Monthly archive

By Quintus Perera – Asian Tribune

At the recently held 6th AGM of the Sri Lanka Ceramics Council (SLACC) held under the auspicious of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Dayasiri Warnakulasooriya, Chairman/ Managing Director of Midaya Ceramic Co, Ltd., was re-elected as the President. SLACC represents the tableware, floor tiles, wall tiles, roofing tiles and ornamental ware glassware and cement manufacturers and serves as an independent apex body fr the ceramic industry in the country, formed under the Companies Act and governed by a Board of Management.

George Michael The need to advocate regional tourism was emphasised at the third the SAARC working group meeting on tourism. The inaugural ceremony of the meeting was held in Colombo at Hotel Taj Samudra on 7 April 2009, presided by Milinda Moragoda, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Tourism. Opening the session in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Working Group along with George Michael, Secretary of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Tourism, urged the need to advocate regional tourism. The third working group meeting on tourism was held from 7 to 8 April 2009. The event brought together delegations from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to discuss the tourism sector of the SAARC countries.

By M Rama Rao, India Editor, Asian Tribune

The Sonia Congress suffered its first major pre-poll reverse on Thursday. It hurriedly withdrew two 'tainted' leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar from the poll fray. This is a damage control exercise aimed at pleasing the Sikh community who are enraged at the 'clean chit' to Tytler in particular in the 1984 riots directed at the minority Sikhs. The decision comes two days after a Sikh journalist Jarnail Singh made Interior Minister Chidambaram India’s Bush-shoed. He had flung at the minister his shoe during a press conference at the Congress headquarters. Political pundits are the Bush –shoed has damaged the Congress; they are divided on its impact though. Many analysts feel that the party will be able to survive the scare.

Kosh Raj Koirala – Asian Tribune Correspondent in Nepal

In its biggest ever grant assistance to its immediate southern neighbor, China has pledged to provide Rs 1.5 billion in cash as grant assistance to Nepal. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jeichi made this announcement during the visit of his Nepali counterpart Upendra Yadav in China. Officials at Ministry Foreign Affairs said this is the biggest amount that China has provided to Nepal as grant assistance.

By M Rama Rao, India Editor, Asian Tribune

In the fast changing TN scenario, actor-turned politician, Vijayakant said that his DMDK is ready to boycott the Lok Sabha elections while the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a member of DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance, decided not to campaign for the Congress candidates to register their anger at the Centre’s handling of SL Tamil issue. ‘We are ready to boycott the elections on the Sri Lankan issue, but we need the support of the DMK and the AIADMK’, Vijayakant, who has promoted DMDK told a rally at Sivaganga. ‘When the Tamils are getting killed in Sri Lanka, the political parties in Tamil Nadu are holding alliance talks,’ he remarked and challenged the Congress, DMK and AIADMK to fight the elections alone like his party.

By M Rama Rao, India Editor, Asian Tribune

There are conflicting reports on threat posed by the LTTE to Sonia Gandhi. The government had alerted various states to be on guard for a possible LTTE attack on Congress President Sonia Gandhi during the election campaign. But an LTTE spokesman has denied the report in a letter to TV channel, CNN-IBN. Political head of the LTTE, Nadesan, told the Channel 'All these are part of the malicious propaganda intended to divert the plight of the sufferings of the Tamil civilians and their quest for self determination. Forces that are determined to dent the affinity between Eelam Tamils and the great people of India continuously labour to break that bond by in putting out these kind of baseless fictions. There is absolutely no threat whatsoever from us to neither Ms. Sonia Gandhi nor her children'.

M.A. Kader-Asian Tribune Correspondent in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Law Minister Shafique Ahmed on Thursday said the government will appoint an investigating agency, prosecutors and form tribunals within 15 days for the long-awaited war crimes trials. The home ministry will engage the investigation agency early next week, Shafiq Ahmed told reporters after the first meeting of the committee for investigating and prosecuting war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war. Law minister Shafiq Ahmed said the process has began from this very day and the trial will be held in compliance with the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.

Mexico has reassured to Sri Lanka of its firm support at the international fora, including the UN Security Council. Mexico which is holding the presidency of the Security Council in April had reassured its stance on Sri Lanka following talks in Mexico City between Foreign Secretary Dr Palitha Kohona and senior Mexican government officials, including Vice Minister Gomez-Robledo.Mexico confirmed that they do not have any intention of permitting the Sri Lankan situation to be placed on the Security Council agenda, as it does not pose a threat to international peace and security.