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On the night of 1st June 1981, members from the Sinhalese-dominated police force rampaged through Jaffna town's public library, one of the great repositories of the Tamil people's history and culture, and committed an act of ethnic vandalism that helped set this country on a path to civil war. Cultural destruction is an integral part of genocide. |
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30 June 2007 US voices concern over 350 people 'disappeared' in Sri Lanka COLOMBO - The United States has voiced concern about the fate of 355 Sri Lankans who "disappeared" in recent months amid an escalation of the island's ethnic conflict, the government here said Friday. US ambassador Robert Blake gave a list of 355 names of people whose whereabouts were unknown, the foreign ministry said. It said Colombo took the issue seriously and had launched investigations into the list presented soon after a visit here in March by US Assistant Secretary of State Stephen Mann. Mann raised concerns about human rights during his visit. The Colombo government's statement came amid mounting local and international criticism of the island's rights record. The US list of names contained a number of repetitions, the foreign ministry said in a statement. It did not say when the victims had disappeared or been abducted. The US embassy confirmed that the United States had supplied Colombo with the list but declined to discuss details. The statement came a day after a presidential commission said 430 civilians, were reported killed between September 14 and February 25 as the tropical island's Tamil separatist conflict escalated. The majority of the dead belonged to the Tamil minority, the Special Presidential Commission on Disappearances said, and many of the victims were shot through the head with their hands tied behind their backs. The government has yet to prosecute anyone for the killings, which were widely condemned home and abroad, but rights groups have accused the security forces, paramilitary groups and the Tamil Tiger rebels of involvement. Aside from the deaths, 2,020 people were abducted or disappeared during the five-month period, the commission said. Some 1,134 were later found alive and reunited with their families but the fate of the remainder was unknown. Sri Lanka's 35-year-old separatist conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels has claimed more than 60,000 lives. International donors have moved to cut back aid to Sri Lanka to increase pressure on Colombo over its poor human rights record. Britain and Germany have already frozen part of their contribution. Japan, the single largest aid donor to the country, raised concern about the rights situation when Sri Lankan foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama visited Tokyo earlier this week. High explosives-laden lorry nabbed in eastern Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan Navy said Saturday that a lorry laden with high explosives was nabbed in the island's east. The lorry transporting fish was found on Friday in the eastern port town of Trincomalee on a tip-off received from the public, officials said. The 1,008-kg bomb was concealed in the lorry's freezer compartment and believed to be the work of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It was meant to be transported to the capital Colombo, defence officials said. This was the second such discovery of a bomb lorry. Early this month, about 1,000 kg C4 explosives were found in a lorry in the North Western provincial area of Kotawehera. The explosives were hidden among coconut. About 5,000 Sri Lankans have been killed in the new spate violence since December 2005, pushing the Norwegian-backed peace process to the back burner. Claiming discrimination at the hands of the majority ethnic Sinhalese-dominated government, the LTTE has been fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's 12.5 percent Tamil minority since the 1970s. Two men shot dead in HSZ in Jaffna Unidentified gunmen on two motor cycles, following two men riding their motor cycles, shot them dead Friday around 4:30 p.m., in front of Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) former office close to UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, ICRC offices in Temple Road in the heart of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) in Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. SLA troopers are present 24 hours guarding several International Organization offices.The victims were identified as Singaravel Logenthira, 29, Subramaniam Ambihaipahan, 39, a married man, both residents of Aanaikoaddai north, located 5 km from Jaffna town.Kailaayapi'l'laiyaar Koayil SLA sentry post is about 300 m from and the SLMM Jaffna office is located 100 m from where the shooting occurred.Bodies of both men remained on the road at the crime site until Jaffna police recovered them around 6:30 p.m.The police handed over the bodies to Jaffna Teaching hospital.Three youths from Kachcheari-Nalloor road were shot to death at the same location within last three weeks. Gajanayake who is involved with abductions is a friend of Gotabhaya, was granted bail by Neth FM chairman One of the former commanding officers of the Air Force Nishantha Gajanayake who was arrested to question regarding the abductions and disappearances is a close ally of defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse and he was bailed out on the same day he was arrested by two other friends of Rajapakse, Nihal Apa Seneviratne and Ashoka Vitarana.This is revealed through a complaint lodged to police by the coordinating secretary of the SLFP Mahajana wing Sripathi Suriarachchi yesterday.Apa Seneviratne who is one the persons to have provided bail for Gajanayake is also the Chairman of the Neth FM radio station.In his complaint Suriarachchi says that he was introduced to Gajanayake by the defense secretary and that Rajapakse asked him to help Gajanayake to get the chief security post of the air port, therefore he forwarded his application to the chairman of the air port services limited Tiran Alles. Four civilians killed in eastern Sri Lanka: Military Four civilians have been found shot dead in eastern Sri Lanka, the military said on Saturday. The bodies of the four farmers were found in a jungle in eastern Trincomalee district, an official at the Defense Ministry information centre said on customary condition of anonymity citing policy. He said the men might have been killed last Thursday by the separatist LTTE, fleeing a military operation in nearby Batticaloa district. Attempts to contact LTTE spokesman, Rasiah Ilanthirayan, for comment were unsuccessful. Hotels in Sri Lanka cut rates as tourism drops Hoteliers in Sri Lanka are cutting prices in an attempt to win back tourists deterred from visiting the Indian Ocean island by continuing civil conflict.According to figures published this week, the number of British visitors to Sri Lanka fell from 38,420 during the first five months of last year to 34,021 in the same period this year.The island has struggled to attract tourists in the aftermath of the tsunami of December 2004 as a result of escalating tensions between the Tamil Tigers and the government. Some hotels are being forced to close as occupancy levels plummet. In May, tourist arrivals fell by 40 per cent compared with the same month last year. Others are reducing prices The mood in the southern city of Galle has been "sombre" due to the drop in tourist numbers, according to Geoffrey Dobbs, who owns three boutique hotels and two villas in Sri Lanka."Things are difficult," he said. "We are up this year but some three-star hotels are shutting down. When people have debts and are running at 10 per cent occupancy, you can deduce that nobody is making any money. But most people who visit say they don't see what all the fuss is about. And there are a lot of bargains, which makes it a great time to visit." Tourism officials have emphasised that the Foreign Office advises against travel only to the north and north-eastern regions."In more than 20 years of struggle, no foreigners have been affected. Companies like First Choice, Kuoni, Virgin, Thomas Cook and MyTravel would not invest in Sri Lanka or send customers there if it were not safe," said Jean-Marc Flambert, director of Sri Lanka Tourism for the UK and Ireland. "We are optimistic that, despite certain setbacks, 2007 will close well." The Foreign Office has noted that security has been tightened in Colombo and its surrounding areas following the bombing of the military part of Bandaranaike Airport in March and three bomb attacks on military personnel in Colombo's suburbs in April and May.A spokeswoman for First Choice, which launched direct weekly flights from Gatwick in February, said that Sri Lanka remains a popular destination. "Sri Lanka is performing well with sales up year on year," she said. "It is also one of our top sellers for weddings." Operators and hoteliers hope that the planned visit of the England cricket team at the end of this year may also encourage tourists to return. "Gotabhaya is plotting to kill me"- Sripathi complaints to police Former minister and now the coordinating secretary of the SLFP Mahajana wing Parliamentarian Sripathi Suriarachchi who has become a victim of government harassment yesterday lodged a complaint to the police that there was a conspiracy to kill him.He is indirectly pointing his finger at Deference Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse. In the the complaint lodged with the Kadawatha Police Suriarachchi has said that a group called the Sinhala Tigers who are working closely with Defense secretary attempted to murder him by exploding a bomb on the 16th of October 2006 and that those groups are now attempting to kill him again using the powers vested in the secretary's position.Sripathi who has revealed several details regarding the political and other issues from winning the presidential election to removing his ministerial port folio says that the three Rajapakse brothers got mad at him since he opposed several deals performed by the government without transparency.The complaint lodged yesterday adds that a police officer called and informed him not to arrive in the area since the police found a bomb from the are where the minister was scheduled to tour that day, and that when Suriarachchi called Gotabhaya Rajapakse immediately he said that the bomb was an old one and that it had been set targeting a army truck. Suriarachchi says he was amassed how the defense secretary came into such an assumption that early and how such complicated issued were conveyed to him within minutes. He adds that the president then called him after a couple of days and told him the same story which doubled him suspicion.The former minister also has said that a friend of his called Iroshan from the Biyanwila area met him on the 12th of March 2007 and told him that a friend of Iroshan by the name Shyamal who calls himself as the head of the Sinhala Tigers told Iroshan that it was him who fixed the bomb to kill Suriarachchi on orders issued to him by the defense secretary. Then Suriarachchi has got hold of a phone that has the recording capacity and recorded the entire discussion to prove the fact and that a copy of the CD will also be handed over to the police to assist the investigations.In his statement in the police the Gampaha district parliamentarian says that Shyamal has closely associated the Defense Secretary and the Government intelligent officers since 2006.The complaint lodged also requests the police to investigate on all information provided to them and bring the culprits to book. Assault on Journalist: Statements recorded The Fort police inquiring into the alleged assault on Journalist K.P.Mohan on Thursday has summoned the Police and the Air Force personnel who were on duty at the security check point near Sambuddhaloka Vihara in Colombo Fort to record their statements. Police said the Air Force personnel are alleged to have assaulted the Journalist who attempted to cross the road when the Air force commander’s motorcade was passing the checkpoint near Sambuddhaloka Vihara. Media Spokesman for the Air Force Ajantha De Silva said the air force initiated a separate inquiry into the incident and that disciplinary action would be taken against the persons responsible. UNICEF Condemns Attacks on Schoolchildren in Conflict Areas The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today condemned continuing attacks on schoolchildren and educational facilities in conflict zones around the world, citing recent incidents in Asia, the Middle East and Africa."Attacks on schoolchildren are unacceptable," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. "Schools must be safe environments for children to learn and thrive."In recent weeks, at a girls' school in Afghanistan, two schoolgirls were killed, and another three students and a teacher were injured, while in Gaza, one student traveling to national college entrance exams was killed, and in a separate incident another was injured, in crossfire."In parts of Iraq parents remain justly concerned about the risks involved in sending their children to school, and insecurity has closed schools in the Central African Republic, in Nepal and in Sri Lanka ," the agency said in a news release.At the same time, UNICEF cited evidence that where an education system continues to function, students will face real risks to take advantage of the opportunities that education provides. In the occupied Palestinian territory in June, some 60,000 students in both Gaza and the West Bank made it through 10 days of entrance exams, despite the current crisis."Children have the right to a safe learning environment at all times, even under the most difficult of circumstances," Ms. Veneman stated. Re-introduction of criminal defamation laws a dastardly act to muzzle the press---Muslim Media Forum Muslim Media Forum has strongly condemned the proposal to re-introduce the criminal defamation law as a dastardly act that can cause harassment and threats to journalists and editors. It can jeopardize the freedom of the press. This is stated in a statement released by the Muslim Media Forum bearing the signature of its General Secretary, Daha Muzzamil. It appealed to the government, which has assured to uphold the freedom of the press, not to re-introduce abominable criminal defamation laws. Sampur HSZ or FTZ? 4200 families dispalced Thousands of people were evacuated from the area in June 2006 as fighting intensified between the advancing government forces and the Tamil Tigers.According to the petitioners, Since then, Sampur villagers belonging to 4200 families lived in makeshift camps further South under very bad conditions. In 2006 September, the area was captured by the government forces. The petitioners say the government forces had prevented them from going back to their homes since. "We had asked for permission to go to our homes. We need to work our farms to earn a living, but the permission was denied every time". HSZ or FTZ? The petition details that an area as big as 90 square kilometres around Sampur had been declared as a High Security Zone."Some of these people has land rights in the area which dates back over one hundred years!", Say the lawyer representating the petitioners, Sharmane Gunaratne."Constitution had guranteed the fundamental right to live anywhere you like and to make a living", she told the BBC. Since the declaration of the area as High Security Zone[HSZ], the Board of Investment declared Sampur are as a designated Free Trade Zone [FTZ].The petitioners say that they are intrigued by the decision where the area is declared unsafe to inhabit, it is going to be used for business activities. The government had announced plans to build a new coal power station in Sampur. Govt. to celebrate liberation of East The government said yesterday it would celebrate the liberation of the entire Eastern Province from the LTTE on a national basis.Senior minister and SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena told journalists the security forces had inflicted the worst-ever defeats on the LTTE during the ongoing operations in the east.Mr. Sirisena said the government would launch a programme to pay tribute to soldiers who sacrificed immensely to flush out terrorists and create normalcy in the area so that civilians could resume normal life. “The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is committed to wiping out terrorism in the country. Today, the LTTE has been weakened to a great extent,” the minister said.The minister charged the UNP was trying to topple the government at this juncture directly and indirectly to the advantage of the Tigers.“The UNP is trying to create a crisis in the country with the aim of gaining power in the future. There are both local and foreign elements behind this exercise which benefits the LTTE who fear the military will extend their operations to the north after liberating the east,” he said. Commenting on former Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s move to join forces with the UNP, Mr. Sirisena said the Opposition had become ‘a bundle of contradictions’ today because of this situation. He said his party would politically counter the UNP propaganda blitz against the government while launching a programme to reduce the cost of living. Croydon man accused of being 'Tamil Tiger' member Police also swooped on Lambert's home in Bramley Hill, South Croydon. When the Advertiser confronted his parents,they refused to make any comment.But neighbours said they had seen police staking out the tower block where he lives over the past week.One neighbour,who asked not to be named, said: "They are a Sri Lankan family and moved in about a month ago. Last weekend, there were police outside the flats.I wondered what was going on. I didn't realise one of my neighbours had been arrested on terrorism charges."I'm shocked. They seemed like a nice family. The mother told me they had moved here from a house in France they had been staying at."The men were arrested last Thursday and held under the Terrorism Act 2000. Painstaking forensic searches then took place at both homes.Chrishanthakumar, also known as AC Shanthan, is charged with the following counts,contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000. * Helping to arrange a meeting which he knew was to support the LTTE between June 1, 2006 and July 26, 2006 * Addressing an LTTE meeting in Hyde Park, London, to encourage support for the group * Receiving £1,500 in London on January 24 with the knowledge that it would be used for the purposes of terrorism * Between January 17, 2006, and June 22, 2007, in London receiving a quantity of literature and manuals including underwater warfare systems, explosive ordnance disposal and naval weapons systems, six trenching spades, 39 compasses and a piece of ballistic body armour in the knowledge they may be used for terrorism * Between January 23, 2005, and June 22, 2007, in London, belonging to the LTTE. Lambert is charged with one count of arranging a meeting in Hyde Park, London, on July 25, 2006.Both men were remanded in custody after appearing at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday (Thursday).The LTTE has used terror and guerrilla warfare tactics in its bid to create an independent state in areas of Sri Lanka inhabited by ethnic Tamils. JVP to meet Mangala next week SLFP Mahajana wing leader Mangala Samaraweera and the JVP leadership are scheduled to meet next Wednesday at the JVP headquarters at Pelawatta, political sources said.They said the meeting would take place on a request made by the former minister to explore possibilities of the two parties working together.Former minister Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi will attend the meeting along with Mr. Samaraweera while several JVP seniors are expected to attend the meeting.The SLFP Mahajana wing met Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and other UNP leaders last Thursday.Earlier this week the JVP ruled out any alliance with the UNP or SLFP in future saying it was a politically incorrect decision taken by Mr. Samaraweera to negotiate with the UNP.The party said a future political alliance should be formed to salvage the country from its present plight adding that both the SLFP and the UNP were unable to achieve that task. 29 June 2007 TNA councilor assassinated in Ampaa'rai Thillainathan Uthayakumar, the chairman of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Piratheasa Chapai (Pradeshya Sabah) of Thirukkoayil in Ampaa'rai district was assassinated by armed men outside his residence at Vinaayakapuram in Akkaraippattu, Thursday at 8:50 p.m. Gunmen who entered the premises, took the 35-year-old victim, father of two, away from his house, located in Kappunaar street at Vinaayakapuram and killed him, lobbing a grenade on him, 100 meters away from his residence, according to the Police in Thirukkoavil. The assassination of the TNA politician comes after press reports in Colombo that the Government was planning for a new election in the East. Five passengers wounded in Sri Lanka blast At least five bus passengers, including a soldier, were wounded in a roadside bomb attack in Sri Lanka's northern Vavuniya district on Friday, officials said. Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels set off the mine at Cheddikulam as the civilian bus passed the area, military officials said. A similar bomb attack killed an officer and a soldier in the Jaffna peninsula, further north, on Thursday. The latest violence came as the military said it had stepped up a campaign against the Tamil Tigers in the east of the island, despite efforts by peace broker Norway to save a tattered truce agreement dating back to 2002. More than 60,000 people are reported to have been killed in the separatist campaign in the past 35 years. 'No War Zone' declared Rajapaksa has "reversed" relations with India, says Mangala Mangala Samaraweera, founder of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Mahajana Wing), a breakaway group of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), says that the Mahinda Rajapaksa government has "reversed" the "excellent" relations, which his predecessors had established with India."Sri Lanka-India relations had been strong from the time of SWRD Bandaranaike and Jawaharlal Nehru onwards. As recently as 2005 (before Rajapaksa came to power) Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar had declared that Sri Lanka-India relations had reached a level of irreversible excellence. But the present government reversed it in just four months!" Samaraweera told Hindustan Times."As Foreign Minister, I had seen how Rajapaksa was trying to mislead India," he added."We Sri Lankans must restore the excellent ties we have had with India. We have to take into account India's political compulsions. When thousands of Tamil refugees arrive in India, we cannot expect India to remain a silent spectator. India has a justifiable interest in what is happening in Sri Lanka in regard to the Tamil problem.""Cooperation and understanding are necessary for the future of Sri Lanka and India equally," he said. On the economic front too, cooperation was necessary, said: "We have to move along with India to be able to become an economic hub of the South Asian region. Strengthening of ties with India is more important than ever before." UN MONITORING On the controversial issue of UN monitoring of human rights violations in Sri Lanka, Samaraweera said that such monitoring might be "inevitable" given the policies of the Rajapaksa government." As Foreign Minister, I did oppose foreign monitoring because I believed that Sri Lanka, being one of the oldest democracies, had the institutions to monitor rights violations. But these institutions had become defunct due to the pig headed policies of the present government. In the present juncture, perhaps some kind of UN monitoring may be inevitable. The government has to take the blame for this," he said.Samaraweera said that the opposition to foreign monitoring or foreign interest in Sri Lanka's conflict reflected the "xenophobia" which was being systematically fostered by the Rajapaksa government, an attitude which didn't fit in with the traditional Sri Lankan ethos. "Right through history, Sri Lankans have been outward looking, welcoming the world with a smile. We have always been at ease with the rest of the world. But now, we have become xenophobic because of the government's policies," he said. The Rajapaksa government had been "short sighted" and made a "strategic error" by antagonising the international community, he said."Due to the antagonistic policies of the government, Sri Lanka has lost its role in international affairs. Under the Bandaranaikes (who founded and steered the SLFP for decades) Sri Lanka had an international role, much bigger than its size and economic power warranted," Samaraweera recalled. SANCTIONS Samaraweera, who was sacked earlier in the year by Rajapaksa for questioning his policies, said that the international community was playing a "strong but cautious" role in restoring democracy and curbing human rights violations in Sri Lanka."US, India and EU are taking some strong actions. But these are done behind the scenes, as the world is sensitive to the fact that Sri Lanka is a sovereign country.""But whatever sanctions they may impose, should not affect the people. Some sanctions like travel restrictions on defence officials and others who had violated human rights will not affect the masses, but will be useful," he said. WAR POLITICAL Samaraweera described the on-going war as being " political" because it was "primary aimed at ensuring the survival of the Rajapaksa family in a position of power.""I am not at all satisfied with the way the war is being fought. It is being fought in the media. It is used to cover up all the sins of the regime. Soldiers are being sacrificed unnecessarily," he contended."The truth is that the LTTE has become stronger during the present regime. It has acquired air power. Under the previous regime, the LTTE was getting internationally isolated. Many countries had banned it. But now, the international community is criticising the Sri Lankan government, not the LTTE!" he pointed."It was necessary to capture Sampur because the LTTE was threatening Trincomalee harbour from there. But Toppigala (which the army is hoping to take now) is only a vast empty land. We should have gone for talks after taking Sampur," Samaraweera said. DEVOLUTION MODELS On the All-Party Representative Committee (APRC) set up by President Rajapaksa, Samaraweera said that it was a needless exercise. "We have many devolution models already. There was the 1997 proposal for a Union of Regions, which was watered down and presented in 2000. What we need is the political will to implement an existing proposal, not to start working on another proposal," he said. SONIA'S ROLE FOR CHANDRIKA Having invited former SLFP chief and former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga to "guide" the party and the country towards "a multi-ethnic and centrist democracy," Samaraweera said that Kumaratunga could play the role Sonia Gandhi was playing in the ruling alliance in India.Kumarkatunga had declared her retirement from active politics and had left for the UK following the drastic reduction of her security and other facilities on the orders of a court. "I have extended an invitation to her, but it is for her to take a decision. Her two children are very concerned about her security in Sri Lanka. I believe this is what is holding her back," Samaraweera said. He denied that Kumaratunga was like a medicine which was past its expiry date, as many think."She enjoys a great deal of respect in the SLFP. After all, she had made the party come back to power in 1994 after 17 years in the opposition, and she had led the party to victory in 14 consecutive elections. But for her, Rajapaksa would not have become President. And on the military front, it was she who had taken back Jaffna from the LTTE," he pointed out. Samaraweera contended that 90% of the SLFP members were disillusioned with Rajapaksa, as the silence during his speech in parliament showed. And among the masses, the "silent majority" was with him."Things will change when the silent majority raises its voice. Conditions for this to happen will have to be created by political leaders. I am talking to the UNP (United National Party) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). I do not think that the JVP is an extremist party anymore. But I will never talk to the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), which is an extremist party. At any rate JHU is an urban party with little support outside," he said.However, Samaraweera's bid to work out an alliance with the JVP failed on Thursday, when the JVP said that it would not join any grouping which had the UNP in it. The JVP said that it was going to form and lead an independent front to fight the Rajapaksa regime.PK Balachandran has interviewed Mangala Samaraweera, former Foreign and Ports Minister, who recently broke away from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and formed his own group, the Sri Lankan Freedom Party (Mahajana Wing), with the aim of restoring to the SLFP, the "centrist, socialistic, democratic and internationalist" ideology given to it by its founding father, former Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike, in 1951. 3 Tamil civilians arrested in Wellawatte Three Tamil civilians were arrested Thursday morning at Wellawatte, Colombo in a cordon and search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police. The arrested are currently being detained in the Wellawatte police station and being interrogated by the Terrorist Intelligence Unit (TIU).Meanwhile, of about three hundred civilians arrested at Welikada Wednesday in a cordon and search operation, 42 Tamil civilians are still detained in Welikada police station and interrogated by the TIU of the police. Others were released after inquiry, police sources said. Vasu Vs. Karu Presidential advisor Vasudeva Nanayakka yesterday submitted a fundamental rights a petition in the Supreme Court asking it to abolish the sale of 90% of shares of Marine services limited of the Ceylon Petroleum Services limited to John Keels Holdings in 2002.The COPE report too had furnished several details regarding the particular sale and even the JVP forced the government to take strong action against those who are involved with the deal.Then Minister of petroleum in the UNP government was Karu Jayasuriya and he is now a minister in the existing government. Major political changes within three months After talks with the SLFP (M) led by sacked minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday, the main opposition UNP said yesterday the next three months would be a decisive period for the country because of a series of politically significant events. It said some government Ministers had already agreed to join forces with the Opposition to form a broad political alliance against dictatorship. UNP General Secretary and parliamentarian Tissa Attanayake told a news conference the UNP was inviting all democratic political parties to team up with it in the struggle against the government.“We will not give the names of these Ministers right now. But, there will be crucial political developments within the next few months,” Mr.Attanayake said. who also participated in talks between the UNP and SLFP (Mahajana) wing, said the two parties decided to appoint a joint committee to study Mr. Samaraweera’s policy statement titled ‘Daring to dream towards a new Sri Lankan order.’He said the UNP was not concerned about the JVP declining to be a party to the proposed alliance with the UNP.“The JVP is a party with a small vote bank. But, we have a huge vote base throughout the country. We lost to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last election only by a narrow margin,” he said.Mr. Attanayake charged that the government was attempting to reintroduce the criminal defamation Law to suppress media freedom.“If this piece of legislation is brought in Parliament, we will do everything to defeat it,” he pledged Commenting on the plan to abolish the Public Enterprises Reform Commission (PERC), he said the government’s sole aim was to collect huge commissions through privatization deals by abolishing this institution that was established to overlook such transactions. 28 June 2007 Local polls soon in Sri Lanka’s east Sri Lanka intends to soon hold elections to the local bodies in the troubled eastern province, said an official of the Presidential Secretariat here on Wednesday.The official told The Hindu that with the virtual ouster of the Tamil Tigers from its remaining pockets in the east, the Government would like to empower the people at the grassroots level to elect their own representatives and have a say on issues of development.“The time-frame is not worked out yet. The intention of the Government is to involve people in decision-making process. The idea is to follow up the local bodies polls with an election to the eastern provincial council with a Chief Minister in place,”, he said. The military says it has gained control of 99 per cent of the territory in the Thoppigala jungles, the last remaining pocket of the LTTE. A military spokesman told a news conference here that an estimated 100 odd cadres of the Tigers were trapped in the bushy jungles. Democratic exercise It would be for the first time since 1989 that the province would witness the democratic exercise. Elections to the temporarily merged north and eastern provinces were held as a follow up to the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. There is no immediate reaction from the southern and the Tamil parties to the move. Meanwhile, at Oslo the Sri Lanka Co-Chairs, who met on Tuesday, chose not to issue any statement. The view was that since neither the Government nor the Tigers were in a mood to heed to any counsel on dialogue and peace, it would be a futile exercise to issue any statement. Instead, it appears individual member countries would decide on appropriate strategies to de-escalate the situation. Sri Lanka says jets bomb 2 rebel camps Sri Lankan fighter jets bombed two Tamil Tiger camps in the island’s far north on Thursday, the military said, the second batch of air strikes in three days, but there were no immediate details of any casualties.In a separate incident, two soldiers were killed in the army-held northern Jaffna peninsula by a roadside bomb, the latest in a spree of such attacks in recent months as civil war erupted again after several years of ceasefire.“We have hit a military base in Mullaithivu (on the northeast coast) -- it is really two camps located close to one another,” said military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe.The separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were not immediately available for comment and there was no independent confirmation of what had been hit.Samarasinghe said troops were clearing booby traps and landmines in jungle in the restive eastern district of Batticaloa, where rebels are hemmed into ever-decreasing pockets of territory in the face of an army offensive.“There are a lot of landmines there. Yesterday, two of our soldiers lost their legs because of them.”He said troops were facing only sporadic fire, after weeks of heavy fighting in a major operation to drive the Tigers from territory they held in the east altogether. Fighting is now focused on the north, where the Tigers run a de facto state.Government officials are eyeing long-delayed local government polls in the east to cement a civil administration in a bid to permanently displace the Tigers from the area, although the island’s elections commissioner say no such plans are yet afoot.The Tigers have warned that while they may have moved geographically, they will use all means to fight for an independent state in the north and east.And analysts see no clear winner on the horizon and fear a war that has killed nearly 70,000 people since 1983 will run on for years. 2 SLA soldiers killed in Claymore ambush in Jaffna Unidentified attackers triggered a Claymore mine Thursday morning around 9:30 in Naavaanthu'rai, kiilling two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers riding on bicycles along Naavaanthu'rai-Kaakkaitheevu road in the outskirts of Jaffna city. The injured were rushed to Palaali military hospital while the SLA is engaged in a cordon and search operation around the site of the ambush. An SLA road patrol unit on bicycles was on its way to Kaakkaitheevu from Naavaanthu'rai area when the claymore device was triggered by the attackers from an abandoned house near the Mosque in the area, Police said. The number of SLA troopers injured in the blast is still not known.Recently, 3 SLA troopers were killed and one seriously injured in a similar claymore attack at Eechchamoaddai area, situated within Jaffna Municipality limits. Lanka minister in visa trouble A Sri Lankan minister landed at the Cochin international airport without a visa and had to be given a temporary landing permit for $40.M.M. Mustapha, the deputy minister of higher education, arrived on a private visit this morning by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight. The Kerala Management Association, his local hosts, received him at the VIP lounge, after which he went for customs and immigration checks. Immigration officials who examined his diplomatic passport found that the minister did not have the visa required for citizens of countries that are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).Mustapha told the officials he had forgotten to bring his old passport, which carried the visa stamp. The officials at Nedumbassery airport then contacted the bureau of emigration in Delhi. They were told to issue the temporary permit — but only after collecting $40 as fee. “I have nothing against the officials. They have done their duty. It was a lapse on my part. I did not carry proper papers,” said Mustapha as he waited patiently through the formalities. Senior immigration official K.E. Joy claimed that neither the local police nor his department had prior information about the VIP visit. Rajagiriya bomb incident was administered from London; Kilinochchi Commissioner arrested Government Defence spokesperson minister Keheliya Rambukwella says the person who is directly involved with transporting the bomb that was found in Rajagiriya yesterday, was residing in a Colombo lodge.Speaking to the media this afternoon the minister said that 8 persons have been arrested in connection to the incident and one of them is a Provincial commissioner from Kilinochchi and the person directly involved with transporting the bomb is a Mason who has come to Colombo in search of a job.He added that the bomb has been brought to Colombo in the Commissioner's official vehicle and the Commissioner's driver has been ordered via a call from London to take the vehicle to a car park in Maradana and to take two persons that would be there, to a particular destination. The minister said these details were uncovered during interrogation. The government defense spokesperson also thanked the public for being vigilant and informing the security forces on any suspected persons or objects adding that a massive devastation was foiled due to a vigil of the public.Meanwhile it is reported to 'LeN' that 252 persons have been arrested during a special search operation conducted in the Rajagiriya are from last night till dawn, among them are 50 females.All though the minister earlier promised that abductors and criminals who are involved in the gross human rights violations that are taking place in Colombo and suburbs would soon be brought to books, but yet nothing has been done so far. However the minister today reiterated that culprits would be brought to book adding that the government will not shut doors and sleep while these issues are occurring.Rambukwella said the Indian Peace Keeping army which had a force of around 15,000 to 20,000 soldiers could not capture the east but the Sri Lankan troops have already captured 99% of the eastern provinces territory. Five soldiers face Trial-at-Bar inquiry for Mirusuwil murder The Mirusuvil Murder case in which five soldiers are indicted with murder of five Tamil civilians is to be heard on October 29th before a Trial at Bar at Colombo. In this case 5 soldiers are charged with causing the murder of 8 civilians namely Ganabalan Ravichandran, Sellamuthu Deiwakulasingam, Viswarasa Piradeeban, Chinnaiah Viswarasa, Nadesu Jeyachandran, Kathiran Ganachandren, Ganachandran Shanthan and Viswarasa Prashath and injuring another civilian by the name of Ponuthurai Maheswaren, when they returned to see their homes in Mirusuvil in Dec 2000. Sunil Ratnayake, Rajasinghe Vethagethera, Senath Munasighe, Tenakon Jayaratne, Subasinghe Appugamighe Pushpa Samankumara and Gamini Munasinghe are the five soldiers, who are charged with committing murder and assault. Justice Upali Abayaratna(Chairman),Justice Deepali Wijeyasundara and Justice Sunil Rajapakse are the members of the Trial at bar. Another journalist allegedly harassed at check point Tamil daily, Tinakural’s Defence Correspondent K. P. Mohan charged yesterday that some air force officers harassed him at a security check point in Colombo. The alleged harassment had taken place when he was returning from a news conference on the current security situation in the country. Mr. Mohan told Daily Mirror he produced the media identity card issued by the Department of Information but the officers had refused to accept and demanded the national identity card. He complained the officers were rude and used abusive language. When Mr. Mohan produced the national identity card the officers had allegedly accused him of being a supporter of the LTTE. “You are helping the Tigers by producing only the Media identity card,” one officer had said. A complaint has been made to the Director of the Information Department, the Free Media Movement and the Working Journalists Association. Mr. Mohan had also complained to Air Force Spokesman Ajantha De Silva who had promised to inquire into the matter. Pair charged for supporting banned Tamil Tigers- Guardian Two men were charged by Scotland Yard today under the Terrorism Act 2000 with providing support to the Tamil Tigers, which is a proscribed organisation in the UK.One of the men, Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar, of Norbury, south London, faces five charges under the act, including that he possessed manuals on underwater weapons systems.The other charges relate to a gathering of Sri Lankan Tamils in London's Hyde Park on July 25 last year, at which a number of speakers spoke out against the Sri Lankan government.The meeting was organised to commemorate the Tamils who died in the Black July killings of 1983, an event seen as starting the full-scale conflict between Tamil militants and the Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lankan government.As a proscribed organisation, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the group's officially name, is banned from raising funds or holding meetings in the UK. The charges against Mr Chrishanthakumar are: The second man who has been charged is Goldan Lambert, 29, of South Croydon, south London. He is charged with assisting in the management of the Hyde Park event, knowing it was for the purposes of supporting a proscribed organisation, the Tamil Tigers. Scotland Yard said both men will appear at City of Westminster magistrates court tomorrow.Almost 70,000 people have died in Sri Lanka's civil conflict since 1983. Today, at least four people were killed by Tamil Tiger militants in attacks on soldiers and police in the north-western district of Manna, Reuters reported. Two cops, Airman arrested in abductions episode COLOMBO: A special squad attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) yesterday made a major breakthrough in their investigations into the multi- million rupee extortion racket targeting Tamil and Muslim businessmen when they took into custody two policemen and an Air Force sergeant. Earlier the CID special squad took into custody a senior ex-Airman who is alleged to have conducted the operation of kidnapping and extorting money from wealthy businessmen in Colombo and other areas. The CID special squad deployed by CID DIG D. W. Prathapasinghe is looking for several other policemen who are alleged to have been involved in the massive extortion racket. The CID intensified its probe into the allegations of disappearances of Colombo businessmen followed by ransom demands by their captors, on the orders of IGP Victor Perera. The special CID squad are also conducting investigations to ascertain whether there were other Airmen involved in the extortion racket. The CID had also questioned the Airman who is now in custody in connection with several extortion cases which took place in Colombo and other areas. In a separate development the CID conducted investigations into a complaint made by a wealthy businessman running a travel firm in Mawanella and arrested two suspects. These suspects had posed as security personnel. The king-pin of the racket, a Muslim businessman, is absconding, the CID team said yesterday. Several police stations in Colombo District and the other areas have received a number of complaints of extortion by an organised gang. The CID special squad is also looking for suspect Airman’s accomplices in the extortion racket. The suspects who are in CID custody had revealed they committed these offenses for their personal gain. Army chief reviews security plans in Mahaoya Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, giving further strength and moral boost to the troops now advancing to the Eastern heart of Tiger control Thoppigala on Wednesday morning flew to Commando Brigade Headquarters in Mahaoya, Ampara. Lieutenant General Fonseka received by Brigade Commander, Commando Brigade Colonel C.P. Gallage was conducted to the Headquarters for a briefing on the security situation related to the ongoing operation. The Army Commander gave instructions to senior officers and reviewed practical strategies. He flew back to Colombo later. 