Srisaba's 22nd anniversary Day - 06/05/06
We’ll NEVER FORGET THE FORGOTTEN
Twohundred of our fellow members were killed or wounded
we will never, ever forget them or the sacrifices they made.

TAMIL UNITED DAY

31 May 2008

Sri Lanka rebels reject devolution plan, kill 31 troops: report

Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels condemned government moves to devolve more power to the north and east as they reported killing 31 troops in fresh fighting, according to a pro-rebel website Saturday.The head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) political wing, B. Nadesan, said the plan under which the government recently held local elections in former rebel-held areas contained "no basis for a settlement.""Recognition of Tamil sovereignty and right to self-determination are key issues in creating a climate for a negotiated settlement," he told Tamilnet.com in interview.He also accused Colombo of blocking peacebroker Norway from meeting LTTE leaders by refusing to provide access to rebel-held areas. The defence ministry bars media, aid workers and diplomats from travelling to rebel-held areas, citing safety concerns.Sri Lanka's main financial backers -- the United States, Japan, the European Union and Norway -- should keep up their peace-building work, Nadesan said, urging Colombo to allow diplomats to meet LTTE representatives.His statements came as a senior Sri Lankan official accused the LTTE of showing no signs of genuinely wanting peace."We are looking for a negotiated end to this conflict... so far they have shown no inclination to enter into any constructive dialogue," Palitha Kohona, secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on the sidelines of a security summit in Singapore."The LTTE is free to come back to the negotiating table but... must do so genuinely with a commitment to negotiating a sustainable peace and for that it must also leave aside its weaponry," he said.Despite rebel opposition, the Colombo-based government has been moving ahead to devolve more power to Tamil regions in the Sinhalese-majority island.The Tigers launched their battle for a separate Tamil state in 1972 in the north and east and the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people.Fighting has escalated sharply since Colombo exited from a Norwegian brokered ceasefire in January, believing it could crush the rebels militarily.After ejecting the LTTE from its eastern bastion last July, the government held polls earlier this month to allow residents to elect their own representatives to run the local administration.Campaigning on a government ticket, the former rebel breakaway TMVP won a majority to run the multi-ethnic eastern province made up of Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese.The LTTE political chief said, however, that the Tamils have "no interest in it (Colombo's devolution plans)" and accused President Mahinda Rajapakse of "paying lip service" to a political solution while pursuing a "war against the Tamil nation."He also dismissed Colombo's charges that the LTTE were behind a string of bomb attacks that killed at least 32 people and injured over 100 this month."The LTTE categorically denies responsibility for the attacks on civilians," he said, accusing the military of setting off mines targeting Tamil civilians. Meanwhile, the Tigers said they repelled an army advance into rebel-held areas of Vavuniya and Mannar on Friday, killing 31 troops and wounding at least 52 in several clashes, Tamilnet.com said said.The army "pulled back after sustaining casualties," the rebels said, without giving details of any of their own casualties. There was no comment from the defence ministry.Fighting is now centred around the north as government troops try to regain vast swathes of land under rebel control.Rajapakse has said he plans to conduct local polls and devolve power to people in the north once troops regain control of that region.

Reggie Ranatunga passes away           
  
Gampaha District Parliamentarian Reggie Ranatunga passed away at Nawaloka Private Hospital in Colombo this morning (May 31st).He suddenly fell ill on May 23rd and underwent several surgeries at the hospital.Mr. Ranatunga held several ministerial portfolios during the People's Alliance regime, and was one-time governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province.He was the father of Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee Chairman and former Test cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga.

'Food shortage' to Kilinochchi IDPs
 
Government officials in LTTE-held Kilinochchi say Internally Displaced People (IDP) are starving following restrictions on food transport in the area.Kilinochchi Government Agent (GA) Rasalingam Vedanayagam says "the area is suffering from a severe food shortage after transport of goods and food into the area has been cut by 80 percent." Mr. Vedanayagam further said that despite the shortage, 12,000 are still being provided food under the World Food Programme and a further 17,000 by the Sri Lanka Government Rehabilitation Programme. "Following the transport restrictions introduced by the government and the ministry of defence, transport of goods into the area has drastically decreased. Before the restrictions, around 200 to 300 trucks carrying food would come this way, but now there aren't even 50." Mr. Vedanayagam also added that the trucks that are permitted to transport have to also distribute food to the cooperatives.

Government denies

"There isn't enough for the people. The rations the people used to get for a week, they only now get for a month." The GA further said that over the past three months, the government has still not responded to the requests by him to take off the restrictions on the transport of food. The Sri Lanka government says they are yet to get reports on any food shortage in Kilinochchi.“These accusations against the government are complete false,” Rehabilitation and Resettlement Minister Risath Badiudeen told BBC Sandeshaya. The GA is yet to inform the government of any such shortage, the minister said, and the government will take steps to provide enough food supplies if needed.

Sri Lanka's inflation rate rises to 19.8%

Reporting the highest level in over five years, Sri Lanka's annual inflation rate rose to 19.8 percent in May. The Census and Statistics Department said this is because of the rising prices of food including vegetables, which puts pressure on the Central Bank to raise rates. “Consumer prices in May jumped 26.2 percent from a year earlier, outpacing 25 percent in April's data,” it said. “Prices of vegetables, fish and dhal shot up sharply,” the Department said. The latest index, introduced in December, goes back to 2003.

Displaced families in Eravur return
   
The families displaced due to the recent violence in Eravur returned to their homes yesterday with additional police and army personnel being deployed in vulnerable areas to prevent further tension.Following tit-for tat attacks triggered by the killing of a  TMVP political cadre Shanthan and the subsequent disappearance of two Muslim youth, around 2000 families in areas like Pudukuduirruppu, Sauvukkady and Iyankerny were displaced. Most of the families took refuge at St. Joseph’s Church, Thannimunai and Sri Vigneswara Vidyalaya, Mylampaveli in the Eravur division. St. Joseph’s Church Priest Fr. Brinner Sellar told the Daily Mirror that all the families who were staying in his church, left for their villages after security was guaranteed.  An official of the Chenkaladi Divisional Secretariat also confirmed that all the displaced families had now resumed normal life in the area.Meanwhile, Batticaloa DIG H.M.D. Herath said an additional police force of more than 200 had been deployed in vulnerable areas along with 500 army personnel.

Sri Lankan held with fake visa

CHENNAI: Immigration authorities at the Anna international terminal early on Friday arrested a 21-year-old Sri Lankan national when he attempted to board a Paris-bound flight using a fake visa.The authorities said Jeyakumar Pranavan was holding a genuine Sri Lankan passport. He came from Colombo and was on his way to London via Paris. He came to complete the immigration formalities and the U.K. visa he had was fake. He was arrested and handed over to local police for further investigation.

Sri Lanka military captures main LTTE base in Welioya

Sri Lankan Army troops captured one of main LTTE bases in the Welioya area known as 'Munagam Base' on Thuresday(29) evening after three days of fierce fighting, the military said.The critical Tiger base situated nearly six kilo meters ahead of the North Janakapura, Welioya Forward Defense Lines had been used by the Tigers as a back up to launch attacks on troops, defense officials said.“The LTTE base, half a square acre in size consisted of three permanent buildings, three command 'bunkers' each of which was 15 feet x 10 feet x 8 feet and two observations turrets. The other facilities consisted of a large kitchen, storage rooms and complete with an underground trench system linking each other,” Media Center for National Security said. A power generator has supplied electricity to the base while a massive reinforced concrete well, ten feet square and thirty feet deep with two water towers provided a secure source of water for the needs of the entire base, MCNS added.

Sunday Times journalist further detained

Journalist J.S.Tissanayagam, Vettivel Yaseeharan and Vadivel Valarmathi were produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Kapuarachchi Wednesday for the first time after their arrest. They were ordered further detention with the Terrorist Investigation Unit (TID) till June 6 on an application made the TID that the inquiry conducted so far against the suspects had revealed that the suspects were involved in LTTE activities and that the TID needed more time to conduct further investigations, legal sources said. The court ordered the TID to produce the suspect Vettivel Yaseeharan before the Judicial Medical Officer and to report for Court on an application by the senior counsel K. V. Thavarajah that his client had been subjected to torture at the TID. Counsel Thavarajah appeared for suspects Yaseeharan and Valarmathi Counsel Thavarajah further submitted that this was the first time all three suspects had been produced in Court since their arrest. TID did not respond to the Court instruction issued three times earlier to produce the suspects as the TID waited till the injuries sustained by suspect Yaseeharan due to torture and assault to heal. Counsel further submitted to Court that the Officer in Charge of the TID refused to allow counsel to meet the suspect despite permission granted by TID Senior Superintendent of Police. "Hence I beg Court to order that the suspect Yaseeharan be produced before the JMO for medical examination and report," appealed Counsel Thavarajah. He also brought to the notice of the court about the health condition of his second client Valarmathi.Counsel Thavarajah said Valarmathi had been working as a temporary lecturer in the Jaffna University. She had undergone a surgery for her stomach ailment. Now she had been advised to go for further surgery. The Court should direct the TID to take necessary action in this regard.The Court directed the TID to take necessary in regard to the illness of the suspect Valarmathi.Counsel Nihal Kulathunge appearing for journalist Tissanayagam submitted to court that the investigation into his client was over and requested his release on bail. But it was turned down by Court, legal sources said.

Heroin seized, two Sri Lankans held

KARUR: The Narcotics Intelligence Bureau, Chennai detachment, seized 2.5 kg heroin here and arrested two Sri Lankans, who carried the contraband worth Rs.3 crore in the international market.An NIB team was tracking a passenger of the Mumbai CST-Tirunelveli Express from Mumbai, who was suspected of carrying the contraband. When he alighted at the Karur Junction on Thursday night, a friend accosted him and both were about to leave the station when the sleuths surrounded them. They searched the passenger A. Manikandan (28), residing at Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district, and his accomplice K. Udayakumar (40), native of Vavuniya in Sri Lanka and now an inmate at the Sri Lankan refugee camp. They planned to hand over the consignment to a person in Karur.

Sri Lanka Air Force jets pound LTTE artillery point at Pooneryn

Air Force fighter jets pound LTTE artillery & mortar launching platforms - Poonaryn Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets pounded on LTTE artillery and mortar launching latforms located at Kalmunai point, in the Poonaryn general area this afternoon (May 30). According to the Air Force sources, to separate sorties were launched around 12 noon and 1.20 pm. The targets were accurately hit, but the exact damages to the enemy are yet to be ascertained, the sources added. There was no independent confirmation of the casualty figures.

Three killed in Anuradhapura   
 
Three people, including a woman, were killed in Anuradhapura district in an attack by the Tamil Tigers, police said.A group of Tamil Tigers have attacked a Civil Defence Force (CDF) post near Wilpattu wildlife sanctuary, journalist Athula Bandara reported. A woman and her husband were killed on the spot and a CDF personnel was shot succumbed to his injuries while taking to the hospital, according to the police. The attack has happened at Yaya18 area in Rajangana police division.Security was tightened in the area after two civilians were killed allegedly by the LTTE some time ago.The CDF post that came under attack on Friday was established after the earlier attack.

