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TELO Leader Srisabaratnam 21st Remembrance Day Meeting |
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30 April 2007 British House of Commons debate on Sri Lanka is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 2nd May Please phone 020 7219 4272 and ask your MP to take part in the debate and register their strongest protest to the Sri Lankan government to bring an end to the war. A number of TNA parliamentarians have gone underground due to severe security threats, their lives are in danger. Any moment they can be killed by Srilanka paramilitary parties. British Government debate on Sri Lanka is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons between 4pm and 7.30pm on Wednesday 2nd May. This is the first ever Government debate on Sri Lanka. This debate means Tamils living in United Kingdom have an important task to fulfil. When you contact your local MP you can also him or her to ask you get you a pass so that you can watch the debate from the House of Commons gallery. SLFP proposals won’t solve crisis: SLMC The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) said yesterday that the aspirations of the minorities will not be fulfilled if the SLFP clung on to the District Council and Grama Rajya systems, as a solution to the national issue. The SLFP proposes to introduce a district development council system and a senate and create a post of Executive Premier, as part of its proposals to solve the national issue.SLMC general secretary, Hasan Ali, told Daily Mirror that the high command of his party would discuss the SLFP proposals once they were officially handed over to the APRC. “We will decide on our stand once this is done,” he said. He said that it was important that the SLFP did not hang on to the unitary status and district councils. He said these proposals could not be described as government proposals since they had been prepared by the SLFP. “Once the government’s proposals are submitted to the APRC we can look into the matter and announce our stand,” he added. India to aid war-hit civilians in Sri Lanka Convinced that Sri Lanka's peace process has been spiked for now, India wants to help civilians hit by the escalating conflict. As for Norway, it is staying put as peace broker despite a snub from Colombo. India's thinking is expected to take concrete shape soon as New Delhi takes a fresh look at the various cards it can play in a seemingly bleak situation where both protagonists seem determined to fight it out.Indian strategic planners remain convinced that there can be no military solution to the Sri Lankan conflagration, which has taken a menacing shape since late 2005 leaving thousands dead and many thousands homeless.The suffering of the civilians, overwhelmingly Tamil, is a major concern here. This is one of the areas on which India remains in regular touch with Sri Lankan authorities.'We have our points of view, our concerns, and we keep conveying them to Sri Lanka,' an informed source told IANS. India, the source added, was in touch with all parties in the island except the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). There is a feeling that India should play a more pro-active role in assisting those displaced by the conflict. Their numbers run into tens of thousands, more so in the island's eastern province.India may also like to launch development projects in areas inhabited by 'Indian Tamils' in the island's tea growing central hills.It was the then foreign secretary Shyam Saran who in August 2005 declared during a trip to Sri Lanka: 'The welfare and well-being of the people in the northeast is very close to India's heart.'With the Norwegian-brokered February 2002 ceasefire agreement (CFA) between Colombo and the LTTE barely breathing, the one question that nags Indian policy planners is: what next?The issue is important because New Delhi did play a key but behind-the-scene role in the framing of CFA five years ago when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled India.India also contributed to the setting up of the Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), whose members were to oversee truce violations. Along with CFA, the SLMM too is in a shambles now. While New Delhi remains committed to Sri Lanka's territorial unity, it is equally firm that only a political solution acceptable to broad sections among the Tamils can bring about an ultimate negotiated settlement.And so it remains supportive of the role Norway has played, knowing well that the situation has reached a point where the international actors have ceased to play a determining role in Sri Lanka's limping peace process.Only this week, Sri Lanka made that point clear by telling Norway not to go to the LTTE-held north to meet Tiger leaders.While accepting Sri Lanka's diktat, Norway remains committed to playing its role as the peace facilitator.'The Sri Lankan decision will have no impact on Norway,' a diplomatic source in the know of things told IANS. 'Norway will continue doing what it is doing.'Norwegian diplomats feel the Colombo decision is linked to the heavy aerial bombings of the northeastern region. Sri Lanka says it is only hitting at LTTE. But rights activists claims the worst sufferers are Tamil civilians.Both India and Norway have their fingers crossed since a negotiated settlement in Sri Lanka now looks no more than a dream. 6 youths die in firefight with SLN in Velanai Six youths were killed in a firefight with the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. during a cordon and search operation in Velani in the islets of Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. The incident occured close to the Mudippillaiyar Temple in Velanai west.The cordon and search operation was conducted Sunday morning following the attack by armed youth Saturday in which a commander of the SLN was killed.Sri Lanka armed forces barred public from entering or leaving Jaffna Islets from Sunday morning until late evening, residents there said. People were returned at Allaipiddy and Pannai Bridge, according to sources in Jaffna.Sri Lanka Military spokesperson said the attackers used the temples sculptured towers as cover to mount the attack when they were killed.Although the SLN did not reveal details of casualties and injuries suffered by its troopers, sources said helicopters were used in transporting the SLN dead and the wounded to the Palaali military hospital.Kayts police brought the bodies of the youth to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. The bodies have not been identified yet. One of the bodies may also belong to the temple priest, sources speculated.Jaffna Assistant Judge M. Thirunavukkarasu conducted preliminary inquiries and will continue the inquest Monday. Tamil journalist killed in northern Sri Lanka Unidentified men fatally shot a reporter for a Tamil-language newspaper in Sri Lanka 's troubled northern Jaffna peninsula on Sunday. The identity of the attackers and their motive were not immediately known. There have been a growing number of unsolved killings and abductions in Jaffna, regarded as the heartland of Sri Lanka - 's 3.1 million ethnic-minority Tamils. The Defense Ministry's information center said it was unaware of the killing. Free Media Movement, a local media rights group, condemned the killing and said it was ``yet another instance that clearly demonstrates the culture of violence, intolerance and intimidation that exists in Sri Lanka - at present.'' Over the past year, six employees of media organizations have been killed in Jaffna but authorities have failed to arrest the culprits, the group said in a statement. ``A culture of impunity vitiates free media across Sri Lanka - and this murder is evidence that human security for journalists continues to deteriorate,'' it said. The rebels have fought the government since 1983 to create an independent homeland for Tamils, who have faced discrimination by the Sinhalese-dominated state. More than 69,000 people have been killed Several houses hit, civilians injured Eight civilians in Wellawatta were injured in the mayhem that broke out following the LTTE aerial attack early last morning. One of the injured persons, Tambaiah Aiyar Dharmapalan (50) of Fernando Rd, Wellawatta, explaining his harrowing experience to ‘Daily Mirror’ from his hospital bed at the Accident Ward of the Colombo South Hospital said, “I was watching the Cricket World Cup final when lights went off around 1.30 a.m. with the sound of an explosion. It was pitch dark. I felt something hit on my chest and I even heard the sound of the object coming from the roof. I panicked when I felt I was bleeding and fainted. I came around only this morning at the hospital” Kamala Devi, (45) of Havelock Rd, Colombo 6, from her bed at the accident ward of the Kalubowila Hospital said “I was sleeping on the verandah last night when the electric bulb exploded and electricity went off. I felt a searing pain on my thigh. When I touched it I felt I was bleeding heavily. Then my husband opened the door and we herd gun fire every where.” Pathima Nislin Ameen (27) of Nelson Rd, Wellawatte was injured when an object came through the ceiling of her bed room and hit her.Colombo South Hospital Accident Ward Director K.D. Atapatthu said injuries had been inflicted by metal objects and pieces of glass and the injuries were not of serious nature. Wellawatte Police OIC Mangala Dehideniya said he collected a nozzle of a cartridge of a five zero gun from the scene at Mrs. Pthima’s residence. Cathay Pacific and Emirates suspend flights to Sri Lanka Hong Kong's flag air carrier Cathay Pacific announced suspension of flights to Sri Lanka's international airport indefinitely and Dubai-based carrier Emirates Airlines has followed suit. “For Emirates, the safety of its passengers is of paramount importance,” the latter said. The two airlines' decision was an immediate response to the air raid by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) near Colombo last Sunday. Emirates operate scheduled flights from Dubai to the Maldives, Singapore and Indonesia through Colombo. Cathay Pacific started flights to Colombo only one week ago after a month-long suspension following an earlier aerial LTTE attack that targeted the Air Force base providing security to the country’s only international airport. Emirates also suspended night flights for some time after that first attack. Lankan air force lacks night operations capability The Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) has a fair sized fleet of Kfir and MIG 27 jet fighter bombers and MI-24 choppers. The LTTE has only a single digit force of propeller driven Czech designed and locally assembled Zlin Z-142s. Yet, the fledgling Flying Tigers have been able to infiltrate hundreds of kilometres of government-administered territory, attack key military and strategic targets, and get back to base unscathed. Reason? "The SLAF lacks night operational capability,"" say defence experts.The LTTE is aware of this and has staged its three attacks so far, only at night. "SLAF aircraft did take off to intercept the intruders, but they could not spot them because it was too dark," said an expert who wished to remain anonymous. The SLAF needs to get Night Vision Goggles (NVG) and aircraft capable of defending the skies at night. The SLAF had been told to NVGs, among other suitable equipment, way back in 2002 by a team of the US Pacific Command. But no action had been taken till date, The Sunday Times said. According to the paper, the US team's report could not be traced and it was left to a former minister in the 2002 government, Milinda Moragoda, to come to the Rajapaksa government's rescue and give the Ministry of Defence a copy of the report. The US Pacific Command had said that the SLAF should stop purchasing expensive new aircraft like MIG 27s, and spend its limited resources on keeping the existing fleet in working order by investing in spare parts and upgrading. The Kfirs could be upgraded and the MI-17s and 24s could be better armed, the American team said. Sri Lanka parliament to sue the MPs who did not pay vehicle loan Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has decided to begin legal action against fifteen MPs who are accused of misuse of public property. The Attorney General has instructed the Ministry to take legal action against these MPs who have not paid the installments of vehicles purchased under loans. The MPs include UNP former MP S.B. Dissanayaka, Ravindra Randeniya and People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Ealam (PLOTE) leader D. Siddharthan. Legal experts say that the chances of release on bail for the accused are also limited under the misuse of public property laws. CID raid shocks TNA A search operation conducted by the CID last Monday on the residence of TELO Parliamentarian, Sri Kantha has sent shock waves among the Tamil MPs as the allegations were of a very serious nature, a TNA member said.The CID armed with a search warrant raided Sri Kantha’s Parliamentary Quarters for his alleged links with the LTTE. The CID had informed the residents that the police had reliable information to the effect that the house was being used as an LTTE coordinating office for alleged terrorist activities carried out in and around Colombo.Mr. Sri Kantha was in India at the time of the raid.Batticaloa District TNA parliamentarian, Thangeswari Kadiraman, who is a neighbour of Mr. Sri Kantha said the quarters were used as a centre for TNA Parliamentarians to discuss party matters.“Mr. Sri Kantha does not use this quarters and had come here only once or twice. The TNA members have held several rounds of discussions related to party matters and IDPs at these quarters,” she said.Speaking to Daily Mirror last afternoon on his return from South India, Mr. Sri Kantha said the information given to the CID was misleading and false, but being a lawyer himself, he said that he understood the gravity of the allegations and the plight of the CID.“My quarters were used to hold TNA Parliamentary Group meetings as we did not have an office in Colombo,” he said.A journalist, Dunston Samuel, a regular contributor to Veerakesai who was the occupant of the quarters at the time of the raid was also interrogated and released later. SRI LANKA SITUATION: By Col R Hariharan (Retd.) Many people in Sri Lanka and friends of Sri Lanka everywhere are dismayed at the Eelam War -4 now being waged under a façade of ceasefire. It is taking the country and the people away from finding a workable solution to the ethnic problem in the near future. The ostensible objective of this war of the government side is to "bring peace and freedom for the people" in areas not under the control of government. On the other hand the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have reverted back to their avowed military aim of "freeing Tamils from Sinhala racists" promised earlier by their leader Prabhakaran. It is clear that both sides have reduced 'peace and ceasefire' as nothing more than propaganda cliché for the consumption of the international community. It also saves the face of the Tokyo donors conference members, who appear to be helpless in controlling the events anymore. The reality is that the security forces are fighting to gain physical control of territories in the north and the LTTE is resisting it. The series of military victories in the east have boosted the military constituency within the government, just as they have alarmed the LTTE which can relate to military operations more easily than political negotiations. So body count has become the order of the day of measuring success. Every dead body, regardless of its ethnicity, religion or language, leaves behind a family who would be scarred for ever. That means on an average five people affected by each death adding five more notches to the depth of ethnic divide. If lasting peace with honour is the objective of the nation,then it is time to examine military operations not in simple terms of who is winning or losing. Everyone concerned should do well to introspect why the war is being fought now, than merely applaud every victory or mourn mounting losses. Many readers of my articles share their views on Sri Lanka situation with me. They include Sinhalas, Muslims, Tamils of all kinds and others. Majority are really concerned about what the future holds for the people. A small minority are hate mail specialists whose views are bound in ironclad dogmas, myths and half truths. Many beliefs expressed in the mails reflect historical prejudices, 'hate' reactions, and narrow loyalties, rather than objective analysis. (Unfortunately, many of these appear to be those perpetuated in the popular media coverage, which sensationalise issues without informed criticism.) Most of them seem to miss out to understand what everyone ultimately desires ? to create a society where all citizens live and lead a normal and secure life based on mutual trust and equality .A federal form of government adapted to Sri Lankan conditions offers the best chance of creating such a society without damaging the unity of Sri Lanka. in due course it will also help the nation outgrow narrow ethnic identities. There are three stark truths emerging from the conflict in Sri Lanka: (1) In spite of losing over 64,000 lives the conflict appears unending. Past experience indicates it could drag on forever unless there is a paradigm shift in mindset. (2) Any lasting solution has to be equitable and fair to all parties. (3) Except for a small number of chauvinists, all sections of society would like sincere implementation of an accepted solution to usher in lasting peace. As a corollary, the priority now is to find a solution based on commonsense, rather than gut reactions, with the single objective of how to achieve a win-win situation - that is to bring the ethnic conflict to an end so that peace can be restored permanently in a democratic society. (Many doomsday men on all sides may consider this naïve because it states the obvious. But from the feedbacks I receive I find increasingly the heart rather than the head is taking over the minds of people. As the war continues it is recharging the embers of hate.) Based on Indian experience in handling insurgency and ethnic problems, I have tried to objectively analyse and answer some of the popular 'notions' expressed to me in the feedback. (Statements 9 to 11 given below are usually from Tamil readers, while others are mostly from non-Tamil readers): As the security forces are winning the war, why can't we eliminate LTTE to solve the Tamil problem? If Prabhakaran is removed from the scene, can the problem be solved easily? Sinhalas are the majority and Sinhala nationalism is the same as Sri Lanka nationalism; why do the media brand it as chauvinism? Sri Lanka has to remain a unitary state because it is too small a state. So why talk of any other solution? 6. India used the Tamil problem in Sri Lanka for selfish reasons and created Tamil militancy; so India should solve it. This is a mixture of fantasy and half truth to oversimplify a complex issue. (a) There was the Tamil problem festering politically in Sri Lanka for three decades when India did not intervene. The militancy grew when the political instruments available to Tamils failed because the rulers of Sri Lanka did not have the courage of conviction or vision to resolve it politically. On the other hand, it was used for political gains that culminated in the 1983 pogrom. After 1983 Tamil politicians lost their credibility and militants grew in strength as a visible alternative for the people. Due to the spontaneous surge of public opinion after the 1983 violence, the Tamil militants found refuge and succour in India and grew in strength in the 90s. At the same time, India made repeated efforts to help Sri Lanka resolve the issue peacefully. The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord 1987 was the culmination of such efforts. While it did not wholly satisfy the Tamils or Sinhalas, it met most of their aspirations and provided room for development of goodwill between the populations. However, it failed to resolve the issue because LTTE did not accept it and the Sri Lanka did not implement it in letter and spirit. LTTE had its own agenda for the creation of an independent Tamil Eelam and the ambition to emerge as the sole leader of Tamils. Indian troops were involved in armed conflict with LTTE in a bid to disarm them as per the Accord, and managed to restrict LTTE activity to a small area. However, President Premadasa for his own political gain colluded with LTTE to get the Indian troops evicted. Thus after sacrificing 1255 lives of its own soldiers in the aborted endeavour in Sri Lanka, India has perhaps realised that ultimately Sri Lankans only have to resolve the issue in their own wisdom. At the same time, those who hold India responsible for Sri Lanka's maladies, should not be forgot that in India there is a large Tamil population with strong political and economic clout in the national scene. As they have living links with Sri Lanka Tamils, the political and military shocks of Sri Lanka situation will echo in Tamil Nadu. And to certain extent it will condition Indian attitudes towards Sri Lanka. This is inevitable in democratic polity, and has to be factored in building relations between the two countries. It is in the national interest of both the countries not to allow parochial considerations to overtake rational judgement. (b) It would be futile for any country to expect another country to resolve a national problem. Each nation has its own self interest and national priorities; so it is in the national interest of Sri Lanka to try and resolve its problem, consciously with the help of other nations, if need be. For any solution to succeed all the people of the country should have a say. Then only national ownership of the solution and its faithful implementation are possible. If another country works out a solution and leads in implementing it, the effort could fail due to suspicion among the population as Indian experience of 1987-90 had shown. 7. Why are foreign countries (including the Four Co-chairs and India) ganging up against Sri Lanka? Are they trying to thrust their solution or perpetuate the crisis situation in Sri Lanka to serve their own self-interest or global agenda? All countries in the world have their own interests and agendas. Often these dictate their foreign policy perceptions. Sri Lanka also has its own national agenda and interest and successive governments have tried to prosecute it in their own wisdom. So it is unrealistic to interpret international relations in black and white as Us Vs Them. They are usually in the realms of grey. Nations handle international issues with a mix of national interest and international accommodation to build a win-win situation. However, after 9/11 there is a genuine desire among global community to join hands to crush terrorism on an international basis. In conflict zones, international effort to usher in peace through mediation is part of this desire. It would be trivialising this effort on perceived secret agenda of global powers. Such accusations also do not give credit to the goodwill Sri Lanka enjoys among nations. This was the reason for so many nations to underwrite the development package for Sri Lanka as a part of the international mediation effort. Sri Lanka will dissipate this fund of international goodwill if xenophobia is allowed to take over and international opinion is totally disregarded. 8. Tamil Nadu supports LTTE. Sri Lanka Tamils enjoy a great deal of sympathy and evoke fraternal feelings in Tamil Nadu. It is true the Tamil struggle for autonomy also finds wide support in Tamil Nadu. However, this does not translate automatically into support for the creation of independent Tamil Eelam. Tamil militant groups including the LTTE enjoyed widespread support in Tamil Nadu till the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord 1987 came into force. There were a number of reasons why the Tamil militants particularly the LTTE do not enjoy such support now. The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord was welcomed in the State. However, the decision of the Government of India to employ Indian troops to disarm LTTE and get involved in a long drawn war in Sri Lanka was not popular. LTTE failed to cash on this advantage by carrying out its turf war in Tamil Nadu even after the pull out of Indian troops. LTTE killed leaders of other Tamil militant groups in Indian soil. Tamil Nadu politicians' reputation got sullied in these heinous acts for various political and non-political reasons. LTTE's assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, a popular national leader in Tamil Nadu in 1991 was the final straw that dashed the public support for Tamil militants and LTTE . Since then LTTE never regained the clout it enjoyed in the 90s. The pro-LTTE political parties of Tamil Nadu are small and have only pockets of strength. Even they only pay lip service to the LTTE because it does not help vote bank politics. If Tamil civilians suffer at the hands of Security Forces in Sri Lanka, as it is happening frequently now, it will provide the opening for pro-LTTE parties to enlarge their constituency using the plight of Tamils rather than LTTE's war as the rallying call. 9. The Tamil issue can only be solved militarily, because Sinhala chauvinists will never allow Tamils to live peacefully. Why object to it? There are three reasons why this problem can never be solved even if theoretically Eelam is created with force of arms. (a) Majority of the Tamils live outside the geographical region of Tamil Eelam made up of north and east. If Tamils 'solve' the problem militarily, what will be the fate of those Tamils? If Tamils cannot tolerate Sinhalas and Muslims in their territory (as done by LTTE, which evicted them), how can they expect others to tolerate Tamils in their midst? Outside the north and east (even in the east to some extent) the Tamil community is dispersed and live as minorities. So to partition the country only on linguistic basis is not realistic. So military 'solution' will only perpetuate the Sinhala-Tamil hostility rather than solve the problem. (b) Militarily it does not make sense. Being a minority of less than a fifth of Sinhalas, it will be perpetual drain on Tamils to retain their military 'conquests'. Israel surrounded by a large Arab population that has made a common cause with Palestine is a good example of a militarised nation. Israel despite its global money power, strong support and muscle power of the U.S, and the West does not enjoy the privileges of a peaceful nation. (c) Both Sinhala snf Tamil population are tired of the prolonged armed conflict. Most of them would like to lead a normal life with social security, employment opportunities and peaceful family life. Over the last decade there had been a better understanding of the Tamil grievances among Sinhalas. However, political expediency of Sri Lanka politics has resulted in the use of the Tamil issue as a ploy to capture power. As a functional democracy support of majority of the population is needed to support any peace formula. Fortunately, Sinhala and Tamil chauvinists form only a small minority of the population. So Tamils and Sinhalas have to shelve their historical suspicions and try and work out a win-win situation. There is no other alternative. 10. LTTE is invincible; it was able to take on Indian army as well as the Sri Lanka forces. So why bother with peace talks? No force is invincible. And LTTE is no exception. It is true the LTTE has grown in power and strength over the years. It had learnt its lessons after suffering heavy losses during 1987-90, when it had to collude with President Premadasa to get out of a desperate fight for survival with Indian army. Its operational performance on a number of occasions against Indian army and the Sri Lanka forces had shown that it was not invincible. Its performance in 2006 in operations has not been good. In any case, their victories and bloodlettings have not enhanced the chances of achieving an independent Tamil Eelam. LTTE itself knew this when it signed the Oslo declaration. There it had compromised on Tamil Eelam by agreeing to find a solution within a united Sri Lanka. This was a pragmatic decision because the emerging international counter terrorism regime was getting tough to beat. More countries than ever before have now banned LTTE. As the support from Tamil Diaspora gets throttled, LTTE's fighting capability will be affected because waging war is a costly proposition; and war produces diminishing returns. Already it has lost the east, and is fighting with its back to the wall to retain its hold in the north. 11. LTTE represents the Tamils. So why bother about other Tamil organisations? No. LTTE is not representative in character as understood in a democracy. LTTE has assumed the mantle of representing the Tamil constituency after liquidating a large number of Tamil political leaders, intellectuals, and militants of other Tamil groups. LTTE has never allowed the public to critically question or debate its views and actions. It is least tolerant of dissent among its own cadres. (Karuna is a recent example of this aberration.) Its vision is a vague autocratic socialist regime somewhat on the lines of Baath socialism (like Syria and Iraq under Saddam Hussain). Essentially a militant organisation, it has never participated in an election under its own banner, giving up its armed power. However, in the present context it does represent the military capability of a large section of Tamils who use it to guide their political decision-making. As the most powerful and dominant Tamil movement at present, LTTE has an important role to play in evolving a solution. But a lasting solution can only be evolved when the State and LTTE agree upon a structure of state where everyone including Tamils who do not agree with LTTE's political and social perceptions, have an equitable role to play. LTTE and Tamils have to come to terms with this reality; otherwise Tamils will never enjoy the fruits of democracy. (Col. R Hariharan, an intelligence specialist on South Asia, is a retired Military Intelligence officer. He served as the head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka 1987-90. E-mail: colhari@yahoo.com) 29 April 2007 Suspected Tamil rebel plane bombs gas storage facility near Sri Lanka's capital Sri Lanka: A suspected Tamil Tiger rebel aircraft bombed a gas storage facility near the capital Colombo early Sunday, setting off a fire, a military official said.The plane dropped two bombs on the station in Kerawalapitiya, 10 kilometers (6.5 miles) north of Colombo, said a military official who witnessed the attack. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media.The extent of damage to the gas storage facility was not immediately known.Sri Lankan troops responded by firing anti-aircraft guns and blacked out the country's only international airport, an adjoining air force base and the entire capital, while many people were still awake watching Sri Lanka's cricket team play Australia in the World Cup final on television. Sri Lankan Air Force bombs rebel targets Sri Lankan Air Force jets bombed several identified targets of Tamil Tiger rebels early Sunday morning, defense officials said. Officials from the Media Center for National Security said the air raids were carried out at about 5:35 a.m. (2405 GMT) on targets near the airstrip of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Iranamadu in the rebel controlled northern Wanni district, adding that the raids were successful. The air raids came shortly after LTTE aircraft dropped four bombs in the capital Colombo. Group Captain Ajantha Silva, the Air Force spokesman, said "the LTTE had dropped four bombs at two different locations around 1:30 a.m (2000 GMT), one landed at Kolonnawa (about 15 km east of Colombo) and another at Muthurajawela (about 15 km north of Colombo)." Silva said the damages caused by the bombs were not serious but the bombing at Muthurajawela had caused fire. No people was killed or injured in the LTTE air attack, said the spokesman. The pro-LTTE website quoted LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan as saying oil and fuel storages in Kolonnawa and Muthurajawela were attacked by LTTE aircraft at 1:50 a.m. (2020 GMT) and 2:05 a.m. (2035 GMT) respectively. Ilanthirayan said that LTTE bombers had safely returned to their airbase in the rebel controlled Vanni district. Silva said half an hour before the rebel attack in Colombo, the Air Force carried out air raids at the LTTE held Kilinochchi district. He said the air defense system was activated in the early hours of Sunday when the military got information that suspected Tamil Tiger rebel aircraft were approaching Colombo. Electricity was switched off in the city and the firing of anti- aircraft guns caused panic. Loud explosion sounds due to anti aircraft gun fire could be heard in many parts of the city and suburbs. Officials said the functioning of the country's only international airport near Colombo was normal. The incident came as many people in the city were watching the Cricket World Cup final match between Australia and Sri Lanka. This is the third air strike carried out by LTTE rebels on government targets. The government has vowed to destroy the Tiger air capability but so far failed to achieve its target. Government troops and LTTE rebels are currently being locked in fierce battles in the island country's north and east. More than 4,000 soldiers, LTTE rebels and civilians have been killed since December 2005 with the escalation of violence. The LTTE has been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east since 1970s. Military halts air defence system, after LTTE attempts to infiltrate into strategic points Sri Lankan security forces ceased firing into the air a little while ago, after activating the air defence system at around 1.45 a.m. today (Sunday) after LTTE air crafts attempted to infiltrate into strategic points in the country including the Air Force base in Katunayake, Colombo Harbour, the Ratmalana Airport, and other establishments including the oil storage facility in Kolonnawa. Meanwhile, power supply was cut in Colombo and surrounding areas as a security measure preventing the LTTEers from identifying these strategic points. However power supply was being restored to these areas nearly an hour after it was disconnected. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports stated that the slight damage has occurred nearby an oil storage tank in Muthurajawela. Colombo harbour and the Ratmalana airport under LTTE attack Sri Lanka Security forces have activated the air defense system after suspected LTTE air crafts were seen closing in the katunayake air force base and the international airport. Meanwhile military are also firing into the air following reports that they were in the process of infiltrating into the Colombo harbour and the Ratmalana airport. Meanwhile, a spokesman attached to the media centre for national secure was unable to give more confirmed details. India must involve directly to halt war - TNA MPs Many go underground due to threat Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians have called for direct Indian intervention to bring a halt to the hostilities between the security forces and the LTTE.Most of the senior TNA parliamentarians who paid a visit to India recently, mounted pressure on the New Delhi government to intervene and pressurise the Sri Lankan government to bring an end to the war.A spokesman for the TNA said that the Lankan Tamil MPs, have told India that they gave up arms and joined the mainstream politics only because India wanted it, through the 1987 Indo-Lanka accord, adding that as such now India should intervene and try to stop the war.“Otherwise our lives are in danger. Any moment we can be killed by our rival parties,” the spokesman said.Citing the recent search conducted by the CID on the residence of TELO parliamentarian N. Srikantha, the spokesman said the Tamil parliamentarians suspected a conspiracy against the Tamil MPs engineered by the state. Also citing allegations of recent attempted murder on two MPs, namely TELO Leader Selvam Adaikalanathan and S. Sivanesan, the spokesman said there appeared to be a move by the government to eradicate TNA parliamentarians.He also said the Tamil MPs, would continue to mount pressure on India to intervene.Meanwhile The Nation also learns that a number of TNA parliamentarians have gone underground due to severe security threats.While leading TNA legislators like R. Sampanthan, S. Adaikalanathan, M.K.Sivajilingam and Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam have left the country through fear, other Members of Parliament are reported to be taking cover in Colombo without being able to visit their own electorates.According to Tamil political party sources all four Batticaloa district Members of Parliament have for the past seven months not visited their electorates due to fear.TELO parliamentarian Srikantha told The Nation that the present situation was fast deteriorating and becoming ‘undemocratic’.Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran also said that his request to the government to strengthen his security has fallen on the deaf ears.He said he had been warned by the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) of a great threat to his life but when requested for more security the government has turned a blind eye. Vaiko's arrest: TN for Centre's nod CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government would seek the Centre's views on the Congress demand for the arrest of MDMK chief Vaiko for his 'pro-LTTE' remarks, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi told the state assembly on Saturday. Replying to points raised by Congress MLA C Gnanasekaran, who referred to Vaiko's remarks on Friday that his party would continue to support the LTTE and also the MLA's demand to parties which had supported LTTE, an outfit banned in India, Karunanidhi said, "We will convey the views expressed in the assembly to the Centre and seek their views and take action". He pointed out that the government's action of arresting MDMK functionary Seema Basheer recently in connection with the 'LTTE hawala' case was criticised as 'politically motivated'. "We have to enforce law and order in the state and so arrested Basheer. But before his arrest a DMK activist was also arrested, which proved that the action was not politically motivated', Karunanidhi said. On the police claim that the LTTE was behind the abduction of 12 fishermen off Kanyakumari coast and responsible for the killing of four fishermen, Karunanidhi said he had not said anything on the matter before as he did not want to pass remarks in haste. "But now confirmation has come about the LTTE's role on these incidents," he said. He said he would take up with the Centre, the issue of the safe return of the abducted fishermen, who are under the custody of the LTTE. Karunanidhi said he had already drawn the Prime Minister's helicopter at Tuticorin under the exclusive control of the Coast Guard (Eastern Command) to operate in the Gulf of Mannar and the Indian Ocean. He also wanted infrastructure facilities for refuelling at Tuticorin Airport. The Coast Guard should be permitted to use the facility, he added. Thondaman warns govt. not to treat CWC as beggars Youth Empowerment and Socio Economic Development Minister Arumugam Thondaman last week warned the government not to treat his community and party as beggars and said they will not hesitate to assert their rights and walk out of a meeting at Temple Trees if humiliated any further. Minister Thondaman issued his warning at Temple Trees on Thursday following a dispute over a ceremony to hand over 300 teacher appointments to schools in the estate sector in terms of an agreement reached during Chandrika Kumaratunga's tenure as president. An angry Minister told a meeting at Temple Trees where Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Education Minister Susil Premjayanth, Petroleum Minister A.H.M. Fowzie, Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana and Chief Minister Reginald Cooray were present that the government would be mistaken if they were treated as broomsticks and cast aside after being used. The dispute arose after the CWC was kept in the dark on the ceremony to be held at Temple Trees on Thursday to hand over appointments to the estate sector teachers. The Sunday Leader learns the CWC was informed last week by the President's office that since President Rajapakse was going overseas, he would not be available for the ceremony scheduled for Thursday following which a CWC delegation led by Minister Thondaman undertook an official visit to India. "While we were in India, we were informed on Wednesday the ceremony was going to be held on Thursday and all official engagements with the Indian Foreign Ministry scheduled for Thursday were cancelled and we rushed back Wednesday night," a CWC source said. At Temple Trees, Thondaman had lost his cool on hearing that CWC defectors, Deputy Ministers Suresh Vadivel and Faizer Mustapha amongst others had been invited for the ceremony. Thondaman, sources said, had informed Governor Moulana that the CWC would walk out if any of the party defectors were present at the occasion prompting Moulana to suggest a postponement of the ceremony. "We refused to postpone the ceremony since the teacher appointees had already arrived and were waiting for a long time to get their appointments. We insisted on it and the government agreed and kept the defectors out. Then Minister Thondaman spoke his mind out at the meeting," the source said. At the ceremony Thondaman had also said his people and party will not be subservient to anyone and as an independent party will not hesitate to assert their rights. "This is not a concession given by anyone but a right our people are entitled to," Thondaman had further charged. 28 April 2007 Military commander going to watch cricket is like Nero playing the violin while Rome was on fire - John Amratunga Former minister and UNP parliamentarian John Amaratunga challenges the government asking it to hand over the country to those who could protect it, if they can't stating that no one was safe and the entire country was vulnerable.Amaratunga made this statement addressing the media after yesterday's incident in Katunayake where the some air force personnel fired to the sky after being alarmed of a suspected air craft."I also live close to Katunayake. We had no sleep throughout the night. I was waiting to get outside. Some fled their homes. No one knew what was happening, whether they were shelling or firing artilleries. No one knows who fired what. This is the third time that the LTTE attempted to carry out air strikes. So far the government has not been able to put them down. You never know there they will attack next day." He said. He said that the developments with regards to LTTE was not that fascinating since LTTE spokesperson Illantherian had said that the LTTE territory could now be claimed as a separate state because they have all possible military power and an administration with a judiciary. The UNP parliamentarian said that if the troops war is being guided well there was no need of pasting posters to uplift the image of Gotabhaya Rajapakse.He said the president should be in the country during this period as the LTTE had vowed to carry out more attacks after the Katunayake attack. Amaratunga is of the view that the president should stay in the country to lift the moral of the troops and to guide them. He said that president shouldn't waste the money of the people to go on such trips and compared this to Nero playing the violin when Rome was on fire.John Amratunga said that a helicopter has also come down during yesterday's incidents and that no one knows what happened to it. It was like the announcement of the second tsunami- Air force spokesperson Air force spokesperson group captain Ajantha Silva told 'LeN' that the air force yesterday took all measures that should have taken when a terrorist air craft was arriving to carry out an attack, and that it was a good practice for the troops.He stated this when 'LeN' questioned what exactly happened yesterday at the Katunayake air base. This is how he answered our questions. LeN: Several media institutions have reported yesterday night's Katunayake incident in various ways. What exactly happened? Grp. Cpt.: we were informed of a suspected air craft. When we receive such a notice there are certain things that we do. That is what happened yesterday. We took measures to alert all possible sections to counter an attack and to destroy the craft if there was such an attack. We had no problems yesterday. That is what happened. LeN: Did a LTTE air craft come yesterday? Grp. Cpt.: this was a notice. When we are informed of such a thing we take action. There after we wont tell other whether we saw a craft or not. If we revel such things it would benefit the terrorists. We can't tell others whether there was an air craft. If so what happened to it. Where did it go? We had taken full measures to take on any such incident. LeN: Do you mean this was a rehearsal? Grp. Cpt.: No. We actually did it. We had a good experience from it. That became a rehearsal. For an example lets think of the tsunami. When the tsunami struck the island first time we knew nothing about it. But when there was an alert of a tsunami the second time around people started to run away from the coast and take appropriate measures. That is the same thing that happened. We got ready to face the situation yesterday. Our people are learning how to face such a situation. Because then we know how to handle situations. The LTTE air craft flew to Vanni without any trouble Our special reporter in Vavuniya who witnessed the LTTE air craft which attempted to launch an attack sent a special report regarding yesterday's incident to 'LeN'.The clock just passed 11:30 in the night on the 26th of April. Suddenly we heard loud noises of explosions and when I came out and looked at the sky I saw blue, green, red and yellow colour fire balls rising up to the sky and then coming back to the land.People in our neighboring houses started running away and dogs started to bark and started to run around the houses.Then me, my wife and my children ran to a nearby bunker and several other villages also came into the same bunker with their children. We heard several rounds of firing and no one could understand what was happening.The LTTE air craft flew over the Vavuniya air force camp and went away to the Vanni. Though there was firing for around 30 minutes the LTTE air craft flew to the Vanni without any trouble. UNP says SLFP proposals meaningless While the ruling SLFP has proposed the district council as the unit of power devolution, the main Opposition the UNP has proposed to continue with a further strengthened provincial council system.“There could hardly be a possibility for achieving uniformity in development under the proposed DC system. No area of the country will get developed in a meaningful manner under such a system,” UNP MP and Constitutional expert K.N. Choksy told Daily Mirror yesterday.“This is principally why the UNP advocates continuing with the provincial councils with greater devolved power,” he said. The UNP said the number of provincial councils should remain while the northern and eastern provinces be re-merged for a specific period.“After that, a referendum should be held in the east to decide whether to continue with the re-merger or not. Devolution of power to PCs will be uniform. But, when a specific requirement in respect of a particular PC arises, there should be provisions to accommodate it. It shall also apply to the re-merged northern and eastern provinces,” he said. Referring to the SLFP proposal to establish a second chamber or a senate, the senior lawyer said many countries which are multi-ethnic and multi-religious had established upper chambers, normally giving greater weightage to the minority communities in composition. The UNP also advocated the continuation of the executive presidency with modifications citing the executive presidential power could be an instrument for a rapid economic development if properly used. “Former Presidents J.R.Jayewardene and R. Premadasa proved this. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has begun to do so. However, there should be important modifications such as requiring the President to consult the Prime Minister before dissolving Parliament and to make him subject to the laws of the country,” he said. Our ‘air force’ will help claim statehood: LTTE The LTTE has said that its newly established ‘Tamileelam Air Force’ (TAF) will help it gain international recognition as an organisation running a full-fledged ‘state’. "The air actions open up new possibilities in the military, political and diplomatic fields," the rebel military spokesman Rasaiah Ilanthirayan told Hindustan Times over the phone from Kilinochchi."We have territory, administrative, judicial and law enforcement systems; an army, navy, and now an air force. Let's call a spade a spade, we are a state!" he said.The Tigers have staged two air raids against major military targets in the past month. The first was against the Sri Lanka Air Force base at Katunayake in March, and the second was against the Myliddy Army camp, near the Palaly airbase in Jaffna this month."We expect our air force to grow the way our Sea Tigers did. The Sea Tigers began as a tiny group with a few boats. But today we control a part of the sea. The Air Force too will grow," Ilanthirayan said. Indian Air Force to Set Up Forward Enclave in Rameswaram Near Sri Lankan Border The Indian Air Force (IAF) will set up an enclave in the Rameswaram region, according to Air Marshal Y.R. Rane, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command, Thiruvananthapuram.He made the announcement after visiting a mobile radar station established recently at Seeniappa Dharha, a seashore hamlet near Mandapam. "We need to ensure our capabilities in case of any untoward incident. We think there is a certain amount of threat potential that can jeopardise national security," Air Marshal Rane told The Hindu . Threat perception Asked whether the region faced any threat from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the wake of its attacks on Sri Lankan defence facilities, he said: "If there is a threat we will meet it. We have been monitoring the region and closely watching all developments."Asked whether there was a link between the establishment of the mobile radar system and the LTTE air strikes, he said it was a coincidence. "That [LTTE attack] is not the reason. Air defence is dynamic in nature. The radar established here covers an area of our responsibility. We have radars all over the place. It all depends upon what we assess the area."The Mandapam facility would also help in disaster management, he said. Asked whether the radar had come across any air objects or violation on Indian air space from Sri Lanka side, Air Marshal Rane said there was no such report. He said the IAF had sought land from the State Government for its operations in the Mandapam area, and the Government had responded positively.The Air Marshal said preparations were on to develop an air base at Thanjavur. Facilities to use Light Combat Aircraft in the Sulur Air Force station near Coimbatore would also be created. Earlier, Mr Rane held discussions with Commandant K. Janardhanan, Commanding Officer, Coast Guard, Mandapam, Squadron Leader Srinivasan and others. S.Lankan group not serious on child troops – U.N. Karuna warns against giving police powers to military TMVP leader Karuna Amman yesterday expressed concerns over the possible implications for the Tamil community in case the government decided to vest police powers in the military, Karuna faction spokesman Azad Maulana told the Daily Mirror.While praising efforts taken by the government to eliminate terrorism, Mr. Maulana insisted that such efforts should not affect the ordinary Tamil civilians who continued to suffer the brunt of the more than two decade-long conflict between the government and the LTTE.