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31 January 2009 UN urges safe passage for civilians caught in Sri Lanka fighting UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday appealed to the Sri Lankan government and its Tamil foes to ensure safe passage for an estimated 250,000 civilians caught in the fighting in the northeast of the island country."The Secretary General calls upon the (rebel) Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in particular, to allow civilians in the conflict zone to move to where they feel most secure, including (government-controlled) areas," his press office said in a statement. Ban also urged the Colombo government "to ensure that those civilians arriving from the Vanni and other conflict areas are treated in accordance with international standards," including guaranteeing their freedom of movement, providing basic services, and allowing full access by humanitarian agencies. The UN boss said that he remained concerned about the fate of civilians, including tens of thousands of children, despite Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's announcement of safe passage for them. He called on both Colombo and the LTTE "to do all in their power to make this safe passage a reality, and to ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with International Humanitarian Law." Earlier Friday, Sri Lanka however rejected growing international calls for a ceasefire amid fears for the safety of the 250,000 civilians. Its human rights minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe, said there would be no let-up in the military campaign against the LTTE despite calls for a truce. "There will be no ceasefire," the minister told reporters after meeting Colombo-based diplomats. "We will continue with our military operations and we will continue to liberate areas which have not been liberated so far." Sri Lanka's defense ministry says it is conducting the final phase of operations against Tamil Tiger guerrillas in a bid to end Asia's longest-running ethnic conflict. Tiger rebels took up arms in 1972. The Sri Lankan government pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce with the rebels a year ago and has since been battling to dismantle the LTTE's northern mini-state. Following months of heavy fighting, government troops have captured the LTTE's political capital of Kilinochchi and, last weekend, the rebels' main military base of Mullaittivu on the northeast coast. We don’t hold civilians–LTTE Respond to Rajapaksa’s offer, State government tells Tigers CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government on Friday urged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to respond to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s announcement of a 48-hour “ceasefire” to release civilians in the war zone. Participating in a discussion on the Sri Lankan situation in the Assembly, Finance Minister and Leader of the House K. Anbazhagan said: “In the matter of protecting [Sri Lankan] Tamils, even after the intervention of the Indian government and the statement of the Sri Lankan President, there has not been a single response from the LTTE members.” Reminding the LTTE that the United Nations and the International Committee of Red Cross had welcomed the announcement of halt to military operations, he said: “The other side should be helpful… Using this [opportunity], it should declare that it is ready to end hostilities. At least, it should say it will end its offensive if the Sri Lankan government announces a ceasefire. So, let us strive for furthering goodwill amongst all. The protection of Eelam Tamils is the sole objective of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.” Responding to the observations of V. Sivapunniyam (Communist Party of India) and G.K.Mani (Pattali Makkal Katchi) on the issue, Mr. Anbazhagan described the mission of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Sri Lanka as the “first step.” He was calling it so because the situation in the island nation did not favour quick movements. In the State, politicians could make rapid movements, “as we are all making speeches keeping elections in mind.” Recalling the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord signed in 1987, Mr. Anbazhagan said that even if devolution of powers was not possible, attempts could be made for a federal structure, providing a “relatively secure and peaceful political space” to Tamils. If the LTTE could not intervene in this matter directly, other Tamil groups, using the present opportunity, could strive for such a settlement. The Finance Minister argued that the yardstick applied to a war between nations could not be applied in the case of Sri Lanka. The Government of Sri Lanka was of the view that it was putting down the LTTE as the organisation was engaged in terrorism. Top Tiger leader Bhanu critically injured Top LTTE leader Bhanu was seriously injured in Udayarkattu, Mullaitivbu, military sources said."Bhanu who was in charge of the artillery and mortar units of the LTTE, had been fleeing for safety from the advancing army.This had caused a severe dent in the fighting capability of the Tigers. It was only last week that LTTE leader Prabhakaran’s advisor Balakumar suffered serious injuries in a confrontation with the troops in the same area. "Balakumar, is undergoing treatment in a hospital in Mullaitivu jungles and his condition is critical," the sources said. Bhanu and another Tiger leader Deepan had been leading attacks on the troops during the past few days in this area.Bhanu’s sister, living in France, has informed the LTTE members in France that her brother was critically injured.He was one of the key LTTE members responsible for capturing the Elephant Pass in 2000. Others who led the LTTE onslaught were Karuna,Balaraj and Deepan and today only Baunu and Deepan remain with the Tigers.Bhanu, a close confidant of Prabhakaran, joined the LTTE in 1994 and underwent training in India and a few other countries.He has been responsible for a number of major attacks launched by the Tigers against the security forces sources said. No change in our stand on LTTE: Thangkabalu CHENNAI: TNCC president K.V. Thangkabalu on Friday asked the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE to make use of the 48-hour deadline given by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and provide a safe passage to innocent Tamils caught in the war.Talking to reporters at Sathyamurthy Bhavan, he said Mr. Rajapaksa had agreed for the ceasefire because of the tough stand of the Indian government. “There is no change in our stand on the LTTE. We have persuaded the Sri Lankan government to give time for the safe exit of the innocent Tamils. The outcome will tell who is the enemy of the Tamils,” he said.When told that 48 hours was inconsequential since the demand was for a permanent ceasefire, Mr. Thangkabalu said it was a first step towards achieving a peaceful solution.“The Congress party is for ceasefire and securing rights of Tamils on a par with the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka,” he added.Reacting to the allegations that the Sri Lankan Army was targeting the civilians in the areas under its control, Mr. Thangkabalu said the LTTE was also holding the Tamils at gun point. “We are not supporting anyone. We should not forget the innocent Tamils, who have been trapped.” Mr. Thangkabalu said when he met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on January 22, he requested her to fulfil the expectation of the Tamil people who had been demanding a ceasefire. LTTE Urea factory found Security forces engaged in the liberation of Mullaitivu have come across a urea manufacturing factory West of Pudukudiruppu, top Army sources said yesterday.Army spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that the LTTE had manufactured urea to be utilized in the manufacture of bombs and at the time of detection there were ten bags of urea.Furthermore, the LTTE had forcibly taken away all stocks of urea send by the Government for the use of Northern farmers and for the manufacture of bombs, Nanayakkara said.When troops reached the LTTE urea factory the Tigers had already taken away about half the quantity stored there. Thousands of Tamils protest in Toronto Thousands of Canadian Tamils formed a human chain through Toronto's downtown on Friday to protest a Sri Lankan government offensive aimed at crushing the separatist Tamil Tigers.The greater Toronto area is home to 200,000 Tamils, one of the largest Tamil population outside Sri Lanka and the Indian subcontinent. A number of protests have been staged in recent weeks.On Friday, protesters formed a human chain spanning several miles of major downtown streets to protest the military offensive, which has ousted the rebels from all major towns following heavy battles in recent months.The rebels are now cornered in a 115-square-mile area of jungle and villages in the Tamil-dominated north, where some 250,000 civilians are trapped, according to the Red Cross.Sri Lanka ruled out a cease-fire with the Tamil Tigers on Friday despite growing reports of casualties among civilians trapped in the war zone. The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for a separate state for minority Tamils since 1983, and were declared a terrorist organization by the U.S. in 1997 and by Canada in 2006.Scores of young people, off because of exams, participated in Friday's protest, carrying signs and chanting for an end to the violence."This is a massive protest because we're expecting the whole Tamil community to come out and support this," said Phavalan Rahendram, a 17-year-old high school student."It's not only Tamils that should care about this. This is the killing of human beings. This is a genocide," Rahendram said.Sujeentha Sha, another high school student, said most of the protesters support the Tamil Tigers."They are the last hope of the Tamil people, so every one supports the Tamil Tigers," Sha said. Political leaders hail Muthukumar's 'sacrifice' Fears over Sri Lanka war children 'Caught in crossfire' Unicef said the safety of children - some just months old - and the wider civilian population was of paramount importance. "We have clear evidence that children are being caught in the crossfire, and that children are being injured and killed," Unicef Regional Director for South Asia, Daniel Toole, said. "It is crucial that safe areas, schools and medical facilities are protected and considered zones of peace, in all circumstances. "Children are bearing the brunt of a conflict which is not theirs. We are gravely concerned for the tens of thousands of children who are trapped in a fast shrinking area of intense conflict." But Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapakse, said the numbers were exaggerated and aid agencies were panicking. Meanwhile, the UK has announced it is doubling its emergency humanitarian aid to try to protect civilians. 'Rights breaches' President Rajapaksa said that the rebels were refusing to let the civilians leave. "I urge the [Tamil Tigers], within the next 48 hours to allow free movement of civilians to ensure their safety and security. For all those civilians, I assure a safe passage to a secure environment," he said in a statement on Thursday. The European Union on Friday called for a halt to the conflict. EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel said: "This is an escalating humanitarian catastrophe. We are extremely worried about the terrible situation facing people trapped in the fighting." But the Sri Lankan government has said it will continue "to liberate areas which have not been liberated so far". Our correspondent says that displaced civilians who do manage to leave the war zone are held in government-managed camps to which there is no media access. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has also said she is extremely concerned about the well-being of people caught up in the fighting. She said the situation could be worse than generally realised because of the restrictions on access to the war zone. Ms Pillay said there appeared to be "very grave breaches of human rights by both sides in the conflict and it is imperative that we find out more about what exactly has been going on". On Friday, the Reporters without Borders group also appealed to President Rajapaksa to allow local and foreign journalists to report freely. The Red Cross says the humanitarian situation in the north-east "remains precarious for thousands". "Stocks have been depleted and sustainable ways of producing food locally have become almost nonexistent," it said. The UK has said it is doubling its emergency humanitarian aid with another £2.5m to support Red Cross operations and help maintain relief convoys. Heavy fighting On Thursday, aid agencies said they had evacuated hundreds of wounded civilians, including 50 critically ill children, to a hospital in the town of Vavuniya. The military says it is involved in a final push against the retreating rebels. It has captured the key towns of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and the strategically important Elephant Pass in recent weeks. The BBC's Ethirajan Anbarasan is at Elephant Pass with the army. He says he can hear artillery fire 15km (nine miles) to the south and has been told there is heavy fighting there. Hiding Place of Prabhakaran Found In Visuamadu Jungle Troops of the 57 Division under the command of Major General Jagath Dias have located a high profile LTTE hideout including an underground bunker while engaged in mop-up operations in the Visuamadu jungle, yesterday (30). The LTTE hideout was well fortified and concealed from air detection, security sources said. According to available information the site was frequented by the LTTE Leader Prabakaran and senior cadres. The underground bunker was air conditioned and constructed beneath a luxury compartment with bullet proof doors. A soundproof generator was used for electric power supply for the compartment and the underground bunker. An elevator used between the bunker and the overhead construction was also found which troops state as the first ever instance that security forces have come across such. Drugs for diabetes patients were also found suggesting that this site was recently accommodated by the LTTE leader, security sources further said. Sri Lanka military destroys Tiger suicide boat 17 Killed and 39 Injured in Bombing of Church Premises at Suthanthirapuram Despite denials by Sri Lankan government ministers and officials that innocent civilians are being killed and injured in the aerial bombardment and artillery shelling by the armed forces in the Wanni , there is mounting evidence to the contrary. In a horrible incident on January 28th the Church premises of the American Ceylon Mission at Suthanthirapuram was bombed. 17 persons were killed and 39 including Rev. Anandarajan were injured. We reproduce here a letter sent by Rev. S. Jeyanesan of the ACM.Further to my mail about the Wanni deteriorating situation, I am sad to inform you that one of our Church of the American Ceylon Mission Minister, the Rev. S. I. Anantharajah, Parish Priest of Murukandy and the manager of the Murukandy Girls' Home and the Day Care Center was injured as a result of aerial bombardment yesterday 28-1-2009 at Suthanthirapuram Church premises.Along with him, 39 people were injured, among them 3 of our Orphanage Children. We also heard 17 people were killed in our compound the same day.A month ago Rev. Anantharaja moved from Murukandy with his family, children of the Murukandy Girls' Home and the parishners of his Church to our Kilinochchi Church compound. Then he and the other pastors, considering the worsening situation in Kilinochchi, decided to move further interior and went to Vivsamadu Church Premises.A month ago Rev. Anantharaja moved from Murukandy with his family, children of the Murukandy Girls' Home and the parishners of his Church to our Kilinochchi Church compound. Then he and the other pastors, considering the worsening situation in Kilinochchi, decided to move further interior and went to Vivsamadu Church Premises.When I visited Visvamadu in December 2008, there were about 3000 people in the premises. Later I heard that number increased to 7000, including all our CACM ministers, Anglican Priests, Methodist Pastors, Catholic Priests and the orphan children of Karunanilayam, Navajeevanam and Shalom Nagar.I was informed a week ago by the Rev. P. N. Anukoolan, the Area Minister in Wanni, that it has become impossible and dangerous to stay at Visvamadu. I advised them to leave all their belongings and to move out to Suthanthirapuram, which was considered safe zone. At that time the Government also announced Suthanthirapuran as a neutral zone. I wonder how an aerial bombardment could happen at a Government declared neutral zone. I do not know how many people were there when the incident took place.Communications are completely cutoff.We also receive reports that hundreds and hundreds of injured people are there without any medical care.Even at this juncture I reiterate that an immediate cease fire and cessation of hostilities is absolutely essential and urgent. Please do pray for the situation and do whatever possible. With peace and prayers, Yours very sincerely, Rev. Dr. S. Jeyanesan LTTE appoints Pathmanathan as head of international relations The leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) has recently named Selvarasa Pathmanathan, a high profile representative of the movement, as the Head of a newly established Department of International Relations, sources close to the LTTE said on Saturday. Mr. Pathmanathan will be representing the movement in any future peace initiatives and will be the primary point of contact for engaging with the international community, according to a letter sent to the various international actors by the LTTE's Department of International Relations. Pathmanathan will be working abroad with required mandate from the LTTE leadership, according to the letter.LTTE's Poltiical Head B. Nadesan, when contacted by TamilNet, confirmed that Mr. Pathmanathan has already begun corresponding with international actors. 30 January 2009 EU calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Sri Lanka EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel on Thursday called for a ceasfire between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil rebels to allow trapped civilians to flee the combat zone."This is an escalating humanitarian catastrophe. We are extremely worried about the terrible situation facing people trapped in the fighting," in the combat zone in the northeast of the island, Michel said in a statement."Everything must be done to prevent the suffering of the population and stop further bloodshed and I therefore urge that a window of cessation of hostilities be agreed by the parties to allow civilians to leave the combat zone," he urged.The United Nations evacuated hundreds of severely wounded civilians from behind rebel lines in Sri Lanka on Thursday as government troops fought to secure final victory over the Tamil Tigers.Human rights bodies have called for immediate steps by both the Colombo government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to save up to 250,000 civilians trapped in a 250 square-kilometre area by the fierce fighting.Michel said that "many civilians have died and hundreds of wounded people are deprived of adequate medical care."During a visit to Brussels on Tuesday Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama accused the rebels of using civilians as human shields.He assured that his government and army were doing the utmost to spare civilians, saying he could "absolutely" guarantee civilians' safety.The EU's Michel said the top priorities at the moment were the safe passage for food convoys organised by the World Food Programme, and full access for medical staff and life-saving medicines."Hospital and clinics must be respected while evacuation of civilians needing emergency treatment is crucial," he stressed.The trapped civilians "have no place of refuge and no way of escaping. Ambulances and hospitals have been hit by shelling, and aid workers have been injured trying to bring vital assistance to the victims," said Michel.The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has funded humanitarian and food aid programmes in Sri Lanka since 1994 to assist people affected by conflict and natural disasters.Last year it channelled 19 million euros (25 million dollars) to Sri Lanka via the International Committe of the Red Cross, World Food Programme and other humanitarian groups. African National Congress urges ceasefire in Sri Lanka Full Text of ANC Press Release:The African National Congress (ANC) expresses its very serious concern at the unfolding humanitarian crisis that is emerging on the Island of Sri Lanka. The United Nations and International Red Cross Committee has reported that over 300 000 civilians of Tamil origin are caught in the crossfire in the war that is currently raging in Sri Lanka between the fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who have retreated into the jungles of The Vanni in the north of the Island This liberation war between the Tamil Tigers for self determination and the Sri Lankan Government has been going on for well over 27 years and has resulted in the deaths of hundreds and thousands of civilians from both sides of the conflict and much destruction in the country. The continued conflict in Sri Lanka has been cited on the "human rights watch" international monitoring mechanisms as a conflict now reaching genocidal proportions. The ANC urges all parties in the conflict, both the LTTE and the Sri lankan Government to call a halt, immediately institute a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid to be brought to civilians caught in the conflict who are in dire need of assistance. The ANC calls on all political players to immediately return to the negotiating table and resume a peaceful process of finding a lasting political solution to the conflict. Issued by: Enquiries: ANC: South Africa's National Liberation Movement DMK neither against nor in favour of LTTE, says Anbazhagan CHENNAI: The DMK is neither against nor in favour of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The party is only worried about the safety of Tamils in Sri Lanka, said Finance Minister and leader of the House K. Anbazhagan in the Assembly on Thursday. Intervening during a discussion on the Governor’s address in the House, the Minister said people in the State had no two opinions on protecting Tamils in Sri Lanka and safeguarding their interests. Some political parties here were of the view that the on-going war was between the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE, while the Sri Lankan government felt that the fight was against the LTTE and not against local Tamils. Moreover, one could not expect External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to share the same feeling like those in the State. The recent invitation of Mr.Rajapaksa to the Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi and All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa to Sri Lanka was only to show them that the army’s fight was only against the LTTE and not against the Tamils in the island. Earlier V.Sivapunniyam (CPI) said the party’s concern was whether the Central government was evading its responsibility in rescuing Tamils in the island nation. He also wanted to know the DMK’s position on the issue. Whether it was supporting the Congress stand of anti-LTTE or in favour of the organisation, he asked. K.Balabharathi (CPI-M) said her party had been insisting on a political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. If the Sri Lankan President thought that he could solve the issue through armed forces he was mistaken. The CPI-M was for equal rights for Tamils and Sinhalese in the island. T.Velmurugan (PMK) said his party was not concerned about the death of LTTE cadres in the battlefield. The party was worried over the death of innocent Tamils and it was supporting the LTTE as it was fighting for the rights of Tamils in the island. S.Peter Alphonse (Congress) came down heavily on those who criticised his party’s stand on the issue. He said the Congress was equally concerned about the plight of Tamils in the island nation. He charged that some political parties here were trying to weaken the Central and the State governments under the pretext of supporting the Sri Lankan Tamils. H.Vasanthakumar (Congress) said the LTTE had no right to speak on behalf of Tamils as it was responsible for the killing of 62 Tamil leaders in the island nation. No one had locus standi to criticise the Congress on the issue as it was equally concerned about the safety of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Tamil man kills himself over Sri Lanka violence A 26-year-old Tamil man died here Thursday after setting himself on fire to protest against the killing of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka, triggering a mob attack on a Bank of Ceylon branch.It was the first case of self-immolation in Tamil Nadu over reports that hundreds of Tamil civilians had been killed in Sri Lanka's war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).M. Muthu Kumaran, 26, a computer operator, set himself on fire outside a building housing central government offices, a symbolic action to denounce what many in Tamil Nadu see as New Delhi's pro-Colombo policy.Muthu Kumaran suffered severe burns before people came to his rescue and rushed him to a hospital. Doctors said he suffered 95 percent burns and he died soon after hospitalisation.According to the police, before dying, Muthu Kumaran, who worked for a PMK-owned Tamil journal, said: "My attempt is to open the eyes of the central and state governments to the burning issue of (Sri Lankan) Tamils."Hailing from Tuticorin in southern Tamil Nadu, some 500 km south of Chennai, Muthu Kumaran was working in the state capital for the past six months.The PMK is an avid supporter of the LTTE and has been urging both the Tamil Nadu and central governments to take pro-active steps to bring about a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.Thursday's suicide -- in a state where self-immolation is almost a political culture -- triggered violence in the Tamil Nadu capital, with mourners attacking a branch of the Bank of Ceylon in north Chennai.The protesters stoned the bank building and broke windowpanes, the police said. Police reinforcements were rushed to the spot. Police sources added that security had been tightened outside the office of Sri Lanka's deputy high commission in south Chennai.Meanwhile, legislators belonging to the Communist Party of India, which has increasingly taken a stridently pro-LTTE line, the MDMK and VCK staged a walkout from the Tamil Nadu assembly Thursday over the Sri Lanka war.The parties described the brief visit External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee paid to Sri Lanka Tuesday night as "unproductive". Mukherjee had declared that while India had no sympathy for the LTTE, it was concerned about the plight of Tamil civilians trapped in the conflict.Passions are running high in Tamil Nadu over the military offensive against the LTTE in Sri Lanka's north, leading to hundreds getting killed and wounded in artillery shelling, gun fire and aerial attacks.The International Committee of the Red Cross has put the civilian death toll at hundreds.Tamil Nadu is separated from Sri Lanka by a narrow strip of sea and once harboured Tamil militant groups from the island, the LTTE included. Germany donates emergency food to the North The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has decided to grant funds amounting to two million Euros (equivalent to Rs. 300 million/$2.6 million) towards urgent food deliveries for the benefit of these people. This would be carried out by the UN World Food Programme (WFP)"High prices of food, continuing displacements and a critically precarious nutritional-deficiency situation make it urgent that we render assistance to the people in the North of Sri Lanka in their difficult situation," Mrs. Heidemaries Wieczorek-Zeul, the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development said. Tamil rebel ``submarine'' found in northern Sri Lanka Government troops advancing into Tamil rebel-held areas in northern Sri Lanka - have found a ``submarine'' vehicle under construction by the rebels to be used in their fighting against the Navy, military officials said Thursday. It was detected in a boat factory as troops advanced into the area of Udayarkattukulam 370 kilometres north east of Colombo. The operation also unearthed three more smaller underwater vehicles still under construction, three boats which could be used for a suicide attack, and a Dvora type fast-attack craft. The largest underwater vehicle was about 35 feet long and armour-plated, officials said. ``This was the most startling recovery made by troops so far during the ongoing counter-terrorist operations against the LTTE'', the defence ministry said. ``With this discovery the LTTE will go down in the history as the first terrorist organization to develop underwater weapons'', the ministry added. It posted pictures of the vessel on its official website (defence.lk). Earlier, advancing troops found a bomb- and mine-manufacturing facility. Canada 'deeply concerned' by Sri Lanka unrest The government is "deeply concerned" by the ongoing unrest in northeast Sri Lanka, where Sri Lanka troops and Tamil rebels are locked in a fierce conflict, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said."Recent developments underline the urgent need for progress toward a meaningful and durable political solution," said Cannon.After months of intense battles, government security forces have cornered the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels, and according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) a major humanitarian crisis is unfolding. Some 250,000 people are trapped and hundreds have been reported killed, said the ICRC."Canada calls on all parties to allow full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian workers, and ensure the safe and voluntary movement of civilians from combat zones," said Cannon.The government, which in 2006 said it considered the LTTE a terrorist organization, added that it continues "to deliver strong messages to all parties to the conflict about the importance of a return to the peace process and the need to promote and protect the values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law."Cannon also expressed concern over the increasingly violent attacks levied at media workers in Sri Lanka."Canada strongly urges the parties to the conflict to uphold democracy by preventing the intimidation of the media," he said."We also urge the government to conduct open and independent investigations into all attacks on journalists, and to hold those responsible to account."Earlier this month the editor of a weekly paper, Upali Tennakoon, was stabbed and wounded outside the capital Colombo while he and his wife drove to work, days after another newspaper editor was shot dead near Colombo.According to official figures, nine journalists have been killed in the past three years and 27 attacked. The government has promised investigations, but no one has been brought to justice. Wounded S Lanka civilians rescued Deaths A UN convoy, which was trapped in the town of Puthukkudiyiruppu, succeeded in its second attempt in three days to evacuated the critically wounded civilians. UN spokesman Gordon Weiss said the convoy had taken hundreds of civilians wounded by the fighting, including 50 critically wounded children, to hospital in Vavuniya. Mr Weiss said that other civilians were waiting to be evacuated but he was unclear exactly how many. He rejected the Sri Lankan government view that there was no humanitarian crisis in the north. "Our staff witnessed the deaths and injuries of dozens of people over the weekend," he said. "There are a quarter of a million who are imperilled because they have been forced into a pocket of territory about a third the size of London." Later, the ICRC said that it had escorted 226 sick and wounded patients requiring urgent medical treatment from the north to Vavuniya Hospital. Local journalists in the town are not being allowed to talk to anyone who has been evacuated from rebel-held areas. The pro-rebel TamilNet website quoted a rebel spokesman, S Puleedevan, denying reports that the rebels had initially prevented the ICRC convoy from leaving. Mr Puleedevan described the reports as "mischievous". "In fact, we have been repeatedly urging the ICRC to facilitate the unhindered transportation of injured civilians who need urgent attention and also for the provision of medical facilities locally," he said. In the latest fighting, the army says that it has captured a key crossroads in the north. Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said that troops had taken the Vishwamadu junction on Wednesday afternoon after heavy fighting. The junction, near the village of Vishwamadu, lies along one of the few major roads remaining in rebel-held territory. 'No ceasefire' The BBC's Ethirajan Anbarasan - who was taken by the army to a town just north of the former rebel administrative centre at Kilinochchi - said he passed abandoned fields and villages on his way to the war zone. Our correspondent says senior army officials there say they have inflicted heavy damage on the Tigers. They also say they have captured one of the rebels' boat yards in which they found a small submarine and two unfinished submarines. The defence ministry also said that the three "suicide boats" and a large haul of rebel maritime equipment were also discovered. There has been no independent confirmation of the claims and no word from the rebels. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have expressed concern over the plight of civilians and have blamed both the government and the rebels. On Wednesday Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse denied that the fighting had led to a humanitarian crisis in the north. He also ruled out any ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, saying it would give the Tigers a chance to reorganise. "The purpose of this offensive is to eradicate them," he said. The military say they are involved in a final push against the retreating rebels. Moving north from the captured rebel town of Mullaitivu, they are trying to secure the north-east coastline to encircle the rebels and say they hope to control the entire north within weeks. LTTE not opposed to individual right of a civilian to flee combat zone - Nadesan Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Political Head B. Nadesan said Thursday that the Tigers have been urging the UN, ICRC and other international actors through all available offices to facilitate transportation for the wounded civilians in need of medical treatment to the Vavuniyaa Hospital. Blaming that there were elements seeking to feed false reports to tarnish the image of the Tigers, Mr. Nadesan revealed that, a UN 'security officer' who accompanied the WFP humanitarian convoy, had attemptd to pressure the Tigers on "completely wrong moral grounds," to organise an "exodus of the family members of the local staff of the UN," leaving behind the remaining civilians in the 'safety zone' to be subjected to "genocidal attack" by the Sri Lankan military. The 'security officer' was attempting to terminate the WFP humanitarian operations by attempting to evacuate the local staff of the UN, leaving behind the civilians who are in urgent need of humanitarian aid and medical assistance, Mr. Nadesan said."We have been very clear that any individual who wishes to leave the combat zone has an individual right to move anywhere. We have not imposed any restriction on individuals. But, we will not be organising any 'organised exodus' against the collective will of the people who have sought refuge away from a genocidal military," he said."We are urging responsible top officials of the UN and other international agencies to immediately visit the 'safety zone' and to obtain the views of the civilians and make independent assessment of the needs and concerns of the civilians." Nadesan categorically denied reports in the press which blamed LTTE for not allowing wounded patients to be transported to Vavuniyaa. The LTTE Political Head further said around 200 patients were being transferred to Vavuniyaa on Thursday. "Several civilians have died without medical transport. We have been urging the ICRC, the UN and all the actors of the International Community to act urgently to provide transport to the wounded," Mr. Nadesan told TamilNet. "We have repeatedly called for the ICRC to voice for the rights of the civilians under the International Law and the Geneva Conventions as Colombo has been gravely violating transportation of critically wounded patients for many days, resulting in many deaths." "There are also civilians who are seeking to re-join their family members from other areas, who are refused free movement and transport by the Sri Lankan military." "We urge the concerned international actors to understand the plight of the civilians and protect their rights, concerns and safety." Mr. Nadesan further said that the Tigers would defend the people who do not wish to end up in the hands of the genocidal Sri Lankan military. "The Tamil people are disappointed at the International Community's failure to timely intervene as Colombo slaughters civilians, but the affected people have not given up their hopes on the global civilisation and its humanity, even at this critical juncture," Nadesan said. Senior LTTE leader badly injured in Mullaitivu A senior leader of the Tamil Tigers has been seriously injured in an attack by advancing government troops, a pro-rebel website said Thursday.'A senior leader and special member of the LTTE K.V. Balakumaran was seriously injured during an attack by the Sri Lankan army at Udaiyarkattu area in Mullaitivu Monday and is admitted to the intensive care unit,' pro-LTTE puthinam.com website report said.The military is yet to comment on the report.According to Tamil politicians, Balakumaran was formerly the leader of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS) and joined the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in early 90s with a few hundred cadres.A break-away group of the EROS led by Shankar Rajee is openly critical of its former leader Balakumaran and the LTTE.Political sources said Balakumaran joined the Tamil militancy in the early 1980s after he was arrested by the police for allegedly aiding a Tamil militant group to carry out a major robbery at a bank he was working in.Balakumaran is the second seniormost leader of the LTTE to be wounded after the beginning of the current phase of fierce clashes between the government troops and the LTTE since August 2006.In November 2007, LTTE's former political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan was killed in an air raid by the Sri Lankan air force jets in Kilinochchi, which was captured by the troops in January this year after months of fierce fighting.Thamilselvan, who had led several attacks against the security forces, was posthumously conferred rank of 'Brigadier' by the rebel leadership.Carrying out a fight-to-finish campaign against the LTTE, the Sri Lankan army said last week that the 95 percent of the war against the LTTE is over and the rebels are now confined to a 300 square km area in the north-eastern Mullaitivu district where they were holding thousands of civilians as human shields. Time For Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora To Speak Out By B. Raman "An organisation headed by a leader, who understands only terrorism, is unlikely to rehabilitate itself in the eyes of the international community. Prabakaran is a liability for the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Tamils in the post-9/11 world. The time has come for the LTTE leaders and the Sri Lankan Tamils---including their overseas diaspora--- to do an introspection on their future course of action. If they have to preserve the gains made by thousands of their cadres since 1983, they have to find a new leadership. Prabakaran is no longer the man of the future. He is passe. He has become a liability for the Tamil cause. The sooner the Sri Lankan Tamils realise it, the better for them." The reports regarding the desperate plight of about 1,50,000 Sri Lankan Tamils caught up between an advancing Sri Lankan Army and a retreating Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Wanni area of northern Sri Lanka are confusing. 2. Many have reportedly died and many, including many children, have been injured in the exchange of artillery fire between the two sides. In a situation like this, it is impossible to establish whose artillery killed whom. All one can say is that innocent civilians are paying a heavy price for the heavy exchange of artillery. 3. The Sri Lankan Army is disinclined to agree to a ceasefire to let the civilians be evacuated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) lest the LTTE take advantage of it to regroup. The LTTE is disinclined to let the civilians move to the safety zones set up by the Government lest this facilitate the advance of the Army. 4. The international community, including the Government of India, are unable to effectively bring pressure on both sides to help out the civilians. The Sri Lankan Army has estimated that it is only a few weeks away from totally eliminating the capability of the LTTE for conventional fighting and it is determined to achieve that objective even at the risk of some collateral damage to the civilians. The LTTE is afraid that if it lets the civilians go, it will have a face-to-face confrontation with the Army in which it is unlikely to do well. 5. Prabakaran, who is believed to be still commanding the retreating LTTE fighters, does not seem to realise that the chances of the LTTE staging a spectacular come-back as it did in the 1990s and recaptured Kilinochchi and Mulaithivu are remote. The loss of control over territory in the Northern Province is not so devastating for him as the loss of control over the Tamil population in the Eastern Province. In the past, many of the conventional fighters of the LTTE came from the Eastern Province and many of the terrorists from the Northern Province. It is no longer possible for him to get new recruits from the Eastern Province. The recent fighting in the North has indicated that the LTTE's shortages in arm and ammunition and explosives are much more serious than originally estimated. With the rapidly decreasing possibility of finding replacement of human and material resources, his chances of staging a come-back conventionally are much less than what they were in the 1990s. 6. The terrorist wing of the LTTE also seems to be facing severe problems due to a shortage of explosive material, a drop in volunteers for suicide terrorism and the lack of time and space in the midst of a furious conventional war to motivate and train new volunteers and mount operations. 7. The use of the civilians to avert an impending final defeat on the ground should be condemned by all the political parties in Tamil Nadu, by the Government of India and the international community. Prabakaran has been living in a world of illusions just as Hitler was in the final days of the defeat of the Nazi Army before he and his mistress committed suicide in a Berlin bunker to avoid being captured by the advancing Soviet Army. Till he decided to kill himself, Hitler was fondly hoping that a reversal of fortunes was still possible. So too, Prabakaran seems to be having a fond hope that he and his men can stage a come-back even at this stage. 8. It is time for the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to assert itself and call upon the LTTE cadres to overthrow Prabakaran and other leaders, arrest them, hand them over to the Sri Lankan authorities and proclaim a unilateral ceasefire. It is time for the diaspora to come to terms with the reality and act before more civilians are killed. If they fail to do so and continue to encourage Prabakaran in his irrational illusions, history will judge them harshly. 29 January 2009 End Sri Lanka killings - UK Sri Lanka should aspire for a political solution that safegurads the rights of the Tamil community, British Foreign Secretary David Milliband has said.Both Mr. Miliband and his deputy, Lord Mark Malloch-Brown reiterated British government’s serious concerns of the plight of the civilians caught in the conflict in Sri Lanka’s north. “We are calling for every right of the Tamil people; political, cultural and religious rights are respected. We are serious in our attempts. We also call for open access for journalists. But first step is to stop killings. We will use every possible tool available to us to stop killings,” Mr. Miliband said. Addressing a Tamil diaspora group meeting jointly organised by All Party Sri Lanka Parliamentary Group and British Tamil Forum (BTF) in Westminster parliament on Tuesday evening, the ministers rejected accusations by the BTF that Britain has failed to act against "genocide" in Sri Lanka. "Humanitarian crisis" Describing the situation in Sri Lanka as "a humanitarian crisis" Mr. Miliband said UK "condemns the loss of every civilian's life". The atmosphere in the committee room was tense as the BTF members were not happy with ministers' explanations.The BTF did not hide their support for the Tamil Tiger rebels and only accused Sri Lanka government of carrying out attacks against civilians. However, the United Nations, Amnesty International and Sri Lanka government accuse the LTTE of not allowing civilians under their control to flee fighting. In a letter sent to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday, Bishop of Jaffna Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam called on LTTE not to hide among the civilians. Call for a truce “We are urgently requesting the Tamil Tigers not to station themselves among the people in the safety zone and fire their artillery – shells and rockets at the army. This will only increase more and more the death of civilians thus endangering the safety of the people,” the Bishop was quoted by the Presidential Secretariat. The ministers were of the opinion that none of the parties have indicated their willingness for a truce to be implemented which was denied by the BTF. Accusing the British government of failing to take decisive action, BTF spokesman, Suren Surendiran, said the LTTE has already called for a ceasefire. BBC’s Chris Morris who visited Mullaitivu together with Sri Lanka army says the LTTE is trying to get a ceasefire arranged through international community to avoid complete defeat in the battledfield. Mr Miliband stressed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has already called for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. Failed attempts Answering a question by Keith Vaz, MP, Mr. Brown told British parliament on 14 January that he will discuss the Sri Lankan situation with other European leaders.“I also agree with him (Mr. Vaz) about the need for a ceasefire. I will be talking to President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel, and that will be one of the issues that I will raise with them,” Mr. Brown has said. The BTF leaders and many in the gathering accused Sri Lanka government of deliberately attacking the civilians. However, there were no accusations against the LTTE. Although the British government is calling for an ending to killings, Lord Malloch-Brown said there is a limit for a foreign government to act as the situation in Sri Lanka is ‘an internal conflict’. He said it is unfair to accuse Britain of condoning the killings in Sri Lanka.“Norway has already attempted and failed as well as India and many other countries to help solve the issue. We have also tried through the tools available to us,” Lord Malloch- Brown said. Plans to extend Yaldevi train service The Government is planing to extend the Yaldevi train service from Vavuniya to Kankasenthurei. Speaking to the Daily News, Railways Transport Superintendent, Wijaya Samarasinghe said that the Yaldevi train currently operates from Colombo to Vavuniya and with this extension, commuters living in the North will be vastly benefited. "The railway track from Vavuniya to Kankasenthurei will be constructed by using local funds and resources and with the fullest support and blessings of all communities living in the North Province. "A special discussion in this regard was conducted under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa by Transport Minister Dullas Allahapperuma with Ministerial officials and Railways Trade Unions recently," he added. The project has been given a key priority among the massive development projects implemented by the Government in the North Province. The move will connect the people living in the South and North improving their unity, friendship, trust and cultural ties he said. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Railways will add new trains to the Trincomalee and Baticaloa fleet from February 15. He said that the trial run of the new train service has already been completed. "This is the greater opportunity for train commuters living in these areas as they have undergone a severe hardships for several decades. Troops reach Vishvamadu The Defence Ministry announced yesterday that troops had reached Vishvamadu junction, a key stronghold of the LTTE, located in the Mullaitivu district.“LTTE resistance was rattled during the multi-front military assault, scores of LTTE cadres were killed and many injured,” the defence ministry said.Meanwhile, a senior ground official told Daily Mirror that troops of 58 division, who reached Vishvamadu junction had captured a factory run by the LTTE that had manufactured bombs, including ‘Arul bombs’.He said that the LTTE had offered heavy resistance to the military advance. “The LTTE used tactics to block the military’s path, but we were able to overcome all the obstacles and reach Vishvamadu junction,” the official said.He added that most of the LTTE’s major military camps and leaders’ hideouts were in this area. “The ‘safe zone’ borders the Vishvamadu area, and internally displaced civilians will able to reach military held areas once the entire Vishvamadu area is captured,” he said. Meanwhile, troops of 58 and 59 Division, Task Force – II and Task Force – III have simultaneously begun to de-mine newly captured areas, while confronting pockets of LTTE cadres.Task Force – II troops in Karavilkulam in the Vishvamadu area, after several rounds of fighting with the rebels, found two gas cylinders, seven military packs and a box containing one hundred and fifty hand grenades.“Tigers fleeing those areas had left those items behind following a spate of daytime confrontations in Udayarkattukulam and Karavilkulam areas,” the official said.According to military sources, troops had also gained control of a 10km stretch of road, running North of Vishvamadu via Puliyampokkanai towards Chundikkulam. Troops are now engaged in mopping up the remaining LTTE resistance South of Vishvamadu and Piramanthalkulam. The Defence Ministry said that LTTE cadres, unable to withstand the military onslaught, had further towards the declared safe zones at Teravilkulam and Udayarkattukulama.