30 August 2007

Sri Lanka says no plan for major north offensive

Sri Lanka has no plans for a major offensive on rebel-held territory in the country's north, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said on Thursday.Government forces have recaptured strategic parts of the island nation's east from separatist Tamil Tiger guerrillas in the past year, fanning talk that they might soon attempt to drive the Tigers out of their main stronghold in the north."There's no plan for a major offensive in the north," Bogollagama told Reuters in an interview during a visit to Malaysia, insisting the government's main priority was to look instead for a political solution to the 24-year-old conflict."We want the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) to return to the negotiating table."Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, vowed in January to attack and destroy all Tamil Tiger military assets, including those in the northern stronghold they control under the terms of a tattered 2002 truce.Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting for an independent state in the north and east since 1983. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict, around 4,500 in the last year alone.

Rupee plunges to all time low

The rupee yesterday plunged to an all time low of Rs.113.36 against the US dollar hitting hard on the country’s economy.The rupee that closed at the beginning of last week at Rs.112 made a straight jump in one week by Rs. 1 and economic analysts predict further fall in the coming few weeks and warned it would take the rupee to Rs. 115 to Rs.118 to the Dollar. The weakening of the rupee would inevitably have an impact on the country’s economic expansion with Sri Lanka being heavily import oriented. Further it would adversely affect the inflation rate which had seen a high of 17.2% just last month, analysts said.This will thereby have a negative impact on the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) coming into the country. Moreover, it is expected that the dollar dominated foreign borrowings would inevitably increase with cost of servicing foreign debt set to become larger.As an export oriented country this could impact on Sri Lanka’s Balance of Payments which by the end of July this year was at US$163 million. This surplus is expected to reduce further, according to analysts.The rupee is steadily depreciating mainly due to trade-related moves in an economy that runs a hefty trade deficit because of costly fuel imports and the impact of inflation.

Rs. 30 billion to purchase Mig-29 amidst corruption charges on Mig-27 deal

Details of another dubious deal to procure more aircrafts to Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at the cost of Rs. 30 billion is being exposed amidst the charges against the government on corruption in purchasing four Mig-27 aircrafts.The government has planned to purchase F-7 GS, Mig-29, Mig-29 UB and PT 6 fighter crafts for the SLAF. United National Party (UNP) media unit chief Lakshman Kiriella said that the Jane’s Defense Weekly has revealed the details of this dubious deal. He introduced this deal to be sealed without tenders as another business of the Rajapakse Company. Mr. Kiriella said that the transaction has not been informed to the parliament and the Auditor General too.Mr. Kiriella posed several questions to the government to answer before the procurement. They are as follows: Have tenders called for the purchase? Is it a government-to-government deal? If so, what are the governments? Are the aircrafts 25 years old? How many flying hours have they? He said that the public have a right to know the details of the transaction of US $ 500 million.

Mr. Kiriella said that neither the Defense Minister nor the Secretary of the Ministry has answered the question posed by the UNP on the procurement of 25-year-old Mig-27 flying coffins. If this much of money is spent for the procurements for the SLAF, the expenditure for purchasing arms for all three armed forces would be billions of US dollars, he said.He further said that military procurements are a good business one can earn huge wealth in a short while and enquired why the government is carrying out these transactions without transparency.Meanwhile, the government is planning to obtain a loan of US $ 500 million from HSBC pledging to cut the subsidies, said Mr. Kiriella enquiring the motive behind the loan taking and arms acquiring.The UNP media chief said that President Mahinda Rajapakse's mandate, which the UNP would not accept as legitimate, was obtained through a pledge to grant a solution to the ethnic problem within three months and not through a pledge to wage war. He said that if the voters of North and East were granted the right to enjoy electoral rights, the result of the Presidential could be changed.

Britain Favours 'regime Change' In Sri Lanka: Top Official

Britain is looking for a 'regime change' in Sri Lanka because it favours the opposition United National Party (UNP) over the present ruling party, the head of the island's peace secretariat has said.'They would be delighted if there was a regime change,' Rajiva Wijesinha, secretary general of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP), said while hitting out at sections of Western human rights groups and other interest groups.Speaking to IANS here during a three-day visit, Wijesinha was particularly critical of the Europeans and singled out Britain. He praised the US approach towards Sri Lanka and at the same time urged India to do more to end his country's nearly 25-year-long ethnic conflict.'At one stage they (Britain) would have liked to replace the Norwegians,' the peace facilitators, said Wijesinha, 52, a politician-cum-academic who took charge of SCOPP in June, succeeding Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona.

Wijesinha said Britain had taken the lead in undermining Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse, a brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. The younger Rajapakse heads the country's war machine against the Tamil Tigers.'One of the main problems they have is they still hanker after the UNP,' he added, referring to Britain, which in recent times has displayed active interest in trying to defuse ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka.'They would be delighted if there was a regime change... People think it is on the cards now.'Asked if he really meant that Britain was working towards toppling President Rajapakse, he answered: 'They would prefer it... They don't like the status quo now.'Wijesinha has in recent times taken an aggressive stand against Western human rights groups that have flayed Sri Lankan authorities for a variety of rights violations including killings, disappearances, arrests and mass displacement of civilians.'What I see is a concerted campaign to attack the Sri Lankan government on the human rights issue, with a particular thrust to impose an external authoritative mechanism,' he said.

Referring to specific reports from the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Gareth Evans of the International Crisis Group and also the Human Rights Watch, Wijesinha asked: 'My point is what is the reason for all this?'He said some Western rights groups - as opposed to Sri Lanka's University Teachers for Human Rights 'for which I have the highest regard' - were acting in concert with the UNP and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).Wijesinha added that the LTTE, which has suffered military reverses in the eastern province, would like to undermine the government on the issue of rights abuses. 'This is where there is a congruence in (their) positions.'The peace official said that most Sri Lankans wanted India to be more closely associated with the co-chairs group of countries overseeing the island's now battered peace process - the US, Japan, Norway and the European Union.'India should do more,' he said while pointing out 'fatal flaws' in the 1987 India-Sri Lanka pact that sought to end the ethnic conflict.'Successive Sri Lankan governments have rightly understood that any solution should be in consultation with India.'

LTTE areas in Mannaar come under SLA artillery fire

Sri Lanka Army Wednesday evening around 4:00 p.m. launched artillery attack from Thallaady base and Senath bar base on areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Mannaar district. All villages in Maanthai West divisional secretariat division in the LTTE led territory came under artillery attack. Details of casualties or injuries are not known.SLA sources said the LTTE started first attacking SLA Forward Defence Line (FDL) sentry points.

Lanka troops face probe

Sri Lanka is to probe allegations that members of the state security forces helped abduct children as fighters for a band of renegade rebels seen allied to the government, the island's human rights ministry said yesterday. The move comes as President Mahinda Rajapakse's government faces international pressure to halt rights abuses blamed on elements of the military, paramilitaries and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels-and just weeks before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights meets in Geneva. The new "Committee to inquire into allegations of abduction and recruitment of children for use in armed conflict" also comes seven months after the government told the UN it would pave the way for a credible investigation into the allegations, made by rights groups and UN envoy Allan Rock. Rock said last year there was credible evidence that elements within the security forces had helped to abduct children as soldiers for a former band of Tamil Tiger rebels who broke away from the mainstream group in 2004 and are now called the Karuna faction. The government angrily rejected the allegations at the time. "All these are allegations and we are willing to look into the allegations," Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, said. The government has repeatedly denied state involvement in rights abuses, including the high profile murder of 17 local aid workers in August 2006 that Nordic truce monitors have pinned on the security forces. A presidential commission is probing that case. The government has rejected calls for a United Nations rights monitoring mission in a land counted among the most dangerous in the world for aid and media workers given the numbers killed over the past two years. UNICEF says the Karuna group, like the Tigers, continues to recruit children into its ranks.

JVP's Anura Kumara Disanayaka meets Ranil

JVP parliamentarian Anura Kumara Disanayaka met with the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe recently and had a intimate discussion extended for half an hour.The themes of the discussion on last Thursday (23) were the current political situation and the harm caused to the county due to the activities of the government.The meeting seems not a random incident amidst talks by the SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena and other leaders about a conspiracy to topple the government.SLFP-PW Co-convener Mangala Samaraweera said in few occasions that he would provide the needed eight votes to topple the government if the JVP pledges support for it.

Ranil, CBK hold talks

Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe officially met former President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday for the first time after her return to the country, and discussed a wide range of issues relating to the peace process, human rights violations and the present political situation in the country.The 45-minute long meeting took place at Ms. Kumaratunga’s official residence. However, the media were not briefed by either party about what transpired at the meeting.It is learnt the former President had commended the stand taken by the National Congress on the ethnic conflict. Meanwhile, former Minister Mangala Samaraweera who spearheads the SLFP (Mahajana) Wing will meet Ms. Kumaratunga tomorrow for a discussion.

Veerapuram residents threatened by Sinhalese Mob

Tamil civilians in the neighbouring village of Veerapuram have received death threats from a group of Sinhalese after the shooting death of four home guards and a bus driver in U'lukku'lam in Vavuniyaa on 20 August by unidentified gunmen, sources said. The group has vowed to kill three times the number killed in U'lukku'lam in Vavuniyaa.Fearing for their lives 20 Tamil families from Veerapuram have begun moving to safer areas in Vavuniyaa and Mannar. Some are staying in Cheddikulam in the night.Meanwhile, the residents have also lodged complaints with Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and also brought this situation to the attention of Vavuniya district Government Agent (GA).

Nauruan 'raped' by asylum-seekers

SIX Sri Lankan asylum-seekers in immigration detention on Nauru have been charged with the rape and indecent assault of a 20-year-old Nauruan woman, in a case likely to reignite debate about the merits of the Coalition's Pacific Solution.On Tuesday, Nauruan police charged one Sri Lankan asylum-seeker with rape and five others with indecent assault, a spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews confirmed to The Australian. The six allegedly assaulted the local woman on Monday afternoon while in the community under the "open centre arrangements" of Nauru's immigration detention facility, run for the Australian Government by the International Organisation for Migration. The accused men appeared before a magistrate in Nauru yesterday and were remanded in police custody until September 5, the spokeswoman said. "The department was advised on the morning of August 28, 2007 that six Sri Lankan asylum-seekers had been taken in to custody by the Nauruan police force for the alleged sexual assault of a Nauruan woman," she said.

