30 June 2008

Indian PM rejects invitation to open IPKF memorial

India has rejected an invitation by the Sri Lankan government that its Prime Minister declare open a memorial for Indian soldiers who died while on a peace mission in the island under the Indo-Lanka accord. Colombo had hoped that Indian premier Manmohan Singh would unveil the monument during his visit to the country to attend the SAARC summit next month.Three top Indian officials who were in the island last week inspected the memorial under construction in front of the Parliamentary Complex at Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.They traveled to the location on an Air Force helicopter, and decided that the Indian premier would not be safe if he visited the site.

Govt. move to quash Chandrika’s civic rights?

The Mahinda Rajapaksa regime is moving to quash the civic rights of the ruling Sri Lanka Party’s Senior Patron and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, ‘Lanka Dissent’ learns through reliable sources. After retirement as head of state, Mrs. Kumaratunga spent most of her time overseas and kept away from politics, before coming into the limelight once again as a result of her controversial speech at the first delegates’ conference of the SLFP Mahajana Wing on June 12th.Thereafter, Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon told the media that he would propose to the party’s Central Committee to suspend the ex-president from SLFP membership for her remarks concerning the party and President Rajapaksa.Again, delivering the Felix Dias Bandaranaike Memorial Oration on June 26th, she made a scathing attack against the prevailing political situation.Now, according to reliable sources, quashing her civic rights has been mooted to the president by senior government leaders and a group of senior lawyers in the SLFP as a means of preventing her possible comeback to politics to challenge the present regime.These lawyers have reportedly handed over a document to Mr. Rajapaksa about how an ongoing Supreme Court hearing against Mrs. Kumaratunga could be used for this purpose.This case relates to the ex-president’s alleged use of executive powers to handover 140 acres of prime land from Battaramulla, owned by the Urban Development Authority, to a businessman.Her late mother, Sirimavo Bandaranaike had lost her civic rights during the J.R. Jayewardene regime, over an alleged land deal at Horagolla.

EPDP won’t budge from TMVP territory

The Eelam People’s Democratic Front (EPDP) has vowed not to budge from the Eastern Province, where the breakaway LTTE faction, the TMVP, now at the helm of the Eastern Provincial Council is seeking political dominance over rivals.An EPDP spokesman accused the TMVP of exerting pressure on its cadres deployed in the East to leave the province. Claiming that there had been a series of attacks on its men, the EPDP alleged the body of Kaliappan Gunaseelan (29) allegedly abducted by TMVP cadres on June 19 had been found by Valaichenai police. The body had been found near a pond at Vinayaakapuram.The EPDP alleged a gang led by a person identified as Ajith had taken the father of one at gun point. At the time of the abduction, he had been on his way from the EPDP office at Kaluwankerni to get some water from a nearby well.The EPDP accused the local police of refusing to conduct a proper investigation. The police had swiftly moved against the EPDP after the TMVP called for police assistance. Tamil and security sources likened the TMVP’s action to that of the EPDP in the Jaffna islands. Since the EPDP had moved into Jaffna islands during Ranasinghe Premadasa’s presidency in the 1990s, it had brazenly thwarted attempts by rival Tamil parties to conduct political activity.

4 Special Forces Formed

The 37th Intake of the Sri Lanka Army's Elite Special Forces Brigade comprising 308 Special Forces soldiers (and two officers) passed-out at Maduru Oya yesterday in a gallant and action packed day of demonstrations of skill attended by high-ranking officers from the Special Forces and the family members of the men.The large numbers being attracted to the Special Forces and the fresh influx of soldiers to the unit has moved the Military to form its 4th Special Forces Regiment. 4SF was formed and deployed recently at Maduru Oya comprising 2 Squadrons of 153 men each.4SF will be a partial Regiment until the end of this year when around 400 more Special Forces are to join the unit. 600 men, including 10 Officers are currently undergoing training. 10 new officers from the SF joined the mother unit following last April's passing-out.A Special Forces Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army comprises of 4 Fighting Squadrons (One Battalion) of 153 men each and one Admin. Squadron. This unit draws, by far, the largest number of recruits in recent times.

House ban on laptops to thwart LTTE infiltration

Fearing the LTTE would use someone to smuggle in an explosive device to Parliament to carry out an assassination, the government has prohibited all members from bringing in electronic equipment into the House.Acting on the instructions of security services, Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara has informed ministers, deputy ministers and members of the unprecedented decision to prohibit laptops and similar equipment in Parliament. The Parliament security has been instructed to strictly impose the latest security measure. In a recent letter to members, the Speaker said they could use the cyber café located in the library on the ground floor as the ban on laptops and similar equipment would be in force until the improvement of the security situation.Authoritative sources said the LTTE had the expertise to turn out a high tech bomb to target an individual.Referring to the August 1987 JVP hand grenade attack on the UNP parliamentary group in Parliament which killed Matara District MP Keerthi Abeywickrema, the sources said the LTTE would explore ways and means of striking at the SLFP-led ruling coalition. The sources said the stepped-up military pressure on LTTE’s Vanni bases would prompt attacks on politicians. It would be part of their strategy to off-set battlefield losses and trigger chaos in the South, the sources said, asserting the attacks could be directed at disrupting the forthcoming SAARC summit.Two army divisions and two task forces are on the offensive across the Vanni and Weli Oya regions where the LTTE is trying desperately to halt the army.Tightening of security at Parliament came to light hard on the heels of the alleged assassination attempt on Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake at a recent function at the BMICH.The sources said the recent arrest of former head of the Tamil Section of the National Film Corporation Kanagasabai Devadasan alias Nadan revealed the LTTE infiltration of the JVP. He is alleged to have planned an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister.The sources said investigators would try to establish the time Devadasan had joined the LTTE. What we really liked to know is whether he joined the LTTE willingly or was forced to carry out clandestine activities.Well informed sources said this was a clear case of the LTTE infiltrating a political party. The person who had asked the then Cultural Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath to accommodate Devadasan on the NFC, too, would be an LTTE contact, the sources said. Nadan had taken over the Tamil Section on March 25, 2004 until he quit on March 8, 2006. He had also contested election to the Western Provincial Council on the NSSP ticket in 1998 and Jaffna on the United Socialist Party ticket in 2001.

DPU Claymore explodes claiming the life of attacker

A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier was killed while he was engaged in setting up a Claymore mine in Vannearikku'lam in Karaichchi division of Ki'linochchi, Sunday morning around 9:30, Tamileelam police officials in Ki'linochchi said. The SLA DPU team that hurriedly withdrew from the area, had left behind the dead body of the SLA soldier, 2 km away from the site of the blast. Police said a bus carrying civilians was approaching the area when the explosion took place. TamilNet reporter visited the site of the explosion located on Akkaraayan Jeyapuram road.

Pillayan to seek police powers

The TMVP will seek police powers for the Eastern Provincial Council to combat LTTE activities and other violence in the province, said its Spokesman Asad Moulana. The related proposal will be tabled before the All Party Representative Committee as soon as the party obtains representation there, he said.Party leader and East Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan will decide who would represent the TMVP at the APRC, Mr. Moulana said, adding that it would most probably be either himself or Batticaloa Mayor Sivagita Prabhakaran.According to the TMVP spokesman, civilian life has now returned to normal in the province, and special arrangements are in place, after consultation with law enforcement authorities, to contain harassment of the public by various groups.

Thu'nukkaay DS killed in DPU attack

The Divisional Secretary (AGA) of Thu'nukkaay division of Mullaiththeevu district was killed in a Claymore attack carried out by the Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Tamileelam Police officials in Mullaiththeevu told media. The DS, Mr. N. Nanthakumar, 36, father of three-month-old baby girl, was killed on the spot in the attack which was reported at 4:50 p.m. Sunday. The remains of the deceased Division SecretaryThe DPU attackers targeted Mr. Nanthakumar's motorbike at a locality between Ampalapperumaa'l Ku'lam and Koaddaikaddiya Ku'lam. Mr. Nanthakumar was a resident of Skandapuram GS area in Karaichchi division iof Ki'linochchi district. The dead body was taken to Akkaraayan hospital.

Another group of JVPers to join JNP

Another group of People’s Liberation Front (JVP) cadres are to join the National Freedom Front (JNP) on Monday (30) at the JNP’s inaugural rally scheduled to be held in Nugegoda. A politburo member of JNP said to Lanka-e-News that they had held several successful rounds of talks with these JVP MPs. Further, a group of Provincial Council and Pradeshiya Sabha members are to join the JNP in future, sources said.

Troops regain Mannar Rice Bowl

MANNAR: The 58 Division of the Sri Lanka Army operating on the Mannar front yesterday successfully completed operation ‘Rice Bowl’ after capturing over 120 square kilometres including 105 square kilometres of the most fertile land in the country. General Officer Commanding of the 58 Division Brigadier Shavendra de Silva told the Daily News that the troops attached to 58 Division completed this almost nine month long operation to secure the Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’ killing 2,058 Tiger Cadres and inflicting injuries on 1,208. “The Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’ is one of the most fertile lands in the country which produced the biggest paddy harvest in 1991,” the Brigadier added. With the capture of this entire ‘Rice Bowl’, troops have reached four kilometres South of Vedithalthivu the biggest Sea Tiger Base on the North Western coast. According to Brigadier de Silva the completion of Operation ‘Rice Bowl’ also marked the liberation of 153 irrigation systems including tanks, canals and waterways fed by the 23 square kilometre Giant Tank. The troops have been able to liberate populated areas in the Mannar district with the liberation of more than 20 civilian habitations. They include Manthai, Manthotta, Adampan Palakkuli, Karukkandalkulam, Vellankulam, Vaddakandal, Alamkulam, Andankulam, Parappakadattan, Tenvedaiyan, Minnukulam, Uyilamkulam and Oddupalan. “Troops of the 58 Division had to cross massive open areas across fallow paddy lands to capture some of the strategically important military bases like Andankulam and Parappakadattan,” the Brigadier explained. It also marked the liberation of the Vyilamkulam-Andalankulam road connecting to the Mannar Pooneryn A-32 road at the 12th mile post and the Vyilamkulam - Adampan - Pappamoddai road used as the main supply routes to the LTTE operating in the Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’. The completion of Operation ‘Rice Bowl’ has become a morale booster for the troops. The soldiers attached to the 58 Division are further advancing towards the North after the successful completion of Operation Rice Bowl.

CoI to probe killing of 401 policemen 18 years ago

The government is to appoint a special Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate the killing of 401 policemen by the LTTE in the eastern province 18 years ago. To be appointed next week, the CoI will comprise three retired judges.It will probe who gave the order to surrender, the reaction of senior police officers to it and the failure to send troops to save the police from the LTTE.The then government on June 11, 1990 ordered all army and police personnel deployed in the east to give up to the Tigers.Accordingly, all the police surrendered and subsequently were murdered in cold blood by the LTTE, while the soldiers rejected the order and continued to fight the Tigers.

29 June 2008

Lanka calls for int’l support

The Sri Lankan Government last week urged the international community to recognise that democracies could not take extra constitutional measures and that political solutions to conflicts required discussion, debate and compromise before consensus was reached.Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States Bernard Goonetilleke outlined this position on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government in his commentary published in The Washington Times last week.Goonetilleke, one of the country’s most reputed and most experienced Foreign Service officers, stated that more than benevolent advice, Sri Lanka needed international support for combating terrorism and seeking a lasting solution.“That includes persuading the LTTE to return to negotiations unarmed – parallel to Maoist rebels in Nepal – and to hang in there until a consensus is reached. It also includes curbing activities of LTTE front organisations on their soil, particularly their fundraising capacity. The support of the United States and Canada in outlawing the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation and the World Tamil Movement is deeply valued,” Goonetilleke said.He also pointed out that the government had agreed to implement in full the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as a precursor to other power-sharing proposals, which India, the United States and other countries had welcomed.“Following the success of the Provincial Council elections in the Eastern Province in May (where people were free to vote after 20 years under LTTE control) and the appointment of S. Chandrakanthan, Tamil leader of a breakaway LTTE group, as Chief Minister there, the LTTE’s claim of being the sole representative of Tamils is irretrievably shattered. This development is tangible proof that democracy is a viable alternative to Tiger hegemony,” he emphasised.Goonetilleke also pointed out that the demand to disarm paramilitaries was illogical in the event the LTTE, the most menacing of armed groups, was excluded. “Moreover, to wean the youth away from hopelessness and violence, the economic desolation of the east needs to be countered by developing infrastructure and encouraging investment. That transformation will send an unmistakable message to the Tamils still languishing in the Tiger lair in the north. Only such action will drive home the message that seizing power through terrorism, as Tigers currently seek to do, is unacceptable to the civilised world,” the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the US maintained.

LTTE will be "finished off’’ says President

With elections to the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils now set to take place in August, the government is expected to go flat out on the Vanni and Weli Oya fronts where the army is making significant progress. In support of the offensive, the SLAF has stepped up attacks with Mi 24 helicopter gunships increasingly called to action, sometimes in the night. President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday signaled his government would go all out to regain the remaining parts of the Vanni region held by the LTTE. Addressing a public rally at Beruwela after the opening of a fishery harbour built with Chinese aid, the President declared his forces were on the offensive in the Vanni smashing through LTTE bases. To the applause of the crowd, a confident President said the LTTE would be finished off.The presidential declaration came hard on the heels of some misinformed media reports that India had asked Sri Lanka to halt military action.Although the government and the military had emphasized there wouldn’t be any political objective in the Vanni action, some battle-field victories would be definitely to the advantage of the government struggling on the economic front, political sources said.Task Force 1 on the Mannar front, 57 Division on the Vavuniya front, Task Force 11 west of A9 and 59 Division on the Weli Oya front are on the offensive with the 57 Division making rapid progress.Army headquarters said their forward defence lines now extend to about 115 kilometres across the Vanni mainland from Mannar on the north western coast to Kokkuthuduwai on the eastern coast.Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the area under LTTE control was rapidly shrinking as troops advanced further into the LTTE-held territory. "They are losing ground both east and west of the A9 road," he told The Sunday Island as the Task Force 1 reported the capture of Parappakkadantan, about four kilometres from the northern edge of the Yoda Wewa on Saturday afternoon. On the previous day, the Task Force 1 secured Alkaddiveli, a village situated between Parappakkadantan and Andankulam.Fielding questions, the Brigadier asserted the army had overwhelmed the LTTE in several confrontations during the past week. The loss of Andankulam town on the Uiylankulam-Nedunkandal road and about two kilometres north of Karunkandal Friday evening could not have come at a better time, he said. Although, the LTTE appeared to have no shortage of ammunition at the moment, they were on the retreat on all the fronts, he said. The Task Force 1 had been involved in the action. He said Thursday’s confrontation at Chiraddikulam between a strong LTTE group and fighting elements of the 57 Division had caused heavy losses on the enemy. "It was perhaps the focal point in last week’s battles," he said.Chiraddikulam is situated about 4 kilometres north-east of Nedunkandal close to Mundumurippu-Mallavi in the general area north of the Madhu sanctuary. According to him, troops had recovered bodies of 25 hardcore LTTE cadres along with a sizeable stock of arms and ammunition without losing a single soldier.The military spokesman said Viddathalthivu on the north-western coast is rapidly coming within their reach.Although the area captured by the Task Force 1 is insignificant when compared with the 57 Division which had secured almost 700 square kilometres, the action undertaken by troops on the Mannar front is of strategic importance as their success would cause the closure of a vital supply route.The enemy’s Gulf of Mannar supply route would be useless unless Sea Tigers retained land bases on the north-western coast, a navy official said.The Brigadier said the Task Force 11 operating in the Palammoddai area west of the A 9 road, too, had caused losses on the enemy. Although the newly created fighting formation hadn’t brought any area under its control, confrontations were taking place, he said. On the Weli Oya front, the 59 Division is facing fierce resistance as it advanced into the enemy territory. The Division had moved from Janakapura, Kiriibbanwewa, Anandakulama and Kokkuthuduwai.

Wimal-Pillaiyan in ‘historic’ pow-wow
 
National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday appeared to have found a new political ally in the shape of Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan, who pledged his support to the NFF if it decided to compete in the Eastern Province.In an event which resembled the reunion of two long-separated brothers amidst surprising ‘closeness,’ the Eastern Province Chief Minister who later addressed the media, briefly said that the discussions between the two parties had turned out successfully and that the TMVP would support the NFF if the occasion demanded.“If the NFF decides to take part in elections in the east, we will support them. We plan to meet again in the future for further discussions because the discussions we had today were highly successful,” Pillayan said. Similar sentiments were echoed by NFF Leader Weerawansa. “This was our first meting with TMVP Leader Pillaiyan and we hope to meet again in the future to discuss the political situation prevailing in Sri Lanka,” Weerawansa added. Meanwhile, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MP K.D. Lalkantha said that this new “friendship” between the two was nothing that was unexpected since Weerawansa had been acting like a TMVP member during the last few months.“Wimal has the freedom to meet anybody he wishes to. However, this was something that was waiting to happen. Wimal has been supporting Pillaiyan and the TMVP for the last few months. He justified the armed Pillaiyan’s victory at the Eastern Provincial Council election so this we believe is a step taken by Pillaiyan to express his gratitude to Wimal,” Lalkantha added.

JVP rejects invite to meet President

The JVP has declined an invitation by President Mahinda Rajapakse for a discussion on the government’s economic policies and the issues faced by trade unions.The President had in writing invited the JVP affiliated National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) for a discussion on June 29 to discuss the issues faced by the trade unions.The invitation was sent last week following the declaration by the NTUC that trade unions representing the public, private and estate sectors would launch an island wide general strike on July 10 based on three demands.JVP parliamentarian and NTUC Head, K.D. Lalkantha has in writing declined the President’s invitation and said that since Rajapakse had failed to respond to a request for a discussion to discuss the demands of the working people, the NTUC has decided to launch an islandwide general strike on July 10.He had further said that in such a backdrop it would be inappropriate to attend a discussion on the government’s economic policies and the issues faced by the trade unions, and especially since such a discussion had not been requested by the NTUC. "We also believe it to be a futile act to discuss the issues faced by the trade unions at a time when the burning issues of the working masses remain unresolved," Lalkantha has said in the letter. Lalkantha has also said that the NTUC has therefore decided not to attend the discussion on June 29.Already over 400 trade unions attached to the public, private and estate sectors have endorsed the decision to launch a general strike on July 10. The strike will be based on three demands. The three demands are the increase of the salaries of public, private and estate sector employees by a minimum of Rs. 5,000, the payment of the promised Rs. 2.50 for each rising cost of living index point and the reduction in train fares that have been increased by over 100%.Addressing a special convention of trade union representatives earlier in the week, Lalkantha said there was no turning back from launching the strike, as the government was not going to address the issues faced by the working masses. "The government has not shown any positive signs and they would not definitely respond positively to our demands. Therefore, we will go ahead with the strike and that would be the first step to win our demands," he said.

Minister Peiris battles for EU trade concessions but human rights under spotlight

Up to 100,000 jobs depend on the European Union extending the so-called GSP+ trade concessions to Sri Lanka, according to the country's International Trade Minister, GL Peiris, who is on a visit to Paris this week. But the deal depends on Europe approving the country's human rights record and some EU members are critical of the government's performance. Sri Lanka is among a number of Asian countries which have benefitted from the Generalised System of Preferences, known as GSP+, for several years.This means that Brussels drops quota restrictions and duty on imports from developing countries but those countries must fulfil so-called "good governance" conditions on issues such as sustainable development and human rights.For Sri Lanka, as with Bangladesh and India, the key sector is textiles, which were protected by the Multi-Fibre Agreement until 2005 and have since been subject to GSP+.Peiris believes that "at least 100,000 jobs" depend on textiles, "mostly in the rural areas of Sri Lanka"."Many of the people who work in these garment factories are women, who have become the breadwinners of their families," he adds.But, while he is confident that employment conditions come up to the EU's required standards, Peiris may face criticism of the government's conduct in the decades-long war with the Tamil separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the LTTE.A coalition of Sri Lankan NGOs successfully opposed the country's reelection to the UN Human Rights Council,accusing the government of failing to prevent disappearances, extrajudicial killings and torture.New York-based Human Rights Watch is among many groups that accuse defectors from the LTTE who now collaborate with the government of abducting children to become soldiers. Peiris says that the government was right to form an alliance with the group, one of whose factions, led by Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, known as Pillayan, recently won elections in the Eastern Province."If European history adds up to anything at all, it indicates the importance of drawing into the democratic mainstream people who have lived by the sword earlier," Peiris says.Peiris was chief government negotiator in talks with the LTTE, which broke down in 2006.

Army gains control of Parappakkadanthan

The Army gained full control of the village of Parappakkadanthan in Mannar yesterday afternoon.Parappakkadanthan is a village located north of Giant’s Tank in the east of the Andankulam area, which the Army captured on Friday. According to information, the captured area is a developed area Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that the troops were able to capture this area after heavy fighting with the LTTE and the 58 Brigade was engaged in the attack. He said that the Army had gained the control of a large area belonging to the rice bowl of Mannar. All LTTE ground access from the north to Mannar has been cut off. The captured area includes the Alkaddiweli Cemetery, located between Andankulam and Parappakkadanthan, used by the LTTE and several building complexes. The area also reportedly included a large LTTE training camp and the hideout of the LTTE Leader Bhanu. According to Brigadier Nanayakkara, the Army had captured a very important area since LTTE Leader Bhanu had led the Mannar battle.

India to look after its own security

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka later next month, has decided to rely on his very own specialised Indian security for protection during his stay in the island.Highly-placed sources said that the highly-trained Indian Black Cats would provide the necessary protection to the Indian Premier during his visit here to participate at the forthcoming SAARC Summit. It is learnt that the Indian Government would also dispatch a bulletproof vehicle and helicopter to Sri Lanka just days prior to She summit for Singh’s sole use. “Apart from the security and vehicles, the Indian Government has also proposed for Indian naval officers to keep vigil on Lankan waters during their Premier’s visit to the island,” sources added. It is reported that the Black Cats would bring their very own fighter equipment with them, including technically savvy fighter gear and vehicles.India’s concern for the Prime Minister’s security stems from the unfortunate incident that took place in July 1987, when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was in Colombo to sign the Indo-Lanka Accord with then President J.R. Jayewardene.Meanwhile, speculation is rife that Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who is also scheduled to attend the regional Summit, would be relying on his own security as well.

Device to detect container explosives

The University system of Sri Lanka is endeavouring to design an easy explosive detection device to examine fuel bowsers and containers, using police sniffer-dogs, said SP Mahinda Ekenayake, Director, Police Sniffer-dog Division.The intended device will enable the sniffer dogs to smell for explosives and drugs from one point of the vehicle.Explaining the mechanism of the intended new device, the Mahinda Ekenayake said it has already been invented and is the first of its kind in the world. “Our division intends to obtain Patent Licence for its use”. SP Mahinda Ekanayaka further said, mechanical defects detected in its operation are being referred to the Toxic Division of the Peradeniya University for examination by a team of experts under Dr.Bandara and Dr.Udaya Kankanamge of the Technical Engineering Division of the Moratuwa University.The Police Sniffer dog Division OIC CIP Lal Seneviratne said that the new device will also be helpful to the Narcotics Bureau flying squad to conduct raids relating to dangerous drugs.

94 persons missing since January this year

A monitoring activity by a deputy minister has revealed that some 94 persons, all of them ethnic Tamil, are reported missing during the period of January 2008 to date.According to Deputy Minister of Vocational Training, P. Radhakrishnan, a total of 147 were reported missing while 38 have returned home subsequently. Some 15 are believed to be detained, he said.The Deputy Minister who also took up the case of the Sea Street jewellery shop owners being extorted thereby forcing them to flee the country now claims that though the reasons and the parties that were involved in these enforced disappearances were unknown, it proved that the community was under threat."However, I must hasten to add that we don't hold the government responsible for these atrocities. We still have no information on the culprits."Radhakrishnan added that all necessary steps should be taken to ensure the personal security of innocent civilian victims.Meanwhile, Convenor, Civil Monitoring Mission (CMC), WPF Leader and Colombo District MP Mano Ganesan blamed the international community for failing to exert sufficient pressure on the government to ensure adherence to human rights and show respect to the law.He added that the continued incidents showed that enforced disappeared still occur, and added that these incidents have given the lie to the government's claims and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe's rhetorical assurances to the international community.

Jaffna University to enjoy its very own swimming pool

The Tharunyata Hetak organisation led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Namal Rajapaksa has taken steps to provide a fully-fledged swimming pool for the Jaffna University.Tharunyata Hetak Chairman Namal Rajapaksa handed over the cheque to fund stage one of the project to Army Commander Sarath Fonseka recently at Temple Trees, who in turn handed it over to Jaffna GA K. Ganesh and Acting Director of the Physical Training Section of the University, K. Ganeshanathan.The proceeds of the Carlton Super Cross Tournament at Tangalle will be used to fund the project.The object of the Tharunyata Hetak organisation is to provide opportunities to young men and women, regardless of their communal, religious or political differences, in order to improve their talents and skills and to use their potential for the country’s development.The organisation has launched a series of programmes to improve sports and athletics in schools and at the sports clubs level.Addressing the ceremony, Chairman Namal Rajapaksa said his organisation was planning to promote goodwill between the youth in the north and the south by providing equal facilities and opportunities to the north.He expressed hope that the young men and woman in Jaffna would have the opportunity of improving their skills in the field of sports following the completion of the swimming pool project.

65th Anniversary of the Communist Party on July 04

The 65th Anniversary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka will be held on July 04 (Friday) at 3.00 pm at the Maharagama Youth Centre Auditorium General Secretary Dew Gunasekara said.This coincides with the 75th Anniversary of the Suriya Mal Movement which falls this year. The celebration will be presided over by Raja Collure, Chairman of the party.The chief guest will be Sitaram Yechury, political bureau member and secretary, international relations of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He is a member of the Indian Raja Sabha.He will deliver a lecture on “21st century challenges and prospects - political trends, with special reference to South Asia and Latin America” General Secretary, Dew Gunasekera will also speak. Leaders of the UPFA and PA have been invited to the event.The Communist Party was founded on July 03, 1943 when its precursor, the United Socialist Party founded in 1940 was banned by the colonial Government. The Communist Party’s first Chairman was Ven.Udakendawala Sri Saranankara Thera, (Lenin Peace Winner) and its first General Secretary was Pieter Keuneman.The Founding Leader of the Party was Dr.S.A.Wickremasinghe, the first Leftist elected to the Sri Lankan Legislature. He was a pioneering leader of the All Ceylon Youth Congress (1931) Suriya Mal Movement (1933) and the LSSP (1935).

Conflict essentially a problem of ours - R. Sampanthan

Q: You have met the high level Indian delegation which came to Colombo last week. What was the outcome of the meeting?

A: We basically exchanged views about the present situation in Sri Lanka.

They emphasized a political solution to the conflict instead of a military one. They said they want to contribute their best efforts to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Q: You were advocating an Indian intervention to solve the national problem throughout but at the end of this meeting with them, according to the Tamilnet, you have said that “Tamils believed all these days that they were the natural allies of India but it is not so today”. What do you really mean by this?

A: I do not know whether I was quoted correctly. I did emphasize the fact that the Tamil people in Sri Lanka were natural allies of India. We have strong cultural and linguistic affiliations but the Tamils were somewhat disappointed as to what the India had been able to achieve in the past was done away with. As a representative of my people I had to convey the true feelings of the Tamils to the Indian official representatives. I only performed my duty.

Q: Do you think that India has a vital role to play in resolving the conflict?

A: I think that India is a country which by virtue of its proximity, its status as a regional power and its friendship with all people Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka, India it is probably the best equipped to solve the problem. But it also depends on how the three communities are prepared to resolve the problem. Because, this is essentially a problem of ours and not a problem of theirs’. The role of international players can only be able to do to a certain extent. They cannot do anything and everything. We have to contribute to solve our own problem.

Q: The government is confident that peace can be brought through the 13th Amendment. Those who represented the TULF in early discussions to formulate this Amendment have later strongly opposed it. Do you still hold the same view?

A: When the government came into power they accepted a political solution agreed by all the communities in Sri Lanka which need to be brought to resolve this problem. The government took certain steps by appointing the APRC and the Experts Committee.

They made their own reports and all were far beyond the 13th Amendment, including the report of the APRC’s chairman. So I must tell very frankly the government itself realized the limitations and initiated a process to get the views of all the political parties. However, the government is now trying to implement it as a solution. I think the government is not honest.

I strongly believe that the 13th Amendment is not a solution and never be a solution to the conflict because this was rejected by us in 1988, which is inadequate to address the grievances of the Tamils.

Q: You emphasized the fact that a solution should be found beyond the 13th amendment. So what are the solutions that you are suggesting?

A: Since the Sinhalese are the absolute majority, they constitute over 75 percent of the population. So there is nothing that they have to be feared about.

Ultimately the Sinhalese will rule this country because they are the majority, but there are certain parts of the country, especially the North and East where the Tamils have historically lived. That is why even under the 1972 and 1978 Constitutions Tamils have been given a special place, Tamil language has been given special place in the North and East because the Tamil speaking people have predominantly lived in the North and Eastern parts of this country.

We have been all along demanding from the time of Chelvanayakam that there must be a Tamil linguistic region. And if that is achievable we all want a united country. We do not want the country to be divided.

The Sinhalese and Tamils are not the same though we have a lot in common. But we have our differences. We want to preserve our cultural and linguistic identities within a framework of a united Sri Lanka. And Sinhalese can give this to us, because they are the majority. And, if it is given to Tamils, we will help to develop the whole country.

Q: You were a senior lawyer and politician respected by all the communities. Why do you want to promote a ‘mono ethnic separate state’ for Tamils, which is the dream of the LTTE?

A: No, I will not say that it was the dream of the LTTE. After Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa became the President in November 2005 in his first speech that Prabhakaran made, he said ‘’You are supposed to be a pragmatic person”.

Please come up with a set of proposals that will satisfy the aspirations of the Tamil people’’. Where is that set of proposals? If there is any I can catch Prabhakaran by the ear and tell him that ‘if there are some we can accept, talk about and work on it’. The President Rajapaksa appointed the APRC and started to formulate.

Then he suspended the whole thing and went back to the 13th Amendment which was 20 years old. Why? Because the JHU, MEP and a section of the JVP put pressure on it.

What had happened to P-TOMS? The LTTE was prepared to work on the P-TOMS.

There was the ISGA agreement. Then we could bring the LTTE into the political mainstream. Without coming up with a set of proposals, which even Sampanthan can accept, how can you come to a conclusion that the LTTE is for a mono-ethnic state?

Q: Do you believe that having a separate state for Tamils would solve their problems?

A: We have always been opposed to separation. In the 1970 Parliamentary Elections the Federal Party in its manifesto asked the Tamil people to oppose any one who contested on a separatist platform. Because there was no acceptable political solution. We do not think a separate state is an imperative demand. The question of separate state comes to the fore only in the context that there is no acceptable alternative. This is our position.

Q: A large number of your contemporaries in Tamil politics such as Amirthalingam, Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam and Yogeswaran were brutally assassinated by the LTTE. For some time you were in the forefront to condemn the LTTE. How come you have changed your mind and remain a so-called proxy of the LTTE?

A: Killing of Amirthalingam, Yogeswaran and Tiruchelvam cannot ever be justified. They were wrong and they should have never been killed. That is my view that day and that is my view even today. That will always be my view. There is no question about it. But I cannot be looking at the past. I have to look at the future. If I live in the past the problem will never be solved.

The past is past. Because of lapses on the part of the successive governments the LTTE has intensified its struggle.

I have not changed and I am still the same and I am only doing what the time demands.

Q: All the senior Tamil politicians, including you, Mr. Anandasangaree and Minister Devananda are in different camps today. How genuine are you in solving the grievances of your own people and do you agree that all these actors are misleading the ordinary masses?

A: Minister Devananda is already in the Government. He has been with the UNF, SLFP Government. As far as we are concerned today out of 23 MPs from the North East 22 are from our Party. Out of the 16 MPs from the North 15 are from the TNA. The only Tamil who represents the EPDP is Minister Devananda. Some people are saying that there was violence at the election and I am not saying that it was totally violence free. It was a much better election compared to the last Eastern PC election.

Tamil people are very sensible people. What they want is their children’s education, to save little money, look after their properties and mainly they want peace. If there is peace in this country it will flourish.

Q: But still you did not answer my question. Are these political actors misleading the Tamils?

A: No. I do not say that. Anandasangaree is totally anti LTTE. But in all other matters he was with us. He got federalism, he got a merged North East. There is no difference. I only tell him that the LTTE may longing for many matters but we need to solve this problem. So we cannot throw them out.

Q: You said you are for non-violence. But by helping the LTTE your are eating your own words.

A: Remember this is not helping the LTTE. This whole struggle is to bring about a peaceful solution to end the sufferings of Tamils.

Q: Though you support non-violence, you will unwillingly represent the views of the LTTE when you approve their ways to win the demands by terror?

A: I do not agree with their violence and I cannot accept their bombing of buses and railways killing innocent people. When the government bombed their areas in Wanni and people were killed and the LTTE will come and do some damage here.

Q: Do you want to justify the LTTE way of taking revenge?

A: No. I am against violence by both sides. But politically if the government want to solve this problem the LTTE must also be on board.

Q: But the interest for negotiation should come from the LTTE. They were given a chance for table their views but they used them tactically to come up.

A: Don’t say that they are not prepared. Their position still is that the government has not come up with anything. The simple position of the LTTE is that the Sri Lankan government had never come up with anything and will never come up with anything. So until then they have to fight.

Q: People claim that the TNA is the mouth piece of the LTTE. Is it correct?

A: No. I don’t say that we are the mouth piece of the LTTE. I am a democratic politician who belongs to the old political era, the Federal Party and the TULF. And I have not changed a bit. I am the same. I totally oppose all forms of violence. I am for a negotiated settlement for the Tamil question.

I want peace in Sri Lanka and I want all the people in Sri Lanka to be happy citizens of this country. The armed struggle would have never started and the LTTE would never come into existence if this problem was settled during Chelvanayakam’s or Amirthalingam’s time. Without implementing the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact or the Dudley-Chelva Pact you are saying Sampanthan is the mouth piece of the LTTE.

No point in saying that. The persons who must accept responsibility for situation prevailing in this country today are the persons who have opposed and who are even now opposing an acceptable peaceful resolution to the conflict. They are the persons who should take the responsibility and not anybody else.

That is why I have always been advocating that the two main parties - SLFP and the UNP should come together and work together to find a solution to the national question. We are still for a peaceful solution.

Q: How do you define this conflict - is it an ethnic conflict or a conflict to defeat terrorism?

A: I say this is an ethnic conflict which came up due to ethnic discrimination, ethnic exclusion and ethnic inequality. The Tamil people were excluded from governance, employment opportunities and resources in their own territories. In 1950s, 1960s and 1980s only the Tamil people became the victims of violence. They were denied their rights. They were discriminated.

Q: But just now you have said that ‘Past is past’. Can you say that there was no ethnic conflict in that era. Can you point out a single occasion that a Sinhalese went against Tamils or an event that they were discriminated because of their being Tamils today. So how can you claim that still it is the ethnic conflict?

A: Yes, of course it is still the ethnic conflict. As long as the causes of ethnic conflict remains unaddressed and when there is no acceptable solution by political means the conflict continues.

When violence takes place in a another dimension, the ethnic conflict remains basically a conflict.Why am I in politics? Not because I want to support the violence of the LTTE but the grievances of the Tamils have not yet been solved. The LTTE tells me “that your method wont bring anything to Tamils. You have been trying it for the past so many years but you have failed. The Sri lankan government will never solve it. So we must follow our methods”.

Q: But the Tamil militancy have failed to addresse the grievances of the Tamils so far and even the international community has rejected it.

Therefore how do you alien with the views of the LTTE, which hardly shown any interest in a negotiated settlement?

A: It is not a question of agreeing with the LTTE. It’s a question of working out for something honour and reasonable basis which is an acceptable solution to all the people in this country and to the international community. And also a solution that bring the LTTE into the peace process.

The LTTE thinks that such a process would never emerge.

When they read this interview they will say that Sampanthan is mad. I am scolding them telling that if the government tabled something reasonable that they should give up arms. They asked me “ Sir do you think that we like to remain in jungles. No. we like to live like others in town. But do you think that the government will do so, Sir?”.

Q: All along the LTTE claimed that they are the sole representatives of the Tamils. But this has become a myth as Pillaiyan taking the Eastern power. How do you see the newly established provincial Council administration?

A: I do not recognize a separate Eastern province. Separate eastern province is a violation of the Indo-Lanka agreement. It is a violation of the international treaties. It is the duty of the incumbent government to rectify the merger and bring about a proper merger.

So I do not recognize a separate Eastern province. Eventually the representatives who have chosen by the people.

Q: So you do not believe that the LTTE is the sole representative of the Tamils?

A: Anybody can say anything. When there is a final acceptable solution, the people have to chose their representatives.

Q: Is that true that some of the TNA MPs are to join the TMVP?

A: No, not that to my knowledge. I do not think TNA MPs will move to the TMVP.

What you can do by becoming Provincial Councillors. Even Chandrika Kumaratunga said when she was the Chief Minister of the Western Province, that she does not have power more than a peon.

Q: You are constantly in touch with Wanni. How do you see the present situation, where people are suffering under the clutches of the LTTE?

A: I won’t say I am constantly in touch with Wanni. People are suffering, especially due to bombing. People do not have employment. Basically you have to ask them whether they are happy. But people are carrying on. Their only hope is that the war will come to an end and they will get a peaceful solution to this question. They do not believe in war.

Q: The Military is attacking Wanni successfully and do you think that the LTTE can hold ground in future?

A: I am not a military person to comment on this. So I do not know whether army or the LTTE will win. But what I can say is ultimately in a war nobody will win. All sides are losers.

Q: The military is accused for carrying out offensives and don’t you think that the continuous violence of the LTTE has led the government to adopt a military approach to defeat terrorism?

A: As I said before the LTTE’s manifestation is for an acceptable political solution and if such evolved I think there will be no justification for the existence of the LTTE. Without such on table trying to marginalise the LTTE through military means in my view is not helpful at all. That will only cause immense sufferings to Tamil civilians.

Q: But as long as the LTTE continue their terror, the military offensives will continue and people from both sides will compel to suffer.

A: As along as the government delay a political solution and resort to a military action on the account of its failure to adopt to a properly acceptable political solution people will suffer.

Q: There is a general impression that the TNA is only listening to Prabhakaran and not in a position to make him to listen to them. So do you believe that there is no democracy in the political approach of the LTTE.

A: I do not accept this statement that the TNA only listens to Prabhakaran. We are prepared to think independently and we think independently. But if the government or any one else expects us to influence the LTTE, first there must be an acceptable political solution on the table. It should be reasonable to the government. Until then expecting us to influence the LTTE is absurd.

Q: Do you think that we need foreign mediation like Norwegians in the peace process?

A: On one hand they are welcome but first of all we should have the feel the need and we should be genuine. We are the people of this country and we should be together. There is no necessity for Norwegians to tell us how to solve the problem. Why they had to intervene because we failed to solve our own problem. If we could handle there is no need for Norwegian intervention.

Q: The LTTE was asked to lay down arms and come for peace talks. What is your comment?

A: If you ask them to lay down arms before offering anything for them they won’t do that. Even in Northern Ireland they started laying down arms only after the Good Friday Agreement. Even in Ache they laid down arms after the agreement. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which had a meeting with the high profile Indian delegation in Colombo, last week, said the Tamils were disappointed with India as it had done away with all what they had done for Sri Lankan Tamils in the past. While tagging India as just a spectator, the TNA Leader R. Sampanthan told the ‘Sunday Observer’ that the Indian bureaucrats whom he met had shown their willingness to continue with their best efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Sampanthan, declining to say whether the LTTE is the sole representative of the Tamils or not, said that it should be decided by the Tamil people themselves. “Anybody can say anything but people have to decide”, he said. The TNA leader who strongly believes in more on a locally-drawn solution but has no faith in Norwegian facilitation, says that the two main political players - the SLFP and UNP - can resolve the national problem better if they fall in line. “That is why I always advocate the fact that they should work together”, reiterating that government should table some proposals beyond the 13th Amendment to put an end to the sufferings of Tamils.

27 June 2008

Sri Lanka needs to do more on devolution, says India
   
India has told Sri Lanka that it needs to do more on power sharing to end its dragging ethnic conflict, a senior official said Thursday. The official said while Colombo needed to be patted for deciding to implement the 13th amendment of the constitution hat heralded the provincial system, it was not enough.The 13th amendment came about in the wake of the India-Sri Lanka accord of 1987 that sought to end Tamil separatism.The official said there were “other things” Sri Lanka could do, but he did not elaborate. “We have said, we welcome it (13th amendment) as the first step. But more needs to be done, within a united Sri Lanka (and to the satisfaction of) all communities.”The official said this was the message a high-level Indian delegation led by National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan conveyed to Sri Lankan leaders over the weekend. Neither Sri Lanka nor India had until now said what transpired in the meetings Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon had with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The other member of the Indian team was Defence Secretary Vijay Singh.IANS had, however, reported Monday that India was pushing hard for a broader devolution process in Sri Lanka and that Colombo needed to go beyond the 13th amendment to the constitution. India’s message to Colombo is that while there can never be a military solution to the ethnic conflict, New Delhi would assist it wholeheartedly if it forges ahead with a genuine and broader devolution process.The official explained yesterday that the 13th amendment of the constitution was written “at a time when life was much easier for Tamils. But the conflict has made things more difficult. It’s a more complicated thing”.But the official clarified that any devolution process in Sri Lanka had to encompass all communities in the war-torn island nation.The official admitted that Sri Lanka had considerably weakened the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but “it is still a very difficult situation… The problem remains.”The official said the Indian delegation also discussed with Sri Lankan leaders issues sensitive to the two countries as well as the coming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Colombo in August.Sri Lanka conveyed to the Indian officials the election of a new provincial council in the island’s east, which the military captured from the LTTE last year.

Police attack on protest  angers Buddhist monks

The police yesterday baton charged a group of Buddhist monks near the public library after a tear gas attack failed to disperse them.Several monks were injured and police detained over a dozen members of the Inter-university Bhikku Federation.Police said anti-riot squads were ordered to disperse the unruly crowd after the protesters had refused to leave the area. Eyewitness said yesterday’s was one of the biggest attacks on a Colombo protest.The National Bhikku Front said the police went on the rampage as the monks were on the way to Temple Trees to hand over a petition. "We wanted to draw the President’s attention to the deteriorating situation at Buddhist educational institutions at Anuradhapura and Homagama and the University of Colombo," Ven. Athnanayale Samitha thera told The Island yesterday evening.He said they launched the protest as the government had turned a blind eye to their problems. Severely criticising the government for what he called an unprovoked attack on the Maha Sangha, Ven. Samitha said they expect the Mahanayaka Theros and MP monks to reveal their position.He emphasised theirs was definitely not a political stunt. "It  was a peaceful protest," he said, warning the government they wouldn’t be deterred by police attacks.The JVP said the government would continue to attack all its opponents and any party or group which it considered a threat to its interests. JVP heavyweight Lal Kantha said this was a dangerous situation. Referring to recent attacks on JVP activists at Arachikattuwa in the presence of police, the MP said the government was rapidly transforming itself into a dictatorship.

Heavy fighting in Vavuniyaa front

The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Vanni told reporters Thursday that their fighters confronted the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from 8:30 a.m. till 3:20 p.m. at Paalamoaddai in Vavuniyaa claiming that 8 SLA troopers were killed and 24 wounded in repeated clashes. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Army officials in Colombo claimed that their troops have brought Periya Madu in Maanthai West of Mannaar district, under their control. The bordering Maanthai East division comes under Mullaiththeevu district.

Army captures LTTE stronghold in Mannar
   
The defence ministry said that the army had captured the Periyamadu village, one of the LTTE strongholds in the Mannar front and also gained full control over seven square kilometres in the area yesterday.Earlier, on June 14, troops captured the entire bund of the Periyamadhu tank which is about 2.5km long. Immediately after capturing the Periyamadhu tank area troops marched towards the Periyamadhu village, the ministry said.Fierce gun battles took place in the area over the last few weeks despite LTTE resistance. However, the ministry said that no details of the casualty figures were available. Meanwhile, in another front, troops captured 2.5km along the Chalmpan - Marattikannaddi road. Due to the capture the Mannar to Pooneryn supply route of the LTTE has been cut off. Twelve LTTE cadres were killed while no casualties were reported to the army due to the confrontations, the ministry said.

LTTE training base destroyed

Air Force MI-24 helicopters and fighter jets carried out air sorties targeting a LTTE training base and Forward Operating base yesterday morning in Mannar. Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said MI-24 helicopters destroyed an LTTE Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Marattikannadi last morning. “The target was located 2 km north of Andalkulam. The air raid was carried out in support of the Army 58 division advancing in the Mannar front,” he added. Meanwhile, Air Force fighter jets pounded at an LTTE training base in Vellankulam area at around 6.10 a.m. “The target was located 20 km north of Vidattaltivu on the Mannar front,” Wing Commander Nanayakkara said. The air raids were conducted effectively following accurate and precise information from ground intelligence and air surveillance.

SLA shells A9 gateway to Vanni

A 52-year-old civilian was wounded when four artillery shells fired by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) hit the Pu'liyangku'lam entry, exit point to the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled area in Vavuniyaa Thursday around 12:30 p.m., Tamileelam Police officials told reporters in Ki'linochchi. The civilian passenger who sustained injuries was on his way to Vavuinyaa and had reached the gateway when the shells hit the area. Tension prevailed as passengers in buses were forced to seek safety following the attack. The gateway is kept opened from 9:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. during the week days for public with the assistance by the ICRC.

