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31January 2008 LTTE calls for recognition of separate state Bicycle bomb blast kills 3 in Jaffna A bomb explosion has occurred in the Thirunalveli Ariyapadam market area in Jaffna at around noon today (Jan. 31st), reports say. Around six civilians were rushed to the Jaffna Hospital with serious injuries. Three of them succumbed to the injuries, hospital sources say. Security authorities believe that the bomb had been fixed to a bicycle. India trying its ’87 pranks again – JVP India violated the territorial sea and air space of Sri Lanka in 1987 when the army was defeating the LTTE terrorists during the Vadamarachchi Operation. It was once again trying to stop the victories of the armed forces as it did during the time President J. R. Jayawardene was in power. At that time India made him sign the Indo Lanka Accord and accept the Provincial Council System, JVP parliamentarian and trade union leader K. D. Lalkantha said yesterday (30).He was addressing the 8th anniversary conference of the State Priniting Worker’s Union at the Government Press Auditorium Borella.He said India does not like to see the Sri Lanka army defeating the LTTE because it was the godfather of the LTTE terrorists. "It cannot get over the fact that our army was defeating the LTTE which, India with world’s sixth the largest army, could not defeat. India does not want to see the Sri Lanka Army getting credit for defeating terrorists," he said President J. R. Jayawardene’s arm was twisted and he was coerced to accept the Provincial Council system in 1987 but it was an illegal and undemocratic political intervention by India. The Provincial Council system had become a white elephant and it had deteriorated our education system, health and public transport services and had brought disaster to our country. Lal Kantha said the Government should vanquish terrorism from the country but it had to give the people in the North and East their basic rights. However parceling out separate regions on the ethnic lines, like one region for Muslims and anther for Anandasangaree or Douglas Devananda was going to create a worse confusion than at present he noted.India was trying to interfere politically and also economically trying its best to control Sri Lanka. The Government was now considering the handover of the Trincomalee oil tank farm, and open an Indian oil refinery and open up 154 new fuel filling stations throughout the country with the assistance from Indian Oil Company. Ceylon Electricity Board will like this idea as they can get fuel to run their power plants but in the long run India would have the upper hand to control our economy he said.Sri Lanka was an independent sovereign state and no one had a right to interfere in our internal affairs. Just as we do not interfere in their internal problems like Kashmir we don’t want India to interfere in our affairs though she is called our Big Brother, he said. Another committee on 13th Amendment The government decided last evening to appoint a cabinet sub-committee, headed by the Prime Minister, to seek out ‘ways and means’ of implementing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in full.The All Party Representative Committee (APRC), in its interim report submitted to the President on January 23, recommended the implementation of the 13th Amendment as an initial step towards resolving the ethnic conflict.The decision to appoint this sub-committee was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by the President last evening. The committee comprises the leaders of the political parties that are in the ruling coalition. Viyattankulam Falls as Troops Encircle Adampan Srilankan troops advancing east from the general area Manthai and Thiruketheeswaram Kovil yesterday captured the village of Viyattankulam situated less than 1km west of Adampan Town. The SLA also destroyed 6 LTTE bunkers at Pallaikuli along the Uylankulam-Adampan road. 5 Tiger bodies were recovered from this attack. SLA claims it killed at least 21 Tigers in these attacks. SLA advance from Manthai and Uylankulam towards Adampan.The bodies of two wildlife officers have been found at a tourist bungalow at Wasgamuwa Wildlife Sanctuary yesterday. The two officers had been shot dead by unidentified gunmen, suspected to be from LTTE. Police and SLA are conducting search operations in the area. If the attack was conducted by LTTE, the security to Kandy, Matale and Polonnaruwa could be jeopardized. The forest cover at Wasgamuwa, which is around 40,000 hectares, extends as bush into Wilgamuwa, Laggala and the Mahiyanganaya-Kandy Road and can potentially shelter small attack teams. The Wasgamuwa Park is a vital part of Sri Lanka's eco-tourism industry. Three siblings shot dead in Thenmaraadchi Armed men who came on motorcycles shot and killed three siblings at Choalaiyamman Koayiladi in Ma'nduvil in Thenmaraadchi in Jaffna Peninsula, Wednesday night around 8:00 p.m., sources in Chaavakachcheari said. The attackers, alleged to be members of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Field Bike Squad, surrounded the house, ordered the members of the family to go inside a room for inquiry and sprayed bullets on them, killing two, including a mother of two children while the children narrowly escaped from the bullets. The victims were identified as Palasundaram Baskaran, 30, Thushyanthan Paleswari , 21, mother of two, and Palasundaram Parthipan, 19.Baskaran and Paleswari were killed on the spot. Parthipan succumbed to his injuries hours later, caused by the lack of timely medical attendance. The killings have taken place in the same area where recently three bodies of youths abducted and shot dead had been dumped by the killers.The centuries old Chaiva temple located in Choalaiyamman Koayiladi is a much venerated temple with historic significance.Chaavakachcheari police and Divisional Magistrate Court are investigating into the killings. TN 'bans' support to banned LTTE Chennai, Jan. 30 The Tamil Nadu government today declared that expression of support to banned organisations like the LTTE in any form would be an offence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and warned of action against those who violated the law.Announcing this in the State Assembly, Public Works and Law Minister Duraimurugan, said after a detailed discussion at a high- level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister M Karunaidhi, it was decided to invoke ''The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967) against those who express support to the the banned outfits. A day after announcing in the Assembly that the government was open for enacting a special legislation to curb the expression of support to banned outfits, the Chief Minister discussed the issue with senior civil, police officials and Advocate General and decided to invoke the above existing law, he said.Besides himself, Finance Minister K Anbazhagan, Chief Secretary L K Tirupaty, Advocate General Masilamani, Home Secretary, Law Secretary, Director General of Police, Addtiional DGP (Intelligence) took part in the discussion, Duraimurugan said.Under the Unlawful Actitivies (Prevention) Act, it would be an offence to offer support to any banned outfit by organising campaign meetings, distributing phamplets, pasting wall posters, holding demonstrations, taking out rallies and observing fast, he said.Those who violated the law, whether they were individuals or functioning under the banner of an association or organisation should take the government's announcement as a warning and desist from expressing support to banned outfits, Duraimurugan said. ''Those who violate the law will be subjected to penal action under the law'', he warned. Police seize body armour in Medawachchiya A large stock of protective jackets, of a type worn by de-mining personnel, were seized by police at a roadblock in Medawachchiya, last afternoon, while being transported in a lorry without the necessary documents. Police searched a lorry belonging to an NGO named Solidar, which was transporting domestic utensils, on suspicion, and found 67 protective jackets hidden in a cardboard box amidst other items. The driver and the cleaner of the lorry, who are Tamil nationals, had been taken into custody since they failed to produce the documents necessary for the transportation of these items. OIC Medawachchiya Police Anura Kodituwakku, told the Daily Mirror that the items were being transported from a storeroom in Anuradhapura to a warehouse in Nellikulam, Vavuniya. The suspects are being detained for further investigations. Japan welcomes APRC proposals Japan has welcomed the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) proposals. A statement issued by the Japanese Foreign Ministry said the Government of Japan appreciates this as an important step towards the political solution of the conflict. The Government of Japan sincerely hopes that the devolution will be duly implemented in accordance with the proposals,” it added. “The Government of Japan notes that the final package for a lasting and durable solution will be formulated in the APRC process soon. The Government of Japan strongly hopes that a final political solution will be achieved in a manner that all the parties concerned including the LTTE will be involved,” the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. It said the Government of Japan, by dispatching peace envoy Yasushi Akashi to Sri Lanka from January 13 to 15, reiterated its appeal to those concerned that efforts should be made not for a military solution but for a political solution through dialogue.“The Government of Japan intends to observe closely the situation in Sri Lanka , and continue to support with the international community the efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka towards the political solution of the conflict.” VCK leader justifies demand for lifting ban on LTTE Thol Thirumavalavan, President of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), an ally of the ruling DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) in Tamil Nadu, today justified his demand for lifting the ban on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).Defending his stand, the Dalit leader, talking to newspersons here, said his demand to seek lifting of the ban on LTTE and recognise the organisation as people's movement, was his individual freedom of expression and democratic right. "This is our stand. If the law seeks to punish us for taking the stand, we are prepared to face it," Mr Thirumavalavan said, even as the State Government announced that those who expressed support to banned organisations like the LTTE would be punished under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.Flaying the Sri Lankan Navy for placing the sea mines on international waters, the VCK leader urged India to launch a war against Sri Lanka to protect Indian fishermen.The Centre should also take steps to get back Katchativu, which had been handed over to the Island Government. Though Indian fishermen had the right to use the island for drying their nets and taking rest, they were seldom allowed to go near it, he said.Thirumavalavan, who led an agitation against the Centre's order, prescribing a minimum of 60 per cent of marks for scheduled caste candidates to avail scholarships said this would ruin the career of students and deny them opportunities to take up higher studies.To press the Centre to withdraw the Government order, the VCK would organise protest demonstrations in district headquarters, throughout the State on February five, he said. While protecting killers, drug dealers: While Minister Mervyn Silva and his bodyguard "Kudu Nuwan" who assaulted Rupavihini News Director T.M.Chandrasekera are being protected by President Mahinda Rajapakse,a group of thugs have assaulted the institution's News Producer Hemantha Mawallage who dared to criticise the attack on his colleague,Gampaha District UNP MP Jayalath Jayawardena said on Tuesday.He,told a news conference in Colombo that Mawallage was lying at the National Hospital in a serious condition after being assaulted and stabbed for exercising his democratic right to freedom of speech."It is in this environment that the government has the audacity to invite us to participate in its independence day celebrations.How can we celebrate freedom when democratic rights are being stifled with impunity?"The attack on Mawallage proves that there is no freedom in this country.Those who speak out against the wrongs and injustices committed by the government are killed or end up with broken limbs and bones,Jayawardena said."The Pesident has lost control of not only his cabinet of ministers but the law and order situation in the entire country."Urging the media not to be intimidated by government goons,Jayawardena said that the UNP will continue to agitate for the restoration of media freedom."Do not forget that the draconian criminal defamantion law was repealed during our rule.The UNP does not believe in empty slogans.We always deliver on our promises." HL:Fraud scheme may have funnelled funds to Tamil Tigers, police say TORONTO _ A routine traffic stop has sparked a widening probe of a debit-card fraud that Toronto police suspect may have funnelled funds to the outlawed Tamil Tigers. After a motorist failed to halt at a stop sign Monday, police in east end Toronto searched his rented vehicle and found plastic cards carrying the debit data of bank customers in the United Kingdom. Now four men face multiple charges of attempting to loot bank accounts in Britain. The four two of them visitors from Britain and two of them Toronto residents are all of Sri Lankan origin. Det. Scott Whittemore says that in visits to two homes, police discovered calendars and posters promoting and Sri Lanka's insurgent Tamil Tigers, a group outlawed in Canada. While voicing support for the group is not an offence, providing it with material support has been illegal since April of last year. Police are investigating whether any of the four men has financial ties to the Tigers. Such connections are always hard to prove, Whittemore said Wednesday. In March of last year, a report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch went further than merely asserting that Canadian money is fuelling the insurgency. The report stated that in Toronto, Tamils acting on behalf of the Tigers have committed widespread extortion and intimidation against their compatriots. ``Families were typically pressed for between $2,500 and $5,000,'' the report's authors wrote, ``while some businesses were asked for up to $100,000.'' Lankan air force targets LTTE base; 67 killed Child recruiting continues - UN child soldiers in Sri Lanka According to the information received by UNICEF, in the period between October 2006 to August 2007, Tamil Tigers had recruited or re-recruited 339 children. It says that 41% of them were from Batticaloa. "Among the 6,221 children registered on the UNICEF database as having been recruited since 2001, 1,469 cases remain outstanding, including 335 chidren under 18 as at August 2007". The report says. UNICEF has also received confirmed reports that 246 children had been recruited or re-recruited by Karuna group during the reporting period. Regarding specific issues of concern, the Secretary-General points to the close link between child recruitment and internal displacement, noting that the lack of security around refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) camps and the “convenient concentration of vulnerable children” make these camps “prime recruiting grounds.” Karuna faction recruiting in IDP camps Ban Ki-moon also accuses the Karuna faction of such activities. "There have been reports that the Karuna faction have abducted and recruited children from IDP camps in Sri Lanka, while in the DRC, children have been recruited from camps in North Kivu Province by forces loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda". Another concern is the escalation in “systematic and deliberate attacks on schoolchildren, teachers and school buildings” in certain conflict situations, including Afghanistan and Iraq, which warrants increased attention and action by the global community, the Secretary-General states. War Criminals to International courts Report says, "according verified reports, 46 children were killed and 79 maimed owing to the conflict".It also blames for Sri Lanka Military and the Tamil Tigers for bombing and shelling of schools and the death and injury of students and teachers. Mr. Ban says the Security Council should consider a range of measures, including bans on military aid and travel restrictions on leaders, targeting parties to armed conflict who continue to systematically commit grave violations against children. He also encourages the Council to refer violations against children in armed conflict to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In this regard, he points to “important precedents” set to end impunity for crimes against children. 30January 2008 Madhu blast death toll rises to 20 Children die in S Lanka bus blast Heavy fighting The incident came as the military said that it had captured territory in the north-west and killed 22 Tamil Tigers. Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said that the Tigers were being "hammered on all fronts" and were trying to tarnish the image of the military and the government. The army said that more than 40 rebels and three soldiers were killed on Monday. The BBC's Roland Buerk says that the heaviest fighting is taking place on front line around Mannar. On Tuesday soldiers pushed across the defences there, according to the military. The military said that it had captured small areas of land fortified with more than a dozen bunkers in two separate battles. Our correspondent says that the government refuses to allow reporters into the conflict areas and the casualty figures cannot be independently verified. The civil war has intensified in Sri Lanka since earlier this month, when the government pulled out of a ceasefire with the rebels, who want an independent state. The military is hoping to wipe out the Tigers by the end of this year. President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he will also produce a political solution to resolve the Tamil minority's complaints of discrimination. Tamil Tigers say Sri Lankan offensive beaten back Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said they have beaten back a major offensive by government forces in the northern Jaffna peninsula.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they resisted a pre-dawn three-pronged assault in the area, one of several areas from where government troops are trying to push into the rebels' northern mini-state."A Sri Lankan attempt to attack the LTTE forward defence lines along Kilali, Muhamalai and Nagarkovil in Jaffna... has been thwarted by LTTE defenders," rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiriyan said in a statement.The statement said the Tigers had captured rocket propelled grenade launchers from retreating government forces, but gave no details of casualties.Earlier this month the Sri Lankan government pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce, arguing the rebels were not interested in peace and asserting that it has the upper hand in the long-running civil war.Fighting has since escalated in the north of the island, with the defence ministry claiming progress on the ground and colossal rebel casualties.In its latest report, the ministry said at least two rebels were killed in fighting in the northern district of Vavuniya on Tuesday.The pro-Tiger Tamilnet.com meanwhile said the guerrillas killed five government soldiers and wounded 15 in fighting in Mannar district on Tuesday.The Tigers had also accused the military of setting off a powerful roadside bomb inside rebel-held territory on Tuesday, reporting that 18 people, including 11 school children, died in the attack. The military denied the charge.At least 817 rebels and 30 soldiers have died since the start of January, according to defence ministry figures. Fighting has also claimed at least 85 civilians in the same period, according to both sides.The government and the LTTE are known to give wildly varying casualty figures which cannot be independently verified. Sri Lanka does not allow media personnel to visit the frontline areas and rebel-held territory.Tens of thousands of people have died since the LTTE launched its campaign to carve out an independent homeland for minority Tamils in the majority Sinhalese nation in 1972. APRC recommendations rich with vision - GL The recommendations of the All Party Representative Committee presented to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, by the Chairman of the Committee, Professor Tissa Vitarana, are enriched with an important vision that will usher in peace in the country besides tremendous development islandwide, Export Development and International Trade Minister Professor G. L. Peiris told the Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thero of Malwatte yesterday.Prof. Peiris, briefing the Mahanayake on the recommendations of the APRC, said that devolution of power to the Provincial Administration was an important aspect.The country’s development depends on regional level development. With the devolution of power to the local bodies the local political leadership is left to plan policies for the development of the respective provinces without depending on policy making in Colombo, he said.Social and economic benefits are numerous since the local leadership has the freedom to plan development based on the resources available in the locality, he saidCiting an example Prof. Peiris said that the Kandy and Matale districts are rich in minor export produce and the Nuwara Eliya district is a vast source of tea. The Central Provincial administration, enjoying devolved power, has the liberty to plan its economic policy, based on the available local resources.Similarly, the local political leadership is empowered to frame laws and economic plans for the development of the respective regions. The people of the Eastern Province are to elect their representatives shortly. This will help the people in the East to develop their province through their political leadership.At this stage the Most Venerable Mahanayake Thero said that some political groups were reluctant to enter the fray due to the existing security situation.Prof. Peiris responded saying that necessary steps would be taken to restore democratic rights.The Mahanayake Thero expressed the hope that the proposals of the APRC when implemented would bring back peace and amity to the country.The prelate wished that all political groups would give serious thought to the implementation of the most suitable plans and policies to ensure development. High casualties reported as heavy fighting rages in North Heavy clashes were reported along the northern front lines in the last two days with both sides making contradictory claims on the number of casualties as the propaganda war also intensified.The government said that clashes were reported in Mannar, Muhamalai and the Welioya sector with heaviest fighting reported from the Palaikuli area in the Mannar just south of the strategic Adampan junction.The Defence Ministry said that over 18 Tigers were killed in the area in the fighting in the area in the last three days. The Media Center for National Security meanwhile said that nine Tigers were killed in Welioya and an additional four in Killali on January 28 and 29. The Tigers claimed to have killed 35 soldiers and injuring 75.The Government said only one soldier was killed.Government forces are closing in on Adampan, that lies on the connecting road to Vidalathivu, the main Tiger supply base on the north western coast according to the Defence Ministry. Yesterday the Ministry said that forces had taken control of Viyattankulam, a village just west of Adampan. It said that 22 Tigers had been killed and 16 bunkers destroyed.However the Tigers said that cadres had pushed back the government offensive at Adampan and that the security forces had reverted to small-scale skirmishes in the area. They said six small clashes had been reported in and around the Giant Tank area that lies east of Adampan on January 29.Meanwhile the pro-Tiger Tamilnet said that the military was burying dead soldiers close to the battlefield."Dead soldiers, except officers, were being buried in Mannaar. The number of SLA soldiers losing legs in LTTE laid booby traps have increased, forcing SLA to transport only the wounded from the battle zone. Recently, a high ranking officer was killed in a heavy fighting with the Tigers in Paalaikkuzhi area. Tigers claimed that at least 35 troopers were killed in the clash. 75 were wounded," Tamilnet said. Sri Lanka: Paalakulli Attacks Repulsed – LTTE Mannar - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan security forces (SF) clashed in Paalaikulli area in Mannar, Vilathikulam, Vavuniya area and Killali area when SF troopers tried to advance into the LTTE held area using heavy artillery and mortars on Tuesday. The LTTE repulsed the attacks by the SF troopers, at least 5 SF troopers were killed and 15 SF troopers were wounded, according rebel sources in Mannar. The SF troopers and LTTE clashed six different battlefronts in the Mannar and Vavuniya area as SF troopers used heavy artillery fire but faced the stiff resistance from LTTE cadres and SF troopers incurred heavy losses and retreated to their original positions, informed sources from military said. Sri Lankan government recently unilaterally scrapped the truce pact which was signed between the LTTE and the GoSL in February 2002 under the Norway mediation. The civil war in Sri Lanka killed at least 80,000 people while half a million people internally displaced and over million people externally displaced. At least 5,800 people have been killed in last two years alone, a right group said LTTE artillery attack does not deter normal flights – SLAF Despite Monday morning’s LTTE artillery attack, on the Palaly Air Base, targeting the aircraft flying the Defence Secretary, Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff, compelling it to return to base, both, civilian and military aircraft, resumed normal services from that afternoon itself, Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Andy Wijesuriya said.The shells missed the Air Base.LTTE directed 15 rounds of artillery fire on the Palaly Air Base forcing the pilot to divert the aircraft and return to Colombo without landing. However around 11.45 am on Monday Air Force jets located the LTTE artillery at Kalmunai Point in Pooneryn and destroyed the gun emplacements, Air Force sources said.The Russian built AN-32 aircraft flew Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defence Staff Donald Perera and Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka for the inauguration ceremony of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade at the Palaly Air Base on Monday morning.Asked whether the Air Force pounded the same LTTE artillery gun position once earlier in Pooneryn, Andy Wijesuriya said that it cannot be confirmed since the LTTE keeps moving its gun positions from place to place.Certain high ranking military officials, asked on Monday about the incident, denied any knowledge of the LTTE artillery attack on the Palaly Air Base and some even denied that the top military trio had left Colombo for Jaffna. When newspapers were groping in the dark to get confirmation on the incident it was Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa himself who confirmed the incident and said that the aircraft was compelled to return to Colombo amidst intense artillery fire by the LTTE. TMVP wants protection The TMVP was facing new threats following its decision to bar its military cadres from civilian areas in the east, TMVP spokesperson Azath Moulana told The Morning Leader.He added that the TMVP had requested the government for more security following killings and abduction of its members in the east last week."The government has agreed to provide us with more security following these incidents," Moulana added.The TMVP on January 18 ordered all its military cadres to confine themselves to the jungles and not to enter any civilian areas in the east until the end of the local government elections."Now we are under more threat as most of our military cadres are in the jungle areas. We have requested the government for more protection to our members. The government has agreed to do so," Moulana added.Several political parties including the main opposition UNP and the TNA decided to boycott the elections due to the prevailing security situation in the east.Moulana however stated that the situation was conducive to conduct the election despite these incidents."The incidents took place in Ampara. The poll will be held in Batticaloa. The security has been tightened in Batticaloa. Therefore, the election can be conducted as scheduled. There is no need to delay," Moulana added. Fisherman shot in deep seas off Dondra A fisherman sustained injuries when his boat came under fire from an unidentified craft in deep seas off Dondra Point in the South, reports say. He was among five fishermen who went out to sea from Devinuwara yesterday (Jan. 29th).Around 60 nautical miles off Dondra Point, they had hailed the unknown boat, when one of its occupants fired at the fishermen, wounding one.According to reports, the Navy has brought the wounded fisherman ashore for treatment. Sri Lanka: Where journalists live dangerously Sri Lankan journalists are going through a trying period. Government leaders are taking a hard line on media freedom, with even senior media persons facing death threats and murderous assaults. Media watchdogs, both national and international, have publicised serious incidents of intimidation by the state and other agencies directed against media organisations. But President Mahinda Rajapaksa denies any repression. "The media here is free. Newspapers are full of criticism against the government," Rajapaksa pointed out recently. However, incidents of intimidation abound. The latest scary case was the stabbing of Suhaib M Kassim, the associate editor of the state-owned Tamil daily Thinakaran at his house here on Monday. The watchdog Free Media Movement (FMM) said the attack on a senior journalist like Suhaib demonstrated the "vulnerability" of journalists in "highly militarised" Sri Lanka. Last week, two unidentified men stabbed journalist Lal Hemantha Athula Mawalage of the state-owned TV station "Rupavahini" while he was on his way home. Mawalage had come into the limelight when he delivered a fiery speech against the controversial Deputy Labour Minister Mervyn Silva, who had stormed into the TV station and assaulted news director T M G Chandrasekhara December 27. Angry TV station staff then beat up minister Silva. The incident was shown on all TV channels to the embarrassment of the Rajapaksa government. While the minister went scot-free, Chandrasekhara was transferred to the post of director of research. The media reported that Chandrasekhara sought the transfer "citing threats to his life". The FMM said that on January 7, three leading journalists with MBC TV and Radio Network that covered the Rupavahini episode were threatened with death by the underworld. MTV head Chevaan Daniel, Sirasa TV director Kingsley Ratnayake and its news director Susil Kedelpitiya lodged complaints with the police about the threats. Earlier, a young journalist with The Sunday Leader, Arthur Wamanan, was arrested for exposing the minister's alleged corruption. Two top journalists of the Jaffna-based Tamil daily Uthayan are too scared to go home because they face threats. The resident editor and the news editor have had to practically live in the office since May 2006. "I can go out only with police escort," news editor Kuhanathan told IANS. He would not identify the source of the threat. Tamil journalists who get into trouble are routinely suspected of being supporters of the Tamil Tigers. Over all, critical journalists, no matter what the ethnicity, are dubbed "traitors". Indeed, some Sinhalese journalists have been arrested for suspected links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), leading to a new term "Sinhala Koti" or "Sinhalese Tigers". In a letter to President Rajapaksa this month, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the charge of "traitor" was made against Tamil TV journalist Sri Ranga Jeyaratnam by Tamil cabinet minister Douglas Devananda. Army commander Lt.Gen. Sarath Fonseka told the state-owned media January 2 that a few scribes were indeed traitors and that they were the "real obstacles" in the war against terror. Last year, the defence ministry's website had for many days carried an article making insinuations against Iqbal Athas, the defence correspondent of The Sunday Times. Athas was accused of "assisting in the psychological operations of the LTTE terrorists". The CPJ told President Rajapaksa: "Verbal, written and physical assaults on journalists are attacks on the very fabric of a democratic society. We call on you to make sure that members of your government desist from such acts." This has had no impact. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said on Monday that sections of the media were "taking a sadistic delight in denigrating their motherland". And in an interview to the Sinhalese daily "Iirida Lankadeepa" last week, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa - a brother of the president - called for censorship on military news. "I think there is no need to report anything on the military. People do not want to know the quantity and kind of arms we acquire. This is not media freedom. I will tell without fear that if I have power I will not allow any of these things to be written. "Everything in this country has become prostituted. Like peace, even the media is completely prostituted," Gotabhaya thundered after naming two leading media institutions as the principal culprits. C4 explosives detected in WHO vehicle The Police seized C4 explosives and detonators from a vehicle attached to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday evening at Thekkawatte check point in Vavuniya. A vehicle attached to the WHO and belonged to the Health Department was returning from Killinochchi to Colombo was stopped by Police and subjected to a search operation at the Thekkawatte check point in Vavuniya at around 5.00 p.m. “While Police were checking the vehicle observed a pair of sandals under the driver’s seat and the suspected pair of sandals were unusually heavy,” Police Media Spokesman Senior DIG N.K. Ilangakoon said. “Around 6kg of C4 explosives were concealed underneath the pair of sandals. Police also recovered two detonators, two barrels of surgical spirit and collection of stationeries inside the vehicle,” he added. The driver and his assistant were arrested by the Police. Preliminary investigations revealed that the driver was working for the Health Department for five years and was a frequent visitor to Wanni on official purposes. “A sister of the driver believed to be working for the LTTE,” DIG Ilangakoon remarked. JVP battle goes to court Sampath Dimuthu Ketapearachchi, an associate of JVP Colombo District Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti has lodged a complaint with the Welikada police on threats to his life by members from the JVP for allegedly leaking information of internal party conflicts to the media. The Welikada police yesterday reported facts to court and obtained approval to proceed with the investigation including approval to verify necessary telephone records. Ketapearachchi on Sunday lodged the complaint with the Welikada police that several JVP members attached to local government bodies as well as several other members of the party had threatened him with death for allegedly leaking information of Handunnetti's unofficial house arrest and various deals of the party. In his complaint, Ketapearachchi had named JVP Colombo District Organiser, Priyantha, Western Provincial Council Member Mohamed Nafli, and Colombo Municipal Council Members Ravi and Hemantha as arriving in a vehicle bearing number JH 5045 and threatening to kill him and dump his body in the Diyawanna Oya. Ketapearachchi told The Morning Leader that the reason he lodged a complaint with the police was due to the threat posed to his life by the JVP. He said that he has so far worked to save Handunnetti from his present plight. According to him, Handunnetti who had raised a voice against the JVP's business deals was being considered a stumbling block to the party's progress by several senior members. "Handunnetti knew that he would one day be a prisoner of his own party and he told me that in such an event, I had to go to the media with the details he had given me. That is what I did," Ketapearachchi said. Meanwhile, on Monday, the Welikada police had filed a case in the Magistrate's Court No.4 in Colombo on the alleged threat to Ketapearchchi's life by members of the JVP. The Magistrate's Court directed the police to probe the telephone calls received by the complainant and report back to court. Soldier killed by mine blast A soldier, who was a member of a reconnaissance unit in the Muhamalai Forward Defence Line, died when he stepped into a booby trap, City Coroner Edward Ahangama was told yesterday at the inquest into the death of H. G. Buddika (24) of the Gajaba Regiment. Giving evidence at the inquest Colonel Wijendra Gamlathlage Chaminda Wijesuriya said that on the day (24) of the incident the reconnaissance unit was moving stealthily towards LTTE bunkers when a Johnny mine was accidentally trampled by Private Buddika. There was an explosion and the deceased lay injured. Two others of the unit were killed. The Johnny mine was connected to an 81 mm shell which caused a secondary blast. The injured were dragged towards the camp. The injured soldier, who was in a semi-conscious state was initially admitted to the Palaly Hospital and later to the National Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A verdict of homicide was returned. PS 27689 Pathirana assisted the inquest. Remembering the ‘father’ of non violence By Lloyd. R. Devarajah As I was playing truant and was very poor in my Tamil, I left St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya where I was a student from 1937 and joined Jaffna College, Vaddukoddai on January 17, 1948. Jaffna College which was my father’s alma mater was founded by American missionaries in 1822.Two weeks after I joined the college as an outstation boarder, Alagan Kadirgamar who was the secretary of the college Young Men’s Christian Association asked me to be in charge of its radio as he was going home to Chavakachcheri for the weekend. Alagan Kadirgamar on leaving college, joined the Colombo YMCA in the 1950s and rose to the position of general secretary and later, the national secretary of this international organisation. Crucial It later transpired that, that was a crucial and epoch-making weekend. It was Friday, January 30, 1948 when I was entrusted to be the temporary custodian of the college YMCA radio set which was being operated on a car battery. The college had two Homby-Rustom generators to supply electricity to the entire college as well as the campus where most of the staff lived. But these generators function only from dusk to dawn.Some of the boarder’s sought shelter in the YMCA building from the slight shower that interrupted their evening games. I tuned the radio to Radio Ceylon (English Service) for the 5 to 5.45 p.m. Yours For The Asking listeners’ request programme.As that programme ended, some of the boarders wanted me to switch to another programme. Whilst I was twiddling with the radio knob as I was not yet familiar with it I managed to hear very faintly an announcement from an unidentified Indian radio station: "Gandhi was shot by a youth. He died peacefully a short while ago." The time was 6.04 p.m. I and some of those around me couldn’t believe what we had heard. After a long silence which lasted about three or four minutes, religious music came on air.The radio programme was then interrupted and an announcement, punctuated with sobs, came over the airwaves. It said: Mahatma (Great Soul) Gandhi, the spiritual leader of millions of Hindus had been shot dead by a fanatic and that he succumbed to his injuries. Later, the station identified itself as All India Radio, Trichinopoly.After this confirmation, the tragic news spread like wildfire round the college campus, its environs, and also some of the neighbouring villages and hinterland. Luxury It should be noted that 60 years ago, the radio was a luxury and only a few owned or possessed one. In Colombo too, it was a rarity and worse still, in the rural areas television was virtually unknown then. Television became popular in the late 1950s in the Western world and came to Sri Lanka only in 1979.Crowds then gathered at the college YMCA hall within minutes of the sad news breaking. As the hall could not accommodate such a large crowd, the powerful Zenith All-World Radio (with about 10 to 12 piano keyboard like press-button studs) was brought out into the terrace and placed on a wooden bench. Mats were spread and the whole area around the YMCA was floodlit for the benefit of the several hundreds who had gathered there. A freshly-charged additional car battery was pressed into use for the benefit of all the listeners.It was not long after when the now well known Indian song Raghupathi Ragava Rajaram came over the airwaves. Appeal The then Indian Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and other leaders such as Sardar Vallabhai Patel spoke to the nation that same fateful night. They appealed to the Indians to uphold the principles of universal brotherhood, communal love and tolerance, and non-violence for which Gandhi had lived and died.Pandit Nehru who spoke with great emotion said: "The father of the nation is no more. Now that the light has gone out of our lives I do not quite know what to tell you and how to say it. Our beloved leader is no more. The light has gone out of our lives and there is dark ness. I do not know what tell you and what to speak."Our beloved leader Bapuji, the father of the nation is no more. We will never see him again. A mad man has killed Gandhiji." Six decades ago Sixty years ago on Friday, January 30, 1948, five days before Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) won her Independence from British Colonial rule, Gandhi, the Hindu spiritual leader and champion of a free united India and communal peace, was shot dead by a Hindu nationalist in New Delhi. Gandhi was walking with his two grandnieces — Manu and Ava through the garden of Birla House about 5.00 p.m. that fateful day to the place where he conducted a daily prayer meeting when a youth — Narayan Vinayak Godse, 25 years, editor of Hindu Rastra fired three shots with a pistol at point blank range. The Mahatma fell with severe injuries in the chest, stomach and groin. Rastra (Nation) in Poona, stepped into Gandhi’s path, bowed down and worshipped him and He was then gently carried into Birla House where he died at 5.47 p.m. the same day.The assassin was disarmed and pummelled by the crowd that had gathered to hear the Mahatma at the prayer meeting. Informed The news of the death of the Mahatma was first flashed to Earl Mountbatten who was then Governor General of India, and then to King George VI.Mahatma Gandhi (his full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) born on October 2, 1869 was trained in law in England. He began advocating self-rule, non violence, pursuit of native handicrafts, removal of untouchability (which forced millions of the poor to remain menials by heredity) in 1919. In 1930, he launched a "civil disobedience" including the boycott of British goods, and rejection of taxes without representation. India won her Independence from British rule on August 15, 1947.The following morning (Saturday, January 31, 1948) a special edition of the Times of Ceylon announcing the death of Gandhi (which was put out the previous night in Colombo over radio) was flown to Jaffna. A copy fetched the then fabulous price of Rs.5 owing to the demand. 29January 2008 Gotabhaya, Fonseka forced to return as LTTE target Palaly An aircraft flying Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Sarath Fonseka to Jaffna came under intense LTTE artillery attack when it was about to land at the Palaly Air base around 9.30 a.m. yesterday and had to return to Colombo, highly placed Defence sources said.The duo was due in Jaffna yesterday to officiate at the Commissioning of a Mechanised Infantry Brigade, when their chopper came under attack. It was soon learnt the LTTE was directing artillery fire from Point Kalmunai in Pooneryn. The Air Force immediately bombed the area and the artillery fire ceased, the sources said.Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told The Island that he along with the Army Commander had wanted to make an inspection tour of the peninsula but when nearing Palaly, the pilot realized that the air base there was under artillery fire and they decided to return to Colombo.Several aircraft were in and out of Palaly in the recent past and defence authorities are baffled at yesterday’s attack. The question troubling them is whether the LTTE had prior knowledge of the visit.A total of 15 artillery rounds had been fired targeting the air base. Att the time this edition went to press there were no reports on damage to the structures or the runway at Palaly. Air Force pounds LTTE gun positions in Paranthan UNP to boycott February 4 celebrations The main opposition UNP yesterday decided to boycott the national Independence Day celebrations organized by the government, maintaining there was no freedom for people in the country today.UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a news conference that instead the party would organize religious programmes at Buddhist and Hindu temples, Churches and Mosques.Mr. Attanayake said the main religious ceremony would be held at the Sri Dalada Maligawa with the participation of party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at 9.00 am on February 4. “We are asking people to go to nearby temples at 8.30 am on Independence Day and perform religious rituals. We have organized similar programmes at other religious places of worship as well,” he said.He said the UNP strived to gain freedom for the country under the leadership of late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake.“The sincere efforts of the UNP to ensure a true sense of freedom for all Sri Lankans in the post-independent era have been scuttled by subsequent governments. Only after 20 years has this government realized the value of the free market economy introduced by the UNP.It has also taken this government some two decades to understand the importance of the Indo-Lanka Accord in resolving the national question,” he said.He said similarly the value of the ceasefire agreement would also be realized by this government 20 years later.UNP front-liner Jayalath Jayawardane said the government had stifled media freedom when the country was on the eve of its 60th Independence Anniversary.Referring to the knife-attack on Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation news producer Lal Hemantha Mawalage, Dr. Jayawardane said the government was using underworld characters to persecuted media personnel with increased intensity.He warned that the fate that befell Mr. Mawalage would befall other journalists tomorrow under this government which was moving towards ‘dictatorship.’ PNM opposes 13th Amendment The Patriotic National Movement (PNM) does not approve the so-called 13th Amendment, which paves the way for provincial rule, as it will not resolve administrative problems, PNM General Secretary Wimal Weerawansa told the media yesterday. He said the government has fallen easy prey to India’s manipulation on administration of the North and East. The provincial council system, he said would aggravate the existing issues and will empower the LTTE to strengthen its territorial powers.Weerawansa said that the 10-page proposals on the 13th amendment, prepared by Prof. Tissa Vitarana, had been reduced to just 2 pages by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The APRC proposals would have only strengthened the LTTE. The Provincial council system, introduced in 1987 under the 13th Amendment, had done more harm than good to Sri Lanka.He said that although the provincial council system was in operation in certain provinces such a system in the North and East would have been a completely different. “It would have promoted separatism. The government was trying to introduce an interim government in the North and East in which the LTTE could substantially strengthen its power. By court order the North and East had been separated, but under the implementation of the provincial council system the North and East could be merged again.”Referring to international organisations which support the LTTE, Weerawansa said that UNICEF and WFO had been supportive to the LTTE and a lorry load of high protein biscuits carried by World Food Program had been taken into custody by the security forces recently. It was revealed that the WFO had carried the high protein biscuits to feed the LTTE guerrillas in the dense forests. The WFO officials had carried the stock of high protein biscuits on the pretext of feeding children suffering from mal-nutrition in the war-stricken areas.PNM President Dr. Gunadasa Amarasakara said that instead of implementing provincial council administration in the North and East the government should commence resettlement of Tamils and develop infrastructure facilities. The set of proposals introduced by Prof. Vitharana was an illusion because it would never resolve the core issues. The PNM would also denounce the Indo-Lanka Pact because it contained some conditions pernicious to the administrative aspects of the Sri Lankan government. “For example, some of the conditions in the pact included that the North and East should be considered as the Tamil homeland and all Tamil terrorists taken into custody should be released. The PNM would never approve of these conditions. The government must take immediate action to expel foreign organisations engaged in anti-government activities in Sri Lanka.” High-tech radar scrapped by Ottawa sold to Sri Lanka Thinakaran Associate Editor attacked Tamil daily Thinakaran Associate Editor Suhaib M. Kasim has been attacked and stabbed by a group of five unknown persons who entered into his house at Maligawaththa a short while ago. Hospitalized with serious injuries, he has had to undergo a surgery, hospital sources reveal.Talking to Lankadissent his family members said that he had been transferred from Thinakaran Daily to a training section on the whims of the Lakehouse Chaireman. India bolsters TN coastal security Amid speculation that LTTE cadres may sneak into Tamil Nadu due to intensified clashes between the Army and the Tigers, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard have strengthened security along the coast by deploying more ships and helicopters. A Naval Defence Boat T-60 and Coast Guard ship Razia Sultana were deployed in the Palk Bay while speed boats had intensified patrolling, Naval officials stationed at Rameswaram base said. They said both Navy and Coast Guard had drawn up a comprehensive security arrangement, which included sorties by naval helicopters and high speed boats. The newly deployed vessels had been fitted with radars and 30 MM Medak guns and 12.7mm guns. The new security arrangements were made amid rumours that some LTTE cadres could enter India due to heavy fighting in northern Sri Lanka. The ships were also expected to prevent Indian fishermen from entering Lankan waters. Naval officials said that instances of Indian fishermen crossing into Lankan waters had been reduced. TN fishermen protest sea mines The government of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu pledged to press the federal government to take up the issue of fishing in the environs of Kacha Theevu.Senior Tamil Nadu minister Arcot Veerasamy made the remarks after opposition legislators expressed their displeasure over the continued attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen allegedly by the Lankan Navy. The legislators expressed support to fishermen's demand that their traditional rights to fish in the Kacha Theevu region be recognised by Sri Lanka. Minister Veerasamy said the government would appeal to the Centre to intervene and put an end to harassment of the Tamil Nadu fishermen. The legislators had also referred to reports that the Sri Lanka Navy had mined the waters in the Kacha Theevu region in an attempt to curb the movement of Tamil Tiger rebels. Legislators say the lives of the Tamil Nadu fishermen were in danger now as they traditionally ventured to that region in pursuit of the lucrative prawns, but the minister chose not to comment on the mining reports. However he said efforts were afoot to arrange the release of 21 Tamil Nadu fishermen detained by the Lankan Navy a few days ago while crossing over to the Lankan side of the ocean. Fishermen of Rameswaram on the southeastern coast have been keeping away from the sea for three days now protesting attacks on them and the reports of mining. Gota turns villain with the power of his brother "MP Maheswaran had business engagements with LTTE and finally got killed by them. The investigations and DNA tests have definitely proved it. If the suspect was not caught, theat killing could also go to the account of the Government," says Defense Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse in an interview with Lankadeepa newspaper on 27 January. Mano Ganeshan also need no security since he has links with LTTE. Only two Tamil leaders are spared. They are Ananda Sangaree and Douglas Devananda. We have to protect them somehow," he says. "Only a brother of a President can handle a situation like this. It should be put into the constitution that a President's brother should be appointed the Defense Secretary," says Gotabhaya Rajapakse. He says in the interview that the decapitation of will demolish the LTTE stating that several LTTE heads like Pottu Amman, Susai should be eliminated. In response to a question by the newspaper if the Government is highlighting the military operations to cover the people's problems, the Defense Secretary accuses the state media for incompetence.When asked if the Media Center for National Security (MCNS) claims that scores of Tamil Tigers are killed daily, he says that information prove that there are 10 to 15 funerals in Vanni each day. "Photos of those who were killed in Muhamalai are being handed over to the families now although bodies are not given. Kilinochchi and other hospitals are filled with injured."When Lankadeepa asks about the allegation if Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, another state official, wieldss more powers than the other officials, Rajapakse says, "What is wrong? I have not misused power. I have used my powers to strengthen the police and armed forces. They work like this because of the super powers I have." "Likes of state officials nearing to retire and cannot decide to attack cannot do this job. I can talk to the President at any hour and discuss anything."What kind of assistance he expect from the international community, asks Lankadeepa and Gotabhaya Rajapakse says that international community is trying to give the LTTE more chances and to extend the problem. "They pressure the Government and not the terrorists. The countries that banned LTTE should sustain LTTE's fundraising and arms deals as well. Instead, they work against the Government elected by people. It looks like they have some other objectives."Gotabhaya Rajapakse says that the LTTE has to be banned and he does not know why it is not done. He says that the cabinet is responsible eventually for that. Commenting on media, he says that today some journalists write to show off causing heavy damage. "Weapons are not the important in a war. The man behind the weapon is the important. His mentality needs to be built up rightly. Journalism should not target to break up their mentality. Newspapers that are published because they have money and to make the nephew President are not in journalism," he says. "The opposition leader who named me 'Ugly Gota' before the diplomats later asks for security from me. What is the meaning of this? "he asks. When asked if the media no supportive, Rajapakse says that no military information such as what kinds and numbers of weapons and what were purchased were not necessary for the public. He says that he will not allow to publish them if he has power. He says that he has proposed the President to bring a censor with stern punishments. Rajapakse says that criminal defamation laws are needed to be re-introduced. TNA legislator to 'resettle Muslims' LTTE apology Parliamentarian Rajeem Mohammed Imam recalled the open apology from the LTTE and said people like him have accepted that.All TNA parliamentarians have unanimously assured their full cooperation in this regard, said the new MP.The TNA has also asked him to look after the welfare of the displaced Muslims and their resettlement."Only based on the fullest assurances of all these support regarding the resettlement of the displaced Jaffna Muslims by the TNA I have accepted this post," says Rajeem Mohammed Imam. He will use all the opportunities and influence as a member of the parliament, MP Imam said, towards the welfare of the Muslim community. He also feels proud that he is the only Muslim member among the TNA.He plans to hold a meeting with the displaced Muslims in Puthalam immediately after being sworn in as an MP from the National List of the TNA. Maheswaran killing witness under threat Colombo Additional Magistrate Ravindra Premaratne ordered an immediate investigation into a complaint by a witness in the T. Maheswaran assassination that he was threatened. He directed the Police to take steps to protect the witness. The Magistrate also ordered that the report of the outcome of the probe into this alleged threat be submitted to Court on February 1. When the case was taken up, a suspect, who was taken into custody by Police, after he was injured by the shooting of the late MP’s bodyguard at a Kovil in Kotehena, was not identified by the witness at the identification parade which was held for the second time. The Colombo Crimes Detection Division (CCD) informed the Court that when the witness was on his way to the Court an unknown person in a three wheeler had warned him not to attend Court. The CCD further informed Court that at the initial stages of investigations three persons had informed that they could identify the suspect. Furthermore, the late MP’s wife or those who were represent the MP‘s interests have not extended any assistance to investigations. Their statements and protests could be detrimental to the on going investigations, the CCD said. 28January 2008 JVP rejects solution based on Indian model The JVP yesterday rejected APRC (All Party Representative Committee) call for a series of measures to achieve maximum and effective devolution of powers to the provinces in the short term.JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said that Minister Tissa Vitarana’s so called APRC was no APRC at all. How could they categorise it as an all party committee when the JVP and the UNP weren’t represented. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which recognised the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamil speaking people, too, boycotted the committee.Addressing the press at Savsiripaya auditorium, Amarasinghe asserted that except the SLFP, other parties which endorsed the proposals were in fact no political parties. They were ‘three wheeler’ parties and their endorsement wouldn’t mean a thing, he said.Severely criticising President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s approach to solve the national problem, the JVP leader accused the government of reviving the long dead Indo-Lanka Accord of July 1987. He urged the government not to revive the accord forced on President JR Jayewardene by India at gunpoint as it would never facilitate a negotiated settlement. The president had conveniently forgotten the tough stand taken against the Indo-Lanka Accord by the SLFP, he said. The UNP killed 140 civilians who marched on Colombo against the Accord, the JVP Chief said, emphasising that the need to destroy the LTTE before tackling political issues. "In our road map for durable peace, the annihilation of the LTTE comes first," he said. Along with that, the restoration of democracy, compensation to victims of violence irrespective of their ethnicity and eradication of the ‘separatist movement’ would be necessary, he said. This could be followed by elections to provincial councils and local bodies, he said, while emphasising the importance of a countrywide census after the annihilation of the LTTE. Vitarana said that their recently unveiled proposals would be followed by a set of proposals that would be the basis for a solution to the national problem. "After, 63 sittings, over a period of 1 1/2 years, the consensus document is being finalised and it should be possible to hand it over to the President in the very near future. The outcome would be a basis for appropriate constitutional arrangements. Their implementation would of course require amendment of the present Constitution, and in respect of some Articles, approval by the people at a referendum. This would of course take time, once a favourable climate is established"Amarasinghe strongly rejected the move to establish an Interim Council for the Northern Province in terms of the Constitution. This would cause chaos, he said adding that the JVP was totally in disagreement with the assertion that the Interim Council should reflect the ethnic character of a particular province, in this case the Northern Province.In short, the JVP would accept the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitition, he said. Vitarana called for maximum devolution of powers to the provinces under the 13th Amendment. Amarasinghe said that the implementation of the amendment in respect of legislative, executive and administrative powers, overcoming existing shortcomings would be detrimental to the national interest and the JVP would do everything possible to thwart the move.Responding to a query raised by The Island, Amarasinghe said that the JVP’s armed struggle against the State and that of the LTTE couldn’t be compared. The JVP was a democratic party and it never resorted to any illegal activity before the then UNP administration of JR Jayewardene proscribed the party, he said. Applauding the security forces, which twice put down JVP inspired armed campaigns, the JVP leader expressed satisfaction over the status of the ongoing action against the LTTE. He also launched a scathing attack on UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Loise Arbour for being biased towards the LTTE. He emphasised that their protests directed against Ms Arbour shouldn’t be construed as anti-UN.Briefly discussing the humanitarian disaster in US occupied Iraq, Amarasinghe challenged Arbour to criticise the US led allied action there. She was silent on the situation in Iraq, he said.The JVP would oppose any effort on the part of the UN to bring Sri Lankan security forces before international court for human rights violations. JHU outlines reasons for supporting APRC proposals The Jathika Hela Urumaya said yesterday it has decided to support the APRC proposals as there was a need to establish a democratic climate for the people living in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The proposals of the All Party Representative Committee are centred on the 13th Amendment to the present Constitution which gave effect to the establishment of the Provincial Councils. The Leader of Jathika Hela Urumaya, Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera said: “We decided to back the implementation of these proposals as it will bring the civilians in the North and East into the democratic main stream.” Democracy has been denied to these civilians by the LTTE terrorists, the Thera explained. “However, we do not believe that the 13th Amendment or the Provincial Council envisaged by it is going to be the answer to the problem,” the Thera added. The system of Provincial Council is a White Elephant and is not suitable for a country like Sri Lanka considering the colossal funds it calls for the sustenance of Ministers and authorities under that system. “We believe in a unitary administrative structure for the entire country for the benefit of everyone,” the Thera said. “Our decision to support the APRC proposals is like having to drink bitter medicine to recover from a current illness,” the Thera said. “This was something the time has demanded from us in the fight against terrorism.” When the provisions of the 13th Amendment was first brought by the late President J.R. Jayewardene in 1987 to form the North and the East as a single Province, the LTTE opposed them. During Jayewardene regime, J.R. Jayewardene did not have a need as such to defeat terrorism, and the decision to establish Provincial Council seemed tactical, said Medhananda Thera. “Under the reign of President Rajapaksa the fight against the LTTE terrorists is clear and the Security Forces have cleared the entire Eastern Province and have moved to clear the Northern Province to defeat terrorism. We will support the APRC proposals with the hope that the LTTE will lay down their arms and peace is established in the country with the defeat of terrorism,” the Thera said. LSSP divided over proposals, slams APRC chief IAC will not be established soon: Rajitha The Interim Advisory Council (IAC), one of the key requirements in the APRC proposals handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa last Wednesday by Prof. Tissa Vitarana would not be established immediately as expected, Engineering and Construction Services Minister, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday.Addressing the media at the Information Department he said all sections in the democratic setup in the north have to be consulted before naming the members of the IAC. “Not only the sentiments of Tamils, but Sinhalese and Muslims have to be considered as the IAC is to represent all ethnic hues in the North. The solution to the ethnic conflict suggested is to hold local government and Provincial Council polls in the east and then institute the IAC in the north until elections could be held in the province,” he said. “When the Eastern Provincial Council was to be set up under the Indo-Lanka agreement there was much argument on the naming of the Chief Minister when the then government suggested the name of the District Secretary of Trincomalee to the post. “There was a protest against naming him as the Chief Minister and the establishment of the PC was delayed. Therefore, the government has to take into account the interests of all stake holders prior to setting up of the IAC,” Dr.Senaratne said.Commenting on the APRC interim proposals he said devolution of power under the 13th amendment to the Constitution had begun in its true meaning only now. Almost all political parties and political leaders have accepted the 13th amendment and power devolution at some stage. Even the LTTE and 18 Tamil political parties have accepted it in the past. Only the UNP, TNA and the LTTE were opposing the proposals of the APRC that suggest devolving maximum power under the 13 agreement, he stressed.“What we cannot understand is the opposition of the UNP. It was the UNP under J.R. Jayewardene that introduced the 13th amendment to the Constitution as a remedy to the ethnic conflict. India and the rest of the international community supported it. There was no question of devolving power as suggested under the APRC interim proposals including police, lands and judiciary,” he emphasized. What the people in the north and east were demanding was security and an opportunity to develop their province by themselves, he added.Taking swipe at opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, he said Mr. Wickremesinghe was playing the role of J.R. Jayewardene who opposed the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam agreement and Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike when she opposed the Indo-Lanka agreement. TNA wants Japan to twist Mahinda’s arm APRC meeting today will work towards final formula The All Party Representative Commitee (APRC) which endorsed the government’s move to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution will meet again today in its deliberations to evolve a final power devolution formula.Last week the APRC submitted a report which contained interim proposals for the resolution of the ethnic conflict to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Committee which withstood various strains since its inception in 2007 will have its 64th session today in its endeavour to work out a final power- sharing arrangement in agreement with the political parties in Parliament.Asked for comment on the present status of the committee SLMC representative to the APRC Nizam Kariapper said that the report presented last week should not be considered an APRC report. Mr. Kariapper said that it was merely the committee’s endorsement of the President’s wish to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as an initial step in resolviong the problem.He said that the APRC would continue to meet in its deliberations to wrap up a power devolution package. UK gets tough with illegal immigrants New figures have shown that 20 illegal immigrants every week were deported from the East of England in the last nine months of 2007. Examples of recent cases in Norfolk include the arrest at a Tamil pilgrimage on the north Norfolk coast in July of nine failed asylum seekers from Sri Lanka. In November, four illegal immigrants were caught at the Bombay Nite restaurant in King Street, Yarmouth and at the Spice Indian takeaway in The Street, Stalham. The Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) has revealed that since it was created last April, over 900 enforcement operations have been carried out in the region, resulting in over 500 arrests and 800 illegal immigrants being sent back to their home countries. BIA regional director Gail Adams said: “We are determined to stamp out illegal immigration. That’s why there are very strict rules about who can live and work in the UK and it’s becoming much harder to break them. “We are removing significant numbers of immigration offenders including foreign criminals, asylum cheats, those who have tried to stay in the country after their visa has run out and illegal workers, but we are not complacent. We intend to make 2008 even more difficult for illegal immigrants in the East of England than last year.” Earlier this month, Immigration Minister Liam Byrne announced new border protection initiatives to ensure only those with the skills the UK needs are allowed to work; on the spot fines of up to pounds 10,000 per illegal employee for employers who don’t make the correct right-to-work checks and to begin issuing compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals. Sri Lanka SF Lost 15 in Mannar Attacks Thwarted by LTTE Mannar - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan security forces (SF) clashed in Perriya Pandivirichan and Mullikulami, Mannar area when SF troopers tried to advance into the LTTE held area using heavy artillery and mortars on Sunday noon. The LTTE repulsed the attacks by the SF troopers, at least 15 SF troopers were killed and 30 SF troopers were wounded in Periya Pandivirichan area alone, according rebel sources in Mannar. The SF troopers and LTTE clashed in the area which lasted over five hours with the support of artillery fire and faced the stiff resistance from LTTE cadres and SF incurred heavy losses and retreated to their original positions.Heavy fighting between the LTTE and the SF raged within past few months backed by Multi-Barrel Rockets, artillery and mortar fire mounted attacks across the many front lines area in the north bordering the De Facto state of the LTTE.Sri Lankan government recently unilaterally scrapped the truce pact which was signed between the LTTE and the GoSL in February 2002 under the Norway sponsor, which automatically also ends the monitoring mission. Sri Lanka continues with its military options against the warning from the International community and many rights groups. The International Community repeatedly urging both parties to find a negotiated settlement to the genuine grievances of the minority. The civil war in Sri Lanka killed at least 80,000 people while half a million people internally displaced and over million people externally displaced. At least 5,800 people have been killed in last two years alone, a right group said. 2 TMVP members shot dead in Poththuvil Unidentified gunmen riding a motorbike shot and killed Sunday around 12.25 p.m, two members of the political wing of Tamil Makkal Viuthailai Pulikal (TMVP), as they were riding on another motorbike from Poththuvil to Thirukkoayil, in Ampaa’rai district. The killing occurred in Oo’ra’ni, Poththuvil, near the 330th mile post area, police said. The victims were identified as Sathees, the member in charge of TMVP Thirukkoayil TMVP office, and his assistant, Kajaroopan.The attackers escaped from the site of the killing.Police recovered the bodies Sunday evening and handed them over to Ampaaa’rai Hospital for inquest. TELO Secretary General turned back for 'Tiger links' The immigration authorities at the international airport in Madras turned back a TELO Secretary General Thursday night on suspicion that he might have LTTE links. Middle-aged Nityanandan Indrakumar had to take the return flight back to Colombo after failing to convince the immigration officers that he had nothing to do with the Tamil Tigers and was in fact, the secretary general of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), a recognized political party in Sri Lanka with four MPs in the Parliament."Indrakumar came with his wife and three children by Air Lanka UL123 Thursday night. The immigration officers at the airport told him that only his wife and children were permitted entry and he should go back to Colombo. He pleaded he was the leader of a recognized political party, which has been pro-India since its birth almost 30 years back. But the officers would not relent. This is unfortunate," said Mr Sivajilingam, TELO parliamentarian. He said Indrakumar went back with his wife and children by the return UL flight. "We do not send back anyone unless the documents are fake or the person is banned entry by the Union home ministry. The immigration officials themselves have no great role in these matters," said a senior immigration officer. He said he would look into the present case when his office opens on Monday. The TELO President Selvam Adaikalanathan said he would take up Indrakumar's case with appropriate Indian authorities as he was denied entry despite carrying travel documents and the visa stamped by the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo.The High Commissioner in Colombo has also come under attack, but in a different case of alleged discrimination in refusing visa to a Sri Lankan journalist, who wanted to fly to Chennai for participating in a conference on human rights. Mr Gnanasiri Koththigoda, chief editor of the Sinhala monthly Haraya (meaning Essence) was denied the visa "because his profession was stamped as journalist in his Sri Lankan passport," said his colleague Ranath Kumarasinghe, who was, however, allowed to travel to participate in the Chennai meet on human rights.Both Mr Koththigoda and Mr Kumarasinghe belong to the Nava Sama Samaj Party (NSSP), a prominent Left party in Sri Lanka, and had accepted the invitation from the Chennai-based human rights outfit Manitham to participate in a conference on Violence against the Sri Lankan Tamils."We are both journalists by profession and work at Haraya. I got the visa but Gnana was refused because of the journalist stamp on his passport. Are journalists terrorists?" asked Mr Kumarasinghe.Manitham director Subramaniam said he would petition the National Human Rights Commission seeking action against the Indian Mission in Colombo for denying visa to Mr Koththigoda. 27January 2008 TNA rejects IC as political fraud The Tamil National Alliance the largest Tamil party in parliament Friday criticized the proposed interim council (IC) for the North, as a carefully calculated political fraud to hoodwink the international community that has been insisting on a credible political package to resolve the longstanding ethnic conflict. Jaffna district TNA parliamentarian and TELO central commitee member N. Srikantha said to deal with such a national question -- that had led to a military conflict which claimed some 80,000 lives in addition to incalculable damage to property -- the government had come up with an interim solution. He said to say the least it was nothing but a combination of political deception and dishonesty coupled with the blatant refusal to acknowledge and accept the glaring realities that underlie the reasons for the ongoing war. “The President and the government hope that something favourable can be achieved by this amateurish approach to the national question but I am constrained to state that they are bound to be sadly disappointed,” Srikantha said. “What is needed today is a comprehensive approach to meet the challenge of finding a permanent and viable solution to the ethnic conflict.” “In resolving this crisis, the fundamental factors that led to the ethnic conflict ending up in a prolonged war should be taken into account. It is quite easy to work out a solution on paper but that won’t end the conflict. What matters is whether what is on paper can be translated into a practical form that will eradicate the underlying causes of the deep-seated crisis,” he said. Srikantha said there could be no halfway road in this regard. “The question now is pure and simple. Are we ready to rise to the occasion and put our shoulders to the wheel and solve the crisis once and for all or continue to engage in petty, selfish and irresponsible political moves that would inevitably and unavoidably have its own impact on this long suffering country and push it further down the path of death and destruction,” he askedMeanwhile, Chairman of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana Friday asserted that maximum power would be devolved to the North and East, in implementing the 13th Amendment while maintaining the unitary framework of governance. “This certainly would not be the final proposal and will not be a universal panacea for all ills in the country. It will however be a firm and reliable foundation to build and develop a new Constitution for the Nation. It is a long-term process, requiring a step-by-step approach. “We will strive to implement to the optimum, what we could, under the existing Constitution and mechanism, amending it where necessary,” Minister Vitharana said. At a special media conference to brief journalists on the recent developments regarding the APRC, he underscored the importance of the outcome of the APRC draft proposals inked by 14 political parties which had met on 63 sessions over 18 months to resolve the ethnic conflict. He was of the view that on the determined and relentless efforts of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to solve the national issue, an exemplary and a new political culture had been created by the stakeholders of the APRC, who had reached a 90 per cent consensus following lengthy discussions for long hours, setting aside personal and petty political gains for the sake of their Motherland. He pointed out that some of the proposals need a two thirds majority in Parliament for implementation and therefore would need the assistance of the UNP too. The implementation of some of the proposals would need the mandate of the people via a referendum. Higher Education Minister Wishva Warnapala expressing his views stated that the prime objective of the APRC proposals were to provide a permanent and sustainable solution to the national issue, as envisioned in the realistic ‘Mahinda Chintana’, protecting the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the country. The discussions and deliberations which filled a verbatim report of over 11,000 pages, could be considered as an intellectual property and the initial phase of a Constitution which has to be built up gradually. “It is a proposal which strives to give a quick and instant response to the present political environment and burning issues in the North East, via the existing 13th Amendment. It would be a prelude built-up in an intellectual atmosphere, leading into a new Constitution. It is a classic beginning to a long process. They are in no way solely SLFP proposals as alleged by UNP Parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella recently,” he added. He claimed that issuing statements and slogans were easy tasks for certain political parties. Constructive criticism and the suggestions of suitable solutions for the issues were not forthcoming from them. He said that an Interim Council would be established to expedite Eastern Development and to create a conducive environment to hold elections there. An Advisory Council including regional leaders selected and represented on a ethnic character, would be set-up to fulfil the aspirations of the minorities. Issues such as ‘language’ which had been overlooked in the past, should be implemented to the very letter as per the 13th Amendment. EPDP Representative Maheswari Veluwethan, JHU Representative Udaya Gammanpila and several others also expressed their views. Police cordon for Colombo Nearly 800 additional Police personnel have been deployed in Colombo alone, in addition to the 2000 currently on duty in the city. Colombo DIG Nimal Mediwake told The Nation that the security in the Colombo city area and suburbs has been tightened to ensure public security. Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said, “We have adopted new security strategies to comply with the current security situation. We have already strengthened the security at important places including the World Trade Centre, ports and the Central Bank, which are commercial centres within the heart of the city that are possible high targets of the LTTE,” he said.The Police has also introduced a new programme identified as a ‘collective effort,’ comprising both the Police and public, to enhance the security in the city. Police Spokesman DIG N.K. Illangakoon said that new methods of search operations and road clearing are also being utilised. He added that more civilian security force members have been deployed to Colombo suburbs. UK WRONG, I NEVER HELPED KARUNA - GOTABHAYA Defence Secretary Gota-bhaya Rajapakse yesterday denied allegations that he helped former Eastern Tiger Commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna to obtain a fraudulent diplomatic passport.The powerful Defence Secretary is embroiled in a controversy after British prosecutors said on Friday that he had assisted Karuna to obtain the passport. “I haven’t helped him (Karuna). It is wrong for the British Judiciary to make public these claims without verification,” he said.“I wish that the British legal system would have been much better and dispalyed some fair play,” he said. He told the Lakbimanews that neither he nor any agencies of the Sri Lankan government had been asked by their British counterpart about the authenticity of allegations levelled against him.“This is an infringement of my human rights,” quipped Rajapakse.On Friday, reading Karuna’s statement at the Isleworth Crown Court in West London, the prosecution said President’s Rajapaksa’s younger brother was known to him (Karuna) since he defected from the LTTE. Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, ‘arranged everything’ for him to come to UK using a diplomatic passport, Karuna has told British immigration authorities, according to the prosecutors. According to the statement, the passport was given to him only once inside the plane bound for UK.British prosecutors said Karuna pleaded guilty to a criminal offence under British immigration law, but said it was the Sri Lankan government that arranged a diplomatic passport for him. Karuna sat behind a protective screen inside the courtroom. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse however said he doubted whether Karuna himself made the confession. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama earlier denied the involvement of the Sri Lankan Government in issuing a diplomatic passport to the renegade Eastern leader of the LTTE. However, The British High Commission has announced that the Visa had been granted based on a Third Party Note issued by the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry. JVP will take to the streets against 13th Amendment The JVP has threatened to take to the streets against the establishment of the Interim Council and the implementation of the 13th Amendment as proposed by the All Party Representative Committee.JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake told Lakbimanews that the Government has no right to hand over the administration in the North and East to the “proxies of terrorists”. Ratnayake was referring to the Tamil National Alliance.He said that in the wake of continued military defeats, the LTTE has changed their plans and now plots to grab power by other means. He said that the JVP since 1987 opposed the 13th Amendment and its implementation. He said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was a leading figure in the SLFP who agitated against the signing of the Indo- Lanka pact. He said the JVP has no option but to scuttle any effort by the President to implement the 13 Amendment. Bodies hard to identify: hospital The bullet-riddled bodies of 16 men found dumped in shallow graves in a government-controlled area in Sri Lanka were hard to identify because they were badly decomposed, a hospital official said. The victims of what appeared to be execution-style killings were found on Thursday evening by villagers in the Anuradhapura district 206km (130 miles) north of the capital Colombo. The men had apparently been blindfolded, bound and shot, and were buried in two adjoining graves, one at least two weeks old, the other one week old, the official said. The hospital completed autopsies on eight of the bodies yesterday and hopes to finish the rest today. The victims were wearing civilian clothes and appeared to be aged between 25 and 40, officials said, adding that no one had come forward to claim any of them. The hospital declined, however, to reveal sensitive details as to whether the victims were ethnic Sinhalese or Tamils. Sri Lanka’s defence ministry earlier blamed the killings on Tamil Tiger rebels, who control a large area further to the north and have been fighting for independence from the island's ethnic Sinhalese majority since 1972. In a statement, the ministry said the victims were believed to be civilians who had been searching for their cattle, only to be killed by “suspected LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) terrorists.” But local residents said there had been no reports of such a large group going missing in the area. In October, police found the bodies of two people blindfolded and shot in the head, while another body was found dumped in a lake near Colombo.There has been no claim of responsibility for any of the execution-style killings, and the identities of victims have not been discovered or disclosed. Earlier last year, several minority ethnic Tamils were found dead in and around the capital and elsewhere. A separate government probe found 430 civilians had been killed during a five-month period up to February 2007, though it was not broken down into ethnicity. Since then, no official count has been given. Rupavahini Journalist cut with sharp knife Two thugs in a motorcycle had attacked Lal Hemantha Mawalage, a senior news producer of the Rupavahini Corporation at the Athurugiriya Cross road when he was returning home. He has been admitted to the Accident Ward of the Colombo National Hospital with serious injuries.Forcing Mr. Mawalage’s vehicle to stop, they had dragged him out and attacked with sharp instruments.Journalist Mawalage was taken to the operation theatre at about 11:00 SLT on Saturday.Mawalage took an active part in protesting Minister Mervyn Silva's threats to SLRC journalists on 27 December, last year.Speaking after the surgery, he told journalists gathered at the hospital that he was continuously harassed and regularly received death threats. Death threats He vowed to even 'sacrifice his life' for the SLRC that helped made him a television star."I didn't come out to assault anybody on that day. I came to protect the SLRC," Mawalage told the journalists refering to the incident where minister Silva was assaulted by SLRC workers. Angry SLRC workers assaulted Minister Silva on 27 December Angry SLRC workers assaulted the minister and his henchmen after the minister's supporters assaulted SLRC news director, TMG Chandrasekara. An SLRC worker who did not want to mention his name due to fear, told BBC Sandeshaya that the SLRC workers regularly received threats after the incident. Mawalage has made a formal complaint to the police hours before the incident on Friday "as he could not bear any longer the threats against him," the SLRC worker said. "Sometimes, when they go to cover events, some people have publicly threatened our producers and drivers. It is very clear that all these people who have threatened SLRC workers are behind this attack on Mawalage," he added. A group of thugs, he said, threatened the SLRC team that went to cover the funeral of former minister DM Dassanayake in Puttalam, few weeks ago. Terror kits in abandoned toilet Seven persons were taken into custody on suspicion yesterday after police recovered two suicide kits in an abandoned toilet at Panahe Watta (50th Colony) at Wolvendhal Street in the Pettah Police area Saturday morning.One of the kits had been fully assembled and ready for use while the other was in parts, Police said. Each kit contained ten kilos of explosives and would have caused considerable damage if they had been used, Police said. Several detonators were also found at the same place.The Defence Ministry said the discovery was made possible because of information provided by members of the area’s civil vigilant committee. LTTE denies hand in southern killings The Tigers last week denied any involvement in the attacks against the civilians in the south. LTTE's denial came 48 hours after President Mahinda Rajapakse told the media he did not believe the LTTE were behind the bomb attacks in Colombo or the attacks in the south. The President said he believed it was the work of a political group and interested business parties. LTTE military spokesperson Rasiah Illanthirayan said the government's allegations against the LTTE on civilian attacks were totally false. "The LTTE has no connection at all with the civilian attacks in the south," Illanthirayan said. Ilanthirayan also said that the government continued to attack civilian areas in the Wanni. "The LTTE is being accused of carrying out attacks on civilians in the south, which is totally false. At the same time, the Sri Lankan government forces continue their strikes on civilian areas in the Wanni," he said. One civilian was killed and three were injured due to air strikes in the Krishnapuram area, Ilanthirayan added. He stated that Krishnapuram was populated with up-country people who had settled in the area in the 1980s. Speaking on the discovery of 16 bodies in Kebethigollewa last week, Ilanthirayan stated that the discovery could contain the answer to the disappearances of civilians in Vavuniya and Colombo. "That is our view. It was reported that the recovered bodies were of youths. This might be the answer to the disappearances of civilians in the north and south." Attacks on civilians intensified in the south following the abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement by the government. However, the Tigers had expressed their willingness to be a part of the CFA despite the government's decision to withdraw. 26January 2008 India for political settlement on Tamil ethnic issue: Envoy With the Sri Lankan military stepping up is offensive against the LTTE, India on Saturday said it desired a "political" solution to the 25-year-old Tamil ethnic problem that is acceptable to all sections of the Sri Lankan society. Maintaining that New Delhi was committed to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the island country, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Alok Prasad said a political settlement acceptable to all communities in the Island Country should be found. "Our firm belief is that the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka has to be resolved through a political settlement acceptable to all sections of the Sri Lankan society and consistent with the principles of democracy, pluralism and human rights," he said in a statement on the occasion of 59th Republic Day. He said being a close friend of Sri Lanka, "we have an abiding interest in peace, stability and development in this country so that it is able to harness the fruits of development taking place in our region and beyond". Fighting in Sri Lanka has intensified since the government scrapped the 2002 ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam this month. The head of the Indian mission said the political leadership on both sides continues to nurture the friendship that has spanned over two milliennia. This is through sustained interaction and sharing of views on development "in our respective countries and in the world at large," the High Commissioner said. S. Lanka planes bomb rebel positions Sri Lankan planes have bombed rebel naval headquarters, targeting a gathering of Tamil leaders, while ground battles have killed 10 rebels. Pilots confirmed hitting the compound but did not provide details about the fate of the rebel naval leader known as Soosai. Soosai, a powerful leader in the rebel group, is deemed close to the outfit's reclusive leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. The air raids on rebel-held Kilinochchi were the latest engagement in an intensification of the 25-year civil war following the official scrapping of a truce with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam last week. The military said ground battles a day earlier in the northern districts of Vavuniya and Polonnaruwa and in the northwestern district of Mannar had killed 10 Tamil Tiger rebels. The Sri Lankan government scrapped the 2002 truce officially on January 16, deepening fears of an escalation in the fighting. The military said more than 40 civilians, 47 soldiers and over 625 rebels have been killed in fighting since then. About 70,000 people have been killed since the war erupted in 1983. Batticaloa mini poll on March 10 The elections to nine local councils in the Batticaloa district will be held on March 10 with six political parties and 22 independent groups in the fray. The Batticaloa Returning Officer had received 61 nomination papers filed by the political parties and independent groups, out of which nine were rejected.Among the political parties contesting the election, the ruling UPFA handed over nominations to five local bodies including the Batticaloa Municipal Council while the TMVP submitted nominations to eight Pradeshiya Sabhas. The SLMC is contesting the elections in four local bodies and the Eelam Democratic Front in eight bodies. The Jathika Sanwardana Peramuna and the National Congress had handed over nominations to some local bodies.Meanwhile, SLMC Elections Coordinator A.L.M. Hizbullah said a meeting was to be held in Batticaloa yesterday to discuss matters regarding the upcoming poll..Mr. Hizbullah said the police agreed to provide from today two policemen as security to each candidate contesting the election. In the eastern province, 270,471 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at this election. Of them, 54,948 voters comes udner the Batticaloa Municipal Council. The number of voters in Eravur Pattu is 45,336, Koralai Pattu 41,856, Koralai Pattu –North 12,419, Manmunai South and Eruvil Pattu 38,386, Manmunai Pattu 18,759, Manmunai West 15,771, Manmunai South-West 14,880 and Korativu Pattu 28,116. Tamil Tigers accuse Sri Lanka of bombing civilians Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels accused the military of bombing a civilian settlement yesterday in the rebel-held northern territory, killing one person and injuring five others.Sri Lanka's airforce supersonic fighter jets dropped eight bombs in Kilinochchi, 330 kilometres (208 miles) north of Colombo, the rebels said in a statement."More deaths were avoided as people took cover in their backyard trenches," the rebels said.The defence ministry countered that the warplanes had bombed a rebel transport base in Kilinochchi."The air raid was launched based on information received through intelligence sources and air surveillances conducted for a long period," the ministry said, adding "pilots confirmed that the target was hit accurately."Meanwhile the military claimed killing 41 Tamil Tiger rebels in separate clashes across the island's embattled north since Thursday morning.Sri Lanka's defence ministry has said government forces have killed 636 rebels since the beginning of January, while 26 soldiers have died.The claims cannot be independently verified since journalists and human rights workers are not allowed access to the embattled region.Tens of thousands of people have died since the rebels launched a separatist campaign to carve out an independent homeland for minority Tamils in the majority Sinhalese nation in 1972 Rebels killed in N Sri Lanka as election candidate reported missing Sri Lanka Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Gave me Passport to UK; Karuna Says Sri Lanka defense Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, `arranged everything` for Colonel Karuna, to come to UK using a diplomatic passport, British immigration authorities says quoting his statement. The statement of Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, better known as Colonel Karuna, was read on the ruling on Friday (26) at the Isleworth Crown Court in West London, Briten.The prosecutor said he pleaded guilty to a criminal offence under British immigration law, but said it was the Sri Lankan government that arranged a diplomatic passport for him.Karuna`s statement says that the passport was given to him only inside the plane bound to UK. Although he was not a government official, he was protected by the Sri Lanka government, it added.The prosecutor added that the Sri Lankan government denied all allegations.meanwhile, ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party has entered into an electoral pact with TMVP, formerly headed by Karuna. Leader of faction of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels jailed in Britain The leader of a breakaway faction of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels has been sentenced to nine months in jail in Britain after he was found guilty of having false documents, the government said Saturday.Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, also known as Col. Karuna, was sentenced Friday at Isleworth Crown Court in west London after pleading guilty, the Home Office said in a statement.Karuna was arrested in November after he entered Britain illegally.The Home Office said it could not comment further on his case.Karuna was a top leader of the Tamil Tigers, who have been fighting for more than two decades for a homeland for the minority Tamil community in the north and east of the Indian Ocean island. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting.Karuna defected in 2004 with thousands of his men and formed his own militia. The next year, Karuna's group joined the Sri Lankan government in the fight against their old comrades.The group now controls large sections of the east of the country and has been accused of abductions, killings and other human rights abuses.Foreign Office minister Kim Howells said last year that Britain believed Karuna to be responsible for «extra-judicial killings, abductions, intimidation of displaced persons and child recruitment. Protest in TN demanding release of fishermen AI concerned over safety of Uthayan staff ‘India could back Tamil people against the 13th Amendment’ Q:TMVP claims it had reached an understanding with the ruling UPFA to contest the upcoming polls. How conducive is the East for an election at this juncture? A: The TMVP primarily is an armed group. This is a well known fact. They’ve been flaunting their weapons in all the districts of the East and responsible for several extra judicial killings. No one can deny this. The people in the East know about the violence unleashed by the TMVP. They have the full support of the government. Neither the government forces nor the police make any effort to enforce the law against the TMVP. The TMVP has a free hand to behave as they wish with a free arm, flagrantly and with impunity continuously. Several independent journalists and international organizations such as the UN have commented on this. They are opening up new offices. It is a dreadful phenomenon. The people are scared to death, they don’t want to criticize them or do anything to displease them, because the penalty could be death. The people know that the law enforcement machinery will never come to their rescue. It is shameful that a govt. would go in to partnership with a military party like the TMVP to contest an election. Everyone is aware of the way the TMVP leader left this country and his present fate. Q:But isn’t your move away from the race a denial of the very people you say you represent to have their voices heard? A: Well, we went to courts and filed action on grounds that the violent nature of the environment in the East would not permit a democratic election to be held. But considering the security of both our contestants and supporters in a scenario where the law enforcement machinery will not take any action against this group we’ve decided not to face the elections. It’s our position that the State wouldn’t provide security for our supporters. I don’t think the people are in a position to do as they want. We’ll be exposing the people to grave risk by going to an election where there is no independent law enforcement. Several of our successful contestants at the earlier local government elections have been killed afterwards. What happened at the local govt. elections in Ampara and Trincomalee sometime ago. In the Tamil areas TNA swept the polls while in the Muslim areas the SLMC did so. Where was the PA or the TMVP? The govt. wants to show, in support of some positions that they have support in the East. The conflict arises because successive governments have failed to accept democratic verdicts of the Tamil people in the NE for several decades. They have voted for certain policies; autonomy, substantial self rule in areas of historic habitation on a federal solution. Q:But the govt. maintains that normalcy is maintained in the area and the East is ready for elections? A: The govt. can say whatever they want. The govt. thinks this will become a precursor to a Provincial Council election they want to hold for the North East. That’s their game. They want to show that the people have forgotten their verdicts all these years, and come to treat the TMVP as their saviours. They’re fooling themselves. This is a farce by a government that is unable to come to terms with the issue of the conflict. Q:The government announced that it will establish the proposed Interim Council for the Northern Province as soon as possible, with members being appointed in proportion to the ethnic composition of the province. A: Why wasn’t it done all these years? Prabhakaran came with an interim proposal, he wanted it to be discussed. He said if there are areas in it which were unacceptable we will try to resolve them. Why wasn’t it done? Why now and why seperately? Q:Are you saying that the proposals in the ISGA meet the needs of the Tamil people better? A: I’m not saying it suits them better, but I certainly think that if there was a discussion on either the ISGA in a manner that was acceptable to both the government and the Tamil people or the P-TOMS was implemented, we wouldn’t have come to the present predicament. I know for certain that the LTTE was interested in the resettlement of the Tamil people and reconstruction, but unfortunately those opportunities were stifled as a result of the myopic attitudes of governments and politicians. Governments have to be honest and candid and come up with a proposal which constitutes a challenge to the LTTE. And if they are not ready to accept them then it becomes our duty to take it up on behalf of the people. We will not fail in that. Q:Are you then saying that any proposal must essentially contain the basics of the ISGA? A: I’m not saying that, but that if the ISGA had worked there wouldn’t have been a return to war. But you have no trust in the government’s move to seek the 13th Amendment as a solution to the conflict? This is a joke. What has happened after it was passed? President Premadasa held discussions, President Kumaratunga came up with some proposals and President Rajapaksa came up with maximum devolution. Why has he woken from his deep slumber and sought refuge in the 13th Amendment? We didn’t contest the elections held under the 13th Amendment, even with regard to the merged North Eastern province. That arrangement was not workable and we conveyed that to the Indian government. It doesn’t provide reliable autonomy to the region. Q:But in all fairness couldn’t the argument be made that it was not given the chance to work? A: It was not workable at all. What is the history of the President embracing the 13th Amendment? The All Party Conference which was to seek this solution did not involve the TNA on grounds that he first wanted to evolve a Sinhala consensus. But what happened to the experts committee appointed to recommend a possible solution to the APRC? It was thrown to the dustbin. Why wasn’t the MoU between the UNP and the PA to seek consensus on a solution not allowed to work? The APRC was sitting despite all these shortcomings and it is widely known that nationalist parties were having discussions that were restricting, limiting and curbing the discussions of the ARRC. Anyway the 13th Amendment is not a proposal that came from the APRC but from the President. All information confirms that. The President was under pressure from the international community to come up with a set of devolution proposals, which he was unable to do because he hadn’t acted on the basis of the majority report. He had been prevented by nationalist parties to be progressive. The 13th Amendment was a way out. It is not just that its not workable but the manner, at this juncture, in which it is being brought out is a very questionable matter. It is devoid of any credibility. Q:But given its history and the greater likelihood of it being welcomed by India especially and more likely the rest of the international community, doesn’t it make more sense for it to be pursued as one that was "acceptable to all communities"? A: Certainly not, and India knows about it. Not a lot of people in this country know about the history of the 13th Amendment and that it didn’t really come from India. When Natwar Singh came to Sri Lanka in 1986 there was a set of proposals discussed as an initial step towards devolution and the authentic TULF was called upon to study this, and it didn’t come out of this but it was something that the Jayewardene govt. evolved. It didn’t have the support of India but it was what was on the table at the time the Indo Lanka Agreement was signed. It was never accepted by the Tamil people of this country. President Rajapaksa was never involved in the evolution of the 13th Amendment. This is one big agenda lacking in honesty and candour. Q:The Indian government is aware of your opposition to the Amendment but this time around are you assured of any support from the Indian govt. to your stand? A: The Indian government knows the truth and we think there will be support coming. We don’t think it’s a credible exercise of devolution of power. That is why after several successive governments in power in Sri Lanka there had been a continuous effort to come up with a credible set of acceptable proposals, because that was found to be inadequate and in our view unworkable. Q:So you are not even open to the possibility of the 13th Amendment as a minimum point of discussion, this time around? A: Certainly not. For starters the 13th Amendment has to be implemented in a merged North East. Does it not contemplate that and did it not come about? Has there not been one for 18 years accepted by several successive Presidents, including the one where the Present President was the Premier? How can it be accepted in the East unless it works as one region? It is illegal to implement the 13th Amendment in a de-merged East. This is quite apart from the fact that it is unacceptable and not workable, and we will not touch it. Q:The President last week told the Indian news channel NDTV that India could play a major role in resolving the conflict here. What in your opinion is that role today? A: We’d be happy to have India play a role. We’d like them to play a role in evolving a solution that is acceptable to the Tamil and Muslim people without doing any harm to the Sinhala People. We have much affection for the Sinhala people. We would like India as a country which we came from, and as a regional power to get involved. We’re quite willing to India playing a substantive role. Unfortunately there were some bitter experiences. India had good reason to be offended with both the government and the Tamils. I won’t dispute that. But I think India is the only country that can bring about a resolution to this question, in a way that all communities will be happy. Q:You have always maintained that the people will not accept it if the government tries to push a military solution down the throats of the Tamil people. Would you say that was the attempt this time around with the 13th amendment? A: I don’t know if the present thinking is influenced by the nationalist elements within the government, but there is a strategy to ram something down the throats of the Tamil people. The Tamils are a very resilient people and they are for a respectable peace and don’t want to harm the Sinhala people, they will not compromise on their legitimate rights. Q:So you don’t believe the President when he says that he was against a military solution? A: No. This government very ill-advisedly thinks that this problem is capable of being solved militarily, and once that is done they can force any solution on the Tamil people. They will not be successful in either. As long as there is a legitimate cause it can’t fail. You don’t end the struggle by destroying Prabhakaran, or Raviraj or Maheswaran. Q: But as long as the LTTE refuses to come for talks, this killing and destruction will continue. A: I think they will come to talks. I’m not saying the LTTE haven’t made mistakes but it is the duty of the govt to ensure that its governance is reasonable to all people. The importance of being Prabhakaran By R. Hariharan The media blaze created by the news of Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sustaining minor injury in a Sri Lankan air-strike in Wanni recently has underlined the importance of Prabhakaran to the fate of the conflict in Sri Lanka.Coming after the death of S.P. Tamilchelvan, the LTTE political head, in a similar air-strike in Kilinochchi a few months ago, the news about Prabhakaran has reminded us that no leader is invulnerable in a military conflict.The report of his injury found indirect corroboration when his wife Mathivathani made her first-ever public appearance to inaugurate "Anbuchcholai," a home for elders in Kilinochchi.As a matter of policy, Prabhakaran's family always had an invisible public and media presence; so the publicity given in the LTTE media to the news with her photographs indicated a change in Prabhakaran's policy.As it happens to all the news concerning Prabhakaran, the media had been debating a number of issues connected with the LTTE leader - the nature of Prabhakaran's injury, his possible successor for leadership, future of the Sri Lanka war, and so on. And the representatives of the Sri Lanka government had also been triumphantly airing their views on the subject.With Sri Lankan security forces riding the crest of operational successes for some time now, the news about Prabhakaran's injury came as a bonus to them. Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka Army commander, in his reaction, expected the LTTE to crumble after Prabhakaran, because the LTTE was a "one-man show." This reaction, surprisingly, is similar to that of Prabhakaran's own "admirers" everywhere, who feel the Tamil cause would have no "protector" in his absence. These inferences are based either because of the historical baggage of the ethnic confrontation or without understanding the "cause" of LTTE's existence. In the absence of a political solution in the horizon, the Tamil cause continues to remain as relevant to Tamils as before, LTTE or no LTTE.There is no doubt that the LTTE would not be the same fighting force unless Prabhakaran is there to lead it. However, any assessment on its future under a different leader has to be contextualised in the change that has taken place in the political and security environment in the island since the undeclared Eelam War 4 started in December 2005.Prabhakaran's ruthlessness and legendary charisma have enabled him to create and run with an iron hand a complex war machine. Succeeding him will not be an easy task for anyone else. No other leader in the LTTE has demonstrated leadership capabilities that would come anywhere near Prabhakaran.On top of it, the security forces' operations have now reached a critical stage in the north. Having lost control of Tamil areas in the east, the LTTE is locked in a creeping Sri Lankan offensive eating its way into LTTE territory in the north, particularly in areas west of A9 and north of the Vavuniya-Mannar axis. In this operational situation, any successor to Prabhakaran has a very difficult and up-hill task of sustaining the LTTE as a viable operational outfit in the face of a ruthless foe determined to militarily eliminate it.Many appear to assume that the leadership succession in the LTTE would be an automatic process, with the mantle falling on Pottu Amman (Shanmugaligam Sivashanker), the number two man in the pecking order. He also heads the LTTE's all-powerful and secretive intelligence wing, as well as the Black Tigers, the sword arm of the LTTE. Apart from his position of power, most importantly, he has the ear of the leader. He also controls the access to Prabhakaran. This has ensured the physical security of Prabhakaran, and insulated him from the day-to-day problems of the organisation. However, at the same time, it has prevented other senior leaders gaining direct access to Prabhakaran. This has not endeared him to other leaders. Moreover, Prabhakaran does not appear to have nominated Pottu Amman as his successor. This would indicate that he had not yet made up his mind on this issue.Pottu Amman has demonstrated a strong determination and power assertion to get things done his way in the organisation. But being no Prabhakaran, to successfully lead the LTTE, he needs the cooperation, if not acceptance, of veteran commanders like Soosai, the Sea Tiger commander, and the area commanders. Even if that happens, with external intelligence agencies of many hues in action to create dissent and to lure dissidents, two things can happen. A more acceptable claimant to the throne can appear in the horizon. Equally, the possibility of the LTTE breaking up into regional groups should not be ruled out. That increases the nuisance value of the LTTE as a guerrilla force, even if it loses a conventional war. Political settlement will become more amorphous, and that would encourage the reassertion of Sinhala chauvinism.However, all this might not happen in the immediate future as the security forces are yet to hit the heartland of the LTTE, and main battles for control of the north are yet to take place. But for formulating long-term national policies, a possible change in the LTTE leadership has to be considered, as it will have far reaching implications not only for Sri Lanka but also for India, as ties between the two countries are closer and more complex than ever before.As far as India is concerned, a change in the LTTE leadership after a disastrous exit of Prabhakaran could create some sharp ripples in Tamil Nadu. The Dravidian parties, particularly Vaiko's Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, might drum up support for the LTTE to prevent its dissipation. In the absence of Prabhakaran, even the AIADMK might re-examine its hostile attitude to the LTTE if popular support for it in Tamil Nadu grows.Prabhakaran's strategic blunder in masterminding the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had been a roadblock for the LTTE to regain political legitimacy and support in India. Even a move like lifting the ban on the LTTE in India could effect major changes in its military fortunes as access to supplies from Tamil Nadu would become easy.However, these developments would depend upon how the people of Tamil Nadu respond. Given the public preoccupation in furthering their fortunes, in a booming economy, resurrecting political support for the LTTE would not be an easy task. But in coalition politics, with its eyes solely on vote banks, anything is possible.To prevent such unhealthy revival, India should strongly put pressure on Sri Lanka to implement a reasonable devolution structure without any further delay. That would marginalise the relevance of LTTE for the Tamil struggle.With the end of the monsoon, the Sri Lanka war is likely to heat up in the coming months. And the risk for Prabhakaran will increase as the war enters Vanni. On the whole, Sri Lanka's political and security environment is poised for a paradigm shift. And that is linked to the fortunes of Prabhakaran in the coming year. LTTE should be banned – Gotabhaya In its publication on Jan.27th, the ‘Sunday Lankadeepa’ reports a lengthy interview with the defence secretary on the current war situation.“I am privately pleased about the government’s withdrawal form the ceasefire agreement,” reports the weekend newspaper, citing Gotabhaya.“The hierarchy of the LTTE leadership including Prabhakaran, Pottu Amman and Susei should be broken down. Once the leadership is shattered, the organization will follow suit,” it adds.“The LTTE is a terrorist organization. We call for other countries to ban this outfit without doing so ourselves. There is no reason not to ban the LTTE. The final responsibility lies with the Cabinet,” quotes the ‘Sunday Lankadeepa’.“It is not have to stop there. If we are capable of anything beyond that, we should not hesitate. Our objective is to eradicate the LTTE. Therefore what is the problem that stands between banning it,” the defence secretary has said. The full text of the APRC proposals 1.1 The APRC was mandated by the President to prepare a set of proposals that would be the basis for a solution to the national question. After 63 sittings over a period of 1½ years the consensus document is being finalized and it should be possible to hand it over to the President in the very near future. The outcome would be a basis for appropriate constitutional arrangements. Implementation of this would of course require amendment of the present Constitution, and in respect of some Articles, approval by the People at a referendum. This would of course take time, once a favourable climate is established. 1.2 Under the circumstances, the APRC taking into consideration its own proposals, has identified a course of action to achieve maximum and effective devolution of powers to the provinces in the short term. The emphasis would be on meeting the aspirations of the Tamil speaking peoples, especially in the North and East. This would be done within the framework of the present Constitution, that is, the 1978 Constitution. The course of action proposed by the APRC would be implemented with immediate effect, and envisages an interim arrangement pending the restoration of democratically elected Provincial Councils in the North and East. 1.3 The 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution was enacted following the Indo Sri Lanka Agreement of July 1987. It resulted in the setting up of Provincial Councils throughout Sri Lanka and it devolved power to the Provinces under the unitary Constitution. The powers devolved fall under a Provincial List and a Concurrent List. All other powers were reserved for the Centre through a Reserved List. Further, any subject or function not included in any of the three Lists will also be deemed to be a subject or function in the Reserved List. 1.4 Implementation of subjects and functions devolved on the Provinces through the Concurrent List has not taken place at all due to the fact most of these subjects and functions were retained by the Centre as if they also belonged to the Reserved List. 2. Steps necessary to permit Maximum Devolution of Powers to Provinces under the 13th Amendment 2.1 The Government should endeavour to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in respect of legislative, executive and administrative powers, overcoming existing shortcomings. 2.2 Adequate funds should be provided by the Government to facilitate effective functioning of the Provincial Councils. 2.2.1 The Centre should hereinafter route all finances in respect of special projects undertaken by the Centre in the Provinces, if they are on subjects under the purview of the Provinces, through the respective Provincial Administrations. 3. Special Arrangements necessary to permit Maximum Devolution of Powers to the Northern and Eastern Provinces under the 13th Amendment 3.1 The APRC is of the view that conditions in the Eastern Province are conducive to holding elections to the Provincial Council and that elections should be held immediately. 3.2 Conditions in the Northern Province are far from being peaceful. A free and fair election in the North will not be possible in the near future. Hence an alternative arrangement is required in the Northern Province to enable the people of that Province to enjoy the fruits of devolution. 3.3 As it is not possible to hold elections in the North, the President could make appropriate order to establish an Interim Council for the Northern Province in terms of the Constitution. 3.4 The Interim Council of a Province will aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his executive powers, and will function until Provincial Council elections are held in that Province. 3.4.1 The Interim Council should reflect the ethnic character of that Province. 3.4.2 It is proposed that the Interim Council for a Province should consist of individuals who have political experience and an abiding interest in the development of the Province and in its people and be acceptable to the people of the Province. A person to qualify for appointment as a member of an Interim Council should have a thorough knowledge of the particular Province. 4. Implementation of the Official Languages Provision of the Constitution 4.1 The Government should take immediate steps to ensure that Parliament enacts laws to provide for the full implementation of Chapter IV of the Constitution on Language. 4.2 There are many contexts in which remedial measures will assume an administrative, rather than a legislative, character. The following are instances of measures which should be strenuously accelerated and implemented by the Government. (a) recruitment of Tamil speaking police officers in sufficient numbers to enable Tamil speaking members of the public, not only in the North and East, but in the country as a whole, to transact business in their own language in police stations; (b) the taking of all steps, including recruitment of staff and procurement of equipment to enable Tamil speaking members of the public to deal with Ministries, Government Departments, statutory corporations and all other public bodies in their own language; (c) the regular holding of, and streamlining of procedures for, mobile "clinics" where officials fluent in the Tamil language will engage problem solving on the spot; (d) the provision of interpreters, translators and other relevant facilities in all courts of law, so that the needs of members of provincial minority communities are catered fully with regard to all aspects of the administration of justice; (e) The Sinhala minorities in the North and East suffer from disadvantages similar to those affecting Tamil speaking peoples as mentioned above. Suitable steps should be taken to address them along the same lines. The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) comprised of: 24January 2008 1987 pact with India to be implemented: Sri Lanka Sri Lanka said Thursday that the recommendations of an all-party panel on devolution of power to the provinces reflected a collective resolve to fully implement the India-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987."It is a fact that after 20 years the present formulation will see the letter and spirit of the agreement of 1987 being fully implemented in the areas it was intended to serve," Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said here."What is most significant about the present consensus is that political parties, both in the north and the south, have demonstrated a spirit of political flexibility in extending their cooperation to the proposals," he told reporters.The All Parties Representative Committee (APRC) submitted a report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa Wednesday, recommending full implementation of the 13th amendment of the constitution that was based on the 1987 India-Sri Lanka pact.The 13th amendment had created provincial councils enjoying a modicum of power devolved from the central government. But the provincial council of the north-eastern province, inhabited predominantly by Tamils and Tamil-speaking Muslims, ceased to exist in 1990, thus creating a grievance among the minorities.The foreign minister said that the APRC's report stood out for three things: the recommendation to set up an Interim Advisory Council for the northern province; for seeking elections to a full-fledged provincial council in the east; and the call for the full implementation of the constitutional provisions for the use of Tamil, one of the official languages of the country.The Advisory Council would consist of people from the civil society and leading figures from various walks of life and those with knowledge of the area. It will be temporary till elections are held to pick a new council.The minister said that all previous attempts to resolve the dragging ethnic dispute had failed because there was no collective resolve over power sharing.He claimed that there was consensus on the APRC's bid to fully implement the power-sharing system as envisaged in the 13th amendment of the constitution."Even those who opposed the amendment when it was passed are now operating within the provincial councils system, fighting for elections and taking part in provincial governance," he said.Although President Rajapaksa is yet to say he has accepted the APRC's recommendations, the minister spoke as if the president had already accepted them.Asked if Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran would be included in the Advisory Council, Bogollagama said: "He qualifies to the extent he is a citizen of Sri Lanka and has knowledge of the area. But he would have to give up violence and terrorism first."But the minister ruled out a merger of the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. Police find over a dozen dead in north Sri Lanka Police found more than a dozen unidentified bodies, some with their hands tied behind their backs, in northern Sri Lanka on Thursday, the military and a witness said.Rights groups have reported hundreds of abductions and disappearances in recent months after the military and separatist Tamil Tigers resumed a two-decade civil war, which has cost nearly 70,000 lives since 1983.Police found the decomposing bodies in a grave in the north central district of Anuradhapura after a report by a local resident, a military spokesman said."An incident has been reported and investigative teams have rushed to the scene. Details are not available immediately as they have not returned yet," said Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.One resident, who asked not to be named, said he had seen about 16 dead bodies, some with their hands tied behind their back.Sri Lanka's government formally ended a 2002 truce with the Tigers on Jan. 16, deepening fears of an escalation in the fighting between the state and Tamil Tiger rebels.The international community has repeatedly voiced concerns about rights abuses blamed on elements of the Sri Lankan military and the Tigers.The government denied military involvement in the killings and right abuses. India welcomes Sri Lanka report on devolution India Thursday hailed as a "welcome first step" a report submitted to the Sri Lankan government suggesting devolution for that country's provinces. The external affairs ministry said to the extent the proposals of the All Parties Representative Committee (APRC) contributed to a settlement acceptable "to all communities within the framework of a united Sri Lanka", they "are a welcome first step". The APRC had presented an interim report on a devolution package for the island's provinces which Colombo said would be in keeping with the 1987 India-Sri Lanka Accord. The long-awaited APRC report was submitted to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse Thursday. "The government of Sri Lanka has been good enough to share with us the interim steps recommended by the APRC for implementation of devolution provisions and official language provisions of the Sri Lankan constitution," said ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna. Sarna added that India would "continue to work with Sri Lanka and its people to bring about ... a settlement of the issues in Sri Lanka". Sri Lanka asks Prabhakaran to give up arms Buoyed by the recent military success against the Tamil Tigers, Sri Lankan government on Thursday asked the elusive LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran to lay down arms.''Wherever Prabhakaran is, he will be knowing about the All Party Representative Committee (APRC ) recommendations that have called for an interim Council for North as a temporary measure until the elections are held there. He should lay down arms,'' Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told reporters.Bogollagama said the security forces had achieved a major success in their battle against the Tiger rebels in the island's restive northern region.Earlier, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse had said the APRC recommendations were not meant for ''terrorists.''The Foreign Minister, who was briefing the media persons after his discussions with heads of missions on the interim report on devolution proposals which was submitted to Rajapakse yesterday, said the APRC under the chairmanship of Tissa Vitarana will continue to work on the recommendations.The APRC was set up in 2006 and held about 60 meetings before finalising the interim package recommending setting up of autonomous provincial councils in north and eastern part of the country.Replying to a question, Bogollagama said the Sri Lanka Donor Co-chairs Group - Norway, US, EU and Japan - and the heads of missions including from India were supportive of the proposals when he provided details to them about the APRC recommendations. Police powers removed from the President's proposals; LSSP splits The Chairman of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) Minister Thissa Vithara has come under severe criticism from his party Lanka Samasamaja Party (LSSP) politburo for recommending a President's proposal that is against the party's long time stance on ethnic problem.The President called the government coalition party leaders to the Temple Trees and instructed them to prepare a set of proposals based on the 13th amendment and sarcastically said to Vitharana that he fell in trouble earlier since he adopted proposals of those who errored in an attempt to prepare a new constitution. APRC submitted an interim report based on the President's instructions three days later. The President made Minister Thissa Vitharana read the President's proposal in the meeting and Vitharan obeyed like a student betraying the political maturity, said a politburo member of the LSSP to Lanka-e-News. LSSP politburo held a special meeting later and instructed Vitharana not to submit only the President's proposal as APRC's recommendation and to submit two reports, one APRC's proposals. Vitharana agreed to abide with the party decision but later broke the promise, said the politburo member of the APRC. Meanwhile the recommendation to grant police powers to the Provincial Councils in accordance with the 13th amendment has been removed under instructions of the President due to the protest of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the Mahajaha Eksath Peramuna (MEP). The President has reportedly stated that thise powers would be vested only after the suppression of terrorism. Ban parties openly supporting LTTE: Congress Expressing concern over reported rise in LTTE activities in Tamil Nadu,the Congress on Thursday asked the State Government to ban political parties and organisations which were openly supporting the proscribed outfit. Participating in a discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address to the assembly, C Gnanasekaran (Cong) cited reports that 102 LTTE cadre had infiltrated into the state during the last two years and cases had been filed against 40 of them under the National Security Act. Recalling the recent arrest of LTTE intelligence wing leader Thambidurai Parameswaran and others, who allegedly attempted to procure arms and material for the LTTE, he questioned the "inaction" of the state's intelligence. He said the LTTE should be viewed in two phases -- before and after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The scar over Rajiv Gandhi's assassination still remained among Congressmen, he said and urged the Chief Minister to take steps to extradite LTTE chief V Prabhakaran, the prime accused in the case, against whom a non-bailable warrant was pending. Stating that the LTTE had also killed several Tamils, Gnanasekaran wondered how some parties and organisations in the state were openly supporting the outfit. The Government should ban such organisations and completely curb their activities, he urged. Earlier, P K Sekarbabu (AIADMK) said the law and order situation had deteriorated and a "bomb culture" had grown in the state during the last two years. Citing the attack on TNCC President M Krishnaswamy in October last,he said neither the opposition party leaders nor the leaders of DMK's allies had security in the state. Participating in the debate, CPI floor leader V Sivapunniyam expressed concern over the reported supply of arms and defence equipment to the Sri Lankan Government by the Centre. Intervening, Congress whip S Peter Alphonse said India had certain responsibilities as a key SAARC nation. The Centre was only providing training to the Sri Lankan defence forces and not supplying arms, he said. He said the Centre had taken Karunanidhi into confidence on the Lankan issue and National Security Advisor M K Narayanan had been frequently apprising him about the steps taken by the Centre in this regard. Alphonse pointed out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also cancelled his visit to the island nation recently, respecting the sentiments expressed in some quarters. India has a role in Sri Lanka -G.Parthasarathy Tigers seize SLA weapons in Ma'nalaa'ru Liberation Tigers Ma'nalaa'ru Operations Command said it repulsed a ground movement by the Sri Lanka Army in Ceylon Theatre area of Ma'nalaa'ru Thursday evening and seized three T-56 assault rifles, a 40 mm gun and more than hundred 7.62 mm rounds after more than 2-hours stiff resistance. Heavy fighting erupted when SLA forces attempted to breach LTTE Forward Defence Line in Ceylon Theatre area at 3:00 p.m.The SLA, sustaining casualties, pulled back leaving behind military hardware, the Tigers said. There were no LTTE casualties in the confrontations in Ma'nalaa'ru. SLMC MP’s security increased The Security of Parliamentarian Segu Basheer Dawood of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress would be increased to five security personnel, Senior State Counsel Parinda Ranasinghe submitted before the Supreme Court, yesterday. The Bench comprised Justice Nihal Jayasinghe with Justice Nimal Gamini Amaratunga and Justice Saleem Marsoof PC. The MP would be further provided with necessary security whenever he would visit the Eastern Province. Accordingly, the court terminated the rights case filed by petitioner Segu Dawood. The petitioner complained to the court that his rights had been violated by the withdrawal of his security. He stated that his security had been reduced to two security personnel. The petitioner cited IGP, the Secretary to the Defence and the Attorney General. President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva with Sugath Caldera instructed by G. G. Arulpragasam appeared for the petitioner. Senior State Counsel K. A. P. Ranasinghe appeared for the respondents. 18 Tamils arrested in Polonnaruwa Eighteen Tamil civilians were taken into custody by the police at Polonnaruwa and its border villages during a cordon and search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Army from Wednesday night till the dawn of Thursday. Majority of them now being detained in Polonnaruwa police station are from Mannampity. They are to be produced in court Thursday, Police said. Ex-president of Co-operative union shot dead in Thenmaraadchi Unidentified gun men shot dead the former president of Kodikaamam Multi Purpose Co-operative society (MPCS) Thursday around 6:30 a.m, in front of his house at Naavatkaadu in Va’rani in Thenmaraadchi, sources in Jaffna said. The victim is the fourth person engaged in co-operative activities in Jaffna peninsula to be shot and killed, the sources added. The victim was identified as S.Nadesapillai, 61, a resident of Va’ra’ni in Thenmaraadchi.The killers, arriving on a motor cycle, called Nadesapillai out of his house, sprayed bullets on him and fled from the site.Subramaniam, the former president of Kaithadi MPCS and the president of Jaffna Farmers’ Consumer Society, Gananathan, the president of Jaffna MPCS and Sivamaharajah, president of Thellippalai MPCS were the prominent co-operative activists shot and killed in Jaffna peninsula earlier.Most of the civilian affairs in Jaffna peninsula including distribution of food and consumer goods are handled by the MPCSs in Jaffna peninsula led by their presidents elected by co-operative society members.Nadesapillai had recently resigned from the president post from Kodikaamam MPCS apprehensive of the risk involved in continuing in his post and had led a reserved life at home.Kodikaamam police recovered his body Thursday around 3:30 p.m and handed it over to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary.The killing has created fear among staff employed by the co-operative societies in Jaffna. Nominations for local polls One political party and 10 independent groups had filed nominations for the local government polls in Batticaloa by noon yesterday, Chief Returning Officer and District Secretary S. Arumeinayagam said yesterday.The Eelam Democratic Front filed nominations for five Pradeshiya Sabhas, namely, Koralaipattu, Koralaipattu North, Eravurpattu, Manmunaipattu and Manmunaipattu North while ten independent groups filed nominations for eight Pradeshiya Sabhas, he said. “We expect to receive more nominations in the next few days as there is already a keen interest among political activists,” Mr. Arumeinayagam said. Meanwhile, Batticaloa DIG P. Nanayakkara told the Daily Mirror the situation in Batticaloa was normal and that he was looking forward to a peaceful poll.“I don’t think there will be any disruption of the polls as the situation is calm. The security forces and the Police have assured security for a free and fair election,” Mr. Nanayakkara said. Youth returns back to HRC for protection A youth, who was earlier placed in protective custody in the Jaffna prison by Human Rights Commission (HRC) after seeking protection due to death threats by Sri Lanka Amy (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, and later left the custody, surrendered at the HRC again asking them to provide protection as unidentified armed men had allegedly tried to kill him, HRC sources said. The youth who surrendered at Jaffna HRC is a resident staying in a camp at Uduppiddi for Internally Displaced Persons.Many civilians placed under protective custody chose to leave the prison due to lack of basic facilities and health hazards.Some of these who left the prison on their own will had been killed.Many who left the custody, mostly from Chaavakachcheari and Madduvil in Thenmaraadchchi, are seeking HRC protection again, civil society sources in Jaffna said.Some of the civilians seeking HRC protection seek protection to their family members also.Conditions in Jaffna prison is worsening due to the increasing number of inmates.No attempt has been made by the Sri Lanka government to improve conditions in Jaffna prison or to find an alternate place for the inmates though several representations have been made, an official in Jaffna HRC said. 3 SLA killed, 16 wounded in Mannaar - LTTE Liberation Tigers Operations Command in Mannaar claimed it repulsed a ground movement of the Sri Lanka Army towards Paalaikkuzhi Thursday morning following a confrontation that lasted from 6:00 a.m till 8:15 a.m. The Tigers further said SLA soldiers suffered casualties in booby traps while withdrawing from their mission. One LTTE fighter was killed in action. The SLA had launched the ground movement with heavy artillery support and mortar fire. Ex-LTTE rebel pleads guilty to fraud in British court London: Ex-Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebel Karuna Amman has pleaded guilty to identity document fraud in Britain, court officials said on Thursday, as rights groups push for him to be charged with war crimes. Karuna was the eastern commander for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) until he split from the mainstream rebels in 2004. Since then analysts say his fighters have been backing the government and attacking their ex-comrades. British officials say they have asked the Sri Lankan government how Karuna, real name V. Muralitharan, was able to acquire an apparently genuine Sri Lankan diplomatic passport in a false name after his new group the TMVP split and ousted him last year. The Sri Lankan government has denied any knowledge of how Karuna, arrested in London by British police and due to be sentenced on Friday, obtained the documentation. Karuna to be sentenced Asylum Karuna is believed to have lodged an asylum claim in the UK. If Karuna does not get a custodial sentence, he might withdraw his asylum claim and agree to leave the UK voluntarily. In that case, the window of opportunity to pursue other claims against him here would be very small. This is an immediate concern of human rights groups. However, he could remain in immigration custody anyway until there's an outcome on his asylum application that's being processed. 