Sri Lanka: An analysis of military operations –Col R Hariharan (retd.)

There should be no illusion that despite the flare of success in repelling a division strong security forces offensive at Muhamalai in April 2008, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is fighting a war of survival. The continuing ground and air operations of the security forces after Muhamalai debacle, and the progress they have made during this month in Mannar sector capturing Adampan and other outlying LTTE defences have further constricted the territory under active LTTE control in the Northern Province.The fall of key LTTE defences in Mannar sector indicate that the LTTE probably pulled out some of its forces earlier to reinforce Muhamalai-Kilinochchi. This would enable the LTTE to repel future forays of security forces into the vital heartland of the LTTE from the north. As the troops advance further in Mannar and Vavuniya sectors, and as pressure builds up in Welioya, even without a major offensive along Muhamalai, the LTTE's options would be reduced further. As the war prolongs further, the constraints of conventional warfare dictate that the LTTE has to progressively pull back its defences, and reduce its frontage to conserve its strength to offer better resistance. This would be the long term picture even if the security forces have a few debacles along one or more fronts in their offensive, as long as they do not give up half way. There had been few pro-active LTTE operations after Muhamalai. These were limited to dropping of three bombs on the security forces in Welioya front by two Air Tiger aircraft, and sinking of A 520 (MV Invincible), a naval logistics vessel in a clever underwater suicide operation by the Sea Tigers in Trincomalee harbour during mid May. This would show the LTTE has severe limitations in its conventional operational capability.   The security forces have carried out relentless bombing of suspected LTTE assets. The LTTE has accused the security forces' deep penetration unit of killing 17 people including women and children in a claymore blast well inside the LTTE territory in Vanni. This is the third time the LTTE has accused the security forces of carrying out such clandestine attacks deep inside its territory. The security forces have routinely denied these allegations. These killings targeting civilians are probably retaliatory in nature for settling scores for the LTTE's killings of civilians elsewhere.  While they do not directly impact the current operational situation, they impose caution on movement of cadres and spread insecurity and panic among the population. These could get worse as the war makes further inroads. If the LTTE accusations are true, they show the weakening ability of the LTTE to dominate areas under its control. If it is not the security forces, who are behind these deep penetration operations in depth? Are they the handy work of one of the shadowy "para military" outfits that the LTTE accuses of colluding with the security forces?  These questions are probably being debated within the LTTE and some of its attention would be diverted to prevent such attacks as the war progresses.  

Recourse to unconventional war

LTTE's strong suite had always been its guerrilla capability in areas outside its direct control. Under  present circumstances, to compensate its limitations in conventional operations, the LTTE appears to have stepped up its unconventional actions with a series of bomb blasts in areas outside the battle zones.The LTTE attacks outside the theatre of operations started the day after Muhamalai attack, with the killing of 26 civilians in a bus bomb blast at Piliyandala on April 28, 2008.   This was followed by the Amparai café parcel bomb blast on the eve of the eastern provincial council elections in which 11 people were killed and 29 others wounded. There was a motor cycle-borne suicide attack on a police van in Colombo on May 16, 2008 killing 10 persons including seven policemen. The latest in the series was the bomb blast carried out in a train at Dehiwela near Colombo on May 26, 2008 in which nine people were killed and 73 others were injured. Only two days before the train bombing, three time bombs were defused before they exploded - two on passenger buses near Colombo and one in the Kandy area.   Of course, there was the tragic, gangster style LTTE killing of Ms Maheswary Velayutham, while visiting her ailing mother in her Jaffna home. She was better known for years of yeoman service in the cause of human rights and Tamil refugees than for her later day role as advisor to the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). And how her killing makes it easier to gain Tamil Eelam is a question only the LTTE's warped logic can answer.  Essentially an insurgent force, the LTTE probably feels more comfortable in carrying out bomb blasts, suicide killings, and other such attacks targeting civilians. Such acts by themselves do not win wars. But they tend to create panic among the population and psychologically pressurise the government to ease military operations if the social and political environments encourage such developments. Whether these happen or not in the current situation in the country, the feeling of insecurity among Tamils living in Sri Lanka will be increased every time the LTTE carries out such strikes due to inherent ethnic overtones of such acts.  In any case President Rajapaksa appears to be undeterred in his intention to crush the LTTE after each bomb blast. In fact, he has reiterated the same sentiment after the May 26 train blast. And after his successful election foray in the east he would have no hesitation to enlarge its scope further. 

Human rights issue

The failure of Sri Lanka's bid for getting elected to the membership of the UN Human Rights Council for a second term was not unexpected. On this count the President had probably underestimated the increasing importance attached to human rights questions in many democracies regardless of their own human rights record. At present no counter insurgency operation can be carried out with utter disregard to human rights issues. And Sri Lanka had continued its war with total indifference to human rights. Moreover, it has not covered itself with glory on this count even on the eve of the UN HRC elections. The international group of eminent persons called upon to advise the commission of inquiry into killings quit in disgust after a long tussle with the bureaucracy. Strong arm tactics have continued to suppress dissonant voices of the media. Reputed international NGOs have been castigated and prevented from entering or working freely in Sri Lanka. And Sri Lanka has persisted in refusing to allow a representative of the UN HRC to be positioned to monitor its human rights performance.  Notwithstanding the rhetoric of Bruce Fein and the detailed reports of Human Rights Watch, even nations which voted against Sri Lanka are unlikely to pressurise Sri Lanka to curb the President's pursuit of war effort immediately. Such pressure is applied in small doses and often gets diffused due to diplomatic and political compulsions of different nations. Moreover, globally counter terrorism and human rights aberrations are far from being equated as a zero sum game. Perhaps, the flow of foreign aid and the vigour of foreign trade would be affected if Sri Lanka persists in errant ways on human rights. But the President retains the option of visibly improving his human rights record, and carry on with the military operations when the chips are down. Though the LTTE propaganda machinery had been harping upon the human rights issue, its own hands are tainted with too many human rights violations to point a finger at others. In fact, its dismal human rights record has been used by Sri Lanka to ward off the flack in international forums on this count.   

Sri Lanka security forces

Muhamalai was undoubtedly a debacle for the security forces in that they suffered probably double the number of casualties suffered by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. And in the operations probably 300 fighters from both the security forces and the LTTE lost their lives. Offensive troops always suffer more casualties in operations. However, the operation should be put in perspective while assessing the future capability of the security forces. The security forces had shown three weaknesses in this operation. The first was not coordinating the Muhamalai offensive with other simulated or actual operations on other fronts. That would have prevented the LTTE from beefing up its Muhamalai defences by milking forces from other sectors on the eve of operations. Though operations have been launched in multiple fronts for some time, the security forces appear to have failed to take advantage of creating confusion in the minds of opposition by coordinating them and fine tuning them to derive maximum advantage. Despite expanding the army, this weakness to coordinate formation level operations on multiple fronts exhibited in earlier Eelam wars has persisted in the higher direction of war.The second relates to tactical intelligence. The security forces probably went in for a silent attack, a very sound proposition if the surprise element was there. But there were enough battle indications in Jaffna peninsula for at least ten days in advance about the impending operation in this front. When surprise was neutralised the silent attack becomes a futile effort. The LTTE is a past master in deception and the offensive troops appear to have been taken by surprise when they ran into unexpected resistance from defences. This would show battlefield intelligence acquisition was not real time. Moreover, silent attack requires accurate real time tactical intelligence and probably this was lacking despite the modern battlefield surveillance equipment available to the security forces.  The third major weakness is strategic. Sri Lankan operations are slow and plodding which fails to take advantage of tactical success in conventional operations. It also gives sufficient time for the opposition to readjust, reinforce or pull out from defences. There could be non military reasons for not pushing through with the offensive for fear of suffering more casualties. According to the figures of the government, since January 3,873 LTTE cadres have been killed as against the loss of 298 soldiers in operations. While these figures might be disputed, there is no doubt the LTTE losses had been heavier. But the operation has gone into the third year, and the indications are that it would be a long haul if present strategies are continued. While tactical weaknesses can be set right, the strategic weakness might continue to dog the Sri Lankan operations. And that could prolong the war and increase its human and material cost to the nation.

Future course

Overall, LTTE actions outside the operational zone are unlikely to discourage President Rajapaksa from his pursuit of military option. And if he stays determined and the security forces do not blink as they did in their infamous Elephant Pass disaster in 2000, the military operations are likely to gobble up further territory in Mannar sector in the coming months. The LTTE attacks on civilians are not going to put a stop to the military operations. They only show that the LTTE for all its pretensions of de facto governance has not changed its Tiger stripes. As the LTTE has little choice, one can expect more LTTE attempts at creating mayhem, chaos and killings as the war intensifies in the coming months. The strong defences of LTTE in Muhamalai axis to Kilinochchi show that it is not going to allow easy passage through. Strategically, the security forces will have to probably consider coordinating the Jaffna offensive along A9 with offensive along A32-Pooneryn to enhance the threat to Kilinochichi and weaken the LTTE defences. Whether the security forces have the wherewithal to carry out such a complex operation is the question only the Army commander can answer best.

30 May 2008

Take to streets to protect media freedom, Ranil tells people

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for the protection of media freedom, describing it as an inalienable part of democracy. Media freedom has been seriously compromised in the country and journalists are in grave danger to their lives, he said at a function in Colombo yesterday (May 29th) to remember his father, senior journalist Esmond Wickremesinghe.He noted that it was the prime responsibility of a government to safeguard democracy. However, the present regime was sending democracy to the grave, and using media curbs to hide its wrongdoings, Mr. Wickremesinghe alleged.A few days ago, 'The Nation' Associate Editor Keith Noyahr was abducted, brutally assaulted and warned against speaking about his harrowing experience. The Jaffna Correspondent for MTV/MBC P. Devakumar was hacked to death in a government-controlled area. The entire media, along with the general public, should unite and rise against these media curbs, Mr. Wickremesinghe said.

Journalist Tissanayagam refused bail           
  
Journalist J.S. Tissanayagam and two others were refused bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi on wednesday (May 28th).The editor of 'outreach.com website, along with E-Kwality Printing Press owner V. Jesiharan and his wife V. Valarmathi were produced before the court for the first time after their arrest in March this year. They were ordered further detention with the Terrorist Investigation Unit until June 6th after the TID informed court that the inquiry against them had revealed their involvement in LTTE activities.The Chief Magistrate ordered the TID to produce Jesiharan before the Judicial Medical Officer and to report back following an application that he had been subjected to torture. The court also ordered that necessary action be taken in regard to the illness of Valarmathi.