MK has lost ‘world Tamil leader’ status

By barring Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from owning property in the State, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has forfeited his status as the leader of the world Tamils, says P Chandrasekaran,a Sri Lankan minister for community development and leader of the Indian Origin Tamils.In a letter to Karunanidhi, the leader of the Up Country Peoples' Front (UPF) said the CM had done what was not attempted even by the West.Chandrasekaran said it had brought Karunanidhi down from the high pedestal of being the leader of the world Tamils. Meanwhile, Tamilnet,a pro-LTTE website, posted a comment piece, which said it was time the TN Assembly passed a resolution recognizing the Sri Lankan Tamils' right to self-determination.The article, written by "Chivanadi" said the Congress was incapable of helping Sri Lankan Tamils. The BJP might be a "much better" bet for Tamils as there were "parallel politicians and enough room for the role of politics in it", it added.On another front, the Sri Lankan Defense Ministry reacted sharply against MDMK leader Vaiko's call to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to boycott the SAARC Summit due to be held in Colombo on August 1 and 2.A letter to Vaiko posted in its website described him as an "overly ambitious politician" cynically communalising the Lankan Tamil question as a strategy to "fast track" his political progress. Vaiko was only doing "irreparable harm" to society and causing "immense suffering" to people, it said.

Sri Lanka to borrow US$ 13.8 million from World Bank for public sector building capacity project

Sri Lanka announced yesterday that it would borrow Special Drawing Rights (SDR) of 13.8 million dollars from the World Bank as per the terms for the implementation of the Public Sector Capacity Building Project. Cabinet has granted approval to a memorandum submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Finance and Planning to enter into a financing agreement with the lending arm of World Bank, International Development Association (IDA) in this regard. The loan negotiations have been concluded with the World Bank to obtain credit of SDR 13.8 million dollars (approximately 2.5 billion rupees) from IDA for the project.The development objective of this project is to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and productivity of the Census and Statistics and the Department of the Auditor General.The IDA loan is interest-free but subject to a maximum commitment charge of one-half of one percent (1/2 of 1%) per annum payable on the un-withdrawn financial balance and a service charge of three-fourths of one percent (3/4 of 1%) per annum payable on the withdrawn credit balance. The credit is repayable in 20 years with a grace period 10 years.

No change in curfew in Jaffna - SLA

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) announced Wednesday night over its radio in Palaali that the curfew hours will be extended, the new hours being 7:00 p.m to 5:00 a.m daily with effect from Thursday night. But, later on Thursday the SLA announced that the curfew will be between 9:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., as usual. Artillery fire exchanges that took place between the SLA at Palaali and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from their territories Wednesday evening may have caused the initial announcement, residents said. Shells launched by the LTTE on Palaali SLA military complex Wednesday evening fell and exploded around the complex, informed sources said.

‘Missing’ Umma surfaces at NFF hq.
  
The JVP Gampaha District parliamentarian, Anjan Umma joined the National Freedom Front this morning (June 26th), after she was reported  ‘missing’ subsequent to her decision to function independently in Parliament. Mrs. Umma was cordially received by the NFF Chief Secretary, Nandana Gunatillake at the party headquarters, where she engaged in a discussion with its leaders.Later, addressing awaiting journalists, she said that today was one of the happiest days in her political career and she was given a new lease of life after the disappointments and problems she underwent in the JVP.Also speaking here, leader of the NFF, Wimal Weerawansa invited other JVP MPs to join them instead of remaining in a party that is reaping defeat after defeat.

Vavuniya Field Hospital Receives Army Chief

Commander Of the Army Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka with several senior officers at the Army Headquarters Thursday (26) morning made a special trip to visit injured War Heroes in the Vavuniya field hospital. The Army chief spoke to those wounded War Heroes and shared a couple of thoughts with them while inquiring into their specific needs, if any. He also instructed medical authorities in the hospital to provide all medical requirements for those inmates without fail. Commander, showing his fatherly care towards his brave soldiers listened to their opinions on ongoing clearing operations and inquired into their welfare measures. . During their powwow with the Commander, soldiers under treatment expressed their readiness to re-join their fellow-mates on the battle front soon after their recovery and vowed to fight against the enemy. Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka wished them well before he departed to the Security Forces Headquarters Wanni (SFHQ-W) at the end of the hospital

Jayantha next IGP

Senior DIG Jayantha Wickremaratne will assume duties as the Inspector General of Police on July 2. He will be the 31st IGP of the country. He succeeds Victor Perera who retires on July 1.Wickremaratne joined the Police force as an ASP in 1974 and served as SP and DIG. During his service in the anti narcotic bureau he was responsible for netting in several notorious drug barons.An old boy of Thurstan College, Colombo, he hails from Wigoda, Bemmulla in the Gampaha District. He graduated from the Sri Jayawardenapura University with an honours degree in Public Administration.

Prabha gets personally involved- Defencewire

Military Intelligence has observed a higher level of involvement of LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in organising LTTE defensive and offensive formations in recent times. Analysts accredit this to two factors, the first being the importance of this war to the organizations survival and the second being a dearth of experienced cadres.The same degree of urgency and determination is not being demonstrated by some quarters of the Army. Although Lt. Gen. Fonseka has a good plan and ample confidence in his own ability, appointment of certain stooges into crucial positions may prove futile at the end.COs of a battalion have demonstrated more courage and determination than some of the present-day Brigade Commanders in the Army. Some of them are reluctant to take risks or formulate bold plans. COs, who have command over only one battalion have taken the initiative over some Brigade Commanders despite the latter having command over three battalions.The region hardest hit by the dearth of leadership is Weli Oya and the 59 Division. The stand-by or battle-preparedness of certain Brigade Commanders is very low, which is starting to slow the pace down in this crucial area. What happens in Weli Oya is directly connected to the East and what happens in the East is directly connected to the South.The area the 59 is concentrating on is much more crucial than the areas of operations of the 57, 58 and Task Force 2 (58 is Task Force 1. Task Force 2 is operating east of the A-9). A Task Force is smaller than a Division, with around 3000 troops. A Division in the Sri Lanka Army has around 7000 troops). The terrain, the defence-in-depth and the strategic importance of Weli Oya cannot be easily ignored.Another issue plaguing the Military in this area is a lack of understanding between the Sri Lanka Army and the Sri Lanka Navy. Alampil and Kililai Lagoon are important strong-points of the LTTE Sea Tigers and any attempt to capture these areas must be done from both land, air and, of course, the sea.

26 June 2008

TMVP demands police and land powers

The TMVP is to put forward political proposals to the All Party Representatives’ Committee (APRC) demanding police, land, educational and financial powers for the provinces, which it cited as the unit of devolution when evolving a political solution to the ethnic conflict. Some TMVP activists belonging to the Tamil diaspora in Europe had advised the party hierarchy to work out political proposals on these lines.Party spokesman Azad Maulana told Daily Mirror yesterday that his party leader, EP Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan would choose the party’s nominee for the APRC soon.Mr. Maulana said that the TMVP politburo was currently having discussions on the choice of the nominee.“The party is giving serious thought to appointing either Batticaloa Mayor Sivageetha Prabhakaran or me as the APRC representative. But the chief minister will take the final decision,” he said. He said that the party’s political proposals would be submitted only after attending two or three APRC sessions. The APRC has presently suspended its deliberations pending TMVP participation. Asked for comments, its chairman, Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was thinking of reconvening the All Party Conference. Prof. Vitharana said that the APRC could resume its sessions only after this conference.

Another Eastern Insurgency?
 
LTTE is preparing for a long insurgency campaign in the Eastern Province again. Details of this plan have emerged with a recent speech given by the LTTE's 'Special Commander' to the East, Keerthi. Random sporadic attacks have also increased.Keerthi, in his address had claimed they were waiting for an opportunity to launch a massive attack on military installations and targets of opportunity in the East. This threat comes in the wake of renegade LTTE fighter and present-day Chief Minister of the East, Pillayan alias Kubeiran and his followers have removed themselves from the war effort and are spending much of their time inside small camps in the interior of Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa or engaging in political campaigns.Last Sunday, the Sri Lanka Army overran a landing point of the LTTE situated inside Pulmoddai Jungles and recovered a wide array of survival equipment, dry rations etc. Jungle paths from the landing point had led into the Somawathi Wildlife Sanctuary. From here Tigers would cross into Kumburupitiya/Kmburupiddi and cross the Trinco-Habarana/Habarana-Kantale road in small groups at night.Military Intelligence claim that some Muslim woodcutters are engaged in a racket, particularly in Batticaloa, of transporting various goods to Tigers hiding inside the jungles of Paduwaankarai. The Sri Lanka Army, except for a few Military Intelligence units, has removed itself for the most part from the East. The Special Task Force and the Air Force are in control of much of Batticaloa and Ampara.The Sri Lanka Navy handles security in the Trincomalee Town and Gravets area, but the Sri Lanka Air Force is in control of the vital Habarana-Trincomalee road. A key strong-point of the Tigers has been the village of Thampalakaamam/Thambalagamuwa, whose Tamils are still mainly pro-LTTE.Tiger crossings from the Naval Headworks Sanctuary to Sittaru is allegedly facilitated by LTTE contacts at Thambalagamuwa. A few weeks ago, an LTTE Intelligence head called Palilan was shot dead in this area by MI.Sources told this site that less than 30% of the villagers in Thambalagamuwa had participated in the recent election in the East. It is estimated that several hundred Jeyanthan Brigade cadres have arrived in the East in small batches, thanks to this network of jungles and safehouses.

Protests planned against Manmohan Singh’s visit to Lanka

The upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has created a lot of political instability in Tamil Nadu with opposition parties now preparing to stage street protests, the MDMK said yesterday.The Daily Mirror learns that the MDMK will take a decision on whether to hold a protest against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s decision to visit Colombo for the upcoming SAARC summit, once the party leader Vaiko arrives back to Tamil Nadu from his visit overseas. According to party members, Vaiko is currently on a visit to the USA.“A lot of political parties, including the MDMK are against Prime Minister Singh’s visit to Sri Lanka. This decision has created political instability in the area. We do not want the Prime Minister to attend the SAARC summit because despite repeated calls, the Sri Lankan government has failed to reach a political solution for the Sri Lankan Tamils,” MDMK party member Arunagiri told Daily Mirror. A spokesperson from Chief Minister M. Karunanindhi’s office maintained that Prime Minister Singh’s visit to Sri Lanka for the upcoming SAARC summit had created controversy and sparked issues amongst political parties in Tamil Nadu. The spokesperson added that the Chief Minister himself was concerned about the Prime Minister’s visit as the Sri Lankan Navy had frequently attacked the Indian fishermen in high seas.“The Chief Minister wants the Indian government to explain to the Sri Lankan government the agony caused to the fishermen. This is not an issue to be ignored,” the spokesperson said.Both the Chief Minister and Vaiko sent two separate letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday on different issues with regard to Sri Lanka.In his letter, the Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister to protect the lives of the Indian fishermen from the Sri Lankan Navy and ensure their livelihood, while Vaiko in his letter condemned the alleged brutal attacks on Tamils in Sri Lanka and urged the Prime Minister to abstain from taking part in the forthcoming SAARC meeting in Colombo in August.

DPU mine attack kills student, 4 wounded in Vanni

A 16-year-old student, who was moving with his father and another family on a tractor due to increased artillery shelling by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was killed in a mine attack at Annatheavan madu, Kuzhavisuddaan in Nedungkea'ni Wednesday morning around 9:30, Tamileelam Police officials told media in Vanni. The TE Police blamed the SLA Deep Penetration Unit for the attack that has injured the victims father and three brothers of another family. The student killed was identified as Senaathirajah Senthooran. His father, Senaathirajah was wounded in the attack which targeted their tractor in which they were moving things from their house. The wounded brothers of the victim were identified by the Tamileelam Police as V. Pradeepan, 23, V. Prathapan, 16 and V. Prakash, 15. The wounded were rushed to Mullaiththeevu hospital.

CBK's land deal 'corrupt'
 
The Supreme Court in Sri Lanka has accused the former president of involved in corruption in providing a prime land for a private company.Chief Justice Sarath Silva made the observation as a petition against selling 32 acres near the parliament, in Jayawardhanapaura, Kotte, to Asia Pacific Golf company. The land was sold to the company during President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s tenure for Rs. 320 a perch, the court was informed.

'From socialism to capitalism'

Accusing Ms. Kumaratunga of 'pushing herself towards capitalism from socialism' CJ Sarath N Silva said the public would not vote for such corrupt politicians. Two retired government officials, in a petition, have requested the Supreme Court to annul the deal that has caused a loss of Rs. millions to the state. The CJ also accused the Urban Development Authority (UDA) of supporting Ms. Kumaratunga for the ‘corrupt’ deal.He observed that it is better to dissolve such institutions that do not save Sri Lankan public.Sarath Silva, the then Attorney General, was appointed as the CJ by Ms. Kumaratunga despite serious reservations from civil activists. The Supreme Court was hearing two petitions filed by Ravaya editor, Victor Ivan, against Mr. Silva at the time of the appointment.

S.Lanka shares edge down after 3 days of gains

Sri Lankan shares inched down on Wednesday after three days of gains driven by hopes of a resumption of peace talks, while the rupee strengthened slightly.The Colombo All-Share index .CSE fell 1.41 points or 0.06 percent to 2,479.92.The market had risen 2 percent from Thursday, when it had ended at a five-month low, as investors speculated a trip by Indian officials last week may be a sign of efforts to restart peace talks. Sri Lankan officials said that was not the case."The investor sentiment was negative after the government stance on peace talks," said Dharshi Ganeshan, a research analyst at Barleets Mallory Stockbrokers."Investors were hoping (for) a peace move the last few days, but the fresh statement by the President had an impact on the sentiment."Local media had reported President Mahinda Rajapaksa said peace could be achieved only if the rebels laid down their arms. Diversified conglomerate Hayleys HAYL.CM, which accounted for over 65 percent of the day's turnover, closed 1.33 percent firmer at 133.75 rupees a share.
Top conglomerate by market capitalisation, John Keells Holdings JKH.CM fell 0.44 percent to 112 rupees a share, calculated on a weighted average Shares in Asiri Central Hospital ASHA.CM fell 17.14 percent to 58 rupees, and conglomerate Bukit Darah Company BUKI.CM closed down 1.54 percent at 1,600 rupees, both on thin trade.Market turnover was 550.15 million rupees ($5.1 million), higher than last year's daily average of 400 million rupees.The rupee <LKR=> edged up to 107.64/67 per dollar from Tuesday's close of 107.67/70 on dollar sales by banks.The central bank sold 182-day treasury bills at 18.17 percent and 364-day bill at 18.53 percent at a weekly T-bill auction [nCOL1222081].The central bank suspended auctions of 91-day Treasury bills on Wednesday for a third time in June to try to shift demand to longer maturities [nCOL200486].The interbank lending rate CLIBOR fell to 13.410 percent from Tuesday's 14.533 percent. ($1=107.655 rupees)

Torture endemic in Sri Lanka police-rights group

Torture has become endemic in Sri Lankan police stations and there seems to be no political will to stop it, an Asian human rights group said on Wednesday.The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission said torture was standard procedure both in investigating ordinary crimes and as part of the civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels.The government said the allegations were baseless.Despite thousands of complaints, the commission said the attorney general's office had only launched three prosecutions against alleged official torturers."Torture is a way of life at all police stations in Sri Lanka, whether the alleged crimes investigated are those relating to petty criminal offences, serious crimes or offences under the emergency and anti-terrorism laws," the commission said in a statement.Rights watchdogs have reported hundreds of abductions, disappearances and killings blamed on government security forces and Tamil Tiger separatists since a bloody civil war, in which 70,000 people have died since 1983, resumed in 2006.The commission also said investigations into torture were being politically prevented to protect Sri Lanka's human rights record, and that the lack of political will to eradicate torture affected the entire administration of justice.International observers quit the island earlier this year, saying a probe into a string of high-profile killings, including the massacre of 17 local aid staff in 2006, was going nowhere.The UN Human Rights Council has called on Sri Lanka to investigate allegations of killings and disappearances and prosecute those responsible, including members of the security forces.Fighting between government forces and Tamil Tiger guerrillas has intensified since the government formally pulled out of a six-year-old ceasefire pact in January.The Tamil Tigers, who are fighting for an independent state for minority Tamils in the north and east of the island, have hit back with a campaign of suicide attacks.

Defeat anti-war forces: JVP
 
The attempts by the Indian and Sri Lankan governments to stop the war should be defeated says Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said the aim of the high powered Indian delegation’s visit to Colombo last week was to force the government to stop the war against the LTTE. Indian National Security Advisor MK Narayanan, Defence Secretary Vijay Singh and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon made an unannounced visit to Sri Lanka last week.

Indian delegation in Colombo

The Indian team held discussions with President Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabhatya Rajapaksa and leading Tamil politicians in Sri Lanka. Both the Sri Lankan and Indian governments were tight-lipped over the outcome of the talks.Leader of the Left Front, Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne, told BBC Sandeshaya on Tuesday that the Indian delegation has urged Sri Lanka to re-start talks with the Tamil Tigers. “The mysterious silence of the government means they are prepared to work as India wishes,” Tilvin Silva told journalists in Colombo. It will not be easy for the government, Mr. Silva said, to change the war strategy as the country will not help the move. “The government will gradually change the war strategy so that the people will not rise against it,” he added.

JVP MP tried to contact LTTE’s ex-director NFC several times

Police investigating an LTTE attempt on Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake’s life said the former director of the National Film Corporation, now in custody in connection with the attempt, had received several calls from a JVP MP shortly after his arrest.Investigators said that the suspect received five calls within minutes of the police arresting him late last week. They said the suspect’s mobile phone had registered the MP’s number. Police would shortly obtain permission from Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara to question the national list MP. Investigations have revealed that the then Cultural Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath had appointed the suspect to the NFC directorate on the recommendation made by his colleague, sources said. According to the investigators, the suspect had links with the LTTE and made use of his appointment to facilitate several LTTE operations in Colombo. The suspect had been a director of the National Film Corporation during Vijitha Herath’s tenure as the Cultural Affairs Minister in the 2004-2005 period.The suspect had admitted that he was a JVP member and attended classes in 1975 in Jaffna and had links with the party and LTTE.Earlier in the day, at a press conference, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that the LTTE suspect was not a member of the JVP. "There was no Tamil unit in the NFC when our comrade became the Cultural Affairs Minister. We recruited the person in question to commence a Tamil unit.He was not a member of our party. There are many people who participated in our classes but all of them are not our members.""We were suspicious of this person and sought clearance from the police intelligence but they never responded to request. In fact, at that time, Sunil S. Sirisena, additional Secretary to the Ministry of Defence had been the Chairman of the NFC," he said.However, the sources in the State Intelligence Service denied the excuse made by the JVP and said that they had never asked for such clearance on the suspect. Silva said his statement at the press conference was made on the assurance given by MP Herath that he had called for clearance.When contacted, MP Herath said he had no documentary proof to prove the request because it was made in 2005 and the documents were in the NFC’s possession. An LTTE intelligence wing cadre, under interrogation, had implicated the former NFC director. The police had kept the arrest of the intelligence wing cadre under wraps until they arrested the former NFC director. Investigators had recovered 9.5 kilograms of high explosives and a stock of steel balls from the suspects who revealed details of bombing operations mounted by the LTTE in the city and its suburbs. They had led the investigators to a shop on the top floor of a supermarket in the Kotahena police area where the intelligence wing cadre had turned out a range of explosive devices, particularly suicide kits.

Govt accuses LTTE of recruiting children

The secessionist organisation the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continues to use child soldiers in its battle against the Sri Lankan armed forces, the defence ministry said on Wednesday. It added that the LTTE forcibly recruit children and teenagers to fill up their fast-depleting ranks. Quoting defence intelligence sources, the ministry said personnel of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) recovered three “obituary posters” giving the name, rank and unit of 150 LTTE cadres, including those of several child soldiers in the Karakakulam area in the northern part of the country. They found the posters after capturing the office of an LTTE regional leader. The defence ministry said the pictures included “five self-styled lieutenant colonels, nine majors, fourteen captains, fifty-one lieutenants, forty-one second lieutenants and thirty others without rank.” An intelligence unit officer speculated that the posters might have been to convince the parents of the dead that their children had been given very high status or rank in the outfit. The cadres without any rank appeared to be in their early to mid teens. The posters also showed that the LTTE cadres were killed at various locations in the Jaffna and Wanni theatre of operations from 17th February to 10th March this year, according to the intelligence officer's report. “It is a well known fact that LTTE is forcibly taking young children from their parents to be trained as terrorists. So, aggrieved parents are now rallying against the LTTE leadership in the Wanni for robbing their loved ones from them,” he added.

EPDP Eravur leader arrested in connection with abduction     

Clarifying reports that claimed that an EPDP leader of Eravur was in Police custody, the OIC of the Eravur Police alleged that he was detained in connection with the abduction of a businessman. OIC S.B. Rathanayake said that a businessman named Devadas Suresh (31)  has been abducted and later assaulted at the Eravur EPDP office. Police investigating the complaint made by family members of Mr. Suresh has taken the suspected into custody for questioning, the OIC added.According to Eravur Police the suspected, Darmalingam Illamaram alias Ravi, is alleged to have touched Mr. Suresh for ransom. Earlier the EPDP office has taken a motorbicycle owned by Mr. Suresh by force. A second motorcycle had been demanded, apparently, and since this was not given, Mr. Suresh had been abducted along with the bike. The suspect has also been accused of committing a murder at an earlier incident in Chenkaladi."The EPDP member is attached to the Eravur office of the party not to Vakarai," the OIC added, correcting earlier reports in certain media. 

Sri Lanka: Army opens a new front west of A9       

The army had opened a new front on west of Jaffna-Kandy road to flank 57 Division.Military spokesman Brigadier Uadaya Nanayakkara said the newly created Task Force 11 would advance northwards while the 57 Division stepped up pressure on the LTTE holding on to Periyamadu, about 16 kilometers north of Madhu.The 57 Division and Task Force 11 would advance on the uncleared areas, the newly created 61 Division would be deployed on a holding role in areas captured by the 57 Division. The 57 Division had regained about 600 square kilometers since it launched operations last year. The Division 57 is about 26 kilometers north of the Vavuniya-Mannar main supply route and the Task Force 11, too would be able to make good progress, Military spokesman said. The Task Force 1 on the Mannar front had advanced up to Adampan and on yesterday captured a further three square kilometers in Adampan general area.

Suspicious powder shuts U.S. embassy in Sri Lanka
 
The U.S. embassy in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, was closed on Wednesday after a "suspicious powder" was found in the premises, the embassy said."The suspicious substance will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Until the results are received and a determination is made that the substance does not pose health or safety risks, the embassy will be closed to the public," it said in an e-mailed statement.The heavily-guarded embassy has thrice been closed in the past after suspicious powder was detected but on each occasion it turned out to be a false alarm.A Sri Lankan police officer said no formal complaint had been received on Wednesday.The consular section will remain available to provide emergency services to American citizens during the closure, the embassy statement said.The United States supports a political solution to end Sri Lanka's 25 year civil war that has killed more than 70,000 people.

25 June 2008

“LTTE must lay down arms”

Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Tuesday his government would not “hesitate to work” with the LTTE if the Tigers were ready to lay down arms.At a meeting with “religious dignitaries” who called on him, Mr. Rajapaksa has been quoted by his Secretariat as saying it was not his intention to go to war with the people of the country.“The President assured that he was not at all prepared to compromise the security of the country and people and was not ready to hand over the country to a terrorist organisation,” said a statement by his Secretariat.It said the gathering “commended the efforts” by the President to bring a lasting solution to the ethnic issue by setting up an All Party Representative Conference. It requested him to include religious and political leaders too in the conference.The statement said the religious dignitaries told the President that certain groups were propagating “baseless allegations locally and internationally against the government and bringing disgrace” to the country.

33 killed in Lanka clashes

At least 31 LTTE cadres and two soldiers were killed in fierce clashes in Sri Lanka's embattled northern region where army captured a portion of the rebel-held territory, officials here said on Tuesday.As many as ten LTTE cadres were killed in confrontations with security forces as troops brought under their control areas in Mullikkandal, Minnaniranchan and Marattikannadi in Mannar region, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.The army also said it had captured three square kms of area in north of Adampan in Mannar.Another three Tiger rebels were killed in two different confrontations in Periyamadu in Vavuniya yesterday, the MCNS said.While three rebels were shot dead in Nedunkandal in Mannar, two others were killed in Anandakulam in the region, the military said.Two LTTE cadres were killed in Sirimullikulam in Mannar yesterday, the MCNS said, adding another rebel was gunned down in Weerapirayan area in the region.At least three LTTE cadres were shot dead and 18 others injured in different incidents in Kiriibanwewa in northeast Welioya, the military said.

TMVP accuses EPDP of extortion

The TMVP yesterday accused the armed cadres of the EPDP of stopping civilian vehicles forcibly and compelling them to buy the party newspapers in Batticaloa.TMVP spokesperson Azath Moulana told The Morning Leader that the EPDP cadres forcibly sold the Thinamurasu newspaper published by the EPDP to civilians in several areas of Batticaloa."This has been going on for several days in the area. Even a person who earns Rs. 200 a day is forced to pay Rs. 20 for the newspaper," he said.He added the EPDP should have handed over all its weapons to the government, according to the ceasefire agreement signed between the LTTE and the then UNF government in 2002.He added the government had still not given back the weapons, though the CFA was withdrawn.

New US defence attaché meets Defence Secretary

The newly appointed defence attaché of the US Embassy in Sri Lanka, Lt. Col. Lawrence A. Smith paid a courtesy call on Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the Ministry of Defence in Colombo yesterday morning (June 24th). Lt. Col. Smith was accompanied by the departing US defence attaché Lt. Col. James E. Oxley. The Defence Secretary bade farewell to the departing defence attaché.

Karunanidhi, Vaiko protest attacks on Indian fishermen

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing concern over the Sri Lankan navy repeatedly opening fire on Indian fishermen in the waters between the two countries.A copy of his letter was given to the media here by the Chief Minister's office.In his letter, Karunanidhi urged the union government to ensure that the "rights and privileges of the Indian fishermen to carry on their normal occupation of fishing in the waters of Katchatheevu (an island in Palk Strait)) must be recognised and restored".Reminding the government of the 1974 and 1976 agreements between India and Sri Lanka, Karunanidhi said, "Fishermen were allowed to dry their nets in Katchatheevu but were prohibited from fishing in Sri Lankan territorial waters around Katchatheevu following executive instructions", which, he pointed out "did not flow from the two agreements"."...they were executive instructions and cannot supersede the provisions of the legally valid agreement entered into by the two countries", Karunanidhi said.The executive orders have caused a great deal of hardship to Indian fishermen over the years as their "traditional rights" in Katchatheevu have been denied them."Time and again our fishermen have been arrested, attacked and shot dead in these waters. Each one of these incidents has shocked the people of the state and rocked the legislative assembly," the note said."I urge the Government of India to take necessary steps to protect the precious lives of Indian fishermen and also to ensure their livelihood," Karunanidhi said in his letter.MDMK general secretary Vaiko too wrote to the prime minister Tuesday, urging him to boycott the forthcoming SAARC meeting in Sri Lanka because of the attacks on ethnic Tamils in the neighbouring country.

Sri Lanka to investigate claims of threats to media

Sri Lanka has appointed a ministerial-level committee to investigate allegations that local journalists trying to cover the country's civil war have been threatened and harassed, a senior government official said Tuesday.The investigation follows complaints from both Sri Lankan and foreign human rights groups that the government has been orchestrating much of the alleged intimidation.Cabinet minister Sarath Amunugama said the committee, appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will also help reporters gain access to government officials to verify stories as well as protect the independence and safety of journalists."The media felt that they were under too much surveillance ... we can't deny there was a feeling like that," said Amunugama, who will head the committee. Last week some 29 international rights groups wrote to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon seeking his help to persuade Sri Lanka to "immediately stop all actions which undermine the independence and safety of the news community." Earlier this month the European Commission said it had also raised the issue with the Sri Lanka government. Free Media Movement, a local rights group, said at least 100 reporters have been attacked, 25 journalists have fled the country and several others have gone into hiding in the past two years.Sri Lanka's civil war has been raging since 1983. More than 70,000 people have died in the conflict.    

Batticaloa traders appeal for closure of EPDP office

Traders of Chengakaladi area closed their shops for the second day in protest against the forcible abduction of a fellow trader, Thursday around 3:30 p.m. Armed men of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) in a white van allegedly carried out the abduction, according to complaint made by the victim’s relatives with Ea’raavoor police, Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the Red Cross Society. Meanwhile, representatives of Chengkaladi Traders Association met Pillayan Tuesday, and appealed to him to close the EPDP office in the area. The shut down followed the distribution of the handbill issued by the Traders of Chengkaladi calling for the immediate release the fellow trader, sources in Chengkaladi said. The abducted trader is identified as Thevathas Sureskumar, 35, a family man and a resident of Aa’ndaangku’lam, Chengkaladi in Ea’raavoor police division in Batticaloa district.Sureshkumar’s wife Vijeyaluxmi had gone to the EPDP office and pleaded for his release but since he was not freed Vijeyaluxmi lodged a complaint with the police stating that her husband was abducted in front a fueling station, source added.Acting on her complaint police have arrested three EPDP men and kept them in detention.

Malaysia frees Sri Lankan in nuclear parts case

MALAYSIA has freed a Sri Lankan businessman suspected to be the middleman in a nuclear parts network run by Pakistan’s disgraced top nuclear scientist, security and government officials said on Sunday. Buhary Syed Abu Tahir was released after four years in detention. He had been held under Malaysia’s tough Internal Security Act (ISA), allows authorities to detain suspects without charges or trial indefinitely. Tahir, accused by Washington of helping Pakistani Abul Qadeer Khan to sell illicit nuclear technology, had been in detention since 2004 after a police report detailing his involvement in the nuclear black market scandal. ‘Mr. BSA Tahir has been released from Kamunting in the last few days,’ a government official told reporters, referring to a detention camp in northern Malaysia. Dozens of suspected militants are being held at the camp. A regional security official confirmed Mr. Tahir had been released earlier this month. ‘But he’s been placed under restricted residence and that he has to report to the police station weekly,’ the official said on condition of anonymity. Malaysia’s Home (Interior) Minister Syed Hamid Albar could not be immediately reached for comment. Mr. Khan has been kept under house arrest in Islamabad since 2004.

India to expand military ties with Sri Lanka - Times of India

India is likely to further bolster military supplies to Sri Lanka, alarmed as it is with the way Colombo continues to turn to China, as also Pakistan to some degree, to obtain weapon systems and platforms, 'Times of India' reports. The arms supplies will be "largely" defensive in nature, in keeping with the policy to supply mainly "non-lethal" equipment to the island nation, it adds. India believes there cannot be a "military solution" to the bloody ethnic strife in Sri Lanka, and is concomitantly pushing for a dialogue process and devolution package for the Tamils without disrupting the country’s territorial integrity. The need for renewed political efforts was, once again, conveyed to the Mahinda Rajapaksa government by the high-level delegation led by national security advisor M.K. Narayanan, which also included Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh, to Colombo over the weekend. But at the same time, India cannot ignore the deep inroads being made into its own strategic backyard by China, which is providing Sri Lanka with a wide array of "cheap" arms and ammunition to bolster its ongoing battle with LTTE. "The story of Myanmar is being repeated in Sri Lanka. China is already all over the island nation, with a flurry of arms deals, oil explorations and construction projects like the Hambantota port," said a senior official. Sources said the Narayanan delegation also expressed India’s disquiet over Sri Lanka continuing to source weapon systems in a major way from China and Pakistan. Towards this end, during the wide-ranging discussions on "mutual concerns" with president Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, among others, the Indian delegation promised "all help" in the military supplies, intelligence and training arenas. Interestingly, Narayanan has earlier publicly asked Sri Lanka to desist from seeking arms from China or Pakistan, holding that India as "the big power" in the region would meet its legitimate defence requirements. But, due to political sensitivities in Tamil Nadu, India has so far supplied "defensive" weapon systems to Sri Lanka, ranging from 40mm L-70 anti-aircraft guns to ‘Indra’ low-flying detection radars, primarily meant to thwart aerial strikes by LTTE. Both China and Pakistan have gleefully jumped into this vacuum in recent times to quench Sri Lanka’s thirst for weapons with "offensive capabilities", much like what happened in Myanmar when India ignored the military junta there in the 1990s. Colombo, for instance, has signed a $37.6 million deal with the Beijing-based Poly Technologies for a wide variety of arms, ammunition, mortars and bombs. Sri Lanka is also getting some Chinese Jian-7 fighters, JY-11 3D air surveillance radars, armoured personnel carriers, T-56 (a copy of the famous AK-47) assault rifles, machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and missiles. India, on its part, apart from weapon deliveries, is conducting "coordinated" naval patrolling with Sri Lanka along the IMBL (international maritime boundary line) to curb LTTE activity on the high seas.

STF exposed in Batticaloa killings: TNA MP

The indiscriminate shooting on Sunday by Special Task Force (STF) troops of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) resulting in the killing of two civilians and injuring three others in Ka’luthaava’lai, Batticaloa demonstrates the 'barbaric behaviour' of STF, Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian T.Kanagasabai Batticaloa district said in a press communiqué released Monday. The MP also pointed out that hundreds of civilians were rounded up by STF troops and taken to Ka’luvaangchchikudi police station but were later released after his intervention. He has also accused that STF troops had forced themselves into the neighbouring houses and smashed up the belongings and property.Expressing concern over the acts of STF, the parliamentarian states that fear and tension prevail among the public in the area. The details of the incident have already been brought to the attention of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse, Mr.Kanagasabai said.The TNA MP has called upon the President to conduct judicial investigations into the killing of the innocent civilians, to take legal action on the culprits, and to ensure that attacks on innocent civilians are stopped.The MP, in the communiqué, appealed to Colombo to pay compensation to the families of the civilians killed in the incident and to provide adequate compensation for the damages caused to the houses and properties.

300-page book on JVP crisis by Wimal

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna is today reaping what it is sowing as any other traditional left party, said the leader of the National Freedom Front, Wimal Weerawansa. Fidel Castro would have failed in his Cuban revolution had the present leaders of the JVP been there at the time, Mr. Weerawansa said at the launch of his publication 'Truth & Myth - Reasons Behind the JVP Crisis' in Colombo yesterday (June 24th). He requested JVP activists to learn from experience, without relying on their leadership. Mr. Weerawansa handed over the first copy of his 300-page publication to Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera at the function.

Moscow International film festival defies SL request on Black Tiger documentary

The world-renowned Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF), despite being approached by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which was under pressure from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Russia, turned down the Sri Lankan request not to feature a documentary film on Black Tigers in the film festival. The MIFF screened Monday 'My Daughter The Terrorist,' the award winning documentary on Black Tigers by Director Beate Arnestad from Norway. The argument put forward by the [Sri Lankans] that the documentary promoted terrorism was dismissed as baseless, reported the NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Cooperation, on Tuesday, citing a MIFF official, Grigorij Libergal."They were confused on what promotes terrorism and what was analysis of terrorism," Mr. Libergal was quoted as saying. The documentary was featured under "Free Thought," documentary cinema programme at the MIFF.Morten Dae, the producer of the documentary earlier received death threats after the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) failed in blocking the organisors from screening the film at the Full Frame Documentary Festival, in Durham in the United States, according to a report in Dagsavisen, a Norwegian daily, in Apriil 2008.The MIFF, which celebrates 30th anniversary this year, is held under support of the Russian Ministry of culture and mass communications, and the Federal Agency on culture and cinematography. It is the second oldest film festival in the world and is recognised by the International Federation of Film Producers associations (FIAPF) as an "A" class festival.

Lanka once again in ‘Failed State’ list
   
Sri Lanka has once again been included in the Failed States Index by the Foreign Policy and The Fund for Peace which rank the countries where state collapse may be just one disaster away.Sri Lanka has been ranked 20 in the list of 60 failed states with Somalia claiming the number one spot and the distinction of being the state most at risk of failure. In the fourth annual Failed States Index, Foreign Policy and The Fund for Peace rank the countries where state collapse may be just one disaster away.“Whether it is an unexpected food crisis or a devastating hurricane, the world’s weakest states are the most exposed when crisis strikes,” the Index said.The rank order of the states is based on the total scores of the 12 indicators. For each indicator, the ratings are placed on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest intensity (most stable) and 10 being the highest intensity (least stable). The total score is the sum of the 12 indicators and is on a scale of 0–120. Founded in 1970 by Samuel Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel, and now published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., FOREIGN POLICY is the premier, award-winning magazine of global politics, economics, and ideas. Its mission is to explain how the world works—in particular, how the process of globalization is reshaping nations, institutions, cultures, and, more fundamentally peoples daily lives.In 2007, several countries that have long served as the poster children for failed states managed to achieve some unlikely gains. The Ivory Coast, which unraveled in 2002 after a flawed election divided north and south, experienced a year of relative calm thanks to a new peace agreement. Liberia, the most improved country in last year’s index, continued to make gains due to a renewed anticorruption effort and the resettlement of nearly 100,000 refugees. And Haiti, long considered the basket case of the Western Hemisphere, stepped back from the edge, with moderate improvements in security in the capital’s violence-ravaged slums. Bangladesh took this year’s hardest fall, set off in part by postponed elections, a feuding, deadlocked government, and the imposition of emergency rule that has dragged on for more than 18 months. These political setbacks were followed by greater economic hardships after a devastating cyclone in November flooded large swaths of cropland and left 1.5 million people homeless. In nearby Pakistan, also one of this year’s worst performers, a beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf sparked waves of violent protests when he dismissed the head of the Supreme Court and declared martial law. In a tragic close to the year, the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto left many wondering about the future prospects of this fragile, nuclear-armed state.

24 June 2008

Food to North direct from S. India

In a bid to overcome the shortage of food and offset the prevailing high prices in the North the Government has decided to import food direct to the North from South India. The high cost of transporting food to the North from Colombo has been one of the main causes for the prevailing high prices in the North.Chairman of the Northern Special Task Force Minister Douglas Devananda said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had given him permission to import food items from South India at a meeting yesterday.Devananda said the President had agreed that the import of food from South India to Jaffna would reduce the cost of transport. The move would also pacify South Indian Tamils who feel that Tamils in Jaffna are hard put in finding essential food items, he said. The food items would be ferried from South Indian ports to KKS under protection by the Sri Lankan Navy.Meanwhile, fishermen, farmers and palmyrah products produces requested the government to launch a ferry service between Kurukattuwan in Jaffna and Mannar to facilitate travel between Jaffna and Colombo which now costs about Rs. 5,000 by ship and about Rs 9,000 by plane. A boat service between Jaffna and Mannar would facilitate their travel to Colombo and help Jaffna farmers transport their produce to Colombo in the shortest possible time, Devananda said.

India to release 28 Lankan fishermen

India has agreed to release 28 Sri Lankan fishermen who were arrested last week for fishing in its territorial waters, media reports said. Sri Lankan deputy high commissioner in Chennai, A M Ansar held discussions with Indian authorities yesterday over the arrest of the fishermen and described the talks as successful. Arrangements are being made to send back the fishermen from Tuticorin to the island country, TV channels reported. The fishermen were arrested on Friday for crossing into Indian waters, some 65 nautical miles from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, ten other fishermen, who were arrested for crossing into Indian waters on June 14, had been released by the Indian authorities.

WPF will never support terrorism – Mano Ganeshan

In a letter to the IGP, leader of the Western Peoples Front, Mano Ganeshan has stressed that his party would never support any act of terrorism. The letter says that a man, recently arrested by the police, Nadaraja Sivaraja, came to the WPF office as a party member, and never a wage from the party.It was later learnt that Sivaraja, who was reportedly abducted by a group in a white-coloured van, was being detained by the police, the letter adds."Following this arrest, false news reports citing the police are attempting to drag my name and party into the case. This letter is to explain the true state of affairs," Ganeshan says."In this letter, I would like to clarify that though the above person visited our party office as a mere WPF member, the party did not pay him, he says.Further, I would like to note that the WPF fights back in a democratic manner and would never support any act or person connected to terrorism," he added.As leader of the WPF and the Convener of the Civil Monitoring Committee, Ganeshan says that though they correspond with government institutions and the international community over gross violations of human rights in the country since the 1988, they do not require the assistance of such persons."As a registered and active political party, it is natural for the WPF to have people coming in and out of our office. However, we are incapable of finding out personal details of such persons who visit to our office voluntarily," Ganeshan says."Previously, the WPF Executive Board had even forbidden Sivaraja to visit the party office over his unsatisfactory behaviour in the recent past," the WPF leader says.Calling for a report on the matter, Ganeshan requests care to be taken on the accuracy of details when briefing the media.

3 Police constables killed in Batticaloa 

3 Police constables were killed and another injured when a bomb exploded within 400m distance of the Ayanthamalai Police post in Batticaloa yesterday evening (23rd) say Police sources. 3 constables who had gone to bathe in the lake nearby were killed in the explosion said Police Spokesperson DIG Ranjith Gunasekara, adding that it is believed to be a time bomb set by LTTE who had infiltrated the area. The injured identified as PC Amila has been rushed to the general Hospital at Batticaloa. The Police and security forces personnel are conducting search operations in the area.

Vaiko urges India PM to not attend SAARC in Colombo

In a letter to the Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, Vaiko, General Secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), says that certain current practices of India are “…throwing to winds the farsighted foreign policy adopted by Pandit Nehru and Mrs. Indira Gandhi,” and urged the Prime Minister to not participate in the SAARC Conference.

Full text of the letter follows:

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh ji,

Vanakkam. The betrayal being committed by the UPA Government at the centre against the Tamils, with particular reference to the ethnic Tamils of the island of Sri Lanka has been thoroughly exposed by the statements of the Sri Lanka Government, its military officials and also by the condemnable activities, open and clandestine of the Government of India.News have appeared in the print media in India and Sri Lanka that a top level Indian official team comprising Foreign Secretary Mr. Sivasankara Menon, National Security Advisor Mr. M.K. Narayanan and the Defence Secretary Mr. Vijay Singh has reached Colombo on 20th June 2008 for consultations with the Sri Lanka Government ‘’on matters of mutual interest'’.It is reliably understood that the Indian team has met the President of Sri Lanka Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, Defence Secretary Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga. The visit was kept a top secret. A source in the Sri Lanka Presidential secretariat told the press that over Friday and Saturday, the visiting team would discuss an array of issues, including the security in the island, the ongoing military operations against the LTTE in the North, the issue of the intruding Indian fishermen in North-West Sri Lanka, and matters relating to the SAARC summit to be held in Colombo in the first week of August.My repeated request to you by letters and also in person to stop forthwith any sort of military assistance to the Sri Lanka racist Government which is committing the grave crime of genocide against the ethnic Tamil race in the island have been callously thrown away.Eventhough the UPA Government did not sign the proposed Defence Pact with Sri Lanka in 2004; the Indian Government has been equipping the Sri Lanka Government to help its war machine to perpetrate genocidal attacks against the Tamils.I accuse that the Government of India supplied radars to the Sri Lanka Air-force which is strafing and bombing by which innocent Tamil people are brutally killed, the glaring example is Sencholai massacre.I accuse that the Government of India gave a red carpet welcome to the Sri Lanka President and the Ministers whose hands are stained with the blood of Tamils.I accuse that the Government of India has sanctioned a loan of 100 million dollars at 2% interest to the Defence Ministry of Sri Lanka enabling them to purchase weapons from Pakistan and China, which would be used to decimate the Tamil race.I accuse that the UPA Government has deliberately derelicted in its duty to prevent the dastardly attacks and killing of the Sri Lanka Navy against the Tamilnadu fishermen. Adding insult to the injury, the Indian team is discussing with the Sri Lanka Government against the safety of Tamilnadu fishermen.I accuse that the Government of India has mortgaged her sovereign rights, permitting the Sri Lanka Government to lay seamines in the international waters adjacent to Indian water.I accuse that the Government of India, burying fathoms deep all the norms of humanism, prevented the supply of food and medicines to the suffering Tamils in that island by not giving permission to the International Red Cross to send the materials collected in Tamilnadu.I am pained to make the accusation that the Indian Government, particularly the abovementioned officials are assisting the Sri Lanka Government, which is making all out military offensive to liquidate the Tamil race, throwing to winds the farsighted foreign policy adopted by Pandit Nehru and Mrs. Indira Gandhi.The UPA Government and its constituent political parties are held responsible for the loss of Tamil lives in the island of Sri Lanka and will be held accountable and answerable in the dock of the people’s court of India.In view of the abovementioned facts, I am registering my point of view that the Prime Minister of India should not go to Colombo to participate in the SAARC Conference.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,

(Vaiko)

Insurance salesman shot dead in Trincomalee

Unidentified armed persons shot dead a Tamil person employed by Trincomalee branch of a private sector life insurance company in Trincomalee town Sunday night around 7.50 p.m., police sources in Trincomalee said. The company is headquartered in Colombo. The victim has been identified as one R.Ravisaroshan, father of three children.Ravisaroshan was shot in a lane along College Road in Trincomalee town when he was returning home. Police rushed to the site and conducted a search operation in the vicinity, sources from Trincomalee said.

Dissident Marxist party MP's second missing vehicle found

Second missing vehicle belong to Ms. Anjan Umma, the dissident Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian from Gampaha District, was located yesterday.According to sources, the vehicle which was retained at the JVP party headquarters has been returned to her husband. The motor car which was accepted by her husband has been taken into Police custody and is currently parked at Welikada Police station in Colombo.Her other missing vehicle was also located last week having being used by the JVP media unit stationed at Madiwela Minister’s Quarters.