23January 2008 TNA to boycott Batticaloa local polls Parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a parliamentary group meeting held Wednesday, unanimously agreed to boycott elections to nine local authorities in the Batticaloa district. Mr. R.Sampanthan, President of the TNA parliamentary group presided over the meeting. The TNA earlier filed fundamental rights petitions in the Supreme Court seeking the postponement of the local elections in Batticaloa district on the grounds that the security situation is not conducive to hold free and fair elections. But later the TNA withdrew its FR petition when the Supreme Court informed that it has no authority to postpone these elections but it is prepared to consider application later if there was threat to hold free and fair election. UPFA-TMVP to jointly contest east polls The United People’s Freedom Alliance and the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (Pillayan) have decided to jointly contest the local government polls in eastern Batticaloa district, government sources say. UPFA General Secretary Susil Premjayantha and TMVP (P) Secretary E.S. Kailerajah had signed the related Memorandum of Understanding in Batticaloa this morning (Jan. 23rd), according to the sources.In accordance with this MOU, the UPFA later in the day handed in nominations of 86 candidates under the ‘betel leaf’ symbol. They will contest five local bodies - the Batticaloa Municipal Council and the Pradeshiya Sabhas of Eravurpattu, Koralepattu, Koralepattu North and Manmunaipattu. For the remaining four Pradeshiya Sabhas, the TMVP (P) will field its candidates under the ‘boat’ symbol, the sources said. Nominations close on 12.00 noon on January 25th. TMVP (P) was among the five groups that were recognized by the Elections Commissioner as political parties today.Of late, there have been allegations against the government-backed TMVP that it was responsible for the escalation of violence in the east.Minister Amir Ali denied the UPFA and the TMVP having entered into a MOU, but said that the two parties had reached some sort of agreement on how to contest the Batticaloa polls. If others are disarmed we will disarm ourselves: TMVP UNP politburo decides not to contest east polls US cast doubts on Free and fair elections The United States does not believe that free & fair elections can be held in Batticaloa if one party is allowed to bear arms says the US Ambassador for Sri Lanka, Robert O Blake. If one party is allowed arms and threaten and intimidate other parties and other contestants free and fair electionscan not be held, said the US Ambassador addressing a public function held in Batticaloa on Wednesday. The US Ambassador said,” Unchecked illegal paramilitary activity also discourages the prime investment that is badly needed to help the reconstruction process in the east". He said that the US is working with the government, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations to help establish and reconstruct whole of east particularly Batticaloa. Elected representatives This will be done, he said, in such a way that will improve relations between all three communities - Sinhala, Tamil and Muslims in these areas and gradually put authority into the hands of elected representatives of the communities. “The upcoming elections for local council seats in Batticaloa marks a very important opportunity to give the Tamils the opportunity to have their first elected Governor”, the US Ambassador Blake said. This is why the US believed all paramilitaries including TMVP should not be allowed to bear arms, he said. “They should compete with words and not with bullets”, the US Ambassador. Lankan military bombs Prabhakaran base LTTE dismisses claim However, the LTTE dismissed as ''false propaganda'' Sri Lankan military's claims that it had bombed the base of rebel chief V Prabhakaran while remaining mum on the fate of their elusive leader.LTTE spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayal said the Sri Lanka Air Force had hit civilian targets in Iranamadu in Kilinochchi where the Tamil Tigers' air wing is located.He described the defence ministry's statement as ''false propaganda''. Sri Lankan Navy plants mines along maritime border with India ICRC hands over 9 bodies to LTTE The Army handed over nine bodies to the LTTE through the ICRC at Omanthai in Vavuniya around 9.00 this morning, Tamilnet reported. The Vavuniya District Magistrate conducted the magisterial inquiry and ordered the handover after the postmortem examinations.According to Vavuniya police, the nine youths had been killed in clashes between the army and the LTTE in Mannar on January 21st. Political package handed over to Sri Lankan president Sri Lanka central bank says no excessive money printing Reserve Money The Central Bank says it pursued a quantity targeting framework in 2007, where it targeted reserve money and broad money. The increase in reserve money could be from the purchase of foreign exchange (net foreign assets) and domestic assets which is mostly central bank credit (printed money) to government. "Reserve Money includes: (a) currency issued by the Central Bank; and (b) the deposits of commercial banks with the Central Bank," the central bank said. The Central Bank said it set monthly and quarterly targets for reserve money based on the expected macro-economic outlook, including economic growth and likely inflation, which was around 15 percent. In 2002 it was 12.3 percent, in 2003 it was 11.9 percent, in 2004 it was 20.9 percent, in 2005 it was 15.8 percent, in 2006 it was 21.2 percent and in 2007 it was 10.3 percent. The Central Bank says reserve money increased from 15.8 percent in 2005 to 21.2 percent in 2006 due to foreign and domestic asset increases fuelled by economic growth oil prices and "administered prices." The reserve money target for 2007 was set at a lower level of 11.7 per cent, or 267.6 billion rupees. Reserve money at the end of the year was 264.4 billion rupees made of currency issued by the Central Bank of 173.4 billion and deposits of commercial banks of 91 billion. In 2006 reserve money in December was 239.9 billion rupees made up of currency issued by the Central Bank of 157.2 billion rupees and deposits of commercial banks of 82.6 billion rupees. "Therefore, it would be noted that, notwithstanding the unprecedented local and international challenges during the year 2007, the Central Bank has been able to maintain Reserve Money within the stringent quarterly targets," the Central Bank said. "In fact, the actual reserve money growth rate during the year 2007 was at 10.3 per cent, while was even lower than the very tight target set at the beginning of the year." Tight Policy The Central Bank said it had tightened monetary policy by raising policy interest rates, conducting aggressive open market operations; and imposing certain quantitative restrictions on the provision of funds by the Central Bank to commercial banks. This has slowed broad money growth to 18 percent by end 2007. "From the foregoing, it is clear that the regular allegations of “excessive money printing” are baseless, and are obviously not driven by honourable motives," the Central Bank said. The Central Bank says it has a reserve money target of 15 percent for 2008. The Central Bank says it is confident that reserve money targets in 2008 "would have a favourable impact on the deceleration of the inflation and therefore would continue in its endeavour to be within the targets during the year 2008 as well." Despite reaching reserve money targets inflation in Colombo was 16.4 percent, while a new index which authorities said showed 'true' inflation grew 18.8 percent in 2007. The Central Bank did not say in the statement that the original broad money target was 13.2 percent which seem to have been missed with room to spare if broad money grew at 18.0 percent in 2007. However economic analysts say the Central Bank should not be embarrassed about missing the broad money target as the link with broad money and inflation has been found to be weak not only in this country but in other countries as well. In countries like Britain broad money targeting has failed spectacularly. What happened in Sri Lanka in 2007 where inflation went up steeply despite reserve money targets being achieved also showed the shortcomings of the process of quantity targeting. Economic analysts say the problem was the steep rise in domestic assets of the central bank (mainly the purchase of treasury bills and thereby monetizing the government's fiscal deficit which is loosely referred to as money printing) from April. In Sri Lanka a very close link has been demonstrated between central bank credit and inflation, with even the International Monetary Fund research showing a very close link with public sector credit growth and inflation. Economic analysts say the central bank also compounded the problem by getting into a sterilized intervention adventure until the rupee was floated in late August, where outflows of foreign assets were neutralized by domestic asset purchases. This is a common pitfall of monetary authorities that try to operate a so-called 'soft-pegged' exchange rate regime. In the process, however the central bank effectively monetized government debt again. In Sri Lanka, unlike in some other countries with central banking regimes, 'liquidity' is given to the banking system (money is printed) only against government assets. As a result private sector debt is not directly monetized in Sri Lanka and authorities therefore cannot avoid monetizing state debt, even if 'liquidity' is given to private banks. Central Banking However giving 'liquidity' to banks is also a problem associated with central banking that is essentially inflationary. Critics say 'open market operations', frequently depicted as being anti-inflationary by central bankers, is also inflationary and is similar in concept to a person vomiting and then eating their own vomit. Economic analysts say pure fiat central banking is a deadly weapon and the power of printing money (purchasing domestic assets) has to be either completely curtailed (through a currency board/hard exchange rate peg) or restrained to some extent through an inflation targeting regime. Critics say in many poor countries with high inflation and even in rich countries, central banking is poorly understood and its dangers are not widely known, even though the current problem in the US is generating calls for monetary reform in the US. At least one presidential hopeful, Texas congressman Ron Paul is calling for fundamental reform of the Federal Reserve. The Fed is suffering from goal confusion with a mandate to create 'maximum sustainable growth with low inflation'. Modern central banks in low inflation countries (a paper money that preserves its value) have an overarching goal of price stability. Critics say this division is now becoming more apparent as the Fed is getting increasingly isolated from other major central banks in terms of policy especially the European Central Bank. Through the use of complex and esoteric words innocent people are usually easily led to believe that paper money inflation is not a purely monetary phenomenon or the absolute responsibility of the issuing monetary authority. Available data shows that inflation and balance of payments crises became a serious problem in Sri Lanka after the Central Bank was created in 1950 giving it power to purchase domestic assets (print money) and abolishing the hard exchange rate peg or currency board, the country had until then. This is the reason that countries like Singapore kept its currency board after independence without creating a central bank. Goh Keng Swee, a finance minister under then prime minister Lee Kwan Yew and later head of the monetary authority of Singapore had this to say about central bank credit or the printing of money through the purchase of government domestic assets: "Democratically elected governments the world over are exposed to the temptation of winning votes though promising better and cheaper services and at the same time lower taxes. "In Singapore, an irresponsible government does not need a Central Bank to finance lavish spending as a means to win popularity. "Our economy was and is both small and open. Financing budget deficits through Central Bank credit creation appeared to us as an invitation to disaster. "There was no effective way of exchange control in an open trading economy like ours to deal with the inevitable balance of payments troubles. "The way to a better life was through hard work, first in schools, then in universities or polytechnics and then on the job in the work place. "Diligence, education and skills will create wealth, not Central Bank credit." 13 Tamils arrested in Kalpity The Chilaw Police Wednesday arrested 13 Tamil civilians in Kalpity coastal village in a cordon and search operation conducted from Tuesday night. Majority of them now detained and interrogated at Kalpity police station are residents of Mannaar and Jaffna, sources said. The police with the support of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) conducted the search operation following the discovery of a 7 kg claymore mine buried near the Kalpity police station Tuesday evening. Pak defence delegation makes second major visit to Sri Lanka With India reluctant to enhance defence cooperation with it, Sri Lanka has shown signs of turning towards Pakistan with a high-level defence delegation from Islamabad holding talks with senior officials here.The Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) chief held detailed discussions with Sri Lanka's security officials including Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse, brother of Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.Lt Gen Syed Sabahat Hussein stressed on enhancing defence ties with Sri Lanka during his meeting with the top defence official Rajapakse yesterday, the 'Morning Leader' reported today.The visit has come at a crucial time when the Lankan military, emboldened by Colombo's withdrawal from the six-year old ceasefire agreement with the LTTE, has stepped up its offensive against the rebels.The delegation included senior POF officials, Export Director Usman Ali Bhatti and General Manager Abbas Ali.POF is Pakistan's largest conventional arms and ordnance facility and its 14 factories and four subsidiaries produce several varieties of armaments for export.This includes infantry weapons and ammunition, tank and aircraft ammunition, anti-aircraft and artillery ammunition, rockets, aerial bombs, hand grenades and mortars.However, Sri Lankan defence officials viewed that the weapons from Pakistan are costlier when compared to those from China.Sri Lanka buys military equipment, mainly small arms, from Pakistan, as other countries, including India, have been reluctant to supply it with lethal weapons. Narrow escape for 40 police officers A claymore mine weighing eight kilos was yesterday recovered from under a roadside transformer by the Kalpitiya police during a search operation. Puttalam Senior Superintendent Roshan Fernando was scheduled to make his annual inspection visit to the police station yesterday and a parade was to be held later at the nearby school grounds. However at the eleventh hour SSP Fernando had instructed that the parade be held at the police grounds instead of the school grounds. Polcie said the claymore mine might have been set up to target the SSP and some 40 police officers taking part in the parade. MAHESHWARAN REMEMBERED IN LONDON Thousands of friends of the late UNP Parliamentarian Mr. Thiyagaraja Maheswaran gathered together at Kadwar Pathidar assembly Hall in Harrow, North London, to pay their respects. Programme was organised by friends from late MP’s home town of Karainagar in Jaffna , who are now residing in London .Before commencing the proceedings a portrait of Mr Maheshwaran was garlanded and an oil lamp lit. Then every one who attended the meeting lined up to pay their respects by offering flowers to the MP’s portrait. Member of the European Parliament Mr. Robert Evans also attended as a special guest. The organisers emphasised that the meeting had no political connotations what so ever, but was arranged by friends of the late MP to pay their respects. Mr. Evens in a heart warming speech said that I am opposed to all kinds of violence in any part of the world including suicide bombings and extra-judicial murders. The assassination of the late Mr. Maheshwaran had a very sad and shocking parallel to the killing of Late Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam. I have visited Sri Lanka many a time and feel pain in my heart to see time and time again the un-necessary cancer of mistrust devoloping among friends, corruption and brutality engulfing the society through out the land. This is very sad and I feel this and must be put to an end. He further said that for a very long time, he has been a very good friend of the Tamil Community and Sri Lanka in general and he would ask every one involved to come to a respectable settlement for the sake of the future generation. Messages of condolences sent by the General Secretary of the United National Party Tissa Attanayaka and Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena were read out. Many friends of Mr. Maheshwaran spoke about the loss and the irreplaceable service he has rendered to all the communities in Sri Lanka . 22January 2008 APRC proposals will be delayed - Rajitha The proposals of the All Party Representative Committee for the resolution of the national conflict will not be unveiled tomorrow (Jan. 23rd) owing to certain unforeseen technical glitches, Minister Rajitha Senaratne told ‘Lanka Dissent’ a short while ago. The president has summoned all political parties represented in the APRC for a special meeting at 4.30 pm today (Jan. 22nd) to discuss these obstacles.He has also instructed APRC Chairman Tissa Vitarana to submit to before the discussion table a draft of the final proposals for the devolution of powers.However, the suggestions have not been drafted as yet. Hence the delay, Minister Senaratne said.According to him, the APRC proposals will now be announced by the President on February 04th at the state ceremony to mark independence. But, Senaratne told the media yesterday that leaders of political parties agreed on January 20th to devolve extensive powers to provincial councils, including for the north and the east, in accordance with the 13th amendment to the constitution. The proposals will definitely be unveiled on January 23rd, he said. According to information available to ‘Lanka Dissent’, the JHU and the MEP have told the president that they vehemently opposed the suggestions by Tissa Vitarana to grant extensive powers to the provinces.Therefore, the president had instructed Vitarana to suitably amend the proposals.When contacted, a top official who works for the APRC chairman said that the proposals were being revised on the advice of the president. The amended draft will be handed over to the president before 4.00 pm tomorrow, the official added. Sri Lanka signals shift in war on Tamil Tigers The day the government would be sent home is not far away if the government is getting ready to introduce devolution proposals in betrayals of the victories gained by the security forces - Wimal Weerawansa Propaganda Secretary of the JVP, Mr. Wimal Weerawansa says that if the government is getting ready to introduce devolution proposals for the Northern and Eastern provinces in betrayal of the victories gained by the brave security forces and sacrifice made by the people of the country and challenging the unitary status of the country, the day the government would be expelled in unison with the progressive forces of the country will not be far a way.He said this when inquired by us about the stand of the JVP about the devolution package to be introduced by the All Party Representative Committee.In further comments he said, "This package is a deadly blow to the forward march of the security forces to liberate the Northern Province from the Tiger terrorist after they have liberated the Eastern province and it is betrayal of the security forces gained by the security forces at the expense of their lives as well.""On the other hand, the JVP sees this devolution package as a plot hatched against the advancing march of the security forces gaining victory after victory." he said.In further Comments he said, "Under the Provincial Council label even Police power are given to the provincial administration. That poses a direct threat to the unitary status of the country. These powers would be definitely made use of for further steps forward. Is this for such an eventuality, the security forces are marching forward at the expense of their lives for the elimination of the tiger terrorists?""At a time the cost of living has risen to unbearable heights, the general public are making enormous sacrifices not choosing to get down to the streets and some times staying hungry, as they think they should not obstruct the battle spearheaded by the security forces against terrorism. If packages that abet devolution are introduced with people of the country making such sacrifices that would be the end of this government." he said.Mr. Weerawansa also said, "We insist the government not to disrupt the victorious mood of the advancing security forces by introducing devolution of the country. We emphasise that if the government is going ahead with preparations to introduce devolution packages in ignorance of the mandate of the people, the day the progressive forces will seal the end of the government will not be far away. S Lanka not to share power with Tigers Basil to be Deputy Defense Minister after the independence celebrations Sri Lanka government is planning a cabinet reshuffle soon after the independence celebrations. Sources close to the President said that the President's brother Basil Rajapakse would be apointed as the Deputy Minister of Defense. With that the Rajapakse family will hold the defense top ranks, Mahinda the Minister of Defense, Basil the Deputy Minister and Gotabhaya the Defense Secretary. Several changes in senior cabinet portfolios are expected and Information and Media, Education and Foreign Affairs are prone to change. The President has further decided to reappoint all the Chairmen and director boards of state corporations and statutory boards concurrently with the cabinet reshuffle. Sri Lanka: No "military" solution, departing peace monitors warn The 2002 ceasefire agreement (CFA) between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) showed its first serious cracks almost three years before its eventual demise.The former eastern military head of the Tamil Tigers, Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, alias Karuna, rebelled against the Tiger leadership in April 2004. That defection is seen by many closely associated with the truce as the beginning of the end. "The success of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) (www.slmm.lk) [international CFA monitors] depended on the commitment of the parties to the ceasefire and on a basic mutual confidence that the other party was serious and committed," Susanne Ringgaard, who was stationed in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka, as the district head of the SLMM soon after the Karuna rebellion, told IRIN. "With Karuna's defection that situation changed and caused in the long run the breakdown of the ceasefire." The defection was one of many factors, including the breakdown of peace talks, that caused the truce to fail, other monitors said. "Lack of progress on critical issues nurtured distrust between parties, leading to setbacks in the peace process," outgoing head of the SLMM Lars Solvberg said on 16 January 2008, the day the truce formally ended. "Gradually the conflict level increased, involving more military activities, more violence affecting civilians, more signs of insecurity, and more displacement of people," he said. The ceasefire signed on 22 February 2002 ended on 16 January 2008 when the government pulled out, blaming the Tigers for a string of recent attacks in the south. International concern The pullout came despite calls by the international community to continue the truce and restart negotiations with the Tigers. Among those who called for a return to dialogue were Japan, facilitators of the 2002 truce, Norway, the European Union, the UK and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "The decision between war and peace is one of the most important that a sovereign government makes," Yasushi Akashi, Japan's special peace envoy to Sri Lanka said 24 hours before the truce ended, "and its cooperation with other governments is a factor it takes into account." Akashi, who met President Mahinda Rajapakse during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, said he conveyed his government's grave concerns and added that the Sri Lankan conflict could only be resolved through negotiations. "We will continue to observe closely the political, military and human rights situation in Sri Lanka," Akashi said, adding that Japanese aid commitments to Sri Lanka would depend on future assessments of the situation on the ground. But he stopped short of confirming that Japan, Sri Lanka's largest donor, was contemplating aid cuts or similar sanctions. Departure of ceasefire monitors The end of the ceasefire also meant the departure of the truce monitors, who were deployed in six districts to oversee its implementation. SLMM head Solvberg said the SLMM had played a meaningful role. "The effect of being around, compared to the effect of nothing being around, is immense," Solvberg said. "We will miss out on the opportunity to further adapt and contribute in the present situation. We would like to believe that Sri Lanka misses out on something valuable, too." Solvberg also echoed Akashi's belief that peace was only possible through negotiations: "The SLMM is absolutely convinced that this complex conflict cannot be solved by military means." More deaths since end of ceasefire With their departure and the end of the truce, civilians are already paying a heavy price in violence and death - a concern that many international and local observers had been expecting. In the first three days after the end of the ceasefire 43 civilians and over four dozen combatants were killed. Most of the civilian deaths came in a string of attacks in the southeast. Twenty-seven died when a bus was targeted with a claymore mine on 16 January in Buttala, 240km from the capital. A day later 10 more civilians were shot and killed at Tanamalvilla, about 270km southeast of the capital. The government blamed the attacks on the Tigers. The Tigers said government jets had carried out air raids close to a school under Tiger control in Kilinochchi on 17 January, endangering the lives of over 700 students. One adult had been killed in the attack and six others, including a student, had been injured, the Tigers said. Schools in the Kilinochchi District remained closed for a week after the air attacks due to fears of further assaults. The government said, based on accurate intelligence, the raid had targeted a meeting of senior Tiger leaders. "Both the government and Tigers must be conscious about the human cost of this violence," Ishbel Matheson, head of communications and policy at the London-based Minority Rights Group, told IRIN. "Thousands of civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands, mostly Tamils and Muslims, have been displaced," she said. Matheson warned that international patience on both sides may wear thin if the violence continues and the civilian toll keeps rising. "If the situation in Sri Lanka continues to worsen then the international community may take stronger action through various UN mechanisms," she said, adding, "Sri Lanka is certainly high on the international agenda." Call for end to Tamil deportations Following the renewed violence in Sri Lanka, the Swiss Refugee Council has called on the government to suspend deportations of failed asylum seekers to that country.In a statement, the organisation pointed out that most Sri Lankan asylum seekers in Switzerland were Tamils from the war-torn north and west of the country.The Council also urged Swiss authorities to expedite asylum applications received at the Swiss embassy in Colombo."There is no longer any region in Sri Lanka where those fleeing the violence can find safety," the statement said. The number of displaced persons is estimated to be between 500,000 and one million.Last weekend, an association of Tamils in Switzerland called for the suspension of aid to Sri Lanka. Tamil Forum Switzerland claimed that the money would be used to finance war on the island.The ceasefire between the government and the Tamil Tigers formally ended last Thursday after six years. Fighting had been going on in the north and east of the island for around two years despite the truce.Some 32,000 Sri Lankans live in Switzerland, 10,000 of whom are naturalised Swiss. Tigers deploy snipers to confront SLA troops in Mannaar At least 12 Sri Lanka Army soldiers were sniped and killed and 27 wounded Tuesday morning when Liberation Tigers Operations Command in Mannaar deployed Tiger snipers to confront advancing SLA troops in Paalaikkuzhi. The SLA movement was repulsed without LTTE casualties, the LTTE command in Mannaar told media. The SLA ground movement launched at 6:30 a.m. towards Paalaikkuzhi was thwarted around 9:30 a.m., the Tigers said.A heavy fighting ensued between the Tigers and the Sri Lanka Army Monday night. At least 8 SLA soldiers were wounded in the fighting that had lasted till midnight. EPDP alliance submits nominations The EPDP-led alliance which is participating as an independent group at the local government elections in the East, Monday submitted its nomination list to the Returning Officer of the area. EPDP Batticaloa district coordinator K. Arumalingam said his alliance comprising the PLOTE and the EPRLF handed over nominations to four of the nine local bodies in the district. The four local bodies are Eravur Pattu, Koralai Pattu, Manmunai Pattu and Koralai Pattu-North. Meanwhile the SLMC is to submit its nomination papers to five local bodies including the Batticaloa Municipal Council, to the Batticaloa Government Agent on Thursday. The TMVP said it had finalised its nomination lists, but would submit them after the Elections Chief registers the TMVP as recognized political party. Some 270,471 people are eligible to vote at the forthcoming election to nine local bodies. Of them, 54,948 voters are in the Batticaloa Municipal Council area. Eravur Pattu has 45,336 voters; Koralai Pattu 41,856; Koralai Pattu –North 12,419; Manmunai South and Eruvil Pattu 38,386, Manmunai Pattu 18,759, Manmunai West 15,771, Manmunai South-West 14,880 and Korativu Pattu 28,116. No Immediate Ban On LTTE, Says Rajapaksa Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Tuesday said that he was not contemplating an immediate ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) even though it has continued its orgy of violence, killing innocent civilians.'You don't have to ban them. If necessary, we will, but not now,' Rajapaksa told a media conference here.However, the government would continue to examine the need for a ban.'I'll have to look into it. We'll wait and see,' he said. Ever since the Rajapaksa government unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire agreement with the LTTE Jan 3, there has been talk about a re-imposition of the ban on the 'terrorist' organisation.The secretary of defence and the president's brother, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, had called for a ban in no uncertain terms in several press interviews.The Rajapaksa government's most influential political and parliamentary ally, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), also has been pressing for a ban. The JVP had pressed for an abrogation of the ceasefire agreement and had secured it, giving rise to expectation that it would also succeed in getting the ban through.In response to speculation that the government might be dragging its feet on this issue because of the international condemnation of the unilateral abrogation of the truce pact, the Sri Lankan president said that his government did not take decisions to meet the concerns of other countries.'We will go by the interests of Sri Lanka,' he asserted. Rajapaksa rejected the allegation that he had discarded the truce pact in a 'hurry' without weighing the pros and cons carefully.'I did not do it in a hurry. I had been opposing the ceasefire agreement since 2002 when it was signed. It was not discussed by the cabinet of the time. And the executive president (Chandrika Kumaratunga) had not been consulted. The cabinet was only informed after it was signed,' Rajapaksa recalled.'Even after all that, I did not discard it when I was elected president. I put up with the LTTE's killings of unarmed soldiers and civilians for months. We went for talks in Geneva and Oslo. We withdrew from the pact only after the LTTE had violated the truce more than 7,000 times,' he pointed out.Though the president ruled out a ban on the LTTE now, he gave no indication that there might be talks with that organization.'We do not accept the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamil people. There are other Tamil groups which we would be talking to,' he said.Sounding a note of moderation on the controversial and unpopular peace broker, Norway, Rajapaksa said that Oslo could still play a role in peace building in Sri Lanka.'Any country wanting to play a role in building peace in Sri Lanka will be welcome,' he clarified.But the international community, foreign governments and rights groups, would have to have zero tolerance for terrorism, the Sri Lankan president said.'No distinction should be drawn between good terrorists and bad terrorists. Governments cannot say one should negotiate with some terrorists and shun others. Terrorism as such is bad and must be fought,' he said.Asked if the war that was on was meant to bring about a military solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa said he did not believe in a military solution.'Believe me, I do not believe in a military solution. Ultimately, a solution has to be political and negotiated. Our war is against LTTE terrorism and not the Tamil people,' he said.'We know that there are Tamil political demands and grievances, and these must be addressed,' the president said.'In fact, there are demands from every section of society in Sri Lanka - Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and also Sinhalese. All of them must be considered. We cannot have a solution by ignoring the demands of the Sinhalese,' the president asserted. India has realised danger from LTTE, says Rajapaksa Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that India and the US are supporting the war against "Tamil Tiger terrorism" because they themselves feel threatened by the Tigers."India now realises that it could be the next target of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). And I am told that the LTTE has taken a contract to motivate Al Qaeda cadres to become suicide bombers," Rajapaksa told IANS on the sidelines of a press conference here Tuesday.The president described his government's relations with New Delhi as "very good" and added that if he had to allow any foreign government delegation to go to Kilinochchi to talk to the LTTE, it would be the Indian government."I prefer India. It is our neighbour," he asserted.The Sri Lankan government has not been allowing international aid givers like the US, European Union, Britain, Japan and Norway, collectively known as the co-chairs, to go to Kilinochchi to meet with the LTTE.On the discovery of a reported plan by the LTTE to kidnap the self-exiled Sri Lankan Tamil political leader A. Varatharajaperumal in India, Rajapaksa said the latter was a "spent force"."But the danger lay in the possibility that the militant group might kidnap a currently active Sri Lankan Tamil leader," he added.Earlier, at the press conference, Rajapaksa said that he preferred the India-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 to be the basis of a solution to the ethnic conflict in the country because it was the most practical thing to do, even though in the early years, he was opposed to the accord."The 13th amendment of the constitution (which devolved a modicum of power to the provinces in 1987 after the accord) is already part of the law of the land, which we all must respect. As a matter of fact, today, only the LTTE is opposed to it," he said.Asked why he should ask the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), tasked to work out a devolution package, to give him a scheme no different from the existing 13th amendment, the president said that the 13th amendment had not been implemented fully in all these years and he wanted to implement it."I would like to know why it was not implemented, and I asked the APRC to tell me," he said.Asked if the APRC would submit its report as per schedule Wednesday, in view of reports that there were many unresolved issues, Rajapaksa said that the panel had not yet asked him for more time. Jet, Kingfisher mull stake in Sri Lankan Airlines Naresh Goyal-controlled Jet Airways and Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines are among a host of carriers looking at acquiring a 43.6 percent stake in Sri Lankan Airlines, aviation industry officials said.The two carriers will be looking at buying the stake presently held by Emirates Airlines in the Sri Lankan carrier once their 10-year shareholder pact expires April 1, the officials added.The Sri Lankan government holds 51 percent stake in the carrier, while employees hold the rest.When contacted, officials at both Jet Airways and Kingfisher declined comment on the matter. 'We cannot confirm any development on this,' Wolfgang Prock Schauer, chief executive officer of Jet Airways, told IANS.'No comment,' the Kingfisher spokesperson added.The Sri Lankan government's relations with the Emirates management has not been particularly cordial and in fact deteriorated further when the work permit of the Sri Lankan Airways chief executive Peter Hill was withdrawn last month.Officials said the reason was the failure on the part of the carrier to provide seats to President Mahinda Rajapaksa's 35-strong entourage on the London-Colombo sector.For Indian carriers, some analysts maintain, a major attraction in acquiring a stake in Sri Lankan Airlines is the booming business from India to Colombo with over 100 flights a week.According to industry sources, Emirates was looking at $150 million for selling its stake in the Sri Lankan carrier, which may be on the higher side and could force a rethink at the negotiating table.'In my view, it's not worth $150 million,' said Shukor Yusof, editorial director for aviation with rating agency and financial consultancy Standard and Poor's.'I'm not sure if anyone has even thought of how to restructure Sri Lankan once Emirates isn't there. Chances of airlines going bust in this period of $100 a barrel oil certainly is possible,' Yusof added.Worsening domestic politics in the island nation, uncertainty over the airline's management and the volatile security situation that affects overseas tourist inflows also add to the downside risks that bring down the valuation.This, the analysts add, is already affecting the carrier's bottomlines, which could take a further hit if it loses the key technical and management expertise that is currently available from Emirates.'I suspect it won't be only pilots who are leaving to go to Emirates. Everyone else will be looking for a change of job,' said Peter Harbison, chief executive of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, a think tank for the industry.'I believe there is some uncertainty over what assets the airline has, notably aircraft. This makes matters even more uncertain,' Harbison told IANS. Indian Naval Chief says, Sethu Samundram is not good for big ships Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Suresh Mehta has said that the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP), which will dredge a channel in a narrow strip of sea between India and Sri Lanka, would not be useful for the navigation of the big ships."It is a viable project. But, on completion, it will be useful only for small ships but not to those big ships navigating on international routes," Mehta told reporters here on Monday night.When he was asked to elaborate the matter further, Admiral Mehta said: "This is Tamil Nadu. And it is a sensitive issue," and refused to elaborate.The 560-million dollar project, approved by the government in 2005, plans to dredge a channel in a narrow strip of sea between India and Sri Lanka, reducing distances and cutting costs for freight traffic.However, according to the Central Government, research has shown that the "Ramsetu" was a series of sand shoals created by sedimentation and therefore no religious sentiments should be attached to it.When the project is finished, ships sailing between India's western and eastern coasts will not have to go around the south of Sri Lanka, and is expected to save up to 36 hours of sailing time. Hindu groups, however, have been opposing the 560 million dollars project, saying it would destroy the 'holy' Ram Sethu, a 48-kilometre chain of limestone shoals that once linked Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Mannar in Sri Lanka. Police arrest one suspect in connection with largest jewellery robbery in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Police arrested a suspect in connection with the Island’s largest jewellery robbery today. Police also found a part of the jewellery robbed in a house at Waskadua.In September 2007, jewellery worth of Rs. 15 Billion was robbed from a tourist hotel in Waskaduwa in the Kalutara North. According to the police sources, jewellery worth of Rs. 1 billion has been found. TMVP to contest under ‘boat’ symbol 21January 2008 No military solution - India and UK CFA withdrawal The Indian government has made similar remarks after the Sri Lankan government decided to abrogate the truce signed withe the LTTE. Put forward a credible devolution package as a key contribution to finding a political settlement In a statement on 04 January Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, "what is required in Sri Lanka is a settlement of political, constitutional and other issues within the framework of united Sri Lanka". The statement added that Sri Lanka could only achieve lasting peace through such a settlement that is comfortable to all communities in Sri Lanka. It added: "For India, any step that leads to a reduction in levels of violence and human suffering in Sri Lanka is welcome. Unfortunately, what we have seen recently has been an increase in violence, tension and conflict in Sri Lanka". India's UN bid The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said that his government strongly supports India's candidacy for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. Speaking at a joint press conference with the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, in Delhi, Mr Brown also spoke of increased co-operation between the two governments in taking a series of counter-terrorism measures. Mr Brown also stressed the importance of free and fair elections in Pakistan -- both for the Pakistani people and for Pakistan's international standing. No need to present APRC proposals to Parliament – UNP (D) The United National Party Democratic Group says that it is of the firm stance that with the abrogation of the ceasefire agreement, there should be a political solution to resolve the national question. UNP (D) member and Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told the media in Colombo today (Jan. 21st) that the All Party Representative Committee has made a good beginning towards that end. He noted that all political parties were in agreement with regard to the political proposals put forward by the APRC.The need for presenting these proposals before Parliament does not arise, since they are in line with the already implemented 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Dr. Senaratne added. Elections in E Sri Lanka to go ahead APRC 'approves' 13 amendment 'Better version' "A better version" of the 13 amendment, Dr. Senaratne said, will be implemented and elections will be held for the east.An interim council to be established for the north.The 13 amendment provided the way for the establishment of the PCs and the merger of the north and east as a single province.The north-eastern PC was later dissolved by the President as the then authorities tried to unilaterally declare a separate country for the NE. No JVP and UNP The Supreme court recently ruled that the merger of the two provinces was against Sri Lanka's constitution.President Rajapaksa's major political ally, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the major opposition, UNP, did not take part in the latter parts of the APRC discussions. Dr. Senaratne said his party categorically opposed the abrogation of the CFA signed with the LTTE.The signing of CFA, the minister who is a strong critic of UNP leader said, resulted with the reduction of violence. Abrogating CFA However, the abrogation was 'unnecessary act', Minister Senaratne said, as the CFA was made 'redundant' by the LTTE."I don't know who will benefit from abrogating the CFA. I don't see any reason for that," he said.Current UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe signed the CFA with the LTTE on 22 February 2002.Dr. Senaratne who was until recently a strong critic of Rajapaksa administration's war strategy accused the LTTE of violating the CFa over 1000 times despite the armed forces 'not reacting to provocations'. 15 Tigers, 2 soldiers die in Lanka clashes Government soldiers attacked Tamil Tiger rebel bunkers across the front lines in Sri Lanka’s embattled north on Monday, triggering a battle that killed 15 rebels and two soldiers, the military said.Backed by artillery and mortar fire, soldiers pushed into rebel-held territory in the northern Jaffna Peninsula and destroyed 24 rebel bunkers on early Monday, said military spokesperson Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara.He said the battle lasted for about on hour and killed 15 rebels and two soldiers. Nine soldiers were wounded, he said. There was no immediate comment from the rebels. It was not possible to independently verify the military’s claims because the fighting took place deep in the northern jungles, where access is restricted. Both sides often release inflated casualty figures for their opponents while lowering their own. Violence has intensified in the Indian Ocean island nation since the government announced early in January that it was scrapping a six-year-old ceasefire between the government and rebels, a pact that had largely been ignored in recent years. The truce officially ended on last Wednesday.At least 36 insurgents and one government soldier were killed in weekend clashes across the island’s restive northern region, a flashpoint in the country’s ethnic, separatist war. Senior military officials have vowed to dismantle the rebels’ de facto state in parts of the north in 2008.More than 400 people have been killed in renewed violence across the country since the government withdrew from the truce, according to military figures. Youth shot and killed inside Jaffna University Unidentified armed men in civil clothes chased a young man trying to escape them into Jaffna University and shot him dead inside the campus Monday around 10:30 a.m. The killers had chased the youth passing the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry troops who remained passive at their sentry post behind the University campus, residents in the area said. The youth, in an attempt of escape the killers in civil clothes, had run into the university campus at the point where the water tank is located.Students abandoned their learning activities and rushed home.A large number of SLA troops and policemen have been deployed in the University environments.Activities of the university were disrupted and tension prevailed in the campus following the shooting.The body of the youth which appears to be between 19 to 25 years of age remains unidentified.Jaffna magistrate visited the site and conducted inquiries. Sri Lankan SF attacks in Mannar and Mukamalai Repulsed : LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan security forces (SF) clashed in Paalaikulli in Mannar area when SF tried to advance into the LTTE held area using heavy artillery and mortars and LTTE repulsed attacks by the SF troopers, according rebel sources in Mannar. The SF troopers tried to advance into LTTE area commenced in 6:00 p.m and went on to late last night in Paalaikulli area with the support of artillery fire but unable to face the stiff resistance from LTTE cadres, the troops withdrew to their camps with at least 10 SF troopers were killed while at least 25 SF troopers wounded while three LTTE fighters lost their lives. Meanwhile, Mukamalai- Killali axis the SF troopers staged multi-pronged attacks supported by heavy artillery fire. After a forty five minutes intense duel, the SF troops were once again forced to withdraw with losses at least three SF troopers killed while at least 15 SF troopers wounded. Three policemen killed by Tamil rebels in south-eastern Sri Lanka Three police officers were shot dead Monday evening by Tamil rebels in south-eastern Sri Lanka, where the killings of at least 44 people in the past week have prompted police and soldiers to launch search operations in the area, military officials said. The policemen were shot dead while on night-time checkpoint duty at Kithulkotte in the Thanamalwila area, 260 kilometres south-east of the capital, officials said. Tamil rebels last Wednesday set off a claymore mine killing 27 bus passengers and hours later killed six farmers. On the following day 11 more farmers were killed in the area. The attacks have prompted the government to focus on security in the south-eastern region, which had been free of rebels. The attacks also come as the government steps up military operations in the north after vowing to crush rebels there within the year. Is President's Defense Adviser selling strategic information to foreigners? President's Defense Adviser and ex-Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando is under suspicion of selling sensitive strategic information of the security forces to the enemies.The suspicion has been triggered by a letter sent by P.B. Munasinghe, the Chairman of Association of Scholars Graduated in Japan to Mr. Yamasaki, the Chairman of Japanese Solidarity Association on 2007 February 23. In the letter, back addressed No: 69/3, Maya Avenue, Colombo 08, Chandra Fernando is introduced as follows: "...This Programme will be conducted by Mr. Chandra Fernando and he will deal with very sensitive and cofidentialtips and matters which are not openly discussed and talked pertaining to the security and social conditions prevailing in Sri Lanka at present. We do hope that this programme will be very beneficial particulary to the Japanese business community, in their day to day business activities to avoid unpleasent, unwarranted and risks and dangers" It is crucial for the state defense to look into the 'tips' mentioned here. Chandra Fernando is a schoolmate of the President Mahinda Rajapakse. Sri Lanka Says Rebel Commander Killed in Fighting Near Jaffna Sri Lanka's military said soldiers killed a commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as the army fought on three fronts in the Jaffna area, the last region controlled by the Tamil Tigers. The LTTE commander was killed in Thendamarachchi south of Jaffna yesterday, the army said on its Web site. Troops advanced on rebel positions during clashes yesterday in Mannar, Vavuniya and Welioya, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. LTTE forces drove off soldiers trying to overrun bases in the Manalaaru Ceylon areas yesterday, TamilNet reported on its Web site, citing unidentified Tamil Tiger officials. Sri Lanka's army has stepped up its attacks since capturing the eastern region in July, leaving the LTTE in control only of bases in the north to continue its 25-year fight for a separate homeland. The government last week formally ended a 2002 cease- fire with the rebels after President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in November that terrorism will be eradicated in the country. The LTTE is ``in total disarray'' as a result of the offensives, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, the army chief, said Dec. 31. At least 22 rebels were killed in fighting Jan. 19, the military said yesterday. Sri Lanka's military has targeted the LTTE leadership in the north since capturing the east. Velupillai Prabhakaran, the LTTE leader, was wounded in an air raid in November, according to the government, and the head of the political wing was killed two months ago. The group's military intelligence chief was killed Jan. 6. Power Sharing Political parties forming the All Party Representative Committee are scheduled to present a proposal to the government for devolving power to the regions on Jan. 23. Rajapaksa said last week a 1987 constitutional amendment on power sharing is the basis for ending the conflict. The amendment, which came out of a peace accord signed with India, established provincial councils to assume some of the central government's role. The council for the Tamil-speaking northeastern province didn't function because of the conflict there and was suspended in 1990. The LTTE rejected the 13th amendment in 1988, saying the proposal was meaningless because the national Parliament retained the power to legislate on matters allocated to provincial authorities. The APRC ``has become more an albatross than a key to peace,'' TamilNet said in a comment on its Web site yesterday. The body ``hinders political progress with its duplicitous conduct reacting to external political exigencies.'' Rajapaksa's government rejects any peace settlement that would divide the country of 20 million people. Tamils make up 11.9 percent of the population and Sinhalese almost 74 percent, according to a 2001 census. Fighting intensified in the north and east after two rounds of peace talks in 2006 failed between the government and the Tamil Tigers, who are designated a terrorist group by the U.S. the European Union and India. SLMC to contest in 5 councils The SLMC will hand over nominations for the local government election in the eastern province next Thursday in Batticaloa, party’s high command member, M.L.A. Hizbullah said. Mr. Hizbullah said his party would contest the elections to five out the nine local councils in the Batticaloa district, where there was a sizeable Muslim population. “These five local bodies are Batticaloa Municipal Council, Manmunai Pattu Pradehiya Sabha, Eravur Pattu Pradhesiya Sabha, Valaichchenai Pradhesiya Sabha and Vakarai Pradeshiya Sabha,” he said.He said the nomination papers which had already been finalised would be handed over to the Batticaloa Government Agent on Thursday, by the SLMC General Secretary, Hasan Ali.In the meantime, he said a vigilant committee comprising of members from the Muslim and Tamil communities had now been established to take pre-emptive action against possible communal violence in the district.He said this decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Batticaloa DIG, Wasantha Nanayakkara on Saturday.The representatives from the Mosques and Hindu Temple Federations, and political parties participated in the meeting Colombo plans to handover Cement Factory in Jaffna to Indian firm The management of the Kaangkeasanthu'rai (KKS) Cement Factory located in the High Security Zone, 17 km northeast of Jaffna city, is to be handed over to the India's Birla Corporation Limited, according to Sri Lanka's Minister of Construction and Engineering Services Rajitha Senaratne. A team of officials of the Birla Corporation Limited, one of the biggest cement production companies is expected to arrive in Colombo on February 4, on the Sri Lankan Independence Day, to hold talks with SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The production of cement in KKS factory would commence once an agreement is signed with the Birla company, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.KKS Cement Factory was the first cement factory in Sri Lanka and it was closed since 1980 due to the war. The Cement Division of Birla Corporation Limited in India has seven plants, having an installed capacity of 5.8 million tons. India Holding Regional Naval Cooperation Conference India is playing host to 10 other nations Jan. 18-23 at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean to discuss naval cooperation on issues such as piracy, terrorism and search-and-rescue operations.Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam will participate.No exercises will be conducted at sea, but naval representatives of the 11 nations will hold a “tabletop” exercise to discuss establishing global cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, through which passes more than 40 percent of the world’s trade traffic, largely oil from the Persian Gulf region.India built a base on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to house its military’s Tri-Command, which conducts amphibious operations and keeps watch on Chinese activities in the area.Sources said it is not clear whether such cooperation would be in the form of India joining the U.S.-sponsored Proliferation Security Initiative, the Container Security Initiative, the Regional Maritime Security Initiative or the 1,000-Ship Navy concept initiated by Adm. Michael Mullen, now the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman.In September, India held one of the largest naval exercises in its waters, with participation from Australia, Japan, Singapore and the U.S. 20January 2008 Five countries issue travel ban on Sri Lanka The country’s tourism sector, which is already in dire straits, was dealt yet another severe blow after at least five countries issued strict advisories against their citizens travelling to the war-torn island, owing to the prevailing fear psychosis.Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and Russia late last week updated their travel warnings in the backdrop of back-to-back bomb blasts and other sporadic violence-related incidents occurring in almost all parts of the country. Some of the countries which warned their citizens against travelling to Sri Lanka were the main sources of tourism to the island.The British warning, issued on January 18, has warned its nationals of a high threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka and emphasised that the attacks could be indiscriminate and have occurred in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers, including in and around Colombo.The updated advisory also warned its citizens against all travel to the north and east of Sri Lanka. Germany has also cautioned its citizens against travelling to Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Canada in its advisory issued also on Friday advised against non-essential travel to Sri Lanka unless the visitors had critical business or family reasons to do so.The Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada noted that incidents of violence could occur without notice throughout the entire country and were not restricted to the north and east of Sri Lanka.“Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada advises against all travel to areas in the east and north of the country, including Kilinochchi, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara Districts, the Jaffna peninsula, Mannar and Vavuniya. Canadians currently in these regions should leave if it is safe to do so,” the warning said.Australia, in its warning issued on January 17, advised its citizens to reconsider their need to travel to Sri Lanka at this time because of ongoing civil unrest, the volatile security situation and the very high risk of terrorist attacks.Russia in a recommendation to its citizens requested them to refrain from trips to Sri Lanka in the wake of growing violent incidents in the nation.“In the light of it, the Foreign Ministry recommends Russian citizens to refrain from trips to Sri Lanka until the situation in that country returns to normal,” the advisory said. Sri Lankan military: Artillery assault destroys 5 rebel boats off northern coast An artillery assault by Sri Lankan soldiers destroyed five Tamil Tiger rebel boats off the northern coast overnight, the military said Sunday. Soldiers launched the attack from onshore on Jaffna peninsula, firing a barrage of artillery, said a defense ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media. He did not give details of casualties or damages. There was no immediate comment from the rebels “Give me some package,” President tells APRC President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told the All-Party Representative Committee (APRC) that he needs “something” from its report to be handed over to him on Wednesday as “everybody expects us to put a political package on the table.” The President made this comment during a luncheon he hosted at Temple Trees in view of Thai Pongal with Minister Douglas Devananda and Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad among the invitees.The President said he would study the Report first and then put it to Cabinet before a final decision was made on whether to make public its contents or not. The APRC is to hand over its report to the President on Wednesday and resume sittings once again to implement selected themes under the present Constitution.APRC Chairman and Minister Tissa Vitharana told The Sunday Times the committee was meeting on a daily basis to finalise the report by Wednesday. “Once the final document is handed over to the President, we will select certain areas to implement it under the present Constitution. It will be discussed with the same parties. The doors are open for the JVP and the UNP. It is up to them to be a part of the discussions, but we will go ahead with the final document. “So far the JVP has not shown any interest, while the UNP maintains its initial stand that the constituent parties of the Government should first reach a consensus,” Minister Vitharana said. Although no time period was given on completing the second report Minister Vitharana said that the parties were keen to see that a final outcome be reached soon. Rajitha reveals secret deal with Wimal A government minister has informed President Mahinda Rajapakse that JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa had informed him that the Marxists would agree to resolve the ethnic conflict on the basis of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution within a period of two weeks after its presentation by President Mahinda Rajapakse. Building Construction Minister Rajitha Senaratne had informed the President that Weerawansa had privately told him that he would get the JVP to agree to the final proposals of the APRC provided it was based on the 13th Amendment within a period of two weeks. Senaratne had told the President that although he had clashes with Weerawansa while in the UNP, since crossing over and assuming duties as a government minister, he has built a good rapport with the Marxists. Senaratne had also said that he has been discussing issues related to the APRC with Weerawansa and that the latter has asked him not to worry too much about the APRC proposals and the JVP's stance on it. According to Senaratne, Weerawansa had given the assurance that like the party's change of stance during the last stage of the budget vote, the JVP would adopt a similar stance with regard to the APRC proposals and that the party would finally agree to it. It is also learnt that Senaratne had also informed senior presidential advisor Basil Rajapakse of the latest developments. SB gives thumbs up to Mahinda United National Party (UNP) National Organiser S.B. Dissanayake has praised moves by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to implement the 13th Amendment during a late night telephone conversation on Wednesday. The conversation had taken place at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday when Rajapaksa had telephoned the former Minister, and the two had had a long, amicable conversation, sources told The Nation.“The President returned Dissanayake’s call on Wednesday night because Rajapaksa was unable to talk to him when Dissanayake had called earlier,” sources said.The conversation mainly focused on the President’s decision to implement the 13th Amendment in full, with Dissanayake commending the President’s decision as the way forward.Dissanayake had further suggested that more powers be given to the interim councils. The President is reported to have informed the UNPer that even India’s Congress Leader Sonia Gandhi had urged Sri Lanka to go ahead with the implementation of the 13th Amendment as this was the wish of her late husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Meanwhile, when The Nation queried whether the former Parliamentarian had made any indication as to whether he was interested in joining the government, the highly-placed government source gave a negative indication, stating that Dissanayake was eyeing the UNP’s top position. Alarming increase in Mannaar abductions In the past three weeks, Mannaar has witnessed the abduction of five Tamil civilians, including a leading businessman and a young mother, in broad daylight. In at least two of the cases, the victims had received mysterious phone calls asking them to come to an appointed place at a particular time. Distraught families have been running from pillar to post to trace their missing relatives, but a hostile police force has ensured that they remain groping in the dark. Leading businessman and social activist Soosaippillai Anton, 54, of Murungkan in Mannaar was reported missing since Wednesday when he was on his way to Vavuniyaa in a motorbike. Anton, a father of three, owns a fuel station and a wine shop apart from running several successful business establishments in Mannaar and Vavuniyaa. He was also a building contractor and owner of cultivable land.When he didn't return home on Wednesday night, his family attempted to trace him through relatives and business contacts in Vavuniyaa. As their efforts proved futile they lodged a complaint with the Mannaar Police and ICRC officials.In a similar incident, a young widow, Arulvaasagam Rosani, 31, was abducted in front of the Mannaar St. Sebastian Cathedral on Friday. She had reportedly received a phone call asking her to come to the Church at 2:30 p.m. that day. Rosani is the mother of a 9-year-old daughter. Having lost her parents early and her husband some years back, she had been living with her relatives. Speaking on conditions of anonymity, an official of an international agency providing protection and assistance to conflict victims, told TamilNet that the Mannaar Police had refused to record Rosani's abduction when her relatives sought to lodge a complaint. He hinted that the inaction of the police revealed the active role played by the government forces in carrying out these abductions. Likewise, two fishermen Charles Joseph Rosanraj, 24, and Masanat Gilbert Dharsan, 22, living in the Joseph Vaz settlement in Thoaddave'li near Erukkalampiddi, were reported missing since December 15, 4:50 p.m. They were returning home from their jetty (Koanthaipiddi jetty in Uppukku'lam) by cycle on the Mannaar - Thalaimannaar Road near the Youth Corps Centre, a Sri Lanka Navy camp, 2 km from Mannaar city, the official who visited Vavuniyaa told TamilNet. Both the fishermen had been displaced from Vidathaltheevu in 1999 and were living in the Thoaddave'li Joseph Vaz resettlement colony.The first abduction took place on December 24, 2007. Antony Thadcruze Christine, 26, a carpenter hailing from a poor family in Thoaaddave'li had received a telephone call asking him to come to Konnaiyan near Thaarapuram, a Tamil settlement 3 km away. He kept the appointment, but never returned. Abductions and killings continue in Batti Abductions, killings and harassments continue in the Batticaloa District on a daily basis and the security situation remains tense with the presence of non-state armed persons, Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) made up of the UN and other humanitarian agencies last week said. The presence of armed persons other than the security forces has created a tense situation with the local government election scheduled to be conducted in the east shortly. The military stated that no other armed persons or groups were allowed to be present in the east except the security personnel. Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara last week said that armed persons have been arrested by the security forces. On January 17, a hartal was organised by a political group in Batticaloa against an incident said to have occurred at the Arayampathi Hindu temple last week. The IASC report also quoted the WFP of a possible gap (90-95%) in complimentary food items by the end of this month due to the agencies pulling out from their role of providing complimentary food. PNM warns of revolt against UN offices here The Patriotic National Movement (PNM) backed by JVP frontliner Wimal Weerawansa warned yesterday that the day was not far off when patriotic people in Sri Lanka would close down UN agencies. It warned this would happen if representatives of the UN such as UN Human Rights Commissioner Louise Arbour attempted to put pressure on the government to prevent it from carrying out its legitimate task of destroying the worst terrorist group in the world.“We ask all responsible personnel in the UN to stop making provocative statements on Sri Lanka, aimed at instilling fear in the country’s political and military leadership, by at least taking into consideration the safety of the employees of UN offices in Colombo as well as their properties,” the PNM said in a statement issued yesterday. The statement was signed by its President Gunadasa Amarasekera and Secretary Wimal Weerawansa. The PNM statement came inresponse to remarks made by UN Human Rights Commissioner Arbour last Tuesday. She said international law required all parties to protect civilians without discrimination and included prohibitions against the arbitrary deprivation of life, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, enforced disappearances, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Ms. Arbour warned that violations of these rules by any party could entail individual criminal responsibility under international criminal law, including by those in positions of command.Her statement was made to express concern regarding the Government’s decision to withdraw from the Ceasefire Agreement. The Government too reacted strongly to Ms. Arbour’s statement saying her warnings on ‘individual criminal responsibility’ were untimely, inappropriate and unacceptable. The PNM said that officials like Ms. Arbour would not be allowed to instill fear by quoting so-called international laws and turn back the fight that had been launched to bring the entire country under the law of Sri Lanka.The PNM also accused Ms. Arbour of trying to fulfill the aspirations of western imperialists by stopping the liberation of the Wanni and Kilinochchi. It said she was ussing so called human rights violations as a weapon to tarnish the name of the country.”The internal problems of the country will be solved according to the wishes of the majority of the people of this country. Thelegally elected government is bound to ensure that its writ runs in every area of this country. Its duty is to destroy the world’s most dangerous terrorist group which has become a hurdle to enforcing the laws of the land. No international organization or country has the right to challenge that right,” the PNM statement said. Tigers locate SLA dead body, seize weapons in Ma'nalaa'ru The Liberation Tigers Operations Command in Ma'nalaa'ru said that the Tigers repulsed a two pronged Sri Lanka Army movement at Ma'nki'ndimalai in Ma'nalaa'ru (Weli Oya) Saturday afternoon following stiff resistance that lasted for more than one hour. Four SLA soldiers were killed, the Tigers said. A dead body of an SLA soldier was recovered and a T-56-2 assault rifle and a Claymore mine were seized by the LTTE in the clearing mission. The fighting began at 1:30 p.m. and lasted till 2:40 p.m. There were no LTTE casualties in Ma'nalaa'ru fighting on Saturday, the Tigers said. Special arrangements for IDPs to vote at local polls in the east Special arrangements are to be taken for the IDPs to exercise their franchise at the local government elections in the east. Additional Commissioner of elections told The Sunday Leader that the arrangements were being planned at the moment and that the department would come up with the arrangements in the near future. "We are still planning. Nominations are being accepted at the moment. It will go on till the 25th of this month. The election date will be decided after the nominations," he said. He said special arrangements will be made for the IDPs in the east after the election date is decided. "We don't know whether there would be cluster booths or another setup. We are still planning," he added. The police have also taken measures to increase security in the region during the election period. The IDPs are from Kiran and the surrounding areas. Officials said that these IDPs are not in a position to return to their homes due to the de-mining efforts. Parties contesting local government elections including the EPDP and the TMVP said the presence of IDPs would not affect the election as long as the Elections Commissioner comes up with a solution for them to cast their votes. Anura appoints CBK to key post Ailing former Minister and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) stalwart Anura Bandaranaike has appointed former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga as the secretary of the SLFP organisation in Attanagalla.In a letter circulated among the SLFP branches in Attanagalla, Bandaranaike stated that he had made this appointment for an interim period until he recovers. He has also appointed Ranjith Rupasinghe as the president of the organisation and Sanjaya Siriwardena as the treasurer.The circular also elaborates why Bandaranaike had to cross over from the government to the opposition bench during the third reading of the Budget. However, insiders said that although the letter had been signed by Bandaranaike, the signature was not legible. JVP splits in two JVP Colombo District Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti is under unofficial house arrest, it is learned. Handunnetti was put under unofficial house arrest soon after he informed of his decision to leave the country with his family to the JVP politburo. Before informing the politburo, Handunnetti had made arrangements to leave the country with his family first to Singapore and then to a European destination. However, given the developments which followed his announcement to leave the country, Handunnetti has decided to leave his wife and child in a safe location. The Sunday Leader learns the JVP has split into two factions following the decision to abstain from voting on the third reading of the budget. One faction is being headed by the party's Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa. It was earlier reported in The Sunday Leader and its sister paper Irudina that Weerawansa was being supported by six other JVP members and Handunnetti was identified as a Weerawansa loyalist. Upon hearing Handunnetti's decision to leave the country, the JVP's politburo has held a special meeting and it was decided at this meeting to somehow prevent the member from going overseas. According to sources from Handunnetti's family, the hardliners in the JVP had asked the MP not to leave the country under any circumstance and has also warned him of the possible repercussions he would have to face if he decided to leave the country casting aside the party order. It is also learnt that Handunnetti attended parliamentary sittings this month along with several so-called hardliners of the party. Handunnetti, a member of the Weerawansa faction has on several occasions called on the party to join the government by accepting ministerial portfolios and working to strengthen the President. It is reliably learnt that Weerawansa has sought the help of the government to help him and the members of his faction by initiating some action against the JVP hardliners. Weerwansa had also informed several members of the government that Handunnetti was included in the party delegation that met with Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi last week in order to cover up the issue from the media. The JVP, which had received information that Handunnetti's plight would be highlighted in the media, has arranged for him to appear in the Jana Handa programme telecast on TNL TV tomorrow to cover up the controversy brewing within the party. Informed sources said the party hardliners feared Handunnetti was going to be used from overseas by Weerawansa and his loyalists to implicate anti government members in the party on various issues which would lead to their arrest and the decision to prevent him from going overseas was to overcome such an eventuality. Karuna pleads guilty, faces jail Breakaway LTTE “eastern commander” Karuna alias Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan has pleaded guilty to breaching British immigration laws and will be sentenced by a Crown Court on Friday. He faces a jail term of up to 24 months and/or a fine. Karuna, who was produced before Magistrates Derek Price and Geoff Edwards at the Uxbridge Courts on December 24, pleaded guilty to a charge of violating the UK ID Card Act of 2006. The sentencing is to take place at the Isleworth Crown Court.Karuna entered the United Kingdom on a diplomatic passport allegedly issued by the Government. Though it bore his picture, his name was given as Kokila Dushmantha Gunawardena who held the designation Director of Wild Life. The British High Commission in Colombo had issued him a visa purportedly to attend a conference on climate change upon the submission of a Third Person Note (TPN) by the Foreign Ministry. Although it was earlier stated that the passport along with the visa application form and the TPN were sent to the private firm to which the British High Commission in Colombo has outsourced the processing of visa application, British sources say this is not correct. Highly placed British sources said the passport, visa application and the TPN were handed over to the British High Commission but not by the persons from the Foreign Ministry who usually delivers them.When this issue was raised in Parliament, Deputy Foreign Minister, Hussein Bhaila, denied knowledge of the passport or the TPN. The sentencing on Friday comes amidst reports that the Crown Prosecution Service is studying the possibility of bringing him to justice for alleged crimes committed in Sri Lanka in breach of UN conventions. This is particularly the UN Convention against Torture.British laws allow offences committed against this Convention anywhere in the world to be tried in British courts. The provision (Section 25 (1) of the UK ID Card Act 2006 under which Karuna pleaded guilty states:“It is an offence for a person with the requisite intention to have in his possession or under his control: (b) an identity document that was improperly obtained and that he knows or believes to have been improperly obtained; or (c) an Contd. from identity document that relates to someone else.” The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Home Office confirmed that Karuna had pleaded guilty when he was produced in court for violating the 2006 Act.If Karuna is sentenced to imprisonment which seems very likely, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is expected to spend the coming months in sifting evidence and trying to construct a case against him probably under the Convention against Torture which provides a hugely wide- ranging definition of torture in Part 1 Article 1 of the convention. Although commonly referred to as the Convention against Torture its full title covers “other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.”Karuna who was arrested last November is believed to have sought asylum in Britain when taken into custody. He was living with his wife and family in affluent Kensington at the time of his arrest. He had entered Britain in September last year. A Home Office spokesman told the Sunday Times that seeking asylum did not necessarily mean a person could not be returned to his or her country.“The 1951 Refugee Convention allows us to exclude persons from the protection of asylum where there are serious reasons for considering that an individual has committed a serious crime or other acts which make him or her undeserving of international protection.” “The Convention also provides that in some circumstances persons can be returned to the country of origin even though they may have a well-founded fear of persecution there,” the spokesman said.Authoritative British sources said that while Karuna serves out his expected sentence, the CPS would examine whether charges could be framed against him. The basis of their study would be what Karuna has told investigators from immigration, Metropolitan Police and British intelligence during his detention at an immigration centre and evidence that has been gathered from several other sources relating to Karuna’s activities before and after he defected from the LTTE.British authorities are aware that Karuna was brought to the airport for his flight to UK in a closed car that drove to the tarmac. He was taken on board the aircraft by an airport official. Authoritative sources said that the diplomatic passport carried by Karuna (under an assumed name but with his photograph sans the familiar moustache) was examined both in Colombo and in the UK by experts who had pronounced it to be a genuine Sri Lankan passport. If Karuna gets the maximum sentence of 24 months then the Crown Prosecution Service has that much time to file charges. SLA trooper killed in Mukamaalai clash The forward movement by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers Saturday afternoon intending to attack the sentry towers of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) in Mukamaalai area was beaten due to stiff resistance by LTTE fighters, LTTE sources from the Northern Front Line said. One SLA trooper was killed and many others injured by booby traps during the 20 minute clash that began in the morning at 6:00 a.m.LTTE sources confirmed that there were no losses on the LTTE side. Police HQI 'abducts' Up-Country Tamil girl Hatton Police Headquarter Inspector (HQI) Chandana Gamage, Friday night, entered a restaurant in the town, after consuming liquor and dragged an Up-Country Tamil girl into his jeep along with seven other Tamil youth and took the girl to an unknown location after releasing the boys on his way. The HQI is yet to return to duty and the girl was not traced, an NGO official in Hatton told TamilNet Saturday. The girl, a native of Bogawanthalawa, on her way to visit her ill mother, while waiting in Hatton bus station for an inter-connecting bus, had gone to the nearby "City Hotel" restaurant to have a cup of tea Friday night around 9:00 p.m.The HQI of Hatton Police, who came in his official vehicle in drunken state, entered the restaurant and attacked the cashier and other guests, before "arresting" the girl and 7 other Tamil boys. The boys were released when his jeep reached Malliakaippoo junction. The girl was not traced until Saturday afternoon. Hatton town is located in Nuwara Eliya district of the central province. 19January 2008 Britain tells world: Stop violence in SL Britain Friday urged the international community to continue efforts to end violence in Sri Lanka while building a credible environment for a sustainable peace process. It also expressed disappointment over the government’s failure to invite the TNA to be part of the APRC deliberations. Expressing his views during the adjournment debate on Sri Lanka in the House of Commons on Thursday Deputy Foreign Minister and West Asian Minister Kim Howells said after ending the ceasefire agreement, Sri Lanka has a clear responsibility to live up to its commitment to address the grievances of the Tamil people and urged the APRC to go beyond constitutional provisions to protect minority rights. “The TNA was not invited to participate — a big mistake, in my view. The committee is due to present its final recommendations in a little over a week. We think it important that those recommendations go beyond the current constitutional provisions to protect minority rights. We have called on the President to take a bold and courageous lead from this foundation to set out a framework for a just solution within a united Sri Lanka that satisfies the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans. The international community will be watching carefully and we do not want to see another false dawn,” Dr. Howells said. The Deputy Foreign Minister also condemned the Buttala bus attack and said he did not believe the LTTE which advocated the use of murder and terrorism represented the hopes and aspirations of the majority of Tamils in Sri Lanka and around the world. “The LTTE must renounce terrorism and demonstrate a real commitment to democratic principles if it is to be regarded internationally as a legitimate political movement. There needs to be a full debate among the Tamils, free of intimidation and polarisation, on what an acceptable political settlement might look like for the Tamil people,” he said. “The message that we have for the Sri Lankan government — that there can be no military solution to this appalling conflict — applies equally to the LTTE. Some Tamils argue the Tiger pursuit of self-determination is generated by a sense of despair that their grievances will never be addressed in a united Sri Lanka. It is vital that the Government allay those fears and give them hope. For Sri Lanka to find a way forward, we need to see signs of genuine good will from the Government to any proposals for devolution that might emerge and a readiness on the part of disillusioned Tamils to contemplate alternatives to self-determination. Without generating trust and confidence, that will not happen.” He said Britain’s support calls for a much more effective UN human rights monitoring presence on the island adding that the case is made stronger following the departure of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. “Peace will not happen until the parties to the conflict understand that nothing can be gained from continuing violence. Some in Sri Lanka did not welcome our involvement. We regret the fact that they do not understand, or chose not to, that our aim has been simply to do what we can to help the Sri Lankans find a way forward. We have no ulterior motives. We remain ready to help with the search for peace in Sri Lanka,” he added. Meanwhile, President of the Liberal Democrat party, Simon Hughes, MP said what happens in Sri Lanka is of importance to UK and the Commonwealth as well as for many other countries. The British MP proposed an adjournment debate on Sri Lanka's situation on Thursday. Asked of the need of a debate on Sri Lanka in the British parliament, Hughes said it is the right moment for the debate as it is 'likely to see escalation of violence' after Sri Lankan government's decision to withdraw from the truce agreed with the Tamil Tigers. What is currently happening in Sri Lanka, he said, is of great importance to 'nearly quarter of a million' Sri Lankan in UK, both Sinhala and Tamil. He was of the opinion that many international players 'trying to influence' in Sri Lankan affairs is not a mere attempt to interfere in internal affairs, but to help the country to find a lasting solution to prevent the bloodshed that has seen over three decades. "And the Sri Lanka's economy suffers so badly as a result of war," Hughes said.Hughes who attended a rally to mark the annual speech of the LTTE leader, together with some other British MPs, categorically denied accusations that he is a sympathiser of the LTTE."I reject violence. But I know from the experience of all post- colonial free countries where a part of the community has taken arms against the government, the only solution comes from political discussions between the government and those groups," he said. The MP stressed the need for independent human rights monitors in Sri Lanka to monitor and report abuses."The government of Sri Lanka does not command the confidence of all the people. There have been significant abuses by the government or government linked groups as well as the LTTE. The only way you get an objective assessment, not propaganda, is by sending independent monitors". Asked why he preaches dialogue for Sri Lanka while the West is engaged in 'war on terror' with Al-Qaida and Taliban, the MP said his party objected the invasion of Iraq from the beginning. Al-Qaida is not known to be fighting for a known political goal, Hughes, said but he supports political dialogue with the Taliban to resolve problems in Afghanistan. Only independent groups hand in nominations for Eastern polls UNP wants int’l monitors for Batti polls The main opposition UNP is to request the Elections Chief to ensure the presence of an international mission to monitor elections to nine local government bodies in the Batticaloa district. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said an international monitoring mission was necessary for the conduct of a free and fair poll, as the wave of violence that swept the province after the election was announced had caused grave concern to residents and candidates alike. He said some armed groups operating in the area were also posing a threat to the conduct of a free and fair poll. “Our party will write to Elections Chief Dayananda Dissanayake requesting him to bring an international election monitoring mission,” he said. But he said this request would be made only in case the UNP decides to contest the election. The JVP said it was the government’s responsibility to conduct a free and fair poll in the East. Its parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa said the JVP did not believe an international mission was essential for the poll. “But, we will not oppose an international monitoring mission coming in. Yet, it is not absolutely essential. There are local organizations funded by foreign bodies. They too have proven their capability in monitoring elections,” he said.The government began the process of holding elections in the Eastern Province, the region captured by the army from the LTTE last July after 14 years of fighting, Friday. Nominations for candidates will be sent to the Election Commission from today, W.P. Sumanasiri, deputy elections commissioner, said. The date for voting has yet to be set. Tamil political parties have denounced the process as premature. ``People are not fully settled,' said V. Anandasangaree, president of the Tamil United Liberation Front. LTTE fighters ``are still engaged in hit and run attacks.' President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government is seeking $1.8 billion in aid to meet its pledge to rebuild the Eastern Province and encourage investment and tourism in a region that has a 462-kilometer (287-mile) coastline of white sands. The LTTE's defeat left the group with bases only in the north to continue its fight for a separate homeland in Sri Lanka. ``We can bring democracy and peace to the region,' Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said at a briefing in Colombo earlier this week. ``The forces have pledged their assistance to uphold security.' About 275,000 people will be eligible to vote for the Batticaloa Municipal Council and eight smaller local bodies, Sumanasiri said. Nominations will close Jan. 25, he added. Election Disaster ``The elections will be a disaster,' R. Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance, said in an address to the Foreign Correspondents' Association last month. ``They will be totally undemocratic and fraudulent.' The TNA is the main Tamil party with 22 seats in the 225-member Parliament. The Eastern Province is being divided into districts that will benefit the ethnic-Sinhalese community, Sampanthan said. The government has denied the allegation. Tamils make up 11.9 percent of the country's population of 20 million people and Sinhalese almost 74 percent, according to the 2001 census. Tiger nabbed spying on Jeyaraj Police arrested an LTTE intelligence wing member believed to have been spying on Chief Government Whip Minister Jeyaraj Fernadopulle on Monday. He was hiding in a house close to the Fernandopulle’s home.Kochchikade police, acting on information, received by a security officer of the minister, had raided a house, arrested the LTTE cadre and handed him over to the police anti-terrorist division for questioning, police said.The suspect, Rasalingam Rajkumar, is a resident of Mullaveli, Kilinochchi. He is believed to have been in Colombo for two years and was engaged in gathering information for LTTE attacks in the South, police said.He had joined the LTTE many years ago and his elder brother too was an LTTE cadre who was killed during an LTTE offensive. Rajkumar had been living in a house at Kochchikade and was detailed by the LTTE to gather all information on Minister Fernandopulle’s movements investigations revealed, police said. Tamils get scared when they see the police: HC Judge Granting bail to a suspect, Welikada High Court Judge said due to the prevailing situation in the country it was a common phenomenon that Tamils got scared even at the sight of a policeman. High Court Judge, L. U. Jayasuriya made this observation when an application for bail was taken up on behalf of a clerk who was allegedly arrested on grounds he was at a place where a drug raid was conducted. The petitioner, R. Mahendran Subashini of Aramaya Road, Dematagoda filed the petition against the OIC, Police Narcotic Bureau and the AG for taking Thiyagarajah Suresh into custody. In her application, the petitioner stated the suspect was arrested and remanded for aiding and abetting three other suspects who were arrested for drug trafficking and possessing 23 grams and 790 mg of drugs. The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) has arrested the three suspects who were allegedly packeting heroin in a house in Aramaya Road, Dematagoda. The suspect had been arrested on the basis that he had behaved suspiciously, the petitioner stated. When questioned, the suspect being a Tamil person could not reveal his identity properly. The twenty-nine-year-old suspect was a clerk by profession and there were no cases against him related to drugs. He could not be charged with aiding and abetting a narcotic related offence. However State Counsel, Nayomi Wickremasekera appearing for AG and the OIC, PNB, stated that the offence for which the suspect was arrested was of a serious nature. According to police report when the raid was conducted, the person who had been in the vicinity was in an excitement and seeing the police he had tried to runaway. When questioned he had introduced himself as Thiyagarajah Suresh. State Counsel Ms. Wickremasekera stated she could only report the facts but could not make further statement without going through the IB extracts. She objected to the suspect being granted bail as the the alleged offence was of a serious nature.Considering the submissions by both parties, High Court judge Jayasuriya observed that when examining the B-report it was evident that the Narcotics Bureau suspected him of aiding and abetting a narcotic offence on the basis of a contradictory statement made by the suspect Thiyagaraja Suresh with regard to his presence at the place. It is common that Tamil people get excited in the presence of police officers due to the present situation in the country. The court granted him Rs. 100,000 cash bail with two sureties of Rs. 500,000 each. He also was ordered to appear before the Narcotic Bureau on the last Sunday of every month and court directed that the order be forwarded to Maligakanda Magistrate, PNB and AG. Britain 'has a right' to interfere Many international actors, including Great Britain, are concerned of the escalating violence in Sri Lanka, a senior British MP said.President of the Liberal Democrat party, Simon Hughes, MP told BBC Sandeshaya that what happens in Sri Lanka is of importance to UK and the Commonwealth as well as for many other countries. The British MP proposed an adjournment debate on Sri Lanka's situation on Thursday. Economy suffers Asked by Priyath Liyanage of the need of a debate on Sri Lanka in the British parliament, Mr. Hughes said it is the right moment for the debate as it is 'likely to see escalation of violence' after Sri Lankan government's decision to withdraw from the truce agreed with the Tamil Tigers. What is currently happening in Sri Lanka, he said, is of great importance to 'nearly quarter of a million' Sri Lankan in UK, both Sinhala and Tamil. He was of the opinion that many international players 'trying to influence' in Sri Lankan affairs is not a mere attempt to interfere in internal affairs, but to help the country to find a lasting solution to prevent the bloodshed that has seen over three decades. "And the Sri Lanka's economy suffers so badly as a result of war," the Lib Dem Mp told BBC Sinhala.com. 'LTTE sympathiser' Mr. Hughes categorically denied accusations that he is a sympathiser of the LTTE.Simon Hughes has attended a rally to mark the annual speech of the LTTE leader, together with some other British MPs."I reject violence. But I know from the experience of all post- colonial free countries where a part of the community has taken arms against the government, the only solution comes from political discussions between the government and those groups," he said. The MP stressed the need for independent human rights monitors in Sri Lanka to monitor and report abuses. Talks with Taliban "The government of Sri Lanka does not command the confidence of all the people. There have been significant abuses by the government or government linked groups as well as the LTTE. The only way you get an objective assessment, not propaganda, is by sending independent monitors". Asked why he preaches dialogue for Sri Lanka while the West is engaged in 'war on terror' with Al-Qaida and Taliban, the MP said his party objected the invasion of Iraq from the beginning. Al-Qaida is not known to be fighting for a known political goal, Mr. Hughes, said but he supports political dialogue with the Taliban to resolve problems in Afghanistan. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has also shown interest to engage in political discussion with Taliban, Simon hughes told BBC Sandeshaya. Armed forces given free hand to wipe out terror Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said the present government had given the freedom to the country’s armed forces to fight the war against terrorism in order to wipe out terrorism from the country. “There was a time, where politicians ordered the armed forces on how to fight, but now it has completely changed, now the armed forces are freely carrying out their duties successfully without any intervention from politicians,” the Premier said.Addressing a passing-out-parade on Thursday evening at the Navy base at Boossa, where twelve officers and 808 sailors passed out, Prime Minister, Wickremanayake said the present government had provided everything the military wanted, but not advice on how to conduct the war. “Politicians were not experts in that field,” he said. “Because of that, the armed forces had the opportunity to control the spread of terrorism in the country. Military decisions are taken by the heads of the armed forces and with that freedom we will be able to wipe out terrorism from the country soon”.The Premier also praised the role played by the Sri Lanka Navy in crushing the LTTE’s logistics support.Commenting on the recent violent activities in the south created by the LTTE, the Premier said the Tigers were killing innocent civilians in the south in order to prevent successful military operations in the north.The batch that passed out also included three officers and ninty-eight sailors from the Navy’s elite Special Boats Squadron.Navy Commander, Wasantha Karannagoda was also present at the ceremony, which included a series of colorful events. APRC meets Sunday The All Party Representatives Committee will hold a special meeting on Sunday. A six-hour meeting is scheduled and discussions would center on proposals of devolution on the basis of provincial councils, a member of the APRC said. At a round of APRC talks on Thursday, several issues had been ironed out, he said. The committee is scheduled to meet on Monday too.A proposal based on the 13th amendment to the Constitution would be formulated and a draft proposal presented to Parliament. The two sets of proposals would be presented to the President on January 23. 