“As a group which is also involved in fighting terrorists we remain firm on the need to eliminate terrorism from this country but whatever measures that are implemented should in no way affect the ordinary Tamils. “We are concerned that giving police powers to the military might affect the Tamils,” Mr. Maulana said.Certain media reports earlier this week indicated that the government was planning to vest police powers with the security forces with a view to counter what the government saw was a growing terrorist threat. “This decision has been taken as it is difficult to collaborate with the police at all times,” a top government official told the Daily Mirror earlier this week. He said even though emergency regulations were in force, the security forces usually sought police assistance to enforce the law when dealing with civilians but if the new regulations were implemented the security forces would not require police assistance when carrying out search operations. Contd. on A4 Pope will be apprised of the sorry plight of the Batticaloa refugees -Pop’s Lankan Envoy assures TNA Rev.Fr.Maria Senari, Pope’s Envoy in Sri Lanka assures to report the sorry plight of Batticaloa refugees to the Pope. He gave this assurance to the TNA Parliamentarian, who met him after his recent visit to Batticaloa to have first hand information about the plight of the refugees. He told the TNA delegations that he was greatly moved at the sight of the sufferings and the tragedy of the displaced people in Batticaloa. TNA Batticaloa Parliamentarians T,Ariyanenthiran, T.Kanagasabai, S.Jayanantha Moorthy, K.Thangeswari and K.Pathmanathan comprised the TNA delagtion. Sri Lanka stocks fall Navy vehicle robbery suspects granted bail Two Navy men and a soldier held in connection with making a forged number plate and attempting to sell a Navy vehicle were granted cash bail in Rs. 10,000/- each and surety bail of Rs.500,000/- each by Colombo Fort Magistrate Namal Bandara Balalle. The suspects B.H. Dissanayake, C. Kumara ad T.G. Dahanayake were produced on a complaint made by the driver of the vehicle. The suspects were handed over to the disciplinary units in their respective service.Police stated that the driver had parked the vehicle in the Naval yard and placed the keys on the key board at 7.25 p.m on February 15. Thereafter when the driver was to go on another official assignment at 11.21 p.m. he had found the van had been taken out and an entry made in the book. However the keys were intact on the key board. It was alleged that a duplicate key had been made.Police said that they conducted investigations and arrested the suspects.The Crimes Unit of the Fort police appeared for the prosecution. Rebels kill three sailors in fighting in Sri Lanka Tamil Tiger rebels killed three Sri Lankan navy soldiers on a foot patrol in a firefight near the east coast town of Trincomalee early on Friday, a defence ministry spokesman said. "Three sailors were killed. They fired with small arms and they were killed near a navy camp at Kuchchaveli," a spokesman for the Media Centre for National Security said. The attack inflicted "severe damage" on the rebels, known by their official name, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Centre's Web site (www.nationalsecurity.lk) reported without giving details. The Tigers, who say they are fighting to create an independent state in the north and east of the island for ethnic minority Tamils, could not be reached for comment. Since 1983, the war in Sri Lanka has killed some 68,000 people, including more than 4,000 since late 2005. The near daily air, land and sea battles of the past 16 months have left a 2002 ceasefire agreement in tatters. Friday's incident happened just hours after authorities temporarily closed the Colombo international airport, cut power to the city and fired anti-aircraft guns skyward after reports of suspicious planes flying along the coast toward the capital. Looting by armed group continues in Kotahena An unidentified ‘armed group’ is said to be looting shops owned by Tamils at night in the Kotahena and Old Moor street areas, traders told the Daily Mirror yesterday. This came less than a month after shop owners in the area were forced to close their shops in protest following threats of extortion and abductions.According to one trader who wished to remain anonymous an unknown group had forced its way into his store on Wednesday night and got away with a large sum of money and other valuables. He claimed several other stores in the area were also looted within the past few days and that a complaint had been lodged with the Kotahena police.The latest threat surfaced despite authorities assuring maximum protection to traders after hardware merchants and other businesses along Old Moor Street, Quarry Road and adjoining areas staged a protest last month following an alleged attempt by an unknown group travelling in the now infamous ‘white van” to abduct a leading businessman in the area.More than 30 traders of the area had received threatening calls during the past few months demanding huge sums as extortion and threatening of abduction if the demands were not met. Japan provides rice for displaced people in north and east areas in Sri Lanka The Government of Japan has made a donation in kind of 3,175 tonnes of rice for the newly displaced people in North and East areas of Sri Lanka. The official handing over ceremony was held at Orugodawatte Warehouse on 27th April 2007. H.E. Mr. Kiyoshi Araki, Ambassador of Japan, Mr. J.R.W. Dissanayake, Secretary, Mr. R. Tharmakulasingham, Addl. Secretary of the Ministry of Nation Building & Estate Infrastructure Development, Mr. Lalith Abeygunawardana, Director General, Presidential Secretariat and Mr. Jeff Taft-Dick, Representative & Country Director of WFP Sri Lanka were present on the occasion. This assistance in kind by the Government of Japan will be implemented through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The first consignment - a shipment carrying 422 tonnes of rice – has already arrived at the Colombo Port on 9th of April and the first dispatch from the shipment has been delivered to the displaced people in Batticaloa. The remaining consignments of the 3,175 tonnes of rice will be arriving within a few weeks. Most of the donation will be used for the displaced people in the Batticaloa district. The Japanese Government assistance, valued at 200 million Yen (approximately Rs. 180 million), will help to alleviate the burden of thousands of displaced people who had to leave their homes due to the deteriorating security situation. The Japanese Government is very much concerned about the restoration of the livelihood of displaced people in the North and East. Last December, the Japanese Government provided assistance for 10,000 displaced people with 10,000 sleeping mats, 10,000 water containers and 4,000 plastic sheets through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). LTTE suffers a major blow in Tamil Nadu A mysterious vessel drifting in the sea, quick thinking by the Coast Guard, police doggedness, political will - all these have merged to make Tamil Nadu allege for the first time that Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers killed five fishermen from the state.In a dramatic turn of events, the Tamil Nadu authorities late Friday blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for gunning down the five fishermen in the sea south of the Kanyakumari March 29 - killings that sparked widespread anger in the state and for which the Sri Lankan Navy was widely blamed.This is the first time the Tamil Nadu government has formally accused the LTTE of killing Indians in cold blood after the 1991 assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The explosive charge comes at a time when Colombo has unleashed a punishing military offensive against the Tigers and the latter are trying to whip up passions in Tamil Nadu.In another significant development, Friday's statement, issued by Tamil Nadu's Director General of Police D. Mukherjee, also accused the Tigers of abducting 12 Indian fishermen - 11 from Tamil Nadu and one from Kerala - who went missing April 4. According to official sources, the truth behind the March firing came to light after a Coast Guard patrol chanced upon two Indian fishing vessels proceeding to the Indian coast with six men each, south of Kanyakumari, April 11. Asked about their identity, the occupants of the boats said they were Indians.The unsuspecting Coast Guard moved ahead, and soon thereafter came across a vessel called Maria that was drifting in the sea. Surprised, the Coast Guard boarded it after opening precautionary gunfire to realize that it was empty, devoid of any human or other cargo.Putting two and two together, the Coast Guard reversed and this time took the 12 occupants of the two boats they had encountered earlier into custody. What aroused the Coast Guard's suspicion was that the ship involved in the March firing on the Tamil Nadu fishermen was also called Maria.It was quickly found out that six of the 12 arrested men were Sri Lankan Tamils. Their interrogation by various security agencies revealed that they were from the LTTE's Sea Tigers. The leader of the lot was Robin. The guerrillas admitted that they were involved in shipping arms and ammunition from the sea to an LTTE base in Sri Lanka when their vessel developed a snag. As it drifted towards the Indian waters, they dumped all their arms and ammunition into the sea and crossed over into the two boats of Indian fishermen.'The LTTE cadres were upset about losing their weapons in the sea,' an informed source told IANS.Significantly, the arrested men revealed that another group of Sea Tigers who were similarly transporting arms and ammunition in Maria on March 29 had shot dead the five Indian fishermen because they suspected the latter to be spies.According to the sources, the fishermen had then inadvertently got into a tiff with the men on Maria thinking they were fishermen from Sri Lanka. The Tigers panicked and opened fire killing five fishermen.On Friday, the Tamil Nadu government, under attack from the opposition for turning the state into a haven for Tamil Tigers, decided to go public with the damning information about the LTTE. A day earlier, by which time the LTTE cadres' confession may have been known to him, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi told the state assembly that his government would provide no room to the LTTE to operate in Tamil Nadu.The five fishermen's killing had sparked widespread protests across Tamil Nadu, the anger directed at Colombo. The fishing community observed a strike April 3. One of those who took part in a huge protest demonstration was M.K. Stalin, the son of Chief Minister Karunanidhi.MDMK leader Vaiko, a diehard supporter of the LTTE, was most vocal in denouncing the Indian Navy for allegedly not protecting Tamil Nadu's fishermen from the Sri Lankan Navy. Pro-LTTE websites too echoed the allegations that the five men from Tamil Nadu had been shot dead by the Sri Lankan Navy. 27 April 2007 Sri Lanka's main airport re-opens after air raid scare Lanka closes airport, cuts power after planes seen Sri Lankan authorities closed the Colombo international airport and cut power to the city on Thursday night after suspicious airplanes were seen flying south along the coast, a military source said."Some civilians in Puttlam district had seen three aircraft flying from north to south hugging the sea. With suspicion, contingency plans have been activated because of the imminent risk of threat, closing off the entrance of the airport and switching power off," he said on condition of anonymity.Early on Tuesday, Tamil Tiger rebel airplanes dropped bombs on military positions in the north of the country in their second aerial attack ever. The first was an attack on an air base attached to Colombo airport less than a month ago. we will update more news later. Sri Lanka security forces fire into air after shutting down electricity in Colombo. Sri Lanka President leaves for Caribbean to watch World Cup Final Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for Bridgetown, Barbados, in the West Indies yesterday morning to witness Saturday's World Cup final match between Sri Lanka and Australia. “The President's visit indicates his appreciation of efforts of the national cricket team in reaching the World Cup final,” Presidential Media Secretary Chandrapala Liyanage said. He also said the Sri Lanka President was invited by the Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur to attend the event. Sri Lanka air force targets meeting of Tamil rebel leaders; rebels say civilians hit Sri Lanka's military said it targeted senior Tamil rebel leaders Thursday with an airstrike in the north, but it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties, military officials said. The rebels claimed the attack hit a civilian area.Government ground troops, meanwhile, attacked insurgents' mortar positions in the northwest following a day of fierce fighting that left 23 combatants dead.Air force fighter jets bombed a location in the northern town of Kilinochchi following intelligence reports that senior leaders of the Tamil Tiger rebels were meeting there, said air force spokesman Group Capt. Ajantha Silva.It was not clear who was hurt in the strike, but "the place was destroyed," Silva said.But rebel spokesman Daya Master denied the military's claim, saying the air force had bombed an area populated by civilians, and that two were wounded."We don't have camps in that area and none of our leaders were wounded," Master said by telephone from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi.There was no way to independently verify the claims of either side. In northwestern Sri Lanka, soldiers tried to knock out rebel mortar positions bordering the island's northwestern Mannar and Vavuniya districts, from where the Tamil Tiger insurgents have often launched attacks on military defense lines, said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe."We are continuing to destroy their mortar positions and also to clear small pockets where they (rebels) are operating," Samarasinghe said Thursday.The military says at least 21 insurgents and two soldiers were killed in the fighting Wednesday.But the Tigers denied any losses and said they had repulsed government troops, killing 10. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan accused the government of "giving false information to cover up their losses."Both sides routinely exaggerate each other's casualty figures and lower their own.Independent verification of the claims was impossible due to heavy restrictions on the area.The battle in the northwest came after at least one Tamil Tiger plane bombed government positions in northern Sri Lanka on Tuesday, killing six soldiers, in the guerrillas' second-ever airstrike in more than two decades of war.The rebels launched their campaign to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils in 1983.A cease-fire mediated by Norway in 2002 brought a semblance of peace for several years, but violence over the past 18 months has killed at least 4,000 people, taking the death toll in more than two decades of war to over 69,000. Mangala - Mahinda 4 hour discussions settles disputes President Mahinda Rajapakse has decided to hand over the ministry which Mangala Samaraweera held previously and several other subject matters including government’s peace process, development and politics.The president arrived at this decision after a hour discussion held with Mangala Samaraweera last night at the temple trees. Presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga and Western Province governor Alevi Maulana were also present at the discussion.It is being reported to LeN form sources close to the president that the disputes that arose in the government and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party after removing both Mangala and Sripathy from their ministries would gradually come to an end.Yesterday at around 7:45 Alevi Maulana had gone to Samaraweera's house and taken him to temple trees, with the consent of the president.The president had been watching Sri Lanka's semi final against New Zealand and enjoying the match, when Rajapakse asked Samaraweera to forget the old disputes and work together. The head of state had said that he expected Samaraweera to attend the previous central committee meeting and invited him to take over the propaganda work of Sri Lanka Freedom Party's proposal to the APRC.However any of the issues that led to the dispute and the alleges made to the Rajapakse brothers have not come under discussion. Samaraweera had also spokes regarding the issues faced by Sripathy Suriarachchi, Tiran Allas and Dushyantha Basnayake.President had then asked presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga to discuss with Samaraweera and set a time and date for him to assume duties once again as the minister of ports and aviation.The discussion had then ended at around 11 pm.When 'LeN' questioned Alevi Maulana regarding this he said the discussion ended on a friendly note and no conditions were laid by any of the two parties. He added that the decisions arrived at the meeting would be publicized in the next few days. We will decide whether to stay with the Govt. or not- SLMC secretary Chief secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Hasan Ali says the Muslim congress will have to decide whether it is going to remain with the government if their requests with regards to the ethnic conflict is not furnished in the government's proposal to solve the crisis.He has made this statement addressing a function in Kalmunai.He had said that the SLMC will not support any proposal which does not carry solutions to the plights faced by Muslims and that the UNP in their proposal had mentioned the Muslims as a separate party and questioned whether government cannot introduce a proposal that devolves power. Ali says that the SLMC is at a decisive conjuncture and that the party was paying a lot of attention into the situation.When LeN questioned Hasan regarding the statement he said the SLFP's proposal has not yet got into the hands of the party. But he said the party does not agree the introduction of district level power devolution instead of the provincial level.It is also reported that the SLMC is unhappy since the government has not taken any measures to stop the Karuna movement in the Eastern Province. Rajiv Gandhi assasination hatched in Paris hotel A web site has suggested that the plot to assassinate former Prime Minister and then Congress party president Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 was hatched in a five-star hotel in Paris.According to politicsparty.com, French intelligence agencies are in possession of documentary proof and evidence, that the L.T.T.E, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrochchi and several Congress party bigwigs colluded to have Rajiv Gandhi eliminated, as he was seen as a looming threat to the LTTE and to some Congress leaders, in spite of not being India's Prime Minister at the time. According to the web site, the L.T.T.E was convinced that Rajiv Gandhi would remain hostile to its activities in Sri Lanka, and therefore to prevent his return to power in 1991, plotted his elimination in a Paris hotel through its key intermediary Anton Balasingham.The web site further goes on to claim that the surfacing of the Bofors Gun scam brought Quatrocchi into the picture. It says that Quattrocchi realized that India's Opposition politicians and anti-Congress Governments in their passion to expose Rajiv would chase the Bofors Scam and all its beneficiaries. Quatrocchi believed that Rajiv and his Congress were not winning the 1991 Elections, and therefore, panicked. He wanted the Bofors scam to be buried, and according to the web site, felt that as long as Rajiv Gandhi was alive, the scam would remain alive.Quattrocchi therefore met Balasingham in Paris and was also in touch with arms dealer Adnan Khashogi. The website said that the entire meeting and conversation between Quattrocchi and Balasingham was recorded by the French intelligence agencies. The website also says that on the day he was assassinated (May 21, 1991), Rajiv Gandhi was reluctant to leave Vishakapatnam for Chennai and then Sriperumbadur. But some Congress leaders convinced him to undertake the journey, which eventually killed him.The web site claims that the intelligence agencies of France, Israel and the U.S. possess classified data, which they should hand over to the Government of India.It says that Government of India should initiate moves to acquire the information pertaining to the Rajiv Gandhi assassination. 26 April 2007 Sri Lanka, rebels claim many killed in fierce battles Sri Lanka's military said troops killed 21 Tamil Tiger rebels in gunbattles and mortar barrages in the north of the island on Wednesday, citing intercepts of rebel radio communications.But the Tigers denied they had suffered any casualties, and said 10 government soldiers were killed and about 50 wounded in a fierce, five-hour battle near the coastal town of Mannar.Over the past 16 months, Sri Lanka has slipped deeper into a civil war that has claimed more than 68,000 lives since 1983 -- including more than 4,000 since late 2005. The intensified violence has left a 2002 ceasefire in tatters.Government forces targeted Tiger mortar and gun positions that had been attacking forward lines in recent days, said Lieutenant-Colonel Upali Rajapakse, of the national security media centre."The Tigers got 15 killed in one place. At another place, five were killed, and at another one was killed," he said, adding the military had gleaned the figures from rebel radio communications. About 26 rebels were injured, he said.On the government side, two soldiers were killed and up to 15 were wounded, Rajapakse said. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who are fighting for independence in the north and east of the island, said they repulsed the attack."Sri Lankan troopers tried to advance into our area and were confronted by our troopers. The Sri Lankan troopers retreated to their original position with heavy casualties," rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan said by telephone from rebel-controlled territory."Around 10 were killed in action and around 50 wounded on the government side. Our side has no casualties."There was no way to independently verify the claims.Casualty figures quoted by hospital workers in the town of Anuradhapura, southeast of the fighting, suggested the battles were intense and that the death toll could rise.At the government-run Anuradhapura Hospital, 44 wounded government soldiers were admitted during the day and about half were in "serious" condition, a health worker said on condition of anonymity.Nearby, the army hospital in Anuradhapura admitted 10 wounded soldiers, another worker said.The fighting on Wednesday comes a day after the Tigers staged their second ever aerial attack, dropping bombs on a military position in the north, killing six soldiers.The military said anti-aircraft fire thwarted the air raid, which was meant to attack the Palaly air strip, which is the only place the government can fly supplies to the Jaffna peninsula. Tamil Tiger satellite signals hit 'Blow' Members of the Tamil diaspora in the United Kingdom confirm being unable to receive direct Tamil Tiger television broadcasts for the past three days. Some rebel programming is still accessible indirectly via other channels, they say. The rebels, who are fighting for independence for minority Tamils in north and east Sri Lanka, are proscribed in a number of countries. Correspondents say Intelsat's move hampers the rebels' ability to reach diaspora Tamils and is a blow to the prestige of running their own television station. The rebel television station is seen as an important tool for them to communicate with their supporters. Srilanka Security forces a high risk group for AIDS The security forces are a high-risk group for AIDS due to the high prevalence of prostitution and casual sex in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Districts."Fortunately AIDS prevalence overall is low in Sri Lanka. However, soldiers are at risk because of the prostitution in areas surrounding the north and east," Director, National AIDS Programme, Dr. Nimal Edirisinghe said.Edirisinghe said so far only one prostitute in Anuradhapura had been identified as HIV positive."We hold AIDS awareness programmes for soldiers right after they’re recruited, before they’re sent to the north and east," he said. Edirisinghe added that they also provided free condoms to them through the Army Hospital."We encourage them to use these if they don’t want to abstain, though abstinence is the best," he stated.According to UNAIDS, Sri Lanka has a relatively small number of people living with HIV — about 5,000 adults. Since 1986, only 712 cases have been officially reported, with under reporting mainly due to limited availability of counseling and testing, fear associated with seeking services and the stigma and discrimination associated with being identified as HIV positive.Of the total number of HIV cases reported from 1987 to 2000 in which the mode of transmission is known, 98% were sexually transmitted. U.S. leader of Sri Lankan terror group is arrested in New York NEW YORK: The top U.S. representative of the Tamil Tigers, a Sri Lankan rebel group designated as a foreign terrorist organization, orchestrated a covert campaign to finance its escalating conflict with military forces in Sri Lanka, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.Karunakaran Kandasamy was arrested and awaiting arraignment on charges of providing material support to the Tamil Tigers. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.In the past several years, the group has "covertly operated within the United States, drawing on America's financial resources and technological advances to further its war of terror in Sri Lanka and elsewhere," U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf said in a statement.The arrest was the latest attempt by American authorities to cut off support for the group, which according to court papers has engaged "in terrorist tactics, including suicide bombings and political assassinations" while fighting for an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils in the island nation's north and east.Last year, its emissaries were charged in New York with conspiring to buy surface-to-air missiles. Prosecutors also alleged the defendants tried to bribe U.S. officials to remove the group from the terrorism list. Kandasamy, as director of the American branch of the Tamil Tigers based in New York City, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, the court papers said. He also allegedly arranged for rebel leaders to meet in Sri Lanka with supporters "with backgrounds in engineering, technology, weaponry, medicine and scientific fields."The Tamil Tigers have fought the Sri Lankan government since 1983, seeking independence from the ethnic Sinhalese-dominated country after decades of discrimination against Tamils.The civil war killed at least 65,000 people before a Norwegian-brokered cease-fire was signed in 2002. The truce temporarily halted the fighting, but more than 4,000 people have died since late 2005, when violence flared again.Violence has increased recently in Sri Lanka as the government pushes to retake rebel-held territory in the east. The rebels have struck back with bombings, their first-ever air raid on a government air force base and several attacks at sea. JJ receives Ambassador for Peace award Dr. Jayalath Jayawardana, MP and Assistant Secretary of the UNP, who is in charge of relief and human rights, has been awarded the Ambassador for Peace award, in recognition of his humanitarian services, by the Universal Peace Federation, which has a special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with its headquarters in New York. This award has been presented to Dr. Jayalath Jayawardana in Seoul, South Korea during the international summit on Asia Pacific Peace, which focused on a new foundation for a regional alliance.Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Minister of State, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Nepal, who played a key role in the Nepalese peace process and Prof. (Ms) Satinder Ragobur, Dean of the University of Mauritius, Mauritius were also awarded the Ambassador for Peace award by the Universal Peace Federation during this Conference. Sri Lanka 2006 World Press Freedom Review Sri Lanka is unable to escape its violent past. In recent years, the February 2002 ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has largely held firm; however, this year saw the relationship between the parties deteriorate and there was a resumption of the fighting that has killed more than 70,000 people since 1983.Negotiations were begun in 2002, but they were halted in 2003 as each side wavered over the terms of a political settlement.In November 2005, elections led to a new government, led by President Mahinda Rajapakse, that has since taken an uncompromising stance against the LTTE. Fuelling the problems, the LTTE has continued to recruit soldiers, including children, and has maintained a tight grip over the areas of Sri Lanka it controls.The behaviour of each side, who find it easier to play to their supporters rather than engage each other, has led to retrenchment and undermined the ability of the international community to assist. In April 2006, the situation degenerated to such an extent that the ceasefire barely existed.Although both parties reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire at talks held in Geneva, by April, the parties were fighting in and around Trincomalee in the northeast of Sri Lanka. Based on the International Crisis Group’s (ICG) estimate the resumption of fighting in 2006 has killed 2,500 people and displaced a further 200,000 individuals.As in previous years, the fighting has had a disastrous effect on all sectors of Sri Lankan society. There have been numerous terrorist acts around the country, including the successful murder of a high ranking military official, as well as an assassination attempt on the president’s brother, defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.These attacks, as well as the numerous kidnappings occurring in the country’s capital, Colombo, have led the government to introduce fresh restrictions on civilian life. Caught in the middle are the country’s Sinhala, Tamil and English-speaking media. Each of these groups has encountered its own problems in attempting to cover the reawakened conflict; however, the media sector suffering the most are Sri Lanka’s Tamil media, who are often reporting in the actual areas of conflict. Articulating his experience to the members of an international press freedom mission in early October, one member of the Tamil media described reporting in Sri Lanka as similar "to publishing in two different countries." Other journalists the mission talked to said there was an "atmosphere of fear" and that there was "hostility in the air."These views are reinforced by the events in 2006 that reveal a number of different layers of censorship in Sri Lanka.On one level, there are widespread attempts at coercing the media from a range of different actors, including the government, parliamentarians, community group leaders, the security forces, the LTTE and militia. On another level, the government, through its control of Sri Lanka’s regulatory environment, has introduced fresh emergency regulations and threatened to force the media to accept a legislated press council. Elsewhere, it is ignoring its commitment to a Freedom of Information Act and actively calling on the media to censor itself.Finally, there are associated groups murdering journalists and media workers. These acts are reinforcing the censorial environment that exists in Sri Lanka and, due to the impunity, encouraging others to come forward and commit fresh acts. Journalists are once again facing a cycle of self-perpetuating violence, reinforced by the willingness of groups to use hostile language describing the media as traitors or spies.Given the violent nature of the fighting, the use of hostile language not only inflames an already tense situation, it also actively encourages groups and individuals to carry out reprisal attacks on those accused.In February, the Propaganda Secretary of the Peoples Liberation Front (JVP), Wimal Weerawamsa, was reported to have said in parliament that the editor-in-chief of the Sunday Leader, Lasanatha Wickrematunge, was a traitor and that he conspired with the LTTE. The accusation came after an article in the Sunday Leader describing a terrorist attack allegedly carried out by the LTTE. On 16 May, a group of journalists, representing various journalism organisations in Sri Lanka, met with the leader of the political wing of the LTTE to protest its call for the resignation of Tamil journalists from all state run media. In a sign of the dangers for journalists in the country, all the journalists who met with the LTTE political leadership were accused of being dangerous traitors and some received death threats.Commenting on the case, IFJ said in a protest letter, "The labelling of independent journalists as being politically aligned in such a fragile political environment like Sri Lanka is a particularly worrisome and dangerous business." The Brussels-based press freedom organisation went on to say, "Unfounded public attacks such as these may result in direct threats on the lives of those journalists, thus contributing to the declining levels of safety for journalists in Sri Lanka." Aside from the hostile and violent language used to describe some journalists, another problem is the range of different militia and paramilitary groups, on both sides, seeking to influence the media’s reporting. These groups all threaten violence, and on occasion have gone so far to attack the media. In consequence, the media are often caught between opposing groups who have different designs on the media.In July, there were attempts by paramilitary groups opposed to the LTTE to halt the distribution of the two Tamil language dailies, Sudaroli and Thinakkural, in eastern Sri Lanka. Distribution agents for both newsagents received death threats.The army in the northern and eastern parts of the country represent another group attempting to censor the media. On 6 November, the Army 512 Brigade commander in Jaffna warned the three editors of Uthayan, Yal Thinakural and Walanpuri that they should not carry news of the LTTE, including any messages or speeches. At the same meeting, the commander criticised the reporting of the newspapers as well as their coverage of the humanitarian crisis in the Jaffna peninsula where little food and petrol reached civilians. Throughout the year, there has been a wave of kidnappings of Tamils, including journalists, in Sri Lanka, particularly in Colombo. On 6 November, police chief Victor Perera said the media were guilty of false reporting and should not be writing articles on the subject until after the police have completed their investigations. The Asian Human Rights Commission has reported that nearly 700 Tamils have been abducted since the start of 2006.In one of the most serious cases, on 29 August, Nadarajah Guruparan, the news director of the Colombo-based Tamil radio station Sooriyan, was abducted outside his home in Colombo. According to eyewitness reports, four men forced the journalist out of his car and into a vehicle. The journalist was released on the following day.Bearing in mind the death threats against journalists, the accusations of treason and spying as well as attempts by all sides in the conflict to control the media’s reporting, there has been a return in Sri Lanka to the callous murder of journalists. In 2006, there were five such killings. On 24 January, Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan, popularly known as SSR, a part-time journalist with the Tamil language daily Sudaroli, was shot dead in the eastern port of Trincomalee. The newspaper has faced numerous threats in the past, and on 20 August 2005, two hand grenades were thrown into the advertising department. Nine days later, a second hand grenade attack, this time on the printing press, killed a security guard. In early 2006, the Free Media Movement (FMM) criticised the failure of the authorities to properly investigate the murder of Tamil journalist, Dharmeratnam "Taraki" Sivaram, the editor of the Tamilnet news Web site and columnist for the Sri Lankan Daily Mirror newspaper.Sivaram was kidnapped on 28 April 2005. His body was found the next day. In June 2005, police made a number of arrests, but there has been little progress since that time.Another journalist was killed in July. On 2 July, freelance journalist Sampath Lakmal de Silva was abducted from Colombo. He was found shot dead three kilometres from his home. Before becoming a freelance journalist, de Silva was the defence correspondent for the weekly Sathdina. Based on news reports, de Silva had been apparently lured to his death, perhaps with promises of information. Three months later, Sri Lankan media groups were still expressing concern that the investigation into de Silva’s death appeared to have been forgotten. Journalist Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah, managing director of the Tamil-language Namathu Eelanadu newspaper ("Our Eelam Nation"), was murdered near his home on 20 August in the Jaffna Peninsula that saw renewed fighting between government forces and the LTTE. The journalist was killed in Vellippalai. Sivamaharajah was a former member of parliament for the Tamil United Liberation Front, and a member of the Tamil National Alliance.There have also been attacks on newspaper distributors. On 15 August, Sathasivam Baskaran was shot dead in Jaffna, while delivering copies of the daily Tamillanguage newspaper, Uthayan. A mine killed the newspaper vendor, Mariathas Manojanraj, on 27 July also in Jaffna. He had been going to pick up copies of the Tamil-language daily Thinakkural. Gunmen also entered the offices of the Uthayan and killing marketing manager, Suresh Kumar, and Ranjith Kumar, who worked in the circulation department.As the conflict deepened, the authorities clamped down on the media. On 5 January, soldiers first cordoned off and then searched the offices of the Jaffna Tamil daily Yal Thinnakkural. Reports on Tamilnet said that the soldiers were pursuing a photographer who had taken pictures of a grenade attack on a sentry point. Three days, later, on 8 January, Joy Jeyakumar, a senior photographer for the Tamil daily Veerakesari, was summoned on 5 January to the office of the Colombo Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for questioning about photographs of Tamil detainees that appeared in the newspaper.The Sinhala-language weekly Irudina and the Sunday Leader also found themselves in trouble over an article on claymore mines in later January, which according to police infringed Sri Lanka’s security. Journalists from the newspapers were summoned by the police for questioning; but instead of questions about the mines, they faced questions about their newspapers’ management style and other similarly intrusive questions.Adding additional pressure, the Ministry of Defence subtly attempted to influence the media’s reporting by requesting all media organisations to submit to the Media Centre for National Security any stories with national security implications.The request was made in a 20 September letter that stated, "Please be advised that any news gathered by your institution through your own sources with regard to national security and defence should be subjected to clarification and confirmation from the MCNS in order to ensure that correct information is published, telecast or broadcast." The letter followed the massacre of civilians and accusations that the military may have been involved. As with the accusations of spying and treason, the questioning by the authorities also led to these media being targeted by other groups. On 11 February, weekend newspaper staff at Sathdina were brutally assaulted after being mistaken for the staff of Irudina. The men who carried out the attack were apparently under the supervision of Janaka Ranawake, the opposition leader of Kotte Urban Council.A further attack took place on 17 February, when Prasad Purnamal, a journalist working for MTV Television Network and Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL) newspapers was assaulted. The journalist had been covering clashes between rival supporters in local government elections.The arrest of a journalist at the UNESCO celebrations to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May was also a reminder that the authorities have tightened security on the Island. The female journalist was arrested on suspicion of being associated with terrorist activities and her case was handed over to the National Intelligent Service and Terrorist Investigation Division. Sivaramya Sivanathan, a Tamil journalist and relief announcer for the state owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Cooperation (SLBC) failed to produce an invitation to the 3 May event. She was then arrested despite producing evidence that she worked for SLBC.In addition to calls to self-censor, the government has also sought to make changes to Sri Lanka’s media policies. One of the first signs of these new developments could be seen in the Supreme Court’s rejection in the Nallaratanam Singarasa case of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). In the case, which involved an attempt by the petitioner to have his conviction set aside, the Supreme Court said that the treaty had no bearing on Sri Lanka’s citizens because it would only have effect if it were enacted as a law in the country.The decision was widely interpreted as Sri Lanka’s withdrawal from a human rights treaty that has been universally accepted by democratic societies all over the world. On 22 June, the Minister for Information announced that the cabinet had agreed to reintroduce state-controlled regulation of the media in Sri Lanka. In line with this announcement, the cabinet said it intended to restore the statutory-based Sri Lanka Press Council. Protesting the issue, FMM said, "The Press Council Act has penal provisions that are in direct violation of the principles of freedom of expression."On 6 December, the government introduced new emergency regulations – the Emergency (Prevention and Prohibition of Terrorism and Specified Terrorist Activities) Regulations that, according to FMM, contain sweeping powers that are "highly susceptible to abuse as well as governmental control of a free media and civil society." Protests about the new regulations also noted the previous use of such regulations to control the media.In their own letter, the FMM said, "we would note the impermissibly wide scope of the range of activities prohibited by Regulations 2, 3 and 4 and the definition of terrorism in Regulation 16 (i)..." With pressure on the media continuing, an international fact finding and advocacy mission that included the International Press Institute arrived in Colombo to conduct a press freedom mission from 9 to 11 October. In a press conference at the end of their mission, the members highlighted concerns about safety, censorship and changes to media policy. The mission also issued a statement that "stressed the central importance of press freedom and freedom of expression as fundamental components of a democratic society and an essential element for building a lasting peace in Sri Lanka."Following the international mission, local journalist organisations also issued a statement, known as the "Weligama Declaration 2006," that examined the role of the media in national unity. The groups said, "Our gathering and our concerned focus is prompted by the severity of the crisis faced by Sri Lankan society and all its peoples which has threatened the very survival of our economy, society and political system."Another delegation, this time comprised of South Asian editors, visited the country from 23-25 October. The blue ribbon mission said that it recognised that there had been an escalation of violence between the government and the LTTE, which had created a climate of insecurity and uncertainty for the media community. Supporting the media, the group also said, "diverse views and opinions of all ethnicities and social groups becomes imperative in the search for a just and sustainable peace." On 17 October, the official radio station of the Liberation Tigers of the LTTE, the Voice of the Tigers, in Killinochchi, an LTTE held town in Northern Sri Lanka, was bombed by the Sri Lankan Air Force. Responding to protests about the air raid, the government said that it had deliberately targeted the radio tower and not the station’s offices.Paramilitary groups, also unhappy at the media’s reporting, attacked the media in October. On 23 October, the Karuna group in the east of Sri Lanka burnt 10,000 copies of the Tamil daily newspaper Virakesari. The Karuna group was formerly part of the LTTE, but has since broken away and, according to sources, is now close to the government. The burning of the newspapers occurred when a group of 10 to 15 armed men stopped a van transporting copies of Virakesari and Metro News. SA Tamil group criticises Sri Lankan government The South African Tamil Organisations have lashed out at the Sri Lankan government's alleged atrocities against the island's Tamil people.Speaking during discussions facilitated by the South African government, delegates told Douglus Devananda, the visiting Sri Lankan minister, that it is time for peace on the island.Devananda, whose visit sparked some controversy because of his defection from the Tamil Tigers to government, says the rebels are to blame. However, with restricted access to given aid groups in Tamil areas and neglected services, thousands of Tamils are facing a humanitarian crisis. The issue is likely to come on a presidential level later this year when Mahinda Rajapakse, the Sri-Lankan president, meets President Thabo Mbeki in South Africa. 25 April 2007CID searches TELO MP's residence in Colombo Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka police conducted an intensive search in TELO and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian N. Sri Kantha's official residence in Mathivela, Colombo Monday around 5:30 p.m. TNA parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah's secretary Selvarajah Samuel who was at the residence during the search was interrogated for nearly three hours, according to sources in Colombo. All the rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and the roof of the residence were searched meticulously.Mr. Sri Kantha was not present when the CID lead the search. Nothing suspicious was found.Prior permission had been obtained from Colombo Nugegoda Magistrate Courts and the Speaker of the House, Mr. W. J. M. Lokku Bandara for the search.Meanwhile, T. Jeyanandamoorthy, TNA Batticaloa district parliamentarian said that the search conducted in the residence of the member of the House of Representatives is a warning to all TNA parliamentarians. Mr Samuel is from Alanwick Estate in Udapusselawa. Tigers say cool flight over Jaffna after bombing military base Sri Lankan government dismisses Tiger claim of air attack in Jaffna Sri Lankan government dismissed the Tamil Tiger claim that a Tiger aircraft have bombed a Sri Lankan military air base in Northern Sri Lanka.Defense officials denied the air raid claim but said the rebels fired artillery towards the military complex. "We have reports saying they had attacked with artillery but there was nothing like an air strike,” a military official said. The Tiger web site said their air wing attacked Palaly airstrip and military storage and returned safely.Last month a rebel aircraft in a first ever air attack bombed the Katunayake air force base killing three airmen and wounding 16 others. The attack however failed to inflict any damages on the fighter jets on the ground. Massive search operations in Jaffna Peninsula Sri Lanka armed forces in large numbers conducted simultaneous cordon and search operations in Vadamaradchy, Thenmaradchy regions and Jaffna, Monday. Key roads were blocked and residents were herded into play grounds and temples in close proximity and interrogated, sources in Jaffna said. Armed forces and paramilitaries took cover in many places the previous night, cut off all the leading roads entering the city and did a door to door checking in the areas of Kaladdy, Parameshwara Junction, Muththirai Santhi and Ariyalai within Jaffna municipal limits.All the young men and women were paraded in front of masked men for identification. The young men and women from Ariyalai area were led to a Church along Kachcheri- Nallur road and 'identified' by some masked men. Even though, there were rumors that three were arrested, it was not confirmed.Meanwhile, as all the roads to the city were closed many students and teachers were unable to go to the schools on time. Due to the travel restrictions, many of the schools and government offices had only few workers and students attending.Similar search operations were conducted in the villages of Uduppiddy, Valvettiththurai, Kampar Malai and Thondamanaru in Vadamaradchy region and in the villages of Madduvil, Sarasalai, Kanahampuliyadi and Manthuvil in Thenmaradchy region.However, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has so far not claimed ofany arrests. Karuna attempts to take over Pothuvil Pradeshiya Sabha by force It is being reported that TMVP party belonging to Karuna Faction is threatening the chairman of the Pothuvil Pradeshiya Sabha in order to get hold of its building by force.Chairman of the Pothuvil Pradeshiya Sabha is Mohammed Rauf and the power of the Pradeshiya Sabha is with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. The relevant building is situated close to the Karuna factions office in the Puthuvil area.Speaking to 'LeN' a member of the Pothuvil Pradeshiya Sabha (requested not to mention his name) said two armed men of Karuna had threatened Rauf to let them occupy the building. The chairman had then said that they were about to rebuild it, as it was an old building and that he cannot give it over to them. Then they had said the group wanted the land if the building was going to be removed and they would dump lorries of sand in the land of the divisional secretariat.The police have been informed of this and police have provided security to the building there after.Then the Karuna faction has asked civilians in the area to stage a protest saying that the Pradeshiya Sabha doesn't do any community service to the Tamil people and the people in the area had also done so because the Karuna faction is an armed group.Then police have arrived at the scene and asked the public to stop the hartal but Karuna group members have said that the police cannot stop it because it was carried out by the civilians in protest of the hindrances they are faced with.On the following day a group of people had gone and presented a document to the chairman of the Pradeshiya Sabha asking him to allocate a special building for the Tamil people. They have charged that the Pradeshiya Sabha had not done anything for the betterment of the Tamil people but the member who spoke to us said that many development activities have been carried for them.After these incidents the Pradeshiya Sabha members are said to be living amidst great fear and request authorities to provide them with security.However local politicians have complained to the president several times regarding the harassments they are faced with. WCC Urges Sri Lanka & Tamil Tigers to Reinstate Ceasefire IGP gets an opportunity to show his colours IGP Victor Perera "we are armed. We will face anything", even before 24 hours passed away after making this statement owner of a textile shop in Wellawatte Rajarathnam Rajamani was abducted at around 8:30 last night.Convener of the Civil monitoring mission parliamentarian Mano Ganeshan told 'LeN' that the businessman was abducted while he was on his way home at Perera lane when an unidentified group of abductors traveling in a white colour van bearing the number 252-7285 abducted him.However Rajarathnam Rajamani was freed later as the abductors told him that he was abducted by mistake.Ganeshan said now the IGP would carry out investigations easily as they have handed over the number of the vehicle to him. 