27 June 2007 Tigers raid Sri Lanka Army Forward Defence post Sri Lanka warn of "tragic error" in Western aid cut Sri Lanka told Western donor nations Tuesday that it would be a "tragic error" to cut aid to the island nation due to alleged human rights abuses linked to a longstanding ethnic conflict. Britain, Germany and the Netherlands have already slashed various forms of aid to Colombo due to human rights abuses and other reasons linked to the conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels and several other nations could follow suit.The United States also has refused to include Sri Lanka in its so-called Millennium Challenge Account, under which it could receive millions of dollars in aid for building critical infrastructure."It would be a tragic error to withhold pecuniary resources from Sri Lanka because that will create conditions in which extremism and terrorism would thrive," the island's international trade minister, G.L. Peiris, told AFP in an interview in Washington."So, whoever argues that pressure must be brought to bear on the democratically elected government of Sri Lanka by cutting off resources which should be available to the government is unwittingly -- not deliberately or intentionally -- strengthening the hand of terrorism," he said. Peiris said he had conveyed "this strong and powerful message" to the relevant authorities in the United States and other countries.The United States considers the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which is fighting for an independent homeland in the north and east of Sri Lanka, as a terrorist group.But Washington has recently accused Colombo of going back on promises to protect human rights and said the situation in the embattled island had "deteriorated" in the past year.It accused the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse of failing to honor pledges to reduce violence since he took office in November 2005, noting a collapsed truce with the rebels, attacks on media and the escalation of extra-judicial killings that have left about 5,000 people dead during his tenure.Peiris, who briefed senior US officials on the conflict, said his government could understand that Western nations had to curtail aid in response to pressure from their legislatures and civil society groups."We understand all that but reciprocally, we expect a degree of understanding from them with regard to the nuances of our own situation and the use of aid as a tool under those circumstances would produce consequences which neither they nor we desire," he said. Peiris also said that Sri Lanka was on the verge of a "breakthrough" in the conflict, pointing out that government troops could take full control of the island's eastern province from rebels "within three to four weeks.""This will give us an opportunity to move the process forward, come up with a strategy that will contain political, military, social and other elements," he said."Within the government, there is now a great deal of thinking about the way to make use of this landmark event," he added. "This is something that is going to happen in the next three to four weeks, not next three, four years."Oslo-brokered peace talks collapsed in October last year and since then diplomatic efforts have failed to end violence in the bitter ethnic conflict which has claimed more than 60,000 lives in the past 35 years.Peiris said it was unfortunate that Western nations were curtailing aid at a time when Colombo was trying to lay the groundwork for peace and development with the potential seizure of the entire eastern province. He said Washington should consider granting direct bilateral aid to Sri Lanka if it was convinced that Colombo made a "honest, genuine attempt" to bring peace and development in the Eastern province.Another critical aid mechanism Peiris suggested was preferential trading arrangements, particularly for apparel products, which made up 80 percent of Sri Lanka's exports to the United States and on which one million people were dependent. "We are telling them we are not dependent on largess and philanthropy and we want to rely on our own creativity, our own potential and what we want from the United States is empathy, collaboration, goodwill in that regard," he said. 4 Jaffna day-labourers reported missing Four men, all daily wage earners, have been reported missing from Meesaalai, Kodikaamam and I’nuvil areas during the last ten days, officials at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna said citing complaints made by the relatives.Vadivel Raveendra, 32, and Sinnathamby Sivanthan, 27, both residents of Choalaiyamman Koayiladi in Meesaalai south had gone missing after reporting to the SLA civil administration office in Chaavakachcheari area on May 23, to sign a register, as they had been doing daily for some time on SLA orders, according to their family members.Raveendra was not seen after June 23 and Sivananthan disappeared on June 16, after signing the registers maintained at the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) civil administrative offices at Chaavakachcheari and Kodikaamam.A third day labourer, Nadarasa Jegatheeswaran, 24, is reported missing after having left for work on June 21 from his home at I'nuvil, complaint made to HRC Jaffna by his family members said.Navarathinarasa Ketheeswaran, 21, a daily wage earner from Manthuvil, Kodikaamam was detained by the SLA and interrogated on June 16, and was ordered to report and sign the register at Kodikaamam SLA civil administration office. Ketheeswaran had not been seen after he went to the Kodikaamam office to record his signature, his family members said. Sri Lankan Tamils call on NZ govt for help Local Sri Lankan Tamils are calling on the New Zealand Government to push for independent observers in their strife-torn homeland. About 30 members of the Wellington Tamil community today gathered at Parliament to protest against alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. For the past 24 years members of the minority group have been waging a guerilla war for a separate Tamil state in the country's north and east. Tamils make up about 20 per cent of Sri Lanka's population, with the majority Sinhalese dominating the country's government. Wellington Tamil Society president Mani Maniparathy today said Tamils were subject to increasing restrictions on their freedoms and New Zealand should pressure Sri Lanka to treat the group fairly. He said last month police tried to arbitrarily remove all Tamils without a job or "valid reason" from the country's capital Colombo. He said the move illustrated the government's approach, despite the order eventually being rescinded after the country's supreme court ruled it illegal. Other issues were a restricted flow of food and vital supplies to the predominantly Tamil area after the government blocked a key road and re strictions on movement under the guise of security. Siva Naguleswaran, national co-ordinator for New Zealand Tamil Associations, said local Tamils wanted the Government to back an Amnesty International call for independent observers in Sri Lanka. He said there were regular allegations of human rights abuses carried out by the police and military, but the government usually disputed these and there was no independent verification. "We want unbiased people to go in, so they can see what is happening." The Government should push for this through the United Nations or the Commonwealth. It should also push Sri Lanka to allow Tamil to vote on whether they should have a greater degree of autonomy or independence, he said. Mr Maniparathy said the Government had acted in recent similar cases such as Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe's suppression of white farmers and the urban poor. Ferial to lose NUA grip? The Sri Lanka Progressive Front (SLPF), which in 1999 joined hands with the SLMC to form the National Unity Alliance (NUA), has challenged Minister Ferial Ashraff’s leadership of the alliance, the Daily Mirror learns.The SLPF has informed Ms. Ashraff that according to the NUA Constitution only members of the two constituent parties are legally entitled to hold any NUA office and since Minister Ashraff is no more a member of the SLMC, she had ceased to be a NUA member, a SLPF spokesman said.This had already been informed to Minister Ashraff in a letter signed by SLPF President P. Nelson Perera and General Secretary Rohan Jayathunga following a Central Committee meeting held recently. The SLPF has also accused Ms. Ashraff of undermining and marginalising the Front during her tenure as NUA leader and demanded an explanation, while claiming that Minister Ashraff had also failed to hold a single a High Command meeting of the party since taking over the party in 2000.In the event of Minister Ashraff failing to provide a satisfactory answer to the queries, the Front threatens to obtain a court order restraining her and her supporters who hold offices in the Alliance from functioning as NUA office bearers. Ranil- Mangala meeting tomorrow UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will meet the SLFP Mahajana Wing led by former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera tomorrow morning to discuss the present political situation in the country and a way forward to overcome the crisis.The meeting is to take place at the Cambridge Terrace office of the Opposition Leader.The meeting was scheduled for Thursday, June 28 after Samaraweera wrote to the UNP leader on Monday, June 25 seeking a meeting to discuss the political crisis in the country and to develop a ‘consensus on forging a common way forward’.The Morning Leader learns Samaraweera will be accompanied by Gampaha district MP, Sripathi Sooriyarachchi for Thursday’s meeting. The UNP team is expected to be Wickremesinghe, Chairman Rukman Senanayake and General Secretary Tissa Attanayake.Further to the meeting with the UNP, Samaraweera has also sought meetings with with the JVP, TNA, SLMC and CWC in writing. The JVP letter was addressed to General Secretary Tilvin Silva and the TNA letter to R.Sampanthan.Informed sources said the SLFP Mahajana Wing is likely to meet with the JVP today and the TNA on Friday. Largest LTTE vehicle fleet detected Advancing troops in Thoppigala area detected the largest ever single fleet of vehicles abandoned by the LTTE.Troops in Narakamulla, Taravikulam and surrounding areas in Thoppigala were able to detect six double cabs, four vans, seven tractors with trailers, fifteen trailers, nine Canter lorries, nineteen motorbikes and two bowsers, a senior military official said.Meanwhile, Air Force jets and helicopters carried out a series of air strikes on LTTE targets in Thoppiagala and Wanni during last few days, with the latest being yesterday.He said that during yesterday, Kfir jets bombed identified LTTE targets in Thoppigala and two LTTE Sea Tiger bases with radar systems South of Silawathurai in Mannar. The official also said that on Monday fighter jets pounded a Sea Tiger base in Kallar , south of Mannar and also an LTTE hideout in Thoppigala.“Ground troops as well as intercepted LTTE communications confirmed heavy damages to the rebels,” the official added.Troops have been able to capture Pankunaveli - Narakamulla road and Sittandy -Periyamadu road in the Thoppigala area by Monday night. Army Engineers started repair work on Laviniaru Bridge which was blown up by fleeing terrorists. UN female official flees, citing extortion threat A programme associate at the finance section of the United Nations country office in Colombo, Vasuki Mahendran had left Colombo last afternoon with her husband and children due to extortion threats. She is reported to be a relative of a former Minister.Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) on Disappearances convener Mano Ganeshan said she might be the first relief agency person to receive threats of abduction. Ms. Vasuki has lodged a complaint with the CMC before her exit, according to Mr. Ganeshan. According to Mr. Ganesan, Vasuki, a resident of Havelock Road had received a phone call from an unknown person on Sunday around 10.45 pm.The caller had allegedlydemanded Rs. 5 million to be paid not later than Monday morning at Dehiwela. They had asked Ms. Mahendran to bring the money in her vehicle. Vasuki Mahendran had also told the CMC that their household at Havelock Road was searched by the Army on June 19. The Army officers had claimed that they had conducted the searched after receiving an anonymous telephone call that the Mahendran household was harbouring a “three wheeler”. Meanwhile, the CMC, commenting on the election of Ambassador Dayan Jayatilake as one of the four Vice Presidents in the UN Human Rights Council, said this was a great opportunity for the government to put its act together on the human rights issue. “The vice presidency is not a credit but a responsibility. This responsibility comes with the demand for fair investigations and efficient preventive measures,” it added. Aussie Red Cross suspends six projects The current security situation has forced the Australian Red Cross (ARC) to suspend six tsunami projects in the country.Officials from ARC said that security concerns affected the Red Cross tsunami projects and operations have been shut down.ARC has 20 tsunami recovery projects in the north, south and east. These projects include housing reconstruction, water and sanitation, hospital refurbishment and other health related projects. These projects according to ARC were not affected by the fighting and many have been completed.The remaining few would be continued and completed by the end of 2007.There are six projects which are affected by the conflict in Jaffna. These include housing reconstruction, hospital refurbishment and livelihoods assistance."In August 2006, hostilities between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government forces took place, forcing people who were participating in and delivering Australian Red Cross programmes, to evacuate to alternate locations. It still remains unsafe for our national and international staff to continue working in some parts of the north and east," an ARC official said.Adding that the security concern has directly affected six of ARCs 20 tsunami rehabilitation projects, Australian Red Cross Country Coordinator for Sri Lanka, Berry Armstrong, said that alternative arrangements have been taken in this regard by ARC.Armstrong also said that the security situation makes it difficult for aid workers to visit the areas. Many people who were a part of the project have been relocated. Claymore mine found in Rajagiriya garden Police on Tuesday arrested three men allegedly planting a powerful bomb on a government official's car at Rajagiriya, the military said.The car was used by a government official from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi, an official at the Defence Ministry Information Centre said.Civilians in Rajagiriya, went to police after seeing three men trying to replace the fuel tank of a government vehicle parked at a private residence, the official said.Police rushed to the scene and found a bomb weighing about 20 kilograms (44 pounds) was being fixed to the car, the official said. 300 detained after discovery of bomb in Sri Lanka Sri Lankan police today detained around 300 people following a pre-dawn swoop after the discovery of a powerful mine near an oil storage facility here. Heavily armed constables carried out the mass arrests at Obesekarapura, near the Kolonnawa oil storage complex, police said adding that the operation was launched after yesterday's discovery of a 20-kilogram bomb.It was the third claymore mine found in Colombo this month, the Defence Ministry said.Police said about 250 women were among those detained this morning. Only about 100 out of the total 300 detained were held for further questioning. SL child refugees in India to attend Indian schools Sri Lankan refugees residing in Chennai, India would be admitted to local government schools near their refugee camps, the Education Ministry said.Senior officials at the Education Ministry said that these refugees would not return to Sri Lanka and they would carry on their education in India.The government of India told the Ministry that they would provide these young refugees with an education to prosper in their future.The government of India also opted to provide these children with uniforms, textbooks, stationery and other valuable instruments for their schooling careers in Tamil Nadu.According to the Ministry in Sri Lanka the Indian government would arrange to provide lunch to these refugees on school days.The ministry official said that the parent or guardian would have to give a letter of consent to the school in favour of the child. The official also noted that the Sri Lankan government would assist these refugees in everyway possible.According to the official the Indian government would admit these students to schools around the areas by next month. Indian Navy hands over 12 Lankan fishermen The Indian Navy handed over 12 fishermen and two boats together with their fishing equipment to the Sri Lanka Navy at Kankesanthurai yesterday. The fishermen were taken into custody by the Indian Coast Guard three months ago after straying into Indian waters. The two boats had left from Trincomalee. Addressing the media at the Naval Base at Kankesanthurai, the fishermen said they were fishing in the deep sea as usual at their familiar spots when the Indian Navy took them into custody. The Indian Navy had maintained that the Lankan fishermen had strayed into Indian waters.` The fishermen said one of their boats which was put to sea from Trincomalee was floating due to engine failure in the deep sea after the boat had entered Indian waters. The six fishermen in the boat swam to the Indian coast and were surrounded by the Indian Coast Guards. Thereafter they were taken into custody by the Indian Coast Guards. The other boat was taken into custody along with the six fishermen in it. They were in prison for three months before they were produced before Indian Courts and fined Rs. 50,000 each. Bandaranaike Wants To See Women In Peacekeeping Role Former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga called for women to play an active role in crisis management and peacekeeping around the globe.Speaking before the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality in Brussels Tuesday evening, Bandaranaike proposed to the European Union to consider sending women when the European bloc undertakes peace missions, according to Inepnext news agency.'Women have a completely different perspective on conflict resolution. Women by the very nature of historic role have special aptitude for alleviating conflict,' she argued.'Today one of the most important subjects is conflict and conflict resolution. Women have not had a role in conflict resolution, not even in the West,' she asserted.Speaking on the situation of women in Asia, Bandaranaike pointed to the strange situation where on one side they suffer a great deal of oppression and at the same time the region has produced so many women leaders. Bandaranaike explained this contradictory situation by referring to the mother-image of women in Hindu and Buddhist societies.'Once a woman is elevated to occupy the mother-image she is respected tremendously,' said Bandaranaike who served as President from 1994 till 2005.Answering a question posed by a member of the European Parliament on the issue of terrorism in her country, she said Sri Lanka has the biggest number of women suicide bombers in the world, 95 percent of whom are aged between 20-25.She argued that the phenomenon of terrorism has some reasons behind it referring to the discrimination faced by the Tamil minority in her country.She said there was a 'pogrom' against Tamils by a 'foolish government' in July 1983 following which many Tamils escaped to India 'found funds, found arms, trained themselves and then turned to violence.'However, she noted, the reaction of the separatist Tamil Tigers is 'far in excess of the discrimination they faced.' 'They have become too terroristic, they will not give up their demand for a separatist state but they can be marginalized and politically destroyed,' added Bandaranaike. Karuna forming a new attack force ex-Tiger cadres (Asiantribune) 26 June 2007 Bullet goes ‘missing’ in Sri Lanka murder probe Birnbaum had already raised concerns about the ballistics evidence in his main report in April. In an additional report this month, “he raises serious concerns about evidence that a bullet has been removed from the evidence submitted on March 7 by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as exhibits to the Kantale Magistrates Court in charge of the inquest,” the ICJ said. Birnbaum’s finding revolves around the report of an Australian pathologist, Malcolm Dodd, who reported that eight bullets – including one 5.56 calibre – were recovered from seven bodies during a post mortem examination in October 2006. However, a Sri Lankan government analyst later concluded that all of the bullets appeared to be of 7.62 calibre, according to Birnbaum. “There is therefore evidence to indicate that the 5.56 calibre bullet was removed from the evidence submitted as exhibits to the Kantale Magistrate, and that another bullet of a different type was substituted,” the ICJ added. The ICJ is an independent legal watchdog composed of 60 eminent lawyers and former judges who are representative of the different legal systems of the world. Sri Lanka battles cash crunch Due to inefficiency, corruption, fall in income and the mounting expenditure on war, the Sri Lankan government is facing a financial crunch. This is likely to get worse in the future because of a planned rise in defence expenditure. At last Wednesday's cabinet meeting, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had turned down requests from a number of ministers for more financial allocations, The Sunday Times reported.A cash strapped Central government had slashed allocations to the Provincial Governments by as much as 60%, the paper said. This would affect on-going grass roots level projects. Key sectors flounder In an economy which is highly dependent on tourism, a 23.4% fall in arrivals in the first five months of 2007, and a 40% fall in May,should cause great anxiety. According to the Central Bank, earnings from tourism had fallen by 14.8% in the first four months of this year.Contributing to the fall in arrivals were factors like travel advisories by Western governments and the closure of the Colombo airport at night in the last three months.Export of garments has been another major source of income.But due to increased global competition and bad industry practices, 85 factories had to close in 2006 and about 16,000 workers were thrown out of job, Lakbima News reported.Contributing to the stress in the garment industry is a 35% increase in the Terminal Handling Charge at the Colombo port. Small garment factories, which have been the most vulnerable to hikes in rates and severe competition, have come down from 700 to 350. As regards the other major export commodity, tea, the Chairman of the Colombo Tea Traders' Association, Tybre Akbarrali, had this to say:"The prevailing situation has not only destroyed the country's image but has become a principal factor for rise of inflation which had a bad impact on the industry during the last year."Due to the mismatch between the international and domestic oil prices,the state owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is running at a loss of LKR (Lanka Rupees) 1360 million. Rising expenditure on arms Sri Lanka is the most militarised county in South Asia with the highest per capita expenditure on defence, according to a Mumbai based think tank. Expenditure on the non-productive defence sector has been growing by leaps and bounds and is set to grow faster. It will pinch the economy when repayment time comes.According to Jane's Defence Weekly, Sri Lanka has signed a $ 37.6 million deal with China's Poly Technologies. This company would have to be paid a 25% advance, and the balance in ten quarterly instalments. Sri Lanka already owes $ 200 million to another Chinese arms company NORINCO.Sri Lanka is to buy 3D radars for $ 5 million and five MIG 29s, including a UB trainer to replace the MIG 27s which were bought only in December last year. The manpower in the Security Forces, currently at 250,000, is to be increased by 50,000.There is really no money to pay for all this. According to The Sunday Times the Secretary to the Treasury has been making this clear."The only option that remains is to call upon the public to tighten their belts even further," the paper said. But this is going to betough, as inflation is already at 17%. Where has chief justice gone? Where has the Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva who recently created storms in the local political arena gone when he left for abroad on Saturday? What for? Are the two questions many have begun to raise today.The questions are being raised as the Chief Justice who was invited to make the key note address on "Basic law and its future" at the Hong Kong City University, has still not reached there.Executive director of the Asian Human rights Commission Basil Fernando told LeN that the organisation was planning on staging a demonstration on Friday since Silva was scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong on that day but when they inquired regarding this from the University it had told them that he was not arriving. But Fernando said they had to reconfirm regarding the Chief Justice's arrival since one of the local news papers yesterday published a photograph of Nihal Jayasinghe assuming duties as the actigin chief justice stating that the Chief Justice had gone to Hong Kong, but the university has informed them that he has not arrived at their university.Sources close to the Chief Justice say that he has gone to India for a private matter and that he is scheduled to arrive in the island on the 27th of this month since there are a couple of cases that demands his presence at the bench.Meanwhile it is being reported that several high ranking officials in the government have recently held a special discussion regarding the behavior of the CJ after he declared several controversial verdicts in the past couple of weeks. LTTE gets equipment from Japan While Defence Authorities probed the LTTE’s acquiring of what was believed to be Chinese built military hardware, it has now been revealed that the rebels possess Japanese manufactured equipment, including radars, a Defence official said. The revelation comes after security forces recovered a powerful radar from an LTTE vessel seized by the Navy following a fierce battle off Point Pedro last week. “It was manufactured in Japan and it is a custom built item for which the manufacturer could be traced together with the buyer,” the official said.He also said four Yamaha 250 horse power engines which were found from the boat were also products of Japan. “Manufactures don’t normally issue such types of engines without proper permission from a government,” the official added.Earlier it was revealed the 14.5 mm twin barrel weapons fixed on the vessel were Chinese manufactured prompting the relevant authorities to take up the matter with the Chinese government. The Navy recovered the radar along with several weapons and a Global Positioning System (GPS) from the damaged LTTE vessel last week. Lanka re-opens police station in former Tiger territory Sri Lanka today reopened its police station in Vavunathivu area of Batticaloa district which was held by Tamil Tiger rebels for over 15 years, officials said. The police station was re-established after troops drove out the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following a two-month battle in the coastal district of Batticaloa, they said. "About 32,000 people who were displaced from Vavunathivu because of recent fighting have now returned and resettled and the police station was set up to cater to their needs," a police official said by phone. The station was launched as the military kept up an offensive against the Tigers in the Thoppigala jungles in the district. Police OIC, 2 constables arrested The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate that the Officer-In-Charge of the Pundaluoya police station and two constables were taken into custody for releasing, without properly checking, a bomb-laden lorry with over 1000 kilograms of explosives.The CID informed Court that the OIC, Inspector Sampath Bandara, and two constables Jayalath Ekanayake and Chandrasena Rajakaruna, were being interrogated as to how they could not detect a bomb laden lorry, which was stopped by another police team at Kotawehera, a few days later. The three suspects have been remanded for 90 days, under the detention order, and the CID informed Court that they were continuing investigations to ascertain whether they were involved in any terrorist activity. Filing a report before the Chief Magistrate, Ms. Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena, the CID stated that the suspect police team had stopped the lorry on May 28 in Pundaluoya, but had released it without proper checking. The vehicle had been roving around the area, until it was detected by a police team attached to Kotawehera police station on June 3.An IB extract had been forwarded to the Attorney General for further instructions, the CID reported to the Magistrate. Only CFA can save Sri Lanka - Thamilchelvan S.P Thamilchelvan, head of the Political Division of the LTTE, in an interview with TamilNet on Monday said that to bring peace and pave the way for talks, the international community should come forward to "support the struggle for rights of the Tamil people and force the Sri Lankan Government to implement the ceasefire agreement in full.” Characterizing the "efforts” to bring a united position among the southern parties as the "same old drama," that has gone on throughout the Tamil people’s struggle for their rights, he said only the CFA can save the island from the disaster. Welcoming the timely meeting by the Co-chairs in Oslo, Mr. Thamilchelvan said Tamil people have become suspcious as to why there is no firm united stance even among the members of the Co-chairs. Some members are indirectly encouraging Colombo by giving military and economic aid while some others are attempting to implement practical steps to put pressure on the Sri Lankan Government, LTTE's political head said. "International community must gain a profound understanding of this long history [of prolonging and time buying tactics by Colombo] and act to end the ethnically biased efforts by the Sinhala leadership. I believe the constructive step by the international community is to accept and support the struggle for rights of the Tamil people and force the Sri Lankan Government to implement the ceasefire agreement 100% to pave the way for peace talks."On the military situation in the east, Thamilchelvan said, LTTE chooses military strategies to suit the “place, environment and time,” and that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) will soon find out the “trap they have set for themselves.” TamilNet: What are your views on the Co-chairs meeting in Oslo to discuss the current situation in Sri Lanka? TamilNet: What shifts in policy, perception, and approach do you think the international community should adopt to create a climate conducive to permanent peace ? Thamilchelvan: The ceasefire agreement brought at least a temporary reprieve to the high intensity war that went on for more than twenty years. This is important because it was the first agreement that came about after a long time with the assistance of the international community. The world supported this agreement unanimously. This brought hope to the communities affected by the conflict. Yet, due to the competition for power among the Sinhala ruling class, the conducive environment that was created for peace was destroyed. By their actions the ruling class has created confusion about the position of the majority Sinhala people and has brought about a dire situation in this island. They rejected the very first proposal put forward by the Tamil people for an interim government, and they also destroyed the agreement, after it was signed by the two sides, on a joint structure put forward by the international community, following the tsunami devastation for humanitarian work. Through these the Sinhala chauvinistic leadership has destroyed any remaining hope among the Tamil people. International community must seriously view the long history of the Tamil struggle and act to end the ethnically biased efforts by the Sinhala leadership. I believe the constructive step by the international community is to accept and support the struggle for rights of the Tamil people and force the Sri Lankan Government to implement the ceasefire agreement 100% to pave the way for peace talks. TamilNet: The International community, in particular the USA, thinks that a common agreement must be reached among the Southern political parties and through this form the basis for negotiations with the LTTE. Is this possible? Is this the right strategy? Thamilchelvan: As far as the southern political parties are concerned there has never been the practice of following party policies. They jump from party to party to seek power and for financial benefits. The current “efforts” to bring a united position among the southern parties is the same drama that has gone on throughout the Tamil people’s struggle for their rights. Finding a solution has never been the motive of these “efforts”. The latest “efforts” too will not produce the desired outcome of a common agreement. When decisions have to be made later, these parties will not cooperate towards it. Agreements or solutions will be reached only when those in power act with honesty to find that solution not otherwise. In addition, whoever newly takes control of the Sri Lankan Government is always interested in a military solution and they are more bent on exploiting the international community for that end. This has always been the pattern. A point must be emphasized. Sri Lankan Government will never agree to peace talks after strengthening it militarily. On the contrary it will reject peace efforts and ceasefire agreements and will jump into a war saying it is going to bring a resolution through military means. Then after facing heavy losses from which it is unable to pull back it will agree for a peace talks. I do believe that the international community would have understood this pattern of deceptive behaviour of the successive Sinhala Governments. The latest ceasefire agreement, which the international community believed will deliver a solution, was the result of military and economic difficulties faced by the Sinhala Government. Therefore, hopes to find a solution by militarily strengthening the Sri Lankan Government and thus destroy the Tamil collective and thus their struggle for freedom will always remain a daydream.Firstly, there has never been a history where a Sri Lankan Government has come down and agreed for talks or peace efforts in such a situation. Secondly, a solution found through such a means will not be a just solution to an affected and oppressed people. TamilNet: Sections of Southern leadership and clergy are advancing the idea that peace can be brought about by militarily weakening the LTTE. What is your position on this? Thamilchelvan: Tamil people have been fighting for their rights for the last 60 years. Initially, Tamil people did not choose military means for their freedom struggle. They took forward their struggle through non-violence for thirty years. Sinhala leadership could have put forward a solution to the ethnic problem during these thirty years. There was never an open minded humanitarian approach to this problem by the Sinhala leadership. On the contrary, ethnic cleansing and ethnic genocide were visited on the people. Many thousands of Tamil people were killed and hundreds of thousands of Tamil were chased from their land, in effect a huge human misery was created. It was in this environment that our freedom movement was born. Only when their struggle by peaceful and democratic means was broken and military violence was let loose to wipe out the people, the people took up armed struggle as self defense. People of Tamil Elam did not wish to create this situation. This was forced by the Sinhala violence. If the issue of the rights of the Tamil people has captured the world attention, it is only because of the dedicated military strength of the Tamil people. Therefore, Tamil people will never allow the military strength that was built up step by step as self defense to be weakened. The Sinhala leadership knowing this well repeats this proposition again and again solely to buy time and opportunity from the international community to intensify their ethnic genocide and destroy the rights of Tamils.It is only when the Sinhala leadership understands, the true aspirations of the Tamil people, that the military strength of the Tamil people is not against the Sinhala nation or the Sinhala people, that it was built as self defense to protect their homeland, and that only when Tamil people create the environment where they too can live with security, freedom and self respect, this island will become a violence free peaceful place. TamilNet: Certain countries that are rejecting a military solution and emphasizing a political solution, are also taking actions against representatives of Tamils and the LTTE. As the conflict now plays out on a domestic and international platform, how does this impact the issue of Tamil representation? Thamilchelvan: Hundreds of thousands of our people chased out from their home are living in several countries. They help their kith and kin in this island who have suffered immense misery. It is a real tragedgy that humanitarian concern and the natural affinity between kith and kin are smeared with labels of assisting ‘terrorism.’ Neither the Tamil people nor their representatives have broken the laws of the countries where they reside when carrying out their political or humanitarian work. They do their work to achieve their aspirations by respecting the people and their governments of these countries. After the tsunami devastation, during the peace efforts, and when an ethnic violence is let loose on their people, expatriate Tamils worked tirelessly for their brethren in the Tamil homeland. Smearing this work they do to help their kith and kin with terrorism is not only distressing the Tamil people, it will also encourage the Sinhala chauvinists to intensify their violence. TamilNet: How accurate is the claim by the Sri Lankan Army, that the LTTE has been evicted from the East, and this eviction translates into SLA military superiority? Thamilchelvan: As far as the LTTE is concerned we were never defeated. We adopt military strategies to suit the place, the environment and the time. In particular, in the east it is common for the Sinhala forces to advance and then withdraw when faced with heavy losses following our strong defense. This is the past history. No people will accept the occupation of their land by a foreign force or a force that they detest. They will always seek their own security. Very soon the Sinhala forces will understand the trap they have set for themselves. Court refuses early bail for Nugegoda SSP When the bail application filed on behalf of Nugegoda SSP K. Udayapala, who is in remand for the alleged murder of well-known underworld figure Nawala Nihal's brother was taken up before the Colombo High Court, the judge observed that there was no special cases in courts and that all bail applications would be treated alike. High Court Judge Ms. Deepali Wijesundara made this remark when the counsel appearing for the bail application asked court to re-fix an early date as the senior counsel was not present in court. Counsel Lal Kularatne informed that senior counsel Anil Silva was not available in court and that notices be issued to support the matter on June 28 as it was an urgent matter. At this stage the High Court Judge observed that all bail applications are treated alike in the Court and this too would be treated in the same manner. Court further stated that as the matter was taken up for notice the counsel should support it the same day. Court issued notice on the respondent returnable on July 10, 2007. The bail application was filed by the suspect SSP's wife, Ms. K.M.H.W.K. Pahathkumbura asking court to grant her husband bail on any condition. Ms. Pahathkumbura has cited the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director and the Attorney General as respondents. The petitioner stated that K.D. Morris Wickremasinghe, brother of Nihal Wickremasinghe alias Nawala Nihal was murdered in February 2002 and his children who were abroad levelled unfounded allegations against her husband. This allegation was based on the steps taken by her husband to control the underworld. Ms. Pahathkumbura complained that her husband was not informed of the reason for the arrest and that there was no evidence to arrest him. She complained that the arrest was made on misleading facts reported to court by the counsels appearing for the aggrieved party. Norwegian Tamils urge Co-Chairs to pressure Colombo Around 200 Norwegian Tamils of Norwegian Tamils Federation (NTF) gathered in front of Norway Foreign Ministry in Oslo Monday between 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., urging Norway to advice the representatives of the Co-chair countries, scheduled to meet in Oslo Tuesday, to pressure the Sri Lanka Government (GoSL) to stop human rights violations committed against the Tamils in Sri Lanka, Oslo sources said. Jon Hanssen Bauer, the Norwegian Special Envoy to Sri Lanka Peace Process, accompanied by Thomas Stangeland, Advisor, Norway Foreign Ministry, received the memorandum submitted by Ms. Sumathi Wijiyaraj, representative of Tamil Women Organization. Mr. Jon Hansen Bower, receiving the memorandum thanked the Norwegian Tamils for the information given in the memorandum said that he will share the contents with other diplomats, according to a member of the NTF. NTF is an umbrella organization of the Tamil Associations in Norway. The following associations participated in the gathering Monday. Tamil Sangam in Norway Norwegian Minister and Sri Lanka peace envoy, Mr. Eric Solheim is to host a meeting of the Sri Lanka Co-chairs, EU, Japan, the US and Norway, on 26 June to discuss matters related to Sri Lanka's peace process."Human rights and humanitarian affairs are definitely the issues of the day," one foreign diplomat said on Monday on condition of anonymity, Reuters said."It's fair to say that some of the Co-Chairs are still very much concerned about the situation in those fields today and will be focusing on that in the time to come," Reuters report added. Anandasangaree’s plea to Prabakaran In an open letter to LTTE leader Prabakaran, president of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) V. Anandasangaree has urged the LTTE chief to give up his demand for separation and accept a federal solution within a united Sri Lanka.In a 10-page letter titled “The only way open” released here, Mr. Anandasangaree has sought to remind Mr. Prabakaran of the hardship, sufferings and ruination brought upon by the policies of his organisation on people of north and east and asserted that a federal solution would “receive very wide support, surprisingly even from un-expected quarters”. He urged Mr. Prabakaran to understand his concerns, for the Tamil speaking people in particular and of all Sri Lankans in general. “Since things seem to be going out of control, please take suitable remedial measures to bring back peace and tranquillity to a suffering nation, without any further delay.” “Work for welfare” He said some of the matters he was referring to in the letter were not brought to the LTTE leader’s attention in his previous letters. “The time has now come for you to take full responsibility for the present precarious condition in which our people live.”Mr. Anandasangaree urged Mr. Prabakaran to act with responsibility and caution, forgetting all that had happened and work for a prosperous future of all the people of Sri Lanka.“Like some others who project the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamil people, I will not do so because you are not considered by the Tamil people as such, mainly due to your ruthlessness. You know very well that you have earned the name as the most ruthless person in the world. Are you not aware that you are fast losing your credibility day by day, by causing terror and tension to the people.” The TULF leader said S.J.V. Chelvanayagam’s newly formed alliance would have sorted out the Tamil problem peacefully but it is Mr. Prabakaran who aggravated the situation by taking drastic steps, never heard of in the history of Jaffna till that time.“You should be held responsible for the deaths of over 70,000 people of all faiths, of all age groups, of both sexes of all communities in Sri Lanka not only at the battle front but also in land and claymore mine attacks, hand grenade and bomb attacks and also massacres of innocent ones in buses, trains, etc. The Kepitigolawa and Aranthalawa massacres, attempt to sink the ship carrying 700 service personnel in mid-sea, the killing of the hundred odd Navy personnel going on leave and returning for duty and many other massacres in the mosques etc. cannot be justified. What harm did the 31 innocent Buddhist priests you slaughtered at Aranthalawa do to you?“Can you cite one single incident of this nature in which a Sinhalese civilian got involved. Furthermore please take it for granted that up to now not one Tamil life was taken by any one of those so called Buddhist Sinhala chauvinist although some talk irresponsibly.” LTTE man kills himself to avoid capture: military A suspected Tamil Tiger guerrilla killed himself by swallowing a cyanide capsule as soldiers cornered him at a Hindu temple in eastern Sri Lanka, the military said Tuesday. The military received a tip that a suspected rebel was hiding in the temple in Kaluwankerni village, eastern Batticaloa district, on Monday, an official at the Defense Ministry's information center said on condition of anonymity in line with policy. As soldiers searched the temple, the rebel bit a cyanide capsule, the official said, adding that a pistol, ammunition and two more cyanide capsules were recovered from the man. The military believes the rebel may have been hiding in the temple after escaping a military offensive in nearby Thoppigala, the last rebel stronghold in the east. Government soldiers have captured may rebel-held regions in the east and are now trying to take control of mountainous Thoppigala which has been under the control of the Tigers for the past 14 years. Tamil Tigers, who have fought the government since 1983 to create an independent homeland for the country's predominantly Hindu Tamil minority, are known to wear cyanide capsules around their neck to avoid being captured alive. Sri Lanka's worsening separatist conflict has killed more than 5,000 people in the past 19 months rendering a 2002 Norway-brokered cease-fire useless. More than 70,000 people have died in two decades of fighting. Tamil-Muslim abductions: Why is there deafening silence? It was first the Tamils and now the Muslims and despite all the recent rumblings on increasing abductions amongst ethnic minorities there is still a deafening silence. Silence because still a large part of the country is either unaware of it or refuses to accept it. Silence also because the existing ranting lacks any sense of earnestness and has turned into a political spectacle. This silence isn’t unique in the wider Sri Lankan human rights context just as much as abductions in Colombo is not necessarily the most compelling problem of the day. But this latest string of incidents appears to be defined by a more disturbing nationalist campaign that warrants comment. There is however an inescapable elitist element to all of this that must be highlighted right at the very inception. Tamils and Muslims particularly in the north and east have been facing human rights violations for the past two decades, including killings, abductions, extortions, ethnic cleansing and displacement. Whilst this current spate of incidents has gripped Colombo based Tamils and Muslims in fear, such circumstances are not unprecedented in Sri Lanka. In the case of the eastern Muslims, for instance, for many years they faced the same calamity largely without exposure and not having the luxury of escaping to a foreign country as is happening today. However the current focus on urban wealthy elites has managed to in a relatively shorter period draw more attention than in previous cases of similar violations. Notwithstanding the elite angle, the recent spate of abductions and extortions is worrying because it uniquely affects minorities. To this day there has been no issue of abductions or extortion amongst Sinhala elite clearly making this part of a targeted wider campaign against ethnic minorities. When it started amongst Tamils-most people were silent. Part of the reason was because few were willing to come forward and give evidence and also because it was only one amongst several human rights violations faced by the Tamils. Outside of abductions and extortions Tamils are also victims to killings, threats, eviction, harassment at check points, arbitrary arrest and detention all of which made the first two issues less significant. The other factor was that in the case of the Tamil abductions there were multiple perpetrators including the LTTE and Karuna group, which brought in a terrorism and para-military dimension. But largely the reason for the silence was because it was Tamils who were affected.Whilst similar factors prevail with the Muslims their case is slightly different. Because the Muslims are not one of the armed parties in the conflict the abductions and extortions they face can be seen as rid of the politics of the conflict. In the Muslim situation it appears that it is the very rich businessmen/families that have been targeted in a bid to quash Muslim’s socio-economic position. In some cases, as was with the Tamils, the perpetrators were privy to information belonging to the State, including tax details. This makes it difficult to argue that the State has not had a hand in all of this. This spate of abductions and extortion appears to be one part of the current Sinhala nationalist hegemonic project aimed at completely suppressing minorities. This latest campaign can be seen in many ways including the manner in which people are displaced and resettled, the creation of high-security zones, changes to the ethnic compositions of electorates and eviction of Tamils from the capital. It constitutes an article on its own, but what needs to be made clear here, is that this kind of targeting of the economic interests and social status of ethnic minorities has to be more than just underworld thugs in operation.The response to all of this, particularly since the Muslims became targets, has been appalling. The politicisation of the Muslim abduction issue is clearly a disgrace. Both government and opposition ministers, as if starved for any other issue, have hijacked this to score political mileage. The opposition has plenty of general human rights issues to respond to but Muslim oppositional MP’s are up in arms on this one. The government response, at least on the part of their Muslim representatives, has been to completely downplay the problem. The volleying of blame by Muslim politicians on either side only emphasises the depths to which Muslim politics has fallen where not even a crisis of this nature can escape political division. The political vacuum amongst the Muslims is further exacerbated by the fact that SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem one of the few leaders who has come out strongly against it remains in the government. The media too has taken it up as a human rights issue but somewhat with an agenda. In some instances the media has played heavily on the ethnic chauvinasm of some Sinhala politicians in references to the Muslims, encouraging the stereotyping of Muslims. The manner in which the problem has been reported also raises other serious concerns. In the cases of Muslim businessmen/families some media groups have gone as far as naming them and providing figures. This could potentially put these individuals at severe risk. In most cases the victims are not individual traders but are large scale industrialists who employ thousands of people from all ethnic communities. The impact not just to the Muslim economy but to the country’s economy has been sidelined by the media. More importantly the media has completely shelved the key point of minority targeting. The expansion of this problem of abductions and extortions beyond the Tamils to the Muslims has to be seen in the larger spectrum of things. It is increasingly appearing as part of a bigger more concerted campaign. In the case of the Muslims being the second minority they are doubly affected. In the east their economic base in agriculture was heavily affected when the LTTE forcefully took over their paddy lands pushing them to seek alternative sources of income. Then Colombo based Muslims stood silent. Now the victims are the urban businessmen and industrialists who have been forced to cough up millions of rupees. In some cases businesses have been severely affected making it no longer viable to continue and in other situations top business figures have fled the country. This chauvinistic project is forcing the minorities to either seek refuge abroad or live in Sri Lanka weakened and subjugated by the majority. This is what deserves protest and should attract debate. Abductions and extortions certainly are serious problems. But the underlying issue is more severe. Once the figures are added it is apparent that in the past months the extortionists and abductors must have gained billions of rupees. Clearly this money must be going towards a more organised project than simply filling the pockets of individuals. This is what the minority leaders need to question and stand up against. Unlike the Tamil politicians, some of whom who are linked to the LTTE (also reputed for abductions and extortions), the Muslim leadership has a more open platform to do this. In the wake of government denials and a defensive strategy on human rights violations it is only the people that can demand accountability. The response should not simply be left to the minorities. Where are the Sinhala voices on this issue? Sinhala business leaders have previously publicly taken a stance on the conflict, where are their voices now? If this latest abduction saga has taught us anything it is that no one can afford to be silent for too long. 25 June 2007 Peace makers to discuss Lanka after Co-chairs Several prominent international peace envoys, including former UN Secretaries General Kofi Annan and Boutros Boutros-Ghali are expected to meet in Oslo on the sidelines of the Sri Lanka’s Co-chair meeting today and exchange and compare notes on the worldwide peace processes they had been involved in.