• Appalling statement by German Minister

• Dual nationality

• Walawe left bank irrigation upgrade and extension project

• Pedestrian crossings at Ambalangoda

Appalling statement by German Minister

I refer to the statement by Herr Heidi Wieczorek-Zeul of the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development to the effect that Germany has officially frozen any new aid projects in Sri Lanka in a bid to put pressure on the Government and the LTTE to get back to peace talks.

You will observe over the last six months, the Government has always been willing to resume peace talks but it was the LTTE who was evading it with silly and vague excuses. We will not be surprised that if the LTTE withdraws from peace talks that is now being scheduled to have it on October 28 and 29, 2006 in Geneva.

I am certain that every Sri Lankan will be with me to lodge our strong protest of your appalling statement quote "there cannot be a military solution to the conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils".

We are surprised that such a statement has come from a learned minister like yourself. Firstly, let us get the facts right. This is not a conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils as you think. This is a conflict between a legitimate Government and a terrorist outfit like your Government and the Red Brigade.

There are more Tamils living in the South along with the Sinhalese and the Muslims than in the North. How can a majority of Tamils live with the Sinhalese if there is a conflict between Tamils and Sinhalese. The present Government comprises of many Tamil Ministers and Deputy Ministers. Please refer your embassy and inquire as to how the Tamil population is spread countrywide.

Further, let's think that as you said that there is a conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils. Then, can you explain why the LTTE keeps on killing their own Tamil political leaders and other ordinary Tamils who oppose it.

Secondly, your statement also mentions "Government and the Tamil areas". There is no place called Tamil areas in Sri Lanka except some areas predominantly habited by Tamils.

In Germany, you get Turks, Polish and other European nationalities clustered in certain areas and do you call them Turkish areas and Polish areas etc.? I am sure you will not say that in Germany. It may be that your country is sincere in trying to help Sri Lanka.

But be mindful that Sri Lanka is a proud nation who would not like to dilute its sovereignity to a fistful of dollars or Deutschmarks.

As a responsible Minister of a responsible Ministry, we would urge you to get your facts correct before you make your statements or decisions.

MALIN ABEYATUNGE, Australia, via email.

Dual nationality

In response to Yasas Bandaranayake's comments (DN Oct.14) on my article (DN Oct 11), I do not dispute with expatriates' financial strength in making an exorbitant payment to obtain dual nationality. but in certain quarters, I regret to say, that it is seen as a money spinning exercise, discriminatory and worst being having to 'buy back' one's antecedents for money!

The present Immigration Law in Sri Lanka dictates that 'all ex-Sri Lankans' now holding foreign citizenship or Sri Lankans qualified for grant of Citizenship of a foreign country seeking to regain one's nationality back (birthright) "should have contributed to the socio-economic development of Sri Lanka".

In addition to submitting applicants' original Sri Lankan birth certificates, marriage certificates and their parents' birth certificates, etc., aspirants have to show 'how Sri Lanka would benefit' if applicants born to Sri Lankan parents were granted Dual Citizenship!

Another vital requirement in the present law is that applicants should produce either documentary proof of one's academic attainments, which should be a degree from a recognized University as a minimum, or original of the documentary proof (Deeds) of one's assets such as lands or other immovable properties in Sri Lanka worth Rs. 2.5 Million or above, and a copy accompanied by a valuation report of the same and Title report.

Alternatively, minimum of one year's Fixed Deposit of an amount not less than Rs. 2.5 Million. Applicants over 55 years of age are exempted from educational and financial requirements.

The bottom line is that every Sri Lankan expatriate living abroad need not be a university graduate and/or may not even be able to comply with compulsory financial requirements imposed by Law.

In such a scenario should such 'ex-Sri Lankans' be barred from coming back to their roots to enjoy a sense of belonging and to walk about freely with their heads up in their mother country as opposed to foreigners who are allowed entry on resident permits by showing millions in terms of converted foreign exchange into Sri Lankan rupees? This is seen in certain Sri Lankan circles as downright discrimination against their own people.

Some even are amazed why an eminent Sri Lankan expatriate Lawyer has not seen this as a violation of basic human rights and has not knocked on the doors of the Human Rights Courts in Strasbourg so far?

