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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 senior spokesman for the Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry told The Island."We view this as a further sign of the strengthening of democracy and return to conditions of normalcy in the East wrested from the control of the LTTE," he said.The Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Suhada Gamalath had represented the Government at the release of the children. Three people attacked after 'five' rabid dogs land in Britain from Sri Lanka Three people are being treated for rabies after they were bitten by an infected puppy brought into the UK from Sri Lanka.The dog, which died yesterday, was amongst five dogs believed to be infected with the disease in a quarantine centre in Essex.After initial tests showed up a strain of rabies, a full investigation is now under way.The remaining four puppies from Sri Lanka were euthanised after they began showing possible symptoms of rabies. Tests are being carried to determine whether or not they had the disease.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) stressed that the likelihood of further infections was low.Workers at quarantine centres are routinely immunised against rabies.Two staff members - a man and a woman - and a female charity manager, who were bitten by the dog, are now being given a course of treatment, and they are not thought to be at risk of dying.Jeremy Robinson, general manager of the kennel, said: "We were concerned straight away that things were not right with these five dogs and they were put into isolation straight away."On Friday one of the dogs died and an animal dying in quarantine is something we take very seriously and Defra were informed."They were in an isolated area well away from the other dogs and cats. I am confident that no other animals can have been infected."Mr Robinson said the dogs had been brought in from Sri Lanka Dr Dilys Morgan, a rabies expert from the Health Protection Agency, said: "This animal died whilst in quarantine which has effectively contained any public health risk."We understand that three individuals connected to the quarantine centre and rescue centre were bitten by the animal and all have received or will be receiving prompt protective treatment with appropriate vaccination."Even if someone has been bitten by an animal with rabies, prompt post-exposure treatment following the bite is highly effective in preventing rabies."The kennels are privately owned by the Goddard veterinary group and monitored by Defra.Rabies is an acute viral infection that is nearly always fatal without early treatment. Transmission is usually through saliva via the bite of an infected animal, with dogs being the main transmitter of rabies to humans.There is a vaccination against the disease, but once symptoms of rabies have developed the condition is almost always fatal - and the few people who have survived have suffered serious long-term disabilities.At present, the UK is virtually free of rabies. There had been no reported cases in the country for over 100 years until 2002 when a conservation worker died of rabies in Scotland after been bitten by a bat.Before that, the last death from indigenous rabies in Britain was in 1902.Officials insist the UK is still 'rabies free'However, rabies is present in most of the rest of the world. Worldwide, there are about 50,000 human cases each year, most commonly in India. Foxes are the main carriers of the disease but dogs, cats, cattle, horses, badgers, deer, racoons, bats and skunks can be affected.Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Alick Simmons said last night: "While initial tests show that this puppy has tested positive for rabies, this shows that the system is working and the case has been picked up while the animal is in quarantine."This means it is contained and the UK's rabies free status remains in place."We are now tracing animals that have moved from the kennels to ensure that all animals that have come into contact with the puppy are monitored."However, any risk of the disease having spread to other animals is highly unlikely."Defra said the UK remained "free of rabies" because the case had occurred in quarantine.The dog, had been held in licensed quarantine premises in the South East since April 17.Officials have not confirmed the location of the incident but Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith said he had been informed it was in his Chingford and Woodford Green constituency in Essex.He received a call last night from environment minister Lord (Jeff) Rooker.The former Conservative leader said: "Naturally, I am very concerned about the welfare of the staff who have been affected."I was assured by the minister that the situation is under control."But he described it as "disturbing and worrying".The NHS Direct internet site says that early treatment is essential for anyone bitten by an animal possibly infected with rabies.After washing the wound thoroughly victims must be injected with a vaccination called human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) around the bite to neutralise the virus before it gets into the body. A follow-up course of injections will then be needed over the next 30 days.The website warns that if the infected person is not treated and symptoms have developed, rabies is said to be established. In this situation, nothing can be done, except to keep them comfortable, because death is almost inevitable.Symptoms normally appear between two and 12 weeks after infection, but can take up to two years. Beginning with flu-like symptoms, it will expand to slight or partial paralysis, cerebral dysfunction,anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behaviour, paranoia, terror, hallucinations, progressing to delirium. Bus bomb kills 24 in Sri Lanka A bomb hidden on the overhead rack of a bus in a Colombo suburb exploded Friday evening, killing 24 civilians and wounding 40 others, Sri Lankan authorities said. The military blamed Tamil rebels for the blast.The explosion took place about 6:45 p.m. while the vehicle was at a bus stand in the town of Piliyandala just south of the capital, said military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara."This is definitely an LTTE act," he said, referring to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels.The bomb sent a huge fireball exploding from the bus, said R. Pushamakumara, a vendor who had been selling lentils nearby. The bus was torn to pieces and seats flew everywhere, he said.R. B. Dharmasiry, a driver, saw the lifeless body of a child as he ran to help the wounded,"It is horrible, I saw many people laying on the ground," he said.Ambulances with sirens wailing flooded a nearby hospital, where off-duty doctors and nurses ran in to help the injured. The body of a Buddhist monk and a small child were brought to the morgue. At least three of the bodies were unrecognizable.The bomb was hidden in a parcel on the overhead rack above the third row of seats behind the driver, Nanayakkara said.Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan did not respond to calls seeking comment. The Tamil Tigers, responsible for scores of suicide bombings and other attacks on civilians, are listed as a terror group by the United States, European Union and India.The Tamil Tigers have fought since 1983 to create an independent homeland for ethnic Tamils, who have been marginalized for decades by successive governments controlled by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.The attack was the first major bombing since a suicide bomber killed 14 people, including a government minister and a former Olympian, at the start of a marathon April 6.The latest blast showed the rebels retain the ability to strike deep inside government territory, despite government efforts to crush the group and the maze of security checkpoints erected around the capital designed to prevent such attacks.In other violence, 17 rebels and four soldiers were killed in battles in the northern war zone Thursday, and air force jets hit a rebel camp Friday morning, the military said Friday.Sri Lankan forces also took control of a revered Roman Catholic church that religious groups had feared was in danger of being damaged by the raging civil war, the military said. Sri Lanka lost 185 soldiers in Jaffna battle: military sources At least 165 Sri Lankan soldiers were killed and 20 more went missing in a major battle with Tamil separatists this week, military sources told AFP Friday as journalists attacked widening censorship. The toll makes Wednesday's clash the bloodiest in recent years and saw the authorities extend "unofficial" press censorship to hospitals and funeral parlours, a media rights group said.The death toll from the sources were far higher than official defence ministry casualty figures, who have long been accused of massaging the statistics.The ministry said 43 soldiers died and 38 were missing from Wednesday's fighting in the northern peninsula of Jaffna."Some of the senior officers have been told that the army lost 185, including 20 who are still listed as missing," said a military source who declined to be named. "We are trying to establish the fate of the missing."The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Thursday returned via the international Red Cross the bodies of 28 soldiers they had captured.The government also reported killing more than 100 rebels and wounding 100 more in the pre-dawn offensive along the Muhamalai front lines on the peninsula.The Tigers said only 25 of its fighters were killed. Official defence ministry casualties reports and LTTE figures can seldom be verified because the government prevents journalists from visiting war zones and territory held by the rebels.The ministry claims 3,105 rebels have been killed already this year -- more than intelligence estimates of the number of LTTE fighters, which was put at 3,000.Wednesday's confrontation was by far the biggest battle since Colombo withdrew from a Norwegian-arranged truce in January.The defence ministry said that the air force carried out aerial strikes against a suspected Tamil Tiger base in the northern mainland Friday. It gave no casualty figures, but said the bombed base was near a clandestine airfield operated by the guerrillas.The Free Media Movement (FMM) said the authorities had prevented photographers taking pictures of military casualties moved to hospitals in the aftermath of the fighting.Soldiers also provided tight security at undertakers to block the media."It is highly likely that these measures have been taken after heavy losses faced by the Sri Lankan army earlier this week after fighting intensified in the north," the FMM said in a statement.The group said it was urging the government as well as the LTTE to respect the right to information."The FMM believes that the right of the public to know information and news relating to the ongoing war is severely undermined by the restrictions placed on journalists."It said only foreign wire services and a few news websites operating from Colombo reported battlefront casualties independent of government press releases. Despite the heavy losses in Jaffna, troops made a fresh push into rebel-held territory in the north and captured the Catholic pilgrim town of Madhu, where a venerated shrine is located, the military said Friday. "Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry reached the shrine as the terrorists beat a retreat unable to withstand the army advance," the defence ministry said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from the LTTE. The church, in the coastal Mannar district, has in the past provided a sanctuary for thousands of civilians sheltering from crossfire, the ministry said. It accused the LTTE of turning the shrine into "a terror base by positioning its heavy guns around the church and using it as a barrack for its cadres" since they took control of the area in 1999.But there were no reports of casualties from Madhu.The LTTE have been fighting to carve out an independent homeland for Tamils since 1972. Tens of thousands have died on both sides in the conflict. 25 April 2008 Sri Lanka not worried about possible Indian intervention Troops reach Madhu Church compound Ending months of fierce fighting, the Army yesterday reached the compound of the sacred Madhu Church without a fight, informed security sources revealed yesterday.The military, however, dismissed the claim as just a rumour. “Troops haven’t reached the church yet, it is just a rumour,” Military Spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara told Daily Mirror yesterday.The sources, however, insisted that soldiers of the Seventh Light Infantry Regiment had reached the premises and were consolidating their control over the area. It was also reported that, at the time the troops reached the church premises, there was no LTTE presence there -- as they had withdrawn from the area several days ago. Meanwhile, a Mannar Bishop’s House spokesman also dismissed the claims. But he, too, agreed that the LTTE had withdrawn from the church area some time ago.The Bishop’s House spokesman said that the Madhu Administrator had informed them that the Tigers had withdrawn. However, he said, no arrangements had been made yet to move the statue of “Our Lady of Madhu” back to the church.Two weeks ago the statue was moved further north, to the rebel held areas, due to the intensification of the fighting between the two sides.According to church sources in Mannar, there had been a few incidents in the area yesterday as well.The latest reports came, as Army Commander Sarath Fonseka toured Vavuniya and held talks with senior military officials in the area. During his visit, the Commander had briefed senior military officials on future military plans. “We deal with the Government of India” The Sri Lanka government chose not to comment on the resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday urging the Centre to arrange for talks between the two “warring factions in Sri Lanka to establish peace.”An official of the Sri Lanka Foreign Office told The Hindu: “It is a resolution adopted by a provincial Assembly. We deal with the government of India. Sri Lanka has excellent relations with India and New Delhi is fully aware of the current situation in the island nation and efforts by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government on the one hand for a political solution to the ethnic question and on the other eliminating the military threat posed by the LTTE.” Courtesy call Separately, the former Foreign and Finance Minister, Yashwant Sinha, made a courtesy call on Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama here on Thursday and expressed his support for the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution by the government, in line with the recommendation of the All-Party Representative Committee (APRC).A statement put out by the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry said the Minister briefed Mr. Sinha on the developments in Sri Lanka, particularly on the restoration of civil administration and the democratic process in the Eastern Province. He highlighted the fact that all major national political parties, including the main opposition United National Party (UNP), are contesting the forthcoming Provincial Council elections to be held on May 10. The statement said: “Responding to Sinha’s suggestion that for a political settlement to be durable there should be bipartisan consensus, Minister Bogollagama highlighted the fact that the government itself is composed of several parties of different ideologies, including a significant number of UNP members. Sinha noted that the LTTE demand for a separate state was completely unacceptable. “The Foreign Minister endorsed the view of Sinha that the successful implementation of the Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement has paved the way for the current negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries which, upon conclusion, would further strengthen bilateral relations.” Local media groups condemn threats to ‘Thinakural’ Now JVP sees Indian hand in Govt.- TMVP marriage The JVP yesterday warned that a UPFA victory at the first ever election to the Eastern Provincial Council would facilitate New Delhi’s plans to install a provincial administration friendly to India.The breakaway LTTE group contesting the May 10 election on the UPFA ticket would represent New Delhi’s interests, JVP frontliner Anura Kumara Dissanayake, MP, said. Addressing the press, at the National Library Services Board, Dissanayake asserted that Pilleyan (Sivaneshthurai Chandrakanthan) would be New Delhi’s choice as the Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council administration. Pillaiyan would be India’s man, he said, accusing President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government of giving in to the Indian strategy.Flanked by JVP trade union heavyweight Lal Kantha, MP, and Trincomalee District JVP MP Jayantha Wijesekera, Dissanayake said the election was being held against the backdrop of increasing Indian focus on Trincomalee. The military had denied entry of civilians to Sampur, a former LTTE stronghold where India planned to establish a coal-fired power plant. He said the military recently prevented Wijesekera from entering Sampur while asserting that India was in the process of increasing her influence in the East.Addressing public rallies in the East, Pillaiyan who spearheads the TMVP polls campaign in the absence of Karuna, has declared that no one would be able to thwart a Tamil assuming the office of the Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council if they secured the highest number of seats. The tough talking former LTTE commander had said that it was one of the promises given by the government.Now Dissanayake said the government, in a bid to cripple the JVP campaign in the East, particularly in the Trincomalee District, had targeted Wijesekera. After failing to keep Wijesekera behind bars on a charge of seizing two vehicles from the Parliament car park, the government cut down on his security, he said. This was an attempt to deny Wijesekera an opportunity to campaign in the East. Declaring that Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake had called for additional security coverage for Wijesekera, the JVP accused the government of playing politics with the security of an MP. Asserting that the MP was now vulnerable to an LTTE attack, Dissanayake warned that if he was targeted they would hold the head of the government responsible.The JVP also launched a scathing attack on SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem. If the UNP-SLMC combine won the election, it would facilitate the return of the LTTE to the Eastern Province, Dissanayake warned. "Don’t forget that Hakeem negotiated an agreement with the LTTE," he said. His was the only direct deal between a political party and the LTTE, he said, warning of dire consequences if the UNP-SLMC combine took control of the first EP administration. It would be equally as bad as a government victory which would bring an Indian puppet to power in the Eastern Province. LTTE hands over 28 SLA bodies to ICRC Sri Lanka strikes back with air attacks as losses mount Sri Lanka carried out retaliatory air strikes against Tamil rebels Thursday, a day after intense artillery battles left hundreds killed or wounded, according to officials on both sides.Military jets pounded a suspected hideout of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the northeast coastal district of Mullaitivu, where the guerrillas have their main military bases, the defence ministry said.A spokesman said a location identified as a training camp for suicide bombers was hit in Thursday's strikes.There was no immediate word from the separatists, but there was a lull in fighting in the northern peninsula of Jaffna, where a major government offensive was repulsed on Wednesday.The Tigers returned the bodies of 28 troops killed by them while the military handed over a body of one Tiger rebel, officials said, adding that the swap was arranged by the International Committee of the Red Cross.LTTE spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiriyan said the Tigers, who have been fighting for decades for an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils, had killed more than 100 government troops and wounded about 500.Ilanthiriyan put LTTE losses at 16 dead.However, the defence ministry said its forces killed more than 100 Tigers and reported losing 43 soldiers, with another 33 missing in action.It was the security forces' biggest loss in a single offensive since October 2006.Military sources told AFP that 127 soldiers were killed or missing after Wednesday's debacle. Hospitals in and around Colombo were packed with wounded soldiers evacuated from Jaffna.Even as the fighting subsided in Jaffna, security forces and Tigers traded fire elsewhere in the north of the island, the defence ministry said, adding that 32 rebels had been killed in other clashes with troops on Wednesday.For their part, the Tigers said they had killed 15 more government soldiers for the loss of one fighter in the north on Thursday in fresh fighting. Latest official defence ministry figures, which include Wednesday's toll, show that 3,105 Tigers have been killed by security forces this year.However, at the start of the year the military said there were only 3,000 Tiger rebels left.Wednesday's setback came despite official claims that the separatists had been virtually wiped out following almost daily clashes since the military pulled out of a Norwegian-arranged truce in January.Pictures released on pro-rebel websites showed what was said to be soldiers who were killed inside a Tiger bunker line and 17 bodies of soldiers laid out on plastic sheets at an undisclosed location.Defence sources said Wednesday's battle was a repeat of the October 2006 fighting, when security forces were pushed back by a major Tiger counter-offensive.Military analysts noted that security forces had again underestimated the strength of the Tigers, who had concentrated forces in their mini-state in the north since being driven out from the multi-ethnic Eastern province.The Tigers ran the Jaffna peninsula as a de facto separate state for five years until they were driven out in October 1995. However, they took back the southern part of the peninsula in April 2000.The LTTE have been fighting to carve out an independent homeland for Tamils since 1972. Tens of thousands have died on both sides in the conflict. 20 SLA killed, weapons seized in Mannaar fighting - LTTE Liberation Tigers Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan Thursday said that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) abandoned a fresh attempt to advance in Mannaar from Cheaththukku'lam east of Thirukkeatheeswaram towards Veaddaiyaamu'rippuk-u'lam after heavy resistance from the Tigers. The offensive push was launched by the SLA around 5:45 a.m. with the support of Main Battle Tanks and artillery fire. Upto 20 SLA soldiers were killed, more than 30 SLA wounded in the confrontation. One LTTE fighter was killed in action, according to Mr. Ilanthirayan. The fighting lasted til 11:00 a.m. Meanwhile, LTTE officials attached to Operations Command in Mannaar told media that they have seized five T-56 type 2 assault rifles and six-thousand rounds in the clearing mission. On Wednesday, the SLA attempted advance from Paalaikkuzhi to Adampan at 2:30 p.m. and suffered heavy casualties. The move was thwarted by the Tigers, Mr. Ilanthirayan said. One SLA armoured vehicle was damaged in the confrontation. Exact casualty figures of the SLA were not available. Tigers suffered no casualties, he said. Assassination of Human Rights Activists has become the norm in Sri Lanka 24 April 2008 TN CM flays Lankan Tamil groups for fighting among themselves Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi yesterday slammed infighting among Sri Lankan Tamil groups, saying they were more "determined in eliminating each other only" than "showing interest in asserting the rights of Tamils" in the island nation.Coming down heavily against the infighting among the armed Tamil groups in Sri Lanka, Karunanidhi, without naming them, said their violent approach "weakened the Tamils cause" as they were more "determined in eliminating each other only." He told the state assembly, while moving a resolution calling for a proactive role by India to end the ethnic strife in the island republic, that "the revolutionaries are more involved in killing each other. Had the groups fought together, they would have succeeded by now, like the case in Nepal," he said."Neither did they have the intention of jointly facing the violence nor did they show interest in asserting the rights of the Tamils. They were more inclined towards eliminating each other and render them useless, for which a number of people including leaders like Amirthalingam (who headed the Tamil United Liberation Front,TULF) were assassinated," he said."The inter-group fighting had left many dead which actually weakened the cause of the Tamils," he said adding armed struggle had failed to yield fruit in Sri Lanka while such movements had succeeded in other parts of the world . Sri Lanka Air Force pounds Tamil Tiger positions as Army suffers heavy casualties in Muhamalai Sri Lanka Air Force attacked Tamil Tiger positions in the Island's embattled Jaffna peninsula later on the day as the Army suffered heavy casualties in what military claimed as a 'defensive' operation against the Tamil Tigers. Air Force carried out three air strikes at LTTE positions behind the enemy lines, defense authorities said. First strike by the Israeli built Kafirr and Russian built MIG 27 fighters at 1.30 pm targeted two Tiger heavy gun positions located 20 km from Muhamalai defense line inside Tiger held territory while the second attacked a Tamil Tiger rendezvous position located much closer to the front around 1.45 pm, sources added. Russian built MI 24 helicopters targeted Tamil Tiger bunkers right on the frontlines in the third strike, the sources said. However, the exact damage caused to the Tigers in either of the attacks is yet to be ascertained. More than 200 Army Soldiers Dead in Fighting At Muhamalai The Sri Lanka Army's advance towards Kilali and Muhamalai LTTE FDL (originally 2nd FDL) managed in the capture of the LTTE's 1st FDL but were surprised by a heavy volume of artillery and mortar attacks launched by Tigers from LTTE areas.The Tigers, sensing the advance retreated and direct artillery strikes at advancing troops killing170 soldiers while 30 others have gone missing, our reliable sources in the Area said.Meanwhile, 376 soldiers were wounded in action. The number of Tigers killed is 52 while LTTE claims it lost only 16 fighters.Meanwhile government official rejected the LTTE’s report on latest confrontation and says “the LTTE have also claimed the SLA lost 150 soldiers, which is not true.” Even the Main Battle Tank lost in yesterday's fighting is now believed to be a T89 MBT. However the same thing happened on at same area in two years ago. Muhamalai remains calm after an offensive initiated by the Tigers on October 2006. Tiger cadres launched an offensive on the Security Forces forward defences in Muhamalai at the crack of dawn in 2006 following weeks of intermittent artillery shelling and mortar fire. Ground troops successfully repulsed the tiger offensive with the support of the Air Force and the Navy. The Air Force and Navy assisted the ground forces to block and destroy tiger reinforcements from Elephantpass and Kilinochchi. Air Force Kfir jets pounded tiger artillery and mortar positions behind tiger forward defences. Military field commanders state that troops are presently strengthening their positions along the FDL.129 Army personnel sacrificed their lives while 283 were injured in the battle. The situation in Muhamalai remains relatively calm with sporadic artillery and mortar attacks by the Tigers. Sri Lanka suffers bloodiest clashes since 2006 Dozens were killed and hundreds wounded when deadly clashes broke out between Tamil separatists and Sri Lankan security forces in the troubled north of the country on Wednesday(23). At least 52 guerrillas were killed in the battle, which the rebel group later described as a successful repulsion of a government offensive ahead of key local elections. However official military reports disputed the group's version of events, saying the army rather than the rebels had been victorious. The defence ministry said that 38 soldiers had been killed and 84 wounded as the warring sides battled over territory on the northern Jaffna peninsula, where the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have established a de-facto mini-state. A military source said that the security force casualties were 40 dead and 375 wounded, while several more remained unaccounted for. It was the highest death toll for government forces in a single battle since October 2006, when a major Tamil counter-offensive killed 129 soldiers and wounded 515 others. “Monitored radio communications and ground sources have confirmed that 52 LTTE terrorists have been killed and many injured in the latest skirmishes in Jaffna,” the defence ministry said. Rasiah Ilanthirayan, a Tamil Tiger spokesman, accused the military of provoking the battle. “They attempted to get near our positions. That’s when the clashes erupted,” he said. The group did not report any casualty figures but pro-rebel websites claimed that they had routed security forces. “The Sri Lankan army advanced on two fronts and the LTTE successfully thwarted their attack after 10-and-a-half hours of stiff resistance,” said Puthinam.com, a Tamil-language site. However the military offered conflicting reports of how the battle erupted. Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, a military spokesman, blamed the rebel group for sparking the violence, which he said had broken out at around 5.30 am after guerrillas overran the front lines in the Muhamalai area of the Jaffna peninsula, north of the rebels’ de facto state. Government forces fought back with small arms, mortars and tank fire, eventually forcing the rebels to retreat and seizing 500 metres of the group’s territory, he said. But one Sri Lankan military source appeared to confirm the rebel version of events, saying: “Troops mounted a two-pronged assault on the forward fence lines of the LTTE under the cover of darkness."Resistance had at first been limited and the army managed to capture the guerrilla’s first line of defence, but the group eventually forced a retreat, the source said. Jeremy Page, The Times' South Asia correspondent, said that both sides routinely inflate numbers of casualties inflicted on their opponents and underreport their own losses. Independent accounts of the violence are unavailable because the media are barred from the war zone.The government has vowed to dismantle the Tamil controlled region in the north and crush the group by the end of the year. It is keen to make significant military progress ahead of crucial provincial council elections across the island nation on May 10, in order to boost its poll hopes. Yesterday's fighting undermines official claims that having forced the Tamils out of the eastern part of the island, the group has already been virtually wiped out.At the start of the year, the military said there were only 3,000 Tiger rebels left, yet official defence ministry figures show that 3,025 Tigers have been killed by security forces so far this year. During the same period, the military has lost 218 soldiers, according to the ministry. Diplomats and observers say that the government has underestimated the strength of the rebel group. Tuesday one soldier and 10 rebels were killed in separate clashes on the frontline, the military said. The LTTE have been fighting since 1972 to carve out an independent homeland in the north and east for minority Tamils, who have been marginalised by successive governments controlled by the majority Sinhalese. Tens of thousands have died on both sides. TN assembly wants Lanka’s crisis solved Businessman in 3rd cross street abducted APDU to govt.: Disarm TMVP before eastern elections SLMC hq. raided Ex-top brass barred from Army camps Airforce report on crash The cause of the crash of Bel-212 helicopter which was flying from Vavuniya to Anuradhapura on the day of the LTTE attack on Anurahdapura Air Force Base has not yet been confirmed. Commanding Officer of the Anuradhapura Air Force Base, Group Captain, Sagara Kotakadeniya told Anuradhapura Magistrate court yesterday that the ongoing inquiries into the incident has not yet confirmed whether the crash was due to a technical defect in the helicopter or it was shot down by the terrorists. The case was taken up for hearing before Anuradhapura Magistrate, Ruchira Weliwatta. The Air Force official said they are conducting further inquiries on the instructions of Air Force Commander, Roshan Gunatilleka and that samples of the wreckage were referred to the manufacturers for examination. Sergeant Karunaratne of Mihintale police said the former Magistrate Wasantha Jindasa ordered the Air Force Commander to report on the incident. He said Mihintale police that conducted the preliminary inquiry handed over further inquiries to the Sri Lanka Air Force on the instructions of the magistrate. The two pilots and two airmen on board the helicopter died in the crash. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday said that Prince Henry Duke of Gloucester is expected to visit Sri Lanka on May 4. "We are happy to announce Duke of Gloucester's Sri Lanka's visit at a time when the country celebrates its 60th year independence this year," said Minister Bogollagama. Addressing a press briefing at the Foreign Ministry, the Minister said he could apprise the British Government of Sri Lanka's relentless efforts in establishing democracy in the Eastern province by holding provincial council election after 20 years, when he met his British Counterpart David Miliband in UK. Minister Bogollagama said the British Government's top ranking officials were enlightened on counter terrorism measures, the APRC process, expediting the Eastern province development in a bid to give solace to the Easterners who had been undergoing immense hardships and obstacles under the LTTE. The discussions focused on how the Government would expedite the implementation of APRC recommendations by holding Local Government and provincial council elections on May 10. The Minister said the leadership of most of all political parties in Britain were informed on how the Government is striving to restore normality in the Eastern province by strengthening democratic institutions, he said. The UK's engagement in the promotion of democratic machinery in Sri Lanka and Parliamentary connectivity in terms of regular visits were also discussed at these meetings. The Foreign Minister has also met New Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma and held extensive talks on the Government's counter terrorism efforts and recent political economical and social developments in the country. The Minister discussed the Commonwealth Youth Ministers' conference to be held on April 26 in Colombo. The Minister has also participated in the second Ministerial meeting of Asia Middle East Dialogue in Egypt which focused on political, security, cultural and media issues of member countries. The two Governments entered into an MoU to establish a Joint Tourism Committee which aims at the bilateral tourism development, he said. The Minister also witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Egyptian Chamber of Commerce to promote bilateral trade. Sri Lankan business delegation led by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Secretary General Prema Cooray accompanied the Minister. 