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Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and several top diplomats narrowly escaped death yesterday when they came under mortar attack in Batticaloa while on an inspection tour.Italian Ambassador Pio Mariani was slightly injured when the group including him, his American, German, French and Japanese counterparts, Minister Samarasinghe and a large UN team came under mortar fire inside the main STF camp in Batticaloa yesterday morning.Eight others, including three members of the Special Task Force, four police officers and a student too were injured in the attack that the military said was carried out by LTTE cadres from the Vavunathivu area located west of the camp. The Defence Ministry said that 13 persons were injured in the attack.Earlier reports said that American Ambassador Robert Blake and German Ambassador Juergen Weerth too were injured when mortars fell in the Webber Stadium located inside the camp, just outside Batticaloa town yesterday morning around 8:50 a.m.

However, Weerth told The Morning Leader that he was safe and only Mariani had suffered injuries to the back. Other reports said that Blake may have been hit a small sharpenl piece or a stone in the arm.The Tigers accepted responsibility for the attack but blamed the government for risking the lives of the diplomats. The Tigers said that it was a case of mistaken identity and that they had ceased fire as soon as the UN security coordinator informed Kilinochchi of the identities of those onboard the aircraft.The Tigers said that they had fired at the aircraft suspecting them to be used by the military."In recent times the Batticaloa air space has only been used by the Sri Lankan military. The two landing sites, the Batticaloa airstrip and the military head office complex are used for military purposes only. The airstrip was also used to bring military supplies. The Sri Lankan military also uses these two locations as artillery positions. Even this morning there was provocative shelling by the Sri Lankan military in Batticaloa.

"Immediately after the event, Head, UN Security, Marian Din Kajdomcaj contacted M. Pavarasan of LTTE liaison office and the shelling was stopped immediately and the aircraft with the foreign diplomats were able to take off safely," the Tigers said.The Tigers said that the UN and the ICRC informs them beforehand when flights used by the agencies travel to and from Jaffna. LTTE Military Spokesperson Rasiah Illanthirayan said that a simple case of diplomacy could have avoided the mishap.Military Spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said that three air craft had been used to ferry the delegation – a Bell 212 and MI 17 helicopters and a fixed wing aircraft belonging to a private company to transport the UN team.The first mortar fire had been reported when the fixed wing aircraft and the helicopters approached the airfield. The fixed wing aircraft was able to land in the airfield despite the mortar fire. The Defence Ministry said that it had been slightly damaged.

The ambassadors had been in the helicopters that were later diverted to the Webber ground.When the helicopters with the diplomats approached the Batticaloa air force camp located west of the Webber ground, mortar fire had been directed at the camp, diplomatic sources said. Later the two helicopters were directed to the STF camp that was deemed to be secure."Two shells landed very close, the helicopters took off immediately," a diplomat said.The helicopter with the ambassadors had landed in the grounds when the firing took place while the other was still airborne. The latter immediately took off from the scene followed by the helicopter on the ground.The helicopter with diplomats that landed was slightly damaged in the fire.Marrianni was rushed to the Batticaloa hospital but his condition was later established to be safe. He was later reported to be undergoing a CT scan on the recommendations of doctors who checked him at the Batticaloa hospital.

The ambassadors were stranded in Batticaloa for several hours after the attack. "There are lot of discussions going on," diplomatic sources said. They were to be transported to Colombo yesterday afternoon."We had just landed, not even 10 minutes, when the mortar fell," Minister Samarasinghe told The Morning Leader from Batticaloa.The two helicopters that evacuated as soon as the firing commenced were first routed to Ampara, he said.The mortar fire had been directed from the Vavunathivu area that is located west of the landing sight. The area just after the Vavunathivu Divisional Secretariat is under Tiger control and mortar fire had been exchanged in the area in the past few days. However, 120 mm mortars that were targeting the aircrafts yesterday had been fired over the lagoon.The mortar has a range of between 20-25 km. The distance between Vavunathivu and the Webber Stadium is less than 10 km. The stadium and its surrounding area currently house the main STF camp. The STF took over security in the area from the army in late January.

The Ambassadors were part of a delegation that was visiting Batticaloa to assess the humanitarian situation in the district. More than 70,000 refugees displaced in the fighting are housed at temporary shelters in the district.The US mission in Colombo said that it was a preplanned visit. Members from humanitarian agencies too were part of the delegation. The UN office in Colombo said that the visit had been cancelled soon after the attack and that no one from the UN delegation was injured.The Defence Ministry however said that the mission was not cancelled and several meetings were held by the delegates."The delegation however continued with their schedule despite the terror attack. Having obtained medical treatment, all the officials attended a meeting on developing the Eastern Province and providing humanitarian assistant to the displaced," it said in its website.The Media Centre for National Security also said that the Marrianni too had taken part in a meeting after medical examination. "The Government Agent with the assistance of the security forces made necessary arrangements to conduct the meeting as planned and the Italian Ambassador later joined the meeting."The Italian Embassy declined to comment on the ambassador’s condition or the state of the mission.Meanwhile, civilians in Batticaloa said that the town was brought under a strict security cordon after the mortar attack.

Condemning rebel attack in Sri Lanka, Ban Ki-moon calls for end to violence

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned an attack by separatist rebels in Sri Lanka which injured senior aid officials, including one from the United Nations, and urged both sides in the conflict to halt the bloodshed and resume talks. Mr. Ban’s statement came in reaction to the shelling by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of a helicopter airfield in Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka, where 12 people, including the UN Resident Coordinator and other members of a high-ranking international delegation taking part in a humanitarian assessment mission, were injured, according to a statement released by his spokesperson condemning the incident. “The attack was in total disregard for the lives of civilians, humanitarian workers, Government officials, and the international community,” Michele Montas told reporters in New York. “The Secretary-General urges the parties to the conflict to end the destructive spiral of violence and calls on them to make every effort to return to the peace process as soon as possible,” she said. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other agencies have been struggling to assist tens of thousands of civilians who have fled fighting between the Government and the LTTE. UNHCR estimates that some 70,000 people have been killed and 465,000 displaced by the more than two decade-long conflict, including nearly 205,000 uprooted since fighting erupted anew in April 2006 despite a ceasefire signed in 2002.

ROME - Italy sought urgent clarifications on Tuesday from Sri Lanka over an incident in which the Italian, German and US ambassadors were wounded in an artillery attack by Tamil Tiger rebels.Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema said in a statement he was ‘relieved’ that Pio Marini, the Italian ambassdor to Sri Lanka since August 2005, had suffered only ‘light wounds’.But he ‘hoped that the circumstances of the worrying episode can be clarified quickly.’The three ambassadors were wounded Tuesday as they visited Sri Lanka’s troubled region of Batticaloa, where Tiger rebels and government forces have been locked in a cycle of bloodshed despite a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire agreed in 2002.The Tiger rebels expressed their ‘deep regret’ and accused the government of endangering the lives of the diplomats by taking them by helicopter to the embattled area.The government, for its part, accused the rebels of attacking with full knowledge of the presence of the diplomats.

BERLIN: The European Union condemned Tuesday's attack on a diplomatic helicopter by Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka, calling on both sides to halt the violence and return to negotiations.The U.S. and Italian ambassadors to Sri Lanka were lightly injured when their helicopters were targeted by mortars.The Foreign Ministry in Germany, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said the bloc "emphatically calls on both sides to immediately halt the violence" in Sri Lanka."The European Union calls on both sides to return immediately to the negotiating table and to work on the basis of a constructive proposal of a sustainable resolution to the conflict," the ministry said in a statement.

The LTTE yesterday accepted responsibility for the attack on three aircraft ferrying foreign diplomats to Batticaloa but blamed the government for putting their lives at risk by transporting them without informing the Tigers."We are shocked and saddened by this incident This was a retaliatory attack, because the Sri Lankan forces shelled in the morning from the same locations, and militray helicopters were flying in," LTTE Military Spokesperson Rasiah Illanthirayan told The Morning Leader.However the government said that attack had clearly targetted the diplomats. "There was no doubt, the ambassidors were the target," military spokesperson Brig . Prasad Samarasinghe said.Illanthariyan coutered and said that when UN and ICRC aircraft travel to and from Jaffna, the Tigers are kept informed. "This is a simple procedure when the UN officails fly to Batticaloa we are kept infomed, this was not followed today. This is criminal negligance on the part of the government,"Illanthariyan said.

The Tigers said that they had ceased fire when informed by the UN office in Colombo on the identities of the passengers. The Tigers said the UN had thanked them for the prompt action."All this could have been avioded by a phone call to Pulidevan (head of the LTTE Peace Secretariat)," Illanthariyan said."Exploiting the halting of shelling by LTTE, Sri Lankan military has begun shelling again and latest report is that there has been aerial bombing in Batticaloa as well since then," the Tiger Peace Secretariat said.The government said that the attack was an attempt to disrupt the relief efforts taking place in the east. "This attack on the benefactors shows the callous disregard of the Tigers for the welfare and the betterment of the innocent civilians in the east," the Media Centre for National Security said

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "impress upon the Sri Lankan Government to instruct their Navy to desist from opening fire" on Tamil Nadu fishermen. In a letter, a copy of which was released here, Mr. Karunanidhi said the fishermen, "who solely depend on this profession for their living," were under "tremendous distress" and put to "hardship" in the past 10 days because of firing by the Sri Lankan Navy. "This is of great concern to the Government of Tamil Nadu." He said that on February 14, the Navy opened fire off the Nagapattinam coast on a boat carrying nine Indian fishermen. "Although no one was injured, the boat was seriously damaged and the catch... taken away by the Sri Lankan Navy." On February 16, the Navy destroyed two fishing boats off the Pudukottai coast. The fishermen, hailing from Iyyampattinam village, were attacked, their nets damaged and their catch taken away. "This resulted in all the fishermen jumping into the sea... to save their lives." On February 24, Aruldoss and three other fishermen from Ramanathapuram district were shot at while fishing off Kottaipattinam village in Pudukottai district. Mr. Aruldoss was injured. "The same day 10 boats were shot at and chased away... ." On February 26, seven fishermen were attacked. One fisherman died and another was injured. The Chief Minister said that these "series of incidents of attack by the Sri Lankan Navy on innocent fishermen belonging to Tamil Nadu, who had gone about their profession within the Indian waters," was a matter of "grave concern." He sought "urgent action."

A Sinhala suspect under interrogation by the CID on a terrorist related charge was found dead in a toilet at Police Headquarters yesterday morning.The suspect identified as O.G. Chandrasekera had according to police committed ‘suicide’ by hanging himself in the toilet using a bed sheet.At the time this edition went to press, a post mortem was underway to ascertain whether it was a case of suicide or simulated suicide.According to official reports, the suspect had been arrested at a checkpoint in Valachchenai in November 2006 and had been handed over to the Valachchenai police and thereafter transferred to Police Headquarters for further interrogation.The official police version of the incident is that the suspect had wanted to wash his bed linen and gone to the toilet with it and thereafter used the sheet to hang himself when the police guard was not paying attention.The suspect had been later found hanging from a beam in the toilet using the bed linen as a rope.Informed sources said one police officer was interdicted following the incident.

UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says the last Presidential election was rigged through a secret pact, between the SLFP candidate and the LTTE. As a result hundreds of thousands of people living in the North and East were deprived of their right to vote, he says."If the North and East civilians were allowed to exercise their franchise, I would have become the President. This was prevented through a secret pact as now revealed by former minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi. We demand that the masses and the international community reject this election rigger and his government," Wickremesinghe said at aceremony held yesterday to hand over letters of appointment to 20 new district chairmen at the party head office Siri Kotha in Colombo. "Rajapakse and Company is silent on what Sripathi has revealed. They have not spoken a single word about the charge or even denied it. We challenge the President to tell the truth concerning this revelation."

The Opposition Leader accused the Government of trying to sweep the accusation under the carpet. "It was a former minister who accused the head of the state of rigging an election. Rajapakse and Company cannot keep mum. They should hold an impartial inquiry into this. They can take immediate action to suppress journalists who report on the COPE findings on corruption, but not a single word has been uttered on this issue," he said.He said the UNP will take the masses to the streets in the near future against this injustice and will inform the international community, including the European Commission, of this and will expose the fraudulent Government.

The Commissioner General of Essential Services has approved the fuel quota for UN agencies working in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts for this month.A total of 11, 980 litres of diesel and 1, 042 litres of petrol have been approved out of the requested amount of 30,000 litres of diesel and 1000 litres of petrol, by the UN.However, the Defence Ministry has yet to inform the local area commander for clearance to be obtained to transport this fuel to Kilinochchi.Meanwhile, during the course of last week a total of 382, 800 litres of kerosene out of the February allocation of 700,000 litres was transported from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi by the District Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society forthe use of the general public .

A newly appointed principal who was on his way to Vilathikulam from the Zonal Education Office in Madhu was killed, and an Divisional Education Officer was wounded and rushed to Kilinochchi hospital for treatment Tuesday morning following a Claymore ambush by the Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the Sri Lanka Army, said N. Selvy, Liberation Tigers Human Rights Spokesperson. The victim, identified as Siluvairasa Amalanesan, 33, was killed on the spot.An education official, identified as Christian Rajakone, 47, was rushed to Kilinochchi hospital.Both were traveling in a motorbike, driven by the deceased, to attend an event at the school.The ambush was reported around 10:30 a.m. at Sinnavalayan Kaddu in Madhu division in the LTTE controlled area in Mannar district.Sinnavalayan Kaddu is located in Madhu education zone.Thamileelam Police rushed to the site and launched a search operation.

The JHU yesterday said US ambassador in Colombo, Robert. O. Blake, who a few days ago said the LTTE could not be defeated militarily, should learn a lesson from yesterday’s incident in Batticaloa, where the ambassador too came under attack.Issuing a statement on the incident, the JHU said the US ambassador had lately been issuing statements that undermined the sovereignty of Sri Lanka and kindly requested him not to interfere in the internal politics of Sri Lanka.Recent statements by the US ambassador made one wonder whether Ambassador Blake is furthering the agendas of the LTTE, said the statement. The JHU said it hoped that yesterday’s LTTE attack on some diplomats would be an eye opener to Ambassador Blake, as it shows the true nature of the LTTE. The JHU has also said they would pray for the speedy recovery of the ambassador and all those who received injuries in the LTTE mortar attack.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers cordoned off Jaffna Hindu College and surrounding areas, asked the students and staff to assemble at the School play ground, before conducting search of the school premises, administrative officials of the school said. The SLA ordered school closed and sent the students home after the search. Local residents said that they heard sounds of gunfire near the school Monday night, and this may have triggered the SLA search.School Principal and staff were questioned by the SLA, while being held at the playground, sources said.Key roads close to the school including Jaffna-Palaly road, and Kasturiar Road were closed during the search, sources said.The search occurs amidst accusation by the Sri Lanka security forces that schools and places of worship are being used for activities against the State.However, civil society sources in Jaffna say SLA's recent actions appear to to intended to silence the voices of NGO officials, Bishop of Jaffna, and the officials of the department of Education who have been criticizing the various acts of violation by the SLA troops.

Sri Lanka's air force bombed suspected Tamil rebel targets in the Batticaloa district on Tuesday, hours after a group of ambassadors to Sri Lanka came under mortar attack on an airfield, officials said. A military spokesman said the retaliatory bombings were directed at the Thoppigala hideout of the rebels, in the same district where Tuesday morning's attack took place. No details of damage caused were known immediately. The government earlier airlifted groups of politicians and journalists to the eastern province for a guided tour into the recently recaptured Vakarai area, 260 kilometres east of the capital where plans are underway to resettle some 40,000 civilians who fled the area during military operations. President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself visited the Vakarai area on February 3 and directed that immediate measures be taken to restore electricity supplies and rebuild roads and other infrastructure to resettle civilians. Fighting in north and eastern parts of Sri Lanka have escalated during the last 14 months claiming nearly 4,000 lives and the government also has stepped up military offensive operations.

The New Left Front Leader, Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne launched an International Solidarity Forum to establish permanent peace in Sri Lanka. Dr. Karunaratne told a press conference yesterday that a Solidarity Forum had already been launched in the UK during his recent visit. He said he will launch it in other countries with the minority political parties in those nations. “There are small political parties such as New Left Front in many nations and we will get together with them to launch this forum he said. Dr. Karunaratne explained the key demands of this forum were lifting the LTTE Ban, opening of A9 highway and re-commencing peace talks He said he accepts the Tamil people’s right of separatism, but pointed out that they should not go for separatism as there was room for devolution of power within a single nation. “I have given this message to the Tamil diaspora during my European Tour,” he told journalists. Responding to a question raised by journalists as to whether the LTTE will be isolated after yesterday’s attack in Batticaloa on Ambassadors, he said it will also help the rebels to form alliances with those forces who are against global powers who try to rule the world today. “LTTE attacked those forces who try to rule the world today and therefore, those who are against the global giants would team up with the LTTE,” he pointed out.

The initiative of the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, 'Myown' Mustafa to amalgamate the Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) with the Muslim-dominated South Eastern University, faces stiff resistance from Tamils and Muslims living Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said. Mr. Mustafa expressed his willingness to merge both the universities together in a high level meeting held last Thursday at the Auditorium of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in Colombo, sources said.Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarians expressed concern, and vowed to stop the move. Amalgamation will intensify the division among the Tamil and Muslim communities, the MPs said. "Only recently Batticaloa district has been declared a backward district, and that enables more poor Tamil youths to study at the EUSL. Furthermore, the Medical Faculty is about to be inaugurated at EUSL after a long time demand. "Amalgamation will amount to a betrayal of the Tamil students," the MPs said. "We would bring the matter to the attention of Sri Lanka's President," they added.

S. M. Amir Ali, the Deputy Minister of Disaster Management, and the Member of Parliament for Batticaloa district swore that he would never allow the EUSL is amalgamated with any other university while he is in power.Meanwhile, the undergraduates and their parents are planning to express their opposition to Deputy Minster Mustafa when he presides a meeting at Vipulanantha Aesthetic Studies Centre at Kallady Monday to explore ways to reopen the EUSL.The activities of the Eastern University came to a standstill after the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university, Prof. Sivasubramaniam Ravindranath, was abducted in daylight in Colombo on 15 December 2006. After his resignation was accepted by the UGC, the acting VC, Dr. N. Pathmanathan, took steps to reopen the university. However, the arrests and detention of some undergraduates and staff of the university following a claymore explosion along the main road near the university on 31 January hampered the initiative.Meanwhile, the Deputy Minster of Higher Education Mustafa dismissed the speculation as the 'work of sensational media.' Mr Mustafa told TNA parliamentatarin Mr Ariyanenthiran that he stood for the unity of Tamil and Muslim communities. Mr. Mustafa, nominated to the Parliament under the United National Party's (UNP) National List, recently crossed over to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) coalition Government and was offered the Deputy Minister post.

People in Vavuniya town were panic stricken last afternoon after a false bomb scare in two state banks.The Security Forces were conducting a major cordon and search operation when an anonymous caller had warned the Vavuniya Police of bombs having been planted in two state banks in the town.Police immediately evacuated the customers from the Bank of Ceylon Bank and People’s Bank branches before the STF Bomb Disposal Unit inspectedthe two places. However no suspicious items were found during the search. Security in the town has been intensified after the bomb hoax.

It is being reported that two of the parliamentarians that joined the government from the UNP are planning to come back to the UNP.One of them is a cabinet minister and represents the parliament from the Colombo district. According to reports on the very same day which they were sworn in, the relevant minister had called UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayake and told that he wanted to rejoin the UNP. In return he had asked for a organizer post in Colombo. He joined the government before the 18 ministers crossed over.The other who wants to rejoin the UNP is a deputy minister. He represents the Gampaha district.

Mawbima director arrested

A director of a leading Sinhala weekly in Sri Lanka has been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).Dushyantha Basnayake, director of Mawbima weekly, was detained under PTA after being questioned by the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID).Former minister Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi told BBC Sinhala that the police officers were about to leave his office when they received an order from a higher authority of the defence establishment.Basnayake has been questioned by TID officers for nearly four hours prior to the arrest, parliamentarian Sooriyaarachchi said.President Mahinda Rajapaksa accused former ministers Sooyaaracchi and Mangala Samaraweera of using 'Mawbima' to plot against him.Exhibiting reports from Mawbima and some other astrological papers, Rajapaksa told Executive Committee of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) that the former ministers plotted against his life.Mawbima is owned by Tiran Alles, a close ally of the former minister Samaraweera. Ruwan Ferdinandes, the cordinating secretary to the former minister, is the co-director of Mawbima newspaper.Both sacked ministers have accused the government of gross human rights violations.In a letter to the President, Samaraweera has alleged that a person dissapers every five hours in Sri Lanka.

Unidentified armed men on motorbike shot dead two police constables Monday around 7:40 p.m. at Muthalikkulam in Vavuniya district. The police handed the bodies of the two victims to Vavuniya hospital around 10:00 p.m.The police constables killed were identified as Vickremasinghe and Seniveratne.Chettikulam police claimed that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) pistol group cadres arriving on motorbike had shot dead the constables who were on duty.

The STF officer who was produced before courts, in connection with the death of a STF constable attached to the VIP Security service at the Kalutara STF training camp, was remanded till March 01 by the Acting Magistrate Kalutara.The suspect is Wijayalath Pathirannahalage Sahik Anusha Jayalath of Narammala, Matiyagane. STF driver, HH Herath Mudiyanselage Kumarasinghe Bandara of Pahala Rankinda Girandurukotte died in this incident.Sub Inspector, Indradasa of the Kalutara South police station, who produced the suspect before courts, said the death had been caused as the suspect had acted contrary to the instructions given at the training school.Police requested the courts to remand the suspect till March 12 as the inquiries are not over. Meanwhile the counsel appearing for him made submissions requesting the courts not to keep him in remand custody for a long period of time and to provide him security in the remand prison, as the death had been caused by an oversight.

Unidentified armed men following a youth riding his bicycle to purchase goods shot him dead Sunday around 8:00 p.m at Veeramunai in Sammanthurai police division in Amparai district. Sammanthurai police recovered the dead body Monday morning and handed it over to Sammanthurai hospital for inquest into death. The victim was identified as S. Sathiyaseelan, 24, a daily wage earner of Veeramunai 01. Sathiyaseelan's brother is a cadre of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the killers may have interrogated him about his brother and then shot him dead, residents of Veeramunai said.Veeramunai is situated 40 km southeast of Batticaloa town.

CHENNAI: General secretary of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Jayalalithaa on Monday accused the police of not taking action to curb the movement of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants and their activities such as smuggling of weapons and explosives to Sri Lanka on a large scale, besides stockpiling them in the State. In a statement here, she sought the intervention of the Central Government to safeguard the nation's security, as extremist and terrorist organisations had "intensified their activities, taking advantage of the situation prevailing in the State." Failure to curb such activities might result in raising demands, building intensified campaign, holding conferences and bringing out publications in support of extremism and terrorism, she cautioned.

Making the AIADMK's stand on the Sri Lankan ethnic problem clear, Ms. Jayalalithaa said even while stressing unity among the Tamils to find a solution to the issue, the party was keen that Tamil extremist groups in the island should not be encouraged. The party had taken a firm stand that the Government of India should earnestly strive for finding a solution to the Sri Lankan ethnic issue. At the same time, it had been strongly opposing the extremist groups. As the party thought that the ethnic issue could not be solved by taking up arms, it had been opposing extremism and terrorism, she added. Though some sections in Tamil Nadu argued that the LTTE should be supported on the basis of Tamil ethnic affinity, the AIADMK did not accept the theory, as it was of the view that such action would ultimately pave the way for the advent of extremism and terrorism in the State, she said. Ms.Jayalalithaa referred to the recent seizures of weapons and explosives off the Tamil Nadu coast, and said these were the "tip of the iceberg." There had been reports that persons belonging to the Sri Lankan extremist group had visited the State and the uninhabited islands off Rameswaram had been converted into arsenals of the extremists and terrorists, she added.

Pro-LTTEer and India’s MDMK General Secretary Vaiko said yesterday that though his party is supporting the cause of a separate Eelam for Tamils in Sri Lanka, it would not support those creating violence in Tamil Nadu in the name of Sri Lankan Tamils."When it comes to arms smuggling or using the land in Tamil Nadu to create violence or become reason to create violence, in the name of Eelam Tamils, MDMK will not support any organisation," Vaiko told reporters in Tamil Nadu.He also alleged and accused the US of supplying weapons to Sri Lanka illegally through Pakistan.

Canadian Tamils Call For Clarity From Ottawa on Sri Lankan Policy

Canada's largest Tamil organization has called on the federal government to clearly state its position on whether Tamils deserve the right to their own nation independent from Sri Lanka.On the fifth anniversary of the Sri Lankan ceasefire, representatives from the Canadian Tamil Congress noted in a news conference on Parliament Hill that Sri Lanka has since seen a disheartening backward slide into deepening chaos, violence, and aggression that has seen more than 3,000 Tamils killed and 250,000 displaced last year alone.Being the home of the largest Tamil diaspora in the world-numbering 300,000 people-Canada is in a unique position and carries special clout to help stop this dispiriting trend."Most Tamils in this country believe the ultimate solution to the plight of their relatives lies in Tamil independence," said Julian Francis, Ottawa Coordinator for the CTC.

"By every objective measure, Sri Lanka is a failed state. With state-sponsored pogroms, with military bombings of civilian areas, with the burning of homes and schools, Sri Lanka has failed to meet the basic criterion under which nation-states can justifiably continue to exist intact: that bottom line is protecting your own citizens from harm."Citing norms of international law, the CTC called on Ottawa to explain whether it believes - as it does - that Tamils deserve independence from Sri Lanka.The group also called on Ottawa to take more immediate steps that would place pressure on Sri Lanka to ease the suffering of Tamils in that country. They asked the federal government to demand that Sri Lanka put an end to the road blockades that have exacerbated an ongoing humanitarian crisis.

These blockades have prevented goods and international aid to flow into Tamil-controlled areas in the north-east parts of the country. They have also made it nearly impossible for Tamils to travel and seek consular and immigration services from Canada and other countries in the capital, Colombo."So many Tamils have found a paradise in Canada - and have contributed as honest, hard-working citizens thanks to the humanitarian amnesty granted in 1983 by former prime minister Brian Mulroney," added Francis."There would be more of our relatives here today, working hard, paying taxes, and getting an education, if they were able to flee that violence-ravaged country. But sadly, it's difficult for many of them to even reach the Canadian embassy."

Also in attendance was MP Maurice Vellacott, who expressed his personal admiration for the Tamil community's contribution to Canada, noting that Canadians ought to "allow them (potential Tamil refugees) to further contribute to our society."The CTC called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay to state a position on Sri Lanka's national status, and to participate with Immigration Minister Diane Finley in seeking a solution that would ease badly-needed access to Canadian consular services.The Canadian Tamil Congress is a national organization with over 10,000 members, dedicated to promoting human rights and celebrating Tamil culture.

With both the LTTE and the Karuna faction still actively recruiting child soldiers, the UN child rights group UNICEF yesterday urged the parties to turn “words into deeds” even as Government defense spokesman Keheliya Rambukwelle averred that a plan was already in motion to probe the involvement of certain elements of the military in the recruitment.The LTTE meanwhile accepted it had a large number of child recruits in its ranks and following discussions with UNICEF last week agreed to put forward an action plan within the next few days to release all underage child recruits.According to latest UNICEF figures there were 1710 outstanding cases of child recruitment by the LTTE out of which 707 were underage and the remaining 1003 were below the age of 18 at the time they were recruited but are now over the stipulated age.

As for the Karuna faction there are reports of 169 child abductions by January 31 and the UNICEF is seeking an assurance and stronger conviction to cease underage recruitment and an action plan on the lines of the commitment given by the LTTE. “Underage recruitment is not just an issue for the LTTE. The government also has a responsibility to investigate the alleged complicity of certain security forces with Karuna in child recruitment. We hope the government will transparently investigate these allegations with the right level of authority,” UNICEF spokesman Gordon Weiss told the Daily Mirror.While assuring that the government was probing the allegations and stood ready to go further with the probe Minister Rambukwelle cautioned UNICEF and others to be mindful that the rebels were capable of deceiving people to divert negative publicity.

“We are not ruling out investigating these allegations. We have infact already set a plan in motion in this regard. But with the LTTE losing on all counts they will try to find various methodologies to entice the international community. They can easily make some lady cry and say her child was abducted in a white van as usual and blame it on the forces,” Minister Rambukwelle told the Daily Mirror.UNICEF officials met LTTE political head S.P. Thamilchelvam in Killinochchi last week and discussed the highly controversial Allan Rock report, which was produced before the UN Security Council earlier this month and suggests sanctions against the LTTE for continued child recruitment.“The LTTE has committed to formulate an action plan. They will show us the action plan within the next few days. We laid down suggestions for the framework and are awaiting the final outcome. Among the suggestions, we made clear that we are against under 18 recruitment,” Mr. Weiss said.

Asked if UNICEF had access to child recruits in the LTTE Mr. Weiss said that was also part of the ongoing discussions with the rebels.“The LTTE has accepted that at least 90 percent of the allegations on child recruitment is true,” Mr. Weiss said and noted that despite the rebels preparing an action plan it would not in any way influence the Security Council to reconsider suggestions to impose sanctions.“It’s like a stigma. If sanctions are imposed it will send out a strong message,” Mr. Weiss added.

Water supply project in B’caloa after 90 years

Steps have been taken to instal a new water supply project in Batticaloa town after a period of nearly 90 years.The proposed water supply project will be named "unnichchai". This project will be a joint operation by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board along with Oxfam GB institution.Municipal Commissioner Batticaloa town M. Udayakumara states that inauguration of this scheme could be considered as a historic event.It would enable nearly 2,000 patients who come to the Teacher’s Hospital daily to get a continuous supply of pure water for their needs.There has been several complaints from residents and institutions regarding frequent interruptions caused to water supply. The new scheme will reduce spread of diseases to a great extent giving a great blessing to nearly 25,000 families in this town. Oxfam GB institution is spending nearly 48.5 million on this project. If not for this project the residents would have had to face severe problems in obtaining pure water by year 2010. This situation has now been avoided with the inauguration of the new water project.

The UNP has dismissed LTTE claims that the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), recognised its de-facto state in the North East, saying the agreement to create a favourable atmosphere for peace talks.UNP, General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said the party would never support the division of the country.“We signed the CFA to create a favourable environment to negotiate with the LTTE which waged war against the Sri Lankan state for two decades. Even before the CFA, there was a de-facto state in the northern and eastern provinces with the rebels having their own judiciary system, police service and other administrative mechanisms,” he said. Mr. Attanayake said there was no foundation for the LTTE argument that the CFA had given legal status to the de-facto state. The party’s sole objective was to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.

However, the Tigers, issuing a statement for the fifth anniversary of the CFA on February 22, claimed the agreement formulated with the full support of the international community, had transcended the parameters of Sri Lanka’s majoritarian constitution, recognizing Tamil Eelam’s de facto existence.Meanwhile, the JVP and JHU are urging the government to abrogate the CFA while JVP strongman Wimal Weerawansa vowed in Parliament last week to nullify the agreement in a similar manner adopted for the de-merger of the North and East.Meanwhile, the UNP said in a statement yesterday that the governments of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga (2004-2005) and President Mahinda Rajapaksa (2005 - to date) accepted the fact that the agreement was only to find a negotiated solution to the conflict The UNP said the parties to the agreement recognized the right of the Sri Lankan armed forces to continue performing their legitimate task of safeguarding the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the country.“This alone prevents the de-facto recognition of a separate state,” the party says.

Tamil gangs tackled from 'within' BBC News, London

For a 26-year-old, Abhya's face seems to have too many scars. "That was someone trying to take my eye out with a broken beer bottle," he said pointing to the circular scar almost encircling his right eye. "And this here was a cut from a samurai sword," he added, showing a cut which extends from his hairline to his right eyebrow. The scar sent shivers down my spine, but Abhya, who did not want to be identified, describes a confrontation with a rival group at a wedding in 2005 in Ilford, east London, in a matter-of-fact way. "They chased me down the high street. When I confronted them, one of them cut me on the forehead." Those who attacked Abhya were members of a Tamil gang. Since 2000 Tamil gangs in London have been involved in many gory confrontations, which have resulted in 10 deaths, spurring the Metropolitan Police to set up a special task force, Operation Enver, to tackle Tamil gang-related incidents. Abhya says he used to 'hang around with friends' and got involved in fights, but denied being in any organised gang.

A childhood friend's gruesome death in 2003 jolted him into reforming his ways. His friend was 23. "He was watching TV downstairs and I was upstairs with other guys when a group wearing masks came and shot him thrice through the window. He died on my birthday." Chief Inspector Derrick Griffiths, who has been involved with the special task force, said there are five main Tamil gangs in London. They are based in East Ham and Walthamstow in east London, Wembley in north-west London and Merton and Croydon in south London. The East Ham group is the biggest with 30 core members. But a series of crackdowns, patrols and installing CCTV cameras on the High Street over the past 18 months has driven the gangs into hiding. Despite these measures and a relatively quiet two years, people still live in fear as police were only able to secure convictions in two of 10 murders, said Mr Griffiths. "All crimes were detected and people were charged but what we found was the level of intimidation was so high that we couldn't get anybody from the Tamil community to come to court and give evidence," he said. The gang violence shocked the nearly 100,000-strong Sri Lankan Tamil community in London. Vellupillai Jegendira Bose, 58, who owns an estate agency on East Ham High Street, faced the wrath of the gangs when he attended a community meeting called by the police. "After the meeting I was joking with the officer that I may need protection, and when I returned someone had shattered the display window of the shop," he said.

Most of the violence has resulted from inter-gang rivalries and revenge attacks stemming from territorial control, community leaders believe. Historically the gangs have largely been involved in credit card frauds and extortion from local businesses. A police operation uncovered that in the past two years alone, credit card frauds by Tamil gangs amounted to £70m. In Newham, for instance, gang members demand £10,000 to £15,000 a year from shops and businesses while they confiscate cars from people and demand up to £3,000 for their return, Mr Griffiths said. And the money is sent to Sri Lanka to fund the struggle by Tamil Tiger rebels, he added. Rebels are fighting for a separate homeland for the country's 3.1m-strong Tamil population following decades of alleged discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. But this has been repeatedly and vehemently denied by community leaders although some do believe that the Tamil Tigers use gangs to threaten people. Paul Sathianesan, a councillor in Newham, said: "The anti-social behaviour is damaging race relations and spoiling the image of the community, but it is mostly territorial control with these boys. They have nothing to do with the fighting in Sri Lanka."

Mr Griffiths said they have successfully subdued some gangs by arresting and slapping ASBOs on main players, but many businessmen like Mr Bose say some should be deported to send a strong message. Deportation is a tricky issue, said Mr Griffiths, although police have submitted at least 24 names to the Home Office. "The boys get rid of their ID papers so when they are taken back to Sri Lanka the immigration there says we can't prove their nationality," he said. "Also many of these boys are second generation Tamils who are born and bred here." Mala Krishnaraja, 56, who heads Tamil Community Forum, said young children are most vulnerable. "Boys of 12 and 14 are being lured by the gangs. The attraction of having money and flashy cars and the show of power gets the children interested in gang culture." The police have carried out regular raids to seize weapons from gang hide-outs. While their weapon of choice seems to be samurai swords, axes and daggers, guns have started infiltrating the leadership, some of whom now carry pistols, Mr Griffiths said. Following the recent spate of shootings in south London, which claimed the lives of three teenagers, a police report identified 169 groups, more than a quarter of which have been involved in murders. With regard to the Tamil gangs Mr Griffiths said their next target will be money launderers and Tamil Tiger fundraisers. Even people from the community agree that recent measures have brought the gang menace under control.

Mr Griffiths said: "Unreported crimes are still a problem but the number of intelligence reports have gone from one in two to three months to 10 or 15 a week. The intelligence flow is very important in relation to future action and our success." Although optimistic, Abhya believes every time a gang is subdued the next generation takes over. "Teenagers follow their brothers or cousins... We need to help these boys rather than classing them as gangs as that gives them publicity," he said. "People need to go to schools and speak to these boys. The action needs to come from within the community."

The LTTE has commenced a project to rebuild its Sea Tiger fleet which had been depleted following attacks by the forces.The Sea Tigers, who in recent months lost hundreds of boats, have set a target of 100 new boats in a fortnight, intelligence sources said."Information we received on the project, was proved correct when the Navy captured a stock of equipment, devices and machinery, intended for building sea craft, on Saturday at Mannar," a senior intelligence officer told The Island.A lorry transporting hardware to the Vidithalathivu area was taken into custody at a road block in Mannar, manned by the Navy on Saturday (24) around 1.30 p.m. The driver and assistant too were taken in. "At first they suppressed the correct details of the recipients. Later they admitted that the lorry load was intended to be handed over to LTTE Sea Tiger operatives to be sent to a camp in Vidithalathivu," the officer said.Fifty boxes of Satellite installing parts, for Antenna, 20 packets of Antenna installation spare parts, 2,500 polythene bags, Four fiberglass barrels, 50 barrels of acid, 72 motor cycle batteries, 25 electric generators, 356 compound bottles, Six barrels of nylon Cord gum, and 11 rolls of nylon cord were taken in. The lorry and the goods with the driver and assistant have been handed over to the Mannar Police for further investigations.

The LTTE cannot be defeated militarily, US tells Sri Lanka

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka has warned against attempts to underestimate the LTTE and asserted that they cannot be defeated militarily, Indo Asian News Service reported yesterday.Ambassador Robert Blake also said in a telephonic interview with IANS from Colombo that his country ‘respectfully disagreed’ with those in Sri Lanka who feel a military solution was possible to end the dragging Tamil separatist campaign.The ambassador, who took charge in September 2006, made it clear that only devolution of powers that satisfy the ‘legitimate aspirations’ of the Tamil minority could be the basis for any negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE.Blake’s comments to IANS came as thousands of Tamil civilians began fleeing northern Sri Lanka amid fears of full-scale war and a declaration by the LTTE that it was resuming its ‘freedom struggle’.‘The situation is serious but there is light at the end of the tunnel,’ said the envoy, whose country is a key and most outspoken member of the international community that oversees now virtually dead peace process.

He said a majority in the Southern Sri Lanka felt that ‘a military solution is possible. We respectfully disagree. The LTTE cannot be defeated militarily without a parallel political strategy to address the grievances of the Tamil community...‘I don’t think a military solution is possible without a parallel political strategy. The LTTE has significant capability to attack, using terrorist means. We should not underestimate that. I think there would be costs (to pay) to a military strategy. The most important thing in our view is to come up with a credible (political) process.’Blake, however, suggested that while he thought that Sri Lanka remained committed to peace despite the military pursuing a military strategy, the LTTE’s credentials vis-a-vis a negotiated settlement were doubtful.‘The government is committed to peace. Every time I speak to (President Mahinda Rajapakse) and senior members of the government, they assure me they are committed to a peaceful settlement. I have no reasons to doubt that.‘The military believes in a military solution but the policy of the government is to pursue (a negotiated settlement). At this point of time, without a proposal, there is nothing to negotiate over.‘As for the LTTE, I cannot say if they are committed to peace. Their record of 20 years shows they have never seriously pursued the peace option. The government will have to soon give them a chance to see if they are ready to negotiate in good faith.’

The internationally backed Norwegian-sponsored ceasefire agreement (CFA) signed by Sri Lanka and the LTTE entered its sixth year Feb 22 with all signs pointing to a war again in the island.‘Since last year, the human rights situation has also deteriorated,’ Blake said. ‘There is therefore an urgent need to end the fighting and resume talks (for) a negotiated settlement.’He said the US believed that a body representing almost all political parties and tasked to come up with power sharing proposals provided an important opportunity to achieve peace.‘We very much hope the proposals that emerge will be credible and meet the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people in particular but also of the other communities. This could be the basis for the talks between the government and the LTTE...‘The most important thing is the government has an opportunity. It must come up with a credible solution. They have the votes in parliament. There is very strong evidence that (the main opposition United National Party) will support a credible solution. That would be a major, major step forward.’

The ambassador pointed out that there had been ‘very significant consequences’ for the failure of the LTTE to settle for peace since the last round of talks in Geneva that ended in a fiasco. ‘We think there is a strong incentive for both sides to go back to the table.’But irrespective of what happens, he said ‘we cannot imagine a situation’ when the US would support an LTTE state, which for all practical purposes now exists in parts of Sri Lanka’s north and where Colombo’s writ does not run. ‘The US takes a very hard line regarding the LTTE.’Asked if India needed to play a more pro-active role, Blake said he disagreed with the surmise of the question.‘India is already playing a very active role and is a major if not the pre-eminent player in Sri Lanka. The US cooperates very closely with our Indian friends on the situation in Sri Lanka. I don’t see any difference in our analysis of the situation or what needs to be done. We will continue our cooperation with India.’

Ousted Minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi yesterday vowed he would never accept a portfolio under President Mahinda Rajapaksa and said there was no point in President Rajapaksa imposing conditions for his return. Speaking to the Daily Mirror yesterday Mr. Sooriyarachchi said however he and Mangala Samaraweera would continue to be SLFP MPs.President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the TV programme “Janapathi Janahamuwa” on Saturday said the two ousted ministers should apologize to the security forces for their statements on the military movements in the East, if the two wished to be back in the Cabinet.Mr. Sooriyaarachchi denied charges that he had undermined the security forces and weakened their morale with his post-ouster statements.He categorically said what he criticized was, the manner in which the strength and the morale of the security forces were being wasted on a war waged on political agendas by the political leadership.

“I salute the valour, morale and the strength of the security forces. But, they are forced to fight with the LTTE according to the whims and fancies of politicians, on a political agenda. Not only me, even JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti had pointed out that this war was being carried out according to a political agenda aimed at winning elections,” he said. The former minister said he along with Mr. Samaraweera would create awareness among people on these latest political trends through a series of public meetings under the theme ‘Mangala Abinandana’ to be conducted island-wide. “Attempts are being made to create a bad impression among the public about us. We will explain the truth to the people at our meetings” said Mr. Sooriayaarachchi.

The Sri Lanka monitoring mission has closed down its office in Vavuniya and returned to Colombo due to the insecure environment in the area. However speakeing to LeN SLMM spokesperson Thoffinur Omarson said that the officers of the SLMM Vavuniya office were brought to Colombo to conduct a briefing and that they would resume monitoring in the area soon. But it is reported that the crimes rate in the area has seen a severe increase as several murders and abductions are reported from there everyday.

Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Manthikai Government hospital in Point Pedro and other hospitals in Jaffna district are unable to perform surgeries as stocks of saline drip and other essential medicines have depleted, medical sources in Jaffna said. Government supplies of medicines earmarked for the first quarter of year 2007 has not been shipped from Colombo to Jaffna, hospital sources said. Residents of Jaffna peninsula requiring critical medicines are forced to pay up sometimes up to ten times the normal market value from private traders who have small amount of stocks left, according to Jaffna residents. Although two months of first quarter of 2007 are almost over, essential medicines, oxygen cylinders and other surgical accessories are yet to be shipped from Colombo, medical sources in Jaffna said.Since the SLA closure of the A9 route to Jaffna in 11 August 2006, essential medicines and other medical needs for the peninsula arrived in ships from Colombo.Dr. A. Ketheeswaran, Director of Public Health Service in Jaffna district, said Saturday that essential medicines allocated for the first quarter of 2007 are being loaded in ship in Colombo and that the consignment is expected to reach Jaffna soon. He, however, did not mention a specific time frame for the arrival of medicines.He also added that action has been taken to ship sufficient number of oxygen cylinders to Jaffna peninsula.

