countries showing the weakest recovery at just 1.8% this year, versus a contraction of 3.3% in 2009. In 2011, their recovery is likely to strengthen by a tepid 2.3%.
“Unfortunately, we cannot expect an overnight recovery from this deep and painful crisis, because it will take many years for economies and jobs to be built,” World Bank chief economist Justin Lin said.
The report warned that it will take some time before economies, both rich and poor, recoup their losses from the financial crisis.
It cautioned that the outlook was littered with uncertainties. Principal among them is whether private sector demand will respond to the rebound and pick up from public spending. — Reuters
“Should the response be weaker than expected in the baseline projection, or should the stimulus be withdrawn too quickly, the recovery could stall,” the Bank said.
If that should happen, a double-dip recession was unlikely but growth in developing countries could weaken to as low as 5.1% in 2010 and 5.4% in 2011, with some countries recording negative growth for one or more quarters.
On the other hand, if stimulus measures are not withdrawn quickly enough the risk is that debt levels in countries rise and private sector investment is crowded out, according to the report. — Reuters
The World Bank said the financial crisis had taken its toll on achieving the UN-agreed goal of halving poverty by 2015. Updated estimates by the World Bank show that the crisis will leave an additional 50 million people in extreme poverty and some 64 million in 2010.
It said the current projection of the percentage of developing country population living below the poverty line of US$1.25 a day was 15%, well below the target rate of 20.8%.
Lin said the poorest countries, those that rely on grant handouts or subsidised lending, may require an additional US$35bil–US$50bil in funding just to sustain pre-crisis social programmes. — Reuters

Sri Lankan Educational Charity in the Running to Win US Dollar One million

Sri Lankan Educational Charity in the Running to Win US$1 Million

A Sri Lankan non-profit organization based in the Washington D.C. area is a step closer in its bid to receive a donation of US$ 1 million from Chase Bank's Chase Community Giving Program. The charity, Educate Lanka Foundation, Inc., has already won US$ 25,000 having competed with more than 500,000 other U.S.-based charities in the first round of the competition.

As a result of this achievement, Educate Lanka Foundation has now been presented with an even greater opportunity to win a US$1 Million Donation from Chase Bank. For Educate Lanka to achieve this donation, it needs to collect the most votes during the week-long online voting initiative that will take place Jan. 15 to Jan. 22, 2010 on Facebook.

“Sri Lankans can help Educate Lanka achieve this esteemed recognition and the important donation by casting their votes for Educate Lanka Foundation through their Facebook profiles,” said Manjula Dissanayake, president of the organization. “It is a unique opportunity for Sri Lankans all over the world to help disadvantaged students in Sri Lanka get a good education,” he said.

Votes can be cast online by visiting www.educatelanka.org/vote.

Educate Lanka Foundation, Inc. was set up in 2006 with the mission of empowering underprivileged students in Sri Lanka to achieve a quality education.

The Foundation operates on a 100% voluntary effort by a group of young Sri Lankan expatriates residing in the United States. Educate Lanka currently provides its scholarships to about 200 deserving students from all age groups and all ethnicities throughout Sri Lanka.

It presently contributes over $25,000 annually for these scholarships. With a donation of US$1 million, Educate Lanka is confident of expanding its efforts by providing scholarships to thousands of more deserving students and undertaking educational infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka. With such a large donation, the Foundation could also expand its scholarship model to other developing countries. Reaching this goal would require a major effort by Sri Lankans and well wishers of Educate Lanka all over the world, voting for Educate Lanka online. “We invite all Sri Lankans and all those interested in empowering young people with education to vote for Educate Lanka and be a part of this unique humanitarian endeavor,” Dissanayake added.