“The main focus of their meeting will invariably be on Sri Lanka’s peace process, since the meeting of the envoys coincides with the co-chairs’ meeting,” highly placed diplomatic sources said yesterday. Accordingly, mediator in the Northern Ireland peace process, US Senator George Mitchell, Japanese Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi and several prominent peace negotiators who had played vital roles in peace processes worldwide, are also to participate at this meeting.“They will compare techniques, approaches, failures as well as the successes of each and every peace process that they were involved in during this meeting,” he said. At the same time, Sri Lanka’s main donor nations – the US, Japan, the EU and Norway - will meet in Oslo today to discuss ways to bring the government and the Tamil Tigers back to the negotiating table. Peace broker Norway will host the meeting.Meanwhile, Mr. Akashi, who visited Sri Lanka recently, is to make a special request from the international community to immediately assist thousands of displaced people in the Eastern Province.Diplomatic sources said that in a special report on Sri Lanka, Mr. Akashi would focus attention on the displaced civilians in the Batticaloa district following military operations in the area by the government.“He will submit a comprehensive report on the displacement and at the same time will urge the international community to help as soon as possible as civilians were suffering in the area,” the official said. Meanwhile, issuing a statement on the Co-chair meeting, Norway’s Minister of International Development Erik Solheim said, “It will be a working meeting and follows several recent high-level visits to Sri Lanka. The purpose of the meeting is to share information and views.”“They will explore ways and means in which the group, as a whole or as individual countries, can continue helping the parties to cease violence and return to the negotiating table,” the statement added.The US will be represented by Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, Special Representative Yasushi Akashi will represent Japan, Director-General Andreas Michaelis will represent the EU Presidency and Acting Deputy Director-General James Morran will represent the European Commission.Norway also said that it does not intend to make any public statements after the meeting. Play active role in APRC, Co-chairs tell Ranil The Co-chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference who are meeting in Oslo today have also pressurized Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP to be more actively involved in the All Party Conference to come up with a solution to the ethnic conflict, diplomatic sources said. It is learnt that this was expressed during a meeting between Mr. Wickremesinghe and the donor countries as well as at another separate meeting with foreign ambassadors recently in Colombo.The donor nations, who already claimed that the ongoing peace process is at a ‘deadlock’ as both the government and the LTTE were not interested in a political solution, is however happy with the setting up of the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC), a top diplomat said.“The donor nations have expressed their dissatisfaction to Mr. Wickremesinghe for not supporting the APRC, which has been set up to find a solution to the ethnic crisis,” a foreign diplomatic source told the Daily Mirror.He also said that donor nations had reportedly told Mr. Wickremesinghe that he would lose international support if he maintained the current policy on the ethnic issue. Sri Lanka's Central Bank Keeps Key Rate at 10.5% (Bloomberg) Sri Lanka's central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a fourth straight month, saying its monetary policy is reducing inflation. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka maintained its repurchase rate at 10.5 percent, the highest in Asia, the Colombo-based bank said in a statement today. Ten of 11 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News predicted the decision. One economist expected a 25 basis point increase. Governor Nivard Cabraal and his fellow policy makers, who raised borrowing costs by 1.25 percentage points last year and by half a point on Feb. 23, expect inflation to slow to a single-digit rate by the end of 2007. Cabraal may have to grapple with price pressures before then as costlier oil imports and military purchases to combat Tamil Tiger rebels threaten to push inflation higher. ``Although the central bank hasn't increased rates, tight monetary policy prevails,'' said Sanjeewa Dayaratha, a manager of fixed-income trading at Ceylinco Shriram Securities Ltd. in Colombo. ``This would be their way of helping growth while controlling inflation.'' The fastest economic growth in 30 years on the South Asian island nation is threatened by a Tamil rebel air wing that attacked oil and gas plants near the capital, Colombo, and forced the international airport to close at night. Tamil Raids The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, flying light aircraft 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the north of the island, evaded air defenses and bombed Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Indian Oil Corp. plants and an air force base in two raids since March 26. Sri Lanka's economy expanded 6.1 percent in the first quarter, the Department of Census and Statistics said on June 13. The economy grew 7.4 percent last year, buoyed by a 10 percent expansion in Western province, the home of the textile and clothing industries, the biggest export earners. The central bank is scheduled to release its own first- quarter growth figures later this month. The bank expects the $26 billion economy to grow 7.5 percent this year as investments in roads, ports and other infrastructure limit the impact of escalating tensions between the military and rebel forces. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said the LTTE air unit threatens Sri Lanka and the region. He increased spending on the army, navy and air force by 44 percent this year to a record 139 billion rupees ($1.3 billion). Sri Lanka generates about 65 percent of its electricity from oil-fired plants and imports all the fuel it needs to run them. A depreciating currency has increased import costs. Slower Inflation Inflation in Sri Lanka slowed to a 12-month low in May as high interest rates helped damp consumer spending and loan growth. Consumer prices in Colombo rose 13.7 percent from a year earlier, after increasing 16.3 percent in April. ``The impact of the tight monetary policy stance pursued by the central bank since end 2004 and the resulting deceleration in the growth of monetary aggregates is evident in the declining trend in inflation during the recent months,'' the central bank said in today's statement. Inflation ``is expected to continue this decelerating trend during the remainder of the year.'' Inflation will slow to 9 percent by the end of the year, Governor Cabraal said on April 30. That's higher than a November forecast of between 7 percent and 8 percent by the end of 2007. ``Inflationary pressures are still there with higher government expenses,'' said Romesh Gomez, a trader at First Capital Treasuries Ltd. in Colombo, who predicted today's decision. ``Growth will be on the central bank's mind with the slowing down.'' Negative Outlook Fitch Ratings in April retained its negative outlook on Sri Lanka's credit rating, noting the worst violence on the island after a 2002 cease-fire and weak state finances. Fitch affirmed Sri Lanka's rating at BB-, three levels below investment grade and the same as Indonesia and Nigeria. The credit assessor lowered the outlook from stable on April 27, 2006, increasing the chance of a downgrade. Sri Lanka needs to slow inflation to single digits to sustain strong economic growth and reduce the government's debt- servicing costs, Paul Rawkins, London-based senior director of Fitch's sovereign team, said on April 23. Sri Lanka's borrowing costs will decline by the end of the year as inflation slows, Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera said on June 7. Police arrest five extortionists COLOMBO: Dematagoda Police have arrested five extortionists involved in abductions and demanding ransom at gunpoint from Tamils and Muslims in Colombo. The arrest followed a complaint by Vadugarajah Senathilrajah that his friend Masiliamani Nethrarajah alias Suren a resident of Wattala was abducted by an unknown person near the Ranpa building in the Dematagoda Police area, demanding a ransom of Rs. five million. HQI Dematagoda Police was instructed by the SSP to promptly initiate investigations on the abduction jointly by the Dematagoda and Kotahena Police. The suspects are Dharmarana alias Ananda, Dinesh Kapilaratne, Vijith Kumaratna, Prabhath Chaminda and Upul Nishantha. The complainant stated that on June 19 around 5.00 p.m. his brother Palintharan and Nethrarajah, who was later abducted, had given him a lift to Galle Face Hotel where he had a meeting. Thereafter he returned with his brother to his office at No. 32, Lauries Road Colombo 7. Around 7.00 p.m. the complainant and his brother had collected Nethrarajah from Galle Face Hotel and arrived at Cinnamon Grand Hotel and near Crescat there was a call for Nethrarajah on his mobile telephone. It transpired that the one Ananda was to meet him near Liberty Plaza. It also transpired that he had gone to meet the caller in a cab. After about 10 minutes, Nethrarajah spoke to the complainant and stated he was proceeding to Punchi Borella to drop Ananda. After another 30 minutes, the driver of the car Wanasundera Aracthchige Jenam Davidsion Perera rang the complainant stating that Ananda got down from the car near Siridhamma Mawatha and walked up, and with Four other unknown persons in the car, proceeded further, dropped Nethrarajah and threatened the driver to leave them. Davidson Perera, a driver of a cab service, was well known to the complainant and Nethrarajah as they used his cab frequently. As the message was received by the complainant he made further inquiries and while proceeding to the Dematagoda Police station, Nethrarajah spoke to the complainant on his mobile telephone and stated that some unknown persons had taken him by car and he was confined to a room demanding Rs. 5 million. He was threatened not to inform the Police but was instructed to give the money to Ananda. Ananda was a resident of 151, Jayagaha, Batuwatte, Anuradhapura but the temporary address was Kokiskade Junction, Kirillawela, and works with Nethrarajah to provide foreign employment. Ananda also had dealings with those living in Siridhamma Mawatha, where the abduction had taken place. The Police have also been ordered to take into custody car No. WPHS 6736. According to the statements of the suspects the person abducted Masilamani Nethrarajah was living in a room of a suspect Malawiaractchige Vijitha Kumararatna, 15, Chithampahuwa, Wellampitiya. Investigations also reveal that the main suspect Ananda had in his possession a collection of Visas. Investigations have so far revealed that the extortionists have close links with a foreign Embassy and were indulging in racketeering in visas. The suspects are in the custody of the Dematagoda Police. Investigations regarding the recent abductions are handled by SSP Jayantha Kulatilleka. Investigations have been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department. Army recruit commits suicide An army recruit who was undergoing training at Pelawatte Army Training Camp had committed suicide on Saturday (23) by hanging himself from a beam of the camp building.The deceased is K.B.Susantha Disanayake (21) from Galnewa, Senapura.His fellow recruits said that the deceased who had gone to bed at about 10.15 p.m on Saturday had committed suicide.The magistrate inquest was due to be conducted yesterday (24) afternoon by Mathugama magistrate at the Army Training Camp. Further inquiries are being conducted by Meegahatenna police. Five youth leaguers (TYO)arrested in London UK: London Metropolitan Police yesterday raided Council flats in Graham Park, North London and arrested five more members of the Tamil Youth Organization. According to official sources the Headquarters of the Youth Organization in London was located in this bloc of flats. Police who searched the flat yesterday afternoon took with them LTTE posters, placards, literatures, heaps of documents, computers, LTTE flags, Tamil Eelam Police uniforms, and uniforms of the Tamil Youth Organization. Police removed all the material found in the Headquarters to Green Police Station located in Paddington. It is also reported that the Police had locked and sealed the flat. Earlier on 21 June, London Metropolitan Police arrested A.C. Shanthan, Head of the LTTE in United Kingdom and G Lambert of the Tamil Youth Organization. Tamils protests against 'genocide' in Sri Lanka Durban, Hundreds of Tamils and other Indian-origin groups on Sunday held a demonstration here to protest the alleged "genocide of Tamil people" in Sri Lanka. Members of the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee of South Africa (TCC-SA), took out a march which culminated at the Mahatma Gandhi Park in the Indian-dominated township of Chatsworth. The protesters, carrying the posters of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, placards and banners, shouted slogans against the escalating violence and "genocide of Tamils" in the island nation. Alleging that "untold injustice and violence" were being committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan armed forces, Sri Lankan Tamil MP, M K Eelaventhan said "We demand a separate homeland for the Tamils because the Sri Lankan government is keen on eradicating the Tamil population from the island." Asking the South African government to save Tamils from annihilation at the hands of the Sri Lankan forces, a member of TCC-SA, Richard Govender said, "We are appealing to South African government to use its influence to save the Tamil people from annihilation at the hands of Sri Lankan government and armed forces. Leaders of all faiths, who participated in the demonstration, expressed their solidarity with the Tamils in Sri Lanka and they submitted a memorandum to Prof Karthi Govender of the South African Human Rights Commission and Deputy Mayor, Loganathan Naidoo. MDMK condemns killing of Indian fishermen by Lankans PUDUCHERRY: MDMK's Puducherry unit has condemned the recent killing of Indian fishermen allegedly by their Sri Lankan counterparts at sea. A resolution adopted at the administrative committee meeting of the party, in Puducherry on Saturday, expressed strong protest against the killings and asked the Central government to intervene immediately and protect the fishermen of India. Another resolution of the meeting also appealed to the Centre to refrain from supplying arms to the Sri Lankan government as it "was being used against Tamils there". Arrangements should be made to supply provisions, medicines and food articles to the Tamils who were starving due to the ethnic strife in the island republic, the resolution said. All 'M' parties that broke away from the SLFP were scattered Chief government whip minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle told 'LeN' that all parties that launched parties with the letter 'M' have been scattered and broken apart and that it is the same thing that would happen to Mangala and Co. he mentioned that the 'Maithri' fraction initiated by Anura and the Mahajana party initiated by Chandrika are also no more.Fernandopulle said that Mangala was ready to solve the dispute with the president and that he was offered the Irrigation ministry which he refused and demanded his old ministries. He said if the president did not turn down his requests he would still be in the government.Any one who breaks away from parties have no future. Either they have to join the UNP or they should join us. What happened to the Lalith fraction? Half went to the UNP the other half passed away- he further said. 24 June 2007 Jeyaraj drops bombshell, rejects District Councils Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) firebrand and Trade Minister Jeyeraj Fernandopulle, in a startling revelation yesterday said that the District Council proposal put forward by the SLFP was inadequate to meet the aspirations of the Tamils.Addressing a large gathering in Colombo at the annual general meeting of the Muslim Media Forum the minister raised concerns about offering the district as a unit of devolution when the Tamils have been historically clamouring for a separate state.He pointed out that offering a small district to a minority group that has been demanding for a separate state was not in any manner going to solve the ethnic conflict.Instead he suggested that the Indian model of federalism should be introduced with wide ranging powers to the peripheries. He said if the Indian model was introduced to Sri Lanka, it would not only solve the ethnic crisis but also prevent India from dictating terms.Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana, Presidential advisor A. H. M Azwer and former Deputy Mayor of Colombo Azath Sally were also present. Speaking further the minister pointed out that though the SLFP proposed to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) the District as a unit of devolution, he however did not support it. He said he being a member of a minority group, could not agree to this concept while various other options were available to solve the ethnic crisis.He told the gathering if the Indian model of federalism was introduced, Sri Lanka would be assisted by the Indian government in particular and the people in general.“India will not allow us to give more than what the Centre has given to its peripheries. We too must give to the periphery something very similar to what the Indian central government has offered to its states,” he said.He also said there would be opposition to this move but added the government must face it, if the government was keen to find a durable solution to the dragging ethnic crisis.He also said the JVP, which was the cause of all the problems in the country was now trying to portray itself as a sympathiser of the Tamil minority.“I am making this bold statement in my capacity as a member of the minority. The JVP and some others are playing to the gallery. They have vested interest. They do not look at the country,” he said. He also said he will not hesitate to vote against the SLFP proposals if necessity arose.In the same tone he also reiterated his earlier position that the government should not have tendered an apology to the Tamil community for evicting Tamil lodgers from Colombo.He said though he came under heavy criticism for making this statement earlier, he stood by it even now.“The Tamil community has also erred. Can anyone deny this? No. There is room for suspicion. In the past, several vital installations like the Central Bank was bombed. The LTTE caused havoc in the heart of the Colombo city. But yet the government of that time did not take stringent measures. “However, the present government did take some harsh decisions to deal with the Tamils and as a result for quite some time all the people in Colombo have been able to live without much fear,” he said.“A huge historic blunder has already been made by many that have prevented certain people from settling down in certain areas of the country. Can Sinhalese live in the north? So the right to live anywhere by anybody has been severely violated. And when a government takes a decision to select a few Tamils and send them back to the north, it is criticized which I can’t understand why” he said. He asked whether anybody tendered an apology when the LTTE chased the Muslims en masse out of the north in 1990. He asked whether any Muslim parliamentarian or Minister resigned as a result of this or asked for pardon from the Muslim community.He asked whether the government or the Sinhalese tendered an apology when hundreds of Tamils were killed and their houses set on fire during the 1983 riots.“So why are we now trying to do this? Are we not playing to the gallery?” he queried.He said he had nothing to lose in life and like in the past had the guts even now to point out errors in public. He also accused Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for having said that the Sri Lankan government was run by a set of ‘mad people’.“How can a man make such derogatory remarks and still say there is no press freedom in Sri Lanka. Because there was press freedom in Sri Lanka only all what he told to the public was published in the news papers. Gotabaya's order to evict Tamils revealed in Defence Ministry minutes Minutes of the Security Coordinating Conference held at the Defence Ministry on May 31 prove conclusively that the order for the eviction of Tamil civilians from the city were given directly by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse. The minutes also make the startling revelation that the Defence Secretary ordered for some of the evicted persons to be placed in IDP centres manned in the north and east. The minutes were dated June 4, just three days before the eviction of the Tamils and circulated to the Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapakse, Chief of Defence Staff Donald Perera, IGP Victor Perera, Major General L.A.D. Amaratunga, Major General (Retd) A.M. Senevirathne and Major General (Retd) H.K.G. Hendawitharana. The minutes running into 11 pages was signed by Lt. Col. N.M. Hettiarachchi, the secretary to the Defence Secretary. In another startling revelation the minutes also make reference to abductions in paragraph 62 and sets out the steps recommended by the Defence Secretary to avoid innocent Tamils getting abducted. "The Secretary Defence instructed DIG M. Balasooriya to issue a pass which will protect the innocent Tamils coming from uncleared areas in order to avoid any abductions, and also instructed the same details to be sent to destination area police stations for further clarification," the minutes state. It is further revealed in the minutes, that the Secretary Defence wanted to monitor and conduct a census to check Tamil civilians who have come from the north and east. "After identifying those who have come to Colombo from other areas, they should either be sent back to their native places or IDP centers manned in north and east. If there are any LTTE suspects, arrest them and hand over to detention camp at Boossa immediately," the minutes also reveal the Defence Secretary as directing. President Mahinda Rajapakse earlier ordered the IGP to conduct an inquiry with a view to taking disciplinary action against those responsible for the eviction. The minutes do not state the Tamil civilians should be asked whether they want to go back to the north and east but clearly states they should 'be sent back.' Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake later apologised for the forced eviction of Tamils under international pressure but the Defence Secretary justified the decision 24 hours later. The minutes also state that the Defence Secretary stressed the importance of population control measures to counter the LTTE with instructions to the police and military officers to carry them out immediately. Lankan Govt slams Justice Bhagwati Sri Lanka's Attorney General has accused Justice PN Bhagwati, Chairman of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) overseeing investigations into human rights violations in the island, of "insulting" the members of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa."Your comments about questioning witnesses and the general conduct of investigations, amount to an expression of direct insult to the honourable Commissioners whom the government proudly believes are some of the most treasured sons and daughters of Sri Lanka," Attorney General CR de Silva said in a very pungent "public" letter to Bhagwati, a former Indian Supreme Court Chief Justice and an internationally acclaimed jurist. The Attorney General was incensed by two public statements made by Justice Bhagwati in which he had alleged that the CoI had done very little work since it was set up; that the procedures followed by it were unsatisfactory; and that there were undue delays. To indicate that what he was saying was the view of the Sri Lankan government, the Attorney General said that the letter was written "at the behest of the Sri Lankan government," which had appointed the CoI and the IIGEP.In the missive dated June 18, the Attorney General charged that Bhagwati had issued the two statements last week only to embarrass Sri Lanka when the UN Human Rights Council was meeting in Geneva.The Attorney General said that it was "unreasonable" on the part of Bhagwati to say that there was delay in starting work and that hardly any progress had been made in the investigations. Four months were necessary to put the necessary infrastructure in place, he argued. On the issue of Victims and Witnesses Protection, he pointed out that Sri Lanka was not alone in not having an appropriate legislation. But steps had been taken to provide the required protection during the work of the CoI.Bhagwati was wrong in finding fault with the Attorney General's Office for providing Counsels to aid the Commission because he had agreed to their appointment initially. At any rate, the Counsels were functioning under the Commissioners who were eminent men in the judicial field.Bhagwati could not find fault with the line of questioning adopted by the Counsels because he had never attended a session, the Attorney General pointed out. Out of the 11 members of the IIGEP, only three were present on the inaugural day, and till the day on which Bhagwati issued his first critical statement, none of the members had been attending the sessions!During the initial weeks, two assistants of some IIGEP members were attending the sessions. It was probably on the basis of the reports of these assistants, that Justice Bhagwati had made his remarks, the Attorney General said. "It would have been far more prudent had you personally observed the proceedings of the Commission and thereafter formed your views," Bhagwati was told. The Attorney General pointed that the President of Sri Lanka had appointed the IIGEP only to observe the investigations of the CoI, and not to observe investigations being carried out by routine Competent Authorities. He drew attention to a recent incident in which an IIEGP member and his assistant had observed proceedings in a Magistrate's Court and then barged into the Judge's Chamber, uninvited. This conduct was "in excess of the mandate" he said.The IIEGP had exceeded its mandate also when it suggested that Sri Lanka accept international monitoring of human rights violations.Refusing to withdraw his Counsels from the Commission's proceedings, the Attorney General said: "I regret to inform you that, I am unable to withdraw my officers from the Commission, due to misinformed, incorrect and partial conclusions reached by the IIGEP." JVP Mangala launch alliance for power Concrete new moves to form a broad opposition coalition will be made this week, with the JVP calling for a broader alliance against the Rajapaksa Administration. Mangala Samaraweera’s SLFP (Mahajana Wing) will also be presenting its proposals to all political parties seeking a broader alliance.The JVP will invite the other political parties to arrive at a common program to challenge what a JVP spokesman called ‘the inefficient and corrupt SLFP led government.’ This JVP invitation is expected to be announced at a press conference to be held on Wednesday 27th.Mangala Samaraweera, leader of the SLFP breakaway group will also meet leaders of political parties to discuss a common agenda to confront the government.After the launching of the Mahajana Wing at Horagolla last Thursday, some SLFP MPs have contacted Samaraweera and have expressed their support, sources close to Samaraweera said. The latest JVP effort comes in the wake of discussions among main Opposition parties to form a Government with the support of two SLFP renegades MPs, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriaarchchi. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe made an open invitation to the duo to join hands with the UNP to defeat ‘corruption and terror’ of the Government.Meanwhile, General Secretary of the UNP Tissa Attanayake said that the UNP will work in a common alliance against “rampant corruption” and “terror’ unleashed by the Government.“We have no problem joining with any force to defeat the evil acts of the Government” Attanayake said. However, there was also a move to make Mangala Samaraweera the leader of the opposition, as he together with the JVP is likely to have more members in Parliament than the UNP soon. TamilNet blocking continues The obstruction of the TamilNet website www.tamilnet.com allegedly through Sri Lanka Telecom proxies almost a week ago continues amidst greater confusion. Senior officials of Sri Lanka Telecom the largest internet service provider - of which 49% is owned by the Government - avoided commenting on this issue.Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Director General Kanchana Ratwattte said he knew nothing of the blocking of the TamilNet and added TRC was not informed of such a blocking.Media Centre for National Security Director General Lakshman Hulugalla said the Government was not involved at all and still maintained that position.“When it comes to defence websites the Government is well equipped with its own websites. “For us TamilNet is not important and there is no need for us to block it,” he said adding that the Government believes it was due to a technical problem. Posts and Telecommunications Minister Rauff Hakeem was not in the country to comment on the matter. When contacted Ministry Secretary M. Imtiyaz said the matter would be taken up as soon as the minister returns to the country. Controversy over President's flight from London Controversy surrounds allegations that Tamil passengers were off-loaded from Colombo on the SriLankan Airlines flight used by President Mahinda Rajapakse to return to Colombo from Geneva last Sunday. President Mahinda Rajapakse arrived in Sri Lanka following his visit to Geneva last Sunday morning. UNP Colombo District MP, T. Maheswaran alleged there were reports of Tamils being off-loaded from the President's flight. "My ticket was not confirmed for that flight, and I was sent on the next one, but many people told me that Tamils on board, including a pilot and two stewards, had been off-loaded," UNP MP T Maheswaran told The Sunday Leader. Maheswaran further said that among the passengers off-loaded was a person who was trying to go for his mother's funeral on time. "I learnt that about 25 seats had been empty on that flight, though we were all given to understand beforehand that the plane was fully booked, and told there was no room," Maheswaran further said. When asked by The Sunday Leader Head of Corporate Communications, SriLankan Airlines, Chandana de Silva however denied any such discrimination had taken place. "No, booked passengers were off-loaded and nobody was discriminated against," De Silva said. Fresh battles in Karuna Group The TMVP, political party set up by former Eastern guerrilla commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan is heading for another upheaval as Pillayan, the ousted former Supreme Military Commander of the party returned to Batticaloa after over a month in exile in the jungles of Trincomalee.Pillayan and his loyalists came in eight vehicles, triggering fears of a fresh internecine clash in the Karuna faction.Despite statements by Karuna himself that he had patched up with Pillayan, a close associate of Pillayan told LAKBIMANEWS that Pillayan has his “reservations” about any further partnership with Karuna.“We are here on our own and prepared to face anything,” he said.On Friday, Karuna and Pillayan loyalists came to blows as Pillayan is supported by senior TMVP members of the likes of Pradeep Master, who was the former political head of Ampara and senior leaders Seelan and Jeyam. CBK back on June 29? Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga is expected to return to the Island on June 29, according to informed sources.She traveled to London to attend her daughter Yashodara’s wedding that took place according to Sinhala tradition. Reports also said among other invitees were several heads of state, who were in power during President Kumaratunga`s regime and relatives of Yashodara`s husband Dr. Roger Walker. Indian Navy Chief calls Sea Tigers a nuisance India's chief of naval staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta dismissed the LTTE's Sea Tigers as a "nuisance" and said he was not concerned about it.He also turned down any move towards joint naval patrol of the waters with Sri Lanka. Admiral Mehta was addressing the prestigious London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) on "India's Maritime Diplomacy and International Security", one in a series of talks by military leaders, last Thursday.Asked by The Sunday Times whether India was concerned about the conventional and unconventional maritime capability of the LTTE, Admiral Mehta said it was more of a nuisance and India was not concerned, unless it saw this capability develop."We are in dialogue with the Sri Lanka navy and if they need help we will do so," he said.In reply to another question by an IISS scholar, the visiting admiral said that there seems to be some confusion about joint patrols and co-ordinated patrols. He said that if joint patrolling meant putting Sri Lankan personnel on "my ships" or Indian personnel on Sri Lankan ships, he had no intention of doing so."We have defined borders and we are operating on our side", he said. But the two sides share information. Admiral Mehta said that the Indian navy is using gunboats in those waters and not missile boats because this is of no strategic significance and it is a "low-end operation." Marking Mavilaru capture The Government wants to celebrate the anniversary of its first major military offensive – the capture of the Mavilaru area – on a large scale.July 26 which marks the first anniversary of the Army operation directed by former Major General Nanda Mallawarachchi will be celebrated with the launch of ‘Neganahira Navodaya’ (Eastern Revival). The President’s Senior Advisor Basil Rajapaksa said 43 development projects to coincide with the ‘Neganahira Navodaya’ will be initiated in the 43 AGA divisions in the Trincomalee district. Mr. Rajapaksa visited Trincomalee yesterday. Forty three MPs will be appointed to be in charge of these projects with each of them entrusted to oversee one of the projects.The Government is also planning a political campaign to hold 100 seminars throughout the country on the same day to educate the public on the Government’s political programme.Resettlement of the displaced is taking place in the Trincomalee district while the construction of three bridges began last week. A Year After Massacre, Sri Lanka Still Asks Who, When and Why? MUTUR, Sri Lanka — The victims had been ordered to lie face down, arms outstretched, all in a row in the front yard of a white bungalow. Two lay next to a parked van, interrupted perhaps in a bid to escape.Most of the dead wore T-shirts bearing the name of the aid group that employed them: the Paris-based Action Contre La Faim, or Action Against Hunger.The bungalow was their local office, where they had huddled for at least three days last August, waiting to be rescued as soldiers and rebels battled for control of this town.By the time help arrived, their bodies were decomposing. Photographs show crows standing witness on a plastic patio chair.The massacre of the 17 was among the worst attacks aimed at aid workers in any conflict anywhere in recent years, approaching the toll in the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad in August 2003.But nearly a year after the massacre, the most basic questions about the killings remain unresolved. Sri Lanka’s government, enmeshed again in a bitter civil war and anxious to keep international human rights monitors out of the country, is facing rising condemnation from groups here and abroad who say the investigation has been wanting because of the possibility that its security forces were involved.They point to serious gaps, including inconsistencies in ballistics evidence that could implicate Sri Lankan soldiers.The International Commission of Jurists, a Geneva-based human rights group composed of lawyers, released a report in April identifying “a disturbing lack of impartiality, transparency and effectiveness of the investigation.”Predictably, the rivals in the fighting, the Sinhalese-dominated state and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, have traded blame for the massacre, one in a pattern of extrajudicial killings that have become a regular feature of the war. Each side says the aid workers were killed when the other party held Mutur; exactly when they were killed, and who was in charge then, is the major mystery.[In the latest assault on aid workers, the bodies of two Sri Lankan Red Cross Society staff members were found in early June in a suburb of the capital, Colombo. They were picked up for questioning the day before by men who identified themselves as police officers.] The massacre here occurred at a turning point in the war, as government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels clashed for control of the east. By Aug. 1, the battle had reached Mutur, a small town that was a tricky place.Located across the bay from Trincomalee, it had long been under government control, but was encircled by rebel-held villages.Its population was mixed, with Tamils and Muslims living with each other alongside hundreds of largely Sinhalese soldiers.Trickier still for the aid group was the fact that all its workers were Sri Lankan nationals from Trincomalee, an hour away by ferry, and strangers to the town. And all were Tamil, except one man, a Muslim.Foreigners can often shield national staff from harassment and suspicion from the warring parties. But that week, with Mutur already girding for trouble, local staff members were sent out alone. Officials from Action Against Hunger said they could not clarify why.As the Sinhalese military fought to flush out rebel bases nearby, the Tamil Tigers stormed the town, by their account, around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. That evening, from besieged Mutur, one of the aid workers, Sivapragasam Romila, 25, called a neighbor in Trincomalee; her own family did not have a phone. Her 18-year-old sister, Noilen, ran next door to answer the call. It was only then that she learned that her sister was even in Mutur.Romila had gone off to work that morning at the aid group’s office in Trincomalee and later, unknown to her family, had taken the ferry to Mutur, which she visited frequently in her work as a hygiene promoter for the group.Noilen said she could hear the shelling on the phone, louder than anything she had heard before. “Don’t tell mother, but I’m afraid,” she said Romila had told her.Noilen waited anxiously for two days for more news. Then Romila called again. She told Noilen that the aid group was trying to get them out. She said they were running out of food.Their instructions to the Mutur group were unequivocal: remain in the house and wear the agency T-shirts, call in to the Trincomalee radio room every hour. Help would be on the way. Officials from Action Against Hunger said efforts to retrieve the workers were stymied by soldiers, who blocked the one long road that loops through marsh and jungle from Trincomalee to Mutur. The fighting had prevented the ferry from running.In interviews, the officials insisted that the decision to instruct their employees to stay put was the right one. They pointed out that a church, where civilians had sought shelter that week, had been shelled, killing more than a dozen people.“It’s easy to say afterwards they should have left,” François Danel, the group’s executive in Paris, said by telephone. “Our decision was for them to stay. It’s in our guidelines.”By the morning of Friday, Aug. 4, with food and water running out, many of the town’s residents had fled.At 6:15 a.m. Friday, the aid office in Trincomalee received a final radio call. What was said, including whether the group wanted to leave Mutur with the other civilians, remains unclear. The group said the conversation was not recorded on the radio log, though it would not share its records.An autopsy did not determine the exact time of death. The Sri Lankan court hearing the case concluded that all 17 were killed early the same morning. When the security forces reclaimed Mutur is disputed. The rebels contend they cleared out shortly after midnight on Thursday after urging the aid workers to be careful, a contention that is impossible to verify. The military has made contradictory statements about when it took control.Firzan Hashim, the deputy executive director of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, an umbrella group based in Colombo, reached Mutur on Sunday afternoon. By then, no one was on the narrow road.The bungalow used by the aid group had been ransacked. A rotten stench filled the air. The aid workers had been shot at such close range, he said, that the bullets had burned muscle as they entered.The first serious autopsy, last October, showed that nearly all had been shot in the head, two in the neck.The evidence presented in March to the criminal court indicated that the bullets used were from automatic rifles, 7.62 millimeter, ammunition used by each side in the war.But that evidence was incomplete. Malcolm J. Dodd, an Australian forensic pathologist invited by the government to observe the autopsy, recorded seeing something else. From Sivapragasam Romila’s skull a “minimally deformed” 5.56 millimeter projectile was retrieved, he wrote in a 64-page report. A 7.62 millimeter bullet was enmeshed in her hair. The 5.56 millimeter bullet is used in American-made M-16 rifles, carried by some members of Sri Lankan security forces, though such a weapon could just as easily have been stolen by the rebels or someone else. It is a mystery why that evidence was only belatedly revealed to the court.The government, apparently to deflect calls for an international human rights mission, has appointed a panel to conduct an independent investigation of the massacre and several other prominent human rights crimes.The inquiry is separate from the criminal case, and it has not satisfied many here or abroad. The Center for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based advocacy group, said the official commission was no substitute for an international mission.[In a statement on June 11, the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons, a government-appointed panel called in to observe the work of the presidential commission, said the measures taken by the commission “do not satisfy international norms and standards.”]The uncertainties surrounding the investigations have only compounded the mourning of the victims’ families. The last time Ganesh Sivaneshwari heard from her daughter, Kavitha, 27, was Thursday night, Aug. 3. Kavitha, also a hygiene promoter, had taken the Tuesday morning ferry to the aid office in Mutur.Her father, Selaiah Ganesh, 54, a driver for Action Against Hunger, was already there.It gave Mrs. Ganesh strength that week, knowing that her husband and daughter were together. She trusted her husband’s judgment. He was able and well connected, she said, and he would know how to keep everyone safe or get them out.What is left of father and daughter are pictures on the family altar. On one afternoon, Mrs. Ganesh sat on the unswept floor and wept.Her husband’s death has deepened her fear. Only reluctantly does she allow her son Gajan to work, so the family can eat. She has sent another son out of the country.Without Selaiah Ganesh, they no longer know how to keep safe in the madness of this war.“If my father were here, I wouldn’t be afraid,” Gajan, 24, said. “I am afraid now.” 23 June 2007 Sri Lanka journalists stop reporting on fighting Dozens of journalists have stopped reporting on fighting in Sri Lanka's north and east because it is too dangerous. In the most recent violence, a suspected Tamil rebel boat exploded off Sri Lanka's east coast Friday, killing at least three insurgents, as clashes between rebels and soldiers in the north left four guerrillas dead, the military said. It is becoming more and more dangerous for journalists to report on fighting "The pressures on the media have multiplied over the recent months with increasing fears for the safety of journalists, especially those operating in the embattled north and east," a panel representing 11 media watchdogs said in a statement released Friday at the end of a four-day mission to the island. "In Jaffna peninsula, dozens of journalists have been forced to stop working for fear of their safety," the panel said, referring to a northern region where clashes for territory between separatist Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces have intensified in the past 19 months. The group including the International Federation of Journalists, the International Press Institute, Reporters Without Borders and Sri Lanka's Free Media Movement accused the government, Tamil rebels and government-backed paramilitary groups of media rights violations. It said verbal attacks by government ministers against the media encourage "a climate of self-censorship, which is damaging the free flow of information." The statement also said that, aside from the arrest and detention of journalists, authorities stifle media in Jaffna by restricting deliveries of printing supplies and by arranging for revenue officers to raid publishing companies. In rebel-controlled areas, "freedom of expression and freedom of movement continue to be heavily restricted preventing access to information and the representation of diverse opinions," the group said. Both the government and insurgents restrict journalists' access to conflict zones, meaning reporters cannot adequately cover the conflict and have to rely on information provided by the opposing sides, the statement said. Government Information Director Anusha Pelpita said late Friday he could not comment as he had yet to see the watchdogs' statement. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan was not immediately available. The government and Tamil guerrillas have consistently been accused of trying to muzzle the independent media since the separatist conflict intensified in December 2005 after years of relative calm. Clashes, assassinations and air attacks in the past 19 months have killed more than 5,000 people and took the death toll from two decades of fighting past 70,000. Tamil Tiger rebel have been fighting the government since 1983 to create an independent homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils who have suffered discrimination by successive majority Sinhalese-controlled governments. Both sides have largely ignored a 2002 Norway-brokered cease-fire but neither have officially withdrawn from the agreement. Dissolution if more MPs defect: MR President Mahinda Rajapaksa warned senior party members Friday night he would be forced to dissolve parliament if the present crisis created by the crossovers was aggravated and more dissidents joined the SLFP (Mahajana Wing). Addressing a special meeting of ministers and senior SLFP members at Temple Trees, the President said the crisis appeared to be worsening day by day as former ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyaratchchi were trying to form an alliance with other opposition parties. President Rajapaksa told party seniors he was ready to face an election at anytime if there was no option left. The meeting was summoned to discuss the political situation in the aftermath of the crossovers of Samaraweera and Sooriyaarachchi and was attended by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake, Ministers Maithripala Sirisena, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana and several other senior members. The President who had also invited members of the SLFP Disciplinary Committee to attend the meeting along with senior party officials, had reportedly directed the Committee to call for explanation from. Samaraweera and Sooriyaarachchi again and initiate fresh disciplinary action against them. Sooriyaarachchi had responded to a letter sent by SLFP General Secretary Mathripala Sirisena two months ago asking for explanation. However President Rajapaksa said the reply could not be accepted and therefore asked that a fresh letter be sent calling for explanation.A letter to Samaraweera, who is also the SLFP Treasurer, was also signed by General Secretary Sirisena and was to be delivered to him three weeks ago, but it was kept on hold with moves to get him back into the fold.Meanwhile, SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena at a hurriedly summoned media briefing Friday said that the Government was ready to go for an election if the UNP wanted one. "And we are quite confident of winning" he said. Political analysts interpreted this as a hint to the JVP which is not in favour of an election at this juncture."The doors are still wide open for the two ministers to return to the fold. If they continue to back the internal and external forces that are bent on to bring back the traitorous Government of Ranil Wickremesinghe into power they are sadly mistaken. They are sure to get isolated from the country’s political mainstream," Sirisena warned. The media briefing was held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute auditorium to explain the Government’s position on the two dissident MPs. Senior Vice Presidents Nimal Siripala de Silva and Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana also expressed their views. Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa and SLFP Administrative Secretary S.H.Ariyasena were present.Sirisena said while the Government had cleared the East of LTTE terrorists and weakening the organization in the North certain traitorous forces were attempting to help the LTTE to destroy the Government When journalist referred to a statement made by ex-Minister Mangala Samaraweera that the Government allowed corrupt UNP MPs to cross over to the Government, Minister Siripala de Silva said that he would be compelled to reveal many truths like how the cross over was hatched at Samaraweera’s residence. MP Rukman Senanayake came with a file that contained the names of those who would cross over. The UNP leader who got wind of the cross over elevated Ruman Senanayake as party Chairman hoping to avert the cross over.Alavi Moulana said though the situation is like "Kapuwa Kapothi" that he would still like to try his hands at reconciliation to bring back the duo to the SLFP fold. He hailed President Mahinda Rajapaksa as a die hard SLFPer who gave leadership to Jana Gosha, Pada Yatra and Mothers’ Front The briefing was also told that Rajapaksa would preside at the 17th National Convention of the party to be held at the Maharagama National Youth Services Council on July 21. Several future development programmes of the Government were also spelt out at the media briefing. Tiger boat explodes in Eastern Sri Lanka A suspected Tamil Tiger boat exploded off the Port city of Trincomalee in Eastern Sri Lanka yesterday(22) killing at least three insurgents, the Media Centre for National Security said. The boat exploded in the sea off the Nilaweli coast as Sri Lanka Navy vessels upon observing a suspicious boat among the fishing boats fired warning shots.Military sources said there were three occupants in the boat. Navy divers later recovered a body of a female Tiger cadre.The Navy is conducting further investigations. Conditions in NE not conducive to hold local elections - GAs The Government Agents in the north and eastern provinces who are also designated as Assistant Commissioners of Elections informed the Commissioner General of Elections at a conference held Thursday in Election Secretariat in Colombo that the current ground situation in their districts is not conducive to hold any elections. The Commissioner General, Dayananda Dissanayake, summoned the conference to decide on the question of holding elections to 42 local authorities which were not held on due dates in the year 2005.Mr.Dissanayake briefed the problems arose due to the failure of holding elections to the local authorities and sought the view of the government agents whether elections could be held for these local authorities. All government agents told Mr.Dissanayake that the current ground situations in their districts had become worse than during the elections held in the year 2002, and holding elections in the NorthEast districts will not be possible.The Commissioner General replied that he would inform his decision after consulting Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Janaka Bandara Tennekone, Minister for Local Authorities and Provincial Councils on this issue. Maithri warns Mangala & Sripathi General Secretary of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena today issued a warning to Samaraweera and Suriarachchi that their secrets would be revealed if they continue to attack the SLFP and the president.Addressing a media conference in Colombo this morning he however said if Mangala and Sripathi turn and come back to the party, the party doors would be opened for them.He added that the SLFP is operating on SWRD Bandaranaike view and stated that it was Mangala who initiated the discussion with the 17 UNP MPs to join the government.Sirisena also said that on the 21st of this month the 17 conference of the SLFP will be held at the Maharagama youth centre and that a massive development plan would be launched on that day. Karuna imposes taxes on Tamil civilians -Source:Asian Tribune The Karuna Group is raising fund by imposing taxes on fishermen living in Government controlled areas in Batticaloa and Amparai, intelligence sources said, adding that the Group was also collecting information about individual and family incomes in the two districts through the Grama Servaka officers. They are preparing a list of the shopkeepers and businesses in the Government controlled area with a view to impose taxes, sources said.Sources said that on June 13th, Sinnathamby, Veera, Mangalan and Ranjan, commanders of the Karuna Group met fishermen in Batticaloa and ordered them to pay taxes due on their boats with immediate effect.They have ordered that owners of large motorised boat pay a monthly tax ofRs.3000, Karavalai boat Rs. 1500 and Dhoniy Rs. 1000 each Karuna’s Group also has imposed Rs. 100/ per bullock-cart for a cart load of sand from the cart owners.Three-wheelers in the Batticaloa – Amparai districts are ordered to pay Rs.2500 monthly as tax to the Karuna group, sources said, adding that in the beginning three-wheeler drivers in Kalmunai area had resisted the payment, but were forced to pay amidst threats, as the resistance by the three-wheeler drivers was viewed as a challenge to Karuna’s authority in the East. Subsequently, Gopi Kanth, one of Karuna’s man in Kalmunai had shot and killed one three-wheeler driver who opposed the payment of tax. Following the killing in Kalmunai, it is learnt that the three-wheeler drivers have already submitted and started paying the taxes. People in the East who live in the Government controlled areas are petrified because of the threats from the Karuna group, civilians said. Remove M.K.Narayan from the post of national security advisor ---Dravidian Kalagaham demands The general body of the Dravidian Kalagham, which held its conference chaired by veteran Tamil leader K.Viramani in Chennai,resolved unanimously to demand the Indian Central Government and the Tamil Nadu Government to remove M.K.Narayan, from the post of Indian national Security Advisor for his conduct particularly in respect of Lankan national issue has not been beyond any suspicion or malafide. The resolution further states that the people of Tamil Nadu express regret that India supplies arms and radar to Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan air force personnel are given training in Panjab and Goa, and the north-east have been merged in violations of the indo –Sri Lanka accord. The resolution further expresses its pleasure that Dr.Manmohan Singh, the Indian Prime Minister, has condemned the forcible eviction of Tamils from Colombo by the Lankan police. The resolution finally stresses that while the UNO condemns the racism of the Sri Lankan government, India has a greater role to play. Minister Jeyaraj accepts that Tamils are killed daily by air strikes. –TELO Sri Kantha in Parliament TELO & TNA Parliamentarian N.Sri Kantha addressing the House on June 19th stated that Minister Jeyaraj Fernando Pulle has accepted the fact that Tamils are killed by air strikes in the north-east. He stated that on the one hand, the government conducts a meaningless war in the north –east causing sufferings to the Tamil people and on the other hand, the Tamils in Colombo and other areas are subjected to human rights violations. Sri Lanka May tourist arrivals fall 40 pct yr/yr Sri Lankan tourist arrivals fell 40 percent in May from a year earlier, the island's tourist board said on Friday, citing renewed civil war between the state and Tamil Tiger rebels. Arrivals are now down 23.4 percent during the first five months of the year compared to the same period in 2006, and many hotels have very low occupancy rates and are sharply discounting rooms in a bid to lure clients."It is the situation in the country, travel advisories and the closure of the airport," S. Kalaiselvam, director general of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, told Reuters, referring to the night closure of the island's only international airport following Tamil Tiger air raids on fuel installations nearby.The government has vowed to reopen the airport at night from early July.According to Central Bank data, earnings from tourism fell by 14.8 percent between January and April year on year to 130.8 million dollars.A number of foreign embassies have advised nationals to avoid north and east Sri Lanka amid an escalating new chapter in a two-decade civil war that has killed nearly 70,000 people since 1983 and around 4,500 people since last year alone. SLN sailor shot dead in Peasaalai Unidentified men fired at a group of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel on road patrol duty at Peasaalai in Mannaar district Friday at about 2.10 p.m. killing one sailor, sources in Mannaar said.Bandara, 29, succumbed to injuries on admission to the Mannaar general hospital, sources said.The body of dead soldier is still lying in the Mannaar general hospital.Hundreds of Tamil residents living in Kaaddaaspaththiri and Ward 8 of Peasaalai fled from their houses due to fear following the shooting incident, and have sought refuge in Peasaalai Our Lady of Victory's Church. Sri Lanka failing to probe journalist murders: Press group The mission called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government, under mounting pressure from the international community on human rights amid mushrooming abuses, to safeguard media workers during a raging parallel propaganda war.The government has already ruled out one of the group's demands -- that a United Nations human rights monitoring mission be brought to the island."There is still an attempt by all groups to intimidate and harass the media, and that is having a very real effect -- a chilling effect -- on press freedom," Park added."Our message is very clear. The responsibility for creating a secure working environment lies with the government and it needs to do this by not tolerating any attacks or killings of journalists and media workers." HARASSMENT, VILIFICATION The mission recommends the government stops any interference in editorial independence and halts public vilification of journalists by some officials and ministers -- and calls on it to divest its ownership of state media, which it argues polarises coverage along partisan lines."Members of the government have endangered the lives of media workers by insulting them or applying other invectives," the mission said in a statement.The working environment for journalists in Jaffna, highly militarised and controlled by the army but cut off from the rest of the island by rebel lines, is very tense."What we found is in the government-controlled areas there is a general feeling of fear and it has a huge impact on the way the people living in the Jaffna region can get access to information," said Vincent Brossel of Reporters Without Borders."There is no political will to investigate such crimes and that is perpetrating a feeling of fear among the Jaffna journalists," he added, referring to killings."The presence of LTTE (Tamil Tiger) cadres in the region also has a chilling effect on the work of the journalists."Reporters have been stopped from visiting Tiger-held areas since August 2006 for what the government says are security reasons, but one top official said was to avoid Tiger propaganda being spread.Several Tamil language newspapers have been unable to print and distribute editions to majority Tamil areas in the north and east for months as a new chapter in a war that has killed nearly 70,000 people since 1983 escalates. Sri Lanka May Keep Key Interest Rate Unchanged for Fourth Month Sri Lanka's central bank will probably keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a fourth straight meeting to push inflation lower while supporting growth. Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Nivard Cabraal will leave the repurchase rate at 10.5 percent, the highest level in Asia, according to 10 of 11 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. One economist expected a 25 basis point increase. The decision is expected on June 25 at 7.30 a.m. in Colombo. Cabraal and his fellow policy makers, who raised borrowing costs by 1.25 percentage points last year and by half a point on Feb. 23, expect inflation to slow to a single-digit level by the end of 2007. Cabraal may have to grapple with price pressures before then as costlier oil imports and military purchases to combat Tamil Tiger rebels threaten to push inflation higher. ``I don't believe in single-digit inflation, but the monetary policy exercise seems to be bearing fruit,'' said Danushka Samarasinghe, research manager at Asia Securities Ltd. in Colombo. ``Growth could be affected with the cost of investing going up.'' The fastest economic growth in 30 years on the South Asian island nation is threatened by a Tamil rebel air wing that attacked oil and gas plants near the capital, Colombo, and forced the international airport to close at night. Sri Lanka's economy expanded 6.1 percent in the first quarter, compared with 7.9 percent a year earlier, the Department of Census and Statistics said on June 13. Roads, Ports The central bank is scheduled to release its own first- quarter growth figures later this month. The bank expects the $26 billion economy to grow 7.5 percent this year as investments in roads, ports and other infrastructure limit the impact of escalating tensions between the military and rebel forces. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, flying light aircraft 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the north of the island, evaded air defenses and bombed Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Indian Oil Corp. plants and an air force base in two raids since March 26. The economy grew 7.4 percent last year, buoyed by a 10 percent expansion in Western province, the home of the textile and clothing industries, the biggest export earners. Inflation in Sri Lanka slowed to a 12-month low in May as high interest rates helped damp consumer spending and loan growth. Consumer prices in Colombo rose 13.7 percent from a year earlier, after increasing 16.3 percent in April. The government expects to keep defense spending at about 3 percent of gross domestic product and is likely to meet its budget-deficit forecast because of higher tax receipts, Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera said in a June 7 interview. Budget Deficit President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said the LTTE air unit threatens Sri Lanka and the region. He increased spending on the army, navy and air force by 44 percent this year to a record 139 billion rupees ($1.3 billion). Rajapaksa, who is also the finance minister, aims to narrow the budget deficit to 7.2 percent of GDP this year even as the government increases defense spending amid renewed fighting with the Tamil Tigers in the nation's two-decade civil war. The target excludes the cost of development projects and other tsunami reconstruction schemes that are fully funded from abroad, according to the government's annual budget document. The deficit, including the cost of these projects, will be 9.1 percent for 2007 compared with 8.7 percent last year. Fitch Ratings in April retained its negative outlook on Sri Lanka's credit rating, noting the worst violence on the island after a 2002 ceasefire and weak state finances. Fitch affirmed Sri Lanka's rating at BB-, three levels below investment grade and the same as Indonesia and Nigeria. The credit assessor lowered the outlook from stable on April 27, 2006, increasing the chance of a downgrade. Slower Inflation The South Asian nation needs to slow inflation to single- digit levels to sustain strong economic growth and reduce the government's debt-servicing costs, Paul Rawkins, London-based senior director of Fitch's sovereign team, said on April 23. Inflation will slow to 9 percent by the end of the year, Cabraal said on April 30. That's higher than a November forecast of between 7 percent and 8 percent by the end of 2007. Sri Lanka's borrowing costs will decline by the end of the year as inflation slows, Jayasundera said. ``Tightening monetary policy will impact inflation, but there's pressure on the cost of transportation and electricity,'' said S. Jeyavarman, who helps manage the equivalent of $25 million in stocks and bonds as chief executive of National Asset Management Ltd. in Colombo. ``Meeting government targets will be hard.'' Crude oil for July delivery closed at $67.65 on June 14, the highest since Sept. 5. Sri Lanka generates about 65 percent of its electricity from oil-fired plants and imports all the fuel it needs to run them. A depreciating currency has increased the island's import costs. The following table shows estimates for the change in the repurchase rate and the reverse repurchase rate: Sivaji takes Sri Lanka by storm The Rajnikanth mania has gripped Sri Lanka too. His blockbuster Sivaji:The boss is on show 41 times a day in seven theatres across the island, with all shows running to full houses, Hindustan Times learns. "People forget the war and queue up for tickets at the Monohara theatre. It's booked for a week now," said K Nathan, a resident of Jaffna, in north Sri Lanka. The film transports the viewer to a world of fantasy, a far cry from the grim reality of Jaffna where disappearances and killings carried out with impunity by unidentified warlords are the order of the day. The film is running to full houses in Trincomalee in the East and also in the plantation areas in Central Sri Lanka, which is home to lakhs of Tamil labourers of Indian origin. "It's house fill. No tickets for another week," said the manager of Midland cinema in Nawalapitya in Central Sri Lanka, when asked if tickets were available.Colombo, of course, is seeing the biggest draw, because 40% of its population is Tamil-speaking, and it has four theatres showing the film four times a day, simultaneously. The Cine City multiplex in downtown Maradana has 20 shows a day. "Except for the 10.30 am show on weekdays, all the other three shows are booked for the next two weeks," an official of Concorde theatre in south Colombo said. Serpentine queues form outside the theatres hours before a show. "Disappointed fans who fail to get tickets extensively damage the cut outs and the police barricades. Police were sometimes compelled to baton charge the unruly fans," The Island daily said in a front page story with a picture on June 19. The demand is so high that the Cine City management has raised ticket prices to LKR.250 and 300, reports Virakesari a Tamil daily with the largest circulation in the island."There is such an anxiety about getting a seat that crowds rush into the hall even before patrons of the previous show had filed out. All seats get refilled even before the end of a show!" the paper reports. "I am eager to see the film, but it will be a month before I can hope to get a ticket," said Tamil film buff, Minna Ahmad."It can't get bigger than this - Rajnikanth, the superstar and style king, and Shankar the showman of Tamil cinema, are coming together for the first time in Sivaji. The good news is that this awesome combo is able to whip up an entertainment extravaganza that is deliciously good to savour," says Daily Mirror in its review."The comedy in the first half is rollicking. Go for it - its entertainment guaranteed," the reviewer urges. Detractors But Rajni and his film have their detractors too. The Sri Lankan Tamil website www.tamilnatham.com has posted an appeal to Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils to boycott Sivaji on the grounds that Rajnikanth, a "Kannadiga" and a "Kannada fanatic", has been fooling the Tamils for many years. While mesmerising the Tamil masses with his glamorous films, and earning crores in the process, he has consistently supported Karnataka in all its disputes with Tamil Nadu, the website charges.If the Tamils of Tamil Nadu are turning a blind eye to the plight of the Tamils of Sri Lanka, it is because their attention has been diverted by people like Rajnikath, it says.Sri Lankan Tamil ultras often say that the Tamil film industry will totter if the Sri Lankan Diaspora, angry with the industry for not projecting their grievances, boycott Tamil films. Much of the industry's earnings come from the overseas markets, they claim. 22 June 2007 Gajanayaka re-arrested DIG Abegunawardhana When questioned about allegations levelled against DIG Rohan Abegunawardhana, Minister Rambukwella said:“UNP parliamentarians are speaking under parliamentary privileges but have not come forward with evidence”.When asked about the blocking of Tamil Net website Minister said it did not come under his preview and it’s a matter for Telecommunication authorities. We are ready to join with any party to save the country- Mangala Former minister Mangala Samaraweera says President Mahinda Rajapakse is the best president Velupillai Prabakaran ever got.He made this statement addressing the first media briefing organized by the Mahajana Faction of the SLFP, in Colombo today.Mangala Samaraweera who is said to be one of those who tirelessly worked to appoint President Mahinda Rajapakse to the seat heavily criticized the government throughout this morning’s media briefing.He said the SLFP has been raided and stolen by a small group of persons and the Mahajana Faction was created to save the party and to reconcile the party's vision. He also requested the public not to misunderstand this as a separate party.Samaraweera said during the 11 year regime under President Chandrika Kumaratunga democracy prevailed in the country and in the party like never before but the existing government or the leadership does not demonstrate such skill or ability and that it cannot take up criticism since it considers a simple criticism leveled against the Rajapakse brothers as a massive crime. The Matara District SLFP parliamentarian pointed out that he is totally against dictatorship and that the existing SLFP government has adopted a ethnically biased policy.He also pointed out that some persons who even don’t have the citizenship in Sri Lanka and fled the country several years ago are spreading racism in the country and therefore President Rajapakse is the best president Velupillai Prabakaran ever got.He said after 1983 there has not been a leadership in the government that harassed the Tamils in the country and said the recent lodgers’ incident would only push the ordinary Tamils also towards the LTTE.Samaraweera also touched on the economic status of the country and said a group of incapable Tarzans are handling it and that it is deteriorating by the day. During the briefing the parliamentarian openly invited every person and party who wishes to put the government right to join them. He said a force is needed to correct the moves of the government adding that if they fail they would create such a government even through an election.He concluded saying that this country cannot be developed on one persons Chinthana, it needs a Sri Lankan Chinthana. 15 to 20 SLFP MPs ready to defect says Mangala Ousted ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriayaarachchi who will be launching their new party today, vowed to topple the Mahinda Rajapaksa government with the defection of 15 to 20 MPs from the government at the ‘right time’.“We will act at the right time to invite 15 to 20 willing government parliamentarians to our side,” former Foreign Minister Samaraweera told a packed news conference in Colombo yesterday.He also said since the government now commanded the support of only 116 MPs it would not be difficult for the new party to change the equation. “We are not in a hurry either. We have only taken the first step towards placing the SLFP on the correct track,” Mr. Samaraweera said.Former minister Sooriayaarachchi said President Rajapaksa had won over most opposition Parliamentarians to the government side by ‘showing some files containing details of sleazy deals. “Defectors were blackmailed,” Mr. Sooriayaarachchi charged.Apologizing to the country for his role in electing Mr. Rajapaksa as the Executive President, Mr. Samaraweera - the one time close confidant of the President said it was a big mistake he had committed. “I hardly saw the Rajapaksa siblings during the election campaign and also never thought ‘the horse we backed would go off track so soon’. He also charged the SLFP’s policies were now being polluted by ‘dirty work of the Rajapaksa company’. “Now the SLFP is being controlled by extortionists, who are non-citizens and also non-members of the party,” Samaraweera charged.He claimed their main purpose was to reinforce the SLFP with democratic policies, adopted by its founder S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, and they would team up with all democratic forces in the country to overthrow the present regime. Mr. Samaraweera said he and Sooriayaarachchi would embark on their mission from today after making a pledge before the Horagolla Samadhi.Paying a glowing tribute to former President Chandrika Kumaratunga Mr. Samaraweera said she had governed the country by treading the ‘middle path’ unlike the incumbent President. “I invited her to join us. She is not interested in entering politics again, but I would like to have such a leader to guide us to our goal,” he added.Mr. Samaraweera also said that some people are afflicted with ‘Chandrika-phobia’ their fear is so great they do not retire to bed before making sure that there are no ghosts’ under the bed.Caption: Ousted Minister Mangala Samaraweera speaks to reporters in Colombo yesterday after breaking away from the government and defecting to the opposition. A package offered by Malaysia to fleeing Muslim Businessmen A leading person in the Muslim business forum told LeN that over 70 leading Muslims have applied for citizenship in Malaysia since over a 70 Muslim businessmen have been abducted and threatened in the recent months.According to our source a couple of leading businessmen have already fled the country to Malaysia while the owner of Trust Lanka who paid Rs. 200 million in ransom after being abducted has fled to India with his family.Speaking to 'LeN' former deputy Mayor of Colombo Asath Salley told 'LeN' that Malaysia has made a special announcement welcoming businessmen from Sri Lanka and that the Malaysian government has even presented a special package for such businessmen.It is also being reported that a majority of top Muslim Businessmen are now closing down their bank accounts in state banks in the wake of recent abductions. It is being said that the income levels of most Muslim businessmen have got into the hands of abductors under which they make the demands for ransoms. Committee probes Sudaroli editor’s complaint The committee that was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to probe into the disappearances and abductions of recent times has started an inquiry into a complaint by N. Vidyatharan, the editor of the Tamil daily “Sudaroli”, that some unidentified men in a white van had made inquiries regarding his whereabouts on Wednesday.Speaking to Daily Mirror, Mr. Vidyatharan, said that a group of men had come in a white van to his former residence – an apartment in Wellawatte -- on Wednesday, and made inquiries regarding his whereabouts from the security guard at the block of apartments. “They had threatened the watcher and asked him where I was and then left,” he said.He added that the security guard had not turned up for work yesterday through fear. After hearing of this development, members of the Special Presidential Committee on Disappearances and Abductions had met Mr. Vidyatharan and recorded his statement. “I am very glad those committee members came and promised me that they would take necessary action as soon as possible,” said Mr. Vidyatharan. UK anti-terrorist police strike at British Tamil Association A.C.Shanthan, who is the head of the British Tamil Association was arrested early yesterday morning by the British anti-terrorism police and intelligence agents at his house.More than 20 armed policemen has surrounded his house and arrested Shanthan in connection with LTTE activities which are prohibited in the UK because the LTTE is a proscribed organization.Shanthan is the President of the British Tamil Association but the police think that he is the LTTE's UK head.Also arrested yesterday morning was 29-year old Goldan Lambert also from the BTA.Police have been monitoring their activities for a long time after they had organized a big meeting at London's Hyde Park in support of the LTTE and speakers praised the LTTE and its leader. SLA extends fishing ban in Vadamaraadchi Sri Lanka Army (SLA) extended the fishing ban imposed in Vadamaraadchi region in Jaffna district on Wednesday, in the wake of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sea Tiger battle in Point Pedro seas. There was no supply of fish in Vadamaraadchi Thursday. Fishing in the area was already restricted to day time and only one km into the sea from the coast, an impediment cutting down fishermen's catches and income.The SLA fishing ban imposed Wednesday covered areas from Tho'ndaimaanaa'ru to Point Pedro Munai in Vadamaraadchi north and Ampan, Kudaththanai areas in Vadamaraadchi east.The fishermen from these areas who expected the ban to be lifted Thursday were not able to go fishing to earn their daily income.Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Air Force helicopters were seen flying over Vadamaraadchi during daytime Thursday as part of a search along the northern coastal villages.A SLAF kfir bomber was also sighted circling above Vadamaraadchi Thursday. 21 June 2007 India asks Lanka Govt to solve ethnic issue through dialogue Voicing concern over the recent upsurge in violence in Sri Lanka, India on Wednesday opposed any support being given to LTTE and asked the government of the island nation to resolve the ethnic problem through dialogue."We are opposed to violence, no support should be given to LTTE and we are opposed to helping any terrorist outfit anywhere," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at a question-answer session following his public lecture on India's foreign policy priorities in Singapore.He said Sri Lanka should maintain its territorial integrity and try and resolve the ethnic Tamil issue through dialogue."The recent developments in Sri Lanka, the violence, have been a cause of concern to all," he said adding, the attacks by an outlawed terrorist outfit are a matter of grave concern to all those who want to fight terrorism.When asked why Sri Lankans needed a visa to visit India while Indians could enter Sri Lanka without one, Mukherjee said the Indian government was trying to liberalise visa rules but had to be careful at the same time."We are trying to give it as quickly as possible," he said adding, in some categories the visa was processed very fast. Sri Lanka seeks hackers to down pro-Tiger website Sri Lanka's government said it would like to hire hackers to dismantle a pro-Tamil Tiger website, as media groups said access to the site was already blocked. Tamilnet.com has been blocked for several days on the "advice" of the government, local rights group the Free Media Movement (FMM) said. A Sri Lanka Telecom official confirmed the site was being filtered.When asked about the decision, the government's spokesman insisted he was unaware of the measure -- but said authorities should expand their arsenal in the long-running ethnic conflict."I do not know, but I would love to hire some hackers," Keheliya Rambukwella said, while adding that he had no access to people who could do the job.London-based Tamilnet.com, which publishes news and opinion about the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, confirmed its site was blocked by Sri Lanka Telecom -- the war-torn country's main Internet service provider."The de facto climate of self-censorship that has already plagued local media in Sri Lanka has now culminated in mischievous infringement into the freedom of global media," Tamilnet.com said.The government owns just under 50 percent of Sri Lanka Telecom, which is run by NTT of Japan.The Sri Lanka-based FMM said it was "deeply disturbed" over what it said was yet another attack on media freedom."This is a significant turn in the erosion of media freedom in Sri Lanka and clearly demonstrates the extent to which media is censored," the media group said in a statement.Some Internet service providers, who have their main offices abroad, still allow access to the website, which is an influential source of Tamil views on the island's separatist conflict that has claimed more than 60,000 lives in 35 years.The censorship move also coincides with a visit to Sri Lanka by a group of international media rights activists investigating widespread reports of increased attacks on and intimidation of the local media. 95 percent of Thoppigala in government hands The government said yesterday that 95 percent of Thoppigala area was under the control of the military and that the entire Tiger base would be overrun by troops ‘in the next few days’. So far at least 188 LTTE cadres and nine government soldiers have been killed in the latest operation to capture the last Tiger stronghold in the east, said military spokesman, Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe.He said that advancing troops had captured three more Tiger camps on Tuesday evening, killed more than 30 Tigers and inflicted heavy casualties on them.He said that after this series of setbacks in the Thoppigala area, 42 LTTE cadres had surrendered to the military last week bringing to 659 the number of LTTErs who had surrendered since the signing of the CFA.“We are again calling on the remaining LTTE cadres to surrender to the military as soon as possible,” the spokesman said. He said that a man who had escaped from the LTTE had said that there were at least 73 prisoners in LTTE custody, including, Muslims, Tamils and two soldiers. JVP tells Jeyaraj to shut his big mouth The JVP yesterday slammed Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle for calling its members LTTE supporters and warned him to be more cautious and responsible when making statements.“It seems that the Chief Government Whip is always running into trouble because of his mouth,” said JVP Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Addressing the media in Colombo Mr. Dissanayake vehemently denied the allegations levelled against his Party by Mr. Fernandopulle, after the JVP voted against the supplementary estimates in Parliament on Tuesday.“We regret that Mr. Fernandopulle is acting so irresponsibly despite being a Cabinet Minister as well as the Chief Government Whip. We only feel sorry for him as he has been running into trouble by voicing his ‘personal opinion’ irresponsibly too often in recent times,” he said.The Government is attempting to cover up all its failures by liberally labelling all its critics as LTTE supporters, he said.“The Government has failed in all sectors - economy, public administration, law and order and good governance. Yet, whenever someone points out any shortcomings in the Government, instead of taking remedial action, that individual or group is branded as an LTTE ally,” he said.He urged the President to suspend ministers and party members who were charged with corruption and to hold immediate inquiries into allegations against them.“When a public official faces a serious charge, he or she is immediately interdicted. Why can’t the President similarly suspend the ministers against whom there are serious allegations of corruption?” he asked.While highlighting President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s and his Government’s inability to act against errant ministersMr. Dissanayake charged what Government had done was protecting them.“There are several Cabinet Ministers who are facing serious charges of corruption. There are provincial councillors who support underworld gangs to skip the country to be out of the reach of the law, and those who do not allow factories to function just because the management was not prepared to pay them protection money. Some of them have been warned by the Supreme Court. Yet the Government is silent about these errant ministers and party members,” he charged. Lanka ruling party rebels ask Chandrika to lead them Rebels in Sri Lanka's ruling party, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) have asked former party leader and Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, to lead them in their struggle against Mahinda Rajapaksa who now heads the party and the government.Dissident leader, former minister Mangala Samaraweera, on Wednesday appealed to Kumaratunga to "guide" his struggle against the "dictatorial, extremist and fascist policies" of Rajapaksa.Speaking in parliament after forming his own group, the SLFP (Mahajana Wing), Samaraweera asked Kumaratunga to come out of political retirement and "guide the party in the right direction."Kumaratunga is currently in the UK, and is expected to come back to Sri Lankan soon. She is alienated from Rajapaksa, and could well take over the leadership of the rebel SLFP (MW).Samaraweera said that the other leaders of the SLFP, its rank and file, and its sympathisers in the general population, should also join the planned mass struggle to restore the SLFP's traditional character, which he said, was "centrist and democratic." He recalled that the SLFP's founder, SWRD Bandaranaike, had broken away from the United National Party (UNP) in September 1951 on the issue of one-man rule or rule by a coterie. That issue now plagues the SLFP (under Mahinda Rajapaksa), he said.Samaraweera made a special mention of the "marginalised and disillusioned" members of the SLFP – leaders of stature who were being ignored and sidelined by the Rajapaksa Brothers.He charged that the four Rajapaksa brothers had been taking all the decisions pertaining to the party and the country, arrogating to themselves "70%" of the budgeted funds, and using them in arbitrary manner.On the Rajapaksa "quartet" he further said: " They are an entity with executive powers, that is extremely vindictive, spiteful and petty. This is a group which is drunk with power and has no qualms about abusing and exploiting their executive and state powers." Samaraweera said that he was not afraid of imprisonment or bullets and that he would not "retreat" from his mission. He said he was planning a mass movement.Samaraweera, who had earlier been relieved of the Foreign, Ports and Aviation Ministries, said that the Rajapaksa government had brought rural development to a "standstill"; encouraged kidnappings for ransom; suppressed the media and hounded outspoken MPs. It treated the Tamil and Muslim minorities in a such a way that it showed the world that racism had become "official policy"."Today we are fast becoming an internationally isolated and cornered pariah nation.World opinion of Sri Lanka is that we are on the verge of becoming a failed state that abuses human rights and suppresses the media," Samaraweera said. Prospects It is not clear as to how successful the SLFP rebels will be in their mission to oust or correct Rajapaksa. Right now, the group consists only of two members, namely, Samaraweera and his former ministerial colleague, Sripathi Sooriyarachchi. But it is certain that the rebels pose a serious challenge.Samaraweera has been a fighter and a hard worker with excellent organisational abilities. He is a liberal in the Western sense, though he could play the regional, caste and the Buddhist card also to gain power.Right now he has the support of the opposition UNP, and perhaps even the grudging support of the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP) .The JVP has been at odds with its old ally Rajapaksa for some time. The 22 member Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has welcomed his defection.Above all, the SLFP (MW) gives disgruntled SLFP leaders, MPs and the rank and file, an acceptable rallying point. Previously, they did not have any. They could not countenance opting out of politics or joining the UNP or JVP.Now they have a legitimate political refuge and a political bridgehead, in case they need one.Rising prices, bad governance and a stalemate in the war, are alienating the Rajapaksa regime from the masses, even in the Sinhala-Buddhist south Sri Lanka. In this context, the SLFP(MW) has the potential to grow as an alternative group for the traditional SLFP supporter. Former Sri Lanka Air Force official arrested on ransom taking charges Sri Lanka Police Criminal Investigation Department has taken into custody a former Air Force official who is suspected of leading a gang that extorted ransoms from Colombo businessmen after threatening them. Police sources said that interrogations are going on and a special squad has been deployed to arrest the rest of the members of the gang, the weapons, and vehicles that were used for their secret operations. Recently opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Lakshman Senevirathna, in a speech in the parliament revealed the name of an Air force official who he alleged was conducting the abductions. HSZ in Sampur and Mutur: TNA calls for withdrawal of regulations The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) urged the government in Parliament yesterday to withdraw the regulations notified by the Gazette to implement a High Security Zone (HSZ) in Sampur and Mutur.The House debated the issue at an adjournment motion proposed by TNA leader R.Sampanthan who called on the government to refrain from taking any step to implement these regulations. Starting the debate, Mr.Sampanthan said the proposed Mutur (East) Sampur HSZ would violate the fundamental rights of Tamil people who inhabited the area historically. He said President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had under section five of the Public Security Ordinance, promulgated certain regulations to create the Emergency(Mutur-(East)) Sampur HSZ.The TNA said Tamils who were displaced due to aerial bombardment and multi barrel rocket launcher attacks, would be denied of their right to resettle on the lands owned by them if these regulations were implemented. “This decision has been taken capriciously by the Sri Lankan state without any form of consultation with the said Tamil people and their democratically elected representatives. And whereas, this action if pursued will inflict immeasurable and irreparable harm to the thousands of Tamil families and their descendants,” he said. Mr.Sampanthan said the proposed HSZ covers 50 percent of the Mutur Divisional Secretariat, and encompasses an area of 90 square kilometers including 19 schools, 19 places of religious worship and a grazing land of 200 hectares meant for the livestock belonging to the people. He said several fishing villages would also be affected, and therefore these regulations would create havoc on the lives of the people.