Under the arrangement between Australia and Nauru, asylum-seekers held there are allowed free movement in the community from 8am to 7pm. The spokeswoman refused to comment further on the alleged assault, saying the matter was before the court. The Australian understands that the six men did not have legal representation when they appeared before the magistrate but that IOM will arrange legal representation ahead of their next court appearance. It is believed the victim required hospital treatment. There are 89 asylum-seekers on Nauru under the Howard Government's so-called Pacific Solution: 82 Sri Lankans intercepted in February and seven Burmese Rohingyas intercepted last September. Some of the Sri Lankans are being assisted by Australian lawyers, but it it understood the men accused of rape are not among them and have opted to pursue their protection claims without legal assistance. The alleged attack is likely to reignite debate in Australia about the merits of processing asylum-seekers offshore, under the policy introduced in 2001 following the Tampa affair. Labor has pledged to end offshore processing of asylum-seekers in places such as Nauru. The Coalition, meanwhile, sees a strong stance on border protection as the key to its recent election successes and credits the Pacific Solution with a significant reduction in asylum-seekers attempting to enter Australia by boat.

Chandrika meets SLFP-PW officially

A discussion between the former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party - People's Wing (SLFP-PW) will be held on August 31. The conveners of SLFP-PW Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Suriyaarachchi, Tiran Alles, SlFP-PW Administrative Secretary Sisil Bandara Senarathna and Upulangani Malagamuwa will participate in the discussion.Administrative Secretary Sisil Bandara Senarathna said to Lanka-e-News that the meeting would be an official meet between the SLFP-PW and the former President.Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga sent a congratulatory note from UK when the SLFP-PW signed a MOU with the United National Party (UNP). The meeting on 31st is considered a beginning of a new political march. The former President has personally taken the responsibility of organizing the memorial ceremony of the SLFP founder and slain Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike that will be held at Horagolla on September 26. She called upon the officials and the chiefs of the SLFP organizations in Aththanagalla electorate to Visumpaya, the official residence of Minister Anura Bandaranaike, for a special discussion on this. The memorial was organized by the Presidential Secretariat while she was holding the Presidency. Analysts say that former President's direct involvement in organizing the memorial is a sign of a political transformation.

Top Pillayan associate killed, suspect held
 
 The Pillayan faction is said to be holding and interrogating the killer of one of its associates, Pillayan sources told the Daily Mirror. It said the killing last morning was the result of an internal rift and was not carried out by the LTTE.Identified simply as Murali, a former ‘Commander’ of the TMVP and a close ally of Pillayan, was shot dead in the East by an unidentified gunman last morning and immediately news spread that the LTTE was behind the killing.However a TMVP source, speaking to the Daily Mirror on condition of anonymity, said the killing was a result of the internal split between Karuna Amman and Pillayan which exploded earlier this year and added that Pillayan cadres had captured the suspect identified as Anal and were in the process of interrogating him.“The victim was a very close ally of Pillayan and was removed from his post at the time we split from Karuna. The news of reconciliation between Pillayan and Karuna is not totally true. We did meet in an attempt to resolve issues but we were yet to reach an agreement. This incident has further soured relations,” the Pillayan source said.The source further said that as a result of the latest incident and continuing tensions between the Karuna and Pillayan camps there were fears of internal clashes erupting in the near future. Meanwhile the body of Murali was taken to Batticaloa from Trincomalee last night accompanied by armed Pillayan cadres. The STF in Batticaloa had also been placed on high alert to prevent any possible clash between Karuna and Pillayan factions.

'TMVP leader' shot dead 
 
A regional political leader of Karuna faction has been shot dead in eastern Sri Lanka, police said.Officer in Charge (OIC) of Uppuveli police, Ranjith Maligaspe told BBC Sandehaya that the body of the Karuna faction leader was found in a house near Ambalipuram.Thambalagamuva leader of Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP), Nadaraja Kumaran alias Murali, 24, was found shot dead on Wednesday.Police said a member of LTTE pistol gang has carried out the attack. The house was identified as a resting place for the TMVP leader.

Re-capturing the east

Sri Lanka government last month announced re-capturing the east from the Tamil Tigers.Deputy Inspector General (DIG -east) Upali Gunasekara said he was not aware of the presence of any other armed group in Trincomalee district.Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna, a senior military strategist of the LTTE, broke away from the Tigers in March 2003.The Karuna faction is accused by human rights groups of gross human rights violations including child recruitment.The Karuna faction denies accusations.

British visa section may move out

The British High Commission in Colombo has decided to close down its visa section soon and applications for visas will be diverted to its mission in Chennai, the Daily Mirror learns.However, the High Commission in Colombo would only say there was an ongoing review in this regard. “Once the review is finished and agreed the High Commission will announce the development,” High Commission Spokesman John Culley told the Daily Mirror yesterday.He declined to give more details but said he hoped an announcement could be made by next month. “I cannot guarantee it, it may be by September,” he said.Meanwhile, a diplomatic source told the Daily Mirror yesterday that the all local visa related matters would be handled by a private company named Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) at Duplication Road in Colombo, which handles visa operations for several other countries as well. The reason for closing the British visa operation in Colombo is yet to be ascertained.Currently the Colombo High Commission is receiving a large number of visa applications everyday.It is also learnt that a large number of British officials are attached to the visa section of the High Commission.

29 August 2007

LTTE says it is ready for Wanni battle  
 
The LTTE yesterday said that Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse was venting hot air over attacking the Wanni and said if the security forces do attack the Wanni, the LTTE was ready to meet the challenge.LTTE Military Spokesperson R. Ilanthirayan responding to the statement made by Rajapakse that the military was now preparing itself to carry out attacks in the north said that this kind of saber rattling was nothing new as far as the administration in Colombo was concerned."This is all military rhetoric and is nothing new. Anyhow, we are prepared to meet any attack by the government military," he said.Ilanthirayan also dismissed claims made by the government recently that the LTTE was gearing itself to engage in chemical warfare saying it was not the LTTE's way of fighting a war."This talk of chemical warfare is rubbish. It is not how we operate. It is true we are in a war, but we would not resort to something like that, but we will come up with new strategies to fight the war," he said.Ilanthirayan also said that the government did not seem interested in restarting peace talks and said that there had been no fresh approaches by Colombo to recommence the stalled process."Colombo does not seem too keen to start peace talks," he said.Ilanthirayan also said that the controversy surrounding the visit to Kilinochchi by Sri Lanka Red Cross Chief,  Jagath Abeysinghe was mainly created by the media, as he did not meet with the LTTE hierarchy in Kilinochchi."The SLRC chief could not meet with the LTTE leadership," he said.

Boat capsizes killing three

Three persons from the same family were drowned when the boat they were travelling in capsized in the Kurumanweli Lagoon at Kaluwanchikudy in Batticaloa last evening.The family of five had used the Kalmunai lagoon as a shortcut instead of the road and the boat had capsized due to rough weather. A 55-year-old man, his daughter and his granddaughter (6) were among the victims while two others had managed to escape. Kaluwanchikudy Police OIC D.C. de Zoysa said the boat was too small for the group. The recovered bodies are now at the Kaluwanchikudy Hospital mortuary.

EU to move resolution on Lanka at Human Rights Council 

The European Union is planning to reintroduce a resolution on Sri Lanka before the UN Human Rights Council sessions in September, The Morning Leader learns.Informed sources said a resolution is currently under discussion within the EU and will be discussed among member nations before it is placed before the council. The EU presidency is currently held by Portugal.The UNHRC is meeting in Geneva from September 10-28.It is learned the EU is taking the position that there has been an escalation of the conflict, and an increase in the number of abductions and missing persons during the last several months. A EU sponsored resolution which was to be taken up at the last session in March was deferred following assurances by the government that appropriate steps will be taken to address the human rights concerns raised by the EU.The statement last week by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse that the security forces will shortly move to take Wanni will also add weight to the contention that there is an escalation of the conflict, these sources said.

It is learned the statement by Government Spokesperson, Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle where he described UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Sir John Holmes as a 'terrorist in the pay of the LTTE' has also had an adverse impact on the government in the backdrop of President Mahinda Rajapakse's failure to condemn or distance his administration from the allegation.Meanwhile, the government has decided to dispatch a high level delegation to lobby the EU and member nations to refrain from moving a resolution claiming the human rights situation has improved during the last few months. The government delegation will also distance itself from the statement made by the Defence Secretary on planning an operation to attack the Wanni.The three member government delegation led by Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and comprising Attorney General C.R. De Silva and Peace Secretariat Chief Rajiva Wijesinha will leave for Geneva next week. The delegation will meet the EU Ambassadors and other UNHRC members to brief them on the steps taken by the government to improve the human rights situation in the country.

The delegation is to return to the island before the September 10 sessions commence. The government delegation for the UNHRC sessions from September 10-28 will be led by Sri Lanka's representative in Geneva, Dayan Jayatilleke and include Deputy Solicitors General Shavindra Fernando, Yasantha Kodagoda, Rajiva Wijesinha, Shirani Goonetilleke and an official from the Foreign Ministry.It is learned the senior delegation will return to the island before the sessions commence following assurances by Sri Lanka's representative in Geneva that the situation is under control and that the resolution will not be tabled at the sessions.

Athas column translator threatened

The translator of the Sunday Times Defence Column ‘Situation Report’ to the daily Lankadeepa, senior journalist W.G. Gunaratne was threatened by an unidentified person on Monday night at the newspaper’s editorial premises.Mr. Gunaratne had been threatened for continuing to translate Iqbal Athas’ Defence Column to the daily Lankadeepa. It is also learnt that the unidentified person had said he was an officer from the Sri Lanka Air Force.The latest threat was reported days after Mr. Athas’ security was withdrawn and he continued to receive more death threats.Meanwhile, The Free Media Movement (FMM) said that in a message sent to it, Mr. Athas had stated that he fears for his own safety as well as for the safety and security of his family, given the situation that is emerging following his publication of these articles. Mr. Athas says since the withdrawal of his security he had received credible reports that insidious attempts were being made to ascertain his sources as well as to seize documents he had used for his disclosures. “In a context in which there have been repeated attacks and harassment of journalists and media persons in Sri Lanka in the past months, the Movement is convinced that there is a very real basis for Mr. Athas' fears regarding his security,” the FMM added.

The Tamil Nadu police deny LTTE infiltration 

Tamil Nadu Deputy General of Police Mukeriji has denied the reports that there is LTTE Infiltration in the seas near Rameswaram . In an interview with a Tamil Nadu daily, he categorically stated that there was no chance for any LTTE infiltration in the southern sea. He further explained that security measures are undertaken to monitor the movement of LTTE in the coastal areas of the Tamil Nadu. They had identified the villagers in the coastal areas, who helped the LTTE members and due steps have been taken to bring the situation under control. High powered motor boats are used by the coastal guards to monitor the movements of the LTTE.  Mukerji concluded that there has been no intelligence report regarding any infiltration by the LTTTE in the seas around Tamilnadu.