Abducted child returned

The seven year old child who was abducted in Kotahena on Wednesday was released near his home last evening -- more than twenty four hours after he was reported missing, police said.Seven year old Subasiraveen Ravindrakumar, who was abducted by an unknown man, outside his school Vivekananda College, Kotahena, had been brought back and released near his home at around 5.15 pm yesterday. The child had been reported missing around 1.30 pm on Wednesday after an unidentified man took him away in a trishaw. “The child looked healthy and seemed to be unharmed,” Kotahena Police OIC Niranjan Abeywardena told Daly Mirror minutes after the initial inquires from the child had been concluded.Responding to the questions of the police, the little boy had said that he was dropped off near his house on Maha Vidyalaya Mawatha, Colombo 13, from a trishaw. “He told the police that he was kept in a house and given to eat,” OIC Abeywardena said, adding that the child seemed calm as he ate a bar of chocolate and sipped a cool drink offered by the police officers.The boy was brought to the Kotahena Police Station following his release, by his mother Anusha Ravindrakumar and an uncle. After the initial questioning the child was driven away with his family members in a police van for further investigation in identifying possible suspects, police said.Seated on his mother’s lap, a smiling Subasiraveen waved to the media and area residents who had gathered outside the police station. “We are glad that that the child is safe. We were worried at first as no one contacted us to demand a ransom. The reason for the abduction is still a mystery and police are conducting a very thorough investigation into the matter,” said OIC Abeywardena, adding that they were determined to find the culprit.On an earlier occasion, a gang had attempted to extort money from the family of the child, police told Court.They told Colombo Additional Magistrate Ravindra Premaratna that their investigations had revealed that a gang had earlier demanded Rs 1,000,000 from the child’s father. This demand had caused the father to shut down his business in Colombo and find employment abroad as he feared for his life.The complaint to the Kotahena Police was made by the child’s mother.

Tamil Tigers kill 13 in Sri Lankan navy camp raid: rebels

Separatist Tamil fighters launched a pre-dawn attack early Thursday against a naval camp on an island off northern Sri Lanka, killing at least 13 sailors, a pro-rebel website said.  The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said its Sea Tiger wing also seized weapons, including a radar, from the camp on Chiraththivu islet, close to the Jaffna peninsula."At least 13 Sri Lanka navy personnel were killed and many sailors wounded in the raid carried out by a special marine wing of the Sea Tigers," the Tamilnet.com reported, quoting the LTTE."There were no LTTE casualties in the operation," the report said, adding that the rebels "safely returned to their base" after destroying the navy camp. However, Sri Lanka's defence ministry said army and navy personnel successfully repulsed the rebels, killing at least 16 LTTE cadres and destroying three enemy boats."Troops have also mounted heavy artillery attacks towards the fleeing terrorists as enemy fatalities were expected to soar," the ministry said.Casualty figures given by both sides in the conflict vary wildly and cannot be verified independently.Elsewhere, according to the military, six civilians were killed and 12 others seriously wounded when the LTTE fired 20 rounds of heavy artillery shells towards two densely populated areas of Jaffna peninsula.The military earlier said four civilians were killed and six injured in the pre-dawn "indiscriminate LTTE artillery attack."In the northern town of Vavuniya, three policemen were injured when the LTTE triggered off a roadside mine targeting police vehicles, the ministry said.It said air force planes stepped up attacks against suspected rebel positions in the north, providing air cover for ground troops and bombing a rebel training facility.The LTTE campaign for a separate state for minority Tamils from the majority Sinhalese community has left tens of thousands dead since 1972.

Sea Tiger assault on Jaffna islet triggers artillery battle Six civilians killed, 20 wounded

An LTTE artillery attack on the Jaffna town area yesterday morning killed six civilians and wounded about 20, including two children and a pastor. An army official said the LTTE had fired 20 shells from Pooneryn in the Vanni mainland targeting the Jaffna town as troops battled an LTTE raiding party on Chirutivu an islet in the Jaffna lagoon. Jaffna based SLA artillery also had engaged Sea Tiger speed boats approaching the peninsula during the action on Chirutivu close to Jaffna town.Of the wounded, nine had been operated on at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Navy headquarters said four of the enemy craft had been hit by security forces fire and one of them had been abandoned in the area dominated by the navy. The official said the fibre glass dinghy would be retrieved.A small group of LTTE cadres waded across the lagoon to reach the islet and engaged the joint contingent of army and navy deployed there, another official said. He acknowledged the attackers had hit the base about 1.30 a.m. and after a 30 minute exchange of fire withdrew. Although some attackers were believed to have been wounded in action they had escaped before troops conducted a clearing operation later in the day.Army headquarters said eight LTTE cadres had been killed and several including the operations commander and his deputy had been wounded. The army lost one soldier and three personnel – two navy and one army – were missing in action.Navy headquarters spokesman Commander D.P.K. Dassanayake denied LTTE claims that the raiding party had killed 13 SLN personnel and captured a stock of arms an ammunition including radar. Dassanayake said they never had radar installed on Chirutivu. Fielding questions, he said bodies of three personnel taken to the Vanni by the attackers could of the missing men.Pro-LTTE Tamilnet quoted the LTTE as saying that a special marine wing of the Sea Tigers had seized weapons including a 50-caliber machine gun, a mortar, two light machine guns and radar along with three bodies.Meanwhile, the SLAF launched three separate attacks within one hour in the northern theatre as troops battled the enemy on the Vanni and Weli Oya fronts. SLAF spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said Mi 24 helicopter gunships engaged an LTTE gathering point about 2 kms north of Adampan Thursday about 5.45 a.m. He said the strike had been in support of ground troops advancing on the Mannar frontAbout 25 minutes later, jets launched from Katunayake airbase bombed an LTTE facility at Kokavil, about six kms southwest of Mullaitivu. Minutes later, jets attacked an LTTE training facility situated about six kms southwest of Mulliyawalai, Mullaitivu.

Inside story of Jaffna naval attack       

A small outpost manned by Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Navy personnel was attacked by LTTE sea tigers yesterday (29th) dawn. The outpost, which was located in Chi'ruththeevu island, was overrun by the tigers for a short period of time in the attack. There were only a handful number of security forces personnel deployed in the small outpost at the time of attack. LTTE has used a significant number of fighters in the amphibious attack. Several SLN personnel have gone missing in the incident. It could be that they were either captured by the tigers or were killed in the attack. No information on actual casualty count is available as of now.

Immediate steps needed to save the lives of journalists facing threats in Sri Lanka - Rights Group       

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to bring to your urgent and immediate attention the serious situation faced by journalists in Sri Lanka.  In a letter received by the AHRC addressed to the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksha, it is reported that Mr. Rajapaksha summoned and reprimanded Mr. Sanath Balasooriya and Mr. Poddala Jayantha, the President and General Secretary of Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) over a protest campaign organised by five media organisations against the abduction and brutal assault of Mr. Keith Noyahr, a journalist working for The Nation. Mr. Noyahr was abducted on 22 May 2008 on his way home from work. He returned home the next day after being severely assaulted. Mr. Noyahr is the deputy editor and defense analyst of the English language weekly, The Nation. Mr. Noyahr's reporting was critical of high-ranking military officers and the government's approach to, and the conduct of, the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). According to family sources, threats earlier directed against him had forced him to take precautionary measures.Balasooriya and Jayantha were summoned by the Secretary of Defense on 28 May 2008, through Mr. Bandula Padmakumara, the Chairperson of The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL). The ANCL is commonly referred to as Lake House in Sri Lanka. The Director of the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), Mr. Lakshman Hulugalla, who was also present during the meeting of the journalists with the Secretary of Defense later in a press conference on the same day justified the action of the Secretary of Defense and also further reiterated that journalists like Balasooriya and Jayantha have no right to criticise government policies or actions. Freedom of speech, assembly, association and movement are fundamental rights guaranteed in Article 14 (1) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.The Secretary of Defense is the brother of the President of Sri Lanka Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha. It is further reported that the Secretary of Defense, while reprimanding the journalists using abusive language, threatened them by saying, repeatedly, that their lives will be in grave danger should they continue to defend the right to independent reporting and criticise the government.The letter received by the Asian Human Rights Commission, dated 28 May 2008, was jointly prepared by Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU), Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (SLMMF), Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Alliance (SLTJA) and the Free Media Movement (FMM).Given the fact that such threats in the past have materialised into actual practice, the latest being the abduction and torture of Mr. Noyahr, and the very fact that the Secretary of Defense has threatened two senior journalists of the country, it is imperative that unless a consolidated effort is made from all corners to save the situation, the lives of independent journalists in Sri Lanka are at great risk. It is equally important that international mechanisms like the United Nations and its subsidiary organs engage the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of the journalists working in that country. A similar and equally important role is required to be played by the governments who are concerned about the security situation in Sri Lanka, particularly concerning independent journalists who often play the role of the eyes and ears of the world in a situation as it exists in Sri Lanka.A copy of the letter received by the AHRC is annexed for your information and kind perusal.

Yours sincerely
Basil Fernando
Executive Director
Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong 

Defence Secretary tours east

A top defence delegation led by Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, yesterday went on an inspection tour in Ampara in order to gain first hand information on new security developments in the east, in the aftermath of the recent PC polls. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Donald Perera and Army Commander Sarath Fonseka also accompanied the Defence Secretary.

Somawansa Amarasinghe visits Europe to reorganize JVP branches

JVP leader and Secretary for International Affairs Somawansa Amarasinghe will leave tonight on a visit to Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Britain to reorganize the JVP committees in those countries states an announcement released from the JVP. In addition to reorganizing the JVP committees in those countries he will meet Sri Lankans in those countries and will address several meetings of Sri Lankans’ organizations the party has announced. Mr. Amarasinghe will meet leaders of the friendly institutes of the JVP and address Sri Lankans and JVP International Committees during his visit. He will address an international seminar in Sweden and on invitation by investors in Sweden Mr. Amarasinghe will discuss regarding opportunities in Sri Lanka for Swedish investments. The JVP states that Mr. Amarasinghe hopes to meet Lord Naisdy, Member of the Higher House and the group of British Parliamentarians that visited Sri Lanka.

Jaffna schools warned by Sri Lanka military for black band protests

Sri Lanka military entered schools in Jaffna on 27 May to note the names of students and teachers who did not attend on that day. The act is a threat in the continuing climate of death squad activities by the Sri Lankan military. Indeed, it is people identified by such methods who are later targeted by the death squads. On 27 May, Jaffna school students called for and carried out a black band day to express their protest at the killing of civilians including children in a claymore attack near Kilinochchi on 23 May. Senior students also boycotted classes. It is to threaten the students for daring to stage this back band protest that the Sri Lankan military entered schools to collect names.In the meantime Sri Lanka military has refused resettlement of the displaced people back in their own land in the militarized zones of Sri Lanka military inside Jaffna. Following a case filed by a Tamil member of parliament, Mavai Senathiraja, the court had ruled that the resettlement in parts of the militarized zones must be considered. It is in response to this court ruling that the Sri Lanka military has refused resettlement proposals.

