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31 October 2008 UN chief to discuss Lanka with India Karunanidi's fund gets Rs. 7.5 million on the first day Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidi launched a fund raising campaign Tuesday (28) to help the displaced in Northern Province of Sri Lanka.The first day collection was Rs. 3.5 million that is equal to Sri Lankan Rs. 7.6 million. Karunanidi himself donated Rs. one million while his son Minister M.K. Stalin donated Rs. 25,000.Leader of Viduthalai Chiruttai, a group believed sent two armed groups to fight in support of LTTE donated Rs. 200,000 to the fund. Sri Lanka wrests control of Nachchikuda Sri Lanka on Thursday claimed the military captured yet another ‘major strongpoint’ of the LTTE, Nachchikuda on the northwestern coast, amid reports of fierce battles. A Defence Ministry statement said Task Force-1 soldiers marched towards Nachchikuda from three directions, destroying and capturing vital LTTE positions. “The troops of three military battle formations, the one which cut-off Mannar-Poonaryn (A-32) Road from the south Pallawarayankaddu area, moved along the A-32, the other marched northwards from south of Nachchikuda, and the third formation along the northeastern flank advanced towards Nachchikuda and captured Jeyapuram. They have entered Nachchikuda and gained total control over the area breaching the Nachchikuda’s complete length of the well-fortified LTTE Forward Defence Line (FDL),” said the Ministry.It said intense fighting was reported in the area from October 17 and the LTTE suffered heavy casualties. “The LTTE, who were unable to secure their stronghold, have withdrawn from the area as the security forces intensified their military thrust into Nachchikuda,” it said.Separately, the Air Force claimed it bombed an ‘LTTE female suicide squad training facility’ in Vallipuram, northwest of Puthukkudiyirippu in Mullathivu district on Thursday morning.“Armoured vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft guns were observed rushing to the target site following the attack. This was a site frequented by the LTTE’s intelligence wing chief, Pottu Amman, who is also in-charge of the training facility,” it said.It also claimed at the time of the raid, the LTTE cadre were conducting a practice session involving a large number of female cadre. Earlier, on September 27, a similar air-strike was launched at the ’‘main LTTE female suicide training base’ at Rathnapuram in Kilinochchi.Meanwhile, the military denied reports of an alleged blockade on the supply of oxygen cylinders to hospitals in the LTTE-held territory. “Those pro-LTTE mouthpieces as usual have meticulously, but shamelessly wanted to interpret a single isolated detection that took place on October 23 at Omanthai to their own advantage, blowing it out of proportion,” it said.The pro-LTTE TamilNet in a report on its website alleged that a 29-year-old man was killed in Iraththinapuram, a suburb south of Kilinochchi on Wednesday, when the Army launched an artillery barrage.Meanwhile, in a press release issued here, the Foreign Ministry said the Australian Senate has passed a resolution condemning the LTTE suicide bomb attack in Anuradhapura on October 6 in which 28 people were killed, including the former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia, Major-General (retd.) Janaka Perera, and his wife. US Embassy in Sri Lanka to give presentations on Diversity Visa Lottery Program – 2010 The American Embassy in Sri Lanka will hold presentations to educate the Sri Lankan public on the Diversity Visa Lottery Program – 2010.These presentations are made as a social effort and the admission will be free for all Sri Lankans while encouraging General Certificate of Ordinary Level and General Certificate of Advanced Level students to participate especially in charting their individual development. The presentation in Ratnapura Town Hall will be held on November 6 at 10 am followed by the presentation in Kandy – Children's Library Auditorium from 5 pm. The presentation in the North Central Province will be held in Anuradhapura on November 7th at No. 02 – Praja Salawa – opposite Mahajana Pola from 2 pm till 5 pm. SLAF bombing kills IDP teenager, injures another in Puthukkudiyiruppu, Vanni A 16-year-old boy was killed with his arm blown off and 17-year-old girl seriously injured in the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombing the civilian settlement in Va'l'lipunam in Puthukkudiyiruupu division in Mullaiththeevu district, Thursday morning. SLAF kfir jet fighters dropped eight bombs in two sorties in the aerial strike that lasted from 9:15 a.m to 9:30 a.m, sources in Puthukkudiyiruppu said. Four houses of the residents of the area were destroyed in the bombing. 16-year-old student killed in SLAF attack in Puthukkudiyiruppu, MullaiththeevuThe victim killed was identified as Selvarasa Satheeskaran and the injured girl is Pathmanathan Nivethini, both internally displaced from Ki'linochchi due to SLAF bombings and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery barrages.Nivethini is admitted to Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital.The body of the victim killed was handed over to his relatives after postmortem examination was held in Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital. Body of Tamil volunteer teacher found A trilingual Tamil volunteer teacher of Wilpita Watta in Akuressa has been found dead in a stream last morning (October 29th).The victim, Palani Vishvanadan Megeshwari (28) went missing four days ago after she left home to teach a group of estate children.Police failed to locate her following a complaint lodged by her father. The body was partially decomposed and her legs were tied with the jacket she was seen wearing last, police say.The magisterial inquiry took place yesterday and three suspects have been arrested.Medical tests will determine the cause of death and whether the girl had been to sexual abuse. Mob throws stones at convoy of Jayalalithaa at Pasumpon PASUMPON: Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday escaped unhurt when a mob threw stones at her convoy of vehicles here in Ramanathapuram district. Two of her cars and a Government-owned bullet proof car were damaged.The incident occurred a few seconds after she stepped out of her car and entered a VVIP gate of Muthuramalinga Thevar memorial to pay homage on the occasion of the 46th Guru Puja.A youth wearing a red shirt threw stones at her car from a house, situated just 20 meters away from the VVIP gate. Some youths sitting atop nearby trees hurled stones at policemen and AIADMK men following her. A mob beat up some policemen with logs.Seconds after the violence, police burst teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the unruly mob. At least four policemen and 16 civilians were injured in the stone-throwing incident and lathicharge. They were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The incident created tension at Kamudhi and the nearby parts of the district.Ms. Jayalalithaa, accompanied by her friend Sasikala, placed a wreath on the memorial of Muthuramalinga Thevar and later attended a function to inaugurate ‘annadhanam.’ Later, police cleared all those standing along the path to pave way for her convoy to reach the nearby helipad, from where she flew back to Madurai.Commenting on the incident, Ms. Jayalalithaa said the incident happened amid her repeated claim that she was facing a threat. She had also received a threat letter. The Government and the police failed in their duty to provide adequate security, she said.T. Rajendran, Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP), said it was not a planned attack.The police acted swiftly and brought the situation under control.Earlier, M.K. Stalin, Minister for Local Administration, placed a wreath on the memorial on behalf of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. State Ministers, including I. Periasamy, S. Thangavelan and Thangam Thennarasu, also paid floral tributes at the memorial.Leaders of various political parties, including K.V. Thangkabalu (Congress), S. Thirunavukarasar and L. Ganesan (BJP), G.K. Mani (PMK) and leaders of MDMK visited the memorial. Six Sri Lankan rebels arrested in Vavuniya with explosives Six LTTE cadres, including a female were arrested last night in Asikkulam, Vavuniya with explosives and war materials. Vavuniya police said that the LTTE cadres have arrested following information received from a suspected person who was arrested by the security forces few days ago. The Police found some explosives, claymore mines and other war materials hidden in some secret locations during the arrest. Vavuniya police are questioning the suspects further at the moment. Sovereignty betrayed: JVP Tamil Nadu traders' shutdown Friday A federation of traders' associations in Tamil Nadu Thursday announced a one-day shutdown seeking the central government's effective measures to stop attacks on Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka. The federation's leader Vellaiyyan told reporters during an interaction that Friday's shutdown was necessitated after the ruling DMK MPs' threat to resign from parliament lapsed without result and the killings in Sri Lanka