Explosives haul raise concerns in East

Controversy surrounds the arrest of two Tamils and a Sinhalese with a haul of explosives in the East on Monday, with intelligence sources telling the Daily Mirror the explosive material may have been supplied by a TMVP operative.Kalkudha Police said the Army arrested the three men with the explosives found hidden in a fishing boat as the suspects prepared to set sail on Monday morning. Among the items seized were three kilograms of C-4 explosives, nine detonators and 25 gelignite sticks which could be used in a terrorist attack. The Kalkuda OIC said the suspects claimed the items were to be used for fishing. “You don’t need C-4 explosives for fishing. So we suspect other motives. We still don’t know who they are because they haven’t revealed much,” he said.However, an intelligence source with links to the TMVP identified the men as Pushpakumara Udaya, Ravindran and Kamalendren and said the suspects confessed to having obtained the explosives from a top TMVP operative in Vakarai.The source said the suspects might have either attempted to create mayhem in the east and blame it on the LTTE to further the cause of the TMVP to continue carrying weapons for security reasons or carry out some sort of attack in the South and again pin it on the  Tigers.The Kalkuda OIC however said he was not aware of the suspects’ motives or where they got the explosives from as investigations were still proceeding. The TMVP could not be reached for comment.

Sri Lanka markets off to a shaky start, rupee edges lower
 
Sri Lanka's financial markets got off to a shaky start Wednesday with the rupee edging lower against the greenback and stocks losing ground after opening firmer after a religious holiday.The spot dollar traded at 113.10 rupees with intervention at 113.08 dealers said. Meanwhile overnight call rates dropped to 13.00/13.50 and market repos to 11.45/12.50 amid excess liquidity. Low short rates undermine the incentive to convert dollars to rupees With the 3-month risk free rate at 17.50 low short-term rates take away incentives to convert dollars, but analysts say Sri Lanka has a structural problem with policy rates. In equity markets brokers said the Asha Central Hospitals deal is expected to take place today and drive turnover up. Though the all share index opened about five points higher, the benchmark index was down three points after one and a half hours of trading at 11.00 am.

There was also active trading in Touchwood Investments Ltd (TIL), a forestry management firm whose accounting methods have generated controversy and which has reportedly been the subject of a takeover bid. Asiri Surgical and the Softlogic group have expressed interest in talking over Asha Central. The share price of Asha doubled in recent days while Asiri Surgical's price also rose. Sri Lanka Telecom shares settled down around 33 rupees with investors still trying to figure out the impact of Monday's Supreme Court ruling on tariffs on the telco's profits. The Supreme Court gave a ruling Monday under which SLT has to cut tariffs and shift to a per second based billing system by November 1. SLT said in a statement that the adjusted tariff "will represent not more than a maximum reduction of 9.03 percent of SLT’s domestic telephone revenue."

Under the court settlement, in a case filed by a consumer rights group, it was also agreed that from January 1, 2007 to October 31, 2007, consumers will be provided a credit equivalent to 8.72 percent of the monthly bills that had been issued during the period. This credit will be provided in the November 2007 telephone bills. Brokers said the market is expected to move up next week mostly on retail investor interest and continuous buying by foreigners. Some 243,800 Touchwood shares changed hands in early morning trade with the price hitting 75 rupees compared with the close of 72 the previous trading day. Touchwood has been the subject of speculation following the announcement by Lanka Orix Leasing Company (LOLC) that it was in talks with the firm on recovering loans where TIL shares were pledged as security. But LOLC said at the time it would not make a mandatory offer to shareholders. Touchwood has got into a controversy over its accounting practices and valuation of its assets. Arjuna Dassanayake of DFCC Stockbrokers there appeared to be some profit taking with the end of the month approaching but that prices were expected to move up next week. "There is a little bit of interest from investors, mostly retail, and also there's been continuous foreign buying for the last two months. Foreigners have been net buyers – they've been collecting John Keells Holdings." Dassanayake said generally market conditions had improved. "Retailers have tasted a little bit of success in the last week or so. Low priced stocks have moved up.

Policemen injured in blast

An inspector and a constable attached to the Kaluwanchikudy police station in Batticaloa sustained serious injuries when their vehicle was targeted by an LTTE pressure mine in the Karadiyanaru area last evening.The inspector and his constable driver had reportedly gone to the Karadiyanaru area to inspect the construction work of the new police station to be established in Karadiyanaru on Sep.01. 00101.osopened on September 01. The police jeep was travelling through the Shanthimalai area when the mine exploded around 4.00 p.m. The duo who had sustained serious injuries were immediately rushed to the Batticaloa hospital in a critical condition, the police sources said.

UNP to protest before HSBC Sri Lanka office

Sri Lanka's major opposition United National Party (UNP) will have a demonstration before the Colombo HSBC bank tomorrow 12.30 PM to protest the bank and the government for dealing on a high interest loan that UNP says hateful to the state and the people. UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has already written to the Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Holdings PLC, Stephen K. Green that the party would not honor the dollar bond under a future UNP administration. UNP has also informed this decision to the heads of J.P. Morgan Chase and Barclays PLC banks, the other two financial institutes involved in the deal. UNP also voiced suspicions over a huge kick back behind the US$ 500 million long term bond. The government says this loan is meant for infrastructure development in the country under ‘Randora’ (Golden Gate) programme.

Bribery Commission investigates senior army officers

The Commission to investigate Bribery or Corruption is currently investigating complaints against 16 senior Army officers, the commission said.It also said all complaints reported concerns earning huge sums of money illegally. So far the commission has recorded statements from five of the officers accused, concerning these allegations.Meanwhile, the commission said a large number of complaints have been received against a total of 170 military personnel.

Sri Lanka's APRC party leaders to meet this evening

The party leaders participating in the deliberations of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) of Sri Lanka will meet this afternoon in a crucial attempt to reach a consensus on several key issues. All the leaders of the APRC parties will attend the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka. The APRC is now limited to the parties of the government coalition since the major opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Marxist People’ Liberation Front (JVP) are boycotting it. The major Tamil constituent Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was not invited to the APRC. The proceedings of the APRC are now trapped in the differences between the parties over the nature of State and the unit of power devolution. Ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) opines maximum power devolution in a unitary state while smaller Sinhala parties often blamed for racial bias oppose power devolution.

A large stock of weapons and explosives recovered in NE

Security forces engaged in search operations in conflict areas recovered several sets of weapons and explosives including a large stock of Anti-Personal Mines in Vavuniya and Anuradhapura areas.Troops recovered a powerful claymore mine and 133 Anti-Personal Mines in Kuduruvittankulam in Vavuniya yesterday morning. Meanwhile troops also recovered some weapons and military equipment in Kattamankulam area in Saliyapura, Anuradhapura yesterday. A T-56 assault rifle, a jacket, two belts, four T-56 magazines, ammunition for 120 T-56 rifles and a pair of boots were among the items recovered.

'Restore' Iqbal Athas' security
 
Media watchdogs in Sri Lanka have called upon the authorities to restore the security of Sunday Times journalist Iqbal Athas.In a letter to the Defence Secretary, Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) has reminded him that the Defence columnists life is in danger as a result of authorities removing his security last week.In his weekly columns Athas has exclusively revealed details of the purchase of MiG-27 fighter jets by Sri Lanka authorities from Ukraine.

MiG-27 fighter jets

The Ukrainian government, says Athas, has launched an investigation into the alleged high level corruption while purchasing the fighter jets which was supposed to be a government to government arms procurement.An intermediary company known as Belimissa Holdings registered in UK was named as the beneficiary of the purchase though the company cannot be traced in UK Company Register, according to Athas' revelations.The Sri Lanka government announced a parliamentary probe into the alleged corruption of the MiG-27 deal.The government has withdrawn the journalist's security, provided since last year after a security assessment, a day after the details appeared in Lankadeepa Sinhala daily.

Protest near Athas' house

A protest organised in front of his house led by a provincial council member of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) called on Athas to stop revealing 'sensitive' security information.SLWJA Secretary General, Poddala Jayantha, described Monday's protest as an 'systematic intimidation'."We view this protest as an attempt to stop his investigative journalism," Jayantha told BBC Sandeshaya.Athas' regular defence column did not appear on this week's Sunday Times.The journalist fears for his life and his family is also in danger as result of government's sudden decision, the newspaper said.

M.I.A shows her stripes

A NEW recording artist who finds success can expect many perks, including financial rewards. But perhaps the most exciting side benefit is the explosion of options.Superstars court you for collaborations. You get exclusive, V.I.P. invites.And you inch ever so closer to becoming part of music's mainstream. Rapper M.I.A. had all of that and more within her grasp after she released her debut CD, Arular - an exotic blend of intoxicating world rhythms made gritty by her hard-hitting, politically charged rhymes. The album was a critical success, sold a respectable 130,000 copies (according to Nielsen SoundScan), made her an indie-scene darling and got her raves from the likes of Pitchfork and The New York Times.But she couldn't partake of much of that good fortune, thanks to legal limbo that kept her out of the United States for a good part of the last two years _ unable to secure a long-term work visa to enter the country thanks to familial ties to guerrilla fighters in her homeland, Sri Lanka, and perhaps her own biting words on record.

"After the `Arular' album I had financial freedom but I couldn't have the other sort of artistic freedom, because people sort of like scrutinizing the words I said, and I couldn't get a visa because of it," says M.I.A, who was born in London but spent most of her youth in the tumultuous Sri Lanka before settling in Britain with her mother and siblings."On the one hand, you get all the opportunities; you can go to Beverly Hills, you can work with Timbaland, you can go to Gwen Stefani's house, but you can't get in. Creditwise, all the artists are like, `Oh, she's really amazing,' but I couldn't go and participate in any of that."So instead of waiting for an invitation to come play in their world, M.I.A. retreated further into her own. She traveled the globe to record her sophomore album, Kala, but instead of heading to posh locales with state-of-the-art studios, she landed in places like war-torn Liberia, spent time with Aborigines in Australia, drummers in India and musicians in Trinidad, resulting in an album that has a decidedly Third World perspective - one that's not heard nearly enough in music today, in M.I.A.'s opinion."The thing is, an American voice, in every shape, form, size, is getting heard all over the world. If you go to a mud hut in Africa, they are listening to an American voice," M.I.A. says with her distinct British accent. "(But) a two-way exchange can exist."

M.I.A. (real name: Maya Arulpragasam) helped further that exchange with the 2005 release of Arular, a dizzying mix of reggae, rap and other genres that made for an eclectic, fresh new sound. With her striking looks and deft rhyming skills, she was one of the few rappers from overseas to make a dent in the American rap scene."M.I.A., missing in action, going to start a revolution," she chants on one the album's skits.In the meantime, M.I.A. had already decamped from London, so for the next two years, she was in essence, homeless, leaving her out of sorts and unsettled."Personally I just needed a home, like I needed somewhere that I could just have a train of thought and live with it and then wake up tomorrow and have the same train of thought," she says wistfully.However, not being able to record in the United States with A-list producers may have enhanced her artistic endeavours, as she layered her album input from far-flung places."India gave me the bulk of it musically, just building the elements, and then Trinidad just gave me loads of inspiration to put those elements together and create songs and light a certain vibe," she says.Of course, it's not just the sound that makes the album unique - it's the words the accompany it, and they are still fierce. On Kala, she references warlords, raps with the artist Afrikan Boy about poverty, and talks about oppression of the world's poor. But she's not as blatantly political as she was on Arular.