The JVP yesterday dismissed Minister Susil Premjayanth’s assertion that talks between President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government and the JVP collapsed due to their fault.Severely criticising the government over Saturday’s telecast of a live question and answer session with the participation of President Mahinda Rajapakse and several Cabinet ministers, the JVP mainly challenged Premjayanth’s claim that the government accepted 18 out of the 20 proposals forwarded by the JVP as a prerequisite for joining the Rajapakse administration.The JVP said that their proposals were sent to the government on August 5 last year. According to the JVP, the SLFP responded in a statement dated August 17 and contrary to Premjayanth’s assertion the SLFP accepted only a few proposals.

The JVP emphasised that the SLFP rejected several important proposals, including the two critical demands, abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement and to end the Norwegian role in the peace process. The JVP accused the SLFP of side-stepping several other proposals, including the de-merger of the Eastern Province from the North on the basis that it would be subjudicae.A JVP spokesperson accused the government of trying to paint a wrong picture of the circumstances leading to the collapse of SLFP-JVP talks and the subsequent political alliance with the UNP.The JVP challenged Premjayanth’s claim that the SLFP agreed to restrict the number of Cabinet Ministers to 25. In fact, the JVP had called for a 30-member Cabinet of Ministers, an equal number of Deputies and an assurance that any other portfolios would not be created to appease members. The JVP also emphasised the need to make Cabinet appointments on what the spokesman termed as a scientific formula. The SLFP Central Committee, while accepting the principal to reduce the number of Cabinet Ministers emphasised that the right of the President to appoint the Cabinet should not be challenged, the JVP pointed out.

The JVP said the government should not have expanded the Cabinet. "We offered our support without taking any portfolios," the spokesman said. He faulted the President for failing to put a ceiling on the Cabinet, when appointments were made after the last presidential election.The JVP also challenged Premjayanth’s claim that the President wrote to Karu Jayasuriya regarding a government-UNP alliance after the collapse of negotiations with the JVP. The JVP claimed that the government initiated talks with the UNP in September while negotiations were continuing with the JVP. Government-JVP talks collapsed on October 3, the spokesman said.

The Military yesterday claimed that, over the weekend, they captured four Tiger bases in the Peraru area in the Trincomlaee district; forcing the LTTE to withdraw further north of the district, while the Navy captured another two camps in the east of Trincomalee. “The Tigers are now losing Trincomalee district, as the security forces capture key Tigers bases, killing a large number of fleeing LTTE combatants,” military Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said.He said that among the captured camps was one training camp with facilities for 40 trainees and another used as a hospital which could accommodate 50. A large quantity of medicines and medical equipment has also been recovered from another base.“An LTTE camp in the Peraru area, identified as a transit camp for terrorists moving to Sampur and VakaraiI was also captured by the Army,” the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the Navy, also a part of the military operation, on Saturday captured another two Tiger camps in Kumburupiddi area. “The Special Boat Squadron of the Navy captured LTTE’s ‘Baskaran’ and ‘Tango One’ camps during their operation,” Navy Spokesman D.K.P. Dassanayake said.He said that a large stock of military items were recovered from these camps.Meanwhile, security forces using artillery and Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers, targeted LTTE cadres fleeing to West Veppankulam, inflicting heavy casualties. “The manner in which the terrorists had abandoned their camps confirmed that they had suffered heavy losses,” he said.The security forces have recovered large stocks of weapons and ammunition from the captured LTTE camps. They include Claymore mines, 60 and 81 mm mortars, hand grenades, T. 56 assault rifles, anti personnel mines, RPG bombs, motorcycles and a huge stock of ammunition. Troops are consolidating their positions, ensuring the security of the villages situated alongside the Trincomalee –Tiriyaya road, the Morawewa area and the Kumburupiddi area.So far the LTTE has not responded to the military’s claim, but on Thursday night announced they were re-launching their ‘freedom struggle’ to achieve statehood.

A team of UGC officials headed by Deputy Minister of Higher Education M. M. Musthafa is visiting the Eastern University today (26) to work out a strategy to restore its academic activities.The University has been crippled since its Vice Chancellor Prof. S. Ravindranath was abducted in Colombo on Dec. 15 without any clue to date of his abduction. The situation has become worse following a deadly landmine attack on forces close to the university on Jan. 31 and the arrest of nine university workers in this connection.The team comprises UGC Chairman Prof. Gamini Samarawickrema, Vice Chairman Nanayakara and officials of Higher Education Ministry. The team will hold discussions with Acting VC Dr. Padmanathan, University Academics, students and parents to work out a speedy solution to the problem.Meanwhile the UGC has decided not to admit Sinhala and Muslim students to the Jaffna and the Eastern Universities.

500m rule for Trinco IDPs

The Sri Lankan government is to impose a 500m limit from the coastal line for those resettling in Trincomalee district.The government administrators have also decided to impose a resettlement limit of 50m from the main road, "until a firm decision is taken".In a meeting held in Trincomalee on resettling internally displaced people (IDPs) in Batticaloa welfare centres, military officials have submitted the proposal to government representatives.The meeting on 13 February was chaired by Governor of the North and East, Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama.

The minutes of the said meeting, issued to media on Sunday, said the areas for the proposed coal power plant and Trincomalee Metro Urban Development area have already been earmarked.District Secretariats in Trincomalee and Batticaloa were urged to identify villages and families that could be resettled in areas under Muthur, Seruwilla and Eachillampathai Divisional Secretariats. Minister in charge of Resettlement, Rishad Badiurdeen, told BBC Sandeshaya that the government is willing to listen to concerns of the refugees.The minister was not aware of the meeting held nearly two weeks ago.The resettlement is to be completed by 31 March, 2007.

Unidentified persons abducted three Tamils in Mannar in two separate incidents when they were traveling along Mannar-Talaimannar main road, Tuesday afternoon, according to complaints made by their relatives with the regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL). They have been identified as Louis Moraes Satkunanathan,59, a retired Grama Sevaka Officer, Anestine Kathirkumar, 31, and Christie Balendran Croos, 29.Unidentified men abducted Louis Moraes Satkunanathan of Sinnakadai in Mannar town, father of three, with his motorbike when he was going to supervise a construction work he had undertaken in Talaimannar. Anestine and Christie were abducted when they were returning home in a motorbike with provisions they bought in Mannar bazaar. They are residents of Pesalai and fishermen by profession, according to the complaints.The relatives have also lodged complaints with Mannar branch of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and Police.

Brother in law of SSP Colombo crimes division Sarath Lugoda has gone missing since last night.

Missing Raja Pulendun is married to a sister of the SSP and he is originally from Batticaloa. Is also the owner of "Millennium Colour Lab" in Borella. The victim had left the office with his manager and had dropped him in his house in Krulapona. Then Pulendun had been coming to his house in Kohuwala Via Balapokuna Mawatha. Then a vehicle that followed him had overtaken his vehicle and forced Pulendun to stop the vehicle. Then the abductors had attempted to open the doors and Pulendun had then locked his vehicle to which the abductors reacted by pulling out the victim through the windscreen after breaking it. This had been revealed to the police by a group of people that were in a nearby vehicle. It is reported that the victim and his family members had received death threats a week ago. Some say the abduction is a result of a business dispute that took place with one his nieces while some say he had refused to pay taxes to the LTTE when he was in Batticaloa. But there is also a group who say that Pulendun was abducted to avoid the SSP of the Colombo Crimes Division investigating a particular case.

The Kirulapone police informed the additional Magistrate of Colombo Gihan Pilapitiya that a women and her child were abducted in an ambulance by two unidentified persons and released the following day at Peradeniya..IP Ranasinghe of the Kirulapone Police informed the Magistrate that neither the suspects nor the ambulance had yet been identified or traced. They said investigations into the incident were continuing.The complainant Mrs. Gomez of Dutugemunu Street Kirulapane said she was the wife of a teacher at a private tutory. She said, she and her child were abducted at Baseline Road on their way to Kirulopane. On the day of the incident, at about 9.00 a.m. the abductors who came in an ambulance asked her whether she was the "wife of Ashim". When she said she was, they had dragged into the ambulance and driven away.At 4.30 p.m. the ambulance stopped near a two-storied building and they were taken into house and locked up in a room. At night they were provided with biscuits and water.She claimed neither she nor her child were subject to bodily harm by their abductors. On the following morning she was taken in another vehicle to an unknown destination and released .Later she had come to know that she was in Peradeniya. She had gone to the police station and complained of the incident.The reason for the abduction is unclear and police moved for a date to file a progress report.The matter will be taken up on May 18

CHENNAI: BJP on Sunday warned the Tamil Nadu government to be 'extra-vigilant' against attempts of arms smuggling to Sri Lanka from the state. Senior party leader Venkaiah Naidu said that the party was concerned about the series of seizures of arms, ammunition and materials used to make weapons in Tamil Nadu and said the State government should come down firmly against those involved in such activities and those co-operating with them knowingly or unknowingly. Replying to a question on likely solution to the river water disputes, he said the NDA government had prepared a Rs 5,33,000 crore proposal for linking of rivers adding this was the only solution for such disputes. He said political parties should not resolve such disputes and the Centre should negotiate with the State governments concerned and find solutions to such problems.

"Abrogate CFA": President challenged

The main opposition in Sri Lanka has challenged the head of the state to abrogate the truce entered with the rebels if it threatens to divide the country.The United National Party (UNP) accused President Mahinda Rajapaksa of being vague on the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) signed with the Tamil Tigers."The President has the power to abrogate the CFA and go for a new agreement. Why doesn't he do that?" UNP General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake, questioned in a UNP gathering in Polonnaruwa.The Norwegian brokered CFA was signed by the then UNP Prime Minister, Ranil Wickramasinghe, and the LTTE leader,Velupillai Prabhakaran, on 22 February 2002.In an interview with BBC's Roland Buerk, President Rajapaksa described the truce as a "mistake".Attanayake said Rajapaksa has given "vague answers" when asked he is prepared to withdraw from the internationally hailed agreement."A head of state should be able to provide direct answers," he said.

India has informed the Mahinda Rajapakse government that its support for the resolution of the ethnic conflict will only be forthcoming if the proposals to be submitted are an improvement on the 2000 Draft Constitution of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga. The 2000 draft proposals provided for a union of regions within an undivided state with a merger of the north and east subject to a subsequent referendum. The Sunday Leader learns India has communicated its thinking to the government last week in the backdrop of the impending proposals of the SLFP to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC). It is learnt, India has also stated while the Majority Report of the Experts Committee to the APRC was a positive development, the Tissa Vitharana Report had diluted its content and any further dilution will be looked at negatively. The government was told that ultimately if it needs the support of India and the international community to sell the political solution to the moderates, the political package would have to be an improvement on the 2000 proposals and not less in substance. Diplomatic sources told The Sunday Leader the government was told the proposals must be 'respectable and reasonable.'

The much talked about nexus between President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and ousted Minister Mangala Samaraweera and the JVP is emerging once again.According to informed sources it is likely that former Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Shripathi Sooriyarachchi will form an alliance with former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to oppose President Mahinda Rajapaksa.The duo is likely to join hands with JVP to achieve their objective and their main focus these days is to push President Mahinda Rajapaksa towards the dissolution of Parliament.Although the UNP is not in direct truck with this alliance they too are working with some understanding with the Mangala – Shripathi nexus to bring the government down.Soon after the birthday celebrations of Minister Anura Bandaranaike, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga visited Mangala Samaraweera at his Stanmore Crescent residence during the wee hours of parody unlike Minister Samaraweera still having a meeting with his close associates.Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had apparently found fault with Anura Bandaranaike for having left Mangala Samaraweera and joining hands with President Rajapaksa.However, when President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s sentiments were conveyed to Mr. Anura Bandaranaike he has snapped back saying “I have better things to do rather than wearing dark glasses and going from commission to commission seeking protection,” an attempt to justify his position.Early this week too former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had telephoned Mr. Bandaranaike and had given him an earful for having gone back to the fold of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.What political analysts question is how the intended alliance is going to work out especially between the pro-devolution UNP and the anti-devolution JVP. But earlier too former President Kumaratunga who is pro-devolution was able to form an alliance with the JVP to defeat the UNP government.

A Colombo District UNP member had held a round of talks with four members of the UNP reformist group parliamentarians who joined the government, in a bid to win them back to the UNP fold, a Minister of the UNP reformist group said yesterday."The talks were unsuccessful", he said.He said the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe made capital out of some shortcomings in the newly constituted ministries and assigned this UNP member to talk to the four dissidents and promise them positions in the party, he said."But the four parliamentarians had refused to return to the Opposition", the Minister said.When asked whether any more UNP parliamentarians were planning to cross over to the government benches, he said it was confirmed that four more were on line and are expected to join the government in the near future.He said the SLFP and the other constituent parties of the government had give President Rajapakse a mandate to invite any UNP members to join. The President was also given a free hand to give any ministerial positions to those who join the government.

The government will put forward its devolution proposals as a political solution to the North-East crisis, before April 13. This was revealed by President’s Special Advisor Basil Rajapaksa to Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Japan’s Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi.during a recent visit to Japan. During the visit Aso and Akashi inquired about the prospects for peace and Rajapaksa had said that the devolution proposals would be ready by April. The Japanese Foreign Minister had said that economic prosperity should accompany freedom and peace. Meanwhile Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had told the Co-chairs that the devolution proposals would be ready by end March. Last week the Co-chairs held a tele-conference where Norwegian Special Envoy Erik Solheim, Japan’s Yasushi Akashi, American Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and the EU representative exchanged views on the Sri Lankan situation. They all agreed that the general situation in the country had not improved in the absence of moves to resume peace talks. However, the government announced at the Development Forum held in Galle recently that they were ready to talk with the LTTE although it is not acceptable that the LTTE assumes the position of sole representative of Tamils. Two weeks ago Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar visited Kilinochchi and discussed matters with LTTE Political Wing Leader S.P. Thamilselvan while expressing disappointment over the present situation.

Mangala Samaraweera in his capacity as Foreign Minister had informed President Mahinda Rajapakse that there was a widening chasm in Sri Lanka's relations with India and the only way of bridging the gap was by a show of clear support for the devolution of power and addressing the human rights issues. In a letter dated December 13, 2006, Samaraweera has in his capacity as Foreign Minister told the President it was clear from Rajapakse's meeting with the Indian Premier in November 2006 that Indian policy is dictated more and more by Tamil Nadu forces and that a realistic view must be taken of this situation. "We must be realistic to recognise that the Indian central government will not do anything to upset any of the southern states, especially Tamil Nadu, as those are the states that have put India on the world map through their technological and economic development in many fields. Even the latest assurance by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi to Karunanidhi about not supplying lethal weapons to Sri Lanka is indicative of this stance," Samaraweera wrote. Samaraweera has further pointed out that the only instrument Sri Lanka has to bridge the widening chasm was the clear support for devolution of power and some visible action with regard to human rights and humanitarian problems. "If we do not do that, it is quite possible that India may join other Western powers to bring international strictures and even embargoes on Sri Lanka. It is unrealistic to expect India to alienate Tamil Nadu as well as European countries in order to support the Sri Lanka government, especially if we have no clear policy of supporting devolution and preventing and investigating human rights allegations," Samaraweera wrote

LTTE Political Wing Leader S.P. Tamilselvan on Friday met with UNICEF country head, Joanna Van Gerpen at the LTTE Political Head Quarters to discuss on the report by UN Special Representative Allan Rock and follow up actions.Tamilselvan at the meeting invited the UNICEF to appoint a special representative to be in touch with the representative to be appointed by LTTE’s Child Protection Authority, to discuss on complaints of underage child recruitment and to take immediate action.Tamilselvan also promised to submit a work plan for close cooperation with UNICEF on all matters that come under the Security Council Resolution 1612.

Troops are engaged in a major jungle operation aimed at weakening LTTE units operating in parts of the Batticaloa district. Specialised units operating north of Trincomalee-Horowpothana road are seeking to neutralise enemy units which are believed to be isolated due to growing security forces presence in the Batticaloa-Trincomalee region.The military launched the operation a few days ago, a senior military official said. "We are seeking to neutralise their presence in an area upto Yan Oya," he said. This would be pivotal to the overall military strategy, he said. Once troops establish control over the area where the current phase of ground operations are focused on, the military would have the opportunity to clear the Batticaloa basin of the LTTE.The Sunday Island learns that units which spearheaded the recent assault on the LTTE-held Vakarai region are engaged in the operation. The thrust would deny the LTTE (in the East) easy access to Mullaitivu, the military said. Impeding both overland and sea routes to and from the East would be critical to prevent the LTTE from replenishing its depleted arsenal in the East.

The military believes at least 300 LTTE cadres had managed to escape through the circuitous jungle route as troops advanced on their Vakarai bases. The Vakarai region encompasses a large expanse of land north of Navalady Junction extending 50km to the Verugal River. Navalady Junction, held by the army is situated 34 kms North of Batticaloa town, on the Batticaloa-Colombo road. The region’s eastern boundary extends to the shores overlooking Bay of Bengal and the west lined by agricultural land and forests. Batticaloa-Trincomalee highway (A-15) passes through Vakarai.Immediately after the fall of Vakarai, the military declared that it would target LTTE units operating in the Thoppigala region.As part of the ongoing offensive action, troops late last week cleared three abandoned LTTE bases in the Kumuruppiddi area. Terrorists operating out of them targeted military traffic on both Trincomalee-Thiriyaya and Trincomalee-Anuradhapura roads Troops recovered a large number of Claymore mines, anti – personnel mines, RPGs, RPG bombs, 81mm base plate, generators, T 56 assault rifles, 60mm mortars and bombs, disposable RPGs, motor cycles and large quantities of ammunition abandoned by terrorists.

The army and the navy also conducted a major clearing operation in the Kaddawan area. The military said that naval troops cleared two LTTE bases identified as Tango one and Baskaran in the Peraru jungles, north of Trincomalee. The two bases, abandoned before the SLN moved in are situated in the Nilaweli sector.Defence Secretary Colonel Gotabhaya Rajapakse yesterday emphasized the need to continue with the ongoing military action to prevent the LTTE from re-grouping in the north and east. Dismissing recent reports on a secret pact between President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government and the LTTE, the retired infantryman said that they were determined to go ahead with planned action against the LTTE.Rajapakse said that they won’t be distracted by unfair criticism. He ridiculed the perception that the military was moving into the East with the knowledge of the LTTE while allowing the group to run the north. "Absolute rubbish," he said. "See what is happening on the ground, not only in the East but the north as well. We are working to a plan and won’t be sidetracked by unfair criticism," he said.

The architect of the government’s military action said that the LTTE was on the run. Had they any chance of holding onto Sampur or Vakarai, would they have been vacated, he asked. They abandoned their weapons including the big guns, explosives-laden boats and fled the region, he said. Since losing the battle for Mavilaru in the middle of last year they suffered a series of devastating defeats, he said, accusing the critics of seeking to give a lifeline to the enemy.The Defence Secretary urged the masses to rally around security forces and police. Petty politics, in fighting and insignificant disputes should not be allowed to impede the battle against terrorism.

Batticaloa district plunged into darkness due to interruption of electricity supply following a 15 minute heavy artillery and Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) barrage by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Batticaloa Brigade camp and Mylambaveli SLA camp on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territories , Saturday from 6:30 p.m., sources in Batticaloa said. SLA shells fell and exploded in Ayithiyamalai, Karadianary, Pankudaveli and other areas in the LTTE held territory.Most areas in Batticaloa district shook due to the barrage, and areas in Batticaloa district suffered loss of electricity supply.Casualties in the LTTE held areas were not available.

President off to China on official visit

President Mahinda Rajapakse who begins his five-day official visit to China this week is expected to discuss technical and financial assistance for the Hambantota Port Development Project from the Chinese government, official sources said.This gigantic project, estimated to cost to Rs. 30.9 billion million it calls for, is expected to be completed by 2011. It requires completion of three vital components - the breakwater project, the industrial port and the bunkering facility, the sources said. Treasury Secretary, Dr. P. B. Jayasundera, had earlier informed the media that the commercial contract between the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Chinese partners had already been finalized, expressing hope that the signing of the deal could take place in China during the President’s visit.Hambantota has the potential of being expanded into a major transshipment port, given its location within ten nautical miles from the world’s busiest shipping line. This expansion could also see the fruition of other periphery projects which could contribute to the overall development of the area.Both China and Japan had expressed willingness to fund major infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka, with Japan already announcing provision of 392.3 million Japanese Yen to the Greater Colombo Urban Transport Development Project, Water Sector Development Project and Pro-poor rural development project. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are also expected to provide funds of a similar magnitude, the sources said.

The government has once again sought UN help to send supplies to Jaffna. Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe has sent a new set of proposals to Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse that includes a request for the UN to "look into chartering a cargo plane to supplement government efforts in sending supplies to Jaffna." The proposals were first made by the Joint Assessment Team and were submitted by the Minister to the Defence Secretary on February 20 at the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance. However, the UN office in Colombo declined to comment on the development and said that the committee meetings were usually kept confidential. "Recommendations for improvement were made by the Joint Assessment Team on issues relating to essential supplies and services, health services, livelihood and movement of people," the Ministry however said in a press release. It was these recommendations that Samarasinghe has now forwarded to the Defence Secretary.

The recommendations look at easing the food and medicine supply situation in Jaffna that has been without a land link since the closure of the A9 on August 11. The UN has been chartering several flights to move officials as well as supplies to Jaffna since air routes were reopened. An earlier attempt to move supplies to Jaffna by land as well as sea under UN cover did not materialise. A possible UN role came under discussion when the ICRC pulled out of accompanying ships to Jaffna last September when the Tigers declined to give security guarantees. The UN too said that it would seek security guarantees from all parties, including non-state actors if it were to play a significant role in the movement of food and supplies. The suggestion to involve the UN was also met with stiff criticism by the JVP, which said that such a move would internationalise what was in its view a domestic situation.

The Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance which is held fortnightly under the chairmanship of Minister Samarasinghe is represented by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Commissioner General of Essential Services, Secretaries of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development Ministry, Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Ministry, Health and Nutrition Ministry, SCOPP, Chairman of the Co-Chairs and US Ambassador, Robert Blake, Resident Coordinator / Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN, Frederick Lyons, heads of UN agencies, ECHO and NGO representatives, the Ministry said.

What is easily the Police Department's most coveted arm, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), is undergoing a complete purge.Officers at the higher echelons are all being moved out after a new decision that they should also serve in operational or war-torn areas. Until now, the CID has remained a closed unit and its senior officers were never transferred. This was on the basis that their appointees were handpicked personnel with good professional records and high integrity. However, the National Police Commission (NPC) has accepted a recommendation that senior officers in the CID too should serve terms outside the unit.Asoka Wijetilleke, presently DIG (CID) is expected to be moved out to Police Headquarters to be in charge of a newly created international unit. Upali Gunasekera, a newly promoted DIG is tipped to succeed him. Mr. Gunasekera was posted to the Trincomalee division as acting DIG and is currently serving in that capacity.Sisira Mendis, SSP who has served in the CID for more than 30 years and now its Director is to take over the Vavuniya Division. He is tipped to be succeeded by an old CID hand, SSP Nimal Kulatunga, who is now attached to the Sri Lanka High Commission in Canada. Three Assistant Superintendents of Police in the CID have already been transferred out. They are Mevan Silva (with 22 years service) to Talaimannar, Senaka Kumarasinghe to Vavuniya and N Wickremasinghe to Batticaloa. The CID is the equivalent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India.

A former Indonesian general has pleaded guilty for his role in arms trafficking.Erick Wotulo was caught in September during an undercover operation in Maryland targeting illegal arms dealers.He was one of six South Asian arms dealers who were accused of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to ship high-tech weapons to rebels in Sri Lanka and the Indonesian Army.He pleaded guilty yesterday in Baltimore federal court to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and money laundering.He is the third person to plead guilty in the case.

Contrary to assurances that the new ministers in the super-size Cabinet of President Mahinda Rajapaksa will only be drawing their salaries as parliamentarians and not be given any perks, a scramble for luxury vehicles by the new ministers has begun.Early this week Treasury Secretary P. B. Jayasundera directed Director General Budget Sudharma Karunaratne to prepare a policy guideline circular on allocation of new vehicles.Dr. Jayasundera, said that only four applications had been received so far and they were being approved on a case by case basis and provisions provided for through miscellaneous votes as these expenses were not envisaged in the last budget.The Sunday Times however, learns that as many as 40 new luxury vehicles were likely to be ordered.Unconfirmed reports said the vehicles were bullet proof BMWs like the one that saved the life of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse on December 1 and may cost about Rs. 80 million each.It is also learnt that while the Treasury is merely approving and providing financial allocations, the actual procurement of vehicles is being done by the presidential secretariat.

Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian S. Jeyanandamoorthy charged Saturday that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are dismantling civilians homes and stripping them of furniture and equipments in the recently captured Vaharai area. The internally displaced people (IDPs) who fled Vaharai before the SLA entered the area, have been prevented from entering the area by the soldiers guarding the entry points, the parliamentarian said. Meanwhile, the refugees from Sampoor had complained that the roofs of their houses have also been removed by the SLA. The refugees from Vaharai fear that they will be forced to live as IDPs as the SLA was demanding the IDPs to register their details and acquire special identity cards for those who are above the age of 10, the MP said.The IDPs from Vaharai who had settled in various IDP camps in Batticaloa district, preferred to resettle in Vaharai and Kathiraveli as early as possible, rather than being forced to live in temporary camps, Mr. S. Jeyanandamoorthy said.The refugees have demanded the parliamentarians to inspect their houses and properties by undertaking a fact finding visit to Sampoor and Vaharai.The Batticaloa district parliamentarian dismissed the SLA claim that there were landmines in Vaharai and Kathiraveli."40 000 civilians were staying in this area until a few days ago. The people are only asking to let them visit the houses they fled a few hours before the SLA entered Vaharai."If there are any landmines, these were to be found in border areas, not in civilian populated areas," the MP said.While the Sri Lankan government in Colombo maintains that it will resettle Tamils back in Vaharai, there was no indication on the ground that this would take place, the IDPs have complained to TNA parliamentarians.

Sri Lanka government has now granted permission to the Sri Lankans who return from work in abroad to bring their used car to the homeland. Accordingly the expatriate workers will be allowed to import five years old cars if they have been used by them for a year's time. If the vehicle to be imported is five to ten years old, it should be one used by them for three years. However the vehicles need to be registered in the expatriate worker's name to be allowed for importation.

Kalam says Lanka was told at 'high political levels' to work for a negotiated settlement of the ethnic issue

Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam has told lawmakers as they assembled here for a three month long gruelling budget session here on Friday that Delhi stands committed to the line that Sri Lanka should find a negotiated political settlement for the ethnic issue in the island nation. The settlement should be acceptable to all sections of the country, he said.While making a broad review of India's foreign policy and relations with various countries, President touched upon the ethnic Tamil imbroglio which has become front page news in India in the context of recent seizure of Tigers' boats off Tamil Nadu coast.Kalam said India has conveyed 'at high political levels' to Sri Lankan leaders the need for a negotiated, political settlement to the ethnic issue that is acceptable to all sections of Sri Lankan society.

Australia vowed Saturday not to send home a group of 85, mostly Sri Lankan boat people if it meant they would face persecution. The Australian government said the fate of the group, intercepted by a navy ship this week, was being discussed with both Jakarta and the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru, where Australia already has a immigration detention centre.But Canberra played down a report in the Sydney Morning Herald that it was seeking to have the group sent back to Sri Lanka via Indonesia, in a possible breach of international conventions."While the government is considering options, clearly no action would be taken which would breach our international obligations," Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a joint statement."Any suggestion that Australia would agree to an arrangement which would see refugees returned to a country where they face persecution is wrong."

Australia has a strict policy of detention for asylum-seekers and the ministers said the group, all men, would not be taken to the Australian mainland.Instead, it said the men would be temporarily housed at Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, while they underwent health checks and the government decided what to do with them.Under Canberra's controversial "Pacific Solution", asylum seekers are sent to Australian-run detention centres on Nauru or Papua New Guinea's Manus Island in a bid to deter people-smugglers.The Nauru detention centre became the focus of global attention in 2001 when a boatload of Afghan refugees seeking asylum was offloaded on the Pacific island.Last September, Australia sent seven Myanmar asylum seekers to Nauru as it reactivated the centre, which had stood empty for some months after its last occupant, an Iraqi, went to Australia for medical treatment.Prime Minister John Howard said this week that Australia's hardline stance on asylum seekers had not changed and the country would continue to defend the integrity of its borders.No formal request for asylum has been made by the group intercepted by an Australian naval ship 50 nautical miles from Christmas Island on Tuesday but officials said this week that they expected the men to claim refugee status.Sri Lanka has been wracked by separatist violence for the past 35 years, with an upsurge in violence since December 2005 claiming nearly 4,000 lives.

Sri Lanka’s ongoing military campaign leaves Tamils with no option but to seek self-determination and self-rule, the country’s largest Tamil party said Friday. In a statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the Ceasefire Agreement between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) called on the international community to recognise the Tamil struggle pointing out that in the past five years, “the Sri Lankan government has utterly failed to alleviate the sufferings of the Tamil people. Neither has it contributed meaningfully to a lasting solution to the national conflict.”The full text of the TNA statement, signed by Mavai S. Senathirajah on behalf of the TNA Parliamentary Group, follows:

Sri Lanka’s military campaign leaves Tamils with no option but self-determination and self-rule

Five years have lapsed since the signing of the Cease fire Agreement (CFA) between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In these five years, the Sri Lankan government has utterly failed to alleviate the sufferings of the Tamil people. Neither has it contributed meaningfully to a lasting solution to the national conflict. The SIHRN (Subcommittee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation in the NorthEast ) formed to address the humanitarian crisis of the people in the Tamil homeland, the P-TOMS (Post-Tsunami management structure) and the two rounds of negotiations in 2006 between the LTTE and the government were rendered fiascos due to the intransigent and hardline position of the Sri Lankan state.

Today, humanitarian and human rights conditions in the Northeast are deteriorating rapidly as the Sri Lankan government puts its trust on a military solution to this political conflict. Armed with draconian anti-terrorism laws, the Sri Lanka state has launched numerous military campaigns in the Northeast, resulting in the displacement of 213,000 Tamil people. In the same period, over 1561 civilians have been killed and 635 people have disappeared. Meanwhile the Sri Lankan state justifies these atrocities committed by its armed forces in the name of protecting its sovereignty.Although the Ceasefire Agreement came into effect with the strong support of the international community, the latter's selective engagement in the peace effort has had the effect of encouraging the Sri Lankan state in its pursuit of a military solution to the Tamil National question. The international community's unreflective insistence on 'a united Sri Lanka' and its unwillingness or failure to take concrete measures to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan state to abandon its aggression in its pursuit of the military option has contributed to rendering the CFA meaningless. The simultaneous international proscriptions of LTTE, imposed at the behest of the Sri Lankan Government, has also contributed to the resumption of the conflict.The Sri Lankan state’s nullifying of the Northeast merger, which was part of an international treaty, the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, seriously calls into question the trustworthiness of the Sri Lankan state in future negotiations.In the face of the Sri Lankan state’s insistence on pursuing a military solution to the Tamil National question, the Tamil people are appealing to the international community to recognize their struggle for self determination and self-rule.

Laxman Kiriela, a UNP Parliamentarian, towithld the House speaking on the motion of condolence on TNA MP Raviraj, told the House that the number of deaths during the regime of Ranil was a meager number of 130 while it is 4000 under President Mahinda Rajapakse. He continued that Rani Wickremasinghe, who signed the CFA on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka, told the world that even if a single Parliamentarian was killed while the CFA is in force, he would resign from his post. True to his words, not a single Parliamentarian was killed during his tenure of office.

Tamil political prisoners on hunger strike demand meeting with Justice Minister and Attorney General

The Tamil political prisoners who are presently on a hunger strike either for their release or for an early trial demand meeting the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General to discuss their problems.

Food provisions and other essential commodities are collected in Pondicherry to be dispatched to the Lankan Tamils through the Red Cross Society. This was launched on Wednesday Feb 21 by the Co-ordinating Committee led by I.Alagiri, Convenor of Lankan Tamil Welfare Federation and E.Rajesaekaran, the President of Chamber of Commerce. It was inaugurated by R.K.R.Anandaraman, an MLA of the Pattali Makkal Katchi. Representatives of MDMK, Periyar Dravidian Khalagham, Bagujana Samaja Katchie and others participated.

The chief minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu has warned that stern action will be taken against people linked to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers. He said the warning applied to political leaders and individuals. The Tamil Tigers are banned in India, which designated them as terrorists after the murder of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was killed by the Tamil Tigers in a suicide bombing while electioneering 15 years ago in Tamil Nadu.

"Strict instructions had been issued not to show any lenience to those who are in nexus with the Tamil Tigers and try to supply arms to them," Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said. Traditionally, Mr Karunanidhi's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party is seen as sympathetic towards the struggle of Sri Lankan TamilsBut he stressed that his party's sympathy for Sri Lankan Tamils should not be seen as an approval for the Tamil Tigers' armed smuggle. The BBC's LR Jagadheesan in Madras says that security agencies have seized huge caches of arms, ammunition and bomb-making components at sea between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Indian security officials suspect the arms were meant for the Tigers, who are engaged in an armed struggle against the Sri Lankan army in pursuit of their demand for a separate state. Sri Lanka's Northern Province has a sizeable Tamil population and a strong Tamil Tiger presence. It is only separated from Tamil Nadu by a narrow stretch of sea. But following Mr Gandhi's death in 1991, the Tigers lost political clout and public sympathy in Tamil Nadu. Our correspondent says that they have been trying hard to regain public support and political patronage in the state, which has a population of more than 60 million people

Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene, UNP Parliamentarian, appealed to the government to stop toying with the ethnic crisis since the country has had enough of it. Instead the government must take meaningful steps. While addressing the Parliament on the debate on the Resettlement Authority Bill, Dr.Jayawardene pointed out that the number of displaced people has increased immensely after Rajapakse coming to power. The government must address its mind on how best displacement can be avoided in the country. It is by resolving the ethnic problem that we can put an end to displacement of Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese in this country.

Sri Lankan security forces have overrun three LTTE bases in the island's restive Trincomalee district. The offensive coincided with the fifth anniversary of the ceasefire, which is now practically holding only on paper. Troops, backed by artillery, carried out a three-day operation to flush out guerrilla locations just north of Trincomalee on Friday, the Defence Ministry said. "The troops are still continuing their search and clearing operations to provide safety and security for the civilians and troops," the ministry said in a statement. Meanwhile, a pro-rebel website said that the troops were amassing heavy weapons along the de facto border in the island's north and there were long range attacks on Friday. The LTTE rebels on Thursday announced the virtual collapse of a 2002 truce arranged by Norway and said that military action by the island nation's government compelled them to achieve "statehood." The rebels said that the ceasefire was now virtually non-existent but stopped short of formally pulling out the truce.

Chennai, Feb 24: Under media criticism for "laxity" in taking action against LTTE supporters' activities and "intelligence failure", Tamil Nadu police has asserted that there was no let up by police in dealing with the issue.On a day on which Chief Minister M Karunanidhi warned of stern action against the leaders, who were found to have nexus with banned organisation, state DGP D Mukherjee told reporters yesterday that in the last two months, the police had arrested 41 people suspected to be involved in running supply chains to the Sri Lankan militants.Mukherjee also defended the recent blowing up of a boat, stuffed with 500 kg of explosives, seized by the Coast Gaurd as a joint decision after consultations with central agencies. "It was a joint decision. Permission was obtained from a court to blow it off in mid sea," he said.

The DGP also referred to statistics since 1991 to show that the police had been keeping a surveillance on the coastal areas and was arresting people involved in smuggling."We are on the look out for a person, Kripakaran, who has been buying aluminium ingots from a small unit in Madurai. The person who was running the unit had been arrested along with 12 others," he said.The police had busted an aluminium unit in Madurai that was suspected to have supplied the LTTE with the ingots for Improvised Explosive Devices(IED's). The DGP also denied that there was any intelligence failure adding that arrests were being made on the basis of inputs from intelligence agencies.

Refugee groups have criticised the Federal Government for considering sending 85 men picked up in the Indian Ocean this week back to either Indonesia or Nauru. The men have been taken to Christmas Island for questioning and health checks. Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews says he expects the men will make a formal asylum claim there."The services that need to be available will be available to them like anybody else," he said.Mr Andrews says discussions with the respective governments are at a preliminary stage. He says if the men are returned to Indonesia it would be an Australian first but it would fit in with the Government's border control policy."People who apparently seek to unlawfully enter Australia, we will not allow them to enter mainland Australia and that's our policy in practice here," he said.

"Secondly though we will abide by whatever international obligations we have and part of that is to ensure that they are not sent back to some country which they might face persecution."But the co-ordinator of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre in Melbourne, David Mann, says the situation is concerning."What here is being proposed is something extremely dubious and dangerous," he said."An exercise in human ping-pong, where these people could literally be sent back to a country, Indonesia, which is not a signatory to the refugees treaty, does not itself protect refugees, has a poor human rights record itself, and this is a matter of grave concern."The Australian navy took the men on board HMAS Success last Monday when it discovered their boat was sinking.The boat is unseaworthy and cannot be towed but will have to be moved because it is in an international shipping lane.

LTTE rebels to resume 'freedom struggle'

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Thursday announced a resumption of their "freedom struggle" after declaring that a truce arranged by peace broker Norway had collapsed. The Tigers said the truce, which came into effect five years ago on Friday, was now virtually non-existent and warned that Colombo's military drive against them would only add to the "bloodstained pages of the island's history". It has also compelled the Tamil people to resume their freedom struggle to realize their right to self-determination and to achieve statehood," the Tigers said in a statement. It blamed the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse for trying to find a military solution to the drawn-out Tamil autonomy campaign, which has claimed over 60,000 lives in the past 35 years."Even though today it exists only on paper, it remains a unique document in the search for an end to the national conflict in the island of Sri Lanka," the Tigers said. The statement came as Sri Lanka's navy said it sank two suspected Tiger boats off the island's north-western coast, killing at least nine people.

There was no reaction from the rebels, but a pro-rebel website said eight fishermen had gone missing in the same area where the navy said it sank the boats. Security forces also launched ground attacks against Tiger rebels Thursday as the guerrillas said thousands of civilians in the north fled their homes in fear of an upsurge of fighting. Military officials confirmed they were retaliating against rebel harassment, but said there was no major offensive in the region. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said thousands of men, women and children from half a dozen villages along the de facto border between the two sides were on the move, seeking refuge deeper inside rebel territory. On Wednesday, 25 Tamil civilians carrying white flags entered a government-held area in the northern district of Vavuniya and were provided with shelter and food by the troops, a military official said. An exodus of civilians from the island's troubled regions is usually a first sign of stepped-up fighting between troops and Tamil Tiger guerrillas, who are campaigning for independence.

The escalation of fighting in the past year has claimed nearly 4,000 lives and tattered a ceasefire arranged by peacebroker Norway on February 23, 2002. At least five people were killed earlier on Thursday in clashes linked to the conflict, police said.Norway's top peacebroker, Erik Solheim, on Thursday offered to continue to try to revive peace talks, even as thousands of Sinhalese nationalists took to the streets here calling for the truce to be scrapped. "Norway is willing to go the extra mile to assist their peace endeavours at their request," Solheim said. "As soon as the parties renew their peace efforts, we will be ready to do all we can to help."

Major General Nanda Mallawarachchi, former Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, will assume duties as the new Sri Lankan Ambassador to Indonesia. He is now on leave prior to retirement. Major General Janaka Perera (redt), who is Sri Lanka's top diplomatic representative in Jakarta, will return home at the end of March after completing his term of office. Malawarachchi overlooked the duties of Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka when he was recuperating both here and oversea after he survived a suicide attempt by a woman LTTE suicide cadre on 25th April 2006. Maj. Gen. Mallawarachchi, a battle hardened soldier hails from Anuradhapura and is an old boy of Ananda College, Colombo. Major General Janaka Perera, another battle hardened soldier was responsible in inflicting heavy defeats on the LTTE in both the North and the East prior to his retirement in the year 2000. He was posted as the High Commissioner to Australia in 2001 during President Chandrika Kumaranatunga's regime. But, subsequently, he was moved to Indonesia as the Sri Lanka Ambassador in order to appoint Kusumsiri Balapatabendi, the former Presidential Secretary as the High Commissioner to Australia.Former Army Commander Lt. Gen. SriLal Werasuriya has returned home after serving three years as Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Pakistan. Rohan de S. Daluwatte, who was the Sri Lanka Ambassador to Brazil has returned home on completion of his term. Daluwatte was the first to be posted as the Ambassador to the Latin American country after Sri Lanka established diplomatic ties with it in 2005.

Sri Lanka freedom party Parliamentarian Sripathy Suriarachchi says that the LTTE demanded the people in the North to Boycott the last presidential election according to an agreement they arrived at.He says that details and recordings of these agreements will be presented before the public in due course.He had said that there were 6 main people who organized the presidential campaign in 2005 and that the committee came to agreements with 28 parties. He has said that the LTTE boycotted the election under one of these agreements.

Two LTTE boats were destroyed yesterday evening in the seas off Battalangunduwa in Kalpitiya killing at least nine Tigers on board, the Navy said. “There were six men in one boat and three in the other and both craft went down with the crew,” a senior Navy official said. He said there were no casualties among the sailors. He said two boats, one suspected to be an attack craft and the other believed to be carrying arms were heading for the shore, when they were detected some five nautical miles away. “When the naval craft approached them, armed men on board fired forcing the Navy to retaliate and sink the vesels,” he said. He said Navy divers searched the sea to locate any arms from the sunk boats.The official said naval craft chased after two more Tiger craft that came from the LTTE-held Silavatturai area. “Two more boats which came to the support of the other two boats, turned back due to naval fire”, he said.

The international community shares the blame for Sri Lanka's renewed civil war, the Tamil Tigers have charged, accusing them of bias and inaction they say has left a ceasefire pact meaningless and fostered conflict.The Tigers and Sri Lankan government have repeatedly ignored calls by the international community to halt the conflict, which has killed an estimated 4,000 people in the past 15 months alone, and analysts expect it to escalate. "The international community's unhelpful engagement in the peace effort has had the effect of encouraging the Sri Lankan state to pursue a military solution," the Tigers said in a statement issued overnight to mark the fifth anniversary of a now tattered truce pact."The international community's failure to take concrete action against the Sri Lankan state to stop serious breaches of the ceasefire agreement or its widespread and systematic human rights violations has contributed to war-like conditions."Mediator Norway on Thursday called on both sides to respect the pact, but warned the onus was on them to halt a war that has killed around 67,000-68,000 people since 1983.The Tigers and the military have been locked in a new chapter of the island's two decade conflict for over a year, and the rebels announced in November they were resuming their struggle for an independent state for minority Tamils.

