Srisaba's 20th anniversary Day - 06/05/06
We’ll NEVER FORGET THE FORGOTTEN
Twohundred of our fellow members were killed or wounded
we will never, ever forget them or the sacrifices they made.

31 May 2006

End violence or risk aid

Sri Lanka's foreign donors warned the government and Tamil Tiger rebels yesterday that their conflict was unwinnable and urged them to end mounting violence or risk losing international support. Donors led by Japan pledged 4.5 billion dollars in 2003 as an incentive for the island to end three decades of ethnic conflict, but more than 600 people have died since December in defiance of a ceasefire. Japan, the European Union, Norway and the United States called on both Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to "take immediate steps to reverse the deteriorating situation and put the country back on the road to peace."

Full text of the Press Release issued by the Embassy of Japan follows:

Co-Chairs met today in Tokyo at a time when Sri Lanka is on the brink of war

Japan convened this meeting, three years after the original Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka, to decide whether the Co-Chairs, namely the European Union, Japan, US and Norway, can usefully help further in addressing Sri Lanka’s crisis when the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE do not seem to be able to prevent the sliding back into violence.

The Co-Chairs call on both parties to take immediate steps to reverse the deteriorating situation and put the country back on the road to peace.

The LTTE must re-enter the negotiating process. It must renounce terrorism and violence. It must show that it is willing to make the political compromises needed for a political solution within a united Sri Lanka. This solution should include democratic rights of all peoples of Sri Lanka. The international community will respond favourably to such actions; failure to do so will lead to deeper isolation of the LTTE.

The Government must show that it will address the legitimate grievances of the Tamils. It must immediately prevent groups based in its territory from carrying out violence and acts of terrorism. It must protect the rights and security of Tamils throughout the country and ensure violators are prosecuted. It must show that it is ready to make the dramatic political changes to bring about a new system of governance which will enhance the rights of all Sri Lankans, including the Muslims. The international community will support such steps; failure to take such steps will diminish international support.

The Co-Chairs recognize that both parties have responsibilities which they have failed to deliver upon, including the commitments made at their meeting in Geneva in February 2006. The LTTE is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks. The Government has failed to prevent attacks of armed groups, including Karuna and violent elements of EPDP.

The violence that has resulted is no longer confined to the parties to the conflict but has spilled over to ruin or end the lives of innocent civilians. This has led to a breakdown of law and order and the terrorization of the affected population. Abuses of human rights have been assessed recently by the UN and others. The Co-Chairs call on all parties to respect human rights and pursue human rights’ abuses. This situation is not sustainable and the country will continue its slide into greater conflict unless the two protagonists cease all violence and resolve their differences through peaceful negotiation.

While the situation gives cause for grave concern, the Co-Chairs concluded that the ingredients for a peaceful settlement remain present. The majority in Sri Lanka still seek peace. All Co-Chairs renewed their commitment to do all possible to help Sri Lanka in a manner that promotes peace and to support the current Norwegian-facilitated peace effort. Other countries and organizations share this view and wish to support the Co-Chairs’ effort. To this end, the Co-Chairs will explore interest for allocating tasks to other groups of countries to improve the efficiency of work within the areas defined by the participants in the Tokyo Conference three years ago.

The Tamil and Muslim peoples of Sri Lanka have justified and substantial grievances that have not yet been adequately addressed. The Co-Chairs encourage the Government of the Sri Lanka to further develop concrete policies for addressing the grievances of minorities and for building mutual confidence between different communities. The Co-Chairs and the international community will support the Government’s efforts towards implementing such policies.

However, three years of work since the original Tokyo Conference shows the international community can only support but cannot deliver peace. Peace can only be delivered by Sri Lankans themselves. The Co-Chairs’ role can be meaningful only where those parties want to help themselves in bringing peace with commitment and honesty.

Both parties have agreed to the basic principles of any future peace during the successful period of negotiation in 2002-2003. The parties should recommit to these principles set down in the Ceasefire Agreement, the decisions from the six rounds of talks, and the meeting in Geneva in February 2006. In this context, the Co-Chairs will support any solution agreed by the parties that safeguards the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, assures protection and fulfils the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people and indeed of the Muslim people, guarantees democracy and human rights, and is acceptable to all communities. Norway has prepared a number of initiatives for the parties to return to talks, which will be issued shortly. The Co-Chairs endorsed these initiatives.

The solutions to the problem cannot be brought through conflict – the history of Sri Lanka shows that war is not winnable for either side and simply causes immense suffering to the citizens. Finding solutions requires political commitment, imagination and spirit of compromise and the responsibility for this lies solely with the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE.

The Co-Chairs reiterate their support for the important role of Norway as facilitator to the peace process and the ceasefire monitoring activities of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in an increasingly difficult situation. At the same time, it is necessary to examine how to strengthen the role of SLMM.

The Co-chairs note that over $ 3,400 million has been provided by donors based on Tokyo pledges and tsunami funds, and more than 20% of that assistance has been allocated to the North and East including LTTE controlled area. Such assistance has contributed to improving the livelihood of people in Sri Lanka. As long as the commitment to the Ceasefire Agreement by both parties is proven by way of their actions, the international community will continue its assistance in addition to humanitarian aid. As improvement of health, education and development is important as confidence-building measures, the Co-Chairs could also provide funding to support the efforts to meet these critical needs.

The Co-Chairs reaffirm that a continuous and positive involvement of the UN, Red Cross, and civil society, including the NGOs, in the peace process is vital. However, there has been increasing criticism of and even open attacks against these actors lately. The Co-Chairs condemn absolutely these attacks. The Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE should ensure their protection so their positive work for Sri Lanka can continue. The Co-Chairs will follow up closely the findings of the agencies involved in monitoring human rights, such as the UN and SLMM.

Three years ago at the original Tokyo Conference, the international community was requested to support the peace process. The key elements to this process were the facilitation by Norway, the monitoring role of the SLMM, the Co-Chairs and substantial aid flows from a multitude of donors. The international community remains committed to its supporting role agreed three years ago but it turns to the government and LTTE to deliver on their side of the bargain if war is to be avoided.

Govt. wants time to consider Tokyo statement

The government responded cautiously to the Tokyo Co-Chairs’ statement yesterday asking time to consider a suitable response.The Co-Chairs called on both the government and the LTTE to recommit to the Cease Fire Agreement, the agreements reached during the six rounds of talks between 2002-2003 and the February 2006 Geneva talks.The government and the LTTE agreed during the 2002-2003 talks in Oslo to explore a federal solution within a united Sri Lanka whilst recognising the right to internal self determination of the Tamil speaking peoples in areas of their historical habitation.President Mahinda Rajapakse has insisted any solution will be based within a unitary state and the Co-Chairs has now called on the Government and the LTTE to decide on their commitment to a federal solution.Head of the Government Peace Secretariat, palith Kohona told The Morning Leader any government would need time to consider this statement

Sri Lanka - Alleged execution-style killings raise war fears

The 14 men had just wound up a hard day's work digging an irrigation canal in eastern Sri Lanka when a group of gunmen slipped out of the dark, forced them to line up and then shot them in the head. At least 12 workers _ all from the country's ethnic Sinhalese majority _ were killed in the attack, the latest in a series of assaults that have threatened to revive a full-scale civil war between the minority ethnic Tamils and the government. ``It was about 6:30 in the evening when the attackers came,'' said area police leader Saman Perera, citing information from one of the workers, W.P.P. Vijayabandara, who managed to escape.

Vijayabandara said he pretended to be dead, then walked through the night and reported the massacre to police Tuesday morning. ``They ordered the men to line up, and then they were tied in ones and twos and threes by ropes,'' Perera said, again citing Vijayabandara. ``Then, they were shot.'' ``We have found 12 bodies,'' said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe. ``All of them were executed with bullets fired to their heads.'' Some of the bodies were shot through the chest and abdomen as well, he said.

The remaining worker's identity was not immediately clear, and it was not known where he was or if he had survived Monday night's attack in the eastern hamlet of Omadiamadu. In the capital, Colombo, the army and the government blamed the attack on Tamil Tiger rebels, who denied involvement. The Tigers _ formally called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE _ have been fighting since 1983 for a separate Tamil homeland, claiming discrimination by the Sinhalese. At least 65,000 people died before a cease-fire in 2002. But subsequent peace talks have faltered and burgeoning violence in recent months threatens to plunge the island nation off southern India back into full-scale civil war.

The government and rebels blame each other for the renewed attacks, which have claimed more than 360 lives since April. Each side denies responsibility. The killings at Omadiamadu are ``part of a sinister plot by the LTTE to provoke a backlash so that they can justify their demand for separation,'' said government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella in Colombo. The attack coincided with the European Union listing the Tigers as a terrorist group. The rebels they carried out the massacre. ``We have no involvement in these killings at all,'' a top Tiger official, Seevaratnam Puleedevan, told The Associated Press by satellite phone from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi. The government had been paying the 14 workers to dig an irrigation canal at Omadiamadu, which is surrounded by jungles and lies near Tiger-held territory.

Norwegian peace envoys have been struggling to persuade the government and rebels to return to peace talks suspended since 2003. In February, the two sides held talks in Geneva on how to strengthen the cease-fire, but a second round was canceled over various disagreements. On Saturday, the rebels agreed to discuss cease-fire monitoring with the Sri Lankan government in Norway June 8-9. Meanwhile in Japan, the United States, Norway and the European Union urged the Sri Lankan government and Tamil rebels to stop the escalating violence. ``The responsibility for ending the conflict lies solely with (the rebels) and the government of Sri Lanka,'' Japan's peace envoy, Yasushi Akashi, said Tuesday. He said there were limits to what the international community can do to help.

The European Union's decision on Monday to put the Tigers on a terrorist blacklist clears the way for the 25-nation bloc to freeze the rebels' assets within the EU, European diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the measure had not yet come into effect. It was not clear when the freeze will start. The United States, Canada and India already list the LTTE as a terrorist organization, hindering the Tigers' efforts to raise money from expatriate supporters there _ a crucial funding source for their rebellion.

Both parties shun Oslo invitation

LTTE spokesman Daya Master said that the organization will reconsider whether it should participate in a special discussion planned in Norway to discuss the implementation of conditions of the cease-fire agreement.He told 'Lanka e News' that they were compelled to think twice about participating in Oslo meeting in the wake of the European Union to proscribe the LTTE.However the LTTE had still not taken a decision not to attend the Oslo meeting, he claimed. The Norwegian government extended an invitation to the government and the LTTE to participate in a discussion scheduled for June 8 and 9 in Oslo regarding the implementation of the cease-fire agreement. LTTE political head Tamil Selvam told the media yesterday (30) that the organization accepted the invitation.Meanwhile the government too had not taken a decision on the matter. As the discussion is not on the peace process, the government is not likely to attend the meeting.

Ex-LTTE cadre shot dead in Peththalai

Masked gun men shot dead Thankaraja Rajanikanth, 26, a labourer who had left the LTTE several years ago, on Monday at 12:15 AM in Peththalai-Karungkalicholai within Valaichchenai police division in Batticaloa, Valaichchenai police said. Unidentified armed men entered Thankaraja's house at mid night lookingfor Mr Thankarajah. His mother told the men that he is at the neighbour's house.The gun men took Mr Thankarajah by force from the neighbour's house some distance away for interrogation before shooting him dead at close range, police said

Captured Karuna cadres meet SLMM, ICRC

Two cadres of Karuna paramilitary group who were captured by the fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on May 26th briefed the representatives of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and the media Tuesday morning at the Trincomalee district political secretariat in Sampoor located in Muttur east. Mr.S.Elilan, LTTE district political secretariat was also present at the briefing, LTTE sources said.
 
Five cadres of the Karuna group from the Pattiaddy SLA camp had entered into the no-man zone located between the LTTE and government held territories in Muttur division to attack the LTTE camp on May 26th morning. Three of the Karuna group were killed on the spot in the attack launched by the LTTE. Two of them Mr.P.Wijendran (25) of Mathurankuli and S.Gunarajan (22) of Panichchankerni were captured by the LTTE fighters, LTTE sources said.

Both Karuna cadres Mr.Wijendran and Mr.Gunarajan at the briefing said that about ten including them were brought to Trincomalee in a Dolphin van from Thivuchenai in Welikanda recently and were kept at a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp in the Trincomalee town close to sea shore.

Five of the cadres including them were later taken in a vehicle to Pattiaddy SLA camp in Thoppur in Muttur division. They were later asked by the SLA personnel to enter into the no-man zone and to attack the LTTE camp. Both of them were captured by the LTTE and three others in their group including the group leader Karuththa Ravi were killed in the attack by the LTTE, Wijendran told the SLMM.Both cadres said at the briefing that there were four Karuna group camps in Thivuchenai.

Two SLA troopers injured in Chullipuram attack

Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were seriously injured when a group of five unidentified gunmen fired at soldiers working in a compound near Chulipuram junction in Valligamam Tuesday 12:00 noon, sources in Jaffna said. The soldiers were cutting trees to reinforce the SLA camp located near Chullipuram Victoria College when the attack took place. Security sources, however, said only one soldier was injured. Residents who witnessed the incident said that they saw atleast two soldiers being transported in a vehicle to Palaly Military Hospital.SLA soldiers immediately cordoned off the area and conducted a house-to-house search, but no one was arrested according to local residents.Road leading to Karainagar in the Jaffna Islets from Chullipuram was blocked for vehicular traffic most of the afternoon, residents said.

Mannar, Jaffna Bishops meet SL President

Rev. Fr. Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar, and Rev. Fr. Thomas Saundaranayagam, Bishop of Jaffna, met Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse Tuesday in Colombo, and discussed the ground situation in the Northeast, sources in Colombo said.The Bishops expressed their concern on the increasing number of civilian killings and the displacement of people from northeast seeking security elsewhere, sources said.The Bishops appealed to Mr Rajapakse to take steps to initiate talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lanka Government immediately, and also to make all efforts to stop the killings of civilians, sources close to the Bishops said.

President cannot shift from a unitary state, says Defence Advisor

President Mahinda Rajapakse cannot deviate from his pledge given to the public to maintain the unitary state, Presidential Defence Advisor H.M.G.B. Kotakadeniya said yesterday.Kotakadeniya, in an interview with The Morning Leader, said although there were many political entities urging the President to alter the unitary character of the state, he could not abandon his pledge made to the public.

"President Mahinda Rajapakse at last year’s presidential election said he would never deviate from the concept of a unitary state. If any party asks him to abandon this idea, they are asking a democratic leader to abandon the promises made to the public. He cannot do this as he has to fulfill all the pledges made to the public at the election," Kotakadeniya said.

He added the true meaning of democracy was for the ruler to fulfill all his electoral pledges, and the President should also keep in mind that future peace negotiations should revolve around maintaining the unitary character of the state."Even if the country maintains a unitary state we can devolve certain powers to the Tamil community. It’s the President’s responsibility not to abandon any of his promises," he said.Meanwhile, Kotakadeniya also charged that the country would not be able achieve lasting peace if the SLMM and Norwegian facilitators remained biased towards the LTTE.

Suicide bomber’s last call from vicinity of Army HQ

The last call which the LTTE female suicide bomber received seconds prior to the explosion at the Army headquarters recently had come from the Kompanna Veediya area, investigators said yesterday.According to detectives, the suicide cadre had used a mobile phone which had a Dialog “My – Five” connection which had been purchased producing a National Identity Card of a soldier, who had gone missing in Elephant Pass in April, 2000. The investigators said the details were established by tracing a telecommunication tower, using the repaired SIM card of the bomber’s phone.

A top CID detective told the Daily Mirror yesterday, that the last call was probably the final order given by an outside ally of the female cadre to execute the mission. Detectives have now found several vulnerable points surrounding the army headquarters from which anyone could easily spy into the premises. Investigators were now trying to ascertain details of the five close contacts of the female suicide cadre.

Bullet proof jackets and helmets for Monitors

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) is to provide bulletproof jackets and helmets for all its monitors.SLMM Spokesperson Helen Olafsdottir told The Morning Leader that they had already received approval and have ordered the goods.However, Olafsdottir said the SLMM’s decision did not have anything to do with threats or intimidations."We need to have them just in case the need arises in the future. That’s why we decided to have them," she said.SLMM consists of 57 members from five Nordic countries — Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland and is based in six districts — Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara.

Onion cultivation crippled in Jaffna

Onion cultivation in Jaffna is badly impaired by the prevailing insecurity in the peninsula. Cultivators are unable to send their produce to the South. As a result the price of red onions is coming down day by day. This year the yield of onions is said to be more than the previous years. A kilogram of red onion sold at Rs. 50 to Rs. 60 in the Tinnavely, Maruthanmadam and Chunnakam markets is now sold at Rs. 20 to Rs. 25. The cultivators complain that the buyers from outside Jaffna have stopped purchasing their produce. Vegetables such as brinjal intensively cultivated in the Thenmaradchy area especially in Madduvil near Kodikamam is hard to buy in the interior markets like Tinnavelly, Chunnakam and Maruthanmadam. The producers are frightened to take their vegetables to other fairs in Jaffna in fear of claymore and hand grenade attacks. As a result the price of a kilo of brinjal sold at Rs. 40 has shot up to Rs. 90.

Bribery Commission arrests two Constables

The Bribery Commission yesterday arrested two Police Constables in two separate cases for soliciting bribes. In Moratuwa a constable was taken into custody for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs.3000 from a wine stores owner for not taking action against him. The constable had reportedly arrested this wine stores owner for selling liquor without a license. When the suspect had begged for pardon, the constable had demanded a sum of Rs.3000 for his release. The Constable was arrested in front of the Moratuwa police station yesterday morning.

Meanwhile a constable attached to the Welikada police station was arrested for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs.2500 to release a traffic offender who was caught while driving without a driving license. Both suspects have been produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate and remanded yesterday. Director Investigating Division SSP Neville Guruge is conducting investigations.

Civilians wary of leaving their homes after dark

Civilians in the north are being discouraged from leaving their homes after six in the evening due to security reasons.The Jaffna police said civilians, especially youngsters were advised by the security forces to refrain from leaving their homes at night as they were likely to be attacked or abducted by various groups."The house to house checking has lessened during the past few days, but security personnel are still deployed on every road, and we keep our shops open till late night despite lack of customers," said P. Kumar, a resident.He said that no tuition classes were held at nights and the children were sent home before six."We were not able to leave our houses at all a few days ago. But now the situation is fairly okay. But we cannot say what would happen the next moment," he added.An official at the North East Secretariat On Human Rights (NESOHR) told The Morning Leader that security personnel in government controlled areas continued to harass civilians despite several complaints."People are still moving into LTTE areas and to India due to the recent incidents," the official said.The army however said that people were leading their normal lives."We haven’t heard of anything like this," the army sources said.

30 May 2006

EU blacklists Tamil Tigers as terrorists

The European Union has listed Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a banned terrorist organisation amid a sharp escalation in clashes between the group and the government army, EU diplomats say."One of the consequences is the freezing of the [group's] assets," an envoy said of the decision taken at a regular meeting of EU ministers in Brussels on Monday.The EU freeze on assets could hurt the war chest of the Tigers, which have used past trips to Europe during peace talks to raise funds from expatriate Tamils.

More generally the ban is a diplomatic slap in the face for the group, which has sought to project an image abroad as viable leaders of a de facto state they want recognised as a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in the island's north and east.The United States, Canada and Britain have already listed the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist group. The EU imposed a travel ban on the group's cadres last September and said then it was considering banning it for "use of violence and terrorism".

The Tigers pulled out of peace talks aimed at ending the island's two-decade civil war last month. They have said in recent days an EU ban would only "exacerbate the conditions of war" and could deter them from resuming peace negotiations.

More than 280 soldiers, police, civilians and rebels have been killed in attacks ranging from suicide bombings to naval clashes since February in what monitors of a 2002 truce and the Tigers themselves now call a "low intensity war".Frustration among Sri Lankans is palpable as many fear a return to a full-scale war that killed more than 64,000 people before the ceasefire and displaced hundreds of thousands more.

"I don't think the ban is going to achieve very much," said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, an analyst with the Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives."I can't see any way out of ... moving towards large-scale hostilities."

EU ban will impact the Peace Process - Thamilchelvan

Pointing out that the Liberation Tigers never pulled out from the Geneva-II talks and that it was the obstacles that the Government of Sri Lanka introduced after willfully changing the procedures for the inter-theater transfer of LTTE's military commanders that derailed Geneva-II, S.P. Thamilchelvan, Head of LTTE's Political Wing, said in an interview with TamilNet on Saturday that EU's ban will impact the functioning of the monitors from EU countries, and the "decommissioning or abdication of arms is non-negotiable."

TamilNet: Where does Geneva-II stand?
Thamilchelvan: Post Geneva-I posturing of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) exposed a serious problem with the implementation of the CFA by the GoSL. The Liberation Tigers have never said that they would not participate in Geneva Talks II. The Sri Lankan government blocked us from meeting our commanders, side-stepping our serious concerns in the inter-theatre transport of our key commanders. We were planning to attend Geneva Talks till the last moment, hoping that the travel arrangement would be resolved with the active engagement of the SLMM. But it did not materialize. Other serious concerns on the ground, related to paramilitary and security force violence, have now pre-empted any possibilities of talks to be held in the near future.

TamilNet: Denmark, Sweden and Finland, Nordic countries that are also members of the European Union, are part of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). Do you think they are providing their silent support to the EU’s expected ban?
Thamilchelvan: Members of the SLMM have performed extraordinarily valuable service in the peace efforts and in maintaining adherence of the parties to the Cease Fire Agreement. EU's ban will conflict with the objective functioning of monitors from EU countries, and will damage the trust and good will Tamil people had in the EU countries.

TamilNet: The European Union has demanded that the Liberation Tigers must be prepared to lay down their arms. What is your response?
Thamilchelvan: Armed resistance was forced on us by the Sri Lankan government. For more than 58 years, Tamil people fought for their fundamental rights and freedom using democratic forms of political resistance. Successive Sinhala governments used force and violence to suppress the resistance. Tamil people armed themselves to assert their fundamental and political rights, and to protect their life and property. Demanding the Tigers to lay down arms is tantamount to requesting them to compromise Tamils' future.

Tamil people have achieved remarkable success in their path to freedom: they have fought, provided financial support to acquire skills and materials to build a conventional army, forced the enemy to withdraw from nearly 70 percent of our land, and built administration and law-and-order machinery, close to forming their own state. The international community, therefore, has to come forward to accommodate this prevailing reality with an amicable settlement. Unilaterally assisting and strengthening one party will not lead to any practical solution to the grave issues confronting Sri Lanka.

TamilNet: How much do you think is true of the accusation that the LTTE does not tolerate dissenting opinions in the northeast? What type of freedom of opinion do you accept? Will there be a scenario in which you will allow political parties of paramilitaries to function in the northeast?
Thamilchelvan: Tamil people in the northeast and the Liberation Tigers as the people's national liberation movement have been fighting for the right to self-determination and a honorable peace with justice for the last several decades. The success we have now was obtained in little steps at a time, with enormous sacrifices and hardship. With institutions built to effectively administer a nascent state, the current struggle is more focused toward winning our political rights. In this climate and within the constraints of illiberal democratic rule we are fighting against, the expectation for allowing political activities for paramilitaries is impractical. Besides, who are the paramilitaries? With the support of the Sri Lankan government, the paramilitaries have been working against the aspirations of Tamil people.

TamilNet: While the Sri Lankan government is only prepared to consider devolution within a unitary constitution, the Tamil position has been that they are not prepared to accept a solution within the current Sri Lankan constitution. What is your response to those who say that the hardline positions make a major war inevitable?
Thamilchelvan: The Constitution of Sri Lanka is made for the Sinhala Buddhists. Neither the Tamil people nor the Tamil nation have accepted the Constitution. The Sri Lankan government has used the Constitution to oppress the Tamil people, to reject the aspirations of Tamils, and to violate the fundamental political, human and economic rights of the Tamil people by enacting laws that discriminated against Tamils in their language, religious, educational and economic opportunities.

Colombo, however, continues to use the Constitution to stymie the progress of the peace process. The Post-Tsunami Operational and Management Structure (P-TOMS), an agreement worked out with the assistance of the international community and lending institutions to facilitate the equitable distribution of tsunami aid, was derailed with the support of the Supreme Court.

As historical precedent illustrates and the international community is well aware, the current unitary constitution is not suitable for a multi-lingual and multi-cultural society, and more particularly does not allow the free exercise of Tamil sovereignty. Tamils are, therefore, forced to seek extra-constitutional measures to negotiate from a position of un-compromised sovereignty that will lead towards a political configuration that satisfies Tamils' aspirations.Our struggle along this path will continue in the future.

Co-Chairs meet today

 The Co-Chair group, Norway, US, EU and Japan, will meet in Tokyo today to take stock of the current situation and to do a 'soul searching' of achievements and failures up to date.The group which will meet at a crucial juncture is expected to discuss mainly the situation in the North and East and the next round of talks to which the Government had been trying hard to get the LTTE's consent to participate, for the past few months.

Since the groundbreaking Tokyo Donor Conference in June 2003 where the international community pledged Rs. 4.5 billion as development assistance for the entire country, the Co-Chairs meet from time to time to review the progress of the peace process. Funds were pledged on the premise that there will be steady progress in the peace process. Meanwhile, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official told the AP in Tokyo yesterday that the Co-Chairs are expected to urge the LTTE and the Government to take necessary action to stop the escalation of violence after their one-day meeting today.

Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi, Norway's International Development Minister Eric Solheim, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher and Deputy Director General of EU Commission for External Relations Herve Jouanjean will attend the meeting. Akashi following his four-day visit to Colombo in early May said at today's meeting they will be assessing whether they were on the right path to peace. "We will assess the progress where we started, where we are going and where we should be going." Referring to the Peace Process he said "There are achievements, but many set-backs," adding that they will also weigh whether they have done anything wrong in their efforts to help Sri Lanka achieve peace.

Meanwhile, Indian diplomatic sources brushed off the idea of an elevated role for India in the Co-Chairs meeting saying there was no formal invitation for India by the Japanese Envoy when he visited India following his four-day visit here, as reported in the media. However, authoritative sources went on that despite an additional role in the peace process, India will be committed to extend its hand to Sri Lanka under its Defence Cooperation Pact.

The sources said Sri Lanka is at the top of its military training list. The diplomat however, declined to divulge more details of their defence assistance. India is also playing a leading role, advising the government on a final solution to the ethnic conflict, i.e necessary constitutional changes to be brought in for a suitable Federal structure which is very much being discussed at the time.

India denies sending message to LTTE

 The Indian government Monday clarified that it had not sent any message to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas on the island's floundering peace process.  External affairs ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna was reacting to published reports that Indian National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan passed on a message to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) through Norwegian minister Erik Solheim when the two met here Saturday.

'As you know, we have for several years been sharing our assessments with the Norwegians about the developments in Sri Lanka and the peace process. This does not amount to sending any messages to LTTE or any other party,' Sarna said. 'We conveyed to Solheim our well known view that there must be a peaceful, negotiated settlement that is acceptable to all sections of the Sri Lankan society and which preserves the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka,' he added.

The clarification came a day ahead of a meeting of Sri Lanka's donor co-chairs in Tokyo Tuesday.India also lent its support to an early resumption of talks between the Sri Lankan government and LTTE and reiterated its support for a 'peaceful negotiated settlement' of the conflict in the island nation.

'Norway is continuing in its efforts to bring both parties to the table for a political dialogue. We support Norway in its efforts and express the hope that talks can resume at the earliest,' Sarna told reporters. India has politely refused the pressure by the co-chairs - the European Union, Norway, Japan and the US - to join them.

But an official of the Indian embassy will be briefed on the discussions. In his meeting with Narayanan Saturday, Solheim had briefed him on escalating violence in Sri Lanka and again urged New Delhi to play a bigger role in restoring peace and stability in the island nation.  

Balasingham out of next round-Sorce:The Island

The London based LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham will not participate in the second round of the peace talks, to be held in Geneva on June 8, according to LTTE spokesman Daya Master.Speaking over the phone from Kilinochchi, Daya Master told The Island yesterday (29) that Balasingham was under medical treatment and his health would prevent him from participating in the talks.However, all the other senior LTTE leaders such as political wing leader S.P.Thamil Selvan, Peace Secretariat head Pulithevan, and Nadesan will be at the talks he said.The names of others due to attend the talks will be announced in due course he added.

UNHCR: Lanka refugees 'at risk' 
 
The United Nations refugee agency has warned of the dangers facing people who flee Sri Lanka by boat.A statement by the UNHCR said many Sri Lankans were being put at great risk by unscrupulous traffickers operating un-seaworthy and overcrowded vessels.

It said women and children were subject to additional hardship such as sexual abuse or violence.

"While everyone has an inalienable right to claim asylum, UNHCR urges those planning on making the perilous journey to Tamil Nadu, to carefully consider the serious dangers they may face,” said Amin Awad, UNHCR Representative in Sri Lanka.

The refugee agency statement follows the drowning of ten people earlier this month as they tried to escape a surge of violence between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels in Trincomalee.

More than twelve-hundred refugees from Sri Lanka have arrived in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the last four months.

New Colombo Mayor to resign to allow Cooray's appointment to the post

 Veteran United National Party (UNP) politician Sirisena Cooray is reportedly waiting to be appointed the Mayor of Colombo Municipal Council by replacing a candidate of the independent group which contested under the symbol 'spectacle.'

The leader of the independent group has submitted the names of two candidates to the Election Commissioner as the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor. The Election commissioner is to gazette their names after 31st of May and according to the UNP's plan the two are to resign immediately after taking oaths paving way to Sirisena Cooray and Asath Sally to replace them as Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

But the government owned newspapers today reported that the number of independent candidates who had determined not to resign from the list have risen to 12. They argue that only candidates who were in the list could be appointed to the vacated positions.

Meanwhile it is reported that the UNP is trying to come to a deal with the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) which is facing the same problem in Elpitya and Udapalatha Pradeshiya Sabhas. UPFA supported teams won those councils and now the ruling party has faced the same dilemma of appointing their men as chairmen of the councils.

JVP warns UN troops would mean Eelam

The JVP yesterday said it was totally against the bringing in of UN troops to the country and maintained Sri Lanka was not a failed state as claimed by certain sections of the international community and some local political parties.

JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said there was absolutely no reason for the UN to get involved in the national problem. He accused the UNP of being aligned with those international forces trying to introduce the UN peace keeping troops into the country on the basis that Sri Lanka was a failed state.

Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi recently said there might be a need for bringing in UN peace keeping troops if the country plunges into war again.“Mr. Akashi made this statement when there was no war declared and the UN Charter does not clearly say as to when it should intervene by positioning its troops in another country,” the JVP leader said.

Mr. Amarasinghe said this could also be a hint that the LTTE might officially declare war so the separatist forces could invite UN troops into the country to make it easier for the LTTE to set up a separate state of Eelam.

High powered mine found

The Army and Police discovered a high powered claymore mine set up in a three wheeler at the Thandikulam Junction yesterday afternoon, Vavunia police said.The mine was fixed above the rear seat of the three wheeler which was intended to crash into one of the Army vehicles that pass the junction often. The Army Bomb Disposal Squad defused the mine.

Two SLA troopers injured in Valaichenai attack

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers of the Kalkuda Army camp on Monday afternoon around 2.45 p.m. on the Pethalai road in the Valaichenai police division, injuring two SLA troopers, Valaichenai police said. Wijeyasekara, 34, and Jakath, 38, the two injured troopers, were rushed to Valaichenai hospital where they are being treated, added the source. The gunmen, hiding themselves in the site, fired on the SLA troopers, wounding an Ottamvadi aluminium utensils trader as well in the shootout, sources said.

The SLA troopers deployed at several sites in this area immediately opened fire indiscriminately, assaulting several passers-by along the Pethalai road. The troopers also arrested many of the civilians and took them to the SLA Harbour Camp on the Kalkuda road, sources in Valaichenai said. Tension prevailed in the area until dusk.Valaichenai is located 28 km north of Batticaloa.

Civilian, EPDP member killed in Jaffna

Two civilians were killed in Jaffna district Monday in the continuing violence that has gripped the Peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. In Erlalai North near the border of Palaly High Security Zone, Subramaniam Thevaraj (alias Ranjan) was killed by unknown gunmen at 10:30 a.m. In Navanthurai inside the Municipal district, Michael Johnson was shot dead by unknown gunmen in front of St.Nicholas Church at 12:30 p.m. Monday, sources said. Subramaniam Thevaraj from Kupilan, was on his way to the Multi-purpose co-operative society to buy provisions when three unidentified youths shot him at close range and escaped, sources said.He was earlier employed in Tamil Eelam Employment and Income Section in Jaffna in the LTTE run civil administration, sources said.

Michael Jesudasan, 40, is a member of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) and a EPDP candidate in the postponed local Jaffna Municipal Council elections.The EPDP, a paramilitary and political party aligned with SL President Mahinda Rajapakse's ruling alliance, is believed to have been gunned down in retaliation to the killings by SLA supported gunmen, civil sources said.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) local election candidates have been targeted by Sri Lanka Army operated gunmen in Jaffna district.Meanwhile, the Vimalasuriar Thehilarajah, who was seriously injured in a shooting incident in Vaddukoddai Sunday, succumbed to his injuries in Jaffna Teaching Hospital, medical sources said.

29 May 2006

US Assistant Secretary Boucher To Visits Sri Lanka On June 1

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka on June 1st. Sources say that he will hand over a special message from the United States government to the Sri Lankan government.

Richard Boucher will arrive in Sri Lanka after the donor community co-chairs meeting to be held in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday, May 30. Co-chairs are expected to take vital steps on Sri Lanka's peace process at this meeting. India has declined to participate at the Tokyo meeting on May 30.

Boucher said that US was engaged in an "active dialogue" with India on the developments in Sri Lanka, where the stepped up attacks by Tamil Tigers were particularly "very troublesome," but stressed that it was up to New Delhi to decide the kind of role it wanted to play, implying the US far away from the South Asia region has decided on what role it wants to play.

Tamil Australians in Canberra protest

Hundreds of Tamil Australians have descended on Canberra to protest against renewed violence in northern Sri Lanka.A vocal group brandishing placards with slogans reading "Stop Military Atrocities" and "174 Tamils Killed in Two Months" set up shop in front of Parliament House.Many of the 500 protesters travelled to Canberra by bus from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The protest follows mounting violence in Sri Lanka which has forced thousands of people from their homes and threatened to torpedo a shaky four-year-old truce between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels. Amid growing reports of atrocities, the Sri Lankan government has denied charges it has opened fire indiscriminately on unarmed civilians.

Organisers initiated Monday's proceedings with a range of chants such as "Tamils want - peace and justice" before making way for a range of speakers, including federal Labor MP Alan Griffin."If we don't get the process back on track many people are going to die unnecessarily," Mr Griffin told the crowd."It's only through discussions that this matter is going to be resolved, and it needs to happen to ensure that we don't have a continuing escalation of fighting."

The rebels took up arms against the government in 1983, demanding a separate Tamil homeland and claiming discrimination against the Tamils by the majority Sinhalese.More than 65,000 people had been killed before the 2002 ceasefire accord halted 19 years of open warfare.Dr Brian Senewiratne, a relative of former prime minister Solomon Bandaranaike, said he was disappointed by his family, which has featured prominently in Sri Lankan politics over the last five decades.

"It's nothing to be proud of when you come from a family, one family, that has wrecked an entire country," said Dr Senewiratne, who moved to Australia in 1975."I'm not concerned who runs Sri Lanka as long at it is run with justice, equality and dignity for all."I'm not pro-Tiger or anti-Tiger, but pro the Tamil people," he told the crowd.

Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations chairman Arna Pararajasingham called on the Australian government to put diplomatic pressure on Colombo in an attempt to halt the violence."In the last two months alone we have lost 175 Tamil civilians," Mr Pararajasingham said."If this action continues, you will find more Tamils becoming more militant, which could blow out to a full scale war.

"We are after the Australian government to censure the Sri Lankan government over their human rights violations, and to impose economic sanctions if necessary."Mr Pararajasingham said the protest in Canberra would be mirrored by similar events in Canada and Europe later on Monday.

US Tamils call for stop to extra-judicial killings

Pointing out that "Scandinavian Cease Fire Monitors have declared that members of GOSL forces and paramilitaries are involved in extra-judicial killings," a joint press release issued by Tamil organizations in the US Sunday warned, "If the CFA and the peace process are to be saved, extra -judicial killings and other violations of human rights of Tamils must end and those responsible be punished, and paramilitaries be disarmed," and called on the US Administration to "ensure that these are implemented immediately by the Government of Sri Lanka."

Full text of the press release follows:

In recent weeks, hundreds of Tamil civilians, including women and children, have been murdered with impunity, in GOSL controlled areas of predominantly Tamil speaking North East (NE), by Sri Lankan security forces and paramilitaries. In one case, nearly 20 Tamils, including infants, were murdered.

Senior Tamil political and civic leaders and journalists have been favored targets. Many Tamils have also been victims of GOSL aerial bombing and artillery attacks on civilian areas, and of security force supported mob violence aimed at ethnic cleansing of historical Tamil city of Trincomalee.

Scandinavian Cease Fire Monitors have declared that members of GOSL forces and paramilitaries are involved in extra-judicial killings.

Under the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), and as affirmed at the Geneva meeting, GOSL should have disarmed paramilitaries. Activities of paramilitaries are currently the biggest threat to the peace process.

The killings are continuing and Tamil civilians in NE are being terrorized by design. Even international NGOs helping Tamils have recently become targets. Now, GOSL armed forces are forcibly preventing Tamil civilians fleeing for safety to areas in NE outside GOSL control, or to India. GOSL has also failed to provide relief to tens of thousands of newly displaced Tamils in NE

As usual, no one has been charged in the killings. This is hardly surprising since GOSL forces, including Police, are 99% from Sinhala majority, and President Rajapakse and his allies have taken a very hard line, ruling out power sharing or devolution arrangements for Tamils in NE.

Moreover, it was Mr. Rajapakse and his allies who killed in 2005 the US sponsored scheme for distribution humanitarian tsunami aid to Tamils in NE. NE had suffered over 60% of total tsunami damage, on top of the damage from years of civil war.

If the CFA and the peace process are to be saved, extra -judicial killings and other violations of human rights of Tamils must end and those responsible be punished, and paramilitaries be disarmed.

We call on the US Administration to ensure that these are implemented immediately by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Association of Tamil Americans
Federation of Tamil Association of North America (FeTNA)– USA
Illankai Tamil Sangam – California, USA
Illankai Tamil Sangam – Florida, USA
Illankai Tamil Sangam – USA
Ilankai Tamil Sangam – Houston, Texas, USA
Ohio Tamil Association – Ohio, USA
Tamil Refugees Rehabilitation Organization - California
Tamil Youth Organization - USA
Tamil Welfare and Human Rights Committee – District of Columbia, USA
World Tamil Organization - Illinois
World Tamil Women Organization – USA
World Tamil Coordinating Committee – USA

India will do anything to prevent Eelam-Source:The Island

Even as Sri Lanka and the international community are urging India to take a more active role in helping resolve the island-nation’s festering ethnic conflict, weary policy-makers here are grappling with a dilemma: What precisely should India do?"We are still figuring out what we want and what we should do in Sri Lanka," a top policy-maker told The Island here on condition of anonymity. "But we are clear about what we do not want," he said adding: "We do not want Eelam! And we will do whatever it takes to prevent Sri Lanka’s break-up."

This is the clearest warning India has ever given to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a long time not to pursue its long-cherished dream through violent means. The highly-placed source does not wish to be identified. The Indian assertion comes at a time when serious hostilities have broken out in Sri Lanka’s troubled North and East between the LTTE and the Karuna faction on the one hand and the LTTE and the Sri Lankan security forces on the other. The killings since January this year have crossed the 300-mark, and nearly two thousand desperate Tamils have fled from the undeclared virtual war zone there in rickety boats and sought refuge in Tamil Nadu. And more are waiting to flee.

Doing nothing when a friendly neighbour is facing a serious problem is not an option before India. And sending another Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF-II) is also not an option. "These are extreme options. You can rule them out," the policy-maker explained. (India had burnt its fingers rather badly when it sent the IPKF nearly two decades ago to help restore peace in Sri Lanka by disarming the LTTE and other Tamil militant groups in the North and East. While other groups laid down arms, the LTTE had turned against the IPKF and fought against the Indian peace-keepers. In the 32 months the IPKF stayed in Sri Lanka (July 1987 to March 1990), 1,165 Indian soldiers had lost their lives, while 3,011 others were injured in mine blasts—-most of them maimed for life).

Making up with the LTTE is also not an option either: It was LTTE’s woman suicide-bomber Dhanu who assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally in May 1991 in Sriperumbudur near Chennai. LTTE Boss Velupillai Prabhakaran and his Spy Master Pottu Amman, who were implicated in masterminding Gandhi’s brutal killing, are on India’s Most Wanted list. And New Delhi extended its ban on the LTTE for two more years on May 14.India simply refuses to deal with the LTTE. This is why it has studiously kept away from meetings being called by the Co-Chairs in global capitals to hunt for solutions to help solve the ethnic conflict. However, post-tsunami, India has been doing its bit to help the affected Tamils in the NorthEast as well as the Sinhalese in the South.

Under the present circumstances, India’s direct involvement in any peace facilitation in Sri Lanka is clearly ruled out.However, even while warning the LTTE against making any attempts to break up Sri Lanka in order to achieve Eelam, or a separate "homeland" for Tamils in the island, India is equally keen that the island-nation’s government, politicians, media, intelligentsia and the people at large get their act together and make a reasonable offer to share power within a united and sovereign Sri Lanka the separatist rebels will be hard put to refuse.

After all, just across the narrow strip of sea called the Palk Straits is a good example of a federal democracy at work with all its shortcomings.India is a country where 1.1 billion people—-belonging to 4,365 ethnic groups, speaking 1,652 languages and living in 562 princely states till the British left the subcontinent 59 years ago—-live in a throbbing melting pot called a federal union—-now comprising 35 states and union territories.People in India often wonder: If a federal system can work in India, why can’t it do so in a relatively small nation state like Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka seize 18 vehicles in Jaffna area carrying explosives

Sri Lankan police detained the drivers of 18 vehicles trying to smuggle explosives across a de facto frontier post into the government-controlled part of the Jaffna peninsula, officials said.The private vehicles were stopped at the Muhamalai checkpoint after dogs sniffed out plastic explosives during a routine check, a military official said on condition of anonymity. "We have handed over the vehicles and the passengers to the police," said the officer in Jaffna, 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Colombo. "Every vehicle had small quantities of C-4 type plastic explosives."

The suspects together with the vehicles were handed over to local police for further investigation. Passengers were freed but the drivers and the vehicles were detained, police said on Sunday. There have been a spate of Claymore mine attacks against troops and police in the Jaffna peninsula as well as elsewhere in the restive north and east. At least 600 people have been killed in a surge of violence since December despite a truce in place since February 2002

UMP urges Muslims to support TNA
 
The UMP (A political party of Muslim clergy) called upon Muslims to support the TNA to collect signatures from Tamil speaking peoples against E U activities to ban LTTE. UMP leader Moulavi Mubarak Majeed said in letter sent to TNA.He further said in his letter, the Muslims in North and East were abused by the current LTTE leaders. But we look at the at the LTTE as a voice of the Tamil speaking brothers and fighters and fighters for Tamil language and we believe strongly the leaders of LTTE in future will except the Muslims as a unique National ethnic and rites in religion, cultural and political movements.

Cabinet reshuffle postponed

With the controversial Cabinet reshuffle now put on hold, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed surprise over the move by certain party stalwarts to join government ranks, saying he never expected them to do so. Mr. Wickremesinghe had reportedly told MP Ravi Karunanayake in the Parliament lobby recently, about some party stalwarts crossing over to the Government. “I am quite surprised about these plans, as I never imagined them to be in the list of crossovers,” he told Mr. Karunanayake.

According to sources, President Mahinda Rajapaksa postponed the reshuffle, following caution by a group of astrologers, that the timing could be inauspicious for him and his government. Sources said that senior UNP members intend to stop these crossovers by explaining to them, the unstable situation in the Government.“The Government cannot go ahead with the present difficulties. So, we will try to explain the situation and prevent them from crossing over,” the sources said.