Tissanayagam's lawyers seek his remand from detention

Lawyers for detained journalist J.S. Tissanayagam told the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court yesterday (June 23rd) that his current detention exceeding 90 days was unlawful. Tissanayagam is the chief editor of outreach.com news website and a columnist for 'The Sunday Times.The lawyers sought an order for his remand, from his present detention at the Colombo Crime Division under emergency regulations.However, the Attorney General objected, saying the magistrate had no jurisdiction to give such a ruling.After considering the submissions, Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi deferred a decision until June 30th.

Sri Lankan opposition wants details of Indian delegation's visit

Sri Lanka's opposition parties have urged the ruling coalition to disclose the reasons behind the 'sudden visit' to Colombo by a high-powered Indian delegation led by National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, a media report said Monday.The demand from the opposition parties has come as both the Indian and Sri Lankan governments remain tight-lipped on the visit, while implying that the officials came here for a routine consultative meeting ahead of the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit in Colombo.John Amaratunga, a leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), claimed there was a 'crucial aspect' to the two-day previously unannounced visit, pointing out that it had came at a time when the country was 'at crossroads in economic and war fronts', the Daily Mirror reported.'Today, India is concerned about what is happening in Sri Lanka. The ongoing military campaign will have serious implications (for) Tamil Nadu (and) the Indian government. So we are eager to know the true position of the visit,' said Amaratunga.The Indian delegation, which included foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon and defence secretary Vijay Singh, arrived here Friday. The team called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday and met other officials, including defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the army and navy commanders, separately.Before returning to New Delhi Saturday evening, the delegation also held talks with R. Sampanthan, the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which supports the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The team also met Minister of Social Services Douglas Devananda, who is the leader of the anti-LTTE Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP).The Indians, however, did not meet UNP leader and former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is reportedly facing an internal party crisis.Meanwhile, the radical Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has claimed that the visit by the Indian delegation was 'similar to what happened during the Vadamaradchchi operation in 1987' and demanded the government divulge the details of all discussions held.JVP's parliamentary group leader Anurakumara Dissanayake said India intervened to halt the Vadamaradchchi military operation against the LTTE in 1987 and later forced a peace accord on the Sri Lankan government.'It is the responsibility of the government to disclose the details of the visit as conflicting reports have appeared in the media,' said Dissanayake.

Civilian killed in DPU attack in Vanni

An Internally Displaced Person (IDP) who was residing in Mallaavi was killed in a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operated Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) Claymore attack Sunday around 9:30 a.m. at Paalaippaa'ni near Mallaavi, Tamileelam Police officials said. The victim was identified as P. Sriharan. He was displaced from Pazhai.

Sri Lanka sells US$230mn in two year bonds

Sri Lanka sold 2-year bonds worth 230 million US dollars priced at 294 basis points above the London Interbank Offered (LIBOR) rate, the government's debt office said.At the same time 250 million dollars of old Sri Lanka Development Bonds also matured, indicating a net pay down of 20 million dollars in SLDBs. But the public debt office, which is part of the Central Bank, called for only 200 million dollars in bids, amidst tough conditions for bonds internationally and tight conditions for dollar liquidity at home. The government originally offered for sale 125 million US dollars in two year bonds, 50 million US dollars in 3-year bonds and 25 million dollars in 5-year bonds, but only sold 2-year bonds. Earlier in the month the government also raised 3-year money through a syndicated loan with an annual put option at 250 basis poins above LIBOR. The debt office said 310 million dollars worth of bids had been recieved for the SLDBs. The LIBOR rate on Monday was 3.180 percent. At a time when credit spreads are rising analysts say the government had capped the sovereign risk premium at 294 basis points above LIBOR. The sovereign risk determines the floor rate for private borrowings in dollars. Sri Lanka's economy is getting increasingly dollarized with the government encouraging the private sector to borrow dollars.

23 June 2008

India seeking political solution to Sri Lankan conflict

India has signalled to Sri Lanka that it wants to see an end to the island’s military campaign to help solve the decades-old Tamil separatist conflict, diplomats and officials said Sunday.In closed-door talks over the weekend with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and top officials, India’s National Security Advisor MK Narayanan said New Delhi wanted to see renewed political efforts to bring peace. “The Indian delegation made it clear that they did not believe a military solution was possible,” a diplomatic source close to the delegation said. “The delegation was keen that there should be a political solution.”Narayanan, together with India’s Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh, also met with the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), seen as a political wing of the Tamil Tigers. The delegation also met three other Tamil leaders separately and stressed the need for Tamil unity to negotiate with the Sinhalese-majority government, one of the Tamil politicians said.Dharmalingam Sithadthan, the head of the Tamil Democratic People’s Liberation Front, said the Indian team was concerned that minority Tamil parties were badly split, affecting their negotiating position. “They came to talk about the conflict. They are worried that we are not united,” Sithadthan told AFP. “India is keen on a political solution.” He said the delegation was also concerned about the hardships of the minority Tamil community as a result of tighter security measures following a spate of Tamil Tiger bomb attacks.

Sri Lanka to arrest thousands of army deserters

Sri Lanka’s military has launched a campaign to track down and arrest up to 12,000 army deserters who failed to take advantage of a government amnesty, a spokesman said Sunday.“About 5,000 responded to the general amnesty we had from May 2 to the 30th,” Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said. “We are now trying to get at 11,000 to 12,000 deserters who did not respond to the amnesty.” He said most of the desertions had taken place several years ago, and asserted that there had been no exodus in recent years despite heavy fighting with separatist Tamil Tiger guerrillas.In 2003, the government moved to legally discharge from the security forces some 51,000 deserters if they agreed to pay any money they owed the military, while those wanting to rejoin were considered for fresh enlistment. However, military officials said despite that offer, thousands were still listed as deserters in the ranks of Sri Lankan security personnel numbering about 200,000. Violence: Two Sri Lankan policemen were killed in a roadside bomb explosion in the island’s east on Sunday, a day after 13 combatants died in clashes across the volatile north, the military said. It was the latest violence in Sri Lanka’s intensifying civil war that has seen fierce battles between troops and Tamil rebels, plus stepped-up bombings blamed on the insurgents. The roadside bomb exploded Sunday morning in Kaludawalai village in the eastern Batticaloa district, according to a military statement. On Saturday, 11 rebels and two soldiers died in several battles across the island’s restive north, in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar and Welioya districts, the military statement said.

Sri Lanka Army chief visits battle zone

The chief of Sri Lankan Army has visited the northern Wanni district where his troops are engaging the rebel Tamil Tiger, state television Rupavahini reported Sunday. Sarath Fonseka's visit to the Vavuniya district on Saturday was meant to encourage soldiers who are advancing into the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held territory, said the TV report. The Army commander was briefed by Commander of Security Forces Headquarters Wanni Major General Jagath Jayasuriya and other senior officers during the visit. He also gave instructions on future security measures in respective areas, specially strengthening positions in liberated areas in Vavuniya, Mannar and Welioya. The troops are now focusing on taking on the rebels in the north as the government claims that the LTTE presence has been limited to just two districts in the Northern Province. The government's success in the military campaign was gauged by its ability to hold elections in the Eastern Province after it was liberated in July last year. Fonseka has vowed to crush the rebels as soon as possible and end their over two-decade-old armed campaign to carve out a separate state for the minority Tamil community in the island.

THARISANAM TELEVISION SUSPENDS ITS EURO BROADCASTS

The European broadcasts of the Tharisanam Television - is to be suspended immediately, the service announced.It is believed Israeli government to bring pressure on the Israeli satellite company to suspecnd the broadcasts. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said , I have spent the major part of 2007 to educate foreign governments about the lethal quality of the LTTE and how its broadcasts are used to raise funds for terrorism against unarmed civilians. It is believed that the broadcasting of Tharisanm , which could be translated easily to True View, was connected to companies in France, Israel and Hong Kong. Tharisanam did not promise to return the money of its subscribers and it is generally believed it would use avenues like Tamil political parties in Tamil Nadu to continue their broadcasts through some other satellites. Though Tharisanam has been suspended in Europe and Britain ,it is believed the broadcasting would continue in Australia where a different satellite is being used. According to Sri Lankan authorities the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo has been working on the problem continuously for the last seven months. It has come to light that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been using French and Israeli satellites , named Globecast and Satlink, with the help of the pro-LTTE political party Pattalai Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Chennai that is led by Dr. Ramdoss. It is alleged the LTTE funds PMK activities in Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile the London based Tamil Broadcasting Corporation head, V. Ramraj leaked the following letter to the press , claiming that it had been sent to the Israeli satellite Company by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel

Following our conversation, we wish to bring to your attention an application that has been received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the CEO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri-Lanka, referring our attention to broadcasts of the Tamil underground organization LTTE, by Satlink Communications Company. �According to the information we have received, the company under your management is broadcasting, via satellite, a Tamil channel named Tharishanam. The content of the broadcast includes propaganda on behalf of LTTE, to the Tamil community exiling in Europe, including an effort for money raising for the benefit of the activity of this organization in Sri Lanka. The government of Sri Lanka required from the State of Israel to act so that the Israeli company will cease the broadcast of the Tamil channel.

For your knowledge, the Tamil underground LTTE, is battling for independence in east of Sri Lanka and is making use of means of terror and violence. Said underground is defined as a terror organization in the United States, Canada, the European Union countries and India. It is not yet defined as a terror organization in Israel. However, any connection between it and an Israeli body is highly problematic and even extremely severe in light of Israel's coping against the terror organizations.

In light of the high political importance that we see in resolving the issue, according to the manner required by the government of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is of the opinion that it is not appropriate that an Israeli company shall provide services, directly or indirectly to a body that is identified with a terror organization such as the LTTE. Therefore, we will be thankful for taking our aforesaid standpoint into consideration in the continuation of your activity.
 
Ramraj claimed he managed to obtain it from certain LTTE activists in London who are disgruntled with the hierarchy of the party.

Hartal in Batticaloa to protest an abduction allegedly done by EPDP
 
Four people, including two police offices were found dead in Batticaloa on Sunday, police said.A police constable and a junior officer of Special Task Force (STF) were killed in a claymore explosion at Kaludawala in the Kaluwanchikudi police division. A civilian has sustained injuries at the incident.Nine policemen were killed in Batticaloa since the completion of the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) elections, in May.

'White van' abduction

Two bodies of civilians with gunshot wounds were brought to Batticaloa hospital hours after the incident.Residents say the incident has occurred despite security has been tightened in the area.Meanwhile a Hartal has been observed in Chenkalady to protest the abduction of a businessman on Thursday by an unknown group came in a white van. Relatives of Devanesan Sureshkumar, 35, accused the Ealam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) of carrying out the abduction.The EPDP is headed by senior minister Douglas Devananda, who is also the head of the Task Force for north appointed by President Rajapaksa.

TMVP office attacked

While residents insisted a Hartal has been observed, police denied any protest taking place in Batticaloa.They said the shops were closed as Sunday is a public holiday.In Wellavelli, the office of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) was attacked by an unknown group on Saturday night.Two TMVP members have sustained injuries in the attack.The TMVP, widely known as Karuna group, is headed by Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (Pillayan).

Police Commandos gun down LTTE cadre - Batticaloa

Police Special Task Force (STF) commandos gunned down an LTTE cadre during a confrontation at Kaluthavalai in Batticaloa yesterday evening (June 22). According to the defence sources, the STF personnel have launched a cordoned search operation in the area following the claymore attack that killed 2 police personnel in yesterday morning. The STF personnel have encountered small arms fire during the search, originated from an abandoned house around 2.45 pm. The STF has retaliated to the attack and subsequently found a body of an LTTE cadre along with 2 hand grenades, and a cyanide capsule. The body of the LTTE cadre has been handed over to General Hospital Kalawanchikudi.

18 SLA killed in Vavuniyaa, SLA bodies recovered - LTTE

Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Sunday said they put up stiff resistance to a three-pronged attempt by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to break into their territory in Paalamoaddai, Vavuniyaa. 18 SLA soldiers were killed and three dead bodies of the SLA, two of them severely damaged, were located by the Tigers. More than 31 SLA soldiers were wounded in the confrontations, according to the LTTE. Three T-56 assault rifles with kit-bags, holsters and ammunition have been seized by the LTTE. The fighting began at 5:00 a.m. Sunday. The SLA attempt on two fronts were thwarted around 7:30 a.m.Heavy fighting, backed by heavy artillery and mortar barrage, continued till 3:45 p.m. when the ground movement of the SLA was thwarted by the their fighters, according to the LTTE officials. The LTTE has not issued details on their casualties.

Fort suicide cadre’s hideout sealed, manager arrestedMore info on attempt to derail passenger train

Police investigating a recent LTTE suicide attack on police near the Presidential Secretariat have located the guest house where the suicide cadre had allegedly stayed. "We sealed the guest house over the weekend," Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera told The Island yesterday, revealing investigators had recovered a photocopy of the National Identity Card (NIC) of the suicide cadre from the manager.The official said the guest house situated in the Dehiwela-Mount Lavunia area would have been used by undercover LTTE operatives on previous occasions as well. Had the manager come forward before investigators tracked him down, the situation would have been different, Gunasekera said.The official said police probing LTTE attacks had made some important breakthrough in the recent past. The arrest of the manager of the guest house situated on Station Road, Dehiwela would facilitate the investigation, he said.The May 16 blast killed ten persons and wounded almost 100, several hours before TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan took oaths before President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council. Within 24 hours after the attack, Trincomalee Police arrested the person who allegedly owned the explosives-laden motor cycle used in the attack.Meanwhile, a senior police official said the June 4 attack on a passenger train had been an attempt to derail the train. "It was shape charge," he asserting had the blast ‘cut’ the track before the locomotive passed the spot, the entire train or at least the majority of compartments would have been thrown to the sea. "It would have been a disaster," he said. Under interrogation, the suspect who was captured within 24 hours after the blast as he tried to enter Vavuniya had said that due to some technical glitch the triggering mechanism hadn’t worked. The delay by just a few seconds had allowed the locomotive and two compartments to pass the place where the track was severed, the official said.Police also revealed the circumstances in which investigators swiftly identified the suspect and alerted police and military posts. The arrest was made at Irretteperiyakulam checkpoint, south of Vavuniya. Police said a document recovered from the bag belonging to the suspect which he had dropped as he got away after a scuffle with a three wheeler driver led investigators to the passport office. "We found his photograph there," the official said, revealing authorities had also managed to track him down as he passed Dambulla with the help of a mobile phone company. This was after the investigators had found the number of the LTTE cadre’s mobile phone number written on a piece of paper.

JVP to announce cm candidates

JVP heavyweight Lal Kantha said the chief ministerial candidates of the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces would be named on Wednesday. The JVP politburo would meet on Monday night to decide on the two leading candidates, he said, adding the rest of the candidates had been already picked.

22 June 2008

TNA parliamentary group leader Sampanthan regrets neglected relationship

Tamil National Alliance (TELO,TULF,ACTC and EPRLF) parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan, who on Saturday met the visiting Indian top officials at India House in Colombo, told the delegation that "Tamils believed all these years that they were the natural allies of India, but it is not so today." Even the human rights violations against Tamils, abductions and genocide are largely ignored by India. R. Sampanthan"We feel very sad about this," he said. "We thought both Tamils and Indians were together but we believe India do not think that we’re together. But today India got the oil tanks in Trincomalee but Tamils, nothing," he told media after the meeting. "India has not been very concerned about Tamil grievances but are only interested in safeguarding their own interests," Mr. R. Sampanthan told the visiting Indian delegation."In 1987, the Indo-Sri Lanka accord merged the North and the East but today it has been de-merged. And it guaranteed devolution of powers to the Tamils. But even after it was de-merged, India is not worried about Tamil interests. Indians are only concerned about their own interests."After listening to Mr. Sampanthan the Indian delegation invited him and his party members to visit Delhi for further talks.M. K. Narayanan, Shivashankar Menan and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Alok Prasad and two other officials were present during the discussions.On Saturday morning EPDP leader Douglas Devananda had a breakfast discussion with the delegation. Earlier on Friday night CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman paid them a courtesy call.In the meantime a Marxist political leader of Sri Lanka regretted for the continued Indian attitude of conducting important talks at the level of civil servants and intelligence officers, who are not answerable to the people of India, and for the meek submission of Sri Lankan politicians to such a diplomacy.

Top Indian delegation leaves after meeting president

The high powered Indian delegation which arrived in Colombo on Friday left for India yesterday by a special flight after a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapakse in Colombo.The three-member Indian delegation comprised top members of the Indian bureaucracy – Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh.Their unpublicized arrival on Friday saw some speculative reporting that sent up both indices on the Colombo Stock Exchange that had been steadily falling earlier in the week.Diplomatic sources said that the Indian visit was largely connected to the forthcoming SAARC Summit due to open in Colombo on August but other matters concerning Indo-Lanka relations would have also been discussed. However, there was no statement from either side.They noted that last September, a senior Sri Lankan delegation including the Secretary to the President, Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse and the Army Commander had visited Delhi.Among others, the Indian delegation met Minister Douglas Devananda, the Chairman of the Northern Special Task Force and Minister of Social Services.Devananda said he had expressed utmost confidence in President Rajapakse’s "practical approach" to resolving the National Question and appealed to the Indian Government to assist as much as possible the development of the Northern and Eastern Provinces.Devananda had a breakfast meeting with the visiting Indian delegation where he expressed the view that Rajapakse, unlike his predecessors, had a new approach towards resolving the national issue "giving rebirth to the baby that had died of natural causes with the departure of IPKF from Sri Lanka."Devananda had also said that TULF leader V. Anandasangaree lived in a dream world of his own and was not looking at the national problem in a pragmatic way if he believes that he has persuaded the UNP which opposed President Kumaratunga’s constitutional reforms and the JHU and JVP which remained opposed to the PCs to accepted the Indian federal model.Devananda had said that even if this model was accepted as a solution, it would have to be passed by a two-third parliamentary majority and endorsed by the people at a referendum. Such a process would take many more years."The president has cut the coat according to the cloth he has and activated a Provincial Council in the East," he noted. He was also seeking to do the same in the North.Both Colombo and New Delhi were tight-lipped about discussions between the two sides with diplomats saying off the record that the forthcoming SAARC Summit and other matters of mutual interest were discussed.The Hindu reported yesterday that the visit assumed importance in the context of India’s keen interest of a solution to the ethnic conflict."It (the Indian team visit) is part of the regular exchange of contacts at the highest official level between the two countries. The latest Indian official visit can be termed as a returned visit to a similar mission from Colombo to New Delhi in September last year."A senior government official was quoted saying that talks were "free, frank and fruitful," and covered the whole gamut of India-Sri Lanka relations."India is not just our neighbour but a close friend and a major player in the region. This spirit was reflected at today’s talks."Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is due to hand over the Chairmanship of SAARC to President Mahinda Rajapakse at the Colombo Summit.

India calls for political solution fast

The Indian government on Friday urged the Mahinda Rajapakse government to speedily submit a viable devolution package within a united Sri Lanka to resolve the ethnic crisis and reiterated New Delhi's position that there was no military solution to the conflict. The message of the Indian government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was conveyed to the Sri Lankan administration by a top level three member delegation that flew into Colombo Friday morning even as fighting in the north intensified. The delegation left Sri Lanka yesterday.The high powered Indian delegation comprised National Security Advisor, M.K. Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Defence Secretary Sri Vijay Singh.The Sunday Leader further learns the Indian delegation had also expressed India's security concerns on the government's tilt towards China and Pakistan on military matters.They had also, it is learned, shown growing impatience on the slow progress made with regard to a political solution, The official Indian and Sri Lankan position on the visit was that it was to discuss the up coming SAARC Summit in addition to being a reciprocal visit for a similar visit by a high powered Sri Lankan delegation early this year comprising President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse and Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse.However informed sources pointed out that the visit was much more significant than the officially stated position since it was only 72 hours earlier that the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama was in New Delhi where a meeting was had with Prime Minister Singh on the SAARC summit.Therefore there was no need for such a high level delegation to arrive in Colombo soon after to discuss the same issue," the sources said.The visit also comes just days after UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe met Narayanan and Menon in New Delhi where the situation in Sri Lanka and the failure of the political process to resolve the ethnic conflict was discussed at length.The Indian delegation during the visit met  amongst others President Mahinda Rajapakse, Lalith Weeratunga, Basil Rajapakse, Gotabaya Rajapakse, Ministers Arumugam Thondaman, Douglas Devananda and TNA Leader R. Sambandan where the ethnic issue was discussed at length. Significantly no meeting was had with Wickremesinghe.Contacted by The Sunday Leader, Wickremesinghe confirmed there was no meeting scheduled with him but said there was no need for such a meeting since he had met two members of the delegation days earlier in New Delhi and discussed issues at length. He however declined to divulge details of the discussions.It is learned the Indian delegation was to also meet  Muslim Congress leader Rauf Hakeem but that meeting had to be called off since Hakeem had to leave for India on urgent family business Friday afternoon.Informed sources said the Indian side at the meeting with Government leaders called on the APRC process to be fast tracked and a political solution placed on the table at the earliest. They had also stressed the importance of developing an all party consensus.It is learned the plight of the civilians in the north due to the escalating military conflict was also discussed and the impact it would have on India if there was a refugee outflow to the southern Indian state.Highly placed sources also adverted to the presence of Narayanan in the delegation who is tasked with handling all issues concerning the south of India especially on the security and related political developments.The Government it is learned had reiterated its commitment to a political solution and agreed there was no military solution to the conflict and that its objective was to weaken the LTTE and force it to a political solution.

Ranil to meet Foreign Office minister during visit to Britain
 
Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is due for talks with Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, the foreign office minister in charge of Asia and Africa, and William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, informed sources said.The opposition leader, who arrives here today from Colombo, is due to meet with government and opposition figures tomorrow. He will be accompanied by UNP Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake, the sources said. Mr. Wickremesinghe’s visit comes hard on the heels of a visit to London earlier this month by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was here principally to attend a mini-summit of Commonwealth leaders to discuss reforms of international institutions, such as the United Nations, the IMF and the World Bank, and to look at making the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) more meaningful.However, President Rajapaksa made use of the occasion for bilateral discussions with Lord Malloch-Brown and David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader. William Hague was also present at the meeting. While President Rajapaksa briefed them on the situation in Sri Lanka and the moves to bring democratic governance to the Eastern province, the British politicians are believed to have raised some questions relating to human rights and the state of the media in Sri Lanka.It is expected that Opposition leader Mr. Wickremesinghe will also brief the British politicians on how he and his party perceived the situation in Sri Lanka. The UNP politicians are expected to call for a more robust approach by Britain to the situation in Sri Lanka.It is not clear yet what precisely is on the UNP politicians’ agenda for the meetings with the British politicians. Some here expect Mr. Wickremesinghe to raise the issue of the GSP Plus trade concession, whose continuation is considered vital for the survival of Sri Lanka’s garment industry.

Kilinochchi District Hospital in dire straits

The Kilinochchi Medical Association (KMA) has warned President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Healthcare Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva that some 14 doctors serving in the District Hospital in Kilinochchi would resign if the authorities failed to take steps to address the shortage of doctors.In an appeal, the KMA noted that there were only 14 doctors in the Kilinochchi Hospital, while the required number of doctors was 60. In addition, they stated there wasn’t a single specialist available in the hospital.“It is not only doctors that the hospital lacks; it also needs all types of medical staff, including nursing officers, a senior house officer and minor staffers. Therefore, sometimes we do not only the duties of doctors but also undertake other duties in order to save the lives of our patients,” pointed out the KMA, in a press release.The release also highlighted the lack of facilities in the hospital, including the drugs shortage crisis, which has reached an apex, the electricity and water supply problems, which have arisen due to the skyrocketing price of the fuel, and a host of other restrictions and issues.“How can we manage the labour rooms and operating theatres without electricity and water supply? We have become doctors in this country thanks to the taxes paid by innocent people. Therefore, we have to take care of the patients. However, we need at least the basic facilities such as water and electricity in order to do this,” the KMA emphasised.The KMA further pointed out that the movements of doctors are limited to the hospital premises since they were worried about claymore mines and other LTTE threats that could be towards health workers and ambulances.“We need a decent number of doctors and minor staff and other facilities, but if the government fails to provide the simple needs, then we might as well resign from our posts and vacate the hospital. We are risking our lives to work. Therefore, the government should at least provide adequate facilities to the hospital, especially since we are treating the innocent and helpless patients who are living in border areas,” the statement added.

TMVP vows not to disarm till LTTE is wiped out

The TMVP yesterday reiterated that they would not disarm until the LTTE is totally wiped out.TMVP spokesperson Azath Moulana told The Sunday Leader that they will not lay down their arms as the threat by the LTTE still prevailed.The TMVP's refusal to disarm came amidst claims by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse and Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona that only the police and security forces were entitled to bear arms.The government however has not taken any steps to disarm the TMVP.Moulana said the LTTE's presence in the north was a threat to the breakaway faction and added that the LTTE had to be wiped out from the country before they could surrender their weapons.The TMVP cadres were attacked on several occasions in the east during the local government elections in Batticaloa in February, he charged.The TMVP blamed the LTTE for these attacks despite government claims that terrorism was totally wiped out from the east. "The LTTE's strength is its military wing and the intelligence wing. Once they are destroyed, automatically, the LTTE would be powerless. Both these factors have been destroyed in the east," he said.Uduman Lebbe, a UPFA minister at the eastern provincial council on Monday also called for the disarming of the TMVP, due to the many allegations of child recruitment and abductions.

Batti security beefed up
 
Security has been beefed up in Batticaloa with more and more roadblocks and STF checkpoints set up after five police officers were killed since the conclusion of the Eastern Provincial Council elections.A senior police officer told The Sunday Times though the Batticaloa district has been cleared of the LTTE a handful of its pistol gang members are still operating in Batticaloa and its outskirts.After two weeks of tension the Kattankudi area has returned to normal and no major incidents have been reported except that of the abduction of an Open University student whose body was later found. “We have told the TMVP to co-operate with the police during cordon and search operations,” the officer said.

Media urges Ban Ki-moon to protect SL journalists

Leading media organisations spread across the world, in an appeal to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, have urged him to pressurise the Sri Lankan Government into respecting the UN Security Council Resolution 1738 on journalism in conflict zones and put an end to all actions which undermine the independence and safety of the news community. The appeal, sent out by 29 IFEX members and other organisations, alerted the UN Secretary General to several statements made by the government and military which “put journalists in grave danger.”“Under terms of UNSCR 1738, on the protection of journalists in conflict, we write to draw your attention to the alarming situation in Sri Lanka, where statements associated with the government and the military have, in our view, put journalists in grave danger,” the letter stated In commentaries published on its website on June 5, the Defence Ministry labelled journalists critical of the war effort against Tamil rebels as “enemies of the state” and said it would take “all necessary measures to stop this journalistic treachery.”In addition to news organisations, the Ministry singled out for criticism the Free Media Movement (FMM), a prominent local rights group.This followed comments last January by Army Commander Major General Sarath Fonseka, who labelled some journalists as traitors. His statement came in the wake of a strike by the Sri Lankan Air Force against the official Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) radio station, which killed at least three editorial staff the previous November, the media organisations said in the letter.“The undersigned organisations, all of whom fully support the UN Security Council Resolution 1738 on journalism in conflict zones, condemn these statements, which risk encouraging those who have used extreme violence against journalists and other news professionals in the country,” the letter said.The letter went on to say, “The global survey of news media casualties, presented to you by the International News Safety Institute last December, placed Sri Lanka 14th out of more than 70 countries where journalists died trying to do their jobs over the past decade. Journalists continue to work there in conditions of fear and harassment. As you know, Resolution 1738 urges all parties in situations of armed conflict to respect the professional independence and rights of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel.”“We seek your support in urging all United Nations member states to respect Resolution 1738 in letter and in spirit, and specifically request your help in persuading the Government of Sri Lanka to withdraw these statements and immediately stop all actions which undermine the independence and safety of the news community,” the letter added.The signatories included the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) in Cairo, ARTICLE 19 in London, Centre for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) in Manila, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Freedom House in New York, Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and International News Safety Institute, Brussels, the International Press Institute (IPI) in Vienna, the London based Index on Censorship, the Colombo-based Free Media Movement (FMM) and World Association of Newspapers (WAN) in Paris.

MPP  to meet  today to discuss its future activities

The Musali People's Parliament (MPP), representing the Muslim IDPs evicted from the north would meet today at the Puttalam community centre to discuss its future activities. The meeting is being  held five days before the scheduled meeting with SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem.MPP President, S.M.A. Niyas told The Sunday Leader that a suitable candidate for the SLMC National List would be chosen at the meeting provided the SLMC agreed to accept MPP's request for a Musali representation in parliament.The MPP was scheduled to meet Hakeem last Monday. The meeting however was postponed to Friday (27), as the SLMC leader was out of the country.The Muslim IDPs faced problems with the host community in Puttalam with regard to the distribution of resources. Though the issue had died down, Niyas said that a permanent solution had to be found for the Muslim IDPs.The SLMC earlier said that the resettlement of the northern Muslims was interconnected with finding a permanent solution to the ethnic conflict.

Norwegian Ambassador express concern over missing NRC staff member: meets HR Minister

The family of Sebastian Goodfellow, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) driver who is still missing, made a fervent appeal for his release last week.His wife and children who were brought down to Colombo from Batticaloa by the NRC on a request made by them, made an emotional appeal to release their sole breadwinner.According to information pieced together so far by the NRC, the following is the sequence of events which led to Goodfellow’s disappearance and follow-up action initiated to trace him:On 15th May, 2008 (Thursday night) Sebastian Goodfellow arrived in Colombo at 17:45 and, after dropping off two colleagues at the Colombo City Hotel, proceeded to the NRC Colombo office to park the vehicle. He left the office around 19:45 after leaving the car in the office. Later during the same day, he had a conversation with his wife around 20:30. Between 19:00 and 20:00, he was in contact with his usual lodge in Bambalapitiya, who say they told him they had no room available, that night. He was in touch with a colleague around 20.00 and had mentioned that he was watching TV in his room, apparently at another location.  He has had a conversation with his wife around 20:30 and the same colleague who was in contact with him at 20:00 received a missed call from him around 23.00 the same night. His wife tried to call his mobile phone at 05:30 Friday the 16th, and that on the first attempt the phone rang and the second time she tried, it was switched off. Subsequent attempts to reach his phone resulted in ringing but were either unanswered or ended abruptly.

Update on action taken todate:

1. Call tracking

Mobile phone tracking information for the NRC owned phone used by Goodfellow has been obtained, this information includes all incoming calls made to and from the phone between the 15th May and the 18th May when the phone was switched off. It also displays the transmitters that the phone had been transmitting through. These indicate that the last areas the phone has been used are Kimbulapitiya and Negombo.

2. Diplomatic Support

Diplomatic channels have also been used to seek stronger support from the authorities.

3. Arrest and Detention Hotline

The case has been registered with them and they have contacted all Police stations, Army HQ’s, Hospitals and prisons, but no new information has been received at this time.

4. Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka

HRC has received a letter from NRC and has confirmed that the case has been registered with them and will receive the attention of the Commission.

5. Local Authorities

The case is being followed up by the Cinnamon Gardens Police. NRC is in constant touch with the OIC and relevant details have been handed over with assurances from the Police that they are looking into the case. A Court Order from the Magistrate’s Court of Colombo has been obtained ordering the Cinnamon Gardens Police to carry out a full investigation. The Dialog phone company released the names of the people listed as having either received or made calls to the NRC phone held by Goodfellow and/or his captors, following an Order issued by court.A full dossier of all attempts made by the NRC to locate Goodfellow has been handed over to the relevant authorities.

6. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

The ICRC which is very active with regard to such cases in Sri Lanka has been given all details as well as regular updates from NRC.

7. Norwegian Embassy

The Norwegian Ambassador has expressed his concern for the missing staff member and has personally met with the Minister for Disaster management and Human Rights.

8. Goodfellow’s Family

At the request of the family of Goodfellow, the family came to Colombo to meet Deputy Minister Radhakrishnan.The wife, supported by a lawyer, met with the Cinnamon Gardens Police to make a statement. The family has met a representative from the office of the Eastern Province Chief Minister and presented a letter requesting the Minister’s office to take an interest in the case.

9. Media

Originally it was decided that the media would not be informed of the matter, immediately. It was felt that media attention may put the driver at greater risk of harm as it was not known whom the captor/s were. However, between Thursday 22nd and Saturday 26th a few media highlighted the case. Subsequently, two press statements were released on May 24th and 29th.

Alleged suicide bomb director nabbed
 
An LTTE operative who posed as a film director and is suspected to be the mastermind behind recent bomb attacks on civilian targets in and around Colombo was arrested by a special police team in Kotahena on Friday, a spokesman said yesterday.The man is suspected to have acted as the handler of "suicide bombers" and was the main distributor of explosives for the terrorist network outside the north and east, Police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekera said. He was tracked down following information gathered from a “Black Tiger” suicide squad member who was arrested a few days earlier in Wellawatta, Senior Superintendent Gunasekera said.The man had been in possession of an identity card issued by the National Film Corporation identifying him as film director. The man owned a shop in the first floor of the Kotahena supermarket and he used this shop to give shelter to suicide cadres before they were sent out on their missions, the SSP said.Police believe it was this 'film director' who sent the female suicide bomber on the mission that killed 14 people including 7 school boys of the D.S. Senanayake College at the Colombo Fort railway station on February 3 on the eve of the Independence Day celebrations, he said..Earlier police had also found 9.5 kg of high explosives, a stock of detonators, steel balls weighing 1.5kg, and batteries with the suicide bomber arrested in Wellawatta. He had also revealed that he was engaged in reconnaissance operations on VIP movements close to the Government Information Department at Narahenpita in the past few weeks.The "Film Director" during interrogation had revealed that he was to participate in a cultural show at BMICH on Friday. The show was attended by Prime Minster Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and Media Minister Mahinda Yapa Abewardane, the spokesman said, adding that the suspect had manipulated matters to get an invitation from the Director of Cultural Department for this event.

PM targeted for assassination at drama festival on Friday?

Police are investigating a possible assassination attempt on Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake at Friday’s annual state drama awards ceremony at the BMICH after the arrest of an undercover LTTE operative who had an invitation to the event. The former Director of the National Film Corporation (NFC) has received the invitation to the event from the Cultural Affairs Ministry. Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said an LTTE intelligence wing cadre, under interrogation, had implicated the former NFC director. The police had kept the arrest of the intelligence wing cadre under wraps until they took the former NFC director into custody. Wickremanayake has repeatedly vowed to wipe out the LTTE at any cost. The Prime Minister recently declared government forces were on the verge of overwhelming the LTTE in their remaining Vanni strongholds and the collapse of the LTTE was rapidly approaching. The military said the LTTE would try to take a major target in Colombo ahead of the SAARC summit to force the cancellation of the event.Investigators had recovered 9.5 kilograms of high explosives and a stock of steel balls from the suspects who revealed details of bombing operations mounted by the LTTE in the city and its suburbs.They had led the investigators to a shop on the top floor of a supermarket in the Kotahena police area where the intelligence wing cadre had turned out a range of explosive devices, particularly suicide kits. Gunasekera said the woman suicide cadre who killed 14 persons including several children and wounded over 100 men, women and children on at the Fort Railway Station on February 3, 2008, had received her suicide jacket from the suspects.Gunasekera said this was a major breakthrough in police investigations into covert LTTE operations in the city and its suburbs. He said the former NFC director had received the invitation to Friday’s event from a senior official of the Cultural Ministry.The official said although the LTTE had succeeded in mounting several attacks in Colombo and its suburbs over the past several months, investigators had made significant progress in their inquiries into these incidents. The recovery of over nine kilograms of explosives comes hard on the heels of the arrest of a gang of LTTE cadres operating in the Wattala police area. Police said a JVP member of the Western Provincial Council had led the investigators to the gang after he grew suspicious of the person who had rented his house at Kerawalapitiya, Wattala. The councillor said he called police as the person who rented the house had not brought his wife, children or any furniture to the house although he said he was taking the premises for his family. Instead, some others, including a couple, had moved in. Police swooped down on them on June 14 arresting six persons and recovering 2.5 kilograms of high explosives. Under interrogation, they led investigators to another stock of 10 kilograms of high explosives stored at Elakanda where two more suspects were taken in. Investigators said one of the persons arrested at Kerawalapitiya had acted as a senior member of the breakaway LTTE faction. But under interrogation he had acknowledged his real identity. Devarasa Anandaraka alias Kanagan, an LTTE intelligence operative, was among the six persons arrested at Kerawalapitiya, the sources said. The gang had been tasked with attacking public transport, he said.

Wanni people warned of darker economic times

An economic arm of the LTTE has warned the people in the Wanni region of darker economic times. Deputy President of Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organisation (TEEDOR), P Sujan, warned of darker economic times for the people in Wanni and the urgent necessity for self-sufficiency, during his speech at the opening of a branch of his organisation in a suburb of Killinochchi.He said that the war clouds hanging over the people could create darker economic times and people must struggle to achieve self-sufficiency using naturally available products in their farming methods. He added that TEEDOR is working hard to create food security through self-sufficiency in the farming methods. “Hard times have already arrived due to the limitations on the arrival of convoys from the south of the island and we are facing difficulties in obtaining the farming needs such as fertilizer and fuel for our farmers. We are, therefore, trying to produce substitutes for the farming needs that we are unable to bring from the south in convoys,” he said.It must be noted that the drastic reduction in the number of convoys that are allowed by the Sri Lankan military to pass through the Omanthai checkpoint had created extreme shortage of essential food and farming items in Wanni. Efforts made by the international community and INGOs to alleviate the situation have not been very successful. As a result, essential items in Wanni cost twice as much as in the south

No funds allocated for eastern development

An estimated 118,000 houses in the Eastern Province are in need of urgent repair, according to Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) sources.The council, which is short of funds, has appealed to many International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) and local NGOs for financial assistance.The government in its budgetary allocation has made financial allocations only for the recurrent expenditure and not for any development work of the Eastern Province.Therefore, EPC sources said the council was forced to depend on various donors to repair the houses. These houses, the sources said, have been damaged by both the ongoing war and the 2004 tsunami.According to the source, most of the houses constructed by INGOs after the tsunami have collapsed and therefore, more money was needed to reconstruct the houses.However, some INGOs have expressed concern over the fresh threats to the east from the LTTE and said their offer of help would be of no use if war broke out in the east again.

Bomb detected on Kandy rail track
 
A bomb fixed to the rail track at Nawalayatenna on the Kandy-Matale line was detected and defused yesterday evening, Central Province Deputy Inspector General Kingsley Ekananyaka said.He said the bomb, weighing 750 grams and containing C4 explosives, was found close to the place where a bomb exploded damaging the track last month.

South African Tamils rally for Eezham Tamils' rights

Tamils in South Africa on Saturday gathered for Pongku Thamizh rally at the Arena Park Regional Hall, in Chatsworth, where they pledged to support the Eezham Tamils' right to statehood, and urged the international community to voice for the Tamils’ rights.Guest speakers at the event were Deputy Mayor of Ethekwini, Logie Naidoo, and MEC for Sports and Recreation, Mr. A Rajbansi, both of whom spoke out against what they called the “selective morality” of the international community regarding the Tamil freedom struggle. The key speaker was Dr. Brian Seneviratne, a Australia-based Sinhala expatriate physician, who is supportive of Tamils right to self-determination. “My agenda is to bring peace to that country and more important than that, peace with justice,” he said. He characterised the current situation in Sri Lanka as “the slide of a democracy into a fascist dictatorship.” Being a member of the Bandaranaike family, he has rejected their oppressive policies against the Tamils. For more than 3 decades, he has been condemning the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka and has been advocating a separate Tamil state. Dr. Senewiratne said that South Africa has the potential to play a pivotal role in the resolution of the Sri Lankan conflict because it is one of very few countries that has no agenda where Sri Lanka is concerned.He also discussed the importance of India, Tamil Nadu in particular, becoming actively involved in protecting the interests of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The Program Director was, Mala Lutchmanan, a local radio personality.A declaration was made, seeking the International Community to recognise Tamils right to self - determination and recognising the LTTE as the legitimate sole representatives also in the future negotiations. The declaration further urged the international community to seek a just solution and to put an immediate end to the genocide of the Tamils.

21 June 2008

Top Indian delegation in talks with govt

A high level Indian delegation, including the National Security Advisor, were in Colombo yesterday for talks with the government on the country’s situation, the upcoming SAARC summit in Sri Lanka and the safety of the delegates, the Daily Mirror learns.The Indian delegation comprising Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Defence Secretary Sri Vijay Singh arrived at the Bandaranaike airport on board a special flight last morning and were flown to Colombo by helicopter.An Indian High Commission spokesman said the delegation was here to discuss the SAARC summit scheduled to open on August 1 in Colombo. When contacted sources in New Delhi said the delegation was in the country to discuss defence issues, the security of the SAARC delegates and to meet top military and other officials during their short visit.A spokesman for the Indian High Commission in Colombo said the sole purpose of the visit was to discuss issues about the upcoming SAARC summit and to prepare a detailed report about the event. He also said since the Indian Defence Secretary himself was part of the delegation the country’s security situation would have also figured in the discussions.“One of the main purposes was to discuss the SAARC event but since they were in the country then issues regarding the country’s security situation also may have been discussed.India aims at making the upcoming SAARC Summit in Colombo a success. During the delegations visit, I am sure that both countries would have also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations as well,” the Indian High Commission spokesman told the Daily Mirror. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona also maintained that the Indian delegation had arrived in Colombo to discuss issues about the upcoming SAARC summit. “The delegation is in Sri Lanka to fine tune issues regarding the SAARC summit. They will meet some senior government representatives and might return to India soon,” Dr. Kohona said. The delegation was expected to leave for India either last evening or this morning.The IANS news service reported that the delegation was scheduled to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa and other key government officials. The report also quoted an official at the Presidential Secretariat as terming the visit as a “regular one”.“Their visit is part of the ongoing consultations between Sri Lanka and India on the current developments,” the official said, in an obvious reference to the conflict raging in Sri Lanka.The official pointed out that a Sri Lankan delegation comprising Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, president’s secretary Lalith Weeratunga and presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa went to New Delhi late last year.The forthcoming SAARC summit to be hosted by Sri Lanka is to address issues of food and energy security as well as terrorism. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama was in India this week to extend an invitation from President Rajapaksa to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the Summit.

Anjaan Umma complains to IGP of threats to self, family

JVP Gampaha District Parliamentarian Ms Anjaan Umma, who on Tuesday defected from her party, yesterday said that her life was in danger as she and her family had received death threats from JVP activists.In a letter to the IGP yesterday, she said that she and members of her family had been in the custody of JVP members for some time and to get rid of this pressure and in view of her safety, she had left her residence No 57, Hansagiriya, Kaleliya on June 16 with her son. The JVP activists had monitored her whereabouts, her contacts and her telephone conversations, Umma said in her complaint. She had been barred from attending Parliament on certain occasions by party activists. They had threatened and intimidated her family members to exert pressure on her, she said. Umma’s daughter is married to a fulltime JVP activist and they had been made use of by the party to urge the MP to toe their line."The party members want me to come back and to be in their custody. These activists have threatened my family to urge me to do so. On Tuesday, as soon as I freed myself from their surveillance I made a complaint (No 2008/06/17, 167 Page, 50006 RIB 1) at Parliament Police since I need to act independently and to engage in my political activities. I left my home since the JVP activists have come there to take me and my son into their custody. Please take necessary action to rid my home of JVP activists," she said in her letter to IGP. She had, from an unknown destination, informed the Speaker that she would act as an independent MP. Subsequently, she had informed the Mirigama OIC yesterday around 10.00 am that she was safe and no one need worry about her.She had also requested the IGP to provide additional security to her and her family. Before she left the Parliament premises on Tuesday she made a complaint to the Parliament Police that her life was in danger and she needed protection. She also told the Police that two of her vehicles were with the JVP at the Pelawatte premises of the party.Subsequently, the Welikada Police traced one of the vehicles at the Pelawatte premises of the JVP and said the complainant should call over at the Colombo District Court on July 14 to take charge of the vehicle. However, the Police were unable to trace the other vehicle Anjaan Umma had mentioned in her complaint. All efforts by media personnel since Tuesday to trace the whereabouts of Anjaan Umma proved futile. She has now been provided with MSD security, well informed sources said.

No interim agreements. UNP rebels insist Ranil should go

A group of United National Party (UNP) rebel MPs have stated to the committee appointed to look into the party problems that Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe should resign from the party leadership. 'Lanka-e-News' learns that the MPs Johston Fernando, Lakshman Senevirathna, Jayalath Jayawardhana and Ranjith Madduma Bandara made this suggestion before the committee on Thuresday (19). One MP of this group said that Mr. Wickramasinghe should resign from party leadership while remaining as the Opposition Leader. They urged Rukman Senanayaka to be appointed as the party leader and vowed not to give in to any offer such as higher positions in the party.  The MP said that the struggle to oust Ranil would be continued in the Executive Committee in which the majority is appearing for a change in the leadership.The Chairman of the committee appointed by the party leader to look into the party problems is MP Rukman Senanayaka. Others in the committee are Joseph Michael Perera, John Amarathunga, Sarathchandra Rajakaruna, Jayawickrama Perera, Amara Piyaseeli Rathnayaka and Renuka Herath.