'Police taking action on Jaya threat letter' CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Police was taking steps to arrest the person who sent a letter threatening to kill AIADMK Chief Jayalalitha and adequate security was being provided to her, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi told the State Assembly on Tuesday. Replying to AIADMK deputy leader O Panneerselvam, who raised the issue, Karunanidhi said the person who had issued the threat under the name of LTTE now had sent two such letters with similar handwriting, address and rubber stamp, in the name of Al-Umma in the past, which showed that he did not have any intention. Whenever such threats were received, police used to increase security for the concerned leaders. The origin of some of the letters remained undetected, he said. Following the threat, police went to Jaya TV office and conducted a thorough search. They did not find any bombs in the office and adequate security was being provided to Jayalalithaa, he said. Such anonymous letters threatening important leaders had been received often. Most of the time it was sent by people suffering from mental problems or by some who want to play a joke or with mischievous intentions, Karunanidhi said. Such threats against Jayalalithaa were received even when she was the chief minister and even against the president, he added. Panneerselvam said Jayalalithaa had curbed terrorist activities in the state when she was the chief minister and the letter could have been sent by organisations like the LTTE. "We will not allow a family regime"- Ranil Wickremesinghe Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe stresses that he will not allow the country to witness a family regime.Addressing a function organized to hand over the letter addressed to chairman of the International Press Institute, to the media he said the UNP wouldn’t let the government continue to media harassment, threats to the media and human rights violations."We wont let the media to be harassed. We wont let them mute our parliamentarians. We have 3 to 4 million people with us. We would unite all of them for the peoples supremacy and to protect their rights. We will face what ever it takes in doing so. If we are charged with false allegations we would face them also. We wont let the country walk into a family regime." He said.He also said that the Mawbima newspaper has been closed down but would attempt to get financial assistance from the international arena to restart its publications.Touching on this mornings attack he said once again the government has failed to put down the LTTE air craft. Child Protection Authority discusses its work with UNICEF Child Protection Section A meeting was held with the Child Protection Authority in Kilinochchi and the Child Protection Section of UNICEF-Sri Lanka at the LTTE Peace Secretariat on 24 April 2007. CPA raised the issue of UNICEF acknowledging in its public statements the status of UNICEF database of underage youths in LTTE which has been reduced substantially. CPA requested UNICEF for an informative statistics to be made public about the status of their database of underage youths in LTTE. UNICEF responded that a monthly statistics publicly released by them has most the information sought by the CPA. It is unfortunate that the media reports do not reflect this accuracy.CPA also raised the complex conditions in the east and the difficulties faced by CPA in even verifying the UNICEF complaints. The fear of parents that youths released from the LTTE may be immediately abducted and recruited by the Karuna group was also discussed. A new reporting format of individual cases that reflects the release status of each case was requested by CPA and was agreed by UNICEF.Andy Brooks (Head of UNICEF-Sri Lanka Child Protection), William Collie (Child Protection Officer), Paul Joachim (Head of UNICEF Kilinochchi), and Bakary Sogoba (Child Protection Officer, Kilinochchi) attended the meeting from UNICEF side.S Puleedevan (Secretary General LTTE Peace Secretariat), Dr N Malathy (Director of Child Protection Authority), Mr Thiagaraja (Coordinator of UN & International Agencies Liaison with LTTE) and Ms N Selvy (LTTE human rights and humanitarian spokesperson attended the meeting from the LTTE and CPA side. CM told to oppose military aid to Lanka Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P Nedumaran urged the State not to support the Central government's move to provide military support to Sri Lankan Army. Chief Minister M Karunanidhi should do the needful to protect the rights of Tamils in Lanka and have to take a firm stand to oppose military aid to Lankan Army, he said at an awards function yesterday organised by V S Guhanathan Trust. PMK founder S Ramadoss gave away the life-time achievement award to music director Deva. A Tamil book Kaatthalum Alithalum written by yesteryear director V S Guhanathan was also released on the occasion. Film producer A V M Saravanan said Deva was a gifted music composer who has the capability to produce tuneful number catering to the requirement and preference of the director. Dalit Panthers of India leader and MLA Selvaperunthagai pointed out the killing of Tamil fishermen by Lankan Army was continuing without abatement in high seas. 'Despite the adamant behaviour of Sri Lanka, the Indian government has not initiated any sort of action to curb such merciless killings of fishermen.' Poet Pulamaipithan and PMK president and MLA G K Mani were among others who spoke at the function. 24 April 2007 India s help sought in Lankan issue PUDUCHERRY: TELO Muthalvar MK Shivalingam MP on Sunday sought India’s intervention to put an end to the attacks on Tamils living in the island nation.Speaking at a function organised by the Ulaga Panpattu Eyakkam here, he alleged that the Tamils in Sri Lanka were being attacked with weapons provided by countries like China and Pakistan to Sri Lanka. Srikantha, another TELO MP, said that the number of Tamils in Sri Lanka had reduced. "The population of the island nation was 1.25 crore, of which 25 percent constituted Tamils. However, this has reduced to 20 percent as many of them have fled to other countries as refugees." LTTE denies threatening TN leaders The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Monday denied that they posed a threat to the lives of prominent Tamil Nadu politicians.In a statement issued following reports that there had been such threats, the LTTE's military spokesman, Rasaiah Ilanthirayan alias Marshall, said that the Tamil Tigers "maintain the firm policy of keeping away from the local politics of Tamil Nadu, India or any other state in the world".He alleged that the reports of threats were inspired by the "dishonest" and "oppressive" Sri Lankan government to stem the "growing sympathy in Tamil Nadu for the suffering Eelam (Sri Lankan) Tamils"."We strongly condemn this immoral act," Marshall said. Police powers for Military? The government is to vest Police powers with the security forces in view of what it sees as a growing terrorist threat, a top government official said yesterday.“The decision has been taken as it is difficult to collaborate with the police at all times,” he said. Though emergency regulations are in force, the security forces usually seek Police assistance, to enforce the law when dealing with civilians. If the new regulations are implemented security forces will not require police assistance when carrying out search operations.“The new move requires the military to follow legal proceedings, which will not harm the public security,” he explained.The official said the initiative was taken to streamline public security in the face of terrorism. “The police alone cannot protect peace and security, as such the government decided to vest police powers in the security forces,” he said. “It was a revival of the process prevailing under the emergency,” he added. Since November 2003, emergency regulations were introduced by then President Chandrika Kumaratunga soon after the assassination of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, leading the military, assisted by the police to launch search and clear operation in anywhere in the country. Since then, the Parliament extended the regulations by holding a vote every month until now.However, the UNP, has accused the government of using emergency regulations to suppress its political opponents and the media. Sri Lanka Air Force jets target LTTE positions in north Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets resumed air raids on identified LTTE targets yesterday, the Media Centre for national Security (MCNS) said. According to the MCNS officials, an identified LTTE Sea Tiger base was destroyed by accurate air strikes, at Thalaiaddi, south of Nagarkovil in Jaffna. MCNS said another attack was also launched by the SLAF on a LTTE movement in west of Thoppigala in Batticaloa area yesterday around 1.00 p.m. The Air Force have confirmed that the attacks were successful. Arms to Lanka echoes in TN Assembly Congres and PMK, partners in the ruling UPA at the Centre, today crossed swords in the Tamil Nadu Assembly over reports that the Centre was supplying arms to Sri Lanka.Raising the issue, PMK leader G K Mani said India should not supply arms to Sri Lanka as they would be used against 'innocent Tamils' in the island republic.He wanted the DMK Government to come out with a resolution urging the Centre to stop supply of arms.Congress Legislature Party leader D Sudarsanam, taking objection to the PMK raising the issue in the state Assembly, said the PMK had a cabinet minister at the Centre, who should take up the matter with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the cabinet meetings.The state assembly was not a proper forum to raise a subject which concerned about another country, he contended.Sudarsanam said the Congress never opposed the demand that killing of innocent Sri Lankan Tamils be stopped, but at the same time it was against any support to any militant group operating in the island republic.Mani said his party was concerned about the killings of innocent Tamils and never justified the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Tamil Nadu.CPI leader V Sivapunniyam said India had a moral right to protect Sri Lankan Tamils.Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, replying to points raised by members, said if media reports about the supply of arms to Sri Lanka was true, it was a matter of concern to Tamils.Arms supplied by India would be misused by Sri Lanka for killing Tamils, he said. Another businessman abducted in Colombo 6 A Tamil businessman, identified as Raja Bopathi, was abducted in Wellawatte last night by an unknown gang who had come in a van. The incident had taken place on Galle Road. The Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC) on abductions told Daily Mirror that the gang had come in a vehicle bearing licence plate No 252 – 7285 and had forcibly taken the victim towards Dehiwala. CMC was on its way to the Wellawatte police station to lodge a complaint at the time this edition went to press. Islamic fundamentalism grips Sri Lankan town Kattankudy, four km south of the Eastern Sri Lankan town of Batticaloa, is unique. It is the only all-Muslim town in the island. Non-Muslims cannot (and will not) reside, buy property or run businesses there. With 65 mosques, this heavily built up and cramped town of 50,000 people spread over just 1 sq km, boasts of having the largest number of mosques per square kilometre outside the Muslim world.A prosperous market town, it stands out in the war-ravaged Batticaloa district - a source of inspiration for other Muslims, and an object of envy for the impoverished Tamils, who are the majority community in the district.But above all, Kattankudy is the nerve centre of Islamic fundamentalism, an ideology which is being spread among Muslims not just by intense social pressure, but by gun-wielding radical youths with a background of Wahabi religious education from the universities of the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia. The first thing one would notice on entering Kattankudy is that, in contrast to other towns in Eastern Sri Lanka, there are hardly any women on the streets. This is in sharp contrast to Batticaloa, just 10 minutes away, where young girls are not only out in large numbers but go about in bicycles, or zip around in small scooters.The few women on the roads of Kattankudy are either Tamils from outside who have come to shop or Muslims covered from head to foot. Some even cover their hands and feet with black gloves, socks and shoes. In some cases, the hijab (head covering) has small holes to allow the lady to see. But the more common form is a two-piece head and face cover, with a separate scarf covering the nose, mouth and neck but not the eyes, and tied at the back of the head. The hijabs and Abayas (the full body garment) of grown up women are always in black.Girl students have to cover themselves from head to foot from Grade 6 (age 12) onwards. To enable them to see, there are tiny holes in their hijabs. Only old women are allowed to come out in the traditional Sri Lankan Muslim attire, which is the sari with the pallu pulled over the head.According to KMM Kaleel of the Federation of Mosques and Muslim Associations radical change in the dress code came in the past five years. SLM Nashwal, former Assistant Secretary of the local Jamiat Ulema, said that as per the Quran, a woman could expose only her face and hands. And on this, there was almost total agreement, with even Moulvi Abdul Rauff, a Sufi leader who had incurred the wrath of the Saudi-backed Jamiat Ulema, echoing it.As one saw, the predominant dress code was actually much more radical than the Quranic prescription. It is Talibani. Its spread can be largely attributed to the persuasive power of Saudi backed and funded Wahabi organisations like the Tabligh and Tawheed Jamaats."Generally, males dictate what the women in their household should wear. But many women have taken to the Abaya and Hijab willingly," said Aneesa Firthous, a former nurse who heads the Islamic Womens' Association. As for herself, she said she did not wear the sari because it was a "Tamil dress and not Muslim."The nonchalant denial of 50 per cent of the Eastern Muslims' culture was amazing, since, ethnically, the Muslims are either a mixture of Arab merchants and local Tamils or are converts from the local Tamils. Denial of the local heritage could lead to a dysfunctional relationship with the social and political environment and cause conflicts.There are no cinema theatres in Kattankudy. It has never had one. There were VCD and DVD shops selling Tamil cinema fare but these were burnt down, Kaleel said. People do see TV at home. But many like Aneesa and pre-school teacher Fowmiya do not see cinema-based programmes and tele-dramas. "We like to watch videos of good Iranian films," Fowmiya said. Rights group slams Sri Lanka aid massacre probe An investigation by Sri Lanka into the killing of 17 tsunami aid workers was seriously flawed, a group of international lawyers said on Monday, warning the rule of law on the Indian Ocean island was under threat.The 17 local Sri Lankan staff from French aid group Action Contre la Faim were found shot at close range in the northeastern town of Mutur last August after fighting between the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). They had been working on rebuilding after the 2004 tsunami.The International Commission of Jurists -- a collection of international lawyers based in Switzerland -- accused the government of a lack of impartiality, transparency and effectiveness in its investigation, saying police had not even bothered to interview a single soldier nearby at the time."We are very disappointed," ICJ Secretary General Nicholas Howen told Reuters in a telephone interview. "These are grave concerns that are being echoed not only in Sri Lanka but internationally. Clearly this is a great test of the ability of the criminal justice system in Sri Lanka to deliver justice."The ICJ and other human rights groups say abuses, abductions and extrajudicial killings have soared since a 2002 ceasefire effectively collapsed last year and the rebels resume their fight for an independent ethnic Tamil state. Each side blames the other for atrocities, but deny responsibility themselves."It is clear that there have been severe provocations by the LTTE," Howen said. "What is disturbing is that the government has not adequately responded within the rule of law." TROOPS BLAMED The killing of the aid staff was the worst single attack on relief workers since the 2003 bomb attack on the United Nations compound in Baghdad, but attracted much less attention because no foreign nationals were involved.Most of the dead aid workers were from the Tamil minority, the aid agency had worked frequently in rebel areas and the families immediately pointed the finger at the Army. Denied access to the scene, Nordic ceasefire monitors ruled the murders a violation by the government.The government has always denied involvement in the killing, has defended the integrity of its investigation and has launched a presidential probe into the killing and other high profile reported abuses."I feel we ought to give the independent commission time to investigate," Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said, adding he had not seen the ICJ report yet.The ICJ says the jury was still out on whether the commission would do its job, but said that in any case the criminal justice system itself should probe better, with a truly independent investigation and proper protection for witnesses.Along with other human rights groups, it is also calling for United Nations human rights observers to be sent to the island -- a demand that the government has so far refused.With around 4000 people dead since late 2005 and peace talks seemingly still distant, few diplomats or analysts expect little other than more killing. EPDP member shot injured in Kayts Unknown persons shot and seriously injured an Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) member Monday evening in Kayts, an islet of Jaffna. Kayts police took the injured EPDP member to Jaffna Teaching Hospital where he is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit. The EPDP member is identified as S. Sivarasa, 37. He was hit by a single bullet from a pistol, EPDP sources in Kayts said.Sivarasa was going out on personal errand on his motor bicycle when the armed men shot at him. GoSL 'responsible' for rights abuses Western powers JVP is of the opinion that western powers which violate human rights in many other countries are exploiting Sri Lanka's problems to intevene in internal affairs.When asked whether the international community had the same agenda in late 80s, Tilvin Silva said it might have been the case.Government forces are accused of killing tens of thousands of Sinhala youths in late 80s. Many of them were supporters of the JVP. JVP uprising JVP leader, Somawansa Amerasinghe, accepted that the party is responsible for nearly 6000 deaths."It is immaterial that when these external forces try to intervene in Sri Lankan affairs. They might have had the same agenda even in late 80s," Tilvin Silva told bbcsinhala.com. Rajapaksa, then an opposition MP, was instrumental in inviting international human rights monitors to Sri Lanka.Tilvin Silva stressed that the JVP has 'raised voice' against curent human rights violations."We have raised it (human rights) as we feel it. But we are not going to mix up human rights with separatist terrorism".The JVP General Secretary added that the Tamil peoples issues could not be resolved only by war. But it is imperative to establish democracy in the north and east before finding a political solution. 23 April 2007 No-Way to Norway! Kilinochchi Trip Cancelled! Norway envoy`s proposed mission to Kilinochchi is, according to sources in Colombo, cancelled. Norwegian Ambassador, Hans Brattskar will, after all, will stay put in Colombo!The National Security ministry appears to have issued the last minute instructions not to go! Although security precaution is attributed as the reason, rumours in Colombo is rampant that the government is making preparations to commence early attack on the forward defence lines in the Peninsula.Sources in Jaffna have been alerting the West of the massive reenforcement of heavy armoured vehicles along Palaly- Neerveli Road during the last three days. Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapakse has returned from Rome with the blessings of the Pope and he is about to commence his next determined move to order march on the Tamil areas, delayed till his return, Colombo sources say. "If scared don't publish a single word of my speech" Ranil says, blasting Gotabhaya Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe charges that president Mahinda Rajapakse threw away the opportunity which he had to present a solution that is accepted by all ethnicities and a one that protects the country.Addressing the media at the launch of the United national party's new website www.unp.lk he said the president has established a Madamulana Chinthana instead of a National Chinthana.Wickremesinghe said if journalists are scared to publish certain details, not to publish a single word from his speech.The opposition leader invited anyone who wants to contribute to the website to do so adding that it was not restricted to UNP supporters and members, therefore all those who are against corruption and fraud and against the current dictatorship. He said in an era when editors and journalists are restricted and threatened from writing accurate details and articles with facts, the website is opened for anyone to publish accurate information. The leader of the UNP is of the view that even if the country is sitting for peace talks, the country’s military power should be strengthened and it why that he proposed Janaka Perera who is a balanced retired military officer. He said Sri Lanka once became the world champions because we had talented players like, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas and Muththai Muralitharan and questioned whether the out come would be the same if Chaminda Vaas was replaced with Sachin Vaas.Wickremesinghe questioned defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse what his answer is to the Katunayake attack, since he said he would claim the responsibility for the security of the Air Port, adding that Gotabhaya should resign from the post.He said the defense secretary had published a reply to the accusations made by Sripathy and Mangala regarding the MIG 27 deals which said that the security forces were not faced with a LTTE threat from the Air and that security forces are in need of only air craft that could attack identified targets on land only. Wickremesinghe said both the defense secretary and the air force commander had agreed on particular matter. The opposition leader said that when the technology is available to carry out air raids to any target, immaterial whether it is in water, land or air. He added that the radar systems should also be upgraded.The opposition leader said that India has given Sri Lanka over 8 radar systems that could trace air craft and that security force even poses weapons that could attack air craft by a single person. He questioned why no one was sent to India to get adequate training regarding the usage of such equipment and therefore shouldn't Gotabhaya Rajapakse be held responsible for the attack. LTTE: Sri Lanka’s accusations of credit card fraud is ‘attempt to distract from rights abuses’ Liberation Tigers Political Head, S. P. Thamilchelvan, responding to allegations by the Sri Lankan Embassy in London that the Liberation Tigers were involved in organised crime in Britain involving the cloning of credit cards, dismissed the accusations and slammed them as an attempt by the Colombo government to distract international attention from widespread human rights abuses by its armed forces. Mr. Thamilchelvan said Sri Lanka's accusations which sought to implicate the hardworking and law-abiding Tamil Diaspora, stemmed from the "same chauvinism that caused the island’s protracted ethnic war."On Saturday, Maxwell Keegel, the first secretary of the Sri Lankan Embassy in London, in a report filed by the BBC, claimed that the Tamil Tigers were behind a scam involving employees of petrol stations in UK whereby credit cards were cloned, pin numbers were recorded and later money withdrawn from the customers cards in Asian countries. The BBC on Saturday quoted independent security sources as telling its correspondent, Keith Doyle, that the claims on credit card cloning were possible, but also quoted a Humberside police spokesman as saying that their evidence does not suggest there is a definite link.In an earlier BBC program, British police officers said many of those suspected of being involved were from the “Sri Lankan community” but did not link the criminal activity to the Tamils specifically or the LTTE.They said other minority groups besides Sri Lankans were also involved in credit card fraud, and the problem was seen in many other retail sectors.Credit card cloning or skimming has become more widespread since the ‘chip-and-pin’ technology was introduced. According to British police, organised criminals are using scanners behind the counter to record card numbers and installing secret cameras to record the pin numbers.Tamil activists in UK said the security services in the UK are being given all possible assistance by the Tamil community to apprehend those involved in criminal activity.“It is true there are Tamils amongst the criminals involved in credit card fraud, along with some Sinhalese and individuals from other minorities here, as well as the majority population,” a long-serving community activist told TamilNet.“But Mr. Maxwell’s allegations are intended to criminalise our community as a whole and to undermine Tamil-run businesses in this country.”“Indeed, if he has any proof to back up his accusation, we challenge him to hand it over to the British police.”“The Tamil community and the British Police have a good working relationship in the UK, one which has been in place for many years.” CFA should be observed for resumption of peace talks: UNP In the wake of fresh attempts to place peace talks back on track, the main Opposition UNP said yesterday the Ceasefire Agreement in its present form should be observed by both parties as a prelude to the resumption of dialogue. However, UNP MP and senior lawyer K.N. Choksy noted that the territorial boundaries demarcated by the CFA had now been changed following the ground fighting between the security forces and the LTTE, and they could not be conveniently restored at this stage.Mr.Choksy said the present ground situation envisaged in the CFA should be left as it stands today pointing out that the re-demarcation of the territorial boundaries would create problems.He said early resumption and conclusion of the dialogue is, therefore, imperative. “The ground situation should be left as it stands today so as to avoid practical difficulties in attempting to undo what has happened in the past few months,” he said. Mr. Choksy said political aspects of the Agreement such as the demarcation of territorial boundaries would not necessarily be a part of the final solution to the national question, and it was a matter left open for discussion at the negotiation table. “The international community including the co-chairs has repeatedly called for the commitment to the Ceasefire Agreement. The creation of an additional constitutional body such as a second chamber will not be of use. The crux is to reach consensus upon the extent of devolution by the centre to the provincial,” he said.The UNP said they advocated in their proposals to the All Party Representative Committee, a solution within ‘one nation’ with adequate power sharing.“This will accommodate both unitary and federal concepts,” he said. Cathay Pacific resumes flight to Colombo after Tiger air raid Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Hong Kong's main carrier resumed flights to and from Sri Lanka from yesterday. The carrier suspended its flights following the LTTE air attack on the air force base adjoining Colombo’s only international airport.After a 22-day suspension the first Cathay Pacific flight touched down the Bandaranaike International Airport yesterday morning, air port sources said.Soon after the bombing on the Air Force base at Katunayake, the Asia's third -largest carrier announced that they suspended its operations to Colombo. Later Chief Operating Officer of the Cathay Pacific Tony Tyler said “Safety is always our top priority, now that enhanced security measures are being put in place, we are happy to be able to resume flights to the country.” Three airmen were killed and 16 were wounded in that attack by LTTE. Mervyn warns Divaina,Island Post mortem to ascertain identity of body A post mortem was held at the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, of the Colombo University on an unidentified body found two weeks ago at the Pungudutivu Island in Jaffna to ascertain whether the corpse is that of Fr. Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown who disappeared last August, as well as to and to ascertain the cause of death.The post mortem was held by Prof. Ravindra Fernando, Professor of Forensic Medicine of the Colombo University. The report is to be sent to Magistrate Court, Kayts.The father of Rev. Jim Brown attended the post mortem. On an inquiry made, Prof. Ravindra Fernando said that a blood sample would be taken from the father of the victim and a sample tissue too would be taken and sent for DNA testing. The test would reveal whether the body is that of Fr. Jim Brown. Father Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown (34) has been missing since August 20 2006. An unidentified body was found on April 16 at Pungudutivu and on suspicion that it could be the body of Fr. Jim Brown it was forwarded to the Judicial Medicine section for an examination. Six more top UNP stalwarts to cross over soon The government is confident that six more UNP stalwarts from the North Central Province, Kurunegala District and the Western province will join the government within the next two months, as promised.President Rajapakse always follows the dictates of his conscience and will not harass anyone for indulging in baseless slander, Ministerof Healthcare Nimal Siripala de Silva told The Island yesterday.Minister de Silva said that UNP MP Johnston Fernando had accused the of government of planning to arrest UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Tissa Attanayaka, Vajira Abeywardena, Laksman Seneviratne, Thalatha Athukorale, Mahinda Rattathilaka and Ranga Bandara and himself and it had stirred a hornets nest within the UNP. He said Edward Gunawardena who joined the government and then returned to the UNP had given a dead rope to the UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe. He said according to realiable sources, Gunawardena had told UNP Leader Wickremesinghe that the 18 UNP stalwarts who joined the government were thoroughly disappointed and might return to the UNP in the near future encouraging him to believe that the government would be unstable enabling the UNP to form a strong government.De Silva pointed out that the UNP was spreading false information against the government. The government he said would not hesitate to take legal action against people who contravened the law, but not for slandering or criticizing the government.Referring to the plight of the UNP, Minister de Silva said Ranil Wickremesinghe was aware that the UNP's returning to power is a vain hope for very soon another batch of UNP stalwarts will join the government and Ranil will lose the Opposition leadership to the JVP. SLFP revised devolution proposals finalised SLFP proposals to be tabled at the upcoming All Party Conference is now being finalised by the party’s Central Committee after the initial document of 20 pages has been whittled down to 12 pages on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s instructions. SLFP Deputy General Secretary Prof. Vishwa Warnapala told the Daily News that the revised document is now with the Party’s General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena and the Central Committee. “The original draft has been revised on three occasions. The proposals are based on maximum devolution of power within an independent sovereign State,” he said. According to SLFP sources, the document has been reduced from 20 to 12 pages because the original was too detailed and its basic idea has been incorporated in the abridged document. The Government is expected to submit its proposals for arriving at a resolution to end the current conflict to the All Party Representative Committee before May Day. The SLFP plans to put the same proposals before public on May Day in the interest of transparency. All Party Representative Committee Chairman, Prof. Tissa Vitharana said the SLFP had promised him that it would submit its proposals to the APRC before the party went public with it on May Day. Prof. Vitharana said the SLFP Deputy General Secretary had told him that he would send a copy of the party proposals to the Committee before going public. Prof. Vitharana said: “Ten political parties had sent their proposals including the opposition UNP, which has nullified some sections of my own document pertaining to the North and East conflict. “However there are no serious disagreements. The UNP has highlighted their opinion in the matters concerned.” “The Jathika Hela Urumaya and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna are yet to submit their proposals to the Committee,” he said. “The CWC has sent their proposals to the APRC,” he said. The JVP and the JHU had told the APRC chairman that they would submit their proposals after the SLFP proposals. “The JHU and JVP have promised to hand in their proposals after the government’s own proposals,” Prof. Vitharana added. A meeting will be summoned once all the proposals are made available for the APRC to reach a consensus about them, Prof. Vitharana said. Armed forces to help police Kandy: Some police duties will be delegated to the security forces to meet new threats, Foreign Employment Promotions Minister Kehiliya Rambukwella said in Kandy.Due to the increasing challenges to the police, some police powers will be given to the security forces personnel, he told the media.He said this was not something new as security forces personnel engage in performing police duties under the state of emergency.The police alone find it rather difficult to man the checking at road barriers and other duties connected to civil matters, he said adding that security forces personnel are already attending to civil duties, under the emergency, in 25 districts.The adaptation of such measures has become imperative owing to terrorism, he said. SL artillery fire wounds child, grandmother in Vadamaradhci East A 6-year-old girl and her 67-year-old grandmother were wounded when Sri Lanka Army fired artillery shells towards Thalayadi in Liberation Tigers controlled Vadamaradchi East Sunday morning around 6:00 a.m. Medical sources at Kilinochchi hospital said the grandmother, V. Sellammah, had sustained serious injuries in her legs, right hand and her waist. The girl, Dilaxana, was wounded in her right hand. Ms. Sellamma was staying at the family's house while her son, Uthayakumar, his wife Rajani and Dilaxana were visiting the house from which they had displaced due to artillery shelling. The artiller shelling continued from 6:00 to 7:45 a.m. 22 April 2007 LTTE insists talks only on ceasefire agreement The LTTE reiterated yesterday that the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) must be the basis for any future talks with the Sri Lankan government.The LTTE’s position would be conveyed to the visiting Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar tomorrow when he meets with the political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan in Kilinochchi, the organisation’s military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told The Sunday Times.He said though the government was declaring its readiness for talks, the LTTE saw no genuine effort to resume the peace process as the military onslaught was continuing in the northern and eastern provinces.“The doors have not been closed for talks. Our position is very clear we are ready to start talks at any time, but it has to be in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement,” he said.On Friday the Norwegian Ambassador met with head of the Government’s peace delegation and Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva for talks on the current situation. “The government’s position is that talks should be based on devolution or core issues and without focusing on peripheral issues,” Mr. de Silva told The Sunday Times. The LTTE’s demand that the resumption of talks should be based on the CFA comes after Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told a foreign news agency “there is no ceasefire agreement. There is no meaning in that”. He said the government had not officially declared that there was no CFA, “probably to keep the international community happy”.Mr. de Silva defending Mr. Rajapaksa’s comments said, “practically there is no ceasefire”.“How can we say that there is a cease-fire when the LTTE is coming and attacking the air force base adjoining the international airport? This very clearly shows the LTTE’s duplicity,” he said.Talks between the LTTE and the government abruptly ended in September last year in Switzerland as the LTTE demanded the reopening of the A 9 road which was shut down in August.On Friday Pope Benedict XVI called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa to resume peace talks as early as possible. He made the appeal when the President called on the Pope during a four-day visit to Italy. India should not give weapons to Lanka PMK, a constituent of the UPA, today sought an assurance from the Centre that it would not provide military equipment to the Sri Lankan government which was carrying out a "genocide" against Tamils in the island."No military assistance of any kind should be given to the Sri Lankan government which is refusing to talk with Tamils and carrying out brutal military attacks on them", PMK founder S Ramadoss said in a statement here,adding "the Centre should not ignore the sentiments and demands of Tamils." Despite pleas from the UN and leaders like the Pope to stop the military attacks and initiate dialogue to end the ethnic crisis, the Sri Lankan government was continuing its attacks against Tamils, he said in a statement.Reports of India supplying arms to the island government had shocked the Tamil community in the world, he said adding this would only encourage the genocidal war and make Sri Lankan Tamils refugees.Providing weapons to Sri Lanka would be considered as an anti-Tamil act by all Tamils,he said. Urging Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to request the Centre to protect the Tamils, Ramadoss said it was time that leaders in Tamil Nadu ended their silence."If people and leaders in Tamil Nadu failed to act, Tamil brethern in Sri Lanka will be annihilated. It will be of no use to hold condolence meetings later", he added. TMVP accused of 'buying' children The Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) is allegedly paying attractive sums of money to families living in the interior areas of the Batticaloa District when their children join the group's military wing. According to a knowledgeable local source who wished to remain anonymous, families are being paid Rs. 6,000 every month, seen as an inducement, when children join and serve in the military ranks of renegade rebel leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitheran alias Karuna who broke away from the LTTE in 2004. "People will do anything for money and this is a big sum for people living in interior areas who are being targeted by intelligence groups," the source said. This development may very well coincide with fears humanitarian workers have about local apathy when it comes to the reporting of abductions. "Abductions are not being reported and there is a certain complacency about it all," said one humanitarian staffer. "It's as if the families know where the abducted person is." TMVP Spokesperson, Azad Moulana vehemently denied such reports claiming they do not have any children in their ranks. "That is totally wrong," said Moulana. "We currently have 2,000 cadres and they are all above 18. We had about 20 children in our custody for about six months but they have now been handed over to their parents," he said. Meanwhile, controversy surrounding the use of children in armed conflict rages on with humanitarian organisations expressing concern at the increase in the number of children being abducted in the Mannar area. Parents are reportedly keeping their children at home during the school holidays for fear of them being abducted if they go out and children travelling in trishaws are also becoming targets making it difficult for parents to protect their children. Karuna plans Euro tour Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, alias Karuna, is preparing to embark on a European tour covering Britain, Germany and France, The Sunday Times learns.His visa application to travel to Britain was forwarded last week to the British High Commission in Colombo.The purpose of the visit is said to be aimed at popularizing his movement among his supporters in the three countries and organizing propaganda events.When contacted, Karuna faction spokesman Azad Moulana declined to confirm or deny the Karuna plan. A British High Commission spokesman said they could not comment about a visa application of an individual in view of confidentiality governing visas. This is the first time, since Karuna broke away from the LTTE in April 2004 that he is planning to undertake an overseas visit publicly. Survey reveals govt. losing popularity A recent survey conducted by the Presidential Secretariat has revealed that while President Mahinda Rajapakse and the government were losing its level of popularity enjoyed six months ago, the UNP and its Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe were gaining momentum among the people. Presidential Advisor Sunimal Perera conducts the islandwide survey every six months on the presidency and the government. The survey has also revealed that the majority of the people in the country were opposed to the idea of facing a snap poll any time soon. The previous survey, conducted six months ago, indicated that if the President called for a snap election, the SLFP would easily secure about 106 seats even if it contested alone. However, the latest survey revealed that the number of seats for the SLFP has declined to 82. There has also been a decline in Rajapkase's popularity as well. The 58.5% enjoyed by Rajapakse in the previous survey has now declined to 50.2%. The government's popularity level has this time declined from 56% to 41%. The UNP's popularity level on the other hand has seen an increase from 36.5% to 40%. The survey further revealed that 60% of the people believed the government to be corrupt while another 60% also believed the government to have taken the right decision with regard to the war. As for a snap election, over 60% have said there was no need for one. However, over 60% have also said that if the government were to go for a snap election, it would not be beneficial for the government. The report was handed over to President Rajapakse two weeks prior to the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. FMM condemns murder of Nilam Editor The Free Media Movement last week said the killing of Subash Chandraboas, the editor of a Tamil monthly magazine Nilam (The Ground) was yet another attack on the journalists who work in the north and east. The FMM in a statement last week said that Chandraboas was a former student of the first batch of the College of Journalism and had also obtained one month's training at Veerakesari. He was working for a London based magazine called Tamil World as a freelance journalist until a month ago. "Mr. Chandraboas owns a printing press in Vavuniya and has always had a passion for literature," the FMM said. The statement also said that the daughter of Chandraboas had confirmed that the assassins had spoken in Tamil and Sinhala. "Free Media Movement is appalled by this killing. Although the reason for killing him is not clear FMM fears that this could be another attack on journalists and media personnel working in the north and east," the FMM added. According to the FMM, 25 civilians have been killed within the first 18 days of this month in Vavuniya alone. Tamil parties propose federal system The TULF, PLOTE and EPRLF in a joint statement submitted to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) has proposed a solution to the ethnic problem based on a federal system after radical changes to the Constitution, stating that their proposal could find the basis to take forward the devolution process. “In our opinion taking these as the basis for discussions will accelerate the finding a final solution,” the parties have stated.Following is the joint statement issued by the three Tamil political parties:The chairman of the all party representative committee appointed by the President. Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana had put forward certain basic proposals. At the same time the president of the TULF V. Anandasangaree had been propagating the Indian model for a long time. The president of the PLOTE D. Sidharthan had appeared before the APRC and emphasized on a federal solution and the EPRLF (Pathmanabha) had submitted a detailed proposal to the APRC. The above proposals could find the basis to take forward the devolution process. In our opinion taking these as the basis for discussions will accelerate the finding a final solution. We are strongly of the opinion that quick action should be taken at this juncture to find a solution, for the 60 year old problem. The people are so tried of the war which caused immense loss of life and massive destruction for the last 30 years.While addressing the day to day problems and hardships faced by the people, the Government should give top priority to find a permanent solution, as desired by the Tamil people who respect democracy and are yearning for peace.Every displaced person is keen to resettle peacefully in his/her respective place with a permanent solution found.Radical constitutional changes should be made to devolve powers based on federalism. Even if the constitution is not termed as "Federal", the spirit of it should be based on the Indian model which could be acceptable to all sections of the people.Since a lot of controversies had been created in the merger of North-East, we wish to make our position clear. It is an undeniable fact that the people of North-East are the most affected, compared to people in other parts of the country. We believe a reasonable solution could be found only within a merged North-East administration, because problems faced by the people of North-East, are more inter-related.This will also help to resettle all those who are displaced to their original places of residence, irrespective of the ethnicity or creed.We insist, the security concerns, aspirations and the rights of the various communities should be guaranteed by constitutional provisions.There should be constitutional guarantee to enjoy equal rights by every citizen of this country.Sri Lanka being a multi racial multi religious multi linguistic and multi cultural country all appointments and nominations to various government organizations and institutions both at the central and regional level should be made proportional to the population of each group. The same procedure should be adopted in the electoral reforms too.We believe that it is only through the devolution of power that we can build up a united and prosperous Sri Lanka.We appeal to every political and social group that accepts our stand, join hands with us. Motorists hit by card clone scam Sean Gillespie, one of thousands of possible victims, noticed his bank account was being emptied of small amounts over weeks, amounting to thousands of pounds. "I knew how much had been taken but how it was taken was an absolute mystery to me," he said. Other fraud victims have contacted the BBC News website and some said it happened at BP petrol stations. A BP spokeswoman said between 10 and 12 of their 1,300 sites nationwide had been affected and the firm had issued additional security advice to staff. She advised customers to insert their bank cards into the chip and pin devices themselves and be careful no-one could see them entering their pin numbers. Ray Holloway, from the Petrol Retailers Association, said his members had tried to tackle the problem by training staff and checking machinery. But he added: "The criminal gangs that are involved in this offer quite large sums of money to some employees in order to actually be involved in it." 'Arms funding' Most of the UK's petrol stations are independently run which means they are susceptible to being infiltrated by organised crime. Maxwell Keegel, first secretary of the Sri Lankan High Commission in London, said the Sri Lankan government had evidence to suggest the scam was being used to fund the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Independent security sources told BBC correspondent Keith Doyle these claims were credible. But a Humberside police spokesman said: "Our evidence does not suggest there is a definite link with Sri Lankan gangs." 