"Put Karuna on Trial" - AI
 
Human rights group, Amnesty International (AI) say Sri Lankan government should investigate and prosecute Karuna for crimes committed by him against Sri Lankan citizens.Director General of the Amnesty International, Irene Khan in an interview with Sandesaya said it is an obligation by the Sri Lanka Government to investigate and prosecute Karuna if he returns back to the country.

Test for govt

“This is a test for the Sri Lanka justice system as to whether it can investigate the allegations against him and put him on trail in Sri Lanka”, Khan said. She said the crimes were committed in Sri Lanka and they were committed against Sri Lanka citizens. There are allegations and there is an obligation on the side of the government to investigate and prosecute Karuna. Adding that if the government did not investigate and prosecute, there would be pressure on Karuna whenever he goes abroad but the real problem is for the Sri Lanka Government to acknowledge there are human rights violations, she said. Referring to Sri Lanka losing its membership in the UN Human Rights Council, AI Director General Irene Khan said that AI never oppose or support any state to the Human Rights Council. “We have never campaigned against Sri Lanka”, she said.She said that AI believes that it is important that all governments with a good or bad human rights record to engage with the international community. “There has been an election process but Sri Lanka was not re-elected. We believe that should not affect Sri Lanka’s obligations to respect human rights of its own citizens”, Khan said. She said that there has been high number of civilian targets in recent fighting both by the government forces, LTTE and other armed groups.

Attacks condemned

Amnesty International condemns the ways the LTTE has carried out indiscriminate killings and attack that affect civilians. Similarly, she said, there is enormous obligation on the side of the government to protect civilians but AI has seen an increase on attacks on civilians. “Sri Lanka has the highest rate of disappearances in the world and over five thousand five hundred people have disappeared. These are enormous human rights problems. We would like to see the government of Sri Lanka take them very seriously and address them”, AI Director General Irene Khan added.

29 May 2008

Floating mines off Sri Lanka against norms, says TELO MP

RAMANATHAPURAM: “Floating mines in the fringe areas of the International Maritime Boundary Line by Sri Lankan Navy are against international norms and mutual interest. They will pose danger to fishermen of India and Sri Lanka,” said TELO Leader M.K. Shivaji Lingam, Member of Parliament, Jaffna. Speaking to The Hindu on Wednesday after meeting fishermen leaders at Rameswaram, he said, “It is a serious issue. The Sri Lankan Navy claims that it has floated mines inside its waters. But chances are they might drift towards Indian waters due to strong winds and water current, as the reported floating areas are very close to IMBL.” The Government of India should take up the issue with the Sri Lankan Government to impress upon it the need to remove the mines to safeguard both countries’ fishermen, failing which the Court of International Justice should be approached, he added. Referring to the shooting of Tamil Nadu fishermen, Mr. Lingam said that they were at the receiving end due to the ongoing conflict. It was unfortunate that the fishermen, who were in no way connected with the problem, were being victimised. As a Tamil MP, he had taken up the issue with the Sri Lankan Government to stop firing at innocent fishermen. According to available information, he said, nearly 500 fishermen of Tamil Nadu had been killed or injured due to firing since 1983. There might be a few troublemakers here and there. But, targeting the entire community was highly condemnable and unacceptable. “It is not easy to find the maritime line at sea. If the Tamil Nadu fishermen cross the boundary for fishing, there are established legal measures to deal with them. But resorting to the extreme measure of shooting is against human rights,” he added. “There were several instances in which Indian fishermen crossed into Pakistan waters and Sri Lankan fishermen forayed into Indian waters. But, navies of India and Pakistan never fired at them. Instead, they were booked under the existing laws and released later. But, Sri Lanka was, probably, the only country opening fire at innocent fishermen for straying into its waters,” Mr. Lingam said.

Shakthi TV journalist was hacked to death in Jaffna  
   
Shakthi TV, MTV and Sirasa TV Jaffna correspondent P. Devakumaran was hacked to death, along with another person, by an unidentified gang last evening. The 36-year-old victim was reportedly returning home on his motorcycle with a friend when he was hacked to death in Navanthurai last evening. The other person was identified as Mahendran Varadan. Mr. Devakumaran, who was a resident of Kokkuthuduwai, had joined the Maharajah Group in 2005 as the Jaffna correspondent of the three news channels. According to media rights organisations he is the ninth journalist killed since 2006 and probably the last active journalist in the Jaffna peninsula. Police are investigating the killings.

Gotabhaya 'threatened' media leaders   
 
Media watchdogs in Sri Lanka have accused the powerful Defence Secretary of threatening media union leaders.In a letter sent to Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of Sri Lanka’s executive president, five media organisations have condemned his action to reprimand the journalist leaders.Mr. Rajapaksa has reprimanded Sanath Balasooriya and Poddala Jayantha, the President and General Secretary of Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) for taking part in a protest against abducting and assaulting senior journalist, Keith Noyahr.

'Do not crticise' military

The SLWJA, Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU), Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (SLMMF), Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Alliance (SLTJA), and Free Media Movement (FMM) organised a protest march on Friday against the abduction. The Associate editor and the defence columnist of The Nation, Keith Noyahr was abducted and brutally assault on Thurday night.Accusing the government of being responsible for the abduction, media workers voiced strong objections against the conducted by the government against Tamil Tigers. Sanath Balasooriya and Poddala Jayantha, both workers of state run Lake House, were among the leaders who protested the abduction on Friday. Mr. Rajapaksa has warned the two leaders on Monday not to criticize the armed forces whilst working is sate owned newspapers.

'Press freedom predator'

“Lake House, is not State property or your own fiefdom and your assertion that journalists who work in State media cannot engage in the criticism of those in government and the armed forces is particularly revealing ” the statement by five media organizations said. The powerful Defence Secretary was earleir accused of threatening Daily Mirror editor, Champika Liyanaarachchi, with death.He was named, alongside LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, as a 'press freedom predator' by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).Lakshman Hulugalle, the Director of the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) has told the journalists on Wednesday that two union leaders have no right to criticise government policy as government workers. “We jointly and unequivocally condemn this statement,” said the statement.

TMVP camp in Eravur to be moved
   
Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan agreed, yesterday, to remove the TMVP camp in Pudukuduiruppu, a village in the border area between the Tamil and Muslim sectors in Eravur, as a measure towards restoring normalcy in the East. Mr. Chandrakanthan gave this assurance at a meeting with Muslim leaders, including UNP Eastern Provincial Councillor Dr. V. Ameerdeen and Minister Amir Ali in Eravur yesterday. “As the chief minister I will serve all communities in the East in a fair manner; I will promote this idea in the Tamil areas as well,” he had told the meeting. He had also assured them that he would take every possible step to ensure that there was peace and harmony in the area.With regard to the abduction of two Muslims on May 22nd, he had said that he would look into the matter. Over 100 Muslim leaders participated in the meeting with the EP chief minister.  Life in Erarvur was far from normal though the curfew was lifted. Most of the shops in the area remained closed. Arrangements are to be made to bring the situation back to normal.

LTTE-held territories captured

COLOMBO: The military on Wednesday claimed it had “captured” 600 km of “LTTE territory,” including Palampiddi, Madu, Vilayathikulam, Kallikulam and Palamodai areas in Mannar district.Army spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nayanakkara said the LTTE has retreated to Mallavi and Tharukkui areas, 45 km behind the Army Defence Lines in Mannar. The military was moving towards Wanni, he added.Brigadier Nayanakkara’s claims suggested that soldiers were engaged in an all-out offensive against the LTTE in the north. In contrast to the military’s high-pitch campaign on the fighting, the LTTE has divulged little information.A report posted on the LTTE website claimed on Monday that rallies were held in Wanni, Vavuniya and Jaffna to protest against a family’s “massacre” on May 24 in a claymore attack, which was allegedly carried out by the military’s Deep Penetration Unit. The military denied the charge of attack. Two days after the incident, nine people were killed in a train blast, allegedly triggered by the LTTE.Brigadier Nayanakkara said since May 22 there have been five air-strikes on LTTE targets. Further, the military claimed at least 26 LTTE cadres were killed and 15 injured in fighting along the Forward Defence Lines in the north. Defense spokesperson and Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, said told the installation of an elected government rattled the LTTE and it was “using disgruntled elements” to incite a violence.“The government will go to any length to preserve the democratic rights of the people and not hesitate to take stern appropriate action to ensure peace,” he said. With regard to the case of abduction and assault on journalist Keith Noyahr, Mr. Rambukwella said “investigations are in progress.” A police spokesperson said they have not been able to make much progress in the case as Mr. Noyahr had not given a detailed statement.

'Impunity' for rights violators   
 
Impunity for serious human rights violators was the main characteristic of Sri Lanka’s rights record during the past year, Amnesty International (AI) said.The AI also criticised Sri Lanka authorities of failing to introduce a witness protections mechanism, an impediment to credibly probe rights violations. In the annual report, the AI accuses Sri Lanka’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) losing credibility “due to the political appointment” of Commissioners. The AI calls on the authorities to appoint an independent NHRC and provide enough resources to the body that was downgraded by an international forum in December, last year. The watchdog recalls that the investigation into killing of two Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers has been stalled despite repeated pledges by the government. As the military engage with the Tamil Tigers in the north, both the government and the LTTE are accused of failing to protect civilians caught in conflict. “Civilians in the north and east faced immense hardship with a significant number being killed in indiscriminate raids. Lack of transport links to Jaffna Peninsula affected food supplies to over 500,000 people there,” the AI annual report said. The rights watchdog reminds that the UNHCR criticised the government for failing to properly record, investigate and prosecute cases of abductions, disappearances and killings.

Child recruitment

Both the LTTE and the political party turned paramilitary group, Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) are accused of continuing with child recruitment.“The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict identified the LTTE as “a repeat offender who has been on the Secretary General’s list of violators for four years””, the report added. 285 children recruited by the LTTE and 195 recruited by the TMVP currently known as Pillayan group are yet to be released, the AI said quoting from UNICEF figures. The Pillayan group is led by newly appointed Chief Minister of the eastern province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan known as Pillayan.

Freedom of expression

Arrests and arbitrary detention of the civilians, majority of them Tamils, by the Sri Lanka police continues, says AI.“More than 400 of those arrested, including 50 women, were taken to the Boosa Camp near Galle in the south, a facility reputed to be overcrowded, and lacking proper sanitation facilities and adequate drinking water,” the report added. The human rights watchdog says the freedom of expression is also seriously in danger in the island nation.Young journalists Selvaraja Rajivaram and Sahathevan Deluxshan were shot dead in Jaffna during the last year.“The authorities failed to effectively investigate or prosecute those responsible for such unlawful killings,” AI said.Arresting journalists from all communities and removing the personal security provided to Sunday Times columnist Iqbal Athas are cited as clear indications of threats to freedom of expression.