Meanwhile, the UNP is to reconsider its unconditional support for the peace process, because the Government is continuing to bait its MPs with perks. The party is to discuss the matter with Mr. Wickremesinghe and formally decide against participating at future All Party Conferences. Earlier, UNP Assistant General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that there was no need to support the Government’s peace bid if they continue to liquidate the UNP by winning over their MPs.“We have to consider the party as well. We cannot allow them to destroy the party,” he said.

Meanwhile, talks are going on between the government and the JVP to form a coalition. The Daily Mirror learns that President Rajapaksa is keen on having the JVP in his side rather than having UNP dissidents due to strong opposition from government ranks.

Live bullet to NHRC office 
 
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) expressed concern that a leading official has been threatened due to his work in the troubled north. NHRC Jaffna district co-ordinator, Rohitha Priyadarshana, has been sent a bullet in an envelope, last week.The police and the NHRC have begun separate investigations into the matter.The NHRC said its work in recent weeks has become “very sensitive” due to the increasing violence in the north and the east.

Special HR clause

Nimal Punchihewa, Assistant Director of the NHRC told BBC Sandeshaya that a letter of complaint has been handed over to the Jaffna office with a live bullet in it.“There have been threatening calls thereafter".He said the NHRC may become the target of any party involved in violence due to the nature of its investigations.Human rights activists believe that a different trend is emerging as tension escalates.“This is very dangerous as the violence is now increasingly aimed at civilians instead of warring parties,” Punchihewa told bbcsinhala.com.The Commission stressed the need for the Government and the LTTE to enter into a special agreement on respecting human rights in addition to the CFA.

Trader shot dead in Vaddukkoddai

The owner of a communications center located in Moolai road in Vaddukkodai, Valigamam, Jaffna was shot dead and a friend of his seriously injured by gunshot wounds at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, sources in Jaffna said. Gunmen, alleged to be belonging to paramiitaries working with Sri Lanka Army (SLA) intelligence, bound the hands of the two, took them to an area behind the shop, and sprayed the men with bullets from short range, sources said. Pooranam Sabesan, 26, was killed on the spot and his friend Thehilarajah, 26, was wounded in the attack.Thehilarajah has been taken to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital and doctors are performing urgent surgery to save his life, medical sources said.

Meanwhile, unknown gunmen who visited another video shop close to Sabesan's buisness, threatened the employees by brandishing a hand grenade, took their photographs and disappeared from the area.Tensions prevails in the area, and local residents and business owners are shocked and intimidated by the threats and killing.

ACHC protest to Dutch magazine

The All Ceylon Hindu Congress (ACHC) yesterday expressed concern over the use of Lord Krishna’s picture in an advert for toilet detergent, published in ‘Happiness’ magazine in the Netherlands. “It has been brought to our notice that on page 38 of the ‘Happiness’ magazine of May 14, 2006, in your country, Lord Krishna’s picture is appearing in an advert for toilet detergents, which hurts the feelings of Hindus,” it said in a statement.

“They responded in a sincere way and explained how they felt about publishing the picture of Lord Krishna in their magazine,” it said. “It has never been their intention to hurt the feelings of the Hindu community or insult any religion or person. Only after they received a phone call from a Hindu Federation in the Netherlands, did they realized that it could be considered disrespectful or insulting,” it said. “The magazine has been replaced and the picture immediately removed from their website once they realised how the picture was conceived”, it said.

In a phone conversation with the Ambassador in the Netherlands, the ACHC urged to him to take up the matter with the appropriate authorities in the country and ensure that this advertisement was withdrawn.

LTTE protests appointment of military officer as Trincomalee GA

S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sunday protested to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in the east port town, the appointment of a retired Major General of the Sri Lanka Army as the Government Agent of the Trincomalee district by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), LTTE sources said. Elilan said that the civil administration of the district will be militarized by the appointment. Mr.Elilan told the SLMM that the GoSL has already appointed a retired Naval Officer as the North East Provincial Governor who is now administering the North East Provincial Council, sources said.Retired Major General Ranjith Silva is to assume duties as the new Government Agent of the Trincomalee district this week, district secretariat sources said.

28 May 2006

Norway wants Sri Lanka to show 'political maturity'

Sri Lanka is likely to face intense international pressure to implement the pledges it made in Geneva if and when the European Union outlaws the Tamil Tigers. This is the impression Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim gave at his meeting with India's National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan here Saturday.

In his discussion, Solheim - the architect of the 2002 Norway-brokered ceasefire pact - said while there was criticism against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on various counts, Colombo also needed to put its act together.Sri Lanka, Solheim told Narayanan, needed to show 'statesmanship' and 'political maturity' and generate confidence at large by fulfilling the promises it made during the first round of peace talks with the Tigers in Geneva in February.

Solheim's comments follow similar views expressed by other dignitaries linked to the Sri Lankan peace process when they visited New Delhi.In February, the LTTE promised to halt its campaign of violence while the government agreed to disarm all armed groups other than its security forces in its areas in the northeast. Both pledges remain unfulfilled.There is a feeling in the international community that while the LTTE needs to face the music over its continued use of terror tactics, the government should not get away with the many killings attributed to its security forces or armed Tamil groups aligned with it.

India has told Sri Lanka repeatedly that it also needs to come out with a credible political solution within a federal framework to counter the goal of an independent state still pursued by the LTTE.Solheim, who continues to guide the peace process although Norway's special envoy to Sri Lanka is Jon Hannsen-Bauer, warned that both Colombo and the LTTE were 'playing with fire'.

He was referring to the unending killings and counter-killings in Sri Lanka, mainly in the Tamil-majority northeast. The victims include both suspected supporters of the LTTE and those opposed to the group.Despite the setbacks to the peace process, Norway is still trying its best to find out how the LTTE and the government can meet again to continue their stalled dialogue, the second round of which was due in April, also in Geneva, but got indefinitely postponed.

Solheim, who arrived here from Colombo, left for Tokyo to attend a meeting of the co-chairs to the Sri Lankan peace process that groups Japan, the US, Norway and the European Union.The Tokyo meeting is expected to coincide with a ban on the LTTE by the European Union. The LTTE has warned that it will reconsider its participation in the ceasefire agreement if this happens.

Norway, the peace facilitator, is playing a tightrope walk. It does not want to offend either side and at the same time does not want to play favourites despite criticism mainly from Colombo that it has been partial to the LTTE.Tiger supporters say the group is upset with Norway for what it feels is Oslo's inability to prevent a European Union ban.In the eyes of the international community, such a ban would have to be followed by concrete measures from the Sri Lankan government to show that its end objective was not just the ban.

More than any other country, India - which this month extended its two-year ban on the LTTE first imposed in 1992 - is keen on a lasting political settlement in Sri Lanka. Narayanan conveyed this to Solheim Saturday.

Norway invites govt. and LTTE for talks in Oslo

The LTTE yesterday decided it’ll respond to an invitation extended by Norway to visit Oslo for discussions with a high powered government delegation on the operations of the SLMM only after the outcome of the co-chairs meeting in Norway and the decision of the EU on the Tiger ban is known on May 30.Norway’s International Development Minister Erik Solheim extended a written invitation to both the government and the LTTE to visit Oslo for talks on June 8 and 9 to discuss the operations of the SLMM.

The invitations were extended to President Mahinda Rajapakse and LTTE Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan calling on them to send two high-powered delegations to the meeting. The LTTE thinking to delay its decision on the invitation was based on the belief that the government would otherwise use the possibility of talks to seek more aid at the Tokyo donor confab.

Chief LTTE negotiator Anton Balasingham told yesterday the LTTE’s decision to accept or not the invitation of Norway will depend on the outcome of the co-chairs meeting in Tokyo and the EU decision on the proscription of the LTTE.Meanwhile, LTTE Political Wing Leader, S. P. Tamilselvan also informed Norway’s Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer yesterday that the LTTE would inform its decision on the invitation after May 30.

Spokesperson of the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, Erik Nurnberg confirmed to The Sunday Leader that the invitation was extended to the government and the LTTE to visit Oslo on June 8 and 9 to discuss the operations of the SLMM.

SRI LANKA: Violence against Tamils escalates;Source: Green Left Weekly

“Sri Lanka’s military is now killing Tamil civilians with abandon”, the Tamil Guardian stated in its May 17 editorial, following a wave of violence that has left dozens of civilians dead. The violence has sparked fears of a reopening of the bloody two-decade conflict that ended with a February 2002 ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which has led a long struggle for Tamil self-determination.

On May 4, seven young people on their way to a birthday party died instantly when soldiers attacked them with rocket-propelled grenades near Nelliyadi junction in Vadamaradchi. The victims were from a nearby village, Rajakiramam, where two auto-rickshaw drivers were recently killed. TamilNet reported that army and police officers have been pressuring the parents of the killed drivers to issue statements saying the victims were LTTE cadres.

The bodies of eight young people who disappeared from Manthuvil in Thenmaradchy after attending a temple festival on May 7 were later found dead in the forest. The youths had stayed in the temple overnight due to a curfew. TamilNet reported that on May 13, eight people were gunned down in a house in Allaipiddy, in Mandaithivu islet. Among the dead were a four-month-old baby and a four-year-old boy, along with their parents. Another man later died in hospital. According to TamilNet, relatives said troops from the Sri Lankan Navy had been harassing the families, demanding use of their two-storey building for the military. Hundreds of families fled Allaipiddy village for LTTE-held areas following the massacre.

The same day, three people were murdered in a separate incident when paramilitaries entered a family’s home and fired indiscriminately at occupants. N.R. Wickiramasingham, chairperson of the Victorian Tamil Refugee Settlement Committee, told Green Left Weekly that the violence continues and that on average three Tamils are being killed every day; 80% are under 23 years of age.

Wickiramasingham said Sri Lankan media reports of the killings refer to “unidentified people” as being responsible, but that the armed gangs conducting the attacks are under the control of the Sri Lankan military. The Tamil Guardian accused the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMN) of silence over the killings, and condemned its withdrawal, under pressure from the Sri Lankan government, of an earlier claim of government security forces’ involvement in extrajudicial killings. The paper also accused the SLMN of a preoccupation with the “character of the LTTE and its leadership”, when the body’s role is to monitor the ceasefire agreement.

According to Wickiramasingham, “the monitoring force from Norway is only 82 people — they can’t stop the violence”. Wickiramasingham told GLW that foreign governments have “kept quiet” about the situation and that the media has been silent. “Not a single Australian paper printed even three lines” on the violent attacks that broke out in early May. Moves by the European Union to classify the LTTE as a terrorist organisation is a “blockage for peace talks”, Wickiramasingham said. Peace negotiations take place in the EU countries, and if the LTTE is banned, its representatives won’t be able to participate.

Thousands of refugees are homeless, living in churches and schools (which means the schools can’t operate). The refugees are desperately short of food, water and other necessities, and rely on non-government organisations to survive. “The government won’t support refugees in Tamil areas. The government is ignoring the problem”, Wickiramasingham explained. “Many refugees hire boats illegally and try to cross to India. Thirteen died last week when their boat sank.”

According to Wickiramasingham, “Tamils are ready to talk to the Sri Lankan govenrment” to resolve the conflict. He called on foreign governments, including the Australian government, to pressure the Sri Lankan government to “sort out the problem and stop the killings”. Fuelling concerns that the Sri Lankan government intends to resume full-scale war against the Tamils, new anti-democratic laws are soon to be discussed by parliament, including military conscription, media censorship and suppression of civil rights.

JVP back in Govt. fold?

It seems likely that the JVP is preparing to join President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government shortly. Although no final decision has been taken, a section of the parliamentary group is believed to be favouring the move against the backdrop of Rajapakse increasingly seeking the Marxist party’s return to government.

The Sunday Island learns that Rajapakse recently discussed this matter with JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe and Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa.The JVP quit the administration last June over the government signing a joint tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction agreement with the LTTE.

The JVP has so far resisted Rajapakse’s call and their differences led the SLFP-led PA and the JVP to contest the recent local government elections separately, thereby allowing the UNP to secure over 35 bodies.Political sources said that even if the JVP rejoined the government, it would not accept portfolios. Earlier it held four ministries, including fisheries and agriculture.

The JVP parliamentary group recently got reduced to 38 after a Gampaha District MP resigned due to illness. His place has been filled by an SLFP member as the two parties contested on UPFA ticket at the last parliamentary polls.

Government and JVP sources acknowledged the need to join hands amidst calls for a direct intervention by the UN triggered by recent remarks attributed to Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi.The JVP wants the government to raise this with the Japanese government. Amarasinghe recently criticised Akashi’s call when he received the Japanese envoy at their party headquarters at Pelawatte.

The JVP intends to launch a series of meetings against the call for the deployment of foreign forces, thereby leading to the Cyprus-type division of the country. The first meeting is scheduled to be held on June 7.JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva, Wimal Weerawansa, Anura Kumara Dissanayake and K.D. Lal Kantha are expected to lead the campaign.

The JVP also opposes the overseas deployment of Sri Lankan forces under UN banner. About 1,000 Lankan troops are deployed in the Caribbean island of Haiti with the Brazilian-led UN forces tasked with protecting the US backed administration.

The Sunday Island learns that Rajapakse remains confident of reaching an agreement with the JVP regarding ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis on the basis of a federal solution. Although the JVP vehemently rejected recent reports that it was ready to accept a federal model, the UNP reiterated that the JVP was secretly negotiating with the LTTE.

Political sources said that the return of the JVP into the government would help Rajapakse to reach a consensus with his Marxist ally who contributed substantially to his election last November.

LTTE targeting VVIP, President warns

President Mahinda Rajapakse has warned his ministers to take adequate precautions in the next few days since the LTTE plans to hit a VVIP target. The President's warning came at the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday, May 24.

The government had earlier received information from the intelligence services that the LTTE may use a police truck or motorbike to carry out the attack dressed as policemen. All police stations have also been alerted of the possible Tiger strategy and warned to be extra vigilant.

President Rajapakse told his ministers he had credible information the LTTE was planning to target a VVIP and that confirmation of this information was received from France, Germany and England.

"The ministers must be very mindful when moving about these days. We cannot be afraid of the LTTE or be cowed down by such threats, but all necessary security measures must be taken," the President has said.

He had also told the ministers according to reports received the LTTE was planning something big and may target some other places too. The President further said the situation was discussed at the security council meeting and necessary steps taken to ensure the security of the city.

Four suicide cadres dispatched to Tangalle to assassinate President- Military intelligence

Military intelligence sources have uncovered that the LTTE has sent 4 suicide cadres to President's home town of Tangalle to assassinate the President.The same sources said that two suicide cadres have also been sent to Batticaloa after the killing of senior tiger leader Ramanan to assassinate a senior defence officer.

President Rajapaksa usually spends weekends in his ancestral home in Tangalle with his constituents unless there is an urgent duty to attend to, but his visits to Tangalle has become less frequent in wake of him becoming a prime target of the LTTE.

Due to intense LTTE threat on the President's life, his security has been further intensified and intelligence services have instructed him to move to the President's House from Temple Trees.At Wednesday's cabinet meeting the President had alerted Ministers on LTTE threats and requested them to be more concerned about their security.

Sri Lanka says no to United Nation peace keepers

The Sri Lankan government said on Saturday that it had no plans to invite a UN peacekeeping force."There is no proposal for deployment of United Nations forces," said the Minister of Information, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa in a statement issued here.Opposition United National Party (UNP) MP, Dr Rajitha Senaratne, had made a statement that if the government failed to curb violations of the ceasefire, deployment of a UN peacekeeping force might become inevitable.Reacting to this, Yapa wondered if the UNP was in an "unholy alliance with the LTTE to divide the country. "The UNP MP's statement on UN forces was "causing irreparable damage to the sovereignty and unity of the country," the Minister said.He wondered if the rest of the UNP shared Dr Senaratne's view.

Colombo imposes embargo on cement, steel, limits fuel supply to North

Sri Lankan defense authorities, on Friday, banned the transportation of cement and steel to North. Government Agents (GAs) in Jaffna and Vavuniya have been informed of the decision by the Defense Ministry in contravention of the provisions in the February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement, political sources said. More than 20 lorries loaded with cement have been stopped at Omanthai checkpost Friday and are being held at the checkpost awaiting instructions from Defense Ministry, sources said.
Meanwhile the fuel supply to the area is also curtailed to the north. In Jaffna, most of the filling stations are issuing very limited quantity of fuel to motorists, residents from Jaffna said.

Construction works already underway in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Mullaitivu have come to a halt with the introduction of the ban, sources at GA office in Jaffna and Vavuniya said.February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement specifies that 10 000 bags of cement must be allowed per month to the private commercial market in addition to allowing the necessary cement through Government Agent for the reconstruction and rehabiliation and governmental work in the NorthEast.

The CFA agreement also specifies that the iron rods for building constructions will be brought into the LTTE controlled areas under licenses issued by the GA.A decade long economic embargo imposed on the region by successive Sri Lankan regimes before the Ceasefire Agreement in February 2002, caused severe hardships to the people in Vanni. Vanni district TNA MP Sivanathan Kishore said he has lodged a complaint to the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on Friday regarding the ban.

Irregular tender for cannons
 
Speculation is rife of an influential overseas arms supplier having being given the opportunity to bid for a major Defence Ministry tender despite the fact that the company is not registered under the four categories of suppliers with the ministry. Well informed sources identified the company as a UK-based one. This comes against the backdrop of another overseas firm receiving the same documents despite being forced to return US$ 4 million it accepted as the advance for the supply of cannon for the navy.The government cancelled the transaction following allegations over the serviceability of the cannon.The recent tender is also for the acquisition of the urgently needed cannon.

Sri Lanka Eight tourists feared dead in Wilpattu National Park blast

Eight Sri Lankan tourists were feared killed after a suspected land mine exploded as they were tracking wild elephants in a national park near Tamil Tiger rebel territory, an official said on Sunday. Another group of Sri Lankan tourists in the park heard a large blast deep inside the park on Saturday, and went to the site to find a jeep in a ditch and body parts on the road, but police, military and wildlife officials were still on the way to the site.

"We believe that including our interpreter, eight people have been killed -- all locals," Dayananda Kariyawasam, director general of the Wildlife Department, told Reuters from the fringes of the Wilpattu National Park wildlife sanctuary in the northwest of the country. "Another group of tourists heard the blast and went to see, and informed that they have seen parts of the bodies and vehicle parts," he added.

The blast occurred around 50 km (30 miles) from the park entrance, and search teams waited until daybreak on Sunday to head to the site to avoid encountering wild animals in the dark. It was unclear whether the suspected land mine dated from before a 2002 ceasefire that halted a two-decade civil war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), or whether it was newly planted.

The northern border of the park is around 15-20 miles from the southern border of the rebels' de facto state in the north and east of the island. "It could be an old land mine, but I seriously doubt that since there was a tracker (checking the route)," said Kariyawasam.

The incident, which Kariyawasam said would be the first mine blast to hurt tourists inside a Sri Lankan national park, comes amid a surge in attacks and clashes between the military and the rebels that some fear could spiral into all-out war. The Tigers, who analysts say have focused recent attacks on the military and government officials, were not immediately available for comment on the incident.

India asked to send ship to fetch Sri Lankan refugees

A political leader in Tamil Nadu sympathetic to the Tamil Tigers has urged India to dispatch a ship to Sri Lanka to ferry hundreds of Tamil civilians he said were waiting to escape escalating violence in the island nation.  With the number of Tamil refugees arriving in Tamil Nadu by boats approaching the figure of 2,000, P. Nedumaran said it was time New Delhi stepped in by sending a ship to Sri Lanka like it did following the 1983 anti-Tamil killings in Colombo.

'(Then Indian prime minister) Indira Gandhi sent two ships in 1983 to Sri Lanka,' Nedumaran told IANS at his modest office-cum-residence here. 'India should send a ship to Sri Lanka now.'India must also warn the Sri Lankan government to stop the killing of Tamils,' Nedumaran added, alluding to the large number of killings and counter-killings going on in that country's northeast.

Indian officials say that some 1,800 Sri Lankan Tamils have landed on the shores of Tamil Nadu since Jan 12 after risky sea journeys from Mannar in the island's northwest. A few were reportedly drowned in the choppy waters dividing India and Sri Lanka.The arrivals dipped in February, coinciding with the Geneva peace talks between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Colombo, but picked up after the April 25 suicide bomb attack on Sri Lanka's army chief had led to heavy shelling and bombing of Tamil areas in Trincomalee.

Two-thirds of these refugees arrived in May, coinciding with a bloody month in Sri Lanka's northeastern province where a dramatic upsurge in violence has fuelled fears of war held in check by a 2002 ceasefire agreement. Most Tamils reaching India are from Trincomalee, where Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims live in near equal numbers.As in the 1980s and 90s, most refugees are being housed in the Mandapam camp in the coastal district of Rameswaram. After their registration, the Indian authorities meet their minimal needs.

The refugees have blamed attacks by the Sri Lankan military for their exodus although a few have also told the police in Tamil Nadu that they did not want their children to be recruited by the LTTE. They have also told Indian officials that many more Tamils were waiting to move to India.Nedumaran, leader of the Tamil Nationalist Movement, put that number at 'thousands', saying they were not able to come because of paucity of boats and boatmen willing to risk the illegal journey from Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu. This is the reason, he said, why India needed to send a ship to that country.

Nedumaran, who is known to enjoy the trust of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, was jailed for 18 months in Tamil Nadu in 2002-04 on charges of speaking out in support of the Tamil Tigers. A former state Congress party chief, Nedumaran enjoys a good rapport with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.Nedumaran also found fault with New Delhi for not consulting Sri Lankan Tamil leaders sympathetic to the LTTE while framing its policies vis-à-vis Colombo.

'India consults Norway regularly. Sri Lankan presidents and prime ministers come to India regularly. What about the Tamil viewpoint?'We may have problems interacting with the LTTE (since they are banned in India). Fine, let us leave them aside. What about the Tamil MPs?' Nedumaran asked, referring to the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

'They have repeatedly sought a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. They conveyed the request through the Indian high commission in Colombo. They told (former external affairs minister K.) Natwar Singh. Even (MDMK leader) Vaiko carried a letter from them to the prime minister. But nothing has happened.'Nedumaran, at whose house in Madurai Prabhakaran stayed for over six months more than two decades ago, said it was wrong to ask the LTTE to cut down the violence when Colombo was not carrying out its promise to dismantle high security zones in Jaffna.

The international community, he complained, was all the time criticising the LTTE while overlooking the attacks on Tamils by the Sri Lankan security forces.'The international community has failed. Norway and the US have failed. The European Union is saying it will ban the LTTE. Have they asked the same questions to Sri Lanka?'India has also failed. It should have pulled up both sides. You journalists too have failed to highlight the atrocities of the Sri Lankan government.'

SLA cordons, searches Jaffna Teaching Hospital building

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Police cordoned off and searched the cafeteria area functioning inside the Jaffna Teaching Hospital premises for more than an hour from 12:30 p.m., Saturday, sources said. One cafeteria employee was taken to Jaffna Police station for further inquries according to sources. Police also took documents including the account books of the cafeteria for further examinations, hospital authorities said.In addition to providing food for the hospital patients and visiting relatives, a communication center is also located in the cafteria building.The cafeteria is administered by the Patients Wefare Organization, hospital sources said.

Two young boys killed in SLA attack on civilian tractor

A 12 and a 15-year-old boys were killed when Sri Lanka Army soldiers, who had moved into Thikiliveddai, an LTTE controlled border area, beyond the Kinnayadi lagoon, Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., ambushed a tractor with farmers. Three civilians were wounded, Daya Mohan, Head of Batticaloa Political Wing of the LTTE said. The victims were identified, Kanapathy Balu, 12, and Vinayagamoorthy Nanthan, 15. The wounded were admitted to LTTE's paramedical unit and later transferred to Chenkalady hospital in SLA controlled Eravur. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials inspected the explosion site around 6:15 p.m.

27 May 2006

Solheim to discuss Lanka crisis with India 
 
Amid fears of a major escalation of violence in Sri Lanka, Norway's top peace envoy Erik Solheim is arriving today after a visit to Colombo to hold talks with Indian officials on the latest situation in the island nation. Solheim, who held talks with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse for over two hours in Colombo yesterday, will meet National Security Adviser M K Narayanan here to brief him on his assessment of the situation in the island nation.

The Norwegian International Development Minister also met several religious leaders in Colombo. His Deputy Jon Hanssen-Bauer is in Sri Lanka for the last two days, meeting government officials and LTTE representatives in a bid to prevent situation from sliding back to full scale hostilities. Observing that the situation in Sri Lanka is "delicately poised", External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters here that as per the practice, Solheim will visit Delhi on his return from the island nation to brief the Indian side on present situation there.

He is expected to brief Narayanan on his efforts to bring the LTTE back to the negotiating table.The visits are an important part of preparations for the meeting of four donor countries -- US, EU, Norway and Japan -- on Sri Lanka in Tokyo on Tuesday next. From Delhi, Solheim will travel for the meeting that will review the island nation's faltering peace process.Ahead of his visit to Colombo, Solheim said, "The situation in Sri Lanka is complicated. It is important not to have unrealistic expectations of the meetings."

US engaged in active dialogue with India on Sri Lanka: Boucher 
 
The US has said it was engaged in an "active dialogue" with India on the developments in Sri Lanka, where the stepped up attacks by Tamil Tigers were particularly "very troublesome," but stressed that it was up to New Delhi to decide the kind of role it wanted to play.

The violence in Sri Lanka was "very, very disturbing" and the stepped up LTTE attacks showed that the rebels were proceeding towards war rather than keeping the focus on peace talks with the Colombo government, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher said in an interview to at the State Department here.

Asked what role the us would like New Delhi to play, Boucher replied: "That is for India to decide. That is where we have an active dialogue with India but ultimately how much India should do, how it wants to work with the international community that will be for India to decide."

"First of all we are interested in the Indian view. Second we are interested in Indian thoughts on how the international community should proceed but we are also looking to enhance our cooperation with India," the senior State Department official said.

The US supported the efforts of Norway to get the parties -- Sri Lankan government and the LTTE -- back to the peace table, he said, adding Washington was looking forward to discussions in Tokyo next week with other countries and at which time it might make a more specific comment on where the situation in the island nation was heading.

Bauer to meet LTTE today

The government is not sending any special message to the LTTE leadership through the Norwegian peace facilitators who will be visiting Kilinochchi today, the government peace secretariat said yesterday.Norwegian special peace envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer will meet LTTE political head S.P. Thamilselvan at the LTTE peace secretariat this morning as part of the latest attempt by the facilitators to get the second round of Geneva talks back on track.

Peace Secretariat Deputy Head Ketheesh Loganathan said Mr. Bauer would not be carrying any message from the government to the LTTE.Mr. Loganathan said Mr. Bauer met several leaders on Thursday and the talks mainly focused on the upcoming co-chairs meeting, the decision taken by the co-chairs at the last gathering in Oslo and the role of Norway as peace facilitator.

Start talks now for devolution - Anglican Bishop de Chickera

A highly respected religious prelate warned yesterday that the northeast was on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe and called for an immediate return to the next round of peace talks at which the principle of devolution should be addressed.Colombo’s Anglican Bishop the Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera after a vist to the North and Trincomalee said, contrary to what anti-peace forces imagined, the desire and drive for peace grew when conflict increased and he proposed several immediate steps if these aspirations were to be consolidated;

Bishop Duleep said, “I have just returned from one of my regular pastoral visits to the North. I made a similar visit to Trincomalee three weeks ago.The situation in these areas is tense and dangerously volatile; various groups are engaged in a struggle for ideological, political and geographical space which invariably spills into the routine lives of civilians. Streets are deserted after 2 p.m. and the people live in fear of each other.

“Tamil civilians in particular are helpless and fear all sides. They fear being suspected as LTTE sympathizers or as military informants. They fear the struggle for power between the LTTE and other armed Tamil groups most of whom for very obvious reasons often happen to be either relations, neighbours or associates. They fear for their adolescent children who may be conscripted by the LTTE or arrested by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces.

The civilians in these areas have no one to turn to. Subtle intimidate and whisper campaigns encompass all. Independent Tamil voices are reluctant to speak for fear of being caricatured as ‘the enemy’.I suspect that it was this prevailing culture that prevented Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole from assuming duties as the Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University. Contrary to some elements or public opinion, his being a Christian had little to do with this resistance. He had much to offer academically and wanted very much to serve the University and the people of Jaffna. He should have been given a chance to prove himself.

In Trincomalee and in Jaffna the presence of an almost entirely non Tamil security Force providing security, though inevitable in the circumstances, creates a worrying polarization. The difficulty that the Forces face is to convey that their presence is meant to provide security for all civilians as well as for the State apparatus and machinery. This is much more difficult in Jaffna, where all civilians are Tamils (there is now a very small Muslim community as well) and all Sri Lankan Armed Forces are non-Tamil. In Trincomalee rightly or wrongly the Tamil civilians have a perception that the Forces are friendlier with the Sinhala population than with the Tamil population.

Much of this, no doubt, has to do with the cultural cum communication gap. Previous communal prejudices and, the dynamic between authority and powerlessness emerge to further widen and intensify this gap when there is a return to violence. The Sinhala soldiers in Jaffna appear apprehensive and ironically vulnerable. When on duty on the roads, they stand at intervals sometimes of 300 to 400 metres in a clearly non-friendly atmosphere. At times their posture of crouching beside walls or standing behind trees, no doubt a requirement from a military perspective, adds to this atmosphere of a presence that distances. The Tamil civilians on the other hand seem to distance themselves from the soldiers possibly due to resentment of their presence or fear of being misunderstood.

I visited the Allaipiddy island and saw for myself the tension that prevailed after the gruesome massacre of civilians, eight of whom belonged to one family. Surviving members of this family witnessed the killing and are likely to be able to identify the killers.

The movement of civilians from this island following a threatening order presumably by a group adds to the misery of this people and to the complex nature of human suffering. In such instances the people have little desire to move and it is only a speedy investigation into the massacre and deliberate measures of dialogue and trust building between the people and the Sri Lanka Armed Forces that will somewhat stem the fear and panic and dislocation of an already previously displaced people.

In these circumstances I was disturbed to discover that reputed INGOs who we thought were here to protect the most vulnerable seem unable to do what most thought they were here to do. It appears that either their mandate or their interpretation of this mandate prevents them from taking options when necessary to protect the afflicted and the frightened. An apparent policy that seeks concurrence from ‘both sides’ in the discharge of their mandate is hopelessly inadequate and requires review. In today’s context of a subtle and deepening conflict, that also tends to be unreasonably trivial at times, such concurrence could remain illusive thus neutralizing the role of such INGOs.

The exception to this stance is the presence of a small INGO - the Non Violence Peace Force. The policy of this small team of foreign and local peace workers is to visibly stand by victims of violence, and needs commendation.

It is for this reason that the attack by an armed group on their office in Muttur must be condemned. This act has been done by forces that see their presence as a threat. Consequently, all peace loving people must do all they can to appreciate and endorse such vulnerable groups whose mandate is to stand with the vulnerable, and whose only weapon is their moral strength to be able to do so.

Contrary to what anti-peace forces imagine, the desire and drive for peace grows when conflict increases. In the context of where we stand today, the following requires attention if these aspirations are to be consolidated;

I. The speedy investigation of atrocities and action against the perpetrators. Such action mostly can counter fear and build trust,

2. A prompt return to normalcy. E.g the functioning of schools, work places, public transport, etc must be ensured.

3. A more people friendly approach in the provision of security within the realistic parameters of the ground situation.

4. A clear demonstration by the Government of Sri Lanka that the three armed services and the police and the STF are its only authentic representatives for purposes of ensuring security and maintaining law and order.

5. Opportunities need to be provided for Independent Tamils to voice grievances, express concerns and offer solutions. For this a continuing dialogue with the authorities is necessary. Thankfully there are still some outstanding persons in authority who are sensitive to this need. The present Governor of the North and Fast is one such person and his presence and thoughtful initiatives need commendation.

6. An immediate return to the next round of peace talks at which the principle of devolution should be addressed.”

World Bank official killed 
 
The World Bank has extended condolences to the family of murdered engineer Ratnam Ratnarajah.Ratnarajah, 48, Deputy Project Director of the North East Irrigated Agriculture Project II (NEIAP II), was shot dead at his home in Batticaloa on Friday.

His driver, Chandrasekaran Sivanesan, has been admitted to Batticaloa Teaching hospital with serious gunshot wounds.Ratnarajah is the most senior government official to be gunned down in the east in recent times.

Karuna cadres killed

Two unidentified assailants came in a motorcycle has shot Ratnarajah in front of his house when he came for the lunch, police said.Meanwhile, Tamil Tigers said they killed three members from the Karuna faction in a gun battle in Muttur.Trincomalee district LTTE political wing leader Elilan told journalist RG Dharmadasa that they arrested two more members of the Karuna faction.

Fighting erupted in Chellanagar in LTTE-controlled area, Elilan said, but refused to reveal the names of the deceased.There was no comment from the Karuna faction.Sri Lanka Army officials in the area told BBC Sandeshaya that they could not comment on violence in the LTTE-held area.

Vaiko seeks Prime Minister's intervention in Lankan issue

MDMK General Secretary Vaiko today sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in stopping the "Sri Lankan military's attack in Tamil areas of that country" and providing food, clothing and first aid to the refugees reaching the Indian coast.He said the people were fleeing Sri Lanka due to the "atrocious attacks" of the Sri Lankan army in Tamil areas.

"It was a matter of terrible shock that innocent women and children have been killed in this murderous attack, the MDMK chief said. More than 2,000 refugees have reached Tamil Nadu and many more were waiting to migrate to India for safety and security," he said in a letter to the Prime Minister."What is happening in Sri Lanka is not an internal problem of that country. It is a humanitarian problem of international concern," Vaiko added.

He said five Tamil refugees were drowned mid-sea recently due to bad weather and paucity of steady boats. Another fibre glass boat was washed ashore without occupants this week.Bad weather, unsteady sea-crafts, fear of confiscation of boats by India were making things extremely difficult for the innocent victims of "war", the MDMK leader said.

Appealing to the Centre to take effective measures to protect the lives and welfare of refugees reaching the Indian coast, Vaiko urged the Indian Coast Guard to provide a 24-hour vigil in our territorial waters.Vaiko also suggested that NGOs could be roped in to assist the officials who dealt with refugees.

M'sia Can Urge LTTE To Start Negotiation, Says Sri Lankan Envoy

Malaysia can help persuade the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to resume negotiations with the Sri Lankan government to resolve the 30-year civil war that has claimed more than 64,000 lives, a Sri Lankan envoy said Saturday.

"A friendly country like Malaysia can send a message to LTTE to ask them to come to the negotiation table and I'm sure Malaysia has some influence and that will definitely help," Karunatilaka Amunugama, head of Sri Lanka's senior officials delegation to the Non-Aligned Movement Coordinating Bureau (NAM-Cob) Ministerial Meeting, told Bernama here today.

"The Malaysian government can send a statement or a message to the LTTE or the friends of the LTTE that the time has come to stop the killing...come to the table to discuss the issue."We would like to see them face-to-face and discuss the issues to bridge the demands and what we can do. If you don't come to table we can't discuss," he added.

He said Sri Lanka wanted the international community to pressure LTTE, which is fighting for autonomy for Tamil-speaking regions, to give up their military struggle that has destroyed the nation, once considered equal to first-world countries and even former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew envied the tourist-island for its economic success in the 70's.

Karunatilaka said the international community could also help to halt their fund-raising activities, especially in Europe where many Tamils are residing as refugees after fleeing Sri Lanka during the peak of the civil war."One way to pressure them is to have restrictions in countries where they raise funds," he said, adding that most of the LTTE's fundings to support their war against the Sinhalese government come from the Tamil diaspora.

The LTTE, a military and political organisation, started waging violent attacks against the government in 1983 and several negotiations to settle the dispute had proven futile.After the Norwegian-brokered peace process hit a snag, the LTTE stepped up their attacks recently, mainly targeting military personnel.Karunatilaka said there was no other way to settle the conflict except through proper negotiations and foreign governments could play a role by pressuring the LTTE.

President visits Army Commander

President Mahinda Rajapaksa paid a surprise visit to Army Commander Sarath Foneseka who is under treatment at the Army Hospital in Colombo.Accompanied by CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman and presidential advisor Gothabaya Rajapaksa, the President had visited Lieut. General Fonseka directly after meeting Norwegian Minister and special peace facilitator Eric Solheim.

TNA Local elections candidate shot dead in Jaffna

A local elections candidate, representing Tamil National Alliance party ITAK in Achchuveli, Mr. Mather Sellathurai, 75, was shot and killed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operated gunmen around 9:00 p.m. Friday at his residence in SLA controlled Achchuveli South in Valikamam division, Jaffna district. The dead body of the vicitm, a social activist, was taken to the Achuveli Hospital morgue, relatives said.

Trader shot dead in Achchuveli, relative wounded

A grocery shop owner was shot and killed at his residence around 9:00 p.m. Saturday in Achchuveli, close to the Sri Lanka Army High Security Zone in Valikamam in Jaffna district. A relative who attempted to rescue the victim from the gunfire, was seriously wounded. Fear has gripped Achcuveli, Puttur and Neerveli areas where killings were escalating during the recent days. The victim, Sinnatharuai Puviraj, 40, the owner of Siyam Stores in Achchuveli town, was killed on the spot at his residence, civilian sources said. A relative youth, Sathasivam Ramkumar, 27, who attempted to rescue the victim, was rushed to Achchuveli Hospital with serious wounds and later transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, medical sources said.

LTTE claims killed 3 captured two Karuna loyalists

The LTTE yesterday claimed it had captured two Karuna loyalists and killed three others following a failed attempt by the breakaway faction to infiltrate rebel-controlled areas in Trincomalee last morning.

The Karuna faction spokesman Thooyavan speaking to the Daily Mirror confirmed the failed attack but stressed that only one of his cadres had been killed in the incident and refuted LTTE claims of having two captives. LTTE Trincomalee political head S. Elilan claimed that the Karuna cadres had infiltrated rebel areas in Thopoor at around 7.30 last morning in an attempt to attack his cadres. However he said his cadres managed to repulse the attack, capturing two Karuna cadres and killing three others. Elilan further alleged that the attack was initiated from the Pattiyady military camp and that the two captives had confirmed this upon interrogation while adding that the bodies of the three killed were from the army. However Thooyavan refuted this claim saying instead that his cadres entered rebel controlled areas via no-man’s land, adding that the body of the sole Karuna cadre killed in the operation, identified as Ravi, was in fact from the Karuna camp.

Elilan meanwhile also claimed that the two captives had made several revelations including that the Karuna group had the assistance of the military and that after most attacks carried out by the group they were told to exaggerate tiger casualty figures. The Military and the Karuna faction however refuted the allegations.

Trader shot dead in Ariyalai

Two motorbike-riding gunmen shot and killed a video rental shop owner on Ponnambalam Road in Ariyalai around 7:45 p.m. Friday, Police said. Residents in the area alleged that the gunmen who followed the victim were Sri Lanka Army operated gunmen. The victim, Puvanendran Bolder Mayooran, 27, was an activist who has taken part in setting up Heroes Day arches during Heroes week memorial events, residents said.

Trader shot dead in Neervely, Jaffna

Unidentified gunmen shot and killed L. Yasotharan, 35, a trader in front of his shop located in Neervely on the Jaffna-Point Pedro road Friday evening around 5.00 p.m, said sources from Jaffna. Yasotharan, seriously injured was immediately rushed to Jaffna Teaching hospital but later succumbed to his gunshot wounds at the hospital, hospital sources said. Yasotharan is the third trader in Neerveli to be killed by unidentified gunmen.His body is kept at the Jaffna hospital morgue for autopsy and death inquiry, added the sources.

Meanwhile, Ms. Srinithi Nandasekaran, Additional Magistrate Jaffna, visiting the site of the killings at the Aseervatham road-Nallur Tample road junction region on Friday around 12.20 p.m, checked the identity card said to be found in the trouser pocket of one of the two shot dead bodies and said that it belonged to Mahendran Pratheepan 22 of Ariyalai Neduntheru, said sources from Nallur.Although the photograph matched the face of the dead man, the doubts remain if the name on the identity card is the real name of the dead youth, added the sources.Both the dead bodies, still to be identified, are kept at the Jaffna Teachings Hospital morgue.

Ex-EPDP cadre shot in Kayts

Unidentified gunmen yesterday shot and wounded an ex-EPDP member at Puliyankoodal in Urkavathurai (Kayts) islet in Jaffna, the Tamilnet said.The incident took place near Inthan Pillayar temple around 11:30 a.m. according to police.The wounded youth, identified as N.Jegatheeswaran, 29, was taken to the Jaffna teaching hospital, medical sources said.

Karunanidhi receives Rajapakse’s special envoy Thondaman

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi received Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s Special Envoy Arumugam Thondaman in Chennai on Thursday.The Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) chief called on the veteran Indian Tamil leader and personally conveyed to him President Rajapakse’s felicitations on becoming the southern Indian state’s chief minister for the fifth time early this month.

Earlier, on the day the 83-year-old Karunanidhi was sworn in, Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai Sumith Nakandala had delivered to him a special message of congratulations from the President.Thondaman, who has known Karunanidhi for many years, had a one-to-one meeting with him. "Their meeting was positive. They had a cordial discussion on the current situation in Sri Lanka," Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Romesh Jayasinghe told The Island today.

Jayasinghe and Nakandala met Karunanidhi alongwith Thodaman after the one-to-one meeting. Earlier, they met Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary LK Tripathi separately and informed him about the Sri Lankan government’s just-taken decision to open two relief centers---one each in Trincomalee and Mannar districts---to provide assistance to Tamil families in distress.

Together with Tripathi, the diplomats briefed Karunanidhi about the Sri Lankan government’s efforts to provide help and physical security to affected Tamil families in a bid to discourage them from seeking refuge in Tamil Nadu. Most of the nearly two thousand Sri Lankan Tamils who fled to neighbouring Tamil Nadu since January this year in the wake of violence are mostly from these two districts.

The Government Agents (GAs) of the two districts will run these relief centers with assistance from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). They are due to become operational any day now. The CWC leader flew back to Colombo on Thursday night.

Incidentally, Karunanidhi’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and three other parties that are his allies in Tamil Nadu support Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the centre. Dr Singh respects him as a senior ally. As such, Karunanidhi wields considerable influence over the prime minister.

Political analysts here have welcomed President Rajapakse’s initiative and efforts to keep cordial relations with Karunanidhi. Dr Singh will naturally take Karunanidhi’s opinions into consideration on India’s policies towards Sri Lanka.

Storm in Colombo

Heavy rains deluged the city last evening with the accompanying gale force winds blowing off roofs and uprooting some large roadside trees.Of the trees uprooted were two growing opposite Police Chief Chandra Fernando’s residence at Wijerama Road in Colombo. Police said there were no casualties nor did the house suffer any damage.

Banning the LTTE -Source: The Island

I am a Sri Lankan resident in the UK (Camberwell), but I have spent the last six months here. I am absolutely flabbergasted at the turn of events concerning the ethnic question and the LTTE.I read this morning that the EU is contemplating a ban on the LTTE and proposes to freeze their funds. It is very clear to the majority of Tamils that the sole aim of the efforts being made by the Government of Sri Lanka to have the LTTE banned worldwide is to avoid a meaningful political solution to the ethnic problem. I am afraid that western nations are being naively taken in by the Sri Lanka Government’s tactics.

The LTTE are branded as terrorists because they are fighting for a separate state or a just political solution. However, the low intensity war in the last six months has raised the issue of who the real terrorists are. It would appear that the LTTE are targeting the armed forces and the armed forces in turn are retaliating with a wanton disregard for the safety of Tamil civilians. In fact, the weapons being used by the forces - multi-barrel rockets, long range artillery and aerial bombing - could not specifically target LTTE camps because these weapons are fired from two kilometres and beyond. We have the sad spectacle of the Air force using supersonic aircraft to bomb LTTE targets from above 5000 ft. and then specifying the number of LTTE dead and injured in that operation. What about the civilian casualties? This is cause for mirth and amusement!

Perhaps, the EPDP and paramilitary groups operating in government-controlled areas and the valiant Mr. Anandasangaree must state openly whether the government they are supporting will commit itself to a political solution that involves devolution of power and regional autonomy. Or else, they are quislings attacking innocent Tamil people. The real question is," Who is avoiding a realistic political solution"? The ban on the LTTE only serves the government’s agenda.