For more information on Educate Lanka Foundation and its efforts,

please contact: Manjula Dissanayake, President MDissanayake@educatelanka.org

Charitha Dumbarange, Media Contact in Sri Lanka 0777-650-234, CDumbarange@educatelanka.org

Educate Lanka Foundation, Inc. www.educatelanka.org

On YouTube: Vote for Educate Lanka Foundation - Chase Charity Competition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU9V26WIp58

EDUCATION IS EVERYTHING - My Name is Gayani

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDq4wPcCw4A

EDUCATION IS EVERYTHING - My name is Dhivyan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDacipqtnu4

EDUCATION IS EVERYTHING - My Name is Amila

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoUOStM764Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWP6-K7JIpo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR6KBuOCPAg

Kumar Sangakkara has returned to the top 10

Kumar Sangakkara has returned to the top 10

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has returned to the top 10 of the ICC player rankings for ODI batsmen after a run of stellar performances in the just-concluded tri-nations series in Bangladesh.Sangakkara not only won the player of the series award for his scores of 74, 60, 17 not out, 68 and 55 but has also been rewarded with a jump of six places in the latest rankings, which puts him in 10th position for the first time since February 2009.The left-hander is now Sri Lanka's highest-ranked batsman, leapfrogging opener Tillakaratne Dilshan who has climbed two places to a career-best ranking of 13th.

Sri Lanka Business Forecast Report Q1 2010 - New Report Published

Sri Lanka Business Forecast Report Q1 2010 - New Report Published

Newly released report, Sri Lanka Business Forecast Report Q1 2010, provides detailed company analysis
Published on January 13, 2010by Press Office(Companiesandmarkets.com and OfficialWire)LONDON, ENGLAND

We expect 2010 to be another challenging year for Sri Lanka in spite of the end of the civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009. The conclusion of a lasting peace agreement should be easier to achieve once President Mahinda Rajapaksa has strengthened his grip on power in elections in early 2010. We expect economic growth to remain weak in 2010 on the back of poor domestic and external demand, but to accelerate in 2011 and 2012 as reconstruction efforts and other foreign direct investment pick up. However, a continuation of growth of 6.0+% will be conditional on far-reaching economic reform, a policy option not favoured by the current administration. We expect President Rajapaksa to consolidate his power by calling presidential elections in early 2010 to capitalise on the surge in popular support following the ending of the 25-year civil war in May 2009. A renewed presidential mandate will likely be followed by parliamentary polls to give Rajapaksa the legislative backing with which to achieve a political resolution of the conflict with Tamil separatists. We believe the influence of Beijing as Sri Lanka's most important ally will continue to grow in coming years, with Chinese investment helping the Sri Lankan economy recover from the global economic downturn. We maintain our 4.4% real GDP growth forecast for 2010, in spite of our upward revision of expected 2009 growth from 2.2% to 3.3%, as weak external demand and higher unemployment should hold back consumer spending. However, we expect real GDP growth to accelerate in 2011 and 2012 as gross fixed capital formation and exports gather pace. The strong contribution of gross fixed capital formation will help Sri Lanka post real growth rates of 6.1% and 6.5% in 2011 and 2012 respectively. We expect real GDP growth to peak at 6.8% in 2013 as reconstruction projects reach completion and foreign direct investment starts to slow. Despite the government's military victory over the rebels, which should ease security concerns, the underlying issues affecting Sri Lanka's business environment are mostly unchanged. These problems include corruption in the judiciary (and particularly in the contract-bidding process) as well as inadequate physical infrastructure. Although the government is pressing ahead with its infrastructure programme, it relies on increasingly scarce foreign funding to do so. More broadly, the business environment is unlikely to see a significant improvement under President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has been pursuing a more nationalistic and less business-friendly economic policy than his predecessor.
Sri Lanka Business Forecast Report Q1 2010: http://www.companiesandmarkets.com/r.ashx?id=S82OR6W3G195588

Sri Lanka commemorates the 5th anniversary of deadly tsunami

ColomboPage News Desk.

Sri Lanka today paid tribute to the thousands of people died from the devastating tsunami that hit the island on the Boxing Day of 2004.