Boy abducted while waiting for trishaw ride home

Seven year old Subasiraveen Ravindrakumar, a Grade-two student at Vivekananda College Kotahena, was abducted after school near the school premises yesterday.Quoting an eyewitness the Civil Monitoring Commission against Extra Judicial Killings and Abductions (CMC) said the boy was waiting for the Trishaw which usually comes to pick him up and take him home, outside the school premises, when an unknown man had persuaded the boy to get into another waiting Trishaw and taken him away.His mother Anusha Ravindrakumar and Mr. Nalliah Umashankar, mother and uncle of the child respectively, have complained to the Civil Monitoring Commission at Colombo District parliamentarian Mano Ganesan’s office as well as the Kotahena police station. The family resides at 189/3/6 Maha Vidyalaya Mawatha Colombo 13, in close proximity to the school. Meanwhile Kotahena police, who confirmed the incident, said they have not found any clues as to the whereabouts of the boy as yet.

US lauds Lanka's commitment to devolution

Acting Ambassador for United States James Moor said that the US Government commends the decision of the President and the APRC to pursue the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as a first phase in the devolution of power in Sri Lanka. Addressing a National Conference on Provincial Councils held at the BMICH yesterday the Acting Ambassador said "Sri Lanka's minorities need to know that they can have a role in a united Sri Lanka where they can control many of their own affairs on a regional basis". The 13th Amendment to the Constitution had been on the statute books for over 20 years. The Government has made a good start by emphasising the importance of the 13th Amendment to devolve power to the provincial councils, particularly to the East. Moor said that their experience taught them that only a military solution to such conflicts would not achieve the ultimately success. There must be a parallel political strategy to address the underlying factors, circumstances and grievances that have arisen due to the said conflict. As the President's commitment to devolution suggests, Sri Lanka's long running conflict will not be solved on the battlefield alone. Moor said that although the US did not send observers to monitor the Eastern poll, the Sri lankan Government should deal positively with the allegations which have been made by opposition parties and certain groups claiming the that it was not free and fair. He wished that the 13th Amendment and further steps would lead to a brighter future for the country.

Teacher shot dead in Jaffna

Unidentified armed men, following a teacher who was riding on his motorcycle towards Jaffna Railway Station through a small lane near Aariyaku’lam in Jaffna town, gunned him down Wednesday around 1:00 p.m and escaped from the area, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops were present only hundred meters at the main base of SLA 512 Division. The victim was identified as Sinnathurai Velsuthakaran, 32, a teacher at Changkaanai Chaivappirakaasa Viththiyaasaalai and a resident of Uduvil North, Chunnaakam.Jaffna police recovered the body and handed it over to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary.The killing taking place in broad daylight and in the most guarded place in Jaffna town without the killers being apprehended raises strong suspicion of SLA involvement, residents in Jaffna town said.

Eastern Province CM Chandrakanthan could be next CMC chairman: Reginald

A move to appoint Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan the Chairman of the Chief Ministers Conference is on the cards, Western Province Chief Minister Reginald Cooray said yesterday“Mr, Chandrakanthan is welcome to chair the Chief Ministers Conference and we would support him,” Mr. Cooray said in an interview with the Daily Mirror. Asked whether there is any move to appoint the Eastern Province Chief Minister to the post at the next conference on Friday, he did not rule out such a possibility. However he said no definite decision has been taken up to date as to who is going to be the next Chairman. He said Mr, Chandrakanthan’s consent is needed if he is to be appointed chairman of the Chief Ministers Forum. Elaborating on the conference and the present situation he said the Eastern Province Chief Minister would play an important role in strengthening the provincial council system. He said police powers are to be devolved to all provincial councils so that all provincial councils would be equal institutes. However he said the provincial police would handle civil disputes while the security forces of the central government would take care of security and the integrity of the province especially in the case of Eastern Province. “Giving police powers to the Eastern Province is not a threat to the unity of the country,” he pointed out. Therefore he dismissed the idea that the TMVP Leader would become another Vartharajah Perumal in the future.Commenting on the reports that Mr. Chandrakanthan would be invited to participate in cabinet meetings he said it is a normal procedure as all Chief Ministers are invited to it once a month. With regard to the present violence in the Eastern Province he said it is due to the existence of political parties that are identified by religion or ethnicity or a community. “These kind of political parties are dangerous,” he said. He said clashes between Tamils and Muslims would lead to another tragedy. He said the present developments with regard to provincial councils have been positive as the system has been widely perceived as an effective solution to the national issue for the first time after the system was introduced 20 years ago.Mr. Cooray claimed action taken by the government to appoint the TMVP Leader as the Chief Minister will have a tremendous impact on changing the opinion of the international community for the better.

28 May 2008

Target me, spare innocent people, President tells Prabhakaran

The government would not baulk at anything in its efforts to wipe out LTTE terrorism, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday addressing a group newspaper editors and heads of electronic media institutions at Temple Trees.No amount of terror strikes or any other pressure would stand in his way and the on-going military campaign would be conducted to a successful conclusion, he said asking the LTTE to target him and not innocent civilians. "Target me and spare civilians" said the President, "for I am responsible for what is being done to the LTTE." He said his resolve to remove the scourge of terrorism had not been affected at all by the brutal acts of the LTTE had resorted to in a bid to pressure the government to abandon its military offensives. "Tigers have, through such barbarity, only laid bare their true faces to the world," the President said, "and strengthened our position that terrorism needs to be eliminated."However, he said, his government did not believe in a military solution to the conflict and was amenable to a political settlement. "But the LTTE terrorism must be stopped at all cost," he said, ‘if a political solution is to be evolved." The LTTE, he said had scuttled all past peace attempts and, therefore, neutralizing it was a prerequisite for finding and implementing a political solution.President Rajapaksa said by clearing the Eastern Province and conducting a Provincial Council election, the government had sent a strong message to the people of the North and the international community. "We are ready to safeguard the rights of the Tamil people and share power with them, but we won’t give in to terrorism," he said. He said the government was in the process of empowering the Eastern Province people, having handed back civil administration to people’s representatives through an election. Many development projects were on in that part of the country and anyone could visit those areas and see for himself the progress in the developmental work there.President Rajapaksa said in spite of the current military campaign against the LTTE, the government had not failed in its duty by the people trapped in the LTTE-held areas. He said the government was looking after their needs. "Recently, when I was informed that the farmers in those areas could not dispose of their paddy," he said, "I ordered that their produce be purchased immediately." He said the government still fed the people of the Wanni and spent funds on their education, healthcare etc despite the fact that the LTTE, too, benefited from such welfare measures.

Pillayan blames “third force”

Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan has told Muslim leaders that there was a third force behind the violence that gripped Chenkaladi and Kathankudi in the Batticaloa District over the last few days and led to over 500 families being displaced.There had been discussions between the representatives of the Eravur Mosque Federation and the chief minister on Monday, to find ways and means to defuse the violence triggered by the abduction of two Muslim youths on May 22nd in Batticaloa.Secretary of the federation, Mr. C. Assanar, told Daily Mirror, in Eravur, that they had requested the chief minister and other authorities concerned to neutralise this so called “third force” immediately. Mr. Assanar said that Mr. Chandrakanthan had admitted that two other Muslims had been abducted on May 25th and severely beaten and then released.“We are defenceless people. We have no weapons. The TMVP have weapons and power now. So they should be able to identify this third force and bring it to book immediately,” he said.He said that young Muslims were much agitated, and the government should be held responsible for allowing for this incendiary   situation to arise and disrupt day to day life.“We want our youth to remain calm, otherwise it would be disadvantageous for us. Yet no responsible person in the government has given us an assurance that such incidents will not be repeated in the future. No government minister has visited this area since the clashes began,” he said.The federation added that if the two abducted youths had been killed, at least their bodies should be returned, to help bring the situation under control.“If our youths at least see the two bodies, they will remain calm,” he said.The president of the Federation, Mr. Y.M. Abdul Cader, said that they were afraid to speak out against the TMVP and its atrocities as it was an armed group. “The government cleared the ground for this crisis by giving false promises to the Muslims before the elections.  First, they promised the Muslims that the chief minister’s post would be given to their representative. The Tamils were also promised the same. That is the root cause of the problem,” he said.Eravur and Chenkaladi remained ghost towns yesterday, with Police, STF and Army personnel patrolling the streets. Even the entry of vehicles to these two towns had been restricted to a certain extent due to the police curfew clamped down on the area. The police curfews in Eravur and Chenkaladi are to be lifted today to enable public life to return to normal. Local politicians, religious leaders and academics in these areas have agreed to assist the security authorities in maintaining law and order.The Police had a meeting yesterday with representatives of these groups in Eravur. UNP Eastern Provincial Councillor Dr. Vellaithamby Ameerdeen told Daily Mirror yesterday that Police had agreed to provide protection to the area throughout the day.Dr. Ameerdeen said that a public announcement would be made by the Mosques requesting the people to open their shops and government offices and schools from today. "Furthermore, Police and Army will ensure the security of villages on the borders of Tamil and Muslim areas. This is a step forward," he said.He said Muslim leaders wanted the areas that had been gripped by tension during the last few days to return to normal. "We want both the communities to live in peace and harmony," he said.DIG H.M.D. Herath said that Police had arrested ten persons for damaging public property, such as passenger buses, during the clashes. They were now in remand. More than 500 Tamil families have been displaced as a result of the violence. They have been provided shelter at two schools. TMVP spokesman Azarth Maulana said that Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan had visited these welfare centres yesterday .

JVP vows to topple govt
   
JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe, who was  reinstated as the party  leader at the fifth national convention held in Colombo  yesterday  vowed to topple the present Mahinda Rajapaksa government alleging it would never come back to the ‘right  track’.He was re-elected despite widespread speculations about an ongoing conspiracy to oust him. Addressing his comradesMr. Amarasinghe assured he would not leave the Party or the motherland under any circumstances.The fifth national convention of the JVP was held shortly after party’s former Parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa broke away from the party with a group of several parliamentarians. The Convention decided to expel them from their previous responsibilities and  to elect new persons to those posts.While noting that none could match or be an alternative to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Mr. Amarasinghe said:“I will not leave this country under any circumstances or fearing any threat until my party reaches its victorious destination. Similarly, I will not leave my party until I die no matter whether I would remain the leader of the party or not. I am simply willing to support and share my experience with any new leader in the future.” The convention decided to re-appoint Mr. Amarasinghe as party’s leader and also appointed 24 members to the party’s Central Committee including Lakshman Nipunaarachchi, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Dimuthu Abeykoon, Chameera Koswatte, Duminda Nagamuwa, S.K. Subasinghe, Jinadasa Kitulegoda, Nihal Galappatthi, Pubudu Jagoda, Mahinda Jayasinghe, Ajith Kumara and Nalinda Jayasinghe.The newly appointed Central Committee then appointed the party’s politburo and other office-bearers. The former 12- member politburo was reduced to seven members that includes Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe, Tilvin Silva, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, Vijitha Herath, K.D. Lal Kantha,  Chandrasena Wijesinghe and G. Kularatne.Former General Secretary Tilvin Silva too was re-elected to the same post while Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayaka was appointed as the Parliamentary Group Leader and Finance Secretary.The new Propaganda Secretary is Vijitha Herath while K.D. Lal Kantha was appointed as the Administration Secreteray. Organising Secretary (national organiser) is G. Kularatne while Chandrasena Wijesinghe was appointed as the Education Secretary. Party Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe has been appointed as the Party’s International Affairs Secretary which was earlier held by MP Vijitha Herath. Addressing the Convention Mr. Amarasinghe noted that the party constitution was drafted in a way that no body was allowed to break discipline. “If one found guilty we will work against him regardless of his background. If anyone feels this constitution or these regulations are too strict, they can leave the party as some did as we want this party to remain the only party who can discipline this country,” he said. Mr. Amarasinghe also noted that the party could not allow ‘Cardboard heroes’ to deceive the  people of the country. “If the need arises we will even publish the much spoken self-criticism (confession) given to us by those so called cardboard heroes and will distribute it among the public,” he added.

