ShortTakes

Religious ceremonies mark SLFP’s 57th anniversary

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will hold its 57th anniversary today with focus on religious activities.

The main religious ceremony in connection with the anniversary will take place at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya today, General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena said.

Religious ceremonies have also been organised on an electoral basis, Sirisena added.

Putin saves journalists from tiger

You’ve seen Vladimir Putin the bomber pilot, judo expert and fisherman — but tiger tamer?

Russian media, known for hero-worshipping the Prime Minister and former President, reported Monday that Putin fired a tranquilizer dart at a tiger that got loose Sunday during a photo-op at a wildlife sanctuary.

According to Interfax news agency, a camera crew from state TV channel Vesti realised the five-year-old tiger had become untied, whereupon Putin leapt into action.

“Thanks to the agile and timely action the tiger was immobilised,” Interfax said. Photos released by state news agency RIA Novosti showed Putin next to a sleeping tiger and holding a gun used to fire tranquiliser darts. Interfax said Putin kissed the big cat and said “goodbye.”

He was visiting the Ussuriisky Nature Reserve in the far east of Russia to see how conservation experts track and study tigers.

The state media carefully honed Putin’s tough-guy image during his eight-year presidency, notably in a photo session last year where the diminutive, fitness-mad leader posed bare-chested with fishing rods and rifles.

Moscow, Monday, AFP

‘Humanitarian Corridor’ for Wanni civilians

Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe yesterday announced the opening of a humanitarian corridor by the Government to help those civilians trapped in the Wanni to move from uncleared areas to Vavuniya for their safety.

Minister Samarasinghe said they are getting Vavuniya ready as a hub to accommodate and to look after the civilians who escape for safety and security from uncleared areas in the Wanni to Vavuniya through the safety corridor.

He was speaking at a press conference held at the Ministry of Disaster Management.

He said the overriding interest of the Government was to ensure the safety and security of conflict affected civilians in the Wanni. The humanitarian corridor is expected to facilitate people who want to come to Vavuniya where they will be looked after in keeping with international standards.

We will give all the help they need until the areas they live are fully liberated and can be resettled in the same manner that was done in the Eastern Province, the minister said.

Asked to comment on the risk associated with the LTTE using civilians as human shields, Samarasinghe said “as far as the government is concerned we are determined not to risk the lives of civilians when we engage”.

Except for occasional lapses, our military has been very precise, he said. Our armed forces are professionals.

The minister said he knows for a fact that strict instructions have been sent in this regard to all rank and file of the Security Forces because he discussed this with the Army Commander. “This is also why it is important on the part of the non-state actors to ensure that the people should be free to take the decision as to whether they are going to stay in those IDP camps or they want to come through the human corridor to Vavuniya.”

Commenting on the situation of current food supplies to the conflict-affected villages in the Wanni district, Minister Samarasinghe said the Security Forces commander of Wanni has facilitated 16 trucks belonging to the World Food Programme, which had come from Killinochchi to Vavuniya.

“We are now using WFP stores to pack them with the food items that are necessary to be taken into the Wanni.”

These trucks will be sealed in the presence of the Army and will be facilitated to go into the Wanni, especially to areas like Kilinochchi.

This is in addition to what the government is doing through the Government Agents. On the one hand the government is taking the bulk of the responsibility acceding to the request of the GAs and giving them whatever their requirements are so that the GAs will be able provide immediate shelter as well as the relief needs of the IDPs in those areas.