"I had to morph," she says with a coy smile. "I'm going to get into more trouble for saying this, but it was morphing from being lyrically political into just living political and being comfortable with that. Sometimes you don't have to shout out about stuff."It's kind of like what people say about money: they say that money talks but wealth whispers, and I think you can apply that to being political."That approach may have paid off: early this summer, she finally gained her work visa, and celebrated by relaxing in her New York apartment.Though it took her two years to get settled in, in the end, M.I.A. doesn't feel as if she's lost anything by not being in the United States. In fact, she thinks it was the United States that may have come out the loser for the delay."Me not being able to get into the country actually forced me to go to Africa and India, which actually works out worse for whoever wants me to shut up, because the worst thing you can do is make Africa look cool, or like make India look cool," she says. "They just made it a step closer for a bridge to get built between modern developing countries and modern Third World and America, which is what needs to happen."

28 August 2007

Enough is enough

I read recently that one nationalist political party had condemned the APRC’s proposals and poured scorn on Prof. Vitharana who had chaired the APRC meetings.I think it is time that the rational section of our society called a halt to tolerating the nonsense that emanates from this political party. Despite often conflicting falsehoods MPs of all political parties are collectively responsible for having sold their permits, breaking the law and enriching themselves. According to Minister Fernandopulle he has been as guilty in this respect as the rest. No party has been innocent in this regard; an indication of the depths of corruption that our politicians have sunk to. In these circumstances we do not have to pay any respect to any politician’s views. Everybody’s views, will need to be examined in the light of reason. The particular party is against the APRC’s proposals because they appear to be federalist in nature – even more federalist than the Indian model according to them. And what is wrong with that? There are many countries that are federalist in nature and they are all doing better than Sri Lanka. To mention a few, there are India, the USA, Switzerland, UK, Australia and Belgium. Practically every aspect of life in those countries is superior to what prevails in Sri Lanka today. So there is absolutely no reason why federalism should be abhorred, or even feared.

We should therefore dismiss their views on Federalism as worthless. Most of their views are based on ignorance. They are under the impression that in the USA all revenue is collected by the centre and doled out to the states. This is nonsensical. The states have their own taxes in addition to the federal taxes collected by the centre.These parties are our local equivalent of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Evangelical extremists in the USA. They are fundamentalists who, while they would not kill directly for their faith, are quite prepared to condemn the masses to poverty and deprivation, through their ignorant economic policies. They are vehemently against Privatisation that has worked wonders in the fields of telecommunication and insurance to mention just two irrefutable examples. Like the Taliban their hostility is based on ideological grounds, not on practical considerations. They do not realize that government should not be engaged in commercial activity. Every one of the government institutions that engage in it is running at a loss or a miniscule profit. State Owned Enterprises are a burden on the exchequer (which means all of us) and only serve to enable politicians to give employment to their supporters and relations.

I am playing here the role of the child who pointed out that the Emperor had no clothes. Most people do not have the courage to do this. But when it is pointed out everyone is quick to agree. Unfortunately all politicians today tend to smell bad because the actions of quite a few are beneath contempt.Why do I keep addressing my remarks to ‘the rational sections of society’? The reason is that a large number of our citizens have become fundamentalist (and therefore irrational) in their views. It is they who think that our present problem is a terrorist one, not an ethnic one. They do not realize that terrorism both here, and in Iraq, and in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan, has its roots in some deep provocation. They cannot see it because of their fundamental intolerance. They lack the empathy to put themselves in the shoes of a terrorist. It must take enormous hatred to make a suicide bomber. We must ask ourselves what has caused this hatred, and try to eradicate those causes. The proposals of the APRC go some way towards removing some of the frustrations and injustices that those who are not in the Western Province have suffered. Our fundamentalists have no idea of the huge difference in the quality of life of those in the Western Province (the Centre) from that of those in the periphery. That is what the APRC proposals are all about.

Humanist

Omanthai opens longer amidst fighting

The Omanthai crossing point leading into LTTE-controlled areas opened for civilian traffic yesterday under the new schedule where it was agreed by both the government and the LTTE to open the key route for five days of the week as to the earlier three days a week. The key crossing point was opened amidst reports that at least nine LTTE cadres were killed and five soldiers injured following confrontations along the west of Omanthai in Kallikulam and Thampanai during the past 48 hours. The Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said troops had also recovered a large stock of weapons during the same period. The Omanthai crossing point was opened after both the government and the LTTE met the ICRC at separate meetings last week and agreed on the new schedule to facilitate the transport of essential items and civilian traffic to the Vanni. The route was earlier opened only during three days of the week.

Mr. Ten Percent becomes Mr. Five Percent; Kick back Rs. 2.5 Billion

Information are pouring on a huge kick back of Rs. 2.5 billion a relative of a top level government leader is to obtain as commission from a loan of Rs. 55 billion the state is to obtain from international financial market.Lanka-e-News learns that a former CEO of People’s bank, Derrick Kelly, whose contract was not extended by the government, is the intermediary in this deal. The expressed interest of this loan is 7%. However, the banking experts point out that when the 5% libor rate and the 4-5% rupee depreciation rate are considered, the actual interest would be 16% per annum.Making a special statement in the parliament, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe said that the government had submitted details of the 50 million dollar long term bond to the agents of HSBC, HSBC JC, Morgan and Barclays Banks without tabling in the parliament.The government has secretly agreed to these banks to cut the budget for subsidies up to 3.9% of GDP from current 5.6% GDP, said the Opposition Leader. He said that the cut would lead to reductions in Samurdhi and fertilizer subsidies and services such as health and education.

The Opposition Leader questioned from the President at the Nittambuwa Janarala rally what kind of fraud is behind this loan of $ 50 million. He further said that all these malpractices would open the Golden Gate (Ran Dora) of Percy Mahinda Rajapakse."These funds will not go to the Southern Expressway or the Puttalam - Padeniya road for which money has been already allocated," said Mr. Wickramasinghe enquiring what the fraudulent motive behind this deal. The Opposition Leader further said that he had already informed the heads of these banks in writing that a future UNP government would not pay back this loan. Responding to the Opposition Leader's statement at the parliament, Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka said in his long statement that this historic bond would give guidelines even to the country's private sector to obtain credit from international financial market. He said that the procedure for the credit was revealed to the parliament since 2006 through budgets and the loan would be invested in the development of infrastructure of the country.The bond will strengthen the rupee, reduce the interest rate, enhance the balance of payment, increase the foreign deposits and develop infrastructure such as road network, power generation, harbors, airports, irrigation and water supply, said the Premier. The Opposition Leader who knows these has got upset and is threatening not to pay back the loan due to his hypocrisy, he further said.Meanwhile, the UNP has decided to hold an agitation before the HSBC Bank in Bambalapitiya to protest the government on 30 August at 12.30 PM. UNP General Secretary Thissa Aththanayaka will lead the protest campaign.

No info on Tiger ‘cub’ handover, says UNICEF

UNICEF said it had no knowledge of an alleged handover of LTTE child soldiers in Ampara today after the rebels claimed that a group of ‘Tiger’ cubs were attacked by the Special Task Force (STF) last night. The LTTE claimed that the child soldiers were being transported to Ampara last night in preparation for the handover today when they came under STF attack. The STF however said they attacked a group of LTTE cadres who were fleeing from Kanjikudichchiaru in Ampara, causing heavy damages to the Tigers. “We just attacked a group of LTTE cadres when they tried to escape to Sangamankanda Point area around 8.30 pm,” a senior STF official from the area said. He said the LTTE cadres fired at the troops with small arms.The official also said that later the STF found a T-56 weapon from the area during a search operation and also noticed blood stains on the ground, raising suspicion that several LTTE cadres had been seriously injured or killed.He also said that during the last few days, the Tigers had made several attempts to escape from Kanjikudichchiaru to Sangamankanda Point.UNICEF spokesman Gordon Weiss said they were not aware of a handover of child soldiers as claimed by the LTTE. There were fears that some of the child soldiers may have been killed or injured in the clash.

Sri Lanka rupee at 13th straight low, stocks firmer

Sri Lanka's rupee weakened to a 13th consecutive life closing low on Monday as importers bought dollars to settle trade bills amid a lack of dollar liquidity in the market while shares gained, dealers said. The rupee closed at 112.82/112.90 per dollar, surpassing the previous life low of 112.68/112.75 hit on Friday. The local currency has hit a series of new all-time lows in recent months. The rupee weakened by 0.68 percent last week alone after the central bank temporarily lifted restrictions on its reverse repurchase agreement window, which it imposed in January to help curb bank credit and contain inflation, to ease a liquidity crunch. The window is now shut again. "Importer demand and a lack of liquidity made the dollar more attractive. Although the central bank intervened in the foreign exchange market through a state bank, it couldn't control the weakening of the rupee today," said one currency dealer. Some analysts expect the rupee to weaken to as much as 118-120 per dollar by the end of the year. Others are eyeing 114 per dollar. The rupee has depreciated 5 percent so far this year, after weakening by the same amount in 2006.

The rupee is steadily depreciating mainly due to trade-related moves in an economy that runs a hefty trade deficit because of costly fuel imports and the impact of inflation. The Colombo All Share index closed 0.36 percent stronger at 2,484.68 points, a rise of 9.0 points. Bourse heavyweight and No.1 mobile phone operator Dialog Telekom rose by 1.15 percent to 22.00 rupees a share as calculated on a weighted average. Leading fixed-line telephone operator Sri Lanka Telecom closed unchanged at 33.00 rupees a share while conglomerate John Keells Holdings also ended flat at 129.00 rupees. Vanik Incorporation , Venture Capital , and Kshatriya holdings were the most traded stocks. Vanik shares rose by 5.88 percent to 1.80 rupees a share while Kshatriya Holdings ended 6.12 percent firmer at 13 rupees a share. Venture Capital closed 1.37 percent weaker at 18.00 rupees a share. "Retail participation was higher as most of the lower value (price) counters attracted (small investors)," said Harsha Fernando, CEO at SC Securities in Colombo.