Let's not get our issues mixed up. Undoubtedly patriots, whether they are within or outside the country, will always contribute enthusiastically to save our motherland at the hour of need if and when appeals are made.

It is also unfortunate that no one talks about the Defence Fund these days which was once operated actively from Bank of Ceylon and Central Bank, yet playing an unusual dormant role at present!

I therefore, feel that it would be quite appropriate to analyze this whole dual nationality issue on a wider sense by inputting all the relevant and prevalent data and suggestions into the 'Mahinda Chinthanaya' computer and see what results it would bring, because we all, as Sri Lankans, love our country.

Dr. Tilak S. Fernando

Walawe left bank irrigation upgrade and extension project

Reference the article in the Daily News of October 6 that the Government has allocated funds for the development of the Irrigation sector which is the second highest expenditure next to defense.

But with my experience in the on-going Walawe Left Bank Irrigation Project, I would like to highlight the below mentioned points so, that the Government can take some action to reduce or stop those unnecessary events. Otherwise the purpose of those massive projects will be lost due to unnecessary events in the projects.

1) Robberies taking place in the Walawe Project area are unbelievable because the project is to benefit of the area farmers but thieves in the area are robbing many items of the irrigation infrastructures. Some items had been stolen after been handed over to the client too.

Many control gates are being robbed by unknown people in the area and the client is paying the contractor for re-fixing the missing control gates. If there is no proper security system in place, the payments for re-fixing the control gates would be endless.

The necessity therefore has now arisen that the Government should provide security of the Irrigation infrastructures.

2) Regret to mention that about twenty three newly built school buildings with a new playground in the Walawe Left Bank Project are not being used by the Education Department up to now but these school buildings were ceremonially opened a year back.

All buildings are deteriorating day by day and nobody looks into this waste of money. My suggestion is for the Education Department to start these schools with at least 100 students so that the buildings would be maintained with human presence.

3) During the opening of Package 4 (Last Package of the Walawe Left Bank Project which was started at the beginning of 2005) contracts, the opening plaques were not mentioned with the names of the Japanese funding bodies but this project was funded by the Japanese Government.

It is regrettable to mention that after the opening of the plaques and following complaints made by the invitees (Japanese), the fixed plaques had to be removed after the ceremony and replaced with new ones which included the names of the Japanese Funding bodies.

Unfortunately on the second occasion, some additional plaques were fixed on the back in addition to the modification of the opening face which included the Japanese name and that also came crashing down due to the poor quality of fixing by some close friend of the consultant staff.

4) Some officers prepare bills and arrange payments for contractor's work done of which the quantity of excavated material mentioned as rock, but, actually it is soil at site.

In short, the certifying officers are getting money from the contractors following the approval of such bills by the team leader and the Project Director.

This happens for years, as with every excavation in the canals in the project, so that the contractor and the preparing officer would be making more money as the rate for rock excavation is higher than the other.

On one occasion, these findings were brought to the notice of the team leader by a senior engineer who is verifying the bills, but nothing had happened to stop this practices because the person who prepared the bill was one of the senior persons in Mahaweli Projects and known to every body as an undercutting person.

I remember the above types of bribery had happened in a lot of Government departments many years back and finally disappeared up-to some extent with the curtailment of those departments.

But it is true that bribery is still taking place and those events functioning by some stagnated senior persons on a monopoly basis. Since the project is funded by Sri Lanka and Japan, we should avoid such things happening in the projects and we should use all allocated money for the project activities and not to one person's pocket.

S. BANDARA, Piliyandala.

Pedestrian crossings at Ambalangoda

The pedestrian crossings along the Galle-Colombo main road in Ambalangoda have been erased as a result of the new pie-mix carpet which was re-laid recently.

The crossings opposite the Central Bus Station 'Daily Fair' and the one near the heart of the town are two places where we find pedestrians crossing the road at all odd times of the day.

Senior citizens and those who patronise the 'Daily Fair' are at a great risk as they continue to cross the main road at places where the crossings were in existence.

The three-wheel drivers, motorcyclists and some private bus drivers do not give way to the pedestrians even when they see them crossing the road.

I hope this letter would draw the attention of the authorities concerned to get the markings in place, before some serious accident takes place.

LIONEL L. LEANAGE, Ambalangoda.