“Meanwhile, the LTTE terrorists have continued firing heavy artillery towards the security forces from the declared civilian safe zone. This exhibits the utmost contempt for the norms of humanity and the lives of the thousands entrapped", a military official was quoted as saying by the Defence Ministry. Meanwhile, during subsequent search operations, troops had also found a bus and a recovery vehicle which are believed to have been used to trail artillery guns, security sources said. 13,000 LTTE cadres and 3700 security forces personnel killed since Mavilaru operation Army media spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara says that 1500 LTTE cadres were killed in the battles in the last two months.According to his calculations, 150 security forces personnel were killed during the same period.Brigadier Nanayakkara said that since Mavilaru operation in July 2006, 13,000 LTTE cadres and 3700 security forces and police personnel were killed.At the weekly press briefing on national security held in the Media Center for National Security, the Army spokesman denied the rumors that a large number of Army personnel were killed as the LTTE blasted the Kalmadukulam tank bund. He said that the flood severely damaged the uncleared areas held by the LTTE. He further stated that the LTTE was surrounded in a 300 square kilometer land strip and the security forces were closing in them. The Army says that 3141 persons have moved from uncleared territory to the government controlled areas since January. Sri Lanka assures India of safe passage to Tamil civilians Sri Lanka has assured India that the safe zone for Tamil civilians caught in the crossfire between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE would be expanded.Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, after returning from Colombo, told reporters here on Wednesday, that the assurance was given during his talks with the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.We made it quite clear that our concerns are for the civilian population. Around 150,000 plus civilians are affected by the crossfire. In course of discussion, the President has agreed to expand the safe zone and also assured that there will be no shelling or firing in the safe zone, Mukherjee said.We requested that international agencies like UN High Commission for Refugees, International Red Cross Society, and other international organisations, who are engaged in the relief measures, should be allowed to visit Sri Lanka,and see the situation with their own eyes, he added.Mukherjee said beside the recent upsurge in the military offensive against Tamil rebels, issues like implementation of the 13th Amendment was also discussed with Rajapakse, who assured that his government would pay attention to the issue.The President (of Sri Lanka) assured me that it will be the area of his urgent attention and he will try to explore the possibilities, and also try to improve the conditions further, Mukherjee concluded. Hundreds killed in Sri Lanka, says ICRC Hundreds of people have been killed in fighting in Sri Lanka's north, the international Red Cross said, as the UN pledged Wednesday to try evacuating hundreds of critically injured civilians from the war zone.The UN said it will attempt for the second time in three days to help evacuate by convoy 'hundreds of critically wounded civilians, including at least 50 seriously injured children'. A UN statement said the convoy had been trapped for days in the northern town of Puthukkudiyiruppu, which lies just across the lines of confrontation in territory held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The UN said that if the LTTE gave permission and if there was a lull in fighting, the convoy would cross the frontlines at midday Thursday and the injured would be shifted to hospitals in Vavuniya, also in the north.The UN statement came after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that scores of wounded were overwhelming understaffed and ill-equipped medical facilities in Sri Lanka's north.Jacques de Maio, the ICRC head of operations for South Asia in Geneva, said that this followed intensified fighting between the military and the LTTE.'People are being caught in the crossfire, hospitals and ambulances have been hit by shelling and several aid workers were injured while evacuating the wounded,' de Maio said in a statement. 'The violence is preventing the ICRC from operating in the region,' he added.The terrified civilian population was in need of protection, medical care and basic assistance, according to the ICRC.An estimated 250,000 people are trapped in a 250 sq-km area which has come under intense fighting. The people have no safe area to take shelter and were unable to flee, the statement said.'When the dust settles, we may see countless victims and a terrible humanitarian situation unless civilians are protected and international humanitarian law is respected in all circumstances,' said de Maio. 'It is high time to take decisive action and stop further bloodshed because time is running out.'The ICRC urged both sides to allow and facilitate the safe and voluntary movement of civilians out of the combat zone. The ICRC said it was determined to stay as long as possible in the Vanni, but the parties must respect its presence and its work. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to enter the Vanni and aid workers and their premises must be protected from shelling and looting as required by international humanitarian law.Hundreds of patients need emergency treatment and evacuation to Vavuniya, ICRC said. Demonstrators occupy Sri Lankan consulate in Toronto French Tamils demonstrate against killings in Vanni Several hundred French Tamils who gathered in front of the French Parliament Tuesday around 3:00 p.m to demonstrate in protest against the genocide of Tamils in Vanni in Sri Lanka were sent back by the French police even after obtaining official permission protest demonstration, sources in Paris said. The protestors, however, went ahead and started the demonstration in La Chapelle area where the crowd swelled to around 4000 persons, according to protesters. Though the police asked the protestors to leave the area in the beginning later they allowed the demonstration to proceed on learning about the genocide unleashed by the Sri Lanka government on the innocent Tamils in Vanni.The police allowed the protestors to demonstrate until 8:00 p.m.The protestors demanded that the French media should report the large demonstration and expose Sri Lankan government’s Protesters complained that the French media is exercising self-censorship in reporting the carnage of Tamils in Vanni.The demonstration was continued until after media persons visited the site to cover the event.The Tamil traders in La Chapelle closed their business establishments offering full support to the demonstration.The police at the site granted the organizers permission for another protest demonstration scheduled for Wednesday around 2:00 p.m in Etuval, a noted historical site in Paris, the protestors further said. UN: staff came under fire in Sri Lanka 'safe zone' Dozens of U.N. workers and their relatives spent a terrifying night huddling in hastily built bunkers as artillery fire pounded a civilian "safe zone" in Sri Lanka's war-wracked north, according to an internal U.N. memo.The memo, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, said the artillery shells killed nine civilians in a nearby bunker and were apparently fired by government forces.The military denied the charge and President Mahinda Rajapaksa renewed the government's pledge not to launch attacks in the refuge as it fought to crush the Tamil Tiger rebels and end the country's 25-year-old civil war.As concern mounted for the estimated 250,000 civilians in the war zone, Dr. Thurairajah Varatharajah, the top health official in the area, said at least 1,140 civilians — 248 younger than 15 — were wounded in the fighting and brought to three local hospitals.The death toll was difficult to calculate because many civilians had stopped bringing dead relatives to the hospital amid the heavy fighting, he told The Associated Press by telephone from the war zone."In my opinion, there are a lot of deaths. More than 250 to 300," he said, adding his estimate was based on reports from residents who came to the hospitals.Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said no civilians had been killed, though some forced to build fortifications by the rebels — known formally as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam — might have been wounded in crossfire."There were no civilians killed," he said. "We are targeting the LTTE. We are not targeting any civilians so there can't be any civilians killed."However, an internal U.N. memo sent from the office in Colombo to U.N. headquarters in New York said local workers and their relatives — 95 civilians in all — came under repeated artillery and machine gun fire as they sought refuge inside the government declared "safe zone" for ethnic Tamil civilians inside rebel territory.The memo said the government ordered the group — which was stuck in rebel-held territory because the Tamil Tigers would not give them permission to leave — to relocate Saturday to the refuge.They quickly established a new base there complete with bunkers, but that evening, they were nearly hit by a shell."Our team on the ground was certain the shell came from the Sri Lanka military, but apparently in response to an LTTE firing," the memo said.The U.N. staff, which had already given their coordinates to the military, called senior military officials and Cabinet ministers to complain, the memo said. But another barrage a few hours later landed just 30 feet (10 meters) from staff members huddled in the bunkers.That attack hit a nearby bunker filled with civilians, killing nine and wounding more than 20 others, the memo said."Fortunately, because of good preparation, all staff and dependents were in hastily built bunkers and only one staff member was injured in the leg," the memo said. "But all around them was the carnage from casualties from people who may have thought they would be safer being near the UN. Sadly, they were wrong that night."The area came under attack again early Monday from heavy machine gun fire, with shells landing 150 to 350 feet (50 to 100 meters ) away, the memo said. In that instance, the government appeared to be laying down covering fire for incoming troops, it said.The military denied firing into the "safe zone.""If they came under fire, then definitely it has been done by the LTTE," Nanayakkara said, adding he doubted the workers could tell where the attacks originated."How does the person on the receiving end say it is from the government side? They all are trying to tarnish the image of the military and stop this offensive," he said.The Tamil Tigers have fought since 1983 to create a separate state for minority Tamils, who have suffered decades of marginalization at the hands of governments controlled by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the civil war.Government forces have forced the rebels out of all their major strongholds and boxed them into a shrinking area of about 115 square miles (300 square kilometers) of jungle and villages. The Red Cross estimates 250,000 civilians are trapped there as well.Paul Castella, the head of the local delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the humanitarian situation for the civilians in the north had become "critical."Two hospitals visited by Red Cross workers were damaged by the fighting, only nine doctors were left in the area and civilians in the region were mainly living on irregular shipments of food aid, he said."They have no land, no cattle," he said. "They eat less and less so they can save some food for the next day and the last time the food went in was the 16th of January."Amid the reports of rising casualties, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee rushed to Sri Lanka on Tuesday night to meet with Rajapaksa.Rajapaksa gave assurances Sri Lankan forces would respect the safe zone to "minimize the effects of conflict on Tamil civilians," according to a government statement.The conflict is of special concern to India, home to some 56 million Tamils. Tamil Tiger's British head 'conspired to supply terrorists' Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar, 52, a "very prominent figure" in the Tamil community in the UK, co-ordinated the acquisition of material and funds for the benefit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a jury heard.But despite warnings to put a stop to his activities, the defendant continued to procure electrical components for the LTTE, also known as the Tamil Tigers, some of which had "an obvious terrorist purpose".Chrishanthakumar, known as Shanthan, is standing trial at Kingston Crown Court, in south-west London, where he denies one count of conspiracy to receive electrical components for the purposes of terrorism.He is also charged with amassing a hoard of military equipment including machetes, combat boots, camouflage clothes, spades and handcuffs.Another charge alleged that he received terrorist documents including guides to underwater warfare systems, explosive ordnance disposal and mine clearance.He is also accused of two further offences - receiving money and belonging to a proscribed organisation, namely the LTTE.The five offences are alleged to have taken place between January 2003 and June 2007.Three other men, Jegatheswaran Muraleetharan (Muralee), 46, and his brother, Jeyatheswaran Vythyatharan (Vithy), 40, from Powys, Wales, and Murugesu Jegatheeswaran (Jegan), 34, from Mitcham, south London, are charged with receiving electronic items for use in terrorism.They deny the charges.Mr Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, told the jury that the defendants, all Tamils from the island of Sri Lanka, were supporters of the LTTE, with Shanthan a fully-fledged member of the group.He said Shanthan, who has lived in the UK for many years, was "quite openly" a LTTE member and head of the United Tamil Organisation in this country, before it became a proscribed organisation, in 2001.In 2004, the police became aware Shanthan was buying military clothing and equipment for shipment to LTTE forces in Sri Lanka from an army surplus store in Southsea, Hampshire, the court heard.He was not arrested but was told the authorities had "become aware" of this aspect of his procurement activity and he was told to desist.But in July 2007, police carried out searches of Shanthan's home."What became clear was that his procurement activity had extended far beyond the equipment brought from the army surplus shop in Southsea and, despite the warning when the police became aware of that activity, he had continued with his support activity on the LTTE's behalf," Mr Laidlaw said.This included receiving money for funding purposes and the procurement of more military equipment and military manuals, it was alleged.Mr Laidlaw QC told the jury the LTTE had been involved in a struggle for an independent homeland for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka for about 30 years.Membership of the group in the UK became illegal in 2001, he said, as did, and is, activity in support of that group.But he said in Sri Lanka, the Tamil Tigers were a prominent guerrilla organisation, based in the north-east of the island, which operated with "relative sophistication".The court was told that the LTTE financed its activities through taxation and membership fees collected in the regions under its control."There's also fundraising and some illicit business," Mr Laidlaw said.He continued that in December 2005, the LTTE deployed the first remotely controlled improvised explosive device.The prosecutor told the court the initial police investigation into Chrishanthakumar's activities uncovered evidence of the procurement of electrical components including computers, printed circuit boards (PCBs), remote control equipment, components associated with radio transmitting devices and also satellite equipment.At the home of each of the defendants, the police also found evidence of their LTTE sympathies, their loyalty to the LTTE and its separatist cause, "no doubt providing the motivation for their involvement in these offences," he said.In interview, the defendants made no comment to the questions put to them.The trial continues. MDMK protest against military offensive in Sri Lanka The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) criticized the Center over External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Colombo after the Sri Lankan army's successful operation against the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). Hundreds of MDMK activists took to streets here to protest against the Sri Lankan military's offensive against the Tamil rebels.MDMK's general secretary Y. Gopalaswamy(Vaiko), while criticizing Mukherjee's visit to Sri Lanka said that he (Mukherjee) had actually gone to Colombo to participate in the victory celebrations of the Sri Lankan government over the Tamil rebels.Blaming the Center for conspiring with the Sri Lankan government for waging a war against Tamils in Northern Province of the island nation, Vaiko urged the Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa to stop the offensive against innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka.He (Mahinda Rajapaksa) should stop the killings, unless he stops the killings, he stops the bombardment, he has no right to speak about the Tamils, Vaiko said.Similar protest was also witnessed in Coimbatore, where scores of MDMK activists staged a demonstration and shouted slogans against the Center and Sri Lankan governments. 28 January 2009 Mukherjee makes lightning visit Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made a brief visit to Sri Lanka yesterday evening. Mukherjee was scheduled to arrive in the country last night and was scheduled to meet Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona and President Mahinda Rajapakse during the short visit.Additional Secretary, Foreign Affairs Ministry Prasad Kariyawasam told The Morning Leader that during his visit Mukherjee will hold talks with President Rajapakse.Kariyawasam pointed out that they would discuss ‘bilateral issues.’A statement by the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said that Mukherjee’s visit was in response to an invitation by the government."Minister Mukherjee’s visit which takes place at a time of repeated successes in the security operations to free the civilian population from the terror of the LTTE, is in keeping with the tradition of regular, frank and constructive dialogue between India and Sri Lanka at the highest levels of political leadership, on important matters of mutual interest," the Ministry said in its statement.Before leaving for Sri Lanka, Mukherjee had also informed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi over the telephone of his visit to the country.Karunanidhi has been agitating for Mukherjee to visit Sri Lanka to discuss the plight of the Tamil civilians in the Wanni as well as to force the Sri Lankan government to enter into a ceasefire.The Central Government had then told the delegation led by Karunanidhi that it would send Mukherjee to Sri Lanka.Mukherjee hours before leaving for Sri Lanka, had told the Indian media that India would never tolerate the LTTE but was worried about the civilians caught in the Wanni."But we are concerned about the plight of the civilians and we shall have to see how the civilians can be protected and do not become the hapless victims of the situation," he told reporters.Mukherjee had also said that political parties from Tamil Nadu had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month and urged him to look into the plight of Tamils who have become the victims of the war.Mukherjee said officials of both countries had discussed the situation in Sri Lanka on many occasions. 'Crisis unfolding' in Sri Lanka 'Fundamentally trapped' Speaking in Geneva, the ICRC's head of operations for South Asia, Jacques de Maio, said the civilian population was paying the price for the conflict. "We talk about approximately a quarter of a million persons who are fundamentally trapped in a very small restricted perimeter - 250 sq km [96 sq m] - which is the theatre of very intense combat," he said. "They find themselves simply under fire and highly vulnerable. Access to medical care is almost non-existent at this point. They are in need of food, they are in need of shelter and most of all they are in need of security." The ICRC based its figure of hundreds dead on body counts by its staff in local hospitals. Access for aid workers was so limited, it said, that the ICRC's own presence in the region was virtually meaningless. The ICRC wanted to evacuate 200 critically wounded people on Tuesday but did not receive security clearance. Those patients, it says, now face death. The UN secretary general and the European Union have also expressed deep concern for civilians caught in the fighting. Ghost town The military did take a group of journalists, including the BBC's Chris Morris, to the region on Tuesday. Brig Nandana Udawatte, who led the capture of Mullaitivu, said that "mortar fire, indirect fire and close-quarter battles" were going on 1.5 km from the town of Puthukkudiyiruppu. Pro-rebel sources have previously accused the army of killing hundreds of civilians with shellfire - allegations the military denies. Our correspondent says that apart from soldiers on every corner in Mullaitivu, it is a ghost town. Most of the buildings, houses and shops are damaged or destroyed. He says its capture is a big victory for the army but that the Tigers also appear on the surface undaunted, with the sound of artillery fire not that far away echoing down the empty streets. Jaffna Bishop urges Sri Lanka President to extend the safety zone The Bishop of Jaffna Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundranayagam urged the Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa to extend the Safety Zone for civilians in the Mullaitivu District. Sending a special letter, the Bishop expressed his gratitude to the President for his concern on the civilians and thanked the President for declaring a part of the west of Mullaitivu as a safety zone for civilians. The Bishop urged the president Rajapaksa to extend this safety zone further as the current zone is not enough for the large number of civilians to occupy. He has suggested Mathalan, Valaiayarmadam, Mulivaikal, Iranaipalai and the eastern sector of Puthukkudyiruppu for this purpose.The Bishop has said that the only motive of this request is to preserve as many lives of the civilians as possible. Finally The Bishop Savundranayagam has openly urged the LTTE rebels not to place themselves among the civilians to attack the government forces. Ranil hails armed forces on military victories Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday hailed the Sri Lankan armed forces on their military victories in the north and acknowledged that it was the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers who were responsible for overseeing the conduct of the military operations. Briefing the media, Wickremesinghe said, the achievements of the armed forces have been truly impressive as key towns that have been under the LTTE control have been re-taken by the heroic forces after a lapse of several years. "We unhesitatingly commend the courage, professional skill and commitment of our soldiers for restoring the country’s territorial integrity and protecting the sovereignty of the nation. The police ensured public security including preventing many acts of terrorism and the Special Task Force for consolidating government control in the east. The other arms of administration from home guards to the provincial councils for providing the much needed vital services from security to administration at the local level," Wickremesinghe stated. However, Wickremesinghe said that although the UNP gives credit to the government for the operation they could only thank them once the democratic rights of the people in the country have been restored to them. "We remind the government that there are formidable hurdles to be crossed. The recent killing of the internal displaced persons (IDP) is regrettable. The government should take the sole responsibility over this and the plight of the displaced in the Wanni who have been ignored for so long should be addressed. A genuine political solution has to be given to bring the much-awaited lasting peace. We also repeat that the responsibility to protect all citizens is not only an issue of duty but also conscience," Wickremesinghe said."The UNP has highlighted and severely condemned the increasing abuse of Emergency Regulations and human rights by the government and will continue to do so in future as well. We will also continue to denounce the government and resist the excesses and abuse of power, total violation of democratic norms of life and its current strategy to use the war to consolidate its own despotic rule which is what the people expect from the opposition and we will not fail them," he further said. A 9 will be opened on schedule next month – Minister Highways Minister T. B. Ekanayake said on Monday that the government, which had almost completed constructions of many highways and over 18 bridges in the Eastern Province to speed up development, would not unnecessarily delay, even by a day, to reopen the A-9 Highway. It would be opened on schedule in February.He said, as the A-9 road was reconstructed recently during the time of the peace process, it was comparatively in good condition. Only a few stretches of the road were damaged. The Road Development Authority in coordination with the Army Engineers were working on it. Eleven local contractors had been awarded the contract of the construction of 44 kilometres of the A-32 highway from Vavuniya under the first phase. The government would bear the cost. He said, the balance 83 kilometres of the A-32 route from Mannar to Pooneryn upto Sangupiddy ferry would be undertaken later.The Minister said the 180-metre long Silavathurai steel bridge was being constructed by Naval authorities. The 44 kilometre stretch of the road from Silavathurai to Puttalam also would be constructed. Tenders had been called for the construct ion of 20 kilometres of roadway from Murunkan to Silavathurai.He said President Mahinda Rajapaksa was a leader who believed that infrastructural development of roads, highways and bridges were the key to any development. He directed the reconstruction and expansion of all highways and construction of 18 bridges in place of ferries in the Eastern Province which were nearing completion to facilitate the speedy development of the the Province.He said that in 2009, the flyover at Dehiwala junction would be the next to be built followed by one at Battaramulla – Kotte (Parliament Road) and others at Kohuwala and the Polgahawela railway overhead bridge.The General Manager of the Road Development Authority Ranjith Premasiri told The Island that 99 Kilometres of the A-15 highway from Batticaloa to Trincomalee and 41 kilometres of B-10 Allai-Kantalai and 33 kilometres of coastal road had been constructed.He said, with the assistance from the French Government, 180-metre long bridge was built at Kayankerni to replace the old Bailey bridge.The 160-metre long Upparu bridge and causeway was built to replace the old ferry. TNA expresses its unhappiness to Akashi The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has expressed its ‘unhappiness’ at the Japanese government’s attitude towards Sri Lanka during a meeting with Japanese Special Peace Envoy, Yasushi Akashi.The TNA parliamentary group held talks with Akashi at the Japanese Ambassador’s official residence last Saturday.TNA Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran told The Morning Leader that during the meeting, they had explained the plight of innocent civilians in the north and east in the country.He also told The Morning Leader that Akashi was informed of the APRC alleging it to be a move to fool the world, as the government was not ready to accept proposals to solve the ethnic problem. Meanwhile, Akashi responding to a question by The Morning Leader during his official press conference at the conclusion of his visit, said that he had requested all minority party leaders to be within the framework of the APRC to solve the problem. The silent diplomacy of India Despite calls made by Tamil Nadu politicians for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, the war has reached its final stages with the troops bringing Mullaithivu town under control for the first time in 12 years.As the military crushes the LTTE from all sides, the civilians are bound to be affected due to the operations targeting LTTE strongholds and bunkers. The reason is obvious. The civilians are trapped in the same area with the Tigers.The calls made by the DMK led Tamil Nadu government and other political parties for an immediate ceasefire in the country has so far fallen on deaf ears.India’s Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon was sent to the country by the Central Government a few days ago. Menon held talks with President Mahinda Rajapakse and several political parties aligned to the ruling party, and the opposition during his brief stay. Promise by centre However, the centre had promised a delegation led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi last year that it would send External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Sri Lanka.Karunanidhi in a statement released following Menon’s visit said that the Tamil Nadu government was ‘pained’ due to the fact that the centre had not told the reason for sending Menon. He said that the centre should have told them the reason why Menon was sent instead of Mukherjee as was promised earlier.Mukherjee however arrived in the country last evening on a hastily arranged lightning visit. With government troops poised for the final push in Mullaithivu speculation was rife as to the reason behind the sudden visit.The calls by Tamil Nadu have been going on for the last three months and so far very little has come out of those protests and demonstrations. Withdraw support Karunanidhi had threatened that the DMK would withdraw its support to the centre if it continued to ignore the plight of the Tamils in the Wanni. However, that too did not happen.The rumpus in Tamil Nadu however resulted in India sending essential items to the Wanni civilians. But apart from that, nothing noteworthy has happened.Early this week Karunanidhi himself admitted that they (Tamil Nadu) had become merely spectators to what is happening to the Tamils in the Wanni. He has said that this issue would be taken up at the party’s general council meeting on February 15."We have become silent spectators to the killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka because we are handicapped. We will discuss and decide (on the future course of action) in this matter in the party’s general council," Karunanidhi had said.Karunanidhi, while moving a resolution seeking the intervention of the Central Government to ensure a truce and then a political solution, had said that this would be the "final appeal" for the centre’s intervention. Almost captured Well, 18 days is quite a long time, considering the current military situation in the northern battlefront. Anything could happen during these 18 days. The troops have almost captured the last bastion of the LTTE.The military claims that it will capture the entire Mullaithivu area very soon.What would happen if the troops capture the whole of Mullaithivu before February 15? What is Karunanidhi going to ask for? By then, the battle will be over. Who is Karunanidhi going to speak out for? What political fallout would he have to face? The centre too, while assuring its commitment to safeguard the lives of the northern Tamils, took its own time in sending Menon and finally Mukherjee. There could be several reasons for this. One could be the fact that it was the LTTE that killed India’s former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.The attacks on Mumbai too could have played an important part in the centre holding back from intervening. Fell in line Following the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, the attitude of the Central Government towards eradicating terrorism fell in line with that of the Sri Lankan government.A halt in the current military operations would mean a breather for the LTTE. Stopping the military offensives at this time would mean that all the sacrifices made by the government, the people and more importantly, the military would be in vain.The government has however not denied the importance of a political settlement. The government has assured that a political solution would be looked in to once the LTTE is completely destroyed.In the meantime, pro-Tiger sites continue to publish news items and photographs of civilians killed due to air attacks and shelling. These however have been denied by the military. The military says that the presence of civilians in LTTE areas has forced them to be more cautious in their operations.Meanwhile, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has toned down its voice of late. A delegation of the party had been to Tamil Nadu and taken part in many demonstrations against the ‘genocide of Tamils.’ However, they too seem to be helpless. TNA Menon, during his visit had met the TNA MPs, where they had stated that there is genocide being committed in this country. Menon in turn had invited them to Delhi to further discuss ‘a political settlement.’The TNA said it was happy with the change in attitude of India and said it would visit sometime next month. It looks as if nothing is going to stop the war until the security forces capture the rest of Mullaithivu.The civilians remain trapped. Everyone is talking about the LTTE being weak, but very few are speaking out for the civilians who are already weak and vulnerable to many dangers. More recently the Bishop of Jaffna Rev. Saundranayagam wrote to the President in this regard.Several civilians in the recent past have been caught in the crossfire and have either died as a result or been injured. A halt to hostilities, at least temporarily is needed for the civilians to cross over to government-held areas. This however could only be done if both parties come to an agreement. License for ‘Voice of tigers’ revoked The Attorney General has informed the Appeal Court that the government has decided to revoke the transmission license granted by the then UNP government to ‘Voice of Tigers’ the radio of LTTE. The senior government counsel Sumathi Dharmawardene informed this to Court when a petition filed by Dr. Piyasena Dissanayake challenging the issue of the transmission license to tiger organization was taken for inquiry yesterday. The petition has challenged the issuing of a transmission license to the tiger organization which is a terrorist organization. The petition will be further inquired on the 2nd of next month. Navy rescues 76 Tamils from sea off Mullaitivu The Navy rescued 76 Tamils in four dinghies who were drifting in the sea off Mullaitivu on Sunday. They were safely taken to the Pulmudai beach by the Navy. The group comprised 30 females, 26 males and 20 small children.The men had fled from the clutches of the LTTE in 4 dinghies. The Navy provided them with necessary food and other facilities including medical attention. Gota says forces men, cops among extortionists held Some suspects had acted as Defence Secy’s bodyguards Several dozen extortionists who had terrorised wealthy businessmen, particularly those engaged in illegal money transferring operations, are in police custody. Among the arrested are security forces personnel, police and underworld activists. Some of them are believed to be connected to the LTTE.Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told The Island that following a painstaking investigation, the police had managed to arrest the suspects. Responding to queries, he said that some of the suspects had carried out their sordid operations on the pretext of being members of his bodyguard. "A section of the media vilified me. The opposition, too, attacked me and the government repeatedly," he said, adding that the number of arrested could be as high as 50. He asserted that this could be perhaps the largest ever extortion operation carried out in city and its suburbs. According to him, these gangs had successfully operated for well over a year until police gradually turned the tables on them. The war veteran said that he had over a dozen police teams to investigate complaints after the government was accused of targeting Tamil businessmen. But investigations had revealed that gangs of security forces personnel including some officers had taken advantage of the then dicey security situation to extort money. He said that civilian gangs, too, had pretended to be his bodyguards. Among the security forces officers now in custody in this regard was a Major indicted for the assassination of Deputy Army Chief of Staff Major General Parami Kulathunga.The Defence Secretary said that law enforcement authorities were trying to locate some of the businessmen targeted by the gangs. They had been particularly harsh on businessmen who had accepted money in Colombo from dubious persons for transfer to overseas destinations, he said. Among the persons who had utilized this service called ‘undil’ could be LTTE operatives and persons engaged in shady deals, he said. He said that some political parties and a section of the press had accused the government of targeting the media. Nothing could be as ridiculous as this, he said while expressing confidence that the ongoing police investigations would establish the truth. He severely criticized, what he called, a politically motivated attempt to tarnish the image of the government at a time security forces spearheaded by the army were on the verge of finishing off the LTTE. He recalled the recent arrest of two police bodyguards of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and another UNP MP after they pretended to be his bodyguards at a Colombo restaurant. 27 January 2009 'Civilians die' in S Lanka battle The UN in Sri Lanka says dozens of civilians have been killed or injured in fighting between troops and rebels in the north-east in the past few days. Senior UN spokesman Gordon Weiss told the BBC shells exploded very close to civilian areas in Mullaitivu district. The army took Mullaitivu town - the last major Tiger base - on Sunday. The military says it is now advancing into the 300 sq km (115 sq mile) triangle of land in which the Tamil Tigers are still operating. Mr Weiss said: "The shells landed on the A35 road inside the no-fire zone declared by the army. Some shells landed close to a local UN office. "Many civilians have been killed or injured. Our staff members witnessed the death of civilians. But we cannot determine where the fire came from." The pro-rebel website TamilNet has accused the Sri Lankan army of firing into the government-designated "safe zone" for civilians, with more than 100 feared dead. There is no way of confirming reports from the conflict zone as independent journalists are barred. Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara told the BBC the army had no need to fire at civilian areas. He strongly denied allegations that the military was responsible for the attacks. There has been no word from the Tamil Tigers. The government has also accused the rebels of using civilians as human shields. Another UN spokesman, the resident coordinator Neil Buhne, told the Associated Press news agency that the situation was desperate. "There have been many civilians killed over the last two days. It's really a crisis now." He said both sides had been trying to reduce civilian casualties but added: "In the current phase, with such a level of fighting and with so many people around, unless there is very, very close attention to it, it's almost inevitable." Mr Buhne said there had "definitely been fighting" in the safe zone. Navy deployment Brig Nanayakkara said the rebels were firing from the safe zone "but we don't engage them". There are thought to be about 250,000 civilians in the area in which the rebels are still operating. After taking Mullaitivu, army commander Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka said the war was "95% over". The defence ministry website's latest report says helicopter gunships had "successfully" targeted rebel positions north of Mullaitivu and that "troops of 57 Division are on the final phase of the offensive". About 50,000 troops are involved in the offensive and navy vessels have been deployed to try to prevent escape by sea. The government has vowed to crush the rebels, who have been fighting for a separate homeland for Tamils for 25 years. At least 70,000 people have been killed during the insurgency. TNA (TELO,TULF,EPRLF and ACTC)seeks IC to stop carnage, urges medical help to victims The Tamil National Alliance (TELO,TULF,EPRLF and ACTC) in an urgent press statement has called upon the international community to use all its influence with the Sri Lankan State to bring an immediate end to the massacre of these Tamil civilians. The TNA further appeals that the international community intervenes to secure immediate medical supplies and medical personnel to be sent to treat the affected civilians. 26 January 2009 URGENT APPEAL The Sri Lankan State has announced “Safe Zones” within Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) administered areas where civilians have been asked to move into for their safety. Over the last few days civilians have been concentrating into these areas. Despite the Sri Lankan State declaring these areas “Safe Zones” the Sri Lankan Armed Forces have been bombing these areas causing many civilian deaths and injuries.The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) reliably learns from medical sources in the affected areas that within the last 48 hours the Sri Lankan Armed Forces have launched non-stop bombing campaigns on these self-declared “Safe Zones”. It is estimated that several hundred shells have been fired reportedly causing over 300 civilian deaths and about 500 persons been gravely injured. The TNA also learns that due to the continuous shelling even the dead and the injured are unable to be transported to the makeshift hospitals that have been setup by the medical staff. Further, the medical supplied and personnel are grossly inadequate to cope with the current number of casualties.There can be little doubt that if immediate steps are not taken to stop the shelling, and emergency medical supplies and medical personnel not sent into the affected areas, there would be many more hundred civilian deaths as a result of lack of treatment. Under these dire circumstances the TNA calls upon the international community to use all its influence with the Sri Lankan State to bring an immediate end to the massacre of these Tamil civilians. The TNA further appeals that the international community intervenes to secure immediate medical supplies and medical personnel to be sent to treat the affected civilians. The TNA reiterates that these steps must be taken within the next 24 hours if the civilian death toll is not to increase to several more hundreds. Sri Lankan troops moving towards Challai The Sri Lankan military on Monday said that following the capture of LTTE’s main garrison town Mullathivu, all seven offensive elements the Army were now sweeping up remaining LTTE pockets towards the north-eastern coast. The Defence Ministry said troops marching down the coast towards the Challai lagoon had gained considerable ground. “Challai remains the last stronghold of the Sea Tigers where many defence observers expect the terrorist to fight their final battles,” it said. Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to the Sri Lankan President, Bishop of Jaffna Thomas Savundaranavagam said he had made an urgent request to the LTTE not to station themselves among people in the safety zone and fire at the Army.The letter urged Mr. Rajapaksa to consider declaring the western portion of Mullathivu also a safety zone for the sake of innocent civilians. “We are not against the war but our priority is the safety of every innocent civilian in those areas of war,” the letter said.The Pro-LTTE TamilNet, in a report posted on its website, alleged that more than 100 civilians were killed and hundreds of wounded patients were helpless without medical attendance as the Army engaged in one of the most “inhumane” artillery barrage on the populated “safety zone” in Udaiyaarkaddu on Monday morning. Warrants for Praba & three other tiger leaders Colombo High Court issued warrants to arrest tiger leader Velupillai Prabakaran and three other senior leaders of the tiger organization. Colombo High Court Judge Kumudini Wickremasinghe made the order when the assassination case of former Foreign Minister Luxman Kadirgamar was called for inquiry.Warrents were issued to arrest Prabakaran, Pottu Amman. Charles Master and Komadi Manimela. The CID informed the Judge that they are unable to arrest the accused due to ongoing humanitarian operations being conducted by Security Forces in the North of Sri Lanka. However, red alert has been issued regarding the accused through Interpol informed the CID. President invites TN leaders to see the truth about Tamil people President Mahinda Rajapaksa Sunday invited Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa Jayaram to visit Jaffna and Vanni and personally appeal to LTTE to release the civilians held as human shield at gun point."We are ready to provide safe corridors for the civilians to go through the army controlled areas to safer places, but it is now up to the Tamil Tigers to `release` the civilians", the President told the Asian Tribune in an exclusive interview."If Karunanidhi is interested in a ceasefire he can persuade the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and announce it publicly so that arms surrender could be worked out in a mutually acceptable way as proposed by Karunanidhi and the Sri Lanka Government", he said.He added: `The veteran political leader on whom I have the greatest respect and regard, could even bring along with him a delegation consisting of the Tamil Nadu political leaders on his visit to Sri Lanka`.He also extended a separate invitation to Tamil Nadu`s opposition leader J. Jayalalithaa to visit Sri Lanka and see for herself prevailing situation in the country.President said, `As a respected Tamil voice in the world, Karunanidhi should come forward to appeal to the leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to free the Tamils from their iron clutches`. He put the number of Tamils held back by the Liberation Tigers as anywhere between 150 and 200 thousands. And the area under Tigers is no more than 350 to 400 sq km, down from 5,000 sq km held by them when Eelam War IV started in 2006."LTTE is holding them as a human shield for its own safety and security. They are all kept in Vanni at gun point. Even women, old people and children are not being allowed to leave the area despite appeals by United Nations and the international community", the Sri Lanka President said when asked about the efforts made so far to secure release of the innocent civilians."It is really unfortunate", Rajapaksa said, "Tigers are breaching Tank bunds to flood the area to stop civilians leaving for safety in the liberated area".President also told Asian Tribune that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister could meet the leaders of the LTTE in Vanni and talk with them to let innocent Tamil civilians to go to safe areas.Asked about the demands for a ceasefire he told the Asian Tribune that it was up to Karunanidhi how he goes about the task.`He can persuade the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and announce it publicly so that arms surrender could be worked out in a mutually acceptable way, as proposed by Karunanidhi and the Sri Lanka Government.`Once LTTE surrenders arms and give an undertaking before the Indian leaders that they are ready to join the democratic mainstream, our government is ready to consider favorably to enter into a ceasefire,`, he observed.Terming the TNA parliamentarians as the LTTE proxies, President Rajapaksa made a fervent plea to the Tamil Nadu political leaders `not to be misled and misdirected by TNA`.Answering a question on the `status` of the Eelam War IV, the President, who is also the supreme commander of armed forces of Sri Lanka, said troops have moved a step closer to finishing off one of Asia`s longest-running insurgencies. He reiterated his determination to chase the Tigers and liberate the Tamils from terrorists` grip."Once we (Sri Lanka government) clear the north from the Tigers` hold, then we will start to develop the North as we are presently doing in the East", Rajapaksa said in response to another question.Asian Tribune drew the President`s attention to the plight of Muslims who were chased out of Jaffna and from the Northern Province and are presently languishing in refugee camps in Puttalam and other areas in the North West of the country.President replied: "We will rehabilitate them in their original homes. This is our commitment. This is our resolve".President said Government would soon make necessary arrangements to enable these Muslims to restart their livelihood. "The government will also take steps to get them a roof over their head".He reiterated that the liberated Tamils of the North would be brought back to the democratic mainstream and measures would be taken to ensure they live in Sri Lanka with honor and dignity like other ethnic groups in other parts of Sri Lanka. Prabhakaran cornered but could flee: Lanka army chief Cornered Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief V. Prabhakaran has not fled the country yet, but could try to escape through the sea route to reach the Indonesian islands. His Sea Tigers (LTTE’s naval wing) remain largely effective.“Only the Sea Tigers and suicide cadres can help Prabhakaran escape,” Sri Lanka army chief Lt General Sarath Fonseka told HT over telephone a day after capturing Mullaitivu.Mullaitivu, the last town under Tiger’s control located on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka, about 350 km from Colombo, fell to the Lankan army on Sunday.“It effectively means the LTTE cadres and their leaders are cornered in an area less than 300 sq km,” Fonseka said. India was not an option for the fugitive LTTE chief. He is an accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and there is a death warrant, issued against him by the Madras High Court. “He’ll not be able to survive in India under the current circumstances,” Fonseka said, indicating India would not give him refuge in spite of support for the LTTE — banned in India since the 1990s — in Tamil Nadu. The general said he suspects Prabhakaran will try and make it to the Indonesia islands using the gun-running routes, with the help of his Sea Tigers.“Sea Tigers are still very effective, even though a large number of their boats have been damaged by aerial bombing. We have also captured two Tiger boats. But they still have effective capabilities,” he said. The Sea Tiger cadres are trained to negotiate their armed boats on high seas and are fiercely loyal to the leader. They have an unknown number of small boats, which can act as suicide bomber vessels.Fonseka said the LTTE recently received an ammunition shipment. “If ammunition can come (by the sea route), why can’t Prabhakaran escape (by the same route)?” he said.But where would the LTTE chief go? The army commander said it was likely that Prabhakaran could attempt to escape to the islands of Indonesia.“The LTTE have networks among the gun-runners and smugglers operating in seas around that area. There is a lot of ship and boat movement on the seas there,” he said.Fonseka dismissed reports that the LTTE chief has been flown out of the country by the air wing of the LTTE, known as the Tamil Eelam air force. “I do not believe all that. It is out of the question. We have captured five LTTE airfields. And we are just one kilometer away from the remaining one, which is well within the range of our artillery guns,” he said, adding that no LTTE aircraft movement has been recently spotted over the Mullaitivu skies. Tamil Tiger rebels 'to fight on' 'Liberation war' Speaking exclusively to the BBC Sinhala service, Mr Nadesan rejected claims Mr Prabhakaran had fled. "It is malicious propaganda - our leader is still with us - our leader is giving leadership to our freedom struggle. He is with our people," he said. Mr Nadesan also said the Tigers would not lay down arms until the freedom and dignity of their people were guaranteed. He shrugged off recent military setbacks which have seen the loss of the key bases of Kilinochchi, Elephant Pass and Mullaitivu. He said: "In a liberation war it is normal for a force to lose territory and regain the same and achieve freedom. In the past we have withdrawn many times and bounced back to achieve big victories." When asked why the rebels would not lay down their arms and talk to the government, Mr Nadesan said: "We took up arms to safeguard our people. We need a guarantee of living with freedom and dignity and sovereignty... until that, we will not come to that point." Mr Nadesan also accused the army of shelling civilians in areas the government had designated safe zones. Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara told the BBC the army had no need to fire at civilian areas. Brig Nanayakkara said the rebels were firing from the safe zone "but we don't engage them". 'Crisis' The district director of health for Kilinochchi region, T Satyamurthy, also spoke to the BBC and said that between 1 and 25 January, 145 civilians had died due to the conflict in the region and more than 650 had been admitted to hospitals. Dr Satyamurthy, the most senior government health official in the district, said that on Monday 27 civilians had been killed and 76 wounded when about 1,000 shells fell on the Udayarkatta and Nattangandal hospital complex in Mullaitivu district. Dr Satyamurthy said the shelling came from the south "where the SLA [Sri Lankan army] is camping". "We don't have any staff or medicine - security is a major problem, so we can't work properly," Dr Satyamurthy said. Brig Nanayakkara insisted the army had "no connection whatsoever with these civilian deaths". "The military has not directed any attacks towards the safe zone. It is declared for the civilians to come and seek protection." He said all government officials in the region were "making statements under the pressure from terrorists. I can clearly say that they are making these statements to save their lives". The UN has also expressed concerns about civilian deaths, saying dozens had been killed. Resident coordinator Neil Buhne told the Associated Press news agency the situation was desperate. "There have been many civilians killed over the last two days. It's really a crisis now." There are thought to be about 250,000 civilians in the area in which the rebels are still operating. The army took Mullaitivu town - the last major Tiger base - on Sunday. The military says it is now advancing into the 300 sq km (115 sq mile) triangle of land in which the Tamil Tigers are still operating. Mr Nadesan said the rebels hold twice that area. The government has vowed to crush the rebels, who have been fighting for a separate homeland for Tamils for 25 years. At least 70,000 people have been killed during the insurgency. 26 January 2009 Deal or poll? Crucial decisions ahead for Lanka ‘LTTE confined to a 20 x 15 sq.km area’ SCENARIOS-Is Sri Lanka about to finish off the Tamil Tigers? Sri Lankan troops on Sunday dealt the Tamil Tiger separatists a third major blow this month, seizing the last big town held by the rebels, Mullaittivu The army's commander, Lieutenant-General Sarath Fonseka, said soldiers were close to finishing one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies. Few would disagree now that he has the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) trapped in a tiny wedge of jungle.Here are some scenarios of what could happen next: FONSEKA'S MARCH TO THE SEA: This month alone, soldiers have run the Tigers out of their self-proclaimed capital Kilinochchi, the Jaffna Peninsula and now the port of Mullaittivu, a major LTTE operations base.When hostilities were reignited in August 2006, the rebels held 15,000 square km (5,792 sq miles). Now, Fonseka says they have only 300 square km (186 square miles) of jungle and a diminishing stretch of the northeastern coast.Fonseka is forcing the LTTE forces towards the sea, unless his troops seal off the coast and surround them.Since the Tigers wear vials of cyanide around their necks in case of capture, surrender seems unlikely. ARE THE TIGERS NOW TOOTHLESS? Many analysts say the rebels are down to about 2,000 capable fighters and have little future as a conventional force.The military is now much better equipped and trained than in the past, has President Mahinda Rajapaksa's full backing and experienced, confident leadership in the form of his brother, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Fonseka.The LTTE still can carry out suicide bombings in the capital Colombo, and is blamed for one Just after Kilinochchi fell.Fonseka has said he expects the hardest-core Tigers to go underground and conduct hit-and-run attacks once the war nears its end. He also said the army was ready to counter that. WHAT ABOUT CIVILIANS IN THE WAR ZONE? Aid agencies estimate there are about 230,000 Tamil refugees in the shrinking war zone. A government official who was in Mullaittivu said at least 100 were killed in artillery exchanges last week.Rights groups and the government accuse the Tigers of forcibly conscripting people as fighters or labourers and of keeping them trapped in the war zone. The LTTE denies that.The army last week set up a safe zone and urged people to go there; they say the rebels responded by placing artillery and heavy weapons inside it to foil civilian movement. IS INDIA GOING TO INTERVENE? No. Despite protests from Tamil politicians in India, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made it clear he has no plans to stop Rajapaksa's war against a group his country lists as a terrorist organisation.He and Rajapaksa have agreed that the grievances of the Tamil people must be dealt with politically, a view shared and urged by much of the West. Rajapaksa plans to call elections to meet that end but critics say more will be needed. DOES MILITARY SUCCESS MEAN EARLY ELECTIONS? Rajapaksa is riding high on the war. Signs of early polls abound: the election budget this year has been quadrupled, elections are due in two provinces in February and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has assumed a campaign stance.Allies say there are plenty of factors that will influence Rajapaksa's decision on timing. He is aware that the UNP's main criticism is the state of the $32 billion economy. AND WHAT ABOUT THE ECONOMY? As predicted, both the Colombo Stock Exchange .CSE and the sliding rupee currency <.LKR=> got a boost from Kilinochchi's capture. Both swiftly went back to moving on their own fundamentals as they have throughout the quarter-century war.Sri Lanka is suffering from expensive short-term foreign debt, declining foreign exchange reserves and a high deficit. Key exports such as tea and clothing have also been hit by the global slowdown and the war is expected to cost nearly $2 billion this year. IS ANY OF THAT A RISK TO RAJAPAKSA? Not really. His mainly rural power base has been largely shielded from economic woes through populist budgets and development projects. Rajapaksa is also counting on a flood of post-war reconstruction money to come in after fighting ends.That could be complicated by three violent attacks on the media this month, which have angered many donor countries -- who have yet to apply the only real leverage they have: money. Prabhakaran virtually cornered: anti-LTTE Tamil Minister No peace in Sri Lanka without a political solution: Akashi Japanese special peace envoy Yasushi Akashi yesterday reiterated that a military solution alone would not bring lasting peace to Sri Lanka unless accompanied by a serious and sincere multifaceted political process. “The work of bringing about durable peace is different from a transitory, ephemeral peace and in that sense the military achievement is not enough. It has to be followed or even simultaneously complemented with a very serious, multi-faceted political process,” the visiting envoy told a media conference in Colombo.At the end of his four-day official visit to Sri Lanka and hours before leaving the country, Mr. Akashi underlined the importance of a political solution for a durable peace and urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to expedite the process of the All Party Conference in bringing about an amicable solution based on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.When asked whether the 2002 peace process he supported was dead, Mr. Akashi said that: “In a sense our efforts to assist and facilitate the peace process has not borne fruit up to now.”However he added that from the President downwards everybody agreed it was important to have a political and democratic process that integrated all peoples, factions and communities together and foster a sense of national unity and freedom so that all could enjoy the fruits of peace.To a question whether the Japanese government would continue to provide aid to the Eastern Province, the visiting envoy said Japan placed particular emphasis on the East which was in great need of urgent assistance after the fighting ended there. “With law and order being restored and good governance structures built, we will certainly be prepared to consider necessary assistance. I hope we can do so in cooperation with international financial institutions and other donor governments,” Mr. Akashi said and added that some major conditions had to be fulfilled before obtaining Japanese assistance – particularly law and order, safety and security of residents and aid workers. “But we already have some idea as to what is badly needed in East and I assure you that we have been monitoring the situation closely,” the envoy saidOn the matter of displaced people in the Wanni, he said the government was trying its best to handle the situation.Mr. Akashi said this involved not only meeting the needs of the displaced living outside the fighting line but also of those still within LTTE-controlled areas. He called for more frequent access to those areas by aid agencies and government convoys and the speedy evacuation of the sick and the wounded.Mr. Akashi said the Tokyo declaration was and still remains important as an historical document and expressed regrets that the LTTE had missed the opportunity of devolving the benefits of the peace process to the Tamil community and the others.He said the declaration addressed the needs of all deprived and impoverished people in all parts of the country. With regard to the media in Sri Lanka, Mr. Akashi said the lives of journalists were just as important as anybody else’s to ensure good governance. “The climate of impunity must be rectified as early as possible,” he added.Mr. Akashi said the meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa was very positive and they had discussed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and how it should be implemented as rapidly and as fruitfully as possible. Army regains M’tivu after 12 years The 59 Division yesterday afternoon liberated Mullaitivu, the last LTTE stronghold on the north-eastern coast, in one of the bloodiest battles of Eelam war IV. Fighting elements of the 593 Brigade, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jayantha Gunaratne had crossed the Nanthikandal lagoon under heavy resistance earlier in the day and overwhelmed strong LTTE units before a large force moved in. The army said that the lagoon-borne assault had been spearheaded by 7 GW (Gemunu Watch), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Chaminda Lamahewa.The 59 Division commanded by Brigadier Nandana Udawatte launched operations in January last year from Weli Oya. Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka told The Island that the 59 was raised to liberate Mullaitivu, one of the primary targets of the government offensive directed against the LTTE. The Division had fought its way across Anandakulam and Nagacholau forest reserves to reach the outskirts of Mullaitivu several weeks ago, Fonseka said. The Division waged a series of costly battles with elite LTTE units before scoring its first major victory on May 30 when the LTTE abandoned its Munagam base. The 59 Division captured bases codenamed Michael (July 4), Sugandan (July 27) and Jeevan (August 16) before reaching the area west of the Nayaru lagoon. On October 23, the 59 Division had secured Gajabapura and on November 11 moved into Kumulamunai village. The LTTE lost Otiyamalai on November 29 before being evicted from Mulliyawalai.Fonseka said that the army paid a heavy price to bring the Tigers down to their knees.The 59 Division launched the final assault close on the heels of a daring LTTE attempt to breach positions held by the 574 Brigade east of Dharmapuram in the outskirts of the Mullaitivu district. Troops blasted three LTTE vessels and damaged two operating in the Kalamadukulam tank. The LTTE overran the 25 Brigade deployed in the Mullaittivu town situated on a narrow stretch of a land between the Nanthikandal lagoon and the sea in July 1996. Over the years, the LTTE turned the town into its strongest base, from where they coordinated a large scale smuggling operation to bring in supplies from abroad.With the liberation of Mullaitivu, the 55 Division advancing southwards along the coastal road towards Mullaitivu is expected to meet with the 59 Division. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told The Island that once the link-up takes place, the LTTE wouldn’t have any direct access to the sea. The Sea Tigers would be history, he said. The army said that the liberation of Mullaitivu would speed up the collapse of the remaining LTTE force now trapped north and south of the Paranthan-Mullaitivu (A 35) road. The 57 Division, Task Force II, Task Force III and Task Force IV directing operations at LTTE units operating in approximately 360 square kilometre area east of the A9 road had inflicted heavy damage on the LTTE with the TF III and TF IV making significant recovery of arms and ammunition. They had found four LTTE bodies, six T-56 assault rifles, seventeen hand grenades, three communication sets, one claymore mine, one detonator, one barrel of sulphuric acid, four thousand electric detonators, three hundred packs each containing 500 g of explosives, twenty cans containing TNT explosives, 75 bags of sodium bicarbonate each weighing 50 kg three damaged armoured fighting vehicles and two factories set up to make anti-personnel and claymore mine factories. The army said that SLAF jets launched from Katunayake air base had zeroed-in-on a Czechoslovakia-built T55 main battle tank deployed about two kilometers north of Vishvamadukulam Saturday night. SLAF spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara told The Island that Mi 24 helicopter gunships were deployed Sunday afternoon in support of the 58 Division engaged in an operation to recover the tank. The LTTE over the years captured vast quantities of arms, ammunition and equipment, including several main battles tanks, mortars and artillery pieces from the army. The base fell following an intense assault codenamed ‘Unceasing Waves’ personally executed by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on July 18. The base occupied an area 2,900 metres long and 1,500 metres wide with a perimeter of about 8,500 metres bordered by the sea on one side. The LTTE successfully thwarted an attempt to reinforce the base from Vettilaikerni and Trincomalee. The LTTE also destroyed an SLN vessel engaged in an operation to move in supplies to troops sent on a rescue mission. The LTTE also damaged an SLAF Mi 17 transport helicopter.The LTTE admitted that it lost 332 cadres in action. Of some 1,300 army personnel deployed at Mullaitivu, only several dozens survived while the relief force lost about 100 officers and men and the entire armoury was seized. Malaysia to interact with India on Prabakaran Malaysia intends to liaise with Sri Lanka, India, and the Interpol for updating “intelligence” about the whereabouts of Velupillai Prabakaran, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.There has been no authoritative word on any action following this indication by Malaysia’s Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan. However, enquiries show that Malaysia has initiated follow-up moves in this direction. No specifics are immediately available.The Malaysian move is in response to speculative analysis in media circles that beleaguered Prabakaran might have already left his stronghold in Sri Lanka in search of a safe haven in some other country. Malaysia and Thailand have figured prominently in such speculation. Additional angle For the Malaysian authorities, an additional angle is that they themselves had, over a year ago, alleged the possibility of links between the LTTE and some elements within the now-banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) in Malaysia. Jets disable LTTE armoured tank 25 January 2009 Sri Lanka army 'in last rebel town' Ominous "It does sound ominous for the Tamil Tigers, but you have say, put in this context, perhaps Mullaittivu was not going to be the last resting place for them," Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting from the capital Colombo, said."It was always thought that they would flee to the jungles where they would have a much higher degree of safety and it would be harder to flush them out."We don't know how strong the Tamil Tigers still are, how well armed they still are, but if there is a hardcore there they can still operate from the jungle and that could cause problems for the Sri Lanka government. "There is still the possibility and the concern that there may be some sort of counter-offensive launched soon."The rebels took control of Mullaittivu in 1996 when they overran a military camp there, killing nearly 1,000 soldiers. Dam destroyed On Sunday, the military said that the retreating rebels had flooded two villages after destroying a reservoir in an attempt to stall advancing government troops.Tamil Tiger fighters used explosives to destroy the walls of Kalmadukulam reservoir on Saturday, as government troops advanced on Visuamdu, in Mullaittivu district, a statement said. Details of the welfare of villagers and the damage caused by flooding from the dam were not immediately available.Soldiers also clashed with fighters in Chundikulam village in the same district and hours later recovered the bodies of two Tamil Tiger fighters, according to the statement. Civilians trapped As fighting has intensified, aid groups and diplomats have expressed fears for the safety of hundreds of thousands of civilians reportedly trapped in Tiger-held territory around Mullaittivu.The rebel-affiliated TamilNet website said that five civilians were killed on Friday and 83 wounded when the army fired artillery shells into a government-declared "safe zone" for displaced families.A doctor in the area confirmed on Saturday that five civilians were killed in shelling.The military denied firing into the civilian settlements and launching attacks on the "safe zone", accusing the Tigers of carrying out the assaults themselves to keep civilians out of the area.Human rights organisations have accused the rebels of using the civilians as human shields to block the government offensive. Heavy fighting after Tigers blast dam in Sri Lanka: military LTTE or Prabakaran not important to us, says Sampanthan “Neither LTTE nor Prabakaran is important to us. We do not care their victory or defeat. We represent the welfare of the Tamil people who elected us to parliament,” says Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Trincomalee district MP R. Sampanthan.Talking with Sunday Lankadeepa Sinhala newspaper he says, “We are the representatives of political parties. We represent Tamil people. There should be freedom to engage in politics in a democracy. Linking us to a terrorist organization and suspecting us is wrong. We have to mention one point. Both LTTE and we have similar objectives. That is the well being of the Tamils. We are in a democratic path,” says Sampanthan. He said that LTTE had not waged war and the government did. “As far as I know, LTTE did not want a war. They were committed to Tamil people. They were pushed to war by the government.” Sampanthan says that around 300,000 people stranded in Vanni live amid utmost difficulties. World should know the realty there, he said. Therefore, Sampanthan appeals to appoint a committee of independent individuals including the MPs to monitor the area. Karuna to be Nation Building Minister TMVP Leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitheran alias Karuna Amman is now tipped to be made the non-Cabinet Minister of Nation Building in charge of reconstruction of the east, government sources said last night.There are already five nation building ministers entrusted with different tasks and in the event of Karuna too getting the same position he will be the sixth nation building minister. DMK decision on Sri Lanka after consulting allies, other parties CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which will finalise its stand on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue at intra-party fora, will announce the decision after consulting allies and other parties, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said on Saturday.Describing his party as a democratic organisation, Mr. Karunanidhi, in a statement, said that though he could decide on some major issues on his own, he did not conduct himself like a dictator. Normally, political parties, before participating in all-party meetings, firmed up their position after deliberating among themselves. He was reacting to Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss’s observation that the Sri Lankan Tamils issue was not an intra-party matter to be decided by the ruling party’s executive council.Mr. Karunanidhi said that all contributions to the Sri Lankan Tamils Relief Fund, instituted by the State government, were received through cheques. They had been accounted for. As part of the initial phase, relief materials were sent to Sri Lanka. The remainder of the collections lay with the government, the Chief Minister said, responding to All India Anna Dravida Munentra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa on the issue. Only a few days ago, he had received, through the External Affairs Ministry, a letter from a Jaffna-based bishop, Thomas Soundaranayakam, who appreciated the gesture of the people of the State in sending the relief materials. End of LTTE in sight, say Sri Lankan military The Tamil Tigers are waging their 'final battle' and it won't take long for Sri Lanka's dragging Tamil insurgency to finally end, say military commanders here.'It is a matter of time, may be a matter of weeks. We are very confident about it,' said Brigadier Shavendra Silva, general officer commanding of the army's 58 Division, which has taken back vast tracts of land from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during months of fighting. The captured territory is spread from the north-western Mannar district up to Pooneryn and Paranthan in the north.'We see light at the end of the tunnel. The LTTE is fighting its final battle and it will be a matter of time before we defeat them completely,' said Colonel Aruna Wanniarachchi of the 57 Division, which captured the town of Kilinochchi Jan 2. Kilinochchi was the LTTE's political hub. Briefing a group of journalists flown to the battle-zone from Colombo, the commanders said that the guerrillas had lost the conventional fighting capability due to a string of defeats at the hands of the army.Citing intercepted LTTE communication, they said that the group's senior leaders like Theepan, Banu and Vellavan were overseeing the fighting against the advancing troops with 'the remaining cadres and whatever resources left with them'.Refusing to set a definite time frame for a military victory, they said the high concentration of displaced civilians in areas held by the LTTE in Mullaitivu, the only district still with the Tigers, was a major impediment for the troops.'We are very cautious about the civilian presence there. We have already declared a safe zone for them to move to but the LTTE is not allowing them to go there,' Brig. Shavendra Silva said, charging that the rebels were using the civilians as human shield. It was in Kilinochchi that the LTTE had its own police force, courts, banks and a so-called tax regime for nearly a decade, giving an impression to an outsider that a separate state was in the making. Today, Sri Lankan soldiers patrol the roads of Kilinochchi and guard all strategic points. They look relaxed although exchanges of artillery fire can be heard a few miles away.'Do not worry. The fighting is taking over 15 km from here,' said Maj. Vijitha Hettiarachchi who took the journalists to show the LTTE's formerly showpiece Peace Secretariat building, which hosted many foreign visitors when the Norwegian-brokered February 2002 truce was in operation.'The artillery gun fire you hear is what we fire from here to the Vishwamadhu areas where fierce fighting is taking place at the moment,' Maj. Hettiarachchi told IANS.As he spoke, he pointed out the place where the LTTE's former political wing head, S.P. Thamilselvan, was killed in an air raid in November 2007.The LTTE had built concrete underground bunkers close to their offices and buildings for their leaders to hide during aerial attacks. Military officials said this indicated that the LTTE had anticipated and was preparing for another war even as they took part in the peace process, which began in 2002 and began crumbling from about 2004.Almost every building along the Jaffna-Kandy highway that passes through Kilinochchi, about 350 km north of Colombo, bears battle scars, indicating how tough the battle for the town was. Almost all the buildings have had their roofs blown off. Some buildings are in rubble. The main water tank of Kilinochchi has been flattened.A soldier who drove an Indian-built Mahindra and Mahindra jeep we were in said the LTTE razed the water tank before fleeing.The military also now controls the Elephant Pass, the narrow isthmus to the northern Jaffna peninsula that was retaken by the military only a few days after the capture of Kilinochchi.The LTTE captured the Elephant Pass in April 2000 and it was then considered a major success for the rebels. The military has now deployed a new unit - Task Force VII in the area. Its commander, Colonel Roshan Seneviratne, said the main task given to his troops was 'to ensure that there was no infiltration from the eastern end' -- a small tip of land on the eastern coastal belt.The capture of the 100-acre garrison at the Elephant Pass saw the rebels lose dominance over Sri Lanka's north. They now hold only a chunk of area between the fareast of Kilinochchi and the jungles of Mullaitivu.It is for the first time in 23 long years that the government has secured full control of the 325-km-long Jaffna-Kandy route. As long as the LTTE controlled the highway, Colombo was forced to send crucial supplies to the troops in Jaffna by air or sea, making it a costly operation.Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, who led the media team from Colombo, said that although the road is used for the movement of troops, it was not immediately possible to open it for public use. 'Although the road is usable, the mine-fields on either side have to be cleared before it is opened to the public. It will take some time,' said he.Clearing mines in Kilinochchi is no easy task. There could also be lethal booby traps in abandoned buildings and huts and on the wayside.The troops are mounting pressure on the rebels in Mullaitivu. Despite shrinking territories, the Tigers are still offering stiff resistance. With the war entering the final phase, the coming weeks are going be crucial. Sea Tiger cadres may have entered Tamil Nadu A boat was washed ashore at Rameswaram on Saturday with markings indicating that it was from Sri Lanka.Police personnel here have expressed doubts that the boat may have been used by LTTE men to enter Tamil Nadu.Local fishermen informed the Temple police in Rameswaram that a Sri Lankan boat had been washed ashore near Cherankottai and a team led by inspector Muthukumar seized the boat.When they searched the boat, the police found diving equipment, cylinders, 100 litre diesel container, gloves, a bag and a fisherman’s identity card from Mannar.Superintendent of Police Senthilvelan and officers from the intelligence unit inspected the boat and also questioned the fishermen of Cherankottai.Intelligence unit personnel suspect that four to seven Sea Tiger cadres from Nachikuda or Nedunthivu may have entered the State by using the boat belonging to fishermen of Mannar or Pesalai.The thermo cylinders found in the boat could enable a person to remain under sea for an hour, intelligence officers said.Police said, to prevent LTTE men from escaping, they have intensified search of vehicles leaving here for the main land. All checkposts in the district have also been alerted.Express News Service Rameswaram, January 24 A BOAT was washed ashore at Rameswaram on Saturday with markings indicating that it was from Sri Lanka.Police personnel here have expressed doubts that the boat may have been used by LTTE men to enter Tamil Nadu.Local fishermen informed the Temple police in Rameswaram that a Sri Lankan boat had been washed ashore near Cherankottai and a team led by inspector Muthukumar seized the boat.When they searched the boat, the police found diving equipment, cylinders, 100 litre diesel container, gloves, a bag and a fisherman’s identity card from Mannar.Superintendent of Police Senthilvelan and officers from the intelligence unit inspected the boat and also questioned the fishermen of Cherankottai.Intelligence unit personnel suspect that four to seven Sea Tiger cadres from Nachikuda or Nedunthivu may have entered the State by using the boat belonging to fishermen of Mannar or Pesalai.The thermo cylinders found in the boat could enable a person to remain under sea for an hour, intelligence officers said.Police said, to prevent LTTE men from escaping, they have intensified search of vehicles leaving here for the main land. All checkposts in the district have also been alerted. Obama Govt. appalled by attacks on media Chief Minister seeks foreign aid for the EP Sri Lanka rebels explode walls of reservoir Tamil Tiger rebels used explosives to blast through the walls of a reservoir Saturday in an attempt to stall advancing Sri Lankan government troops, the military said. The military claims to have won a string of major victories in recent months, including the capture of the Tamil Tiger administrative capital of Kilinochchi, effectively boxing the rebels into a pocket of land in the northeast. The government has vowed to crush the rebel movement and end the Indian Ocean island nation's 25-year-old civil war in the coming months. On Saturday, Tamil guerrillas used explosives to destroy the walls of Kalmadukulam reservoir ``in a desperate attempt'' to stall a military advance on rebel-held Visuamdu, located in Mullaittivu district, the military said. Two villages were flooded as a result. Details of damage caused by flooding were not immediately available and it was not possible to independently verify the military's claims, as journalists have been banned from the war zone. Rebel spokesmen could not be contacted for comment because communication to the north has been severed. Separately, the military said soldiers pushed deep into Mullaittivu the last remaining rebel stronghold Friday and seized a training camp. It did not provide casualty details. Separately, soldiers clashed with rebels in Chundikulam village in the same district and hours later recovered the bodies of two rebel fighters, the statement said. As fighting intensifies, aid groups and diplomats have expressed fears for the safety of hundreds of thousands of civilians reportedly trapped in rebel-held territory. The rebel-affiliated Web site TamilNet said five civilians were killed Friday and 83 wounded when the army fired artillery shells into a government-declared ``safe zone'' for displaced families. A doctor in the area confirmed Saturday that five civilians were killed in the shelling. He told The Associated Press that 27 were wounded in the attack. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals. The military denied firing into the civilian settlements and launching attacks on the ``safe zone.'' It accused the rebels of carrying out the assault themselves to keep civilians out of the area. Human rights organizations have accused the rebels of using the civilians as human shields to block the government offensive. On Friday, the U.N. expressed growing concern for the civilians trapped in the north and called on the rebels to let them leave. The rebels have fought since 1983 to establish an independent state for minority Tamils, who have suffered decades of marginalization at the hands of successive governments controlled by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence. 24 January 2009 “No solution to Tamils problem without Congress support” CHENNAI: Arguing that a solution to the Sri Lankan Tamils problem could not be found without the support of the Congress, the party’s whip Peter Alphonse said the Indo-Sri Lankan accord alone could offer a lasting solution.Speaking on a special calling attention motion in the Assembly, Mr. Alphonse said the accord secured some rights for the Tamils and could have secured more.“But the LTTE spoiled everything. They took assistance from the Sri Lankan Army and confronted the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF),” he alleged.Citing reports in The Hindu, he said the LTTE was not allowing the staff of the United Nations to return from the Wanni with the convoy that had gone there to deliver relief supplies to the displaced Tamils.Some parties were raising the issue to isolate the Congress and bring down the DMK government. “What is your agenda? Come clean and we are ready to help in finding a solution,” he said.While stressing that the plight of the Tamils should come to an end, he pointed out that ceasefires in the past had not helped in finding a lasting solution. Mr. Alphonse questioned the tone in the argument of some leaders, who wanted an immediate solution to a problem, which, he said, dated back to five decades.He came down on the PMK for blaming the Congress for “doing nothing.” Army captured 2 LTTE camps at Puthukkudiyiruppu Sri Lanka Army Task Force 4 operating in the Puthukkudiyiruppu south yesterday (23) captured two LTTE camps located in the area.According to the battlefield reports, troops initially captured a camp with 700m x 500m area and 8 buildings. Troops suspect that the camp was a hideout of a senior LTTE cadre as it was provided with luxury lodging and sanitary facilities.Troops captured the second camp comprised of 4 buildings , 2 improvised containers , 1 water pump , and few petrol and kerosene barrels. Implement APRC proposals for devolution of power – Yasushi Akashi Japans peace envoy Yasushi Akashi has said proposals of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) should be considered as a viable mechanism through which to bring about devolution of power and to build a pluralistic Sri Lankan society. When he met Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at the Foreign Ministry yesterday he had stated that Japan was fully conscious of the Sri Lanka government's commitment to finding a political solution to the conflict, and expressed the hope that the political process would continue.Special Envoy Akashi expressed his satisfaction at the efforts undertaken by the Sri Lanka Government to safeguard the civilian population in the north and emphasized that the LTTE should not be allowed to use civilians as a human shield. He said he was visiting the North to observe the situation of the internally displaced person during his stay in Sri Lanka.Minister Bogollagama briefed Akashi regarding the humanitarian operations being conducted by the Sri Lankan Security Forces in northern Sri Lanka with the objective of eliminating LTTE terror and restoring democracy in order to achieve a sustainable peace. He stated that a safe area for the civilians to move in has been demarcated and a large number of people were waiting to leave eh tiger dominated areas in the North. The Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka H.E. Kiyoshi Araki and officials of the Japanese Foreign Ministry accompanied the Special Envoy to the meeting, Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona, and senior officials of the Foreign Ministry were also associated with the meeting. SLA fired artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) shells on IDPs -TNA Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) shells continued to target Tamil refugees in temporary settlements of Mullaitivu district Friday 23,01,2009, the Tamil National Alliance (TELO,TULF,EPRLF and ACTC)said in a press statement. According to the statement,"Iruddumadu, Mylvakanpuram, Theravil and Moonkilaru villages came under artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) attack, 4 civilians were killed, 46 civilians were wounded."SLA shelling on Mylvakanapuram of Visvamadu IDPs settlement, 1 was killed, 4 were wounded Killed was identified 1-Sivam Kurukkal,56,- He was a Saiva priest wounded were identified Killed was identified Injured were identified Wounded were identified All wounded were admitted to Naddankandal hospital, functioning as a makeshift hospital at Udayarkaddu, Congress sees no ultimatum on Sri Lanka NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday refused to see the “final appeal” made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to the Centre to make an immediate intervention to ensure a ceasefire in Sri Lanka as an ultimatum.Responding to questions on the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking India’s intervention in ensuring a ceasefire in the island nation, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said Mr. Karunanidhi’s statement was not couched in terms of an ultimatum.When it was pointed out that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) a key constituent of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) — was planning to call its general council to decide on the next course of action if the Centre ignored the “final appeal,” Mr. Tewari said “let us wait and see what the government does.”Asked whether the Congress was trying to push the DMK out of the UPA by not responding to the concerns of the Tamil people, the spokesman said the suggestion was erroneous as every ally was valuable. 574 Brigade Troops Cross Netheli Aru & Enter Visuamadu Western Border THE 57 Division troops now closing on in the western perimeter of Mullaitthivu amidst LTTE resistance expanded their Forward Defence Line (FDL) in Visuvamadu Thursday (22). Soldiers of the 574 Brigade commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Senaka Wijesooriya crossing the Netheli Aru, the waterway starting from the Kalmadukulam tank, entered the western border of Visuvamadu . Advancing troops of the 574 Brigade received heavy gunfire from LTTE however it was countered and overpowered by the soldiers who entered area north of Kalmadukulam tank. Fresh confrontations that erupted in Therappuram area between the 58 Division troops and LTTE eliminated a few more LTTE fighting cadres the same day morning. Later, the troops found two LTTE dead bodies from the area. In the meantime, the 59 Division troops confronted pockets of tiger’s in the areas south of Mullaitthivu and Puthukudiyirippu Thursday (22) between 5.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. and captured one LTTE bunker and LTTE-made earth bund. During search operations that followed, troops recovered five dead bodies of LTTE and six T-56 weapons from those areas. American Tamils urge India to intervene in Sri Lanka More than three hundred American Tamils demonstrated in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. Friday between 12:00 noon and 2:30 p.m. to express solidarity with Eelam Tamils, and called upon India to intervene in Sri Lanka on humanitarian grounds to initiate peace talks, halt military assistance to Sri Lanka, and to recognize the Tamils right to self-determination. The demonstrators later assembled near the U.S. State Department to show their support to the new Obama Administration, organizers of the event said. RasgotraDemonstrators appealed to India to take urgent action to ensure the safety of the more than 300,000 displaced people who are being subjected to continual shelling and aerial bombardment in Vanni by the Sri Lanka military and Air Force.Dr Elias Jeyarajah on behalf of the organizers of the rally submitted a memorandum to Indian Counselor Mr Rahul Rasgotra. The memorandum recommended India to work for a just political solution, and pointed out that such a solution can be found only if the right to self-determination of the Tamils, a fundamental principle in international law, is recognized. The rally, according to the organizers, reinforced a December report by Genocide Prevention Project, an New York based rights organization that listed Sri Lanka as one of eight countries along with Sudan and Congo where there is a presence or likelihood of genocide breaking out. The report pointed out that Sri Lanka figured in all five "expert" indexes that track genocide.The rally was organized by Tamils Against Genocide and joined by members of Americans for Peace in Sri Lanka. Sri Ravi Shankar to meet Lankan Tamils Concerned over the plight of displaced people from Sri Lanka, Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar would visit Mandapam in Rameshwaram on Monday to meet Sri Lankan Tamils living in the refugee camps there.His visit assumes significance in the context of the current developments in the island nation, propelling a large influx of displaced Sri Lankan Tamils to the shores of Tamil Nadu, a spokesman of the Art of Living Foundation said in a press release.Observing that the spiritual leader was deeply concerned about the suffering of the displaced people, he said that the visit was aimed at providing solace and reassurance to them.A team of Art of Living's trauma care volunteers were already in Mandapam.He would also participate in two major public events at Trichy and Chennai on January 27 and 28 respectively, the spokesman said. Elephant in the Tigers' tale Velupillai Prabhakaran was no mouse in October 1988. The chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was a shrewd strategist challenging the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) sent by then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi to contain militancy in Sri Lanka. The IPKF captured the land routes of the Tigers. Then they took Wanni, Jaffna and Kilinochchi. At Nitikaikulam, they cornered Prabhakaran. Sensing his end was near, he turned tail and escaped through a 7km tunnel into a forest near Mullaiteevu. The Indian soldiers had it easy till then. But what followed was decisive, and still shapes India's response to the Sri Lankan conflict. "The LTTE surprised the IPKF by booby trapping the forest near Mullaiteevu; they knew the terrain like the back of their palm and put up fierce resistance," said IPKF commander Gen. (rtd) A.S. Kalkat. The Indian attack plan was to drive the Tigers from the forest, but Kalkat found that the forest was the Tigers' best ally. "It is perhaps one of the most dangerous forests in the world and till the Sinhalese forces defeat the LTTE there, they cannot be called real victors," Kalkat said. For him, the Sri Lankan campaign of 2008-09 is a copy of his campaign of the late 1980s. "The ultimate battle of the Sri Lankan army against the LTTE is yet to be fought," he said. Sending the IPKF to Sri Lanka was India's much-debated response to the Sinhalese-Lankan Tamil crisis, which started in the early 1980s. But the government's response in 2008 was different from what it had been in 1988, when there were divisions in Delhi-J.N. Dixit, who was then Indian ambassador in Colombo, was in favour of sending the IPKF, while Rajiv's close aide Romesh Bhandari was against it. "Even Rajiv was against sending troops to Sri Lanka, but he gave in because a coterie around him convinced him of the IPKF's usefulness," Bhandari said. He said a newspaper editor from Chennai was involved in shaping public opinion in favour of intervention in Sri Lanka. In 2008, India became cautious. Manmohan Singh did not send Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Sri Lanka despite pressure from the DMK. Also, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon said on January 5 that "military solution is not the only available option. A political option has to follow." During his visit to Sri Lanka on January 16-17, Menon urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to bring about a "peacefully negotiated political settlement". Given the IPKF experience, India is not too excited about Rajapaksa's claims of victory. "Rajapaksa's victory speech in Colombo reminded many people of the 'Mission Accomplished' speech by George W. Bush in 2003 but his Iraq mission went up in flames," said a former diplomat. The Indian response is also shaped by the unpopularity of the LTTE among Lankan Tamils. "India supports the Lankan Tamils and feels ending the LTTE is in their interest," Kalkat said. The policy finds support among Lankan Tamils, too. "The LTTE is a terrorist and fascist organisation and should be eliminated," said Varadaraja Perumal, former chief minister of formerly undivided Northeastern Province who has been in India as a political refugee since the mid-1990s. But he said a political solution between the Tamils and the Sinhalese would come about, irrespective of the outcome of the conflict, as there were "legitimate Tamil concerns that will outlive the military conflict." And post-conflict, India may have to play mediator. Perumal said the LTTE and the military should not play a role during the post-conflict dialogue, and that India should ensure that Sri Lanka is fair to Lankan Tamils. Back home, the LTTE issue led to a political duel between the UPA and NDA. Congress leader Veerappa Moily wanted Sri Lanka to hand over Prabhakaran to India. It angered the opposition. "The UPA should remember that Mahinda Rajapaksa is a politician and he should be prevented from succumbing to a populist war for the sake of the February provincial elections," said NDA convener Sharad Yadav. He attributed the UPA's cautious approach to its inability to take tough foreign policy decisions on Pakistan, and the political compulsions in an election year. Perumal said India's response was guided by the support to Rajapaksa from the Lankan Tamils, who expect him to keep his promise after defeating the Tigers. Also, Rajapaksa has been able to put across Sri Lanka's case internationally and strategically. China is helping Sri Lanka build the Hambantota port on its southern shore. Earlier, the port was offered to India for upgradation, but Delhi failed to come up with a prompt response. Now, India does not want to antagonise Colombo by acting like a bully. "Sri Lanka is now important for India's energy security route, too," said Uday Bhaskar, former director of Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Perumal says India should not forget the legitimate issues of Lankan Tamils. "A political solution of the Sri Lankan ethnic cauldron will be born only if the Tamils get adequate representation in the Sri Lankan administration and the army." With the army advancing deep into Mullaiteevu, the war may be drawing to a close. And once the Lion and the Tiger end their conflict, the Elephant will have a role to play. Prabhakaran trying to reach a third country through India- DGP K.P. Jain Prabhakaran trying to reach a third country through India. Director General of Police K.P. Jain was quoted having said that the entire police force was put on alert in view of the developments in Sri Lanka. "We are aware of what is happening in Sri Lanka and security has been stepped up accordingly," he said. In Chennai a high level meeting of Department heads has been conveyed to tell them all relevant information should be shared with among security agencies. The police said all roads leading to coastal areas are being surveyed by the police. Bring about ceasefire in Sri Lanka: CPI MADURAI: It was high time political parties in the State made a “final decision” to put pressure on the Centre to intervene and bring about ceasefire in Sri Lanka, Communist Party of India State committee member P. Sethuraman said.Addressing a demonstration staged here on Friday to protest the killing of Tamils in the conflict-torn nation, he said that Indian government had in the past supported the Tamil organisations in Sri Lanka. “But now those who speak for the cause of Tamils are being arrested,” he said.The pressing need now was to bring about a ceasefire immediately as every day many Tamils were being killed. He wondered why Chief Minister M. Karunandhi, a champion of Tamils’ cause, was tolerating the “anti-Tamil stand” of the United Progressive Alliance Government even while being a part of it. Listing out the series of protests organised by various organisations in the State, he said that such protests would not have any desired effect. “Tamil Nadu has to show its anger to draw the attention of the Centre,” he said.Party district secretaries M. Saravanan and P. Kalidass; All India Forward Bloc (Kathiravan faction) leader P.V. Kathiravan; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Mehaboob John; and Tamilar Nationalist Movement leader M.R. Manickam were among those who participated in the protest. Highway blocked Advocates blocked the Madurai-Melur highway in front of the District Court complex for over 20 minutes to protest the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka. They boycotted court proceedings for the day. Pro-Government TULF leader tells Karunanidhi, "Not to be duped by the TNA" Reminding TN Chief Minister Karunanidhi that the ball now is in his court to understand the truth, Pro-Government Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leader V. Anandasangaree invited the DMK leader to come to Sri Lanka and see for himself, without being duped by the Tamil National Alliance members. In a letter addressed to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister the TULF leader said, "The time has now come for you to take over the full responsibility on your head and to visit Sri Lanka, accepting the invitation extended to you, by His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa the President. Seeing is believing." Government puppet Mr. Ananda Sangaree charged that the entire Tamil Nadu had been totally misled by a group of TNA Members of Parliament from Sri Lanka who have no moral right to speak on behalf of the Tamils of Sri Lanka because they owe their seats in Parliament to the LTTE and have to carry out the instructions only of the LTTE. "They act only as proxies of the LTTE and therefore have lost their credibility. The TNA have earned the displeasure of the Tamils by condoning even the most wicked and atrocious activities of the LTTE" the senior leader of the TULF accused. "Please rest assured," said Ananda Sangaree, "that all my interest is in the welfare of the people. I am not acting as an agent of anybody or as a stooge of the Government. I do not agree fully with the Government in all matters. But in the matter of eradicating the LTTE I am giving my unstinting support. Pardon me for being so because their atrocious activities have exceeded all norms and limits. They are responsible for the loss of over 70,000 to 100,000 thousands lives. They have made tens of thousands of widows, widowers and orphans. Several thousands have lost their eye sights, limbs and thousands became benumbed. There is a large vacuum created in the leadership of the Tamils. A lot of important persons, academics, respectable personalities, political leaders and such others, had been killed or made to flee the country. They created a situation for even people like Mr. R. Sampanthan to take orders from the LTTE leaders like Mr. Thamilchelvan. Mr. Sampanthan has lost his credibility because of his thoughtless utterances, most of which appear to have been made under compulsion. All his speech in Parliament and outside are biased and hardly one word against the LTTE." The TULF leader said, no one has any right to kill another. A lot of kids, pregnant women, poor innocent workers, school children all from the Sinhala community had been killed by the LTTE and many innocent Tamils had been killed in their claymore mine attacks targeting the service personnel. Mr. Sampanthan and the 21 Members of the TNA, during the past 5 years did not say one word against the LTTE or ever condemned the LTTE for any of their atrocious activities, in which several innocent Sinhalese and Tamils also lost their lives, he further charged. The situation today in Wanni is that the LTTE, having lost 95% of the territory they had under their control, is now confined to a small area in the Mullaittivu electorate. The International community is watching the situation. The truth is known to the whole world. In such a situation Mr. Sampanthan while blaming the Government for the hardships the people undergo should have also condemned the LTTE for detaining two hundred and fifty thousand people in a remote village where facilities such as schools, Hospitals and even drinking water are limited. I accuse the TNA of conniving with the LTTE and hiding facts only to help to save the LTTE and to mislead Tamil Nadu, the TULF leader said in his letter. He told the Tamil Nadu leader, " you must come and see for yourself as to what is happening here. I have sent to you a number of letters and also made several appeals to the leaders and the people of Tamil Nadu with several suggestions for a just solution. No one bothered to find out the truth and no one replied me either. I warned Tamil Nadu not to give room for the creation of another Jaffna there. I had even accused Tamil Nadu that it is sleeping while deadly serpents breed under the pillow. All that is now happening, because no one took my appeals, pleadings and even warnings seriously. ""Hardly any one knows in Tamil Nadu that people of Wanni had been agitating for a long time for liberation from the LTTE. If all the efforts taken by various sections of the people of Tamil Nadu had been jointly diverted towards a peaceful and friendly approach for an early and reasonable solution, Tamil Nadu would have got the full backing of the Central Government and the Sri Lankans who have several links with India would have responded positively toward finding a reasonable solution, resulting in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka coming close to each other and become more friendly. I have quoted Gandhiji a number of times what he said during a visit to Ceylon before I was born. He said that " India and Sri Lanka cannot afford to quarrel". I say that it is more appropriate in relation to Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Further more you are the one who very often refer to the "umbilical code relationship" of the Tamils of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. I wonder whether you or anybody else in Tamil Nadu is aware of the "umbilical code relationship" the Sinhalese have with the people of Madurai in Tamil Nadu and that Pathini worship (Kannagi) is very common among the Sinhala Buddhist in Sri Lanka." 