18January 2008 CFA should be reinstated - British M.P. told the house Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat MP, told the House of Commons yesterday. That the Ceasefire Agreement should be reinstated for the peace process to continue.He is President of the Liberal Democrats and sits in the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons.Bellow are some excerpts of his speech to the House of Commons I am grateful to Mr. Speaker for selecting for today's Adjournment debate my suggested subject of Government support for the peace process in Sri Lanka. Since I was elected to this place in 1983 there has been a state of emergency and a continuing difficulty that is most easily and sadly described as an effective civil war. It has continued month in, month out, and last year ended in sad circumstances-violence, attacks, deaths and a very dim prospect. Sadly, this year has begun equally badly in two senses. First, the Government, for reasons that I can understand but that are ultimately misguided, announced on 3 January that they were to terminate the ceasefire agreement that was entered into in 2002, and yesterday that ceasefire agreement ended. In parallel with that, over recent weeks there has been continuing violence, with attacks in the north and the south, the assassination of a Minister and of another Member of Parliament, and the killing of innocent people-people absolutely not part of the political process, including children-on bus journeys.Let me make it absolutely clear that my view, like that, I imagine, of every single person in the House and elsewhere, is that violence is unacceptable, that killing other people in the pursuit of political ends is not the way forward, and that, as other places have learned-there must be an alternative route that says that violence is put aside and people talk to each other until they reach a solution.So we have a dear Commonwealth country, with huge friendship between all its peoples and our people, now entering its 32nd year of unrest and civil war. Back in the '70s, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was formed as a liberation struggle movement. We know, in general terms, what its history has been. It led to the fact that in 2001, in this Parliament, we proscribed it as an organization in this country. In May 2005, the European Union took a similar view. As a result, one of the players-an organization that is not going to go away, whatever the Government and other people may wish-is officially illegal in the eyes of the rest of the world. We are familiar with that in this country, as we similarly banned the Irish Republican Army-the IRA-and placed restrictions on Sinn Fein in all those past days in Northern Ireland.Just over two years ago, we had the latest political resolution.In this House, we have sought, along with the Minister, who has always been extremely co-operative, and his fellow Ministers, to debate regularly how the Government and others in the UK can assist in the peace process. We have taken a concerned interest and want proper development, economic success and prosperity for Sri Lanka. The Minister made the Government's position very clear at Foreign and Commonwealth questions last week. He called for the Sri Lankan Government to go down a different route to try to come to a peaceful and just conclusion. Sadly, that did not happen, and formally, as of yesterday, the ceasefire is at an end.Last night, in the Grand Committee Room in Westminster Hall, there was a large gathering of the Tamil community. Colleagues from all three major parties met people to hear them express their concerns, which they did moderately but with great anxiety. I know that many of them have lost relatives; they have had family killed or injured. Many cannot get things through to their relatives, particularly if they are in the Jaffna peninsula in the north. At 4 o'clock today, a petition was presented to No. 10 expressing the concern of the Tamil community here that the ceasefire should be reinstated and that the peace process should continue.During this period of catastrophe, 70,000 people may have been killed and 1 million may have been displaced. This country desperately needs peace in order that it can have prosperity. I will not go through the litany of killing, but in the past two years probably 5,000 people have been killed-estimates vary-and that has continued, as I said, even in recent weeks.We have always had a good relationship, though a tense one, as we have debated the issues. According to independent reports, the economy is suffering as a consequence of what has happened there. There is growth in the economy, but the trade deficit has widened by 66 per cent. in a year, and exports have gone down. In November, imports went up, and stocks are going down. Probably some 1 million people are in poverty, mainly in areas affected most by the conflict. That situation will go on, and it is a worldwide phenomenon. On the BBC World Service this morning I heard someone reflect that it is always the case in the developing world that conflict absolutely and directly exacerbates poverty.The Government and international bodies, such as Amnesty and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, have a similar view as to what has happened in the peace process. There is not really any international dispute. LTTE man's arrest for abduction plan first since 1991 The arrest of a Tamil Tiger operative on charges of planning the abduction from India of a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil politician is the first time the rebels have gone this far since the 1991 killing of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.According to home ministry sources, the Intelligence Bureau played a key role in the arrest Thursday night of Thambiturai Parameswaran alias Surli alias Nathan from Madipakkam, a thickly populated Chennai suburb near an IT corridor that is home to many Sri Lankan Tamils.Nathan, who entered India illegally by sea in February 2007, has been described as a member of the intelligence wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He had been tasked with the responsibility of planning the kidnapping of Annamalai Varadaraja Perumal, the former chief minister of Sri Lanka's northeastern province who has lived in and around the Indian capital for years under Indian protection.A native of Jaffna, Nathan had bought a van in Chennai that he plied as a taxi to give himself a respectable cover. He had over a period of time moved close to two relatives in the area of Perumal, as he is widely known, and also Douglas Devananda, Sri Lanka's rabidly anti-LTTE Tamil cabinet minister.Devananda, who has escaped several assassination attempts blamed on the LTTE, is a frequent visitor to India.Following Nathan's arrest, the Tamil Nadu Police took into custody seven other Sri Lankan Tamil men who were identified only as Reagan, Anand, Kesavan, Paris, Akilan, Sudarsanan and Aravindan.All seven apparently acted as Nathan's sub-agents, collecting information that was passed on to the LTTE in Sri Lanka.According to home ministry sources, the likely kidnapping of Perumal could have taken place when his eldest daughter was to get married next month in Rajasthan, where he had lived under protection in Ajmer city before moving closer to the Indian capital.Nathan had reportedly offered his taxi to the relative of Perumal he had befriended so as to drive him to Rajasthan - and thus get close to the intended victim.Although other LTTE operatives have been arrested in Tamil Nadu in recent times, this is the first time since the 1991 assassination of Rajiv Gandhi that anyone from the group's intelligence wing had planned an action that would have meant harming a target sheltered by the Indian state.The police and home ministry sources are, however, not revealing operational details that led to the arrest of Nathan, who may have been under watch for some time.Like other LTTE militants netted in Tamil Nadu, Nathan was also said to be smuggling goods the Tigers need in their war against the Sri Lankan military. Seized from him were the taxi, ball bearings, plastic granules, two wheelers and cash. Nathan and the others have been charged under the Foreigners Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as well as Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (conspiracy).Although he is far moved from active politics, Perumal takes a keen interest in Sri Lankan developments, attending meetings and TV shows here and also interacting with diplomats and academics. He is a senior member of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) faction that is bitterly opposed to the LTTE.This is not the first time though that the LTTE has tried to harm Perumal after he quit Sri Lanka in March 1990, just before the Indian troops left the country, and then took refuge in India after spending some time in Mauritius.According to home ministry sources, one of the accused in the Gandhi case, Shankar Koneswaran, was also asked by the LTTE to zero in on Perumal.But Koneswaran got arrested after Gandhi's killing when he got off a train at Madurai while travelling from Chennai to the Tamil Nadu coast Vedaranyam. When he was caught, he had with him the telephone numbers of two key LTTE men who played a major role in the Gandhi assassination.Since then, Permual has more or less lived a seemingly secure life in India. Main suspect in Colombo abductions & extortions bailed out Nishantha Gajanayake, the main suspect in incidents of abduction and extortion of wealthy businessmen in Colombo and suburbs, was released on conditional bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi today (Jan. 18th). The ex-Air Force Wing Commander stands accused of abducting Tamil and Muslim businessmen to obtain ransom and subsequently murdering them. The Chief Magistrate freed him and three other suspects, each on a Rs.50,000 bail and on a Rs. 2.5 cash bond by two public servants, and impounded their passports. Making submissions today, police told the court that no witnesses have come forward to give evidence, and sought action against the suspects under the laws of the country. The Colombo Crime Division had been detaining Gajanayake for nearly eight months following his arrest on a revelation in parliament by Badulla district UNP MP Lakshman Seneviratne. It has been alleged that the main suspect had been abducting Tamil and Muslim businessmen in Colombo for ransom, with the knowledge of the Defence Ministry. Furthermore, Gampaha district MP Sripathi Sooriyarachchi claimed to the media that he had been reached by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa during the last presidential polls with a request that Gajanayake be given a top security job at the Airport and Aviation Services Limited.With the arrest of Gajanayake, the wave of abductions and extortions in Colombo ceased. Ten civilians die in Lankan clashes Ten civilians were gunned down by suspected Tamil Tiger militants as the Sri Lankan Air Force and Army carried out attacks on rebel positions in the embattled north, killing nine LTTE cadres in ground clashes.Air Force fighter jets successfully bombed an LTTE military and storage complex at Walipuram area in Mullaithivu this morning, the Defence Ministry said.''The target was taken based on ground intelligence after conducting air reconnaissance,'' it said adding pilots confirmed the mission was executed successfully.Meanwhile, in a brutal incident, suspected LTTE militants last night gunned down ten civilians at a village in the South East, the army said.''A group of LTTE militants have carried out a cowardly attack at the civilians at Kalawalgala, a remote village in the Thanamalwila area around 10 pm last night,'' it said adding 10 civilians were killed.It is believed the militants killed the civilians after forcibly taking them to a jungle patch before the villagers became suspicious, the Defence Ministry said.Troops engaged in search operations found six bodies this morning after recovering four yesterday. The rebels had laid anti-personnel mines in the area in order to slow down army pursuit, it said. The pro-LTTE website Tamilnet meanwhile claimed the victims were youths who joined the homeguards and operating from the jungles of Moneragala.''Sri Lankan defence authorities have taken steps to arm 500 persons in Buttala and surrounding areas in the Moneragala district (in South-Eastern Sri Lanka) to assist the armed forces of Sri Lanka,'' Tamilnet said.In ground clashes, the army said troops killed four LTTE female cadre today while destroying their bunker at Omanthai west in Northern Vavuniya.At Chenkaladi area in Eastern Batticaloa, one LTTE militant was killed when troops fired at a group of rebels in the early hours of on Friday, it added.Meanwhile, four militants were killed in a confrontation in Kurunchchikulam area in Vavuniya yesterday, the Media Centre for National Security said. Sri Lanka Air Force raids LTTE military complex Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets this morning bombed a LTTE military and arms storage complex in Wallipuram, north of Pudukudirippu in northern Sri Lanka.“Based on ground intelligence after conducting air reconnaissance this target was engaged,” a senior Air Force official said. Pilots confirmed the mission executed successfully, he said.However, there were no comments from the LTTE about the Air Force latest claims.Yesterday, the Air Force claimed that its fighter jets pounded a rebel leaders’ hideout and destroyed it successfully. Meanwhile, troops killed four female Tiger cadres today in Omanthai in Vavuniya and destroyed a LTTE bunker, Media Center for National Security said Defense Ministry reported that at least eleven terrorists were killed in clashes erupted yesterday (17) at Wanni and Northern defences as troops advanced into non-liberated territory, ahead of LTTE defences. Two soldiers also were killed during confrontations. China Supports India's Bid To United Nations Security Council Permanent Seat In what is seen as a significant trade-off, China on Monday said it would back India's bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. According to TV reports, India in return, has agreed to respect its neighbour’s claim on Taiwan. Reports further state that Chinese premier Wen Jiabao has said that both the countries have decided to move forward on border issue. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is currently in China, said, "We have agreed to deepen military cooperation with China."Earlier, government sources indicated that they were expecting a resolution of the fresh irritants on border issue during talks that national security adviser and special representative for the boundary talks, M K Narayanan, will hold with Dai Bingguo, the Chinese pointsperson.The subject, unlike the border issue, featured in the discussion the PM had with Wen at the dinner hosted by the Chinese premier on Sunday. Significantly, Wen refrained from any mention of the criteria-based approach that the Chinese had harped on to contest Americas efforts to secure concessions for India from the Nuclear Suppliers' Group. Communist Party of India concerned at Sri Lanka situation The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Thursday expressed deep concern at the situation in Sri Lanka, and sought a political solution to the ethnic conflict.A resolution to this effect was adopted at the National Council meeting of the party here. Noting that the armed conflict in Sri Lanka had claimed over 65,000 lives since 1983, it said ceasefire declared by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was unilaterally terminated by the government.“The National Council of the CPI is of the view that a military offensive cannot be a solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka. The Tamils of Sri Lanka are striving for peaceful co-existence with equal rights over these years. The legitimate aspirations of Tamils in Sri Lanka with all democratic and human rights must be safeguarded through a proper mechanism for devolution of powers on the basis of federal principles within Sri Lanka,” the resolution noted. Congratulated The National Council congratulated R. Nallakannu, National Executive member, on his receiving the State Government’s Dr. Ambedkar Award. “It is a fitting tribute to the six decades of struggle and dedicated service to the cause of the downtrodden people,” it said.The three-day meeting, which commenced here on Thursday, was presided over by Amarjeet Kaur, Manju Kumar Majumdar and Christopha Foriseka.Party general secretary A.B. Bardhan placed the main draft political resolution, which will be discussed by the CPI’s congress to be held in Hyderabad between March 23 and 27. 17January 2008 President get brains after twenty years, says Kiriella UNP Media Unit Chief MP Lakshman Kiriella says that the President who was delaying bringing solutions to the ethnic problem for two years is now going to implement the 13th amendment to the constitution that was brought by then President Jayawardhana in 1987. He said that the current President Mahinda Rajapakse sat beside SLFP leader Sirima Bandaranaike at the agitation held before Pettah Bo tree against the 13th amendment. SLFP joined hands with JVP to agitate the against the Indo - Lanka Peace Accord and the arrival of Indian Peace Keeping Army. At the press conference held this afternoon (17) at the official residence of the Opposition Leader, MP Kiriella said that the President had dropped the proposals prepared by All Party Representative Committee (APRC) to the waste bin. He said that SLFP had no history of bringing proposals for power devolution and went to courts against the 13th amendment they are now going to implement. He accused that the SLFP has been lying to people or twenty years. MP Kiriella charged that the Mahinda Chinthanaya that promised a respectable peace in three months had brought the war to south and the unfortunate incidents of Buththala were the proof. He said the Ministers were saying that the removal of barriers were the cause for the spread of terrorism and recalled how the Army Commander was attacked right inside the Army headquarters after crossing many barriers. MP Kiriella said that the ceasefire agreement that was blamed earlier had also been abrogated. He further said that the Government and the President who is also the Minister of Defense had still not answered the UNP’s query why the security of MP T. Maheswaran was slashed from 18 to two. Govt.to table political proposals on Jan.23rd – Maithripala 'Rebel base destroyed' in S Lanka 'Completely destroyed' "Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets targeted a Tamil Tiger senior leaders' gathering at Jayapoor in Kilinochchi," news agency AFP reported, quoting from a defence ministry statement. "Pilots confirmed that the location was completely destroyed," it added. But the TamilNet website said the planes "bombed a civilian area with a mechanic workshop" and that Tamil Tiger rebels responded with anti-aircraft fire. The air strike comes a day after Colombo ended a 2002 ceasefire with the rebels. For the past couple of years, the truce - brokered by Norwegian monitors - remained only on paper. The terms of the deal were repeatedly violated by both the government as well as the rebels. Officials say that a total of 33 people died during and after the bombing of a bus in the south-east of the country on Wednesday. Witnesses say that suspected rebels shot most of the passengers who survived the blast as they tried to flee the scene of the attack. At least 60 people were injured. The army says that the attackers retreated into the bush after the bombing and shootings, killing six farmers they met along the way. 'Protect civilians' Meanwhile, the UK-based rights group Amnesty International says the end of the ceasefire will lead to a dramatic rise in hostilities in the country. In a statement, Amnesty International said the end of the truce would also increase indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population. It called on both the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels to comply with their legal obligation to protect civilians. It also urged the international community to establish an independent monitoring presence in Sri Lanka. The government gave notice two weeks ago it was pulling out of the 2002 ceasefire agreement. It said the rebels - who are fighting for an independent state in the north and east - used the peace pact to rearm and regroup. It now says it aims to crush them by the end of this year. The rebels have said they are ready to fight.There were two bomb attacks on Wednesday, when the government formally ended the ceasefire with rebels. At least 26 people were killed and more than 60 injured in one attack on a packed bus, the army said. Tamil Tigers deny their base was bombed Separatist Tamil Tigers denied reports Thursday a Sri Lankan airstrike destroyed one of their bases in the north, local media reported.The rebels' Web site said there had been an airstrike but it was on a residential area close to the base and nine civilians had been injured.The government attack came one day after a 6-year cease-fire brokered by Norway formally expired, although fighting has been going on for the past year, a correspondent for China's Xinhua news agency reported from Colombo.Wednesday's formal expiration was bloody, with more than 100 people killed in various bombings and land-mine explosions in the southern part of the country.The Tigers group has been fighting since 1983 for a Tamil state independent of the Sinhalese in the north and east and an estimated 70,000 people have died as a result, the report said. 790 schoolchildren escape SLAF attack 790 schoolchildren and 22 teachers at the Kanakapuram Maha Viththiyaalayam school escaped the jaws of death when four Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) fighter jets dropped bombs barely 100 meters away from their school in the Ki'linochchi suburb Thursday morning. A repeat of the gruesome Chegnchoalai massacre was avoided as civilians sought shelter inside bunkers, managed to flee the area and anti-aircraft fire disturbed the SLAF mission. One civilian was killed and seven wounded in the air strike. Wounded arriving at Ki'linochchi hospital Tiger anti-aircraft gunners rushed to the spot and started firing which ensured that SLAF bombers stopped with two rounds of bombing. Three more attempts of pinpoint dive bombing had to be aborted by the SLAF because of this immediate intervention. Terror gripped the town as more than 5000 students from the five schools in Ki'linochchi (Central College, Ki'linochchi Maha Viththiyaalayam, Mother Teresa Girls College, Ki'linochchi Hindu College and Kanakapuram Maha Viththiyaalayam) started fleeing to save their lives. Anxious mothers in the settlement were seen running helter-skelter as the bombs started to target their houses. Six homes were reduced to rubble in the aerial attack. Nine more houses sustained heavy damages. More than 15 families are now stranded without shelter. Passer-by vehicles and NGO vans were seen helping residents who were fleeing to escape the SLAF bombardment. Private and public offices and shops were closed in the town. Sri Lankan jets destroy rebel hideout, capture ground after cease-fire ends SLA withdraws from Mu'l'likku'lam - LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials told media in Ki'linochchi that a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) unit that was lured into a booby-trapped minefield in Mu'l'likku'lam in Mannaar abandoned its ground movement Wednesday around 3:30 p.m. Meanwhile, a group of SLA soldiers engaged in setting up Claymore mines in the area were counter-attacked by the Tigers. Two Claymore mines with remote controls and explosives were seized in LTTE's clearing mission in Mu'li'likku'lam.There were no LTTE casualties in the clashes in Mu'l'likku'lam, the Tigers said. US Pacific Fleet Commander meets Defence Secretary States Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Robert F. Willard today (January 17) met Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Ministry of Defence, Colombo. He was accompanied by Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, US ambassador Robert Blake and a high-level U.S. Navy delegation. The discussion between Defence Secretary Rajapaksa and Admiral Willard focused on strengthening the bilateral relations between defence establishments of the two countries. Admiral Robert F. Willard is the commander of the world's larges naval command encompassing 100 million square miles and approximately 178 ships, 1500 aircraft and 160,000 sailors, Marines and civilians. He assumed command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in May 2007. During his career, Admiral Willard had commanded the amphibious flagship, USS Tripoli and the aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln. Also, he was as an F-14 aviator, who had served in a variety of fighter squadrons and aircraft carriers and commanded the Screaming Eagles of Fighter squadron 51 (VF -51). Sri Lanka goes for victory or bust in war with Tamil Tigers Lankan govt faces world criticism With the tattered six year old ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels officially ending on Wednesday, the Mahinda Rajapakse led UPFA regime is facing a hailstorm of international criticism for formally abrogating the peace agreement signed in February 2002. However government officials assert that keeping in line with a recent pledge by President Rajapakse, the All Party Representative Committee is to present a political package on Jan 23 aimed at placating the Tamil minority community.But analysts point out that the plan to finalise a political solution will, once again, run into difficulty when faced with obtaining a consensus.So far, the LTTE bashing Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) who is fully backing a total military solution to the twenty five year old ethnic conflict with the Tamil Tiger rebels have completely opposed any move to present a political solution which may lure the LTTE from the battle front to the negotiating table.According to reports, on Wednesday the JVP had demanded that the All Party Representative Committee be dissolved and the idea of discussing power devolution proposals permanently banished.As analysts point out, the government which fully stands for a military solution and which regards the peace lobbying international community as a thorn in its side, would actually welcome the JVP’s hindrance.“This government cannot afford to lose international aid which it needs quite badly. But it also wants to continue with its military agenda against the LTTE which proves to be a difficult task because it is not what the donor community wants,” one political strategist opined.“In such a background Sinhala nationalistic elements opposing a political solution becomes handy because the government could claim that it is progressing with discussions and modalities for power devolution which when presented for a consensus would be blocked by the JVP,” he elaborated.Both the JVP and the Buddhist monk represented party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) back the scrapping of the ceasefire and the return to war.As observers point out President Mahinda Rajapakse and his government having survived the crucial budget vote in Parliament last December, thanks mainly to the JVP who abstaining from the vote, would not wish to go against the Marxists if they refuse to support the new devolution package being drafted. However despite the looming obvious, sources linked with the All Party Representative Committee say they would produce a set of proposals and highlight the topics where disagreements still persist.According to the committee officials the disagreements are over the nature of the State, unit of devolution, powers to be devolved to the provinces and electoral reforms.Meanwhile President Rajapakse addressing local television on Monday stated that a 1987 constitutional amendment, derived out of the peace accord with India that envisaged devolving power through the provincial council system would be the ideal basis for a political solution.The government’s assurances of proceeding with a power devolving alternative comes amidst a defensive stance taken to ward off the international community’s concerns regarding Sri Lanka’s return to war.During discussions with special Japanese peace envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi on Monday, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had reportedly warned against any international action that could “jeopardise the government’s initiatives in the peace process.”The foreign minister had claimed that any international pressure on the government would only ‘strengthen the LTTE.’Meanwhile visiting peace envoy Akashi speaking to the media hinted that Japan, the biggest donor to Sri Lanka would withhold aid if violence keeps escalating without any solid steps to resume peace negotiations.“We will continue to observe closely the political, military and human rights situation in Sri Lanka,” the peace envoy said explaining that Japan’s aid program was based on complex factors like political, economic and humanitarian needsMeanwhile the Co-Chairs to the now dead peace process (Norway, Japan, US and EU) issuing a statement have urged the government to provide access to their representatives and facilitators to Tiger rebel controlled northern Killinochchi. Nominations for Eastern polls tomorrow An LTTE intelligence wing member and seven Sri Lankan Tamils were arrested here last night and iron-ball rings and plastics used in making explosives seized from them. The group was procuring supplies for the LTTE and gathering information on movements of anti-LTTE leader Varadaraja Perumal and Sri Lankan Social Service and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda, the police said.The LTTE operative Thambidurai Parameswaran had arrived in Rameswaram clandestinely in February 2007 and was masquerading as a taxi driver and procuring iron ball-rings, plastic, two-wheelers and boats, a press release issued by the police said.He had engaged the seven Sri Lankan Tamils who attempted to procure these articles from Puducherry and Rameswaram to be smuggled to Sri Lanka by boats from Rameswaram, it said.Acting on information, police arrested Thambidurai at Madipakkam in the suburbs of the city last night and during interrogation details of the seven others in the city were revealed by him.Varadaraja Perumal and Douglas Devananda, known for his anti-LTTE stand, are regular visitors to India.The eight arrested were produced before a magistrate today who remanded them to judicial custody Sri Lanka to be discussed at House of Commons today Citizenship for stateless Chinese living in Sri Lanka The Sri Lanka government has decided to grant citizenship to the stateless people of Chinese origin who have been living in the island for a long time. The Cabinet today approved the relevant memorandum submitted by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, who is also the Minister of Internal Administration.Approximately 200 persons of Chinese origin are permanently residing in Sri Lanka as stateless due to the inability to obtain Sri Lanka citizenship under the existing laws. These persons are early migrants from China during World Wars I and II as traders and dental technicians and their descendants. Although most of the early migrants have passed away, their descendants, who have been born and raised here, are permanently residing in this country. Therefore, the Cabinet has decided to grant citizenship to them by a Parliament Act in near future, government sources said. 16January 2008 2 FR petitions challenge B'caloa local govt. polls Sri Lanka bus blast kills 26, truce ends A roadside bomb has ripped through a Sri Lankan bus killing 26 people and wounding dozens, officials said, as a six year ceasefire between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels officially expired.The Ministry of Defence said a large number of schoolchildren had been on the bus in the central district of Moneragala, around 240km east of the capital Colombo.Hospital officials said they were treating seven children for minor injuries while a 14-year-old girl with a head wound was flown to Colombo and was in intensive care. They said no children were killed.Schools in the surrounding province of Uva were temporarily closed following the attack, which the military blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The attack, in the town of Buttala, was the latest in a series of roadside bomb blasts blamed on the rebels, fighting to create an independent state in the island's north and east."This is a brazen demonstration to the whole world of (the Tigers') unchanged commitment to terrorism and the absolute rejection of democracy and all norms of civilised behaviour, in the pursuit of its unacceptable goal of separation, which threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka," President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a statement.Government defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said Tiger fighters shot five farmers dead in the area as they fled after the attack.A second blast targeted an army armoured personnel carrier 20km south of the first attack wounded three soldiers, the military said.A 2002 ceasefire, which broke down on the ground two years ago, formally ended Wednesday evening after Rajapaksa's government announced a fortnight ago it was scrapping the pact, triggering fears that the fighting will worsen.Rambukwella said the military's aim was to eliminate shadowy rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran as part of a declared plan to defeat the rebels by the end of the year.One bus passenger described hearing a five firefight after the bus blast.Sri Lanka's bourse fell 2.1 per cent on the news to six-month lows, though traders said investors had been expecting violence."We expect the market to come further down after today's end of the ceasefire agreement as more incidents are expected," said Harsha Fernando, CEO at SC Securities in Colombo.Around 70,000 people have been killed since the war erupted in 1983.The government argues the rebels simply used the peace pact to buy time to regroup and rearm and that they were not sincere about talking peace.Nordic truce monitors, who the government have asked to leave the country, say both sides repeatedly violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement. US condemns bus blast in Sri Lanka, accuses LTTE of the attack The United States strongly condemned the suspected Tiger attack on a civilian bus in southern Sri Lanka that killed 26 people and injured another 64.The US embassy in Colombo issuing a statement said “The United States strongly condemns today’s vicious terrorist attack on a civilian bus in Uva Province that killed at least 24 persons, including many women and children, and injured more than 60 others. We express our condolences to the victims and their families.”“While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, it bears all the hallmarks of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The targeting of civilians serves to foster fear and cause further suffering among the Sri Lankan people.”“Only a political solution to the country’s conflict offers a way out of the current cycle of escalating violence,” the statement added. British Tamils urge boycott of Sri Lankan Airlines The British Tamils Forum yesterday appealed to Tamils and others to boycott Sri Lanka's national carrier SriLankan Airlines claiming that its revenue is being used to buy arms to use against the Tamil people.BTF, an umbrella organization of several Tamils organizations based in the UK, said at a press conference in London yesterday that some 30,000 of the 300,000 persons of Tamil origin living in the UK, use Sri Lanka's national carrier to fly to the country each year from the UK providing the airline with some £12 million which goes into the "war chest" of the Sri Lanka Government.The appeal to boycott was made on the eve of the abrogation of the 2002 cease fire agreement by the Sri Lanka government and was criticized as a "precipitous action" which has "jettisoned any prospect for a peaceful political settlement."The international community, particularly the western nations, was not spared the ire of the BTF."We think that the partisan international pressure exerted by Western countries only on the LTTE was a mistake in that it led the GOSL to consider it a carte blanche from the international community to scrap the cease fire agreement and finish off the Tamils in a one-sided war. We feel that a more even-handed approach from the international community between the two proponents, including sanctions on the GOSL for human rights abuses, will even now be more conducive to a negotiated peace settlement in Sri Lanka."The BTF also appealed to its" other British compatriots" who travel on holiday to Sri Lanka to think of the deaths and destruction that their money paid will eventually cause among the Tamils of Sri Lanka.They were asked to desist from traveling to Sri Lanka.The BTF claimed that it had support from its counterpart Tamil organizations in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and India to launch a worldwide campaign. Countering LTTE: India admits helping Lanka For the first time in recent years, India has acknowledged helping the Sri Lankan navy in its operations against the Tamil Tigers.Indian Navy chief Adm Sureesh Mehta said in the capital on Wednesday that India has been helping Sri Lanka.''There is no direct support. We support by checking our activities on their coast and their activities on ours. In this way we help ourselves by helping them,'' said Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Navy Chief.In Colombo, Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda has confirmed what the Indian Navy chief said in New Delhi. On Tuesday, Sri Lanka's Navy has praised India for its help in countering the LTTE, and said the militant group's ''backbone has been broken'' after the destruction of several rebel vessels.''Co-operation with India has been extremely successful in countering the LTTE. Every year, the Indian Navy with the Indian Coast Guard and the Sri Lankan Navy holds four bilateral discussions. We are conducting coordinated patrols with the Indian Navy as well,'' Navy Chief Wasantha Karannagoda said.''We have broken their backbone by destroying their supply vessels and floating warehouses, several war-like materials which would have allowed the Tigers to sustain this conflict,'' Karannagoda told the Colombo Post newspaper.The Navy chief asserted that the LTTE was not strong enough to sustain its fight against the government for long and that the outfit's naval power was badly weakened after several losses.''The Navy has destroyed almost all LTTE vessels that could have assisted the Tigers in attacking the armed forces,'' he said adding, ''Within one year we have destroyed eight floating warehouses, which had carried more than 10,000 tons of war-like material''.This included artillery, mortar, dismantled parts of three aircraft, bulletproof vehicles, underwater delivery vehicles, scuba diving sets and radar, among other things, he said. On its part, the Sri Lankan Navy has acquired new ships and boats and is also building indigenous vessels to counter the LTTE threat, Karannagoda said.Earlier, the LTTE warehouses were stationed off the island's coast and whenever the need arose they came up to about 300 kms from land and transferred the arms cargo on to trawlers, which brings them ashore, the Navy chief said.He said the Navy had successfully put an end to this type of arms smuggling, severely weakening the LTTE. Parties must abandon tactics of terrorism- by Paul Willms Ex-MP Third Chamber from The Netherlands. Sri Lanka Air Force bombs rebel targets The Sri Lanka Air Force launched aerial attacks against Tamil tiger rebels in the northern island on Wednesday, the military said. The Army said the fighter craft took attacks on LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) rebels' complex where the rebels' munitions were stored at Uddasar, Kattukular and Putukudirippu in the Mullaithivu district about 2:30 p.m. local time (0900 GMT). "Large explosions as well as thick palls of smoke covered the skies as munitions started exploding giving thundering sounds," the Army said. Defense officials said earlier that at least 25 people were killed and 65 injured when a civilian bus was hit by a Claymore mine at about 7:45 a.m. (0215 GMT) in Uva Province's Okkampitiya area, about 240 km southeast of Colombo.Many of the casualties were school children, officials said, adding that the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been blamed for the explosion.Shortly after the bus attack, an Army vehicle was caught in a Claymore mine attack in the same district around 9:55 a.m. (0425 GMT), with four soldiers being injured.Meanwhile, five farmers were killed and four were injured in an attack by a group of rebels in Uva Province's Dambeyaya area Wednesday morning, officials said, adding that the same group of the LTTE who had attacked the civilian bus was responsible for this attack.All the schools in the Uva Province where Okkampitiya is located have been closed for three days from Wednesday due to the attacks.On the other hand, an LTTE leader named Arichelvan in the eastern strategic port of Trincomalee was shot dead by Army troops around 12:30 p.m. (0700 GMT).The new violence occurred as the government's decision to withdraw from the Norwegian brokered 2002 ceasefire agreement would take effect on Wednesday.The co-chairs of Sri Lanka's peace process (Norway, Japan, the United States and the European Union) have stressed that no military solution was possible to end the island's long drawn-out separatist armed conflict.Claiming discrimination at the hands of the Sinhala majority, the LTTE has been fighting the government since the mid-1980s to establish a separate homeland for the minority Tamils in the north and east. School closure for three months only a rumour - Minister The Education Ministry has denied all rumours that the government intended to close schools islandwide for a period of three months due to the deteriorating security situation in the country. Education Minister Susil Premajayanth told The Morning Leader yesterday that there were no plans to close down schools and that it was just a rumour being spread by mischief makers. He reiterated that the Ministry of Education (MoE) had no plans to close schools due to the deteriorating security situation in the country. He said that schools would conduct the first term without any interruption leading up to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April. Premajayanth also added that the security forces have strengthened security in the city and islandwide to safeguard schools in particular. Schools however were closed on Monday (14) in view of the Thai Pongal festival on Tuesday (15) as some schools in the country had requested the MoE to consider making it a school holiday, Ministry sources said. Premajayanth said that it was a provincial council request as well and thus the holiday was granted. Schools reopen today (16) after the long weekend. Explosion damages Oaddamaavadi opposition leader’s house Unknown assailants triggered a claymore attack on the residence of A.L.M.Haniffa, the opposition leader of Oaddamaavadi District Council, Batticaloa district, Wednesday early morning 4:40 a.m. Haniffa’s car was completely destroyed while the front portion of the house received considerable damag in the attack, Vaazhaichcheanai police said.Mr.Haniffa contested during the elections held in 2006 and was elected as the leader of opposition of Oaddamaavadi District Council.Rauf Hakeem, the leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), condemning the attack, alleged that the attack by the armed group was carried out with the support of a Minister from that region, without naming the Minister.Vaazhaichcheanai police have commenced investigations 200 rounded up in Batti following attack on STF More than 200 people were detained at the Weber Stadium in Batticaloa yesterday following a claymore attack in Kalladi, TMVP Spokesperson Azath Moulana told The Morning Leader. He stated that the STF had rounded up the area and had taken the civilians to the Weber Stadium soon after the explosion in Kalladi. "They are civilians. The STF rounded up the area and took most of the civilians to the Weber Stadium, which is their headquarters," he said. Military Spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said three STF personnel were injured due to the claymore attack. "It was a planned attack. However, the terrorists only succeeded in injuring three of the STF personnel," he said. The injured personnel are receiving treatment at the Batticaloa General Hospital. It was reported that around 40 civilians who were detained at the Weber Stadium were released Eurofly emergency landing due to unruly passenger UN Watch Expresses Concern After Sri Lanka Rejects UN Human Rights Monitoring as ‘Unqualified’ UN Watch expressed concern today after Sri Lanka’s representative in Geneva called the office of High Commissioner Louise Arbour “unqualified” to report on the island's bloody conflict. Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based NGO, said it was legitimate to debate statements by the world body but was “disappointed that a vice-president of the Human Rights Council would negate a core duty of the UN’s highest human rights official.”Earlier this week, Ms. Arbour issued a statement calling on all parties to the Sri Lankan conflict to respect international law and ensure the protection of civilians. Yesterday, in response, the office of Sri Lanka’s envoy to the Human Rights Council, Dayan Jayatilleka, called Arbour’s statement “gratuitous” and complained of “obvious bias” by her office. “The High Commissioner has once again proven...how unqualified the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is in monitoring and reporting human rights in Sri Lanka as an independent actor,” said the statement.“We regret the use of ill-advised language and the disputing of the UN’s jurisdiction to monitor the events in Sri Lanka,” said Neuer.The office of Ambassador Jayatilleka also repeated a charge often levelled by China and other countries who oppose scrutiny of their records, saying the “OHCHR should be more transparent in its funding and decision-making” and “more representative of the world's peoples and regions in its composition.”Neuer said Sri Lanka’s latest statement against High Commissioner Arbour’s office “only underscores the dangerous attempts by repressive regimes to eliminate all forms of independent human rights scrutiny.” China, Iran, Sudan and other members of the “Like Minded Group” successfully introduced a Human Rights Council resolution (HRC 4/6) in March 2007 that imposed geographic requirements, instead of merit, as the basis for staff hiring by Ms. Arbour’s office, and sought to curb her independence. 15 January 2008 U.N.'s Arbour warns over end of Sri Lanka truce The Sri Lankan government's move to scrap a six-year ceasefire with rebels could trigger renewed fighting that could have a devastating effect on rights of civilians, the U.N.'s top human rights official said on Tuesday.The government's move to annul the ceasefire, which technically expires on Wednesday but degenerated on the ground into renewed war in 2006, has shocked the international community and is seen as ruining any hopes of resurrecting peace talks soon.U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour warned both Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil Tiger rebel fighters that they were obliged under international law to protect civilian lives and could be prosecuted if they did not."An intensification of hostilities will likely have a devastating effect on the human rights of many Sri Lankans from all communities," said Arbour, a former U.N. war crimes prosecutor and Canadian Supreme Court judge, in a statement.She said international law prohibited all sides in the decades-long Sri Lankan conflict from committing unlawful killings or torture, arbitrary detention, recruiting or deploying child soldiers, and forcing people out of their homes."Violations of these rules by any party could entail individual criminal responsibility under international criminal law, including by those in positions of command," Arbour said.Arbour, in a visit to Sri Lanka last October, stressed the need for independent reporting on the human rights situation in the country.An estimated 70,000 people have been killed since war erupted between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan government in 1983. The rebels are fighting for an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka.The government last week rejected an offer from the Tigers to abide by the terms of their ceasefire and vowed instead to push on with a military campaign to crush the rebels. APRC proposals in mess due to the President's meddling The ethnic minority parties and the leftists that represented the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) for a long time in search of a solution to the ethnic problem are discontent due to the last minute request of the President to base the proposals on a document submitted by him. The President submitted a document to the APRC Chairman Thissa Vitharana on January 09, proposing to strengthen Provincial Councils based on the 13th amendment to the constitution. A representative of the APRC said to Lanka-e-News that jeopardized the nearly 90% agreements of the APRC representatives that were achieved through 67 meetings. A SLFP representative of the APRC said that Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the Ceylon Workers' Congress had not agreed to the President's 'guidelines' first. The APRC representatives last week agreed to produce a devolution package in the perimeters of the 13th amendment. However, there was likelihood the minority parties to produce a separate proposal. JHU representative has proposed to submit only the report pertaining to the 13th amendment since the final report needed to be further discussed. Rajapakse's first budget pledge dead in 13 days The first of the promises of the President Mahinda Rajapakse's 2008 budget proposals, not to increase petrol and diesel prices, was broken before two weeks time the budget was passed. The price of petrol was increased by Rs. 10, diesl by Rs. five and kerosene by two rupees since yesterday (13) midnight. The new prices of a litre of petrol is Rs. 127, diesel - Rs. 80 and kerosene Rs. 70. These are the Hon. President Mahinda Rajapakse's words: "Honourable Speaker, the price of crude oil has now exceeded US$ 95 per barrel. As such, the need to adjust fuel prices has surfaced again. However, since any revision of diesel and kerosene price would cause hardship to the public, I am considering to refrain from revising such prices at least as a temporary measure. In order to maintain diesel and kerosene prices, on which VAT is already exempted, at present levels through a cross subsidy mechanism, I propose that the 15 percent VAT on petrol be reduced to 5 per cent from January 2008. If this measure becomes insufficient in the context of changing international crude oil prices, I propose to remove the Excise Duty on Petrol as well. In order to recoup the revenue forgone, I propose to change taxes on liquor, motor vehicles and non essential imports as well as to change only the price of petrol, in an appropriate manner. If international price of crude oil remains continuously high, we have no choice but to face the hard reality. However, the price of kerosene will be maintained at the current level and provision has already been made to extend a Rs. 100/ kerosene subsidy per month to Samurdhi and other low income households who do not have electricity. It is proposed to give limited quantity of petrol at a discounted price to three wheelers with meters and also to introduce a loan scheme to enable the purchase of such meters." Akashi believes conflict will be solved through political solution Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi says that he has reiterated to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government the need for a political solution to the national conflict. At the conclusion of his visit to the island, Akashi told the media today (Jan. 15th) that he firmly believed that President Rajapaksa would soon demonstrate by deed his assurance to set such a mechanism in motion. The Japanese envoy however, expressed reservations over the government’s decision to abrogate the ceasefire agreement, and warned that it might lead to an escalation of hostilities. At talks with the JVP, a party that vehemently opposes the peace process and the CFA, the importance of a political settlement came under discussion, Akashi said.At this briefing, the media raised speculations by certain political parties that with CFA’s abrogation, Sri Lanka risks economic sanctions coupled with losing international aid.In response, the Japanese envoy noted that nothing of that kind was under consideration.Japan would continue to provide aid to Sri Lanka, with the hope that a political solution would be forthcoming in the very near future, Akashi added. Germany voices concern over end of ceasefire in Sri Lanka Germany voiced concern Tuesday at the decision of the Sri Lankan government to end its six-year ceasefire with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the move would exacerbate an already difficult situation. Economic Assistance Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul urged the European Union to apply pressure on the rival parties to resolve their conflict and end the military standoff. The ceasefire, which has largely been ignored for the past two years, ends Wednesday. The Sri Lankan civil war has claimed more than 75,000 lives since 1983. Indian co-operation helpful in containing LTTE: Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan Navy has said that the Indian co-operation is extremely successful in countering the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the country. "Co-operation with India is extremely successful in countering the LTTE. Every year, the Indian Navy with the Indian Coast Guard and the Sri Lankan Navy holds four bilateral discussions. We are conducting coordinated patrols with the Indian Navy as well," The Colombo Post quoted Sri Lankan Navy Vice Admiral Karannagoda, as saying. Karannagoda said that the Tamil rebels were not strong enough to fight the government forces for long and that the organisation is badly weakened. "We have broken their backbone by destroying their supply vessels and floating warehouses, several war-like materials which would have allowed the Tigers to sustain this conflict," he said. Karannagoda said that the Navy has destroyed almost all vessels of the rebel group that could have helped