The Ministry of Defence in asso-ciation with the Ministry of MassMedia and Information have drawnup plans to raid illegal cable telecaststations islandwide.

Minister Kheliya Rambukwella revealed this at ameeting held yesterday with representatives of inde-pendent television stations.

He said information had been received aboutsuch illegal cable TV stations and added that whatthey broadcast was detrimental to the culture andinterests of Sri Lanka. He further said that suchtelecasts targeted children.

Associated with the Minister at yesterday’s meet-ing were Ministry Secretary W. B. Ganegala andAdvisor D. B. Nihalsinghe.

Former USAmbassador in ColomboRobert Blake has accusedSri Lanka of complicity inpara-military operationsdirected at the LTTE asearly as May 2007.

According to a secretUS embassy cable datedMay 18, 2007, authored by Blake, who recently called forrelaxation of Sri Lanka’s Emergency Regulations, the gov-ernment had a direct hand in ‘crimes committed by organ-ized para-military groups in 2006.”

Blake went on to blame Sri Lanka even for prostitutionin the provinces, child trafficking and denying funds topara-military operations initiated by PresidentRajapaksa’s predecessor, Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Blake has written: “Allegations of government com-plicity in crimes committed by organized paramilitarygroups have mounted in the last year. Paramilitaries suchas the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-break-away Karuna group and Eelam People’s Democratic Party(EPDP) have helped the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) tofight the LTTE, to kidnap suspected LTTE collaborators,

And the JVP is going to closelocal universities.

Govt. is going to set up for-eign universities here.

International Scho

Education in Sri L

Saturday 18th December, 2010

eauty

as An

Ugly Side

REVIEWED BY BANDU DE SILVA

Quite a number of works have been

written covering the Western colo-

nial phase in Sri Lanka.

As it has been

bserved, the prob-

em with writing

he history of the

colonial phase is

that those who creat-

ed the archives were

foreign to the country

and naturally incor-

porated their biases

towards themselves

and towards whom

they subjugated. P. D

Curtin, Professor of

History, John Hopkins

University, an expert on

slave trade, writing in

the six-volumed UNESCO

General History of Africa

observed that there could

be disastrous results in

writing colonial history if

historians neglected to

bring another point of view

through oral interviews

with living people who expe-

rienced the colonial rule.

Historical parochialism was deeply

imbedded in the older historical tradition.

Even in the 20th century it barely came

out of the old tradition. Curtin even

observed that history at its best was a

form of snooping; and at worst, academic

espionage. Perhaps, one can find this in

the Portuguese chronicler, Queyroz’s

intentions as revealed in his book VI. The

history of Ceylon written by Emerson

Tennent could also be put into this catego-

ry. So was the work of the Dutch clergy-

man, Baldeus. When Tournour translated

Mahavamsa there was an objective. There

was, as Chief Justice Johnston observed

something to learn from the laws and

practices of the land which could come

handy in governing the country. In other

words, the early historiography was self

–centred.Bronislaw Malinowiski (1920-30)s advo-

cacy of field investigation from anthropo-

logical perspective was overtaken by

those of Claude Levi-Strauss and others

(1940-1950s). These pre-modern works set

in new dynamics especially in the field of

anthropology. Decolonizing of history

received an impetus especially from inde-

pendence movements. Later, roots of

resistance came to be investigated.

Behavioural revolution has already come

to the forefront of study. Interdisciplinary

approaches and interviews and field

investigations are proving to be as impor-

tant for the colonial period as much as

archival material. The archival records

have to be balanced.

The idea of looking at history from the

point of view of clash of civilizations was

one which began to make its appearance

in 1990s with Samuel Huntington’s work

(1996)making a landmark, which but dis-

ti Islamic bias. TheCO

ments. His debate with Fr.Gnanapragsar

on the issue of Bhuvanekabahu’s illegiti-

mate sons is a pointer.