have gone on unabated.Over 5,500 affiliates of the federation comprising 2.5 million members would participate in the protest, he added. EU reiterates HR concerns The European Union has reiterated its concerns over what it sees as the “deteriorating” human rights situation in Sri Lanka.French envoy Philippe Delacroix speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated countries told the UN General Assembly that in Sri Lanka, the human rights situation was deteriorating and all parties in the conflict should take concrete measures to guarantee the safety and freedom of movement of civilians and to enable humanitarian organizations to safely carry out their work. He was speaking at Wednesday’s meeting of the UN General Assembly’s committee on social, humanitarian and cultural issues to hear country statements as part of its general discussion on the promotion and protection of human rights. The discussion was expected to focus on alternative approaches for improving the enjoyment of human rights, human rights situations and reports of Special Rapporteurs and Representatives, and the rights of disabled persons. Referring to the statement made by France, the representative of Sri Lanka said his government had undertaken effective measures to safeguard the rights of all individuals, even in the face of serious security concerns. He said National mechanisms towards that end were firmly in place and the government had maintained a constructive engagement with the United Nations and its special procedures. Indeed, several special rapporteurs and other special representatives had been invited to the country on visits and, in May, Sri Lanka had submitted itself to the universal periodic review mechanism, the Sri Lankan representative who was not identified on the UN website had said. He expressed his delegation's regret over the "highly generalized and ill-conceived" comments on the deterioration of the human rights situation in the country. A number of initiatives had been implemented to ensure humanitarian assistance for those most affected by terrorist actions. He also stressed that the recruitment and use of child soldiers was done by illegally armed terrorist groups and not the state, which had a zero-tolerance policy on child conscription by any group. In conclusion, he said that any comment on human rights matters in Sri Lanka must also refer to the numerous cooperative and investigative measures undertaken by the government, which were in keeping with long-held tradition of cooperation in such matters. 'I might be a bit mouthy about America but I'm no terrorist' IT has its ups and downs but there’s no doubting that M.I.A. and the United States enjoy a special relationship.The up side. The singer has just scored the biggest British hit single in the States since the Spice Girls. She’s started her own label in partnership with US giant Interscope. She’s expecting her first baby with her American boyfriend. The down side. She’s been called a “terrorist” because her father is a Tamil separatist in Sri Lanka. She had a prolonged battle to get a visa. She harbours a deep loathing of the Bush administration. Born Mathangi Arulpragasam in Hounslow 31 years ago, known to her friends as Maya, she creates vivid sound collages that take in countless styles including pop, rap, rock, bhangra, punk and reggae. Her two albums, the Mercury-nominated 2005 debut Arular (named after her father) and last year’s Kala (named after her mother), have marked her out as one of the most groundbreaking and vibrant artists in years. The controversial Clash-sampling single Paper Planes, first released on Kala but finding success through the Pineapple Express movie trailer, has found its way into the hearts of more than two million Americans. It’s an addictive three minutes of gunshots, ringing cash registers, lyrics about immigrants being misunderstood and typically chanty vocals. For M.I.A, popularity and notoriety seem to go hand in hand. “I think they notice me because I’m mouthy,” she says. “I’m not mouthy like Amy Winehouse, just mouthy about American issues. “Because of my whole political thing, everybody started calling me names and saying (she puts on an American accent), ‘Oh my God, she’s a terrorist.’ “You know, I grew up with my single-parent mum. I didn’t know my dad. Most of my life has been in England and I went through the British education system. I don’t have to be a terrorist to be vocal in song. “I’m a very average person. I’ve got the same stories as a lot of people in London, and Britain is really multi-cultural. In the Eighties, we gave America Boy George, a reggae-singing tranny. Now we’ve given them a rapping terrorist and it’s freaked them out!” Although she has never had the slightest thing to do with the Tamil Tigers, she’s bemused at the way things get out of control. “How come people are allowed to say M.I.A. equals a tiger print shirt equals suicide bombing? If anyone else wears a tiger print shirt, it means nothing. Converse has put out a tiger print shoe and I wore it in my video and that means terrorism. “That kind of word association reduces human beings to the lowest common denominator. It’s nuts. This guy has an internet campaign against me. Every time you join his MySpace friends, you can put out flyers.” When I catch up with Maya, she’s in a Los Angeles hairdressers’ dying hair for a 17-year-old girl singer called Rye Rye, the first signing to her label NEET. It doesn’t take long for our conversation to get round to next week’s presidential election. “If McCain gets voted in, then I’m outta here quicker than anyone can say Obama,” Maya exclaims. “I’m here because it’s an interesting time. It’s important to be here watching and saying to people, ‘Look, your country has been so dumb for eight years. If you f*** up one more time, that’s a whole generation of dumb people’.” Coinciding with the election and the global financial crisis, Paper Planes is a challenging statement. “Everyone always thinks that all immigrants want to do is come and take your money,” she says, echoing the song’s chorus. “But perhaps all they want to do is sing and dance. “At the time Paper Planes is doing well, we’ve gone so beyond the idea of everybody getting on anyway. America’s going through the worst stock market crash. They’re in trillions of dollars of debt. And the Earth is going to eat itself from running out of energy.” If that sounds a bit gloomy, Maya actually comes over as a hugely upbeat person with an infectious enthusiasm for life. And between developing the career of Rye Rye and working on the follow-up to Kala, there’s the small matter of her baby with Ben Brewer of New York band The Exit due early next year. “That’s part of the creation process,” she says. “I don’t know how it’s gonna fit in but I came to hang out here and people kept talking about babies. In the end, it was like if you can’t beat them, join them. “Also I was running out of ideas of what to name the next album. I’ve done one with my mum and dad, now I can name one after the baby. Or maybe I’ll name the baby after the album.” With Paper Planes doing well in the UK charts, I ask Maya what her next musical ambition is. “I’d like to work with someone in a band, Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys, The Last Shadow Puppets) maybe because he’s amazing lyrically, or Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) because he’s in the noisiest band in the world.” Sri Lanka lets more 'flexibility' in rupee-dollar exchange rate Sri Lanka's Central Bank Thursday decided to allow the rupee exchange rate against the US dollar 'to respond with greater flexibility keeping in mind the recent sharp decline in export prices and prospects of lower export demand due to further slowing down in the global economy. The Central Bank in a statement said Thursday that the move was particularly necessitated as the currencies of some of the island's major trading partners and competitors have since mid-September 2008 depreciated sharply against the US dollar leading to some pressure on the competiveness of Sri Lanka's exports.Therefore, as a measure of reducing pressure on the real sectors, the Central Bank would favour a limited depreciation of the Sri Lanka Rupee so as to enable the real sector to maintain Sri Lanka's export competitiveness across all export and import competing industries, the bank said.As a result, the export sector could continue to perform well in the future while of course taking the necessary measures to improve their productivity and cost effectiveness in order to further enhance their competitiveness in global markets.Claiming that the island's export sector had been growing well above 12 percent during the first eight months of the year, and has shown commendable resilience in the light of the current unfavourable global conditions, the bank said that it was now considered desirable that an added support be granted in order to provide the impetus for the exports to remain competitive in the months ahead.The envisaged limited depreciation is also 'timely' since it will not adversely affect the declining trend in Sri Lanka's inflation as global prices of petroleum, gas, wheat, sugar, milk powder, etc are declining and this trend is expected to continue during