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30 April 2008 Is India breaking its silence over Sri Lanka? By Satheesan Kumaaran The blessings of the Indian central government coupled with the recent events in India and abroad have brought a sense of hope to Sri Lankans that India will finally break its 18 year silence on the Sri Lankan national question. Sri Lankans hope that the direct mediation of the Indian government will end the ethnic conflict and finally bring peace to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankans do not want any more bloodshed on the island. The violence in Sri Lanka has taken thousands of lives since the ethnic conflict began in the 1970s. Sri Lankans feel that there has been enough human sacrifice in the struggle for the solution to the national question to be delayed any further. When the international community called on both parties to end the ethnic conflict through talks, the warring sides only indulged in violence. Both sides accused each other of violating the truce. The Scandinavian monitors (SLMM) failed to monitor the situation even as both parties engaged in military actions. Since 1990, India has maintained its silence with its foreign ministry reporting that they did not want to risk getting directly involved to bring peace to the island. India saw the LTTE as its arch enemy, even though India was home to Tamil military bases, including the LTTE. Furthermore, the killing of former India's prime minister in May 1991spurred Indian policy makers to bring stern measures against the LTTE. It branded the LTTE as a banned outfit on its soil, motivating other countries to do the same. Given this relationship, India had no desire to become involved and end the bloodshed in Sri Lanka until recently. LTTE's appeal to Tamil Nadu to save their brethren in Eelam The LTTE issued an official statement on March 10, 2008, urging Tamil Nadu to act quickly to react to the Indian government's efforts to help the Sri Lankan military. The statement was given after India's red carpet welcome to Sri Lanka Army Commander, Maj. General Sarath Fonseka, who was even taken to military bases in Kashmir during his six-day visit to India. The LTTE's statement said: "The Indian State must take the responsibility for the ethnic genocide of the Tamils that will be carried out by the Sinhala military, re-invigorated by such moves of the Indian State…LTTE wishes to point out to the Indian State that by this historic blunder, it will continue to subject the Eelam Tamils to misery and put them in the dangerous situation of having to face ethnic genocide on a massive scale." And, to Tamil Nadu, the following statement was made: "On behalf of the Eelam Tamils, LTTE kindly requests the Tamils of Tamil Nadu to understand this anti-Tamil move of the Indian State and express their condemnation. Immediate reaction from coalition partner CPI The day after the LTTE issued the statement, the influential Communist Party of India (CPI - a coalition partner of India's ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA)) Tamil Nadu branch General-Secretary, Pandian, gave an interview to the BBC's Thamil Osai on March 11. He said: "The Sri Lankan government is engaging its armed forces against the Tamils in an uncivilised way. In such a situation, receiving the Sri Lankan military chief in India or Indian military officials visiting Sri Lanka to advice them should be avoided. The Sri Lankan government is unjust in every respect. Instead of condemning, it is despicable for Indian government to have any relations with it. Even if there was any before, that should be terminated now." He also lambasted the LTTE for appealing to the people of Tamil Nadu to condemn the Indian central government. He said that the LTTE does not have to advise the Tamils in Tamil Nadu what they need to do because they know what is to be done. He said others (LTTE) need not tell them. But, will others (LTTE) listen to us? In the meantime, the CPI national chapter adopted a resolution on March 26 during the party's four-day meeting in Hyderabad, seeking New Delhi's direct intervention in Sri Lanka to end the ethnic problem towards finding a political settlement. The resolution also stated that: "India should immediately stop supplying arms to Sri Lanka that was mindlessly killing Tamil people." It said: "The CPI appeals to the Indian government to exert its political influence over the Sri Lankan government to stop using armed forces against her own people and restart the negotiations. The Indian government should stop all military supplies and help to Sri Lankans till peace is restored in that island." Vaiko and Lankan leaders engaged in heated arguments in Oslo Vaiko was among leading politicians from south Asia to visit Oslo to take part in the two-day International Conference on Peace and Reconciliation in South Asia held on April 10 and 11 organized by the International Association for Human Values. Other participants included Sri Ravi Shankar (founder of Living Arts Foundation - India), Jayalath Jeyawardene (UNP parliamentarian - Sri Lanka), Arumugam Thondaman (parliamentarian from Ceylon Workers Congress - Sri Lanka), Colin Archer (Secretary General, International Peace Bureau -Switzerland), Erika Mann (Member of the European Parliament), Hilde Salvesen (Special Advisor, The Oslo Center for Peace & Human Rights), Rajiva Wijesinha (Secretary General, Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process - Sri Lanka), Hanssen-Bauer (Special Envoy of Sri Lanka, Foreign Ministry of Norway) and Brahmanawatte Seevali Nayaka Thero (Deputy Secretary General, Sri Lanka Amarapura Mahanikaya). Vaiko, gave a lengthy, aggressive speech in which he blamed the Sri Lankan government for unleashing violence against Tamils in Eelam. He branded the Sri Lankan government a state-sponsored terror. He further asserted that Sri Lanka unilaterally broke the ceasefire agreement signed in 2002 with the facilitation of Norwegian government. He also accused Sri Lanka of not respecting human rights and having drawn the attention and the ire of international human rights organizations. He said the eviction of Tamil-speaking Muslims from Jaffna by the LTTE was justified because of the hostility of Jaffna Tamils towards Sri Lanka-sponsored Muslim militants' treatment of the slaughter of their brethren in the Muslim and Sinhala-predominant East. The LTTE evicted them from the North in order to protect them from further violence. However, Vaiko expressed that the eviction by the LTTE was an unfortunate event. He also highlighted the aerial bombardment by the Sri Lankan air force on the Chenchcholai orphanage where more than 60 schoolgirls were killed and 150 wounded on August 14, 2006, in the LTTE-held Mullaitheevu while engaged in a two-day first aid residential course. He described this event as the tip of the ice berg and many other events similar to this take place against civilian targets, the government labelling these targets as LTTE positions. In response, Rajiva Wijesinha objected to all of Vaiko's claims saying that it was LTTE fighters who were killed in the aerial attack. He further said that the government will amend the 13th Amendment, and that provincial elections would be held in the east (election, scheduled for next month). Vaiko countered, saying that he had proof that it was children that were killed, not LTTE soldiers, and cited reports from international organizations that identified the dead as orphans. He also said that the government is trying to hoodwink the international community by holding elections in the East. The Sri Lankan government encourages anti-LTTE groups and will coerce the people in the East to vote for the pro-government and anti-LTTE groups at gun point. He said the Sri Lankan government is committing a further blunder by dividing the North and East into two separate entities. Tamil leadership won't accept this concept. The North and East are the traditional Tamil homeland, and these two provinces were recognized as a single unit when India and Sri Lanka signed the accord in 1987. He concluded that no-one can prevent the birth of a separate 'Tamil Eelam'. Tamil Nadu leaders demand India intervene directly to end Lanka national crisis Various Tamil Nadu leaders, including Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK leader, M. Karunanidhi, PMK leader, R. Ramadoss, VCK leader, Thol. Thirumavalavan, MK leader, K. Veeramani, MDMK leader, Vaiko, and DMDK leader, Vijayakanth, have appealed to the Indian government to intervene directly to end the Tamil question in Sri Lanka. The PMK leader Ramadoss wrote a letter to the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, on March 29 saying that: "Feelings of love, affection and mutual sympathy are very strong and deep rooted between the Tamils on both sides of their historical waters." He described Sri Lanka as a failed state calling it "a condominium of anarchy, and a shame on humanity that terrorized its own Tamil citizens." He further said: "It was not possible to remain by-standers to this human tragedy at our doorstep." He further said: "The sixty-million Tamils in India cannot wait and watch while their sisters and brothers are being decimated across the Palk Straits and Gulf of Mannar." Further to the letter, he met face to face with Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on April 18. The meeting lasted 30 minutes and was described as cordial and fruitful. Later, Ramadoss said that he submitted another copy of his letter during the meeting. Vaiko met Manmohan Singh on March 17 and later with Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee to brief them about his earlier trip to Europe, including his participation at the two-day conference in Oslo as well as his meetings with Norwegian government representatives who facilitated the talks between the GoSL and the LTTE. During the meeting, Singh told Vaiko that he was aware of Pakistan and China supplying arms to Sri Lanka. Vaiko urged the Indian government to exert pressure on Colombo to abide by its earlier pledge to honour the contiguity of the traditional homeland of Tamil speaking people in a merged Northeast. During the meeting with Mukherjee, Vaiko expressed the plights of Eelam Tamils. In response, Mukherjee told Vaiko that India had repeatedly reminded Colombo that a military solution would not solve the Tamil question. In the meantime, Tamil Nadu chief minister, M. Karunanidhi, during an interview to the Times of India on April 18, said: "India should organize negotiations between the warring parties in Sri Lanka to bring peace to the island nation....""to bring about peace in Sri Lanka, New Delhi should come forward to organise useful negotiations so that a proper political solution is thrashed out." In another political twist, the daughter of Rajiv Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, visited Vellore in south India on March 19 and met Nalini Sriharan. The Indian national, Nalini, married Sri Lankan national, Sriharan alias Murugan, and was sentenced to capital punishment for her involvement in the killing of Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991. Her sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment after Rajiv's wife, Sonia Gandhi, pleaded for clemency.