The country observed a two-minute silence from 9:25 to 9:27 a.m. today to remember the more than 40,000 people died in the catastrophic tsunami five years ago which also destroyed over 130,000 houses and rendered nearly a million homeless.
Today is also marked as the National Safety Day. A ceremony was held this morning at the Kurunegala Provincial Council Auditorium under the patronage of Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka to mark the day.
Later in the day the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre will hold a tsunami preparedness drill at 3.00 p.m. in 10 districts.
Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a message to mark the National Safety Day said the day is recognized to educate and sensitize the public about disasters, disaster mitigation, prevention, and early warning which will help them respond properly and strongly to disasters such as a tsunami.
The 2004 tsunami caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake under the Indian Ocean near the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra affected 13 districts in Sri Lanka on a bright sunny morning taking the beach goers, tourists, fishermen, and residents near the shore without a warning.
Ministry of Disaster Management says all the victimized families have been provided with homes now, 5 years after the disaster. The government has constructed over 130,000 houses with the financial and material support from foreign countries and many non governmental organizations, the Ministry said.
The government says it has provided all necessary facilities to the tsunami hit families to restart their livelihoods. All disaster hit hotels and schools have been reconstructed and functioning at present, the authorities say.
The Ministry recently installed a multi-million dollar early warning system along the country's beaches. The Disaster Management Center (DMC) of Sri Lanka held its first natural disaster drill in July this year. Sri Lanka also took part in the tsunami exercise organized by the UNESCO in October to test the tsunami warning system.
Read:http://www.colombopage.com/archive_091/Dec1261806738CH.html

Foriegn news
Father of pakistan's 133rd birth anniversary celebrated

The 133rd birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was celebrated across the country on Friday with the pledge to make the country a true democratic and welfare state.

The day started with special prayers in mosques for prosperity and progress of the country. The main function was held in Karachi where a smartly turned out contingent of cadets from Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul took over the guard duty at the Quaid’s mausoleum.

This was followed by the laying of floral wreaths by representatives of the three armed services. President Asif Ali Zardari visited the mazar, laid a floral wreath and paid homage to the Founder of Pakistan. The President was accompanied by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan.

Pakistan Media tour -Part 1
VIST TO PAKISTAN

A group of journalists from Sri Lanka were afforded opportunity to visit Pakistan. The opportunity was provided by the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo.And sponserd the tour by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) . Editor of SRI LANKA TODAY(http://www.newsonline24.blogspot.com/ ) Sumith Mayadunne participated in the visit.

This was a step in strengthening the friendship between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This article is the first in a series of articles on the visit to Pakistan.

MEMORIES OF A DISTINGUISHED LEADER (Quaid-i-Azam mausoLeam)

By Sumith Maydunne

Present Pakistan land has a long history which runs for Indu Valley civilization.
But, at that time the land was known as India. The Mohanjodaro and Harappa era which we read in the history had created the above civilization thousand and thousands years ago.

Then, Pakistan was not a separate country. In 1947, when Pakistan was identified and recognized as a separate country, the above said land which had a great civilization was passed to new country Pakistan.

Sindu River is the closest natural gift for the Indu Velley civilization. It floats over 1600Kms and joins the Arabian Sea in Karachi in the southern part of Pakistan allowing the expansion of that civilization.

Great and Historic land

Sri Lankan media team got a chance to visit this great and historic land recently and the tour had been organized by the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo and host by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) . The media team was provided opportunity to visit the major important places of the county and study on those places. This is the first of a series of articles written on the tour.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah who was a lawyer by profession is the founder activist to have a separate county named Pakistan in the world map. gratefully remember his name.

It was 1858; the British rulers took Indian region under their .
Control.
Supported and led by Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and a group was leading the campaign against British rulers to receive the independence for India.

Birth of Pakistan
Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru represented the India’s Congress Party and Ali Jinnah represented the India’s Muslim League. The Muslim league which asked the same recognition for the Muslims in India later developed the idea to an Interdependence regime for Indian Muslims.

Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru represented the India’s Congress Party and Ali Jinnah represented the India’s Muslim League. The Muslim league which asked the same recognition for the Muslims in India later developed the idea to an Interdependence regime for Indian Muslims.

Later Jinnah requested for a separate land for the muslims of India.

British rulers had to work on the request and the area where majority of Muslims lived in India was named as Pakistan.The area included present Pakistan and Bangladesh. The date was August 14, 1947. India was given independence a day after Pakistan was given separate administration powers on August 15, 1947.

