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Peace settlement makes way for new ecotourism venture

Encouraged by the new peace settlements, Sri Lanka Insider Tours, Inc. launches this month www.srilanka-insider-tours.com in collaboration with the Srilanka Ecotourism Foundation. The company has been set up by Sivaligam Vasanthakumar (Kumar) to provide an intimate tour of the country's people, places and food. Visitors on the first tour, in April 2003, will visit the hill country and southern coast. They will travel by train and bus, and stay in the homes of local people - a unique experience.

"I want the participants to see Sri Lanka as it genuinely is." says Kumar. "We will spend time with local fishermen in Tangalla, then stay in a tea estate in the hill country, visiting the line pickers and local school. We' have arranged an afternoon with my Uncle and Aunt, cooking up curries on an open fire".

Kumar has plans for more tours. "The moment we have consent from the administration in the north, I want to take a group of people there. To one of the most unspoilt and beautiful parts of the world."Despite large-scale destruction of the country's ecology during colonial times, Sri Lanka is said to have the richest bio-diversity per square km of any country in Asia. The landscape includes tropical rain forests, mountain virgin forests, wetlands, mangroves and sand dunes. Logging, mining, slash-and-burn farming, and pollution in recent years threaten flora and fauna. ecotourism itself can help preserve the island's ecological diversity and its beauty.

M.D. Gunasenas reach new destination

M.D. Gunasenas have diversified their activities by entering a challenging and formerly uncharted territory for the company. This is through the inauguration of "Destinations" - the travel division of M.D. Gunasena & Co. Ltd.

Destinations' aim is stated as to provide a total package of quality service to the discerning traveller. They are fully equipped to handle all travel-related matters ranging from obtaining of visas, passports, foreign exchange and travel insurance to airline ticketing and hotel reservations at any corner of the globe. It will extend its services not only to the international traveller, but also within our own beautiful island. Destinations is ably headed by Mr. T.M.D. Nanayakkara, a veteran of travel trade boasting of an immense amount of exposure in international airlines and travel organisations. And it is the objective of M.D. Gunasena & Co. Ltd to transfer their own vast experience of quality customer service in its other areas of operations, in to this latest addition to the group.

Destinations main office is conveniently located at the second floor of new M.D. Gunasena branch in Bambalapitiya.

Furthermore, they come with a unique approach to serving clients throughout the country at their hometowns, by operating through the islandwide branch network of M.D. Gunasena bookshops.

Destinations was ceremoniously opened on 10th October 2002, and it is the view of the management that they could make a telling impact in the trade within a very short period of time. With the corporate strength and experience behind them, they indeed stand at a very favourable position to take on the challenges of this new trade successfully.

Malaysia to issue first passports with thumb prints

KUALA LUMPUR, Thursday (AFP) Malaysia is stepping up border security by becoming the first nation to issue passports with thumb prints and ordering guards to detain and deport "suspicious" characters even if they have valid travel documents, it was announced on Tuesday.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said passports bearing right and left thumb prints would be issued from January.

"It aims to fight forgery and abuse of the passport. The new feature is needed to enhance security of the country," he said in a speech to immigration officials.

Abdullah, who is also the interior minister, said the new passport would be the first of its kind in the world.

Deputy Interior Minister Zainal Abidin also said enforcement agencies guarding Malaysian borders have been ordered to turn away suspicious individuals even if they have valid travel documents.

"If they are suspicious, immigration officials can detain them and deport them without giving any reasons," he said, when asked what measures are in place to Muslim guerrillas fleeing to Malaysia from the southern Philippines.

"We have increased our security presence. We are not going to allow then to sneak into Malaysia," he added.

Philippine intelligence has suggested at least 10 members of the Abu Sayyaf kidnap group have fled to Malaysia's eastern Sabah state.

Zainal said the immigration department detected 35 cases of falsified passports in 2002 out of the 1.2 million passports issued.

"These passports were stolen and then were tampered with," he told reporters.

Zainal urged Malaysians to keep their passports safe after 6,000 went missing this year.

"Malaysian passports are in demand because it allows the bearer to travel to many countries without a visa. A single passport can fetch some 40 thousand dollars in the black market," he said.

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