“There could be security considerations which need to be addressed. It is our contention that such considerations can be addressed without a severe and total denial of the fundamental rights of the Tamil civilian residents of these areas,” he said.UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella joined the debate stressing that this type of decision should be taken only in consultation with the elected public representatives according to a plan. Mr.Kiriella said there are over 300,000 internally displaced persons in the country today, but it is sad to note the constant absence of Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe to brief the House on world opinion in this regard. “It will not be good for the country to keep these displaced persons in camps. They should be resettled in their original places of living. We get foreign aid only for that purpose. We are in a deep crisis today,” he said. JVP MP for the Trincomalee district Jayantha Wijesekara said this decision was taken only for the national security and development activities to be launched in the area, such as the proposed coal power plant.Mr.Wijesekara said there is no sinister plan to resettle Sinhala people in the area while driving away Tamils, as alleged by the TNA during the debate. “Over 40,000 Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala people were displaced from Mutur due to LTTE atrocities. The government forces had to repulse Tigers. They also liberated areas such as Mahindapura and Verugal. Today, electricity has been provided to these areas,” he said.Concluding the debate, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said people had not been affected as such due to declaration of HSZs. 20 June 2007 Lanka world’s 25th worst state Sri Lanka has been ranked 25th in the World Failed States Index of 2007.The ranking has been based on 177 countries with Sudan ranked No. 1 with a total of 113.7 points and Iraq ranking No. 2 on 111.4 points. Somalia and Zimbabwe have been ranked No.3 and No. 4.Sri Lanka has scored 93.1 points with Yemen ranked just above Sri Lanka in the Failed State Index with a score of 93.2 points.Some of the countries that have performed better than Sri Lanka in the Failed State Index are the Republic of Congo, Liberia, Lebanon, Malawi, Rwanda, Syria, Cambodia, Angola and Iran.The rankings are based on 12 indicators of instability including the state of refugees and displaced persons, economy, human rights, security apparatus, urban development, public service and fractionalised elites.The Failed State Index for 2007 by the Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy magazine state sectarian carnage can sway stock markets on the other side of the planet and anarchic cities that host open-air arms bazaars imperil the security of the world’s super power.It further states problems that plague failing states are rampant corruption, predatory elites, absence of the rule of law and severe ethnic or religious divisions.The rankings of the failed states have been made in order of their vulnerability to violent internal conflict and societal deterioration.The index scores are based on data from more than 12,000 publicly available sources collected from May-December 2006.It is learned Sri Lanka will fare worse in the next rankings given the rapid deterioration of the economy, security and the human rights situation in the country from January-June 2007. Sri Lankan navy in 'Tiger clash' SLFP (Mahajana Wing) Still room for patch-up: Alavi The chief negotiator of the patch-up talks between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Mangala-Sripathi group Alavi Mowlana said yesterday that there was still hope that the two former ministers would not do anything that would adversely affect the party and the country. Mr. Mowlana said he was extremely frustrated and dejected with Mr. Sooriarachchi’s and Mr. Samaraweera’s decision to leave the party despite efforts by him to patch up with President Rajapaksa. “I do not know what made them take such a decision after being in the SLFP for 20 years,” he said while adding, “I’m sure Mangala will not act against the interests of the party and the country.” Mr. Mowlana said misunderstandings could take place but that did not mean one had to leave a party he belonged to for a long time. Former Sri Lanka President to come to the parliament? Reliable sources said that a national list MP of Sri Lanka’s major opposition United National Party (UNP) would resign from the post to make way for the former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to enter into the parliament as an opposition MP. He said that negotiations are going on regarding the matter. Former President has hinted that she will return home in the coming months. The government recently enhanced the security of the former President as the military intelligence revealed that the threat to her life remained. Resolution before US Congress calling for peace talks A resolution was tabled before the US Congress yesterday calling on all parties to the Sri Lankan conflict to negotiate a political solution that will be fair to all ethnic communities whilst ruling out a military solution to the conflict.The resolution was initiated by Democratic Congressman from New Jersey, Frank Pallone and Republican Congressman from Illinois, Jerry Weller. The Congressmen have said the US has a strategic interest in promoting peace in Sri Lanka and throughout South-East Asia.It expresses serious concern over the worsening situation in Sri Lanka and urges all pertinent parties including the main Tamil parties to resume peace talks immediately.The resolution further urges the LTTE to revoke violence as a means of achieving its political goals. It also recommends to President George Bush to further US involvement to secure a lasting peace. It is further stated that thousands of innocent civilians have already been killed and more continue to die in Sri Lanka as a result of the military conflict between the LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka.The resolution further states families in the north and east of Sri Lanka live in constant fear, anxiously hoping for their safety.Stating the LTTE is designated in the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization the resolution adds twenty-five years of terrorism have not improved the lives of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.Fighting has steadily worsened over the past year despite the fact that a 2002 cease-fire between the rebels and the government is still technically in place while peace talks have been stalled since 2003 it is further stated. Charles under Indian intelligence scanner The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief Veluppillai Prabhakaran’s son Charles Anthony is now on the watch list of the Indian agencies after reports that he heads the air wing of the banned militant outfit. A central intelligence officer in Mumbai said Prabhakaran junior may have been trained by Israel’s Mossad, an intelligence agency. Reports indicate that the LTTE air wing is a complement of nine pilots and seven light single-engine aircrafts. They also have a strength of about 60 airmen to maintain and service the planes mostly operating from secret airfields around Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka. The air wing is useful for carrying out suicide strikes on Sri Lanka security forces and also carry out reconnaissance missions before an attack. Investigations by agencies indicate that apart from Mossad, senior LTTE cadre is also trained by Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) operatives. The LTTE owns a fleet of sea-going ships to transport their supplies and arms since 1986. Prabhakaran, 52, is named in the murder of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who was killed by a suicide bomber at Sriperembudur near Chennai in May, 1991. Tamil businessman files FR case against eviction A Tamil businessman yesterday filed a fundamental rights petition seeking an order preventing the police from taking action to evict Tamil people from Colombo.The petitioner Thambiraja Kandasamy of Galle Road, Colombo-6 cited Inspector General of Police, OIC Wellawatte, DIG Colombo South, Rohan Abeygunawardena, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the Attorney General as respondents.The fifty four year old businessman stated that he came to Colombo in 1992 as a result of the civil war in Jaffna and is the proprietor of a small scale business located in York Street, Colombo-1. On June 1, 2007 he heard during a media conference presided over by IGP Victor Perera that people who stay in lodges, in Colombo, without a valid reason, would be sent back to the North and East. Following this on June 7 around 4.30 am a police team came to his residence in Wellawatte and asked him to get into a bus. The police told him that he had stayed too long in Colombo and that he should get back to where he came from. The petitioner stated that along with other Tamils he was sent to Vavuniya in a bus. However on June 7 they were asked whether they wanted to go back to Colombo. Here everybody expressed their willingness to get back to Colombo and on June 9 they were brought back. He stated that he since came to know that the Prime Minister had tendered his apology over this incident. The petitioner complained that his fundamental rights were violated and asked court to issue an interim order preventing the respondents from taking steps to evacuate him and other Tamils from Colombo and also from preventing them from entering Colombo. Relatives of Tamil cancer patients harassed Innocent Tamil civilians who were in Colombo to visit their kith and kin undergoing medical treatment at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital have been subjected to harassment by the security forces.The Morning Leader learns, the relatives of Tamil cancer patients undergoing treatment at the Cancer Institute Maharagama who had produced their identification papers have been arrested from a hostel close to the hospital.Lilani Schaffter, owner of the Shanthi Nivasa where free accommodation is provided for family members of cancer patients, told The Morning Leader that the Tamil people who had come from far to visit their relations undergoing treatment at the nearby Cancer Institute were arrested by police on Monday morning despite proving their innocence and identity."As a social service I provide free accommodation to close family members of patients at the Cancer Institute. There are around 30 – 40 Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims at the hostel. They all live amicably and there was one Tamil family — the parents and their daughter who had come from far away to see their young son who was to undergo a bone marrow transplant on the day the police raided the hostel," Schaffter said.Schaffter raised concerns over arresting these innocent Tamils who are clueless as to what would happen to them if they stay in Colombo although their children are battling for survival at the Cancer Hospital. According to Schaffter, many more Tamils have been taken in for questioning from the adjoining Buddhist Temple where free accommodation is also provided for family members of cancer patients.When asked as to why innocent Tamils particularly those who have come to Colombo to visit their family members who are battling to survive from cancer are being harassed, Officer in Charge (OIC) Maharagama Police, Chief Inspector Niroshana Rupasinghe told The Morning Leader that they have to carry out regular cordon and search operations to ensure the safety of the general public."We are carrying out instructions. Through the cordon and search operations we apprehended 37 Tamils from Maharagama and got their statements recorded. We have to get their names cleared after consulting the National Information Branch (NIB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID). But in the case of the family members of cancer patients we released them no sooner we were told that they have come to visit their children," he said.He stated that the people have to cooperate with the police to ensure the safety of the general public. Govt. wins by 20 votes The government today managed to establish the supplementary budget, of 650 million rupees for 6 new ministries, by 20 votes despite strong objection from the opposition parties.The JVP which is an ally of the UPFA government, the TNA and the UNP voted against the supplementary budget and they were joined by the Western People's Front.The SLFP, CWC, JHU and the Up Country People's Front voted for the budget.However former ministers Sripathi Suriarachchi and Mangala Samaraweera were not present in the house at the time of the voting.Accordingly 107 votes were caste for the budget while 87 were caste against it. Shop owner in Trincomalee kidnapped A shop owner in Koneshawaram, Trincomalee had complained to the police last Wednesday that some unknown persons who had come in a white coloured van had kidnapped a 29 year old male around 9.30 a.m. the previous day.The kidnapped person is a resident of Noyambaratuwa, Kuliyapitiya and he was kidnapped while he was in his shop.Police investigations are continuing. SLA shoots dead Tamil youth in Moothoor The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Tuesday evening handed over the body of a Tamil youth with gunshot injuries to the Moothoor Government hospital. SLA troopers had shot dead the youth when he attempted to fire at them at Raalkuli, a Tamil village in Moothoor division, according to SLA sources. Most residents of Raalkuli have sought refuge in the nearby Kinniya division and elsewhere in the district following fighting between the government troops and LTTE.SLA officials told Moothoor police that troops had recovered a T-56 weapon from the youth, according to reports received by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Colombo from army sources.Meanwhile, SLA soldiers Tuesday night arrested two Muslim civilians at Raalkuli and handed them to the Moothoor Police. The suspects are residents of Shafi Nagar, a suburb in Moothoor division, sources said.Civil sources said the suspects had gone to cut firewood from the jungle of Raalkuli. They were taken into custody by the government troops when they failed to provide valid reason for their stay in the area, police sources said. Tamils need to sacrifice land in order for the Singhalese to prosper The government of Sri Lanka had taken steps to resettle families in many parts of Eastern Sri Lanka which were taken control from the Tamil rebels. Muttur and Sampur, areas controlled by Tamil Tigers, were captured by Sri Lanka security forces last year. But the government is not interested in resetling 15000 Tamil families that were displaced from these villages according to media reports. "Sacrifices will have to be made if there is a development, anywhere in the world," The Defense Affairs spokesman, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. He also admitted that Sampur and Muttur Tamil residents will lose their properties and ancestral lands as a result of the government plans for development. Governments plans means 15000 thousand Tamil people have to sacrifice in order for other community such as the Majority Singhalese in Sri Lanka to prosper according to critics of the government plan. Asked whether establishing No go Zone for Tamils is a part of a plan to develop a Coal Power Plant, Minister Rambukwella said it is essential that security is established for the development in the areas. The Sri Lankan Security forces has expelled thousands of Tamils from their villages and established their lands as high security zones. Hundred of square kilometers of farm lands and population area are occupied by the security forces in Jaffna Peninsula where no Tamil civilians were allowed to settle.The Sri Lankan police evicted of nearly four hundred ethnic minority Tamils from the capital two weeks ago. Then amid international pressure the government had withdrawn its plan to evict Tamils from the Capital Colombo. “If the NGOs and the international community can put pressure on the Sri Lankan government to stop the Tamil people being expelled from the Capital Colombo, then the same NGOs and the International community be able to settle the Tamil people in the Eastern towns of Sampur and Muttur if they really care about the plight of the innocent civilians” said a refugee from Sampur Sri Lanka blocks TamilNet TamilNet has completed 10th year of its web publication on 7th June 2007. TamilNet is a globally based news agency, run by an independent group of persons, to cover news and views related especially to the North and East of Sri Lanka. TamilNet has earned its credibility for news reporting and has become an indispensable news source for analysts and opinion makers worldwide. Unsurprisingly, the Government of Sri Lanka has thought of rewarding the TamilNet on its 10th anniversary by clandestinely blocking it to the public of Sri Lanka. Readers from Sri Lanka have informed TamilNet that local internet service providers have indicated that the access block was implemented by directives from "higher authorities."Even though the Sri Lankan state has a history behind it for silencing the voice of the Tamil public from the time it burnt down the Eezhanaadu newspaper office in 1981 in Jaffna, this is the first time, after the advent of Internet, it has moved to block access to a transnational website such as TamilNet. With this unprecedented move, Colombo has denied the public of Sri Lanka access to independent NorthEast news, development related views and diaspora opinion on Tamil affairs which are otherwise not covered by the local media. The de facto climate of self-censorship that has already plagued local media in Sri Lanka has now culminated in mischievious infringement into the freedom of global media. Curiously, the timing of the act, coincides with the scheduled visit of the representatives of Reporters sans frontières (RSF) and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to Jaffna. Sri Lanka is plunging into undeclared military dictatorship and shameless ethnic cleansing, with open preparedness to challenge all norms of the International Community. The TamilNet wishes to place the issue to the conscience of the Global Community and to all those proclaimed guardians of Democracy, Human Rights and Freedom of Expression. 19 June 2007 HOAX: TIGER-HIT STORY The Criminal Investigation Department toge-ther with top level government officials invented the story of a Tiger plot to attack the Colombo port and skillfully planted it in the media to justify the eviction of Tamil lodgers from Colombo, They had passed the fabricated information to a private television channel generally considered anti-government. This TV station carried the story in its prime time news bulletin.None of the top brass of the intelligence arms of the Army, Navy and Air Force were aware of an alleged guerrilla plot.Senior army and naval officials who were privy to sensitive security information ruled out the CID story that the guerrillas were planning a massive attack on the Colombo port using LTTE sleepers who have infiltrated Colombo. “This is a cleverly executed psychological operation,” said a senior Naval official. “It is anybody’s guess what their objective is. But the common contention is they simply want to justify the evictions.”Some others who were entrusted with the security arrangements for the city were clearly embarrassed by the planted information which they felt had let them down. The CID confidently asserted that the guerrillas are planning a major attack on the Colombo Port in the middle of this year. The CID claim further went to state Sea Tiger boats will be launched from Wellawatta, Mount Lavinia and Dehiwala to confront two Dovra fast attack boats (FACs) providing security to the port, thus enabling two Tiger divers to execute an underwater attack on the boats. While the sea borne attack is in progress, guerrilla sleepers in the city would conduct raids on the security forces positioned in the port, it was said. The CID also claimed guerilla aircraft would bomb the port. They went on to report that the Tiger plan was to ram a port entrance with a truck laden with explosives. It was claimed the C.I.D. had extracted this information from a Tiger guerrilla who claimed he attended a rehearsal of the attack.The Defence Secretary confirmed the story that guerrillas had infiltrated the city. He also said last week: “We can’t arrest 300 people and detain them....So you can tell them, if you don’t have any legal business in Colombo, we don’t want to detain you. You go back to your homes.” HSZ "announced in May" Special Gazette notification The LTTE-controlled areas were captured by Sri Lanka military, last year.Sri Lanka government signed agreements to establish Coal Power Plants in the area in December, 2006.The boundaries of the HSZs are as follows according to the government Gazette notification:Residents in the areas have strongly protested government plans to establish HSZs in their ancestral lands."Now they say they have clered the areas from LTTE. So , those left should be civilians. Why don't they allow us to resettle now," a refugee from Sampur questioned.Asked whether civilians will ever be allowed into the HSZs, minister Rambukwella said the government is still finalising their plans."As there some concerns, the modalities have not been decided yet," Keheliya Rambukwella said. Establishment of high security zone in Muthur east, TNA to challenge in Courts Tamil National Alliance is to internationalize the proclamation by the government to establish a High Security Zone in Muthur east in the Trincomalee district. TNA also proposes to challenge the legal validity of the proclamation in a court of law on the basis that it denied the Tamil people of their fundamental rights. TNA Trincomalee Parliamentarian Thurairatnasingam told the Sudar Oli that having caused the displacement of the Tamil people from these areas and having made them to live as refugees in Batticalo refugee camps, the government establishes a High Security Zone with a ulterior motive to Sinhalesize the Trioncomalee district, a traditional homeland of the Tamils. Government to check its strength Today The Rajapakse government will check their power after 1 1/2 years in parliament today.A crucial factor is that the three major opposition parties the UNP, TVP and the TNA have already declared that they will vote against the government when it seeks to pass a supplementary budget Rs. 65,756,100 for the new ministries set up after the 17 UNP MPs crossed over.The UNP has thoroughly criticized this move and speaking to LeN UNP General secretary Tissa Attanayake said this is the largest Supplementary budget tabled in the recent history and said such supplementary budgets make the annual budget a joke and futile. He also pointed out that the country is in a severe crisis situation and that the inflation has not hit 21%.He added that the government has no means of earning this sum and added that they will therefore chose their last resort which is to print money making the situation worse. He added that the finance minister should be jailed in the near future as the country is reaching the maximum level of printing money.Meanwhile the JVP propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawanse says the JVP would not allow the government to waste such a sum of money at a time when the country is in a severe crisis.Chief government whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said the government has 16 votes more than the opposition no matter who says what. The government has 120 MPs while the JVP, TNA & the UNP have 104 MPs.It is still not reported what stand former minister Sripathi Suriarachchi and Mangala Samaraweera would take. Samaraweera is most likely to fly to London today while Sripathi recently obtained a court order against the sale of SLT shares.The SLMC and CWC recently condemned the move to forcibly evict Tamil lodges from Colombo. New Navy Chief of Staff assumes duties COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed Rear Admiral Wasantha Tennakoon as the Chief of Staff of the Navy with effect from May 21, 2007. Rear Admiral Tennakoon joined the Sri Lanka Navy on August 20, 1973 as an officer cadet. Rising through the Naval ranks for almost 32 years, he was elevated to the rank of Rear Admiral in 2005. He has held posts of Deputy Chief of Staff, Director General Services, Director Naval Welfare and Administration, Commander Northern, North central, Southern Naval Areas, and Squadron Commander Fast Attack Craft Flotilla and Commanded many ships and shore establishments in the Navy. He has been awarded 12 medals during his career for distinguished service, merit and campaigns, including the Rana Soora Padakkama (RSP) twice for gallantry. He also has served as an Officiating Commandant (Vice Chancellor) Sir John Kothalawela Defence University. He is an alumni of Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies (USA) and Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (USA). He is specialist in Gunnery specialized in India and a graduate from the prestigious Naval Defence College in Pakistan. He holds the Masters Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies as well Duplicity is the campaign; War is the agenda -Mano Ganeshan MP The eviction of Tamil civilians from Colombo to the North and East is the third phase in the strategy of oppression against Tamils by this regime. First, it was the arbitrary arrests and then came the chronicle of abductions. The police are armed with emergency powers and PTA regulations passed in parliament. Arrest and interrogation under law could be considered as legitimate activities. But could any lawfully elected government justify abductions and conduct evictions? This government cannot escape the blame of ‘guilty party of blunt human rights violations’ by just expressing regret and pointing fingers at alleged LTTE atrocities. They should understand the differences between the behaviour of a guerilla outfit and a legitimate government. Recent evictions If Prime Minister Wickramanayake accepts responsibility only over the recent evictions and the Red Cross killings, who is going to take responsibility for the scores of disappearances, abductions, extra-judicial killings, extortions and intimidations over the past eighteen months in government held territories? Democracy recognizes the differences of opinion regarding the so called “political solution” from unitary to federalism to the concept of confederacies. But can there be any difference of opinion regarding the universally accepted concept of human rights? Can any government flout UN conventions? Can any party justify abductions and extra-judicial killings? At the time of writing, Defence Secretary Rajapaksa and Minister Fernadopulle have dismissed their own Prime Minister’s reported expression of regret. This is a clear indication of emerging contradictions within the government. Or is it a lack of strategy and co-ordination? Weak and dubious campaign On the other hand, this government conducts a weak and dubious campaign of denial. Duplicity is the key word here. The Government’s first response to the case of evictions was a flat denial. Then the party leaders were informed of the story of “some” 25 men taken in for questioning. Later at the insistence of opposition lawmakers Speaker Lokubandara spoke to the IGP. Then the news of 7 buses to Vavuniya and one each to Trincomalee and Batticaloa came to light. Then Minister Rambukwella said bus ‘travelers’ were not people forced to leave but left Colombo voluntarily. If the people voluntarily left Colombo, I had to tell him in Parliament, why on earth were they leaving at midnight in state buses with armed escort. Anyway when local and international condemnation grew the Prime Minister later had to accept the accusation of ‘forced expulsion’. At the beginning, the state pathetically tried to cover up the chronicle of abductions too. Later when credible information started coming out, it shamelessly blamed ‘some opposing groups’ who were trying to discredit the government in the eyes of the international community. Now, according to news release by presidential information director Lucien Rajaka-runanayake, 90% of the disappeared have ‘returned’ home and the rest are “seen in America and Europe.” The Civil Monitoring Commission has published a list of involuntary disappearances and the state is yet to come out with credible information on those who have ‘returned’ and those who have gone to America and Europe! Human rights violations The wide ranges of human rights violations and culture of impunity are the outcome of war. The war is the outcome of the unresolved ethnic issue. Therefore this decade old ethnic issue is the root-cause of all evils in Sri Lanka. If our international friends wanted to help Sri Lanka, they should tell the Rajapaksa government to address the root cause. But it is evidently clear that, the government very firmly believes that the ethnic issue could be “solved” through conventional and tactical military means. There is no political agenda within the government. The APC and APRC mechanisms are used to buy time to conduct the war. The MoU between the UNP and SLFP and the APRC expert’s majority report were the two last major opportunities available to the Government to demonstrate its willingness and sincerity towards a political settlement. Both were destroyed by this very government. What’s more, after a long wait the government has forwarded its so-called ‘set of SLFP proposals’ to the APRC, which is rejected even by Government allies such as Devananda and Anandasangaree! So what is left are empty promises and “commitments” to a political solution. While president murmur slogans another businessman abducted A group of armed men have abducted the owner of Diamond stores in Wellawatte Johnson Vedamanickam (35) at Galle Road, Wellawatte today (18) morning at about 9.30am. His relatives say Jhonson was taken away when he was walking to the bank from his business premises at Nelson Road junction Galle Road Wellawatte. Jhonson had cried through his mobile phone to his Father-in-Law Manoharan stating that he had been taken away by armed men and kept captive at an unknown location. Convener of the Civil Monitoring Mission Mano Ganeshan told 'LeN' the relatives of Johnson have lodged a complaint in this regard to the Wellawatte police.Before his departure to Geneva president Rajapakse held a special discussion regarding the disappearances and murdered after which a special committee was appointed to record the incidents.At a recently held media briefing Muslim ministers of the government stated that the particular committee has not received any such complaints. Before three days have gone by since making this statement a youth and a businessman has gone missing from Colombo and both these incidents are being reported to the police. SLA, Police search offices of Jaffna Tamil Daily Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Police, entered the premises of Jaffna popular daily, Yarl Thinakkural Monday morning and conducted a thorough search of the premises, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Locked cabinets were broken open and all documents were examined, staffers said.Administrative officials at the Yarl Thinakkural office told the media that this is the third time within the last six months that the paper's offices have been searched by the security forces.The offices were searched several times in 2006 also, the officials said.Meanwhile, two highlevel officiers of the Reporters sans frontières (RSF) and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) are scheduled to visit Jaffna on the 20th and 21st to meet with journalists and civil society to discuss issues related to media freedom.Civil society members expressed surprise at the timing of the search in view of the pending visit by international watchdogs on media freedom. International panel studies 'decline' of media rights in Sri Lanka A group of 11 international media rights groups launched an investigation Monday into a ``disturbing decline in media freedom'' in Sri Lanka - amid a raging separatist conflict. The panel includes media watchdogs such as the International Federation of Journalists, the International Press Institute, Reporters Without Borders and Sri Lanka - 's Free Media Movement, or FMM. The mission will visit volatile northern Jaffna peninsula and Ampara region in the east to ``obtain first-hand information on the prevailing ground conditions and the impact of the escalation of hostilities on media and journalists,'' the FMM said. Rights groups have accused both Tamil rebels and the government of trying to muzzle independent media coverage of the conflict, including killings, threats and attacks on journalists. ``The mission will look into reasons for the disturbing decline in media freedom and draw up concrete recommendations to support the development of professional journalism within an enabling political environment,'' the group said in a statement. Tamil Tigers have fought the government since 1983 to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils in the island's north and east. Clashes, air strikes and assassinations in the past 19 months have killed 5,000 people taking the death toll from the two-decade conflict past 70,000. All parties must support APRC process - LSSP COLOMBO: If a set of proposals can be produced, that a majority of Sinhalese accept, which also adequately address the grievances of the minority communities, and the Tamils in particular, and satisfies their aspirations, this would in itself help draw a majority of the Tamil people away from the separatist policies of the LTTE, the Lanka Samasamaja Party (LSSP) said yesterday. In a statement issued yesterday, the LSSP said the APRC process must be supported by all political parties with due attention being given to minority opinion in reaching a final consensus. Excerpts from the statement: "The LSSP is deeply disturbed by the escalation of violence and of human rights violations in Sri Lanka. Non-combatant civilians are those mainly affected. The LSSP condemns all these acts of violence affecting civilians and extends our heartfelt condolences to all those affected. A major component of the violence arises directly from the increasing military conflict between the LTTE and the Armed Forces. When the US military, with the best technology in the world, repeatedly missed its targets and killed civilians in Iraq, the Sri Lankan combatants with lesser technology cannot be expected to do any better. The deaths, injuries, damage to property and displacements resulting from all bombings, be they artillery from both sides, or claymore by the LTTE or aerial by the Air Force, they only add to the suffering of our people. If a set of proposals can be produced, that a majority of Sinhalese accept, which also adequately address the grievances of the minority communities, and the Tamils in particular, and satisfies their aspirations, this would in itself help to draw a majority of the Tamil people away from the separatist policies of the LTTE. When both the SLFP and the UNP are signatories, the Tamil people will have confidence that whichever Government comes into power the proposals would be implemented within the framework of one country, Sri Lanka. The LTTE in order to obtain the leadership of the Tamil people, will be forced to support such a solution at the peace talks, if they do not and continue with their separatist position they will lose the support of the Tamil people. It is then, and only then, that the LTTE will become very vulnerable and defeatable militarily." Majority fails O/L examination; education Minister's daughter included The Ordinary Level examination is one of the crucial examinations in the country which decides the future education of the children but it is sad to note that 52.7% of the applicants who sat for the exam have failed it. According to statistics issued by the Examinations commissioner General Anura Edirisinghe 21,813 students have not passed a single language.But the latest information is that Education Minister's daughter has also failed the examination. She is being educated in one of the top most schools in Colombo 04.Statistics issued by the examinations department say 57.3% of the students have failed the Maths exam. Tamil youth arrested in Manthuvil taken to Colombo A Tamil youth from Manthuvil West, Kodikaamam, in Thenmaraadchi area arrested on May 28 has been taken by police officials of Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to Colombo to their fourth floor office for further investigation, sources in Jaffna said.The parents of the youth had reported at the Jaffna office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) that the arrested youth detained at Kodikaamam police was removed to Palaali on June 14 and was then taken to Colombo.The arrest youth has been identified as Arumugam Kamalatheepan, 21.The youth was produced before the courts and was detained by police for the past three weeks before being taken to Colombo. No Confidence Motion against Rambukwella handed over to Speaker The United National Party today handed over a no confidence motion proposal to the Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara against Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.The proposal was handed over by the chief opposition whip Joseph Michael Perera while parliamentarians Lakshamn Kiriella and Sagala Rathnayake have also placed their signature to it.The UNP accuses Rambukwella for misleading the parliament on the day which Tamils were forcibly evicted from Colombo lodges. Sri Lanka Two LTTE suicide belts recovered : Military Sri Lankan soldiers have recovered two explosive-packed belts which were intended for use in suicide missions by Tamil Tiger rebels, the Defense Ministry said Monday. The belts, along with assault rifles and ammunition, were found hidden in abandoned land behind a Hindu temple on Sunday, an official at the ministry's information center said on condition of anonymity in line with policy. He said separatist Tamil Tigers, who pioneered the use of explosives strapped to people in suicide bombings, may have hidden the belts and weapons. The government controls the Jaffna peninsula but Tamil rebels have small hideouts in the region. Tamil rebels have a long tradition of suicide bombings during their decades-long campaign for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's ethnic minority Tamils. High-profile victims included former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, former Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa and many other top political and military officials. The Tamil Tigers intensified their separatist campaign in 1983 claiming that the Tamils, a mostly Hindu community, have suffered decades of discrimination by successive governments controlled by majority Buddhist Sinhalese. About 70,000 people have died in the fighting, including 5,000 people killed in the past 19 months. Sri Lankan rebels pledge no more child soldiers by year end Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Monday made a fresh pledge to rid their ranks of child soldiers by the end of the year. The rebels, classified as one of the worst offenders in the world for the recruitment of children to fight, made the same promise in 1998 but have since been accused by the United Nations of recruiting more than they actually freed. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said in a statement that its "Child Protection Agency" had freed 135 males and females below the age of 17 who were found within their guerrilla army in the past six months. "The CPA hopes that the work that has been done and the work that is ongoing will ... (bring the) recruitment for the LTTE to international standards by the end of 2007," the Tamil Tigers said. The rebels also asked the United Nations children's agency UNICEF to adjust its child recruitment database to take into account the latest batch of child soldiers to be released. There was no immediate reaction from UNICEF to the LTTE statement, but the agency says on its website that there were 1,591 outstanding cases of underage recruitment by the rebels as of the end of May. "Of these, 506 are under the age of 18, and 1,085 were recruited while under 18 but have now passed that age," UNICEF said. UNICEF said there were another 198 outstanding cases of child soldier recruitment by the LTTE's breakaway faction, the Karuna group, which is active in the east of the island and is believed to be supported by government troops. The UN body also said it believed its database accounted for just "a third of the actual number of children recruited" to fight in the island's long-running ethnic war. The Sri Lankan government has also come under severe criticism by local and international rights groups for colluding with the Karuna group to recruit children to fight the Tamil Tigers. President orders recruitment of 50,000 more youths to forces President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the Defence Ministry to expedite the proposed recruitment of 50,000 personnel to the three armed forces to maintain the momentum of military successes in the east.“Plans are underway to recruit 25,000 troops to the Army, 15,000 to the Navy and 10,000 to the Air Force in the biggest recruitment drive in the history of the country’s security forces,” a senior Defence Ministry official told the Daily Mirror yesterday.The President had reportedly taken this decision following requests by armed forces commanders who said they needed more personnel to maintain security in newly captured areas in the east and elsewhere.Since October, last year, government armed forces launched several major military operations to recapture Tiger held areas in the eastern province and succeeded in taking all LTTE strongholds in east except Toppigala.Meanwhile, a highly placed government official claimed the President had directed his ministers to cut down all unnecessary government expenditure to fund the expansion of the three armed forces. The President had reportedly asked the ministers not to provide jobs in their ministries or departments under them for at least one year. Two detained with Tiger propaganda Customs at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake yesterday arrested two persons attempting to smuggle in a stock of video disks (VCD) containing LTTE war propaganda material. The two suspects from Puttalam had reportedly arrived from Doha-Qatar last morning carrying with them 36 VCDs hidden in their baggage. Customs officials searched them on suspicion and found the material. According to Customs sources, the VCDs contained visuals of LTTE camps, their battles, training sessions, weaponry, leadership and other propaganda. The suspects are being detained for further investigations. 18 June 2007 Buddhist nationalism behind Sri Lanka's violent surge Colombo, Sri Lanka - As the war that has ravaged Sri Lanka for 25 years once again degenerates into widespread violence, the government is receiving new support from an unusual political group. They are orange-robed, barefoot Buddhist monks. But instead of extolling peace and harmony, they are employing the uncompromising language of military strength. "Day by day we are weakening the LTTE militarily," says the Venerable Athuraliye Rathana, a monk in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, as he spoke of the government's campaign to destroy the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, known as the Tamil Tigers. "Talk can come later." Sri Lanka's hard-line monks are at the frontline of Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism, which views Tamils as outsiders. In January, they joined the government's ruling coalition with their party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya, or National Heritage Party – pushing its narrow one-seat majority up to nine. Since 1983, the Tigers have been fighting for a crescent-shaped homeland, or "Eelam," in the north and east of Sri Lanka for the Tamil minority, which is Hindu and Christian. Tamils have suffered decades of discrimination by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Many observers say that a resurgence of Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism has played its part in several recent human rights violations. The monks are arguing vociferously against any self-determination for the Tamils in the north, including even the measure of autonomy that most observers believe is necessary for peace. Nine seats is not many in a 225-seat parliament, but the monks wield greater power because they share their nationalist ideology with many other members of the government, says Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, who runs the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a think tank in Colombo. Despite enjoying a strong majority on the island nation, the presence of 50 million Tamils across the Palk Strait in southern India can rattle Sinhalese Buddhists. Buddhist nationalists are able to tap into deep fears that any territorial concessions to the Tamils would lead to eventual Indian subjugation. "I feel so sorry for the Tamils who are suffering," says a Sinhalese taxi driver in Colombo. "But giving them power in the north would not be good. They might try to extend their power." The monks have used their new clout to urge the president, Mahinda Rajapakse, to honor the vow with which he came to power in late 2005: to destroy the Tigers. The Tamil desire for a homeland is just an excuse for violence, says Mr. Rathana. "Sri Lanka was totally a Sinhalese kingdom and most people accept that." Western governments have long been appalled by the tactics of the Tamil Tigers, who terrorize both Sinhalese and Tamils with their bombings and the forcible recruitment of child soldiers. Now, several governments have expressed horror over independent reports of government collusion in abductions and murders of civilian Tamils, particularly in the north and east. Earlier this month, the government rounded up more than 350 Tamils in Colombo and transported them by bus to the north and east – a move human rights groups described as a "pogrom." Sri Lanka's Supreme Court intervened to halt the evictions soon after they began. This was a "minor example," says Jehan Perera, executive director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, a group working for reconciliation. Throughout Sri Lanka, Tamils felt insecure and vulnerable, says Mr. Perera, who is Sinhalese. On the Jaffna Peninsula alone, the only part of the Tamil-majority north controlled by government forces, more than 300 civilians have been murdered in the past 18 months; many of them, it is suspected, by a paramilitary force with close ties to the military intelligence agency. Both Sinhalese and Tamils trace their presence in Sri Lanka back centuries. Until relatively recently, theirs was a harmonious coexistence. But in the 19th century, many Buddhist Sinhalese felt that the British, who then ruled Ceylon, gave the Tamils preferential treatment. At independence in 1948, a disproportionate number of civil servants were Tamils. In 1956, the Sinhalese made swift and brutal amends. Prime Minister Solomon Bandaranaike, an ardent Buddhist nationalist, launched a successful campaign to make Sinhalese the official language. He was heavily backed by the island's monks in a move that excluded many Tamils from educational opportunities and prestigious jobs. In 1970, university admission rules were changed to favor the Sinhalese. Minister Jeyaraj ‘for your attention please’----Thinakkural Editorial There is a controversy over the statement made by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanaye that the forcible eviction of Tamils from the Colombo lodges by the police was a big mistake and the apology, he offered to the Tamil people for the inconvenience caused to them.The Prime Minister further stated that the eviction should never have taken place and that steps are taken to find out the officials who had been responsible for such actions. He also assured that such actions would not take place in the future. It is none other than Hon. Jeyaraj Fernado Pulle, who is responsible for triggering off the present controversy. At a press meeting summoned by him, Minister Fernado Pulle stated that there was no need to express regret over the eviction of Tamils from Colombo lodges. He further stated that the police obtained verbal consent from the Tamils in the lodges before they were taken to Vavuniya and that later in Vavuniya, a written consent was obtained from them. In contrast, Prime Minister Wickremanayake rejected the explanation given by Victor Perera, the Inspector General of Police, that the Tamils volunteered to be evicted. In fact, Mr.Wickremanayike stated that the police obtained the consent only after the Tamils were taken to Vavuniya. Mr.Fernado Pulle stated that his views were only his personal views but Anura Priyatharshan Yapa, the Media Minister, stated that Mr.Fernado Pulle‘s views are his personal views and that the Prime Minister’s views reflected only the government’s stand. Hasn’t it struck the mind of Fernado Pulle that he was expressing a personal opinion in public before the press, contradicting a stand taken by the government and categorically expressed through the Prime Minister -Mr.Wickremanayke-that evacuation of the Tamils was a mistake and he was apologizing to the Tamil people on behalf of the government. Is it not a matter of mockery for Minister Fernado Pulle, to have made such a statement? If each responsible minister expresses divergent views in public on sensitive issues such as this matter, where is the collective responsibility of the government? It will be ridiculous. Finally we pose one question to Hon.Jeyaraj Fernando Pulle. To satisfy whom and upon whose instigation, did you express this view hurting the feelings of the Tamil people, who have already been humiliated? Mississauga MP calls to suspend aid to Sri Lanka Chief Justice forced to retire There are rumors spreading in the judicial arena that threats are being posed on Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva to resign from his post before the end of his tenure. Silva is due to retire in July 2009.It is also being reported that the judicial forums have decided to implement strong verdicts on violations of the law.In the past few weeks the country witnessed the court delivering some controversial judgments such as releasing Tiran Alles on bail, prohibiting the forcible eviction of Tamils from Colombo lodges and prohibiting the sale of Telecom shares. Tamil refugees don't want to go back Tamil refugees at a camp in Mylambaveli in Batticaloa district say that they do not want to go back to their villages in the Vavunativu, Karaveddi and Nellikade area because war has not ceased in those places.But whether they are willing or not, the 161 families living in the camp are going to be put into buses and despatched to those places in West Batticaloa by the district officials and the Sri Lankan Security Forces from June 18 onwards."There is shelling in Karadiyanaru.We don't want to go there until peace is fully guaranteed," said Sulojini." We can hear the noise of shelling even at this distance. We had run away from the fighting and come here. We see no sense in going back when the fighting is still on there," added Veerasingham.The refugees had heard that the LTTE had warned that civilians should not come back "for their own safety."To the refugees it is clear that the LTTE is planning to attack. Any civilian presence in large numbers will interfere with its plans to take back the areas lost to the Sri Lankan forces in the last few months. The Army and the Special Task Force (STF) have told the refugees that Vavunativu and other areas have been fully cleared of the LTTE and that, in any case, army posts will be there to protect the returnees.But the refugees do not consider this a safety measure at all. The LTTE, they fear, will definitely attack if it sees the army there!"May be the army wants to use us as a human shield," said someone in the crowd, cynically.Asked what if the people refused to board the buses, a refugee said: "The STF would force us to get in. It has made it clear to us that we have no option but to go. And the district officials have told us that those who don't go, won't get their rations."The refugees live on the weekly rations provided by the government. The Mylambaveli refugee camp is a neatly laid out facility with good structures. Apart from UNHCR, the Anglican church and NGOs like ZOA and World Vision render a lot of services, which the refugees will miss in their battered home villages."Those who went back to see told us that all our houses had been looted. Household goods, farming equipment, everything, had been looted. We have nothing at all to go back to," said the middle aged Jebamalai, looking helpless. Objections prevented TNA participating at APRC: Minister Chairman of the All Party Representative Committee, Minister Tissa Vitharana said yesterday he was making all efforts to get the TNA to participate in the APRC to arrive at a solution to the north east problem.He said objections by certain political parties of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) to extend an invitation to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was the main reason for the non participation of the largest party that represents Tamils in the Country. Minister Vitharana said the APRC had identified the core issues and were discussing them during the last few weeks based on the proposals submitted by him. Thirteen political parties who are represented in the ARPC have submitted their proposals and amendments. We are attempting to come to a compromise after analyzing all submissions and will be coming up with a set of proposals within the next couple of months, Prof. Witharana said. Referring to the unavailability of the opinion of the TNA in the attempt to find a permanent solution to the ethnic problem which had been bleeding the country for more than a decade, Minister Vitharana said he would take every measure at his disposal to ensure the participation of the TNA at the APRC. “The Western Peoples’ Front that had earlier boycotted the APRC took part in the deliberations last week”. This was a positive response Minister Vitharana said. Every effors would be taken to bring the JVP back to the discussions as well, he said.Meanwhile, JVP lawmaker Vijitha Herath told the Daily Mirror his party withdrew from the APRC discussions since the deliberations were directed at a united Sri Lanka, abandoning the unitary character of the state. “We cannot agree to the concept of a united character for the state of Sri Lanka which has been incorporated in the proposals being discussed right now at the deliberations in the APRC, instead of a unitary character. It is against the mandate we received at two elections, -the Parliamentary and Presidential elections. If the discussions move from united and federal concept to the concept of unitary character of the state the JVP would review its position”, Herath said. Referring to the failure of the TNA to participate in the APRC deliberations, he said the TNA forfeited its place at the APRC when it did not take part in the preliminary discussions held prior to the setting up of the APRC. SLA directs MBRL, artillery fire on LTTE positions Sri Lanka Army (SLA) directed artillery barrage and multi barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) fire against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Front Line Defence (FDL) positions in Poonakari, Ki'laali, and Mukamaalai from SLA bases inside Jaffna district Saturday night, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) kfir fast attack crafts circled over the peninsula day time Saturday, the sources added. Jaffna peninsula residents expect major clashes to erupt any moment. Tension prevails across Jaffna district, according to civil society sources.Sunday was comparatively calm without any sounds of artillery or gunfire, Jaffna residents said. Cordon and search operation net 38 Thirty eight persons were arrested in a cordon and search operation conducted in Welikada area from Saturday night to Sunday Morning. The arrested persons included 9 Tamils who had come from North and the East. They have not been able to prove their identity according to police. In addition 10 who had small consignments of drugs were also arrested in the operation. The cordon and search operation was conducted jointly by the police and the army where a cadre of 60 officers participated. High security zone in Muthur east---TNA condemns Tamil National Alliance strongly condemned the proclamation of Muthur east including areas such as Sampur as a high security zone by the President and the appointment of Major General Parakrama Panipitiya as the authorized officer. TNA Trincomalee Parliamentarian, T.Thurairatnasingham states that the traditional homeland of about 12,000 people has been forcibly acquired. The proposed zone includes 12 Grama Sevaka divisions and more than 600 settlements. SLMC sets up fact finding mission to challenge Govt. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has appointed a Fact Finding Mission to collect more details of those who are behind the series of abductions that is taking place in the country.The objective of the mission is to collect more data and then challenge President Rajapakse with the unearthed facts. The government last week discounted claims by the Muslims that the members of their community became the latest target of the abductors.The decision to appoint the mission was taken at the last week’s politburo meeting of the SLMC. The meeting was presided over by SLMC leader and Ports and Telecommunication Minister Rauff Hakeem.Meanwhile SLMC general secretary and deputy minister M. T. Hasan Ali charged that the government has failed miserably to arrest the culprits who were behind the cases of abductions, disappearances and killings.He said he could not fathom as to how these culprits went scot-free when even the Members of Parliament were subjected to searches by the security forces.