21 April 2007 TELO MPs seek Indian help to end ethnic crisis TELO and The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), represented by three members of Sri Lankan Parliament, has appealed to the Indian Government to firmly and directly intervene in the affairs of the Sri Lankan Government and put an end to the atrocities meted out to the Tamils in Jaffna and Mattakalappu areas.MPs N Sri Kantha and TELO Leader Selvam Adaikalanathan told reporters here on Wednesday that it was high time India interfered in the matter and brought peace to the island country.They said human rights violations and atrocities against the Tamils were going on unabated. Daylight robberies, murders, rapes and lootings had become the order of the day and hundreds of youths had gone missing. Their bodies were found thrown on the streets the next day.In some cases, their where-abouts were still not known. Unless India interfered, the atrocities would not come to an end, they said.When asked what sort of intereference was needed, they said it was up to the Indian Government to decide. "What we want is a firm, direct and diplomatic intervention that will ultimately bring peace to the island," they said and added that they were approaching the International Human Rights Council as well. In this connection they pointed out to the Indo-Sri Lankan Agreement signed in July 1987 when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, following which various liberation organisations gave up arms.However, the agreement was thrown to the winds subsequently by the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamils in Sri Lanka were subjected to untold misery and hardships. When Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister in 1983, she dictated unequivocal terms to Sri Lanka, which brought peace there."We want a similar intervention now," they said.They appealed to the Tamils across the whole world, particularly in Tamil Nadu, and all the regional and national political parties to support their cause.They met the leaders of the CPI, the CPM, the DK and the Tamilar Desiya Iyakkam led by Pazha Nedumaran. They are also planning to meet the leaders of the other parties as well. Finally, they will meet Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, they added. Govt. requests Norway to restart stalled peace talks The head of the government peace delegation minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has made a request on behalf of the government to Norwegian ambassador Jon Hansen Bauer to set up the back ground to restart the stalled peace talks.The request was made when De Silva met with the ambassador this morning. It is also reported that Hansen Bauer has agreed to go to Kilinochchi and talk to relevant parties in this regard.After Geneva talks 2 both the government and the LTTE began attacking each other continuously and recently Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse had even said that the cease fire agreement doesn't exist.But after Geneva 1st round both parties said they would adhere to the CFA. Pope urges Sri Lanka president to respect human rights, restart dialogue with rebels The Vatican urged Sri Lanka to respect human rights and restart negotiations with Tamil rebels during a meeting Friday between Pope Benedict XVI and the island nation's president, Mahinda Rajapakse, the Vatican said. Rajapakse met with Benedict and the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, as part of a four-day visit to Italy. ``In light of the current situation in Sri Lanka, the need to respect human rights and restart the path of dialogue and negotiations was stressed, as the only path to put an end to the violence that has bloodied the island,'' a Vatican statement said. ``The Catholic Church, which offers a significant contribution to the life of the country, will intensify the delicate commitment to form consciences, with the sole aim of favoring the common good, reconciliation and peace,'' the statement said. Tamil Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's 3.1 million mostly Hindu Tamils. The Tamils have faced decades of discrimination from the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese, who make up a majority of the Indian Ocean island nation's 19 million people. Christians, mostly Roman Catholics, account for about 7.5 percent. A 2002 cease-fire offered a respite from decades of violence, but fighting has resumed and Sri Lanka's top defense official said recently the cease-fire had ``no meaning.'' The New York-based Human Rights Watch said earlier this week that Sri Lankan government troops and rebels had continued ``enforced disappearances,'' extra-judicial killings, intimidation and threats to the media. It urged Benedict to raise in particular the disappearance of a Catholic priest, the Rev. Thiruchchelvan Nihal Jim Brown, in his meeting with Rajapakse. The Vatican statement did not mention the priest. Brown disappeared after he was stopped Aug. 20 at a Sri Lanka navy checkpoint on Kayts Island, off the northern Jaffna peninsula, which is the Tamil's cultural heartland, Human Rights Watch said. Brown was witness to the killing of 15 civilians last August in a church where he was parish priest, the NorthEast Secretariat of Human Rights says. The military has denied involvement. More than 69,000 people have died in the fighting. Armed gang’s uninterrupted 5-hour robbery spree shocks Vavuniya An unidentified armed gang went on an uninterrupted five-hour robbery spree in at Bandarikulam in Vavuniya on Wednesday night. The gang had robbed cash, jewellery and other valuables from several houses to the tune of Rs. 20 million.The spree is reported to have commenced at 11.30 pm on Wednesday and continued into the wee hours of yesterday (19). Vavuniya residents were shocked and the Police baffled when residents of Bandarikulam trekked to the Vavuniya Police station yesterday morning to lodge their complaints. Bandarikulam is in the Government controlled area, three miles off Vavuniya town, on the Mannar road. There was tension in the area when people learnt about the high profile serial robberies. The targeted houses belonged to doctors, high ranking government officials and wealthy businessmen. A thorough survey has been done before the robbery and the victims have been predetermined, Police believe. The armed raiders first disconnected the telephones, grabbed the mobile phones, tied their victims to trees and made the victims totally incommunicado before helping themselves. Before fleeing, the gang had warned the victims that if they inform the police or security forces they would have to face the dire consequences.A high ranking Police team was in Bandaraikulam yesterday conducting investigations. Victims believe that an influential militant group may have been behind these well planned robberies Meanwhile, in another development, at a meeting convened by the Vavuniya District Secretariat on Wednesday, it was revealed that 24 people have been killed in Vavuniya during the last fortnight The meeting was presided by the District Secretary and the participants included Vavuniya District Judge M. Ilancheliyan, heads of security forces and Police in the area, politicians, high ranking Government officials and religious dignitaries. At the meeting it was decided to form a 20-member citizens committee that would coordinate with the security forces and the civilians.It was revealed at this meeting that that civilian killings, abductions and extortion demands are on the rise and civilians in Vavuniya find it extremely difficult to carry on with their day to day activities.Civilians have been asked to cooperate with security forces and Police to put an end to the unlawful acts. Sri Lanka crash lands spy plane UNP teams meet Sripathy in prison Two UNP delegations met remanded ex-Minister Sripathy Sooriyarachchi separately at the Welikada prison to discuss the present political situation in the country and other related matters.The UNP visit came in the wake of three JVP MPs Anura Kumara Disanayake, Sunil Handunnetti and Gamini Ratnayake also visiting Mr.Sooriyarachchi last Tuesday. The JVP described the visit on as the observance of a New Year tradition.The UNP delegation comprising party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and parliamentarians Vajira Abeywardane and Johnston Fernando visited Mr.Sooriyarachchi in the morning while another team comprising parliamentarians Ravi Karunanayake, John Amaratunga and Dayasiri Jayasekara later in the day.During talks that had lasted for more than one hour, agreements had reportedly been reached on certain issues to work against the government highlighting its misdeeds. Appeal to Pope Benedict XVI on eve of meeting with President Mahinda Rajapakse Reporters Without Borders today strongly condemned threats made by Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, younger brother of the president, against the editor of the Daily Mirror, Champika Liyanaarachchi. The minister also threatened to "exterminate" a journalist on the newspaper, for writing articles about the plight of civilian victims of the war.Calling on the minister to apologise to Champika Liyanaarachchi and Uditha Jayasinghe, the worldwide press freedom organisation said it had written to Pope Benedict XVI, urging him to intervene with President Mahinda Rajapakse at their meeting in Italy, in support of press freedom in the country and in particular about the latest threats. The minister called the editor on her mobile phone on 17 April to complain about the Daily Mirror's editorial stance on the civil war, citing in particular an article it carried on 16 April which he saw as hostile to the government. He told her that the pro-government Tamil militia, "Karuna faction", could take revenge on her over the article, in which case, he told her, the government would not be able to protect her. The minister called on her to resign so as to avoid being targeted for reprisals. He told her he would put pressure on the paper's management to obtain her dismissal. Finally, he said he would "exterminate" journalist Uditha Jayasinghe. She had written a number of articles on the plight of civilians displaced by the conflict in the east of the country. President Rajapakse contacted Liyanaarachchi hours later to assure her that he was going to order an investigation. The following day, the British High Commissioner in Colombo, Dominick Chilcott, went to the Daily Mirror offices to express his solidarity. This gesture angered the defence secretary who summoned the diplomat to a meeting in his office in Colombo."Making such vicious threats against two journalists, one of whom is the first female editor of a daily newspaper in the history of the Sri Lankan press, is unworthy of a minister and a danger to the entire profession," Reporters Without Borders said. Harassing independent journalists also damages the credibility of the head of state," it added. Unidentified gunmen kill Tamil journalist in northern Lanka Britain exposes damn lie by the state media The British High Commission yesterday denied a state media report which said High Commissioner Dominic Chilcott had been completely “misled” by interested parties in an attempt to discredit the name of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.The High Commission in a statement said yesterday’s edition of the Daily News newspaper carried a report headlined “British High Commissioner misled” describing a meeting held on Thursday between the High Commissioner and Defence Secretary to discuss the role of the media in Sri Lanka.The Daily News in its report said the High Commissioner realised the journalist had misled him and given him bogus information. “The High Commissioner would like to make it clear that he did not make any statement to that effect at his meeting with the Defence Secretary,” the High Commission said.The Defence Secretary invited the British envoy for a meeting on Thursday after he expressed solidarity with the Daily Mirror editor over threats made by the Defence Secretary over some reports published in the newspaper . "They talked about the role of the media," a high commission spokesman told AFP. "The high commissioner and the defence secretary agreed to preserve the confidentiality of the meeting." Mr. Chilcott's unexpected visit to the newspaper office was seen by diplomats as a sign of Britain's deep concern over recent attacks against the freedom of expression in Sri Lanka. Reporters Without Borders condemned the threats by the Defence Secretary and asked him to apologise to the Editor Champika Liyanaarachchi and news reporter Uditha Jayasinghe. The worldwide press freedom organisation said it had written to Pope Benedict XVI, urging him to intervene with President Mahinda Rajapakse during the papal audience in Rome, in support of media freedom in the country and in particular about the latest threats.The Defence Secretary called the editor on her mobile phone on April 17 to complain about the Daily Mirror's editorial stance on the civil war, citing in particular an April 16 report which he saw as being hostile to the government. He told her the pro-government Tamil militia, "Karuna faction", could take revenge on her over the report and in that case, he told her, the government would not be able to protect her.The Defence Secretry called on her to resign so as to avoid being targeted for reprisals. He told her he would put pressure on the paper's management to obtain her dismissal. Finally, he said he would "exterminate" journalist Uditha Jayasinghe. She had written a number of articles on the plight of civilians displaced by the conflict in the east. President Rajapakse contacted Ms. Liyanaarachchi hours later to assure her that he was going to order an investigation, Reporters Without Borders said EU to tell groups why they're on its terror black list The European Union will send letters to groups and individuals on its terror register to explain why they are listed, EU diplomats said Friday cited by AFP. The decision, to be adopted Monday by EU foreign ministers, was made in the wake of a ruling last year by Europe's second-highest court annulling a freeze on the assets of the main Iranian opposition group in exile. The Court of First Instance ruled that the EU had not respected the right to a fair hearing of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (OMPI), when it ordered the asset freeze in May 2002. One diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the EU's reasoning will be posted in its official journal for the groups and individuals for whom it has no address. Those listed have 30 days "to present their arguments" against the decision. The terror register lists more than 50 organisations and individuals, including the armed Basque separatist group ETA, Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers and the Islamist group Hamas. It is supposed to be revised every six months but this has not happened because of uncertainty caused by the court ruling. An asset freeze is imposed on those who figure on the list. The EU has already written to OMPI, recalling "the organisation's past, notably the attacks that it has been responsible for", the diplomat said. 20 April 2007 Sri Lankan TELO MPs' plea to India India should tell Sri Lanka more firmly to stop human rights violations against innocent Tamils on the island, three Sri Lankan TELO MPs said on Wednesday. The parliamentarians TELO Leader Selvam Adaikalanathan, Sivaji Lingam and N. Sri Kantha — told a press conference here, organised by Manitham, a rights organisation, that better diplomacy should prevail and India should express its concern strongly over the rights violations by the Sri Lankan armed forces against Tamils. The people of Tamil Nadu and political parties should sink their differences and strengthen the hands of the Government of India in taking up the matter with Sri Lanka. Mr. Kantha said they had met various leaders in Tamil Nadu and they had said that the matter required urgent attention by the Government of India. They stressed that India should directly take up the matter immediately. The killings and kidnappings of Tamils had increased. The Sri Lankan Government paid no heed to the voice raised by the Human Rights Council. A survey report by the United Nations on Sri Lanka had stressed the need for an international monitoring mechanism on the island, he said. Ranil and UNP MPs to be arrested It is being reported that the government is planning on arresting the opposition leader and a group of UNP parliamentarians including party general secretary Tissa Attanayake, deputy secretary Lakshman Senevirathne, Vajira Abeywardena, Thalatha Athukorala, Mahinda Rathnathilake, Range Bandara and Johnston Fernando.This was revealed during a discussion that was held at the opposition leader's official residence this morning by Johnston Fernando.Fernando has said with responsibility that President Mahinda Rajapakse government was looking for something which they could use to arrest the above mentioned persons and that already a couple of police officers have already been vested with the responsibility of finding some charges against them.Fernando said that a group of UNP MPs including general secretary Tissa Attanayake will lodge a complain regarding this to the police commission tomorrow.The opposition leader is currently in a tour to Bhutan.Speaking to 'LeN' regarding the matter Attanayake said they have received information regarding a meeting held under the patronage of the president to arrest a group of active politicians in the UNP. He said according to information received a UNP MP who joined the government had also participated at the discussion.The UNP general secretary said that he today informed the IGP and the attorney general in writing regarding the matter.Attanayake added that the poster that was pasted against the opposition leader recently was the first step of this conspiracy and that their phones are also tapped presently. Ranil’s ploys to topple Govt. of no avail - Bandula UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe wanted to topple the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse in April before the Sinhala/Hindu New Year. At the same time there were national and international conspiracies to set up an anti-national regime by destabilizing the government which represents indigenous thinking, Minister of Trade and Consumer Services Bandula Gunawardene said at a press conference held by the UNP Democratic Group at Seth Sevana, Kirulapone, yesterday (18).While the Sri Lankan Cricket Team is playing in the World Cup tournament, flying the Sri Lankan flag high, there were certain international forces and the LTTE trying to damage the image of the country and for the first time the LTTE attempted to hoist their flag during a match. The UNP Democratic Group of 17 parliamentarians, who stood for the indigenous identity, stood with President Mahinda Rajapakse, who was himself a symbol of that identity. "We are not working to boost those who espouse non-national forces and we will work to strengthen the government in the face of national and international threats," he said.He said there was a plan of action of the UNP leader, who wanted to first set up the people against the government by protesting against the high cost of living, but the problem was tackled by the President and the Ministry of Trade by holding talks with importers of essential food items and bringing down the cost of most essential goods. The second plan was to create a shortage of goods by disrupting the loading and unloading of food at the harbour by getting the Natamis to stop their work but that too failed as "I was a person who had given 130 jobs to Natamis in the Meegoda Economic Centre and they did not stop working," he said."The third was a telephone message campaign designed to show that there was a shortage of goods in the Pettah wholesale market, but that too failed when the media was taken to Pettah and the ample stocks were shown to the public through the media. Even the former minister Jeyraj Fernandopulle joined in the visit to Pettah," he said."There was yet another attempt to stop the goods being released from the Colombo Port by getting some of the Port Staff to ask for a salary increase at the last moment before the New Year. Even that was tackled by the Treasury and the last attempt also failed," he said."The UNP Media Unit then started asking whether the price reductions were only for the New Year and whether the people will not eat after the New Year. Now we have devised a plan to hold talks with the importers and wholesale traders monthly and to forecast the prices for a month at a time. We are certainly going to contain the prices at affordable levels with the exception of fluctuations in the world markets of good we import. This is going to be a continuing process not only for April but to be continued over the coming months and years," he said. Sri Lanka Rebels Vow Fierce Resistance Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels will fight back with their "full capacity" if government forces try to take their northern strongholds, their political chief said Thursday.Five years after a cease-fire offered a respite from decades of violence, Sri Lanka's ferocious ethnic war is raging again. Fighter jets roared over the town of Kilinochchi on Thursday for a third straight day, pounding nearby rebel positions.Last week, Sri Lanka's top defense official said the cease-fire had "no meaning" and the military would soon go after the rebels' northern heartland, where they run a mini-state complete with border guards, courts and even traffic police.It's the center of the homeland the Tigers are fighting to create for Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority."If the worst thing comes, of course then Colombo and its chauvinistic forces will realize what the full capacity of the LTTE is, and the impact would be very serious," Tiger leader S.P. Tamilselvan told The Associated Press, using the acronym for the rebels' full name, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.Still, he said the Tigers are willing to sit down again for peace talks, and urged other countries to step in and broker an end to the fighting. "There is place yet for the international community to act on this, and for negotiations to restart," he said in a rare interview from the rebel's de-facto capital - an area that's been largely cut off since August."It is only because we have faith in that, we haven't shown our reaction to all what is being done by the government," he said.The Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's 3.1 million mostly Hindu Tamils, concentrated in eastern and northern Sri Lanka.The Tamils have faced decades of discrimination from the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese, who make up a majority of the Indian Ocean island nation's 19 million people.At least 65,000 people were killed before the 2002 cease-fire. Air raids, bus bombings, suicide attacks and jungle clashes have left an estimated 4,000 more dead since December 2005.These days in rebel territory, the onset of dusk is often accompanied by the steady thump of artillery fire in the distance as the two sides skirmish along the front lines.Air raids have also become more frequent, with the first of Thursday's bombing runs hitting a rebel mortar position and an air defense facility, the military said.The military gave no details of the damage, and rebels offered no comment. Hours before Tamilselvan spoke, jets could be seen streaking low over Kilinochchi, headed for the afternoon air raids.They returned in the evening, dropping flares that lit up the night sky north of town and prompted residents to scramble into backyard bomb shelters and trenches.Flashes could be seen coming from the same direction, but it was not clear what, if anything, was hit.Despite the daily bombings and clashes, each side insists it is only responding to other's aggression and still respects the cease-fire.Tamilselvan reiterated those sentiments Thursday. "We have only been doing self-defense," he said. "We have been just trying to make sure the occupying forces don't enter into" rebel territory.But "there are daily air attacks. In the eastern province, hundreds of thousands of people have been made refugees," he said, referring to a government offense that has in recent months wrested much of eastern Sri Lanka from the rebels - and displaced more than 100,000 people. The rebels have responded to the push in eastern Sri Lanka with bombings, artillery attacks and their first air raid, using a small single-propeller plane to drop homemade bombs on a military air base adjacent to the country's international airport.Pushed to elaborate on his thinly veiled threat of even more bloodshed if the army pushes into the north, Tamilselvan only said: "I am not going to spell out in so many words what the type of action is going to be.""But a stage will come when the LTTE cannot justify keeping quiet without taking action against the intruding Sri Lankan military." Sri Lanka rupee falls to a new low The Sri Lanka rupee fell to a new low of 110.50 to the dollar in early trading Thursday dealers said, while short-term interest rates eased The rupee had ended just short of 110 to the dollar earlier in the month with high rupee interest rates encouraging exporters to convert to the domestic currency early. Overnight call rates which hit 50 percent a week ago eased to 15 percent as cash that left the banking system during the April festive season started coming back, dealers said. Though the central bank has tightened monetary policy to block money printing easing pressure since January, analysts have pointed out that the rupee is technically overvalued by some 13.7 percent in real effective exchange rate terms due to inflation created earlier. Economists say the rupee has to depreciate to restore Sri Lanka's export competitiveness. Sri Lankan authorities use the dollar as the intervention currency, maintaining a loose peg, and allow other currencies to fluctuate freely. Greece to ban LTTE soon Greece Foreign Minister while expressing her government’s fullest support to Sri Lanka’s effort to curb terrorism, said the LTTE organization would be banned in Greece soon.“We will do what ever possible to stop terrorists or any of their front organizations to raise funds in Greece and will include LTTE in the list of terrorist organizations,” Greece Foreign Affairs Minister Madam Dora Bokayannis said when she met her visiting counterpart from Sri Lanka, Minister Rohitha Bogollagama in Athens on Wednesday.Sri Lanka Foreign Minister in a statement said the Government of Greece which has vast experience in the field of shipping and naval activities, promised to support the Sri Lankan Government in coast guard training and related fields.Earlier Minister Bogollagama had explained the present situation in the country and the efforts taken by the Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to bring about a negotiated settlement to the problem. He went on to say that the Government was prepared for talks with the LTTE but the reluctance shown by the LTTE to come to the negotiating table had hindered the peace process.The Minister solicited support from the international community to pressure the LTTE to return to the negotiating table and to combat all forms of terrorism including illegal arms smuggling, fund raising, drug smuggling, money laundering and human smuggling. He also said out of the 25 districts in Sri Lanka only two and a half districts controlled by the LTTE were affected. Therefore when countries issue travel advisories it is important to mention that the remaining areas of the country is safe to travel, the statement said. The two Ministers agreed to work together and appoint a joint committee for further action in the areas of investment, trade, culture, tourism, training, education and fisheries, it added. Jaffna Church tells Pope that human rights no longer guaranteed in its region The Commission for Justice and Peace (JPC) of the Diocese of Jaffna has been demanding for some time that the authorities respect the 2002 cease-fire, shed light on several murders and disappearances that have occurred in the area, and re-open land routes to the Jaffna peninsula. It has sent the same requests in a letter to the Pope on the eve of a meeting between the Holy Father and Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse. The Sri Lankan leader is in Rome with an important delegation of Catholic politicians from the former Ceylon to take part in the celebrations marking the second anniversary of Benedict XVI’s pontificate. The Pontiff will receive the Sri Lankan president in an audience tomorrow.In a letter to the Holy Father, Jaffna’s JPC said that it was submitting “a few points for your information and kind attention” concerning certain problems that afflict the country. For the Commission it is necessary to reopen “the land route (A9) [. . .] if necessary under international monitoring” because it is the only road linking Jaffna and the rest of the island and the only land corridor for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The letter also calls on the Pope “to request the presence of UN Human Rights Commission observers in the country” in order to investigate the many disappearances that have gone unpunished.In 2006 alone, 583 people vanished, including a young Catholic priest, Fr Jim Brown, who disappeared on August 20 at an army check point.Human Rights Watch mentioned Father Brown’s case in a letter to the Pope asking the Holy Father to use the meeting to press Rajapakse to stop the escalation of violence, including murders, in the northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka.Since Rajapakse came to power a year and half ago, violent clashes have increased in number and intensity bringing to an end the 2002 cease-fire. Beginning in August 2006, Benedict XVI on four separate occasions has condemned the violence, calling upon the parties, army and Tamil rebels, to seek a diplomatic solution, Mgr Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio to Sri Lanka, told AsiaNews.In a statement, the Sri Lankan government said that “President Rajapaksa will meet Holy Father with the aim of to garnering international support for government’s efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict through a negotiated settlement.” The Vatican visit has however raised doubts in the local Catholic community as to the president’s motives. Many see it as an attempt by Rajapakse to gain Vatican support in his fight against Tamil Tiger rebels by trying to convince Vatican authorities to accept the government’s version of the inter-ethnic conflict. Fr Reid Shelton Fernando, chaplain to the Young Christian Workers Movement and the Christian Workers Movement, said that if the goal was to inform Benedict XVI about the situation and confirm the government’s willingness to end it, Catholic representatives from non-governmental parties should have been included.Others openly wonder whether the goal was propaganda-related, asking themselves why no Catholic leader from the Tamil minority was invited.Whatever the case may be, many are looking forward, hopeful, to Benedict XVI’S meeting tomorrow with the Sri Lankan president.“In addition to a meeting between two heads of state, it will also be a spiritual experience which one hopes will contribute to peace.” Sri Lanka bombs rebel's air defence position The Sri Lankan Air Force here Thursday said that an anti-aircraft weapon position of the rebel Tamil Tigers was destroyed in air raids carried out in the island's Northern Province.Officials said the anti-aircraft weapon position at Pudukudiiruppu in the Mullaithivu district was totally destroyed in an air raid carried out at about 10:40 a.m. local time.The Air Force also pounded a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) mortar gun position at Pallai in the northern Jaffna peninsula at 10:30 a.m,On Wednesday, the Air Force destroyed a LTTE communication centre at Pudukudiiruppu.Government troops have stepped up air raids against rebel positions after last month's first ever air strike by the rebels against the main Air Force base adjoining the island's only international airport near Colombo.The two sides are resisting calls by the international community to resume the process of direct negotiations to end the country's long running armed conflict that has claimed more than 67,000 lives since the middle of 1980s. Senior LTTE leader Killed in Mullaitheevu A senior LTTE leader, in-charge of their international secretariat, has been killed in Mullaitheevu, according to LTTE in Kilinochchi. LTTE announced the death of "Lt. Col." Kalaiyalagam (Sivapalasuntheram Gnanaseelan) and identified him as the deputy head of their international division. Mr. Ganaseelan was killed in Puthukudiyiruppu on the 18th of April. Air force jets bombed LTTE offices in Puthukudiyiruppu on the same day. Defense spokesmen Col. Upali Rajapakse said the SLAF jets bombed LTTE's communication centre in Mullaitheevu district on the 18th. Sources in Kilinochchi mentioned that a house used as a detention center by the LTTE's intelligence unit had been completely destroyed by the air force jets. Some detainees might have been killed at this location, along with LTTE interrogators. Tamil residents in Kilinochchi said, LTTE has imposed severe restrictions on the movement of civilians inside the LTTE controlled areas, and preventing people going in and coming out of the Puthukudiyiruupu area since Wednesday. SLAF jets were seen over Vaddakachchi and Kalmadu villages near Kilinochchi. There were reports of aerial bombings near the Iranamadu tank on Wednesday night. LTTE denied any casualties to their cadres or hardware following the SLAF bombings in Mullaitheevu district on Wednesday. However, on Thursday morning the LTTE office in Kilinochchi announced the death of one of their senior leaders. No details were given about the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Gnanaseelan, deputy to Manivannan (aka Castro) who heads LTTE's international division. It is widely believed that Mr. Gnanaseelan was killed by the SLAF bombing. Karuna group vs. PS case to be taken up The case between the Karuna Group and the Pottuvil Pradeshiya Sabha is to be taken up by the Pottuvil Magistrate’s courts on April 26. According to sources the matter had been referred to the courts by the Pottuvil police. Sources told the Daily Mirror that the situation in the area depends on whatever directions the court delivers. A clash between the Pradeshiya Sabha and the Karuna Group started recently when the former tried to demolish an old building occupied by some Karuna Group cadres. It was reported that these armed cadres had threatened the PS workers. Police who intervened had asked the cadres to disperse but they had returned after the police left. Some locals in the area said Karuna cadres should not involve themselves in the local authority affairs in the area. They also queried as to why they should be allowed to carry weapons. British envoy to Lanka summoned by Defence Ministry The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka was summoned by the Defence Ministry after he expressed solidarity with a local newspaper editor who allegedly received death threats from President Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother. Dominick Chilcott was called at short notice by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who is the president's younger brother, to discuss the role of the media, a High Commission spokesman said. "They talked about the role of the media," spokesman John Culley said. "The High Commissioner and the Defence Secretary agreed that the confidentiality of the meeting would be preserved." The summons followed Chilcott's visit yesterday to the Daily Mirror office where he expressed solidarity with its editor, Champika Liyanaarachchi, who said she was threatened by Rajapaksa the day before. There was no word from the government about today's meeting with the envoy, but the Defence Ministry denied that the secretary had issued a death threat. "While admitting that he had had a telephone conversation with the said newspaper editor, the Defence Secretary said that it was just a frank exchange of ideas on two controversial articles published on the said newspaper," the ministry said in a statement posted on its website. "He further stated that he did not make any threat to the said editor than openly expressing his views and was surprised how certain media had exaggerated the issue." Rights groups allege that critics of the Sri Lankan government policy are treated as traitors and enemies of the state. A Fast to Stop the Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka by Dr. Sri B. Sri-Skanda-Rajah Dr. Sri B. Sri-Skanda-Rajah, a peace activist, began a six-day fast to draw attention and seek help to stop the genocide of Tamils in the Tamil homeland comprising the North and East of Sri Lanka.Intended to be a cry for help, it is important to explain that the fast is not a “hunger strike” or a protest and is undertaken in strictly “Gandhian” style to demonstrate a deeply felt concern and empathy for the pain and suffering inflicted on the Tamil speaking people in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka.The fast began on Sunday, 15th April and will end on Saturday 21st April 2007 at an ecumenical and multi-faith prayer gathering to be held at the Canada Kandasamy Temple Hall, 733 Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario between 4 and 6 pm. The fast is meant to be a spiritual exercise. It transcends partisan politics. No one should make political capital of this endeavor.Dr. Sri B. Sri-Skanda-Rajah is appealing to Canada, his adopted country for which he has immense respect, love and loyalty to help stop the carnage, starvation and massive human rights abuses perpetrated by Sri Lankan armed forces, deny any development-aid to the Sri Lankan government that could be used to kill and harm the Tamil people and save them from oppression and elimination.NB: Due to circumstances beyond control the six-day fast could not be held at a public venue. Those who wish to participate may fast in their homes and come together on Saturday to break the fast. 19 April 2007 'Only direct and immediate intervention can end ethnic strife' –TELO MP’S Four Sri Lankan TELO MPs today demanded 'an immediate and direct' intervention by India to end the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka and ensure peace in the island nation. "However, it is for the Indian government to decide on exactly what kind of intervention it will be," N Sri Kantha and Selvam Adaikalanathan, TELO President, told a press conference here today. The lawmakers alleged that atrocitites against Tamils were the order of the day in that country. "Robberies, murders, rapes and looting are common. Tamil youth who go missing are found dead the next day on the streets," they said. Sri Kantha also called for support from all Tamils around the world and political parties in India to extend their support for Sri Lankan Tamils. He also said that they would meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi soon in this regard. Threats to 'Daily Mirror' condemned Government denies The Defence Secretary, younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was reportedly unhappy over reports on Karuna faction's activity in the east.Daily Mirror published series of articles on Karuna groups activities and the fate of the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the east.But the Sri Lanka government strongly denied the accusations.Lakshman Hulugalla, head of Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), told bbcsinhala.com that he did not believe that Defence Secretary ever threatens journalists."I do not know the details of the particular incident. But I don't think he gets involved in such an incident," Hulugalla said. Press freedom 'threatened' International media watchdogs have accused Rajapaksa administration of intimidating media that criticises the government.Paris based press freedom group, RSF, has accused the government of exerting pressure on the media group that publishes Mawbima and Sunday Standard.The papers were forced to suspend publication after the publication group's accounts were frozen by the government. Lanka threatens to expel diplomats President says he will look into his brothers threats President Rajapakse has called and informed the Daily Mirror editor that he will look into the threat made by the defense secretary, who is his brother.The president has also made a request from the editor not to be worried saying that he might have been angry about it.It is also being reported that the editor has leisurely has informed the president that the threat leveled at her and her journalist Uditha Jayasinghe, will have to be considered as a death threat.This is the first time that a defense secretary in the island has threatened a journalist. The British ambassador Dominick Chicot has also gone to the office of the newspaper and pleged his support to the editor Champika Liyanarachchi, this afternoon.She is the Sri Lankan representative of the Journalists beyond borders organisation and also a member of the common wealth countries journalists association. Champika Liyanarachchi is the first female editor of a Sri Lankan newspaper. Sri Lanka president leaves for Italy Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse departed early Wednesday on an official visit to Italy, presidential secretariat officials said. Mahinda Rajapakse, departing here with his wife and several ministers, is scheduled to call on Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Vatican. The president will convey his and the Sri Lankan government's best wishes to the Pope on his 80th birthday and his second anniversary in office. Sri Lankan officials said that Rajapakse's meeting with the Pope would be a one-on-one and he will apprise the Pope on the current situation in Sri Lanka as regards the conflict in the north and the east. Sri Lanka, a predominantly Buddhist island of about 19 million people, has a Roman Catholic population of around 6 percent. Rajapakse's wife Shiranthi is a catholic devotee. Sri Lankan air force bombs suspected rebel targets The Sri Lankan air force Wednesday bombed suspected Tamil rebel targets in the northern part of the country for the second successive day as they stepped up attacks on the rebels after the traditional new year, military officials said.The air force bombed a suspected rebel communication centre, a meeting point of the intelligence wing cadres and their air strip in the northern Wanni region, more than 320 km north east of the capital on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the officials. A rebel communication centre in Pudukudiiruppu, Mullaitivu was bombed on Wednesday morning and a short while later a meeting of the intelligence wing members was bombed in the adjoining Kilinochchi district.On Tuesday, an airstrip of the rebels, also located in the Kilinochchi district, was targeted.No details of the damage were immediately available, but the military claimed that all attacks had been successful. Tamil rebels on March 26 used two of their light aircraft to carry out an aerial attack on an air force base adjoining the international airport at Katunanayaka, 23 km north of the capital. Three bombs had been dropped, but only two exploded.The air force has stepped up their attacks on rebel targets in the north after New Year celebrations ended over the weekend. Over 4,000 people have been killed during the past 15 months as violence has escalated in the northern and eastern parts of the country. Norway dismisses allegations US Navy seeks access to Indian ports 17 April 2007 SINHALESE NATION TELL S THE GOVT: “DECLARE WAR ON TAMILS!” An opinion poll conducted by Center for Policy alternatives, a peace NGO in Sri Lanka, pointed to a strong rise of support from majority Sinhala community towards a military solution to the country's ethnic problem by February 2007. The survey also found that a majority of the Sinhala community believe that the government has done enough to protect human rights while the Up Country Tamils, on the other hand, did not. Some 59.2 per cent of those polled Sinhalese backed a military solution and 48 per cent of them were confident in President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ability to wage a successful military campaign against the LTTE. Sinhalese support for the government defeating the LTTE has increased to 35.1 per cent (from 26.1 per cent) while support for peace talks is down to 46.3 per cent (from 57.3 per cent), when compared to the 2006 November report of the series of opinion polls. However the report stated that, "The upcountry Tamil and Muslim communities remain sceptical." The poll does not cover the opinions of the Tamils in the north and east and only covers the Sinhala, Muslim and the upcountry Tamil communities in the areas outside north and east Unidentified aircraft over Jaffna town An unidentified aircraft flew over parts of government-controlled Jaffna just after dusk Monday, residents in the northern peninsula said. The aircraft passed low over Jaffna city centre and parts of Vadaramadchchi North and Valikamam sectors. Sri Lankan troops in some areas doused the lights of their camps as the aircraft approached, fuelling suspicions it was one of those operated by the Tamil Tigers, they said.Residents said the aircraft was different to those customarily operated by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF). Some said its flight route was one not usually flown by SLAF craft.Two weeks ago LTTE aircraft bombed the SLAF’s main airbase at Katunayake, killing three service personnel and wounding sixteen others. "I will dawn peace even if I'm killed, trust me"- President addresses public spontaneously President Mahinda Rajapakse says his ambition is to see the end of war and not to hand over the war to the next generation.He made this statement addressing a live programme on Isira yesterday. The head of state said "I will dawn peace to the country even if I die".This is the first time that president took part in a radio discussion without prior preparations.The programme was hosted by veteran journalists Hudsan Samarasinghe and he old the president that the public expects many things from him, but what he has to ask the people. The president replied "trust me". Parameshwari flies to India M. Parameshwari who was facing many difficulties and harassments from various parties including the government left for India for a 2 week journalist workshop amidst various threats this afternoon.She was arrested by the CID on the 23rd of November under the Terrorism Prevention Act, and held for 119 days on charges of having contacts with the LTTE and providing lodging for a LTTE suicide cadre. But since there were no charges that could be proved she was released on orders of the attorney general on the 22nd of November.Since she was freed she faced many threats to her life and on the 7th April when she was returning home, she was forcibly abducted by four men who arrived in a white van. As soon as she was inside the van she had been blind folded and asked her not to speak to journalists or the opposition leader hereafter. If she does they had threatened that her life would be in danger. They had also said that a person from the government would come to meet her and would propose to meet a high ranking officer of the government. They have asked them to accept it and then freed her near a road.Sources say that it was Deputy Minister R. Radakrishna who was planning to meet her on the 11th and wanted to go and meet Presidential advisor Basil Rajapakse.When LeN questioned from the deputy minister regarding this he said Parameshwari had told her regarding the threats she was facing and wanted to meet her to help her. He added that he was suppose to meet her on the particular day but couldn’t as he had some other work.But when LeN questioned whether they were planning to take her to meet Basil Rajapakse, he didn’t give a proper answer. Hundreds of refugees in Batticaloa schools: Can they reopen? With a new school term set to begin early next week, concerns were raised in Batticaloa over the fate of displaced civilians temporarily housed in such school premises.According to the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC), a UN affiliated agency, sixteen schools in Batticaloa are sheltering the displaced after heavy rains inundated IDP camps.“Due to rains two schools in Paddiruppu Zone are occupied by IDPs who were previously in temporary shelters. If heavy rains continue, more schools will be occupied by IDPs. There are concerns over schools re-opening for the second term on April 23, as planned and the situation not improving,” IASC said in a report. According to the report heavy rains forced IDPs from five camps at Manmunai and Arayampathi to be relocated in Batticaloa. Meanwhile in Trincomalee, according to IASC, the government had refused to provide rations to displaced civilians located in camps not recognised as a displacement site by the state.The World Food Programme reports the Trincomalee Government Agent (GA) later agreed to release food for the IDPs located at two sites in Kinniya. Japan offers scholarships The Government of Japan is offering scholarships to Sri Lankan students under the Monbukagakusho Scholarship Scheme in Post Graduate research and undergraduate and College of Technology fields, the Embassy of Japan said yesterday (16).The closing date of applications for scholarships is May 8.Selection of Candidates will be through an examination to be conducted jointly by the Japanese Embassy and Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka. Past papers and further information regarding the scholarships could be obtained on website http:/www.studyjapan.go.ip/en/toj/toj0302e.html or from the Press Officer of the Embassy on 2693831 – 3 (Ext 37) the press release said. The search of Jaffna Thinakkural office, a threat to press freedom Jaffna Parliamentarian S.Gajendran , Jaffna Parliamentarian, states that the search of Thinakkural Jaffna office by the security forces was a threat to the freedom of the press. In his statement to the media, Gajendran told that this was the third occasion on which their office had been searched. The security forces had forcibly taken away photographs that were available at the office library. This was a violation of press freedom. 33 families around Point Pedro Light House told to vacate 33 families residing around Point Pedro Light House have been told by the navy to leave the area for them to establish a naval camp. According to representatives of the Fishermens’ Union, houses within 50 meters of the Point Pedro Light House area have been told to vacate the area. Only a year ago NGO’s put up new houses for the Tsunami victims in this area. Already 11 families have vacated the area through fear. T.O. Tamils seek help for war-torn homeland More than 500 Tamil Canadians joined yesterday to call attention to the bloody civil conflict that has gripped Sri Lanka."The Tamil villages are being bombarded one after another, systematically driving the poor villagers (to run for) their lives, leaving the dead and severely injured behind," Arthi Velupillai, one of many speakers, told the gathering in east Toronto. John Argue, a Sri Lanka co-ordinator with Amnesty International, said there is an "urgent need to protect civilians," noting 300,000 people are displaced. Even in the camps where people are seeking refuge, there is a shortage of food and medical supplies, and there are armed gangs running around, he noted. Argue said there's a need for international monitors to ensure the people of Sri Lanka are protected. The gathering, organized by the Canadian Tamil Congress, heard that thousands have been killed in the conflict. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have been fighting the government since 1983, demanding a self-ruled homeland for Sri Lanka's 3.1 million minority Tamils, citing decades of discrimination by the Sinhalese-dominated state.A Norwegian-brokered 2002 ceasefire has all but disintegrated, although it still officially holds. Since December 2005, Sri Lanka has again been at undeclared war with itself.Speakers at yesterday's gathering urged the Canadian government to intervene. Sri Sri-Skanda-Rajah,who sits on the Toronto Star's community editorial board, began a hunger strike yesterday to put pressure on Ottawa. UNP delegation to visit Vanni A delegation of the UNP is to pay a visit to Vanni to assess the problems faced by the people there. Earlier the UNP delegation visited Mannar and Vavuniya districts and held discussions with the people . The delegation is expected to comprise Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene and Tissa Attanayake, General Secretary, UNP. 25 interdicted for neglect of duty Some 25 policemen and home guards attached to the Tangalle division have been interdicted for not reporting for special duty covering President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Medamulana on New Year ’s Day.Tangalle SSP Upali Hewage alleged none of those interdicted had given prior notice about their inability to report for duty, thus committing a major offence, especially at a time when they were deployed to cover the visit of the head of the state.Police constables, Police Assistants and Home Guards were among those interdicted. Armed men in white van abduct 2 civilians in Jaffna Unidentified armed men came in white van abducted a fisherman from Kolumbuththurai, Jaffna and a family man from Navatkuli in Thenmaradchy, their relatives lodged complaints at the Jaffna branch of the Human Rights Commission (HRC). Rajenthiram Uthayakumar, 26, a family man from Navatkuli housing scheme, was abducted on 9 April and Gopalasamy Kosalan, 20, a fisherman from Kolumbuththurai was abducted on 13th Friday.Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Valikamam west conducted an intensive search operation from Monday early morning, blocking all the roads in the villages of Pandaththarippu, Sillalai, Ilavalai, Vadaliyadaippu, Mareesankoodal, Saanthai and Piranpathai. No People were allowed to move out of their houses and all the young men and women from the villages were brought to a public ground and paraded before the masked men who identify them by nodding their heads. This search was conducted in the aftermath of a claymore attack on SLA carried out in Valikamam west a few days ago, sources in Valikamam said. No official information is available of anyone arrested during the search.This search brought to an end the brief lull in the Sri Lanka armed forces' restrictions that had accompanied the Tamil Sinhala New Year that fell on Saturday. All the restrictions on movements of people, checking at sentry posts and other military routines that had been relaxed, resumed in full measure Monday.In the meantime, SLA blocked all the key roads like Palaly road, Kankesanthurai road, Kandy road and Point Pedro road for nearly two hours around Monday afternoon and moved heavy military equipments and personnel to its Forward Defense Lines causing inconvenience to the public. Pottuvil: Hakeem predicts disaster if trend continues Minister and SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem yesterday warned that certain acts allegedly committed by the Karuna cadres against the Muslims in the East could trigger another disastrous dimension to the country’s conflict.Minister Hakeem told the Daily Mirror he had repeatedly raised the issue with President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the All Party Conference (APC) and one to one meetings. The Minister said the President had instructed the authorities in volatile areas not to allow the Karuna cadres to seize the rights of the law enforcement authorities and local authorities. He said the harassment meted out to Muslims by the Karuna group which plans to wrest control over the Muslim community is likely to be resisted strongly by the community thus taking the conflict to another level. Karuna demands more security from Govt. Karuna faction’s political arm, the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP), yesterday demanded increased security for its political offices in the east owing to the growing threats faced by the LTTE.A TMVP supporter was gunned down by the LTTE at Chenkaladi in the Eravur police area on Saturday while suspected LTTE terrorists killed two TMVP supporters and three civilians also in the same area. “We are the political party which faces the most threats by the LTTE and in the face of the recent attacks our security should be increased. That is the responsibility of the government,” Karuna spokesman Azad Maulana said.The TMVP operates 20 political offices in the east including Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara and has an office in Polhengoda, Colombo. Mr. Maulana said the organisation hoped to setup new offices in the recently liberated areas of Vakarai and Muttur as well as Kadiraveli.“We select the areas to open offices based on two reasons. One is the Tamil population in the area and the other where Tamils face the most problems,” Mr. Maulana said The TMVP feels with the capture of Vakarai and Kokadichcholai some LTTE cadres who fled these areas have managed to infiltrate government controlled areas in the guise of civilians, are now posing a threat to Karuna activists.The Karuna faction itself is alleged to be posing threats to civilians in the east, the latest report came from Pottuvil, an allegation the organisation flatly denies and instead passes the blame on its former comrades of the LTTE.Mr. Maulana denied allegations of TMVP cadres working in collusion with the government and insisted the only collaboration, if any, is what a registered political party has with the state purely for political purposes. 