the next few months as well, it said, expressing hopes that the move would help to contain inflation in the medium term.Acknowledging that the vital importance of maintaining stability of the financial markets, in both the foreign exchange and rupee markets, even in the face of the current global financial crisis, the bank said it stood ready to provide liquidity to maintain stability of the exchange rate if the rate tends to be more volatile than warranted. LTTE women's camp pounded 30 October 2008 Indians coming for sea power project India is expected to send a special team of engineers within the next two weeks to begin work on the proposed electricity supply cable between Sri Lanka and Madurai in India, the Power and Energy Ministry said.It said the feasibility study for the proposed 1000 megawatt undersea cable and the transmission facility had already been completed.The Ministry said under this project electricity would be transmitted to Sri Lanka from India using the undersea cable network and would be connected to the national grid to ease any power crisis in the country.It said when the mega power projects in the country were completed sometime between 2015 and 2018 the excess power generated in Sri Lanka would be transmitted to India using the same cable network and the transmission facilities. Army bags Jeyapuram, breach Nachchikuda defence line 57 Div regains Akkarayankulam tank bund Army operations west of the A9 have reached a decisive stage with troops overrunning the main LTTE defence line at Nachchikuda hours after regaining strategically located Jeyapuram, 6 km north-east of Nachchikuda.The LTTE Wednesday morning abandoned Jeyapuram after several days of fighting. Troops moved in after a heavy artillery bombardment targeted LTTE fortifications in an area of about four sq. km.Fighting elements of the Task Force I have launched clearing operations in the area as they fought their way towards Nachchikuda, the main Sea Tiger base on the north-western coast. The army late last evening overran Nachchikuda defences. The LTTE lost Vidattaltivu Sea Tiger base on July 16th.A senior military official based in Vavuniya told The Island that the fall of Jeyapuram had facilitated a multi-pronged offensive directed at Nachchikuda. According to him, Jeyapuram, situated east of the Mannar-Pooneryn (A32) main road had been the main obstacle faced by the army in its advance towards Nachchikuda. The official said that the fall of Nachchikuda was imminent.As the Task Force I had breached the Nachchikuda defences, the 57 Division brought the entire Akkarayankulam tank bund situated north of Akkarayankulam under its control. Army headquarters said that with the capture of the 2 km long bund, troops deployed on the north-western part had joined the troops on the north-eastern side of the tank.Troops positioned at Kunchchikulam and North of Manniyankulama have stepped up operations. The Task Force I has also advanced about 5 km northwards from the Manniyakulam-Therumurikkandi road.The Task Force I last Sunday (Oct 26) cleared LTTE units operating in the Nochchimodai area to expand the area under its control north of Kunchchikulam. Troops engaged in search operations recovered two LTTE bodies along with three T 56 assault rifles.Nochchimodai is situated on the landmass west of Kilinochchi and in the middle of the 20 km stretch separating Mannar-Pooneryn (A32) road and the Jaffna- Kandy (A9) road. The Task Force 1 troops, after breaching the LTTE’s earth bund at Vannerikulam several weeks ago had been operating ahead of Manniyakulam junction, Kunchchikulam and Nochchimodai.Meanwhile, troops in operations conducted at Asirikulam and Manik Farm colony on Tuesday recovered five hand grenades, one T-56 assault rifle, six magazines, 120 rounds of ammunition, ten anti-personnel mines, four pressure mines, two hand grenades, nine detonators, 2 kg of C-4 explosives and two detonator codes. Two persons believed to LTTE operatives were arrested. India cannot remain silent spectator: TN BJP The BJP in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday said India had the "moral right and responsibility" to intervene in Sri Lankan Tamils issue and should not remain a "silent spectator" to the sufferings of the civilian Tamils in the island.New Delhi had the right and responsibility by virtue of "feeding" lakhs of Tamils fleeing the island nation and seeking refuge in India, BJP's state unit President L Ganesan told reporters here."India should ensure a package (of solutions) to the Tamils and lend whatsoever of its support to Colombo only in return of a guarantee from Sri Lanka about the welfare of the Tamils there," he said.Besides taking care of the refugees, India also shared cultural ties with the neighbouring country and therefore had the right and responsibility to pressure the Sri Lankan government on ensuring the safety of Tamils, he said.Charging the Sri Lankan Government with "censoring reports to hide the prevailing situation," Ganesan suggested that a UN fact-finding team be deputed to that country.He expressed apprehensions that the relief being sent to Sri Lanka from India might not reach the Tamils and said organisations such as International Red Cross should be entrusted with the job.Reacting to the arrest of MDMK leader Vaiko and Tamil film directors Ameer and Seeman for making pro-LTTE speeches, he wondered why the same yardstick was not being applied to leaders like Union Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav who, he alleged, had spoken in support of the banned SIMI.He called for "unbiased action" against all those supporting banned organisations. Interceptors’ missile ‘lock on’ failure jolts SLAF Tuesday’s failure to shoot down a single LTTE aircraft despite timely detection by radar has jolted the SLAF into investigating its limitations amidst evidence that the enemy has acquired a capability to neutralise the threat of a heat seeking missile attack.An authoritative source said that Chinese F7s launched from Katunayake air base had failed to zero-in-on the enemy aircraft. "Their (F7s) missile systems failed to ‘lock on with the enemy aircraft," the source said. This would necessitate an overall review of the SLAF’s strategy, the source said. The military asserted that the LTTE could try to exploit the situation.The initial detection had been made north-east of Mannar at 10.18 p.m. by 2D radar installed by the Government of India at the SLAF base at Vavuniya.Thaladdi had come under attack within minutes after the detection, the source said.Both the Indian radar and a Chinese 3D radar station located in the Western Province had detected the enemy aircraft but interceptors failed to carry out a successful missile strike. 2D radar provides direction and the distance of a target whereas the Chinese radar provides even the altitude of a target.Last September, a heat seeking missile fired by an interceptor brought down one of the two LTTE aircraft returning to their base after attacking Vavuniya air base. Although the LTTE denied the SLAF claim, a senior military official pointed out that the LTTE had deployed only one aircraft to carry out Tuesday’s operation. Each previous raid directed at military and economic targets had involved two aircraft, the official said. "May be they are now left with one aircraft," he speculated. But the possibility of their having additional aircraft couldn’t be ruled out, he said.The SLAF said that after dropping two bombs on Thaladdi base, the aircraft had veered westwards towards the sea and flew southwards before moving back towards land at a point near estuary of the Kelani River. The SLAF said that the aircraft had taken almost the same route back to its base in the Vanni. Under anti-aircraft fire, the LTTE plane had dropped two bombs over the Kelanitissa power facility.The damage caused to two power stations, combined cycle power plant and diesel powered Fiat GT 7 installed within the Kelanitissa complex would cause a severe deficit in the country’s electricity demand.Although Power Minister John Seneviratne and his Deputy Mahindananda Aluthgamage played down the issue, The Island learns that the GT 7 had been severely damaged. After inspecting the damaged facility, Seneviratne said that it would take about six months restore GT 7.Addressing a hurriedly arranged press conference at Kelanitissa, the minister expressed confidence that the CEB would be able to meet any shortfall of supply through other means. Kelanitssa workers told The Island that both stations had been switched off pending investigations. They said that the GT 7 generated 110 mega watts while the combined cycle power plant generated 165 mega watts. Altogether, they generated 275 mega watts out of 530 mega watts produced by Kelanitissa facility.They said the severe damage caused to the combined cycle power plant would deny the country the capacity to generate 55 mega watts almost free of charge. Of this particular plant, 110 mega watts were generated by using naphtha and 55 mega watts produced as a byproduct, they said. "This would be heavy burden on the taxpayer," a senior employee told The Island.The SLAF is responsible for a series of highly successful air strikes against the LTTE since August 2006. The LTTE fighting capability has