Market turnover was 135.7 million rupees ($1.2 million), a fraction of last year's average daily trading volume of around 400 million rupees. The index has fallen around 18 percent since life highs in mid-February amid escalating war between the state and Tamil Tiger rebels and high interest rates, which have prompted some investors to turn to fixed deposits and bonds. The bourse is down around 9 percent so far this year, with renewed war between the state and Tamil Tiger rebels hurting sentiment. For more technical analysis of the Colombo Stock Exchange by the reuters please go to www.reutersindia.net/sri%20lanka.htm. Call rates fell to 15.274 percent from 15.851 percent on Friday as calculated on a weighted average. (US$1 = 112.86 rupees)

SLMM concerned over Gotabhaya’s comments 

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has noted that recent statements made by the government and the LTTE - undermine the good intentions or violate the spirit of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). The SLMM concerns follow the comments made over the weekend by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who said the government would make a military push for the Wanni despite President Mahinda Rajapaksa seemingly saying on numerous occasions the doors for peace negotiations with the LTTE were still open.“The SLMM observes and monitors these statements and will comment on them in its regular report to the Parties,” the SLMM said Monday.UNP frontliner Lakshman Kiriella also raised questions as to whether the statement made by the Defence Secretary was a sinister move to substantiate future attempts by the state to purchase more “old aircraft like the MiG-27 fighter jets”.“It is surprising (the comments by the Defence Secretary) because we got to know that the President had sent a secret message to the LTTE with the intension of resuming peace talks. As usual it seems the government does not know what it is doing. Maybe they are just trying to get more 25 year old planes or flying coffins,” the UNP MP said in response to what was said by the Defence Secretary.

With the government moving ahead with the establishment of civil administration in the east Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Sunday said the entire Wanni region also would be cleared in the very near future.He assured that the state would not keep room for the LTTE to regain control of the east by encouraging an unstable political situation in the South.Kirielle said the comments by the Defence Secretary raised more confusion as it came at a time when the President was pursuing political consensus for a final negotiated settlement through the All Party Representative Committee (APRC).Government Defence spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwelle however said at no point was the government saying the doors for peace were closed but it was only keen on ensuring the LTTE had no choice but to enter negotiations from a position of weakness.“The best way to get the LTTE to come for talks is for us to be in a position of strength. After the military liberated the east the LTTE has no choice but to come for talks or we will have to take appropriate measures even in the north for the sake of national security,” Minister Rambukwelle said.Commenting on SLMM’s notion that the CFA was being violated frequently, Minister Rambukwelle said the government would not allow the ceasefire monitors to dictate terms to the state when it came to national security.

Born of political skullduggery, lived a rulers’ tool...another sham

WARS can be won militarily, but winning the war for people’s hearts and minds is the ultimate victory. The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa strongly believes that its war on terror against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will end in a resounding victory.But it has miserably failed to win the hearts and minds of the people through a political solution that will assure the minority Tamil community that their socio-economic and political grievances will be addressed meaningfully. Yes, the administration upon assuming office in December 2005 appointed an all-party representative committee (APRC) to reach a southern consensus on a political solution to end the near quarter-century war. But the process appears to be more a device adopted to silence international criticism of the government’s war which has brought hardship on the people, especially those living in the north and the east of the country. When the APRC was first convened in July last year, many an independent analyst who has seen similar processes in the past being killed and buried in controversy, might have wanted to write an advance epitaph — “Born out of political skullduggery, lived as a tool of rulers, here lies just another sham.”To resolve the three-decade-old conflict, we have resorted to bipartisan and all-party mechanisms since 1983. In fact, with each change of government, a new all-party mechanism has come into being.

Like every all-party mechanisms, the Rajapaksa-appointed one also began with much hope but a year later it is a damp squib. Rajapaksa shows little or no urgency to provide the credibility it badly lacks while critics hit out at the process, saying it is a time-buying exercise and an attempt to mislead the international community. Addressing the first meeting of the APRC, this was what Rajapaksa said:“Successive governments have taken initiatives to resolve our national problem without much success, which points to a weakness which we need to overcome. However we have the capability, the values and the commitment to do so. In the past we may not have demonstrated the political courage to take the bold decisive steps necessary, and as a result have failed to improve the quality of life of our people leading to dashed hopes and aspirations, not to mention lost opportunities. “I regard it as my bounden duty to do my best with all sincerity and commitment, however difficult the task is, to strive for peace on behalf of all our people. I will take whatever measures necessary to bring peace with honour and justice to my country; your country; our country.”I read the statement again and again. Idealistically-inspired words of a genuine peacemaker, I thought then, though in my sub-conscience I remained a sceptic.

Rajapaksa urged the APRC to be creative and imaginative in working out a made-in-Sri Lanka solution. His only warning was that the solution “must exclude any division of the country”. He had a message for the Sinhala majority when he said that “it behoves the majority community to be proactive in striving for peace and there must be a demonstration of a well stretched hand of accommodation”.In retrospect, these words sound empty rhetoric. Today, political survival of his regime appears to supersede the national question with Rajapaksa adjourning the APRC sessions at a time when its chairman, veteran socialist Tissa Vitharana, wants to release the final draft worked out by 14 parties after 40 sittings. The main opposition United National Party withdrew from the process accusing Rajapaksa of splitting the party. The main Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance, which is an LTTE proxy, is also not in the APRC, while the LTTE has slammed the process as “a political drama to dress-up unitary constitution”.

Rajapaksa, the very person who urged the APRC to come out with creative imaginative solutions last year, is reported to have urged Vitharana to include the word “unitary” to describe the nature of the state. He has apparently made the request, fearing reprisals from ultranationalist parties, on whom he depends for his political survival and a parliamentary majority. The ultranationalists — the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, the Jathika Hela Urumaya and the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna which together count for some 50 seats in parliament — remind Rajapaksa of a solemn pledge he gave the nation in his 2005 election manifesto that he would ensure that Sri Lanka would remain a unitary state. Rajapaksa also badly needs their support to get the budget passed in November.But Tamil parties within the APRC and outside it have rejected the unitary concept and called for a federal set up. A majority of eminent persons in the expert panel which assisted the APRC in their report described Sri Lanka as a “united” country consisting of regions. But their report drew fire from ultranationalists. Rajapaksa has demonstrated he lacked the political courage to accommodate the views of the minority, though he in his speech to the APRC’s first meeting urged the Sinhalese to demonstrate “a well-stretched hand of accommodation”.Like most of our leaders, Rajapaksa also has proved that he is a politician first and then a statesman. The president is in a dilemma. If he approves the APRC document that rejects the unitary state concept, he loses the nationalist’s support. If he rejects it, he will be seen as offering nothing to the Tamils in terms of power-sharing and the international community is likely to see some justification in the LTTE accusation that the Sinhala government would never agree to meaningful power-sharing.

27 August 2007

Government doesn’t want to solve the Tamil problem---Eelaventhan in Parliament 

M.K.Eelaventhan, TNA parliamentarian told the House that Tamils will not accept any proposals with district or province as unit of devolution. They want a meaningful federal solution akin to India.  He further told the House that the education of the Tamil children in the north- east is in a very bad state. Tamil students are killed. Schools in the east have become refugee camps. There is no atmosphere congenial for studies in the north-east. He added that the studies of the upcountry Tamil students are also affected. Several Tamil schools in the Upcountry are closed. Sinhala Principals are appointed as heads of Tamil schools in the upcountry. The government is not interested in solving the problems of the Tamil people. 

9 Tamil rebels killed attacks in north: Lankan military 
 
Battles between army soldiers and Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka's volatile north over the past two days have killed nine insurgents, the military said today. Five soldiers also were wounded in the clashes along two fronts in the northern district of Mannar, said an officer at the Defence Ministry's media centre. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. There was no immediate comment from the rebels and telephone calls to rebels headquarters in northern Kilinochchi rang unanswered. Mannar has become a flashpoint in the country's escalating conflict in recent weeks after government troops last month recaptured rebel-held areas of eastern Sri Lanka. The guerrillas still control a virtual state in the north. The Tamil Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for an independent state in northern and eastern Sri Lanka for minority ethnic Tamils, who have faced discrimination under years of majority Sinhalese-dominated governments. The war has killed about 70,000 people. A 2002 cease-fire temporarily ended most of the fighting, but the pact collapsed over the past 21 months into renewed violence.

Civilian casualties in air strikes, says SLMM
 
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), in its weekly assessment report for August 13-19, has noted civilian casualties in Air Force aerial bombings carried out in the Vanni during that week despite the Defence Ministry saying the target was a rebel mortar position.According to the SLMM, one child was killed and two civilians injured as a result of the aerial attacks on August 13 and 15 in Nedunkerni and surrounding villages in the Vanni, and adds that in Katkulam a rice mill was destroyed and a Co-op store damaged while two houses were destroyed and a school building damaged. “SLMM monitors went to the scene to enquire into the incidents. Approximately 4800 families live in the district,” the Monitors said in the report posted on its official website last week. The SLAF however refuted the SLMM claims and said the targets were bombed following days of careful surveillance and analysis. “These were identified targets that we are sure of and not a civilian location. We don’t just go and bomb any area. We do careful surveillance and then take it out,” Air Force spokesman Group Captain Ajantha Silva told the Daily Mirror.

The SLMM meanwhile also said according to the mandate of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed in February 2002 it was not a violation for the LTTE to carry arms as long as it was within the limitations of the Agreement.“By entering into the CFA, the parties have obliged themselves to total cessation of all military action, hereunder also not to move munitions, explosives or military equipment into the area controlled by the other,” the SLMM said. It further adds that its position is that only the security forces should carry arms in government controlled areas and welcomed recent statements by high-ranking government officials about disarming paramilitaries in the East, which is according to article 1.8 of the CFA.The SLMM report also notes that it visited the hospital in Madhu, which reported that they lacked medicine due to difficulties in obtaining Government clearance for the transport across the Ulyiankulam Entry/Exit point. SLMM monitors in Kilinochchi also noted concerns regarding the rising commodity prices and difficulties in obtaining travel permission out of the Vanni.

Sri Lanka Defense Secretary says the operations to liberate north will begin

Sri Lanka's Secretary to the Ministry of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says that the operations to liberate the Northern Province areas from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) hold will begin shortly. Addressing the gathering at a passing out ceremony of Advanced Assault Group of the Civil Defense Force held in Galkiriyagama Higher Training School, the Defense Secretary said that the government would not inherit the terrorism to the future generations. Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa earlier led the military campaign to capture the Eastern Province from the LTTE.

Claymore mine recovered

A claymore mine was recovered from a private building near Dalada Maligawa in Kandy yesterday. The recovery comes two days before the conclusion of the annual Esala Perahera.Meanwhile two other claymore mines with a combined weight of 15 kg were recovered by the army in Kalpitiya following a tip off by civilians yesterday. The two mines were laid out to explode simultaneously along the Padaviya Road.On a tip off received by Kalpitiya police, OIC Lakshman Ranwalaarachchi, a special police team searched a coconut estate close to Kurungganampitiya Junction on the Kalpitiya-Palaviya and found the two claymore mines hidden close to the road. All traffic on the road was stopped immediately and a joint special search operation was mounted by the police, the army and the Navy covering the entire area. A bomb disposal squad from the Puttalam army camp has been summoned to defuse the bombs.It is suspected that the bombs would have been targeted either a higher police official or a political leader who was scheduled to visit the area. During the last few weeks large amount of explosives have been recovered from the Chilaw police division.Chilaw SSP Roshan Fernando at the last moment cancelled a bi-annual inspection visit on Kalpitiya police scheduled about three days ago.

