Appeal to God to stop construction of coal power plant in Sri Lanka
Monday, August 20, 2007, 12:33 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Aug 20, Colombo: The All Religion Collective Against Coal Power Plant appealed to God to stop the construction of the power plant in Norochcholai in the Western Province of Sri Lanka.
The people’s action was held in Narakkalliya Church on August 18, 2 PM. Thousands of people participated in the peaceful protest amid tight security provided by police. The residents said police removed the black flags hoisted by them in protest of the coal power plant.
The All Religion Collective Against Coal Power Plant say that the side effects of burning coal to generate electricity harm all the life in the Kalpitiya peninsula as well as the whole country and resettling 82 families who were living in the site chosen for the plant would not solve all the problems. The Collective is also apprehensive about the high security zone to be set up in the area.
The construction work of the Norochcholai coal power plant was officially commenced on August 08. President Mahinda Rajapaksa attended an observation tour at the construction site prior to that on August 06.
Sri Lanka government has decided to obtain a credit of US$ 500 million from international banks at a higher interest rate and the projects that are to be funded through the credit included the preliminary work of the Norochcholai coal power plant.
The President also said that the government has taken steps to provide fuel to the Ceylon Electricity Board at a subsidized price to keep the electricity tariff low. He also expressed hopes to reduce the electricity tariff when the Norochcholai coal power plant would commence generation.
CMEC Company of China is the contractor for the construction and the Exim Bank of China provides a loan of US $ 450 million for the project.
The plant is expected to commence operations by 2009 and will generate 300 MW of energy in the first stage.

Sri Lankan teachers boycott evaluation of G.C.E. Advanced Level answer scripts
Monday, August 20, 2007, 13:02 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 20, Colombo: The first stage evaluation work of the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination that commenced today in Sri Lanka was paralyzed since the teachers of five teachers' unions boycotted evaluating the papers.
The Examination Commissioner admitting that there was a disturbance said that evaluation was successfully carried out. However, the Chairman of the Ceylon Teachers Union Joseph Stalin Fernando contradicted the Examination Commissioner and said that all evaluation work in Colombo and other major centers were completely paralyzed due to trade union action.
Fernando also said that the government’s inaction on their trade union action would lead to drastic results such as lengthening of the school holidays affecting the education of the students.
The teachers are urging the government to issue a circular pertaining to removal of salary anomalies.

Sri Lanka indigenous people to suspend offering bee honey to Temple of Tooth

Monday, August 20, 2007, 14:06 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 20, Colombo: The leader of Sri Lanka's indigenous 'Vedda' community, Uruwarige Wanniyala Aththo today announced that his community would suspend the traditional offering of bee honey to the Temple of Tooth during the season of cultural pageant now underway.
The indigenous community has decided to avoid the offering in protest of officials of the Wild Life Department for arresting four Vedda people who entered into the Maduraoya forest reserve to collect bee honey. The four were produced in the Mahiyanganaya court and were bailed out. The honey they collected was taken into the custody of the courts as production for the case.
The Vedda community’s offering of bee honey to the Temple of Tooth is a tradition that goes back to several centuries. The indigenous community is facing the conflicts caused by rapid social change.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources issuing a statement said that the Wildlife officials were not disrupting the lives of the indigenous people but arrested four people who entered into the forest reserve with guns. The statement said that the Vedda people could carry their traditional arms.

Sri Lanka President's elder son to enter active politics
Monday, August 20, 2007, 12:39 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 20, Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's elder son Namal, who held talks with India’s Congress parliamentarian Rahul Gandhi recently, had said he will be ready to enter into active politics.
Namal Rajapaksa was in India with a delegation of his Tharunyata Hetak (Future for Youth) organization and met the grandson of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi for 30 minutes on August 14, sources said.
During the meeting, Namal, who is studying law in London, had informed Ghandi that he is ready to enter into active politics in his country soon. Sources also said that visiting Rajapaksa and Rahul Gandhi had a cordial meeting and reportedly discussed the situation in Sri Lanka.
‘Let us Grow and Develop the Country’; a three-year plan to uplift local food production in Sri Lanka Monday, August 20, 2007, 14:11 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 20, Colombo: A special discussion was held today at the Temple Trees, under the patronage of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, pertaining to a three-year plan to improve the local food production.
The government has decided to launch a programme in the theme ‘Let us Grow and Develop the Country’ to improve the local food production. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Services conduct the programme.
The President discussed the plan to cultivate 52,000 hectares anew. The President said that Rs. 100 billion is spent per annum to import 32 essential food commodities. He said that this huge amount of foreign exchange could be saved if the food production improved under better management of land.
Closed Sri Lankan university to resume classes on August 23 Monday, August 20, 2007, 14:09 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 20, Colombo: The authorities of the Kelaniya University of Sri Lanka have decided to reopen the closed faculties of the university on August 23. The students were informed to report to the hostels on Wednesday.
The university authorities came to this decision after a discussion between the Vice Chancellor and the faculty deans today.
Meanwhile, the students who had occupied the university administrative building have left it yesterday after a student adviser announced them that the ban on lectures on three student leaders would be recalled after discussions between the students and the adviser.
A people's petition seeking release of Sri Lankan housemaid facing death sentence Monday, August 20, 2007, 12:51 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 20, Colombo: Lakmawage Diyaniyo, a women's organization linked to Patriotic National Movement today launched a people's petition signing campaign seeking the release of Rizana Nafeek, the Sri Lankan housemaid who is facing death sentence in Saudi Arabia.
Nafeek is alleged of murdering an infant while under her care. She has migrated to Saudi Arabia as an underage girl.
The signing of the petition was commenced near the Pettah Bodhi in Colombo and would be held a weeklong. The petition is to be forwarded to the Embassy of Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile the Central Bank of Sri Lanka last week boasted that worker remittances, the second highest foreign exchange earner to the country, increased by around 18 per cent to US$ 1.3 billion during the first half of 2007 helping to finance over 80 per cent of the trade deficit in the first half of 2007.
The worker remittances would have favourable impact on current account balance for the first half of 2007, stated the Central Bank.
Most of the Sri Lankans migrating for foreign employment are unskilled housemaids. Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau says around 130,000 housemaids leave for jobs annually. Of the nearly 1.5 million Sri Lankan expatriate workers, the majority is housemaids.