16 April 2007 Jaffna residents reluctant to return due to insecurity- Bishop "Of the more than 55,000 residents of Jaffna peninsula who left the peninsula in ships and planes seeking safety and refuge outside the peninsula, nearly 65% of them have not returned because of the escalating number of killings, abductions, forced disappearances, threat to lives, intimidation, harassment and restrictions in the peninsula," Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam said, in a statement to media Sunday, following his participation along with the representatives of the People's Committee for Justice and Peace (PCJP) in meeting with the Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri. "The A9 land route to the peninsula closed by the SLA in August 2006 remaining closed and no alternate route being found yet is another reason, keeping the people of the peninsula away from their homes," the Bishop said. "It is almost impossible to live a normal life, as all possibilities to work, engage in business and other occupations have been severely hampered due to restrictions of the armed forces and scarcity of essentials commodities," the Bishop added. "No action has been taken to restore the derailed peace talks. "Instead of pursuing a path of peace the Sri Lanka government is waging a systematic war on the Tamil areas. These are additional reasons for the people's reluctance to return home," he added. "I have pointed out these to Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri besides drawing his attention to the missing service men of the catholic church," the Bishop said. Concern over threat to Jaffna Under graduates Jaffna University Students’ Union has expressed grave concern over the threats to the Jaffna Univerity graduates. In its statement, the Union condemned the abduction of student Nagendram Rajaluxman (25y) and his subsequent release after being tortured. The Union warns that such threats aimed at University students can lead to serious repercussions. It appealed to the University Grants Commission to ensure the safety and security of the students. Janaka Perera in the dark Before the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, there was a rumour flying around Colombo to the effect that Janaka Perera has been offered the post of an electoral organizer in the UNP.This speculation was given a further boost when UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said at a meeting held at the Sirikotha that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse should be sacked and be replaced by Janaka Perera, who he said had inflicted the ‘worst-ever’defeats on the LTTE.At least one Sunday newspaper reported that Janaka Perera had held long discussions with Ranil Wickremesinghe. However, when this newspaper contacted Janaka Perera, who is presently overseas, over the New Year period, he stated that Ranil Wickremesinghe had not met him and that no one has contacted him over the telephone and that he was completely unaware that he has been offered an electoral organizer’s post.He dismissed the rumours that have been circulated. Sri Lanka's power grid goes down, holiday blamed Release Mawbima Director - RSF UNP to collect info on missing persons The UNP is planning to hold an island wide survey to collect figures and details of those gone missing since 1994. The party activists will visit all villages and cities in order to find information related to missing persons and allegations to compile a report, UNP’s additional national organizer and Kalutara District MP Sarath Ranawaka told The Island yesterday.The survey is scheduled to commence in the first week of May, he said. MP Ranawaka has been appointed as the Chairman of a party committee to look into the allegations of abductions. He said that there are a large number of allegations of people belonging to all communities and political groups being abducted. The number of allegations is on the rise he said adding that those allegations were levelled at the Government, the LTTE as well as some unidentified groups. The Survey would determine who had abducted whom and would expose those who are responsible, MP Ranawaka said. The UNP expects the assistance of all parties to make this attempt a success, he added. Pirapaharan confers Maamanithar award to Poet Naavannan Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Velupillai Pirapaharan, Saturday bestowed the title Maamanithar (Great Human being) posthumously on poet Naavannan, Marusaleen Soosainayagam, who passed away on April 15 last year in Vanni at the age of 58. Mr. Pirapaharan honoured the late poet, a Catholic who hailed from Mannar, for his literary contribution to the Tamil struggle."He used his literary productions to promote vigilance among the people coaxing them to rise against oppression," Mr. Piraphaharan said in the statement conferring the award.Naavannan, who received awards from the LTTE leader on two earlier occassions for his artistic creations, was honoured Naattup Patraalar (Patriot) last year when he passed away. "One year has gone by since we lost artist Naavannan, a honest, selfless and courageous talented poet, who worked hard for the liberation of our people. "He is a superb poet from our homeland of Tamileelam, a great artist, sculptor and a talented director of plays and dramas."He was a man of single minded devotion to his art. Creativity flowed through him with abundance. He possessed vast knowledge that amplified his creative talents."He was passionate about the Tamil language and had a higher ambition of serving the cause of the liberation of his homeland. His personality, which represented a beautiful humanity, gravitated everyone towards him."He searched for new forms of art, introduced new techniques and produced great works of art in keeping with the changing times and history."Like him, his productions were beautiful and had literary depth. They had the power to attract and captivate every one."He used his literary productions to promote vigilance among the people coaxing them to rise against oppression. His works reflect the dimension of the atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan regime in our home land."As the culmination of his great literary work, he authored a Tamil book, detailing the resurgence of Black Tigers. His great work will be remembered for ever.""In recognition of Poet Naavannan's patriotism and his services to the freedom struggle, I am proud to bestow the national title of honour, the title of Mamanithar, on him."Death never destroys the great souls who lived their life for truth. They will live for ever in our Nation's soul as heroes of our history." DEW wants JVP back in APRC Constitutional Affairs Minister D. E. W. Goonasekera urged the JVP to return to the All Party Representative Committee from which they walked out a couple of months ago."We want them to return and protest rather than being absent," Goonasekera told a recent media conference.The JVP walked out of the committee, appointed to find a solution to the national crisis, in protest against the report by the expert panel to the committee, as the JVP claimed that it contained certain proposals detrimental to the national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.Goonasekera said that the JVP should submit their views in a report like other parties had done in which case such views would also be considered in the proposed solution.Meanwhile, a JVP spokesman said that his party had walked out of the APRC because they have no confidence in the impartiality of the committee decisions because they have no confidence on the impartiality of the APRC as they alleged that the Committee Chairman Prof. Tissa Witharana was a known federalist."The expert’s report indicated that the APRC was appointed just for the purpose of justifying federalism, which we don’t accept as a solution to the ethnic issue in the country, which compelled us to walk out," he added. Dearth of medicines in Jaffna Base Hospital Jaffna patients are badly affected by a dearth of medicines in the Jaffna Teaching hospital. There is an shortage for medicines required by patients suffering from asthma, heart ailment etc. Although doctors prescribe inhalers to asthma patients, the hospital is unable to provide them. Swamy claims to have sent evidence on Ramar Sethu to Kalam He also charged Chief Minister M Karunanidhi with adopting double standards so far as beliefs are concerned. When so much of money was spent to develop Poompuhar Kottam, (place near Karaikal where Kannagi, the Goddess of chastity lived) into a tourist spot, was it also not the government's duty to protect Ramar Sethu, which finds mention in ancient Tamil literature, the bridge finds mention in the manual of the Madras Presidency Administration, wherein it is stated that 'Adam’s Bridge/Ramar Sethu linked Ceylon with India until 1480 when a storm broke out, causing minor breach through rocks.' Swamy said no party was opposed to the building of the Sethu Samudhram project, but the alignment had to be changed. He said though he wanted to share the evidence with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, he was declined the appointment. "There is no doubt that it is a heritage and a historic site and it should be protected as a national monument." Batticaloa infant succumbs to shelling injuries A six month old infant injured during artillery shelling by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) towards Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) controlled Paduvankarai area in Batticaloa two weeks ago succumbed to the injuries on Saturday.The baby identified as Saththary Thilliampalam, was initially admitted at Batticaloa Hospital for treatment of heart injury, and later transferred to a privately owned medical institution, Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Colombo, for further treatment.However, the infant lost her fight for life Saturday, sources said.The internally displaced parents of the deceased infant, presently residing at the Welfare Centre at Urani, has sought the assistance of the office of the Batticaloa regional office of Church of South India. Sinhala youth arrested with Prabhakaran’s pictures Kandy - Peradeniya police have taken into custody a Sinhala youth who had in his possession a picture of the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and a picture of the aircraft used in the attack on Katunayake air-force base.According to sources, the youth was arrested while he was travelling in the direction of Kandy in a bus from Colombo, on Wednesday (11).Sources said that information was received by 119 that the Sinhala youth was showing the pictures from a paper cutting to a young woman in the bus. The information was subsequently passed to the Peradeniya police who took the young man into custody near Peradeniya.The youth has disclosed that the pictures were obtained from the internet.IP Karunaratne is handling the case. The displaced Tamil Nadu Fishermen in Lankan Navy custody---Boat owner reveals It is revealed by boat owner that the 12 Tamil Nadu fishermen reported missing are in the custody of Sri Lankan navy. This is conveyed by Ceylon Christian Council to Anglo Indian Council in Kerela. They were reported missing on Mar 6th. A representation was made to Kerala Minister Sharma to obtain the release of the Indian fishermen in the custody of Lankan Navy. 15 April 2007 Sri Lanka peace process, ceasefire in tatters The ceasefire, along with the peace negotiations, broke down last year -- leaving both sides squaring up for another round in the 35-year-old ethnic conflict.Last November, Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran declared his people would pursue their own independent state slamming the door on a prior opening that could have seen the Tamil minority win a form of autonomy.Recent months have seen a sharp escalation in the fighting, with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) losing ground in the east in January and the armed forces vowing to clear the entire area of rebels once and for all before turning their attention to the Tigers' mini-state in the north.The LTTE's political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan vowed the rebels would hit back soon, describing the loss of territory for them as a simple change in their tactics."We have not withdrawn from the east," Thamilselvan told AFP in an e-mail interview. "I believe only our actions in the coming period will answer (government) propaganda whether the Sri Lankan military has won a stable victory."The government has jacked up the defence budget by 45 percent to 1.29 billion dollars this year. The talk in Colombo is of war, albeit packaged as a "humanitarian defensive operation"."Within the next two to three years we should be able to eliminate them," a senior government defence official told reporters in Colombo last month.Although Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse has stopped short of fulfilling his election campaign pledge of expelling the Norwegians, Sri Lankan officials are displaying a thinly-disguised loathing of Nordic truce monitors, international organisations and NGOs accused of pro-LTTE leanings and restricted in their scope of operations as a result.Journalists attempting to cover the conflict are also barred by the government from entering Tiger territory.Diplomats say their patience has run out, and the peace process has been put on ice. Even the United States -- seen as more sympathetic to Sri Lanka's fight against the LTTE, a designated terrorist organisation -- is said to be frustrated that its pleas for a negotiated settlement have been ignored.Fighting is now expected to intensify in the east while the Tigers will be under pressure to show their reach -- something they displayed earlier this month with their first-ever air strike."What we can expect over the coming months is more tit-for-tat violence: government forces pushing into LTTE territory and the Tigers carrying out more high-profile attacks," said the diplomat. "The feeling now (among international players) is: let the government and the Tigers clobber each other some more, and when they are tired out we can help nudge them back to the table," said another international official. At the Colombo office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), caretakers of the truce, the mood is gloomy, but realistic. According to SLMM spokesman Thorfinnur Omarsson, the 2002 ceasefire still exists on paper and is still being monitored. "Unfortunately it has been violated constantly, in fact every day in recent months," he said, adding the SLMM at least continued to provide a "tool to independently document what is going on on the ground." "We still hope that this calms down and the parties start talking again, then our work will be of use." Defence analyst Namal Perera said the Tigers retained the ability to carry out spectacular attacks despite added military pressure in recent months. "Their ability to stage attacks and take troops by surprise was also demonstrated with the air attacks last month," Perera said. Retired army brigadier general Vipul Boteju lamented the fact that neither side is likely to return to the negotiating table anytime soon. "This is not something that can be tackled only through military means," Boteju said. "There must be a political (devolution) package and the longer we delay it, the more people will get killed." Sri Lankan astrologers warn of "bad stars" Sri Lankan astrologers have stirred up anxieties among politicians as well as the general public by warning of an evil period of time to come. The so-called evil period was expected to begin yesterday with the dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year and will reportedly last at least until the middle of July. Some famous astrologers anticipate a controversial time in politics in the coming months as well as more chaos and bloodshed. 23 civilians arrested in Trincomalee Twenty-three persons, majority of them Tamils, were taken into custody in a cordon and search operations conducted in Trincomalee town and its suburbs by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Friday evening. The arrested are being detained in police stations and are being interrogated, sources said. The detainees failed to prove their identity, police sources said. The round-up was also aimed to stop any undesirable activity during the festive season in the east port town, police sources added.The detainees would be released after the conclusion of the inquiry. Those found involved in any crime would be produced in court later, police sources said. US supports an International Commission to investigate HR abuses in Sri Lanka US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Ambassador Richard Boucher expressed grave concern last week over reports of human rights abuses and killings in government controlled areas in Sri Lanka and said the United States would strongly encourage the government to take the issue of human rights seriously and would support an international commission to help make sure those investigations do get carried out more thoroughly.Speaking to The Sunday Leader at the Department of State in Washington, Tuesday, Boucher said the United States urged Sri Lanka to investigate incidents of abuse in a serious manner and to ensure that law enforcement officials followed careful codes of conduct and acted in a transparent manner. Boucher also expressed equal concern over continued forced recruitment in Tiger controlled territory and the bombing of buses full of innocent civilians.In response to a question by The Sunday Leader on the US assessment of the deteriorating human rights situation, Boucher said the United States was "concerned about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.""I think we have two things. We have first the basic problem which is that a democratic government with democratic institutions is fighting against a terrorist group. We are very concerned about the continuing reports of what is going on in the Tamil Tiger areas about forced recruitment. Frankly the bus bombings, bombing buses full of innocent civilians, these things are all serious human rights problems. But we are also concerned about reports of abuses and killings in government controlled areas and we strongly encourage the government to take those seriously, to investigate seriously, to ensure that the law enforcement officials follow careful codes of conduct and act in a transparent manner," Ambassador Boucher said. He further stated the United States has "helped support the commission of inquiry and supported an international commission to help make sure those investigations do get carried out more thoroughly.""I’d say we are very concerned about the whole human rights situation and put a lot of emphasis on it as we’ve seen often it is a difficult thing for other things to proceed if there are widespread concerns about the human rights situation," Boucher said.Boucher, head of the US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs has been involved in Sri Lanka’s peace process and has participated in several discussions among the Co-Chairs.Speaking to a group of international journalists from the South and Central Asian nations Boucher also said the region was a place of enormous potential even though just about every problem in the world can be found in the region. The US, he said, was fighting terrorism, trying to find democracy, dealing with climate change and poverty problems, in the region. Boucher further added the United States was not looking to change governments. "Building democracy and building stability we think are part of the same thing. We are not looking to change governments, we are looking to help governments achieve the institutions that can support democracy, the education systems, the information systems, the rule of law, election commissions, anti corruption commissions, things like that, that really can make a democracy stable in the longer term. That sort of democratic stability in the longer term, that is what we are trying to achieve, " he said.Meanwhile speaking to a group of international journalists Tuesday morning, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged the difficult role of journalists in conflict areas stating "journalists are often those who are on the frontlines of some of the most difficult conflicts in the world, very often giving their lives, paying the highest sacrifice to report the news. And in these days of conflict around the world there are always journalists who have given their lives and so I want to especially acknowledge that sacrifice."Paying tribute to fearless journalism Secretary Rice stated "it’s also true that in countries that are not yet free, where people do not yet enjoy the benefits of freedom, it is often journalists who make the sacrifice and endure the danger to try and report to the outside world so that those places can be free. And so journalists are not just reporters, if you will, of the great events. They are also very involved in making those events happen. There’s no period in history in which journalists, in which the press has not played a role in bringing about change." Sri Lanka ruling party's power devolution proposals before legal advisory panel Sri Lanka's ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has decided to forward its proposals to solve the country's ethnic problem to a committee of legal experts. The experts will examine the possibility of implementing some of the proposals without seeking approval through a referendum. The SLFP said the proposals will be presented to the All Party Representative Committee with no further delay beyond May 1. UNP backs intl. mission to monitor HR The UNP last week said that it supported the induction of international human rights monitors to the country following Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s acceptance of a pledge from the Civil Monitoring Committee at a meeting attended by family members of those missing."If local means are not enough, we will have to enlist the support of international organisations," Wickremesinghe told the gathering.The pledge included a request to the government to "set up an independent international monitoring mechanism in Sri Lanka that can investigate the disappearances of our loved ones in an independent manner." "We do not oppose (international monitors). When the UNP was in power everything was carried out in a transparent manner. The government is against this because it has so much to hide," MP Lakshman Kiriella, member of the CMC told The Sunday Leader. Many family members of the missing too support the setting up of an international monitoring mechanism, repeatedly rejected by the government.They said that local authorities have proved futile in tracing the missing."The international community should bring pressure, nothing gets done here without international involvement," Tambiah Sivaraja whose son Haran went missing last April in Jaffna said.According to the Human Rights Commission more than 1000 have been abducted or gone missing during 2006 and at least 81 cases have been reported this year as well. Family members are too frightened of repercussions to come out openly with their grievances but say that they have not received any help from authorities."We have appealed to everyone, the police, the government, the NGOs, everyone, no one knows anything," S Chandramohan whose brother Manivaran was abducted said. The family members said that they have had no information of their missing loved ones and had no way of looking for their whereabouts as well."We want him back, why should my daughter give birth to a child like this, who is responsible," S. Pakiyanadan whose son-in-law Pradeepan was abducted on April 4 said.The CMC said that it was planning to hold island-wide meetings to muster support for wider investigations and an end to abuses.The government has continuously maintained that the newly set-up Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry would fulfill all requirements of an independent investigative body. LTTE agrees to have intl. HR monitors The Tigers last week expressed their willingness to allow international human rights monitors and said that they would welcome any investigation by an international agency.The Tigers made their position public following the government’s reaction to an advocacy campaign launched by Amnesty International (AI) coinciding with the Cricket World Cup to push for international monitors in the country.Despite, the government’s grouse that the campaign was against the Sri Lankan cricket team and the government, AI has also accused the Tigers of rights abuses and has insisted that any international mission should work in the entire island."We are not against Amnesty International’s campaign. We are all cricket lovers but initiating such a campaign during the World Cup will only bring more pressure on the Sri Lankan government to cease violating human rights," LTTE Spokesperson for Human Rights, Selvy Navaruban told The Sunday Leader.Navaruban said that the Tigers would support international monitors and their work in LTTE controlled areas.Meanwhile, AI said that it had never launched any protests inside venues where World Cup matches were being played and did not plan to do so as well."We never initiated our campaign in the Caribbean. We have only had very small groups in the West Indies who have visited bars and school children in order to inform them of our campaign against Sri Lanka’s human rights violations. The Sri Lankan government needs to get its facts straight before accusing Amnesty," Regional Campaign Coordinator, Asia Pacific Programme, Amnesty International, Rob Godden said.The government last week wrote to the International Cricket Council through the Sri Lankan High Commission in London raising its concerns over the AI campaign. The ICC said that it did not want to get involved in a political wrestling match between the government and AI, but said that any protests inside venues would be barred. West having second thoughts on repatriating Lankans Many European countries with a significant number of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka are reconsidering the repatriation of the asylum seekers due to the deteriorating situation in the country, The Nation learns. It is learnt through diplomatic sources that several European countries which increased repatriating Sri Lankan asylum seekers after the signing of the ceasefire agreement are now having second thoughts. These countries are changing their policy towards Sri Lanka, in the light of increasing human rights violations in the country, it is believed Switzerland’s Federal Office for Migration (FOM) is currently in the process of assessing the political situation in Sri Lanka and is to decide on the discontinuation of current repatriation of Sri Lankans who have sought asylum in Switzerland by the end of April. According to Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Programme Officer Martin Stürzinger, the deteriorating human rights condition in Sri Lanka, over the spate of abductions and extra-judicial killings has been a major concern among Swiss officials. “We have not decided on discontinuing repatriation yet. Nonetheless, we are very much concerned about the current situation in the country, especially the escalating violence between the security forces and the LTTE,” Stürzinger said.The FOM, which regulates the refugee inflow to Switzerland, has decided to call for a meeting among its officials to decide on the best course of action, considering the present parlous state of Sri Lanka. “We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sri Lankan Government in 1995. Accordingly, we have been repatriating a large number of people,” Stürzinger added. The repatriation process has increased in numbers after the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE in 2002. Stürzinger said, “Although the majority of asylum seekers are Tamils, we have both Sinhalese and Muslims as well.”According to FOM statistics, there have been 328 asylum requests from Sri Lankans in this year alone. On the other hand, during the course of this year 22 people left on their own to Sri Lanka, 23 were sent back, seven were sent to another country and 76 left Switzerland simply without knowing any destination. However, when inquired by The Nation, British High Commission Spokesman John Cullen said they have not yet taken any decision with regard to those who have sought asylum in the UK.“We will continue to repatriate failed asylum seekers. We have not taken any policy decision to discontinue this process yet,” he added. Karuna cadre shot dead in Batticaloa A cadre belonging to the Karuna group was shot dead Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in Aarumukathan Kudiyiruppu in Eravur Batticaloa by unknown gunmen, sources in Batticaloa said. The victim was returning to the office of Karuna group in Chenkaladi after visiting his mother's residence near Kaali temple in Aarumukathan Kudiyiruppu when he was shot dead 50 meters from his mother's house.The body has been transferred to the Eravur hospital for postmortem examinations, hospital sources said.A young pedestrian, K Nireshkumar, 17, was also injured in the shooting. He was first admitted to the Eravur hospital, and was later transferred to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital.The dead cadre is also from Aarumukathan Kudiyiruppu. Interpol hunts for big Tiger money launderers The international crackdown on the LTTE has intensified with the Interpol on a hunt for three foreigners believed to be involved in huge money laundering operations for the Tiger guerrillas, an official said.The official of the Leon-based International Police (Interpol) told The Sunday Times they were looking for two Swiss operators and a Frenchmen, against who there was substantial evidence of money laundering both for the LTTE and the Tamil Rehabilitation Organsiation (TRO).The detective said the three foreigners had visited Sri Lanka several times and gone to LTTE-controlled areas to coordinate their operations. He said the three suspects were also known to have laundered money for other terror groups and were now believed to be in Switzerland.The Interpol hunt follows the arrest of 17 people in France for alleged involvement in massive extortion operations and money laundering for the LTTE. The suspects were indicted in a Paris court last Tuesday. French Interior Ministry spokesman Dominique Pascal told The Sunday Times on the telephone that more suspects were likely to be arrested in this crackdown on terrorists. Among the 17 suspects arrested were LTTE’s French branch leader Nadarajah Mahintharan alias Parathi and Thuraisamy Jayamoorthy alias Jeya.TRO spokesperson K. Balendran denied that foreign nationals were involved in collecting funds or laundering money for the TRO but he declined to say anything more. A detective of France’s counter-terrorism unit said they had carried out investigations for about one and a half years before rounding up the 17 suspects. He said the French police were assisted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Britain’s Scotland Yard and Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He said detectives had raided the Tamil Coordinating Committee Office (CCTF), the TRO office in France, a leading Tamil shop and the Paris Amman Kovil among other places. Govt. under pressure on HR violations and abductions Each teary-eyed face that gathered with posters of their missing loved ones at the meeting organised by the Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) last Monday had more or less the same story to tell — a son or husband gone missing, and they want answers.Throngs of family members and friends of missing persons, some of whom have travelled from as far as Vavuniya, participated in the meeting.CMC Convenor and Western People’s Front Leader, Mano Ganesan said that the government would be definitely pressurised by the local and international community due to the increasing human rights violations in the country.He added that the government was under severe pressure as the main opposition had also joined the CMC on the issue of abductions and human rights violations."Definitely the government will face a lot of pressure as this issue has been taken up internationally and also due to the fact that the main opposition the UNP, has joined hands with us on this issue," he told The Sunday Leader."We’re talking about people who have a right to live in this country, regardless of their religion and political views. White vans visiting houses — is this what we expect from Sri Lanka? This nonsense must stop before it becomes an international crisis. A government has been elected and it’s time it carried out its duties," he added. He added that the functions of the CMC were not restricted to the abductions and HR violations in and around Colombo, but in other areas as well."We appointed a TNA parliamentarian as a member to show that we are concerned about the HR violations in the north and east as well. There were people who were from Vavuniya and Batticaloa who took part in last Monday’s meeting," he said.TNA Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran at the meeting called on the government to ‘stop playing with people’s lives’ and stated that he and the TNA would help the Opposition Leader in whatever way they can to solve this issue.The UNP, which joined the CMC for the first time last Monday said it would continue to work with the organisation on human rights violations in the country."A declaration was handed over to our leader by Mano Ganesan. We will be working with the Civil Monitoring Commission on these issues in the future," UNP General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake said.However, most of the affected families who attended the meeting told The Sunday Leader that they were taking every possible effort to make sure that their sufferings are conveyed to the abductors. "We have complained to all the human rights organisations. We have not got any responses so far. We are taking part at these meetings so that our sufferings would be conveyed to the community at large and the abductees as well," said S. Premila, whose husband, a van driver, was abducted along with two others from Puttalam.She said that he had previously gone on hires to the north and east and had not received any threats.However, the families pointed out that the involvement of the international community was not likely to change the situation in the country."We have seen the human rights violations in the north and east. International organisations are working in these areas. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) is finding it very hard to curb the situation. This is nothing different. We want to know whether the abducted people are safe. We do not want any other people to undergo the agony we are going through," Premila added. No group is a minority in the Swiss System of Governance-by Andrea Iff Institute of Political Science University of Berne, Switzerland Today some two dozen countries encompassing 40 percent of the world's population have become federations or call themselves federations. Furthermore, many other countries in both the developed and developing world are attempting to accommodate internal diversity by evolving towards some form of power sharing and both existing and emerging federations are seeking to learn from the experience of others. The Swiss experience can be of interest, both because of its longevity as a federation since 1848, and its historical success in accommodating diversity. Origins and rationale of Swiss system The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1848, out of a loose union of autonomous cantons - how the provinces in Switzerland are called. The cantons which had fought against each other in a 26-day civil war were united within one state. The war did not take place between different language communities but between conservative Catholic and liberal Protestant cantons. Following the end of the war, the defeated cantons in their minority expressed their resistance to the idea of a central governing authority, as they feared the loss of their cantonal independence. As compensation, the winning cantons, which were in favour of centralization, granted them various instruments with which they could voice their opinions. As a result of this non-centralisation, Switzerland evolved as a federation from bottom-up. Multicultural state Switzerland has vast linguistic, religious and cultural diversity. It gives historically home to four different language communities: German speaking (64%), French-speaking (21%), Italian-speaking (6%) and Romansh-speaking (0.1%). There are two main religious groups, 42% Roman Catholics and 35% Protestants; Switzerland is a secular state. Additionally, Switzerland is very diverse in terms of its topography; most of its territory is occupied by the Alps and the regions vary markedly in terms of their socio-economic dimensions. Most importantly, Switzerland consists of 26 different cantonal subcultures. The first article of the Swiss constitution refers to the Swiss People and then enumerates every canton. The cantons differ strongly in terms of territory and population. The two most populous cantons, Zurich and Bern, are 70 times bigger than the smallest entity, the canton of Appenzell Inner-Rhodes. Additionally, the cantons differ in terms of economic performance: over 20% of GDP of Switzerland is generated by the Zurich canton alone. The cantons furthermore vary in their political institutions administrative structures. State structure Switzerland has three levels of government: the federal level, the cantonal level and the municipal level. The government of the federal level is comprised of seven ministers, elected at a joint session of parliament for a four year term, who exercise power in a collegial manner, i.e. by sharing responsibility for decision-making. The composition of the cabinet reflects partisan politics in the country, thus Switzerland is permanently managed by a great coalition. During a given year, one of the ministers acts as President, a largely representative function. Under Switzerland's consociational tradition, Parliament also ensures that the government represents linguistic, regional and religious ratios. The Councilors are the highest organizational units of the Federal Administration. The federal legislative is comprised of a representative National Council and a Council of Cantons. The National Council, the lower house of parliament in Switzerland, is composed of 200 representatives elected by proportional representation in their electoral ridings, i.e. the 26 cantons, for four years. Each canton is entitled to a certain number of seats, based on population. The National Councils decisions reflect partisan political lines. The Council of Cantons has 46 members, two per full canton and one per half canton, notwithstanding the population. The two houses have the same powers, make proposals, decide on current issues and jointly evaluate the budget. The Federal Court of Justice is composed of 30 permanent members appointed for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly. Judicial reforms carried out in 2000 created a federal criminal court and federal administrative bodies with judicial competence so that the Federal Court exists now as a pure appellate court. The second level in the state structure are the cantons. In all the cantons the governments are elected directly by the people and hold a strong position in cantonal politics. The cantonal governments all comprise five or seven members, who are normally in charge of a department or a directorate within the cantonal administration. They are thus organized in the same way as the federal government, also in terms of the principle of collegiality. The cantonal Parliaments have between 46 and 200 members that are also elected by the people. The cantonal courts are elected by the cantonal government or the cantonal Parliament, or sometimes even directly by the people, depending on the constitution of the canton. The third tier of government is the municipalities. They derive their powers from the canton; thus, there are 26 different systems in regard to the functioning of the municipalities. The municipal governments are elected by the people and comprise between five to 10 people. In bigger municipalities and cities, the legislative is organized in a municipal parliament that is elected by the people and in smaller municipalities a municipal assembly, where all voters can participate in assembly meetings form the legislature. The district court is elected by the cantonal authorities or the people. Direct democracy One reason for the cohesion in the Swiss political system is direct democracy. It gives every Swiss citizen the right to call for a vote on any issue at any level – municipal, cantonal or federal, provided they can collect enough signatures in support of their proposal. A new law can be initiated by 100,000 signatures collected in 18 month. A referendum to prevent a new proposal can usually be held if 50,000 voters' signatures against the law are collected within 100 days of the publication of a decree. A referendum can also be held if 8 cantons are against the proposed changes. This constant possibility of a referendum leads to the inclusion of different actors and their opinions in the decision making process from as early on as possible; mostly the organized bigger groups (e.g. cantons, professional federations, and political parties).Swiss citizens do not mainly identify themselves with their language community. One possible explanation of this is that through the involvement in a lot of different votes (social welfare, economic policies, security policies, agricultural policies etc.) different combinations of identification are possible. The nation-building process is strengthened by means of the continual adaptation and innovation of the original constitutional design. Self-rule The Swiss political system grants much authority and autonomy to the cantons. Inter-ethnic confrontation was reduced by minimizing the grounds of difference between the cantons as most of the cantons are monolingual and form homogeneous units that are free to follow their own traditions and practices. There are three bilingual (Bern, Valais, Fribourg) and one trilingual canton (Grison). The Cantons designate their official languages and they respect the traditional territorial distribution of languages, and take into account the indigenous linguistic minorities. All four languages are official languages and the federal level and the Cantons enrol programs that encourage understanding and exchange between the linguistic communities. Additionally, the representation of all different language communities in the federal administration is crucial. An important element of self-rule given to the cantons is that they can decide on the implementation of most federal laws. The cantons are responsible for executing and adapting laws to suit their own needs and this too helps provide a sense of unity and empowerment. The cantons do not only have an intense level of co-operation with the federal government, but also work closely with one another. The cantons can sign a contract in which they have reached agreement on issues of mutual interest. In contrary to a lot of other political systems, in Switzerland, every level of government raises its own taxes. The whole tax revenue is raised in almost equal parts of around 30% by all the three levels. Thus the principle of 'the one who spends, decides' is strongly followed. Shared-rule In the government system of Switzerland, a number of instruments ensure the cooperation between different levels of powers and the integration of cantonal, hence ethnic needs and considerations into decision making processes at the national level. (1) Constitutional amendment. There is collective veto power of cantons to change the constitution with a mandatory referendum and initiatives. In this way, the cantons can put forward proposals for bills as well as to changes to the constitution. (2) Another area of shared-rule is in the national Parliament. In the Council of States, every canton has two seats over whose composition it is free to decide itself. (3) The pre-parliamentary consultation process, coming from direct democracy ensures the inclusion also of other communities, not only the cantons. Additionally, cantons are represented in federal bodies and work with the national level in federal-cantonal conferences. Political culture Besides these institutional elements of shared-rule and self-rule that help to give the cantons as much autonomy as needed and brings together the sub-national units at the centre for shared rule, Switzerland developed a political culture of solidarity. Political leaders have historically been sensitive to the potential for turmoil and thus have gradually institutionalized minority influence in all spheres of Swiss politics. On all federal committees, there are formal and informal rules to ensure that minority language regions are fairly represented. At least two members of federal government are from French- or Italian-speaking Switzerland. What the Swiss system showed additionally is that a federal structure allowed for the constant development of the political system and was not a fixed quality but an evolving matter. Besides the importance of the organic growth of the Swiss system, the informal institutions of minority protection as well as the co-operative federal system with the central legislature and the local implementation have been important features in the accommodation of diversities. The most important element however for the cohesion of the country was that identity has never been based on a shared identity or culture but on constitutional patriotism. The underlying principles of Swiss federalism have a very real relevance in the world today. Among these principles are the concept of the composite secular state based on an acceptance of pluralism, the emphasis on inclusive consensus rather than simple majority rule, the value of territorial non-centralization to safeguard diversity and cantonal autonomy, the recognition of compromise as a strength and not a weakness, and the citizen participation in political decision-making through direct democracy as well as the broad acceptance of the rule of law. Switzerland provides evidence that its effectiveness as a federation has depended not just on its particular constitutional structure, but even more on the degree to which there has been broad public acceptance of the political culture of federalism: the cherishing of diversity and the development of mutual respect. Swarajya Foundation sponsored this talk on the 4th of April 2007 at the Mahathma Gandhi Centre, 39 Layards Road Colombo 4. SLFP holds out hand to Mangala In the National New Year spirit of goodwill and reconciliation, moves are underway to settle the dispute between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and sacked minister Mangala Samaraweera, The Sunday Times learns.President Rajapaksa had personally told SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena to stop the dispatch of a charge sheet against Mr. Samaraweera who is now overseas, but the charge sheet against the other ousted minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi has been sent to him.The fresh moves to restore party unity involve several key figures and there was speculation that Mr. Sirisena might even meet Mr. Samaraweera who went to Singapore on March 26 with his mother to obtain medical treatment for her.One of those reported to be involved in the reconciliation efforts is Ven Elle Gunawansa Thera. The monk told The Sunday Times he was trying to bring about a reconciliation but declined to give further details. The SLFP’s senior deputy leader and Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana also said reconciliation moves were underway to restore party unity.He said party seniors and a majority of members believed there should be reconciliation and hopefully there would be a settlement soon after the New Year.SLFP disciplinary committee chairman and senior minister John Seneviratne declined to comment on why a charge sheet had been served on Mr. Sooriyarachchi and not on Mr. Samaraweera. He said these were internal matters for the party.Mr. Samaraweera and Mr. Sooriyaarachchi were removed from their ministerial posts in February after they criticized President Rajapaksa on several issues. One of the main charges was that advisors to Mr. Rajapaksa had entered into a secret deal with the LTTE before the November 2005 presidential election. LTTE using ‘deal’ money to buy weapons-Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi The Sunday Leader interview. Q: It is now over three weeks since you have been in remand custody under a government you played a key role in bringing into power. How do you feel about it? A: I feel strengthened and I also feel that it was the President who manoeuvred this case and got me remanded. By doing so he has not hindered me, but has hindered the true SLFP supporters. We struggled within the party for the members as well as for those who voted for us in 2004 and in 2005 to elect President Mahinda Rajapakse. When we saw the President trying to act against the will of the people, we spoke up and as a result, Mangala Samaraweera and I were attacked – we were sacked from the cabinet and I was remanded.Remanding me was also an act against the people and I have seen them showing their displeasure. Every time I was taken to courts, I saw thousands of people and they were all shouting slogans against the President and the government. I feel that through his action, the President has shown his breeding to the whole world.If the President thinks he can tame me and get me to come to him on bended knees, I must say that it will never happen. We will fight back and restore the rights of the people. People like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Vijaya Kumaratunga were all in prison at some point. I feel comfortable and confident – we fought against corruption and a dictatorship. I am satisfied and very content where I am now. Q: What do you think formed the backdrop for your arrest? A: According to revelations by the CID on February 26, PSD DIG Wickremasinghe had written a letter to Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga to inquire into a jeep bearing number GA 4030. This shows the President’s involvement in the case. According to the B report filed at the Kaduwela Court, the President’s Secretary had informed the IGP and he in turn had informed the Post and Telecommunication Ministry Secretary.The statement made by the ministry secretary clearly shows that it was made only because the IGP wanted it. The President engineered this whole case. We were sacked on February 10 and the President’s Secretary informed the IGP to inquire into the matter on February 26. I was in the government since 2004, if there was any irregularity, why did they wait for so long? The case has been initiated in a peculiar manner. Why did the PSD DIG and the President’s Secretary get involved? Q: Since you were sacked from your portfolio, has there been any improvement in the state of the country? A: Before I was sacked the country was getting worse, that was why we were raising these issues internally. After we were sacked, it has got worse. When Mangala Samaraweera and I were in cabinet, we used to raise issues and object to corrupt deals, which were not in the interest of the people.One of the first cabinet papers presented by me was to call for a pre-audit for tenders over Rs. 100 million by the Auditor General. The President objected to it. I also objected to the plan to hand over the Hingurana sugar factory and distillery and a 16 acre land belonging to the BCC to friends of President’s brother, Basil Rajapakse.Things were going from bad to worse even during our stay. That was why the President did not want the JVP and us in cabinet and accommodated the defectors from the UNP like Karu Jayasuriya, Milinda Moragoda and G. L. Peiris. Now that they are in the cabinet, the President can easily get approval to all his cabinet papers. Earlier, unless we objected to things, nothing happened. Now interest rates are up to 25% and the on call dollar rate is between 120-125 and currency has been printed to the value of over Rs. 22,000 million during the past three months increasing inflation. When global fuel prices are coming down, Sri Lanka has increased prices.At the same time, foreign dignitaries have been attacked and the air force base in Katunayake was attacked. There are four radars – the air force radar, the Indian radar, the airport radar and the one at Pidurutalagala. On that day, did all four radars fail? The President and the Defence Secretary failed to send aircraft from Anuradhapura to at least see where the LTTE aircraft went after the attack.The country’s economy is deteriorating and on the war front, the south is under attack and when they said the east was liberated, helicopters carrying foreign dignitaries were attacked. On the other hand, a massive amount of money is being spent to maintain the jumbo cabinet – between Rs. 5 to 6 billion. It is the poor who have to bear all these costs.Over 65% of the national budget is under the President. After taking over the Ports and Aviation Ministry, the President has still not handed it over to anyone. The reason is that several large scale projects – Weerawila Airport, Hambantota Port, Colombo Port expansion – are all under it. The government’s intention is to earn money through corrupt deals and they cannot do so with us.The poor are suffering and the President has failed to keep to the promises made in the Mahinda Chinthana. Samurdhi has been cut by 30% now and an islandwide survey is being conducted to cut it down by a further 50%. Things are now worse than they were. Q: The JVP however, seems to be supportive of the President’s actions. They even participated at the all-party meeting called by the President soon after the attack on the Katunayake Air Force Base. How do you see this development? A: I was also surprised to see JVP Leader Somawansa Amerasinghe and Wimal Weerawansa seated at the same table with G. L. Peiris and Milinda Moragoda, who were the architects of the CFA. I do not know what similarities they have. Especially since Rajapakse promises a unitary state, while Peiris and others advocate a federal solution.I do not know how these two conflicting positions work together. The only thing common as far as I can see is that they have all been accused of alleged involvement in massive deals. After the COPE report was presented, our Party Secretary, Maithripala Sirisena on February 23 said anyone found to be at fault would be dealt with according to the law. Several days later, he is sworn in to the same cabinet as those who have been allegedly involved in the corrupt deals according to the report.Also, what happened to the allegations made against Jeevan Kumaratunga for sending people overseas and the minister and the deputy minister, who according to Sirisena, was involved in illegal timber felling. What happened to all that? The government is now a bunch of rogues. Q: One of the UNP defectors to the government, Edward Gunasekera, has now gone back to the UNP claiming he found no proper working environment in the present administration. How do you see this scenario affecting the government? A: The President did not want to work with the JVP as they would stand against corruption and Mangala Samaraweera and I did the same thing. He got rid of us and embraced people like Karu Jayasuriya, Milinda Moragoda, Rajitha Senaratne and G. L. Peiris. The intention of the government is now very clear. They want to earn money during a very short period and that is why they accommodated the 18 defectors.I should say that not all of them are corrupt, but many have personal conflicts with the party. The President acted without heeding SLFP policies and the wishes of the people. Now those who came to him are beginning to abandon him. Edward Gunasekera was the first; I know that three more are to cross over soon. Therefore