The PhD thesis of the

next generation of

researchers suffered

from other constrains,

if not from over-influ-

ence of the thinking

of Western supervi-

sors but also from

obligations towards

funding institutes of

research. PhD stu-

dents from my

batch in the

University (1951)

who were the sec-

ond generation of

scholars to study

Portuguese inter-

action in Sri

Lanka after Paul

E.Pieris and Fr.

S.G.Perera

could not have,

as the author

points out,

avoided the

overwhelming

[other] co

pagans, o

Christ wtled,….todoms,- Clages anreduceand to aPortuguse anNicholMemoAlfons1452.

Thisatiotimethe Eprinin Sr16thTheBudfrieDr.

beuptuaxuacKta

“The Portuguese Presence in Sri Lanka”:

By Dr. Susantha Goonatilake

A 16th Century Clash

of Civilizations

Remnants of Munnessaram Hindu/Buddhist temple complex

bahu pirivena of Totagamuwa- partly rebuilt today

SATMAG

Vol. 30 No. 29 Saturday 18th December, 2010, 24 pages Rs. 20 Registered in Sri Lanka as a Newspaper - City Edition

1311Financial Review

NATIONAL ANTHEMAND NATIONALIDENTITY

SOCIAL ECOLOGYAND SOCIETAL

RESILIENCE

AUSTRALIA INCONTROL INPERTH

ELECTRICITY TARIFF THREATENS

VIABILITY OF INDUSTRIES

Beauty Has AnUgly Side

For yearsWangZiwen con-

templated havingplastic surgery tomake her jaw linefashionably nar-row and her facesmaller. TheBeijinger finallydecided against ita few days agoafter hearing ofthe death of for-mer Super Girlcontestant Wang Bei during ‘facialbone-grinding surgery’ in mid-November. Wang Bei, 24, is said tohave gone under the knife in Wuhan,Hubei province, to jump-start her fal-tering showbiz career.

The Island www.island.lk

The annual get-together of the members of the judiciary was held at Hotel TajSamudra yesterday under the patronage of Chief Justice Asoka De Silva. Ministerof Justice Rauff Hakeem also graced the occasion. See in the picture are JusticeS. I. Imam. Minister Rauff Hakeem, former Justice P. H. K. Kulatilleke, former ChiefJustice G.P.S.de Silva, Chief Justice Asoka de Silva and Justice ShiranaiBandaranayake. (Photo-Sujatha Jayaratne)

Situ ‘bad, really bad,beyond bleak’

While the Sri Lankan armedforces were battling the LTTE in theEast in early 2007, India expressedserious concern that the situation inSri Lanka was rapidly deteriorating,according to a confidential USembassy missive released by thewhistle blowing website, Wikileaks.

The US cable dated April 27, 2007dealt with the situation in Sri Lanka

at an initial stage of the militarycampaign launched by PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa’s government inresponse to the LTTE declaring warin the second week of August, 2006.

The cable quoted senior Indianofficials as saying that the situationin Sri Lanka was ‘beyond bleak’ andthat neither the government norTamil separatists had any ‘regard’ for

the international community andalso sought a briefing from the USregarding Sri Lanka’s growing rela-tions with China.

Sources pointed out that a discus-sion between Indian and US officialsbased in New Delhi on April 26, 2007had been the basis of the embassycable in the wake of the launch of Sri

India felt both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE ignored international concerns, while expressing concernover President Mahinda Rajapaksa having a ‘soft spot’ for China. India sought US assessment of Hambantota Port.

But strangely there was absolutely no mention of Pakistan, a key supporter ofLanka’s war against terror.

BY SHAMINDRA FERDINANDO

BY MARIO ANDREE

Shangri La is investing US$300mn in a 10-acre property inColombo Fort to construct a 300room luxury hotel. The HongKong based hotel chain giant isalso planning to invest in a 150acre property in Hambantota.

Sri Lanka TourismDevelopment AuthorityChairman Dr. Nalaka

Godehewa told The Island thatthe land acquisition would beconcluded within the next twoto three weeks.

He said Shangri La wouldbe acquiring land in Galle Facewhere the Army camp is cur-rently situated.