been greatly reduced to SLAF action directed against a range of targets. Independent media in Jaffna threatened by armed cadre of EPDP The Free Media Movement (FMM) is extremely disturbed to receive a letter from the Managing Director, Mr. E. Saravanapavan of the Uthayan daily newspaper printed and published from Jaffna, noting that paramilitary groups in the embattled city were preventing the distribution of the paper and posed a grave risk to the safety and security of newspaper staff.Armed cadre of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a group that is part of the incumbent government and led by Mr. Douglas Devananda, who is a Cabinet Minister, disrupted the distribution of the paper on 23rd October 2008 and prevented newspaper staff from leaving their homes to report to work.Mr. Saravanapavan notes in his missive that that Mr. Devananda allegedly told him the Army was ‘very angry’ with Uthayan, for reasons that are not given but not hard to guess. As the International Press Institute (IPI) in an open letter to the President of Sri Lanka on this matter notes, “As one of the very few sources of information for the inhabitants of Jaffna, Uthayan is of vital importance, particularly because it carries news about the security situation in the province. In times of conflict and other dangerous situations, the importance of access to timely and accurate information and news is undeniable.”Uthayan has operated in the embattled peninsula under extremely challenging circumstances. It’s staff live in fear of death and some are virtual prisoners in the offices of the newspaper. In January, Mr. Saravanapavan received death threats over the phone. As the RSF notes in their 2008 Annual Report, “A gunman on a motorbike killed a young reporter, Selvarajah Rajivarnam, who was riding his bike near the office of Jaffna’s biggest selling daily Uthayan at the end of April. He covered criminal cases, going into police stations and the hospital to obtain information about murders and disappearances. Several sources in Jaffna said members of the EPDP could be behind the killing.”The FMM regards the disruption of Uthayan’s distribution and the overt pressure on staff to refrain from working as attacks against the freedom of expression and the worst kind of strong-arm tactic, tellingly by a constituent party of the incumbent government, to stifle independent media.We call for the President’s urgent attention into this matter, and hold Mr. Devananda directly accountable for any action taken by the EPDP against Uthayan and its staff. Only strong condemnation of brutish measures to curtail the freedom of expression can assure a skeptical public of the bona fides of this regime to strengthen media freedom in Sri Lanka. Mystery over Tiger air raid Theories and more theories emerged yesterday as to how the LTTE aircraft which bombed Mannar and then the Kelanitissa power plant, managed to evade being shot down by the Air Force despite flying such a distance.However the Air Force, while admitting the Tiger aircraft had managed to escape, ruled out at least one assumption that the Tiger aircraft involved in the raid in Mannar went undetected until it reached Colombo to take out its target. Defence sources said that two aircraft had taken off from Iranamadu and headed towards Mannar and Colombo. The Army’s 57th Division which operates along the front lines had detected the two aircraft on its radars and informed Colombo.The Air Force had then deployed F-7, MI- 24 and PT6 aircrafts to bring down the Tiger plane.According to Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara a light Mystery LTTE aircraft dropped two bombs on the Mannar Army headquarters in Thalladi, Mannar around 10.20 pm on Tuesday night.“Three soldiers at the Army camp at Thalladi received minor injuries when the terrorist air craft dropped three bombs before it made its way towards Kelanitissa,” the military said.Two buildings in the camp premises of the Army installation were slightly damaged. Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers and artillery are stored in this location and might have been the target of the LTTE, they said. The Army then launched artillery and multi barrel fire towards Iranamadu while the Air Force also pounded the location where the LTTE airstrip is believed to be located. The LTTE aircraft however managed to return to its base.Meanwhile another LTTE aircraft headed towards Colombo during which time the electricity in the City and areas adjoining the Parliament as well as other key installations around Colombo was shut down and the air defence systems activated. “The Air Force tracked the LTTE plane from Mannar to Colombo. Once it flew over land anti- aircraft fire was directed towards the aircraft from several locations including the harbour,” the Air Force spokesman said. When contacted a Navy official said that the Navy was also alerted that a Tiger aircraft was heading for Colombo and was placed on standby. The Tiger aircraft dropped at least two bombs on the Kelanitissa power plant before returning to the Wanni.During the tense period roads close to Temple Trees were shut down and Army re-inforcements deployed to strengthen security in the area.Meanwhile an employee of the power plant who was found unconscious at the site died last morning in hospital. Initial reports said he may have died of shock as his body had only slight injuries.According to the Defence Ministry two passenger aircraft scheduled to land at the Katunayake airport were diverted to the Chennai airport until the situation was brought under control.Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara said security had been tightened in Kelanitissa, Colombo and its suburbs following Tuesday night’s LTTE air attack.Meanwhile, a mother of two children residing in Hunupitiya, Wattala sustained injuries when a shell fired by the security forces during the LTTE aerial attack on the Kelanitissa Power Station struck her house. The mother was rushed to the Ragama Hospital with fractured legs. Police said that victim had been asleep on a mat with her two children when the shell hit her house.Meanwhile the TamilNet website said that Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers were deployed over the Wanni to search for the LTTE aircraft after the air raid. According to TamilNet Air Force aircraft flew over the suburbs of Mullaitivu and Puthukkudiyiruppu with para lights focused on the ground. TamilNet quoted civilian sources as saying the Tiger aircraft flew back to the Wanni over Mannar. Bomb attack near house used by Karuna A house in front of Meenagam Base where Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman had stayed recently has come under a grenade attack on October 26th.An MSD guard of the TMVP leader has been injured in the attack.Unidentified persons have fired a T-56 rifle soon after the grenade attack, reports say.The media has reported a cold war between Karuna Amman and Chief Minister of East Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan for the leadership of the TMVP.However, the two shared the same stage at a party protest rally in Batticaloa on October 26th against the LTTE and anti-Sri Lanka protests in Tamil Nadu.Of late, several of Karuna Amman’s offices had come under attack by unidentified assailants.‘Tamil Net’ has reported the commando unit of the LTTE attacked the TMVP office in Chenkaladi yesterday (October 28th).Police said that four were killed and five others were missing following the attack. No differences with Centre: Karunanidhi CHENNAI: There is no place for difference of opinion with the Union Government in extending cooperation to bring about peace in Sri Lanka, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said on Wednesday.Reiterating the position of his government and of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on the issue, Mr. Karunanidhi said that Sri Lankan Tamils should be safeguarded. Peace should be established in the island nation.Those who were creating such a scenario should be supported.