Western nations should put equal pressure on the government to commit itself to devolution of power within a united country. The government’s claim that it wants a peaceful negotiated solution is nothing but a red herring to avoid devolving power. The attempt to ban the LTTE is only a means to this end. Western governments should look at this problem in the context of the safety of Tamil civilians and the need to help them meet their legitimate aspirations.

26 May 2006

SLMC ready for talks with LTTE

SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem yesterday said his party was ready to have unofficial discussions with the LTTE to solve issues that affect the Muslims in the North and East. He said he conveyed this to Norwegian Peace Envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer when they met at Mr. Hakeem’s residence yesterday. He said he also informed Mr. Bauer it was essential for the Government to come to an agreement with the LTTE at least on human rights issues.

Mr. Hakeem said every effort should be made to bring the two parties back to the negotiating table although the chances were remote. He said this was essential as a large number of civilians, including Muslims, have been displaced as a result of the recent conflict. “The Co Chairs should make a note of it and I have told the Norwegian peace envoy to tell this to them,” he said.

Meanwhile Mr. Bauer who met journalists after the meeting said he decided to meet the SLMC Leader as it was necessary to meet all parties concerned to sort out issues. Norwegian Ambassador in Sri Lanka Hans Brattskar also participated in the discussions while SLMC General Secretary Hassan Ali, MPs Faizal Cassim, M. Nijamudeen and K. A. Baiz were also present.

Sri Lanka police cordon off World Trade Centre complex after bomb scare

 Fearing a possible terrorist attack, defence authorities this morning searched the entire World Trade Centre (WTC) complex in the heart of Colombo, forcing hundreds to leave the area. A bomb scare created panic, and the people inside were seen fleeing from the complex, while bomb disposal units were called to the scene with police dogs. Colombo DIG Pujith Jayasundara said, “Following information regarding security, we have taken this measure and even vehicles of security forces were not allowed into the area today.” The WTC complex, owned by a Singapore property developer, is located near the Colombo Hilton and Galadari Hotels.

Suspected Sri Lanka rebels kill 4 police in ambush

Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels killed four police in a claymore fragmentation mine ambush in Sri Lanka's restive east on Thursday, officials said, the latest in a series of attacks on the military."There was an explosion in Kattankudi in (the eastern district of) Batticaloa. The Special Task Force officers were travelling in a van to go on duty when the blast happened," a police source in the east said, asking not to be named.More than 270 people have been killed since February in what truce monitors and the Tigers say is now a "low-intensity war", including more than 20 security forces personnel and civilians in the past week. Shootings, claymore blasts and clashes now occur near daily in the north and east

Intervention by UN troops inevitable: UNP

The UNP yesterday warned there might be intervention by United Nations troops to settle the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka if the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration did not act effectively to resume the peace process.UNP Kalutara District MP Rajitha Senaratne told a news conference that President Mahinda Rajapaksa by saying he respected the ceasefire agreement had adopted the policies of Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesighe.

“So it was more like a Ranil chinthanaya than a Mahinda chinthanaya”, he said. Dr. Senaratne warned that with the peace process in jeopardy and the escalating violence, the arrival of a UN Peace keeping force in Sri Lanka was becoming inevitable.He said the emerging scenario was such that active members of the UN would suggest a peace keeping force be sent to contain the situation in Sri Lanka. “Sri Lankan Government will not be able to stop the UN from sending its troops if the UN decided to do so,” Dr. Senaratne said.

He said the UN would not have any other option but to divide the country and accept the North and East as a separate state if its forces failed to bring lasting peace and said there were 21 such countries which were on the verge of being divided. Lashing out at the JVP and the JHU which had objected to UN forces being introduced here, Dr. Senaratne said these parties were acting in ignorance. “These people were not aware that no one in Sri Lanka can stop a UN force arriving here in case such situation arises here,” he said.

“These parties are confused as they sign resolutions calling for a peaceful solution when they attend an All-party conference but start beating war drums when they go out,” he added.When asked about the JVP and the JHU criticizing foreign and local media Dr. Senaratne said no one could find fault with the media. He explained that media institutions such as the BBC were only concerned about the killings that go on and as such they publish stories on hardships faced by the civilians

LTTE's   FDL commander  Lt. Col. Veeramani killed in explosion

Former commanding officer of the LTTE's Charles Anthony brigade, Weeramani was killed in an explosion in LTTE held Wadamarachchi yesterday.The blast had occurred in Kalladi area.Weeramani once served as the leader of the LTTE's artillery brigade and at the time of his death was in charge of the Nagarkovil.He was regarded as an expert on explosives and LTTE political wing chief tamil Selvam too is reported to have visited the scene of the blast.

Electoral reforms coming amidst reports of snap polls

Amid news of a general election round the corner and a Cabinet reshuffle in a bid to increase parliamentary support for the Rajapksa government, the country will soon see the long awaited electoral reforms. Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, the Attorney General K.C. Kamalasabeyson and Minister Dinesh Gunawardene who headed the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms are expected to meet on Monday to decide on how to introduce a mixed electoral system which includes both the first past-the-post and proportional representation.

Minister Gunawardene yesterday met the Elections Commissioner and the Attorney General to discuss the recommendations submitted by him when he was earlier heading a Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms. But they were unable to reach any finality on the matter. In 1978 the then UNP government adopted the PR election system and since it had come under much criticism for its flaws mainly the lack of an individual member representing a particular geographical area constituting an electorate, Minister Gunawardene told the Daily Mirror. He said the candidates contested the whole district as a single electorate and the various political parties were later allocated parliamentary seats in proportion to the number of votes polled in the district.

Stop Madhu attacks - Mannar Bishop
 
The Bishop of Mannar Rayappu Joseph has expressed his concerns over the killings taking place in the Madhu area.Bishop Rayappu Joseph has written to Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksha that claymore mine attacks have been made from the jungle areas killing civilians.The Bishop said that six civilians have been killed by claymore mines attacks within the last few weeks “I have requested the Defence Secretary to take care that no military attacks happen in the reservation area said Bishop Rayappu Joseph.

Deep penetration

The Bishop explained that Madhu is considered a sacred area and many pilgrims visit the place thruought the year.When questioned why the bishop wrote to the Defence Secretary when it is well known that the LTTE is responsible for claymore mine attacks he said that it is the deep penetration units of the army that were responsible for these attacks.

“The local army commanders have informed me that these attacks are not conducted by them and it's the rapid deployment forces roaming in the jungles which are under direct instruction from the Defence Ministry that are conducting these attacks”

Ambush kills LTTE member in Madu

A member of the Liberation Tigers was killed and a civilian driver was seriously injured when the Sri Lanka Army soldiers who had advanced in to LTTE held area, set off a mine targetting a tractor that was transporting food to LTTE'S forward defence lines (FDL) in Madu, LTTE sources in Mannar said. The ambush occured around 9.50 p.m., Wednesday, the sources said. The civilian driver was identified as Viji,26, of Kilinochchi.

President Bush nominates new Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives

US President George W. Bush has announced his intention to nominate Robert O. Blake, Jr., of Maryland, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Sri Lanka and Maldives, a US Embassy statement said yesterday.

The US embassy in Colombo said Mr. Blake, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi, India. Prior to this, he served as Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the Department of State.

Earlier in his career, he served as an economic officer in Egypt, an economic officer in Nigeria and a political counselor in Tunisia. Mr. Blake received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University and his master's degree from The Johns Hopkins University, the statement said.

Power cuts to go on in Jaffna

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has dismissed a Cabinet paper on setting up a new power plant in Jaffna, citing its unit cost as being excessive. President Rajapaksa Wednesday shot down the idea at a Cabinet meeting, saying it would only be “funny” to implement a project of this nature, if people there cannot afford it. Jaffna town has been subject to daily power cuts since mid April, when the generators went out of order. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) last week said they could not confirm when the generators would be repaired.

It was in this background that the Cabinet paper was presented, only to find that the cost of power generation was unacceptably high. The projected unit cost for the new plant was Rs.29 while the CEB’s unit cost of power generation was between Rs.10.50 and 11.00.Various Ministers expressed diverse opinions on the matter, saying there were sufficient private companies who could offer power generation at a lower price.

President Rajapaksa directed Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne and the Treasury to study the matter further and submit alternative proposals. Meanwhile, a draft paper on admission grade one too came before the Cabinet, but it was put off for the next session since Education Minister Susil Premajayanth was out of the country. Another Cabinet paper on recruiting new cadres for the North Western and Central Provincial Councils, suffered the same fate for the same reason. Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon was is in Singapore for a medical checkup.

Problems of Tamils cannot be resolved through LTTE terrorism, says JHU

The JHU in Parliament yesterday said that the problems of the North-East Tamils had been given a racist fascist slant through the terror tactics of the LTTE.Speaking at the adjournment debate on the ‘Pearl Cruise’ attack, JHU parliamentary group leader Ven. Athureliya Ratana Thera said that the problems of the Tamil people could not be resolved through LTTE terrorism, which only sought to add a racist and fascist element to their issues.

He said one of the gravest errors made by the UNP and former president Chandrika Kumaratunga was accepting the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamil people.“Although we may not agree with all the views expressed by Tamil leaders such as Mr. Sampanthan, we see them as leaders with whom we can talk and resolve matters through discussions”, he said.

He said that during World War II, nobody advocated talks with Hitler or justified Nazism, even though the rise of Nazism had a reason, which was that the Jews controlled the businesses in the city, while the German people lived in poverty. He said that the onlygoal of the LTTE was to destabilize the State and this was proved by the attempt on Army Commander Sarath Fonseka’s life. He urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to approach the current crisis with responsibility.

The monk said that the ‘83 riots were politically motivated and not a spontaneous uprising of the people. Ever since then, the Sinhala people had shown patience and tolerance. “Not a single stone was hurled at the Tamil community, after the LTTE attacks on the Sri Maha Bodhi and the Dalada Maligawa” he said.He said that today there is no humanitarian organization to speak for the over 200,000 Sinhala people rendered destitute, when the LTTE forced them to leave their homes in Batticaloa, Jaffna, Ampara and Kilinochchi.

Navy detains fleeing Tamils

The Navy yesterday detained 105 Tamils off the Talaimannar seas, while trying to flee to India as refugees.A Navy spokesman said that during patrolling of the Talaimannar seas, they had detected the boats heading towards Southern India late in the night on Wednesday and yesterday morning.“We have arrested 105 Tamils in seven boats. Among them are females and children and 14 crew members”, the spokesman said.

They told police that the LTTE had threatened them to attend military training in LTTE-controlled Kilinochchi or leave for India.On Saturday, 10 Sri Lankan Tamils were drowned after their boat capsized near the Indian coast in southern Tamil Nadu state. Nine were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard. Police on Wednesday recovered the bodies of two Sri Lankan Tamils in Jaffna, believed to have drowned while trying to escape to India. The bodies of a man and a woman were washed ashore off the Jaffna peninsula, police said.Meanwhile, reports said that since last January about 1,188 Sri Lankan refugees have landed at Tamil Nadu state.

Claymore blast injures 2, civilian killed in SLA’s retaliatory fire

Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were seriously injured in a claymore attack at Kulappiddy in Kokkuvil, north of Jaffna town, around 6 p.m., Thursday. A civilian was killed in the SLA’s retaliatory fire. The wounded troopers were transported to Pallaly military base hospital, sources said.The claymore attack targettet a SLA patrol from Kokkuvil to Aanaikoddai.A search operation is underway in the blast site.

Home guard shot, injured in Trincomalee

Unidentified gunmen who came riding a motorbike Thursday morning around 10:00 a.m. shot and seriously injured a home guard at Palaiyootu, a suburb of Trincomalee town, police sources said. The home guard was immediately taken to Anuradhapura hospital where he was operated. Earlier report said he was killed in the incident. The injured home identified was identified as Asith of Chinabay.The security forces immediately launched a cordon and search operation in the area. Shops located near the crime site was closed due to tense situation when police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops conducted a house to house search, sources said.

25 May 2006

TNA to take up issues with intnl. community

The TNA which accused the Government of neglecting its duty of protecting the Tamils in the North and East said that they would make a decision on alternative steps to protest against recent killings.TNA MP R. Sambandan told a news conference that having a debate on the issue will not solve the problem and they would adopt alterative steps to protest against the recent killings in the North and the East.

“ However we would participate in the full days debate on volatile situation in the North and the East in Parliament on Friday while proceeding towards taking alternative steps to protest ,” he said. The party had also decided to take up the issue with the international community according to him. He explained that over 1000 had fled the country while some have drowned in Mannar recently. Some of them who were rescued have been arrested by the police according to him.

TNA welcomes Karunanidhi's election

 Sri Lanka's Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi, popularly known as the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), on Wednesday welcomed the election of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and expressed confidence that the "senior statesman" would take an interest in the resolution of the ethnic conflict.

"The fact that a senior statesman of the calibre of Kalaignar Karunanidhi has assumed the position of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is very welcome. He is a person with long experience and exposure to the plight of the people in Sri Lanka. We are confident that in due course, he would interest himself in the Sri Lankan situation," R. Sampanthan, the TNA's Parliamentary group leader told a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday.

Listing the attacks on Tamil civilians in the northeast in recent months, Mr. Sampanthan wanted India "to ensure that the Tamil people are not treated this way." He criticised the Sri Lankan Government for providing an atmosphere of impunity. "How can the security of the people be ensured by a mono-linguist force," he asked, adding that 99.9 per cent of the security forces and more than 95 per cent of the police were from the majority Sinhalese community.

Calling upon the Government to "stop the killings," Suresh Premachandran, TNA MP from Jaffna, said, "As an elected institution the Government has more responsibility than anybody else." The MPs were asked on what steps they would like the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to take to de-escalate the ongoing violence.

Japan wants north and east developed

Prior to leaving the country over the week-end for a crucial Co-chairs’ meeting, the Japanese Ambassador yesterday repeated his call for the continued development of the war ravaged North East despite the on-going violence.

At a meeting with the Peace Secretariat head Palitha Kohona, Ambassador Akio Suda said should development work in the northeast come to a standstill, it was bound to send wrong signals to the international community that the government was not keen on developing the North East.

The Ambassador reiterated Japan’s commitment for the development work in the country. Dr. Kohona while discussing the imminent European Union ban on the LTTE, insisted the government was committed to peace talks and said it was awaiting a positive response from the LTTE.

UK's First Sea Lord to visit Sri Lanka

Admiral Sir Jonathan Band, the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy and the Commander-in-Chief fleet is scheduled to arrive here early next month on a courtesy visit, defence officials said. Sir Jonathan who is also the Commander-in-Chief East Atlantic and the Commander of the Allied Naval Force for the North would be the first serving Royal Navy Commander to visit Sri Lanka after Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Last Viceroy of India.

The British Commander is visiting Sri Lanka on an invitation extended by former Sri Lankan Navy commander Daya Sandagiri, now the Chief of Defence Staff, during one of his official stays in the UK, the Navy spokesperson's office said.During his visit, the First Sea Lord is scheduled to meet the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and the Secretary of Defence, the Navy spokesman's office said.

Born in 1950, Sir Jonathan joined the Royal Navy in 1967. An alumni of Exter University, he received Naval training at BRNC Dartmouth and underwent fleet training in ships in the Far East.His Command comprises all Royal Navy surface ships, submarines, Royal Marines, Naval Air stations and the Royal fleet auxiliary. He had served throughout the world.He was closely involved in the Falklands campaign.

Navy Spokesman D.K.P Dassanayake said the Navy annually sends its middle and higher level officials for training in the United Kingdom. Most of its senior officers have been trained in the UK during some stage in their career.

Suicide bomber: The position pregnant with possibilities

In a major breakthrough the CID has discovered that the female suicide bomber had entered the army hospital by using the identity of a patient who had stopped visiting the maternity clinic after the birth of her child. A senior investigator told the Daily Mirror the CID had individually questioned more than 50 of the regular visitors especially those who had come to the maternity clinic on or before April 25.

Reportedly among the patients was one woman who had not come to the clinic for a long time although her name had been noted down, on several days including the day of the explosion, in the visitor’s log book at the main entrance.This woman had told detectives she had stopped visiting the army hospital maternity clinic some months ago since her baby was born.The detectives believe some inside contact had helped the suicide bomber to sneak into the army headquarters premises using the other woman’s identity particulars.

Foreign Minister wants Gulf Arab States to ban LTTE

Sri Lanka said yesterday it wants Gulf Arab states to ban the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and starve them of funds by cracking down on members who force Tamil expatriates in the region to chip in for its activities.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, in Doha to attend a conference on cooperation among Asian nations, also called on the international community to press the group back to the negotiations table. "In Qatar there are quite a lot of Tamil people who have reported that they have been intimidated by a few members of the LTTE," Samaraweera told Reuters after talks with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani in Doha.

"The (group) should be listed by the EU (as a terrorist organisation) and I think it should also be listed in Gulf countries," he said. "We are now hoping the international community will bring all pressure possible to bring them back to the table. Because we don't actually see anything other than a negotiated settlement."

The European Union agreed in principle this month to blacklist the LTTE as a terrorist organisation after a wave of attacks on the military.The LTTE is already outlawed by the United States, Britain, Canada and India. Samaraweera said the EU, where the bulk of Tamil expatriates lived, should shut down Tigers offices and freeze their assets.

"I would say the first thing is to cut off the fundraising capabilities. Tamil people contribute not because they are supporters of the LTTE, but because they are intimidated and threatened if they do not give money," he said. "If families living abroad do not pay up, their relatives living back in Sri Lanka are usually threatened."

India extends LTTE ban

The Indian Government on May 14 extended the existing ban on the LTTE for a further two years.The ban which was extended by the Indian Government was confirmed by the Tamil Nadu State Government on May 20. The Home Ministry of India in a statement with regard to the ban on the LTTE reiterated that permitting or supporting LTTE activities on the Indian soil would be considered against the law of the country. Meanwhile the ban which was brought against the LTTE in 1994 following the assassination of former Indian Premier Rajiv Gandhi is being extended by whatever Government that comes to power in India. It is for the sixth time that India has extended the ban on the LTTE.

Tamil journalists harassed 
 
Media rights watchdogs in Sri Lanka have condemned harassing Tamil media students by the protesters and the police. Free Media Movement (FMM) said three trainee journalists were harassed while filming a protest by students in the capital, Colombo.“They were then kept in Fort police station for more than three hours,” a FMM statement issued on Wednesday said.

The trainee journalists of Sri Lanka College of Journalism (SLCJ) were video filming a protest by Inter University Students Union (IUSU) and Inter University Bikku Union (IUBU).The students, protesting against violence by Tamil Tigers, have made a complaint to the police against video filming by the trainee journalists.

“Protesters alleged that the films might be passed over the LTTE in order to identify the protesters to retaliate,” the FMM statement said adding that it was a public incident where journalists from other institutions were present.The watchdog alleges that the trainee journalists were harassed because of their ethnic origin.

The protesting students have surrounded trainee journalists and questioning them when the arrived.“If police was not there situation could have being dangerous for the trainee journalists,” said the FMM.The media watchdog recalls that another Tamil journalist, Yathushan Premachandran, was harassed and handed over to police in Colombo by JVP protesters last year.

Brit rap star M.I.A. banned from US

Critically-acclaimed British rapper M.I.A. has been barred from entering the US to work on her new album, it has been revealed.

The star - whose real name is Maya Arulpragasam - posted a message on her website explaining that she had been due to work with top American hip hop producer Timbaland, but was now having to make the record elsewhere.

Arulpragasam, the daughter of a Tamil Tiger fighter, grew up in Hounslow, west London after fleeing Sri Lanka with her mother aged 11. Her debut album Arular, which saw her nominated for a Mercury Music Prize last year, features controversial lyrics about revolution.

In her most recent single, Sunshowers, she sings: "Like PLO I don't surrender."

Pull Up The People contains the line: "I've got the bombs to make you blow."

Arulpragasam, 28, does not explain in the website posting why she has been denied a visa. But numerous messages of support posted by fans suggest it is related to the political content of her songs.

Her artist's message, under the headline "They try to shut my door!" reads: "Roger roger do you here me over the US immigration won't let me in!"

She adds: "Now I'm strictly making my album outside the borders" and asks fans to spread the word using the internet.

Her UK record company, XL Recordings, would not comment on why she had not been able to get into America.

As a refugee with barely any English, Maya learnt the language from music and TV before eventually landing a place at the prestigious Central St Martin's College of Art and Design in London. She got involved in the music scene after Justine Frischmann, the one-time frontwoman of Britpop band Elastica, asked her to design an album cover and film the group's 2001 US tour.

Anura escapes suspension 

Tourism Minister and senior parliamentarian Anura Bandaranaike, observing a low political profile during the past five to six months, almost lost his seat in Parliament this week for not attending sittings for nearly three months. He had to be reminded by President Mahinda Rajapakse that he should attend Parliament or risk a three-month suspension, senior Government sources said yesterday (24).
However, Bandaranaike attended Parliamentary sessions on Tuesday (23) and perhaps avoided suspension, to the satisfaction of government benchers and himself thanks to the President.

Political sources also said that Anura Bandaranaike, who was usually a keen debater in Parliament over the years had mellowed of late and appeared not to be the sharp oratorical performer in and out of Parliament and was perhaps steering clear of controversy after the change of political fortunes within the SLFP, "for good reasons".

What mistakes have I done to evict me from party leadership? - Chandrika

SLFP leader Chandrika Kumaratunga directed a letter to General Secretary Maithreepala Sirisena yesterday asking what mistake she had committed to remove her from party leadership. Her letter was in response to a letter sent by Siriesena seeking on the 8th seekingher opinion on the Central Committee decision to amend the constitution with a view to changing the party leadership. She replied saying she needed 10 days to respond.

She had written a lengthy letter to the SLFP General Secretary and it was faxed to him yesterday. A copy of the letter was also sent to her office at Horagolla and on Kumaratunga?s instructions arrangements were underway to send copies of the letter to all executive and central committee members today (24), a Kumaratunga aide told 'Lanka e News'.

If some one wants to become the party president, it could be resolved through negotiations, Kuamratunga had said. She has also recalled services rendered by her to revive the party and bring it to power in 1994 and claimed that she even refused the life Chairmanship of the party that was offered to her.Even though she was due to arrive in the country this month, her arrival would be postponed further, a spokesman of her office said.SLFP General Secretary Maithreepala Sirisena is currently out of the country and is due to return home on the 28th .

Sri Lanka Mine blast kills three in Vavuniya

Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels set off a powerful Claymore mine in northern Sri Lanka, killing at least two soldiers and a policeman, a military official said. The victims were travelling in a vehicle which was blown up in the district of Vavuniya, nearly 260 kilometres (160 miles) north of the capital Colombo, the official said on Wednesday. The attack came ahead of a visit to Sri Lanka later this week by Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim for talks with both the government and the Tigers on how to salvage a four-year-old ceasefire.

Police chief accused of FR violation 
 
Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Sri Lanka and senior officers have been accused of violating fundamental rights of a junior police officer. Father and children of Douglas Nimal have accused the police department of failing to bring his murderers into justice.

Inspector of Police (IP) Douglas Nimal was gunned down in Athurugiriya, a suburb of the capital Colombo, last month.In an FR petition to Supreme Court, his relatives say the murder is “suspicious” as some in the police department were not happy of his investigations on drug dealings.

Drug dealings

Citing police Chief Chandra Fernando, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sarath Lugoda and 15 others, the petitioners has requested courts to order the accused to pay them Rs. 3 million as compensation.SSP Lugoda was not happy that late IP Nimal tried to arrest an underworld leader “Jiboy”, according to the petitioners.

Douglas Nimal was earlier arrested by police on charges related to drug dealings.He was shot dead soon after he was released as Attorney General ruled that there was no evidence to file charges against him.

Fishmonger Shot Dead Near Sri Lanka Army Camp

Chandran, 45, from Pallikkudiyiruppu, Muthur in area controlled by the LTTE, out on business on Tuesday failed to return home in the evening. He was found dead outside the Sri Lanka army camp at Thoppur.Chandran's bicycle was found abandoned closer to the army camp.

SL Army Shelling Kills An Auxiliary Cadre

Oppilamany Shangaran was killed, caught in the shelling conducted by the SL army on the Tamil areas in Muthur.An extensive shelling was conducted by the SL Army from its base at Eachantivu, kandalady on the Tamil settlements in the areas controlled by the LTTE around 9.30am, Wednesday.

SLA post ambushed in Thondamanaru, Jaffna

Unknown gunmen lobbed grenades and opened fire at a sentry post attached to 52-4 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp at Kerudavil near Thondamanaru in Vadamaradchi around 7:50 p.m. Wednesday. There are casualties, according to SLA sources. Kerudavil is located between Valvettithurai and Thondamanaru.Further details are not available at the moment.

 A Schoolboy Arrested In Jaffna

A 15 year-old schoolboy, Sellathurai Rameshkanna was arrested by the SL army as he was heading home in a car with his relatives to his village, Sirupiddy. Rameshkanna is a student at Kopay Christian College.He was told he did not possess his national identity card.National identity card is issued to 16 year-olds, usually, before they sit the GCE O/L Exam. Though Rameshkanna is under 16, the army forced him away to detention.

SLAF flies spy missions over LTTE controlled areas in Amparai

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Amparai political head Mr. Jeya registered a complaint Wednesday with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) against the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) for employing low flying aircrafts in reconnaisance missions over LTTE territory in Amparai district, LTTE sources said. An aircraft was seen circling over Wednesday from 10 a.m to 12.00 p.m, said LTTE sources in Amparai. The plane has circled the LTTE controlled Kanjirankudah area and all jungle areas from Vattamadu in Akkaraipatru to Pottuvil, civilian sources said.

The plane was seen returning in the direction of Galle, civilian sources said.The Sri Lanka government (GoSL) and its armed forces are continuously provoking the Liberation TIgers aimed at disrupting the peace process. The SLAF aircraft spying on our territory today is a serious violation of the CFA, said Jeya in his complaint.This is the first time a Sri Lankan spy-plane was observed on reconnaisance mission over Amparai district.Tamil civilians complained that the Special Task Forc (STF) troopers, the counter insurgency arm of the lankan forces, have threatened the civilians of aerial bombardment.

24 May 2006

Tigers turn down direct talks with Sri Lanka president –Source:AFP

 Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels rejected a call by Buddhist and Christian clergy for a direct meet between the president and the guerrilla leader in a bid to end decades of ethnic bloodshed. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they told a delegation of priests that any meeting with President Mahinda Rajapakse and Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran would only be through peace broker Norway.

The suggestion for direct talks between Rajapakse and the LTTE's Prabhakaran was made during a discussion Tuesday with the Tiger political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan in the rebel-held town of Kilinochchi, the rebels said."While appreciating your concern for peace and harmony, we cannot by-pass (peace broker) Norway in establishing contacts with the government to initiate a dialogue with President Mahinda Rajapakse as suggested by the inter-religious group," the LTTE quoted Thamilselvan as saying.

It said the delegation of Buddhist and Christian leaders told Thamilselvan that they met with the president a few days ago and he was keen to meet with Prabhakaran and discuss a political settlement to the island's ethnic conflict.Government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the monks were free to make suggestions but they were not carrying any official message from the administration.

"The government did not request such a meeting and the clergy may have made the suggestion on their own," Rambukwella told AFP. "The clergy certainly went to meet the Tigers in their own capacity."Thamilselvan urged the clergy to encourage the Sri Lankan government to fully implement the February 2002 truce as a confidence building measure between the two sides.

"If it is sincerely interested in making progress in the peace process, it has to ensure full implementation of the ceasefire in so far as the delivery of normalcy to the war-affected civilian Tamil population," the LTTE said.Thamilselvan said although the ceasefire was no resolution of the political conflict, it would "provide the basic peace dividend to the war-hit Tamil people, which is normalcy in their day to day life".

The remarks came ahead of a visit to the island by Norway's top peace envoy Erik Solheim who is expected here Friday to try and salvage the faltering peace process.Solheim, who is Norway's International Development Minister, is due to hold talks with Sri Lankan leaders before a crucial meeting of international aid donors in Tokyo on May 30.

Sri Lanka's key donors -- the United States, Japan,     European Union and Norway - are to review their involvement in the peace process amid a lack of progress and mounting violence in the island's embattled northeast despite the truce.More than 600 people have been killed in Sri Lanka's troubled regions since December with April listed as the bloodiest month with over 200 deaths, mostly of civilians.More than 60,000 people have been killed in the drawn out Tamil separatist conflict. Four previous peace attempts have ended in failure.

Tamil refugees from Lanka causing concern

Amid increasing fighting in Sri Lanka, the influx of Tamil refugees to India is rising and fears are expressed that the situation may become worse after the European Union bans LTTE.At least 2000 Tamils have already reached India and several hundred more are believed to be ready to leave Sri Lanka, official sources said here today. The people have started fleeing the island nation in the wake of escalation of fighting there.

With the European Union preparing to ban LTTE, New Delhi feels that on one side it is a positive step but on the other hand it is worrying because the Sri Lankan government may feel triumphant and intensify action against the rebels.Official sources here emphasised that there is a need for both sides to display flexibility and work to strengthen the peace process.

Major escalation in the fighting in Sri Lanka will not be liked by India, which will have to bear the political and economic fallout of the situation in the neighbouring country. The effect will be mainly pronounced in South India. New Delhi is, however, wary of getting involved in the Sri Lankan affairs directly because of the "certain history" and domestic political reality. Besides, India does not have any direct contact with the LTTE.

As a result, India is putting all its effort in backing the Norwegian mediation. Sources said that some parties, particularly Sinhala groups, in Southern Sri Lanka were open to the idea of having a federal structure modelled on India.

Attacks on INGOs: EU urges action

The European Union yesterday welcomed the government’s condemnation of the attacks on INGO offices but complained that the government had failed to take follow-up action despite its pledge to do so.“The EU is concerned about the lack of effective follow-up action on violent acts and the development of a culture of impunity that the government recognized in a statement to parliament and pledged to fight against,” EU ambassador Julian Wilson said in a statement.

He said the EU was aware of the government’s commitment to ensure that aid agencies continued their assistance to the people of Sri Lanka.But it added: “Ensuring strong investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice will be the most powerful way of showing that commitment.”The EU said INGOs had been coming under heavy criticism from many quarters and were now coming under open attack.

“The EU deplores the latest incidents which took place against international aid agencies providing humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka,” it said.The EU said Norwegian Refugee Council employee Jeyaruban Gnanapragasan was shot dead on the Puthiyasinnakulam road in Vavuniya on May 15. On May 21, grenades were thrown into the offices of three INGOs (ZOA Refugee Care, INTERSOS and Non-Violent Peace Force) in Mutur town, Trincomalee, leaving one international staff member injured and offices and equipment damaged.

The EU requested that concerned donor agencies be given an opportunity to meet the Secretary of Defence, the Inspector General of Police and others to be briefed on follow-up action.The EU said such attacks not only violated international humanitarian laws, but also limited the freedom and ability for aid agencies to deliver their support to affected people in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Police Chief Chandra Fernando yesterday said a ‘thorough’ and ‘impartial’ investigation was already launched into the attacks on three NGO offices and said investigators had started recording statements from several eyewitnesses.IGP Fernando told the Daily Mirror last night that two top police teams were already in the area probing the attacks.

“In addition to the main investigation unit, a special team comprising intelligence officers are also working on the job,” IGP Fernando claimed. According to an eye witness a man who had come on a motorcycle had hurled a hand grenade at one NGO office, the IGP said seeking public assistance to track down the attackers

Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence allows Ramanan's body to be taken to Vanni

The Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence has decided to allow the body of the slain Deputy Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) Military Wing in the Batticaloa district, Ramanan, to be taken to Vanni to receive last respects from Tiger leaders.

The LTTE accuses the Sri Lanka Army of targeting their leader with sniper fire while he was inspecting the Vavunathivu Forward Defence Line. The Army has rejected the charge, and the Karuna Group has claimed responsibility for the killing.

Ramanan is the most senior LTTE cadre to be killed since the Ceasefire Agreement was signed in 2002. He was allied to Karuna when the former second-in-command of the LTTE launched his rebellion. But later the LTTE's intelligence operations unit won the battle-hardened Tiger back to their side and it was considered one of the main reasons for Karuna's failure to keep the rebel-held areas under his control.

Tamil schools receive circulars, official communications in Sinhala

Tamil medium schools in Sri Lanka have been receiving circulars and other official documents from the Central Ministry of Education in Colombo in Sinhalese language only. No translation is provided because 99% of clerks in all eighteen branches of the Ministry of Education are Sinhalese, a senior ministry official said.

During the tenure of President Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunga who also acted as the Minister of Education, her secretary Dr.Ms.Tara de Mel agreed to set up a separate unit in the ministry to look into the needs of Tamil medium schools in the country but it did not materialize despite repeated requests by the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union and other teacher trade unions. However circulars to all Tamil medium schools were sent in Tamil language, sources said.

Since the government headed by President Mahinda Rajapakse assumed last November, circulars are sent to Tamil medium schools in Sinhala only violating the general rule that such circulars should be sent in Tamil language. Hence heads of Tamil medium schools are spending money to get these circulars translated in Tamil, education sources said.

National level seminars and workshops organized by the Colombo Ministry of Education to teachers and heads of schools are held only in Sinhala and seldom is a translation of such proceedings given in Tamil language, an education official said.

Party from Athauda to cover up corruption and fraud

The Ministry of Labour Relations and the Foreign Employment Bureau, engaged in a bid to prevent the media from disclosing rampant corruption and frauds in the Foreign Employment Bureau have thrown a lavish party to a group of selected journalists at Ceynor Institute lat night.

A sum of Rs. 450,000 have been spent on the party and one plate excluding VAT and the service charge was Rs. 750. Though the President has launched a campaign for temperance, alcohol was overflowing in this party organized by one of his cabinet ministers. Labour Minister who made a one and a half hour long speech at the party had indirectly requested the media men present not to make damaging disclosures about the Ministry.

At the last cabinet meeting, several Ministers came out strongly against the Bureau citing serious irregularities in sending people abroad for employment. As the Minister was not present at the meeting, the President contacted the Chairman of Bureau, Jagath Wellawatta and demanded a detailed report on sending people for overseas employment. After the President's order, the Bureau had conducted 5-day Korean language program and a test for 5000 persons registered in the Bureau for Korean employment.Rs. 3000 had been levied as exam fee.

There is no increase in the number of people sent abroad for employment under Mahinda Chintanaya. When compared with the first four months of the lat year, there is a drop in the number of persons sent for overseas employment.

The following figures show foreign employment for 2005 and 2006.

Saudi Arabia- 20801 ( 2005) ? 17430 (2006)
Kuwait ? 7460 ( 2005)- 7223 ( 2006)
Lebanon- 5675 ( 2005 )- 3357 ( 2006)

It is also said that Rs. 200,000 to 350,000 are levied from prospective Korean job seekers. In the foreign employment project, the most unsuccessful program is the sending of people to Malaysia. Only 1043 were sent to Malaysia although no restrictions have been imposed by the Malaysian government. The number of persons sent this year is 2305. More than 90 % of the persons sent to Malaysian in 2005 have already returned to the country due to poor salaries.

Cabinet reshuffle on Saturday

President Mahinda Rajapakse plans to reshuffle his cabinet of ministers on Saturday (27) and dissolve parliament end July. The President made his thinking known to confidants on Sunday after the results of the May 20 mini poll were announced.It is learnt, Saturday's reshuffle will see Plan Implementation Minister and Defence Affairs Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella elevated to cabinet rank while Foreign, Ports and Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera will have his subjects pruned.

The President is also under heavy pressure by a group led by former Cricket Board Chief Thilanga Sumathipala to remove Jeevan Kumaratunga from the Sports Ministry.Informed sources said the President is also likely to appoint national list MP Dulles Alahapperuma to cabinet. The President's decision to dissolve parliament and seek a fresh mandate, according to sources at Temple Trees, was determined by the outcome of  the mini poll.

Meanwhile, negotiations are also underway with the Sri Lanka Muslim  Congress (SLMC) and the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) to join the government and accept cabinet office. The negotiations have been conducted with the leadership of these two parties by President's brother Basil Rajapakse. Rajapakse was to meet with the SLMC on Monday to discuss the terms of joining forces but had to leave the country hurriedly to attend the funeral of CWC Leader Armugam Thondaman's father in South India.

It has been proposed to both these parties that they should also contest in alliance at a future general election. Both the CWC and the SLMC have been noncommittal on the issue of an electoral pact These sources said the President believes the economic situation in the country could slide further towards the latter part of the year due to the global prices and the security situation also further deteriorate making governance difficult without a clear mandate.

The President also fears a JVP pull out of the government in the latter part of the year in an  environment of economic instability and security vulnerability will make it difficult for the SLFP to get a clear mandate at a general election.

However, The Morning Leader learns a majority of UPFA MPs are opposed  to a dissolution of parliament and have argued that the JVP will not withdraw support to the government given its own dismal showing at the local polls. The MPs have argued that parliament must be allowed to run  its full course.

Alleged secret message from JVP to LTTE via peace envoy

In a letter sent to JVP’s Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa, UNP’s deputy secretary Tissa Attanayake accused the JVP of resorting to political chicanery in a bid to divert public attention from its (JVP’s) attempts to reach a clandestine understanding with the LTTE.The letter points out that during the UNP regime, talks between representatives of Sri Lanka’s Peace Secretariat and the Norwegian special peace envoy were held openly in Sri Lanka.

Tissa Attanayake recalled that the JVP which staged massive demonstrations against the process of negotiations aimed at working out a federal solution to the national problem was now holding secret discussions with the LTTE via the Peace Secretariat head Palitha Kohona and the Norwegian special peace envoy in Barcelona in Spain.

He says that it has been brought to light that the objective of this discussion was to convey a message from the JVP to the LTTE through the Norwegian peace envoy.The UNP deputy secretary alleged that this was another instance of surreptitious double dealing by the JVP which has informed the LTTE it is prepared to support a federal solution subject to four conditions.

According to Attanayake the conditions stipulated by the JVP are:

- There should be only one Ministry of Foreign Affairs in place in Sri Lanka.

- There should be only one Finance Ministry functioning in Sri Lanka.

- All appointments and operations of the North-East security forces should be brought under the purview of the Ministry of Defence.

- The term ‘Federal’ shall not he used in the implementation of the solution.

Mr Attanayake says the JVP propaganda secretary’s letter to UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on the ceasefire agreement “is the latest turn of your chicanery”.Referring to the accusation made by the JVP regarding UNP leader’s statement, the letter explains that what the (UNP leader) meant was that the government agreed to disarm the paramilitary forces and neglecting that promise had led to the present deadlock in the talks.

“It is common knowledge” the letter adds “that the JVP advised the government on the agreement, including the section regarding the disarming of paramilitary forces”. The JVP should have objected to it at that moment,” the letter adds

Soldier shot dead

One soldier was killed and two injured in two separate incidents in the north east yesterday in a fresh bout of violence.A soldier was shot dead in Irappaikulam in Vauniya yesterday morning and several hours earlier the Army Forward Defence Line (FDL) at Nagarkovil came under small arms fire.Military Spokesperson Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe told The Morning Leader that the army post in Irappaikulam came under fire around 3:30 a.m. yesterday morning. The FDL in Nagarkovil had come under fire around 10:15 p.m. on Monday leaving two soldiers injured, according to Samarasinghe.The FDL had come under attack six times during the last week.

Jeyaratnam’s wife held incommunicado

Mrs. Sarala Jeyaratnam, wife of missing Inspector Thurairatnam Jeyaratnam of Police Intelligence, complains of harassment at the hands of the very police which her husband served faithfully.A mother of two children aged five and seven Mrs. Jeyaratnam (39) complains of death threats and being denied her missing husband’s salary with effect from January 2006.

While her husband was being described as a traitor by the LTTE the very same police department, which he sacrificed his life for, hounds her almost daily at her flats at the Police Inspectors’ quarters adjoining the Mount Lavinia SSP’s office. The flat was broken into and all gold jewellery, valuables and documents she possessed had been plundered during her absence, she said.

Furthermore, allegations and accusations have been made in the media that when her flat was forcibly entered into during her absence, a sophisticated sniper gun was found inside.Mrs. Jeyaratnam said that the gun was one used by her husband’s father, who was senior prison office during World War II. All officers who visited her husband at their residence knew about this gun.

When The Island contacted the Mount Lavinia Police, ASP S. M. Jayatilleke denied this reporter entry to Mrs. Jeyaratnam’s flats stating that orders had come from above not to allow anyone to enter her flat or to meet her. IP Wickremasinghe said that he could point out her flat but we could not enter her residence.

No valid reason was given for denying entry. Some police officers questioned whether Mrs. Jeyaratnam was in the flat at that time and how she got there. Mrs. Jeyaratnam told ‘The Island’, in a telephone interview, that she fears for her life and that she and her two children were between the devil and the deep blue sea.

She appealed to President Mahinda Rajapakse to direct the authorities to stop traumatizing her and her children and to pay in full the back wages of her husband without any delay. "If not I do not know what would be my fate tomorrow," she wailed.

One killed, another injured in Jaffna

The body of a young man with his throat cut, and hands and legs tied togetherwas found behind a church near Mallakam junction, north of Jaffna town, sources said. He was identified as Sivagnananam Sanjeevan, 25. The body is lying at the Jaffna hospital morgue, the police said. The motive for the killing is not known.Meanwhile, Vilvarasa Ravesan,24, was shot and seriouly injured byunidentified armed men, at Kantharodai in Chunnakam, around 8 p.m., Tuesday. He was admitted at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. The incident occured ay Kantharodai in Chunnakam, sources said.

Army deserter kills woman in Kaladiya

An army deserter has been taken into custody over the murder of 52-year-old H.A.L. Harriet in the Kaladiya police division last week.The deserter has also been accused of attempting to murder two others who have been hospitalised. The motive had been a previous enmity. The T-56 rifle used for the crime had been procured from a security officer of a deputy minister. Inquiries are continuing.

SLA builds new camp in Navatkuli

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is building a new camp in Navatkuli Jaffna as part of a wider effort of expanding SLA positions in the Thenmaradchi sector of the Jaffna peninsula, sources from Jaffna said. About 300 troops from the 52-1 Brigade are putting up fences and building sentries between Navatkuli junction and Navatkuli bridge, civilian sources said. Civil society sources said that the establishment of new camp will likely impede the flow of traffic on the A-9 high way.

Meanwhile, a firefight was reported at Sonappu in Karaveddi, around 6:00 p.m., Monday. Attackers fired at a SLA sentry post from behind a shrub jungle, and troops retaliated, sources said. It is not known if there were any casualties. Earlier on Monday at Sandilipai SLA troopers on a road patrol retaliated when unidentified armed men fired at them, sources said.

Man arrested with hand grenade near harbour

The Colombo Special Operations Unit arrested a man possessing a foreign-made hand grenade near the Colombo Harbour on May 16.A team led by Chief Inspector P. de Alwis charged A.A.N.N. Alahakoon, a resident of Ambanwita, Gampaha, with the robbery of several vehicles and possessing a foreign-made hand grenade at the time of arrest.Police reports revealed that some of the vehicles stolen by the man had been given to the LTTE.

Sangaree seeks meeting with Karunanidhi on 'Indian Model'

 TULF President V. Anandasangaree has written to Tamil Nadu's new Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi urging a meeting between them to enlist the latter's support for promoting the Indian model of power devolution in Sri Lanka.

"My proposal to the Government of Sri Lanka to adopt a constitution like the Indian model has received very wide support. One important feature in the Indian Constitution is that it is not referred to as Federal or Unitary.

The Indian Model seems to be acceptable to those who are opposed to the words Unitary and Federal and seems suitable to the country", Sangaree states in his letter to the CM. He said: Your reference to the Sri Lankan ethnic problem, at the reception accorded to you by Thanilagam, gives us, the Tamils of Sri Lanka, great relief and we also see a ray of hope for the settlement of our problem.

As a matter of right I seek your participation in solving our problem. I hope I need no introduction to you. When I was a Member of Parliament I had an opportunity of meeting you alone in 1976 and also once again with the Sri Lankan eminent Lawyer the late Hon. G.G. Ponnambalm Q.C. After the demise of M. Sivasithamparam I assumed office as the President of the TULF.

You have said in the course of your speech that when the need arises you will speak to the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, about our problem. The urgent need has now come for you to intervene. Unlike in the past, today even the Sinhalese people welcome your intervention.