The government, emboldened by the capture of territory in the east controlled by the Tigers under the terms of the truce, have since vowed to wipe out their entire military machine, paving the way for continued war.Suspected Tigers have mounted repeated roadside bomb attacks that have killed hundreds of people in recent months and clashed with the military on land and at sea.However neither side has formally pulled out of the truce pact, each accusing the other of breaking it.Observers say even though it now holds only on paper, the pact could still serve as the core of any future resumption of peace talks -- as long as Rajapakse does not give in to demands by hardline nationalists from the majority Sinahlese to abrogate it."Even though today it exists only on paper, it remains a unique document in the search for an end to the national conflict," the Tigers said. They describe the pact as defunct and meaningless.The Tigers are angry at a European Union ban imposed last year following a series of attacks, and wants the state held accountable for any rights abuses by the security forces."The continued failure of the international community, despite the volume of independently gathered evidence, to take effective steps to curb the state's abuses, is turning the Tamil homeland into an Asian Darfur," the Tigers said."The Sri Lankan government's ongoing war of aggression, aimed at the subjugation of the Tamil people under the guise of 'war on terrorism' will add to the bloodstained pages of the island's history," it added. "It has also compelled the Tamil people to resume their freedom struggle."

Five civilians were reported missing on Tuesday from Jaffna Municipal area and Atchuvely area in Jaffna peninsula according to complaints made at the Jaffna office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC). Two of the persons were missing on their way to Jaffna town while three were arrested by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers driving a white van, family members of the missing persons said. Immanuel Kenthira Vivilian, 28, of Hospital Road, Jaffna and David Arulnesan, 36, from 5th Cross Street, Jaffna are reported missing since Tuesday 10:45 a.m, after they left to Jaffna town from their homes. SLA troopers in a Hiace white van arrested Thiyagarajah Saran, 25, at his home in Avarankal East around 9:00 p.m Tuesday, according to the complaint made by his family members at HRC.Thavarajah Subramaniam, 48, was also arrested by SLA troopers in a white Hiace van at his house in Atchuvely South Tuesday around 9:00 p.m, according to the complaint made to HRC.Visuvasam Amalraj 19, a resident of Navakiri, riding on motor cycle along Rasa Veethy in Navakiri on Tuesday is missing and is reported abducted by SLA troopers in a white van, according to the complaint to HRC. Though HRC officials informed the SLA authorities regarding the complaints the SLA officials had not yet responded, HRC sources said.The white Hiace van used in the abductions is alleged to have been appropriated by the SLA troopers from a private establishment on Rasa Veethy, Nalllur, informed sources said.

Saman Gunaratne, the former Officer-in-Charge of the Shastraveli Special Task Force (STF) camp, on Wednesday petitioned the District Court of Colombo for Rs. 100 million as compensation from SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, for defamation.The petition alleged that SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem had told the media on September 18, 2006, that he and other STF personnel were involved in the murder of ten Muslims at Radella in the Ampara area. He was transferred from his STF station, after the incident. However, a survivor of the massacre had revealed that it was the LTTE that committed the murders. Inspector Gunaratne had earlier filed a fundamental rights petition, also on the same matter, against the IGP and the SLMC leader, before the Supreme Court. Inspector Gunaratne had stated in his previous application, to the Supreme Court, that his transfer was effected due to pressure from politicians. The SLMC leader and other politicians were protecting illegal timber fellers and criminals who had attacked STF personnel. The petition was filed before the District Court of Colombo yesterday claiming compensation of 100 million rupees for the loss occurred due to the defamatory statement of the SLMC leader.

A group of suspected asylum seekers intercepted off Christmas Island would definitely not be transported to the Australian mainland for processing, Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said.Mr Andrews said Australia was a generous nation in taking in refugees but people needed to go through the proper process.He said officials were always alert to the possibility of people smuggling."In relation to these people, whilst I can say we will look at the various options, one thing I can rule out definitely is them coming to the Australian mainland," he told ABC Radio.Because the men did not reach the Australian mainland they are likely to be transferred to a detention centre on Nauru or Christmas Island where any claims for asylum will be processed. Had they reached the mainland they would have been processed in Australia, and more likely to be granted asylum. Mr Andrews said the boat, which was unseaworthy, was seen by Border Protection Command on Monday and intercepted on Tuesday in international waters about 50 nautical miles off Christmas Island.

Details remain unclear but there appear to be 85 people aboard claiming to be from Sri Lanka.Mr Andrews said there were some indications that at least some were Indonesian."The vessel was regarded as unseaworthy and as a result of that the passengers on the vessel agreed to board the Australian naval ship HMAS Success," he said."Some preliminary reports suggest that the motors on the boat had been tampered with in such a way which they could not be further used. That is only preliminary advice at this stage."Mr Andrews said what would happen to them would depend on their identity and origin."Our first interest is to ensure that there are no health concerns in relation to the individuals on the boat. That sort of preliminary assessment has been undertaken," he said."We are trying to identify as best we can where they have come from and what their intentions are."Christmas Island was excised from Australia’s migration zone in 2001 in a bid to curb asylum seekers. The Government is building a new detention centre on the island, which will hold up to 800 detainees. The arrival of 43 West Papuans in January last year sparked a diplomatic row between Australia and Indonesia.

Speaker of the house W.J.M. Lokubandara requested the JVP MP's yesterday morning not to initiate terrorism in parliament. The Speaker made this request when the JVP parliamentarians staged a protest in the well of the house demanding the CFA be torn away. This was not all, JVP Trincomalee District MP Jayantha Wijesekara ran away from the entrance on the side of the Opposition MP's carrying the Maize which made the speaker of the house adjourn the session for 10 minutes from 10.10 am. Earlier government's chief whip Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the government would answer most of the questions raised by the JVP in due course. Then the JVP MP's demanded their questions be answered immediately. It is then that the Maize was taken out of the house. The JVP kept on demanding the CFA to be torn and then Minister D.M. Jayaratne stepped up and started to shout don’t tare. His fellow MP’s soon followed him and shouted ‘don’t tare. The speaker on numerous occasions asked the JVP MP’s to settle down and the Maize to be returned, but he received no response. W.J.M. Lokubandara then stated that disciplinary action will be taken against the relevant MP as he didn’t return the Maize and then the JVP MPs began to shout asking whether such disciplinary steps were taken against the TNA MPs. Then the speaker replied saying that the TNA MP’s were behaving well in the house and further blamed the JVP MP's about their disturbances. Then assistant sergeant of arms of the parliament brought back the Maize to the house and the parliamentary session began after 10 minutes.

Sri Lanka's sacked national heritage minister Anura Bandaranaike was re-appointed to his former post at the auspicious time of 11.51 this morning at temple trees before the President.Governor of the Western Province Alevi Maulana and Minister Dinesh Gunawardena who initiated the settlement with between the President and Anura was also present at the occasion.Earlier several media reported that Bandaranaike will be handed over another special portfolio but it wasn’t the case this time around. Since he was removed from his post Bandaranaike up-to-date has not attended the parliamentary sessions.

While calling for a fresh commitment from Sri Lanka’s warring parties on Wednesday, Norway said that it will continue to serve as a facilitator in the peace process of Sri Lanka.“The Norwegian government has made it clear that it stands ready to continue to serve as a facilitator in the peace process, provided that both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE request its continued assistance,” Norway’s ambassador in Colombo, Hans Brattskar said.Brattskar also said they believed any settlement to Sri Lanka’s conflict required multi-ethnic support. “Norway has made repeated efforts to encourage multi-ethnic support, but cannot generate it alone,” Brattskar said. “It is the people of Sri Lanka and their leaders, not Norway or any other party, who are ultimately responsible for deciding the future of this country and finding a peaceful, negotiated settlement to the present conflict,” he added.

Sri Lankan government troops claim to have discovered in a Catholic church grenades, cyanide capsules and equipment belonging to rebel forces as the country's new environment minister calls for "extra-judicial" means for dealing with "dissidents".Reuters reports that the find comes amid a rash of suspected rebel ambushes and bomb attacks against the military in the peninsula, which is cut off from the rest of Sri Lanka by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) lines."It is clear that the LTTE terrorists will use every means ... using even places of worship, to continue their campaign of terror," the Media Centre for National Security said concerning the find in a closed room in St Mary's Church in Jaffna on Tuesday.However, the Tigers, who wear cyanide capsules around their neck to avoid being captured alive and are fighting a new chapter of a two-decade civil war with the state, deny any involvement."That's impossible. We never use common buildings or public buildings as a base," Tiger military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan said by telephone from Kilinochchi, the rebels' northern stronghold."We have no connection with those things. There are so many groups working with the military that have brought in such things, but we have no connection with that whatever."The find comes as the foes fight artillery duels across a shared "border" that separates government from rebel territory in the far north, where analysts fear the conflict could flare after a series of major land and sea battles in recent months.

Meanwhile, Journal Chretien reports that churches in north-east Sri Lanka are increasingly under attack."One wonders if the attacks on churches are just a coincidence, or an attempt by the government to warn the clergy not to give protection to these defenceless people," one source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told journalists.The same source said those speaking out for IDPs were often silenced by intimidation or "elimination", often in the form of unexplained disappearances."The church, unable to remain a silent witness, has raised its concerns with the outside world," the source added. "The government of Sri Lanka has taken note and appears to have sought, directly and indirectly, to silence these voices by abducting and sometimes eliminating church officials."On 13 January, members of the Sri Lankan security forces gunned down the Reverend Nallathamby Gnanaseelan., 38, a father to four young children, who led the Tamil Mission Church in Jaffna.

Meanwhile in Colombo, Sri Lankan civil society groups have slammed the newly-appointed environment and natural resources minister, who suggested the possible use of illegal means against those who he claims bring chaos to the country, namely, Tamil rebels, journalists, peace and human rights activists, AsiaNews reports.Patali Champika Ranawaka, an ultra-nationalist Sinhalese politician appointed environment and natural resources minister just two weeks ago, had suggested that extra-judicial means should be available to dealt with "dissidents" whether Tamil rebels or peace activists.The controversy began last Sunday when Ranawaka told Ravaya, a local newspaper, that if existing laws were not adequate to re-establish order in the country, "we shall use other means".

The JVP will take to the streets today calling for the immediate abrogation of the cease fire agreement that is non-existent according to the JHU. A number of national organizations will stage a protest today in Colombo demanding the abrogation of the Oslo arranged Ceasefire Agreement, entered into between the Sri Lanka government and the LTTE on February 22, 2002. The main rally will be held at the Hyde Park. They have planned several protest marches along roads leading to Hyde Park. The pro JVP Federation of National Organizations is organizing the protest and the march.The National Bhikkhu Front (NBF) monks who are currently on a continuous Sathyagraha have threatened to stage a protest from tomorrow opposite the Vihara Maha Devi Park Buddha Statue, if President Mahinda Rajapkse fails to abrogate the CFA.

NBF spokesman Ven. Wakamulle Uditha thera told The Island the MoU was a serious threat to the country’s unitary status, which the Mahinda Chinthanaya has pledged to maintain at all costs."Though one year has lapsed, President Rajapakse’s government has failed to remove this threat against our motherland. We demand that this should be discarded before 12.00 noon at which the time the CFA would be five years old," he said.The completion of five years since the signing if the MoU between the LTTE and the former UNF government in 2002, could be used by the LTTE to declare independence," the Thera said."We organized several protest campaigns urging the Government to do away with this MoU imposed on Sri Lankans by pro – LTTE forces. But the government has failed to abrogate it before completion of five years. Thus, we have decided to convert our Satyagraha into a hunger protest and it would continue till the government discards the MoU," he said.

However, the Jahika Hela Urumaya (JHU), now with the government, said that there is no need to abrogate the CFA. These protesters have a different political agenda behind these protests.General Secretary of the JHU, Ven. Dr. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said yesterday that one time they gone court against the CFA."According to the constitution, the President’s signature is a must if the agreement is to be legalized. The CFA was signed by then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on behalf of the government side, not the President," Sobitha thera said.He said that this CFA has been violated by the LTTE thousands times and it was not being implemented now.

Eschew violence, else repent for mistakes and missed opportunities!—TELO Sri Kantha in Parliament

N.Sri Kantha,TELO and TNA Parliamentarian, told the House that Sri Lankan government must give up the military approach and reconsider a political solution. Otherwise it may have to repent for the mistakes and the missed opportunities sooner or later. He was speaking on the debate on the Re-settlement Authority Bill on the floor of the House.

Anura Bandaranaike will today take oaths once again as Minister of National Heritage while Deputy Speaker Geethanjana Gunawardena is also scheduled to get a non-Cabinet portfolio today or in the next few days.Meanwhile moves are underway to bring in President’s niece MP Nirupama Rajapaksa as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, a post which will fall vacant with the swearing in of Mr. Gunawardena as minister.However Presidential sources said Ms. Rajapaksa is yet to give her consent and had expressed her reservations about accepting the post. Sources say the President’s decision not to give even a Deputy Minister portfolio to Ms. Rajapaksa - a former Deputy Minister of Tourism and Aviation - at last month’s reshuffle may be the reason for her reservations.

Two civilians and a police officer were killed when suspected Tamil rebels set off a powerful claymore mine explosion in a crowded market place in eastern Sri Lanka, a military spokesman said Wednesday.Nine civilians and five policemen were injured in the blast set off in the Ottamavadi town, 280 km east of the capital, he said.The mine was set on to a bicycle parked on the side of the road aimed at a jeep which were carrying policemen to be deployed for night duty in the area.Tamil rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have stepped up claymore attacks in the northern and eastern provinces during the past week.The civilian casualties were identified as Muslim civilians who were marketing. Tamil rebels have made no comment about the incident.

Sri Lanka's central bank may raise borrowing costs, the highest in Asia, for the fifth time since June after inflation climbed to a 10-year high. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka will raise its repurchase rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 10.25 percent, according to the median estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The decision is due tomorrow at 8 a.m. in Colombo. Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal and his fellow policy makers, who raised borrowing costs by 1.25 percentage points last year to curb loan growth and rein in inflation, on Jan. 18 unexpectedly kept the central bank's benchmark rate unchanged. The central bank is ``comfortable'' with the key repurchase rate at 10 percent and expects the pace of inflation to slow, Cabraal said in a Feb. 14 interview.

``Policy rates have to go up,'' said Mahinda Godakandaarachchi, a bond trader at Seylan Bank Asset Management Ltd. in Colombo. ``Even with interest rates at these levels, it's no problem for borrowers and credit expansion is there.'' Consumer prices in the capital Colombo rose 20.5 percent last month from a year earlier, after increasing 19.3 percent in December, the Department of Census and Statistics said Jan. 31. That's the most since a 21.5 percent rise in October 1996. Government borrowing and loans advanced to purchase homes, cars and electronic goods have been rising because interest rates are below the pace of inflation. Sri Lanka's annual average inflation rate accelerated to 14.8 percent in January, compared with 13.7 percent in December, the census department said.

Inflation is expected to ease to between 7 percent and 8 percent by the end of 2007, Cabraal said in November. ``I believe the rates will be changed only if we find that the previous policy rate increases are not taking effect,'' Cabraal said in the Feb. 14 interview. ``In the next few months, we will see that our policy framework has worked and there will be a change of direction in inflation.'' The International Monetary Fund in November said Sri Lanka's policies should focus on slowing inflation and higher interest rates may be needed to curb lending. The central bank raised its key policy rate by 37.5 basis points in December, a four-year high. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point. Sri Lanka's economy is likely to expand 7.5 percent in 2007, Cabraal said Jan. 2, a slower pace than the 8 percent he forecast in November.

The South Asian island's $26 billion economy, which has posted uninterrupted growth since 2002, is grappling with renewed violence in a two-decade civil war between government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, rebels. Growth in 2006 was likely to be faster than 7 percent, Cabraal said, slowing from 8 percent in the first six months of the year. Gross domestic product rose 7.5 percent in the three months ended September from a year earlier following a 7.6 percent gain in the second quarter, the central bank said Dec. 29. The peace process, which followed the cease-fire brokered by Norway in 2002 and boosted growth, has collapsed after violence escalated last year and talks in Geneva in October ended in failure. The LTTE has been fighting for two decades for a separate homeland in the parts of northern and eastern Sri Lanka it controls in a conflict that has killed more than 60,000 people. ``Growth will need to take a backseat,'' said S. Jeyavarman, who helps manage the equivalent of $25 million in stocks and bonds as chief executive officer of National Asset Management Ltd. in Colombo. ``With inflation around, there will anyway be a lack of investment, so rates need to go up further to counter rising prices.''

Robert O. Blake, US Ambassador for Sri Lanka, called on Parliamentarian Mano Ganeshan at his Bankshal street office and held discussion with him regarding human rights Violations in the country and particularly in Colombo and its suburbs. Sritunga Jayasuriya, the leader of the Civil Monitoring Committee, was also present at the talks.

MADURAI/CHENNAI: Intelligence experts estimate that 15 suicide mission boats of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are `hibernating' in the waters between India and Sri Lanka. They are of the opinion that these are not aimed at India; the LTTE, perhaps, hopes a repeat of the Kattunayake airport strike, this time at a major seaport. For, the Sea Tigers are under growing pressure from the Sri Lankan Navy. The Indian waters, once considered safe for hibernating vessels, are no longer so, with the Coast Guard and the Navy having stepped up their presence in the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Both the Coast Guard and the Navy have `smart patrolling plans.' They follow it up with real-time intelligence sharing at the unit level. A red alert has been sounded along the Tamil Nadu coastline following the detection of large quantities of explosives concealed in a boat seized by the Coast Guard. According to information available now, the boat was packed with Trinitrotoluene (TNT) mixed with RDX and not just with TNT. This was to multiply the impact of the explosion, police sources said. The investigators have found that the suspects on the "suicide mission" were not aware of the target. "Instructions were given over satellite phone at regular intervals. The most probable target was the Colombo Port or Sri Lankan warships. The details of calls made/received over the satellite phone are being verified by the intelligence agencies," he said. Asked why the suspects did not open fire when the Coast Guard intercepted them off the Kodiakarai coast on February 13, the official said: "They were under instructions not to retaliate when encountered by Indian security personnel."

On Wednesday, Director-General of Police D. Mukherjee briefed a Civil Military Liaison conference (in which top State Government and defence officers stationed here take part), on the law an order situation in the State. In Ramanathapuram, the police arrested six persons who helped in transporting aluminium ingots to Sri Lanka.

Plantation Industries Minister D.M. Jayaratne yesterday in Parliament held talks with ousted ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi to bring about a reconciliation between the two ex-ministers and President Mahinda Rajapaksa, government sources said.The sources said the two former ministers had informed Minister Jayaratne that they were not sure of the real reasons behind their sacking and had expressed views on their present stand on the matter.Minister Jayaratne had promised Messrs Samaraweera and Sooriyarachchi that he would take up their issues with President Rajapaksa soon.

As Jathika Hela Urumaya is a party devoted to Buddhist bikkus how did Champika Ranawaka, the Minister of Environmental Affairs became a parliament member of that party? UNP parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella inquired at the parliament yesterday.The JHU was said to be devoted to the Buddhist Bikkus during the 2004 election campaign and the party nominated bikkus to compete parliamentary election in the guise of creating a Buddhist state. However the chief Buddhist bikkus condemned the attempt to use Buddhist robe for the petty politics at that time. Joining the colleagues inquire UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe said that it is a responsibility of the parliament to protect Buddha Sasana and Mr Ranawaka not being a bikku becoming a parliament representative of that bikku’s party is questionable. Responding to the issue put forward by UNP Minister Nimal Siripala the Silva said that parliament should not be undermined raising such non relevant issues.

The National Bhikkhu Front (NBF) has given 24 hours notice to President Mahinda Rajapakse to abrogate the Oslo arranged Ceasefire Agreement entered into between the government and the LTTE on February 22, 2002. If not, the monks who are currently in a continuous Sathyagraha opposite the Buddha statue of the Viharamaha Devi Park, will begin a hunger protest, National Organizer of the NBF Ven. Kalawelgala Chandaraloka thera said.He said that the so called CFA completes five years tomorrow and it is a threat to the country’s sovereignty. "President Rajapakse too will enter the list of traitors if he does not abrogate the CFA," he said.Advisor of the NBF Ven. Professor Aththangane Ratanapala thera said that the CFA was signed under international laws and if it completes five years the law would recognize Sri Lanka as a country with two separate governments. The LTTE wants this to happen. LTTE leader Prabhakaran had said that they have to protect the CFA for five years. That proves what the benefits to the LTTE are with the completion five years of the CFA.

Sri Lanka media protest JHU Minister's call for extrajudicial suppression of pro-peace activists

Several Sri Lankan media organizations have strongly condemned the statement made by Minister for Environment and Natural Resources Champika Ranawaka, advocating the brutal suppression of democratic dissent, even through extrajudicial means. The Minister, in a statement made to the Ravaya newspaper last Sunday, said, “People will die, what can we do about it? Are you asking us to leave those alive? Those bastards are traitors. We can't do any thing because of wild donkey freedom in this country. If those can't be dealt with existing laws, we know how to do it. If we can't suppress those bastards with the law, we need to use any other ways and means, yes.” The Minister went on to express his support for a recent poster campaign by the extremist National Movement Against Terrorism (NMAT) - known as a close political ally of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), to which the Minister belongs - calling for the elimination of those the JHU and NMAT perceive to be aiding and abetting the cause of the LTTE, including all pro-peace civil society activists and media activists.

“We note that Champika Ranawaka has himself as well through his political party named dozens of prominent human rights and media rights activists, journalists and civil society leaders as terrorists on many occasions in the past,” said the statement by media organizations. It further said, “The JHU supports all out war as the most effective way to defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and oppose any negotiated political settlement or peace process based on power-sharing.” The statement by Champika Ranawaka violates “basic and inviolable principles of public office” and is grossly irresponsible for a Member of Parliament, said the statement issued jointly by the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association, Federation of Media Employees Trade Union, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists’ Alliance and Free Media Movement.

The co-chairs of the donor community that supports Sri Lanka's peace process will have a teleconference today, diplomatic sources said. Norwegian Minister Erik Solheim and Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer, Japan Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi, United States under Secretary Richard Boucher and a representative from the European Union are to participate in the teleconference. The senior diplomats are to discuss the problems related to the agreement signed by the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2002 and the future of the peace process of Sri Lanka.

Wimal Weerawanse of the JVP is to be the star speaker at the protest rally organised at Amparai at 2.00pm Tuesday.Gunadhasa Amarasekara and Nalin de Silva are also billed down to address the Sinhala gathering at the Municipal premises, Amparai.JHU as well as JVP are making a last minute desperate bid demanding Mahinda Rajapakse to abrogate the Cease Fire Agreement , the Ranil govt had signed with the LTTE in 2002.Completion of 5 years of the agreement will validate the LTTE claim for self-determination, the extremists among the Sinhala masses, presume to be fearing.With just 2 days to meet the completion of 5 years, the extreme nationalists and Buddhist chauvinists are on a war path whipping up emotions among the Sinhala masses with protest rallies and sit-down fasts in the Southern and North-Central areas of Sri Lanka.

Media Spokesperson of the United National Party Gayantha Karunathilake says when the opposition and the public was expecting a reply from the president to the allegations made to him by then Minister Mangala Samaraweera, the President sacked them from their portfolios using his executive powers.Addressing the media at the opposition leader's office he said that the letter sent to the president too awaits a response.Karunathilake said that the Rajapakse and company is governing 98 state sector institutions and 128 departments, which uses 60 percent of the funds from the overall budget. He said that the government's cake has been cut into 52 tiny pieces and blamed that even the tiny pieces are being served without the icing.Media Spokesperson of the UNP requested the government to present a solution to the ethnic crisis since the government now comprise members who want a federal and a unitary state. He added that then all could see the environment which the Minister of environment is going to act in.He said that the JVP and the JHU stated that the ceasefire agreement would be torn once Rajapakse was appointed as the president, but reminded that it still prevails despite all those threats.Karunathilake who said that the record set by the Bandaranaike family from 1970-77 by holding onto as much posts as possible has now been broken by the Rajapakse family. He said the UNP will be organizing a stream of protests against the dictatorship of the president, gross human rights violations and the rising costs of goods.

Indian Communist Party has requested New Delhi to take appropriate measures to put an end to the increase in violence in Sri Lanka. While welcoming the new trends in India’s foreign policy, the Indian communist Party stressed that India must take meaningful steps to bring peace to the people of Sri Lanka.

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Gotabhaya Rajapakse said that an investigation into Sinhala LTTE cadres had revealed that there were several Sinhala women who underwent training in the handling of arms under the LTTE.They have so far evaded arrest but will be tracked soon, he told The Island yesterday.According to the information divulged by the male Sinhala LTTE cadres, now under the arrest, several female Sinhala cadres had undergone LTTE training in places yet to be disclosed. He said that 19 Sinhala LTTE cadres had been arrested and further arrests would be made, based on the information received through their confessions and statements."As we now understand with the reports of the investigations in progress, their arrest had averted a major disaster," Rajapakse said.

Chennai, The Coast Guard yesterday blew up an LTTE boat seized by them on February 13, at mid sea after finding that the gap between the fibre sheets of the boat was packed with gunpowder and could explode any time. Officials of Central and state agencies supervised the destruction process, a police press release said. The boat was towed by Coast Guard ship `Avvaiyar' to mid sea and blown up. Five persons on board, who were arrested, told Tamil Nadu police during questioning that the boat was packed with ammunition, which could be blown up anytime using a hidden switch. A thorough search of the ship again by bomb experts revealed that what they had said was true Police had received permission from the 16th Metropolitan Magistrate, dealing with the case, to destroy the boat. On February 13, a boat belonging to the Sea Tigers, the 'naval wing' of the LTTE, was seized by the Coast Guard. Five persons, including an LTTE cadre and a boat driver employed by the banned organisation were arrested. They were handed over to the Tamil Nadu police, who are investigating the case. State DGP D Mukherjee had said that the boat was fleeing from the surveillance of the Sri Lankan Navy while moving towards the Jaffna Coast in Sri Lanka when it was spotted by the Indian Coast Guard ship and intercepted

More than 7% of the Jaffna student population does not attend schools and the number of students who don’t attend schools is 10201, according to reports from Jaffna. In the early part of 2006, 155,389 students attended 418 schools. But by the end of the year, it had dropped to 145,188.

Sri Lankan Military Deep Penetration Unit exploded two claymore mines yesterday in the Nedunkerny area. One at 7.15am targeted an ambulance belonging Nedunkerni hospital. The second one at 8.20am targeted a civilian passenger bus.Luckily in both attacks the vehicles narrowly escaped damages causing no casualty. It is worth noting that in August last year, an ambulance with a doctor, nurse and two patients came under similar claymore attack by the Deep Penetration Unit in Nedunkerny killing all five passengers.

BOOSSA,- Huddled outside a detention camp in Sri Lanka's far south, relatives of civilians held for months without charge say lives are being ruined by emergency regulations amid renewed civil war.Some with babes in arms, others carrying a few packets of biscuits for a detained husband or brother, they swelter in the burning sun. Most have travelled all night to see loved ones imprisoned for suspected links to Tamil Tiger rebels.But months pass and still no charges are brought, and relatives and rights groups are up in arms."They still haven't charged my brother!" said one woman, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid any retribution, after a weekend visit to Boossa detention camp a few kilometres from the island's historic southern port town of Galle."If they have any charges, then produce him in court!," she added. "I am so angry that my brother was taken into custody without any charge. If I had a chance, I would kill them!"Others clustered at a registration desk nearby echo her complaint -- but are afraid to speak out -- and have asked the island's human rights commission to investigate.Behind them, heavily armed guards man watch towers and sentry points behind green sandbag bunkers and coils of rusty razor wire that ring Boossa camp, where hardline Marxists were held during a 1980s uprising.Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission says it has received 433 complaints of detentions and arrests in the past year, though not all related to emergency regulations that give security forces extensive powers to detain suspects for months at a time without formal charges being filed.Some detainees released after a recent round-up complain they were taken away simply because they were Tamil in the island's south dominated by majority Sinhalese.

Security forces have detained hundreds of people, many of them Tamils, during security sweeps amid a new chapter in a two decade civil war that has killed more than 67,000 people since 1983 and which analysts expect to escalate.Many have been released days or weeks later without charge. But others remain in custody, and rights lawyers say there is a culture of impunity that gives the military and police free rein to detain whoever they want without having to justify on what suspicion.Sri Lanka's Terrorist Investigation Division says it has no choice but to hold people without charge under emergency regulations imposed after the assassination of the island's foreign minister in 2005 and tightened up after an abortive attack on President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother last year.It is currently holding around 100 people at Boossa camp -- 70 percent of them minority Tamils."Everyone is produced before the courts. According to the emergency regulations, we have the right to keep them in custody for the purposes of investigation," a top Terrorist Investigation Division official told Reuters on condition of anonymity."People have to understand, a terrorist investigation cannot be completed in under 24 hours," he added."No-one will be kept without any reason...We keep detainees here at Boossa for their benefit, to give them more facilities on humanitarian and rights grounds."

Detentions have surged in recent months in the wake of a series of deadly ambushes and attacks on security forces by suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who want to carve out an independent state in the island's northeast.But many minority Tamils shun the Tigers' violent methods of ambushes and suicide bombings, and some say they are being unfairly singled out.Visitors say their relatives have not been abused at Boossa and that the conditions are better than small police cells where they were held previously. But that does not calm their underlying anger with the system."This is a short-cut for the security forces or the police for them to arrest them and keep them under detention. It's against the tenets of human rights," said K.S. Ratnavale, a lawyer who handles detainee cases and is director of rights group the Centre for Human Rights and Development."I think detainees in Guantanamo are better off, because there, there are legal methods to challenge it. But here, there are legal defence mechanisms in place but only in name."Alarmed at a spate of abductions and disappearances which President Mahinda Rajapakse's government and the Tigers blame on each other, Amnesty International has appealed to the foes to respect international law.Britain has even warned it could withhold aid if it determines rights are abused."The human rights situation has deteriorated in Sri Lanka since November 2005, that's quite clear," said Yolanda Foster, Amnesty's researcher for Sri Lanka. "What Amnesty is calling for is for both parties to the conflict to make sure they follow due process of law.""We would be lobbying the Sri Lankan government to follow norms under international law and either file charges against people in custody or release them on bail."

The residents of Andarawatta in Kirulapone in fear of indirect threat from the LTTE are to take legal action against the proposed sale of a luxury house in the neighbourhood to the Karuna faction. According to the residents a two storey luxury house in the Andarawatta area is to be sold to the Karuna group. The house had been recently renovated and upgraded with tall parapet walls and other security features with two speed breakers laid on the road in front of the luxury house, the residents revealed. The Daily Mirror learns the transaction has already been finalised with half the price already paid yesterday. Karuna Faction which recently entered the main stream of politics launched its first political office at Schofield Place in Bambalapitiya few months ago.

Security forces responsible for disappearances in Jaffna in 1996 ---Chavakacheri Magistrate

A.Prem Shankar, Chavakacheri Magistrate, has held that security forces are accountable for the disappearances of persons taken into custody by the army during the cordon off and search operations in Thenmaratchi on August 4th and October 2nd ,1996. The Court was hearing a number of Habeas Corpus applications on a directive by the Jaffna High Court. These applications were filed by the relatives of the victims before the Jaffna High Court in 2003. Chavakacheri Magistrate has held that according to records relevant persons had been arrested by security forces on the relevant dates. Court ordered that Court’s determination be dispatched to the Jaffna High Court.

COLOMBO: The Three-Member Commission which conducted the Board of inquiry - Court-Martial-against a senior Naval Officer Commd. T.M.J. Mendis has found him guilty on both counts brought against him under Section 104 (1) of the Naval Act as amended by Act No 11 of 1993. The Three-Member Commission consisting of Rear Admiral T. M. W. K. B. Tennakoon, Chairman, Rear Admiral D. N. Dharmaweera and Commd. R. R. Wijesundera gave the order reducing the Seniority of the Officer by ten months.The reduction of seniority by six months for the first count and reduction of seniority by four months for the second count. Senior Counsel Upali Senaratne appearing for Mendis yesterday pleaded in mitigation in his lengthy submission of sentence and told the Commission that he will be appealing against the Court Marshal order to the Court of Appeal. Commd: Mendis was charged on two counts under Section 104 (1) of the Naval Act as amended by Act No 11 of 1993 for his failure to take precaution as the Officer-in-Charge of the Southern Naval Area and counter measures with due care for the protection of the Naval Base, Ships, Craft and personnel at Galle harbour from terrorist attack despite the availability of prior reliable information on October 18, 2006 and repeated instructions from Naval Headquarters, an offence punishable under Section 104 (1) of Naval Act. He was also charged during the cause of the same transaction, for his failure to obtain approval of Commander of the Navy prior to leaving his base despite specific instructions by the Navy Commander to proceed and stay at base, due to a possible terrorists attack on Galle Harbour. Commd. Shavindra Fernando with Commd: A.M.A.W. Weerasinghe appeared for the prosecution. President’s Counsel Denzil Gunaratne with, Buddhika Jayasinghe and Ms. Udayangani Seneviratne appeared for the Commd. Mendis.

Mavai Senathirajah, TNA Parliamentarian, stated that 250,000 Tamils have been displaced from their traditional homeland as a result of the implementation of the Mahinda Chinthana in the country. He was addressing the House on the debate on the Re-settlement Authority Bill in Parliament. He stated that the TNA doesn’t oppose the establishment of a Re-settlement Authority in the Country. But, the issue is whether it could bring remedy to the 800, 000 Tamils displaced from the north-east for the last 20 years. He continued that Tamils have been displaced internally. They have been forced to leave the country and be displaced abroad. They have been displaced by the establishment of a high security zone in the north. 100,000 people were forcibly displaced from Valligamam under the pretext of establishing a high security zone. He went on that all the displaced Tamils must be entitled to relief and compensation.

A private bank was ordered to provide details of transactions of the suspects, in the murder case of TNA Parlimantarian, Nadaraja Raviraj, to the CID, by the Colombo Additional Magistrate.The Additional Magistrate, Mohamed Irshad, yesterday made this order to the private bank, in which the 1st and 3rd suspects, Nalaka Mathangaweera of Tangalle and T.A. Shantha Edirisinghe of Galle, had maintained accounts. The 2nd suspect, J. L. Chaminda, who was also alleged to have been involved in the assassination, was discharged.When the case was taken up for inquiry, the CID filing a report informed court that further investigations were preceding. The productions of the case had been sent to the Government Analyst for his report. Scotland Yard is expected to take charge of the investigations soon. The Magistrate ordered the two suspects further remanded with the CID.The case will be called again on March 20.

Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers said on Tuesday air force jets bombed a village under their control in the island's north, killing at least two civilians and injuring another.The military said it had no immediate details of any air raids, amid a brief lull in recent days in Sri Lanka's two-decade civil war."Four or more (Israeli-made) Kfir bombers bombed a civilian settlement close to Omanthai in Vavuniya. Rescuers have recovered two dead persons and one injured," Tiger military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan said by telephone from the rebels' northern stronghold."It's feared there may be more casualties," he added. "Our suspicion is that they are punishing the Tamil people. It's not new."Omanthai is near defence lines that separate Tiger-controlled territory in the north from the rest of the island, which is under government control.Emboldened by the capture of a key eastern Tiger stronghold, the government has vowed to wipe out the rebels, reigniting a civil war that has killed 4,000 people in the past year.The Tigers resumed their fight for an independent state after President Mahinda Rajapakse flatly rejected their demands for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east.Suspected Tigers have mounted a series of ambushes and bomb attacks against the security forces in recent months, including a roadside bomb attack on Saturday that killed four people in the besieged, army-held Jaffna peninsula in the far north.Clashes have eased in the last few days but the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels have ignored repeated pleas from the international community to halt a new chapter of a war that has killed more than 67,000 people since 1983, and analysts fear it will escalate.

MSF returns to the North

Medecines Sans Frontieres yesterday said it had returned to the North, after obtaining clearance from the Defence Ministry and signing an agreement with the Ministry of Health, to open surgical programmes in Point Pedro, Mannar and Vavuniya.MSF, an international humanitarian organization, said it had been pushing for the provision of medical assistance to the conflict affected population but had only been allowed to work in Point Pedro for two months ending in October 2006. "On December 21, 2006 an MSF team returned to the Jaffna Peninsula to provide surgical support to the hospital at Point Pedro which serves a population of 150,000 people. The hospital which was lacking a surgeon and an anesthetist is no longer obliged to transfer all surgical cases to the Jaffna Hospital. About 141 surgical interventions have been carried out together with the hospital staff since the team arrived in Point Pedro," MSF said.MSF said it was also working in collaboration with the Health Ministry at the Mannar hospital, and a surgical support unit at the Vavuniya Hospital.

Assassinated chief priest’s family compensated

The family of the Chief Priest of the Sandiweli Pudupillayar Kovil, Selliah Parameswarar Kurukkal, who was killed by unidentified group in retaliation for garlanding President Mahinda Rajapakse, during the latter’s recent inspection tour of Vakarai, had been paid Rs 50,000 as compensation on the instructions of the President. Minister of Disaster Relief Amir Ali yesterday paid this amount to the family and said that a further Rs 50,000 would be paid once official documents pertaining to his death were submitted to the Ministry. In addition to this, a consignment of food items and a sum of money collected by the armed forces personnel were also handed over to the family of the late Kurukkal.Meanwhile, the Government is looking at ways and means of providing the late Kurukkal’s children a better education, Governmental sources said.

Pakistan providing any military aid to Sri Lanka's government will serve only to fan the two-decade conflict with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Tamil lawmakers said. ``If Pakistan misinterprets the struggle for self determination as terrorism and provides military assistance to Sri Lanka, the government of Sri Lanka will face serious repercussions,'' TamilNet cited the lawmakers from the Tamil National Alliance as saying yesterday in a statement. Sri Lanka and Pakistan pledged greater political, economic and cultural cooperation when Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama visited Islamabad last week, the government said without mentioning military aid. A Pakistani delegation led by its defense secretary is visiting Colombo this week, the Defense Ministry said on its Web site. The LTEE is fighting for a separate homeland in areas it controls in the north and east of the island nation. Pakistan supports Sri Lanka's territorial integrity and security, Foreign Minister Kurshid Kasuri told Bogollagama last week, Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. ``The problem in the north and east is not terrorism,'' TamilNet cited TNA members Mavai Senathirajah of Jaffna and K. Thurairatnasingham of Trincomalee, as saying. The TNA has 22 seats in the 225-seat parliament.

Air force jets early today bombed an LTTE gathering point and artillery positions used by rebels to fire at the military's northeastern defense lines, Major Upali Rajapakse, a defense spokesman, said by telephone from the capital, Colombo. Two villagers were killed and one injured in the air strikes in the Vavuniya district, TamilNet reported. Sri Lanka's peace process collapsed last year as fighting erupted in the north and east and two rounds of peace talks in Geneva between the government and LTTE failed to make progress. Tamils make up less than a fifth of the country's population of 20 million people. The Tamil Tigers are classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union. The country's coast guard and police are working together to identify the sea routes used by the Tamil Tigers to bring weapons to the country from India's Tamil Nadu state, a two-hour boat ride from Sri Lanka. The navy and coast guard recently seized boats carrying arms, ammunition and components to be used in homemade bombs, according to the Sri Lanka Army Web site.

Civilians have fled from Sri Lanka across the Paik Strait to Tamil Nadu to escape the fighting. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated last November that more than 16,000 people crossed to Tamil Nadu since January 2006. The LTTE last month accused the international community of failing to stop the government from pursuing a military solution after the army said it captured at least 12 rebel camps in an operation in the eastern region. The U.S., EU, Japan and Norway, the leading international donors to Sri Lanka, have repeatedly asked the government and LTTE to resume peace negotiations.

RAMANATHAPURAM: In an effort to arrest Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam functionary Kannan, who is believed to have masterminded the smuggling of improvised explosive device (IED) components to Sri Lanka, and another accused K. Mutheeswaran and his accomplices, the police on Monday raided `possible hideouts' in several villages, particularly Irumeni, along the Rameswaram coast. The Navy seized two IED components-laden boats last week. Acting on a tip-off, armed policemen led by Superintendent of Police R. Thirugnanam conducted the search operations at Irumeni, Dharga Valasai, Alaikatha Valsai and other hamlets near Uchipuli in the early hours. A bomb squad carried out searches in some houses, godowns and coconut farms. The policemen questioned boat owners who established their identity by producing ration cards and other documents.

"Though, the teams formed to nab the accused in the IED components' seizure cases have not made any arrest so far, special teams have made some progress," Mr. Thirugnanam said. Additional police personnel had been deployed along the coast off Rameswaram and all entry points to the district sealed. Officers in the rank of Inspector had been posted at all check-posts, including Pattinamkathan and Parthibanur.

Policemen had been deployed on link roads leading to coastal villages. Commander S. Mukherji, Area Commander, South, said joint patrolling with State police was on along the coast to prevent clandestine activities.

Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse met with the Japanese Special envoy to the Sri Lankan peace process Yasushi Akashi over the weekend in Tokyo, Government sources said yesterday. Rajapakse, who left on Friday night, was in Tokyo to discuss the Oslo-led peace process. There he met Akashi and senior officials in the Foreign Ministry and the Government. The visit was on the invitation of Japanese Government. Sources said that that among other matters, Rajapakse explained to the Japanese Government plans to introduce political proposals to end the North East crisis, and discussed matters relating to President Mahinda Rajapakse's two pronged policy of carrying out development programmes simultaneously while the troops continue their offensives in North and the East.

Saudi authorities beheaded four Sri Lankans convicted of armed robbery in Riyadh yesterday. The Saudi Interior Ministry in a statement said, "Victor Gorea, Ranjith Desilva, Santhosh Kumar and Sharmila Sangeeth Kumar were executed for robbing a number of businesses at gunpoint. “They were beheaded by the sword in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh,” the statement said. Executions are usually carried out in public in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia, which applies a strict form of Sharia, or Islamic law.

The District Court of Colombo yesterday granted the UNP 'Reformists' group, which had crossed over to the Government, an interim injunction, returnable on March 5 2007, against UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and General Secretary Tissa Attanayake.The UNP leadership had called for explanations from the group and by by a letter dated 07-02-2007, sent to the plaintiffs had informed them that they would be suspended from the party and their membership in the UNP Working Committee terminated.The Court granted the injunction against the suspension of Reformists group’s membership and removal from the Working Committee of the UNP, .The injunction was granted after an ex-parte hearing on cases filed on behalf of Karu Jayasuriya, Gamini Lokuge, G. L. Peiris, Milinda Moragoda, Bandula Gunawardena, Rajitha Senaratne, Neomal Perera, M. Mustapha, Mano Wijeratne, P. Dayaratne and Hemakumara Nanayakkara.The plaint was filed by Sudath Perera Associates and was supported by Romesh de Silva PC, Harsha Amarasekera, Sugath Caldera and Kanchana Peiris.

The UNP and the TNA named their representatives to the Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC) on Abductions, Disappearances, Extortions and Extrajudicial killings formed by several minority parties including the Democratic Left Front, the New Left Front, Western People's Alliance and the United Socialist Party.UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake in a letter to CMC Convenor Mano Ganeshan named Lakshman Kiriella as its nominee while the TNA has nominated Suresh Premachandran. Mr. Ganeshan wrote the UNP and the TNA requesting for nominations.