Myanmar acting PM Thein Sein visits Sri Lanka
  
Myanmar Acting Prime Minister Lieutenant-General Thein Sein left Nay Pyi Taw Monday for Colombo to begin a three-day goodwill visit to Sri Lanka, aiming to enhance the two countries' bilateral ties, reports reaching here from the new administrative capital said.The Sri Lanka trip of Thein Sein, who is also First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), came eight months after Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka traveled to Myanmar in December last year.Last month, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama visited Nay Pyi Taw during which the two countries' Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation met for the first time since established in 1996 and issues of bilateral relations and cooperation were discussed.According to Sri Lankan sources, the two countries are cooperating in the fight against terrorism, investment and trade promotion, technical cooperation and tourism promotion.

Sri Lanka has so far injected one million U.S. dollars' investment in Myanmar since 1988, Myanmar statistics show.In November last year, Myanmar agreed with Sri Lanka to establish direct air and sea links to effectively boost bilateral trade ties between the two countries as proposed by Sri Lanka.Currently, trade between Myanmar and Sri Lanka is transacted through Singapore.Myanmar and Sri Lanka have enjoyed cultural and religious ties since the 11th century.Myanmar and Sri Lanka established diplomatic relations 59 years ago and both of the countries are now members of the subregional grouping of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which also comprises Bangladesh, India and Thailand.The BIMSTEC was originally formed with Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand in June 1997 and later joined by Myanmar in August the same year. The grouping expanded its membership to include Nepal and Bhutan at the first BIMST-EC summit in Bangkok in July 2004.

JVP warns govt.

The JVP called on the government in Parliament not to make Ceylon Petroleum Storage Ltd (CPSTL), which is currently under CPC, an independent entity, and not to satisfy Indian Oil Company Limited (IOC) warning that it will have to face dire consequences if it goes ahead with it. JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa who making a special statement in Parliament charged that there is a plan to handover the oil trade to multinational companies. He said CPC, IOC and the treasury own a 1/3 stake of CPSTL each and it is currently managed by CPC. However, Mr. Weerawansa charged that there is a plan to make it an independent entity to satisfy the foreign companies by several persons whom he called ‘economic assassins’. “Making CPSTL an independent company is nothing but handing it over to a foreign company,” Mr. Weerawansa pointed out. He explained that if CPSTL is handed over to the private sector there would be no one to purchase the oil which is refined by the CPC. He informed the House that IOC does not purchase from the local refinery. The JVP Parliamentary Group Leader also charged that the fuel prices in Sri Lanka were not revised due to oil price in the world market. He therefore said the new prices were computed by adding a part of the burden of the debt, which the CEB owes to CPC. He charged that the IOC is enjoying a profit of Rs 10 for each litre of petrol. “This is because the IOC is not involved in the large debt of CEB. He complained that several trade union members of the CPC who educated the workers on the situation are being hunted by the government. Isn’t it essential to reduce the market share of IOC and increase the market share of CCPC?” he asked.

Not easy for LTTE to infiltrate Tamil Nadu - Indian Coastguard

Tamil Nadu Police denied reports that a ‘red alert’ has been declared along the south-east coast. “We are always on alert and there is no need for any sudden alert”, police officials told PTI referring to reports in a section of the media. Routine checks and combing operations were being done by the police. The Navy and Coastguard also have been doing the same, they said adding “as Security Forces, they have to be alert”. The Coastguard officials denied reports of infiltration by LTTE. “Infiltration is not easy now as the monitoring system has been fine-tuned. Further, we have state-of-the-art facilities to monitor the sea and the skies”, a Coastguard official told PTI. Referring to search operations on Thursday night, they said it was not conducted as part of any alert. “It was a surprise check, not even based on any information...an exercise, that’s all”. Moreover, the coastal security guards were undergoing training in various activities such as using of night vision binoculars and patrolling in the sea, they added.

Government has all the resources to fight the LTTE: Gotabhaya

With the government moving ahead with the establishment of civil administration in the east Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said the entire Vanni region will also be cleared in the very near future and also assured that the state will not give room for the LTTE to regain control of the east by encouraging an unstable political situation in the South."Our main desire is to liberate the remaining areas in the Vanni from the LTTE soon like we did in the east and make a self sufficient economy in the country," the defence secretary said during a passing out ceremony of the Civil Defence Department or Home Guards at the department Training Centre in Galkiriyagama.Speaking further Mr. Rajapakse said the government has all the resources to fight the LTTE and bring about peace to the entire country. "We have enough military hardware and talented three forces commanders and soldiers who are committed to their duty so it is easy to defeat the LTTE and bring about peace," he said. According to Defence secretary the government had to limit development activities in the country as large sums of money was spent for the war against the LTTE and training purposes but asserted that "President Mahinda Rajapaksa does not like to give that excuse." He also said that during the last 25 years many claimed that they had captured the east but the LTTE manage do regain control after creating political instability. "This time we would not let it happen, we should not let our children to face the war," he said.Commenting on the Civil Defence Department the defence secretary said that earlier home guards posed a major threat to the LTTE but the talent had dropped drastically because the lack of proper leadership. Praising the current Director General of the CDD Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara, Mr. Rajapaksa said "the proper leadership brought the CDD to this stand and since 2005 the force's strength increased by 20,000." JHU MP Ellawala Medananda thero, Chief of defence staff Donald Perera and several others attended the event where 142 personnel who followed special training passed out.

Thandikulam students’ murder case transferred to Madawatchi; parents perturbed 

The hearing of the murder of 5 students of the Vavuniya Agricultural College was transferred to the Madawatchi Courts. The parents of the deceased students are perturbed over the transfer of the case to Madawatchi. 5 students of the Vavuniya Agricultural College were killed and 12 were injured, when men in uniform entered the premises of the college and fired at them following a claymore bomb explosion in the vicinity on Nov 18, 2006. The case was heard before Vavuniya Magistrate M.Elanmcheliyan.A team of police officers led by A.S.P.Gajasinghe coducted inquiries and produced two suspects in Court. One of the suspects was identified by members of the security forces on duty at an identification parade. Court of Appeal transferred the case to the Madawatchi Courts following an application by the suspects.

Soldiers killed, knocked down by train

Two soldiers were killed yesterday morning when the Colombo-Vavuniya train knocked them down at Nawakkulama in Medawachchiya.The accident occurred at about 12.30 p.m. The two soldiers were riding a motorcycle and were passing an unprotected railway crossing when the express train hit them. The trailer bike that the soldiers were riding had been dragged to about 200 metres down the railway line after being hit.The soldiers were killed on the spot. The train had reached Vavuniya railway station about 45 minutes late because of the accident.Medawachchiya police are conducting inquiries.

Abductions and disappearances are more in the Jaffna peninsula at present ---PAFFREL

In its media release, PAFFREl has pointed out that although abductions and disappearances have dropped relatively in the country, these incidents have increased in the Jaffna peninsula.  The reports state that following actions taken by the police have helped to reduce such incidents. Following pressure from the international community and the appointment of a commission of inquiry by the President, these incidents have dropped. The report stressed that the government has a greater responsibility than any other agency in the country to put an end to acts of violence.

Two LTTE war heroes cemeteries in Batticaloa destroyed by Sri Lanka military

Sri Lankan military that is in control of the Paduvankarai area in Batticaloa bulldozed the two major war heroes memorial of the LTTE to the ground soon after it moved into the area a few weeks ago. The Tharavai war heroes’ cemetery, the largest in the east, was destroyed in June this year. The Thandiyadi war heroes’ cemetery, the second largest in the east, located in the middle of civilian settlement, was also bulldozed without any trace. The destruction of these two war heroes cemeteries in Tharavai and Thandiyadi in Batticaloa are only the last of the long list of war heroes’ cemeteries of the LTTE destroyed by “victorious” Sri Lankan military.

26 August 2007

Minority parties express discontent over rejection of federal set-up

Difference of opinion among political parties, has once again brought the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) at a deadlock.It is reported that there is disagreement between the parties as to whether or not the ‘unitary character’ of the state should be preserved when reaching a final solution to the ethnic conflict.The Chief Government Whip and senior Minister, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle announced the latest stance of the government concerning the final solution to the national question last week. “We will agree to any solution based on devolution of power to the maximum while preserving the unitary state” he said at a media briefing.Meanwhile, the main opposition, the United National Party has withdrawn from the APRC expressing pessimism that it would not produce any positive results.It is also reported that the minority parties in the APRC have expressed their discontent regarding the rejection of a federal setup and the stubbornness of the ruling party to stick to the ‘unitary state’.Lakbimanews sought the views of political leaders representing minority parties on this issue. Here are excerpts:

Leader of the National Unity Alliance and Minister Ferial Ashraff: There are a lot of discussions to be done as far as the APRC is concerned. Discussions are necessary to deal with sensitive issues such as the national question. I view the APRC very positively. I don’t think this is the right time to make conclusive remarks about the APRC.I am optimistic about it. The fact that the President has got the representatives of the political parties to sit and discuss these issues itself is very optimistic.

Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front Anandasangari: Even the SLFP was committed to a federal solution few years back. The UNP won over 49 per cent of popular votes contesting on a federal platform. Why are they harping on these terms? That is why I suggested that both the terms ‘unitary’ and ‘federal’ be dropped from any final solution to the national crisis. Let them conduct a referendum. I am sure, over 80 per cent of the people will vote for a federal solution. I am not blaming the President. I know he is pressurized by certain elements. Such people are the stumbling blocks in the path. They should go and see those who have lost their limbs and lives due to the war - those who are left widows. I am saying this because I am feeling the pinch. I am a person who has lost six people in my family to the war.If the country’s destiny is to be doomed, what can we do? No one is thinking about the suffering of the people.I am not talking about the Tamils alone, but the whole population. War is the cause of the escalation in the prices of goods.

TNA’s Batticaloa district parliamentarian Pakkiays-elvam Ariyanethiran : we never had any hope in this APRC drama. Whether they postpone it indefinitely or submit their proposals immediately, we are not bothered about it at all. We know that it will be of no use. They are just trying to make the international community believe that they are concerned about finding a solution. All these efforts are pretentious.

Leader of the Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party and Minister Douglas Devananda: We have always stood for power sharing at the centre and autonomy for the North - East and a permanently merged North and East as a single Province. If the political parties in the South are stubborn on sticking to the ‘unitary state’ then it will necessitate the Tamil parties to demand for a ‘federal state’. There are numerous examples all around the world where power has been shared to the maximum level both within a federal structure as well as a federal set up.Whether the final solution should be based on a federal model or a unitary one is only a political issue. But when it comes to ground reality, one needs to find ways in which the problem could be solved without persisting on such labels.