While recalling her mother's intervention in Nalini's case to India's national news agency PTI Priyanka said, "I do not believe in anger, hatred and violence, and I refuse to allow these things to overpower my life." Sri Lankan Tamil leaders applauded the meeting between Nalini and Priyanka saying that the compassion shown by Sonia Gandhi and her children would never be forgotten by Eelam Tamils. This is considered one of the political stepping stones toward India breaking its silence over the Sri Lankan issue. The Indian Congress Party does not want to antagonize regional political parties because it would result in a tactical blow in next year's election to be held for Lok Sabha. The Congress does not want the present Opposition Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP) to win that election with the help of regional political parties, especially with the support of DMK, MDMK, PMK or VCK. The Indian central government will have to face a greater challenge in keeping Colombo and Indian regional political parties in balance in order to win the election, so it has to play a constructive role in bringing the warring parties to the negotiating table for its own political survival. Recent events in India show that the Indian central government is leaning toward directly intervening in Sri Lanka to mediate an end to the Tamil national question between LTTE and GoSL. The events in Europe and India in favour of Eelam Tamils seem to indicate that the Indian central government and its intelligence units have already established contacts within the LTTE and GoSL to stop the military overtures in Eelam and create a settlement through dialogue. The activities of Indian politicians and religious leaders, as well as the Indian Congress party members amply demonstrate that India is trying to forget the past bitter experiences with the view to bringing about a just and peaceful solution in Sri Lanka. In return, peace in Sri Lanka will no doubt help India's aspiration to become superpower in the region and its own political survival. BJP asks India to mediate between Sri Lanka and LTTE Eighty percent turnout in EP Postal voting - PAFFREL LTTE fires artillery attack on Welioya Eastern polls race hots up The build-up to the Eastern Province’s top slots heated up with almost all major political players crying foul over the actions of their enemies. Leading political parties including the United National Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna predicted the upcoming crucial week as very eventful and incident filled period. The country’s leading election monitoring body, Peoples Action for Free and Fair Polls (PAFFREL) also predicted trouble in the run up to the Eastern Province Provincial Council Elections, scheduled for May 10. PAFFREL Chairman Kingsley Rodrigo told The Bottom Line that most of the complaints made with regard to election violations have been by the main opposition, UNP and they mostly concern misuse of state resources. He also noted that the fight between the Tamils and Muslims by attempting to appoint their own chief minister has also fuelled problems in the three districts, Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee. “We are expecting the next week or so to be the most crucial and probably the most violent filled days and it is unlikely that this election will be peaceful like the Batticaloa local government polls held in March this year,” Rodrigo said. The PAFFREL chief quoting his observers also claimed that the Pillaiyan Group appeared to be canvassing for the eastern polls sans arms, contrary to claims made by several other parties actively engaged in election work in the province. However, UNP strongman, Ravi Karunanayake in response to Rodrigo’s claims charged that PAFFREL was doing nothing and they were merely paying lip service to the government. “There is an undeclared war being fought in the east. The situation in the provinces is very tense. The government is using all kinds of tactics to win the election,” he charged. He noted that the UNP was doing its best to bring these developments to the notice of the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake and even the police, but said that during most instances even the police are helpless because they have to cater to the wishes of the ‘top’ say. “With the race gathering momentum, we fear there can be many violent incidents in the coming weeks,” he added. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Deputy Secretary General Nizam Kariapper also echoed similar sentiments. He also charged that the government backed groups, including Pillaiyan, and SLMC rebels M L A M Hisbullah and Ameer Ali are running riot in their areas and this has made most of their supporters very insecure. “Fear is creeping into them because they know what sort of havoc can be caused by such elements. They can see many openly carrying arms and this is intimidating most people,” he told The Bottom Line. JVP MP Vijitha Herath noted that the coming days were the climax period. He added that by taking the present developments in the province into consideration it was very likely that a turn for the worse can be expected as a result of government factions. “The Pillaiyan Group carrying arms equals to the government carrying arms because the TMVP supports the government. The situation is getting very tense here despite our members carrying out campaigning,” he noted. He noted that most of the problems were in Batticaloa. “We have also heard that very powerful people from the government have had a meeting with home guards during which they have insisted that all home guards should vote for the government at the election on May 10,” Herath claimed. He added that they were in possession of the tape in which the demand was made recently. Meanwhile, TMVP’s spokesman Azad Moulana expressed optimism that his party will sweep the polls and a candidate from his party would be appointed as the chief minister. “We are confidant we will win Batticaloa and also Ampara. We are working our way through Trincomalee so we hope to win all three districts,” he added. Government candidates including M L A M Hisbullah were not available for comment at the time this edition went to press. Ranil takes ferry to Kinniya rally Wimal gives JVP May 1st ultimatum JVP’s dissident Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa yesterday gave a May 1 deadline to the JVP to initiate a dialogue with him to resolve the existing crisis within the party.Weerawansa said that if the JVP failed to respond by the May 1 deadline, he together with the other JVP defectors would form a new political front.Weerawansa made these statements addressing a media briefing organised by the JVP defectors in Colombo yesterday.He had also said that members of the JVP who have left the party in recent times, including former politburo member and parliamentarian Nandana Gunathileka would join the new political front initiated by Weerawansa.According to Weerawansa, other disgruntled politicians from the two main political parties in the country, the UNP and the SLFP, too could join the new political front in the making.However, the JVP leadership had openly stated that Weerawansa was still a member of the party and that he was not removed from any of the positions held by him in the JVP. Party Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe earlier told the media that Weerawansa was free to speak to the party’s politburo and respond to the charges levelled against him. JHU accuses SLMC of unleashing Muslim terrorism in east Three arrested in London for aiding and abetting LTTE Three men were arrested in London on April 29 evening by British Police on suspicion of procurement and fundraising for the Tigers, the British High Commission said.