23 April 2008 Tamils claim destroyed tank, say Sri Lankan jets bombed church Tamil separatists destroyed an army tank after Sri Lankan war planes bombed a Roman Catholic church compound killing a man and wounding two children, the rebels said Tuesday.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said one of its anti-tank units confronted the soldiers who were trying to break into rebel-held territory.The group gave no details of casualties, but said they beat back a military thrust following a 30-minute clash in the Jaffna peninsula."The infantry-armour combined battle teams of the Sri Lanka army made this futile attempt with heavy indirect-fire assistance," the Tigers said. "The army teams were beaten back in a 30-minute repulse by the valiant LTTE defenders."There was no immediate reaction from the military, but the army said its chief, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, was visiting the Jaffna peninsula Tuesday to assess the security situation in the region.Earlier, the LTTE accused the military of carrying out an air attack inside rebel-held territory, which killed one civilian and wounded two children at a church compound."The Sri Lankan air force jet-interceptors have attacked a crowd of people who gathered at an old Catholic Church at Mullaitivu," it said in a statement without giving further details.There was no immediate comment on the reports from the authorities.The defence ministry announced the air force attacked a formation of rebel boats in the same area.The ministry denied Tiger claims that troops infiltrated a rebel-held area to set off a roadside mine that killed a Catholic priest on Sunday.Meanwhile, ground troops have captured more territory following a surprise assault against LTTE defences in the island's north, killing 17 guerrillas on Monday, the defence ministry said.Troops mounted the attack against a series of bunkers in the coastal Mannar district, the ministry said.According to ministry figures, security forces have killed at least 2,964 rebels since the start of January, while 180 government soldiers have died in action during the same period.Casualty tolls cannot be independently verified as Colombo bars journalists and aid workers from entering frontline areas. Tamils’ daily misery in northern refugee camps Sri Lanka’s army and the Liberation Tamil Tiger Ealam continue to battle it out, relentlessly. Government forces continue to issue victory proclamations as they carry out combined air and ground attacks, however, no one dares to visit Mannar District, the current theatre of operation, as the Defence Ministry continues to reject issuing entry permits.AsiaNews talked to Fr Sarath Iddamalgoda who last week visited the suffering population with a small group that included three Christian clergymen (Methodist, Anglican and Catholic) and a Buddhist monk.The visit “had two main purposes The first purpose was to extend our solidarity to the Tamil community in the North and the East, which at this moment is experiencing death as a result of the ongoing war. They need the support of the Christian community.”The other reason “was to communicate and share information and experiences gathered from such a visit with our people here in the South. Of course just visiting is certainly not enough. We need to raise our voice on their behalf.”“We left Colombo on 15 April and went by train up to Madawachchiya. There a local priest came to receive us and pick us up. No vehicles from the South can go beyond that point.”“After about an hour's drive we were told at a barrier that only residents, and no other, could enter Mannar. But we told the soldiers that this new rule had not been announced. Had we known we would not have come so far! The officers were helpless; they were only carrying out orders from the top. The priest who came to pick us up then contacted the vicar general of the diocese and got a special permission for us from the army commander of the area. We were about to return to Anuradhapura when we were told that permission had been granted. That took about two and half hours.”Fr Sarath Iddamalgoda’ small group was not alone. “There were others,” he explained, “for instance some labourers who had come to Mannar for work. They were turned back. There was also a wife who wanted to join her husband in Mannar. She too was stranded at the check point not knowing what to do. It was like going to another country.”“Luckily in our group there was a Buddhist monk. The soldiers who could not visit their homes villages and the temples during the New Year period were very pleased to see a monk suddenly among them. In general, except one or two, they were courteous towards us. Of course there was a suspicious look in some as to why a group of Christian clergymen and women from the South would visit the North.”“On our way to Mannar we were stopped at 4 or 5 check points and on way back at another 5 check points. There was a thorough body check before we got into the train.”“We were there for three days. We visited two refugee camps which were guarded by the police. They looked like open air prisons. In one camp were those who had escaped from the LTTE area. Among them, a desperate elderly woman had come by boat with her sister’s children, who though she would get back to her eight children and husband. But now she can't go back.”“There was a young woman, an English teacher, who had also escaped by boat hoping to join her relatives in the South. She is to be married soon with her boyfriend waiting for her. Her father had recently come to take her spending her dowry money to get to her, but they too were denied permission to leave the camp.”“Several NGOs such as the UNHCR, World Vision and the Red Cross are providing services but refugees complain about shortage of food, milk powder for children and health care for pregnant mothers. But the most urgent issue for them is being denied the right to join their relatives in the South.”“In the second camp there was a soldier always standing with us when we talked with refugees.” Here we had the “impression in all the meetings that the most urgent and fundamental issue refugees had was being denied respect and dignity by the military because they were Tamils. There were also other issues concerning their livelihood, uncertainty, insecurity etc., but the ‘lack of respect’ was the most serious one.” US urges Sri Lanka progress on human rights A top US official Tuesday urged the Sri Lankan government to “progress on human rights” and hold “free and fair election for the Eastern provincial council” scheduled for early next month, a US embassy statement here said. According to the statement, he US’s principal deputy assistant secretary for south and central Asian affairs Don Camp made these remarks after holding talks with the government ministers, officials, leading political figures, civil society leaders, and business representatives during his two-day stay in Colombo.“Many of the issues we discussed are difficult ones, particularly on human rights and the resolution of the conflict, but the US will remain engaged in the hope of seeing progress,” Camp was quoted as saying. Claiming that the US values the dialogue with Sri Lanka, as well as the lines of communication it maintains with Sri Lankan political, business, and civil society leaders, the visiting US official described his meetings as “useful and frank, in the way of long-time friends”. “Camp also welcomed initial measures to demobilize TMVP (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal - an LTTE breakaway group) child soldiers, urged progress on human rights, and stressed the importance of free and fair elections in the East, without violence or intimidation,” the US embassy statement said.The government troops last year recaptured the former LTTE strongholds in the Eastern Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Amparai districts. Amid the government move to hold provincial council polls for the East, the TMVP last week released seven child soldiers.The US remarks on rights situation in Sri Lanka came as the ruling coalition led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa vowed Tuesday that it would continue an official probe into serious rights abuses despite the withdrawal of foreign observers who accused Colombo of “lacking political will to find the truth”. “The government’s commitment to probe (the grave rights violations) remains unwavering, despite the decision taken by the members of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) to prematurely relinquish their mandate,” Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters here.The IIGEP, which is led by former Indian chief justice P.N. Bhagwati and includes experts from the European Union, United Nations, Australia, Canada, India, France and the US, was formed in 2007 to oversee a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into 16 cases of major human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.It wound up its operations last month, alleging that it was unable to ensure the adherence international standards in these probes due to “absence of will” on the part of the Sri Lankan government. TIC mourns the death of Rev. Fr. M X Karunaratnam The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) is shocked and deeply distressed at the tragic death of Catholic priest Rev. Fr. M X Karunaratnam, the chair and founder member of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR). He was killed in a Claymore mine blast at Vanniviliankulam in Mullaitivu District on 20 April 2008 while travelling to attend the remembrance event of Tamil National Alliance’s Jaffna parliamentarian Kiddinan Sivanesan who was also killed by a Claymore mine on 6 March 2008.Fr. Karunaratnam was a courageous person worthy of honour. He was a passionate peacemaker and sought to promote peaceful efforts at solving the Sri Lankan national conflict. He understood the different problems of the various communities in Sri Lanka, and interacted enthusiastically with peace teams from southern Sri Lanka and assisted them in every way he could in the promotion of peace. He spiritedly espoused the human rights cause of the Tamil people. He was appointed as the head of the NESOHR in July 2004 and in his own way contributed in a large measure to the recording and publicizing of human rights violations. He urged other human rights and humanitarian agencies in Sri Lanka to take a more pro-active role in the human rights field and extend their activities to the north-east region. He also travelled to other countries, campaigning for the recognition of the rights of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka.Fr Karunaratnam was very much concerned about the welfare of the people and it pained him that the people of the north-east suffered from deprivation, neglect and the consequences of war. He actively involved himself in providing psychological counselling to people affected by the war and the tsunami.In a country where death is ubiquitous, killing a habit, and war a constant companion for an entire generation, measurement of the pain and impact of this loss on the Tamil people is extremely difficult. His death, however, has caused widespread anger and dismay. Their anger stems from the fact that in Sri Lanka there is no protection for the ordinary people against such attacks, the right to life is violated with impunity every day and the authorities have willfully neglected or failed to take preventive measures. Fr. Karunaratnam will be fondly remembered not only in Sri Lanka but also in other countries by those who take keen interest in the Tamil cause.The death of Fr. Karunaratnam underscores again the urgent need for a human rights monitoring mechanism in Sri Lanka. The lack of human rights monitoring is endangering people’s lives and is adversely affecting the international community’s efforts to resolve the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. While mourning the loss of Fr Karunaratnam, the TIC calls for urgent action to establish a monitoring mechanism which effectively contributes to the prevention of such killings and other human rights violations. EPDP involvement in Maheswaran killing under inquiry - Police The police informed Colombo Magistrate Monday that inquiry into the statement made by defense ministry spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella involving the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) in the killing of Thiyagarajah Maheswaran, Colombo district United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian has been continuing, legal sources said. Counsel appeared on behalf of the aggrieved party submitted to court that the police had been purposely avoiding inquiring into the statement of Rambukwella. In reply to court the police said the inquiry into the statement made by Rambukwella has been continuing, legal sources said.Four suspects in the Maheswaran killing were produced from remand before Ravindra Premaratne, Colombo Additional Magistrate Monday morning. The court ordered further remand for the suspects till May 5, sources said.Maheswaran was shot dead on January 1 this year while attending poojah in the Colombo Ponnambalavaneswarar Temple. Ken talks to 'front' for banned Tamil Tigers-Source:Evening Standard UK Ken Livingstone has addressed a meeting co-organised by a "front" for a banned terror organisation - even though he had been warned at the highest diplomatic levels about the group's alleged terrorist links. The Mayor sought backing from the British Tamil Forum at the meeting in Harrow on Saturday, according to its spokesman. The forum is accused by the Sri Lankan government of being a front for the Tamil Tigers, which wages an armed struggle for a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka and is banned in Britain under anti-terrorism laws. A spokesman for the Sri Lankan High Commission in London told the Standard that the High Commissioner, Kshenuka Senewiratne, wrote to Mr Livingstone "early last week" to express her "concerns" about his intention to speak to the forum."The British Tamil Forum is one of the main front organisations for the Tamil Tigers in the UK," the spokesman said. "We did not know whether the Mayor knew what the background to the meeting was so the High Commissioner wrote to inform him." Mr Livingstone never replied, the spokesman said. At a previous meeting organised by the British Tamil Forum, at the Excel Centre, Docklands, on 27 November, a video message from the Tamil Tigers' leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, praising suicide bombing was played and a collection was taken for Tamil Tiger "martyrs". The meeting is the subject of a police anti-terror investigation. The Tamil Tigers, officially known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, pioneered suicide bombing. They have been responsible for numerous attacks in Sri Lanka, including a military assault on the country's main airport in 2001 which caught almost 50 British tourists in the crossfire. Although indiscriminate violence has also been carried out by the Sri Lankan government, Tamil Tiger suicide attacks alone have killed around 1,600 people, including the Sri Lankan president and the Indian prime minister. Suren Surendiran, a spokesman for the British Tamil Forum, said that last weekend's meeting was co-organised by the forum and a local Tamil Labour councillor, Thaya Iddaikadar. "The forum was involved (in the organisation of the meeting)," he said. "About 20 per cent of the people at the meeting were from the British Tamil Forum and the rest were local Tamils." Mr Surendiran said the Mayor was asked a question about the Sri Lankan High Commission's claims that the forum was a Tamil Tiger front. "He said the Metropolitan Police came under him and where there was a legitimate request for a legitimate event his office would always be supportive," Mr Surendiran said. The Mayor also gave the forum his "personal commitment" that he would support its candlelit vigil in Trafalgar Square this summer to mark the 25th anniversary of "Black July," a massacre of Tamil civilians triggered by a Tamil Tiger attack on a military convoy. About 1,000 Tamils were killed in this bloodshed, which is generally seen as the trigger for Sri Lanka's civil war. Mr Surendiran said the forum "shares the same aspirations as the Tamil Tigers, but we do not subscribe to their methodology". Mr Livingstone's campaign has been dogged by allegations that he is too closely linked to organisations which sympathise with terrorists. Yesterday, the Standard told how he had appointed a former member of a banned Sikh terrorist organisation, Dabinderjit Singh, to the board of TfL. Last week it emerged that one of Mr Livingstone's leading Muslim supporters is closely connected to the Islamic militant group Hamas. Mr Livingstone's campaign was not available for comment. 4 injured in PLOTE-TMVP clash Killing of NESoHR Chairman condemned JVP seeks British HC’s assistance to counter LTTE SRI LANKA: Turning to China, Iran for Funds Sri Lanka’s government, under pressure over human rights violations, is abandoning support from traditional but rights-sensitive partners like the United States and Europe and turning to countries like China and Iran to finance its infrastructure projects. Relations between the country's traditional partners and the government turned frosty in recent months as the U.S., the EU and international human rights groups raise concern over growing rights violations, including the harassment of journalists. Recently World Bank officials were told by a senior functionary of the treasury: "We don't need your money (with all those strings)." Foreign affairs analysts and economists say President Mahinda Rajapakse nationalist government is relying on 'outside' support because foreign aid in the form of grants and concessional loans comes with strings attached -- which the government does not want to accept. Last year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pulled out of Sri Lanka and has no programmes in this country while the Bank recently completed a series of consultations with civil society groups, including farmers and journalists, seeking input for a new three-year country strategy. The real reason however, according to a civil society activist, was to "use us to put pressure on the government because the authorities don't listen to the World Bank any more’’. Analysts like Nanda Godage, a retired diplomat and commentator, says there appears to be a 'clumsy' policy in relation to foreign affairs. "Normally the foreign ministry should have a (well researched) paper assessing relationships and the economic and political fallout (of sidelining countries like the U.S., the EU). This is missing… we need to diplomatically tackle institutions like the Bank and the IMF instead of being blunt with them." Godage said Sri Lanka is better off not antagonising the Bank and the IMF which are controlled by them (the U.S. and the EU)," he said. ‘’We are making enemies out of friends." Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama and his foreign secretary Palitha Kohona are known to be at loggerheads over various issues, while Rajapakse has also independently taken decisions on foreign policy. Another sore point in foreign policy will come to the fore this week when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Sri Lanka on Apr. 28 on the first stop of his first ever Asia tour. When Rajapakse visited Iran last year, Washington voiced concerns. ‘The Sunday Leader’ newspaper said this week that Israel is unlikely to respond to a Sri Lankan request for arms sales because of this country’s increasing ties with Iran. The paper said these concerns were communicated to Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake during a recent visit there. Financial support from the U.S., the EU and the multilaterals has dwindled since Rajapakse won the presidential poll two years ago and ended a shaky ceasefire with Tamil rebels and ordered the troops to wipe out the rebels from their northern and eastern lairs. Security forces have been successful in the east where the rebels have retreated into the jungle and residents are facing a provincial poll next month. But fierce fighting is on in the north amidst widespread allegations against the government of human rights abuses through abductions and harassment of the private media. The government denies all charges but is unable to dispute mounting evidence -- particularly on abductions. Analysts say with western aid tied to governance, transparency and spending discipline, conditions the government has rejected, Rajapakse has been compelled to woo 'friendly' countries to help the many infrastructure projects like super highways, railways, ports and airports. China and Iran have come to the country's aid rescue with loans, albeit at commercial rates of interest. China is funding a coal power plant and a harbour with more than 700 million US dollars, while negotiations are underway for another 450-million-dollar loan for two highways. Iran, on the other hand, is granting 450 million dollars for a hydropower project and investing one billion dollars in an oil refinery. It recently provided a seven-month credit facility so that Sri Lanka's entire crude oil requirement could be sourced from there. All this is in addition to other support these two countries have been providing to Sri Lanka. Rajapakse has visited China twice in the past two years, the latest being two weeks ago. He is yet to pay official visits to the U.S. or to any of its European allies. Jehan Perera, director of the National Peace Council and a newspaper commentator on the peace process, says that countries like Sri Lanka need to maintain good relations with larger and more influential countries. "Shutting out one section of the international community is not helpful especially when that section has had long standing relations with us," he said. Most analysts agree that the current government's foreign policy may, in the short term, find solutions to immediate needs but is disastrous in the long term. Sirimal Abeyeratne, an economist at the University of Colombo, says spending discipline (conditions on loans) is necessary for countries like Sri Lanka where spending is wayward and used for projects other than the intended purpose. Ravi Karunanayake, a former trade minister and now frontline opposition politician, believes the country is falling ever deeper into debt as the government resorts to costly commercial borrowings as against soft loans and grant aid. "We'll be paying through our noses for generations to settle this debt," he said. 22 April 2008 To mediate or not: India not yet decided India is still undecided if it would act as a mediator between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE, sources from the Indian Foreign Ministry told the Daily Mirror.The top ranking official who wished to remain anonymous said that a decision had not been reached by the Indian leaders despite repeated calls from its own politicians, urging India to act as a mediator in the Sri Lankan conflict. “No decision has been reached although the (Indian) leaders are discussing it. However India has always helped Sri Lanka and will continue to offer its assistance as and when the Sri Lankan Government requires it,” the source said.Many Indian and other foreign ministers have stepped up pressure on India to break the deadlock between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE and act as a mediator, stating that the country’s three and a half decade war had already claimed thousands of innocent lives.Oslo is also hopeful that the Government would recall for its assistance soon, stating that they were always prepared to help the Sri Lankan Government. However the Sri Lankan Government last week also maintained its stance, saying that no official invitation would be given to India or Norway to act as mediators as both countries had been assisting the Government when required. Defence Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said that it did not want to involve its “big brother” as it would only turn out to be futile as the LTTE did not respect any international norms or standards. UPFA candidates for Ampara told to toe the line The 17 UPFA candidates contesting the Ampara district at the May 10 Provincial Council polls have been warned to abstain from seeking preferential votes. They have been advised to toe the UPFA guidelines which include refraining from violent acts against opponents and serving liquor to supporters.The UPFA’s Eastern Province Provincial Council elections Co-ordinator, Healthcare Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said any UPFA candidate found guilty of seeking preferential votes through violence or providing liquor to supporters and voters would be expelled from the UPFA.He told The Island that he had been appointed as the Chief Co-ordinator of the Ampara district by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had also advised that he instruct the 17 candidates contesting the Ampara district to adhere to the UPFA guidelines. Instead of seeking preferential votes the 17 candidates are required to maintain a good image of the UPFA and their principal objective would be to win the provincial council elections for the UPFA.Minister de Silva added that the Ampara district would be crucial at this time because candidates of various ethnic groups would be contesting and the government was confident of winning the elections with an overwhelming majority. He said the people living in the Eastern province were suspicious that the LTTE would recapture the Eastern province, but the government would not let the LTTE either to recapture or do harm to people living in the Eastern province. India should pressurise Lanka to declare ceasefire: Vaiko LTTE base falls to army, 23 rebels killed SLMC to impeach President and topple the government after PC polls in East Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) says that it will submit an impeachment against President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the parliament following the May 10 Eastern provincial council election. Chairman of SLMC, Bashir Segudawood Sunday(20) speaking at an election rally held in Eravur, Batticaloa said that steps would be taken to topple the government once the election is concluded. He further said that the government has taken steps to engineer a spilt in the JVP like it had already destroyed the SLMC. He further noted that, the JVP will reorganize itself and will protest against the government in near future. Once the JVP starts its protest against the government, a general election will be inevitable, and the SLMC will join hands with the all other parties to topple the Rajapaksa rule, he predicted. India will partner with Sri Lanka to build thermal power plant in Sampur The Indian and Sri Lankan governments have come to a final agreement on the construction of a 500 MW coal-based power plant at Sampur in the Trincomalee district. With an investment of 500 million US dollars, the project will be implemented by a joint venture company of which India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) hold equal stakes with a debt/equity ratio of 70:30. Sri Lanka and India signed an agreement on the project in 2006, but progress was delayed by a disagreement on the exact location of the power plant. Sri Lanka identified Sampur as the best location, while India preferred a location close to the Indian Oil storage complex in Trincomalee harbour. Meanwhile, the pro-feasibility report on the proposed undersea power line between Rameshwaran in Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar in Sri Lanka released by India’s Power Grid Corporation said this project could be completed within 42 months’ time. The cost of the project is estimated at Rs. 2293 corers. "Sri Lankan State continues to target human rights defenders"-LTTE “The Sri Lankan State has targeted a human rights defender who worked for the welfare of the people. The Sri Lankan State has yet again demonstrated its appalling stance on respecting human rights by brutally murdering a human rights defender who served the people with dedication”, said LTTE Political Wing in its statement condemning the killing of Rev Fr M X Karunaratnam. The full text of the statement is as follows: The chairperson of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights, Rev Fr M X Karunaratnam, was killed on 20 April 2008 on the Mankulam-Mallavi road by a claymore attack carried out by the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka military.The attack, on his white colored vehicle in which he was returning after the Sunday service in the Mankulam Catholic church, took place around 12.30pm.The Sri Lankan State has targeted a human rights defender who worked for the welfare of the people. The Sri Lankan State has yet again demonstrated its appalling stance on respecting human rights by brutally murdering a human rights defender who served the people with dedication.We condemn strongly the actions of the Sri Lankan State that is carrying out well planed murders of human rights defenders and those who raise their voice in defense of the human rights of Tamils.We request the international human rights bodies and the international community to condemn the continued gross human rights violations of the Sri Lankan Sate and take actions without further delay to bring an end to the continuing human rights violation by it.We convey our deep condolences to the family and friends of Fr M X Karunaratnam, who dedicated himself in the service of the people from his very young days. PFLT nomination has no LTTE blessings Madhu Matha 'transferred within' Canadian opposition says FM failed on Lankan issue JVP assaults Lanka-e-News journalist Lanka-e-News journalist Shantha Wijesuriya, who had gone to cover the release of Trincomalee District JVP MP Jayantha Wijesekara, was assaulted by a group of JVP supporters last evening, at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court premises. Journalist Shantha Wijesuriya was among the group of journalists from various print and electronic media, who were waiting for the prison authorities to produce JVP MP Wijesekara and two other activists, who were allegedly involved in the vehicle robbery from the parliament car park recently. When the three were released on bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate, the journalists waiting outside the court premises had rushed to take pictures of the departing JVP members. A minor commotion had broken out as a number of JVP activists who gathered at the courts premises did not want the journalists to cover the event and obstructed them. During the commotion a group of JVPers had beaten the Lanka-e-News journalist and tried to chase him away.Journalist Wijesuriya commenting on this said that four JVP supporters had surrounded him and beaten him and ordered him to leave the court premises at once. 21 April 2008 No patch-up, says Wimal JVP dissident leader, Wimal Weerawansa yesterday told the Ven. Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter the other section of the party was working in a manner that did not allow room for a patch-up. “The developing problems and crises make any patch-up with the party remote,” he said. He made these comments when the JVP dissident group comprising 10 MPs called on the Ven Mahanayake Thera after paying homage at the Sri Dalada Maligawa. Weerawansa said the group took up a challenge after fighting within the party. “We expect to give leadership to the country by putting the party on the correct track. Failing that we have the strength and the motivation to do something for the country by creating a new front. We do not have an idea to join the government. But we have room to collect all forces together to work for the betterment of the country. We will never allow separatism to raise its head,” he said.“There is a conspiracy to destroy the national leadership of the country. The LTTE is carrying that forward. Those who are promoting separatism have contributed towards dividing the JVP. Those who are supporting forces that promoting separatism in the country are happy today,” he said. The Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sidhartha Sumangala Mahanayaka Thera said they should all work towards the forward march of the country. “We do not know what sort of problem there is within your party. But everyone should get together to develop the country. If that cannot be done it would be good to join the government and be of service to the country,” he said.“I am not telling you to join the government and get Ministerial portfolios but to work for the country as the times demand. They should support the eradication of terrorism and the development of the country, whatever side they belonged to,” he noted. Sri Lanka President to look into Defense Ministry's refusal to provide chopper to opposition leader Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assured UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe that he will look into a request made by the latter to Defense Ministry to make available a helicopter for election campaigning in the Eastern Province, days after the Ministry has refused to grant the chopper.Informed sources said the President made this assurance at a wedding, where Mr. Wickremasinghe also attended.The Defense Ministry had reportedly refused to provide Mr. Wickremasinghe with a helicopter for a four-day election campaign to be carried out in view of the May 10 Provincial Council Elections in the Eastern Province. Tigers accuse Sri Lanka of killing Catholic priest Sri Lankan forces Sunday killed a Roman Catholic priest who was also a top human rights campaigner inside rebel-held territory, Tiger guerrillas said as fighting raged in the troubled north. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Father M.X. Karunaratnam was killed in a roadside bomb attack carried out by government troops which infiltrated the Mallavi area.The priest headed the North East Secretariat on Human Rights, a group active in guerrilla-held Wanni region in the north of the island, the Tigers said in a statement.It said a "deep penetrating unit" of the Sri Lankan army carried out the assassination, but there was no immediate word from the military. Security forces routinely deny carrying out attacks inside rebel-held territory.However, troops are leading a major offensive to break through rebel defences in the Wanni in a bid to dismantle the de facto mini state of the guerrillas.Earlier Sunday, the defence ministry Sunday claimed its war planes bombed speed boats operated by Tamil Tiger rebels, but the guerrillas said only a village rebuilt after the December 2004 tsunami had been hit.Aircraft carried out the bombing raid in the seas off Mullaitivu on Saturday evening after spy planes spotted the rebel boat formation, the defence ministry said in a statement."The air raid was successful," the statement said without giving details.The LTTE said two civilians were wounded in the air attack."Many of the tsunami homes built with the assistance of the German Red Cross were damaged in this bombing," the Tigers said in a statement. "More than 20 boats and other fishing equipment belonging to the fishermen of the area were also destroyed."The air strike came as ground battles raged along front lines in Wanni where the military reported that 30 rebels and one government soldier were killed since Friday.Security forces have killed at least 2,905 rebels since the start of January while 175 government soldiers have died in action during the same period, according to defence ministry figures.Casualty numbers cannot be independently verified as Colombo bars journalists and aid workers from travelling to embattled areas. Both sides are known to offer sharply varying casualty figures.Tens of thousands of people have died in over three decades of fighting. Military denies killing priest LTTE statement Sri Lanka military spokesman, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told BBC Sandeshaya that the military played no role whatsoever as the attack has happened in the rebel-held territory. "He always spoke for the rights of the people of NorthEast," the statement added.It is usual for the LTTE, Brig. Nanayakkara said, to point the finger at the military every time an attack happened in the rebel-held area. The Tamil Tigers who are ‘very active’ in Mulativu area should take the responsibility of the killing, he added.Rev. Karunaratnam was the only voice to report human rights violations in the LTTE-held territory, pro-rebel Tamilnet said. Water cutting festival held in VVT Muththumaariyamman temple Water cutting festival of the historic Valveddiththu’rai Muththumaariyamman temple was held Sunday with the participation of thousands of devotees who took the holy deity Muththumaariyamman, Pi’l’laiyaar, and Murukan in procession to the shores where the deities were ceremoniously bathed with the devotees joining them, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) had refused permission to observe this festival last year and the festival was held with limited participation of the devotees.The procession carrying the holy deities went along the Point Pedro- Valveddiththu’rai- Tho’ndaimaanaa’ru coastal road to the selected holy site in the beach.SLA uses this road daily to transport troops and weapons to the Northern Front Defence Line areas. Sixth Parliament boasts of almost 50 dissidents With the recent break-up of the 37-member JVP parliamentary group, the third largest group in the sixth Parliament, the total number of MPs who had switched allegiance to the SLFP-led ruling coalition or decided to function as independent MPs had gone up to almost 50 .Political sources said this was a record if compared with the number of crossovers in any previous parliament. The sources said the replacement of 30 MPs due to resignations, deaths, assassination and absence without leave for over three months, too, was a record.A UNP MP said the face of the sixth parliament had been changed due to what he called mass crossovers. The crisis within JVP had helped the UNP to momentarily forget the SLFP inspired break-up of the party and ongoing efforts to win over more MPs, he said. The loss of 24 MPs to the government had reduced the UNP group in Parliament to 42, he said.The UNP suffered another setback when the vacancy caused by the assassination of T. Maheswaran, MP, (Colombo District) in January had to be filled by SLMC candidate Mohammed Shafeek Rajabdeen who contested the Colombo District on the UNP ticket at the last general election. But under a recent pact with the SLMC under which Rauff Hakeem quit his Digamadulla seat to contest the first ever election to the Eastern Provincial Council, UNPer Abdul Majeed Naushad entered Parliament.The resignation of Rauff Hakeem along with Basheer Segudawood (National List) and M. T. Hassen Ali (National List) in April this year to contest the May 10 election had reduced SLMC strength in Parliament to just two MPs representing Digamadulla and Colombo. Political sources said the SLMC would fill the two National List vacancies only after the election. Two of the MPs including Hakeem who quit their seats could return to Parliament through the National List, the sources said.Political sources said the UNP loss was monumental as CWC, SLMC and UPF MPs who contested on the UNP ticket or entered Parliament through the UNP National List, too, had joined the government. "In fact, our predicament is worse than that of the JVP," another UNP MP said. The JVP contested the last general election on the UPFA ticket and even if the break-up would be permanent, essentially they would back the government, he said. Both factions would support the monthly extension of the Emergency Regulations, he said, asserting the bottom line would be the Opposition would be weaker. The deaths of Gampaha District MPs Anura Bandaranaike and Sripathy Sooriyarachchi, too, brought Rajapaksa loyalists, Reggie Ranatunga and Sarana Gunawardena to Parliament, political sources said. LTTE refutes government claims of destroying arms boats The Tamil Tiger rebels Sunday disputed Sri Lankan Air Force claims that it has bombed and destroyed three arms boats of the Sea Tigers south of Mullaitivu in the north a day earlier.Sri Lanka Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Andy Wijesuriya, based on intelligence provided by the Navy, said: 'The supersonic fighter jets bombed and destroyed three arms boats of the Sea Tigers beached south of Mullaitivu lagoon Saturday around 5.40 p.m.'However, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a statement claimed that the air raid by the Sri Lankan war jets destroyed 'fishing boats and newly built tsunami houses'.'Sri Lankan Air Force bombers dropped bombs in the Silavaththai area in Mullaitivu, injuring two civilians, destroying newly built tsunami homes and causing other damage,' the LTTE statement said.Claiming that many of the tsunami homes built with the assistance of the German Red Cross have been damaged in the air raid, the LTTE statement said, 'More than 20 boats and other fishing equipment belonging to the fishermen of the area' have also been destroyed during the bombing.Sea Tiger wing is the sea-going arm of the LTTE.Meanwhile, the defence ministry reported that at least 16 LTTE cadres were killed during sporadic clashes in the north-western Mannar and northern Vavuniya districts Saturday.It said at least 13 LTTE cadres were killed when the advancing troops backed by armour and artillery bombardment clashed with the rebels ahead of their forward defences in the Mannar battlefront.It said three more LTTE cadres were killed at Navatkulam area in Vavuniya.Independent verifications on the battlefront casualties are not possible as journalists are barred from visiting there. Wimal: A Govt.puppet says JVP 20 April 2008 Keep Madhu shrine outside line of fire, clerics appeal Fasting and prayer ceremonies were observed on Friday at St. Sebastian Cathedral in Mannar and other religious venues around the country. Participants have called for permanent peace and the protection of the shrine of Our Lady of Madhu and all religious shrines from military activity and a military presence.The Mannar ceremony was organised by the Mannar Diocesan Centre for Inter-Religious Dialogue. Priests of all faiths took part in the prayers, at which the Vicar General, Rt. Rev. Fr Victor Soosai presided, the organisers said. Citizens’ Committee chairman Rev. Fr. Xavier Croos has made a formal appeal to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to respect the Madhu shrine area and keep it off limits to all military operations.Meanwhile, the Mannar Diocesan Centre for Inter-Religious Dialogue has written to the President asking that the sacredness of the Madhu Shrine, and all places of religious worship, be respected, and that they not be used for military and political purposes.The letter, signed by a Hindu kurukkal, a Muslim maulavi and a Roman Catholic priest, said the statue of Our Lady of Madhu has been venerated across the country by thousands of people, regardless of their faith, community or language.“Our Lady of Madhu continues to offer her grace and protection to all those who come to her,” the letter stated. “All these years, the shrine has been spared from being used for military and political purposes, and the sacredness of the Madhu Shrine was maintained even during the years of war.”The letter added that the Catholic Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph, has appealed to the government and the LTTE to declare the area a peace zone so the shrine can continue to serve as a place of religious worship and humanitarian refuge.“As religious leaders we earnestly call on both the President and the LTTE leader to heed this appeal without any further delay,” the organisation said. US proposes fund cut to Sri Lanka The US State Department has proposed to slash its total funding to Sri Lanka for the second consecutive year. In its draft budget for foreign operations in 2009, presented to the US Congress, the State Department has only requested US$6.5 million for work in Sri Lanka, down from US$7.4 million estimated for 2008. The decline follows a dramatic slash witnessed last year, as US$ 23.2 million was put aside for aid work in Sri Lanka in 2007. Funding for counter-terrorism operations has been slashed over fourfold from US$ 893,000 in 2008 to a proposed US$ 200,000 for 2009. Aid to the financial sector has been cut off completely. The budget justification opines that the ethnic "conflict has weakened Sri Lanka's democratic institutions and civil society and contributed to increased human rights abuses." It further states that the north and east of the country "have lagged or even regressed in terms of growth and development, largely due to the presence of armed conflict." It warns that "continued divergence between economic and social indicators in the Western Province from those in the rest of the country will only prolong hostilities." A spokesman for the US Embassy in Sri Lanka, Terry White, said however that the current were "just preliminary figures" and could change in many ways due to "political pressure" among other factors, given that it is a general election year in the US. "There are several months to go before the US $3 trillion budget is finalised and we will only have a clear picture of the amount of money allocated to Sri Lanka in the coming months." "I don't want to say that the decline in this draft is in any way linked to factors specific to Sri Lanka. It is too early to make such an assumption," he said. Mouna’s entry challenges Pillaiyan’s future Former Batticaloa Government Agent (GA) Mouna Guruswamy’s entry into local politics in the east, has thrown a tough challenge to the current TMVP chief Pillaiyan’s position, as the potential chief ministerial candidate.Guruswamy, a popular political science teacher in the Batticaloa district fled the country after he was shot at by the LTTE, immediately following Karuna’s defection from the LTTE and took residence in London. Subsequently, he obtained his doctorate in India and has now returned to the country to contest the May 10, eastern provincial council election, under the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) ticket.With his entry into local politics, some sources from the TMVP said there were moves to oust Pillaiyan from the chief ministerial post and make Guruswamy the chief ministerial candidate.Sources closely associated with the TMVP, based in Batticaloa, on condition of anonymity told The Nation that portraying Mouna Guruswamy as the Chief Ministerial candidate would bring the party more chances to win the election, due his credibility as one of the leading political science teachers in the district.They said Guruswamy’s stature as a ‘Teacher,’ would help the TMVP win the election easily. Guruswamy is a native of Eravurpattu.Prior to his departure to London, Guruswamy, a graduate, was teaching at Shivananda Vidyalaya in Batticaloa.During the time he was shot at by the LTTE he was with former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Rajan Sathyamoorthy. Sathyamoorthy succumbed to his injuries while Guruswamy survived, sustaining only minor injuries. The Nation reliably learns, pressure is mounted on Pillaiyan to sacrifice his position as the chief ministerial candidate for Guruswamy, popularly known as ‘Guru.’It is also learnt that the TMVP is sharply divided, with Pillaiyan supporters insisting that Pillaiyan’s position as the chief ministerial candidate be retained, while those supportive of Guruswamy are pressing for a change of this post and want it given to the experienced Guruswamy. Sources from Batticaloa said Muslims en masse who are likely to vote for the TMVP will support Guruswamy, while the Tamil vote base would be divided. Israel holds back arms supplies over Iranian connection Israel has informed Sri Lanka it is unlikely to sell arms to the country because of concerns over its connections to Iran and the fear of Israeli technology falling into enemy hands. The Israeli concerns were communicated to Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake during a recent visit where a special request was made for arms supplies to fight the LTTE threat. The Sunday Leader learns the Israeli position was communicated to Wickremanayake by the country's Defence Minister Ehud Barak. "The Defence Minister Barak told the Sri Lankan Prime Minister because of Sri Lanka's connections with Iran, Israel is unlikely to sell arms to Sri Lanka because of fear that secret technology will fall into Iran's hands," a top Israeli source said. Israel's concerns come following a visit by President Mahinda Rajapakse to Iran where he lobbied for defence and oil support. The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is due in Sri Lanka later this week where economic and defence cooperation are to figure prominently. Prime Minister Wickremanayake also faced an obstacle when he sought to make arms purchases bypassing the Israeli agent for procurement, Zvika.Earlier in March Prime Minister Wickremanayake was on a four day visit to Israel and included in the delegation was Jayantha Wickremasinghe the chairman of Lanka Logistics Company of which Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse is a director.Sources in Israel told The Sunday Leader Wickremasinghe had stayed behind till March 28 even after Wickremanayake left on March 26 and attempted to approach several Isreali government bodies like the Israeli aeronautical industries and Israeli military industries to secure appointments. However these bodies, sources said, work on a strict protocol and declined to meet merely through a telephone call and insisted on liaising only through their designated agent in Sri Lanka. Following the visit Israeli sources said a large consignment of spares and other equipment for the Sri Lanka Navy and armed forces had been stopped by the Israeli authorities. Usually these spares and other equipment are fast tracked through channels that bypass strict regulations including SHIBAT or Defence Authority approval. Any military software or hardware from Israel has to usually get SHIBAT approval and such regulatory measures will delay consignments for up to two and a half months. Defence Minister Barak told Prime Minister Wickremanayake, Israel will only deal through Zvika. The Israeli source said the Prime Minister's visit was a big success except for the dampener in the form of the forthcoming visit of the Iranian President which had a negative impact on full Israel cooperation. Jaffna’s health services on verge of collapse Large numbers of patients in the peninsula are being deprived of medication as the district’s health sector is in the throes of a crisis due to a lack of human resources and essential medicines. According to statistics released by the Government Agent’s office in Jaffna, 1,362 vacancies have not been filled due to a shortage of personnel ranging from nursing staff, to medical officers, to public health midwives and labourers. While there is a need for 841 nursing staff, only 103 nurses have been posted to the district leaving 738 positions vacant. From an approved cadre of 421 medical officers only 219 individuals have been posted. The basic requirement in consultants is 17, however not a single consultant has been posted to the Jaffna district. Minister of Health, Nimal Siripala de Silva told The Sunday Times the government is left helpless in regard to filling up the vacancies. He said government could do nothing to prevent the outflow of doctors and other medical staff who serve in the area for short periods and then migrate.“As Minister there is not much I could do. I can’t lift the doctors and put them there. It is not practical. We are helpless here but we are doing our best to bring the situation under control,” he said. The Minister claimed there could be no lack of doctors, as the Health Ministry had posted the maximum number of officers to the district. Meanwhile the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) stated most medical officers were reluctant to work in the district as facilities provided were inadequate.“Transport is a major problem for most of the medical officers travelling by air from southern parts of the country. Most medical officers are interns or post-interns and this week the Ministry secretary promised to provide them with tickets to and from the peninsula (Palali to Colombo) once in three months”. An official of the GMOA said the organisation was monitoring the situation and hoped the agreement would be kept. Dr. Gnanajothy, Director of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital said in addition to the shortage of staff, a scarcity in essential drugs prevailed at hospitals in the north. He stressed the hospital urgently needed nurses and the same crisis was prevalent there in many other hospitals in the district.“It’s possible to carry on hospital activities with a few doctors, but without nurses and minor staff it is difficult to function as they play a major role” he said. Dr. Gnanajothy added that there was a shortage in supplies of essential drugs, especially drugs which need cold-room facilities. “We have had drug shortages from time to time” he said “and rely totally on sea transport. If the ships are delayed we have a crisis regarding the supply of medicine”. Dr. Gnanajothy added that since the ICRC stopped flying in drugs which needed cold- room facilities over two months ago, the peninsula was experiencing a shortage in these drugs. An officer of the Medical Supplies Division of the Health Ministry said the department had been informed that drugs for the first quarter were over and were hoping to ship medicines to Jaffna in the near future. Fein prepares draft indictment against Rajapakse bros. and Fonseka US Attorney Bruce Fein is preparing a criminal draft indictment against the Rajapakse brothers and General Sarath Fonseka for alleged genocide, crimes against humanity, extra-judicial killings, and torture, it is learned. Fein served as Deputy Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan's administration.UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake said that the message was a "severe indictment on the Sri Lankan foreign service and the diplomats representing the country in Canada both in Ottawa and Toronto." He added that "an ally as close to Sri Lanka as Canada" should be "more attuned to the cultural background of Sri Lanka.""To refer to only any single one of our multitude of communities shows a poor understanding of Sri Lankan culture on the part of the Canadian government. Unfortunately this comes as just yet another example of how confounded our own government's foreign policy and communication with the outside world have become," the MP lamented.The Rajapakse-Fonseka indictment will be modeled on the indictment against Slobodan Milosevic issued by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, a source working close to Fein told The Sunday Leader. The indictment will rely substantially on the doctrine of command responsibility. It makes a superior responsible for the acts of his subordinates if he knew or had reason to know that they were about to commit such acts or had done so and the superior failed to take the necessary and reasonable measures to prevent such acts or to punish the perpetrators thereof, the source charged.The Rajapakse-Fonseka indictment, which will implicate a United States citizen (Gotabaya Rajapakse) and green card holders (Basil Rajapakse and General Fonseka), will be presented to the Attorney General, the United States Congress, and the International Criminal Court for appropriate action, The Sunday Leader learns. Sri Lankan jets destroy 3 Tamil rebel gunboats after 29 combatants killed, military says Air force jets bombed and destroyed three Tamil Tiger rebel gunboats off northern Sri Lanka after a day of ground fighting killed 28 insurgents and a soldier, the military said.Fighter jets struck the boats Saturday near the northern rebel stronghold, a military official said without saying if there were casualties or giving further details. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing government rules.A military statement said earlier that soldiers raided six rebel bunkers in northern Mannar district Friday, with 13 rebels and one soldier killed in the encounter.The statement said scattered fighting left 15 more insurgents dead Friday in northeastern Welioya and northern Vavuniya regions.Telephone calls to the rebels' office seeking comment were not answered.Each side often exaggerates the other's casualties and plays down its own. Independent accounts of the clashes are not available because there is no media access to the area.The Tamil Tigers have fought since 1983 to create an independent homeland for the country's minority ethnic Tamils, who have faced discrimination under successive governments controlled by the majority Sinhalese. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.The rebels' strong naval force has played a major role in their fight. ‘White van’ victims at CID, TID Several Tamils who were abducted in Colombo and suburbs by unidentified gangs that came in white vans during the last three weeks have been allegedly found at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID). Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) Convenor, Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan charged that subsequent to the ‘abductions’ and upon inquiry, it was learnt that all the seven Tamils were under the custody of the TID and CID.“The law enforcement authorities have the freedom to arrest anyone on suspicion, but that should be done in a proper manner and not in some unscrupulous style using white vans and attired in civil clothing,” he told The Nation.He said that he was prepared to bring the matter to the attention of Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.“This is totally unacceptable and unethical. The Police can’t act like this, I am going to bring this to the attention of the Human Rights Minister,” he added. Meanwhile, when The Nation contacted, Government’s Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella maintained that when a country was fighting terrorism, one could not always stick to ethics, all the time.“But that does not mean that the law enforcement authorities will exploit their powers,” he claimed. Rambukwella noted that there were many units in the Police, and all of them were legitimate. According to him, some of the personnel in these units were dressed in civil, if not they would face difficulties when apprehending culprits. Muhamalai, Nagarkovil not part of peninsula: Army Spokesman Sri Lanka Army Media Director V.U.B Nanayakkara, USP has sent the following response to an article which appeared in The Sunday Times under the headline “Life in Jaffna: The seen and the unseen, the told and the untold”“Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, Security Forces Commander in Jaffna, contrary to what has been said in the article, stated in the referred press briefing that there are approximately 1000-1500 Tiger terrorists operating ahead of their own Forward Defence Line in Muhamalai and Nagarkovil - not within the peninsula - as stated in The Sunday Times report. “Similarly, the Jaffna Commander commenting on the operational activities taking place ahead of their own Forward Defence Lines in Muhamalai and Nagarkovil categorically stated that approximately 10-15 Tiger terrorists are killed daily as a result of limited operations carried out by troops in those areas.“On the contrary, the writer has stated about 10-15 Tiger terrorists are killed on a daily basis in the region; meaning the Jaffna peninsula where normality prevails, as the report itself stated.“This is totally misleading and factually incorrect. In other words, the report, while trying to state there prevails normalcy in the Government controlled area, also gives the wrong impression at the same time, in a subtle manner, that there does not exist normalcy in the region. “Likewise, efforts taken by this headquarters in Jaffna to provide maximum security to the visiting team of journalists have also been belittled and conveniently forgotten in this report. It is relevant to note here that these journalists were taken to specified areas close to Muhamalai and Nagarkovil where sporadic LTTE artillery attacks are taking place. “It is also pertinent to state here that such security measures were taken for the best interest of the visiting journalists and not for any other purpose as indicated in this writer’s report.” OUR REPORTER SAYS: The Brigadier has lost sight of the fact that Muhamalai and Nagarkovil areas are within the Jaffna peninsula. Instead, he has said that the two areas are not within. That is a misrepresentation of geographical facts. They do not change. Major General Chandrasiri did say during the news conference that 1000 to 1,500 Tiger guerrillas are still within the peninsula. He also said that 10 – 15 are killed per day. The Sunday Times reported Major Gen Chandrasiri’s comments. It quoted him saying that normalcy has returned to the region. Therefore the claim by the Brigadier that the report tries to give a wrong impression and that normalcy does not exist is not correct. That is clear to even the most dumb witted though the Military Spokesman is unable to comprehend. Contrary to claims made by Brigadier Nanayakkara, mention had not been made about the security provided to the team of journalists during their visit to Jaffna from April 5 to 7. The Sunday Times reported about the security provided to journalists during this conducted tour arranged by the Media Centre for National Security. Here again, unfortunately, Brig. Nanayakkara has been unable to comprehend the facts. Trinco blast disrupts campaign Government ministers were yesterday compelled to curtail their election campaigning in Trincomalee following a powerful claymore mine explosion on the main road leading to the town though no casualties were reported.The explosion went off at Potkarni, between Tampalakamam and Trincomalee, a few minutes after a police patrol had covered the route. The police team had been deployed to clear the road ahead of government and opposition politicians arriving for the provincial election campaign. Among those who have modified their campaign programmes are Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, John Seneviratne, Bandula Gunawardena, Neomal Perera, Siripala Gamlath, presidential advisor and MP Basil Rajapaksa.Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem was due to travel to Kinniya last morning when the explosion occurred. Several government and opposition politicians have been visiting the Trincomalee district in the past few days to attend campaign meetings and opening ceremonies. SL govt. expresses regret over Priyanka- Nalini meeting Call to disarm TMVP falls on deaf ears Continuous calls by several political parties for the disarmament of the Pillayan-led Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal have so far fallen on deaf ears with the TMVP still carrying arms while campaigning for the Eastern Provincial Council elections.Several political parties including the UNP and JVP had called upon the government to ensure that the TMVP was disarmed to ensure a free and fair election. The government however has not taken any steps to disarm the group. The TMVP has stated that it would not disarm until terrorism is totally wiped out of the country.It however stated that the TMVP carrying arms did not mean that the state-provided security was insufficient. The TMVP claimed that its armed cadres were present in their offices for the personal protection of its party members.TMVP spokesperson Azath Moulana earlier stated that the armed cadres continued to be in the jungle areas, except for those in the offices. "There are only two to three armed persons in our offices for our personal protection," he had said.The TMVP has stated that it would not disarm until terrorism is totally wiped out of the country.It however stated that the TMVP carrying arms did not mean that the state-provided security was insufficient. The TMVP claimed that its armed cadres were present in their offices for the personal protection of its party members.TMVP spokesperson Azath Moulana earlier stated that the armed cadres continued to be in the jungle areas, except for those in the offices. "There are only two to three armed persons in our offices for our personal protection," he had said. TMVP member gunned down in B'caloa No fresh invitation to India - Govt. Despite the recent hype generated over a bigger Indian role being played in Sri Lanka’s almost faltered peace process, the government will not extend a formal invitation to India urging it to play a more pivotal role in the island’s stagnant peace process. The Sri Lankan government’s Defence spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told The Nation that India already was playing a ‘substantial role’ and there was no necessity to extend a fresh invitation. Norway’s special peace envoy, Jan Hansson Bauer last week urged India to play a more crucial role in the island’s conflict, by mediating between the government and the LTTE in an attempt to put an end to the more than two decades long ethnic conflict. Rambukwella went on to elaborate that relationship between India and Sri Lanka dates back to several decades and both nations have had cordial relationships and supported each other on vital issues.. “India is already playing an excellent role as observer to the process. We are not going to make a fresh invitation to them asking them to get more involved in the process because they are already assisting us at the maximum level,” the spokesman said. He went on to emphasise that India had its own political commitments and some members of the international community were trying to create unnecessary issues between Sri Lanka and India for petty gains.“India is very much in the peace process, and that has not changed, despite these fresh statements from the Norwegians,” he added. Police hunt for JVP’s Amerasinghe supporters As the rift between the two factions in the JVP widened, police have launched a manhunt for as many as 20 supporters of JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe for their alleged involvement in the raid on the house of a JVP Member of Parliament loyal to former Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa.Two police teams have been deployed in Chilaw to arrest some 20 JVP supporters who raided MP Samansiri Herath’s residence on the eve of the New Year and took away his vehicle, his mobile phone and land phones, a senior officer said. The vehicle was later found by the police and a former JVP provincial council candidate has been arrested and remanded for alleged involvement in the raid on the Weerawansa supporter’s house.Police are also on the lookout for another five JVP supporters who allegedly attacked Kalutara district Patriotic National Movement (PNM) organizer Hemantha Perera while he was riding a motorcycle in the Bandaragama area, the officer said. Five persons who came on motorcycles had allegedly assaulted him with clubs and left him on the roadside. Mr. Perera has claimed that he could identify the attackers as JVP members and has named one of them.Meanwhile, JVP’s Trincomalee District Parliamentarian Jayantha Wijesekara will be produced again in courts tomorrow on charges of hijacking two vehicles from the Parliament car park and assaulting a police officer. Last week, lawyers for the JVP leadership requested that Mr. Wijesekera be released on bail because he has to lead the party’s campaign for the Eastern Provincial Council elections in the Trincomalee District. But the court refused bail because of police objections and the JVP leadership had accused police of playing politics. In the latest incident of the developing crisis between the two factions in the party, a JVP candidate and two others were assaulted in Ampara by ten persons who came on motorcycles.They were putting up posters about a meeting to be addressed by JVP leader Amerasinghe today in Ampara, police said. Meanwhile, Mr. Weerawansa is expected to meet the Mahanayaka theras of the Asgiriya and Malwatta Chapters in Kandy today and explain the events that led to the crisis in the party. Take Bhagwati to courts – JHU tells President The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) yesterday demanded President Mahinda Rajapaksa to immediately take legal action against the Chairman of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) Justice P.N. Bhagwati, on grounds that he neglected to carry out his duties properly. JHU spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasingha, told The Nation that Justice Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India failed in his duties by not issuing a vital report on human rights to the President and the Attorney General’s (AG) Department. “It was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who invited justice Bhagwati to come and investigate into the of human rights situation in Sri Lanka. But he neglected his responsibilities and cold shouldered the Human Rights Commission in Sri Lanka.. He failed to submit the report to the President who invited him or to the AG’s Department. Instead he issued a report to the media on human rights and went back to his country,” Warnasingha charged. The JHU spokesman also claimed that this was all part of an international conspiracy to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka.The IIGEP was created at the invitation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to observe the work of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, into 16 cases of serious human rights violations. The IIGEP was mandated to make recommendations to the Commission for corrective action, and to report to the President whether the investigations and inquiries conducted by the Commission are in accordance with international norms and standards. In its concluding public statement issued early last week, the IIGEP has found fundamental lack of political will to support a search for the truth, as a constraint to the IIGEP’s work. The members of the IIGEP have consequently announced the cessation of their observation role. Three members of the IIGEP including Justice Bhagwati will hold a media briefing on Tuesday with regard to their concluding public statement before the group departs Sri Lanka. JVP confident of isolating Wimal before next Parliament sitting The JVP would go all out to isolate Wimal Weerawansa as the party felt there was no point in seeking a negotiated settlement to the crisis triggered by the high profile dissident, well informed party sources said."We can’t turn a blind eye to his private deal with the Rajapaksa administration,’’ this source said. "They want to run the JVP by remote control through Weerawansa, We can’t ignore the threat posed to the party by government strategists.’’ He claimed the break between Weerawansa and the party was permanent. The majority of MPs who had sided with the dissident leader would return to the fold. He was confident that Weerawansa's challenge would collapse before the Parliament resumes on May 6. At the moment nine MPs have accepted Weerawansa's leadership with Nandana Gunatilleke, MP, who quit the party earlier, too, extending his support. A JVP official told The Sunday Island that 10 of the party’s 37-member parliamentary group had challenged its authority. He said their parliamentary strength was reduced to 37 after Kalutara District MP Nandana Gunatilleke switched allegiance to the government. The official said Weerawansa's absence in their campaign for the first ever election to the Eastern Provincial Council on May 10 and the remanding of Trincomalee District MP Jayantha Wijesekera due to actions of the dissident group would be a huge black mark on Weerawansa.The JVP would hold two public rallies at Ampara (April 20) and Kantalai (April 22), he said, accusing the dissidents of helping to keep Wijesekera who would have led their campaign in the Trincomalee District, behind bars. The JVP has also set the date for the fifth Party Convention for May 27 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium as the party moved swiftly to clip Weerawansa's wings. The Sunday Island learns the party will zero in on Piyasiri Wijenayake and Jayantha Samaraweera (both Kalutara District MPs) and Achala Suranga Jagodage (Ratnapura District) for their role in Weerawansa's bid to capture the party. Interestingly all three Kalutara District JVP representatives have now challenged the party, the sources said. The JVP had been furious with Wijenayake for trying to get signatures of other dissidents to a petition the Secretary General of Parliament requesting him to stop paying their monthly salaries to the JVP. The JVP said this attempt was made from the Borella headquarters of the Patriotic National Front (PNM) on April 8. Meanwhile, pro-JVP Lanka in its latest issue launched a scathing attack on Weerawansa. The April 20 issue (usually out on Friday but this week's issue was available only on Saturday) came down hard on Weerawansa This signaled that the weekly to which Weerawansa was an important contributor and other JVP media would not in anyway compromise the party line to appease the dissident MP, a one-time favourite of the paper. In an interview with Lanka, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva direcly accused President Mahinda Rajapaksa of triggering the crisis. Silva said, "President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government is behind this problem. They wanted to JVP MPs in their pockets. Instead of taking a few ministerial portfolios, we put forwarded a 20-point plan to the government. But the government attempted to manipulate the party through Wimal." In his hard hitting interview Silva, who had been in Italy when Weerawansa fired his first salvo, accused Weerawansa of revealing their strategy to the President thereby giving the government an opportunity to successfully counter the JVP. Silva also acknowledged the possibiity of the SLFP-led ruling coalition controlling the party through Weerawansa in the past. He asserted the government engineered the revolt believing Weerawansa would be able to break-up the party. Silva also dismissed assertion that Weerawansa depature would cripple the party. Acknowledging Weerawansa's contribution to the party, the JVP secretary who is not an MP, said Weerawansa wasn't the JVP. His absence would not be a major setback to a party that had survived the assassination of Rohana Wijeweera and the entire politburo except Somawansa Amarasinghe during the second insurgency.Having survived two bloody crackdowns in 1971 and 1987-1990, the JVP wouldn't collapse due to Weerawansa's departure which Silva asserted was of the MP's own making. Former GA Jaffna new ambassador to Paris? Former Foreign Secretary and Government Agent Lionel Fernando is expected to go as Sri Lanka’s new Ambassador to Paris. Fernando had earlier served as the Ambassador of Netherlands and was the one time Foreign Secretary during the tenure of Former Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar. He was also attached to SLAS. Fernando was the Jaffna Government Agent and also took part in peace negotiations during the former President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s tenure. LTTE targets Anuruddha, 6 others Sleuths of the Terrorist Investigation Division probing the discovery of a haul of explosives in the Ambakote area of Digana, Kandy, in the course of interrogating a group of LTTE cadres unearthed a Tiger conspiracy to assassinate Ministers D. M. Jayaratne, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Keheliya Rambukwella, Former Defence Deputy Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte and the former Nuwara Eliya Police Special Investigation Bureau Officers in Charge H.M.S.Bowela and Fonseka.In the course of arresting the LTTE suspects, one of them who was a suicide bomber and another who was suspected to have master minded the plan to assassinate the six VIPs have attempted to commit suicide by swallowing cyanide. While interrogating the group of LTTE suspects it was revealed that they have videoed the tarmac in Nuwara Eliya, where normally VIPs including President Mahinda Rajapaksa disembark from helicopters whenever they visit the area. These video tapes have been despatched to the Wanni by Tiger cadres.The haul of weapons and explosives that were recovered buried in a pit in a tea estate of Kandapola, Nuwara Eliya included more than 200 kilograms of C 04 explosives, five T56 fire arms, four micro pistols, a large stock of other weapons, and a number of suicide kits.According to the statement of the suspect who was a suicide bomber, the original plan was to launch a suicide attack on former Deputy Minister Anuruddha Ratwatta, in Anniewatta, Kandy, by colliding an explosive laden three wheeler against the vehicle of the former Deputy Minister, but since that place was not safe enough, the location of the attack was changed. He further said that this plan was taking shape from 2005 during which period Nagulan, the priest belonging to an extremist religious sect in Mannar brought the necessary suicide kit and the explosives to Kandapola from the Wanni. Later these weapons and explosives have been brought to Kandy from time to time via Dambulla and Matale. A full scale investigation into this plot is now underway. Thiyagalingam new Eastern Province Secretary Eastern Province Governor Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama has appointed former Eastern Province Education Ministry Secretary R. Thiyagalingam as the new Eastern Province Secretary.The appointment took place last week in Trincomalee.With this new appointment, the eastern province council is gearing up to accept the new council members for the first time.Room allocation for various provincial ministers has also been made by the governor in Trincomalee. The governor has also directed his officials to arrange for vehicles and security for the future provincial ministers, sources from the east said. 19 April 2008 PMK wants India to play ‘active’ role in Sri Lanka The PMK, a member of India’s ruling coalition, Saturday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that New Delhi must play an “active and constructive” role to help end Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. PMK leader S. Ramadoss said he and his party colleagues urged both the prime minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi that India’s active engagement was necessary in view of the “genocide against Tamils in that country”. “There are (1.5 million) internally displaced people in Sri Lanka living at the mercy of international donors and NGOs,” he said. Thousands have died in escalating violence in Sri Lanka in the past two years. French relief organization pulls out of Sri Lanka A French relief organization that operated in conflict areas in Sri Lanka and lost 17 of their local workers in a single incident two years ago has decided to withdraw, a statement from the organization said Friday. Action contre la Faim (ACF or Action against Hunger) said it was withdrawing a decision by a group of international experts observing the proceedings of a presidential commission probing 15 violent incidents including the killing of the aid workers. The international group cited the slow progress of the investigations carried out by the Presidential commission for its decision to pull out. The ACF statement said it believed that the presence of the international grouping known as IIGEP was an essential condition for the credibility of the process of the commission. The 17 local aid workers were killed when the military was taking over the rebel controlled area of Muttur, 260 kilometres north east of the capital on August 4, 2006. Investigations have not established whether the Tamil rebels or the military killed them. The ACF has been involved in providing relief to the war affected in the north and eastern provinces. Troops recaptured the eastern province last year and are currently fighting the rebels in part of the northern province. Govt. behind Wimal’s conspiracy - Tilvyn “It is Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government who is behind this. They wanted to put the JVP in their pocket for their own benefit. However, instead of joining the government for a few ministerial portfolios, the JVP presented a set of policies consisting of 20 proposals. Through Wimal, the government attempted to drive the JVP according to their own preferences, in a way that would not pose a threat to them. After using Wimal to know of the JVP’s plans, they sought to act accordingly. We suspect that they even attempted to control the party from the inside during the recent past,” he said.“When this plan failed, they intervened and took Wimal out of the party. They think that the JVP will fall apart just because of this. However, President Rajapaksa are coming to understand that an individual cannot do anything to the party. The government is behind this series of event even now,” Tilvyn added.He also mentioned that the dissident MPs were given the security of the Presidential Security Division (PSD). “Sujatha told us that by the time the press briefing was over, three PSD guards assigned for the security of their homes were there” he said.“None of our other fellow parliamentarians are given PSD security. The government has provided them with PSD security, residences as well as pages of print space from state owned newspapers to their publish articles,” The JVP General Secretary says.“Isn’t it clear enough to see that the government is behind this whole issue?” he added.“…..It is clear that Wimal has been tamed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The tamed Wimal will do something in return and the government will support him. However, the JVP will never be tricked by conspiracies as such,” Tilvyn said. Mangala, Maithri in secret talks in London 'Lanka-e-News' London sources say that Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena has held a two hour long secret political discussion with SLFP-People's Wing leader Mangala Samaraweera at London. According to sources, the discussion has been held at the residence of a relative of Mr. Tiran Alles, situated in Ealing, London. Minister Maithripala Sirisena said to Mr. Samaraweera at the discussion that Minister Dallus had increased interfering affairs of the party headquarters since the demise of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. A distressed Minister Maithripala Sirisena further said that his brothers are also attacked unnecessarily due to the needs of certain bigwigs of the government. Minister Sirisena urged Mr. Samaraweera to rejoin the party pledging to create the background for it. I will appear on timeMr. Mangala Samaraweera's reply was that he would appear in the party on time since he was still a member of the SLFP. He further said that he had submitted 10 proposals to the party and was ready to work without any position in the party or the government if those principles, on which he would base his political career, would be accepted. SLFP-People's Wing National Organizer Tiran Alles also took part in the two-hour long discussion. The dialogue was wound up without a decision since Minister Sirisena was to leave for Paris the same night. However, it is likely to recommence in Paris after Mr. Samaraweera arrives in Paris yesterday (18). As 'Lanka-e-News' learns, the chief security officer of Minister Sirisena who has close business association with Mr. Tiran Alles, has arranged the discussion. Murugan praises Priyanka's initiative to meet Nalini Murugan, husband of Nalini who is himself sentenced to death in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, reportedly praised Priyanka Vadra for taking the initiative to meet his wife in the prison here saying that it spoke "volumes about Priyanka's good nature." Murugan, a Sri Lankan Tamil lodged in prison in Vellore, where Priyanka met Nalini on March 19, reportedly expressed surprise over the meeting as he was unaware of it for several days due to lack of communication with his wife although they are lodged in the same prison.Arputham Kuildasan, mother of Perarivalan, who is another convict facing capital punishment in the same case, said that "my son and Murugan were taken aback when they read newspaper reports about the meeting." Murugan knew about Nalini's meeting with Priyanka only four days after it took place, she told media here after meeting her son and Murugan in the prison.Murugan has some good words to say about Priyanka for her initiative to meet Nalini. "It is 17 years since we were lodged in the central prison here.The meeting speaks volumes about Priyanka's good nature," Arputham quoted Murugan as saying. The arrests of Nalini and Murugan provided a major breakthrough in the investigations into the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and provided leads for the investigators to probe LTTE's involvement in the case.Though both were sentenced to death, Nalini got a reprieve after her sentence was converted to life following an appeal from Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Nalini, who had been pregnant, later delivered a baby girl in 1992, an year after the assassination.Murugan's petition for clemency alongwith two others who were sentenced to death in the case are pending before the President. ICRC upgrades cold storage facilities at govt. hospitals Transfers 50 bodies across Omanthai entry/exit point The ICRC has upgraded cold storage facilities at the Anuradhapura government hospital to help preserve bodies of LTTE cadres killed on the Vanni and Weli Oya fronts. According to the latest ICRC release on Thursday (17), it would upgrade the cold storage facilities at the Padaviya government hospital to preserve bodies of fallen combatants until arrangements could be made with both parties to transfer bodies.The ICRC had transferred the remains of 50 fallen combatants from Kilinochchi, Mannar, Vavuniya and Welioya through the Omanthai entry/exit point. "To help preserve the bodies the ICRC upgraded the cold storage facilities in the mortuary of the Anuradhapura hospital and started carrying out similar work in the Padaviya hospital," the official said. Army headquarters said bodies of LTTE cadres killed on the Mannar, Vavuniya and Weli Oya fronts would be handed over to government hospitals in the region. The ICRC said shortage of staff and the absence of regular deliveries of supplies from the Health ministry had caused severe problems at clinics and hospitals in the Vanni. According to the ICRC they were running out of basic medicines such as paracetamol, antibiotics and vaccines.The ICRC has secured the ministry approval to provide hospitals in the Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts with medical equipment and supplies. The ICRC also supports the health ministry’s child immunization programmes and ante-natal care provided for pregnant women in Vavuniya North. Almost 50 children were vaccinated and nearly 20 women received ante-natal care during the month of March, the spokesperson said."We accompany Ministry of Health staff – one doctor and two midwives – to Nedunkerni and Kanakarayankulam, where they run clinics for pregnant women and ensure that children follow the prescribed immunization programme," Yvonne Ginifer, an ICRC health delegate based in Vavuniya, said.In March alone, 54 patients requiring specialized surgery, medical tests or treatment, accompanied by 35 caretakers and 10 medical staff from the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, were transported to Colombo on ICRC-chartered flights. In addition, medical equipment, vaccines prescribed for children through the national immunization programme and drugs for pregnant women were routinely transported on Jaffna-bound flights."Vaccines must be stored and transported at a certain temperature. The only way to bring them to Jaffna while meeting this requirement is by air. Transporting them by ship is not an option because of the lack of cold-chain facilities and the length of time needed," says Toon Vandenhove, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Colombo. New party from Weerawansa Faction JVP dissident Wimal Weerawansa said to a private TV channel yesterday (18) that the three conspirators who alienate the party from the people would be ousted and the party would be taken to the right path. He further pledged to create a new party as an extension of the JVP, if the current attempt failed. Weerawansa talked very cautiously and evaded answering questions that could lead to expose individuals. Mr. Weerawans said that he would unite the JVP members around his group and build a party that could make the people victorious, in accordance with the historical duty. Mr. Weerawansa did not bring in personal charges against the individuals in Somawansa Faction although the latter group made allegations on Mr. Weerawansa's rest house bills. Analysts say that Mr. Weerawansa's speech in the parliament on April 08 targeted JVP vote base while yesterday's speech targeted the party cadre. JVP home and home battle shifts to PCsRatnapura Councillor defends Wimal, warns of extra support to dissidents The damaging battle between the Somawansa and Weerawansa factions is likely to spread to JVP groups in the provinces with both parties vigorously seeking the support of Provincial Councillors.The Weerawansa faction has already received the support of E. W. S. Priyanjith Vitharana, Sabaragamuwa PC member and the leader of the Ratnapura District JVP Councillors. Political sources said the JVP leadership had failed to convince its Provincial Councillors and Local Government members that Weerawansa’s actions had been detrimental to the party.The Ratnapura District leader has warned JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva that he and many other like minded members wouldn’t hesitate even to challenge the party if the leadership failed to resolve the dispute. In a hard hitting letter, the District leader had rejected JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe’s declaration that Weerawansa hadn’t been relieved of his duties. There was absolutely no point in lying about the hotly disputed decision to expel Weerawansa on March 21, he said, urging the General Secretary to call formal talks with dissidents without further delay.He also accused the JVP leadership of deceiving members of Provincial Councils when they repeatedly inquired about the dispute in the run up to Weerawansa’s shocking revelation in the House on April 8. The statement made by Weerawansa absolutely disputed the JVP’s version of events leading to the break-up, he said, asserting the division among the 37 member parliamentary group confirmed the crisis hadn’t been centered on Weerawansa but a bigger problem involving party seniors had been revealed. The Councillor asserted that the break-up hadn’t been spontaneous but caused by sharp divisions of opinion and organisational and political lapses and shortcomings over a period of time.Echoing Weerawansa, the Councillor attacked the party’s decision to deviate from the ruling coalition after the last presidential elections in November, 2005. He also criticised the failure on the part of the leadership to implement long overdue party reforms needed to improve and expand the party structure. He also claimed due to shortcomings and negligence on the part of the leadership about 15-20 fulltime members had quit the party in all districts. The Ratnapura and Kegalle districts had lost 21 and 27 full time members last year. He asserted the current crisis over Weerawansa’s challenge to the party leadership was an extension of the trouble caused by Nandana Gunatlleke’s split with the party. Unfortunately the party’s reaction to Weerawansa was similar to that taken against Gunatilleke.The battle spreads to Provincial Councils as Weerawansa and Patriotic National Front and Manel Mal Viyaparaya joined forces to meet the JVP challenge. The dissidents wouldn’t give up their fight until the party had accepted them, a spokesman said. India to help build 150-bed hospital in Sri Lanka India will help construct a 150-bed hospital in Sri Lanka and provide vocational training to the people in rural areas of the island nation under the two agreements signed here between the neighbouring countries. The Sri Lankan government has provided three acres of land for construction of the district general hospital at Dickoya in Hatton in the Central Province. The Rs (Sri Lankan) 918 million project will be implemented by the state-owned HSCC (India) Ltd, a company providing consultancy services in healthcare and other social sectors. Another agreement between the two sides pertains to setting up of facilities at Rural Vocational Training Centre at Nagawillu in North-western Puttalam district. The estimated cost of the project is Rs (Sri Lankan) 55.7 million. The project is to be implemented by India's state-owned HMT (International) Ltd., over the next six to eight months. It will create facilities at the Training Centre by supplying equipment and providing training to carry out short-term, modular and full-time vocational courses for the people in Puttalam. 18 April 2008 India should organise Lanka peace talks: Karunanidhi SLAF turns on heat with midnight strike on Oddusudan With the army stepping up operations on the Muhamalai front, the SLAF will go flat out against LTTE targets in the Vanni theatre. Although it wouldn’t be an easy task, the SLAF was likely to step up night operations aimed at destroying the enemy’s capacity to wage war, the military said. Jets launched from Katunayake airbase Tuesday night bombed an LTTE base in the jungles of Mudiyankattukulam, eight Kms northwest of Oddusudan. Airforce headquarters said jets targeted the base subsequent to night surveillance.SLAF spokesman Wing Commander Andy Wijesuriya said the target was hit at 11.15 p.m. Tuesday’s strike came hot on the heels of another night attack carried out on March 29 targeting the LTTE runway at Iranamadu.Wijesuriya said the night strikes were successful.Although the current phase of SLAF daytime operations was the most successful in the entire Eelam war the same couldn’t be said about night strikes which had been few and far between. The LTTE strike on Anuradhapura air base last October had dented the SLAF’s maritime and ground surveillance capability but Katunayake based fighter squadrons had continued operations.Meanwhile helicopter gunships based in the Jaffna peninsula swung into action over Muhamalai in support of ground operations spearheaded by armoured fighting vehicles. Helicopters targeted an LTTE bunker line and mortar firing position at 6.15 am. Jaffna Security Forces Chief Major General G. A. Chandrasiri last evening told The Island his troops engaged enemy positions on the Muhamalai front. Fielding questions, Chandrasiri said troops would step up operations on the Jaffna front as part of the overall strategy against the LTTE. According to him two Divisions which included the elite Mechanised Infantry were ready to open a new front in the northern theatre. Stop air raids in the night in Vanni-–TULF President "I very strongly appeal to you to inform all concerned parties to avoid operations in the night and also to give sufficient timely warning of the operations during the day time." Urges TULF President V. Anandasangaree in a letter to President Mahinda Rajapakse with copies to Defence Secretary, SLAF Commander, Jaffna Commander and SLAF Wing Commander. Some excerpts of his letter are given bellow. I am much perturbed over the midnight strike on Oddusuddan by the Sri Lankan Air Force and also the decision to intensify the same cause me grave anxiety and concern. The aerial attack during the daytime itself is bad enough, although the civilian have the advantage of making an attempt to run away and save their lives. In spite of this advantage available there had been many instances of civilians dying and getting seriously injured. Aerial attack in the night is sure to cause immense hardships and innumerable casualties among the civilians who will virtually get trapped without any possibility of running away in the dark, to save themselves. Families with children will be the worst affected. I very strongly appeal to you to inform all concerned parties to avoid operations in the night and also to give sufficient timely warning of the operations during the day time. The Government has a sacred duty to safeguard the lives of all its citizens. Why should these innocent civilians be denied of Government's protection. The noice made by the Air Force fighter jets is deafening and when they fly over the people women and children scream and run for their lives. I myself had such frightening experience when I was in Jaffna.The people in Vanni live in permanent fear and tension. Aerial attacks in the night will cause them more agony. Therefore please take immediate action to prevent aerial attacks during the rights. Ranil refused safe journey to East JVP Somawansa Faction attacks patriots The attacks against the Weerawansa Faction that broke away from the JVP due to an ideological difference are spreading to the Patriotic National Movement (PNM) too. PNM Kaluthara district organizer Hemantha Perera was assaulted by a group belonged to Somawansa Faction at Bandaragama yesterday (17). Mr. Perera has lodged a complaint in Bandaragama police in this regard. He was treated at Bandaragama hospital and he is currently being treated under a private physician. Mr. Perera said to 'Lanka-e-News' that while he was speaking with JVP Provincial Councilor Ajith Anura, eight people who arrived in several motorcycles assaulted him after a heated verbal exchange. Mr. Perera was attacked with a helmet, a club and fisticuffs were also leveled at him. Mr. Hemantha Perera said that he supported JVP since 1986 as a businessperson and in 1989 fled to France for safety. He said he had continued to support the JVP although he was not a party member. He said that he was in the view that the party subjected Mr. Wimal Weerawansa to injustice. The attack on him was hurriedly organized and a JVP zonal organizer and several members of the Bandaragama party branch were among the attackers. Mr. Hemantha Perera says that Kaluthara district JVP defense committee organizer Weerawansa might have ordered the attack. Issuing a statement denying the attack, PNM Chairman Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara says that the JVP leadership should avoid such action of the party members. He further urges the JVP members to avoid such actions denied by the civilized society. The statement further says that the JVP should resolve the crisis within the party. Expressing hopes that such a group of intelligent persons are in the party, the statement says that the attacks of this nature will only satisfy the imperialist foreign forces of the country. 'Prabhakaran not keen on peaceful solution to Lanka strife' ‘Potta Naufer’ out of danger after stabbing Wanted JVPers on the run A group of JVP members who were wanted by the Chilaw police in connection with the assault on the driver of the JVP parliamentarian Samansiri Herath and the robbery of his van had fled the area, Chilaw police said.Chief Inspector Thusitha Kumarasinghe said they should surrender to the police.Meanwhile, pressure had been brought on Samansiri Herath to withdraw the compliant about the robbery of his vehicle and the assault on the driver. The persons wanted by the police had been frequent visitors to the home of Herath and a special police team had been deployed to arrest them, police said. 3 journalists vacated the country on death threats Up to now, 3 senior journalists of National Television have migrated seeking refugee protection due to continuous death threats. Three of them are M/s. Darshana Panangala, Waruna Lelwala and Chinthaka Anurudda who were producers of programs at National Television. After Dr. Mervyn Silva, Minister of Labour with a gang of underworld thugs and drug dealers entered SLRC by force and assaulted it's News Director, Mr.Lal Hemantha Mawalage - Senior producer, Ms. Ranjani Aluthge - Librarian and Mr. Arunasiri Hettige - producer of programs were attacked by thugs. Mr. Hettige was heavily injured and almost lost his life as his neck was brutally wounded by a sharp weapon. New road from Puttalam to Talaimannar soon A new road from Puttalam to Talaimannar along the sea coast, shortening the distance between the two towns, would be constructed and the surveying and land acquisition were in progress, acting Minister of Highways and Road Development T.B. Ekanayaka told The Island .The road development programme started by former Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle would be continued. Construction of the New 61 kilometre Siyambalanduwa, Pottuvil, Karathivu road in the Eastern Province with 2.7 million rupees aid from the European Union, had already begun Ekanayaka said. There were many other road and bridges development programmes initiated by the late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and all these will be continued without interruption.A rural road development scheme with 10 million rupees allocated for each electorate was also being implemented with emphasis on repairing roads damaged by the recent rains and floods, he said. JVP candidate & supporters attacked in Ampara Weerawansa gone underground ? Couple in Maheswaran assassination case remanded Vaiko meets PM on Sri Lanka Tamils issue New Delhi: Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko on Thursday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here and requested the government to mount diplomatic pressure on the Sri Lankan government to stop its military offensive and initiate peace talks for a workable solution to fulfil the aspirations of Sri Lankan Tamils.Mr. Vaiko told The Hindu that he had explained to Dr. Singh the outcome of an international conference on ‘Peace and Reconciliation in South Asia’ held in Oslo on April 10 and 11 under the auspices of the International Association for Human Values. Mr. Vaiko said he had told the Prime Minister that the situation in Sri Lanka was becoming grave day by day, endangering the life and security of Tamils. Innocent Tamils were being killed by the military. He explained the plight and misery of Tamils living in jungles without food and medicine. He requested that India should not provide arms to Sri Lanka. Mr. Vaiko said the Prime Minister told him about India’s stand —that there could be no military solution to the problem. Dr. Singh assured him, saying: “We are not supplying arms to Sri Lanka. I will discuss the matter with the Foreign Minister [Pranab Mukherjee] and see what best can be done.” Mr. Vaiko said he would meet Mr. Mukherjee. Mr. Vaiko, in a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, said: “I draw your kind attention to the most painful scenario of gross violation of human rights subjecting the Tamils to indescribable hardship and misery. There have been indiscriminate killings, abductions and disappearance of Tamils. The innocent Tamil youth, who are not engaged in armed struggle, are also not spared. They are abducted by armed forces and thereafter [there is] no further news about them. It is feared that they are murdered.” 