'Allow Media to work freely and safely' AI interrogation "Sandaruwan Senadheera, editor of 'Lanka-e-news' was questioned for six hours today by officers from the special wing of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at their headquarters in Colombo Fort about a complaint lodged by the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse", the statement say. The editor say the complaint concerned an article published on the website on 21 February 2008 headlined 'International intelligence service suspends providing information to Sri Lanka; Gota is responsible for the losses since December 31.' Senadheera was told that investigating officers would visit his office next week for further questioning. On Friday morning Upali Tennakoon, chief editor of the Rivira weekly newspaper, and his wife Dhammika, were assaulted on their way to work. It follows the fatal shooting earlier this month of Lasantha Wickramatunga, editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper. media workers have been unlawfully killed At least 14 media workers have been unlawfully killed in Sri Lanka since the beginning of 2006. Others have been arbitrarily detained, tortured and allegedly disappeared while in the custody of security forces. More than 20 journalists have left the country in response to death threats. "Sri Lanka's climate of impunity for attacks on the media has made it impossible to get an accurate impartial picture of what is happening in the country. By threatening journalists with the risk of arrest, and failing to protect them from attack, the government is failing its citizens," said Yolanda Foster. US condemns attacks on Sri Lanka journalists The United States late Friday condemned a series of attacks and threats against the media in Sri Lanka - , and called on the government to protect its citizens. Earlier Friday, a newspaper editor and his wife were attacked in the outskirts of Sri Lanka - 's capital Colombo, the latest in a series of violent attacks against journalists, raising concern among colleagues and media rights activists. Upali Tennakoon, editor of the Rivira newspaper, and his wife Dhammika were held up by two motorcyclists at Imbulgoda, 27 kilometers east of Colombo, and attacked with clubs. Nearly two weeks ago, Lasantha Wickrematunge, the editor of The Sunday newspaper, was shot dead near his office. So far no arrests have been made. During the past three years at least nine journalists have been killed in Sri Lanka - . The Editors Guild, which represents all main newspapers published in Sri Lanka - , raised the spectre of an ``end to free expression in Sri Lanka Karuna still has 1,370 men Vinayakamoorthy Muralidaran, alias Karuna Amman, said that there were 1,370 cadres of his TMVP still with him. Another 160 had joined the security forces and a number of the remaining cadres too would follow suit. "The rest will either come into active politics and the others will be sent abroad for jobs with the assistance of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Keheliya Rambukwella," he said. Resolution on Sri Lanka issue disappointing: Ramadoss KANCHEEPURAM: The ‘final request’ resolution, moved by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in the Assembly on Friday urging India to save Sri Lankan Tamils, is disappointing, according to S. Ramadoss, founder, Pattali Makkal Katchi.Talking to reporters here on Friday, Dr. Ramadoss said that the resolution did not even set a deadline for the Union government to act positively, when the Tamils all over the world expected a strong move from the Chief Minister. Dr. Ramadoss said the Sri Lankan issue was not an intra-party subject to be discussed at a party’s general body meeting.“It is an issue that involves each and every Tamils and the parties which raise their voice to safeguard the interests and lives of Sri Lankan Tamils”, he said. The Chief Minister should convene an all-party meeting again to discuss the situation prevailing in the island nation and evolve a collective opinion to put pressure on the Union government to take firm initiatives to bring to an end “ethnic cleansing” in Sri Lanka. He said a ceasefire could be ensured in Sri Lanka through a phone call from the Prime Minister’s office, but neither the Congress party nor the Prime Minister would do that. British High Commissioner visits Eastern Province British High Commissioner Dr Peter Hayes visited Ampara and Batticaloa to discuss security and development challenges facing the Eastern region, with representatives from all communities, said a press release issued by the British High Commission in Colombo. The High Commissioner had meetings with government and military officials, politicians, religious leaders, students and academics, business leaders and NGO representatives. On Thursday 22, the High Commissioner visited the South Eastern University in Oluvil, Ampara and had fruitful discussions with both academic staff and students. In addition Dr Hayes visited projects by the Mine Action Group and the International Organisation for Migration. British Tamils Forum (BTF) strongly condemns the statement of the FCO on Tamils Issue British Tamils Forum (BTF) strongly condemns the statement of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on 21 January 2009, which could be perceived as condoning the sustained programme of genocide of Tamils by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). BTF is startled at the apparent contradiction between the FCO’s statement and the position taken by the Prime Minister during Prime Minister’s Question Time on 14 January, when he said “I agree with [Mr. Vaz] about the terrible violence happening there, I also agree with him about the need for a ceasefire, I will be talking to President Sakorzy and Chancellor Merkal and this will be one of the issues I shall be raising with them”. FCO’s statement blatantly avoids in calling for a ceasefire. In direct contrast the German Foreign Minister has said and we quote "They have been completely cut-off from international aid for more than ten days....The most important thing now is to negotiate a ceasefire, to enable aid deliveries and medical care for the civilians in the disputed areas". “FCO’s convenient usage of terms such as ‘rooting out terrorism in Sri Lanka’ attempts to hide the reality, that an unprecedented human tragedy is unfolding in the Vanni region, while some of the Western countries provide diplomatic cover to the GoSL” said a senior member of the BTF. This untimely and misguided statement is presumed to have been timed to coincide a day after the new administration is sworn in, at the United States. The BTF, an umbrella organisation, which represents the aspirations of over 200,000 Tamils in the United Kingdom, is deeply concerned at the behaviour of the FCO. This shocked the Tamils all over the world and seriously undermined the credibility of HM’s Government and its impartiality in its engagement.The FCO’s statement states that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) lacks democratic mandate. British Tamils want to humbly remind the FCO that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which accepted the LTTE as the sole legitimate representatives of the Tamil people in their manifesto, won a landslide victory in the Tamil area in the 2004 general election. Further, the Tamils of Sri Lanka had given a mandate for re-establishment of the Tamil Nation (Tamil Eelam) in the general election of 1977.We the British Tamils, urge HM’s Government to no longer hide behind the now discredited “War on Terror” approach, which had only served to strengthen tyrannical regimes around the world, of which GoSL is a perfect example. 66 civilians have been killed in Theavipuram and Vallipunam in the Vanni region within the last 3 days due to indiscriminate bombing and shelling by the Sri Lankan armed forces. Today, as a perfect demonstration of state terrorism and in contravention of Geneva Conventions, the military bombed a hospital in the “secure zone” killing 5 civilians and injuring 15. Vital lives saving equipments were destroyed in the attack.The BTF requests urgent humanitarian action to pressure the GoSL to stop the war and to send humanitarian relief to the Vanni region. We also urge the FCO to be sensitive to feelings of HM’s subjects and to avoid releasing ill advised statements in the future. India PM undergoes heart surgery Succession speculation But the BBC's Jill McGivering says this is not a good time for the prime minister to be removed from the political fray, given the tense relations with Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai attacks. Congress has so far dismissed concerns that Mr Singh's health would interfere with its current election campaign. But there has been widespread speculation that party chief Sonia Gandhi has been lining up her son, Rahul Gandhi, heir to India's powerful Gandhi dynasty, as the country's next prime minister. Mr Singh has largely been in good health since he was sworn in as prime minister in May 2004, but he recently underwent prostate surgery and has also had cataract treatment. Mr Singh, who studied economics at Cambridge and Oxford, became India's finance minister in 1991 when the country was plunging into bankruptcy, and is widely regarded as the architect of the country's economic reform programme. The quietly spoken economist-politician is also seen as the cleanest politician in India, a subject dear to voters' hearts. Government officials said that Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee will take charge of cabinet meetings during the prime minister's absence. 23 January 2009 TNA CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE AND TALKS The Tamil National Alliance (TELO,TULF,EPRLF and ACTC) wishes to bring to the urgent attention of the international community the current dire situation facing the Tamil civilian population in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) administered areas. Currently there are over 360,000 IDPs out of a total population of nearly 500,000 people in LTTE controlled areas. This entire population is living within an area of about 400 square kilometers.In addition to ordering all United Nations and other humanitarian NGOs out of LTTE administered areas since September 2008, the Sri Lankan State has also imposed stringent economic, medical and food embargoes resulting in the severe lack of basic items required by the civilians.In addition to this already critical condition, due to the targeted bombing campaigns by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces on IDP camps and other public buildings that could provide shelter, IDPs have been forced to seek refuge under trees, on the roads, and even in the jungles to avoid being killed. Most of these areas are flooded due to the recent monsoon rains.Tamil civilians including children and infants have been killed or grievously injured in substantial numbers. Their houses, farms crops and plantations have been destroyed. Their means of livelihood have been destroyed and they have been rendered destitute. In the last 20 days alone 66 civilians have been killed and 263 civilians have been grievously injured.This military campaign is taking place whilst the Sri Lankan State has been unwilling to take any meaningful steps in keeping with the mandates given by the overwhelming majority of the Tamil people to the TNA at the last two consecutive general elections. This only demonstrates that the Sri Lankan State is not committed to an acceptable political solution to the Tamil National Question. This further demonstrates the reality that the Sri Lankan State is only committed to a military solution.It is the considered view of the TNA that the Sri Lankan State is prosecuting the current war in pursuit of an ideology, namely the assertion of Sinhala Buddhist supremacist nationalism, and in order to achieve that objective a process of Genocide of the Tamil people is in progress. The inhuman conditions and the daily killings to which the Tamil civilians in LTTE controlled areas are being subjected to are only the more obvious elements of this process.Under these circumstances the TNA urgently appeals to the international community to prevail upon the Sri Lankan State to bring the war to an immediate end. The TNA also calls upon the international community to use its good offices to bring the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to the negotiating table. PARLIAMENTARY GROUP Troops capture LTTE control room Troops poised to liberate the entire Vanni had captured a highly fortified and well equipped LTTE underground main operation room in Dharmapuram yesterday morning. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the LTTE operations room had been built underground within a 80x40 feet space area in the Dharmapuram jungles. “Troops found a Sri Lankan map depicting military information and military deployment including details of troop strength and other military information,” he added. He said there were also maps and other information related to the LTTE operations and other details of LTTE activities. The LTTE main operations room consisted of a well equipped communications room and auditorium. “It was believed that the LTTE leader was frequenting this operational room,” Brigadier Nanayakkara added. He said 2,959 civilians had arrived in the cleared areas from the LTTE territory from January 1 to January 21. Lanka should hold talks with Tamil leaders, barring LTTE: Jaya AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa today called on the Sri Lankan Government to initiate talks with representatives of Lankan Tamils, barring the LTTE, to find a political solution to end the ethnic conflict and asked the Centre to extend necessary help in this regard. "The ongoing ethnic war should be brought to an end and the Sri Lankan Government should initiate a dialogue with representatives of Tamils there, barring the LTTE, to find a permanent political solution, so that Tamils can live on equal terms with the majority Sinhalese community," she said in a statement."The Indian Government should extend help in this regard," she said. In her statement, the former chief minister also alleged that some "evil forces" had twisted her earlier remarks that LTTE used Sri Lankan Tamils as "human shields" in the ongoing war with the Lankan army.She clarified that she had said Sri Lankan Tamils were being killed only because they were being used as human shields by LTTE. "I have not made any remarks against Sri Lankan Tamils or supported the Sri Lankan Army action," she said, in an apparent reference to criticism by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Tol Thirumavalavan that her stand would only help the Lankan Army. Jayalalithaa said the AIADMK supported the Lankan Tamils' fight for their right to self determination, but opposed armed struggle."There cannot be two opinions that Sri Lankan Tamils issue should have a democratic and political solution, but LTTE is against it. Its leader Prabhakaran does not have faith in democracy.That was why LTTE killed Sri Lankan Tamil leaders like A Amirthalingam, E Padmanabha, Sri Sabarathinam and Uma Maheswaran. Prabhakaran is acting like a dictator and is against other Sri Lankan Tamil leaders coming up," she said. Handbills dropped from air urging Mullaithivu people to cross over to government administered area Air Force dropped handbills from air to the civilians of Mullathivu urging them to cross over to the 35 square kilometres no war zone.This no war zone is situated from Udayarkattakulam junction to Yellow bridge along A-35 Mullaithivu Paranthan road and from Devapuram to Iraththumadu in north.Army says that the people of Mullaithivu will be made aware through International Committee of Red Cross that they have maximum security there. Britain endorses war on LTTE while emphasizing human rights and political solution The full text of the written Ministerial Statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs on Sri Lanka, issued on 21 January 2009, follows: The Government has long standing concerns with the promotion of peace in Sri Lanka, where the conflict has claimed at least 70,000 lives during the past 26 years. We are now at an important moment. Since its abrogation in January 2008 of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement, the Sri Lankan government has embarked on a policy of militarily defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In recent months the government has made significant military gains, including the capture of Kilinochchi, the former administrative centre of the LTTE in the north, and the capture of remaining rebel territory in the Jaffna Peninsula. These gains make progress on a political solution even more urgent. The LTTE is a proscribed terrorist organisation with no democratic mandate to represent the Tamil people. It is responsible for a terrorist campaign that has targeted innocent civilians across all communities in Sri Lanka over the past three decades. Thousands of lives have been lost since the renewal of open hostilities in 2006. We recognise the government of Sri Lanka’s need to root out terrorism. It also has a responsibility to safeguard the rights of all its citizens and adequately to address their political concerns. Our consistent position remains that for peace to be sustainable, an inclusive political process that takes fully into account the legitimate concerns of all Sri Lankan communities - Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim - is essential. As my Rt. Hon Friend the Prime Minister has said, we must see an end to the conflict and new drive for a lasting political solution. We continue to engage with all political parties across all communities in Sri Lanka to support progress in this direction.We are deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka and the growing number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). My Rt. Hon Friend the Prime minister spoke about this issue with President Rajapakse when they met last September and we continue to raise our concern at senior levels. The UN estimates that 200,000-300,000 IDPs remain in the conflict area. Although there have been convoys providing basic humanitarian assistance, there are credible reports that these supplies are inadequate. The military gains by the Sri Lankan armed forces have resulted in these IDPs being squeezed into an ever-decreasing space. Further deterioration in the situation would mean acute humanitarian need and distress. Following on from a Department for International Development (DFID) mission in September 2008, we will be sending a DFID humanitarian expert in the coming weeks to try to assess the situation and to report on the distribution of £2.5 million in humanitarian funding that we have committed to assist IDPs in northern Sri Lanka. In coordination with international organisations on the ground, we have urged all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular the need to ensure the safety of civilians, to allow their free movement and to enhance access for humanitarian agencies to facilitate the delivery of adequate supplies of humanitarian aid. Safe passage for civilians wanting to escape the hostilities should be guaranteed by all parties and safe humanitarian space provided for them. We believe that a full independent assessment of the IDPs’ humanitarian needs is essential. Such an assessment would be a powerful demonstration that everything that can be done is being done to support these vulnerable people. We will continue to press on these matters.Recent weeks have seen a considerable number of high profile attacks on media freedom in Sri Lanka. We condemn such brazen attacks. Of particular concern was the murder on 8 January of the Chief Editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper, Lasantha Wickrematunge. The Sri Lankan authorities have a duty to take prompt action to ensure a thorough and independent investigation is carried out. Those responsible must be held to account. The lack of progress in securing convictions for such cases indicates that urgent action is needed. There continue to be reports of abductions, disappearances and acts of violence and intimidation in Sri Lanka. Without strong mechanisms for independent human rights reporting, it is difficult to assess the true scope of the problem. We consistently call upon the government of Sri Lanka to take decisive action to tackle human rights abuses, including by taking action against those responsible for violations. Creating an environment in which people from all communities in Sri Lanka live without fear is essential to creating the conditions for a sustainable end to the conflict. The recent commitments by militias on release of child soldiers and disarmament following our lobbying are welcome steps that need to be followed through. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written to President Rajapakse to express our concerns. Civilians 'die in Lanka shelling' Military offensive The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for a separate homeland for 25 years. At least 70,000 people have been killed in the insurgency. The rebels had established a de facto state squeezed between government-controlled Jaffna in the north and the rest of the country. But the latest military offensive has forced the rebels to give up much of their territory. The military is on high alert to prevent the possible escape of top Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, although some analysts say it is unlikely he will be captured alive. TMVP hands over 15 children 133 children UNICEF chief of mission in Sri Lanka, Phillippe Duomelle, Secretary to ministry of Justice Suhada Gamlath and TMVP provincial councillor Edwin Silva Krishnananthan (Pradeep Master) attended the ceremony. In an earlier statement, UNICEF said there were 133 children still in TMVP ranks.However, Pradeep Master told BBC Sandeshaya that UNICEF figures might be based on old data.He insisted that only 25 youngsters under the age of 18 left in their ranks.The TMVP that runs the eastern provincial council and many local councils contested the regional elections together with President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling coalition. TMVP was formed by Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan (Karuna) after breaking away from the LTTE in 2004. 'Liberation villages' in north to be named after passed away Tamil leaders Minister of Media Lakshman Yapa Abewardhana said that the late Defense Minister Ranjan Wijerathna and Defense Secretary Gotabahaya Rajapakse were the only men in this country, who talked straight.The Media Minister made this statement in response to a journalist who asked if the Defense Secretary stating that Shane Daniel should be arrested was undemocratic move. Daniel, an employee of MTV gave a statement to CNN regarding the arson attack on Sirasa.Minister Abewardhana recalled that in 1989, when Vasudewa Nanayakkara asked in the parliament about the whereabouts of a list of arrested persons, then Minister of Defense Ranjan Wijerathna promptly said that they were killed since they were terrorists. Minister Abewardhana said that the statements of the Defense Secretary could be misinterpreted in the context he had given priority towards war. The Minister further said that the government was taking action to rename the liberated villages in north after the passed away Tamil leaders. The names of these villages are Ramanathan Sudardeedanpuram, Arunachalam Veththilepuram and Kadirgamar Elichchinagar.He said that 2000 people had arrived in government administered areas from Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna, Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi. Of them 708 are in refugee camps, said the Minister adding that villages would be built in 15-acre Menik Farm stage-1, 450-acre Menik Farm stage-2 and 150-acre Omanthai land and the refugee camp system would be abolished.The Minister announced that each inmate of these villages would be paid Rs. 100 a day and the government and the UN would resettle them in the liberated areas immediately after the government nodded it.Expecting 30,000 crossings of the IDPs to the state administered territory, the government had allocated money for providing facilities to them, the Minister said.He said that the NGOs could divert their assistance through state channels and pointed out that they had granted assistance in the past to Tamil Tigers.Questioning if the attack on the Kotte Municipal Council in broad daylight was state terror, the Minister asked how the government could rule the country in the context the people’s representatives released on bail damage state property. UN Condemns LTTE and Germany gives 1 Million Euros for humanitarian supplies to Sri Lanka The German Foreign Office says due to the continuation of the heavy fighting between Sri Lanka government and LTTE rebels, currently well over 300,000 civilians cut off from receiving international aid, in a roughly stretch of 30 km in the northeast coastline of the country. This was stated in a media release in Berlin.Referring to the background of the deteriorating humanitarian situation, the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Berlin today:"The Federal Government is deeply concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. Everything is lacking to over 300,000 refugees in the rebel areas. They are completely cut off from international aid for more than ten days. The most important thing now is to agree on a ceasefire so that relief and medical supplies can be facilitated to the civilian population in the disputed areas"."I urge conflicting parties to come to an urgent political solution; as this conflict in the country can not be solved only by military means".Since the revocation of the ceasefire in early 2006, the fighting between government and the LTTE rebels intensified, where the government now has occupied the entire rebel areas up to the area of Mullaitivu in the northeast.Already in Sept. 2008 the Sri Lankan Government ordered the International aid agencies to leave the combat zones. The World Food Program of the United Nations (WFP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is the only relief organization operating in the battle field. All attempts by the ICRC to negotiate with the conflicting parties to arrange corridors for the transportation of relief supplies or to set up small security zones, have failed.To support those who have been able to flee from the combat zones for protection and for the care of those civilians who are still caught in the conflict and can not be reached, the German Foreign Office has made an additional one million euros available to the International Red Cross ICRC.Since 2006 German Foreign Office has made a total of 5.9 million Euros available to support the victims of the conflicting areas.The German development cooperation has restricted its development work since the resumption of intestine war.In another press release the United Nations Thursday (22.1) strongly condemned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for not allowing its staff members to return from the rebel-held northern Wanni area and urged them to be released immediately.The UN in their statement 'issued its strongest possible protest to the LTTE for their refusal to allow UN national staff and dependents to return from the Wanni with the present UN convoy' carrying food and other essential items to the people in the rebel-held areas.'The staff is part of a UN convoy which travelled to the Wanni Friday 16 January delivering urgent food and emergency supplies to displaced populations. Due to fighting between the LTTE and government forces, this convoy has only been able to move safely today,' the UN statement said.UN convoys have brought over 7,000 tonnes of vital food and relief supplies to displaced population in the north with eleven convoys since last October.The UN statement said that the LTTE's 'denial of safe passage is a clear abrogation of their obligations under international humanitarian law' and urged the LTTE to meet their responsibilities and immediately permit all UN staff and dependants to freely move from this area.Since January this year the Government troops have captured major LTTE strongholds including Kilinochchi, Paranthan, Elephant Pass and Muhamalai and pushed the LTTE rebels in to a small area in the district of Mullaitivu. The Govent Forces have taken full control of the 325 Km long A-9 Jaffna-Kandy main highway 23 years. DON’T USE FORCE: DALAI LAMA TO SRI LANKA At least 100 killed in Sri Lanka shelling - official Nearly 100 civilians have been killed in artillery exchanges between Sri Lanka's military and Tamil Tigers since the weekend, a top government official working in the area controlled by the rebels said on Thursday.The report of casualties came on a day the United Nations said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had violated international law by stopping its local staff and their families from leaving the war zone in an aid convoy.That echoed earlier complaints from human rights watchdogs that said the separatist rebels had forced civilians to stay in the war zone as human shields and forced conscripts. The rebels, on U.S., E.U. and Indian terrorist lists, deny that.Sri Lanka's military has boxed the LTTE into an area of less than 400 square km after the most successful campaign so far in the 25-year war and is aiming to deliver a final blow to the last rebel redoubt, the port of Mullaitivu.Aid agencies have warned that about 230,000 refugees are trapped and at risk of being caught in the crossfire."Around 30 people died in the morning today. Personally I saw that nearly 100 people have died from Saturday up to today. More than 300 have been injured," Mullaittivu District Government Agent Emelda Sukumar told Reuters by phone.Getting independent confirmation of casualties in the war zone is nearly impossible.Sukumar, who spoke from Mullaittivu, is in charge of government services including humanitarian aid in the rebel area.The national government pays her salary, but she is under the LTTE's watch and relies on them for her safety. For that reason, the government has often said its agents are under duress and liable to publicly give a version of events favourable to the LTTE. 'CANNOT ESCAPE' Sukumar said the army ceased fire after her office got in touch with them and the Red Cross, which arranged a convoy to ferry 46 sick and wounded people from a hospital near Mullaittivu to a government hospital in Vavuniya, far from the battle."When people occupy particular places, the LTTE send shells from that area, and then army also targets the same area," she said. "So people cannot escape from the shelling."The military on Wednesday announced a 32 sq km safe zone near Mullaittivu and dropped leaflets urging civilians to go there.On Thursday, pro-rebel website www.TamilNet.com reported that shelling had killed 66 civilians and wounded 176 in the past 60 hours in areas including the safe zone and the hospital.Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara denied that."Today we stopped firing and took 46 patients from that hospital through the Red Cross, so that kind of humanitarian operation is underway. We didn't fire into the safe zone because we wanted civilians to come," Nanayakkara said.The United Nations in a statement said it had "issued its strongest possible protest to the LTTE for their refusal to allow U.N. national staff and dependents" to leave the war zone in a convoy on Thursday."The LTTE's denial of safe passage is a clear abrogation of their obligations under international humanitarian law," it said.The LTTE could not be reached for comment.The LTTE say they are fighting to create an independent state for minority Tamils, many of whom complain of mistreatment by successive governments since the Sinhalese ethnic majority took over at independence from Britain in 1948. TN Assembly to make "final appeal" to centre on Lankan issue Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi would move an official resolution in the state Assembly tomorrow making a "final appeal" to the Centre to "save the Tamil race from annihilation in Sri Lanka." The government's resolution comes at a time when the Sri Lankan army is poised to make a final push against the LTTE in the outfit's last bastion of Mullaithevu in the island's north where a large population of Tamils are said to have been stranded.The top LTTE leadership including its supremo V Prabhakaran is said to be holed up in the area.A resolution seeking the Centre's intervention in the Sri Lankan Tamils issue was passed in the previous session of the assembly and Karunanidhi later led a delegation of leaders in December to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.Political parties in the state have been making a strong plea for immediate Centre intervention to stop the army offensive in the island nation.The PMK, a constituent of the ruling UPA at the Centre, has accused the state government of slackening its stand on the issue.Karunanidhi, renewing his appeal to the Centre to take steps to find an amicable solution to the ethnic strife, had last week said he was disappointed that the date for the trip of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Colombo was yet to be finalised. 22 January 2009 Was aircraft over M’tivu an RAW spy plane? Mystery surrounds the sighting of an unidentified aircraft over Mullaitivu around 8.30 pm on Tuesday.It had been spotted coming in from the direction of the Palk Straits and returning whence it came."It was at a considerable height. The Navy fired at the aircraft from their boats without success. Both, the Navy and Air Force had noticed the mysterious aircraft with a bright light," Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara told The Island.Asked whether the aircraft could have landed somewhere in Mullaitivu before flying back, the Wing Commander said that it was not possible given the high altitude and the short time it had taken to fly back. The Island on January 7 reported that an RAW spy plane had flown over Sri Lanka’s theatre of war in the North.In that news item, RAW watches northern front from air, our special Indian correspondent Venkat Narayan quoting the Times of India (TI) said that after the Sri Lankan forces captured Kilinochchi, India had sent a team of select officials from the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) on a secret surveillance mission across the Palk Straits.Quoting unnamed sources, TI said that an aircraft belonging to the Air Research Centre (ARC), a top secret wing of the RAW, had taken off from the Chennai Airport around 3 am on Saturday, January 3. But the sources TI quoted had refused to confirm whether the mission had been carried out on a request by the Sri Lanka government. The RAW aircraft is capable of flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and photographing objects that were only one metre above the ground level.Military intelligence was unable to confirm whether yesterday’s sighting over Mullaitivu had any connection to the RAW mission on January 3.The Island reliably learns that the Sri Lankan government has not granted permission for RAW to carry out surveillance missions. TF -2 captures Udayarakattukulam tank bund - Mullaittivu The advancing Task Force -2 troops have captured the Udayarkattukulama tank bund in Mullaittivu, after hours of fierce fighting that ensued with LTTE yesterday (Jan 21). According to latest military reports, TF-2 infantry formations have directed a two frontal assault at LTTE . Scores of tiers’s were killed and many injured during the confrontations military sources said adding that troops are now consolidating defences in the area. The fighting was intense as LTTE made desperate attempts to stall the military advance, security sources further said. More information will follow. Sri Lanka stops Tiger plane from escaping Sri Lanka's navy forced a fleeing Tamil Tiger plane to turn back in barrages of anti-aircraft fire amid growing speculation over the whereabouts of the separatist group's elusive leader, military sources said on Wednesday.With a military onslaught shrinking the territory held by Tigers by the day, one of the biggest questions remaining is where leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran is hiding and how he might try to escape Sri Lanka.The small plane -- one of three the military says the Tigers have in their tiny air wing -- was spotted flying out to sea from near the eastern port of Mullaittivu late on Tuesday. "The military had observed the aircraft coming from the north and after half an hour it was seen by an eastern naval patrol. They fired at it so it could not leave the country," a military source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.Two other military sources confirmed the account to Reuters. All three said the current location of the airplane was unknown.The air force would only say that observers briefly spotted what appeared to be an airplane's running lights."We had identified a light at very high altitude for some time in between Mullaittivu and Challai," Air force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said. "The evidence and altitude made it hard to make a decision about what it was."The Tigers have carried out nine attacks with their fleet of Czech-made, single-engine planes, and so far Sri Lanka's air force jets have been unable to intercept them.The jets are based far from the war zone near the capital Colombo, and the Tigers tend to fly their planes low enough to avoid radar.Navy fast attack boats have set up a heavy blockade off the northeastern shoreline around Mullaittivu, the last major town the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) still hold, to keep Prabhakaran and other top Tiger commanders from fleeing.Last week, the army's commander, Lieutenant-General Sarath Fonseka said Prabhakaran may have fled the island already and could be hiding somewhere in southeast Asia, where the Tigers have supporters and had run weapons-smuggling operations.Local media reported intelligence intercepts indicated that foreign countries may be plotting to help him escape by submarine. The countries involved were not named and Reuters was unable to substantiate those reports.Fonseka has said he hopes to finish the ground war by mid-April. The Tigers are now cornered in about 450 square km (175 sq miles) of the Indian Ocean island's northeastern jungles. Aid groups say 230,000 people are trapped in the war zone. Rights watchdogs say the Tigers will not let them leave and force them to fight or build defences. The LTTE denies that. Around 2,000 refugees have escaped the war zone since last week.Foreshadowing the kind of hit-and-run attacks many expect to continue even if the army routs the Tigers, two people were killed and 11 wounded in a blast on Wednesday in the formerly LTTE-held city of Batticaloa.Police blamed the LTTE, who could not be reached for comment. Two die, 11 injured in Batticaloa blast Two persons were killed, and eleven injured when a bomb exploded outside the Batticaloa Police station early morning yesterday.The bomb according to the Police Media Spokesman Ranjith Gunasekera was a Claymore mine which was reportedly attached to a bicycle, exploded near a filling station opposite the Batticaloa Police Station at around 7.30 a.m.A police officer was killed in the explosion which occurred during the morning school hour. Four students and one school teacher were among those injured in the blast.The Media Centre for National Security stated the injured were admitted to the Batticaloa Hospital for treatment. Police and security forces conducted search operations around the vicinity following the explosion, and security in the area has been tightened. Police believe that the bomb attack was targetted at Batticaloa Police personnel. ICRC Assistance sought to safeguard Wanni health services Dr.T.Varatharajah, Regional Director of Health Services in Mullitivu district has sought the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ISRC) in safeguarding the health services of the district.Mullaitivu district is currently under siege from advancing Sri Lanka armed forces and an estimated number of 230,000 people are in the district, including several thousand Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). In his letter to the ICRC office in Puthukkudiyiruppu, Dr. Varatharajah pointed out arrangements similar to that existed in Jaffna during the 90’s are urgently needed in Mulaitivu. Early last decade, Jaffna Teaching Hospital and its immediate surroundings were declared as security zone amidst similar catastrophic war situation prevailing in the Jaffna peninsula. Full text of the Regional Director of Health to ICRC as follows: Head of Office, Current health Situation in Wanni I, being the Regional Director of Health Services of the Mullaitivu region, on behalf of the Heads of the Health Institutions of Mullaitivu District, would like to bring to your kind attention the current tragic and disastrous situation of the Wanni. We who live in the Wanni, Who love and long for the establishment of Justice, Peace and Harmony are seriously threatened by the current war situation in Wanni, We are highly perturbed and anxious about the current development. The geographical territory occupied by the people keep on shrinking and it is becoming almost impossible for the people even to move towards safer areas away from the battle fields. A Population of about 225,000 as at 10 January 2009 is forced to live within a shrunken area of Puthukkudiyiruppu AGA division , Amidst a severe shortage in medicine, medical staff, food supply, clothes and shelter materials, we continue to serve to the people with dedication. To serve this suffering people the medical services are very essential . For this purpose medical institutions such as Divisional Hospital Puthukkudiyiruppu, GH Mullaitivu (Vallipunam School), Divisional Hospital Mallavi (GHCC Moonkilaru), CD & MH Naddankandal ( GHCC Udayarkattu )functioning at specified places in the AGA division Puthukkudiyirupu with 9 MBBS doctors, very minimum health staff and without adequate resources have been giving curative and preventive medical services. Due to escalation of the ongoing war, we are afraid to say whether we can continue this services at the same places without endangering the precious lives of our health staff. On top of all terrors, few artillery shells fell into the premises of divisional hospital Puthukkudiyiruppu at around 10 am on last Tuesday (12/01/2009), injuring two patients . This totally inhumane attack targeting a major hospital where some displaced health institutions were temporarily annexed and many people depend on it for their health care has left the staff and the people in total panic. Therefore we humbly request you to take urgent steps to. 1. Make arrangement to declare above mentioned health institutional premises as security zones. We would like to remind you of the post instance in which the ICRC has declared the Teaching Hospital, Jaffna and its immediate surroundings as security zone in early 90s when similar catastrophic war situation had been prevailing in the Jaffna peninsula. 2. Ensure regular ambulance services to DGH Vavuniya. 4. Ensure the life of the health staff. Dr.T.Varatharajah 'Safe zone' in Sri Lanka conflict Stronghold The BBC's Ethirajan Anbarasan in Colombo says the army's announcement comes a few days after reports from medical staff inside rebel-held territory said that at least 18 civilians had been killed in recent fighting. The Sri Lankan government has strongly denied the claims and criticised the BBC and other news outlets for broadcasting them over the weekend. The announcement of the buffer zone came as the army continued its offensive into the Tigers' sole remaining stronghold in the north - the area surrounding the town of Mullaitivu. The military say that the safe zone will be on the A-35 main road which links Paranthan and Mullaitivu. The rebels have made no comment yet on the safe zone. Our correspondent says that the government announced a similar zone a few months ago but those areas have now been captured. Both human rights groups and aid agencies have raised concerns over the safety of people living in the conflict area. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokeswoman in Geneva, Carla Haddard, told the BBC Sinhala service on Tuesday that the priority was to evacuate wounded and ill people in the north to hospital in the town of Vavuniya. She said that so far this had not been possible. Nor had it been possible, she said, to get aid and medical equipment to the north because the ICRC had not been given security guarantees by either the government or the Tamil Tigers. "The civilian population could be at great risk if we cannot resume safe passage and the movement of aid," she said. "This is one of our big concerns." Ms Haddard said that the ICRC also faced difficulties in organising the transfer of bodies. "What is happening on the spot is that the storage capacity of the morgue in Vavuniya hospital is reaching its limit so the hospital is burying its own bodies," she said. 'Move the war' The campaign group, Human Rights Watch, recently accused the rebels of preventing people from fleeing the conflict area. But the Tamil Tigers say that they are protecting civilians who voluntarily move with them. Correspondents say the rebels are also trying to move the war to the east. Officials on Wednesday said that at least two people, including a policeman, were killed in a bomb attack in Batticaloa. Also on Wednesday, the UK expressed concern at the humanitarian situation, recent attacks on journalists and human rights abuses. In a written statement, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Sri Lanka had a "responsibility to safeguard the rights of all its citizens and adequately to address their political concerns". He said: "Our consistent position remains that for peace to be sustainable, an inclusive political process that takes fully into account the legitimate concerns of all Sri Lankan communities - Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim - is essential." The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for a separate homeland for 25 years. At least 70,000 people have been killed in the insurgency. The rebels had established a de facto state squeezed between government-controlled Jaffna in the north and the rest of the country. But the latest military offensive has forced the rebels to give up much of their territory. The military is on high alert to prevent the possible escape of top Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, although some analysts say it is unlikely he will be captured alive. Conflict Sparks U.N. Concern Over Fate Of Children In Sri Lanka The United Nations on Wednesday expressed concern over the fate of thousands of children caught up in the conflict in Sri Lanka pitting government forces against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, explained that she is worried about children who are internally displaced persons (IDPs) and child combatants used by the LTTE.The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that around 230,000 people have been displaced due to intensified fighting in northern Sri Lanka during the second half of 2008.Ms. Coomaraswamy urged the rebel group to allow children and their families to move away from conflict areas, and called on the government to provide assistance in a way that respects their fundamental rights.She voiced hope that the government will take part in talks on how to spare their lives, stressing that both authorities and humanitarian partners should prepare to separate these children and reintegrate them back into their families.Last week, the U.N. humanitarian chief said he is increasingly concerned for the well-being of tens of thousands of civilians caught up in the conflict raging in the northern Vanni area of Sri Lanka. UNP hands over new motion The UNP handed over a fresh no-confidence motion against the government to Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara yesterday, after he announced to the House that the party’s previous motion had lapsed.The earlier UNP-sponsored no-confidence motion was to be taken up for debate on January 9. However, the party was engaged in a protest on that day over the killing of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and did not move it for debate. It had later been removed from the parliamentary order paper.In the meantime, Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera took a swipe at the government in parliament on Tuesday, saying it had removed the motion from the order paper without consulting the UNP. Mr. Perera charged that this was quite unethical.“It was our motion. Nobody can do anything to it without asking us. The government has tried to sabotage the motion in this manner,” he said. However, the Speaker said that he would study the issue and announce the fate of the motion to the House the following day. Accordingly, he told Parliament yesterday that the motion had lapsed since the party had failed to move it on January 9 as scheduled. He said that he had studied the parliamentary traditions of the Indian Lok Sabha, the House of Commons and the Canadian Parliament before making his announcement. However, he said, the UNP could bring a fresh motion if it wished. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that his party would hand over a fresh motion that very same day. The new motion was handed over to the Speaker later in the day. It says that the House has no confidence in the government because of the manner in which the ‘Hedging Agreement’ was arrived at, and that it showed the government’s total inability to manage the financial affairs of the country. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, MPs Joseph Michael Perera, A.M.M.Naoshaad, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Ravi Karunanayake and Earl Gunasekara are the signatories of the fresh motion. Jets pound LTTE camp in Mullaitivu: Sri Lanka Sri Lankan Air Force jets Wednesday bombed 'a transit camp' of Tamil Tigers in the northeastern Mullaitivu district, where ground troops were fighting fierce battles with the rebels tying to defend their last bastions, defence authorities here said.The Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said the jets bombed 'an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) transit camp located at Piramanathankulam area' in Mullaitivu around 4.45 p.m. It said that Russian-built MI-24 gunship helicopters also carried out air raids targeting 'an LTTE reinforcement point' located one kilometre southeast of Vishwamadhu area in Kilinochchi district. 'The air strikes were launched in support of the Task Force III troops,' the MCNS said. The military said that the troops of the army's 59 Division and Task Force-IV made further advances and attacked LTTE positions in the areas east of Puthukkudiyiruppu and northeast and southeast of Mulliyawalai in Mullaitivu causing heavy damages to the rebels throughout Tuesday. 'Several soldiers also sustained injuries due to enemy small-arms fire during those attacks,' the military said, adding the troops have recovered a few military materials including two T-56 weapons, one modified weapon and the bodies of two rebels during the subsequent search. The army has declared a 'safe zone' within areas yet to be liberated for the civilians trapped in the rebel-held areas in the north. The military safe zone is located north of the A-35 Puthukudiyiruppu-Paranthan road in Mullaitivu. 'The army assuring safety and protection for those civilians in the rest of un-cleared areas requests them to proceed to this safe zone as soon as possible,' the army headquarters said in a statement Wednesday. Prabakaran Is Presumably Fighting His Last battle In Conventional warfare.by Col.R.Hariharan The battle being waged by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to defend Mullathivu in the face of the Sri Lanka security forces’ onslaught may well be the last conventional military operation by Tamil insurgent leader Velupillai Prabakaran in the two-year-long “Eelam War IV.” Mullathivu is the LTTE’s last bastion, what is left from an original domain of nearly nine districts it had ruled for over a decade. The security forces are building up a four to six division-strong force for what they promise to be the closing call on the LTTE.After the fall of Kilinochchi and Elephant Pass successively during the early part of January, the LTTE lost control of the Kandy-Jaffna A9 road, and with it lost the ability to have an impact on the lives of most of the people of the Northern Province. The LTTE had dominated the road, considered to be the lifeline for Jaffna, a city that had once flourished as a thriving business hub next only to Colombo. After driving out the LTTE from the A9, the security forces were focussing on three aspects — consolidating their hold on the highway by eliminating LTTE defences east of it, opening the axes of offensive to Mullathivu, and getting ready for a final offensive on Mullathivu. During the first half of the month, the security forces eliminated the line of LTTE defences along the old Kandy-Jaffna road running parallel to the A9 to its east. With the clearing of the defences aligned from Iranamadu in the south to Vaddakachi and Dharmapuram in the north, the forces marginalised the LTTE’s capability to interfere with the A9. So the forces may well keep up the promise to open the road within a month for civilian traffic, thus providing much needed relief to Jaffna’s beleaguered citizens. Though the LTTE had stoutly defended its strong points such as Iranamadu and Dharmapuram, its intention was probably only to delay the start of the offensive on Mullathivu.During these operations, the forces captured the LTTE’s main airstrip east of the Iranamadu tank on January 15. This was an important airstrip used by the tiny LTTE air wing for its plucky operations that caused more psychological impact than operational damage. It was built in a clearing of heavy undergrowth, cleverly using the old Kandy-Jaffna road passing through the area. The 1.5-km long and 40-metre wide airstrip was central to a complex of two smaller airstrips located to the north and south of the Iranamadu tank. These were captured in earlier months. Five days earlier, the security forces had captured another battle-ready airstrip west of Mullathivu.The six LTTE airstrips that have been captured so far go to show the enormous effort the insurgents had put into developing their air capability. Undoubtedly, the ceasefire period during the peace process was put to build up the ground infrastructure for air operations. These are a testimony not only to the LTTE’s technical capability but its relentless effort to build military capability regardless of peace parleys. Significantly, none of the two light aircraft used by it earlier for raids have been found. Presumably they were dismantled and mothballed in hideouts as the operational conditions and the active air and ground surveillance would have made it difficult to fly them out of harm’s way.Mullathivu town, which is the focal point of the current offensive, is located on a narrow strip on the eastern coast of the Northern Province, flanked by the sea on the east and the Nanthikadal lagoon on the west. Its defence perimeter is made up of a complex of LTTE positions strung up as a crescent along the western edge of the lagoon starting from Puthukkudiyiruppu in the north to Tanniyuttu on the Mankulam-Mullathivu A34 road.The security forces’ battle plans are built on three broad fronts. 55 Division coming from Jaffna along the northwest has blocked the escape routes through Chundikulam, a key Sea Tiger base. From the same direction, 58 Division is advancing along the A35 road fighting a series of delaying positions. From the west, 57 Division is playing a containing role with the LTTE cadres boxed in the jungles between Iranamadu tank and Mullathivu. The main offensive is being built up from the south with three task forces — which are formations smaller than divisions — and 59 Division. The task forces are combing the jungles while 59 Division is poised for the assault.With such a large force confronting them, the LTTE cadres defending Mullathivu are facing a situation that is not dissimilar to what they faced during their defence of Kilinochchi, which crumbled after the government forces broke through the perimeter defences. Mullathivu might face the same fate with the final assault going through as a walk-in into a ghost town.Humanitarian agencies have warned of an impending human tragedy with about 3.5 lakh civilians trapped in the battle zone, and the LTTE is being accused of using them as a cover. However, civilians have started flowing into the area controlled by the security forces in their hundreds, indicating that the LTTE is no more able to exercise tight control over them.Thus, what is possibly Prabakaran’s last battle is likely to leave him in a position similar to what he was in 1987 — mauled badly and trying to cut his losses and live to fight another day. And, as earlier, the security forces are at his heels to catch or kill him, although the army commander, Lt. General Sarath Fonseka, says the Tiger chief might have fled the island for a safer refuge. After losing the precious lives 24,000 of his followers in nearly three decades of war, Prabakaran is still where he was to pursue his dream of a Tamil Eelam. 21 January 2009 Sri Lanka constitutes special forces to capture Prabhakaran Colombo: Sri Lanka has kept Special Forces in readiness to capture LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran as its army closes in on the Tigers last bastion of Mullaittivu, a top official said on Tuesday.As seven divisions of Lankan troops converge on Mullaittivu from all directions, the army has been told to be on the look out for the elusive Tiger chief and top leadership of the LTTE.Special aircrafts have been kept in readiness to either para-drop or land-in these Special Forces, once the whereabouts of Prabhakaran come to light."We have set up a special forces team to monitor the movement of Prabhakaran and other senior LTTE cadres," the official said adding that army was hopeful of capturing them as LTTE defences crumble.The Lankan Navy has blockaded the sea routes from the Mullaittivu coasts to prevent any escape by top LTTE cadres by boats.The blockade assumes significance as Sri Lankan forces today foiled a bid by some LTTE cadres to break out from the army cordon and escape from the sea route. In the sea battle, 4 LTTE boats were sunk and 16 Tigers killed.The Lankan Air Force is also carrying out air surveillance of the jungles of Puthukkudiyiruppu and Vishwamadu to map out probable hiding places of Prabhakaran.During the present campaign, Lankan forces have busted two of the bunker-hideouts of the LTTE supremo, but military experts believe the Tiger chief would have built many more such underground hideouts.Prabhakaran, Lankan Army believes is guarded by crack elements of the LTTE called the black tigers, who are fiercely loyal to their chief and believe that any encounter with them would be the first sign indicating the presence of top leadership of the LTTE."We have put our forces on full alert to be on the lookout for the LTTE top brass," a top military official said.Top Lankan military leadership including Army chief LtGen Sarath Fonseka has indicated the possibility that Prabhakaran could use a high-speed boat to reach bigger ship in the Bay of Bengal to make his escape.But capture or escape of the Tiger chief could spell death knell for LTTE as it would lead to demoralisation creeping in, experts said.Army chief Sarath Fonseka has said the LTTE may only have 1600 well-trained fighters left to defend the remaining rebel areas.While some military officials believe Prabhakaran may be hiding in a heavily fortified bunker in the jungles between Puthukkudiviruppu and Viswamadu in Mullaittivu, some feel he would be shuttling around from one place to other to avoid detection. US Pacific Fleet officials here on humanitarian mission Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told Parliament yesterday that the United States has no intention of stationing its missiles in Trincomale and there has been no discussion between Sri Lanka and the United States in this regard. He said the United States Pacific Fleet Command Officials led by Major General Tomas L. Konent has come to Sri Lanka on Government request. “The objective of their visit is to engage in a school rehabilitation project in the Eastern Province and not to carry out any military operations in Sri Lanka,” he explained. The Minister was responding to a special statement made by JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake. “Both the United States Pacific Fleet Command Unit and USAID will fund the project. This is a humanitarian project and will be implemented to improve the social and economic standards of the people living in the Eastern Province. The delegation has laid foundation stones to rehabilitate two schools in the East. The team had bilateral discussions on the current security situation with the heads of the Sri Lankan Security Forces. They have visited the Eastern Province and met Eastern Province Chief Minister S. Chandra Kanthan to discuss the on-going development projects in the East. The Minister stressed that the US Pacific Fleet Command Officials have no intention of using Sri Lanka territory for US military activities. No defence agreement was signed by Sri Lanka with them during their visit here”, he noted. MDMK demo over Lankan Tamils issue PMK puts ball in PM’s court PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss on Tuesday said that it was not necessary for External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to pay a visit to Lanka to solve the ethnic problem and it was enough if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh just made a phone call to Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a ceasefire in the island nation. Leading an agitation of his party cadre on the Lankan Tamils’ issue near the Chennai Collectorate here, Ramadoss said that nothing positive had emerged from the recent visit of Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon to Lanka. Even the UPA Government had not made the deliberations between Menon and Rajapaksa public for some reason or the other, he added. The PMK leader said a communique issued by the Rajapaksa Government on the visit of Menon to the island nation had only talked about the growing relations between the two countries. It had not made any commitment towards resolving the vexatious ethnic issue. This, he noted, had only revealed the real agenda behind Menon’s visit to Lanka. Ramadoss heaped praises on former prime ministers Indira Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and A B Vajpayee for their clear understanding of the ethnic problem and their abiding interest to resolve it through diplomatic efforts. In this context, Ramadoss recalled the “empty” statements made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in 2006 in Parliament that they too had followed the stand taken by the Vajpayee government on the ethnic issue. The Centre had miserably failed to initiate talks with the Sri Lankan Government, he added. He said that the efforts of political leaders to end the conflict through all-party meetings and Assembly resolutions had gone waste. He condemned the political parties and a section of the media (without naming them) for deriving some sort of sadistic pleasure over the reports that the Lankan Army had captured the Tiger areas and unearthed the bunkers of LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran. Ramadoss said he still reposed faith in the leadership of M Karunanidhi, who would take a positive step in this regard. Stop journalists “migrating”: RSF Police bury 33 unclaimed LTTE bodies Bodies of 38 LTTE cadres killed in the Vanni battlefield and recovered by the Security Forces had been buried at a public cemetery in Vavuniya yesterday since the LTTE did not claim the corpses. Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the burial of 38 LTTE cadres had taken place in the Vavuniya cemetery since the LTTE did not accept their dead bodies. “The bodies were buried following a court order, by police in the presence of ICRC officials in Vavuniya,” he added. He said the corpses were consisting of 17 males and 21 females Tiger cadres killed in the Vanni action. Akashi here today Seeman, two others released from jail Film director Seeman and two others were released from the Central jail here today following the conditional bail granted to them by Madras High Court.Seeman, Periyar Dravida Kazhagam president Kolathur Mani and Tamil Desiya Pothuudamai Katchi president Maniyarasan were arrested for speaking in favour of the banned LTTE at a public meeting in Erode on December 14.The High Court granted conditional bail to all the three yesterday on personal bonds of Rs 10,000 each with two sureties for the sum and to report before the Erode police whenever required.Seeman and Mani were arrested on December 19 last year and Maniyarasan the next day and were lodged in the jail here, after producing before Erode Sessions court, which had denied bail for them twice.Replying to reporters, who were waiting outside the jail, both Seeman and Mani said, "their sentiments and emotions for the suffering Tamils continued to be the same." However, they expressed regrets that Congress-led UPA government at the Centre failed to respect the sentiments of over six crore Tamils, seeking ceasefire in Sri Lanka.Claiming that even a ceasefire was declared in Palestine Mani said "the Centre has made no efforts to end the crisis in Sri Lanka or pressurise it to announce a ceasefire"."We do not understand the reason for Congress remaining silent, despite state Assembly passing a resolution and an all party meeting, headed by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in this regard," they said.However they said they would mobilise and consolidate people and work against 'Anti-Tamil Congress' in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Two civilians shot in Eastern Sri Lanka An unidentified gang shot another two civilians who went into the jungle area at Unnachchiya in Batticaloa yesterday evening killing one of them. Batticaloa police said that one civilian was killed due to the gun shots to his head and other was critically injured. According to the sources the two victims have entered the jungle in the area to collect fire woods. Suspected Tamil Tigers hacked to death three civilians tending to cattle in a village near the Eastern Province border two days ago. Police believe Tamil Tigers hiding from the security forces are killing the innocent civilians who venture into the jungles for their daily work.Batticaloa police are conducting further investigations. Sri Lanka Marxist party says CIA planning to establish troops in the East Sri Lanka's Marxist party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday alleged that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the U.S. is planning to station its troops in the Trincomalee harbour region. Making a special statement at the parliament yesterday morning group leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that a US Major General was in the island to discuss the issue.MP Dissanayake charged that the U.S. is planning to install missiles in or around Trincomalee under its 'Brahmaputhra Plan'. According to the MP the agreements have been signed for this process. Responding to JVP MP’s allegations, Foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama said the U.S. team including the Major General was in the island to lay the foundation stone for two new schools in Trincomalee. According to an announcement by the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Pacific Command, is rehabilitating five schools in Trincomalee District and one hospital and two schools in Batticaloa District. 20 January 2009 Don't thrust Indo-Lanka accord on Sri Lankan Tamils: Karunanidhi Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Monday cautioned the Centre against "thrusting" the 1987 Indo-Lanka accord on the Sri Lankan Tamils to end the ethnic strife in the island nation. On reports that Lankan Foreign Minister Rohita Bogollagama had informed Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon during the latter's just concluded visit to Colombo that Sri Lankan government viewed the accord as "key" to seeking political solution, Karunanidhi said that no attempts should be made to thrust any settlement on Lankan Tamils. "We should not force our views on the accord on Sri Lankan Tamils," Karunanidhi, who opposed the accord when it was signed between former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Lankan President J Jayawardene, said. Only such healthy approach could bring about a settlement to the issue, he said in a statement here. Karunanidhi had opposed sending the Indian Peace Keeping Force to Sri Lanka after the accord was signed and even boycotted a reception to IPKF, when it was withdrawn in 1989. Karunanidhi, whose DMK is a constituent of UPA government, also regretted that the Centre did not come out openly on the delay on visit of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Sri Lanka which caused "agony to us". Centre should have come out openly with reasons for not sending Mukherjee or at least could have mentioned the timing of his visit, he said, referring to his earlier request to the Centre to depute Mukherjee to Colombo to bring about a ceasefire. The absence of reasons for not undertaking the visit caused agony. Even the details of talks between Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon's meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse had not come out fully, barring a proposal for revival of Rajiv Gandhi-Jayawardene accord, he said. Sea Tigers sink SLN Super Dvora attack craft in Mullaiththeevu seas Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Sea Tigers attacked a convoy of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) off the coast of Mullaiththeevu, sinking a Super Dvora Fast Attack Craft Monday around 11:30 p.m., LTTE officials told media. A flotilla of Sea Tigers intercepted a convoy of SLN Dvora FACs. Fierce sea battle ensued. One Super Dvora FAC was sunk by Black Sea Tigers, according to the LTTE. Plans for intercity bus service to Jaffna The Government has planned to initiate an intercity bus service from Colombo to Jaffna shortly. A spokesman for the Transport Ministry told the Daily News the Government will streamline the passenger bus service in the recaptured areas of the Northern Province with immediate effect for the benefit of commuters. He said the Government will rehabilitate the A9 road which it had taken full control of after 23 years. The intercity bus service will commence soon after reconstruction work of the A9 road was completed," he noted. "We have planned to operate five return journeys on the A9 road per day from Colombo to Jaffna," he said. Meanwhile, a passenger transport service will be initiated from Vanuniya to Jaffna as well. At present, the Vavuniya depot is providing a good service by operating buses on 19 routes for the convenience of those living in these areas. Security Forces discover massive LTTE fuel stock As Security Forces mounting pressure on the LTTE now entrapped in the Mullaitivu jungles in a massive frontage, the 58 Division troops yesterday unearthed a massive fuel stock buried in Dharmapuram town, which has been used by the LTTE as their main administrative centre after the fall of their administrative capital Kilinochchi, Military sources told the Daily News yesterday. ”The 58 Division troops now engaged in search and clear operations in Dharampuram unearthed this fuel stock with more than 300 barrels neatly burried in a coconut grove. This is the biggest ever fuel stock captured by the troops during the Vanni liberation operation”, military sources told the Daily News. According to military sources troops were engaged in unearthing those fuel barrels containing diesel and kerosene oil until yesterday evening. “One plastic barrel has the capacity to store 225 litres of fuel and the stock is enough even for a long period for the LTTE to continue their terror activities”, an Army official told the Daily News. “The area had been heavily mined and infested with traps to keep troops from entering the area. But troops had carefully unearthed the plastic barrels containing diesel and kerosene”, sources added. According to military officials the LTTE would have collected this massive stock of fuel from the Non Governmental Organisations as they were the only people who had the authority to transport fuel to uncleared areas.Apart from this the 58 Division troops have also found a massive stock of food inside Dharmapuram village during the search and clear operations conducted within the past few days. Troops also had recovered a large number of LTTE maps inside the main lecture hall in Dharmapuram which had been found by the 58 Division troops during search operations. ”We are recovering Tiger assets which could not be found in Kilinochchi”, a senior military official told the Daily News. “There are signs that the LTTE had shifted the offices and all their assets from Kilinochchi weeks ahead of its fall as large a number of name boards which had been removed from Kilinochchi were found inside Dharmapuram as it was captured in a surprise move by the 58 Division troops after advancing 16 Km to the East of Paranthan within 15 days”, he added. Meanwhile, 59 Division troops advancing towards Mullaitivu and Puthukuduiruppu, destroyed a section of the earth bund in Chilawatta in the South of Mullaitivu and South East of Puthukuduiruppu. The Sri Lanka Air Force carried out three air raids targeting the LTTE who were in the process of constructing earth bunds in the south of Mullaitivu. ”With these moves by the Security Forces Mullaitivu Tiger stronghold and Puthukuduiruppu are increasingly becoming under threat of the 59 Division troops”, sources added. Meanwhile, 55 Division troops who were operating in Chundikulam also recovered two explosive laden boats in the Chundikulam area. 35 SLA killed, 60 wounded in Northwestern frontier - LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials Monday said their defensive formations clashed with Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for 24 hours in the Northwestern frontier of LTTE held territory till the SLA was pushed back from Neththaliyaattup paalam Monday. The Tigers claimed 35 SLA soldiers were killed and at least 60 wounded. Heavy fighting is reported also in southeastern frontier of the LTTE held territory. The Tigers said they seized several arms and ammunitions from the SLA in Neththaliyaa'ru.The LTTE didn't provide casualty details of their side. Pakistan-Sri Lanka to promote defence coop AIADMK attempting to topple regime using Lankan card: Karunanidhi The opposition AIADMK is conniving with 'certain parties' to topple the DMK regime using the Lankan Tamils' issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Monday said.'(AIADMK leader) Jayalalitha is conspiring to topple the (DMK) government with the connivance of 'certain parties' using the alibi of the Lankan Tamils issue,' he said.The chief minister said attempts are being made to divert attention from the issue and convert it into a confrontation between the DMK and the Congress by 'wilfully spreading anarchy through violence.'Karunanidhi's reaction came a day after the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and PMK threatened to intensify agitations against the centre's inaction in the Sri Lankan Tamil tangle.VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan's four day hunger strike, that ended Sunday, had resulted in over 70 buses being damaged by stone pelting and arson, drawing angry comments from the Congress.'The government has to put down lawlessness and violence by fissiparous elements with an iron hand,' D. Sudarsanam, the Congress legislature party leader. told reporters.'Instead of fasts in support of the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, those really interested in the welfare of Lankan Tamils should cooperate with the centre. Attacks on national parties will not be tolerated henceforth,' Sudarsanam added referring to an attack on Congress workers inside its headquarters here a fortnight ago.Police arrested over 180 protesters belonging to the VCK for damaging government buses since Thursday. Eight persons have been detained under the National Security Act.Meanwhile, police arrested 13 VCK volunteers in Puducherry, 180 km south of here after they attempted to defile a statue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, reports said.The Congress and the DMK regimes in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry survive on the support of legislators from these parties. VCK is part of the Democratic Progressive Alliance - an umbrella organisation of electoral allies in Tamil Nadu.'Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) is avoiding a diplomatic embarrassment to the centre following the VCK threat to burn Sri Lankan flags Feb 4 by preparing grounds for the dalit party's exit from the DPA,' a DMK legislator said on condition of anonymity.The threat to burn Lankan flags on the island's national day was issued by VCK in protest against the alleged killings of innocent Tamil civilians in the ongoing military offensive in Sri Lanka.Diplomatic sources said Monday a letter had been sent to the state government requesting the prevention of the occurrence.While Director General of Police K.P. Jain declined to comment on the matter, police sources confirmed the receipt of the letter.Orders from the government in this regard were awaited, the sources added.Meanwhile, movie director Seeman and two others, arrested for making inflammatory speeches, were granted conditional bail by the Madras High Court Monday.However, Judge T. Suthanthiram said the three were banned from making such speeches and that they should cooperate with the local police in all future enquiries. Civilians 'killed' in Sri Lanka 'Crumbling fast' According to a Tamil Tiger statement and reports on the pro-rebel TamilNet website, the Sri Lankan military attacked civilians in rebel-held villages around Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. But army spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara dismissed the claims that 18 people had been killed and more than 40 injured in the strikes. He told the BBC's Sinhala service that the Tamil Tigers' claim was propaganda "as they have been cornered and are seeking international attention". Earlier, an army spokesman said rebel resistance was crumbling fast. The Tigers have lost a considerable amount of territory to government forces in the last few months, including key strongholds Kilinochchi and Elephant Pass. The two sides have differed widely in their reports of casualties. Independent journalists are prevented by the government from travelling to the conflict zone, so it is impossible to verify the casualty claims made by both sides. The Jaffna peninsula and its capital have been regarded as the heart of the 25-year-old separatist insurgency. The Tigers are fighting for a separate homeland. At least 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting. Rajiv statue desecrated in Puducherry Unidentified persons on Monday desecrated a statue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in Puducherry, leading to tension in the city. The police said an effigy of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa garlanded with footwear was found hanging around the hand of Rajiv Gandhi statue at the Tahattavam junction.Welfare Minister M Kandasamy, Health Minister A Namassivayam and various Congress leaders reached the spot and demanded that the culprits be arrested immediately. Congress workers also held demonstrations.At Orleanpet area, a clash broke out between workers of the Congress and Vidhuthalai Siruthaikal Katchi when some of the Congress workers, who suspected the hand of VCK in the incident, raised slogans against that party during a demonstration.The police rushed to the spot and dispersed the clashing groups. Ten activists of VCK were arrested in connection with the clash, police said.Six Congressmen, including Municipal Councillor D Rajan, sustained injuries in the clash, police said.Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamay told PTI from Delhi "The desecration of the statue was highly objectionable and obnoxious. Police should act immediately and bring the culprits to book."Narayanasamy said he had spoken to the Puducherry police chief and asked him to ensure that there was no disturbance in the law and order following the incident.A large number of police personnel have been deployed at vulnerable points here in the wake of the incident. Displaced people return to Kodikamam Sri Lanka's top Tamil Tiger, who inspired hundreds of followers to stage suicide bombings in the fight for a separate state, is facing his biggest challenge yet and is fast running out of options.To his followers, Velupillai Prabhakaran is seen as a "Sun God" who formed a formidable and feared guerrilla organisation out of a ragtag group of separatist rebels in the 1970s.But to his enemies, he is considered a ruthless killer, outlawed around the world as a terrorist kingpin and wanted on charges of mass murder.At the height of his military success, Prabhakaran's Tigers inflicted heavy losses on the government forces of Sri Lanka and neighbouring India.But since Sri Lankan forces mounted their biggest ground, sea and air campaign so far to dismantle the de facto Tiger state in the north of the island, Prabhakaran has seen his territory crumble rapidly."Prabhakaran is facing the biggest military setback in his career and it is unlikely he can recover," said former rebel-turned-politician Dharmalingam Sithadthan.The chubby Prabhakaran, usually pictured wearing combat fatigues and sporting a bushy moustache, inspired hundreds of young men, women and even children to stage suicide bombings in the battle for a separate state called Eelam for the island's minority Tamils.Sri Lanka's army chief, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, who survived a Tiger suicide assassination attempt in April 2006, has said Prabhakaran is running out of hiding places amid the ongoing military operation.Fonseka has said he wants to crush the Tigers by April, when the country marks the traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Despite promises in November to strike back, Prabhakaran's Tamil Tigers have failed to impress.The Tigers are now surrounded and restricted to their jungle hideouts in the northeastern corner of Sri Lanka, from where Fonseka has threatened to drive the rebels into the sea.Born on November 26, 1954 in the Tamil heartland of Jaffna, Prabhakaran has been a guerrilla fighter for most of his life, building up the dreaded Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from a motley band of rebels.Prabhakaran went on to shape one of the world's deadliest killing machines, building an organisation with its own army, navy and air force.He inspired his cadres to wear a cyanide capsule around their necks to commit suicide in case they were cornered by security forces.Neighbouring India, which once nurtured and provided a safe haven to Prabhakaran, treating him as a freedom fighter battling oppression of minority Tamils by a majority Sinhalese government, now treats him as a wanted man.Prabhakaran is suspected in the 1991 assassination of former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi, who in 1987 ordered Indian troops to disarm the Tigers and ended up fighting them for 32 months.India withdrew its troops in May 1990 after 1,200 soldiers were killed fighting the Tigers.Since visiting New Delhi in 1987, Prabhakaran is not known to have left Sri Lanka, although his outfit took part in Norwegian-brokered peace talks between 2002 and 2006.Former rebel Sithadthan said he did not believe Prabhakaran had mellowed with age and said the guerrilla leader was unlikely to allow himself to be captured alive. "He may have already left the island by boat," Sithadthan said, echoing a belief held by Sri Lankan security forces. However, Prabhakaran is unlikely to have many friends overseas. The Tigers are banned across Europe, Australia and the United States. There is an international arrest warrant against him for, among other incidents, the 1996 bombing of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka building, which killed 91 people. Prabhakaran, the youngest of four children from a middle-class family and nicknamed "Thamby," or younger brother, went underground in 1972 after dropping out of school and forming the Tiger outfit. At the time he longed to own a revolver, even a rusty one, according to an official biography. His strength has been his band of suicide bombers, who have claimed a long list of high-profile victims including Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa, assassinated in May 1993. He has put down dissent within the group and has not encouraged any successor in an organisation that has had no clear number two leader. Chinks began to appear in 2004 when his top field commander known as Colonel Karuna defected and weakened his once mighty militia. 19 January 2009 India for political settlement: Antony Fall of V’madu will reveal where Prabhakaran is – Army Chief Army Chief Lt. General Sarath Fonseke on Saturday night said that his troops were rapidly advancing into the remaining LTTE strongholds. "They are on the verge of collapse," he said, expressing confidence in bringing the war to a successful conclusion soon. Addressing journalists at the General’s House, the war veteran said that Tigers had been brought down to their knees.He told The Island that whether LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had escaped or not would be known only after the army had liberated the remaining LTTE strongholds, including Vishvamadu. Responding to our queries, he asserted that even if Prabhakaran had managed to escape, he would never be able to raise an ‘army’ again. Ramadoss Call For State-Wide Strike PMK has planned for a state-wide strike, which will continue until the war in Sri Lanka is stopped by the Central Government. PMK chief Ramadoss met VCK chief Thirumavalavan, on Sunday, to ceremonially end the latter’s four-day fast, in protest against the Central Government’s inaction over stopping the war in Sri Lanka. At the meeting, Thirumavalavan said that he had taken up the fast as he knew of no other way out, “We had tried all types of protest from stopping trains to meeting the prime minister, but nothing has happened. In the meantime, the Thirumangalam by-polls and Pongal festivities diverted the attention from the Eelam issue.”“On January 12, I met the CM with Ramadoss and Veeramani, where we urged the CM to act. We asked the CM to urge Sonia Gandhi to implement the Common Minimum Programme resolution, that India would hold talks with Sri Lanka to end the conflict. He agreed but I felt nothing would happen. That’s why I launched this protest to unite forces that want to protect Eelam Tamils and to bring back the attention to the Eelam conflict.” “I want to know the next course of action before I give up this fast. Ramadoss must take the responsibility to unite people and formulate plans. Tell me the way out and I will follow.”Replying to him, Ramadoss said, “We have wasted 40 days waiting for Pranab Mukerjee to go there. Our next course of action must be a protest which will stop Tamil Nadu for 7-10 days or until the war is stopped. Nothing will move in Tamil Nadu during that protest and there will be dead silence throughout the state.” He then clarified saying that he wanted the approval of the CM for this state-wide strike, “The CM wanted us to suggest something and I have suggested it. He can hold a discussion with other parties outside the framework of the government. It can be a political decision.” Troops take Tiger boat factory, Prabha’s bunker Army facilitates opening of new sea route to Jaffna With the army taking the upper hand in the Jaffna and Vanni theatres after the liberation of two overland supply routes to the Jaffna peninsula, the government is now in a position to terminate a costly naval operation to move supplies, security forces and civilians to the Jaffna peninsula. Authoritative sources said that the naval operation involved about ten cargo and passenger ships including Jetliner, Lanka Muditha, SLNS Shakthi, 543 and Green Ocean. The army on November 15 restored the Mannar-Pooneryn road (A 32) and the Kandy-Jaffna (A9) on January 9, thereby giving the government an opportunity to open overland supply routes.The government lost A9 during President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s administration in 1990. Since then, supplies have been moved by air and sea with the navy making a critical contribution, particularly after the eruption of Eelam War IV in August 2006.The sources asserted that the A9 could be opened once major ground operations on the eastern flank come to an end.Subsequent to the liberation of the north-western coastline by the 58 Division, the navy has opened a new route to move security forces personnel to and from the Jaffna peninsula. The liberation of the entire area west of the A9 road has sharply reduced the Sea Tigers’ capability to target vessels off the north-western coast.The navy deployed the passenger vessel 543 between Talaimannar and Kurikattuwan on the Punkudutivu Island late last month. Navy spokesman Captain D.K.P. Dassanayake told The Island that the vessel, capable of carrying 350 personnel, operated thrice a day for about two days a week. The distance between Talaimannar and Punkudutivu is about 22 nautical miles whereas the Trincomalee-KKS run is about 120 nautical miles, he said.Responding to our queries, he said that the Jetliner capable of carrying 3,550 personnel, too, continued to be operated between Trincomalee and KKS depending on the requirement.The Army has deployed about 12,000 personnel to secure the Trincomalee- Pulmoddai, Trincomalee- Verugal roads and the western coast from Colombo to T’Mannar. Vanni civilians under deadly siege "There are no words to describe the plight of the civilians who say that they prefer to face death on the spot rather than succumbing to serious injuries or ending up in the hands of the invading Sri Lankan forces, which many of them regard as genocidal military and fear that their young men and women would be 'filtered' away, tortured or killed by it," reports TamilNet correspondent from an outskirt of Puthukkudiyiruppu (PTK) Sunday evening amid artillery fire. The indiscriminate fire was targeting areas where there were no hostile military activities. The fighting was going on in a few corners, but the artillery barrage by the Sri Lankan forces was targeting all the areas, threatening to cause civilian carnage, completely ignored by the International Community. As nearly all of the civilians are displaced, they are unable to conduct proper funeral with rites. There are dead bodies un-attended due to artillery siege, only some of those killed are buried hurriedly before the remaining have to choose fleeing onwards from the onslaught of the indiscriminate shelling.Ambulance drivers said they spotted at least 10 dead bodies on Sunday. Six of the bodies were transported to hospital mortuary until 3:00 p.m. But, there were reports of more bodies lying in areas un-accessible by the ambulances. The casualties were reported in Va'l'luvarpuram (Redd Barna settlement), Mayilvaakanapuram (2 dead bodies recovered), Thearaavil and Maa'nikkapuram. 12th Mile Post in Visvuvamadu, Punnaineeraavi and areas close to Chu'ndikku'lam, which have come under continuous artillery barrage. At least 18 civilians were killed within the last 24 hours and 42, including many children, women and elderly, wounded in the indiscriminate artillery barrage by the SLA, according to available data from the medical sources, as reported earlier. But, many more are feared dead, wounded and trapped in areas not accessible for medical assistance.On Saturday, the premises of Punnaineeraavi school, one of the few remaining localities where Ki'linochchi hospital is functioning, came under artillery barrage. All treatment at the hospital stalled and there was no medical transport available to approach the injured. Civilians were screaming and running in all directions, confused and shocked by the indiscriminate bombardment. Medical authorities said they had repeatedly urged protection for medical installations and provided coordinates through the ICRC.Two civilians were killed and six wounded while they were fleeing from their house in Punnaineeraavi, while the hospital was under artillery barrage on Saturday. Three of the wounded, with serious injuries, had to wait for hours for medical assistance. Many of the wounded civilians were only managing with the first aid knowledge that they now possess.At Piramanthanaa'ru, at least two civilians were killed when their tractor, hit by artillery shelling got fire and burnt down on the spot on Saturday. Also on previous day, the shelling by the SLA killed 3 civilians who were fleeing with their belongings on Piramanthanaa'ru - Visuvamadu Road. "Deaths by artillery shells have become all too common." Tamil NaduThiruma ends fast; says no more ties with Congress VCK will not have any truck with Congress from now on, according to an announcement by VCK chief Thirumavalavan on Sunday. Thirumavalavan had been on a fast since January 15, demanding that the Central Government take efforts to stop the war in Sri Lanka. Breaking the fast, he said the Congress government at the Centre was ensuring the destruction of Tamils in Sri Lanka by providing arms and personnel to the Sri Lankan government, “We have waited enough for Pranab Mukerjee to go to Sri Lanka. Congress has no respect for the feelings of the 6.5 crore Tamils. Whatever the situation is, we will have no relationship with the Congress ever.”With this announcement, he effectively eliminated the presence of VCK from any alliance in which Congress is a part. It is unclear how it will affect VCK’s relationship with PMK, as Thirumavalavan and PMK chief Dr Ramadoss are known to be close. Thirumavalavan promptly apologised for making the announcement in the presence of Ramadoss, saying that he had not taken into consideration the political compulsions of the PMK chief. Explaining the decision to his party cadre, he said, “Let’s eliminate Congress from Tamil Nadu. The only thing that will get the Congress to listen is elections. Now they have seats in the assembly disproportionate to their strength. VCK is 10 times stronger than Congress. Only dalits and tribals vote for the Congress. Let us make sure they do not win any elections.”Although the Congress was the chief target of his attack he also spoke against the AIADMK, calling both parties anti-Tamil, “Leaders from all parties met me or sent their messages expressing support over the last 4 days. Only the Congress and AIADMK have not come. I ask all political parties to ostracise the Congress and AIADMK, and break all ties with these parties.”“Jayalalithaa has insulted my real feelings for Eelam Tamils by calling this protest a drama conducted by the CM.”“I ask the communist parties and MDMK, who really care about Tamils to snap their ties with the AIADMK. We should all get together and protest,” he said. More splits in DMK-led front? Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan’s ‘indefinite’ fast - it was called off on the fourth day - might not have brought to a halt the march of the Sri Lankan army into Tiger terrritory, as was its intent, but it did turn out be a harbinger of the likely realignments in Tamil Nadu’s electoral politics.With Thirumavalvan making it clear in Maraimalai Nagar, where he chose to sit on fast, that his party will have no truck with the Congress hereafter under whatever circumstances, the writing on the wall became clearer: He is set to walk out of the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance.Already there is a buzz in political circles that the VCK and the PMK might break away from the DPA for the coming Lok Sabha elections, which are just a few months away. That the PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss stood by Thirumavalavan through his agitation pointed to both the parties planning for a similar course of action. That might bring up the question: Where will the VCK and PMK go then? Well, the answer is: Why not the AIADMK-led front? Of course, Thirumavalavan did not spare the AIADMK, too, in his attack. But he never said that will not go with it in future. Besides, in the context of the general elections, the electoral alliances will be forged at the national level and the DMK will be seen as a partner of the UPA, led by the Congress. Leaving aside the BJP-led NDA, the Third Front, whose idea has already germinated, is likely to bloom with the Left and other parties playing a lead role.In such a context, the PMK and VCK might not have qualms in joining the Third Front, even if the AIADMK happens to be a part of it, as it would be touted as an alternative to both the ‘communal’ BJP and the ‘anti-Tamil’ Congress. Civilians will arrive 'within days' 'Detaining civilians' The aid is to be delivered to transit camps in the north where IDPs arriving from the war zone are camped.By the time the aid collection is completed, CM Pillayan said, every civilian in the war zone would be in transit camps.A New York based human rights group has earlier criticised the conditions in the transit camps.The Human Rights Watch also accused the authorities of detaining civilians fleeing the battle zone.Denying the accusation, the government accuses the LTTE of keeping the civilians under their control as a human shield.Mr. Pillayan said that he regrets the plight of the civilians caught in the conflict.Describing the displacement as 'temporary', the former Tamil Tiger turned politician said he expected that it will be the last displacement of civilians. "It is natural for the civilians to be displaced in a war situation. But I sincerely hope that this will be the last displacement," he said. 18 January 2009 American Tamils urge Obama to stop war A group comprising American Tamils of Sri Lankan origin, known as “Tamils for Obama” is drafting a petition to be handed over to US president-elect Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton urging them to bring pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to put an end to the war and resume peace talks.The pro LTTE group last week claimed that it had collected the signatures of over 50, 000 individuals in a week for the purpose.The petition to President to-be Obama and Secretary of the State designate Hilary Clinton reads initially: ‘Dear Mr. President and Madam Secretary, The people who signed this formal request are humbly asking you to take action to end the war in Sri Lanka.” British Tamil support group lobbies SA networks for peace in Sri Lanka Tamil Tigers surrounded, rebel chief may have fled: Sri Lanka army Sri Lankan government troops have almost completely cornered the Tamil Tigers in their northeastern jungle base and the rebels' leader may have already fled the island, the army chief said. Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka said his forces had surrounded the district of Mullaittivu, the last town held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and hoped to totally overrun the area in the coming weeks. "We have surrounded them from all sides and the only option for them is to jump into the sea because they still have 40 kilometres (25 miles) of coastline," Fonseka told reporters late Saturday. He said he believed Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran may already have escaped by sea. "We don't know if he is still there. He may have already fled in a boat," Fonseka said. The rebel chief is seen as having no safe havens overseas. The LTTE was trained and armed by New Delhi in the early 1980s, but Prabhakaran is now wanted by New Delhi in connection with the 1991 murder of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The LTTE is also listed by the European Union and United States as a terrorist organisation. The Sri Lankan army chief, who narrowly escaped assassination in a Tamil Tiger suicide bombing in April 2005, said he hoped to crush the Tigers before his term ended in December 2009. "I don't think it will be that long. Hopefully it could be by the (Sinhala and Tamil) New Year (in April)," he said. The Sri Lankan government pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce a year ago, and the biggest offensive in decades of conflict has left the Tigers cornered in Mullaittivu after the fall of their political capital Kilinochchi earlier this month. Military officials said eight divisions, or about 50,000 to 80,000 troops were advancing on the Tigers whose numbers were estimated by the military at the start of this year at 1,900. Fonseka said his troops had advanced 17 kilometres (11 miles) towards the rebel-held Mullaittivu area in the past 17 days and that rebel resistance was crumbling faster than the military had anticipated. This included at least 30 Tamil Tiger guerrillas killed in heavy fighting on Saturday, and around 100 rebel bodies recovered so far this month. "Tiger casualties are increasing," he said. Fonseka said some 16,000 government soldiers had been wounded in recent fighting, mainly as a result of artillery fire. The defence ministry has said that some 3,700 troops had been killed in fighting in the past three years. The army chief said the guerrillas may still have about three light aircraft although most of the rebel air strips had already been taken by advancing government forces. "They have one more air strip left at Visuamadu (in Mullaittivu), but we have moved about four kilometres from there," Fonseka said, adding that heavy military guns were trained on the last Tiger air field. The guerrillas had used a light aircraft in September to attack a military base in the island's north. Since then, the guerrillas have not flown their light planes. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since the Tamils launched their struggle for a separate homeland in 1972 in the Sinhalese-majority island. Govt. mulls implementing 13th Amendment The government on Friday informed India that it continued to perceive the Indo-Lanka Accord as the key to a political solution and was exploring avenues to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had informed this to Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon when they met on Friday. The Minister had observed the present juncture offers a window of opportunity to implement the accord, given the decisive victories gained by the government in fighting the LTTE. “The Minister highlighted the government’s sincere commitment to evolving a broad based and an inclusive peace process in order to achieve a durable peace acceptable to all communities living in the island,” a statement by the Foreign Ministry said.“Minister Bogollagama and Secretary Menon agreed that a moment of political opportunity has been made available to Sri Lanka today to bring about an inclusive peace process with credible political representation by the Tamil people within the country’s democratic process.” The Minister, while thanking Menon for the humanitarian assistance extended, assured that steps were being taken by the Sri Lankan government to ensure the welfare of civilians living in northern Sri Lanka. Menon had also extended an invitation to Bogollagama to visit India.During Menon’s one hour meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday (17) morning in Kandy, the President had explained the current political and economic situation of the country.A statement issued by the Presidential Media Unit said that Rajapaksa had also explained to Menon the security and other facilities provided to the civilians who have escaped from the terrorist controlled areas.However, the President had explained at length the planned development work that would commence after the Tamil people were liberated from the terrorists. The President had also explained his plans to uplift the lives of the people in the north in order to get them involved in the democratic process.Meanwhile, Menon met Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday evening at India House.During the meeting that lasted for about 45 minutes, Wickremesinghe had aired his views on the present situation in the country. Informed sources said the Opposition Leader had expressed concern over the deterioration state of democracy in the country. He has paid special attention to the need to restore democracy in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.Meanwhile, Menon, during a meeting with a delegation of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians headed by its group leader, R. Sampanthan at the India House Friday reiterated its stance on the need for a political solution to the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict and accepted that the situation in the north of the country was deteriorating. Informed sources said the high ranking Indian official had indicated a change in the stance of the Indian government with regard to the situation in the north. TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran said the party had discussed the current situation with Menon and the latter had agreed that the situation in the north had deteriorated.He also said that India was still interested in a political solution to the country’s ethnic conflict.“We told him (Menon) that though the military had captured Kilinochchi and other areas, the civilians had been chased by the military. We said that they have only captured bare land,” Premachandran said.He said that there was a change in India’s attitude towards the whole issue. “We said that there was genocide going on the north. We clearly stated that there was no point in talking about the Indo-Lanka accord, as the government itself had backed away from it by de-merging the north and east, which is the cornerstone of the agreement.”“We also said that there was no point talking about the implementation of the 13th amendment,” Premachandran added.Premachandran further said that the delegation had discussed further on finding a political solution. “He also invited us to come to Delhi to discuss more on this matter.” India urges Sri Lanka for early political settlement India has made it clear that Sri Lanka needed to move expeditiously towards a peacefully negotiated political settlement to the decades-old ethnic conflict in the island nation to ensure that all communities, including the Tamils, live in peace and with dignity. Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, during the discussions he had with the Sri Lankan leaders including President Mahinda Rajapaksa as part of his two-day visit here, welcomed the Island nation's commitment for a devolution package in the embattled north. Menon, who concluded his visit on Saturday, "urged early movement towards a peacefully negotiated political settlement in the island, including in the north," an Indian High Commission release said today. President Rajapaksa indicated his government's desire to rapidly move on from military success against the LTTE to a political solution of the Sri Lankan issues, it said. During his meetings here, Menon emphasised the importance of a political understanding within the framework of a united Sri Lanka, wherein all communities including the Tamils live in peace and with dignity, it said. He welcomed the Sri Lankan government's commitment to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution on devolution of powers to provinces, the mission release said. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama during his talks with Menon said the issue was being deliberated. "In this context, Bogollagama observed that the government is currently in the process of exploring several avenues of implementing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution," a Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry statement said on Friday. A-9 to be reopened in one month The key Jaffna-Kandy A-9 highway that came under total security forces control, with the capture of Elephant Pass recently, will reopen for civil use in about one month after a long lapse.A spokesman for the government said the highway would reopen for civilians after the de-mining operations that would take about two weeks. "He said an accelerated development programme for the areas liberated is underway and that power supply to Mankulam area would be restored next week.The official said public transport in some of those areas has already been restored.Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) on Friday resumed its bus services on the A-9 highway between Kilinochchi and Vavuniya after 20 years, by transporting a group of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The official government website quoting Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said a bus took a group of IDPs to a safer camp in Vavuniya and provided them with food, clothes and medicine. Pillayan’s PS chairman remanded for dog theft Thirumavalan continues fast VCK leader Thol Thirumavalan on Saturday went ahead with his fast-unto-death agitation at Maraimalai Nagar, despite appeals from various political parties, including Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, to give up the stir.Though Thirumavalavan looked normal at the venue of the agitation, doctors who had checked his pulse said the blood pressure as well as sugar levels were coming down. Responding to the observation by the doctors, Thirumavalavan said, “I’m a Dalit. I know what it is to be hungry and have experienced the same pangs earlier.’’ PMK founder S Ramadoss, who called on him personally at the venue of the fast and advised him to give up his agitation. A similar request was made by the Minister for electricity, Arcot N Veeraswamy.“I waited for more than one and half months hoping that the Centre would take some concrete and positive step towards effecting a ceasefire in Lanka but nothing has been forthcoming,” he said.Responding to the Chief Minister’s statement that he had unilaterally taken a decision to go on a fast he said, “don’t ask me to end the fast, ask the Sinhalese government to end the war.” AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa dubbed the fast by Thirumavalavan a drama enacted by the VCK leader in association with the Chief Minister. She said both leaders were misleading the people of Tamil Nadu on the Lankan Tamils issue.BJP leaders L Ganesan and S Thirunavukarasar were among those who had called on Thirumavalavan on Saturday.LEFT PARTIES APPEAL: Left parties on Saturday appealed to VCK leader Thirumavalavan to end his fast over the Sri Lankan issue.CPI state secretary D Pandian said he should stop the fast considering his detriorating health. The CPM, in a press release, said, “When a political leader fasts in protest, the emotions of his party members are likely to be unstable, leading to undesirable consequences. Keeping this in view along with his health, we appeal to Thirumavalavan to end his fast.” Akashi to discuss HR and IDP situation Japanese Special Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi is scheduled to discuss the current human rights (HR) situation in the country and the problems faced by the internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Wanni during his visit to Sri Lanka this week. Akashi is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on Wednesday (21) night on a three-day visit that would end on Sunday (25) evening.Senior officials of the Japanese Embassy in Sri Lanka told The Sunday Leader that Akashi was planning to meet members of the Eastern Provincial Council including Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan.However, embassy officials were unable to confirm to The Sunday Leader if Akashi would be meeting TMVP Leader and Parliamentarian Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna.Embassy officials confirmed that the Japanese envoy would have an official discussion with parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).TNA Leader and Parliamentarian R. Sampanthan, who is currently in India, has already been informed of the Japanese envoy’s interest in meeting members of the TNA, Embassy officials said.During his visit, Akashi is scheduled to meet President Mahinda Rajapakse, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Sri Lankan police nab jail break rebel suspects Karuna visits Dalada Maligawa Parliamentarian Vinayagamoorthi Muralidaran, better known as Karuna Amman visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa last Friday - eleven years since the attack on this sacred shrine by the LTTE which caused death and destruction.Karuna Amman walking round the Dalada Maligawa, museum saw large sized photographs of the extent of damage caused to the venerated place by the bomb attack.Sri Dalada Maligawa was attacked at the dawn of January 25, 1998.Received by Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela Bandara, MP Karuna Amman paid homage to the Sacred Tooth with a tray of jasmine flowers.He was accompanied by former Chief Minister of the Central Provincial Council Sarath Ekanayake.Karuna Amman later called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Kandy Janadhipathi Mandiraya. More than 50 Tamil Australians in an Hunger Strike in a Temple A hunger strike is currently taking place in Sydney’s inner west to highlight the unfolding humanitarian crises taking place in the North East of Sri Lanka. Organised by members of the Tamil ex-patriot community, the fast has transformed a Hindu temple in Regent’s Park into a temporary epicentre of angst and despair against the Sri Lankan Government’s current military campaign that has killed scores and left over 250,000 tamil people homeless according to latest UN reports.“The people in the North East continue to live in fear of aerial bombing and mortar attacks on an hourly basis and still the world continues to ignore their please for help” said Janakan Sivaram, an active member of the Tamil youth community, who have been instrumental in the growing voices of discontent towards the lack of global condemnation towards an unfolding genocide.“We have protested and lobbied relentlessly to bring to light the fate of the tamil people, now it has come to the stage where we are willing to go the extreme measures to make our voices heard by the Australian government and its people”.International concern is intensifying over the fate of around 350,000 civilians trapped in a rapidly shrinking rebel-controlled pocket of land in Sri Lanka's north east, as the military steps up its campaign to end the 25 year old civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "We are worried that because the area under attack is now so small, and the number of civilians so high, casualties will soar," the director of a Colombo-based foreign aid body who asked not to be named told journalists earlier this week. Despite repeated assurances from the government of an orchestrated military campaign with minimal risk to civilians, these claims remain impossible to verify due to the Sri Lankan governments exclusion of journalists, international observers and most aid organisations from the conflict zone.Taking place at the Sri Durgadevi Devasthanam temple, over 50 are currently involved in the 24 hour fast. The event has also attracted a large demographic of tamil diaspora and the wider Australian community, bound together by the desire to alleviate the suffering and voice their solidarity with the people of tamil eelam. Jayalalithaa says LTTE using Sri Lankan Tamils as a human shield Sri Lankan Tamils are being used as human shields by separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa said on Saturday. "In Sri Lanka what happens now, Sri Lankan Tamils captured by the LTTE cannot move anywhere. Tamils were used as shield by LTTE. If LTEE keeps them there then there will be dire situation for Sri Lanka's innocent Tamils..." the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader said.People of Tamil Nadu have been protesting against the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka, as regional political groups pressured the Indian Government to stop the war.Sri Lanka's intensifying offensive against the LTTE, which it has fought since 1983 in one of Asia's longest insurgencies, has roiled India's political scene and prompted heated diplomatic exchanges between the two neighbours.The Indian Government has urged Sri Lanka to solve the issue through dialogue, and in this regard, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon is in Colombo to emphasize this point with the Sri Lankan leadership.The Tigers in Sri Lanka figure on U.S., European Union and Indian terrorism lists for widespread bombings and assassinations.In 1991, they were charged with killing India's former Congress Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lanka has vowed to crush the Tamil Tigers militarily.India sent peacekeepers to the island nation in 1987, only to withdraw them after losing more than 1,200 men in battle and facing allegations of human rights violations. Dr. JJ wants to visit IDP welfare centers UNP Parliamentarian, Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena has asked Major General Jagath Jayasuriya, SF Commander, Wanni to facilitate a visit to the newly established Welfare Centers in Mannar and Vavuniya as a Member of Parliament and Founder Secretary General of Parliamentarians for Human Rights."I am made to understand that several hundreds of people from the uncleared areas in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi who have come to the Government-controlled areas have been re-settled in several welfare centers in Mannar and Vavuniya," the MP says in a letter to Maj. Gen. Jayasuriya."I would like to visit these centers. Therefore, I kindly request you to facilitate my visit. I would let you know the dates of my visit in advance, once you agree to facilitate my visit," he said. Sri Lanka: Genocide against Tamils The January 14 announcement by the Sri Lankan government that its forces had completed the capture of the Jaffna Peninsular, effectively bringing all of the historic Tamil nation in Sri Lanka’s north-east under military occupation, was a grim reminder that the Israeli assault on the Gaza ghetto is not the only holocaust at the start of the new year. The Tamil people have been fighting for independence from Sri Lanka since 1983 when an island-wide pogrom (the most violent of several that had regularly occurred since 1956) convinced Tamils that they would not attain equality or security under the Sinhala-chauvinist state that has ruled Sri Lanka since independence in 1948. Sinhala is the first language of 74% of Sri Lankans. Most of the remainder are Tamil-speaking. Tamils form the majority in the north and east of the island (Tamil Eelam). While the government has declared that the group leading the armed resistance, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is finished as a military force, this is not the first time their demise has been announced. However, it has undoubtedly suffered a serious setback as a result of the sustained military offensive by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA). As has been the case throughout the conflict, Tamil civilians have born the brunt of the SLA’s assault. Regardless of the fate of the LTTE, Tamil resistance is likely to continue for as long as Tamils are ruled by a militaristic, ethnically and religiously exclusive state that rejects their right to exist as a people in their own homeland. The ideology of the Sri Lankan regime uses a mythologised history drawing from religious texts to assert that the whole of the island has been Sinhala and Buddhist by divine sanction for 2500 years — since being visited by Buddha. While it is true that Sinhala Buddhist societies have existed in Sri Lanka for over two millenia, the Tamil presence also dates from antiquity. While the Sinhala-chauvinist official history maintains that the Tamils were later invaders, this is not at all clear from the actual historical and archaelogical record. What is clear is that for centuries Tamil and Sinhala kingdoms coexisted on the island. When Portuguese traders visited the island in 1505 there was a northern Tamil kingdom and two Sinhala kingdoms. By 1619, the Portuguese had changed from traders to colonialists and began overthrowing the indigenous kingdoms, bringing in three centuries of European rule, which created an economy based on plantation monoculture for export and a single state covering the island. The plantation economy and unitary state are at the centre of the current conflict. The Sinhala-chauvinist ideology is modern, originating in the late 19th century amongst Buddhist monks who were anxious to defend their theocratic privileges from British encroachment. In the 20th century, nationalist and socialist groups developed that were secular and multinational in character. However, when the British granted independence in 1948, politicians used populist appeals to Sinhala chauvinism to distract from their inability to satisfy popular expectations. Immediately after independence, a million Tamil plantation workers lost their citizenship and right to vote. A majority of these stateless Tamils were deported in the 1960s and ’70s. In the lead-up to the 1956 elections, the Buddhist clergy launched a racist anti-Tamil movement that culminated in the first pogrom against Tamils. It also proved that the clergy could swing elections and secured their position in the political elite. Following the 1956 elections, laws were enacted making Sinhala the only official language. This excluded most Tamils from public sector employment. A number of Tamil political parties contested elections on a platform of equal rights. Their inability to prevent further discrimination created sentiment for Tamil independence. By 1980 the Tamil United Liberation Front, that called for self-determination, had become the largest opposition party in the Sri Lankan parliament. The 1983 pogrom, which took 3000 lives and caused 150,000 Tamils to flee abroad, became the watershed that caused a majority of Sri Lankan Tamils to support the armed struggle for independence by the LTTE, waged since the 1970s. The SLA’s war against the Tamil population has involved some of the world’s worst war crimes. Civilians have been targetted: orphanages and hospitals have been regularly bombed. Starvation sieges have been imposed, including after the December 26, 2004 tsunami. Torture, rape and random killings have been perpetrated by the military and pro-government paramilitaries. Underpinning this war has been Western military aid and political support. This reflects Sri Lanka’s strategic significance, but also that the military, political and theocratic elites that rule Sri Lanka maintain Western domination of the economy that still follows the colonial export-oriented model. The major suppliers of arms are the US and Israel. Israel provides Kfir jets and illegal cluster munitions and the Israeli secret police, Mossad, train Sri Lankan special forces and paramilitary death squads. As with Palestine and Lebanon, the West delegitmises resistance by branding it as terrorism. Like Hezbollah and Hamas, the LTTE are banned as terrorist organisation in several Western countries. In Australia, it is not technically banned, although four Tamils are currently in jail facing charges under anti-terror laws for alleged links with the LTTE. Some of the allegations involve collecting money for tsunami relief and reconstruction in areas that were administered by the LTTE at the time. In February 2002, there was a cease-fire and Norwegian-sponsored peace talks. Much of the north and east was under LTTE control, however the Sri Lankan government increasingly ignored the ceasefire, staging military incursions and arming pro-government Tamil militias that took contol of the east. Finally, in January 2008, the government abrogated the peace process and embarked on the reconquest of the north through brutal war with devastating consequences for the Tamil people. 17 January 2009 Shivshankar Menon holds talks with Sri Lankan president Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon Saturday held talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a day after India announced the second instalment of humanitarian assistance amounting to 40 million (Sri Lankan) rupees for the war-affected Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka's north.Official sources told IANS that the meeting took place in the morning in the central hill district of Kandy where Rajapaksa and Menon discussed 'issues of bilateral interest and exchanged views on the current developments' in the war-ravaged north, where troops are fighting the Tamil Tigers in their last bastions.Menon Friday handed over a token consignment of medicines to senior presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa as part of the humanitarian assistance by India to the people stranded in the northern battle zone.The first consignment of approximately 1,700 tonnes comprising 80,000 ready-to-use family packs containing food, clothing and personal hygiene items arrived in Sri Lanka within three weeks and has been distributed to those in need with the assistance of the ICRC and the Sri Lankan government. The Indian High Commission in a statement Friday said that India 'will continue to work with Sri Lanka in meeting the humanitarian needs of the civilian population in northern Sri Lanka'. Menon has already met Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe, and leaders of key Muslim and Tamil parties, including the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Colombo Friday. Ramanadanpuram liberated Sri Lanka Army 57 Division declared Ramanadanpuram liberated from LTTE this afternoon (Jan 17). According to the battlefield sources, the soldiers of 571 and 572 brigades after several days of fighting entered to the Ramanadapuram built up last night and completed mop up operations short while ago. Ramanadapuram is the second largest built up other than the Kilinochchi town in the Kilinochchi district. The town area is located about 6-10 km east of the A-9 road (Jaffna- Kandy) from Iranamadu. With this victory Sri Lanka army has been able to further reduce LTTE hold in populated areas in Wanni and push the tigers into the Muthiyankattu jungle. Troops are consolidating their positions in the newly liberated areas. Tamil Tigers killed 51 Sri Lankan soldiers in fierce fighting in the island's north, a pro-rebel Web site reported Saturday. The military denied dozens of troops died and said 20 insurgents were killed.About 150 soldiers were also wounded in clashes near Dharmapuram village in the Tamil-dominated north after the military launched an offensive Friday, TamilNet quoted the rebels' media unit as saying.However, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said 20 rebels and seven soldiers were killed in the clashes.It was not possible to verify the battle details and the two sides are known to exaggerate casualties suffered by each other while downplaying their own losses.Government troops recently captured the capital of the rebels' de facto state and a northern peninsula _ the cultural center of the country's ethnic minority Tamils perceived as the heart of the insurgents' 25-year separatist campaign.Facing intense pressure from advancing government troops, the rebels are now squeezed into a dwindling territory in the northeast.Authorities say they will crush the rebels and retake their remaining territory in months.Tamil Tiger rebels have fought since 1983 to create an independent homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils, who have suffered marginalization by successive governments controlled by majority ethnic Sinhalese.More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence. Thriumavalavan : Fast enters second day The indefinite fast by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder Thol Thirumavalavan, seeking India's 'immediate intervention' to stop the ongoing offensive in Sri Lanka and initiate a peace process there, entered the second day today.Thirumavalavan said the fast was aimed only against the Centre and not the state government.VCK is part of the ruling DMK-led DPA in Tamil Nadu.Thirumavalavan, who has been advocating the cause of a seperate Ealam, described as a "drama" the visit of Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon to Sri Lanka.Meanwhile, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss asked Thirumavalavan to "immediately call off" his indefinite fast.'Members of all oppressed sections are concerned with his health. I request Thirumavalavan to consider the concerns of such people and call off his indefinite fast," Ramadoss said in a statement here.He also recalled Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's 'latest assurances' on the Sri Lankan issue, in an apparent reference to the latter saying it was better to wait for a few more days for the Centre's decision."The Chief Minister has confidence in the Centre. We shall also repose faith on it and hope that Karunanidhi would take a decision acceptable to all of us," he said adding it would be known whether there would be a ceasfire, after the return of Menon from Colombo.Earlier, Karunanidhi had said that Thirumavalavan had "unilaterally" launched a fast on the Lankan issue. Exploring possibility to take Sri Lankan issue in UN: CPI CPI would explore possibility of taking the issue of killing of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka to the United Nations, after discussing with experts in Human Rights, who are holding a convention in Chennai on January 23, party Tamil Nadu unit secretary, D Pandyan said.The party would meet and discuss the issue, in the angle of human rights violation by Sri Lanka and its Army, with the experts thoroughly to take it to UN, Pandyan told reporters here.He said the Centre had failed to take the issue of ceasefire as demanded in the Tamil Nadu assembly and also discussed directly by a delegation with Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, he said.In this background, his party would mobilise people of Tamil Nadu and stage demonstration to pressurise the Centre to take immediate steps to prevent Sri Lanka from killing of innocent Tamils, Pandyan said.Pandyan also took a dig that the parties, which were taking credit for bringing Sethu Samudram Canal project in Tamil Nadu, also have to play a major role in finding a solution to Sri Lankan Tamils' problem. US missile system to be positioned in Trinco – National & regional security in jeopardy! – ‘Lanka Irida’ Several islands around Trincomalee harbour are to be handed over to the US Department of State on the mediation of a top person in the government states ‘Lanka Irida.’ The newspaper states plans have been drawn to position a missile system in the islands around eh harbor on a project proposed by the CIA.The relevant islands are to be handed over to the USA alleging it is for a joint US-Sri Lankan defense programme. Chapel Island, Norway Point, Foul Point, Great Sober, Elephant Island, Elizabeth Island are some of the small islands that are in and around Trincomalee Harbour. The attempt made by the USA to position a missile system around Trincomalee Harbour in 1978 had to be abandoned due to rigid opposition by India. In 1985 a fleet of a US attack craft with two escort ships with 6000 US soldiers arrived in Sri Lanka and wanted to anchor in Trincomalee Harbour. However, this had to be abandoned due to opposition. However, the Americans went to Trincomalee on land and toured the area later. Gotabaya has no right to threaten the media – Ranil Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had no right to threaten the media.He told a news conference at his office in Colombo that Gotabhaya’s statement calling for the arrest of MTV Head Chevan Daniel, because he was allegedly an LTTE sympathiser, was highly unbecoming of a public officer.It was not the function of government servants to comment on how the media should function or threaten journalists with arrest, based on their perception of how news should be disseminated, Wickremesinghe said. "Laws cannot go silent, just because a war is on. But the government is using military operations against the LTTE, as an excuse to silence its critics forever. We will continue our countrywide protests against attacks on the media and blatant violation of human rights. The right to live and freedom of expression will be our campaign theme." He said that the UNP and its alliance partners the SLMC, WPF and SLFP (M) were in discussion with civil rights and human rights organizations to form the broadest possible alliance and end the dictatorship that had been foisted on the country and its people. "We will not allow the government to continue threatening, intimidating and attacking journalists who are bold enough to report the truth."Meanwhile Chevan Daniel and Sirasa TV Director Kingsley Ratnayake have complained to the Maharagama police that they had been threatened with death. The Army has commenced its second operation in search of the LTTE leader Prabhakaran in Mullative. It is reported the LTTE leader is in a 35 feet under ground hideout. The Army is moving its second operation in search of the LTTE leader Velupille Prabhakaran in Mullative. Army troops have captured the 6th LTTE 'air strip'. Troops of the 57 Division are now operating East of Iranamadu Tank bund has located the 6th LTTE 'air strip'. Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara says the air strip is one kilometres long and 200 metres wide is located East of the Iranamadu tank bund, which is also said to be an extension of the existing road that runs parallel to the tank bund. Army spokesman says several bunkers and a large quantity of weapons belonging to tigers have been recovered in Dharmapuram in Mullaithivu. The troops have also found a bomb manufacturing centre, a three storied underground bunker and a training camp in search operations. The Brigadier adds the security forces have also found corpses of six terrorists and six of their weapons as well. Dharmapuram was liberated by the security forces yesterday. 57 Division troops of the army have gained total control over the Iranamadu Tank bund yesterday. Ministry of Defence says troops advancing eastwardly from the A-9 trunk road met with stiff LTTE resistance as ground troops claimed scoring heavy LTTE casualties. Military spokesperson says the LTTE have now been confined to an area of 600 square kilometres. They are now in the areas of Mullative, Vishwamadu,Pudukudi-irippu and jungle areas of the Mullative. TN lawyers threaten strike on Lanka Tamils issue India sends medicine for Northern civilians India, as a goodwill gesture, decided to send humanitarian assistance to civilians and Internally Displaced Persons affected by the conflict in the North as stated in the India-Sri Lanka joint press release of October 26, 2008. The first consignment of 1,700 tonnes comprising 80,000 ready-to-use family packs containing food, clothing and personal hygiene items arrived in Sri Lanka within three weeks and has already been distributed to those in need with the assistance of the ICRC and the co-operation of the Government of Sri Lanka. India will continue to work with Sri Lanka in meeting the humanitarian needs of the civilian population in Northern Sri Lanka. India has decided on a second instalment of such assistance amounting to approximately Rs 40 million. A consignment of medicine was handed over by the Foreign Secretary Shri Shivashankar Menon to Senior Presidential Advisor and MP Basil Rajapaksa at a ceremony yesterday. Sri Lankan state bus operates in Kilinochchi after 20 years A Sri Lanka state transport bus ferried a group of passengers, for first time in last 20 years, from the captured defacto LTTE capital of Kilinochchi. A Bus of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) yesterday carried a group of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Kilinochchi to Vavuniya via the sensitive A9 highway route, Transport Minister, Dullas Alahapperuma said adding the trip was first such journey by a state vehicle in 20 years. "The bus took a group of IDPs to a safer camp in Vavuniya and provided them with food, clothes and medicine as many of them did not had food for a couple of days," Minister Alahapperuma told the Daily Mirror. Many of them have moved from the uncleared areas to the government controlled areas for several hours and the main concern of the security forces was to provide them with food and medicine as several of them were hungry and sick, the minister said. There were hundreds of IDPs who had come to the areas during the last couple of days and were keen to settle in a secure place, Alahapperuma said. The restart of transport is considered to be economically important for the people in the North and the South as it will help transfer the produce of one region to the other, the newspaper said. It was felt for long that the farmers of Wanni and other parts of North are not able to realise full value of their produce as the local market was saturated. An opening to the Southern market would ensure them a better deal even as the consumer their will benefit by more supplies reaching the region, the paper added. ICRC help sought for a Sri Lankan soldier captured by LTTE The Regional Director of Health Services in Kilinochchi has sought help from the International Committee of Red Cross to treat a soldier held captive by the LTTE. Lance Corporal H.M. Saman Puspakumara who was injured on the battlefield on January 4 at Murusumoddai is being held captive by the LTTE in a hospital in the rebel controlled area.According to the doctors Puspakumara sustained a gunshot injury on his forehead. He is only able to speak slowly, but unable to do anything else without assistance.The Regional Director of Health Services in Kilinochchi has requested ICRC assistance to get relevant medical treatment for Puspakumara who needs neuro-surgical care. According to the military sources Lance Corporal H.M. Saman Puspakumara is a resident of Welimada in Sri Lanka’s upcountry. Prabha Appeals To Diaspora While Tigers Prepare For 'Final Battle' –By DBS Jeyaraj Jingoistic triumphalism Against this backdrop it does seem understandable that many nostrils are overpowered by the sweet fragrance of success on the military front. What is unacceptable however is the flagrant display of jingoistic triumphalism by vested interests and the disgustingly blatant kudos claiming attempt by powerful sections of the government and defence establishment. In a situation where massive efforts at diverse levels are going on to promote an impression that it’s “match over” for Velupillai Prabhakaran and the LTTE, there is naturally a sharp focus on the tigers. As disaster looms larger on the politico – military horizon what will the LTTE do? Or what can the LTTE do? Are multi-crore questions. Catch me if you can There is much speculation about the future of Prabhakaran and the LTTE. Some sections of the media have already written him off saying he has left the Island or is planning to leave. There is also a lot of discussion about whether to hand Prabhakaran over to India or try him in Sri Lanka and execute him. This passionate discussion about the potential fate of a yet to be caught Prabhakaran reminds me of a recipe for rabbit soup. After specific instructions on how to cook the soup, the recipe ends by saying “First catch your rabbit.” Despite the gleeful anticipation of Humpty-dumpty having a great fall, there is still a chance that the rabbit would escape the snare being set. One cannot predict anything with certainty in war, but if the Tiger leader does survive, he could then echo Mark Twain with a slight change and say that reports of his impending death or capture have been “greatly exaggerated.” The elusive Velupillai Prabhakaran has been singing “catch me if you can” to the authorities for nearly four decades from his teenage. One does not know whether his luck would run out now, but one thing for sure is that he would neither flee the country nor be caught alive like Peru’s Guzman or Iraq’s Saddam. Prabhakaran’s erstwhile eastern regional commander Vinayagamurthy Muraleetharan alias “Col” Karuna nowadays chatters away to the media about many, many things. One is that Prabhakaran loves to live and that he would never take his own life. Tryst with destiny Karuna who once called Prabhakaran his “God” has conveniently forgotten that once upon a time the former North-Eastern Provincial Chief Minister Annamalai Varatharajapperumal also used to say the same thing about Prabhakaran when he was in power. The belief then also was that the LTTE leader’s days were numbered. The lowest nadir in LTTE fortunes after 1983 was the period of time when the Tigers fought the Indian Army. That was when the capture of Prabhakaran in the jungles of Mullaitivu by the Indian Army seemed inevitable at some point of time.During this phase, Prabhakaran had around 40 – 50 cadres with him at all times as bodyguards. One cadre carried with him at all times a plastic vessel of petrol. His instructions were to douse the “thalaiver”s (leader) body with petrol and burn it if ever Prabhakaran was killed or committed suicide. This was because Prabhakaran did not want even his body to be seized by the Indians and exhibited as a trophy. He was quite prepared then to die or take his own life if capture was imminent. But he was not ready to surrender or be caught alive. The moot point here is whether LTTE fortunes at this juncture have sunk to low depths where the future of Prabhakaran has become a question mark or whether there are miles to go before the LTTE supremo’s tryst with destiny. Down but not out It was only last month (Dec 20) that this column opined that the “Tigers though down were not out”. Rapid strides have been made by the Army on the northern front since I wrote the above article. The army is virtually rattling the locks on the doors of the LTTE’s citadels in the Wanni. Under these circumstances many have sent e-mails mocking me or asking whether I am still of the same opinion. My simple answer is “Yes, I am of the same opinion still”. The Tigers though down are not yet out even in positional warfare. However, what I must acknowledge is that I am indeed puzzled by the LTTE’s conduct in the past weeks. I am particularly intrigued to some extent and alarmed to a greater extent by what I think is going to be Prabhakaran’s response to the military juggernaut threatening to engulf the Tigers. Video cassette Prabhakaran’s intentions are directly revealed in a video cassette doing the rounds in Tamil Diaspora circles in Europe, North America and Australasia. Prabhakaran and the Tiger political commissar Balasingham Nadesan are featured in it. Both are seated at a table and directly address the “Pulam Peyarntha Uravugal” (relatives gone abroad) entreating them to continue extending support for the struggle. Prabhakaran assures the Diaspora that the LTTE is not weak as “our enemies are saying” but admits that the Tigers have only been fighting a defensive war so far. They also say that they have had to withdraw from earlier positions and vacate territory in fighting this defensive war. They point out that this was necessary to prevent their cadres being killed in large numbers. As a result of this strategy the LTTE has been able to retain their cadre base and also safely relocate most of their military assets. According to Prabhakaran and Nadesan the time is drawing near for the LTTE to stop defensive measures and launch offensives. They say that certain objectives have been defined and preparations are on to attack very soon. They also rule out speculation that the LTTE would revert to guerrilla warfare and emphasise that the Tigers would function like an army of liberation. As such they advise the Diaspora not to be misled by false propaganda and conclude hastily that the LTTE is finished. The duo acknowledge the fact that there have been setbacks but reiterate that the LTTE is yet strong and can continue fighting for Tamil Eelam. They request the Diaspora not to lose heart and continue supporting the struggle. Other pointers Apart from this development where Prabhakaran makes a direct appeal, there are other pointers to the future course of the LTTE. The Tiger radio “Puligalin Kural” (voice of Tigers) has been repeatedly exhorting the people to get ready for a protracted people’s war. The VOT continues to use the phrases “Makkal Yutham”(people’s war” and “Iruthippor” (final battle) in its broadcasts. In a further development the LTTE has revived its “Makkal Padai” (peoples force) and “Ellaippadai” (border force). Both these forces comprise both civilian volunteers and conscripts. They were given military training and sent home earlier. Also all civilian employees in LTTE structures like banks, courts etc have been summoned to arms. The Tigers have also allowed its cadres with relatives abroad to telephone them. Each cadre is given one call of five minutes duration. Those who talk to family members seem cheerful and tell them not to worry and that soon there will be good news. Of course one cannot expect these cadres to speak frankly on monitored telephone calls. The LTTE is also compelling students who just sat for the GCE (OL) to engage in “Shramadana” to dig and construct bunkers for civilian protection. These students are only given food and refreshments and are supervised by senior Tiger operatives. The Tigers are also busily constructing a third defensive ring around key areas presently under their control. Cadres and civilians are constructing a complex of bunkers, bunds and trenches around a broadly rectangular swathe of land which includes beachfront. The total area of this protectorate could be from 500 sq km to 800 sq km in area. Civilian plight All these developments demonstrate that the LTTE is getting ready for a long, drawn-out battle. But what is shockingly alarming about this is that innocent Tamil civilians are going to be trapped and endangered. Already the civilians are being forced to participate in war efforts through compulsory military training for able – bodied people under 40. It appears that these hapless civilians would be led to the slaughter by the LTTE under the guise of fighting the last battle or people’s war. On the other hand the state is also on a militaristic enterprise without adequate concern for the civilians. Defence officials want to increase military pressure and compel civilians to either escape from Tiger areas or rebel against the LTTE. Already many civilians have been killed or injured in shelling and bombing. Nearly two thousand civilians have taken great risks and come across to army controlled areas. They relate harrowing tales of how the LTTE is preventing them at gun point from moving out to safer areas. People trying to escape have been shot dead or caught and given public executions they say. Sadly those who take enormous risks and flee from Tiger clutches find themselves ‘detained” in camps for the displaced and denied freedom of movement.The LTTE says it is fighting for the liberation of the Tamil people. The government says it is fighting to liberate the Tamil people from LTTE tyranny. The reality is that of civilians getting crushed by both sides. As the LTTE controlled area shrinks in size and large numbers of civilians are interspersed with tiger cadres the people become increasingly vulnerable. Paranthan junction Although the LTTE seems confident of fighting a protracted war, recent events show that the Army is advancing and the LTTE retreating. Let me briefly recap the military situation that has evolved over the past three weeks. The 58 division that made a vital breakthrough by breaching the LTTE “bund – trench” at Kunchuparanthan (Aka Sinnaparanthan) west of the “Kudamurutti Aaru “ river then struck out in a north – eastern direction and reached the general area of Thattuvaankottu near Elephant Pass. The soldiers then doubled back and came up behind Tiger positions in the rear. They surprised the Tigers by clandestinely crossing a large pond and attacking. In a fierce fight the LTTE lost around 50 cadres including senior leader “Lt. Col.” Eelapiriyan. Thereafter the Tiger defences crumbled and the 58 troops mounted the Jaffna – Kandy road known as the A – 9 Highway at a point near Umaiyaalpuram north of Paranthan. Then one column of the 58 began moving south towards Paranthan along the A – 9 axis. Another column moved from Kunchuparanthan – Uruthirapuram area towards the Karadipokku junction between Paranthan and Kilinochchi on the A – 9.The LTTE holding the strategic Paranthan “Santhi” or junction and environs was caught in the middle. As troops began advancing towards Paranthan junction from north and south the Tigers began withdrawing. The 58 consolidated Paranthan on December 31. Once Paranthan was taken the fate of Kilinochchi was a foregone conclusion. As speculated in these columns the long – awaited “mother of all battles” for Kilinochchi town and environs did not take place. Instead the tigers began vacating Kilinochchi as the army commenced a three – pronged drive. The 58 marched southwards; Soldiers of 57 division began moving from Puthumurippu through Kanagapuram moved in an eastern direction. The 57 – 4 moved north from the Iranaimadhu junction .With the tigers gone. Kilinochchi town was taken completely on Jan 2 without a shot being fired. Elephant Pass Having taken Paranthan, the 58 now moved north towards Elephant Pass, the gateway to Jaffna. Soldiers took Kurinchatheevu adjacent to the Aanai Iravu isthmus and then moved to the southern side of Elephant Pass causeway linking peninsula to mainland.One would have expected Prabhakaran to withdraw cadres stationed in the peninsula as soon as Paranthan fell. As stated in these columns holding Elephant Pass or remaining inside the peninsula would have been impossible once Paranthan was taken. LTTE cadres stationed along the Kilaly – Muhamaalai – Nagar Kovil defence line would have been double enveloped with the 58 moving north and the 53 and 55 moving south. But for some reason the Tigers did not immediately withdraw. This delay allowed the 53 and 55 to commence a downwards thrust towards Elephant Pass. Now the Tigers began a staggered withdrawal from entrenched positions while simultaneously evacuating cadres from the peninsula. In a “kutti” or “punchi” Dunkirk – type evacuation the LTTE succeeded in moving out around 3500 – 4000 cadres and armaments away from the peninsula within 4 or 5 days. One escape route was from the Vadamaratchy east coast in sea tiger boats. The other was across the Chundikulam lagoon from Kombaatty to Ooriyaan in dingys and rafts. With the LTTE vacating under strong military pressure the 53 marched swiftly towards Elephant Pass taking Pallai, Puloppalai, Soranpatru, Pullaveli, Puthukkaadu junction, Iyakkachchi and finally Elephant Pass. Elephant Pass was wrested from the army in April 2000 by the LTTE. After the capture of Poonagary this column predicted that Elephant Pass would be in the hands of the military again by the 9th anniversary of its fall. Elephant Pass however was recaptured in January itself. The 55 division then started moving down along the eastern coast of the peninsula. The LTTE began abandoning its sea Tiger bases in places like Maamunai, Chembianpatru, Maruthankerny, Thaalaiaddy, Vettrilaikerny, Kattaikaadu, Aaliyawalai, Uduthurai, Vathiraayan etc. Finally the 55 moved through Mulliyaan to Chundikulam. With that the entire peninsula was cleared of LTTE positions. A-35 Highway Meanwhile the LTTE began establishing a new defence line in areas east of the A – 9 Highway. Attempts were made to construct another “bund – trench” complex from the northern tank bund of Iranaimadhu reservoir in the south to Ooriyaan along the Chundikulam lagoon in the north. This defence line cut across the Paranthan – Mullaitheevu Road known as A – 35 in Murasumoddai near the second milepost. The 58 division under Brig. Shavendra de Silva which began its advance last year from Adampan in Mannar now continued its forward movement eastwards along the A – 35 axis. After heavy fighting it reached Murasumoddai junction and began branching out to Kandawalai in the north and Vatakachchi in the south. Currently the 58 has begun moving into Tharmapuram. Military gains There were other significant military gains too. Task Force Three that had earlier taken Olumadhu on the Mankulam – Mullaitheevu Road known as A – 34 had moved up to Karippattaimurippu and then moved north to Ambakaamam. It is now trying to move from Ambakaamam along the axis of the old Kandy Road towards Iranaimadhu. Task Force Four which took Nedunerny earlier moved along the Nedunkerny – Oddusuddan road and reached Oddusuddan. After consolidating the Task force four moved north – east along the axis of the Oddusuddan – Puthukkudiyiruppu Road and reached Katsilaimadhu where the Pandaara Wannian the chieftain of Adankapatru fought his last battle against the British. The 59 division under Brig. Nandana Tudawatte has also made vast advances. After advancing north along the Mullaitivu district coast some 59 division soldiers have reached Silawathai south of Mullaitivu. Other 59 division troops moved along the axis of a road from Thannimurippu north to Thaniootru on the A – 34. Then troops also moved into Mulliyawalai and Koolamurippu. Thereafter 59 division soldiers moved along the western side of Nandhikkadal lagoon in one forward movement and along the Puthukkudiyiruppu – Mulliyawalai road in another. By this they encircled the Vatraappalai village where the most famous Hindu temple in the Wanni -Vatraappalai Amman temple – is located. Subsequently the temple has been brought under Army control. The 59 continued its forward movement along the Puthukkudiyiruppu Road and reached the outskirts of Keppapulavu village where the LTTE chief resided for a long time. Troops also cut across to the coastal road from Mullaitivu to Puthukkudiyirupp and reached Mullivaaikkal. Troops also moved along the A – 34 to Neeraavipiddy. The 59 is now in a position to move towards Mullaitivu town from three directions. Defencive war It can be seen therefore that the LTTE is fighting desperately to contain and check the army in many different places like Tharmapuram, Kandawalai, Vattakachchi, Chundikulam, Kerudamadhu, Ambakaamam, Iranaimadhu, Neeravipitty, Keppapulavu, Mulliyaanveli and Silawattai. In such a situation it is doubtful whether the LTTE can continue to fight a defensive war and retain the shrinking territory under its control. The Army can throw in more than 50, 000 troops from multiple directions at these positions. The Navy can concentrate on shelling the coastal areas. The Air Force can bomb easily on specific targets. Under these circumstances the chances of the LTTE holding out are pretty slim unless the Tigers are able to launch effective counterstrikes or counteroffensives. Will the LTTE be able to do so and transform the military situation? The answer is at best a cliché. Only time will tell. Task Force 6 to war front soon Task Force 6, a new Division of S.L. Army, established lately, will join the humanitarian operations launched to capture Mullaithivu soon says Army media spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara. The new Task Force has been established on instructions from Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka. Earlier Task Forces 1,2,3,4 and 5 were established on Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka’s initiative and they have already achieved victories in the battle field. With the entry of the new Task Force the operations to capture the last bastion of tiger organization would be accelerated state security sources. MGR's birth anniversary celebrated The 92nd birth anniversary of AIADMK founder and later Chief Minister M G Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, was celebrated across the state today.The star-turned-politician's evergreen numbers, most of which preach ethics and self-discipline, echoed through the street corners of Chennai and other cities in the state through loud speakers erected by his die-hard fans and AIADMK workers.AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa has yesterday urged her party workers to celebrate in a grand manner the birth anniversary of her mentor and the party's founder, exhorting them to use the occasion to gear up for the coming Lok Sabha elections and work for the party's victory.In the cinema and political history of Tamil Nadu, MGR had carved a niche for him and enjoyed as much success in politics as a "mass hero" in Tamil cinema, and was elected Chief Minister thrice, after he founded the AIADMK in 1972 following his exit from the DMK over differences with Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.While most Tamil actors aspire to rise to his levels of unmatched popularity, actor-politicians such as DMDK founder-leader Vijayakant, much criticised by Jayalalithaa and fast emerging a rival to both the Dravidian parties, pronounce their respect and devotion to the late leader. 