“The arrests are part of a long-term investigation into the alleged funding and procurement activity in support of terrorism overseas. The investigation relates to alleged procurement, support and fund-raising for the proscribed organisation, the LTTE ,” the High Commission said. It said that at approximately 6.30 a.m on April 29 police officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, supported by members of the Welsh police service, carried out searches on warrants under the Terrorism Act 2000 at a number of residential and business addresses in Wales. Further searches were carried out in Surrey in South East England and Greater London. Three men were arrested at separate addresses on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000. Two people have previously been charged in connection with this investigation. “Two men, aged 39 and 46, were arrested in dawn raids at separate addresses in Newtown, Powys, and a third, aged 33, arrested in Mitcham, South-West London. All three were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. A raid also took place in Surrey,” the BBC said of the arrests, attributing same to Scotland Yard.Two men from south London have already appeared in court charged with terror offences in connection with the investigation, according to the BBC report. One is accused of arranging meetings of the Tamil Tigers and addressing an event in Hyde Park, Central London. He is also accused of amassing a hoard of military equipment including machetes, combat boots, camouflage clothes, spades and handcuffs. He has however, denied the offences. University student feared shot dead in Jaffna Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a student of Jaffna University from Pottpathi Veethi, Kokkuvil, in Jaffna at the railway crossing near Jaffna University Tuesday around 7:00 p.m, initial reports said. Another version of the incident said that the shooting was carried out by the gunmen forcibly entering the house of the victim.Jaffna Teaching Hospital officials said that they have not yet received any bodies related to the above incident. Unconfirmed reports further said that the victim is Gunaratnam Suhantheepan, a student from the medical faculty.No further details are available at this time. Dr. Mervyn in road mishapOne killed, ‘Kudu’ Lal hurt The speeding vehicle in which Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva was returning to Colombo from Plonnaruwa at 4.30 p.m. yesterday collided head on with another vehicle at Aralaganwila and one of the occupants in Silva’s vehicle died.The deceased was Kelaniya Pradeshya Sabha Chairman Seevali Lankatillake.Underworld figure ‘Kudu Lal’, a close associate of the Deputy Minister, who was in the vehicle with him at time had sustained serious injuries. It was reported that Lal admitted to the National Hospital.The Deputy Minister had also has sustained injuries but his condition was not serious, police said.The condition of the passengers in the other vehicle was not known. LTTE bunker line destroyed The army on Monday destroyed an LTTE bunker line in the Muhamalai area, south of the A-9 road. The Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said the fighting which commenced around 10 a.m. continued till 9.45 p.m.One soldier was injured.Two Tigers were killed by the troops in Nagarkovil while another was killed in a confrontation in Muhamalai.In clashes that took place in the areas of Pallaimodai, Kudipulan, Kondaikulam, Waddaimuruppu and Malikattidal in Vavuniya four Tigers were killed and four injured.Four soldiers were also injured.In confrontations in Janakapura north and Kiriibbanwewa in Welioya two Tiger cadres were killed and five injured. One soldier was injured.Meanwhile, in Thiriyaya around 4.50 p.m. Navy personnel on a search operation arrested a person on suspicion. The sailors recovered a T-56 assault rifle and 30 rounds of ammunition from his possession. JVP blames govt. for East Tamils' curse Two more vehicles of Weerawansa Faction seized Fraud Investigation Bureau of Mirihana police has initiated a probe on a complaint that two more vehicles of JVP Weerawansa Faction MPs were seized. The complainers are Nuwaraeliya district MP Nimal Jayasinghe and National list MP M. Musammil. Senior Superintendent of Police – Nugegoda Division, Deshabandu Thennakoon said that these vehicles were seized on April 08, according to the complaint. The two MPs complained that the two vehicles disappeared after they were dropped in the parliament on April 08. MPs Piyasiri wijenayaka and Achala Jagoda of the Werawansa Faction complained against JVP Trincomalee district MP Jayantha Wijesekara and the two drivers for seizing their vehicles. They were remanded and later released on bail by courts. 29 April 2008 Is Muhamalli the Political Graveyard of Mahinda Rajapakse? Ever since I wrote a news analysis on the second battle to capture Muhamallai titled “Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Are They Really?” many things have changed. Firstly, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have given up conventional war fare in the eastern theater and reverted to guerilla warfare. This was perceived by many as a victory for the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Then the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the LTTE was unilaterally abrogated by Mahinda Rajapakse’s government. There are multiple undeclared or - in a better term - unnamed operations going on both the Southern and Northern borders of the LTTE-controlled Tamil Homeland in the Vanni sector. Of the many offensive operations undertaken by the GoSL other than “Operation Madhu” to “liberate” the Madhu sanctuary from the LTTE-controlled area, Muhamallai stands out in the history as it has seen four bloody battles arguably the place that has seen multiple and most bloody battles than any single town or village in the history of the Eelam war. First battle After losing the Elephant Pass (EP) garrison to the LTTE’s operation Unceasing Waves 3, then defense secretary and the self-promoted Colonel Anurudha Rathwatha started Operation Agnikehala with fanfare to capture the EP base just before the general election. It turned out to be one of the bloodiest, shortest and costliest battles for SLA . It left over 400 SLA dead and over 1000 injured in a span of 4-6 hours of fight. It turned out to be the last major offensive undertaken by the SLA before the signing of the CFA. This operation was planned purely for political mileage for then President Chandrika Bandaranayke Kumaratunga (CBK). It was not only a costly battle in terms of men and material for the SLA, but it was a costly battle for her political career. Second battle In 2006, when both the GoSL and LTTE were asked to conduct negotiations in Geneva, the GoSL needed a quick victory to be in the driver's seat. Then again, the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka chose Muhamallai as the battleground. A well-prepared and well-entrenched LTTE expected such a move and confronted the elite forces of the SLA’s commando unit from the 55 Division in their own den. In this few hours of battle the SLA lost nearly 250-300 elite commandos and removed nearly 800 of injured. Yet again, it was a politically motivated war with disastrous consequences. The LTTE handed over nearly 75 bodies of the SLA to the ICRC. Later in an interview to a Colombo news daily, Commander of the SLA General Sarath Fonseka conceded that this operation was a total failure and the casualty figures given at that time was half of the original numbers. Third battle In November 2007, when parliament was in session for the budget reading, the Government needed a quick victory to woo the ultranationalist Marxists to their side for the voting. Like in the SLFP convention in 2006, where Mahinda Rajapakse (MR) has reportedly given the first word that “We have Sampoor.”, he was planning on uttering the words, “We have EP.” Yet again, nearly 30 of the young SLA soldiers sacrificed their lives for the sake of MR’s political game. Here again, once bitten twice shy and three times any lessons? Fourth battle As Eelam War 4 has entered a decisive phase, the SLA have attempted to break the will of the LTTE and Tamils who support the freedom of their homeland. They have played all sorts of dirty games, from extrajudicial killing and abductions to number games with bloated figures of LTTE casualties. With the long-drawn-out military campaign to capture Madhu Sanctuary and parts of Mannar with few notable breakthroughs and sagging morale from the armed forces, battle fatigue and increasing desertions, the GoSL and SLA’s high command needed a quick victory. Besides this militaristic standpoint, MR needs a quick victory as his party is contesting in the Provincial Council elections in the East. MR’s expected victory in the Madhu area was snatched with a stroke of decision to remove the sacred stature of Our Lady of Rosary. The Holy land becomes hollow land with her joining the people who cared for her deep inside the LTTE-controlled territory. With the assassination of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, his trusted lieutenant, the removal of the holy stature from the holy land, and with no notable military victory to show the eastern voters that they are winning the war, MR needed a quick victory. Both the SLA’s 53rd and 55th divisions have been preparing for the last few months for a land and amphibian assault on the LTTE-controlled territory. and some of them are night time operations. In fact, they felt well prepared and well equipped with the newly formed Mechanized Infantry Division to capture both Elephant Pass and Poonagari.With an urgent need of victory and a morale boost to the security forces in the Mannar front, the GoSL and SLA high command decided the D-Day to push and re-take EP to be none other than the eighth year anniversary of the fall of the EP garrison. This battle, unlike the other battles, was started by a well prepared, well tested and well equipped elite commando unit (the air mobile brigade) of the whole SLA. The brigade was considered the best of the best in the SLA. With over ten hours of intense fight, over 200 youths (nearly 175 of the SLA and 25 of the LTTE) made the supreme sacrifice in the land called Muhamalli. I call this the Battle of Muhamalli.When we look at World War II, the Battle of Stalingrad was considered the turning point for Nazi Germany. It was the beginning of the end for Adolph Hitler and his relentless journey to conquer his world. the Battle of Muhamalli is certainly the beginning of the end to MR’s quest to conqueur the Tamil Homeland. It will certainly be his Political graveyard. The Battle is just over, but the effects will reverberate in the coming days. By hook or by crock, he and his allies may win the Eastern Polls, but this battle will write the beginning of the end of his ambitious political career.Mr. President, once bitten, twice shy, third time a lesson and fourth time dug your grave. LTTE Perspective A female suspect of Jeyaraj Fernandopulle murder dies in police custody A suspect named Rani who was kept in the custody of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) 6th floor under suspicion for the murder of late Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle died unexpectedly Sunday (27). The cause of the death has not been revealed so