SI shoots dead two PCs

A sub inspector of the Special Investigation Service (SIS) of the police Monday night shot dead two constables attached to the same unit and himself at the Mahaoya police station in the Ampara district. According to police sources the Sub Inspector succumbed to the injuries on admission to hospital. He had used his personal weapon for the shooting.The sub inspector had earlier served in the same unit in the Ambalangoda police station. He has been identified as Lakshman. Further investigations are being conducted under the direction of DIG Ampara Shantha Rajapakse.

TULF calls for probe on attacks on civilians in the LTTE areas
   
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) has urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint a presidential Commission to find out who is responsible for attacks taking place in the LTTE held areas and how within a few hours the local papers claim that all such attacks are by the deep penetrating unit of the security forces.A claymore mine attack at Murugandy in Kilinochchi on Friday afternoon took the lives of 16 innocent men, women and children and also left 3 seriously injured. A bomb blast in a crowded train on Monday in Dehiwala left 9 dead and 73 injured.TULF leader V. Anandasangaree strongly condemned both incidents and stressed that is not a cricket match for anyone to announce the score and celebrate it with a party.  “How many widows, widowers, orphans and destitute persons, had these two horrible incidents created. One who left home, happily in the morning returns home in a beautiful coffin, some in pieces and some others beyond identification.”The TULF leader reiterated that Human Rights violations continue unabated both in the Government controlled areas and in the LTTE controlled areas and that the only difference is that there is transparency in the former and complete blackout in the latter where people open their mouths only when asked to do so.“I am misunderstood by some for accusing the LTTE and holding them responsible for the claymore mine attacks taking place in their areas. My reasons for doing so are two fold. One is how is it possible for the armed forces to reach areas so close to their Head Quarters? Even if one assumes that it is the work of the paid agents of the armed forces, the LTTE must seriously consider winding up the fighting and come to terms with the Government, since their days are numbered. Secondly even if one accepts that army can reach these areas through their paid agents, it cannot be true all the time,” he said.Anandasangaree said he had strong suspicion the Tamil Media is pressurized by the LTTE to put the blame on the forces soon after some incident takes place, merely to gain sympathy from the International Community after themselves doing it either intentionally or by mistaken identity.“I call upon the President to appoint a presidential Commission to find out who is responsible for such attacks taking place in the LTTE held areas and how within a few hours the local papers claim that all such attacks are by the deep penetrating unit of the forces. The President can refer a few selected cases for a Presidential Commission to inquire into. As one who had represented the Kilinochchi Electorate for over 14 years, I have an interest in knowing whether what the papers say are voluntary or under compulsion,” he said.The TULF leader further noted that the government should come out with a reasonable proposal acceptable to the International Community, not out of fear for the LTTE, but only to give confidence to the International Community to take a bold step forward to help to find a solution.

Bodies of 3 LTTE women found

The Army on Tuesday recovered the bodies of three women LTTE cadres following a clash between the Army and the LTTE at Rasendrakulam in Vavuniya on Monday night. According to the Army, seven LTTE cadres had died in Monday night’s battle. Four T-56 weapons were recovered from the spot where the three bodies were found.Vavuniya District Judge M. Ilancheliyan, who viewed the bodies at the Vavuniya Hospital, directed Police to hand them over to the ICRC to be handed over to the LTTE.

Man charged over stabbing attack 
 
A man has been charged over an attack on two 19-year-old men near an east London Underground station. One of the men suffered a stab wound to the abdomen and was found collapsed at East Ham Tube station on Sunday night. Officers found the other 19-year-old man in nearby Burgess Road suffering from head injuries. Vijitharan Velupillai, of St James Road, Stratford, is accused of two counts of unlawful wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm. Mr Velupillai appeared before Stratford magistrates on Tuesday. He was remanded to custody and will appear next at Inner London Crown Court on 30 July. The 19-year-old who suffered stab wounds remains at an east London hospital in a serious but stable condition. The other injured man, who has been since discharged from hospital, was initially arrested by police but has been released with no further action taken.

Jury trial put off for August 26

Colombo High Court Judge W.A.T. Ratnayake on Monday put off the jury trial of the assassination of Sivaram Dharmaratnam alias Tharaki the Tamilnet website columnist for August 26 since the third witness of the case was abroad. The Court postponed the jury trial when the Senior State Counsel Achala Wengappuli pleaded to put off the case since the first witness P.A. Kusal Perera of Boralesgamuwa had promised to inform the Court of the arrival date of third witness Prasanna Pubudu Ratnayake of Rajagiriya Road, Rajagiriya. The Court observed that a jury trial could not be continued without witnesses. Notices had been issued on Prasanna Pubudu Ratnayake. The Court thanked the jury members for their presence and ordered to be present when informed. The Attorney General's Department has filed a case against Arumugam Sri Scandarajah alias Peter for abduction and committing the murder of Sivaram Dharmaratnam on April 28, 2005 in Rajagiriya. The AG department filed the case with four counts for conspiring to abduct Sivaram and murder him, with others unknown to the prosecution. According to the charges, he had engaged in the conspiracy in Colombo, Bambalapitiya and Maharagama between January 01 and April 28 in 2005. According to the charges, Sivaram was murdered and his mobile phone and SIM card were looted by Scandarajah with the others unknown to the prosecution. Twenty eight productions were included by the prosecution including a revolver, bullets, spent 9 mm bullet cases, two cameras, a cassette recorder, diary, purse, a pair of spectacles and a shirt and a trouser. The prosecution produced 31 witnesses.

Canadian charged in Tiger financing bust –Source: Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER: For the first time in Canadian history, a man in Vancouver has been charged with financing terrorists, for allegedly raising money for the Tigers. "The funds were allegedly raised for the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers) which is a listed terrorist organisation in Canada,'' said RCMP Supt. Lloyde Plante, of B.C.'s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET). Prapaharan (Prapa) Thambithurai, 45, who lives in Toronto but was arrested last Friday in Vancouver, is charged with providing or making available property or services for terrorist purposes. When asked to elaborate on the charge, Plante said: "He was soliciting funding that was to be utilised to support the LTTE, that was the allegation." Police allege the funds were being collected from members of Vancouver's 6, 000- to 8,000-person Sri Lankan community. Plante referred to the people who made the donations as the "victims'' in the case, but wouldn't comment when asked if they knew the money was going to support the Tigers. The police investigation continues, but Plante wouldn't say whether more suspects are being targeted. Plante, who is with INSET's anti-terrorist financial investigation unit, said he could not elaborate further about the case because the charge is now before the courts. Thambithurai was arrested Friday night and was remanded in custody. He will make his first court appearance in Vancouver Provincial Court. Plante wouldn't say how much money was raised or where it was sent. Thambithurai, who is a Canadian citizen, may have been in Vancouver as long ago as August 1996, because a man claiming to live in Vancouver who had the same name as Thambithurai wrote a scathing letter to Maclean's magazine then. The letter said the RCMP and CSIS had "recruited some shady characters living in the murky field of intelligence gathering and crime'' who were "painting a picture of Sri Lankans living in this country as guerrillas engaging in criminal activities.'' Plante said the charges announced on Monday were "not specifically'' related to a police raid in 2005 at the Vancouver office of the World Tamil Movement (WTM), a group the RCMP alleges is financing the Tigers. Last September, the Vancouver Sun reported that there were three investigations across Canada - in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal - to determine whether the Tigers had been illegally raising funds here to help their independence campaign.

SLA soldier injured in grenade attack in Jaffna

Unidentified persons lobbed a hand grenade Monday around 7:00 p.m on a major Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry post located at Hospital Road-Temple Road junction, seriously injuring a SLA soldier. Unconfirmed reports said that the SLA soldier was killed while Sri Lanka Defence Ministry sources said that a soldier was injured in the above grenade attack.The attack took place during the one-hour power cut in the Jaffna peninsula.The SLA troops in the sentry post had opened fire at random on being attacked.SLA launched a large scale cordon and search operation Tuesday early morning in the said area extending beyond Hospital Road to Chu’ndikku’li, Kurunakar and areas close to Jaffna Bishop House.SLA did not permit anyone entering these areas during the search but persons within these places were allowed to go out to attend personal errands.The persons thus allowed to leave these areas, however, were not permitted to return to their places until afternoon.Anyone being arrested in the cordon and search was not known until evening.Kurunakar fishermen were unable to go fishing due to the SLA cordon and search, fisheries society sources said.

Keep up the pressure-Source:UK Guardian

After nearly two years of exhaustive campaigning to expose to the world the seriousness of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, a small step has finally been taken by international governments.Last week the UN general assembly, in a secret ballot, voted out Sri Lanka from its seat in the UN's premier human rights body - the Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Since 2006 Sri Lanka has held membership at the UNHRC, debating issues of human rights but quietly stamping on the rights of its own people, particularly ethnic minority Tamils and Muslims.Since the government and Tamil Tigers, the militant group fighting for a separate state for ethnic Tamils, returned to active warfare in July 2006, the country's human rights situation has been sinking. Thousands are displaced by fighting and in some areas people have limited access to essential food and medicine. Killings, disappearances and abductions are occurring virtually on a daily basis; those targeted are mostly Tamil human rights activists, journalists or aid workers. Para-military groups working with the Sri Lankan government have been responsible for many of the incidents and together they have also been accused of abducting children to fight in the war. The Tamil Tigers are also notorious human rights abusers: they continue recruiting child soldiers and have recently been involved in a spate of suicide bombings killing several innocent civilians.The Sri Lankan government's response to all of this has been to hide behind the rhetoric of a "war on terror" and create a climate of impunity while accusing human rights groups and the UN of exaggerating the story. They have gone as far as to accuse senior UN officials of being terrorists and have made a mockery of UN systems by sitting in the Human Rights Council and covering up their appalling record.These were some of the reasons why Sri Lankan human rights activists argued that their country should be out of the UNHRC. Prominent international figures took up the issue, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu making the case on this website.International governments listened and acted. The message is very clear - the world is telling Sri Lanka it sees the severity of the human rights situation and holds the government responsible. Sri Lanka has previously blamed international opposition on the west, deeming it a neo-colonial project. Sri Lankan diplomats also put in a huge effort to canvas countries to back them at the general assembly. Last Wednesday's vote indicates that not just the west but many African and Asian states are also not buying Sri Lanka's excuses anymore.This will be heartening news to those Sri Lankan human rights activists who live and work in a severe climate of threat and have felt isolated and let down by the lack of international support for their efforts. To them this vote has special significance, but their lives are now under added threat as the Sri Lankan government reels in shame at its international defeat. This victory must not be undermined but it must also not obscure us to what lies ahead.In a protracted conflict and in a crisis such as that in Sri Lanka, one vote in the UN is not going to stop the sight of dead bodies floating in a river or a child being dragged away at gunpoint. It could even result in Sri Lanka refusing to engage with the international community and defiantly taking tougher action against vulnerable groups. While applauding international governments for taking this step they must be urged not to simply pat themselves on the back and leave Sri Lankans stranded. Engagement has to continue and pressure has to be put at different levels. Asian leaders, including China and India, have to put their influence behind western efforts. Iran and Pakistan, close allies of Sri Lanka, are well placed to raise the plight of its Muslim minority. Human rights groups and international governments have to take the process further, to find ways to make international action result in changes on the ground.For those governments that are seriously committed to championing human rights in Sri Lanka, the struggle has just begun.