SC rejects petitions against PC dissolutions

The Supreme Court yesterday rejected the fundamental rights violation applications filed by the UNP, the JVP and two citizens, challenging the decisions, of the respective Governors of the North Central and Subaragamuwa Provinces, to dissolve their respective Provincial Councils.The Court refused leave to proceed with these applications, which alleged that the Governors had dissolved the Councils on the advice of the Chief Ministers who no longer commanded the majority support consequent to the JVP splitting with the UPFA.During yesterday’s hearing the Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva commented that since the Chief Ministers did not command majority support, the Governors had used their statutory powers and dissolved the Councils. The Chief Ministers without the majority support may not have been able to conduct the Councils independently, thus, the governor would have resorted to a dissolution. Shibly Aziz PC, and A. P. Niles supported the petitions.D. S. Wijesinghe PC, Palitha Kumarasinghe PC Manohara de Silva PC, and Sanjeewa Jayewardene appeared for the respondent Governor and the Chief Minister.

SC rejects

The Deputy Solicitor General Indika Demuni de Silva appeared for the Attorney General. The Bench comprised the Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, Justice Shirani Tilakawardene and Justice K. Sripavan.The UNP petitioners were A. A. Wijetung of Sabaragamuwa and A. M. R. D. Abeysinghe of the North Central Province.The JVP petitioner were R. K. Indrananda of the North Central Province and S. K. M. Premasinghe of the Sabaragamuwa Province the two citizens, who had petitioned were, P. M. U. H. Fernando and P. S. R. Premalal both the North Central Province.

Manjula Selvarajah: Defending Tamil Canadians

The non-profit “World Tamil Movement” is the first ever domestic group to be targeted by Canada's Minister of Safety. The Tamil community is shaken, but it is the general populace who should take notice. Tamils in Canada are concerned that this statement was made without regard for the full implications for the community here and their loved ones in Sri Lanka, and without a sound understanding of the conflict.For more clarity on the situation, one need only reference the dramatic series of events at the UN Human Rights Council vote this May. Three Nobel Peace Prize winners — Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and Argentinean activist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel — wrote to UN members asking that Sri Lanka be excluded from the Council because of serious human rights violations by the Sri Lankan government.At the end of the UN vote, Steve Crawshaw, UN Advocacy Director at Human Rights Watch and spokesperson for the NGO coalition for an Effective Human Rights Council, said of Sri Lanka, “We applaud the UN members for rejecting an abusive state which has used its position on the Human Rights Council not to promote Human Rights, but to protect itself and violator states from scrutiny.” Why was Stockwell Day’s statement lacking even a few words on the human rights record of the Sri Lankan government, one that is well known and documented internationally? In quoting the number of civilian deaths this year, why did he not go further and mention that a majority of the deaths were Sri Lankan Tamils killed by military operations conducted by the Sri Lankan army?It cannot be said that our government is unaware of the situation. Recently, the Canadian government’s appointee to the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) overseeing the Sri Lankan Government Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights abuses returned after an abrupt ending to their mission, only a few months into the process. In an official statement about the reason for their early departure, the IIGEP cited a lack of will on the part of the Sri Lankan government to investigate human rights cases where the Sri Lankan forces were involved and expressed their concerns about the impunity for serious human rights violations.Does the Canadian government really need more proof of Sri Lanka’s ambivalence about international human rights standards? he Sri Lankan government may be celebrating the blacklisting, but Canadian Tamils have more genuine concerns about the plight of civilians back home. There is general worry within the community here that much needed humanitarian donations they send may get cut off. Tamils around the globe also fear that Sri Lanka may be turning to other funding sources, as a proactive measure against potential sanctions from Western countries. Iranian President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,visited Sri Lanka in April, 2008, and the two countries' ministries have since then signed memorandums of understanding to work together. We fear that Sri Lanka is making “friends” with such other governments because may be less likely to take a stand on these human rights abuses, unlike Canada. In short, the unbalanced focus of the Canadian government on one party to the conflict, the LTTE, shifts the scrutiny away from the actions of the Sri Lankan government. This in turn means the government of Sri Lanka can continue to pursue its militarized agenda, including a continuation of aerial bombings of areas where Tamil Sri Lankans live, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings.From Brian Mulroney’s opposition to apartheid in South Africa to Steven Harper’s tough words against President Musharaff’s regime in Pakistan, the Canadian tradition of respecting democratic and human rights principles such as the Rule of Law has been a beacon of hope for the downtrodden and discriminated peoples of the world.  The Tamil Canadian community looks forward to seeing the Canadian government apply a balanced approach to both parties of this conflict and consider imposing economic and diplomatic sanctions against the government of Sri Lanka for its appalling human rights record. It is time to send a stronger message.

Vasu will contest only if made CM nominee
   
Colombo Municipal Council’s opposition leader Vasudeva Nanayakara said yesterday he would contest the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council on the UPFA ticket only if he is made the Chief Ministerial candidate as proposed by the Socialist Alliance which supports the government He is also expected to lead the Ratnapura District list of the UPFA if he contests. He said the decision to nominate him as UPFA’s Sabaragamuwa Chief Ministerial candidate was taken by the Socialist Alliance and was not his personal decision. “I will not contest if I am not put forward as the Chief Ministerial candidate,”  he said. The  matter is to be discussed with the President soon. Mr. Nananayakkara obtained the highest number of preferential votes from the Ratnapura district at the 1994 General Elections. He was also the UPFA Mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council in 2006.

20 June 2008

Lanka ready to revive talks with LTTE

In an apparent softening of its stand, Sri Lanka has offered to hold talks with the LTTE after a two-year gap, saying the outfit does represent a “fair amount” of Tamils but ruled out immediate revival of the ceasefire scrapped in January.“The (Sri Lankan) president has already announced that he is ready to talk (with the LTTE),” Basil Rajapaksa, the powerful special advisor to the president Mahinda Rajapaksa, said.On whether the president has specified that he will not talk unless the LTTE lays down arms, Basil merely said, “those are conditions that have to be worked out”.“The government is always open to talks but the government needs to have a certain environment in which we can talk,” basil, an MP and brother of the Sri Lankan president, told the Daily Mirror newspaper.On being asked whether the LTTE represented the Tamil people, the senior advisor said “yes, they represent the Tamil people but they are not the only ones. That has been proved.“But this doesn't mean they don't have the strength or that they represent no Tamils,” he said.“They (the LTTE) do represent a fair amount of Tamil people. Unfortunately their way of doing it can't be approved. Otherwise the president is always willing to have negotiations and a settlement. The best scenario is where we negotiate and settle it with the LTTE,” Basil said.The two sides had six round of talks after the 2002 ceasefire but the rebels pulled out in 2006. The peace process received a crushing blow in January when the government scrapped the tattered ceasefire, a move that unleashed a fresh wave of violence as the military intensified its offensive against the Tamil tigers in the North.On whether the government will respond positively if the tigers offer a ceasefire tomorrow, basil said “that's like thinking of attaining nirvana tomorrow. That takes time and effort.”“You can't just decide today and go for it tomorrow. Its too far way to think about at this stage. We have to be realistic,” he added.“We are meeting the needs of the people and crushing terrorism while inviting the LTTE for negotiations. We are willing to look into their grievances,” Basil Rajapaksa said.On the elections held for the eastern provincial council on May 10, Rajapaksa said the Sri Lankan president's policy was to give the people the right to decide what they want to do with their province. “The people there have to decide where the next culvert is to be built or what form of governance will apply,” he said.

No discussions till LTTE lays down weapons – Prime Minister  
       
The Sri Lankan government will not hold any discussions with the LTTE until they lay down their arms, Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremenayake says.Meeting with the New Zealand ambassador to Sri Lanka, Rupert Hall Brow, the premier had stated that the government is working to provide a political solution for the war- torn areas after defeating the LTTE militarily.Speaking further, the Prime Minister had said that the government intends to liberate the Northern Province from the LTTE and establish a civil administration.

We respects Sri Lanka's sovereignty and territorial integrity" - Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister

Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen has stressed that policies guiding their engagement with Sri Lanka remain firm and will not change. In light of the recent public debate about Norwegian policy towards Sri Lanka, the Deputy Norwegian Minister in a statement said Norway is fully committed to assisting Sri Lanka in finding a solution to the national conflict, while respecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Norwegian government had to issue this statement after a Norwegian ruling party Councillor had stated during a pro LTTE rally that the Tamil people deserve a free and independent country. The pro LTTE website had attacked all Western countries and India who are making statements supportive of Sri Lanka's sovereignty. Meanwhile political analysts point out that although the Government of Norway facilitated six rounds of 'peace talks' between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, the LTTE continued to violate provisions stipulated in the agreements including killing civilians, depriving the rights of Tamil civilians lived in the non-liberated areas, and smuggled weapons into the country, forcing the Government of Sri Lanka to abrogate the Ceasefire Agreement that Norway brokered between the two parties. The Government of Sri Lanka has categorically announced that the LTTE should first disarm as a non-negotiable pre-condition for future talks aimed at resolving the conflict.

2 policemen gunned down in Kalmunai          
  
Two police constables attached to the Samanthurai police were shot dead near the Tharavakovil junction in the Kalmunai – Akkaraipattuwa road at 8.45 a.m. on Thursday (June 19th).The remains of the two victims, identified as police constables S. Ramesh and S. Gasali are in the Ashroff Hospital in Kalmunai, the Defence Ministry website reports. The policemen were on their way to the Kalmunai courts on a motorbike when the LTTE gunmen shot them dead, the website adds.This comes amid the government’s claims that democracy was reinstated in the Eastern Province after liberating the area from the LTTE.

Canada Tamil group to appeal terrorist designation

The Toronto-based World Tamil Movement said on Wednesday that it plans to appeal a recent decision by the Canadian government to make the group the first non-profit placed on a list of terrorist organizations.The organization said it was shocked by the federal government's announcement this week. The designation freezes the group's financial assets and makes it illegal for others to assist its activities.The World Tamil Movement said it is vacating its offices, its board is suspending operations, and various volunteer-run programs and services have been halted."Effective immediately, all services will cease and the library will be closed to the public," the WTM said in a statement.On Monday, the Canadian government added the group to its list of terrorist groups, describing it as a front organization that sent "significant" funds to Sri Lanka for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, known as the Tamil Tigers. The rebel group has waged a violent campaign for decades against the Sri Lankan government in order to create a separate Tamil state in the South Asian island nation.Canadian financial institutions were directed to review their records and immediately report transactions made by World Tamil Movement to federal police.The WTM, created in 1986, said it is "resolved to fight its inclusion on the list of terrorist entities, which it views as an attack on the fundamental freedoms of expression and association enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms."The group will first appeal to Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day to reconsider the group's classification, and if Day does not respond then it plans to launch an appeal in federal court.No criminal charges have been filed against the World Tamil Movement, nor any of its officers or directors, said Adriel Weaver, one of the group's lawyersIn a press release on Monday, the Canadian government said the WTM canvassed Tamil populations in Canada, demanding large donations on behalf of the Tamil Tigers and threatening or intimidating those who refused.An estimated 200,000 Tamil Canadians live in or near Toronto, the WTM said.

Army denies Wanni MP's allegations
 
Security forces are forcibly keeping 177 Tamil families in a detention camp in Kalimuttai in Mannar says Wanni district MP, Shivashakthi Anandan. In an interview to the BBC, military spokesman denied the allegation and said the families live in the camp willingly for their own protection. In a letter, the MP, Anandan has requested President Mahinda Rajapakse to personally intervene to release the three hundred and eighty five Tamil people belonging to the 177 families immediately. Some of these people, MP Anandan said, are those who have returned from India to settle in their own villages. Some fell into the hands of the security forces while trying to flee to India. Some are internally displaced people as a result of the war, he said. These people are provided with food and lodging but are not allowed to go out from the camp, says the parliamentarian."This is a serious human right violation. I have asked the president to release these people from the detention camp and transfer them to a refugee camp", MP Anandan said.

Protection

Sri Lanka military Spokesman, Brigadier Udaya Nanyakkara denying the allegations said that these people are accommodated in a welfare camp at their own request. He said they had escaped from the grip of the LTTE and come in boats paying large sums of money to seek the protection of the security forces. They have come from Mullaitivu, Videthalatheevu, Killinochchi and Mannar North, Brigadier Nanayakkara said.

Special pass

These people have been given a special pass identifying themselves as those who had come from the unprotected areas, Brigadier Nanayakkara added. He said that their movements have not been restricted and they are allowed to carry on with daily tasks but have requested them to be back in the camp in the evening. "This arrangement has been done with their consent for their own security and protection. There is no forcible detention", he said. Giving an example, Brigadier Nanayakkara said arrangement was made for two youth in the camp selected for the Jaffna University to proceed for their studies.

Pongku Thamizh rally in France draws 7000

Around 7,000 French Tamils thronged the venue of Pongku Thamizh rally at Place du Président Edouard Herriot close to the French Parliament in Paris Wednesday. A parliamentarian of the French Communist Party (PCF), Maxime Gremetz, who came out of the Parliament, appreciated the Tamils for voicing for their rights. In a spontaneous address to the audience, he said that the proscription imposed on Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) was unfair and the movement was essentially a freedom movement. Inniyam performanceThe French President who proclaims that he raises his voice for the rights of the other people around the world, should also turn his eyes towards the Tami people, who are fighting for their rights, Mr. Maxime Gremetz said and called upon the French government to take a note of the rally and its message. Anthony Russell, a councilor of La Courneuve also addressed the rally. Newly elected Tamil members for the local government bodies in Paris also addressed the rally. Mr. Ravishankar, a young Tamil municipal council member, who made the inaugural speech said the newly elected councilors would raise the concerns of the Eezham Tamils. Arivumathy, a poet from Tamil Nadu, India, who was the chief guest of the event, lit the traditional lamp at 2:45 p.m. He also addressed the audience. The first cultural event of the rally was the band called 'inniyam', a recent innovation of the Eastern University in Batticaloa. Ms. Antoine Thavamani, an Indian orgin Municipal Councilor of Evry Courcourones, spoke for peace in Sri Lanka, defended Tamils right to Self-Determination and hoped for early reconciliation between the Sinhalese and Tamils.Many of the participants in the rally carried the flag of Eezham Tamils and the photos of Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the LTTE. The rally ended at 6:00 p.m. Pongku Thamizh in France coincided with a historical day of French resistance against Hitlers invasion. On 18th June, 1940, General Charles de Gaulle had called for the French to join him in London in the French resistance movement against occupation.

Govt’s anti-Tamil measures should be given Int’national attention – K. Selvarajah  
       
In a press release on wednesday (June 18th), TNA MP of Jaffna District, Kajendren Selvarajah urged the international community to pressurize the Sri Lankan government to stop racist harassments against the Tamils.Noting that nearly 400,000 Tamils living in the Wanni areas have become victims of government security forces, MP Selvarajah said that economic, transport and medical embargos imposed in the area have severely inconvenienced these citizens.Mentioning that innocent civilians also fall prey to attacks launched to eliminate the LTTE, the media release says that Sri Lanka has come under severe criticism due to this.At the present, Jaffna has become an open prison to over 500,000 residents and 133 Tamils have been killed in the area within the three months since February by security forces as well as by allied armed groups, the media release says.Meanwhile, the government is attempting to clear the Colombo area of Tamils under the pretext of eliminating terrorism and national security, it adds.A statement by President Rajapaksa, which said that the government is not prepared for discussions until the LTTE has laid down its arms, has shattered the expectations of the Tamil people, it further says.Noting that all efforts to solve the national crisis had failed, the press release emphasises that the Tamils believe that the only solution will be to withdraw security forces from the Tamil homeland areas and permit the LTTE to built up an separate internal regime.Urging the international community to respect the demands of the Tamil community, the media release also requests the Indian government not to ban the LTTE.

M'sian link to Tamil Tigers? 
 
Kuala Lumpur is still waiting for a report from the Sri Lankan government on claims that Malaysians were working with Tamil Tiger terrorists to carry out a bomb attack in Colombo.Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said Malaysia had yet to receive any report on the matter."We have no problem extending our co-operation to the (Sri Lankan) government if the allegations are true, but until today, we have not received anything from them."Chor also said the question of whether Malaysian police would work closely with the Interpol on the matter did not arise as Malaysia had not obtained the report."We do not even know if there is any basis to the allegations. It was not necessary for the Malaysian police to begin investigations."It is best for the Sri Lankan government to contact and tell us what we can do to help," he said after launching an exhibition on security scanners organised by CD Solutions Sdn Bhd at a hotel near here. The report in the Sri Lankan online daily, The Daily Mirror, stated that six members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were arrested on Saturday in Wattala, Sri Lanka, where the authorities also seized 2.7kg of explosives.According to the report, the suspects under interrogation said they were waiting for instructions from some Malaysians, via the telephone, to launch the attack.Sri Lankan police investigations revealed the suspects, five men and a woman from Welikanda and Vavuniya, had been living in Wattala in a rented house for a long period.It was also revealed this group had planned to explode a bomb in Colombo on Saturday but police foiled their plans.The report also stated the suspects had been given directions to carry out attacks from Malaysia over the phone.

Three plantation parties to contest alone
   
Three political parties representing the people in the plantation sector are planning to contest the forthcoming Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council elections independently, party sources said.Among them are the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and the Upcountry People’s front (UPF) - two allies of the government.It is reported that the CWC had informed its decision to the SLFP. The party is of the view that it is favourable to go it alone in the Sabaragamuwa Province which has a population of about 120,000 plantation workers. Party sources said it would however support the government in the council and would also extend its support to the government in the NCP Council. The UPF led by Minister P. Chandrasekaran has decided to go it alone and contest under the mammoty symbol at the  provincial council election. A party source said the UPF had contested all elections separately in the past including the last parliamentary elections in 2004 though it joined the government later. He also said the party would decide whether to support the government or not after the election Meanwhile the United Workers Front led by S. Sathasivam is also contesting the election separately.Mr. Sathasivam said the party had decided to field a list of candidates for the Sabaragamuwa province and hand over nominations soon.

UNP suggests a General Election        
  
In order to realize the true mandate of the people, we propose to dissolve Parliament and to fix a date for a General Election instead of wasting funds on Provincial Council elections, says leader of the opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe.Speaking at a meeting with UNP representatives of the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils at Cambrige Terrace, the UNP leader said that the people will not be benefited by the PC elections in any way.As problems of the public are solved by a government, the present regime should hold elections to appoint a new government, if they are incapable of doing so, Mr. Wickremesinghe added.Addressing the meeting, UNP General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake questioned as to how the present regime, who requested the people to bear hardships due to lack of funds called for two elections precipitately if this was so.Speaking at the event, UNP national organizer, S.B. Dissanayake said, “We requested the government to hold a general election because they have proved to be incapable of steering the country.”“They rigged votes with the support of an armed group at the Eastern polls and are attempting to do the same at the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council polls. For the first time in history, the government accompanied an armed group at an election,” he added.

Sri Lanka Kills a Tamil Tiger Intelligence Leader, Army Says

Sri Lankan troops killed the Tamil Tigers' intelligence chief for the country's Eastern Province, the Defense Ministry said. The soldiers gunned down the intelligence leader, identified by the military only as Soundarajan, during a ``cordon and search operation'' against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam today in the Trincomalee region, according to a statement on the ministry's Web site. His predecessor, Arichchellwam, was killed by troops in January, the military said. Sri Lankan forces have targeted rebel-held bases in Northern Province since seizing Eastern Province from the LTTE in July. The military has carried out daily attacks in the north, a stronghold of the rebel group. The Tamil Tigers have fought for a separate homeland since 1983 in an insurgency that has killed more than 70,000 people. The group is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union and India. President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has vowed to eradicate terrorism on the South Asian island while seeking a settlement with all Tamil groups. It ended a 2002 cease-fire with the LTTE in January, prompting the United Nations to call on the government and Tamil Tigers to prevent an escalation of violence against civilians. ``The slain terror leader was the head of the special LTTE team sent to the east to disrupt the prevailing normalcy in the area,'' the ministry said yesterday. The military said on Jan. 21 it had killed a commander of the LTTE in Thendamarachichi, north of Jaffna, without giving his name. LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was hurt in an air raid on the group's headquarters in the north, the military said on Dec. 20. The Tigers' military intelligence chief, Shanmuganathan Ravishankar, was killed with 20 other rebels on Jan. 6. S.P. Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE's political wing, was killed in a Nov. 2 air raid near Kilinochchi.

Chinese company gets contract for construction at Lanka port

The government of Sri Lanka has offered a leading Chinese company the contract to build a fuel tank farm and bunkering facility at the new harbour at Hambantota in the southern part of the country, a media report said here Thursday. \'The unsolicited project proposal sent by the China Huanqiu Contracting and Engineering Corporation for building the bunkering facility and tank farm at the Hambantota harbour has been approved by the project committee and the cabinet-appointed negotiations committee.According to the agreement, the total value of the project would be $76.5 million and it would be completed by 2010. A set of fuel tanks, bunkering facilities, aviation fuel storage facilities and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage facilities will be built as part of the project at Hambantota, about 230 km south of Colombo. The facilities would be constructed in such a way that they would be able to operate independently with separate loading arms and pipelines connecting the oil and gas jetty. There is a proposal to take a loan for the project from the Exim Bank in China, a spokesman of the government of Sri Lanka said.The Hambantota Port Development Project consists of four stages and is expected to be completed within 15 years. Under the first phase of the project, an industrial port with a 1,000 metre jetty and an oil refinery estimated to cost $1 billion would be constructed. Although the Hambantota port was initially planned as a service and industrial port, it is expected to be developed as a trans-shipment port at a later stage to handle 20 million containers per year.

19 June 2008

TELO Jaffna MP calls for immediate ceasefire         
  
TELO and TNA MP for Jaffna N. Srikantha has called for an immediate ceasefire to end the sufferings of the people in the entire country due to acts of terrorism.He told Parliament yesterday (June 17th) that especially the people of the north suffered badly as a result of state-sponsored terrorism.Joining the debate on the draft bill on Assistance and Protection to Victims of Crime and Witnesses, the MP also said it was unfortunate that incidents of abductions and other human rights violations were increasing by the day.

UNP calls for abolishing presidency   
 
The main opposition in Sri Lanka says the executive presidency should be abolished if the country to resolve many burning issues.United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara told BBC Sandeshaya that Sri Lanka urgently needs major reforms in presidency and the electoral system. “The executive presidency and the electoral system should be abolished and independent commissions should be established,” he told BBCSinhala.com.

Sweeping powers

The executive presidency was established by the UNP-led government in 1978 replacing the Westminster parliamentary system.1978 constitution gave sweeping powers to the executive president, who is directly elected by the public.Three UNP leaders and two Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) leaders, including incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa, held the position during the last three decades. The Kurunegala district UNP parliamentarian has proposed to the party to abolish the system that offers powers that could undermine the parliament to an individual. “We need to propose a new programme which would rectify the measures that destroyed Sri Lanka,” Dayasiri Jayasekara, MP, said on executive presidency.

Mahinda- LTTE ‘agreement’

This is the first time that a leading UNP politician has proposed to abolish the system which was established by the party itself. The UNP and opposition leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe, has been suggesting measures that curtail the powers of the presidency but has not suggested abolishing it. Mr. Wickramsinghe twice lost presidential elections, in 1999 and 2005, to his rivals from the SLFP.But Mr. Jayasekara says it was due to the ‘secret agreement’ between President Rajapaksa and the LTTE that Mr. Wickramasinghe lost in 2005.

UNP’s Leadership ‘crisis’

The LTTE is accused forcibly preventing Tamil people voting in the elections that were won with a thin margin by Mr. Rajapaksa.The opposition legislator does not deny that another is crisis brewing in the UNP regarding the party leadership.A group of MPs, he says, has suggested other leaders given opportunity to address the concerns at the grass root level.Leaders such as SB Dissanayake and Sajith Premadasa should be offered more prominence while keeping Mr. Wickaramasinghe as the leader, he added. Dayasiri Jayasekara did not deny that some UNP leaders are calling Mr. Wickramasinghe to resign from the leadership.

Italian Dragnet Arrests 28 for Financing Tamil Separatists

Italian police arrested 28 Sri Lankan nationals in 10 different cities for conspiring to commit terrorist acts, accusing them of raising funds to send home to the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. ``They had formed an organization that was arranging financial support by collecting a tax, or an extortion payment, from Sri Lankan nationals living here,'' said Palermo prosecutor Antonio Ingroia in a telephone interview. The operation was led by the anti-terrorist police unit in Naples, Ingroia said. The communities of Sri Lankans living in Italy were pressured to contribute money to the LTTE cause, and then the funds were funneled out of Italy through Swiss banks, Ingroia said. ``Then we sort of lost track of the money trail,'' he said. Investigators are still trying to determine if they can also charge the collectors for extortion, he said. The LTTE has been fighting for 25 years for a separate Tamil homeland in the island's east and north in a conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people. The Tamil Tigers hold bases only in the north after losing control of the Eastern Province almost a year ago. Twenty-five Tamil rebels and seven soldiers were killed during gun battles yesterday and early today in Sri Lanka's Northern Province, the Media Centre for National Security said. Two days ago, a suicide bomber attacked a police station in northern Sri Lanka, killing 12 officers and injuring 23 people including a school girl. President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government blamed the LTTE for the attack.

Shop Owners, House Cleaners

Rajapaksa has vowed to eradicate terrorism on the island while seeking a settlement with all Tamil groups. He ended a 2002 cease-fire with the LTTE in January, prompting the United Nations to call on the government and the Tamil Tigers to prevent an escalation of violence against civilians. Tamils make up 11.9 percent of Sri Lanka's 20 million people and Sinhalese almost 74 percent, according to a 2001 census. The LTTE is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada, India and the European Union. Today's arrests were made in the Italian cities of Naples, Genoa, Milan, Biella, Novara, Mantua, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Rome and Palermo.In Palermo there is a community of about 2,000 Sri Lankans, said the head of the city's anti-terrorism unit, Maurizio Ficarra, in a telephone interview. The Palermo court issued 8 arrest warrants. Five of the accused were picked up by police in Palermo early yesterday(18), while Naples law enforcement officials grabbed the other three, Ficarra said. The Sri Lankans living in Palermo ``are mostly either shop owners or house cleaners,'' Ficarra said. The accused terrorist financiers ``even held social events to promote their cause and raise funds,'' Ficarra said. ``Everyone was asked to pay a monthly fee, and they even received a receipt for payment.''

Embassy staffer targeted: security lapse revealed

Last Tuesday’s robbery of 4,000 Pounds Sterling from Ranjith Perera, accountant of the Sri Lankan High Commission in London has revealed that he hadn’t been provided with transport or security when he carried money to and from HSBC bank in Paddington. Although, the HC had a fleet of vehicles, Perera had been compelled to walk alone to the bank. One of the persons involved in the robbery is believed to have thrown some light brown paint on Perera’s coat as he left the bank and when he took off the coat after another person believed to be a member of the gang told him that there was paint on his back, a stranger had snatched the coat. Perera had seen the thief getting into a car parked a little distance away. The driver of the get-away vehicle had been identified as a woman.
Well informed sources said although vehicles had been made available to a handful of personnel for even personal use, official duties like depositing or withdrawing money from banks and transporting them is never supported with vehicles in this institution.According to what has been revealed so far the mugging could be a well planned work of some professional criminals of Central London who probably watched Perera carrying large amounts of cash almost daily between the bank and the High Commission Chancellery building.Diplomatic Police and the Metropolitan Police in London are investigating.

Seven leaders including G.G.Ponnambalam honored in SL parliament

Seven political leaders, C.W.W.Kannangara, A.E.Goonesinghe, Dr.S.A.Wickremasinghe, G.G.Ponnambalam, Dr.N.M.Perera, Phillip Gunawardene and Alhaj T.B.Jayah were honored for their services to Sri Lanka, Tuesday in Sri Lanka's parliament. Their photographs were unveiled Tuesday morning in the parliament as a mark of respect in an event presided by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, parliamentary sources said. C.W.W.Kannangara served as the Minister of Education and was hailed as the Father of Free Education. A.E.Goonesinghe represented Colombo district in parliament and he championed for the cause of working class and hailed as a fearless trade union leader. Dr.S.A.Wickremasinghe, leader of the Community Party represented Matara electorate in the parliament. He voted against the Sinhala Only Bill and advocated parity of status for Sinhalese and Tamil languages. Dr.N.M.Perera was the leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP). He opposed the Sinhala Only Bill and voted against it in parliament when it was presented by the government led late Prime Minister S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike. Phillip Gunawardene was a minister in the government led by late Premier S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike. He led the MEP till his demise. Alhaj T.B.Jayah was a respected Muslim political leader. He was one time the President of All Ceylon Muslim League and served in several UNP governments.G.G.Ponnambalam was the leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC). He was the father of the "50-50" demand, where the proponent demanded that whilst 50% of the seats in the supreme legislature could be given to the majority Sinhalese, the other 50% must be reserved for all the minorities put together, namely, the Tamils, Muslims, Indians, Burghers, Malays and the Europeans. He championed for the political aspirations of Tamil people in the North and East. He later joined the UNP and served as a minister for several years. He was instrumental in the formation of the Tamil United Liberation Front comprising Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchchi led by late S.J.V.Chelvanayagam and ACTC by him.

SLA position ambushed in Mannaar city

A group of guerrilla fighters lobbed a grenade and opened fire on a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) post located at the public playground on Mannaar - Thalaimannaar Road in Mannaar city in the early hours of Wednesday, at 2:05 a.m., killing one SLA soldier and seriously wounding another, Police said. Tension prevailed in the city as SLA soldiers opened fire from their posts throughout the city continuously for 45 minutes. The SLA has launched a cordon and search operation in the morning. The dead body of the SLA soldier was taken to Mannaar hospital. The wounded soldier was also rushed to Mannaar hospital and later taken to Tha'l'laadi base and airlifted to Anurdhapura for further treatment.

JVP accused of seizing Anjaan's vehicle

The Welikada police seized the official motor vehicle of the JVP Gampaha District parliamentarian Mrs. Anjaan Umma from the housing complex of Members of Parliament, Madiwela on Tuesday (17) after she made a complaint to the police that it had been robbed.Police said it was parked opposite one of the houses in the complex used by the JVP as their propaganda office.Welikada police requested Mrs. Anjaan Umma to make a detailed statement giving full details of the loss of the vehicle as her original complaint to the Parliament Police had been brief.Police said they will also question two JVP parliamentarians Anuruddha Polgampola and Ranweera Pathirana who were alleged to have obstructed Mrs. Anjan Umma when she was making the complaint about the loss of her vehicle to the Parliament Police.If there were any threats to Mrs. Anjan Umma police will provide her with maximum security.UNP National Organizer S. B. Dissanayake commenting on the stance taken by Mrs. Anjan Umma said that her intention had been to join the JVP rebel group led by Wimal Weerawansa but she decided to be an independent member as she had been under threat.

Petrol station card scam case is closed

AN investigation into an international-based credit card scam at a Weymouth petrol station has been closed and all suspects released from police bail.More than 600 victims were affected by the scam last year which used cloned credit cards to net a huge amount of money by preying on drivers using the Shell garage on Dorchester Road.But as the investigation proceeded it emerged that the web of deceit involved shadowy criminals operating in many countries from as far afield as India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Canada and Malaysia.advertisementDetective Inspector Marcus Hester of Weymouth CID said a line had now been drawn under the investigation. He added: "There is no evidence to link people detained with the alleged frauds and they have been released."Those responsible for the frauds are abroad in countries where British police cannot investigate."These are organised criminal networks which operate remotely from different parts of the world and are very difficult to trace."

New bridge for Arugam Bay

The Government will open the new Arugam Bay bridge connecting Pottuvil, Arugam Bay and Panama in the Eastern province from July 1. The bridge constructed at a cost of US $ 10.4 million, will replace the old bridge over Arugam Bay which was severely damaged in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided financial assistance for the construction of the new state - of - the - art bridge which has been designed and built according to US technology.
According to the Highways Ministry, the new bridge comprises two spans measuring 185 metres, and offers user-friendly features like protected pedestrian walkways.
 
A symbolic move to crush the financing of terrorism -Paul Willms Ex MP Third Chamber of The Netherlands

Canada has recently stepped-up monitoring Tamil front organizations which are alleged to support Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers terrorist activities. In result of these investigations into Tamil front organizations, the World Tamil Movement (WTM) will be banned by the federal government in Ottawa. This move is considered as a symbolic move to boost the image of the Canadian Government's fight against terrorism and will have less impact on the financial activities of the Tamil Tiger front offices in Canada, since WTM organization came under severe observation during the past years. Though Canada holds the largest Tamil Diaspora from Sri Lanka, the conservative government has chosen to clamp down on alleged front organizations which might be supportive to the Tamil rebels in their struggle for a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka's North and East. While most of the Tamil Canadians support the Tamil Tigers, some have complained of heavy extortion and intimidation by the Tamil Tiger front organizations against those who disagree and argue that the objectives and policies of the Tamil Tigers are unrealistic. It is widely believed that this latest act by the Canadian government will have no significant impact on the Tamil Tigers capability to secure financial resources abroad, as many organization do underground work and have been able to channel hundreds of thousands of dollars into the pockets of the Tamil Tigers prior to the listing. The Tamil Tigers were aware of the moves to ban their organization and its front offices and had some years ago heavily invested in businesses around the world such as shipping companies, food industry and financial markets mostly in South East Asia however also in parts of Europe and Africa. It is has been able to establish a broad network of agents around the world which makes it one of the most advanced non-state actors operational around the globe. Taking this into account then there are clear indications that the group tries to reduce its reliance on Tamil Diaspora funding by creating various innovative sources of income to keep their struggle alive. In the latest fighting in Sri Lanka, though Sri Lanka's security forces have the upper hand in the recent fighting, there seems to be a stalemate between the warring parties. The fighting is mostly concentrated in Sri Lanka's North since the Eastern provinces has been cleared of Tamil Tiger de-facto presence a year ago. The latest stalemate in Sri Lanka's North and the capability of the Tamil Tigers to strike anywhere on the island by tactics of terrorism and Tamil Tiger's land and sea operations, indicates that both parties are able to drag this war for years which should worry international policy makers and must encourage them to step up international diplomacy to realise a durable peace for this Indian Ocean island.A sustainable peace can only be realised if the international community is able to pressurise both parties to agree for consensus in order to resolve this decades old dispute. The recently refusal by the Sri Lankan government to provide access for the Norwegian peace envoy to visit the Tamil Tigers headquarters in Killinochchi makes it even more difficult to design any roadmap for a peaceful settlement. This will further complicate international assistance to the warring parties in order to bring a halt to the current fighting and suffering of the Sri Lankan civilians.Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary General for Coordination the Peace Process, has recently clarified Sri Lanka's government position regarding a renewal of peace talks with the Tamil Tigers and insists that the rebels should lay down arms or at least agree for decommissioning of weapons prior to a renewal of peace talks. However I do strongly belief that, understanding the mindset of the Tigers, it would be more realistic to integrate the Tamil Tigers into the national army of Sri Lanka, which will boost the poor number of Tamils currently in the national security forces of the island state.International mediation under Sri Lanka's Co- Chair Donor Group has failed and needs to be revived in order to break the current deadlock. The peace process should have been a broader concept supported by the whole international community and backed by a UN mandate to ensure that both parties have no alternative then to commit themselves to peace instead of being able to resort to military engagement and tactics of terrorism. Currently there is no pressure on the warring parties to stop their wrongdoings and this should encourage the upcoming president of the United States of America to put sustainable pressure on all parties to agree for a new concept to break the current deadlock and to bring an immediate halt to the brutal tactics of terrorism which deeply affects the whole Sri Lankan society regardless race, social background or place of residence.For Canada, where hundreds of thousands of Tamils are living, it is a moral obligation for Ottawa to highlight the legitimate grievances of the Tamil speaking community in Sri Lanka and to promote human rights. To ensure that the root causes of this security problem are addressed, Canada should assemble international support to highlight the overall concern to avoid growing distrust between the government of Canada and its 300.000 strong Tamil community.

Weli Oya, slow but steady- Defencewire

LTTE in panic in Weli Oya have intensified its defence-in-depth. 'Col' Swarnam and a host of elite units have been called in to halt the Army's progress, which has been slow but steady. Troops advancing on its four Avenues of Approach are at Kalyanapura, Kiriibbanwewa, Janakapura North and Kokkuthuduwai.The LTTE had 14 bases (hence the name 1-4) in the dense Mullaithivu Jungle, where Prabhakaran took shelter from the IPKF in 1987. Of these, one base with underground facilities was captured recently by troops.Highly placed sources told this site that another 10 miles into LTTE areas would give the Army tremendous influence over Mullaithivu. An advance of 10 miles would result in the capture of vital LTTE locations such as Nayaru and Alampil. Currently Mullaithivu Town is within Artillery Range.Special Forces and Commando Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) teams have also been quietly busy over the last few weeks. Yesterday(18), despite the Poya Day, a Special Forces LRRP team ambushed an LTTE tractor at Nedunkerni, North West of Weli Oya. A team from 3 Commando (3CR) missed LTTE's Mannar leader Lakshman when they attacked his outrider due to a misunderstanding. 3 Commando LRRP is under Colonel Uditha Bandara.A host of LTTE 'Lieutenant Colonels' have been killed by LRRP units within the past weeks. These include an LTTE 'Lieutenant Colonel' from the Imran Pandian Regiment. Troops under Colonel Senaka Wijesooriya surrounded, killed and recovered the body of the 2nd in-charge (2IC) of the LTTE's Sothia Brigade (Women) north of Palampiddi recently.Colonel Wijesooriya is born and bred Special Forces. During the LTTE's bid to capture Mutur, Colonel Wijesooriya and his men held the Kattaparichchaan line until a 40-man team from the Special Forces mother unit landed.

18 June 2008

Lanka wants India to adopt hands off policy

Sri Lanka Monday hoped that India would keep its position of non-intervention in the three-decade long conflict in the island nation. It also said its army was "closing in on " Tamil Tiger chief V. Pirapaharan."We hope that India will keep on doing what it is already doing," Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told reporters Monday, in reply to a query on a recent statement by a senior "official" of the militant Tamil Tigers calling for "Indian intervention" to solve the problem.Bogollagama was here on a two-day visit to extend a formal invitation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to attend the 15th SAARC Summit in August.India has kept off from the civil war in Sri Lanka, especially after its disastrous experience of sending IPKF to the island in the 1980s.Since then, India has said that it did not believe in a military solution to the problem and that a political settlement had to be acceptable to all parties to the conflict within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.The minister said that his government believed in "political solution to political issues" and reiterated that there was "no military solution."At the same time, Sri Lankan defence forces have been pressing on the LTTE in the northern province with intensive operations.Bogollagama said that the government had no time frame on how long it would take to free the two and half districts that were still under the control of the Tigers. "The result is what we are after," he said.Answering a query, he said that "political solution" was demonstrated by the recent elections in the eastern province that was wrested back from the Tigers by the Sri Lankan army.He refused to indicate if the Sri Lankan army had been given orders to capture LTTE supremo V. Pirapaharan alive or dead. But the minister asserted that a solution to the civil war was not "centered" around an individual.He also admitted that the army was "closing on to Pirapaharan" as now the LTTE was limited to just two and half districts. He added that the Tamil people had now been empowered to resist the LTTE as demonstrated by the elections.Bogollagama defended his country’s human rights record and said that it was a vibrant democracy.On the recent failure of Sri Lanka to get elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council, he said that the results "was not passing judgment," but was only a matter of arithmetic.

SLankan rebels reject laying down arms for talks

Sri Lanka's Tamil rebels have rejected a request to lay-down or decommission their weapons before peace talks, saying they can still win the war against government forces. The government said last week it would only reconsider re-starting a peace process if the rebels agreed to lay down or decommission their weapons and issued a clear timetable for negotiations.But Balasingham Nadesan, the rebels' political head, said laying down arms could weaken the rebels' bargaining power during any talks."Any approach that disturbs the balance of power and parity of status (between the government and rebels) are counter-productive to the peace process," Nadesan said in an email interview with Reuters."The balance of power and the parity of status are very crucial for any meaningful negotiations."The government request came after the rebels said last week they wanted to meet Norwegian peace brokers to resume a stalled peace process.The government formally ended a tattered truce with the rebels in January, ramping up the civil war in which more than 70,000 people have died since 1983.The government said the rebels use visits by peace envoys as propaganda.Nordic ceasefire monitors quit the country this year after the collapse of the six-year-old Norwegian-brokered truce.The military says the rebels are facing heavy losses in the north, while the rebels, who are fighting for an independent homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east, deny they have been weakened by the surge in fighting."The LTTE armed forces are presently only engaging in defensive warfare.... We have full confidence that we will win this war with the help of our Tamil people," said Nadesan.He said the government could not defeat the rebels in a conventional war."I like to remind you a famous quote in this regard, 'The conventional army loses if it does not win, but a Liberation movement wins if it does not lose'," said Nadesan.Analysts say the Sri Lankan army has the upper hand in the latest phase of the long-running war given superior air power, strength of numbers and swathes of terrain captured in the island's east. But they still see no clear winner on the horizon.Military figures show about 5,000 people, most of them rebels, have been killed this year alone, while scores of civilians have died in attacks on buses and trains blamed on the rebels.

French charity seeks international probe into Sri Lanka massacre

A French charity demanded on Tuesday an international probe into the execution-style killing of 17 of its employees in Sri Lanka in 2006 after denouncing local investigations. Paris-based Action Against Hunger, or ACF, asked the French government and the European Union, among others, to set up an international panel to probe the August 2006 massacre in the Sri Lankan town of Muttur. "ACF decided to withdraw from Sri Lanka, detach itself from the Sri Lankan legal procedures, denounce the way the procedures have been conducted in Sri Lanka and request an international investigation," an ACF statement said. The ACF pulled out of Sri Lanka in March after accusing local authorities of dragging their feet in probing the massacre that took place at a time when government forces were locked in heavy combat with Tamil Tiger rebels. "The ACF is launching the 'Justice for Muttur' campaign, which aims at mobilising the humanitarian community, public opinion and international decision-makers to call for the opening of an international inquiry into the Muttur case," the statement said. In April, a Sri Lankan human rights group named members of the security forces and police as being allegedly responsible for the massacre, the worst against aid workers on the island. University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) accused Colombo of a major cover-up of the killing of local employees of ACF, a charge denied by the government. Colombo has come under fire for its rights record with Human Rights Watch saying that at least 1,500 people "disappeared" between 2006 and 2007 -- mostly ethnic Tamils living in the island's restive north and east.

Another MP splits off from JVP

The internal political crisis of the JVP took another turn yesterday when Gampaha district MP Anjan Umma also decided to sit independently in Parliament. After taking this decision she lodged a complaint with the parliamentary police for her future protection.Parliamentary police SSP D.S.Gunawardane told Daily Mirror that the JVP Kegalle district MP Anuruddha Polgampola had interrupted her while she was making the complaint to the police.He said that the police also recorded a statement from Mr. Polgampola afterwards. On an earlier occasion, Mr. Polgampola had allegedly attempted to assault MP Nandana Gunatilake in the parliamentary complex during the budget period last year.A complaint had been made to the police against Mr. Polgampola to that effect. 

Tamils angry to see group on terrorist list

Many in Canada's Tamil community are angry with Ottawa's move to label one of its organizations a terrorist group.Stockwell Day, the minister of public safety, says the World Tamil Movement, which collected money that ended up in the hands of the Tamil Tigers, is now on a list of terrorist groups.The group, which also had its assets frozen, is designated for helping terrorist activity and for acting on behalf of the terrorist group.David Poopalapillai from the Canadian Tamil Congress, which is not affiliated with WTM, says the the government was punishing an entire organization instead of a few individuals.He says if someone in the WTM broke the law they should be punished, but not the entire organization.The organization has been known for canvassing Tamil populations demanding donations, sometimes by using aggressive intimidation tactics to get the money.The Tamil Tigers have been fighting a rebel war in Sri Lanka since 1983 and many groups outside of Sri Lanka have been raising money to support the conflict.

Lanka retained in IPI watch list

The Vienna based International Press Institute (IPI) retained Sri Lanka in the IPI international media watch list that contains names of countries where the situation of the media is precarious, the IPI said yesterday. IPI said that journalists have been specifically targeted and authorities had called on journalists not to publish ‘unpatriotic’ reports in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, where the conflict between the government and the Tamil rebels has recently escalated, journalists have been specifically targeted because of their reports. On many occasions, authorities have threatened the media not to publish ‘unpatriotic’ reports, and physical attacks and other forms of harassment are commonplace.Attacks on journalists, including murder, remain unpunished, with no apparent official investigations being conducted into such crimes," IPI said. Other countries in the list are Ethiopia, Nepal, Russia, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. "The countries on the IPI Watch List were chosen with extreme care. They are countries where the IPI Board saw a distinct need to publicise the plight of the media. Indeed, on many occasions, a country was included because IPI believed international pressure might reverse the situation," IPI said. Sri Lanka was put back on the list in November 2007 after a four year break. The IPI said that it was difficult to discern whether media freedom would improve in the prevalent climate."It was difficult to foresee the ramifications of the failed land-reform referendum for the media in Zimbabwe or predict the reversals in the fortunes of the Sri Lankan army against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which led to increased media censorship," IPI said.

Vavuniya-Kandy road closed

Tightening security in the aftermath of Monday’s suicide bomb blast near the Vavuniya Police complex, security authorities yesterday sealed off a section of the Vavuniya – Kandy Road. The closed area includes the Vavuniya Police complex, Air Force complex and the Army detachment. Authorities have opened alternate routes to facilitate vehicle and pedestrian movements. The alternate routes are through Tekkawatte opposite the Vavuniya Tamil Maha Vidyalayam.Only Military vehicles and ambulances will be allowed on the closed roads. The closure has inconvenienced the public to a great extent especially those who have their homes along the closed stretch of road, residents complained.