far. Police Media Spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police N.K. Ilangakoon said to Lanka-e-News that the suspect died after admitting to the Colombo National Hospital Sunday night. When Lanka-e-News enquired about the news that she had died in the 6th floor of CID, Mr. Ilangakoon said that he had been reported that she died after she was admitted to hospital due to sudden illness. When asked how she became suddenly ill and what the cause of her death, he said that it would be revealed at the post mortem. Indian venture to build twin towers in Colombo An Indian company, Suchirindia in collaboration with Sri Lanka's NEB Infrastructure Projects (Pvt.) Limited plans to construct twin towers of 30 and 70 stories in the heart of Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.The Hyderabad-based business group engaged in land development, housing, construction, infrastructure and resorts development will build a 30 floor commercial tower and a 70 floor residential tower at a cost of US$ 255 million, a company press release said.The company will raise $102 million in debt, $18 million in equity and the remaining by way of advances from the customers. Special purpose vehicle Suchir NEB Projects (Private) Limited has been formed to undertake the project. The same company will also develop the Metro Rail in Colombo. Suchirindia CEO, Dr. Y. Kiron said “Working in close association in Sri Lankan on this project has been a pleasure, and we hope to lay our footprint in many more areas in the future.” Jaffna lawyers announce boycott of Courts Northern Bar Association of Sri Lanka (NBSL) decided in its Saturday meeting in Jaffna to launch a boycott of all Courts of Law in the Jaffna peninsula from 2 May until the section allocated for the use of their members in the newly opened judicial complex is made available, Ms. Shantha Abimannasingam, Zonal Vice President of NBSL said. Failure of any constructive measure to be taken despite NBSL discussions on this issue with the Attorney General and key officials of the Justice Ministry has forced us to resort to boycott, she added. The library, consultation hall and canteen for the use of lawyers allocated in the newly opened judicial complex in Jaffna are yet to be made available according to the time schedule agreed upon and the Monday boycott will continue until they are made available, the Vice President said.The magistrate court and high court in Jaffna town besides the Chaavakacheari courts in Thenmaraadchi, Point Pedro court in Vadamaraadchi, Mallaakam court in Valikaamam, Kayts court in the islets of Jaffna will be forced to cease functioning when the lawyers of Jaffna launch their planned boycott. Surprise over Report on Indian arms aid to Sri Lanka Army Chief denies any military debacle Save innocent civilians from savages – A’sangaree Full text of Anandasangaree’s statement: "I strongly condemn the explosion in a CTB bus at Piliyandala, which claimed the lives of 25 innocent civilians and left over 60 others seriously injured. This is undoubtedly another savage act by the blood thirsty LTTE. Is it with these barbarians that the International Community wants the Government to start talks with? In all seriousness, I wish to pose a question to the International Community as to what it intends to do with the people who had fled their traditional places of residence for fear of the LTTE and are living with the Sinhalese and the Muslims peacefully in the South. Also I wish to know is the fate of the those in the Eastern Province and those who fled the country fearing the LTTE but want to return when peace is restored. Above all, no one has bothered so far to find out the views of those who are living in the areas under the control of the LTTE.The LTTE is fighting a war with the Government. They take pride in sending the bodies of a few Sinhalese Soldiers through the ICRC to the South everyday and receive with pleasure bodies of their dead cadre from the ICRC daily. The soldiers are fighting in defence of the country and the LTTE cadres, thoroughly brain washed, are fighting in defence of their leader’s pride. But why should innocent civilians die for no fault of theirs? Isn’t the LTTE trying to provoke a backlash to further its interests? The Sinhalese are now much wiser and they don’t fall for such tactics. Certain highly educated persons should learn their lessons from the ordinary civilians in this regard. The government also deserves credit for keeping the country free from trouble despite LTTEprovocations.I want peace in this country and protection for everybody. Unfortunately, now the people need protection only from the LTTE. Let those who are reluctant to condemn killings of this nature that keep the people in constant fear and tension, put themselves in the shoes of the victims and realise the pain they and their kith and kin undergo. I am glad that the police had been able to detect a claymore mine in Colombo, acting on a tip off, about two and a half hours before the Piliyandala tragedy. Every one of us has a duty to pass on any information we get about terror attacks, promptly to the authorities.I convey my deepest sympathies to the near and dear ones of the victims of this unfortunate incident and plead with the LTTE to give up their brutal attacks forthwith. The killing of civilians must stop on both sides of the border-TIC The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) is deeply distressed over the deaths and injuries caused by a bomb in a passenger bus during rush hour in Piliyandala, a suburb of the Capital, Colombo on 25 April 2008. The bomb killed 26 civilians and wounded 62. In recent times, there have been a number of incidents in which civilians travelling in public buses have been targeted.The TIC condemns these reprehensible acts. The targeting of civilians is barbaric and short-sighted, and contributes to the ruination of the legitimacy of any cause, irrespective of who carries out the acts. It is also a measure by which the political and military activities of the parties to the conflict may be judged. No civilian deserves to be bombed, forcibly ejected from their homes, or terrorized in their homes. As common sense dictates, killing innocent people to satisfy grievances or to counter oppression would not contribute to a solution but aggravate and deepen any conflict as the communities become entrapped in a cycle of vengeance.The intense aerial bombing and multi-barrel shelling campaigns in the north-east Tamil Homeland have caused unbearable trauma to the people, death and destruction of urban and village homes and vital infrastructure such as bridges, places of worships, electricity and water supplies, communication systems and roads. The retaliatory attacks carried out with similar intensity in southern Sri Lanka, while causing the deaths of ordinary people and destruction of property, have also had profound impact on people living in these areas. They have also affected passengers, school children, bus drivers, vendors and business establishments. In the case of suicide bomb attacks, the bomber’s families, friends and co-cadres are also subjected to trauma.The number of civilian deaths has dramatically increased in the last two years. The TIC is very concerned that continued fighting between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will cause more civilian casualties, increase hatred and destroy attempts to bring about peace in the island. We urge the parties to the conflict to act in accordance with the international rules of war and refrain from indiscriminate attacks and forced displacement of the civilian population. We call upon the parties to end the military conflict and return to the negotiating table. We also call upon the international community to intensify its efforts in facilitating the peace process. 28 April 2008 Finally, Lanka to unveil memorial for Indian soldiers Two decades after it booted them out, Sri Lanka is preparing to unveil a memorial near its Parliament for Indian soldiers killed battling the Tamil Tiger guerrillas.The names of around 1,500 men, almost all of them from the Indian Army, are to be etched on black marble and topped by an eternal flame as part of a long-pending project now being executed by the Sri Lanka Navy. It will be the first memorial dedicated to the Indian soldier outside India. Final touches are being given to the memorial and it will be ready for a formal launch either May 22 or when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh goes to Sri Lanka for the South Asian Association for Regional Conference (SAARC) summit this summer. An Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was deployed in Sri Lanka's northeast following a July 1987 bilateral peace pact aimed at ending Tamil separatism. But the troops ended up fighting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from October that year, losing nearly 1,200 men until the last of the soldiers left Sri Lanka in March 1990. Nearly 2,800 men were also wounded, many maimed for life.The roll of honour at the memorial, which will bear India's National Emblem, will include names of Indian paramilitary forces, taking the total to some 1,500. While the IPKF fought the LTTE, Sri Lankan President Junius Jayewardene who invited them lost power. In a bizarre but bloody twist of events, his successor, Ranasinghe Premadasa, in June 1989 demanded the IPKF's withdrawal. When that did not happen, he provided arms and ammunition to the LTTE to take on the IPKF. Before the IPKF saga ended, it was also accused of killing large numbers of LTTE guerrillas as well as civilians, mainly Tamils, in the bruising war that earned the force the derisive name "Innocent People Killing Force". For years, many in the Indian military have grudged that Sri Lanka had not even bothered to acknowledge the role of Indian troops who died at the hands of the LTTE. That situation is about to change, Indian and Sri Lankan military sources say. "This will be in the memory of Indian armed forces who helped us to preserve the unity of our country," a Sri Lankan military officer told IANS in a telephonic interview from Colombo. "Our President (Mahinda Rajapaksa) was very particular that this memorial has to come up. He kept saying that 20 years have gone by and we had not fulfilled this pledge. It had dragged on too long. After all the (Indian) soldiers paid the supreme sacrifice." Work at the memorial began about six months ago. It will be ready in another two weeks. The military officer added that most Sri Lankans now appreciated the role played by the IPKF. But when its members were dying, it came in the firing line of Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists who said its presence undermined their country's sovereignty. "Our people have realised what the Indian soldiers did," the officer said. "They died fighting to keep Sri Lanka united. We can never forget their sacrifice. Today there is a lot of appreciation of their role." Lt Gen. Ashok Mehta, who served in the IPKF in the island nation's east, said the memorial had been talked about for years. "Initially they said there was some problem of land, and then something else. Now it is coming up. Better late than never." Sudarshani Fernandopulle a new National List MP Leak of military secrets led to Muhamalai debacle: UNP A powerful bomb found at Galgamuwa bus station A powerful bomb was found and defused at a crowded bus station in Galgamuwa today (28) morning, minutes before the device had been set to go off, police said.The parcel bomb equipped with a timing device was discovered in Galgamuwa, police said."Passengers alerted the police and the bomb was defused just in time," a police official said. "There were ball bearings packed into the bomb and they could have caused a lot of casualties." India has successfully launched 10 satellites in a single mission, boosting its capabilities in space. The rocket was carrying an Indian remote-sensing satellite and nine smaller ones, eight of them foreign. The launch, from the Sriharikota space centre off India's east coast, is being described as a milestone for the country's 45-year-old space programme. Observers say it is a sign that India is emerging as a major player in the multi-billion dollar space market. 'Historic moment' "The mission was perfect," said G Madhavan Nair, chairman of the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). "It is a historic moment for us because it is the first time that we have launched 10 satellites in a single mission." Last year, Russia launched a rocket carrying 16 satellites - but with a smaller payload, the Press Trust of India reported. Monday's lift-off from Sriharikota, near the southern city of Madras (Chennai), took place in clear weather and left behind a trail of orange and white smoke as scientists at mission control cheered. The event was carried live on state television. The satellites put into orbit include Cartosat2A - a remote-sensing satellite fitted with a high-resolution camera which will supply data for maps precise enough to detail every house in the country. Officials plan to use the information to manage infrastructure and natural resources. Also on board the rocket were an Indian mini satellite to gather technological data which will be available for sale, and eight tiny research satellites belonging to research facilities in Canada, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The satellites were deployed in orbit within moments of each other and the entire operation lasted 20 minutes. Indian space aims Experts have described Monday's launch as a rare feat for India's space programme. India started its space programme in 1963, and has since designed, built and launched its own satellites into space. Last year, India put an Italian satellite into orbit for a fee of $11m. In January, India successfully launched an Israeli spy satellite into orbit. The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says India is developing its rocket-launching capabilities to reduce its dependence on foreign space agencies, as well as to corner a share of the world's lucrative satellite-launching market. Sri Lanka Air force bombs Tamil Tiger buildings in Iranamadu Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets this morning raided a building complex located adjacent to the air strip maintained by the Tamil Tigers in the Iranamadu jungle, defense sources said. According to, the Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Andrew Wijesooriya, the air strike was launched around 9.45 AM. Citing the fighter pilots, he said that the buildings were inflicted with severe damages. However, casualties to the Tigers, is yet be ascertained, he added. On Sunday, Tamil Tigers dropped 3 bombs on the military positions in the Welioya area using its light air crafts. Church 'yet to take over' Madhu War-free zone Bishop Rayappu Joseph also made it clear that the church authorities will not accept any movement of the Sri Lankan army troops in and around the temple complex. The church will not object to the efforts taken by the SLA to declare the area as a safe zone and the subsequent handover the bishop further noted. “Declaring Madhu church and its surroundings a safe zone and banning movement of all uniformed personnel and arms from both parties will be our primary demand to the Government and the LTTE,” he declared. He told the BBC Tamil Service that he along with the bishops of Anuradhapura and Galle have planned to meet the LTTE and discuss regarding the reinstallation and as such has sent word to them for a meeting and awaiting their response. A three member delegation from the council of bishops will meet the Government side also, Bishop Rayappu Joseph said. 'False' media reports Any further action in this regard will have to be taken based on the response from both these parties observed the Mannar Bishop further. “It would be unfortunate if a situation further arises forcing the shifting of Our Lady of Madhu again,” observed the Bishop of Mannar Rayappu Joseph. The Bishop added that the main concern being the safety and security of the idol and the church.Bishop Rayappu Joseph further said that though the army is not stationed in and around the church they frequent there.In an interview with the BBC Sandeshaya, Anuradhapura Bishop Nobert Andradi expressed regret that many media have published false stories over the issue. There was no pressure from any of the parties to the conflict to remove the Madhu Matha statue from the Madhu church as reported by media, Bishop Andradi who is also the General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Association (CBA) said. Military recovers 15-kg claymore in Trinco The military yesterday recovered a powerful claymore mine weighing 15 kg following a search operation in the Koviladi area in Trincomalee. Police say the bomb was discovered following information provided by a civilian.Meanwhile in Mannar the military attacked a line of enemy bunkers in the Vedayamurippu area and captured three of them recovering a large stock of ammunition and explosives. The recovered items consisted of 1231 T-56 ammunition, 110 APM s, 11 hand grenades, three T-56 magazines and seven ‘Arul’ bombs. In Welioya the military also recovered a body of a female LTTE cadre. They also recovered two T-56 assault riffles and 10 hand grenades along with three radio sets in a subsequent search operation in the Janakapura area. In Kiriibbanwewa the troops found seven Improvised Explosive Devices and 22 Anti-Personnel Mines. PRESS STATEMENT by Dr Vickramabahu THE MOHAMALE TRAGEDY SHOWS THAT THE TAMIL NATIONAL PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED BY A REPRESSIVE WAR BY THE SINHALA ARMY. IN THIS TRAGEDY WHILE THE TAMIL LIBERATION SOLDIERS DIED IN THEIR OWN SOIL UNDER PALMYRA TREES, THE SINHALA SOLDIERS DIED IN AN UNKNOWN HOSTILE LAND FAR AWAY FROM THEIR VILLAGES SHADED BY JACK AND COCONUT TREES. WHILE THE DEAD TAMIL SOLDIERS WERE CARRIED AWAY BY THEIR PARENTS OR RELATIONS, THERE WAS NO ONE TO SHED TEARS FOR THE FORSAKEN SINHALA SOLDIERS DEAD, AT MOHAMALE. WHILE THE CHILDREN OF THE SINHALA CHAUVINIST RULERS PLAY RUGGER AND DANCE IN COLOMBO OR LONDON HOTELS, THESE SINHALA POOR YOUTH SHED THEIR BLOOD FOR A HYPOTHETICAL PROJECT DESIGNED BY THE IDIOTIC RULERS. IT IS INEVITABLE THAT THE HISTORY WILL CONCLUDE THAT TAMIL SOLDIERS AS HEROES WHO DIED FOR THEIR HOMELAND, WHILE THE SINHALA YOUTH WILL BE NAMED AS SACRIFICES MADE BY CHAUVINIST SHORT SIGHTED LEADERS. THIS IS A GREATER TRAGEDY THAT AWAITS IN FUTURE FOR THE SINHALA YOUTH. IN THIS BATTLE, SOLDIERS OF THE STATE GOT KILLED IN LARGE NUMBERS AT LEAST COMPARABLE TO THE TAMIL INSURGENT LOSES. THAT MEANS THE SINHALA SOLDIERS WERE ILL FED, ILL PROVIDED WITH MEDICINE AND OTHER PROVISIONS , ILL INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THEY FACE AND ILL EQUIPPED IN ARMS AND AMMUNITION TO FACE THE FORMIDABLE LIBERATION TAMIL SOLDIERS. THAT IS THE ONLY EXPLANATION IN MILITARY TERMS FOR THIS KIND OF DISASTER. THEY HAVE BEEN SENT TO BE BUTCHERED FOR THE WHIMS AND FANCIES OF CHAUVINIST MILITARISTIC LEADERS.WE APPEAL TO THE MOTHERS, SISTERS, WIVES, RELATIVES AND ALL WELL WISHERS OF THESE SINHALA SOLDIERS TO RISE UP AGAINST THIS TRAGIC AND DISGRACEFUL WAR AND TO APPEAL FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION BASED ON ACCEPTING TAMIL HOMELAND AND TAMIL NATIONALITY. Candidate threatened to be killed unless remove from campaigning A group that came in motorcycles threatened S. Nagularaja, the leader of the Unted Socialist Party (USP) team contesting for Batticaloa district of the Eastern Provincial Council. He was threatened around 9.35 AM yesterday (26) as he was distributing propaganda leaflets. The group warned him to be killed unless he withdrew from the election campaign. The chief of the election unit of the Batticaloa police said that they had received a complaint in this regard. He said that he could not coordinate the USP team since they did not reside in the address given in the nomination files. The police further said that the candidates had not asked for security prior to the handbill distribution. Nandana Gunatilake to join dissidents Indian party urges renegotiation of Katchathivu Accord Soldier knifes wife’s parents, commits suicide A soldier on leave from an army camp in Vavuniya yesterday knifed his father-in-law and mother-in-law before committing suicide by exploding a hand grenade in the Ambalangoda police area. Police said the wounded were admitted to the Galle Hospital. Police said a long standing family dispute had caused the tragedy. 