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Srisaba's 21th anniversary Day - 06/05/06 |
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30 May 2007 Tamils don't belong to Sri lanka, they should fight in Tamilnadu- Racist Rathana thera JHU parliamentarian Venerable Athuraliye Rathana thera says a deputy minister should be appointed to answer the questions that are being raised regarding the presidents conduct and that the executive presidency should not be abolished instead should be amended so that it is answerable to the parliament and the judiciary. Speaking to the media this morning at the Party headquarters before handing over the proposals for the APRC the thera said "Japanese are from Japan, English are from England, Tamil is not a race in Sri Lanka. They have a separate country. They should not fight with Sri Lanka asking for a separate state instead fight in Tailnadu".But the thera said the JHU has proposed to safeguard the rights of the minorities in line with the UN convention on Minority rights. He said the parliament should be comprised of 270 MPs, 200 from the electorates, 40 from the National list, 22 from trade unions, 5 from small parties, 3 from minority groups and one representative for the indigenous Veddha community. The JHU also proposes the cabinet to be cut down to a maximum of 25 and a minimum of 20 while the non cabinet ministries should be erased off. It proposes to have a maximum of 30 deputy ministers in Parliament. When a journalist questioned whether the JHU proposes to abolish the Executive presidency the thera said instead of abolishing it should be amended. He said a deputy minister should be appointed for president's affairs and the president should be held accountable to the judiciary and the parliament. “One language two nations, two languages one nation”—these words of Colvin are the political reality today------Minister Tissa Witharana Minister Tissa Witharana, addressing Colvin R.de Silva memorial day, recalled that it was Colvin who said “one language two nations, two languages one nation”, when late S.W.R.D.Bandaranaiake introduced Sinhala Only Act in the country in 1956. He further stated that Colvin warned that the policy of one language will lead to an emergence of two states and today it is the political reality today. We cannot travel even 90km beyond Vavuniya without permission from LTTE. He lamented that had the people of Sri Lanka accepted Colvin’s philosophy and built a socialist state, we could have averted violence and blood shed. President slams West over human rights charges President Mahinda Rajapakse has in an interview with the Al Jazeera television network come down hard on the West for criticising the Government’s human rights record and said it is India that has a role to play in Sri Lanka’s peace process, it is reliably learned.The interview was conducted by Al Jazeera on Monday at Temple Trees and is scheduled to be telecast on Friday, according to informed sources. The President gave his responses to the questions in Sinhala and was translated to English by Media Director Lucien Rajakarunanayake.The President has told Al Jazeera that it was unfair for the West to criticise Sri Lanka on human rights when other countries accused of such violations are not treated in a similar manner. "Is it because we are a small country?" the President has asked.The President by stating it is India that has a role to play in the peace process is ruling out by implication a role for the Norwegians in the future, an informed source also said.The Morning Leader learns the President has further stated the Ceasefire Agreement was today only confined to paper and was there simply to show the world of its existence.It is learned the President had also criticised the LTTE and blamed it for the human rights violations in the country and for acts of terrorism. Sri Lanka seeks urgent arms supplies from India The arms shopping list includes low level transportable radars and quick reaction ground to air missiles to contain the threat posed by Tigers. Facing fresh attacks from Tamil Tigers like aerial strikes, Sri Lanka today asked India for "urgent weapons supplies" saying if there was no response from New Delhi, it might have to turn to other countries for help.The Island nation's Defence Secretary Gothabaye Rajpakse is on a unannounced visit here since Sunday with an arms shopping list including low level transportable radars and quick reaction ground to air missiles to contain the threat posed by Tigers arming themselves with Light attack aircraft.Defence Ministry sources said Rajpakse had a series of meetings in South Block calling on the National Security Adviser MK Narayanan, his counterpart here Shekar Dutt and three services Chiefs Gen JJ Singh, Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major. Rajpakse was the offical who created ripples in India recently by his reported remarks that LTTE by its clandestine acquisition of Light Czech aircraft had also plans to hit vital targets on mainland India. The comments were later denied officialy by Colombo. Military, LTTE prepare for major battles Both the Tigers and the government military are on high alert in the north, high ranking military sources from both parties said."The Tigers have been placed on a state of high preparedness in the north anticipating an escalation of confrontations," Tiger military spokesperson Rasiah Illanthirayan told The Morning Leader.The military also said that ongoing operations in the Wanni were continuing as planned. "Our operations are going on and security has also been increased," Military Spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said."They (cadres) have been placed on a stand to (prepared) status in the past few weeks," Illanthirayan told The Morning Leader.Attacks on either side of the northern forward defence lines had increased in the last fortnight. Between May 23 and 25 the military said that 12 Tigers had been killed in the fighting in areas west of Madhu.However, Illanthirayan said that the situation remained calm the last two days. "There has been no aerial bombings or naval attacks, it’s quiet," he said.With the escalation of confrontations in the north, there has been speculation that the stage was being set for a major confrontation. However Illanthirayan declined to give details of the military situation. Kiss or kick Mangala & Sripathi? The Sri Lanka freedom party central committee is due to discuss today whether former minister Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Suriarachchi should be removed from the party after holding a disciplinary inquiry or take them back to the party after holding discussions with them.When Suriarachchi was in remand custody he was sent a charge sheet by the party's general secretary to which Suriarachchi replied in writing.Meanwhile a charge sheet was formulated to be sent to Mangala Samaraweera but it was held back by the party general secretary due to an unknown reason. 'LeN' reported that the letter was held back through the intervention of minister Dalas Alahaperuma and when LeN questioned regarding the matter from the party general secretary he said that the letter is still in his possession. He said no one has spoken to his regarding sending the letter to Samaraweera. When we questioned Maithripala Sirisena whether the letter was held back to solve the dispute through discussions the minister replied saying "yeah you never know".Though the charge letters are supposed to be handed over to the disciplinary committee secretary of the committee Attorney at law Champani Padmasekara said it has not still received any such document.When 'LeN' questioned the agenda of the central committee meeting from a number of ministers they said that it was not known to them as they were informed of the meeting only this evening. 2 SLA troopers killed in Thenmaraadchi Unidentified armed men opened fire on troopers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp at Madaththadi junction, Madduvil in Thenmaraadchi Tuesday around 9:30 a.m, killing two troopers, Madduvil residents said. An exchange of fire between the armed men and the SLA lasted nearly ten minutes SLA troopers took away a 14 year old boy arrested during the cordon off and search launched after the exchange of fire.SLA troopers beat people during the search operation. No official information has been disclosed on the casualties by SLA. India worried by LTTE air, sea power: Narayanan India is "concerned" by the air and sea capabilities of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas, a top Indian official said Tuesday.Speaking to reporters after meeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, National Security Advisor MK Narayanan called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a "terrorist organisation" and said: "We are always concerned about their air and sea capabilities."He said the LTTE's Sea Tigers "are a threat; otherwise why should we increase (Indian) patrolling" in the sea dividing India and Sri Lanka.The LTTE, now locked in a bitter war against Colombo, has had a vibrant sea wing for years.Its nascent air wing, called Tamil Eelam Air Force, which has been speculated about for years, made its presence felt only in March when it carried out a dramatic attack on Sri Lanka's main air base near Colombo.Subsequently, LTTE planes have carried out more attacks, unsettling the Sri Lankan state and heralding a new dimension to the dragging separatist conflict. Narayanan, who was with the chief minister for about 20 minutes, added that coordinated naval patrolling between India and Sri Lanka in the sea that divides them was yet to start.Asked if Karunanidhi had any objection to such patrolling, Narayanan replied: "I don't find any problems for that."Karunanidhi, who later spoke briefly to journalists, however, denied discussing the issue of "coordinated patrolling" with Narayanan.The chief minister, who is here to attend a meeting of the National Development Council, said Narayanan called on him to discuss the problems faced by the Tamil Nadu fishermen -- on the suggestion of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.The chief minister said Narayanan would travel to Chennai again to take forward their discussions on the security situation related to Sri Lanka.Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary LK Tripathi was present during the Karunanidhi-Narayanan meeting.Narayanan, an Indian Police Service officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, has in recent times come under attack in the Tamil Tiger media on charges of pursuing a tough line vis-à-vis the LTTE. Special vehicle search in Colombo, 60 arrested After the recent bomb attacks in front of the Colombo harbour and Rathmalana air port the security forces conducted several search operations in the entry-exit points of Colombo this morning.60 persons have been arrested on suspicion during the searches that were conducted in the areas of Colombo North, Central Colombo and Mount Lavinia.A special vehicle check was conducted in most of the roads in the capital which caused a massive traffic congestion until 12 noon.It was seen that thousands of school children and employees who were traveling to Colombo facing severe difficulties due to the search operation. Some say that they had to remain in their vehicles for three-four hours.Police say the detained are being interrogated. Colombo becoming a ghost city - UNP MIG fighter jets Security has been tightened for powerful Gotabhaya Rajapaksa after he was targetted allegedly by LTTE suicide bomber in December, last year.But the UNP says his security men are harrasing civilians as a result.The UNP accused President Rajapaksa's political allies, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) of being silent about '"idespread corruption" in the government.Parliamentarian Jayalath Jayawardene challenged the government to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee to probe into the alleged corruption in buying MIG fighter planes from Ukraine.The government, for their part, has challenged the UNP to prove their allegations. PA government Minister Rajitha Senaratne, who is still a member of the UNP, told BBC Sandeshaya that the UNP should take actions to prove allegations than holding press conferences."Jayalath Jayawardene himself was accused of corrupt deals," he said.When he accused the then PA government led by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Senaratne said, he managed to prove the allegations in the parliament.However, no member of the PA government was brought into justice despite UNP's repeated allegations of corruption and mishandling of public finance.Those accused by Senaratne for corruption are currently members of the Cabinet of Ministers in which Senaratne holds Construction portfolio. Military: Sri Lankan air force bombs northern Tamil rebel base; rebels say civilian killed Sri Lankan air force jets pounded a Tamil rebel base in the north Tuesday, the Sri Lankan military said, a day after a roadside bomb triggered by suspected rebels near the capital killed eight people. Air force planes hit the base in Puthukudiyiruppu village in the rebel stronghold of Mullaithivu district, an official at the Defense Ministry media center said. However, the rebels said in an e-mail that the warplanes hit civilian settlements in Mullaithivu, killing a woman, 56-year-old Meiyappillai Alaku, and hurting two more civilians. There was no way to independently verify the details because the area is restricted. Monday's evening rush hour bombing in Ratmalana, a suburb of the capital, targeted a truck carrying police commandos. A commando and seven civilians died in the blast while 32 others, including 29 civilians, were wounded, according to military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe. "We suspect that the bomb had been planted on the roof or the wall of an abandoned shop," Samarasinghe said. Guerrilla spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan denied that Tamil Tiger rebels were responsible for the bomb. "We have nothing to do with it," Ilanthirayan told The Associated Press. A worsening separatist conflict has killed more than 5,000 people in the past 18 months, shattering a five-year-old Norwegian-brokered cease-fire, viewed as the best opportunity to solve the island's two-decade-old conflict. The Tigers have fought the government since 1983 to create a separate homeland for the country's ethnic Tamil minority who have faced discrimination by the majority Sinhalese-dominated state. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting. 29 May 2007 Lankan Army's game plan: Seize East and weaken LTTE in North EnlargeGeneral The Sri Lankan Army's game plan is to drive the LTTE out of the Eastern districts completely, and weaken it in the Northern districts, to pave the way for talks to find a permanent political solution to the Tamil question, says its Commander, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka."In five to six months we will completely mop up the LTTE in the East," the General told select foreign journalists here on Monday. But to one's surprise, he added: "We have no plan to take the North.""Our plan in the North is to weaken the LTTE militarily so that we are able to maintain our positions there," he explained.He believed that there should be a political solution, a permanent settlement of the ethnic conflict which had been dogging the island country for more than two decades.But that could not happen so long as the LTTE was militarily strong, he argued. The LTTE Supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, was not interested in peace and would have to be forced to come for a settlement, the General said.Prabhakaran dreaded peace. " He would not be able to move around freely if there was peace. He would have to be in hiding and ruling like a military dictator," the Sri Lankan Army chief said.Therefore, the Sri Lankan Army and its sister forces were on the job of militarily weakening the LTTE, he added. POLITICAL GRIEVANCES HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED Asked why there was a need for a political solution after neutralising the LTTE, which he believed did not enjoy support among the Tamil people, Gen.Fonseka said that the people in the North-East had political grievances and these needed to be addressed, if there was to be permanent peace."We are convinced that there should be a political solution," he stressed.Even in the East, which had been cleared of the LTTE almost fully, one could not say that there had been a "victory", Gen.Fonseka argued."There can be real victory, only when there is a political solution under which people can lead normal lives," he said. If the political issues were not addressed, war could go on for another two decades, the General warned.The Tamil people had a choice, either to follow Prabhakaran and keep on fighting or follow moderate leaders like V.Anandasangaree and Douglas Devananda and return to peace, he said. The government was thinking of a political settlement, and President Mahinda Rajapaksa had already made an offer, the General said, referring to the devolution proposal made by Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). CURRENT POSITION IN EAST Gen.Fonseka said that the LTTE now held only a small part of the Toppigala jungle in the East, barely 10 square kilometres out of a total area of 50 sq.km."It can be flushed out of this area in a couple of weeks and then the mopping up operations would have to be carried out to completely clear the area, and that may take five to six months," he said.But the LTTE is dogged. "It has not given up hopes of holding Toppigala," the General noted. And the cadres are desperadoes. "Every Tiger cadre is a suicide cadre, in as much as he is forced to fight to the last bullet." In Gen.Fonseka's estimation, there are only about 300 LTTE fighting cadres left in the East and they are holed up in the Toppigala jungle. ARMY'S AIM IN NORTH As for the North, comprising the districts in the Wanni region currently controlled by the LTTE and serving as its headquarters, the General said that the Army's basic objective was to secure and strengthen its current defence lines and pre-empt attacks by neutralising the LTTE's gun positions on the other side."We want to create conditions in which we are sure that we are not under threat," the General said.Asked specifically, if the Army was planning to march into the Wanni region as it did under Operation Jayasikurui (Victory Assured ) in 1997-1999, Gen.Fonseka said that it was an "absurd" idea."There is no point in entering areas under LTTE's control before it is weakened militarily." Operation Jayasikurui was the longest, costliest and the most disastrous operation in Sri Lanka's military history. The Army's units were so thinly spread out in the bid to hold a vast swathe of captured territory, that they became easy prey to marauding LTTE squads in the latter phase of the campaign. The camps, mostly small, fell like nine pins in 1999. The LTTE is expected to pitch in and fight ferociously in the Wanni. Most of its artillery and mortar pieces were now in the North, Gen. Fonseka said."Moreover, the LTTE cannot afford to lose control over an estimated 350,000 people there," he pointed out.The LTTE has 4,000 fighting cadres in the Northern districts of Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, the militant group's heartland."But they are not its best cadres," Gen.Fonseka said. "If they lose 2,000 cadres, they are finished." The LTTE has also lost a large number of cadres. 565 were killed in the last four months, including a leader like "Col" Nagulan, the Number 2 in the elite "Charles Anthony Regiment. The Army, in contrast, had lost only 45.Defending the continuous aerial bombardment of the LTTE- held areas which had created 150,000 to 200,000 refugees in a few months, Gen.Fonseka said that the aerial bombardment took on only military targets and that they were "dead accurate."He defended the controversial decision to buy MIG 29s, saying that these had 3D radars which could help locate LTTE planes.The General attributed the fall in suicide bombing incidents in Colombo and Jaffna to the army's "covert" operations, which had broken into the LTTE networks. NOTHING TO DO WITH KARUNA Gen.Fonseka maintained that the Armed Forces had little or nothing to do with the LTTE's breakaway group led by Karuna, which is accused of harrassing the people of Batticaloa.According to the General, the Tamil establishments next to the army's camps in Batticaloa, were "political" offices of the para-military groups like the EPDP and PLOTE."I don't know if Karuna has registered his political party," the General said. According to him, LTTE chief Prabhakaran's son, Charles Anthony, is the head of the outfit's new Air wing, the Tamileelam Air Force. Charles Anthony had apparently done a course in aeronautical engineering. Gen.Fonseka said that the Ceasefire Agreement signed in February 2002 had helped the LTTE increase its arsenal ten to 15 times. "Their firepower has increased many times." Government must stop attacks in Madu areas since it is a sacred area Jayalath Jayawardene , UNP MP told The Sudar Oli that he has requested the UNP to actively canvas to prevent the government from conducting its military operations in the Madu area in Mannar. He further stated that Madu Church is a 600 year old shrine which is sacred not only to the Christian but also for the people of other religious faiths. UNP must agitate strongly against such war efforts which have already destroyed several places of worship of the north-east. Sri Lanka Marxists reject electoral reforms Sri Lanka's Marxist People's Liberation Front (JVP) has rejected electoral amendments to be proposed by the government.The party said the government is going to table draft amendments that do not have the consent of the majority parties. The JVP said the reforms do not represent the needs of the multiple sectors of society. It also argued that if the majority party vests more power in the Parliament, the executive presidency should be abolished. The chairman of the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, has decided to table the final draft of the proposal in Parliament in the first week of June. Minister Gunawardena said the report had the majority support of 20 of the 31 committee members, including four UNP dissidents and a JHU MP. However, the United National Party, the People’s Liberation Front, and the Tamil National Alliance, as well as government allies the Upcountry Tamil Ceylon Workers’ Congress and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, have opposed the presentation of the interim report on the grounds that it should not be done without a consensus. The draft proposes to replace the current proportional representation by a mixture of a first past the post system and district and national proportional representation. Sri Lanka to purchase two ships from Iran The Sri Lanka government is to purchase two ships from Iran at an estimated cost of US$ 15-20 million. The Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, who is currently in Teheran, held talks with Iranian Finance Minister Davood Danesh Jafari to discuss the matter. “The Ceylon Shipping Corporation has already made a proposal to purchase two ships from Iran at the estimated cost of US$ 15-20 million, and [the] government expects the credit facility for this purchase as well,” the Ministry said. The Iranian Minister assured his country would consider the request very positively and inform the Sri Lankan government of the arrangements shortly. Sri Lanka money printing debate takes new turn as controversy erupts over inflation graph A controversy has erupted over a graph published in Lanka Business Online, which shows a co-relation between inflation and central bank credit, or money printed by the Central Bank to finance the budget deficit. The first shots were fired at an economic policy debate organized by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), when economist Harsha de Silva, a fierce critic of Central Bank money printing, drew attention to it. Babes and Sucklings "Inflation forecasting in this country is very easy. You don't need a Ph.D or anything to do that," de Silva said. "You look at central bank net credit to government. When it goes up, inflation goes up. When it goes down inflation goes down. It's very child-like." Central Bank's Assistant Governor H N Thenuwara said the relationship was 'spurious'. Governor Nivard Cabraal joined the fray last week saying statistics needed to be interpreted carefully, soon after saying that the Phillips Curve, which purported to show a relationship between inflation and employment, was later shown to be unrelated. "I was told by Dr. Thenuwara a few days ago an interesting episode, where when Africa was being colonized, the number of churches that were being set up were increasing," Cabraal told a gathering of regional central bankers in Colombo. "At the same time the number of bars that were set up was also increasing. So people said when the number of churches increased the number of bars also increased. "Recently we did have an instance of statistics being used where the total amount of money being printed and inflation was being shown in a certain co-relation, which has actually no co-relation as such." Offending Graph Thenuwara also disputed the 'money printed by the central bank' of 38.5 billion in 2006 to finance the deficit saying Treasury bill purchases were needed to conduct 'monetary policy' and open market operations. He said reserve money is actually the total money printed by the bank and it was based on the needs of the economy. But critics say open market operations are similar to digging a hole and filling it up, which is part of the 'central bank disease' rather than its cure. It is an ill that currency boards have sought to avoid. LBO's economics columnist, Fuss-Budget, first used the controversial graph showing the co-relation between inflation and printed money in the form of central bank-held Treasury bills in 2004, quoting from a speech by Singapore finance minister Goh Keng Swee. (Read The Thrift Column - Invitation to Disaster) Goh said Singapore decided to retain the colonial relic of a currency board after independence from Britain, instead of starting a central bank because its rulers did not want to be tempted to print money to finance budget deficits. "The way to better life was through hard work, first in schools, then in universities or polytechnics and then on the job in the work place. Diligence, education and skills will create wealth, not Central Bank credit," he said. "Democratically elected governments the world over are exposed to the temptation of winning votes through promising better and cheaper services and at the same time lower taxes. "…in poor countries, punishment comes quickly in a cruel way - high rates of inflation, economic decline and political instability. These three factors reinforce each other in a way which makes escape from misery difficult," Goh added. Fuss-Budget says he is happy that the Central Bank is picking holes in the graph because it promotes debate, even though such reactions have been typical of monetary authorities throughout history. He says there is a sound theoretical basis for using the controversial graph of which two variations were used and for ignoring the effect of net foreign assets. "In essence the graph captured the difference between a currency board and a central bank," Fuss-Budget said. "In late 2004 Treasury bill purchases by Central Bank was used in the graph, which was the biggest component of printed money. Also it made sense because in the period under review T-bill holdings came down to zero, so net changes were sharply seen." Total central bank credit also includes provisional advances, a deadly kind of printed money, but because it had accumulated over the years, it tended to blunt the short-term co-relation. "LBO has also used a total central bank credit number, especially during the early part of the year when new provisional advances come into play," says Fuss-Budget. In both graphs, printed money was compared with point-to-point or unadjusted inflation, rather than the seasonally adjusted inflation or the moving average. Status quo Bias "Central bankers like to use seasonally adjusted inflation, which is, roughly speaking, an average spread over 24 months. This type of measure tends to distance the relationship between printed money changes and inflation." Fuss-Budget says the more the numbers are 'averaged' out the more difficult it is to find a relationship with 'printed money', giving the effect of a time lag. For example, the seasonally adjusted inflation is still rising, but the point-to-point has started to fall, while the absolute numbers responded earliest after the central bank tightened policy at the beginning of the year. "To compare the point-to-point over 12-months and the central bank credit over 12-months makes sense in another way because we are also following a 12-month budgetary cycle, which is the primary cause of the whole trouble," says Fuss-Budget. Fuss-Budget says central banks throughout monetary history have used devices such as seasonally adjusted inflation to fudge the relationship between money printing and inflation, in order to hide their guilt and have also disparaged contrary research. "In many countries monetary research is the exclusive preserve of central banks, and because they do not like to be found fault with, they manipulate it," says Fuss-Budget. "Lawrence White, Professor of Economic History at the University of Missouri has done an interesting paper on the 'status quo bias' on monetary research and how the Federal Reserve influences research and clamps down on negative comments." History Repeats Fuss-Budget says similar reactions were seen from the Bank of England after the publication of the Bullion Report in 1810 which was commissioned by Britain's parliament, when the price of gold rose suddenly. The report concluded that rather than a rising gold price it was the falling value of the pound, through excessive printing that was the cause of the trouble. The Bullion Report also came up with the original definition for inflation which was "an increase in the supply of money." "The inquiry was triggered by a series of articles by David Ricardo in a paper called the Morning Chronicle," says Fuss-Budget. "Ricardo was not a central banker but a market participant like Harsha de Silva or Fuss-Budget who suffered from the excesses of the Bank of England. "So what we are seeing today is something similar and it is to be expected. This is simply history repeating itself. "But it is good because eventually the poor people will benefit from all this, because monetary policy will be de-mystified in the process." Karuna says no split but Pillayan stands by DM story Our page one story titled ‘Pillayan gives final warning to Karuna’ in yesterday’s Daily Mirror has rattled the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) with Karuna Amman himself contacting the Daily Mirror via telephone to say there was no truth in the report.However within minutes of the telephone call from Karuna strong loyalists of Pillayan, whose authenticity was verified, contacted the Daily Mirror and insisted that all was not well within the organization as was mentioned in the news report.According to the report a new factional war was threatening to erupt in the East as former TMVP commander Pillayan issued a final warning to Karuna Amman to leave the outfit or face the ignominy of being removed by force. The warning comes as repeated attempts to reconcile the factional dispute between Pillayan and Karuna failed following allegations that Karuna continued to misuse TMVP funds and placed some of his enemies under house arrest as the support base for Pillayan continued to grow.“Some elements are attempting to divide the TMVP by making all these claims mentioned in your story yesterday. There is no problem between me and Pillayan now. Everything is sorted but some people are trying to get involved in the internal matters of the TMVP to scuttle things,” Karuna Amman told the Daily Mirror. Karuna said he was unanimously re-appointed the leader of the TMVP at a recent meeting of top officials from the organization which he said proved without doubt the unity within the TMVP that is involved in fighting the LTTE.However contrary to Karuna’s claims a loyalist of Pillayan questioned if there was no issues within the TMVP why Pillayan was removed from his original position of supreme commander which made him second in command to Karuna.“If Karuna could go ahead and remove his deputy and replace him with someone else it shows there is a problem. Pillayan wants me to tell you there is a problem and within the space of one month he himself will come out with a public statement about his split with Karuna,” a spokesman for the ‘Pillayan faction’ told the Daily Mirror. Amman however said the position of ‘supreme commander’ was not important as the TMVP was aiming to be a political entity and not a military unit which was why the organisation put forward proposals to the APRC for a political solution.The Pillayan spokesman meanwhile said they stood ready to work with Karuna if he admitted the mistakes including the alleged killing of Pillayan loyalists and the detention of several others as a result of the split. “But we will not wait too long,” the Pillyan faction warned. India must contribute meaningfully in resolving the Tamil problem---Minister Hakeem at World Islamic Tamil Literary Conference in Chennai Minister Rauff Hakeem, addressing the 7th World Conference Islamic Tamil Literary Conference at Chennai, appealed to India to make meaningful contribution in resolving the Sri Lankan ethnic problem. He also spoke at length about the contribution made by Sri Lankan Muslims to the blossoming of Tamil literature and the development of the Tamil language. IP, Sergeant, home guard arrested The Special Investigations Unit of the Mirihana Police arrested an Inspector of Police, a Sergeant and a Home Guard, over their alleged involvement in criminal activities. They were arrested after Police questioned seven members of a gang taken in on suspicion of robbing a jewellery shop. Police sources said a member of the gang had in his possession a .38 revolver and the police traced it to an Inspector attached to the Kohuwala police.On questioning, the inspector had said his revolver had gone missing a few days ago. However, he had failed to make an entry to that effect in the police station records. The Home Guard is suspected to have given the revolver to the gang, sources said.The Sergeant, who was in charge of the weapons at the Kohuwala police station was arrested as he was responsible for the custody of the firearms, the sources said. TMVP calls for solution within a united Lanka The Karuna faction, also known as the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), has recommended, in a set of proposals submitted to the APRC, a permanent resolution within a united Sri Lanka. The proposals were submitted to APRC chairman Minister Tissa Vitharana yesterday. A significant part of the proposals is that it recognizes a de-merged North and East. The TMVP believes that the solutions to the so-called 'Tamil problem' could be found by extensively devolving political, administrative and financial powers from the centre to the peripheral units of governance. “Our recommendations are restricted to certain fundamental issues that need to be considered by the APRC,” the TMVP said.“The Provincial Governments should be able to administer and develop their respective provinces independently, but with the support of the Central Government. The TMVP is convinced that the devolution of political powers from the Central Government to the Provincial Councils under the Indo-Lanka agreement should be the bottom line and basis to evolve solutions to the current crisis in Sri Lanka.”The TMVP says the root causes of the Tamil problem have to be identified and appropriate solutions found, taking into account historical realities. Tamil individuals and political formations agreeable to a negotiated political settlement should be consulted and their views taken into consideration. The proposals call on the government to make new constitutional arrangements to devolve power to the Tamils and other minorities appropriately and adequately and seek a Southern consensus for this step. The TMVP states that in addition to funds allocated by the Central Government, the councils should have powers to raise additional finances independently, locally and internationally. The councils should be empowered to raise finances through local authorities and the authorities coming under the Provincial Council.In relation to the Central Government, the TMVP says the Cabinet Ministers of the Central Government should not exceed the number defined by the constitution, the President and the Prime Minister should be answerable to Parliament and that independent regulatory bodies should be set up to investigate complaints, oversee operations and appoint officials and provide recommendations.The TMVP also says the present parliamentary system should be changed to incorporate an elected parliament and second chamber consisting of appointed members who be nominated members from the Provincial Councils. Who gains by war in Sri Lanka? The Sri Lankan scenario Let us now look at the situation in Sri Lanka. According to Mugabe, a researcher for the Small Arms Survey, there is an estimated fifty two thousand deserters from the Sri Lankan Army and many thousands from the LTTE who have either acquired weapons after deserting or left their posts with their firearms. The survey estimates that there are approximately 300,000 illegal weapons owned by civilians. It is no wonder that the crime rate in Sri Lanka is so high and contract killings have grown astronomically.Sri Lanka is the most militarised state in South Asia. Sri Lanka’s defence expenditure as a percentage of its GDP is the largest not only in the South Asian region, but overall in the world. Reports indicate that defence expenditure has gone up to Rs. 100 billion a year and is set to increase further, given the new dimension the war has taken in the recent weeks. In the last decade, Sri Lanka has spent almost Rs. 400 billion on defence as a result of the conflict.At the same time however, the expenditure for education for the year 2005 was a mere Rs. 26 billion, whilst for the same year for the entire health service it was Rs. 30 billion. Just imagine if the money spent on arms purchases was diverted to health and education. Whilst Sri Lanka boasts that 90% of its population is literate, a deeper analysis shows that a majority of our children do not have access to good schools, school text books and sufficient numbers of qualified teachers. It is the same for health services. Our hospitals are over crowded and citizens suffer enormously in obtaining proper health services. Often pregnant mothers have to wait in line to be admitted. There is a shortage of hospital beds for patients. Still, it is the very same citizens, who bear the cost of these arms purchases. The figures given below give a very graphic picture of the staggering increase in military expenditure in Sri Lanka for the period 1983 – 2007. 28 May 2007 5 killed in bomb blast near Sri Lanka's capital, doctor says Sri Lanka: Five people have been killed in a bomb blast near Sri Lanka's capital, the military and a physician said.Lt. Col. Upali Rajapakse of the Defense Ministry information center said a truck carrying police commandos to the capital was hit by the blast in Ratmalana, a suburb of capital, Colombo.He blamed the Tamil Tiger rebels for the blast.Dr. W.G. Gunawardena said 25 people were brought to his hospital for treatment, and five of them died.It is immediately not clear whether those killed were police commandos or civilians.Rajapakse had said earlier that at least 15 civilians were among the wounded.The blast comes as part of a worsening separatist conflict in Sri Lanka that has killed 5,000 people in the past 18 months, shattering a 5-year-old, Norway-brokered cease-fire viewed as the best opportunity to solve the two-decade crisis.Last Thursday, a bomb blast blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels in the heart of the capital of Colombo killed one soldier and wounded six people.Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels have fought the government since 1983 to carve out a separate homeland for the country's 3.1 million ethnic minority Tamils who have suffered decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese-dominated state.About 70,000 people have been killed in the two-decade conflict. 'Learn from Rwanda' - Bishop Rwanda genocide The Bishop urged the refugees not to try to flee the country despite hardships they currently face.Citing examples from his own country's path to recovery, he accused world leaders of failing to help Rwanda in a critical moment of its history."Specially the Western nations they were talking about Rwanda being a failed state, banana republic, people were killing each other, forget about them, they will never come out of it".Between April and June 1994, an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the space of 100 days. Most of the dead were Tutsis - and most of those who perpetrated the violence were Hutus. The genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, when his plane was shot down above Kigali airport on 6 April 1994. Reconciliation plan Within hours of the attack, a campaign of violence spread from the capital throughout the country, and did not subside until three months later. Ethnic tension in Rwanda is nothing new. There have been always been disagreements between the majority Hutus and minority Tutsis, but the animosity between them has grown substantially since the colonial period. Rwanda is working on a reconciliation plan after years of bloodshed, Bishop Bagobo told refugees in Batticaloa."The plan is of course for every citizen to enjoy to be a citizen of his own country without being made to feel that I am a second class citizen," he said.He expressed hope that Sri Lanka will also be able to find a solution that will lead to long lasting peace.Rt. Rev. Alexis Billinda Bagobo is to visit war orphanages in Batticaloa on Monday. CMC to intensify action on killings and disappearances: Mano Ganeshan Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) on extra judicial killings and disappearances is to intensify its action against the increasing trend of disappearances in the country. CMC Convenor MP Mano Ganeshan told the Daily Mirror that the commission is currently discussing its future strategies to arrest the dangerous trend.Mr. Ganeshan said necessity to take intensified action arose at the discussions it had during the last few days. “Decisions of the future actions will be taken next week,” he said. He said the trend is becoming increasingly dangerous with the terror being extended to Muslims and Sinhalese businessmen as well. Mr. Ganeshan was critical of the statements reported to have been made by the Minister of Environment and JHU Member Champika Ranawaka which said any future proposals to solve the national issue should be based on a Sinhalese foundation. He has reportedly told that the existing society is based on Sinhalese. “We totally oppose this statement and forces like this should be responsible for the present situation of the country,” he said. Several leading Muslim businessmen and one Sinhalese businessman from Wadduwa were abducted recently making the total number of abductions exceeding 100. The first lot of eleven (11) complaints forwarded to UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) by the Civil Monitoring Commission has been accepted for investigations. Associate Human Rights Officer of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances Claudia de la Fuente has been informed by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at Geneva Switzerland in this regard. Doctors, patients plea to open Sri Lanka's check point Sri Lanka's doctors and patients alike have called for urgent action from both Tamil Tiger rebels and the government to reopen a key entry-exit point between the rebel territory and areas of government control in the island's north, officials said Monday. The Omanthai entry-exit point was closed last Tuesday when International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) officials withdrew citing security fears as mortar and artillery exchanges intensified between Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels and government troops in the northern Vavuniya district. S. Sadanandan, the district medical officer in the government hospital at Kilinochchi, an area under LTTE control said the closing down of the check point has led to a serious situation. "We have to send serious patients to the hospital in Vavuniya ( in government controlled area). The facilities (in Kilinochchi) are inadequate. We have 43 seriously ill patients and six of them are critical," Sadanandan said. He added that an infant had died in the hospital on Tuesday as they were unable to send the child to Vavuniya for urgent treatment. A mother who had arrived in Vavuniya for treatment and now unable to return to Mallavi in the LTTE territory said that she has an infant to feed back home and all she wants now is for the LTTE and the government to open the check point. The military accuses the LTTE of continued fire of mortar and artillery which caused the withdrawal of ICRC personnel. The ICRC says their return to the check point will not happen until both sides give adequate safety guarantees for their staff. The check point was also closed twice before at different times but it came back functioning once the ICRC returned to the place with security guarantees from both sides. The closure of the A9 highway to the northern Jaffna peninsula through the rebel territory in the north and the closing down of the civilian entry point at Omanthai are all part of the growing escalation of violence since the end of 2005. About 5,000 troops, rebels and civilians have been killed since then despite the Norwegian-arranged truce in place. Claiming discrimination at the hands of the majority ethnic Sinhalese-dominated government, the LTTE has been fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's 12.5 percent Tamil minority since the 1970s. Mothers from LTTE controlled areas leave behind two infants It is being reported that two mothers have left over two infants in the Vavuniya hospital and fled the area.District hospital director Doctor Navan Pasupathipillai said that the infants are 700 and 950g in weight and are being treated in the Vavuniya hospital's intensive care unit.However the hospital director refused to grant permission to photograph the two infants as the police are investigating the matter.The two mothers who have left the infants back have been transferred to the hospital from the Kilinochchi and Pudukudirappu areas. As the police cannot go those respective areas a special police team has been set up to carry out the investigations. Sri Lankan military discovers powerful roadside bomb as violence kills 6 Sri Lankan troops defused a powerful roadside bomb believed planted by separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in the east, the military said Monday, just hours after a similar explosive killed three civilians in the region.Police commandos found the 25 kilogram (55.12 pound) bomb while on patrol in Batticaloa district on Sunday evening, said Lt. Col. Upali Rajapakse, a senior military official, adding it was planted by rebels to target passing military convoys.No comment was immediately available from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, but roadside bombs that can be triggered by remote control have been a commonly used weapon in their fight for a Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka's northeast.Earlier Sunday, a roadside bomb triggered by suspected rebels hit a civilian truck in eastern Ampara district, killing three people, military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said.Separately on Sunday, Navy sailors killed three suspected rebels during a ground operation in a jungle area north of the eastern port town of Trincomalee. Pillayan gives ‘final warning’ to Karuna-Source:The Daily Mirror A new factional war is threatening to erupt in the East as former Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) commander Pillayan issued a final warning to Karuna Amman to leave the outfit or face the ignominy of being removed by force.The warning comes as repeated attempts to reconcile the factional dispute between Pillayan and Karuna failed following allegations that Karuna continued to misuse TMVP funds and placed some of his enemies under house arrest as the support base for Pillayan continued to grow.A top TMVP source, speaking to the Daily Mirror on the condition of anonymity, said the government military was also unable to takes sides as it required the support of Pillayan to retake Thoppigala in the East and Karuna to capture Elephant Pass in the North.According to the source Pillayan was instrumental in providing ground intelligence to the military for the successful Eastern operations but is not familiar with the terrain in the North as much as Karuna who will be useful as the military makes attempts to wipe out the LTTE from Elephant Pass. The Daily Mirror also learns that several top aides of Pillayan and Karuna, including the official spokesman for the TMVP Azad Moulana, had fled the country once again as the animosity between the two sides began to flare up and cadres were being forced to decide who they would offer their allegiance to.Of the 1200 TMVP cadre base, 800 are now said to be in Trincomalee supporting Pillayan, which includes Thuyavan, Markan, Jeyam, Seelan and Ajith, while 400 are siding with Karuna Amman including Mangalan Master, Bharathi, Thileepan and Sinnathambi.A meeting held recently to reconcile the two sides had reportedly failed, despite Moulana saying otherwise to the media, and according to the source Karuna had used the opportunity to target several Pillayan associates including former spokesman Thuyavan who narrowly escaped death. A release issued by the Colombo office of the TMVP following a recent central committee meeting further added light to the continuing split as it was announced that Karuna had been reappointed TMVP leader and Mangalan Master as commander, replacing the position held by Pillayan.“Several Pillayan supporters including some female cadres are now under house arrest in Ampara and Batticaloa. The TMVP is in disarray. Amman has started killing some of Pillayan’s cadres and Pillayan has now decided to take control of Karuna camps,” the TMVP source told the Daily Mirror.The split initially erupted as allegations were levelled against Karuna Amman saying that he began to divert some Rs. four million of the TMVP funds to his family who are overseas despite the organisation only agreeing to allocate Rs. 1.5 million. According to the source, the TMVP had a monthly income of Rs. 160 million out of which Rs. 80 million was spent and the balance saved for future needs. However Karuna is learnt to have recently placed his close aide Iniya Bharathi in charge of the funds and allegedly swindled the money.An angry Pillayan questioned the move, which resulted in the split. The source further revealed that Karuna was now in the process of strengthening his base by abducting and recruiting adults and underage children. LTTE Trincomalee intelligence leader 'Bharathi' killed The media centre for national security says that LTTE intelligence unit head in Trincomalee Bharathi and three others have been killed in an attack launched by the Navy and the Special Task Force this morning.The attack has been carried out in Iluppukulam, in Nilaweli at around 8:30 this morning. The MCNS said that the death of Bharathi was confirmed by listening to LTTE radio transmitters.In a subsequent search operation security forces have discovered a Micro Pistol, a Magazine, a mobile phone and a Binoculars. 