16 January 2009 Britain to call for SL ceasefire Britain is expected to raise the Sri Lankan situation with France and Germany in an attempt to push for an immediate ceasefire in the island nation, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the British parliament Wednesday. Responding to a question posed by Labour MP Keith Vaz about the sufferings of civilians in the North, Brown said he accepted that Sri Lanka was facing ‘terrible violence’ and agreed that the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had to declare a ceasefire. “I agree about the terrible violence is happening in Sri Lanka and I also agree with MP Vaz that a ceasefire should be declared in the island,” Prime Minister Brown said. He added that he would discuss the matter with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Brown met Sarkozy on Wednesday and was scheduled to meet Merkel Thursday.. Labour MP Keith Vaz told the British Parliament that thousands of innocent civilians were under siege in LTTE areas in the north of the country due to the aerial bombardments carried out by the Sri Lankan government. He urged the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter and call for a ceasefire to prevent further violence in the island. “Last Sunday we heard the news that the editor of a leading newspaper was assassinated. Will the Prime Minister please use his good offices either unilaterally or through the European Union to call for a ceasefire so that all parties involved in this conflict can stop their violence so that peace can return to this beautiful island,” MP Vaz said in Parliament. Media reports said Sarkozy and Brown met on Wednesday and discussed the conflict in the Middle East, and the global financial crisis. But there was no mention if the situation in Sri Lanka was raised. Meanwhile Sri Lankan Defence Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella maintained that the government would not declare a ceasefire at this stage, especially when the North was almost liberated from the Tigers. He said that the Sri Lankan government would convey this message to Britian, France and Germany once an appeal was made by the countries for Sri Lanka to declare a ceasefire. “We have almost won the war. At this stage we will not go in for a ceasefire and President Rajapaksa has been clear on this. The only way that the government will declare a ceasefire is if the LTTE surrenders,” Minister Rambukwella said. He added that the government was continuing in its liberation move and a hunt for LTTE Leader Vullpillai Prabhakaran was currently on in Mullaitivu where he is supposedly hiding. Separately, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa ruled out a general amnesty to the LTTE, Thursday and emphasised that LTTE leader and his chief lieutenants would be tried for crimes they had committed, both here and abroad.Even if they surrendered to the army, the government would go ahead with legal proceedings, he said.Rajapaksa said although ordinary LTTE cadres would be rehabilitated to facilitate their return to civilian life, the top LTTE leadership shouldn’t expect clemency. “Prabhakaran and the likes of Sea Tiger leader Soosai, Intelligence chief Pottu Amman, Sornam, Theepan, Nadesan and Ramesh would be punished,” he said.Welcoming the recent surrender of several LTTE cadres on the Vanni front, Rajapaksa said nothing could be as ridiculous as offering a general amnesty to the LTTE leadership. Responding to queries, he said that Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman couldn’t be handed over to India as they had to first face charges in Sri Lanka.India recently repeated its request for the extradition of Prabhakaran over the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Kumaran Padmanathan, who allegedly financed the Congress I leader’s assassination, was among the LTTE cadres wanted by India.The Defence Secretary said the Sri Lankan government would deal with the LTTE leadership before any extradition request could be met.In a televised interview Wednesday, the Defence Secretary called for the implementation of the death penalty to deal with the LTTE leader.He said the army was engaged in a large scale offensive on the eastern flank where the LTTE leadership was holed up. According to him, the army was in the process of surrounding Mullaitivu, the last enemy stronghold on the north-eastern coast. He expressed confidence that the troops would track them down in the area east of the A9 road.Air Force headquarters said a series of air strikes had been launched on Thursday in support of the army now surrounding the remaining LTTE strongholds on the eastern flank. Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said that jets had zeroed-in on LTTE positions south of Chundikulam and south of Mullaitivu to help the 55 and 59 Divisions, respectively, to advance on Mullaitivu. Jets had also attacked an LTTE barge off Chundikulam and bombed a large group of cadres engaged in building an earth bund in the Chundikulam area.Meanwhile, troops marching toward the Tamil Tigers' final redoubt seized a fifth rebel airstrip and more than 400 people fled battles across a rapidly shrinking war zone, the military said on Thursday.The military is gunning for Mullaittivu port, the only major town still held by the LTTE in the northeast of the country..Analysts are predicting a rapid end to the ground war, after which the military expects the Tigers' hardcore guerrillas to go underground and carry out hit-and-run attacks.Soldiers captured a one km (half-mile) long airstrip surrounded by bunkers, booby traps and trenches, but found none of the Tigers' single-engine planes, the military said."Advancing troops found the fifth airstrip of the terrorists to the east of Iranamadu tank (reservoir), with an empty hangar," military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.That is east of the town the LTTE had declared their capital, Kilinochchi. Soldiers captured it on Jan. 2 in a crushing blow to the Tigers' separatist plans, at the heart of a 25-year war that is one of Asia's longest-running.The LTTE could not be reached for comment.The Tigers' ramshackle air wing of Zlin-143 planes has flown nine raids since making a shocking debut with a March 2007 sortie on an air force base in Colombo. The last hit a Colombo power station in late October.Also on Thursday, 403 civilians fled to army-held areas, bringing the total this week to 1,500, the military said.Aid agencies say there are about 230,000 refugees in the war zone, where rights groups say the Tigers are keeping them as human shields. The LTTE denies that. Aid groups and the government both say they are ready for a refugee exodus soon.The LTTE say they are fighting to address mistreatment of minority Tamils since the Sinhalese ethnic majority took over at independence from Britain in 1948. But many Sinhalese say Tamils enjoyed unfair advantages in colonial times and want them back.The Tigers are on U.S., E.U. and Indian terrorism lists after carrying out hundreds of assassinations and suicide bombings, including against Tamils who challenged them. Open letter to Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon urging protection for civilians in the Wanni, Sri Lanka Mr. Shivshankar Menon Secretary Ministry for External Affairs South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi -- 110011 India Dear Mr. Menon On the occasion of your upcoming visit to Sri Lanka, Amnesty International calls on you to raise, with your Sri Lankan counterparts, concerns about the safety of civilians trapped in the Wanni, as government forces close in on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bases in the north-eastern part of the island. We also ask that you discuss the general deterioration of human rights in the country, even in areas not directly affected by the conflict. More than a quarter of a million people, mostly Tamils, face immense hardship and are running out of safe space in the face of intensified fighting between the two sides. This population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is trapped between the approaching Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE, which has imposed restrictions on their ability to leave and is using them as an involuntary pool of recruits and labourers. With the Sri Lankan government's recent recapture of Killinochchi, hundreds of thousands of people have been compressed into a smaller area and are increasingly vulnerable. As the fighting encroaches on the trapped population, there are fears of a further mass exodus of civilians. Lack of protection to civilians during fighting Given the restrictions imposed by both sides on independent media and humanitarian aid workers, there is little independent verification of conditions in the conflict area. Available information suggests that over 300,000 people are experiencing tremendous insecurity and food shortages aggravated by the fact that many of these families have sold most of their possessions to cope with multiple displacements. In November 2008, Amnesty International drew attention to acute food and shelter shortages facing this population (Amnesty International, Sri Lankan government must act now to protect 300,000 displaced, 19 November 2008). At the time, the organisation welcomed the food supplies that were sent by the Indian authorities. As humanitarian supplies, including those sent by the Indian government, have since dwindled, aid workers express fears that many of the displaced are vulnerable to potential public health problems and are receiving far less calories than the daily recommended allowance. Also, civilians injured in the fighting cannot be transported outside the Wanni for urgent treatment due to road closures by the security forces. As hostilities have intensified, the LTTE have stepped up its recruitment, especially of younger people. LTTE continue to hinder people from moving to safer places by imposing a strict pass system. In some instances they have forced family members to stay behind to ensure the return of the rest of the family. Despite assurances by the government of Sri Lanka that the situation is under control, there is evidence to suggest that the authorities lack the capacity to provide the required humanitarian relief to displaced people. Humanitarian access to the Wanni continues to be restricted. Only government-approved food convoys are allowed to enter the area since the authorities ordered the United Nations, and nearly all humanitarian agencies, to withdraw from the Wanni on 9 September 2008. On 29 and 30 December 2008, an Inter-Agency support mission accompanied the World Food Program-led convoy in order to monitor implementation of United Nations (UN) funded programmes and conduct a needs assessment. The mission noted increased vulnerability of the civilian population due to several factors including: ongoing fighting, new and repeated displacements into an increasingly compressed area, flood damage and reduced capacity and material to address urgent shelter and sanitation needs. Attacks on media Away from the front lines, the general human rights situation in government-controlled areas has deteriorated (Amnesty International has previously criticized the LTTE for severely curtailing civil and political rights in areas under their control). Amnesty International is appalled at the increasing instances of attacks on the media, including the recent assassination of the editor of the Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickramatunge in Colombo and attack on the privately owned Maharaja television/MTV studios in Colombo which was ransacked by a gang who used claymore bombs to damage property. During your upcoming discussions with the Government of Sri Lanka, you should pay special attention to the severe difficulties facing the people of Sri Lanka. Amnesty International urges you: To raise issue of the civilian protection and press for urgently needed humanitarian assistance to reach civilians who are trapped between the two sides. Pressure must also be put on the LTTE to allow free passage of displaced families from the Wanni with immediate effect. To press for international monitors to assess the humanitarian needs of quarter of a million people trapped in the Wanni and to ensure proper distribution of food and other humanitarian assistance, particularly as the fighting pproaches the trapped civilian population. To raise the issue of attacks on the media and press for impartial investigation into the same. Thank you for your consideration for the above recommendations, and we look forward to your response at the earliest. Sincerely, Sam Zarifi Program Director Asia-Pacific Program 57 Div troops gain control over Iranamadu Tank bund- Kilinochchi The advancing 57 Division troops have gained total control over the Iranamadu Tank bund, following hours of heavy fighting with LTTE early this morning (Jan 16). Troops advancing eastwardly from the A-9 trunk road met with stiff LTTE resistance as ground troops claimed scoring heavy LTTE casualties. Unable to resist the intense military assaults LTTE have fled leaving dead and weaponry behind security sources said. Meanwhile, troops are also making further advanced towards Ramanathapuram, North of Iranamadu, security sources said.Troops are now consolidating defences in the area, the sources further said. Troops capture the major township of Dharmapuram in Mullaittivu. Sri Lankan issue: VCK cadres begin “fast until death” TAMBARAM: Cadres of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi led by its president Thol. Thirumavalavan on Thursday began a “fast until death” agitation in Maraimalai Nagar protesting the “lethargic attitude” of the Centre for failing to protect the interests of Tamils in Sri Lanka. They also charged the Centre with failing to prevent the violence unleashed on the Tamils by the Sri Lankan Army.Mr. Thirumavalavan said that the Sri Lankan Army was dropping cluster bombs on civilians, but the Union government had not taken any concrete step to stop the war in the island nation. Despite an assurance by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was yet to visit Sri Lanka.The agitation was to urge the Centre to intervene and stop the war, to resume peace process through talks and convey to New Delhi that Tamil Nadu was supporting their demands, Mr. Thirumavalavan said. D. Nallakannu, former State secretary of the Communist Party of India, Pazha Nedumaran, K. Arumugham, Chengalpattu MLA of the Pattali Makkal Katchi and D.Vellaiyan of TN Vanigar Sangangalin Peravai, were present. Over 850 civilians escaped from LTTE areas: Lankan army President exposes Lasantha President Mahinda Rajapakse gave two hints to the print media editors and publishers whom he met wednesday, that slain Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickramathunga was one of his informants.According to the President, one clue Lasantha gave to him was that Karu Jayasuriya was quitting the government and joining the UNP. When the matter was discussed in the cabinet, the majority said that Karu Jayasuriya would not quit. But the President confirmed that he would go. When he said to the disagreeing cabinet of Ministers that Lasantha gave him the information, all were stunned. The President exposed this to the editors and chiefs of the media institutes.The second incident was regarding a declaration Dr. Kumar Rupasinghe made to the US ambassador in relation to Janaka Perera. The President possessed a recording of Rupasinghe’s statement and enquired about it from him. He wondered first and accepted that he told so stating that he had the right to do so. Then Rupasinghe said that only one person was aware of it and asked if Lasantha Wickramathunga gave it to him. The President had told Rupasinghe that Lasantha Wickramathunga had passed him lot of information.At this moment Ravaya editor Victor Ivan said to the President to give evidence since Lasantha was no more to say whether it was right or wrong. The President promised to give the recording to media. The news of the discussion with the President has reportedly caused a whirlwind inside UNP. Three PDK activists try to set themselves afire on Sri Lankan Tamil issue Three Periyar Dravida Kazhakam (PDK) activists were arrested on Thursday, when they attempted to set themselves ablaze near the district collectorate here, to protest against what they called the Indian government's 'failure' to work out a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. The activists, Gopinath and Samboogan (both aged 26 and from Tirupur) and 31-year old E V R Jagan of Erode, doused themselves with kerosene they brought in bottles. However, police managed to overpower them before they could light the matchstick and set themselves on fire.They raised slogans against the Centre for its 'failure' to stop 'killing of innocent Tamils' in the Island nation. Later talking to reporters, senior PDK leader Aruchami said that the Centre should intervene immediately and stop the fighting in the island. The political parties in Tamil Nadu should also raise their voice and pressurise the Centre to seek immediate ceasefire there, he said. India to discuss political process in Sri Lanka Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will be in Colombo for two days from Friday when he will discuss with Sri Lankan leaders the prospects of initiating a political process in the Tamil-majority north, as the military continues its advance into the last of the areas still held by the Tamil Tigers.Menon is also expected to announce a second round of Indian assistance to the thousands of civilians displaced by war in the northern province. This would mostly be medicines and shelter material. It comes on top of some 1,700 tonnes of food and other goods sent to Sri Lanka in late last year.Over Friday and Saturday, Menon will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who oversees the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona to get a detailed assessment of the situation in Sri Lanka.He will also talk to Tamil and Muslim leaders as well as former prime minister and opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP). The visit comes at a time when Sri Lankan troops have brought under their control almost the whole of the northern province, barring Mullaitivu district, as well as the entire eastern province. Sri Lankan leaders have vowed not to talk any more to the LTTE, which seeks to set up a Tamil Eelam state in the country's north and east.The trip is also taking place amid intensifying demands in India's Tamil Nadu state for a truce in Sri Lanka, a plea Colombo has refused to concede.While India - like the US - is not advocating negotiations between Colombo and the LTTE, it is firm that there can only be a negotiated settlement to the Tamil conflict. New Delhi feels it is for Colombo to decide which political players it should talk to.One of India's primary concerns is the civilian suffering on account of the war that has left thousands dead since fighting resumed towards the end of 2005.India is pressing Sri Lanka to declare a safe corridor for Tamil civilians wanting to leave the LTTE zone. Menon will take up this issue in his interactions.New Delhi wants to know if relief camps can be set up for such Tamils to meet their everyday needs.But a key issue figuring in the discussions would be the possibility of starting without further delay a political process in the north so that the region gets a semblance of local administration -- a la the east.A Tamil party formed after a split in the LTTE in 2004 now governs the eastern province, which unlike the north is also home to large numbers of Muslims and Sinhalese, the majority community.The Indian reading is that starting a political process in the north, which has been under LTTE sway for long, is crucial to Sri Lanka, whose leaders are insistent on militarily defeating the Tigers before going for a political settlement.The Indian establishment feels that political parties that have faith in the democratic system need to be encouraged in the war-hit north. Separately, India would provide help to start a rail-bus service between Trincomalee and Batticaloa towns in the eastern province. It would donate buses that can be converted to run on the rails. New Delhi would also assist in opening IT kiosks.Menon would discuss with Sri Lankan leaders bilateral issues too. This would include a thermal power plant planned in Trincomalee district. Cancel cricket tour to Sri Lanka, says Ramadoss CHENNAI: The Indian cricket team should not be allowed to tour Sri Lanka till an amicable solution to the problems of Tamils was found, PMK leader S. Ramadoss said. “The BCCI should take such a decision. Indian government should also direct the BCCI in this regard. Otherwise Tamils will boycott all the international cricket matches held in Chennai,” Dr. Ramadoss said in a statement on Thursday.The PMK leader, who has already written to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on the Sri Lankan issue, said India, which boycotted the apartheid regime of South Africa, should also boycott Sri Lanka.“What is happening in Sri Lanka is worse than what happened in the oppressive, apartheid regime of South Africa. It was barred from participating in international sports events. India too refused to have any links with South Africa. Adopt the same stand in the case of Sri Lanka,” Dr Ramadoss said.He rejected the argument that politics should not be mixed with sports, recalling India’s decision to cancel Indian cricket team’s tour to Pakistan in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks.Dr. Ramadoss wondered how could the BCCI treasurer and selection committee chairman, who are Tamils, agreed to the decision to send Indian team to Sri Lanka. US should act in relation to US citizens that killed Raviraj, Maheswaran, Janaka and Lasantha, says Mangala Sri Lanka Freedom Party - People’s Wing leader Mangala Samaraweera says that there is a conspiracy to suppress the freedom of expression in south in line with the security forces victories in north and three senior journalists have so far fled the country in fear of state threats.Addressing the Defence Watch press conference held in Colombo yesterday (15), MP Samaraweera said that killing of Lasantha Wickramathunga and setting off a claymore inside Sirasa were the biggest blows to democracy in recent times. He said that the Rajapakse regime was attempting to get rid of probing the incidents through fabricating an international conspiracy linking him and several others with the support of newly rallied henchmen of the government. Samaraweera said that the Defence Secretary stripped himself through his statement that Sirasa itself conducted the attack on its transmission station. He also threatened to put the person in jail who made a statement regarding attacking his institute. He reminded the Defence Secretary that putting people in jail was not his duty.State terror is haunting behind Mr. Daniel who made a statement on behalf of Sirasa and all those who appeared for the media freedom. MP Samaraweera said that the last leg of the conspiracy to kill him was underway and the state media and the greedy politicians were setting the scene for it. Introducing Minister Dallus Alahapperuma as the most corrupted Minister in the government, Samaraweera heaved a sigh saying that it was he who brought him to politics. Alahapperuma was now conspiring to label him as a Tiger, said Samaraweera.MP Samaraweera said that he carried out a massive propaganda campaign against LTTE whilst he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and paved way for the ban of the LTTE. He became a target of the LTTE since the ‘Sudu Nelum (White Lotus) Movement’ and several suicide LTTE cadres taken then into custody in Colombo exposed that they were spying to kill him, Samaraweera said adding that the Defence Secretary, the Inspector General of Police and the others who were trying to brand him as a Tiger could read those reports.Samaraweera challenged Dallus Alahapperuma to show hanzard reports if he had ever criticized LTTE. He said that those who travel in closed roads in thoroughly guarded bullet proof vehicles could easily criticize terrorism.The SLFP-PW leader stated that those who were hiding in US without participating at least a single campaign of expatriate Sri Lankans were now labeling him as a Tiger to achieve their narrow objectives.MP Samaraweera said that the highest authority of the country was disseminating distorted information and gossip regarding him to those who visited Temple Trees. He pointed out that a plan was definitely underway to assassinate him and to divert the allegation to somebody else.MP Samaraweera said that the government was saying as a habit that there is an international conspiracy behind every incident. But the incidents like Sirasa attack were conducted by groups acted in military style and those should be exposed, he said.“The motorcycles that came to assassinate Lasantha had no number plates. They came from the Air Force high security zone. How did they escape severe checking that is in operation in the high security zone? “There is a conspiracy to undermine freedom of the people and ugly and ferocious Americans including several green card holders are behind it. Lasantha was preparing a file to hand over to the US State Department regarding these persons. I will ask for an appointment to hand over these details to President Barack Obama and State Secretary Hillary Clinton after they assume duty on January 20.“We will produce all details of destructions caused by US citizens in Sri Lanka. We will look forward to see how US that is preaching democracy will act regarding the US citizens that are annihilating democracy here. These US citizens were behind the killings of MPs Nadaraja Raviraj and T. Maheswaran, Janaka Perera and Lasantha Wickramathunga. Before he was assassinated, Lasantha discussed this several times with me.“US should take the responsibility of what is happening in Sri Lanka. US citizens are behind all these incidents and US should control them.”Samaraweera wound up stating that many media persons were unable to report what he said. U.S. Government renovates seven schools and one hospital in former LTTE-controlled areas of Eastern Province To improve the lives of Sri Lankans affected by the conflict, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Pacific Command, is rehabilitating five schools in Trincomalee District and one hospital and two schools in Batticaloa District. U.S. Government officials joined national, provincial and local education and health officials, community leaders, school and hospital staff, students and their families, and local residents this week for the official groundbreaking ceremonies to mark the beginning of the renovation and expansion projects in eight communities in Trincomalee and Batticaloa. All projects are scheduled to be completed by July 2009.The buildings chosen for renovation provide essential social services to civilians whose lives have been repeatedly disrupted by armed hostilities for as long as two decades. In several of the communities, residents were displaced and not all have returned to the area.“The U.S. Government is pleased to support the people of Batticaloa and Trincomalee Districts whose lives have been disrupted by the conflict,” stated U.S. Ambassador Robert Blake. “In villages such as Amman Nagar and Arafa Nagar in Trincomalee District, and Pulipanjakal in Batticaloa District, some residents have not yet returned because they are waiting for the schools to fully reopen. At other schools, such as Arasadithivu Vigneswara Vidyalayam in the Manmunai Southwest Division of Batticaloa, facilities are overcrowded because classrooms have been badly damaged or destroyed. And at the Navatkadu Hospital, facilities for in-patient care are extremely limited, making it difficult or impossible for community members to get the health care treatment they need close to home,” Blake continued.With funding from the U.S. Pacific Command, part of the U.S. Department of Defense, USAID is rehabilitating these facilities as part of the U.S. Government’s humanitarian outreach to improve stability and quality of life in the region. Since 2003, USAID has supported more than 770 small-grant activities promoting community reconciliation and tsunami recovery in government-controlled areas of the country.“USAID is pleased to partner with the U.S. Pacific Command to ensure these communities receive improved schools and health care facilities,” said USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn. “Altogether, we are constructing 64 new classrooms and renovating more than 13 damaged classrooms in seven schools, providing more space for hundreds of students and their teachers. And, building three new wards at the Navatkadu Hospital will ensure there are 63 beds to take care of local residents when they need medical attention,” she continued. These efforts support the U.S. Government’s wider goal of helping to stabilize and develop Eastern Sri Lanka so terrorism can never take root in the region again. The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided development and humanitarian assistance in developing countries worldwide for nearly 50 years. Since 1946, USAID/Sri Lanka has invested nearly $2 billion to benefit all the people of Sri Lanka. 15 January 2009 Foreign Secretary to visit Lanka today Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will arrive here on a visit to Sri Lanka on Thursday to meet island nation’s top leadership. Menon will hold deliberations with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and other senior officials during his two-day visit.He is also expected to meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Menon’s visit comes at a time when the Sri Lankan army has captured key areas from LTTE including Tamil Tigers de facto political capital.India has maintained that military solution to the protracted ethnic conflict will not resolve the nation’s decade old ethnic problem and Colombo would have to look for a political solution. According to an Indian High Commission spokesman, Menon will have discussions on issues of mutual interest between the two countries during his visit.“There are several aspects to the Sri Lankan problem. No one of them is sufficient to solve the problem,” Menon had told reporters earlier this month in New Delhi when asked to comment on the Lankan military offensive in the island nation. “There is no military solution to the problem, no matter how the military situation might fluctuate. One side may be up or down,” he had said Sri Lanka troops capture Tamil Tiger air strip: military Sri Lankan troops have captured another air strip used by Tamil Tiger guerrillas to launch airborne attacks with light planes, the defence ministry said Thursday.The makeshift jungle runway is the fifth of its type to be overrun by government soldiers who are rapidly advancing on areas in the north once controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The ministry said the air strip at Iranamadu, south of the Tamil Tigers' former political capital of Kilinochchi, was protected by bunkers and trenches.However none of the light planes used by the LTTE to hit targets across the island were recovered.The LTTE are believed to have five Czech-built Zlin-143 aircraft, smuggled onto the island in pieces and re-assembled. The guerrillas last launched an air attack early in September, when they bombed a military base.The rebels are now almost totally confined to the jungle and lagoon district around Mullaittivu, their main military base on northeast coast.Sri Lanka's government pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce with the rebels a year ago, and stepped up its bid to dismantle the LTTE's northern mini-state once and for all.The government now says it is on the verge of total victory. What is meant by political solution to Sri Lanka's war? Sri Lanka's military has cornered the Tamil Tiger separatist rebels in the northeastern jungles of the Indian Ocean island, leading many to foresee an end to a 25-year war that is one of Asia's longest-running.But foreign diplomats, including neighbouring India, have long demanded a so-called political solution to the grievances of Sri Lanka's Tamil ethnic minority, and say there will be no lasting peace without it. WHAT DO DIPLOMATS MEAN BY A POLITICAL SOLUTION? * It is not quite clear the exact measures foreign diplomats want to see when they talk about a political solution, but the substance of it is negotiations between the government and Tamil groups. The purpose, they say, is to help forge some consensus way to end grievances between ethnic Tamils and the Sinhalese ethnic majority, which has run the country since independence from Britain in 1948. Last week, the United States explicitly said it did not advocate discussions with the Tigers, but urged broad discussions between the government and Tamil parties to address the concerns of all Sri Lankans, including Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. WHAT ARE THE GRIEVANCES BEING TALKED ABOUT? Many Tamils say they have been sidelined and mistreated since independence by successive governments, all of them led by the Sinhalese, who are about three-fourths of Sri Lanka's 21 million people. Many also fear that they will be bullied without the LTTE to protect them, even if that protection comes at an enormous cost. But many Sinhalese say that Tamils enjoyed unfair advantages under British rule -- especially in terms of government jobs and educational access -- and want them back. Though it is easy for outsiders to paint the discussion in purely ethnic terms, there are elements of land, religion, language and two millennia of history involved. Tamils and the Sinhalese have occupied the island for that long, and for the most part, peacefully. WHAT DOES SRI LANKA'S GOVERNMENT SAY ABOUT IT? * President Mahinda Rajapaksa says the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) must be defeated before any kind of real political settlement can be reached. He says the Tigers present themselves as the sole representative of Sri Lanka's Tamils and violently suppress any dissenting views. History bears that out. With the LTTE out of the way, Rajapaksa says he will call elections in the Northern Province the rebels had occupied and tried to turn into a separate state. That way, he says, Tamils will be part of the government and have their say. He has refused calls for a federal system. He has already held polls in the formerly rebel-held Eastern Province, but critics say those were tainted by the fact that the party that won -- a group of ex-Tigers now allied with Rajapaksa -- were armed at the polls. WHAT DISCUSSIONS ARE ONGOING? * There is an all-parties conference meeting sporadically to discuss a post-war political future, but it really hasn't taken off and critics says it is not inclusive enough. External pressure is likely to mount for the conference to produce results after the ground war is over. Rajapaksa has said he is willing to push the talks hard as soon as that happens. Diplomats say it is critical that any result must be legitimate in the eyes of Tamils in Sri Lanka and in the widespread diaspora which has funded the LTTE for years. Army ousts LTTE from Jaffna Civilians started pouring into the cleared areas in Kilinochchi and Jaffna as troops took full control of the Jaffna peninsula by yesterday noon with the troops of the 55 Division reaching Chundikulam in the southernmost border of the peninsula, Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the Media. A total of 655 civilians, the largest number of civilians reached Security Forces controlled areas within a single day, arrived in the general areas of Kevil and Murusamudai from midnight on Tuesday the Brigadier added. These people are provided medical treatment, temporary shelter, food, water and other needs by the Army. They were later handed over to Government officials in Jaffna to be directed to welfare centres in the Jaffna town under the supervision of the District Secretary. A total of 333 people who reached Kevil are in the Jaffna peninsula and another 322 people reached the Murusamudai area under the control of 58 Division in the East of Paranthan, the Brigadier added. “Many of these civilians walked into Security Forces controlled areas after escaping from the LTTEs grip whilst a group of 47 people reaching Murusamudai area in a boat from the lagoon in the East of Elephant Pass”, Brigadier Nanayakkara added. “There will be a sharp increase in the number of civilians arriving in the Security Forces controlled areas as troops are fast moving into Dharmapuram and Vattakachchi areas where the LTTE is holding a large number of civilians”, Brigadier Nanayakkara said. Meanwhile, troops of the 55 Division under the command of Brigadier Prasanna Silva reached the edge of the Jaffna peninsula by yesterday noon to reach Chundikulam area in the Mullaitivu district completely taking the Jaffna peninsula under Security Forces control. The 55 Division has advanced 40 Km from the Nagar Kovil defence line in the Eastern edge of the Jaffna peninsula capturing five Sea Tiger bases in Mamunai, Thalai Adi, Vathurayan, Vettilaikerni and Chundikulam. According to military sources troops of the 55 Division have recovered more than 400 Anti Personnel Mines yesterday alone as they are marching through mine fields. “The 55 Division is now operating 20 Km North of Mullaitivu in the northern border of the Mullaitivu district”, sources added. The 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva is also advancing further Eastward as they are now passing Dharmapuram and closing in on Visuamadu. “Fierce fighting erupted in the Dharmapuram area during the past few days with troops discovering a number of Tiger bodies and weapons”, sources added. President tells media to be responsible Battlefield progress Polls in Northern Sri Lanka before the New Year Sri Lanka government is considering to hold local government election in the Jaffna peninsula including the Jaffna Municipal Council before the Sinhala and Hindu New Year in April. The government hopes to hold elections at 17 local government institutes in Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts, sources said. Any Sri Lankan government since 1997 has not been able to hold a local government election in the Northern region. In 2006 the Election Commissioner called the nominations for the local government election in Northern peninsula, but finally decided to postpone it.The government is hopeful the LTTE terrorism will be brought under control before the polls. Foreign nation attempting save Prabhakaran’s skin - Army Army intelligence has received reports of an attempt by an interested foreign country to spirit away LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran now cornered in a jungle hideout somewhere in Mullaitivu, following successful military operations which resulted in the capture all areas, bar a few square kilometers in Mullaitivu, held by the LTTE. A high ranking defence source told The Island yesterday that this particular foreign country, which was closely associated with the LTTE in the past, would try every possible means to prevent Prabhakaran from being captured or killed by the military. "It could be by air, sea or even by using a submarine that this country would attempt to spirit away the Tiger leader," he said.This information was discussed yesterday at the Security Council meeting but he declined to elaborate further. However, the Navy and Air Force are keeping a close vigil around the seas off Mullaitivu to prevent such an attempt.Meanwhile, the Navy was closing in on Mullaitivu and was only a few kilometers from the jungles where Prabhakaran is said to be. A highly placed governmental source speculated that soon newspapers would be able to report some very sensational news concerning the Tiger leader.Asked why this particular foreign country was keen on saving Prabhakaran the source said that it was always suspected that this country under various guises was only helping the LTTE and the Government had reasonable suspicion about its activities. Sri Lanka to consider Prabhakaran’s extradition issue ‘positively’ A day before Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon heads to Colombo, Sri Lanka Wednesday said it will look at any Indian request for extradition of LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran ‘positively’. ‘The government’s stand is that if there is a request, certainly that will have to be looked at very seriously - I would say even positively,’ Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India C.R. Jayasinghe told the Times Now news channel. India has made numerous requests to Sri Lanka to hand over Prabhakaran to face trial here for the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Earlier this month, Menon said India has made repeated requests for the extradition of Prabhakaran. ‘On Prabhakaran, our views are well known. I think we have consistently sought his extradition to face charges here, to face trial here actually,’ he had said Jan 5 at a press conference. ‘And that continues. That is a request we have renewed repeatedly,’ he said. During his two-day Sri Lanka visit, Menon is expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa Friday and discuss bilateral issues, including the present situation in the island’s north after the capture of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bastion Kilinochchi by the Sri Lankan army. Menon will also meet Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama. Sri Lankan security forces have launched a massive operation to liberate LTTE-held regions and are closing in on their last stronghold of Mullaitivu. India believes that Sri Lanka should not lose sight of a political solution within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. The visit comes a few days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi again urged New Delhi to step up measures to end to the conflict in Sri Lanka which he said had caused suffering to the Tamil minority in the island. “I will again (request) Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to speed up pro-active moves to solve the (Sri Lankan) problem, he said in Chennai Monday. Karunanidhi’s DMK is a key constituent of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Sri Lanka criticizes German comments at slain editor's funeral The Sri Lankan government sharply criticized comments made by the German Ambassador Jurgen Weerth at the funeral of a slain newspaper editor, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday. Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona on Tuesday summoned Weerth to express the government's ``displeasure,'' the official said on condition of anonymity. At Monday's funeral of Lasantha Wickrematunge, editor of the anti-government The Sunday Leader newspaper, who was shot and killed last week, Weerth said, ``Today is a day when one remains speechless. Maybe we should have spoken before this. Today it is too late. ``Today is a day when humanity has lost a major voice of truth. But he will live in his work,'' he said, making clear he was speaking in his capacity as the dean of Colombo-based diplomats. The funeral was attended by an estimated 5,000 people, including a number of foreign diplomats. Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and three other leaders of political parties were among those who spoke at the funeral. Wickrematunge's newspaper was known as an anti-government publication and was also critical of ongoing military operations against Tamil rebels in the northern part of the country. He was gunned down by unidentified men on January 8 while he was driving to work. His murder triggered street protests which included the burning of an effigy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. 14 January 2009 Indian aid to develop Kilinochchi Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene said yesterday that the development of the recently librated Kilinochchi would begin soon with the assistance of India. He said the government would also seek the assistance of other countries to develop Kilinochchi.Mr. Abeywardene told a news conference that preliminary discussions had taken place on Monday between Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa and Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad on the development of Kilinochchi and the North. Mr. Abeywardene said more discussions would take place shortly. He said the government’s intention was to develop the North faster than the East. The minister said the development process would start after the completion of de-mining, which is to begin soon. Mr.Abeywardene added that the Indian High Commissioner had expressed his satisfaction with the manner in which the relief items sent by the Indian government were distributed. The minister explained that the use of civilians as human shields by the LTTE presented a problem, as it made the security forces’ objective of avoiding civilian causalities difficult to achieve. He said over 768 people had fled the LTTE and come to the cleared areas last week: “We believe the civilians will try to come out of LTTE held areas even though they run the risk of being fired upon,” the minister said. The minister admitted that seven civilians had been killed on Monday and blamed the killings on the LTTE.Assessing the situation elsewhere, including Colombo, the minister said that everyone should be vigilant as it was not possible to declare the city one hundred percent safe: “It is not possible to give an assurance and the people, too, should be vigilant as the security forces alone cannot ensure security,” he said. Regarding the killing of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge he said considerable time was necessary to complete the investigation. “It took two years to identify the man who tried tu assassinate Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, and one should be patient till the investigation is over,” he said. Getting ready for Thai Pongal Thai Pongal is celebrated on January 14th 2009 by the Tamils all over the world. It’s a festival of thanks giving. It is also known as harvest festival. The month of Thai is considered auspicious by the Tamils, which will last from January 14th 2009 to February 15th 2009. Weddings take place during the month of Thai.There is a famous saying in Tamil-“Thai Piranthaal Vazhi Pirakkum”-It means the birth of the month of Thai will pave the way. Sweet rice is made and offered to Sun God at the temples and houses on this day. LTTE territory has shrunk to 600 sq km: Rajapaksa Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa believes that the LTTE and its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran are presently confined to a minuscule area 30 km in length and 20 km in breadth in the northeastern district of Mullaitivu.Over the last few days the rebels lost about 1,000 sq kms, shrinking area under their control rapidly.Interacting with foreign journalists over dinner here on Monday, Rajapaksa said that Mullaitivu town had all but fallen because it was being attacked from the west, south and the north giving the LTTE no chance to stem the assault.Asked when the war as such would be over, he said he hoped to end it in about two-and-ahalf months.The President accused the LTTE of holding the Tamil civilians in Mullaitivu district hostage to be used as a human shield.He claimed that civilians had had to pay SLRs 100,000 to the LTTE to migrate to government-held areas. Although there were only about 1,700 to 1900 LTTE fighters now, the outfit was guarding all the exit points to prevent civilians from fleeing, he said.When journalists pointed out that so far only 1,168 persons had come away from the LTTEheld areas and that it was possible that they did not want to come out, the President said that it was unthinkable that any civilian would want to stay on in a war-zone.The LTTE was exaggerating the number of civilians who were trapped, Rajapaksa maintained.“It is not 300,000 but less than 100,000,” he said.Asked what Sri Lanka would be like without Prabhakaran, Rajapaksa smiled and said: “We’ll see!”