All Sri Lankans want a just solution so that all can live peacefully. At this juncture if your honour will undertake a visit to Sri Lanka you will be not only fulfilling the long desire of many Sri Lankans but also a longstanding dream of yours will materialise. The Sinhalese too will be very keen to receive you. On behalf of the people I request you to pay an early visit.

Please do not misunderstand that the Sinhalese seek your assistance to suppress the Tamils. During the last two years, both withing Sri Lanka and out side, I had been and still having a series of discussions with groups of Sri Lankan expatriates belonging to three main communities, leaders of political parties, Buddhist clergy and other religious leaders.

All Sinhalese, Muslims and large section of Tamils are oppose only to the division of the country but are agreeable for a federal solution. Although the Tamils are predominant in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, majority of them have now chosen to live with the Sinhalese in the South. The International Community including the European Union is insisting on a federal solution within a united Sri Lanka.

Which ever party comes to power in India no Prime Minister had failed to state clearly that they are opposed to a separate state within Sri Lanka. Hence the cry for a separate state has come to an end. Very large section of the people in Sri Lanka welcome a solution based on Federalism.

For the first time in the history of Sri Lankan ethnic problem, two major political parties that capture power in turns openly decided to accept the Federal Solution to the problem. The Presidential candidate of one of the two main political parties the UNP, Ranil Wickremesinghe who offered federalism as a solution polled 49.7% votes in spite of the fact that the Tamils of the North and the East were prevented from casting their votes.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party of President Mahinda Rajapaksa had resolved unanimously at the last convention to offer a Federal Solution, supported by both the Ex President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and the present President who was prime minister at that time. The Left parties had always supported Federalism. If assured of a permanent solution the remaining political parties too, I hope will support a federal solution.

I wrote to you last year on 08-05-2005 explaining the pathetic plight of the people of the North and the East. Since there is no change in the situation, I am annexing a copy of that letter for your reference. My proposal to the Government of Sri Lanka to adopt a constitution like the Indian model has received very wide support. One important feature in the Indian Constitution is that it is not referred to as Federal or Unitary.

The Indian model seems to be acceptable to those who are opposed to the words Unitary and Federal and seems suitable to our country. There is an opportunity now to have powers devolved to various provinces in Sri Lanka, like those devolved to the state of Tamil Nadu now under your administration.

You are the only person who has the capacity to do this. If you accept this task it will give great satisfaction to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the National Progressive Alliance and the wife of the late Rajiv Gandhi, that you are fulfilling the task that her husband could not complete before he was assassinated.

With the backing of the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and with the assistance of the leaders of the Left parties and representatives of the Muslim parties with whom you are working, your task becomes much easier.

"I shall be thankful to you if you would kindly allocate a suitable day and time for me to meet you and explain further. Please treat this appeal as one coming to the Leader of Tamils all over the world on behalf of the suffering Tamils of Sri Lanka."

23 May 2006

Solheim returns to Sri Lanka on Friday

Norway's International Development Minister and former Special Peace Envoy Erik Solheim is due here on Friday to push the stalled peace process in Sri Lanka ahead of the upcoming donor co-chairs meeting. Informed sources said that during his tour in Sri Lanka, Mr. Solheim is expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several ministers including Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, who is the head of the government’s Geneva delegation. “He will be here to discuss the stalled peace efforts ahead of a crucial meeting [of aid donors] in Tokyo later this month,” a spokesperson said. Solheim temporarily withdrew from the Special Peace Envoy post due to his busy schedule after he was appointed a Minister and appointed a new envoy to look into Sri Lanka’s issue.

United Nations - appalled- by -despicable - attacks on aid organizations

A senior United Nations officer in Sri Lanka today called on the Government and rebels fighting in the north and east of the country to ensure the safety of all humanitarian aid organizations there following yesterday’s grenade attacks on three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the earlier shooting dearth of a Norwegian aid worker.

“The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka is appalled by the continuing despicable attacks on humanitarian workers in the north and east,” interim coordinator Amin Awad said in a statement.

“We strongly condemn these attacks which undermine the ability of the humanitarian community to freely conduct operations, and which instil fear into the thousands of men, women and children to whom we provide relief and assistance. These attacks must be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice,” he added.

All parties must urgently halt the current escalation of violence which is affecting innocent civilians, and work urgently towards a peaceful solution to the current impasse, he declared. Mr. Awad’s statement was but the latest in a string of recent UN expressions of alarm. Last week the UN Children’s Fund warned that Sri Lankan children were falling victim to the renewed clashes between the Government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It noted that thousands of children had been displaced.

On Friday the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that more than 1,000 Sri Lankans have fled to southern India since the beginning of the year, over and above the thousands displaced within the country. And 10 days weeks ago Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on both sides to “change course and bring the country back on a path to peace.”

Tamils to rally in front of Bern Parliament

Expatriate Tamils from across countries in Europe are to stage a rally in front of Swiss parliament in Bern on the 29 May Monday at 1:00 p.m., leaflets distributed by the organizing officials said. The rally will urge the European countries to assist Tamils in achieving their self-determination rights or to recognize Tamils' right to secede, organizers said.
 
Buses and trains are being organized by the rally officials in most of the countries, and those planning to participate are asked to contact local co-ordinating offices, leaflets said.The rally will place the following demands to key decision makers in the European member countries:

1.Recognize Tamil Nation, Tamil Homeland and Tamils right to self-determination,2.Lift ban on Liberation Tigers, 3.Remove restrictions on High Security Zones (HSZ) allowing displaced Tamils in NorthEast to resettle in their homes,4.Remove ban on fishing along coasts of NorthEast, and 5. Not to repatriate Tamils who seek refugee status in European capitals until a politically negotiated solution is accepted by both warring parties in Sri Lanka.

United States condemns attacks on NGO offices in eastern Sri Lanka

The United States yesterday condemned the grenade attacks against three international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) in Muttur.

Issuing a statement, the US Embassy in Colombo said, “The unprovoked attacks against Inter SOS, ZOA and the Non-Violent Peace Force resulted in injuries to several people, including an expatriate NGO worker. These INGOs are working in Sri Lanka to meet humanitarian needs and bring people together in the search for a lasting peace in the country.”

At least three employees, including a Serbian national, attached to three peace-promoting INGOs based in Muttur were injured Sunday evening. Sri Lankan military spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said, “The simultaneous attacks were carried out by motorbike-riding suspected LTTE terrorists on three NGOs, Non Violent Peace Force, Zoa and Intersos.”

The injured foreigner, named Fabijan Periskic, from Serbia along with two other injured members of the Muslim community were taken to Trincomalee in naval boats for medical treatment, Brigadier Samarasinghe said. “Violent attacks against such organizations are deplorable and undercut efforts to lay the groundwork for a resumption of talks leading to a final settlement, the US Embassy stated.

TRO condemn attacks on INGOs, calls Sri Lanka for investigations  
 
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), in a press statement issued Monday May 22nd, condemned the grenade attacks on the three international non-governmental organizations, Non Violent Peace Force (NVPF), ZOA, and InterSOS, in Trincomalee District and last week’s killing of the Norwegian Refugee Council employee, Mr. Jeyaruban Gnanapragasam.

Condemning the attack, the TRO statement said, “TRO is disturbed by these events and the continuing degradation of the security situation in the NorthEast. The security of humanitarian workers engaged in relief work with tsunami and war affected populations in the NorthEast must be ensured.”

“When taken in the wider context, these incidents together with the abduction of the TRO employees on 29 & 30 January, are bound to have a serious impact on the humanitarian work being performed by international and local NGOs,” the TRO said warning that these incidents will “serve to further exacerbate the appalling living conditions that the people of the NorthEast are subjected to.”

“TRO joins the humanitarian agencies and the international community’s request to the Government of Sri Lanka to fully investigate this violence and ensure the safety of all humanitarian workers,” the statement further said. The TRO statement is the lastest in a chorus of voices demanding that the Sri Lanka Government investigate the attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The United Nations also condemned attack on the INGO offices. “We strongly condemn these attacks which undermine the ability of the humanitarian community to freely conduct operations, and which instill fear into the thousands of men, women and children to whom we provide relief and assistance,” a statement from the UN said.

“These attacks must be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice,” the UN statement further asserted. The TRO also urged the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to publish the results of their investigation into the abductions of the TRO employees.

President probes arms procurement deals during Chandrika's era

Supreme Court Justice Shirani Thilakawaradane has been appointed as Chairman of the commission nominated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to probe arms procurement transactions from 2000 to 2005 spending 100 million rupees annually.

The other two members of the Commission are Justices of the Supreme Court, Nissanka Kumara Udalagama and Nimal Edward Dissanayake.Retired Sri Lanka administrative Service official Edmund Jayasuriya will serve as the Secretary of the Commission. The Commission has been instructed to hand over its report in three months.

The Commission was appointed by the President on April 24 under the Commissions of Inquiry Act
During the 5 year period under probe, it was former President Chandrika Kumaratunga who served as the Commander in Chief and Defence Minister.

Serious questions were raised during the Chandrika Kumaratunga administration regarding the procurement of attack crafts, multi barrel rocket launchers, bullet proof vehicles and helicopters for the Air force.Meanwhile startling disclosures were made by the media regarding procurement of crafts for the Navy when Chief of Defence Staff Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri was functioning as the Navy Commander.

No Country Has a Right to Tell Us To Lay Down Arms - Pulidevan

"The countries that are asking us to lay down our arms did not provide us with our arms. They were given to us by our people. They were gathered by our LTTE cadres in our victorious battles. They now provide protection to our people," said Pulidevan, The Secretary-General of the Peace Secretariat in an interview to the National Tamil Television, NTT at Kilinochchi..

"It is only when the aspirations of the Tamil people are attained and our liberation enshrined that the LTTE will hand over our arsenal to the Tamil National Army properly intertwined into in the infrastructure of our nation. Therefore, it is ludicrous on the part of any nation to demand or suggest handing over of our weapons or laying them down," Pulidevan said, referring to the latest Press Release of the European Union.

"The Tamils have implicit faith in the leadership of the LTTE, with our National Leader at its helm. The Tamil people, with the leadership of the LTTE will combine to decide how the future of our nation should be structured.  Canada or EU, with their ban on the LTTE cannot prevail on us and impose their decisions or solutions. Rest assured, exerting pressure will not bear fruit.

"It is only when a freedom struggle progresses towards its climax that the International Community and Regional powers exert pressure and threats to cripple it. They wish to buttress the tottering governments facing defeat in order to see that the regional and international status quo is not upset.

" Knowing what they are up to, should we succumb to threats and sacrifice our aspirations? Let it be known we will not yield in to pressures and threats," said Pulidevan with finality.

Haves feast, JVP too remain silent

A resolution to increase the salary of the Prime Minister to Rs.47,100 is to be passed in parliament today. If the resolution was passed, President Mahinda Rajapaksa will receive arrears amounting to one million rupees for the period he served as Premier while the incumbent PM too will get some arrears.It is reported that the President and present Prime Minister had only received the salary of an ordinary member of Parliament.

According to the proposal moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vishwa Warnapala, with effect from 01,12,2004, the Premier's salary would be 46,400 rupees. The proposal also said that a monthly salary of 37,400 should be paid to the President for his tenure as Prime Minster from 22-4-2004 to 30-11-2004 and Rs. 46,400 from 1-12-2004 to 18-11-2005. Under the proposal the Prime Minister’s salary will be 47,000 rupees with effect from 24,11,2005 which is higher than the salary drawn by the Chief Justice.

The cabinet has unanimously ratified the salary hike and has also been approved at a party leader's meeting held under Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara.JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa had also been present at this party's leader's meeting but had not made any comments.The salaries of Ministers and MPs too will go up in relation to this salary increase.When contacted Professor Vishwa Warnapala said the salary hike was in keeping with the recommendations made by the Salary Commission.

TNA appeals for an even-handed approach(TELO,ITAK,EPRLF,ACTC)

Full text of the press release follows:

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which consists of 22 Tamil Members of Parliament of the 23 Tamil Members elected to Parliament from the Northeast of Sri Lanka, the areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking people, and as the Party that has consistently polled well over 90% of the Tamil votes cast in the Northeast at consecutive elections, met to consider the Resolution that was recently passed in the European Parliament pertaining to the current situation in Sri Lanka. The TNA wishes to make the following observations:

The conflict between the Tamil Nation and the Sri Lankan State arose because of the systematic refusal of the Sri Lankan State to accommodate Tamil political aspirations to exercise the right to self-determination. All attempts by the Tamil political leadership according to the democratic mandates given by the Tamil people to peacefully arrive at reasonable solutions to evolve a system of government for Sri Lanka that permit the Tamil people to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development in the areas of their historical habitation in the Northeast of Sri Lanka have been consistently, systematically and unilaterally denied by the Sri Lankan State for over 55 years.

In turn the Sri Lankan State while pursuing unjust legislative and executive actions against the Tamil people, adopted violent repressive measures to further subjugate the Tamil people and deny them any meaningful part in the governance of the State, particularly in the areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking people that is the Northeast of Sri Lanka.

It is in this backdrop that the Tamil National struggle that started seeking self-determination through non-violent intra-state territorial nationalism that in fact explicitly rejected separatism, transformed into separatist nationalism. Even in the case of the latter, Tamil separatist nationalism further transformed from a non-violent struggle to an armed struggle. The TNA wishes to reiterate that the single causative feature that triggered the evolution of the Tamil National struggle has been the intransigence of the Sri Lankan State in its refusal to recognise the Tamil People's right to self-determination and share power on the one hand, and its violent repression against the initial 30 year non- violent Tamil demands on the other.

In the current phase of the Tamil National struggle that has lasted over the last two decades, it is the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that has ascended to becoming the predominant politico-military organization commanding the support of the Tamil people. The Tamil people are acutely aware that the current peace process that commenced with the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in February 2002 arose not as a result of the LTTE being militarily weakened or defeated, but rather as a result of the Sri Lankan State failing to achieve a military solution despite strenuously attempting to do so. In fact it is this reality, coupled with the fact that the LTTE had taken control of substantial territory that comprised the areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking people in the Northeast of Sri Lanka and had successfully established a parallel de-facto State, that compelled the Sri Lankan State to enter into a CFA.

Consequently, the current peace process is a reflection of the strategic balance of power that exists between the Sri Lankan State and the LTTE as reflected by the aforestated ground realities. This includes all the military formations possessed by the LTTE, including the Sea Tiger naval wing.

It is in full recognition of this reality and the overwhelming support enjoyed by the LTTE amongst the Tamil people, both in Sri Lanka and abroad, that the TNA as a mark of solidarity sought and received a resounding mandate from the Tamil people at consecutive elections recognizing the LTTE as the authentic and sole-representatives of the Tamil people at any peace process. The most recent demonstration of this mandate being the overwhelming victories enjoyed by the TNA at the recently concluded Local Government Bodies elections wherever held in the Northeast of Sri Lanka.

The cause of the current crisis in the peace process is the escalating cycle of violence between the LTTE on the one hand, and the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and Paramilitary armed groups on the other. This violence has been characterized by the former head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) as a “shadow war”. Whilst Sri Lanka has been gripped by this violence despite the CFA, this violence has become particularly acute in the past few months since the new administration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed power in November last year.

The primary cause of the current violence has been due to the refusal of the Sri Lankan State to implement key provisions of the CFA that obligates the State to disarm and dismantle Paramilitary armed groups in the Northeast of Sri Lanka. On the contrary the Sri Lankan State has been supporting and working with new Paramilitary armed groups in the Northeast of Sri Lanka that have been involved in targeted killings of LTTE members, prominent TNA political leaders including elected parliamentarians, leaders of Tamil Civil Society, Tamil humanitarian workers, and prominent Tamil journalists.

Particularly, in the past few months, as several local and international observers, including the SLMM have noted with alarm, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces along with its Paramilitary armed groups have been involved in extra-judicial killings of Tamil civilians. Further, in retaliation for attacks on the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces have carried out punitive aerial bombardments and indiscriminate shelling from land and sea of Tamil civilian residential areas, killing and grievously injuring several Tamil and Muslim civilians, and displacing tens of thousands of Tamil civilians. Large numbers of such persons have fled across the sea to India, and in so doing, there have been several casualties.

It was in a very grave situation that the Sri Lankan State and the LTTE met in Geneva in February this year and agreed to the full implementation of the CFA by both parties. The Sri Lankan State and the LTTE particularly committed themselves to taking all necessary measures to ensure that there will be no intimidation, acts of violence, abductions or killings. Further, the LTTE committed itself to taking all necessary measures to ensure that there will be no acts of violence against the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and the Police. The Sri Lankan State in turn committed itself to taking all necessary measures in accordance with the CFA to ensure that no armed group or person other that the Government Armed Forces will carry arms or conduct armed operations. The parties also agreed to meet again in Geneva from the 19th to the 21st of April 2006.

A close look at the events consequent to the agreements reached in Geneva will clearly show, all hostile acts against the Sri Lankan State Armed Forces and the Police were brought to an end. However, the Government delegation no sooner that they returned to Sri Lanka began to behave in a manner that was disrespectful, and undermined the said agreements. Further to this, the Government also failed to take any action whatsoever to disarm and dismantle the functioning of the Paramilitary armed groups. Contrary to this, the violence and killings by Paramilitary armed groups against the Tamil civilian population and the LTTE escalated many fold. The fact that the Paramilitary armed groups worked together with the Sri Lankan State Armed Forces in all these activities is well known.

There can be no doubt that despite the agreements reached in Geneva, the unabated violence by the Sri Lankan State Armed Forces and its Paramilitaries against the LTTE and Tamil civilians, which also included the assassination of Mr. V. Vigneswaran, the prominent TNA member who was to be appointed as a National List Member of Parliament to take the place of the late Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham who was also assassinated by the Sri Lankan State Paramilitary Forces, is what triggered counter-attacks against the Sri Lankan State Armed Forces and Paramilitary groups.

As such, recent events more than ever before have demonstrated yet again to the Tamil people that not only are the Sri Lankan State Armed Forces not going to be affording any protection to the Tamil people, but more importantly, the Tamil people in fact need protection from those very same Sri Lankan State Armed Forces. Therefore there is no doubt in the minds of the Tamil people that the LTTE's military formations is something that is directly linked to the Tamil people's need for human security and deterrence against repressive measures by the Sri Lankan State Armed Forces.

The TNA also points out that though the primary objective of the CFA was the evolution of a peaceful political solution, the Sri Lankan State has never demonstrated a genuine commitment to take forward the political process in a meaningful way. This was amply demonstrated by the deliberate scuttling of the commencement of negotiations on the proposals for an ISGA submitted by the LTTE in 2003, and the abrogation of the agreement between the Sri Lankan State and the LTTE regarding the Post-Tsunami operations Management Structure (P-TOMS). The Sri Lankan State and leading members in the political hierarchy in order to fulfill their personal political ambitions have been more concerned with pacifying Sinhala chauvinism and extremism than with the achievement of progress in the political process. Such attitudes on the part of the Sri Lankan State have raised legitimate concerns about the genuine commitment of the State to peacefully resolve the Tamil question. It is imperative that the frustration caused to the Tamil people and the LTTE by such an attitude on the part of the Sri Lankan State is properly understood.

This situation has been exacerbated by (i) the failure on the part of the Sri Lankan State to honestly implement the February Geneva agreement, (ii) the killing of around 200 Tamil civilians in the Northeast since the February Geneva agreement (iii) deliberately impeding the LTTE and complicating its efforts to prepare for the further round of talks. These actions of the Government clearly demonstrate that though the Government verbally reiterates the desire to engage in dialogue with the LTTE, every action of the Government is directed towards thwarting of such dialogue.
In the above background the TNA urges that no action be taken which casts the blame on one side. Such a step can irretrievably harm the legitimate interests of the long-suffering Tamil people. It would also strengthen the hands of Sinhala chauvinists and extremists who oppose a just and honourable resolution of the Tamil question. It also provides an opportunity to the intransigent Sri Lankan State to evade its responsibility to meaningfully move towards progress in the political process.

The TNA on behalf of the Tamil speaking people appeals to the European Union and the International Community for a more even-handed approach.

R. SAMPANTHAN M.P. (Leader of the TNA Parliamentary Group)

SELVAM ADAIKALANATHAN M.P. (TELO President)

MAVAI SENATHIRAJAH M.P.(ITAK General Secretary)

SURESH PREMACHANDRAN M.P. (EPRLF Secretary General)

G. G. PONNAMBALAM M.P. (ACTC General Secretary)

The Death of Peace-Source: TIME Asia Magazine
Fighting between the government and the rebel Tigers is intensifying. How did Sri Lanka come back to the brink? 
BY ALEX PERRY

The forensic pictures show a family lying together on a grass mat. Agnes Ketheeswaran, 23, is in a pink sarong and green skirt, her husband Palachamy, 25, is bare-chested, and their two sons—four years old and four months old—are naked between them. Under Palachamy's prone head is a shallow well of blood. On the shiny brown bellies of his two dead boys is blood from their mother, who has been shot in the face. The murders were part of a wave of executions on May 13 on the remote northern Sri Lankan island of Kayts. That evening, the gunmen killed nine others, including four of the Ketheeswarans' relatives. "I can't imagine what type of animals would do this," says Father Amal Raj from nearby St. Philip Neri's church, who helped move the bodies.

Just two days earlier, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (L.T.T.E.), which is fighting for a separate Tamil state, had killed 17 Sri Lankan navymen in a suicide attack. So the murder of the Ketheeswarans, who were ethnic Tamils living near a naval base, was viewed by some as revenge by wayward sailors. Others saw it differently: some supporters of the Tigers blamed rival Tamils; an aide to President Mahinda Rajapakse spoke of unspecified forces "trying to discredit the President"; and Sinhalese nationalists even suggested the Tigers had killed their own to justify future attacks. To make sense of the latest fighting, here is a guide to an all but intractable conflict that sometimes seems to make no sense at all.

• HOW DID IT COME TO THIS?
War broke out in 1983 and had cost 64,000 lives by the time a cease-fire was signed in 2002. The government of Ranil Wickremesinghe promised peace, and the Tigers declared they wanted to join the political mainstream. But skirmishes continued after the cease-fire, and when Wickremesinghe lost power in April 2004 and was succeeded by a government allied to hard-line Sinhalese nationalists, the fighting intensified. The same year, the senior Tiger commander in the east, Karuna, broke away from the L.T.T.E., claiming its leaders were biased against eastern Tamils. The violence escalated in the east, and the L.T.T.E. accused the government of covertly backing Karuna. There was more anger after the December 2004 tsunami, which killed 36,000 Sri Lankans: Sinhalese hard-liners objected to giving the Tigers aid to distribute in areas they controlled, saying that would legitimize terrorism. Today both sides maintain they are abiding by the cease-fire and neither has launched an all-out offensive, for fear of being blamed for declaring hostilities. But with government air raids and artillery barrages, Tiger suicide bombs and mine attacks, and executions on both sides, neither is keeping the peace. "The truce is still in place in theory," says Peter Chalk, a senior analyst at security specialist Rand. "But for all intents and purposes, it's back to war."

• WHY FIGHT?
The island's two main ethnic groups are the majority Sinhalese (who number 14 million, are Buddhist, and live mainly in the south) and the Tamils (who number 2 million, are Hindu, and are concentrated in the north and east). The roots of discord go back to colonial times. The British favored the Tamils in the civil service in what Neil DeVotta, author of Blowback, a book about the origins of the conflict, says was "classic divide and rule." After independence in 1948, the Sinhalese took revenge. They made Sinhala the official language, discriminated against Tamils in areas like education and farming, and made Sinhala chauvinism a winning electoral strategy, most recently last November for President Rajapakse. Eventually, the L.T.T.E. took up the cause for the Tamils and began fighting for their own state in the northeast. Today the Tigers say they will accept a separate nation within a Sri Lankan federation. "The organization favors a form of regional autonomy and self-government," the L.T.T.E.'s chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham, told TIME by e-mail. Rajapakse says he will consider limited Tamil autonomy but rules out federalism, insisting the island remain a unitary state.  

• HOW FORMIDABLE ARE THE TAMIL TIGERS?
Sri Lankan Presidents and Prime Ministers come and go, but L.T.T.E. leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has been around for 30 years. Born in a far-north village known as a smugglers' haven, he started young, allegedly killing the mayor of Jaffna, Sri Lanka's northernmost city, at the age of 20. Prabhakaran has displayed a genius for guerrilla warfare, forging the Tigers into what is widely acknowledged as the world's most ruthlessly effective rebel army. Extraordinarily disciplined, the Tigers make an art form of suicide attacks. They hide explosives around or even inside the body, and rig them to motorbikes, cars or boats. Prabhakaran's masterstroke, one that prefigured jihadi terrorism, was to instill an almost religious reverence for sacrifice and martyrdom in his army—all his fighters wear cyanide capsules around their necks. For the Tigers, many of whom are recruited as children, Prabhakaran is akin to a demi-god. Photographs of his chubby, affable-looking image hang on almost every wall in Tiger territory, and stories about the kindness and wisdom of The Leader abound. Not an articulate man, Prabhakaran, 51, uses secrecy to build his mystique, rarely making public appearances. Many analysts see him as the single biggest obstacle to peace. "He's a warrior," says Chalk. "The best hope for peace is if Prabhakaran dies."

• WHY SHOULD THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY BE CONCERNED?
The L.T.T.E. extorts money from immigrant Tamils in Australia, Britain and Canada. It runs a fleet of smuggling ships that play a significant role in the illegal arms trade. And in a report last year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London said the L.T.T.E. had "possible" links with al-Qaeda. The Tigers deny any such connection, and no security agency has produced proof. Author DeVotta says the idea that the Tigers are "a threat to the world" is "nonsense," noting: "The Tigers' one goal is creating a separate state. They are a threat to Sri Lanka." But Teresita Schaffer, director of the South Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, explains that the high profile of terrorism, "which has been a hallmark of this conflict from the start," inevitably means the Tigers attract attention from the world's security services.

• ARE OTHER NATIONS HELPING?
Norway has acted as a mediator, but its efforts to start talks have failed. The U.S., Japan, the European Union and others have sent envoys, but threats to block aid to Colombo and to proscribe the Tigers as international terrorists have had little effect. There is little stomach for more aggressive stances, such as a peacekeeping operation. The last time that was tried—by India in 1987—the Tigers turned on the troops, pushed them out and, in 1991, killed the Indian Prime Minister at that time, Rajiv Gandhi, in a suicide attack.

• IS WAR INEVITABLE?
Both sides agree that war offers no solution to Sri Lanka's problems, but they increasingly see little alternative. Balasingham told TIME: "Sri Lanka will inevitably plunge into an ethnic war with disastrous consequences if the escalating violence is not contained and normalcy restored." Rajapakse told a Colombo newspaper last week: "If they insist on continuing their attacks, I will have to defend my country." Hawks are ascendant on both sides. DeVotta says elements in the government believe the split within the L.T.T.E. has weakened the rebels to a point where they can be beaten in war. Chalk and other observers predict a full-scale attack by the Tigers on Jaffna, accompanied by suicide bombs in Colombo. "If war breaks out it will spell doom to the entire country and create an unbridgeable ethnic chasm," says the L.T.T.E.'s Balasingham. That realization makes it no less likely to happen.

22 May 2006

ITAK wins six seats in Kalmunai MC

Mr. Henry Mahendran, Deputy Leader of TELO thanked the Tamil voters of the Kalmunai Municipal Council area for extending their wholehearted support for the ITAK at the election held on Saturday, sources said. He said ITAK won six seats in the nineteen-member Kalmunai Municipal Council, becoming the opposition. Mr. Henry Mahendran (Deputy Leader of TELO) obtained highest preferential votes in ITAK group of members elected to the council.

LTTE Commander Ramanan Killed

A Senior Commander of the Liberation Tigers in the East, Commander Ramanan, the Deputy Head of the LTTE Military wing of the Batticaloa district, was assassinated by a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sniper at Vavunathivu Forward Defence Line (FDL), 5 km southwest of Batticaloa, Sunday around 5:30 p.m., sources in Batticaloa said.

A Sri Lanka Army sniper targetted the Commander while he was inspecting the FDL positions of the Tigers in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa Eelanatham reported Sunday evening.Commander Ramanan has also served as the Military Intelligence Chief of the LTTE in Batticaloa Amparai districts and later as the Head of the Military Wing of Maavady Munmari division.

Commander Ramanan's decision to leave the renegade LTTE commander Karuna was a major setback for the renegade's plans to hold his ground in the east. Ramanan is one the most high ranking LTTE officials to be assassinated during the Ceasefire. Vavunathivu FDL positions of the Tigers have recently come under increasing attack by the SLA troopers.

SLMC sweeps the East

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) consolidated its position as the principal Muslim party in the country by clinching power in six of the 20 local councils where polls were held yesterday.The SLMC recorded a landslide victory in the Kalmunai Municipal Council and went on to win five other predominantly Muslim councils where polls were held on Saturday. These included Kathankudi UC, Eravur PS, Pothuvil PS, Addalachenai PS and Ninthavur PS.

SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem commenting on the party’s impressive victory at yesterday’s polls said, that the election results only went on to validate his stand that the SLMC goes on to better its performance at each election.“Every time moves are made to weaken us, we emerge stronger. This time too, the election results go to prove that the SLMC is the undisputed representative of the Muslims in Sri Lanka” the SLMC leader said in a statement.

Contesting under the party’s ‘Tree’ symbol, the SLMC secured ten out of the 19 seats in the Kalmunai MC polling 22, 361 votes.The party was also swept into power at the Addalachenai PS bagging seven of the nine seats in the Council and it won five out of the seven seats in the Ninthavur PS. The SLMC also won five of the nine seats in the Pothuvil PS. Contesting under the ‘Telephone’ symbol in the Batticaloa district, the SLMC secured power in the Kathankudi UC as well as the Eravur Town PS.

In Kathankudi it bagged six of the nine seats and in Eravur town the party won five of the nine slots. Besides, the SLMC also secured four seats in the Colombo Municipal Council, contesting under the ‘Butterfly’ symbol.At the first phase of the Local Polls held on March 30, the SLMC won eight of the 12 seats in Samanthurai PS in the Digamadulla district.

In the Trincomalee district, along with the UNP, the party captured power in both the Kinniya UC and the PS and also in the Kuchchaweli PS. Its candidates are vice chairmen in all three councils.The SLMC secured the chairman’s post in the Mutur PS in a combined list which went on to win seven of the 11 slots in the Council.

Three NGO Offices in Muthur Bomb-attacked

One field officer belonging to an NGO was injured in a bomb-attack on 3 NGO offcies in Muthur. Fabian Perseksi, a field officer belonging to an NGO was identified as the persom injured.The attackwas made on the offices of INUR, ZAO, INTERSOS NUP were under a bomb-blast at 4.10pm Sri Lanka time.Paramilitaries attached to the SL army are suspected to be behind the attack.

Mole nabbed from Sri Lanka Army

A local newspaper has reported that Sri Lanka defence intelligence authorities have nabbed an Army Lance Corporal who has been passing vital information to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The official is being interrogated by a team of investigators from the Sri Lanka Military Police. Reportedly the soldier has admitted that he obtained a monthly salary of Rs. 20,000 from the Tigers. The Sri Lanka military is conducting thorough investigations to find other such moles inside the security forces.

Tamil group to charge Gothabaya for war crimes in US- On the basis that Defence Secretary is a US citizen

Tamil civic organizations are preparing to file war crimes charges against Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse in the United States. The move comes in the back drop of government efforts to have the LTTE banned in several countries including the European Union(EU).

The war crimes charge against Rajapakse is to be filed on the basis that he is a citizen of the United States. The Defence Secretary was living in the US for over a decade and returned to Sri Lanka after his brother Mahinda Rajapakse was appointed Prime Minister.

It is learnt that the charges are to be filed against the Defense Secretary for his alleged role in the aerial bombardment of Sampur where civilians were reported killed and thousands displaced. Informed sources said the charges will also deal with Rajapakse allegedly aiding and abetting paramilitary groups to target civilians in the north and east. The charges are to be framed in terms of title 18 Crimes Aid Criminal Procedure under part 1 which deals with crimes and chapter 118 dealing with war crimes.

Section 2441 dealing with ‘war crimes’ states – whoever ,whether inside or outside the United States commits a war crime, in any of the circumstances described in sub section (b) shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for life or any term of years, or both , and if death results to the victim , shall also be subject to death penalty.”

Section (b) under the sub heading ‘circumstances’ states the circumstances referred to in sub section (a) are that the person committing such war crimes or victim of such is a member of the armed forces of the United states or a national of the United States(as defined in section101 of the immigration and Nationality act)

A war crime in terms of the US law means any conduct (1) defined as a grave breach in any of the international conventions signed at Geneva in August 1949 protocol to such convention to which the US is a party. It also deals with non –international armed conflict and death of civilians.

Army HQ ‘no go’ for next of kin

Following last month’s suicide blast inside Army Headquarters, the Army has prohibited relatives of military personnel from obtaining treatment at the military hospital situated within Army Headquarters, with immediate effect. A senior military official said that under the new security plan, “hereafter relatives cannot obtain treatment from the military hospital”. He said that carrying mobile phones into the premises is also prohibited.

“Under the new plan, pedestrians will not be allowed on the main road inside the premises, while a special bus will be deployed to transport soldiers and others. Only official vehicles of Brigadiers and above will be permitted to be kept inside the premises, while other vehicles cannot be parked inside the headquarters without prior approval”, the official said.

He said that the new security plan was introduced following the suicide blast inside the Headquarters, targeting Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, currently recovering. Thirteen persons were killed and several others were injured by the blast.

JHU blames Vasu for UPFA defeat

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) on Sunday blamed Vasudeva Nanayakkara for Saturday’s defeat at the Colombo Municipal Council Election. They also blamed the UPFA bigwigs, who proposed the veteran politician as the party’s mayoral candidate. "It is not a loss for the Mahinda Chinthanaya", General Secretary of the JHU Dr. Omalpe Sobitha Thera told The Island.

"Vasudeva did not follow the Mahinda Chinthanaya. He followed his own strategy. The majority did not like his manifesto," he said adding that Sinhala voters too rejected Nanayakkara.The thera regretted the UPFA’s failure in securing the council.He claimed that the Independent Group III, which had secured CMC, included several Catholic fundamentalists, thereby threatening the Sinhala Buddhists.

Army corporal killed in bomb blast found innocent

The killed Corporal attached to the Army Hospital, who was believed to have aided and abetted the LTTE female suicide bomber responsible for the Army Headquarters explosion was now found to be innocent, the CID revealed. Sternly denying various media reports, a senior investigator told the Daily Mirror that indepth investigations revealed that the Corporal was innocent and had no involvement with the suicide bomber.

Corporal Warusavithana was attached to the Army Hospital as an assistant who called up patients according to their clinic cards and direct them to the relevant physician.It was earlier suspected that he had been having an affair with the female suicide bomber and had allowed into the Army Hospital on several occasions, during which the bomber was suspected to have spied on the commander.

Although the inquiries started on this assumption, the detectives were baffled since the alleged Corporal was also a victim of the bomb and got killed along with the suicide bomber.However, when the CID investigated the Corporal’s family background they found that he was not connected to the case. His wife was reportedly a senior matron of a leading private hospital in Colombo.

Subsequent to the inquiry by the CID and the false impression given by the media, the family of the deceased Corporal had become agitated and claimed that apart from losing their loved one, insults had also been cast upon them.

Breakaway rebels say they killed 10 Tamil Tiger rebel soldiers-Source:AP

A breakaway Tamil faction said Sunday that their forces had attacked a mainstream Tamil Tiger camp near the eastern city of Trincomalee, killing at least 10 rebel soldiers.T. Thuyavan, a spokesman for the breakaway Karuna faction said their forces attacked the Tiger camp with mortars and RPGs before overrunning the site and killing the Tamil fighters.

Tiger officials could not immediately be reached for comment and the Sri Lankan military refused to comment saying the area was not under their control.Thuyavan said the Karuna group suffered no casualties in the surprise attack.The rebel movement split in 2004 when an eastern-based military commander named Karuna broke away with 6,000 fighters.

The Tigers accuse the government of supporting the group in its attacks on their fighters and allowing it to operate in its territory.The rebels have fought the government since 1983, demanding a separate Tamil homeland. More than 65,000 people were killed before the cease-fire accord halted 19 years of open warfare.

21 May 2006

Sri Lanka's ruling party fails to win local election in capital 
 
Sri Lankan ruling party's bid to gain control in the Colombo Municipal Council election held on Saturday ended in failure as an independent group backed by the main opposition party emerged victorious.   However, according to the results issued here Sunday by the Commissioner of Elections, the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance came first in the country's second-stage local electionsby winning six of all the 20 councils on offer.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) was forced to support an independent group in Colombo as their nomination paper was rejected on technical grounds. The elections on Saturday was for councils whose elections could not be held on March 30 due to various technical deficiencies in the nomination papers submitted by political parties and groups.

The UNP won four of the 20 councils in addition to the win in Colombo by the group they backed.    The main Muslim political party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, became the third largest party by winning four councils in the Muslim dominated areas in the Eastern Province.

The Tamil National Alliance backed by the Tamil Tiger rebels won control of one council while four other groups accounted for the rest of the councils.The local election which was held in two stages was the first test of popularity for Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse since he was elected president in November last year.

The UNP controlled over 90 percent of the councils until March and Rajapakse's party was able to win most of it from the UNP's grasp in the first stage of local elections.  The elections came to be held in an environment of uncertainty in the island. The troubled north and east had seen an upsurge of violence endangering the Norwegian backed peace process.

Kayts civilians fleeing to LTTE areas

More than 1,500 civilians living in the Allaipiddy area of the Kayts island where 13 civilians were massacred last Saturday — fled to Jaffna yesterday and were moving into the LTTE-controlled Wanni, saying there was little or no security for them in their villages.The families carrying their belongings arrived in the Gurungar area and were moving into temporary sheds.

The exodus from the area came after the security forces informed the Kayts Magistrate Jeyaram Trotsky that they were not in a position to provide additional security to the villages due to lack of human resources. The Magisterial inquiry into the killings of the 13 civilians including two children is being conducted by the Kayts Magistrate.Residents in Jaffna said that some of the persons arriving in Jaffna were heading towards Wanni, the uncleared areas held by the LTTE.

On Friday the Magistrate visited the Jaffna hospital where some of the injured in last Saturday’s attacks are being treated. He summoned the police and the Navy and had queried as to why security had not been increased in the village as well as to those in hospital.The Police and Navy informed the Magistrate that they were not in a position to provide sufficient security due to lack of manpower.

The Magistrate had informed the Navy and police to provide the required security for the people to move out from their areas for their requirements.The Scandinavian monitors and international NGO’s were helping the civilians to move out from their areas. The move came as investigations into the massacre continued yesterday.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) accused the Navy and paramilitary groups working with the government of carrying out the attacks. Amnesty International said it had ‘received credible reports that Sri Lanka Navy personnel and armed cadres affiliated to the EPDP” were present at the scene of the killings.

‘President and Prabhakaran must meet immediately’
 
The National Anti War Front urged President Mahinda Rajapakse and LTTE leader Prabahakran to talk to each other to resolve the conflict. "We are a small country and the two leaders are a telephone call away. We urge that this happens soon. For everything else seems to have failed". Kumar Rupesinghe, Chairman of the Front said in a statement.

"The President in his election campaign said he wished to follow the path of dialogue and he was prepared to meet the LTTE leader and have face-to- face talks".The government has appointed people to high positions who are known for their antipathy for peace and who seek war as the only solution to the conflict, the statement said.

"It is our view that violence begets violence. Violence is like a cancer which has spread to all parts of our island. We condemn all forms of violence. We also state that violence will not resolve the problems that are with us here in Sri Lanka", it noted."We are aware that extremist parties are urging the President to go to war. They are the JVP, the JHU, and the front organizations which they encourage such as the National Patriotic Front".

The JVP for instance waged war against the newly established United Front Government in 1971, sacrificed the most brilliant of our young people and devastated the country. Again in 1988-89, in the guise of apposing the Indo Sri Lanka Accord they went on the rampage and killed large numbers of people where they again failed leaving the country devastated, it recalled. Today the JVP once again calls for war to realize its political objectives and turn back the country into a dark and primitive state. "We urge them to desist from preaching violence and hatred", it said.

"We urge the LTTE to transform itself into a political party and get involved in the political process", the statement said while asking the President to propose a political solution to the conflict.The Front also urged that the government and LTTE immediately resume talks initiated in Geneva. "However difficult the talks may have been, it gave inspiration and hope to all our people".

A mine blast in northern Sri Lanka kills 1 soldier, wounds another-(AP)

Suspected Tamil rebels triggered an anti-personnel mine in northern Sri Lanka Sunday, killing one soldier and wounding another, the military said, in continuing violence that threatens to push the island nation back toward civil war.Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said the mine exploded near a military foot patrol in Iranairuppaikulam in Vavuniya, 210 kilometers north of the capital, Colombo.Vavuniya is the northernmost garrison town before entering the rebel-held Jaffna peninsula.

A fragile 2002 cease-fire between the government and the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels has been rocked by surging violence that has killed at least 275 people since April, according to international truce monitors, and has halted peace talks.The anti-personnel mines - known as Claymores - are usually placed above ground and are designed to be remotely triggered, firing hundreds of steel balls. They have become a favorite weapon of the rebels, the military says.

The spiraling violence between rebels and government soldiers in recent weeks has left scores of troops and rebels dead in the past few months, threatening to shatter the truce and plunge the country back into full-blown civil war.Dozens of civilians have also been killed under shadowy circumstances. Each side blames the other for the bloodshed.The rebels have fought the government since 1983, demanding a separate Tamil homeland. More than 65,000 people were killed before the cease-fire accord halted 19 years of open warfare.

President approves urgent arms purchases

President Mahinda Rajapakse is believed have authorized acquisition of urgently required armaments as the LTTE threatened war if the EU listed it as a terrorist organisation.This comes in the backdrop of the raging controversy over the inordinate delay in bolstering the firepower of Fast Attack Craft (FAC) fleet. The hold-up in the modernization came to light after the navy lost a FAC (P 418) in action off the northern coast.

The ill-fated craft commanded by Lt. Commander E. L. P. Edirisinghe had been among the craft that were to be upgraded with 30mm cannon.Navy headquarters four years ago recommended the replacing of 23 mm cannon with 30mm cannon but the project is held up due to serious irregularities in the selection process.

Rajapakse gave the go ahead for emergency purchases as he appointed a Commission of Inquiry to probe procurement of arms, ammunition, equipment and services during 2000-2005. The three-member committee will be chaired by Justice Shiranee Thilakawardane.

However, the commission on naval procurement is expected to continue with its secretary Edmund Jayasuriya functioning as secretary to the new commission that is yet to begin sittings.An authoritative official said that Justice Tilakawardane, after consultations with her colleagues would decide whether to focus on the army and the air force leaving the other commission to investigate the navy.

About ten security forces officers and at least two retired officers including a Vice Admiral had appeared before the first commission over the past few weeks. The sittings are not open to the public.The military said that emergency purchases were required to meet the growing threat posed by the LTTE. Yesterday’s attack on the army forward defence line at Nagarkovil triggered a one hour exchange between Tigers and troops, thereby forcing the army to temporarily close the Muhamalai entry/exit point.

However, officers believe that the government should take all possible measures to prevent the interested parties from making a fast buck. Recent happenings in Colombo, particularly meetings between wheeler dealers and some officers fuelled speculation that the game was on.

Meanwhile the Defence Ministry has invited arms suppliers registered under three different categories to upgrade the FACs. The Sunday Island learns that the Defence Ministry is yet to release the tender documents to prospective suppliers. The navy wants to replace 23mm cannons with 30mm weapons, acquire complete fire control systems for newly bought FACs and ammunition.

Well informed sources said that the navy acquired the 20 mm Giat M 693 (aft gun) for deployment on FACs, during Vice Admiral Cecil Tissera’s tenure as the navy chief. The government to government deal under which the French completed the installation in about eight months in 1997 is considered to be one of the swiftly arranged transactions.

However authorities are believed to be in a dilemma with the French supplier indicating that spare parts and ammunition could not be supplied in a hurry and that the government of Sri Lanka should meet the required procedures. In such a case the delivery of spares could take up to 18 months, one well informed source said.