TNA MP meets Norwegian Special Envoy in Oslo

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Batticaloa District, S. Jeyanandamoorthy, who is currently on a visit to Europe, met Norwegian Special Envoy to Sri Lanka, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, in Oslo on Monday and discussed the political and humanitarian situation prevailing in the North and East. "Rajapaksa government is now attempting to seek regional recognition, especially from India, as it attempts to seek foreign funds for implementing a colonisation-agenda in the East," the MP told TamilNet after his meeting with the Norwegian Envoy. Jon Hanssen-Bauer shaking hands with Jeyanandamoorthy MPThe Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), which has obstructed the work of NGOs in the East, is seeking funds to carry out the agenda of Sinhalicisation in the East, after installing its paramilitary as proxy administration, the TNA MP told media following his meeting with the Norwegian Envoy saying that he conveyed the concerns of the Tamils to the Norwegian Envoy. "It is of utmost importance to Eezham Tamils that India and the International Community realise the colonial agenda behind Rajapaksa governments development plan for the East," he said. "Tamil voices are effectively silenced in the areas controlled by the Sri Lanka Army and the paramilitary groups operated by it," he told media. "In the current context, the voice of Diaspora Tamil community is the only democratic voice we have," he further said. Jeyanandamoorthy also took part in the Pongku Thamizh rally which was held in Denmark on Saturday.

Army Chief briefs commanders in Jaffna
   
Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka alert to the most recent security concerns unfolding in the Jaffna peninsula following a couple of outbreaks of LTTE violence, received an update from Jaffna Commander and Division and Brigade commanders when he met them yesterday morning at the Jaffna Headquarters, the Army said. Lieutenant General Fonseka during his meeting with the Commanders highlighted the importance of looking into all the needs of the soldiers serving in the area while ensuring welfare measures and their transport needs. Desertions among the troops, he said, should be kept to the minimum, to defeat the enemy. “Commanders should make special note of it and act accordingly,” Lt. General Fonseka reminded. Taking stock of the internal security situation, preventive measures, counter operations against the LTTE and possibilities of the enemy’s infiltration, the Commander stressed the need to further beef up the security network with minimum inconvenience being caused to the general public. He also paid attention to several administrative measures that were taken up for discussion during the meeting. Jaffna Commander Major General G.A. Chandrasiri received the Commander and his entourage on arrival at the Palaly air base.

London Tamil victim is named

Detectives have named the Tamil man whose body was discovered in a disused cash-and-carry building frequented by rough sleepers.Investigating officers believe Thiyagarajah Thiyananthan, 40, was murdered at the premises behind a retail park in Atlip Road, Alperton, last week.A post mortem report ascertained he had died from had injuries but detectives have refused to say whether there was a weapon involved.Mr Thiyananthan is believed to have lived in the UK for a 'substantial' amount of years after leaving Sri Lanka.Det Insp Tony McKweon, who is leading the investigation, said he was keeping an open mind on the motive but had ruled out any gang-related connection to Mr Thiyananthan's death.He added: "We have a line of enquiry we are currently looking into."The area where Mr Thiyananthan was found was being used by around 20 homeless people from the Tamil community at the time.Anyone with information or who may have witnessed anything are asked to call the incident room on 020 8785 3244 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Tip off by JVP politician led to arrest of 2 LTTE cadres          
  
JVP provincial councilor Viraj Nishantha, as owner of the property, tipped off the police and led to the arrest of two LTTE cadres, along with explosives, from a house in Wattala, police said.The politician had rented his property at Paranawatte Road at Kerawalapitiya to Shanmugam Suresh, who had earlier resided at No: 14, Vivekananda Road, Colombo 14.Mr. Nishantha who had kept a close observation of his property, became suspicious after finding that many Tamil nationals were frequenting the house, and informed the police.

LTTE explosive haul in Kotahenaby Norman Palihawadana

Police seized 9.5 kilograms of explosives, six hand grenades and accessories for the manufacture of bombs from a shop at Kotahena. They arrested an LTTE suspect identified as Ponrajah. Police said he was an LTTE cadre who supplied explosives to LTTE suicide bombers in Colombo. More arrests are imminent on the information provided by Ponrajah, who is being questioned by the police Anti Subversive Unit. The haul of explosives was seized after questioning another LTTE cadre arrested earlier by the police.

S.Lankan shares at a new 4-month on war, economy

Sri Lankan shares fell 0.19 percent on Tuesday, an eighth successive fall that took a market worried about a worsening civil war and tough economic conditions to its lowest close since early February.The Colombo All-Share index .CSE fell 4.54 points to 2,440.37, and has now fallen 9.3 percent from an 11-month high hit during trade on April 23."The negative sentiments hurts the market," said Harsha Fernando, CEO of SC securities."There is no market-moving positive news. The security situation, high interest rates and high inflation are the main reasons for the drop."In recent sessions, some investors have been selling shares and ploughing their money into fixed deposits, traders said, and funds have also been diverted to the initial public offer of Janashakthi Insurance Co Ltd, which opened on Monday."Most of the investors have applied to buy Janashakthi shares to earn short-term profits," said Dharshi Ganeshan, a research analyst at Bartleets Mallory Stockbrokers.The firm plans to raise up to $3.7 billion in Sri Lanka's first IPO since 2006. On Monday, it said the offer had been oversubscribed with applications for more than 33 million shares.Diversified conglomerate Carson Cumberbatch CARS.CM fell 1.76 percent to 4,200 rupees a share, calculated on a weighted average Shares in private development lender DFCC Bank DFCC.CM ended down 1.5 percent at 115.25 rupees, and conglomerate Hayleys HAYL.CM fell 2.34 percent to 125 rupees.Market turnover was 107.3 million rupees ($1 million), just over a quarter of last year's daily average of 400 million rupees.The rupee <LKR=> closed flat at 107.85/88 per dollar.The central bank resumed 91-day T-bill auctions after a four-week break, having suspended them after a sharp rise in yields last month. [nCOL279945]. Yields on 182- and 364 day notes rose slightly at Tuesday's weekly auction. [nCOL22825].Dealers said the interbank lending rate rose as high as 21 percent before the central bank pumped 4.13 billion rupees of cash into the market through its reverse-repo window.The interbank lending rate CLIBOR closed at 19.511 percent, up from Monday's 17.937 percent. ($1=107.85 rupees)

CID questions lankaenews editors  
       
The CID visited the office of 'lankaenews' this afternoon (June 17th) and questioned its editor and news editor at length regarding a news item posted on the news website.Statements have been obtained from the two during a three-hour long interrogation, its chief editor Benett Rupasinghe told 'Lanka Dissent.'The news item in question, posted on February 21st, says that an international intelligence service has stopped providing information to the government and that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa should be held responsible for any damage after December 31st.The questioning follows a complaint to the IGP by Director General of the Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hulugalle.The complaint claims the said article would create divisions in the military intelligence, discourage the security forces and tarnish the image of the Defence Secretary.The CID has questioned the website's editors as to why they did not adhere to a circular by the Defence Secretary, dated 20th September 2006 and copied to Mr. Hulugalle, sent to all media institutions, which prevents any publications without verifications from the MCNS chief and the military spokesman.Mr. Rupasinghe said he had told the CID that he possessed all documentary evidence to prove the veracity of the news article in question and that he would furnish them if the need arises.He has said further that the president as well as a chief minister close to the president were well aware of the claims in the said article.

S.B. as UNP's Chief Minister candidate?  
       
The United National Party is inquiring into the possibility of fielding the party's National Organizer S.B. Dissanayake as its chief ministerial candidate for Sabaragamuwa at the forthcoming provincial council election. According to UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was due to meet with his legal advisors on Tuesday (June 17th) to discuss this matter.At yesterday's Working Committee meeting, there were calls from the party leadership to nominate Mr. Dissanayake as the key candidate for Sabaragamuwa.Mr. Dissanayake lost his civic rights after courts found him guilty on a contempt of court charge.However, there will be no legal impediments against the nomination and subsequent contesting at polls, according to UNP legal advisors.

Taking cue from India, Sri Lanka asks ministers to curtail foreign trips

Perhaps taking a cue from neighbouring India, Sri Lanka Tuesday asked its ministers to curtail foreign trips and slashed the monthly monetary allocations to all the ministries by 50 percent as part of an austerity drive brought on by rising fuel costs and inflation. According to a statement from the government information department, Media Minister Laxman Yapa Abeyawardena said the “monthly monetary allocations to all ministries will be reduced by 50 percent as an austerity drive but the budgetary allocations for the year 2008 will remain intact”.“All ministers have been asked to limit foreign travel in order to save foreign exchange. The government has also decided to stop renting expensive building complexes (to house ministries),” Abeyawardena has been quoted as saying in the statement.Sri Lanka’s ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance, led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has altogether 102 ministers, non-cabinet ministers and deputy ministers for 57 ministries, with many of them holding more than one ministerial portfolio.Due to the current security situation in the country, almost all the government ministers have been provided with a fleet of security vehicles.Abeyawardena said this decision was prompted by “the economic constraints experienced by the country” with the soaring fuel prices in the world market and with the increase in food prices. In India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged his ministers earlier this month to cut down on foreign trips and do some belt-tightening to offset pressure on the economy caused by runaway inflation set off by surging oil prices and global food shortages.

Court issues notice on Pillayan and Polls Chief

The Court of Appeal yesterday issued notices on Eastern Province Chief Minister, the Elections Commissioner and others when the SLMC candidates who contested on the UNP ticket filed a petition against the elections in the Batticaloa district.Notice returnable on July 14 was issued by Appeal Court Judge Rajith de Silva on EP Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan who contested from the Batticaloa district, Council members A.S. Javahir Salih and A.L.M.Hisbullah, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, Batticaloa Returning Officer S. Arumainayagam, Disaster Relief Services Minister Ameer Ali and the OICs of the Kattankudy and Valaichchenai police stations and 11 others.In the petition SLMC candidates A.L.M.Marsook, M.H.S.Ismail and L.T.M.Furkan are seeking  an order from court that the May 10 election was void. They said Tamil MakkalViduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) under the leadership of Mr. Chandrakanthan had contested the election as an ally of the UPFA while the TMVP had  camps all over the Batticaloa district with its armed cadres manning them.The petitioners alleged Mr. Hisbullah who contested on the UPFA ticket was provided with a large number of security personnel by the state. These security personnel included Army and STF cadres.They appealed that election be declared void on the grounds of general intimidation, misconduct, non-compliance with the provisions of the Provincial Councils Elections Act and other reasons.The petitioners alleged that senior presiding officers of the Batticaloa district polling booths unlawfully refused to record the complaints of illegal activities that took place in the booths.They also said Mr. Hisbullah had publicly declared and campaigned all over the district among the Muslim voters informing them that he would be appointed as the Chief Minister if more Muslim members were elected through the nomination list of the UPFA.They said Mr. Hisbulla called upon Muslim voters to cast their votes only for the UPFA symbol and their preferences only for him and other Muslim candidates of the UPFA to ensure he would be the Chief Minister.The petitioners charged that Mr. Hisbullah by his false election propaganda and campaign, had created an image as the Chief Ministerial candidate in the minds of innocent Muslim voters  and that by misguided and misleading election campaign, he deceived and cheated the Muslim voters.They contended that soon after the elections results, the Muslim voters were made to realize that Mr.  Hisbullah’s election campaign and propaganda were made with an intention to unduly influence the Muslim voters and to prevent them voting for the recognized political party or independent group which they preferred. This significantly affected the results of the election.Earlier the opposition UNP-SLMC alliance also challenged the election results in the Ampara district of the Eastern province.

17 June 2008

Norway says policy towards Sri Lanka remains same  
       
In light of the recent public debate about Norwegian policy towards Sri Lanka, Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen, says, the policies guiding our engagement with Sri Lanka remain firm and will not change.” “Norway is committed to assist Sri Lanka in finding a solution to the ethnic conflict while respecting the country’s territorial integrity,” said the Deputy Foreign Minister. “Norway will support a negotiated solution that addresses the legitimate grievances of the Tamil speaking communities and is acceptable to all communities,” said Mr. Johansen.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister meets Pranab Mukherjee

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollogama met Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee here on Monday to apprise him about the security situation in Sri Lanka in the wake of recent LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) attacks. Bogollagama arrived here last night. Later in the day Bogollogama is slated to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss recent developments in his country and issues of bilateral cooperation.Bogollagama will also extend a formal invitation to the Prime Minister for the 15th Summit of the heads of state and government of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to be held in August at Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital. During the Summit Manmohan Singh will hand over the SAARC chair to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

12 police personnel killed in Sri Lanka suicide blast 
 
At least 12 police personnel, including three women constables, were killed and 23 others injured when a suspected LTTE suicide bomber blew himself up outside a police office in a northern Sri Lankan town on Monday. The bomber, who came on a motorbike, triggered the explosion in front of the office of Senior Superintendent of Police in the embattled Vavuniya town, officials said. According to initial reports received from the spot, the blast occurred at around 7.10 am (local time), targeting the police personnel leaving the SSP office for their duties. The SSP was not at the building at the time of the blast. Officials blamed the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for the attack. Nineteen police personnel and four civilian bystanders were injured and admitted to the general hospital at Vavuniya, hospital sources said. A school-girl was also among the injured. Vavuniya borders the rebel-held territory in the restive north, which has witnessed intense battle between the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan security forces in recent months. Today's blast was the latest in a string of attacks, mostly targeting civilians, by suspected Tamil Tigers since the government scrapped a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire with them in January this year. At least 23 people, including eight women, were killed and about 90 others injured when roadside bombs ripped through two passenger buses in Moratuwa and Kandy towns on June 6. Earlier on June 4, at least 27 people were injured when suspected Tiger rebels set off a bomb alongside a packed commuter train in Colombo suburbs. Another attack on a passenger train on May 26 had left nine people dead and 84 injured in Dehiwala area near the Sri Lankan capital. Today's incident also followed a weekend of heavy fighting between the rebels and Sri Lankan troops. The military said Air Force jets destroyed a key LTTE combat logistic facility in a rebel stronghold yesterday while fierce ground clashes killed 17 Tamil Tigers and two soldiers in the embattled north.

Intelligence clues on Vavuniya suicide bomb ignored

A senior Army officer of Vavuniya said that the intelligence wings had reported on June 13 that two motorcycles were ready for explosions in certain place in Vavuniya. He says that the suicide attack yesterday could be avoided if police was alert on the motorcycles. A senior police officer who was commenting on the incident said that police officials were advised not to ride on the bicycles or the motorcycles driven on roads but they had ignored them.

Air strikes after suicide bomber kills 12 police in Sri Lanka

A Tamil Tiger suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up outside a police compound in northern Sri Lanka on Monday, killing at least 12 police and wounding 40 other people, officials said.The powerful blast occurred during the morning rush hour directly in front of a police building in the tightly-guarded town of Vavuniya, 258 kilometres (160 miles) north of the capital Colombo, the defence ministry said.The wounded, some of them schoolchildren, were rushed to the main hospital, doctors said."It was a Tiger suicide bomber who rammed his (explosives-packed) motorcycle as policemen were leaving for duty," military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said."All those killed in the attack were police personnel," police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara said, identifying the victims as nine policemen and three female constables.Sri Lanka's military retaliated with a string of air attacks on rebel targets inside guerrilla held-territory north of Vavuniya, defence sources said.They said jet aircraft bombed a store house of the Tamil Tigers in Mullaitivu district while Mi-24 helicopter gunships attacked Tiger bunkers in the northern peninsula of Jaffna.There were no immediate reports of casualties in the air attacks and there was also no immediate reaction from the guerrillas. However, the rebels said that two civilians were killed and 11 more wounded in an air strike on Sunday.Vavuniya is a de facto frontier town bordering territory further north held by the rebels, who are fighting for a separate Tamil homeland in the majority Sinhalese island.The drawn-out conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives.The latest attack came as the defence ministry reported that 47 rebels and eight security personnel were killed in weekend battles in the north.The latest deaths raise the number of rebels killed by security forces to 4,269 since January, according to the defence ministry, which says 386 security personnel and police have died in combat during the same period.The government insists it now has the upper hand in the 36-year-old conflict with the Tigers, and has poured a record 1.5 billion dollars into the war effort this year.In the island's eastern district of Batticaloa, suspected Tiger gunmen shot dead two police constables while a trooper from the paramilitary home guard unit was shot dead elsewhere in the region on Sunday, the ministry said.It said troops also killed four more Tiger rebels in a fresh confrontation in the north on Sunday.

Doctors on 'indefinite' strike

Society of Registered and Assistant Medical Officers (SRAMO) say the work to rule protest launched on 01 June is extended to an indefinite strike from Monday.Holding a protest opposite the health Ministry on Monday, the doctors accused the health authorities of treating them as ‘second class citizens’ among other doctors. Registered Medical Officers (RMO) and Assistant Medical Officers (AMO) are serving in over 950 hospitals in Sri Lanka.

Lives 'at risk'

The General Secretary of the SRAMO, Dr. Mahinda Liyanage, told BBC Sandeshaya that the treasury and the Salary Commission have recommended that they be paid expenses for transport and interruption to the duty. “However, the Secretary of the ministry is deliberately trying to pay these expenses to every other doctor apart from 1550 our members,” he told BBC’s Elmo Fernando. The entire health service will be interrupted and patients’ lives will be endangered if the authorities do not take swift action to resolve the matter, Dr. Mahinda Liyanage warned. The SRAMO urged the authorities to consider the soundness of their demands than trying to count the lives that will be endangered.“If the authorities do not need our service, we are also prepared to take our stand,” the General Secretary said.

Tamil group added to terrorist financing list

Canada’s banking watchdog today added the controversial World Tamil Movement to its terrorist financing watch list, alerting all banks, credit unions and insurance companies operating in this country to scour their client lists and immediately report any findings to authorities. That long-awaited move by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions comes about two months after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police first sought court approval to seize the World Tamil Movement’s bank accounts. The RCMP accuses the group of orchestrating a complex extortion scheme that targets Tamil Canadians and forces them to donate money to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The LTTE, or Tamil Tigers, is a militant separatist group that has been fighting for an independent homeland in north and east Sri Lanka since the 1970s. It is deemed a terrorist organization by some 30 countries around the world, including Canada. The World Tamil Movement’s Toronto branch has staunchly denied it raises funds for the Tamil Tigers or that it has any connection to terrorism. Its officials could not be immediately reached for comment. In announcing the change, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions said the World Tamil Movement is now subject to the Criminal Code. Both domestic and foreign financial institutions must comply with its directive and report their findings to regulator by July 15. “Financial institutions review the lists of terrorist names to determine if they have any customer accounts in the names on the list,” said spokesperson Rod Giles. “If they do, they must freeze any assets held and report the details immediately to the RCMP, CSIS and FINTRAC.” CSIS, or Canadian Security Intelligence Service, is Canada’s spy agency. Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada is the federal agency that tracks suspicious cash movements, including money laundering and terrorist financing. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day was scheduled to hold a press conference on the matter later today.

Italian Tamils resolve support for Eezham homeland

Diaspora Tamils in Northern Italy gathered Sunday for Pongku Thamizh rally held in Piazza Argentina in Milan, one of the largest cities in Italy, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and voiced their support for Eezham Tamil homeland, Tamils right to self-determination, and protested against the Sri Lankan state's aerial bombardment of Tamil civilians and rights violations of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Burani Vainer, a renown lawyer in Italy for his legal defence of freedom struggles, addressed the audience as a chief guest, on the principles of the right to self determination. Tamil poet Arivumathi, the other chief guest from Tamil Nadu, India, also addressed the audience.The organisers of the Pongku Thamizh rally said that although only a few hundreds Tamils reside in metropolitan area of Milan nearly 500 Tamils gathered in the city where 30 Tamils families live. Many participants had come from remote areas of Northern Italy to take part in the rally.Meanwhile, a few Sinhalese persons, believed to be working for the Sri Lankan government, arrived at the site and mobilsed a counter-protest with around 30 Sinhalese expatriates at 4:00 p.m. They were carrying Sri Lankan Lion flag and demanded the Police to remove the Tamileelam flag having Tiger emblem, saying that the Tamils were carrying the flag of the LTTE, which was proscribed in EU. Tamil activists explained to the Italian police officials that the flag they hoisted was national flag of Eezham Tamils and that it was a cultural right of the Tamils to hoist their national flag. The flag remained hoisted till the rally was concluded at 6:00 p.m.Speaking to media, after the rally, the organisors said that the flag was designated in 1990 as the national flag of Eezham Tamils and that the flag carried deep sentiments of Eezham Tamils. The organisors thanked the Italian authorities for their cooperation and understanding for allowing Tamils to express their legitimate aspirations. The Tamil rally was carried out according to the rules and regulations in Italy, with necessary permissions obtained in advance, they further said.The LTTE's emblem, which is in white background with the movement's legend marked around the Tiger insignia, was different from the Tamileelam flag which carries the Tiger symbol in red background. The Tiger insignia is an image deep rooted in Tamil heritage, centuries before the emergence of the LTTE.Around 50,000 Sinhalese expatriates live in Northern Italy.

U.S. updates Travel Warning for Sri Lanka

The State Department is warning U.S. citizens to avoid traveling in the eastern and northern areas of Sri Lanka as fighting between the military, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and paramilitary groups has intensified. "Although there is no specific indication that American citizens or institutions have been targeted, there is a heightened risk of American citizens becoming victims of violence just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time," the department states in its warning. Read the official Travel Warning.

16 June 2008

Anticipating fresh assault, Tigers strengthen Muhamalai frontline

Despite mounting military pressure on Vanni fronts and growing shortage of men and material, the LTTE continues to maintain its best equipped fighting cadres on the Jaffna front to face a possible ground assault across the frontline.The military said the LTTE had strengthened the frontline anticipating a major assault spearheaded by the recently created Mechanised Infantry Brigade. The heavy air strike on LTTE fortifications at Muhamalai on June 10 had fuelled speculation of an imminent offensive, the military said. Despite three previous attempts to breach the Muhamalai line beginning with an ill-fated operation spearheaded by the Air Mobile Brigade in the second week of October 2006, the LTTE appeared to be convinced that a fourth attempt would be made, the sources said. The northern frontline which extends from Kilali to Nagarkovil on the Vadamaratchchy East coast is 12 kilometres wide. It cuts across Eluththumaduwal, Kadolana (marshy land) and Muhamalai.Over 1,000 LTTE combatants and a considerable number of artillery pieces and heavy mortars are used on the northern front anticipating a move by 53 and 55 Divisions headquartered at Mirusuvil and Urani, respectively. The military said though the LTTE continued to strengthen its northern line as if it had crumbled, the remaining parts of the Vanni region currently under LTTE control, would be entirely opened to the army.The destruction of eight ‘floating arsenals’ on the high seas by the SLN between September 2006 to October 2007 crippled the LTTE’s overseas supply line responsible for bringing in massive quantities of arms, ammunition and equipment over a period of time.A senior military official said the LTTE’s current strategy would be to hold the northern line at any cost. But that would only delay the eventual collapse of their fighting capability, he said, adding ground action on the western part of the Vanni and Welioya had reached a decisive stage. The newly created 61 Division has launched operations in the general area west of Omanthai. The military said this would increase pressure on the LTTE now struggling to hold its positions targeted by Task Force 1 advancing on the Mannar front and 57 Division operating on a wide front north of Madhu church. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara yesterday said the Task Force 1 had advanced almost 11 kms from its original positions on the Medawachchiya-Mannar road. According to him, troops on the Mannar front had secured Adampan, while the 57 Division had advanced also 26 kilometres to take Periyamadhu tank area over the weekend. During the final assault, the LTTE had lost at least eight cadres, he said, troops conducting clearing operations had come across one body and one T-56 assault rifle. Before Saturday’s final assault, the army had secured bunds at the northern and southern ends, he said. Periyamadhu is situated 16 kilometres north of Madhu church. The Brigadier said the recent launch of operations by the 61 Division would cause rapid disintegration of enemy units deployed in the Vavuniya sector. He said the newly created Task Force 11 was yet to launch operations although the area of action was expected to be Vanni (west). Meanwhile, the 59 Division operating on a 12-kilometre wide front had been successful in neutralising a range of LTTE targets. On some sections of the front, the army had advanced upto 7 kilometres while at some places five to six kilometres, he said, asserting the overall progress on different fronts had contributed to the slow disintegration of enemy units.In the Jaffna peninsula, the army had altered the regular curfew hours. The Brigadier said the curfew would now be imposed from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. whereas previously it had been from 9 p.m. to 4.30 a.m.

Disarm TMVP - EPC minister
 
A minister in the recently established Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) has urged the aurhorities to disarm Chief Minister’s paramilitary group.Minister Uduman Lebbe, a member of the ruling coalition in the ECP, told BBC Sandeshaya that the Tamil Makkal Vidutalai Puligal (TMVP), known as Pillayan group, should lay down arms. ECP Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan also known as Pillyan is the current leader of the TMVP, which is formed by breakaway LTTE leader Karuna amman.

CM refuses to disarm

The TMVP is accused of gross human rights violations including abductions and child recruitment.Chief Minister Pillayan himself admitted that TMVP cadres are involved in abductions that led to tension in Batticaloa district.Minister in charge of Power, Irrigation, Highways, Water Supply and Housing minister Uduman Lebbe said it is high time that the government seize weapons kept by TMVP. In an interview with the BBC, Chief Minister Pillayan however refused to lay down arms until the ‘LTTE is defeated’ in the east. Minister Lebbe expressed hope that the TMVP would soon lay down arms as the paramilitary group has now entered the democratic process. The TMVP and some Muslim parties contested the ECP polls together with President Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

Two policemen shot dead in Kattankudi

Two constables of the Kattankudi police station were shot dead yesterday by an unidentified gunman near the Kalladi Bridge in Batticaloa, the police media spokesman said. SSP Gunasekera said the constables were shot while they were travelling in a trishaw and the gunman had fled taking with him the service weapons carried by the victims.The victims were identified as PC Bandara (70549) and PC Rahuman (73525) and though rushed to the Batticaloa hospital they were pronounced dead on admission. Kattankudi police launched an investigation soonafter the incident and the security in the area was tightened. Many incidents of violence were reported from Kattankudi since the Eastern Provincial Council polls and police curfew was imposed in the area on several occasions. A policeman was also killed by an unknown mob a few weeks ago in the same area.Meanwhile in Janakapura a home guard had been shot dead by an unidentified gunman yesterday and the victim’s service weapon was taken away. “The victim identified as HG Sirinanda (42408) aged 28 was shot while on duty at the Lagoon Post,” SSP Gunasekara said.

Two civilians killed in aerial bombing in Puthukkudiyiruppu

Two civilians were killed by an aerial bombing of the Sri Lankan Air Force on Sunday 15 June at 9.50am in Puthukkudiyiruppu town center. Eleven civilians were injured. Several homes and other buildings were damaged in the bombing.Nahathambirarasa, male aged 20 and Iyathurai Sundaralingam, male aged 47 were killed.

Names of those injured are:

Thankarasa (Male) of Puthukkudiyiruppu Asokan (Male) of Venavil Pathnathan (Male) of Venavil Jeyamohini (Female) of Puthukkudiyiruppu, Ward-1 Kalaithevan (Male) of Puthukkudiyiruppu Luchumanan (Male) Katchilaimadu Thinesh (Male) of Puthukkudiyiruppu, Ward-2 Chandran (Male) of Puthukkudiyiruppu, Ward-10 Parpuhalan (Male) of Iranaipalai Vinothan (Male) of Iranaipalai Banujan (Male) Visuvamadu.

Video surveillance cameras in Colombo city  
       
Video surveillance cameras are now being installed in selected locations in Colombo city as part of tightened security arrangements in view of the SAARC Summit meeting in late July.Such cameras will be positioned at crucial entry points to the city, a top law enforcement official said.The chosen locations include Kelani Bridge, Baseline Road, Kollupitiya, the BMICH and Flower Road.

Thangamma Appakkuddi passes away

Veteran religious and cultural personality of Eezham Tamils, Thangamma Appakkuddi, passed away on Sunday noon, at the age of 84, after bedridden for a few weeks in a stage of coma at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Apart from her religious leadership, Ms. Thangamma Appakkuddi, was a philanthropist and a social worker, caring for the much needed requirements of women and children in a war-torn society. She was an institution by herself. The funeral rites are scheduled to take place on Monday 2:00 p.m. at Kadduppeddi crematorium in her native village, Thellippazhai. Thellippazhai Thurkkai Amman Koayil Board of Trustees will take over the mortal remains of Ms. Thangamma Appakkuddi Monday 9:00 a.m. to conduct prayers and for the people to pay homage in the Common Hall outside the temple, until 2:00 p.m. Born on 7th January, 1925, Ms. Thangamma Appakkuddi, had her early education at Ramanathan College, Chu'n'naakam, and became a trained teacher in 1945. She studied Tamil and Saivism in the tradtional schools and became a Pundit in 1952 and a Saiva Pulavar (Madras) in 1958. She was a popular teacher for 31 years of which the last 12 years were spent at the Union College, Thellippazhai. She retired from government service in 1976. She became inclined towards Saivism and Tamil at a much earlier age, remained a spinster and devoted her entire life for the cause of her ideals.Known as Pandithai Thangamma Appakkuddi, she was gracing the temples of Jaffna as early as 1950's and 60's, by unique lectures in her deep and resonant voice, captivating the masses. Early 70's marked a big transition in her life. She became involved in the construction of a temple dedicated to the goddess Durga in her native place Thellippazhai. The temple that existed there before her times was a humble structure with a thatched front. It was essentially the spirit of Thangamma Appaakkuddi, which was behind the upsurge of the cult of Durga and for the temple to become a big and leading religious establishment among Eezham Tamils. In her later years, she became known Sivath-thamizhch-chelvi (the lady of God Siva's Tamil) and Thurkaa-thuranthari (one who is in the service of Durga). She became a preceptor whom the people were looking upon for religious leadership. For the masses, she was a living embodiment of the goddess herself. But, she remained a rational person with a spiritual and social mission. Her temple establishment became an epicentre for a multitude of social and cultural activities. The Thurkaapuram Maka'lir Illam, set up by her for destitute female children was a unique institution by itself. The temple also assisted the sick, elderly and helpless refugees. She was also a philanthropist in establishing libraries and assisting valuable publications. Recognising her academic achievements and service to culture and society, the University of Jaffna, bestowed her with an honorary doctorate in 1998. The life, mission and service of Thangamma Appakkuddi and the cult of the goddess she popularised, transcend beyond the individual person of herself. The relationship between her mission and the under-currents of the society at the level of the subconscious psyche is a topic for structural analysis. There is a deep relationship between the gender issues of the society and the cult she promoted, manifesting into a shade of South Asian modelled feminism. In a Saiva society, dominated by the cults of Vairavar, Murukan, Pillayar and Siva, the popularity gained by the Durga cult of Thangamma Appakkuddi and its impact were phenomenal. No wonder, the theme attracted the doctoral research of N. Shanmugalingan, the present Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna.

Time for India to deal with LTTE - Swamy
   
The time is at hand for India to effectively contribute towards the war against terrorism and promoting democracy, by targeting the LTTE sincerely and effectively, in the larger national interest of security and national integrity, former Indian Union Law Minister, Subramanian Swamy said.Swamy says India’s policy towards the internationally proclaimed terrorist organization, the LTTE, now requires to be sharply defined, before it is too late or else one more neighbour will float into the US sphere of influence. “At present there is confusion in India’s approach to Sri Lanka because of a hidden compulsion amongst the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. May 21, the unfortunate anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, passed by last week without a single Congress leader demanding the avenging of his death or the extradition of the prime culprit—LTTE Supremo V Prabhakaran,” he said. Swamy notes that despite the continuing assassinations by the LTTE of pro-Indian Sri Lankan politicians and its open interference within India by financing pro-LTTE politicians and training terrorist organizations, the Indian government supports the “peace process” by the Sri Lanka government and talks with the LTTE, that could end up legitimizing the same terrorist outfit and making the ban by India meaningless.He goes on to say if Sri Lankans really wanted to rid the island of the LTTE, then they should force their government to unilaterally announce the adoption of a quasi-federal Constitution, much like India’s, to replace the present unitary one. “Then India can without reservation help the Sri Lankans to combat the LTTE. But India cannot wait around for the Sinhalese to make up their minds. Hence, Indians have to take stock now and decide what to do to remove the fault line in India’s policy towards the LTTE, and thus secure national interests in its geographical neighbourhood. There is no time to lose,” he added.He says India has a national security imperative and an unavoidable moral obligation to get involved to free the island of Sri Lanka of the LTTE’s brutal terror, if for nothing else to secure her own environment and punish those seek to over-awe India’s people with terror.

Indian schoolboy languishes in Sri Lankan jail
 
The longing for a little adventure - a fishing trip with his elder brother - has led to a nightmarish experience for a 16-year-old schoolboy as he was caught by the Sri Lankan Navy and put in prison.Joseph is languishing for over two weeks in a prison in Anuradhapuram, Sri Lanka. He is a Class 11 student in the Muthupet Higher Secondary School in Pamban area. He has not been able to convince his captors that they were not involved in transporting "black powder" in their boat.Joseph and his elder brother Ignatius, 22, come from a traditional fishing family in Pamban, on the Ramanathapuram coast. "My sons have been fishing in these waters since childhood. We are innocent fishing families," Joseph's distraught father, Arul Sahayam, told IANS. As many as 23 Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy May 26 allegedly while fishing between Katchchatheevu and Neduntheevu in the international waters between the two countries. They were on board four country boats.The Indian fishermen were taken blindfolded to a temporary camp on a beach, and "flogged and tortured", according to the Organisation for Protection of Indians' Rights Abroad (OPIRA). They were questioned with guns pointed to their heads about association with the dissident Lankan Tamil outfit, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the rights group claimed.These fishermen were produced before a magistrate May 28, after which they were sent to the Anuradhapuram prison. Eighteen of the 23 fishermen were freed by the court and returned to Pamban, in Rameswaram, June 4. On their return, they described their ordeal to rights organisations in Tamil Nadu.Five of them, all below 25 years of age, were not released by Sri Lanka.With both his sons still in Sri Lankan custody, Arul Sahayam approached OPIRA. "Joseph is only 16. He has to be treated as a child according to international norms. He was questioned with a gun pointed at his head and is kept in prison with adults," OPIRA director Agni Subramanian said.Joseph and his brother told Opira activists that their jailers have accused them of bringing "a black powder" in their boat. "We do not know what this black powder is. The police won't tell us. They only say, we brought it in our boat, hidden on the underside of the boat. If that is so, water would have soaked the powder," Joseph told Opira activists who recorded the conversation in Anuradhapuram. Joseph said he only wanted to go on a fishing trip with his elder brother during school holidays. Opira has now approached Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala to facilitate  the schoolboy's release.

British High Commission’s Defence section to close down
   
The British High Commission in Colombo announced that it would continue its bilateral defence relationship with Sri Lanka without residential Defence representation in Colombo.In response to the claims that the Defence section in the High Commission in Colombo would be closed down soon, a spokesman for the Commission in Colombo said that it had decided to remove the resident Defence Adviser from Colombo and close the Defence section stating that it “looked carefully at our global representation and where we could continue our bilateral Defence relationship without residential Defence representation.”He also said that the British Defence Ministry has had to “prioritise its resources in the face of the increased costs of the Defence Attache network together with other financial pressures.” However the spokesman also stated that its Defence relationship with Sri Lanka will not be covered from the British High Commission in New Delhi.  “The Ministry of Defence in London will continue to monitor developments in Sri Lanka, and if the situation requires, may deploy individuals for short terms,” he added. 

Six LTTE suspects' arrested in Wattala with explosives

Police media spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said six LTTE suspects including a female was arrested by a special Police investigation team during an anti-terrorist raid conducted in Wattala area, a suburb of Colombo on Saturday (June 14). The investigation team has also found C-4 high explosives weighing around 2.7kg in the possession of the suspects at the time of arrest. According Police Spokesperson SSP Ranjith Gunasekara, police is conducting further investigations.

IPKF memorial to come up in Colombo

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama will talk to the Indian government about a suitable time and modalities to inaugurate a memorial being built for slain personnel of the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) in Colombo. The memorial, which will bear the Indian National Emblem (Ashoka chakra), is being raised two decades after the IPKF was unceremoniously asked to leave Sri Lanka. The black marble column is likely to be ready by July. Sri Lanka is not keen to club its unveiling with the Saarc summit.The long-delayed construction of the memorial — welcomed in India as a friendly gesture — has met virulent opposition in parts of Sri Lanka, particular among LTTE sympathizers.

15 June 2008

LTTE poised to launch major attack on Jaffna town

While Southern politicians were busy this week preparing themselves for the forthcoming North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Elections, in the northern theatre of war, the climate was different.Tension continued to pervade the town of Jaffna after fresh warning was issued by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), threatening to take control of the town this week.The LTTE warning, though was taken with a pinch of salt by the government troops, given their prowess in defeating the LTTE in the east, was taken stock of by the northern commanders.As the warning from the LTTE came last week that the Tigers were now ready to capture Jaffna town, the government troops were put on red alert.According to intelligence sources, the LTTE is to launch a major onslaught on the government troops on Thursday (19) and Friday (20), and thereafter take control of the town.As this message was conveyed to the people of the north, they began to panic. People began to purchase their provisions and started to hoard them. They even decided to stay indoors, fearing that they would fall victims to the crossfire that will erupt between the Tigers and the government troops, in the event a clash broke out between these two warring factions.The day to day business in Jaffna town following the Tiger warning has been hampered and in most of the areas, doors are shut.Already, the LTTE has begun artillery attacks on the people living in the coastal belts in Gurunagar, Pasaiur and Kolumbuthurai. The LTTE is launching the attacks from Kalmunai point in Jaffna. Therefore, the climate appears to be tense and the people expect eruption of war in the heart of Jaffna at any moment.

LTTE’s message

To the government troops, the LTTE’s message may not be threatening, but to the civilians it gives shivers.The clear message from the LTTE came from Kalmunai point last week, where the LTTE is operating from.The message was conveyed through the fishermen from Jaffna town who went there on their usual errands last week.The LTTE cadres who met with fishermen from the Jaffna town, had told them that the LTTE was planning to attack Jaffna town on June 19 and 20 and that civilians should move away from the sea areas.Taking every word uttered by the Tiger cadres seriously, the fishermen had returned to the town to convey the message to their kith and kin and others around. This message was also duly conveyed to the government troops in general and the northern commander Major General G. A. Chandrasiri, in particular.Thereafter, Maj.Gen. Chandrasiri acted quickly to plan out a security network for the civilians and others.

Attacks on media

While the LTTE was planning to infiltrate the northern town, intelligence reports had reached Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri that the LTTE was going to mount fresh attacks on media organisations based in Jaffna.Upon receiving this message, Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri immediately summoned senior journalists from all three newspapers published in Jaffna, last Wednesday (11) for a briefing.The three major newspapers published in Jaffna are Uthayan, Valampuri and Yal Thinakkural. Senior representatives of the three newspapers who met Gen. Chandrasiri had questioned him on what basis he was planning to provide security to the newspaper offices.In response, he had told them that the army headquarters in Colombo had informed him that the newspapers were going to come under attack and that he was therefore planning to provide additional security.The government had already provided Uthayan newspaper police protection after the paper came under attack some time ago.However, Gen. Chandrasiri further increased the security to Uthayan and also set up a mobile patrol to give protection to the newspaper.Similarly, the other two newspapers were also given police and army protection. Gen. Chandrasiri gave an assurance to the journalists that the government will not allow any force to attack the newspapers or the journalists.Jaffna SSP S. Karunaratne thereafter was requested to oversee the security provided to the three newspapers.

Curfew extended

In a bid to further strengthen security in the Jaffna town, the curfew that had already been imposed for the past two years, was further extended by a period of two additional hours. Earlier, the curfew was effective from 9.00 p.m. to 4.30 a.m. but from last Monday (9), the curfew was imposed from 7.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. the following day.Besides this, a fresh decision was also taken to restrict movement while the army convoys moved from place to place.Previously, while the convoy was moving the people were allowed to move around. But, according to a fresh decision that was brought into motion, with effect from last Monday (9), the movements of the public were restricted for three hours, when the convoys were on the move. The movements were effected on the main roads of Palaly, KKS, Point Pedro and A9. The government has also increased the mobile petrol owing to the fresh threats by the LTTE.

Restriction on fishing

Severe restriction was also imposed on fishing in the event the LTTE launched attacks as promised.If the LTTE launched their attacks as vowed, it is the fishermen who would become the most vulnerable targets. Already, fisher folks living in the sea areas are feeling the heat of the war, as continuous attacks had been launched by the LTTE from Kalmunai point to the coastal belts in the north.With a view to bringing about considerable minimum civilian casualties, the government also restricted fishing for one week.According to the fresh regulation, the fishermen are debarred from fishing in the sea for one week. According to defence sources, this regulation could also be further extended depending on the situation. “If the situation improves, then the ban would be lifted and the fishermen would be asked to carry on fishing. But otherwise, there is a possibility of this ban being further extended as a precautionary measure,” defence sources said.This regulation was also introduced by the government last Monday (9).

A dream?

Meanwhile, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said capturing Jaffna by the Tiger rebels can only be their dream and nothing else.He said the security situation in the North is well under control and there was no need to panic.He said the government has taken measures to minimise civilian casualties and added that regaining Jaffna by the Tigers was not possible, given the number of security personnel deployed there.“Of course there can be claymore attacks targeting eminent people. The LTTE can resort to employing pistol groups and these groups can inflict injuries and even death to many. But, the LTTE cannot infiltrate or take over the north,” he said.“Infiltration” he said could be possible only by, what he described as ‘sleeping cadres,’ who he further referred to as Tigers who were mingling with the people and sleeping there with a motive to launch attacks on civilians and other vital targets.Brig. Nanayakkara assured that the government troops were ready to counter any attacks launched by the LTTE in the north.

Army captures Periyamadu Tank

The Sri Lanka Army captured the Periyamadu Tank’s bunt in Vavuniya yesterday afternoon.Seven soldiers were injured during the battle, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.The MCNS said that besides the heavy confrontation levelled by the LTTE, the soldiers who were moving towards LTTE territory captured the entire bunt of the Periyamadu Tank, which is around 2.5 km long. “It was a major setback for the LTTE as the security forces brought the entire tank area under their control,” the MCNS said.Meanwhile, a suspected LTTE sympathiser was taken into custody and goods, including batteries and medicines, were seized from a high-speed boat in the sea off Devipattinam in Rameswaram, Police said on Saturday.The ‘Q’ branch of the Police dealing with militant activities seized Indian Rs. 1 million worth of batteries, Army uniforms, medicines and gloves from the boat around midnight, sources said.Inspector Thiagarajan said that the occupants of the boat had jumped into the sea upon seeing the Police but that they managed to catch Vijayan, an LTTE sympathiser from Sri Lanka. There were 25 bundles, including 18,000 batteries, uniforms, medicines, ‘beedi’ and other items, Police said.

No role for India in Sri Lanka for now- LTTE

India cannot make “any healthy, fruitful contribution” to resolving Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict until it changes its mind on the Tamil Tigers’ struggle for an independent state, a rebel leader has said.“Our regret is that the Indian policy makers are viewing (the) Tamil people’s struggle through the lens of their country’s political warfare,” KV Balakumaran, a senior member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), told an Australian Tamil radio.“Until the Indian central government approaches this intellectually and recognises that ours is a struggle for survival by an oppressed people in the land of their birth, India cannot make any healthy, fruitful contribution.“India has approached our struggle as an integral part of their national political equation. Like in a political chess game, India has taken positions beneficial to the governments in power,” the pro-LTTE TamilNet website quoted Balakumaran as saying.Balakumaran, who took to Tamil militancy in the 1970s and formally joined the LTTE in the early 1990s, was asked: “How would you like India to view the Tamil issue?”Balakumaran, who for many years lived in Tamil Nadu and interacted with the Indian leadership in the 1980s, pointed out that there was “a link” between the Tamil Tigers and India.“We have said clearly (that) Tamil Eelam is not against India; we will uphold Indian welfare as our own,” he said. “There was a time, when India looked after our welfare as her own. India will change its current policy towards us one day.“We believe firmly (that) our strong cultural ties to our brothers and sisters in India will help their policy makers to select a just and fair path towards our people.”But he said the LTTE “cannot wait for India’s change of mind to continue with our liberation. One fact should be clear, no one should doubt our friendship, and strong ties to India,”In the mid-1980s, India provided sanctuary to Tamil militants from Sri Lanka. In 1987, its troops deployed in Sri Lanka’s northeast after a pact with Colombo ended up fighting the LTTE, resulting in thousands of deaths. Subsequently, New Delhi became the first country to outlaw the Tigers in 1992, a year after a woman suicide bomber killed former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi. The LTTE has denied assassinating Gandhi.Balakumaran agreed that the LTTE campaign to carve out a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka, which has left over 70,000 people dead since 1983, would need the support of the international community.“We accept this. We agree we have to go along with the international community. (But) our people must have a deeper understanding... We must inquire why international actors are responding differently to the national liberation struggles of different peoples.“The axioms accepted for one struggle are negated for another... Countries are motivated by their own self interest.” Balakumaran, whose remarks are believed to reflect the thinking of the LTTE leadership, was asked how important it was for “a liberation movement” to show its strength.“We traditionally equate strength with military might,” he said. But this was one aspect of the larger picture, he added.“This is a marathon; having the strength to confront the obstacles to the finish is how the success of a liberation struggle is assessed,” he said. “Our people are demonstrating this strength and the accompanying resilience.”