11 Tamils arrested in Bandarawela The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police arrested eleven Tamil civilians in a cordon and search operation conducted on Saturday evening in Poonagala estate in Bandarawela division in the central province. The suspects are now detained in Bandarawela Police and being interrogated, sources said. A group of soldiers from Diyatalawa army detachment and police personnel from Bandarawela Police Station conducted the combined operation on a tip off that several LTTE cadres had infiltrated in the tea estate, sources said. Ex-Speaker’s Luxury car for a Pvt. Secy UNP will not support President – Ranil UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has said neither he nor his party would extend any support to President Mahinda Rajapakse."Supporting the President means supporting the Medamulana Chinthana. I do not want to support the Rajapakse and Brothers Company. There are many who request me to support the President. Yet, extending our party’s support to the President would not do either the country or its people any good. It would only help further the interests of the Rajapakses, he said.The Opposition Leader was addressing the Ex-Co meeting of the National Education Commission’s Employees Union on Saturday at Sirikotha.Wickremesinghe said he had tried several times to extend his party’s support to the President but all such attempts were sabotaged by the President himself. "Therefore, I have decided not to give any support to the President. "President Rajapakse missed a great opportunity to win our support. We entered into an agreement with him, yet, he was the one who violated that and how could we continue our support after the President spurned that opportunity?" Wickremesinghe said.He said that time had proved that the Medamulana Chinthanaya had been a failure. "He won the Presidential election with the support of the LTTE and is now asking the public to tighten their belts. On the other hand, the Rajapakse Brothers and Company and the LTTE are ruining the country. We will not allow this to continue any longer," he said.The UNP would take action to save the country from the corruption, terror, the Opposition leader added. Conflict between UNP general secretary & party leadership intensifies As the internal conflict between UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Tissa general secretary Attanayake intensifies the Ranil group has pulled out from supporting Attanayake's political moves.Tissa Attanayake has organized a massive campaign to join in 10,000 party members from his electorate which is Kundasale and has invited several minister and provincial councilors but Akila Kariyawasam and Sagala Rathnnayake who are working under the instructions of the UNP leader have refused the invitation.The general secretary has told some of his close friends that the opposition leader wants people like him to be peons of his.Johnston Fernando, Vajira Abeywardena, Laksman Senevirathne and Thalatha Athukorala have informed that they would be present at the function in Kundasale.It is also being reported that Johnston Fernando, who was working tirelessly for the restructuring process of the party, is not in good terms with the leadership. One of the reasons for it is the orders that were sent to him and the party's general secretary to stop a news letter that was being published for the circulation among the party members. The UNP leadership has also told those relevant persons not involve Attanayake for the future press conferences as well. Army Commander says Tigers now very weak Army Commander, Sarath Fonseka, said the Tamil people should be fed up with terrorism. He made this statement when he paid homage to the Mahanayake of the Malwatte chapter, Most Venerable Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera at Malwatta Viharaya in Kandy on Saturday (26). Speaking further he said one hundred and fifty Tiger terrorists surrendered to the army and once rehabilitated six child soldiers who surrendered to the army are requesting permission to join their families. “Tiger terrorists are now very weak both in terms of man power and arms, operations are going on successfully in the north and east while terrorists are detested by the Tamil community. However there are still critics who blame the security forces without realizing the actual facts”, he said adding that the decades long war will not end until terrorism is eradicated. The prelate said he appreciated the action taken by the government to bring peace to the country. “Development activities should be accelerated after creating an environment for the ordinary people to live peacefully” he said. Asgiriya Chapter Mahanayake, Most Venerable Udugama Sri Buddharakkhitha Thera said that as Buddhists horrendous killings cannot be condoned but the action taken by the forces to maintain peace and order should be appreciated. “Those who give the wrong impression on action being taken by the forces should be made to realize the amount of hardships they undergo in the war front”. The prelate said.Senior officers of the army accompanied the Army Commander. He also met the Diyawadana Nilame, Pradeep Nilanga Dela and offered flowers to the sacred Tooth relic. Tamil Tiger Rebels Recruit Fighters in Indian Refugee Camps (Bloomberg) The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebel group is recruiting fighters, including children, from among refugees living in camps in India's Tamil Nadu state, Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry said. ``It is believed that the LTTE terrorist outfit has infiltrated the Tamil Nadu refugee camps in the guise of displaced and asylum seekers,'' the ministry said on its Web site. LTTE operatives are trying to persuade families to ``get the youngsters to return'' and boost recruitment. The LTTE hasn't commented on the Defense Ministry statement. It has said it is taking steps to return any minors in its ranks to their families. More than 16,000 people have fled across the Palk Strait to Tamil Nadu to escape the fighting in Sri Lanka since January 2006, the United Nations said last November. An estimated 60,000 Sri Lankans are in camps in the state that lies about a two-hour boat ride from the South Asian island nation. The LTTE and a breakaway faction known as the Karuna group are continuing to forcibly recruit people, including children, Unicef, the UN Children's Fund, said in March. By the end of January, 6,006 children had been recorded as abducted by the Tamil Tigers during the conflict with 1,710 of them still being held. Registered abductions of children by the Karuna group were 235 with 169 still being held, it said. The splinter group takes its name from Colonel Karuna, a former LTTE commander in the island's east, who in March 2004 broke away from the main faction in the north. The Tamil Tigers say the government is supporting Karuna, an allegation the military denies. UN Call The UN earlier this month demanded that parties in Sri Lanka demobilize all child soldiers without delay. The factions must create safe zones for children and guarantee humanitarian access to all areas, the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict said in a May 11 statement. The LTTE said May 9 it asked parents of children under 17 years of age who are still with the group to contact a special panel it has set up, TamilNet reported at the time. The Tamileelam Child Protection Board has been working to identify child recruits since 2006, it said. Indian police in April arrested three members of the LTTE's naval wing at a refugee camp in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry said at the time. India and Sri Lanka stepped up sea patrols in the Palk Strait to try to prevent the LTTE smuggling weapons. The Indian navy in February began round-the-clock patrolling of its waters off Tamil Nadu and its coastguard vessels are monitoring the International Maritime Border, India's state-run broadcaster Doordarshan reported at the time. Naval Unit The navy last week deployed six vessels in the Palk Strait, the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay as part of an operation to control smuggling and infiltration. India must boost its sea defenses to fight terrorism, A.K. Antony, the country's defense minister, said last week. Fighting in the South Asian island nation escalated last year as two attempts at peace talks in Geneva failed to make progress toward ending the two-decade conflict between Sri Lanka's government and the LTTE. The Tamil Tigers, who want a separate homeland in areas of the north and east they control, have an estimated 12,000 fighters, including 4,000 members of their Sea Tigers force. JHU proposes devolution at VC level The Jathika Hela Urumaya will suggest a 200-Village Council system, as a means of devolving power and a 270-member Parliament with a 20 to 25-member Cabinet in their proposals to the All Party Representative Committee. The proposals are to be submitted tomorrow (29), a party spokesman said.He said that their proposals would suggest the division of the country into 200 Village Councils whose chairpersons would enter parliament as nominated members. The rest of the membership of the Parliament would consist of 40 members from the national list, 20 to represent trade unions, five representing small parties and five members representing small minority communities, such as the Burgers, Malays and Veddas which don’t have strength to elect their own members."The boundaries of the Village Councils should be decided in considering relevant factors such as the composition of the population, availability of resources, geography and distribution of water resources in the area" the source said "In the proposal, we strongly insist that there is no ethnic conflict in the country, but some ethnic friction in Northern and Eastern provinces, created by the LTTE terrorism," the source said.He said that the preamble of the proposal rejects the idea of ethnic conflict and persist that the Sri Lanka should remain as an independent sovereign and unitary state."The proposals denote that Sinhalese are the majority community and Buddhism is the official state religion," the source said.He said that the JHU insists that the Executive Presidency shall be continued without trimming any of the existing powers but it should be brought under the realm of law and made accountable to Parliament. SRI LANKA: IMPLICATIONS OF LTTE'S DELFT ATTACK - By Col R Hariharan (Retd.) The Sea Tigers, the naval arm of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) carried out a successful strike on the Sri Lanka Naval detachments located in Delft Island (Nedunthivu in Tamil) on the night of Thursday, May 24, 2007. The Sea Tigers lost seven cadres and made away with weapons and equipment of the naval detachments. Though the LTTE has claimed killing 35 sailors, the Navy also probably lost an equal if not a little more seamen manning the posts. In the sea and air operations that followed, the navy has claimed knocking off at least two LTTE boats. However, the importance of the operation does not lie in the body count or the number of boats sunk as made out by both sides playing for the media galleries. It has dealt an invigorating dose of confidence to the LTTE. Coming in the wake of its successful air operations, this dose of confidence is more lethal in the long term. There is a need to understand this raid in the emerging overall operational scene in the north, particularly in Jaffna. The island territories of Jaffna peninsula are important outposts that provide early warning of sea movements, infiltrations, and impending sea, land and air attacks. The largest chain - Kayts group of islands - extending from Karaithivu in the north to Mandaithivu in the south, with Poonkudutivu on the south west forms a formidable barrier to seaborne infiltration into Jaffna peninsula from the west. Other than Delft, which stands on its own as the south western sentinel, these islands are well connected with causeways to the peninsula which make them part of the peninsular defence system. However, the lagoon waters around are shallow and restrict naval movement. Understanding the importance of the Kayts islands complex to the overall scheme of things, security forces had managed to control and dominate them for a long time. The Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) is present there to assist the government in ensuring that the LTTE activity does not get out of hand. Security forces had always been sensitive to LTTE infiltration into Kayts and had ruthlessly dealt with any civilian of the island suspected of LTTE affiliation. It might be remembered that Kayts islands had been one of the important targets of LTTE when it launched the multi-pronged offensive in August 2006 that failed. [See SAAG Note No 325 dated Aug 15, 2006 "Sri Lanka - LTTE Strikes Back -Update No. 98 available at http://www.saag.org/%5Cnotes4%5Cnote325.html for detailed analysis]. Almost all the LTTE infiltrators who had landed on the island were eliminated in the search and destroy operations of the security forces that followed after the LTTE attack. Delft Island, the largest inhabited island of the peninsula, is conveniently located almost equidistant from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna. Thus it is a valuable outpost to monitor sea and air movements not only towards Jaffna but also between Mannar and Tamil Nadu coast. It had always been under the control of navy which has anti aircraft, surveillance and security elements located there. In fact Delft Island acts as the cockpit of navy to monitor the sea traffic to Tamil Nadu from the Mannar coast and Indian boat movements around Kachchativu. In the present context, when LTTE's international supply chains are in disarray, the sea lanes of supply from Tamil Nadu have become essential in sustaining its operations. Thus the naval surveillance elements at Delft are a valuable part of peninsular defence. The LTTE's newly acquired air capability has perhaps made it also an important point in the air defence network of Jaffna. The Delft attack also needs to be seen in the setting of following developments in the north: During the last eight months or so, the Navy has strengthened its presence in these waters and successfully managed to keep a check on LTTE Sea Tiger operations off Mannar coast. Despite repeated efforts, the Sea Tigers had not been able to make much headway. In all likelihood, surveillance elements in Delft had been playing an important role in this. This was perhaps the reason why the LTTE wanted to put them out of action. The small force of about 16 LTTE boats used to carryout the strike and the completion of the actual operation in an hour (though the disengagement process appears to have taken much longer) would indicate that it was a commando raid rather than a full scale operation to capture and hold territory. (In any case, it is doubtful whether at present the LTTE has the capability to capture and hold the island which has an area of about 42 square kilometres.) LTTE had been infiltrating its cadres in penny packets into Jaffna for sometime now. They had been establishing cache of weapons and taking up opportunity targets, using irregular tactics. Aware of the danger of allowing free run to such elements security forces have been carrying out vigorous search operations frequently. Even as we write there is a search operation in progress in Thenmarachi. The security forces have also killed a few cadres in encounters in the region. A few cadres have been apprehended in round ups and security screenings. By and large these LTTE cadres appear to operate in small teams of three-four persons armed with rifle, grenade and, at times Claymore mines. Weapons stashed away for their use in Jaffna have also been recovered in quite a few cases. LTTE snipers and operatives have also managed to inflict some casualties on troops along forward defended lines particularly in Thenmarachi area. Apart from this, one can see the hands of LTTE agent provocateurs in acts like the torching of a bus in Jaffna, and stirring up of student trouble in the university, in order to prevent Jaffna from coming to terms with a restricted life disrupted after the closure of A9 highway. Security forces operations to open up the Omanthai-Madhu-Mannar axis have been inching their way forward for sometime. In the course of these operations, LTTE has lost some important leaders though the claims of inflicting high casualties by both sides could not be corroborated. As I had stated in my earlier papers, further advance of security forces along this axis could threaten LTTE's freedom to dominate the coast along areas north of Talaimannar. At some stage in the near future, LTTE will perhaps be compelled to contain and push back the advancing security forces. This would further reduce LTTE's reserves available for offensive operations in the north. In Mullaitivu area, relentless air strikes have destroyed many LTTE assets. LTTE's efforts to infiltrate into Pulmoddai area of Trincomalee had come to naught more than once, causing loss in men and material. Similarly, LTTE's probing forays into Welioya area also have not made much headway. Sea Tigers in Mullaitivu sector have been virtually hemmed in.Given the above operational setting, LTTE with its morale buoyed by the disproportionately high impact of its successful air operations, had to reassert itself in a sea or land operation. The isolated surveillance and sentry posts in southern part of Delft Island offering better chances of success perhaps suited the needs of LTTE. This attack was also perhaps to remind the Jaffna citizens that LTTE is still in the reckoning, despite its seeming inability to fulfil its much touted desire to recapture Jaffna. A few hours after the Delft attack, LTTE carried out a claymore blast near the Colombo Port, hitting an Army bus and killing one soldier and injuring three civilians. Possibly the Army bus was the target. However, the timing of this attack soon after the Delft strike is apparently aimed at increasing the feeling of insecurity among the population. The Delft attack has shown that the surveillance post was not able to detect the approaching LTTE fleet of boats. Is this one more case of radars switched off in the night or the radar remaining unserviceable for want of spares? In any case it reflects poorly on the professionalism of forces manning the post. The absence of adequate response to the attack from the naval base indicates either the absence of or deficiency in contingency plans on handling surprise attacks. On the other hand, LTTE has shown considerable thought in the choice of target, and in meticulous planning and execution of operations. According to the LTTE spokesman LTTE had captured two anti aircraft machine guns, two machine guns, one RPG launcher and eight rifles in the Delft operations. According to the well known columnist DBS Jeyaraj, the LTTE had also managed to carry away the radar unit in addition to seizing the weapons. If this is correct it is a sizeable gain, particularly as it deprives the post of radar surveillance capability. The loss of anti-aircraft machine guns is also a serious one, as it is an extremely useful weapon for taking on targets both at sea and air. Thus Delft will be depleted of some of its surveillance and anti aircraft capabilities till the losses are made up, which could take some time. Thus it is clear that the LTTE intention was two fold to knock off the anti-aircraft and surveillance capability of Delft and augment its own anti-aircraft arsenal. Is the Delft attack is a curtain raiser for LTTE's Jaffna operations as some commentators have speculated? To hazard a guess, so far the ground indications of LTTE's activity appear to be more aimed at keeping the security forces at bay rather than launching an all out offensive. However, of greater interest to us is the increasing LTTE assertion in the neighbourhood of India. Delft has demonstrated what a surprise LTTE strike could do. Two weeks back an Indian trawler 'Sri Krishna', hijacked by LTTE in March, 2007, was sunk in Maldivian waters. On their release from custody, 11 members of its original 12-member Indian crew have confirmed that it was LTTE that had arrested them after taking over their vessel. The Tamil Nadu government had no hesitation in publicising this information, much to the dismay of LTTE sympathisers and fellow travellers in Tamil Nadu. Information from Maldives indicates that the LTTE probably seized the vessel to tranship weapons from another ship in an area well outside the beat of Indian and Sri Lankan navies. This would indicate the conscious effort of LTTE to elude Indian and Sri Lankan navies' ocean surveillance to bring in its weapons. With all these happenings in close proximity of Indian waters involving Indian vessels and citizens, one would have expected the Government of India to react more visibly. However, it had continued to follow its policy of maintaining a stony silence despite the act of piracy by an insurgent group involving a vessel flying the Indian flag. This is not the first act of LTTE piracy involving Indian assets. LTTE had hijacked a Jordanian ship Farah III in distress off the coast of Mullaitivu on December 23, 2006. It was carrying 14,000 tons of rice from India to South Africa which had been seized by LTTE. Then also the Government of India had ignored the whole affair. This attitude is all the more surprising, considering the readiness with which it had expressed its "concerns" as and when Indian fishing boats trespassing into Sri Lankan waters are rounded up or driven off by the Sri Lankan navy. Is there a political angle in this issue involving national security? It should not be. If so, it would be dismal because it is at the cost of national sovereignty, and security of vessels flying the Indian colours. 27 May 2007 EPDP cadres were enlisted in the army at one stage. They were given uniforms and food. Firearms were given too and they were looking after the entire Kyts Island under the leadership of Minister Douglas Devananda.- Major General Sarath Munasinghe “Defeating the LTTE’s conventional ability is a difficult task right now. But that should be the goal of the military. Defeating terrorism is a very, very difficult task. I believe the youth who indulge in terrorist activities have to be psychologically approached and we have to offer a political solution to the Tamil people to eradicate terrorism some day. But, in my opinion, that should be the second stage. The first is to defeat the conventional ability of the LTTE”Soldier-turned-politician Major General Sarath Munasinghe has predicted that the LTTE was planning a major onslaught to capture Jaffna peninsula. His prediction comes in the wake of his 30 year experience in the battlefield and he said the LTTE would strike where it could create an impact.He further said such an impact could be created only by capturing the peninsula as Jaffna had the highest Tamil population of some 800,000 people. The UNP Polgahawela Organiser and former Military Spokesman, Maj. Gen. Munasinghe was the Jaffna security forces commander in 1999.In an interview with The Nation he said it would be “very, very difficult” to defeat the LTTE militarily and added only a political solution could solve the ongoing conflict. “We are fighting a senseless war. The innocent lives of the Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims are killed because of this. We must find a political solution,” he reiterated.He also said the cadres of the Karuna faction must be enlisted into the army and should be recognised as government forces, instead of letting them operate as a paramilitary. “This is what the former government did to the EPDP cadres,” he added. He also said if Karuna had been properly used by the government, the results could have been better than what is has produced now in the battlefield. WHY LTTE ATTACKED DELFT NAVAL BASE? INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM MONITOR---By B.Raman Till March 26,2007, the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) enjoyed the command of the skies. There was no opposition to its punitive strikes against the positions held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Eastern and Northern Provinces and to its intimidatory strikes against the Sri Lankan Tamil population, inflicting a large number of civilian casualties. The LTTE faced difficulty in countering the punitive and intimidatory air strikes of the SLAF. This was due to a serious depletion of its anti-aircraft capability and the difficulties faced by it in procuring anti-aircraft guns and ammunition and surface-to-air missiles. 2. As a result of this, the Sri Lankan authorities did not consider it necessary to provide strengthened anti-aircraft defences to their army, naval and air force stations in the Tamil areas. They feared only land-based threats to them. They did not anticipate any threat from the air. 3. The position has since changed as a result of the LTTE's Tamil Eelam Air Force (TAF) going into action since March 26,2007, and demonstrating its capability for conventional air operations on ground-based targets and to evade the anti-aircraft defences. The TAF has already carried out three successful air strikes on ground targets of a strategic significance----two in the Colombo area and one in the Jaffna area. 4. The psychological and economic impact of these strikes has unnerved the Sri Lankan authorities. The psychological impact has been in denting the self-confidence of the Sri Lankan security forces and affecting their credibility in the eyes of the public. The economic impact has been on tourism. Flights of nervous international airlines were affected and there was a decline in tourist arrivals. 5. The expected operations of the armed forces to recover territory under the control of the LTTE in the Northern Province have not yet materialised. The SLAF has not been as active as it used to be before the TAF went into action. Fearing more strikes by the TAF, the Government of President Mahinda Rajapakse has given priority to strengthening the anti-aircraft defences in Colombo and Jaffna. Apart from taking conventional measures such as providing anti-aircraft guns and ammunition to all major military posts in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, it has also entered into negotiations with Pakistan and China for the purchase of surface-to-air missiles. 6. Taking advantage of this, the LTTE has embarked on a policy of identifying military posts where anti-aircraft defences have been set up, raiding them and capturing the anti-aircraft weapons supplied to them. It was in pursuance of this tactics that the LTTE raided a strategic naval base at Delft, an islet off the northern Jaffna peninsula, shortly after midnight on May 24,2007, dismantled its anti-aircraft defences and took away two anti-aircraft guns with ammunition, two Israeli machine guns, one rocket-propelled grenade launcher and eight assault rifles. They badly damaged the base infrastructure and withdrew after killing over 20 sailors of the Sri Lankan Navy. The raid lasted about two hours. The officers at the base frantically kept asking for an air strike against the raiding Sea Tigers and their boats, but the SLAF did not come to their help. Later, it claimed that the SLAF went into action and attacked the Sea Tiger boats as they were withdrawing and inflicted casualties and damage. There has been no corroboration of this so far. 7.The Government has not yet been able to remove the nervousness caused in Sri Lankan and foreign business circles----particularly among those in the civil aviation and tourism sectors---in the wake of the TAF's air raids in the Colombo area. Fear of an LTTE retaliation from the air continues to have a negative impact on the Government and the Security Forces. Pawar's plea to Rajapaksa on devolution package Sharad Pawar, Indian Minister for Agriculture and political veteran, has urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to offer a devolution package which will satisfy the political "moderates" in Sri Lanka.In his meeting with Rajapaksa in Colombo earlier this week, Pawar emphasized the need to find a political rather than a military solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, and urged the President to fashion a devolution package that would satisfy at least the moderates among the Tamils and Sinhalas, reliable sources told Hindustan Times on Saturday.Pawar had met the Tamil moderates V Anandasangaree and Douglas Devananda, and the Sinhala moderate Prof Tissa Vitharana.The Indian Agriculture Minister held talks with his counterpart Maithripala Sirisena on India-Sri Lanka cooperation in agricultural development. Moderates felt let down India and the Sri Lankan moderates, cutting across ethnic lines, were dismayed by the devolution proposal made by Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) which rejected the concept of a federal state, and made the "district" the unit of devolution instead of the larger "province".The Tamil moderates had had an additional complaint - that the proposal did not envisage an autonomous and united Tamil-speaking North-Eastern Province. Lankan defence secretary in Delhi While Pawar was tendering political advice to the Sri Lankan President, the latter's brother and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was in New Delhi negotiating the delivery of modern radars and other air defence systems against the threat posed by the fledgling air force of the LTTE.Sri Lanka, India and the US are worried about the LTTE's air capability as it has taken the armed conflict in Sri Lanka to a new and more dangerous level, with international ramifications.Richard Boucher, who heads the South Asia office of the US State Department, said in Colombo recently, that the Sri Lankan government had the right to destroy the LTTE's planes. Navy Intelligence officer who helped Mahinda cannot stay in the island Commander Rohana Gamage who was serving in the Navy intelligence unit as its coordinator in the Vavuniya district on the request of the president and the defence ministry, and then remanded and freed on the charges of having connections with the LTTE, has requested the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and JVP leader Somawanse Amarasinghe asking them to intervene and make sure that nothing of that sort happens against. In his letter the Major reminds that the government media seriously criticized him charging him of divulging information of defence matters. He goes on to say that though he was later released saying that he had no such connections or divulged any information to the terrorist the damage caused to his character has not been repaired. He goes on to say that he was planning to sit for his master’s degree after the bachelor’s degree but is not in a position to carry out his education as he has been labelled as a terrorist ally. Commander Rohana Gamage goes on to say that his wife and children even cannot travel on road as they have to under go verbal harassment which means he cannot even live a normal life. He say due to this he has to now live hidden and secretly. Speaking to 'LeN' He said due to this situation, he cannot obtain visa to fly abroad and that he is receiving constant death threats. He said not only him the two theras who participated at the media briefing held by his wife are being threatened.Rohana Gamage therefore requests all concerned to make an effort to stop such things happening here after. Never fear to negotiate The proposals the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) submitted to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) as a means of resolving the ethnic issue were summarily rejected by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last week.That didn’t make headline news because it was only to be expected. The SLFP proposals envisaged the district as the unit of devolving power, a concept tried and tested during the tenure of late President J.R. Jayewardene in the eighties with not much success.The ethnic issue, and parallel to it the Eelam War, has evolved considerably since then. The LTTE has grown from a fledgling terrorist outfit to a global war machine with even light aircraft at its command. It is now recognised as arguably the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world.The impact of this has been relentless terrorist attacks in the south of the country, compelling successive governments in Colombo to accommodate the LTTE in various bouts of negotiations and peace talks, albeit with limited success.Yet, it would be fair to say that thinking in the corridors of power had also changed. J.R. Jayewardene himself risked his political popularity to grant provincial councils as the unit of devolving power under the Indo-Lanka Accord and even went to the extent of amalgamating the Northern and Eastern Provinces, a key demand of the Tigers. That the provincial council system was not a success is history. But that did not deter governments in Colombo from pursuing a broader unit of power sharing in their attempts to redress minority grievances. Chandrika Kumaratunga, from her halcyon days in the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party ideologically believed that minority communities should be better accommodated and represented in Sri Lanka’s socio-political fabric and brought forth a set of devolution proposals that were dramatically torn up and discarded by the then opposition, United National Party (UNP) in Parliament. Those proposals never saw the light of day.When there was a lull in the Eelam War during the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) brokered by the United National Front (UNF) regime, models of devolving power were studied very extensively. At one time, even an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) was being discussed although the issue drew sharp criticism. The UNP proposed similarly comprehensive proposals for the devolution of power at the last presidential election where the catchword was federalism. Mahinda Rajapaksa, ever the shrewd politician, latched on to the slogan declaring that the unity of the country was at stake, swayed the majority community voter and won the election, helped by an LTTE enforced boycott in the north and east. Now as President and President also of the SLFP, he must be supporting the proposals aimed at retaining districts as the unit for devolving power. Ironically, two of his allies in the government, the nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) claim that even this is too much of a concession that imperils the unity and integrity of the nation!It is obvious though that for devolution of power to have any meaning, may be not for the LTTE, but for the minority communities, such devolution must be tangible and appear genuine as well. Thus, it must necessarily follow that they must be more than what has already been offered to these communities. Sadly, the current SLFP proposals fall far short of this benchmark. In fact, what it does is to send a loud signal to all concerned – millions of masses in the minorities, the international community and also to the LTTE – that the current government in Colombo is not genuine in seeking a lasting solution to the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka. It is the wrong message to get across at a time when Colombo’s human rights record has come under the microscope, probably as never before.It is also a message that one man will like – a man named Velupillai Prabhakaran. For, if there is one thing that Prabhakaran fears it is peace. Peace was thrust upon him once by Rajiv Gandhi in the Indo-Lanka Accord and Prabhakaran sabotaged it deliberately and without being content with that, took revenge from Gandhi by killing him. Nearly 20 years later, Velupillai Prabhakaran hasn’t changed his stripes. Peace was again thrust upon him by the international community at the behest of Ranil Wickremesinghe in the form of the CFA. He responded by ensuring its collapse and ensuring Wickremesinghe’s defeat at the presidential poll, just to make sure he wouldn’t be caught in a peace trap again.With President Rajapaksa at the helm, Prabhakaran probably has no such worries. His concern must be to guard against Rajapaksa’s military adventures. He must know that the SLFP devolution proposals will be dealt with by all concerned, with the contempt it deserves.Of course, both the President and the SLFP is on record saying that the SLFP proposals are not a final document, but only a basis for discussion. If so, there would have to be much discussion and more amendments for the proposals – and indeed the APRC – to move forward. Or else, it will go the way of all the other numerous all party conferences that have been held earlier: beginning with much fanfare, outliving its usefulness and then dying a natural death with no one mourning its loss.With hindsight it is easy to say now that past leaders such as S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and J.R. Jayewardene let slip golden opportunities to bridge Sri Lanka’s ethnic divide. Mahinda Rajapaksa, we are sure, will not want history to remember him as such. Therefore, he must never fear to negotiate, especially when he has already demonstrated that he will not negotiate out of fear. Chandrika informs President in writing regarding her return at the end of July It is being reported that the President is a bit shaken after former President Chandrika Kumaratunga informed President Mahinda Rajapakse in writing that she is going to return to the island at the end of July.Writing to the president regarding the Supreme court decision to cut down on the privileges given to her and her security, the former president has informed Mahinda Rajapakse in this regard.Sources close to her say that she might enter politics in some way or the other and that she has a good rapport with most of the politicians and is in constant touch with them.She is still a patron of the SLFP and the Chairman of the Gamapaha district for the party.It is also being reported that Mangala Samaraweera who is in London at the moment is due to meet with the former president to discuss regarding the future of their politics. Some say that there are 21 MPs in the government including Samaraweera who are supportive to the former president.Former Presidential secretary Piyasena Dissanayake told 'LeN' that though the former president is due in the island end of July, he knows nothing regarding her political plans. Food crisis looms in the Wanni Fears of a humanitarian crisis including food shortages loomed large in the Wanni as Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) traded charges against each other over re-opening of the only entry-exit points at Omanthai and Uyilankulam.The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is refusing to position its personnel at these points until security guarantees are obtained from both sides. A prolonged delay would mean supplies of food and medicine cannot be moved into the area. The Entry-Exit Point at Omanthai remains the umbilical cord for all supplies into Wanni after the Government closed the Muhamalai Entry-Exit Point. It is located south of the Jaffna peninsula and all supplies moved by sea were transported to Wanni through this point. ICRC spokesman Davide Vignati told The Sunday Times they discussed the issue with LTTE Deputy Political Wing leader, Thangan. His position was that the guerrillas would refrain from attacks if the Security Forces followed suit. The Security Forces in turn blamed the LTTE for the closure and said they did not get the points shut down. Vignati said the LTTE response was now being discussed with the Government. An ICRC team was due to meet Defence Ministry officials in this regard last night. Details of the outcome of the discussions were not known immediately, but a military spokesman said that the army was maintaining the position that the road was never closed by the army.“The army is not obstructing the movement of civilians and the other essential items”, the spokesman said. The two entry-exit points were closed after the military accused the LTTE of firing mortars in the direction where the ICRC officials were present.“We will not deploy the staff until we get a firm assurance about the safety. We will not risk the lives of the staff until that,” Mr. Vignati said.The Uylankulam point was closed on May 18 while the Omanthai point was closed on Tuesday. The Omantahi check point was closed after a civilian vehicle trying to enter the government controlled area had been fired upon by the LTTE. One of the bullets had hit the ICRC post.Mullativu Government Agent Emelda Sukumar told The Sunday Times that 35 lorries carrying essential items including food and kerosene were held up at Omanthai due to the closure of the road.“If the entry-exit point remains closed for the next two to three days there will be a serious food shortage,” she warned. Vavuniya’s Additional Government Agent P.S.A. Charles told The Sunday Times that in addition 50 more private lorries carrying food and other essential items were also held up in Vavuniya. The closure of the road prolonged as the fighting around Omanthai also continued. At least 12 Tiger guerrillas have been killed around Omanthai between Thursday and Friday while a series of other confrontations also have taken place in the area interrupting the movement of civilians Who is Ananda Krishnan? In 2003 when senior officials of the Board of Investment went shopping for investment from Malaysia, they were told that two of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs had Sri Lankan roots and were keen to invest in Sri Lanka.According to a report then by Bernama News Agency, the grandfathers of Tan Sri T. Ananda Krishnan and Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam had been brought to Malaysia from Jaffna by British colonial rulers to work in Malaysia’s Public Works Department, a common practice then as Jaffna produced some of the most educated people in the whole country. "Tan Sri Gnanalingam himself told one of our ministers that he wants to put something back into this country because his grandfather was Sri Lankan," Deputy Director-General of Sri Lanka's Board of Investment (BOI) Santhusht Jayasuriya had told a a group of visiting Malaysian journalists then, according to the Bernama 2003 story. Gnanalingam, executive chairman of Malaysia's Westport, held talks with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during a visit to Malaysia in 2003 and the former followed up with a visit to Colombo. In the same year a Memorandum of Understanding was formalized in March this year between 'Westport' and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). Westport is keen to invest in Sri Lanka but no formal process has begun. However Ananda Krishnan has sparked a huge controversy in Sri Lanka this month after one of his subsidiaries staked a claim in Sri Lanka Telecom. Bernama said that Astro CEO Ralph Marshall’s grandfather also hails from Jaffna. Astro is part of the Maxis group which Krishnan hopes will eventually run SLT though the purchase is to be made through Global Telecommunications Holdings NV.According to Wikepedia, the free Internet encyclopaedia, Tatparanandam Ananda Krishnan was born in 1938 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur to a Tamil immigrant family from Sri Lanka Nicknamed TAK, Krishnan is a Malaysian businessman and philanthropist and he is estimated to worth about US$7.4 billion, making him the second wealthiest man in Southeast Asia (and world's 99th). Krishnan hates public exposure and is known to maintain a very low profile for a person of his stature. However, his hugely successful business activities always thrust him into the limelight and his name represents a huge business empire. Currently, he has business interests in entertainment (Astro), space (3 Satellites), oil, power, shipping, telecommunications (Maxis - Malaysia, Aircell - India), property and gaming (Pan Pools Malaysia). His companies operate in most parts of South East Asia. A quarter of his wealth comes from the gambling business (lottery, horse-racing wagering). He is also said to be behind the world's largest indoor Water Park in Tropical Islands, Germany with former Genting Group executive Colin Au. He is also pondering an online lottery venture in Russia, Wikepedia said.Said to have an extraordinary entrepreneurial flair and being far-sighted, it was Krishnan who sold former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad the idea of the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, the world's second tallest building, which stake he has now sold off. “Ananda Krishnan has been called everything from a recluse to a humble, silent worker. Not much is known about him and his tightly guarded private life because he maintains such a low profile,” Wikepedia said. He is known to be apolitical but also a close friend of both Dr. Mahathir and Mahathir's former arch-foe Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. He brokered the peace deal and healed the political rift between them a few years ago. Despite his wealth he still maintains and stays in his family's Minangkabau styled mansion in Kuala Lumpur. He was one of the first tycoons to own a Dassault Falcon private jet. HRW warns govt. to address rights abuses or face aid cuts The New York based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that it will persuade foreign governments actively working in Sri Lanka to curtail aid to the country if the President Mahinda Rajapaksa led administration fails to address the unabated increase in human rights violations in Sri Lanka. Brad Adams, Director, Asia Division of HRW in an emailed statement to The Nation confirmed that his organization was in contact with the various governments active in Sri Lanka including the United States, United Kingdom, India and Japan with regard to the current situation in the country. ”HRW is in ongoing contact with the various governments active in Sri Lanka, including the US, UK, India and Japan. We have not yet called for cutting aid. But we have urged all of these governments to raise human rights concerns at the highest levels in Colombo, and to assert their good influence to promote the rule of law,” Mr. Adams noted.He also expressed belief that that the Co-Chairs and other states can and should use their leverage with both the government and the LTTE to encourage respect for international law, including the obligation to minimise civilian harm. ”Financial aid is one lever that governments have, and some states have recently elected to go that route,” he said in the emailed statement.”We oppose cuts to humanitarian assistance that benefits the general population. But, sadly, current expressions of concern by (foreign) governments have done little to end the widespread enforced disappearances, abductions, arbitrary detentions, indiscriminate bombings, forced returns of displaced persons, and restrictions on the free press taking place in Sri Lanka today,” Mr. Adams added. Philippines seeks Vijayeswaran’s extradition from Indonesia The Philippine government has sought the extradition of Dato’ Vijayeswaran Vijayaratnam and three others who were recently arrested in Indonesia, Lanka Business of Line (LBO) reported yesterday quoting international press reports.Vijayeswaran, a Malaysian national, is Chief Executive Officer of Quest International (QI), a group that has been active in Sri Lanka for the last six years and is involved in trading on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE)."As a group we firmly believe in investing in Sri Lanka despite the current situation in the country as we see Sri Lanka as a nation with great potential," a statement issued by QI in Hong Kong said last week.This statement also disclosed that the QI group has "close on 5% shareholding" in the blue chip John Keells Holdings (JKH), just under 10% of the National Development Bank (NDB) and a 54% controlling stake in Ferntea which is also quoted on the CSE."We wish to reiterate that the QI group is committed to continue its investments in the Sri Lankan economy," the statement said. According to company analysts, QI owns 3.43% of JKH through two companies, Fast Gain and Quest International, and Vijayaratnam himself. 0.7% of the company originally held by this group had been sold to another Malaysian called A.B. Khalid, these sources said.Additionally, two local companies, Asia Fort and investor Access, believed connected to the QI group, also owns 1.98% of JKH.The QI statement stressed that the case against Vijayeswaran, "has nothing whatsoever to do with the operations of the company" and explained that there was a civil dispute between Vijayeswaran and his business partners in the Philippines.This case, according to QI had not yet been heard in Philippine courts and never gone to trial.International reports quoted a Jakarta Metropolitan police spokesman telling the New Straits Times of Malaysia that the extradition request made by the Philippines was now being processed in an Indonesian court. The Malaysian newspaper also quoted the chief of the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation’s criminal intelligence division saying that they had acted according to the Extradition Treaty (between the Philippine and Indonesia) and were also free to use diplomatic channels in this matter."The fact is he was properly charged without bail and he must come back (to the Philippines) for trial," the Philippines police official said.LBO said that in Sri Lanka tens of thousands have lost money in a multi level marketing scheme known as "Goldquest" that QI ran here. This name was later changed to Questnet."In 2004 the scheme collapsed in Sri Lanka, leaving thousands penniless. The Central Bank estimated that 15 million dollars were siphoned out of the country illegally by Goldquest operators in 2004," LBO said. MR threatens to expose Wimal's business dealings President Mahinda Rajapakse has threatened to expose the business dealings of JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa if he persists with 'false allegations' of a US$ 10 million kickback against a top government member in relation to the sale of Telecom shares to a Netherlands based company. The President made this charge at Wednesday's meeting with his ministers where the allegation made by Weerawansa the previous day in parliament came up for discussion. Weerawansa told parliament on Tuesday a US$ 10 million kickback was given to a government member to facilitate the sale of NTT shares to a Tamil businessman based in Malaysia. The JVP MP's allegation came in the backdrop of a poster campaign that the LTTE had links with a Malaysian interest involved in the deal. Weerawansa also told Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara that he was taking full responsibility for the allegation made. Rajapakse dismissed the bribe charge as baseless stating the share transaction was a private affair between two companies with which the government had nothing to do. The President also told his ministers that Weerawansa met him to promote the Vanaspathi business and that he had all the documents to put the member to shame if he persists with his line of attack. The Sunday Leader learns, Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka had told the President that under the Bribery Act any person who has information relating to a bribe is bound by law to disclose such details and that the matter should accordingly be reported to the Bribery Commission for investigation and the identity of the person claimed by Weerawansa ascertained. BASL condemns extra judicial killings and abductions The Bar Association of Sri Lanka unanimously adopted a resolution yesterday unreservedly condemning the extra judicial killings and abductions taking place in the country. The resolution was proposed on the floor of the house by Attorney J. C. Weliamuna and was endorsed by the President of the BASL, Nihal Jayamanne PC. The BASL also called on President Mahinda Rajapakse to take all possible steps to curb extra judicial killings and abductions. It was further decided that a BASL delegation meet the Attorney General C.R.De Silva PC and the IGP Victor Perera and inquire what steps are being taken to bring the situation under control. It was also proposed at the Bar Council meeting yesterday to appoint a committee of ex BASL Presidents to monitor the situation and report to the membership. Jeevani says she was threatened with acid attack The Lake House employee who resigned her post following alleged sexual harassment by a key JVP parliamentarian has claimed that her life was under grave and serious threat after the Polonnaruwa magistrate discharged her on Friday. She told the media after being discharged that she was threatened with an acid attack and death. Jeevani Anuradha Wijesuriya was produced in court on Friday following a complaint lodged with the Polonnaruwa Police by Shirsha Udayanthi, wife of JVP Parliamentary Group Leader and Party Spokesman, Wimal Weerawansa. The complainant alleged that Wijesuriya had made remarks to a newspaper defamatory of her (Udayanthi) personally and also to tarnish the image of her politician husband. Wijesuriya's failure to turn up at the police station on a stipulated date to record her statement led to the Polonnaruwa police calling for an arrest warrant against her. The lawyers appearing for Wijesuriya informed court that she was prevented from recording her statement on the appointed day due to the serious threats faced by her at that time. They submitted that the B-Report filed by the police failed to infer a criminal offence. Further, it was submitted that Polonnaruwa police lacked authority to investigate a matter that arose within the District of Gampaha. The court on Friday ruled that Wijesuriya was neither a defendant nor a suspect and discharged her. Subsequently the Polonnaruwa police recorded a lengthy statement from Wijesuriya where she disclosed details leading upto her enforced resignation from Lake House. After being discharged, the former Lake House employee speaking to the media denied making any statement defamatory of the parties concerned to any newspaper. "I have never made any statement defamatory of anyone. But that's the alleged basis for the complaint against me. The police issued a warrant against me but now I have been discharged without any charge being framed against me. I have been threatened in various ways. I have been told to expect an acid attack and that I would be killed. I do not believe these threats would go away now. They will continue," Wijesuriya said. President to meet Arbour in Geneva President Mahinda Rajapakse is to meet with UN Human Rights Commissioner Louise Arbour in Geneva mid June and explain steps taken by the Government to address the human rights situation in the country. The President who is expected to be in Geneva for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference from June 14-15 will be accompanied by a high powered delegation which would include Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and Attorney General C.R.De Silva. It is learned the President will use the opportunity to meet with Arbour and highlight the human rights violations of the LTTE and the steps taken by the Government to address the concerns of the international community through the Commissions of Inquiry. The government has in recent months come under increasing pressure by the international community due to the deteriorating human rights situation in the country especially on the treatment of IDPs, abductions and extra judicial killings. 18 STF personnel wounded in Kudumpimalai Eighteen elite commandos of Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) were wounded Saturday when the STF launched an offensive into Liberation Tigers controlled Kudumpimalai (Thoppigala) jungles, 36 km northwest of Batticaloa city, Sri Lankan police officials in Batticaloa said. The STF has been intensifying offensive operations into the LTTE controlled areas in Kudumpimalai jungles in recent weeks.11 STF personnel wounded in LTTE mortar and artillery attack were rushed to Ampaarai hospital and a further 7 were admitted at Mahoya. LTTE is yet to release details on the clashes in Kudumpimalai. 26 May 2007 TELO MP suggests Indian state system for Lanka. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said in Parliament on Tuesday that the establishment of separate states in India, based on linguistic identities, should be considered in resolving the national question here. TELO & TNA Jaffna district MP, N. Srikantha, said there were eight states for Hindi speaking people, who constitute over 40 percent of India’s population. He said the state of Kerala had been set apart for people who spoke Malayalam. The TELO MP said this arrangement should be considered thoroughly, when devolving power to the Northern and Eastern provinces, where Tamil speaking people have lived for centuries. Commenting on the Provincial Councils system, he said there was hardly any development activity taking place in their areas through this political system. “The Sinhalese are a minority in the north east. In the Eastern Province, only eight percent of the population was Sinhala. It has now increased to 25 percent due to various resettlement schemes”, he said. Devolution of powers must be prioritized over electoral reforms, irrevocable stand of Tamils--.Sampanthan R.Sampanthan, TNA Parliamentary Group Leader, told the Press that the stand point of the TNA in regard to electoral reforms is quite well known. The sovereignty must be devolved to the Tamil speaking areas so as to ensure the self rule. This has been irrevocable stand of the Tamil people since 1956. He warned that the TNA would oppose any moves to deprive the minority communities such as the plantation workers and the Tamil speaking people of their due representation in Parliament. TNA is prepared to work in collaboration with the other political parties who resist such moves. TNA will not tolerate if any injustice is perpetrated on the plantation workers and the Muslim minorities. Karuna group adopts terror tactics to suppress Tamils of the east (Asiantribune.com) Sivarasa Uthayakumar (19 years) from Araiyampathi, a former member of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal led by Colonel Karuna was shot dead yesterday in broad daylight in the Kaluwanchikudi market, Batticoloa, located in the east of Sri Lanka.Sivarasa Uthayakumar was a former militant cadre in the TMVP military wing. When TMVP split into two and factional fighting erupted in the first week of May, he left the outfit for good and was living with his parents at Ariyampathi.Yesterday he went to Kaluwanchikudi market to buy vegetables and other provisions for the family. In the market he was arrested by Veera, TMVP organizer for Kaluwanchikudi.Veera confronted Sivarasa Uthayakumar and shot and killed him in the broad daylight in the Government controlled area. After shooting the ex-militant cadre he dragged the dead body and handed over it to the Kaluwanchikudi hospital. Reports reveal that hundreds of people were there in the market witnessing this act of TMVP terror. Furthermore, Asian Tribune learnt that letters are sent by the political offices of the TMVP to all those who left the outfit after the split with former commander Pillaiyan urging them to return and join their respective arm units on or before 29 May. The letter also insists that in case the former TMVP cadre fails to turn up, parents should turn up and present themselves to the political offices for inquiry. If the cadres who had left fail to rejoin, then the family should provide another member of the family to the TMVP as a substitute, states the letter.“The irony is that the Tamil people, whether in the east or in the north, have no way of escaping the terrorist,” said a government official. “Also when one set of terrorist are chased out another set steps in to take over. Karuna group is now adopting Prabhakaran’s terror tactics. The Tamils abroad who pay for this terror must answer for these crimes,” he added. British MPs defend action on Lanka British Parliamentarian and ruling Labour party member Keith Vaz said yesterday it was disappointing that people concerned with the conflict in Sri Lanka were being smeared with various allegations by certain groups and media in Sri Lanka.In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror the British MP said the All Party Parliamentary Group, formed with the intention of getting the warring parties in Sri Lanka to reach a peaceful solution, condemned “without reservation” any and all human rights outrages and terrorist attacks by any group involved.“Neither I nor any other member of the Group has ever met members of the LTTE,” Mr. Vaz said in response to allegations that his prime motive was to mollycoddle the rebels.Following reports reaching Colombo on the formation of the British All Party Parliamentary Group headed by Mr. Vaz and moves to invite the government, the LTTE and Norway for a summit, various allegations began to surface against Mr. Vaz and the group. “It is disappointing that people concerned with the conflict are being smeared with such allegations. The All-Party Parliamentary Group calls for dialogue with a view to a peaceful settlement, and condemns without reservation any and all human right outrages and terrorist attacks by any group involved. This should not be a point of controversy,” Mr. Vaz asserted. The British MP stressed that the All-Party Group is united by the concerns of their constituents and a desire to see the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement observed by all sides in the conflict and added that the Parliamentary Group is in the initial stages of making formal approaches for the proposed summit in London. “The All-Party Parliamentary Group does not represent the views of the British Government. However it comprises many senior members of the major political parties in the House of Commons,” he added. Mr. Vaz represents the Leicester East constituency in Britain and became the first person of Indian origin in over 50 years to sit in the British House of Commons.Mr. Vaz was a former junior minister of the British foreign office. “Without peace or the hope of peace it is clear that the innocent people of Sri Lanka will continue to suffer, this is why the All-Party Group is in favor of dialogue being restarted,” the MP further added.Asked if there was enough international attention on the conflict in Sri Lanka Mr. Vaz said he would personally like to see more attention on the situation and added that the country should benefit from any assistance the international community can provide. Speaking at the House of Commons debate earlier this month Mr. Vaz sais that one of the bars to a proper solution to the problem in Sri Lanka is the ban that remains on the LTTE adding that lifting that ban will ensure that all parties could be part of a discussion to bring peace to the island. Sri Lanka President responds to Marxist leader’s racist remarks over Sri Lanka Telecom deal Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that the owner of the Malaysian company ready to purchase the stake of the Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) is a Tamil Buddhist and requested not to consider each and every Tamil as a terrorist. Marxist People’s Liberation Front (JVP) Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa recently said in the parliament selling stake of the SLT to a company belonged to a Tamil businessperson is a threat to national security. The President said that the government is not selling the government owned stake of the SLT and the government would not privatize any public enterprise. He said however that a cabinet committee has been appointed to probe the matter. The President expressed these ideas during a meeting with the trade union leaders. Who is winning Sri Lanka's war? - BBC A joke used to do the rounds in Colombo, during a previous phase of Sri Lanka's interminable civil war - that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers) must surely have already been wiped out entirely, given the numbers of rebels the military said it was killing.The casualty figures either side give out still diverge widely today. Sri Lanka's undeclared conflict is being fought not just at sea, on land and from the air, there's a parallel propaganda war too. Take the incident at Delft Island, off the government-held Jaffna peninsula, in the early hours of Thursday morning. A flotilla of Sea Tiger boats launched an attack on a navy base. According to the military they were repulsed, four rebel craft were destroyed, two more damaged. Eighteen Tigers were killed and four navy sailors lost their lives. The rebels' account of the same confrontation was completely different. They said they overran the base in 20 minutes of fierce fighting and held it for several hours. They said the Sea Tigers counted the bodies of 35 dead Sri Lankan sailors and they lost four of their own. "The problem for us is we really don't know what is going on there because these are areas that are inaccessible to civilians and the media," says Jehan Perera of the National Peace Council, a think-tank set up to support a negotiated settlement to the conflict. "Both sides are trying to show their constituencies, their people, that the war is going well. On the government side they are trying to convince people the military strategy is on course and that they should support the government. "For the LTTE it is to show the sacrifices of the Tamil people are worth it because they are inflicting so much damage on the other side." 'Upper hand' The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, set up to observe the ceasefire, has been repeatedly blocked by both sides from inspecting the aftermath of attacks. Certainly among many in the majority Sinhalese population in the south there is a perception that the government has had the upper hand in recent times against the Tigers, who want a homeland for the Tamil minority in the north and east of the island. During 2006 the rebels were driven from many areas they controlled in the east into landlocked jungle pockets. Since mid-January much of the fighting has shifted to the north - around the forward defence lines that mark the southern perimeter of a swathe of territory the Tigers still hold. Sri Lankan forces have been operating in small units trying to eliminate rebel positions. There have also been many air strikes on targets in Tiger areas and exchanges of artillery fire. 'Not losing' Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, the military spokesman of the Ministry of Defence, has said that nearly 550 rebels have been killed there in the last four months, compared to around 50 forces personnel. The Tigers say their losses are nearer 60. "They are lying," said Brig Samarasinghe. "They don't want to tell what is really happening, that they are losing ground, that they are losing the battle." Senior figures in the government have even spoken of defeating the rebels militarily within two to three years. But the Tigers insist that they are not losing. "If you take the east, it looks as if we are retreating but the commanders are still there, all the tools are still there and we are operating as we have done for the last 25 years," said the Tigers' military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiriyan. "True, populated areas have been denied to us but it doesn't mean we have vacated the East. When you compare, real estate is something else, and guarding it is something the Sri Lankan army will not be able to do." Strategic balance And the rebels still have the capacity to surprise. Analysts say the strategic balance was altered when they used air power for the first time, dropping bombs twice on targets around the capital and once on a military base in the north from modified propeller driven two-seater planes. "Although there has not been very much physical damage the political and economic damage has been high," says Iqbal Athas, Colombo correspondent of Jane's Defence Weekly. "The government has been forced to commit to enormous defence expenditure at a time when the economy is taking a beating. "The biggest question is whether the Sri Lankan economy can sustain the war effort for three years. They are buying it on credit, so we are fighting today and for generations to come we will have to be paying," Mr Athas says. As for the 2002 ceasefire, neither side has abandoned it formally, but with the renewed fighting on the ground it has become an irrelevance. And whatever the exact figures, no-one denies the numbers being killed are high. More than 4,600 people have died since December 2005, according to the Ministry of Defence. Sri Lanka's government and the Tamil Tigers are locked back into a conflict that both sides have been able to sustain for a generation, but neither has been able to win. Japan under pressure over Sri Lanka aid An international human rights group is lobbying Sri Lanka's top donor Japan to exert greater pressure on the island nation to address spiralling violence. But Tokyo said it has no plans for now to slash aid and follow the lead of Sri Lanka's former colonial ruler Britain and Germany, which have frozen debt relief due to rights concerns."It has dramatically worsened over the last year," Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch said of Sri Lanka's rights record, during a week-long mission to Tokyo for meeting with Japanese officials."I think in the month of March alone, 100,000 people were internally displaced."Japan is the single largest donor to Sri Lanka, providing 63 percent of the international aid to the island in 2003.Japan also organised a 2003 meeting that raised pledges of 4.5 billion dollars to rebuild Sri Lanka amid hopes then that the country could end three decades of ethnic bloodletting."Japan is obviously playing a very prominent role," Richardson said. "It's a lead donor, it's a coordinator of the donor consultation group.""What we have asked Japan to do is take advantage of this position and its considerable leverage to firmly, strongly and regularly remind not just the government but other players involved of the obligations that they have to protect the civilians and human rights in general." Japan said, however, it was not considering slashing aid."Japan is not planning to reconsider its aid to Sri Lanka," a foreign ministry official said.He said that Tokyo's peace envoy to Sri Lanka, former UN assistant secretary-general Yasushi Akashi, would return to the island on a new mission by early June.One-third of Japan's aid for Sri Lanka is used for building social infrastructure, particularly transportation facilities.More than 4,800 people have been killed in fighting since Norwegian-brokered peace talks collapsed in October 2005. The conflict which erupted in 1972 has claimed more than 60,000 lives.Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has shrugged off Britain's move and pledged that his government would not depend on aid. SLA imposes daytime curfew in Thenmaraadchchi Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High command at Palaali on its FM radio Friday announced that the night curfew from 8:00 p.m to 4:00 a.m will continue during the daytime Saturday in The:nmaraadchchi area, sources in Jaffna said. Residents in The:nmaraadchchi fear clashes on The:nmaraadchchi Front Defence Line (FDL) positions between SLA and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Other areas in Jaffna Peninsula will not have day-time curfew.The announcement did not say how long the extended curfew hours in The:nmaraadchchi will continue.Meanwhile, SLA imposed curfew on Delft following the attack on Sri Lanka Navy SLN base in Delft by Sea Tigers was lifted Friday, sources in the islet said. Citizenship for refugees can be referred to panel: Colombo While agreeing to consider the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna's demand to amend the citizenship laws for persons of Indian origin to enable `Ceylon Tamil refugees' now living in Tamil Nadu, the Sri Lankan Government on Friday said the subject could be referred to a select committee to rectify loopholes, if any, in the existing Act. Adjournment motion Minister Dharmadasa Banda made the announcement in Parliament responding to an adjournment motion moved by Ramalingam Chandrasekeran (JVP). "We believe [that] the Granting of Citizenship for citizens of Indian Origin Act No. 35 is sufficient. However, if some categories of people experienced difficulties in obtaining citizenship we are ready to amend the Act." The motion said that around 28,500 people, who are living in camps for Sri Lankan refugees, had not received citizenship though they were entitled to it. Requirement not met "In terms of provisions of the 2003 Act, children of people who have lived continuously after October 30, 1964 are entitled to Sri Lankan citizenship. But those who have had to live as refugees in Tamil Nadu owing to the situation in Sri Lanka after 1983 have not been able to meet this requirement. As a result of this, about 28,500 have not received citizenship," the motion said. Mr. Chandrasekaran and another JVP Parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake were in India from May 7 to 13 to take part in a summit held by the Democratic Youth Federation of India, youth organisation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Amendment proposal At the invitation of OfERR, an organisation of Sri Lanka refugees, headed by S.C. Chandrahasan, the JVP Parliamentarians visited the Sri Lankan refugee camps. On their return, they made a proposal for amendment to the 2003 Citizenship Act. Disadvantages Mr. Chandrahasan told The Hindu over telephone that while preparing for the return of the refuges OfERR realised that 28,500 `Ceylon Tamil refugees' in Tamil Nadu would suffer tremendous disadvantages unless they were in possession of the Certificate of Citizenship issued under Sec. 4(2) of the Grant of Citizenship to Persons of Indian Origin Act No. 35 of 2003 confirming their Ceylon citizenship. Under Sec. 2 of the Act, "Any person of Indian origin, who on the date of coming into operation of this Act, (a) Has been a permanent resident of Sri Lanka since October 30, 1964 or (b) Is a descendent resident in Sri Lanka of a person who has been a permanent resident of Sri Lanka since October 30, 1964, shall be granted the status of citizen of Sri Lanka, with effect from such date and be entitled, in like manner and to the same extent, to all the rights and privileges to which a citizen of Sri Lanka is entitled to, by law." He said that most of the `Ceylon Tamil refugees' fled the island in 1990. Since then, the refugees referred to in the Act as "persons of Indian origin" had been accommodated in the camps run by the Government in Tamil Nadu. `Stateless' citizenship "During the course of our work among the refugees we came to know that quite a number of people among the refugees were hill country Tamils falling into the category of `stateless' citizenship," said Mr. Chandrahasan, whose organisation conducted a survey. Letter to President Based on the survey, a letter was sent to the President of Sri Lanka in July 2004, seeking steps to ensure that they were accepted as citizens. This was brought to the notice of the Tamil Nadu Government and the Government of India as well. Law Commission visit Further when Lakshman Marasinghe, Chairman, Law Commission of Sri Lanka, visited the refugees, his help was sought and the Law Commission prepared an amendment to Act No.35 of 2003 to meet the aspirations of the `Ceylon Tamil refugees' in Tamil Nadu. 1st explosion in Colombo using a remote control & LTTE's IT knowledge A high ranking security forces personnel who explains yesterday's bombings on Reclamation road said, yesterday's blast is the first to be detonated using a remote control in Colombo.The security forces personnel who did not want his name published said the remote control technology is now being used very often by Garilla groups in Iraq and it was the 1st time used by the LTTE to detonate the bomb through a remote despite possessing that technology since a long time.He said the IC attached to the bomb is sent an Infored wave through a similar sort of an IC, possibly using a mobile phone or a GPS communication device.Recently 11,000 IC's and 487 GPS communication devices were seized by troops when they were about to be handed over to the LTTE.Our source however said that military Intelligence units should be now closely watching whether the LTTE will move onto utilize the high IT knowledge explored by India in the recent times. Nagulan among tigers killed in Eravur A top LTTE leader, who led the Tigers elite force – Charles Anthony Unit in the East, was among the dead during the fighting between military and the Tigers few days ago in Eravur; while in latest clashes in Vavuniya at least twelve Tigers were killed, the military said.Military sources said that a major fight erupted early this week in Kaluwankerni, after the military found a group of LTTE men hiding in a house. Later the military found at least six bodies of Tigers including the leader ‘Nagulan’, who had been called to the area to carry out attacks against Karuna cadre and the military.It reported that LTTE Leader Prabhakaran had sent a group of cadres of the Charles Anthony Brigade with Nagulan to the East a few weeks ago.Meanwhile, at least twelve LTTE cadres were killed in two separate incidents during the last 36 hours in clashes North West of Omanthai, ahead of the Vavuniya – Mannar Forward defence lines. Initially ten LTTE cadres were killed in an assault launched by the Army and subsequently two more Tiger cadres were killed in a separate incident. In another development, intercepted LTTE communication revealed that the LTTE had admitted the death of 18 Sea Tigers in Thursday’s pre dawn sea battle to breach the Delft Island defences. Tiger communication also revealed the names of seven Sea Tigers killed in the confrontation including senior leaders. Navy said that Sea Tiger attempts to breach naval defences of the Delft Island was successfully repulsed. The Navy with the help of the Air Force destroyed four LTTE boats and disabled another two, it said. British HC will meet Buddhist Organisation The British High Commission will meet the Federation of Buddhist Organisation (FBO) early next month, British High Commissioner Dominick Chilcott told The Daily Mirror in response to allegations by the FBO that the High Commissioner had turned down a request for a meeting."As for the Federation of Buddhist Organisation, we have arranged to have a meeting with them on June 4, which is the earliest date suitable to both of us. The High Commission will be represented by staff from our political and development section, the same level as on the previous occasion when we met the organization," the High Commissioner said. The British High Commissioner noted that the release by the FBO, published in the Daily Mirror on Thursday, unwittingly misled readers into thinking that the British High Commission is opposed to contact with this or other Buddhist groups. “Actually, the reverse is true. We are very keen to establish an appropriate dialogue with Buddhist organisations. I was very glad to be able to accompany the Archbishop of Canterbury recently on his calls on the Mahanayakes of Malwatte and Asgiriya in Kandy,” the High Commissioner said. Bilateral Donor Group to assess Kilinochchi humanitarian situation Technical humanitarian officers of the Bilateral Donor Group were scheduled to visit the Kilinochchi district yesterday to assess the humanitarian situation there.“The agenda will address only humanitarian assistance issues, including visits to projects from various implementing agencies, meetings with humanitarian actors and discussions of humanitarian issues with communities,” a European Commission Delegation statement said yesterday.It also said that during past months the Bilateral Donor Group visited all districts in the North East to assess the ongoing humanitarian assistance projects as well as the overall humanitarian situation. In order to obtain a full picture of the situation, technical representatives will now also visit and assess the humanitarian situation in the Vanni.The statement also said that officers from the Swiss Development Cooperation agency (SDC), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) were to visit Kilinochchi district yesterday.As with previous visits to other districts, a summary report of the findings will be drafted and presented to the government and stakeholders, it added. Unitary constitution for ensuring Sinhala supremacy?By Dr. S. Narapalasingam The set of SLFP proposals for resolving the prolonged ethnic conflict through constitutional reform announced by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on April 30 has been amended subsequently to make the unitary feature unambiguous. The amendment followed the criticism by the ultra Sinhala nationalist parties, especially the JVP and JHU that the proposals contradicted the promise given to the voters at the November 2005 Presidential election via the ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’ manifesto. After 50 years of troubles with the unitary structure, the belief unitary system is crucial for the survival of the Sinhala-Buddhist nation has not changed. To some ultra nationalists the proposals implied a federal structure, while another group complained these would lead to the emergence of an independent Tamil state in the North-East! This phobia is nothing new. It has been displayed instantly, whenever any devolution of powers beneficial to the ethnic minority is mooted. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution enabled the setting up of Provincial Councils with very limited powers. The PC system was opposed violently by the JVP at the beginning for the same reason. Had there been no Tamil majority province, no group would have opposed it. The SLFP too opposed the setting up of Provincial Councils for nationalistic and political reasons. Later both the JVP and SLFP changed their stances and accepted the PC system. Some Provincial Councils are now under their control. Emphasis on unitary The SLFP Executive Committee on May 14 unanimously endorsed the revised version of the party’s proposals which states, “Sri Lanka is a free, sovereign, independent, unitary State.” The word ‘unitary’ has taken precedence over ‘united’ and all reasonable persons know unity has not been achieved through the adoption of the unitary system. Only destruction, division, deprivation of human rights and prosperity and desolation ensued. UNP Reformists’ Group leader, Karu Jayasuriya while submitting the group’s devolution proposals rightly said - “since 1948 Sri Lanka had been stagnating politically, economically, culturally and socially. Paying lip service to national issues, the then rulers had driven the country backward”. Well said; the dilemma here lies in taking boldly the remedial moves against the forces hindering change. The proposals also restate that Buddhism would be given the “foremost” place and its interests advanced and the Buddha Sasana would be protected. A pertinent question that one may justly ask is: From where the threat to the Buddha Sasana is coming or expected? The Jathika Hela Urumaya in a statement signed by the party’s General Secretary Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera thanked the President for amending the SLFP proposals to uphold country’s unitary status and pride of place to Buddhism in keeping with the mandate he received in November 2005. The statement said that this amenability proved that he is a true leader, who honoured the people’s mandate. This, no doubt, is what President Mahinda Rajapaksa wanted to boost up his popularity amongst the Sinhala nationalists. But, the Patriotic National Movement’s (PNM) Co-president, Wimal Weerawansa who is also the JVP parliamentary group leader told a media conference May 17 that the SLFP proposal was “akin to an egg with nothing inside”. Another PNM Co-president Gunadasa Amarasekara said Mahinda Rajapakse’s Government was beginning to toe the line of the foreign powers. He said: the to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) Chairman, “Tissa Vithrana’s proposals will conform to an international agenda to divide the country. This is a dangerous situation. We must vehemently oppose that move.” PNM leaders were also upset the President had told a delegation of Tamil leaders committed to democracy, pluralism, unity and one unified Country that SLFP would agree with the APRC’s decision. This approach appeasing all sides while hoping somehow the present structure will remain basically unchanged is to say the least dodgy. The country may end in a bigger mess than she is now, because of the tardiness of the leadership. Circumstances under which the B-C pact was torn up five decades ago are well known and the same forces are now openly and more forcefully ready to kill any sensible move to start building a politically stable and economically strong multi-ethnic nation. Undivided Sinhala-Buddhist nation The view that Sri Lanka is a Sinhala-Buddhist nation and it has to be protected against a potential threat seems to have influenced the minds of the authors as well as the backers of the SLFP proposals. In their view, the Tamils need to be kept powerless and under control for safeguarding Sinhala supremacy. The proposals have no relevance to the ethnic problem or stated more aptly the ethnic majority-minority division in politics that has deprived peace and prosperity to the majority of the citizens. It was also said to be a ‘national problem’ and if this refers to the Sinhala Nation, then the approach implied in the SLFP proposals is logical. Peace too seems to be viewed from this ‘national’ perspective; that is on the terms set by the nationalists. The LTTE too continue to state they are for peace and not war. Like the Sinhala nationalists, the peace they are seeking is on their terms. During the brief respite immediately after the 2002 truce, many believed both sides were negotiating for permanent peace. But the fact is they were seeking peace by other means, not through permanent cessation of hostilities followed by constitutional settlement and importantly truth and reconciliation. The Sinhala nationalists do not want to admit that the country is already divided along ethnic lines as a result of the divisive policies of past governments. Destructive party politics which has also been the bane of the country continues to play a crucial role in winning strategic points to the rivals at the cost of depriving the country stability and progress in virtually all fields. Politics and religion should be kept apart otherwise there is always a danger to peace in a pluralistic society. A rational set of proposals for national unity and lasting peace should focus not on preserving Sinhala –Buddhist hegemony and preventing the ultimate division of the Nation but on building trust and shared identity which require fundamental changes to the system that brought the country to the current gloomy state of despair and uncertainty. This is more strikingly evident now than ever before. The Asian Human Rights Commission in a statement issued on May 22 said: “Sri Lanka is facing lawlessness of epidemic proportions. Such lawlessness is manifested by the ongoing abductions and forced disappearances, the spate of crime in all areas of life”. Besides, the skyrocketed cost of living, the widespread fear psychosis and impending economic recession, evident from the high spending on defence, high debt servicing obligations, sharp drop in tourist arrivals and reduced foreign capital inflows (except private remittances) add to the dreariness. As JVP has been shouting, undeterred corruption in the public sector (one positive action of the radicals from a true national perspective) is also alarming. Government can go for printing the required Rupees and increase money supply but this will not help to increase domestic production or imports. Recently, the Nobel Laureate Professor Amartya Sen remarked - Sri Lanka successfully implemented a number of welfare programmes such as free education, free health etc., to its people which should have contributed to country-wide peace. But, by taking a position of upholding exclusive status to the Sinhalese majority and Buddhism, it isolated other sections of the society from having a sense of national identity. Prof. Sen, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1998 for his work in welfare economics, delivered the Spring Lecture on Poverty, War and Peace, at the Nobel Institute, Oslo, on 21 May 2007. He has correctly identified the root cause of Sri Lanka’s economic stagnation and social unrest. Sinhala political class The Sinhala political class has emerged as a privilege group by manipulating the unitary constitution, while the ethnic minorities remain marginalized. The manipulations have enabled the politicians to cast their views as public opinion without wide discourse and ignoring the opinions of the few concerned citizens expressed in nongovernmental daily and weekly journals. Recent move to prevent the media expressing views on important matters or events critical of the government’s actions or inaction has been condemned by foreign governments and local and foreign organizations committed to media freedom. The Sinhala majority rule established under the masquerade of the unitary system has done more harm than good for the majority of the people and the country as a whole. The problem is not in the concept per se but its exploitation by the political parties to serve their narrow interests. They have also been seeking popular support from the Sinhala electorate in various ways and some negatively at the cost of denying equal rights to the minorities and neglecting their concerns and aspirations. What Sri Lanka has been experiencing as a result of the unitary system is political crisis with many facets; the ethnic conflict is just one of them. Any manipulation of the unitary constitution without equitable power- sharing arrangement among the different ethnic communities will not lead to the resolution of the ‘National Question’ on which depend unity, political stability, durable peace and sustained economic growth and development. Besides the perks and enrichment opportunities, the cost of providing security to present and past members is now a sizeable drain on the public finances. It is the very weakness in the present political system that has also led to the formation of the oversize Council of ministers (some non-cabinet members) to administer the relatively very small country. Prof. Vitharana’s challenging task The APRC was set up by the President to evolve a consensus-based devolution system for Sri Lanka. The Chairman of the APRC and cabinet minister, Prof Tissa Vitharana, announced earlier that his set of proposals fusing the recommendations in the majority and minority reports of the Experts Panel (also set up by the President) would be the basic document for discussion. He said on May 18 that this document could be subjected to amendments and alterations during the deliberations of the Committee. Apparently, this was to avoid wasting time by discussing the diverse sets of proposals of each and every party in minute detail and this had been agreed earlier by the Committee. However with fundamentally contradictory proposals submitted by SLFP, it remains to be seen how a ‘consensus-based’ set of proposals acceptable to both the realists and zealous patriots of the Sinhala nation could emerge through Prof. Vitharana’s sensible approach. US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia, Richard Boucher who visited Sri Lanka May 8-10 is also reported to have told the Government that “the US believes the ‘talks’ should be based on the proposals submitted by the APRC chairman Prof. Tissa Vitharana”. At the end of his 3-day visit, he said - “it is important the Tamil minority got a place in Sri Lanka where they could run their own affairs”. It should be noted that he did not say this has to be via a separate state or under the authoritarian rule of the LTTE. He also reiterated that the US still regards the LTTE as a ‘terrorist’ outfit. It is unfortunate at this critical time this ‘label’ hangs on.Any difficult suggestion or punitive action that hurts the interests of the ruling party and its leader is dismissed by the ‘patriots’ as unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of sovereign Sri Lanka. Recently the Head of State responded defiantly to the curtailment of promised aid relief by the UK government. He announced at a meeting with Editors and senior editorial staff of the print and electronic media May 16 that the Government will finance the post-Tsunami rehabilitation programmes with own resources. Germany and the US had also shown their discontent by curtailing some aid. He told the gathering that “his Administration could do without foreign aid. If we are offered ‘genuine aid’ we will take it; if not we will forget about aid and do our job. We will not be dependent on aid.” He added: “We will use our own money. We cannot wait for assistance from any sources to carry out our responsibilities.” Such impulsive reactions ignoring the ground realities could have far-reaching consequences detrimental to the welfare of the people and the country. The relevance of this rhetoric to the present analysis is in the short-sighted views taken on the country’s complex problems. The continued attachment to the unitary structure also ignores realities and the wide and long-term perspectives. Attitude before and after independence Sarath de Alwis in the May 16 ‘Morning Leader’ has given an illuminating account of the feelings of the erstwhile Ceylon National Congress leaders on the citizenry. His observations are based on the Documents of The Ceylon National Congress and National Politics in Ceylon 1929-1950 published in four volumes by the Department of National Archives. The following excerpts from the relevant motions of the Ceylon National congress reflect the noble aim of establishing united sovereign Nation on the basis of “equality of all nationalities and of common interest, goodwill and trust”. Pieter Keuneman’s draft motion (November 1944) regarding a federal constitution, inter alia, stated: “The Congress recognises that a free Ceylon can only be built on the secure basis of independence from foreign rule, of equality of nationalities and of common interest, goodwill and trust. As the most economically developed areas in Ceylon are in the main located in the traditional homelands of only one nationality — the Sinhalese people — and as the entire people of Ceylon have contributed and will continue to contribute towards the development of the country, the Congress decrees that it is in the interests of all nationalities and minorities that a free Ceylon should be a united Ceylon. At the same time, the congress recognises the democratic principle that the people of any nationality — for instance the Tamil people — who have a contiguous territory to which it is attached by historical tradition, its own language, culture, psychological make — up and common economic life, should have in a free and united Ceylon the right to unfettered self determination on its own territory, including the right to political secession. The Congress further declares that, in the common and separate interests of the people, the future free Ceylon will have a united Democratic Republic of autonomous national regions, such autonomous national regions will not, of course, correspond to the present provinces but should be delimited so that a predominant majority of people of any particular nationality are included in a contiguous territory”. Furthermore, the motion stated: “ …in such a free, united and democratic Ceylon: (a) the rights of interspersed minorities in the autonomous national regions regarding their language, culture, education, schools, and freedom of religious freedom of religious worship will be guaranteed by statute. Similarly, all privileges and discrimination based on caste, race or community will be abolished by statute and any infringement of the above will be made a penal offence. (b) those Indians now in Ceylon, who are prepared to adopt Ceylon as their permanent home will be given full citizenship rights. Ceylon will, of course, have the right to control further immigration according to her own national interests” One of his close associates at that time was Mr.A.Vaidialingam. This motion was withdrawn by Peter Keuneman on 2nd December 1944, when the All Ceylon National Congress Committee adopted an amended resolution. The following are excerpts from the approved resolution. - the Congress cannot think in terms of winning freedom without dispelling from the minds of the minorities the fear that the Sinhala people will use their predominant majority against the democratic rights and national existence of the minorities. - the Congress recognises that a free Ceylon can only be built on the secure basis of independence from foreign rule, of equality of nationalities, and of common interest, good will and trust. - the Congress further declares that in such a free, united and democratic Ceylon (a) the right of minorities regarding culture, education, schools and freedom of religious worship will be guaranteed by statute. Similarly, all privileges and discriminations based on caste, race or community will be abolished by statute and any infringement of the above will be made a penal offence. (b) Those Indians and Nationals of other countries in Ceylon who are prepared to adopt Ceylon as their permanent home and give proof of such intention will be given full citizenship rights. As stated by Sarath de Alwis, the above expressions “reflect the degree of understanding of the majority community leaders of the concerns of all minorities” whose prime concern then was gaining independence from the British colonial government. They declared, the creed of Congress was ‘free Ceylon’. The impression, once the powers are transferred to the natives, they will amicably sort out all problems relating to governance was given to the members of the Soulbury Commission. The first blow soon after independence was on the Up-country Tamils or as commonly called then ‘Indian Tamils’. The Ceylon Citizenship Act No. 18 of 1948, the same year Ceylon gained independence deprived many in this minority community their citizenship and voting rights. By 1964 there were nearly a million ‘stateless’ persons. Out of the total 95 seats in the first Parliament, there were 7 Ceylon Indian Congress MPs and in the second (1952) Parliament there was none representing the Up-country Tamils. S. J. V. Chelvanayagam foresaw the blows to come on the indigenous Tamil speaking minority and left the Tamil Congress led by G. G. Ponnambalam, who was a government minister then and formed the Federal Party (Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kachchi). The Tamil people rejected federalism (self-rule) and remained loyal to the unitary constitution, until they received the next blow by way of the Sinhala Only Act in 1956. There have been other punches not through the enactment of special legislations but by administrative means. Thus, the ‘Tamil Eelam’ concept was thrust on the Tamils by the Sinhala polity. Equally, the LTTE too is their baby. Reverting to the pre-independence era, the undertaking to give due consideration to the concerns, interests, rights and aspirations of the minorities in exercising the self-ruling powers was brashly dumped after independence. Having experienced deception, utter disappointment and anguish because of the discriminatory ways the minorities were treated contrary to the hopes given earlier, the options available now are: “Assimilation, integration, separation., or as some suggest total destruction of the enemy.” If integration is the preferred or rather feasible option, it is “possible if, an honest effort is made by all parties concerned and the issues are addressed avoiding manipulative politics and the irresistible instinct for spin”. One way to integration is through a federal constitution or adequate devolution of powers. The SLFP proposals have dodged the very issues that should be addressed directly to rectify the acts of omission and commission that have driven the country to be at war with itself. The proposals do not even come close to the system of Provincial Councils introduced under the 13th Amendment. The moderate Tamils are now seeking integration via the principles and proposals contained in Pieter Keuneman’s November 1944 original draft resolution. Devolution and decentralization The distinction between devolution and decentralization lies principally on the extent and kind of control the central authority has over the regional and local authorities after the transfer of some powers. Decentralization is essentially dispersion or distribution of certain specified functions and powers to subsidiary bodies. These generally relate to administrative matters and by-laws to regulate their affairs. For example, the Municipal Councils perform certain functions for the good of the residents with restricted powers. The State controls the subsidiaries in various ways – legally, administratively and financially. If there are many units at the second tier or level to perform the functions locally, then it is decentralization and not devolution of powers in the sense of home-rule or self-government. In general, devolution is applicable when locally elected quasi-autonomous bodies under the overall governing structure of the State raise their own revenues for current spending including education, health, transport and other public services and the maintenance of related infrastructures as well as have the authority to make investment decisions independently. Some will have legislative and judicial powers. Fiscal devolution is also vital for effective self-rule. All these need not necessarily be under a typical federal system. The independence of sub-national governments under federal systems is guaranteed in their national constitutions. In the United States, devolution has been linked to ‘Home Rule’. Specific character of ‘home rule’ varies from state to state. 37 states provide for structural ‘home rule’, permitting communities to incorporate and create local governments, while 31 allow functional ‘home rule’, in which city or county governments may exercise power in such areas as public works, social services and economic development. Asymmetric devolution which some consider as appropriate for Sri Lanka is also functioning in the UK, which is neither a federal nor a unitary State. Scotland has the most power followed by Northern Ireland, Wales and London. Devolution in the UK is regarded as the transfer of Whitehall powers in some definite areas but not all, for example, defence. Scotland even has own Parliament, currency and laws. In any ethnically and territorially diverse countries, extensive devolution enables the local communities in the different regions to make decisions according to their own needs and aspirations and seek suitable solutions to their problems independently. There is definitely a case for asymmetric devolution in Sri Lanka, given the nature of the problems created by the leaders exploiting the unitary system of government for strengthening and sustaining Sinhala majority rule. The SLFP proposals seek to achieve the same. Without the devolution of adequate legislative, executive and judicial powers, the root causes of the ethnic problem that has escalated to a costly war for the division of the island cannot be removed. With district as the unit of devolution only very limited powers can be transferred and this will not be sufficiently effective to meet the need. The ability to function effectively depends among other factors, crucially on the availability of funds. At present the Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils is responsible for the appropriation of funds allocated in the government budget for PCs. This arrangement also enables the government to maintain control over the PCs. It is inconceivable a small financially and economically dependent island such as Sri Lanka to have 30 ‘self-governing’ districts. If asymmetric devolution is not possible for whatever reason (some may consider this to be akin to confederation), then for symmetrical devolution the unit of devolution has to be even larger than the existing provinces. Actually, there is no vigorous demand for maximum devolution outside the North-East. The PC system was introduced nationwide to avoid dispensation exclusively to the North-East and the consequential anger and upheaval in the South. Unit of devolution The Sinhalese legal luminaries and political pundits wanting districts instead of provinces as agreed with India in 1987 for devolving powers are conveniently forgetting the violence, denial of equal rights and opportunities, non-implementation of legislative Acts and declared government policies meant to solve the problems faced by the Tamil speaking people and their feelings of insecurity, humiliation and hopelessness endured under the unitary system which entrenched firmly the Sinhala majority rule. They have put forward arguments which are sensible in theory, ignoring the ground realities. The Swarajya Movement in the statement on the SLFP Proposals has welcomed the Grama Rajyas (Village Councils) “as a basic level of devolved power”. The reason given is that politicians cause divisions to the detriment of village peace and unity by demanding party affiliations. “People’s interests like Women, Youth, Food Production, Services and Heritage will be well served by Peoples Councils with representatives “elected without political party patronage to advance the respective interests agreed as priorities with the village people”. There is no doubt this will also serve to make democracy more meaningful. But the problem facing the people, particularly the ethnic minorities is not at the village level. The Grama Rajyas can be set up by reforming the existing system of local government. For these to be effective as desired, appropriate allocations of responsibilities, functions and finances are needed. The notion that power should emanate from the bottom to the top, instead of the other way, is also sound in theory on the presumption that the Society is one communion sharing common interests, concerns and aspirations. Unfortunately, this is not the case now for the reasons already stated. Recently, many harsh decisions have been justified on the grounds of national security. Security is, no doubt, vital for the survival of a nation. The distressed Tamils and Muslims are also concerned about their collective security. It is here the North-East region, where the Tamil speaking people have lived for centuries observing their traditional values and customs becomes important to them. The concerns of the Muslims in the East are understandable in the light of the ghastly inhuman acts carried out in the name of ‘liberation of Tamils’. The long-term security and future of the Tamil speaking people depends on a new overall structure for the island-nation that enables them to manage their affairs independently in their traditional habitat. This also seems to be the considered view of the international community, which has received further justification as a result of the recent happenings on several fronts [The writer is Former Additional Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, Sri Lanka and UN Advisor, Development Economics/Planning] 25 May 2007 Norway analyses what went wrong in Lanka Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has said there are examples of common European Union positions making it difficult or impossible for individual EU member states to contribute to peace processes and one such example is what happened in Sri Lanka when the EU chose to put the LTTE on its list of terrorist organisations.Speaking at the annual Europe Conference in Oslo this week the Foreign Minister said that as a consequence of the EU move the LTTE withdrew its security guarantee for EU nationals in the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, and consequently, Sweden, Denmark and Finland had to pull out their monitors.“If we had done the same, there would be nobody left,” the minister said.“In general, one could argue that Norway, being outside the process of shaping and deciding on the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), is able to engage with the degree of flexible diplomacy that peace processes often demand,” he said.The Foreign Minister, however, said the EU and individual member states have played important roles in a number of processes around the world and added that it was the rule rather than the exception that Norwegian efforts were made in cooperation with the EU and its member states. “For example, the EU, represented by Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, is a member of the co-chairs group, and thus our partner in Sri Lanka,” he said. DPU Claymore attack kills 2 civilians in Vavuniyaa An Internally Displaced woman and her brother were killed on the spot Thursday morning when a Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) triggered a Claymore mine targeting their motorbike near Kugnchukku'lam in Vavuniyaa (Vavu:niyaa) - Mannaar (Ma:n:naar) border, according to Tamileelam Police officials in Liberation Tigers controlled Vavu:niyaa North. The two members of the same family were on their way from Naddangka'ndal to Kungnchukku'lam to check their vacated house. The victims were identified as Nathiya Selvarajah, 22, and her 24-year-old brother, Kobi Selvarajah. The Claymore attack took place at 9:30 a.m. US reiterates appeal for political solution to Sri Lanka conflict The Bush administration has described as unfortunate the ongoing violence in Sri Lanka, urging both sides to find a political solution to this conflict.''Certainly, we think that the Sri Lankan people deserve an opportunity to live in a peaceful, democratic country and one that is not subject to the kinds of activities that we've seen,'' said State Department's Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey.He was commenting on yesterday's violence at a naval base of the island nation where the rebels claimed to have killed 35 sailors but Sri Lanka's military says fewer than 10 were killed.Casey said Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Richard Boucher was just there early this month and and he did talk with government officials and a wide variety of civil society representatives and urged them to develop the kinds of power-sharing proposals that would allow them to move the peace process forward.He said, ''We're going to keep working with Sri Lanka Government officials as well as the Norwegians and the other co-chair partners to encourage a peaceful resolution to this conflict.'' He said the situation there was difficult. ''But, the parties have an obligation to the Sri Lankan people to be able to come together, develop a power-sharing arrangement that can gain the support of the majority of the population and be able to put this issue to rest.'' In reply to a question, Casey said, ''I'm certainly not aware though of any request for military intervention or the creation of some kind of peacekeeping force or anything like that though.'' Three home guards killed Three home guards were killed when a bunker in which they were on guard duty was attacked at Theeruwagama in Vavuniya early yesterday.According to the Vavuniya Police, a group of LTTE cadres had opened fire at the home guards. The bunker was intended to provide security to Theeruwagama village.The dead have been identified as Thisarananda (C 23309), Sugatharatne (C 23182) and Jayaratne (C 22461)In a similar attack on a bunker at Thiruwagama last year, one home guard was killed. India deploys six war ships to strengthen security cover the wake of rising threats by LTTE in Indian Ocean, India has deployed six war ships to strengthen security cover in its coastal areas. Media reports quoting naval authorities said the step has been taken due to the recent incidents in Indian coastal areas including aerial assaults by LTTE in Sri Lanka, killing of five Indian fishermen by Sea Tigers and sinking of a trawler by the Maldivian Naval authorities while it was transporting arms for the LTTE. The warships have been deployed in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Strait and Palk Bay. The Indian Navy's Khukri class (K class) ship, which is equipped with surface-to-surface missile had been pressed into action in the Gulf of Mannar and another was moving towards Palk Bay and Palk Strait, the report said. Pawar calls on Rajapaksa Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday called on Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa and exchanged views on bilateral relations and the security scenario in the island nation. Earlier, Mr. Pawar met Maithripala Sirisena, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Mahaweli Development and pledged Indian support for enhancement of capacity-building, training programmes and exchange of germ plasmas and scientific literature. New Delhi also agreed to raise the present quota of 40 scholarships to Sri Lankans wanting to pursue post-graduation and doctorates in India. Mr. Pawar is scheduled to call on Mr. Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Friday for an exchange of views on the current situation in Sri Lanka, particularly in the light of the aerial raids by the Tamil Tigers and the ongoing debate for political resolution of the ethnic conflict. Mr. Pawar's official agenda is confined to agriculture and related fields. But given his seniority in the UPA Government and the volatile situation in the island nation, particularly in the backdrop of the strain in the recent weeks in Indo-Sri Lanka relations, the visit acquires importance. Colombo is upset about the inefficacy of the India-gifted air defence radars. Official circles have hinted that New Delhi pressured Colombo to opt for the two-dimensional radars instead of the three-dimensional units from China. According to diplomatic circles, the matter has now been sorted out and both Governments are working together to strengthen Sri Lanka's air defence mechanism. Colombo has also been agitated over Defence Minister A.K. Antony's recent statement in Parliament that 77 Indian fishermen were killed by the Sri Lanka Navy from 1991 to mid-2007. After giving 48 hours to India to clarify the statement, Sri Lanka issued a statement questioning Mr. Antony's claim. These subjects and the recent proposals put forth by the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party for resolution of the ethnic strife could figure informally during the course of his interaction with his interlocutors here. Home Guard kills wife and three others A home guard in Rambakenwewa in Kebitigollawa shot dead his wife, sister in law, mother in law and a neighbour around 5.30 am on Thursday. The son of the sister in law was seriously injured and is hospitalized .The home guard escaped, Police said.The suspect identified as Ranaweera, was married to Sunethra and she was in the habit of going to her mother’s house after quarrelling with the husband. The husband was suspicious that his wife had affairs with other men in the village. The neighbour who was also killed, had gone to the scene out of curiosity when an argument erupted between Ranaweera and his wife prior to the shooting.The dead have been identified as Sunethra, Anoma, Wimalawathi and the neighbour Suraweera million from UK to help IDPs and aid workers in Sri Lanka The British government will give £1 million to help over 300,000 internally displaced Sri Lankans and aid workers working in the North and East, Gareth Thomas, the Minister for International Development, announced today. In a press release issued by the Department for International Development of the UK the Minister said some of the funds will also be used to help improve security conditions for the aid workers particularly those working in the North and East of Sri Lanka where fighting is fiercest.The Minister assured that the UK will continue to work with others to make life more bearable for the victims of conflict and urged all sides to end the violence and honor the ceasefire agreement. “All sides must put an end to the violence and breathe life back into the 2002 peace agreement before more lives are lost. The UK continues to work with others to make life more bearable, but people will only feel safe to return to their homes when dialogue replaces gunfire,” he said.Several agencies including the Red Cross and the UN will share the funds to provide clean water, tents and support the work of health centres. Over the last 12 months the UK has provided more than £9 million in emergency aid for Sri Lanka through the European Commission. The UK has also provided £1 million through the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, which provides aid for humanitarian emergencies, the release said. British HC will not meet Buddhist federation The British High Commissioner had refused to have meetings with the Federation of Buddhist Organizations (FBO), the organization said in a media release.According to the statement, Katherine Thomas, the PA to the High Commissioner, had conveyed the message over the phone to the Secretary of the FBO at Battaramulla, and also sent a fax to say that the High Commissioner would not be able to have a meeting with the FBO on this particular occasion. “This is surprising, and shows only his inability to face the Civil Society groups of this country. The FBO in its letter seeking an early meeting clearly said that it is deeply concerned about actions taken by the British Government as well as the British High Commissioner himself recently in relation to the Terrorist problem, and that they are enormously damaging to the Sri Lanka UK relations.”The Federation of Buddhist Organization says it is compelled by the activities of the British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka to take the matter to the people and convince the people that it is the British government which is the greatest obstacle to peace in Sri Lanka. LTTE planning massive onslaught to take over Jaffna: Brig. Munasinghe UNP Polgahawela Organizer and Former Military Spokesman Brig. Sarath Munasinghe said yesterday that the LTTE is planning a massive onslaught to take over Jaffna. He said the LTTE launching an attack on the Delft Island was the first phase of it. Brig. Munasinghe explained that attacking Palaly base will be a key part of LTTE strategy and there is a likelihood of LTTE launching an Air attack. He warned that they would launch an air attack in Colombo simultaneously to divert attention. In addition he said the Tigers could also fire artillery from their Pooneryn Base at the same time.. The Former Military Spokesman also pointed out that the government should make sure that East is secured in the event reinforcements are sent from East. “If not the operation that is being carried out in the East to flush out the LTTE would be of no use,” he said. He further said the Military authorities should make a statement giving an assurance that East will be secured when LTTE attacks East. He went on to explain that the East was fully secured in 1992 but it had to be sacrificed as a result of the operation started in the North by Former Deputy Defence Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte in 1996. Brig. Munasinghe refuted the claims made by the government that the East is safe. “There is no area which can be called safe when there is a terrorist group functioning in the country,” he pointed out. He said yesterday’s bomb attack in Colombo proved this point. 24 May 2007 Sri Lanka rebels attack navy; bus blast in capital Tamil Tiger boats attacked and infiltrated a Sri Lankan naval base off the island's far north on Thursday, killing several sailors, while a rebel roadside bomb targeted an army bus near Colombo port wounding seven, the military said.The Tigers claimed they killed 35 sailors during the predawn raid on an island off the army-held northern Jaffna peninsula, but the military dismissed it as propaganda and said less than 10 sailors died in the attack."The Tigers have attacked a small naval detachment on Delft island in Jaffna. Less than 10 sailors are dead," said military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe. "We didn't even have 35 people there. That's totally false propaganda."In a separate incident, bomb squad officials said a parked motorbike packed with explosives detonated as an army bus drove past near the gate to Sri Lanka's main port in the capital, blowing out the windows of the military vehicle.However they said they did not believe it was a suicide attack, as military officials initially reported.A Reuters witness at the scene saw two charred motorbikes on the ground near the bus, but said the bus appeared to be intact. He said he could see blood on the floor of the bus. Hospital officials said seven people, including four military personnel, were wounded in the blast, but said no-one was killed. Two of the wounded were in a serious condition.The Tigers said they had no involvement in the blast, which bore the hallmarks of a series of attacks on the military in recent months that analysts say the rebels were definitely behind. "SUCCESSFUL ATTACK" "We were not involved," Tiger military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan said by telephone from the rebels' northern base of Kilinochchi, instead touting the naval base attack as a success."We had the entire navy base under our control and found 35 navy personnel dead bodies during a search operation," he added. "Four of our Sea Tigers were killed in action."He said the rebels' naval wing later left the island to return to an area of the mainland they control, and denied the military's claim that it sank a Tiger suicide boat."It was a surgical operation. It was not a real estate-grabbing operation," Ilanthiraiyan said. "We can't stay there without supplies. It was an attack to destroy their assets."The attacks were the latest in a series of land and sea clashes and ambushes in recent months amid a new chapter in a two-decade civil war that has killed nearly 70,000 people since 1983.Fighting is now focused on the north after the military captured the Tigers' eastern stronghold in recent months, but analysts say there is no clear winner on the horizon and fear the protracted conflict could rumble on for years."We are concerned by the escalation of violence," said Thorfinnur Omarsson of the unarmed Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, which oversees what is left of a tattered 2002 truce that now holds only on paper."Way too many civilians are being killed and injured."President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has pledged to destroy the Tigers' militarily, while the rebels have vowed to fight on a for an independent state in the north and east -- which analysts say sets the stage for further escalation. Tamils right for self determination echoed – BTU Meeting attended by Britain’s next PM Gordon Brown The British Tamil Forum (BTU) yesterday claimed that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and one of the candidates for Deputy Prime Ministers Peter Hain, MP had stated that Sri Lankan Tamils should have the right to self-determination.The BTU said in a media release: "At a meeting attended by the Prime Minister elect, various Cabinet Ministers and six Deputy Prime Minister candidates, at the House of Parliament on 21st May 2007, answering a question on how the British Political Establishment can assist in bringing a political solution to the Sri Lankan human crisis, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and one of the Deputy Prime Minister candidates Right Hon MP Peter Hain stated that the Sri Lankan Tamils should have the right for self determination.As a panel, all six candidates agreed that the Sri Lankan conflict can not be resolved by military means and must be progressed through a peace process. Further, there was a general consensus that the Tamils sufferings and the human rights violations must stop immediately. The Secretary of State for International Development Right Hon MP Hilary Benn stated that the temporary freezing of aid to Government of Sri Lanka was a decision he had personally made to express the displeasure of the British Government regarding serious human rights violations that are being inflicted at the civilian population. He further stated that the International Community must play a part in facilitating the peace process and that both conflicting parties, namely the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam must forget the grievances of the past and progress through a political solution.Right Hon MP Hazel Blears, who is the current Chair of the Labour Party and a contender for the Deputy Prime Minister post, said that Britain can exert greater influence in the peace process by involving the wider International Community. She also acknowledged the fact that the British Tamils Forum who had a productive meeting in the recent past with the Home Secretary. It is generally assumed that the Chair of the Labour Party was referring to a meeting at which the current Home Secretary Right Hon MP (Dr) John Reed who agreed to review the proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as a terrorist organisation, if a formal appeal is lodged.Right Hon MP Harriet Harman, Minister responsible for Criminal Justice stressed the importance of the Tamil Diaspora to be actively engaged with the Political Establishment and the Policy Makers of Her Majesty’s Government." JVP to decide on strike date today The JVP Trade Union Federation front, the National Trade Union Center, has summoned leaders of all pro JVP trade unions to Colombo today (24) to decide on the future course of action against the delay in the issuance of the draft of the Public Sector Salary Rectification Act, party sources said yesterday.President of the NTUC, JVP MP K. D. Lalkantha said that the leaders of 254 trade unions would meet today at the National Library Auditorium. "The government has promised to issue the draft of the public sector salary anomalies rectification policy before April 25 when we planned a general strike on February 02. The committee appointed by the government comprising Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne, Power and Energy Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne and President’s advisor Basil Rajapakse had pledged that salary anomalies would be rectified before April 25. But, the government has broken the promise," he said.He said that the NTUC has organised a few minor protests during the last few weeks against the government’s delay to issue the draft of the Act. They also staged a demonstration on May 16 opposite all state workplaces. The another step is an islandwide strike. The date to commence the strike will be decided today (24), Lalkantha said. JVP attacks Rajapaksa brothers The JVP told Parliament yesterday the government’s popularity had slumped to the lowest ebb at present. JVP strongman K.D. Lal Kantha speaking during the adjournment debate on the curtailment of benefits to public servants said people used to turn violent against them for criticizing the government, but today it was the other way round. Mr. Lal Kantha said actions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers had resulted in this situation, and the time was ripe for the JVP to voice their opposition to the government. “Now, there is no public support for the government. It has lost it due to its own folly,” he said. “The government cannot ask people to bear the present problems silently for the sake of war. Besides a war, there is rampant corruption among government ranks. As for recent tour of China, 266 persons went with the President. We do not know why such a large delegation went. Today, the government has a parliamentary majority to run the country. But, attempts are underway to win over another set of UNP MPs. These moves are totally unacceptable. How can it ask people to tighten their belts in this context?” he questioned. He said there was an element of truth in the allegation that ‘the Rajapaksa Company’ was running the country.Mr.Lal Kantha said without taking action against errant officials and politicians involved in corruption as exposed by the COPE The JVP MP touching on the COPE findings said the government had ridiculed Parliament by not taking any action against the errant officials. “COPE is a parliamentary body, so its report should be considered a parliamentary report, but there is no action taken against the culprits. In the Ceylon Electricity Board alone, there had been corruption amounting to Rs. 820 million,” he said. Earlier in the debate the UNP said the government had pruned benefits for public servants and ordinary persons to save money to provide ministers with various perks which included a monthly housing rent of Rs. 100,000 for each. Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera said the housing rent was in addition to the provision of a number of vehicles along with a fuel allowance. Stop violence, start talks: Australia While announcing continued humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, the Australian government yesterday accused all parties to the conflict of violating international humanitarian law on a regular basis.“The Australian Government is concerned by the trend towards increasing violence and the growing environment of impunity with regard to human rights violations in Sri Lanka,” the Australian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. While claiming that abductions, extra-judicial killings and forced recruitment occur daily, the statement said: “Intensifying conflict in Sri Lanka has worsened an already grave humanitarian situation, with the north and east particularly affected.”It called on all parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka to resume peace talks without delay to seek a solution which could address the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans. The statement said Australia would contribute $5.25 million to provide life-saving and other essential humanitarian services for those affected by the intensifying conflict in Sri Lanka. “We will contribute $3 million through the World Food Programme to provide emergency food aid to 400,000 people recently displaced and affected by the conflict, and for community-based food-for work programmes for up to 390,000 people in the north and east,” it said.In addition the statement said $1 million had been provided through the International Committee of the Red Cross to help protect civilians from violations of international humanitarian law, and to allow the ICRC to visit detainees and act for families of missing persons.It also said it would contribute $1.25 million to UNICEF for provision of child protection services for displaced people and separated families. The latest contributions bring total Australian humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka to $17.8 million in 2006/07, the statement said. Allow journalists to visit rebel areas: Media expert The media in Sri Lanka should have unimpeded access to gather information for reporting purposes even if it means visiting LTTE controlled areas, a media expert from the United States said in a live web chat. The programme was organized on Tuesday by the US Bureau of International Information Programs (USINFO) of the US State Department.Responding to a question raised by the Daily Mirror Dr. Sherry Ricchiardi said that governments should not be in the business of restricting where media go to do reporting, including rebel controlled areas. “Reporters and their editors should make newsgathering decisions -- not governments.” she said.The media in Sri Lanka do not have access to rebel controlled areas in the north owing to the fresh offensives between Government troops and the LTTE and the Associated Press (AP) was the only foreign media to have gained access recently following special Government approval.A former member of the Society of Professional Journalists' international committee and a former consultant with Crimes of War, Dr. Ricchiardi said there has to be more international attention to the issues faced by the Sri Lankan media“I visited Sri Lanka many years ago and was taken up with the beauty of your country and the friendliness of the people. I would like to see more attention paid to what is happening to the media there,” she said. Dr. Ricchiardi is at present a senior writer, specializing in international issues, for the American Journalism Review magazine and a professor at the Indiana School of Journalism at Indianapolis where she works on international affairs and teaches international communication courses. She also serves as a consultant to the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at the University of Washington.Responding to questions posed by other international journalists Dr. Ricchiardi said that a free press was the foundation of a healthy democracy and governments should never be in the business of censoring the media. “When this happens, it is a blow to the freedom of the people in that country,” she said.She also said it was vital for the media to play a role in the elimination of racism wherever it exists and most important, the media must never ‘fuel the fires of racism.’Commenting on the state of the media in the US Dr. Ricchiardi said that the First Amendment in the US guarantees freedom of the press and said journalists would rise up in mass if there was any hint of official censorship. “That simply does not happen. From my experience, both the journalists in America and Government officials respect the role freedom of the press plays in our democracy,” she said. Red Cross quits Sri Lanka front as fighting rages By Simon Gardner The Red Cross pulled back indefinitely from the front line of Sri Lanka's civil war in the island's far north on Wednesday amid fears for staff safety, citing two firing incidents nearby within a week. The military said it had closed the Omanthai checkpoint that sits on defense lines that separate government from Tamil Tiger-held territory in the northern district of Vavuniya, 170 miles north of Colombo, where the focus of a new chapter in the island's two-decade civil war has now shifted.Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said the Tigers had opened fire on a civilian van as it tried to exit rebel-territory at the checkpoint on Tuesday, days after the Tigers fired volleys of mortar bombs at the area."We took a decision today to leave the line, to pull out, and we will not come back until further notice and have spoken to both sides, got safety guarantees and rediscuss the procedures," Red Cross spokesman Davide Vignati told Reuters.The Omanthai crossing is the main transit point between the government-held south and the Tigers' de facto state in the north, and sits on the island's main north-south highway.But movement across the "border" has been restricted for months by fierce fighting between the state and the Tigers which has killed around 4,000 people since last year.As a parallel propaganda war rages, the government has not allowed many journalists to cross into Tiger territory for months.There are now daily skirmishes and clashes in Vavuniya district and regular air strikes by the air force on Tiger targets in the north, which analysts fear could see a conflict that has killed nearly 70,000 people since 1983 escalate.The military said it killed five more Tigers overnight, but there was no independent confirmation."Just overnight there were three incidents," said Samarasinghe. "The Tigers shot at a civilian vehicle as it rushed to an army checkpoint and some of the bullets hit the ICRC hut.""One Tiger cadre was killed in Vavuniya district last night and we recovered a cyanide capsule, we recovered two Tiger bodies near Madhu (further south) and another two cadres were killed in the east."The military said on Tuesday jets had pounded a Tiger training camp in the far north, but the rebels said the bombs had fallen in uninhabited jungle and caused no damage.The Tigers were not immediately available for comment on Wednesday on the border-crossing shooting incident. UN working group accepts complains of DISAPPEARENCES from CMC -Mano Ganesan First lot of eleven (11) complaints forwarded to UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) by the Civil Monitoring Commission has been accepted for investigations. Associate Human Rights Officer of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances Claudia de la Fuente has informed from UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at Geneva Switzerland to this effect, said CMC convener and Western Peoples Front leader Mano Ganesan MP. Ganesan further said that these eleven complaints are the first lot. The mandate of the UN Working Group (WGEID) facilitates, the Group to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of their missing relatives who have been arrested, detained or abducted against their will or otherwise deprived of their liberty by officials of different branches or levels of Government or by organized groups or private individuals acting on behalf of, or with the support, direct or indirect, consent or acquiescence of the Government. CMC has now received total of 116 complaints till yesterday. Further complaints of disappearances are coming in from all parts of the country. We have passed many numbers of complaints to the WGEID. We understand that all our complaints are being processed by the UN Working Group and would be accepted for investigations. The complainants to the CMC, the family members of the victims have also made complaints with the local police and at the human Rights Commission. Complaints accepted for investigation and reference numbers assigned by the WGEID in this first lot are of Balendran Rathees Kanth WGEID ref 10000530, Christy Belandran Croos WGEID ref 10000532, Harigari Dasan Tyron WGEID ref 10000524, Kanapathipillai Puvaneshwaran WGEID ref 10000529, Kanapathy Nadar Sujampu Nadar WGEID ref 10000525, Ketheeswaran Sujampu Nadar WGEID ref 10000526, Nadesan Velayuthan WGEID ref 10000534, Palanisamy Suresh WGEID ref 10000531, Raveendran Ranjith WGEID ref 10000527, Sabapathy Matheeswaran WGEID ref 10000533 and Thavapalan Krishnakaran WGEID ref 10000528. Of these Mr. Nadesan Velayuthan who was abducted near Fussles lane Wellawatta, Colombo -06 on 08th March 2007 has been released after he has reported to have paid substantial ransom money to the abductors. 29 Tamils arrested in Anuradhapura Six Tamil youths were taken into custody on Tuesday evening in Anuradhapura, capital of the north central province. They were arrested on a tip off from the public, for allegedly taking photographs of the Anuradhapura police station with their cell-phone cameras hiding in a bush, police sources said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka security forces Wednesday morning launched a cordon and search operation in Anuradhapura town and arrested about 23 Tamil civilians, from lodges and rental houses, sources said.The arrested six are said to be natives of Vaalaichchenai, Vaaharai, and Batticaloa in the eastern province, police said.Suspects are being detained in the police station and subjected to inquiry by the Terrorist Intelligence Unit of the Police Most of the 23 arrested in the cordon and search are natives of Batticaloa and Vavuniya. Some are natives of Badulla.All have been detained in the police station and are being interrogated, police sources said. Roadside bomb, clashes kill 15 in Sri Lanka , military says A bomb and clashes between soldiers and separatist Tamil Tiger guerrillas killed 15 people in Sri Lanka - , the military said Wednesday, as the Red Cross withdrew some personnel due to escalating violence. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it withdrew from two crossing points between government-held areas and rebel territory in the north. ``The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) decided today immediately and temporarily to withdraw its employees from Omanthai and Uyilankulam crossing points,'' an ICRC statement said Wednesday. Meanwhile, rebels detonated a roadside bomb in the northern district of Vavuniya, killing one soldier and wounding another, said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe. Near the eastern town of Eravur, guerrillas hiding in a house shot at soldiers on patrol, killing one, Samarasinghe said. Soldiers returned fire and killed seven rebels, he said. Also on Wednesday, another soldier was killed in a confrontation with insurgents in eastern Trincomalee district, Samarasinghe said. Late Tuesday, soldiers killed three Tigers in two clashes in Vavuniya, and two more guerrillas' bodies were recovered after an overnight encounter in eastern Batticaloa district, Samarasinghe said. Vavuniya, on the edge of Tiger-controlled territory, has been a main area of fighting in the past several months. The rebels did not immediately comment on the latest clashes. The military has said it killed 541 rebels in recent months, and lost 44 soldiers. The Tigers have disputed the figures. The rebels have fought the government since 1983 to create a separate homeland for the island nation's minority ethnic Tamils, who have suffered decades of discrimination under the Sinhalese-dominated government. Nearly 70,000 people have died in the conflict, including about 5,000 killed since December 2005, when violence flared despite a 2002 cease-fire that is now in tatters. SLA arrests 25 civilians in Chilaw Twenty-five Tamil civilians were arrested in a cordon and search operation by Sri Lanka security forces Wednesday early morning at Uddapu, a traditional Tamil village in Chilaw division in the northwestern province. One of the arrested is a native of Jaffna and another a native of Trincomalee town. Six civilians were natives of Thampalakamam, a Tamil village in Trincomalee district and eighteen are residents of Uddapu, sources said. All were taken into custody as they failed to prove their identity and provide satisfactory reason for the stay in location. They are being detained in the Chilaw police station and interrogated, sources said. 3 LTTE cadres, SLA trooper, killed in clash at Earaavoor Ea'raavoor police claimed that three members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper were killed, and a Special Task Force (STF) trooper was injured Wednesday around 5:00 a.m in a clash at Chavukkadi coast in Tha'lavaay, Ea'raavoor in Batticaloa district. The bodies are kept at Ea'raavoor district hospital while the injured trooper is being treated at Batticaloa hospital.SLA, STF and the police conducted a search operation at Chavukkadi coastal area in Tha'lavaay area after receiving a tip-off of LTTE presence. The clash erupted during the search, the police said.The police claimed that many LTTE combatants were injured in the fight and that 6 claymore devices, 4 T56 rifles, mortars, rounds, machine guns, pistols and many hundreds of thousand rupees were recovered.The search began at 5:00 a.m lasted until 2:00 p.m.Thalavaai is located 17 km northeast of Batticaloa Japanese peace envoy to visit Sri Lanka Japan’s special peace envoy for Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi is to visit the troubled South Asian Island next month, the Japanese Embassy of Sri Lanka announced. The Japanese envoy will hold discussions with the President, Peace Secretariat officials and the Leader of the Opposition with the hope of restarting the collapsed peace talks. The Japanese Embassy said that although the peace envoy has sought the government permission to visit Kilinochchi to meet the leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam, a positive response has not been received so far. 23 May 2007 TNA sees Govt. hand in abduction of students Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Parliament yesterday accepted the government’s right to arrest, detain and question LTTE suspects in accordance with the law. However, the Party severely criticized the government for killings, disappearances and abductions of innocent persons, specifically pinpointing the recent abduction of four Advanced Level students in Jaffna by a group of armed persons on motorbikes. “The security forces can fight the LTTE. They can arrest, detain and question LTTE suspects in accordance with the law. But the current spate of killings, abductions and disappearances are a clear violation of human rights”, said TELO Jaffna MP, N. Srikantha.The House then debated the abduction of the four A’ level students as an adjournment motion proposed by the party’s Jaffna district MP, Mavai Senathirajah. Speaking during the debate, TELO MP Mr. Srikantha alleged that certain sections of the army had colluded with paramilitary groups operating in the area and were responsible for the abduction of these youths. “We want them back. We want them back alive,” he thundered. He said they would complain to the UN Human Rights Council if these youth were not released immediately. Tigers deny Sri Lanka jets bomb rebel camp Sri Lankan air force jets pounded a Tamil Tiger training camp in the island's north on Tuesday, the military said, but the rebels said the bombs had fallen in uninhabited jungle and caused no damage.Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said the air force bombed a camp near the town of Mankulam, which lies around 20 miles north of a "border" that separates government territory from the rebels' de facto state."The target was correctly taken," Samarasinghe said. "We have observed increased movements in the camp. We don't have any details on casualties."He said troops killed two insurgents in a separate gunfight near the forward defence lines that skirt the south of the Tigers' northern stronghold overnight, and that the military had recovered a long-abandoned suicide boat in captured rebel territory in the east. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said the jets bombed two areas -- jungle near Mankulam and jungle further north near the town of Iranamadu, where the military suspects the rebels have built a landing strip for their nascent air wing of light planes smuggled into the country in pieces."They attacked two places in the jungle. In both attacks we suffered no casualties and no damage to property," Tiger military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan said by telephone from the Tigers' northern base of Kilinochchi."There are no camps in the place where they hit today.There was no independent confirmation of what the bombs hit.Around 4,000 people have been killed since last year amid a new chapter in a two-decade civil war in which nearly 70,000 people have died since 1983. The war has spread from the east, where troops evicted the rebels from their stronghold last year, to the north.Analysts say that while the military has had the upper hand in recent months, there is no clear winner on the horizon, and they fear the conflict could rumble on for years. UNP warns of massive corruption in proposed MIG 29 deal The UNP yesterday warned of colossal corruption in the proposed Mig 29 purchases and cited statements made by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse in March that the MIG 29 was ‘too advanced and too expensive’ to be used against the LTTE.Former Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi had already alleged that high government officials had taken a commission of Rs.27 million during the purchase of four Mig 27 aircraft during the last purchase, UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella said."The presently proposed deal to purchase five MIG 29 aircraft at Rs.1.6 billion each, involves a much larger sum of money, which means the corruption could be enormous," Kiriella said. He further asked why no tenders had been called prior to this proposed purchase. According to Kiriella, while the Defence website in March had said the MIG 27s were sufficient to fight the LTTE, President Mahinda Rajapakse in a recent press release said plans had long been afoot to purchase the MIG 29 aircraft."There is a contradiction here; who is telling the truth, the Defence Minister or President Mahinda Rajapakse?" Kiriella questioned.He further said if the President was right, tenders should have been called."The government can purchase arms without calling for tenders in an emergency. However, if as the President said in his recent statement, they had long drawn out plans to purchase MIG 29 aircraft, there was ample time, so why were tenders not called?" Kiriella asked.Meanwhile the UNP yesterday called for a proper threat assessment by the government before purchasing advanced weapons such as Mig 29 aircraft, and warned that the purchases could otherwise prove a massive waste of money and state resources. Japan can help if only Lanka desires: Akashi Japanese Peace Envoy for Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi giving an exclusive interview to the Daily Mirror at his private office in Tokyo on Tuesday said Japan was “mindful” of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and was concerned, irrespective of whether the violations were by the LTTE, the government or any other party.“We are ‘very observant’ of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka,” he noted, pointing out that the Sri Lankan government too was taking this seriously.Japan was closely watching the independent international body appointed to inquire into human rights violations and hoped it would expedite its work to ensure that the rule of law is upheld in Sri Lanka, he said.However, in the wake of the recent suspension of aid to Sri Lanka by the US and the UK, Japan on the other hand was watching the situation carefully, Mr. Akashi said.But asked if Japan had any intentions of scaling down aid to Sri Lanka, Mr. Akashi said, “We are not thinking of it now,” and added, “I cannot commit for the future,” hinting of Japan’s possibility of reconsidering its decision in the future. Japan has been the single largest donor to Sri Lanka over the past two decades.The Japanese peace envoy who is expected to be in Sri Lanka by early June was however not optimistic as to whether any negotiations, for which Japan is in favour, could be gotten off the ground. Having already scheduled a meeting with the government, there has been no response from the LTTE for a meeting as yet. During his upcoming visit Mr. Akashi expects to update himself first-hand of the ground situation in Sri Lanka.Observing the escalation of violence, the peace envoy noted that this had obviously resulted in more IDPs suffering in the north and east, “and we follow these humanitarian developments with concern.”He was critical of government moves to assist the IDPs back home. “The Sri Lankan government says it is doing its best in providing assistance as conditions are ready. But NGOs report that the IDPs are resettled where they are not very comfortable,” Mr. Akashi asserted.Commenting on the humanitarian condition in Jaffna he observed that although there was an ‘improvement’ however, ‘it was very hard.’ “We also watch with concern the reports on disappearances and abductions,” he added. President Mahinda Rajapakse “has his own ideas” and his administration was unlikely to ask for the kind of “help” return to peace talks with the LTTE at this stage, the Japanese peace envoy noted that while adding that he respects President Rajapaksa for “his own ideas”.“The present situation is not the same as in 2001 or 2002. The road to peace is never straightforward,” he said, adding “This administration does not seem to be requesting the help that the Wickremesinghe administration had called for when the peace process got on track with a ceasefire agreement in 2002.”“If Sri Lankans sincerely aspire for peace, a genuine peace should be within their reach. No government or organization can provide it for them. They can only help,” Mr. Akashi noted. He pointed out that Japan could help only if Sri Lanka “desires its help”. Journalist assaulted in Ampara JVP makes US$ 10mn commission charge on Telecom deal JVP parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday accused a powerful person in government of accepting a US$ 10 million commission to facilitate the sale of SLT shares to a Tamil businessman from Malaysia.Weerawansa made this allegation in parliament yesterday amidst growing controversy over the sale of SLT shares held by NTT of Japan to Maxis of Malaysia. The JVP member also charged that the President as Finance Minister and Treasury Secretary P. B. Jayasundera must take responsibility for this state of affairs.Following Weerawansa’s statement, UNP Gampaha District parliamentarian John Amaratunga called on the member to name the powerful personality who had accepted the US$ 10 million commission.Leader of the House and Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva also called upon the JVP parliamentarian to name the person who had accepted the commission without making baseless allegations. Weerawansa responded to de Silva stating that he was trying to get him to name the person because the government wanted to know the name. The JVP parliamentarian also charged that it was wrong of the cabinet of ministers to agree to sell SLT shares held by NTT to a Malaysian company simply because a powerful person was to benefit to the tune of US$ 10 million.Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara then questioned Weerawansa if he was ready to take the full responsibility of the allegation made by him.Weerawansa responded by saying that he would not make such a statement if he was not ready to accept responsibility. He also requested the Speaker to make allocations for a full day debate to be held on the deal in parliament.Also speaking on the issue, UNP Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said that government ministers remained silent on the issue, as they did not approve of the deal. He also said that although Minister Rauf Hakeem was in-charge of the relevant portfolio, he did not present the cabinet paper for cabinet approval and he was not aware of it either. Responding to the statement, Post and Telecommunication Minister Rauf Hakeem said the cabinet paper was presented by the Finance Ministry as the Treasury too had shares of SLT. He also said a cabinet sub committee was currently looking into the matter.UNP Colombo District parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake questioned as to why the government was now privatizing state assets after presenting a policy of non privatsiation through the Mahinda Chinthana. The UNP called for the appointment of a parliamentary select committee to probe the matter. Aid weapon used against Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is facing growing pressure from international donors keen to deter what they fear would be a bloody and ultimately fruitless military offensive against Tamil Tiger separatists.Donors have suspended aid or are not making fresh commitments, citing new curbs on the media and allegations that the government or militias aligned to it have been engaged in an escalating series of abductions and killings. The US, the UK and Germany have publicly suspended new aid, while most other European nations are understood to have stopped making pledges because of concerns that the conflict could escalate into a full-blown war.“The concern is that every euro we spend on this government is subsidising in one way or another a bullet or a grenade,” said one western diplomat in Colombo.The growing concern over Sri Lanka’s human rights situation follows the collapse last year in all but name of a 2002 ceasefire agreement between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who have been fighting for an ethnic Tamil homeland in the country’s north and east for more than two decades. After several bomb attacks by the Tigers, the military launched a campaign last year to oust the rebels from the country’s east, enlisting the help of a breakaway guerrilla faction known as the Karuna group.Almost to the government’s surprise, the campaign proved successful, with the Tigers largely withdrawing to their stronghold in the north. The government suffered a psychological setback in March when the Tigers unveiled a primitive air force, becoming the first officially designated terrorist organisation to do so. Most analysts believe the army’s successes in the east have emboldened President Mahinda Rajapakse to look for a military victory in the Tiger’s northern heartland. Already skirmishes are frequently being reported along the northern frontier. A military spokesman said on Tuesday that soldiers had killed two rebels in a skirmish on the northern frontier and that the air force had bombed a Tiger training camp. The rebels denied any damage from the bombings.“The Sri Lankan armed forces consistently show a great deal of over-optimism about their ability to defeat the LTTE,” said another western diplomat in Colombo. What has concerned international donors has been the impact of the campaign on human rights and governance in a democracy that they say should be a beacon for south Asia. Particularly vexing is the government’s murky relationship with the Karuna group, named after its leader, Colonel Karuna, a nom de guerre of a former inner circle commander of the Tigers.Human Rights Watch has alleged the Karuna group has been carrying out abuses, from the recruitment of child soldiers to abductions and extortion, while the army and police look on.Amnesty International has alleged that both the military and the Tigers have been killing civilians with indiscriminate artillery bombardments and that relief agencies have had difficulty doing their work because of attacks and frequent abductions of their staff. Human Rights Watch has also accused the government of using anti-terrorism laws to crack down on the media. Among western donors, the UK and the US have been most vocal in their protests. During a visit to Colombo this month, Richard Boucher, the assistant secretary of state, said the US had suspended what could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars of aid under its Millennium Challenge Corporation programme. Diplomats say the aim is to persuade the government that a military solution is not possible and and that it should return to the negotiating table. In putting pressure on the government, however, they risk playing into the hands of the Tigers, who have so far been careful to exercise restraint, refraining for instance from using their new air wing to attack civilians. Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka’s foreign secretary, said the government was disappointed with the withholding of foreign aid. “It achieves a political and propaganda objective that is essentially in favour of the LTTE,” he said. He rejected allegations that the government was involved in human rights abuses or aligned with the Karuna group or that it wanted to achieve an outright military victory. “What the government is trying to do now is to convince the LTTE that there won’t be a military victory for them either,” he said. Economically, the suspension of aid will hurt but not cripple the government. For the time being it will have little direct impact on military capability. Foreign donors disbursed about $1.2bn in aid to the country last year but western bilateral donors accounted for only a small part of that. Damage is more likely to be to Sri Lanka’s standing in the world. The country has little strategic importance compared with neighbours such as Pakistan, which has a far worse record on human rights and democracy. If it is not careful, Colombo could become a convenient punching bag for western countries eager to demonstrate their record on championing human rights. JVP candidate identified as chief suspect in family massacre A JVP member has been identified as the main suspect in the slaying of five persons from the same family in Meegawatte last week.The Meegahawatte police said that the suspect, E. Amaradasa had contested from the JVP at the local authority elections."He is the main suspect in these killings. He contested under the JVP four years ago at the local council election, but was not elected," the police said.The police also said that unidentified persons had burned the houses of the suspects yesterday."We are also conducting our investigations into this incident," the police said.The five people killed last Friday, belonged to the same family. One person was injured and is receiving treatment.The police said they were killed due to a land issue .The Meegahawatte police said they are yet to take the suspects into custody."We have not taken them into custody, but continuing with our investigations into the latest developments," the police added. Norwegian Govt. denies ‘stolen passports’ allegation The Norwegian government yesterday denied allegations that a large number of its passports had been stolen.Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Washington, Bernard Gunatilleke had earlier said that 130,000 Norwegian passports were missing and were being used by the LTTE.A statement issued by the embassy stated that there was no truth in these reports."Furthermore, there are allegations that the LTTE is involved, and has redistributed Norwegian passports to al Qaeda. These allegations are drawing links between unrelated matters and have no basis in reality," the statement said.The statement added that Norway had reported 130,000 passports missing to Interpol during the last 10 years. "This figure includes all the passports that have been registered by the police as lost or stolen. It corresponds to the figures for comparable countries in Europe, and is considerably lower than the figures for the larger European countries," the statement said. 22 May 2007 Sri Lanka's Air Force bombs rebel target Sri Lanka's Air Force bombed a target of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the northern Mullativu district Tuesday morning, officials from the Media Centre for National Security said.The targeted rebel training camps are located in Mankulam, some 300 km northeast of the capital Colombo.They said the air raid was successful, but the LTTE has not made any comment on the latest air raid.More than 4,000 people have been killed since December 2005 despite a Norwegian-arranged truce in place. Omanthai re-opens The Omanthai entry/exit point was re-opened for civilian traffic yesterday, an ICRC spokesman said. He said operations were conducted smoothly following the re-opening of the crossing point last morning.Omanthai was reopened after both the LTTE and the military gave written security guarantees to the ICRC over the weekend.The Defence Ministry however said despite giving written guarantees to abstain from obstructing and endangering civilian and goods transportation through the Omanthai Entry/Exit point, the LTTE triggered off a claymore mine targeting an army route clearing patrol hours before the trunk road was reopened for general traffic. A mill owner in Walana abducted An unidentified group who arrived in a White van has abducted a timber mill owner from the Walana area in Panadura this morning.When 'LeN' inquired regarding the matter a spokesperson of the Walana crime division said a group had blocked the way of the businessman when he was traveling to his business premises and abducted him.He said investigations are under way to arrest the suspects but no break through was yet made into the abduction.So far over 200 cases of such abductions have taken place in the recent past and at a press conference held recently at the Police head quarters the IGP Victor Perera said that he has a force of 77,000 policemen to stop such incidents from occurring."We are not afraid of arms, we too have arms" the IGP said. Sri Lanka sinks into lawlessness Cases of murder, abduction, disappearance and intimidation surface almost daily in Sri Lanka as the South Asian nation appears to be sliding into lawlessness and war. With a truce between the government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in tatters and peace talks long since abandoned, rights workers and the media fear the situation is spiralling out of control. The government is pressing for a military victory over the Tigers, and a series of tit-for-tat clashes have left heavy casualties on both sides -- as well as discrepancies over the true body count. But away from the front lines, bloodshed is just as frequent and usually involves civilians, although it is seldom clear who is behind the day-to-day violence. "The situation is out of control," said Sunander Deshapriya of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a private think tank."What we are seeing today is uncertainty. We do not know who is doing what. It is very difficult to find out who is responsible, violence is so widespread," Deshapriya said. "It is also very difficult to see the situation improving." Almost 5,000 people have been killed since December 2005, according to the defence ministry. And more than 700 people are reported to have "disappeared" in the past year in Sri Lanka, where at least 60,000 people have been killed in the Tamil separatist conflict since 1972. Such a climate of fear has not been seen on the island since 1987-1990, when the army crushed a Marxist Sinhalese uprising at the official cost of 16,750 dead and thousands more missing. Britain halted debt relief this month in anger at the government\'s human rights record, and major donor Japan is reviewing its position. Germany stopped aid last December. The United States has also dropped the usual diplomatic niceties, publicly accusing Sri Lanka of reneging on promises to protect human rights. "People are more fearful and face more difficulties. Overall, there has been a deterioration in Sri Lanka's human rights record," said US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher on a visit to Sri Lanka this month. He travelled to the northern Jaffna peninsula, where 350,000 civilians and 40,000 government troops have lived under virtual siege conditions since the army closed the only land access in August after rebel attacks. Laxman Gunasekera, president of the South Asian Free Media Alliance (SAFMA) in Sri Lanka, said abductions were rampant -- "but not a single government authority is prepared to acknowledge abductions and give us a figure." "We have an impression of a lack of control by the state itself," he said. Sri Lanka's Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told AFP the lack of official figures was a "lacuna" and said the government was battling to ensure a human rights commission functioned independently. This involved setting up a witness protection scheme and safe houses, and arranging for political asylum in the West when necessary."It's a serious situation we have to grapple with," he said. "I know it's hard for people to understand that we are making progress." The minister pointed to the ongoing return of thousands of refugees to eastern areas where troops have captured territory from the LTTE. But journalist groups accuse authorities of trying to silence anyone who dissents from the official line. "Journalists face public abuse, violent physical assault, threats, deaths, abduction and murder ... in all parts of the country," including LTTE-held areas, said SAFMA's Gunasekera. "The picture is not one of improvement, but worsening conditions," he said."The reality is bleak." The independent Sri Lanka Press Institute is creating a safety fund to help journalists facing death threats. It is looking at providing mobile phones to local reporters and running a safe house in the capital. Tamil journalists have borne the brunt of the onslaught. Several told AFP they live in fear for their lives and can no longer work normally or risk using their names on air or in print. In eastern Batticaloa district, only one Tamil journalist remains at work today, several months after the army ousted the LTTE from the Tamil-majority area. Others have fled, among them the president of a Tamil journalists union. Nadesapillai Vithyatharan, chief editor of the Tamil-language Uthayan newspaper -- the only paper to publish in Jaffna for the last 20 years without interruption -- refuses to back down. He says he will not close despite a squeeze from the authorities which has resulted in the daily cutting its pages from 20 to four, and printing on any paper it can find. Circulation has dropped from 24,000 to 4,000. "We have lost five staff in the last 18 months," he said. "I have had grenades tossed into my room, but I am ready for anything. Four dead in fresh violence in Sri Lanka Chinese Govt., UNP on same wavelength regarding power devolution: Ranil Chinese Communist party leaders emphasized that power devolution was the only way out of the national question prevalent here, Opposition Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said at a briefing to the party’s parliamentary group on his Chinese tour yesterday. He said China remains an undivided country despite being geographically large, due to devolution of power to the provinces. “Countries such as the United States, Japan, European Union and India have pointed out the need for a political solution to the conflict in the country. Today, China is highlighting it. The UNP’s policy is also in line with the policy adopted by the Chinese Communist party in this regard,” he told the meeting. The UNP leader said they should opt for a solution based on the Sri Lankan identity after giving due consideration to the genuine aspirations of the Tamil people. “There should be a deep and comprehensive analysis of the aspirations of Sinhala, Muslim and Burgher people in pursuit of a negotiated political settlement acceptable to all. For this purpose, the UNP has put forward a programme. Sri Lanka can opt for an alternative with the assistance of the international community if the LTTE does not respond to it positively,” he said. He told the meeting that the entire world had rejected the approach made by the present government without any vision and plan. Meanwhile, some MPs raised concern about certain reformists participating in TV programmes representing the UNP. In reply, Wickremesinghe said they should write to the state media organizations requesting the latter not to accept reformists as UNP representatives anymore. The UNP leader also commented on government activities, with emphasis being given to the fact that 75 percent of the country’s budget being controlled by the Rajapaksa brothers. “In Parliament, we have to debate only 25 percent of state affairs because of 75 percent of them are controlled by the Rajapaksa brothers. Three of them do no represent the House. So, we cannot debate their activities,” he said in a lighter vein. EPDP member killed in Kayts Kayts police recovered the body of a member of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) hacked to death, at the beach in Naa'rantha:nai north in Kayts, an islet of Jaffna, Monday morning. Kayts magistrate, Jeyaraman Trotsky conducted inquest into the death visiting the site where the body lay,Chithiravel Shanthakumar alias Vastin, 30, was identified as the EPDP member killed.Shanthakumar who left the office of EPDP Kayts Sunday had gone missing since then.Kayts police handed over the body to Jaffna Teaching hospital. Tamil Tiger casualties disputed 'Exaggeration' In the past few months, much of the fighting has shifted to the north of Sri Lanka after the Tamil Tigers were driven from areas they controlled in the east. Battles and skirmishes have been taking place around the frontlines between government-controlled and rebel-held areas.A 2002 ceasefire the two sides signed up to is being ignored. The military spokesman, Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, says 541 rebels have been killed in northern Sri Lanka since operations began to target their positions in mid-January. But the Tigers' spokesman, Rasaiah Ilanthiriyan, said it was a wild exaggeration and the real figure was nearer 60. He said the government was trying to save face with the Sinhalese majority after the rebels launched air raids. "They are in a bad light from a military point of view, so they had to do something to repair the faith," he said. Using small propeller-driven planes, the Tigers have bombed targets around the capital twice as well as a military base in the north and returned home safely. Casualty figures are hotly disputed in Sri Lanka where both sides are trying to demonstrate they are winning and the numbers cannot be independently verified. The rebels want a homeland for the Tamil minority. Senior government officials say they can defeat them in two to three years. On Monday, two Sri Lankan soldiers were killed in a fire fight and two more by a roadside bomb in the island's north. The military says it has now lost 48 soldiers in the area in the last four months. SC orders immediate promotion of Maj. Gen. The Supreme Court yesterday ordered that Major General (temporary) Nimal Ainsley Jayasuriya be promoted and confirmed as Major General before the end of this month.The bench which heard the fundamental rights violation case filed by Maj. Gen. Jayasuriya comprised Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva and Justices Shirani Tillekewardena and J. Balapatabendi. The Supreme Court said the Army which has to protect the rights of the citizens must start with the rights of its own officers. The Court declared the petitioner’s fundamental rights to equality and equal protection before the law had been violated. The Court said the impugned order of the Army Advisory Board was that all officers who had been on A. W. O. L. (Absence Without Leave) could not be promoted. However the Defence Minister subsequently had given a covering approval for the medical leave he has obtained while he was overseas for treatment for his back injury. The Court said though it was reluctant to make an adverse order against the army it was forced to do so in view of the circumstances of this case. The Supreme Court has earlier issued an order staying the operations of the decisions and determinations of the first respondent until the determination of this application and restraining the Sri Lanka Army from promoting anyone who is junior to the petitioner over the petitioner. The petitioner stated that at the time he completed his training in the Army and was commissioned in 1977, the petitioner was the youngest officer in the Army at the time. Since the petitioner was the youngest commissioned officer them, he was also the youngest officer at the stage of each of his promotions, which was the case even up to the stage of his last promotion to the rank of Major General(Temporary). In his present rank and seniority, the petitioner is the 12th in line to be the Commander of the Army. The petitioner said all his promotions up to the rank of Major General (Temporary) had been effected on time and without any undue complications or delays. Sanjeewa Jayawardena with Rajeewa Amerasuriya instructed by Sudath Perera Associates appeared for the petitioner, Major General Jayasuriya. How can you fight when the heads of the Army & Navy are not talking?- Thilak Karunarathne Treasurer of the United National Party, former minister Thilak Karunarathne questions how to be engaged in an accurate war when the heads of the Army and Navy are not talking to each other.He has brought up this question during a discussion with the "Lankadeepa" newspaper.When LeN questioned Karunarathne based on what he made such a statement, and he replied saying "Anurudha Rathwatte wanted to be prince Sapumal more that triumphing war. Commander Sarath Fonseka wants him to be identified as a hero. I will end this talk from here, but I will disclose the details in the future".However Karunarathne said that he whole heartedly hope that security forces will be able to over come the LTTE and triumph this war."The war is not being carried out properly. The war is being conducted on the needs of some people like Gothabaya and Sarath Fonseka. This is not fair on the part of the soldiers. The STF was engaged in operations in the east. When its head Prasanna Silva was asked to fight to capture Mannar he said that if they enter such an operation many would die because the moral of the soldiers were down after being inside bunkers and not being able to see their families. Then the army commander has replied saying "I don't care, I want to win the war." Then Silva had said that he cannot send the soldiers to die to which the commander has replied asking him to resign immediately" Karunarathne added. 11 Tamil civilians arrested in Galle Eleven Tamil civilians were arrested by the Police in cordon and search operations conducted in the police divisions of Galle, Matugama and Maharagama in the southern province from Saturday night till Sunday morning. The Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID) of the Police subjected them to special investigation while being detained in police stations. Meanwhile, two more Tamil civilians were arrested at Kaluthawalai, a suburb in Matale town in the central province in another cordon and search operation conducted by the police Sunday evening. They are being detained in Bogambara prisons in Kandy and interrogated, sources said. India says air offensive launched by LTTE cause of concern Jaffna undergrads temporarily suspend boycott In response to the request made by Jaffna University Acting vice-chancellor (VC), Jaffna Government Agent (GA), University Senate and Education society members, the Jaffna University Student Union (JUSU) temporarily suspended the boycott, JUSU leaders said. The students launched the boycott in protest against the abduction of students, intrusion into the campus by armed men and the violations perpetrated by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and collaborating paramilitaries disrupting educational activities in Jaffna peninsula. The students will attend lectures Tuesday and the boycott was withdrawn taking into consideration the outstation students who were about to leave the peninsula due to the volatile situation, JUSU representatives said. The pledges made by the University administration and other key officials to bring about an atmosphere conducive to learning were reasons for the withdrawal of the boycott, they added.Mavai Senathirajah, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna parliamentarian had raised the issues with the President of Sri Lanka, sources in Jaffna said.The VC and other higher authorities had met with the SLA Jaffna Commander to discuss ways of resuming educational activities of the university, the sources added.The boycott by the peninsula students in protest against the abduction of their fellow students, however, continues as the fate of the four abducted high school students remains unknown. 21 May 2007 Humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka deteriorating The World Food Program warns renewed fighting in Sri Lanka's long-running civil war is worsening the humanitarian situation for hundreds of thousands of civilians. The U.N. agency is calling for more money and better access and security for aid workers trying to help thousands of people displaced by the fighting. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. Geneva - The World Food Program reports about 400,000 people either displaced or affected by Sri Lanka's civil war are in need of food aid. But, reaching the victims is difficult. WFP Spokeswoman, Christiane Bertiaume says many people have been displaced several times by the fighting. She says they go back home to Batticaloa when things calm down, only to flee again when fighting resumes. She says the WFP is working to increase food deliveries in Batticaloa District to make sure basic food supplies reach those people who were forced out of their homes during the past two months of fighting. She says the agency needs an additional $10.7 million in additional aid during the next six months. "We have big problems in Sri Lanka. We have an access problem to the most vulnerable people in the north and in the east of the country," said Bertiaume. "We have got security problems for our local and international staff. Some of them have even been threatened. The distribution of food is too slow in many places. We should be able to do that more quickly. And, more particularly in the region of Jaffna where our stock are very, very low." The U.N. food agency says it wants to ship one-thousand metric tons of food to the Jaffna Peninsula, which is cut off from the rest of the country. The town of Jaffna is under government control, but rebels operate in the area. The WFP has not been granted the necessary permission nor guarantees of security to send a relief vessel. Renewed fighting during the past two months has displaced more than 150,000 people in the eastern part of the island country. The Sri Lankan government recently began resettling about 90,000 of these people to the homes they fled in West Batticaloa. U.N. refugee spokeswoman, Jennifer Pagonis, says they are expected to move back to their places of origin in the coming months in a phased operation. "UNHCR is fully involved in this process and our staff monitoring the situation on the ground are saying that the majority of people are eager to return home, that the returns are voluntary and in line with international protection standards," she said. Aid workers fear some of these people may be returning home against their will. They point to reports of forced returns during a similar resettlement program further north earlier this month. Pagonis says the U.N. agency will continue to monitor these returns to make sure they are voluntary. Politicians brother Jumps from one road to the other The recent spate of killings and abductions of Tamil businessmen and collecting ransom from their families has shifted roads, now targeting Muslim businessmen.So far 3 Muslim businessmen have been abducted and the abductors have collected sums between 20 to 50 million rupees from their families.LeN has been informed that the proprietor of "Asian Hardware" was one of the abducted and was freed after paying a ransom of 20 million rupees.Meanwhile an unidentified group has abducted the owner of "Nolimit" and demanded 100 million rupees for his release but after negotiations the family had paid 50 million rupees to the abductors after which he was released.The managing director of "Trust Lanka" had been abducted on the 18th afternoon and demanded 50 million rupees for his release and the relatives have paid 25 million to the abductors but the businessman has not been released so far.Certain information received regarding the abductions have revealed that some allies involved with the government are carrying out the abductions.It is also being reported that a brother of a major politicians in the government has forcefully brought some businessmen who change foreign currency in Chattam street and threatened them saying "you change black money and none of you will be spared". One of the Muslim businessmen had escaped by paying 5 million rupees.Due to the abductions, killings and collection of ransoms several leading businessmen have fled the country and begun their businesses in Malaysia and Madurai.UNP parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara told 'LeN' that the details of these organized crimes will be revealed soon in parliament. Mother files HC application for daughter held 8 months under ER Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal Friday issued notice on the Defence Secretary and five other respondents to appear in court on 6 June on a Habeas Corpus (HC) application filed by a mother seeking her daughter held in detention under Emergency Regulations (ER) to be produced in court. The HC application came up for inquiry before a two-member bench of the Court of Appeal comprising Justices Ranjit Silva (Chairman) and Sisira de Abrew. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Attorney General, Director of Terrorist Intelligence Bureau, Officer in Charge of Boosa Detention Camp, Officer in Charge of Mirihana Police are the other respondents.The petitioner Pathmanathan Nagulambal, native of Vavuniya and a resident of Kotahena in Colombo, said in her application that her daughter, Thirukumar Nagula, was arrested on 8 September by Mirihana Police when she had gone to the police station to inquire about the arrest of her relation. Thereafter the Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID) of the Police detained her daughter under the Emergency Regulation (ER) without producing her in any court.The petitioner has prayed in her application that the court should order the respondents to produce her daughter in court, and subsequently release her.Mr. Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy, Senior Counsel with Mr.Thanabalasingham Janakan, Attorney-at-Law appeared for the applicant.The Court of Appeal fixed the inquiry into the HC application for 6 June and ordered the respondents to appear on that day and give their submissions, legal sources said. Pak. training Lankan pilots to clinch arms deal With LTTE air strikes worrying Colombo, Islamabad is reportedly making efforts to train batches of Sri Lankan pilots and get a guarantee for clinching an arms deal with the island nation. A batch of five Sri Lankan pilots are being trained in Pakistan, while a Pakistani delegation led by former high commissioner Bashir Wali was in Colombo to help the nation's forces evolve a battle strategy against the Tamil insurgents. It has now been almost established that LTTE has three Zlin-143 aircraft and one Robinson-22 helicopter. The Tamil insurgents also possess two microlights, Sri Lankan media reports said. The Zlin-143 is a low-flying four-seat aircraft that has reportedly been modified as a two-seater to accommodate additional payload. The Tamil Tigers have also added improvised night-flying capability on these planes, they said. The Sri Lankans, on the other hand, lack an integrated air defence capability and plan to induct J-7 fighter jets or loan them from the Pakistan Air Force, the reports said. The J-7 (Jian-7) is a Chinese derivative of the Russian MiG-21 which serves as an interceptor. While Islamabad has decided not to loan its J-7 fighters to the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF), it is aiming at expediting a deal to sell 22 Al Zarar tanks to Sri Lanka in competition with Belarus and Ukraine, the reports said. LTTE suffers heavy casualties More than 500 Tamil Tigers were killed and a large number injured during the last four months in fierce fighting with government forces in the Wanni region, the military said while LTTE sources revealed several top Tiger leaders were killed during the past two days in Vavuniya and Killinochchi.“At least 541 rebels were killed during the last four month while 44 of our soldiers were also killed during the same period,” military Spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe told the Daily Mirror yesterday.These casualties were due to the heavy clashes between the government forces and the Tigers along the frontlines in the Mannar and Vavuniya districts, he said.Meanwhile, several top LTTE officials were reported killed in two separate incidents in the North over the weekend, LTTE sources told the Daily Mirror. Among those killed were rebels with the self proclaimed ranks of ‘Lieutenant Colonel’ and ‘Captain’. Following a confrontation between government troops and the LTTE in Vavuniya on Saturday ‘Lieutenant Colonel’ Appan, also known as Kuyilan, and 7 others were killed, LTTE sources said while claiming that a large number of government troops also perished in the attack.Meanwhile in what was believed to have been an accidental explosion in Killinochchi also on Saturday, a ‘Lieutenant Colonel’ and an unconfirmed number of rebel officials were either killed or injured, LTTE sources said. Journalist Athas's security removed on President's instructions It is being reported that senior journalist and Sunday Times defense columnist Iqubal Athas is being pressurized to reveal the sources that he receives information from.Director of the CID Nimal Kulatunga has asked him for the source which provided him with the information regarding his article published last week stating that the LTTE posses 10 light air crafts.Meanwhile the president has informed the relevant officials to take off the security provided to Athas saying that he is not having any security threats anymore.The journalist was given two commando soldiers for his security during the Kumaratunga regime due to the threats he received, but it did not stop him criticizing her defense theories and approaches. It should be mentioned however, no matter how much Athas criticized the former president she did not remove his security.Recently the CID also questioned the editor of the morning leader Sonali Samarasinghe for some articles she published and threatened that she would be presented before the courts if she does not reveal her source. Light Infantry Regiment gets new head Army Commander Sarath Fonseka has appointed Military Intelligence Director Amal Karunasekera as the Colonel (head) of the Light Infantry Regiment with immediate effect.Till Saturday the post was held by Major General, Daya Ratnayake, who played a key role in the recent successful military operations in the eastern region. The former military spokesman Ratnayake is currently the General Officer Command of 23 Division Headquarters.It is learnt Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had spoken to Maj. Gen. Ratnayake on hearing the latest development. Another record from President It is being reported that president Mahinda Rajapakse who has a habit of traveling around the world with gigantic delegations has taken a delegation of 92 with him to the G11 summit in Jordan.The delegation comprises of ministers Rohitha Bogollagama, Fowzie, G.L. Peries, Keheliya Rambukwella, Salinda Dissanayake, Mahinda Amaraweera, Susantha Punchinilame, Chief minister of the southern province Shan Wijayalal, Deputy ministers Fais Mustafa, C.A. Suriarachchi and 12 other officials. From the presidential secretariat secretary Lalith Weeratunga, A.H.M. Aswar and Sajin Vaas is included in the delegation.The first Lady, her doctor, three lady assistance for her, ten journalists, 8 from the foreign ministry and 10 other officials from various ministries have also been included in the delegation.It is also been reported that 22 businessmen are also included among them are 2 heads of beer companies, which makes the total number 92.The number is however expected to rise further as several officials are flying up and down to Jordan to obtain secret information regarding certain issues including the selling of some shares to a Malaysian company. $4.5-Million Dollar Home for Basil in California –source LankaWhistleBlower.blogspot.com Basil Rajapaksa Gotabaya Rajapakse Rajiv Gandhi: The Man with a Mission What comes to our mind when we think of a politician? Probably an old man, barely able to walk without support, clad in white starched dhoti-kurta with a pan in his mouth, floating a pair of leather chappals. Think again as it could sound clichéd. Rajiv Gandhi the most enigmatic and the youngest Prime Minister of India was quite different from the other political clout. He was privileged to be born to the most renowned political family of India. As a true Gandhian he possessed all the good leadership qualities. His grandeur and killing looks, his sensitivity and vision made him a class apart. Rajiv, brought along with him a bag full of expectations. He was the ninth Prime Minister of the country and the third from the Gandhi family. He was replacing his mother, Indira Gandhi, undoubtly the greatest mass leader of independent India. Rajiv like his mother believed in working at the grassroots level. Unlike today`s politicians who do more of drawing room politics Rajiv made it a point to reach the masses. He would go to the rural areas and interact with the people. He had to his advantage the fact that he was Indira Gandhi`s son and that he was considered Mr Clean. Though his legacy is debatable, his intentions and sense of purpose are not. He inspired hope of a better tomorrow. While Indira was a socialist, Rajiv encouraged a freer economy. He improved bilateral relations with the United States and expanded economic and scientific cooperation. Rajiv Gandhi`s tenure saw both durable transformation along with some shortcomings and errors. It is believed that the bad deeds people do lives after them; the good is often interred with their bones. But let us leave it to history to decide on these errors. On his 16th death anniversary let us not give him a customary tribute. Going by today`s culture, appreciating Rajiv`s achievements should not look as a mere polite ritual. Despite the opponents trying to demean him the fact remains that Rajiv Gandhi was a leader with a vision. During the early phase of his tenure he took some very important steps. He has the credit of bringing Mizo National Front Chief Laldenga into the mainstream in Mizoram; getting Hiteshwar Saikia to resign so that Assam Accord could move forward; the short-lived Punjab Accord with Sant Longowal and not to forget the call for elections in Punjab in 1985 despite knowing that the Akalis would have a clean sweep. Rajiv Gandhi led Congress to its greatest victory in the Lok Sabha elections in 1984, winning about 80 percent of the seats. He became the Prime Minister at the age of 40. Rajiv identified himself with the youth of the country. He initiated in lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years. He wanted the youth of the country to have a more active participation in democracy. He believed that unless the youth were given more opportunities nothing much could be achieved. Rajiv was a young icon, thrust into politics without any anticipation and largely untutored. He was hardworking and devoted to his work. His initiatives were often met with hostility. But what made them successful was that his initiatives had a personal touch. He often took decisions on his instincts and wisdom despite political opposition. Rajiv took part in every step of the decision-making process. He gave personal inputs in major decisions taken by the government. The technology missions that meant long term gain for India were his creation. His missions always catered to the needs of the hour. Rajiv`s visions bore fruits in the times to come. He stressed the need for proper drinking water facilities, an issue that still remains important. He laid special emphasis to literacy and education. Operation Blackboard and the Navodaya Vidyalayas are his brainchild. He also has the credit of making Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan successful. He made a genuine attempt to clean the Ganga, but couldn`t get past the corrupt system. Rajiv was brutally honest to admit that about 16% of the real development benefits reached the poor. To improve this system he remodeled and empowered panchayats as the first tier of democracy. These panchayats were given the authority to take decisions and work for the community. Though his vision has not yielded fruitful results but the fact remains that around three million elected representatives across India, one million of whom are women is the result of his efforts. The winter of 1988 witnessed one of the most passionate efforts of Rajiv that gave Indian democracy a new meaning. At a time when he was attacked from all corners on the Bofors issue he was busy in his meetings with district magistrates. He conducted an extensive meeting with thousands of elected representatives from panchayats across the country in Talkatora stadium. This brought about a significant change in the mindset in the governance of the country. The present period is known as the Information Technology era. Big multinationals like Infosys, TCS, Wipro have changed the lives of many Indians. They have earned India not only billions of dollars but international respect as well. Today we can boast of Bangalore as a global IT hub. This could only be possible because of a decision taken by Rajiv Gandhi in 1985; to facilitate a Texas Instruments satellite earth-station for a software facility. Rajiv Gandhi can be called the father of telecom revolution. His efforts created MTNL in 1986 and the public call offices, better known as PCOs, helped spread telephones in the rural areas. The work that he did then laid the foundation for a telecom boom in 1990s. It was during Rajiv`s tenure that the groundwork for India`s economic reforms was laid. The 1985-86, 1986-87 budgets were the stepping stones to liberalization. He was responsible in cutting down key import duties and taxes on profits and began the process of deregulation. This led to an export boom and high growth rates. It was during this time that the debilitating License Raj was affirmed. Rajiv has immense credit to his name. He worked towards reducing red tapism in the governance and freeing administration from bureaucratic tangles. He used an Army campaign against the militants in Punjab. On the international arena he took some very important steps with good intensions but they backfired. Rajiv initiated peace between the Sri Lankan government and LTTE rebels. According to the accord signed in 1987, the LTTE would disarm to the Indian Peace Keeping Force that was sent to Sri Lanka. But things went wrong and open fighting broke out between LTTE and the Indian soldiers. Around thousand Indian soldiers lost their lives and Rajiv had to pull back the forces from Sri Lanka. This was his major diplomatic failure. The Bofors case along with these failures led him to lose the 1989 general elections. A coalition government was subsequently formed but could not last long. This led to the call for general elections in 1991. On the fateful day of May 21, 1991 Rajiv Gandhi was campaigning in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu when an LTTE suicide bomber Thenmuli Rajaratnam also known as Dhanu assassination him. There was a thunderstorm in Rajiv`s constituency Amethi, that day. Might be the loss was so much that nature too could not control itself. His death was the end to a visionary who had many things to offer to his motherland. But due to some fanatics he left us. It is a loss that cannot be compensated yet we all can pledge to keep up some of the good work that he did for the nation. Let us all keep faith in democracy the way he always wanted. This will be a befitting tribute to a true son of the motherland. 20 May 2007 Keep Madhu area free of battle, urges Mannar Bishop Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph called on both government security forces and the LTTE to refrain from engaging in battle in the sacred area of the Madhu Church taking in to consideration the upcoming church feast.“The army is trying to take control of the area but we object to bloodshed. Such action might destroy infrastructure of the shrine. Shelling and bombing are likely to take place. This is a area where there is a shrine. It is not like taking over a Fort,” the Bishop said. The LTTE, which has its own checkpoints and FDL on the Madhu Road, has expressed willingness to open the road that will give access to the shrine during the feast. The nine day novena commences on June 23 and culminates with the July 2 feast. The Army closed the road to Madhu after the August feast last year.LTTE gave its assurance, to open the road, to Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph through its Political Wing Leader Political Wing Leader S.P.Thamilselvan, in Kilinochchi, last Saturday. The Mannar Bishop is expected to meet the Wanni Security Forces Commander shortly and seek a similar assurance.“When the LTTE opens the road, the army closes it and when the army opens it, the LTTE closes it,” Bishop Rayappu Joseph said. The Mannar Bishop also called on the two parties to negotiate instead of fighting, with the aim of taking control of this sacred area.“If these negotiations between the LTTE and the military succeed, the good will could become a platform for political negotiations between the government and the LTTE for a solution to the national issue,” Bishop of Mannar said. The LTTE has given an assurance to Bishop Joseph that they are willing to open the Madhu Road for the Novenas and the feast. Bishop Rayappu Joseph met S.P. Thamilselvan last Saturday in Kilinochchi.He also plans to obtain an appointment with the Security Forces Commander in Wanni to seek a similar assurance. Monk points finger at state for Morawewa Thero's murder A Buddhist monk in Morawewa has alleged the involvement of several state officials in the assassination of chief monk of the Pabbatharama Viharaya, Morawewa, Ven. Handungamuwe Nandarathana Thero last Sunday. Chief incumbent of Morawewa Sri Gajaba Gallen Rajamaha Viharaya, Ven. Kalutara Somarathana Thero observed that although investigations have revealed the real assassins of Ven. Nandarathana Thero, the probe was currently at a standstill due to pressure from higher authorities. The Thero told The Sunday Leader that the LTTE was not involved in the assassination and that it was carried out by people known well by Ven. Nandarathana Thero. "How can the government say the LTTE killed the Thero when LTTE activities in this area has been reduced by 95%. It is unfair to make such a statement. Also, the assassins were known to the Thero," he said. "How can the government or anyone claim it was the LTTE when investigations were in the initial stages?" the Thero questioned. According to the Thero, informed sources have revealed to him that the investigation could no longer proceed as the President had declared the LTTE to be the assassins. "So now even if the investigations have proven otherwise, they say they cannot proceed with it. It is unfair as the real assassins are free. The officers investigating have not been given the order to proceed with the investigation," the Thero said. Ven. Somarathana Thero explained that on the day of the assassination, Ven. Nandarathana Thero was on his bike getting ready to visit the Thaulwewa army camp when two motorcycles approached him at the temple. "Ven. Nandarathana Thero had looked at those who were on the bikes and said, 'Ah, good that you came.' Do these words not say that the Thero knew his assailants," he asked. According to Ven. Somarathana Thero, the assassinated monk had earlier written a letter on the threats to his life by several people including another monk and several laymen, but there was no mention of any threat from the LTTE. "Ven. Nandarathana Thero was criticised by some for his actions. He always tried to bridge the gap between races. He also took the initial step of ordaining a Tamil youth, many criticised this. Many accused him of being an LTTE sympathiser," Ven. Somarathana Thero said. He also observed that some internet pages have carried stories accusing Ven. Nandarathana Thero of being an LTTE sympathiser and had accused him of attending a Pongu Thamil festival as well. "The LTTE has not claimed responsibility for the assassination and has said the monk worked for the betterment of the people irrespective of class or creed," Ven. Somarathana Thero said. Ven. Somarathana Thero also said that he was in possession of the letter written by Ven. Nandarathana Thero on the threat to his life and that he would present it to the police for investigation. "Ven. Nandarathana Thero always fought for what was right and was always with the people trying to bridge the gap between the races," Ven. Somarathana Thero said. Two half burnt bodies found Two half burnt bodies were found dumped on the wayside along the Malwana road in Pahuruwila, Dompe, early yesterday, police said. The two bodies had not been identified yet.Dompe Police said that both bodies were blind folded. The hands of one the victim were bound. Police said that both bodies did not have any clothing except for undergarments. The police assume the vicitims would have been in the thirties. The two bodies had been dumped on the side of the road near a paddy field and police believe that they would have been dumped there after being killed and burnt at another location. CWC rejects SLFP proposals The Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) said yesterday that a solution based on a unitary state would not solve the country's ethnic conflict. CWC Vice President R. Yogarajan told The Sunday Leader that the majority of the people had accepted a federal solution to the ethnic issue and added that the government's move for a unitary state would not be acceptable. "This was the case even during Chandrika Kumaratunga's and Ranil Wickremesinghe's period. Nearly 85% of the people voted for a federal solution. In this background, the CWC feels that the government's decision to stick to a unitary state and offer district councils would not solve the ethnic conflict," he said. He stated that the government was continuing to stick to a unitary state to satisfy the JVP and the JHU. "The government will never succeed in satisfying the Tamils if it is only trying to satisfy parties like the JVP and the JHU," he added. Sri Lankan sleuths in Male to grill Tiger suspects Top Sri Lankan intelligence sleuths yesterday launched a full probe in Male on the new route used by the LTTE to smuggle weapons through Maldivian waters, a diplomat said.The five Sri Lankan detectives last evening met top Maldivian National Security officers after the Maldivian government gave permission for the Lankan sleuths to interrogate the suspects taken in after a gun-running vessel was nabbed and sunk by the Maldivian coastguard on Thursday, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner Mohamed Ali Farook said.An Indian crew member and four Sri Lankans detained after the vessel was sunk have been brought to the capital Male for interrogation. Mr. Farook told The Sunday Times that the Sri Lankan detectives would have full access to the evidence uncovered so far by Maldivian security officers. Red Cross denies missing of ambulances The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the two ambulances donated by the Italian Embassy to the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health (MoH) are presently in the safe-keeping of the Italian Red Cross in Colombo. The Italian Embassy donated the two fully equipped mobile medical units to the Ministry of Health, specifically for use in the Batticaloa district. Under an agreement with the MoH, the vehicles will be used in the foreseeable future by the Italian Red Cross medical team in Batticaloa and Vakarai to provide essential services to the population of the district. The ambulances were cleared through Customs on March 20 this year. They will remain in Colombo until the required permits are received from the government to equip both vehicles with the necessary radio communication equipment required under Red Cross security rules. As soon as the radio equipment are installed, the two ambulances will be sent to Batticaloa. TNA charges SLA-backed paramilitary for killings in Vavuniya "Until Sri Lanka Army (SLA)-backed paramilitary Tamil groups are disarmed there is no salvation for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. Therefore the SL President and his security establishment should come forward immediately to guarantee the security of Tamil people," said S.Vino Noharathalingam,TELO MP for Va:n:ni district and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, in a statement describing the current volatile situation in Va:n:ni district. Mr Noharathalingam further said in his press statement:Extortion, abduction and killings are being carried out in Vavu:niya district daily by paramilitary groups working in collaboration with State armed forces, according to information and statements made regarding these violent incidents. However, the culprits are roaming freely because the affected persons are reluctant to name those involved in the crime due to fear for their lives. The SLA and Sri Lanka Police are not taking action to arrest these offenders stating that the affected have not come forward to name the culprits. This action provides a cover to the offenders and allow them to operate with impunity. It is possible to make Vavu:niya a peaceful zone once the paramilitary groups are disarmed, the statement said. Govt. assures no forcible resettlement Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services, Rishad Bathiutheen has assured that the government will not resort to forced resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The Minister also expressed his confidence that at least 90% of about 38,000 IDPs in Batticaloa will be resettled by May 24. The government on May 14 launched a programme to return tens of thousands of displaced people to their homes in Batticaloa that was under LTTE control until recently. “We will adhere to the international standards in our resettlement procedure; at no instance will we attempt to forcibly resettle IDPs. The displaced families expressed their willingness in going back to their original homes when I personally visited the areas where the IDPs are currently camped in,” Minister Bathiutheen told The Nation yesterday. Meanwhile, visiting UNHCR Representative Amin Awad was in Batticaloa on Monday to witness the first movements of the IDPs and talk with senior government officials and local authorities on the return and reintegration plans. Subsequent to his inspection in Batticaloa, “The returns are voluntary and in line with international protection standards. However, we do caution that attention should be given to categories of people with special needs and urge the government to continue the step-by-step phased approach, upholding international standards and ensuring that return will continue to be voluntary under any circumstances and at all times.”A ration pack, kitchen utensils and other basic necessities have been provided to the IDPs for their sustenance on arrival at their place of origin from the welfare centres. Wells in the villages are being cleaned to ensure clean drinking water to the IDPs. Plans are afoot to provide basic items such as fishing gears, mammoties, agricultural related items, seed materials, fertilizers, agro chemicals for the IDPs to start their day to day activities. A security clearance has also been obtained from the relevant authority, before resettling the IDPs to the effect that the area planned for resettlement is free of land mines. LTTE Sympathy To Erode Over Fishermen Abductions The bizarre drama unfolded in March when the fishermen who had set out from Kanyakumari to stay put in the sea failed to return home even after weeks, sparking alarm in their families who sought help from the authorities to trace them. The same month, Tamil Nadu was enveloped in protests over the killings of five fishermen from the state, with most political parties blaming the Sri Lanka Navy for their deaths in the sea at the hands of men from a vessel called Maria. Early in April, the Coast Guard caught six cadres of the LTTE's Sea Tigers off Tamil Nadu and handed them over to the police after dramatically sighting the Maria floating in the sea sans any occupant. In revelations that shocked Tamil Nadu and the Indian establishment, the arrested men confessed that it were the Tamil Tigers who had not only shot dead the five fishermen but also kidnapped the dozen men who had gone missing -- in two separate incidents. The guerrillas - whose confessions were videoed - said that another group of Sea Tigers involved in smuggling weapons ended up killing the five Tamil Nadu fishermen when the latter picked up a row with the rebels thinking they were Sri Lankan fishermen. One of the arrested Sea Tigers also stated that he had seen the abducted Indian fishermen in LTTE territory. Officials gave credit to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for giving the police a free hand to deal with the latest crisis, quite unlike in 1989-91 when his government was dismissed for overlooking similar activities of the LTTE. The abducted fishermen have stated that they suffered while in LTTE custody, were moved from one place to another and threatened with death if they tried to escape. One of them was asked to sail with a group of Tigers who got hit near the Maldives. Eventually, the remaining 11 men were taken to the sea and transferred on to two Indian fishing boats Friday when it became clear that the Tigers' complicity in the saga could no more be denied. The LTTE, which has used Tamil Nadu since the early 1980s in its armed campaign against Sri Lanka, is known to have commandeered Indian fishing boats earlier too. But it is the first time it ended up seizing and holding Indian fishermen this long. Navy’s Chief of Staff retires Rear Admiral Nandana Thuduwewatte, Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy, is retiring from service on May 21, ending a successful career spanning 36 years during which time he held numerous prestigious and important positions throughout the Navy. Having joined the Navy in 1971, Rear Admiral Thuduwewatte rose to the post of Chief of Staff in October 2006. Prior to that, he commanded several key operational areas of the Navy. These included Commander of the Northern Naval Area, Commander of the Western Naval Area and Director of Naval Operations.He was awarded twelve medals during his career for service, merit and campaigns, including the Rana Soora Padakkama (RSP) twice.Rear Admiral Thuduwewatte served as Vice Chancellor (Commandant) of the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy, Sri Lanka’s only defence University, for a period of three years. During this time, he guided the moulding of junior and senior officers of the army, navy and air force in defence study at the Bachelors and Masters degree levels. Earlier, during his career, he served as Commandant of the Sri Lanka Naval Academy in Trincomalee.He is a specialist navigator and is a graduate of the prestigious national Defence College of India, and holds a Masters degree in Defence Study.He is an executive committee member of the Natianal Olympic Committee and has participated in the administration of national sports teams at International events such as the 2000 Olympics and the 1998 Asian Games. The dilemma of the Rajapaksa regime Instead of offering adequate devolution of power to the minorities from a position of strength and winning over international confidence and support, the Rajapaksa regime appears hell bent on conceding nothing, hoping that a military annihilation of the LTTE would be the ‘be all and end all’ of the conflict. And, that is wishful thinking indeed. It could be said now – with the benefit of hindsight of course – that Ranil Wickremesinghe was the complete opposite of Rajapaksa in this respect. He was content to concede almost any demand the LTTE made from him, provided the terrorists agreed to pay lip service to peace and keep the south free of war There are two ways of looking at the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. And that, in a sense, is the very dilemma this regime faces – no one in authority appears to be capable of reading between the lines.If one were an insider looking out, the outlook appears to be extremely rosy and Mahinda Rajapaksa appears to be king – unchallenged, unperturbed and unassailable; in the near future at least.And why not? The President still has the nostalgic charm of the gamey miniha, he wins friends and influences people easily enough, the war is on in earnest and the opposition –bless them – is so divided that most of the government stalwarts are now from the major opposition party. A Rajapaksa reign for a dozen years looks imminent, according to this reading of the situation. But if you were one of his critics, the opposite may be true. The terrorist threat has escalated to the point where there are surprise air raids on key installations in the south, the human rights watchdogs are barking like they never did before, the cost of living is skyrocketing and the government is saddled with over 100 ministers, all of whom have to be kept happy to keep the numbers in parliament intact – a banana republic in the making, you would think.So, what is the reality? Is doomsday around the corner when the entire country would collapse in a heap or would Mahinda Rajapaksa vanquish Velupillai Prabhakaran and emerge as a modern day Dutugemunu (with apologies to Dr. Mervyn de Silva, of course!)?That the opposition is divided enough so as not to seriously challenge Rajapaksa is clear. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the opposition’s long-time leader who now spends more time out of the country than in it, is light years away from garnering all the slumbering forces that are required to fight together to fashion a government of its own.But Sri Lankan democracy works in curious ways, ways with which Ranil Wickremesinghe is all too familiar with. Previously, during the tenure of Chandrika Kumaratunga, he carved out a government from virtually nowhere by orchestrating a defection from government ranks. That snowballed into a government which ran for a short while on borrowed Janatha Vimukthi Permauna (JVP) support, something that Kumaratunga, always a JVP-hater, couldn’t stomach. That led to a general election and the rest is history. The latest furore over Mangala Samaraweera appears to have ignited hopes in many a United National Party (UNP) supporter and it is no secret that the UNP earnestly wishes for the controversy to continue. Samaraweera’s refusal to take oaths as irrigation minister could only fan more fires in the UNP camp.But that refusal must be an eye opener for President Rajapaksa as well, underscoring that all is not well within the government either. Rajapaksa would have seen for himself how trusted Kumaratunga loyalists – Nimal Siripala de Silva and Maithripala Sirisena, for instance – turned into Rajapaksa acolytes overnight, once they figured the balance of power was shifting. It could happen again, which is why the President could be pardoned for being extra cautious in his political decisions.There are, however, other thorny issues that need to be redressed, which sadly isn’t becoming a reality. A sincere political solution to the ethnic crisis is a must if the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is to be prosecuted to a finish.Instead of offering adequate devolution of power to the minorities from a position of strength and winning over international confidence and support, the Rajapaksa regime appears hell bent on conceding nothing, hoping that a military annihilation of the LTTE would be the ‘be all and end all’ of the conflict. And, that is wishful thinking indeed. It could be said now – with the benefit of hindsight of course – that Ranil Wickremesinghe was the complete opposite of Rajapaksa in this respect. He was content to concede almost any demand the LTTE made from him, provided the terrorists agreed to pay lip service to peace and keep the south free of war.That strategy cost Wickremesinghe the presidential election but it is interesting to note that Prabhakaran in fact preferred Rajapaksa being elected president and feared that Wickremesinghe would win – hence the enforced voter boycott in the north and east.The lesson that must be learnt is that Prabhakaran prefers a warmongering president, not a peace seeking one, and Rajapaksa – by his refusal to back his military campaign with a meaningful package of devolution that does not extend beyond district level autonomy – is painting himself as just that.The government has also – at least in the short-term – proved incompetent in handling the economy. The issue of the rising cost-of-living affects not only those in the border villages or the select few who are victims of terrorism, it cuts across all strata. The government’s lackadaisical attitude towards dealing with economic woes may well cost the Rajapaksa government dearly when it next faces the polls, even if it were to be a general election.As President, Mahinda Rajapaksa has a lot of baggage to carry. He is beholden to a whole spectrum of political opinions – from the Eelam People’s Democratic Party and the Ceylon Workers’ Congress to the JVP and the Jathika Hela Urumaya – for his parliamentary support.Some of his own party men are battling him from within. Then there is a lot of arm-twisting from the international community which he has to grin and bear. All this could only mean that the President has to learn on the job – and much, much more quickly than he would have liked to! City hotels in crisis as occupancy nose-dives With Sri Lanka’s battered tourism industry plunging into an abyss of despair and uncertainty following the LTTE air threat, Colombo city’s luxury hotels are in the throes of an unprecedented crisis amidst a sharp dip in occupancy and mounting overheads and operational costs."We are devastated", a key hotelier bemoaned. "This kidney punch has floored us".Tourist hotels with 300 plus rooms are the worst hit because, whether there are guests or not, the huge infrastructure should be maintained at tremendous cost, he explained."With soaring overheads, this is a formidable task", the hotelier complained. "We have hit rock-bottom".One five-star hotel in the city had kept two floors temporarily closed to cut down on ballooning operational costs, industry sources said. "There was no option".A bigger room inventory obviously adds to the cost factor as servicing them demand a considerable workforce, the sources elaborated. "Rooms may be kept closed, but they have to be consistently maintained",A Colombo hotel, popular amongst business clients and visitors mainly from the SAARC region, said occupancy has plunged to about 38% from an average of 80%-85% enjoyed before the LTTE air threat emerged."We are fortunate to have at least this level of occupancy", an official said. "Most of the other big hotels are scraping the barrel".Certain city hotels are desperately trying to woo local tourists by offering incredibly low room rates with breakfast also thrown in gratis. The five-star Trans Asia Colombo is offering a weekend package to Sri Lankans and Resident Visa Holders at Rs. 5,500 nett per double room (around US$ 60) and a single room at Rs. 5,000 nett (around US$ 55) with free breakfast at Summerfields Café.As a bonanza, those who stay for two nights get one more free of charge. Under this package, guests will be entitled to a 15% discount on food and beverages at all restaurants, 25% discount at the Wellness Centre and a 20% discount on in-house laundry.Another Colombo hotel which tried out a similar package for locals at Rs. 3,500 nett in April had to abandon it as the response was poor."People who can afford these packages, even at the drastically reduced rates, have plush homes in Colombo or suburbs", a hotel official said. "If it meant travelling outside Colombo, it’s a different story, but who would want to spend the night in a city hotel?"With stepped up security in the city, night life is also a total write off as people now fear to venture out, he pointed out. "This has ruined business in that segment also as night clubs, restaurants and bars are virtually empty"."Security precautions are essential", industry officials underscored. "But abrupt road closures to facilitate VIP travel makes life more miserable as even a foreigner is not allowed to step out of his hotel".What’s the plight of foreign tourists trying to catch a flight trapped in a sudden road closure in the city?, they asked. "Do you think they will ever come back to Sri Lanka?" Industry officials also claimed that a request to position an anti-aircraft gun atop the roof of a city hotel was turned down by the management."It was politely declined as a tourist hotel is perhaps the last place that can be allowed to be used as a gun position", they asserted.Visits by foreign NGO officials dropping drastically due to newly-introduced visa restrictions have also contributed to low occupancy levels in certain city hotels, industry sources said."These foreigners working for NGOs had their own choice of hotels to stay in Sri Lanka".A Sri Lankan who accompanied a friend to lunch at a city five-star hotel restaurant last Tuesday said he was shocked to see only two Asian tourists apart from a dozen locals who were attending a discussion at the venue."I was told by a hotel official that two floors had to be temporarily closed as occupancy has nose-dived", he said.In other key tourist destinations such as Negombo, Kandy and the south also the situation is equally bad as travel advisories by many foreign countries continue to discourage their citizens from visiting Sri Lanka, industry sources noted."We are offering packages to locals in a bid to at least cover costs and keep head above the water", a hotelier said."Prior to the LTTE air raids, we managed to organise some special tour packages primarily from Germany and UK at cut rates, but now nobody is willing to take the risk of coming to Sri Lanka, industry sources said. The unprofessional manner in which foreign tourists were handled at the BIA during LTTE air intrusions also received a bad Press, they said."This factor exacerbated the situation as a group of 100 Belgian visitors also went through this nightmare", the sources asserted. "Their nasty experience spread like wild fire".The night closure of the international airport also contributed towards the build-up of a fear psychosis, they pointed out. In terms of security, there may be no other option, but then it also drives home the fact that there is a sense of insecurity all around, they said. Balance of power, imperative to work towards sustainable solution - Thamilchelvan Full text of the interview follows: TamilNet: Talks in the past were held in an environment of military balance of power between the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka. However, the South’s current military aggression appears to be exploiting the West’s assumption that only a weakened-LTTE will be prepared to compromise on its political stand. Can you comment? Thamilchelvan: This is total fallacy. Since the time of independence in 1948, Tamil people took part in many negotiations to reach at agreements with the Sri Lankan Government. The armed struggle was born as a result of successive Sri Lankan Governments abrogating several such agreements, and continued ethnically motivated killing. Armed struggle born as self defense shattered the confidence of the Sinhala leaders that Tamils cannot be beaten militarily, and brought them to the talks. Therefore, only when Tamils are strong, there is a chance that the Sinhala leadership will come forward for a negotiated solution. The latest peace talks too occurred under such circumstances. This latest tactic by the Government of Sri Lanka is also to persuade the international community to help subdue the Tamil people and commit ethnic genocide against them. LTTE and the Tamil people under no circumstances will come to the table in a position of political and military weakness. TamilNet: South has rejected one key principle of Thimpu talks, the concept of Tamil homeland. The world powers also seem to experiment if the the Government of Sri Lanka is capable of creating conditions for peace talks under such environment. What is your view of this approach? Thamilchelvan: Sinhala leadership ought to develop a profound understanding of the aspirations and the demands of the Tamil people. Tamil people have put forward their rights for the last several decades. They took up the armed struggle for a separate state only when their demands were consistently rejected. This is the reality. Therefore, it is only when the Sinhala leadership respects the Tamil people's rights and proposes a just solution, there is a chance for moving towards an agreement. But, the ruling Sinhala elite continues to put forward unacceptable solutions that aim to exercise power over the Tamil people and maintain subservience. These acts are frustrating the Tamil people and are destroying their confidence in a negotiated solution. The latest proposal, which is the same as the one rejected and defeated by the Tamil people thirty years ago, makes it abundantly clear that the Sinhala leadership still balking at proposing a just solution. Through these actions Sinhala leadership is destroying any remnants of hopes the Tamil people have in a peaceful solution. TamilNet: Colombo is attempting to impress upon the international community that its war is a "war on terrorism" to justify its military "needs". International community "appears" to be supporting this. This approach can also be viewed as an attempt to apply pressure on the LTTE. What do you like to tell those who think this approach will succeed in bringing about a solution? Thamilchelvan: While the International community relies on the Sinhala leadership to take forward the peace process, Sinhala leaders have repeatedly failed to make use of the many opportunities to resolve the ethnic conflict, and has instead adopted tactics to carry out genocide against the Tamils. Sri Lankan Government is attempting to exploit the changed environment in the international scene and tarnish the Tamil people's struggle as a phenomenon of international terrorism to undermine the struggle’s moral validity. It is distressing to the Tamil people that the international community is indirectly giving support to the Sri Lankan Government that is committing ethnic genocide. International community through the involvement in the peace process during the last five years clearly knows that the Sri Lankan Government has never been ready to provide a reasonable solution to the Tamil people. Sri Lankan Government has through many attempts destroyed the foundations of the peace talks and eliminated all efforts towards peace. This good foundation for peace was laid after a long time with the facilitation of the Norwegian Government. It resulted in the signing of a ceasefire agreement. The Sri Lankan Government has destroyed this ceasefire agreement and poisoned the climate of peace. While this remains the reality, it is futile for the international community to apply pressure on the Tamils. This has encouraged the Sinhala Government to intensify its ethnic genocide. The recent banning of the LTTE in Canada and the European Union has only encouraged the Sri Lankan Government to pursue a military solution. The expectations of the Tamil people are that the international community will pressure the Sri Lankan Government to pursue peace, and will act to bring justice to the Tamil people. TamilNet: What should the Sri Lankan Government do to convince you of its bona fides in pursuing peace? Thamilchelvan: If there is to be a solution to the ethnic conflict then the genocidal war on the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan Government must first end. Extrajudicial killing and disappearances of the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan Government forces must come to an end. The restrictions on travel by Tamils and economic blockade must be removed. The human misery caused by the militarization must end. The war must be halted and a peaceful environment must be created. In my view, the full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire agreement (CFA) reached by both sides with the assistance of the international community is the most suitable path to achieve this. TamilNet: Do you think the International powers, by not applying pressure to abandon Sri Lanka Government’s war efforts, are indirectly supporting the war? Thamilchelvan: Definitely. Some of the decisions taken by the international community, trusting that the Sri Lankan Government will act in a certain way have indeed encouraged the Sri Lankan Government to act in exact opposition to what was expected. These decisions have resulted in Colombo intensifying the war. The decisions to ban in various countries, and some of the actions to restrict the political work of the LTTE, are interpreted by the Sri Lankan Government as endorsing its military approach. The international community has created the view that it is supporting Colombo’s war. I think the international community, by realizing this and by recognizing the Tamil people's struggle for their rights and by coming forward to support that struggle, can create a situation conducive for negotiations. TamilNet: Will gentle pressures and democratic methods useful, when past successive governments have only tried to search for a solution within its constitution? Thamilchelvan: The truth is that successive Sri Lankan Governments have conducted in various ways a genocidal war on the Tamil people. It implemented many oppressive laws and laws to deny their basic rights. It is these actions that lead the Tamil people to lose confidence and forced them to conclude that they can no longer live with the Sinhala nation. As long as the members of the majority Sinhala community hold views that are ethnically biased they will continue to vote against Tamil demands. They are continuing to adopt a stance that is also oppressive to the Muslim people. Therefore, only a solution that respects all the nations and ethnicities will make peace possible. Further, no acceptable solution can be found under the parameters of the current constitution. In recent times, in many countries, many ethnicities have been respected for their uniqueness and their rights; solutions have been put forward resulting in peaceful solutions to ethnic conflicts. The genocidal war of the Sri Lankan Government that has failed to recognize these developments cannot be the path to find a solution. In my view a solution can be found with the efforts of the international community only if it accepts the balance of power of the two sides. TamilNet: When will the violence end? Thamilchelvan: When the ideals of peace, self-respect, rights, and freedom respected in the civilized world as essentials for the betterment of the human race are accepted. When, on this basis a just and honorable solution is reached for the Tamil people who have been subjected to oppression and Tamils gain the confidence that they too can live in freedom and with self respect. That day will mark the emergence of two peaceful, individually strong and economically powerful nations in this island. International community must understand this reality and take constructive steps to bring the Sri Lankan Government back to the path of peace. 19 May 2007 U.N. seeks access for needy in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka - The United Nations expressed concern Friday at the plight of hundreds of thousands of people displaced by rising violence in Sri Lanka and called for increased access to the needy and security for humanitarian workers.The comment from Tony Banbury Asia Director for World Food Program came as a resurgence in violence between government forces and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels killed nearly 5,000 people in the past 18 months and seriously undermined an internationally backed cease-fire."I am very concerned by the deterioration of the humanitarian situation as a result of the resurgence in the conflict, " WFP quoted Banbury as saying. "I am especially concerned about the impact of the conflict on civilians, many of whom have now been displaced multiple times by the fighting."Banbury called for increased access for humanitarian workers to areas affected most and security.Aid workers have often being targeted for violence in Sri Lanka and the August 2006 execution-style killing of 17 local staff of Action Against Hunger drew widespread international outcry.Authorities have still not identified the killers.Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's military said soldiers and Tamil rebels clashed in the north and east, and at least seven insurgents were killed.Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said two rebels were killed after firing at navy troops on Kayts, a small island off Sri Lanka's northern coast.On Thursday, army soldiers killed five insurgents, he said, as the military tried to clear rebels from one of their last redoubts in eastern Sri Lanka, an area known as the Thoppigala.Samarasinghe said soldiers recovered five bodies and automatic rifles.No immediate comment was available from the rebels, who routinely dispute government accounts of battles. The Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority, a predominantly Hindu ethnic group that has faced decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese, who are predominantly Buddhist and dominate the government and military.More than 65,000 people were killed before a 2002 cease-fire temporarily quelled the fighting.About 20 rebels were killed earlier this week in two days of fighting around the village of Madu, about 135 miles northwest of Colombo, official have said. But the rebels have insisted only two insurgents died.The government has also stepped up its effort to keep the Tigers from using their reportedly vast and well-financed international weapons procurement network from shipping in supplies.Sri Lankan officials have also asked neighboring countries, namely India and the Maldives, to stop rebel freighters, and Maldivian officials said Thursday its coast guard had sunk one such ship.Maldives government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said a suspected rebel boat was sunk and its crew of five captured after a 10-hour standoff near the archipelago nation of 1,200 islands about 460 miles southwest of Sri Lanka. One crewmember told Maldivian authorities the boat had been hijacked and was carrying weapons and ammunition for the Tigers, he said.The Tigers denied the boat was theirs. Peace Mag. editor disappeared in Colombo Wijaya Kanthan, the former editor of a well known Tamil Peace publication 'Samadana Nokku' has been abducted by an unknown gang in hub of Colombo yesterday. He has been working in Center for Policy Alternatives previously. The abduction has occurred while he was travelling from CEDEC organisation to Borella. Wijaya Kanthan has worked with slain scholar Kethishwarn Loganathan and worked hard to make peace process a success. His wife has complained to the Borella police about this disappearance. 'Abducted' Indian fishermen return Our experience is that an internal dispute cannot be solved through military means-China Minister of the Chinese Communist Party's international department Chang Jiang has said China knows that a country's internal matters cannot be solved by military means but could be only solved only through negotiations.The Chinese minister made this observation when he met with Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe during the UNP leaders visit to China.Minister Jiang who pointed out that his party has loads of experience dealing with ethnic conflicts said that a dispute like in Sri Lanka could be solved only through a current and a relevant approach. He stressed that a high level of discipline and commitment is also required for the purpose.Speaking on behalf of the party Wickremesinghe said that the UNP is always committed for a negotiated solution that satisfies the needs of all communities. Tamil leader denies funding terrorist group The head of an organization that is suspected of funding the Tamil Tigers terrorist group has testified that he considers the Tigers "freedom fighters" and he supports their "activities that would benefit the people." But he denied that his organization, the World Tamil Movement, has sent money to the Sri Lankan guerillas.In Quebec Court testimony that concluded yesterday, Kathiravelupillai Sithamparanathan, the 84-year-old president of the World Tamil Movement's Montreal office, acknowledged attending a 2004 workshop in Sri Lanka organized by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers.Mr. Sithamparanathan said he could not refuse the Tigers' invitation to attend a Seminar for Foreign Activists during a trip to his native Sri Lanka in July 2004. "They wanted to meet me because they were impressed that a person my age was doing many things ... to help my community here," he said through an interpreter. He acknowledged that on one day of the seminar he was given the honour of hoisting the red Tamil Tiger flag, which features a snarling tiger over two crossed rifles. "Many people forced me to do that, and I couldn't refuse," he said.The testimony came as the RCMP sought court approval to keep for another year materials seized during an April, 2006, raid on World Tamil Movement offices in Montreal while its investigation continues. The RCMP has alleged in an affidavit that the Montreal organization strong-arms local Tamils to fund the LTTE, which Canada listed as a terrorist organization last year. No charges have been laid yet.Normally police are able to withhold seized material for up to a year without laying charges, but a judge can approve an extension if the complexity of the investigation warrants it. The World Tamil Movement is contesting the request for an extension. A similar extension was recently granted for a parallel investigation into World Tamil Movement operations in Toronto. The court heard evidence that the Montreal office of the World Tamil Movement, which bills itself as a cultural organization, was filled with Tiger paraphernalia. In one of the main rooms, a large portrait of LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran dominated one wall, a large stuffed tiger sat atop a television and the Tamil Tiger flag stood next to the Quebec and Canadian flags.Mr. Sithamparanathan said video cassettes at his group's office on Van Horne Avenue contained only songs about Sri Lanka. But the Crown later entered into evidence photos of some of the material seized, which included one film about Mr. Prabhakaran titled Battle History of the Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and another celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Sea Tigers, the LTTE's naval component.A photo was also produced showing Mr. Sithamparanathan placing the Tiger flag over the body of a deceased community member at a funeral last January. Asked about his view of Mr. Prabhakaran, the witness called him "a freedom fighter" who is "organizing a struggle to win the rights of the people in Sri Lanka." Asked whether the World Tamil Movement supports the LTTE, he replied: "Actions that would benefit people, the right actions, yes." Court releases eight Tamils arrested in Colombo Eight Tamil civilians including three members of the same family, all natives of Jaffna, were discharged by the Colombo Chief Magistrate Ms Kusala Sarojini Weerawardene Thursday when prosecution informed the court that they were not objecting the release of the detainees. The Fort Police arrested them on 6 May while staying in a lodge located along Dam Street in Colombo in a cordon and search operation, and later remanded by the Colombo court, sources said.Thambirajah Anbarasan, Thambirajah Valarmugan, and their mother Thambirajah Paranjothy and other five persons Rajathurai Kamalathas, Sellan Ketheeswaran, Kanthasamy Ramanan, Vignarajah Kirithan and Jovan Chandrakumar, were released by the Court Thursday, legal sources said.The court was told that except Thambirajah Paranjothy, others had come to Colombo to go abroad. Australian police frames charges against suspected LTTE rebels The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have laid fresh charges against two terrorism suspects who are accused of being members of the LTTE.Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, 32, is facing two counts of directly or indirectly making assets available to the Tamil Tigers, a local radio reported today.Sivarajah Yathavan, 36, has also been charged of the same offence. Two men were arrested early this month by anti-terrorism police and were accused of supplying cash and equipments to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers. AFP told a court that Aruran Vinayagamoorthy and Sivarajah Yathavan were members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.It was alleged Vinayagamoorthy spent USD 97,000 on transmitters and receivers from Tasmania and Queensland used by Tamil Tigers in explosive devices. Commonwealth prosecutor Mark Dean, SC, said Vinayagamoorthy also controlled or had access to bank accounts holding USD 526,000 and had transferred USD 240,000 to Malaysia.The Melbourne Magistrates Court was informed that Yathavan was involved in the purchase of 185 hydraulic steering units similar to those used in suicide attacks against the Sri Lankan navy. The men, who are Australian citizens, were arrested and released without charge in November 2005. Police said there was no evidence that they planned an attack in Australia. TMVP to be decentralized In the wake of the reported reconciliation between Karuna Amman and Pillayan, the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) convened a meeting on Wednesday and established a working committee to decentralize its “democratic” activities, a party spokesman said.He said the TMVP, as a responsible political party established this working committee with the objective of providing the people a wider range of services.According to an email statement, Karuna was elected president of the TMVP while Mangalan Master was elected the operations commander. Strangely though there was no mention of Pillayan in the statement thus raising doubts if the split had been actually resolved.The TMVP said the Working Committee will consist of 27 members including a chairman, secretary, peace secretariat head, a media spokesman and senior members and the area leaders.“The TMVP assures that this working committee will strive to fulfill the aspirations of the public.The working committee will have the powers to take decisions in respect of all activities of TMVP,” the statement said. Troops unwilling to take on Karuna faction - Chilcott The Security forces have been unwilling to take on the Karuna faction by using the rule of law, British High Commissioner Dominick Chilcott said at a reception on Thursday evening, at the British Council to introduce a unique cooperation between the German Development Cooperation (GTZ) and the British Council in Colombo, Chilcott, who was the Guest of Honour said, "and in that context I welcome the story in today’s The Island newspaper."He said that The Island, on Thursday on Page 3, reported a story on the questioning of three members of the Karuna faction on email threats. He said that the fighting between the LTTE and the Karuna faction is not doing any good to the situation in the north and east and when the LTTE stops fighting there will be no LTTE.Chilcott said that the Government intervention to stop what is happening is insufficient.He also said that the services rendered by non-governmental organizations have to be recognized. Referring to the north and east, he said that people have lost everything and this has to be recognized fully. A large number of high ranking central and provincial Government officials, and the German Ambassador Juergen Weerth who was the Chief Guest attended the reception. "Lanka" closed; reopening doubtful Publishing of the "Lanka" news paper, published by the JVP, Lanka Multi Publishers Company Private limited, has been temporarily suspended due to a financial issue.The "Lanka" newspaper was being published every Friday but was not issued today.When 'LeN' questioned the editorial why the paper was not published, a spokesperson said it was not printed due to a technical fault. When we asked whether it would be published next week he said it is doubtful due to the present circumstance. When LeN go in touch with the editor of the "Lanka" news paper Dharma Sri Kariyawasam he said the paper was in a financial crisis as it does not receive any advertisements and that any political party doesn't help them.The paper is being published in the Upali Printing corporation in high level road and it is being reported to 'LeN' that since the "Lanka" paper owes them 18 million rupees, they have refused to print the paper. Earlier the paper has been printed at the Standard printing corporation and it is being reported that "Lanka" owes them 5.5 million rupees as well. The "Lanka" newspaper that spoke highly about war and stood for the war therefore owes more that 23 million rupees to printing presses. 152 assault home guards graduate The first batch of the Special Assault Group of the Sri Lanka Home Guards Force passed out today at the Advanced Training School in Galkiriyagama. This batch of 152 home guards received advanced training on jungle, land and water warfare and sniper etc., said the Civil Defense Department. Addressing the pass out ceremony Inspector General of Police Victor Perera said that the National Police Commission has granted permission to absorb the experienced home guards under the age of 30 years to the Police as constables. The passed out home guards are to be deployed for the protection of the villages in Northern and Eastern Provinces that are under terrorist threats. Bishop refutes story, TamilNet responds Jaffna Bishop Rt. Rev. Thomas Savundaranayagam, in a letter to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander Maj. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, has denied speaking to TamilNet. TamilNet story was based on verified information from two sources close to the Bishop, and TamilNet stands by its story. TamilNet did not indicate that Bishop talked to TamilNet directly. However, TamilNet has made changes to the title of the story, to remove any mistaken perception that the story was based on direct communication with the Bishop. The full text of the letter written by the Bishop to Jaffna Commander follows: “I am writing to you regarding the news item that appeared in the “Tamil Net” on 17th May 2007. The entire news item is said to have been given by the Bishop of Jaffna Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam. After my return from Palaly I had not spoken to any news media. Hence I deny totally the report ascribed to me by the “Tamil Net”. This unfortunate report in much regretted. Thank you and God bless you” At the press meet, attended by several reporters, Bishop remained silent, and only the other participants to the meeting with the Commander talked to the reporters.TamilNet story was pieced together from two of these attendees and sources close to the Bishop.TamilNet wishes to point out that residents in Jaffna district are living in an open prison where abductions, torture and killing have become rampant, and the counter insurgency campaign by the SLA has reached a stage where no private citizen's life is safe.In this climate of fear, TamilNet understands the reasons for the letter from Bishop who would be under tremendous pressure not to criticize the military.While we regret the predicament we have placed the Bishop, TamiNet stands fully by its story. 18 May 2007 Rajapaksa Bros. increase their wealth: UNP The main opposition UNP yesterday charged ‘the Rajapaksa brothers’ now control more than 75 percent of the country’s annual budget after the appointment of Chamal Rajapaksa as the Ports and Aviation Minister.Party frontliner Lakshman Kiriella told journalists that earlier they had the control of over 65 percent of the budget because the highest number of projects and institutions had directly come under the purview of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.Mr. Kiriella said this percentage increased up to 75 with the appointment of President’s elder brother Chamal Rajapaksa as the Ports and Aviation Minister. “There is Rajapaksa poshanaya today when the people are suffering due to the high cost of living,” he said. The Opposition warned the cost of living was poised to rise further given the economic mismanagement of the government.Former Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake who told a news conference the world milk powder production had declined by 38 percent, and asked what action the government was taking to avoid a price hike in the local market.Mr. Karunanayake said while the country’s economy was at a low ebb, the government had acquired a second aircraft for ‘Mihin Lanka’ at a monthly rent of Rs.110 million. “India has been able to contain its inflation rate at 3.8 percent, Singapore at 1.3 percent, Indonesia a six percent and Thailand at 1.2 percent despite being oil importers,” Mr. Karunanayake said.He also took the JVP to task for remaining tight lipped when the people were suffering due to the high cost of living.Asked to comment on the UNP charges, Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Bandula Gunawardane said the Cost of Living Committee met yesterday to discuss price regulations on essential items for next month.Mr. Gunawardane said the new prices would be announced on May 26. The Minister said the inflation had reduced from 19.5 percent in March to 16.3 in April, but ruled out the possibility of maintaining it at a single digit rate given the high defence and other recurrent expenditures. Governor hospitalized with high pressure after getting blasted by President Governor of the Western Province Alevi Maulana who was not feeling too good emotionally over a blasting given to him by the president has been admitted to hospital after he suddenly fell sick.The president had reprimanded Maulana yesterday morning at temple trees for not bringing Mangala Samaraweera along with him to assume duties. The president in a high tone had asked Maulana "whom are you working for, are you working for Mangala or me. If you said that you'll bring him, you should bring him. You put me in shame".After this incident Maulana had fallen ill and is being treated in the Intensive Care unit of a private hospital. "I have worked with Mrs. Bandaranaike very closely. She has never blasted me like this," the governor had told Samaraweera when Mangala visited him in hospital. British diplomats meet JVP The JVP leaders met a delegation from the British High Commission at the party headquarters yesterday. A British High Commission spokesman said the discussion was friendly and cordial. The recent debate in the House of Commons on Sri Lanka’s national issue and the current situation of the country had been topics of discussion, according to the High Commission.Last week the JVP staged a demonstration outside the British High Commission protesting against Britain’s alleged interference in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs.The demonstrators who were stopped at the gate wanted to hand over a petition to a British diplomat but no diplomat came out to meet them. Fierce fighting in northern Sri Lanka kills at least 20 Tigers Fierce fighting erupted yesterday in the Madhu area of northern Sri Lanka as security forces clashed with Tigers, killing at least 20 Tigers and injuring many others, the Sri Lankan military said. Military spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe charged the LTTE of trying to keep civilians east of the Madhu and Mannar areas “under siege”. He said government troops “confronted pockets of Tiger terrorists while they were moving about with heavy weapons.” Brig. Samarasinghe said that at least fourteen Tiger cadres lost their lives and a dozen were injured in heavy fighting in areas east of Madhu late Wednesday evening when the Tigers “unsuccessfully tried to break into cleared areas held by the Security Forces”. Troops on the ground received backup from the Sri Lankan Artillery and chased the Tigers further north. A subsequent clearing operation led to the recovery of the bodies of three LTTE cadres and three T-56 weapons along with ammunition. One soldier injured in the confrontations later succumbed to his injuries on admission to the Vavuniya hospital, Samarasinghe said. SLA closes Uyilankulam checkpoint The Uyilankulam checkpoint of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the Mannaar district was closed since Friday afternoon following artillery attack from Adamban in the LTTE held territory. All transport activities to and from LTTE held territory and government held areas in the Mannaar district through Uyilankulam have come to halt, sources said.Some artillery shells fired from Adamban around 2 p.m. Friday had fallen and exploded in front of the forward defence line of the SLA at Uyilankulam, sources said.However, SLA sources said there was no casualty on the army side.The Uyilankulam checkpoint of the SLA is normally opened three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Maldives says sinks suspected Tamil Tiger vessel The Maldives coast guard opened fire on and sank a vessel carrying suspected Tamil Tiger rebels on Thursday after a 12-hour standoff at sea in the island nation's southern territorial waters, the government said.However, one man who threw himself overboard before the clash and surrendered spoke the south Indian language Malayalam and not Tamil, and officials were treating the alleged rebel link with caution."We have sunk the vessel. We have captured the five people aboard," Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed told Reuters by telephone from the Maldivian capital of Male.According to a government spokesman, one of the captured men said four people he believed to be Tamil Tigers had boarded his 80-ft (25 metres) fishing trawler at sea and loaded it with guns and mortar bombs.He said confusion arose over an initial coast guard report saying the man had identified himself as a Tamil Tiger. "We are now treating this with caution, because the man was speaking Malayalam and not Tamil," said chief government spokesman Mohamed Shareef.The Tigers denied any involvement."We are not operating in that area," Tiger military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan said from the rebels' de facto state in Sri Lanka's far north. "These guys are not our people."Neighbouring Sri Lanka's navy has sunk several boats and trawlers in recent months suspected of trafficking weaponry for the Tigers across the Palk Strait that separates Sri Lanka and India amid a new chapter in a two-decade civil war.The incident took place several hundred nautical miles off the south of the Maldives archipelago, which in turn sits 500 miles (800 km) off the toe of India and is famed for palm-fringed desert islands and luxury holiday resorts that attract Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise."If they were poachers, why would they have guns and fire at us?" Shareef said. He said the indentities of the captured men were not yet clear."The southern atolls of the Maldives are a fair distance from Sri Lanka, so if they were gun-running, they were very bad navigators."Maldivians are mindful of an abortive coup attempt in 1988 by dissidents backed by Tamil paramilitaries from Sri Lanka, which ended in the Indian Navy chasing and sinking a vessel on which the plotters had tried to escape with hostages. Sri Lanka President leaves for Jordan to attend G-11 summit Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for Jordan today on an official tour to attend the second G-11 Summit as well as the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East. A delegation of 125 businessmen and Ministers including Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama also joined the President today in a special Mihin Air flight to Jordan.The President will participate in the World Economic Forum on the Middle East World Economic Forum to be held in the King Hussein Conference Centre tomorrow. King Abdullah of Jordan will host the event from May 18-20 at the Dead Sea.The President will also address the conference of the G-11 countries. President Rajapaksa will have bilateral talks with Jordan King Abdulla and other Arab leaders. Several agreements on bilateral economic corporation, especially related to the migrant labor market are also to be signed. President also participated in the inaugural one-day G-11 summit hosted by King Abdullah in New York last year which brought together 11 countries to officially launch a forum for cooperation and knowledge-sharing among Lower-Middle Income Countries.The Second Summit of G-11 countries will focus on intensifying cooperation to advance the interests in the global economic, investment and trade spheres as well as to pursue a clear, targeted and result-oriented partnership with the developed or G-8 countries. In addition to Sri Lanka the G-11 group includes Pakistan, Jordan, Indonesia, Morocco, Georgia, Croatia, El-Salvador, Ecuador, Honduras and Paraguay.Following the meetings Sri Lanka President will leave for Kuwait on an official tour on 20th. He is to return to the country on 22nd. Normalcy not possible without students' release- Bishop "Immediate release of the abducted students is the only way to bring Jaffna peninsula educational activities back to normalcy," Jaffna Bishop Rt. Rev. Thomas Savundaranayagam said in a special meeting held Wednesday around 3:30 p.m between representatives of Peoples Committee for Peace and Goodwill (PCPG) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffma Commander Maj. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri inside the Palaali High Security Zone. The meeting lasted more than two hours.Former Vice-chancellor Prof. P. Balasundarampillai and Mr. S. Paramanathan, representative of the Federation of Public Organizations participated in the meeting, sources in Jaffna said. The discussions focussed on the aggravating situation in Jaffna peninsula caused by the abduction of four high school students and the death notices issued to Jaffna University staff, students and some principals of schools allegedly by SLA troopers, sources close to the attendees said."The educational activities of Jaffna University, resumed after much effort, face the risk of stalling completely due to the death threats made to the University community and unless immediate action is taken matters will worsen," Rev. Bishop told the SLA Commander, the sources added. The attendees also explored ways to remedy the situation, PCPG representatives said. Legal Advisor to Human Rights Commission Mudiyapu Remedius raised the same issues with the SLA commander in a similar meeting held Tuesday.Situation in Jaffna peninsula remains tense and volatile as the student community continues boycott. IGP to induct Tamil speaking retirees I.G.P Victor Perera has instructed all senior police officers to immediately recruit, on a temporary basis, retired government servants who can speak Tamil, to the police force.Circular 12/2067 dated 04/04/2007 under the signature of IGP Victor Perera has been issued regarding this.The I.G.P has decided to seek out qualified language translators and interview them in order to employ them on a temporary basis at police stations.He has requested D.I.Gs in charge of districts to ask qualified retired persons if they are willing to work as translators and, if so, to forward their applications to Police Headquarters, Colombo, for processing.He has recommended a stipend of Rs. 500/- a day for these translators. Mangala likes the old one It is being reported to 'LeN' that former minister Mangala Samaraweera has on formed the president that he would reassume duties if he stops the campaign against Sripathi Suriarachchi and Tiran Allas and if the head of state makes sure that an atmosphere like on the 9th of February wouldn't occur again.Sources say that Mangala's previous portfolios were given to Chamal Rajapakse because some of the department heads and union leaders had told the government officials not to reappoint him to the ministry as he might take revenge from them.Samaraweera has rejected an offer made by the president asking him to take over the ministry of irrigation, saying that he cannot look into a ministry that he doesn't know anything of. Then the president has offered the ministry of Urban Development. Samaraweera has turned down that offer as well saying that he cannot afford to create a brawl with Minister Dinesh Gunawardena by doing so, despite him liking the ministry very much.Former minister Mangala Samaraweera is scheduled to leave for London on the 19th of May. Sri Lanka stocks continue to slide amid heavy selling Sri Lanka stocks continued its downward trend for the 13th straight day today at the Colombo Bourse as investors wary of high interest rates looked for other investment options while Telekom Malaysia selling a 3.2% stake of its Sri Lankan mobile operator Dialog Telekom drove the turnover up. The market has lost over 9% percent this year after gaining over 41% last year.Main Colombo All Share Price Index fell 32.02 points or 1.27% to close at 2,493.87 while the highly capitalized Milanka Price Index lost 22.85 points or 0.63% to close at 3,578.02. The turnover closed at 6.66 billion rupees while the trading volume closed at 251.1 million shares. Dominating the turnover with 6 billion rupees the mobile operator Dialog Telekom fell 0.97% to 25.50 rupees in a trade of 235.3 million shares. Conglomerate John Keells Holdings fell 1.20% to close at 143.50 rupees trading 245,700 shares while the fixed-line operator Sri Lanka Telecom trading 593,500 shares rose 1.39% to 36.50 rupees.. Other major contributors to the turnover included Lambretta (8,434,038), Tokyo Cement (126,100), Distilleries (144,600), Ceylinco Securities (282,600), Nawaloka Hospitals (733,100) and Ceylinco Seylan (243,900). CF Venture Fund gained 3.00 rupees or 25.00% to top the gainer’s list. The other top gainers included Seylan Merchant Bank – non voting (20.00%), Parquet (13.21 %), Sierra Cables (12.50%) and Mullers (11.11%). Huejay International Investments lost 24.75 rupees or 49.50% placing it at the top of the loser’s list. The other top losers included Ceylon & Foreign Trades (-39.60%), Carsons (-23.87%), Associated Hotels Company (-20.00%) and Horana Plantations (-19.70%). Rupee fell slightly against the dollar according to the Central Bank figures buying at 110.25 rupees and selling at 111.62 rupees. 14 Tamil civilians arrested in Wellawatte still in detention Fourteen Tamil civilians arrested in a cordon and search operation conducted in Wellawatte area in the Colombo city on Tuesday night when they failed to prove their identity and the reason for their presence in the location, are still being detained in the police station and interrogated, sources in Colombo said. The police took into custody about 25 Tamil civilians in the operation. Eleven were released after they proved their identity and the purpose of staying in the location, sources said. Commodore complains his seniority reduced by 10 months Burying the Peace Process along with Federalism By Col R Hariharan (Retd.) The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa after discussing its devolution proposals at the party executive meeting on May 14, 2007 has clarified that it would propose a unitary state in its submission to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) on devolution. On May 1, 2007, the SLFP had circulated its proposal for public scrutiny and discussion. The SLFP proposal is claimed to emanate from the President’s platform of “an undivided country, national consensus and an honourable peace,” though in its present form it makes a mockery of all these three considerations. The SLFP proposal includes three aspects of devolution at different levels: abolition of executive presidency, abolition of provinces and creation of district as the basic unit of devolution, and the creation pradeshiya and grama sabhas at the municipal and village level. As the SLFP led coalition has a majority in the parliament, the final form of devolution proposal accepted by the parliament is likely to conform more to the SLFP scheme of things regardless of APRC recommendations. The SLFP proposal bypasses three key basic engines of ethnic conflict: autonomy for Tamil majority areas, northeast merger, and parity of status for Tamil language with Sinhala. Unless these three issues are addressed no lasting solution can be arrived at, regardless the semantic nuances of the proposal. The SLFP proposal unfortunately appears to have failed to understand this home truth. The SLFP proposal circulated earlier had drawn flak from all quarters the main opposition United National Party (UNP), anti LTTE Tamil parties and other coalition supporters, particularly on the issue of abandoning a federal concept as the basis for working out a solution. The members of the Tokyo Donors Conference (the EU, Japan, Norway, UK, and USA) and India have also expressed their concern either publicly or privately at the SLFP’s proposal as it cuts at the very roots of the present peace process in which both sides had agreed to find a solution within a federal format. More importantly the SLFP proposal puts the clock back on the substantial progress made among the Sinhala polity and people in understanding the sources of Tamil ethnic conflict. This could impact future negotiating process also because the proposal also fails to evoke a sense security and trust among the Tamil population. These have been echoed by Sinhala intellectuals and politicians who find a greater future in prosecuting peace rather than war. . On other hand, the hardliners had considered the original SLFP proposal a little soft and wanted a clear emphasis on a ‘unitary state.’ The party executive has apparently deferred to this lobby and clarified its stand for a unified state. This indicates the strong control the President exercises on the party apparatus, because earlier President Chandrika Kumaratunga who led the SLFP was clearly in favour of a federal solution. Richard Boucher, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, who visited Sri Lanka last week made an explicit reference on the need for the devolution proposal finding favour with the Tamil community. He said: “I spent a lot of time during my visit talking about the devolution discussion: the prospects of having a set of proposals from this side of the island that can give a perspective to the Tamil community to show them that they have a place of respect, that they have a place on the island, that they have a role in society where they can control much of their own affairs only when we have that consensus can we have a basis for peace talks.” The SLFP’s clarification timed so soon after his statement should send clear signals to the international players (as Boucher would prefer to call the Donors) of things to come on all fronts in Sri Lanka - war, peace and politics at home and abroad- in the coming months. Three strategic elements appear to be guiding the government’s actions at present. These are military objectives driving political decisions, impact of military successes of 2006, and total focus on the President’s agenda. The focus on President’s agenda is understandable because that was the basis on which people voted him to power. But it has downgraded the importance of international opinion in decision making, marginalized Norway’s mediatory role and sidelined the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. In simple terms, this means the end of the peace process, though for cosmetic reasons the government will continue to talk about peace. The disregard for international opinion has in a way encouraged human rights violations to proliferate, child recruitment to continue, and blunted the rule of law so that dissenters can be muzzled and the media intimidated with impunity. The results of this attitude came out loud and clear when the international community did not respond strongly to the recent attacks by LTTE air arm. There had been a progressive hardening in the attitude of international players towards Sri Lanka despite their acceptance of the need to control LTTE violence and safeguard national security. Germany and UK have frozen part of the aid to Sri Lanka. Recently the British Parliament discussed the Sri Lanka (internal) situation for four hours and the Minister for Middle East Dr Kim Howells indicated that he might consider lifting the ban on LTTE, if necessary! There is a move afoot to invite the LTTE spokesman SP Tamilchelvan to address the British parliament members. The influential US watchdog body Freedom House’s caution to Sri Lanka sounded more ominous: “Freedom House is deeply troubled by the actions of the government which has imposed restrictions on freedom of expression, harassed non governmental organisations (NGOs) that question government policy, and committed serious ongoing human rights abuses. The serious human rights abuses and excessive restrictions on freedom of speech and association by the government of Sri Lanka merit the country’s removal from a list of eligible recipients for Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) assistance.” Boucher during his visit had revealed that the USA had decided to postpone MCA projects in Sri Lanka “in view of the unfavorable security situation.” All this is happening despite actions taken by international players to curb LTTE’s extortion rackets and prevent its efforts to procure arms and weaponry. It is clear that the international players, while respecting Sri Lanka’s sovereignty to take appropriate action to safeguard its security, expect the country to show more positive action to put the peace process back on the rails. The Sri Lanka government’s reaction to the friendly foreign governments’ comments had been paranoid, if not hostile. The basic problem in Sri Lanka is the change of priorities since 2006. During the first three years of peace process, political objectives were driving military decisions. However, now this process has been reversed with military objectives driving political decisions. This is evident from President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s stand during his talks with Boucher as reported in the state media. The President had declared that “the ongoing war with Tiger guerrillas will continue until they are defeated. If they want the Security Forces to stop the war the LTTE should lay down arms and come for peace talks. Otherwise, the Government was willing to hold peace talks while fighting Tiger guerrilla terrorism.” This makes clear the peace process and the political issues connected with it have no place in the President’s scheme of things at present. The military successes of 2006 appear to have made the state confident of pursuing a military agenda, abandoning the peace process. This belief got further reinforced after security forces wrested control of the east from the LTTE. As opinion polls indicate the military successes have also strengthened the lobbies supporting a military solution. This makes the military option as the more popular and therefore politically attractive course for the President to adopt. Another attraction is that each success at the war front depletes the mass support base of other political contenders potential and actual like the UNP and the Janatha Vimukti Peramuna. Though the President spoke of a flexible approach on the proposals before the APRC to converge on a consensus, the President is likely to be firm on two issues:unitary format and district level devolution. This is evident from his statement that “the main significance of this whole exercise is that power should remain with the people in a systematic and proper process, that the people of the Grama Rajya hold power.” In other words, the devolution would be at the decentralized local level and not at the federal level.As peace appears only in the distant horizon, it is not difficult to foresee the emerging military picture with the following elements on the canvass: To compensate its weakened conventional war capability, LTTE is likely to step up its commando operations in Jaffna peninsula. Recovery of small number of weapons in numerous incidents indicates that such infiltrations are already underway. The focus now would be to carryout decentralized operations to keep the troops from dominating the areas around their defences and forward defended lines. Senior commanders are also likely to be targetted. LTTE attacks in the north are more likely to be based on infiltration. Formation headquarters, and storage dumps containing self destructive materials are likely to be the favoured targets. LTTE is likely to continue to fiercely resist any security forces attempt to breach its forward line Omanthai-Madhu-Mannar. This is to safeguard LTTE’s sea lanes of supply along Mannar coast. Already in the first two weeks of May, over 7500 litres of diesel destined for LTTE has been seized. These were probably smuggled from Tamil Nadu coast despite tightening of coastal security measures in Tamil Nadu. Colombo port and airport are likely to continue to figure in the priority list of targets for sneak air and commando raids in depth areas. Of course, VIPs of the government will also continue to remain in the high risk list. In the east, Karuna despite his problems with Pillaiyan the pretender trying to steal the thunder, will become more powerful as he takes over the task of containing LTTE in Thoppigala and flexes his political and military muscles. This could cause further apprehension among the Muslims of the area. So we can expect a period of social instability in the east. Given the military agenda now in operation, Sri Lanka -India relations are likely to come under more stressful times. However, security measures in Tamil Nadu to curb LTTE activity are likely to be further tightened rather than weakened regardless of stresses in India-Sri Lanka relations. Tom Lantos, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs has articulated a sensible way of salvaging the situation. He said: “I urge all parties to stay true to the Ceasefire Agreement and come back to the negotiating table. A military solution will not end this circle of violence and further escalation will only worsen the already gross human rights abuses. I call upon the international community including Diaspora groups, to push all parties towards dialogue rather than destruction.” But given the present strategic setting, nobody appears to have time for such a nuanced approach. This is clear from the SLFP proposal which is essentially a political document to strengthen the hands of the party particularly in the south. It is likely to influence the final devolution proposal much more than any other deliberation. Thus its singular achievement will be to bury the peace process along with the concept of federalism that forms the backbone of the Oslo Accord.So even if the devolution proposal is presented in the final form as per the President’s design, the island nation is likely to continue to struggle along with the ebb and flow of military conflict in the coming months, particularly after the monsoon. [saag.org] Speech of Bahu at the protest meeting held in Colombo on 16 may 2007. organized by the Forum on Educating Emergency Regulations, Rev priests, friends and comrades I am thankful to the organizers of this successful meeting, filling this hall against chauvinist intimidation. Over 500 are here, more will come to the demonstration. We hear that a leading Buddhist monk in Trincomalee has been gunned down. But the Sanga throughout the country is silent. Why? Is it because this sadu preached in Tamil and participated in Pongu Tamil to sympathize with the suffering of the Tamils? This shows the level of chauvinist intimidation. Recently President Mahinda made a very true statement. He said Gotabaya, the defense secretary or the chief of the security or the police should not be blamed for the present scenario as he is there to take the responsibility of all state activities. We totally agree. He is responsible for the emergency laws and other repressive laws and also for abductions, disappearances, killings and repression in general. Logic of this is, in order to over throw the repression we will have to smash the Mahinda regime. Is there such an opposition? Who demanded the removal of Gotabaya instead? It is the opposition leader Ranil. He wanted Gotabaya removed and Janaka Perera, the reputed repressive general, be made the defense secretary. Ranil claims that Janaka Perera is not a member of his party but a member of the Hela Urumaya, the ultra racist Sinhala Buddhist party. Ranil expects him to conduct the war better. Not only that, he goes around the world demanding that Mahinda get the support of the US and India to solve the national problem. Richard Bowser came recently, may be heeding this clamor He of course, promised even military participation. We know the solutions they are capable of. Evidence is there in Palestine , Lebanon and Iraq. Every month, the emergency is extended by the Parliament .Ranil has not opposed that. Now he says his party is abstaining in the emergency vote. Who is he trying to fool? This boy cut has given Mahinda a sweep in the Parliament Only minority opposition MPs voted against. Some Sinhala youth are taken into custody accused of LTTE connections. We are not surprised, if in desperation some Sinhala youth too were attracted to the Tamil struggle in the present repressive scenario. But this government is misusing this event to make a witch hunt in work places and media organizations. In this, the major role is played by the JVP. They go to each and every work place, university and tutory campaigning against the Sinhala Koti. If this is done by the JHU we can understand. But the JVP who faced severe repression in the past and still claiming to be a Marxist party, resorting to this fascist style work again is terribly disgusting. So Mahinda is not alone and he is backed from either side by Ranil and Vimal. This trio is responsible for this "Sinhala Buddhist" chauvinist repression. Empowered Mahinda's attitude can be seen from his proposals for the national problem: a unitary Buddhist regime with pseudo devolution at district level! This is not palatable even to Ananda Sangari, Douglas or Karuna Not even his Chief Ministers could agree to this. It is like throwing finger bowl waste water at a person crying in hunger. It is a terrible provocation for, not only Tamils, but all minorities. It is like saying "here are the crumbs; if you are not satisfied we will get the hell out of you". Clearly, Mahinda is not interested in attending to the grievances of Tamils and other minorities. He wants conflict to continue. He wants brutal repressive laws. He enjoys the power of Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism. In this back ground the visit of the Arch Bishop of Canterbury was expected by the minorities with lots of hope .They thought this high priest will consolidate the resolution of the British parliament. Jesus stood for mercy and kindness. He was with the poor and the down trodden. He was crucified for claiming the unity of mankind. People here thought hat His follower cannot betray that praxis. But every one, groaning under the repressive actions of the Sinhala Buddhist chauvinist state, became speech less after his speech was given. He advised Mahinda to use military surgery to remove the Tamil armed struggle. Rev farther Siddamalgoda, who spoke before me, explained in no uncertain terms that the cause Tamil uprising has to be removed and no amount of war could stop the unrest. Anglican Church here must tell us why this Canterbury priest led down the principles of Jesus. How ever we must be happy that against these odds so many have come here today to challenge the Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism and repression. On May Day against these forces many working class organizations got together to march and express their solidarity. We must gather together all those who are against chauvinism and war. All oppressed must come together to face this terrible danger and fight back. 17 May 2007 Lanka can do without foreign aid, says Rajapaksa Clearly stung by Britain's withholding half of its assistance for tsunami relief work in Sri Lanka, citing the government's human rights violations and high defence expenditure, President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday declared that Sri Lanka would not depend on foreign aid. "If we are offered genuine aid, we will take it. If not, we will forget about aid and do our job. We will not be dependent on aid," the President told media at a meeting in Colombo."We will use our own money. We cannot wait for assistance from any sources to carry out our responsibilities," Rajapaksa said."Today, we use our own money for resettlement work. We did not wait till the INGOs (International NGOs) came with their money. The work is being done successfully." "The work of resettlement, whether of the tsunami displaced or of those displaced due to the conflict, is the responsibility of the government. We will discharge this obligation whether we get aid or not," he declared.The President made these points while answering a question as to how he looked at the British action. Britain had allocated $6 million for tsunami relief in Sri Lanka this year, but decided to release only $3 million citing conditions that had not been met. The rest of the money would be released if the human rights record improved and the defence expenditure was lessened, media reports quoting British diplomats said. Lanka heavily dependent on foreign aid Rajapaksa's statement is puzzling in the light of Sri Lanka's heavy dependence on foreign aid to finance its annual budgets. In the annual budget for 2007, the foreign financing component was LKR 235,038 million.