Mini cyclone hits Amparai, Batticaloa

150 houses were damaged when a mini cyclone swept over Thirukkovil, Thambiluvil and Pottuvil areas around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Around 50 houses were damaged in Arayampathi, Thalankudah and Kirankulam, sources in Batticaloa said. The administrative buildling and the hostel of the National Educational College, recently shifted to Thalankudah, were damaged, civil sources said.The cyclone was reported at 5.00 p.m. in Batticaloa and around 5.30 p.m. in Amparai district.

South African Tamils protest against Sri Lanka's rights violations

Representatives of the South African Tamil Federation, Dravidians for Peace and Justice, Tamil Co-ordinating Committee, supporters of human rights in South Africa, and concerned Tamils staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the United Nations building in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, protesting the human rights violations of the Sri Lanka Government against Tamil civilians, sources in South Africa said.

Protesters carried placards and shouted slogans highlighting the human rights violations, including the recent murder of civilians in Allaipiddy, Jaffna, allegedly carried out by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and its collaborating paramilitaries.A memorandum was read and then handed to Michael Ljustrom, United Nations High Commissioner for South Africa.Tamil Co-ordinating Committee is planning another protest demonstration in Durban on 21st May 2006, organizers said.

Army Chief bids to improve security
 
Army Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka has shifted several Army Headquarters-based units to improve security at the nerve centre of security forces operations.On his orders, the Medical Corps (volunteers), Directorates of Rehabilitation and Welfare and the Army Band have moved out. The Medical Corps has moved to Minneriya and Panagoda, the Rehabilitation Directorate to Ragama and the Welfare Directorate to a camp adjacent to the USIS.

The military said that the Engineers Brigade would vacate its camp at Kirulapone to accommodate the army band. The Engineers would move to Mattegoda.The Army Chief also ordered an end to the controversial practice of allowing outsiders at the officers’ mess. The military said that the move would considerably reduce the number of headquarters based officers and men.

Although some welcomed the relocations, which they believed should have been taken years ago, the units that had been moved expressed disappointment. Some of them would take their case to higher political authority claiming that their transfer was not required.

Well informed sources said that opponents would now try to highlight Fonseka’s shortcomings and any manipulation of procedures, particularly in relation to unauthorised entry of persons as part of their strategy to undermine the army chief.

Five Sri Lankan Tamils drowned near Southern India

Five Sri Lankan Tamils were drowned and four more were missing after a boat carrying Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka capsized yesterday in the sea near Southern India.Quoting Indian police the media reports said the boat was on its way from north-west Sri Lanka to the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It said five bodies have been recovered from the sea, four are still missing.

Accordingly, nine were rescued and the Indian navy and coast guard vessels were searching for the missing.Following violence in Sri Lanka’s North and East, the Tamils in these areas are starting to flee to Southern India by boats. Indian reports said that on Thursday more than 100 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have arrived in Rameswaram coast in Tamil Nadu

Ex-Maharaja TV boss takes over Rupavahini, SLBC
 
Sarath Kongahage who recently quit the Maharaja organisation to take over the reins at Rupavahini and SLBC, Saturday claimed that he would be getting very much less than what he received as Director Station of Sirisa and MTV.

The former UNP National List MP did not reveal his pay but acknowledged that he had been given a vehicle from the pool and would move to his new office once it was ready.Kongahage quit Maharajas on March 31. Fielding questions, he said that President Mahinda Rajapakse appointed him as Chief Executive Officer of the two premier institutions.

"I have been given a task," he said, adding that his primary objective would be to run Rupavahini and SLBC smoothly. This would not be possible without introducing far reaching changes, he said, emphasising the need to curb unnecessary expenditure.

Asked whether he was not embarrassed to switch allegiance after the November presidential polls, Kongahage claimed, "I did not work or vote for Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe at the last presidential poll. I worked for the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse’s team."

The Sunday Island learns that some senior employees resent the new appointment. In the run up to the November polls, Rajapakse’s team accused Sirisa and MTV of undermining the ruling party candidate.

Newton Gunaratne remains the Chairman of Rupavahini. His predecessor M. M. Zuhair, PC, recently became ambassador in Teheran. Sunil Sarath Perera is likely to continue as the SLBC Chairman, a post previously held by former UNP MP Hudson Samarasinghe.

Kongahage said he would have much more responsibility at his new office than at Maharajas. He indicated that he would have a say in programmes.He emphasised that his decision would not have an impact on his wife Shanthini. "She’ll continue as a UNP member of the Central Provincial Council.

Kongahage first entered parliament in 1994 as a National List MP with Wickremesinghe’s blessings. His appointment along with that of Dinesh Dodangoda was made despite severe opposition by party seniors. Subsequently he held several posts including Chairman of the Central PC, first opposition leader of the CP Council, Chairman of Ceynor and legal officer to the Bribery Commission.

Senior PLOTE operative 'Farook' talks to media in Vanni

A senior People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) operative, Sinnathamby Ganeshalingam, alias Farook, who was reported missing in December last year in Vavuniya, talked to the media this week in an undisclosed remote village in Vanni. Ganeshalingam claimed that he has begun a settled peaceful life in Liberation Tigers controlled Vanni with his wife Shantha, and refuted earlier reports that he was abducted by the Tigers. He said he left the paramilitary group after PLOTE leadership began to develop close relationships with the hardline elements in Sri Lankan military and extreme nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).

Ganeshalingam charged that PLOTE leader Siddharthan was maintaining "secret links" with both the SL Military intelligence, the JVP and the JHU hardline elements,TamilNet editor and popular columnist Dharmeratnam Sivaram's assassination and the alleged involvement of PLOTE operatives including the former military wing leader of PLOTE, raised serious concerns within the ranks of the paramilitary group and its political section, he says.

Arumugam Sriskandarajan, also known as Peter, who was injured in the unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government of the Maldives in 1988 and another suspect were arrested by Sri Lanka Police in connection with the abduction and the assasination of Mr. Sivaram.Sri Lanka Police was looking for another suspect, Viswanathan Thambiravi, in connection with the murder of Srivaram, the Police said Wednesday.

Ganeshalingam said that he has information to believe that the hardline elements in Sri Lankan Military or the extremist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, the JVP, hired the killers of SIvaram through PLOTE leadership.The Lebanon trained senior PLOTE operative Ganeshalingam, who entered Tamil militancy in early 70's, says that his organisation maintained a good rapport with the JVP under a leftist banner.

Ganeshalingam was once a close confidante of Siddharthan, who was involved in a bitter internal feud in the late 90s with Manikkadasan, the former military wing leader of PLOTE.Several cadres from both factions of the PLOTE died in the internecine struggle.Manikkadasan was killed in a claymore blast in September 1999, at the PLOTE's 'Lucky Camp' in Vavuniya.

Internal power struggle within the PLOTE group turned PLOTE into a paramilitary group and prevented the group from effectively operating for the benefit of Tamil people. PLOTE provided some help to the people of Thirunavatkulam, who were once chased away by the paramilitary operative Manikkadasan, claims Ganeshalingam.

It was the habit of reading newspaper articles and the peaceful space created by the Ceasefire Agreement that gave Ganeshalingam a journey into his past.Ganeshalingam said he he was first afraid to defect to Vanni, But said he is glad he made the right choice to restart life in Vanni, the only place left for him in the island to lead a peaceful life.Shantha Ganeshalingam, his wife, rejoined him in Vanni.

The Sinhala Nationalist Quagmire and the Tamil National Question
by Dr. Sachithanandam Sathanathan*, May 17, 2006

It is essential to recognise that force has its limits. It is obvious that the Sinhala State has virtually exhausted its military options. It is equally clear that the LTTE does not seek a purely military solution to the Tamil National Question. What may be left is a peaceful and non-violent path to envision a new political order based on the current balance of power between the Sinhala State and the Tamil National Movement.  

The dimensions of the political crisis

There are three main facets to the political crisis generated by the unresolved and deepening Tamil National Question in Sri Lanka.

The first, military dimension has to do with the armed resistance of the Tamil National Movement, which began in the mid-1970s and is led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). By 1986 the armed resistance evolved into a full-fledged armed conflict between the Tamil National Movement and the Sinhala State and by mid-1990s the Movement controlled most of the territory within the majority Tamil-speaking North East Province (NEP). This means the Movement has decisively broken the Sinhala State’s monopoly of armed power. The over-riding aim of the State is to re-establish its monopoly of armed power. That, after all, is a defining feature of a functioning State, which cannot tolerate another armed power within its territorial border. So the Sinhala State launched several military campaigns from 1979 onwards to destroy the LTTE’s military capabilities. All of these campaigns failed.

The political dimension, corresponding to the two armed forces, is that a de facto State of Tamil Eelam covering most of the NEP has take root under the protective umbrella of the LTTE’s military power, while the de jure Sri Lankan Sinhala State is confined to the rest of the island. The Sinhala State’s manoeuvres – ranging from multi-party conferences to direct ‘talks’ with the LTTE – are guided by the fundamental necessity to restore the State’s monopoly of armed power; they are political ploys crafted to entice the LTTE to decommission weapons. The ongoing Oslo-sponsored ‘peace process’, backed by the Co-Chairs (US, Norway, EU and Japan) of the Sri Lanka Donor Consortium, is the international community’s current ruse to help the State once again achieve military domination. The rhetoric of ‘democratisation’, ‘pluralism’, ‘inclusiveness’ is the sugar coating on an otherwise bitter pill.

The so-called ‘peace process’, then, is a power struggle in the political arena that complements the military power struggle – both overt operations and covert ‘shadow war’ – on the battlefield. The Sinhala State’s aim is to eliminate the LTTE’s defensive military shield and then dismantle the de facto Tamil State. The Tamil National Movement, on the other hand, intends to retain its military power and seeks de jure recognition for the Tamil State.

The third, ideological dimension goes to the heart of Sinhala political identity. Over the past five decades, Sinhala leaderships systematically changed the political criteria of citizenship from the individual to ethnicity in the teeth of Tamil opposition. This is the central dynamic underlying the political and cultural marginalisation of Tamil and Muslim peoples. The British and Swiss models, for example, connect citizenship to the individual; that is an important pillar of liberalism. Ceylon also inherited the political association between citizenship and the individual at the time of independence from British rule in 1948. But this association did not sit well with the semi-feudal Sinhala oligarchy unschooled in liberalism. Not surprisingly, successive governments between 1948 and 1972 used numerous policy measures and legislation to alter the political criteria of citizenship. The 1948 Citizenship Act disenfranchised Up-Country of Kandyan Tamils; the national flag designed in 1951 accords primacy to the Sinhala nation; the 1957 Official Language Act enacted Sinhala as the sole official language and effectively decreed second class status to Tamil-speaking peoples; and the 1972 Constitution conferred ‘foremost place’ to the Buddhist religion and, in effect, declared it to be the virtual State religion and undermined secularism. These are the better known among many instances.

By the time the country was renamed Sri Lanka in 1972 the new political association was firmly established between citizenship and ethnicity – in this case the Sinhala-Buddhist ethnicity. The identity of Sri Lankan ‘sons of the soil’ (‘bhoomi puthra’) henceforth is defined by language (Sinhala), religion (Buddhism) and race (Aryan). In this way the country moved away from the British model and closer to the pre-Second World War German model, in which German citizenship was politically linked to German ethnicity, defined by language (German), religion (Catholicism) and race (Aryan).

The rigidly hierarchical Sinhala worldview imputes irremediable subordinate status to the Tamil-speaking peoples. It looks upon any hint that ‘talks’ could even remotely induce the State to revert to the link between citizenship and the individual as an almost mortal threat to its internal order and coherence. This fear fuels the Sinhala nationalists’ anxiety, that ‘a solution founded on the principle of internal self-determination in areas of historical habitation of the Tamil-speaking peoples, based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka’ as provided in the December 2002 Oslo Statement will fundamentally alter Sinhala political identity, as well as reform the status hierarchy and emasculate Sinhala national hegemony.

Restructuring the State: structural limits

Many Sinhala peace activists hope the Oslo-sponsored ‘talks’ would be a vehicle to restructure the authoritarian unitary State, to create political space within a federalist framework for devolving power to the Tamil-speaking peoples.

But can the State be restructured?

The ruling Sinhala oligarchy has systematically centralised State power. That is not an accident. Centralisation of power is the logical response of the oligarchy to defeat challenges to its rule. From the mid-1950s, class contradictions and caste antagonisms in Sinhala society deepened in direct relation to the decline of the moribund colonial plantation economy. These social forces dramatically crystallised in the 1971 Insurrection launched by the Sinhala-extremist Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). The oligarchy brutally put down the rebellion, slaughtering an estimated 20,000 Sinhala men and women, and almost immediately began transforming the largely ceremonial army into a professional military machine. Simultaneously it entrenched the unitary State under the Republican Constitution of 1972. The Sinhala oligarchy created an Executive President under the 1978 Constitution and further centralised power in that office to deal with the traditional threat to its rule from within Sinhala society and the new one posed by the armed resistance of the Tamil National Movement.

Sinhala working classes revolted against the privations caused by the economic liberalization imposed in the late 1970s and through the 1980s. The State armed itself with a cluster of repressive legislation and ruthlessly put down the second JVP uprising in 1988/99, eliminating an estimated 60,000 Sinhala men and women. It decimated the vibrant trade unions and farmers’ organisations and ensured docile workers, primarily for the benefit of transnational capital, or ‘Robber Barons,’ as the then President JR Jayawardene explained glibly. The Sinhala oligarchy rapidly militarised the State during the same period, also to cope with the fast-growing armed power of the Tamil National Movement.

The result is the military-bureaucratic, authoritarian, unitary State, loosely described in Sri Lanka as the ‘National-security State.’ Far from abating, in the 1990s challenges to its rule intensified from within Sinhala society, as well as from the Tamil National Movement.

The Sinhala oligarchy’s necessary reaction is to protect its interests by further centralising State power. It is extremely wary of a democratic restructuring of the State since that will weaken the oligarchy’s hold on power and make it more vulnerable. Therefore, the oligarchy will resist any democratic restructuring tooth and nail. In other words, under the present conditions, there is hardly any scope for restructuring the Sinhala State to facilitate devolution of power.

Restructuring the State: psychological barriers

A restructuring of the State also goes counter to the Sinhala nationalist political currents gathering strength since the early 1950s. Successive Governments have resolutely defended and strengthened the post-colonial unitary State. In fact, the then President J R Jayawardene confidently claimed to have `all but closed the door on federalism' in his 1978 Constitution under which the country is governed today. He was especially proud of Article 2 (`the Republic of Sri Lanka is a Unitary State') and Article 76 (`Parliament shall not abdicate or in any manner alienate its legislative power and shall not set up any authority with legislative power'). Successive Sinhala leaderships up to now have categorically rejected federalism and, in many ways, built their political careers as protectors of the Sinhala nation and Buddhist religion on the back of the ‘ethnic conflict.’ Indeed, having defended the unitary State for more than five decades, conceding federalism now is a historic political and ideological defeat for Sinhala nationalism. No Sinhala leader, present or on the distant horizon, would invite this extreme national humiliation upon him/her and the Sinhala nation.

Moreover, the psychology of the State is to crush any armed challenge to its power. The imperatives of power militate against rewarding armed resistance. Therefore, to negotiate a political settlement with the LTTE without first destroying or neutralising its military capability is seen by influential sections within the government, armed forces and Sinhala civil society as capitulating to the armed power of a non-State actor. That, they fear, would send out the wrong signals.

The ground reality

So, constitutional remedies analysed threadbare from the 1957 Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam Pact to Chandrika Kumaratunga’s 2000 Draft Constitution – approximately 25 proposals, give or take a few – all failed because successive Sinhala leaderships have been incapable of reaching a democratic political settlement. They are mired in the prevailing twin trends of increasing centralisation of power and deepening political association between citizenship and Sinhala-Buddhist ethnicity. And these trends are virtually irreversible.

The parallel, but different, political repression and military atrocities have schooled the current generation of Tamils to grasp and value the over-riding importance of their national or collective rights. Tamil people have evolved from being a nation in itself to a nation for itself in the crucible of Sinhala State terrorism. The growth of Tamil national consciousness is also irreversible.

The concrete reality on the ground is the existence of two States, each with its own administrative framework and political superstructure. The militarised de jure Sinhala State in Colombo is confronting the armed power of the de facto Tamil State in Kilinochchi. Each is the institutional expression of the mutually exclusive sovereignties of its respective peoples. This fact cannot be wished away. Nor is it possible to conjure up self-serving schemes, such as amalgamating the armed forces of the LTTE with those of the Sinhala State. The ‘sell by’ date for such mechanisms is long past.

A way forward

To go forward without bloodshed, and in accordance with human rights principles, it is essential to take the ground reality as given and build on it. It is especially important to keep in mind that territorial borders are impermanent creations of the human mind, to avoid ‘border fetish’ that deludes many into believing that borders once drawn are eternal. Borders reflect the balance of power between nations at any give time and they change with the ebbs and flows of history that throw up new power relations.

Indeed, respect for human life should inform all that altering borders is but a small price to pay to accommodate new political realities and protect the sanctity of life. To resist at great human cost the re-drawing of borders to defend archaic notions of ‘sovereignty’ and ‘territorial integrity’ is a travesty of every humanitarian principle. The absurd idea of ‘uniting’ Sinhala and Tamil nations through military repression of the latter is indefensible. The underlying grotesque logic is that killing and maiming and raping Tamils is ‘acceptable’ price for ‘unity’. ‘Acceptable’ to whom? And what is the moral value of the blood-drenched ‘unity’?

It is essential to recognise that force has its limits. It is obvious that the Sinhala State has virtually exhausted its military options. It is equally clear that the LTTE does not seek a purely military solution to the Tamil National Question. What may be left is a peaceful and non-violent path to envision a new political order based on the current balance of power between the Sinhala State and the Tamil National Movement.

What is that path?

What is not the way forward is to require the LTTE-led Tamil National Movement to relinquish its military power and dismantle its political infrastructure. It is futile in the extreme to expect Tamils would abandon the Movement and sacrifice the political gains won so far on and off the battlefield. Nor will they accept or be manoeuvred into agreeing to a political solution that preserves the bond between citizenship and Sinhala-Buddhist ethnicity and entrenches Sinhala domination. That cannot happen under any circumstance. In other words, the clock cannot be turned back.

It is extremely unrealistic to expect the Sinhala oligarchy to restructure its State on democratic lines for reasons adduced above. Moreover, the Sinhala oligarchy and intelligentsia cannot undo the association between citizenship and Sinhala-Buddhist ethnicity and revert to the link between citizenship and the individual that characterises liberalism.

To conclude, the unitary State is grossly dysfunctional; acute Sinhala nationalism has fatally undermined the federal option.

The alternative path to peace, then, could be charted using the following main coordinates:

Sri Lanka is deeply divided into two broad nations – Sinhala and Tamil.
Both nations have State institutions in defined territories that separately express the mutually exclusive sovereignties of their respective peoples.
That expression of sovereignty is guaranteed by the armed power of each State.
The minimum requirement for peacefully resolving the Tamil National Question under these conditions is to grant de jure recognition to the Tamil State within a confederal structure.

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*Dr S Sathananthan was born in Jaffna and read for the Ph D degree at the University of Cambridge. He was Visiting Research Scholar at the Jawaharlal Nehru University School of International Studies. His research interests cover national movements in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Dr Sathananthan is a filmmaker. Among others, he produced the documentary film ‘Where Peacocks Dance’, which explores the cultural roots of Sindhi nationalism in Pakistan, and ‘Suicide Warriors’ (1996) on women cadre of the LTTE. His feature film ‘Khamosh Pani’ (‘Silent Waters’) won the Golden Leopard for Best Film at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, 2003. He is currently co-directing and producing a documentary film on Pakistan constructed around a dinner discussion with President Pervez Musharraf.

Email: tagots@hotmail.com

20 May 2006

Travel warning only for NE: Britain

The travel advisory issued on Sri Lanka by the British foreign office is only against “all but essential travel” to the North and East of the country and not the whole of Sri Lanka, the British High Commission said yesterday. Addressing a news conference the British high commission political and public affairs head John Culley said some negative publicity had been given to the travel advisory which was updated on Thursday.“The advisory does not tell British tourists to avoid travelling to Sri Lanka. It only advises against all but essential travel to the North and East.

This will not affect British tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka,: Mr. Culley said.At least 100,000 Britons were targeted to visit Sri Lanka this year and Mr. Culley said he did not expect a drop in the number despite the wave of violence especially in the North and East. He said although the travel advisory took note of the Colombo suicide bombing targeting the Army Commander it did not tell visitors to avoid the city.Mr. Culley however said that insurance for British visitors travelling to the North and East would naturally be high owing to the greater security risk involved.

The updated travel advisory says “There is a threat from domestic terrorism in Sri Lanka. On April 25, there was an explosion at the Sri Lankan army headquarters in the Fort area of Colombo resulting in 12 deaths and many injuries. The LTTE has been engaged in a long-running armed insurgency against the Sri Lankan authorities. In addition to attacks on the Sri Lankan military and political opponents, the LTTE has carried out a significant number of terrorist attacks. Government buildings or security installations have predominately been their targets although the LTTE attacked the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy in February 1998 and Colombo international airport in July 2001.

There is a danger that British nationals and other foreigners may get caught up in future attacks. In April 2006, two aid workers were killed in Jaffna district when a military vehicle they were passing was attacked. In the same month, in Trincomalee district, two British nationals were injured in a similar incident.You should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.”

Sri Lanka: refugee arrivals in India hit 1,000 mark

This is a summary of what was said by the UNHCR spokesperson at today's Palais des Nations press briefing in Geneva. Further information can be found on the UNHCR websites, www.unhcr.org and www.unhcr.fr, which should also be checked for regular media updates on non-briefing days.

Our field office in Chennai, India reported yesterday that since 12 January when people started fleeing the deteriorating security situation in Sri Lanka, over 1,000 persons have arrived in Tamil Nadu, southern India - the vast majority by boat. Yesterday, 102 persons arrived, the largest number in a single day since the outflow began, bringing to a total 1,019 refugees who have fled Sri Lanka this year.

The 157 refugees who arrived in the last two days are reportedly from Trincomalee region on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka, a considerable distance away from the point of departure in the north-west part of the island. After arriving in India, they told UNHCR they fled because they were scared of the rapidly deteriorating security situation. There are reports that more arrivals are on their way, but although we are monitoring the situation closely we are currently unable to verify this information.

Reports have been received that residents leaving Trincomalee are selling their possessions to pay for the boat trip to India. Some have sought asylum in India before with one family saying they were going to India for the third time. Once in India, the refugees are housed in camps run by the government where they receive basic assistance. Some 60,000 refugees from previous arrivals since the start of Sri Lanka's twenty year civil conflict are living in these camps.

The latest outflow is a complete reversal of what had been happening in 2005, when UNHCR helped 1,173 Sri Lankan refugees return home by air to Sri Lanka from the camps in southern India. In 2006, we have assisted only 27 refugees to return. Since 2002, a total of 5,000 refugees have returned to Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, there continues to be generalised insecurity in the north and east of the country. Since the beginning of April, when the level of violence sharply increased, some 31,000 people have reportedly been displaced in Trincomalee District. UNHCR is now working closely with the government, UN sister agencies, NGOs and other partners to verify the number of displaced people who have returned home, following stabilisation in some parts of the district.

EU outlaws Tigers as terrorists-Source:The Times
From Anthony Browne in Brussels and Jeremy Page in Trincomalee
 
THE European Union has agreed to blacklist Tamil Tiger separatists as a terrorist group, despite warnings that this could lead to full-blown civil war in Sri Lanka. The move is likely to bring about the restriction of diplomatic contacts with EU governments, a bar on fundraising by the group, a freeze on its assets and the prevention of Tamil Tiger members from travelling to the EU. The 25 member states unanimously agreed to the ban on Thursday night after Britain and other countries persuaded Sweden, Denmark and Finland to overcome their reservations. The Scandinavian countries were showing solidarity with Norway, which has acted as peace broker in Sri Lanka and strongly believes that proscribing the Tamil Tigers as terrorists will be counter-productive.

“There is now an agreement. The last reservations have been lifted,” one EU diplomat said. The agreement in principle, which was cloaked in secrecy until now, will be formally adopted by EU ministers on May 29.

The Tamil Tigers, officially known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), are banned as a terrorist group in the US, Canada, India, the UK and Germany. The Europe-wide ban was agreed two days after a request by the US. “Washington’s request was a determining factor,” a diplomat said.

The separatist ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has claimed more than 60,000 lives since 1972. More than 200 people have died since early last month as a peace agreement brokered in 2002 has all but collapsed.

Washington and EU member states hope that proscribing the LTTE — which pioneered the use of suicide bombings — will help to bring it to the negotiating table. However, Ulf Henricsson, the retired Swedish MajorGeneral leading the Sri Lankan monitoring mission, said that it could backfire.

“I’m not sure the EU ban is coming at the right time,” he said. “Worst-case scenario might be that the LTTE thinks it is abandoned by everyone and there is no alternative to a full-scale guerrilla war. They target Colombo, tourist resources — investors leave, tourists leave, rich people leave.”

In Colombo, the capital, one of the LTTE’s top negotiators also gave a warning that the ban would lead to war. Anton Balasingham said in a statement: “Emboldened by international support, and especially by further proscriptions of the LTTE, the Sinhala hardline elements will undoubtedly take steps further to escalate the violence and precipitate a war in which they hope to destroy the LTTE. If this happens, the LTTE will be compelled to resist.”

Student forum appeals to international community

"We still believe that the international community would take into serious consideration the violence unleashed on the Tamil people by the Government of Sri Lanka through its armed forces," said Mr.Puratchi, Trincomalee district head of the Thamileelam Students Forum addressing representatives of several social service organizations Thursday evening in Verugal, in the Eachchilampathu division in Trincomalee district. The Sri Lankan governments in power unleashed violence on Tamil people before LTTE took arms to achieve the legitimate political aspirations of Tamil people. The international community should take this aspect into serious consideration when weighing the current situation in the country, Mr.Puratchi said.

The international community is still maintaining silence when state armed forces are engaged in massacring Tamil civilians including four month old baby and four year old child. Tamil people are shocked to see the inaction of the international community when such massacres are taking place, Mr.Puratchi said.

The international community should have taken steps to condemn the Sri Lankan government and stop monetary and other aids. Still Tamil people expect justice from the international community. The liberation struggle of a race or a community cannot be labeled as terrorism. LTTE leader has clearly stated this in one his Hero's Day speeches, Mr.Puratchi pointed out.

War no solution to SL conflict – Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi, speaking at a function yesterday in Chennai, said the Sri Lanka government and the LTTE should engage in meaningful talks to find a lasting solution to the country’s ethnic problem.

"War is not the solution to the conflict" the Chennai Sun TV reported, quoting him. The newly elected Chief Minister touched on the Sri Lanka conflict at a ceremony organised by his party’s legislators to felicitate him on his appointment as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time.

Asked by reporters whether he would ask New Delhi to intervene in Sri Lanka’s conflict he said he was not aware of the exact current position of the conflict but would soon study the matter and if it warranted the Centre’s intervention he would request New Delhi to intervene. Karunanidhi’s DMK party enjoys some clout in the Centre since a few of his party members elected to the Lokh Saba from Tamil Nadu constituencies hold important portfolios in the Cabinet, including that of Finance

The Chief Minister who had been identified with LTTE sentiments when he was leading the Local Assembly in his last tenure of office was much influenced by Y.Gopalaswamy leader of the MDMK popularly known as Vaiko, a well known LTTE sympathizer who later severed connections with Karunanidhi and joined with AIADMK led by defeated Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayaram.

At the end of yesterday’s ceremony in Chennai, Karunanidhi and his legislators took a pledge before a garlanded photograph of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi where they collectively denounced terrorism.

Uthayan appeals to Amnesty Intl

The Uthayan newspaper office in Jaffna which came under attack killing two employees, yesterday wrote to Amnesty International to exert pressure on the government to crack down on those responsible for the attack. “Having had no recourse to law or response from the authorities, I have decided to bring this matter up to you as I fear for the life of my family and myself, Editor of the paper and of the staff who are attached to our institution,” it said. “ We are just a media house publishing two dailies - one in the North called Uthayan and one printed in Colombo called Sudar Oli for Islandwide distribution.

It said most of the employees numbering 200 were reluctant to report to work without an assurance of security and the staff who report for work, do so in an environment of fear. “I insist you to exert the necessary pressure through the International Community on the Government of Sri Lanka to genuinely create the environment for Media freedom which will include reining in those directly and indirectly responsible for the violence and intimidation and providing adequate security on a 24 hour basis. It cited that the Free Media Movement and all the major electronic and print media organizations which demonstrated and strongly opposed this attack as this was widely acknowledged to be an attack on the media freedom and the muzzling of an independent news source.

Polls for 20 Local Bodies today

 Elections will be held for 20 local councils today in the second phase of the March 30 local polls.This was necessitated by legal challenges to nomination lists. In all 1,071,551 voters will cast their votes to elect 312 local council members from among 2,768 candidates in the 20 local bodies.

Voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 854 polling centres. There will 121 counting centres covering eight districts. This is only the second time that an election is being held on a Saturday.There are 81 political parties and 53 Independent groups in the fray for today's mini poll.

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said all arrangements have been made to conduct a free and fair poll. DIG (Elections) Gamini Navaratne told the Daily News that stringent action would be taken against violators of election laws and disruptive elements.

Among the prominent local bodies in the race today are the Colombo Municipal Council, Gampaha MC, Galle MC and Kalmunai MC. However, the contest that will be keenly followed is the battle for the Colombo Municipal Council on which all major parties have placed heavy stakes.

The United National Party which have held power in the CMC for an uninterrupted 55 years is this time handicapped by the loss of its 'Elephant' symbol following the rejection of its nomination list and has entered the fray through a proxy Independent group running under the Spectacle symbol.

Other parties have disputed this practise and the Elections Commissioner said such substitutions are illegal under elections laws.This has created an opportunity for a break in the long hold of power by the UNP over the CMC and the emergence of an alternative force to take the reins of this most coveted local body in the island.

The UPFA has nominated veteran politician Vasudeva Nanayakkara as its Mayoral candidate while the UNP has fielded one time Party General Secretary and heavyweight Sirisena Cooray although the party in a controversial move is using an Independent group.

In addition to the four Municipal Councils, the 20 local bodies that will to the polls today comprise three Urban Councils and 13 Pradeshiya Sabhas. Elections for the Vavuniya Urban Council and Vavuniya South(Sinhala) Pradeshiya Sabha has been postponed.

Although Local Government elections took place on March 30th, elections for these twenty two bodies had to be postponed due legal and security reasons. The Urban Councils to which elections are held are Gampola, Wattegama and Kaththankudy and the Pradeshiya Sabhas are Seethawaka, Patha Hevaheta, Udapalata, Elpitiya, Korale Pattu West, Eravur, Naveethanveli, Pottuvil, Addalachchenai, Akkaraipattu, Ninthavur, Kobeigane and Balangoda.

PAFFREL, CMEV and the Diriya Foundation will monitor the elections. The official results certified by the Polls Chief will be aired over radio and television. The first results are expected in the early hours of tomorrow.

ITAK contests Kalmunai MC, two PS in Amparai district

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) is contesting three local government institutions of six which go to polls Saturday in the Amparai district. ITAK has fielded candidates for the Kalmunai Municipal Council (MC), Navithanveli PS and Pottuvil PS, sources said. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), Muslim National Alliance (MNA), ITAK and nine independent groups are contesting the Kalmunai MC. 63,251 voters are qualified to cast their franchise to elect nineteen members to the Kalmunai MC, sources said.

Muslim National Congress (MNC) led by Minister Mr.A.L.M.Athaullah is contesting Akkaraipattu PS only, sources said.SLMC and UPFA are contesting all the six local government institutions, sources said.Polling will take place in 147 stations and counting will be held in fifteen centers located in the Amparai district secretariat, sources said.

Varying views on possible EU ban

With the European Union planning to list the LTTE as a terrorist organization, political parties have expressed various opinions on the impending move. The main Opposition UNP yesterday stressed the need to get peace talks with the LTTE back on track using the international momentum that would be created should the EU name the LTTE as a terrorist group.

UNP Assistant General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told the Daily Mirror the government should not be complacent about the ban and ignore talks with the LTTE on finding a political solution to the national question.Mr. Attanayake said the LTTE should not be allowed to act independently in the present context of it now being free of international commitments but make maximum use of this opportunity to start talks with the LTTE. Meanwhile, the TNA who acts as proxy for the LTTE said Contd. the Tigers could now act independently ignoring the international community and therefore eventually a ban was bound to have a negative impact on the peace process.

TNA MP Suresh Premachandran said the international community would have no leverage on the LTTE in future. When asked about possible obstacles for LTTE fund raising and arms purchasing after the ban, Mr. Premachandran said there were other ways of overcoming these obstacles. He said the organization even though the LTTE was banned in the United States and Britain, the organization continued to conduct its business.

The JHU welcomed the EU move saying the ban was being imposed at a time when world opinion was against terrorism. JHU parliamentary group leader Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera said the government should capitalize on the situation to wipe out terrorism. Asked whether they were for talks with the LTTE, he said “There is no peace talks with the LTTE. There is only terrorism which should be eliminated. Why should we talk to them further even after the assassination attempt on the Army Commander”

The JVP yesterday praised the EU and all its member countries that supported the possible ban on the LTTE and said it would be best only if the LTTE was completely banned in their countries too.JVP parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa said this decision showed there world opinion was against the LTTE.

“This ban would only be bear fruit only if the EU bans all sorts of LTTE activities including collecting funds. The LTTE might not collect funds directly under its name but could do it under the cover of other organizations,” he said while noting that although Britain had banned the LTTE, its chief negotiator Anton Balasingham still lived in London.

SLMC General Secretary Hasan Ali said banning the LTTE by the EU would not solve the North-East problem. Mr. Ali explained that many countries such as Britain, US, Canada and India banned the LTTE several years ago but the Tigers have continued to carry out their activities in Sri Lanka without much hindrance and said LTTE activities would still continue even after the EU ban as well.

He said the government must do its best to bring the LTTE to the negotiation table by making an effective change in the way peace talks were conducted. Mr. Ali said peace talks should shift from discussing only the ceasefire agreement and move towards addressing the real issues. “If the government continued to talk only on the ceasefire and military issues it is not going to see an end to the problem,” he said

SLN bans deep sea fishing in Vadamaradchy

More than a thousand fishermen of Vadamaradchy north, affected by the ban imposed by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Friday prohibiting deep sea fishing on the coast line from Thondaimanaru to Point Pedro Munai, registered complaints with the Jaffna Government Agent and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna that they will lose their only livelihood, said fisheries sources from Point Pedro. The SLN directive restricting the fishermen to fish within only 3 sea miles from their shores has crippled their trade forcing manyfamilies into economic hardship, said the fishermen.The SLN warned that fishermen slighting this ban will be shot, added the sources.SLN imposed a total ban on fishing along the said coast line following the recent attack on SLN vessels in Vettilaikerny.

Allaipiddy people beg for their right to life

The people of Allaipddi still remaining in the PhilipNeri church after the 13 May massacre of 13 civilians including two children aged four months and four years met with many government and non-government officials on 18 May at the church. People have remained in the church out of fear for their life after the massacre.

The Government Agent for Jaffna, K Kanesh, additional Government Agent, A Sivaswami, Velanai district Assistant Government Agent, K Nanthakopalan, representatives of UNHCR, UNICEF, World Vision, GTZ, ICRC, and Nonviolent Peace Force were present at the meeting in which members from 180 families of Allaipiddi took part.

The families begged the above officials to give some guarantee for their right to life if they are to remain in Allaipiddy. When they were told no one in the present situation can give such a guarantee, the people begged to be taken to Vanni (LTTE area) with protection. They were told that none of the organizations present could provide this arrangement to the people.People were deeply disappointed.

LTTE cadre shot dead in Mankerny

Neelan, 23, a member of LTTE Political Wing and resident of Mankerny, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Thursday night at 8 pm at Mankeny and Panichankerny border in Batticaloa, sources said.LTTE Batticaloa political wing head Thayamohan said that Neelan went home on leave when he was killed.

Two dead bodies found in Katankudy

Katankuddy police, on information from the public, recovered two dead bodies Friday around 6.15 p.m at the edge of Navalkuda lake in their division, one with gunshot wounds and the other with assault injuries. The decomposed bodies were handed over to Batticaloa Hospital morgue.The killings have taken place four days ago, hospital sources said after concluding the initial inspection.

Attack on SLA troopers in Jaffna

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers Friday morning around 7.00 a.m at Sangiliyan Road in Muthirai Chanthi Jaffna, said sources from Jaffna. No one was injured in the attack and the SLA troopers fired indiscriminately around and arrested a man who was later handed over to the police, added the sources.

Army Chief all set to make comeback

Army Commander Sarath Fonseka yesterday announced he was recovering fast with his wounds being healed up to 90 percent.“I am fully confident that I will be able to resume duties and fulfil other commitments soon despite attempts by ruthless and destructive forces to harm me. I fought back with courage,” the Army Chief said in a statement issued through military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe.

The statement said,: ‘I am happy to announce as Commander of the Sri Lanka Army that I am now recovering fast. My wounds have now healed up to 90 percent and near normalcy has returned to me.“I appreciate the efforts taken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Government, Defence Secretary, Directors of the National Hospital, the Accident Service and all Medical Specialists, Doctors and Staff of the National Hospital and the Military Hospital to ensure my recovery.

“My tribute also goes to Venerable Members of the Clergy of all major religions for the blessings they invoked on me by way of Bodhipoojas and various other prayer sessions. I am sure that the wishes and blessings of all have expedited my path to recovery, miraculously reviving me, enabling me to voice these few words. I am also grateful to all citizens living here and abroad for their prayers and well wishes.“I assure you that I will continue with my responsibilities and obligations to safeguard the interests of the country in the future too.”

19 May 2006

EU Ban on LTTE will Seriously Impair Peace Process - Anton Balasingham

Dr Anton Balasingham, in an interview to the media has emphasised that any further punitive action by the EU against the LTTE would have very serious repercussions on any future approach towards peace resolution in the island of Sri Lanka.

The LTTE ideologue has also pointed out that an EU ban would really please the Sinhala hardliners in the island, clamouring for a declaration of war against the LTTE. These hardliners believe that they could wipe out the LTTE in a war. If they dare, then the LTTE also would be forced to take retaliatory actions. 

Dr Balasingham who was leading the LTTE Peace Talks Team from the inception, has authoritatively pointed out that the actions and policies of the LTTE are not defined or dictated by the interventions of the International Community. If the International Community tries to ostracise the LTTE, then the LTTE would also be forced to toe a hard-line approach, he opined.

Western governments unhappy with Sri Lanka too

 Western players in Sri Lanka's peace process are attacking the Tamil Tigers publicly but are also unhappy with the island's government. The US, the 25-nation European Union, Japan and Norway that remain committed to a negotiated solution to the dragging ethnic conflict feel that the situation in Sri Lanka is extremely volatile.

Their complaint is that Colombo does not have a credible approach to end the current spiralling violence and that while the government says it is committed to a devolution package for the Tamil minority, the reality looks different.

Representatives of some of these countries have shared their thoughts with the Indian government, which is equally worried over the manner the peace process in Sri Lanka is literally falling apart."We get this feeling that the (Sri Lankan) government is merely waiting for international players to somehow resolve the problem," one Western diplomat told IANS.

"The government does not seem to have any strategy, a political way out. They wait for the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) to do something. Later they react. This cannot go on."Western diplomats say they have also conveyed their feelings to the Sri Lankan leadership in good faith but they don't express their concerns publicly as it is a "state actor" in contrast to the LTTE.

On Wednesday, Donald Camp, the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, was in New Delhi. He was preceded the previous week by Yasuhi Akashi, Japan's special envoy to Sri Lanka.Before that, Norwegian minister Erik Solheim, who oversees the peace process, halted in New Delhi on his way from Kathmandu to Oslo.

While the international players are disgusted by the LTTE's belligerence (in Colombo Camp called it "a terrorist group of the first order"), they have raised some issues directly with the Sri Lankan government.In interviews he gave in Sri Lanka, Camp said Colombo too had responsibilities and it had to "address the legitimate grievances" of the Tamil people.

This also relates to investigating killings taking place in government- controlled areas. Privately, say diplomatic sources, there is much more pressure on Sri Lanka.On its part, India has been calling upon Sri Lanka to come up with a credible political package and go for a "southern consensus" - a euphemism for "Sinhalese consensus" - so that competitive populism does not derail it.

Norway has in the past expressed its unhappiness over the way it has been attacked over its role as a peace facilitator. The latest criticism by some Sri Lankan politicians of Akashi over his reported remarks seeking UN deployment in the country has upset the diplomatic community."This is highly unfair," another diplomat said. "They seek help from other countries to resolve their problem. But if anyone says anything they don't like, they attack left and right. Is this fair?"

Most diplomats, however, have nice things to say about Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and think he is in a position to overcome "Sinhala hardliners" if he wants to."The president is confident of himself and we feel he can deliver," said a diplomatic source. "But for that he has to show leadership, think differently."

International truce monitors in Sri Lanka say they will not pull out

International truce monitors in Sri Lanka say they will not pull out even though they say they are now monitoring a war rather than a ceasefire. The head of mission, Ulf Henricsson, told the BBC the ceasefire was only intact on paper but it was still important to maintain a presence. Almost 300 people have been killed in the recent upsurge of violence. The international monitors have been present in Sri Lanka since a ceasefire was signed in 2002.

They have been caught up in several clashes between the two sides. In the most recent, they were escorting a navy patrol when the Tigers attacked, despite knowing there were international observers on board. However, Mr Henricsson, the head of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM), said in a BBC interview that it was vital that the monitors stay. "If we should terminate the ceasefire agreement, then we have no platform to come back and start to talk from. And as long as the mission is still in the country, we can monitor the ceasefire," he said.

His comments come as Sri Lanka faces its worst crisis since the ceasefire was signed. While this is not considered a war in the traditional sense with front lines and tanks rolling down the streets, it is now seen as a guerrilla war with regular clashes between both sides. The hope is that peace talks could avert a further escalation in the violence.The reality is no-one expects talks to be held in the near future.

Bishops Appeal to Koffi Annan

Ther is an escalation of violence in the North_East; the people there live in fear and msny are fleeing home for safety. Some flee to India braving the sea for security. The killings and the atrocities committed in these areas are of a serious nature and sometimes unprecedented. The killing of children while they are in bed is unheard of even in a war situation.

This exodus of Tamils from the North-East in substantial numbers reflect the severity of the crisis in Tamil areas. The country is on the brink of a war. Greatly disturbed by the sufferings of the people, the Bishop of Jaffna, Rev.Thomas Saundranayagam and Bishop of Mannar, Rev. Rayappu Joseph have appealed to Koffi Annan, UN Secretary General, to take appropriate measures immediately to halt the volatile situation that threatens security and peaceful life of the ordinary people.

In their letter, the Bishops have brought to his notice that their appeal for saner counsel within the country which failed to bear fruit as the reason for their writing to him. They have also reiterated that they were making this appeal in desperation.

They have also expressed their regret that the international community remains satisfied by issuing statements condemning violence without taking sincere and constructive efforts to find out the truth and to end the sufferings of the Tamil masses.

Earlier too Koffi Annan issued statements condemning violence, but mere statements are ineffective in the present deplorable situation faced by the Tamil people. It is a reasonable and genuine grievance of the Tamils that Koffi Annan who arrived in Sri Lanka last year to visit the areas hit by Tsunami failed to go to their areas. They expect that he will take a firm stand now.

In these circumstances, we appeal to both parties, the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, to uphold the ceasefire agreement and ensure peace!

Mangala meets Annan
 
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera requested the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to assist initiatives to get the LTTE to the negotiating table. Minister Samraweera met Secretary General Anan in Tokyo.Ranjith Uyangoada ,Sri Lankas Ambassador to Japan said that the Secretary General was concerned about the problems faced by the civilians due to the current conflict situation in Sri lanka.“Minister Samaraweera appraised the Secretary General on the government efforts to help civilians caught in the conflict” said Uyangoada. Minister Samaraweera is to meet his counterpart Taro Aso on Friday.Ambassador Uyangoada said that a number of bilateral issues including the current crisis situation are to be discussed at the meeting with the Japanese Foreign Minister.