the President should be held totally responsible for the collapse of the government. Q: You and former Minister Mangala Samaraweera have raised serious concerns over human rights violations, corruption and nepotism. Has there been any response and have you seen any change in the situation? A: I do not think the Rajapakse family has any sense of humiliation. Soon after we highlighted certain issues, the President went to China with a 300 strong delegation and before that another plane was sent to China with more officials. It was surprising to know that President Bush several months earlier had visited China with a delegation of 80 members. Though we raise these issues, Rajapakse is not bothered. He has taken over after 37 years and his only intention is to enjoy and ruin the country in the shortest possible time.At the same time, the defence secretary, advisors to the president, several ministers, MPs and key officials in the government, mostly the family members of Rajapakse are all foreign citizens. Around 130 Rajapakse relatives are enjoying state benefits. Nobody can stop this dictatorial leadership unless all forces unite to fight it. After we made several revelations, the people are aware, but something more needs to be done — especially with regard to human rights.We categorically mentioned that abductions, detentions and killings should not happen. We spoke against it. But we also said that if anyone had done wrong, they should be dealt with according to the law – there is the PTA and emergency regulations. After our revelations, extra judicial killings have reduced, but are still going on. Q: You created quite a controversy by charging that President Mahinda Rajapakse entered into a secret pact with the LTTE prior to the presidential election, which led to the Tigers imposing a boycott at the election on the Tamil people. How much do you exactly know about this deal? A: I have always spoken with responsibility. During the campaign, Basil Rajapakse, who was the CEO of the campaign and I met the LTTE. During the discussion, they tried to justify the killing of Lakshman Kadirgamar and I was compelled to speak against it.Then they spoke of handing over the east and Karuna and there again I spoke against it. Basil kept silent and approved the LTTE’s thoughts. I argued and walked out. Basil continued with the discussion and got another date for a discussion. About five or six days later I asked Basil about the talks with the LTTE and he said that the LTTE did not like my presence as I was against them. I asked him to act with caution as we had entered in to agreements with the JVP and JHU and was working with them. I arranged for polling agents to be sent to Jaffna two days before the election and Basil and Gotabhaya Rajapakse asked me not to do so. Gotabhaya had also told our Vavuniya election coordinator that we have cut a deal with the LTTE and there was no issue.On the day of the election, there was a boycott and that was when we knew. My suspicions were confirmed when we went to Geneva for the peace talks in February 2006. Basil was also there and was secretly advising our negotiators to heed to the requests of the LTTE. I was then compelled to go to a toilet to call and inform Wimal Weerawansa and Champika Ranawaka of Basil’s moves. It was then that I realised that the President and the brothers were trying to work according to the agreement with the LTTE.I know they paid Rs. 200 million during the presidential election in two installments and billions of rupees were paid afterwards as well. The LTTE used this money to purchase arms, ammunition and other logistical requirements. The armed forces are now attacked by these same arms and ammunition purchased from the money given to the LTTE by Mahinda Rajapakse. If the President’s hands are clean, then he should allow the appointment of the Parliamentary Select Committee I have requested to probe this deal. Q: Following a request made by Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara, you removed the name of the President whose name you had stated in the letter calling for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee to probe the alleged deal with the LTTE. What is the present situation with regard to the select committee you requested? A: I first submitted a motion requesting for the appointment of a select committee to probe the deal with the LTTE. I then met Speaker Lokubandara and had a lengthy discussion with him on the matter. During the discussion I realised that the Speaker was under severe pressure by the President to prevent the appointment of the Select Committee.The Speaker asked me to re-submit the motion by removing the President’s name and I did so. Even now the President and the government have put pressure to prevent the appointment of the committee.My question is why the President fears the probe if his hands are clean as he claims. He can clear his name. We have all the evidence, as I was one of the six members of the campaign committee. One of the President’s first cabinet papers was to pay the LTTE in a discreet manner. The LTTE is now using this money, as I said, to attack our forces. I was told that one of the LTTE aircraft is worth US$ 600,000 (Rs. 60 million).The question at this point arises as to why the government is now at war if there was a deal. Rajiv Gandhi at one point had a deal with the LTTE where he initially made a payment and paid monthly installments, but J. R. Jayewardene objected to it. Gandhi was then forced to wage war against the LTTE and was even killed by them. The same happened to President Premadasa. He paid millions and even had peace discussions at the Colombo Hilton, but he was also killed by the LTTE.Rajapakse too had such an agreement, but unlike others, he has so far paid millions of rupees to the LTTE. Therefore the battle against the LTTE is because the deal went wrong subsequently and that does not detract from the fact the monies were paid. We can prove it. That is why we called for a select committee probe. Some day all those responsible and those who are attempting to cover up the deal by carrying out bogus investigations to give effect to a political agenda will be called upon to answer wherever they maybe. Q: You were also alleged to have had links with the LTTE. In fact there is now a conspiracy theory leveled against you and Samaraweera that the LTTE air attack on the Sri Lanka Air Force Base targeting the MiG fleet was made following the complaint made by the two of you to the Bribery Commission. How do you respond to this allegation? A: I was in the navy for 16 years and have faced all types of terrorism. As a politician also I have always fought against terrorism, but not against the Tamil people. On October 19, 2006, I narrowly escaped a claymore in Mahara that was laid by the LTTE targeting me. The Defence Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella showed the tapes where the arrested suspect made confessions.I am the only one who expressed views against the LTTE even at the peace talks. They objected to my presence and attacked me, now Rajapakse who has an agreement with the LTTE is accusing me of being an LTTEer. Mangala Samaraweera worked to ban the LTTE in the EU and is in the top of the LTTE hit list, but now he too is accused of being an LTTEer. The irony is that Rajapakse appointed us as ministers in his government on January 29 and on February 10, we became LTTErs. How did we become LTTErs within a matter of days? This question should be answered by the President himself.The story of the fraud behind the purchase of the MiG 27s was first highlighted last year in The Sunday Times. The Sunday Times has all the details and the Bribery Commission can get it from them to start the probe. On February 7 this year, I wrote a highly confidential letter to the President highlighting several corrupt deals and in it I also spoke of this MiG27 deal. I asked him to inquire into the matter as there were several doubts over the deal.Everyone knows whenever military equipment is being purchased. Furthermore, Defence Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and Military Spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe at every press briefing kept saying that the MiG aircraft were pounding LTTE targets, so it is they who have told the enemy of the MiGs owned by the air force, not me. Q: You and Samaraweera launched a battle against the present, what you call, dictatorial government. When you are eventually granted bail, what course of action do you plan to take? A: It is clear that this President is a dictator and a ruthless one at that. As the Defence Minister, he is definitely responsible for the extra judicial killings. The country has never experienced such corrupt deals and wastage of public funds like during these 15 months under the Rajapakse government.It is the wish of the SLFP and the general public to get rid of this situation. All democratic forces must get together to restore democracy, human rights and to get the country’s economy on the right track. Whenever Mangala Samaraweera and I have launched a campaign we have seen it to the end, and this time too we will do the same. We will ensure that the wishes of the people are fulfilled. Q: You and former Minister Mangala Samaraweera were instrumental in bringing President Mahinda Rajapakse to power. Do you now have any regrets about it? A: Yes of course. Before we started the campaign I told Mangala Samaraweera that this man could not be trusted and said that if we were to campaign for him, we have to first enter into a concrete agreement that he would act according to the wishes of the people. Samaraweera believed that Rajapakse was someone who could be trusted, but I knew it was not so.When Ranil Wickremesinghe was prime minister, he gave the portfolio of finance to Choksy and defence to Tilak Marapone. When Rajapakse and I met soon after the election, he said that he would be giving away all the portfolios and will only keep the Buddha Sasana portfolio under him. I asked him to give that away as well, if he could. But when the cabinet was sworn in all the key ministries – finance, defence, nation building, planning, state infrastructure, etc., were under him and more were added to it after the recent cabinet reshuffle. Over 65% of the national budget is under him and even dictators like Idi Amin and Saddam Hussein, I believe were not like this.I really regret this. From purchasing a gunny bag to an aircraft, 10% goes to a so called company. We all had high hopes on Rajapakse to solve the north-east problem, but three months later, I found that he had an agreement with the LTTE.I ask you then who is a traitor of the highest order? The largest sum of money paid to the LTTE was by Rajapakse and the war is totally fought for political reasons. He has not fulfilled the pledges made in the Mahinda Chinthana. I feel that the government would be compelled to hand part of the country to the LTTE if the economy continues like this for another six months as there would not be any money left to fight the war. The manner in which Gotabhaya is handling the country’s defence, expenditure is bound to rise to Rs. 200 billion. We will however, endeavour to rectify all this at the earliest. 14 April 2007 Why Sinhala-Hindu and Not Buddhist-Hindu or Sinhala-Tamil ? Vanakkam! Vaalthukkal!! The dawn of our traditional new year or “Sithiraip Puthaandu” - April new year is one festival that is common to an overwhelming number of Sinhala and Thamil people in the Island of Sri Lanka. What is saddening and maddening is the recurring phenomenon of widespread attempts to divide the Tamils on a religious basis on this happy occasion.With very few exceptions most Sri Lankan media in English and Sinhala refer to the April New Year as Sinhala and Hindu New Year. Instead of saying Sinhala and Tamil new year the reference is to Sinhala and Hindu. If the yardstick for this is the fact that Christian Tamils cannot subscribe to a Hindu new year then by the same token it is equally inapplicable to Sinhala Christians too. If so it should be Buddhist and Hindu New Year. Assuming an overarching Sinhala identity on the one hand and denying the same to Tamil on the other smacks not only of double standards but possesses designs to divide the Tamils on account of religion. Granted that the calculation of years on the basis of a 60 year cycle has its roots in “Hindu” astrology. It is also a fact that Christians following Western custom regard Jan 1st as the New Year.The reality however is that Jan 1st has become “universal” over the years. Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians all celebrate Jan 1st as New Year. The Christians may have their Watchnight services but nowadays most places of worship have special ceremonies to mark the occasion.It is the 365 day cycle after Jan 1st that is followed by everyone in Sri Lanka and the world in practice. The April New Year has become more of a cultural event. The world is awaking up to the reality that all of us have multiple - identities and that the notion of “one land, one language, one race , one culture, one people” etc are outdated. All of us have different identities, interests and spaces. Multiple and plural are the realistic terms of the present and future.The custom of having two new years is but one example of this multi in ourselves. As far as Tamil Christians were concerned the introduction of Christianity through Westerners did result in many following or aping their practice and customs. Neglect of our traditional cultural values was a regrettable legacy. Post - Colonialism however has brought about a fresh reappraisal There has been a conscious effort to identify with all things Tamil. The Post - Independence politics has accelerated this desire. Thai Pongal and Sithiraip Puthaandu are seen as Tamil cultural festivals and not as Hindu festivals. If one were to go to our rural or semi - urban places one would find Christians participating and enjoying these festivals as their own. These festivals open up Tamil cultural space. It is however less pronounced in the cities.Three things are now affecting this pleasant commonality. The state of affairs in the Country and modernisation is restricting the time devoted to the common cultural space in these festivities. The limited time makes people focus more on religion than the social aspects.Secondly there is an increasing tendency on the part of Hindu Tamils to transform these cultural festivals into religious ones. This is notably so in the case of Thaipongal which was a non - religious event.Thirdly the rise of religious fundamentalism among Christians particularly the new converts is creating a situation where people are abhorring and shunning these festivals as ungodly and pagan. Thus the cultural roots and legacy of us all is being undermined.This situation is to some extent applicable to Sinhala Christians too.It would indeed be a sad day for all of us if we gradually get pushed into singular grooves instead of living and experiencing this vast legacy of humanity to which we are all heirs to.If this regressive process gains strength we will become Buddhists and Christians and Hindus and Christians. That day is still to dawn.Until then (God forbid) we are Sinhala and Tamils enjoying our common legacy of April New Year. The “Sithirai” New Year is for Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka. It cannot be for Sinhala and Hindu only. This sustained effort to prolong this “divide” by the Sri Lankan media deserves the strongest possible condemnation. Tigers vow retaliation in Sri Lanka's east The Tamil Tigers vowed Friday to hit back against an advance by government troops in the east of Sri Lanka, accusing the military of "genocidal activities" there. The rebels denied military claims they were retreating in the face of an onslaught in the Eastern Province, where they were ejected from a coastal stronghold in January, and said they would retaliate "very soon." "As far as the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is concerned we have adjusted our tactics according to the needs and we have not withdrawn from the east," LTTE's political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan said. "I believe only our actions in the coming period will answer the propaganda (of the government) whether the Sri Lankan military has won a stable victory," he said in an e-mail interview with AFP. With the escalation of fighting in April last year and the collapse of a 2002 Norwegian-brokered ceasefire agreement, the government has blocked journalists travelling to rebel-held areas in the island's north, where the LTTE has its military and political headquarters. The LTTE's Thamilselvan, who is also the group's top peace negotiator, said the military was "behaving like an occupational force that has let loose its genocidal activities against the Tamil people" in the east. He said the Tigers had turned the tables on government forces in the past and inflicted heavy losses, adding, "I believe similar instances will be repeated in the east very soon." Defence ministry spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said here Thursday that the Tigers were on the run in the coastal province, where they have been restricted to a jungle area just outside the lagoon town of Batticaloa. "Only about 140 square kilometres (56 square miles) of jungle land in the Thoppigala area (near Batticaloa) still remain under LTTE control and we believe around 300 to 350 rebels are in the jungles," Samarasinghe told reporters. The Sri Lankan military says its operations against the Tigers in the east are a "defensive humanitarian operation." Unknown gunmen kill four civilians including a three year old in Eastern Sri Lanka Unknown gunmen shot and killed three ethnic Tamil civilians including a three year old toddler and a 15 year old school girl, yesterday night in Chenkalady in the Batticaloa district, defense officials said.The victims are believed to be from the same family. Three of them died instantly and two others were injured and rushed to the General Hospital at Batticaloa. One more identified as Vallipuram Rathnasingham (60) succumbed to his injuries later, Eravur Police sources said. The dead were identified as Sinnamutthukumar Sudarshan(03), Sendavan Selvi (15). The Eravur Police officials said that a third body was yet to be identified. Sri Lanka Tigers deny using satellite illegally Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Friday rejected allegations that they were illegally using a commercial satellite to broadcast overseas. "We are accessing it legally and there is no signal piracy," a spokesman for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Rasiah Ilanthiriyan, said by telephone from the rebel-held northern town of Kilinochchi. A spokesman for Intelsat, the world's largest commercial satellite communications provider, told AFP it was pursuing avenues to terminate what it said was the "illegal" use of one its satellites by the LTTE, which the US designates as a foreign terrorist organisation. In March 2005, the Tigers announced they were using Europe Star 1 satellite, which has since been re-named Intelsat 12, or IS-12, to uplink their television programmes from a secret location in northern Sri Lanka and broadcast to parts of Asia. It is not clear whether the Tigers access the satellite service through a proxy or on their own. The rebels declined to discuss their arrangement with the service provider, but insisted they had not done anything illegal. Intelsat also said it had met Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the US to discuss the issue. Rebels blame forces for massacres Ten year old girl raped by Sri Lankan Navy in an islet off Jaffna peninsula A ten year old girl in Mankumaban, an islet off the coast of Jaffna was raped by two Sri Lankan Navy soldiers on Monday, 9 April 2007 at noon. The girl had just gone outside her home to play when she was grabbed by the Navy soldiers and raped. When the parents of the girl attempted to leave the islet and go to Jaffna, they were threatened and prevented from leaving Mankumban by the Sri Lankan Navy. The Navy is also preventing the child being taken to hospital and the family is under constant threat from the Navy. Prof. Raveendranath family members appeal for UN intervention in his release Family members of Professor S.Raveendranath, Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University has made passionate appeal for the urgent and appropriate actions for his immediate release.In an appeal addressed to Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, family members of the Professor S.Raveendranath, have appealed to take urgent action to find the whereabouts and ensure his immediate release. Professor S. Raveendranath, Former Vice Chancellor, Eastern University, Sri Lanka is missing since 15, December 2006. It’s four months now since his disappearance. There is ominous silence from all quarters. The official investigations have yet to present credible evidence as to the identity of the abductors.He has high blood pressure and heart disease. In September 2006 unidentified gunmen demanding Prof. Raveendranath's resignation kidnapped the Dean of the Faculty of Arts of EUSL, DR. Bala Sugamar, and in the months thereafter Professor Raveendranath received repeated death threats demanding him to resign his post. He rendered his resignation on 2nd of October 2006 but it was accepted by the University Grants Commission on 19th January 2007. Effort to speed up Rajiv probe A two-member special CBI team probing the conspiracy behind Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination visited Sri Lanka last month to hasten investigations, it was revealed today.The Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) sought information on the LTTE’s network from Sri Lankan authorities. Efforts to speed up the probe come a month before the term of the agency, which has been getting extensions since the May 1991 assassination, expires.The main problem has been lack of co-operation from countries where the LTTE’s network is active. Letters asking for information on the funding of the terror group have been sent to 17 countries, including Switzerland, Australia, Singapore and Germany.But only some have responded. Even these countries have set conditions that the information should not be misused. Other nations sought guarantees that the inputs would not be used to secure a death sentence for the accused.Sri Lanka has been the least co-operative, said officials, adding the country was sent such a letter on April 23, 2001. The Jain Commission, whose report on the former Prime Minister’s assassination was handed in 10 years back, said 21 suspects in the case are Sri Lankans. The CBI wants the Sri Lankan authorities to provide information about their whereabouts. 13 April 2007 Top Sri Lankan: Cease-fire meaningless Sri Lanka‘s cease-fire with the Tamil Tiger rebels has "no meaning," the country‘s top defense official said Thursday, suggesting it was only being officially left in place to satisfy the international community. But in the last 18 months, the cease-fire almost entirely unraveled as tit-for-tat attacks grew into an undeclared all-out war, with the Tigers employing tactics ranging from suicide bombing to an air raid. "Officially we have not said there is no cease-fire agreement, probably to keep the international community happy," added Rajapakse, who is the brother and a close confidant of President Mahinda Rajapakse. The interview also appeared to confirm what many diplomats, aid workers and analysts here suspect — that the government is only paying lip service to the cease-fire, which is viewed by the United States and European donors as a tool that keeps the entire peace process from collapsing. The rebels, who offered no immediate comment on Rajapakse‘s remarks, have previously countered such accusations by saying it is they who are being targeted and forced to respond. But Gotabhaya Rajapakse is publicly the most hard-line, advocating tough actions as what many see as the "bad cop" to his brothers‘ more diplomatic "good cop" act. But the rebels still control much of northern Sri Lanka, running a virtual mini-state in their territory. "That‘s a very dangerous thing, to have relaxed periods, it‘s not good for the military. We must not give them time to regroup," Rajapakse continued. "We have to continue this push in the north as well and identify the targets and destroy their targets more and more." Three people were killed in the air raid, although the military‘s fighter jets — the presumed target — were not damaged. The military said the killings took place in a small village, Avaranthalawa, near rebel-held territory in northern Sri Lanka. The Tigers, formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, have been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka‘s 3.1 million Tamils, a largely Hindu ethnic group concentrated in eastern and northern Sri Lanka. The Tamils have faced decades of discrimination from the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese, who make up a majority of the Indian Ocean nation‘s 19 million people. At least 65,000 people were killed before the 2002 cease-fire. At least another 4,000 people, many of them civilians, have been killed since December 2005. Mahinda to meet Pope as co-chairs ‘wait and see’ President Mahinda Rajapaksa will next week embark on what analysts see as a significant visit to the Vatican to garner much needed international support for government efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict even as the co-chairs decided to adopt a “wait and see” policy on the future of a negotiated settlement.The President’s visit to the Vatican comes just days after Pope Benedict XVI, in his Easter day message, called on the government and the LTTE to stop violence and resume talks. In his Easter message last Sunday, Pope Benedict called on Sri Lanka’s warring parties to return to negotiations to end violence.“In Sri Lanka, only a negotiated solution can put an end to the conflict that causes so much bloodshed," Pope Benedict said. "I am thinking of the scourge of hunger, of incurable diseases, of terrorism and kidnapping of people, of the thousand faces of violence which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion, of contempt for life, of the violation of human rights and the exploitation of persons," he noted. President Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit the Vatican on Wednesday for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on an invitation by the Papal Nuncio in Sri Lanka Archbishop Mario Zenari and it would be the first meeting between a Sri Lankan leader and the leader of the Roman Catholic church.Public Estate Management and Development Minister Milroy Fernado told the Daily Mirror that the President would lead a delegation of Catholic Ministers and MPs including him, Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Dayasritha Tissera and several others. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama is also expected to accompany the President. The delegation is also to attend a special ceremony at the Vatican to mark the second anniversary of the pontification of Pope Benedict on April 19. The government and the LTTE this week expressed willingness to resume peace talks but the co-chairs to the Tokyo Donor Conference have decided to adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach with regard to the future of the peace process, the Daily Mirror learns.Diplomatic sources said the decision was taken as the government and the Tigers were not showing a commitment to resume talks or stop human rights violations in the country. It is learnt that envoys of the United States, Japan, Norway and the European Union met at the US Ambassador’s official residence in Colombo on Tuesday evening and discussed several crucial issues, including the recruitment of under-aged children. The envoys had also expressed their displeasure over the parties ignoring their repeated requests to resume peace talks and stop human rights violations. At the end of the discussions, the co-chairs had reportedly decided to inform their decisions to the international community. Seven villagers shot dead Govt. abuses legislation says HRW LTTE In the areas under its control, the LTTE does not allow a free press, HRW says in its statement.It says in other areas it has intimidated, attacked and sometimes killed journalists critical of their policies or actions. Karuna Group The Karuna group, which split from the LTTE in 2004 and has been fighting alongside the government, has also interfered with the media, Human Rights Watch said. Since August, in the areas where it operates in the East, the Karuna group has blocked the sale of the Tamil-language dailies Virakesari, Thinakkural and Sudar Oli, which are critical of the armed group, it saidIn Batticaloa district, the only Tamil-language papers available are the state-owned Thinakaran and Thinamurasu, which are run by the Eelam People’s Democratic Party, statement said.The Karuna group has issued death threats to newspaper vendors and distributors in Trincomalee, Human Rights Watch added. All Ceylon Hindu congress calls for prayers on New Year Day The New Year dawns at a critical time when our brothers and sisters in the North and East are placed in a situation worse than even of the refugees, says All Ceylon Hindu Congress in a media statement issued yesterday.“They are in an unfortunate plight or living without sufficient clothing, without enough food to eat, without medical facilities, the young children being deprived of education and those people have been denied the basic facilities and deprived of fundamental rights. These are the unfortunate conditions of their living.“Not only Hindus, even people of other religions are praying to His Almighty for the restoration of peace in this country. Several others and we have repeatedly and often urged that a political solution should be found to satisfy the aspirations of the Tamil speaking people so that there will be a permanent peace in this country. “Ignoring the ceasefire agreement which is still in force, the Government of Sri Lanka has resorted to war and bombing and making the situation worse. Furthermore, murders, abductions and other acts of violence which frightens people are continuing, unabated.“We condemn all the acts of violence committed by any party or group whatsoever.“The present situation must change without delay. For that we need the grace of His Almighty.Therefore we request all the Hindus to engage in prayers on the New Year day for an immediate salvation for the people who have been suffering for years.“We have sent relief assistance to Jaffna and Batticaloa. We have now received an urgent request from Batticaloa for clothes for displaced people, and we are arranging to collect them and despatch the same to Batticaloa. We appeal to all the people in Colombo to donate sarees, sarongs and garments for children and deliver the same to the All Ceylon Hindu Congress Headquarters at No. 91/5, Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2, or at Saraswathie Hall, No. 75, Lorenz Road, Colombo 4 or Vivekananda Hall, Kotahena so that we can send those to Batticaloa.“Let each Hindu think of their brothers and sisters who are in desperate need for clothes and help them at least on the eve of the New Year. Instead of celebrating the New Year we have no doubt all our brothers and sisters will give whatever assistance we can extend to them at this critical time.” Suspicious vessels seen off Marawila A group of fishermen who had observed a fleet of suspicious vessels travelling in high speed in the seas off Marawila had informed the police yesterday morning.Four speed boats assembled with high power engines, unlike the boats used by the fishermen had been observed passing the area around 10.00am. The vessels were reportedly bound towards Colombo had been spotted about 400 metres away in the sea. Marawila police who are investigating into the case are yet to establish any details related to the mysterious boats though there is strong suspicion on the boats linked to the LTTE Sea Tiger movement. OIC Marawila police K A P Kaluarachchi who is conducting investigations had already alerted the Police Headquarters as well as the Navy Tigers hand over 7 SLA bodies to ICRC Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Liason officer for the NGOs, Thiyagarajah, handed over seven bodies of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers to ICRC Kilinochchi Head Official Katja Loren, Thursday around 2:00 p.m. The eight SLA troopers were killed in the LTTE counter attack against the SLA's attempt to penetrate into LTTE territory through Mullikulam, Mannar. One of the dead bodies was in decomposed state. Vavuniya ICRC Protection Officer, Paulin Kabayiza too was present during the handing over of the seven bodies which were recovered by LTTE in the wake of the SLA operation thwarted in southern front Wednesday morning. Let UN come to Sri Lanka to investigate abductions The civil monitoring mission is requesting the government, the United Nations and the Co-chairs to set the background to for UN high commissioner for Human Rights affairs Lewis Arber to arrive in Sri Lanka to investigate the recent spate of abductions.Convener of the civil monitoring mission Parliamentarian Mano Ganeshan speaking to 'LeN' said the mission had to make such a request even without hundred percent due to the lack of urgency in the government in investigating the abductions.He added that though several committee such as Mahanama Thilakarathne, International Intellectuals' Committee and the Government Instigation Committee none of them have delivered realistically and therefore the government should accommodate UN study groups into the country and assist them in their ventures.Ganeshan also requests the government to install an independent international human rights monitoring mission, to absorb laws regarding abductions into the country's penal code and also to ratify to international covenants on abductions and disappearances. Soldiers abduct youth in Jaffna, family man reported missing A group of four armed men in military fatigue, riding in a white van, Monday midnight forcibly abducted a young labourer at gun point from his residence in Old Park Road in Koyyaththoaddam in Jaffna. The victim's father, in his testimony to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission in Jaffna, has said he was prepared to identify the perpetrators if an identity parade is held and alleged that the perpetrators were Sri Lanka Army soldiers. The victim was 24-year-old Rajendram Uthayakumar.This was the fourth abduction in the area since January.In a separate incident, a young married man has gone missing from his residence on Potpathi Road, Kudaththanai in Vadamaraadchi region, according to a complaint lodged by his wife at the Jaffna office of the SLHRC.The victim, identified as Selvaraja Mugunthan, alias Suresh, 34, father of one, had left his house on the 3rd of April and has not been seen since then. Sri Lankan jet makes emergency landing A Sri Lankan Airlines jet headed for London turned around and made an emergency landing at the country's only international airport on Thursday following a "technical problem," officials said. The Airbus A-340 carrying 250 passengers and 15 crew returned to base three hours after take-off from the Bandaranaike International Airport north of Colombo, airport officials said. "The aircraft returned to base because of some vibrations and the pilots wanted to go back and check," said one official. The flight has been rescheduled for departure later Thursday. Five blasts at air base: Govt. Analyst The Government Analyst revealed that the LTTE, during its air attack on the Katunayake Air Base on March 26, had dropped six bombs of which five had exploded.In a report submitted to the CID, the Analyst contradicted the Air Force claim that the Tigers had dropped four bombs and three of them had exploded.The LTTE attacked the SLAF Airbase at Katunayake using two light aircraft killing three Air Force personnel and injuring 16 others. The Sri Lanka Air Force later claimed that no damage was caused to the air strip or the international airport.The Air Force and CID investigation reports are to be released soon, sources said. ‘Sri Lankan Forces Won’t Attack Tiger Heartland’ - Why? By Chandi Sinnathurai I had a lengthy conversation with Fr. Henry Miller in Batticaloa (East Sri Lanka) on April 11, about the Time April 5 article [1] in which he is quoted as saying that ‘Prabaharan [The Tamil Tigers’ leader] needs the violence – or he risks irrelevancy’. Time article further quoted:“You will not change his [Prabaharan] mind, says Miller. You can only stop his mind”The Ceylon Daily News went to the extent of dedicating a whole editorial [2] to the above quote and expounded further on it. It must be said that was purely for Government propaganda purposes.The American-born Jesuit Priest Henry Miller (81) is no stranger to the people of the East. Fr Miller alongside Fr Weber and Fr Herbert (who was martyred for protecting a Tamil boy some years ago) have served the community faithfully since 1948. He has been the most neutral and a bold voice for human rights against all manner of atrocities perpetrated by both sides. During my conversation Fr Miller told me that, “Both sides [LTTE and the Government] know where I stand on these matters. My lines of communication with both are open. The situation however, is volatile. I will continue to speak the truth.” When asked about the quote on the Tiger leader, Fr Miller replied, “I did not put it exactly like that as you read within quotations (in the article)…but it does reflect the sentiments expressed. It must be seen within the context of terror coming from both sides. In Batticaloa, people look the other way. Every morning there are bodies found – at least 10 or 15 bodies with gun shot wounds in the streets…people are terrorized and they don’t wish to speak out fearing for their lives! On the Government side they want war, and so is the case of LTTE [Tamil Tigers]. If Prabaharan wants to be relevant, sadly he needs the violence. That is how Sri Lankan politics seem to work these days.” The Time article failed to include what Fr Miller said about the Sri Lankan Army Camp in the heart of Batticaloa. ‘The Esplanade – the Weber Stadium is being taken over by the Army and it is from here that the multi-barrel rockets are shot over to the Kokoticholai Tiger camp. Elderly people and heart-patients have been removed from the Batticaloa hospital owing to the earth-shattering noises these rockets make…Schools had to close indefinitely because students began to collapse under the constant strain and stress…The Army should seriously consider moving away from the Esplanade.” In assessing the war situation Fr Miller added that, a solution is not forth coming because, both sides seem to have failed to come up with any amicable solution. As for re-taking the Tiger heart-land Vanni by the Government forces, he said,” The Government soldiers are not prepared psychologically to engage in such a bold adventure. Skirmishes are taking place in the out-skirts of Vanni. The Government has not attacked the heart-land because they know what they can expect and will not be able to handle the out come.” In the end it seems, there are no winners and losers. If at all, it is the civilians who really are the losers – in terms of life, livelihood, homes and lands. Over 80,000 people have died in this conflict since the 1980’s. Many thousands have simply disappeared. Currently some 153,000 internal refugees are displaced only in the Batticaloa district.Is there an end in sight? I asked. ‘Not at the moment’. ‘Both sides however, have to come to an agreement to dialogue’ was Fr Miller’s considered opinion. In the past however, dialogues have failed, how will it be different this time around? I wondered.“When its ceasefire, both sides must honour to cease fire – not to fire the gun and then say that it was retaliation. When we can achieve that commitment; that will be a good start…” 12 April 2007 Govt. 'ready' for referendum The government in Sri Lanka says it is ready to call for a referendum if the parties in the south agree for a political solution to national question.Minister of constitutional affairs Dew Gunasekara said that he appreciated the efforts of the president to resolve the national problem though a common agreement. “For the first time in the history there is a political consensus among the political parties for the national problem” minister Gunasekara told juornalists in Colombo. Common agreement He said : “If we can come to a common agreement we can even go to a referendum to resolve the matter”.Minister requested JVP to join the all party conference even to register their opposition to the process. The government also insisted that there was no question over its parliamentary majoritiy until the end of the current parliament's term.“We have 123 seats and we will not have another general election till 2010, ” Education minister Susil Premjayanth told journalists. Gotabhaya's resignation President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government is stable and strong was the message given by ministers who gathered to the press conference held in Colombo.The group of ministers were highly critical of the main opposition, United National Party, which has predicted a fall of the government 'within months'."Opposition leader cannot comprehend the fact that we have the majority in the parliament so he is living in a dream world” added Minister Premjayanth.Leader of the EPDP Douglus Devananda and Rev Aturaliye Ratana of JHU were among the participants to the conference. Ministers criticised the demand made by the opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe that the defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksha must stand down. "Whilst LTTE try to get rid of Gothabhaya by assassinating him, UNP is trying to do the same through other means," they said.When journalist questioned if the government is stable why does it have a mega press conference with the members of its jumbo cabinet, Minister Premjayanth said “government is not afraid and we do not have a reason to be afraid, but it is our responsibility to clarify the issues raised by the opposition”. Sri Lankan military, Tamil rebels clash in north, 30 reportedly killed Clashes between Sri Lankan soldiers backed by artillery and Tamil Tiger rebels in the north have killed up to 30 people, the two sides said Wednesday amid a spate of air raids, bus bombings and sea battles that have left scores dead in recent weeks. Tension has been mounting around the Omanthai checkpoint, the last post held by the government before the start of Tiger territory. A military spokesman, Lt. Col. Upali Rajapakse, said unprovoked rebel mortar fire on Tuesday killed a soldier at the checkpoint, forcing the army to respond with its own artillery and mortar fire that left at least 20 insurgents dead. The army also closed the checkpoint. ``The figure may be more, but this is what we have from our intelligence sources,'' Rajapakse said. He accused the Tigers of deliberately starting the violence ahead of the New Year's celebrations. The Tigers countered that their fighters had ambushed army soldiers making a push through the nearby jungle into rebel territory, killing eight to 10 of the intruders and seizing weapons and ammunition, including rocket-propelled grenade launchers. ``We have the bodies,'' rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan said in a statement posted on a pro-rebel Web site, TamilNet. He added that three insurgents were also killed. A-5 cleared after 14 years: Military The Security Forces yesterday afternoon took full control of the Mahaoya- Chenkalady (A-5) main road after fourteen years, driving the remaining LTTE cadres to Thoppigala jungle, the military said.“With the capture of this road, the entire civilian population in the east is under government control and the remaining LTTE cadres are confined to some 150 square kilometre area in the Thoppigala jungle,” military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said.Calling it a major achievement of the military, Brigadier Samarasinghe said since the launching of its humanitarian operation to liberate some areas in the Batticaloa district 200 LTTE cadres were killed and a large number were injured. “The security forces lost 11 soldiers while 41 were injured since fighting broke out on February 24, this year,” the spokesman said.Areas including Karadiyanaru, Sinnapillumale, Aiththiyamale, Thumpalanchole, Weligahakandiya, Kalkudah and all surrounding villages were freed from the LTTE clutches as a result of these humanitarian operations during the past few weeks, he said.“Hereafter this vital A-5 road will be completely free of terrorist threats enabling civilians to move about freely for their day to-day activities as was the practice before the LTTE infiltrated those areas,” Brig. Samarasinghe said. There was no comment from the Tamil Tigers on the latest military achievement. Stop alienating elected representatives from their constituents - TNA "Tamil National Alliance (TNA) strongly condemns the sudden postponement of the Batticaloa District Development Committee (DDC) meeting scheduled for Wednesday at parliamentary complex, Colombo, by the President of DDC, Minister Ameer Ali, without informing Batticaloa district parliamentarians," a statement released by TNA Wednesday in Colombo said. The Batticaloa District Development Committee meeting, normally held in Batticaloa Government Secretariat, was relocated to Colombo parliamentary complex because of the death threat issued to Batticaloa district TNA Parliamentarians by the paramilitary Karuna group, preventing them from going to their electorates. It was scheduled for Wednesday.The date of the meeting is usually fixed with the consent and advice from the district's elected representatives. However, the procedure was overlooked and the personal wishes of an individual minister have been upheld in postponing the DDC meeting. TNA strongly condemns this action.In Batticaloa district, nearly 150,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Trincomalee, Vaharai and Paduvankarai languish in IDP Transit Camps with inadequate facilities. The recent torrential rain has worsened their woes.We are unable to obtain the first hand information of their urgent needs to take steps to reduce their suffering because of the government's creation of insecure conditions in Batticaloa district.The elected representatives of a district are the persons who aware well the real problems of the people and viable remedies to them. As Sri Lanka government prevent the peoples' elected representatives meeting their constituents the problems of the IDPs continue unattended and unresolved.The Ministry of Disaster Management and Ministry for Rehabilitation promote the intention of the government by holding important meetings in Ministries in Colombo and in Temple Trees, ignoring the participation of the elected representatives of the people concerned.We wish to reiterate that any decision affecting the people should be made in consultation with their elected representatives in future. SLA patrol unit ambushed in Vadamaradchy Unidentified armed persons opened fire on the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) patrol unit at Sakkottai, Polykandy in Vadamaradchy north Wednesday afternoon, sources in Vadamaradchy said. Following the attack, the dead and injured were air lifted to Palay SLA Base hospital twice in a military helicopter, eye witnesses said. SLA troopers cordoned off and searched Sakkottai, Polykandy villages, located along the coastal area of Vadamaradchy north, where the attack took place.Point Pedro-Valvettithurai coastal road was closed for traffic for nearly two hours as the search went on.People travelling to Valvettithurai had to use alternative routes.Fishermen in the area had gone fishing in the morning.Number of SLA troopers dead or injured is suspected to be high, according to unconfirmed sources in Vadmaradchy. Indian Navy sets its face against joint patrolling RAMESWARAM: The Indian Navy has virtually ruled out the possibility of conducting any joint patrolling with the Sri Lankan Navy, saying it could have unpleasant consequence on the Indian side. While maintaining that any decision on joint patrolling had to be taken at a higher level, Commodore Phillip Van Haltren, the naval officer in-charge, Tamil Nadu, said here on Wednesday that joint patrolling could have a lot of consequences. There was no need for the Indian Navy to conduct joint patrolling when it was involved in counter-insurgency operations. A number of issues were involved. ``We don't want to involve [ourselves] with the fighting in Sri Lanka,'' said Commodore Van Haltren. He said the Navy had decided to set up nine sea surveillance radars along the coast from Nagapattinam to Rameswaram to bring the entire region under direct surveillance. All seven Naval detachments including Kodiakarai, Mallipattinam and Thondi would be brought under the radar network. A detailed study for this purpose had been conducted. Asked about the possibility of establishing a permanent naval base at Rameswaram, Commodore Van Haltren said it was under discussion. He had discussed with Tami Nadu Chief Secretary L.K. Tripathy about the upgradation of the naval detachment based at Rameswaram. Though the detachments were established during the Indian Peace Keeping Force operation in Sri Lanka, the time had come to have a permanent structure at Rameswaram with a long-term view. Asked about the firing against fishermen from Kanyakumari in which five persons were killed, Commodore Van Haltren said it was mysterious and strange. ``We have enough information that the incident occurred at the wedge bank situated well inside Indian waters. We don't have enough information to pinpoint anybody," he said. Expressing satisfaction with the measures taken by security agencies including the police to prevent smuggling from the Rameswaram side, he said smuggling had come down to a certain extent. Not even a single boat of smugglers had been spotted along the International Maritime Boundary Line over the last one month. However, he said it was a really difficult task to stop smuggling completely, as the coastline was vast. The recent seizures showed that smugglers carried medicines, beedi, tobacco and explosive materials. The Navy would continue to patrol the region along with the Coast Guard. Banning Tamil Tiger Freedom Fighters (LTTE) in Australia is counter productive Consortium of NGOs In a News Bulletin, ACFID, Consortium of NGOs in Australia, alerted Australian Government, Attorney General and its Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, on the counter productive implications of banning, Tamil tiger freedom fighters (LTTE) in Australia. ACFID is an independent national association of Australian non-government organisations (NGOs) working in the field of international aid and development. Dr. Palitha Kohana, a one time employee of DFAT – Australia, now advisor to war savy Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is trying to manipulate Australian Policy in the interest of another country - Sri Lanka, by using his former contacts within Department of Foreign Affairs, an informed source said. Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, ASIO, take this sort of aspects seriously and its policy on Foreign Espionage has provisions to prosecute who ever act in the interest on another country,” The threat to Australia from foreign intelligence services is not just to do with the loss of a physical or intellectual asset or advantage. It is detrimental to our society if processes of government are interfered with and Australians pressured or corrupted into helping the interests of another country against their own. Foreign agents may also spy on and sometimes intimidate people in Australia regarded as ‘dissidents’ by foreign governments." ACFID alerted the seriousness of “...humanitarian consequences of such a decision and to the inappropriate signal the decision would send to the Sri Lanka government about support for its approach to the conflict. We also note that such a decision would remove Australia's capacity to become involved as an honest broker with Norway and others in trying to bring the parties back to the peace table…” Full Text of Australian Council For International Development Bulletin; We have raised with the Attorney General and Foreign Minister this week ACFID's serious concern about the Australian government's intention to increase the level of its ban on the Liberation Tigers and Tamil Eelam (LTTE). If the LTTE is listed for the purposes of the Criminal Code Act (1995), Australian NGOs could readily find themselves in breach of Australian law if their Australian or local staff operated programs in LTTE-controlled areas of Sri Lanka. The risk of incurring such a breach would present a significant risk for agencies.In our letter to ministers, we point to the humanitarian consequences of such a decision and to the inappropriate signal the decision would send to the Sri Lanka government about support for its approach to the conflict. We also note that such a decision would remove Australia's capacity to become involved as an honest broker with Norway and others in trying to bring the parties back to the peace table. We have been urging the Foreign Minister to become active in this way since early 2006.Given the seriousness of this matter, I have sought meetings with the Attorney General and Mr Downer. I would also urge members with a strong interest in this matter to raise concern with your political contacts in the next two weeks, as a final decision appears imminent Cellular link to Jaffna cut, SLA strengthens FDLs Sri Lanka Army on Wednesday was busy deploying military hardware and additional troops towards Forward Defence Line localities in Jaffna. Cell phone link to the peninsula, operated via Palaali base, was also cut off Wednesday. Truck loads of supplies were rushed from Palaali military base towards the Northern Front throughout the day. TMVP will apologise for having recruited children in the past In an interesting turn of events, the normally taciturn Karuna Amman who regularly denies the presence of child soldiers in his ranks, is planning to make a formal apology to the families from which children have been recruited in the past, his Batticaloa office representative said yesterday. The President of the Eastern Development Centre, the development arm of the TMVP, A. Pradeep, told the Daily Mirror during an interview that the Karuna faction admitted that it had made “mistakes” in the past but is now mending its ways and is determined to crack down on underage recruitment. He also said that “other armed groups” operating in the area had been warned to cease their violent activities as it was the reputation of the TMVP that was being tarnished. Responding to questions regarding allegations that the security situation in Batticaloa had deteriorated since the establishment of the TMVP, and its use of weapons in civilian areas Mr. Pradeep responded by asserting that the group was reducing its use of arms and reiterated that the TMVP was prepared to hand over all its weapons to the government once a “settlement” had been reached. He denied charges that children were used in any administrative activities, or even for distributing the TMVP pamphlets that are circulated weekly across the town. Mr. Pradeep admitted that they had received complaints of harassment carried out in camps but attributed this to “unknown gangs” in the area. He said that the TMVP was also distributing Rs.500 000 worth of essential items, such as milk powder, to IDP camps that had not received any milk food supplies from the government. He maintained that the Eastern Development Centre was formed with the objective of economically uplifting the East and that it was working closely with the government, NGOs and other civil organizations towards this goal. The TMVP has also identified Vaunativu as the next resettlement area and it is willing to assist the government in the process of resettlement. Around 150 000 IDPs are from Vaunativu and they are keen to return to their homes since there are no landmines in that region. However, Sampur is said to be heavily mined -- a contention that the TMVP denies.“Sampur was earlier an LTTE held area and we know for a fact that it was not mined. So we don’t understand why the government does not want the people to be resettled and is dragging its feet over the returnees. If the people are sent back soon they would not have to face such hardships as in the camps in Batticaloa,” he said. Diplomats interfering in local affairs can be deported - Tyronne Interference by foreign diplomats in the local affairs of a sovereign country can make them liable for deportation and persona non grata status, Senior Advisor to the President and former Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando said. The Government is concerned over the unnecessary interference in local affairs by a number of Western diplomats, particularly European diplomats, Fernando said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama are concerned about this development, he added. Fernando explained that under the Vienna Convention, a diplomat who is assigned to a particular country cannot interfere in the affairs of that sovereign nation and can be subjected to deportation. “I advised them that under the Vienna Convention a diplomat who interferes in the affairs of a sovereign country to which he/she is accredited can be asked to go home,” Fernando told the Daily News. “In fact, when I was acting Foreign Minister I had to ask a Western diplomat to go home,” he recalled. Many Western countries are funding humanitarian aid in different forms in Sri Lanka but that not does allow them to interfere in the country’s affairs, he said. “The days of colonialism and imperialism are long over to put their nose in our own affairs.” Johnston under threat Amidst the growing incidents of human rights violations, UNP MP Johnston Fernando yesterday complained about anonymous threatening calls he had received. Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Mr.Fernando said he lodged a complaint with the Kurunegala police at noon yesterday in this regard. He said he would also send a letter to Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara requesting the latter to take steps for safeguarding his life . “I received threatening calls four times from telephone numbers with the Colombo code. Callers threatened to bury me either four feet under the earth or send me to the remand prison along with Sripathy Sooriyarachchi,” he said.Mr. Fernando said the reason was the questioning of the alleged multi-million fraud that had occurred in purchasing of MIG aircrafts for the Air Force with the involvement of a powerful defence official. Intelsat takes steps to halt unauthorized use of its satellite by LTTE Intelsat, the leading provider of global satellite communications said they are taking to halt the unauthorized use of one of its satellites by LTTE in Sri Lanka.Issuing a statement today Intelsat said their officials, including its technical experts have met with Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the United States, Bernard Goonetilleke, yesterday to discuss the steps to be taken to stop the piracy by LTTE. The statement quoting Intelsat's General Counsel, Phillip Spector, said, "Intelsat does not tolerate terrorists or others operating illegally on its satellites. Since we first learned of the LTTE's signal piracy, we have been actively pursuing a number of technical alternatives to halt the transmissions. We are clear in our resolve to ending this terrorist organization's unauthorized use of our satellite."The Sri Lanka Embassy and Intelsat agreed that these illegal transmissions by the LTTE are a violation of Sri Lankan and U.S. laws. Sri Lanka to import Basmati rice from Pakistan Sri Lanka will import 5,500 tonnes of Basmati rice duty free from Pakistan for the year 2007 under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with that country.Sri Lanka public sector is to import 500 tonnes while the rest is imported by the private agencies liable to a “certificate of origin” issued by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. Sri Lankan importers can now apply for the issuance of letter of recommendation to import Basmati rice through the Ministry of Finance. Dalas threatens of establishing a Military government President's advisor Dalas Alahaperuma has made a threatening warning to a UNP MP stating that if the country's leadership is questioned or threatened a military government will be established.Making the threat Alahaperuma said that if the president's life faces any sort of an accident the UNP shouldn't have any hopes of coming into power and that they would establish a military government.A question has arisen in the local political arena whether Gotabaya Rajapakse's emergence into the defense ministry, who is a former military personnel, is the beginning of such a regime since he has begun to talk about politics and emerge in the political arena more frequently.Speaking to Sunday Lankadeepa last week he had said "I haven't stole things in the Kytes islands, I haven't got court marshaled like others. How can Sripathi talk about air craft since he was in the Navy? The president, I or the opposition leader cannot decide what the security forces need. This war has been messed up by politicians trying to get involved. We have been doing that for the past 25 years. We have done enough during this year. What did Ranil do during his regime? He only assisted the LTTE."Gotabaya doesn't have political freedom as he is a 1st grade executive level government official who is a secretary of a ministry and so far the country has not seen anyone who has broken these shackles so far.Since late opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has begun to criticize president Rajapakse and his family and once he even called the Mahinda Chinthanaya, Madamulana Chinthanaya. At a function held in Colombo recently he asked the defense secretary to resign from his post and requested the president to appoint Janaka Perera who is a brilliant army officer. 11 April 2007 If Murali was in Colombo he too would be abducted- Ranil Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says, the government which has secret deals with the LTTE and won elections by paying them to purchase in return which the LTTE used to purchase air craft, should stop abducting Tamil innocent businessmen.Speaking during a function in Colombo yesterday he said though the President and the IGP keep on denying about the abductions one could see how many have been abducted if you walk around Colombo.The function was organized to educate the public by the civil monitoring mission, regarding the recent spate of abductions.He also said, "when the sri lanka cricket team is winning so many matches and gaining glory for the country, the Rajapakse regime is abducting Tamil people and tarnishing the country's name. If Muralitharan was in Colombo he too would be abducted. Since there could be only southern hero, even Sanath Jayasuriya cannot exist. This is the state of the country". Speaking here chairman of the Civil Monitoring mission Sirithunga Jayasuriya said "I knew that rights of the Tamil people would be violated under Rajapakse's regime from the day he won the elections, but I'm sad that it became a reality. I went to Geneva and met officials of the Human Rights council. They accepted that rights are grossly being violated here and promised to give a global publicity to this via the international media"."In the high security zone where an average civilian cannot carry a match box, so many murders and abductions are reported When we speak about it the government says a third party is carrying out all these work to humiliate the government. Who is this third party? The Karuna fraction or Gotabaya Fraction?" he added.He said a strong public force was needed to stop such violations and that yesterday's function was one in many that would follow. LTTE mortars kill one soldier, wound 2 Indian embassy van hijacked in Colombo A Dolphin Hiace van, belonging to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, was hijacked and its driver abducted, beaten and then released over Monday night and Tuesday morning, a mission official told HindustanTimes.Driver S Vishvanathan ,a Tamil of Indian origin but a Sri Lankan national, was on his way to the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake 30 km away, on routine airport duty, when he was chased by some men in a car from the Paliyagoda junction up to Dandugama bridge, at which point, he was obstructed, dragged out of his vehicle, pushed into the abductors' car, beaten black and blue, and driven to an unidentified place.The abductors knocked out two of his teeth, the mission official said.A member of the gang, drove away Vishvanathan's vehicle.Vishvanathan told mission officials after his release from captivity, that he was detained in an open ground right through the night. But at about 5.30 am the next day, the captors suddenly asked him to flee, saying "Now, get out, otherwise we will shoot you!" Vishvanathan fled and contacted mission officials who asked him to go to the nearest police station and lodge a complaint.The mission staff rushed to the Negombo police station, where the case was registered, and took Vishvanathan to a hospital.In a state of shock, Vishvanathan was yet to tell the mission the details of his horrendous experience.According to the police, Visvanathan said that he had managed to escape from captivity. The police have handed over the case to the central Crime Investigation Department (CID) in view of its sensitivity. This is not the first time that the Indian mission in Sri Lanka has lost a vehicle to hijackers.In 2005, a posh SUV given to the Assistant High Commissioner in Kandy, Rajan Pillay, was hijacked at Avissawela on the Colombo-Kandy road while Pillay and his wife were having tea and snacks at the popular Avissawela restaurant.The vehicle is yet to be recovered, though some reports said that parts of it had been found in Kurunegala. Missing person in Mannar allegedly murdered by fellow fishermen Talaimannar Police arrested a person in connection with the disappearance of a fisherman few days ago in Talaimannar Sea and produced him before the Mannar Magistrate's court Tuesday. Additional Magistrate T.J.Pirapaharan ordered remand for the suspect till April 19. The police made the arrest following a complaint by parents of the missing person that he had been murdered by fellow fishermen and not due to navy firing.Earlier the fisherman identified as Nelson Tharcius was reported disappeared on April 5 when the Sri Lanka Navy fired at the boat he was travelling with two others.The suspect identified as Wimal had told the Talaimannar Police that he along with Nelson Tharcius and Rajan transported refugees to Tamilnadu in a fibreglass boat from Pesalai on April 5. The Sri Lanka Navy fired at the boat when they were returning to Pesalai. Nelson Tharcius died due to gunshot injuries. They threw his body into the sea, according to a statement made by the suspect.However parents of the dead had told the Police that Nelson Tharcius did not die due to navy firing, but was killed by his two fellow fishermen, Wimal and Rajan. The police later recovered a sharp knife buried in a sandbank in Talaimannar Sea. The police are now taking steps to arrest Rajan who is absconding.Meanwhile on representation made by parents of missing person,TELO President Selvam Adaikalanathan, the TNA parliamentarian, has sent an urgent letter to the Inspector General of Police to take immediate steps on the complain. Tamil Tigers call for sporting boycott of Sri Lanka by Mel Gunasekera Tamil Tiger rebels Tuesday backed an Amnesty International campaign to shame Sri Lanka's government during the cricket World Cup and said it should be extended to a full sporting boycott of the island. The London-based rights watchdog has been asking Sri Lanka to improve its rights record and has urged thousands of fans in the Caribbean to sign special white cricket balls marked "play by the rules."Amnesty says the Colombo government, the Tamil Tiger guerrillas and other armed groups must commit themselves to allowing independent human rights monitors to oversee the island's long-running ethnic conflict.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) said the Amnesty campaign would raise international awareness among the majority Sinhalese population about "the brutality of their government against the Tamil population."The Tigers have been fighting for a separate state for the Tamil minority in a bloody war that has claimed more than 60,000 lives since 1972. "The apartheid South African regime was brought to its knees by using sports to raise political awareness among the white South Africans," Tiger spokeswoman Selvy Navaruban told AFP."I hope in a similar fashion the campaign started by Amnesty International will evolve into an international sports boycott against the Sri Lankan cricket team," she said.However, Amnesty said the campaign was not aimed at the Sri Lankan cricket team, though the government and Sri Lanka Cricket, the sport's governing body, have already lodged a protest with the International Cricket Council.Last week, the influential Free Media Movement (FMM), which consists of journalists and rights activists, said Amnesty's use of the tournament could anger moderates and help the government take a more hardline stance."To mix sports in general, and cricket in particular, with human rights advocacy, is a gross error and strategic blunder in a Sri Lankan context," the FMM said. Cricket is hugely popular in Sri Lanka and cuts through political and ethnic lines."Amnesty International's actions at the Cricket World Cup, for the best of intent, may well result in the worst of outcomes for human rights activists in Sri Lanka," the FMM said.However, the guerrillas thought otherwise."Anyone who thinks cricket can be used to gloss over their government's brutality is utterly ignorant," Navaruban said.Rights activists have said that more than 750 people have disappeared in the island in the past year as government troops battle Tamil Tiger rebels.In recent months, bodies have been found of people shot dead "execution-style" and dumped in swamps and roadsides.Sri Lanka are due to host a high-profile cricket series against England later this year. Thousands of Tamils defy Paris protest bar Over 2,000 Tamil expatriates gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower Monday, despite the authorities’ cancellation of a planned protest rally to condemn the arrests by French police of several Tamil activists for raising funds for the LTTE. The protestors gathered in nearby public places, blocking traffic. Although the protest’s cancellation had been publicised on Tamil radio and television by the rally’s organisers who told expatriates that permission would be sought anew, several thousand people converged on the city centre, defying orders to disperse, to condemn the arrests on April 1, a week after the LTTE airstrike on Katunayake.French counterterrorism police simultaneously raided four Tamil community organisation premises on Sunday April 1 and arrested 19 individuals on accusations of extorting funds which were sent to the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. The Paris office of the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee (TCC)was raided in the early hours and arrests made. There were also arrests of individuals from other Tamil businesses and organizations. Amid shock and anger amongst the Tamil community in France, the Tamil Youth Organization (TYO) there had called for expatriates to rally in protest at a Paris city-centre location on Monday at 2:00 p.m. However, the French authorities had refused to allow the protest to go ahead as scheduled.The authorities’ cancellation was, reportedly at their request, widely publicized in Tamil electronic media, including the Paris based Tamil Television Network (TTN).Nonetheless, several thousand Tamil expatriates arrived in Paris Monday to protest.The organisers – the TYO, the India Sri Lanka Business Chamber in Paris and Anthony Russell, a Paris councillor - held a press conference Monday morning at the Novatel Hotel in Paris-12 to announce the cancellation of the planned protest.The India Sri Lanka Business Chamber in Paris has more than 250 businesses as members. The protest organizers urged several thousand people who had taken to the streets to peacefully return and cooperate with their decision to respect the authorities’ orders.Over five thousand people were turned back by the organisers and French Police, according to Tamil electronic media covering developments in Paris. But some two thousand protestors had flocked to the Trocadèro square in front of Eiffel Tower around 3:15 p.m., around 50 meters from the site where the cancelled rally was to take place at 2:00 p.m.The protestors also took to nearby public places. In some places large numbers of people sat on roads blocking traffic.But the crowd refused to heed orders by the police to disperse.Police were forced to call on Councillor Russell to convince the angry crowd to peacefully leave the site and attend a rally that would be announced at a later date.Following an address by Mr. Russell, the protestors left the square peacefully at 5:00 p.m.Mr. Russell told French media that he had 400 Tamil families in his area and none of them had complained about forcible fund-raising by the TCC.A spokesperson from the Pondicherry Tamil community, Jean-Marie Julia (Chevalier) said that the Tamil community has been living in France for more than 23 years and respected the laws of the country. The India Sri Lanka Business Chamber chamber released an appeal from over 120 member business establishments (almost all owned by Tamil expatriates) in the La Chapelle area supporting the TCC and rejecting allegations of forcible fund-raising."The authorities here have been well aware that the TCC has been collecting funds for more than 22 years," said Sivaguru Balachandran, editor of a local Tamil weekly, the Paris Eelanadu."The EU ban on the Tigers has been criticized by as having a counter-productive effect on the peace process in the island of Sri Lanka. The decision was even criticized by even the former head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, who said it was a decision by top officials, who neglected the ground realities and ignored the suggestions by the monitoring mission," he said."Again, the timing and aggression by the French counter-terrorism police, five days after the LTTE air-strike on Sri Lanka Air Force base in Colombo, strongly suggests that [these arrests] have been carried out on a similar logic," Mr. Balachandran told TamilNet.At the press conference Monday morning, Ms. Suba, representing the Tamil Women Organisation and Mr. S. V. Kirubaharan, representing the Tamil Centre for Human Rights in France, spoke on the violation of human rights by the government of Sri Lanka. 10 April 2007 ICRC laments civilian casualties in Sri Lanka The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) yesterday expressed concern about mounting civilian casualties in northern and eastern Sri Lanka's theatres of conflict as over 50 people were killed and more than 75 injured in less than two weeks.The Geneva-based ICRC, which has been operating in Sri Lanka for the past 18 years, in a statement said it was "deeply concerned about the worsening situation in the country and especially its effects on civilians".The ICRC said it was calling on the parties to the armed conflict to "respect the rules and principles of international humanitarian law, in particular by distinguishing at all times between civilians and fighters." The call came after 31 civilians were killed in four separate incidents, including two attacks on passenger buses in the north and east of the country. More than 65 were injured in incidents during the past week. Caught in crossfire At least eight more civilians were killed during an exchange of artillery and mortars between the security forces and Tiger guerrillas in the eastern province.The civilian death toll has been rising steadily during the last month, with both the military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attributing more than 150 civilian deaths to the other side. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka, in a statement to parliament, said that 76 civilians had been killed in March while the guerrillas issued a separate statement that 73 civilians had been killed during that period in the North and the East.However, it was not clear whether some of the figures given by the LTTE included their own cadres."We are not in a position to confirm whether some of those killed were actually civilians as it is some times difficult to differentiate after an incident and the Tigers claim they are civilians." Govt. open for peace talks with LTTE Responding to reports the LTTE was ready to resume peace talks with the government, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday welcomed the news but asserted that the LTTE would continue to be considered a terrorist outfit and dealt with accordingly.Meanwhile government peace secretariat head Palitha Kohona, when contacted by the Daily Mirror, said there was no official communication from the LTTE of its willingness to resume negotiations and as such he did not wish to comment on yesterday’s Daily Mirror report.“If the LTTE is ready to come we are willing to take it and we want it to come. We want to make the LTTE a part of the negotiations and part of a negotiated settlement. It should become stakeholders in that right. At the same time it is important for us to say who the Tigers are as much as they say who we are. We are a sovereign nation and owe a responsibility to the country and to its people. They should take this opportunity to shed terrorism and be part of the negotiated process,” Minister Bogollagama said. The LTTE, as reported in the Daily Mirror yesterday, had at a meeting with the SLMM expressed willingness to resume peace talks with the government but at the same time placed a pre-condition for such negotiations saying the now defunct ceasefire agreement (CFA) should be first fully implemented and future talks should be based on the agreement signed in 2002.When asked if the government would agree to any precondition for talks, Minister Bogollagam said “That is up to the LTTE. We have not placed any conditions.”Minister Bogollagama meanwhile recalled that at the just concluded SAARC summit Sri Lanka had emphasized there could be no social and economic progress without peace and security and proposed that terrorism should be condemned in all its forms and manifestations.“The leaders of SAARC reaffirmed their commitment to implement all international conventions relating to combating terrorism, to which SAARC member countries were respectively parties at the SAARC Regional Convention on suppression of terrorism and the additional protocol to the SAARC regional convention dealing with the prevention and suppression of financing of terrorism,” he said. The Foreign Minister said SAARC leaders had agreed to implement the proposals to suppress the financing of terrorism, acquisition and collection of funds for such acts even through front organizations, to counter illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and trafficking in persons and illicit arms. Sri Lanka agreed to host a legal experts’ meeting to examine to examine the idea of a SAARC convention on mutual assistance in criminal matters. The SLMM had expressed alarm at the increase in civilian casualties following a string of attacks and conveyed the message to the LTTE at a meeting on Friday while the same message was conveyed to the government Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) last week. Appeal for a DNA test to identify a body believed to be of missing Tamil Catholic priest An appeal to facilitate to perform DNA tests to identify a torso suspected to be the body of a disappeared Sri Lankan Tamil Catholic priest is pending in Jaffna Magistrate court. The torso was found on March 14th hidden in a military sand bag tied to a grind stone. The catholic priest Rev. Fr. Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown, 34, Parish Priest of Allaippiddy disappeared with his aide Wenceslaus Vincent Vimalan, 38, on 20 August 2006. Ministers helpless due to brother Gotabaya- Johnston UNP Kurunegala district parliamentarian Johnston Fernando says the ministers are faced with severe inconveniences due to the acts of the Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse and that they are unable to move even a step against him as he is president's brother.Speaking to the media from the opposition leaders official residence he said though the government is currently slinging mud towards the UNP stating that the LTTE brought down air craft during the UNP regime, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga set up anti air craft missiles around the temple trees and president's house in 1995 knowing the threat of such air attacks. He said not only the security forces but even the average civilian knew that LTTE possessed air craft and that the defense secretary should be held responsible for the Katunayake attack as he once said during a press conference that although the air port doesn't fall under his purview he will protect it. Fernando said that Gotabaya Rajapakse who is alleged with financial mishandling by Sripathi Suriarachchi and Mangala Samaraweera, has not adhered to his responsibilities as the air craft purchased with his influence doesn't have the ability of attacking a target which is air borne but only has the ability to attack something that's on ground.The UNP parliamentarian added that the Mahinda Chinthanaya never mentioned anything about appointing president’s brothers as defense secretary and presidential advisor. He also charge that the government is spending thumping amounts of money for war and are attempting to keep the country’s security as a family matter.He also said that 5 police officers have been suspended after the Ampara bus bomb but said that no one has been touched or accused for the massive Katunayake attack. Johnston Fernando said the ministers and the officers of the government and security forces are covering up the attack as it could easily fall into the account of the defense secretary. According to him this is the most corrupt post independent government.The MP said that the defense secretary should go back to the country which he is a citizen for the past 10 years if he cannot take up the responsibility for the Katunayake attack.Fernando finally said that the opposition will do its utmost to chase away the corrupted government with the support of the public after May. Govt. 'concerned' on media reports 'Development' in east Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentary group leader Athuraliye Rathana Thero said journalists are not focussing on "development work" carried our in the eastern districts."There is an ongoing development programme than a war in the east. The leaders discussed the lack of media focus on development work," he told BBC Sandeshaya.The Buddhist monk who attended the meeting added that many abductions in Vavuniya carried out by the Tamil Tigers are being described as work of the Karuna faction. 'Discredit' the government Media continuously report accusations by the opposition but government's development work receives a lacklustre response, Rathan thero said.The coalition leaders have agreed to focus more on anti-government media reports.Rathana thero said party leaders were in the opinion that there was a systematic move to discredit the government by accusing it of abductions and taking ransoms carried out by organised gangs.Asked whether the government is taking any steps to stop the "organised gangs", the theor said President Rajapaksa has ordered the police chief to take action. Ranil calls for halt in abductions, disappearances and killings Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that the LTTE couldn’t be weakened by disappearances. “If the government thinks that the LTTE can be weakened by abducting people, it is mistaken,” he said. Mr. Wickremesinghe made this point at a meeting organized by the Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) on disappearances and killings in Colombo yesterday. He said Tamil business community are not the only ones who have been hampered by this problem as Sinhalese and Muslim business persons too are made to face them as well. The UNP would join anybody who accepts democracy, to safeguard human rights and bring about a peaceful society. The Opposition Leader said while the Sri Lankan cricketers are bringing glory to the country the government is damaging its international reputation through extra judicial killings and disappearances. He also blamed the media for being silent on this matter. “I have to question the editors on this matter,” he said, while refuting a news item carried by a Sinhalese daily, which said radar systems have been fixed in a South Indian military camp. He said the UNP had made an effort to safeguard human rights through an MOU signed with the SLFP, but now that opportunity too had been lost. “I wanted to safeguard human rights through the MOU while others in the party wanted ministerial posts,” he added. Wickremesinghe assured the loved ones of those who had disappeared in the recent past that he would do his utmost to find their loved ones. A large number of relatives of persons, whose loved ones had disappeared and were present at the meeting, became uncontrollable, as they gathered round Wickremesinghe calling on him to find their loved ones. “Please find my husband as I have become helpless with five children after he disappeared,” one woman was heard to say. A petition which called for an independent international human rights mechanism was handed over to him during the meeting.TNA MP Suresh Premachandran, called on the Opposition Leader to intervene, to stop extra judicial killings and disappearances, said his party would support the UNP in this regard. He blamed intelligence units and paramilitary forces, for over 900 disappearances that have taken place in the country. CMC Chairman, Sirithunga Jayasuriya, who blamed the Karuna Faction and govt. officials for the spread of disappearances, said a UN Human Rights mechanism should be introduced immediately; to stop this trend before it is too late. CMC Convener, Mano Ganeshan, UNP MPs Ravi Karunanayake and John Amratunga also spoke. The CMC is to hold island wide meetings to create awareness on the issue of dissappearences. One sixth of Tamil Tigers' internationally raised funds come from Australia, says Sri Lanka Foreign Secretary Sri Lanka Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona who is also the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) in Sri Lanka is now in Australia to seek the latter's support to ban the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Australia.LTTE is waging war against the Sri Lankan government to establish a separate state in the north and east provinces of Sri Lanka for minority Tamils. Dr. Kohona stated that about one-sixth of the estimated US$10 million (A$12.8 million) to US$30 million the Tigers raised internationally came from Australia. "Australia is one of their biggest sources of funding, and of course these funds do not go to any charitable or other purpose; they are used essentially for procuring weapons on the international weapons black market," said Kohona to Australian media. Karuna threats prevent Batticaloa MPs from visiting eletorates "Due to death threats from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) backed Karuna group in Batticaloa district, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians representing constituencies in the district have not been able to go to their electorates for the last six months, affected parliamentarians said. Batticaloa MPs have been unable to even participate in high level planning meetings where the district's urgent needs are discussed and decisions taken,TNA parliamentarians told media Sunday. "Therefore we have been forced to conduct the next Development and Integration meeting for Batticaloa district, which usually takes place in Batticaloa district Government Secretariat, in Colombo Parliamentary Complex on Wednesday,” MPs said. "If the elected representatives are not in a position to go their constituencies it reveals the power Karuna paramilitary group wields due to State support it enjoys," T. Jeyanandamoorthy, one of the TNA parliamentarians for Batticaloa district said. "Karuna paramilitary group, openly aided by the SLA in Batticaloa, are running many camps located almost next to SLA camps. Abductions, killings, robberies, intimidation and harassment by Karuna group are increasing at an alarming rate in Batticaloa and the victims of human right violations have been effectively prevented from meeting their Members of Parliament to express their complaints," he added. "We are unable to learn first hand of the urgent needs of the thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) lodged in interim refugee camps and take steps to provide even the basic facilities to them," he said. Mavai Senathirajah, General Secretary, had sent letters to Disaster Management Minister Mahintha Samarasinghe and Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse requesting helicopter facility to visit the IDPs, 17 March. The decisions taken on the future development plans and activities of the district are customarily made in Batticaloa Government Secretariat in meetings presided by Disaster and Relief Service Minister, M. S. S. Ameer Ali along with the district s' parliamentarians, Government Agent, Departmental heads and various Non-governmental organizations functioning in the district. "The Batticaloa TNA parliamentarians also face obstruction in transferring funds received from expatriates to help the destitute people of Batticaloa district while private business people too are unable to function freely because of death threats, extortion and intimidation from Karuna group paramilitary personnel," the MP said. Tamil dailies, Thinakural and Virakesari week-end edition, are not allowed to reach the people of Batticaloa due to restriction laid down by Karuna group in order to prevent the people from learning local and outside news, civil society members in Batticaloa said. Governor moves to end teacher shortage in Vanni In order to overcome shortage of teachers, the Governor of the Northern Province, Rear Admiral (retd) Mohan Wijewickrema has decided to recruit retired, voluntary and eligible teachers to serve in schools in the Vanni District. General Secretary of the All Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union, T. Mahasivam said there were 1,600 teacher vacancies and the Governor had decided to fill them before the new term commences during the last week in April.He said the Governor had directed the line Ministry to accept his recommendations as President Mahinda Rajapakse had instructed that at no stage should the basic education of the students, especially in the Vanni, be interrupted. A committee was to be appointed to inquire into the appeals of teachers and make recommendations.This was after 600 or more teachers, who were residents of the Jaffna District, but employed in the Vanni, protested last week and staged a Satyagraha for three days demanding that they be given appointments to schools in Jaffna, since they had been separated from their families since August 2006, due to the closure of the ‘A -9’ road .Subsequently the Governor directed that 300 of the Vanni teachers be given appointments to schools in the Jaffna District while the other 300 were appointed to schools in cleared areas of the Vavuniya and Mannar Districts.As there was a shortfall of around a thousand teachers in the Vanni district, before the 600 teachers were transferred out, the Governor had recommended that immediate steps be taken to recall retired teachers as well as certain Voluntary teachers, with special recruitment to those voluntary teachers in service and any who are qualified to be eligible teachers. Sea Tigers among refugees Three refugees, who registered at Ramanathapuram in India, have been found to be Sea Tigers, officials said.They said Devajodeeswaran (24), Sugandan (22) and Justinraj (23) of Mannar and Jaffna - had registered at the camp along with some other refugees more than a week ago. They were, however, quarantined on suspicion.The intelligence wing police held special inquiries with the threesome and after seven days of interrogation the suspects confessed they were Sea Tigers serving in the intelligence wing of the banned outfit. Reportedly they were deployed in a remote area of Colombo among Lankan Tamils, where they were allegedly in charge of collecting information on Lankan troop movements . Welcome to the new Darfur Two children stand on the roadside staring into the thick darkness of a banana plantation, their slender shoulders drooping from the weight of ammunition around their necks. Their eyes betray unadulterated terror, and the younger one, no more than 13, looks close to tears.Towards the jungle, across from the bleak strip of peninsula that separates the town of Batticaloa from the Sri Lanka mainland, comes the penetrating thud of shells from government field-guns.As each shell falls, the children, cadres from the Karuna Faction, a breakaway militia which split from the Tamil Tigers two years ago, nervously twitch their fingers on the triggers of AK47s.The Karuna Faction are now in the middle of a brutal struggle against their former comrades in the Tamil Tigers, a situation the Sri Lankan Army is well placed to exploit. But the three-way battle is causing untold misery in and around Batticaloa.Army trucks hurtle past the children standing guard, heading towards positions in the west and north. Across from a heavily guarded checkpoint, Vijay Lakshmi, 52, sits in a refugee camp surrounded by 27 members of her family. The sound of fighting in the distance is coming from the Sittnadikudi district, where she once lived.For her and an estimated 196,000 others around Batticaloa, including the 12,000 people who share this camp, home is now a white United Nations tent.Her children and grandchildren are fed sparse rations of rice in a communal kitchen. The World Food Programme fears it will run out of rations for the refugees within a month.This remote eastern corner of one of the world's most beautiful tourist destinations has become the centre of a humanitarian crisis both the UN and the International Red Cross say is fast rivalling that in Darfur. As in the Sudan, the forced recruitment of children is at the heart of the crisis."The Government is shelling our land each day, the Tamil Tigers are looting everything and the Karuna Faction are abducting our children," Ms Lakshmi says. A fortnight ago Ms Lakshmi's eldest nephew, Rajnish, 15, was dumped in a paddy field. His neck had been broken and his groin peppered with bullets. A pro-Tamil Tigers pamphlet had been stuffed in his mouth. His crime had been manning a Karuna Faction checkpoint. He had been "recruited" at gunpoint four months earlier.He was one of a growing number of child military victims of a bloody war being fought through thick jungle between Government troops, Government-backed Tamil fighters led by Commander Karuna, and battle-hardened guerrillas from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).Karuna is the nom de guerre of 42-year-old Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, a widely feared guerrilla. Until two years ago he was the Tigers' military commander. Hailing from a small village near Batticaloa, he broke away from the Tigers, saying the eastern Tamils were dying in disproportionate numbers for the northern leadership. Both Tamil factions claim to be fighting for a state for the three million Tamils on the Indian Ocean island where the 20 million population is dominated by Sinhalese people.In Batticaloa, the two groups vie for control, using abductions and political assassinations to enforce their rule. Although these rivals were once on the same side - fighting the Sri Lankan Army for 20 years in a conflict that has claimed 65,000 lives, including 4000 in the past eight months - they are now sworn enemies. It is a widely held suspicion that Karuna and his troops are now sheltered by his former arch enemy, the Sri Lankan Army.Those suffering the most are the children and parents caught in the middle.With its poverty, ethnically-mixed population and fluid lines of control between the Government and Tamil rebels, the east coast of Sri Lanka is known for its volatility.Stories of child abductions by the guerrillas are common. "Children and the destruction of family life are at the centre of the epic tragedy you see here," say Human Rights Watch campaigners, who accuse the Sri Lankan Government of complicity in the abduction of minors by refusing to stop child recruitment by the Karuna rebel group. Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said: "It's a shame that Government forces complicit with the Karuna group are now involved in the same ugly practice [as the LTTE]. There is strong evidence that government forces are now openly co-operating with the Karuna group despite its illegal activities."Children under the age of 14 can be seen standing guard and Sri Lankan soldiers and police walk past the armed children without taking action.Reliance by the LTTE and Karuna factions on children as frontline warriors in Sri Lanka's 20-year civil war has long been a stain on their international reputation. Agencies, including the island's peace monitors, have said that boys and girls as young as 11 have been recruited as fighters - many abducted from their homes, and that children make up more than 20 per cent of the rival forces.The fears of the Karuna Faction child soldiers looking into the jungle are understandable.The Tamil Tigers have carefully nurtured their deadly mystique. Every Tamil guerrilla fighter carries a cyanide suicide capsule the day he or she is accepted into the Tigers' military ranks - to take if captured alive.Suicide bombings by an elite unit known as the Black Tigers are still at the heart of the Tigers' effectiveness as guerrilla fighters. For the Tamil Tigers there is none of the talk of a guaranteed place in heaven for martyrs, such as espoused by Muslim suicide bombers.The Tigers are not religious and believe that there is nothing after death. Their fanaticism is borne of indoctrination from childhood.The estimated 4000 Tiger cadres embedded around Batticaloa, about half of whom are women, have emerged as a compact attacking force using the strategy of highly mobile conventional armies favoured by the world's most advanced countries.For most of their history, the Tigers, led by their reclusive leader, Prabhakaran, have demanded an independent homeland carved out of the north and east of Sri Lanka.Prabhakaran's argument is simple: the Tamils, who make up 12.5 per cent of Sri Lanka's population, cannot live together in peace with the majority Sinhalese. A separate state, Eelam, is necessary in the Tamil heartland of northern and eastern Sri Lanka.Government security forces have detained hundreds of people during sweeps of Tamil residential areas in Colombo.Many have been freed days or weeks later without charge, and rights lawyers say there is a culture of impunity that gives the military and police free rein to detain anyone they want.K.S. Ratnavale, a lawyer who handles detention cases and who is director of the Centre for Human Rights and Development, said: "East, south or north, if you are a Tamil you can expect to be terrorised from all sides, the people who govern you and the people who claim to fight for your freedom." Torrential rain adds to Batticaloa IDPs woes Nearly 150,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying in 93 temporary camps in different Divisional Secretary areas in Batticaloa are undergoing immense difficulties due incessent rain and flooding in the east, sources in Batticaloa said. A 66.6 mm rainfall was recorded for the last 24 hours on Monday 8:00 p.m by Batticaloa Weather Observation Centre, sources added.A total of 153.4 mm rainfall has been recorded since Friday.Unable to find proper outlets, rain water stagnates in many areas and New Kaluvanchykudy, Kaluvanchikudy and Paduvankarai areas face the danger of floods, Divisional Secretaries inform. Most of the 150,000 IDPs from Trincomalee, Vaharai and Paduvankarai sheltered in 93 temporary shelters and lodged in tents built on bare ground are unable to remain inside the tents as rain water runs through the tents. IDPs staying in tents in Chenkalady, Eravur, Kaluvankerny, Kalavanchikudy and Arayampathy areas too continue to experiences immense hardships.The refugees in the tents are unable to provide care and warmth for their children who are hit by low temperatures, IDPs complained.The Tamil-Sinhala New Year drawing close, people are unable to buy necessary provisions, and traders and vendors too face economic loss, according to civil society sources.Fishermen could not go fishing due to the continuing downpour resulting in shortage of fish in the markets. Small roads, being flooded, no longer can be used cause transport difficulties in Batticaloa district.Severe security measures adopted by Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF), are causing additional difficulties and hindrances to the public, civil sources said.The roads in front of Police stations in Batticaloa, Kathankudy, Kalavanchikudy, Eravur and Valaichenai are blocked for traffic, and traffic is being diverted through alternate byroads creating congestion. 09 April 2007 TID to question Sivajilingam again today LTTE ready for talks Just days after displaying its air capabilities the LTTE has expressed willingness to resume peace talks with the government but has at the same time placed a pre-condition for such negotiations saying the now defunct Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) should be first fully implemented and future talks should be based on that agreement signed in 2002.According to well informed sources the LTTE had conveyed this message to a Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) delegation at a meeting in Kilinochchi on Friday, the first meeting between the ceasefire monitors and the rebels since the LTTE air raid on the Katunayake air force base two weeks ago.Acting SLMM head Jon Oskar Solnes led the SLMM delegation at the talks in Kilinochchi while the LTTE team was represented by the LTTE peace secretariat head S. Pulidevan. The meeting itself had no major significance as the SLMM had frequent meetings with the rebels and the government peace secretariat. The government has yet to officially respond to the LTTE offer to resume talks but it comes even as the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) prepares to make the final draft for a lasting solution to the conflict with the SLFP announcing its proposals will be out on May 1.However the LTTE had, at the meeting with the SLMM, warned of serious repercussions if military action by the government were to continue with almost weekly Air Force raids on rebel locations.The SLMM has expressed alarm at the increase in civilian casualties and conveyed the message to the LTTE at Friday’s meeting while the same message was conveyed to the government Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) last week, the Daily Mirror learns.The SLMM has meanwhile deployed a rapid response team (RRT) to Vavuniya where a claymore blast targeting a passenger bus resulted in civilian casualties. The SLMM however has yet to be granted access to the Katunayake air force base to probe the LTTE air raid.The government has persistently said it would continue to take appropriate action to deal with any LTTE act seen as a threat to national security even if such government action was recorded as a violation of the CFA. The LTTE has said such government action had resulted in civilian casualties in rebel-controlled areas, a charge the government vehemently denies. Pope: End bloodshed in Sri Lanka 'Thousand faces' of violence "I am thinking of the scourge of hunger, of incurable diseases, of terrorism and kidnapping of people, of the thousand faces of violence which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion, of contempt for life, of the violation of human rights and the exploitation of persons." In a message from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Pope called to mind conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In Africa, he listed Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Zimbabwe as places of suffering. Africa's conflicts "In Darfur and the neighbouring countries there is a catastrophic, and, sad to say, underestimated, humanitarian situation".In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pope Benedict said, the violence has raised fear for the future and the reconstruction efforts of the Republic."In Somalia, the renewed fighting has driven away the prospect of peace, and worsened the regional crisis, especially with regards to the displacement of populations, and the traffic of arms".He said Zimbabwe is also on the brink of a "grievous crisis".The Pope criticised those who used religion to justify violence, human rights abuses and exploitation. He said that Iraq was being torn apart by continual slaughter as the civilian population fled. Tamil rebels, Sri Lankan military fight 4-hour battle, 8 killed in other fighting The Sri Lankan military and Tamil Tiger rebels traded artillery fire for four hours Sunday at a key road junction on a strategic highway leading into the country's north, the military said. Government soldiers, meanwhile, killed six Tamil Tiger rebels in two clashes in the country's northeast, while a roadside bomb left one soldier dead, Military spokesman. Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said Sunday, capping a week of bloodshed that has left dozens dead. The A-9 highway was closed by the military in August after the Tigers attacked a military checkpoint and killed several soldiers. The military has said the move was necessary to stop rebels from transporting weapons and fighters into government-held areas. The rebels confirmed the artillery exchange and said they were only returning fire. Neither side had any reports of casualties. "The terrorists fired at us with mortars and we fired back with appropriate artillery," military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said of the violence in Onamthai, the entry point to the A-9 highway from government territory. Nearly 500,000 Tamil civilians have been cut off from vital supplies since the highway's closure. Violence between government forces and the rebels - who are fighting for an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils in the island's north and east - has increased dramatically in recent weeks as the government pushes to retake rebel-held territory. Over the last week, the government has bombed the rebels' naval headquarters in the north, and clashed with the insurgents in the east and at sea, reportedly killing more than two dozen rebels. The Tigers have struck back with bombings and several attacks at sea. Two bus bombings the military blames on the insurgents killed at least 23 people this week. Last month the Tigers carried out their first ever air raid, striking a government air force base. The Defense Ministry, meanwhile, warned citizens to be alert as they prepare to celebrate the Sinhalese and Tamil new year on Friday and Saturday. Citizens should be cautious of "suspicious persons or activities" in crowded areas such as on buses and trains, it said. The civil war, which began in 1983, killed at least 65,000 people before a Norwegian-brokered cease-fire was signed in 2002. The truce temporarily halted the fighting, but more than 4,000 people have died since late 2005, when violence flared again. Neither side has backed out of the cease-fire. The government doesn’t give relief to affected farmers in north-east--TNA MP Thangeswari in Parliament K.Thangeswari, TNA MP for Batticaloa, told Parliament that the north-east farmers who are affected by war or by natural disaster are not provided with any relief by the government. Addressing the Parliament on an Adjournment Motion, Parliamentarian Thangeswary stated that 1000’s of farmers are badly affected by war in the north-east. More than 300 irrigations schemes have been destroyed by design in the north-east. Lands belonging to the farmers in the east and particularly in Paduvankarai area have been acquired by the security forces. President taps party leaders today on SLFP proposals President Mahinda Rajapaksa has summoned the leaders of government political parties for a meeting this evening to seek their opinion on the SLFP proposals for the resolution of the national question.Last week, SLFP General Secretary and senior Minister Maithripala Sirisena told Parliament they would submit their political proposals on May 1, with due legal refinements.Basically, the government has proposed a solution to the problem through maximum devolution of power, based on a unitary model while abolishing the Executive Presidential system.In contrast, the main Opposition UNP has already proposed extensive devolution of power within a united Sri Lanka while maintaining the Executive Presidency with certain modifications. Asked to comment on the matter, UNP MP and senior lawyer K.N. Choksy said the major difficulty faced by the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) was the lack of common proposals put forward by the government parties. Mr. Choksy said these parties had submitted conflicting proposals.“The pursuit of the negotiating process will carry greater credibility if the government can agree within itself on what should be the basis of a negotiated settlement,” he said. The UNP said it was concerned about the delay in the SLFP working out its proposals to resolve the problem through the APRC. The opposition tabled its proposals to the Committee during the first week of January. Following the government entertaining UNP crossovers, the party withdrew from the Committee citing the breach of the MoU signed between the two parties. “However, the Committee Chairman and other members requested the UNP to participate in the meetings. Thereupon, the UNP informed the committee that it will consider its participation provided the SLFP submits its proposals before March 15,” Mr. Choksy said.He added that the APRC had not met for the past several weeks due to the lack of SLFP proposals.“Last week, the UNP accused the government of lack of interest in pursuing a negotiated political settlement,” he said.Under these circumstances, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) hit out at the ruling SLFP, saying the Tamil people rejected a unitary model before 50 years, and therefore they were not prepared to reconsider this type of a solution.TNA Jaffna district MP and TELO Leader M.K. Sivajilingam said they wanted a re-merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, but the government had not made known its definite position on the issue. ICC rejects Sri Lanka claims Play by the rules The AI has launched "Play by the Rules" campaign to coincide with Cricket World Cup to focus on Sri Lanka's human rights violations. The campaign called on both parties as well as other militant groups in Sri Lanka to take steps to prevent civilians caught between as violence intensifies.Sri Lanka government has protested to the ICC as well as the AI saying the timing might undermine the morale of the Sri Lanka team playing in Super 8 round currently in the Caribbean.The government was pledged to "stop" the AI campaign by the ICC after the issue was raised, according to Sunday Times. ICC has 'no authority' But the ICC says it is determined to focus on the World Cup but nothing else."We do not intend to let matches be politicised but equally we cannot stop lawful demonstrations if they are outside the ground and therefore out of our jurisdiction," James Fitzgerald told BBC Sandeshaya in an email message.The AI meanwhile stressed that the campaign is not aimed at Sri Lanka cricket team.AI campaign manager Robert Godden told bbcsinhala.com that it has nothing to do with the Sri Lanka team or West Indies.The campaign was launched in Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, India, Nepal and UK to sign white cricket balls urging the parties to invite independent human rights monitors. Internal politics The signed balls will be delivered to the Government as well as the LTTE, AI said in a statement.The world cricket governing body is not interested in internal politics of any member country says the ICC."Our focus is very much on cricket at this time, not the internal politics of any of our members. Our priority remains the development of the game around the world through the staging of a successful World Cup," ICC Communication Officer said.James Fitzgerald refused to comment on whether the campaign would affect the moral of the Sri Lankan players or final result of the Cricket World Cup. Suppress the Lankan Navy committing atrocities on Tamil Nadu fishermen with iron arms -Tamil Nadu Congress leader Tamil Nadu Congress leader Krishnasamy told the Indian Central government to crush the Lankan navy that commits atrocities on innocent Taminadu fishermen on the seas with iron arms and with all the might at its disposal. He was addressing the media immediately after a demonstration held in Kumari district condemning the attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen. He stated that 250 Tamil Nadu fishermen have been killed by the Lankan Navy since 1980. 2000 Tamil Nadu fishermen have been injured and more than 200 Tamil Nadu fishermen have disappeared. We must put an end to the atrocities by the Lankan navy. Eastern Muslims face threat of colonisation With the Supreme Court upholding the de-merger of the East from the Northern Province “We will take the matter up with the President soon. In every letter we exchanged with the President prior to joining him, we made very clear that there should not be any state colonisation. We foresaw that this was going to happen Colonisation is not new in Sri Lanka. Even in some of the Tamil dominated areas there has been colonisation. But if this time the matter is left unheeded, it will end in disaster”The de-merger of the north and east by a court order has posed a fresh threat to the minority Muslims in the east.Muslims in general fear the sudden spurt of state aided colonisation in the predominant Muslim areas in the east. They fear that this turn of event might change their life overnight.The de-merger has aggravated the state sponsored colonisation and Muslims in particular are getting prepared for a showdown. The government is actively engaged in grabbing every inch of unutilised lands in the Ampara District and some adjoining areas to ensure occupation of Sinhalese from the South. The state aided colonisation is fast progressing in Pottuvil, Deegavapi, Norachcholai and Akkraipattu and this has irked Muslims The Muslims who have already been clamouring for a Muslim majority district in the Ampara District that comprises Pottuvil, Sammanthurai and Kalmunai are now disillusioned.Some Muslim traders based in the east said Muslims who never resorted to carrying arms might be compelled to do so, like the LTTE, if the government failed to understand their sentiments.“We are a very patient lot. But if we are provoked, we can react violently,” they warned.The colonisation according to them is on a steady process and they charge that if the local politicians failed to address this issue or take it up with the President, they will start agitations. De-merger blamed The recent court order to de-merge the north and east has apparently blocked every opportunity that was available for the Muslims to push for a separate Muslim District through peace negotiations.Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC ) General Secretary and Deputy Minister Hasan Ali has commented that this was unfair and that the congress would not allow the government to continue with its colonisation process.“Just because we are in the government, it does not mean we can ignore an issue of this nature. This is turning out to be a huge crisis,” he said.He admitted therewas state aided colonisation and large number of Sinhalese from the South was being forcefully settled in the east.“This is again a violation of an individual’s fundamental rights. The people in the South must be allowed to live in the South and vice versa,” he said. “Colonisation is not new in Sri Lanka. Even in some of the Tamil dominated areas there has been colonisation. But if this time the matter is left unheeded, it will end in disaster,” he added. Military fatigue clad armed group robs 7 houses in Eravur A group of armed persons in military uniform robbed million of rupees worth of jewels and cash in 7 houses in Saddam Hussein village and Rugam (Urugamam) resettlement village in Eravur police division in Batticaloa district around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the affected people lodged complaints at Eravur Police.Around 10 persons in military fatigues speaking Tamil took part in the robbery.Eravur is a predominated Muslim town and the particular villages are on the border of Tamil area. Saddam Hussein village is situated 16 km northeast of Batticaloa town. India's foreign minister seriously injured in car accident Mukherjee was first taken to a village clinic near the site of the accident, about 130 kilometers north of Calcutta, where he was "given stitches in his head and oxygen and saline to stabilize his condition," PTI reported, quoting a doctor.He was then transferred to a hospital in a nearby town where a team of army doctors and neurosurgeons rushed to meet him.Kanojia said Mukherjee was to be taken Sunday by helicopter to Calcutta, where he would be put on a special flight bound for New Delhi, the capital.Mukherjee is close to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi. He was first named defense minister after Congress returned to power in 2004, and became foreign minister in an October Cabinet reshuffle.Two West Bengal state politicians were also hurt in the accident, along with Mukherjee's driver and security guard, both whom were reportedly in serious condition. SLA arrests 31 civilians in Eravur Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police arrested 29 men and 2 women, in a cordon and search operation conducted Saturday around 4:00 p.m in Palacholai, Kaluvankerny and neighbouring areas in Eravur police division in Batticaloa. The SLA, after interrogating the arrested civilians, handed them over to Eravur police around 7:00 p.m, for further investigation, sources in Eravur said. The arrested are detained at Earvur police station.The areas where the search was conducted were places where a great number of internally displaced people (IDPs) from Vaharai, Sampoor and Paduvankarai areas had sought refuge.The SLA claimed that they conducted the search on a tip off that the residents of the area had connections with armed men.The SLA troopers and police personnel, going from house to house, checked the national identity cards of the residents and searched the houses.Meanwhile, 2 of the 27 civilians arrested in a similar cordon and search Wednesday evening in Sithandy, Murakottanchenai and Santhiveli areas, are still detained at Eravur police station.Kaluvankerny is located 17 km northeast of Batticaloa. 07 April 2007 Abductions and killings continue in Vavuniya TELO MP laments in Parliament Vinogaharathalingam,TELO & TNA MP for Vavunya, told Parliement that abductions and killings continue in Vavuniya and that Vavuniya has come under the reign of paramilitary groups. He was addressing Parliament on the debate on the extension of Parliament. He stated that there was an unofficial curfew in Vavunya after 6 in the evening. There have been instances where ransom was demanded from doctors serving in the Vavuniya Hospitals. Sri Lanka roadside bomb kills 7 aboard bus A roadside bomb tore through a civilian bus in northern Sri Lanka - on Saturday, killing seven people and wounding 26 others, the army said, blaming Tamil Tiger rebels for the attack. Recently escalating violence in Sri Lanka - has included murky killings that each side blames on the other, or on other militias. On Friday, the human rights watchdog group Amnesty International said both the military and the rebels were deliberately targeting civilians and urged the country to let in international monitors. The attack was the second on a civilian bus in a week, after a bomb on one killed 16 people Monday in the eastern town of Ampara. Violence between government forces and the rebels who are fighting for an independent homeland for minority ethnic Tamils in the island country's north and east has increased dramatically in recent weeks as the government pushes to retake rebel-held territory in the east. The rebels have struck back with bombing, their first-ever air raid on a government air force base, and several attacks at sea. The rebels have fought the government since 1983, seeking independence from the ethnic Sinhalese-dominated country after decades of discrimination against Tamils. The civil war killed at least 65,000 people before a Norwegian-brokered cease-fire was signed in 2002. The truce temporarily halted the fighting, but more than 4,000 people have died since late 2005, when violence flared again. However, both sides still claim to be abiding by the truce. Dramatic rise in Sinhala support for military solution– CPA The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) said that support for a military solution was continuing to rise dramatically among the Sinhala community, with well over half of those polled (59.2%) in support of a military solution. "A majority of the Sinhala (48%) community have a lot of confidence in President Mahinda Rajapakse’s ability to wage a successful military campaign against the LTTE. The Up-Country Tamil and Muslim communities remain skeptical," the CPA said.Social Indicator, the polling unit of the CPA this week released the top-line results of the Peace Confidence Index (PCI) survey for February 2007.The study covers the Sinhala, Muslim and the Up-Country Tamil communities in the areas outside North and East. The cumulative data gathered by PCI is a unique and invaluable foundation for a comparative study on changing public opinion regarding key issues, ranging from perceptions of war and peace to current political developments. The February 2007 report captures the public mood at the close of 2006 and the first two months of the New Year, during which time violence and hostilities, particularly in the North and East of Sri Lanka intensified. Military offensives and counter-attacks by the LTTE led to an increase in IDPs and refugees and a worsening humanitarian situation, which in turn had a detrimental effect on human rights across the country. "PCI offers a unique statistical foundation for peace and conflict analysis in Sri Lanka," said Pradeep Peiris, the head of Social Indicator, "and we are keen all interested parties avail themselves of this data to strengthen their work and initiatives in Sri Lanka". Key findings of the latest report include: When compared to the PCI findings of November 2006, Sinhalese support for the government defeating the LTTE has increased to 35.1% (up from 26.1%) while support for peace talks is down to 46.3% (down from 57.3%).Support for a military solution continues to rise dramatically amongst the Sinhala community, with well over half of those polled (59.2%) in support of a military solution.A majority of the Sinhala (48%) community have a lot of confidence in President Mahinda Rajapakse’s ability to wage a successful military campaign against the LTTE. The Up-Country Tamil and Muslim communities remain sceptical.Opinions vary significantly between the communities polled on the commitment of the Government and the LTTE to find peace through talks. A majority of the Sinhala (73.8%) and the Muslim (50%) communities agree that the government is committed to find peace through talks. There is also a sharp difference of opinion as to whether the Ceasefire Agreement has benefited ordinary citizens, with the Sinhalese of the opinion that it has not whilst the Up-Country Tamils and Muslims believe it has. This difference of opinion continues with regards to the Government’s commitment to the CFA, with the Up-Country Tamils expressing their marked dissatisfaction as opposed to the overwhelming percentage of Sinhalese (79.7%) and a majority of Muslims (53.3%) who express their satisfaction.Many Sinhalese are dissatisfied with the role of Norway as facilitator and disapprove the continuation of their role in the peace process. This is in contrast to the majority of the Muslim and Up-Country Tamil communities who express their satisfaction and support on both counts. Late President's grandson threatened by existing president's security men It is being reported that a grand son of late President J.R. Jayawardena has been subjected to an investigation after entering his house by force charging him of being an LTTE ally. It is being reported to LeN that the reason behind this is that Ambrich Jayawardena was subjected to this because he didn't let a vehicle that was traveling along with Defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse to overtake him.According to reports Jayawardena had been arriving home a group of vehicles had shouted at him saying that he did not make way to the vehicle parade of the Defence secretary. He too has shouted back at them.When Jayawardena was entering his house a group of security personnel of Gotabaya Rajapakse had entered his house by force saying that "J.R. Jayawardena is a dead president and we are the security personnel of the living one". They have then subjected the entire house to a search stating that he was LTTE ally.As soon as the incident was reported Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and UNP MP John Amaratunga had arrived at Jayawardena's house to look into the matter.Gotabaya Rajapakse too has called Jayawardena personally and apologized for the mistake committed by his security personnel.However Jayawardena has also lodged a complain to a nearby police post regarding the incident.Once before minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle who was traveling to parliament with his vehicle parade came under a similar assault by Gotabaya's security men.These incidents clearly elaborate that those who careful and don't violate road rules are being harassed by those who violate road rules. Electricity in Colombo cut off to find suspicious air craft An observation has been made in Colombo after cutting off the electricity for around 20 minutes last night on a warning that an suspicious air craft was flying to Colombo from the Thalai-Mannar area.When questioned regarding last evening's power cut from sub electricity posts they said the Ceylon Electricity Board had initiated the power cut and would resume electricity in about 30 minutes.It is being reported that the electricity was suspended on the orders of the security forces due to information received by them of a suspicious air craft that was said to be flying from Thalai-Mannar via Kalpitiya to Colombo.The emergency generators at the Temple Trees were also not activated during these times.But since the details pertaining to the air craft were not confirmed within this period electricity supply was resumed. When questioned regarding this, a spokesperson of the CEB said yesterday's power cut was preparative measure.However the air force were not able to foil the air strike carried out by the LTTE on the Katunayake air force base even though the relevant parties were informed 40 minutes prior that a suspicious air craft was flying towards Colombo. Vitharana looking forward to SLFP proposals The Chairman of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), Minister Tissa Vitharana says SLFP proposals to end the ethnic conflict, expected to be submitted early next month, will be a major development, as already 10 out of the 13 parties represented in the grouping have put forward their recommendations.Meanwhile commenting on moves by renegade LTTE eastern commander Karuna Amman to put forward proposals to the APRC, Minister Vitharana says there is no restriction on such a move, as parties that are not represented in the APRC have made similar recommendations.The SLFP announced that its proposals will be released on May 1st and will be based on a Sri Lankan model, with maximum devolution, within a unitary state and proposes an executive Prime Minister, thus abolishing the existing Executive Presidency.Minister Vitharana said once SLFP proposals are received, the APRC will be reconvened, to discuss a final proposal. “My policy has been that all the proposals are circulated among the 13 parties represented in the APRC. The CWC and JHU have informed me that their proposals are ready and they are awaiting the SLFP proposals in order to release theirs,” Minister Vitharana told the Daily Mirror. Punguduthivu body may belong to Fr.Brown, say Jaffna clergy The Catholic clergy of Jaffna peninsula suspect that the mutilated torso found at Punkuduthivu sea on 14 March 2007 packed in a military sand bag tied with a grindstone by barbed wire, likely belongs to the disappeared Catholic priest Rev. Fr. Jim Brown, sources close to the church in Jaffna said. The church has appealed to the Jaffna Magistrate to facilitate sending blood samples to an authorized lab in Colombo to perform DNA tests to identify the suspect body. Rev.Fr. Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown, 34, Parish Priest of Allaippiddy and his aide Wenceslaus Vincent Vimalan, 38, disappeared on 20 August 2006 after being interrogated by the Sri Lanka Army at Mandaithivu checkpoint. The Catholic clergy and Jaffna residents organized several protest actions urging the SLA to release information on the disappearance. The special envoy to the Pope too visited Jaffna in this regard.Extra effort taken by the killers to ensure that the murdered body remained at the bottom of the ocean have aroused suspicion that the body belongs to a VIP.The torso still remains at the Jaffna Teaching hospital morgue. 'Protect civilians' in conflict zones 'Systematic violation' The watchdog has accused both Sri Lanka security forces and the Tamil Tigers of “systematically violating” their obligations under international law to protect civilians affected by the conflict.“In the last month conflict has led to the displacement of at least 80,000 civilians doubling the existing IDP population in Batticaloa District to over 160,000. Fearful and facing acute insecurity, many of these IDPs are experiencing food shortages. Water shortages are severe forcing families to attempt to dig their own wells. In one incident, on 3 March 2007 a child drowned in a water hole that her mother was attempting to dig,” the statement added.The parties to the conflict were urged to allow access to the humanitarian aid agencies to help civilians affected.“Aid agencies report that prior to the latest military offensive in March, the government as well as the LTTE severely restricted access to Batticaloa District and other conflict areas under their control, leaving tens of thousands of new IDPs, and large numbers of other affected populations, without adequate international protection and access to humanitarian assistance. In this context civilians are at grave risk of being caught up in apparently indiscriminate artillery bombardments by both sides, or subjected to deliberate reprisal killings”. Caught up in violence The Tamil Tigers, are also accused of targeting civilians in various ways, according to the rights group.“The LTTE has reportedly been responsible for numerous political killings and indiscriminate bomb attacks, and continues to forcibly recruit child soldiers. The group has prevented civilians from fleeing areas of combat in the north and east”.The Sri Lanka government was accused of failing to bring into justice those responsible for gross human rights violations.“Existing national human rights monitoring and investigative mechanisms do not presently have the capacity to deal with large scale human rights violations. Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission says hundreds of people have 'disappeared' so far this year, on top of 1,000 last year. At the international level, Sri Lanka has 5749 outstanding cases being reviewed by the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, several hundred of which have been reported since the beginning of 2006”.The watchdog has urged the government to allow international rights monitors on the ground to enhance civilian protection.“This is necessary due to the failure of domestic remedies for human rights violations - whether committed by the government, the LTTE, or other armed groups,” the AI said. Human rights violations in Sri Lanka to be raised at Asian Pacific Summit The issue of Human rights violations is to be raised by UNP Parliamentarian Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene at the Asian Pacific Summit to be held in South Korea this month. Dr.Jayawardene told Sudar Oli that more than 18,000 Tamils have fled to India and live in refugee camps following the war in Sri Lanka. This is due to the military moves by President Rajapakse, who is the Commander of the Armed Forces. Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene revealed that he would raise human rights violations at this summit and that he would persuade the participants to bring international pressure on the government to stop the war and to work for peace. DIG of the CID has been involved with SLFP politics Chief opposition whip Joseph Michael Perera questions whether those who are not anti government would face difficulties when dealing with DIG of the CID D.W. Prathapasinghe, since he clearly is someone who has been involved with politics from the SLFP.Speaking during the extension of the emergency regulation he raised this issue stating that Prathapasinghe had been involved with SLFP politic since school days and has even held the post of treasurer of the university SLFP students union. So he questions whether members of other parties would face discrepancies through him.A petition filed at the Supreme Court filed by Prathapasinghe confirms that he was an active member of the SLFP's politics where he has said that his promotions were held back since he faced severe discrepancies as he was involved with politics.In his petition he has sited Defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, IGP Victor Perera and several other officials of the police commission as respondents where he clearly states that his promotion as an ASP was delayed by the then UNP government as he actively took part in SLFP politics while at the university Jaffna peninsula faces electricity shortage Electricity supply to the Jaffna peninsula is danger of being curtailed severely following the announcements by the two private operators of electric power plants that they will be decreasing production of electricity due to contractural issues and other logistical difficulties, civil sources in Jaffna said. The officials of Jaffna branch of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) estimate that 32 MW of power is required to meet the demands throughout the peninsula.KOOL AIR and AGRIKO have been supplying a combined production of only 30 MW.Even during normal times the total production is not sufficient to meet the needs despite claims by Government of Sri Lanka that Jaffna public is being supplied with required amount of electricity throughout 24 hours.Recently, KOOL AIR operating in Kankesanturai (KKS) since 1996 has recently reduced its supply from 15 Mega Watts to 4 MW stating that its contract is to expire shortly, reducing the total supply to Jaffna to 19 MW. With Sri Lanka Army (SLA) demanding 24-hour power supply to the military in High Security Zones(HSZ), authorities are planning to drastically curtail supply to Jaffna residents, civil sources said.Unconfirmed reports say that GOSL is actively negotiating with an international source to supply of power to the North.Until 1990 Jaffna received electricity from Laxapana power station transported along high-voltage transmission lines. With the onset of war most of the transmission towers to Jaffna were destroyed, and electricity supply to Jaffna depended on diesel-fired power stations in Chunnakam and in KKS operated by private entities. Alleviate the sufferings of North-East refugees-Mannar Bishop appeals to Buddhist priests Rev,Fr.Rayappu Josef, Bishop of Mannar, appealed to a delegation of Buddhist priests, who called at the Bishop’s House, to do all that they could to alleviate the sufferings of the refugees in the north and east. Bishop of Mannar stated that the area around Madu Church must be declared war free zone. The problem should be resolved through power sharing. UNP Parliamentarian Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene was also present at this meeting LTTE purchased aircraft using the money given to them by Rajapakse's- Sripathi says in parliament Former minister who is now being held in remand custody Sripathi Suriarachchi states that the LTTE purchased Air Craft and weapons utilizing the money given to them by the government.Speaking during the extension of state of emergency in parliament yesterday he said he and Basil Rajapakse participated in a discussion with the LTTE.He said after the particular discussion the LTTE was handed over a sum of 2 billion rupees and the number increased when president Rajapakse won the election.Suriarachchi said he was ready to disclose all details pertaining to this including the names of those who are involved before a parliamentary select committee.He said that it was Rajapakse's who gave money to the LTTE and that it could be proved with witnesses. No threat says India’s Air Chief Chief of the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Marshal Y.R. Rane said the recently acquired air combat capability of the LTTE posed ‘little or no threat’ to the country. At a news conference here, the Air Marshal said non-State actors with air capability were surely a threat to international civil aviation. Hence, the integration of civilian assets, such as air traffic monitoring radars, with air defence systems was being accorded priority by the Central Government. He said the LTTE's acquisition of air capability was ‘something that could not be sustained.’ More ‘combat assets’ of IAF would be moved South, he said. What is This Pre-Owned MiG-27 Worth? There was a government investigation in Sri Lanka recently, to try and determine if the prices paid for second hand MiG-27 fighter bombers over the past seven years, had been inflated by corruption. The report concluded that there was no corruption, or at least none that could be detected. The numbers from the report seems to bear this out. Sri Lanka, which has been at war with its separatist Tamil minority for over a decade, needed some easy-to-use, and easy- to-maintain, ground attack aircraft. Ukraine had lots of old, Cold War era, MiG-27 fighter bombers. These were well worn aircraft, with only about a thousand flight hours left on them. But the Ukrainians were willing to sell them cheap, and, as a bonus, offer inexpensive refurbishment services, that would add 2-3,000 flight hours to the aircraft. The first batch of seven MiG-27s (one was a trainer version) were bought between 2000-2003, for an average $1.72 million each. The aircraft performed well, even though two crashed and one was destroyed on the ground. In 2007, another four, of more recent vintage, were purchased, for $2.5 million each. Some of the older aircraft were also refurbished. The major problem the anti-corruption crowd had was that it was difficult to put a fair price on these Cold War surplus warplanes. Ukraine had inherited thousands of these warplanes (including hundreds of MiG-27s) in 1991. The Soviet Union dissolution deal had military equipment belonging to whatever new country the stuff was in, when the Soviet Union dissolved into 15 new countries (including Russia, and Ukraine). For decades, Ukraine had been the major staging area for a possible invasion of Western Europe. Thus lots of warplanes were parked there. Ukraine had no need for most of these, and there was not a big market for second hand Russian warplanes in the 1990s. But some of the better stuff was kept in decent shape, so Sri Lanka was able to get some proven combat aircraft at a fraction of what any alternatives (new or used) would cost. That said, Ukraine could have sold the aircraft for less, and still come away with a profit. These aircraft were headed for the recycling facility in a few years anyway. And the refurbishing contracts meant months of well paid work for hundreds of Ukrainians. The anti-corruption investigators could not find any decisive evidence of shady dealing. But the situation still left plenty of opportunity for payoffs. After all, Ukraine wasn't the only country with pre-owned MiG-27s. In the end, however, Sri Lanka got their moneys worth. They defeated the Tamil rebels, largely because the air force now had a potent and reliable ground attack aircraft. 'Tamil Tigers' charged in Paris 06 April 2007 TNA will never submit to threats, we will face any inquiries TELO Leader Sivajilingam in Parliament MK.Sivajilingham, TELO & TNA Parliamentarian, told Parliament on April 4th that the government was branding TNA Parliamentiand as LTTEers and there by attempting to deny them Parliamentary previlleges. But the TNA would never submit to such threats. He told that there was no truth in the news report that he had taken an official vehicle given to him through Omanthai and given it to the LTTE. The vehicle he took through Omanthai belongs to the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization and it bears the number WPNA 0457 and it is newly registered at the Department of Registrar of Motor Vehicles. It is now being used at the Mahatheva Ashram for the benefit of the children in an orphanage and for handicapped children. He further stated that he had been quizzed for 10 hours by the CID regarding this matter revealed by the President to the media. TNA Parliamentarians are not terrorists and they don’t engage in illegal and unlawful activities. Sri Lankan navy, Tamil Tigers battle at sea Sri Lankan naval gunship’s battled Tamil Tiger boats off the island's northwest coast on Friday, the military and LTTE said, both sides claiming to have destroyed enemy craft. The military said patrol craft spotted five rebel boats off Kalpitiya, 140 kilometres (90 miles) northwest of the capital, Colombo, and destroyed one of them. At least four rebels were believed killed when the boat went down, the Defence Ministry's media centre said, adding that the other four vessels fled. However, the LTTE said their forces sunk a Sri Lankan ship, killing seven sailors before returning to base without loss. The navy collected the seven bodies and then fled the area, said Liberation Tigers Military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan from Kilinochchi, The clash took place inside LTTE's territorial waters, according to the Tiger military spokesman. "Our Patrol Unit Commander reported seven enemy casualties after the encounter which lasted for 15 minutes," Mr. Ilanthirayan said. There were no casualties on LTTE side, again it was not immediately possible to explain the discrepancies, but both sides frequently deny their own losses and inflate those of the other side. Sinhalese appointed East's Chief Secretary Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse has appointed Mr.Herat Abeyeweera as the Chief Secretary of the de-merged Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) on the recommendation of Provincial Governor Rear Admiral (retired) Mohan Wijayawickrema. The new appointment has come into effect from April 1 Sunday to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Mr.R.Thiakalingam who held the post for two months since the de-merger of the North East Provincial Council (NEPC).Mohan Wijayawickrema holds the post of Governor for the EPC and acting Governor for the North Provincial Council (NPC).Mr.Thiakalaingam has been appointed Secretary to the Provincial Public Services Commission (PPSC) for the eastern province with immediate effect, sources said.The new Chief Secretary, Mr.Abeyeweera, earlier served as the Government Agent of Amparai district in the eastern province. Meanwhile, Amparai District Civil Groups' Forum has expressed deep concern and dissatisfaction over the appointment of a Sinhalese to the post of Chief Secretary of the EPC replacing a Tamil and not appointing a person from Sammanthurai who has won the respect and confidence of Tamil and Muslim people in the province.The Forum said the appointment of a Sinhalese Chief Secretary is another attempt to bring the eastern province dominated by Tamil speaking people, under majority rule.The Forum questioned the Muslim leadership that had supported the de-merger of the North-East, why they are silent when a Sinhalese is appointed the Chief Secretary of the EPC instead of a Tamil speaking person, sources said.When late Prime Minister S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike, founder of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and S.J.V.Chelvanayakam, leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK), signed the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam (B-C) pact in 1957 to grant regional council status to the North and East, no Sinhalese represented the eastern province in the parliament. The present Sinhala electorates in the east, Digamadulla in Amparai district and Seruvila in Trincomalee district have not been carved out at that time. Mr.J.R.Jayawardene who opposed the B-C pact argued at that time that the implementation of the B-C pact would give Tamils in the North-East a separate state. Mr.Jayawardene was at that time the leader of the UNP and the leader of the opposition. He later became the Prime Minister and the first Executive President Soon after the abrogation of the B-C pact, the successive governments of United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) vigorously implemented state- aided colonisation schemes in the districts of Trincomalee and Amparai and settled Sinhalese peasants from the south despite the opposition by the ITAK led by Mr.Chelvanayakam. With the appointment of a delimitation commission in 1970, new electorates were carved out in the names, Digamadulla in Amparai district and Seruvila in the Trincomalee district for Sinhalese settlers. Since then Sinhalese are elected to parliament from Digamadulla and Seruvila from the east. UNP avoids voting for extension of emergency! When a voting was taken in the Parliament Yesterday to extend the emergency by one month, the UNP abstained from voting. 119 Parliamentarians voted for the extension of emergency. In addition to government MPs, Members of the JVP, JHU, SLMC and also the UNP Members who crossed over to the government voted for the proposal. Only 16 Members of TNA voted against. Speaking at the debate on extension of emergency UNP Parliamentarian Joseph Michael Perera said his party had decided not to vote for the extension of the emergency. He said the government did not take advantage of the support given by the UNP to defeat terrorism and violating the MoU signed between the UNP and the SLFP indicates the government has rejected the support of the UNP. He accused the SLFP for not presenting proposals for a lasting solution for the national question and not mediating to halt violation of human rights.Secretary General of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena in response said the proposals of his party would be forwarded by 1st May. He said the committee appointed for the task has finalized the draft and after obtaining legal opinion the proposals would be forwarded to APC said Mr. Sirisena. A lie doesn't last forever; Navy lieutenant freed Lieutenant Rohana Gamage who was arrested and detained since the 13th of last month by the terrorism investigation division on the charges of having connections with the LTTE and supporting the organisation was freed yesterday afternoon without lining up any charges against him in court.The CID earlier stated that when he was arrested in Anuradhapura some secret and suspicious documents were also found from his possession.Speaking to 'LeN' wife of the lieutenant Rasika Priyadharshini said that her husband was released without any charges after being held by the TID for 23 days.Speaking to the media on the 14th of last month former minister who is in remand custody currently said that the relevant lieutenant was arrested to hamper the minister’s political path as he was attached to his ministry while serving for the navy intelligence unit.Also after the lieutenant was arrested his wife speaking to the media said that he had no connections with the LTTE but he took part in several discussions and meetings of the Karuna fraction on orders issued by the government.Though the government media reported that several impotent and secret documents were found from his possession it is reported to LeN that those documents were ones which Gamage had collected to hand over to the Navy as one of his project work. The media has a noble role to ensure national amity in the country -Bishop of Mannar His Lordship, Rayaupu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar, has said the media in Sri Lanka has a great and noble role to play in ensuring communal amity in the island. Bishop of Mannar was addressing a two day work shop of the Vanni district media forum. He stated that the Tamil people aspire to enjoy the rights that are enjoyed bythe majority community in the country. “The 26 year old war has ruined the country. The media has to play a vital and viable role to build up a united nation with respect for human rights and democracy,” he said. Why Mahinda wants Indian as C'wealth chief Following Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's suggestion that the next Commonwealth Secretary General be an Indian, there is speculation as to why he mooted the idea and who he might have had in mind while doing so. According to a top official, who did not want to be indentified, Rajapaksa told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in New Delhi earlier in the week, that having an Indian as secretary general would give the South Asian region the clout that it badly needed. "India is the most powerful, the largest and the most populous country in the region," the official said in explanation.The current Commonwealth Secretary General, Don McKinnon, is to retire in April 2008. Asked if Rajapaksa mentioned any particular Indian in this context, the official said: "No names were mentioned. The President left it to India to come up with a name. All that he said was that Sri Lanka would back an Indian candidate."But political circles in Colombo believe that the president may have had Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer in mind. Aiyer is popular in the Sri Lankan Establishment. SLAF bombs Vadamaraadchi East villages Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir bombers flew over Vadamaradchi East Thursday afternoon and bombed Iyakkachchi and Kaddaikkaadu villages in Liberation Tigers controlled Vadamar'aadchi East in Jaffna district. A few houses were damaged in the attack.No civilian casualties were reported in the airstrike which was reported around 1:00 p.m.Many civilians have vacated the villages due to artillery attacks. Tigers accused of killing farmers Bomb in Wattala In a seperate development, five people were arrested in Hendala just north of Colombo, after a tip-off led troops to discover a 10 kg Claymore mine."It was hidden in an office. Four Tamils and a Sinhalese girl have been arrested. The bomb has been defused and taken Husband, wife killed in DPU Claymore attack A 42-year-old woman and her 54-year-old husband, parents of four, recently displaced from Vavuniya, were killed Thursday in Paalampiddi, 38 km northwest of Vavuniya town, when a Sri Lanka Army Deep Penentration Unit (DPU) triggered a Claymore mine targeting the IDP couples' bicycle at 1:45 p.m., according to Tamileelam Police.The victims, Raveendran Ravi, 54, and Sindhu Ravi, 42, were attacked while they were cycling towards their IDP camp located in Thadchan'aamar'uthamadu.They were IDPs who had displaced from 8th Unit, Paavatkulam in Vavuniya, following the artillery attacks in the area. Anura for re-merger National Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike set the stage for another controversy when he told Parliament yesterday the Northern and Eastern Provinces should be re-merged while devolving maximum power within a united country to resolve the national question. Speaking during the debate on the extension of the emergency, Mr. Bandaranaike, however, said it was his personal opinion and not that of the SLFP or the Government.The minister said India, the European Union, the US and Japan also subscribed to a similar stand.He said he had, however, as a Cabinet member, to agree with Government policy.In the backdrop of the LTTE showing its air power, Mr. Bandaranaike said he was totally dissatisfied with the security arrangements for Parliament and requested Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara to take urgent measures because the House could be a prime target of the Tigers. "Today, terrorism has taken a dangerous trend as never before. All this time, people were used to vehicle bombs. Vehicles were searched at great inconvenience to the public. The waters of the Diyawanna Oya were patrolled," he said.He said the Air Force base adjoining the Katunayake airport came under aerial attack from the LTTE unexpectedly. Mr. Bandaranaike said people got excited about such incidents for one day and forgot everything the next day, and the magnitude of the problem was that the LTTE had shown it could use its air power at any given time and on any given target. The Speaker should beef up security for Parliament.Referring to a news report about India being criticized for providing an outdated radar system to the air base, he said it was foolish and naïve to blame the giant neighbour whose friendship was vital for Sri Lanka. He said there should be an investigation on what had gone wrong without pinning the blame on anyone."International opinion about Sri Lanka is not very good to say the least. We have to rebuild it. The international community was interested in the welfare of Sri Lanka. We go to beg money from it, but are not prepared to listen to its advice," he said.Mr. Bandaranaike said the whole world was globalized today and as a result, no country could act in isolation. US busts Asian network seeking arms for Tamil LTTE US authorities said Thursday they had busted an arms-trafficking gang, arresting six Asians who had been trying to smuggle weapons from the United States to Tamil Tiger rebels. Singapore man Haniffa Bin Osman, 55, was the latest person to plead guilty in the investigation which saw undercover agents track the alleged arms dealers from the eastern port of Baltimore to the South Pacific US territory of Guam. "The disruption of the supply chain of this organization should reassure the public that the US government is committed to dismantling terrorist groups worldwide," said FBI special agent William Chase. Four Indonesians and Osman have now pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the investigation, from conspiracy to support a terrorist organization to attempting to illegally export arms. They all face significant jail terms. A sixth person, Sri Lankan Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, goes on trial next month on charges of conspiracy, attempting to export arms, money laundering, and illegal possession of weapons. "Keeping sophisticated US weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists has never been more important," said James Dinkins, special agent for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore. "This three-year undercover investigation ... highlights the reach and impact of international arms trafficking." The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are fighting for independence in Sri Lanka's northern and eastern regions. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the conflict since 1972. The rebels have been blacklisted as a terrorist organization by the United States since 1997. US attorney Rod Rosenstein said Osman had pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and to money laundering. In a statement, the Justice Department alleged that Osman conspired with two Indonesians to buy 53 military weapons, including sniper rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers as well as ammunition and night-vision devices for the Tamil Tigers. They contacted an undercover business in Maryland to request a price list and negotiate a deal. As the sting operation unfolded, Osman met in July with undercover FBI agents in Baltimore to discuss transferring the arms to Sri Lanka. He even provided coordinates for delivering the weapons in the Indian Ocean. He asked about the cost of unmanned aerial vehicles, and test-fired several weapons including machine-guns and sniper rifles. Osman told the agents that if the first order, for some 900,000 dollars of supplies, went smoothly a second one worth 15 million dollars could follow, according to a Justice Department statement. In August some 250,000 dollars was wired from a Malaysian bank to an undercover US bank account as a down payment for the weapons' purchase. Osman then travelled to Guam to inspect the weapons including two surface-to-air missiles, and a second down payment of 452,000 dollars was made. Osman was joined in Guam by retired Indonesian general Erick Wotulo, 60, and they both met with undercover agents to discuss shipping the weapons to Sri Lanka. They were both arrested in September in Guam. "We will use all available legal tools to prevent terrorism, including undercover operations targeting people who attempt to obtain military weapons in violation of American law," added Rosenstein. The other Indonesians charged in the case are Haji Subandi, 70; Reinhard Rusli, 34 and Helmi Soedirdja, 33. They along with Wotulo are all to be sentenced in the coming months. Osman will be sentenced in June. Rs. 200 million given to Tigers: Sripathi Sacked minister Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi came to parliament from remand jail yesterday to drop another bombshell charging that the government gave Rs. 200 million to the LTTE in a secret deal during the run-up to the presidential election.Mr. Sooriyarachchi told parliament that the funds were given to the Tigers through various means even via Cabinet papers. He made this allegation in response to some remarks made by UNP MP Palitha Ranga Bandara during the debate on the emergency.Mr. Sooriyaarachchi and the other sacked minister Mangala Samaraweera have alleged that the funds were given to the LTTE to prevent some 700,000 Tamil people from voting at the 2005 presidential election. The UNP has claimed that the enforced boycott in the northeast enable President Rajapaksa to win the election as most of the northeast votes would have gone to the UNP candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe. Earlier in the day, Transport Minister and presidential confidant Dallas Alahapperuma said no party appeared to have benefited from the secret deal alleged to have been struck with the LTTE, in the run- up to the Presidential election.“Some MPs have alleged that there was a secret deal with the LTTE. If it is true, who has benefited from it today,” he asked.Meanwhile the SLFP yesterday assured parliament it would submit its proposals for the resolution of the national question by May 1.Speaking during the debate on the emergency, SLFP General Secretary and Minister Maithripala Sirisena said the committee tasked with the formulation of the SLFP proposals had completed its work and would make them known by May 1.He said the proposals were now being set out in a legal format before presenting them to the people and the international community.The Minister gave this assurance soon after the UNP took the government to task for adopting delaying tactics in working out a solution to the crisis. Speaking on behalf of the UNP, Chief opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera charged that the government was abdicating its responsibility by delaying to come up with the political proposals to solve the ethnic conflict. “The go | ||