17 April 2008 Lanka's War-ravaged Wanni Hospitals Face Medical Shortage: ICRC Ringing alarm bells, the International Red Cross said Thursday that hospitals in Sri Lanka's war-ravaged northern Wanni region are facing severe shortage of medical staff and medicines including normal pain killers, despite increasing war casualties.'The lack of regular deliveries of supplies from the country's health ministry has resulted in clinics and hospitals in the Wanni region running out of basic medicines such as paracetamol, antibiotics and vaccines,' the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.The Wanni region comprises four northern districts of Sri Lanka - Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Among these, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu are under full control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) while parts of the other two have been under their control for well over two decades.'The limited number of staff available to care for routine cases alongside war casualties has become a critical issue for several hospitals in northern Sri Lanka,' the ICRC said.'Under international humanitarian law applicable in armed-conflict situations, people not involved in fighting, including the wounded and sick, whether they be civilians or fighters, must be given any medical care they may require as quickly as possible,' the ICRC highlighted in its statement.The latest medical crisis has arisen despite the fact that the ICRC, by agreement with Sri Lanka's health ministry, has been providing hospitals in Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts with medical equipment and supplies for the treatment of sick and war-wounded people. The ICRC statement has come at a time when the advancing government troops and the LTTE are locked in fierce combat for months in the Wanni and northwestern Mannar districts.There was no immediate reaction from the government in this regard.Scores of combatants have been killed and several thousands wounded during these clashes, with the government vowing to capture areas under the control of the LTTE. Pointing out that the residents in the government-held northern Jaffna peninsula are unable to obtain certain healthcare services, the ICRC said that it airlifts patients between Jaffna and Colombo twice a week 'to ensure that appropriate levels of health care are nevertheless available to them'.The ICRC staff is present six days a week at the Omanthai entry/exit point in Vavuniya to facilitate smooth passage of vehicles and civilians between areas controlled by the government and the LTTE. It also helps the warring parties by facilitating the transfer of bodies of the combatants killed during clashes. Vaiko has justified "ethnic cleansing" in S Lanka: Minister LTTE's key logistic complex and engineering yard attacked - Visuamadu Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets attacked LTTE's key logistic complex and engineering yard in general area Visuamadu, 15 km north west of Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaithivu district, this morning (Apr 17). According to the air force sources, the bombing mission was carried out between 6.25 am - 6.35 am. The targeted base has been used as the key logistic hub for heavy engineering and construction work by LTTE terrorists, said defence intelligence sources. The terror base has a large vehicle yard and several hardware stores, from where the outfit allocates resources for heavy construction work particularly those done for the safety of its leaders such as construction of fortified bunkers and tunnels, the sources added. According to the sources, the defence intelligence agencies have registered the target following long-term air surveillance and analysis of information gathered. The target was engaged after observing its recent increase of activities. Visuamadu area is considered as main hub of LTTE activities, the sources further said. Air Force sources citing the fighter pilots said that the target was effectively engaged. Tiger rebels say Sri Lanka air raid kills girl Sri Lankan warplanes bombed rebel-held territory in the north of the island for a third consecutive day on Thursday, and the Tamil Tigers said a teenage girl had been killed in the air raids.Fighting between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the military has intensified since the government formally pulled out of a six-year-old ceasefire pact in January, though a renewed civil war has been raging since 2006.The Tigers, who are fighting for an independent state in the north and east of the island, said a 15-year-old girl was killed in an air raid in the Northern district of Mullaitivu."Sri Lankan Air Force warplanes bombed civilian areas in Visvamadu, in the Mullaitivu district," said Selvy Navaruban, a Tigers spokeswoman, from the rebels' de facto capital Kilinochchi. "A 15-year-old schoolgirl was killed on the spot."The military denied the rebel version of events."It is not a civilian settlement. On April 1 we attacked a special cadres base in the same area, this is a logistics base for that camp, that area is a completely jungle area," said spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara."The girl must be a child soldier of the LTTE who was in the logistics base."Nanayakkara also said Sri Lankan troops killed 16 rebels and wounded 65 in fighting in the north on Wednesday. One soldier was also killed and 21 wounded, he said.The military said so far this month 399 Tamil Tiger rebels, 34 soldiers and 16 civilians have been killed in clashes, while the air force has carried out 11 raids during the month.Analysts say both the government and rebels often inflate enemy death tolls and play down their own losses. The reports are rarely possible to verify independently.President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has pledged to destroy the Tigers militarily.After driving the rebels from the east, the armed forces are focusing on Tiger-held areas in north, intensifying fighting in the civil war that has killed an estimated 70,000 people since 1983.The rebels have hit back with bombings in Colombo and elsewhere in the relatively peaceful south of the island when they have come under military pressure in the past.Nordic ceasefire monitors, who blamed troops and rebels for repeated abuses, were banished by the government after it formally abandoned the truce, which it said the rebels were using to regroup and re-arm.Analysts say the military has the upper hand in the latest phase of the war, given superior air power, strength of numbers and swathes of terrain captured in the island's east.But they see no clear final winner and rebels still retain the capability to strike back despite high security and military gains. Tamil Nadu back as LTTE's haven? Vehicle theft: two JVPers surrender Police probe blowing up of 2 transformers in Kandy IGP sent JVP MP to jail, but was a coward before Mervyn - Mangala Samarweera 16 April 2008 Advisory Committee to administer North after EP polls Govt. decides to implement APRC proposal The Government has decided to implement the All Party Representative Committee proposal to appoint a High level Advisory committee to administer the Northern Provincial Council, following the May 10 Elections to the Eastern Provincial Council, Presidential Secretariat sources said yesterday.Senior Advisor to the President Basil Rajapaksa, MP, told The Island that whilst the Government restored democracy to the people of the Eastern Province by holding elections, it had decided to implement the APRC proposal to set up an advisory committee for the Northern PC.He said the Advisory committee would function until such time as the Security Forces liberate the entire Northern Province from the clutches of the LTTE, so that elections to Local government bodies and the Provincial Council could be conducted and democracy fully restored in the North. Incidentally the first and the last elections to the formerly merged Northeast Province was held almost 20 years ago, on November 19, 1988 .Meanwhile all political parties contesting the May 10 Eastern PC polls have begun to accelerate their campaigns after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations.United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary and Minister Susil Premajayanth said yesterday that the Government was happy that for the very first time after several decades it could unite the formerly divided Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala communities in the Eastern Province and get all parties to contest under the banner of the UPFA and the Betel symbol.The theme of the UPFA campaign would be "Vote for National unity and development of the Eastern Province".He said Leader of the House Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva would lead the campaign in the Digamadulla District, while W. D. J. Seneviratne would head the campaign in the Trincomalee District and he (Premajayantha) would lead the campaign in the Batticaloa district.It was decided to hold meetings at village level, he said. Meanwhile, the Additional Commissioner of Elections (Provincial and local) W. P. Sumanasiri said that polling cards would be handed over to the Postal Authorities on April 21, to ensure that all the polling cards are delivered to the voters by May 3.He said on April 18 the Postal Voting Packets containing 4,427 postal votes for the Batticaloa district,9,468 for the Digamadulla district and 8,517 for the Trincomalee district would be delivered to the respective certifying officers for marking on the April 28 and 29. Air Force pounds terror targets in Muhamalai and Oddusuddan Sri Lanka Air Force MI 24 helicopter gun ships carried out air sorties targeting an LTTE bunker line and mortar gun position ahead of Muhamalai security forces forward defence line (FDL) this morning (April 16). Air force spokesperson Wing Commander Andrew Wijesooriya said that the air raid was launched around 6.15 a.m. to assist the ground troops engaged in counter terrorists offensives in the area. Meanwhile, Air Force fighter jets bombed three identified LTTE camps located in Oddusudan area late in the night yesterday, Air Force spokesman further said. The targeted LTTE camps located in a jungle patch, 8 km, northwest of Oddusudan junction and air raid was launched at 11.50 pm the air force spokesperson added. The terror targets had been under constant surveillance and the latest air reconnaissance last evening observed intensified terrorists activities in the camps, said the spokesperson. He added that both raids were successful, citing the pilots. UNP D-group to join SLFP? Prof Vitharane meets Tamil Diaspora groups The Chairman of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) Prof Vitharane met several expatriate Tamil Organisations during his visit to the UK. An APRC team headed by Prof Vitharana undertook a week long visit to the UK on a fact finding mission to study the process involved in the resolution to the Northern Ireland conflict. The visiting team met some Tamil groups in London and Prof Vitharane on his own engaged in some of the discussion meetings. In view of time constraints collective meetings of various organisations were held in various parts of London. The meetings were said to be very interactive and serious issues were discussed. Prof Vitharane detailed on the progress made by the APRC and touched on adapting a step by step process to politically resolve the conflict. The meetings involved various groups including Tamil United Liberation Front, Tamil Democratic Congress, Sri Lanka Democratic Forum, Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam, Tamil Peace Forum, ex and present members and activists of the LTTE,Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Organisation and representatives of community organisations and leading Tamil figures.APRC’s approach was carefully considered by the participants. There was general consensus that APRC effort must be strengthened to include wider participation of political groups without limiting it to parliamentary political parties. One group insisted on having a wider proposal than limiting to the present Provincial devolution of powers. Prof Vitharane explained the need to establish southern political consensus for a resolution, whilst there was general expectation from the Tamil representatives that Southern consensus must be focussed on the minority view points.When issues like Sinhala fear for separate state evolving with wider Tamil Nadu involvement was taken up, there was outright condemnation from members that such thinking was opportunistically espoused by the extreme politicians to determine the fate of Sri Lanka. There was general consensus that political resolution is the only way to resolve the conflict and that LTTE provocations and Sinhala extremism cannot be the basis for the resolution to the conflict. The representatives asserted the need to have strong bipartisan agreement between the government and the main opposition party to resolve the conflict. Prof Vitharane explained his effort to engage the opposition United National Party in the process. He said 90% of the work has been completed on the final proposal and explained his meeting in Northern Ireland has given some issues to be considered in the APRC process. Jets hit LTTE communication facility Airforce Jets, launched from Katunayake Tuesday afternoon, bombed an LTTE communication facility south of Mankulam.SLAF spokesman Wing Commander Andy Wijesuriya said that the strike had been accurate. Last year too the same location was pounded by jet aircraft.Meanwhile the civilian exodus from the uncleared areas to the cleared areas continues and four more civilians who fled from the clutches of the LTTE in an uncleared area in Mannar had surrendered to the Naval detachment in Pesalai at day break on Monday. They were handed over to the Partharikandal IDP Centre said the Media Centre for National Security said.In Weli Oya confrontations between the troops and the LTTE continued in the area North of Janakapura and North of Kiriibbanwewa on Monday. Five Tiger cadres died and eleven were injured. Two soldiers were also killed and seven were injured.On Monday around 1 p.m., troops on clearing operations conducted a search on a captured LTTE bunker north of Janakapura and recovered two claymore mines with two detonators, three hand grenades and sixty anti personnel mines. Troops Monday attacked LTTE positions in the area east of Madhu using small arms and mortars. Seven Tiger cadres were killed in the attack. On the same day four soldiers deployed in the areas of Pallampiddy, Karampaivilllu and Madhu sustained injuries due to LTTE fire and anti- personnel mines.The same day, troops recovered one T-56 weapon, one T-81 weapon and fifteen Arul bombs from the area of Sirikulam.Jaffna troops continued to smash LTTE bunkers in Jaffna on Monday. Fresh clashes developed between the troops and the Tigers in Muhamalai and Nagarkovil. Troops continued to attack Tiger positions from 9.45 a.m. - 9.30 p.m and destroyed four LTTE bunkers killing one Tiger cadre and injuring two. One security soldier was injured. Retired Major to file FR case against Minister A retired Army Major is to file a Fundamental Rights application against Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage for allegedly assaulting him together with his security guards during the weekend.Retired Army Major Athula Rathnayaka who served in the army for more than 40 years and was also a former SLFP organizer in the Mahiyangana electorate alleges that he was also robbed of Rs.300,000 which was in his possession at the time of the assault. He said his vehicle was also badly damaged by the Minister’s security.According to Major Rathnayaka, the assault was triggered when he refused to allow the Minister’s convoy to overtake him while speeding along a damaged road. “I was returning home from office and I had Rs.300,000 with me. While I was travelling on a narrow road which was badly paved, I noticed two convoys speeding behind my vehicle. I could not give them any room to overtake as the road was too narrow, despite them blaring their vehicle horns,” Major Rathnayaka told the Daily Mirror. When the convoys did finally overtake the Major’s vehicle, one of the convoys blocked the car while the security officers signalled the Major to step out of the car. “I pulled over and noticed an intercooler parked behind my car. However I did not roll down my window. Within seconds around four security officers from the convoy approached my vehicle and started banging the car window, signalling me to step out of the car. I was frightened due to which I stepped on the accelerator and drove on,” Major Rathnayaka said.However a few meters ahead the chase began once again and the Major was forced to pull over his car. Finally stepping out, the Major alleges that he was brutally assaulted by the security officers who hit him on his neck and spine. A few moments later, one of the officers asked the Major to pull out his NIC. “At that point I asked them who they were and one of the officers admitted that they were from the MSD. I then asked them who their VIP was,” the Major said.At that moment, Major Rathnayaka said he noticed Minister Aluthgamage step out of the intercooler which was parked behind. The Minister approached the Major and beat him mercilessly, Minister Rathnayaka alleged. The Major also alleged that his car was raided at which point his money and other valuables went missing. The Minister then stepped into the vehicle and the three vehicles drove off, leaving the Major bleeding on the ground. A complaint was lodged by the Major at the Badulla Police Station on April 11 after which he got himself admitted at the Badulla General Hospital. Although a complaint was lodged on April 11, a statement was recorded only on April 13, the Major claimed.Meanwhile when the Daily Mirror contacted DIG Badulla, H. Amangala he refused to comment on the investigation. Efforts to contact Minister Altuhgamage also failed as the Minister is currently overseas. SLA imposes travel restrictions on Mannaar Tamils Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has recently imposed travel restrictions on Tamils traveling to and from Mannaar. Tamils who leave Mannaar are only allowed to travel in train from Mathavaachchi while the Tamils, returning to Mannaar from other areas are filtered by their native and residential addresses and refused entry into Mannaar if they carry a National Identity Card with a residential address in South at Kaddaiyadampan SLA checkpost, located between Madu Road junction and Murungkan, on Mannaar Mathavaachchi Road. Family members are separated and refused entry, residents complain. Mannaar District Secretary was told by the authorities in Colombo that there were no such orders issued to the military. However, the military officials at the checkpost continue the practice referring to orders from their top hierarchy, said TELO parliamentarian Vino Nokarathalingam on Tuesday. Vanni district MP was writing a letter to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa urging the Sri Lankan president and commander-in-chief to intervene and end the practice. Earlier, in January, Sri Lanka Navy started photographing Tamil civilians in Mannaar. This practice was stopped after Mannaar district magistrate, T.J. Prabakaran, ordered to cease the practice of photographing people with immediate effect. Civilians who reach Mannaar island by boat from LTTE controlled areas are also being sent to a detention centre in Naanaaddaan by the Sri Lankan forces, refusing them to stay with their relatives in Mannaar island. President invites Sudarshani to replace Jeyaraj President Mahinda Rajapakshe has made a special request to Dr. Mrs. Sudarshani Fernandopulle, wife of late Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle to come to politics.President has given his consentment to offer the Post of SLFP organiser in Katana to Dr. Mrs. Fernandopulle and if she wishes to come to active politics, she will be appointed as a member of Western Provincial Council as a replacement of Mr. Dulip Wijesekera, who will be appointed as a Member of Parliament in place of late Mr. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. President has also agreed to appoint Dr. Mrs. Fernandopulle as the Health Minister of Western Provincial Council.A green light is expected from Dr. Mrs. Fernandopulle to the special request made by President. 3 LTTE groups together with 80 cadres hanging around in Colombo and suburbs to assassinate President 'Lanka-e-News' has been informed that Foreign Intelligence Units have reported the Local Security Divisions that 3 LTTE groups have arrived in Colombo and other southern areas, targeting the assassination of President Mahinda Rajapakse.It is further reported that these groups are led by 3 LTTE leaders and the members in lower level of these groups do not know each other even and all connections between them are handled by the 3 leaders. Even though Government has made arrangements to stop the connections between South and North by closing area check point in Medavachchiya after the assassination of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, information sources say that by now there are about 80 LTTE cadres and spies have placed in south belonging to the above 3 groups. IGP rejects dissidents’ request to free jailed JVP MP 15 April 2008 India to play 'most decisive' role in SL peace process: Norway Sri Lanka demands recall of Iceland’s diplomat Rajitha in Oslo for talks with Solheim The first high level discussion between President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government and Norway since the unilateral abrogation of the Oslo-arranged CFA by Sri Lanka would take place this week when Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne meets Minister Erik Solheim, who led the Norwegian delegation tasked with handling the Sri Lankan peace process.Senaratne who had been a minister of the then Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Government, which invited the Norwegian facilitation, left for Oslo yesterday on a 10-day visit. The Construction and Engineering Services Minister would also meet Local Government Minister Ms Meltvelt Kleppa and Erna Solberg, the leader of the Norwegian Conservative Party, a ministry spokesman said.According to him, Minister Senaratne would explore the possibility of securing Norwegian assistance to build 15,000 housing units in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Sri Lanka would also seek Norwegian assistance and expertise in the construction field, the official said. He expressed confidence the visit would help the two governments explore the possibility of facilitating the restoration of civilian rule in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.Sri Lanka quit the CFA last year shortly after the security forces brought the Eastern Province under government control and declared its intention to wrest control of the Vanni. Since then the government has called for first ever elections to the Eastern Provincial Council scheduled for May 10. The sources said both governments were keen to improve bilateral relations and explore ways and means of securing Norwegian assistance to develop the war ravaged region. Panel says S.Lanka human rights probe falls short Foreign observers criticised Sri Lanka's official probe into rights abuses in their final report on Tuesday, before they finally quit the island, saying there was a "lack of political will to find the the truth".The report piled more pressure on Colombo over its rights record amid a new phase in a 25-year civil war."The uncooperative atmosphere has rendered the task of (the panel), which approached its work in a spirit of cooperation and, at first, with optimism, disquieting and unpleasant," the report said.A presidential commission into rights abuses, including a massacre of 17 aid workers in 2006 that Nordic truce monitors blamed on security forces, was ordered in 2006 following global calls for action.The international independent group of eminent persons (IIGEP), which released its final report on Tuesday, had said in March that it would quit its operations in Sri Lanka, citing government interference.The IIGEP was nominated by a host of foreign counties to observe the presidential commission's probe into abuses."Sections of popular opinion suggest that human rights and respect for the rule of law should take second place to measures necessary to repel these hostilities. The IIGEP rejects this opinion," it said in its report.The panel said the government had neglected to investigate cases with vigour "where the conduct of its own forces has been called into question" and called for the establishment of a witness protection scheme.After formally scrapping a six-year truce with the Tigers earlier this year in a wider bid to win the war militarily, the government banished Nordic truce monitors who had blamed troops and rebels for repeated abuses.Rights groups have reported hundreds of abductions, disappearances and killings blamed on one side or the other since the civil war, which has killed nearly 70,000 people since 1983. Soldier arrested on rape charge Claymore ambush wounds two homeguards in Kebithigollewa Two home guards of the Sri Lankan Civil Volunteer Force were injured in a claymore mine explosion Tuesday morning around 7.30 am in Kebithigollewa. The injured were first admitted to the Kebithigollewa hospital and then transferred to Anuradhapura general hospital, Police said. Kebithigollewa is located in the north central province along Horowopottana -Vavuniyaa road.The police said that the claymore mine was placed along the road targeting a patrol party comprised members of home guards and SLA soldiers. Won't join Government say JVP rebels The dissident JVP group yesterday dismissed accusations that it would join President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government and accept ministerial portfolios.Kalutara District JVP MP Jayantha Samaraweera told The Island they wouldn’t accept ministerial portfolios under any circumstances. The dissident group’s spokesman Samaraweera said they challenged the JVP leadership publicly after an influential section of the party attempted to politically assassinate their parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa.The MP said Mrs. Sujatha Alahakoon, who had been a member of the 11-member dissident group, switched allegiance to the leadership due to heavy pressure. "We sympathise with her," he said, asserting that the rest would stand by Weerawansa and face any eventuality. Accusing the leadership of resorting to strong arm tactics to subvert the dissidents in a bid to isolate Weerawansa, Samaraweera expressed confidence in resolving the dispute. Fielding questions, he said they hadn’t entered into any official level talks with the party. "But MPs are in constant touch," he said, asserting that their unofficial talks would facilitate an understanding and hopefully a quick end to the dispute.Both factions are determined to resolve the damaging crisis before Parliament meets again on May 6.Samaraweera said Nandana Gunatilleke, MP, quit the party as he strongly opposed to the path the Marxist party was taking. With his departure along with the exit of Gampaha District MP Siripala Amarasinghe on medical grounds, the JVP parliamentary group was reduced to 37. The revolt triggered by Weerawansa has now reduced the group to 27 and unless the JVP leadership drops its bid to oust Weerawansa, the break-up would be permanent, the MP said.Meanwhile, the dissidents, in a letter addressed to IGP Victor Perera, had urged the immediate release of Trincomalee District MP Jayantha Wijesekera now in remand over the seizure of two vehicles belonging to dissident MPs. Samaraweera said they wouldn’t want police to pursue seizure of vehicles belonging to dissidents Piyasiri Wijenayake and Achala Suranga Jagodage from the MPs vehicle park in Parliament premises. Wijesekera was remanded till April 17 when police produced him before Chief Colombo Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi last Friday.Samaraweera said Wijesekera wouldn’t have acted on his own. He would have been ordered by the leadership to target MPs supportive of Werawansa, he said. Fielding questions, the MP emphasised that Wijesekera’s presence was urgently needed in the East to lead the campaign for the first ever elections to the Eastern Provincial Council. He said they wouldn’t in anyway try to cripple the JVP campaign or undermine the party. The party needed Wijesekera in Trincomalee and the dissidents wouldn’t try to interfere in the JVP campaign in the East. India to supply 1000 MW to Lanka The PowerGrid Corporation of India proposes to lay down an under sea line between India and Sri Lanka. The proposed undersea high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line will be for the transfer of 500-mw, which will be subsequently upgraded to 1,000 mw. According to Power Ministry sources, the proposed undersea transmission line entails an investment of around Rs. 1,500 crore. A pre-feasibility study is being carried out by the PowerGrid Corporation for the proposed venture. So far undersea HVDC transmission lines are in place between the UK and the France for transmission of 2,000 mw. PowerGrid Corporation s plan was according to the bilateral investment arrangement between India and Sri Lanka, sources said. The proposed undersea transmission line could be useful for NTPC which plans to set up 500 mw imported coal-based power project at Trincomalee. Man accidentally shot inside police jeep Police to arrest 22 JVPers over car thefts The Police would arrest 22 JVP members in connection with the robbery of three vehicles owned by parliamentarians who had aligned themselves with JVP parliamentary group leader and propaganda secretary Wimal Weerawansa and additional security would be given to the dissident JVP parliamentarians who were under threat, police said yesterday (15).Chief Inspector Tusitha Kumara of the Chilaw Police said 20 JVP members of the Chilaw area were to be arrested. The police had requested them to surrender to the Chilaw police station.Police also said that two other JVP members were wanted in connection with the robberies at Parliament. Seized assets linked to LTTE A Montreal building and several bank accounts in Ontario and Quebec were seized by police because they were deemed to be the property of a terrorist group, according to Federal Court documents unsealed yesterday.The court orders explain why RCMP counterterrorism officers began shutting down the operations of the World Tamil Movement in Montreal and Toronto late last week, using powers granted to them under the Anti-Terror-ism Act.The police action was carried out in secrecy, but yesterday Justice Francois Lemieux unsealed the court orders approving the seizures. The judge found there were reasonable grounds to believe the building and accounts were property "owned or controlled by, or on behalf of, a terrorist group."The WTM is a non-profit organization run by Canadians of ethnic Tamil heritage, but the group's Quebec and Ontario branches are currently under police investigation for allegedly raising money for Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam guerrillas.On Friday, police seized the Montreal WTM headquarters at 4160 and 4162 Van Horne as well as several Ontario bank accounts held by the Toronto Dominion Bank Financial Group and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce."The action was made because we believe that this property was being used to financially support terrorist activity," Corporal Elaine Lavergne, spokeswoman for the RCMP in Quebec, told the National Post yesterday."And we did seize the building because it's going to help out in our investigation. It's going to stop the financial support for terrorist activities in Sri Lanka and it's going to stop, as well, members of the Sri Lankan community in Canada from being victimized by individuals who want to support terrorist activities."Police searched the Montreal building in 2006 and found Tamil Tigers propaganda material -- flags and hats bearing the terrorist group's militaristic logo, and photos of guerrilla leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.They also found financial records such as pre-authorized payment forms and lists of contributors. Police allege the money collected by the WTM is bankrolling the Tamil Tigers' civil war in Sri Lanka, but no charges have been laid.Steven Slimovitch, the WTM's Montreal lawyer, said this was the first time the government had seized property under new provisions of the Criminal Code dealing with the financing of terrorism. "This hasn't been tested yet. This section has never been used before."Mr. Slimovitch said the law allows the government to confiscate property if a judge determines "on the balance of probabilities" that it is tied to terrorism. That is a lower burden of proof than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" required for a criminal conviction."It's much easier for the government," Mr. Slimovitch said, adding that other Charter protections available to the accused in criminal trials do not apply in this case. "The government can very clearly say that in this kind of a case, you don't need those rights, because you're not accused."The lawyer has not seen the RCMP affidavits used to obtain the seizure order -- they remain under a court-imposed seal -- but he said he was told he would get an edited version. He said a constitutional challenge was possible.His clients maintain they are not involved in funding terrorism and are upset by the police action, he said. "Their attitude is that, 'It's enough already. If you want to accuse me, accuse me. If you're not going to accuse me, let me go on with my life.' "The seizures are the latest development in two long-standing police investigations, Project Osaluki and Project Crible, that are probing the alleged Canadian fundraising activities of the Tamil Tigers. Also known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, the guerrillas are fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority.The Tigers are a banned terrorist group under Canadian law because of their tactics, which include suicide bombings. While some Canadian Tamils support the Tigers, others complain about their violent methods and aggressive attempts to raise money in Canada.A spokeswoman for Stock-well Day, the Minister of Public Safety, said she could not comment on the matter because it was before the courts. "It was our government that took decisive action to list the LTTE as a terrorist entity to ensure the safety of our communities against terrorism," Melisa Leclerc said.Police spent the weekend serving the court orders on the individuals and organizations associated with the seized materials (except one individual who could not be found). In Quebec, those served included the World Tamil Movement of Quebec, Student Association of the World Tamil Movement and Eelam Tamil Association of Quebec.The Montreal WTM office is co-owned by Thanasegaram Chandrasegaram and Sivanathan Sivaram, the court order says. In Ontario, WTM president Sitta Sittampalam and 13 WTM officers were served.Marlys Edwardh, the lawyer representing the Ontario chapter of the WTM, said the court orders had frozen not only the accounts of the World Tamil Movement but also those of a Tamil newspaper and business directory that were operating at the same address.She said her clients deny any involvement in financing terrorism and intend to fight the seizures. "There's no doubt that they are upset. They are distraught by the fact that they can't publish the community newspaper but they