Islets in Sri Lanka’s territo-rial waters, off the North-Western coast, have attracted

11 bidders for development on athirty-year lease with proposalsamounting to US$ 500 million.The first phase of the evalua-tion process concluded yester-day (17) and the bidders havebeen short listed.

Sri Lanka TourismDevelopment Authority Chiefsaid that the country hadattracted 12 bidders and one

had to be disqualified, but hedid not elaborate.

Last year, the country hadmanaged to attract US$ 1 bil-lion investment to the tourismindustry and the new proposalsvalued at US$ 500 million werea great achievement, said Dr.Godehewa.

Wikileaks Expose: India said in early 2007

BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE

The Health Ministry says that fiftypercent institutions and schools withinthe Colombo City area have mosquito lar-vae and possible mosquito breedingplaces.

Spokesman for the Health Ministrysaid that 55 institutions and 58 schoolswithin the Colombo City had beeninspected by thirty inspection units dur-ing the National Dengue week (Dec. 1 –7).

He said that 35 of the 55 (63.3 percent)institutions had mosquito breedingplaces and mosquito larvae. They

The LakshmanKadirgamar memorial lec-ture, which was to be deliv-ered by British DefenceSecretary Liam Fox, today,in Colombo, has been post-poned indefinitely. He hasinformed the LakshmanKadirgamar Foundationthat he is unable to travelto Colombo due to anurgent commitment on anofficial visit to the UnitedArab Emirates.

However, according tothe British media anddiplomatic sources, Foxcame under tremendouspressure from BritishForeign Secretary WilliamHague and Prime MinisterDavid Cameron to cancelhis Colombo visit to main-tain pressure on Sri Lankaas regards the war crimesallegations being levelledagainst it.

Meanwhile, a statementissued by the LakshmanKadirgamar Foundationsays:

“The LakshmanKadirgamar Foundationhas been informed by theRt. Hon. Dr. Liam Fox, MP,Secretary of State for

Well-wishers of GeneralSarath Fonseka were served cakeyesterday at the Superior CourtsComplex to mark the formerarmy chief ’s 60th birthday,which falls today (18).

Gen. Fonseka was brought tothe Court of Appeal by the prisonofficials yesterday, when his WritApplication was taken up.

Public Utilities Commissionof Sri Lanka has completed thepublic consultation process onthe electricity tariff revision forthe year 2011. This was the firstever such public consultationprocess which gave an opportu-nity to the stakeholders toexpress their views on electrici-ty tariffs proposed by theCommission.

The Commission published

the proposed electricitytariffs formulated inconsultation with thegovernment and otherstakeholders throughpress notices publishedon 24th November 2010offering public and other stake-holders to express their views onthe proposed tariffs.

The Commission which wasestablished under Act, No. 35 of

2002 was empoweredthrough the Sri LankaElectricity Act. No. 20 of2009, to regulate the elec-tricity industry, whichcomprises generation,transmission, and distri-

bution and supply segments.The Commission expects to

consider all comments made by

SF supportersget B-day cake

Fox can’t come;Kadirgamar lecture postponed

Final electricity tariffs to be known soon

Citing info from ‘trusted embassy contacts’

Half of Colombodengue prone

Tourism sector sees flood of investments

p p10

Blake alleges MR of continuing para-militaryops launched by CBK

Says CBK helped Karuna to escape to Tamil Nadu

ChandrikaRajapaksa

10

16

Plans to raid illegalcable TV stations

Read what the US envoys have been saying about Sri Lanka’s war on the sly

Wikileaks Special Today

UN cites seriousfunding shortfall:GOSL responds

The government has spentapproximately Rs. 40 billion of itsown resources for relief, earlyrecovery and infrastructure devel-opment of the Northern Provinceduring August 2009 to November2010, says S B Divaratne, Secretaryto the Presidential Task Force forResettlement Development andSecurity (Northern Province)

Divaratne was responding toour front-page news item captioned,“UN cites serious funding shortfallfor 2011,” on Dec. 16, based on infor-mation provided by the UN Officefor the Coordination ofHumanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

Shangri La to invest US$ 300 mn, acquire prime land in Colombo occupied by military