400 million more dumped for new PC polls

With government coffers drying up, the Treasury is looking for ways to find another Rs.400 million to hold the Central Provincial and the Sabaragamuwa Council Elections, finance sources say.The recently held Eastern Provincial Council election and Eastern local government elections cost the government nearly Rs 260 million.Meanwhile the government also raised a syndicate loan of US$150 million from the international money market.Earlier the government borrowed US 500 million and US$ 50 million at a high commercial rate from international banks. “When people are wondering how to survive due to the soaring food and oil prices, burdening people with another Rs.400 million debt is a case of sending them from the frying pan to the fire’’, JVP Spokesman Vijitha Herath said. He said that those two Councils were elected for four years but the Government got the Chief Ministers to propose their dissolution purely for petty political reasons. “We are trying our best to block these elections by taking legal action as the people of this country cannot be burdened with unnecessary exp-enses’’, Herath said.Meanwhile, the opposition UNP filed two petitions in the Supreme Court against the dissolution of the two provincial councils last Friday.  

Bomb suspect turns out to be Civil Defence watchdog!

Investigations have revealed that the LTTE suspect arrested in connection with the two recent train bomb blasts was a member of the Civil Defence Unit of the Wellawatta Police Station. The suspect, who has been identified only as Nishanthan, is alleged to have aided and abetted the LTTE bomb expert Jetheeshan Subramaniam carry out the two bomb explosions at the Dehiwala Railway Station and the other blast between the Dehiwala and Wellawatta Railway Stations. Investigations also revealed that Nishanthan is a resident of Nelliadi, Jaffna and an engineer by profession. He had worked with Jetheeshan Subramaniam at an air condition and refrigerator repair workshop at Rajagiriya and had also undertaken a contract to repair the air conditioning system of the Bank of Ceylon Headquarters office. It is also been alleged that Jetheeshan Subramaniam and Nishanthan had used the opportunity to take photographs of buildings around the Bank of Ceylon offices.Investigations revealed that Nishanthan had been staying at KG garden flats in Bambalapitiya that belonged to his aunt. He had used his connections with the Vision Academy of Computer Technology to infiltrate the Civil Defence Unit of the Wellawatta Police Station. The Academy belongs to a resident of Nelliadi, Jaffna. It is alleged that the Academy was used by Nishanthan as a hideout to conceal weapons. Nishanthan’s association with the Wellawatta Police Station enabled him to befriend a police constable and is also said to have sent the constable on a tour to Singapore at Nishanthan’s expense. Nishanthan’s motor cycle used by this constable is now in police custody. After the rail track blast incident between Dehiwala and Wellawatta, Nishanthan fled to Matale. There he surrendered at the Matale Police Station.Investigations led the police to recover five kilogrammes of C4 explosives and other weapons at the Vision Academy building in Wellawatta. Jetheeshan Subramaniam is also said to have stored 10 claymore bombs, five micro pistols and a haul of military weapons at a house in Mattakkuliya. Jetheesan had used a motor cycle to ferry these articles from Mattakkuliya to the Vision Academy building.Jetheesan is also alleged to be the handler behind the Katubedda bus bomb. Mount Lavinia Police recently recovered from an abandoned house in Watarappala Road, a claymore bomb, a micro pistol and a haul of firearms buried in a pit. Police believe that the weapons would have been used to target another bus.

Voice of Tigers gets chopped in Serbia after week of transmission

The Voice of Tigers (VoT), the official radio of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which started transmissions on June 1 from Serbia has ceased its transmissions on June 9.According to reliable sources, the Government of Serbia has terminated the broadcast license granted to VoT to retransmit to Europe, North Africa and Middle East via Serbian satellite, when the authorities came to know that VoT was the official broadcast organ of a banned terrorist outfit.It is reported that several influential contacts have helped the LTTE to obtain the transmission license for broadcast of Tamil FM Radio through Serbian satellite. However, the Serbian authorities were not aware of the true nature of the contents of VoT and the moment they realised the connection between the VoT and the LTTE, the transmission was terminated.Previously the VoT, as well as the LTTE’s television service, the National Tamil Television (NTT) used the US-based INTELSAT 12 for radio and television transmissions. INTELSAT 12 terminated the transmissions when it was pointed out that the LTTE was a listed terrorist organisation in the US and the VoT and NTT were publicity organs of the terrorist movement.

Diaspora Tamils launch Pongku Thamizh 2008

Diaspora Eezham Tamils on Saturday began rallying in support of the Eezham Tamils Right to Self-Determination in 'Pongku Thamizh,' which means 'Tamil Upsurge', an annual move aimed at Tamil awakening through cultural programmes. First country to mark the move was New Zealand, where Tamils gathered at Potters Park in Auckland for two hours on Saturday between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. More than 350 Tamils of the 400 Tamil families in Auckland, wearing T-shirts marking the traditional Tamil homeland and carrying the portrait of Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam, called for the recognition of Eezham Tamils Right to Self-determination and marked the upsurge event with cultural programmes and speeches.A poster, canvassing for Pongu Thamizh in Norway, features Tamil Eelam umbrella.Maire Leadbeater of Indonesia Human Rights Committee, a former East Timor solidarity activist and author of "Negligent Neighbour: New Zealand's complicity in the invasion and occupation of Timor Leste," addressed the audience. Mrs. Narmatha, a former lecturer at the University of Jaffna, who witnessed the emergence of the Pongku Thamizh movement under the SLA occupation in Jaffna in 2001, and a representative of Pax Christi International also spoke at the event. The Pongku Thamizh movement was initiated by university students in the Tamil homeland. The move was first held in North and East on January 17, 2001 followed by well attended celebrations by Tamil Diaspora in various parts of the world. It serves for the motivation and demonstration of will for the cause of Eezham Tamils.In its initial declaration, the movement marked the Tamil aspirations as Right to Self Determination of Eezham Tamils, recognition for the Traditional Tamil homeland and the Eezham Tamils as a distinct nationality.Diaspora Eezham Tamils in Norway and Denmark also mark Pongku Thamizh on Saturday. In Norway, a Thamilzh Eezham umbrella was released prior to the rally. The organizers said the umbrella symbolized the unified efforts by the Diaspora Eezham Tamils voicing for the right to self determination of Tamils. Tamils in Italy, Finland, South Africa, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Swtizerland, UK, France, Sweden, Canada and Malaysia are also expected to mark the move in the forthcoming days.

SLMC and WPF to form alliance

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Western Peoples Front (WPF), two minority parties, held discussions last week to form an alliance, party sources said. “Both parties representing the Tamil speaking minorities have realised the historical necessity for this”, a joint statement issued by the two parties said.The SLMC has also expressed its willingness to participate in the human rights campaign, the Civil Monitoring Committee of which Mano Ganesan is the convener.The press communiqu‚ further said: “SLMC and WPF both will work together in a loose alliance with United National Party in the opposition. Talks covered many political issues including that of examining methods to be carried out at the time of any future elections. Both sides have agreed to establish a Memorandum of Understanding between two parties”Parliamentarian Saffeek Rajabdeen and Western Provincial Councilor Praba Ganesan have been nominated to head respective committees of SLMC and WPF. This joint committee is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing a draft for the MoU. Initial talks were held at SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem’s residence in Colombo. Rauf Hakeem with members of the SLMC high command participated at the talks while Mano Ganesan and General Secretary Dr. Nalliah Kumaraguruparan MMC represented WPF.

Anandasangaree raps Douglas

TULF leader V. Anandasangaree has in a "My dear Thamby" rejoinder has asked Douglas Devananda not to mischievously confuse the present TNA that contested as proxies of the LTTE in 2004 with the TNA of 2001."That was only an alliance of three political parties that contested in 2001", Anandasangaree has said adding that "it is mainly this kind of mischievous distortion that keeps me from you at arms length."The following is the full text of the Anandasangaree's letter to Devananda:

My Dear Thamby,

My worry is about the people who suffer

Thank you for responding to my letter addressed to His Excellency the President, protesting against your appointment as Head of the Special Task Force for the administration of the Northern Province. Even if you had been appointed as Head of the Special Task Force to administer the Kayts Electorate I would have opposed it. But when the entire Northern Province is handed over to you along with five administrative Districts comprised of fourteen Electorates how can I keep quite? Don't you think that you on your own should have declined to accept it. Please be assured that I do not have anything personal against you. All my worry is about the people who had been undergoing untold hardships for more than quarter of a century. I have not turned bitter towards you all of a sudden. The bitterness had been there from the time you took control of the Kayts Electorate with its nine Islands and stated harassing the poor people who have had bellyful, by that time, from the LTTE. Your taking control of the Kayts Electorate did not in any way bring relief to the people there. Contrary to that, apart from their poor living conditions, threats, intimidations, deprivation of all their rights, the democratic rights in particular, were on the increase.

Both of us were in Parliament from October, 2000 till January, 2004. Did I ever look at you or smile at you? Why? Because even after enjoying power as Member of Parliament and as a Minister, you did not change your attitude towards the suffering masses. I had been complaining about you to both the present President His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse and his predecessor in office Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, a number of times. You can still verify that.

The trip to South Africa was one that I never asked for I did not want to displease the President. The fact that I will never spare the LTTE till they give up violence is no secret. I had a sacred duty to save the country from the LTTE's false propaganda deliberately done to bring discredit to all of us. Don't you remember how a young lady irresponsibly accused the Sri Lankan Forces of various charges. On the ethnic issue my views are well known all over the world. But you, unmindful of the collective responsibility you had as a Minister, tried to promote your solution although there was an All Party Representatives Committee appointed by the President working on it and the minorities were anxiously awaiting the outcome.

I never intended to slander you, not to sling mud on you. Unfortunately in my opinion you have not changed your ways. My discontentment is not due to your appointment as the Chairman of the Special Task Force. It is about the unfortunate people who are suffering for well over two and a half decades without any hopes of salvation. If the Cabinet had approved your appointment it is a pity that most of its members do not know about your past and the present. If you had informed me of your appointment with a view to invite me to join you to serve the people I would have taken it as the biggest joke because as a Minister I know how you treated me.

All what I have mentioned in my letter are true and not fabricated. All letters referred to were not modified as you accuse me. This is exactly why I sent copies of the original as annextures. Whether some of those incidents are ten years old or ten days old they remain as black marks in your political career and you had not taken any steps to erase off these marks.

I do agree that our people should be saved from the clutches of the LTTE but not to fall into the clutches of another as happened in the past I want normalcy and democratic rights restored for which I seek your assistance. I reject your claim that you don't do politics for posts and prominence because I know how you won nine seats to Parliament with the 8600 odd votes all your 13 candidates jointly polled in 1994. What did you do in 2000 and 2001. If you really want to serve the Tamil Community as you say, please take into consideration all the sacrifices our leaders, thousands of youths belonging to various groups including your EPDP made and also the thousands of innocent Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese people who died due to the violence of the LTTE and destruction of billions and billions worth of property both public and private Island-wide and await the emergence of the final proposal acceptable to all the minorities. At that time I will consider extending my support to you to serve your community as you say. As it is now you will never serve your community. Instead you will only ruin them.

Please don't mischievously confuse the present TNA that contested as proxies of the LTTE in 2004 with the TNA of 2001. Which was only an alliance of the three political parties that contested in 2001. It is mainly this type of mischievous distortions of yours that make me to keep you at arms length. You very well known that it was I who disputed the claim of the LTTE that they were the sole representatives of the Tamils.

If you look forward for my advice take this letter as such but if you want my co-operation I am sorry to say that I can do it only by quitting politics. That is the only option. I can think of having completely studied all aspects of the present situation.

I am sorry Thamby this is all I can say.

V. Anandasangaree,
President - TULF

14 June 2008

Bogollogama to invite Indian PM for SAARC meet
 
NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollogama will arrive here Sunday to invite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the SAARC summit in August. He will also discuss bilateral and regional issues with Indian leaders. The next meeting of the heads of state and government of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka Aug 2-3. At his meeting with Manmohan Singh Monday evening, the foreign minister is expected to discuss recent developments in his country and areas of bilateral cooperation. The Sri Lankan high commission here said that Bogollogama will hand over invitations to Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to attend the SAARC summit. Mukherjee will host a "working lunch" for Bogollogama at the Hyderabad House here Monday. The two leaders will have a detailed discussion on the Sri Lanka situation as well as areas of bilateral cooperation. "We have very good relations with India and our foreign minister will take the opportunity to apprise the Indian leadership about some of the recent developments in Sri Lanka and also talk about areas of mutual concern and interest," Sri Lankan High Commissioner C.R. Jayasinghe told IANS. Elections held for a new Eastern Regional Council in May and the military offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are likely to be discussed.

Dozens killed in fresh fighting across Sri Lanka: military

At least 13 Tamil Tiger rebels and sixgovernment troops have been killed in fresh fighting across Sri Lanka's embattled northern region, the defence ministry said on Saturday.Friday's fighting, which was centred around the Mannar, Weli Oya, Vavuniya and Jaffna regions, also wounded 27 combatants on both sides, the military said.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) made no comment on the government's statement.Fighting is now concentrated in the island's north after government troops ejected the LTTE from its eastern stronghold last July.Friday's fighting raises the number of rebels killed by security forces to 4,222 since January while 369 soldiers have died in combat during the same period, according to the defence ministry.The ministry does not allow media and rights groups to travel to the frontlines, making its claims impossible to verify.The LTTE has been fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic minority Tamils from the majority Sinhalese community in the island's north and east since 1972.Tens of thousands of people have died in one of Asia's longest-running conflicts.

LTTE sympathiser held; goods seized from boat

A suspected LTTE sympathiser was taken into custody and goods, including batteries and medicines, were seized from a high speed boat in the sea off Devipattinam here, police said on Saturday. The 'Q' branch of the police dealing with militant activities seized Rs 10 lakh worth of batteries, army uniforms, medicines and gloves from the boat around mid-night, the sources said. Inspector Thiagarajan told PTI that the occupants of the boat jumped into the sea on seeing the police but they managed to catch Vijayan, an LTTE sympathiser from Sri Lanka. Three others, who hail from Devipattinam, managed to escape, he said. There were 25 bundles including 18,000 batteries, uniforms, medicines, 'beedies' and other items, police said.

Toronto man held in Sri Lanka after electronics, chemicals seized

TORONTO - A Toronto man has been arrested in Sri Lanka after police seized an array of electronics, including heat-seeking devices, that were shipped from Canada.Kajan Irampamoorthy, 20, is being held in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo and questioned about whether the materials were destined for the Tamil Tigers guerrillas.Mr. Irampamoorthy, a permanent resident of Canada, was taken into custody more than two weeks ago, according to government officials.The seized materials allegedly include an AimShot HeatSeeker 3500b, which uses thermal sensors to locate targets by detecting their movements and body heat. Police also seized PDAs, CDs, and five bags of chemicals similar to aircraft grease. The items had apparently been shipped by courier from an address in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough.Investigators in Canada and Sri Lanka are now trying to figure out what Mr. Irampamoorthy was doing in Colombo and why he was in possession of the electronics and chemicals.The Department of Foreign Affairs said it had no information on the matter.Mr. Irampamoorthy was travelling on a Sri Lankan passport at the time of his arrest. There was no answer Thursday at his last known residence in the Toronto suburb of Markham. His cellphone number and e-mail address also went unanswered.A spokesman for the Canadian Tamil Congress said members of Sri Lanka's ethic Tamil minority are frequently arrested without cause in Colombo."They are arresting people left, right and centre lately," said David Poopalapillai. "Arresting Tamils, it's a daily occurrence and sometimes they twist the story."Sri Lanka is engulfed in a civil war between Tamil Tigers guerrillas seeking an independent homeland for the country's Tamil minority and government forces trying to keep the country united.Toronto is home to one of the world's largest populations of ethnic Tamils. Many are sympathetic to the guerrillas, considering them freedom fighters defending Tamils from decades of government abuses.The Tigers, however, are a listed terrorist organization under Canadian law because of their tactics, which have included hundreds of suicide bombings and the assassinations of such political figures as former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.Meanwhile, a Toronto woman said on Thursday her 71-year-old father had also been taken into custody in Colombo and that the family had so far been unable to determine his fate.

TMVP invited by President to join APRC deliberations; JHU, MEP set to rejoin talks

‘To the best of my knowledge, the TMVP has been invited by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to join the APRC deliberations and they have consented to participate in the process’, APRC chairman and Science and Technology Minister, Prof. Tissa Vitarana told ‘The Island’.A TMVP decision to join the talks would pave the way for the JHU and MEP to re-join the APRC, since it was the position of these two parties that the TMVP too participates in the APRC deliberations, if they are to re-enter the process. Over the past two months, the JHU and the MEP kept away from the talks over the question of the TMVP’s participation, the Minister explained. ‘As soon as the TMVP joins the talks the JHU and the MEP would also do so’, he said.The APRC chief also said that the APRC has been meeting every week over the months, although it could not do so this week on account of some practical difficulties.

Police see stars in Kandy Kovil

Mystery surrounds the detection of 1,500 chromium-plated star symbols which indicate the rank of policemen in the possession of an Indian national working in a Kovil in Kandy.The stars are worn on either shoulder of a policeman’s uniform and the number denotes his rank. A Sub Inspector of Police wears one star on each shoulder of the uniform, an Inspector two, a Chief Inspector three, A Superintendent wears one star with a crown while a Senior Superintendent of Police wears two stars with a crown.The suspect told police that he was given the parcel of stars by a person in India and had been told that it would be collected on his arrival at the Katunayake Airport. However, no one had met him at the Airport so he had kept it with him. He said he had arrived in Sri Lanka only a few days ago and that he specializes in painting statues in kovils. After working in a Colombo kovil he had begun work in the Kandy kovil when Police arrested him.Police said the stars were of no use to anybody. If anyone or a few together wanted to pose off as policemen, they wouldn’t require 1,500 star symbols. Kandy SSP Jayantha Gamanpila, who is handling investigations, said that the suspect was being interrogated and he was hopeful of ascertaining the actual reason behind the stars being in the suspect’s possession.The Customs at the Airport had had inquired about the stars, he said.

Stop LTTE raising money in Britain: President
   
Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa said Britain stands accused of applying double standards in its counter-terrorism policy because the LTTE is being allowed to raise money among expatriates in London, Times Online reported. President Rajapaksa who was on a visit to London to attend the Commonwealth Summit said LTTE supporters were able to raise millions of pounds each year from the British Tamil community, some of whom were coerced into donating the money. “You can't have two different attitudes towards terrorism,” he told Times Online this week when he raised the issue with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. “I don't agree that there are good terrorists and bad terrorists, but only one kind of terrorist.” There are about 150,000 Tamils living in Britain, mostly in North London. It is estimated that as much as £70 million is sent to Sri Lanka every year. “These are not voluntary contributions, the money is taken by force, usually a percentage of their income,” said Mr Rajapaksa who attracted Tamil protesters during his stay. “The money is sent back to buy weapons. London is not the only place; money is also sent from Europe, Canada and other places.” Mr Rajapaksa said he was taking steps to protect human rights. He blamed his Government's poor international reputation on “clever propaganda” by the Tigers. “We have failed in the propaganda fight,” he said. Mr Rajapaksa insisted that in spite of the cost in lives and damage inflicted to Sri Lanka's tourist trade he would not resume peace talks with the Tamil Tigers until the organisation agrees to disarm. “When they are weak they call on the international community to arrange a ceasefire. During this period they train and rearm and then fight back. This time if they want to talk, they should disarm first,” he said. Even if the Tigers were to meet his preconditions it seems unlikely he would ever be able to conclude a peace deal with Velupillai Prabhakaran, the charismatic rebel commander. “This man and the three or four henchmen around him are blood-thirsty killers,” Mr Rajapaksa said. “They have no feelings. It is very difficult to deal with them.”

Five persons abducted by white van squads

Five persons were abducted by groups that came in white vans cladding clothes similar to Army and Police uniforms wednesday night (11) from Colombo, Waththala and Vavuniya areas. The relatives of the abducted persons have lodged complaints in respective police stations. The abducted persons include three from Colombo, one from Waththala and a woman from Vavuniya.

The details of the abducted persons are as follows:

Nadaraja Murthy Kethiswara, a resident of Mullipuram, Jaffna and the manager of a lodge in No: 142, Maha Vidyala Mawatha, Kotahena. Welayuthan Madurakulasingham, a resident of Kilinochchi, who was living in No: 55, Alvis Place, Kotahena. Tazan Robinson (25), resident of 155/1, Kochchikade, Colombo. Patrick Joseph Fernandus (71), a resident of Bagathale Road, Hendala, Waththala. Ms. Vigneswaran Kathisadi, a resident of Maharambakulam, Vavuniya.The UN Action Committee for Looking into Disappearances says that 22 persons have been abducted within the last two months and there are woman and relief workers as well among them. UN has focused concern on the abductions and disappearances of Sri Lanka.

Govt. rejects EU request to travel to East?
 
The government has reportedly rejected a request made by a delegation from the European Union three member states to travel to the Eastern Province, as the delegation had refused to meet the newly appointed Eastern Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan.Informed sources said the delegation from Sweden, Netherlands and Spain was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka from June 17 to 22 to discuss human rights issues with government leaders and others.

Govt. rejects

Initially the envoys of the three-member states, who were scheduled to travel to Sri Lanka had made a request to the Foreign Ministry to travel to the eastern province during their visit. Later the foreign ministry had given the green light for the Eastern visit and had inquired whether the Eastern province Chief Minister would be among the officials that the delegation was to meet during their tour.The delegation representatives had informed that the delegation would not meet the Eastern Chief Minister during the visit. Considering this situation, the foreign Ministry had decided not to grant permission for the delegation to travel to the eastern province, claiming there was no necessity in doing so as long as the Eastern Chief Minister was not in the list that the delegation would meet.The delegation would be here to engage in a dialogue with the government authorities and other local and international partners on the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka and discuss possible solutions to improve the human rights and humanitarian situation in the country.During the visit, the delegation would discuss commitments of the government with regard to the implementation and compliance of international HR conventions within the context of GSP+

Che remembered on 80th birthday  
       
Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Che Guerra is being remembered in Argentina, Cuba and other Latin American countries on his 80th birthday today (June 14th).These nations said in a joint statement to mark the occasion that the visions of Che are more alive today than when he was living.Like all revolutionaries, he had a short life – his politics resulted in his being executed at the age of 39 years.However, he gave leadership and support to communist campaigns in three continents before his untimely death. Che - which means friend - was an influential figure in the successful Cuban revolution and had a very close relationship with Fidel Castro.Born on 14th June 1928 to a middle class Argentine family, he graduated from medical college from the University of Buenos Aires.Che set out in his revolutionary politics with the communist revolution in Guatemala.He was captured and executed in La Higuera on 07th October, 1967 while leading revolutionaries in Bolivia.

Thailand promises to crackdown on LTTE
   
Thailand has given an assurance that it would crack down on LTTE operations in the country. This assurance was given following meetings between Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Thursday and confirmed by the Thai Foreign Minister yesterday.Foreign Minister Bogollagama conveyed to the Thai Prime Minister, who is also the Minister of Defence, Sri Lanka’s appreciation of the current positive security and intelligence cooperation with Thailand on the basis of a bilateral agreement. At the request of the Thai Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Bogollagama briefed him on the LTTE terrorist organisation and its overseas fund raising and arms procurement capabilities and the need for constant vigilance, to intercept illegal LTTE movements. He also briefed him on the liberation of the Eastern Province from the clutches of the LTTE and the recent elections, which had successfully restored democracy there after twenty years, with a Tamil Chief Minister being elected.The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister is making an official visit to Thailand with a view to promote and strengthen the bilateral relationship which is founded on ancient cultural and religious links and today encompasses regional cooperation such as in BIMSTEC, ARF and ACD as well as cooperation in bilateral, economic, trade, agriculture, science & technology and tourism sectors.Responding to the Sri Lanka Foreign Minister, the Thai Prime Minister agreed on the need to further enhance overall trade volumes for mutual benefit and also to improve connectivity for increased tourism and people to people contacts. The Thai Prime Minister mentioned new transportation arrangements taking shape in the region for the carriage of goods overland from China through Myanmar and new Thai ports which could link up directly with the Colombo port. The Thai Prime Minister also described his recent successful engagement with regard to assistance for Myanmar during the recent cyclonic disaster.

Attempt to expel Chandrika from SLFP?  
       
Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon is reportedly preparing to move a proposal before the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s Central Committee for the expulsion of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga as Senior Patron of the party.Minister Tennekoon has told Sunetra Athugalpura of ‘Lakbima’ newspaper that it was a breach of discipline when the ex-president, as patron of the party, had attended an opposing political party function and criticized the government.Mrs. Kumaratunga and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe were the chief guests at the inaugural delegates’ conference of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party   Mahajana Wing at the invitation of its leader Mangala Samaraweera at the Colombo New Town Hall on June 12th.SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena too, was invited, the SLFP (M) said.Addressing the function, the ex-President said freedom, democracy and democratic institutions as well as traditions that the country had enjoyed for a long period in post-independence Sri Lanka are endangered today, and urged the government to stop the trend.She called for a moderate path in the SLFP, and said thuggery and corruption should be eliminated from the party.Highlighting the need for an extensive people's dialogue within the party, she added that being carried away by power and giving no place to dissenting ideas should have no place in the SLFP.Speaking further, the ex-head of state described the SLFP as a very valuable people’s organization. “Similarly, the SLFP (M) which holds is first delegates’ conference today, is a powerful group that propagates democracy. The country also has a large number of parties, organizations and public figures that reject extremism and dictatorship which are taking the country to ruins,” she said.All parties that respect democracy, freedom and dignity should get together in order to end the war and to solve socio-political and economic problems, she said.Mrs. Kumaratunga stressed that she had no malicious intent towards anyone when she makes this appeal.“After achieving the highest positions in life and after being the country’s president for 12 years, I am now away from the political battlefront. The country’s people still love me, although the present regime had created numerous problems for me in the past two-and-a-half years and circulated falsehoods against me through the state media,” Mrs. Kumaratunga charged.She, however, assured that she would not be intimidated by a handful of malicious-minded persons as long as the country’s people keep their faith in her.Mrs. Kumaratunga said that she was making the speech as a person who had not misused national or state assets, but spent time, energy and skills for the nation and its people for 14 long years, and that a vast majority of the masses would agree with her on that account.She added that she was saddened and dejected to see the country that has been built with such sacrifices, now falling into a deep abyss.Mrs. Kumaratunga again appealed to all those who can set aside personal differences, hunger for power and wealth, to unite in rebuilding the country.

Govt. to investigate18-year-old massacre  
   
The government has decided to commence investigations into the massacre of 401 police officers in November 1990, due to an appeal made by affected family members, Director General of the Media Centre for National Security, Lakshman Hulugalle said. In a statement he said the incident which occurred in the Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa areas claimed the lives of 401 unarmed police officers. “The then government signed a treaty with the LTTE which led to the mass murder of these police officers. They ordered the police officers to surrender to the LITE and the LTTE shot them afterwards. The present Opposition Leader Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe was then the Leader of House, while many of the senior opposition members also held positions under the Ranasinghe Premadasa government. Weapons, cement and funds provided by the Government were used by these LTTE barbarians for this massacre. Who gave orders for the police officers to surrender and lay down theft arms? The answer to this question is still a mystery.“No investigations were conducted during the time of the incident. Nor has any one been convicted for this massacre. The families of the victims who scarified their lives requested for an investigation to be conducted but had no opportunity. Recently the family members have requested the Ministry of Defence, Secretary of Defence, the IGP and the present Government to conduct an investigation and bring justice to their loved ones, who scarified their lives for no reason. After considering the request the present Government has decided to conduct a full scale investigation into the issue,” the statement said.

13 June 2008

East CM wants foreign funds for rehabilitation

"We need assistance from foreign countries to provide dwellings to resettle displaced," said Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, the Chief Minister of Eastern Province and the head of TMVP paramilitary. "My administration will not show any discrimination while maintaining law and order with our own police force," he said."We will not fail in our duty to resettle the IDPs in their own villages. We will set up a Provincial Rehabilitation Authority to expedite the resettlement process and in a transparent manner. We need assistance from foreign countries to provide dwellings to resettle displaced," Pllayan said.All displaced families sheltered in other parts of the country and in India would be resettled in their traditional villages, he said. "We need police powers to maintain law and order in the eastern province to ensure security to resettled displaced families to live without fear in their traditional villages and my administration has been waiting for the devolution of police powers from the centre.""Every police station will be manned by Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese," he proclaimed. The first policy statement of Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, Chief Minister of the East Provincial Council (EPC) was adopted in the council meeting after two-day debate on Thursday by a majority of 25 votes. 26 councilors voted for the statement. Councilors of the United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and Democratic National Tamil Alliance (DNTA) voted with the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA). The sole councilor of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Wimal Piyatissa (Trincomalee district) voted against it. 27 of 37 councilors of the EPC were present at that time of voting.The SLMC leader Rauf Hakim, opened the two-day debate on Wednesday in the capacity of the leader of opposition Wednesday afternoon when the council resumed its sitting in afternoon following the keynote address by the East Governor Mohan Wijewickrema in the morning.

S.Lanka raises $150 mln in loans for infrastructure

Sri Lanka's central bank said it had raised $150 million through a syndicated loan to finance state infrastructure projects in 2008, a day after Fitch Ratings expressed concerns with the country's increasing borrowings.The loan will be provided by a consortium of major international banks and will contain a 'greenshoe option', the central bank said in a statement late on Thursday.This option will give the government some flexibility to raise the loan to $250 million, depending on investor appetite."The deal was signed between nine banks and ST (Secretary to the Treasury)," C.J.P. Siriwardena, superintendent of public debt department at the central bank, told Reuters."(Standard) Chartered bank was the arranger. It is a club arrangement and there are nine banks."The loan has a 3-year maturity with a yearly put option and cost of U.S. dollar 6-month LIBOR plus a margin of 250 basis points per annum, the central bank said."The syndicated loan is consistent with the annual borrowing programme approved by parliament under the Annual Appropriation Act for year 2008, the central bank added.Fitch Ratings said on Thursday it was concerned about Sri Lanka's increasing foreign commercial borrowings because it exposes the country to more currency and interest rate risk"(There are) currency risks because it is borrowing in foreign currency, and interest rate risk, because it is borrowing on commercial terms," James McCormack, head of Fitch's Asia sovereign ratings told Reuters in an interview from Hong Kong."That is something from the rating perspective I would prefer not to see," he said.Sri Lanka launched a 5-year $500 million bond <LK032736246=> in October -- the country's first sovereign bond with a yield of 8.25 percent to finance a raft of infrastructure projects.The central bank's 2007 annual report showed non-concessional foreign debt in 2007 had risen 282 percent to 226.6 billion rupees ($2.1 billion) compared to a year earlier, mainly due to a $500 million bond inflow.But the central bank said on Thursday foreign borrowings were under control."The borrowing requirement is consistent with the 7 percent budget deficit for 2008," Nandalal Weerasinghe, the chief economist and director of the economic research department at the central bank told Reuters.

CBK slams Rajapaksa brothers

Former President Chandrika Kumaratunge yesterday accused President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers of destroying the SLFP. Addressing the SLFP – Mahajana wing’s first convention at the Colombo New Town Hall, on the invitation of dissident SLFP MP Mangala Samaraweera, a furious Kumaratunga levelled a series of allegations against the Rajapaksa brothers ranging from human rights violations to corruption.Kumaratunga, delivering the key note address of the convention, said the entire country was today facing new and grave challenges, while certain communities encountered issues inherent to them.Freedom, democracy and democratic institutions as well as traditions that the country had enjoyed for a long period in post-independence Sri Lanka were endangered today, she said. It was unacceptable if the government said that it could not stop this trend.Former President CBK, in her first speech to a political rally after leaving office, said that her regime had attained its victories due to its protection of the people's supremacy, freedom and humanity as well as good governance."When a country's people are denied their basic freedom, its society faces serious impediments in its forward march in a responsible, independent manner. We all know that the outcome of such a situation adversely affects the economy."Kumaratunga said that if the government does not have a correct, efficient and timely economic plan in place, the economy suffers further. Furthermore, if there is rampant corruption in the administration, a handful will cheat the public resources and become rich.She called for a moderate path in the SLFP, and said thuggery and corruption should be eliminated from the party. Highlighting the need for an extensive people's dialogue within the party, she added that being carried away by power and giving no place to dissenting ideas should have no place in the SLFP. SLFP (M) leader Mangala Samaraweera said that the burgeoning cost of living was not created by world fuel price hikes and the military operations in the North. He alleged that it was completely due to the corruption and malpractice in government of the Rajapaksa brothers.

Indian Seizures Show LTTE's Game To Fight Long War

Large quantities of explosives and other war material meant for Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers are being seized in Tamil Nadu in south India, indicating the guerrillas' game to wage a long war.Security agencies from the central and Tamil Nadu governments are regularly confiscating from the coastal belt ammunition and dual use goods that officials say are destined for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).As the costly war rages on in Sri Lanka, between the LTTE and a Colombo regime determined to crush the Tigers, Tamil Nadu seems to have assumed renewed significance in the context of the war theatre.Since the start of 2007 until now, Indian authorities have seized unusually large volumes of ball bearings that are used as shrapnel, aluminium bars, both ordinary and electronic detonators, boat building equipment, walkie-talkies, batteries and petroleum products.Also found hidden or abandoned have been chemicals including sulphuric acid, high-speed outboard engines for boats, cycle spares, tyres for cycles and motorcycles, power generators, and surgical equipment including medicines.The seizures also include beedis - the poor man's cigarette, now a prized commodity in Sri Lanka's war-battered north.Some of the seizures run into tonnes. The detonators have been found in thousands. The quantity of chemicals totals hundreds of litres.A vast majority of the findings have been reported from the coastal district of Ramnad, which overlooks Mannar district in northwestern Sri Lanka. Arrests of couriers have been few in relation to the materials seized.Some of the seized goods were found buried or in safe houses. Others were simply abandoned when the police came too close to catching the messengers. Both Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils have been involved, some for the larger cause and some purely for money.Indian officials who watch Sri Lanka's escalating conflict are drawing their conclusions.The fact that such large quantities are being seized is a sign that much larger quantities are being sought -- an indicator of what the LTTE is looking for from the nearest land source in view of the damage suffered by its shipping lines.The seizures also show that while it may be facing military reverses, the LTTE is in no mood to give up the fight. If anything, it is preparing for a long haul, using stuff smuggled from Tamil Nadu to prepare mines -- one of the most lethal weapons in that seemingly unending conflict. The LTTE uses the lure of its Tamil nationalist ideology and money to procure what it wants from Tamil Nadu, a state it knows well and one separated from Sri Lanka by a narrow strip of sea.For anything and everything seized, it is safe to conclude that much more must be getting through to Sri Lanka.And despite claims that the LTTE's naval wing has weakened considerably, the Tigers are succeeding in navigating past Tamil Nadu's coastal security and also the Indian and Sri Lankan sea patrols.According to Indian officials, the LTTE has also tried to build a huge vessel in Kerala and tried to procure mortars from Tamil Nadu.And as the war escalates, the Tigers' dependence on Tamil Nadu is only expected to rise.

Lanka to EU: proscribe all Tiger front organizations  in your territory

Sri Lanka has urged the European Union to proscribe all LTTE front organizations based in its territory. Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona told The Island that the urgent need to proscribe these organizations was made at a discussion on ‘fight against terrorism’ on Wednesday held following the Sri Lanka-EC Joint Commission meeting.Kohona urged the EU to list the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and other LTTE front organizations, which have been clearly identified, including by the US government, as raising funds for the LTTE. This would facilitate the ongoing efforts to destroy the LTTE.The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry yesterday issued the following statement: "The Ambassador of France in Sri Lanka, Michel Lummaux, representing the current EU Presidency held by Slovenia, who led the EU delegation categorically, expressed the opposition of the European Union (EU) to a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka. He further said that the EU does not consider the LTTE to be the sole representative of Sri Lankan Tamils.  The French Ambassador elaborating further on the EU stand on Sri Lanka, stated that the EU supported Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and that the grievances of minority communities must be addressed within this contextual framework.  Whatever solution that is formulated should have "democratic sanction", in that the settlement should be acceptable to the people of Sri Lanka."   "Dr. Kohona who led the Sri Lankan delegation at the discussion said that Sri Lanka is committed to a negotiated and sustainable settlement to the conflict and gave a comprehensive briefing to the EU delegation on the large scale fund raising by the LTTE and its front organizations abroad, including through intimidation and extortion, which sustains the operational capability of the LTTE to kill innocent civilians and cause extensive economic damage in Sri Lanka.  He pointed out that the LTTE maintained a highly sophisticated and elaborate network of fronts globally, often under the innocent guise such as charities, sports, religious and cultural associations, which did not attract much attention of host governments."   "The Foreign Secretary said that there is a comprehensive body of credible evidence linking the LTTE to trans-national crimes, including money laundering, narcotics trafficking, arms smuggling and the trafficking of persons.  He cited the organized racket to smuggle people to Australia and the major credit card scam in the UK.  He also mentioned that the LTTE has continued to terrorize people in Sri Lanka, particularly Tamils, as well as the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora, especially living in North America, Europe and Australia to raise funds."  "Dr. Kohona while appreciating the action already taken by the EU to proscribe the LTTE, emphasized the need for further measures to give practical effect to the ban on the LTTE, by initiating legal action and other measures against identified front organizations, which constitute the overseas support network of the LTTE terrorist infrastructure in Sri Lanka.  In this context, he referred to the request made by the Sri Lankan authorities to the European Union for the listing of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), which has been clearly identified even by the US Government as a front to facilitate fund raising and for the procurement of weapons by the LTTE.  The Foreign Secretary greatly appreciated the action by some countries in the EU such as France and the UK, which have launched criminal prosecutions against known LTTE operatives."  "The French Ambassador in response stated that the EU acknowledged that the LTTE is a terrorist organization which exercises fascist control over two districts in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and has been responsible for the ethnic cleansing of the entire Muslim population from the North in October 1990.  He assured Sri Lanka of the EU’s total support in its fight against terrorism."   "Both sides agreed on the need for a sustained dialogue, inter alia which would entail the exchange of information and intelligence, training of law enforcement personnel and capacity building of institutions which are involved in combating terrorism."

SB, Sajith to the fore at upcoming PC polls

UNP National Organizer S.B.Dissanayake and Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa are expected to spearhead the party's campaign for the upcoming Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provincial Council elections, political sources said yesterday. The UNP had taken this decision following a survey conducted by a team of retired public servants loyal to the party, which had revealed that both Mr. Dissanayake and Mr. Premadasa were very popular among the voters.According to the fact finding mission by these retired public servants, including some district secretaries, UNP activists at the grassroots level had requested that the party leadership consider these two persons when working out strategies to win the elections. Political sources also said that the party was consulting lawyers regarding the legal aspects of naming Mr. Dissanayake as a candidate, since he has lost his civic rights.  In the meantime, the UNP is also considering the nomination of certain retired military commanders as candidates for the election. However, a final decision has not yet been made.Sources said that UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will hold a meeting with the district and electoral organisers of the two provinces today to discuss steps to be taken regarding the election.

Jaffna will again be safe for journalists – Military
 
Jaffna district Commanding Officer Major General Chandrasiri says security will be tightened in the Jaffna peninsula over the next few weeks.The Commanding Officer, who had a discussion with local journalists in Palaly on Wednesday, said there were attempts by the LTTE to infiltrate Jaffna via the lagoon. Security will also be provided for newspaper presses to operate here too, the Jaffna commander said adding that they will patrol the areas surrounding media houses and ensure the security of journalists in the peninsula.The new security for journalists in Jaffna follows threats faced by them being raised with the government.

Protection-seekers shot dead in Jaffna

Armed men stopped a prison vehicle Friday morning, identified the youths who had been placed under humanitarian protective custody, ordered them to step down from the vehicle and opened fire at them, killing at least two of the victims, near Punnaalaikkadduvan High Security Zone area while they were being transported with other prisoners to Point Pedro courts, according to initial reports. The episode has taken place while the transport vehicle from Jaffna prison was on its way to Point Pedro courts on Chunnaakam - Punnaalaikkadduvan Road around 8:00 a.m. Friday. The vehicle was on a regular routine after releasing some of the inmates to attend hearings at Mallaakam courts.Prison guards were unarmed in the vehicle, which was carrying prisoners and protection seekers.The victims had sought humanitarian protection with the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission in Jaffna after alleged death threats issued by the SLA or the paramilitaries operated by them.The HRC, due to the lack of other protective arrangements, has been using the Jaffna prison as a safe haven to provide security to young males who seek humanitarian protection. Females and children are provided refuge at the temporary Rehabilitation Centre located in the old judicial complex at Kurunakar in Jaffna.Punnalaikkadduvan in Valikamam South is located 13 km northeast of Jaffna city.

Will Wimal lose the ‘crown’?  
       
The National Freedom Front (NFF), which was founded by a group of JVP dissidents, including Wimal Weerawansa, is likely to lose the ‘crown’ as its party symbol.One main reason is a case being heard, in which the Sinhala Jathika Peramuna is challenging the turning down of its request to use the 'crown' as their party symbol.National symbols are not allowed to be used as symbols of political parties.Noting that another party’s request to use Sri Lanka’s national flower 'Manel' as their symbol has been rejected, a senior official of the Elections Secretariat said that under such a backdrop, there is a possibility that the NFF’s crown symbol could be rejected as well.

27 journalists in govt. hit list - UNP spokesman  
       
A government hit list containing the names of 27 journalists has been leaked to foreign diplomatic missions in the country, UNP's free media spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekara has claimed.Speaking to the media in Colombo yesterday (Jun 12th), Mr. Jayasekara said he would not reveal the names of the targeted journalists in consideration of their safety.He said the Prime Minister could be believed after he had promised media rights groups to guarantee the safety of media workers, despite whatever the President or the Defence Secretary say.The UNP MP said the matter would be raised in Parliament if the need arose.Speaking further, he said that the Defence Ministry website had indirectly threatened the media against reporting on the war by quoting sources other than official ones.Military promotions, weapons procurements and investigative reporting on the war have been prohibited, Mr. Jayasekara alleged.As the Opposition Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe has the right to brand the Defence Secretary a 'traitor', although Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, as a public official, cannot respond through the Defence Ministry website, he said.The reply should come from the subject minister only in a speech to Parliament, the UNP free media spokesman added.

The moment of truth for India on LTTE

LTTE’s hubris and being caught in a cleft stick gives India the opening for it Subramanian Swamy Delhi India’s policy towards the internationally proclaimed terrorist organisation, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) now requires to be sharply defined before it is too late. Now is the moment of truth for clarity and transparency. Otherwise one more neighbour will float into the US sphere of influence.At present there is confusion in India’s approach to Sri Lanka because of a hidden compulsion of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Notice that May 21, the unfortunate anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, passed by last week without a single Congress leader demanding the avenging of his death or the extradition of the prime culprit—LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran. Even the four LTTE-DK activists sentenced to death on May 12, 1999 by the Supreme Court have yet to be hanged for involvement in the dastardly act because of an inexplicable letter from Sonia Gandhi to the President of India pleading clemency for the four. The confusion is manifested in the following contradiction:  On the one hand, the Indian government has banned the LTTE ( by Narasimha Rao) as a terrorist organisation because of its murderous activities, including the killing of Rajiv Gandhi,  yet on the other hand, despite the continuing assassinations by the LTTE of pro-Indian Sri Lankan politicians and its open interference within India by financing pro-LTTE politicians and training terrorist organisations, the Indian government supports  the “peace process” of the Sri Lanka government with the LTTE, i.e., talks that could end up legitimising the same terrorist outfit and making the ban meaningless.  Although the LTTE has officially denied any involvement in the assassinations, such a denial cannot be taken seriously because the LTTE has always denied its involvement in any terrorist activity, including murder, arson, extortion and drug trafficking. The LTTE for example denied any part in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. However, the Supreme Court of India in its 400-page judgment delivered on May 12, 1999 and re-affirmed on review on October 5, 1999 has laid bare what a huge blatant lie that is. However India cannot formulate a policy on LTTE with the Sri Lanka government as an active partner. If India is presently confused due to some mysterious compulsion, the Sri Lanka government suffers from delusion. For example, despite the murder of their Foreign Minister Kadirgamar and the attempted murder of their then President Chandrika by the LTTE, the Sri Lankan authorities are suffering from the “Stockholm Syndrome” of capitulating to their tormentors by agreeing to talk with them at a moment’s notice, and are thus unable to deal with the murderous LTTE. The Sri Lanka President’s first reaction after the murder of Foreign Minister Kadirgamar (a Tamil) was that the island government would not suspend the so-called peace talks with the killers, a further indication of the same tragic syndrome that seems to petrify them. Sri Lanka thus seems a crumbling failed state that has lost its collective nerve to combat and confront terror of the LTTE.If the Sinhala majority really wanted to rid the island of the LTTE, then they should force their government to unilaterally announce the adoption of a quasi-federal Constitution, much like India’s, to replace the present unitary one. Then India can without reservation help the Sri Lankans to combat the LTTE. But India cannot wait around for the Sinhalese to make up their minds.Hence, Indians have to take stock now and decide what to do to remove the fault line in India’s policy towards the LTTE, and thus secure national interests in its geographical neighbourhood. There is no time to lose. India has had a close call because the LTTE could have been legitimised by now by the Sri Lanka government aided by an inane Norwegian facilitation and the initiatives of the busy body Japanese. Both sought to placate the LTTE and got egg on their face.  Such Chamberlainian surrender if it had come to pass, would have been a disaster not only for Sri Lanka’s integrity, but more importantly for India’s national security because of that outfit’s links with India’s terrorists such as Naxalites and ULFA,  and with ISI of Pakistan and even Al Qaeda (which now has established camps in Chittagong, Bangladesh) as well as with separatist Indian political parties such as Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Dalit Panther and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), not mention 38 paramilitary terrorists outfits roaming the forest areas of Tamil Nadu. But India has escaped that, because of the LTTE’s hubris and the consequent ire of the US. Hence, the EU has been now forced to issue a diktat to member-nations to ban the LTTE as a terrorist outfit and freeze their fund extortion activities in Europe. The LTTE is now in a Catch-22 situation—go to war and be eliminated by superior international force or climb down and be discredited. There is no third way. India has been gifted time to set her policy in consistent shape—which necessarily has to be anti-LTTE if for nothing else than for the unforgivable perfidy of killing India’s former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.Even if Rajiv Gandhi’s widow and the Congress party (of which he was President) for some obscure compulsion show scant interest today in bringing to book the LTTE’s supremo Velupillai Pirabhakaran for this crime against the nation, patriotic Indians cannot forget Rajiv Gandhi’s martyrdom nor LTTE’s treachery. India has to fix Pirabhakaran someday by bringing him to justice or otherwise justice to him, for his lack of respect for India’s sovereignty that the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi represents.Thus, India has a national security imperative and an unavoidable moral obligation to get involved to free the island of Sri Lanka of the LTTE’s brutal terror, if for nothing else but to secure her own environment and punish those seek to overawe India’s people with terror.

