Another challenging year for the Foreign Ministry

It is the primary duty of the Foreign Ministry abroad to implement Sri Lanka’s agenda in every aspect while discharging their duties and functions.

Foremost among these responsibilities is the protection of the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama made these observations when he addressing the staff of the Ministry yesterday (1st) at the Foreign Ministry.

Minister Bogollagama thanked the Ministry staff for their support and corporation in performing their duties last year, which was a highly productive year for the Ministry. He especially highlighted their contribution for the 15th SAARC Summit in Colombo.

This year too would be challenging for the Ministry. Plans are underway to host several international and regional conferences. The visit of the Maldivian President to Sri Lanka starting today would herald the Foreign Ministry’s calendar of activities.

In February, Sri Lanka will host the SARRC Council of Ministers under its Chair, and in the following month a high level Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is due to be held in Colombo.

He said that Sri Lanka Foreign Service could be compared favorably with the diplomatic service of other countries. He directed that Foreign Service officers should be attached to a District Secretariet Office in a rural area, prior to being posted to serve in a Mission abroad. Therefore Foreign Services officers need to have an in-depth knowledge of the realities and difficulties faced by the people especially in the rural hinterland.

Minister Bogollagama commended the social responsibility dimension of the Foreign Ministry and the overseas Missions. The Seva Vanitha Unit of the Ministry has been rendering yeoman service in the development of health facilities in the rural areas.

Courtesy: Lankapuvath

Army , Air Force Chiefs dismiss allegations level against security forces by unpatriotic politicians

(By Walter Jayawardhana)

Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s Army Commander and Air Force Commander Air Vice Marshall Roshan Goonetilleke have totally rejected the statements made by United National Party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe that quick and complete attention have not been provided to soldiers who are injured at the war front to save their lives.

Fonseka said in a statement broadcast by the state owned Independent Television Network (ITN), ” The security forces have enough helicopters to transport all injured soldiers immediately from the battlefield to necessary hospitals and after immediate treatment, if necessary there are enough transport planes to transfer them to Colombo for further specialized medical attention.” In a sweeping statement he rejected the UNP leaders utterances as “untruth” and “distortions” meant to mislead.

This is the first time the country’s Opposition Leader had to be contradicted in a statement so strong as this by the country’s armed forces. Fonseka said, most of the soldiers hit in the battlefield are by the heavy artillery and mortars possessed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) “that were allowed to be smuggled into the country by politicians during the days of the Ceasefire Agreement and the very leaders who allowed those weapons into the country should be directly responsible for the injuries caused to the soldiers,” in an obvious atttack on Wickremasinghe. Many shiploads of weapons were allowed to be taken into the country during the time of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe while the country’s Navy was asked to show a Nelsonian eye to the activities of the LTTE as a measure to save the Ceasfire Agreement, years ago.

Both Lieutenant General Fonseka , the Army Commander and Air Force Commander Air Vice Marshall Roshan Goonetilleke in televised statements said the Opposition Leader’s statement as “complete distortion of the truth” and ” a lie” probably concocted to sabotage the recruitment to the security forces all over the nation “by misleading the masses.”

Fonseka and Goonetilleke said, injured soldiers are directly transported to Palali, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa ,Mannar , Ampara hospitals etc directly from the battlefields by helicopters and from those places to Colombo if further treatment is wanted. Fonseka said there are enough transport planes coming to Colombo to transfer such soldiers.

Ranil Wickremasinghe’s closest political ally Mangala Samaraweera had earlier said the present commander of the armed forces does not know warfare and that’s why so many have died. Samaraweera was quoted having said that ” lives of soldiers are being sacrificed because the defence secretary and army commander do not have an understanding or strategy to conduct the war.” In an obvious reference to Samaraweera , the Army Commander said, it is ridiculous that people who oppose warring with the Tamil Tigers are now trying to instruct them about war strategy.

He said the strategy of the government is definitely based on years of past experience and the successful results are now showing by our valiant soldiers and their officers by using it. They are now poised to strike Kilinochchi and Mulativu. He said, ” if we took time off for the monsoon and floods we would have given an advantage over us to the LTTE. But our brave soldiers fought regardless and today we are at an advantage over them.” The Army Commander said our forces have successfully run over Iranamadu cross roads and Paranthan leading to their military targets.

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

Intercity Train Service between Colombo Fort and Anuradhapura

The Government is to commence an intercity train service between Colombo Fort and Anuradhapura with a maximum travel time of three hours.

Mihin Lanka takes wing today

Mihin Lanka will recommence operations from today (Jan 1). The first flight will leave Colombo for Dubai 6 pm.

Mobile service to make consumers aware of trade malpractices

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) formulated a special mechanism to educate consumers on unfair trade practices by certain traders during the festive season.

This mechanism follows a special request by Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Affairs Minister Bandula Gunawardhana.

This program will be conducted through a series of mobile services from today (30th).
As a first step a mobile vehicle will be parked at the Vaxuall Street today to provide information to the consumers on the unfair trading practices such as the selling rice at a higher prices, creating unnecessary shortage by hoarding stocks, not displaying price tags, etc. which are punishable offenses under the Consumer Affairs Authority Act No. 9 of 2003.

The mobile vehicle will be shifted to the Dedicated Economic Center in Narahenpita by 4.30 p.m.
Minister Gunawardana invited all consumers to handover their complaints to the mobile service. These complaints will be handled by the Consumer Complaints Bureau established under the CAA to provide a better and a speedier service to the consumers.

The mobile services will be conducted closer to the Dedicated Economic Centers, Sathosa outlets and main bus stands in Colombo to provide easy access to consumers. The program will be expanded to other parts of the country by adding more vehicles to the service.

Apart from conducting awareness programs for the general public, the CAA is engaged in conducting trade awareness programs to educate traders on the compliance of the provisions of the CAA Act and good business practices.