India steps up coastline surveillance
 
Following the increase in violence between Sri Lankan government forces and the LTTE in Sri Lanka, India had stepped up its surveillance measures both by sea and by air along the coastline between India and Sri Lanka. "We have enhanced our state of readiness and we are watching the situation very carefully", Chief of the Indian Naval staff Admiral Arun Prakash said. Talking to media persons in Chennai (capital of southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu), Arun Prakash said that so for there are no incidence of LTTE straying into Indian waters or LTTE's infiltration into the Indian side of the sea.

Indian Navy officials are in regular contact with Sri Lankan Navy officers at different levels, and at present both sides have "pretty good cooperation and understanding with each other", he said.When asked about the possible role for Indian Navy in Sri Lankan conflict, Arun Prakash said the Indian Navy can play a role in Sri Lankan conflict only if the Indian government decides that there is a role for it Replying to a question quoting media reports that Indian Navy had helped a Sri Lankan Naval craft to return to Trincomalee port safely during a sea battle between Sri Lankan Navy and LTTE recently, the Indian Naval Chief denied the media report and said that Indian Navy did not play any role in that particular incident.

"Indian Navy had no involvement whatsoever (in that incident). Nor were we asked (by Sri Lanka). They (Sri Lankan Navy) did not ask us", Indian Naval chief said.Meanwhile more than 100 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have arrived in Rameswaram coast in Tamil Nadu on Thursday. This is the largest number of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees arriving in Tamil Nadu coast on a single day this year.

In the last four months, more than 1000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have arrived in Tamil Nadu. On arrival, Tamil Nadu state police officials enquire them and put them in refugee camps.Since the LTTE is a banned terrorist police officials segregate those refugees whom they suspect as sympathisers of the LTTE and put them in a separate high security camp.

Govt. to recruit 500 nurses for North, East

The government has decided to immediately recruit 500 nurses for hospitals in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition Mr. Nimal Siripala de Silva has instructed his Ministry to take steps to expedite the recruitment of nurses and a Gazette notification calling for applications from females, for Nursing Training, is scheduled to be published during the week.

Females who are not less than 4’ 11’’ in height and have passed GCE with 4 Credits, including Language, Mathematics and Science and who passed the GCE A/L in Science subjects in the year 2005 can apply, the ministry said.Applications will closed on June 23 and the selected candidates will initially be given a 3-year training, on the completion of which they will be attached to hospitals in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. All pupil nurses, during their training period, will be paid a monthly allowance of Rs. 12,000, the ministry said.

New power supply line at a cost of 2.75 billion rupees to Kilinochchi

The government has decided to erect a new power supply line from Kilinochchi to Jaffna at a cost of 2750 million rupees.A proposal to this effect was presented by Power and Energy Minister W.D.J.Seneviratne was ratified at the last cabinet meeting, Media Minister Anura Ppriyadarshana Yapa said at today's cabinet press briefing. Germany will extend a loan facility of 1687 million rupees for this project and the Ceylon Electricity Board will bear a cost of 880 million rupees.

TNA candidate shot dead

TNA candidate M. Kamalan and his bodyguard were shot dead by unidentified gunmen yesterday (18).Kamalan was to contest tomorrow’s election to Navannindaveli Pradeshiya Sabha in the Ampara district.They were shot near Colony Junction in the Central Camp police station area by two gunmen who had fled after the shooting, police said.

Aussie help to identify suicide bomber’s phone identity

Australian authorities have agreed to assist Sri Lankan detectives by assisting to identify the cellular phone used by the LTTE female suicide bomber involved in the failed suicide attack on the Army Commander at Army Headquarters last month. A senior CID investigator said yesterday that initial preparations had earlier been made to send the sim card of the phone to England for a highly-expensive laboratory test which could cost 10, 000 Sterling Pounds. But after Australia’s offer they were planning to send it there for tests.

It was reported that the only possible lead so far was to get details from the phone used by the suicide bomber, but that it had become impossible since the phone chip too was destroyed in the explosion. Therefore the detectives sought the help of five mobile phone service providers in the country to identify the IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity) printed on the back of every phone. To get details from a sim card, a sim reader is required. With the IMEI number the sim details could be obtained.

But as it was revealed that the phone had not been registered with an IMEI number at any of the local mobile phone service providers, it was sent to its original maker in Hungary through the Interpol. After an initial check Hungary confirmed that the phone was from a stock released from Botswana in South Africa. Instead of carrying out the tests in England at a high cost, the detectives sought help from the Australian authorities and the Australian Federal Police have agreed to assist in investigations.

2 LTTE posts in Muhamalai, SLA post in Vavuniya attacked

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers Wednesday night moved into the no-go zone in Muhamalai close to A9 Road and attacked two Forward Defenece Line (FDL) posts of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources in Kilinochchi said. No casualties were reported. The Tigers said they repulsed the attacking Lankan troopers. Meanwhile, sources in Vavuniya said an SLA FDL post in Mamadu, 8 km northeast of Vavuniya was attacked and destroyed Wednesday evening. Sri Lankan troopers attacked the LTTE positions twice Wednesday 10:30 p.m. and Thursday at 2:00 a.m., LTTE sources said. The SLA troopers had moved 250 meters into the no-go zone.

The attack on Mamadu SLA FDL post of the Sri Lanka Army took place Wednesday evening around 5:45 p.m., Vavuniya sources added. Casualty details were not available. The attack was belived to be in retaliation to the SLA ambush on LTTE FDL on Tuesday when an LTTE woman cadre, Yalisai, was killed and 2 LTTE personnel were wounded.

Credit card racket busted three Sri Lankans Arrested

The Chennai Cyber Crime Cell has busted a fake credit card racket and arrested three Sri Lankans in this connection yesterday. A total of 116 ATM cards, passports, five mobile phones and Rs 7 lakh cash were seized from the gang. Based on a complaint from P Ramasamy, manager of a Chennai-based bank that cash worth Rs 5 lakh had been drawn using forged international credit cards at the bank\'s ATMs, a police team was formed under the supervision of Balu, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crime Cell.

After investigations, the team arrested one Gunasekaran, a refugee from Burma and recovered passports and credit cards from him. During interrogation, it came to light that an international network had been involved in the racket and their job was to steal credit card details using fraudulent methods and then draw cash from ATMs.

Gunasekaran also told the police that the gang had hired a car and looking to commit the crime in other towns in Tamilnadu. Following this, police spread the dragnet to apprehend the gang and arrested Rajaseelan (37), Ramesh (35) and Rathinaraja (35), all Sri Lankan citizens when they tried to enter Chennai city at Mogappair.

18 May 2006

One Million Face Threat Of Starvation In North And East - World Food Program

 Over one million people in the north and east face the risk of starvation if violence continues, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned last week.WFP said while all its food distribution programmes were currently running at snail’s pace due to the deteriorating security situation, in the north and east there was a threat of starvation if peace was not restored forthwith.

While the WFP is currently distributing food to over a million IDPs, Country Representative, WFP, Jeff Taft-Dick warned that if the violence continues, they would have no option but to reconsider their operations in the island."Both the government and the LTTE must realise that a calm environment is necessary to distribute aid and food to the civilians. If the attacks continue then we will have to reconsider our program-mes in the north and east," Taft-Dick said.

He added while the WFP was currently distributing emergency supplies to the civilians affected by the latest attacks, it was also implementing its contingency plans by stocking food in areas which are likely to be worst affected if the attacks continue.However, he warned that programmes would come to a halt if the situation deteriorated further and both the LTTE and the government were unable to give a firm guarantee on the security of their staff.

"It is of utmost importance that we look into the safety of our staff members who are traveling to the north and east. Fortunately up to date, the UN has not been a target. However we will avoid placing our staff in danger," Taft-Dick said.Through its food distribution programmes, the WFP provided food assistance to 900,000 IDPs last year. However this year, the numbers have increased to over a million.

US and India discuss Sri Lanka, Nepal

Donald Camp, US diplomat for South and Central Asian Affairs, met his Indian counterpart in South Block on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka and Nepal.While commenting on developments in Nepal he said, "We are cautiously optimistic," and regarding the situation in Sri Lanka he said, "Omens are very bad."

Camp, who is principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, told the media in New Delhi on Wednesday that during his recent visit to Sri Lanka he had met many people and political parties leaders. He feels that US, being the co-chair of the peace process which is negotiated by Norway, needs to strengthen the peace process to help Sri Lanka de-escalate the violence.

Camp was categorical in denouncing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and said that recent actions of LTTE doesn't augur well.On Tuesday, while talking to the Sri Lankan media he reiterated the US position on LTTE by saying, "The LTTE is a terrorist group of the first order."

He also said in a reply to a question, "The LTTE should not be proud of its claim to be the originator of suicide bombings as a tactic. In fact, they were not; our marine barracks were attacked in 1983 in Lebanon (by suicide bombers). I think the LTTE should reassess its methods and should abandon terrorism." 

In New Delhi, he also assured that stern action will be taken against people funding the LTTE from US soil and that other nations should also help curb the flow of funds to LTTE.He added that the international community should offer assistance to Sri Lanka, but neither US, India or Norway can help Sri Lanka to solve the crisis, Sri Lankan government itself will have to chart out their own strategy.

He thinks that getting LTTE to join the political process could be one such move.

When asked what kind of role international communities particularly India and US can offer, he said, "I think we have thought for long (that) international respectability was an important goal (of LTTE). We could hold out the possibility of delisting of LTTE from the list of banned terrorist organistations (and) getting them to join political system. I must say that events of recent weeks suggests that the LTTE is not deterred by losing international respectability."

Camp said that in the given situation "other option" is to track money flow.He said that US has banned LTTE since 1997 and the flow of money to LTTE will not be tolerated. He said, "We will be very active in (implementing) our laws." In a reply to a question he said, "My office tells me that in the recent assembly election in Tamil Nadu the LTTE was not an election issue."

US asks Sri Lanka to address Tamil grievances   

 The US Tuesday described the Tamil Tigers as a 'first order' terrorist group but at the same time urged Sri Lanka to satisfy the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil minority.'Certainly, the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is a terrorist group of the first order,' US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Donald Camp told state-run Rupavahini television here.'That said, there's no question that the government of Sri Lanka has responsibilities as well,' he added.

'One of those, which the government has certainly acknowledged, is to address the legitimate grievances of the Tamil people. That includes, of course, dealing with the disturbing number of killings in recent months. 'We think those investigations should be carried out promptly and thoroughly. We think it's the responsibility of the government to uphold law and order, and that is a responsibility of any democratic government.'

AI: Probe civilian killings
 
The Sri Lankan government has been urged to carry out independent and effective investigations into the killings of civilians.London based human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, has highlighted the killing of thirteen Tamil civilians, including two children, at the weekend on the islet of Kayts, near Jaffna.

Kayts Island is controlled by the Sri Lankan navy.

Amnesty said it welcomed the government's announcement that an investigation was under way.

Navy and EPDP 'involved'

But it said such investigations were often incomplete or ineffective, with the result that the perpetrators of such violence generally operated with impunity.

“Amnesty International has received credible reports that Sri Lanka Navy personnel and armed cadres affiliated with the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), were present at the scene of the killings,” the statement added.

However, the EPDP has denied any involvement in the incident.

"There is no link between the EPDP and the incidents in northern Sri Lanka," EPDP leader Douglas Devananda told BBC Tamil Service.

Amnesty said it was alarmed by the increasing number of civilian deaths in Sri Lanka.

It said more than two-hundred civilians had been killed in the past month despite a ceasefire agreed four years ago by the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Protests bring Batticaloa-Amparai districts to standstill

 While a protest hartal was going on in the Batticaloa-Amparai districts, a lorry was set on fire at Kayankerni in Valaichenai, 200 km east of Colombo, by unknown persons.

The Batticaloa-Amparai districts came to a standstill as transport discontinued and shops, government offices and schools were closed.

The hartal was called by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which has 22 seats in the Sri Lanka Parliament, to protest the continued violence against Tamils in the North and East.

It is significant that the TNA organised the hartal as earlier public protests in the Northeast were called by shadowy groups.

EU to list Tamil Tigers as terror group-diplomats -Source: Reuters

The European Union is set to list Sri Lankan rebel group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as a terrorist organisation, EU diplomats said on Wednesday.

The move will further isolate the group as Sri Lanka is sliding back into a low-intensity conflict some fear could spiral into resumption of a two-decade war.

The United States, Canada and Britain have already listed the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist group, and the EU imposed a travel ban on the group's cadres last September and said then it was considering banning it for "use of violence and terrorism".

"A decision in principle is due within the next couple of days," a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity said.

A second EU diplomat said a decision was due by Friday. The move would then have to be rubber-stamped by the 25 member states of the bloc at a later date.

A ban on the Tamil Tigers in the EU would outlaw the group and its followers by shutting down premises and freezing assets belonging to it.

The Tigers are fighting for a separate state for ethnic Tamils in the north and east of the Indian Ocean island, and have pioneered the use of suicide bombing.

There has been an escalation of violence recently and April was one of the bloodiest months since a 2002 cease-fire halted a war that killed over 64,000 people since 1983.

Washington last week accused the group of violating the truce with an attack on a Sri Lankan navy transport ship carrying hundreds of servicemen.

The military said 17 sailors and 50 Tigers died in the attack that prompted air strikes on rebel territory.

Jaffna VC 'threatened by Tigers'  -Source:BBC
 
Human Rights activists have expressed concern on the increasing threats to the civilian life in Sri Lanka’s north and east.Forum of Professional for Human Rights (FPHR) said the democracy and human rights should be a fundamental and essential part of the life in theregion in order to establish normalcy.

The Forum called on all parties to stop all activities that would hinder civilian life in north and the east.

Threats to Jaffna VC

The Forum expressed regret that Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole, Vice Chancellor of Jaffna University, had to leave the country due to alleged threats by Tamil Tigers.

“He couldn’t even travel to Jaffna as a certain terrorist group opposed his views and his religious beliefs,” Secretary on civil and political rights Dr. Kapila Perera told journalists in Colombo.

He said Tamil Tigers were behind the threats using different organisations.

The activists condemned killing civilians by both parties including that of killing over 13 civilians in Kayts Island last week.

Dr. NGA Kaunathilake urged the international community to exert pressure on the Tigers to come back to the negotiating table as the “LTTE left the negotiations without a justifiable reason”.

The Forum said the people are not allowed express their opinions freely in the region.

Secretary on humanitarian law Raja Gunaratne said both warring parties are abide by the international law to safeguard human rights including freedom of expression.

Two SLA soldiers injured in grenade attack in Uduppiddy

Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were injured in a grenade attack at Uduppiddy, in the Vadamaradchi sector of the Jaffna peninsula, around 7 p.m., Wednesday. The injured troops were transported to Palaly military base hospital in a Buffel APC, sources in the area said. Two men who came on a motobike lobbed a grenade at a SLA camp situated on the road from Uduppiddy junction to Vathiri. The troops opened fire in retaliation, the sources said. Meanwhile another grenade attack on SLA troopers was reported at Kokkuvil, Wednesday evening. Further details are not known.

Two soldiers injured in Nagarkovil firefight

Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers were seriously injured in a firefight with Liberation Tigers (LTTE) cadres near Kandalkadu, located near Eluthumadduval between Nagarkovil and Muhamalai, Wednesday afternoon, sources in Jaffna said. The injured troopers have been air lifted to Palaly Military Hospital, according to sources. SLA officials said Liberation Tigers shot at the SLA soldiers, triggering the firefight.Direct clash between the SLA troops and the Tigers at the same location Tuesday injured four SLA soldiers.

SLA sentry in Welikanda ambushed, two killed, one wounded

Unidentified men ambushed a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry post with Claymore attack, killing two soldiers and wounding one at Sooriyaweva in Welikanda in Batticaloa - Polannaruwa border, Wedesday morning at 10:35, Police said. The SLA troopers, killed in Welikanda were identified as I.M. Lankasinghe and K.H.M.D. Jeyawardene.

N. Najeem was wounded.

The soldiers opened fire and launched a search operation around the sentry post after the ambush.Wellikanda police said that the injured SLA trooper, Najeem, is admitted to Polanaruwa hospital.

Private tutor shot dead at the Central Jaffna Bus stand

An unidentified gunman shot dead Selvarasa Kirithas, 35, a displaced resident from Ilavalai, Wednesday morning around 8.45 a.m near Poobalasingham Book Depot at the Jaffna Central Bus stand, said police sources. The gunman, who shot Kirithas while he was drinking tea in front of a tea stall fled from the site in a blue color motorbike, civilians at the site said. The victim was a private tution teacher, the sources said. Kirithas, originally from Kankesanthurai, was living in Ilavalai.Ms. Srinithi Nandasegaran, Jaffna Additional Magistrate, after conducting death inquiries ordered the body to be placed in the Jaffna hospital morgue.

Monk sentenced to 10 years for child abuse

A monk who was found guilty of grave sexual abuse on an underage boy was sentenced to ten years rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court yesterday.

High Court judge W. A. T. Ratnayake convicted accused monk, Ven. Thalarambe Sudamma of Pepiliyana Sunethradevi Rajamaha Viharaya and imposed a fine of Rs. 15,000 in default six months RI. The monk was also ordered to pay a compensation of Rs. 15,000 to the abused child.

The Attorney General had indicted the accused with committing grave sexual abuse on a thirteen years old child between May 27 and September 6, 1999 at Pepiliayana Nugegoda. According to the complaint the child, the Abiththaya (acolyte) in the temple was abused by the accused on several days. During the magisterial inquiry the accused had denied the charge of child abuse and had implicated another monk in the same temple of the offence. When the accused was indicted before the Colombo High Court he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Delivering the judgment the High Court judge held that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. State Counsel Shanil Kularatne appeared for the prosecution.

Farmers learn to fight from Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers

 Tamil farmer Thuraichami Wardanayagam is happiest tending his aubergine and chilli crops, but war clouds hang over his native Sri Lanka and he has turned to Tamil Tiger rebels for combat training.

He has been running and doing star jumps in this village just outside the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) northern stronghold, and if all goes well he will learn how to handle a semi-automatic rifle and possibly even explosives.

The Tigers are offering men, women and youngsters training in the island's north and east as a spate of deadly attacks and military clashes between the rebels and the state threaten to rupture a 2002 truce that still technically holds.

"We don't consider this as training. This is vital to our lives," said 55-year-old Thuraichami Wardanayagam, doing physical training in a white and brown sarong and vest under the guidance of two rebels in Tiger-striped camouflage fatigues.

A spate of deadly attacks on Tamil civilians in the northern, army-held enclave of Jaffna which the rebels blame on the military and vice-versa have left many residents feeling too scared to venture out onto the streets.

Grenade attacks and shootings are now near daily occurrences in the town now controlled by Sri Lanka's majority-Sinhalese army and which Tamils regard as the cradle of their civilization.

Nordic truce monitors say they believe some troops are involved in extrajudicial killings of Tamil civilians.

On Wednesday, the latest in a string of mine ambushes by suspected Tigers killed two soldiers in the east, while a civilian was shot dead in Jaffna.

Some Tamils sympathetic to the Tigers' cause for a separate Tamil homeland want to learn to fight back if the time comes.

"So many things happened in and around Jaffna during the last four or five days. That means war has come," Wardanayagam said. "This is to protect us all, including our children, from war."

GEARING UP FOR WAR?

With more than 270 troops and civilians killed since early April -- including a fierce naval battle and aerial bombing raids just last week -- the violence looks just like periods of the two-decade civil war in which over 64,000 people died.

Truce monitors and the Tigers have both started referring to a "low intensity war". The government disagrees, saying the ceasefire holds and says it will limit itself to tactical bursts of retaliation if attacked.

The Tigers began training civilians since last year in parts of Sri Lanka's north and east they control as a precaution against any eventual return to a two-decade civil war that has already killed more than 64,000 people.

At the time, they said the civilians would be trained for their own safety and would not fight alongside them.

"The country is going towards war. That's why we're doing this training," said rebel media coordinator Daya Master. "In our controlled area, people in every village are getting self-defence training."

"If they want weapons training, we will give it to them," he added, saying several thousand people have been trained. "When the opportunity arises, they can join the LTTE if they want."

In Kilinochchi, the Tigers' nerve centre, heavily armed rebel fighters are visible on the streets. Some families have moved away from forward defence lines near government territory, arriving in the town on tractors with their worldly possessions.

The training lasts two hours each day, and comprises self-defence and physical exercise, first aid and finally weapons training for those deemed suitable.

"This training is very helpful for us to defend ourselves against the government's military forces," said one 60-year-old housewife, exercising in a green saree, her hair in a bun. She refused to give her name or be photographed for fear of being identified by the military. "They always harrass us and our children. That is the reason I came to this training," she said.

17 May 2006

Efforts to make LTTE attend Geneva II fail

 Geneva II is out. Persistent efforts by Norway and others to persuade Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers to attend the second round of peace talks with Colombo in the Swiss city have more or less fizzled out.

The development comes amid signs that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) might be planning to hit back violently in the wake of a rising number of killings of Tamils in Jaffna suspected to be its supporters.

"The chances of the LTTE going to Geneva is very, very remote," an informed source told IANS.

Another diplomatic source described the situation in Sri Lanka as "very, very, very serious" and said that there was no possibility of Colombo and the LTTE meeting in Geneva or anywhere for now.

Diplomats dealing with the Sri Lankan conflict moan that even small confidence building measures that may have helped build up some mutual trust would not be possible at this stage.

The Indian government is worried over the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Sri Lanka's northeast, where the number of daily killings averages three or more.

The LTTE is in a belligerent mood and has told Western interlocutors that it is not interested in going to Geneva for the second round of peace talks that were scheduled in April but were put off indefinitely.

From the LTTE's point of view, Colombo has to first carry out its pledge made in the Geneva talks of February to disarm its breakaway group led by its former eastern regional commander Karuna.

Already middle-level LTTE leaders in the Tigers-controlled areas are warning that the group is at war against the Sri Lankan government.

Now one of its seniormost leaders, P. Nadesan, who heads the LTTE's police wing, has declared that Sri Lanka could expect an "earthquake" over the killings of Tamils in the northeast.

Nadesan - one of the oldest confidants of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran - warned in a commentary carried by a pro-LTTE website that Sinhalese nationalists would learn "new lessons" in the coming times.

Informed sources in Colombo say that the military and anti-LTTE groups are locked in a proxy war against the LTTE, taking out people they suspect are with the LTTE but leading the lives of ordinary citizens.

But several people getting killed by both sides are innocent people.

On its part, the LTTE has not just stepped up its killing spree but also its verbal criticism of the international community, almost like the way it attacked India before the outbreak of the war against Indian troops in October 1987.

Despite knowing the diplomatic fallout, the LTTE has warned the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), a Nordic body that monitors the 2002 ceasefire, this month to stay away from Sri Lankan Navy ships.

The threat has forced the SLMM to suspend escorting the naval ships.

Japan's special envoy to Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi, informed Indian officials after visiting the country last week that the situation was "very serious" and that urgent international intervention was necessary.

He also emphasized the importance of India playing a larger role in the now wobbly peace process. But New Delhi is wary of upping its profile but will keep backing Norway's role as a facilitator.

TamilSelvan says the way to prevent war

The resumption of war can be prevented only through the proper implementation of the cease-fire agreement LTTE political wing leader Tamil Selvan told a group of media organization representatives at Kilinochchi today.

The LTTE has done everything it possibly can to implement the truce and now it is left for the government to fulfill its obligations, TamilSelvan said while calling for an immediate halt to the harassment of Tamil people. The prevailing situation was triggered by the killing of Vigneshwaran in Trincomalee and 176 Tamil civilians have been killed so far, Selvan claimed.

He said finding roots of violence is like finding out as to what came first- the egg or the hen and noted it is high time to end this vicious circle. When questioned whether the LTTE has no role to play in this regard, Selvan said his organization had taken such steps in the past. He said the LTTE declared a unilateral 3 month cessation of hostilities in 2001 on a request made by Norway and said it was this cessation that eventually led to the cease-fire agreement. Selvan said the period that the cease-fire was in place was the best period for the tamil community.

The only thing left now is to implement the cease-fire agreement properly and that responsibility lies with the government, Selvan observed. As usual he said the LTTE is ready to face the war in the event of such an eventuality. He said the LTTE has nothing to do with the threats made against Tamil journalists by an alleged LTTE shadow organization called 'Rawana Brigade'.

A joint statement issued by five media organizations vehemently condemned the threat made against Tamil journalists and the LTTE invited these organizations to spell out their position regarding the matter. Accordingly the chairman of the Sri Lanka Professional Journalists Union, Sanath Balasuriya, Secretary Poddala jayantha, S.Kaneshan, The Secretary of the Muslim Journalists Union, Lazir Laheer and M.K.M.Mussamil, the Convenor of the Free Media Movement Sunanda Deshapriya and Udaya Kalupahana and Darmasiri Lankapeli and C.P.De Silva of the Sri Lanka Media Trade Union Federation visited Kilinochchi to meet the LTTE.

The LTTE political chief said that his organization is frustrated with the distortions in the Southern media and said the media men are free to visit the North.However he was evasive when the media representatives questioned about the spate of claymore mine explosions in the North and East the last week?s attack on Navy crafts.He admitted the attack on the vessel Pear Cruise transporting 710 unarmed security force personnel and policemen. LTTE media spokesman Daya Master was also present at the occasion.

One LTTE cadre killed, 2 LTTE, 4 SLA troopers wounded

A Liberation Tigers woman cadre, Yalisai, was killed when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers who moved beyond the no-man zone at Palamodai, north of Vavuniya, attacked an LTTE Forward Defence Line (FDL) around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Later, two LTTE cadres were wounded in Jaffna district when SLA soldiers attacked the FDL of the Tigers at Kandalkadu, located near Eluthumadduval between Nagarkovil and Muhamalai in Jaffna district, around 5:45 p.m., according to LTTE sources in Kilinochchi. Direct clash between the SLA troops and the Tigers erupted after the incident. Four SLA soldiers were wounded, according to SLA sources in Jaffna. The Liberation Tigers have lodged a complaint on the incident with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said. The wounded SLA soldiers were rushed to Palaly military hospital.

Elections in Vavuniya cancelled

The Election Commissioner has decided to postpone the elections for two local government bodies up to 30 September due to the security situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka. The Vavuniya Urban Council and the Vavuniya South (Sinhala) Pradeshiya Sabha were among the 22 local councils for which elections were to be held on 20 May. But the Election Commissioner decided to postpone the elections for the local councils in the Vavuniya district after consulting the retaining officer for the district. The elections for 20 other councils will be held as scheduled on the 20th.

U.S. encouraging EU to brand Sri Lanka rebels as terrorists

The United States is encouraging the European Union to list the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as a terrorist organization, a senior State Department official told Sri Lanka's state television Tuesday. "We have encouraged the EU to list the LTTE (because) we think it is very deserving of that label," Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Camp said.

"We think (such listing by the EU) will help cut off financial supplies and weapons procurement and the like." In a separate interview with a private television station, Camp said the United States believes "certainly the LTTE is a terrorist organization of the first order."

Twenty-two of the European Union's 25 member countries favor banning the LTTE but three Nordic members -- Sweden, Denmark and Finland -- do not support such a measure at this time, diplomats in Colombo said.

The Tamil Tigers have been listed as terrorists by India, the United States and Britain. Most recently, Canada has banned the LTTE.  Australia has restricted fund-raising by the Tamil rebels while Malaysia has also imposed controls.

Camp, who left Sri Lanka on Tuesday at the end of a two-day visit, said he hopes the meeting of the "co-chairs" helming Sri Lanka's peace process facilitated by Norway in Tokyo on May 30 "can help Sri Lanka back to the peace process."

The co-chairs are the United States, the European Union, Japan and Norway. India, as the regional power with a major stake in peace in Sri Lanka, has also been invited for the May 30 meeting and is considering attending.

Camp said he hopes Sri Lanka, wracked by violence in April and May with more 200 people killed, can get the peace process back on track and that the government and LTTE can resume peace talks.

After a three-year stalemate the two sides met in Geneva in February but a planned April meeting was aborted due to the fresh surge of violence.

Camp told an interviewer that he had no expectations that his visit to Sri Lanka "would achieve a great deal."

"I came here to look at the situation and see what the international community might be able to do...to encourage the government and the politicians," he said.

He stressed that while the LTTE's "atrocities are well known and its provocations in recent months are particularly disturbing," the United States also held Sri Lanka's democratic government to high standards.

"When there are killings in areas controlled by the government, it is certainly the government's responsibility to uphold law and order," he said responding to LTTE allegations that the military and para-militaries allegedly backed by the government have engaged in retaliatory killings of civilians perceived to be Tiger backers.

Karuna group has army backing: Lanka monitors

Former Tamil Tigers now part of a breakaway group appear to be carrying out attacks and extortion in Sri Lanka’s north and probably have army backing, despite denials, international truce monitors say.The government denies any links to the so-called Karuna group, but the Tigers appear to have retaliated for attacks by ambushing the army. The rebels say Karuna killings must stop before they will come to peace talks.

“I firmly believe that Karuna is going around this area,” said Mr Jouni Suninen, head of the district office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in the northern town of Vavuniya.

“We have eyewitnesses who tell us they have seen Karunas around. I cannot see how they could be operating here without the support of the army.”

The monitors will not give details of individual cases for fear the victims could be tracked down and killed.

Former eastern Tiger commander Col Karuna Amman split from the mainstream Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels in 2004, taking control of much of their eastern territories, but was swiftly pushed out by a Tiger offensive.

His group says they have attacked the rebels in the east, but not the north.

A senior Karuna aide and member of his fledgling political party, the TMVP, said there was no truth to the SLMM reports.

“We don’t have any military activities in that area,” he said, denying the group had any support from the military.

Karuna’s powerbase is seen as his home area in eastern Sri Lanka, where the group says it has camps. The government says they are in uncontrolled jungle areas, while the Tigers say they are clearly next to army installations.

The Vavuniya monitors, who track violations of a 2002 cease-fire despite recent violence, say they are confident they have evidence. They say they believe Karuna’s men are operating from army camps and carrying out attacks behind rebel lines.

“We have eyewitnesses telling us that they are based in army camps,” said Mr Suninen.

The government’s reluctance to stop Karuna attacks is seen as a key reason the Tigers pulled indefinitely out of peace talks last month. Violence has since risen sharply and the SLMM says Sri Lanka is now in a low intensity war with the LTTE.

The monitors say both Karuna and the mainstream Tigers are using threats to extract money from local business leaders — but that Karuna members demand more money and have a greater tendency to kill if they do not get it.

Grenades are thrown at the houses of those who refuse to pay, they say, and then the businessmen are kidnapped and sometimes killed. Officials say 10 businessmen have been killed in the last three months in Vavuniya.

The local district judge says he has used court orders to block what he believes are Karuna bank accounts in the eastern towns of Ampara and Trincomalee used in extortion cases.

Local police say they know extortion is taking place, but that they believe Karuna only operates in the east.

“There are a lot of Tamil groups asking for money,” said senior superintendent, Mr J Abeysririgunawardena. “The businessmen in the community, they know the groups. But they are not coming to us.”  

Escalating violence threatens the safety 
 
Sri Lankan children in areas most affected by recent clashes are paying a high price for the escalating tension in the island, says United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF). UNICEF in a statement says that thousands of children are still displaced from their homes following the recent violence in Trincomalee District in which six children were killed and others injured or severely traumatized.

UNICEF knows of at least nine children in other districts, including Jaffna and Vavuniya, who have been killed or injured in violent incidents, it said.Some were victims of shooting while others lost their lives from attacks using grenades or claymore mines.

The statement says schools in many areas remain suspended because of insecurity or occupation by families who have fled their homes. Violence and insecurity have also forced hundreds of families to abandon their livelihoods increasing their vulnerability and dependence on humanitarian assistance, says UNICEF.

The ongoing violence underlines the urgency for the parties to the conflict to take immediate action to avoid slipping back into a state of war. UNICEF calls on the parties to the conflict to cease the violence and to return to the Geneva talks. Negotiations offer the best hope of peace.

Further, UNICEF calls on the parties to respect their obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians, particularly children, in times of conflict.

Sri Lanka: Amnesty International condemns killings of civilians

"Amnesty International has received credible reports that Sri Lanka Navy personnel and armed cadres affiliated with the Eelam People’s Democratic Party, a Tamil political party that is opposed to the LTTE, were present at the scene of the killings."

Here's the full statement of the IF:

Amnesty International is alarmed by the increasing number of civilians killed as a low-intensity armed conflict appears to be escalating, despite a 2002 ceasefire agreement between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). More than 200 people have been killed over the past month alone, the majority of them civilians, and more than 20,000 others have been displaced from their homes. Amnesty International fears that a collapse of the ceasefire agreement and return to full-scale armed conflict would have further devastating consequences for civilians.

In separate incidents over the past weekend, 13-14 May, at least 18 civilians were reportedly killed in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Thirteen Tamil civilians were reportedly killed in a spate of incidents on Kayts Island, a small islet off the northwestern coast of the Jaffna Peninsula that is strictly controlled by the Sri Lanka Navy, which has a major base there. On 13 May, at about 8.30 p.m., unidentified gunmen reportedly entered the home of Sellathurai Amalathas in Allaipiddy and opened fire. Eight people were killed on the spot, including a four-month-old baby and four-year-old boy, and one other person died later in hospital. In another incident, at around 10:30 p.m. the same night, unidentified gunmen reportedly entered the home of 72-year-old Murugesu Shanmugalingam in Puliyankoodal, also on Kayts Island, and shot him and two other members of his family dead. Ten shops in Puliyankoodal were reportedly burnt down. In Vangalady, gunmen reportedly entered the home of Ratnam Senthuran, a tea shop owner, and shot him dead. Other members of his family also were shot and injured, but managed to escape.

The government has condemned the Kayts Island killings and announced that a police investigation is underway. Amnesty International welcomes these initial steps but notes that there is a disturbing pattern of incomplete or ineffective investigations by the government, with the result that perpetrators of such violence generally operate with impunity. In accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Sri Lanka has ratified, the government must carry out independent, impartial and effective investigations into all killings; the results of these investigations should be made public, and those found responsible for the attacks must be brought to justice. Without effective investigations and prosecutions, the cycle of retaliatory violence that so endangers the lives of civilians is likely to escalate.

The LTTE has accused the Sri Lanka Navy of responsibility for the attacks on Kayts Island, a charge which the Navy has denied. However, Amnesty International has received credible reports that Sri Lanka Navy personnel and armed cadres affiliated with the Eelam People’s Democratic Party, a Tamil political party that is opposed to the LTTE, were present at the scene of the killings. The government in turn has suggested that the LTTE orchestrated the attack in order “to divert international opinion”.

Regardless of who is responsible for the attacks, the Sri Lankan government has obligations under international law to take steps to prevent such killings, to ensure that those who commit them are brought to justice, and that the families of those killed are able to obtain redress.

Amnesty International calls on all parties to the conflict—including the government of Sri Lanka, the LTTE, and other armed groups—to take all possible measures to avoid harm to civilians and respect international humanitarian law, which prohibits murder or violence to those taking no active part in hostilities.

US Official Donald Camp Interviews with Sri Lanka TVs-Source: Embassy of the United States of America - Colombo

U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
for South and Central Asian Affairs
Donald Camp
Interviews with MTV and Rupavahini TV
May 16, 2006

[Full Transcript]

Interview With MTV:

MTV: What do you and the Co-Chairs hope to achieve in your meeting on the 30 th of this month?

Camp: Our hope is that we, as the Co-Chairs, can help move Sri Lanka back to the peace process, de-escalate the current crisis, and urge the government and all parties involved to begin to de-escalate the violence and get back to peace talks.

MTV: Sri Lankan police and security forces have been accused of torture and helping paramilitary groups (inaudible); you’ve given a lot of support to the Sri Lankan government. How would you continue (inaudible) to support…(inaudible), and with regards to human rights violations, what kind of pressure will you be putting on the government?

Camp: Let me first make a distinction between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. The government of Sri Lanka is an elected, democratic government that we support; whereas the LTTE is a group that we identified as far back as 1997 as a terrorist organization. The LTTE’s atrocities are well known. The LTTE’s provocations in recent months are particularly disturbing. That said, we also hold democratic governments to high standards. And when there are killings in areas controlled by the government, it is certainly the government’s responsibility to uphold law and order. There need to be investigations, and we have encouraged this on the government, and they have assured us that they are carrying out such investigations. There need to be investigations, and there need to be prosecutions. That is crucial to what the government is trying to do, which is to re-assure members of all minority groups in this country that everyone is equal and everyone is treated equally. There needs to be re-assurance (inaudible) and the government needs to address legitimate Tamil grievances.

MTV: During Richard Boucher’s meetings in India, the Sri Lankan situation was discussed. Would you like to see India have a larger involvement in the peace process? What sort of role would you see for India?

Camp: Well I think that’s very much India’s decision. India is certainly the largest country in the region, and has interests in Sri Lanka. They know the situation in Sri Lanka well. We have a similar interest as India — which is a democratic, prosperous, united Sri Lanka, which respects all ethnic groups. We talk to them quite a bit about the situation in Sri Lanka and the region generally. But as far as what they intend to do or what they should be doing, I think that’s a question better addressed to Delhi.

MTV: If war does erupt, how will the U.S. - Sri Lanka relationship change, how will relations evolve?

Camp: Well, that’s a situation we hope does not arise. We want to help the government of Sri Lanka in any way we can. We do not think that this country should be plunged back into conflict. That would be the worst thing that could happen, and all parties should do everything they can to avoid that.

MTV: Thank you.

Interview with Rupavahini:

Rupavahini: What’s the purpose of your visit to Sri Lanka?

Camp: I’m here because of our concern about the developing situation in Sri Lanka. The trend lines are discouraging in terms of the increasing provocations by the LTTE, the fact that killings are increasing, all of these suggest that Sri Lanka is not on the way back to a lasting Ceasefire. We would like to do everything we can, as an outside party, to encourage a return to the peace process. The Co-chairs will be meeting in [a few] weeks, so I’m here to look at what we might do to encourage that progress back to the peace process.

Rupavahini: Mr. Camp, the U.S. is a friend of Sri Lanka, and you are known to be a very good friend of Sri Lanka. What do you see as the solution to the ethnic issue?

Camp: I don’t think that it’s really our role, as an outsider, to prescribe a solution to the conflict, or the dilemma in which Sri Lanka finds itself. I do think people of all persuasions, of all ethnic groups, of all political parties, need to get together and present a united front, and decide that Sri Lanka’s future will be peace and prosperity and democracy and territorial integrity, rather than the alternative.

Rupavahini: What can the U.S. say to help Sri Lanka during this war of aggression launched by the LTTE, especially if Prabakharan escalates into full-scale conflict?

Camp: Sri Lanka has always known that it has the moral support , the diplomatic support of the United States, and that will continue to be true. Certainly, the LTTE is a terrorist group of the first order. That said, there’s no question that the government of Sri Lanka has responsibilities as well. One of those, which the government has certainly acknowledged, is to address the legitimate grievances of the Tamil people. That includes, of course, dealing with the disturbing number of killings in recent months. This is something the government has said it will investigate. We think those investigations should be carried out promptly and thoroughly –we think it’s the responsibility of the government to uphold law and order, and that is a responsibility of any democratic government.

Rupavahini: What is your government’s position on attempts by the EU to list the LTTE as a terrorist group?

Camp: We have encouraged the EU to list the LTTE. We think the LTTE is very deserving of that label. We think it will help cut off financial supplies and weapons procurement and the like.

Rupavahini: The LTTE’s Sea Tiger leader, Soosai, told the BBC once : “Organizations like Al Qaeda are already copying us. They’re using our tactics, in Yemen they used our strategy of suicide attacks to blow up an American ship.” Your comments as America leads the war on terror?

Camp: The LTTE should not be proud of its claim to be the originator of suicide bombings as a tactic. In fact, they were not; our Marine barracks were attacked in 1983, in Lebanon [by suicide bombers]. I think the LTTE should re-assess its methods and should abandon terrorism. That’s the only way it can really have a future in a united Sri Lanka.

Rupavahini: Thank you Mr. Camp.

16 May 2006

17 more refugees from Sri Lanka arrive at Dhanushkodi

"many people are still waiting in Sri Lanka to flee. But as the ferry fare was high, they could not make it"-refugees said Seventeen refugees from Sri Lanka arrived at Dhanushkodi near here today in a boat, taking the total number of refugees coming to India to nearly 800 since tension mounted in northern part of the neighbouring country in January.
 
All the refugees, who arrived today were handed over to the Mandapam transit camp here after conducting necessary inquiry, officials said. Thirty one refugees had come yesterday. The influx of refugees from the island nation has become a daily event after a gap of four years, officials said.
 
Quoting the refugees, they said "many people are still waiting in Sri Lanka to flee. But as the ferry fare was high, they could not make it". The refugees said that some of the fishermen from Sri Lanka have changed their profession from fishing to ferrying the refugees, an Intelligence Department official told PTI.
 
Some of the refugees who had left India some months ago after peace returned there, were now coming back. At least two such families have reached so far, the official said. On several occasions the refugees were forced to get off in the shallow waters with children in the biting cold till the Coast Guard or fishermen rescued them to the Indian shores, the official said.
 
Deaths occurring while ferrying were being hushed up by their relatives due to fear of legal process, he said. The officials said they have tightened the security arrangements along the East Coast road from Nagapattinam and check post manning teams have been asked to take strict action against smuggling activities. 

United Kingdom is working to bring peace to Sri Lanka, says new High Commissioner

The new British High Commissioner in Colombo, Dominick Chilcott, who has presented his credentials to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said his country is working together with Sri Lanka to bring peace to the island nation. Speaking to media, he said, “This task is essentially for the Sri Lankan people themselves to do; outsiders cannot make peace for them. But outsiders can help to create the conditions in which peace becomes more likely.”

He also said, “We will continue to give our wholehearted support to peace-making activities; for example, we shall back the Norwegian facilitators and the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission, whose presence in this country was requested by the government and the LTTE. We will condemn wanton acts of violence and terrorism, like the suicide bombing of the Army commander or the attack on the newspaper office in Jaffna.

“We will spend significant sums of money on projects aimed at peace-building. In fact, our entire aid budget in Sri Lanka, apart from the $80 million earmarked for debt relief, will be focused on peace-building,” he added.

Senior United States State Dept official visits Sri Lanka

The United States State Department's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Camp, arrived in Sri Lanka today for a two-day official visit. The US Embassy in Colombo announced, “Mr. Camp will meet with Sri Lankan government officials, political party representatives and businessmen to discuss the current political and economic climate in the country, as well as review the state of bilateral relations.”

His visit comes in the context of efforts by the US, as part of the Tokyo Donor Co-Chairs group, to encourage a resumption of peace talks in Geneva at the earliest possible date

Blast injures 9 Muslims in Akkaraipattu

Nine Muslims were injured in a grenade attack at Pattiadiputty in Akkaraipattu police division when unidentified persons who came in a motorbike lobbed a grenade at them, around 7 p.m, Monday, police in the southeastern town said. The attack comes as preparations are underway to hold elections to several local government bodies in the Amparai district. Civil sources suggested political rivalry might have been the reason behind the attack. Five of the injured were warded in Akkaraipattu base hospital and the rest were transferred to Amparai general hospital as their conditions were reported critical, sources said.Elections to several local bodies in the Amparai district are scheduled to be held on May 20.

BBC 'biased': protest in London
 
A petition blaming the BBC for hampering Sri Lanka’s attempts to “eradicate terrorism” has been handed over to the BBC officials.Nicki Clarke, Executive Editor of the Asia Pacific Region and Priyath Liyanage, Head of Sinhala Service of the BBC World Service were handed over the petition on Monday.

Handing over the petition, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) London organiser Rani Bulathwala accused BBC Sandeshaya of “badly influencing the whole of the BBC on Sri Lanka’s conflict”.

Dozens of Sri Lankans protested in front of Bush House, HQ of the World Service, accuse BBC of being “sympathetic to the Tamil terrorists,” during the recent upsurge of violence in the north and the east. An organisation called Sri Lankans Against Terrorism (SLAT) is calling for an “unbiased” coverage on the long running conflict in the island nation.

“Viewed internationally as an icon for the dissemination of the truth about various countries and their affairs, it (BBC) has been less than impartial or straightforward or factual in its reports about Sri Lanka,” a statement by the SLAT said.

The protest was organised by London branch of SLFP headed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and some other Sinhala organisations. Earlier, there were media reports that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the SLFP to stay away from the protest.