intend fully to resist it," she said. JVP's attitude to political solution can change with split-By Jehan Perera The breakup of the JVP last week came as a big surprise. There had been rumblings within the party for many months that were reported in the media. But these seemed more a matter of the inevitable personality clashes and jostling for position within the party rather than a fatal division of the party. The departure of former JVP presidential candidate Nandana Gunathilaka from the party over a year ago, and his informal alliance with the government, did not appear to have done much damage to the party. However, the tussle that has emerged between Wimal Weerawansa, the demagogic spokesman and Parliamentary group leader of the JVP and the rest of the JVP leadership seems to be of a different magnitude to the defection of Mr Gunathilaka. Not only has Mr Weerawansa utilized his unique gifts as an emotional public speaker to engage in public histrionics against his erstwhile comrades, he has been successful in obtaining the support of about ten of the JVP’s 38 Parliamentarians. This figure fluctuates as some of them appear to be wavering, being seen on the rebel platform but also pledging their loyalty to the party. Mr Weerawansa and his supporters have stated that they intend to play an independent role in politics. This, however, is unlikely. The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has shown itself to be extremely successful in winning over opposition politicians by offering them ministries to engage their creativity and also the perks and privileges of power.From the unflattering public exchange between the two factions of the JVP, it appears that rapprochement will be difficult. Media reports suggest that irregular financial dealings form an important part of the dispute. The JVP position has consistently been one that financial gains that accrue to its members through their political positions belong to the party and not to the individual. JVP Leader Somawansa Amerasinghe has reportedly told the media that there were serious allegations, including some relating to financial irregularities, against Mr Weerawansa to which he has yet to respond. But the more serious cause for conflict appears to be with regard to the closeness of the relationship to the government. Wimal Weerawansa was one of the star performers who helped President Mahinda Rajapaksa to win the Presidential election of 2005. He utilized his unparalleled ability to appeal to Sinhalese nationalism and to describe his targets of attack as traitors and western stooges to maximum effect. Among his more memorable utterances was a promise to regain the values of the Sinhalese nation that existed in 1505 before the Western powers made their inroads into the culture of the country. Together with President Rajapaksa he denounced the internationally facilitated Ceasefire Agreement as an unequal treaty that had the government on bended knees to the LTTE although, by that time, it had brought nearly four years of respite from war. JVP ideology Since its inception the primary motivation of the JVP has been to represent the interests of the underclass of society, particularly the marginalized sections of the majority Sinhalese population. The JVP emerged in the mid-1960s from the Maoist wing of the Communist Party, finding ready backing among Sinhalese rural youth unhappy with the lack of economic opportunities. It won support through its recruitment program and by organising on university campuses. In 1971 it launched an armed uprising, which the army crushed with the help of numerous foreign powers. Between 1977 and 1983, it re-emerged after what remained of the original leadership was released from jail. It then went underground and launched a new insurrection just as the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord was signed in 1987. For a brief period in the 1980s the JVP also upheld the right of self-determination of the Tamil people in keeping with orthodox Marxist positions on the rights of national minorities. By holding to this position the JVP may have found it easier to forg links with the LTTE at that time, and allegedly obtain weapons from the LTTE for their own insurrection against the government that took place in the later 1980s. But by and large the JVP has been a Sinhalese nationalist party with a xenophobic attitude to the international community, including neighbouring India. On the other hand, the JVP’s ideological commitment to representing the underclass of society has also induced it to sometimes take up positions in a commendable manner in favour of the ethnic minorities. The tsunami disaster that struck the Muslim-inhabited eastern part of the island in December 2004 saw the JVP invest heavily in immediate relief and rehabilitation work in those areas in a manner that rivaled the government and NGOs.The fact that the JVP has a cadre-based party network helped in the sustained relief effort that earned the gratitude of the Muslim public at that time. Another important occasion on which the JVP took a principled stance in favour of minority rights was the government’s decision to evict Tamil residents who had temporary residences in Colombo on a mass scale in June 2007. This was in the aftermath of a spate of LTTE terror attacks in Colombo in which the security forces identified lodging houses as the bases of the LTTE strike forces. Although the JVP was in full support of the government’s military campaign to defeat the LTTE, it condemned the eviction of Tamils from Colombo. This positive stance of the JVP, together with the rest of the opposition and civil society, would have been one of the factors that encouraged the judiciary to courageously strike down the government order. Rethinking possible Ironically, one of the JVP’s charges against Mr Weerawansa is that the statement condemning the government for evicting the Tamils was entrusted to him, as he was the JVP’s spokesman. However, he did not make the statement, and it had to be made by another JVP parliamentarian instead. It is likely that Mr Weerawansa’s close links to the government that had ordered this eviction, coupled with his desire to retain his privileged links, stood in the way of his making the statement. Wimal Weerawansa has utilised Sinhalese nationalism which sees the ethnic majority as providing the true national culture of the country, to which all other cultures are subordinate as sub-national entities, to gain a meteoric rise above other seniors. He has been one of the founder members of the Patriotic National Movement, which is a cross party gathering of prominent personalities, and which also includes civil society and religious leaders who believe in the crushing of terrorism by military means and keeping the international community out of the picture. has now mooted the idea of a Patriotic Front with the backing of a number of civil society groups and trade unions if his dispute with the party leadership is not resolved amicably. In turn the JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe has alleged that the government is backing the formation of the dissident group. This makes logical sense as Mr Weerawansa has been in harmony with the government in analyzing the ethnic conflict to be in reality a terrorist problem to which a military solution needs to be found. This type of simplistic analysis does no justice to the Marxist tradition that the JVP is heir to, and which has been pointed out with disappointment to the JVP on more than one occasion by the powerful Communist Party of India. With the departure of Mr Weerawansa, even if it is temporary, it is possible that the JVP will be able to delve more into the roots of its Marxist ideology to find the space for the rights of minorities. So far the JVP has only agreed to the decentralization of power, and has resisted even the less than substantial devolution of powers to the provinces under the 13th Amendment. The party has been opposed to constitutional changes leading to a federal system, as it sees the demand for self-determination as inevitably leading to a “Balkanisation” suited to foreign interests and inimical to more equitable redistribution by the unitary welfare state. As a result, its response to “the national question” is essentially limited to a military solution. On the other hand, JVP leaders have insisted that they stand for equality of all citizens. The slow progress of the war, and its heavy costs on the Tamil people and on the economy, might lead the JVP to be more committed to a political solution in which the traditional Marxist teachings can play a more important role. CDF guard shoots over personal dispute No polls campaign after 6 p.m. Political parties and representatives in the east have decided not to campaign after 6 in the evening owing to the volatile security situation in the east, DIG of the East Rienzie Perera said.This decision was taken following a meeting with Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayaka, leaders of all political parties, the Inspector General of Police and organisations monitoring the upcoming eastern polls. “We want to make this election as free and fair as possible. It is important that all candidates are safe. The situation in the east in the night is unpredictable due to which such a decision has been reached,” DIG Perera said. According to the DIG candidates who wish to request for additional security from the police would have to hand over a formal request letter to the IGP, after which two policemen would be deployed for their security. Candidates who wish not to have any security would also have to hand over in writing their request to the IGP. Meanwhile election monitors in the east are gearing up for the postal voting in the Eastern Provincial Council Elections which is to be held on April 28 and 29. In the Batticaloa District, out of the total 3,39,000 eligible voters, 4800 voters will cast postal votes. In the Trincomalee District 9500 government servants will cast their postal votes while in the Ampara District 11,242 applications have been received for postal voting. Rahul defends Priyanka's meeting with Rajiv's assasin Echoing his sister Priyanka's view over her initiative to meet one of the conspirators in their father Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said his family did not carry hatred and anger."I have a different way of looking at these things. I don't have a problem either," Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi.He was replying to a query on whether he too would, like his sister Priyanka Vadra, meet Nalini Sriharan, who is serving life sentence in Vellore Jail, Tamil Nadu, after she was convicted of having conspired to kill Rajiv Gandhi."We don't carry hatred. We don't carry anger. It's not an exercise. She felt that she wanted to go and see the person. She has been feeling it for some time," Gandhi said.Priyanka has created a flutter by meeting Nalini in Vellore Jail last month.Nalini was sentenced to death in the assassination case, but her sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment after Sonia Gandhi pleaded for clemency for the sake of the convict's daughter. Priyanka meets a conspirator in Rajiv Gandhi's killing Priyanka Vadra, who has created a flutter by meeting one of the conspirators in her father Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, on Tuesday said she does not believe in anger, hatred and violence and will not allow these to overpower her. "It was a very personal visit and completely on my own individual initiative. I would be deeply grateful if this could be respected," she told PTI about her meeting with Nalini Sriharan in Vellore jail in Tamil Nadu last month. Nalini, married to Murugan, sentenced to death in the assassination case, was also awarded capital punishment for involvement in the killing on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in the state. Her sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment after Sonia Gandhi pleaded for clemency for the sake of the convict's daughter. "It is true that I met Nalini Sriharan in Vellore central jail on March 19, 2008. It was my way of coming to peace with the violence and loss that I have experienced," she said. Recalling her mother's intevention in getting Nalini's death sentence commuted to life imprisonment, Priyanka said she did not believe in hatred and violence. "I do not believe in anger, hatred and violence and I refuse to allow these things to overpower my life," she said. Her brother Rahul Gandhi said "I have a different way of looking at these things. I don't have a problem either". Rahul said "we don't carry hatred, we don't carry anger. It's not an exercise...She felt that she wanted to go and see the person. She has been feeling it for sometime". The issue of Priyanka meeting Nalini in the Vellore jail came to the fore with a city lawyer, D Rajkumar, seeking queries from the prison authorities by invoking provisions under Right to Information (RTI) Act. Priyanka was in Vellore on March 19 to pay obeisance at the newly constructed Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple. Rajkumar, in his application to the Superintendent of Prisons, had asked whether it was true that Priyanka met Nalini? And if so under which legal provisions was she allowed to meet the convict and who accompanied her ? Vellore jail authorities, when contacted by PTI on Tuesday, declined to comment saying that they would reply to the RTI petition filed by Rajkumar. 14 April 2008 Over 25,000 People Face Displacement From LTTE-held Areas Over 25,000 people, including 6,000 students, in the LTTE-held areas in the north-western Mannar district face displacement as the advancing government troops and the rebels are locked in fierce fighting, official sources here said Monday.'The entire population of the LTTE-held Madhu and Maanthai west Assistant Government Agent division, numbering over 25,000 face displacement due to recent fighting in the area,' Mannar district Government Agent (Chief Administrative Officer) A. Nicholaspillai told IANS on phone from his Mannar office, about 310 km from Colombo.Claiming that the people of these areas have moved further northwards deep into the LTTE held Kilinochchi area, he said the current rainy season and the resultant flood have worsened their plight. Nicholaspillai said relief supply to the displaced people had been 'seriously affected' and the UN World Food Programme and the Commission General of Essential Services (CGES) of the government were distributing food and other necessary items.'The people are scattered and managing with temporary shelters. Their situation is not satisfactory,' the Mannar Government Agent said.He said most of the food and medical supplies for these displaced people were being handled by the Kilinochchi Government Agent with the land entry route through Uyilankulam to the LTTE-held Mannar areas remaining closed for months due to heavy fighting. Fierce fighting in the Mannar district on the eve of the Tamil-Sinhala New Year has left over 100 combatants killed on both sides, with both the government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) claiming heavy casualties on the other side.The government on Sunday claimed that at least 77 Tamil Tiger rebels and 12 army personnel were killed when advancing government troops clashed with LTTE cadres in the northwestern Mannar district on Saturday.It also said that the advancing government troops, backed by artillery bombardment 'gained a significant area of ground' held by the rebels in Mannar after daylong clashes. However, LTTE's military spokesperson Rasaiyah Illanthirayan, in a statement Saturday night, claimed that 30 Sri Lankan Army personnel were killed and 75 others injured in the clashes. He conceded only three LTTE deaths in the fighting.Illanthirayan also said that the military's pre-dawn four-pronged bid was fiercely thwarted by the rebels with the heavy clashes lasting for well over eight hours. Independent verifications of the battlefront casualties are not possible as journalists are barred from visiting the battlefront. Rice at Rs. 100/-, Gas at Rs.1800/-, Flour at 75/-, Bread at Rs. 45/- As wallowing in the sufferings of the people is the overriding trait of Satakaye Saapaya, so, hardships and burdens imposed on the people by ruthless taxation, peak tariffs (electricity etc.), high cost of living, endless price hikes on essential commodities are its pleasure! Over and over again Satakaye saapaya has demonstrated its evil propensity and its favourite hobby of rejoicing in the sufferings of the people: raising prices of goods by the hour, denying even their staple diet, rice and bread by steeply increasing their prices ;depriving them of their favourite kavun , kokis and kiribath from their Festival table , which people are hard pressed to buy without money for the New Year , let alone cook with gas and kerosene at unreachable prices. It is therefore natural that the people are eagerly waiting for the day when this Satakaye Saapaye can be got rid of, if not by democratic methods, at least by exorcising the curse from their midst Alliance with pro-govt. Muslim parties would create a puppet chief minister – SLMC The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress has refused to form an alliance with pro-government Muslim parties for the May 10 Eastern Provincial Council Electionbecause it did not want to create a puppet Chief Minister, the party’s General Secretary Hassan Ali said yesterday.Hetold the "Sunday Island" that pro-government Muslim parties wanted the chief ministerial candidate to be selected from among them."If we had agreed to their condition, the Chief Minister would have been a government puppet scared to speak of the flagrant violations of the law by the Pillaiyan group, in concert with the Defence Ministry", he said. "The Chief Minister has to be a member of an opposition party,I f democracy is to be restored in the East", the spokesman said. "We were not prepared to compromise on a vital issue such as this."Ali, who is the chief ministerial candidate of the UNP-SLMC combine, said that allegations by the All Ceylon Muslim Congress of SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem being opposed to a Muslim being the Chief Minister of the East were baseless.Their contention that the UNP would decide on the chief ministerial candidate has also been proved wrong.Asked how confident they were of winning the EPC, Hassan Ali said that the result was a foregone conclusion, provided a free and fair poll was held in an environment devoid of armed groups threatening and intimidating candidates and voters.The Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, has acceded to the opposition parties request for international monitors to observe the election, he added. Gurkhas to protect top politicians? Norway is not for Tamil Eelam, says envoy Norway does not support the formation of an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka, Norway's special envoy to Colombo has told an opposition MP from that country.Jayalath Jayawardene of the United National Party (UNP) said Jon Hanssen-Bauer made the statement to him and to two leading Sinhalese Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka on the sidelines of an international conference that ended in Oslo late Friday.'Norway will not support the establishment of Tamil Eelam,' the MP quoted Hanssen-Bauer as saying, referring to the name of the state the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been fighting for.Although this has always been the position of Norway, which brokered a ceasefire between Colombo and the LTTE in 2002, many in Sri Lanka have accused Oslo of bias vis-a-vis the Tamil Tigers.President Mahinda Rajapaksa has publicly criticised Norway on the same grounds.Sri Lankan cabinet minister Arumugam Thondaman, who also attended the meeting, separately quoted Hanssen-Bauer as telling him that Norway would not be able to play the role of a peace facilitator as long as fighting raged in the island nation.'How can we do that when war is going on?' the minister quoted the Norwegian envoy as asking.Jayawardene and Thondaman were among several key people who attended the two-day conference organised in Oslo by the Art of Living Foundation of Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Mahinda has "no option but war" Weerawansa faction Minister Vitharana is in UK with a group of parliamentarians representing All Party Representative Committee (APRC).All major opposition parties including the United National Party (UNP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) boycott the APRC.Ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) recently approved APRC proposal to fully implement the 13 amendment to the constitution as the first step towards finding a political solution. Commenting on the recent split in the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Minister Vitharana said Weerawansa faction joining the government would strengthen the governing coalition in the parliament. However, it will also be an obstacle in finding a political solution based on devolution of power. India urged to take the lead to end Sri Lanka conflict Two Sri Lankan leaders - one a cabinet minister and one from the opposition - and Indian politician Vaiko have urged India to play an active role to help end the island nation's protracted ethnic conflict.Speaking separately on telephone from Oslo at the end of a two-day international conference, all three said that there was an urgent need to end the fighting now raging in Sri Lanka.'Nothing can be achieved by war. There has to be a dialogue between the government and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam),' Sri Lankan Minister for Youth Empowerment and Socio-Economic Development Arumugam Thondaman told IANS.Thondaman, one of the key invitees to the conference organised by the Art of Living Foundation of Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, said he had conveyed this both to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian diplomats in Colombo.A Tamil of Indian origin whose political base is in the country's central highlands, Thondaman explained why New Delhi would have to play a major role in a resolution of the conflict that has claimed some 70,000 lives since 1983.'India is the regional superpower,' he said. 'Nothing can be done in Sri Lanka without the blessings of India. India needs to get involved.'Asked if the LTTE would care to listen to India since New Delhi has outlawed the group, he evaded a direct reply: 'Today's situation is such that war will not work.'Jayalath Jayawardene, an MP from the main opposition United National Party (UNP), called for an 'active role' for India in Sri Lanka without specifying what exactly he wanted New Delhi to do.'India is our big brother. We expect a very, very active role by India along with Norway to bring about peace in Sri Lanka.'India has to be more active... India had advocated devolution powers (to minorities) way back in 1987. After so many years, the president has accepted that this could be one way ahead. We are very happy about that.'For decades India has been intimately involved in the Sri Lankan conflict. In 1987 it deployed troops in Sri Lanka's northeast to end the Tamil separatist drive and then took on the LTTE.After the Tamil Tigers assassinated former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, the Indian interest in Sri Lanka began to wane. But in recent years the situation has changed, with New Delhi solidly backing Norwegian mediation in Sri Lanka.Jayawardene also accused the Sri Lankan government of 'ignoring the realities' and pursuing a militaristic path to overcome the LTTE. 'We don't believe a military solution will work.'Vaiko, who heads the MDMK party in Tamil Nadu, told IANS that he would call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urge him to put pressure on Sri Lanka to call off its military onslaught against the LTTE.'India is duty bound towards the Tamils... India has to appeal to Sri Lanka to stop fighting and go for negotiations. But India has not shown any real interest (in ending the conflict). It should not shirk its responsibility.'Vaiko said he felt that if Colombo made the right moves, the LTTE might respond positively.Seevali Nayaka Thero, a Sinhalese Buddhist monk who lives in Jaffna, also made a passionate plea for peace.'We need to stop this war,' he said, speaking in Tamil. 'Killings can bring about no solution. I have been saying this to everyone in Sri Lanka... the president, the politicians, the monks, the ordinary people.' Rs. 44 m for unarmored Benz car bought for 'senior army staff' LTTE launches counselling services for traumatised students Concerned over the fallout of psychological stress among students in LTTE-controlled areas due to the fighting, the rebels' outfit has launched a first ever counselling services in a school in northern Sri Lanka to help the students deal with their traumas. "School students in war time in Wanni face many psychological traumas due to factors such as death of friends and relatives or fear of bomber planes flying overhead," the LTTE said in a statement on Monday. The very first counseling service was conducted in the Kanakapuram MV school in Kilinochchi on last Tuesday, it said, adding the services will be available for the students during weekends and school holidays. Such counseling services are being planned for all the schools in Wanni, the statement said. The student counselling will help children face challenges of seeking safety in the "rudimentary" bunkers, shortages of educational equipment and facilities and economic hardships faced by their parents, it said. "Students at Kanakapuram MV school have faced an aerial bombing just two months ago after which they scattered in panic as shrapnel from bombs fell inside their school and injured one of their school mates," the statement said."It is hoped that the counselling service inside the schools will help the students deal with their traumas without allowing it to affect their education and growth," it said. Initially, one centre will be established in a school in an area which would serve all the schools in the locality. Though one in each school is desirable given the psychological stresses faced by the students, problems of availability of skilled staff and other resources will limit these facilities at present, the statement said. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Zonal Education Office teacher advisor Murukesu said these centers will raise awareness among students about the psychological stresses that affects them thus enabling them to seek assistance. Murukesu said these centres will come under the concerned schools as well as the villages that are served by the centres. Surrendered LTTE militants want to leave country The LTTE militants and sympathisers who have surrendered are putting pressure on the Sri Lankan government to arrange for overseas jobs for them, fearing assassination at the hands of the Tamil Tigers for having deserted the outfit. "We always fear for our life by the LTTE though we have been put up in well guarded buildings," the former LTTE activists told a group of journalists here recently. One of them even threatened to commit suicide if he was not sent out of the camp soon for a job abroad. "My family is managing by selling our remaining ornaments. We cannot last long. I have seven dependents. If I am not given an overseas job along with a air ticket you may find me hanging," a former Tiger rebel said. According to officials some of them were in a mentally disturbed state, after having worked under tough and hostile conditions for the Tigers. Some of the former LTTE sympathisers in the camp who interacted with the reporters also desired to go abroad quickly so that they could settle down. The government is arranging for an employment orientation programme for the 54 surrendered activists, a senior military official said, adding, "this would include courses of motor mechanics and other jobs".A committee under the supervision of the President's office will be monitoring the programme for providing foreign jobs for the surrendered LTTE activists, an official said. The funds are also being arranged for training purposes, the official said adding the tenure of the orientation would vary from six months to one year. Counterterrorism police move on Tamil group Counterterrorism police in Quebec and Ontario effectively shut down a non-profit organization for Canadian Tamils this weekend due to allegations it has been raising money to finance terrorist activities in Sri Lanka.The RCMP was expected to announce details of its unprecedented actions as early as today, but several sources said police had moved in to enforce a Federal Court restraining order against the World Tamil Movement.The WTM's offices in Montreal and Toronto have been under police investigation for six years, and were raided by police in 2006. While no charges have yet resulted, the decision to seek a restraining order suggests Ottawa is aggressively pursuing the group.The restraining order pertains to real estate in Montreal and other assets in Toronto.The recent events are focused mostly on Montreal. Police sealed off the Montreal WTM office on Friday, said Steven Slimovitch, the group's lawyer. He said his clients were barred from entering the premises, disrupting community programs."A Federal Court judge has issued an order to seal the office of the World Tamil Movement and to essentially put it under the trusteeship of the federal government," he said.The order was issued under a section of the Criminal Code dealing with terrorism financing, but Mr. Slimovitch said no defence counsel were present for the hearing and his clients deny the allegations they are financing terrorists."My clients have never been charged with terrorism-financing, and my clients have never had a chance to defend themselves against terrorism-financing accusations," he said.The action is the latest development in two related RCMP-led investigations called Project Osaluki and Project Crible. The probes, by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams in Ontario and Quebec, are examining allegations the WTM has been funnelling money to the Tamil Tigers to finance civil war in Sri Lanka.The Tamil Tigers are an outlawed terrorist group in Canada. Knowingly raising money for the group or financing its activities is against the law and punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Many members of Canada's large ethnic Tamil community support the Tigers and their fight to create an independent state for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority.Police went to court last week to ask for restraining orders against WTM properties in Toronto and Montreal, said a source familiar with the case. Officers were in the process late yesterday of serving official notice to the people associated with the properties.Police officers were having difficulty finding at least one per-son linked to the group and its properties. The RCMP was apparently waiting for that to take place before publicly announcing the moves it had taken.This appears to be a first in the realm of terrorism, but the police action is similar to the way police routinely deal with organized crime: Officers will appear before a judge in private and present affidavits seeking judicial approval to restrain properties considered proceeds of crime.While the property is restrained, the owner cannot sell it, move it, alter it or dispose of it. The order secures the property pending a court hearing. The owners are then notified and can appear before the courts and mount a defence against the Crown's allegations.A judge will then decide whether the restrained property should be forfeited to the Crown or returned to its owner. The process is similar to how police restrain fortified clubhouses of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and other bike gangs.The weekend police action in Montreal has disrupted community activities scheduled for the group's headquarters in the city's Cote-des-Neiges district, Mr. Slimovitch said."Essentially they're shutting down the entire community -- artistic things, sporting things," he said. "My clients completely deny any terrorism financing. They support the Tamil people and they support the Tamil people's right to self-determination, but they are very much against any form of terrorism."An official with the WTM Montreal office declined comment and referred all questions to Mr. Slimovitch. The lawyer said he intends to go to court to have the reasons for the order disclosed.Corporal Elaine Lavergne of the RCMP said the police force could not comment as a result of the secrecy order."We are under the authority of a court," she said. She could not even disclose the level of court that issued the order, which she said is sealed from public view. "It has never happened before," she said of the sweeping secrecy provisions.The president of the WTM's Ontario branch, Sitta Sittampalam, also declined to comment yesterday. "I was asked by my lawyer not to reveal anything on this matter," he said. "I'm not in a position to divulge anything." 13 April 2008 Norway opposes 'external' solution to Sri Lanka conflict No 'externally designed solution' will end Sri Lanka's dragging ethnic conflict, a senior Norwegian diplomat has said, as an international conference here called for a negotiated end to decades of fighting.Norway's special envoy to Sri Lanka, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, told the two-day meeting that ended late Friday that Oslo would be more than happy to back 'any solution endorsed by the Sri Lankan people'.'One should not be tempted to try impose an externally designed solution to conflicts but assist the parties in defining a domestic one,' Hanssen-Bauer told the meeting organised by the Art of Living Foundation of Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.'The common understanding between the government and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) has been that talks are aimed at finding a political solution that is acceptable to all communities in Sri Lanka,' he said. 'For Norway, any solution endorsed by the Sri Lankan people is acceptable.'Although Sri Lanka has withdrawn from the Norway-brokered ceasefire agreement of 2002 with the LTTE, Oslo remains the designated mediator between the Tamil Tigers and Colombo.Hanssen-Bauer's comments follow criticism from ruling circles in Sri Lanka that Norway has been biased towards the LTTE and that it wants to foist on the island a solution to the conflict not acceptable to the majority.Reflecting his own style of functioning, Hanssen-Bauer added: 'In our view, mediation works best when the mediators opt for a low profile and avoid visibility on their own behalf.'They should aim for a limited role, be more obsessed with process than results, and stay involved through the complex ups and downs of a typical peace process.'Participants from Sri Lanka appealed for negotiations to end one of the world's longest running conflicts that has claimed more than 70,000 lives since 1983 and led many more to flee the country and take shelter in other countries.Arumugam Thondaman, the Sri Lankan minister for youth empowerment and socio-economic development, said he was 'strongly of the opinion that there is no military solution (to the conflict). It is essential to evolve a political solution'. Buddhist monk Seevali Nayaka Thero said it was time for both the government and the LTTE to think about the lives being lost because of the war.'In any place, in any country, only by war you cannot solve the problems. Only peace talks and reconciliation can solve the problem,' he added. 