CHENNAI: India should formulate its own policy on involvement, and not intervention, in Sri Lankan affairs, N.N. Jha, former ambassador to Sri Lanka and Nepal, said on Monday. As for a military solution to the ethnic problem, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa may be tempted to "go in for the kill," but India should advise him against it, he said at a discussion on `India and its neighbours' organised by the Observer Research Foundation-Chennai chapter. The LTTE was on a militarily weak ground, especially after the defection of rebel leader Karuna, which had cost it dear in terms of support in the eastern provinces. The militants should now look for the best possible deal. There was no possibility of an alignment between them and the minority Muslim population, though they might seek a linkage with the Al Qaeda in desperation. The influence of China and Pakistan was still nascent, and India had a significant role to play at this juncture.

As far as Nepal was concerned, India should support free and fair elections to facilitate the switch from monarchy to democracy. It should also indicate that it would reduce its contacts with the new dispensation "to a minimum" if the polls were not free and fair. The Indian envoy in Nepal should focus on getting the royalists and Congress parties to reach an understanding so that they did not vote against each other in the elections.

Also, the six-10 lakh Nepalis, internally displaced by the civil strife, should be allowed to return to their homes to ensure their participation in the transition to democracy. India should support a democratic dispensation as a vast majority of the Nepalese favoured people's rule, he said.

Although President Mahinda Rajapakse had divided the SLFP Dissident Group by promising to restore Anura Bandaranaike's Cabinet status, determined efforts are being made to change the former National Heritage Minister's mind. Bandaranaike is under heavy pressure to re-join the Dissident Group which had the backing of the UNP and the JVP. Speculation in political and business circles is that Rajapakse’s opponents would seek to entice the SLMC and CWC as a part of their strategy to undermine the Rajapakse administration.Although the two minority parties joined the Rajapakse administration at the recent Cabinet reshuffle, they are believed to be responsive to a grand alliance. Bandaranaike's decision to abandon the campaign led by Mangala Samaraweera had forced the anti-Rajapakse group to review their strategy. Bandaranaike is expected to re-assume the National Heritage Ministry early this week, probably today (19).Political sources said that Rajapakse was fully aware of the prospect of Bandaranaike giving in to pressure again. "He is not taking a chance," a veteran SLFPer said.

The President suprised his opponents by visiting Bandaranaike at the State guest house Visumpaya, which the former Minister would have been compelled to vacate if he remained with the Dissidents. He would have also lost a large VIP security contingent along with a plethora of other perks. The Island learns that the move to bring back Anura had the blessings of senior presidential advisor Basil Rajapakse. A one-time buddy of Anura, Basil is widely believed to be responsible for the successful efforts to strengthen the ruling coalition in Parliament.But the Opposition is likely to keep pressure on the government. Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe were seen at Anura's birthday bash. Focus of their discussion, a well informed source said, was on the current political situation. Although they had been disappointed with Anura walking back to Mahinda's camp, they certainly did not express their true feelings, he said. A veteran journalist who played a critical role in helping Wickremesinghe to win the December 2001 parliamentary election had been among the guests.

Although Rajapakse had won the first round, his opponents are confident that they could strike back. Pivotal to their strategy would be to keep former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera's political campaign alive. Samaraweera and Sripaty Sooriyaarachchi, two of Rajapakse's key supporters at the presidential election, Thursday vowed to continue their campaign. Mangala led-SLFP Dissidents are of the opinion that the revival of the SLFP-UNP MoU would be key to securing the JVP's support. This is among the ten demands set by the Dissidents for their return. The Island learns that the government had dismissed the ten-point plan as being the basis for Dissidents return to the fold. Political sources said that the government would not have even considered the majority of its proposals. The government would not give in to pressure tactics, the sources said.Kumaratunga and Wickremesinghe had walked in after Rajapakse left.

Kumaratunga had been furious over the unexpected change of events. She had pointed out that Anura deserted the campaign even after urging her to join their bid against Rajapakse. Contrary to expections, she had atteneded the party. "She walked in with a basketful of imported goodies from Fortnum and Mason, one of the major London super departmental stores." They ended up dancing to the heady baila tune of Rajina mamai ape rajje (I am the queen of our country). Among the guests had been business tycoon Harry Jayawardena and his wife. The birthday boy had been suprised to see the newly appointed Colombo District UNP leader Ravi Karunanayake and his wife walking in as he knew they were not in the guests list. Karunanayake had been in a jubilant mood after replacing veteran M. H. Mohammed who had joined the government. Inquiries revealed that a businessman notorious for practical jokes had invited the Karunanayakes. Nearly 15 years ago, he had tricked Bradman Weerakoon to attend Anura's birthday. Well informed sources said that Anura was not angry as he too had tricked people to visit the businessman on his birthday. Once he had sent a group of beggars, the sources said, adding that the businessman is married to an MP.

Amidst theories that the political crisis within the SLFP over the sacking of ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Suriarachchi had taken a turn for the worse during the weekend, the party’s senior-most member D.M. Jayaratne is due to meet the two ex-ministers tomorrow in a bid to resolve it amicably.Minister Jayaratne told the Daily Mirror his move was aimed at safeguarding party unity as he strongly felt the dissension created by the rift was giving wrong signals to the support base. When queried whether he had the blessings of President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his attempts to bring the two parties together, he said the President was aware of what he was doing. He said he believed both Mr. Samaraweera and Mr. Suriarachchi were willing to talk to him and express their grievances. The Plantation Industries Minister was initially to meet the two ministers on Thursday, but it was not held since it coincided with the much-hyped news conference called by the two ex ministers.

Meanwhile a source close to President Rajapaksa said right now there were no major moves by either side for reconciliation and if at all such an attempt was to be made, that should come from somebody who could influence the thinking of both parties.“The person who is mediating should be an influential person, who could get both parties to forget what happened during the past few days and focus on the larger picture” he added.Meanwhile former Ports Development non- Cabinet Minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi is to issue a special statement in parliament tomorrow on the alleged threats to his life. It is learnt that Mr. Sooriyarachchi had said if the government failed to allocate time for his speech, he would go ahead and ask for time from an opposition party – either the UNP or the JVP - for his speech.

Sri Lanka's ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will present its own proposals on power devolution as a solution to the country's ethnic problem, SLFP sources said. The SLFP proposals are now being prepared based on the proposals submitted by the chairman of the All Party Representative Committee, Prof. Tissa Vitarana. The SLFP has appointed a committee comprised of Ministers W.D.J. Seneviratne, Sarath Amunugama, Susil Premajayantha and Dilan Perera and Western Province Chief Minister Reginald Cooray to compile its proposals.

Pakistan team here to talk arms

A high level Pakistan delegation, led by Defence Secretary Tariq Waseem Ghazi, is scheduled to arrive in Colombo today. Talks between the visiting delegation and the Sri Lankan military would primarily focus on the sale of Pakistan armaments to fight the LTTE.

One sailor was killed and 14 others were seriously injured when a bus carrying Navy personnel plunged into the Kantale Tank. The bus plying from Habarana to Trincomalee carrying sailors returning to duty after holiday met with the accident around 4.30 pm. yesterday, the military said.According to the military the driver had lost control of the bus believed to be due to a technical fault in the brake system of the vehicle. The casualties have been rushed to the Kantale hospital by the security forces.The Navy is conducting an inquiry into the accident.

RAMANATHAPURAM: In a development seemingly linked to the recent seizures on the Tamil Nadu coast of arms and ammunition bound for Sri Lanka, the Special Narcotics Cell of the Customs on Sunday arrested Balan (50), a native of Kyps Island in Jaffna district of Sri Lanka, a naturalised American citizen. A.M. Pratab, Superintendent of Customs, Special Narcotic Cell, said a team that was monitoring suspicious movements, caught him at gunpoint at Mandapam. Informed sources said primary interrogation revealed that he was one of the kingpins of smuggling in the region and one of the coordinators of the arms network in Tamil Nadu. They said he had contacts with smugglers operating from Rameswaram and Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district. He had been staying clandestinely in the district since two months. Officials, however, did not confirm if he had any links with the LTTE.

Four TNA MPs appeal to the international community to pay attention to the increasing disappearances

Four TNA members of parliament, S Kajenthiran, Pathmini Sithamparanathan, K Sivanesan, and P Ariyanenthiran, released an appeal to the international community today for action to bring an end to the increasing rate of disappearances. Full text of the appeal:

1996 disappearance cases against Sri Lankan military comes up to high courts Eleven years on, the Sri Lankan military’s conduct of disappearing people not only continues unabated but also is celebrated by the military hierarchy.A case of 25 disappearances after arrest by the Sri Lankan military in a single incident on 19 July 1996 was brought to the Jaffna magistrate court. Judge Premshankar, who heard the case in the magistrate court, has determined that sufficient evidence exists against Sri Lankan military officials functioning under Lt Col Thumintha. The judge has submitted the case in the high courts for further hearing.Of the 25 people who disappeared on that day following arrests by the Sri Lankan officials, 21 are from one single village. A total of 700 people disappeared during June to August of 1996 in Jaffna by the Sri Lankan military. An Association of Parents of the Disappeared has been pursuing the cases of their children’s disappearance for the last 11 years with no outcome.

This case and the determination by the judge that sufficient evidence of guilt against Sri Lankan military officials exists to proceed with the case in the high courts at this juncture is ironic. At least 635 people have been disappeared by the military over the last twelve months with absolute impunity. It is continuing at a rate of three or four disappearance every day at this very moment. Many of the military officials directly involved in cases of disappearance have been given promotions. In Sri Lanka, the culture of impunity is openly displayed as something desired and celebrated.Tamil people wonder why this practice by the Sri Lankan military is not addressed by the international community with the kind of vigor that it demands. Is there a human rights that is worse than enforced disappearance.

The LTTE had planned to mount a massive bus bomb attack on a major security forces base in the Jaffna Peninsula. According to a suspect under interrogation, they had received a directive to drive an explosives-laden bus into the high security zone and detonate it. A senior defence official revealed that the LTTE had planned to mount a commando-style raid on the targeted base immediately after the attack. "They would have taken advantage of the chaos to raid the base," he said. The LTTE would have zeroed in on a base where they could inflict the maximum possible material damage, he said. The plan had come to light after the recent recovery of over 600 kgs of high explosives (C4 type) hidden in an abandoned house at Sivan Kovil Lane, Tirunelveli. The military claimed that the recovery was made on a tip off given by a civilian.

The suspect had admitted that the consignment had been moved into Jaffna through the Muhamalai gateway during the ceasefire agreement. Had they succeeded in their plan it would have delivered a massive blow to security forces, the official said. It would have also weakened the overall military strategy.The government closed Muhamalai entry/exit point last August after the LTTE made an abortive bid to overrun the Jaffna frontline.The military said that the LTTE would have used a substantial part of the 600 kg consignment to carry out what would have been the biggest vehicle bomb attack in the entire eelam war. The military had been successful in recovering sizeable stocks of arms, ammunition and explosives since the launch of major ground operations mid-last year.

The SLN’s efforts to curb efforts to replenish their arsenal had been strengthened by the ongoing operations undertaken by India. The Indian Coast Guard engaged in tracking down Sea Tigers and their Indian associates last Tuesday made an unprecedented detection off the southern coast of India. The Indian Coast Guard claimed that the boat carrying five persons including two Indian fishermen was moving towards the Tamil Nadu coast. But Tamil Nadu police had disputed the Coast Guard version. The Police had claimed that the Coast Guard intercepted the LTTE boat while it was trying to avoid a SLN sea patrol. According to the Coast Guard the boat carried a belt worn by suicide cadres and that the LTTE planned to carry out an attack in Tamil Nadu, probably at a temple festival.

A senior government official appreciated the Indian action. "We are grateful," he said, adding that the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard could play a critical role in curbing Sea Tigers. Sea Tigers use Indian waters to re-route weapons shipments they receive from suppliers while some consignments originate from India as in the case of the recent detection of two boats about six nautical miles of North West of Battalangunduwa. The boats, each powered by two OBMs had been moving towards Silavaturai when the SLN attacked them.Naval diving teams subsequently recovered twenty eight sacks of steel balls containing a total of over one million steel balls and a satellite phone among other items. Indian police recently thwarted an LTTE attempt to procure ship 6 tons of steel balls to manufacture claymore mines.

Mail services between Jaffna peninsula and other parts of Sri Lanka are disrupted since January 14, according to residents in Jaffna. More than six hundred mailbags and 5537 bags of parcels including food items have been lying in the Trincomalee main post office for the past 30 days waiting to be transported to Jaffna by sea, postal sources said. Jaffna residents, especially students, teachers, government servants who have applied for several examinations and awaiting for admission cards and interview letters, and relatives of those living abroad have been undergoing severe hardships due to the breakdown of postal service, civil society sources said.Mailbags and parcels transported to and from Jaffna via land until the closure of A9 highway when violence between the Sri Lanka government troops and LTTE broke out on August 11 last year.

A Navy driver who escaped with his Navy jeep on Saturday night (17) was arrested at Yakkala by Navy intelligence units, security sources said yesterday. With information elicited from the deserter, police and the Navy units recovered the jeep from Nugegoda area, sources said.The suspect who left the camp in Fort on Saturday night did not report back to work, the sources said prompting the authorities to enforce road blocks in the city on alert for the vehicle. The motive of the deserter was yet to be determined and investigations were in progress, Fort police sources said.

International rights group Amnesty International has called for an end to the impunity on the spate of disappearances and has setup an online petition addressed to Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake calling on the government to take urgent steps to curb the trend.Several cases of abductions or “disappearances" have been reported from several parts of the country, the latest being the disappearance of a Jaffna based freelance journalist Subramaniam Ramachandran (37) who did not return home last week. “In Sri Lanka, the security forces have been responsible for tens of thousands of "disappearances" in connection with two separate conflicts: the war between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil separatist group LTTE as well as the insurrection in the late 1980s by the JVP - an opposition group from the majority Sinhalese community,” the AI said.

AI is calling on the government to compensate the victims or their families and to bring to justice those found responsible for the "disappearances" noting that the incidents occur when someone is arrested by government forces, or by private forces operating with the government's consent, and the government then denies all knowledge of the person's location or status. "Disappearances appear to be used for two purposes: it facilitated torture without accountability and it concealed the killing of prisoners. In the overwhelming majority of these cases, there have been virtually no reported prosecutions or convictions. Impunity for these crimes continues,” AI said.The AI petition, in particular, notes the disappearance of two Sinhalese women in their 20s in Galle in 1988, the arrest of over 160 Tamil villagers from Saturukondan and three other villages in Batticaloa in 1990, the detention of seven young Tamil men as well as the disappearances of two others in Jaffna last year.

Incidentally a new international treaty outlawing enforced disappearances and upholding the right of victims to know the truth about the circumstances and fate of those disappeared was officially opened for signature at a ceremony in Paris two weeks ago."Far from being a tragic relic of past "dirty wars" this shameful practice still persists in all continents. This treaty closes a glaring gap in international human rights law by making explicit the prohibition on disappearances," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour. Echoing the absolute prohibition on torture, the Convention states that, "No one shall be subjected to enforced disappearance" and highlights that no exceptional circumstances whatsoever may be invoked as a justification for such violation. It calls on all State Parties to ensure that enforced disappearances constitute an offence under domestic law and significantly, states that the widespread or systematic practice of enforced disappearances constitutes a crime against humanity

KN.SriKantha, the TELO & TNA Parliamentarian has in a letter written to the Prime Minister requested the government to dispatch news prints to the Jaffna media in view of the shortage that exists there. He has pointed out that following the shortage of news prints, the news papers published from Jaffna had to reduce their size. Now a precarious situation has arisen whereby these news papers have to cease their publications. He further pointed out that if the problem of pausity of news prints is not solved immediately, then it can result in depriving the people of Jaffna their right to information–a right that is internationally recognized.

Four powerful Senators of the United States including a 2008 presidential candidate of the Democratic Party have written to the Government expressing serious concern over the deterioratinghuman rights situation in Sri Lanka and called for urgent steps to arrest the rising violations. The four Senators who wrote to the Government are Edward Kennedy (Massachusetts), John Kerry( Massachusetts), Christopher Dodd (Connecticut) and Richard Durbin (Illinois). All four Senators are from the Democratic Party which is in control of both Houses in the US Congress. Senator Dodd is a candidate of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election. Senator Durbin is the Majority Whip of the ruling Democratic Party in the US Senate. Senator Kerry was the presidential candidate of the democratic Party in 2004 and Senator Edward Kennedy, the brother of former US President John Kennedy is one of the longest serving US Senators.

The first missive was fired by Senators Kennedy and Kerry on December 14, 2006 where in a letter to Sri Lanka's Ambassador Bernard Goonetilleke they expressed their increasing concernabout the humanitarian situation on the ground due to the continuing violence. "According to some reports, several thousand people face malnutrition, disease and starvation", the Senators wrote. The Sunday Leader learns, the Senators had not received a detailed response to the letter. The second missive went out from Senators Dodd and Durbin on December 18 to the then Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera where it was stated that they are 'particularly concerned about alleged human rights violations; forced conscription of children; and the unfolding humanitarian crisis'. " We deeply regret the tragic deaths of thousands of Sri Lankans during this conflict and encourage a political solution to it, not a military one", the Senators wrote. Senator Dodd's Legislative Assistant, Ziad Haider has confirmed to The Sunday Leader the letter did not elicit a response. A similar letter of concern was also sent to the Government by 38 Congressman from the House of Representatives in December. The letter was signed by 32 Democrats and eight Republicans

The British government is putting the squeeze on Sri Lanka, threatening to stop a grant of £41 million for breaching international obligations and for "unjustified" military spending.The British threat to cut off the grant came a few days ahead of the Colombo visit of foreign office minister Kim Howells who offered to talk to the Tamil Tigers as part of an effort to play a greater role in the Sri Lanka conflict.Britain's twin track policy is seen as part of its carrot-and-stick approach that dovetails into an overall European effort to save the LTTE from the current military pressure by Colombo, as India did when the Tigers were cornered in Vadamarachchi some 20 years ago, analysts here said.Britain’s International Development Minister Hilary Benn has written to Sri Lanka seeking assurances that it would demonstrate in the coming year that Colombo is meeting the concerns raised by the British government, well informed sources said Mr. Benn in his letter to Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera says he wants to be assured that Colombo would adhere to certain criteria before he puts his signature to the transfer of the £41 million which Britain promised following the Asian tsunami to meet Sri Lanka's debt reduction under the multilateral debt relief initiative.Britain had promised to provide £41 million over 10 years to meet the cost of Sri Lanka's debt to the World Bank International Development Association. This would have allowed the Sri Lanka government to redirect a similar sum from its own resources for tsunami recovery and poverty reduction.

But now Britain claims that Sri Lanka is guilty of a significant violation of international obligations, particularly human rights, an instigation of hostilities and an unjustified rise in military spending. It believes that instead of spending the sum released on tsunami recovery and poverty reduction it has gone on a spending spree for military hardware and logistics.The use of economic aid as a pressure point is in keeping with the call made by the German development minister when she announced two months ago that Berlin was stopping aid and called on other EU countries to do the same.While analysts here see the British move as an attempt to save the LTTE which it banned six years ago as a terrorist organisation, from a lot of grief, it is also an attempt to get its foot in the peace process.Observers here said that Britain's policy is not to talk to organisations designated as terrorists. If now it is offering to talk to the LTTE on Colombo's behalf to kick start the peace process, observers wonder whether Britain is planning to lift the ban on the Tigers.

Dr Kim Howells, the British Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, ended a three day visit to Sri Lanka on Thursday. Dr Howells travelled to Ampara on Tuesday, where he met government officials, representatives of local communities and visited projects funded by the British government. The following day he held a series of meetings in Colombo including a meeting with the President and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.The main purpose of Dr Howells visit was to assess the impact of recent fighting on the civilian population and to ‘reinforce’ the UK’s strong support for a negotiated settlement to the conflict. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror, the Minister reiterated that today's British government has no greater wish for Sri Lanka than that it should find a peaceful solution to its conflict. ‘This should be a solution with which all the people and communities in Sri Lanka feel comfortable and which enables them to develop their full potential, becoming a more prosperous, healthier and more highly skilled society. ‘On the other hand, if things continue as they are the current escalation of the conflict and its impact will hold back Sri Lanka's development, corrode the quality of its democracy and tarnish its image in the international arena,’ he said. He stressed that only Sri Lankans can ultimately resolve the conflict in their country. But Britain and others in the international community can help. Many countries, international agencies and non-governmental organisations are already working with Sri Lankans to help create the conditions needed for peace and long-term development. I believe their work is invaluable to the people of Sri Lanka. ‘As part of this, the British government's political and development efforts in Sri Lanka have a single aim. To help create the conditions in which a lasting peace can be achieved,’ he said.

Q: You had an extensive discussion with the President on Thursday. How did the meeting go?

It was a long and very fruitful meeting and I tried to assure the President that we were very long standing friends of Sri Lanka and we want to help the democratically elected government to make progress in its express desire to bring peace and reconciliation to this island. It has been from our point of view a very constructive discussion. We tried to bring to the table some of our experience in Northern Ireland and other theatres of conflict. I’ve been very interested to share the perspective that the President gave to me of why it has been so difficult to arrive at some sort of peaceful resolution to the conflict which has been going on for far too long. That was the main theme of the discussion.Of course we also discussed the reconstruction efforts that I have seen in Ampara and on the coast and he was very interested in that. We spoke about human rights and I tried to impress upon him that all of us, whether it’s the United Kingdom or Sri Lanka we are judged by our human rights record. We have to take that very seriously. That means we have to engage with NGOs and be sensitive to their perspective of things and most importantly we have to make sure that our records of human rights is changed in to action where it matters and that’s most often in very difficult parts of the world where there is conflict and where terrorists like the LTTE are murdering the people.

Q:You spoke of consequences of a continuing negative track record in human rights. How concerned are you of this situation from what information is available to you?

We met a number of human rights organizations on Wednesday and they expressed their concerns to us. But it is nothing like it is in some parts of the world that I have met NGOs in. But they are concerned about issues like abduction of children like the Karuna group faction and the LTTE recruitment of children to the outfit to work for them and sometimes to fight for them as well. These are very worrying things. We in Britain regard the abduction of children as a very serious and obnoxious phenomenon. I’m sure the vast majority of the people in Sri Lanka does. That was an issue that kept coming back with the NGOs. And indeed, when we met the security forces commander in Ampara. He was very worried about this phenomenon. It’s very hard for any of us who are parents to imagine their children being taken away from us.

Q:There has been heavy criticism against and allegations of the actions of Karuna recently. How much a concern is the Karuna equation to you?

We tried to speak to the people involved in the provision of security in places like Ampara. I think they recognize that they have to handle the Karuna Group very, very carefully because they have got a very, very bad name with people. Simply because they have broken with the LTTE and they oppose the LTTE, doesn’t mean they should be allowed to behave like the LTTE. That is something we have expressed many times. There can be no cosy relationship between Karuna and government forces and an excuse for the way Karuna behaves or has been behaving. There can be no ambiguity there with human rights. If they are abusing human rights they must be charged and prevented from abusing human rights. That is the job of any democratically elected government. And we heard that as well from the security forces. I think they understand the nature of that problem.

Q:You mentioned that a military victory for one side is very unlikely to bring about a lasting political solution and that a, war for peace approach inevitably means more war. Does this mean you condemn the present strategy of the government?

It’s a right of every sovereign government that has been democratically elected to defend its people. In fact it’s the first duty of a government to defend its people. It’s their duty to make sure that their citizens are not murdered or abducted or raped. That’s their first duty. What I am saying is that I don’t know of any major conflict in the world, certainly not as long running as this one where there is the possibility of a military victory. You can win a military victory but to sustain it is a different thing. There is a possibility of course that the LTTE which is a seasoned terrorist organization will re-group and melt back to the community and it will re-emerge at some stage in the future. So the great task is to engage the people of the North and the East in a political dialogue that convinces them that their best future lies with a democratically elected government of Sri Lanka.

Q:Now what arrangement will work for the Sri Lankan people is with the Sri Lankan people.

Do they want the kind of devolution that we have in Britain? Where the Wales is run by the Welsh Assembly and Scotland is run by the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland is run by a Northern Ireland Parliament. Or do they want something like that exists in Spain where there is an asymmetric arrangement. Or do they want something like Canada or maybe even like India? There are many, many possibilities for Sri Lanka to put a package together. And we want to help with this. Perhaps the Sri Lankan government will come up with a completely different model to any of those. And of course that is something that only the Sri Lankan people can decide for themselves. But we certainly would like to be part of that and help in any way we can.

Q:You mentioned that the Oslo facilitated ceasefire would serve for a good base to launch a new peace initiative. What role do you see for Britain in this?

Paul Murphy was in Sri Lanka a few weeks back and he came with a very experienced official from the Northern Ireland office and they have many years of experience of dealing with terrorist groups and helping to convince them that they should be part of the democratic process and that they should be inside the process in the UK. Now that takes a long time and that is a very painful process and we would certainly like to share that experience with the people of Sri Lanka. It really is a kind of a consultancy role that we see for Britain. We want to work with all the parties and we offered the Norwegians our fullest support in their efforts to arbitrate and to discuss possible outcomes and we continue to do that. That’s something we are very interested in doing that. I think the most important thing is that until there is peace and until you’ve arrived at some kind of outcome which allows people in North and the East as well as the South and the West to tap their greatest potential then Sri Lanka will not be the wealthy country it should be. It occupies the title of an island we regard a paradise, it’s located in a very strategic place which is why people have been interested in it for so long. It’s got very intelligent people. It ought to be one of the richest places in the world, and it can be, but what stops investors and tourists is this conflict. That is why it is vital that this conflict should be resolved.

Q:There have been fears that consequences would involve a possible lifting of the ban imposed against the LTTE in Britain?

Well we have no intention of lifting the ban against an organization that murders people and subjects people to restrictions on their freedom and behaves in a murderous way very often against the whole population. We have no intention of doing that at all. I don’t see any reason why if there are people within the LTTE who want to break with that policy and want to discuss the kinds of things that the IRA started to discuss, or why the world’s attitude towards this situation can’t change. Of course it can change. It can change for the better and they can start doing this.

The UNP last week decided to withdraw from the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) with immediate effect. The decision was made at the party's Working Committee meeting last Thursday chaired by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, following strong viewpoints expressed by several members on the matter. UNP MP and Colombo District Leader Ravi Karunanayake at the meeting said the UNP's decision to join the APRC had been made on the basis of the MoU signed between the UNP and SLFP. He stated that since President Mahinda Rajapakse had abrogated the MoU by taking a group of UNP defectors into government, the party was no longer bound to participate in the APRC. Karunanayake's statement was seconded by several UNP MPs and Working Committee members, including Gampaha District MP, Jayalath Jayawardena. Karunanayake told The Sunday Leader that he did not see any point in the UNP participating in the exercise, given the government obviously had no clear policy or stand on the APRC or a solution to the ethnic issue. The APRC Chairman, Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitharana last week urged the Opposition Leader not to withdraw from the APRC since the absence of the UNP would make the exercise futile. The UNP has called on the government to submit its proposals to parliament on the assurance support will be extended if they are in keeping with party policy.

All Cabinet, non-Cabinet and Deputy Ministers who do not have official residences in Colombo have been asked to find themselves accommodation for a monthly rent not exceeding Rs100,000.The ministers have been informed by a circular that rent allowance amounting to Rs100,000 would be paid to them for their accommodation in Colombo as the existing official residences for ministers have all been given.The Treasury circular had been issued before the recent Cabinet re-shuffle following which the number of ministers in the government has risen to more than a 100.The rent allowances for ministers comes along with the recent increase of salaries for the President, the Prime Ministers, Ministers and MPs.

Parliamentarian Mano Ganeshan has charged that Eheliya Rambukwella, the government spokesman, has humiliated complainants of abductions alleging that they had provided misleading information and that it was because of that UN Special Advisor Allen Rock made certain findings against the government. Mano Ganeshan further states that it is the Human Rights Commission appointed by the government that has provided a list of disappearances, abductions and killings in the north-east. The Civil Rights Monitoring Committee has released a list of such human rights violations in Colombo. He continued that the Amnesty International, Asian Human Rights commission, Human Rights Watch and the Diplomats in Colombo have accepted it. Therefore, the government spokesman cannot maintain his allegations.

The National Bhikku Front (NBF), which is carrying out a non-stop Satyagraha against the ceasefire agreement, yesterday vowed to step up its agitation campaign if the government does not abrogate the agreement before its 5th anniversary on February 22.After a visit to the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, NBF leader Ven. Dhambara Amila Thera said the government had so far not heeded their call to annul the ceasefire agreement which the NBF believed would pave the way for the division of the country.“We urge President Mahinda Rajapaksa to revoke the agreement even minutes before February 22, because we feel that if the agreement reaches its fifth year, it would give legal recognition to the LTTE-held areas in terms of international laws and pave the way for Eelam,” the Thera said.He noted that President Rajapakse was voted into power because he pledged to tear the ceasefire agreement and defend the unitary status of the country and he should honour his promise.

The Jaffna University will reopen for academic activities tomorrow (19) after a lapse of six months, university sources said. A senior lecturer at the university told The Sunday Leader that the students would be given a grace period of two weeks for them to come for lectures and settle down. The university will be open after a lapse of more than six months. "We have already announced the date to the students. We will not postpone the reopening of the campus. The students will be given a grace period of two weeks to attend the lectures and get used to the environment," he said. The official said that the future academic plans would be decided depending on the attendance of the students during the two-week grace period

A child was killed and four others including two soldiers were wounded in a claymore mine explosion in Jaffna yesterday. The mine targeting a security forces convoy missed the target and killing the eight-year-old Mohan Kapilan and critically wounding his father. The explosion had occurred near the Old Park junction, between Government Secretariat and St. John's College, sources said. The injured one child's father and two soldiers were being treated at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, sources added. The preliminary investigations have found that the claymore mine was hidden near the Old Park junction targeting the convoy of the Jaffna 512 Brigade. However, the buses carrying the soldiers missed the impact but two soldiers were injured. The injured civilians in the explosion are Mohan's father, Jesudasan (55) and Chitra (24). A local resident said the civilian causalities were small in number as people were relaxing at home after the Maha Sivarathri. The security forces had earlier lifted the night curfew on Friday, in order to allow civilians to attend the Sivarathri observances. "The attackers made use of that opportunity and could have planted the claymore mine on Friday night itself," a senior security forces official said.

With an eye to corner a major share of Sri Lanka's military imports primarily aimed at countering the LTTE, a high-level Pakistani team led by Defence Secretary Tariq Waseem Ghazi will visit the island nation on Monday. The visit comes in the wake of reports of alleged sleaze and bad quality arms received by Sri Lankan forces from Pakistan. Colombo has placed orders worth up to 100 million dollars with Pakistan for tanks, armoured vehicles, different kinds of bombs, explosives, ammunition and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), premier journal Jane's Defence Weekly and Sri Lankan media reports have said, confirming that the value of the deals could go up to 200 million dollars in the next 18 months. During his four-day visit, Ghazi is slated to discuss issues like supply of 22 second-hand armoured personnel carriers, while Colombo is likely to raise the issue of faulty weapons supplied to it. The reports said a major problem faced by Sri Lankan forces was that of electronic fuses for bombs supplied by Pakistan. Of the 500 fuses of types AB-103 and AB-104 supplied by Pakistan earlier, 200 were found faulty because of which Sri Lankan forces suffered huge reverses against the LTTE. Islamabad had agreed to take them back, the reports said. Sri Lankan daily Island has reported that the country's forces need two UAVs, cluster and fuel air bombs, laser- precision and guided bomb kits, deep penetration bombs, 80mm rockets with fuel explosive warheads, Bakhtar-Shiken anti-tank guided missile launcher, Tandem warhead missiles, mortars, radios and night vision goggles. The reports said that alleged commissions or kickbacks paid to defence agents representing Pakistan were as high as 20 to 25 per cent, with 15 to 20 per cent allegedly going to Sri Lankan officials. The alleged kickbacks would amount to about 15 to 20 million dollars, they said. The Pakistanis were sourcing supplies from third countries like Ukraine and re-exporting them to Sri Lanka at inflated costs, the reports said.

I recently saw on TV an interview given by the President to the BBC’s new correspondent in Colombo. He reiterated that “I will give them a political solution”. What was frightening in that interview was the fact that to Mahinda “Tamils and tigers” were co - terminous. He was boasting that he was sending medicine, fuel, food etc to the tigers but in reality those are being sent to the Tamil people. The Govt for propaganda purposes emphasises that the Tamils and tigers are two distinct entities. But in practice this regime targets Tamil civilians in a way that has never been done before. The executive President’s inability and/or unwillingness to draw a distinction between Tamils and tigers shows where the fault lies.This mindset is dangerously similiar to that of Sinhala ethno- fascists who maintain that Tamils have not been deprived of any rights and therefore have no problems. What we have is a “terrorist” problem they say. A “terrorist ” problem needs no political solution but only a military solution they argue.

The conduct of the Rajapakse regime has demonstrated that “Medamulana Mahinda ” is also of the opinion that a military solution and not a political solution is necessary. Rajapakse has however grudgingly acknowledged that the Tamils have to be given something at least for the sake of messrs. Aanandasangaree and Douglas Devananda. So there is a need to come out with a political solution.Realistically the Rajapakse regime has to go through the motions of a search for a Political solution due to International pressure. There is every chance that foreign aid and financial assistance would dry up if something is not on the table soon. Some Countries are tolerating Colombo’s military drive only because they think Rajapakse will also deliver a political settlement.There is a world - wide consensus that a Southern consensus or Pan - Sinhala consensus is very necessary for a satisfactory resolution of the national question. There is little doubt among international circles that ultimately a political settlement redressing Tamil grievances and accommodating legitimate Tamil aspirations is necessary. Of course it would be within the parameters of Sri Lanka’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignity. So even Mahinda has to maintain appearances of going in for a political solution.

This is where messrs Anandasangaree and Devananda are helping Rajapakse. The former is doing so unwittingly while the latter is doing so wittingly.The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) President is doing yeoman service to the Tamil cause by propagating the need for a federal solution based on the Indian model. But he does not specify what or how that model solution should be formulated. Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam of the TULF along with Prof. Gamini Lakshman Peiris formulated a very worthwhile devolution package. Tiruchelvam was maligned by the LTTE as a “traitor” for that commendable effort. He was assassinated in 1999 but the character assassination preceded it for four years.Years later Anton Stanislaus Balasingham stated publicly that the Tiruchelvam draft was positive and acceptable.The TULF President can take up this creditable package and promote it as a political solution but regrettably has not done so despite the efforts of many to persuade him.

Then there is the majority report of the expert panel. Some of the recommendations in that report were far -reaching. The report can be a very solid basis to build upon. The report was signed by six Sinhala, four Tamil and one Muslim persons. At a time when the Sinhala hardliners came down heavily on the report it was the duty of Tamil political parties to defend it on principle.Yet Mr. Anandasangaree has been conspicuously silent about that report so far. When a member of the expert panel solicited Anandasangaree’s opinion recently he was told that the TULF president was studying them.Other Tamil parties including the Govt constituent Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) have also maintained a deafening silence.There is also the Tissa Vitharana proposals which encompasses about 90% of the majority expert report. Prof. Vitharana has done the Samasamaajists proud by presenting a report that is very , very progresive. Dr. NM Perera’s nephew displayed shades of the old LSSP which conducted itself honourably during the time when Citizenship and Official Language bills were passed. Anandasangaree the disciple of Dr. NM Perera has not been supportive of even the Trotskyite’s efforts.Merely repeating the manthra “indian model federalism” will not be useful without making efforts to evolve a concrete solution or at least back the best available proposal. The bane of the TULF from Appapillai Amirthalingam’s time has been the attitude of waiting for the other party to come up with a “viable alternative”.

If the Tamil “moderates” desire an alternative solution to Tamil Eelam then they must come out with what they want or extend constructive support to proposals like the Vitharana or majority expert report.Waiting for Mahinda to come out with a solution instead would result in being offered only a watered down version. It is lamentable that a man of Anandasangaree’s experience fails to see this in perspective.While Anandasangaree plays unwittingly into Rajapakse’s hands , the EPDP’s Douglas Devananda is wittingly becoming a cat’s paw in Rajapakse’s hands. Apart from actively collaborating in acts of state terror, Devananda is also involved in helping Rajapakse to sell a political dummy to the Tamils.Devananda has been talking much of his earlier three - stage scheme of 13th amendment plus. This is music to Mahinda’s ears. What Rajapakse hopes to present as “political solution” is nothing more than the 13th amendment with modifications. Douglas “Malli” is helping Mahinda “aiya” by harking back to the 13th amendment again.

Devananda has conveniently forgotten the background to this three - stage scheme. Actually this proposal was not that of Devananda’s but his erstwhile political adviser Dr. K. Vigneswaran. It was this former secretary of the North - Eastern provincial council who came up with this suggestion in the late nineties.Chandrika Kumaratunga was President then and the war with the LTTE was raging. The people of the North - East needed some regional administrative set - up with political leadership . The practical alternative was to work the defunct 13th amendment.It was for this that the three - stage formula was proposed.The first stage was to set up an interim administrative council for the North - East. The representation in the Council was to be of the same proportions that North - Eastern political parties were represented in Parliament. Since the EPDP held nine seats out of the total thirty - one the party was to get the most representatives as well as the interim chairman post.

The second stage was to enhance devolution . The idea was to do away with the concurrent list in keeping with the Mangala Moonesinghe report. This would give greater powers to the periphery. Sec 154 (G) enables greater powers being given to the Provincial councils by legislative amendments through simple majority. All Provincial Councils should pass legislation to that effect in their respective councils. If all PC’s were united in this then Parliament too could pass legislation through simple majority.The third stage was implementing enhanced devolution through an interm council for the N- E while the overall search for a political solution should continue. The rationale was that the absence of a political solution should not prevent the North - Eastern people from enjoying the benefits of devolution.Kumaratunga was very sympathetic towards the idea and even gazetted provisions for a N- E interim council. Since the UNP and SLFP had agreed during the Mangala Moonesinghe committee sittings to do away with the concurrent list thre was no hitch to enhanced devolution. Besides the Peoples Alliance controlled all Provincial Councils then. The N- E would have the interim body. All councils were expected to support greater powers for themselves.

Everything was hunky - dory but nothing positive happened. Why? The cause was none other than Devananda - who in the words of the late Kethesh Loganathan - fancied hmself as the sole alternative to Velupillai Prabakharan the so called sole representative. When Kumaratunga wanted names from the EPDP for the interim council Douglas wanted to head it himself. Kumaratunga disagreed as he was then a MP. But Douglas wanted both posts and refused to budge. So the project was shelved.Now the very same man who killed the idea then is reviving the 13th amendment plus project. It is seemingly at the behest of Mahinda. The 13th plus proposal was thought of at a particular time under different circumstances. Much water has flowed down the Mahaweli, Kelani, Aruvi and Verugal rivers since then.Concrete legislation for a political settlement was drafted as a bill in Aug 2000. The 2002 ceasefire agreement brought an end to the “official” war. Direct talks between the Govt and LTTE resulted in the Oslo declaration where both sides have pledged to explore federalism.The International community is for a settlement on federal lines.Against that backdrop there is no need to go back to the past of 13th amendment with or without plus. What is necessary is for the nation to proceed forward on the road to federalism. The EPDP wants the Country to go back to the 13th amendment period. This amounts to a gross betrayal of the Sri Lankan Tamils.

Thousands of commuters and motorists were caught up in major traffic snarl as the police and army launched a major search operation in Colombo yesterday afternoon following a bomb scare. All entry and exit points to the city were searched during the three-hour operation that started around 3.00 pm.The surprise search resulted in a massive traffic jam with large numbers of office workers also seen stranded in bus stands.According to reports, the search operation had been launched following a tip-off that a trishaw carrying a bomb had entered the Colombo city yesterday afternoon. However DIG Colombo Range Rohan Abeywardene told the Daily Mirror the search was launched as a part of the routine operation conducted in the city. Meanwhile, a search operation was also carried out in Kandy following a bomb scare at the Good Shed bus stand. The Bomb Disposal Unit was summoned immediately but nothing suspicious was found. During the search operation police arrested 12 suspects including a woman who had failed to prove their identity.

Navy 'recovers claymore bearings'

The Sri Lankan navy says that it has recovered more than a million steel ball bearings - used in claymore mines - after a skirmish at sea. The navy says that two Tamil Tiger boats were destroyed in the clash off the north-west coast. A spokesman said he believed they had foiled an attempt by the rebels to smuggle the ball bearings into the country to be used in attacks.The rebels say the boats were not theirs but belonged to fishermen. Defence officials also say that the air force bombed suspected rebel targets in the northern Jaffna peninsula on Friday. A statement said that war planes struck targets in the towns of Sorampattu and Palai, destroying mortar positions. The pro-rebel Tamilnet website said that civilian settlements were hit in the air strikes.

According to the navy, patrol crafts on Friday spotted two boats approaching the land. They challenged them and fired warning shots. When those on board the boats responded with small arms fire, the navy says its patrol sank them, killing at least four people. Divers sent to search the wreckage later recovered more than a million steel ball bearings in sacks, the navy says. Navy spokesman Lieutenant-Commander Rohan Joseph, said he believed they were being smuggled from India to Sri Lanka by the Tamil Tigers to be used in claymore mines. The BBC's Roland Buerk in Colombo says that claymores are planted above the ground and use an explosive charge to fire shrapnel horizontally. Our correspondent says that they have been frequently used in attacks blamed on the Tigers. For months, Sri Lanka has been sliding back towards war, despite a ceasefire still being in place on paper. It was signed five years ago next week, but is being ignored by both sides. Sri Lanka's government has driven the Tigers from much of the east of the country and has not ruled out taking military action against rebel strongholds in the north. On Thursday warplanes bombed Tiger maritime bases in Chenmalai along the northern coast of the island, the defence ministry said. "The Sea Tiger bases were completely destroyed," it said.

"Those in the executive committee are pimps"- SLFP Western Provincial Councilors

The decision taken by the president to remove minister Samaraweera and Sripathy from their ministerial portfolios is causing a dispute in the Sri Lanka freedom party.A meeting had been organized under the patronage of the of Party's general secretary Maithripala Sirisena for the Western Provincial Councilors at the Temple Trees. The aim of the meeting had been to seek the views of these local leaders about the decision taken by the President, but a tense situation arose there.It is being reported to LeN that firstly Minister Dilan Perera who once was for the Chandrika faction. Dilan had been criticizing some of Samaraweera work when one of those gathered arose and said "you have taken 24 thieves into the party and chased away people who are very precious to the country". Another had questioned whether no knew about their malpractices before they were stripped off from their ministries. Some had questioned him where he was during the presidential election. Those gathered had then started to say various things which prompted Dilan Perera to walk off from the podium. The Presidents advisor of trade unions Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra had attempted to speak but he too soon gave up.Then General Secretary Sirisena had announced the reasons which prompted the head o state to remove the relevant ministers from their posts and asked the gathering to accept the decision taken by the party. Then the gathering had stated that it cannot happen. In reply to the protest Sirisena had stated that the executive committee of the party agreed to this decision unanimously. Then those gathered have shouted saying "maybe those in the executive committee are pimps, we are not". The discussion then ended in total disarray.