“The government is requesting the people to come forward to give details of the abductors. How can this be possible? No right thinking person could make this request because those people who become victims are absolutely petrified to go public with details,” he said.He said those people who quit the country seeking asylum were the ones who feared to live in Sri Lanka. “Certainly they never went on a pleasure trip as the government thought,” he charged. Sparks fly while Govt. briefs UNHRC A briefing by a government delegation at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) saw a heated exchange of words between the Ministerial team and NGOs who raised concerns of human rights violations in Sri Lanka, sources who attended the session told the Daily Mirror.Leading NGOs including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and a BBC UN Correspondent questioned the government’s human rights record, the activities of paramilitary groups and the need for an international human rights monitoring mechanism. The government delegation headed by Attorney General C.R. De Silva included Ministers Mahinda Samarasinghe, Douglas Devananda, Keheliya Rambukwella, Athauda Seneviratne, President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and Ambassador Dayan Jayatilake.The flare-up erupted on Friday when Tamil Human Rights Centre General Secretary S.V. Kirubaharan raised concerns over the responses by the government delegation to the concerns raised. In response Ministers Kheliya Rambukwella, Douglas Devananda and Seneviratne flared up and engaged in a heated argument which was witnessed by many members of civil society organizations and government delegations at the session, sources added.Human Rights activist Fr. S.J. Emmanuel also raised concerns over the recent expulsions in Colombo of some Tamils living in lodges and the report of the International Independent Eminent Persons’ Group. His questions were answered by Attorney General De Silva and Minister of Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe. “The government is a set of jokers!” Sooriyarachchi interview Sripathi Sooriyarachchi has been through the mill since his sacking in February this year. He has been grilled by the CID, remanded, hauled before court and bailed out a few weeks later. But none of the harassment meted out to Sooriyarachchi has proved capable of silencing the firebrand SLFP MP. In an in depth interview with The Nation this week, Sooriyarachchi revealed details about the alleged pre-election pact between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the LTTE and vowed to bring the matter before court at the relevant time. 17 June 2007 Travel embargo on Gota Sri Lanka’s controversial defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is facing a travel embargo along with other officials for allegedly committing human rights violations and abductions in the country. Rajapaksa also faces the threat of being turned back at international airports in some Western countries for admitting the eviction of Tamils from Colombo and the rampant abductions taking place in the country which is a ‘human rights violation’, informed sources said. The Nation reliably learns that several Western diplomats based in Colombo are of the opinion that their countries are unlikely to issue a visa in the event the need arises for the defence secretary. However, as Mr. Rajapaksa is a citizen of the United States of America, regulations have it that he does not need a visa to travel to some parts of the world. “But the option of denying him entry into that country at the respective country’s international airport still stands,” the sources said. The diplomats expressed these sentiments following the defence secretary’s outburst against Western countries and to justify the violation of human rights including the recent eviction of hundreds of Tamils from Colombo and making statement to the effect that ‘anything is fair’ taking into consideration the present context in the country. “The embassies in Sri Lanka will not entertain anyone who has been involved in violating human rights,” sources said.Foreign embassies have already collected details of those who have been involved in such incidents including those of police officers following the recent outburst of UNP MP Lakshman Seneviratne in Parliament who disclosed a list of names all of whom being part of a group allegedly carrying out the abductions in Sri Lanka.Meanwhile, several Sri Lankan led civil organizations based in the United States are contemplating to take legal action against the defence secretary based on the recent eviction and the abductions. “These organizations are awaiting the defence secretary’s arrival to the USA to proceed with court action and are in the process of seeking legal advice with regard to this matter,” sources added. Co-chairs to tighten screws on Lanka The four Co-chairs meeting in Oslo next week are to consider the next step in the face of Sri Lanka’s refusal to bow to western pressure to halt the war, allow international monitors to oversee human rights obligations and to be cowed by cuts in western aid. Norway, which is calling the meeting, is expected to present a rather pessimistic report to its other three partners following Minister Erik Solheim’s meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Geneva and the president’s uncompromising speech to the ILO conference.Western diplomatic sources said that since the two-day meeting from June 25 is a routine meeting of this group, it is unlikely that a statement would be issued at the conclusion.But they said if after the Norwegian report and a comparing of notes it was felt that Sri Lanka needed to be chastised, the Co-chairs would not hesitate to pull all the stops. Although too soon to be certain, there is a feeling gaining ground that the Co-chairs might, at some stage down the line, use a referral process to take the Sri Lanka issue before the UN Security Council for action if the situation deteriorates. That is if the current assessment is that the peace talks are unlikely to get off the ground soon and there is little evidence of the government taking sterner measures to curb human rights violations reported by international bodies and documented by the Co-chairs, the diplomatic sources said. According to them, among the matters of immediate concern are: • President Rajapaksa’s address to the ILO conference. After saying that terrorism has no place in the contemporary world, he reportedly said: “As a government we are not prepared, at any cost, to bow to terrorism.” This is interpreted in western diplomatic and some human rights circles as saying that there will not be any veering away from its present policy of meeting the LTTE head-on. • Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s interview to the BBC and Reuters in which he accused the West of bullying small countries and said that Sri Lanka had SAARC and Asian support and did not need to depend on the West. He also accused British minister Kim Howells of not condemning the LTTE or terrorism during a recent visit to Colombo and the UN of being misled by LTTE misinformation. “A key issue here is whether India, the biggest of the SAARC members agrees with this interpretation,” a western diplomat familiar with Co-chair thinking said. • The reports of the international eminent persons panel led by former Indian chief justice P.N. Bhagwati. This report had been critical of the Commission of Inquiry and the role of the Attorney General’s Department at the inquiry and has called for changes. • The government’s perceived tardiness in dealing with killings, abductions, disappearances and human rights violations in general. • The absence of a package of proposals to kickstart the peace talks. Meanwhile the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) has urged Sri Lanka’s donors to “reassess” their aid to Colombo in the light of human rights violations by the government, the LTTE and other armed groups.The ICG said that the government’s policies, far from ending the conflict, appear to prolong it and it would be the people who would suffer.“If the ICG is suggesting that the donors stop aid to Sri Lanka, it is only going to affect the people in general even more and not help them,” one diplomat argued pointing out that Japan had said it would not yield to similar international demands. Rajapaksa ticks off US The US Embassy in Colombo is reported to be very displeased by the comments made by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa during an interview with Reuters and the BBC last week. “The embassy is very displeased by the remarks, but they also realise that he is famous for making such unguarded statements,” one official said on condition of anonymity. The mission, headed by Ambassador Robert O. Blake is particularly peeved about the fact that the US government had been overt in its support of Sri Lanka’s war against the LTTE, The Nation learns. According to reliable sources, the US government which has always provided Sri Lanka with defensive military equipment, has in recent times even been considering the option of making offensive equipment available to the Sri Lankan defence establishment. However, the sources indicated that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s recent inflammatory statements about ‘US covert operations’ may have consequences in terms of the US government’s ‘Sri Lanka policy’, although no indication of such fallout was evident so far. Diplomatic sources also said that the US Embassy had decided not to issue a public statement expressing their displeasure, but the issue had been taken up at several internal meetings. Meanwhile, diplomatic circles are also abuzz with speculation that the Defence Secretary’s statements could result in some of the administration’s officials being hauled before the International Court of Justice for crimes against humanity because Sri Lanka is a signatory to the relevant convention governing the ICJ. The Nation also learns that the US Embassy decided to allow the United Nations, whose officials were also slighted in the Defence Secretary’s statements to defend itself, hoping that the tone of that message would convey the international community’s general displeasure. The Co-Chairs meeting to be held next week may also result in a statement being issued condemning the remarks by Secretary Rajapaksa, it is learnt. LTTE plan to destroy port unearthed claims CID The CID has claimed in a report it unearthed an elaborate plan by the LTTE to attack Colombo and destroy the port. The plan was according to the CID discovered in a shop at Vavuniya and is 80 per cent complete. The CID report reveals the LTTE plan was hatched by its Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan with special groups given specific tasks to perform. According to the CID report the area between Galle Face and the Colombo Port has been identified as an area under threat of an attack. It has been said that the aim of the attack is to create an impact on the economy and thereby destroy the balance in the security forces. The attack was planned to be implemented on a day in mid 2007 the CID report also states. It further names two TNA MPs who have agreed to assist the operation by providing safe houses to the Tiger attack team. The CID also states the LTTE is to deploy five separate teams to launch the attack and destroy the Port of Colombo. ‘Bring LTTE to the table,’ President tells Solheim in Geneva President Mahinda Rajapaksa met with Norwegian Minister of Foreign Development Eric Solheim, Special Peace Envoy Hanssen Bauer and three other Norwegians on the sidelines of a series of meetings in Geneva last week. It was the President’s first meeting with Solheim in about one year. During the talks with the Norwegian delegation, President Rajapaksa is reported to have asked Solheim’s team to continue their efforts to bring the LTTE back to the negotiating table. The President added that the government would continue its military campaign unless the LTTE stopped its terrorist activities. Rajapaksa also insisted that any decision on talks or other matters must come directly from LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and not from Political Commissar S.P. Thamilselvan or Sea Tiger Chief Soosai since only the LTTE Chief could make realistic decisions about the Sri Lankan peace process. “Only Prabhakaran can truly speak on behalf of his organisation.We want an assurance from him,” the President told the Norwegian Minister and officials. However, The Nation learns that Solheim has no immediate plans to visit Sri Lanka to coerce the rebels back to the talks table although he promised to get in touch with them. Sri Lankan Ministers Mahinda Samarasinghe, Keheliya Rambukwella, Douglas Devananda and Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona participated in the meeting. President Rajapaksa also held a 15 minute private meeting with Solheim. The President also met with the UN Human Rights High Commissioner Louise Arbour who requested a visit to Sri Lanka in order to study the situation. The Sri Lankan Embassy in Switzerland has been directed to set dates and arrange the visit in the near future, sources said. Rajapaksa’s address to the ILO Summit was also well received when he said that the final solution to Sri Lanka’s civil war would be political and not military. The President emphasised the need to address the crisis politically and said that his government had submitted proposals for a solution based on the grama rajya system. Blair offers to mediate Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair, has offered to help resolve the Northern conflict in Sri Lanka after he steps down from office later this month. The offer, diplomatic sources said last night, is contained in a letter he wrote to President Mahinda Rajapaksa two months ago on matters relating to the ethnic conflict. This is by playing a personal role as interlocutor in addition to Norway's facilitatory efforts.Mr. Blair is scheduled to step down on June 27 after ending a long-standing and controversial career as Brtiain's Prime Minister. Earlier, an offer to play a similar role was also made by former United States President Bill Clinton. UNP plans for People Power campaign in July The UNP is to launch a massive People Power campaign against the government end July with a public rally in Colombo.Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last week announced the UNP will take the battle to the government from Parliament to the streets shortly.A series of protest rallies by the UNP in the provinces are already underway as a build up to the Colombo rally. A protest rally was also held yesterday in Pelmedulla in the Ratnapura district spearheaded by the party’s national organiser S.B. Dissanayake.UNP General Secretatry confirmed a massive protest rally will be held in Colombo in July to protest the " Dooshanaya, Bheeshanaya and the Rajapakse Poshanaya" of the Government.The UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the party membership to prepare for a relentless street campaign after the July rally.Wickremesinghe is to launch a major attack on the Rajapakse brothers on June 22 at a public rally. Soon BIA to be open at night The government has decided to reopen the Bandaranaike International Airport at night, after the delivery of sophisticated defence equipment to prevent LTTE air strikes in the future.The defence establishment will soon take delivery of 3D radars which will be able to detect low-flying Tiger craft, The Nation learns.The radars are to arrive in Sri Lanka shortly, after which the international airport will be open for air traffic at night.BIA was closed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. following an LTTE air strike on Colombo on April 28 this year. SL in major arms deal with China Unmindful of India’s opposition to Sri Lanka turning to Pakistan and China for military hardware to bolster its offensive against the Tamil Tigers, Colombo has recently inked several significant defence agreements with Beijing.Citing exclusive access to an internal Sri Lankan cabinet document, Britain’s renowned Jane’s Defence Weekly reported that Sri Lanka had signed a classified $37.6 million deal with China’s Poly Technologies in April to supply its defence forces with ammunition and ordnance for the army and navy in addition to varied small arms.Gotabaya Rajapakse, the Sri Lankan defence secretary and a brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, told Indian authorities May 30 that ‘security compulsions’ were driving Colombo to seek military equipment from China, Pakistan and other suppliers. He is also believed to have informed India’s security establishment that Colombo ‘understood’ New Delhi’s internal political compulsions, foreclosing enhanced military co-operation between the neighbours.The Sri Lankan official was reportedly making a direct reference to Tamil Nadu, which is separated from Sri Lanka by a strip of sea and where there is considerable support for the Tamil guerrillas. Senior security officials concede that a bilateral defence agreement between Colombo and New Delhi drawn up over two years ago remains ‘hostage’ to India’s Tamil concerns. This, in turn, forces Colombo to seek alternate weapon suppliers.Janes’ current edition says that Colombo has declined to renew its long standing agreement with China’s North Industries Corporation (Norinco) for defence equipment, opting instead for Poly Technologies, founded as a rival in 1984 by Beijing’s military establishment. While outwardly a subsidiary of the China International Trust and Investment Corp, military analysts said that in reality the Beijing-based Poly Technologies was a ‘front company’ for China’s military-industrial complex. It reports to the armament department of the People’s Liberation Army General Staff Department and is authorised to sell conventional military equipment including short and medium-range ballistic missiles.While the reasons for the Sri Lankan government switching to Poly Technologies appear unclear, it seems the change was prompted by the debt of $200 million it owed Norinco, which has maintained a bonded warehouse in the southern port city of Galle since 1993.Colombo’s long-standing agreement with Norinco was exclusive, prohibiting it from sourcing specific military items from any another Chinese supplier.The contract with Poly Technologies, however, contravenes this clause, seemingly invalidating the earlier agreement providing the Sri Lankan military an alternate materiel supplier, Jane’s states.The agreement with Poly Technologies, however, ‘aims to avoid the development of any debt through a system of staggered payments,’ Jane’s says, necessitating an advance 25 percent payment and the balance payable in 10 quarterly installments. The largest single order with Poly Technologies is for 120 mm mortar shells for the army, of which 70,000 rounds are priced at $10.4 million.Additional imports include 68,000 rounds of varied 152 mm artillery shell worth nearly $20 million besides 50,000 81 mm high-explosive mortar bombs for $3.7 million, all of which the army needs to reinforce its ‘pro-active’ military strategy against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The Sri Lankan navy’s requirement valued at $ 2.7 million includes a varied range of ammunition like 100,000 14.5 mm cartridges, 2,000 RPG-7 rockets and 500 81 mm airburst mortar shells.There are also 50 Type 82 14.5 mm twin-barrel naval guns, 200 Type 85 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, 200 Type 80 7.62 mm multipurpose machine guns, 1,000 Type 56-2 7.62 mm submachine guns and 1,000 Type 56 7.62 mm submachine guns, Jane’s reports. China, meanwhile, is also helping Sri Lanka augment its air defence capability following four recent strikes by the fledgling Tamil Tiger air force that has resulted in international airlines declining to operate night flights to Colombo.Jane’s declared that the China National Electronics Import Export Corp is to provide Sri Lanka a JY 11 3D radar for $5 million over the next few weeks once the site for its location near Colombo is ready.It was Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the defence secretary who concluded the contract for the radar for the Lanka Logistics and Technologies Co Ltd that he heads.Colombo had initially ordered the JY 11 radar two years ago, making payments in advance but was forced to call off the deal following Indian protests that the system would ‘over arch’ into its air space.Thereafter, India supplied Sri Lanka two Indra IN-PC-2D radars free of charge and is believed to have agreed to Colombo’s request for at least one more following the spate of LTTE air raids. The Indra radars have become a source of tension with India, with some Sri Lankan officials claiming they failed to detect the ingress by a Tamil Tiger propeller aircraft to an air force base outside Colombo in March. Three airmen were killed and 16 wounded in the attack. Sri Lanka is also negotiating with the Chinese conglomerate for three additional mobile radars for use across the country as the second Tiger air strike was conducted against the government’s Palaly military base in Jaffna peninsula.In an associated development, Sri Lanka is also planning on acquiring an unspecified number of MiG 29 fighters to boost its air power. The director of Aeronautical Engineering, Air Vice Marshal Prashantha de Silva, is scheduled to visit Moscow to discuss the acquisition, states Jane’s.Indian defence sources said New Delhi, which also operates at least three MiG 29 squadrons, could play an ‘important’ role in Sri Lanka’s proposed purchase of similar fighters by agreeing to provide training, spares, servicing and other logistic back-up. Sri Lankan officials are also planning visiting Ulan Ude in Russia to negotiate the purchase of four helicopter gunships and to Ukraine for talks on overhauling and possibly upgrading An 32 transport aircraft. “I have committed no crime” Gotabhaya Rajapaksa interview Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, in a wide-ranging interview with The Nation, spoke about many issues, including the government’s security strategy, the importance of defeating the LTTE militarily, abductions and his views on the UN and EU. Asserting that his job was to militarily weaken the LTTE, he said politicians would then take over, start a political process, and provide a political package and political solution. He also addressed the charges made against him in parliament by UNP MP Lakshman Seneviratne, and stated he was not involved in politics. He emphasised his only concern was “fighting terrorism.” “The only way out for us is to weaken the LTTE militarily and convince it that it should sit and talk and try to negotiate. That is what everybody is trying to achieve. Prabhakaran, through various tactics, wants to put pressure on the government again and again, hoping that the government would give in, and he is trying to take the upper hand militarily”“No one should do anything to demoralise the forces. We are very concerned about this. If you demoralise the troops, you should remember that the troops will pay with their lives. When you demoralise a soldier, he will not face the enemy with confidence. This is why everybody, including politicians and media practitioners, must be careful not to demoralise the soldiers for petty gain” Q: How would you distinguish between the military campaign being conducted now and that of previous Eelam wars? Gotabhaya’s stance on abductions Q: Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told the diplomatic community that he would rest his case as you have admitted to abductions in comments you made recently. What is your response? UN to declare International Non-Violence day The United Nations General Assembly is to declare October 2 - the birth anniversary of India’s freedom fighter and the promoter of non violent protests, Mahatma Gandhi as the ‘International Day of Non-Violence’.The day is to be so declared in recognition of Mahatma’s role in promoting the message of peace around the world.A resolution reaffirming the universal relevance of non-violence initiated by India and co-sponsored by more than 120 of the 191 members of the assembly was to be adopted last week unanimously.The day will be observed for the first time on October 2 this year following which it is to become an annual event.Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma participated in the formal adoption of the resolution on Friday 15.Many countries including Russia, China, United Kingdom, France and Germany, are among the co-sponsors. From the subcontinent, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bhutan also sponsored the resolution.The resolution stresses non-violence, tolerance, respect for human rights and fundamental freedom for all, democracy, development, mutual understanding and respect for diversity. 16 June 2007 Call to cut aid to Lanka for rights abuses The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) has asked Sri Lanka's donors to "reassess" their aid to the island in view of the gross violation of human rights by both the government and the LTTE."Until that action is forthcoming, the victims of violence perpetrated by the state, the LTTE and other armed groups have nowhere to turn," the ICGs report dated June 14 said.The government's policies "far from bringing to an end the conflict through the defeat of the LTTE, seem likely to prolong the war, engendering a new generation of embittered and damaged youth in all communities.""The broad impact of human rights abuses on society is already evident, with rising crime and lawlessness apparent throughout the country.""Far from weakening the LTTE, the government's dirty war seems likely to strengthen its support and stimulate more funding from the Tamil diaspora."As regards the LTTE, the report said, its abuses undermined "any claims to represent the Tamil people.""As the state decays, corruption and criminal influence on the political system have increased. While attacking moderates who are critical of the government's approach, the administration has given space to nationalist extremists, who provoke further inter-communal strife." "The government faces a severe security threat, which it has a legitimate rights to address. However, its policies are doing little to improve security and are fuelling antagonism among moderate Tamils and other minorities towards the state.""Many moderate voices are being silenced through coercion and fear, while extremists on both sides are encouraged.""Officially approved impunity makes all communities insecure and further undermines law enforcement and the judicial system," the report said."The international community can longer afford to simply to repeat formulaic criticisms of the government's human rights violations and express hope that political proposals will be forthcoming.""More urgent action is needed including support for a resolution in the Human Rights Council, an across the board reassessment of aid policies and support for more international involvement in monitoring abuses." Sri Lanka Minister to be questioned for alleged human trafficking Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has requested the permission of the Speaker of the parliament to question a government minister who has allegedly violated the immigration and emigration laws, Police sources said. The questioning is to be made soon. The Minister is accused of deserting 15 youths in Narita airport after taking them to Japan. He has allegedly taken one million rupee each from the 15 youths to take them to Japan in the guise of a youth exchange programme. The Minister however failed to get the youths’ visa cleared and they were taken to custody by Japanese immigration authorities. Sri Lankan youth seeking green pasture in Japan use various tactics to enter into Japan and some unscrupulous elements make millions of rupees through human trafficking Gotabhaya indirectly claims responsibility for abductions The recent interview by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is very revealing in that he has made a tacit admission that abductions were taking place but found fault with how it is termed.He claimed in his interview with the BBC recently that the West practices what he called "double standards". "All the militaries do covert operations," he said. "When the US does operations they say covert operations. When something is in Sri Lanka they call abductions. This is playing with the words"So essentially the Defense Secretary, who worked as a petrol pump attendant in the US at one time, admits that abductions are done but they are justified on the basis that they are covert military operations. He takes exception to the term "abductions" and wants it to be called a covert military operation. How similar these activities, taking place in Sri Lanka today, are to those carried out by the American forces are probably best known to American Citizens like Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. But the accepted definition of abductions given in the Oxford Dictionary; "take (someone) away by force or deception" is what we go by. Furthermore, whatever way we term it, the act of taking someone away by force is morally, legally and ethically wrong - then again the Defense Secretary must be having his own way of defining these words as well. Rajapakse's to file cases against Ranil It is being reported that the Rajapakse's are planning on filing a case against Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe stating that he has disgraced them during speeches he made at UNP propaganda rallies.According to government sources President Mahinda Rajapakse, Defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse and President's advisor Basil Rajapakse are planning to file separate cases against Wickremesinghe. It is also being reported that a group of attorneys are previewing audio and video tapes of Wickremesinghe's speeches while some are reading through articles published in news papers.A senior minister in the government told LeN that the president has advised his attorneys regarding the steps that should be taken before he left for Geneva and said the case would be filed as soon as the president returns.The minister added that not one but several cases will be filed against the opposition leader.Sources say the accusations made against the Rajapakse's regarding the MIG deals will be one of the main topics taken up at the cases. Putting Tamils on notice – Col. Hariharan On June 7, 2006 Colombo police sent 376 Tamils, including 85 women, from Colombo to their in the north and east because they could not provide “valid reasons” for being in Colombo. The police action ostensibly carried out for ’security reasons,’ added yet another dimension to the woes of Tamil citizens who have become the pawns in the war going on in Sri Lanka. Their ’sins’ were that they were Tamils, unemployed, and citizens from the northern and eastern part of the country. And they came from areas most affected by the war that had heated up since 2005. At least some of them in the younger age group were probably fleeing from being forcibly recruited into the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Luckily for these jobless, and apparently influence-less Tamils, the Supreme Court intervened and called a halt to this Orwellian measure of ensuring national security. After biting criticism from most of the countries including the EU and the US which had been supporting and in some way underwriting Sri Lanka’s war against the LTTE, the Sri Lanka President’s response was to call for an immediate report from the Inspector General Victor Perera. Three days later, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake expressed regret over the eviction of “jobless Tamils” and accepted the responsibility of his government for the action. “It should have never happened,” he added. Even before the ‘jobless’ could digest the Prime Minister’s apology, the master mind of Sri Lanka’s military option - the all powerful Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa came out with all the barrels blazing in support of the eviction. He told the media, “It is a good example where the whole world was misled. Everyone knows the LTTE is infiltrating. We can’t arrest 300 people and detain them. What’s the best option? You can tell them, if you don’t have any legal business in Colombo we don’t want to detain you, you go back to your homes. In fact, this operation was much better. We could have put all of them in detention.” He did not leave it at that. He launched a frontal attack on Britain and other western countries accusing them of trying to bully Sri Lanka. “We won’t be isolated. We have all the SAARC countries, the Asian countries. Britain or Western countries, EU countries, they can do whatever. We don’t depend on them,” the Defence Secretary added. What do these contradictory statements mean, on a fundamentally flawed action affecting the ethnic minority in an insurgency war? Here are a few thoughts: · Apparently, the initiative to evict the “jobless Tamils” was taken by the defence wing of the government. It is difficult to believe that on its own initiative it would take such a draconian measure. It required careful planning, painstaking action, and substantial logistics and manpower for evicting of hundreds of citizens for no valid legal reason. Evidently, the action was probably in the knowledge of the President. If it was not so, it indicates serious flaws in policy making. · Immediately after the Prime Minister had apologised, there was a balancing act with the Chief Whip and Minister Fernandopulle contradicting the Prime Minister’s stand and justifying the eviction action. The government media also orchestrated the same thoughts. Does it mean it is going to be business as usual? It appears so with the hiatus between the government’s pronouncements and actions widening further. · This Janus-faced policy of the government, more than military action, has undermined the confidence of Tamils in the government. It puts all Tamils on notice of ‘good conduct’ though they have no means of controlling their destiny even in their own land. · The eviction has made it clear that ‘militarists’ are dictating the government policy. The police action was taken after a week’s notice. However, it is surprising that the policy makers appear to have not factored in the likely adverse fallout of their action. Perhaps, they are not bothered about it. · It has also exposed the limitations of international powers in influencing actions of the government. If they want the Sri Lanka Government to improve its conduct, they will have to think of new strategies rather than issuing statements which seem to create the opposite effect. It has also shown the government is not going to be responsive to the pleas of national and international NGOs and other non partisan fronts struggling for peace and human rights. The LTTE which had been under great pressure at home and abroad should be thankful to the government for its eviction action. In one stroke, the government action has exposed how vulnerable the ordinary Tamil citizen is to whimsical government action. This helplessness could make some Tamils rethink of their attitudes to the creation of Tamil Eelam, the raison d’être for the existence of LTTE. One can almost hear the LTTE telling the affected Tamils, “We told you so.” The dangerous dimension However, it would be facile to look at the issue and its impact on the Tamils only. It also reflects on the larger context of the rights of citizens. The happenings in Sri Lanka have a more dangerous dimension - the blatant violation of the citizens’ rights regardless of his or her ethnicity as the price for the ongoing the war. In short, human rights are fighting a war of survival in Sri Lanka, alongside the war between the State and LTTE. Human rights in most of the countries in South Asia are only secondary to political compulsions of those in power. In Pakistan it is the military-backed President who is spearheading the fight against human rights. In India, politicians of all hues in power, violate them for their own gains. But in Sri Lanka there is a qualitative difference. Curiously both the Sri Lanka State and the LTTE appear to be arrayed on the same side against human rights. Both appear bent upon crushing one of the fundamental human rights the right to differ. And Tamils regardless of their beliefs and aspirations are the major segment affected by this seemingly unending assault on human rights from all sides. But other ethnic communities are equally vulnerable. Even more surprising is that both the State and the LTTE are claiming to be fighting for human rights. Sri Lanka’s war is publicised as a “humanitarian mission to free the people from the clutches of LTTE”. For LTTE, human rights appear to apply to only those who are its camp followers or fit in its agenda. In any case, LTTE has been trampling upon the rights of those who don’t toe its line for a long time. So unlike the State, nobody expects LTTE to uphold human rights. Thus the State as a legitimate government “elected by the people” has no choice but to ensure its citizens enjoy their rights. After all, that is what the present conflict is all about the legitimate rights of all citizens. Who are the victims of this war? There were public personalities and even a parliament member killed in high security zones, with no trace of their killers. At least there is some consolation that the police have registered such cases and some people are supposed to be looking into them. But there are others who have become human flotsam carried away as the conflict continues. These include nameless citizens killed in crossfire, scores of people kidnapped or taken away in “unidentified white vans” and never seem to return home, the 70 odd businessmen kidnapped for ransom from the heart of Colombo, and nearly 170,000 people who fled their homes and lost their properties and means of livelihood and are living on doles. Lastly, there are thousands of kids who should be in schools, ‘body snatched’ to become child soldiers. Now it has touched the poor, jobless Tamil ‘loitering’ in Colombo trying to get away from the war. The wielders of power have shown in a number of instances that such high handedness need not be limited to Tamils. When a few politicians, public personalities and media men demanded better accountability from the government, they were arrested and kept in custody on charges that did not warrant such severity. Free media has been threatened, and at least in one case it was pressurised to shut down operations. NGOs have been put under notice and their workers have been killed mysteriously. Government response Sri Lanka’s response had been caustic to complaints on human rights issues from both national and international bodies though Sri Lanka is not the only state to come under such scrutiny and criticism. As a democratic country, one would expect the Sri Lanka State to respond to such accusations with the seriousness they deserve. Usually the state human rights commission receives the complaints of violations and advises follow up action. While this structural framework is in position in Sri Lanka its performance has satisfied nobody. The Human Rights Commission and other commissions appointed by the President on specific issues have been ineffectual because of structural and functional limitations placed upon them. This has been eloquently brought out in the statement of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) on June 11, 2007. The IIGEP under the chairmanship of Justice PN Bhagwati was constituted by the President to impart credibility to the work of the Commission of Inquiry into 16 cases of human rights violations and killings. The IIGEP has expressed its concern that the current measures taken by the government and the Commission to address issues such as the independence of the Commission, timeliness and witness protection were not adequate and did not satisfy international norms and standards. But more than all these, when such violations are raised, the rulers appear to see only a conspiracy to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka using the human rights issue. This is amazing considering that Sri Lanka in 2002 had a fund of international goodwill and gave the impression that it was serious about improving its human rights record. Unfortunately, the statements from senior bureaucrats and ministers of the government have only undermined this fund of goodwill. Even President Rajapaksa has considered the allegations about violation of human rights and the breakdown of the economy were “aimed at covering up the defeats of the LTTE and weakening the operations of the security forces.” There is clearly an atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia against Tamils being built up. This raises the question, is this is turning the war against LTTE into a war against Tamils? If this were not so, how do we explain serial killings and abductions, running into hundreds, in the heart of high security zones, where most of the victims are Tamils? However, fortunately fair minded citizens from diverse ethnic communities, despite heavy odds and invisible pressures, have been strident in their demand for restoration of human rights to all citizens. For instance, Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the main opposition party - the United National Party- was forthright in his criticism of the eviction exercise. Speaking in parliament on the subject of eviction of Tamils, he said Jews and Black Africans faced similar persecution at the hands of Germans and Whites respectively. Misuse of emergency powers The government appears to be faltering on three counts that have a bearing on human rights violations: misuse of special powers by state machinery, reluctance to take violators of human rights to task, and failure to evolve a credible mechanism to curb human rights violations. No doubt the State is locked in a seemingly endless war with an intransigent foe ? LTTE. There is no dispute that fighting LTTE involves not only conventional operations at the battlefront but also crushing its attempts at sabotage, subversion and espionage. Sri Lanka, like many other states fighting a war against a section of its own people, has armed itself with special powers to curtail civil rights of its citizens. But its safeguards against the misuse of such powers are either weak or non functional. India’s long experience in fighting militancy has shown that summary powers granted to law enforcers under special legal dispensation are very often misused. There are a number of reasons for this. These include promotion of the agenda of political leaders, corruption among bureaucracy and law enforcers, and cover up of security hierarchy’s incompetence. All the three factors appear to be present in Sri Lanka. Responsibility of other nations These happenings are known to all the countries who are underwriting the peace process. That includes the four Co-Chairs, the EU, Japan, Norway, and the U.S and India. In fact the U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour’s report “Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2006″ released on April 5, 2007 had by and large summed up their views on human rights situation in Sri Lanka: As a result of the escalating hostilities between the government and LTTE and numerous violations of the cease-fire agreement by both sides, overall respect for human rights declined in the affected areas. There were numerous, credible reports that armed paramilitary groups, suspected of being linked to the government and security forces, participated in armed attacks during the year. Human rights monitors also reported arbitrary arrests and detention by security forces, poor prison conditions, denial of fair and public trials, corruption and lack of transparency, infringement of religious freedom and freedom of movement, and discrimination against minorities. Trafficking in persons also remained a serious issue affecting women, children and men for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. The LTTE engaged in politically motivated killings, suicide attacks, disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, interference with privacy, denial of freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and association, and recruitment of child soldiers. Since the August 2005 killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the government has regularly renewed emergency regulations that permitted arrests without warrants and unaccountable detentions. In December parliament toughened these regulations to give security forces even broader arrest and detention powers. These regulations restrict the media’s ability to report on the conflict. The new rule also establishes an appeals process for detainees but gives civil servants, rather than judges, the right to adjudicate the cases. Their growing inpatience with the state of affairs in Sri Lanka on many counts, including deteriorating human rights, had been manifest in their public statements. However, Britain appears to have taken the initiative to starte acting, rather than issuing statements and holding back room parleys. It appears to be mustering support for an EU resolution in the UN Human Rights Council that had been pending for sometime now. In a note to British members of European Parliament, Britain has said there was “a growing case for introducing international human rights monitors in Sri Lanka.” But will that solve the question? As Darfur experience has shown, UN monitoring might not help beyond embarrassing the Sri Lanka Government and imposing a bit of caution. Regardless of the answer, the countries underwriting the peace process, and also in some ways the current war, have to act to ensure that they do not become a party to the charade that is going on now in Sri Lanka. India has a responsibility that is even bigger. It has to shake off its internal power balancing preoccupations and do more than discussing whether weapons supplied to Sri Lanka are offensive or defensive. India, which has close ties with Sri Lanka, needs to handle issues with greater consideration and tact to help the country emerge from the bloody impasse with a win-win solution on the basis of equity for all communities . And that requires more interest and involvement not only from India but also other countries involved in peace and war in Sri Lanka. Otherwise, they will be as much responsible for what is happening in Sri Lanka as the State or the LTTE. That will be doing their bit for the war to flourish, dumping human rights by the way side, and not promoting peace. Rajapakse meets Norwegian peace broker Colombo Tamil businessman files FR petition A leading Tamil businessman in Fort who was arrested on an allegation that he had been transporting prohibited items to LTTE has filed a fundamental right petition in the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court. He is being detained in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office since his arrest on May 12, legal sources said. Petitioner, Selliah Paramananthan of Kollupity, has cited the Director, CID, Officer in Charge of the Terrorist Intelligence Unit (TIU) Inspector General of Police, Defence Secretary and Attorney general as respondents.Senior Counsel Ms Gowrishankary Thavarajah on behalf of the petitioner filed the petition.The petitioner has denied that he had transported a consignment of walkie-talkies by his lorry to Vavuniya. He adds that he had transported 32 TV sets handed over by one Niranjan with a consignment of sugar and potatoes in his lorry. Niranjan had paid a sum of Rs. 9,600 as hire. He had no connection in transporting prohibited items.The petitioner prays that the court should declare that his arrest and detention are illegal and should release him. The petition also seeks Rs. 500,000 as compensation. Sri Lankan religious leaders condemn recent spate of violence The Sri Lankan president was expected to meet with a Norwegian peace broker in Geneva on Friday to discuss the worsening conflict as religious leaders in Colombo denounced recent human rights violations. Leaders of Sri Lanka - 's four major religions called for the government to accept responsibility for a recent wave of human rights violations as violence between rebel and military forces has worsened. ``The government should not only accept total responsibility but also immediately take all measures to identify and punish the perpetrators according to the laws of our country,'' said a statement signed by the prominent Buddhist monk Wimalarathana and Archbishop Oswald Gomis, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka - Hindu and Muslim leaders said they agreed with the statement, which was issued at a joint press conference by the Congress of Religions. ``We are so worried about the slaughter,'' Gomis said at a press conference. ``If this continues Sri Lanka - will become a country renowned for cruelty.'' Also Friday, a Brussels-based think tank issued a dire report about the Sri Lankan political situation, citing a rise in government authoritarianism, officially-sponsored extrajudicial killings and abductions, and a war spiraling out of control. The International Crisis Group said in the past year, more than 1,500 people were killed, 250,000 displaced and 1,000 disappeared. ``The counterinsurgency campaign is leading to more authoritarianism in the country as a whole,'' the report said. The group also blamed the international community for failing to work together to resolve the crisis, calling the response ``disjointed and lackluster.'' As violence between Tamil separatists and government forces has increased in the past 19 months on this war-torn island, activists have documented a wave of alleged human rights abuses, including the August 2006 killings of 17 employees of the French aid group Action Against Hunger. ``We are deeply saddened by the displacements, abductions and murder of innocent and helpless civilians. We strongly condemn such irreligious and inhuman actions,'' the statement said. Gomis said the group had spoken to rebel leaders to argue that a ``military solution or terrorist activities are not going to help.'' ``We hope that the two parties will listen to our voice,'' he said. The religious leaders said they welcomed the government's apology for last week's temporary expulsion of hundreds of ethnic Tamils from the capital, but said the issue was not settled. ``We firmly request that those responsible for such shortsighted decisions be dealt with appropriately as such grave actions cannot be swept under the carpet by a mere apology,'' the statement said. The 3.1 million Tamils in Sri Lanka - are largely Hindu, while the majority Sinhalese population is Buddhist. Also on Friday, the military said they killed one Tamil Tiger rebel and wounded two in a shootout in the restive north, as troops seized 10 land mines from suspected rebel camps in the east. Both incidents occurred Thursday night and no soldiers were hurt, said a military official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The separatist rebels did not immediately comment. Violence has escalated in the Indian Ocean island nation, claiming more than 5,000 lives in the past 19 months despite a 2002 cease-fire that effectively exists only on paper. European and Japanese envoys have made repeatedly tried to persuade the government and rebels to return to peace talks. The Tamil Tigers began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland in the north and east for the country's ethnic minority Tamils, citing decades of discrimination by successive Sinhalese-majority governments. 