“This has been our posi tion. There is no change in our policy,” he said, dedicating the 20-km-long Rajiv Gandhi Salai (from Madhya Kailash temple in Taramani to Siruseri) at a function at Sholinganallur near here.Citing newspaper reports published in 1989 wherein former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was quoted as having appreciated the DMK government for its cooperation with the Centre on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, the Chief Minister said he referred to them only to show that his government working together with the Centre was not new. “Turbines will be repaired”: Min. Two turbines of the Kelanitissa power station were damaged in the LTTE air attack on Wednesday night, Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne said yesterday adding that it would take at least six months to restore them. The Minister told journalists yesterday that the LTTE attempt to cut the power supply to Colombo city had failed. “It is obvious that they targeted the Kelanitissa Station as it is the main establishment from where power is supplied to Colombo, to cut the supply to the city but they have failed in this exercise,” the Minister said. He explained that the turbines which were damaged are not used regularly as they were contingency turbines which are used to generate power whenever the water levels in the reservoirs get reduced. They are also used to supply power when there is an increase in consumer demand during special occasions. “Therefore the power station could still generate to its fullest capacity of 530 mw,” he said. These turbines have the capacity to generate 165 MV of power through gas and steam. Assuring that the damage is minor the Minister said assessing the financial loses would take some time as no survey was done to determine the physical damage. However according to the Minister the bombs had pierced through the concrete roof of the installation which is one foot in thickness and had fallen on one turbine and on the cooler of the GT 7 turbine. He said that timely action was taken to close the gas taps to prevent the gas from coming into the turbine and thereby a huge disaster was averted.It was also stated that a new security system, together with the Air Force, would be introduced to counter any air attacks in the future. CEB Security Consultant M. R. W. De Soyza said the anti-aircraft guns installed in the station started firing at the time of the attack but destroying the aircraft was the responsibility of the Air Force. “We have the capacity to prevent a ground attack but intercepting aircraft has to be done by the Air Force,” he said CEB Mechanical Officer K. Dharmaweera said the attack took place around 12 midnight just seconds after he reported for duty. “We were informed by the security forces that an aircraft was its way and we switched off the lights and the anti-aircraft guns installed in the station started firing,” he said. Pro-LTTE group threatens death to Jayalalitha: AIADMK Chennai, A Canada-based Tamil group sympathetic to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers has threatened to assassinate former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayaram Jayalalitha, a party official said Wednesday.Jaya Kumar, a former AIADMK minister, told the police that a man calling himself Tamil Maindan, a functionary of the World Tamil Eelam Protection Organisation, had sent a letter warning that Jayalalitha would be killed for opposing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)."Jayalalitha would suffer the same fate as (former Pakistan prime minister) Benazir Bhutto for continuing to oppose Tamils in Sri Lanka," said the complaint.Jaya Kumar filed the complaint with Chennai Police Commissioner R. Sekar. A police official said the matter was being investigated.Meanwhile, the advocates' wing of AIADMK filed a writ in the Madras High Court seeking additional protection for Jayalalitha.Judge M. Jayachandran said he would hear the matter Thursday morning.Jayalalitha enjoys the high category 'Z Plus' security following previous alleged threats to her life from the LTTE, which is outlawed in India.Jayalalitha came out strongly against protests this month in Tamil Nadu by political parties seeking a ceasefire in fighting between the military and the LTTE in Sri Lanka. Tamil movie directors granted conditional bail Tamil film directors Seeman and Ameer, arrested for allegedly making seditious speeches in support of Sri Lankan Tamils, were granted conditional bail by a court here Wednesday.Sessions Judge N. Mayandi ordered that they should report at a magistrate's court in the temple city of Madurai every day, officials said.The police department's 'Q' Branch that deals with extremist violence arrested the duo Oct 24 in state capital Chennai, 500 km north of here, on sedition charges. They were remanded to judicial custody by a court here the next day.They had allegedly made inflammatory and seditious speeches in Rameshwaram Oct 19 during a demonstration to express solidarity with the suffering Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.The prosecuting lawyers did not raise any objections when the directors' counsel moved their bail petitions.Judge Mayandi said in his order that the directors should surrender their passports to the police.The directors were likely to be released Thursday, sources in the Madurai central prison said on the telephone.Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician Sarath Kumar told reporters after meeting the directors in prison that he had requested actors and actresses scheduled to take part in a day-long hunger-strike Nov 1 to keep their emotions under control during speeches.'As the president of the South Indian Artistes' Association, I have sent circulars to member actors and actresses to donate liberally to the suffering Lankan Tamils and avoid inflammatory speeches on the occasion,' Kumar said.He hoped the relief materials would be distributed to the suffering Tamils speedily by the Sri Lankan government under the auspices of the International Red Cross and United Nations.Answering questions about demands of arrests of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan and director Bharti Raja for allegedly seditious speeches by various leaders including AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalitha, Kumar added that interpretation of the speeches was to be left to the police. Shame on Air Force - UNP It is a humiliation for the Air Force that it had failed to destroy Air Tiger craft that had remained over the skies for more than two hours, said UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara. The fixed-wing craft had disturbed the south for the seventh occasion and had bombed Kelanitissa Power Station without being challenged, he told the media in Colombo yesterday (Oct. 29th).Mr. Jayasekara said the government has claimed to have bombarded the LTTE on 600 occasions, once destroying one of its airstrips, and asked if it was so, how its aircraft could continually make missions to the south. Alleging the present regime has been denying the people of their right to information for a long time, he said it had concealed last night's attack from the public for more than two and a half hours.The local tourism industry and the country's good name have been affected after the international media broke the news to the world before the government made it public.Speaking further, the UNP MP alleged head of the Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hulugalle did not know that Kelanitissa power plant was located in Colombo, may be because he was from Aranayake.Mr. Jayasekara also said an Indian involvement in the national conflict was evident despite claims to the contrary by the government, as New Delhi's call for a political solution indicates.He spoke about the possibility of an unofficial ceasefire very soon.The UNP MP also questioned the political maturity of President Mahinda Rajapaksa for taking five years to understand the necessity of a political solution as had been mooted by opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe five years ago. 29 October 2008 Tamil Tiger air raids hit capital, base – military Tamil Tiger rebels carried two air strikes near a northern military base and oil tanks in the Sri Lankan capital, military sources said.The attacks prompted anti-aircraft fire across Colombo's shore, which had been darkened after the power was switched off as a precaution shortly after the first strike at Mannar, located near the northern war zone about 250 km to the north."One LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) aircraft was airborne and dropped bombs on Mannar area military headquarters. We are checking on reports of damages and casualties," a military official speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters. Another official confirmed the strike.Shortly afterwards, the sound of heavy guns echoed through Colombo, as people stood in the streets watching."The aircraft dropped bombs in Colombo near the oil storage tanks," a military source said on condition of anonymity. Another source confirmed it and said it was under investigation.There was no immediate comment from military headquarters.If confirmed, these would be the eighth and ninth strikes by the Tigers' rudimentary air wing, which debuted in March 2007 with a bombing run on the military air base inside Colombo's international airport.The last raid came in September, when the military said it had shot down one of the planes. The Tigers denied that, and no evidence was ever found.The military says the Tigers' air wing has three two-seater Czech-made Zlin-143 aircraft fitted with homemade bombing equipment. Troops sever Tiger links to Nachchikuda Nachchikuda: Troops attached to 58 Division in the north of Nachchikuda yesterday captured two strategically important junctions on the 12th and 16th mile posts on the Mannar-Pooneryn A-32 road, cutting off LTTE links with the now isolated Nachchikuda with Sea Tiger base in Vallaipadu, Military sources told the Daily News last night.Troops operating north of Nachchikuda on the A-32 road captured the four way junction on the 16th mile post last afternoon marking a major breakthrough in the process of isolating Nachchikuda, which is the sole fishing village now left under the control of the LTTE on the Western coast.