Sri Lanka's Marxist People's Liberation Front (JVP) hit out at the United States yesterday at a mass rally held in the Colombo suburb of Nugegoda. JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said in the present context, if the JVP overslept an hour, half the country would be in the US. “All those separatists and those who are planning on selling our natural resources are now in the Government. We have now become the true and responsible Opposition who do not want to create anarchy in the country. It will not take long for us to become the people’s friendly administration of this country. But we are not in a hurry to achieve that,” he said. Condemning the removal of Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Suriyaarachchi, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said, “If the President is worried so much about party and government discipline, he should first sack Minister Tissa Vitarana who speaks about a power devolution, which is completely against a unitary state envisaged in the Mahinda Chinthana programme."

Sri Lankan Airforce air raided Tamil Tiger positions in the northern Jaffna peninsula on Friday, defense officials said. Airforce Kfir jets carried out air raids around 9:50 a.m local time (0420 GMT) on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) mortar guns at Soranpattu, north of Pallai in the northern Jaffna peninsula, officials said. The attacks came after the rebels fired at Jaffna's Muhamalai forward defense lines on Wednesday, which killed at least 3 soldiers and caused severe injuries to a few officers. It was believed that the rebels had fired long distance attack by using their gun positions near Pallai. The defense sources said that similar air raids were conducted in the LTTE held Mullaitivu district on Thursday. The damages caused by the air raids were not known. The clashes are the continuation of violence that has killed nearly 4,000 people since December 2005. Escalation of the conflict has pushed the Norwegian facilitated process to the back seat despite appeals on both sides by the international community to resume the process of direct negotiations.

Former Minister Sripathy Suriarachchi says that Karuna Amman might be killed by the government before the 20th of this month.At a media briefing held at the parliamentary complex yesterday Suriarachchi said that vital information regarding the country's security will be disclosed in due course. Thus when LeN questioned the SLFP MP this morning about this he said that the there was a possibility of Karuna being killed soon.He also promised the media that those who actually had contacts with the LTTE will be disclosed to the country very soon.

The LTTE yesterday appointed a spokesperson for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, the LTTE peace secretariat said.It said Ms. N. Selvy, who earlier served as a Peace Secretariat official was appointed to the post, after what it called the declining humanitarian situation in government controlled areas.Tiger peace secretariat chief S. Puleedevan said the spokesperson would bring HR issues to the focus of humanitarian agencies and the media.Ms. Selvy has been part of LTTE delegations and has represented it during meetings with foreign diplomats and representatives of humanitarian agencies.

A provincial journalist attached to the Tamil daily newspaper Thinakural was reported missing since Thursday evening and is suspected to be abducted by an unidentified gang in Jaffna.The Jaffna correspondent of Thinakural, 37-year-old journalist Ramachandran was returning home on Thursday evening and had gone missing. The journalist who is also a private tutor was returning after his afternoon classes. His father had lodged a complaint at the Nelliadi police station yesterday.According to police, so far no clue of the missing journalist has been ascertained. The police believe the journalist had been abducted by an unidentified gang. Nelliadi police are conducting investigations.

The Defence Ministry has granted permission to the UNICEF to airlift essential drugs, which are now in short supply, to hospitals in Jaffna.The UNICEF prevailed upon the Commissioner General of Essential Services that it would be time consuming to transport urgently needed drugs by ship since the drugs, especially those for children, are in short supply, to grant permission to airlift same.The Commissioner General of Essential Services was in Jaffna last Wednesday and he was told by the security forces that permission could be granted to all essential goods including drugs not banned by the defence authorities.The Government delegation that went to Jaffna accepted the fact that despite six vessels now being available to transport goods to Jaffna it could be time consuming

Suresh Premachanren, TNA Parliamentarian, told that Dr.Kim Howells, British State Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has assured him to bring the human rights violations in Sri Lanka to the notice of Blair, the British Prime Minister. Earlier, Suresh Premachadren met the British State Minister Howels and explained to him of that the government is committed to a military solution although it talks about a political solution. He also informed him of the suffering of the Tamils following the closure of A9 highway.

It is being reported to LeN that former president Chandrika Kumaratunga had visited former Minister Samaraweera at around 2 yesterday morning and held a 2 hour discussion. Kumaratunga who was at the birthday party of Anura yesterday night had visited Samaraweera straight from the party. She arrived in the island on Wednesday to the island from India.However it is also reported that the former President had blasted Thirukumar Nadesan and Harry Jayawardena for taking Anura to the president. She had said that they were ruining Anura's political career.

Britain on Thursday offered to play a bigger role in Sri Lanka's moribund peace process, including talking directly to Tamil Tiger rebels it has outlawed as terrorists, as part of efforts to end a two-decade civil war.Wrapping up a three-day visit to assess the impact of renewed war on thousands of displaced families in the island's restive east, a senior British envoy said Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse had given the green light to the idea of talks."We'd be delighted to become more involved in helping to facilitate the peace process," British Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells told reporters."We asked the president a very specific question. We said how do you feel about a situation where we might talk to the LTTE and he said: 'As long as it's part of the peace-building process, we have no objections to that.'"

Norway is the lead peace mediator in Sri Lanka, but has been repeatedly criticised by Rajapakse's hardline Marxist and Buddhist monk allies.The Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been embroiled for months in a new chapter of a war that has killed more than 67,000 people since 1983, and which analysts fear is set to escalate.Apparently emboldened by the capture of a key eastern Tiger stronghold, the government has vowed to wipe out the Tigers' entire military machine, worrying diplomats who want both sides to respect a now tattered 2002 ceasefire pact.The Tigers resumed their fight for an independent state after Rajapakse flatly rejected their demands for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east.Suspected Tigers have mounted a series of ambushes and bomb attacks in recent months and truce monitors and rights groups have accused both sides of repeated rights abuses and truce violations.

The rebels have shunned government offers of renewed peace talks, but analysts say Rajapakse and the military appear keen to settle the conflict on the battlefield rather than at the peace table."We only speak to terrorist organisations if it's part of that peace building process," Howells said. "We certainly are prepared to engage in conversation with representatives of the LTTE if those conversations are part of the peace process, which we believe will lead to peace."Britain, the United States and a host of European nations are cracking down on Tamil Tiger fund-raising and arms procurement."We certainly want to squeeze their ability to buy guns and explosives to murder Sri Lankans," Howells said.Before his visit, Howells said Britain's experience in Northern Ireland was proof that conflict is not the way to achieve peace, and said Sri Lanka's international reputation would be tarnished if the war continued.

Plans are afoot by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party members to iron out differences with the three sacked ministers recently President Rajapakse yesterday had instructed Senior Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) member, Plantations Minister D.M. Jayaratne to speak to former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and former non-cabinet Minister of Ports Siripathy Suriarachchi.Jayaratne who was also the former General Secretary of the People’s Alliance (PA) told The Island yesterday that as Anura Bandaranaike had already joined the Government, he could sort out later any problems with Mangala and Siripathy .In response to the question why they were removed in no time even without giving a warning, a smiling Jayaratne said ‘that is politics’.Asked whether he had spoken to the two former ministers, Jayaratne said they were at a press conference in Parliament and hoped to meet the two ministers in the course of the day.

The JVP yesterday hit out at President Mahinda Rajapaksa accusing him of taking real conspirators against him into the Government while sacking real friends who laboured to bring him to power.Referring to a remark made by a Government Minister that the JVP did not have a right to talk about internal matters of the Government, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said the government was not a property of the SLFP or any other person.“It was elected by people of this country. Moreover, if the JVP which contributed largely to form this Government did not have a right to get involved or criticise government affairs, who else can do it? If Mr. Rajapaksa ousted Mangala Samaraweera from his post as the SLFP treasurer we would not bother to talk about it,” he said.

Addressing a packed public rally at Nugegoda Mr. Silva asked if conspirators like Rajitha Senaratne, G.L. Peiris, Bandula Gunawardena and Mahinda Wijesekera could hold portfolios why could not Mr. Samaraweera hold his portfolio.“If the President is worried so much about party and government discipline he should first sack Minister Tissa Vitarana who speaks about a power devolution which is completely against a unitary state envisaged in the Mahinda Chinthana programme,” he said. JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said if the JVP overslept an hour half the country would be in the US in the present situation?????.“All those separatists and those who are planning on selling our natural resources are now in the Government. We have now become the true and responsible Opposition who do not want to create anarchy in the country. It will not take long for us to become the people’s friendly administration of this country. But we are not in a hurry to achieve that,” he said. Denying all media reports about a possible JVP, UNP and TNA alliance Mr. Amarasinghe said “We do not have any intention of joining hands with the LTTE’s cat’s paws. In that context we guarantee that we have nothing to do with either the UNP or the TNA. Only thing we could do is bulldoze the UNP completely”.

Former Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathy Suriyarchi would not accept to their portfolios but would consider working with the ruling coalition as backbenchers. Addressing a press conference at the Parliamentary complex yesterday Samaraweera said that he would sent a letter to President Rajapakse setting out a ten point plan to resolve their differences amicably. He also dismissed the need to go for a snap election as a part of the strategy to overcome the current difficulties experienced by the Government.Samaraweera declined to comment on colleague Anura Bandaranaike’s unexpected exit from their campaign and accepting the same portfolio he as held before the trio were sacked.The press conference originally scheduled to be held at Galle Face Hotel had to be shifted to Parliamentary complex after the hotel management declined to accommodate the briefing. Thanking Secretary General of Parliament Mrs. Priyani Wijesekara for giving them access to the Parliament Samaraweera claimed that the hotel management was pressurized to cancel the scheduled briefing. The Matara District MP said he was aware of the person who interfered with the hotel management.

"The government is being handed by the Rajapkse brothers. Ministers cannot work in the ministries as they want due to the unnecessary interferences by the Rajapkse brothers. There are five ministries that come under President Rajapakse which are unofficially handled by his younger brother Basil Rajapakse. This was the main cause for all the troubles.This interference commenced in August last year but we tolerated it for the sake of the country", Samaraweera said.The ex Minister also said that he was the campaign manager for President Rajapakse during the Presidential election time and Mr.Rajapakse used the same Presidential power that he (Samaraweera) obtained for him to oust him.He also said that he would dispatch a 19 page letter to President Rajapakse and this letter was prepared in consultation with 90 per cent of SLFP stalwarts."We are not doing it to topple the Government or oust the President. The main aim is to instil the Mahinda Chinthanaya in the President and make him to implement the policies in the chinthanaya." he further said He also said that allegations were made that he had LTTE connections but declared that he was in the Tiger hit list " My security has now been reduced to two policemen and in the event of any harm to me or any of my family members the President should take the responsibility.Let what happned to Gamini Dissanayake and Lalith Athulathmudali not happen to me and Sripathy" he added.

The letter to the President to be dispatched yesterday emphasized on the following ten points:

Those who helped the President to win the Presidential elections should be identified and their needs looked into,Cabinet should be reduced to 35 ministers, Samurdhi be brought under a ministry, to establish human rights and press freedom, to seek assistance of other countries inclusive of India to solve our national problem, a political solution should be found to solve the North East conflict, to provide all assistance and create an environment conducive for businesses to flourish whereas now they are under threat and part with money to extortionists without abductions and extortions, Since the Government was formed with the JVP assistance action must be taken to win back that party, take action to reduce the cost of living and to wipe out corruption and waste. The ex Minister also wanted action implemented with regard to shortcomings pointed out by COPE chairman Wijedasa Rajapakse, MP.In his brief speech Sripathy Suriyarachi said it was he and Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle who toiled hard to ensure victory for the President in the Gampaha district .He said that it was very unethical to have telecast the speech by the President to the SLFP Executive Committee. Mr. Sripathy also said that he would not meet the president as reprted in the media.

Thirty seven vehicles used by former Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera have been taken over by the authorities and 58 persons who were employed on his staff but paid by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority have been reverted to their substantive posts, senior official sources said on Wednesday.Attempts made to contact Mangala Samaraweera for a comment failed as he could not be reached on the phone.

Indian National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan had said LTTE too is among the terrorist organizations which manipulate Indian stock market.Addressing a 43 Security Policy conference in Munich Narayanan has said that the Indian government had found several instances where terrorist outfits had manipulated the Indian stock market to raise funds for their operations.Such instances have been reported from both the benchmark Mumbai stock market and Chennai bourse, the Indian National Security Adviser has said.“Terrorists, who have launched attacks in India killing hundreds of people, as well as Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers had in part funded activities through legitimate businesses, including restaurants, real estate and shipping” Narayanan was quoted by Reuters yesterday.“Stock exchanges in Mumbai and Chennai have, on occasions, reported that fictitious or notional companies were engaging in stock market operations. Some of these companies were later traced to terrorist outfits,” Narayanan added.In general the terrorist money transfers have been channelled through unsuspecting locations.“Many instances of funds received via banking channels from so-called safe locations such as Dubai and UAE (United Arab Emirates) intended for terrorist organisations have been detected by Indian counter-terrorist agencies” Reuters quoted Narayanan.The Indian National Security Adviser had called for the lifting of banking secrecy and the corporate veil in terrorist-related cases, so that that the terrorist links could be hunted down.

The Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka yesterday expressed deep concern over the plight of its members, who are newspaper publishers serving the North and East of the country.In a statement the Society said information poverty or the failure to make available credible and balanced news to the people of the North and East could have dangerous consequences. The publishers requested the Govt. to urgently make space in vessels plying to the North and East to carry newsprint for non-government publishers there.The Society said: “In the North, there is an acute shortage of newsprint to print newspapers. The closure of the A-9, for justifiable reasons no doubt, has caused deprivation for the people of Jaffna, if not least, in their access to news.“They have very limited TV access and no internet information worth speaking of, and is a community which is made increasingly oblivious to what is happening in the rest of the peninsula, their country and the world.

“In this sombre environment, the microbes of misinformation and rumour roam free to the detriment of a peaceful and orderly society. The situation is grave and must merit the Government’s most urgent attention. It is also certain to create a sense of deprivation among the citizens of the peninsula.“We earnestly call upon the Government to provide space in the vessels which ply between Colombo and Jaffna with essential commodities, for stocks of newsprint. “Information is also an essential commodity, and newspaper publishers who already have to work within the constraints prevailing in a conflict area, must be provided the wherewithal to provide the people of Jaffna with their daily newspaper. (Poverty in information can have dangerous consequences).

“In the East the situation is more complex with news and views being perceived to be either for or against the LITE on the one hand, or the Karuna faction on the other. Newspaper reporters and news agents, working for non-Government publishing houses have ceased to function. The State media, however, continues to be distributed.“The Newspaper Society calls upon the Government once again, to extend to the other newspaper publishers the protection that the State media enjoys, and ensure a free flow of information to the Eastern Province. “It is no more than right that every citizen, irrespective of where he lives, is entitled to equal access to credible information in this country”.

Vanaja,a woman Lankan refugee in India, told the Tamil Nadu Press that women in Jaffna were abducted by masked men in Vellanai and that was why she had to flee to India with others . 27 Tamil refugees from Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya belonging to 6 families who reached Tamil Nadu were sent to Mandapam refugee camp.

Five Tamil youths were abducted by a "white - van - squad" allegedly belonging to the Karuna group. The van drove into the Amparai Central Camp around 11.00 pm, Tuesday and forcibly took away T Srithas, 17, Sritharan, 18 and Tharmarajah Thayaparan, 20, to an unknown destination, presumed to be a training camp. Another white van raided the Camp before dawn on 18, Wednesday and snatched two more youths from bed. For fear of reprisals, the parents of the two have refrained from reporting abductions to the authorities. Karuna Group, attached to the Sri Lanka Armed Forces, acts with impunity in terrorising civilians into subjugation and plundering.

Three Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) cadres and a Home Guard were killed, and two other Home Guards wounded in a firefight at a remote boarder village in Amparai district, around 5:00 a.m. Police sources said. The Policemen and Home Guards, manning Komattalawa sentry point, foiled an LTTE attack, killing three attackers, according to the Police.The Police recovered the three bodies and two T-56 assaulted rifles' Amparai police said. However, the LTTE has not so far commented on this incident.The injured were admitted to the Amparai Base hospital and the bodies were transferred to the same hospital for postmortem examinations, according to hospital sources.Komattalawa is located 20 km west of Amparai town.

Sri Lanka Army Media Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said that 3700 deserters surrendered to the Army during the period of general amnesty provided for them last month. Army Spokesman further said that Sri Lanka youth responded very positively to the call to enlist and the target of recruiting 2000 soldiers has been increased up to 7000 and the period of recruitment has been extended until 25th of February. The Army has also called upon the retired and resigned personnel to rejoin the Army with a promise to deploy them for the security of the capital city. Meanwhile analysts speculate the possible abrogation of the 2002 ceasefire agreement and enhanced offensives against the LTTE in the North and East.

NAGAPATTINAM: Fishermen of Nagai district went on a strike on Wednesday, condemning the continued attack on them by the Lankan Navy.During the past 10 days alone, the Lankan Navy opened fire at the boats of Nagai fishermen twice on February 2 and 12. In the attack on Monday night, one fisherman, who jumped into the sea to escape firing, has not yet returned.It may be recalled that a vessel of the Sri Lankan Navy reportedly opened fire at the boats on Monday night. Some Lankan Navy personnel had jumped into the boats and had taken away their catch and fishing nets after attacking the fishermen. One boat was completely damaged during the attack.While 15 fishermen managed to reach the shore in three boats, Arumugam (31) of Nagapattinam is reported to be missing. Soon after the Lankan Navy personnel went away from the spot, three other fishermen, (Mohan, Rajasekar and Kishore) who had started from Nagapattinam with Arumugam, had undertaken a search operation for a few hours. But they could not find him.On information from the affected fishermen, Nagai fishermen sailed in to the sea in 10 boats in search of Arumugam. Their efforts also went in vain. On a complaint from Sivalingam, the owner of the boat in which Arumugam travelled, Nagai town police have registered a case.Following the attack, fishermen of Nagai district, belonging to nearly 80 hamlets along the coast between Kollidam and Kodiakarai kept off the sea.Nearly 9,000 boats remained shore-bound. The fishermen urged the Central and State Governments to take steps to ensure protection for them from the attacks by the Lankan Navy. They also demanded steps to trace Arumugam.

Three civilians were injured and 2 houses were badly damaged by the Sri Lankan air force MiG bomber attacks the Nayaru civilian settlements in Mullaittivu at 10.30 am Thursday morning, 15 February 2007. Three days earlier, on 12 February 2007, Pramanthanaru civilian settlement in Visuvamadu area came under Sri Lankan air force Kfir attacks and some houses were damaged by the attack. The Sri Lankan air forces denied the attack.

Thursday morning, 15 February 2007, the Sri Lankan navy gun boats fired at and the fishermen fishing in Thalaiyadi sea area in Vadamaradchi east. Fishermen rushed to the shore leaving their equipments in sea. Later, the Sri Lankan Navy gun boats fired at the coastal village of Thalaiyadi, Vadamaradchi east. On 7 February 2007, nearly 400 fishermen from Kudathanai village, fishing in Vadamaradchi East Sea, also came under attack by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Split in Mango Group Anura to re-join "carnival of clowns "Sripathy to meet President

Anura Bandaranaike, MP has quit the dissident group after a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapakse on Tuesday The Island learns.Well informed sources said that Bandaranaike had secretly visited Temple Trees immediately after the President returned from Male following a three-day visit.Mutual friends had facilitated the move, the sources said. Bandaranaike is likely to take oaths as National Heritage Minister on Monday. They had approached Basil Rajapakse, the senior presidential advisor, the sources said adding that the President had accepted the reconciliation effort.The President had advised Bandaranaike against being part of a conspiracy. The President had pointed out that he lost the premiership by siding with the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga in the run up to the last presidential election and now he had been misled by some other party resulting in his current predicament. The President’s response to Bandaranaike’s request for an additional portfolio had been turned down. Although the President had not given a firm commitment to restoring Bandaranaike’s status, The Island learns that a private swearing-in ceremony would take place on Monday. The President assured the SLFP Central Committee that the dissidents would be taken back if they mended their ways.

Earlier, a furious Bandaranaike called a press conference to launch a counter offensive. He also called Chandrika Kumaratunga to join the briefing initially scheduled to take place on Monday. The first indication of efforts to re-join the Rajapakse cabinet came when Bandaranaike’s camp re-scheduled the briefing. Immediately after losing the portfolio Bandaranaike declared that he was happy to leave, what he termed as, a carnival of clowns.Political sources said that Rajapakse’s tough action had considerably weakened the dissident group with Bandaranaike deserting the dissidents. The President last Friday stripped Mangala Samaraweera, Anura Bandaranaike and non-cabinet ranker Sripathy Sooriyarachchi of their portfolios. Sooriyarachchi is likely to be given a meeting with the President shortly, Authoritative sources said. The sources said that Sooriyarachchi had been severely critical of the President and also called for the disbanding of the breakaway Karuna faction. The government, the sources was extremely disturbed about his actions.

Ousted Minister Anura Bandaranaike will be sworn in once again as National Heritage Minister on Monday, sources close to President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the Daily Mirror yesterday. Four UNP dissidents are also expected to join the Government next week and all four are to be offered deputy minister portfolios, the sources also said.Mr. Bandaranaike who celebrates his 58th birthday today met President Rajapaksa at Temple Trees at 11.30 a.m. yesterday and agreed to rejoin the Cabinet as National Heritage Minister, five days after his ouster. Yesterday’s meeting with the President followed a two hour discussion Mr. Bandaranaike had with Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana at Visumpaya on Tuesday evening. During the meeting the duo had informed Mr. Bandaranaike that he should rejoin the Cabinet taking national interest into consideration.

Minister Gunawardena and Governor Moulana were closeted for talks with President Rajapaksa and his advisor Basil Rajapaksa at 10 a.m. yesterday prior to the meeting between President Rajapaksa and Mr. Bandaranaike.Speaking to the BBC hours after his ouster last Friday Mr. Bandaranaike had said “It is better to be out of the Cabinet and be independent rather than to be a party to a hellish government”.Meanwhile at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting President Rajapaksa announced his decision to take Mr. Bandaranaike back to Cabinet.At this juncture a proposal was made by Provincial Councils Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon to get Mr. Bandaranaike to issue a special statement in Parliament, at the next sitting, absolving the President and the government of all charges he made against them on February 8.The proposal was unanimously endorsed by the Cabinet.

Unofficial reports say that an army high rank officer and 10 soldiers have been injured when the ltte had launched a shell attack to SLA camp located in Meesalai area along A9-high way between 11:30 am and 12:00 noon Wednesday, when a meeting was being held in the camp. Shells were also directed towards several key camps in Kodikamam Meesalai areas. It is also being reported that several civilians had also been injured in the attack. An elderly pedestrian C.Kulasekaram, 64, from Allarai North, Kodikamam was seriously injured and several civilians sustained minor injuries when a shell fell near the main road in Kodikamam during crowded market activity. Kulasekaram was taken to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for treatment, hospital sources said. The media centre for national security said security forces also returned fire but the damages caused to the LTTE is yet to be determined. Residents of Kodikamam, Meesalai and Chavakachcheri stayed indoors after the attack with the towns virtually deserted Wednesday afternoon, civil society sources in Thenmaradchy said. The Meesalai SLA camp was previously used by the Liberation Tigers previous to 1995 exodus of Jaffna.

Minister accepts HR violations

The Sri Lankan government says it cannot deny responsibility for alleged human rights violations in the island nation.Minister in charge of Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, said the government should accept the responsibility on abductions and killings in the government-held territory."If these happens while curfew in place, we cannot deny our responsibility," he told BBC Sandeshaya after a fact finding mission in Jaffna.The minister was accompanying representatives from the United Nations and international aid agencies to investigate the human rights situation in the peninsular.Minister Samarasinghe said he was informed by the National human Rights Commission (HRC) of abductions happening in Jaffna while curfew in place."I am going to work out a new arrangement taking into account what I gathered in Jaffna," he told bbcsinhala.com.

Meanwhile, an international panel has begun investigate into human rights violations, the government announced.The panel is headed by former Indian Chief Justice, PM Bhagwathie, Defence Affairs spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told journalists in Colombo.Experts from United States, UK, Australia and EU are representing the panel, he added.The panel is to probe the murder of the then Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, killing of 17 aid workers in Muttur and murder of 11 Muslims in Pottuvil, according to the minister.

TNA Parliamentarians are to meet Dr.Kim Howells, British Minister of State for Foreign and common wealth affairs, and brief him of the current political situation in the North-east. They will also inform him of the human rights violations in the country.

Speculation in political and defence circles is that sharp differences between the ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs over the government’s military strategy led to the recent stripping of Mangala Samaraweera of the foreign ministry portfolio.Samaraweera also lost ports, aviation and shipping portfolios. An authoritative official revealed that serious differences had repeatedly surfaced at the National Security Council with the foreign ministry strongly disputing the strategy articulated by Defence Secretary Colonel (retd) Gotabhaya Rajapakse.Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the official said that the foreign ministry repeatedly called for restraint on the part of the government even at the expense of national security.The foreign ministry had wanted the defence ministry to compromise on several touchy issues including the deployment of SLAF choppers to facilitate movements of LTTE leaders. They had also clashed over the closure of the Muhamalai gateway to the Jaffna Peninsula after the abortive LTTE attempt to overrun the army’s Jaffna frontline last August.

They had also differed on the handling of international NGOs.Foreign ministry mandarins had claimed that the defence ministry’s actions would antagonise the international community. Their differences had widened after President Mahinda Rajapakse authorised major ground operations in response to the growing LTTE threat, well informed sources said. Samaraweera had sided with his officials, the sources said. The defence ministry had reacted angrily to the criticism over the disappearances of Tamil youth. The defence ministry had accused Samaraweera of endorsing the LTTE inspired accusations and criticism over disappearances and what a section of the media termed as gross human rights violations. The sources claimed that the foreign ministry gave in to the LTTE. "Suddenly we were under fire by the foreign ministry," the official said. In fact, the President had been late in dealing with the situation, the sources said. Non-Cabinet ranker Sripathy Sooriyarachchi had sided with Samaraweera due to their close relationship, the sources said. The sources acknowledged that Sooriyarachchi had been vociferous supporter of the military action aimed at defeating the LTTE.

Like Samaraweera, Sooriyarachchi had played a critical role in facilitating Mahinda Rajapakse’s victory in the Gampaha district, at the last presidential election, in the absence of the District Leader Anura Bandaranaike who skipped the campaign.The sources severely criticised the JVP’s decision to back Samaraweera. The sources accused the JVP of turning a blind eye to the ongoing efforts to destroy the LTTE. While calling for the termination of the CFA and all out war against the LTTE, the JVP was taking the side of Samaraweera, who stands for a Federal solution.The President had authorised military action in response to the LTTE’s military challenge. The Island learns that Rajapakse had briefed the Indian leadership of the impending LTTE threat. The President, during his first visit to New Delhi, after assuming the presidency, had presented a dossier on the LTTE to the Indian leadership. A copy of it had been also presented to the Pakistan government. Authoritative sources said that the government made a candid assessment of the ground situation and recommended urgent steps to neutralize the threat. According to the report, if the LTTE was given a free hand it would have posed a serious threat to national security. The report had warned of a devastating strike on the Jaffna Peninsula while acknowledging that security forces would not have been in a position to thwart the offensive. The report had been with the Indians months before the LTTE made an abortive bid to cripple the strategic Trincomalee harbour in the first week of August and then struck across the Jaffna frontline from Kilaly extending up to Nagarkovil on the Vadamaratchchy East coast. The dossier also predicted that the LTTE would mount amphibious assault across the Jaffna lagoon to facilitate the ground offensive spearheaded by artillery units. "To our credit we envisaged almost the entire LTTE strategy long before the actual offensive got underway," a senior official said. According to him, the LTTE seized Mavilaru to force the government’s hand.

Sri Lankan navy allegedly opened fire at fishermen from Tamil Nadu and destroyed a boat while they were fishing in the Indian territorial waters.According to the Fisheries Department officials, Sri Lankan Navy personnel arrived in interceptor boats and opened fire Monday night. They completely damaged one boat, beat up the fishermen and took away the fish and nets.They said the group of 12 fishermen from Kodiakarai, Vedaranyam and Pushpavanam areas had ventured into the sea on February 11 in three boats.The attack took place when they were fishing in the Indian waters a few kilometres off Kodiakarai, they said.All the fishermen have returned to Kodiakarai early yesterday in two boats, leaving behind the damaged boat.On receiving a complaint from the fishermen, Fisheries Department has initiated a probe into the incident.In a similar incident, Sri Lankan navy had opened fire at four fishermen from Kodiakarai on February 2.

In the wake of increase in the atrocities against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka and in view of the humanitarian problems faced by them, Viramani, the Leader of the Dravidian Khalagam, has appealed to the New Delhi government to send a peace delegation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanithy as its Leader.DK Leader Viramani has made this appeal to Indian Premier Manmohan Singh and Indian Congress Leader Sonia Gandhi.

India seizes more arms

Indian Coast Guard officials say they have seized another vessel on wednesday loaded with arms and ammunition off the coast of the southern state of Tami Nadu. According to Commander S. Mukherjee of the Indian Navy, "Three Sri Lankan Tamils were arrested along with one hundred and twenty five sacks of spare parts and bomb making equipment."Indian officials ceased two other vessels earlier on Tuesday and on Monday.

The officials said a Coast Guard ship spotted a "suspicious" vessel in Palk Bay on Tuesday night and had to use fire-arms to prevent it from fleeing. Five people--three Sri Lankan nationals and two Indians --were on board the vessel which had been camouflaged to look like an ordinary fishing boat. The officials said automatic rifles, five hand grenades, a suicidal belt strapped with explosives, five detonators, a large quantity of liquid chemicals and a satellite phone have been found on the boat. The five people have been detained and will be jointly questioned by various security agencies. Coast Guard officials said the boat was to be handed over at Cuddalore in the state. They said it seems the substances in the boat were to be used to manufacture bombs and other destructive materials. Meanwhile, the vessel is being taken to the the harbour in the Madras and media persons are being taken to the site.

Three Tamil Tiger rebels and a policeman were killed in a clash in eastern Sri Lanka on Wednesday, the military said, minutes before a British minister flew in to the area to visit war refugees and aid workers. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels tried to ambush a local police post and elite Special Task Force (STF) police commandos retaliated, said military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe. "They have attacked a homeguard post 12 miles west of Ampara town," Samarasinghe said. "So far the STF have recovered three Tiger dead bodies and recovered two T-56 (assault rifles)." The Tigers were not immediately available for comment on the clash in Ampara, a district of scrub jungle, wild elephants and paddy fields that was badly ravaged by the 2004 tsunami and where the Tigers control pockets of territory. The incident came as British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dr. Kim Howells flew to the area to meet with aid groups workers and camps housing war-displaced.

A British High Commission official said his trip was going ahead as planned despite the incident just a few miles away. Howells warned on Monday that Sri Lanka's reputation was at stake if a two-decade war that has killed more than 67,000 since 1983 rumbles on, saying Britain's own experience in Northern Ireland showed there could be no military solution to the conflict. Separately, in the besieged far northern Jaffna peninsula, troops recovered a record haul of 690 kg of C4 plastic high explosives buried under an abandoned house -- the military's biggest such find since a now tattered 2002 truce. The Tigers resumed their fight for an independent state after President Mahinda Rajapakse flatly rejected their demands for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east, and the rebels have shunned government offers of fresh peace talks. Emboldened by the capture of a key eastern Tiger stronghold further north on the coast, the government has vowed to go on the offensive to destroy the rebels' entire military machine in the belief it can finally win the war. Land and naval clashes, abductions, murders, ambushes and rights violations are now commonplace and the foes have ignored repeated international community calls to halt the war, which analysts fear is set to escalate.

The curfew that is in force in the Jaffna peninsula is to be lifted on Friday, Feb 16th, on Sivarathiri day, a day of religious significance to the Hindus.Jaffna Army Commander has agreed to a request by the Jaffna Government Agent seeking to lift the curfew on that day. Permission also has been granted to the Hindu public to proceed to Keerimalai Sivan Temple and participate in the religious observances which are to be held through out the night.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama will visit Pakistan on February 17 at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart Kurshid Kasuri, a Foreign Ministry release said. The Minister will hold talks with President Pervez Musharaff, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Kasuri during his stay in Pakistan. The Minister is scheduled to address a round table discussion with representatives of think tanks, opinion makers, academics, members of the private sector. He will also be the chief guest at the Sri Lanka Independence Day reception hosted by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Pakistan Dr. W. B. Dorakumbura. Minister Bogollagama will also visit Takshila and address a press conference prior to his departure. This visit is part of a series of visits undertaken by the Foreign Minister in the South Asian region since assuming duties earlier this month.

ARIYALAI: The Army on a tip off by a civilian on Tuesday night detected the largest ever C 4 type high explosives haul weighing 690 kilo grams from a house in Ariyalai in Jaffna, Military Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said yesterday. The 690 kilo grams of C 4 type high explosives were found in 30 boxes each containing 23 kilo grams around 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday. The troops who conducted a search operation also recovered a fire-arm and a stock of live cartridges from the house. “This is the largest haul of explosives recovered in a single raid in Jaffna believed to have been hidden by the LTTE terrorists with the objective of causing mayhem”, Brigadier Samarasinghe said. According to the Brigadier, the LTTE may have brought and hidden the C 4 explosives before the closure of the A9 highway. “These explosives are sufficient enough to destroy the entire Colombo city or the Jaffna peninsula if exploded at once”, the Brigadier added. He said the Security Forces have been able to foil LTTE attempts to create a major disaster in the Jaffna peninsula due to the immense support extended by the public there to detect weapons, explosives and ammunition belong to the LTTE terrorists. “Security Forces welcome the public support in this regard in the future too”, the Brigadier added.

High School and Secondary school students in Jaffna peninsula returned to their classes on Wednesday, in response to the communiqué issued by Jaffna Students Union calling for an end to the two weeks-old boycott of classes. However, attendence was low at Hartley College, Point Pedro and Velauththam MahaVidyalayam, the schools where two abducted on 17 January were attending classes. Jaffna Students union called for an end to the two weeks-old boycott of classes and appealed to the students to exercise patience and continue their studies. The boycott organized by Vadamaradchy Tamil Students union throughout Jaffna peninsula continued for the past two weeks, with no information received about the whereabouts of the two abducted students.The communique said that the protest campaigns will continue in other forms without further jeopardizing the education of students.Principals, staff and student body expressed serious concern for safety of the abducted students.SLA soldiers and collaborating paramilitaries in the Peninsula have abducted a number of undergraduates and high school students in the last several months. The recent escalation in number of abductions of civilians in Jaffna has once again created fear among the residents.

Child Protection Authority in Kilinochchi met today to examine the contents of the Rock report. The Rock report, the report by UN Special Representative Allan Rock, was submitted to the UN Security Council Working Group on Children Affected by Armed Conflict in Sri Lankan, on 9 February 2007. The Rock report while noting progress in the release of underage youths in the LTTE ranks noted that the commitment made to him by LTTE when he was in Kilinochchi in November 2006 has not been fulfilled 100%. At today’s meeting, CPA unanimously agreed that the commitment made to Allan Rock by LTTE in November 2006 must be upheld even though there have been unavoidable delays.The key commitments made by LTTE to Allan Rock are, to release all underage youths within the LTTE ranks and to stop recruiting underage youths. Although Ambassador Rock urged the LTTE to set the minimum age at 18, LTTE’s commitment was to observe the minimum age of 17.

LTTE has assured the CPA that it stands by this commitment and the release program will continue with the aim of completing the process as soon as possible.As noted in the Rock report, LTTE takes the position that it is not covered by Article 4 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Child on “Children Affected by Armed Conflict”, which states, “Armed groups that are distinct from the armed forces of a State should not, under any circumstances, recruit or use in hostilities persons under the age of 18 years.” On the other hand, Convention on the Rights of Child permits the armed forces of the State to recruit those over the age of 15.

LTTE provides extensive civil services in many areas of civilian life such as, health, education, child care, law-and-order, and environmental protection in which LTTE members take part. That only in LTTE areas in this island there are no children or women begging in the street attest to the extensive social welfare services provided by the LTTE. Many young persons entering the LTTE ranks are also trained as doctors, engineers, and in many other professions. LTTE is therefore no longer an “armed group” but is indeed a defacto-state. A functioning defacto-state like the LTTE is entitled to recruit those above the age of 17 but not send them to the battle front.Representatives of the UN have argued that LTTE must adhere to the minimum age of 18 as it has agreed in previous agreements made to UN bodies. The most cited agreement where the minimum age of 18 was agreed to by the LTTE was the Action Plan of 2003.

Action Plan was one of many agreements reached during the early ceasefire period as part of the peace process. Other notable agreements were, a Secretariat for Immediate Humanitarian Rehabilitation in North East (SIHRNE), Subcommittee on De-escalation and Normalization (SDN), and Post Tsunami Operation Management Structure (PTOMS). All of these agreements, including the Action Plan, have become defunct.It is, therefore, not right to hold LTTE to a clause in one agreement when the other parties conveniently abrogated their obligations under it and under all other agreements reached at the same time as part of the peace process.LTTE, however, is ready to observe the minimum age of 18 when this has been accepted as an international standard by all the states.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says that President Mahinda Rajapakse was acting like a man in a hurry and would regret the rash decisions he has been taking of late.A senior JVP’er asked about the party’s stand in the present scenario said "We are sorry to see the President acting the way he does. It will take some time for him to realize the damaging impact of his actions."It would be too late by the time the President comes to his senses, he observed.The President, he pointed out, was acting like an ungrateful man on the advice of some who have crash landed onto the political scene. "These political novices may be able to ride for a while but will self destruct very soon."What is required in the present situation, he said was patience and foresight and not to be acting in a rash and foolish manner.The JVP, meanwhile, is in talks with the SLFP rebel group led by former Ports and Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera to form a broader alliance to pursue its policies and objectives.The alliance, it has said cannot include the UNP and TNA, whose outlook differs greatly from that of the JVP.Political sources said it was unlikely that the JVP, which has staked its claim to the opposition leader’s post, would want to form an official alliance with the UNP at this stage.However, "we could see the UNP, JVP, TNA and SLFP rebel group campaigning together on issues such as corruption, rising cost of living, abductions and human rights violations," they said.

President Mahinda Rajapakse is expected to have a one-to-one meeting with former National Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike today and offer him a top cabinet portfolio to overcome the crisis in government.Two of the ministries under consideration for offer as indicated to Bandaranaike, it is learnt, are the Foreign Affairs Ministry or the Ports and Aviation Ministry.The Morning Leader learns the stage for the meeting was set by withdrawing the security and official vehicles of Bandaranaike.Informed sources said the Defence Ministry on Monday withdrew a bulletproof vehicle given to Bandaranaike. His security was earlier slashed from 100 to two policemen.The Morning Leader learns Bandaranaike had telephoned Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse and protested the withdrawal of his security and charged that a concerted campaign was underway to undermine his security and that of his sister, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

The Defence Secretary was told that he and the political authorities responsible for withdrawing the security would be held personally liable if as a result any harm befalls the Bandaranaike family.Rajapakse, it is learnt, had explained he was only carrying out instructions and promised to redress the situation. Informed sources said the security of Bandaranaike was subsequently restored.An inside source said the government strategy of offering the former National Heritage Minister a top ministry was to prevent Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi working as one unit.The Morning Leader learns Bandaranaike was also spoken to by Road Passenger Transport Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna and requested to meet the President and settle the dispute. Alagiyawanna had said the President was prepared to reappoint Bandaranaike to cabinet and offered a top ministry.Alagiyawanna last week organised a meeting in the Gampaha District where guest speaker, Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was sharply critical of Bandaranaike. Fernandopulle however did not criticise Samaraweera or Sooriyaarachchi at the meeting.

The government yesterday emphasized it was not on an offensive to capture land from the LTTE even as the military said the fall of Thoppigala, possibly the last major LTTE bastion in the east, was close at hand and the north would be next.A top military officer told the DailyMirror that moves to get the LTTE out of Thoppigala were gathering pace and would be the final thrust in liberating the east.“Once the east is cleared if there are threats by the LTTE from Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi, then we will take action to liberate those areas as well but that is a long way ahead,” he said though admitting liberating the north would not be as easy as the east.However government Defence Spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said it was wrong to assume the government was pursuing an offensive against the LTTE even though the rebels were giving “flimsy” excuses to avoid peace talks.

LTTE military wing spokesman Rasiah Illantheriyan told the Daily Mirror last week President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s latest offer for the rebels to disarm and resume negotiations was not logical and would not be considered seriously.The President made the offer during a landmark visit to Vakarai and Sampur, two areas once dominated by the LTTE but subsequently taken over by the military.“It is not a matter of making gains. We have repeatedly invited the LTTE for talks but history has shown the LTTE has given flimsy excuses to withdraw from negotiations. When the President made the latest offer, the LTTE flatly rejected it even without giving it serious consideration,” Minister Rambukwella said.Although the President had urged the LTTE to lay down arms to resume talks, Mr. Rambukwella said it was not a condition for talks but stressed that the rebels must give up violence for a fruitful dialogue.

“We still want the Tigers to be stakeholders in the process but negotiations will not be just with them when there are other democratically-elected Tamil parties as well. The LTTE must stop all hostilities and harassment of Tamils. Can a democratic government remain silent if national security is threatened? We will do what is necessary to safeguard our territorial integrity but at the same time we want the LTTE to come for talks,” Mr. Rambukwella said.Aerial and ground attacks continued this week between government troops and the LTTE prompting the Britain’s deputy foreign minister, Kim Howells, to warn that if the conflict continued, it would corrode the quality of Sri Lanka’s democracy and also tarnish the country’s image internationally and hold back the country’s development.

Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) yesterday informed Chief Magistrate, Kusala Sarojini Weerawardene, that the Army Major taken into custody over the transfer of army secrets to the LTTE, has sold Army secrets in return for monetary considerations according to an understanding reached with LTTE Intelligence Deputy Chief, Kapil Amman. The Major has gone into hiding in tiger controlled areas after committing a murder during the last local government election. He had met one Newton, who introduced him to Kapil Amman.The TIB has taken into custody seven suspects, including a medical officer, a soldier, a police constable and two members of the underworld, suspected to be involved in selling army secrets for money.Investigations are being conducted while suspects have been detained at the Boosa detention camp on a detention order issued by the Defence Secretary. They were brought to court yesterday afternoon, under tight security, for an identification parade.

The three sacked ministers, Mangala Samaraweera, Anura Bandaranaike and Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi are to have a press conference tomorrow, February 15 and explain the political developments which led to their ouster from cabinet.The press conference was initially scheduled for Tuesday but later postponed at the request of Bandaranaike.Moves by the President to reach a compromise settlement to the crisis by offering to restore the ministers to their original positions follow the massive crowds that flocked the airport to receive Samaraweera’s return to the country on Sunday and the threat by Bandaranaike, Samaraweera and Sooriyaarachchi to reveal the inner workings of the government.The President, it is learnt, had requested Bandaranaike through emissaries not to have the press conference until he meets with him and discusses a compromise settlement.Meanwhile, Labour Minister Mervyn Silva had also telephoned Samaraweera and wanted a settlement discussed on behalf of the President.According to informed sources, Samaraweera had told Silva the conduct of the President and the Defence Ministry following their removal including the withdrawal of security was not conducive to any settlement.