Ceylon Workers’ Congress Vice President R. Yogarajan: It is untrue to say that the APRC is stuck in a deadlock. Deliberations are going on. We will have to wait and see what will happen. Now it is too early to predict anything.

When National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and Deputy Minister, K.A.Baiz was contacted, he declined to comment on the issue saying he was not authorized to do so and directed us to contact the party leader Rauf Hakeem, Party Chairman Basheer Cegu Dawood or Secretary General Hasan Ali. While minister Hasan Ali is abroad, several attempts to contact the other two ministers of the SLMC proved futile.

APRC Sessions Suspended!

The All Party Representative Committee (APRC), which is at the centre of a controversy, will not meet again until the party leaders sort out their differences, The Nation reliably learns.The APRC last met on August 23 (Thursday) to discuss core issues. However, the meeting ended inconclusively following Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka’s verbal assaults on APRC Chairman, Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana. The derogatory remarks made against the COPE chairman by Ranawaka also led to Prof. Vitharana threatening to quit the APRC.As the party leaders have not been able to iron out their differences over the core issues, the scheduled meeting of APRC will also not be held tomorrow (August 27).Already the APRC is sharply divided over one of the principal core issues – the power sharing mechanism.Speaking to The Nation Prof. Vitharana admitted that the APRC will not meet until the party leaders agreed on the core issues. He however did not wish to give more details.According to inside sources there is an attempt by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) to scuttle the process.Sources said these parties were planning to mount pressure on the APRC chairman to start discussing matters from the beginning. Already the APRC has conducted about 40 meetings and was on the verge of discussing the core issue last week to finish its findings.According to sources if the APRC had arrived at a decision the findings could have been handed over to the All Party Conference (APC) chairman President Mahinda Rajapakse this week.Tamil National Alliance (TNA) sources meanwhile expressed disappointment over the near collapse of the APRC and said they do not expect miracles from the APRC. Meanwhile Prof. Vitharana maintained that the APRC will work towards its ultimate objective and deliver whatever that was good for the future of the country.

JHU to stay in APRC

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) yesterday said that they will not pull out from the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) though they do not accept the APRC proposals made by its Chairman, Professor Tissa Vitharana. JHU spokesman, Nishantha Sri Warnasingha speaking to The Nation said, “We met President, Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday, and expressed our disapproval of the proposals made by Prof. Vitharana, which indicate a federal solution for the North and East conflict. The President assured us that he will discuss this at the party leaders’ conference and reach a decision soon.”He also said that the SLFP was trying to apply the word “unitary” and accept the APRC proposals, adding that this would be an eyewash, since the Vitarana proposals are completely federal in nature. “These proposals are completely federal, and the JHU will not support a federal solution. The SLFP, by just applying the word “unitary”, is trying to accept the proposals. And, if the SLFP accepts these proposals, the government will not only be violating the mandate of the people but also, the pre-election pact President Rajapaksa made with the JHU. So, we hope that the government will reject these proposals,” the spokesman said.

I am Not planing to Visit Srilankan soon - Erik Solheim

I am Not planing to Visit Srilankan soon - Erik Solheim, Srilankan Peace Envoy with world's media to North Pole.Nearly 100 journalists from all over the world visited to the Global Seed Vault, which is under construction on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Construction work on the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGS) started in April 2007 and the first bastings were performed in May.The facility will be opened on 28 February 2008. The visit to the facility will be lead by Project Manager Magnus Bredeli Tveiten from the Norwegian construction body Statsbygg. Part of the tour will include press briefings by Environment Minister Helen Bjoernoey, the head of the UN's Climate Secretariat Yvo de Boer, Development Minister and Srilankan Special Peace Envoy Erik Solheim, Head of Secretariat Cary Fowler from Global Crop Diversity Trust and the governor of Svalbard. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is being constructed as a cave excavated into the permafrost just outside Longyearbyen which in near to North pole.The SGS is intended to ensure genetic variety for the world's food plants by storing duplicates of seed collections from gene banks all over the world, and will have storage capacity for over four million different seeds. If a seed is lost somewhere in the world due to natural disasters, war or resource shortages, it can be re-established with seeds from Svalbard. When media ask about Srilanka Development Minister and Srilankan Special Peace Envoy Erik Solheim's said He is not planning to travel soon

Police accused of murder and torture

The Police has allegedly tortured a 20-year-old man after hanging him from the ceiling and the Magistrates Court had, allegedly, ignored allegations of torture despite observing the wounds he has suffered, a leading rights body charged last week .This is one in a series of allegations against police brutality on suspects. The latest allegations came in the wake of an alleged custodial death of a youth held in the cell at the Ratgama police.The youth, Thadallage Chamil Weerasena earlier died in the cell, allegedly after being tortured by the Ratgama police.In the latest incident, the victim, Meera Mohideen Gafar who had surrendered to Police had been assaulted, while he was hung from the ceiling, the Asian Human Rights Commission charged last week.The victim had been accompanied by his lawyer, Kularatna Bandara, to the Galaha Police Station when he was summoned by the Assistant Superintendent of Police, to inquire into a murder that took place at the end of July 2007.Police officers have allegedly tortured him by hanging him from the ceiling inside the Galaha Police station , while he was being interrogated.

JVP rejects Mangala’s invitation to join hands

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has rejected the invitation by former Minister Mangala Samaraweera asking it to join the National Council made up of the SLFP Mahajana Wing and the UNP. The JVP says that it will not be part of an alliance in which the United National Party (UNP) is a principle partner.JVP Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday speaking to The Nation said “There is no disagreement in the fact that the existing government should be toppled. The government is not in a state to take the country forward economically or socially. Instead, it is committing fraud and cheating its own people. “There is no disagreement over the fact that this government should change. But we do not believe that uniting with the UNP is the way to do so, and therefore we refuse Samaraweera’s invitation and respect his right to act as he pleases and fall into a pit of corruption, but we will not follow his example.”Dissanayake further said that every charge that the UNP was presenting against the government were charges that could be levelled against the UNP itself. “Under a UNP government, parliamentarians who do not have ministries will become ministers and instead of one bunch of thieves, our country will get another bunch of thieves,” said Dissanayake.

Trade union vows to topple  government

The JVP affiliated National Trade Union Center (NTUC) has decided to topple the government if it continues with its trade union suppression, Chairman, NTUC, JVP Parliamentarian K.D. Lalkantha said. Lalkantha told The Sunday Leader that unless the government stops trade union suppression and delivers acceptable solutions to the working class, the NTUC as a responsible trade union would take all necessary action to send the government  home. "Although the NTUC is not a political party it has a powerful arm to make vital decisions to topple a government and to bring an administration that could solve the burning issues faced by the people. So instead of treading on the correct path if the government tries to control the masses forcibly using  its resources there would be no other option but to work towards toppling this inefficient government," claimed Lalkantha.Accusing the government for taking the Teachers Trade Union members into custody for boycotting the A/L paper marking, Lalkantha said that this was not the first time it has happend and would not be the last occurrence as well if it continues to ignore the government's attempts to  controll the trade unions.

Government sidelines Karuna, promotes new front in East

In a significant shift of strategy and political alliances in the east, the Government is believed to have virtually dumped the Karuna faction and is supporting a new Tamil front for local elections in the east later this year, political sources said. The new front led by Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leader V. Anandasangaree and including the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and the Eelam People’s Liberation Front (EPRLF – Pathmanabha Wing) is to begin its political activities in the east within the next few weeks.It is due to function as the Tamil Democratic Alliance (TDA) and is inviting other Tamil parties to join the alliance to contest local elections followed by provincial elections in the east.Apparently as a sign of support, the government this week provided a helicopter to Mr. Anandasangaree, PLOTE leader Dharmalingam Siddharthan and EPRLF-Pathmanabha Wing General Secretary T. Sridharan to visit Batticaloa and have a hurriedly summoned meeting with government officials and representatives of international and local non governmental organisations.

The visiting delegation told the NGO community that the purpose of the visit was to listen to the problems of the people of the area and convey them to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to find solutions. Among the grievances which they listened to were issues about continued child recruitment by the Karuna group in the government-controlled areas and the difficulties in travelling to some of the areas newly regained from the LTTE. The delegation was later flown to Vakarai, before returning to Colombo.On Friday night the visiting delegation met President Rajapaksa and briefed him about the visit as well as the problems in the area. Mr. Siddarthan who took part in the meeting told The Sunday Times said their plans were to contest the two upcoming elections and their visit was aimed at looking into the grievances of the people in the Eastern Province and the NGOs working in the region.During the meeting, he said the President had promised to expedite the ongoing relief and development activities in the cleared areas of the east.

The fresh move has angered the Karuna faction which is claiming that the step was aimed at sidelining the group which was involved in assisting the security forces in the recent months.Ganesh Mahesh, spokesman for the Thamil Makkal Vidithalai Pulligal (TMVP) – the Karuna faction’s political wing — told The Sunday Times that the government was promoting groups which had never sighted the areas when the people were facing difficulties.Government’s plans to promote the new political front come amidst criticism that the Karuna group has been permitted to move about with weapons in government-controlled areas and no action was taken against them. The group also has been accused of forcible recruitment. Currently the TULF, the PLOTE or the EPRLF’s Pathmanabha wing do not have any parliament representation.

MoU between Sri Lanka and Myanmar

Myanmar is to sign a MoU with Sri Lanka on cooperation and intelligence sharing during the visit of Myanmar Acting Prime Minister, Lt. Gen. Thein Sein to Sri Lanka, which is scheduled for tomorrow. Several other MoUs will also be signed between two countries on cooperation in Buddhist studies and cultural cooperation. The Acting Prime Minister will lead a high level ministerial delegation including the ministers of foreign affairs, commerce, agriculture and irrigation, transport, religious affairs and forestry.Both countries are keen to increase bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, technology transfer, transport, communication, tourism and cultural relations. The business delegation accompanying the Acting Prime Minister will have discussions with the members of Business Chambers, the Board of Investment, trade, investment, tourism, potential investors and the business community within the frame work of the Sri Lanka-Myanmar Joint Commission, of which the first meeting was held in Myanmar in July 2007.The visit marks another important milestone in bilateral relations which coincides with the presentation of two tusker elephants by the Acting Prime Minister on behalf of the government and the people of Myanmar to the Sacred Temple of the Tooth, Kandy. He will be in Sri Lanka on the invitation of Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.