. And asked if there was a chance that power would be devolved to the Tamil minority to solve the basic ethnic question, he avoided giving a direct answer, saying, “Once the LTTE is defeated, we’ll hold elections in those areas. Let the people vote for who they want,” he said.On the burning issue of assaults on the media in south Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa said that his government was being blamed unfairly and illogically for the killing of ‘The Sunday Leader’ editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and the burning of the studios of Maharaja TV. “Will a government which is at the height of its popularity ever do anything to make itself unpopular?” he asked.“I have told the police to investigate these incidents thoroughly, and find out who is behind them,” the President said. Fears grow for Sri Lanka civilians Aid organisations say a major humanitarian crisis is unfolding in northern Sri Lanka where government forces are engaged in fierce fighting with Tamil Tiger rebels. Around 350,000 Tamil civilians are crammed into the area where fighting is taking place, forcing them to endure heavy bombardments and acute food shortages.Foreign journalists are prevented from entering the conflict zone, but Al Jazeera has obtained exclusive pictures showing civilians fleeing the fighting as buildings burn and craters from heavy shelling pockmark the earth."We lost everything, our property and all," one fleeing civilian told Al Jazeera. "It was the same at the last place we were staying, we lost everything there too.""We don't have any property now, we have lost everything. We are now worse than before, we don't have anything to eat."The town of Mullaittivu in Sri Lanka's northeast is thought to be the last stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who have been battling government forces for 25 years, hoping to obtain an independent homeland for the country's ethnic Tamils. Aid agencies say at least 30 people are being either killed or wounded daily in the violence, and getting food and emergency medical supplies to the area is also becoming impossible."For the last five days for example, there has been no aid that has reached this population at all because of the fighting," Paul Castella, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Sri Lanka, told Al Jazeera. He said they have been unable to establish safe passage into the region for aid convoys, although negotiations were taking place to open a so-called humanitarian corridor."And its not just about aid or assistance, but also about healthcare for the sick and the wounded," Castella said. "As you know, a number of hospitals had to be evacuated because of the moving frontline."Two hospitals are reported to have been bombed so far, and one aid group claims civilians are being targeted.Selvamalar Ayadurai, who runs an aid organisation helping civilians in Sri Lanka's north, says the term genocide may be justified."They use the term genocide - it may be right because the definition for genocide is a systematic and planned destruction of a social, racial or political group. So this is the destruction of a racial group, which are the Tamils of northern Sri Lanka," she told Al Jazeera.Sri Lankan government forces have achieved a string of victories against the Tigers in recent weeks.The government said a week ago that it had captured the strategic Elephant pass, which links the northern Jaffna peninsula to the mainland, for the first time since April 2000.And on January 2, the Sri Lankan flag was raised over Kilinochchi, a city that had been considered the Tamil Tigers' de facto capital.The conflict in Sri Lanka has raged since 1972 and about 70,000 people are thought to have been killed till date. Hangars, airfields, but where is the Tiger air force? With the Sri Lankan security forces closing in on the LTTE forces bottled up in Mullativu, questions are being raised on the fate of its tiny two-aircraft air wing.Last Saturday Sri Lankan forces captured the fourth and longest airstrip which the Tigers used to launch air attacks on Sri Lanka. Also captured near the Mullaitivu jungles were two armoured hangars which the rebels used to store the aircraft. But the airfield, ringed by a 300 metre barbed wire fence, was empty.Security experts believe the two Czech-built propeller-driven Zlin Z-143 aircraft which the Air Tigers operated could have been dismantled and pulled into the jungles of Mullaitivu where the entire Tiger leadership is boxed in."If the Lankan forces start combing the jungles they may discover the aircraft," says Colonel R. Hariharan (retired) former head of military intelligence in the Indian Peace Keeping Force. He noted that the retreating Tigers had pulled roofing off the houses of their erstwhile capital Kilinochi before retreating into the jungle. "It is possible that this roofing is being used for building bunkers and shelters inside the jungles," he says.The LTTE has used their two-aircraft air wing in eight attacks since March 2007, becoming the world's only guerrilla organisation to field an air wing. Most of the attacks have been of propaganda rather than tactical value and the last attack was reported in October last year.With the loss of their main airstrip, which at 1.5 km length and 20 metres width is the longest captured so far, the Tiger air wing's future is in doubt. However Hariharan does not rule out the possibility of the Tigers using the A-39 highway, which remains in territory still controlled by them, to launch sorties. Sri Lanka buries 41 unclaimed Tiger bodies Sri Lankan authorities on Wednesday buried 41 bodies of suspected Tamil Tiger rebels killed by advancing security forces in the island's north, officials said. Hospital officials in the town of Vavuniya, 260 kilometres (160 miles) north of here, said ongoing fighting made it difficult to transfer the bodies back to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) through the Red Cross. "The Tigers have not specified a place where the Red Cross can hand over the bodies to them," a hospital official said. "Because we have no storage facilities, we have arranged for the burials after forensic examinations." Both the military and the Tigers had earlier used the International Committee of the Red Cross to swap their war dead. The burials came as warplanes bombed and destroyed two LTTE artillery guns, the defence ministry said. It was not clear how many artillery pieces were still left with the Tigers. The air force had stepped up aerial strikes against the remaining LTTE strong points in the island's north on Tuesday with at least 10 bombing sorties, a ministry spokesman said. Fighting was also reported around guerrilla-controlled Mullaittivu district. The LTTE has not commented on the latest fighting, but have admitted losing ground in recent weeks -- including the town of Kilinochchi, which they used as their political base for nearly a decade. Heavy fighting in Mullaiththeevu frontier, Tigers recover 6 SLA bodies Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched an offensive push in Chilaavaththai in Mullaiththeevu district Tuesday. The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) have seized ammunitions and recovered at least 6 dead bodies of the SLA, according to the reports from Mullaiththeevu. The Tigers have claimed that they have repulsed the SLA push in Chilaavaththai and that the SLA had suffered heavy casualties in the confrontation. LTTE did not issue casualty details on its side. The clearing mission was continuing. Tissanayagam's bail application refused Colombo High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundara yesterday refused to allow the application filed by J. S. Tissanayagam to file for bail before the Supreme Court. The Court in its order stated that the application could not be allowed as the indictment was filed with three charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The order further stated that at the initial stage Tissanayagam was refused bail but he did not challenge order. The Attorney General's Department filed indictment against Jeyaprakasan Sittampalam Tissanayagam on three counts for conspiring to publish North Eastern Monthly magazine between June 01, 2006 to June 01, 2007 and publishing the magazine as a result of the conspiracy. The publication was defamatory of the Government and incited racism. Keeping Rajapakse in power By Spy Catcher New Year began with big bangs in Sri Lanka. The bang started with the celebrations of victory over LTTE when army took control of Killnochchi. Unfortunately the euphoria generated was short-lived when the government was implicated in the attack on the leading independent MTV television station followed by the murder of the most popular media editor Lasantha Wickramatunge.Facial expressions of the President during his speech on the victory of Kilinochchi and then the capture of Elephant Pass just after the murder of Lasantha are reflection of changing situations in the country. The President was found very buoyant when he delivered his victory speech on the fall of Kilinochchi but he looked very troubled when he addressed the nation after the capture of EP.It was the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe who gave his poignant attack on the government. He slammed that an elite force within the security establishment is behind the attack on the MTV and the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunga. What the Opposition Leader raised was a very serious issue, as within the past three years the Rajapakse brothers who are the ultimate stakeholders in the running of the government has changed the attitude and perception of the security establishment. Within the three years of Mahinda Rajapakse becoming President a powerful elite intelligence service has been established similar to the gestapo (Secret State Police) of the of Nazi Germany. It comes under the overall administration of the President’s brother Gotabaya Rajapakse.The intended purpose of establishing a gestapo type secret service is to gather intelligence by targeting individuals involved in terror campaign against the government. Large sums from the defense fund have been channeled to run this elite secret intelligence squad. According to well known sources, power equipments including telephone tapping machines have been installed to carryout this task.Rajapakse brothers soon realised the importance of their latest telephone tapping equipments and secretly revolutionised the mission to their political advantage to engage in wider espionage activities and to avenge those whom are threat to them. Obtaining secure telephone tapping system is not that difficult in the open international market.In the modern day ‘using the telephone network as a communications medium, it can be operated from anywhere in the world with complete confidence. These equipments are said to be software driven and, as one would expect, has a number of security features to protect against unauthorised access and to prevent detection. Basic tapping equipment is said to have up to 100 audio transmitters and can be placed in target areas. These under surveillance, can be tracked as they are moved from place to place. The powerful 5-watt actuator can be linked so that transmitters can be switched on or off remotely. All these transmission links can be encrypted for extra security allowing the video transmitter to be controlled from a remote location. A total of five hard-wired systems can be installed in the target area and accessed via the telephone line. A tape recorder can be linked to the system and fully controlled via the telephone line’.The project run by the Defence Ministry is larger than a basic telephone tapping system. Under the absolute control of the Defence Ministry, the elite secret service operates in a sophisticated way. In Sri Lanka telephone lines of media men, opposition party members, paramilitary groups and leading civil society activists are tapped for twenty four hours. Within the past three years Rajapakse brothers were able to weaken the opposition parties and the media by engaging in clandestine activities. Information obtained via telephone tapping played an important part. Valuable information are extracted from tapped telephone conversations. Break up of the opposition United National Party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and TMVP are said to be part of the successful espionage work of government security services.The counter terrorism objectives of the government became a tool for the government to manipulate the politics and the civil society in Sri Lanka within the past three years. Even Lasantha Wickramatunga’s murder is said to be part of this espionage operations. Some sources say Lasantha was able to obtain incriminating information about the involvement of the government in the murder of some parliamentarians and also he had obtained some definite evidence to challenge Gothabaya’s defamatory case against the Sunday leader which cased his death. The government too was in preparedness as its surveillance operations helped them to take the timely action to bump the Sunday Leader editor off.With the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunga and the government’s unwillingness to carryout full investigations into the murders and abductions for the past three years confirms to what extent impunity is prevailing in the country as an established policy.It is these secret setups of the elitists and the corruption that is embedded in the governance is holding this government together. Even if the government fully eliminate the LTTE monster, it will be difficult for the unscrupulous political power base in Colombo to get rid of the mechanisms brought to fight the very same LTTE evil. Many more Lasantha’s have to sacrifice their lives to save the future of Sri Lanka. 13 January 2009 TNA(TELO,TULF,EPRLF and ACTC) team in India M’tivu hospital captured: Hideout frequented by P’karan bombed The LTTE yesterday suffered another heavy blow when it lost control of the Mullaitivu hospital which it had used to treat its wounded and sick cadres after the loss of the Kilinochchi hospital.Troops of the 59 Division surrounded the hospital located about 4 km west of Mullaitivu between Mullaivalli and Tunniyattu. "By the time we reached, the LTTE had removed everything they could lay their hands on and fled into the jungles," a ground commander told The Island yesterday evening. He said some LTTE groups had put up heavy resistance before fleeing.The troops had to breach an earth bund the LTTE had put up near the hospital to impede the army’s advance.Although the hospital did not suffer any damage in the battle, the LTTE had reduced it to an empty shell by removing all the equipment, beds, air-conditioners and even ceiling fans besides drugs and surgical equipment, sources said adding that it may have taken the LTTE days if not weeks to strip the hospital of its resources.The LTTE had turned the hospital into a camp of sorts by building underground bunkers within its premises. Military Spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said with the troops making a foray into the last bastion of the LTTE, the fleeing Tigers had no alternative but to turn to the sea in search of an escape route. However, Navy Spokesman Captain D. K. P. Dassanayake recently said in a television interview that the Navy had taken all the precautions to thwart LTTE leaders from escaping via the sea. He said there were four security cordons in place and the Navy was ready for any eventuality. British Deputy HC in Jaffna Deputy British High Commissioner Mark Gooding undertook a visit to Jaffna Peninsula yesterday to observe and assess the humanitarian and ground security situation in the region. According to UK High Commission sources, Gooding during his visit to Jaffna is scheduled to meet the newly appointed Security Forces Commander of Jaffna Major General P. Samarasinghe, Jaffna Bishop Rev. Rayappu Joseph and the heads of INGOs in the Jaffna Peninsula. "He will also be visiting an IDP centre in Jaffna to observe the condition of the IDPs," sources added. Gooding to make a courtesy visit to the Nallur Hindu Kovil and the Jaffna Library as part of his visit. Thirumavalavan to fast to death, demands New Delhi to stop war in Sri Lanka Thol. Thirumavalavan, President of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), announced Monday that he would undertake a fast-unto-death to pressurize the Indian Government to put an immediate end to the genocide of Eelam Tamils in Sri Lanka, according to media sources in Chennai. Thol. ThirumaavalavanThe date, venue and other leaders joining him in his fast has not yet been finalized, the sources further said. According to initial reports in Chennai, the VCK leader will be commencing the fast on Thursday. Don’t ignore plight of Lankan Tamils, Karuna tells Centre Sri Lanka bombs rebel leaders' hide-out Sri Lankan fighter jets and attack helicopters pounded rebel positions, including a hide-out used by top rebel leaders, as infantry clashes killed at least 19 rebels, the military said.The new fighting came as government forces pressed ahead Monday with their offensive to crush the Tamil Tiger rebels and seize the insurgents' last stronghold in the north.The military has won a string of major victories against the rebels in recent weeks, capturing their administrative capital of Kilinochchi and seizing their main base on the Jaffna peninsula.The rebels, who once controlled a substantial swath of territory in the north, have retreated to a small region of jungle in the northeast.The military kept the pressure on Monday, launching airstrikes on rebel gathering points in support of ground troops, the military said.In one attack, air force jets bombed a hide-out deep in the jungle in Mullaittivu believed to have been visited by the Tamil Tigers' top leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the military said in a statement.It did not provide details of damage or casualties.The two sides also fought nearly three dozen battles Sunday that killed at least 19 rebels, the military statement said without providing its own casualties.The rebels fought back with mortar barrages and roadside bombs and troops recovered four rebel bodies, the military said.The Tigers were not available for comment, but the rebel-linked Web site TamilNet reported a sharp rise in civilian casualties from the fighting in recent days.It was not possible to independently verify the military reports because journalists are banned from the northern jungles where much of the fighting takes place. Each side commonly exaggerates its enemy's casualties and downplays its own.Aid groups have expressed concern that hundreds of thousands of civilians living in the rebels' shrinking territory will increasingly fall victim to the encroaching violence.The rebels have been fighting since 1983 to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils, who have suffered decades of marginalization by governments controlled by the Sinhalese majority. The conflict has killed more than 70,000 people. Lankan Tamil legislators urge India to initiate peace talks A Sri Lankan lawmakers delegation belonging to the Tamil National Alliance Party, on Monday, appealed to the Tamil Nadu and Indian Governments to intervene in the military offensive against the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in the island nation.The team of five legislators asked the Indian leadership to mediate and save the lives of thousands of innocent Tamils."We (are)appealing to chief minister Tamil Nadu and central government, we are expecting to stop the war immediately otherwise our people will die, definitely they will die. So stop the war immediately and take action for peace talks," said Sambandam, a Sri Lankan legislator.The delegation alleged that Sri Lankan Army was regularly carrying out intense aerial bombardment and also firing multi-barrel rocket launchers at Tamil civil population, killing thousands of innocent people."The Sri Lankan government is unable to come up with a political solution to the Tamil question and that is the reason, why the Sri Lankan government has unleashed this process of genocide. The Sri Lanka government claims that it is conducting war against the LTTE. But the reality is that the main victims of war are non-combatant Tamil civilians. If the process continues without being stopped it is inevitable the Sri Lankan government would be successful in its genocidal programme," said Padmini Chidambaanathan, another Sri Lankan legislator.Legislators further added that thousands of Tamil people are living without food and clothes and most of them are living in the forest area.Sri Lankan troops fought the shrinking strongholds of the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels on Sunday, the military said, seeking a crushing battlefield victory to end one of Asia's longest insurgent ground wars.The Sri Lankan military said it had killed at least 24 rebels after a series of confrontations on Saturday in the small northeastern wedge of jungle, which is all that is left of the Tigers' self-proclaimed state.Soldiers seized Kilinochchi, which the rebels had dubbed their capital, on Jan. 2 and a week later ran the LTTE out of Elephant Pass, the strategic gateway to the northern Jaffna Peninsula, which had been in rebel hands since 2000.Both major victories have cleared the way for soldiers to converge on the port of Mullaittivu with the aim of ending the 25-year ground war. The LTTE better known as Tigers contend that they are fighting to address mistreatment of minority Tamils since the Sinhalese ethnic majority took over at independence from Britain in 1948.But many Sinhalese say Tamils enjoyed unfair advantages in colonial times and want them back.The Tigers are on U.S., European Union and Indian terrorism lists after carrying out hundreds of assassinations and suicide bombings, including against Tamils who challenged them. LTTE leaders to surrender? With the security forces closing in on the uncleared areas in the North, TMVP leader Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman yesterday said there would be a possibility of secondary level LTTE leaders leaving the organization and surrendering to the military in the future. However, he ruled out the possibility of those in the LTTE hierarchy such as Susai, Bhanu and P. Nadesan doing so.Mr. Muralitharan, the one time LTTE commander for the Eastern Province, told the Daily Mirror that the minor cadres had already started leaving the organization by throwing away their weapons. “The fall of Mullaitivu is now imminent. After its fall, the LTTE will be holed up in their jungle pockets. Now, they have a territory which is only 40 square kilometres in extent. All heavy weapons and other war infrastructures are installed in it now,” he said.Asked whether it would be the beginning of a long-drawn guerrilla war that existed during the time of the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF), he said that it would be impossible today.“At that time, people supported the LTTE. It mingled with people and carried out attacks. Today, the people have rejected them. At the same time, the military is using modern warfare. It will be impossible for them to hold on to their pockets under such circumstances. The army will smoke them out easily,” he said. He said the war would end soon, but ruled out the possibility of setting any deadline for it at this hour. Dying for free speech in Sri Lanka While driving to work on 8 January Lasantha Wickrematunge, editor in chief of the Sunday Leader, was assassinated by four gunmen on motorcycles. He was shot at point-blank range after being forced to stop at a traffic light. He was rushed to the Kalubowila hospital where he later died. His death came just two days after a major arson attack on the privately owned MVC/MTV television studios in Colombo.Sri Lanka is considered the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists (Iraq being the first). The Leader, which Lasantha founded with his brother in 1994, was one of the strongest – if not the strongest – liberal, democratic voices in Sri Lanka, speaking out against the war but also against corruption, terrorism, organised crime and human rights violations. As a result, Lasantha and his staff were frequently attacked. In the past he had been ambushed and beaten with clubs and nail-spiked poles. His family home was bombarded by a heavily armed assault team. The premises of the Leader were stormed twice, employees were threatened and printing presses burned. Inquiries never reached a conclusion. Despite these onslaughts, Lasantha and the Leader did not stop, their motto being "we will prevail ... unbowed, and unafraid". Lasantha knew he was being followed last Thursday. He had been working, as ever, on a particularly controversial story, and he knew the risks he faced – which is why he wrote this editorial in anticipation that he would be killed. In the preceding weeks, he had received threatening telephone calls. His wife Sonali had noticed the motorcycles tailing them earlier that day. She had begged him not to go to work. Stories about his life and his death have been prominent and plentiful on the internet, and also in the international press, though not as yet on the front pages. Tributes have been personal – listing his provocative style and scathing manner alongside his integrity and tenacity. Comments have been self-righteous, spiteful, and angry (as well as supportive, saddened and angry). Some claim he was a liar, that he was corrupt and partisan. I don't mind. This is to be expected. If you are a journalist and a lawyer and you work in Sri Lanka, it comes with the territory. But what I cannot abide is the accusation that he was unpatriotic. Is patriotism blindly advocating everything done by a government? Is it pandering to the majority opinion? Was he betraying his country by upholding his principles? By speaking out against the war? By exposing corruption and human rights abuses? By being a "peacenik"?As his niece, I had the honour of giving the speech at Lasantha's wedding reception – little over two weeks ago, on 27 December 2008. What I said about the couple came from the heart: they are ferociously loyal to their principles and they both love their country. In my opinion, Lasantha was a true patriot. I too am a patriot. I love the country that gave the world the word "serendipity", its first female prime minister, amazing spin bowlers, Michael Ondaatje, some of its best tea and warmest smiles. I am proud to be a Sri Lankan. Not a Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Dutch Burgher or Veddah but Sri Lankan. True patriots love every part of their country and every person in it. And they are willing to fight and to die for every part of their country and every person in it. The Sri Lankan Daily Mirror ran an editorial saying: [Lasantha's] killing must deserve our condemnation not merely because it denied a journalist his right to an opinion, but more because it denied the people their right to know. Outside Sri Lanka, much is known. There have been countless UN reports, political statements and NGO studies on harassment of the media, disappearances, arbitrary detention, use of child soldiers, assassinations, forced migration, and ethnic cleansing by many different players over the years. But after the disastrous attempt by India to intervene and the failed Norwegian monitoring mission, people do not want to know any more. Why does Sri Lanka never make the headlines? Sri Lankans "out-die" people in Israel and Palestine by a rate of over 3:1. The Tamil Tigers perfected the art of suicide bombing – pioneering the use of concealed bombing vests – and brought it to international audiences (notably by assassinating Rajiv Gandhi). Hamas doesn't have a naval wing. Sri Lanka has endured 25 years of conflict, and before that decades of oppression, corruption and violence. A vicious terrorist group and a succession of cruel, weak, uncaring and thuggish governments. Lies, bombs and assassinations. But Sri Lanka is still not front-page news. We are just not important enough. Lacking oil, we are not geopolitically significant. Our fundamentalists are not of the recognised brand. We are neither a threat to international peace and security nor a pivotal part of the global economy. What do we have to do to get attention? Start building nuclear weapons? Grow beards? We may not be in anyone's strategic interest, but if you prick us, do we not bleed? If we are assassinated, do we not die? If we slaughter each other, does the international community not have a responsibility to act? The government says it is winning the war, but this war cannot be won militarily. Unless a just political solution is found and economic stability established, there will always be those who will seek change through violence. It is possible to crush an army or a terrorist group, but without justice, tolerance, freedom and human rights, peace can never be achieved. We have seen in Afghanistan and Iraq what happens when violence and injustice are allowed to fester. What angers me most is that Sri Lanka could be an international peace success story. It is not the Middle East or Afghanistan or Darfur. I am not calling for military intervention (though Sri Lanka merits, at minimum, consideration under the preventive elements of the UN's "responsibility to protect"). Having grown up experiencing a "success" (Kosovo) and a "failure" (Iraq), military interventions to me signify bombs, destruction and the possible death of my loved ones. But international publicity, diplomatic pressure, security council attention, UN monitoring, prosecutions, targeted sanctions on individuals and conditions on aid and trade could make a difference if employed swiftly and intelligently, with a real commitment to helping the country to heal itself. As Sri Lankans take to the streets to protest the assassination of Lasantha, politicians all over the world should speak out against violence, crimes against humanity, terrorist attacks and human rights violations. Journalists should rise to the defence of one of their own, a natural born reporter and a true patriot. Sri Lanka should mourn one of its finest sons, who died fighting for the country that he loved. I mourn Lasantha Wickrematunge. You should too. Until justice is done and someone starts giving a damn about Sri Lanka, a nasty stain remains on the conscience of the world. Pro Government party’s EPDP, PLOTE, TULF welcome LTTE ban While the people are rejoicing the recent historical military victories - capturing of Paranthan, Kilinochchi and Elephant Pass, last weeks decision by the Government to ban the LTTE is the fulfilling of a long-standing wish of the anti- LTTE Tamil politicians, who said it should have happened pararal to the abrogation of the Norwegian brokered Ceasefire Agreement. Being in the forefront of the anti-LTTE war, the EPDP, TULF and PLOTE welcoming the move to proscribe the LTTE said that many unfortunate incidents could have been prevented if the decision was made earlier. General Secretary of the EPDP and Minister of Social Services Douglas Devananda viewed the move as an act of redeeming the Tamils from the inhumane cruelties inflicted upon them by the LTTE terrorists. "Using over 200,000 innocent civilians as a human shield is a shocking act which the LTTE cannot be pardoned. It is a gross violation of human rights and a clear act of terrorism," he sad. The Minister who is the Chairman of the Special Task Force Committee of the Northern Province said that an unwillingness of the LTTE to resume peace talks and refusal to join the democratic mainstream were the other major considerations that compelled the Government to proscribe it. "The EPDP appreciates and values this decision and says it was a decision of extreme importance'' he said '' but many sad instances could have been prevented if this decision arrived years back." He said that though some interested quarters tagged the decision as a 'tactic' adopted by the Government to stop negotiations with the LTTE, the LTTE had a history of throwing out many opportunities emerged for arriving a political settlement to address the issues of the Tamils. "The LTTE had all the opportunities opened for negotiations to build up their power. The LTTE never worked for the wellbeing of the Tamils and they had never attempted to bring a honourable political solution to the grievances of the Tamils. Tamils can never have hopes in the LTTE to solve their problems, he said. The liberation of the Tamils, according to Minister Devananda, would not happen until LTTE terrorism is wiped out. The proscription of the LTTE will prevent many terrorist activities by the Tigers and there should not be any room for the terrorists to harm the innocent people of this country," he added. Commenting about the repeated defeats of the LTTE, PLOTE Leader Dharmalingam Sithadthan sees no practical benefit of proscribing the LTTE as it is already on the 'brink of extinction'. He said there was no need of talking to the LTTE as the Tigers would lose their domination in the North which would prove that they are not representing the Tamils any more as they claimed. He said that fall of Kilinochchi and Elephant Pass will help to open the A-9. This would tremendously help the people of Jaffna who faced many hardships due to closure of the road linking Jaffna and Kandy. According to Sithadthan, after 25 years, civilians would be able to travel on the A 9 road with out paying taxes to the LTTE. He believes that the lives of Tamils in the North would be made more comfortable, with the opening of the linkage to South and the North. "Tamils will warmly welcome the opening of the A9 as it will bring many benefits to them," he said. Sithadthan said that the war had gone closer to Prabhakaran and his end is near. Sithadthan is optimistic that the Vanni civilians, who have experienced war for decades and know how to find safe routes to cross to liberated areas , would cross to the liberated areas soon despite the LTTE's strong warnings and harrestment. Leader of TULF Veerasingham Anandasangaree, who has written a numerous number of open letters to Prabhakaran, said that he was happy about the military victories and welcomed the move to ban the LTTE but he was not happy as it came late. He said that with the abrogation of the CFA, the Government could have banned the LTTE. He said that the Government should have waited for some time to ban the LTTE as over 200,000 civilians were still living under the iron fist of the LTTE. "They are not allowed to move about. The military is having a very fast push from Paranthan to Muhamalai and what the Government could have done was to wait until Mullaithivu is liberated and then ban the LTTE. Anandasangaree said that the LTTE which had squandered all opportunities to find a durable solution to the grievances for the Tamils has now dug its own grave. 12 January 2009 Pope calls for political solution in Lanka Army to prevent LTTE’s access to sea by sealing off NE coast The Army is poised to thwart a possible attempt by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, his family and the top leaders to escape by closing the north-eastern seaboard completely.Authoritative military sources said that the 53and 55 Divisions rapidly advancing southwards on the narrow neck of land towards Chundikulam would link-up with the 59 Division now deployed just south of the LTTE’s last stronghold at Mullaitivu on the north-eastern coast. Sources said that the army would reach Chundikulam as early as Sunday (11) evening. The spearheads of the 59 Division were about 20 nautical miles away from Chundikulam. The army said that this distance could be covered within a week. This would be a significant development in Sri Lanka’s war against terror, sources said adding that since India launched a programme to recruit, train and deploy Tamil youth against the then government of President J. R. Jayewardene in the early 1980s, Sri Lanka had never succeeded in bringing the entire coastline under its control. The army, after clearing the entire area west of the A9 was closing-in-on the LTTE’s only access to sea, the sources said. That would be the end of the Sea Tigers, as they would be left without any launching pads, an official said. The security forces will now concentrate on Chundikulam and Nanthikandal lagoons on the eastern Vanni. Failure of successive governments to tackle the seagoing arm of the LTTE effectively, the Sea Tigers, over the past two decades, had been able to bring in massive stocks of arms, ammunition and equipment, sources said.The navy has thrown the bulk of its assets, including over two dozen Fast Attack Craft (FACs), six Offshore Patrol Craft (OPVs), Special Boat Squadron and the recently set up Rapid Action Boat Squadron to guard the sea frontage. The heavy naval presence, believed to be the largest single concentration of firepower, was part of its strategy to thwart any attempt on the part of the LTTE and its foreign supporters from interfering with the ongoing combined security forces campaign. The navy being responsible for the destruction of eight LTTE floating arsenals is believed to have tracked down some other LTTE overseas assets in the recent past. Sources asserted that the LTTE would vacate Mullaitivu and move into Puthukudirippu region, where it would make a final stand. Responding to our queries, an official said that the area still under LTTE control was within the range of artillery from several directions. Army Chief Lt. General Sarath Fonseka recently said that the LTTE had been boxed into a triangle smaller in size than the Thoippigala-Narakkamulla area. The 55 and 53 Divisions conducting operations at Nithiyavedda and Kattundarkulam on Saturday (10) recovered bodies of three LTTE cadres along with 8 T-56 rifles, two Multi Purpose Machine Guns (MPMG) and four radio communication sets. The army, over the weekend, also seized the LTTE’s largest airstrip in the eastern part of the Vanni region. The runway built during the CFA and expanded after eruption of Eelam War IV had fuelled speculation that the LTTE was planning to bring in supplies by air. The airstrip located at Keppapularu, 6.5 km north-west of Mulliyawalai town and 5 km west of Nanthikandal lagoon was captured by the 59 Division on Saturday.Army headquarters said that the 9SR (Sinha Regiment) commanded by Colonel Janaka Ariyarartne had captured a section of the airstrip by Friday evening and overran the entire area over the weekend. The 2.5 km long airfield with a 1.5 km long and 100 m wide tarmac was believed to be one of the most secured areas in the LTTE-held area. The facility included two hangers and several huts partly destroyed by the fleeing LTTE. Since the launch of the Vanni offensive, the army has captured four airstrips at Panikkankulam area, Nivil area, jungle area south of Iranamadu tank and Keppapularu. Sources said with the capture of the LTTE’s largest airstrip at Keppapularu equipped to accommodate large fixed aircraft, the LTTE would have to abandon any plan to airlift the LTTE leadership to a safer location overseas. Armed forces officers said that the LTTE leader and his chief lieutenants, including Sea Tiger leader Soosai, Intelligence chief Pottu Amman and Swarnam had several options. As they couldn’t get away, they would have to commit suicide, surrender to the army, die at the hands of the army, perish in air assaults or go underground and live among the people. The sources also speculated on the possibility of a faction within the LTTE assassinating Prabhakaran to force an immediate end to fighting. Sri Lankan Tamils and LTTE cannot be equated: Brinda CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat on Sunday said her party's concern about the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils should not be misused by any force to support the outlawed LTTE. "The CPI(M) is extremely concerned about the safety and security of Tamil population in Sri Lanka. However, the party would not like this concern to be misused by any force to support LTTE," she told reporters here. Tamils in Sri Lanka and the LTTE cannot be "equated", she said, asking the UPA Government to take measures to protect the lives of innocent Tamils. Her comments come at a time when the Congress had been demanding action against those supporting LTTE under the pretext of espousing the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils in the backdrop of the current military offensive against the banned outfit in the north of the island nation. The AIADMK with which the CPI(M) has recently forged an alliance for the coming Lok Sabha elections is also a staunch opponent of the LTTE. To achieve the Sri Lankan Tamils' demand for autonomy, a political solution should be found within the legal framework of the island nation, Karat said. India can help resolve ethnic crisis: Radhakrsihnan Up Country People’s Front leader P Radhakrishnan yesterday had requested India "to intervene and play an active role" in resolving the North East crisis and said "only New Delhi can help in bringing peace to Lanka," The Hindu newspaper’s online edition said.He said India can also play an important role in uplifting the economic status of the 1.5 million Indian-origin people in Sri Lanka. "India can play a major role in bringing peace to the country. No other country can play the role India can play," P Radhakrishnan was quoted as saying.The Hindu report filed from Chennai also said: He said the Government of India should reach out to all the political parties in Sri Lanka and evolve a consensus in finding a long-lasting solution to the decades-old ethnic conflict. "Only India can take into confidence all the political parties in the country. No other country, even Norway, can help Sri Lanka in bringing peace to the country," Radhakrishnan, who is also the Deputy Minister for Vocational and Technical Training, said. His remarks assume significance as the Sri Lankan Army had yesterday captured the strategic ‘Elephant Pass’ which links the Jaffna peninsula with the rest of the country. Radhakrishnan said India should persuade the parties which are not satisfied with the steps being taken up by the Sri Lankan Government in devolving powers to the country to arrive at a solution. "India has to play a meaningful role in bringing peace to Sri Lanka which has a large chunk of Indian population. Sri Lanka is always close to India and the Indian community there will be grateful to India if it intervenes and brings peace," Radhakrishnan said. The Deputy Minister said India should also play a vital role in uplifting the status of the Indian-origin people, who are mostly tea plantation workers, along with the Sri Lankan Government which has been taking several steps in this regard. "India is the largest economy in this part of the world and it is emerging as a super power. So, the country can help its sons-of-the-soil who live in under-developed countries," Radhakrishnan, who attended the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas here, said. He said the government should also organise more events like PBD which helps the India-origin people who have settled in various parts of the world to interact with each other. Events like this promote co-operation between the country and the diaspora community, he said.’ Srilankan Government puppet Sangaree tells TNA MPs Resign or save Tamils trapped in Vanni TULF leader and Srilankan Government puppet V. Anandasangaree yesterday called upon the 22 TNA Parliamentarians to vacate their seats or save the innocent Tamils trapped in Vanni under the gun point of the LTTE."They have fooled enough of the people whom they claim to represent in Parliament, but never championed their cause. They have misled the International Community and the people of Tamil Nadu in particular," said in a release issued to the media.The people of Kilinochchi are all now displaced and living at Dharmapuram, a small village in the district. More than 100,000 people, including men, women and children, including the sick and toddlers, deprived of their normal life, had been mercilessly driven like cattle into Kilinochchi by the LTTE from the areas under their control in the neighbouring districts of Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitheevu. They were pushed into Kilinochchi by the withdrawing LTTE, unable to confront the advancing Government Forces. Left alone, most of them would have stayed in their homes or could have gone to their respective homes and been saved. Instead, they are brought from far off places and squeezed into small villages already over crowded with displaced persons from the Kilinochchi district. The LTTE holds these people to ransom for no fault of theirs, but only for the sole purpose of using them as human shields for their own protection, he said. The TNA, he said, was "ignoring to respond to the distress call of these 250,000 people who are caught up between the LTTE which is compulsorily recruiting men and women only to sacrifice them at the battlefront. Hundreds had been bitten by snakes and many have died. The weather is so bad and the rain so heavy that all areas are flooded and people have to move from place to place in search of highland to camp and to cook their food. Apart from the snake menace, there is the threat of malaria and dengue. The distress call of these unfortunate people is not heard in Tamil Nadu, he said: "I daresay that all these sufferings of the people do not seem to be of any concern to the TNA MPs and some leaders of Tamil Nadu, who were in the forefront of the recent uprising in Tamil Nadu, most of whom take pride in boasting of the umbilicus corde relationship, between the Tamils of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu. They least know of the same relationship the Sinhalese have with the Tamils of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Their only concern seems to be saving the LTTE under the pretext of stopping the war.""A TNA Parliamentarian had said in Parliament recently that 55,000 children from 190 schools are not attending school. He did not have the guts to tell the world as to why this has happened, because of whom and where. To add to what he said, in the Eastern Province more than 6,000 children do not know their alphabet. The MP did not mention how teachers on the government’s payroll are fighting in the war front for the LTTE. These MP’s children are quite safe in foreign countries, enjoying a good education. The irony is that a TNA Member of Parliament, whose entire family is in Australia, recently referred to me in Parliament as a traitor." "One can understand TNA Members of Parliament remaining silent on this type of issue merely to please the LTTE and to save their seats in Parliament. But one cannot understand as to why Tamil Nadu should remain silent without raising one word of protest against it." "The TNA Members did not protest when the LTTE ordered all those 8,000 students who sat for the G.C.E(O/L) examination held recently, to undergo training while the Catholic Church protested against the attempt of the LTTE to take away some orphans from an orphanage run by the church," he said. Restore peace in Sri Lanka: PMK Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss has demanded that the Central Government take necessary steps to restore peace in Sri Lanka.Speaking to reporters at Thailapuram, near here, on Sunday, he said this was part of the common minimum programme (CMP) that was adopted by the constituents of UPA soon after forming the Government. Congress, RJD, DMK, NCP, PMK, PRS, JMM, LJP, MDMK, AIMIM, PDP, IUML, Republican Party of India and Kerala Congress had supported peace talks in Sri Lanka, he said and added that the Congress-led UPA Government should fulfil the assurance and take efforts in restoring peace in the island nation.Under the pretext of fighting against terrorism, the Sri Lankan Government has been waging a war against ethnic Tamils, Ramadoss said and added that innocent children, women, students and patients were killed in the war. Several lakh people were rendered homeless and they had taken shelter in Mullaitheevu jungle, he said. On the ongoing lorry strike in the country, he said that the governmentshould take over the lorries and operate them for the benefit of common people. Govt. pushes for UN ban on LTTE The government has speeded up its action for lobbying at the United Nations (UN) to secure a UN ban on the LTTE with the world body yet to name the LTTE as a terrorist organization in keeping with its Security Council resolution on international terrorism. The Security Council resolution (1373), adopted shortly after the terrorist attack in the United States on September 11, 2001, laid down wide-ranging comprehensive steps and strategies to combat international terrorism. It guides the Counter Terrorism Committee bolstering the UN member states’ ability to prevent terrorist acts both within their borders and across the region.A Foreign Ministry official who commented on the resolution said that though the UN had clearly defined acts of terrorism, it was yet to proscribe the LTTE as a terrorist organization.“We want the LTTE to be listed by the UN as a terrorist outfit. With this in view we held cluster meetings with several UN bodies and member-states. We are now laying the groundwork for such a resolution. Our aim is to get the LTTE banned before the end of this year,” he said. The official said the Ministry had to specify LTTE activities committed in the international arena including the United States if the FM was to achieve success in lobbying for the ban.A number of countries including Canada, the European Union and India had proscribed the LTTE as a terrorist organization while Australia was still to reach a decision in this regard. Lasantha was to complain to Obama about killer squads of Sri Lankan origin US citizens -says Mangala Sri Lanka Freedom Party People’s Wing leader and former Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that Lasantha Wickramathunga had an audio recording of a confession made by one of the members of the killer squad led by the ‘Ugly American’ and a court injunction against Wickramathunga was obtained to prevent him revealing those facts. Addressing a press conference of joint opposition held on Sunday morning (11), MP Samaraweera charged that the same persons assassinated Lasantha Wickramathunga.The press conference was held to request from all to come to Kirimandala Mawatha of Narahenpita, 2.00 PM today (12) to participate in the funeral of the slain Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickramathunga.MP Samaraweera said that in the morning he faced death, Wickramathunga had received a copy of a suspicious cabinet paper submitted by the President to the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday (07) night. Samaraweera showed the media persons a copy of the said cabinet paper that we have posted below.MP Samaraweera said that the cabinet papers No: 08/2386/305/120, No: 08/2387/305/121 and No: 08/2385/305/119 for procuring emergency defence and air equipment were suspicious since they had no mentioning of the facts like what to purchase, from where and what the price etc. The suppler was mentioned as ‘single source supplier,’ said MP Samaraweera. He further stated that the procurement agency ‘Lanka Logistic Technology Ltd.’ director board is none other than the Rajapakse Brothers Company. He says that only the technical details of the procured items need to be secret. This kind of large procurements should not be done out of an open tender process, Samaraweera pointed out.Lasantha Wickramathunga was to expose these details. He was also to hand over a file with details of killer squads run by US citizens in Sri Lanka to the US state Secretary after President elect Barak Obama assumed duty. Before he could proceed with them he was gunned down, said MP Mangala Samaraweera. He said that this US citizen had killer squads in the names K-9 Group, Mahasona Group, Singha Mafia etc. Initially, they were led by a person called Gajanayaka and now they are led by one ‘Navy Sampath.’ There is a special unit under a retired person whose name begins with ‘z’ letter to spy the places the persons to be killed inhabit.When Lanka-e-News enquired from Army spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara about the charges made by MP Samaraweera, he said that Army had immense responsibility of fighting with LTTE terrorists and they did not target civilians. He said that the complainants could go to courts and prove what they said. India shou | ||