 I thus see five specific reasons why India has this obligation:

 First, India had trained the LTTE in 1980s and created the Frankenstein monster. Hence, India has to atone for it by actions to disband and unravel the LTTE.

Second, despite enjoying India’s hospitality for years, and after welcoming the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement in 1987, the LTTE betrayed India by killing more than a thousand Indian army personnel of the India Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) sent to the island to enforce the said agreement. The betrayal and loss of lives of India’s valiant jawans have to be avenged to keep up the morale of the Indian armed forces.

Third, as the Home Ministry 2005 Annual Report to Parliament states, LTTE has been targeting pro-Indian Sri Lanka politicians and assassinating them. For the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, an Indian trial court has declared accused number one Prabhakaran as a proclaimed offender, and the Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice for apprehending him. India is thus obligated to search for Prabhakaran and to teach the LTTE a lesson in a language they will understand, and to immobilise them enough to deter them in the future from engaging in any murderous and terrorist activities against India and Indian interests.

Fourth, the LTTE interferes in the internal affairs of India by financing stooge Indian political parties, in providing training to Indian militant and extremist organisations, and had extended insurgency infrastructure to bandits such as Veerappan and his forest gang. It also launders black money of Indian politicians through its illegal Eelam Bank in the Jaffna area. India cannot allow such erosion of law and order within its own borders.

Fifth, the LTTE is a part of the international terror network of Al Qaeda and is aided by ISI of Pakistan to smuggle narcotics into India, circulate fake currency notes to buy medicines and diesel, to smuggle antiques, and engage in passport fabrication, and hawala operations.
The question thus is: To discharge these obligations what should India do? Obviously it cannot depend on the Sri Lanka governments of today or near future to help bring the LTTE to book. Sri Lankan political parties are either capitulationist or chauvinist. President Rajapaksha agreement with JVP (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or People's Liberation Front) is that they will defend the present failed unitary constitution. This shows that the Tamils are squeezed between the devil (LTTE) and the deep sea (Sinhala chauvinists). Hence India has to initiate action to meet its own obligations, and can expect no worthwhile cooperation from the Sinhala parties.
 
The first move India should make is to initiate action and steps to revive the hunt for those of the LTTE who have to be booked and prosecuted under Indian law. This includes the LTTE supremo Prabhakaran and his sidekick Pottu Amman, and whoever else has tried to help them to escape the arm of India’s law enforcement. In 1998, the Parliament had set up under the CBI a multidisciplinary monitoring agency (MDMA) to hunt for these wanted persons. But the National Democratic Alliance government waffled after it was set up and failed to pursue the matter. The present UPA government has been worse on this issue. It has been wobbling on the question of extradition of Prabhakaran. When Sri Lanka President Chandrika had come to India, India agreed to let the LTTE to be a party in the Tsunami relief work and have its share in the $3 billion international aid commitment. It was only after the US declined to provide the funds, if LTTE was involved, that Chandrika was stopped from disbursing the money through the LTTE. Time is now at hand to energise the MDMA to get moving to apprehend the wanted criminals and bring them to book. For this India may have to dispatch a squad of commando force to Jaffna, a force that India has trained in Israel since 1994 in batches. Helicopter gunships covered and GPS-satellite guided, these commando squads can easily locate where Prabhakaran would be hiding and smoke him out. UN Resolutions empower India to do so—the right of hot pursuit of terrorists.  Second, India must assist and nurture the democratic elements in the Sri Lankan Tamil population, those that have demonstrated capacity to stand up to the LTTE such as SC Chandrahasan, and breakaway LTTE group that had opposed Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, viz., the Karuna group, among others, to form a non-violent and democratic alternative to work out with the Sinhala majority the federal constitution that would serve the purpose of power-sharing.
Third, there are LTTE sleeper cells in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and other cities of Indian stooges of the LTTE in political parties, media and government, who have to be identified and imprisoned under a new anti-terrorist law. These cells work under anonymity to sabotage any patriotic effort made to nail the LTTE. At present, terrorists of various hues are active in 29 of the 35 states and union territories of India. The common link of all these terrorists is the LTTE-ISI nexus because Jaffna is close by and Pakistan and Bangladesh (and soon Nepal) are sanctuaries for all these terrorists. Hence one day all of sudden these terrorists and LTTE sleeper cells may coordinate and cause a huge bloody incident by which India’s recent international fame in reforms, fast growth, and IT development could all go up in smoke. We have guard against such contingencies by pre-emptive action. Time is at hand for India to effectively contribute to the war against terrorism and in promotion of democracy by targeting the LTTE sincerely and effectively in the larger national interest of security and national integrity. There is today a window of opportunity due to international consensus against the LTTE, and we must seize it now. LTTE’s hubris and being caught in a cleft stick gives India the opening for it.The author is a former Union Law Minister.

12 June 2008

Indian Prime Minister worried about Lankan conflict
   
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says the conflict in Sri Lanka, though it is tragic, it has given a lot of worries, because many times when it happen ethnic tensions increase, there is a tendency of increased inflow of refugees in India.The Indian Premier was speaking to the Indian Foreign Service (IFC) probationary officers of 2006 batch in New Delhi yesterday where he commented on the need for India to cooperate with different nations of the world while at the same time protecting vital strategic national interests. Mr. Singh said the conflict in Sri Lanka creates both domestic problems as well as foreign policy problems for India.“We need a peaceful neighbourhood. And that is why it is very important that our relations with our neighbours whether they are China, Pakistan, Bangladesh , Nepal , Sri Lanka- they are of critical importance in realizing our national ambitions,” he added.The Indian Premier further said “With our neighbours - particularly with neighbours like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal – we have a vested interest in their stability, in their progress because if they do not progress many of their problems can become our problems.”

JVP threatens to vote against emergency

The JVP on Tuesday warned that it would vote against the SLFP-led ruling coalition at the monthly emergency vote in Parliament if the Government targeted the JVP and media.Party’s Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath, MP, said his party had continuously voted with the government to continue the battle against the LTTE."If the Government believes that it can use the very same laws to zero-in-on media and opposition parties, it is mistaken," the MP told a press conference held at the Auditorium of the National Library and Documentation Center in Colombo.He said the Rajapaksa administration was rapidly transforming itself to a dictatorship and the JVP would not facilitate this, he said.

UN Expert Group deplores disappearances   
 
The Government of Sri Lanka needs to stamp out a recent wave of disappearances , a United Nations Expert Group said on Wednesday.The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances said it has formally communicated to the authorities its concerns. "In the past two months alone, the Working Group has sent 22 urgent actions to the Government. Out of those cases, 18 disappearances took place in May. The Working Group is also concerned that both women and humanitarian aid workers are being targeted", the Expert Group said. The Expet Group say that the number may be lower than in reality, as the group estimates that many other disappearances may be occurring in Sri Lanka but are not being reported because of fear of reprisals. Despite the supposed willingness of the Government to address the issue of enforced disappearances, little progress has been made, the Working Group said.

Take effective measures

The Working Group calls upon the Sri Lankan authorities to take effective measures to prevent and terminate acts of enforced disappearances and to carry out thorough investigations and to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Working Group, whose mandate is to determine the fate and whereabouts of disappeared relatives, "regrets that it has not been able to visit Sri Lanka, and reiterates its request to the Government to extend an invitation to visit the country without delay". The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances was created by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 1980 to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of disappeared relatives.   

Former Mutur OIC files FR case against Deputy Minister Baiz

Former Mutur OIC filed a fundamental rights application complaining of an inhuman assault on him and tearing of his uniform by Deputy Minister K. A. Baiz in the presence of senior police officers on the day of the Eastern Provincial Council. He was also subsequently transferred arbitrarily.  The petitioner Aliyar Abdul Wahid former Mutur OIC filed this case yesterday citing Inspector General of Police, DIG Eastern Province, Superintendent of Police, Vas Gunawardena, ASP Mutur, P. Navagamuwa, Deputy Minister of Livestock and Development, K. A. Baiz and the chairman and the members of the National Police Commission as respondents.Abdul Wahid stated that he has 18 years of unblemished record in the police service and in his last posting he was serving as the OIC Mutur prior to the last Provincial Council Election, on May 7 Deputy Minister Baiz along with STF squad and back up vehicles came to his station and abused him in filth alleging that he was an SLMC supporter. At this stage the petitioner called the ASP Mutur, P. Navagamuwa. Baiz had said that he had been assigned to ensure a United People’s Freedom Alliance victory in Mutur and that he was expecting cooperation from the police. The Deputy Minister has stated that President Mahinda Rajapaksa would cut his neck if he (Baiz) and his people did not work for the government. Otherwise he had to cut the neck of theASP Mutur. The petitioner said that this entire scene was videoed by one of the police officers using his mobile phone and he would produce it in court. Following this ASP Mutur, P. Navagamuwa was transferred and on the day of the election on May 10, SP Vas Gunawardena suddenly came to his police station and started giving instructions. The petitioner said he was prevented from taking calls and this continued until the election was over. As soon as the SP left, petitioner Abdul Wahid had rush to the Jetty to take charge of the safe passage of ballot boxes from 45 polling stations to Trincomalee. While he was there through a radio message he was ordered to go to former Mutur Pradeshiya Sabha chairman’s house as there was an incident. When he went there he noticed that SP Vas Gunawardena was also there and that the house was ransacked and Deputy Minister Baiz came out from it with a team of STF and a number of armed men in civvies. There the Deputy Minister has started to abuse him in filth and started to assault him inhumanly. The Deputy Minister had hit him on his head, chest and abdomen along with several pistol butts and his uniform was torn into pieces in the presence of large number of police officers and the public.Having waited till the Deputy Minster left, SP Vas Gunawardena has assured him to take action against the assault. Later he was admitted to Mutur Base hospital.Following this incident he was transferred to Trincomalee head Quarters and he complained that this was done to protect Deputy Minister Baiz, the petitioner complained.He stated that his fundamental rights was violated by the inhuman assault in the presence of a large number of senior police officers and the alleged arbitrary transfer. He asked court to issue an interim order staying the transfer and proper action be taken in respect of the assault on him.

SLMC and WPF coming closer politically

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and Western Peoples Front (WPF) leaders have started discussions to formulate ways for coming closer politically. Both parties represent Tamil speaking minorities. SLMC and WPF both work together in a loose alliance with United National Party in the opposition. Talks covered many political issues including that of examining methods to be carried out at the time of any future elections. Both sides have agreed to establish a Memorandum of Understanding between two parties. Parliamentarian Saffeek Rajabdeen and Western Provincial Councilor Praba Ganesan have been nominated to head respective committees of SLMC and WPF. This joint committee is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing a draft for the MoU. Initial talks were held at SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem's residence in Colombo. Rauf Hakeem with members of SLMC high command participated at the talks while Mano Ganesan and General Secretary Dr. Nalliah Kumaraguruparan MMC represented WPF. During the talks SLMC also expressed it's willingness to participate in the Civil Monitoring Commission’s human rights campaign conducted by Mano Ganesan as it's Convener.

Soldier shot dead  by ‘friendly fire’

A soldier was shot dead early on June 5 at the Forward Defense Line at ThanamKillappu in Chavakacheri, allegedly by 'friendly fire' from a sentry on duty.Chavakachcheri Magistrate A. Premashnkar ordered an inquest into the shooting which was held by City Coroner Edward Ahangama in Colombo.The deceased was identified as Disanayake Mudiyanselage Disanayake (29) a father of three children aged 4, 3, and 1 1/2 respectively and a resident of Kekirawa.A witness (Pvt) Asantha Thusitha Kumarasinghe said that he was on duty at the 49th Sentry Post. At about 10.30 p.m. he was talking with Private Disanayake who said that he was going to the next sentry point for which the path lay across a shrub jungle patch via the beach.After duty he was asleep when he heard a sentry's challenge. When there were several inquiries and no answer was received, he heard the reports of several gunshots. He got out of his bunker and saw the deceased fallen with chest injuries.AJMO Dayapala, who held the Post mortem, stated the cause of death as lacerations to the heart and right lung from the discharge of a fire arm.PS 28070 Rohana led evidence. PS 67689 Pathirana assisted in the inquiry.A verdict of homicide was returned.

Policemen caught taking Rs.100,000 bribe
 
The Bribery Commission yesterday arrested two policemen attached to the intelligence unit of the Keselwatta police station for allegedly soliciting Rs.100, 000 from a trishaw driver who was falsely detained on terrorism charges. The trishaw driver had come to Colombo to renew the passports  of his  family members. The policemen seeing the passports had accused him of having links with the LTTE and had taken him into custody.They had then demanded Rs.150, 000 to release him but had later agreed to do so for Rs.100, 000. The trishaw driver promising to get them the money had immediately complained to the Bribery Commission. A special team went with the trishaw driver with the money and arrested the two policemen when they accepted the bribe.Investigators said that these special police officers dealing with cases related to terrorism might have even set free actual terrorists by soliciting bribes. The two suspects were produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi and remanded till June 25.

TID seizes large stock of TNT from N’ Eliya   

The Terrorist Investigation Division, in one of its major recoveries, seized a massive haul of TNT and plastic explosive weighing more than 300 kilogrammes, buried on an estate in Nuwara Eliya last afternoon. The stock consisted of 300 kg of TNT, 16 kg of C4 plastic explosive, 40 detonators, two T-56 assault rifles, T-56 ammunition belts and a large quantity of T-56 ammunition. Police media spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara told Daily Mirror that the explosives had been buried under a concrete slab on a tea estate in Magastota on the Welimada Road. Meanwhile Nuwara Eliya Division SSP Gamini Mathurata said the TID had recovered the explosives on information provided by some LTTE suspects who had been taken into custody three months ago. An LTTE leader named Nagulan, who had been arrested by the TID in Kandapola, had revealed the location of this explosives dump, he said. The TID has so far arrested over 10 persons from the Nuwara Eliya, Kandapola, Talawakelle and Lindula areas in connection with terrorist activities.A special TID team sent from Colombo under the instructions of TID director SSP Nandana Munasinghe are conducting further investigations. 

JHU slams UNP, JVP over anti-govt. protests

The Jathika Hela Urumaya on Tuesday criticized the JVP’s and UNP’s protest against the fuel price hike and proposed 45 ways to manage fuel price hikes. Their proposals would be handed over to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa shortly.The JHU’s policy compiler, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told a press conference that all protesters against the government don’t have an option on fuel price hike."We can’t fight with the global fuel price hikes by shouting slogans and pasting posters. We also can’t solve the problem by giving subsidies. A long term solution is necessary. According to global estimates there would be a shortage of oil in 2040. Because of that we have to prepare to face the problem now," Ranawaka said.He said that all the governments which were in the power after 1991 would be responsible for the power crisis. They did not implement the power generating strategies of the Ceylon Electricity Board and because of that the CEB had to buy power at high cost. Under the President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government a 15 year old power generating plan was implemented and the Uma Oya, Moragahakanda, Upper Kothmale and some other projects commenced."Any government did not work to increase the capacity of our oil refinery. Now, the refinery cannot meet the oil requirement of the country. It can only produce half of the oil requirement. Because of that we have to import refined oil meet the refined fuel requirement. The country loses US $ 350 million for refined oil imports," he said.Ranawaka said that both government and private sector institutions would reduce the use of electricity at designing buildings. The current buildings are designed for Air Conditioning and lighting even in the day time. It should be changed.

11 June 2008

Tamil Tigers attack Sri Lanka navy post, kill 10: rebels

Tamil Tiger rebels overran a navy outpost in Sri Lanka Wednesday, killing at least 10 sailors and losing four of their own fighters, the guerrillas said.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they seized heavy weapons and radar equipment after hitting the Irukkulampiddi naval detachment in northwestern Mannar district in a pre-dawn commando-style raid.Sri Lankan's navy, however, said security forces had beaten back the offensive by killing at least four rebels, including a senior leader, and destroying a guerrilla boat."They are making big claims, but the attack was beaten back," navy spokesman Commander D. K. P. Dassanayake said. "We lost three sailors killed and four more wounded. Four Tigers were killed. One of their boats was destroyed by us."The clandestine Voice of Tigers radio said the rebels occupied the navy facility for more than two hours and killed at least 10 sailors before escaping with heavy weapons including mortars, an anti-tank weapon and explosives."Four Tiger commandos were killed in action," said the Tiger radio broadcast.The defence ministry said following the fighting, the military deployed Mi-24 helicopter gunships to attack fleeing rebel boats."The air assault had been launched around 4:45 am (2315 GMT) targeting the terror boats fleeing (north) towards Veddithalthivu area," the ministry said.It said the guerrillas had carried out the attack with the intention of discouraging civilians in rebel-held areas from escaping to government-held territory.The attack was on the small Mannar islet on the island's northwest coast which juts towards neighbouring India. The two countries are separated by a narrow strip of sea known as the Palk Straits.The Sri Lankan navy cannot operate its bigger fast attack craft in shallow waters off Mannar where security forces have deployed smaller inshore patrol vessels.The LTTE has its own naval unit, a rarity among rebel organisations anywhere, and operates a fleet of fast boats as well as merchant vessels used for gun-running.The rebels have previously used explosives-laden boats to ram and sink Sri Lankan navy craft in suicide attacks and have also staged attacks inside key ports in the country.They have also been accused of attacking local and foreign owned merchant vessels.In their previous attack on the navy on May 29, the Tigers said they killed 13 sailors, a claim denied by the military which in turn said 16 rebels had lost their lives.In other violence across the island's embattled north, at least 16 guerrillas and four soldiers were killed on Tuesday, the defence ministry said.The latest fighting raises the number of rebels killed by security forces since the start of the year to 4,196, according to defence ministry figures. A total of 357 soldiers were killed during the same period, it says.Casualty figures given by both sides vary wildly and cannot be verified independently.The rebels are leading a drawn-out campaign for independence for the island's minority Tamils, who are concentrated in northern and eastern areas.

Sea Tigers raid key SLN camp in Mannaar

Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) naval wing, the Sea Tigers, launched a surprise attack on the key operations command of the Sri Lanka Navy at Erukkalampiddi in Mannaar in the early hours of Wednesday, brought the camp under their control and have seized the arms and military equipments, including a radar equipment, LTTE officials in Vanni told TamilNet. The operation was carried out by Marine Commandos, a special forces unit of the Sea Tigers. The Tigers have seized 50-caliber machine guns, 81 mm mortars, Light Machine Guns, Rocket Launchers and several other military hardware from the camp, the Tigers said. The Sea Tiger Marines launched the seaborne lightning strike at 2:08 a.m. Wednesday and brought the entire installation under their full control within 10 minutes, according to the LTTE officials.Two 50 caliber machine guns, two 81 mm mortars, two PK-LMGs, one Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher (RPG), one Light Anti-tank Weapon (LAW), two 60 mm mortars, one AK-LMG, three T-56 assault rifles, one radar equipment, many shells, explosives and several other military equipments were seized by the Sea Tigers. The Tiger commandos were in full control of the SLN installation for almost two hours and destroyed the camp at 3:45 a.m., before leaving the Mannaar island at 3:50 a.m., the Tigers said. Four Tiger commandos were killed in action. Sea Tigers attributed the mission to the memory of Lt. Col. Kadaafi, a commander of the Sea Tigers Special Engineering Division, who was killed two months ago.Erukkalampiddi is located 7 km northwest of Mannaar city and 8 km southeast of Peasaalai, in the island of Mannaar.

JVP accuses Govt. of helping LTTE through racism

The JVP yesterday accused the government of strengthening the LTTE by adopting racist policies, dividing the ethnic communities and holding staggered elections.The sudden decision by the government to dissolve the Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provincial Councils was criticised by the JVP with the party charging that the decision was taken for the benefit of the government and due to pressure from India. JVP Parliamentarian and Spokesperson Vijitha Herath speaking at a press conference said the party was asking the government to give them a valid reason as to why a sudden decision was taken to dissolve the Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provincial Councils. "If there is a breakdown in the administration a sudden decision to dissolve the two provincial councils can be taken. From what we can see there is no breakdown in the administration of these two provincial councils and President Mahinda Rajapakse cannot give us an explanation as to why he took this sudden decision to dissolve the two provincial councils," Herath said.According to Herath a majority of the Provincial Council MPs’ and the people in these areas are not in favour of an election. "There is plenty of time for the next provincial council elections to be held in Sabaragamuwa and the North Central Province. The government should be able to give the people in these areas a valid reason if they are planning to have elections," Herath explained.He added that it is time the government stopped pointing fingers at other political parties and takes the blame for creating unrest between the Tamils and Muslims. "When the Eastern Provincial Council elections were to be held the government told the Muslim community that SLMC defector M. L. A. M. Hizbullah would be appointed as the Chief Minister. Similarly the Tamil community was told that TMVP head Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan would be appointed as the Chief Minister. Both communities were fooled into voting for the government. The civilians in these areas were forced to support the terrorists. The government now has to take the responsibility for the fighting between the Muslims and Tamils," Herath said.

Tooled up’ Tamil gangs

Gangs of violent men from Sri Lanka are "constantly tooled up" and "ready to go", according to police.There have been a number of violent clashes involving groups of Tamil men in Croydon and other parts of south London in recent years.They culminated in the murder of 28-year-old Prabaskaran Kannan in Tooting last year. He was chased by a group of four men from Croydon who stabbed and slashed their terrified victim 31 times outside a fried chicken takeaway shop.The chief investigator in the case which became known as the "Chicken Cottage murder" said Croydon's Tamil gangs were causing concern among officers.Detective Sergeant Mick Snowdon spoke out about the problems surrounding Tamil gangs after five men were convicted of Mr Kannan's murder at the Old Bailey.The court was told Mr Kannan was heard shouting "It wasn't me, it wasn't me" shortly before he was brutally set upon and killed.On Monday this week homeless Vabeesan Sivarajah, 22, Aziz Miah, 20, of Sumner Road, Croydon, Asif Kumbay, 20, of Grasmere Road, Purley, and Kirush Nathankumar, 18, of Purley Way, Croydon, were all convicted of murder by an Old Bailey jury. They all denied the charges.The young men burst into tears after the sentence was announced. A jury of nine men and three women took three days to reach their verdict.The four were also convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm to two gang members who were with Mr Kannan that night.Another defendant, Mayuran Srivinayagam of Greyhound Terrace, Streatham, was cleared of murder and manslaughter but found guilty of assault. Earlier in the trial a sixth gang member, Mahitharn Ratnasingham, of Lesley Grove, Croydon, was cleared of murder and manslaughter. He admitted assault. The men are due to be sentenced on July 7.After the men were convicted Det Sgt Snowdon told the Croydon Guardian: "They the gangs are very violent. They are constantly tooled up and ready to go. It is almost like the level of violence is ad hoc. Whatever happens for them happens, and it depends on what weapons they have around."A businessman who runs a shop in Croydon said Sri Lankan Tamil gangs controlled most of the crime and had the town centre on "lockdown."Police have always in the past denied there was a problem with the gangs in Croydon, but have now admitted there was a specialist officer dealing with Tamil gang activity in the borough.A member of a gang who did not want to be named said: "These guys are tough man, they do not care who they hurt or who gets in their way. They ride around in flash cars tooled-up with knives, swords, bats and whatever else they can grab to do damage to a guy."Detective Inspector Anthony McKeown, from the Met's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "Those who carried out the attack were from a gang of Tamil and other Asian youths from Croydon, who came to Tooting with the express purpose of attacking people whom they saw as members of a rival Tamil gang."

UNP challenges Govt. to a general election

The UNP challenged the government yesterday to go for a general election immediately without having staggered provincial council elections in the country with the aim of rigging them.UNP Spokesperson, Parliamentarian Gayantha Karunathilake addressing the media charged that the government was holding staggered elections in order to win the elections by hook or by crook."Since the government knows that they would be thrown out of all Provincial council administrations if a free and fair election was held, they do not want to have all the elections at once but instead on staggered basis as they could use all the government resources at certain points in order to rig the elections comfortably," claimed Karunathilake.According to Karunathilake although the government boasts of having the peoples’ confidence with them they know as to what would happen in any future election unless the elections are rigged."Even the international community knows as to how the eastern election was held with the fullest government strength. Although the government’s friendly international monitors and some section of the independent election monitors expressed that it was a free and fair election it was a known secret as to how the government ministers took over the polling booths and stuffed the ballot boxes," charged Karunathilake.

"Stop violence" - urge Londoners

Section of Tamil and Sinhala diaspora gathered at a London street on Tuesday called upon the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to stop violence while President Mahinda Rajapakse was attending the Conference of Commonwealth Heads of State. The protests were coincided with the Conference of Commonwealth Heads of State which met at the Marlborough House to discuss reform of World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The protest ‘Sri Lankans Against Terrorism’ led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) against the LTTE and its acts of terrorism was held opposite the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. A Parallel protest was held jointly by Tamil, and International organizations calling Sri Lanka government to stop the war in the same venue. The two protests held side by side on the Pall Mall were peaceful and lasted for about two hours amidst police presence.Sri Lankans Against Terrorism comprising of Sri Lanka Peace Forum, Tamil Peace Foundation, Sri Lanka, Muslim Forum Actions Group of Sri Lanka, Tamil Sangam-UK, Sri Lankans Without Borders call upon the friends in the UK and the Commonwealth to assist in bringing democracy to Northern Province still under the clutches of the Tamil Tigers and support democracy in Sri Lanka challenged by Tamil Tiger Terrorism. They also called upon them to exert pressure on the Tamil Tigers to disarm and enter the democratic process and prevent them from raising funds on British and Commonwealth countries. While asking concerted action against Tamil Tiger front organisations they call upon Commonwealth Heads of Government to support Rajapakse government’s commitment to the strengthening of democracy and finding a political solution. The protest against the Sri Lankan government was organised by the British Tamils Forum, Nava Sama Samaja Party (UK), International Socialist Group Socialist Party, Tamil Youth Organization, South Asia Solidarity Group and Solidarity for Peace. They called upon the government to stop the war, recognise Tamils’ self-determination, and create a ‘Safe Haven’ to protect innocent Tamil civilians from indiscriminate aerial bombardment. Impose International arms embargo, and economic sanctions (Do not grant GSP +) and force Sri Lanka to cut war budget and feed the masses were among their demands from the Commonwealth Heads of government.

President Rajapakshe will think twice before visiting London next time – British Tamils Forum

British Tamils Forum joined forces with NSSP (Nava Sama Samaja Party) UK, TYO (Tamil Youth Organisation), S4P (Solidarity for Peace), Socialist Party, International Socialist Group and South Asia Solidarity Group and very effectively mobilised the masses in London to protest against the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakshe. Mr. Rajapakshe is here in London for a Commonwealth Conference, where twelve other Heads of State are also present.The protest was in front of the Commonwealth Secretariat – Marlborough House at the Pall Mall. Over a thousand people, largely Tamils turned up in a relatively short notice to show strength and the will of the Tamil Diaspora. Age, Religion, Language or Gender were no barrier as from grand parents to babies in push chairs, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus to Tamils, Sinhalese were all present at the scene. People from all walks of life made an effort to participate.The three main objectives of this protest were condemnation for conducting an unjust war against the Tamil Nation and for actively seeking a militaristic solution to fundamentally a political problem. Therefore, Stop the War!The primary reason for Sri Lanka being evicted by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) 47 member main body just over two weeks ago was due to the fact that Sri Lankan government has been systematically abusing human rights of the people of Sri Lanka. Therefore the second primary objective was to, Stop the Human Rights Violations!Finally but most importantly, enforce self-determination for Tamils in the predominantly Tamil Areas of the North and East of Sri Lanka!“I hope the international community will soon bring the Rajapakshe regime to the International Court of Justice for War Crimes” – A young protestorIt was a very noisy yet a cordial and a friendly demonstration. Kevin Rushford, Police Constable – Public Order Branch of the Metropolitan Police Division commented that efficient and effective volunteers, bilingual officers of the British Tamils Forum, the age and gender mix of general public involved in the protest were all reasons for a friendly yet an effective demonstration against some thing people believe in. Stan Greatrick, Chief Inspector of Ilford Police who was as part of the Metropolitan Police said and we quote “It was a very successful demonstration, mutually…the people were great and friendly…this is how all demonstrations should be”. From the organiser’s part, British Tamils Forum shared their genuine gratitude for a fantastic community liaison and an effective policing that was performed by the large number of police present at the event.Demonstrators shared their views by handing out preprinted leaflets to the passing public. Main points reflected in the leaflets were how Sri Lanka used to be viewed as a great holiday destination and how successive governments have made it a killing field. Point about the lack of will and the delayed actions of the international community which resulted in hundreds of thousands of innocent Rwandans, Dafurians, Cambodians and Bosnians being killed were highlighted. The fact that over 70,000 people, majority Tamils have been killed and a question was posed as to whether there had been any learning from the recent history and as to whether that is what the international community wanted on their conscience?

As a way of options it was articulated for the International Community to do nothing or talk about it or to take action.

Actions listed were:

            Boycott Sri Lanka and its national carrier Sri Lankan Airways
            Stop the WAR
            Recognise Tamils Self Determination
            Impose International Arms Embargo
            Create a ‘Safe Haven’ to protect Innocent Tamil civilians from Indiscriminate Aerial Bombardment of the Sri Lankan Air Force
            Evict Sri Lanka from The Commonwealth
            Impose Economic Sanctions (Do Not Grant GSP+)
            Force Sri Lanka to cut War Budget & Feed the Masses

Various media organisations and press were present at the event and the organisers intentionally chose this particular time to coincide with the scheduled press briefing at the Commonwealth Secretariat.There was a demonstration organised as a direct challenge to the event by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party UK in support of the President and his visit to London. However, due to insignificant number of people (around 100) compared to the predominantly Tamil masses (over a thousand) who were loud in their expressions, the government sponsored event shut shop early and vacated quietly.

175 persons arrested in Avissawella search operation

The Avissawella police on Monday conducted a search operation in the area and arrested 175 persons.Police spokesperson SSP Ranjith Gunasekara told The Morning Leader that only 23 persons were detained by the police yesterday, out of which 15 were produced at the Avissawella courts."I don’t know whether they have been released by the courts. But, the others were questioned and released," he said.He added that the 114 persons were without ID cards and three persons possessed 145 packets of Heroin."We arrested people who were suspected of many things. We did not target a particular set of people," SSP Gunasekara said."There are eight people in custody including a Tamil and seven Muslims. They are still being questioned," he said.

Army strengthens Wanni theatre with 2 new Divisions

The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) strengthened its forces in the Wanni operations theater by adding two new Divisions- the 61 Division and Task Force (TF) 2 to the 53, 55, 57, 58 (TF1) 59 Divisions already operating in the region. With the new additions, the total number of SLA Divisions taking part in the operation has risen to seven.The 61 Division will be commanded by Maj. Gen. Athula Jayawardena while TF2 will be commanded by Brig. Ralf Nugera. The Defense Ministry stated that two Brigades of the 61 Division (61-1 Brigade and 61-2 Brigade) have already been deployed to the Northern front, to assist the ongoing operations with plans of opening new fronts in the Wanni battle. The SLA refuted LTTE claims that operations carried out by the Army’s Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) targeted civilians in un-cleared areas. Although the SLA admitted that the Army’s Long Range Surveillance units did carry out several attacks in LTTE held territory, none of these attacks harmed civilians in any way. The Defense Ministry added that, operations deep inside ‘enemy’ territory, are not easy to perform and that, each and every such mission has a specific, pre determined target. “Being a conventional army, the SLA gains nothing by attacking civilians in long range operations, other than risking the lives of, probably, the best soldiers in its service. Usually, the target of such ops is a senior LTTE cadre, intelligence wing member or a powerful regional leader,” it added.

Ellalan force claims responsibility for bus bombs

The Tamil Net reported yesterday that ‘Ellalan Force,’ a shady identity in whose name terror threats come from time to time in Colombo as well as in Jaffna, on Monday, claimed responsibility for the attacks on ‘transport vehicles’ and said the attacks were ‘stern replies’ to four Sri Lankan forces attacks— an aerial bombardment and three LRRP (also known as DPU) Claymore attacks — in which 26 Tamil civilians were killed. The statement emailed to media further read that the ‘Ellalan Force’ was able to blast bombs despite heavy security arrangements put in place by the government. "The Sinhalese must understand the situation clearly and think why the ‘Ellalan Force’ continues its attacks," the statement titled ‘A Stern Warning of Revenge,’ said according to the Tamil Net report. The statement went on to say that the only way to stop such attacks was stopping attacks on Tamil innocent civilians.Organising people’s vigilance groups and other security arrangements would never avert bomb attacks, the statement said, and urged the Sinhala civilians to put pressure on the government to stop the attacks that targeted innocent Tamil civilians. "We want to claim that we are responsible for the bomb attacks on the transport vehicles and other attacks as stern replies to the LRRP attacks and aerial bombings of the Sri Lankan Government and its Forces," the statement said and cited the following attacks on civilians:

"1. The LRRP attack at Kilinochchi – Murukandy area on 23-5-2008, where 16 innocent Tamils were killed.

"2. The Air Force bombing on the same day at Chundikkulam where two female children were killed.

"3. The LRRP attack at Karippaddamurippu, Mankulam area, on 2-6-2008, where 6 innocent Tamils were killed.

"4. Another LRRP attack at Moontrumurippu, Palappani area on 5-6-2008, where 2 innocent Tamil civilians were killed."

The statement, emailed from an email, ellfor7@gmail.com, also carried the address of a blog site, ellfor1.blogspot.com, giving the warning in Tamil and English, the Tamil Net also reported.

APRC suspends deliberations until inclusion of TMVP           
  
The All Party Representative Committee has suspended its deliberations pending the inclusion of the TMVP in the process, APRC Chairman Prof. Tissa Vitarana has said.He noted it was the government's stance that the party of East Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan should be part of the APRC, as it is now in the democratic mainstream and is being represented at local government level.However, several parties at this committee had earlier vehemently opposed the TMVP's inclusion, which led to the Jathika Hela Urumaya and the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna boycotting the APRC in protest.The two parties have told Prof. Vitarana that they would rejoin the committee, as the government has given a guarantee of the TMVP's participation.

Doctors withdraw from the east

Government’s failure to provide security to medical personnel in the Batticaloa District has compelled them to withdraw their services in the east, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said. Doctors and other health workers are reported to be under constant threat by armed groups in the Batticaloa District for the past few months and since the latest attack on an ambulance driver and his assistant in Kathankudi the medical personnel have decided to withdraw their services in high-risk areas according to the GMOA."Although Batticaloa District is said to be a cleared area, still there is fighting between armed groups and as a result the health staff is constantly under threat by some armed groups," GMOA sources told The Morning Leader.According to sources, health personnel have now decided to withdraw their services from the east since the situation has started to deteriorate with the attack on the ambulance. "This is the first time in the history of the country’s war that an ambulance was attacked and if even such a vehicle is not spared then there is a serious security breach in the district," the GMOA added.However, sources further said that although the GMOA had brought this to the notice of the Defence Secretary a few months ago nothing had been done to ensure the safety of the medical staff in Batticaloa. "Most of the medical staff is not from the locality and they are now reluctant to go out for their basic requirements as there are threats to their lives. When doctors do not consider the patients’ ethnicity or their political affiliations when treating them, what is the reason for them to threaten the doctors who are serving in remote areas," queried the sources."Although Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse assured that he would look into this, neither he nor the Health Ministry have done anything for the past few months to address these issues . If those who are to look after the welfare of doctors and provide security for them do not discharge their duties of looking after them there is nothing the doctors could do but withdraw their services in the east," GMOA sources further added.

SLAF raids LTTE FDL in Muhamalai

Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets launched an air raid targeting LTTE Forward Defence Line in Muhamalai this morning, June 11. Air Force spokesperson, Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara, speaking to defence.lk said that the air sorties were launched around 7.10 a.m observing intensified activities in the area. The targets were successfully engaged though the exact damage caused to the enemy is yet to be ascertained, spokesperson further added.

Rajapaksa Calls for End to Funding of Tamil Rebels  

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the U.K.'s ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam should be supported by stopping groups funding the rebels ``under the guise'' of charities and cultural and social clubs. Aiding the LTTE through organizations outside Sri Lanka continues to fuel the 25-year-old conflict, Rajapaksa said at a meeting yesterday with David Cameron, leader of the U.K.'s opposition Conservative Party, during a visit to London. Rajapaksa ``highlighted the activities of LTTE front organizations'' that raise funds to help the group buy arms and ammunition, the Sri Lanka High Commission in London said in a statement. Peace negotiations have failed because of the LTTE's ``intransigence,'' he said. The LTTE is fighting for a separate Tamil homeland in the north and east of the South Asian island nation. The U.K., which designates the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organization, is pressing Sri Lanka's government to find a political solution to the issue of Tamil separatism. A unit of the Sea Tigers, the LTTE's naval force, attacked a Navy post on Mannar Island in the northwest early today, the Defense Ministry and TamilNet said in separate reports. The base at Erukkalampiddi was destroyed after being occupied for several hours, TamilNet cited unidentified LTTE officials as saying. Four Sea Tigers were killed, it said. Sailors drove off the raid by rebels who used six boats in the pre-dawn assault, the ministry said on its Web site. Three sailors and four rebels were killed, it said.

Tamils Overseas

As many as 600,000 Tamils have fled Sri Lanka to escape the conflict, more than half of them going to the U.K. and Canada. The U.K. will stop illegal fundraising by the LTTE, Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells said a year ago. U.K. security agencies are trying to ``counter the bullying, threats and acts of fraud that are used regularly to extract money from the Tamil population and others in the country,'' he told Parliament at the time. The U.S., India and the U.K.'s partners in the European Union also designate the LTTE as a terrorist group. Rajapaksa, at his meeting with Cameron, condemned three bomb attacks on trains and a bus that killed more than 50 people since April, saying it is evidence of the LTTE's ``ruthless terrorist campaign.''

Bomb Attacks

A group calling itself the Ellalan Force said it was responsible for attacks on transport vehicles, TamilNet reported yesterday, citing a statement e-mailed to media. It said the bombings are in retaliation for air force raids that killed civilians in the north since May. The Defense Ministry denied a report by Japan's Kyodo news agency that 17 people were injured in a blast on a railway line in the south of the capital, Colombo, today. A bomb exploded June 4 near a train traveling to the city, injuring 18 people. The LTTE said in March the army's offensives in the north amount to genocide and accused the air force of dropping bombs in civilian areas. The military has carried out almost daily attacks on LTTE bases in the north, the last region held by the Tamil Tigers since they lost control of the eastern region almost a year ago. The government ended a 2002 cease-fire with the LTTE in January, prompting the United Nations to call on the government and the Tamil Tigers to prevent an escalation of violence against civilians. Rajapaksa told Cameron his government's efforts to restore democracy in Eastern Province by holding local elections earlier this year are part of a similar plan for democracy and economic development in the north.Rajapaksa's government has vowed to eradicate terrorism on the island while seeking a settlement with all Tamil groups. It says it won't consider any peace settlement with the LTTE that divides the country. Tamils make up 11.9 percent of Sri Lanka's 20 million people and Sinhalese almost 74 percent, according to a 2001 census.

10 June 2008

LTTE sending favourable signals for Indian mediation: Minister 
 
Sri Lanka's separatist group LTTE has sent "favourable signals" for India's role as a 'mediator' to end the vexed ethnic conflict in the island nation, a Sri Lankan Tamil Minister said here on Monday. Addressing the media here, P Chandrasekaran Lankan Minister for Community Development and social inequity eradication, said the LTTE had also evinced interest in Indian intervention and "favourable signals" had emanated from the outfit in this regard. Chandrasekaran, also leader of upcountry People's Front, an organisation representing plantations' Tamil workers of Indian origin, said he fervently hoped the Sri Lankan government too would welcome Indian intervention. He also said LTTE was ready for political solution and the people of Sri Lanka were longing for an end to the war which was too hard a burden on the tiny nation. He said Priyanka Vadra's initiative to meet Nalini, serving a life sentence in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, was a step in the positive direction. He said it was the bounden duty of the Indian government to take steps to intervene to end the ethnic problem. In this regard, he said he would be meeting top leaders in New Delhi as well as in Tamil Nadu to drum up support for his campaign to seek Indian intervention. "India very much deserved to be a mediator and could play a dominant role in restoring peace in the neighbouring country. When Norway could embark on (mediation mission), why not India?" he said. Other countries could stay away from the crisis but not India. India has the right and capability to be an "ardent mediator", the minister said.

Govt. should go for ceasefire – Lakshman Kiriella  
       
The government should go for a ceasefire agreement immediately, as the continuing war would only irrevocably damage the future of Sri Lanka, says leader of the UNP media unit, MP Lakshman Kiriella.Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo Monday (June 09th), Mr. Kiriella said the Army camps that were refortified during the UNP regime are under threat at present.Noting that the government abrogated the ceasefire agreement within six months of talks in Geneva, he said that it was followed by propaganda to conceal the deal it had sealed with the LTTE.  Though it has been over a year since a parliamentary committee was requested to probe this deal, the government continues to remain silent, he charged.

Protest as president in London   
 
The Amnesty International (AI) has expressed hope that Sri Lanka president would take measures to protect human rights as international concern increases on rights violations. South Asia director of the AI, Sam Zarifi, said the government should understand that Sri Lanka is ‘not forgotten’ by the international community. The AI organised a demonstration in front of Commonwealth Secretariat in London protesting human rights violations in Sri Lanka.

Commonwealth summit

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is attending a Commonwealth leaders meeting in London. The protest highlighted the growing number of media workers being killed, assaulted and detained in Sri Lanka.A journalist in Jaffna, P Devakumarana, was killed and a senior journalist, Keith Noyahr, was brutally assaulted during the past few weeks. Sunday Times columnist JS Tissanayagam remains in custody since 07 March.“Certainly the situation in Sri Lanka has been the source of the increasing concern around the world because the deterioration has been rapid,” Sam Zarifi told BBC Sandeshaya. The government is not seen to be willing, he said, to respond to the concerns by human rights watchdogs and the international community. The AI insists that the Tamil Tigers are also accused of gross human rights violations including launching attacks on civilians.“We hope President Rapaksaksa understands that this is not a forgotten conflict,” Mr. Zafiri added.

RSF condemns branding of media as “internal enemy”   
       
International media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders has condemned a Defence Ministry campaign against independent news media, especially journalists who cover military affairs. The Ministry’s website is carrying virulent attacks on journalists critical of the government, accusing them of being in cahoots with the “terrorist enemy,” the Tamil Tiger rebels, the RSF said in a statement.“While the civil war continues to claim innocent victims in both communities, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is lambasting journalists who do not toe the line of his propaganda,” the press freedom organization said. “He is directly threatening the safety of journalists by accusing them of agreeing with the enemy. The government has turned Manichaeism into a state doctrine in which those not with the army are deemed to be with the Tamil Tigers.”Reporters Without Borders added: “We call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa to restore trust and serenity to the government’s relations with the press.”Two long articles - headlined “Stop media treachery against armed forces members!” and "Deriding the war heroes for a living - the ugly face of defence analysts in Sri Lanka” - were recently posted on the Ministry’s website, attacking news media that dare to contradict official press releases about the fighting in the north of the country.By blaming journalists for the military’s failure to “eradicate the LTTE terrorists,” the articles directly expose them to the possibility of reprisals. “Media freedom in this country has been encroached upon by few sociopaths that can be found in almost all anti-Sri Lankan outfits,” the website says. Many local news media, including Sirasa TV, the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Times, and the Free Media Movement (FMM), a local NGO that defends press freedom are explicitly accused of sowing discord within the armed forces in their articles and statements. “Whoever lures disgruntled members of the armed forces to act against the good order and the military discipline of the service is committing treachery against the nation,” the site says.The Defence Ministry also accuses the press of putting out false information although the army itself has often tried to minimize its losses, for example, after one of the most violent clashes in recent years in the Jaffna peninsula last April.Pressure on the independent media is mounting amid repeated incursions by the security forces into LTTE-controlled areas and deadly bombings in the Colombo region that are blamed on the Tamil Tigers.Keith Noyahr, assistant editor and defence correspondent of the English-language weekly 'The Nation', was kidnapped and beaten on 22 May in an attack apparently linked to his reporting on the government’s counter-insurgency campaign. TV reporter Paranirupasingam Devakumar and a friend were murdered six days later in an area of the Jaffna peninsula that is under military control. No suspect has been arrested.Iqbal Athas, a reporter who specializes in military affairs, stopped writing articles for the Sunday Times several weeks ago after being the target of a campaign of intimidation. According to the Free Media Movement, Sirimevan Kasthuriarachchi, a journalist who does defence reporting for the newspaper Divaina, was threatened with reprisals by thugs who forced their way into his home on 29 May.   
Frederica Jansz, the publisher of the monthly Montage and a contributor to The Nation, was followed by suspicious-looking vehicles in Colombo a week ago and the body of a bird was found outside her home in what might have been another threatening message.
Press freedom activists have also been the target of intimidation. On 27 May, soldiers went to the Colombo headquarters of the Sri Lanka Press Institute, an organisation that is respected for its defence of media freedom, and asked for the names of its employees.
The defence minister was added to the Reporters Without Borders list of “Predators of Press Freedom” on 3 May.