Two traders feared killed in Nilavarai in Puthur, Jaffna

A restaurant owner and a grocery shop owner at Nilavarai, located in Valikamam sector of Jaffna district, are feared killed Sunday night near the tourist site of Nilavarai well in Navakkiri village where they were operating their businesses. Blood trace and scattered remains of flesh are found inside the shop and the restaurant. Villagers who heard gunshots around 8:30 p.m., Sunday, and registered vehicular movement during the night in the area, fear that the traders were killed and their bodies removed from the spot by the Sri Lanka Army troopers or their paramilitary cadres. Jaffna has been terrorized with killings on Sunday. The missing persons, Thiyakarajah Kirupaharan, 27, and Jeyaratnam Jeyakanthan, 25, are relatives who were operating their businesses at the tourist site located at Nilavarai Junction on Puttur - Punnalaikadduvan Road. They have participated in demonstrations aginst setting up a SLA camp in Puthur, residents said. Nilavarai well is a large square well of unknown depth, a tourist place, 14 km northeast of Jaffna town.

Five southern media organizations meet Tamil Selvam

Representatives of 5 media organizations left for Kilinochchi Yesterday to discuss with the LTTE the threats made against Tamil journalists serving in news divisions of state media organizations to vacate their posts by an organization called the Ravana Brigade.The visit by media representatives led by Free Media Movement's convenor Sunanda Deshapriya was consequent an invitation extended by the LTTE political wing. The LTTE had invited them for a discussion in the wake of a joint statement issued by five media organizations. Media representatives are due to meet LTTE political chief Tamil Selvam today.

Karuna Cadre Killed

 A member of the Karuna group, Geethafontgallan Selvakumar, 20, was shot dead by unidentified men, while he was warded at the government hospital, Batticaloa for treatment to his wounds received during the raid by the LTTE on the Welikanda camp of the Karuna group on May 1.  The incident took place during the "Visiting Time," around 5.00pm, Monday.

Selvakumar was first at Polonnoruwa hospital. Fearing LTTE attack there, he sought better protection and care at Batticaloa where Karuna group had its large political office on Govindhan Street.As Selvakumar needed warded treatment, he was admitted to the hospital, where Suresh Kumar, 24, another armed cadre from Karuna Group was instituted to provide protection.Suresh Kumar was also seriously wounded while standing guard. He was later transferred to Colombo, in a critical condition.

Colombo stocks plunge two percent on worsening security situation
 
Sri Lankan stocks plunged two percent Monday on a bad bout of nerves over the weakening security situation, while overseas funds booked profits on selected blue chips, traders said.
 
They said sentiment weakened after the Tamil Tiger rebels and the government continued sea and ground attacks over the long weekend, in the country's restive northeast regions.

The broader All Share Price Index tumbled 2.35 percent or 52.54 points to close at 2,182.96, according to the Colombo Stock Exchange.

Cellular operator Dialog Telekom, the bourse's biggest capitalized stock, dominated the day's trading on foreign buying, but the counter closed flat at 21.50 rupees.

Bluechip conglomerate John Keells Holdings, which has interest in transport, leisure and property, fell 3.25 rupees or 2.2 percent to 147.00.

The liquid Milanka Price Index, which tracks 25 stocks, fell 1.72 percent or 48.82 points to end 2,782.04.

Today's turnover was a dismal 197.3 million rupees over 260 million rupees reported last Wednesday.
 
The Colombo bourse has shed 52.6 billion rupees in value since an upsurge in violence last month.

Gunmen attack STF water bowser in Komari, one wounded

A Special Task Force (STF) trooper was wounded and rushed to Amparai hospital after gunmen attacked a water tanker of the elite counter insurgency wing of the Sri Lankan armed forces, the STF, in Komari, Police said. The bowser was tranporting water to soldiers in the newly constructed STF camp, located one kilometer away from the tsunami destroyed old camp. The injured STF trooper was rushed to Amparai hospital for treatment. There were 3 STF troopers in the carrier at the time of the gunfire.Immediately after the attack the STF troopers cordoned off and searched the area assaulting and harassing several civilians, civilian sources said.

During the Eelam Wars (1983-2002), Komari village in Amparai district, was ruthlessly controlled like an open prison by the Special Task Force (STF), the elite counter insurgency wing of the Sri Lankan armed forces.Komari is a coastal village settled mostly by families that came to work at a British Royal Air Force runway on Sri Lanka’s remote southeastern coast during World War II.

Federalism is answer to Lanka’s problems- By Kuldip Nayar

When I was in Colombo last month, the air was so thick with tension that I could taste it. Concerned over the increasing killings by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), people were conjecturing how soon their country would be overwhelmed by the same old undeclared war. Yet, they wished the ceasefire to hold, because they could see the signs of normalcy: the economy picking up and tourists returning to Sri Lanka.

My assessment is that peace, however uneasy, would last in the absence of an alternative. True, there are authentic reports that the LTTE is consolidating itself for the purpose of resuming violence. But I imagine that the support of the international community, especially India’s, to Sri Lanka would deter the LTTE from starting the hostilities all over again. That a Tamil suicide bomber killed 11 people and critically wounded Army chief Sarath Fonseka two weeks ago, was probably meant to register the LTTE’s presence. Colombo retaliated through air and artillery strikes against LTTE positions in the Tamil-majority territory in the north and partially in the east.

Both sides had to pipe down ultimately due to pressure. New Delhi reportedly told Sri Lanka not "to precipitate matters." That was probably the reason why the air strikes stopped after two days. Unfortunately, India and Sri Lanka have been going over the same exercise for the last few years: Colombo losing patience and New Delhi pulling it back.

Disappointed, Colombo is said to be seeking military assistance from Pakistan, a country which Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse recently visited. The LTTE does not obey the ceasefire agreement, neither in letter nor in spirit. It uses peace to prepare for war. Maybe, the LTTE has attacked the Army chief to warn the world that the ceasefire was not getting it anywhere. Maybe the attack was meant to influence the voters in Tamil Nadu, where LTTE’s advocate Vaiko was using the slogan of Eelam (independence) for tilting the balance in an evenly contested election. Recently unseated chief minister Jayalalithaa was personally against the LTTE, but, she did not seem to mind if Vaiko could add to the AIADMK vote using Eelam. She was, however, worried over the steady flow of Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka into Tamil Nadu.

However, the election verdict in Tamil Nadu is not as important as what takes place between the Sri Lankan government and LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. There is no love lost between the two, nor do they have any faith in each other. Whatever the trust the two had built, courtesy the Norwegian mediator Erish Solheim, seems to have got exhausted. Now both sides are relentlessly heading towards a clash. Still, there is something that stops them from plunging into a full-scale war. And that is world opinion. They do not want to alienate the international community. India realises this, but does not want to get involved the way it did in the late Eighties through military intervention. The Sinhalese would like the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to return, but New Delhi has already burnt its fingers. The Norwegian moderator keeps New Delhi in the picture and that is all it wants at present.

New Delhi’s real concern is the ethnic fire raging in the neighbourhood. This can have dangerous fallouts in Tamil Nadu. A cautious approach has already cost India dearly in Nepal. India cannot also annoy Sri Lanka, the only country friendly towards it in the neighbourhood. The stakes in Nepal are different. India wants to save the King in Kathmandu, unlike in Sri Lanka, where it would like to see the end of Prabhakaran.

It is apparent that over the years the Sinhalese, who constitute some 80 per cent of the population in Lanka, have come to the conclusion that the LTTE is not serious about conciliation. They want to play tough. The election of President Mahinda Rajapakse has made this clear. He knows that he won because of his "no-nonsense" attitude. Nonetheless, it is clear that Rajapakse is not in favour of a military solution. He conveyed this to New Delhi when he was here last December. Yet, there are firm indications that he would work for some kind of federalism once he is sure of the LTTE surrendering arms.

I personally think Rajapakse should have been more generous. Colombo and the LTTE have gone quite a distance together. When the LTTE said that it did not favour independence, that was the time when a federal structure should have been spelled out. Colombo has to face the fact that its writ does not run in the north which is the LTTE’s stronghold. The same is the case in some parts of the east where the Muslims are not in majority. For all practical purposes, the northeast wants to have a separate entity. The challenge before the world community as well as Sri Lanka is how to span the distance between Colombo and Jaffna. This cannot be around a unitary form of government which is still a pet subject with influential government elements in Colombo.

Over the years, a substantial number of Sinhalese have come round to favour a federal structure, with the LTTE enjoying full autonomy within the country. What it boils down to is something akin to Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. It gives a special status to Jammu and Kashmir. While it is nobody’s claim that Article 370 has brought peace to Kashmir, but such a formula may bring about a breakthrough one day. Similarly, the Rajapakse government may be able to retrieve peace with the LTTE if it gives the northeast, minus the Muslim area, an autonomous status. Even if Prabhakaran doesn’t come round, some Tamils, sick of his ruthless ways, may be ready for that. After all, his old associate Karuna parted company with him because he did not favour Prabhakaran’s way of functioning.

The crux of the problem is the decentralisation of power. Is Colombo willing to transfer all subjects to the LTTE except defence, foreign affairs, communication and currency? Curbing the demand for independence is a difficult task, but it can be done with patience and conviction that the concession made would not go waste.

We, in India, also faced the demand for an independent Tamil Nadu. But autonomous powers and the Centre’s largesse made the state give up that demand. Colombo may realise one day that India’s federal polity is worth adopting. The 11-party endorsement to the government’s policies strengthens Rajapakse. But support to a federal structure may do the trick.

15 May 2006

Sri Lanka Armed Forces Bag Another 4 Tamil Civilian Lives With Impunity Near Mandaitivu

Four more Tamil civilians have been shot dead by the Sri Lanka armed forces, close at heel on Sunday morning, at Puliyankoodal and Velanai. Both these areas of the islet off Jaffna, extend from Mandaitivu-Allaipiddy where 9 Tamil civilians, including 2 children were massacred on Saturday night.Three seriously wounded in the massacre at Mandaitivu-Allaipiddy, were rushed to the Teaching Hospital in Jaffna, Saturday night, by the resident Catholic Parish Priest in the area.The state armed forces had refused to let the wounded be removed immediately for treatment and the priest had to contact the Jaffna magistrate, before rushing them in his private vehicle.The hospital authorities have expressed that the life could have been saved had the wounded been brought immediately to the hospital.

Youth shot dead in Atchuveli

A 23-years-old youth was shot dead by unidentified gunmen who came in a motorbike at Pathameni Junction in Atchuveli, Jaffna at 8:00 a.m, Sunday, sources said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers were on road patrol when the youth was gunned down. The youth killed in Achchuveli was identified as Pasuwalingam Kandeepan, 23.

Readying for polls in the N and E

The Elections Department yesterday scoffed at rumors on the postponement of the local government polls in the North and East, saying it would meet with the respective Divisional Secretaries tomorrow, to discuss the polls.Deputy Commissioner of Elections P.M. Siriwardena told the Daily Mirror that the respective Divisional Secretaries had been summoned to discuss the elections and not for the postponement of the elections in those areas.

Meanwhile, District Election Commissioners in the North and East are in favour of holding elections. Batticaloa District Commissioner T. Kishnandalingam and Ampara District Commissioner T.M.L.D. Tennakoon were of the view that the environment in their respective areas were conducive to holding election, in the absence of any threats from the LTTE to date. However, the Daily Mirror learns that a final decision will be taken tomorrow.

Indian militarymen follow Lankan courses

Signalling a new development in Indo-Lanka defence cooperation, a group of Indian military personnel recently underwent a special training programme conducted by elite police commandos.The three-week programme, conducted at the Katukurunda training base, a fully-fledged facility, regarded as one of the best in South East Asia, concluded last Friday, The Island learns. The Indians are believed to be Special Forces veterans. Similar programmes are in the offing.Well informed sources said that the course was arranged on India’s request. The focus was on anti-terrorist training, particularly handling of explosives and countering the growing threat posed by suicide cadres.

An LTTE suicide cadre Dhanu assassinated one time Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991. LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is believed to have ordered the assassination in November 1990 to prevent Gandhi returning to power. Indian investigators later established that Dhanu garlanded Gandhi and bent down to touch his feet and triggered the blast when he bent to raise her up.During the Indians stay in Colombo another woman suicide cadre (yet to be identified) targeted Army Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka.

STF Commandant DIG Nimal Lewke is on a hurriedly arranged visit to India to discuss further cooperation.The paramilitary arm of the Police Department was set up in March 1983. It received a tremendous boost when the then presidential security advisor Ravi Jayewardene secured the services of ex-Special Air Services personnel.

Karuna demands payment from Sinhala villagers

The convenor of the All Ceylon Movement for Protecting Farmers' Rights Ven. Dambulle Nanda Thero says farmers in the border villagers have had to give their harvest to the Karuna Group in addition to facing threats from the  Tigers. The Ven. Thero says the Karuna Group demands 35-40 bushels of rice from farmers and the defence sectors do not take action, although they are informed of the problem.

The Karuna Group, a breakaway faction of the LTTE, runs a chain of safe houses in Sinhala and Tamil villages in the Welikanda area, on the border of the North Central and Eastern Provinces. Farmers in the border villages face threats from the rebels and several farmers from Moraweva in the Trincomalee district were gunned down recently while harvesting their paddy fields.

SLA kills youth in Kopay, another youth shot dead in Avarangal

During a cordon and search operation following two grenade explosions which injured one Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper in Kopay area, SLA soldiers shot dead a youth in Kopay at 1:45 p.m., Sunday, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, another youth was shot dead by unidentified gunmen who came in a motorbike in Avarangal area on Jaffna Point-Pedro road, Sunday morning, sources in Jaffna said.SLA foot patrol that was moving towards Kopay junction from Irupalai Junction along the Jaffna-Point Pedro road came under grenade attack in front of Kopay Christian College by unknown assailants at 12:45 p.m., Sunday. One SLA trooper received serious wounds in the attack and was taken to Palaly Military Hospital.

There was another grenade attack near the same location at 1:45 p.m. After the second explosion during the cordon and search operation, Parameswaran Kapilan, 21, was shot dead by the SLA, sources said.Three other friends of Kapilan was arrested by the SLA on suspicions and were handed over to Kopay police, police sources said.

Meanwhile, Ramachandran Surendran, 30, from Atchuvely North, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen along the same Jaffna-Point Pedro road, near Avarangal junction, sources said. This was the second killing involving youths from Atchuvely Sunday .This killing took place at 8:30 a.m., nearly the same time the youth Pasuwalingam Kandeepan, 23, was shot dead in Atchuvely pathameni junction.

Suicide bomber’s accomplice was Army hospital employee

An employee at the Army Hospital responsible for arranging appointments with doctors for patients was in love with the female suicide bomber who tried to kill Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, investigations have revealed.  He had taken the suicide bomber to the hospital on more than five occasions for medical consultations but in reality she was conducting surveillance, CID detectives said.

They said they were pursuing matters relating to this breakthrough in investigations. However, they have encountered a problem – the man concerned also died when the suicide bomber blasted the lethal mix of explosives and steel balls strapped to her chest and stomach.

It has come to light that the man had obtained a room for the female suicide bomber to stay in Kaduwela. It is at this location that he had been meeting her and bringing her to Army Headquarters. Detectives are now trying to ascertain whether he surreptitiously smuggled her into Army Headquarters on the day of the attack.

Army sources say Lt. Gen. Fonseka has recovered considerably and hopes to return to his desk within weeks. On Thursday, when President Mahinda Rajapaksa drove to the Army grounds to board a helicopter flight to Norochcholai, Lt. Gen. Fonseka had left his bed and walked to a window in his hospital room to see the President take off.

How LTTE builds a suicide bomber –TIME :Alex PERRY

With the Tamil Tigers launching another deadly attack, a TIME correspondent gives an inside look at what one diplomat calls "the most successful terrorist organization in the world".

ATTENTION: In spite of how relatively obscure their rebel cause is on the world stage, the attacks by Sri Lanka's Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) always seem to draw lots of attention.

Such was the case Thursday when a squadron of speedboat suicide bombers rammed into a Sri Lankan Navy troop carrier convoy off the northern coast, killing 17 sailors.

The Sri Lankan Government claimed to kill more than 50 Tamil Tigers in return, but the deadly operation had already reminded the world that the Tigers are the fathers of modern-day suicide bombing - not only masters at keeping up a fresh supply of new recruits, but also willing exporters of their expertise.

Years before the world heard of Osama bin Laden or al-Qaeda, the Tigers were pioneering a new method of guerrilla warfare in their fight against Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese for a separate state.

The first Tiger killed himself attacking the Sri Lankan Army in 1987. Hundreds followed, and when they signed a ceasefire with the Sri Lankan Government in February 2002, the Tigers accounted for around a third of all suicide attacks in the world.

A Western diplomat based in t Colombo describes the Tigers as "the most successful terrorist organisation in the world."

The international community has tried for years to persuade the two sides of Sri Lanka's conflict, which has taken close to 65,000 lives, to talk peace.

Those efforts have largely failed, and despite the 2002 ceasefire, this year the island has appeared poised to return to war as a new wave of violence has swept over it. Around 200 people have been killed in the last month alone.

After the latest attack, the Sri Lankan Government launched air strikes on Tiger territory for the second time this year.

Technically, the Tigers did not invent modern suicide bombing - the first such attack was against the American embassy in Beirut in 1983.

They did however turn it into a vicious art form. Tigers adapted explosives so that they could be used on land, sea and air - thanks to the purchase of what Sri Lankan intelligence services say is a small squadron of microlight aircraft. Bombs were disguised to fit around, and even inside, the body.

Among Tiger victims: a president, the head of the Sri Lankan Air Force, a minister of national security, an opposition leader and a former prime minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. In July 2001, they blew up half of the national airline's small fleet of jets.

But above all, Tiger leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran's real genius was to build a culture of sacrifice and martyrdom around his guerrilla force, with himself as demi-god leader - an almost exact forerunner of jihadi terrorism.

In July 2002 TIME spent a few days with a female Tamil Tiger suicide squad at their base in northern Sri Lanka, and got a firsthand understanding of how he has been so successful.

Apart from a burning desire to die before she got old, Eraj Samandi was about as far removed from traditional teenage preoccupations as an 18-year-old could get. She didn't care about clothes, music or parties. She couldn't remember the last time she had to study for a test.

And as for boys, she dismissed all the men in Sri Lanka with a fierce frown and sharp shake of the head. But asked when she hoped to achieve her dream of being a suicide bomber, she grinned, squirmed and buried her face in her arms.

"She's already written her application," said her commander, Lt. Col. Dewarsara Banu, smiling at her charge's shyness. "But there's still no reply." "Why hasn't there been a reply?" whined Samandi, looking up with the one eye, her left, that survived a shot to the head and fiddling with the capsule of cyanide powder around her neck. "I want this. I want to be a Black Tiger. I want to blast myself for freedom."

Samandi's chances of a normal life were shaky from the day she was born in Tamil Tiger territory in northern Sri Lanka. But Samandi said it was the death of 125 friends and neighbours in the government's bombing of her village that forced her to put aside thoughts of anything much but death.

"I saw all that, all that blood and all those bodies and I thought, 'Tomorrow, I will die like this too. So I will join the L.T.T.E. and die for a reason'." Samandi was not alone.

Banu said every time there is a call for suicide mission volunteers - called Black Tigers - more than 50 young guerrillas applied. So many, in fact, that Prabhakaran created a martyrs' lottery.

"They put everyone's name in a tombola," said Banu. "They swirl them around. Then the Leader pulls out two names, reads them out and the 48 who aren't chosen are all crying.

But the two who are chosen, they are very happy and the people around them raise them on their shoulders and are all clapping and celebrating." The reason the international community pays particular attention to Sri Lanka, beyond a simple desire for peace, is the Tigers' world reach.

To fund their war in the dirt-poor salt marshes of northern Sri Lanka, the Tigers built a multi-million dollar fund-raising arm, cajoling and strong-arming the expatriate ethnic Tamil community which settled abroad, particularly in Britain, Australia and Canada.

They assembled a fleet of boats, which Sri Lankan intelligence estimates at 22 ships, to smuggle weapons across the Indian Ocean and beyond. And they exported their know-how to the world.

"They are an integral part of the international terror network," says the Western diplomat, acknowledging reports of the L.T.T.E. providing trainers to groups in Africa, the Middle East and Asia and exporting weapons to al Qaeda and Chechnya. "They are consultants, freight forwarders, money launderers and instructors.

And they are extraordinarily well-funded." More than anything else, they are disciplined. Up in rebel territory, Samandi rose at 4 a.m. from her bed on the earth floor of a house she shared with 50 other women for a quick breakfast before an hour and a half studying revolutionary thought.

Then there was an hour to tidy the base and wash up before 6.30 a.m. when every Tiger cadre takes their daily oath of allegiance to the L.T.T.E.

After a quick wash by the well, the women of her squad set out for surrounding villages, going from door to door hearing grievances and settling disputes. At 4 p.m., they returned for two hours of sports, volleyball, cricket or taraball, Prabhakaran's own variation on football in which the players squat like a duck and pass the ball by hand.

Then it was more study, this time of Tiger rules and regulations, first aid and perhaps an English class, before lights out at 10 p.m. Her duties didn't end there, however. At some point during the night, Samandi had to take a 45-minute guard shift.

Almost nothing in Samandi's life was left to personal choice. The only jewellery the Tiger women can wear are three dog tags, around the wrist, neck and waist that ensure identification of even the most dismembered of bodies.

The Tigers enforce a hairstyle of two plaits tied in loops across the back of the head to avoid, so they say, hair snagging on bushes during an attack. Music is limited to revolutionary songs.

The photos that plastered Samandi's bedroom walls were of dead suicide bombers, not pop stars. And movies in Tiger territory were a strict diet of action flicks, both homemade efforts using real war footage and Hollywood shoot-'em-ups.

For unmarried Samandi, sex or even holding hands, like cigarettes and alcohol, was banned. The Tiger leadership also reserved the right to prevent any marriage it deemed unsuitable - that is, outside L.T.T.E ranks - and sometimes arranged unions between guerrillas.

But for soldiers like Samandi, earthly freedoms did not matter. She had made up her mind to kill and to die, and her disappointment at taking part in just one battle before the ceasefire, and surviving, was palpable. "Five of my friends died in that attack," says Samandi, "I was very sad for them.

But then I thought, 'After we die, we all have freedom.' And I want that freedom too." Maybe now, as the conflict heats up again, she has got her wish.

14 May 2006

SL Army attack on TELO Office

The officially approved office of the TELO was cordoned off by the SL army and the officials in the office were severely assaulted. Ravi, Chinnarasa, Suganthan, Edwin and Raju were the party men assaulted by the SL army on Saturday afternoon.TELO Leader Selvam Adaikkalanathan, MP has taken up the case with Brigadier K.S.Fernando of the Vavuniya army base.

Fresh plans by SLMM to monitor sea activity

Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Ulf Henricsson yesterday assured the government that the SLMM was planning 'fresh' arrangements to continue sea monitoring and dismissed reports that there was a total pull out from monitoring sea activity.

Henricsson met the top brass of the government's Peace Secretariat last night to discuss issues relating to the continuance of sea monitoring activity of the SLMM. The SLMM Chief told the 'Sunday Observer' that the SLMM was in the process of making adjustments to come up with new safety regulations as early as next week.

Henricsson had asserted that the Sri Lankan government had full right and control of the sea and the LTTE demand to seek control of the waters was unacceptable under the ceasefire agreement.

Defence Spokesman, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told the 'Sunday Observer' last night that the SLMM was making 'fresh' arrangements for the purpose of monitoring activities in the sea and therefore, they (the SLMM) needed a few days to prepare plans. 'They are very concerned about monitoring sea movements and this is what Henriccson told us', he stressed.

Asked whether it was a 'temporary 'suspension by the SLMM, Minister Rambukwella explained that when new arrangements were underway, it meant that the SLMM would need a few days to get back to action.

The SLMM yesterday decided to evolve a new routine for monitoring the sea, following threats issued on them by the LTTE after the Tigers attacked a convoy of naval vessels off the coast of Vettilaikerni in the North. The LTTE warned the Scandinavian truce monitors to refrain from boarding naval vessels, or else they could be killed.

Tigers refuse SLMM access to airfield
 
The Tigers have denied access to the SLMM to visit the LTTE airfield bombed by the government last Thursday. SLMM spokesperson Robert Nilffom confirmed this. The truce monitoring mission sought permission after the government announced that the airfield was bombed in response to last Thursday’s Sea Tiger attack on the navy off Vettilaikerni.

The SLMM had made previous requests to visit Iranamadu after the government brought to its notice the existence of what a senior foreign ministry source called an illegal aviation facility. Military sources said that the LTTE allowed the SLMM to Muttur east targeted by security forces on April 25 after the suicide attempt on the Army Chief’s life. Nilffom said that the SLMM was still awaiting government approval to visit Army Headquarters where the army Chief was targeted.

Sri Lanka to introduce Patriotic Act in Parliament

Amidst mounting LTTE attacks, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to introduce a new act called 'The Patriotic Act' in Parliament soon, Temple Trees sources said. “This act will strengthen the National Security Act of 1985,” an official said of the act that carries the same name as legislation passed by the United States after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Accordingly, persons between 18- 50 years will be recruited for a civilian brigade, initially for a unit comprised of 3000 people.“While security forces are engaged in activities in the North and East, the new civilian brigade will be in charge of security in the South,” the official said.Under this act, the government will introduce tough anti-terrorism laws in the country, sources added.

“We have to learn from other countries who have successfully defeated the terrorism. That’s why we need such an Act in Parliament for our own national interest,” the official added.

On a bloody front, S.Lanka troops want to hit back 

Standing by the bloody dust where he says two of his men were shot dead by Tamil Tiger rebels, Sri Lankan Army Lieutenant-Colonel Kumar Wijenayake knows what he wants to do. He wants to send out his soldiers from their positions some 200 metres (yards) from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory to flush out rebel fighters he believes crept across no-man's land to kill his men.

Nordic truce monitors say Sri Lanka and the Tigers have already resumed a low intensity war, but the government says it is limiting itself to tactical retaliation and under the terms of a 2002 truce that still holds on paper at least, Wijenayake must hold back. "I am a military man, not a politician," he says, wearing a sweat and dust-stained khaki t-shirt and with a pistol stuck in the belt of his combat trousers. "I think we should take more aggressive action. The enemy is attacking us, we should attack back."

Diplomats say a lack of compromises on both sides led to the island's peace process stalling. More than 270 people have been killed since early April and talks have been postponed indefinitely. The recent violence looks a lot like periods of the island's two-decade civil war. On Saturday, violence came to Wijenayake's battalion for the first time with a hit-and-run attack around the front line they hold just north of the town of Vavuniya.

The position is near an ethnic Tamil village abandoned during the war. The majority Sinhalese soldiers do not remember its name. They only know it as the strong point held by Alpha Company, 10th Battalion, Sri Lankan Light Infantry (SLLI). The troops say three or four rebel fighters crept up on the position in the late morning, picking their way through old wartime minefields. They lay in the brush, watching one of the most exposed sections of the front. Eventually, two SLLI soldiers on patrol came into view. The suspected rebels fired bursts with AK47 assault rifles. The troops fired back, but the attackers escaped.

YEARNING TO RETALIATE

A bullet through the head killed one soldier instantly. His colleague died later from wounds to the chest and head. Reuters saw the bodies in the hospital morgue, still in tattered fatigues with blood drying on the tiled floor beneath the slabs.The Tigers deny being behind most recent attacks on the military, but few believe them. The rebels say it is the government that has pushed the country to the fringes of war.

Firing across the front line has become increasingly common, as have increasingly serious naval clashes and government air strikes on rebel territory. Each side blames the other, and both say the ceasefire still holds.

For Lieutenant-Colonel Wijenayake, it is not that clear.

"Morale is OK," he told Reuters, strain clearly visible on the faces of his men as they nervously scanned the jungle. "But because of the ceasefire agreement, we cannot dominate the area. We cannot act in an offensive manner as we were trained." The monitors say there is no doubt the rebels are hitting the military, but they also believe members of the armed forces are retaliating by killing Tamil civilians. The military denies the charge.

Kanagaratnam Pushparani's niece was shot dead within 60 metres of an army position on another area of the front line near Vavuniya. The girl's sister was a Tiger fighter, and truce monitors say signs of army involvement in the killing are too strong to ignore. "I strongly believe the army was involved in this killing," she told Reuters in Tamil. "This girl was innocent. She did nothing. The immediate family has gone to the LTTE area. They were so afraid."

Govt rejects LTTE’s claim to ‘homeland’ sea, airspace

Sri Lanka yesterday discarded the LTTE’s contention that the organization had sovereign rights over the "adjacent sea and airspace of our homeland". Colombo also warned that recognising such arguments would have serious regional and international implications.

"The government categorically rejects this statement as one that is contrary to well-established principles of international law," an official source said, requesting anonymity. "The assertion of sovereign rights jurisdiction, or any other form of control over sea areas, is an attribute of statehood. Such rights can only be asserted by states under international law."

He noted that the SLMM had clearly reflected this position in their ruling last week: "The sea surrounding Sri Lanka is a Government Controlled Area. This has been ruled so by the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in line with international law. Non-state actors cannot rule open sea waters or airspace. The LTTE has therefore no rights at sea."

The LTTE replied with defiance. A day after attacking a troop carrier with a SLMM monitor on board, S. P. Thamilchelvan told a press conference: "We entered the peace process based on a status-quo achieved in the battlefield in our territory. Nobody has the right to pass judgment on the sovereign rights of our access to the adjacent sea and airspace of our homeland."Speaking after meeting the ceasefire monitors in Kilinochchi, Thamilchelvan also rejected the classification of the LTTE as a "non-state" party.

On Friday, Sea Tiger leader Soosai reportedly told journalists: "We have openly established our control, and have unequivocally asserted our rights to maritime waters adjoining our homeland, in the same way we recovered and control large areas of northeast. We are not prepared to relinquish sovereign rights to the seas which we have won with the sacrifice of our people."

"We are determined and will continue to engage in activities in sea in northeastern waters that lie within our control perimeter. Any obstacle will be overcome with appropriate debilitating force," he warned.

Elaborating the regional and international implications of the LTTE’s latest statements, another official source cautioned that a dangerous precedent could be set by giving weight to claims of sovereignty. He also said the government had "brought this to the attention of those countries concerned".

"Other non-state parties in the world can very well claim sovereign rights over sea or airspace," he pointed out. "They might acquire naval capabilities or set up functioning aviation facilities, then conclude a ceasefire and claim legal rights on the basis of that truce."

Referring to the Iranamadu air strip, this official noted that, "if such a facility was set up by a rebel group in any other country... it would have been taken out immediately".

Thamilchelvam said during his press conference that, when the ceasefire agreement was signed, the LTTE already had a military with an army, naval force and air wing. "The LTTE has been effectively running a civil administration in the liberated areas consisting 60 to 70 per cent of the entire homeland," he said. "There are necessary infra-structures for the civil administration, policing, judiciary. There are humanitarian bodies. The whole world has witnessed the efficiency of our infra-structure and civil administration."

"You don't attempt to classify us as a non-state actor," he added.

"Unilateral statements don’t confer statehood," said another senior official of the government. "Statehood can only be conferred by the international community. No entity other than a state can assert such rights unless recognised by the international community as a state entity."

"The ceasefire agreement was entered into by the government with the LTTE for the purpose of setting out the modalities on the implementation of the ceasefire," he continued. "It does not convey any rights or legal status to an entity outside this limited framework or purpose. The CFA does not apply, nor was it ever intended to apply, to governance issues such as sovereign attributes of a non-state entity."

"If this wasn’t so, it would set a very dangerous precedent the world over," he said. "The ceasefire agreement is a cessation of belligerence. It cannot be an instrument conferring sovereignty on anybody."

Massacre At Allaipiddy-Manaditivu  
 
At least   nine Tamil civilians, including a 4 month old baby and a 4 year old boy were murdered in cold blood in a Sri Lanka Navy massacre within the high security zone at Allaipiddy, Mandaitivu.The navy rounded the village around 8.00pm Saturday and started shooting and hurling grenades at the crowd, victims have said.The inmates of a two-storey building were also targets. The assailants had kicked open the door of every room and emptied bullets, killing all, including the 4 month old babyThe house was situated within 100 metres of the largest army base in the area.

Although, the incident occurred in an area where it is prohibited to go out of one's residence, the parish priest of the area, Fr. Amalraj, risked to visit the scene of crime and phoned the magistrate of Jaffna, who ordered the security forces to allow wounded to be taken to the hospitalWhile 9 were dead on the spot, 3 were found to be seriously wounded. The parish priest rushed the wounded in his car to the hospital in Jaffna.

 Wounded admitted to the hospital were identified as S. Mohanambigai, 46, D.Sellathurai, 61, and S.Sivanesan, 46. When the villagers tried to leave their homes and move out to safer areas elsewhere, Sunday morning, the Security Forces forced them at the point of gun to stay in the area.  The Tamil civilians in the area have now sought refuge in the Catholic church in the village. Although the assailants had covered themselves fully in black, people could distinguish them as paramilitaries and Sri Lanka navy sailors.

All massacres in the Island areas since 1983, including the "Kumudhini Massacre," were committed by "Soldiers-in-Black shirts."Two weeks ago, the SL navy sailors had forcibly entered a house and shot dead an old man.Last Friday, a father and daughter received gun-shot wounds at the hands of the SL sailors, in the adjoining village, Mankumbaan

The victims who lost their lives in the massacre were identified as:

Balachamy Ketheeswaran, 25.
Ketheeswaran Aneck Esther, 25.
Ketheeswaran Dhanushkanth, 04.
Ketheeswaran Yadhusan, 4 months.
Sellathurai Amuthas, 28, Father of a child.
Sinnathurai Sivanesan, 46, a trader, father of 2 children.
Abraham Robinson, 28, father of 3 children.
Ganesh Navaratnam, 50, father of 4 children; and
Joseph Anthonymuththu, 64, father of 5 children.
The navy claimed they opened fire in self defence when there was a grenade attack on them

Karunanidhi, 30 Ministers take oath in TN

A 31-member DMK Ministry today took oath in Tamil Nadu at an impressive function with party patriarch M Karunanidhi assuming office as Chief Minister of the state for a record fifth time.Governor Surjit Singh Baranala administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Karunanidhi and his Cabinet colleagues as thousands of partymen witnessed the ceremony, held at the Nehru Indoor Stadium here this morning.Minutes after the swearing-in ceremony, Mr Karunanidhi, fulfilling his election promise, signed Government Orders providing rice at Rs two per kg through public distribution system, waiver of farmers' cooperative loans and provision of two eggs per week to children covered under the noon meal scheme.

He signed all the three official files in the presence of the leaders of his alliance parties, amid loud cheers from thousands of party cadre who had gathered at the stadium.A host of dignitaries, including Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, Jaipal Reddy, Mani Shankar Aiyer, E V K S Elangovan, G K Vasan, alliance party leaders TNCC President M Krishnasamy, PMK Founder-Leader S Ramadoss, CPI(M) State Secretary N Varadarajan and CPI State Secretary D Pandian were present.

 Jaffna MP's Office Burnt Down

Arsonists on motorbikes threw petrol bombs into the office of the Member of Parliament for Jaffna, on Friday night. As the paramilitaries were engaged in the act, Sri Lanka Army men stood providing protection to the arsonists. When the fire brigade came to the scene, the military kept them at bay allowing fire to complete its course. S. Gajendran, MP was not in his office when the incident took place at 11.30 at night.Gajendran and Douglas Devananda, a minister in Rjapakse Cabinet often attack each other in the Parliament and the Minister had been threatening the MP on a number of occasions.

A Karuna Group cadre shot Dead at Kaaththaankudi

A paramilitary cadre belonging to Karuna Group was shot dead at Kaaththaankudi around 8.00pm opposite the main bus stand on the Kalmunai - Batticaloa Main Road. Two gunmen suddenly came out on the road and took a shot at two Karuna Group persons travelling on a motorbike. A D-56 rifle and a 9mm gun were recovered from the scene later. The dead body was taken to the hospital mortuary at Kaaththaan kudi.

Jaffna  Students' International Office burnt down

 The office of the International Students' Federation, Jaffna was burnt down by paramilitary arsonists who attacked it with petrol bombs on Friday night.A group of SL army stood by watching and preventing civilians rushing to put out the fire.The army stopped the fire brigade vehicles metres away from the burning office and threatened them into inaction. Since last year, this office was raided by the SL army on a number of occasions. The Federation Officials who were threatened on a number of occasions, were not in the office, the time of attack being night.Equipment and materials worth millions were lost in the fire. Students have demanded, in a statement issued Saturday, action taken against the paramilitary arsonists.

13 May 2006

Indian navy ships 'save' Lanka troops

Indian military ships in the Palk Strait discouraged Tamil rebel attacks that could have killed at least 700 Sri Lankan soldiers, reports say. Sea Tigers, the naval wing of the Tamil rebels were planning an all out attack on a passenger ship that was moving 700 naval troops to Kankesanthurai.

Indian navy and coast guard ships were just 10 nautical miles from the area, which are believed to have prevented the attacks.In a separate suicide attack in Jaffna, the Sea Tigers killed 17 Sri Lankan troops. More than 40 rebels were killed in retaliation strikes.

The separatist rebels said the navy attacked them during a training exercise.International truce monitors in Sri Lanka will hold emergency talks with the rebels in the wake of the attacks. The European peace monitors blamed the rebels for a "gross violation" of the 2002 ceasefire in Thursday's violence.

SLA trooper shot dead in Jaffna town

A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier on road patrol was shot dead by an unknown gunman on Jaffna Main Street near Chundukili Girls School at 9.10 a.m. Saturday morning, sources in Jaffna said. The gunman was hiding behind a building in the Main street and escaped after the shooting.Large number of SLA troops have cordoned off the area and are conducting searches.The Chundukili Girls school is located nearly 300 meters from Jaffna Secretariat.

Govt. says Tiger air force base bombed in limited operation

The Government in a statement yesterday confirmed that as a deterrent to further LTTE attacks, the air force launched limited aerial strikes on the identified LTTE aviation facility under construction at Iranamadu,.

While condemning the LTTE attack on navy troop-carrier Pearl Cruise II with 710 service personnel on board, the government said on several occasions it brought to the attention of the international community the grave security threat posed by this illegal aviation facility not only to Sri Lanka but also to countries in the region”.

“This facility also violates national and international civil aviation regulations”, the government charged and added that the SLMM had on several occasions attempted to inspect this facility but was denied access by the LTTE.

“The SLMM has ruled the LTTE’s denying of access to this facility as a violation of the ceasefire agreement The Government, whilst reaffirming its commitment to exercise restraint under the ceasefire agreement, calls upon the international community to take decisive and deterrent action against these continuing acts of terrorism and ceasefire violations perpetrated by the LTTE,” the government said.

This is our land; no one can enter without our permission -Soosai     

"We have openly established our control, and have unequivocally asserted our rights to maritime waters adjoining our homeland, in the same way we recovered and control large areas of northeast. We are not prepared to relinquish sovereign rights to the seas which we have won with the sacrifice of our people," said Col.Soosai when he met the press soon after the confrontation with the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in the seas off the northeastern cost of Jaffna Friday.

"Today, the long stretch of northern seas extending from Nagarkovil to Kokkuththoduvai is under the control of Liberation Tigers. After we evicted the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from the Mullaitivu garrison, our control of northern seas has expanded and strengthened."We move with complete freedom in these waters to transport our cadres and to distribute material needs to our movement. We will not hesitate to wage war with anyone who attempts to prevent us from exercising our freedom," Soosai further told the assembled press.

"We have the power and right to develop the necessary infrastructure and militiary strength to provide security to our people within our homeland."On the legality of claim to sovereignty at sea, Soosai said: "Some say that International laws do not permit parties "without a legal state" to own a naval force in seas of a soverign state. We have one thing to say to them. Every square-inch of land we control, and all infrastructure and areas we administer, were not given to us. We obtained these by force from our adversary.

"More than 1200 sea-tigers sacrificed their lives during the last 15 years of struggle over maritime waters. We have now evolved into a formidable naval force commanding control over the northeastern seas. The price we have paid to earn our sovereign rights to waters in immeasurable."Even during intense war, we were able to establish sea-links with distant lands at our will. No party was able to stop us then. How can anyone, especially within a period of peace, try to scuttle this ability? How can we permit this? Only recently the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) shook hands with us and was ready to start sea-tiger boats on a journey to the east. Now he is advancing new explanations to label our sea movements as illegal.

"We are determined and will continue to engage in activities in sea in northeastern waters that lie within our control framework. Any obstacle will be overcome with appropriate debilitating force," Soosai warned.

European Union calls rebel attack on Sri Lankan navy ``reckless''

The European Union has called a Tamil rebel attack on a Sri Lankan navy convoy a reckless move that puts the future of peace talks in serious jeopardy.The warnings follow a spectacular sea battle Thursday in which rebel suicide boats rammed and sank a navy patrol craft. The apparent main target, a troop carrier with 710 soldiers, escaped unharmed.

The government said about 50 insurgents were killed and 17 sailors left dead or missing following the engagement at sea - the largest such battle since a 2002 cease-fire was signed."The reckless behavior of the (Tamil Tigers) ... can only contribute to a dangerous escalation that results in growing hostilities and jeopardizes any possibility for future peace talks," the European Union said in a statement seen Saturday.

"The attack on a troop carrier and the reported sinking of an accompanying navy vessel is the latest and most severe (truce) violation," the EU said, adding it backs an observation by European cease-fire monitors that the Sri Lankan government had rightful control of the sea.Earlier, the rebels claimed that Sri Lanka's navy encroached on their sovereign rights by approaching coastal areas they control, and warned they will attack any vessels threatening their homeland.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam also warned the monitors that they could become targets if they are aboard navy vessels off the coast of rebel-controlled areas in the north and east.In a letter Friday to the cease-fire monitors, the rebels accused the navy of disturbing civilian and LTTE activities, warning: "If (the) Sri Lankan navy disrupts our activities we will definitely retaliate.""Nobody has the right to pass judgment on the sovereign rights of our access to the adjacent sea and air space of our homeland," rebels' top political head, S.P. Thamilselvan was quoted as saying by the pro-rebel TamilNet Web site.

More than 170 people have died in violence since the beginning of April, and recent attempts to restart stalled peace talks have failed.The Tigers began fighting in 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. More than 65,000 people died in the conflict before the 2002 truce.

US says Tiger violence poses war risk to Sri Lanka Source: Reuters

The United States on Friday condemned an attack on a Sri Lankan naval vessel by separatist Tamil Tigers, warning the violence risked returning the South Asian island nation to civil war.

"We are deeply concerned about the escalating violence by the Tamil Tigers, which has put Sri Lanka at risk of a return to war," said a statement by Richard Boucher, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs."We urge the government of Sri Lanka to continue to show restraint in the face of these provocations," said the statement, issued by a spokesman for Boucher.

A flotilla of Tamil Tiger rebel boats on Thursday attacked a Sri Lankan navy transport ship carrying hundreds of servicemen and sank a navy fast-attack boat in the worst military confrontation since a 2002 truce.The military said 17 sailors and 50 Tigers died in the attack that prompted airstrikes on rebel territory.

The clash came after a rash of attacks in April, one of the bloodiest months since the 2002 cease-fire halted a war that killed over 64,000 people since 1983.The Tigers are fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in the north and east.The transporter was carrying a truce monitor and flying the monitors' flag when the military says suicide rebels attacked it. The Tigers say their fighters were conducting a naval exercise when they were fired on by the navy.

The monitors accused the Tigers of a gross violation of the cease-fire and said they had no rights at sea, which is considered under government control.Boucher called the attacks "a clear violation of the cease-fire agreement between the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers."

LTTE claims sovereignty over land, sea and air

The LTTE has claimed sovereignty over the land, sea and air in that part of the Sri Lankan North and East, which it controls de facto."Nobody has the right to pass judgement on the sovereign rights of our access to the adjacent sea and airspace of our homelands," the head of the LTTE's political wing, SP Tamilselvan, told Maj Gen Ulf Ericsson, the head of the Nordic truce monitors, when the latter met him in Kilinochchi on Friday.

Henriccson had rushed to Kilinochchi after two sea battles and an air strike on Thursday left 67 Sri Lankan navy men and LTTE Sea tiger cadres dead.A Sri Lankan troop ship with 710 men on board had narrowly escaped being sunk by the LTTE off the Point Pedro coast in the north.The LTTE had brazenly challenged the Sri Lankan government's sovereign rights over the sea around the island country, and attacked Sri Lankan naval craft even though these had international truce monitors on board.The truce monitors had supported the government's stand on its sovereign rights, because it accorded with international law.