'This is exactly the message Buddha conveyed 2055 years back. It is very important we have to stop the war, we cannot take any more loss of lives.'Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has in the past visited LTTE-held areas in northern Sri Lanka, spoke about the importance of spiritualism in resolving any conflict.'Whether it is inter-religious conflict or intra-religious conflict or it is a conflict between communist or capitalist ideology, it all starts in the minds of people, in the hearts of people.'When such conflict begins, they shut themselves from reasoning, prejudice overtakes, and communication goes haywire. It's here we need to build the trust among the communities. Spiritual leaders, religious leaders, can play a bigger role in this.'Among others who took part in the conference were India's MDMK leader Vaiko, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Ramvichar Netam, Members of European Parliament Erika Mann and Nirj Deva, Rajiv Wijesinha of the Sri Lankan Peace Secretariat, Colin Archer of the International Peace Bureau (Switzerland), Sri Lankan MP Jayalath Jayawardene and Maduluvave Sobitha Nayaka Thero (Sri Lanka). 30 SLA killed in 4 fronts in Mannaar - LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said at least 30 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and 75 wounded when LTTE defensive formations in Mannaar confronted a four-pronged SLA attempt to advance west of Giant's Tanks in Mannaar. Tigers lost 3 cadres in the fighting that lasted from 5:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m. The SLA continued to target Madu area with artillery and mortar fire and sporadic clashes were reported west of Thadcha'naamaruthamadu, according to Tiger military spokesman. 15 SLA soldiers were killed in one front alone, at Periya-udaippu in Paalapperumaa'l-kaddu, Mr. Ilanthirayan said. Meanwhile, another SLA attempt to advance in Kokkuth-thoduvaay in Ma'nalaa'ru was thwarted by the Tigers, according to LTTE spokesman. LTTE gets info before Air Attacks According to the information sources from Sri Lanka Air Force, we have been learnt that LTTE is getting information regarding any air attack before it commences. After the death of LTTE Political wing leader, Tamil Selvam, they have managed to get prior information of the air attacks and because of this , SLAF were failed in targeting any of the LTTE leaders after Tamil Selvam's death. As learnt by 'LeN', after receiving proper targets from Military Intelligent Units, SLAF study the targets, check the condition of the carft which is going for the attack, fix the bombs and then hand over the craft to the pilot which will take atleast 20 minutes to the Engineering Division of SLAF. The pilot will take 17 minutes to complete his job. During this 37-40 minutes period, LTTE leaders get information about the attack and are able to move to the hiding places. It is suspected that most probably, LTTE gets information from Intelligent Units itself. Passing on Information to LTTE is a way of easy earning of huge sum of money. Our information sources say that it will not take much time to pass information on to a Spy. The only thing is to get an international telephone call to them. It is further stated that SLAF is unable to get expected results from the air attacks which incurred lot of money. However, SLAF say that they are doing their best to destroy the targets. In the meantime, our information sources say that critisizing the controversial purchase of MIG 27 is baseless. MIG 27 is the world's cheapest but accurate and easiest one to use. Further, spares for same can be purchased directly from Russia at a cheaper rate without going through a third party. Even though rumours are spreading all over regarding commissions, there are no other fighting craft in the world which can be purchased for 250 million dollars. Broad alliance by Weerawansa faction Former Air Force chief dead Special permit for Jaffna residents Govt of Sri Lanka must stop shelling places of worship immediately – British All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils With great regret and concern we write to both warring parties in Sri Lanka to respect places of worship and avoid fighting in the vicinity. Reports that are coming out of Sri Lanka are not very encouraging and we would like to remind the leaders that they should respect international Law and Geneva conventions on Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflict and the importance of protecting civilians, places of worship, schools, hospitals and other places of importance that are covered within any such International Conventions.Recent reports are indicating that shelling is taking place near the Madhu Church in the District of Mannar, which dates back to over 400 years. We urge the Government of Sri Lanka to stop such shelling immediately.We also urge the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leadership to respect places of worship and particularly the Madhu Church at this moment in time.We also appeal to both parties to actively seek for a political solution rather than a military solution as the sufferings of civilians and the prevalence of impunity for those who abuse human rights in the Island is unacceptable. Large-scale military ops. a bad strategy - Janaka Perera 11 April 2008 TNA says govt. using TMVP like Karuna only to crush them later like oranges The TNA said in Parliament yesterday they are not against the LTTE breakaway group TMVP and Karuna entering the democratic mainstream.Speaking during the emergency debate, TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan said the government is using the fire power of these groups to achieve its ulterior motives and then abandoning them. Mr. Sampanthan charged that the government dispatched Karuna whom he called the LTTE’s smartest military commander to the UK by getting him a diplomatic passport which landed him in a UK prison. He said the government would do the same with the TMVP. “You make use of them and then crush them like oranges,” he said.The TNA Parliamentary Group Leader also charged that the government is trying to Sinhalise the East by its sponsored colonization in the area. He charged that not a single Tamil and Muslim graduate have been selected for the ‘Tharuna Aruna’ training programme from the East. Citing another example he said a multi-storied housing scheme is being built in Trincomalee only for the Sinhalese. He also said there is land grabbing taking place in the area on the pretext of resolving environmental issues. Mr. Sampanthan said a thousand acres in the East belonging to Muslims have been taken away from them, by the government.Minister of Urban Development Dinesh Gunawardena who responded at this point dismissed these claims stating that the government is committed to fulfill the aspirations of all three communities referring to the housing scheme which Mr. Sampanthan mentioned; the Minister said it is being built for all three communities.The TNA MP who also touched on the provincial council polls in the East said the government has allied with the TMVP and are trying to show the world that it has the support of the Tamils. “No one knows what will happen to the people in the East after the elections if they defy the government,” he added.The TNA MP questioned as to whether the UPFA is going into the elections, with ‘Mahinda Chintanaya’ as the slogan?He challenged the government to hold an internationally sponsored referendum in the north and east to determine the choice of the people in the area. 46 int’l media orgs. call on president to ensure media freedom Attack on arms sale to Sri Lanka Sri Lanka military: Fighter jets bomb rebels' naval base as fighting kills 7 rebels, 1 soldier S Lanka says 93 troops killed in March Colombo attempts to create 'health disaster' in Vanni - LTTE Health services in Vanni are facing a man made disaster created by the Sri Lanka Defense Ministry, said N. Selvy, LTTE's spokesperson on Human Rights. Sri Lankan forces have blocked supplies to Ki'linochchi Deputy Provincial Director of Health Service (DPDHS) division. The DPDHS office recently said that medicine quota for the district hospital for the first quarter of 2008 is yet to arrive. Meanwhile, Mullaiththeevu DPDHS has told media that only 20% of the fuel supplies needed to operate the district hospital, two sub-hospitals and six pharmacies in the district, has been allowed across the entry point at Oamanthai by the Sri Lankan forces. LTTE's Human Rights spokesperson, in a press statement issued on Thursday, called upon the International Community not to fail to react to the gross human rights violation by the government of Sri Lanka. Full text of the press statement issued by Ms. Selvi follows: Health services in Vanni under extreme stress The Deputy Provincial Directors of Health Services (DPDHS) for Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu, have both recently raised their concerns about the severe lack of material resources to run the health services in the two districts. These two districts in Vanni suffer material shortages to run the health services because these materials are blocked at the checkpoints in Omanthai and Vavuniya by the Sri Lanka Defense Ministry. The Kilinochchi DPDHS said that medicine quota for the Kilinochchi district hospital for the first quarter of 2008 is yet to arrive. This quota should have arrived prior to the start of the quarter in January but they have not arrived even after the quarter ended by end of March. The medicines have been stagnating in Vavuniya without permission from the Ministry of Defense. The DPDHS expressed hope that they will arrive some time soon. There are no stocks for the Amoxil syrup, a common pediatric antibiotic, and Diabetes medication. Patients are in serious danger due to lack of these medicines.The Mullaithivu DPDHS also raised his concern about the huge reduction of the fuel allocation to his health services. Although unlimited amount of fuel was permitted during the ceasefire period the amount permitted has been gradually reduced further and further. Mullaithivu DPDHS said that the health services in his district that is made up of a vast area and sparse population need 14,000 liters per month at the very minimum. With this fuel the Mullaithivu district hospital, two sub-hospitals in the district, and six pharmacies must be operated. This fuel is needed to run the electricity generation in these hospitals and also to run the ambulances that must take serious cases to the Vavuniya hospital. Despite these urgent needs only 2750 liters of fuel has been allocated for the health services in the Mullaithivu district.The concerns raised by the DPDHS highlight the stark conditions in which the health services in Vanni are struggling by the man made disaster created by the Sri Lanka Defense Ministry. It is worth reminding ourselves what the United Nations human rights instruments have to say about the responsibility to provide adequate health services, especially to the children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child in Article 24 it says:"State Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services."Under the pretext of ensuring security in the south of the island is the Sri Lankan state denying the very basic medicines to the Tamil children? Has the international community failed to notice this gross human rights violation? America welcomes release of 11 children from TMVP The United States on Thursday welcomed the release of eleven underage personnel of the TMVP, the paramilitary-cum-political party Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). Full text of the press release issued by the U.S. Embassy follows: United States Welcomes Release of Children Colombo – April 10, 2008: The United States welcomes the release on April 7 of eleven children by the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). We commend the efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka, UNICEF, and other parties to bring about this release and their commitment to providing counseling, rehabilitation, and training that will enable former child soldiers to become productive members of society.As the Government of Sri Lanka and the people of the Eastern Province work to bring stability to the East by expanding economic opportunities, strengthening the rule of law, and ending violence, this initial release of children is a positive development. It is a welcome first step, but there is more to be done. The United States urges the TMVP and other armed groups in the country to release all children under their control so that these young victims of conflict can begin the process of psychological healing, social integration, and education that will lead them to a brighter future. The International Community urged to act against the wanton racist Sri Lankan military assault on the Holy Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu Sri Lanka's holiest Catholic shrine, Our Lady of Madhu in the Tamil diocese of Mannar is now under military assault from Sri Lankan government forces. The British Tamils Forum that represents hundreds of thousands of Tamils resident in Britain is appalled at the sheer acts of wanton racist vandalism and deplorable religious xenophobia involved in this attack against a most holy shrine of the Catholic Church nestling in a remote Tamil area in north-west Sri Lanka. Its spiritual attraction was the peaceful and tranquil environment and a sacred presence which excluded all warring factions.The shrine of Our Lady of Madhu is very special with a 400 year history of serving, since Portuguese times in Ceylon, the spiritual needs of a nation without exception either on grounds of race or creed. Although situated in a Tamil area, it fostered both Sinhalese and Tamil pilgrims who thronged this church especially at feast times. Attendance during the August festival would touch close to a million people. Many miracles are attributed to our Lady of Madhu, and her devotees entreat her with much love and hope. In 25 years of war, the Sri Lankan government has laid waste to many Hindu temples and some Christian churches. But throughout this conflict, at the heart of which is a dogma of Buddhist Sinhala racial superiority, the Madhu Shrine has been an oasis and a haven for refugees and displaced people in their thousands driven out of their homes by the war. It has been previously recognised locally and internationally as a 'place of refuge' and a 'safe haven' for people fleeing in the face of war and destruction. Previous Sri Lankan governments treated Madhu Church and its environs as a holy place and a war-free sanctuary. But the Sri Lankan army's indefensible attack now on the Church itself has caused the Bishop of Mannar to order the evacuation of the church with the miraculous statue of Our Lady and the Catholic priests normally resident there. The sacred statue has had to be removed from its home for four centuries and the priests have fled with it deeper into LTTE controlled territory where they believe it to be safer and better respected than in moving it into the adjoining government controlled area. This is the grim situation facing the Tamil Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Senior churchmen in Sri Lanka and elsewhere have appealed to governments and church authorities all over the world for their intervention and support to protect and safeguard the very special character of this religious and humanitarian place of worship before it is destroyed forever in a cruel war. It is reported that the army still continues to shell and destroy the church.There is much anguish among Christians and others all over the world and some of their outpourings have reached us.A senior spokesman for the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales has stated that it takes very seriously the plight of the Sri Lankan Church. They have already contacted the local Church in Sri Lanka with their concerns. He has assured us that they do understand the urgency of the Shrine and will do everything they can to help. An English Catholic parish priest writing to the Catholic Bishops Conference declares that this is a Marian shrine and that as the Bishop of Mannar makes his request to stop the fighting, he hopes that the Bishops’ Conference will offer at least a message of support to the Bishop of Mannar, and also bring this to a wider audience through a press release and pressure where it can to stop the fighting. He also states that this too would bring some succor to the Sri Lankan members of our parishes as they realise that others are concerned by their plight.The National Association of Catholic Families, which is an acclaimed international association for the promotion of Catholic values in families and for the dissemination of information relating to the universal Catholic community, has in its web site expressed indignation and has called for international action to save the shrine from what it reports as “On Thursday it was reported that Sinhalese armed forces were indiscriminately shelling the shrine, turning it into a battlefield”. As the shelling began, the Bishop of Mannar, Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph (photo) instructed the shrine's remaining four priests, four sisters and five civilian assistants to flee the premises, together with the statue of Our Lady. 'This is the first time Our Lady of Madhu becomes refugee in her own land’, said the Bishop. “By Friday, the fleeing group, with the statue of Our Lady of Madhu, had reached St. Sebastian Church at Theavanpiddi, located around 70 km northwest of Madhu in the Liberation Tigers controlled Manthai division of Tamil Eelam. Only the day before the shelling, more than 5,000 people of Mannar city gathered at their Cathedral for a special prayer service and staged a peace march, urging the warring parties -- the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -- to respect the area of the Shrine as a Zone of Peace”.Dr. John Dayal, National President of the All India Catholic Union (AICU) in a statement to media on Sunday said "There is no defence for attacking a church which has saved hundreds of refugees from death." He also called for action upon the "International Community, which has a stake in this cauldron of ethnic strife which poses its own threat to stability in the region, and thereby to global peace." He added that the working committee of the AICU, which was in session in Goa, was "very deeply concerned," when it learnt the news of the Sri Lankan Army's shelling of the Madhu Church and how for the first time in the history of the 400 year-old church, the Virgin Mary became a refugee in her own land. John Dayal hoped that "wiser counsel will prevail and the Government of Sri Lanka will order its forces to cease and desist" from attacking a sacred place. Appeals have been made to the President of Sri Lanka to declare the Madhu Shrine as a 'Zone of Peace' through special gazette notification, in order to ensure that the shrine continues to serve as a religious and humanitarian space. What is happening in Zimbabwe now with all the furore in the UK is but a tea party compared to the evil abominations in Sri Lanka. This is an appeal to you, governments, religious bodies and all people of goodwill, to send a strong signal immediately to the Sri Lankan government to ring fence the Madhu Church environs from any military action whatsoever and to withdraw its forces from the holy precincts. The international community should also intervene to stop this bloodshed and bring about a negotiated political settlement respecting the integrity and independence of both sides to this 25 year old protracted war, which has claimed thousands of lives and impoverished the whole nation. 10 April 2008 Masked men enter EPRLF Leader and TNA MP's Suresh house in Colombo Masked men in black uniform entered the house of EPRLF Leader Suresh Premachandran, a prominent leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in the early hours of Wednesday, forced the care-taker of the house into a room saying that they were from the CID, and dug several holes at in the backyard. After they left, Police came to the house, went directly to the backyard without talking to the caretaker and finally detained him till Wednesday noon at Wattala police. Mr. Premachandran, expressing suspicion that some elements 'clothed with legal authority' have acted with the 'sinister motive' to cause disrepute to him, has lodged a complaint with the Inspector General of Police (IGP). Full text of the complaint by Suresh Premachandran to media: Suresh K.Premachandran,MP. 8th April 2008 The Inspector General of Police, Complaint regarding into my House at Wattala I am having a house at 85/9, Pokuna Road, Hendala ,Wattala. Mr.T.jeyasparan a long standing member of my party, EPRLF is the Care-taker of the above house. On the 8th of April early morning at about 2.30am. about five or six men all of whom were in black uniform and with their faces masked went into the house without any prior information. They forced the Care-taker into one of rooms and had him detained with one of whom guarding him. The rest went to the backyard of the house, and dug at several places for 15 ˆ 20 minutes. Then they went off.The man who was guarding my Care-taker told him that they were from the C.I.D. After they left, the emergency police came to my house about 4.00am. My Care-taker opened the door and the police without saying anything went to the backyard directly and saw the place. Then they came back and questioned my Care-taker about the intruders. Then my Care-taker was taken to the Wattala Police station where he was detained. Later, Wattala Police recorded his statement and released him at noon.This house was purchased by me long time back. The neighbours are aware of this fact. I was living there till I shifted last year to Parliament Quarters. The Wattala Police also know that this house belongs to me. My Care-taker has registered his name with the Wattala Police as its resident.I have grave suspicion that some elements clothed with legal authority have been responsible for the said incident. It appears that they have acted with the sinister motive to put me into difficulty and cause disrepute to me.In these circumstances, I request you to order an immediate and full scale investigation in respect of the said incident.I shall be very much obliged if you could ensure that a round the clock Police security is provided to my said house. Yours truly, President in China President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in China yesterday morning to begin a State visit and attend the annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), which opens on Saturday. On arrival at the Sanya Phoenix International Airport the President was welcomed by the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Vice Governor of Hainan Province Jiang Sixian and the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Dabo Ye.The President is expected to meet the Chinese President to discuss the development of China-Sri Lanka relations and exchange views on facilitating bilateral relations. He will also meet a number of government ministers. UNICEF welcomes child recruit releases CID find mobile phones at scene of explosion CID officers investigating the death of Cabinet Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle have recovered six cellular phones from the scene of the crime at Weliweriya, One of them is believed to have belonged to the LTTE suicide bomber. Since the mobile phones must have belonged either to persons who were killed or those who had left the scene hurriedly, they are being carefully examined in the hope of tracing the owners. A CID technical expert said that some of the phones were badly damaged by the explosion but that they were trying to recover the SIM cards in order to identify the owners -- especially the suicide bomber. It is believed that the suicide cadre had used a mobile phone over which he had received constant instructions from the suicide attack handler. His handler is believed to have operated from a nearby location. Detectives are hoping to find the suicide bomber’s SIM card and locate its service provider in order to obtain information on the calls made by the owner. Meanwhile, another CID team is carefully examining the videotapes of the incident to study the already identified suicide cadre’s movements and find out how he came to the place. Emergency passed The motion for extension of the State of Emergency for another month was passed by Parliament yesterday with 93 votes for and 15 against.The UNP members were not present at the time of the vote and the 15 TNA members voted against with the Government and the 18 JVP members present voting for the motion.Wimal Weerawansa and his dissident group of JVP members were also not present at the time of the vote.Parliament meets again on May 6. Dissident JVPers’ vehicles robbed In another dramatic turn of events following the defection of 11 JVP MPs, including JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa, the vehicles of two dissident JVPers were taken away forcibly by an unidentified gang, from the official parliament vehicle park yesterday. The gang had entered the park, assaulted the policemen on duty and removed the vehicles, sources said.The official vehicles of Kalutara district MP Piyasiri Wijenayake and Ratnapura District MP Achala Jagoda had been removed. A sergeant attached to the parliament security detail, who had been assaulted by the gang, was admitted to hospital with injuries, police said.MP Wijenayake, speaking to Daily Mirror, said he had kept his Toyota double cab under the police protection on Tuesday and left in another vehicle. “Parliament Security SSP S. Gunawardane told me that the vehicle was there last morning,” Mr. Wijeneyake said; adding that a few hours later he had been informed that the vehicle had been removed forcibly.He said that the vehicle was under police protection, and that it was a park where only parliamentarians’ vehicles were parked. Mr. Wijenayake said that he had informed the Speaker and the Parliament Secretary General. of the incident Parliamentarian Jagoda told Daily Mirror that his Toyota van had been inside the vehicle park when some unidentified men had taken it away after assaulting the policemen there. “The vehicle park is only for parking vehicles of parliamentarians and it is a highly protected area, but the vehicle has been taken away,” Mr. Jagoda said. He believed that his vehicle had been taken away due to the recent internal problems of the party.Several attempts to contact the senior police officers in charge of parliament security failed. These two MPs were among the ten who pledged to support former JVP propaganda secretary Wimal Weerawansa on Tuesday.The others are Muhamed Muzamil (National List) , Deepal Gunasekara (Ratnapura) , Jayantha Samaraweera (Kalutara), Sujatha Alahakone (Matale), Nimal Premawansa (Nuwara Eliya), Udaya Shantha (Moneragala), Somasiri Herath (Puttalam) and Priyankara Dissanayaka (Puttalam) Prabhakaran regular visitor to LTTE training camps: ex-Tigers LTTE supremo Prabhakaran was quite regular in attending the training camps of the Tamil Tigers and used to personally supervise their programmes, a surrendered activists of the banned organisation has said. Arumugam (named changed) told a team of visiting journalists at a fortified building in Jaffna that houses the former LTTE cadres that the LTTE chief was quite regular in attending training camps and used to personally supervise their programmes."I worked for the LTTE for almost six years and was classified as a Black Sea Tiger," Arumugam told the journalists. The former rebel said he is still petrified by prospects of an attack on him by the LTTE for having deserted the organisation. "I have already lost a portion of my leg," Arumugam said, displaying the injury he suffered during a confrontation with the Sri Lankan security forces. The camp, to which the visiting journalists were taken around earlier this week, had 54 surrendered men, many of them former supporters and sympathisers of the outfit. A top military official said the camp was well protected and there were layers of cordon that one had to go through to enter the area. When asked whether he had seen Prabhakaran, Arumugam hesitatingly said he had watched him from close distance though never got an opportunity to talk to the LTTE leader. "He (Prabhkaran) generally does not discuss with individual LTTE fighters and prefers to address the activists jointly," the former LTTE cadre said. No postponing EPC polls – Dissanayakeby Zacki JabbarDayananda Dissanayake The Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake says that the May 10, Eastern Provincial Council Election cannot be postponed, except due to a natural calamity.He was replying to a query by Colombo District UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake as to whether the poll would be held on schedule, during a meeting between Dissanayake and political parties on Tuesday.Both Karunanayake and the SLMC representative Hassan Ali raised concerns about the lack of security in the Eastern Province, where the armed Pillaiyan Group is terrorising those who are opposed to it.They urged Dissanayake to ensure that all political parties in the fray be provided equal security so that their candidates can campaign free of intimidation and death threats. "Some candidates such as A. L. M. Hisbullah, who recently crossed over to the government from the SLMC, have been given enhanced security. This is very unfair, because it is the opposition parties who are under threat from the Pillaiyan Group which has the full backing of the Defence Ministry", it was pointed out.We do not want to see a repeat of the recent Batticaloa local polls, where popular candidates were frightened away from contesting by death threats from the Pillaiyan Group, Hassan Ali added. The DIGs of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amapara, who were present at the meeting said that they would ensure proper security during the campaign and on election day. 09 April 2008 A church in Madu destroyed, dreaded stage of ethnic cleansing, says TELO President The Sacred Heart Church of the Madu Shrine complex has been destroyed in SLA shelling after the priests had taken away the image of Our Lady of Madu last Thursday, reveal the photos taken by K. Baskaran, a photographer who visited the Madu church on Sunday. "Any desecration of Madu is likely to be understood as an effort of the Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism to erase out the symbols of other religions and thus serving a spiritual blow which is the most dreaded stage in the process of ethnic cleansing," Vanni District Parliamentarian Selvam Adaikkalanathan told TamilNet Tuesday. "The social and cultural formation of Tamil Christianity, especially the Tamil Catholicism, is about 500-years old. Madu Church is the foremost symbol of this phenomenon. It is also looked upon with the same feeling by the Sinhala Catholicism of the western coast which was once part of the Tamil Catholic identity," the MP, who is a catholic hailing from Vidaththaltheevu in Mannaar told TamilNet.This is the second time the Sacred Heart Chapel comes under SLA attack, the MP said. 9 years ago, on 20th November, 1999, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops, numbering around 300, who had taken up positions in the environs of Madu church allegedly fired shells from their tanks, killing 33 Tami refugees on the spot inside the Sacred Heart Chapel. More than 60 IDPs were wounded. Four of the victims died later at the hospital and 12 of the killed were children below 18. Around 3000 IDPs had taken refuge in the precincts of Madu shrine at that time.Two months ago, on 29 January 2008, 20 civilians including 11 school children were killed when Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) triggered a Claymore mine targeting a civilian bus close to the Madu shrine. JVP splits in two Defector among dissidents Ranaweera Pathirana, MP, who intially supported the group objected the dissident group publicly expressing their views.As angry MPs looked on, he told journalists that differences within the party should be sorted out internally. Piyasiri Wijenayaka, MP, addressing the media on behalf of Mr. Weerawansa said that 11 parliamentarians have decided to work separately from the party. He alleged that the party was mistreating Mr. Weerawansa, who was regarded at the public face of the JVP.In a special statement to the parliament, Wimal Weerawansa earlier said that the JVP has 'stabbed him from the back'. President Mahinda Rajapaksa's political ally, the JVP, is contesting the Eastern elections separately.While party leaders called for the disarmament of armed groups including the Pillayan faction, Mr. Weerawansa said those advocate disarming the TMVP 'should seek medical advice'. Soldiers killed in STF fire 'LTTE suspect' further remanded Jeyaraj killing has shocked all layers of Lankan society - Mano Ganeshan Two new MPs sworn in 08 April 2008 Petition wants Madhu declared no war zone Catholic priests in the Vavuniya and Mannar districts held special prayers at the St. Anthony’s church in Rambaikulam yesterday morning before handing over a petition to the Vavuniya District Secretary requesting him to declare the areas adjoining the Madhu Church a no war zone.Bishop of Mannar Rev. Rayappu Joseph presided at the prayers and a large crowd were gathered at the Vavuniya St. Anthony’s Church to place their signatures to the petition. The Bishop said in the petition that though President Mahinda Rajapaksa had assured him that the areas adjoining the Madhu Church would be declared a no war zone, a slight delay in implementing it had placed the Madhu Church in imminent danger of being attacked by either party. He has also stated that if the Government declares the area a no war zone, he was hopeful that the LTTE, too, would respond positively. Postal voting for EPC polls to commence Australia concerned over escalating violence Australian Foreign MInister Stephen Smith, MP, said:Australia condemns the suicide bombing near Colombo on 6 April which killed senior Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister, Mr Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, the Minister for Highways and Road Development and Chief Government Whip in the Parliament. This senseless attack also killed at least fifteen others and injured more than 90 Sri Lankans who had gathered for the start of a marathon race to celebrate the coming Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The Australian Government sends its most sincere condolences to Mr Fernandopulle’s family and to the families of all those killed and injured in this terrible attack.Australia remains concerned about the escalation of violence in Sri Lanka and condemns terrorism in all its forms. The use of terrorist methods by the LTTE is completely unacceptable. Sri Lanka’s conflict cannot be resolved militarily. It is Australia’s firm view that a political settlement, developed in dialogue with all affected communities, is urgently needed to bring lasting peace to the country. Australia encourages the Sri Lankan Government and all parties involved to redouble their efforts to develop realistic proposals to support a political solution to the conflict.’ Why ignore the tips given by the foreign intelligence unit about approaching 2 Black Tigers to Jeyaraj? It is revealed by now that Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was assassinated due to lack of security, provided by the Special Task Force.From last February, security of Minister Fernandopulle was transferred to STF from MSD as per request made by the Senior DIG, who is in charge of the MSD, to the Commandant, STF.MSD is a specially trained division for VIP security. When a VIP is scheduled to visit a certain place, MSD always have discussions with the Police Officers of the area, prior to the visit of VIP, and make suitable security plans as per the discussions the Police and MSD had. This security arrangements are carrying on by MSD until the VIP departs the place.When Minister Jeyaraj arrived at Weliweriya yesterday, there were no such security arrangements. The opinion of most of the people is that STF is not a special trained unit for VIP security like MSD. In a situation like this, instead of taking the responsibility of yesterday's incident, STF, who provided security to the Minister, is now trying to put the blame on to the Minister and his personal body guard saying that these two never listened to the security advises, and as a result of same, yesterday's incident was happened. However, to reply STF, Minister and his personal body guard are no more as both of them were died yesterday (6th).In the meantime, an important information was received by Lanka-e-news, ie: one of the foreign intelligent units have informed a Chief of the special intelligent unit in Sri Lanka 14 days ago that 2 black tigers were approached the Minister. Further the foriegn intelligent unit has informed that as close friends of the Minsiter, they were reached an important place of the Sri Lankan economy, and Chief of the special intelligent unit of Sri Lanka have advised the informant that necessary actions are taking by them. However, after the unfortunate incident of yesterday, this special intelligent unit says that their advices are pointless as they are not accepted by the VIP. EU condemns killing, calls for negotiated settlement EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner : "I am deeply shocked by yesterday's heinous attack on Minister of Roads Jeyaraj Fernandopulle near Colombo. I strongly condemn this suicide attack, which not only killed Minister Fernandopoulle and 14 civilians but also injured many innocent bystanders. The EU condemns all forms of terrorism and violence against civilians. The EU continues to believe that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka and only a negotiated settlement can open the way for a lasting peace." Suspected Jeyaraj killer carried bogus ID Canada condemns killing of Minister Fernandopulle Issuing a statement Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Bernier strongly condemned Sunday’s terrorist attack which killed Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and 14 others. In his statement Minister Maxime Berniersttes, "Canada strongly deplores this senseless act of violence, which killed Sri Lankan Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and former Olympic marathoner K.A. Karunaratne as well as civilians taking part in a sporting event. On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the deceased and to those wounded in the attack. "Canada condemns all forms of terrorism. We are deeply concerned about the worsening impact of this ongoing conflict on civilians, including humanitarian workers and human rights defenders. It is clear that violence will not bring lasting peace to Sri Lanka." Eastern province polls - first political killing took place As assassination of a youth has been reported from Valachchenai of Batticaloa District sunday (6th) as the first election violence of the Eastern Province Polls. The person who was assassinated was identified as Mohammed Thambi Majid Ashroff alias Jauffer, a strong supporter of Muslim Congress. He was killed in Birandrachchenai area in Valachchenai around 5.30 pm sunday by using a sharp weapon. It is reported that Mr. Ashroff was having political disagreements with one Ameen who is a candidate of Batticaloe District under UPFA ticket, during the last Local Government elections, and relatives of late Ashroff believe that one Nazeer, a supporter of Ameen is responsible for this killing. UPFA candidate Ameen is a supporter of Minister Ameer Ali. Mr. Ashroff who killed yesterday was hoping to migrate today (8th). Muslim Mosques Federation of Kalkuda have made arrangements for a Hartal by closing all the shops in the town yesterday (7th) to oppose this killing. USA condemns killing of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle The U.S embassy in Colombo in a press release issued yesterday (7) expressed States Government's condolences to the families and friends of the victims and to all Sri Lankans for the tragic loss. The message issued by U.S. Embassy states“The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack on April 6 in Weliweriya, Gampaha District that claimed the life of Minister of Highways and Road Development and Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. Also killed in this heinous attack were National Athletic Coach Lakshman de Alwis, well- known marathon runner K.A. Karunaratne, and several other persons, while scores more were injured. Minister Fernandopulle was a friend and valued colleague for many Americans. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims and to all Sri Lankans for this tragic loss. The United States denounces this vicious and reprehensible terrorist attack on civilians in the strongest possible terms. Its perpetrators have achieved nothing other than to cause further suffering among the people of Sri Lanka. Only a political solution not continued violence, offers the way forward to end the country's conflict.” Troops inch closer to Tiger den A low-deep sound, as of cannon fire, shakes the ground.“It can be from a trap we’ve set up right on the edge of the current LTTE defense line,” a camouflaged officer speculates. A trap, is a concoction of antipersonnel mines and other explosives, strung together to form a high-impact cluster bomb.A few minutes after we bade farewell to the spirited men at the Muhamalai Forward Defense Line (FDL), another blast is heard.It was later that we came to know that one of the soldiers had lost a leg in a landmine explosion.A spate of gunfire ensues, supposedly from the enemy front lines. Yet, after a few minutes, an eerie calm descends on the 400-meter marshy bog-pit which marked the no-man’s land between the current army FDL and the LTTE front line.“The stretch between the current Forward Defense Line of the armed forces in Muhamalai and that of the LTTE, designated as the no-man’s land has been successfully infiltrated by the military. Our special units have reached the edge of the perimeter beyond which the LTTE stronghold lies,” Division-55 Commander, Brigadier Kamal Guneratne said.The troops are inching forward with stealth and resolve despite the antipersonnel mines and booby-traps that were laid by the LTTE and the security forces at various times the FDL was manned by either party.“If we deploy a large battalion in this area the casualties are bound to be higher, because we are hemmed in a narrow area with only 8km across at the neck of the Jaffna Peninsula. Sending specialized teams have proven to be a better strategy, inflicting maximum damage on the enemy,” Brigadier Guneratne said explaining the effectiveness of the current military strategy.“Our primary aim is not to capture more land but to bleed the enemy’s strength by reducing its cadre strength and weapons stocks. We estimate the LTTE to be having 1,500 fighters in the area including the reserves. However, the enemy is able to move cardres from one fighting theater to the other,” he added.A group of seven special officers returning from “no-man’s land”, who claimed to have killed some 200 LTTE cadres between them, confirmed this view.Yet, life beyond the forward defense line -- for the men of the Special Forces weighed down by RPGs and other heavy weaponry is not without difficulties. “We are always on alert, even while resting; we are not allowed to make any noise. If they register the slightest movement the Tigers fire artilleries,” Recruit Siriwardena, who had been involved in the offensive operation to infiltrate no-man’s land since August 2006 said. His unit was transferred to Muhamalai on August 11, 2006.Siriwardena who hails from Polonnaruwa has served in operational areas throughout his entire military career. Captain Fernando just returned after seeing his 6-year-old son. Most of these men would spend their April New Year in the harsh marshy terrain.“It is a special challenge to maintain the high-moral of the troops who serve under these special circumstances, especially because they feel isolated and land-locked. There are also transport difficulties at times when they are due to go back home after serving for about three months. But we try our best to boost their spirits in many ways,” Commanding Officer Colonel Wasantha Arbrew said.Even Division 55, second-in-command Colonel Nissanka Ranawake -- a father of two agreed that while they are privileged to man the most crucial point guarding the forward defense line – it is often difficult to explain the absence of a father to tiny tots constantly seeking the protection and affection of a father. Basil replaces Jeyaraj Mr. Basil Rajapakshe MP, Senior Advisor to the President will be appointed as the Minister of Highways and Road Development in place of the late Mr. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.When Mr. Fernandopulle was alive, there were few tries from the President's side to hand over the Minstry of Highways and Road Development to Mr. Basil Rajapakshe, but it is reported that to leave the Ministry, Mr. Fernandopulle was expecting the Ministry of Ports and Aviation. President's side was agreed to give him the Ministry of Aviation by adding another section to the same, but information sources said that Mr. Fernandopulle was not agreed to accept the Ministry without Ports.People who have connections with the Government say that the battle for attach 'Maga Neguma' to 'Gama Neguma' (project by Mr. Basil Rajapakshe) is now settled automatically.In the meantime, Mr. Duplip Wijesekera, Minister of Cooperative, Trade, Food and Power Supply in the Western Province and the next highest preferrential votes receiver will be appointed as a Member of Parliament for Gampaha District.It is not decided so far to appoint a Chief Organizer of the ruling party, the post held by late Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. Suicidal for us to disarm right now: TMVP LTTE urges Norway to take steps to end military assault on Madu shrine Liberation Tigers Political Head B. Nadesan on Monday sent an urgent letter to Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim, placing a request to the Royal Norwegian Government to take steps to immediately end the military assault of the holy Madu shrine in Mannaar district. "The international community together with the international institutions that are concerned about protecting the historical treasures of the world must be brought together and we hope the Royal Norwegian Government together with them will take the necessary actions to end the attacks on the church," Mr. Nadesan urged Norway. The full text of the letter follows: Protecting the Madhu church – a revered historical shrine for the entire Tamil nation We write to share with you our view about the zeal exhibited by the Sri Lankan State to destroy the Madhu church, a historically significant shrine revered by the entire Tamil nation.You are, of course, aware of the Sri Lankan State's year long, large scale military onslaught against us with the view to occupy Vanni. The world is also aware that the Sri Lankan State's military onslaughts are targeting the historical Madhu church in the Mannar district, the western region of Vanni.The Madhu church is a centuries old shrine revered by the Tamil people of all religions. That is why the Madhu church complex has been a place of refuge for people of all religions. This church has become a symbol of inter religious amity and goodwill among the Tamils.The Sri Lankan State armed forces have directed their artillery fire incessantly towards this church over the last few weeks. Such a revered church that symbolizes inter religious tolerance was identified as a military target by the Sri Lankan State and it is being subjected to military onslaught. Yet, the international community has failed to stop or even condemn this atrocity. Tamil people are shocked by this silence of the international community. The Sri Lankan military is using Multi-Barrel-Rocket-Launchers, artillery, mortar, and tanks to assault this holy shrine. Tragically, due to this indiscriminate military assaults, thousands of people who took refuge in the holy shrine complex and the church priests were forced displace from the complex together with the statue of Mother Mary of the Madhu church. Part of the shrine is already damaged by the Sri Lankan military attacks. There is continued danger that the church will sustain further damage because the Sri Lankan military is persisting with its onslaught.We would like to place a request through you, who is looked upon by the Tamil people as a peace envoy, to the Royal Norwegian Government to take steps to immediately end the military assault of the holy Madhu shrine.The international community together with the international institutions that are concerned about protecting the historical treasures of the world must be brought together and we hope the Royal Norwegian Government together with them will take the necessary actions to end the attacks on the church. The Sinhala State, which shows great keenness to protect Buddhist symbols and Buddhist temples, which shows great keenness to build new Buddhist temples in the Tamil areas that they occupy, is also vehement on destroying the religious symbols of other religions, thus hurting the feelings of people who follow other religions.As far as our movement and our people are concerned we continue to accept the facilitation role of the Royal Norwegian Government. As such we believe that we have a right to place such a request to them.We, therefore, ask you to urge the Royal Norwegian Government, with the help of the international community to stop the Sri Lankan State's military assault on a revered shrine of the people of Tamil Eelam. 07 April 2008 After minister’s assassination, Lankan jets bomb LTTE base Jeyaraj's funeral on Apr. 10 Sacked Weerawansa absent at the April hero commemoration; Tilvin, Anura go abroad Former Propaganda Secretary of JVP Wimal Weerawansa was a notable absentee at the JVP April hero commemoration held in the Viharamahadevi Open Theater, Colombo satuarday (05). JVP Secretary Tilvin Silva and politburo member Anura Kumara Disanayaka were also absent and it was announced that they were on a foreign tour. MP K.D. Lal Kantha held the welcome speech and JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe delivered the keynote address."We say to our party members not to be hares that hop here and there. If they do so, we have to tie their limbs. We came to the party to serve the public. If one does not perform the duties, the party can take back any office or power granted by the party," said Mr. Amarasinghe alluding to the suspension of Mr. Weerawansa's membership.Fewer crowds participated in the April hero commemoration. The decorations around the country lacked attraction. JVP's April hero poster also lacked vigor this year and it contained an oil lamp. Lanka-e-News learns that the JVP wanted to expose the suspension of party membership of Mr. Weerawansa after the Eastern Provincial Council election since it could affect the election campaign since the Patriotic National Movement and Mr. Weerawansa had a vote base in Trincomalee district. Weerawansa was stunned when he became aware of the suspension decision that was made in his absentia.However, the sudden decision to suspend the membership of Mr. Weerawansa has confused the JVP cadres and benefactors in foreign countries and Mr. Tilvin Silva has left for Japan while MP Anura Disanayaka has arrived in Europe to console them. The JVP Japan branch leader who is a close associate of Wimal Weerawansa recently helped JVP to re-launch its 'Lanka' newspaper that was collapsed due to financial crisis. Family of four slain by homeguard Two pronged SLA offensive attempt thwarted in Vavuniyaa - LTTE At least 9 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and more than 13 SLA soldiers wounded when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) confronted the SLA on two fronts at Paalamoaddai in Vavuniya - Mannaar border Sunday. Heavy fighting raged from 8:30 a.m. till 5:40 p.m. until the SLA troops were withdrawn, according to LTTE's Operations Command in Vavuniyaa. Due to heavy artillery barrage, the remaining 32 families in Koayil Kugnchukku'lam and Kungnchukku'lam have displaced from their villages. Civilian casualties were avoided as hundreds of families had already displaced from the villages, the Tigers said. The LTTE Operations command did not provide details on Tiger casualties. A clearing mission, launched by the Tigers, was continuing after the fighting. On Saturday, SLA fired at LTTE positions in Paalmoaddai with Medium Machine Guns and Rocket Propelled Grenades around 11:45 a.m. and the SLA withdrew after Tigers retaliated with mortar fire for 20 minutes, according to LTTE military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan on Saturday. Sri Lanka: Two Unhealthy Political Developments - Part I- Legitimising the TMVP – Political developments in Sri Lanka have been as rapid as the abnormal deluge that has bogged down the troops in the forward lines of north. There had been some realignment of political fronts as the country approached the May 10 deadline for the first ever provincial council elections in the east since the de-merger of the north-eastern province. Ideally this should be a healthy development. But Sri Lanka, like many other democracies in the neighbourhood, is caught in the vortex of populist politics, and disregard for scruples in the quest for power among political parties. The battle array of the two fronts reflects s this politics sans principles with focus on issues of power rather than commitment to ideals. Specifically, two unhealthy but interconnected political developments that could become hazardous for national security are evident in this political exercise. The first and more insidious development is legitimisation of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Padaigal (TMVP) as a political party without disarming it and anointing it as a partner of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA). The second is the potential powder keg of growing feeling of alienation among Muslims in the east in the emerging provincial political dispensation. Legitimising the TMVP TMVP has a murky history that is almost wholly militant and non-political. It is a product of miscegenation of soured militancy and failed quest for power through the use of arms. It owes its origins to Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna (to be factually correct a.k.a Kokila Dushmantha Gunawardena), the Batticaloa leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who broke up with Prabhakaran in March 2004. The LTTE's major preoccupation in the early years of Karuna's exit was typical – to gun him and his followers down. Karuna made a half hearted attempt at politics. This was apparently beyond his ken as surviving LTTE pistol group assassins became the top priority. Ultimately this preoccupation became a zero sum game that ended any political role for him. But it provided Karuna and the TMVP a legitimate (at least from their point of view) reason to retain the arms they had brought along when they quit the LTTE fold. In any case, the state had neither the inclination nor the determination to disarm yet another Tamil militant group in its own back yard, particularly when it was fighting the LTTE with the TMVP assisting it to effectively curb the LTTE activity. Karuna became a war lord of sorts ruling the Tamil areas. The cadres helped the Sri Lankan military operations that intensified from 2005 onwards. Initially they operated collectively in groups and later individually. They occupied the power vacuum created amidst the Tamil population as the territory was cleared of LTTE control. Karuna had problems in visibly exercising his command mainly due to absentee landlordism and continued LTTE threat to his life. The effective leadership power was wielded by Pillayan, his second in command. The security forces appear to have preferred him as he was eager, willing and available to go along with the security forces operations. Pillayan climbed up to the top of the leadership ladder after the TMVP eased out Karuna from the leadership making some accusations of financial misappropriation of party funds against him. The TMVP activities were not endearing them to others. Their actions related more to a vigilante militia than a political party. There were innumerable complaints against the behaviour of armed TMVP cadres roaming around the Tamil and at times Muslim areas from many quarters. They included Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, the four co-chairs of the Tokyo Donors Conference, political parties of all hues, community leaders, civil society organisations, highly reputed international and local not for profit organisations, and human rights and humanitarian organs of the United Nations. The list of TMVP misconduct included the whole range of offences in the penal code - extortion, child recruitment, 'tax collection,' kidnapping, intimidation, muzzling the media, and even killings. There were accusations of army colluding with TMVP in some of these actions either by ignoring or participating in the misdeeds. Demands for disarming the TMVP were as loud as the deadly silence of the government response to the demands. The Sri Lanka government had to take some action to satisfy the mounting international criticism against the TMVP and probably Karuna, now without power and following, became probably a willing fall guy. The TMVP without Karuna but under Pillayan became an important partner of the UPFA alliance when it contested the local body polls in Batticaloa district a month ago. Of course, the elections were by and large peaceful and polling was heavy. The TMVP cadres did not display their hardware during the elections according to the government. This point has been disputed by some of the political parties and civil society bodies. That is immaterial because the TMVP still retains the weapons. TMVP won eight of the nine local bodies. The UPFA alliance won the ninth - the Batticaloa council. The government show-cased the local body elections to the international audience as the coming of age of democracy in the east. In a way it was a coming of age, but of politicisation of extremism. This is where the genuineness and credibility of the forthcoming PC polls hang now. The issue is not simply one of legitimising TMVP; but legitimising extrajudicial role of armed groups to operate politically in areas of their choosing, while the rule of law is consigned to the books. Though the TMVP might be more inclined to assume a political role, it has to disarm itself to become a legitimate political party as other Tamil militant groups had done in the past. Only that would be an affirmation of its faith in the power of the ballot rather than the bullet. Even in Nepal, the Maoist arms were mothballed before they participated in the elections. The memories of letting loose armed gangs in the east after the Indian peace Keeping Force (IPKF) left the island in 1990 provide a gruesome lesson for the state in handling the issue casually. The east was handed over to the LTTE control by a clever President Premadasa to lay the rule of law on the then Chief Minister Varadaraja Perumal who had made a misguided unilateral declaration of independence for the northeast in his last hurrah. The LTTE went on a rampage and in the blood bath that followed it killed at least a thousand Tamil youth who had put their faith in the government. The bottom line is security of ordinary people is the responsibility of the state. It cannot deputise it to warlords or irregular militias. If the state cannot ensure personal security, how can it conduct free and fair elections in the true democratic spirit? History is replete with examples of how politics and guns in a democracy cannot coexist.. Pakistan in our own neighbourhood has been sapped of its strength due to not adhering to this simple truth. It is still reaping the bitter fruits of ignoring a simple basic dictum - only politics and not guns can have a place in democracy. A second aspect is such moves set a bad precedence in future negotiations for peace with the LTTE. Ultimately the future of the armed LTTE cadres has to be decided. Even during the IPKF's early palaver with the LTTE, the cadres' future was discussed. If they are to retain their arms, they have to be part of a legitimate force of the state accountable to the organs of the constitution. From this count, this political move to take TMVP within the UPFA fold without disarming it could weaken state's case in future negotiations as and when they take place with LTTE (no harm in hoping I suppose). It also sends the message that as long as such extremist groups maintain their identity and remain politically useful they can get away with anything and exist outside the pale of law. The only regime that had been practising such black tactics is Burma where the military junta has signed ceasefire agreements with a large number of ethnic insurgent groups. They have been allowed to retain their structure, put on a state retainer, and act as government proxies in their regions with detrimental results. A few powerful groups have been allowed to retain their arms and they are virtually ruling the roost. A few other groups are into profitable poppy cultivation and have become bastions of drug traffic causing concern to both China and the rest of the world. These groups have encouraged illegal arms traffic to feed insurgencies in India's northeast and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka is politically far more advanced than Burma to fall into such easy but risky subterfuge in handling the TMVP. A suspicion that the removal of Special Task Force (STF) personnel from 10 posts before the election was carried out at the behest of the TMVP persists in the minds of many commentators. If this is true it is an unhealthy beginning for the new "political role" of the TMVP. With Pillayan already speaking of his aspirations to be chief minister of the eastern provincial council (and why not if he wins majority seats!) the credibility of the government exercise in "liberating the people of the east from LTTE control" and ushering in democracy would be low. One can only hope at least after the elections are over, the disarming of TMVP would follow. It is never too late to start what is good for the people. Lastly, there is the global threat of small arms proliferation in which insurgent and militant groups' contribution is at least a million weapons. In South Asia alone at least 100,000 to 200,000 are in the hands of insurgent groups, past and present. This figure does not include weapons in the hands of criminal gangs. Sri Lanka has a sizeable contribution to the stockpile of such unaccounted arms that are floating in the sub continent. This encourages a host of crimes – smuggling, corruption of government officials, human traffic, and illicit arms and drug traffic. The pilot survey of the Hambantota district by the National Commission Against Illicit Proliferation of Small Arms Sri Lanka has clearly shown how the illicit weapons from north and east are contributing to crime even in a Sinhala majority district. So how can there be normal political life in the east, with illicit arms in the hands of legitimately elected representatives? Only the people of Sri Lanka can answer this question. 06 April 2008 Suspected suicide bomber kills Sri Lanka minister: officials A suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber assassinated a senior Sri Lankan minister Sunday in an attack that also killed 11 others and wounded more than 90, police and officials said.Highways minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, 55, was presiding over sporting events in the town of Weliveriya outside of the capital when the blast ripped through the large gathering, police said."It was a suicide bombing of the Tigers," media minister Anura Yapa said.Fernandopulle, a vocal critic of the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels and a member of Sri Lanka's failed peace talks with the guerrillas, is the second government minister to be killed this year.Television footage showed a powerful explosion a few feet away from the minister, regarded as a potential prime minister-in-waiting, as he addressed athletes lining up at the start of a marathon."We suspect a suicide bomber pretending to be a marathon runner carried out the attack," a police officer at the scene told AFP.The minister had also just raised the national flag to kick off elaborate celebrations marking the traditional New Year shared by both the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils on the troubled island."I hope you will be able to successfully end these games...," the minister said just before the blast cut him down.Bloodied victims were rushed to hospital from the Kanthi Grounds. Among others killed was Sri Lanka's leading athletics coach Lakshman de Silva and several top local sportsmen.Fernandopulle was one of the most tightly-guarded politicians in the country, and was protected on Sunday by a ring of bodyguards from the elite police Special Task Force.President Mahinda Rajapakse condemned the assassination as a "cowardly" act of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and appealed for calm."While calling on the people to be calm and collected in the face of such extreme provocation by the forces of terror, I wish to reiterate that this dastardly act will not weaken our resolve to eradicate terrorism from our midst, and bring peace, harmony and democracy to all our people, which was also the constant and unqualified wish of Mr. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle," the president said in a statement.Nation building minister D. M. Dassanayake was also killed in a roadside bomb attack in the same district earlier this year.A pro-rebel Tamil politician was also killed in a roadside bomb attack blamed on security forces this year. The government denied involvement, and blamed the Tiger rebels.The latest attack came as security forces remained locked in heavy combat with the Tamil Tigers in the north of the island where the defence ministry has been reporting a daily death toll among the guerrillas.Sri Lanka pulled out of a six-year-old Norwegian arranged truce with the Tigers in January and since then fighting has further escalated.The guerrillas have been accused of setting off a string of bomb attacks in Colombo and other areas targeting civilians and political figures.The LTTE have been fighting for autonomy for ethnic minority Tamils in the Sinhalese-majority island's north and east since 1972, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. Sri Lanka's disappeared: Gang demands Tamil exiles pay ransom for kidnapped relatives source:Independent.uk Ten years ago, as a 17-year-old, he fled Sri Lanka after his sister died in an air-raid. Six months ago, his brother and cousin were kidnapped in Colombo by "agents" claiming to act on behalf of the island's Karuna Faction militia, now a de-facto extension of Sri Lanka's intelligence services. And last month he was approached outside his west London church by two Sri Lankan men claiming to know the whereabouts of his kidnapped relatives. They asked him to hand over his savings or his relatives in Colombo would face further violence and intimidation. In Colombo his family have faced similar blackmail. His terrified aunt, Maria Regina, sold her home, took a loan she could never repay and handed over $25,000. Both the kidnap victims are still missing. They are not alone. In the last year alone, hundreds have been taken, never to be seen again.The New York-based Human Rights Watch last month released a damning report claiming the Sri Lankan government was responsible for widespread abductions and disappearances as it fights a new phase in a 25-year civil war with the Tamil Tigers. "Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, once a rights advocate, has now led his government to become one of the world's worst perpetrators of forced disappearances," said Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director, Elaine Pearson, in a statement launching the 241-page document. On the streets of London, Toronto and Berlin it is well known that Sri Lanka's separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are, on a daily basis, using threats, intimidation and violence to extort millions of pounds from the estimated 800,000 Tamils living abroad. But an investigation by The Independent on Sunday in both Colombo and London has found the first evidence that Sri Lanka's government-backed militia, the Karuna Faction, are similarly extorting money from the island's far-flung diaspora. Ariyathas said: "The Tamil Tiger fundraisers have long been a part of our lives in Britain. They turn up at Hindu Temples and community centres where Tamils meet. Many people I know have been paying direct debits into LTTE accounts for many years."What is happening now is very different. The Karuna Faction are kidnapping young Sri Lankan men in Colombo as a business enterpri | ||