Oil attack on JVP protest against assault  
       
A protest organized by the JVP at Aarachchikattuwa town in Chilaw against sunday's assault on a party demonstration at the same location , came under an engine oil attack monday (June 09th).As monday’s protest was nearing its end, North Central Province councilor Sanath Nishantha and several others have arrived in the scene in a tipper and hurled engine oil at the protestors, JVP sources said.Subsequently, another group had thrown stones at the protestors.NCP councilor Sanath Nishantha was injured in sunday’s incident.Around 10 JVP activists, including NCP Councilor from the party, Sithara Nonis, were injured in the incident and admitted to the Chilaw Hospital.Reports of casualties from monday’s incident are not yet known.

SLAF raids Sea Tiger base

Fighter jets of the Sri Lanka Air Force yesterday raided a Sea Tiger base located in the general area of Nayaru in Mulaithiuvu. Air Force spokesperson, Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara told the Daily News that air sorties were launched around 3.20 p.m. The targeted Sea Tiger base was located 4 kilometres north of Nayaru, he said. The target was accurately hit, spokesperson further said. Meanwhile, another mission the Sri Lanka Air Force MI 24 helicopter gunships have raided an LTTE bunker defence located in the North of Alankumala yesterday morning. Air Force spokesperson, Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said that air raid has been launched at 11 a.m. in support of troops of 58 divisions.

Policeman helping LTTE bomber arrested

special police team arrested a policeman who is said to have had close dealings with the LTTE suspect Jadheesan Balasubramaniam who was arrested on in connection with the bomb blast on the railway line at Dehiwala last week.The policeman attached to the Wellawatte Police Station is a resident of Kobeigane, in Kurunegala and had very close connections with the LTTE suspect Jadheesan Balasubramaniam, who was arrested by the police at the Irattaperiyakulam in a bus bound for Vavunia last week, Police Headquarters sources said yesterday (9).The policeman had met Jadheesan very often used his motorcycle.It has also been revealed that the policeman had visited Bangkok with a friend some weeks back and the police are investigating his movements to ascertain whether his overseas tour had anything to do with terrorist activities.The special police team questioning the constable at length believes that valuable information could be gathered from the suspect about the activities of the LTTE suspect Jadheesan, who was working as a technician for an air condition equipment company while living at Wattala with his wife, who, too, was arrested.Police also said that they were also investigating the background of the policeman and whether he had any connections with other covert LTTE operatives in the south.

LTTE's 1-4 Base in Welioya under siege-SL Army

Army Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara says that security forces have captured five bunkers in the forward defense line of Welioya 14 Base, one of the major camps of the LTTE. He says that 17 LTTE cadres were killed and 35 were injured in clashes yesterday. One of the corpses of the slain LTTE cadres was recovered today while the clashes died down, said the Army Spokesman. He further stated that seven Army personnel were killed and 29 were injured in the clashes.

Sri Lanka: 4 SF Killed 9 Injured in Vavuniya Attack - LTTE

Vavuniya - The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fiercely attacked the Sri Lankan security forces (SF) when they tried to advance into Palammodai in Vavuniyaa on Monday. At least 4 SF troopers were killed, over 9 SF troopers were injured and LTTE thwarted the attacks by the SF and SF retreated to their original position and tried to advance from another front which was also resisted by the LTTE fiercely and attack was thwarted, according to the LTTE military spokesman Rasiah Illanthirayan.Heavy fighting between the LTTE and the SF raged within past few days using Multi-Barrel Rockets, artillery and mortar fire mounted attacks on the LTTE position the Manaar, Weli Oya, Vavuniya, Muhamalai and Killali area and tried to advance into the LTTE held area. The LTTE had thwarted all the attempts of the SF into the LTTE held area attacks and the LTTE continued to offer stiff resistance killing hundreds of SF troopers.The civil war in Sri Lanka killed at least 80,000 people most of them were ethnic Tamils while half a million people internally displaced and over million people externally displaced. At least 5,800 people have been killed in last two years alone, a right group said.

Army advances in Mannar killing large number of LTTE cadres
   
Army yesterday further advanced its forward defenceline in north of Alankulam in Mannar, by killing a large number of LTTE cadres and capturing a 17-year-old girl alive following a heavy battle, the military said.Military Spokesman, Udaya Nanayakkara said the troops launched a surprise attack on the LTTE and captured their five locations in the forward defencelines.“Ground troops confirmed that nine LTTE cadres and two soldiers were killed and the military recovered three bodies of LTTE female cadres and captured another alive,” the spokesman said.He also said the captured female LTTE cadre told the military that she was forcibly taken away by the LTTE when she went to the Kovil in Kilinochchi from Jaffna in 2006. “She had been only given one-and-a-half-month armed training and deployed in forward defencelines along with several such underaged children,” the spokesman said.Action has been taken to hand over the captured female cadre to the Police for further investigations.Meanwhile, Air Force launched two air-strikes on LTTE bunkers in Mannar and Sea Tiger base in Mullaitivu.The military said, MI-24 helicopters targeting LTTE bunker lines north of Alankulam in the morning in Mannar, had causd heavy damage to the LTTE.

250 Tamils arrested Monday in Colombo region

Police arrested more than 250 persons in a search conducted Monday in Colombo, Avissawela, Buwakpitiya, Peliyagoda and Gampaha, Sri Lanka police spokesman and Senior Police Commissioner Ranjith Gunasekara said. Persons from outstations without documents of identification and proper reason for their stay were arrested, he said. More than 220 Tamils have been arrested in Avissawela and Buwakpitiya areas. A large scale search from Sunday night to Monday noon was launched in Colombo, Avisawela, Buwakpitiya, Peliyagoda and Gampaha.Buses and vehicles of suspicion passing through the check posts at the entry points to Colombo and passengers were subjected to strict check up and those who failed to prove their identity were taken into custody.Persons employed in Avissawela Trade Zone were the majority of those arrested in Avissawela. 30 persons in Gampaha, and 20 in Peliyagoda police divisions arrested on suspicion are being interrogated by police officers of the respective divisions, the Police Commissioner said.

North Central, Sabaragamuwa PCs dissolved Polls dates to be announced

The Government dissolved the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils with effect from midnight yesterday through two special gazette notifications issued by the Governors of the two provinces. According to the powers vested in the Governors, the two provincial councils were dissolved through two special gazette notifications. Accordingly the dates for the elections in the two provinces will be announced shortly. The Elections Commissioner will inform the dates for calling nominations for these two Provincial Councils. Former North Central Province Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake told the Daily News last night that difficulties had been encountered in performing administrative functions of the two Provincial Councils due to obstructions by the UNP and JVP. Therefore both Chief Ministers have given their consent to go for an election at this juncture due to a number of obstacles faced by them in their councils. "We had to face various difficulties to implement development projects in these two provinces as the UNP and JVP when combined had majority power in the two councils. When we try to pass some resolutions, various allegations and interruptions are made by these two parties. Therefore, two Chief Ministers agreed to dissolve the two Provincial Councils and declare elections in the two provinces," he said. "The election is slated for August and we are getting ready to work out political strategies for it," he said. Karunaratne Divulgane is the Governor of the North Central Province (NCP) while Dickson Dela Bandara is the Governor, Sabaragamuwa Province (SGP). Berty Premalal Dissanayake was the Chief Minister of the North Central Provincial Council (NCPC) while Maheepala Herath was the Chief Minister of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council (SGPC). The NCP includes Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts consisting of 33 PC seats. Kegalle and Ratnapura districts come under the purview of the SGP comprising 44 PC seats. The present NCPC was established on August 11, 2004 while the SGPC was established on August 16, 2004.

09 June 2008

TNA concerned over the eastern situation
   
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says that the failure of the law enforcement authorities to immediately control the situation in the East raises questions as to whether there are insidious attempts to promote disharmony between the Tamil and Muslim communities. Expressing its deep concern over the spate of incidents that have taken place in the East following the Eastern Provincial Council Elections TNA impresses upon the Tamil and Muslim people that being united is fundamental to their future well-being.. The statement says, “Particularly in the Batticaloa district there have been incidents of violence in which both Muslims and Tamils have been victims. It is reported that around nine persons have been killed and over fifty have been injured.”“These incidents, promote unnecessary conflict between the Muslim and Tamil communities. The TNA appeals to everyone to desist from violence. The Tamil and Muslim people have lived together for very many centuries in the past and they have to continue to live together as a united people. Such unity is essential in their common interest. The Tamil and Muslim people should not succumb to the efforts of undesirable elements to divide them.”

Croatian muscle for Lankan Navy

Sri Lanka and Croatia are exploring the possibility of setting up a joint venture to build ships for the SLN. Authoritative sources said Navy Commander Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda during a recent visit to Croatia had discussed the proposed venture which would also involve the Colombo Dockyard Limited (CDL). Karannagoda’s visit had been preceded by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake’s tour of Croatia, the sources said, expressing confidence the project would be a reality and facilitate Sri Lanka’s efforts to enhance the operational capacity and capability of the SLN.The SLN destroyed eight LTTE floating arsenals in separate operations conducted on the high seas beginning September 2006 to early October 2007. The sources said although the SLN had maximised the use of available assets to weaken the enemy’s ability to bring in fresh consignments of arms and ammunition, the need to acquire additional platforms couldn’t be further delayed, the sources said.The sources said the SLN needed a range of vessels to strengthen the existing fleet to thwart Sea Tiger operations on the high seas and in the Palk Straits. A bilateral agreement between the two countries to build fighting vessels would be advantageous to Sri Lanka, a senior official said. The Croatian government had said it was ready to get involved in the project which would be the first of its kind between Sri Lanka and a foreign government, the sources said.

Has the LTTE returned to the East?
   
Two separate incidents involving the LTTE were reported from the recently liberated eastern Province over the weekend.In one incident ten persons who had been abducted in Pottuvil area by an unidentified gang were released on Saturday. They told police that they were abducted by the LTTE and detained in a camp. Pottuvil police with the help of the security forces were conducting inquiries to trace the location of the camp.  In another incident a homeguard was abducted in Pulmoddai area allegedly by the LTTE when he was roaming in the jungle with five children to collect fruits.The armed gang who detained the home guard ordered the children to bring 50 packets of rice to release him. However, the children who were frightened of going back to meet them, informed police. Police said a search operation in the area to trace the whereabouts of the home guard and to track down the abductors was going on.

EP Chief Minister takes his first IPC ride

Navy headquarters last week deployed an Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC) to rush Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan from Trincomalee to Batticaloa. A senior official said an IPC had to be deployed, as they couldn’t provide air passage to the leader of the breakaway LTTE faction. The Chief Minister had boarded the IPC at the Trincomalee navy base.

Sri Lankan forces step up deployment, rehearsals in Jaffna peninsula

The three armed forces of Sri Lanka have jointly stepped up patrol on land and sea areas in Vadamaraadchi north and east as well as in Jaffna lagoon since Thursday besides conducting large scale war rehearsals in areas close to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Palaali High Security Zone (HSZ), sources in Jaffna said. The SLA seems to be engaged in active preparations for a major offensive in the coming days, residents in Vadmaraadchi said. Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopters from Palaali SLA military complex have been flying patrol rounds morning and evening, covering the seas of Vadamaraadchi north and east as well as over the Jaffna lagoon since Thursday.The patrol flights are carried out in addition to the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) gun boats already engaged in their customary patrolling of the above mentioned areas.Meanwhile, SLA since Thursday has been conducting large scale war rehearsals using artillery, mortar and gun fire in the areas of Vazhalaay, Idaikkaadu and Tho'ndamanaa’ru lagoon that lie close to the SLA Palaali HSZ.Nonstop, deafening artillery and machine gun fire, day and night, have been reverberating in the areas around Vadamaraadchi and Palaali for the last two days, according to the residents.

President back in London

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday left for the UK to attend two-day meeting at Marlborough House at the Commonwealth Secretariat on June 9 and 10. Twelve Commonwealth Heads would attend the meeting to discuss the current role of global institutions including the UN and lending agencies. The President was in the UK in early May to address the Oxford Union.

Rajiv probe leads CBI to Germany  
 
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who was assassinated on May 21, 1991  Even after 17 years, the CBI has not left its pursuit to unravel the conspiracy behind the killing of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and recently an agency team was here seeking banking details of alleged LTTE financier Kumaran Padmanathan. Diplomatic sources here said that CBI Director Vijay Shanker held talks with his German counterpart and Federal agency Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) chief Jorg Ziercke.During the talks, the CBI took up the matter of financial transactions of Sri Lankan national Padmanathan or "KP", who is alleged to be a major gun-runner for the LTTE. The talks were part of the bilateral exchanges between the two countries to pave the way for signing of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, besides being a return visit by the CBI Director in response to an invitation extended by his German counterpart when he had visited India last year.The Indian delegation stressed on execution of Letters Rogatory (LRs) which were pending with the German authorities for long. The LRs were issued by Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) to various countries, including Germany. But the main impediment for the CBI was that several countries - including Germany, Australia, Switzerland and the Netherlands - demanded an undertaking that the death penalty would not be imposed or carried out against any such person whose details were sought in the Rajiv Gandhi case.This demand was renewed by German authorities during the talks when the Indian side raised the issue of pending LRs issued by the Indian courts on request Of the MDMA, the sources said. "Some breakthrough needs to be evolved as the conspiracy behind the case has to be unravelled completely," said an official, who was a part of the delegation that held talks with BKA The German side was willing to cooperate but there were differences over the issue the death penalty. India wants to know the bank details of KP and some more people including some Indians who were alleged to have hatched the conspiracy to kill Gandhi. The former prime minister was assassinated on May 21, 1991 when an LTTE suicide bomber blew herself up at an election rally in Tamil Nadu.The MDMA, comprising officials from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), has asked the government to use diplomatic channels to ensure help from different countries in locating the conspirators and their financial network. The panel was given an extension till May 31, 2009 recently.Two commissions of inquiry were set up to probe Rajiv Gandhi's murder. While the Justice JS Verma Commission had probed the aspect of security lapses, the MC Jain Commission investigated the conspiracy aspect. The Jain Commission had also recommended a further probe into several areas, like the role of controversial Godman Chandraswami and others, including some LTTE leaders, in the conspiracy. The MDMA was set up primarily to tie up the loose-ends in the wake of the Jain Commission report.KP is believed to be "the chief arms procurer" for the LTTE and also in-charge of collection of finances for the banned outfit outside Sri Lanka. During the meeting, India also raised the issue of banned Babar Khalsa International, which was operating from theGerman soil but the Germans were quick to say that their territory would not be allowed to be used against India.However, India's request for banning the group could not be agreed upon as the German side made it clear that their law prohibited black-listing of any group until it was found indulging in terror activities. The German delegation assured the Indian side that the activities of some groups were under "strict watch" and all necessary action would be taken, if need arose.

Minister’s vehicle seized near tuition class

Wellawatte police said an unidentified person had seized the official vehicle of Irrigation Minister of non-cabinet rank Jayatissa after threatening his driver. A senior police official said the driver had dropped the minister’s children at a tuition class in the Wellawatte police area and was waiting for them to come back when the incident took place. Police subsequently found the vehicle in the Peliyagoda police area.

Thug attack on JVP protest campaign

A protest campaign held by the JVP at Arachchikattuwa in Chilaw against the escalating prices of essential commodities has been set upon by a gang of thugs lead by Sanath Nishsnthe, member of he government party of North western Provincial Council. Mr. Sithara Nonis, Member of NWPC and more than ten others who have been assaulted by the thugs lead by government party member have been admitted to Chilaw Hospital.

Britain and France condemn bus blasts

Britain and France yesterday condemned the two bomb blasts in Sri Lanka on Friday. British Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch-Brown said: 'The last few months have seen an increasing number of violent attacks targeting civilians. Lives have been lost in all communities and in all regions of Sri Lanka. My thoughts and condolences are with the victims and their families. There is no justification for practices which targets civilians or puts them in danger. There is an urgent need to end the senseless loss of lives caused by such acts of violence and for all parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka to take responsibility for the protection and safety of the civilian population. A sustainable solution to Sri Lanka's conflict can only emerge through a just political process involving all communities: this cannot come from violence.' Meanwhile, a French Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson said: "We were appalled to learn of the attack on a bus in Colombo. We offer our condolences to the victims' families. France strongly condemns this heinous attack and assures the Sri Lankan authorities of its solidarity."

UNP split to three factions challenging Ranil's leadership

United National Party (UNP) internal sources say that the party is split into three factions that urge for a change in the leadership and seeking space for the popular leaders come forward in the party that has lost in 17 elections. One group says that Rukman Senanayaka must be made the leader of the UNP while Mr. Wickramasinghe remains the Opposition Leader. A group led by MPs Lakshman Senevirathna, Johnston Fernando and Gayantha Karunathilaka are in this faction. All of them directly supported Mr. Wickramasinghe before the Ranil – Karu clash for the leadership. Ranil’s close associate Malik Samarawickrama, and UNP unofficial newspaper ‘Sunday Leader’ editor Lasantha Wikramathunga met Mr. Wikramasinghe who returned from a tour in Brussels and urged him to step down at least temporarily. They proposed Mr. Wickramasinghe to hand over the party leadership to Mr. Rukman Senanayaka. Gamini Aberathna alias Taxi Abe is also supporting them. The Johnston - Lakshman Group proposes to give Mr. S.B. Disanayaka the post of party Deputy Leader and Mr. Sajith Premadasa a post he can be more active. The second group led by MPs John Amarathunga, Sagala Rathnayaka and Akila Viraj Kariyawasam says that Mr. S.B. Disanayaka and Mr. Sajith Premadasa must be given more responsibilities while Mr. Wickramasinghe remains in the leadership. The third group led by MPs Jayawickrama Perera and Joseph Michael Perera holds similar view and urge S.B., Sajith and other clever persons given more responsibilities. UNP leader’s former pet Johston Fernando has taken up arms against his leader openly due to a controversy that erupted as the leader assigned MP Sagala Rathnayaka to distribute funds to UNP Batticaloa district candidates while Mr. Fernando was the in charge of party propaganda at the Eastern Provincial Council election. Mr.Johston Fernando, a trade union leader of the UNP who was not informed of the party’s bullock cart parade responded negatively when a trade union activist enquired from him about the protest campaign. Meanwhile, a clash has reportedly erupted between UNP General Secretary Thissa Aththanayaka and Chairman Rukman Senanayaka over party internal work. There is a campaign to replace Mr. Aththanayaka with Mr. Imitiyaz Bakeer Marcar. A group led by MPs Johnston Fernando, Ravi Samaraweera, Lakshman Senevirathna, Ranjith Fernando and a team that rejoined the UNP from late Mr. Lalith Athulathmudali’s party is backing this view. Meanwhile, the UNP leader said to his close associates that broad political alliance was necessary and the elections must be fought with elephant symbol. He hinted that Mr. S. B. Disanayaka should be given the responsibility of organizing the campaign. The UNP leader who is now on a tour in India is to return to the country on Tuesday (10). The three factions are to come to a decision after a dialogue with Mr. Wikramasinghe. The activists of these groups say that Mr. Wikramasinghe will not be given opportunity to getaway this time. They say that a deeper crisis will be built up in the party if the problems are not solved now.

08 June 2008

'Sinister move' of Colombo disrupting Tamil contiguity at Kokku'laay –TELO President Selvam MP

The Sri Lankan government's cabinet decision on Thursday to bring Kokku'laay, the Tamil coastal village of Northern Province under the administration of the Sinhala dominated Padavi Sripura division of Eastern Province is a "sinister move, officialising the separation of the Tamil contiguity of the North and East," said TELO President and Vanni parliamentarian Selvam Adaikkalanathan on Saturday. "The International Community, especially America, Britain and India, who often harp on the theory of development in the East, before reaching a political solution, should take a serious note of what they are actually abetting in Sri Lanka," he further said. According to the TELO President and Vanni MP, the government's decision is a culmination of a process that started nearly half a century ago. Even though Padavi Sripura is a division in the Trincomalee district of the Eastern Province, its people and communication are linked to the Padaviya division of the Anuradhapura district of the North Central Province. "The inclusion of Kokku'laay with Padavi Sripura, even as a temporary measure, will eventually pave way for the demographic and physical de-linking of the Tamil contiguity of the Northern and Eastern provinces.""If it was only a genuine concern of the government to provide administration to the people of Kokku'laay, and no sinister motives are involved, the government could have very well thought of bringing the village under the adjacent Tamil division, Kuchchave'li of the Eastern Province instead of the Sinhala division of Padavi Sripura.""Is it also the wish of the new provincial administration of the East that Kokku'laay should join with the Sinhala division," questions the MP. The TELO President further asked that if the merger of Northern and Eastern provinces were against the constitution of Sri Lanka, how could the merger of a part of the Northern province with the East be constitutional. Sri Lankan Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa addressing a press briefing Thursday to announce the cabinet decisions said the cabinet had approved a recommendation by the Lankan Home Affairs Minister Karu Jayasuriya to transfer the administration of Kokku'laay to Padavi Sripura DS. Minister Yapa said this is a temporary arrangement because villagers in Kokku'laay have been undergoing untold hardships to fulfil their basic and essential needs because of the war situation now prevailing in Mullaiththeevu district. Until the situation in Mullaiththeevu comes to normal, Kokku'laay has been brought under the Padavi Sripura DS administration. It's only a temporary measure, he added.Government Agents of Mullaiththeevu and Trincomalee have agreed for the temporary transfer of the Kokku'laay civil administration with immediate effect. There was no Padavi Sripura village in the northern boundary of the Trincomalee district when the country gained independence. With the state aided colonization and irrigation schemes implemented by the Sinhala dominated successive governments Padavi Sripura and several new Sinhala settlements had been created and later a new Sinhala DS division in the name Padavi Sripura was carved out.Kokku'laay is a traditional Tamil fishing hamlet. However, migrant Sinhala fishermen from Negombo and other coastal villages of the Western Province were officially encouraged to engage in fishing in this eastern coastal lagoon of Kokku'laay, which is famous for prawn. Since then the demography of the village has been changing slowly. Thus, Sinhalicisation of the region was carried out from both fronts, coastal as well as inland.Kokku'laay and Thennaimaravadi are adjacent villages divided by the boundary of Northern and Eastern provinces. Thennairamavadi is already a deserted village after 1987 military operation. In this background, annexing Kokku'laay with the Sinhala division can completely erase the Tamil presence and Sinhalicise this stretegic coastal stretch of the Bay of Bengal.

India, China jostle for influence in Indian Ocean
 
HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka - This battered harbor town on Sri Lanka's southern tip, with its scrawny men selling even scrawnier fish, seems an unlikely focus for an emerging international competition over energy supply routes that fuel much of the global economy.An impoverished place still recovering from the devastation of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hambantota has a desolate air, a sense of nowhereness, punctuated by the realization that looking south over the expanse of ocean, the next landfall is Antarctica.But just over the horizon runs one of the world's great trade arteries, the shipping lanes where thousands of vessels carry oil from the Middle East and raw materials to Asia, returning with television sets, toys and sneakers for European consumers.These tankers provide 80 percent of China's oil and 65 percent of India's _ fuel desperately needed for the two countries' rapidly growing economies. Japan, too, is almost totally dependent on energy supplies shipped through the Indian Ocean.Any disruption _ from terrorism, piracy, natural disaster or war _ could have devastating effects on these countries and, in an increasingly interdependent world, send ripples across the globe. When an unidentified ship attacked a Japanese oil tanker traveling through the Indian Ocean from South Korea to Saudi Arabia in April, the news sent oil prices to record highs.For decades the world relied on the powerful U.S. Navy to protect this vital sea lane. But as India and China gain economic heft, they are moving to expand their control of the waterway, sparking a new _ and potentially dangerous _ rivalry between Asia's emerging giants. China has given massive aid to Indian Ocean nations, signing friendship pacts, building ports in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as Sri Lanka, and reportedly setting up a listening post on one of Myanmar's islands near the strategic Strait of Malacca.Now, India is trying to parry China's moves. It beat out China for a port project in Myanmar. And, flush with cash from its expanding economy, India is beefing up its military, with the expansion seemingly aimed at China. Washington and, to a lesser extent, Tokyo are encouraging India's role as a counterweight to growing Chinese power. Among China's latest moves is the billion dollar port its engineers are building in Sri Lanka, an island country just off India's southern coast.The Chinese insist the Hambantota port is a purely commercial move, and by all appearances, it is. But some in India see ominous designs behind the project, while others in countries surrounding India like the idea. A 2004 Pentagon report called Beijing's effort to expand its presence in the region China's "string of pearls."No one wants war, and relations between the two nations are now at their closest since a brief 1962 border war in which China quickly routed Indian forces. Last year, trade between India and China grew to $37 billion and their two armies conducted their first-ever joint military exercise.Still, the Indians worry about China's growing influence."Each pearl in the string is a link in a chain of the Chinese maritime presence," India's navy chief, Adm. Sureesh Mehta, said in a speech in January, expressing concern that naval forces operating out of ports established by the Chinese could "take control over the world energy jugular.""It is a pincer movement," said Rahul Bedi, a South Asia analyst with London-based Jane's Defense Weekly. "That, together with the slap India got in 1962, keeps them awake at night."B. Raman, a hawkish, retired Indian intelligence official, expressed the fears of some Indians over the Chinese-built ports, saying he believes they'll be used as naval bases to control the area."We cannot take them at face value. We cannot assume their intentions are benign," said Raman.But Zhao Gancheng, a South Asia expert at the Chinese government-backed Shanghai Institute for International Studies, says ports like Hambantota are strictly commercial ventures. And Sri Lanka says the new port will be a windfall for its impoverished southern region.With Sri Lanka's proximity to the shipping lane already making it a hub for transshipping containers between Europe and Asia, the new port will boost the country's annual cargo handling capacity from 6 million containers to some 23 million, said Priyath Wickrama, deputy director of the Sri Lankan Ports Authority.Wickrama said a new facility was needed since the main port in the capital Colombo has no room to expand and Trincomalee port in the Northeast is caught in the middle of Sri Lanka's civil war. Hambantota also will have factories onsite producing cement and fertilizer for export, he said.Meanwhile, India is clearly gearing its military expansion toward China rather than its longtime foe, and India has set up listening stations in Mozambique and Madagascar, in part to monitor Chinese movements, Bedi noted. It also has an air base in Kazakhstan and a space monitoring post in Mongolia _ both China's neighbors.India has announced plans to have a fleet of aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines at sea in the next decade and recently tested nuclear-capable missiles that put China's major cities well in range. It is also reopening air force bases near the Chinese border.Encouraging India's role as a counter to China, the U.S. has stepped up exercises with the Indian navy and last year sold it an American warship for the first time, the 17,000-ton amphibious transport dock USS Trenton. American defense contractors _ shut out from the lucrative Indian market during the long Cold War _ have been offering India's military everything from advanced fighter jets to anti-ship missiles."It is in our interest to develop this relationship," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said during a visit to New Delhi in February. "Just as it is in the Indians' interest."Officially, China says it's not worried about India's military buildup or its closer ties with the U.S. However, foreign analysts believe China is deeply concerned by the possibility of a U.S.-Indian military alliance.Ian Storey of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore said China sent strong diplomatic messages expressing opposition to a massive naval exercise India held last year with the U.S., Japan, Singapore and Australia. And Bedi, the Jane's analyst, added "those exercises rattled the Chinese."India's 2007 defense budget was about $21.7 billion, up 7.8 percent from 2006. China said its 2008 military budget would jump 17.6 percent to some $59 billion, following a similar increase last year. The U.S. estimates China's actual defense spending may be much higher.Like India, China is focusing heavily on its navy, building an increasingly sophisticated submarine fleet that could eventually be one of the world's largest.While analysts believe China's military buildup is mostly focused on preventing U.S. intervention in any conflict with Taiwan, India is still likely to persist in efforts to catch up as China expands its influence in what is essentially India's backyard. Meanwhile, Sri Lankans _ who have looked warily for centuries at vast India to the north _ welcome the Chinese investment in their country."Our lives are going to change," said 62-year-old Jayasena Senanayake, who has seen business grow at his roadside food stall since construction began on the nearby port. "What China is doing for us is very good." Associated Press Writer Christopher Bodeen contributed to this report from Beijing.

Troops advance rapidly on Welioya front : Fonseka

A confident army chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka yesterday said his troops on the Welioya front were making rapid progress. The 59 Division on the offensive on the Vanni East had been able to gradually turn the battle to its advantage after a series of major engagements in the general area north of Janakapura, Fonseka said."We have advanced almost seven kilometres into the enemy-held territory," he told The Sunday Island, expressing confidence the army could sustain the existing pressure on the LTTE.Fielding questions, he dismissed the perception that the 59 Division was on the offensive on a thin front. "The Welioya front in 14 kilometres wide and we have enough men and material to push ahead despite resistance," he said.Contrary to reports, the jungle terrain had been to the army’s advantage and the 59 Division had skilfully overwhelmed the enemy formations which included some of their best fighting units.Fonseka said the enemy had cleared some jungle areas ahead of the army front line on the Welioya front as they believed it would be advantageous to confront the army in the open.The army chief asserted LTTE losses on the Welioya front would invariably facilitate army offensive action on the Mannar and Vavuniya fronts. The gradual collapse of defences on the Welioya front would weaken their resolve to resist the army advance on Vavuniya and Mannar fronts, he said.According to him, the 57 Division on the Vavuniya front had advanced 25 kilometres north of their original defences. The Task Force 1 on the Mannar front had brought a large area under government control. He acknowledged the LTTE had exploited the Mannar terrain to its advantage. The open territory had been to their advantage as they had been able maximize the use of artillery and long range mortars, he said, expressing confidence in thwarting any LTTE offensive aimed at reversing the ground situation.Fonseka said the newly raised 61 Division and Task Force 11 would increase pressure on the LTTE on the Vanni front. "We have enough men and material and reserves to finish off the enemy,’’ he said.Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake Thursday said in Parliament that 138 security forces and police personnel had been killed and 540 wounded in May.Fonseka said the enemy’s days were numbered. The enemy no longer had the wherewithal to roll back the army. The next few months would hasten the collapse of resistance. The attempt by civilians to reach government areas in the Vanni, he said was evidence of the gradual collapse the LTTE hold on the population.

Govt. won't disarm paramilitary groups

The government has indicated that it will not disarm paramilitary groups and allow them to be slaughtered by the LTTE.The government's policy on the disarming of paramilitary groups was reflected in a response to the religious superiors of the CMRS (Conference of Major Religious Superiors) on Friday by Secretary-General, Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha.Wijesinha's response was posted in the Defence Ministry website on Friday, June 6, the very day he was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapakse as the new Secretary to the Human Rights Ministry.Wijesinha is to assume duties as the new Secretary tomorrow.The religious superiors of the CMRS had in a recent letter to both the Government and the LTTE called for an end to all forms of violence and war and the resumption of negotiations to end the ethnic conflict.They have also called for all paramilitary groups to be disarmed.Opposition political parties including the UNP, JVP and the SLMC hade earlier called for the disarming of the TMVP on the basis of its claim to have entered the democratic process In his response to the CMRS, Prof Wijesinha has said that while the religious superiors have asked that necessary steps be taken 'to stop paramilitary groups functioning in the north and east and to disarm them,' it was "not clear whether this request is addressed to the LTTE too, the paramilitary group par excellence, which decimated all other Tamil groups."Wijesinha has thereafter said, "There is no way the Government of Sri Lanka is going to betray Tamils who have stood out against the LTTE, to allow them to be slaughtered." He has also said that the religious superiors should ask that the LTTE too stop functioning as paramilitary groups, "and enter a democratic political process, following the example of the most Catholic Group of all, the Irish Republican Army, which finally agreed to decommission arms so that peace could be pursued."Prof. Wijesinha has further said, "The singling out of more vulnerable groups is however insidious, given that the Religious Superiors cannot be ignorant of the bloodshed to which earlier selective disarming led."

Sri Lankan Military Jets Bomb Meeting Place of Rebel Leaders

Sri Lankan military jets bombed a meeting place of Tamil Tiger leaders in the northern region as the South Asian nation's president urged the people to support the government's offensive against the rebels. The bombing took place 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) northeast of Puthukkudiyiruppu yesterday and the location was a ``command centre'' of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Media Centre for National Security said in a statement posted on its Web site. ``A meeting of the LTTE leaders was taking place at the command centre at the time of attack,'' it said. The damage hasn't been ascertained. The LTTE, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union and India, has been fighting for a separate Tamil homeland for the last 25 years, in an insurgency that has killed more than 70,000 people. Sri Lanka's military is staging almost daily attacks on the northern region, the last area controlled by the rebels since they were driven from Eastern Province in July. Sri Lanka's government blamed Tamil rebels for killing 22 civilians and injuring more than 50 others in a bus bombing near the capital, Colombo, on June 6. The claymore mine attack was the deadliest since at least 24 people were killed when a bus was bombed near the capital on April 25. ``Unarmed and innocent children are attacked,'' President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday during the National War Heroes Day celebrations, according to a statement posted on the Ministry of Defence's Web site. ``This is what we saw in the past few days.'' Tamils make up 11.9 percent of Sri Lanka's 20 million people and Sinhalese almost 74 percent, according to a 2001 census. The government says it won't consider any peace settlement with the LTTE that divides the country. Rajapaksa's government has vowed to eradicate terrorism on the island while seeking a settlement with all Tamil groups. It ended a 2002 cease-fire with the LTTE in January, prompting the United Nations to call on the government and Tamil Tigers to prevent an escalation of violence against civilians.

JVP makes June the month of protests

The JVP has decided to name the month of June as an anti-government month by launching a massive protest campaign against the government.The party's aim is to conduct protest campaigns against the government this month through the public, private and estate sector employees.The final protest in the campaign is to be held at the Sugathadasa Stadium with the participation of over 500 public sector employees.The party has also decided to launch a protest campaign at electoral level against the rising fuel prices and the cost of living.

Sri Lanka: SF Tri Fronts Attacks Thwarted in Vavuniya - LTTE

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fiercely attacked the Sri Lankan security forces (SF) when they tried to advance into Kugnchukkullam in Vavuniyaa on Saturday. At least 4 SF troopers were killed, over 7 SF troopers were injured and LTTE thwarted the attacks by the SF and SF retreated to their original position, according to the LTTE military spokesman Rasiah Illanthirayan.Heavy fighting between the LTTE and the SF raged within past few months using Multi-Barrel Rockets, artillery and mortar fire mounted attacks on the LTTE position the Manaar, Weli Oya, Vavuniya, Muhamalai and Killali area and tried to advance into the LTTE held area. The LTTE had thwarted all the attempts of the SF into the LTTE held area attacks and the LTTE continued to offer stiff resistance killing hundreds of SF troopers.The civil war in Sri Lanka killed at least 80,000 people most of them were ethnic Tamils while half a million people internally displaced and over million people externally displaced. At least 5,800 people have been killed in last two years alone, a right group said.

SLA desperate to capture Vanni and the LTTE, Jaffna By Satheesan Kumaaran

The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) is desperate for a quick military victory and will want to achieve that by capturing the LTTE-held Vanni region. However, the LTTE continues to make things difficult for the SLA as they continue to fight on all four-fronts, namely: Mannaar in the west; Vavuniyaa in the south; Manalaaru (Welioya) in the east; and, Muhamaalai in the north. While the government boasts their control of vast areas in Mannaar, LTTE fighters fight vigorously. Casualties on both sides are mounting, though exact casualty numbers are not known since no reporters have been allowed in the war zones. While the Sri Lankan armed forces were busy along these fronts, the LTTE's Marines (land and sea fighting capable soldiers) - the Sea Tigers - went into the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN)-controlled Chiruththeevu near Mandaitheevu in northern Jaffna and destroyed the naval base there.

War to liberate Vanni

The GoSL claims that it wants to liberate Vanni from the LTTE, overthrow "terrorism" and deprive the Tamils of their political ground. It is also likely that the GoSL will claim that they will empower the people in the North and East and give them the moon. India is a classic case in point. When the Sikhs were fighting for independence from India, the Indian government silenced it through military means. Later, the Indian government provided everything possible to the Punjabis politically and economically, subsequently making the Sikhs one of the more successful and wealthy ethnic groups in India. For example, many Sikhs have been given portfolios in the central government in New Delhi, including the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, who is also a Sikh. The central government has also offered better funding to Punjab than it has to other provinces. This is an Indian strategy to keep the Sikhs within the united India. However, this strategy is unlikely to work in Sri Lanka because Sri Lanka fears that if they provide more powers to the Tamils, the Tamils will overtake them. The main conflict between the Tamil-speaking people and Sinhalese is misunderstanding, and each party feels threatened by the other. The Sinhalese mistook the Tamils - a smart, organized, and well-informed ethnic community - as a threat, believing that they would control the Sinhala areas. The Sinhalese also argue that the Tamils under the British rule dominated Sri Lanka's public services, the professions, the academic sector and received other favours from Britain. The Tamils argue that their survival on the island would come to an end if they were not aware of the Sinhalese ploy. They fear that the Sinhalese would destroy their culture, history, language, religion, etc., taking into account the fact that their areas were never developed after they gained independence from Britain in 1948. Tamil villages never received better roads, electricity and other manufacturing industries to provide employment for the locals. The Tamils had no choice but to move into Colombo or Sinhalese areas in search of greener pastures and opportunities. The GoSL strategy to recapture Vanni and destroy the LTTE will be wasted and bring greater unrest to the island if the Tamils' grievances are not addressed as a matter of priority. Even though the Sinhalese leadership knows that the Tamils have grievances, they would never grant autonomy for the Tamils for fear that their survival would be destroyed by the extremists. Liberating Vanni will open many other militant fronts on the island, causing security and political instability on the island. Dealing with the cause of the conflict is the only way to make peace on the island.

LTTE eyes on Jaffna

Meanwhile, the LTTE wants to capture the Jaffna peninsula from the SLA because they are in dire need of support from all Tamils in the north. The LTTE's attack on the SLN bases on May 29 in Chiruththeevu near Mandaitheevu, at the heart of Sri Lankan military control in the north, proves that the LTTE can go anywhere they want. The LTTE - including its Marine unit - began its attack on the camp at about 1:25 a.m. By 2:00 a.m. the base was completely in LTTE hands. After destroying the base, the LTTE returned to their naval base in Vanni. The LTTE attack on the naval base was not a great military victory for the LTTE. It was more to show the enemy that the LTTE could go anywhere, and demoralize them through such a minor attack. The LTTE is also on the cusp of the Jaffna peninsula near Muhamalai, Nagarkovil and Kalmunai. The LTTE soldiers would only need a matter of weeks to capture the entire peninsula. But, the LTTE leadership is hesitant to give the order to advance further into Jaffna because it would involve a lot of civilian casualties as well as those to the LTTE and SL armed forces. However, the LTTE would have no choice but to fight if the GoSL forced itself upon the LTTE to recapture Vanni.

Conflicting casualty figures

The SLA and LTTE reports of casualties contradict one another and cannot be verified by independent reporters. When the LTTE destroyed the Chiruththeevu naval base, LTTE leadership reported that they killed at least 13 naval soldiers, wounding many others, and that they seized a variety of weapons including a 50-caliber machine gun, a mortar, two LMGs and a radar device from the strategic SLN camp situated at the islet facing Jaffna. They also revealed that they recovered three SLN bodies and they identified one sailor by the identity card found on the body. However, the Sri Lankan defense ministry flatly denied the LTTE report saying that the Sri Lankan navy and air force jointly defeated the LTTE's attempts to attack on the naval base, claiming that they destroyed the LTTE boats in the seas. The LTTE denies they lost a boat or any casualties on their side. The defense ministry reported that 25 artillery shells fired by the LTTE from their bases in Pooneryn early on May 29 killed six civilians and injured twenty more including two children and a pastor who were fast asleep in Jaffna. Independent reports from Jaffna reported that six civilians, including children and a couple, were killed and nearly 13 civilians were wounded when shells hit the coastal villages Gurunakar, Kozhumpuththurai, Paasaiyoor and the areas close to Jaffna Fort, Thuraiappa Stadium and the Sri Lanka Telecommunication building in the early hours of May 29, immediately following the LTTE raid at Chiruththeevu. The ministry's claim that the LTTE shelled these villages from their bases in Pooneryn is flatly denied by the residents. The residents claim that the shells came from the isles in the northwest which are controlled by the SLN.On the other hand on the Vanni war fronts, the SL defense ministry keeps claiming that the LTTE suffered heavy losses day by day as they ran from the heavy onslaught of the SLA. It claimed that one of the major LTTE bases on the Manalaru front known as Munakkam base was captured by SLA on May 29 after four-days of intensive fighting. It said: "This terrorist stronghold fortified with bunkers and trenches consisted of many buildings interconnected with long underground tunnels, comfortable living blocks with tiled bathrooms and many other administrative and command points...The fall of this terrorist complex would serve a major and significant blow to the terrorist outfit and its cadres who are now being badly beaten in Vanni jungles and elsewhere." In another fight, the ministry claimed that the SLA fought vigorously with the LTTE who strove to block the onward movement of the valiant troops in the Vavuniyaa and Mannaar fronts on May 27. It claimed that they killed dozens of LTTE fighters in these wars. However, the LTTE flatly denied these exaggerated numbers reporting that they lost five soldiers in the defensive attacks, including one of its senior female cadres. Following the battle on the Vavuniyaa fronts in Mannaar on May 30 the LTTE claimed that they killed 28 SLA soldiers and wounded 52 wounded. The LTTE said: "We confronted SLA in Mannaar and Vavuniyaa fronts throughout the day thwarting the repeated attempts by the SLA to advance into our territory. A ground movement by the SLA from Malikaiththidal towards Theanudaiyaan in Mannaar, launched at 5:30 a.m. on May 30 was defeated around 12:40 p.m. 25 SLA soldiers were killed when they again launched the move at 1:00 p.m. 47 SLA soldiers were wounded in the confrontation that lasted till 6:15 p.m. when the SLA was pushed back...Three SLA soldiers were killed in a confrontation that lasted for 90 minutes from 4:10 p.m." The LTTE further said: "Four SLA soldiers were wounded in the fighting in Vavuniyaa at the Forward Defence Line (FDL) at Kugnchukkulam. The SLA abandoned the attempt after stiff resistance put up by us. The fighting broke out at 4:10 p.m. and lasted till 5:40 p.m...An intense clash was reported at Paalamoaddai FDL in Vavuniyaa May 30 morning. SLA pulled back after sustaining casualties. Our cadres who completed a clearing mission verified that three SLA soldiers had lost their legs in the booby traps." The GoSL exaggerates the number of LTTE soldiers killed and civilian casualties to showcase to the world that they are capable of capturing the LTTE-held areas. The LTTE on the other hand, is counting the days or weeks until they can show their military prowess, and hope that their efforts will entice the world community to help bring the warring parties to the negotiation table without pre-conditions. It's never too late.

Don't visit Colombo, Ganeson tells Tamils of NorthEast

Mano Ganeson, leader of Western People’s Front (WPF) and the Convener of Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) said in a media release Saturday, has appealed to the Tamil civilians travelling from NorthEast to stay away from Colombo and the South as both areas are "unsafe and insecure for Tamil civilians."

Full text of the media release follows:

Capitol Colombo and south in general are unsafe and insecure for Tamil civilians traveling from north and eastern provinces. The recent bomb blasts have triggered hate and doubts on all those Tamils coming to Colombo from northeast.The state media is orchestrating this hate campaign on an hourly basis. Rational behavior cannot be assured within the security establishment authorized to maintain law and order.We are not in a position to assure safety to Tamils coming to Colombo from north and east. Therefore I call upon the Tamils to refrain from coming to Colombo until further notice. Nobody other than me, the Colombo district’s elected Tamil parliamentarian has more legitimacy to make this announcement said Mano Ganesan in a statement.Member of Parliament for Colombo district Ganesan who is the Leader of Western Peoples Front and Convener of Civil Monitoring Commission said further in his statement, Numbers of persons have been reported arrested and gone missing immediately after the bomb blasts. We have come to a situation where it is difficult to differentiate between the acts of Abductions and Arrests.The family members of the victims are pleading for relief at our offices and crowding at police stations. The plights of the elderly parents are awful. On the other hand the expressions of grief of the family members of the bus bomb victims in Moratuwa and Kandy are heart breaking. The cries of the civilians are haunting me. All these people are suffering due to the sins of power hungry politicians of both sides. These are chain actions to the bombings in Colombo and in Wanni. We have absolutely no controls over these activities.Neither the government nor the LTTE have any control over blasts going on in the respective territories under their own control. So is the inactive parliamentary opposition. All civil society voices have drawn in the war drum beats. There are only empty rhetoric statements but the sufferings of the people are ascending from bad to worse.Both the government and the LTTE are at war. The illogic and irrational pundits in the government and LTTE have stopped listening to the international community. Their actions have triggered acts of revenge over the innocent c