Distinguished Leader
As we earlier mentioned it was Muhammad Ali Jinnah who is the founder of Pakistan. Without his efforts, there would not be a Pakistan on the world map today.

Pakistani citizens even today after 63 years of independence gratefully remember his name. They consider that founder of the nation should be respected from tradition to tradition.

The fact is proven by the Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s memorial in Karachi where Pakistan’s commercial city. His remains are there and the place has bean named as Quaid -i-Azam Mauso-Leum. People respect it as a national asset and daily meritorious activities are conducted under the supervision of relevant appointed officials.

As Pakistan was setup, Ali Jinnah was appointed as the first Governor General of the country. From that date, he had spent all his time to have a meaningful independence for the Pakistan people. But unfortunately, he died with T. B after a year of independence in the country. Ali Jinnah who was born as an Indian on December 25th, 1876, died on September 11, 1948 as a Pakistan citizen. (Picture: Alli Jinnah with Mahathma Ghandi)

He was named the as the Founder of Pakistan and the Father of the Nation. Pakistani citizens treat him as their Great Leader. In their language (Urdu) they say “Quaid-i-Azam” which means the Great leader. Even after 63 years of his demise, Pakistani citizens still treat him.

While Indonesia became the world’s most Muslim populated country, Pakistan is the second largest Muslim populated country.

Highst respect and care
Sri Lankan media team’s tour begins at the memorial erupted for the commemoration of the Pakistan Great Leader Ali Jinnah. The memorial has been set up on a small hill in Karachi in a place where considered as the heart of Karachi town. The place is maintained with highest respect and care.

Karachi is very famous for this memorial as it has been nicely erupted and preserved. Although the Karachi town has also been invaded by the urbanization, this memorial has been maintained adding an extra interesting to the town. Anyway, the memorial is 10 kilometers far from the busy town of Karachi. It is a peaceful area. Being at a high ground it can be viewed from very far. Islamic culture is well displayed in this area.

The memorial which has bean built using white marbles is 75 feet tall. The length is 75 feet. Great leader Ali Jinnah’s remains lie here. The decorations here sometimes are donations from other countries. A beautiful chandelier /Fascinating lamps inside have been donated by the Chinese government.

The Pakistan citizens who come to visit the place engage in a small pray, keeping their hands on their chests. The memorial is a multistory creation and guests are allowed to come and respect the great leader being in the top floor.

Tri-forces salutation to the memorial takes place all 24 hours. Forces personal have been kept in four sides and salutation teams are changed in every four hours. This special salutation process takes pace from the date of memorial was erupted there. First four months of the year, salutation is conducted by the Pakistan Army, next four months by the Air force and next four is by the Navy are conducted.

Twenty four hour salutation on Quaid-i-Azam Mausoleam

The significance is whatever the regime in power in Pakistan; all the governments have allowed and facilitated the tradition of Salutation to the memorial of Ali Jinnah. They have taught other world that Political parties have nothing to do when they are to respect a national leader. This message is conveyed to the entire world in this fashion.

This historic creation has been designed by architect Yayiha Merchan. The construction works have begun in 1966 and the memorial has been completed on June 1971.
The project manager Major S Arther Mir speaking to the Sri Lankan journalists said that the king of Iran; H.E. Shah graced the opening ceremony. He also said that strengthening the relationship of both counties he donated precious tiles from Iran to fix in the walls of the memorial.
(Picture:Left Side-Major Arther Mir speaking to the Media team)

The place is also used to hold several national festivals. Among them, Pakistan National day, Independence Day, Great Leader’s birth anniversary and death anniversary.
Further Pakistan citizens also respect Ali Jinnah’s younger sister as the Mother of the Nation. Her birth and death anniversaries are also held here.

The memorial is situated in an area of 61 acre land. The museum in the memorial has Ali Jinnah’s some used dresses, vehicle and number of equipments used by him.

Ali Jinnah’s memorial is one of the major places which foreigners never forget to visit. Though he died over 63 years ago, still he lives in the hearts of Pakistan people. We felt that the respect which the Pakistan people offered to him will remain in the future too.

Merry Crismas

Christmas and New Year wishes for peace and joy.