27 April 2008 Tamil Tigers bomb military sites in Sri Lanka Tamil Tiger rebels using light aircraft have bombed two military targets in northeastern Sri Lanka and wounded at least one soldier, security sources say.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) today hit two targets in the Weli Oya region, where security forces had launched a fresh ground offensive against the rebels yesterday."They dropped three bombs at the two locations and flew back," a top military source said. "The damage caused is insignificant, but the attack is symbolic and shows they have coordinates of military installations."The Czech-built Zlin-143 aircraft managed to withdraw unchallenged despite new anti-aircraft defences set up by the military in the island's northern and eastern regions, the sources said.There was no immediate word either from the defence ministry or the rebels about the air strike.The Tigers staged their last air raid in October, when they conducted a commando-style ground attack against the main military airbase in the north-central town of Anuradhapura.The rebels coordinated the ground attack with an aerial strike against the Anuradhapura airbase, destroying a large number of aircraft at the military facility.Since then, the military has improved its air defences and inducted more sophisticated radar to detect clandestine flying by the guerrillas, who are known to operate at least three air strips in areas under their control. Clashes in Weli Oya Air Force fighter jets bombed identified LTTE artillery positions located north of Weli Oya last evening as fresh fighting flared up in the Weli Oya front. Troops operating ahead of their defence lines fought pitched battles with the LTTE cadres in Kokkuthudduval and Janakapura in the Weli Oya front. No details of casualties on either side were available. Meanwhile, Media Centre for National Security reported that five LTTE cadres were killed and another wounded during a confrontation with troops in Kokkuthudduval and Janakapura North on Friday.Meanwhile, Security Forces yesterday handed over remains of seven LTTE cadres to the ICRC.The corpses were kept at the Vavuniya hospital morgue after they were recovered by security forces during clearing operations conducted in Weli Oya and Vavuniya on Friday. Bishop seeks peace zone around Madhu shrine The Bishop of Mannar yesterday told the government and the LTTE that the statue of Our Lady of Madhu – revered by millions of Catholics – would be taken back to the hallowed shrine if both sides declared a two-kilometre dimilitarised zone around the church.Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph told The Sunday Times the army for the first time after the recapture of the Madhu church area on Friday permitted representatives of the church to visit the area. Accordingly, the Vicar General, Rev Fr. Victor Soosai and another priest went to the Madhu church.Earlier Security Forces’ Wanni Commander Jagath Jayasuriya officially informed the Bishop that the Madhu area would be handed back to the church and the hallowed shrine was undamaged.Bishop Joseph said that he had requested the government and the LTTE to guarantee a two-kilometre no-war zone around the shrine for the statue to be brought back. He insisted that such a guarantee must be given in writing.The revered statue, which has a 400-year history, was removed on April 3 by a group of priests from the diocese because of the heavy fighting around the shrine.The statue is currently being kept at St Anthony’s church at Devanpiddy, 45 kilometres away from the Madhu church. The army on Friday moved into the Madhu church area without any resistance after the LTTE withdrew. Another TMVP member killed A TMVP cadre was shot dead by an unidentified group while he was engaged in election campaign work at Mailanbavali in Batticaloa last evening, Police said.The victim was identified as 19-year-old Nidharshanan, the second TMVP activist to be killed within eight days in the Batticaloa district ahead of the provincial polls. Thanthai Chelva remembered on his 31st anniversary The 31st death anniversary of the late Tamil leader and the founder of the Federal Party (Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi -ITAK), Samuel James Velupillai Chelvanayakam (SJV) was held in Jaffna near the SJV memorial statue at 9:45 a.m Saturday presided by Rev. Dr. Jebanesan of the South Indian Council of Churches. TNA parliamentarian Maavai Senathiraja, Commissioner of Jaffna Municipal Council, Saravanapavan, Prof Kunarasa, and several others participated in the event. Jaffna Government Agent (GA) Ganesh, Additional Government Agent A. Sivasamy, Nallur Head of Hindu Priests paid floral tribute to the Chelvanayagam's tomb stone.Mr. Samuel James Velupillai Chelvanayakam (SJV) was born on 31st March 1898, in the Malayan town of Ipoh, to Viswanathan Velupillai, a businessman, and Harriet Annamma Kanapathipillai. He moved with his mother to Tellipallai in the Jaffna district when he was four years old to be educated in Jaffna.SJV qualified as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon and in 1927 married Emily Grace Barr Kumarakulasinghe (Rathinam). He fomally entered Tamil politics in 1944 when the British government announced the appointment of Soulbury Constitution. At that point, Tamils decided that they needed to create a political organization to formulate their demands and articulate these to the Commission.The historic pronouncement made by Mr. Chelvanayakam at the Vaddukoddai convention accused the then Prime Minister, Mrs. Bandaranaike, of having "callously ignored" the TULF's "last attempt ...to win constitutional recognition of the Tamil Nation without jeopardizing the unity of the country."The convention called on "the Tamil Nation in general and the Tamil youth in particular to come forward and throw themselves fully in the sacred fight for freedom and to fight till the goal of a sovereign socialist state of Tamil Eelam is reached."Till his death on April 26th in 1977, Mr. Chelvanayakam was the acknowledged leader of the Tamil people. He was the only statesman to be returned in five general elections in a row and to remain a hero and a father figure to his people for thirty-three years. Mr. Chelvanayakam passed away on April 26, 1977 in Jaffna, a few days after celebrating 78th birthday. France condemns bus blast French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner sharply condemned the bus bombing in Colombo that claimed 26 lives, appealing in a statement today for a negotiated solution to Sri Lanka's problems.Paris “condemns the attack with the utmost firmness,” the minister said in a statement.“France is particularly concerned at the continuing sequence of violence,” he said. “It appeals for a negotiated political solution to let Sri Lanka return to conditions of peace and development.”Expressing its solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka, France offered its “sincerest condolences to the families of the victims and to the country's authorities,” the statement continued. UPFA is intimidating minorities in east: Hakeem The government is systematically intimidating the minorities in the east and taking away their basic human right to vote for a party or a candidate of their choice, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader Rauff Hakeem charged yesterday.He added that the government has resorted to unscrupulous methods to intimidate the people in the east so that the UPFA would win the upcoming eastern election.“We have come to know of the government’s measures to stage anarchy in the run-up to the elections. The government wants to intimidate minorities in the east through unscrupulous methods,” he said, addressing a meeting in Kinniya.He added that the SLMC has always stood up to governments which tried to take away the rights of the Muslim community.“Personally I stood up against any action taken against the Muslim community. I have given up ministerial portfolios and I have also toppled governments to defend the Muslim community,” he claimed. JVP rejects President’s call to forgive Wimal JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe has turned down a request by President Mahinda Rajapakse to permit the party’s dissident Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa back into the party fold without answering the charge sheet served on him.Amarasinghe who declined to accept Rajapakse’s intervention in the internal rift in the party has asked the President not to intervene in matters concerning the JVP as the party could solve its own issues.The President had made the request from Amarasinghe when the former had made a telephone call to the latter to discuss the possible resolution of the present crisis in the JVP through his intervention.During the conversation Amarasinghe had told Rajapakse that the JVP was fully geared to address the present crisis and added that the party was well aware that it was the President and his brother who was behind Weerawansa’s defection.Rajapakse had denied any involvement in the Weerawansa defection and had claimed they were stories circulated by the UNP. Amarasinghe however had responded by saying that he knew exactly what happened and that the JVP could not be fooled by such stories.Since the defection of Weerawansa and his supporting parliamentarians from the party, the JVP has charged that it was the government that was instrumental in creating a split in the party and hampering its election campaign in the east. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva has said that it was evident that the government was instrumental in creating a rift within the JVP.He made this statement in an interview with a private TV station recently.Silva also added that one example of the government’s involvement in the whole issue was the security provided by the Presidential Security Division (PSD) to the JVP defectors.The JVP defectors were provided security and in some instances even transport facilities by the PSD. JVP booms against India again India is conspiring to plunge Sri Lanka into chaos by unnecessarily interfering in the country’s internal affairs, charged Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) strongman Vijitha Herath.He added that India has supported the LTTE both directly and indirectly in the past and is now conspiring with imperialistic forces.“India, along with other international powers, is trying to destabilise Sri Lanka. Many countries in the region are being influenced by India. India does this especially through its economic might,” he asserted. He added that neither India nor any other foreign power should get involved in solving the problem in the north. “India and Western countries are trying to bring Sri Lanka’s national conflict to the international level. They are also trying to create political instability in the country,” he said.“Sri Lanka is capable of solving its internal affairs on its own. But it is apparent that these imperialistic forces will not allow this,” the JVP MP added.“Speaking at a recent seminar in India, Hansson-Bauer has called for an immediate halt to the ongoing military offensives in Sri Lanka. He also added that India should get directly involved in the Sri Lankan conflict,” said Herath.He opined that these events show that India is on the same page as other Western forces. Majority of Jeyaraj bombing suspects Sinhalese C.I.D investigators probing the assassination of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle last week arrested nine suspects, a majority of whom are Sinhalese alleged to be indirectly involved in the killing. Two main investigation teams are investingating the assassination. Of the two teams, one is probing loopholes in the security cordon that permitted the assassin to come close to the Minister. The C.I.D. team has found the main sources behind the assassination and several persons who aided and abetted the suicide bomber. Meanwhile, the Identity Card found at the scene of the crime was found to be fake. Investigations revealed that it had particulars of a non-existent person. The C.I.D. was also able to trace the cellular phone number used by the suicide bomber. It had a prepaid card number bought in the name of a Sinhalese. The number of the cellular phone used by the terrorist who instructed the suicide bomber was operational at the point of detection. It was being used in the Hikkaduwa area. The person arrested was a Sinhalese. In the course of intense interrogation, the man interviewed said that he found it lying fallen in a private passenger bus plying from Colombo to Galle. The suspect had found it on the evening of the day the Minister was assassinated. He found the cellular phone lying on a seat in a bus plying from Colombo to Hikkaduwa.Following the information gathered from this cellular phone, police raided a house in Kawdana, Dehiwala. That was a boarding house run by an elderly Sinhalese couple. The majority of the boarders were Tamil. At the time of the raid there were 10 Tamil boarders. The police took into custody the 10 boarders along with the landlady. Her husband who was in Badulla was also taken into custody.The owner of the boarding had taken the suspect to the Grama Sevaka to obtain a temporary identity on payment of Rs.500. Among the suspects were also a woman teacher and a woman employee of a telecommunications establishment. However, these suspects were absconding and are suspected to have fled to the Vanni. Investigations are proceeding. Mrs. Jeyaraj denies hand in succession posters Posters appeared in the Gampaha district on Friday night calling on Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, the wife of the assassinated Gampaha District MP and Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, to enter politics. Mrs. Fernandopulle said although several monks and supporters of her late husband wanted her to enter public life, she hadn’t committed herself.Responding to questions, she denied any knowledge of who was behind the posters. "I don’t know who put them up. I saw them while on my way home from Colombo," she said yesterday. Mrs Fernandopulle said she would shortly take a decision whether to enter politics.If she accepted the challenge, the mother of two teenagers would be the first professional to take up politics after losing her husband to an assassin.At the time of his assassination, Fernandopulle had been the Gampaha District SLFP strongman who wielded immense influence over both the public and private sector. The SLFP Treasurer had control over a powerful section of the airport taxi community which would be interested to protect their turf, well informed sources said.The sources expressed the belief Mrs. Fernandopulle would take public office.Her husband, who represented the Katana electorate secured the support of the majority of Buddhists despite him being a Colombo Chetty and a Catholic, the sources said.Both Katana and Attanagalle electorate nursed by Anura Bandaranaike are without organizers. A ministerial source said the President would decide on the new appointments.The subject is believed to have been discussed at a recent Temple Trees meeting where the president indicated the party would decide. The ministerial source said the president’s choice would be the choice of the party.Well informed sources said former President and SLFP leader Chandrika Kumaratunga had earlier suggested her sister Sunethra should fill Anura’s vacancy. The sources said this decision was taken at a recent meeting of Attanagalle Bala Mandalaya called by Kumaratunga. Taraki’s third death anniversary tomorrow The third death anniversary of journalist and former TamilNet Editor Dharmalingam Sivaram (Taraki) falls tomorrow. He was killed on April 28, 2005, after being abducted from Bambalapitiya. His body was found in close proximity to Parliament the following day.Meanwhile two suspects wanted in connection with the assassination of Mr. Sivaram continue to evade arrest. However the driver of the vehicle in which the journalist was abducted remains in custody and the case is due to be taken up in the Colombo High Court on May 27. US admonishes Sri Lanka on ‘new friends’ The United States Government has sent out a strong warning to Sri Lanka over the island’s rapidly growing close ties and diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.In the backdrop of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s scheduled state visit to Sri Lanka tomorrow, US State Department Spokesperson Tom Casey has clearly disclosed their concerns over the Iranian President’s South Asia visit.During the daily press briefing in Washington, last Monday, Spokesperson Casey said that it was up to every country to determine for itself how it was going to organise its bilateral relations with Iran and that it was up to them to determine how best to manage them.“We would hope that the Indian Government or any government that was engaging with the Iranians, including with President Ahmadinejad, would call on him to meet the requirements that the Security Council and the international community has placed on him in terms of suspending their uranium enrichment activities and complying with the other requirements regarding their nuclear programme,” the State Department Spokesperson said. He also urged the South Asian nations to urge Iran to end what he termed as “unhelpful activities with Iraq, with respect to support for terrorism, including organisations like Hezbollah and Hamas, and to otherwise become a more responsible actor on the world stage.”It is learnt that, a few weeks before Casey’s remarks on the Iran connection, the US State Department had already conveyed its displeasure to Colombo, through diplomatic channels, about the Sri Lankan Government’s rapidly growing bilateral relationship with Iran. High-ranking Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry Officials in Colombo downplayed the importance of Sri Lanka’s close ties with Iran as traditional bilateral diplomatic relations between two independent countries. But The Nation learns that US State Department officials were not satisfied with the government’s response. The US has also expressed its very serious concerns over Sri Lanka’s growing ties with China and Russia. “TNA won’t campaign for any party in the east” — Sampanthan To us this is an illegitimate election process. We were not prepared to compromise on certain fundamental policies by partaking in the process, and thereby giving the government the opportunity to say that we had legitimized the eastern province by partaking in the eastern election. Our supporters will do well to remember all the harm that has been inflicted upon them by this government Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Secretary General and Parliamentarian R. Sampanthan has made clear his party’s position, as to why it was not contesting the May 10 Provincial Polls. He explained that participation in the polls would have justified the de – merger through a Supreme Court order, and further justified all the harm inflicted upon the Tamils by the present regime. Adding that the TNA will never view the forthcoming Provincial polls as a legal election, he said the election will not have any impact on the Indo – Lanka Agreement signed in 1989. “By unilaterally abrogating the CFA, the government has virtually renounced peace. And in this background it would be the duty of the government to explain how it proposes to commence a peace process,” he told The Nation in an interview. Q: The war in the north has intensified and many innocent civilians have been impoverished. How does the TNA view the present development? Q: Given this situation do you see any chances for peace negotiations? Q: How does the TNA react to the government’s decision to go ahead with the Provincial Council election? Q: You mentioned that there is no provision for an appeal against the Supreme Court judgment over the de-merger. What is the alternative? Is not the party looking up to the International Court for a remedy? Q: Now that the government is going ahead with the Eastern Polls, what would be the status of the eastern province after the election? Q: What impact would this election have on the Indo – Lanka Agreement? Q: Two weeks ago, Rajiv Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka Vadra’s visit to one of her father’s assassins at the Vellore prison triggered off a controversy. Do you think this visit was a political motivated one or it was a personal initiative? Q: What message do you intend conveying to your supporters by not participating in the election? A High Security Zone (HSZ) has been declared in the Mutur area comprising a territory of around 90 square kilo meters, which is about half of the Mutur divisional secretariat division. It comprises 28 villages with a total population of 16,648 people. There are within this area 19 schools, 18 Hindu temples and a Methodist Church. People can’t return to these areas and commence their normal life once again. The government is attempting to put this land to other use. If the purpose of the military operation was to evict the LTTE from the area, and if the LTTE has been evicted from the area with its weapons, and if the government has taken control of the area, why cannot these people return and be resettled in the areas which they have historically inhabited for centuries. If Sinhalese people can live in a HSZ in Katunayake, Ratmalana and Kolonanawa, why can’t the Tamils live in HSZ? The reputed NGO – the University Teachers of Human Rights, in their special report, has described the military operation in the east as one intended to flush out the Tamils from their areas. How can this government expect these people to vote for them? By being in alliance with a paramilitary group, and having the armed forces present in large numbers in the eastern province, the government expects the paramilitary groups to deliver on the Tamil vote. If there was a free and fair election the Tamil will never vote for this government. What is the government policy on the election? Is the government going with the Mahinda Chinthana, which does not accommodate diversity, pluralism, multi -lingualism, multi-culturalism, which is exclusive and gives priority to the majoritarian race and religion, how can the Tamils vote for such a government? Tamils over the past 50 years constantly voted for substantial self rule in their areas. At the District Development election held in 1981, the TULF captured the districts of Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa. The UNP won Ampara because there was no SLMC. How can the government claim that the people who have consistently supported this political position for over 50 years, have suddenly changed and despite all the harm inflicted by the government, have decided to vote for them? Unless the government is placing its confidence entirely on the para military group, and the means that this group will deploy to deliver on the Tamil votes, I do not see how either the Tamil or the Muslims can support the government at this election. Q: Do you see any reason why the STF camps had to be withdrawn when the elections were round the corner, from the east by the government? Q: Don’t you realise by not participating in the polls you are depriving the party supporters of their choice to vote? Q: There are also reports that you have asked your supporters to support the UNP – SLMC alliance? Q: Understandably a few TNA MPs who made efforts to mount pressure on India to put a stop to the eastern polls have failed. What is next? Q: India has also been non committal about some of the recent happenings like the de – merger and the abrogation of the CFA. Why do you think? Q: What would be the position of the Tamils in general and TNA in particular if there was no merger? Q: In the backdrop of deteriorating human rights record, the IIGEP also withdrew last week. What is your observation? 26 April 2008 UNP, SLMC on good footing for EPC polls – PAFFREL The United National Party and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress are in a powerful position at the forthcoming Provincial Councils Election in the Eastern Province, People’s Action For Free and Fair Elections Chairman Kingsley Rodrigo said.As the elections draw closer it is clear that competition will be stiff, he told the media at the Centre for Society and Religion. Unlike the Local Authority elections in Batticaloa, all major political parties are contesting and they will be building up their campaign activities, he said.Along with the anticipation of heightened political campaigning and messages broadcast from political platforms leading to elections day there was the danger of conflicts and disturbances. He said the differences of political opinions and views expressed from the political stage do not have to deteriorate to violent confrontations."We ask that all parties and contestants recognise the opportunity for a peaceful election and act with the discipline and tolerance," Rodrigo said. He said PAFFREL will be dedicated to the task of transparent, non partisan observation. He said Sweden, Canada and Japan are their funding source for Provincial Councils Elections in the Eastern Province and they had received three million rupees."Everyone is a volunteer and I have been a volunteer for 20 years," he said.On the invitation of PAFFREL six international observers are already engaged in pre-election observations. Networks have been established with civil society organisations. On elections day PAFFREL will field two stationary observers per polling booth for the 1,022 polling booths. Twenty mobile observer teams will also be deployed.A total of 982,721 persons are registered to vote at this election. Federal solutions to debut in new face - JVP newspaper Fonseka: Northern offensives on track Jaffna-based fighting Divisions establish new FDL Dismissing mounting criticism of Wednesday’s bloody army offensive on the Jaffna front, Army Chief Lt. General Sarath Fonseka asserted it wouldn’t impede the ongoing military action to bring the Tigers to their knees.The veteran of some of the bloodiest battles in the northern theatre said the enemy no longer had the wherewithal to regain the upper hand on the battlefield.The tough talking Army Chief said his assessment wouldn’t please critics who never expected the military to regain the East and then zero-in-on the Vanni region. They would be disappointed, Fonseka told The Island Friday afternoon as his troops battled the LTTE on the Jaffna front while troops on the Mannar, Vavuniya-Madhu and Weli Oya made progress. He vehemently rejected claims that the army lost almost 150 officers and men in action and over double that number wounded due to negligence on the part of the army top brass. "We didn’t underestimate their strength," Fonseka said, emphasising that the 53 and 55 Divisions involved in the assault had been fully aware of the enemy’s strength. He placed the number of dead at 47, over 300 wounded and 33 categorised missing in action. The LTTE on Thursday returned bodies of 28 soldiers to the army through the ICRC.Twice during the interview officers interrupted him over the phone to brief him of the status of operations on the Jaffna and Madhu fronts. The Army Chief said the LTTE lost at least 160 cadres during Wednesday’s assault. Of them, they had already released the names of 92 cadres, he said. The Lt. General said five battalions of the 53 and 55 Divisions had been involved in the offensive and they had achieved their goal despite fierce resistance. The Mechanised Infantry hadn’t been involved in the assault although armoured fighting vehicles had provided artillery support. Fielding questions he said troops secured 700 meters ahead of the 8 km front line from Kilaly to Kadolana before heavy artillery and mortar barrage had forced them to give up the newly captured positions. Finally the army settled for a new frontline about 600 meters ahead of their FDL, the army chief said. According to him the distance between their front line and that of the LTTE was just 100 meters and they were fully confident of meeting any challenge.Some of the frontline units involved in the assault had come under artillery and mortar fire between the first and the second lines held by the LTTE, he said. Discussing progress on the Weli Oya front, the army chief said the 59 Division deployed there had so far advanced four and half kms northwards. "The Weli Oya front is about 12 kms wide," he said. His troops were about two kms away from a major LTTE stronghold. The LTTE was offering stiff resistance on the Weli Oya front where the army was making slow but steady progress. He said troops had come across a mixture of LTTE units as they advanced on enemy territory but the units deployed on the Jaffna and Weli Oya fronts were believed to be the toughest.The 54 Division on the Vavuniya-Madhu front was also making progress while the Task Force 1 on the Mannar front, too, had made significant progress, he said. The LTTE wouldn’t be able to successfully resist the army on four different fronts, a confident Fonseka said. He revealed the army had now secured positions about 12 kms north of Madhu church and depending on the progress achieved by the 57 Division which had been engaged in operations since March last year, the army would be in a comfortable position.Fonseka revealed the gradual army build-up in the Vavuniya-Madhu and Mannar fronts had facilitated the deployment of LRRP units behind the enemy lines. Dismissing criticism of his battle-field strategy, Fonseka, who survived a suicide attempt by a woman LTTE cadre exactly two years ago, said the army was in a stronger position. The LTTE was not what it used to be, he said vowing to bring the ongoing major offensive action to a successful end during his tenure as the commander. 2-week amnesty for army deserters University student detained over suspected Tiger links TMVP releases 28 child soldiers The breakaway LTTE faction on Thursday released 28 more child soldiers. This was the second release of children by the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikai (TMVP) in Batticaloa this month, a | ||