Mannar Police yesterday night arrested a Tamil police constable who had allegedly helped to smuggle military uniforms to the LTTE in the Pallimuna area, in Mannar. Military sources said that among the consignment were one Army shirt, two Army trousers, a camouflage trousers, a pair of boots, a green colour tent, 24 bags of polythene pieces weighing 25 kg each.The driver and the assistant of the vehicle were also arrested. The Police accomplice had escorted the truck at the time of the arrest. The Mannar Police are conducting further investigations.

Dehiwela- Mt.Lavinia Municipal Council Member Ariyaratna Silva (44) was shot dead at the Municipal Council Engineering and Employees Yard office at Attidiya road, Ratmalana yesterday morning, Mt.Lavinia District I SSP Arasaratnam said. According to SSP Arasaratnam, the MC member had arrived at the Ratmalana MC workshop compound at 9.30 a.m yesterday. He had then entered the office where the MC labourers gather before being dispatched on duty errands. "While he was calling from a clerk's phone a gunman stormed the office carrying a T56 and opened fire," the SSP told the Daily News. The suspect started firing indiscriminately with the T56 emptying six bullets into the MC who was killed on the spot. "The suspect was wearing a helmet and a black jacket, though none of the employees was able to identify the assailant," the SSP added. The SSP said the suspect who arrived in a motorcycle immediately fled the scene. The victim Ariyaratne.Silva was a UNP member and had been a councillor for several years. The motive of killing is not yet known but is suspected to be a personal dispute.

A boat carrying about 100 kilograms of explosives that could be used in making land and sea mines has been seized by the Indian Navy off Rameswaram coast. The seizure included IED (Improvised Explosive Device), fuse wire, steel clips, remote control equipment, steel washers and aluminium plates, worth several lakhs of rupees, police said. Two persons on board have been arrested in this connection. The boat, with a high-power motor, was en route to Talaimannar from Tuticorin midnight last night when a naval patrol vessel intercepted it after it tried to speed away, ignoring warnings. The two men arrested, on being questioned, stated that Tuticorin-based LTTE militants' agents had requested them to ferry the boat till their area. The boat was brought here today and inspected by Ramanathapuram District Superintendent of Police P Tirugnanam, Naval Assistant Commander S P Singh and Commander Mukherjee (area commander) South. In the wake of the seizure, police have launched a major hunt for LTTE agents based in Chennai and Tuticorin who used the duo to ferry explosives and other equipment. Official sources said a general alert had been sounded to all naval units, the Coast Guard and customs along the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Straits and International Maritime boundary line. Though Coast Guard had strategically deployed ships since Jan 27, it had helped control smuggling only to some extent. The sources said that such a large quantity of explosives would not have found its way to Tuticorin coast and then on to Rameswaram unless there was slackness on the part of police.

Police are yet to make a breakthrough in their investigations into the recent abductions in the Grandpass area.Modera (Grandpass) police sources told The Morning Leader that they have not been able to unearth any leads as yet."It is one month since these abductions took place. In fact eight abductions took place in the Modera and Mattakkuliya area between January 7 and 11," police sources said.On January 7 Thomas Jesudasan (37) of Jampettah Street, Colombo 13 and Vairamuthu Varadarasan (40) of Stadium Gama, Grandpass were abducted from their residences.On January 8 three people were abducted. Natkunam Selvarasa (27) also known as Madhi and Varapragasam Morrison (35) both of St. Mary’s Road, Mattakkuliya, Colombo 15 as well as Kandhasamy Soundrakumar (27) of Wellawatte were abducted.Three more persons were abducted on January 10. They were S.N. Ketheeswaran (31) and S.N. Kanapathy (27) who are brothers as well as Selladurai Devendran alias Vijayan (53), a businessman.However Vijayan was released on January 11, after being kept in custody and blindfolded for 24 hours.Sixteen-year-old Liyand Rasen Selvan Savarimuttu who was abducted close to his residence at Jubilee Mawatha in Mattakkuliya, escaped. Sivasubramaniyam Sridharan (25) and M. Suvendran (24) from Garment Watte, Karande, Puttalam, were abducted on January 9.Their families revealed to The Morning Leader that they have not heard anything about the abductees up to now.Y.R.B. Ruhunage, wife of Varadarasan told The Morning Leader that she is losing hope because up to now she has not heard any news in relation to her husband who was abducted on January 7.

Sri Lanka: Tamil Tiger rebels are suspected in an attack that wounded at least four anti-terrorist commandoes in Sri Lanka Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said.The rebels fired mortars at the Special Task Force Camp in the eastern district of Batticaloa just after daybreak Tuesday, wounding the four, said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe.There was no immediate comment from the Tamil Tiger rebels, who have fought government troops since 1983 for an independent homeland in the north and east for Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority, following decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese.The conflict has left at least 68,000 people dead, including about 3,600 fighters and civilians who died in an escalation of violence last year, and despite a 2002 Norway-brokered cease-fire.Both sides claim they are still adhering to the truce.

Amidst political turmoil after the sacking of two ministers and a non-Cabinet minister, the government has approached UNP reformists, to rope in three more crossovers, to their ranks. The reformists, who met for the first time officially, after joining the government, discussed such issues, with emphasis being placed on the need to consolidate the government’s position, without compelling President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to declare a snap poll. According to the reformists, the government is willing to accommodate three more crossovers from the UNP, to fill vacancies, created in the Cabinet, after three members were expelled. They say three UNPers have already expressed their willingness to join the government.Among other issues discussed, was the proposed programme to hold district level meetings in March, to educate the people, about the current state of politics in the country and steps to be taken. Meanwhile, the three-expelled Ministers will complain to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) today regarding the withdrawal of their security, despite an ever present threat to their lives.

A group of officers who called them selves officers from the harbour had brought computers, fax machines and photo copy machines that were in the Matara house of Mangala Samaraweera and in the Galle tourist bungalow which belongs to the ports authority.The relevant officials had said they were taking the relevant equipment away under the orders of Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse. When 'LeN' questioned the SSP of Matara Gamini Wijetunga about the incident he said that no such orders had been delivered to anyone.

Tamil dailies in the Jaffna peninsula have reduced the number of pages drastically in order to maintain circulation.Uthayan and Thinakkural, which are both published in the peninsula, have reduced their number of pages to four from 20 pages a few months ago. Both newspapers complained that they were facing a shortage of printing paper and ink since last month.Managing Editor, Uthayan Newspaper, E. Saravanapavan told The Morning Leader that several requests to the government on this issue had fallen on deaf ears."I have written to the government and to the relevant ministries. But I have not got any response so far. I will continue to write to them to make immediate arrangements for the materials to be sent," he said.The number of newspapers printed had been reduced by more than 15,000 copies. "We used to print more than 22,000 copies of the newspaper. The paper consisted of around 22 to 24 pages. The numbers of pages were gradually reduced and now we are reduced to four pages and the number of copies printed is 5,500. We will only be able to run the paper for the next few weeks if this situation persists. We are ready to reduce the number of pages to two, if things become worse," he said.Officials at the Jaffna Thinakkural newspaper said the material available was enough for only a few days.The Free Media Movement also said that it had urged the government to send the necessary materials to the north as soon as possible.

For the first time in five months, prices of most essential items in the Jaffna peninsula came down last week.Officials at a storehouse in Jaffna told The Morning Leader the prices had come down due to the goods arriving from India recently.They said the items were received from India nearly two weeks ago resulting in the prices of most of the essential items coming down.The storehouse officials said that the price of rice had come down by Rs. 50 within a week."Price of rice has gone down by nearly Rs. 50. Most of the shops sell a kilo of rice for Rs. 70. It was sold for Rs. 120 earlier. The price of vegetable oil has come down by Rs.200 and is now being sold at Rs.300 a litre," officials said.However, they said there was a severe shortage of wheat flour in the peninsula.The officials also said that the quantity of wheat flour was not enough even for the bakeries."Even the bakeries are running short of wheat flour. Civilians are also not able to buy them from shops or co-operative stores," the officials said.The storehouse officials added that other day-to-day items such as milk powder, washing powder and soap were still expensive. They added that a local washing powder, manufactured in the peninsula was sold 15 times more than the marked price."There are items that are still sold at higher prices. Items such as Nestomalt, washing powder and milk foods are very expensive. However, we hope that the food items would continue to arrive in the peninsula regularly," they said.The officials also said that the price of fish was high. "They do not fish frequently. The price of a kilo of fish starts from Rs. 600. People have to go to the marketplace at a certain time to buy them. Otherwise they will not get the fish," officials said.Prices of essential items in the peninsula were on the increase since the transportation of these items was stopped due to the closure of the A9 highway in August last year.Kachcheri officials told The Morning Leader prices of many items had in fact gone down after the goods began arriving from India. "We do not know when we would get the next shipment. But, prices of many items have gone down for the first time after the closure of the A9 highway," officials said.

Q: How do you view the TNA MPs’ meeting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi? Do you think such meetings would help end the civil war and solve the ethnic problem through negotiations?

I wish to make a correction to your question. There is no civil war in Sri Lanka. What we have is an internal conflict and the current military actions are a defensive operation against the terrorist offensive actions launched by the LTTE- The civilian population both among the Sinhalese and Tamils is not involved in this armed conflict. Therefore, there is no question of a civil war. As the President of Sri Lanka, I am determined to find a political solution and the Government is committed to achieve a negotiated peace which is just and equitable.

During the meetings the TNA MPs had with the Indian and Tamil Nadu leadership, they are reported to have discussed a political solution to the North East problem and the hardships of the Tamil people. In this context, I wish to point out that the All Party Representative Committee [APRC] is already working on finding a suitable political solution. I am giving high priority to the mechanism of the All Party Conference and I am confident that the deliberations within this forum would contribute to the national consensus on devolution. I invite the members of Parliament from TNA as well as the LTTE to make use of this democratic forum to air their views.

With regard to the hardships of the Tamil people, I must mention that many of the reports relating to this in Tamil Nadu appear in the Tamil media, which are largely one sided or exaggerated. For instance, if you take the food situation in Jaffna, the total requirement of essential food items for 653,000 people in Jaffna is 12000 Mt. per month. We have despatched 48,746 Mt. of food by sea and air. This is in addition to the food items that were available at 04 food storages in Jaffna. Now there is no shortage of essential food items. In order to address the shortage of grocery items, we arranged a consignment of 2675 metric tones of essential food items which left Chennal on 4th January 2007 and arrived in Jaffna on the 5th. This ship, MV Mercs Ruhunu, carried mostly grocery items such as Jaggery, sugar, salt, dry chilly, rice flakes, tamarind, mustard and potato to ease shortages in Jaffna. These items were purchased by the Government of Sri Lanka from private traders in Chennai and the shipment was arranged from Chennai due to the cost effectiveness and the close proximity to Jaffna from Chennai.

I also wish to point out that some sections of the Tamil Nadu media have not highlighted to the Indian public, the sincere efforts of the Sri Lankan Government to continuously provide food to the Jaffna population and the forced closure of 4000 shops in Jaffna by the LTTE, which was the main reason for the disruption in distributing the food and other commodities that were available in Jaffna, and thereby caused a shortage. I am, happy to state that the situation is now satisfactory with sufficient stocks of essential items in Jaffna, and the Government has the situation well under control.

I do not wish to comment on your query whether such meetings will help solve the problem in Sri Lanka. Like Sri Lanka, India is a democracy and its leaders, both regional and national, are free to meet persons they wish to. I believe the necessary background assessments would be made about the impact or the outcome of such meetings by the leaders concerned and their advisors.

Q: What kind of role, if any, [do] you perceive for India in solving the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka?

India has been consistent in supporting Sri Lanka to find a negotiated settlement. The APRC team also recently visited India to study the Indian model in order to find a home-grown Sri Lankan solution. India also maintains that she upholds the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. We are looking out for the best experiences from other countries, and the Indian example is important. I have reiterated that India should be involved actively not only in the peace process but also in the development of economic, trade and investment relations with Sri Lanka. After all, we have long cultural, religious and lingual relations with each other.

Q: Chief Minister Karunanidhi recently spoke about his being denied an opportunity to visit Sri Lanka. Your comments?

I do not know how the Chief Minister could have been denied an opportunity to visit our country, but the Hon. Chief Minister is more than welcome to visit Sri Lanka. My Government and I will be happy to receive him.

Q: There is a perception that events and developments pertaining to Tamil Nadu on the Sri Lankan issue often get misrepresented and misunderstood in Sri Lanka, particularly by the Sinhala polity and commentators, leading to misconceptions of various kinds. Your comments, please?

This assessment is not correct. I think the situation is the other way around. When it comes to the Sri Lankan issue, the misunderstandings and misperceptions mostly prevail in Tamil Nadu. Often, things happening in Sri Lanka are sensationalised when interested parties exploit the situation. For instance, there is a misconception that the Sri Lankan Government deprives the Tamils living in Jaffna from getting food because the Government closed the Muhamale entry point of the A9 road. The fact remains that the Government has so far sent more than 48000 Mt. of food items by air and sea and what is lacking is the distribution system, because of the LTTE’s "order" to the traders, using hardly veiled threats, to close 4000 retail shops in Jaffna. I can give you a number of examples of such misconceptions in Tamil Nadu and no recognition of the Government’s efforts, which are unfortunate.

Q: Do you still stand by your offer to hold direct talks with Prabhakaran? Gen. Sarath Fonseka has said that the Sri Lanka Army would turn to the North after neutralizing the LTTE in the East. Minister Tissa Vitharana, who is in charge of the All-Party Representative Conference on Power Devolution, has also spoken about ‘nullifying’ the LTTE while/before meeting legitimate Tamil aspirations?

As to the first part of your question my answer is yes. My commitment to find a negotiated political solution remains uncompromised. With regard to the ongoing military operations, I want to categorically mention that these are defensive military operations and I wish *to reiterate my unwavering commitment to devolve maximum possible powers to the regions, taking into account the aspiration of all communities. I also wish to point out that the LTTE is not the sole representative of the Tamil people. They have continuously eliminated all other Tamil parties, Tamil leaders, intellectuals and politicians who presented an alternative view, so there is no democracy or pluralism within the LTTE nor does it tolerate these values outside it. Tamils are the most affected by this. In fact, statistics will demonstrate that it is the LTTE that has killed more Tamils. I am committed to finding a negotiated political settlement which will satisfy the aspirations of all Sri Lankans.The role of the All Party Representative Conference is to recommend proposals for meaningful devolution of power as a solution to the present crisis and consequently make even more unrealistic the LTTE’s demand for a separate state.

Q: Despite last year’s ruling by the Sri Lankan Supreme Court, do you think that a re-merger of the North and the East, as perceived under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, would still be a part of a final peace package? Already, the UNP, for instance, has reportedly extended support to any legislative move in this respect.

As a functioning democracy that believes in the rule of law, we are bound to honour the decision by the Sri Lanka Supreme Court, the apex Court of the country. However, as you are aware, the APRC is in the process of drafting a solution to the problem in the North and East. When a solution is found, I am sure it will address the issue of the de: -merger as well.

Q: Can you explain, for instance, the rationale behind the Sri Lankan Army targeting the Eastern Province that too from the air, immediately after the SLA Chief, Sarath Fonseka, was targeted in a suicide-bomb attack? After all, the North and the not the East, was considered the stronger bastion of the LTTE, and the targeting of the East consequently gave the impression that the SLA was acting to a pre-determined tactical plan after General Fonseka was attacked.

The whole world knows how the current conflict in Sri Lanka erupted. The LTTE which called me a ‘pragmatic leader’ did not allow me to show MY pragmatism when they started attacking our defence lines just 07 days after I assumed duties as President of Sri Lanka. I was very patient and did not retaliate because my firm commitment to peace. Our retaliatory action commenced only after the abortive assassination attempt on our Army Commander, which cannot be treated lightly. The targeting of any place is a military decision based on prevailing conditions. With regard to the East, the situation is that the Government is engaged in a defensive operation to neutralise the LTTE’s power in Vaharai where it was forcibly holding about 30000 people as a human shield. I am glad to say that a large number of these people have now moved voluntarily to the safety of Government held areas in the East.

Q: The Tamil community also seems upset over the Government distancing itself from the ‘Majority Report’ of the Experts Committee late last year, which came closer to their perceived aspirations for the first time after the first ‘Chandrika Package’ of 1995?

I want to mention that we are on the, path of peace and the majority report by the Expert Committee is one aspect of this process. You may also be aware that there are three other reports which take exceptions to certain sections in the majority report. I think it is important, as a responsible government, for us to look into every aspect of all the reports submitted before a final decision is made. The majority report, just as the other reports, are meant to be studied the All Party Representative Committee, to help it in making its final recommendations to Government.

As for the P-TOMS it became unworkable following a decision of the Supreme’. Court of my country. The ISGA proposal has been commented on at the time it was presented. There was a considerable body of opinion that it was a well crafted stepping stone to the setting up of a separate state within Sri Lanka. We have not seen any changes that would remove those apprehensions.

Q: Do you think, in the light of the bus bomb-blasts in the Sinhala areas, for which your Government has blamed the LTTE, the perceived militarist approach of the Government could stillbear the desired results without any side-effects?

Our commitment to finding a political solution to the problem remains firm despite provocations by the LTTE. The people in the South are mature and will not play into the hands of the LTTE to bring about a backlash in Southern Sri Lanka. At this point, I would like to refer to your earlier question where we discussed about the misperception in Tamil Nadu. It is unfortunate that no Tamil Nadu political party voiced their concern or sympathy to innocent civilians, including women and children, who died in these incidents perpetrated by the LTTE. Even in the past, when the LTTE attacked civilians, these parties were silent when the people of Sri Lanka are targeted by the LTTE. Another unfortunate aspect that has emerged is that these parties and individuals also completely ignore the sufferings the LTTE has inflicted on the large Muslim population which has been chased away by the LTTE. Even the Sinhalese people living in the North and East have suffered due to the atrocities of the LTTE which are not even mentioned by the media or some political parties in Tamil Nadu. I must reject your assertion about a "perceived militarist approach" of the Government. How can it be militarist to respond to terrorism and violence?

11. What about the civilian losses on the Tamil side? The Government seems to dismiss it as ‘collateral damage’ inevitable in any war?

Human life is precious and any loss of life is regrettable. We are sad at the loss of any life, whether by collateral damage or any other. My Government is on record apologising for an unfortunate accident that led to the loss of lives of Tamil civilians. We do not dismiss them as you say or treat them lightly. There are many instances when the LTTE has used innocent civilians as human shields and also forcibly kept conscripted children in positions which were susceptible to defensive attacks. However, I would like to mention that approximately 60 % of the Sri Lanka Tamil population is living outside the Northern Province and they live amicably with the other communities, whereas the LTTE has forcibly driven the Sinhalese and Muslims out of the Northern Province and carried out ethnic cleansing.

12. Do you have a deadline in mind for solving the ethnic issue through power-devolution? What is your road-map for reaching there?

The internal conflict in Sri Lanka has continued for many years and it is not possible or practical to arrive at an overnight solution or set any deadline.

13. How do you view the LTTE’s updating and computerising their ‘national identity cards’ in the areas under LTTE control?

The democratically elected government of Sri Lanka has been issuing national identity cards for all its nationals for many decades, which is still in practice. The Government does not recognise any such clandestine actions by a terrorist group like the LTTE which is banned in most parts of the world, including in India. The National Identity Card is a document issued by the legitimate government of the country. It cannot be issued by any other organization.

14. Does your Government continue to share the perceptions of your predecessor on the Sethusamudram Project? If so, why?

15. How do you intend addressing the fishing row, in which innocent fishernen from Tamil Nadu often get shot or arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy?

It is an accepted fact that Sri Lanka is under threat from the sea due to attacks carried out by the Sea Tigers and it is in our national security interest to protect our country and our sovereignty. We have held many discussions with the Indian authorities at various levels and the fishermen from both countries have been well informed of the prevailing security threat. However, the Sri Lanka Navy has been instructed to use utmost caution and care in dealing with Indian fishermen who sometime enter into Sri Lankan waters. I also wish to share with you some recent efforts at goodwill in this regard by our Government in releasing 19 Indian fishermen and 05 fishing boats following their apprehension in Sri Lanka which I believe was also lauded by Indian fishermen in Tamil Nadu.

17. What is your Pongal Message, if any, for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, and Indian citizens in Tamil Nadu?

I wish that all the hopes of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka and India for peace, prosperity and understanding, both in your homes, and lives and in our countries will come true.

TNA Parliamentarians met Angela Khan, UN Deputy Secretary General who arrived in Sri Lanka as a Special envoy of UN Secretary General and briefed him of the sufferings and the problems faced by the Tamils at present. The TNA delegation comprised Mavai Senathirajah(TULF), KN.Sri Kantha(TELO), Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam(ACTC) and S.Thurairatnasingham(TULF). According to Mavai Senathirajah, the TNA delegation appraised the UN Special Envoy of the human right violations such as abductions, murders etc that take place in the country, particularly in the North-East. They also pointed out that the government is interested in implementing a military agenda although the LTTE is ready for peace talks. Mavai Senathiraja also revealed that the Special Envoy mentioned the President's invitation to the TNA for talks; and in turn, they explained to the envoy that the TNA could take part in any peace talks only if a congenial atmosphere is created by re-merging the north-east and after the security forces are withdrawn from the areas where an aggression was committed violating the CFA.

Amidst indications from President Rajapaksa that a patch up would be possible with the ousted ministers, former Minister Mangala Samaraweera held secret talks with the JVP in a bid to strike a political deal with it, hours after he flew back from Singapore.Sources close to Mr. Samaraweera said former Agriculture Minister and JVP strongman, Anura Kumara Dissanayake called on Mr. Samaraweera around 8 pm and the meeting went on well past midnight. When Mr. Dissanayake had first tried to reach Mr. Samaraweera’s Stanmore Crescent residence, he was prevented by a group of police personnel who had reportedly said they received orders from the top not to allow anyone other than family members into Mr. Samaraweera’s residence.

Having strongly protested, Mr. Dissanayake shouted that nobody could stop him from visiting a colleague, and the Police finally gave in.Lengthy discussions between the two had centered on possibilities of forming an opposition alliance, comprising the three ousted ministers, the JVP, UNP and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). A Samaraweera confidant, who recently earned the wrath of the President was requested to initiate negotiations with the TNA, sources said. However no solid conclusions were reached at the end of the discussion as Mr. Dissanayake conveyed to the former minister that the JVP would not be in a comfortable position if it had to join hands with the UNP and the TNA – two parties with opposing ideologies. But Mr. Dissanayake said the JVP was willing to co-operate with Mr. Samaraweera in his future political moves.

Just prior to the arrival of Mr. Dissanayake, Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi too had called on Mr. Samaraweera.Meanwhile Petroleum Resources Minister, A. H.M Fowzie who also went to Stanmore Crescent last evening to see Disaster Relief Services Minister, Ameer Ali who was ill and Justice Minister Amarasiri Dodangoda, had been prevented from proceeding towards their houses by policemen who apparently jumped to the conclusion that he too was visiting Mr. Samaraweera.Only once the angry Minister Fowzie made it clear that he had no intention of meeting Mr. Samaraweera, did police let him proceed.

Anura puts off Media briefing

SLFP Parliamentarian Anura Bandaranaike, put off a press conference, scheduled to be held yesterday. The media briefing is likely to take place on February 14 or 15. Earlier, an angry Bandaranaike called a press conference at the Cinnamon Grand to explain his stand on President Mahinda Rajapakse’s decsision to strip him of his Cabinet portfolio. Well informed sources said that the dissidents decided to reschedule the press conference as they had worked out a campaign to challenge their removal.Bandaranaike is believed to have been furious with his associates who distanced themselves soon after the President stripped them of their portfolios, security and other ministerial benefits. He was seen Sunday night at the fashionable Italian restaurant Le Ponte with two of his close associates. Ironically, their focus was not on politics, well informed sources said.

The Catholic Bishops in the north and east have strongly condemned the killing of a Hindu priest on Thursday in Batticaloa.

The Kurukkal Sellaiyah Parameswara of Santhivel Pilleyar Temple was shot dead days after he was photographed welcoming President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Vakarai.The former LTTE-stronghold ,Vakarai, was recently captured by the Sri Lanka security forces. The Catholic Bishop of Batticaloa-Trincomalee Dr. Kingsley Swamipillai said nobody can deny the right of a priest to conduct religious rituals irrespective of who convened it."Many people have left Vakarai and he might have been selected to bless the President," Bishop Swamipillai said.The Hindu priest's family told Sri Lanka's army that he was taken from his home by three gunmen and shot dead. One cannot condone killing a priest for conducting a religious rituals, the Bishop added.Sri Lanka's government has blamed the rebels for the killing. During his visit to Vakarai, President Rajapakse called on the Tigers to lay down their arms and come to talks.

Dr Kim Howells, the British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, will visit Sri Lanka from 13-15 February. Dr Howells will travel to eastern Sri Lanka on 14 February, where he will meet government officials, representatives of local communities and visit projects funded by the British government. On 15 February he will hold a series of meetings in Colombo with government, diplomatic and civil society representatives.The main purpose of Dr Howells visit is to assess the impact of recent fighting on the civilian population and to reinforce the UK’s strong support for a negotiated settlement to the conflict.

“Britain is a friend of Sri Lanka and takes a close interest in events there. I hope that my visit will build on the meeting between Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Rajapakse, in the UK, and the recent visit to Sri Lanka by Rt Hon Paul Murphy. I look forward to being able to see at first hand the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka and how things have changed since my last visit. I will be particularly keen to discuss what the international community can do to help create the conditions necessary to allow peace talks to resume.”

The UNP is to team up with other opposition parties in Parliament on certain issues in the future, party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said yesterday.Mr. Attanayake said the UNP would join force with other parties to voice against corruption, human rights violations, the soaring cost of living and the abductions of persons. The UNP, JVP and the TNA are the major opposition parties in Parliament.TNA Jaffna District Parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah said they were yet to receive any invitation from the UNP for such a consensus.“If we are invited, we will take a decision at our parliamentary group meeting,” he said.

The Navy, in the early hours of yesterday, trapped an elite LTTE squad on a secret mission in the eastern theatre of operations. The confrontation resulted in the destruction of two Sea Tiger craft south of Pulmoddai around 5 a.m. A senior Navy Headquarters official said that land based naval troops had detected the craft as they moved southwards. "We believe the enemy craft were on their way towards Kallarawa," he said. The enemy craft had been operating close to the shore to prevent detection by Fast Attack Craft (FACs) operating in the area.Both naval contingents land based and FACs had engaged the boats. One of them had exploded. The blast is believed to have killed all occupants onboard the craft. FACs had located the second craft in a subsequent search. "We recovered two bodies, one was of a Black Tiger and the other a woman Sea Tiger," the spokesman said. It had been powered by two 85 horse power OBMs. The official ruled out the possibility of the craft being on a suicide mission. The recovered craft had been mounted with two weapons - a five zero and a multi purpose machine gun, a small stock of ammunition and four life jackets.The official expressed belief that the intercepted boats had been moving a squad of Black Tigers on a clandestine mission. Their plan was to induct them into the military-held area, the official said. With the military bringing the Vakarai region under government control, subsequent to seizure of Sampur and the increased presence at Muttur, the Sea Tigers are facing serious difficulties in maintaining their presence in the area.

Government's silencing of voices opposed to journalists' abduction and arrest "unacceptable", says FMM

The Free Media Movement is relieved by the public acknowledgement of the arrest and detention of the three trade unionists associated with the AKUNA bi-monthly newspaper. On February 6, we had noted our concern regarding the apparent abduction and disappearance of these three individuals, based on reports of the manner of their abduction and also on reports from family members and trade union colleagues that they had not been able to get any information regarding these three persons from the police or any other competent authority.Media reports in the newspapers today focus on the confessions allegedly made by the persons arrested, pointing to their collusion with the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). As noted in a Daily Mirror frontpage report, the journalists "allegedly confessed to having had links with the LTTE and were planning attacks on selected locations in and around Colombo."

While we do not in any way wish to prejudice or impede any legitimate investigations that are carried out in order to ensure the safety and security of the country, we do reaffirm the point that we had made in our earlier statement of February 6: that due process must be followed at all times by arresting authorities and that, for instance, family members should be informed of the arrest and the place of detention of their relative. These are universally recognized principles of human rights and democracy that our government is committed to uphold as a member of the international community.As a media organization committed to the protection of media persons and of media freedom, we must also express our regret regarding the comment of Defense Affairs spokesperson, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, as reported in the Daily Mirror article today, that "the Government was able to silence those who voiced their opposition to the arrests". We strongly uphold the right of any organization and individual to voice their opposition to what may be perceived as a violation of human rights, as much as we uphold the right of the government to clarify to the protesters their own perspective of the situation. Silencing opposition is not an acceptable democratic practice as far as we are concerned.

The manner in which the information regarding the "terrorist" linkages of the three journalists was made public also raises some concerns regarding the potential for stifling all opposition and media freedom in the interests of national security.Throughout the past years, we have consistently condemned the assassination of media persons, the harassment of media persons and of media institutions and the undermining of the right to the freedom of expression of all citizens of this country. In keeping with our principles, we will continue to voice our opposition against abductions and other undemocratic actions carried out under the draconian anti-terrorism and emergency regulations in operation in Sri Lanka, since we are of the opinion that these laws and regulations grossly undermine democratic governance.In our public agitation against the threats to media personnel and free media in 23rd January 2007 in front of the Fort Railway Station, we condemned the lack of any active investigations into the deaths of eight journalists in the past two years, as well as the culture of impunity and the threat to freedom of expression posed by armed groups who intimidate journalists. These are inescapable realities facing us as professional journalists and as activists for human rights and media freedom in Sri Lanka and we stand committed to oppose, condemn and challenge them within whatever democratic frameworks are available to us.

Unequivocally supporting due process and the rule of law, the FMM strongly urges the Government to undertake quick and transparent investigations into the alleged crimes of the journalists arrested, so that charges may be framed against them without delay.We also call on the Government to impress upon all those entrusted with the task of maintaining law and order and security to abstain from extra-legal measures such as abductions, and to ensure that all pending investigations related to threats and violence against media and press freedom are completed without any further delay.The FMM also appeals to all local and international democratic actors to urgently and at every level support the strengthening of fundamental rights, and a return to democratic governance in Sri Lanka.

Former Parliamentarian and General Secretary of Ceylon Workers Alliance S. Sathasivam yesterday lodged a complaint with the Nuwara Eliya Police that he was on several occasions informed over the telephone, by an unidentified person, that he was to be killed and that the conspirators were in consultation with an underworld gang to carry out the killing for a fee of Rs 3 million.He told Police that the anonymous caller said a prominent up country trade union leader, his associates and some big wigs of private sector plantation companies were secretly hatching the plan to kill him.Sathasivam attributed this plot to his involvement in the recent plantation sector trade union strike where he fought for a reasonable wage increase for estate workers and for stating his stand on the strike personally and through the media.He told the Police that in the event of any harm befalling him, the prominent up country trade union leader and his associates should be held responsible. He said an immediate end should be put to this death threat culture spreading to the hill country.He pointed out that the perpetrators were attempting to create unrest in the up country.Nuwara Eliya SSP Deshabandu Tennekoon and a special team of Police officers commenced investigations on Sathasivam’s complaint.

Tiran Allas who was the chairman of the airport and air services company that came under the purview of Mangala Samaraweera has been removed from his post. The deputy chairman of the company Chandima Rasaputhra has been appointed to replace Tiran.Allas was criticized during the last Executive Committee meeting of the SLFP while Central Party members of the party also asked the head of state to strip Tiran from his posts. Tiran who is also a businessman has a good majority of shares of the "Maubima" news paper.However he is one of those businessmen who spent large sums for President Rajapakse's presidential campaign. It should also be mentioned that Tiran is a close ally of Former Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

Two unidentified gun men pretending as customers entered a meat stall in Chavakacheri Modern public market Monday around 10:00 a.m. and shot rapidly with pistols killing an employee on the spot and seriously injuring another employee caught in the firing. The injured youth, while being rushed to Jaffna Teaching hospital in an ambulance, succumbed to his wounds on the way, at Navatkuli. The victims were identified as Rajendram Tharsan, 22 of Madduvil, Chavakacheri and Sellathamby Selvarupan, 27 of Allary.Chavakacheri town area became deserted immediately after the shooting.

Government must present proposals to solve the ethnic problem immediately ---Bishop of Mannar

Rev.Dr.Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar, has appealed to the government to present proposals for the resolution of the ethnic problem without any further delay. He made the appeal in an interview with Tamil daily Virakesari. Bishop Rayappu Joseph further said that both the government and the LTTE must show greater interest in the implementation of the CFA. He said that although President Rjapakse promised to bring peace and put forward a political solution, nothing has been done. Instead, a large number of people in the east are displaced, living in refugee camps. There is a shortage of food provisions in the north. There are abductions disappearances, killings and other human rights violations. Pointing out to the President's appeal to the LTTE to lay down arms and come to talks, the Bishop recommended re-commenecement of talks without any pre-conditions.

Minister Mangala Samaraweera who was out of the country when his ministries were taken over returned to the island at around 5:30 yesterday evening, where large crowds were gathered to welcome him. Over 5,000 people had gathered out side the Bandaranaike international airport and riot police had been deployed to control them.As smaraweera approached them they had carried him and shouted jubilantly and shouted slogans. Then the former minister had made a brief speech and shown the 'V' sign from the fingers after which the arrived in Colombo in a vehicle procession. Former Minister Sripathy Suriarachchi was also present at the occasion.Meanwhile an English paper today published a news article which state that the owner of the 'Lakbima' news paper and the head of the services unit Sri Lankan Airlines Tiran Allas who are close allies of Samaraweera will be arrested soon on charges of having contacts with the LTTE.During the presidential election many stated that it was Tiran Allas who got the LTTE act to boycott the presidential election to favour of Mahinda Rajapakse during the late presidential election. Right next day after Rajapakse was declared victorious the head of state had embraced Tiran when he visited Rajapakse to congratulate him.

Six Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers Monday morning dropped 18 bombs in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Visvamadu in Mullaithivu district in Vanni. The aerial bombardment was carried out between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. in Visuvamadu near civilian ettlement. SLAF bombers have been frequently bombarding Vanni during the last week. Meanwhile, few vehicles weree allowed to pass through Omanthai gateway in Vavuniya. The gateway was closed Sunday by the Sri Lanka Army.

'Plot to assassinate' President

The President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has accused three senior leaders of his party of conspiring to assassinate the Head of State.Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi were sacked by President Rajapaksa on Friday.The trio was a part of a conspiracy to topple the government and to assassinate the President, Rajapaksa told Executive Committee of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).During an ExCo meeting on Saturday, braodcast on state television, the President quoted from newspapers and comments sent to online newspaper.

"This says I am going to die in April," Rajapaksa said showing cuttings from Mawbima Sinhala weekly and Irahanda astrological newspaper.Rajapaksa also quoted comments said to sent to Colombo Page online newspaper."Today here is a threat to Anura Bandaranaike. Wait. Mahinda and his brothers will be killed within 67 days like ex-President Premadasa," he quoted.

President sacked the ministers as police began investiogations into allged death threats to former minister, Anura Bandaranaike.The conspirators were trying to assassinate him before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April, the President alleged.Irahanda and Subasetha astrological newspaper also published predictions that "it will be very difficult to avoid fatality of a senior leader," Rajapaksa said.He said it is no secret who runs these newspapers.Bandaranaike was recently appointed a Senior Vice President and Samaraweera is the Treasurer of the SLFP.All three are regarded as loyalists of former President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, who was replaced as SLFP leader by President Rajapaksa, last year.After the hour-long explanation, the ExCo has approved Rajapaksa's decision to expel three ministers.

Malwatte Chapter Mahanayake the Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sumangala Thera yesterday insisted that the members of the government should leave behind their differences for the sake of country’s unity and territorial integrity.The Mahanayake Thera had said this when Plantation Industries Minister D.M. Jayaratne called on him at the Malwatte Maha Viharaya yesterday.The Thera pointed out that dissension among government members had left space for those with sinister motives to manipulate the political situation to suit their agendas.“It is clear that there are issues within the government. There may be shortcomings, but everybody must leave behind these differences and join hands at this crucial hour to protect the country” the Mahanayake Thera had said.Meanwhile addressing the media Minister Jayaratne said since the ouster of the three ministers was likely to lead to a crisis he was working hard to get the parties concern to patch up.

Soldiers engaged in clearing operations, in the recently captured Vakarai region, recovered parts of three more 120 mm mortars over the weekend. The recovery had been made in Vakarai west.Search parties had so far recovered five 120 mm mortars and two 152 mm artiilery pieces. Of them, one 120 mm mortar had been intact.A senior military official said that both 120 mm mortars and 152mm artillery pieces are believed to be of East European origin. "Any Warsaw pact army could have used them," he told The Island yesterday. Inquiries are continuing. The break-up of the Soviet-led military alliance had resulted in a range of armaments coming into the market. The LTTE is believed to have benefited immensely

Speaking on the condition of anonymity the official said that a large area remains to be searched. "We have cleared less than one fourth of the area," he said. According to him troops were engaged in a systematic search as part of the efforts to consolidate their presence in the newly captured areas.The army launched the offensive targeting Vakarai in the last week of October last year. The Island learns that the military top brass was somewhat surprised to find seven big guns so far. The military had believed that the LTTE had about four big guns but fired them from different locations. The possibility of further recovery of big guns could not be ruled out, he said.

The LTTE targeted Kadjuwatte, Kirimichchikulam, Thikonamadu, Kallar, Somapura and Mahindapura with artillery and 120 mortars. Troops also found a 37 mm twin barrel weapon. Although the LTTE had captured one Chinese-built 152 mm artillery pieces(Elephant Pass) and several other big guns from the army over a period of time, the military believes that none of them were among the seven guns-two 152 mm artillery and five 120 mm mortars recovered by troops. Troops had also found about 400 motor cycles and a range of other vehicles including Prados and double cabs which had been abandoned by the LTTE. The military said that the vast majority of them had been robbed in various parts of the country, particularly in the Western Province and moved to areas under LTTE control.

Indian-origin US Congressman urges Bush to help Sri Lanka to peace

A United States Congressman of Indian origin, Bobby Jindal, who is among 38 Congressmen who have asked US President George W. Bush to send a special envoy to Sri Lanka, said the US should "do everything" to bring lasting peace to the country. In a letter to President Bush, Jindal said, “America must do everything she can to foster a lasting peace for the country. We request you to appoint a special envoy for Sri Lanka to help bring peace to the country. “It is time for the United States to provide global leadership to help advance peace for the people of Sri Lanka. The citizens of Sri Lanka have endured violence and civil war for too long.” Thirty-eight US Congressmen recently requested President Bush to send a special envoy to Sri Lanka soon to help the troubled nation.

Canadian passport holder held for smuggling

A Canadian passport holder had been taken into custody in connection with his involvement in smuggling goods to LTTE-held areas.Navy Headquarters said that SLN units, operating off Pesalai, had intercepted two fibre glass dinghies on Saturday and arrested three persons. Gabrial Croose, a resident of Kilinochchi carried a Canadian passport along with US $ 451, 800 British pounds, 1,050 Canadian dollars and Rs 24,320.

The JVP yesterday criticised President Mahinda Rajapakse over his decision to strip Minister Mangala Samaraweera and non-Cabinet ranker Sripathy Sooriyaarachchi of their portfolios.The politburo, in a brief statement issued yesterday, pointed out that Samaraweera and Sooriyaarachchi worked tirelessly for Rajapakse’s victory at the last presidential election. The JVP speculated that their removal could be the beginning of a campaign to target organizations and individuals involved in Rajapakse’s election campaign. The JVP claimed that elements which undermined Rajapakse in the run up to the November 17 election were now in a position to target those who vigorously campaigned for Prime Minister Rajapakse.

The JVP also warned of political chaos if the ruling coalition was allowed to continue as it pleased.The JVP avoided the stripping of Anura Bandaranaike of his portfolio. Ruling party sources said that the President Saturday secured the approval of the Executive Committee for his unprecedented move against the trio. The sources emphasized that the JVP need not worry about the decision making process in the SLFP or any other party. "The JVP is not free of internal dissent," a senior spokesman said. Referring to the status of JVP frontliner Nandana Gunatilleke, the spokesman stressed that the President acted in the best interest of the ruling coalition. The JVP could not be unaware of the emerging alliance, he said. In the run up to the presidential election, Bandaranaike clashed with Sooriyaarachchi over the latter’s support for Rajapakse. But now they have joined forces, he said.Ministers Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Dilan Perera, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Sarath Amunugama and Jagath Pushpakumara had publicly endorsed the President’s action.

TELO Central Committee Memeber & Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian KN Sri Kantha interview

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian N. Sri Kantha said the peace process was doomed to fail miserably after the recent military action by the government in the east. He further stated that the government's action was a blatant, brutal and brazen violation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). In an interview with The Sunday Leader, he said the party would never join any government, but would lend its help for any genuine effort to resolve the ethnic issue. "We are committed to dedicate ourselves for the realisation of the national and political aspirations of our people and there is no question of our joining any government," he said.
The following are excerpts of the interview

Q. How do you see the status of the peace process and the ceasefire agreement today?

A. I think by militarily re-capturing the Muttur area in Trincomalee and Vaharai in Ampara, the government had very clearly shown to the world that it did not care for the CFA at all. These military campaigns on the part of the government are nothing but a blatant, brutal and brazen violation of the CFA. While committed to its well planned programme of militarily dealing with the LTTE and gaining as much ground as possible in the east, the Sri Lankan government led by President Mahinda Rajapakse, is at the same time engaged in the political exercise of evolving a political package to be offered to the Tamils on the basis of a majority Sinhala consensus. It is very clear that the government is trying to follow a two-track policy in order to find a solution of its own choice without incurring international disapproval. This is quite under-standable given our experience with the manifestation of the mental make-up of successive Sri Lankan governments since 1948, the year of so-called independence. Viewed against this background, the so-called peace process is doomed to fail miserably. This is all the more so given the accommodation of extremist elements and fundamentalist forces in the 'air-bus' cabinet, that was sworn in recently.

Q. The President in his Independence Day message invited the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to enter into a dialogue with the government. Would you accept the invitation? If not, why?

A. What does the President exactly mean? Does he think that we are a party of Douglas' or Anandasangaree's? To be fair by him, let us assume that he did not think so and this invitation is a serious one. On that basis, our response to the invitation is a definite no, for now, today, tomorrow and for all time.We are committed to dedicate ourselves for the realisation of the national and political aspirations of our people and there is no question of our joining any government. But, we will definitely lend a hand to any sincere and serious political proces with a view to achieve a peaceful resolution of the national question. As the elected representatives of the Tamil people of the northeast of this island, we would not have any hesitation in persuading the LTTE to rejoin the process of political dialogue with the government of Sri Lanka, provided the government would do its part in creating a conducive atmosphere for such a process.

Firstly, the government should ensure that the ongoing criminal process of extra judicial killings, abductions, arbitrary arrests, detentions and torture is brought to an end. Secondly, the A9 highway should be reopened so that the people would be assured of a continuous and smooth supply of essential goods and medicines. Thirdly, all paramilitary groups operating in conjunction with the Sri Lankan armed forces and under the protective wings of the military apparatus should be disarmed as agreed between the government and the LTTE at an earlier round of negotiations last year. Lastly, but more essentially, the troops and the armed police of the government should be withdrawn from Muttur in Trincomalee and Vaharai in the Batticaloa District to their former positions at the time of the CFA between the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan in February 2002. If these conditions are met, we wouldn't have any difficulty in trusting and reposing our faith in them and strengthening the efforts on a political solution of the national question. We are very clear on this.