'Invite' UN Human Rights monitors A climate of fear "A climate of fear dominates Sri Lanka with human rights activists and journalists threatened, attacked, intimidated, harassed and killed” said Irene Kahn.“Even humanitarian workers have not been immune," she added.AI is in the view that the Commission of Inquiry set up by the President last year has failed to reduce impunity human rights abuses. It pointed out that the credibility and effectiveness of the commission has been challenged by the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons set up by the President himself."The alarming escalation of human rights abuses over the past 18 months clearly shows that existing domestic mechanisms for protecting civilians and delivering justice are wholly inadequate and have failed to deter perpetrators," said the secretary general of AI. UN Monitors AI stress the impotence of an independent monitors to investigate human rights abuses by all sides and urge president Rajapaksha to open an immedeiate dialogue with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to set up an international field operation that has a mandate to monitor and investigate human rights violations."The presence of a significant, independent, transparent and fully-resourced international human rights field operation will help to strengthen national institutions responsible for accountability and justice. It must extend to areas of LTTE control," said Ms Khan. “The government's efforts to date have been woefully inadequate. President Rajapakse has an opportunity to change that." She added. 14 Tamils arrested in Marawila Police arrested fourteen Tamils in Marawila, a town in Chilaw district Thursday night, in a cordon and search operation. Majority of them were from northeast and the others are from upcountry towna.All of the arrested are between the ages of 25 and 35 and employed in Marawila shops and factories, sources said.Police said they were taken into custody as the failed to prove their identity and give valid reasons for their stay in the location. Weakening the LTTE The government of Sri Lanka says that its plan is to weaken the LTTE so that it will be compelled to come to the negotiating table and accept what is offered.The futile attempt at weakening the LTTE in the first place means not only continuing to sacrifice the lives of thousands of innocent civilians and forces personnel, but also causing untold human suffering and irreparable destruction to the economy and the country. It must be noted that never has there been an instance when the LTTE has come to the negotiating table in a militarily debilitated state. Notwithstanding all this, the fact remains that even if the LTTE is brought to the negotiating table someday in a militarily debilitated state, the solution that has to be offered to the Tamil community cannot be watered down as expected by the government, on the basis that the LTTE is now weakened and must accept what is on offer to them.Whether the LTTE is in a state of military weakness or not, the final solution to be offered to the Tamil community will have to be within the framework of a federal solution, as otherwise the Tamil community will refuse to accept anything else and they will have the backing of India and the international community, resulting in government’s plans only ending in failure.The government has made the issue of weakening the LTTE an excuse to dilly-dally and delay a viable solution being formulated and made public even by the APRC.To further complicate matters, the JVP and JHU the powerful government allies, have ruled out a federal solution. The government is now caught between the devil and the deep blue sea and is merely biding its time on the pretext of trying to weaken the LTTE and is getting nowhere in the process except being party to causing immense human suffering, loss of human lives and destruction of the economy and the country. Man stabbed to death at Tooting takeaway A murder investigation is underway after a man was stabbed at a Tooting takeaway.Police were called to Chicken Cottage in Upper Tooting Road at around 1.40am today following reports of a disturbance.On arrival officers found one man suffering from stab wounds and another man with head injuries. A knife and a cricket bat were recovered from the area.Five men were arrested at around 2am near Clapham South underground station. They are all young men of Asian origin.They were taken to separate south London police stations where they remain in custody.Both victims were taken by ambulance to a south London hospital.The man suffering from stab wounds was pronounced dead at 2.27am.Police are trying to establish the identity of the dead man who is in his 20s. Both men are thought to be Sri Lankan. Remembering Sivaram Five major media organisations have organised a lecture to commemorate well know journalist Dharmaratnam Sivaram.The lecture will be delivered by Lakshman Gunesekara, former Editor of The Sunday Observer. It will be held on June 21, 2007 at the Mahaweli Kendraya at 5.30 PMSri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Free media Movement, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Forum and Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions are the organisations sponsoring the event.Dharmaretnam Sivaram, also known by his pseudonym Taraki, was a well-known columnist for the ‘Daily Mirror’ and a senior editorial board member of the prominent online news service, ‘Tamil Net’. He was 46 when he was murdered in April 2005, with his body found close to the Parliament 15 June 2007 Strengthen Human Rights - UN Human Rights policy Sandesaya special correspondent, Priyath Liyanage who is in Geneva said “High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louis Arbour indicated her interest to visit Sri Lanka to assess the human rights situation”.“She is concerned about the human rights violations in Sri Lanka” he said.“Commissioner Arbour said that the government should introduce a policy to stop worsening human rights situation and it is the responsibility of the government” added Priyath Liyanage. International monitoring According to Priyath Liyanage the Human Rights commission is lobbying to establish an international monitoring mission to oversee the steps that Sri Lanka is going to take to safeguard the human rights” he said.Amnesty International is also keen to meet the president to discuss the Human Rights issues in Sri Lanka.President was due to meet with the head of the Amnesty International Irene Khan to discuss the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka. Red Crescent officials meet with Sri Lankan president in Geneva Senior officials of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement met in Geneva yesterday morning with the president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse, to seek information on action taken by the Sri Lankan authorities after the murder of two staff members of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society earlier this month. The meeting was organized at Mr Rajapakse's request. The vice-president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jacques Forster, and the secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Markku Niskala, expressed their concern about the killings. They welcomed the Sri Lankan government's commitment to investigate and bring the perpetrators quickly to justice. The murdered staff members, Sinnarasa Shanmugalingam and Karthekesu Chandramohan, had been in Colombo attending a training workshop organized by the Sri Lanka Red Cross. On 1 June they were abducted from Colombo's Fort Railway Station by unidentified men while waiting to return to their homes in the eastern town of Batticaloa. Their bodies were found the following day at the Dumbara Estate in Kiriella, Ratnapura district, south-east of Colombo. Mr Forster and Mr Niskala again emphasized the need for increased action on the part of the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure that humanitarian workers are respected and protected and that humanitarian agencies are supported in their efforts to assist vulnerable people in Sri Lanka. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement remains committed to providing assistance and protection for those affected by the armed conflict and to helping communities devastated by the 2004 tsunami to rebuild their lives. Sri Lanka Navy shoots foreign aid worker Sri Lanka's Navy said on Thursday it shot a foreign aid worker with international organisation Mercy Corps on a beach in the northeast, saying he ignored warnings to stop. The man suffered a wound to the back of the head on Wednesday night in Trincomalee and was transferred to a hospital in Colombo, but his condition did not appear to be critical, Mercy Corps programme director Iveta Ouvry said. The Filipino national was in Trincomalee on a field visit to monitor post-tsunami projects, the group said on Thursday. Police and the military initially said it was unclear who the gunman was. "One of our sentries at a guard post ... sighted an unknown person trying to enter that area, and he has warned several times but he didn't stop, so he fired some warning shots," said Navy spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake. "That fellow ran away. We followed him and found him at the Oceanic (hotel)," he added. "Only then we got to know he was a Filipino ... and belongs to one of the NGOs. He had a small scrape injury to his head, nothing serious." He said the man had tried to enter a fenced off, restricted area near a naval detachment. "In the dark you cannot see anybody, no? So if somebody is trying (to enter), we consider them as the enemy." The Club Oceanic is popular with international aid workers visiting Trincomalee, an area where there has been fierce fighting between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels. The shooting comes after a series of unsolved attacks on aid workers. It also comes a fortnight after two local volunteers of the Sri Lanka Red Cross were abducted from a train station in Colombo and were later found murdered. International observers have criticised President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government for making little progress in probing a series of killings and abuses, including the massacre of 17 local staff of Action Contre La Faim (Action Against Hunger) in August 2006. That was the worst attack on aid workers since a 2003 suicide bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. Armed group forcibly takes away journalist Parameshwari's passport & ID An armed group has forcibly taken away the passport and the national identity card of Journalist of the Maubima news paper Parameshwari, at the Borella underground tunnel this afternoon.According to what Parameshwari told 'LeN' two armed persons in casual clothing have told her passport and identity card needs to be checked since she carries hoax ones at around 10:30 this morning. When she was about to hand them over to them, the two have forcibly taken away her hand bag and taken away the passport and the ID card along with two letters. When she asked for them the armed men have said "you know we don't talk. We only act. Come here at 2:30 in the afternoon we'll hand over these to you". They have also threatened her not to inform regarding this to the police or inform the media regarding the incident.Parameshwari who was frightened due to the threats has not inform anyone regarding the incident and gone to the location at 2:30 and has lodged a complaint with the Borella police regarding the incident after no one turned up at the location.She told 'LeN' that one of the persons who threatened her and took away her belongings was one of them who forcibly abducted her in a van in April.Parameshwari was earlier arrested by the TID and kept in detention for months before she was released. Tamil Muslim Parties in the government must cross over ---Mano Ganeshan Mano Ganeshan, Colombo Parliamentarian, has appealed to the Tamil and Muslim parties presently in an alliance with the government to leave the government as a gesture of protest against the compulsory evacuation of Tamils by the police in a pre dawn operation and for the failure of the government to take appropriate steps regarding the abduction of Tamils and Muslims in the country. Abductions: UNP tells Muslim ministers to quit UNP Muslim MPs yesterday came out hard on the government over the abduction of Muslim businessmen and vowed to take to the streets and also take the issue up with the diplomats of Muslim countries. They also called on the Muslim ministers to resign from their posts if they were scared to talk while being part of the government. UNP Kegalle MP Kabir Hashim told a media conference that Muslim ministers should resign from their posts if they couldn’t take up the issue with the President. He said it was a pity that these ministers were keeping silent when the Muslim community was so immensely affected by this growing trend of abductions.Mr. Hashim explained the Muslims had lived in harmony with other communities from the times of the Sinhalese kings. Citing examples he said Prince Mayaduna had two Muslim generals in his army.“However some power hungry forces are disturbing this friendship between the two communities by abducting and terrorising the Muslim business community,” he said. Mr. Hashim said a large number of Muslim businessmen were leaving the country because of the growing trend of abductions. UNP Kandy district MP Abdul Carder said the government couldn’t pretend it was not aware of these abductions as it was happening under their very eyes. “President Rajapaksa promised to put an end to ‘Kale Nithiya’ (law of the jungle) but is it not the ‘Kale Nithiya’ reigning supreme today,” he asked. UNP Colombo District MP Mohamed Maharoof said the UNP would give the government two weeks notice to resolve this issue and if not it would take to the streets against this lawlessness. The MPs also vehemently condemned the questioning by the CID of former Colombo Deputy Mayor Azath Salley over a statement he made on abductions. Lands belonging to Tamils and Muslims acquired by the majority community---Tamil Muslim Parliamentarians complain Deputy Minister Faisal Cassim, Deputy Minister Hassan Ali and Parliamentarian K.Pathmanapanr, speaking at the meeting of the Amparai District Development Council, raised their concern that lands belonging to Tamils and Muslims are being acquired forcibly by the members of the majority community UN pressures LTTE to show progress on child rights issues The UN Security Council’s Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict said that Liberation Tigers and the Karuna group "continue to recruit and use child soldiers and commit serious violations of children’s rights," and in a statement urged the LTTE "to proceed immediately, in a transparent manner, to return the children to their families, to respect the neutrality of schools and to permit access to humanitarian actors in zones that are under its control." The Working Group made a similar statement addressing the Karuna faction. The Working Group recommended that the Security Council ask the Secretary-General to prepare a report on the parties’ follow-up to the messages that have been sent to them, and warned that if the LTTE does not abide by its commitments concerning recruitment, “further steps may be taken." Unofficial sources from sources said that UN anticipates LTTE to show progress before the end of August when resolutions get written for Security Council action in November.The chair also wrote a letter to the Government of Sri Lanka inviting it to implement as a priority the commitments it made before the Working Group in the protection of children and the fight against impunity.The Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict has met at least twice over the winter and spring to consider the situation of countries in which underage recruitment takes place. The Working Group consists of representatives from all 15 members of the Security Council and considers, among other issues, recruitment of those under 18 by non-state actors in countries that have ratified the Optional Protocol on Children in Armed Conflict. Do not harass Sri Lankan: HC Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed Tuticorin police not to harass a petitioner whose citizenship was under question, as the Centre was yet to determine whether he was an Indian or Sri Lankan.Disposing a Writ Petition filed by M M Mohideen Iqbal, Justice K Chandru said as the petitioner claimed that he was an Indian citizen and a final decision had not been taken, the police should not harass him.The petitioner said his father belonged Kayamozhi village in Tuticorin district. He migrated to Sri Lanka in 1950s and married a native of that country. The petitioner was born on February 22, 1960.The petitioner came to India to settle here. He married an Indian in 1997 and had children. Following a dispute with him, his cousin recently complained to the police that he was a Sri Lankan.Petitioner alleged that after this police started harassing him.The court said that sufficient notice should be served to the petitioner before calling him for enquiries.The Judge also cited a recent High Court ruling in a case filed by Nalini Srikaran, one of the accused in Rajiv Gandhi murder case, claiming Indian citizenship for her daughter.A division bench held that the petitioner's daughter did not cease to be a citizen until her citizenship status was decided by the Centre. Nalini had delivered the girl in Vellore Central prison. General Officer Commanding (GOC) 57 Division in Omanthai transferred General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 57 Division located in Kalmadu west of Omanthai, Brigadier Sumith Manawadu had been transferred with immediate effect by Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. The Army Chief also appointed 56 Division GOC Brigadier Chula Dias as the new GOC of the 57 Division.Brigadier Manawadu had been appointed as the Brigadier General Staff of the Eastern Army Headquarters. In the recent past several military operations had been carried out by the 57 Division led troops in Omanthai. However during several such battles with the Tamil Tigers, one or two operations launched by the military were unable to reach its target as scheduled.During the latest battle at the forward defences in Omanthai the Tamil Tigers were able to inflict heavy damage to the military. During a predawn attack launched by the Tigers two weeks ago, the military lost more than 30 soldiers and over a 100 soldiers were injured while several dozens of soldiers are still missing. Indian High Commissioner gifts books to Jaffna Varsity At a simple ceremony held at the Indian Cultural Centre yesterday, Mr. Alok Prasad, High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka, presented books worth Rs.800, 000/= on subjects ranging from Tamil classics, Modern literature, culture, Indian philosophy and music to economic history, social and physical sciences, management, agriculture and industry, in the English and Tamil languages, to the Jaffna Public Library.Also books worth SLR 1.27 lakhs, on medicine, were presented to the medical faculty of the Jaffna University. Over the past few years, the High Commission of India has gifted books worth Rs.1.25 million to this library. 14 June 2007 UN office concerned over accusation against its staff The UN office in Colombo yesterday expressed its concern regarding what it termed as groundless accusations made against its staff in the international media by Defence Ministry Secretary Gatabhaya Rajapaksa.UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka Frederick Lyons said that such charges could seriously compromise their ability to carry-out their work and endanger their safety and security in an environment in which a number of humanitarian workers have lost their lives over the past year. “All UN staff is recruited under terms of employment in which they are responsible to the UN Secretary-General and to the principles of the United Nations. They are also honour-bound to work with complete neutrality and to receive no instruction from any third party.“During my brief stay in Sri Lanka, I have repeatedly seen our local staff tirelessly assisting Sri Lankan communities made vulnerable by conflict and disaster. I have the greatest confidence in their dedication to serving the UN’s objectives to protect and to help, and have absolutely no grounds to question their integrity,” he said. Red Cross Head: Many At Risk From Sri Lanka, Iraq Violence The Red Cross is helping between 2 and 3 million internally displaced people around the world and the number could exceed 4 million by the end of the year because of escalating conflicts in such hot spots as Iraq and Sri Lanka, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross said Tuesday. Jakob Kellenberger, the president of the ICRC, told reporters following a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the violence in Iraq may force more people to leave their homes, adding to the 850,000 people who are already displaced. He declined further comment. In Sri Lanka, where violence has escalated amid a worsening civil conflict, Kellenberger said, the ICRC is assisting between 150,000 and 200,000 internally displaced people "but unfortunately as I see things it could worsen." The Red Cross said Sudan was the aid group's largest operation, with 2,000 staff and a budget of over $80 million. He listed Iraq as the second largest operation followed by the Palestinian territories and Israel, Somalia, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Kellenberger said the humanitarian organization is having difficulty getting to people in need in conflict-wracked Darfur, citing criminals as a major stumbling block. The group has faced major access problems over the past eight months in western Darfur and north of the capital Khartoum, but he said access in some areas has improved in recent weeks. "Our main concern in Darfur is that you could have a widening gap between still peak humanitarian needs and worsening conditions for access, and that is a risk," Kellenberger said. He also said the aid group is working as a "neutral intermediary" in talks between the Lebanese authorities and Fatah Islam militants at the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared near the northern port city of Tripoli. The ICRC pledged Tuesday to continue assistance in the battle-scarred camp despite the death of two volunteers on Monday, as Lebanese troops, backed by heavy artillery barrages, chipped away at Islamic militants barricaded in dense neighborhoods. No confidence motion against UNP MP who revealed details of abductors The government is planning on bringing up a no confidence motion in parliament against UNP MP Lakshman Seneviratne who recently disclosed the names of persons who are engaged in abducting and collecting ransoms.This was revealed by the chief government whip Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle during a media briefing held today.Fernandopulle said that Seneviratne has made baseless charges against government officials and that might disturb the mentality of such offices.He said that based on charges leveled by Seneviratne the relevant persons were questioned and that Seneviratne is now hiding behind the Opposition Leader and parliamentary privileges when the CID is attempting to question him. Fernandopulle said to question or arrest a parliamentarian the law does not say that permission from the speaker should be sought.The chief government whip said that if a parliamentarian is arrested it should be informed to the speaker and challenged Seneviratne to reveal the details which he has to the CID without hiding. Who is Gotabhaya to make such attacks?: UNP The UNP yesterday took Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to task for his critical comments about the international community, saying he was neither the executive President nor a responsible person from the legislature to make the kind of statement he had made. The main Opposition UNP was reacting to Mr. Rajapaksa’s criticism aimed at the international community including the European Union, the US and Britain whom he accused of trying to bully Sri Lanka,UNP National Organizer S.B. Dissanayake told a hurriedly summoned media conference yesterday that Mr. Rajapaksa was a mere bureaucrat, and therefore he had no right to make policy statements on behalf of the Government.Mr. Dissanayake said disciplinary action should be taken against the Defence Secretary for violating the provisions of the Establishment Code by making this irresponsible statement.“Who on earth is he to make a statement against the EU, Britain and the US?” he asked. He said the international community had a right to be concerned with the affairs of Sri Lanka under the present circumstances with numerous killings and abductions perpetrated by armed groups. Commenting on the eviction of Tamils lodgers from Colombo, he said it was a blatant violation of the people’s constitutional rights.He said that Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake apologized for this illegal and mean act following instructions from President Mahinda Rajapaksa.“As far as I know, the Premier never makes such a statement without a Presidential order, but, Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle contradicted him immediately only to appease certain Government members irked by Mr. Wickramanayake’s apology. The Government is in utter confusion today,” he said.The UNP asked as to how Mr. Fernandopulle as the Chief Government Whip could contradict the statement made by the Prime Minister who commands the Parliamentary majority.“According to the Constitution, the President appoints a member enjoying the confidence of the majority in Parliament as the Prime Minister. If the Premier resigns, the Cabinet will also go. How can Mr. Fernandopulle contradict Mr. Wickremanayake’s statement in this context?” he asked. The President is behind this whole episode, he charged.“On the one hand, the President asked the Prime Minister apologize for the grave mistake. On the other hand, he requested Mr. Fernandopulle to contradict it to appease certain elements with vested interests,” he said. Mr.Dissanayake charged the Government’s hand was there behind the current spate of abductions, killings and disappearances, but the minority parties except the TNA and Western People’s Front were hesitant to take up the issue.He said the UNP would take to the streets against this dangerous trend. Fire at Army Commander’s house A fire broke out at Army Commander Sarath Fonseka’s official residence at Stanmore Crescent last night. According to the fire brigade several fire engines were immediately sent to the scene and the fire was brought under control. The cause of the fire is believed to have been an electrical short circuit President, Lankan delegation arrive in Geneva The Sri Lankan delegation led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which left Sri Lanka to participate at the 96th conference of the International Labour Organisation, arrived at the Geneva International Airport, Switzerland at 5.10 p.m. yesterday, Geneva time. UN Deputy Resident Representative in Geneva S.G.M. Lorenso, the new permanent representative of Sri Lanka to the UN office in Geneva Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke and Sri Lankan Embassy staff in Geneva accorded a warm welcome to the Sri Lankan delegation led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The 96th conference of the International Labour Organisation is now being held in Geneva commencing from May 30 to June 15. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been invited to deliver a special presentation at the conference on June 15. Ministers Keheliya Rambukwella, Douglas Devananda, Mahinda Samarasinghe and Secretary to the President Lalith Weerathunga, Attorney General C.R. De Silva and Foreign Ministry Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona are also accompanying President Mahinda Rajapaksa during this visit. Ranil asks international community to help Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe requested the support of the international community to bring peace and normalcy to the country. “We need your support,” he told members of the diplomatic corps at a special meeting held at Hotel Ceylon Continental yesterday. Referring to statements made by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who justified the eviction of Tamil lodgers from Colombo by saying that the US had done the same in Iraq, Wickremesinghe observed that Rajapaksa had criticized his own country, since he was a citizen of the US. “He said that what the US is doing in Iraq is international bullying. Isn’t the eviction of Tamils from Colombo bullying?” Wickremesinghe asked. The Opposition Leader outlined the recent happenings in the country. He spoke of the abductions taking place in the country, the state of the economy and the intimidation of political opponents and the media. Referring to the intimidation of the media, Wickremesinghe said he would take a new course of action next week by educating the international press regarding the matter. He also explained the events that led to the collapse of the MoU between the UNP and the SLFP. He said that it was the President who had been responsible for the ending of the MoU between his party and the SLFP. Wickremesinghe said he had requested the President to bring a set of proposals to solve the national issue but the President had delayed in so doing. He said the UNP had told President Rajapaksa that it would support a set of proposals based on the APRC findings, but the President had turned them down. Two Tamil youths shot dead in Akkaraippattu Two sheet metal workers who accompanied unidentified men to do repair work Tuesday around 7:30 p.m. from their homes at Akkaraipattu in Ampaa'rai district, were shot dead around 8:00 p.m, Akkaraipattu police said. The police recovered the victims' bodies Wednesday around 7:00 a.m, from the 4th mile area along Akkaraipattu-Ampaa'rai main road. The victims were identified as Theiventhiran Arulkanthan alias Punchi, 17, of Vanniyanaar Road in Akkaraippattu and Kanthasamy Pirabakaran, 24, from Muthaliyaar Road in Akkaraippattu 08.The two youths, employed as tinkers in a motor repair shop, when requested Tuesday night to do urgent tinkering work, had accompanied the killers on a motor cycle.The killers had dumped the bodies along with the victims' motor cycle at the 4th mile post area before escaping, according to Akkaraippattu police investigating into the killings.Akkaraippattu is located 58 km south of Batticaloa town. Minister calls Prabhakaran 'as witness' Presidential 2005 Former Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, and MP Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi have called upon the speaker in March to appoint a parliamentary select committee to probe alleged secret deals between the Rajapaksa administration and the LTTE. Government parliamentarian Sooriyaarachchi and businessman Alles along with the former foreign minister allege that Mahinda Rajapaksa provided the LTTE with funds to force Tamils under their control to boycott the presidential elections held in November 2005.Rajapaksa who was prime minister at that time won the presidential elections with a thin majority over main rival, United National Party leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe. Consequently, Alles was appointed head of the civil aviation authority under the Rajapaksa administration. Counter allegation Meanwhile, Sooriyaarachchi told the BBC Sinhala service that the home of Tiran Alles was raided on Wednesday and documents and video tapes that carried evidence on alleged deals with the LTTE was removed along with one million rupees.Alles was released on bail by the Colombo Magistrate courts on Wednesday after being held in custody on allegations of providing funds to Tamil Tigers. Evidence 'lost' Sooriyaarachchi said that Alles has informed the police investigators, "all evidence on the Mahinda Rajapaksa deal with the LTTE conducted by Basil Rajapaksa and senior government officials will be handed over". The material taken away from the Alles residence had "incriminating evidence on the Mahinda-LTTE deal" added Sooriyaarachchi. Lanka urges Qatar to ban LTTE activity Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan delegation, accompanied by Ambassador S B Atugoda, has called on the chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, and reviewed trade co-operation.They discussed establishment of a joint council of businessmen from both the countries in order to strengthen trade exchange.Bhaila invited Qatari businessmen to visit his country to see the opportunities for investment there as well as the incentives given by the state.The visiting minister told Sheikh Jassim that there was a good investment potential in the real estate sector too.The chairman asked the delegates to tell members of the local Sri Lankan Business Council to contact the chamber for better co-operation and exchange of information.The ambassador said a Sri Lankan business delegation liked to visit Qatar and meet their counterparts to boost co-operation between private sectors of the two countries.Bhaila, who is on a regional tour, is accompanied by additional secretary in the foreign ministry C F Chinniah, general manager of Sri Lankan Bureau of Foreign Employment H B Atugoda, financial director at the foreign ministry W A Sarathkumara and Bhaila’s private secretary Asil Bhaila. 21 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees arrive in TN A batch of 21 Sri Lankan refugees hailing from the north-eastern part of the island Republic arrived here by a boat in the wee hours of Wednesday. The refugees, including six women and nine children, belonged to two families from Trincomalee and Vauniya districts, officials said. One of the refugees Kokila Devi said her two brothers were pulled out of their house and shot dead on June 11 by a group of persons who spoke in Sinhalese and Tamil. She said there had been frequent firing in their area. As Sri Lankan forces find roadside bomb in Colombo, the city carries on Authorities removed an unexploded bomb hidden near the Sri Lankan capital's train station early Wednesday, a day after a small bomb aimed at Colombo's power lines exploded on the city's fringes, the military said. The Tamil Tigers began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka - 's 3.1 million minority Tamils in the north and east, citing decades of discrimination by successive Sinhalese-majority governments. Violence has spiked recently on the Indian Ocean island, claiming more than 5,000 lives in the past 19 months, despite a 2002 cease-fire and multiple attempts by European and Japanese envoys to persuade the government and rebels to return to peace talks. Although Vithana maintained that the latest violence has not shocked the city, he said people in Colombo are increasingly on edge. ``Things started changing during the last six months,'' he said. ``People who come to the city for work are not sure whether they will be able to go home. It's unpredictable here.'' Government forces have increased their presence in the capital, where armed soldiers line major roads and ever-tighter checkpoints can sometimes take hours to clear. Roshan Dhammika, an auto-rickshaw driver, said security is deteriorating. ``Safety has become a major issue,'' he said. And despite the heightened checks, ``still blasts are occurring and bombs are found. How can bombs be brought with such tight security?'' Roughly 140 people have been abducted in Colombo, according to the Civil Monitoring Committee, a rights group. Colombo's worst attacks were a 1987 car bomb at the city's bus terminal that killed 113 people and a 1996 truck bomb driven into the central bank building, killing 91. Last week, 376 ethnic Tamils were rounded up in Colombo and bused to the north and the east in what the government called a security precaution and was the country's first mass expulsion of Tamils. The government quickly relented after international outrage, but many Tamils in the city still feel under siege. Standing on a downtown street corner, Pradeep Nishantha, 34, brushed off news of the latest bomb. ``This is not a new thing for us,'' he said. ``People need to be alert to what's going on around them Misery and death stalk Sri Lanka's north JAFFNA, Sri Lanka: The nights are broken again by artillery fire across the black lagoon.The road out of this peninsula has been closed since last August, making the area nearly inaccessible. Today, though food and fuel manage to arrive, the town market shuts by afternoon, and shopkeepers are reluctant to keep stocks, not knowing when they might have to close up and run.By 7 p.m., barely sundown, stray dogs have the run of the streets of Jaffna. Its people are indoors, doors locked, well before an 8 o'clock curfew, which is the most liberal in 10 months. Sri Lankan soldiers linger in the edges of the alleys. Flashlights come on when a car passes. All is still, except for the dogs.This is Jaffna, the picturesque prize of the quarter-century-long Sri Lankan ethnic war, girding for a new storm.The army commander for the area, General G.A. Chandrasiri, said he expects a major battle for Jaffna before the August monsoon. A 2002 cease-fire, which had stanched the bloodshed for a time, has collapsed. For a year, fighting has spread across the island between the Sri Lankan military, dominated by the ethnic Sinhalese majority, and the separatist rebels, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.According to the Sri Lankan Defense Ministry, more than 4,800 people, civilians and fighters, have been killed in the past 18 months, and though the number is not entirely reliable, it points to a significantly lethal epoch in this long, ugly war.It is likely to continue for a while. Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the influential Sri Lankan defense secretary, says the military is under instructions to eliminate the rebel leader, Vellupillai Prabhakaran, and eradicate his organization once and for all."That's our main aim, to destroy the leadership," Rajapakse said in an interview late last month. The job, he went on, would take two to three years.Peace talks are nowhere on the horizon. Pressure from abroad, including suspensions of aid from countries like Britain and the United States, have done little to temper Sri Lankan military ambitions. The Tamil Tigers, banned in many countries, including the United States, upped the ante this spring by conducting air raids with the aid of modified two-seater propeller planes. The weapons of war are dirtier than ever today.Targeted killings and land mine attacks in crowded civilian areas are common. The Tamil Tigers regularly deploy suicide bombers.Journalists, diplomats and aid workers face hostile scrutiny for any criticism of the security forces. On a Sunday morning in April, a young reporter for a Tamil-language newspaper in Jaffna was shot and killed as he rode his bicycle to work. In May, fliers appeared at Jaffna University, containing a hit list of alleged rebel sympathizers.At least 15,000 people are waiting to get on government ships to the relative safety of Colombo, the capital. Those who remain dare say little. "Anytime, anything can happen," offered Ravindran Ramanathan, a tailor. "People are afraid of everything."Jaffna is no stranger to war. Its temples and churches bear the pockmarks of battles past. Its people are familiar with running and dying. No other place is so scarred because no other place carries Jaffna's special curse: it is the heart of the homeland that the Tamil Tigers have fought to carve out, and the trophy that soldiers and rebels have fought over all these years. Lately, a new fear stalks Jaffna, and it is more ominous than anything its people recall from their grim past: a spate of mysterious abductions usually carried out during curfew, when soldiers and stray dogs rule the streets. No one is quite sure who is being taken, for what reason, by whom. Sometimes, corpses turn up on the street. More often, they don't turn up at all.One night in May, well into the curfew, C. Kuharajan's son, Kanan, 18, was watching television on the floor of his parents' bedroom when four armed men pushed open the front door of their house and demanded that Kanan come with them for questioning.His captors refused to identify themselves - "none of your business," Kanan's father recalled them saying - nor explain where they were taking him or why. The gunmen, all in civilian clothes and with pistols, promised to return him soon.That was on May 4. Kanan, a high school senior, has not been heard from since. According to his family, Kanan had been active in a high school group affiliated to the student union at Jaffna University, which security forces describe as a den of anti-government activity. But the father says his son was under strict instructions to avoid anything political. He planned to send Kanan abroad to study next fall. After a month of waiting and searching, Kuharajan wondered why those who abducted his son did not come to the house and interrogate him, or at least arrested him and taken him to jail. "That's the terrible thing," he said, "snatching children from parents' hands."The Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission, a government agency, says it has received 805 complaints of abductions in Jaffna from December 2005 to April 2007; the army says they are aware of 230 abductions.Occasionally, someone survives to tell of the horror. In January, Arunagirinathan Niruparaj, a university student, was plucked from his village, taken to what he later identified as a series of military camps and interrogated about his rebel links. He said his captors hung him upside down from the ceiling and beat his feet. They covered his head with a plastic bag soaked in gasoline. They rammed a stick into his anus.After seven days, they left him on the side of a railway track. By then, his kidney had failed, one of his ears was damaged, and he could not keep down any food. In April, Niruparaj, 26, fled to Madras, in southern India. He maintains he has no links to the rebels. No one has been arrested for his kidnapping.Chandrasiri first blamed the abductions on pro-government Tamil paramilitary groups who, as he put it, try to "eliminate" Tamil Tiger operatives. He later acknowledged that some in the security forces could also be complicit. "I'm not saying all our people are clean," he said. "Our duty is to catch them and punish them."Most of those abducted, he added, are not innocent civilians, but known Tamil Tiger operatives.As for Kuharajan's son, the Chandrasiri said he had personally resolved to find him. "I don't want internationally anybody to think everyday we are killing people," he said. Reports of abductions have been sharply criticized by even Sri Lankan allies like Richard Boucher, a U.S. assistant secretary of state who met with Chandrasiri during a visit here in May. In the weeks after Boucher's visit, reports of abductions fellNot far from the general's office, another kind of uncertainty hovers over a Catholic church, now home to refugees from Allaipiddy, a fishing village just west of the town. The United Nations estimates that there are roughly 300,000 people displaced across Sri Lanka.At this church, some families have fled their homes as many as four times since the war began. The last time was in August, after rebels and soldiers clashed in Allaipiddy, driving its residents into a local church. When it, too, was shelled, the Reverend Jim Brown knelt before the troops and, waving a white flag, led the villagers here.Brown, who had rebuked the Sri Lankan Navy for attacking the village, disappeared days later. He has not been heard from since. The families here somehow carry on. The men cannot fish any more because the coast is occupied by soldiers. Food aid has not come for weeks. Women have sold their gold bangles for rice. Or they have gone without eating, saving what little there is for their children.So little had one mother, Sathyaseelan Thilaka, been eating that she could no longer produce enough breast milk for her youngest child, a boy of 4 months born in this camp.Sathyaseelan, 39, said she raised four children through this war. Never before had she been without milk. This morning, she sent the older children to school without breakfast. She had eaten nothing herself, and it was almost sundown.An emergency assessment by the United Nations found signs of more child malnutrition in Jaffna. The government has blocked the study's release. 