“With the capture of the four-way junction troops are controlling four prominent roads leading to Nachchikuda towards South, Pooneryn towards North, Vallaipadu towards West and Vannerikulam towards East,” the sources added.Troops are now controlling a more than six Kilometre stretch on the A-32 road in the North of Nachchikuda from the 16th mile post to the 12th mile post, sources added.“The entire 58 Division front from A-32 road to Kunchikulam advanced more than one kilometre yesterday alone,” the sources added.“With yesterday’s moves LTTE operations are severely threatened in Nachchikuda and Jayapuram,” sources further added.Troops of the 57 division also continued their attrition on the LTTE on the Kilinochchi south front and in Akkarayan in the southwest of Kilinochchi confronting the LTTE and inflicting heavy casualties among them, the sources added. We are firmly committed to a political solution: President Rajapaksa COLOMBO: “Let me reiterate that my government is firmly committed to a negotiated political solution — based on devolution of power and ensuring the democratic, political, including linguistic, rights of all our Tamil brethren within an undivided Sri Lanka,” President Mahinda Rajapaksa told The Hindu in an interview at ‘Temple Trees’ in Colombo on Monday. “As President of Sri Lanka,” he explained in this tranquil setting, the official residence of former Prime Ministers, “I am absolutely clear that there is, and can be, no military solution to political questions. I have always maintained this. A military solution is for the terrorists; a political solution is for the people living in this country.”Noting the tardiness of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) in coming up with its final proposals, he asserted: “I myself will take charge of the political process and see it through politically.”Emphasising that “our military operations are directed exclusively at the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam” — a terrorist and secessionist organisation banned or designated as terrorist in more than 30 countries, including India — he renewed his call to the LTTE even at this late stage to “lay down its arms, surrender, and enter the democratic political process.”Mr. Rajapaksa said that “the military operations directed against the LTTE are not intended to harass Tamil civilians or cause any harm or hardship to them.” His government was doing, and would do, everything in its power “to mitigate and resolve the plight of the civilians displaced or affected by the conflict.” In addition to ensuring that food, medicines, and other essential commodities were “within the reach of every one of our Tamil brethren affected by the conflict,” it would rehabilitate “every civilian affected by the conflict in a fair and transparent manner.”The Sri Lankan President expressed happiness over “the positive and constructive outcome” of the discussions his Special Envoy, Basil Rajapaksa, had in New Delhi with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and senior Indian officials. He welcomed India’s decision to contribute, as a gesture of goodwill, 800 tonnes of relief material for the affected civilians in the North. He appreciated Tamil Nadu’s offer to make an additional contribution to this humanitarian endeavour.President Rajapaksa put on record his respect for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, “one of India’s senior-most politicians,” and his appreciation of Mr. Karunanidhi’s thoughts and proposals for “a just political solution of the current conflict within the framework of an undivided Sri Lanka.” He said he would like to convey through the Government of India his wish to invite Chief Minister Karunanidhi to visit Sri Lanka.Asked about the contours of the political solution he had in mind, Mr. Rajapaksa explained his four ‘Ds’ approach – Demilitarisation, Democratisation, Development, and Devolution. When the 13th Amendment was introduced in the Sri Lankan Constitution at the instance of the Indian government, it could not be implemented in the North and the East because “there was no political will on either side to implement it.” But as a political leader, he had announced his government’s “intention of implementing this for the first time. We have given that assurance to the Tamil people of my country and to the international community. We are going to do it. This is not to satisfy anybody. It is my duty by the people of this country.”Sri Lanka’s fifth executive President pointed out that his government was implementing the interim proposals of the All Party Representative Committee. Within one year of clearing the Eastern Province, local and Provincial Council elections were successfully held, a Tamil Chief Minister was in office, and development work had been taken up on a priority basis. He would now set up a committee to benchmark the devolution process in the Eastern Province (against what other Provinces enjoyed). Tamil rebels attack breakaway group in Sri Lanka , four killed Tamil rebels attacked an office of a breakaway group, killing four persons in eastern Sri Lanka - where the military regained control after nearly a year of fighting, military officials said Tuesday.The office in Chenkalady, Batticaloa, 240 kilometres east of the capital, was manned by 10 members of the Tamil People's Liberation Tigers (TMVP) when it came under attack early Tuesday.The attackers took automatic weapons, and six people who were in the office are reported missing, military officials said.TMVP sources said they suspected the six missing people were moles of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and may have helped to carry out the attack.The TMVP broke away from the LTTE in 2004 and offered its support to the government. Party leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, a former rebel commander also known as Karuna, was appointed member of Parliament early this month.The TMVP backed the military in its operations in 2006 to recapture parts of the eastern province held by the rebels. Army troops are now waging an offensive to recapture rebel-controlled areas in the north. Govt. concedes Indian role as stakeholder claims TNA The Tamil Nadu intervention on the Sri Lankan issue has yielded results, Tamil National Alliance (TELO,TULF,ACTC AND EPRLF) parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan said.Speaking to The Morning Leader, Sampanthan said that the Sri Lankan government had come to realise that India was also a stakeholder in the Sri Lankan ethnic issue, following the intervention of the Tamil Nadu politicians and the people."I think that India has made a strategic re-entry into the Tamil question of Sri Lanka. The Tamil Nadu intervention has made the Sri Lankan government accept that India is a stakeholder in the Sri Lankan issue. There is a significant outcome due to the Tamil Nadu intervention.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK Leader, M. Karunanidhi on Sunday said that he would not pressurise the Central government anymore on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.Karunanidhi speaking to the media following his discussion with Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said that he had assured the Minister that he will not pressurise the central government, as it would create political chaos in India.Karunanidhi had also temporarily withdrawn the resignation of 14 DMK MPs including seven Ministers of the Central Government following the discussion with the Foreign Affairs Minister. Tamil Nadu had given time till yesterday to the central government to intervene and stop the ‘genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.’The ultimatum was given following an all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister on October 14.This development in India follows the visit of Senior Presidential Advisor, Basil Rajapakse to India last Friday.Rajapakse has held talks with Mukherjee on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue and had assured that the government remained committed to protect the Tamil civilians.India had also pledged to send 800 Metric Tonnes of relief items to the civilians in the Wanni following Rajapakse’s meeting with Mukherjee. Wanni IDPs exceed 300,000 The number of IDPs in the Wanni has exceeded 300,000 according to the latest maps released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).The maps updated as at October 15 showed that 144, 560 persons belonging to 37,180 families had been displaced in Kilinochchi while 173,853 persons from 43,991 families have been displaced in Mulaithivu.A convoy of the UN with essential items is scheduled to leave for the Wanni this week, according to UN officials.UN spokesperson Gordon Weiss told The Morning Leader that a convoy of essential items will be sent to the Wanni this week. The UN has so far sent three convoys of essential items into the Wanni since October 3. The last of the convoys of 28 trucks was sent last Friday (24).Government officials in the Wanni said that they were in need of at least 20,000 shelters due to the inclement weather conditions in Kilinochchi and Mulaithivu.According to the Government Agents, 6000 shelters are needed in Kilinochchi while 24000 are needed in Mulaithivu. The officials however said that there was no threat of floods despite the heavy rains."We expect to include shelter materials as well in the convoy," Weiss