Why discriminate Jaffna medical students: Union

A proposal to send students, who pass out from the Jaffna University Medical Faculty, to hospitals in Jaffna for their internship has been forwarded to the Cabinet, Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.“The Cabinet is due to discuss this matter at its next meeting. We came to this decision due to requests made at the Parliament Consultative Committee, especially by TNA MPs,” the Minister said.He said appointing students to hospitals for their internship was due to take place on Monday but it has now been postponed for a month to give time for the suggested changes. The Minister said most of the other students were not prepared to work in hospitals in the North and East. They either go abroad or resign and therefore it would be more practical to appoint students from the Jaffna University to work in the North and the East.

“After the year’s internship, they are free to request for transfers as the interns from the next batch will be filling the vacancies in those hospitals,” the Health Minister said. Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe, representing the 2000/2001 batch of medical graduates due to receive their internship appointments on Monday said this is a violation of the fundamental rights of the Jaffna University students.“The Jaffna University graduates will go to courts if this proposal is approved by the Cabinet because in such an instance the graduates will not be eligible to work in hospitals of their choice even though eligible to do so but will make it mandatory for them to work in the North and East disregarding their position in the merit list.

CHA wants government to act against killings

The Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) led by Executive Director Jeevan Thiagarajah on Thursday held discussions with high-ranking government officials to express concern over the increasing trend in aid worker killings in the country, The Nation learns.Incidentally, the discussion comes just days after a local aid worker who was attached to the Danish De-mining Group was gunned down by unidentified gunmen in Jaffna. Thiagarajah, who declined to disclose details on the discussion, however emphasised that the government should take immediate steps and control the widespread killings and abductions occurring in Sri Lanka. “The killings and abductions from January to July this year have reached an unexpected level. Steps must be taken to stop this dangerous trend,” he told The Nation. The CHA is hoping to continue its dialogue with the government on a more regular basis. The Consortium is also expected to forward a report on a monthly basis including an analysis on the country’s abductions, killings and violation of human rights.“We will analyse the situation in the country and report on the number of incidents for that respective month.

The figures are not something that we can easily ignore as the number is so high that it is virtually impossible to ignore the numbers,” Thiagarajah noted.Commenting on last Monday’s killing of the local aid worker in Jaffna, Thiagarajah noted, “The recent killing certainly adds to the increasing number of humanitarian workers death toll, which is rapidly increasing within a short span of time. The last one-and-a-half years have seen a high number of killings in the country,” he emphasised.Meanwhile, the Danish De-Mining Group, which suspended operations in Jaffna following the killing of its aid worker, has decided to resume activities in the Peninsula early next month.The organisation is however continuing its work without any interruptions in the Trincomalee District. The Danish Group is likely to commence its activities in Jaffna during the first week of September.

Net closing on Indian operatives helping Tigers

India’s Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) which had received vital clues on former Indian intelligence operatives who have been assisting the LTTE, is now in the process of cracking down on them. The move by the CBI investigators comes in the light of Thursday night’s arrest of a former Indian foreign intelligence operative who was alleged to have been aiding the LTTE.Gowri Mohandas (44), who was residing in a four storey apartment in Chennai was said to have been on assignment in Colombo when the Indian Peace Keeping Force was operating here in the 1987-1990 period. The CBI was tipped off by an LTTE operative who is in the custody of the Indian authorities, of Gowri’s involvement in helping the LTTE smuggle manuals on weapons, explosives and help launder money for the rebels. When the CBI investigators raided Gowri’s residence they had found several manuals on weapons and vital intelligence reports that belonged to RAW. The investigators believe that Gowri would have sold some of the intelligence reports to the LTTE. The CBI is to conduct an assets investigation and also look into Gowri’s bank accounts. A CBI source who spoke to The Sunday Times from New Delhi on grounds of anonymity said information had been received of four other officials who were serving in Sri Lanka during the IPKF occupation and who had been aiding the LTTE.“We have received vital clues of four other RAW agents who have been providing intelligence for the LTTE. We believe that these intelligence agents would have been involved in many serious terrorist acts that have taken place in India and in Sri Lanka,” he said.

Bandaranaikes sideline Mahinda from SWRD event

The Bandaranaike family last week decided to take over the organisation of the September 26 S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike commemoration ceremony at Horagolla to the exclusion of President Mahinda Rajapakse.The September 26 commemoration ceremonyat Horagolla is one of the most important events in the SLFP calendar where all party seniors and diplomats attend to pay their respects to the SLFP's founder.The decision for the Bandaranaike family to handle the ceremony together with the people of Attanagalla was taken on Friday at Visumpaya, the official residence of National Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike.The meeting was also attended by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the SLFP organisers of Attanagalla.The President had earlier told Bandaranaike he proposed to brief the organisers on plans for the commemorative event.However at yesterday's meeting it was proposed that Bandaranaike be the Chairman of the Commemorative Committee with Kumaratunga appointed Deputy Chairman. A proposal to appoint President Rajapakse as Patron was rejected stating the organising committee should be confined to the SLFP organisers of Attanagalla. Gampaha Provincial Council member Ranjith Rupasinghe was appointed Secretary to the Committee.Kumaratunga who addressed the organisers for 70 minutes at Visumpaya on Friday said her parents would be saddened by the corruption and the human rights abuses taking place in the country today.The Sunday Leader learns the SLFP (M) wing led by Mangala Samaraweera will also take part in the September 26 commemorative event at Horagolla.

Bhaila incident: Magistrate orders further inquiries

Further inquiries into the alleged assault on British citizen Paul Saverimuttu by the son and private secretary of Deputy Minister Hussein Bhaila are to be conducted by the Bambalapitiya Police on the orders of the Additional Magistrate Court of Mount Lavinia.Both Mr. Saverimuttu and Mr. Azil Bhaila made complaints to the Bambalapitiya police after the two were involved in a clash which turned violent outside Mr. Saverimuttu’s residence in Bambalapitiya. Soon afterwards Mr. Saverimuttu was admitted to hospital with a head injury and internal bleeding under his right eye while Mr. Bhaila received treatment for a chest injury he sustained after Mr. Saverimuttu had allegedly punched him.

The Additional Magistrate Court postponed the case to September 12, by which time the police would have to submit a report on the investigation. Mr. Saverimuttu who was in Sri Lanka for the past two months told The Sunday Times that the police had taken a statement from him on August 18 but when he went to the police station on August 20, the police report had omitted certain details of the incident.“When my lawyer and I looked at the police report we realised that the injuries that I sustained and the fact that Mr. Bhaila posed as a police officer was kept out. Soon after we made the necessary adjustments,” he said. He said that even though the police had tried to issue an arrest warrant, Mr. Bhaila was not available for arrest as he was reported to be still receiving treatment for his injuries.

Mr. Saverimuttu is preparing a letter to the British High Commission to receive further assistance in the matter from the British Government. Meanwhile, Bambalapitiya police OIC Abeyratne Dissanayake said that the Judicial Medical Officer had submitted a report on Mr. Saverimuttu’s injuries.However, the report stated that the injuries were minor and had been caused by a blunt object and the police could not take Mr. Bhaila into custody as the offence was not serious enough. He said all the evidence and reports would be presented to court on September 12 after which the next step would be determined.

TNA says no security in east

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) last week said that its parliamentarians could no longer expect the government to give protection to the MPs from Batticaloa.TNA Batticaloa MP S. Jeyananthamoorthi told The Sunday Leader last week that he could not attend the funeral of his brother who was gunned down in Batticaloa due to security concerns."My brother was targeted as they could not target me. I had protested and issued statements against the resettlement programmes in the east. My brother was killed as a result of this," he said.He added that the TNA had not decided on its future actions following the killing.Jeyananthamoorthi's brother S. Thiyagachandran  was killed last Monday in Ottamavadi while returning home from work. The funeral was held on Wednesday."I did not go for my brother's funeral due to the threats I have been facing in the east," he said.

25 August 2007

Has the government arrested at least one for north-east murders?TELO Sri Kantha in Parliament

N.Sri Kantha,TELO and  TNA Jaffna Parliamentarian, stated that the government has not arrested even a single individual for the murders committed with impunity in north-east.He was addressing Parliament on the debate on the amendment to the Criminal procedure Code. He stated that it is meaningless to discuss about amendment to Criminal Procedure Code when the law and order situation in the country has become a mockery. He added that there have been murders, robberies and sexual harassments in the north-east.17 Aid workers were killed in broad day light. People are abducted or killed in the north during curfew hours.  He told that the police have no courage to arrest the groups that roam about with arms and produce them before Courts.  He explained that the Tamils are unable to make complaints in their mother tongue. Their statements are not recorded in Tamil. They say one thing but what is recorded is another version. As a result, suspects can escape from punishment. 

Omanthai crossing point to open 5 days a week

The government and the LTTE yesterday agreed to open the Omanthai entry/exit point five days a week from Monday following meetings the ICRC had with the LTTE and the military over the past few days. The crossing point will be open from 9 am to 5 pm during the week.The LTTE put forward a set of proposals to the ICRC for the opening of the Omanthai crossing point and the conditions were discussed with the army in Vavuniya yesterday when the two sides compromised on opening the route five days a week.Meanwhile, Ms. N Selvy the LTTE spokesperson on humanitarian issues and human rights told the Daily Mirror via email that following repeated requests from many community leaders, humanitarian workers, UN agencies and the Government the LTTE had wanted the route to be open 7 days a week.Sri Lanka’s ICRC delegation head Toon Vandenhove, who met the LTTE in Kilinochchi on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the opening of the key route on the A9 road, put forward the LTTE proposals to the army brigade in Vavuniya and was looking at reaching an amicable solution. The army had however agreed to open the route 5 days a week.Since May this year the Omanthai crossing point has been opened 3 days a week - Monday, Wednesday and Fridays - for civilian movement but the ICRC was seeking security guarantees from both the government and the LTTE to open the route for additional days.LTTE Political Wing Deputy Head S. Thangan told the ICRC the LTTE had “restructured” its presence at the checkpoint and had given detailed instructions to operate efficiently to ensure the safety of civilians using the crossing point, Ms. Selvy said.The Omanthai crossing point on the A9 road was initially closed as a result of heavy fighting between government troops and the LTTE at the Forward Defence Lines but following an agreement facilitated by the ICRC the road was opened three days a week.

Jaffna not safe for journalists 
 
Press rights groups have said that the Jaffna peninsula in Sri Lanka is one of the worst places in the world for journalists to operate.They called on the government to investigate a spree of murders. Seven media workers have been killed in just over a year in Jaffna, which is held by the Sri Lankan military and is often hit by fighting between the government and separatist Tamil rebels. The groups say dozens of journalists have fled the area or abandoned the profession. Earlier this month, the United Nations said Sri Lanka had one of the worst records in the world for humanitarian aid worker safety.

Jaffna's media in the grip of terror

A report about the plight of the press in northern Sri Lanka, entitled "Jaffna's media in the grip of terror," was released today by Reporters Without Borders and International Media Support, two members of the international press freedom mission to Sri Lanka, that carried out a joint fact-finding mission to Sri Lan