13 June 2007 Violating rights is not only an internal matter- British foreign minister "The situation in Sri Lanka looks darker now than my last visit in February, where there were many hopes of an all-party political solution that would create a basis for future talks. That looks further away now" Visiting British foreign minister Kim Howells has told President Mahinda Rajapakse.Howells has made this statement when he met President Mahinda Rajapakse at Temple Trees yesterday.The British foreign minister said that both Human Rights violations and Terrorism cannot be accepted adding that Britain interfered with the issue to defeat terrorism. "I told President Rajapakse that Britain stands ready to offer its skills in peace building.... I told him I know of no conflict that was resolved through military means" he told reporters adding that the ban imposed on the LTTE in Britain will remain as long as it engages in Terrorism activities."At the end of the day, you need a political solution to meet the aspirations of the Tamil people and violating rights is no longer an internal matter" Howells said, referring to Sri Lanka's 35-year-old ethnic conflict, which has claimed more than 60,000 lives. "Sri Lanka runs the risk of isolation," Howells said, referring to growing international concerns over rights abuses in the island. "It is very important Sri Lanka is seen to have a human rights record that is clean," he said. "Human rights are the prime test of whether or not a state conducts itself with modern values." Foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama and British ambassador Dominick Chilcott were also present at the meeting. "Ethnic Cleansing" in Sri Lanka? Even by Sri Lanka's standards, the forced eviction of 375 Tamils from the capital of Colombo last week seemed a step too far. The June 7 evictions, carried out by police and soldiers in a nighttime raid on areas of Colombo populated by the Tamil ethnic minority, was the latest chapter in the brutal civil war that pits government forces against Tamil-separatist militants in the country's north. "We were herded into buses like cattle and even when we were told we could go back to Colombo, we were warned to finish our work there and go back to our home towns [immediately]," says a 19-year-old who gave his name as Ramalingam, of the raid in which he was swept up. Sixty-two-year-old Nadaraja had traveled to Colombo from Jaffna in the north with his family in the hope that they could get to India for treatment for his sick wife. When "we showed a letter from a doctor, the police told us we will have to go back," he says. "Now, it seems even in Colombo, we are not safe or wanted. Are we not Sri Lankans?" Local human rights groups accused the government of a policy tantamount to ethnic cleansing — some evictees had as little as half an hour to get ready according to activists, and many were bused to places where they knew no one. The government defense spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella initially said that there had been no forced evictions, and that all those who had left the capital had done so voluntarily. Later, other government officials said that those evicted had been suspected of plotting to bomb government installations in the capital.But Sri Lanka's own Supreme Court brought the evictions to a halt the day after the first raid, issuing a stay order in response to a fundamental rights case filed by the Colombo-based think tank the Centre for Policy Alternatives. And the government found itself in the spotlight after the Sunday Leader, a local newspaper, published the contents of a letter written by Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police for the North and East, Mahinda Balasuriya, detailing directives issued by Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse for the eviction of Tamils. Following the court order and the media revelations, the government has expressed its regret over the mass evictions, and President Mahinda Rajapakse has ordered a police report on the operation. "Allegations that officials exceeded their authority in implementing this initiative will be thoroughly investigated and appropriate remedial action taken, including disciplinary action against any wrongdoing on the part of any government official," the President said in a statement. But human rights groups say the new sense of fear instilled in Tamil civilians won't disappear anytime soon. "When they [Tamil civilians] ask us whether we could guarantee that this would not happen again, we can not give an answer, there is a lot of fear among those who got caught in the drive, it will take some time for them feel safe here in Colombo," says Rukshan Fernando of the Colombo-based Law and Society Trust, which is helping some of the Tamils who returned to the capital after the Supreme Court ruling. Lanka being bullied by West: Gotabhaya Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa launched a strident attack on Britain and other Western countries, saying that these nations try to bully Sri Lanka without trying to understand the conflict here."Without understanding the problem, they are trying to bully us, and we won't be isolated. We have all the SAARC countries, the Asian countries. Britain or Western countries, EU countries, they can do whatever. We don't depend on them," Secretary Rajapaksa told Reuters in Colombo.Justifying the eviction of Tamil civilians from Colombo lodges, Mr. Rajapaksa said, "It is a good example where the whole world was misled”."Everyone knows the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) is infiltrating ... We can't arrest 300 people and detain them. What is the best option? So you can tell them, if you don't have any legal business in Colombo ... we don't want to detain you, you go back to your homes. In fact, this operation was much better. We could have put all of them in detention," the Defence Secretary has told Reuters.Insisting that Sri Lanka has to defend itself from the ‘terrorists’ he said, "When the U.S. does operations, they say covert operations. When something is (done) in Sri Lanka, they call it abductions. This is playing with words," he had told Reuters. The Defence Secretary also said British Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells, who visited the island on Monday, had been "completely misinformed". "Howells didn't talk a single word against the LTTE, a single word against terrorism," he said. "They are threatening isolation, they are stopping aid”."They want us to suffer," he added. "When America is attacked ... every country (calls it) war against terrorism, but why are the terrorists being treated in a different way in Sri Lanka? Is Britain talking about isolating America?" Rajapaksa also said U.N. agencies in Sri Lanka, which have also urged the government to halt rights abuses, had been misled by their local staff. "For 30 years or so, the LTTE planned this, they infiltrated the UN," Rajapaksa said. "The problem is the UN organisations, they took a lot of locals Britain not to lift LTTE ban Human Rights violations After his second visit to Sri Lanka in this year alone, the British minister has raised serious concerns of the island nation's human rights situation.Reminding the critics that Human Rights are "not a purely domestic matter," the British minister has recalled that both countries have signed UN treaties on human rights."If either of us (Sri Lanka and UK) is perceived to fall below those standards we can and should expect difficult questions," a statement issued by Dr. Howells stated.Dr. Howells crticised Sri Lanka government's move to transport hundreds of Tamils to north and the east. Evicting Tamils from Colombo PM Ratnasiri Wickramanayake on sunday accepted responsibility for sending nearly 400 Tamils from Colombo lodges to Vavuniya.The British minister told the BBC that it should "never happen again"."Most of the people who were thrown out and transported in the middle of the night to the dangerous areas were just innocent people who happened to in the wrong area at the wrong time," he told BBC's Roland Buerk.The statement has urged Sri Lanka to learn lessons from Britain's Northern Ireland experience. Political solution "There are some that believe the only way to address the LTTE's violence is to fight fire with fire. They are wrong," Dr. Howells said."In fact a security led response to terrorism can end up strengthening the terrorist," the statement added.The British minister says Sri Lanka's need is the moment is a "sustainable political solution" to resolve the national question."The way to defeat terrorism is not through relentless military action, but by winning the battle of ideas and with it the support of moderate Tamils," the statement stated. UNP calls for Gotabhaya’s sacking over eviction of Tamils The UNP yesterday called for Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse’s resignation, stating they had documentary evidence to prove he was responsible for the eviction of Tamil lodgers in Colombo."A circular was sent by Senior DIG Mahinda Balasuriya to OICs of relevant police stations calling on them to evict Tamil lodgers, following a meeting between Balasuriya, Rajapakse and others on 31.05.07," UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said at a press conference.Jayasekera who labelled President Mahinda Rajapakse’s call for a commission to probe the matter and Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake’s subsequent apology for the inconvenience caused, a "joke," said the government did not seem to be knowing what they were doing.He further asked whom the Prime Minister was trying to protect through the hurried apology, which Jayasekera said was a first in the history of Sri Lanka."The person responsible for this disastrous act is his brother, and if the President really wants to take the people behind the move to task, the first person he should punish is Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, by removing him from his post" Jayasekera said.UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake, also present at the press conference, said that while Wickremanayake had apologised for the inhuman act, another powerful and prominent PA Minister, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, had condemned the apology. "So whose word are we supposed to take on this anyway?" he questioned.Karunanayake also called on the government to punish the people truly responsible right at the top, and not make the small fry, such as the police officials who implemented decisions, pay for merely following orders. Coffin of media freedom burnt in front of Rupavahini Corporation The National Youth Front attached to the United National Party yesterday issued a warning to the government that stern steps would be taken if the government under President Rajapakse continues to harass media in the island.Chairman of the Front Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told the media during a massive protest staged in front of the Rupavahini Corporation in Bauddhaloka Mawatha that the government is attacking private media organizations both directly and indirectly especially by cutting off advertisement. He said the government which promised that media rights will be upheld has today not only violated them but also abducted and murdered journalists.He said "The JHU and the JVP spoke of media freedom back then but where are they now? Today they act as if they are blind".The protestors had named the protest "Funeral of Media Freedom" and played funeral drums and carried a coffin and later burnt it.Crying in front of the burning coffin the protestors wept and shouted "Oh Rajapakse what have you done to this media, we never thought you would do such a thing to media, let journalist write the truth".The protest lasted for around 1 hour which was staged amidst heavy security. Co-Chairs meet in Oslo on June 25 The Co-Chairs to Sri Lanka’s peace process will meet in Oslo, Norway on June 25 and June 26 to review the status of the peace process and possible steps to be taken to address the human rights crisis in the country.The Co-Chairs Norway, EU, US and Japan will also discuss the growing call internationally to move for a resolution in the UN for a human rights monitoring mission to Sri Lanka, it is learned.Informed sources said the Co- Chairs would after the meeting, issue a tough message indicating that the international community is running out of patience on the lack of progress with regard to the human rights situation and the lack of commitment to move the peace process forward.The meeting will be attended by Norway’s Minister for International Development Erik Solheim, Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer, Japan’s Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi,US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and EU Commissioner Ferrero Waldner. Thousands attend Toronto rally Thousands of Tamil Canadians rallied at the Scarborough Albert Campbell square, coinciding with the start of the 5th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, and urged the International community to accept an autonomous Tamil Nation through Self Determination applicable under International law. Leader of the Provincial NDP Howard Hampton, Hon. Jim Karygiannis MP for Scarborough-Agincourt, Brad Duguid, MP for Scarborough-Centre, Raymond Cho, Toronto City Councillor spoke at the rally. Hon. Albina Guarnieri Liberal MP for Mississauga East - Cooksville, Hon. Dan McTeague Liberal MP for Scarborough East-Pickering, Mark Holland Liberal MP for Ajax-Pickering and Derek Lee Liberal MP for Scarborough-Rouge River attended in support of the rally. Tim Dobson, Chuck Konkel and George Khourie of the Conservative Party of Canada also spoke. “Our Leaders have signed more than 12 pacts and treaties with the Sri lankan Political Parties within the last 60 years, only to be torn by them as soon they were signed. International Organizations and Countries could not convince the Government of Sri lanka the need for them to agree on Federalism or other forms of power sharing with the Tamils. An autonomous Nationhood is the only answer whereby our people could live peacefully without the fear of abductions, extra-judicial killings, mass murders and ethnic cleansing” said Mr. V.Thangavelu, President of World Tamil Creative Writers Association. “The Government of Sri lanka is not willing to listen to the International community. Human right abuses, indiscriminate bombardment, killing of International Humanitarian workers, economic embarge, disappearances and extra judicial killings. The International Community has an obligation to provide fundamental security to the Tamil people from this failing state. They should assist in the formation of an autonomous Tamil State for them” said Ms Sujani Krishnalingam, a Student Leader from the University of Toronto.The rally has to be closed one hour ahead of the announced time, as it had exceeded its capacity of the venue and the organizers had to ensure that the large number present would not overcrowd the Public Transit system and the adjoining major shopping centre. Bomb explosion at Orugodawatte A bomb exploded at Orugodawatte close to a high voltage electricity transmission tower yesterday (12).The bomb weighing 500g exploded at Orugodawatte close to the rail track at around 6.30 am.Speaking to The Morning Leader Senior DIG Range four N. K. Illangakoon said the bomb exploded 100 meters away from the Orugodawatte rail track (towards Wellampitiya)."There were no casualties and no damage to property due to the explosion as it was a small bomb," DIG Illangakone said.Military Spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said suspected LTTE cadres had exploded the bomb with the use of a detonator.The bomb exploded under a 220,000 volt transmission tower of the Ceylon Electricity Board’s high tension grid network." There was no disruption to the power supplies in the area. However the explosion caused some minor damage in the area. We do not know the motive behind the bomb explosion," Samarasinghe said.DIG Illangakoon added that search operations were conducted in the area and investigations were under way to arrest the suspects. Jaffna children underweight Over 9000 children below the age of five in the Jaffna District are underweight.This study was highlighted by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Team which stated that underweight children under five are now continuing to benefit from high energy biscuits that are being provided.However, it is also anticipated that the current stock in Jaffna will last only for the next four to six weeks.In the Batticaloa District it was noted that food is one of the major needs in the resettled villages in Vaharai and Vellavely.The study noted that in the Districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, as of June 1, the World Food Programme brought 43.2 metric tons of Corn Soya Blend to be distributed with its ongoing nutrition programme in the districts, where 3,000 beneficiaries are covered. U.N., Partners Condemn Evictions Of Tamils From Sri Lanka's Capital United Nations agencies and their humanitarian partners operating on the ground in Sri Lanka have condemned the forcible removal of Tamil residents from the country's capital, Colombo.The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) team in Sri Lanka said in a press statement issued on Sunday that it was also disturbed by reports about the manner in which the removal operation was conducted."The Sri Lankan Constitution guarantees the freedom of movement and the right of every citizen to choose his or her place of residence in Sri Lanka," the statement said. "There is an urgent need to ensure respect for basic liberties and security as well as freedom of movement in the country."The IASC, which is comprised of 24 U.N. agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups, said it welcomed the Supreme Court's granting of an interim order to stop the evictions.The committee "expects that the government of Sri Lanka will abide by its constitutional and international commitments. The IASC appeals in the strongest possible terms that these legal obligations are upheld."The U.N. and its relief partners in the South Asian country have expressed increasing concerns this year regarding the deteriorating situation amid fighting between government forces and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Top Defence expert dies A top explosives and ballistics expert and Defence Advisor Dr. D.A.I.Munindradasa passed away in Israel yesterday following an attack of pneumonia while participating in an official mission.A senior Defence Ministry official said 41-year-old Dr. Munindradasa, a Senior Lecturer of the Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering of the Moratuwa University was a member of Sri Lanka Defence delegation to Tel Aviv to inspect some weapons and to attend a workshop there.The official also said after being taken seriously ill Dr. Munindradasa had been admitted to a hospital where he was being treated at the ICU before he passed way around dawn yesterday.Meanwhile following a request from the family, Sri Lanka authorities agreed to hold the postmortem of Dr. Munindradasa in Sri Lanka. “The body would be brought down in a special box for the post mortem,” Defence officials added.Born in 1966, Dr. Munindradasa was a holder of B.Sc,Eng.(Moratuwa),Ph.D(Liverpool) and expert of Semiconductor Material, Wildlife related electronics, Mechatronics, Automotive electronics, Acoustics He had been with the defence ministry since 1990 and during President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s regime he effected the saving of a large sum of public monies when he repaired some Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRL), which were about to be sent abroad for repairs. A full inquiry into his death will be held after his remains are flown to Sri Lanka soon. Don't expect swift justice for Sri Lanka aid killings As I returned to work in London last week, nine months to the day after a road smash on assignment in eastern Sri Lanka broke my neck and left me paralysed from the shoulders down, the news from my old patch was depressingly familiar. Two Red Cross workers -- local Sri Lankan staff rather than their international counterparts who tend to steal the headlines -- were taken inside the high-security main Colombo railway station by men identifying themselves as plainclothes police. Two days later, their bodies were found in the central highlands. Aid groups, international rights organisations and embassies were appalled. The government promised an immediate investigation. But few have any confidence that those responsible will be brought to justice. The case echoed one of the last stories I got heavily involved with before the crash -- the massacre of 17 local staff from Paris-based aid group Action Contre la Faim (ACF), also known in some countries by its English name Action Against Hunger. Their murders, which took place in August as the world was distracted by war in Lebanon, seemed to barely register in the outside world. But it was the worst single attack on aid workers since the 2003 bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, and the worst cold-blooded massacre of aid staff in almost anyone's memory. The 17 staff, working on long-term relief after the 2004 tsunami in an area still recovering from decades of civil war, found themselves trapped when fighting suddenly flared after Tamil Tiger rebels blocked a water supply to government areas near the northeastern port of Trincomalee. They were pinned down in their compound in the town of Muttur as rebels and troops battled for control. The town was heavily shelled by both sides, and on August 4, the civilian population finally decided to flee through the artillery and mortar fire on foot and by whatever transport they could find. The ACF staff stayed behind, but contact with them was quickly lost. The following day, the government in Colombo was sufficiently confident that the town was back in their hands to organise a media tour. With fighting continuing in Muttur suburbs, around 20 of us landed on the town's beach from assault boats, weighed down with military-issue body armour and our own camera equipment. LYING DEAD NEARBY At this stage, I had no idea the ACF staff were missing. In fact, it is now almost universally agreed they were already dead, their bodies lying mostly en masse near the entrance to their compound. It had clearly been a tough fight. At the height of the battle, the Tigers had held most of the town except for the police station and a strong point held by naval infantry around the jetty. The servicemen looked exhausted, covered in grime and many with several days of stubble growth. Power lines were shredded, and spent ammunition, used field dressings and other random detritus of war were scattered around near the foreshore, while in a deserted garden feral dogs ate a cow killed by shell fire. In a ferry terminal bearing the scars of mortar fire, I spoke to the commander of the naval infantry, the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Commando Regiment, as well as an impressively bearded and tough-looking special forces officer. They said the Tigers had originally attacked in a force of around 200, but that all but a nuisance group of around 20 to 30 had withdrawn by the Friday. I asked about civilian casualties and they gave me sketchy details, but never mentioned the dead aid workers. We set off through the deserted town on foot escorted by the Commandos, elite soldiers flown in specially at the height of the battle. With warnings of booby traps and unexploded ordnance, I was certainly not keen to wander off. With hindsight, our route from the jetty to the police station and the hospital took us around the ACF compound where the bodies would already have been lying, but never took us in sight of it. By the time we reached the hospital, we could hear firing only a few streets away and withdrew rapidly back to the jetty area. After what felt like too long a wait on the beach, where it was no longer possible to tell the difference between war and tsunami damage, the navy took us back to Trincomalee naval base by assault boats and fast-attack craft. That evening, I heard the first rumours of an aid massacre. I found it hard to believe. The following day, the first aid team arriving in Muttur overland found the bodies. By the time they were brought in to Trincomalee Hospital, you could smell them streets away, and some of the families of the dead were already openly blaming the security forces. BLAME GAME There seemed to be an initial attempt to push the blame onto the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The rebels are certainly no strangers to massacres -- I have stood in a mosque in eastern Sri Lanka that still bore the bullet damage from a massacre of Muslims by them earlier in the war. But few in Trincomalee believed they had killed the ACF workers. The dead staff were almost all ethnic Tamils, the minority that dominates much of the north and east (although not Muttur, which is primarily a Muslim town). They had spent much of their time working on tsunami relief in LTTE areas. As with many other aid agencies, that had spawned accusations that they were pro-Tiger. And by the admission of the field commanders in Muttur, the military had been largely in control of that area of the town by the time communication went dead on Friday. One family member told me that the ACF staff had been in touch with the Tigers during the battle, and that the rebels had warned that they could not protect the aid workers after they withdrew and urged them to leave. The government promised an investigation, but would not let the unarmed Nordic ceasefire monitoring mission into the town. Angry, the monitors declared the massacre a ceasefire violation by state security forces. No member of the armed forces in Muttur at the time was ever interviewed as part of the investigation. Rights groups and observers have criticised the way in which the inquest was transferred from one magistrate to another. Rights groups and sources monitoring the investigation say that one of the bullets recovered from the bodies in a second autopsy seems to have disappeared. Most of the bullets were 7.62 mm rounds fired by the AK-47 assault rifles used by both the rebels and most of the Sri Lankan forces. But the missing round was a 5.56 mm, of the type fired by the more modern M-16. The only users of the M-16 I saw in Muttur were government naval special forces. The massacre was one of several alleged rights abuses to be probed by a presidential commission of inquiry observed by what was termed an International Independent Group of Eminent Persons. In its first public statement this week, that group expressed its dissatisfaction with the process, slamming a lack of progress and saying the commission lacked proper independence and that the process fell far short of international norms and practices. It does not augur well for the investigation into the deaths of the two Sri Lankan Red Cross workers murdered this month. Like most of the ACF dead, they were both from the Tamil minority. As the year anniversary of the massacre approaches, pressure on the government to move the investigation forward looks set to continue and possibly intensify against the backdrop of growing violence in Sri Lanka. The government says it is important not to prejudge the outcome of the commission of inquiry. But for those organisations watching that still have exposed local staff working in Sri Lanka, that may not quite be enough. Like the war that spawned the killings, it looks like the Muttur massacre saga will drag on and on... Canadian MPs urge government to assist SL in resolving conflict Canadian MP Pierre Polievre has called on the Canadian government to assist Sri Lanka to move into a decentralised federal model.Polievre, Conservative MP for Nepean-Carleton, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, in a report released Monday, requested the government to assist Sri Lanka to move into a decentralised federal model similar to Canada with autonomy and rights to minorities.The report called for action from the Canadian government to use its influence to put an end to the tragic fighting, rampant human rights abuses and discrimination in aid distribution throughout Sri Lanka.The report was released at a press conference held in Toronto.Poilievre has also urged immediate aid distribution to the displaced fleeing battle areas, and a full audit of Canadian funds contributed to Sri Lanka, to ensure that the funds were spent effectively and equitably in reconstruction projects. "Canada should advocate for, and participate in, an international human rights monitoring mission under the auspices of the UNHCHR. This mission should be completely separate and independent from the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, and should issue public findings," the MP has recommended in his report.Poilievre visited Sri Lanka in the spring of 2005, to view the conditions on the ground, and had met government officials and members of civil society.Meanwhile, it has also been reported that Judy Sgro, Liberal Member of Parliament for York West, during a parliamentary session on Friday said, "Increased violence in Sri Lanka has led to people being displaced, and we are hearing about terrible human rights abuses.""Recently a UN envoy, and Nordic truce monitors, have also raised significant concerns about human rights abuses amid renewed civil war. It is time for the Canadian government to step up and take on a leadership role in finding a resolution to this conflict once and for all. Canadians expect their government to take action without delay in the light of these atrocities, and will accept nothing less," Sgro addeds. The ship is sinking while the rats have the desserts My dear Mahinda Aiya, Just Ayubowan might be sufficient this week as the minorities are feeling more and more antagonized or marginalized by your administration in the aftermath of last Thursday’s explosive eviction of Tamils from Colombo and continuing abductions, ransom demands and killings of Tamil and Muslim businessmen. If the government has been like a leaky ship tossed about and torn apart on a stormy sea during the past few months, most analysts feel it is now at the water’s edge of sinking or drowning. Like on the overblown Titanic many were having a cricket ball and a five star bash of vulgar extravagance on the middle and upper deck, unaware and insensitive to the iceberg . Now alarm bells are being rung all over as we face the moment of catastrophy. Many observers and analysts feel the breaking point was last Thursday’s pre- dawn eviction of some 385 Tamil people from lodges in Wellawatta, Kompannaveediya, the Fort, Pettah, Grandpass, Kotahena and other areas. Reports say some of them were virtually pulled out of their bunk beds, bundled into buses and taken to Vavuniya or Trincomalee. Amidst national and international outrage over what was seen as a Hitler-style eviction, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe was quoted that morning as claiming he knew nothing about the madness. But government’s spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella—apparently ignorant and ill-informed about what was happening – defended the eviction saying many of those taken away were LTTE suspects. He apparently took the Tiger by the tail in doling out such tales, and now he faces a motion of no confidence in Parliament for allegedly lying to the House.On Friday the eviction drama took a disastrous turn for the government. Fireball protests from the United States, the European Union, Norway and other countries apparently left you embarrassed and embattled. Your office said you had ordered that the evicted Tamils be brought back to Colombo immediately and that you had called for an immediate explanation from Police Chief Victor Perera, who appears to be fast losing credibility. Your action came after the Centre for Policy Alternatives and its executive director Packiayasothy Saravanamuththu took a commendable initiative in filing a fundamental rights petition before the Supreme Court.Happily the Supreme Court acted fast and ordered that the eviction of Tamil people from Colombo be stopped immediately. On Saturday a besieged IGP apparently did not know what to say or do. He told the newspapers he did not wish to say anything as he was named as one of the respondents in the fundamental rights petition. He declined any comments on the report that the President had called for an explanation from him, which indicated that the blame was being pinned on the IGP. Speculation spread far and wide on who did what and why the eviction was carried out.One report said the eviction was part of moves to strengthen security for the Friday evening wedding of a military VVIPs daughter. Whether that was true or not the story that hit the headlines and the front pages all over the world was that of the bride who had waited at a Colombo lodge on Thursday night for her wedding on Monday but had been snatched away by the security forces. On Sunday an independent newspaper dropped a bombshell by reporting that it was your powerful brother and defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who had ordered the eviction at a May 31 meeting attended by among others Police Chief Victor Perera. The report quoted a circular ordering police in Vavuniya and Trincomalee to prepare camps to accommodate those who were to be evicted from Colombo. Your office said on Friday that, after inquries, tough action would be taken against any and all officials who had exceeded their authority and evicted the Tamil people from Colombo. On Sunday Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake apparently under your direction ,told a news conference, the eviction of Tamils was a big mistake. He apologized to the Tamil people and to the international community, pledging that such evictions would never be allowed again. An unusually repentant and apologetic Prime Minister also said that the government was taking full responsibility for the current spate of abductions, ransom demands and killings, mainly of minority businessmen and other members of those communities. Whatever the Prime Minister meant by taking responsibility, the main opposition UNP fired out an immediate statement on Sunday night saying that the government should resign on the basis of Mr. Wickremanayake’s statement. This came after the UNP charged in Parliament that the abduction, ransom demand and killings were being coordinated by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Colombo DIG Rohan Abeygunawardena who had earlier operated in Batticaloa and former Air Force Squadron leader Nishantha Gajanayake. The former squadron leader was grilled by the CID till late on Saturday night. Within three days the 385 evicted Tamils mainly from the poor or middle class communities, had to travel about 400 km without basic needs, not knowing where they were being taken or what would happen to them. Besides being a huge humanitarian tragedy, it was a major international political victory for the LTTE.A pledge has been given that tough action would be taken against any official responsible for the eviction order, or disorder. Now that there is substantial evidence of who gave the order, will there be action? The Asian Human Rights Commission in a statement last week charged that this particular official seemed to have taken control of the country and he was apparently running out of control.If action is taken against Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on the eviction issue ,then the UNP also calling for action against Presidential advisor, Basil Rajapaksa on the alleged secret deal with the LTTE prior to the November 2005 Presidential election. Substantial allegation to this effect have been made by your onetime confidant and powerbroker Tiran Alles who is now in remand custody. Mr. Alles, who was once Chairman of the Airport and Aviation Services Authority and also the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority, claimed he initiated the deal with LTTE representative Emil Kanthan, and that Basil Rajapaksa held several rounds of talks to complete the deal. According to Mr. Alles and sacked Minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, who also took part in the talks, the initial payment to the LTTE was at least Rs. 200 million. In return the LTTE forced at least 600,000 Tamil people to boycott the 2005 Presidential Election, and this boycott ensured your victory. A Tamil youth in Colombo during the eviction catastrophe confirmed that LTTE representatives had come to their Jaffna home just before the election and said they must not go out and vote at the Presidential election. The eviction order is symbolic of the disorder, disarray and breakdown in law and order. Our country appears to be close if not already embroiled in the chaos of a failed state and if there is going to be some direct UN intervention, a separation may not be far away No wonder so many hundreds of intellectuals, business people and others who wish to live in peace are moving out to Malaysia and Australia and other countries. They are leaving a sinking ship while political rats are continuing a madhatter’s tea party in their make-believe wonderland. Yours sincerely. Koththamalli 12 June 2007 Thousands protest outside UN headquarters in Geneva, demanding distinct Tamil state GENEVA: Thousands of protesters gathered from all over Europe on Monday to demand recognition of an independent Tamil state.Police said nearly 9,000 protesters assembled in the main square in front of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, where they marched, waved flags and bandied placards.The protesters were "demanding that the international community recognize an independent Tamil state in the island of Sri Lanka," said Shan Thavarajah, co-president of the Swiss Tamil Forum, which organized the protest.The demonstration was planned to coincide with the start on Monday of the fifth session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, which runs through June 18 in Geneva.Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for the country's 3.1 million minority Tamils in the north and east, following decades of discrimination by successive Sinhalese-majority governments.Some 70,000 people have died in more than two decades of fighting, including about 5,000 in the last 19 months. Irish peacemakers here: Urge Sri Lankans to reject violence The solution for Sri Lanka is with Sri Lanka, according to two Irish peace negotiators who are in the country to convey a message of hope by using the peace agreement reached between the British government and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) after more than 30 years of conflict.Dr. David Porter and Derek Poole emphasized that in the end it was the people who would suffer if the conflict was to continue and peace needed the support of all communities for the warring sides to realise that violence would only lead to more violence."There is an old saying that it takes long to build peace than it does to wage war," one negotiator told the Daily Mirror as they prepared to embark on a visit to the war-torn areas of Sri Lanka to get a first hand experience of the after effects of the conflict in the country. Dr. David Porter and Derek Poole said when seeking peace in Sri Lanka one should involve all parties including the civil society. Even in the Irish peace process it was the strong involvement of the civil society that resulted in what was finally achieved, they said."It is at times when bombs are going off and when civil society tends to lye low that people need to be involved at the grass roots. Civil society should make sure that the bitterness does not get worse. Violence will lead to more violence," they said.When asked if it was possible to have dialogue go hand in hand with military moves carried out for security reasons as is the policy adopted in Sri Lanka, the two negotiators conceded that even at the initial stages of the Irish peace process similar measures were adopted until it came to a point where the parties realised the violence had to stop."The solution for Sri Lanka is in Sri Lanka. It should be a home grown solution. That was the uniqueness of the Irish solution. We were inspired by what was going on in other countries but that did not give us the solution," the Irish negotiators said. The visit of Dr. David Porter and Derek Poole to Sri Lanka is part of the "Peace and Reconciliation" programme organized by LEADS, a Sri Lankan based relief and development organisation which last month brought down Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo from Rwanda to spread the message of hope. "The message from us to Sri Lanka would be that people in Ireland who formally would have killed each other made peace at a political level. A few years ago it may have been unimaginable to think the two sides would sit at the same table. The unimaginable was imagined," they said.Last year another Irish negotiator Martin McGuinness, the Chief Negotiator of Sinn Féin visited Sri Lanka and met leaders and members of various political parties and groups. While sharing his own experiences as a negotiator in Northern Ireland he also communicated his understanding of the issues affecting the peace processes within the country. 'Karuna group' threatens TNA MP Sri Lankan security forces face visa denials for rights abuses Western diplomats here said Monday that Sri Lankan security force members may be denied visas if they have human rights abuse charges against them, after one senior police officer said a European country had rejected him. "The checking on any reports of abuses was something that was done even before, but now there is a new urgency to screen more thoroughly," an official at a Western embassy said.He said all visa applicants were routinely subjected to interviews, but in the case of military personnel and police any adverse rights record would be grounds to deny a visa.An inspector involved in expelling minority ethnic Tamils from Colombo this month told reporters at the weekend he had been denied a visa to an unnamed European country because of the action.Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Friday restrained police chief Victor Perera and all officers in charge of stations in Colombo from carrying out any more evictions of minority Tamils.All military personnel and police would also face tight screening and could be denied visas if they faced court charges for rights abuses in the country's bitter ethnic war, other Western diplomats said.Human rights organisations have already called for foreign travel bans on Sri Lankan officials implicated in rights abuses. More than 1,000 people have "disappeared" or are suspected to have been killed by security forces in the past 15 months.Both the government and Tamil Tiger rebels have been accused of rights abuses in the island's northeast, where a surge in fighting has claimed more than 5,000 lives since December 2005. Snatched-away bride afraid to come back The bride who was snatched away by the security forces during the controversial eviction from the Colombo lodges on Thursday, is too afraid to come back to Colombo and has decided to remain with relatives in Vavuniya till alternate plans are made to her disrupted wedding. Like the bride Dharshini the others evicted also had a tale of fear, uncertainty and despair to recount. North, East Tamils evicted from their lodgings in Wellawatta, Kotahena, Maradana, Pettah and Keselwatta last Thursday are still in a state of confusion and shock as they try to come to terms with the unexpected and unfortunate incident where they were bundled out into CTB buses and taken to Vavuniya or Trincomalee.The Daily Mirror highlighted the poignant story of a Jaffna girl Dharshini (23) who was to wed her long-time boy friend tomorrow. The young woman who came to Colombo a few months ago with her mother, Saraswathi (56) after her father's death had a rosy picture about her future as she was to migrate to London after the marriage. She was dreaming of a blissful married life in London until the wee hours of last Thursday when she and her mother were taken to Vavuniya. They were visited by Vavuniya Divisional Secretary who told them to get ready to return to Colombo the same day. Expecting the worse in the South and in two minds, the mother and the daughter decided against coming back to Colombo, the manager of the Wellawatte lodge they were staying in prior to their eviction said. "They were frightened out of their wits fearing the worst would be in store for them in Colombo. They preferred to stay back with some relatives. They are taken care of by relatives right now as they had mortgaged their property to raise money for the now disrupted wedding" lodge manager Udayan said.With all her hopes and plans for the future now being uncertain, Dharshini is looking forward eagerly to meet her fiancé elsewhere, the lodge owner said. Following the predawn police raid on 'Thaas Rest' Wellawatta, 12 lodgers including the two women were evicted and sent to Vavuniya. A family of four - father, mother, son and daughter - of Chavakachcheri was brought back on Friday night and are now staying at the same lodge."First we were taken to Peliyagoda police station and loaded into a bus. Altogether there were seven buses and we were in one of them. We were then taken towards north and nobody knew where we were being taken to. Some were frightened for their lives. We were hungry and nobody had any money as we were asked to leave unexpectedly" the son, Yogananthan (26) said."We were asked to relieve ourselves, buy food and eat around 11.00 a.m. when the bus, guarded by two policemen pulled up near a tea boutique somewhere near Kandy, the mother, Rajadorai Poopathi, (56) said. Only a few had money to buy food. The ICRC provided dinner to all who were accommodated at the Gamini Maha Vidyalaya in Vavuniya. The evicted spent the night in the tents provided by the INGO. "The following day around 2.00 p.m. Vauniya Divisional Secretary visited us and informed us that we could go back to Colombo. We left Vavuniya by bus around 7.00 p.m. on Friday," the father, Nadaraja Rajadorai (59) said.Many did not want to come back through fear and uncertainty though, almost all had some unfinished work to attend to back in Colombo, he said. Daughter, Sri Ruba (24) said they wanted to be in Colombo until her brother got married to his girl friend who was expected to come to Sri Lanka from Canada in August."We will go back to Chavakachcheri after the new couple migrates to Canada, if everything goes according to the plan" she said. She said they were financially assisted by her elder brother who is employed in Switzerland. Chamal Rajapaksa's convoy attacked Sri Lanka Navy battles Tigers in Kayts, five killed A team of Sri Lanka Navy sailors confronted a group of Tamil Tigers during a search operation in the general area of Puliyankandal in the Kayts Island last night. During the confrontation four Tigers were killed and three others sustained injuries, the military said. A sailor who was injured later succumbed to his injuries on admission to the Palaly military hospital, Navy said.Acting on information from civilians that some Tiger cadres are hiding in the area, the Navy launched a search operation. A large stock of weapons including two T-56 Weapons, seven Hand Grenades six T-56 Magazines with 180 live ammunitions, three Code sheets, a Cyanide capsule and an LTTE identification tag was recovered from the location along with the body of a Tiger Cadre named Mankuil alias Gnasekaran Dayalan. A cordon and search operation is in progress to track the remaining Tiger cadres. A case of mistaken identity turns ugly A leading Muslim businessman’s driver, who was allegedly abducted on Friday after reportedly being mistaken for his employer by the abductors, had died under suspicious circumstances in the Kegalle Hospital yesterday. The Daily Mirror yesterday reported that the driver had turned up in Kegalle, allegedly poisoned by his abductors. The post mortem was to be conducted later yesterday. Both Grandpass and Mawanella police are conducting separate investigations on the incident.Police, while confirming the death, said they do not know whether the victim was poisoned or whether he willingly took poison in a bid to commit suicide. The police also said the victim could not have been abducted as he had told the persons close by that he is going out for a while. He had been seen near the Grandpass Mosque at the time of the abduction, after dropping his master, a leading businessman, at the mosque. Informed sources said the abductors would have mistaken him for the businessman as he bears a close resemblance to him. They say the abductors would have released the driver after realizing they have taken the wrong person. The abductors have also kept the vehicle bearing number PB 1458 which belonged to the businessman. 12 Tamils detained, search operation in North Central Province Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police launched a search operation in Mannampittiya in North Central Province at 4:00 a.m. Monday. 122 Tamils were taken in trucks to Polonnaruwa Police. 12 persons were detained for further interrogations and the others were released around 6:00 p.m., Police sources said. 122 Tamils taken for interrogation in the cordon and search operation that lasted from 4:00 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., were workers from Valaichcheanai, Mu'rakkodaancheanai, Kiran, Santhive'li, Vanthaar'umoolai, Siththa'ndi, Ka'lvanchchikkudi, Araiyampathi and Earaavoor. Meanwhile, Police sources in Batticaloa said that three Tamil youths, identified as M. Santhan from Karaveddi near Aayiththiyamalai, Nivarajah from Siththaa'ndi and S. Nirmalathas from Kaththaankudi Police area had surrendered at Polvaththai SLA camp in Vaazhaichcheanai. The youths were in posession of an automatic rifle, the SLA has claimed according to the Police. The youths were yet to be handed over to the Police. SLN slaps travel ban to Jaffna islets Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) imposed a total ban from Monday early morning on travel to the Jaffna islets through Pa'n'nai bridge, and barred people from either entering or leaving the Islets, sources in Jaffna said. The travel restriction may have been prompted by a clash said to have been erupted between the SLN and unidentified armed men Sunday night at Pu'liyangkoodal junction in Kayts. The Islets are under control of the SLN.Meanwhile, Kayts police produced the body of an unidentified youth with gun shot wounds before Kayts magistrate Monday around 11:00 a.m., legal sources in Jaffna said. The Magistrate directed the police to have the victim identified. The police claimed that they recovered the body at Pu'liyangkoodal junction in Kayts. As no one was permitted to leave the islets, accurate information about the clash or eventual casualties is not available. The clash between the SLN and the unidentified armed men is said to have lasted for nearly ten minutes. Sri Lankan military recovers nearly 600 mortar rounds from rebel area Military forces have recovered nearly 600 mortar rounds and three anti-tank mines from Tamil Tiger rebel areas, a military spokesman said Monday. On Sunday, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said the government will take full responsibility for the expulsion of hundreds of ethnic minority Tamils from Colombo, Sri Lanka - 's capital. ``I express regret regarding the shifting of people from here to various other places,'' said at a news conference in Colombo. ``That should have never been done.'' ``The government accepts responsibility,'' he said, adding that it will not happen again. Last week, government forces rounded up 376 Tamils who they described as temporary residents in Colombo, and sent them home to the north and east as a security precaution amid a worsening ethnic conflict that has claimed more than 5,000 lives in 19 months. The rebels began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka - 's 3.1 million minority Tamils in the north and east, following decades of discrimination by successive Sinhalese-majority governments. Some 70,000 people have died in the more than two decades of fighting. If Govt. claims responsibility of 2 abductions, how about this 121. So far over 121 Tamil and Muslim persons have been abducted from Colombo and other areas in demand of ransoms. Below are the details of the persons missing as reported to the Civil Monitoring mission.At a media briefing held today the prime minister said that the government claims the responsibility of the abduction and killing of the SLRCS volunteers. But does the government claim responsibility for the abduction of these 121 persons who were abducted from Colombo and other areas. 01. Mr. Karunagaran Rajkumar 02. Mr. Mary Joseph Jugin Premkumar 03. Mr. Ramakrishnan Rajkumar 04. Mr. Ramiah Jeyaraja 05. Mr. Antony Paul Eldrin Mathew 06. Mr. Sakthivadivel Rajkumar 07. Mr. Maruthai Ajanthan 08. Mr. Sivasubramaniam Sritharan 09. Mr. Prof. Sivasubramanian Raveendranath 10. Mr. Raveendran Ranjith 11. Mr. Ariyathas Pushpathas 12. Mr.Vairamuththu Varatharasan 13. Mr.Thangavel Mayuran 14. Mr. Ramiah Subramanium 15. Mr. Kanagasapai Steepan 16. Mr. Thavapalan Krishnakaran 17. Mr. Yogarasa Mathanarasa 18. Mr. Kanapathipillai Puvaneshwaran 19. Mr. Kanapathipillai Ravindran 20. Mr. Muthiah Sathyaseelan 21 Mr. Ramachandra Susilakumar 22. Mr. Muniyandi Sureshkumar 23. Mr. Chelliah Premasri 24. Mr. Palanisamy Suresh 25. Mr. Nadaraja Vijayakumar 26. Mr. Murugiah Surendran 27. Mr. Kunjupillai Sivakanthan 28. Mr. Subaramaniam Jeshuthasan 29. Mr. Natkunam Selvarasa 30. Mr. Alakaiya Logeshwaran 31. Mr. Varapragasam Morrison 32. Mr. Velu Selvaratnam 33. Mr. Madasamy Jeyasankar 34. Mr. Luis Moris Satkunanathan (Retired GS) 35. Mr. Thurairasa Nimalan GS 36. Mr. Thirulogarasa Prabakaran 37. Mr. Paramjothipillai Navaratna 38. Mr. S. M. Maxi Bolton 39. Mr. Jeyawarthanage Raja 40. Mr. Sriharan Rajagajan 41. Mr. Devaraja Jeagatheepan 42. Mr. Sujampu Nadar Ketheeswaran 43. Mr. Sujampu Nadar Kanapathy 44. Mr. Shanmugalingam Manivannan 45. Mr. Muthaiya Thiruchelvam 46. Mr. Balendran Ratheeskanth 47. Mr. Vadivel Divakaran 48. Mr. Santhirasegaran Pratheeban 49. Mr. Mahalingam Suppaih 50. Mr. Yoganathanpillai Pushpakumar 51. Mr. Subramaniam Ravees 52. Mr. Sakthivel Thiyakaraja 53. Mr. Sivathasan Kugathasan | ||