said. He said the convoy will leave for the Wanni this week.Meanwhile a convoy of UN trucks was in Medawachchiya yesterday, awaiting goods to be transported from Colombo to be taken to the Wanni during this week. Karuna-Pillayan battle continues The joint show of force by the TMVP heavyweights Karuna Amman and Pillayan at a rally in Batticaloa on Sunday is unlikely to completely heal the rift between the two, party seniors told The Morning Leader.The TMVP had on Sunday organised a rally calling upon India to make sure the support for the Tamils does not benefit the Tigers. Both Karuna and Pillayan took part at the meeting. TMVP spokesperson and Pillayan loyalist Azath Moulana said that both Karuna and Pillayan had taken part at the rally, as the matter concerned the Tamil people and not the party.He added that the friction between the two remained despite appearing together."The rally was organised by the TMVP. It concerned the Tamil people more than the party. Therefore, both took part. However, there are problems within the party following Karuna Amman’s statement against party policy."He (Karuna) has still not responded to the call for explanation by the General secretary of our party," Moulana said.He however added that there was still a possibility of negotiations between the two. "The Chief Minister (Pillayan) is ready for discussions. But, it depends on the response by Karuna Amman."The rift between Pillayan and Karuna erupted following the latter’s statements on October 21, that the eastern provincial council did not need police powers.TMVP General Secretary, E. Kaileswararaja sent a letter to Karuna demanding a clarification on the remarks made by him. 28 October 2008 No democracy in East if armed groups remain: HRW TN govt sets up Sri Lanka Tamils relief fund West 'interfering' in Sri Lanka Indian visit He was commenting on arriving in Colombo from a two-day official tour in India. The meeting was arranged after increasing protests in Tamil Nadu over the military offensive in the north.Mr. Rajapaksa met Indian External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, national Secrity Advisor, MK Narayanan and Foreign Secretary, Shiv Shanker Menon.During his tour to Delhi an agreement was reached for India to send 800 tones of essential supplies to Sri Lanka's war affected."We have enough supplies for the people in the north. We will decide, together with the Indian high commissioner, on what is needed after consulting the government officials there," he said.Mr. Basil Rajapaksa told BBC Sinhala service that civilians are getting displaced due to the war in the north.Mr. Rajapaksa's visit to Delhi was arranged after the Tamil Nadu government warned of mass resignations if Indian government failed to broker a truce in Sri Lanka.It is understandable that people in Tamil Nadu are trying to provide assistance to "their brothers" in Sri Lanka, Basil Rajapaksa, MP, said. Bomb attack on TMVP B’caloa office The main office of Pillayan Faction located at Govindan Street in Batticaloa town has come under a grenade attack on sunday (October 26th).The attack occurred shortly after the TMVP organized a rally in Batticaloa against pro-LTTE political parties in Tamil Nadu.Police say the attackers had come in a push bicycle and had fled after the attack.No one has been hurt, but the office building has been damaged in the blast. Prove LTTE is a terrorist outfit – Aussie prosecution 13th Amendment should be implemented SLUMA to request LTTE praise for Karuna embarrasses Congress The Congress party on Monday defended their key ally the DMK after LTTE chief Prabahakaran praised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi.In an e-mail interview to Chennai based Tamil magazine Nakkeeran, Prabhakaran hailed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's stand of seeking quick relief measures for the displaced Tamils."Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Kalaignar, is a Tamil nationalist. He has not only voiced his concern against the Sinhala state terrorism in Tamil Eelam, but has also showed it in action."The Congress on Monday said the DMK chief needed no character certificate from the head of a banned terrorist group.BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Monday said the Prime Minister "who is enjoying DMK support should explain why their ally is being praised by a terror outfit head.The Congress has been under attack from the Opposition since the LTTE is accused of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. PC commits suicide after accidentally shooting Sergeant A police constable committed suicide by shooting himself after his service rifle accidentally went off killing a Police Sergeant early yesterday at Mundimuruippu in Vavuniya, in a bunker near a filling station, Vavuniya Police said.The Sergeant had gone out of the bunker and was returning to it when the rifle of the constable who was already inside had accidentally gone off. Realizing the Sergeant had been killed by a shot from his gun, the Constable shot himself in the head.The deceased have been identified as Police Sergeant Ratnayake (16564) and Police Constable Premlal (45127).The bodies of the dead policemen were removed to the Vavuniya Hospital for a postmortem.Another Police Constable, Kumara (73174), who was also in the same bunker has testified the the Sergeant was killed by accidental fire from the Constable’s rifle.He also said that people gathered at the scene and removed both to the Hospital, Vavinuya Police were conducting further inquiries. JHU accuses Ambassador Blake of interference LTTE suspect commits suicide An LTTE suspect arrested along with a suicide jacket committed suicide in Wellawatte on Sunday, police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said.The Terrorist Investigation Division arrested the LTTE suspect on Friday in Wellawatte. The suspect was identified as S.Sambanthan, a resident of Trincomalee. Following interrogation, Sambanthan disclosed to the TID about another LTTE suspect M.Jeyaraj Thaninayagam, a resident of Muttur who was temporarily living in Weligampitiya, Ja-Ela. The latter revealed that he was an LTTE cadre hiding a suicide jacket in Wellawatte.“The TID accompanied LTTE suspect Thaninayagam to his hideout at around 2.30 am on Sunday and unearthed the suicide jacket at a house in Wellawatte. When the team was returning the suspect swallowed cyanide”, SSP Gunasekera told the Daily News.Thaninayagam died on admission to the Colombo National Hospital. SRI LANKA: Impact of Monsoon Rains on Eelam War –By Col R Hariharan Indra, the god of war in Hindu mythology whose chariot thunders across the rain clouds, must be smiling as the torrential northeast monsoon rains brought the Eelam War in Sri Lanka to a near halt last week. The northeast monsoon, the main source of rainfall in Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka, intensifies during the months of October and November and peters out in December. The average monthly rainfall in the peak period is about 300 mm. The entire domain of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the north will be affected by monsoon rains at least for the next five to six weeks. And rains in rough terrain with poor communication are the night mare of troops on the offensive. They make the axes of advance a mess of slush and mire. Equally they could ring death knell to troops manning the defences as well, as rains often flood the bunkers and weapon pits. Thus the tempo of war is likely to be subdued with intermittent spurts of fierce activity during sunny spells. Needless to say, the plight of the population displaced by the ravages of war and caught in the open or under makeshift arrangement would be terrible. Even political protests against the war could be dampened due to heavy rains as it happened in Tamil Nadu. The defence spokesman in Colombo blamed the wet weather for the security forces' failure to carry out the much awaited capture of Kilinochchi. The heavy rains had made troop movements slow and difficult, he said. However, the Army Commander Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka appear to have factored in the weather in his plans; as his troops claimed to have eaten into some more of the LTTE defences in three fronts when the rains gave way to some clear weather now and then. The security forces reported making some progress beyond Nachikuda in the Task Force I sector; 57 Division also succeeded in capturing parts of LTTE defences around Akkarayankulam on way to Kilinochchi. In the Mullaitivu east, 59 Division also made progress ahead of Janakapura capturing Gajabapura. The LTTE also appeared to be ready to overcome adverse weather and fight the advancing troops. How far does weather really affect operation when it is in the crucial 'breakthrough' phase? Generally in monsoon rains slows down offensive operations of both warring sides, reduces fire power, hampers close air support, and eats up more time in carrying out every task. And the ruthless justice of weather equally applies to both sides. Thus in the active monsoon period both sides would probably spend more energy to retain their tactical advantages in mire and slush and than fight a high intensity war. In other words the war will be a slow crawl