($ 2.1 billion). And it had been going up steadily. In 2005, it was LKR 175,268 million ($1.5 billion) and in 2006, LKR 218,185 million ($1.9 billion). INGOs still not welcome Rajapaksa's statement on not being dependent on foreign NGOs came in the wake of a request by UNHCR to allow international relief agencies to work in West Batticaloa in the war-affected Eastern district of Sri Lanka.The government had cleared UN agencies but not other international agencies.In the view of the Sri Lankan government and the South Sri Lankan polity, INGOs are covert agents of the LTTE "terrorists." Setback to British mediatory effort In the context of Rajapaksa's statement, it is doubtful if the British bid to mediate between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE will succeed. Sri Lanka's majority Sinhala community is angered by a debate in the British parliament on May 2, in which some Labour MPs asked for the removal of the British ban on the LTTE. The newly formed All Party Tamil Group in the British parliament led by Keith Vaz had proposed to invite the LTTE's political wing leader SP Tamilselvan to address parliament.Recently, the British High Commissioner, Dominic Chilcott, had wanted to have a meeting with the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), but the talks did not come off because the JVP wanted them to take place only in its office and Chilcott would not agree. SLFP proposal was like throwing sewage water on hungry people- Wickremebahu Leader of the New Leftist Front Doctor Wicramabahu Karunarathne says the SLFP's proposal to solve the ethnic conflict is like throwing sewage water on people who are shouting in hunger.Addressing a conference at the public library this morning he said "The SLFP's proposal which heavily talks about a Unitary and a prominent Buddhist state will only angry the Tamil people."Member of the civil monitoring mission Sirithunga Jayasuriya speaking at the venue said the country's situation has worsened to the extend where it is impossible to hold any one accountable for the large number of murders and abductions taking place in the coutrny currently.He also accused the government of having involvements with several paramilitary groups that operate within the government controlled areas.After the conference a protest was also held at the Lipton circus against the war. Mangala's portfolio given to president's brother Chamal Rajapakse British High Commissioner requests discussion from JVP and cancels it! Sources close to the JVP say the British High Commissioner had requested a meeting with JVP leaders and later cancelled it.British High Commissioner had requested a meeting with the JVP leaders after the JVP held a protest campaign opposite the British High Commission. The protest campaign was held recently against the move by British Parliament to have discussions regarding alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka and the decision to send a Parliamentary delegation to investigate such violations.The British High commission had sent a letter to the JVP stating that it was necessary to apprise the JVP regarding the move by the British Parliament and requesting a time for a meeting. Two convenient times too had been mentioned in the letter.Accordingly, the JVP leaders had informed the British High Commission that they could meet the Commissioner at one of the given times. However, later the High Commissioner had informed that the meeting could not take place.At the protest campaign the JVP leaders had tried to hand over a letter to the High Commissioner but he did not come out to accept the letter. "Stop war, killings, disappearances" A protest against the war urging authorities to stop killings and disappearances, was held on Wednesday at Lipton circle in Colombo.Organised jointly by human rights organisations, non governmental organizations and several political parties demonstrators strongly appealed to respect human rights and democratic values.The demonstrators donned black bands on their hands and gags.Chairman of the Civil Monitoring Committee who is also the President of the United Socialist Party, Siritunge Jaysuriya criticised the government for giving police powers to the army under emergency laws. War regime “It is a war regime and undemocratic rule; an autocratic government which eliminate civil rights of the people”, he said.The protest is the "initial step towards building a mass movement" against such a government, Jayasuriya said.Fr.Sathiavel of the Colombo Anglican Diocese said those who are being disappeared today are Tamils, campaigners for peace and labour activists. Right to life Everybody in the country has the right to life and it can not be violated by a party or a race, he said.Member of the Committee for Investigation of Disappearances, and Leader of the Left Front, Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne said suppression reign everywhere in the country.He questioned why opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe couldn’t oppose in the emergency vote. The opposition, he said, supported it indirectly while Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) instigated racism among employees in work places.Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda of the Catholic Church said if there were to be political solution there wouldn’t have been a war. From the time of S W R D Bandaranaike, the need is there for a political solution to the national question but still Sri Lanka is in search of a solution, Fr. Iddamalgoda added. HRW calls on govt. to close all Karuna camps US based Human Right Watch has called on the government to immediately close all Karuna faction camps in the east alleging that they were used to recruit and abduct underage children.Last week the UN Security Council said that if the Karuna group and the LTTE did to honour prior commitments to discontinue underage recruitment, more action would be taken against them."Both groups have now been put on notice to immediately implement the Security Council’s call to stop all child recruitment, and release the children in their forces.The Security Council will want to see results," Jo Becker from HRW said on the UN Security Council’s Working Group’s statement.HRW said that the government should take steps to prevent armed Karuna cadres from moving in government areas freely and take action if there are reports of abductions or forcible recruitment of children. Child rights activists feel the latest UN statement would put more pressure on the two groups to cut down on child recruitment."These recommendations send a strong message to the LTTE, a repeat offender who has been on the Secretary General’s list of violators for four years, and to the Karuna faction-TMVP. They have to stop grave violations of children’s rights, especially the recruitment and the use of children in the conflict in Sri Lanka," Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict said, soon after last week’s Working Group meeting.Last month UNICEF said that the cooperation extended by the Karuna group in assisting the agency had stalemated, and the group has directed UNICEF officials to hastily set up new camps to fulfill pledges to allow access to camps.The Karuna group has declined UNICEF access to other camps citing security concerns. Jaffna parents' ploy to prevent child abduction Parents in Jaffna district in North Sri Lanka are entrusting their male children to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) to prevent abduction by the LTTE. SLHRC member and former Supreme Court judge Dharmasiri Jayawickrama told the media in Colombo on Tuesday, that some 200 children were with the SLHRC in Jaffna and these were housed in a special building, which was proving to be inadequate.Overall, in the island, the SLHRC had received 147 complaints against the militant groups till March. 71 of these were against the Karuna group, 66 against the LTTE and 10 against the EPDP. The Karuna group and the EPDP are pro-government. Student killed in SLA artillery shelling on Pooneryn A 17-year old boy was killed on the spot and his father was wounded when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells hit their house in Pooneryn (Poonakari) Tuesday noon, according to Tamileelam Police officials in Kilinochchi. The scattered body of the victim, Kanakaratnam Mohanraj, a student at the Ki'li/Poonakari S'ree Viththiyaalayam, was recovered Tuesday evening.Mr. Mohanraj had gone home for lunch break when the SLA fired shells hit a civilian settlement in 4th Mile Post in Poonakari. The SLA has stepped up shelling in Northern Front during the recent days. Second conspiracy against Ranil surfaces; another 6 to cross over Another conspiracy is once surfacing against the leader of the opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe.A specialty of the conspiracy this time is the fact that three of the MP's whom Wickremesinghe said were close to him and were granted with high ranking positions in the party, been engaged in the conspiracy.One of the main figures behind the conspiracy told LeN, the reason for the conspiracy is the dictatorship that is in the party leadership. Our source also said that UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayake, who fought hard for the party and for the sake of the opposition leader when the Karu group left the party, is also on a disappointed note these days. He also told us that Attanayake had told a UNP MP who crossed over to the government recently that they should have stayed in the party because now Wickremesinghe doesn't care for those in the party now. Recently when Attanayake presented a document to the opposition leader regarding some matter, he had put it a side even without reading it.Meanwhile a conflict has arisen between MP Vajira Abeywardena and Former chairman Malik Samarawickrema and sources say that Vajira is refusing to give up the fight until Malik is removed from the party. Wickremesinghe has also intervened to solve the issue but Vajira had openly rejected Wickremesinghe and showed his dissatisfaction regarding the recent developments by not participating at the first protest rally, against the government, organized by the party in Gampola recently. Reports say that Abeywardena was taken to China along with the opposition leader to comfort the disheartened MP. Another group of UNP MPs are reported to be bargaining with a Minister who joined the government ranks from the opposition recently, and one of them are Kurunegala district parliamentarian Jayawickrema Perera. Apparently the UNP MPs are talking about a coalition government and requested the consent of the president to do so. When the minister bargaining the deal approached the president with the matter the head of state had given the nod. Then one of the Kandy UNP MP's had said that the president should invite the opposition leader to do so.Three main figures of the party have given there consent for a coalition government and two of them have recently gone and met with some politicians who were involved with the previous conspiracy to discuss further. A separate group is reported to be proposing a UNP Colombo district MP to be appointed as the deputy leader of the party. When the disputes within the party are intensifying it is also being reported that six other MPs are discussing with some government officials to cross over to the government. Our source said some of them are those one would not even believe will cross over to the government. When one of the leaders had spoken to a MP who joined the government ranks recently to come back to the opposition he had said, "Don't bother to get us back. Already another group from your side is discussing with us to join the government." Children malnourished in Jaffna More than 185 children are severely malnourished in the north according to the Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services.These children are from areas in Kopay and Kayts health divisions, and were registered with the community level Nutrition Rehabilitation Programme (NRP).It was also highlighted that a further 9,510 children between the ages of six months to five years, from seven health divisions registered with the community level NRP, are being given High Energy Biscuits by the Public Health Midwives. UNICEF has also airlifted 77 boxes of a milk based food supplement to combat malnutrition while a nutrition rehabilitation programme implemented by Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services is also being carried out.According to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Team situation report, in April, the World Food Programme (WFP) issued two weeks food for 120,000 vulnerable beneficiaries consisting of a total of 39,000 families under the Vulnerable Group Feeding programme. Beneficiaries will receive food supplies for a period of 12 weeks.However, the allocation is 15 kg of food per person per month. In the Districts of Vavuniya and Mannar high energy biscuits were distributed to pregnant mothers and children.Supplementary food and fresh food rations in the Kiliveddy Transit Sites are not systematically distributed to IDPs who remain displaced near their places of origin.These IDPs are unable to return home and it is difficult to coordinate food supplies for them as they are dispersed in a number of villages.Meanwhile in the Batticaloa District, WFP continues to assist 72 percent or about a 100,000 persons of the total IDP population in the district, with basic food rations while NGOs cover 18 per cent of the total.The Government is providing some food rations to IDPs with host families.There are still significant gaps in the district as 10 per cent of the IDPs or about 13,000 people are not receiving food supplies regularly.Responding to a request by the World Food Programme, the ICRC has begun providing 750 tonnes of rice to feed more than 120,000 displaced people in Eastern Sri Lanka for one month. The rice will be delivered in stages during the month of May.About 600 tonnes will be distributed to 100,000 people in Batticaloa district and the remainder to 24,000 people in the Trincomalee district.WFP is currently distributing two weeks dry rations for the period May 7-20 amounting to a total of 700 metric tonnes for 100,000 IDPs.It was also stated that there are a further 187 malnourished children out of 4,780 children who have been identified and registered under the programme to get Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic-Food by UNICEF.Due to considerable increase of IDPs in the four divisions of Thirukkovil, Kalmunai (Tamil), Navithanvely and Alayadivembu, it was agreed to provide 15 days ration instead of a monthly ration, twice a month.However, the Divisional Secretaries face difficulty preparing Social Service Department forms for food distribution twice a month.In addition, due to the security situation and tension in some areas of Thirukkovil, Damana, Lahugala and Navithanvely divisions, School Feeding programme activities have been interrupted or stopped. Tamil fisherman disappears in Mannaar Sea Felistus Miranda, 33, a father of five children of Ward No 3, Pe'saalai in Mannaar district has been reported missing since he left for fishing in Mannaar Sea in a fibreglass boat on May 14th afternoon, according to complaints lodged by his relatives with the Talaimannaar Police, sources in Mannaar said.He should have returned Tuesday evening but has not returned till Wednesday evening, relatives said.A group of fellow fishermen left Wednesday morning in several boats in search of the missing fisherman and his boat.Meanwhile, Pe'saalai Fisheries Co-operative Society has informed the Jaffna Fisheries Society seeking its assistance to trace the missing fisherman in northern waters, sources said. Navy fires at an Air force air craft It is being reported that the navy camp in Trincomalee has fired at an Air force beach craft this morning. However a large tragedy that might have occurred skipped as the sailors couldn't fire on target.The information that an Air force air craft was patrolling in the area had been informed to the camp but the message had not been conveyed to the ground troops properly which resulted in them getting confused what the air craft exactly is.The Navy personnel had suspected the air craft to be of LTTE and fired at it with 5-Zero bullets for around 10 minutes. But however the air craft which suffered no damages has returned to the air force camp safely.However security forces now say that it was a rehearsal.Our source, a Navy personnel said "the incident ended in a tragedy whether it hit the craft or not". Tigers at the door-Source:The Guardian UK Britain's efforts in Sri Lanka must be sincere, impartial and sensitive to the complex nature of the conflict.Belated perhaps, but with new impetus, Britain is finally responding to a severe escalation of fighting in Sri Lanka that has resulted in more than 3,000 deaths in the past year. The horrific violence following the breakdown of a ceasefire signed in 2002 forms the latest chapter in a two-decade war between the Tamil Tiger militants and Sri Lankan government forces. The Tigers want a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhala Buddhist state of continuous discrimination. The latest British response to the Sri Lankan conflict came a fortnight ago, almost simultaneously, in the form of a parliamentary debate, the creation of an all-party Tamil group and finally a partial freezing of aid to the country. Some of these initiatives will certainly be helpful to the country but hints of partiality and incoherency in the overall response threatens to negate the positive effort. The move to create parliament's first ever all-party Tamil group by its title itself is likely to draw the most controversy. MPs who lead this group, like Keith Vaz, are clearly responding to their significant electorate of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees turned UK citizens. But the general partisan approach of some parliamentarians to a conflict that also affects the majority Sinhalese and minority Muslims is outrageous to say the least. The reference to "Tamils" is unclear as it implies a non-existent homogeneity. Part of the recent violence against Tamils has come as a result of brutal opposition between the Tigers, old militant groups and a new Tiger breakaway faction called the Karuna group. The general tone of some MPs' speeches appeared to also recognise the Tigers as the sole representatives of the Tamils - a claim most moderate Tamils oppose and for which they have paid dearly, having lost many of their leadership to Tiger suicide attacks. The debate also lacked an understanding of the ethnic nuances in the conflict. Sadiq Khan, who represents Tooting - which has a significant Tamil population - spoke extensively of human rights violations against "Tamil-speaking people". But, being a Muslim himself, he failed to mention the serious violations Tamil-speaking Muslims have been subject to by the Tigers, including abductions, torture, killings and extortions. In 1990, in a horrific ethnic cleansing campaign, the Tigers gave some 100,000 Muslims 24 hours to leave the northern areas under their control. Sixteen years later many of them remain in displaced camps. Suggestions to lift a ban imposed by the British government on the terror group in 2000 could also be seen as reflecting a sense of bias. It is shocking that the parliamentarians advocating this refused to sufficiently consider the internal impact. The ban has helped to reduce extortion and attacks against Sri Lankan expatriates by Tamil criminal gangs with Tiger links. Funds collected from Tamils in Europe, Canada, Australia and the US has, through the years, helped the Tigers progress from being the pioneers of suicide bombings to forming their own air force. Four air attacks in two months on Colombo have engulfed the capital in fear. It is unfortunate that the staunch unilateral condemnation of terror by the British parliament following the July 7 London bombings does not apply when another country's capital is being continuously bombarded. It is also somewhat amusing that this reaction comes from Britain at a time when the French, Americans and Australians have all recently cracked down on Tiger fundraising. Even the rationale of lifting the ban on the grounds it would give the Tigers parity of status at future negotiations is unconvincing. The ever-changing field of conflict resolution provides varied modalities of engaging terror groups while they are outlawed. At the least even for the ban to be suspended the Tigers should display more commitment to peace negotiations and democratisation. Despite the Tigers' deadly reputation, they are certainly not solely to blame for the current humanitarian and human rights crisis in the country. The worst impact of the latest fighting is seen in the east of Sri Lanka where the government, in a bid to flush out the Tigers, has intensified its military campaign. Incessant shelling of Tamil villages has displaced some 150,000 people in just a few months. A little away from the towns, the bare land is dotted by a sea of small white tents as far as the eye can see. Families, some with four or five children, are cramped under the tiny flimsy white plastic covers that the scorching sun burns through. Food is rationed, water and sanitation are problematic. In the main towns, the renegade Karuna militants move freely with arms. Their offices stand adjacent to army camps but the government denies any association with the rebels.Across the country, reports of extra-judicial killings, abductions and disappearances are soaring. Colombo's response has been to completely quell accusations of human rights violations. NGOs, human rights activists and the few media groups that defy the environment of fear are threatened and antagonised. It is this situation that makes some aspects of the British response positive. The decision to freeze aid sends a strong warning to Sri Lanka. The parliamentary debate was welcome but there were some unanswered questions on issues such as military aid to Sri Lanka and Britain's forthcoming role as head of the UN security council. In that capacity Britain can play a crucial role that can range from insisting on international human rights monitoring to imposing UN sanctions. With the Norwegian peace facilitators struggling to get the warring factions to negotiate, Britain can make a significant difference. But with the stigma of being the former colonial master, Britain will have to tread carefully. Its effort must be sincere, impartial and sensitive to the complex nature of the conflict. After Afghanistan and Iraq, Britain certainly can't afford another international mess. TNA complains of harassment The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday said that its members would meet to discuss the issues faced by parliamentarians after the arrival of its group leader R. Sampanthan.TNA parliamentarian S. Kajendran told The Morning Leader that the TNA group leader was in India at the moment and that he would only return in a week’s time.He said that the group would meet to discuss the harassment some of the party members have undergone."It’s unreasonable and sad to note that we, even though parliamentarians, are continuously harassed by government officials. We are not given the respect other parliamentarians enjoy," he said.He added that the move to suspend parliamentary sessions last Thursday was also part of the harassment.He added that the TNA parliamentarians had to undergo checking whenever they travelled to and from Kilinochchi.He added that this has been going on despite the parliamentarians being accompanied by police guards."Our luggage is taken out of our vehicles and checked. They are doing this thinking that we would not go to Wanni if this continues," he added."The President last month stated that certain parliamentarians employed drivers and certain people connected to the LTTE. We are sure that he meant the TNA. However, we are parliamentarians and our work is limited to politics and not terrorism," he added. Schools in Batticaloa still remain closed Over 80 schools in the Batticaloa District remain closed to students.The Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in its latest report stated that most of the students were unable to attend school as they were currently sheltered in IDP camps. The lack of teachers was cited as another reason.In the Trincomalee District NGOs are conducting Early Learning Activities in four locations.In the Kiliveddy camp there are 161 pre-school children. However, some parents are not allowing their children to the Early Childhood Development centre due to the insecurity in the area.The charity organisation conducting these early learning activities has made a commitment to put up two temporary sheds to accommodate additional children in two schools.According to the IASC report, around 700 displaced children will be enrolled in these schools.As of May this year all schools except three schools have been vacated by IDPs and the schools need to be cleaned and repaired, stated IASCs situation report.It also stated that the Zonal Director of Education had requested a quick assessment on the three remaining schools in the Batticaloa Zone.A total number of 86 Schools in the Batticaloa district are still closed albeit temporarily. Karuna – the ‘War Lord’ of Sri Lanka A search on the Wikipedia internet encyclopedia refers to Sri Lanka together with Somalia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Burma, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Pakistan as countries where warlords are active.As one diplomatic here who wished to remain anonymous put it “As soon as you allow militias to work you contribute to the creation of war lords.” And if more ‘warlords” begin to surface as a result of the freedom given to Karuna Amman it might eventually pose an even greater threat than terrorism. Who is a ‘warlord’? A warlord is a person with power who has de facto military control of a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. Karuna and his operations fit well into that mould.Over the weekend Karuna Amman had patched up his differences with Pillayan, the intelligence leader of the Karuna faction following a split, which some alleged have been orchestrated by the military in order to have control over the group. However during the split there were reports of cadres loyal to either side being killed as a result of the internal rift which threatened to spill over into another factional war. It was believed that the degree of violence had made a third party, intent on eliminating the terrorist threat posed by the LTTE with the help of Karuna faction, intervene at this point to douse the fire. The question however is what guarantee is there that a similar split will not occur in the future – or even worse. Also what guarantee does the government have that the Karuna faction will not turn its guns on the military if or when the LTTE is demilitarized, if that ever takes place.A report by the SLMM released following the Geneva peace talks last year said the only clearly identified armed group operating in government controlled areas is the Karuna faction and their political front TMVP which, contrary to the government commitment, became even more visible in government controlled areas in the East. “There are a number of indications that the government is actively supporting the Karuna group. Known Karuna supporters have been seen moving to and from army camps, and it is evident that the security forces and police in some areas are not taking action to prevent armed elements from operating” said the report. The University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) noted in a report earlier this year that the Karuna who earlier abducted children on behalf of the LTTE, is now doing it with equal zeal with government connivance for its own survival and to fight its parent. “Kiran is now almost empty of young men. Armed Karuna cadres with government connivance have been breaking into houses and taking children without concern for age. Parents who were threatened to hand over their children have sent them to other villages and are begging children’s homes run by religious organisations to take them in.”The UTHR further says that it appears that the government is bent on holding provincial council elections in the East to install Karuna by hook or crook. Some argue that this is the Chechnyan solution! The government however insists it has absolutely no connection with the Karuna outfit and publicly assured any abuses committed by the group in government controlled areas will not go unpunished. Karuna himself has consistently refuted allegations of either working with the government or committing serious rights abuses and blames the LTTE or its own ‘rotten eggs’ for the violence. According to the senior legal advisor of the New York based Human Rights Watch (HRW), James Ross, the HRW research in Sri Lanka, particularly but not limited to the child soldier issue, showed strong connections at least at the local level between the Karuna group and government military and police forces. “Hopefully the Sri Lankan government will finally realize that it cannot keep distancing itself from Karuna group abuses. But clearly the problems persist and the international community should be thinking of more effective action -- whether that is steps against the Karuna group itself, or by weighing in more directly with Colombo,” Ross told the Daily Mirror. The argument whether Karuna operates with or without the support of the government will continue for time to come despite the comments and “credible evidence” on the subject by various organizations and now even foreign governments.But the fact remains Karuna cadres are operating with weapons in the country, they have been seen in government controlled areas with guns in their hands (a weekend newspaper two weeks ago had a photograph of an armed Karuna cadre in Pottuvil), they have child soldiers, commit human rights abuses and basically do everything the LTTE does except target government troops. An analytical report by a NGO operating in the eastern province has this to say on the threat Karuna could pose in the future “…a more dangerous long term cost for the military is if the risk of Karuna turning against them materializes .At this point he shall not only become a formidable opponent to the LTTE but could also become an adversary to the military. If that happens the military will be forced to fight two wars – against the LTTE and the TMVP.”Earlier this year the Kattankudy police received twelve complaints against Karuna in one single day and the Daily Mirror reported that top police officials in Batticaloa had sent a report to the Police Head Quarters in Colombo detailing the threats posed by Karuna to the security of the area. “Well they have been responsible for the same atrocities against civilians as the LTTE has been blamed for. Their tactics in spite of what they say have not changed. They operate like war lords or criminal gangs...roam around freely, abduct people and children, extort business, are believed to be behind assassinations in their attempts to try and eliminate anyone deemed close with the Vanni cadres.Of course their target has not been government of Sri Lanka,” a former cease fire monitor told the Daily Mirror on the condition of anonymity.“…the group has assumed a larger role in the East calling for people to look at them as the watchdog of the rules of law exercising the same tactics over the people as the LTTE so people will not dare stand up to them without risking their lives. I see no difference between the workings of the Karunas and the LTTE to be perfectly honest. What is worse is that the Karuna faction can do this quietly without the government tampering.”In fact the SLMM actually once prevented an abduction by Karuna group taking place some time late last year. The monitors on the occasion got news of something dodgy and was by chance in the area where an abduction was about to take place and literally stopped some people from being taken away by the Karuna faction. The question to ask is then why is the international community not listing the Karuna faction or imposing travel bans as it has done to the LTTE if they are committing the same terrorist acts. When the same question was posed to the US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher at a press briefing last week he responded by saying any group which carries out terrorist acts will be listed by the US after certain criteria for such listing is met. Could that be a warning to Karuna to get his act together?James Ross says Human Rights Watch does not take a position on whether particular groups should be on a state's "terrorist organization" list but they expect the US and other concerned governments to use their influence to promote greater respect for human rights in Sri Lanka. “That means being critical not only of the LTTE, which has long been responsible for serious abuses, but of government forces and armed groups that have government support, tacit or otherwise.” The SLMM frequently receives complaints of the Karuna faction holding people inside their political offices but are helpless. “We can’t really rule against Karuna since he is not a part of the CFA but the government is responsible for their areas and since they have not made any attempts to stop the Karuna faction then they bear some responsibility.” In Ethiopia the government was charged with manipulating warlords to prevent any hope of peace in Somalia. When Sri Lanka holds provincial elections and ask the warlord of the east to step aside for the winners at the ballot box, we too might be in for an unpleasant surprise.But all in all the government security establishments are not too happy with Karuna and in fact one military source told the Daily Mirror,once the LTTE is rid from the north as well, Karuna will be brought under a leash – easier said than done with the organization growing at a rapid pace.“I think the only way out of this is if Karuna is either taken out or he becomes a politician like Minister Douglas Devananda. But then you have one problem. How is Karuna going to calm down his men who make money out of extortions and govern the east,” a diplomat queried.Karuna himself has said he hopes to enter mainstream politics in the near future and insists once his fight against the LTTE is over he will give up his weapons. Sounds good if he keeps to his word but in the meantime the actions of his group is not doing any good for his image or to that of the government and under those circumstances it wouldn’t be long before he is forced to decide if he is a ‘friend or foe” to the people of Sri Lanka. 15 May 2007 LTTE link helpful: Lunstead Direct US-LTTE links in 2003 would have helped in convincing the LTTE to move away from terrorism and depending on the progress made even delisting it as a foreign terrorist organisation, a former US envoy to Sri Lanka said. Former US Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead in a report titled ‘ The United States’ Role in Sri Lanka’s Peace Process,’ said the US supported LTTE participation in the June 2003 Tokyo Conference but unfortunately it was not invited to attend. “If the LTTE had attended the conference, the US presumably would have continued with at least a limited type of communication,” Mr. Lunstead said In 2003, the United States together with the European Union, Japan, and Norway were designated as Co-Chairs to the Sri Lankan Peace Process, to provide incentives to the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to stay committed to the peace process. Ambassador Lunstead's study provides an inside account on how the US applied diplomatic, economic, and other resources to support Sri Lanka's increasingly precarious peace. The report -- a study analysing the US’s involvement in Sri Lanka's peace process from 2002-2006 -- was launched on behalf of the Asia Foundation, which has a network of 17 offices throughout Asia, an office in Washington, D.C., and its headquarters in San Francisco."Over the past eighteen months, Sri Lanka's long conflict has steadily escalated, but we have seen similar cycles of relative peace followed by war before. Previous phases of the conflict have lasted about five years before another period of no-war. The goal of these supplementary studies to the Strategic Conflict Assessment is to analyze and draw lessons from the last ceasefire so that when the next window for peace opens, international and domestic actors can make better choices and engage more constructively," Asia Foundation's Sri Lankan representative Nilan Fernando said.Mr. Lunstead meanwhile also said, US security assistance to Sri Lanka was not large in absolute terms, but was intended to send a message to the LTTE that a return to war would not yield benefits. At the same time, the US tried to make clear to the government that US support, including military support, was not an encouragement to seek a military solution. “Quite the opposite, as the US stated clearly that it believes there is no military solution to the conflict and that the government needs to develop a political strategy which includes a substantial devolution of power,” the report said. He further noted that in the long term, the challenge would be to sustain US interest and commitment of resources to a peace process which seemed to be going backwards. US interest will be heightened to the extent the issue was seen as related to global terrorism. US interest will diminish if it appears that the process is deteriorating largely due to the inability of Sri Lankans to subordinate their personal and group interests to a larger goal. “If the Government of Sri Lanka appears to do nothing to prevent human rights abuses -- or worse condones them -- US support for the government will face increasing legal and political obstacles,” Mr. Lunstead said. Lanka ruling party proposes unitary constitution The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) which is the dominant partner in the Sri Lankan coalition government, and is the party of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Monday formally proposed that Sri Lanka be a "unitary state".The party Executive Committee on Monday modified some of the key provisions in the proposal first made public at the end of April. It then formally adopted the revised version which will be submitted to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) on devolution. A spokesman of the Presidential Secretariat told Hindustan Times that in the earlier proposal, it was not clear if the SLFP was for a unitary system and whether it had rejected the federal model. The party had come under flak from the ultra Sinhala nationalists like the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) for not upholding the Mahinda Chinthanaya, Rajapaksa's election manifesto in 2005. This flaw had been set right by Monday's amendment. Rajapaksa's party modifies power devolution proposals The ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa has modified its devolution proposals to incorporate a provision to preserve the present unitary character of the island nation's Constitution along with some other changes. A senior functionary of the SLFP told The Hindu that the modifications to the proposed package announced on May Day were approved on Monday by the Central Executive Committee of the party. The SLFP, the largest party in the governing coalition, the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), put forward its proposals with the objective of realising "a lasting and honourable solution to the ethnic issue in the country." Among the other modifications adopted by the SLFP on Monday are: according Buddhism the foremost place and preference in allotment of land for the internally displaced in the ethnic conflict. The party also proposed enactment of laws against recruitment of child soldiers. Abolition of the executive presidency; replacing it with the Cabinet system of Government led by the Prime Minister subject to consensus; the district as the unit for devolution of powers; and the creation of a bi-cameral legislature — these were the highlights of the original proposals of the SLFP. They have been retained in the modified package. Announcing the proposals, the SLFP had said that it firmly stood for a negotiated settlement of the political crisis, based on a scheme of devolution of power It had said that the proposals aimed to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, the identities of different communities, and their peaceful co-existence. They recognise the multilingual, multi-religious, and multicultural character of the Sri Lankan society. There will be strict implementation of the constitutional provision for the use of Sinhala and Tamil as the national languages. The SLFP seeks to restore the parliamentary model of Government. Asia Foundation to study America’s role in Sri Lanka’s peace process The Asia Foundation has launched a study that analyzes the United States’ involvement in Sri Lanka peace process during the period of 2002-2006, a press release issued by the Asia Foundation said. The study titled “The United States’ Role in Sri Lanka’s Peace Process” followed another landmark study, “Sri Lanka Strategic Conflict Assessment -- Aid, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka (2002-2005)” that was released in January 2006. A report on the study written by Jeffrey Lunstead, the former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka from August 2003 to July 2006, provides an inside account on how the United States applied diplomatic, economic, and other resources to support Sri Lanka’s increasingly precarious peace.In his study Ambassador Lunstead wrote that the U.S. involvement in 2003 was resulted from the expectation that a political process with the backing of the international community could resolve a tough terrorism problem. “Today, the U.S. sustains a natural interest in helping the democratically-elected Government of Sri Lanka defeat a terrorist threat and the U.S. and other outside actors can help the Sri Lankan parties move towards peace if those parties genuinely want to do so and are willing to make compromises. But, if the Government of Sri Lanka does not prevent human rights abuses by government forces, U.S. ability to help will be constrained,” Lunstead has written in his report. . The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that supports programs in Asia to help improve governance, economic reform and development and empower women. 1200 acres tea plantations acquired to colonize with the majority community --Upcountry People’s Front writes to President Upcountry Peoples Front official S.Govindaraj has sent a communication to President Rajapakse that attempts are made to acquire 1200 acres of Tea plantations in the upcountry and to colonize them with the people of the majority community. In his letter, he states that a large extent of land from the estates in Valapannai area are to be acquired under this scheme and 1000’s of estate workers will be adversely affected. He appeals to President to intervene and halt it. Conflicting claims on Karuna-Pillayaan patch up There are conflicting claims about a "patch up" between the Karuna and Pillaiyaan factions in the pro-government Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) founded by Karuna in Eastern Sri Lanka after he broke away from the LTTE led by Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2004.The Karuna faction says that, as per an agreement reached on Sunday, Karuna will be the leader of the group and that Pillaiyaan will be the military chief. But the Pillayaan faction says that all decisions will, from now on, be taken by a new Central Committee. The Karuna group claims suzerainty, which the Pillaiyaan group still does not recognise. Independent observers say that while a patch up has been effected, due to pressure from the Sri Lankan armed forces with which the two factions are cooperating, it may not last long."The wounds and scars of the conflict are too deep," an informed source told Hindustan Times on Monday.In the past few months, differences had arisen between Karuna and Pillaiyaan over the command structure and the crores of rupees allegedly collected through illegal taxes and extortion. The Pillaiyaan group, which has been operating in the field, resented Karuna's remote control, it is said. Recently, this resulted in bloodshed, with the Karuna group killing among others, Sindujan, one of Pillaiyaan's chief lieutenants. Pillaiyaan is said to have fled from Batticaloa district to Trincomalee district with about 350 cadres. Alarmed that the conflict might go out of hand soon, the Sri Lankan armed forces brought about a patch up on Sunday, political courses said. Pamphlets issue death threat to Jaffna school students selling student magazine Pamphlets, purportedly issued by the Sri Lankna military in Jaffna has threatened school students for selling a school magazine. The magazine called “Chalaram” (window) is a monthly magazine that includes contributions from the students in schools throughout Jaffna. It has been publishing for more than a decade. The pamphlet threatened students who sell the magazine to school students with death. This is another development in the ongoing suppression of student activities in Jaffna by the Sri Lankan military. A week ago four school students were abducted by the military and they remain missing to date. Three students studying at Jaffna Hindu College, one student studying at Jaffna St John’s College were abducted from their homes by armed gunmen working with the Sri Lankan military. Both these school where the four students were studying are two of the leading schools in Jaffna. All of these students were studying towards the GCE Advance Level examination to be held in three months and were working hard towards these very competitive examinations. The disappearance and the pamphlets are seen by the students and their parents as a deliberate ploy to disrupt the students working towards their GCE AL examination. They believe that the GoSL has active plans to destroy the strong educational foundations of the Jaffna society. Two more students abducted in a similar manner in January also remain missing. Parents of all six missing students believe the Sri Lankan military and it’s paramilitary forces to be behind the abductions. The names of the missing students are: 1. R. Ramanendran, aged 18, a Commerce student at the Jaffna Hindu College abducted from his home on 4 May 2007. 2. Suntharalingam Yasotharan, aged 17, studying at Jaffna Hindu College was abducted from his home on 4 May 2007. 3. Nagarajah Venukanthan, aged 18, studying Jaffna Hindu College was abducted from his home on 4 May 2007. 4. Kugarajan Kannan, aged 17, studying at St. John's College was abducted from his home on 4 May 2007. 5. Thananjayan, a student at Velayutham Boys’ School was abducted on 12 January 2007. 