27 May 2008

CM admits TMVP abductions   
 
Newly appointed Chief Minister of the Eastern Province has admitted that members of his organisation are responsible for the recent kidnappings in Eravur.Speaking to BBC Tamil Service, Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan known as Pillayan admitted that the person accused of abducting two Muslims in Eravur is amember of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP). "The person who was involved in the abduction has been handed over to police," CM Pillayan told LR Jegatheesan of BBC Tamil Service. TMVP leader Pillayan insisted the accused is "not directly involved in this incident" quoting reports received by Chief Minister's office.

Woman shot dead

“However we will not permit anybody from our organisation to take law into their hands and as such we have handed him over to the police” Chief Minister Pillayan said.Two other Muslims have gone missing in Eravur since 22 May.The Chief Minister said that he has no information about the two missing Muslims but expressed hope that they would be found soon. “So far no confirmed news in this regard has been received” added Chief Minister Pillayan. Meanwhile, a woman was shot dead by police on Monday as police and Sri Lanka Army tried to disperse crowds in Eravur who took to the streets to protest as news spread that another person gone missing. The person has reappeared within hours as his bicycle needed to repair but the situation is Eravur is still tense, journalists said.

Hartals in Vavuniya, Eravur

Hartals crippled Vavuniya and Eravur yesterday (26). The hartal in Vavuniya was over the killing of 19 civilians in the Wanni. In Eravur it was over the abduction of two Muslim civilians at Kattankudy.Last Friday too a hartal was organized in Vavuniya over the killing of 19 civilians on two occasions recently in LTTE controlled areas of the Wanni.Even the government offices remained closed on both days severely inconveniencing the publicThe hartal at Eravur was staged by Muslims of the area who alleged that two Muslim youths were abducted by an armed group after two TMVP members were shot dead while passing through the area. The protesters demanded the release of the two youths.In another incident reported at Eravur two other Muslim youths who were abducted Sunday (25) were released the same evening. The Vice Chairman of the Pradeshiya Sabha Haniffa said three Muslims had been abducted but one of them had escaped and informed the local politicians and the police about the identity of the persons who abducted him and the others and the route they had taken after committing the act. It was after that that the two others who were held by the armed group were released he said.In another incident reported at Akkariapattu a person identified as Fous was shot at on Sunday night while he was taking his two children to a doctor. Fous had returned recently after working in the Middle East and is said to be a supporter of the Karuna Amman Group.Fous was admitted to the Akkaraipattu Hospital and is warded in the Intensive Care Unit, police said.

Somawansa's leader post in jeopardy

JVP internal sources say that the party leader post of Mr. Somawansa Amrasinghe is in jeopardy as the JVP is going to the fifth party congress today (27). Leaders' houses worth over Rs. 20 millionIt is reported that Mr. Amarasinghe who is in the custody of the hardliners, has questioned the way the JVP leaders built luxury houses and it has led to a controversy.The JVP congress which was hurriedly organized after the party split will be held tomorrow at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. JVP internal sources say that the JVP hardliners led by underground leader 'Kumar Mahaththaya' has developed an ideological difference with Mr. Amarasinghe after the Wimal Weerawansa Group left the JVP. Two luxury houses estimated around Rs. 2o million to be built for two hard-line leaders has been behind the controversy.The hardliners have discussed that time is ripe for Mr. Amarasinghe to give up the party leader post. They have decided that his removal will not affect the party since he has already demeaned himself due to his own unwise statements. Accordingly Mr. Amarasinghe is likely to be removed from the party leader post at the congress scheduled for tomorrow. However, he will remain as a politburo and central committee member, said that JVP sources.

Somawansa has become a puppet of JVP’s UNP sympathizers  - Nandana

JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe has become a puppet in the hands of a powerful segment within the party which is fast becoming a crutch to the main Opposition UNP, General Secretary of the newly formed National Freedom Front and one time JVP Presidential candidate, parliamentarian Nandana Gunatilake said yesterday."In the issue of ousting Wimal Weerawansa and others, who dissented against this conspiracy, Comrade Amarasinghe was used to the hilt. He, who once led the campaign of rebuilding the party from ruins, came under the pressure of several conspirators and cracked. He let the conspirators take control and is now politically assassinated," Gunatilake told a media conference at the National Library and Documentation Center in Colombo.The conspirators within the party had been bought over by the UNP to destroy the JVP, he said. "Comrade Amarasinghe, by giving into the conspirators is also partially responsible for the crisis the party faces today," he said.Gunatilake said there was speculation in the media recently that Somawansa Amarasinghe would be replaced at the fifth JVP convention scheduled to be held today. "If these reports were true, it indicates that the conspirators had fully used Comrade Amarasinghe and his use has come to an end. For the next step they need a conspirator at the helm and soon Amarasinghe would be sent abroad to spend the rest of his life there. The fifth convention would be made use as a stage to legitimize this conspiracy and that would complete the first phase of the betrayal of the party into the hands of UNP," he said.

Bill Gates to visit Sri Lanka next year         
  
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one-time richest man on earth, is expected in the island next year, reports say.With the government declaring 2009 as the IT Year, an invitation has been extended to Mr. Gates by Ministers Karu Jayasuriya and Tissa Vitarana.His visit will be of importance to Sri Lanka as Microsoft is presently experimenting on wind energy generation as a possible solution to the global energy crisis.

Was Sri Lanka's Army Commander Sarath Fonseka behind the abduction and beating of senior Sri Lankan journalist?

Nation newspaper has re-published the defence columnist Keith Noyahr who was abducted last Thursday and beaten up. The article written by Keith under pen name "Senpathi" was published on 11 May 2008 with the caption "An army is not its commander's private fiefdom".   The article was highly critical of Sri Lankan Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. Within a week of this publication Keith was abducted in the night in front of his house in Colombo by people who had come in a white van, the vehicle usually associated with abductions in Colombo and other places.  Questions are being asked in Colombo whether Sri Lanka's Army Commander had a hand in this latest abduction which is similar to abductions allegedly carried out by military elements in collaboration with TMVP Group.Writing in Sunday Times, defence columnist Athas gives the following account of Keith's abduction and release: The ordeal of Keith Noyahr, a friend and journalist colleague, is the latest incident to bear stark testimony. There have been many in the past and, no doubt, more to come. The reason is that someone somewhere wants to keep the truth away from the people. That the gruesome incident took place just a day after Sri Lanka was voted out of membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council spoke eloquently about growing concerns.Keith, 21 years a journalist, is now Associate Editor and writer on defence related matters to the Nation. On Thursday night, he drove home around 10. 30 p.m. The engine of his car was still running and the headlights were on. He opened the door and went to see someone unknown near his gate. He went to help. Instead he was bundled into a white van. He was hand-cuffed, blindfolded and taken away. Members of his household were awake throughout the night. They wondered whether he would ever return. Friends and colleagues tried to track him down. What some of them learnt from those in authority was chilling. One from a law enforcement agency said "don't worry. He will return with a severe reprimand. That appears to be the pattern." Not that the official was aware of what had gone on. Rather, he was talking of his experience in such situations."The intense pressure we mounted on Thursday night paid off. Otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable," said a media activist who did not wish to be named. He was among those contacting senior officials in the defence and security establishment.  Some seven hours later, Keith barely managed to walk home after his abductors had dropped him outside. His wife, 12-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter screamed in utter fright when they saw him. He was bleeding. His lips were swollen and his ear had been torn off. There were many bumps on his head, the result of brutal assault. His legs trembled since he was beaten with an object on his sole and feet. It became clear that his refusal to answer questions on sources meant more and more lethal blows. He stood his ground in the face of brutal thuggery and refused to divulge who gave him which information. He was rushed to the Colombo National Hospital. The Editor of the Nation, Lalith Allahakoon told the New York based Committee to Protect Journalists that Keith was "mercilessly assaulted." According to a written statement by the Krishantha Coooray, Chief Executive Officer, Keith's abduction and brutal assault followed several threats against him. He used the pseudonym "Senpathi" to write on military matters and his report on May 11 had been headlined "An army is not its commander's private fiefdom," the CPJ said in a statement released from New York on Friday. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered a full investigation into the incident.   Only time will tell whether it will go the same way other investigations did or lead to the identification of the suspects and their indictment before a court of law. Whoever was responsible, one thing is patently clear. They moved around in a white van with impunity despite the wide network of checkpoints, troops and policemen dotting every nook and corner of the City of Colombo and suburbs. Keith has insisted that he will not speak about his ordeal to any media for the time being. However, he is to bare details to the investigators.    Nevertheless, The Sunday Times learnt that the abductors had, among other matters, tried to elicit his sources of military information. Authorities in the defence and security establishment had intensified such searches involving a few journalists, including me, particularly after the Muhamali military debacle on April 23. Over a 100 soldiers were killed and more than 350 more were wounded in this military disaster. I have in fact referred to some of these aspects in The Sunday Times (Situation Report - May 4, 2008). Some of the methods used, to say the least, are highly questionable, illegal and even coercive. Keith's mobile phone was seized. Around 2 a.m. on Friday morning, his abductors had switched it on. Anxious callers who dialed the number heard it ring. The signals were later traced to communication towers in Malwana and Dekatana in the Gampaha district. Whether Keith was whisked off to a "safe house" in this general area by his abductors is not clear.