Q. Professor G.L. Peiris who fathered the Oslo Communiqu which spoke of a federal solution, now says words such as 'federalism' and 'unitary' don't mean anything. Would you agree?

A. If he has said so, then it would reflect very badly not only on his intellect, but also on his integrity. The biggest problem we have been encountering with many Sinhala politicians is on the confusion regarding fundamental differences between a unitary form of government and a federal one. This has been the case since the mid '50s when the late S.J.V. Chelvana- yaagam and his party, Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) also known as the Federal Party won massive support of the Tamil people for a federal form of government. The concept of federalism has been deliberately distorted continuously and consistently. Even now the situation is the same, if not worse. I can understand an ordinary politician or rather an average politician misinterpreting the concept of federalism. But, not a person of the caliber of Prof. G.L. Peiris. He seems to be having political compulsions to say so. It is very unfortunate.

Q. There is a perception after the recent military success in the east that the LTTE is weakened and could be defeated militarily. Would you agree?

A. In a military conflict arising out of a political crisis and confined to the territorial limits of one single country in terms of both land and sea, and also its own air-space, one should not jump into hasty conclusions on the basis of the fluctuating fortunes of either side when the confrontation has been a very protracted one spanning over two decades, with some intermittent intervals and also with a history of very many ups and downs for either side at different times. The geographical situation of the east, coupled with this demographic composition now, thanks to the radical alterations in it caused by systematic colonisations as well as displacements, are also factors that have an effective impact on the military equation between the warring sides in the east. Of course, now the Sri Lankan government has wrested out a major portion of the territory that had been in the hands of the LTTE. Now the government needs to consolidate its hold there and there will be a continuous demand for the deployment of thousands of troops to achieve it. It is going to be an additional task.In other words, the LTTE would be relieved to encounter lesser pressure in military terms elsewhere or particularly the north. In time to come, this situation would inevitably lead to further developments that would have their own impact on the overall ground situation in the northeast as a whole. We have to view the situation in a whole and not in pieces.

Q. There are serious human rights concerns expressed by the international community and human rights organi-sations. What action has the TNA taken to address this issue?

A. In and out of parliament, we have raised this burning issue. This is our number one concern. We are trying to draw the attention of the international community more and more on this issue.

Q. How prepared is the TNA to face a general election in the north and east, given the current ground situation?

A. We will cross the bridge when we come to that and we will definitely cross it.

Q. There are also allegations of human rights violations and child recruitment by the LTTE. Why is the TNA silent?

A. Of course there are some allegations. Out of those, we have raised a few allegations, which we felt have some basis with the LTTE. We are not yes-men or yes-women. We are free people unlike what President Mahinda Rajapakse described us. Whenever we feel it is necessary, we would not hesitate to raise such issues.

Q. Does the TNA view the recent cross over by 18 UNP MPs as a positive development towards developing a southern consensus on the ethnic conflict?

A. What is there as positive or negative when it comes to the politics of sheer opportunism, cut-throatism, deception and betrayal?

There is nothing new about this sordid show of power politics in this island. What is repelling is the ease with which these cross-overs are performed and induced and also the incentives employed to achieve them. The whole exercise involving such a large number of members of parliament over a short period of time with some intervals is indeed a body blow to the democratic political system. But who cares for it?

In this atmosphere, we are not unduly concerned about these acts of the saviours of Mother Lanka. But coming to the question of a consensus, vis a vis, the national question, the alignment of mutually hostile elements for the sake of position, power and perks can produce anything except a consensus on the resolution of the national question. We are pretty sure about it.

A. A half-hearted, half-baked exercise. I say this with due respect to Mr. Tissa Vitharana, a well-meaning politician.

Food ship from India to reach Jaffna this week

A ship carrying essential foodstuff from India is due to reach the Jaffna peninsula this week, an official said.The first ship had brought of 3,200 tonnes of essential foods and this vessel would have 1,000 tonnes of rice, 500 tonnes of sugar among its cargo, Nalin Fernando, chairman of the state-owned Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) said. The goods would be distributed through the district secretary’s office. The CWE also has six distribution outlets in Jaffna, Fernando said. Food shortages drove prices up in Jaffna after the main highway linking the peninsula to the south of the country was closed last year. On January 21, LTTE suicide boats attacked a merchant vessel chartered by a Sri Lankan firm, while unloading food at Jaffna’s Kankasanthurai harbour.

Palaly military command announced Friday over radio broadcast from Palaly base that curfew hours in Jaffna peninsula have been extended by an hour to ten hours effective Friday. The new curfew hours begin at 6:00 pm and will last till 4:00 am the following day early morning. The new curfews hours will be strictly enforced in Vadamaradchy, Thenmaradchy, Valigamam and in the islands in the peninsula, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) said in the broadcast.The extension of the curfew hours is believed to have been the direct result of the claymore attack at Urelu on Thursday. Although many SLA troopers are believed killed in the ambush, Colombo has not acknowledged the attack.

The Government has withdrawn the elite security of sacked Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathy Sooriyarachchi just 48 hours after the members called for additional security on the premise their lives were under threat. The security of the three top SLFP members were withdrawn Friday night with only two policemen provided. The sacked ministers were earlier provided elite security and back up vehicles on the orders of President Mahinda Rajapakse given intelligence reports that their lives were in danger. Sources close to the three members said the MSD had recalled all but two officers attached to them while the Army personnel had been instructed not to report to their subject until further notice.

Samaraweera who spearheaded the campaign to get the LTTE banned in the European Union (EU) on Wednesday, February 7 wrote to IGP Victor Perera with a copy to the Director of the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) on the threats to his life and requested for additional security. The government however decided to withdraw his elite security without providing enhanced security. In his letter Samaraweera had said that in the current political environment, further to the threats posed by terrorist organisations he is also being targeted by other political cliques. "Taking into consideration the prevailing security and political situation in the country, as the Minister of Ports and Aviation and the Treasurer of the SLFP I have been afforded elite security for several years", Samaraweera has said in his letter calling for additional security.

"Due to my role as the chief co-ordinator of President Mahinda Rajapakse's presidential election campaign and due to the duties I performed as Foreign Minister internationally against the terrorists, it has been reported by security intelligence services and information departments that I am a prime target of the terrorists. Taking into consideration such reports and information, His Excellency the President had taken action to tighten my personal security by taking steps to deploy additional personnel", he had said Samaraweera had further said while Foreign Minister since he had to travel overseas often, he had to curtail travel within Sri Lanka to distant places on other official duties. He has said even in such a situation in his view the number of security personnel afforded to him was insufficient. Having further said that he has to travel extensively now within the country, a request was made for additional security stating he now faces not only a threat by the terrorists but also other political cliques in the prevailing political climate.

Bandaranaike too earlier in the week called for enhanced security following death threats. The President himself had earlier in the week sent a message to Bandaranaike to tighten his security due to reports of a threat on his life. A taped confession of three journalists released by the Government last week also revealed that a recent claymore attack in the western province was made targeting Sooriyarachchi. However, following the sacking of the three SLFP stalwarts for opposing the accommodation of the UNP defectors in Government, their security was withdrawn Friday night.

A furious Anura Bandaranaike, MP, plans to hit back hard at President Mahinda Rajapakse who stripped him of his ministerial portfolio on Friday. Bandaranaike intends to call a press conference on Monday at the Cinnamon Grand to explain his position. "He is going on the offensive," a source close to Bandaranaike told The Sunday Island. He is believed to have urged former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to address the briefing. He is of the view that they should go on the offensive against the Rajapakse brothers - Mahinda, Basil (presidential advisor) and Gotabhaya (Defence Secretary). Kumaratunga who is now in India is likely to join the press conference, these sources said. Bandaranaike believes that her presence would strengthen their campaign. Political sources said that Bandaranaike was under pressure to call off the press briefing. A major attack on Rajapakse brothers would worsen the situation, the sources said.

Sunday Island learns that the president planned to move against Ports and Shipping Minister Mangala Samaraweera, a one-time confidante who played a crucial role at the last presidential election campaign. Samaraweera facilitated the JVP backing for Rajapakse. The differences with the minister deepened after Samaraweera made an abortive bid to block the SLFP-UNP marriage.In fact, the president had sent a message to Bandaranaike through business tycoon Harry Jayewardena asking him not to get involved with Samaraweera. Rajapakse had reacted angrily to Bandaranaike’s decision to play ball with Samaraweera.Political sources said that the dissidents’ decision to avoid last Thursday’s emergency vote heavily contributed to the president’s decision. Samaraweera, Bandaranaike and Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi boycotted the vote.Temple Trees sources said that if the president ignored their action it would have encouraged other MPs to revolt. They said that anyone was free to leave the party. "If Anura wants to leave, he is free to go. We won’t ask him to stay," an infuential official said.

Rajapakse had expressed confidence that the dissidents campaign would die a natural death. SLFP sources said that the dissidents would face disciplinary action if they continued with their campaign. The president on Thursday told a group of newly appointed electoral organizers that he would not give in to the dissidents. Although he did not name the persons he had in mind, Rajapakse stressed that he would not tolerate their actions. Immediately after hearing the sack decision, Bandaranaike had contacted Samaraweera who had been on an overseas visit. Samaraweera had indicated that he was not worried."I am seated on a bench having a Haagen-Daazs (an expensive German ice cream)," a well informed source quoted Bandaranaike being told by Samaraweera who was in the company of a woman business leader. The former minister was in Singapore from where he was due to fly to the United Kingdom.

The president yesterday summoned SLFP Central Committe members to brief them of his decision. Rajapakse had reiterated that he would not turn a blind eye to politically destructive actions and efforts to undermine his bid for a stable government. After consultations with advisors, the president decided to strip dissidents of their portfolios before he embarked today on a three-day State visit to Maldives on the invitation of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The First Lady is accompanying him. His delegation includes Ministers Milinda Moragoda, G. L. Peiris and Rohitha Bogollagama, all three UNP defectors, who will hold bilateral talks with their Maldivian counterparts.The dissidents will lose ministerial perks including heavy security. Bandaranaike is likely to ask for time to leave the State Guest House Visumpaya. Political sources said that the government would expect the dissidents including Bandaranaike to function as ordinary MPs.

CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman had assured the president that he was not involved in any political conspiracy. Thondaman had met Rajapakse in the backdrop of claims that he visited Samaraweera’s residence where a group of politicians met to discuss a plan of action. The president had signaled that he was prepared to discuss any problem faced but would not accept clandestine activity.Although Bandaranaike and Kumaratunga skipped the presidential election campaign, Rajapakse appointed Anura tourism minister, sources close to the president said. The Bandaranaikes had done everything possible to undermine the candidate, the sources said adding that if Rajapakse failed to act, the dissidents ranks would have increased. The sources said that if so called SLFP dissidents planned to take the battle to the Rajapakses, they would have to do it without minsiterial portfolios.Speculation in political circles is that Bandaranaike believes that if decided to quit his parliamentary seat the UNP would accommodate him.

The Sunday Island learns that the ruling coalition is exploring the possibility of accepting more UNP MPs. A well informed source said that at least six MPs were believed to be negotating with the government.The sources said that the JVP too was under tremendous pressure as the president steps up the war against the LTTE. Rajapakse has rejected the JVP-led call to quit the Oslo-arranged ceasefire agreement before it completed five years on February 22.The JVP is of the view that if the CFA was allowed to continue for five years it would automatically receive international recognition, a claim dismissed by the government. The sources said that the JVP was welcome to join the government pointing out that the president reiterated this call during his Independence Day speech.The president is of the view that Samaraweera may have had a hand in keeping the JVP out of his administration.Government sources said that efforts to strengthen the ruling coalition would continue as security forces step up pressure on the LTTE. Defence Secretary Colonel (retd) Gotabhaya Rajapakse last Thursday briefed Indian Defence Minister A. K. Anthony of the current ground situation in the wake of the LTTE losing Vakarai region.

The sources said that the president had been also angry about the recent article which appeared in a Lake House publication. The sources said that the article which targeted the president had been carried on the instructions of a leading SLFP dissident.The president had moved against SLFP dissidents after triggering the worst crisis in the UNP since the abortive bid to impeach President Ranasinghe Premadasa, political sources said. Whatever the UNP reformists say, they cannot even operate as a separate group within the ruling coalition, SLFPers say.The sources said that the UNP was not in a position either to take advantage of the trouble in the SLFP or support the Mangala-Anura faction. With Friday’s action the president had effectively prevented any other MP from even thinking of joining the faction let alone coming out in support of the former ministers.Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama recently assured the Indian leadership that the strengthening of the coalition would facilitate the peace process.

Unidentified armed persons shot dead the driver of an auto, after hiring the auto to travel to Pandarikulam near Vipulananda School in Pandarikulam, Vavuniya around 11:45 a.m Sunday, Vavuniya Police said.The victim was identified as N. Gunadasa.Vavuniya police are investigating into the killing.Pandarikulam is located 2 km west from Vavuniya town.

UN Special Representative Allan Rock has called for targeted sanctions against the LTTE and the Karuna faction and requested the government to hold an impartial inquiry into allegations of government troop complicity in underage recruitment. He made these observations in a report submitted to the UN Security Council Working Committee on Children in Armed Conflict in New York on February 9. The thrust of the Rock speech dealt with continuous child-recruitment charges against the Tigers and the Karuna group. Rock repeated allegations of government troop complicity with the latter, but did not furnish any named witnesses. Rock said that if the Tigers and the Karuna group failed to stop recruitment, sanctions like travel bans, asset freezes and arms embargo's should be considered. He requested the government to "immediately commence a thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of complicity by Government security forces in the abduction of children by the Karuna faction".

"Since 2001 up to January 31, 2007, a total of 6,006 children have been registered on UNICEF's underage recruitment database , as having been recruited by LTTE. Of that total, UNICEF's database shows that 1,710 remain in LTTE custody, of whom 707 are still below the age of 18. UNICEF believes that its figures reflect approximately one-third of total cases of LTTE recruitment," Rock said. He added that 93 children had been recruited by the Tigers since his visit in November 06. "It is therefore clear that despite its commitments to release all children within its ranks and to stop the recruitment of all children below 18 years; the LTTE continues to recruit children, including through abduction." Rock report said that between October 05 and November 06, the Karuna group had abducted 164 children and 142 still remained with the group. "Since May 2006, the number of abductions has increased sharply. In the space of one week in mid-June 2006 alone, UNICEF received 30 reports alleging that children had been abducted by the Karuna faction," he said.

Rock assessed that the operational areas of the Karuna group and its activities were evidence that it could not function without the knowledge, if not support of government troops. "The fact that the Karuna faction has abducted so many children in Government-controlled areas in the eastern districts of Sri Lanka raises the question why the Government has not more effectively protected those children, investigated the complaints made by the children's families, and secured the release and return of the children from the Karuna faction camps that are located in areas under Government control. " Based on the facts and circumstances set out in this report, I have concluded that certain elements of the Sri Lankan security forces are complicit in the abduction of children by the Karuna faction, and that at least some elements of the security forces have facilitated and sometimes participated in those abductions," he said.

The report listed several instances and circumstances that Rock said he relied on to reach his assumption of complicity. However, he did not give any names or concrete incidents with times and locations. Since Rock went public with allegations of government troop complicity on November 13, the government has tried to debunk the claims arguing that the UN representative had not furnished concrete evidence. It had also criticized methods used by Rock to arrive at his drastic conclusion. Rock said that even President Mahinda Rajapakse had expressed his surprise when informed of his findings but had promised an impartial inquiry upon receipt of evidence from Rock. Rock visited the country for 10 days as a special advisor to UN Secretary General's Special Rapporteur for children in armed conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy. The Working Committee does not have any powers to impose sanctions, but can recommend action to the Security Council. Sri Lanka is likely to figure prominently in next month's sessions of the UN Human Rights Council where calls for the setting up of an international human rights monitoring mission are likely to be renewed.

The UNP,taking what is seen as its toughest stance in recent years said that any solution to the ethnic conflict has to go before the people at a referendum.Having vowed to take the battle to the government, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told "The Island" that the SLFP should first submit its long overdue proposals on resolving the ethnic conflict to the All Party Representative Committee."Any solution arrived at, has to then be placed before the people at a referendum."The UNP's position on resolving the ethnic conflict, he said was reiterated in Ranil Wickremesinghe's manifesto at the last presidential election."As a responsible political party the UNP does not play politics with national issues and will support any attempt to pull the country of the mess it is in. Let the government together with the 18 UNP's who joined them submit a solution to the country's problems. But the final word rests with the people and that is why the peace package has to be approved at a referendum."

Commenting on the UNP's decision to pull out of the APRC, Attanayake said that their participation was based on the MoU entered into with the SLFP."Now that President Mahinda Rajapakse has violated the MoU by taking 18 UNP MP's against the UNP's wishes, there is no need for us to remain in the APRC."Attanayake, however stressed that the UNP will continue to participate in the All Party Conference and extend its fullest support to the resolution of the ethnic conflict even though President Mahinda Rajapakse does not keep his word and continues to create dissension in other political parties.Agriculture Development Minister and SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena said that their solution to the ethnic conflict will presented to the public in two weeks time.He ruled out holding parliamentary elections for another two years claiming that President Mahinda Rajapakse was in charge of a "strong" government."We now have a total of 121 seats in parliament and there is no need for elections at this juncture. Our focus is on developing the country with the support of all those who have pledged their support to the government," he said.

Twelve suspects were apprehended by the Nuwara Eliya police after ammunition and several explosive items were found near a Mahagastota police checkpoint yesterday.A civilian in the area had discovered a cache of seven detonators, a hand grenade along with two T-56 Magazines with 30 bullets at around 8.00 a.m. yesterday and informed the Nuwara Eliya police.Twelve persons who were traced by police dogs were taken in by the police for questioning. The police suspect that the items to be used for terrorist activities were dumped on seeing the checkpoint. Several vehicles in the vicinity of the discovery are being held for investigation by the Nuwara Eliya police.

Solution to ethnic problem should be based on southern political consensus

The government is mindful that any solution to the conflict should be a people’s solution based on the emerging political consensus in the south, Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ms. Angela Kane who is undertaking a familiarization visit to Sri Lanka.The Minister stressed the need for a pluralistic system in the North and East during a meeting with Ms. Kane who called on him at the Foreign Ministry last Friday.† He reiterated the commitment of the government for a negotiated settlement to the conflict. Minister Bogollagama briefed Ms. Kane of the government’s development work including in the North and the East. Ms. Kane is was also scheduled to visit Jaffna during the visit. The Minister appreciated the UN’s technical assistance programmes in Sri Lanka and extended his cooperation on human rights and humanitarian issues and emphasized the need to address them in a result oriented manner on a time structured basis.He also indicated that UN could assist in the strengthening of capacity of Sri Lanka’s human rights institutions.Dr. Palitha Kohona, who was associated at the discussions, said the Peace Secretariat was discussing with the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the possibility of providing risk insurance to investors willing to invest in the North and the East. Mr. Federick Lyons, UN Resident Representative in Sri Lanka was also associated at the discussions.

The roadblock was unexpected. Driving to Colombo along Sri Lanka's south-west coast, we were forced on to a sidestreet by police in Hikkaduwa, one of the island's main tourist centres. There must have been a multiple crash, we assumed, as the detour along narrow village lanes took us past rice paddies shimmering in the afternoon sun. Back on the coast road, fleets of ambulances racing south seemed to confirm our suspicions.Later we discovered the problem was a bomb. Eleven people had died when a rucksack detonated in a crowded long-distance bus. Although not targeted at foreigners, the site chosen for the atrocity was in part a blow at the country's weakened tourist economy which has not yet recovered from the 2004 tsunami. Buses have never been hit in tourist areas before. Along with a bomb on a bus going east out of Colombo the previous day, the explosion was also designed to strike fear into every Sri Lankan traveller.

Like terrorist attacks on civilians anywhere in the world, this one was "mindless", to use the epithet that politicians and editorial writers always employ on these occasions. Killing people who have no connection to political decision-making is never right. But the bus bombs did not happen in a vacuum, according to analysts in Colombo. They were a predictable stage in the cycle of violence involving the Sri Lankan government and its guerrilla opponents that is making a mockery of Sri Lanka's so-called peace process.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been fighting for a separate homeland for decades. As usual, they denied responsibility for the bombs, but it is assumed this was their answer to an escalating military campaign by the most hardline government since independence.

Sri Lanka has long been a test case for the complexity of dealing with political movements that turn to terrorist methods, almost always as a last resort. Condemning their choice of targets while ignoring their complaints and the degree of support they command leads only to political stalemate and more bloodshed. Northern Ireland, the Basque country and the Palestinian issue show it is better to talk to terror users who have significant popular backing than to isolate them.Sri Lanka's Sinhalese elite seemed to know this. Under Norwegian mediation the then government made an interim peace deal with the LTTE four years ago. Although the EU listed the Tigers as a terrorist organisation last year (a badly timed and stupid move), it still urges the new government to go on talking. So does the US, in spite of its war on terror. The Tigers are not Muslim. They have a local, not global, agenda, so any attempt to link them with an anti-western jihad is laughable.

It is equally absurd to use war to disarm them. Yet this is what President Mahinda Rajapakse is attempting, perhaps motivated by revenge after his brother, the defence secretary, and his army commander survived assassination attempts. Rajapakse's picture bedecks hoardings around Sri Lanka in an unprecedented cult of personality. He has taken to visiting Buddhist shrines on state occasions in a chauvinistic sop to the most dominant of Sri Lanka's four religious communities.Worst of all, he is destroying the peace deal by trying to reoccupy the areas recognised as under Tiger control. Almost 4,000 people have died since fighting resumed last year; tens of thousands are homeless after government artillery and air attacks in the east of the island. The government has succeeded in capturing most of the Tiger areas there, and now appears to want to hold provincial elections and install a puppet ruler. Rajapakse's chosen candidate would be Colonel Karuna, a commander who broke from the LTTE three years ago and was quickly recruited by the Sri Lankan army to work with them. The government initially denied this, and because of heavy censorship local media had difficulty reporting it. But visitors to Batticaloa in the east now say no attempt is made to hide it. Karuna's camps are close to army bases and police checkpoints, and his ground attacks coincide with government offensives.

According to Unicef, the UN children's agency, the government is complicit in Karuna's abductions of hundreds of children to become soldiers. A UN security council working group will take up the issue of Sri Lanka (and Nepal) in New York today. Sri Lanka is one of several countries under the UN spotlight, and Ban Ki-Moon, the new secretary general, has warned of "targeted measures" (ie sanctions) if the practice is not stopped. Ironically, Sri Lanka chose to be on the list that was drawn up when only the Tigers were seizing children.The government promised to investigate the charges, but abductions continue, says Unicef. The security council must not let Sri Lanka off the hook until proof emerges that it has stopped the practice and got Karuna to release all the children he has seized. The LTTE's use of child soldiers is on a far greater scale than the army's (Karuna was notorious for it when he was still with the Tigers), but elected governments have a duty to show they are not adopting the crimes and brutalities of their opponents. Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, was brave enough to make that point last month. Rajapakse promptly took his job away.

Sri Lanka's humanitarian crisis is dire. Kidnappings and disappearances, apparently by the police and allied forces, have resumed in Colombo. The civil war has made more than 200,000 people homeless in the past year, almost as many in the same period as in Darfur, which gets 10 times the international attention. Like the Sudanese authorities, the government is using its monopoly of air power to conduct a vicious counter-insurgency in the face of lesser rebel provocations.The outside world can have a role and India may be the most important player. Floods of Tamil refugees are forcing it to take a renewed interest in its neighbour. It has warned Rajapakse against trying to split the east from the north, a device to foreclose a viable homeland for Tamils and reject a federal solution that most independent experts see as the only compromise likely to end the war.Above all, India is refusing to sell arms that can be used for counter-insurgency. That is the best signal. If he believes he can defeat an enemy as widely supported by Tamils as the Tigers are, Sri Lanka's president is as "mindless" as any bus bomber.

Conceding that the peace pact with the Tamil Tigers was a mistake, Sri Lanka said it expects India to be ‘more sensitive’ and lend ‘more support’ to solve the conflict in the island nation. "Today we realise we have made a mistake. Through the peace pact, we have demarcated areas called LTTE-controlled areas, and they have taken the rights of the people through this pact," Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa told BBC News.He said he expects Lanka's "closest country" - India - to be more sensitive and to lend more support to help solve the conflict in his country."With the prevailing situation, India should be more sensitive. I would like to remind the people that India has learnt lessons from Sri Lanka, and solved the problem in Nepal," Rajapaksa was quoted as saying in a statement issued by BBC."That is why I think and I believe India can still play a major role in this issue, as compared to any other country." Rajapakse said the rights of the people ‘taken away’ by the LTTE should be granted back to the people."In LTTE areas, no political parties can function, people cannot walk anywhere with freedom, and the children are being forced to join the LTTE. These rights should be granted back to the people," he said.He said it was a false allegation that the Sri Lankan military was complicit in the Karuna faction's alleged recruitment of child soldiers.

The pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has roped in the Chennai film industry to increase awareness of the Sri Lankan Tamil problem among the people of Tamil Nadu, and to collect money for the rehabilitation of Tamil refugees in Sri Lanka.Three TNA MPs,TELO Muthalvar MK Sivajilingam, S Ariyanethiran and S Pathmanathan, met leading figures of the Tamil Nadu film industry at the Nadigar Sangam (Actors' Guild) in Chennai on February 6.Among the stars present were Sarath Kumar, President of the Nadigar Sangam; veteran actors Manorama and SS Chandran; and the latest heart throb, Abbas. Sarath Kumar and SS Chandran combine political activism with acting."The meeting decided to organise Star Nites all over Tamil Nadu to collect money for the 210, 000 Tamil refugees displaced by the war in the past one year," Sivajilingam told Hindustan Times on Friday."Soon, it might be like Tamil Nadu of 1983, when Tamil film stars got on to the streets and led processions condemning the atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan state against the Tamils," he said.

Even prior to this, the LTTE had created links with the Tamil Nadu film industry.Prabhakaran, who would refuse to meet special envoys from the West and Japan, readily gave an audience to two leading Tamil film directors, Mahendran and Bharathiraja, in his hideout in the Wanni some time ago.Prabhakaran is a film buff, but he prefers Western action films to romantic and soppy Tamil films and Clint Eastwood is his favourite.However, he knows the importance of popular Tamil films as an instrument of propaganda.Bharathiraja told Prabhakaran that he was like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which would have immensely pleased the Tiger chieftain because Subhas Bose is his role model.Director Mahendran followed up his visit by sending his son John Mahendran to direct a full-length colour feature film.The film Aaniver (Tamil for 'main root' but used as an equivalent of 'sheet anchor') was shot entirely in the LTTE-controlled Wanni with the blessings and backing of the LTTE in 2006.The stars, Nanda and Madhumita, were from Tamil Nadu, as were the technicians.The film, about the experiences of a young Tamil Nadu lady journalist in the war-torn Sri Lankan North East, had brought out the tragedy of the rape and murder of the Jaffna school girl, Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, in 1996, and the exodus of people from Jaffna to the Wanni in 1995.Aaniver was shown publicly in Canada and Europe to expatriate Sri Lanka Tamil audiences, but not in Tamil Nadu or Sri Lanka.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday sacked Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi from their ministerial portfolios, amidst speculation that the President might decide to go in for a snap general election soon. The shocking move came in the absence of SLFP strongman Mangala Samaraweera in the country. The former Minister left for Singapore on Thursday night and was scheduled to leave for London for a meeting with former President Chandrika Kumaratunga. He was also slated to visit India on his return trip, to meet a renowned astrologer and return to Colombo on Monday.Sources close to the President told the Daily Mirror last evening that calling for fresh elections by dissolving the present parliament, was one of the options being considered by the President immediately after the decision to sack the three ministers.

President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga told the Daily Mirror last evening that letters signed by President Rajapaksa had already been sent to National Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike, Ports Minister Mangala Samaraweera and non Cabinet Ports Minister Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi.No reason for stripping the ministers of their portfolios had been apparently given in the letters. Immediately after the news broke out, Mr. Sooriyaarachchi had rushed to Mr. Banadaranaike’s ‘Visumpaya’ residence and had a lengthy discussion with him, according to informed sources.The decision also came in the backdrop of orders by Minister Samaraweera to Matara district SLFP organizers to go ahead with the district meeting at the Uyanwatte ground on February 24, despite a Presidential directive against the move.

Minister Samaraweera had reportedly asked the organizers to bring at least 10,000 party supporters to participate at the event.President Rajapaksa’s decision also came a day after Mr. Banadaranaike made a bombshell speech in parliament accusing ‘elements close to the President’ for issuing death threats to him. Mr. Sooriyaarachchi a few days ago said he detested the very thought of being e member of a government that had overburdened the people with its gigantic Cabinet.The move to sack the three ministers came hours after messages were sent to the members of the SLFP Executive Committee calling for an emergency Ex-co meeting of the party today.The Ex-co members had been unofficially informed that party discipline and the SLFP proposals for the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) were among the subjects of the agenda of the meeting. SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena is already on record that the SLFP proposals have preserved the unitary character of Sri Lanka but had insisted that the proposals had addressed the grievances of all communities. The Ex-co meeting is scheduled for 10 am will be held at Temple Trees.

A town in Sri Lanka's embattled east shut down as a sign of respect for a Hindu priest gunned down four days after he welcomed President Mahinda Rajapakse to a former guerrilla stronghold. Military officials said shops closed and transport was halted in Valachchenai on Friday to mourn Selliah Parameswar, who was dragged out of his house and killed late Wednesday by a group of unidentified gunmen."The security forces have tightened security in the area ensuring continuous essential services," the defence ministry said in a statement."Troops are also engaged in providing security to vehicles of non-governmental organisations engaged in facilitating essential services."

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) denied on Thursday killing the priest and blamed a breakaway faction allegedly collaborating with security forces."Family members of the priest said they suspected the paramilitary (breakaway Tiger group) of the murder because the paramilitaries suspected that the priest informed the LTTE about military positions," the Tigers said.The priest blessed Rajapakse last week when he visited a former LTTE stronghold captured by security forces in January after weeks of fighting that left 41 soldiers and 331 rebels killed by official count."I am deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the assassination of Parameswar, who was cruelly gunned down by LTTE terrorists," Rajapakse said in a statement.Fighting has escalated between troops and Tamil Tigers in the past year despite a truce that has been in place since February 2002.

Unknown gunmen shot dead a male teacher in Pattanichchur Puliyankulam area in Vavuniya Friday evening at 7:40 p.m., Vavuniya Police said. The killing brings the number of homicides by armed men in Vavuniya in February to 6, sources in Vavuniya said.The victim was identified as Thambirajah Thileepan, 40.His body has been transferred to Vavuniya Teaching hospital for postmortem examinations.Vavuniya Police is investigating into the killing. Police said motives for the killing are not yet established.Of the six victims killed by unknown armed men in Vavuniya this month, four were identified as civilians, one was a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officer, and the other was a home-guard.The total number shot dead in Vavuniya in January was reported as 59. The total includes 36 civilians, 9 SLA soldiers, 8 Police officers and 6 alleged members of Liberation Tigers. Four of the 36 civilians were Sinhalese.

Minister Tissa Vitharana dropped a bombshell in Parliament yesterday when he accused a third party of slaying Jaffna parliamentarian, Nadarajah Raviraj. Speaking during the vote of condolence, Prof. Vitharana said this third party sold arms and ammunition to promote war and violence meant more profits for it. He charged that this same third party was responsible for the slaying of another TNA parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham on Christmas Day in 2005. Prof. Vithana who chairs the All Party Representatives Committee again stressed the need to work out a political solution to the ethnic question as soon as possible. He urged the TNA and other parties to join in the dialogue to find a peaceful solution. Meanwhile UNP leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe said there were big question marks in the killing of Mr. Raviraj as it took place in a well-secured road in Colombo with two military establishments on either side of it and a police establishment in the middle. He said it was clear the killing of Mr. Raviraj was not carried out by the LTTE though the Tigers were responsible for many other killings. Commenting on human rights violation, Mr. Wickremesinghe proposed the setting up of a Parliamentary Standing Committee to look into human rights issues.

A Tamil youth, who had recently returned from working abroad, was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Madduvil North in Thenmaradchi at 10:00 a.m. Friday, Kodikamam Police said. The gunmen stopped the victim riding his motor-bike, shot him dead in point blank range, and absconded on the abducted bike.The motorbike was abandoned few kilometers away from the crime site.The victim was identified as Rasaratnam Pushparajah, 30, from Musiri in Madduvil North.Police said they found five gunshot wounds on Pushparajah's body. His body has been transferred to Chavakachcheri hospital for postmortem examinations.Kodikamam Police has taken custody of the motorbike.Musiri village is located close to Manthuvil area where on 7 May 2006 eight young men who went to Seerani Kelakkai temple in Manthuvil East, around 7 km northeast of Chavakachcheri, disappeared without trace.Investigations into the disappearance has been stalled and there have not been any information on the fate of the youths.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will leave for the Maldives tomorrow on a three-day official visit.The President will be accompanied by several Ministers including Rohitha Bogollagama, Susil Premajayantha, Milinda Moragoda and Felix Perera. The President will meet high level political leaders in the Maldives including President Mohamed Abdul Gayoom.Several business leaders are also expected to join the delegation which is expected to sign a series of Trade Agreements.

A thought-experiment: if a tree falls in a forest upon deaf ears, did it make a sound? If children are abducted in Batticaloa without witnesses, was there LTTE/Karuna recruitment? If shells rain in Jaffna without media coverage, did anyone die?
Relapsing from post-2007 to pre-2002, momentarily embracing a path to Eelam IV over Geneva III, in coming weeks the parties may find themselves between a (Alan) Rock and a hard line, as these metaphysical questions may find physical salience on the ground, in places like Kadavaanaikulam, Valachchennai refugee camps, trilingual headlines, makeshift bedrooms of Vakarai-Muttur-Sampur IDPs, given the proclivity towards political compromise and intention to tilt a future political negotiating platform in the present, militarily.

Though there's no military solution, capitulated ad nauseam by the international community, there's a dominant military agenda. The gestalt modus vivendi seems to be, si vis pacem para bellum, reflecting GoSL/LTTE strategic stances which have scripted a string of offensive defensives from Mavil Aru to Sampur to Muhamalai to Vakarai to recent maritime insurgency and counter-insurgency campaigns, embedded within a linear trend of conflict escalation since the 2005 Presidential election, LTTE-driven boycott.The peace process collapse into GoSL-LTTE politico-military polarization illuminates the continued challenge of conflict transformation, implying 2002-2006 was essentially Eelam "x" holding its breath. The human security vacuum in the East, reinstatement of PTA, the de-merger ruling, and tacit skepticism of the APRC and IIGEP in the short regarding containment, are all conducive to conflict escalation, downgrading the CFA and Geneva Conventions to conditional privileges rather than unconditional rights in certain regions.

After Vakarai, equations have changed. Intellectual positions on depopulation, demographic composition, de-merger, devolution have translated into the viscera of death, destruction, displacement, despair on the ground. After President Rajapaksa's press statement from Vakarai itself, based on zero-sum territorial valuations of power, Lanka's military pendulum is at a pro-GoSL tilt. As Eelam IV may intensify in the North, as the language of force subjugates the diplomacy of compromise, as the procetion of national security further obscures the plight of human rights, international/domestic elements of the GoSL-LTTE post-Vakarai strategic equilibrium warrant unpacking.

Internationally, on the U.S. front, spreading anti-American sentiment apropos the Bush Administration's Middle East policy, benchmarked by the democratic congressional majority in November 2006 and end of the Bush Administration in 2008, may alter the international counter-terrorism climate, to carte-blanche avec human rights constraints. Given the surge of 20,000 American troops to Iraq, Condoleeza Rice's activity in the Middle East, in Saudi Arabia and restarting moribund Isreali-Palestine talks aim to generate breathing space for setbacks in the region against a backdrop of growing opposition from Syria, a nuclear Iran. If America's pressured into passive Eurasian diplomacy by a de facto anti-American alliance, comprised of nations like Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, increasingly, America will become further dependent upon bilateral ties with India, China, and thus Lanka. By 2017, the emerging Russia-India-China axis may shift an eroding post-Cold War American hegemony toward a multi-actor world order, where the U.S.-India, and thus U.S.-Lanka bilateral tie will rise in strategic saliencec.

Overall, U.S.-Lanka engagement and Rice's December 2006 message, a solution "lies in a negotiated settlement that meets the aspirations of all communities," incorporate longer-term ambitions of American presence in the South Asian region, tangentially granting proximity to a rising India, nuclear North Korea. Statements from Nicholas Burns, Rice, should be interpreted without quarantining U.S.-Lanka relations from U.S.-Middle East policy, a changing U.S. international image vis-à-vis the "war on terror" as seen from above, the terror of war, as seen from below.

The Netherlands/India have displayed reciprocal engagement policies. The SLMM, reduced to Nordic/Icelandic nationals post-EU ban, in liaise with GoSL/LTTE leadership, has decided to curtail its engagement during this period of conflict escalation, like Norwegian mediation, for facilitation is only effective when diplomatic channels between negotiating parties are open. India, impelled by GoSL's rebalancing of defensive militancy and humanitarian norms, TNA- Karunanidhi pressure on Delhi, has pulled out of the Sampur thermal power plant project and initiated a de facto Indo-Lanka military embargo. Also, in contraposition to President Rajapaksa's strategy of addressing counter-terrorism and economic growth in parallel, Praful Patel of the World Bank at the Galle Development Forum stressed development vision can't exist independently of the conflict.

In the domestic sphere, as GoSL-LTTE are militarily deadlocked in Nash equilibrium, each perceiving the other immune to self-initiated changes in strategy towards de-escalation, the TMVP's trying to create a legitimate political identity in the East, shedding its para-militant genesis. Capitalizing on a collapsed peace process due to war, and SLFP-UNP MoU due to the cross-over issue, as parties jockey for composition of a future parliamentary majority, the SLFP, UNP, and SLFP-SLMC MoU may play off each other, jockeying for position based on increased dependencies the Rajapaksa administration may perceive with the SLFP-(JVP-JHU) axis. However, stabilizing the multiparty eco-system, the idée fixe du jour, despite prominence in reportage, may not impact the North-South dialectic, intensifying humanitarian crisis, de-escalation dividend given differentials in the subnational security and negative peace agendas as calculated by GoSL-LTTE leadership.

As civil society, treading in the complex interdependence of political identities, ethno-politicization of socio-economic and humanitarian issues, it's easy to lose the wood from the trees: in the Eelam "x" context, ethnolinguism, party politics, caste, culture, mytho-history, and religion are simply different prisms to interpret collective privation, a means of subconsciously aestheticizing powerlessness to further mute the cries of the voiceless and safeguard current distributions of privilege.Such complexities of nation-building have blurred the urgent need for state-building and crisis of intra-Lanka institutional overstretch. The mea culpa of militarized machtpolitik in a post-9/11 global system is, as domestic visibility increases internationally, how normative governance within a state balances counter-terrorism and humanitarian norms will become a lever of compromise in future negotiations, for both GoSL/LTTE.

From the Peloponnesian War over two thousand years ago - caused, in Thucydides' famous words, by "the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta"—to Eelam IV and the growth of SLA presence in the East and the fear this may cause in Kilinochchi, to the Vakarai exodus/Peloponnesian Pride attack, the divisive tensions sustaining conflict boil down to simpler tensions between national/ subnational insecurity, how we are governed where we live.Through a mother's eye, the fallen are children; through eyes of war, the dead are martyrs. Each cloud of MBRL smoke, capsule of cyanide, grain of flour, molecule of funeral ash co-author Lanka's modern history, a beast that mutates with no memory, consciousness, emotion. At the moment, aspirations to build a multicultural, multiethnic cosmopolitan society writhe beneath the plural monocultural mantra, "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori," chanted on both sides of the subnational fulcrum.

As LTTE strategize apropos rebalancing politico-military parity pre-Geneva III, the Rajapaksa Administration choreographs the next act of Lanka's Eelam IV ballet: ballots in the East, bullets in the North. The path to peaceful co-existence remains via mutual commitments to compromise, replacing the drive to seek legitimacy in our ancestors by seeking meaning in our children. Whether within imagined geographies drawn by the Mahavamsa, Mahabaratha, Rajapaksa regime, the British Raj, to maps of where suicide bombs and aerial bombardments strike, the leadership's challenge is that of catalyzing conflict transformation through peaceful change, which still, prima facie, remains terra incognita.To engage in war, on some level, one must distort the idea of humanity - divide it completely by uniting partially. Dostoevsky wrote, "the degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons." Today, in Lanka, it can be judged by hiring a van, driving up A-15

The humanitarian community has expressed serious concerns over the presence of paramilitary groups in the east with a leading German charity organization GTZ temporarily suspending its operations in Batticaloa after two of its offices were looted by armed men. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) says abductions still continue in Batticaloa and also noted in its latest weekly report that 16 children and 7 adults were reported missing in the district last week and raised suspicion of Karuna and LTTE involvement.However, Karuna spokesman Azath Maulana played down the latest concerns and allegations raised by the NGOs and the SLMM and called for "credible evidence" to substantiate any claims of Karuna involvement in the said incidents or other child recruitment allegations. Incidentally, UN envoy Allan Rock was yesterday scheduled to present a report to the working group of the UN Security Council which he claimed contains "credible evidence" of Karuna and LTTE child recruitment and abductions.

As Mr. Rock had accused certain elements of the government forces of conspiring or in some cases directly assisting Karuna in abductions and recruitment, the government went public and refuted the claims and later demanded 'credible evidence' to back the allegations."There is still much abduction in Batticaloa district. 16 children and seven adults have been reported missing. Both LTTE and TMVP (Karuna) are suspected. Abductions are reported in the other districts as well, but not as many," the SLMM said. Mr. Maulana however said TMVP cadres had not recruited or abducted any children as of late and further disputed UNICEF figures of child recruitment by Karuna. "We have a total cadre strength of only 2000, so if you go by the UNICEF figures it would suggest most of our cadres are children and not adults. That is not the case and these are all fabricated allegations which ultimately play into the hands of the LTTE" The presence of political offices of the Karuna faction in the east has also raised concerns following a spate of abductions, most which remain unsolved and violent incidents with the Batticaloa police, also suggesting action to curb the uncontrollable activities of Karuna.

The weekly report of the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) country team, an independent INGO monitoring body, notes that the general situation in Batticaloa remains tense with ongoing daily reports of security incidents within the town and throughout the district. "The humanitarian community is deeply concerned by the increased number of paramilitaries in Batticaloa town. In Ampara there are renewed reports of abductions. The increased presence of armed civilians has heightened fears in communities," IASC said this week.Meanwhile, IASC also said that GTZ, a leading German based humanitarian organization has decided to temporarily stop its activities in the Batticaloa district after two of its warehouses, in Valaichchenai and Kaluwanchikudy, were looted by armed men this week.