6. Paramananthan, a student at Hartley College, was abducted on 17 January 2007. Death threats trigger panic at Jaffna campus A ‘death notice’ has been issued to students and the staff of the Jaffna University by a group of armed men who had stormed the premises late on Sunday night, sources from the area told the Daily Mirror yesterday.The armed men had reportedly put up posters and left back pamphlets in Tamil with the title ‘last warning’ issued to some 323 students and staff including the Vice Chancellor and professors of the University.According to reports the posters and pamphlets alleged that the threat follows “clear evidence” the 323 students and staff were actively supporting the LTTE, financing their actions and underwent arms training in the Wanni to carry out terrorist acts against the security forces. Sources said there was panic in Jaffna as a result of the threat and that the military had also been notified about it.The Jaffna campus is already closed as a result of a previous dispute and is expected to remain closed until the latest threat is addressed by the security forces hierarchy in Jaffna. A meeting was held yesterday among officials of the Jaffna faculty and schools in the peninsula to discuss the latest developments. 8 Reported Killed in Sri Lanka Fighting Sri Lanka - Rebels attacked a group of Sri Lankan soldiers who had crossed into insurgent territory in the north, sparking a battle that left seven guerrillas and a soldier dead, the military said Monday. The rebels denied suffering any casualties.The fighting took place Sunday and was the latest in a series of clashes that have killed dozens in Mannar, a northwestern district that has in recent weeks become a flash point in Sri Lanka's deepening conflict.The soldiers were pushing ahead of their defensive lines to pre-empt an attack by insurgents and seven rebels and one soldier were killed in the ensuing fight, said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe.The rebels disputed the government's claim."We didn't suffer casualties for the past week in that area," rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan said by telephone.Separately on Monday, the military said soldiers fatally shot a suspected rebel who attempted to throw a grenade at a patrol. A government official who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals, identified the man as a security guard at a government office.The incident occurred in the Jaffna peninsula, which lies at the northern tip of Sri Lanka and is the heartland of the island nation's 3.1 million ethnic minority Tamils, in whose name the Tigers are fighting for an independent homeland.Tamils have faced decades of discrimination at the hands of the Sinhalese, the predominantly Buddhist ethnic group that accounts for more than 70 percent of the country's 20 million people and dominates its government and military.Meanwhile, authorities were trying to establish a motive for Sunday's killing of a Buddhist monk in eastern Sri Lanka, the Defense Ministry said.Unidentified gunmen stormed a Buddhist temple in eastern Trincomalee district, which lies near Tamil Tiger territory, and fatally shot the chief monk, the Rev. Handungamuwe Nandarathana.More than 69,000 people have been killed since Sri Lanka's war began in 1983. Sri Lanka stocks fall for 10th day on war fears, rates Sri Lankan shares fell on Monday for a 10th consecutive session as fears the island's conflict is set to deepen worried investors and high interest rates prompted some to look at bonds instead, traders said. The Colombo All Share index closed 0.37 percent lower at 2,665.56 points, its lowest level since November, after falling around 5 percent in a fortnight. The market has pulled back in recent weeks from an all-time closing high of 3,016.42 hit on Feb. 13. The bourse is now down over 2 percent so far this year, after rising more than 40 percent in 2006 on solid corporate earnings. Air raids launched by Tamil Tiger rebels in light aircraft smuggled into the country in pieces has unsettled residents and investors alike in the capital, and the rebels have vowed more air strikes will follow. "It's a combination of the situation in the country with the government expenditure expected to go up buying new aircraft to attack the (Tigers) plus soaring interest rates," said Ravi Jayasuriya, manager at NDB Stockbrokers. "Things are not hunky dory at all." "Look at the opportunity costs ... You might as well put your money in a treasury bill or something and put your legs up and make 18-20 percent without any problems. Why should people come into the market?" With central bank policy interest rates at their highest levels since 2002, many people are also turning to fixed deposits, dealers say. Shares in conglomerate John Keells Holdings fell 0.34 percent to 147.50 rupees a share, while leading fixed line operator Sri Lanka Telecom closed 0.7 percent firmer at 38 rupees a share. Turnover was low at 164.7 million rupees ($1.48 million), well short of last year's average daily trading volume of around 400 million rupees. The rupee closed unchanged at 110.90/110.95 in quiet trade, but is near new life lows of 110.95/111.00 per dollar hit on Monday. Call rates rose to 13.362 percent from 13.295 percent on Friday as calculated on an average. Call rates rose as high as 50 percent in recent weeks, and traders said the volatility was a concern for investors. (US$1 = 110.925 rupees) Speaker to consult AG over TNA MP’s speech Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara said TNA Jaffna District Parliamentarian S. Kajendran would be dealt with according to the Constitution and Standing Orders of Parliament, with regards to the controversial remarks he made in Parliament last week.The Speaker is to consult the Attorney General on the matter accordingly.“Everybody unfairly asks me why I did not take action against the MP when he made the said speech supporting the LTTE, thus violating the 6th Amendment to the Constitution, which was entirely out of context, as it was the Deputy Speaker who was in the Chair at that moment. Everybody has forgotten that very conveniently,” Speaker Lokubandara said.However, the maximum measures possible had already been taken against the MP, under Standing Orders and he was also expelled from Parliament. Further action would be taken if necessary, once the AG’s legal opinion was given, he said. Attorney General C.R. De Silva is presently out of the country. A source attached to the AG’s Department, on condition of anonymity said an intimation relating to the matter had not been received from Parliament even by last afternoon. Meanwhile, a former Speaker and veteran Parliamentarian, explaining the procedure that should be adopted by Parliament said the Speaker should call for all records of proceedings in the House, including the alleged unconstitutional remarks of the MP and send them to the Attorney General for his opinion. If the AG determines there was a violation of the Constitution, charges could be brought against the MP, he said. If the Speaker decides to take further action against the parliamentarian under Parliamentary Privileges, he could ask Parliament to bring a resolution against the MP. On approval, he could be expelled from Parliament for a longer period.But there is another side to this whole episode. The Speaker has already punished the MP and the law says, no citizen could be punished twice for the same offence under the law of the land,” the former Speaker concluded. Division of Sri Lanka will be detrimental to Tamils -JVP CHENNAI: The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) favours a solution to the crisis in Sri Lanka without dividing the country on ethnic lines. Any such division will be detrimental to the Tamils living in areas outside the north and the east, according to party central committee member R. Chandrasekar. The nominated Member of Parliament and trade union leader, who works in Vavuniya district, told The Hindu here that the JVP believed Sri Lanka belonged to the Sinhalese, the Tamils and the Muslims. Dividing the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation would result in the rise of more sub-national tendencies and in the fragmentation of the island. He accused Britain, Norway and the United States of trying to interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka by using the ethnic problem, more particularly the demand for a separate homeland for the Tamils, as a ploy. Actually, these countries had the "hidden agenda of plundering the rich oil resources of the island." As the imperialist forces had been trying to create a power in South Asia akin to Israel in the Middle East to serve their interests, India should prevent the dismemberment of Sri Lanka, he said. Though the activities of the Tamil parties and militant groups were confined only to Jaffna, Batticaloa, Mannar and Trincomalee, a large number of Tamils lived outside these areas also. In Colombo, the Tamils formed 35 per cent of the population. They lived in Galle, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla. Moreover, most of the Tamils from the north and the east had sought refuge in Colombo to escape the fighting, he pointed out. The ethnic divide would only pave the way for the emergence of a "Sinhala Prabakaran," the JVP leader said, stressing the need for "liberating Tamils from the clutches of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam." Efforts must be made to restore normality in the country so that democratic and political movements functioned freely. Denying that the JVP was anti-Tamil, Mr. Chandrasekar said the party, with 38 MPs, had been playing the role of a constructive opposition in Parliament. It was working for the progress and welfare of the Tamils and the Muslims. The party had constructed 500 houses in the tsunami-hit areas such as Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Amparai. Free computer education centres were run by the JVP for the benefit of the people in different parts of the country. The party was also working for the welfare of the estate workers. Sivaram killing: Court warrants three witnesses The Colombo High Court issued warrants yesterday on three witnesses in the jury trial in connection with the assassination of journalist Dharmaretnam Sivaram alias Taraki. High Court judge W.A.T. Ratnayake issued warrants on witnesses Prasanna Pubudu Ratnayake of Rajagiriya, Benjamin Yogachandran Kuharapillai of Colombo 15 and Mailwaganam Pathmanadhan of Trincomalee as they had failed to appear before court yesterday and on earlier summons, and the case was put off for June 16. In this case, the Attorney General has indicted accused Arumugam Sri Skandarajah alias Peter of Trincomalee on four counts including abduction and murder of the journalist. He is charged with conspiracy to abduct with the intention of murder, abducting and committing the murder of Sivaram between January 1 and April 28, 2005 in Bambalapitiya and Maharagama. The accused was also charged with the extortion of a mobile phone and a sim from Sivaram. On the request of the accused the trial is being heard before a jury. Dharmaretnam Sivaram was abducted on April 28, 2005 at Galle Road in Bambalapitiya and his slain body was found at the high security area near the Parliament at Sri Jayewardenapura Kotte the following day.M.L.M. Ameen PC with Rushdi Zarook appeared for the accused while Senior State Counsel Achala Wengappuli appeared for the prosecution. Mangala to support Govt. after meeting President Ousted Minister Mangala Samaraweera agreed not to take up a Cabinet portfolio although he agreed to support the government “in the best interest of the country” following lengthy discussion with President Mahinda Rajapakse on Sunday, Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana said yesterday. Governor Moulana, who facilitated the meeting, which lasted for nearly two hours and was “cordial and friendly”, added that both the President and Mr. Samaraweera were able to iron out their differences during the one-to-one discussion. Asked whether a similar negotiation would take place with former Deputy Minister Sripathi Sooriarachchi, who too was expelled from the Cabinet following differences with the President, Mr. Moulana said such a meeting was also on the cards.“Negotiations with Mr. Sooriarachchi too will follow as President Rajapaksa is flexible,” Mr. Moulana said. Both Mr. Samaraweera and Mr. Sooriarachchi were expelled from the Cabinet following a rift with the President, with the latter accusing the government of signing a secret deal with the LTTE. Mr. Sooriarachchi was subsequently arrested on allegations of misusing state property but was later released on bail.Following allegations by the sacked government parliamentarians, the SLFP Central Committee had given the green light for the disciplinary committee to go ahead with a probe on the conduct of the two.The disciplinary committee headed by Minister John Seneviratne had put forward the charge sheets against the two former ministers to the Central Committee seeking its approval to continue with the probe.After going through the charge sheets the Central Committee had felt that Messrs. Sooriyarachchi and Samaraweera had violated party discipline through their actions and gave the green light for the disciplinary committee to continue with the probe and suggest appropriate action. Walkie-talkie antennas for LTTE found in tobacco store Commission urges witness protection Witnesses 'fear reprisals' International human rights watchdogs ahve called upon the government to protect witnesses as many are reluctant to give evidence fearing reprisals. The Commission begun investigations into 16 serious human rights violations since august 2005. Killings of then foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, TNA MPs Joseph Pararajasingham and Nadarajah Raviraj and the murder of Deputy General Secretary of Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat, Ketheesh Loganathan, are among the incidents probed by the Commission.The investigation is also focused on killing of 17 aid workers in Muttur and the bomb blast that killed 68 civilians in Kebitigollewa, Anuradhapura. International monitoring panel An international panel of jurists are to monitor the transparency and the independence of the hearings, Secretary to the Commission, SD Piyadasa, told BBC Sinhala.The Commission was given 12 months period to investigate and provide recommendation."In case investigations require more time we can make a request to extend that period," Justice Udalagama told BBC Sandeshaya.The investigation is to follow normal judicial procedures, he said. It is up to the President may to take appropriate action General upon receiving the recommendations from the Commission, the chairman added. Norwegian Tamil reported missing in Sri Lanka A 31-year old Norwegian citizen of Tamil origin has been reported missing since March 31, after he was questioned by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Vavu:niyaa. Sounthararajan Thambirajah who has lived in Norway for 13 years since 1993 had come to Sri Lanka last year on marriage purpose and was trapped in Ki'linochchi as violence broke out in August 2006. Mr. Southararajan crossed into the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) controlled territory at the end of March this year, a Norwegian daily reported Saturday. Sounthararajan has family members in Norway and they have been in continous touch with the Norwegian mission in Sri Lanka, Klassekampen, the first media to break the story, reported. The family and the Norwegian embassy officials have been working hard to find out the whereabouts of the Norwegian citizen Southararajan. There were traces of arrest by Sri Lankan authorites til April 12, according to the family, the paper said. The family was tight-lipped till they allowed the Tamil activists in Norway to go public as their repeated attempts to secure the release of their brother had failed, informed sources in Norway told TamilNet.There has been no official documentation of the arrest.The paper, quoted Norwegian Foreign Ministry official, Kristin Melsom, as saying that the Norwegian authorities were monitoring the case of dissappearance closely. However, the Embassy had refused to go into details "due to the nature of the case," the paper said. The case was a "serious issue" for the Norwegian Embassy and the Embassy officials were continously briefing the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. It was after a long period of time that a Norwegian national was reported missing in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Embassy in Oslo has also been approached by the Norwegian authorities two weeks ago, the Klassekampen reported. 14 May 2007 Buddhist monk who was close to Tamil people killed It is being reported that Chief incumbent of the Pabbatharamaya in Morawewa Venerable Nandarathana Thera has been gunned down by two unidentified gunmen at around 9 this morning. The murderers had arrived at the scene in a motor bicycle and fled the scene immediately after the attack.Sources say that the Thera had been associating Tamil people in the area well and that he had a good rapport with them. During the time which the CFA was in actual affect the Thera had participated even in the Pongu Thamil festival organized by the LTTE.The Thera had received a very good response from the Tamil people in the area this year from the Vesak celebrations and even had even ordained three Tamil children.However the Thera had told a local journalist who visited him recently that he had death threats and when the journalist took a picture of the Thera he had said that it could be the last picture one takes of him.Sources say that Nandarathana Thera had been serving in the Army before he put on the robes and that he was also a father of three. US to actively take part in Sri Lankan peace process The US government is likely to play an active role in Sri Lanka with regard to the ethnic conflict and the peace process in the near future.The US government on the eve of the Sri Lankan visit of Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher, said that they would try to get both parties back to the negotiating table.They urged the Sri Lankan government and LTTE to restart peace talks as soon as possible.“Our concern is to try to get the government and the Tamil Tigers back to the negotiating table. That has been an on-and-off enterprise over the past several years. We very much appreciate the efforts of the Norwegian Government in this regard. They have taken a real lead and interest, as have we, in the issue” the US State Department Spokesman, Sean McCormack said on Wednesday in Washington. “Unfortunately, the meetings that they have had not -- haven’t really resulted in any progress. It’s a fight that’s been going on for several decades now. So it’s a real -- it’s a very, very difficult problem. And in the meantime, you have a number of people that have lost their lives as a result of this fighting, and that -- that’s a terrible tragedy” Sean McCormack further stated.Regarding Assistant Secretary Richard A. Boucher’s Sri Lankan visit, Sean McCormack stated that Richard will try to further efforts in this regard.“I can’t tell you whether he’s carrying a special message from the Secretary. She has, in the past several months, met with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and encouraged the government to do everything that it could to further the cause of peace, but at this point, I don’t -- sadly, don’t have any breakthroughs to announce for you” the US State Department Spokesman said at the weekly press conference. According to State Department sources, there is a possibility that the US government would appoint a special envoy for Sri Lankan affairs.A group of the US Congressmen in a letter to President George Bush a few months ago said that they were deeply troubled by renewed violence and the rising number of deaths as well as a big increase in unsolved kidnappings in Sri Lanka. On those grounds they requested President Bush to appoint a special US envoy, who will have a clear mandate to increase monitoring of human rights violations in Sri Lanka. However it is unlikely that such an envoy would be appointed, sources said. The attempt made by Mangala, Anura, Ranil to form an alliance was foiled by Wimal- President President Mahinda Rajapakse says that he never proposed or intended to get Mangala Samaraweera to the government's ranks once again and present him a ministerial port folio.Speaking to some officials of the Lake house at temple trees yesterday the head of state had said that Samaraweera came to meet him after speaking to Alevi Maulana and that they did not talk about any serious issues in politics before the two had dinner shile watching a world cup cricket match.The Lake house employees were also served dinner by the president and sources say that the move was made to cut down the opposes made by Lake house employees for appointing Bandula Padmakumara as the head of the lake house. The president with aggression had said that up-to-date he or the government has not been accused of any major issues but it was Mangala who made such an accusation when the opposition had nothing to shout about. He has also said that he was aware of the meeting which took place between Mangala, JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the opposition leader to form an alliance but it was halted by Wimal Weerawansa.The president who said that he had not forgotten the past and that he still remember the support given to him by the JHU and the JVP to come into power. He has said that he asked the JVP to come and work with the government once again but they didn’t and on many occasions he wanted to go for an election, but that he realized the JVP wouldn't even get the number of seats which they already have. Mahinda Rajapakse had also said that his second option was to get a group from the UNP to join him and that's why he proceeded with it and elaborated that Mangala Samaraweera also agreed this.Speaking about Bandula Padmakumara the president had said that he has decided to appoint Bandula for the chairman post and that he is a good friend of his for a long time. Then Dinamina editor Mahinda Abeysundara had strongly opposed this saying that Bandula was junior to him and that he worked with the UNP in the past election campaigns.Rajapakse then reminded then that he is now working with so many UNP parliamentarians including Gamini Lokuge who held a pistol to his head and asked them in return, if so why they can't work with Bandula. The president has said that if any problems arise he would take care of them.Accordingly Bandula Padmakumara will assume duties as the chairman of the lake house on Monday or Tuesday.Bandula had apparently put forward one condition to the president before assuming duties which the president agreed to. Bandula had said that he wanted carry on the programme that he hosts every morning on a private television channel. Dispute with Pillayan settled: Karuna spokesman Karuna Amman and Pillayan yesterday met face to face and reconciled their dispute after it threatened to spill over into another factional war in the east. Karuna faction spokesman Azad Moulana, who was believed to have gone into hiding after the split, told the Daily Mirror by satellite phone that the two sides had lengthy discussions at an undisclosed location yesterday and bridged their differences.“It is true there were differences between the two. I’m happy to say it has been sorted and we will function as usual,” Mr. Moulana said without revealing where the meeting took place and under whose mediation.However the background noise on the satellite phone of Mr. Moulana gave an indication he was calling from a busy town area. “I will be back as spokesman on my usual mobile number within the next two days,” he said At yesterday’s meeting it was subsequently agreed, according to Mr. Moulana, that Karuna Amman would remain as the leader of the outfit also known as the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) while Pillayan will hold the post of supreme commander, the position he held prior to the split. However a spokesman for Pillayan told the Daily Mirror last evening it was agreed that a central committee consisting of senior TMVP officials would be formed to be the decision making body of the organization.He said Pillayan and his associates would “wait and see” how things progress from a separate base in Trincomalee while the main bastion of the Karuna outfit would continue to be Batticaloa.It will be the central committee which will ultimately decide on financial issues and military action to be taken against the LTTE, the Pillayan spokesman said. The bitter feud between Karuna and Pillayan, who is considered the intelligence head of the organization, erupted over the alleged misuse of TMVP funds by Karuna Amman. Reports later began to surface of cadres loyal to either, including senior officials, being killed or fleeing to safety fearing retribution. Last week the spokesman for Pillayan vowed his new leader would continue the fight against the LTTE while ruling out reconciliation with Karuna Amman adding that senior military and political leaders together with some 350 cadres had offered allegiance to Pillayan and moved to a location in Trincomalee..“We will continue to fight against the Prabhakaran-led Wanni cadres but we will definitely not patch up with Karuna Amman,” is what the Pillayan spokesman told the Daily Mirror at the time. Commenting on this Mr. Moulana said “I am the only authorized spokesman for the TMVP and no one else, and whatever was said earlier by others does not stand. I did not approach the media because we needed time to sort things out.”Last week Government defence officials refused to comment on the split.Meanwhile Mr. Moulana yesterday said the LTTE was hoping to take advantage of the split but would be disappointed to hear of the reconciliation between the two sides. Pillayan was believed to be the “brains” behind most of the operations carried out against the LTTE in the east while Karuna was focused on building a political platform to contest at future elections. Read Standing Orders before shouting -Speaker TNA MP S. Kajendren’s controversial statement on Wednesday became a focal point of discussion in Parliament once again on Friday. Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara requested members not to insult him by criticizing the way he handled the situation. Mr. Lokubandara charged that several members had insulted him by criticizing him on the way he handled the House following the controversial statement made by TNA MP Kajendran. The JVP, UNP and some Government MPs created an up roar in the House on Thursday calling on the Speaker to expel the TNA MP after he made the controversial statement during the emergency debate. The Speaker explained that it was not fair on the part of MPs to shout at him without going through Standing Orders and the Constitution. In this context he said he only had the right to punish a member for bad behaviour on the day itself and not on another day. Members should not try to enjoy themselves by insulting the Speaker, he added. The Speaker also charged that certain media organizations too had also insulted him by passing wrong information to the public. Minister Mano Wijeratne later expressed regrets if any remarks made by members on Thursday hurt the Speaker. 5 Tamil Nadu fishermen on hunger strike in Magazine Prison 5 Tamil Nadu fishermen, who have been on remand for 1 year six months, are on hunger strike demanding that they be brought to trial. Regan, Jabcob, Suresh, Ramakrishnan and another are the 5 prisoners on hunger strike. They are all from Rameswaram. They were arrested in the Mannar seas and held in the Jaffna prison and two months ago, they were transferred to Colombo Magazine prison. Applications called for the post of Vice Chancellor, Jaffna University Applications are called for the post of Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University from eligible persons. According to the Registrar of the Jaffna University, the applications close on June 8th, 2007. Professor Kumara Vadivellu has been the acting Vice Chancellor for the last one year since Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole, who was appointed for this post on June 12th 2006, had not assumed duties. Now, the applications are called following a directive by the University Grants Commission. More ships reach Jaffna with essential food items and buses Two ships, Induruweli and Yala, have reached the Jaffna peninsula, carrying a total of 5,200 metric tonnes of wheat flour. Unloading of the cargo is already under way. The flour will be distributed to consumers in the peninsula through cooperative outlets. The prices of bakery products which rose very sharply also came down drastically with the availability of wheat flour without any restriction, states a SCOPP Report. The report further adds: Ships carrying essential food and other items now berth at Northern Harbours at regular intervals as part of the government’s strategy to maintain an uninterrupted supply chain to Jaffna. As a result, scarcities have become a thing of the past in the Jaffna peninsula as gathered from reports in newspapers published in the Jaffna peninsula. Sources at the Jaffna Government Agent’s Office said that the flour will be sold at Rs. 48 per kilogram at the old price, which is less than the price charged for the commodity in other parts of the country. The Office of the Commissioner of Essential Services confirmed the arrival of the latest consignments. Potatoes Potatoes, which form the substance of and add flavour to the food prepared by the people of Jaffna, are now imported from India for distribution in the peninsular. Officials said that 47 metric tonnes of potatoes, carried by the ship ‘Ruhunu’, are currently being unloaded. The unloading operations at the Jaffna ports were carried out under the supervision of the Government Agent for Jaffna, K. Ganeshan. New buses to strengthen public transport services Violence unleashed by the LTTE also disrupted public transport services in the Peninsula. Furthermore, lack of spare parts had an impact on the number of school buses being operated by the Central Transport Board. Immediately after this situation was brought to the attention of the authorities concerned, the spares as well as 18 new buses were sent by ship last month. As a further move to strengthen the public transport services in the peninsula, the Government yesterday sent 15 more new buses by ship to Jaffna. The buses and spare parts sent to Jaffna are valued at nearly Rs. 100 million. The Ministry of Transport said that spare parts, 200 spare tyres and tool kits were also sent with the latest consignment of buses. The new buses will be deployed at the Jaffna, Point Pedro and Karai Nagar Transport Board Depots. Commenting on certain Tamil media reports published that public transport services remain paralysed in the Jaffna peninsula for lack of spares and tyres, a Transport Ministry spokesperson said that the situation would return to normal in the next few days. The Government has implemented a well planned and carefully laid out strategy to supply the Jaffna peninsula with essential food and other items. The Government was compelled to use the sea route since it has become unsafe to allow transport of goods through the A-9 highway due to targeted attacks by the LTTE. SLA cordons off, searches Kaithady More than 600 soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) cordoned off a large area in Kaithady and conducted house-to-house search Sunday starting early morning, sources in Jaffna said. Local residents were asked to remain inside the house while the search until the operation was completed.Locals were body searched and national Identity Cards for young men and women were examined.No one was arrested during the operations. India to acquire 4 more Aerostats to track air spies NEW DELHI: India is going to acquire four more Aerostat radars from Israel to bolster its ability to detect and track hostile low-flying aircraft, helicopters, spy drones and missiles. The Aerostat radars will help in plugging holes in the country’s far-from-impregnable airspace, especially with central and peninsular India being quite devoid of medium-level and low-level radar coverage, as reported by TOI earlier. The "gaps" in the radar network, in fact, can even be exploited by terrorist outfits like LTTE, which recently demonstrated its capability to mount air strikes by using low-flying propeller aircraft in Sri Lanka. While the decision to buy more Aerostat radars may be good, the not-so-good news is that India’s $1.1 billion project to acquire three "Phalcon" AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) from Israel has run into some rough weather. As per the March 2004 contract, the first AWACS was to be delivered to India in November 2007 after integration of the Israeli Phalcon early-warning radar and communication system with the Russian IL-76 heavy transport aircraft. The second and the third ones were to follow nine months and 15 months after that. "But there is a delay due to technical reasons... IAF might get the first AWACS in February 2008 now if everything goes as per schedule," a defence ministry source said. Both AWACS and Aerostat radars (phased-array radars mounted on blimp-like balloons tethered to ground) act as "eyes in the skies" since they can detect air intrusions much earlier than ground-based radars. The four more Aerostat radars is a follow-on order to the successful deployment of the two EL/M-2083 Aerostat radars, inducted from Israel in 2004-2005, along the border in Kutch region and Punjab. In all, IAF has projected a requirement of 13 Aerostat radars, with each one capable of providing three-dimensional low-altitude coverage equal to 30-40 ground-based radars. Incidentally, Pakistan too is acquiring six Aerostat L-88 radar systems from the US in an estimated $155-million deal. IAF, on its part, also plans to acquire a wide array of LLTRs (low-level transportable radars), LLLWRs (low-level light weight radars), CARs (central acquisition radars) and SARs (synthetic aperture radars) over the next five years to improve its air defence capabilities. Most of these requirements are being sourced from Israel, which has emerged as India’s second-largest defence supplier with annual sales worth almost $1 billion.Interestingly, the EL/M-2083 Aerostat radars are simpler versions of the EL/M-2080 Green Pine radars, which are an integral part of the Israeli Arrow-2 BMD (ballistic missile defence) systems. India has used the two Green Pine radars, imported from Israel in 2001-2002, to develop its own long-range tracking radar which was used in last year’s test of an indigenous "exo-atmospheric" BMD system. 13 May 2007 Boucher insists on Vitharana proposals Visiting US Secretary of State Richard Boucher has told the government that the Tissa Vitharana proposals submitted recently should be the basis for a negotiated settlement with the LTTE.Boucher visited Sri Lanka at a time when there was a campaign against the government on the deteriorating human rights situation and the freedom of the media.It is also learnt that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed reservations about what Boucher has proposed but it is open for all political parties to consider the matter. Minister Vitharana in his recent proposals has suggested that the unit of devolution should be the province. Some of the highlights of the Tissa Vitharana proposals to the All Party Representative Committee includes: a senate to be elected by provincial legislatures, two vice presidents from different communities, the abolition of the Executive Presidency at the end of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s first term, the election of an Executive Prime Minister, Sri Lanka to be one, free, sovereign and independent state, safeguards against secession, president to be subject to judicial and parliamentary control, a Constitutional Court outside the Supreme Court and the state to take forward a Sri Lankan identity.In the meantime it has been observed by human rights activists that there is a marked decline in the abductions in Colombo and Jaffna and that the human rights situation had improved. The government was also facing a grave situation where the US and the west were to hold back their aid to Sri Lanka until the human rights record is improved. Foreign aid cut fear as Sri Lanka fails on human rights During his three-day visit, Boucher visited the besieged Jaffna peninsula where extra-judicial killings are rampant and heard the complaints of minority Tamils. More than 700 people are reported to have "disappeared" in the past year amid worsening fighting between troops and Tiger rebels. The spiralling violence in the former British colony sparked a debate in the House of Commons earlier this month with calls for international human rights monitoring. British International Development Minister Gareth Thomas announced a freeze on aid to Sri Lanka, following a similar moved by Germany. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama shrugged off the aid freeze by Britain, saying the amount of money involved was about three million dollars and was too insignificant to "bother about." But promises Bogollagama made in foreign capitals about Sri Lanka's plans for a political settlement to the island's drawn-out Tamil separatist conflict are beginning to dog him and the administration. In February, he told Indian leaders that a power-sharing plan would be unveiled in April. The promise was repeated when he met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in March. However, there has been no firm power-sharing plan announced by the government. Instead, on May 1, the ruling party put out draft proposals which were immediately shot down by the government's own allies and Tamils. Pro-government Tamil political leader Dharmalingam Sithadthan said the outline of the government's plan was unacceptable even to moderates who have been supporting the government while opposing Tamil separatists. "No one can support the draft proposal because it takes away even what little has been offered under the present system," Sithadthan said. The ruling party draft proposes a smaller administrative unit than the provincial councils which have operated in the country of 19.5 million people since 1987, in line with a peace deal arranged by neighbouring India. The Tamil rebels have already rejected even the provincial council system as inadequate, saying it fails to give political autonomy to the 12.5 percent ethnic Tamil minority. Rajapakse discussed the political reforms with Boucher, a spokesman for the president's office said, adding no time frame was set for a final solution as an all-party committee debated the issue. The Norwegian-backed peace efforts began unravelling in December 2005 when the Tamil Tigers and government forces began their latest wave of fighting, ignoring a truce put in place in February 2002.More than 4,800 people have been killed in fighting since Norwegian-brokered peace talks collapsed in October 2005. The conflict which erupted in 1972 has claimed more than 60,000 lives. Military says Sri Lankan soldiers kill four LTTE in northwest Sri Lanka - 's soldiers killed four Tamil Tiger rebels when they observed a column moving near a defense line, the military said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday in Mannar district, 220 kilometers (135 miles) northwest of capital Colombo, the Defense Ministry media center said. There was no immediate comment from the rebels. India HC follows Lalith Weeratunga Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad has returned to New Delhi for consultations amidst reports that New Delhi is set to express its displeasure over the devolution proposals of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). His visit comes in the wake of the trip to New Delhi by Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga. As exclusively reported in The Sunday Times last week, Mr. Weeratunga carried with him the set of SLFP proposals and a brief from President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The brief was to explain the rationale behind the proposals and how the All-Party Representative Committee (APRC) will ultimately formulate its own draft. During that process, the APRC is expected to develop on the SLFP and other proposals received.Mr. Weeratunga conveyed the SLFP proposals to the Indian Prime Minister through his counterpart T.K.A. Nair, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. India's refusal to clarify Antony 's statement irks Lanka To the utter dismay of the Sri Lankan government, India did not respond to its demand for clarifications on Defence Minister AK Antony's statement in parliament holding the Sri Lankan Navy responsible for the death of 77 Indian fishermen between 1991 and mid 2007.Since there was no response from New Delhi within the stipulated 48 hours, Sri Lanka on Saturday went public on its version of the events. A statement from the Foreign Ministry said that every time there was a report of an incident in the sea involving Indian fishermen, the Navy would inquire if any naval vessel had been deployed in the area and if any ammunition was used. "The outcomes of all inquiries have established absolutely no involvement by the Sri Lankan Navy," the statement said. The Indian High Commission in Colombo had been kept informed every time, it added. LTTE air attack costs oil company $700,000 Bishop seeks Co-Chairs' help for peace talks The Catholic Bishop of Jaffna the Rt. Rev Dr. Thomas Savuntharanayagam made a fervent appeal on behalf of the Jaffna civil society to the US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Bowcher for the greater involvement of the International Community in resuming the stalled peace process in Sri Lanka. The US Assistant Secretary of State attended a meeting at the Jaffna Public Library auditorium on Wednesday attended by the clergy, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna Prof Kumar Vadivel, Government Agent of Jaffna K. Ganesh academics and the members of the business community. Richard Bowcher was the first senior most American official to visit the Jaffna Public Library since it was rebuilt in 2002 after it was set on fire in 1981. Bishop Savuntharanayagam addressing a packed audience at the library auditorium said that the international community must perform its part in bringing the parties in the conflict back to the negotiating table. The people of the North and East and the country at large was facing much hardship due to the ongoing hostilities in the country. "This situation cannot be allowed to continue with death and destruction. The international community should play an effective role in finding a political solution as early as possible for the Lankan crisis. Devolution of powers based on a Federal system could be the only suitable solution to the ethnic turmoil in the country, Bishop Savuntharanayagam said. Prof. Vadivel in his address described the current situation that prevails in Jaffna due to the collapse of the peace process. He also urged the US Government and other Co-Chair countries involved in the Lankan peace process to take effective measures to resume the stalled peace talks. While explaining the killings, abductions and the economic strains that remain in the peninsula, the Vice Chancellor pointed out the difficulties he faced in the administration of the Jaffna University. EPRLF head denied addl. security General Secretary, EPRLF, Suresh Premachandran said that despite repeated requests for enhanced security following death threats, he is yet to have his security fortified. Premachandran has already raised the issue with Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara after being informed by the defence authorities that he is under 'serious risk,' but no additional security has been provided to him so far. "I have been repeatedly warned by the defence authorities to seek additional security. Speaker Lokubandara informed me that my request has been referred to the Ministry of Defence for necessary action. But nothing has happened so far," Premachandran told The Sunday Leader. When contacted by The Sunday Leader, Defence Ministry sources said that the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) has been informed of the need, but in turn, the MSD said that there was a lack of trained personnel to enhance the security of parliamentarians placed under security threat as they are having more and more assignments. Meanwhile, Premachandran has again informed the authorities that he has the service of one back up vehicle and two police personnel " This is completely inadequate. The threats are many and often we don't even know from where the threats emanate. As a secretary of a political party, I feel very unsafe. The EPRLF in particular has paid a huge price. This is a sentiment shared by the entire TNA parliamentary group," he added. Soldiers find communication sets, mines meant for rebels in northern Sri Lanka Sri Lankan authorities have recovered two-way radios and explosives which were to be used by Tamil Tiger rebels, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday. Sri Lankan soldiers stopped a truck on Saturday at a check point near northern Vavuniya town and discovered 479 radios hidden in 32 television sets, the ministry's information center said. The driver and an employee of the truck company were arrested. Vavuniya is the last government-held garrison town before territory held by the Tamil Tigers. Also Saturday, soldiers on a search operation found 22 anti-personnel mines and an anti-tank mine in Muhalamai village in northern Jaffna peninsula, the ministry said. Tamil Tiger rebels have fought the government for more than two decades to create an independent homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils who faced discrimination at the majority Sinhalese-dominated state. A Norway-brokered cease-fire scaled down violence in 2002 but hostilities resumed in late 2005. More than 69,000 people have been killed in two decades of violence, including 4,000 who people died in the past 18 months TNA to notify Speaker Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian S. Kajendran, who was suspended from attending parliamentary sessions on Thursday (10), said he did not violate the constitution by speaking for the LTTE and added that he was sent out mainly due to the uproar that was made by the JVP. Speaking to The Sunday Leader on this issue, the parliamentarian said the Chief Government Whip had not opposed the statement which he had made in parliament last Thursday. "Even the Chief Government Whip, Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle agreed that I had the right to say what I wanted in parliament. I was sent out because of the uproar by the JVP," he said. He added that he did not go against the constitution by making the particular statement, as the LTTE was not a banned organisation in the country even though it was a terrorist organisation. "I did not speak on behalf of a banned organisation. The LTTE is not banned in Sri Lanka. Action could have been taken if I had spoken in favour of a banned organisation," he said. Kajendran further added that the TNA would meet to discuss this issue and would notify the outcome to the Speaker. "We will be meeting to discuss this issue in detail as legal issues are involved. We also hope to bring this matter up with the Speaker and convey our stance on this whole issue," he added. However, the parliamentarian also added that he even attended the parliamentary sessions held on Friday. Exit Karuna: Pillaiyan, new kid on the block On the eve of an ambitious programme to resettle displaced people in the East and hold elections in the province, the military maintains that it cannot afford confrontations in cleared areas. This position was taken, even as the ‘Karuna’ group feud led to open clashes and killings in the past fortnight.Hence, Vinyagamurthy Muralitheran, alias Karuna Amman, was advised by Military Intelligence to flee the country, as the ‘Karuna’ group was divided right down the middle.His No. 2, Pillaiyan, who is the supreme commander of all the others, openly clashed with him. Pillaiyan, who was throughout in the war zone, even when Karuna was abroad for safety, was the go-between, between Karuna and the commanders. The military on the ground, had greater dealings with him.Karuna, accordingly, left the country this week, to an undisclosed destination, along with trusted loyalists. He left with much resentment, even as Pillaiyan took the upper hand, claiming he would fight both Prabhakaran and Karuna.Security Forces Commander East, Maj. Gen. Parakrama Pannipitiya, only this week, confirmed to reporters, what we have been saying: elections would be held in the East. With the East, more or less secured by the military, with the help of Karuna, in more ways than one, some claimed he had outlived his purpose and his presence was dangerous for several reasons, at this juncture. The international community, including visiting US Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Boucher, has urged the government to disassociate itself from the ‘Karuna’ group, which is involved in abductions, killings and conscription of youth. Last week, British Minister for Middle East, Dr. Kim Howells, in the House of Commons debate said: “Reports of the Government’s links with the ‘Karuna’ faction, led by a former LTTE commander, concern us a great deal. We believe Karuna and his faction to be responsible for extrajudicial killings, abductions, intimidation of displaced persons and child recruitment.”However, more important, Karuna Amman was beginning to assert himself in the political domain on matters East and had even demanded for the Chief Minister Post. Karuna made it clear that he would contest the provincial council elections that are on the cards. He had also wanted to head an interim arrangement. On the merger, he maintained that it was not the government but the people of the East, who had to decide in two years, through a referendum. Some strongly feel that the feud within the ‘Karuna’ group was covertly engineered, and efforts by the military, to openly settle the dispute in the cleared Vakarai area, were again undermined, with subsequent inspired killings on either side. Karuna, from the day he broke away from the LTTE, in March, 2004, openly proclaimed that a separate State cannot be achieved. Afforded the protection and patronage of the State, he even duly complied with the request to remove the “Eelam” part of his political party, originally called, Tamil Eelam Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TEMVP). Karuna strongly felt that the military and the government had political plans for him in the East and hence, the request to drop the word ‘Eelam’ from his party name. Not even Minister Douglas Devananda from the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), was requested to drop the dirty word from his party name. To coincide with the third anniversary of his breakaway, and in view of elections and reports of infiltration by the LTTE, he made the trek to Batticalao, a little over a month ago.It appears that the military was more comfortable with Pillaiyan at this stage of things, since he had lesser political ambitions, and was a lesser known factor, internationally. Hence, the need to ditch Karuna for the present. TMVP spokesman Azad Moulana, has also gone missing and his mobile phones are not responding. Moulana and Mangalan Master were neutral. However, in the face of the feud, the former fled, while the latter was forced to align with Pillaiyan.On Karuna’s side, the key people are Iniyabharathi, Riyaseelan, Sinnathamby, Jeyathaan, Santhiveli Maamaa, Machilan and Thileepan, who, the military maintains, had been bribed while in France, by the LTTE, to cause the split within the group. However, others say that MI got in touch with Krishnan from London, to engineer the split within the group.On Pillaiyan’s side are Seelan (intelligence chief), Sitha Master, Markan (Trincomalee leader), Thooyavan, Sasi and Sindujan, the Amparai military wing leader whose death was planned by Iniyaparadi who was in charge of Karuna’s finances. Iniyaparadi requested Sindujan and Seelan to come to the TMVP Batticaloa office, for a meeting last Thursday, while Pillaiyan was invited to a meeting with Karuna, in Colombo. When Pillayan, on his way to Colombo, learnt that Sindujan and four others of his group were assassinated by Iniyaparadi, he did not proceed to Colombo but retuned to safety. Seelan, who was injured when Iniyaparadi shot him, is hospitalized. Sindujan’s father, who had given evidence against Iniyaparadi, in the killing of his son, was also killed in Kallar this week. The chances of patching up now appear bleak. Even the military had mooted that Pillaiyan loyalists flee Batticaloa and Amparai and operate in Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa. Karuna loyalists were asked to remain from the lower part of Batticaloa up to Pottuvil, where there were clashes recently with Muslims. So, former LTTE strongholds in Karadiyanaru and Kokkadichcolai were to be occupied by the ‘Karuna’ faction. Batticaloa town was to be patronized by both groups, under the supervision of the forces. Karuna was to be the overall leader of TMVP and Pillaiyan the party’s military wing leader and No. 2 in the party.However, all these arrangements came to naught, with Karuna’s early exit and the resultant loss of influence. More than three-fourths of the ‘Karuna’ faction came under Pillaiyan, even as security forces on the ground, prevented the ‘Karuna’ faction team sent to capture Markan and others from proceeding. Pradeep Master, former eastern political leader and Jeyathaan have now pledged to support Pillaiyan. So, it is a clear case of Karuna outliving his usefulness and ending up nowhere.As he broke away in March 2004, the LTTE Wanni leadership summoned Karuna to the north. The military, which at that time was instructed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, not to have any truck with the renegade, for fear of stalling the peace process, even provided a chopper for him to go North. Karuna spurned the offer and decided to stay put, until the LTTE sent a team, not only across the Verugal River but, from behind him, forcing him to flee in the face of the onslaught. The LTTE had a mole in Karuna’s office, who passed on information that he was embezzling funds. The split in the ‘Karuna’ group is again over moneys extorted not being reported but embezzled. In the end, it all boils down to money. There have been previous instances too, where LTTE leaders abroad, were relieved off their duties, when they were learnt to have embezzled funds.Those higherups, including a No. 2 in the LTTE, were summarily executed, when it was learnt that they were treacherous, in passing on information to the Research and Analysis Wing. However, Karuna survived, for two reasons. He got out at the correct time and challenged the LTTE on regionalism, striking a chord with sections of the Tamils in the East. However, their deeds betrayed them, particularly, when they started extorting money, introducing taxes and staging abductions. However, what will Pillaiyan be able to offer the Tamil people? Security-wise, will they be assured secu | ||