them in attacking the armed forces. "Within one year we have destroyed eight floating warehouses, which had carried more than 10,000 tons of war-like material," he added. The Vice Admiral also pointed out that they have acquired ships and boats, and were also building indigenous vessels to fight against the LTTE threats, adding that the Sri Lankan made craft were proved to be very effective in the operations against the LTTE. Sri Lanka to Eliminate Rebels Is Sri Lankan govt. winning this war? SINCE the dawn of 2008, Colombo has been rocked by big bombs and small bombs. The big bombs bore the hallmarks of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).But many people are sceptical of the claims that the small bombs sans the usual steel balls are the works of the Tigers. If not Tigers, who could it be? So we continue to build conspiracy theories, not knowing who the suspect is. The war has made most of us cynics. It is not unusual in a country which boasts of a literacy rate of over 95 per cent. Apart from the LTTE, there are counter-insurgency units, intelligence outfits and various paramilitary groups. There are also criminal gangs with politicians as their patrons. In such a milieu, we look for clues to make our deductions.When the war resumed in December 2005 amidst a shaky truce, police discovered claymore mines in various locations in Colombo. The first discovery was greeted with accolades, but when more claymore bombs were discovered in the city, questions emerged as to why the LTTE, an organisation known for its ruthlessness, masterly planning and precision, should place bombs in such a way to be discovered by police. One classic example was when security forces on December 3 found a bomb outside a Tamil MP’s official residence in a Colombo high security zone protected by barricade after barricade. When the bomb was discovered, not many people believed the official line. It appeared that the same claymore bomb had reappeared in several places, one wag quipped. Another accused those responsible for our security of planting it, so that they could take tough -- and sometimes unpopular -- security measures, such as extending the parameters of high security zones, imposing parking restrictions, carrying out house-to-house searches and even evicting Tamils.But in spite of such tough security measures, big bombs go off. Last Tuesday, Nation Building Minister DM Dassanayake, a soft target, was killed in a claymore bomb explosion set off by the LTTE, which appears to be under tremendous pressure from the Tamil Diaspora to show its hit-back capabilities in the face of a series of setbacks it has suffered in recent months. The bomb was the second big blast to rock the greater Colombo area in the first eight days of this year. The first was on January 2nd, when a claymore bomb targeted an Army bus carrying wounded soldiers in Colombo.The many explosions in recent months have caused apprehension in government quarters. Ministers have cut down their public appearances while President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered security forces personnel to return to permanent checkpoints which they abandoned after a supreme court ruling. The supreme court in a recent fundamental rights case ordered the dismantling of the permanent checkpoints, pointing out that they hampered the people’s freedom of movement. In another fundamental rights case, the court ordered security forces not to check houses in the nights unless in exceptional cases. When it was argued that there was a terrorist problem in the country and tough security measures were necessary, Chief Justice Sarath Silva said, “In 1997-1998, too, we had this problem of arrests. At that time, there was an enlightened administration. Today we have a blind administration.”Commenting on these supreme court rulings, a senior minister accused the judiciary of carrying out a contract for the LTTE and said the bombs were going off in Colombo because of removal of roadblocks and the stopping of checks on houses and lodges.Amidst terror and turmoil in governance with the executive and the judiciary on a collision course and with the legislature in a muddle, life goes on. Colombo’s Nippon Hotel, which is famous for its Chinese rolls with minced mutton, chicken and beef fillings made to a well-guarded secret recipe, is back in business although it was damaged in the January 2nd bomb attack on the army bus. Soldiers are seen walking up and down not only outside the Nippon hotel but also on every street. Their prying eyes catch every suspicious-looking person and item. But the deployment of a large number of troops in areas away from the war zone is a major strain on the security establishment as it hampers the war efforts in the north where the security forces have been trying to break into the rebel-controlled Wanni since July last year.To overcome the situation, the government has stepped up recruitment to the armed forces. Unlike in the past, this time around, a stream of youths is rushing to recruitment centres to swell the army by another 35,000 men and women, because they believe the government is on a winning streak. But is it? It may appear to be so. Eliminating the Tigers militarily won’t bring the conflict to an end. Only a credible political solution acceptable to the Tamil people of this country will deal a death blow to the rebellion in the north. The killing or the capture of LTTE leader Prabhakaran won’t end the conflict, unless the government offers a meaningful devolution package to address the grievances of the Tamil people. When Kuttimani, a leader of TELO and the Tamil separatist struggle in the 1970s and early 1980s, was killed along with 34 Tamil prisoners during the 1983 ethnic riots while he was awaiting his death sentence in a prison cell in Colombo, the separatists’ slogan was that “you may kill one Kuttimani, but thousand Kuttimanis will rise”.This is why even the international community, including Sri Lanka’s biggest donor Japan, says there is no military solution to our ethnic conflict. But the government is in no mood to listen to such counsel. Pongal: Feast of the harvest in Tamil Nadu UK urged to ban LTTE 'charity' front Sri Lanka has alleged that millions of dollars are still being raised in the UK and mainland Europe by thinly-disguised front organisations for the LTTE, even as it argues for the British Government to ban an active UK-based charity it claims to be supported by several southern Indian film stars. A spokesman for the Sri Lankan High Commission said on Monday that the charity called 'White Pigeon' held a show in London over the weekend. This was followed by two shows in Paris. All were billed as mega-star events and were advertised as fronted by South Indian stars. The Paris shows were expected to raise at least two million pounds. White Pigeon is the successor to the US and UK-banned Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), which has allegedly raised millions of dollars across Western capitals to funnel arms to the LTTE. Sri Lankan sources claim the LTTE is using 'White Pigeon' "openly to fund raise, for the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in Paris, banned in many countries for pumping money to the coffers of the Tamil Tigers". It is understood that the Sri Lankan authorities asked the British and French governments a few weeks ago to crack down on 'White Pigeon' and are still waiting for action. The weekend Tamil shows come just weeks after the Sri Lankan government complained about the attendance of three high-profile MPs of Britain's governing Labour Party at a several-thousand-strong expatriate Tamil event in London. On Monday, the Sri Lankan government reiterated that the expat Tamil event "openly violated anti-terrorism laws. The police have sent evidence about the violators to the crown prosecutor's unit for the culprits to be charged." The Sri Lankan authorities claim that even though 'White Pigeon' had agreed with the London Metropolitan Police not to violate Britain's strict Anti-Terrorism laws and only fund-raise for charity, rather than the LTTE, "in the past all such assurances by the fronts of the LTTE were futile that finally resulted in the banning of the TRO." Explosives recovered in Modera Acting on civilian information, a navy patrol discovered over eight kilogrammes of C-4 high explosives near the Kali Amman Kovil at Modera in Colombo around 6 pm yesterday (Jan. 14). According to Navy sources, four parcels of explosives, two hand grenades and steel ball bearings weighing 3.75kg were recovered hidden in a shrub jungle. Subsequently, the Navy and the Modera Police conducted a combined search operation in the area. Elections Chief assures additional security for candidates in East The Elections Commissioner’s Department yesterday assured ‘enhanced security measures’ for political parties and independent groups contesting the local government poll in the eastern Province with each candidate being provided with two policemen as security. The decision was taken at a meeting attended by secretaries of the respective political parties, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, DIG Elections Gamini Navaratne and Batticaloa SSP last evening.The EPDP, SLMC and UNP complained about security concerns in the province for their members to run the election campaign, citing the presence of an armed group.EPDP Batticaloa district Co-ordinator K. Arumayalingam said no party in the fray should be allowed to carry weapons as it posed it posed a threat to other democratic parties.He said only the members of the security forces and police should be allowed to carry weapons.SLMC General Secretary Hasan Ali said some of their members had already been victimized by violence committed by an armed group which had threatened its members not to contest the poll. “When I was at the meeting, I got a call from our member M.H.M. Hizbullah. He complained that these armed men had threatened the SLMC not to contest the election on its ticket,” he said.United Socialist Front Leader Siritunga Jayasuriya requested the Elections Commissioner to postpone the election under the present situation. However, Mr. Dissanayake ruled out the possibility of postponing the election saying it was a matter that came within the purview of the Parliament.The IGP and Elections Commissioner assured that security would be beefed up in the area providing a conducive atmosphere for political parties to contest the election. They said the Special Task Force (STF) would patrol the area on the day of polling while additional security would be guaranteed to party secretaries and authorized agents. The JVP which will not contest the poll said it was happy over the holding of an election in the East after liberating it from the LTTE.JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva stressed that the security should be ensured for democratic political parties in the running. LTTE will 'never be defeated' Forceful recruitment Speaking over the phone with BBC Colombo Correspondent Roland Buerk, the former LTTE police chief denied accusations that his organisation forcefully recruits civilians for combat. It was the first interview in English since he was appointed the head of the political wing, following the assassination of SP Thamilselvan on 02 November, last year. "No. People, they like to join us. We never force the people. LTTE is a people's organisation," P Nadesan told the BBC.When pointed out by Roland Buerk that, during his last trip to Kilinochchi, he himself met people who were forced to join the LTTE, the political wing head once again denied doing so. The BBC correspondent questioned whether the LTTE regrets initiating a conflict regarding a sluice gate in Mavil Aru as many believe that was the turning point of the conflict that led to escalation of violence. The Mavil Aru incident, P Nadesan said, was an issue that could be resolved in dialogue if the government wanted to.He accused the government of using the incident to escalate the incident rather than trying to resolve the matter. LTTE 'losing the war' The LTTE also denied they are reverting to guerrilla tactics as the outfit is 'losing the war'."We will never revert to guerilla warfare," Nadesan said, denying accusations that the LTTE was behind the bomb attack in Nugegoda and the claymore attack that killed minister DM Dassanayake. "We are a conventional force. We will launch attacks on military targets but we will not target civilians," P Nadesan said.The LTTE also accused the Sri Lankan authorities of exaggerating LTTE casualty figures.Asked whether LTTE is trying to pretend as 'good guys' by asking for the full implementation of the CFA, P Nadesan said it was the government that withdrew from it not the Tamil Tigers. 14 January 2008 Japan in Sri Lanka peace bid A Japanese envoy held talks with Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse Monday as the world community stepped up pressure over Colombo's decision to abandon a truce with the Tamil Tiger rebels.Yasushi Akashi met with Rajapakse at the president's tightly-guarded Temple Trees residence and foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama at his office, officials said, but declined to give details of the discussion.Akashi, 76, a former UN diplomat and trouble shooter in Cambodia and Kosovo, is due to meet with opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe for talks late Monday, his aides said.His three-day visit comes amid intense frontline fighting with the Tamil Tigers in the rebel-controlled north, with the military saying it killed 119 guerrillas over the weekend for the loss of only two of its soldiers.The government said three more soldiers were killed Monday when rebels detonated a roadside bomb in Vavuniya, bringing the death toll to 375 rebels and 18 troops this month alone, according to the military.There was no rebel comment on the military's casualty claims, which cannot be independently verified as authorities allow no access to the embattled region.Japan, the biggest bilateral donor to Sri Lanka, has said foreign aid could be withheld if violence keeps escalating in the island's decades-long ethnic conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.Akashi's programme, however, does not include a visit to the rebel-held north, Sri Lankan officials said. Diplomats and journalists are routinely barred from visiting frontline and rebel-held areas of the island.The envoy met Sri Lanka's main leftist party, the hardline and ultra-nationalist Marxist JVP, on Sunday."While Japan and other international donors give a lot of aid to Sri Lanka, Mr. Akashi indicated donors may call off aid, given the current ground situation," the JVP said after the talks.Japan provides nearly two-thirds of all international aid to the island -- but has so far has not linked financial assistance to the fighting or to human rights despite mounting international concern over the country's rights record.But the Sri Lankan government has come in for tough criticism over its decision this month to abandon a Norway-brokered 2002 truce with the rebels.The ceasefire, which in practice was already dead, officially ends on Wednesday. But rights groups fear the departure of the Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission will lead to an upsurge in rights abuses."Its monitors helped to minimise abuses against civilians," US-based Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Elaine Pearson said earlier this month.Tens of thousands have died on both sides since the Tigers launched a separatist campaign for autonomy for the island's Tamil minority in the north and east of the Sinhalese-majority island.The island's other financial backers, including the United States, the European Union and Norway, have also sought access to meet the Tigers and are pushing Colombo to allow the United Nations to monitor human rights.The Sri Lankan government has rejected the demand. Police storm Lankaenews office & question staff A police team stormed the office of Lankaenews, a local news website, in Rajagiriya a short while ago, and is now in the process of questioning its staff. The reason for the police raid is said to be a statement by Minister Keheliya Rambukwella regarding the murder of UNP MP T. Maheswaran, which the Defence Spokesman had claimed, was based on a report carried by lankaenews.Also, lankaenews carried the last interview by Maheswaran to a media institution before his murder at a Kovil in Kotahena on January 01st. The following day, Rambukwella told BBC that the MP’s assassin had been one-time Ministerial Security Division personnel, and that he had served as a bodyguard for Maheswaran and Douglas Devananda.On January 09th, the minister told Parliament that his statement had been misinterpreted, and that a conclusion about the murderer could be reached only after an extensive investigation. Rambukwella also said that he had responded to a question by the interviewee that implicated Devananda in the killing that was based on a report carried by Lankaenews on January 02nd. Sri Lankan Air Force pounds rebel target Sri Lanka says no immediate ban on Tamil Tigers 30 SLA killed, ground offensive thwarted in Mannaar - LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam Operations Command in Mannaar has claimed to have thwarted a major push by the Sri Lanka Army launched in Parappaangka'ndal area on Monday. The SLA movement was thwarted after almost 8-hours of stiff resistance. At least 30 SLA soldiers were killed and more than 100 soldiers were wounded, the Tigers said. One SLA dead body was recovered by the Tigers who seized three AK-LMG guns, one RPG, two disposable Light Anti-tank Weapons and five T-56 type-2 assault rifles. Three LTTE fighters were killed in action. Heavy fighting broke at 5:30 a.m. and lasted till 1:10 p.m. when SLA ground forces attempted to advance into LTTE territory with the fire support of Sri Lanka Air Force and heavy Multi-Barrel Rocket and artillery fire.Bullet and artillery riddled bodies of SLA soldiers were seen across the field in decomposed state, the Mannaar command of the LTTE has told media in Vanni. 10 military kit-bags, explosives and rounds were also seized in the clearing mission after the fighting. Claymore blast kills three in Sri Lanka, Air Force pounds Tiger intelligence base in North Suspected Tamil Tigers set off a roadside Claymore mine targeting a vehicle carrying security forces’ personnel in Vavuniya this morning killing two soldiers and one Civil Defence Force personnel, defence sources said. The attack took place around 9.45.am at Kudakachchikuddi in the Madukanda area. Three more soldiers suffered injuries in the explosion, the sources added. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Air Force claimed that its fighter jets destroyed a hideout of Tamil Tigers’ intelligence wing cadres in Kombavil, in the Mullaitivu district this morning. Sri Lanka Defence Ministry said that the air target was taken on real-time ground information that confirmed a high profile gathering of Tamil Tigers at the location. Jaya, Vaiko target Lankan navy A few days after the BJP opposed the Centre’s military aid to the Sri Lankan government, AIADMK supremo Ms Jayalalitha and her ally MDMK leader Mr Vaiko sought action to end the Sri Lankan navy’s continuing attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen.Mr Sekar(38) was injured when the Sri Lankan navy surrounded the fishermen and fired at them near Dhanuskodi in the Indian waters.Describing the firing on Tamil Nadu fishermen yesterday, in which one of them from Rameswaram was seriously injured, as "a cowardly attack” by the Sri Lankan navy, Ms Jayalalitha said: “We cannot allow continuous attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy as this would destroy their livelihood.” In a statement here, she alleged that the actions of the Sri Lankan navy were exceeding the limit. Mr Vaiko, in a letter to Prime Minister Dr Manm-ohan Singh, referred to the statement by Commodore PE Van Haltren, naval officer-in-charge of Tamil Nadu, who defended the Sri Lankan navy's attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen, said: Echoing the views of state BJP president Mr L Ganesan, who termed the involvement of India in the island's conflict as “anti-Tamil,” Mr Vaiko said the UPA government was giving logistic support and supplying arms to "Sri Lanka's racist government to enable it to perpetrate its bloodthirsty attacks against the Tamils, with the sole aim to liquidate the Tamil race on the island”. Because of this condemnable attitude and action of the Indian government, the Tamil Nadu fishermen were attacked and killed by the Sri Lankan navy, he charged. Special Thai Pongal day ceremony at Housing Authority The National Housing Authority held a special Thai Pongal Day ceremony at its premises today. Minster of Housing and Common Amenities, Ferial Ashroff participated as the chief guest at the occasion. The ceremony included a speech by Hindu Vidyapathi Kuhananda Sharma and religious sermons conducted by the chief incumbent of Kuppiyawatte Hindu Temple in Colombo. Thai Pongal is one of the most popular Hindu festivals of Sri Lanka celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai (January). India should involve itself: Sri Lankan Minister P. Chandrasekaran, Sri Lankan Minister of Community Development and Social Inequity Eradication, said on Sunday that it was time for India to reconsider its position on the Sri Lankan ethnic issue. Instead of remaining a mere observer, it should involve itself in the matter, Mr. Chandrasekaran told The Hindu.Referring to the Sri Lankan government’s declaration on January 2 that it would regard as invalid the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. Chandrasekaran, also the president of the Up Country Peoples Front and Worker’s Front, said India, like many other nations, was for a political solution, not a military solution. “Then, why should not India evince interest?” he asked. He said when Pakistan and China were keen on cooperation with Sri Lanka on the economic and military fronts, there was no need for India to keep away. He said the Indian government should view the ethnic problem as one concerning the denial of basic human rights to people of Indian origin. India has the right The Minister said India being the nearest neighbour had both the resources and the right to intervene. It was for this purpose that in the last few days, he met different leaders of Tamil Nadu including S. Ramadoss of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, K. Veeramani of the Dravidar Kazhagam, R. Sarathkumar of the All-India Samathuva Makkal Katchi and Thol. Thirumavalavan of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal. He wanted the leaders to impress upon the Centre to change its approach. He also sought audience with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary, Jayalalithaa. LTTE should agree for talks A couple of months ago, Mr. Chandrasekaran held talks with representatives of the LTTE and told them that India would keep away if the LTTE insisted on Tamil Eelam. Besides, the LTTE should make an open and unqualified apology for the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. The LTTE’s response was that it was for a federal system and the Rajiv assassination was a thing of the past and there was no point in raking it up. Iran's finance minister due in S Lanka SLMM ends operations in Trinco, Ampara & Vavuniya The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission has ended their operations in Trincomalee, Ampara and Vavuniya following the government decision to abrogate the ceasefire agreement. Office equipment and other belongings and vehicles of these offices have now been brought to Colombo. By 7.pm on January 16th, all SLMM offices in the island would be closed down and all operations terminated, a spokeswoman for the Nordic monitors said. Thousands attend White Pigeon Mega Musical in U.K. Thousands of British Tamils attended White Pigeon's 2nd Annual Mega Musical Festival in the Great Hall of the historic Alexandra Palace in London, Saturday to raise funds to support White Pigeon humanitarian projects in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka. White Pigeon works with UNICEF and international NGOs in the NorthEast of the country to provide prosthetic limbs for mine victims and Mine Risk Education for those living in war affected areas. Over 4,500 persons of all ages paid from ₤25 - ₤100 to attend the Festival which lasted from 7:30-11:30 PM and featured Tamil musical and film stars from Southern India. Chitra, known as the “Nightingale of South India”, who has recorded hundreds of film and non-film songs and Mano performed many crowd favourites. Tamil musical stars Karthik, Srilekha Parthasarathy, Ranjith, and Vanaja performed several songs that got the audience to its feet. A local singer also joined Karthik for a duet. The singers were supported by musicians of the Sam Music Group who provided support for many hours.Bollywood stars Madhumita and Nanda spoke of their trip to the Vanni during the filming of the film “Aanivaer” and the work that they witnessed White Pigeon performing with war affected persons. Madhumita described the depth of the suffering that she encountered, and said she was inspired by the strong will and resilience of all the Tamils she met. Madhumita also performed a solo dance which enthralled the audience.A London based youth dance troupe also performed some original modern dances during breaks in the musical program.Dr. N.S. Moorthy, founder and Chairman of White Pigeon UK and a Freeman of the City of London, addressed the audience on the work that White Pigeon performs in Sri Lanka for those affected by the war, work that allows the victims of mines, bombing and shelling to be rehabilitated and return to their livelihoods. He thanked the audience for their support and urged them to continue to contribute so that White Pigeon could continue its projects.Over 150 volunteers contributed their time and effort in handling administrative matters and assist in the smooth running of the musical, event organizers said. Japan: donors may cut S Lanka aid 13 January 2008 US want something more ‘worthwhile’ from APRC US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Robert Blake has expressed his disappointment to Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa over the outcome of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), The Nation learns. Blake had expressed his sentiments on Thursday soon after reports said that the APRC had recommended the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as a solution to the more than two decade long ethnic conflict. “This is not what we expected, the APRC must produce something much more worthwhile,” Blake is reported to have told Rajapaksa, who is the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The US had been perturbed by the reported APRC recommendation, which was reported in the media on Thursday following the meeting the committee had with President Rajapaksa on Wednesday.However, The Nation learns that the APRC had not made any such recommendation at Wednesday’s meeting and the news items had transpired from the President’s House itself, with alleged vested interests reported. Sri Lankan military: 27 Tamil rebels, 2 soldiers killed in fighting Fighting between Sri Lankan soldiers and separatist Tamil rebels left 27 guerrillas and two soldiers dead in the country's embattled north, the military said Sunday.Troops fought separate gunbattles with Tamil Tigers on Saturday in Vavuniya district, just south of the rebels' de facto state, killing 11 insurgents, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said.One soldier was also killed and three others were wounded, he said.In nearby Mannar district, soldiers killed 15 insurgents, Nanayakkara said. The battle left one soldier dead and five others wounded.One more rebel died in a clash in Jaffna, he said.The rebels could not be reached for comment. It was not possible to independently verify the military's claims because the fighting took place deep in the jungles of the north, and access to the area is restricted.Each side routinely exaggerates the other's casualties and plays down its own.Violence has escalated since Jan. 3 when the government withdrew from a 2002 cease-fire, with at least 296 people killed — 283 rebels, nine soldiers and four civilians — according to military figures.The latest fighting came as Norway, Japan, the United States and European Union urged the government and rebels to respect human rights and called for the presence of U.N. monitors.In a joint statement Saturday, they asked for both sides to allow humanitarian agencies to reach those in need of assistance and urged the government to allow diplomats from their countries to meet with rebel representatives.Japanese envoy Yasushi Akashi was scheduled to begin a three-day visit to Sri Lanka on Sunday to discuss the situation, the Japanese Embassy said in a statement.More than 70,000 people have been killed since the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam began fighting in 1983 for an independent state for Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority, claiming discrimination by the Sinhalese majority. JVP blocking Govt. package Government moves to rush devolution proposals whilst militarily crushing the Tiger guerrillas after next Wednesday’s abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement face a major stumbling block in Parliament. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said yesterday it would strongly oppose any proposals of the All-Party Representative Committee (APRC) aimed at devolving power by enforcing provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.“Changes in the mode of governance should be brought about only in peaceful times. If it is rushed through we will resist it,” JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe told The Sunday Times. His remarks indicated that the JVP was in favour of the LTTE being defeated before any political proposals emerged.It is not immediately clear whether the tough stance of the JVP came with tacit concurrence of the Government. This is in the light of moves by the political leadership to set the ground for the JVP to return to the Government fold by meeting one of its major demands – the abrogation of the CFA. Whilst a section of the Government has already gone public with reports that devolution proposals would be based on fully enforcing provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa declared this week that the proposals would be different. Yet, political observers note that even such proposals would have to emerge from the APRC to which the JVP has expressed staunch opposition.“We consider the APRC as an anachronism, not representative of the free will of the Sri Lankan people. We reject any recommendations made by such a body,” Mr. Amerasinghe said.He declared that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was thrust upon the then Government “by the Indians with their gunboats outside the Colombo Harbour.” He accused India of starting the ethnic war by training, and arming all the separatist groups in “a classic case of cross-border terrorism.” provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa declared this week that the proposals would be different. Yet, political observers note that even such proposals would have to emerge from the APRC to which the JVP has expressed staunch opposition.“We consider the APRC as an anachronism, not representative of the free will of the Sri Lankan people. We reject any recommendations made by such a body,” Mr. Amerasinghe said.He declared that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was thrust upon the then Government “by the Indians with their gunboats outside the Colombo Harbour.” He accused India of starting the ethnic war by training, and arming all the separatist groups in “a classic case of cross-border terrorism.”The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has taken up the position that it was a matter for the Government to sort out differences within itself and come up with a set of proposals. It would be only thereafter that the UNP would study it and respond, he said. As for the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, a party spokesman said, it was now part of the law. The signing of the CFA of February 2002 underscored the need to explore an acceptable political settlement that went beyond the 13th Amendment, the spokesman said.Both the JVP and the UNP are not attending APRC meetings. Almost all APRC parties are supporters of the Government. The APRC members and parliamentarians who backed the Government met President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday. An official announcement said the President “requested the Chairman of the APRC to hand over the final draft of the proposed solutions to him” by January 23. This new political development came as members of the Tokyo Donor Co-chairs (Norway, Japan, the United States and the European Union) declared it was “their belief that there is no military solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka” and called for an “appropriate role for the UN” in the country in monitoring the human rights situation.The statement came after envoys of the donor co-chair community held a conference call last Wednesday. The joint statement, issued by Norway, re-iterated their support for a negotiated settlement. They made a four point plea: Urge the Government of Sri Lanka to finalise a politically sustainable devolution plan.Urge all parties to comply with their obligations under the international law to protect civilians and allow access by humanitarian aid agencies to populations in need,Express deep concern about the human rights situation and protection of civilians in Sri Lanka, and call for continued monitoring of the human rights situation by such means as to assure an appropriate role for UN, and Request the Government of Sri Lanka to provide access to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Kilinochchi for representatives of the Co-chairs and the facilitator. Violence in east ahead of polls Three Muslims were shot as they came out from prayers around 8 p.m. at Karbala village in Kattankudy last night as tension increased ahead of the proposed local elections. They were rushed to Batticaloa hospital and the condition of the two of them was reported to be serious. Additional police and troops were rushed to the area to prevent any backlash. Meanwhile the TMVP cadres are alleged to have shot dead two government servants and a businessman who reportedly turned down the group’s demand to contest the upcoming local elections in Batticaloa on their ticket.The latest of the three killings took place on Friday night when suspected TMVP gunmen stormed the victim’s house at Ariyampathi and shot him dead. The other two victims were killed on Wednesday and Monday. All three victims were supporters of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).The businessman killed was identified as K. Yagarasa (45) while the other two were Volunteer Teachers’ Union President Parasuram Nandakumar (31) from Santhiveli and retired lab assistant Marimuttu Arumugam (58). In a related development, two more people were abducted by the TMVP, in Batticaloa this week.It is alleged that members of the TMVP are visiting houses of former TNA candidates and forcing them to contest the local polls on the TMVP (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal) ticket. Nominations for the Batticaloa Municipal Council and eight other local councils in the district will be received from January 18 to 25.In pre-election violence, an SLMC vehicle was smashed up in Valaichchenai allegedly by supporters of Minister Amir Ali. SLMC high command member M.L.A.M. Hisbulla said he and his supporters were threatened and chased away by Minister Ali’s supporters when they were holding a meeting at Valaichchenai yesterday.Mr. Hisbulla said Mr. Ali supporters interrupted the SLMC meeting and threatened that other than the UPFA, no other party would be allowed to contest the upcoming local polls in Batticaloa. Britain says talks essential to halt more killings The British Government said it was distressed that Sri Lanka has become less concerned about reconciling the differences between the parties to the conflict after winning some military battles. Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells, who was in Colombo last year, was replying to a question raised in the Commons last Wednesday about the situation in Sri Lanka following the decision to end the cease fire agreement.In response to a query by Simon Hughes, chairman of the Liberal Democrats Minister Howells said there must be talks between the protagonists otherwise the killings will continue. The minister was in full flight and had just mentioned the assassination of the minister of nation building last week when he was cut off in mid-sentence by the Speaker who stopped him speaking further possibly because of time constraints.Citing the recent killings of parliamentarians, the LTTE's military intelligence chief and others, Hughes asked what the British Government was doing to bring the two sides together again to facilitate a secure settlement so that all people in Sri Lanka could live in peace.Sharing Mr. Hughes’ concerns about what he called the ‘deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka’, the minister said that Britain had been trying for a long time to help the Norwegians broker a peace. He also said that former Northern Ireland secretary Paul Murphy had visited Colombo to try and give of his experience in trying to cobble a Belfast-type peace agreement.“I think that the most distressing feature is how the Government having won some military battles has become less enthusiastic about reconciliation and involving everyone who lives on that troubled island, in a more inclusive way,” he said. He said the Britain will continue to work with the Government to emphasise that reconciliation must take place.Mr. Hughes is also vice president of the Commons All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils which is headed by a former minister Keith Vaz, who was once suspended from Parliament after an inquiry, for breaching its rules of conduct. It was Mr. Vaz and Mr. Hughes who were largely instrumental in promoting last year's adjournment debate on Sri Lanka during which there was a call on the British Government to lift its ban on the LTTE imposed some seven years ago. APRC rejects MR's imposition of 13th Amendment The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) has rejected a move by President Mahinda Rajapakse to impose the 13th Amendment on the committee as the basis for resolving the ethnic issue and decided to submit its own report on January 23. The President on Wednesday, January 9 met party leaders and members of the APRC and directed them to forward a report based on the 13th Amendment by January 23 as a basis for resolving the conflict. Informed sources said the President also submitted to APRC Chairman, Minister Tissa Vitharana a document based on the 13th Amendment at the meeting and requested that the APRC reach a consensus based on it and forward it to Rajapakse as their proposals. The Sunday Leader learns the APRC which met Thursday, January 10 rejected the President's directive and decided to submit an interim report which was an improvement on the 13th Amendment whilst also excluding terminology as the 'unitary state.' However it was also decided to forward a proposal for the implementation of the 13th Amendment in full including police powers to the provinces until such time the APRC proposals are legislated Co-Chairs seek access to Wanni The Co-Chairs – Norway, Japan, US and EU – yesterday requested the government to provide access to the LTTE in Kilinochchi to representatives of the Co-Chairs and the facilitator.In a statement issued just days before the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) is officially abrogated, the Co-Chairs also expressed deep concern over the human rights situation and protection of civilians in Sri Lanka, and called for the continued monitoring of the human rights situation by such means as to assure an appropriate role for the UN. “The Co-Chairs jointly express their strong concerns about the termination of the 2002 CFA by the Government of Sri Lanka,” the statement said.The Co-Chairs also expressed support to a continued Norwegian role as facilitator. “The Co-Chairs emphasise their belief that there is no military solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka, and reiterate their support for a negotiated settlement,” they said.The statement also called on the Government of Sri Lanka to finalise a politically sustainable devolution plan. “All parties must comply with their obligations under international law to protect civilians and allow access by humanitarian aid agencies to populations in need,” the statement added. Colombo Should Accommodate India's Security Concerns: JVP Leader (Interview) India should avoid the mistakes of the past while Sri Lanka should accommodate New Delhi's security concerns in the spirit of 'true friendship' between the two neighbours, the leader of Sri Lanka's radical Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has said.Saying the 1980s were a tumultuous time when India 'promoted' Tamil militancy in Sri Lanka, Somawansa Amarasinghe said, 'What India did was terrible, and should not be repeated.'In fact, it was India which started cross-border terrorism in South Asia. This was a strategic mistake, not a mere tactical mistake, for India itself began experiencing separatist terrorism,' Amarasinghe told IANS in an interview.The JVP had warned India about the consequences of its actions, but to no avail, he recalled.'We met the then Indian high commissioner and told him that India should abandon this path and tackle president J.R. Jayewardene (of Sri Lanka) in a different way. But our appeals were not heeded,' Amarasinghe said.But now, the JVP wants to let bygones be bygones and build a new relationship with India.'We in the JVP do not want to live in the past. We need friendship with India because India is not only a neighbour but is our only neighbour,' he said.The JVP was wary of Western designs on Sri Lanka and preferred to build bridges with Asian countries, he stated.'In this context, I welcome the coming together of the two Asian giants, India and China, especially the visit of (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi to China,' Amarasinghe said.The seniormost leader and ideologue of the JVP, which is a power to reckon with in the Sri Lankan parliament, said India should extend 'kalyana mittata' or 'true friendship' to Sri Lanka.Amarasinghe recalled that when Prince Mahinda, the son of legendary Emperor Ashoka, brought Buddhism from India to Sri Lanka, it was avowedly on the basis of benevolence.'I do not want to use the term benevolence in the current context, but we need to see India assisting Sri Lanka on the basis of kalyana mittata. It will create a situation where the two countries can harness their full potential for mutual benefit,' he said.'For its part, Sri Lanka should recognise and accommodate India's security concerns,' he proposed.When asked if the JVP was opposed to Indian investments and trade in services, Amarasinghe said, 'We are not opposed to foreign investment but we insist that they should be of mutual benefit.'We opposed the grant of petrol stations to the Indian Oil Corporation because we believed that the distribution of a strategic resource like fuel should be in the hands of Sri Lankans.'He said relations between his country and India should be based on the Panchsheel treaty of peaceful coexistence.'Panchsheel obviates cold war,' Amarasinghe told IANS in an interview here.Propounded by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Chinese premier Zhou-Enlai in 1954, the five principles of Panchsheel envisage respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.On the ongoing efforts to work out a devolution package for the Tamil minority, the JVP leader said that priority should be given to defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militarily, not changing the constitution.Constitutional changes could be made after democracy is restored in the Tamil-speaking areas of the country's northeast where the Tigers had throttled democracy, he added.Asked about the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) set up by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to draft a new devolution package, Amarasinghe said it was neither 'all-party' nor vested with a mandate to do what it was doing.'The United National Party, which is the country's main opposition party and the JVP, are not there. We withdrew from the committee because we felt that it was going to dilute the unitary structure of the constitution against the popular mandate Rajapaksa had got in the 2005 presidential elections,' Amarasinghe explained.On how the JVP proposed to solve the Tamil question if it was opposed to federalism - a long standing demand of all Tamils - Amarasinghe said the solution did not lie in dividing Sri Lanka into ethnic enclaves.'Once the LTTE is finished, the military should come out of the north and east. Free speech must be restored among the Tamils there, and elections should be held. The Tamils must be given all opportunities that other citizens of Sri Lanka get. In fact, they should be given special concessions to make up for the lack of opportunities under LTTE control.'Once free speech is restored in the northeast, we can discuss constitutional matters with the Tamils,' the JVP chief said. Mahinda moves to thwart EU censure President Mahinda Rajapaksa has intervened to address the concerns of the European Union (EU) following representations that Sri Lanka has failed to live up to the required standards.EU Parliamentarian Niranjan Devaditya met with the President recently to express the concerns of the EU over human rights and other related issues.The President acted promptly to avert an EU assessment on Sri Lanka, scheduled to come up somewhere in March, by his timely action and directed Ministers Karu Jayasuriya and Prof. G.L. Peiris to act accordingly along with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.Devaditya briefed the President on the current thinking of the EU, as far as Sri Lanka is concerned, and pointed out that though certain requirements have been fulfilled, there still were outstanding issues to be addressed.Unless these issues are addressed, Sri Lanka’s garment industry, which is enjoying special privileges under the Generalised System of Preference (GSP), would be affected.Following this meeting, EU Representative in Sri Lanka Julian Wilson and Devaditya met with Minister Peiris for follow-up action. Rajapaksa says India-Sri Lanka accord can solve ethnic issue Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa has said the India-Sri Lanka accord of 1987 offers the best solution for the ethnic problem in his country. The devolution of power envisaged in the accord, offered the best solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa said in "Walk the Talk" programme on NDTV Saturday. Following the signing of the accord by Sri Lankan president J.R. Jayewardene and the then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, the Sri Lankan parliament passed the 13th amendment to the constitution, which created provincial councils with a modicum of power devolved from the central government. But the provincial council system did not function where it was primarily meant to, namely, the Tamil-speaking northeastern province. The northeast provincial council, dissolved in 1990 due to the war, still remains dissolved 17 years later. Now, President Rajapaksa reportedly wants to fully implement the 13th amendment saying it is the most practical answer to the Tamil minority's demand for provincial autonomy.The Sri Lankan president said Gandhi, who initiated the India-Sri Lanka accord, "had a vision"."He was a great leader, who knew what was going on here (in Sri Lanka)," Rajapaksa said.The Sri Lankan president sought Indian mediation in the ethnic conflict in his country, saying that Sri Lankans preferred India to Norway or US or any other Western country."India knows the mentality of the LTTE and can put pressure on it," he explained. 