The Tamil problem, government cannot give lame excuses any more---UNP in Parliament

Ravy Karunanayake, UNP Parliamentarian, speaking in Parliament stated that India has sent a strongly worded message that the Lankan government should not postpone the proposals for a political solution any more giving excuses that JVP does not co-operate or that it has no majority in Parliament.He added this message was conveyed to the government through the Prime Minister Ratnasri Wicremanayake, when he visited India immediately after the cabinet reshuffle.

A copy of UN Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Allan Rock’s controversial report was e-mailed to the Karuna faction last night by the United Nations office in Geneva.The report was given just minutes before it was produced before the Working Group of UN Security Council for deliberations, sources said. Meanwhile, Karuna faction's spokesman Azath Maulana confirmed that they have received a copy of the report.Mr. Rock was scheduled to submit the report before the Working Group of UN Security Council yesterday. The report based on Mr. Rock’s 10-day mission to Sri Lanka last year accused both the LTTE and Karuna faction of involvement in child abduction and recruitment.

Two members of the underworld, said to have high jacked the official car of the Deputy Indian High Commissioner and involved in taking ransom worth millions of rupees, were killed yesterday at Muddaragama in the Mirigama forest behind the iron work shop. The victims were accomplices of Moratuwa Saman, K.P. Nadeeka, Nishjan Kularatne (24) alias Muktha alias Podi Malli and M.P. Priyantha Abnura Kumara (33) alias Batu Anura.On Thursday afternoon they demanded a ransom of Rs. 2.5 million from a businessman at Danowita Road in Mirigama and while fleeing the scene after shots were fired in the air, the two members of the underworld, Lionel Jayasekera and Buru Janaka died due to the police shooting.

On information received from the two suspects taken into custody, the police accompanied the suspects to be shown arms they had hidden. The victims tried to attack the police with a hand bomb they had hidden. The police fired and the two victims were seriously injured; and died while being taken to the Wathupitiwala hospital.On information received the Weeragala police recovered a motor cycle robbed in Weweldeniya and hidden in a house at Neligama. Three hand bombs, one galkatas, four No. 12 bore bullets, a T 56 gun with 60 rounds of ammunition were also recovered. On questioning it was revealed that the car of the deputy Indian High Commissioner which was hijacked while it was parked at the Ambepussa Rest House has been sold in the North. The Magistrate’s inquiry was scheduled to be held at the scene of the shooting last night.

By sacking top line ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Anura Bandaranaike and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi on Friday, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has sent out a clear warning that he will not tolerate the formation of any group in the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) which owes allegiance to his main rival, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga.Samaraweera, Bandaranaike and Sooriyarachchi are closely identified with Kumaratunga, who Rajapaksa sees as a threat to the emerging order in the SLFP, though she no longer holds any political office and does not even reside in Sri Lanka.Bandaranaike, who is Kumaratunga's younger brother, had been constantly talking of his being a scion of the Bandaranaike clan which founded the SLFP.Samaraweera had been in touch with Kumaratunga. And his Sinhala paper Mawbima had been attacking Rajapaksa for the past one year.

All this did not fit Rajapaksa's plan to build an SLFP whose leaders would owe everything to him; depend entirely on him; and who would under no circumstances, hark back to the days when they were with Kumaratunga.In the process of building a new-look SLFP and government, Rajapaksa had brought in his brothers, Basil Rajapaksa and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.It is this troika which has been running the party and the government.The move to alienate the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and admit a large number of defectors from the opposition United National Party (UNP) into the government was essentially meant to discard the old props and put up new ones.The admission of 33 defectors, including 18 from the UNP, has lessened Rajapaksa's dependence on the Kumaratunga faction and the JVP, both of which could legitimately act as a check on him.

These moves were slammed by Samaraweera in a recent letter to Rajapaksa.Rajapaksa reacted by downgrading Samaraweera and Bandaranaike in the last cabinet reshuffle, virtually asking them to go.But Samaraweera intensified the conflict by trying to garner support among partymen.Bandaranaike charged that some people close to Rajapaksa had threatened to skin him and Samaraweera alive and hang them.In an angry retort, Rajapaksa said that nobody had a birth right to lead the SLFP and that he would establish that it belonged to the man in the street.Warning that he would deal with dissidence with a heavy hand, he used a Sinhala expression which meant that he could be as hard as a village toughie if he wanted to.The very next day, the dissident leaders were sacked.

Sri Lanka 'not worried' by US peace envoy call

Sri Lanka Thursday said it was not 'unduly worried' over a proposal to US President George W. Bush by American lawmakers to appoint a special envoy to help bring peace to the embattled Indian Ocean island.Sri Lanka cabinet spokesman and Media Minister Anura Yapa said Colombo believed the US would continue to support its fight to neutralise Tamil Tiger rebels who have been banned in the US since 1997. "We are not unduly worried about the call made by (38) US congressmen," Yapa told reporters here. "There had been similar suggestions in the past too, and we are confident that Washington will continue to support our stance." The legislators from the US House of Representatives said in a letter to Bush last week they were troubled by renewed violence and a rising number of deaths, as well as a big increase in unsolved kidnappings across Sri Lanka. The lawmakers asked Bush to appoint an envoy with access to the president and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a mandate to increase monitoring of human rights violations. Sri Lankan troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have traded attacks with nearly 4,000 people killed in the past year, despite a Norwegian-backed February 2002 truce. The latest attempt at peace talks ended in failure in October.The US as well as Sri Lanka's other key international backers, Japan and the European Union, have repeatedly asked both sides to resume talks and end the latest cycle of violence.

Air Force Kfir jets conducted strikes on a Sea Tiger base located to the south of Mullaitivu yesterday creating extensive damage to the rebel base, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.MCNS claimed the strike had been conducted precisely on the base following accurate information gained by electronic intelligence.However the LTTE peace secretariat claimed the planes bombed temporary tsunami settlements in Alampil a day after a surveillance plane flew over the area. The LTTE also claimed that two Navy Dvora boats fired mortar shells on the same civilian settlements the previous day.

Hindu priest killed

A Hindu priest in Sri Lanka has been shot dead days after he was photographed welcoming President Mahinda Rajapakse to a recently captured Tamil Tiger stronghold. Sri Lanka's government has blamed the rebels for the killing. Much of the east of the country is now in government hands after months of fighting. The Hindu priest's family told Sri Lanka's army that he was taken from his home by three gunmen and shot dead. On Saturday Selliah Parameswar blessed President Mahinda Rajapakse as he arrived on a visit to Vakarai which the government captured from the Tiger rebels last month after weeks of heavy fighting. He was photographed marking President Rajapakse's forehead in a religious ceremony. The majority of Tamils in Sri Lanka are Hindu.

Like most Sinhalese the president is a Buddhist. In a statement the president condemned the killing and blamed the Tigers. Speaking to a news agency the rebels have denied responsibility and pointed out that the incident happened in a government-held area. During his visit to Vakarai, President Rajapakse called on the Tigers to lay down their arms and come to talks. Both sides are supposed to be observing a ceasefire that began in 2002. But it's been swept aside in all but name by fighting that left more than three-and-a-half thousand people dead last year. The rebels have rejected the offer of fresh negotiations, saying the government is not sincere and nothing new is on offer to resolve Sri Lanka's decades-long conflict.

The Army recovered more arms and ammunition on information provided by the three Sinhalese suspects taken into custody for having links with the LTTE and who were allegedly responsible for several grave incidents recently, military sources said. These arms were found in a search operation carried out by Army intelligence operatives at the Railway housing scheme in Dematagoda yesterday morning. They consisted of a 9 mm pistol with two magazines and 35 rounds of live ammunition, two rounds of T-56 ammunition, three Rambo knives, a mini recorder and some documents, all of which were found in a locker. The suspects are being further detained for investigations, military sources said.

Tamil National Parliamentarians on Wednesday February 7th attended the sittings of Parliament wearing Black shawls to express their protest against the extension of the state of Emergency by another year. This was a gesture of protest against the aggression in Tamil homeland by security forces, illegal arrests, abductions and disappearances of innocent Tamils, it is reported.

UNP Gampaha District MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena charged in Parliament on Tuesday that Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake had ordered the removal of his security. He said this has been done despite warnings given by NIB and CID. Dr. Jayawardena explained that the back up vehicle which was provided for him has been taken away. He said there are only eight security personnel who are providing him security.

Jaffna district Hindu Front has appealed to the Jaffna Government Agent to lift the curfew that is enforced in the Jaffna peninsula in the nights on the Sivarathiri Day(Feb 16) in order to enable the members of the Hindu public to attend special Poojas and celebrations through out the night in Hindu temples all over the peninsula.

Today is D-Day for Sri Lanka at the UN as the highly controversial report on Sri Lanka, by Allan Rock, Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict will be presented to the working group of the Security Council.The report, based on Mr. Rock’s 10-day mission to Sri Lanka last year accused both the LTTE and Karuna faction of involvement in child abduction and recruitment.According to the report, the LTTE had not complied with its commitments under the Action Plan to stop child recruitment and release all children within its ranks. Underage recruitment continues and the LTTE has yet to release several hundred children as verified by UNICEF,” Mr. Rock said at the time.

The mission also found the Karuna faction involved in abducting in government-controlled areas of the East, particularly in the Batticaloa District and also noted “credible evidence” that certain elements of the Government security forces were supporting and sometimes participating in the abductions and forced recruitment of children by Karuna.Once the Security Council studies the report it is likely to call for targeted sanctions on the violators in accordance with the report’s recommendations to secure humanitarian access and strengthen action for the protection of war-affected children in Sri Lanka.Ironically, Mr. Rock’s report will be presented to the UN Security Council in the same week Sri Lanka together with 60 other governments adopted a document at a meeting in France urging to ''spare no effort'' to end the use of child soldiers and insisted countries must demobilize underage fighters, even during wartime.

Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Under-Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict said that more recently, both UNICEF and her office received a commitment from Col. Karuna, leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulighal (TMVP) to collaborate with UNICEF on developing and action plan to prevent recruitment and release all children in its ranks.It is estimated that more than 95,000 former child soldiers have taken part in recent demobilization programmes in countries from Asia to Latin America, including Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Congo.

A Home Guard attacked to the Welikanda Police, residing in the Valachchenai Police area was arrested recently by the Valachchenai Police. Who recovered a large quantity of explosives at his residence. The Officer-in-Charge of the Valachchenai Police, Chief Inspector Priyanka Wijenayake, said yesterday.Among the items recovered ever a hand grenade, an 81 mortar bomb, a G-5 claymore, DED Cord wire and electrical equipment used for exploding of bombs. The suspect is presently under detention orders and inquiries are proceeding to ascertain his links with the LTTE, Wijenayake added.

About one thousand three hundred civilians from Jaffna arrived in Trincomalee port Thursday evening in two vessels "Jetliner" and "Green Ocean". Jeliner carried nearly one thousand passengers and Green Ocean about three hundred, sources said. The vessels left Kankesanthurai harbour Thursday morning, sources said.300 undergraduates of the East University stranded in Jaffna for several months also reached Trincomalee. East University is located in Vantharumoolai in Batticaloa district.

A man and his wife were shot dead in Maharambaikkulam in Vavuniya, in the early hours of Thursday, police said. Separetley, an auto-rikshaw driver was shot dead at Kooman kulam, around 6:45 p.m., Wednesday.Aarumukam Sakthivelai, 47, and his wife, Maheswaray Sakthivelai, 42, were shot dead around 1.30 a.m., Thursday while they were sleeping. They have two children, Vavuniya police said.The autho-rikshaw driver who was killed in Wednesday's shooting was identified as Ramachandran Jeyachandran, 33. He is father of two. He lost his one leg during the war, his wife told the police.All three bodies were handed over to the Vavuniya hospital, Thursday.

Trouble is brewing within the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) after the recent shuffle of Ministers. The move by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to induct defectors from the Opposition, leading to a jumbo Council of Ministers of 108, has been a cause of consternation within his party. The simmering tensions among the top brass of the party came to fore in Parliament on Thursday when Anura Bandaranaike, Minister for National Heritage charged that there were "forces within the Government," surrounding Mr. Rajapaksa conspiring against the Bandaranaike family. Earlier in the day at the Presidential function, Mr. Rajapaksa told senior colleagues of his party that he would not allow any one to divide the party. "I am neither Bandaranaike nor Chandrika Kumaratunga, I am Mahinda Rajapaksa", he quipped. After media reports suggested that Mr. Bandaraniake, who was shifted from Tourism Ministry and Mangala Samaraweera, who lost Foreign Affairs Ministry are unhappy about the reshuffle, Mr. Rajapaksa is reported to have said that those who have differences with the party are welcome to leave it. He told Parliament that he had no confidence that the police would hold proper inquiry into his complaint. Meanwhile, on the instructions of the President, the Inspector General of Police has constituted teams to investigate the death threats to Mr. Bandaranaike.

Former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga is to visit India shortly, according to her Secretary, P Dissanayake.He told Hindustan Times on Wednesday, that she had been invited to visit New Delhi by "the government and other organisations".Dissanayake refused to reveal the purpose of the visit or the organisations which had invited her.But given the re-emergence of New Delhi as a key player in Sri Lanka's ethno-politics, especially after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's landmark meeting with the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Kumaratunga's visit cannot but have a political meaning, political observers say.Sri Lankan leaders are now making a beeline to South Block. The new Foreign Minister, Rohitha Bogollagama, had called on the Indian leaders, the moment he took charge. The Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe had also come calling.They briefed the Indian top brass on their view of the political situation in Sri Lanka, especially the war and the stalled peace process, aspects of the Sri Lankan situation which had become critical for India given Tamil Nadu's sensitivities and the increasing involvement of the international community in Sri Lanka's ethno-politics.

Though she holds no political office, Kumaratunga has become a rallying point for a dissident group within the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).Two cabinet ministers, Mangala Samaraweera and Anura Bandaranaike, have openly criticised the incumbent President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, for giving ministerial portfolios to defectors from the opposition United National Party (UNP); downgrading his long standing supporters to accommodate rank outsiders; allowing his brothers to dictate to the government and the party; and turning a blind eye to corruption and violation of civil liberties.Politics makes strange bedfellows. Grapevine has it that the Kumaratunga faction is poised to patch up with the UNP, and that the latter is ready to bury the hatchet to face the common foe - Rajapaksa.Top sources in the UNP said that Kumaratunga had expressed regret for sacking UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe's government in 2004.Exploiting the growing rift between Rajapaksa and the 22 member pro-LTTE TNA group in parliament, the UNP is having discussions with the latter for cooperation on the basis of a pro-ceasefire and pro-Tamil agenda.The UNP and the SLFP dissidents are expected to take a pro-peace and pro-talks stand and work for greater understanding with the international community, which, in turn, could result in the international community supporting them.In this context it is significant that 38 US Congressmen have urged President George Bush to send a high powered Special Envoy to Sri Lanka to kick start the peace process and check human rights violations.But this could have an unintended result - the LTTE may gain political legitimacy both in the island and abroad.

Over 18 parliamentarians of the government including Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathy Suriarachchi were not present in the house when the election for the for the extension of emergency law was called up in parliament this morning.122 voted for the extension while 17 votes were caste against. At a meeting held recently the President told the ministers that it is pointless to hold ministerial portfolios if they cannot be present for crucial sessions in parliament. The head of state said the parliament meets only 8 days per month and that those who cannot be present in parliament on the relevant days are useless. Ministers Anura Bandaranaike and Mangala Samaraweera were also present at this meeting.

Sri Lankan parliament Wednesday adopted motion to extend the State of Emergency for another month with a majority of 105 votes. 122 parliamentarians voted for the motion and 17 voted against.Parliamentarians of the ruling party United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), main opposition United National Party (UNP), the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Upcountry People's Front (UPF) supported the motion to extend the State of Emergency. Seventeen parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Western People's Front (WPF) voted against, sources said.

As many as 10 refugees reached Kottaipattinam coast in Pudukkottai district on Tuesday morning.A number of refugees are found arriving at the Rameswaram and Pudukkottai coastal areas. A group of refugees led by Prabhakaran (33) of Jaffna Maanipai veedhi along with his wife, sons and daughters and neighbours reached Kottaipattinam coastal area in the wee hours of Tuesday.On getting information of their arrival, Kottaipattinam police Inspector Ramachandran SI Shyamala Devi and Q branch SI Uma Maheswaran undertook investigations with the newcomers. Enquiries revealed that the party had engaged a fibre boat from the Poongudi island area on payment of Rs 50,000 on Monday evening and were let off at Kottaipattinam coast.According to Prabhakaran, prices of foodgrains have escalated many times in Jaffna area. Commodities supplied through ration shops was inadequate to meet the needs of the family. He had been in the Thoppukollai refugee camp between 1989 and 1994 when he got married. His friend was also in the same camp during the period. This prompted them to leave the Sri Lankan shores and approach Indian soil once again for protection, Prabhakaran added.Since Poongudi island area happens to be in proximity to Pudukkottai coast, the influx of refugees to the district is on the rise.So far, 14 persons have taken refuge in Meemisal, while Jagathapattinam and Kottaipattinam have accommodated 11 and 14 refugees respectively.

Government Defense Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told the media today that a special investigation is currently underway regarding the alleged threats on Minister Anura Bandaranaike.Rambukwella said the OIC of Bandaranaike's security troops had informed the IGP in writing about the threats and that a statement will also be recorded from the Minister regarding the incident.Meanwhile, a high ranking official of the government had called and blamed the group director of the Maharaja Organisation Mano Wickremenayake about airing the relevant speech made by Bandaranaike on their television channels. The SSP of the Colombo crimes division Sarath Lugoda had visited the Organisation last night itself and collected the relevant CD saying it was needed for investigations.Anura Bandaranaike is expected to make a special speech in parliament tomorrow regarding this issue.

The eighteen-member UNP rebel group, led by Karu Jayasuriya, has been asked to submit their resignations from the UNP before February 9, or else face a disciplinary inquiry for joining the government.General Secretary of the UNP Tissa Attanayake said that the Working Committee, which met on Monday, apart from calling for the rebels’ resignations also decided to suspend 12 of them, including Jayasuriya, from membership of the Working Committee. "The Working Committee deemed that the rebels, by accepting portfolios in government, without permission, had violated the party constitution."Attanayake, said that all 18 rebels had sent letters excusing themselves from the meeting due to various reasons. "Mr.Jayasuriya cited ministerial duties, Mr Lokuge said he has a sports event to attend. Most excuses were similar."

Asked about UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s willingness to accept the rebels who return, Attanayake said that the offer still stands but they have to first relinquish ministerial office and thereafter seek pardon for violating the party constitution. , as we all know is unlikely to happen."Commenting on the explanations submitted by the rebels for their absence from the Working Committee meeting, he said "Such excuses should be trotted to President Mahinda Rajapakse. They have lost their right to UNP membership by acting in a high handed manner in violation of the party constitution."Attanayake, said that the rebels are trying hard to justify their actions by blaming the leadership, when in actual fact they have insulted the UNP and people who voted for them."Trying to find excuses after insulting the voters, who elected them to parliament, is a futile exercise. They have no right to cross over to the government after being elected on the UNP ticket. The most honourable thing would have been for them to resign their seats and seek a fresh mandate at the next election", he said. The next Working Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on February 15.

There was a fire at Iddaithangal refugee camp in Batticola on Monday. (Feb 5). There were refugees displaced due to war situation in the camp at the time of the incident. Tharshini, a seven year old girl from Trincomalee, died due to the accidental fire. Her parents who were displaced from Trincomalee were living in the refugee camp with the deceased girl. Keethamparam, the girl’s father who was injured in this accident was admitted to the hospital for medical treatment.

Journalists 'admit' working for LTTE

The Sri Lankan government has said that three Sinhala journalists who went missing on Monday were in fact arrested for allegedly helping Tamil Tigers. Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said the three journalists have confessed to planning and carrying out attacks on behalf of the rebels.Lalith Seneviratne, a journalist working for Hiru Sinhala newspaper, Sisira Priyankara, a member of the United Railway Workers Union and the news editor of the union's journal, Akuna, and Nihal Senasinghe were reported missing on Monday night.

Brigadier Samarasinghe said the law enforcement authorities were conducting an surveillance operation on the activities of the suspects for some time."6kg of explosives hidden by the suspects were found after the arrest," he told journalists in Colombo.The journalists were shown video clips of confessions by the suspects.Lalith Seneviratne, in the video footage shown by the security officials, admitted that he was working with the LTTE.

"About two years ago, I went to the LTTE-held areas for arms training," Seneviratne was shown admitting in the footage.He said the Tamil Tigers twice gave him weapons and ammunitions.Seneviratne said two attempts to explode a claymore bomb and to blast a communication tower near Colombo were unsuccessful.Sisira Priyankara has also admitted getting arms training from Tamil Tigers.A parcel containing explosives, Priyankara said in the footage, was handed over to a contact in Galle.Military spokesman said Nihal Senasinghe was married to a Tamil woman.

Defense Affairs spokesman, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, said the suspects have even attended press briefings in Media Centre for National Security.International media watchdogs earlier urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to take immediate steps to safeguard their lives.The Free Media Movement (FMM) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the three men were abducted in the capital Colombo by unidentified men. FMM spokesman, Sunanada Deshapriya, told BBC Sandeshaya that the statement was issued after police and Criminal Investigation Bureau (CID) informed they did not arrest the suspects.

The JVP has called a special meeting of its parliamentary group to discuss the current political situation in the backdrop of President Mahinda Rajapakse strengthening his hand. JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe will address the meeting, a senior party spokesman said. According to him the leadership would advise the parliamentary group regarding its new role as the emerging chief opposition party.

Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarians presently in Tamil Nadu have sought an appointment with Dr.Karunanithy, Tamilnadu Chief Minister with a view to brief him of the present crisis faced by Lankan Tamils. TNA Parliamentarians revealed this at a press briefing in Chennai. TNA Parliamentarian and TELO Muthalvar MK Sivajilingam, Ariyenthiran and Pathmanathan addressed the press briefing.

The new Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army Major General Lawrence Fernando assumed duties yesterday at Army Headquarters. He will function as the Overall Operations Commander in Colombo too. General Fernando is also the Regimental Commander of the Gajaba Regiment. Meanwhile, Major General Sumith Balasuriya has been appointed as the Commandant of Sir John Kotalawela Defence University and he will be assuming duties tomorrow. Major General Sanath Karunaratne has been appointed as the Regimental Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps in addition to his present appointment as the 11 Division Commander. Earlier, this appointment was held by General Balasuriya. Meanwhile, the Army has seen success with the General Amnesty period given to deserters which ended on February 5. Military sources said 3,884 deserters have re-joined during that period. The recruitment campaign to enlist 2,000 new soldiers is also reaching the target.

Currency	Buying (Rs.)		Selling (Rs.)
US Dollar	108.00		109.32
Sterling Pound	211.37		214.97
Euro	139.13		141.86
Swiss Franc	86.12		88.05
Canadian Dollar	90.90		92.97
Australian Dollar	83.23		85.30
Singapore Dollar	70.16		71.67
Japanese Yen	0.8942		0.9149
Country		Currency		Indicative Rate(RS.)

Bahrain	Dinar	288.11
Kuwait	Dinar	375.61
Oman	Rial	282.16
Qatar	Riyal	29.84
Saudi Arabian	Riyal	28.96
UAE	Dirham	29.58

A group 38 US lawmakers have asked President George W. Bush to appoint a special envoy to help bring about peace in conflict-ridden Sri Lanka.The legislators from the House of Representatives said in a letter to Bush that they were troubled by renewed violence and a rising number of deaths as well as a big increase in unsolved kidnappings across Sri Lanka."It is time for the United States to provide global leadership to help advance peace for the people of Sri Lanka," they said, according to a copy of the letter obtained by AFP from the office of New Jersey Democratic Representative Rush Holt (news, bio, voting record), who initiated the move.In the letter sent to the White House last week, the lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle said the special envoy should be a high-level official with access to Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a "clear" mandate to increase monitoring of human rights violations.

"We are writing to urge you to appoint a special envoy for Sri Lanka because we are deeply troubled by the ever-worsening situation on the ground there," they said."The renewed violence and rising death toll in Sri Lanka have overtaken the fragile peace process and threaten a return to open civil war," they said. "Further, we are troubled by the large increase in kidnappings across Sri Lanka, most of which remain unsolved."Government troops and rebels from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), leading a decades-old campaign for a separate state in northeast Sri Lanka, have been trading attacks with nearly 4,000 people killed in the past year despite a Norwegian-backed February 2002 truce.The latest attempt at peace talks ended in failure in October.

The United States as well as Sri Lanka's other key international backers Japan and the European Union have asked both sides to resume talks and end the latest cycle of deepening violence.Washington, which has ruled out a military solution to the conflict, banned the Tamil Tigers in October 1997 and has backed moves to staunch the flow of funds to the rebel group.But the United States has also maintained that Sri Lanka should engage with the guerrillas to hammer out a political solution to the conflict, which has claimed more than 60,000 lives since 1972.

An accidental explosion of a mine in the Special Task Force stall at the BMICH yesterday left 17 people injured with three reported critical.The injured included two Buddhist monks — Ven. Dinugala Yassashi of the Pujapitiya temple in Kandy and Ven. Katuwanamitha of the Dharmaguptha Pirivana in Payagala. The others injured were STF officers R.S.P. Perera and C.K. Ihalagama, Kasunika Shehani Sathsarani and Sandarani of Galahitiyawa, W.A. Kusumalatha, Chandrani Amarasinghe, Vihaga Shehan, Kasun Malinga Jayamaha, Navin Nawarathne, Amila Sanjeewa, Chathuranga, M. R. Pieris, Roshan Neil Jayamaha and another unidentified person.The explosion occurred at the STF stall at the Deyata Kirula exhibition being held at the BMICH.The exhibition which commenced on Monday is expected to last throughout the week. STF Commadant DIG Nimal Lewke told The Morning Leader that a Johnny mine had accidentally exploded when a STF officer was explaining its workings to the visitors at the exhibition.He said two STF personnel and 15 civilians including two Buddhist monks were admitted to the National Hospital with burn injuries. "The officer had been explaining the workings of the mine from morning and it had accidentally gone off late afternoon. The officer who was explaining the workings of the mine lost four fingers," Lewke said.

Starting a series of meetings in the UK Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne on the day of the 59th commemoration of Sri Lanka's independance said that the people of the country do not have any independance. He called upon the Tamil Tigers to join hands with the working masses in the country and abroad to fight together to liberate the country from Global capital and national oppression. He said that Mahinda Rajapaksa being surrounded by military personal and hardware on the independance day celebrations clearly demonstrated that the people in the country are not free. The current attitude of the western powers and the global capital in general has created a new challenge for the LTTE leadership. It must turn not to global capital but to the workers movement both locally as well as Internationally. It must seek support for the democratic rights of the Tamil people from the workers movement, especially Sri Lankan and Indian. Thus there is a good opportunity for the left to take up the challenge. He added that the western powers that pledged a massive 4.5 bn dollars to the Mahinda regime should lift the ban on Tamil Tigers in order to treat them as equal partners at the negotiation table. Dr. Vickramabahu Karunarathna made the above comments in a public meeting at Krishjohn social club in Eastham. organised by Tamil Information Centre, Tamil Community Forum and World Peace Organisation in East London on the 4th of February.

Sri Lankan helicopter gunships rocketed Tamil Tigers in the island's far northeast on Tuesday, the military said, forecasting heavy rebel losses -- but there was no immediate word on casualties. The attack in the northeastern district of Trincomalee comes just days after President Mahinda Rajapakse vowed to defeat and tame the Tigers while offering to resume peace talks to end a new chapter in their two-decade civil war. "There was a gathering in Kaddawan jungle in the north of Trincomalee district. Air force helicopters took air targets this morning," said military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe. The Tigers said they had no immediate details on any damage from the air attack, which comes after clashes and attacks in the northern district of Vavuniya and Trincomalee on Monday that killed three security forces personnel and wounded four.

In a separate incident in the capital Colombo on Tuesday, a landmine accidentally exploded at an armaments exhibition, injuring 14 people. The Tigers laugh off Rajapakse's calls to surrender arms, and say they do not trust his government to be sincere at talks -- instead vowing to fight on for independence. The pro-rebel Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a cluster of minority Tamil political parties seen as the Tigers' proxies in parliament, on Tuesday shunned a call by Rajapakse to join forces with or talk to his government"We reject in to his appeal," TNA parliamentarian M.K. Eelaventhan told Reuters. "(Rajapakse) condemned the Tigers as terrorists. "To us the government is indulging in state terrorism." "We who represent the Tamils, the accredited leaders of the Tamils, we will never become sell-outs, weaklings and collaborators to join a government to commit political suicide."

Apparently emboldened by the capture last month of a key eastern Tiger enclave, the government has vowed to destroy the rebels' entire military machine. Analysts fear that means a fresh escalation in a war that has killed more than 67,000 people since 1983 and more than 4,000 in the past year alone. The island's main opposition party, the United National Party (UNP), on Tuesday formally declared dead a cross-party pact with Rajapakse's ruling coalition aimed at seeking a consensus solution to the conflict. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who narrowly lost to Rajapakse in 2005 presidential elections, is furious at a mass defection to the government from his party, which lost 18 MPs in January. "This has destroyed all possibilities of having an inclusive approach to the critical national issues," Wickremesinghe said in a statement to parliament. However some analysts doubt that the pact would have achieved much even if it had held, pointing out that the government's devolution proposals fall far short of the Tigers' demands.

Highways development minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle yesterday complained to the speaker about an incident where the vehicle he was traveling was obstructed. He added that the relevant vehicle had cut across his vehicle and scolded his driver in abusive language.The relevant vehicle which had obstructed Fernandopulle's vehicle had been a vehicle that provides security to elites. He reported to parliament that a group of vehicles that passed him on the "Baudhaloka Mawatha" had overtaken him and attempted stop him. One of them had hit the vehicle which he was traveling with the hand while his driver was also blasted in filth. He said that since he was not traveling in non-tinted vehicle who ever that carried out the assault could clearly see that it was him who was traveling in the respective vehicle.When questioned by Wimal Weerawanse whether it was a member of the opposition that was traveling along with the parade, Fernandopulle said it was not a deputy minister or a cabinet minister. According to information available to LeN defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse had been traveling with the relevant parade.

Minister Anura Bandaranaike yesterday complained that he was threatened by an anonymous caller. Mr. Bandaranike said the calls he himself answered were from the ‘same source’ and according to the caller he was to be hung in Attanagalle and Minister Mangala Samaraweera in Matara. “Neither the UNP nor the LTTE would want to kill me. I believe this is the work of the government,” Mr. Bandaranaike said. Mr. Bandaranaike said he was in politics for the past thirty years and had worked under three Presidents but never received this type of calls.“I won Attanagalle with 25,000 majority votes and Mangala with 15,000 majority and according to the caller we are to be hung in our respective electoral seats,” he said.Mr. Bandaranaike said, “We don’t want to leave the party because the SLFP belonged to Bandaranaike’s and we are its inheritors.” “My father paid with his life for the party and my mother with her civic rights. The party does not belong to those who had not sacrificed even a blade of grass but it belongs to me and my sister Chandrika,” he said. He said he had lodged a complaint with the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) head and the CID had started an investigation. However Mr. Bandaranaike said he did not inform the President of this threat.

More than 6,000 telephone land-line connections to the Jaffna peninsula and to Vanni which had been severed for more than a week began functioning from 5:00 p.m Monday, sources from Jaffna said. Calls from Jaffna peninsula to Kilinochchi using 228 area-code also resumed functioning. Civil society sources in Jaffna said the authorities suspended services as a security measure during the Independence day celebrations. The phone numbers in the peninsula starting with 4 to 9 are allocated to civilians while numbers beginning with 2 to 3 are used by armed forces and government offices.Consumers said that civilian numbers from 4 to 9, although began receiving dial tones functioned erratically.

Foreign Minister, Rohitha Bogollagama, expressed the government’s view on the peace process, when he met foreign ambassadors based in Sri Lanka yesterday, just hours after assuming duties at his ministry, with his predecessor, Minister Mangala Samaraweera, also in attendance.“We are looking for a negotiated settlement. We have not given up on the ultimate goal of peace. We are pursuing the goal of ensuring the LTTE gives up terrorism and become stakeholders to resolve the burning issue,” Minister Bogollagama said.With a consensus reached among several political parties in Sri Lanka, with the formation of an All Party Conference (APC), Minister Bogollagama said the country was in a strong position to address the national question and added that the ultimate resolution will be based on a Sri Lankan model.

Responding to a question raised by one of the foreign dignitaries, Minister Bogollagama said that as part of the final solution the government hopes to devolve power, as soon as possible, with the APRC, headed by Minister Tissa Vitharana, hoping to put forward proposals to the APC in 6 weeks time.“Once the proposals are put to the APC, a final solution will be reached,” Minister Bogollagama said. The new Foreign Minister has a busy schedule ahead of him, with visits to the Maldives, China, Iran and the US, as part of his schedule for the next two months, while he is also expected to have one on one meetings with several diplomats in the country.

"Akuna newspaper staff abducted"

Three activists of the Sri Lanka Railway trade unions and its publication 'Akuna' are reported to have been abducted on Monday. Free Media Movement(FMM) says it has received complaints that the publisher of the news paper M.A Sisira Priyankara(38), lay out designer M.L.Senaviratna(35) and another activist Nihal Serasinghe(40) were abducted from suburbs of Colombo.Sisira Priyankara is reported missing since 11.00 pm on 5 January 2007 after he went out of the working place to answer a telephone call. Nihal Serasinghe, father of two(1 and 6 years age) has been abducted on the same day around 3.00pm. says FMM in statement.Lalith Seneviratne, former journalist attached to Hiru newspaper has been abducted by a group of people identifying themsleves as officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), his wife, P.Champika said.

"A group of seven people took him away before I came from the kitchen to enquire who were in the house. I saw a weapon in one person's hand", she said.Champika said she has logged a complaint with the Athurugiriya police.The complaints were also made by Sri Lanka Railway trade union about Sisira Priyankara's abduction, Movement to protect Democratic Rights logged a complaint on Nihal Serasinghe's abduction FMM said. Saying all three arrests has been made illegally the FMM specifies that if there is any inquiry to be made against these persons it should be made legally. The FMM urges the government to grant life security to the these persons and to present them in front of the court if they have been arrested. FMM condemns these illegal arrests without conditions and urges for an immediate inquiry into the incident. The FMM also expresses its concerns that if the government is assisting such illegal events, that the democratic safety of the civilians will lead to a high risk. The Free media Movement (FMM) held a demonstration in Colombo on 6 February in protest against the kidnappings.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to give unequivocal orders for three journalists and trade union activists, kidnapped in Colombo on 5 February, to be found and released unharmed."Any journalist, trade unionist, human rights activist or politician who backs a peaceful solution to the conflict, has become a potential target for these well-organised groups of kidnappers who infest the north, the northeast and also the capital," RSF said.

Q: You met both the government and the LTTE representatives. What is the position with regard to the on-going military exercises?

A: We had positive meetings with both parties. In Kilinochchi the LTTE Peace Secretariat informed us that they would stand committed to CFA and were equally concerned of the importance of our presence. The government Secretariat for Peace also said that they were concerned about the security situation. We appreciate the stands of both parties. So our monitors will go to the districts and report back to Colombo but will not stay over in any of the areas. The Rapid Response Team will be available whenever necessary. We hope to remain but it will depend on the ground situation.

A: It is not the role of the SLMM to interfere in the peace process. We are simply independent monitors. Our function is to monitor and assist in the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement. However, it is clear that any solution is preferred if in favour of the CFA. To do that the parties must come together.

A: Comparatively 2006 was by far the most traumatic and the most difficult of the five years since the CFA was signed. It’s a pity that there’s a move away from a finding a solution. On the ground what’s happened is that there is a serious increase in violence and it is traumatizing the innocent civilians. The situation threatens the security of the monitors themselves and makes it difficult for international relief agencies to reach the people. The SLMM has been forced to make changes to its operations. It has become much more difficult for us to enter areas we are entitled to under the CFA. We have to make our own safety. Some areas are like a war zone. We are supposed to monitor the CFA not war!

Q: So who do you hold most responsible for this escalation, the government or the LTTE?

A: Both the parties have been violating the CFA repeatedly that it is very difficult to pin point at one party and say this is the guilty one. An escalation by one side means there is a reaction to that and a further escalation till it is difficult to contain it anymore. The situation can be unpredictable. If you justify the action as a mere reaction it will be a never ending situation. We are not pointing fingers at one party. All have the same responsibility.

A: It is not a question of putting up a score card and seeing who is guiltier. If you do that then you justify the CFA violations. Our duty is to monitor the violence and not point a finger at any party. The violations by both parties are equally serious.

Q: What is the position of the CFA in this scenario? Is it even in operation in reality?

A: The CFA has many qualities. Two of them involve violations and the others on restoring normalcy. It is important that there are no violations because it is an effort at creating normalcy in these areas. This is to ensure that the country can get out of the military situation. Sadly it is being violated too much. But the quality of the CFA still puts pressure on both parties. The CFA is an important, and in fact the only tool to understand what is happening. And if there is a peace process the CFA is the only document we are stuck with and to get there together. In that sense the CFA is still an important tool.

Q: You have expressed concern for the safety of the monitors operating in the war zones.

A: The SLMM is a civil mission. We have at all times to be concerned about the safety of the monitors. This is why we decided to regroup the monitors in Colombo and adopt such security measures as were seen as needed. But at the same time their presence in these areas is critical. Our monitors go to all areas they can and gather what ever they can on the situation. They are constantly present wherever they are needed. We have received a positive response from both parties that they were ready to guarantee the security of the monitors.

A: At the moment there is no decision. All this is only speculation. We are not so pessimistic to think it will happen. We have to have hope and be optimistic.

Q: There are allegations of an increase in the level of abductions. Who is at fault according to your findings?

A: The SLMM is especially concerned over the abduction of young people. This is not something that is acceptable. It’s far from the restoration of normalcy that forms the spirit of the CFA.

Q: Much of the allegations of abductions have been directed at the Karuna faction. How much evidence do you have to support that?

A: It’s sometimes difficult to verify this information. We can’t be on the spot all the time when these abductions take place. But on some occasions we have witnessed such incidents. The fact that Karuna is not signatory to the CFA makes it more complicated. But I wouldn’t want to comment on the findings of a separate organization like the Human Rights Watch.

A: It is very difficult to say. I would say that any armed group that we don’t have any mandate over to deal with is complicating the process. As the CFA is a clear document between two parties the situation is complicated by Karuna and the areas he operates in according to the CFA. So the one who controls those areas would be more responsible. But we can’t say he’s such a big threat. Again we would be talking of a score card.

Q: Are you maintaining that Karuna carries out his functions in government controlled areas, despite government denials that he receives any support?

A: Yes, but the government has repeatedly said that they won’t accept such action in their areas, so we have to believe that this is authentic and that somehow the government will work on it and hope that it will have results.

Q: But the fact remains that allegations like forced recruitment were levelled on the LTTE since the CFA was signed.

A: Yes and we have on numerous occasions criticized the LTTE for that. That is clear.

Q: Are you saying that there has been a drop in recruitment by LTTE while the numbers have increased by Karuna?

A: LTTE said they were working on the issue. We hope both the sides accept this situation.

Q: But isn’t it true that the LTTE did recruit children from its political offices in government controlled areas under the guise of carrying out political work in the initial stages of the CFA. The Karuna faction cries foul because organizations like the HRW didn’t talk about these then?

A: I can’t comment on the findings of another organization. We are here to monitor the CFA. Karuna is not a part of it and these other findings are not ours.

Q: Then can you tell me if the figures you have on abductions and recruitment are similar or different?

A: Of course there can be some cases where our findings on certain issues are similar to others. But we are not here to compare but monitor the CFA.

A: The civilian situation has been unacceptable in many areas. The people have been trapped in some areas for months. This situation is in clear violation of the CFA position of creating normalcy. The A-9 remains closed and the situation is not acceptable to thousands of internally displaced people. They have been forced to make a run for it and live in the camps for weeks. There is an increase in claymore explosions.

A: No. But what happens is that the people living in the middle get caught in the situation. When you target military installations civilians get caught in the middle.

A: We have not used the word human shields. But in the report said that internally displaced people were too close to the fighting.

A: We have not used that word, but it is very clear that innocent people have been too close and that their lives have been put on jeopardy.

Q: How do you see the situation where the international relief agencies are denied access to the civilians?

A: This is true for many of the agencies as well as us as monitors. SLMM especially should have total freedom of access to all the areas.

A: That’s difficult to say. The security would be an issue of course if there is fighting going on. But sometimes fighting is over but we are still denied access. We have not always got a credible answer. We can’t speculate why. But we have just been assured of safety by both parties. That is an important message.

A: That is something we have to live with. We have been criticized equally from both sides. That is something we have to deal with. As far as we’re concerned we are working independently and neutrally and will continue to do so. These allegations are something that doesn’t concern us. We can’t accept allegations of a bias.

British Tamils seek 'Indian intervention'

Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in UK have strongly criticising the role played by the international community in finding peace in the island nation.They urged the regional power to play a more constructive role in solving the national question.The Tamil Youth Organisation on Monday staged a protest in front of Indian High Commission in London urging Indian authorities to 'exert pressure' on Sri Lanka government to stop the war.The protesters felt the Norwegian-led peace process have failed to protect Tamils in Sri Lanka."We call upon India to, first of all, supply food to starving population in Jaffna," a protester, S Yogalingam, told bbcsinhala.com.

Many felt that India is not doing enough to protect their "grand children" in the island nation.Sandarayogam, an organiser, said the giant neighbour should exert pressure on Sri Lanka to find a solution in line with Indo-Lanka accord."In my opinion, the accord is still valid. India should help Sri Lanka to find a solution in line with the accord," he told BBC Sandeshaya.Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lanka President JR Jayawardhene signed an accord in an attempt to solve Sri Lanka's national question in 1987.Sri Lanka agreed to merge north and eastern districts to form a Tamil-dominant province and new regional body, Provincial Councils were introduced as per the agreement.

The Supreme Court however ruled last year that the merger was illegal as the government has not taken measures to legalise the merger. The leader of the Left Front Front, who took part in the protest, disagreed with the protesters' demand."India currently supports President Rajapaksa's war agenda and explore whether they could invest more in those areas," he told the BBC."I doubt whether this is the real intention behind India's intervention?".The protesters however were keen to get the giant neighbour involved in Sri Lanka's peace process."What did the international community did when innocent civilians were killed in Vakarai?" S Yogalingam questioned. "They issued mere statements and kept away".Questioned as to why the protesters did not ask Tamil tigers to stop fighting, he said the rebels were fighting for their rights and they support the rebels' struggle.

A sailor sustained serious injuries, when suspected LTTE rebels blasted a claymore mine, targeting a Navy route clearing patrol in Pesalai yesterday afternoon.The patrol was engaged in route clearing near the Pesalai Railway station, at around 3.45pm, when the mine exploded. The injured sailor had been rushed to the Mannar hospital, while a cordon and search operation was launched in the area following the attack. Meanwhile in Vavuniya, a 21-year-old male youth had been abducted by a group of suspected LTTE cadres in the same afternoon. The youth identified as Paakyanadan Mayuran had been abducted in the Marambukulam area by three persons at gunpoint who had come on a tipper. The relatives of the youth had complained about the incident to the Vavuniya police and an inquiry has been launched. The reason for the abduction is yet to be ascertained.