LTTE says it is not a "non-state actor"

Tamilselvan said that the LTTE did not enter the peace process to be described as a "non-state actor" and the Sri Lankan government as the "state actor"."The CFA (Ceasefire Agreement) and the entire peace process is between two parties. It is not based on LTTE as a non-state actor and GOSL (government of Sri Lanka) as a state actor.""The CFA was entered into with the GOSL and the LTTE having a military with an Army, Navy   and Air-wing.""The party, LTTE, has been effectively running a civil administration in the liberated areas consisting 60 to 70 per cent of the entire homeland.""There are necessary infrastructures for the civil administration, policing, judiciary. There are humanitarian bodies."" The whole world has witnessed the efficiency of our infrastructure and civil administration.""You don't attempt to classify us as a non-state actor," Tamiselvan told Henricsson, emphatically.

8,000 Singala homeguards to be recruited

 The Government and the North Central Provincial Council will take all possible steps to protect the lives of residents in distant villages threatened by LTTE terrorism, Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake said.

Making a special statement to the media, Dissanayake said the President and the Government while making a genuine endeavour to usher in an honourable peace to the country and its people, was not prepared to run away from problems, issues or threats like cowards from whichever quarter they may come from.

Dissanayake said steps are now under way to recruit another 8,000 homeguards to protect villages threatened by LTTE terrorism. He said it is noteworthy to see that even women had come forward to join in as homeguards to protect their villages this time.

Ratawatte to be placed in charge of civilian military training

'Lanka e News' has reliably learns that the government is getting ready for major military offensive while engaging in an attempt to revive the Geneva talks. As a part of this program, civilians are to be provided with military training to form a civil security brigade. It is reported that former Deputy Defence Minister General Anurudda Rawatte is to be placed in charge of this project.

Persons between 18- 50 years will be recruited for this civilian brigade and initially a unit comprising 3000 people from Colombo will be set up. This program will be carried out under the National Security Act of 1985 and moves are also reportedly underway to introduce a new Bill titled 'Patriotic Act'

While security forces are engaged in activities in the North and East, the new civilian brigade will be in charge of security in the South.Several civil organization activists told 'Lanka e News' that this was an attempt to force civil people to take part in war related activities.

General Ratwatte who is tipped to be in charge of this program was recently acquitted after being accused of killing 10 civilians at Udatalawinna on the date of the 2002 general election.

Dvora attack: Seven bodies found

 Seven bodies of the 18 crew members of Dvora P-418 which sank after an LTTE attack off Vettilaikerni on Thursday were found yesterday. The Army media unit said that seven bodies were found and one has been identified as that of sailor A.M.A.N. Bandara.

Eighteen crew members including the commander of the vessel Lt. Commander E.A.L.P. Edirisinghe and Slt. R.M.D.H.S. Rathnayake and an Army signalman A.M. Tissa Abeykoon went missing in the attack.

The crew list of - Dvora-P-418:- EALP Edirisinghe, RMDHS Rathnayake, DW Premalal, PLGS Kumara, MATSL Perera, DMPGS Wickramathilake, TBC Kumara, HNG Nelson, TN Priyanandana, MCK Dissanayake, DDP Kumara, AMAN Bandara, RMDS Rathnayake, RAR Kumara, SHJ Sanjeewa, MMCK Bandara, EACP Edirisinghe and AM Tissa Abeykoon. Meanwhile, wreckage of a vessel was also found at the site where the incident occured.

The wreckage was found with four outboard engines and they were believed to be fitted on a LTTE fast attack craft.

Sri Lanka's war in all but name  - BBC South Asia bureau editor  By Paul Danahar

Europeans have a rather quaint tradition of telling everyone when they intend to go to war. That's why so many of them are now asking the burning question: "Can the ceasefire in Sri Lanka survive the latest violence between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels?" But to ask the question is to miss the point.

The two sides in Sri Lanka are already having a war - they just haven't told anybody yet.And they've decided, so far, not to have the war everyone was expecting.

Renegade rebel

The Norwegian mediators, the EU, the Japanese and even an Indian holy man have all been busy trying to persuade both sides not to return to an all-out conflict. But apart from the hardliners, neither the government nor the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), as the rebels are known, seem to want a big war because neither side is really prepared for it yet.

The reasons are cash and Karuna.

Colonel Karuna was one of the Tamil Tigers' heroes of the last war, which ended with the much talked-about ceasefire agreement signed four years ago. But in March 2004 he and his fighters, based around the eastern Batticaloa districts of the country, split from the group and began fighting against their former comrades.Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, Col Karuna's real name, is both partly the cause of the present crisis and why there probably won't be a full-scale war anytime soon. He split from the Tigers because he said the eastern cadres were not being properly represented in the group's hierarchy. Some analysts in Colombo say it was more to do with an alleged financial investigation by the Tigers into his family's business interests in the region.

Guerrilla tactics

Whatever the truth is, Col Karuna has levelled the playing field.

He has opened up an eastern flank and has provoked the Tigers by attacking and destabilising them with the kind of guerrilla tactics the LTTE have used so successfully against the government over the years. For the first time if a proper war happened both sides would now be facing a conventional force on the battlefield and a guerrilla force spreading terror in the areas populated by their civilians.

So the Tigers want him stopped.

The government committed itself to disarming any paramilitaries operating in areas under their control. But they've avoided taking action by saying Karuna is moving in Tiger territory beyond their influence. The fact is, though, that whilst the more moderate wings of the government say he is an out-of-control menace who is doing more harm than good, the military leadership couldn't be happier. They have absolutely no intention of trying to disarm Karuna even if they could, which the UN said recently was doubtful. They think he is far too useful. In fact more than just turning a blind eye to his actions they are encouraging his group to develop political and social wings to better integrate themselves into their communities in the way the Tigers have done so successfully in the north. And some analysts say that, while the military isn't arming Karuna, they are supporting him with finances, logistics and medical assistance for his injured fighters.

Diplomats' fears

The worry in all of this is that the government in Colombo might overplay its hand.

The hardliners in the leadership believe a short sharp war could bulldoze the Tigers into submission and force a negotiated settlement. It's the kind of talk that has diplomats reaching for some very undiplomatic language. The response of one I spoke to translated as "crap". President Mahinda Rajapakse has so far managed to fend off the more extreme suggestions from the right-wingers within his government. And he allowed limited air strikes to take away their puff after the latest Tiger atrocity in the capital. But his attempts to stop a wider war are being undermined by the LTTE, something the international community is recognising. Thursday's attack by the Tigers on the navy left the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission fuming, particularly as it took place whilst their people were on the government boats. And there is increasingly a weariness creeping across the face of diplomats trying to resolve this conflict.Nobody likes being treated as a fool, and when the Tigers tell mediators they have no idea who sent a suicide bomber to blow up the army chief, finger nails start pushing into palms.

War too costly

But even with all the provocation President Rajapakse knows war is not an option because the country simply cannot afford one. The economy is too shaky, damaged by years of war, the tsunami and then by the upsurge in violence. He can't afford to buy now everything the army would need. A full war would also see bombs going off all over the capital. As a colleague in Colombo pointed out, all it would take is a bomb in a hotel and one at the port to decimate two of the country's biggest foreign exchange earners. Those investors lured back to Sri Lanka last time at the prospect of peace might pack their bags for good.

The Tigers would also see their foreign income strangled.

Canada and the UK, where the group is banned but most of the Tamil diaspora lives, would probably make serious efforts to stop the willing and unwilling donations given to the Tiger fundraisers. That's now much easier to do post 9/11 and the changes to the international banking regulations.

What next?

Another attack by the Tigers on someone as strategically important as the army chief might push the country beyond the point of no return. In the meantime, the government will sort out security in the capital after places like its army headquarters turned out to have worse security than a Western shopping mall. The Tigers will use their time to try and finish off Karuna, with the army doing its best to see that that fight drags on draining resources and energy from both groups. Attacks like the one on the navy and claymore mine blasts against the army will rumble on. And so will the revenge killings against civilian Tiger sympathisers by the nasty bands of death squads, a few of whom appear to be linked to rogue bits of the security forces.  In short, people will carry on dying on a daily basis but in small enough numbers to maintain the façade that the ceasefire agreement is holding.

And Westerners will keep asking if war is just around the corner.

11 May 2006
Air strikes on Sri Lanka rebels after sea battle leaves 45 dead (AFP)

Sri Lanka's military has hit back with air strikes after a fierce sea battle with Tamil Tiger rebels left at least 45 dead, and punched another hole in a flimsy three-year truce. A Tamil Tiger suicide boat rammed and sank a Dvora fast attack craft as it escorted a ship transporting 710 soldiers to the northern peninsula of Jaffna, navy spokesman P.D.K. Dassanayake said Thursday.

"We lost a Dvora and managed to save 'Pearl Cruise II' and the 710 men aboard it," Dassanayake said, adding that at least 15 Sri Lankan sailors and 30 rebels died in the two-and-a-half hour battle.He said three rebel craft were destroyed by naval gunfire while another four were crippled. A flotilla of about 15 rebel boats were involved in the abortive attack on the ship carrying troops, he said.

It was one of the worst naval confrontations since Norway brokered a truce in April 2003 after three decades of ethnic bloodshed that left 60,000 dead.There was no immediate word from the Tigers about the latest fighting, but the navy discounted reports from Scandinavian truce monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that two Dvoras were sunk.

"There was an SLMM monitor aboard Pearl Cruise II and another Dvora that was involved in the fighting," the navy spokesman said. "We have accounted for all our boats except for one that went down."The military called in jets to bomb suspected Tamil Tiger positions after the sea battle while the navy also engaged coastal bases of the Tigers elsewhere, military sources said.After the sea battle, the Tiger flotilla involved in the firefight was seen withdrawing towards the coast, military sources said, as Israeli-built Kfir jets pounded rebel coastal positions.

The pro-rebel tamilnet.com website said the bombs fell at three locations in the rebel-held Kilinochchi district, but gave no details of damage or casualties.The jets had also bombed Tiger positions on April 25 in retaliation for a Tiger suicide blast targeting and wounding army chief Sarath Fonseka and killing 11.

The military was also directing artillery fire at rebel bases in the Trincomalee district, military sources said.The navy and rebels also fought a sea-to-shore battle at Muttur on Thursday, where truce monitors had a narrow shave, SLMM spokeswoman Helen Olafsdottir said."The LTTE have committed gross violations of the ceasefire agreement in recent days by moving at sea with the aim of provoking the Sri Lankan navy," the SLMM said in a statement.

It said the "offensive operations" against the navy had placed SLMM monitors in "grave danger"."Non-state actors cannot rule open sea waters or airspace. The LTTE has therefore no rights at sea," the monitors said.They said the LTTE had also threatened SLMM monitors, warning them not to take part in patrols in navy vessels.

"The SLMM takes these threats very seriously and would like to remind the LTTE of its responsibility as an equal partner to the ceasefire agreement to do everything in its power not to jeopardise the monitors' safety. "We therefore demand that the LTTE immediately ceases all activities and operations at sea as they are a serious violation of the ceasefire," the statement said, urging restraint from the government.

The latest violence came as a Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi left after a four-day visit aimed at salvaging the troubled peace process, warning that it was up to the government and rebels to decide whether they want war or peace. The two sides reached a ceasefire in 2002 but violence began to worsen last December. Last month was the deadliest since the truce was signed, with at least 191 deaths, mostly civilians.

Thursday's sea battle was one of the worst since a truce went into effect in February 2002. Tiger rebels sank a navy fast attack craft on March 25, killing eight sailors.In January, suspected Tamil Tiger rebels blew up another Dvora gunboat, killing 15 sailors, in a suicide attack outside the northeastern port of Trincomalee.

Karunanidhi to be sworn in as TN CM on May 13

DMK president M Karunanidhi is likely to take oath as Chief Minister of the new government in Tamil Nadu on May 13 and allies Left parties and PMK have extended outside support to it. Sources said he and his cabinet are likely to be sworn in at a function to be held at the Nehru stadium. Meanwhile, Union Communication Minister Dayanidhi Maran said the Left parties and PMK have spoken to their leaders and have already extended support to the new government from outside. "Shortly the Congress leaders will contact us," he said.

Trincomalee Tamils Under Attack Again

Sinhala homeguards in Anpuvalipuram in Trincomalee, hurled two hand grenades into Tamil civilian areas around 8.30pm, Thursday.There was panic among the Tamils, who started moving from this border-village to Gandhi Nagar, a comparatively safer area.Dropping everything at home and moving kids in the dark night posed problems to parents, report from the area says.Casualties in the hand grenade attack are not known yet, the sources say.

Former SLMM chief Furuhovde dies

Retired Major-General of the Norwegian Army and the first chief of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Trond Furuhovde, passed away in Norway today at the age of 67. Furuhovde, who was under medical treatment in Norway, has served as the head of SLMM twice. He retired from his one year of service (March 2002 - Feb 2003) as Head of Mission in Sri Lanka but returned to Sri Lanka again in February 2004. He was an experienced monitor in international conflicts and had earlier served as the Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from 1993-1995. Maj. Gen. Furuhovde, before his retirement from the Norwegian Army, also headed the District Command of Trøndelag.

LTTE has no rights at sea, says SLMM

Following the sea battle off the Mutur coast yesterday afternoon, the SLMM said the ‘sea surrounding Sri Lanka is a Government controlled area and non-state actors cannot rule open sea waters or airspace and therefore the LTTE has no rights at sea’.

The SLMM statement said “The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have committed gross violations of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in recent days by moving at sea with the aim of provoking the Sri Lankan Navy and now finally embarking on an offensive operation against the Navy sinking one vessel and putting SLMM monitors in grave danger.

“The sea surrounding Sri Lanka is a Government Controlled Area. This has been ruled so by the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in line with international law. Non-state actors cannot rule open sea waters or airspace. The LTTE has therefore no rights at sea.

“The LTTE has made, what the SLMM feels are threats to our monitors warning them not to participate in patrols in Navy vessels. The SLMM takes these threats very seriously and would like to remind the LTTE of its responsibility as an equal partner to the Ceasefire Agreement to do everything in its power not to jeopardise the monitors’ safety.

“We therefore demand that the LTTE immediately ceases all activities and operations at sea as they are a serious violation of the CFA. This sort of reckless behaviour can only lead to a dangerous escalation resulting in growing hostilities and jeopardising any possibility for future peace talks. “We would also like to urge the Government of Sri Lanka not to be pushed by these provocative acts and to show as much restraint as possible”.

LTTE Political Head protests SLMM partiality
LTTE Political Head Mr.Tamilselvan in a strongly worded letter to SLMM said today 11th May 2006, that SLMM is demonstrating partiality in protecting SLN while putting its naval monitors at risk, but at the same time has failed to protect Sea Tigers.
Full text of the letter:
It is a simple truth that any military CFA is based on a balance of power and in order to maintain the CFA that military balance of power must remain. Sea Tigers existed prior to CFA and it contributed to the balance of power that resulted in the CFA. Sea Tigers used the seas adjacent to our areas of control.
This fact was confirmed by the SLMM in its Press Release on 25 April 2003 where it said,
“When the Ceasefire Agreement was signed on the 22nd of Feb 02, the LTTE fighting formations, including the Sea Tigers, existed. Consequently, the LTTE Sea Tigers exists as a De Facto Naval Unit…..Balance of power is one of the basic elements for the present Ceasefire. Hence, to maintain their Forces’ capabilities both Parties must have the right to carry out training and exercise in designated areas….”
LTTE has since been warning the SLMM, on several occasions, verbally and in writing, that it will move Sea Tiger Naval vessels, armed or otherwise, in the seas adjacent to the land areas under LTTE control. We have repeatedly informed the SLMM that we will retaliate if SLN vessels intercept us. For this reason we have warned and requested the SLMM Naval Monitors to refrain from boarding SLN vessels. The three letters sent to SLMM are included below.
It was in this background, we were exercising in the seas adjacent to our land areas on 11 May 2006, when SLN vessels attempted to interfere with our movements and attacked us. As we have warned we retaliated.
In this unprovoked attack on the Sea Tiger vessels by SLN, four of our fighters lost their lives and two of our fighters are injured.
SLMM Press Release on 11 May 2006 relating to this incident said,
“The sea surrounding Sri Lanka is a Government Controlled Area. This has been ruled so by the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in line with international law. Non-state actors cannot rule open sea waters or airspace. The LTTE has therefore no rights at sea”.
We like to point out to you that you are contradicting your own earlier statement that Sea Tigers are part of the balance of power and therefore must have the right to carry out training and exercises.
In spite of this and in spite of our warning, the SLMM has put its naval monitors at risk to provide protection to SLN vessels. At the same time, the SLMM has not provided protection to our fighters and our naval vessels. Even worse, the SLMM has ruled this incident a CFA violation against us.
Following this incident, Sri Lankan Air Force has bombed Vanni region. Sri Lankan armed forces have also carried out blind shelling and artillary attacks on heavily populated areas in the Sampur region of Trincomalee. These attacks are serious CFA violations. Yet, the SLMM has not condemned these attacks for the serious CFA violations that they are.
We are shocked and disappointed by the partiality demonstrated by the SLMM.
SPUR wants Solheim, Akashi out
Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR) yesterday called upon the Sri Lankan government to take decisive steps to put former Norwegian peace negotiator Erik Solheim and Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi out of the Sri Lankan peace negotiations.
SPUR urged the Government to request the Japanese Government to replace Mr. Akashi, with a capable diplomat. Australia based SPUR alleged that Akashi is misjudging the LTTE’s intentions greatly and is mollycoddling the Tamil Tigers who had been violating the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement repeatedly.
“Akashi’s and Solheim’s past history is littered with failed attempts in mediation between warring parties. The Sri Lankan government should not continue to lay down the red carpet for these failed diplomats, spending money that could be spent wisely elsewhere to serve the civil society,” SPUR president Dr. Sarath Jayasuriya said.
SPUR also urged the Government to gradually withdraw the privileges accorded to the LTTE by the CFA unless they immediately stop violence towards civilians and military personnel.

LTTE supporter shot dead
An alleged LTTE supporter who was having his hair cut at a barber salon at Palanagar in Muttur yesterday morning was shot dead by two unknown gun men who had come there in a Motor bike.The Man was identified as K.Kandasamy (22) Palanagar. ASP Muttur Police S,Ratnayaka said the man helped the LTTE in recruiting personnel .Police said a number of suspected LTTEers had fled the area after the incident.The Police are conducting further inquiries.

Toronto Tamils protest raid
Nish Vel never thought Tamil students living in Canada would be the target of police raids. "Canada is known for being up on human rights ... this raid is completely contradictory to what I know about Canada," said Vel, 17, who was one of a few hundred Tamils gathered at Mel Lastman Square on Yonge St. for a rally last night. The gathering was organized to protest a police raid April 22 at the Tamil Academy of Culture and Technology. "I didn't think this would happen here," Vel said, adding such events happen "on a daily basis" in Sri Lanka.Vel said his family escaped persecution in his homeland by coming to Canada in 1994, so "I'm really disappointed and saddened" this happened here, he said.
The rally was put on by the Canadian Tamil Students Association (CTSA). It was also in protest of what the CTSA is calling "discriminatory policies" by the Canadian government, which in April condemned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist group. The CTSA wants the Canadian government to hold consultations with local Tamils before making policy decisions, to get involved in the Sri Lankan peace process and reconsider its decision to put the LTTE on the terror list. Students waved black flags and chanted along with a rap group who sang about freedom of expression. "We're being targeted and discriminated against," said Senthooran Uruthiralingam, a student at the rally. He said all Tamil groups are being portrayed as terrorists.

Call to bring Uthayan newspaper attackers to book
The Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka called on the Government to ensure that those responsible for the May 2 attack on the Uthayan office in Jaffna are brought to trial without delay.It seems ironic that this attack should have taken place at a time the Government was hosting delegates from all over the world at a high profile forum deliberating on World Press Freedom, the Society said.
“Ministers of the Government at the conference reminded the media of its responsibilities and now the media may have to remind the Government of its own responsibilities to its citizens.” the Society said in a media release issued on Wednesday. The release said: “Last Tuesday’s attack on the Uthayan newspaper office in Jaffna town on May 2, is a grim reminder of a previous and quite recent incident involving the Colombo office of another newspaper. There too, much damage was done and a life was lost as in Jaffna, where two persons were killed.
“That this attack should have taken place at a time when the Government was hosting delegates from all over the world at a high profile forum deliberating on World Press Freedom seems ironic.“Media and Civil Rights groups have listed a litany of murders, physical attacks, threats and harassments perpetrated, almost at will, against media practitioners in Sri Lanka during the past decade. Violence begets violence and those security personnel sent to guard the Uthayan office, after the attack, have become unfortunate victims of a seeming reprisal.“Ministers of the Government at the Conference reminded the media of its responsibilities and now the media may have to remind the Government of its own responsibilities to its citizens.

“The Minister for Media has promised an immediate inquiry into what took place at Jaffna, and arrests have already been made.

“The Newspaper Society calls upon the incumbent Government to move away from the bad practices of previous Administrations and ensure that the culprits of Tuesday’s attack at the Uthayan office are brought to trial without delay”.

9 May 2006
Sri Lanka Supreme Court orders resettlement of 7000 families displaced from Palali HSZ

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka today ordered the District Secretary of Jaffna to seek the possibility of resettling 7000 families who have been displaced from the Palali High Security Zone (HSZ) and to report to the courts on July 24.

The Supreme Court gave this judgment after considering a fundamental rights petition by Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mavai Senadhiraja, who himself is a displaced person from the Palali High Security Zone.

The areas demarcated High Security Zones by the Sri Lanka armed forces in Jaffna comprise 25.27% of the total area of the Jaffna peninsula, which is 1023.22 sq km including inland waters.

Around 40,000 Sri Lankan troopers are stationed in the Jaffna District, where a population of nearly 500,000 Tamils resides.

Mangala meets Indian leaders

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera is in Delhi to discuss the peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels and security situation in Sri Lanka with the Indian leaders.
The minister has explained to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the reasons for air raids on Tamil Tiger camps in Trincomalee, journalists said.

Samaraweera called on Anand Sharma, junior minister for external affairs and discussed economic and political bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka, according to a statement issued by Indian Foreign Ministry statement.

Sri Lankan FM briefed Anand Sharma on the current status of the peace process in Sri Lanka. The Indian minister has expressed the hope that the parties would resume talks at the earliest.

Mangala Samaraweera also sought India's support for the candidature of Jayanta Dhanapala for the post of the UN Secretary General, the statement added.

Large SLA troop movements towards Nagarkovil FDL

Hundreds of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops are moving towards Forward Defense Lines (FDLs) in Nagarkovil in Vadamaradchy east, and surrounding villages of Manatkaadu and Kudathanai, in vehicle convoys from Palaly Military base continuously from 12.00 midnight till 12 noon Monday, at nearly 15 minute interval, sources from Jaffna said.
Convoys reach the Jaffna-Point Pedro road through Atchuvely junction, and are proceeding towards Nagarkovil using two different routes, sources said.

Convoys proceed to Manthikai via Nelliady first and then are using the Maruthankerni road through Vallipuram temple to reach Nagarkovil.

As a second route, the convoys fork from the Jaffna-Point Pedro road at the Vallai junction, towards Mandaan, Aayam Santhi and Mulli, to reach Vallipuram junction, and then use the Maruthankerni road towards Nagarkovil. This route has no residential areas, consists mainly of fields and there is little pedestrian traffic. There is reduced threat of claymore mines along the Mandaan road, sources said.

Jaffna residents speculate that the curfew was mainly imposed for the movement of troops.

Meanwhile, SLA sources said the A9 was to be opened. Independent verification of resumed traffic along A9 is not yet available.

No peace talks till killings stop: Bala

LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said yesterday the Tigers would raid government territory to kill former comrades they say are attacking their fighters with the help of the military, and that peace talks were off till those renegade attacks stopped.

"The government's refusal to rein in armed groups as pledged at (talks in) Geneva has been the primary cause of intensified violence and the stalemate in the peace talks," the London-based Mr. Balasingham told Reuters in an email interview.

But the government Peace Secretariat yesterday vehemently denied Mr. Balasingham’s charges describing them as clearly misleading. “The government is committed to taking all necessary measures in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement to ensure that no armed group or person other than Government security forces will carry arms or conduct armed operations. At no time has the government refused to fulfill its commitments as stated above,”

Referring to the recent report of Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, the government statement said that however it is far from clear whether the Government would be capable of disarming the Karuna group. “Any future attempt at a comprehensive revised agreement would have to address the realities created by the Karuna group,” it said.

Citing the death toll the statement said February 24 to April 30, the LTTE killed 19 Navy personnel, 36 Army soldiers, 6 Policemen, 4 Air force personnel, and not to mention the outrageous suicide attack on the Army Commander which many analysts have labelled as an “act of war”.

“The argument that the “primary cause of intensified violence and the stalemate in the peace talks” is the alleged “refusal” of the government to “rein in armed groups” is untenable and unacceptable,” it said.

However Mr. Balasingham said: "Since the government has outrightly denied the very existence of Karuna group in government-controlled areas and refused to disarm them, the LTTE has no choice other than to take the responsibility on itself and neutralise Karuna's armed men."

Karuna, widely viewed as shadowy rebel supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran's top commander before he split with the mainstream Tigers in 2004, has formed a political movement and wants to eventually supplant the Tigers. He refuses to disarm.

"The unbridled violence unleashed against the Tamil civilians by Tamil paramilitaries and the state's armed forces has now become the critical issue overshadowing the peace process," Mr. Balasingham said. The government denies the military is helping Karuna, but many diplomats are increasingly sceptical.

The Tigers had been due to attend a second round of talks in Geneva last month, but pulled out indefinitely over a series of issues, from the disarmament of Karuna to transport arrangements for their eastern military leaders, amid a cycle of deadly violence that killed more than 200 people in a month.
"The LTTE will not be able to participate in the peace talks as long as Tamil civilians are systematically eliminated by both Tamil paramilitaries and by the state's armed forces," Mr. Balasingham said.

"We feel that it is the responsibility of the state to contain the excesses of the security forces and to rein in the military-backed paramilitaries and to create a congenial situation conducive for peace talks," he added.

The government statement further said that Mr. Balasingham must necessarily accept that the escalation of military engagements as well as increasing civilian killings is not a matter that can be resolved only by one party to the conflict and negotiations.

It is imperative that it is through negotiations that the cycle of violence, which is spiralling dangerously out of control, could be brought to a halt. The burden clearly lies with the LTTE to respond positively to the maximum flexibility demonstrated by the Government in relation to the transportation issue and to agree on an early date for the next round of talks in Geneva, it said.

Karuna challenges LTTE, Sri Lanka government and international community

Sources from the Welikanda area, 250 km east of Colombo, say the Karuna Group is maintaining a chain of camps in the Sinhala and Tamil border villages. There are suspicions that the breakaway faction of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is trying to establish an area of their own control in the region.

The LTTE recently attacked three paramilitary camps in the Welikanda area and assassinated several cadres. The Sri Lanka government claimed that the area where the camps were situated was in LTTE territory, rejecting LTTE claims that the area is in the territory controlled by the Sri Lanka government. A Karuna Group spokesperson first said that the camps were located on the border of Batticaloa, about 2 km from LTTE-controlled Kaddumurippu, but later said the area was not governed by either party.

Meanwhile Karuna spokesperson Thooyavan, speaking to the Daily Mirror by telephone from an undisclosed location, also dismissed allegations that the group was operating with the assistance of the government security forces, claiming that 17 of its cadres are in Anuradhapura prison for carrying arms in government-controlled areas.

“We were not given arms by the government. If the government gave us arms, then they can disarm us. The government has disarmed the groups it provided arms to. We are not a part of those groups. Our group is a splinter organisation of the LTTE. Nobody envisaged us splitting from the LTTE, so the CFA does not cover us. We will disarm only when our leader Karuna Amman tells us to do so. The government, Norway, the SLMM or the LTTE cannot disarm us,” Thooyavan said.

The splinter group led by the former leader of the LTTE Eastern Command, Karuna Amman, does not favor being called the ‘Karuna Faction’ and wants to appear as a political party named Thamil Eela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP).

LG polls off in NE?

Postal voting for the 22 local bodies yesterday was reported to have gone smoothly.

According to the Elections Department, over 12,263 were eligible for postal voting in the areas where they were postponed due to court cases.

Meanwhile, reliable sources from the North and East said the polls for 15 local council bodies scheduled for May 26 may be postponed due to requests by the Batticaloa, Vavuniya and Ampara district Returning Officers. Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake is expected to announce the decision shortly.

‘Batticaloa Regionalist’ Sivaram emerges as book

A book containing selected writings of the late journalist Dharmaretnam Sivaram as Taraki, is to be released by the TamilNet website next month to commemorate his first death anniversary.

The 700 page book titled ‘I am a Batticaloa Regionalist’ has nearly 200 articles written by the late Sivaram who was abducted and killed by unknown gunman in April last year.

The articles chronologically reprinted in seven chapters covers the three Eelam wars as well as the ceasefire period till April 2005.

One year on, investigations into Mr. Sivaram’s killing is still continuing with no concrete leads or arrests.
Tamil Tiger camps attacked

Tamil Tiger rebels say their camps in eastern Sri Lanka were attacked by a breakaway group headed by a former LTTE leader V Muralitharan alias Karuna.
A spokesman of the Karuna group, Thooyavan, told journalist RG Dharmadasa that their supporters killed twelve rebels in attacks on LTTE camps in Sampoor and Ravulkulee in Trincomalee.

Tamil Tigers meanwhile have accused the government of supporting the Karuna faction.

Military accused

LTTE Trincomalee district political wing leader S Eleelan told Dharmadasa that the attackers came from a nearby Army base.

Denying the accusation Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe told BBC Sandeshaya that nobody apart from Army personnel stay in Sri Lanka military camps.

“Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) can come and inspect whether militants are staying in Army camps,” he told bbcsinhala.com.

BBC correspondent in Colombo, Dumeetha Luthra, says both the government and the Tigers say there are committed to peace talks but the reality is one of bloodshed.

The parties were to hold talks in Geneva last month on strengthening the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) but the Tigers refused to engage in talks until government provides transport to their leaders in the east to travel to Kilinochchi.

But analysts say the LTTE is looking for excuses not to engage in talks until they resolve the issue of the Karuna group with the government.

Clashes leave 100,000 displaced in Trinco

Some 100,000 people affected by the clashes in Trincomalee would be provided dry rations for two weeks, the Trinco Government Agent K.G. Leelananda said.

He said those affected included refugees housed in temporary shelters such as schools and others cooped up in their homes unable to go about their daily work like fishing or farming.

Mr. Leelananda said those housed in schools would be provided alternative accommodation to allow schools to have to reopen on time.

He said in Muttur about 3,000 families were being housed in four schools and they too would be provided assistance.

'Suicide bomber' alive!

The woman who, according to the media, blew herself up in a suicide attack to assassinate Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka is safe and alive, an officer of the special CID team conducing investigating into the incident told 'Lanka e News'.

There had been 8 unclaimed identity cards after the bomb blast, and among them was the identity card of alleged suicide bomber Anoja Kuganethirasa. CID sleuths traced her address in Vavyniaya and found the woman alive. Upon questioning the woman has said that she was staying in the same lodge in the Dam Street where the suicide bomber was also alleged to have stayed. She has come to Colombo for some other purpose and investigations have revealed that she has no hand in the incident.

There are several witnesses who have seen the suicide bomber who have said that they could identify her if seen again, a senior officer of the investigating team told 'Lanka e News'.

Although a blood sample of the bomber has been handed over for testing, it is said the tests have failed as the blood has been contaminated. Although it could be ascertained whether the woman was pregnant at without blood, such facilities are not available in Sri Lanka.

According to investigations conducted so far, the suicide bomber has still not been identified, the officer further said.
06 May 2006
Geneva talks may take place end May-early June
Sri Lanka's derailed peace talks in Geneva may take place either at the end of May or in early June but the unending violence in the island nation continues to hold a lot of uncertainty.

Norwegian facilitators and others remain in constant touch with both the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to get over the tricky issue of transport that has indefinitely postponed Geneva II that was due in April.

If the LTTE accepts Colombo's offer of Sea Planes to transport its regional commanders from the country's east to the north for a leadership meeting, then alone the talks will take place. And if that happens, the dates will be chosen towards the end of May or start of June.

But there is no guarantee that this will happen because the LTTE has taken the public stand that Sri Lanka has to either restore the original system of transport made available to the Tigers or allow the latter to use its own Sea Tigers vessels.

The first round of talks between the two sides took place in Geneva in February and a second was due April 19-21. It was first put off to April 24-25 and then indefinitely after the Tigers accused Colombo of perfidy over the issue of flying the regional commanders from the east to the north.

More than the transport, however, the one factor deeply worrying international players in Sri Lanka's bruised peace process is the spiralling violence for which everyone is taking flak - the LTTE and the government in particular.

The co-chairs have broadly identified four problems in the current situation: (1) violence perpetrated by the LTTE against the government and its rivals; (2) violence perpetrated by anti-LTTE groups or "paramilitaries" against the LTTE and its supporters; (3) the nexus between Colombo and the breakaway LTTE group of Karuna; and (4) the failure of the Sri Lankan political establishment to come up with a system of devolution to the Tamils.

The Sri Lankan government denies any collusion with the Karuna group and the LTTE has either denied its involvement in some of the killings or not taken responsibility. Most international players are, however, convinced that both these counts are true.

Sri Lankan officials are letting it be known that there is no question of cracking down on the Karuna group and that Karuna, who broke away from the LTTE in March 2004 and whose whereabouts are a mystery, will never be handed over to the Tigers even if he is arrested.

Norwegian facilitators feel that while the Karuna group can function as a political entity (it has opened an office in Batticaloa town), its military actions against the Tigers are causing a major problem.

India continues to strongly support the broad nuances of the Norwegian-brokered peace process and will continue to persuade Sri Lanka's main political players to end their differences on the question of devolution to the Tamil areas.

New Delhi also feels that early talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE are the best way forward.

But with both Colombo and the LTTE militarily strengthening themselves and their proxy war getting bloodier and bloodier, Indian officials are keeping their fingers tightly crossed. As one of them remarked: "It is a very, very difficult situation."

No talks while killings continue: LTTE
The LTTE has said that there can be no peace talks with the Sri Lankan government so long as killings continue in the Tamil-speaking North Eastern part of the island country.

"There is no question of going for talks so long as the killings continue," the LTTE's media spokesman, Thaya Master, told Hindustan Times over phone from Kilinochchi on Saturday.

The LTTE's stand is significant in the context of the visit of the Japanese Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi to Sri Lanka beginning on Saturday.

Akashi would be going to Kilinochchi for talks with the LTTE's political leadership on May 9.

The LTTE and the government are blaming each other for the killings, which have become a daily affair in the North East.

The LTTE says that between February and April, 103 Tamils were killed, allegedly by the "Tamil paramilitary groups" of the Sri Lankan armed forces, for the most part.

But the government says that most of the killings were done by the LTTE, many of the victims being members of the armed forces.

According to Daily Mirror in April alone, 200 government troops and civilians were killed in the LTTE's terrorist acts.

No decision on transport issue yet
LTTE spokesman Thaya Master denied a news report that his organisation had rejected the government's offer of sea planes to enable its senior commanders to commute between the Eastern and Northern sectors for consultations ahead of the peace talks.

"No decision has been taken on this issue," he said.

"At any rate, any decision on this will be conveyed only through Norway, the facilitators," he added.

The Sri Lankan government had offered two sea planes of the state-owned Sri Lankan Airlines.

The government spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella, had said earlier this week that the feedback from the LTTE on this issue was "favourable"

Rambukwella said that the government was "optimistic" about the second round of talks taking place in Geneva because the issue of the "capacity" of the air transport to be provided by the government was the only outstanding issue, and even that issue was likely to be sorted out.

India in no hurry to clear Lanka arms requests

Colombo might have turned to Pakistan with a comprehensive list of weapons and other military hardware it wants to procure after India kept it waiting, but the UPA Government seems in no hurry to change the status quo.

Of the various requests Sri Lanka made to Delhi over the past 18 months, very few items were actually cleared for transfer. While Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samarweera’s visit to India on May 7-9 is now confirmed, the Government is likely to maintain its stance.

While one reason for the Government dragging its feet is the LTTE, another is the lack of a comprehensive Indo-Lankan defence cooperation agreement, despite talks going on it for over two years now, according to Defence Ministry sources.

Following the suicide attack on Sri Lankan Army Headquarters on April 25 and the perceived threat of another suicide attack by seaborne forces of the LTTE, sources said South Block is hesitant to sanction a ‘‘show of support’’—requested by the Sri Lankan Navy—in the area, by deploying Naval warships, mostly because of the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

On January 11, Lankan Navy officers attending an exercise in Port Blair, shortly after an LTTE attack had left 13 of their sailors dead, had told their Indian counterparts that a show of strength could be useful to deter the Tiger maritime suicide bombers.

The list Colombo had given to New Delhi for its defence forces includes:

• Maintenance contracts and spares for the Sri Lankan Air Force’s large MiG-27 ground strike fleet, laser-guided bomb upgrade kits, dumb bombs, penetration bombs, rocket pod systems and strafing ammunition. With no response from India on any of these, the Lankan government has gone to Pakistan for UAVs, cluster bombs, PGM upgrade kits, deep penetration bombs and rockets.

• Ship-based mortars, ammunition, small fast-attack craft and sea-mines for the Sri Lankan navy. The government has only allowed the transfer of ammunition and some non-lethal stores.

• Multi-barrel rocket launcher systems, mortars, air defence artillery systems, 5.56 mm weapons, ground radars, night vision devices, armoured troop carriers, UAVs, Milan anti-tank missile jeeps and mine-protected vehicles for the Lankan Army. Apart from a pair of radars, nothing of significance has been transferred.

During his visit here, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister is slated to meet the National Security Advisor, among other top officers, and brief them on the latest situation on the island.

SLA ransacks LTTE's Jaffna political offices
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers damaged the building which functioned as the political office of the Liberation Tigers at Kokkuvil in Jaffna, in the early hours of Saturday, according to civilians in the area. The troops entered the building at Potpathy road around 12.30 a.m. and smashed doors and windows, they said.Another building used by the women members of the LTTE's political wing at Kokkuvil east was also damaged, the residents said. Large number troops were deployed in Kokkuvil area from midnight till 3.30 a.m., Saturday. The LTTE's polical office was established in Jaffna after the signing of the cease-fire agreement in 2002. The office had remained closed since the LTTE cadres of the political wing withdrew from Jaffna.

Bomber’s blood to be sent to Australia
The blood sample of the LTTE female suicide bomber -- who blasted herself inside the Army Headquarters -- is to be sent to Australia, for high-tech laboratory tests while parts of the cellular phone are to be sent to Hungary for further investigations.

A senior CID official said yesterday the locally carried out pregnancy tests had failed as the woman’s blood had been contaminated as a result of the explosion and the technology available in this country was not sufficient to prove whether the woman was actually pregnant or not. Parts of the almost destroyed cellular phone that was said to have been used by her was to be sent to the manufacturer in Hungary to get details about the phone using its batch number.

The phone used by the suicide bomber just seconds before the explosion was reportedly not registered with any of the local mobile phone service providers. Meanwhile the CID has collected important eyewitness accounts from those who had seen the woman talking with an Army Major inside the headquarters few moments before the explosion.

A pregnant woman who visited the maternity clinic on the date of the explosion is reported to have seen a woman similar to suicide bomber talking to the army officer, but the CID is yet to confirm whether it was the suicide bomber.

The suicide bomber was spotted by another patient, while getting into the bus taking visitors to the Army Hospital. When the witness was about to leave the hospital premises she had again seen the this woman seated on a step near the spot where the bomb was exploded.

Gunmen fire on SLA troopers in Jaffna, 2 soldiers wounded

An unidentified attacker, armed with a handgun, fired on Sri Lanka Army soldier who was guarding policemen providing security to Uthayan newspaper office located on Kasthuriar Road in Jaffna. The incident took place around 12:15 p.m. Saturday. Meanwhile, another gunman in Vadamaradchi, shot and wounded an SLA soldier around 1:00 p.m.
The soldier, seriously wounded in Jaffna town, was rushed to Jaffna Hospital and later transferred to Palaly military hospital.

More than six gunshots were fired on SLA troopers at Malu Junction in Navindil, Uduppiddy in Vadamaradchi.

Sri Lanka has fallen short of commitment to safeguard human rights---Forum Asia tells President

A human rights group in a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said Sri Lanka had fallen short of its commitment to safeguard human rights.

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM ASIA) said Sri Lanka’s pledges fell short of substantive steps to ensure effective promotion and protection of human rights domestically and internationally.

“In addition, we note that many of the pledges are vague and general, without specific information as to how they will be implemented in practice,” FORUM-ASIA Executive Director Anselmo Lee said

In its letter the FORUM has included a list of pledges omitted by Sri Lanka and a set of questions that needed clarification by the Government.

“We would be grateful if you could respond to these questions through an informal consultation with NGOs, or via e-mail at unadvocacy@forum-asia.org or via fax at 66 2 391 8801,” the FORUM ASIA said.

It said though pledges were not legally binding, the Government had a moral obligation to implement them and to be held accountable to the people and the international community.

The FORUM insisted on an early response and an opportunity for consultation and dialogue with the civil society to demonstrate in practice Sri Lanka’s suitability as a possible member of the Human Rights Council.

'Ravana Brigade' threatens Tamil media men

An organization called 'Ravana Brigade' has circulated a leaflet threatening Tamil media personnel attached to news divisions of the state electronic media to resign from their posts.

The leaflet said that this was the first and last warning given to all Tamil news editors, produces, presenters and translators who are employed in the Sinhala government's media institutions to leave their jobs.

The leaflet has questioned whether Tamil media personnel should assist the Sinhala communalist forces by concealing from the world the brutal killings of Tamil people committed by the Sinhala government.

The 'Ravana brigade' called on the Tamil journalists of the National Television Corporation, Broadcasting Corporation, Channel Eye and Independent Television Network to abandon their posts.

Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Professional Journalists Association, the Muslim Media Form, the Free Media Movement and the Media Employees Trade Union Federation have roundly condemned the Ravana Brigade's threat against Tamil media personnel.

They pointed such threats could only lead to further restriction of the freedom of expression and the right of the people to information.

Hartal in Oluvil and Akkaraipattu

Large groups of people in Oluvil and Akkaraipattu staged a hartal yesterday against the recent attack on the vehicle of Eastern University Vice Chancellor Hussain Mohamed.

Public transport came to a standstill while most shops remained closed during the day. Mr. Mohamed narrowly escaped death when his car was fired at by an armed gang.

Black flags were also flown opposite the Eastern University premises as well.

Meanwhile, the strike staged by academic and non academic staff of the Eastern University continued for the third day yesterday.

Abducted TRO vehicle in a Karuna camp

As the international media has reported that the abducted vehicle of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization along with 7 employees had been found from a Karuna faction camp at Welikanda in the Polonnaruwa, the TRO has requested the authorities to conduct investigations on the basis of these reports.

The 7 employees were abducted along with their vehicle on January 29th and 30th.
The TRO has appealed to the government to ensure the safety of its employees.

"We are awaiting the reports of the investigations conducted by the Police Crime Division and the Human Rights Commission. Though 3 months have lapsed since the abduction, the families of the abducted persons or our organization have not been informed of any progress into the investigations" TRO Chairman V.Sivanadiyar said.

Among the abducted is a woman as well.

LTTE in Colombo Beware of strangers - Army

A number of undercover LTTE cadres are moving around in Colombo and its suburbs, Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. N. Mallawarchchi told The Island yesterday (5).

Citizens of Colombo and the suburbs should be wary of strangers moving about in their areas, he said.

People entering the city, seeking employment as barbers, shoe makers, collectors of old newspapers and and bottles or even those appearing to be beggars should be taken note of and any suspicious movement of such strangers informed to the nearest police station or members of the armed forces, he said.

Sri Lankan children still prone to exploitation

Child labour the world over shows a marked decline but in Asian nations, like Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Nepal, conflicts and natural disasters have left more children prone to exploitation, an ILO report say