Lankan Tamil second richest man in Malaysia  
   
A Tamil of Sri Lankan origin is the second richest man in Malaysia, while a businessman of Indian origin occupies the 16th place in the list of the 40 wealthiest persons in the Southeast Asian country. T. Ananda Krishnan 70, whose family originates from Jaffna, runs the telecom firm Maxis, with a net worth of $ 7.2 billion. In the lists published by the Forbes magazine, he is behind Robert Kuok, 84, who has diverse business interests and a fortune worth $ 10 billion.Maxis became a private firm in a leveraged buyout in 2007 and has a 74 percent stake in India's telecom operator Aircel.Krishnan is the wealthiest person with a Tamil background, ahead of Shiv Nadar who is the 10th richest man in India.Vinod Sekhar of Indian origin is placed 16th in the Forbes' list and has a net worth of $ 320 million. For its Malaysia list, Forbes set the bar at only $ 100 million, compared to the billionaires list the magazine is known for.Noting that Sekhar, 40, runs Petra Group, named after his daughter, Forbes said the company is best known for its Green Rubber Global, which has a patented process to devulcanise used rubber, which makes it recyclable.Another Tamil of Sri Lankan origin on the list, at No 26, is 63-year-old G. Gnanalingam, whose fortune is to the tune of $ 230 million. The former tobacco executive is executive chairman of Westports Malaysia, the nation's largest privately owned port.According to the magazine, the total net worth of the top 40 people in Malaysia is $ 46 billion, up $ 3 billion from last year.Net worths for people with publicly traded fortunes were calculated with share prices and exchange rates from May 9. For privately held fortunes, the magazine said it used database company BRIS and other sources to estimate what companies and assets were worth if public.

26 May 2008

Air, ground attacks cause heavy displacement in Mullaitivu
 
Humanitarian agencies are reporting heavy displacement of civilians in the Mullaitivu district as fighting continues in the Wanni with air raids and ground attacks.The Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) said in its latest report that residents from the Neddankandal and Panankamam areas of Manthai East in the Mullaitivu district have started to vacate their houses.According to the Mullaitivu Government Agent (GA) around 1,600 families from five villages (Naddankandal, Pandiyankulam, Moonrumurrippu, Panamkamam and Selvapuram) have been displaced; including 545 families in the Thunukkai AGA division, and are being accommodated in nearby villages, An NGO report indicated that 78 families have sought shelter in two welfare centers located in Lyankankulam while 62 families have settled in a school in Therankandal village, both in the Mullaitivu district, IASC said.The UN affiliated agency says the District Secretariat of Kilinochchi had reported on May 22, that nearly 200 IDP families have been settled in Poonakary AGA division in Kilinochchi district during the reporting period. Most of them are displaced from the Manthai West areas.In order to provide urgent assistance to the newly displaced people, ZOA, UNHCR and UNOPS deployed teams to assess the situation in Thunukkai, Mallavi and Poonakary AGA divisions where a number of IDPs have found accommodation. An ad-hoc IDP Emergency Cell meeting is scheduled to discuss the current situation and to coordinate required assistance, IASC added.IASC also notes that the health sector continues to suffer from shortages of essential drug supplies including anesthetics and that the situation is expected to become even more urgent if regularly needed supplies are not resumed.“There were confrontations in the Neddankandal and Panankamam areas of Manthai East in the Mullaitivu district during the reporting period. Civilians from these areas have started to move towards Mallavi (in Mullaitivu) and other more secure places in the north of the Vanni. In addition, populations from the Aathithimoddai and Koorai villages in Manthai West have also started to move further north following shelling in the vicinity of their villages,” IASC said.

Bomb explosion in Dehiwala

An Explosion occurred in side the Colombo-Panadura train while it reaching to the Dehiwala railway station short while ago, 26 May. According to the available information the explosion took place around 4.55 p.m and the victims were being rushed to the hospitals.More information will follow.

Sri Lanka Air Force attacks rebel targets, 21 Tigers killed in ground battles

Sri Lanka Air Force MI-24 helicopter gun ships launched air attacks in Mannar this morning to provide air support to the troops fighting along the frontlines while the ground battles in the conflict areas killed 21 Tiger rebels over the weekend, the military said. Defene reports quoting the Air Force spokesman said the air sorties were launched around 8:30 a.m.targeting LTTE stronghold located in the general area of Andankulam, 1.5 km north of the security forces defence line in Mannar front. Confrontations between the troops and LTTE Tigers ensued at Palampiddi, Periyamadu, Parayakulama and Marathamadu areas in Vavuniya, killed ten Tiger cadres while heavy fighting erupted in Welioya killed 6 Tigers. Three solders were also killed in the battles, the Media Center for National Security (MCNS) said.In Jaffna A Tiger cadre was killed in the general area of Muhamalai while in the Mannar battle fronts, at Karukkandal, Vediyamurippu, Pallaiperumalkaddu and Marithikannadi, four Tigers were reported killed.Independent verification of casualty figures is not possible as the media is not allowed in the conflict areas.

Sri Lanka's Central Bank Holds Interest Rate at 10.5%

Sri Lanka's central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at the highest level since 2002 to help bolster growth amid the fastest inflation in at least four years. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka maintained its repurchase rate at 10.5 percent for a 15th straight meeting, the Colombo- based bank said in a statement today. Sixteen out of 17 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News predicted the decision. One analyst expected a 25 basis point increase. Governor Nivard Cabraal joins central bank chiefs in Asia in balancing the threat of slowing growth against accelerating inflation. Consumer prices in the capital Colombo rose 25 percent in April from a year earlier, after gaining 23.8 percent in March, on higher food and energy costs. ``Once again it comes down to the fact of growth versus inflation targeting, with authorities preferring growth,'' said Romesh Gomez, a trader at First Capital Treasuries Ltd. in Colombo. The central bank on April 30 said it was revising down its quarterly targets for reserve money for this year, which would help in ``containing the demand driven component of inflation, ultimately containing further inflationary pressures.'' Central Bank of Sri Lanka has kept monetary policy tight with its daily open-market operations to adjust the amount of cash in the banking system and by controlling credit demand. The yield on the 15.5 percent bond due in January 2010 rose 5 basis points to 17.95 percent at 10:30 a.m. in Colombo, according to First Capital Treasuries Ltd. The rupee was little changed at 107.7 to the dollar, according to First Capital.

Annual Inflation

Sri Lanka's inflation may slow to 14 percent by the end of this year, central bank Deputy Governor W.A. Wijewardena said on May 15. The increase in prices will ease to ``around 8 percent'' by the end of 2009, he said. Annual inflation, or the 12-month moving average increase in prices, jumped to 18.7 percent in April. The central bank said in January it was targeting annual inflation of about 10 percent for 2008. Reducing consumer-price gains to a single digit would be challenging due to rising global commodity prices, the central bank said in its annual report. ``There is a strong likelihood of the actual 2008 inflation being significantly higher than the previous estimates which were computed on the basis of the crude oil prices during the year 2008 being at an annual average of around $90,'' it said in today's statement. Crude oil futures reached $135.09 on May 22, the highest since trading began in 1983, and have gained 25 percent in the past two months.

Fuel Prices

Ceylon Petroleum Corp., Sri Lanka's state oil company, yesterday raised fuel prices for the second time this year to cut losses caused by record crude costs. Costlier military purchases to combat the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels have also fanned price gains. The government on Jan. 16 formally ended its 2002 cease- fire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam saying the rebels had used the accord to re-arm and prepare for further attacks. Gross domestic product may expand 7 percent in 2008, at the lower end of the range estimated in November, and up from 6.8 percent last year, according to the central bank. Growth may slow to 5.8 percent this year amid central bank measures to cool inflation, James McCormack, head of Asia- Pacific sovereign ratings at Fitch Ratings, said April 10. Sri Lanka may need to consider increasing the proportion of deposits that commercial lenders must place with it or let the currency appreciate to cool runaway inflation, McCormack said. The Sri Lankan central bank's cash reserve ratio has stood at 10 percent since October 2001. ``There will be runaway inflation if the central bank is not willing to increase interest rates,'' said Vajira Premawardhana, head of research at Lanka Orix Securities Pvt. in Colombo. ``The government is trying to show good growth numbers.''

Government needs to go beyond the 13th Amendment - US Ambassador

The United States reiterated its willingness to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa to achieve the desired task of the Commission of Inquiry appointed by the President to probe into the killings of 17 aid workers and other human rights violations. In an interview with the Sunday Observer US Ambassador Robert Blake said the US has no intention in interfering with the Commission and the US strongly believed in the independence of the Commission. Blake along with another diplomat was accused of holding a meeting with the commissioners said that the agenda of the meeting was only to discuss the ‘logistic matters’.

Excerpts:

Q: Are you satisfied with the support that the US had offered so far to Sri Lanka and what are the strategic areas where the US and Sri Lanka should work closely?

A: Yes. The US and Sri Lanka are close friends for more than 50 years now. The US is a strong supporter of Sri Lanka’s fight against terrorism. We strongly believe that Sri Lanka like all other countries has an obligation to defend its people against LTTE terrorism.

The US has provided military, law enforcement and other kinds of support to help the government to defend itself while believing that a purely a military solution would not be the correct solution for this conflict.

The US believes that the answer to the conflict lies with a power sharing concept which can respond to the aspirations of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. We also believe that in this very important stage of the conflict, it is very important for the government to address the human rights issues as well.

The US also has concerns about Tamils who suffer disproportionately due to human rights violations. It is important to give them a sense of feeling that they could live with respect and dignity here. So improving the human rights performances is also an important aspect of our dialogue with the government.

Q: The US supports developing countries. Sri Lanka has been battered and bruised by LTTE terrorism and how best the US could support in curbing terrorism?

A: I think I have just answered that question. The US is one of the first countries to declare LTTE as a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997. We have also helped to investigate and prosecute people in the US, who were trying to provide arms to the LTTE.

So, the FBI, for an example, has conducted distinct operations that had resulted in the arrest of many people and those investigations are on-going. We also have a central bank, which improves financial investigations to track down the money flow into the LTTE and help to stop those money from flowing in.

Then the most importantly we work with our friends in the military to help them to stop import of arms into this country.

We gave them a maritime surveillance system last year - a radar system - that will give the Sri Lanka Navy a much better picture of LTTE naval activities in their waters and thereby give them the opportunity to detect LTTE shipments of arms. I must say they have enjoyed considerable success last year in sinking many of these ships.

The ban on LTTE is extremely effective in terms of implementing the American law. People understand that we are very strict about forcing our laws which will prosecute anyone who is believed to be illegally assisting the LTTE.

Q: Criticism had mounted when the East was about to be liberated. Now the Mahinda Rajapaksa government has created the right environment to give more power to the people whereby they can look after their own affairs. What is your comment on restoring democracy in the East?

A: I think President Rajapaksa and the Sri Lankan Government made very important progress over the past year. First they have expelled the LTTE from the East. That is a positive development and secondly they have restored government services.

In the East they have reopened schools, hospitals and government institutions. Now there is a greater sense of normalcy in many towns in the East. People are out late at nights, going for movies and for shopping which is a big achievement after 20 years. There is stability now, in that part of the country.

With regard to the election we always support the principle of free elections. It is important to allow the