12 January 2008 Killing MP: witnesses 'threatened' Suspect not identified Wickramasinghe was highly critical of calling only two witnesses to identify the suspect, identified by Sunday times as Johnson Collin Wasanthan Valentine. The opposition parties as well as the government took part as a special condolence message was passed by the House.The late MP was "an example" for other legislators in the opposition, Leader of the House, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva observed. The opposition, however, accused the government of being responsible for the killing.Many witnesses were not called to the identifying parade, the UNP leader said, and many witnessed are threatened."There were hundreds of people gathered in the temple and only two called to identify the suspect," he told the parliament. Suspect 'worked for state' Minister Kerheliya Rambukwella earleir told BBC Sandeshaya that the suspect worked for the state before leaving the job in the Ministerial Security Division (MSD). "He has worked for MP Maheswaran as well as Minister Douglas Devananda," Minister Rambukwella said.Addressing media in Colombo, Minister Douglas Devananda denied any knowledge of the accused and threatened to take legal action against those spread 'false propoganda'. The EPDP headed by Ministrer Devananda is accused of gross human rights violations including killing of Jaffna journalist, Mylvaganam Nimalarajan. owever, suspect arrested on killing the journalist has fled Sri Lanka after being granted bail, media watchdogs said. Assess security situation in Batti before holding elections: UNP The main opposition UNP yesterday informed Parliament that it had told the Commissioner of Elections, Dayananda Disanayake to assess the security situation in Batticaloa before holding the local government elections. UNP General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake who addressed the condolence debate on MP, T. Maheswaran in the Hosue yesterday said he met the Commissioner of Elections on Thursday and requested him to assess the security situation in the area to determine whether it was suitable to hold elections. Mr. Attanayake stressed there should be a situation where the people in Batticaloa could exercise their votes freely. “Even EPDP Leader, Minister Douglas Devananda has also said there are armed groups functioning in the area and one must see how a poll can be conducted in such circumstances,” he said. Reflecting on the national issue he said a fair devolution of power within an undivided Sri Lanka was the best solution and that’s what the UNP stands for. He said the UNP would never defend the LTTE as it was the political party which had suffered most as a result of violent acts of the Tigers. Will hand over LTTE chief to India: Rajapakse NDTV: Can there be peace till Prabhakaran is alive? NDTV: But if he agreed it will be okay for you? NDTV: Then how will you deal with him, because in India he is a wanted man for Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. What do you think? NDTV: If you actually caught Prabhakaran, government of India will be in fix. Mukherjee’s supporting Sri Lanka’ attack against LTTE is irresponsible: NIA External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has given an injurious statement that Sri Lanka is well within its right to take action against LTTE while the peace talks are not yet closed.Mr. Mukherjee has encouraged Sri Lanka to attack LTTE, which statement was assailed by National Integration Assembly (NIA), World Peace Mission Body, and it termed it as irresponsible. “Mr. Mukherjee gave this statement on a query on the abrogation of the ceasefire on Karan Thapar's "Devil's Advocate" programme for CNN-IBN to be telecast on Sunday, wherein Mukherjee said: "We shall have to see what impact it has."While assailing the statement of Mr. Mukherjee, NIA Chairman Dr. Raj Baldev said that the old truce talks are still on, not completely ended. Morover, Sri Lanka recently voluntarily said that doors are open for LTTE to negotiate peace and at the same time Sri Lankan forces attacked LTTE and caught them by surprise killing around 160 persons. What’s this?”Mukherjee refused to criticize Sri Lankan Govt. for honoring the old the ceasefire pact or reviving the same with the LTTE, saying that India was "not party to it (the ceasefire agreement)".“If India is not a party, then why Pranab Mukherjee issued an injurious and abetting statement in favor of the Sri Lankan Govt. and against LTTE, NIA Chairman said? Why Mr. Mukherjee justified the military action of Sri Lankan Govt. to continue attacking the LTTE, which is absolutely wrong from the peace-preserving policy of India, particularly to its neighbors, Dr. Raj Baldev said. Mr. Mukherjee said:"Of late the clashes between Sri Lankan forces and LTTE terrorists have increased. So far as the terrorism is concerned, our position is that India's position is zero tolerance. So any country that takes action against terrorists are free to do so within their legal system." Dr. Raj Baldev refuting his statement said, “How Mr. Mukherjee labeled the issue of ethnic minorities including Tamilians as an act of terrorism? Tamilians are originally Indians with their ancestral links, and moreover, all citizens in Sri Lanka have their fundamental right to demand some concessions. Sri Lanka is equally responsible for inviting escalation from LTTE in the beginning.”On the issue of ethnic minorities, Mukherjee said, "So far as the solution to the problem of ethnic minorities, including the Tamilians, is concerned, so that their legitimate aspirations are fulfilled within the Sri Lankan system that part should not be lax and efforts must continue to arrive at a solution."Dr. Raj Baldev said, “ If Sri Lanka continues attacking mercilessly LTTE with falsehood and keeping the world in dark, how Mr. Mukherjee expects any solution?”Dr. Raj Baldev, NIA Chairman continued, “Sri Lankan Govt. said that they would kill at least 10 people from LTTE every day. What Mr. Mukherjee is to say? Dr. Raj Baldev NIA Chairman said, “The policy of National Integration Assembly (NIA) of which I am the Chairman, is a peace promoting mission body and want that the final solution should be found out by negotiation rather than attacking the LTTE area?In short Mukherjee’s statement is irresponsible. Dr. Raj Baldev said in the meeting of the National Integration Assembly (NIA) here today. If responsible minister like Mr. Mukherjee gives such a highly objectionable and reckless statement, it shall simply make Sonia’s govt. unpopular for the next elections. Lanka says Prabhakaran may be injured There are strong indications that elusive LTTE Supremo V. Prabhakaran was injured; Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka has said, claiming that the military had reduced the rebel strength to half."We have a strong feeling that he is injured and nothing much is known about him after he paid homage to (political advisor) Anton Balasingham on December 14," the General told foreign journalists last night.Fosenka said that unlike on other occasions when reports of the 53-year-old LTTE chief being killed proved to be false, intelligence reports were this time expressing doubts about his being "fully fit" and the morale of the Tamil Tigers too appeared to be shaken."We have weakened the LTTE by 50 per cent or more and we are confident we can go that extra mile this year," Fosenka said, adding he wanted to "finish" the task before he retires by the end of this year.Earlier reports had claimed that the underground bunker where Prabhakaran was hiding during a Nov 26 air raid was partially destroyed injuring him.The LTTE, however, had denied reports that its chief was injured in the attack."We have received reports that Prabhakaran may not be fully fit and that is the reason for his staying indoors," Fonseka said.When reminded of a similar rumour after the 2004 Tsunami, Fonseka said though at that time there were reports of Prabhakaran's death, "our intelligence had stated that he was alive. But this is not the case this time. My intelligence says there are doubts about his being fully fit." FBI 'to tame' LTTE in the US Killing world leaders The Tigers who have killed nearly 4000 people in the past two years have 'perfected suicide bombers' and 'pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks', according to the report. The FBI also accuse the LTTE of 'inspiring terrorist networks worldwide', including al Qaeda in Iraq.Meanwhile, District Court in Maryland has sentenced a Sri Lankan national to 57 months in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to the LTTE. Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, 37, is also convicted of attempting to export arms and munitions for the Tamil Tigers, according to US Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Operatives arrested Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa is to be deported from the US after serving his sentence.An indonesian national Haji Subandi, 70, was sentenced on December 14, 2007 to 37 months in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to LTTE, money laundering and attempted exportation of arms and munitions. The US authorities have arrested eleven suspects in the New York City on suspicion of supporting the LTTE.The Tamil Tigers, who are fighting fro a separate state for Sri Lanka's Tamil populations, are banned as a terrorist outfit in the US, Canada, EU and India. It is estimated that over 70,000 have been killed by both parties since LTTE began their armed struggle against the Sri Lankan state in 1983. One injured in Fort railway station blast A minor explosion took place inside the Fort railway station around 7.35 pm yesterday injuring at least one person and damaging a staircase, police said.They said explosives had been attached under the staircase on platform number seven and at least seven to ten stairs were damaged by the blast. The roof above the explosion had also been damaged. According to the initial investigations the bomb contained some 150 grams of explosives and had been made to explode with a big sound causing minor damage. The injured person with minor injuries was admitted to the National Hospital. At the time of the blast two trains were to leave to Aluthgama and Badulla. Railway authorities said the incident did not cause any delays to trains services.Police said the blast was similar to the one that took place near Lake House a few days ago. Parliament police orders Maheswaran’s sister-in-law to remove ‘thaali’ Hakeem seeks Rs. 100 million damage for slashing security. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauf Hakeem filed a fundamental rights petition in Supreme Court yesterday (11) seeking Rs. 100 million damage against slashing his security. The Inspector General of Police and the Secretary of the Ministry of Defense are the respondents of the case. Hakeem seeks the Supreme Court to order to reinstate the security he enjoyed before he crossed over to the opposition. 11 January 2008 Sri Lanka rejects Tiger truce offer Sri Lanka's government has rejected a Tamil Tiger offer to abide by the terms of a newly-scrapped six-year ceasefire.Instead, it vowed to push on with a military campaign to crush the rebels.The Tigers said on Thursday they were willing to implement the terms of a truce that Nordic monitors say they have violated thousands of times, but also said they were ready to face a full-scale war if the government wages one.But the 2002 truce broke down on the ground into renewed war two years ago, with both sides accused of serial violations, and the rebel gesture was too little, too late."While the CFA (ceasefire agreement) was on they attacked civilian targets. So what they are trying to do is take cover under this and then unleash terror activities," Keheliya Rambukwella, a minister and government defence spokesman, told Reuters."We will be going on with our liberation operations. We need to liberate the whole country from terrorism. We will flush them out."The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who want to create an independent state in north and east Sri Lanka, were not immediately available for comment.Raging violence continued on Friday, when air force jets bombed a Tamil Tiger naval wing base in the island's far north, the military said, adding troops killed 10 rebels in the northwestern district of Mannar.The military says it has killed around 200 insurgents since the government announced a week ago it was scrapping the tattered truce.There were no independent accounts of the fighting or how many people were killed. Analysts say both sides tend to exaggerate enemy losses and play down their own.The Tigers said on Thursday they were "shocked and disappointed" the government had scrapped the truce, which the state says the rebels simply used to buy time to regroup and rearm. The rebels said they were ready to implement all provisions of the failed pact "100 per cent".However critics say it was an empty promise from a group widely outlawed as terrorists and blamed for a succession of ambushes, bombings and assassinations while the truce was on.Asked if the Tigers would no longer violate the ceasefire terms, rebel peace secretariat head S Puleedevan told Reuters on Thursday: "We are not saying that. What we are saying is we tried our best to implement (the truce)."If full-scale war is thrust upon us, we will face it and the Sri Lankan armed forces will face the same fate that they have faced in 1997/1998," he added, referring to the bloodiest phase of a 25-year war.The government says it will wipe out the Tigers militarily, setting the stage for what many fear will be a bloody battle for the north as a death toll of around 70,000 people since the war erupted in 1983 climbs daily.The government's move to annul the ceasefire, which technically expires on January 16, has shocked the international community and is seen ruining any hope of resurrecting peace talks any time soon. LTTE want peace, Sri Lankan Govt. want war In response to Sri Lanka’s offer to LTTE for revival for ceasefire and original peace talks, the Tamil Tiger rebels (LTTE) had agreed to continue the 2002 ceasefire with the Sri Lankan government, but Colombo’s attack on LTTE disappointed them. "We are shocked and disappointed that the government of Sri Lanka has unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire agreement signed in 2002," B Nadesan, the group's political head, said in a statement. Even after they agreed on the proposal of Sri Lanka for ceasefire and peace talks, the attack on LTTE is a clear breach.In their recent attacks the Sri Lankan forces killed 164 rebels, six soldiers and three civilians. It is strange that the International Community is still getting misled by Sri Lankan Govt., they should assess the situation of attacks themselves, how Sri Lankan troops are killing the people mercilessly.It was first LTTE’s reaction to the government's decision, which the Sri Lanka Govt. should clarify to the public and international community, who wanted peace to establish between the LTTE and the Sri Lanka Govt.The Tigers were "ready to implement every clause" of the Norway-brokered truce and respect it "100 percent". “But surprisingly enough at the same time, the US, European Union and Canada banned this group, when the process of peace talks were not finally disrupted,” as per LTTE sources. The LTTE requested that bans should be lifted since it was based on the false propaganda by the Sri Lankan government.Nadesan said: " The International Community should immediately remove the bans it has placed on the LTTE since it is based on false propaganda of the Sri Lankan government." Nadesan's comments came after a meeting with Lars Johan Solvberg, the head of a European truce-monitoring team that lost its mandate with the truce's end. Violence has escalated, since the government pulled out of the cease-fire Jan 3. Japan Sends Envoy After Sri Lanka Ends Cease-Fire Japan will send a peace envoy to Sri Lanka at the weekend for talks with the government after it withdrew from a 2002 cease-fire accord with Tamil rebels, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo said. Yasushi Akashi will travel to the South Asian nation on Jan. 13 and is scheduled to meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, according to a statement. The ministry didn't say whether he will meet with representatives of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. ``We are very worried that Sri Lanka's decision will lead to the deterioration of the dispute and further conflict,'' Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told reporters in Tokyo today. Sri Lanka should ``continue efforts to reach a political solution through dialogue.'' Sri Lanka announced last week it is ending the truce, saying the Tamil Tigers used the cease-fire to rearm, recruit and prepare attacks. Japan, along with the U.S., the European Union and Norway, is a member of the so-called co-chairs of international donors for Sri Lanka group, which has pushed for peace in the country. The LTTE said yesterday it was ``shocked and disappointed'' by the Sri Lankan government's move and appealed to Norway, which brokered the truce, to remain engaged. The Tamil Tigers, designated a terrorist group by the U.S., the European Union and India, have been fighting for a separate homeland for 24 years in a conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people. Fighting intensified in the country's north and east after two rounds of peace talks in 2006 failed. 25 rebels killed in Sri Lanka fighting Govt. to draft new proposals – Basil In its endeavour to find a lasting solution to the ethnic problem, the Government would present a new set of proposals based on the Mahinda Chintana to the LTTE, said presidential advisor, MP Basil Rajapaksa, in an interview with the Daily Mirror yesterday.He said the proposals would be drafted taking into consideration the sentiments of all stakeholders in the conflict, especially those of the Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala civic organizations in the north and the east, and the TNA. The new proposals would be made ready soon after the final report of the APRC was submitted to President Rajapaksa, hopefully by the end of this month, he added. Once the new proposals were ready and accepted by all democratic establishments in the country, they would have to be ratified by a referendum, said Mr. Rajapaksa. He said that, after they were ratified at a referendum, the Government would invite the LTTE for direct talks based on the proposals. “People in the north and east must realize that they cannot achieve peace when the LTTE resorts to violence in the south. The Government has a legitimate right to defend civilians and property against the terrorist acts of the LTTE,” he said.Commenting on the present wave of terrorist acts by the LTTE in the city and its environs, Mr. Rajapaksa said that due to the constant vigilance of the security forces the terrorist outfit had resorted to carrying out acts of destruction on a minor scale, as manifested in the killings of Mr. T. Maheswaran and Mr. D.M.Dassanayaka.“They are not in a position to carry out large scale explosions, as it is difficult to transport explosives in large quantities. That is why they explode Claymore mines, targeting a lesser number of people,” Mr. Rajapaksa said. Sri Lankan jets pound rebel sea base, clashes kill 26 Tamil insurgents, military says Sri Lanka’s military said it jets bombed and destroyed a Tamil rebel sea base in the country’s embattled north Friday, while clashes elsewhere killed 26 of the insurgents.Air force fighter jets pounded the Tamil Tiger rebel base in the Nayaru area of rebel-controlled Mullaithivu district and pilots later confirmed they hit the target, a defense official said on condition of anonymity, citing government rules.He said no details were available yet on casualties from the airstrike.Meanwhile, soldiers pushed into rebel territory in the Parappaankandal area of the northern district of Mannar and destroyed four rebel bunkers early Thursday, killing 10 guerrillas, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said.Separate clashes over the past two days across northern Vavuniya, Mannar and northeastern Weli-oya regions killed 16 additional rebels and wounded eight government soldiers, he said.Rebel officials could not be contacted immediately for comment. Centre anti-Tamil, says BJP Opposing the UPA government's Sri Lankan policy, the BJP today said supplying military equipment to the island government, which had abrogated the cease-fire agreement with the LTTE and was bent on killing innocent civilians, was “an anti-Tamil act.”State BJP president Mr L Ganesan today said here that the Sri Lankan government was bent on a military solution to the ethnic conflict and arms given to the island government would only be used to kill Tamils on the island. Clarifying that his party was not supporting the LTTE, Mr Ganesan said if the violent actions of Tigers are condemnable, similar activities by the Sri Lankan government deserve the same contempt.The Sri Lankan government had not honoured any peace agreement with the Tamils and wanted the withdrawal of the IPKF, which had gone to the island nation after an invitation by the government. The Centre must be sensitive to the issue and show more concern, he said, while responding to a query on the UPA government's expression of support to a resolution through negotiations, while supplying military equipment at the same time.The BJP’s criticism of the Centre’s Sri Lankan policy comes close on the heels of opposition to the Centre's policy by Mr Vaiko's MDMK, Dravidar Kazhagam, parent body of the Dravidian parties, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Tamil nationalist outfits.Asked about black flag demonstrations announced by a few Dalit and Muslim organisations against the visit of Gujarat chief minister Mr Narendra Modi to the city on 14 January, Mr Ganesan said: “Mr Modi is a leader of nationalists and those opposing his visit are supporters of terrorists." The state government must arrest those inciting violence against Mr Modi and ensure his safety, he said.On protests by Leftist outfits at the Congress headquarters against Mr Modi participating in a meeting at the Kamaraj auditorium, owned by the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, the BJP leader said: “Only those loyal to the policies of the late Congress leader Kamaraj should be allowed to address meetings there. The present Congress leaders who had deserted Kamaraj and joined hands with the late Indira Gandhi, who caused his downfall, cannot attend meetings there."Mr Modi is to attend a function of the Tamil weekly, Tuklaq, of journalist Cho Ramaswamy, who has been holding the function at that venue for many years, he said. The BJP will help Ramasamy, if the TNCC decides to cancel the permission for the programme.Downplaying the visit of Mr Modi to the house of AIADMK supremo Ms Jayalalitha, he said: “It is not a party programme and just a meeting of friends.” Cricket spins unity in Parliament Sri Lankan refugees flying to Australia The first of 75 Sri Lankan refugees detained on Nauru will be flown to Australia next week, the federal government says.The group of 21 will travel to Australia as part of a humanitarian program and be settled in capital cities, Immigration Minister Chris Evans says.The Sri Lankan Tamils are the last detainees at the Nauru offshore processing centre, which the Labor government plans to close as part of dismantling its predecessor's "Pacific solution" to illegal arrivals.Senator Evans said all 75 Sri Lankans, who obtained refugee status last September, would be resettled in Australia in the coming weeks.He says decisions on the status of seven other Sri Lankans on Nauru are pending.The case of one, who was refused refugee status, was under review. The other six face criminal charges on Nauru over the alleged sexual assault of a Nauruan woman.They would remain at the detention centre until the case was resolved.Senator Evans said the government would shortly invite Nauru to begin formal discussions on the centre's closure."While the government is ending the Pacific Solution with the closure of the centre on Nauru, Christmas Island will soon have an increased capacity for offshore processing of unauthorised arrivals" Senator Evans said in statement."The government remains committed to strong border security, tough anti-people smuggling measures and the orderly processing of unauthorised arrivals."Nauru has warned the shutdown of its centre could slash the tiny Pacific island nation's earnings by 20 per cent."The government will carefully consider the likely impact of closure of the facility," Senator Evans said."Australia continues to honour its commitment to a generous aid and capacity development program on Nauru." Young woman shot dead in Vadamaraadchi Unknown gunmen shot dead a 20-year old woman in Alvaai North, Karaveddi in Vadamaraadchi district Thursday 1:30 p.m., sources in Point Pedro said. The woman was visiting her relatives in a bicycle when the gunmen following her shot her and fled the scene. The victim, Kavitha Shanmuganaathan's body was transferred to the Manthikai Government Hospital by the Nelliyadi Police Thursday night, hospital sources said.Point Pedro district court judge, Mr K Ariyanayakam, directed Nelliyadi Police to conduct investigations into the killing.Motives for the killing are not known. Rupee appreciation and inflation could be a deadly mix The Sri Lankan rupee’s recent appreciation at a time when inflation is rampant is bad news for Sri Lankan exporters who depend on a weaker rupee to remain profitable.As price takers, they have little control over the prices they can get for their products in global markets.Asking them to increase productivity - rather than benefit from the rupee’s depreciation to remain profitable - reminds one of Marie Antoinette’s advice to the French people- that if there is no bread they should eat cake. Explaining a stronger rupee The Sri Lankan rupee has appreciated by 4% during the last month or so. A currency’s appreciation usually indicates that the economy has strengthened. But that is also when the economy runs a continuous balance of payments on current account - which means that people are receiving more foreign exchange from overseas than they are spending.The rupee appreciates when the supply of foreign exchange in the foreign exchange market exceeds the demand for it, resulting in upward pressure on the rupee in relation to the US dollar. Although we are not strictly pegged to a particular value of the US dollar like the Hong Kong dollar, it is still linked to the dollar. So when the dollar appreciates or depreciates against other currencies like the British pound or the euro in the world foreign exchange markets, the Sri Lankan Rupee has to follow suit. In recent months, the US dollar has been depreciating against the British pound and the euro - and the rupee’s appreciation is not connected to these movements. Why then did the rupee appreciate the way it did? And why is it continuing to remain at the appreciated value of Rs 108 to the US dollar? It usually means that there is a greater demand for the Sri Lankan rupee.In the regime of floating nominal exchange rates that we follow, a capital inflow first enters the money and exchange markets and results in a nominal appreciation of the exchange rate. As a result, the Sri Lankan rupee appreciates – or “overshoots” - in the short term. Whether the overshooting is permanent depends on the continuation of foreign exchange inflows. Lump sum foreign payments for oil purchases were one of the main factors that earlier produced an excess demand for dollars in the foreign exchange market, leading to a depreciation of the rupee.But recently, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation obtained deferred payments terms of 4-7 months for Iranian oil purchases. So the demand for dollars to pay for Iranian oil imports will be lower in the short term. Of course, dollar demand will resume when the oil purchases have to be paid for in 4-7 months. Rupee bolstered with borrowed money Having excess US dollars in the market is also due to foreign capital inflows. Our balance of payments deficit in the current account - after setting off inward remittances from workers abroad - is financed by foreign capital inflows. So the Central Bank crows about a surplus in the overall balance of payments. But this includes a large amount of foreign borrowing which also goes to increase the gross foreign reserves even as they increase foreign liabilities at the same time.The government borrowed US$500m through the issue of bonds overseas. These are reported to be trading in the secondary market as low as $90, far below the par value of $100. The Central Bank can and does intervene in the foreign exchange market to buy or sell dollars.It may sell dollars at the going price if it feels that the rupee is depreciating and its sale will increase supply and stem the depreciation. If the Central Bank feels the rupee is appreciating too much due to a surplus in the market, it can buy to replenish the official foreign exchange reserve held by the bank by buying dollars. A depreciation of the rupee is bad news for inflation because it increases the prices of imported goods in the domestic market. Such depreciations are a contributing factor in inflation. The increase in imported prices also spills over to domestic goods because many locally produced goods use imported raw materials – sometimes as much as 40-50%. The increase in imported prices also poses a problem to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the Ceylon Electricity Board because they have to pay more rupees for oil on top of the high dollar price. It also applies to other imported goods like milk foods, wheat and sugar. The flip-side of a stronger rupee The rupee’s appreciation at a time when there is high inflation caused by the government’s printing money to fund excessive budget deficits could lead to economic woes. Inflation means wages are also increased, a move which also raises the costs of domestic production. While producers who sell exclusively in the local market can mark up their prices factoring in the higher costs, Sri Lankan exporters do not have this luxury, be they exporters of primary products like tea or industrial products like garments. These exporters are price takers from the global market and cannot increase their export prices. Their profits then come down and may even turn to losses, imperiling our staple employment generating economic activities and the main source of our export earnings. What we require urgently is an effort by the state to control domestic inflation by avoiding excessive budget deficits which are funded by money printing. In 2006, 49% of the budget deficit was funded by government borrowings. The Central Bank governor said recently that 35% of the increases in the general price level in 2007 was because of higher prices we have to pay for imported goods. But this also means 65% of the increases are due to demand induced inflation. Funding deficits with foreign borrowings We are facing a crisis in the current account of the balance of payments due to the very high oil price and the high grain and food prices. We are tidying over this crisis by borrowing externally in foreign currency. But there is no free lunch and we have to either cut down our imports or increase our exports if we are to tide over this crisis. The government and the Central Bank seems to think that we can go on borrowing externally and repaying foreign debt falling due for repayment each year by further borrowing and thereby rolling over the debt as in the case of rupee-denominated domestic debt. But external borrowing depends on conditions in the world capital market and our debt repayment capacity according to our foreign reserve position. It is not the gross foreign reserves but the bet foreign assets position that will determine the perceptions of foreign lenders, particularly the private foreign lenders toward Sri Lanka. The official reserves are now sufficient to fund 3.3 months of imports, but this is hardly adequate to inspire confidence among foreign lenders of our capacity to repay foreign debt. There are also foreign purchases made on credit terms which are not reflected in the official figures until they fall due for payment. Sri Lanka’s arms purchases are largely on credit and only a future government will have to find the foreign exchange to pay for them. So the government can merrily go on a spending spree having effectively borrowed externally. Stop Printing Money The government must stop borrowing from the banking system and fund its budget deficit instead from public savings offering a positive real rate of interest to the public to induce them to do so. The real rate of interest is the difference between the nominal rate and the rate of inflation. The Central Bank and the two state banks must also stop lending to the government either directly or indirectly, which they do by buying treasury securities. We are still to provide positive real rates of interest even though interest rates are high.If the government cannot raise sufficient money to fund its budget deficit by encouraging savings, it should cut down on its expenditure and reduce the budget deficit. If it must fund the war, then it must cut down expenditure elsewhere. It can start by cutting the excessive salaries and perks given to a record number of ministers.Corruption and waste is rampant, and can be reduced to save public expenditure. The plea that the perks and ministerial portfolios are necessary to build coalitions to keep the government in office is no justification. If the government does not have a majority in parliament it should not burden the people but instead go for a general election. The government must not also give in to the demands of extremist groups like the JVP and JHU without a mandate from the people. The only way out of this quagmire is to add productivity gains that increase the value of output while also reducing budget deficits - particularly the deficit on recurrent or revenue budget.While it would be justifiable to fund infrastructure capital investment projects through foreign borrowings, it would be better to do so by attracting foreign investors to participate in public-private partnerships. But inflation cannot be reduced unless government expenditure is curtailed because growth inevitably leads to higher inflation. Afterall, it must be recalled that inflation has been the undoing of many governments throughout the word. 10 January 2008 Sri Lankan Rebels `Shocked' at Cease-Fire Withdrawal The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam group said it is ``shocked and disappointed'' by the Sri Lankan government's decision to withdraw from a 2002 cease-fire. The government announced last week it is ending the truce, saying the Tamil Tigers had used the cease-fire to rearm, recruit and prepare for further attacks. In a statement handed to international monitors today, the LTTE said it is still prepared to observe the cease-fire and appealed to Norway, which brokered the truce, to ``continue with its facilitation role with the support of the international community.'' The Tamil Tigers, designated a terrorist group by the U.S., the European Union and India, have been fighting for a separate homeland for 24 years in a conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people. Fighting intensified in the country's north and east after two rounds of peace talks in 2006 failed. Norway said in a statement last week that it may be forced to withdraw international monitors, weakening efforts to protect the civilian population in the South Asian island nation. Sri Lanka's political parties will submit a proposal to President Mahinda Rajapaksa this month on devolving power to the nation's regions, the government said today. Rajapaksa will use the final draft of the All Party Representative Committee to seek a political solution to the conflict. 'Peace Posture' The government rejects any settlement that would divide the country. The LTTE says Rajapaksa's political settlement is a ``peace posture'' aimed solely at winning international support. Tamils make up 11.9 percent of Sri Lanka's population of 20 million people and Sinhalese almost 74 percent, according to the 2001 census. The international community must ``accept the just aspirations of the Tamil people, and recognize the right of the Tamil people to live with self-determination in their homeland,'' the LTTE said today. It called for sanctions on the organization to be lifted. Sri Lanka's political parties must unite to fight terrorism, Rajapaksa said after a government minister was assassinated on Jan. 8 in an attack blamed on the Tamil Tigers. Rajapaksa has vowed to ``eradicate'' terrorism and increased funding for the army, navy and air force to a record 166.4 billion rupees ($1.5 billion) this year. The military is targeting LTTE leaders, including the group's military intelligence chief, who was killed Jan. 6. The military captured the Eastern Province in July, leaving the rebels in control of bases only in the north. APRC says to implement 13th Amendment in full Sri Lanka Army officer criticised for calling journalists 'traitors' The International News Safety Institute (INSI) has protested against a Sri Lanka Army official's labelling of some journalists as traitors and urged the government to take steps to ensure the safety of all media persons working in the country.In a Jan 2 interview with state-controlled daily Dinamina, Sri Lanka Army Commander Major General Sarath Fonseka reportedly said that the media's 'treachery' was hampering the military's fight against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and added that 'we have a small number of traitors amongst the journalists'.The statement followed an attack by the Sri Lankan Air Force on the official LTTE radio station last November, which killed at least three editorial staff.'These words can only reflect and encourage more hostility against journalists. We hope and pray they do not foreshadow more attacks,' INSI director Rodney Pinder said Wdnesday.He added: 'I would remind General Fonseka that freedom of expression is a basic human right and it is the job of journalists to report the views of all sections of society and all sides in a conflict. Journalists in conflict zones are protected as civilians under the Geneva Convention.'UN Security Council Resolution 1738 additionally urges all parties in situations of armed conflict to respect the professional independence and rights of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel, he pointed out.'We urge the government of Sri Lanka to take a stand for freedom of expression and guarantee the safety of journalists,' Pinder added.The journalist safety organisation said the plight of media persons in Sri Lanka was of increasing concern. Six news media staff died there in 2007, making the country one of the most dangerous in the world in a year in which a record 171 news media personnel died. Others had been reportedly subjected to death threats and other forms of intimidation.INSI's global survey of news media casualties since 1996 places Sri Lanka 14th out of more than 70 countries where journalists died trying to do their jobs.INSI is a coalition of news organisations, journalist support groups and individuals dedicated to the safety of news media staff working in dangerous environments. Sri Lanka rebels ready for any full-scale war Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels vowed on Thursday to fight a full-scale civil war if the government wages one after scrapping the remains of a tattered ceasefire, and called on Norway to stay on as mediator.In their first reaction since President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government announced a week ago it was formally scrapping a 6-year truce that degenerated into renewed war two years ago, the Tigers said they would mount large scale counter-offensives if the armed forces try to capture their de facto state."If full-scale war is thrust upon us, we will face it and the Sri Lankan armed forces will face the same fate that they have faced in 1997/1998," S. Puleedevan, head of the Tigers' peace secretariat, told Reuters by telephone from the northern rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi, referring to the bloodiest stage of a 25-year war.He said the Tigers' new political wing leader, B. Nadesan, appointed after the government killed his predecessor with an air raid in November, had written to Norway's Foreign Minister requesting they continue as mediator."We are shocked and disappointed that the government of Sri Lanka has unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire," he added."We are calling on Norway to remain as facilitator, and have told the SLMM (Nordic truce monitors) we are ready to implement all the provisions of the ceasefire agreement, line by line."The Tigers have been blamed for a raft of ambushes, bombings and assassinations in recent months, and Nordic truce monitors say the Tigers have violated the terms of the ceasefire thousands of times.Asked if his statement on the truce meant the Tigers would no longer violate the ceasefire terms, he said: "We are not saying that. What we are saying is we tried our best to implement (the truce)." The Sri Lankan government, the defense secretary, the President ... these people are all beating the war drums and saying we will go for a full-scale war, so that's why we've informed the international community: Please understand the mindset."The government, which has also been blamed for a raft of ceasefire violations, has vowed to wipe out the Tigers militarily, setting the stage for what many fear will be a bloody battle for the north as a death toll of around 70,000 people since the war erupted in 1983 climbs daily.The military has evicted the Tigers from vast swathes of territory the rebels held in the east, and now seeks to make inroads into their northern stronghold.The government's move to annul the ceasefire has shocked the international community and is seen ruining any hope of resurrecting peace talks any time soon. Sri Lanka: A group calls for a broad alliance to fight against lawlessness and corruption "Sri Lanka needs a popular mass movement which is not affiliated to any political parties to fight against lawlessness and to re-establish the rule of law" said Mr. J.C. Weliamuna, a lawyer who also heads Transparency International Sri Lanka, while attending a meeting in Hong Kong of a group of concerned Sri Lankans. Mr. Weliamuna went on to say, "There is today a realisation across all sectors of society that there is no respect for law in our country and even the constitution has been disregarded with impunity. The result is a massive growth of corruption which has begun to disturb all areas of life. This is a very unusual and a tremendously disturbing situation which needs to be remedied now or it will be too late. That is why we all agreed that it is very urgent to build a close link with people from all walks of life who are suffering under this situation to come together to find ways to struggle peacefully to reverse this trend. Unfortunately, the political parties of Sri Lanka are also very much a part of this corruption. Therefore it is only a popular movement of men and women from all walks of life, lawyers, judges, doctors, university lecturers, the teachers, workers and the poorest people in the urban and rural sectors that should unite their hands to deal with this serious national problem." This group of concerned persons engaged in a study tour to interact with Hong Kong's Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) which has proved to be one of the world's most successful institutions in the fight against corruption. The members of the group said that this was a tremendous experience and that it shows that corruption can be defeated. "If there was a system of corruption control in Sri Lanka like the ICAC, Sri Lanka's development would take a great leap," said Victor Ivan, a well known Sri Lankan journalist who also attended this meeting. "There is no adequate allocation of funds to run a successful anti corruption work," said Justice Ismail, who is presently the Chairperson of the Bribery Commission of Sri Lanka. He further said that, though we work very hard there are serious problems on the way. There are deficiencies in the interpretation of the word 'corruption' when compared to the concept of misconduct that is used in Hong Kong. He also mentioned that there had been some reports done by experts who pointed out that though the commission claims to be independent, it is not really so as there are structural limitations on independence. "There are a lot of limitations in the way the parliamentary committee system works in Sri Lanka at the moment," said the Member of Parliament, Wijedasa Rajapakse, the Chairperson of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) who's famous COPE report raised many important issues regarding corruption involving billions of Rupees in Sri Lanka. "Other countries have very efficient systems which give the parliamentary committees a lot of power to deal with problems such as corruption, he said. He pointed out that, unfortunately in Sri Lanka, instead of acting on committee reports, members of parliament who act with independence and submit such reports after a lot of hard work are themselves victimized. The group agreed that things have reached a point when it is not possible to continue in the manner the has been prevalent in Sri Lanka, particularly since the 1978 Constitution and that the system as it stands now seems to be geared to assist political leaders in plundering public property for their own personal benefit. All the people are suffering because of this and therefore it is only natural that all the people will want it to end. Therefore, a broad coalition involving everyone must to be brought together to resolve this problem. It has to be non-political since people have lost faith in the political parties. The groups agreed that what we want is positive action and not mere criticism. We need to look for long term as well as short term strategies to end lawlessness and corruption. There needs to be police, judicial, public service and other forms of institutional reforms. We must ask ourselves as to how we want the country to look in a few years from now. This study programme was organised by the Asian Human Rights Commission in collaboration with Transparency International Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka raises over a billion rupees from share trading tax Witnesses fail to identify suspect End to Sri Lanka war not in sight As Sri Lanka returned to full scale war after the government formally withdrew from the ceasefire with the LTTE a week ago, military officials confirmed that the second bomb to explode on Tuesday in Colombo was targeted at Sri Lanka’s Air Force chief, Air Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke.Around nine hours after the Minister of Nation Building, D M Dassanayake was killed in a remote controlled claymore mine blast, the Air Force chief narrowly escaped a parcel bomb which exploded on Tuesday night, about three minutes after his vehicle passed the location, investigators said.Fitted with a timer, the bomb which had been placed inside a phone booth in Colombo Fort had gone off at 7.50 pm when there was virtually no traffic on the road, police said.Being a high security zone with the presidential palace, the port and major commercial establishments in it, the Fort area was further submerged in tight security after the blast.The government unreservedly blamed the LTTE rebels for both blasts.Meanwhile, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nannayakkara on Wednesday said large swathes of rebel held territory has been captured in northern Mannar where heavy fighting is taking place. At least thirty LTTE rebels are believed to be dead in the fighting so far, according to reports.The military has acknowledged the death of only one soldier.However, the LTTE in a statement on the pro rebel website Tamil Net claimed that fourteen soldiers were killed in the fighting. The rebels have acknowledged that there were casualties on their side but did not specify numbers.A civilian source in Mannar contacted on mobile phone described the bombing as ‘unbearable’.“This is the worst fighting in months. Whole of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning we could hear the sound of bombing. It is unbearable. Small children are bleeding from their ears in reaction to the thunderous sounds and expecting mothers are desperately trying to flee to safer areas. It is hell here..,” forty year old Jeevapushpam who lives in the northern Mannar district said when contacted.Jeevapushpam who fled her southern hometown of Awissawella during the ethnic riots targeting Tamils in 1983, had lost her husband ten years ago to a landmine in the north.Now her deepest fear is that the same fate will befall her twenty year old son.Analysts say the twenty five year old ethnic conflict is likely to spiral to its deadliest limit this year, with the game plan of the LTTE being to cause as much death, damage and mayhem in the South.Meanwhile a notable development following the scrapping of the ceasefire was the resignation of President Mahinda Rajapakse’s top advisor on the peace process, Jayantha Dhanapala, a diplomat and former candidate for the post of UN Secretary General.Dhanapala, who had also served as head of the Government Peace Secretariat, was not available for comment but sources close to him said he was embarrassed by the government’s move to terminate the truce.Meanwhile, amidst heightened security checks aimed at preventing terrorist activities, rights groups have warned against harassment and arrests of Tamil civilians.In a mass scale search operation carried out in Colombo in the past week nearly two hundred persons were arrested on suspicion, senior police sources said. The suspects are being questioned to find out if they are hardcore LTTE activists, according to police officials.As Sri Lanka plunges further into uncertainty, top political sources on Wednesday revealed that President Mahinda Rajapakse intends to ban the LTTE shortly, a move which would further erode even the remotest chance of resuming peace.“No, it’s difficult to muster up any hope anymore… All chances of peace are truly dead. Any assurance by the government of offering a political solution to Tamils seems to be merely rhetoric,” said a humanitarian worker affiliated to a non governmental organisation working with the war affected.On Monday, a former LTTE rebel turned pro government politician addressing a press briefing said no peace could be possible as long as the LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabakaran was alive.Social Service and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda told reporters that the LTTE would never agree to a peaceful settlement of the current conflict adding that the Tamil Tigers always used peace talks to re-group and strengthen its power. Batticaloa elections details released A total of 101 members are to be elected from nine local councils in the soon to be held local council elections in Batticaloa District, according to the information provided by the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Elections. The elections office also has released the breakdown of the members to be elected in each local council, the number of candidates to be put forward by each political party and the details of the number of polling booths.Following are the details of the number of members to be elected in each local council: Batticaloa Urban Council 19 | ||