through the mud with fights moving from bunker to bunker. During monsoon rains three factors – the weather, terrain and troops morale – together affect the soldier. Even when it is not raining and the skies are overcast visibility becomes poor. This makes combat management difficult. Heavy weapon and artillery fire at long ranges become less reliable. Artillery observers will also find it a little more taxing to bring down accurate fire. Mortar bombs are less effective in mud and slush. Air reconnaissance and air transportation are also affected. Close air support for land operations become more difficult. Though modern fighter aircraft fly above rain clouds, sorties could become fewer as met conditions are favourable for shorter periods only. This applies to support from gun ships as well. More over, ground support operations for aircraft and artillery maintenance, and loading, replenishment of ammunition etc. become more cumbersome. These limitations will apply more to the security forces as they have greater fire power. For the LTTE, spotting and shooting down of aircraft from ground becomes more difficult unless missiles are used. In order to compensate lesser fire support the security forces will be required to use more troops on the offensive. That could translate into more casualties. Similarly monsoon weather also affects naval operations along the coast and inshore areas as war ships prefer to be out in the high seas than face the turbulence on the coast line. Visibility in monsoon seas is poor. This could affect naval operations in support of troops operating along Mullaitivu coast. The lighter Sea Tiger craft are probably better placed to sneak in closer to naval ships taking advantage of monsoon conditions Landing of troops by sea also becomes tricky and time consuming. This could reduce options available to the security forces in offensive against Pooneryn. The second aspect is the terrain in bad weather which invariably decides the winner and the vanquished. When the down pour comes, roads are inundated and tracks get flooded; muddy paddy fields could become deathtraps of tanks and trucks. Seasonal streams turn into rapids. Though modern armies have their own engineer units to construct bridges and roads, the havoc caused by rains could outstrip their capability. As vehicles get bogged down, labour units will have to be mustered to carry vital battlefield requirements. Overall the terrain conditions make both launching of attacks and counter attacks equally time and resource consuming. The third and more important factor is the cumulative effect of bad weather and terrain on morale of fighters. Prolonged operations with long marches through slush and mud in wet weather sap the strength, efficiency and demoralize the troops. Thus even a small setback could have high impact on the psyche of troops. Troops become more vulnerable to mines which get shifted due to the flow of rain water. Fording of even small streams could become tricky when they turn into deep currents. With the weather playing truant, battle field evacuation of casualties becomes difficult both by land and air. During the offensive troops caught in the open will find it more difficult to dig down. Overall the security forces are probably at a slight disadvantage over the LTTE which is fighting probably from well drained bunkers.However the LTTE would also find the weather restrictive in fighting a classical defensive battle. Pulling back to fall back positions before reinforcing the next line of defence can become a costly exercise. The LTTE would also find the same problem as the security forces in preparing new defensive positions. Its plans to counter attack could also flounder in the face of adverse weather conditions with problems of mobility, support fire and casualty evacuation. It would also face problems of logistic support in meeting battle field needs. Its combat engineering resources are marginal and mostly improvised. That will have its own positive and negative fall out. Both sides will find it more difficult to carry out deep penetration and commando operations. For the security forces, problems of mobility by air, sea and land could reduce the range of Special Forces operations. Special boat operations would also become more risky. This has relevance if Special Forces are to be used for operations in Pooneryn with naval support. Assessing military operations in Vanni when the weather is fickle is a difficult proposition. However, considering the overall setting of the battle zones, any northern offensive of 53 and 55 divisions will perforce be restricted to a narrow frontage along Muhamalai-Elephant Pass axis as the lagoons and marshy land on both sides of would be water logged. Particularly the approach along Nagarkovil salient would become unsuited for operations. The Task Force I offensive towards Pooneryn could make better progress than the offensive of 57 Division towards Kilinochchi. Task Force II operations towards A9 highway between Mankulam and Puliyankulam would also probably make some more progress though it will be across the grain of the terrain. 59 Division dominating the area between Gajabapura and Nayaru lagoon in Mullaitivu east would probably make slow progress only. In this difficult terrain the operations will be time consuming with a lot of jungle bashing by foot soldiers. Given these conditions, whichever side can maintain better morale and ensure effective leadership at platoon level is likely to succeed. The security forces have more troops, larger options, better technology, more victories and lesser casualties to help their morale. On the other hand, the rains and the LTTE have managed to stall their advance to Kilinochchi. The LTTE on the other hand is fighting a battle of survival with a highly motivated band of cadres. Perhaps it will be more realistic to assess the impact of poor weather on the morale of troops on both sides after they are exposed to say three more weeks of intense fighting in wet weather. The looming possibility of Indian 'intervention' and its political aftermath in Tamil Nadu and India would have had its impact on both the warring sides. Prabhakaran in his interview to Nakkeeran a Tamil weekly has expressed his happiness at the protests in Tamil Nadu. He has said these sentiments added to the LTTE strength. On the other hand the clear statement of Indian Foreign Minister Pranabh Mukherjee on India distancing itself from the Eelam War would have warmed the hearts of the security forces. Thus the confrontation is now literally eyeball to eyeball. And it will depend upon who blinks first. The weatherman is perhaps unwittingly better suited now to assess the course of operations more accurately in the near future as it is interwoven with good weather. . 27 October 2008 Lanka row settles as Pranab soothes DMK India shown displeasure - TNA Tamil Nadu 'satisfied' Basil Rajapaksa's visit to Delhi was arranged after the continuing protests in Tamil Nadu over the military offensives in Vanni.Tamil Nadu politicians gave an ultimatum to Indian government to broker a truce between the parties within two weeks.However, it is not clear whether the TN politicians will carry out the threat of mass resignations due on 29 October.Following the Indian announcement, Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi calling for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka said on that a long-running struggle could not be resolved "within four days"."We demand a ceasefire because we wanted that innocent civilians should not be attacked. Now Sri Lankan government have assured that they will not attack civilians. We will be completely satisfied only when all the assurances are carried out. We hope that the assurances translate to actions," he told journalists in Chennai. No crisis for UPA Govt, assures Karunanidhi CHENNAI: Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said yesterday that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had promised that his DMK MPs will not insist on quitting Parliament in the wake of talks between New Delhi and Colombo on the situation in Sri Lanka.'Karunanidhi has assured (me) that the DMK will not precipitate the issue,' Mukherjee told reporters after a three-hour meeting with him here. Karunanidhi has assured he would not precipitate a crisis for the UPA government over Sri Lankan Tamils issue as the Centre apprised him of steps being taken by the Lankan Government to ensure safety of Tamil civilans.The assurance by Karunanidhi to Mukherjee after UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi spoke to the Chief Minister, assumed significance as the DMK and some other Tamil Nadu parties had issued an ultimatum that all MPs from the state would resign if the Centre did not take steps to ensure a Ceasefire in Sri Lanka.DMK and some of its allies have 24 members in Lok Sabha out of a total of 39 members from the state to the House. Mukherjee said India will send around 800 tonnes of relief material to Sri Lanka for the affected civilians in the north of the island."The Sri Lankan Government has assured India that it will provide humanitarian aid to the displaced people in the country through International Red Cross, Government of India and UN agencies," he said.The DMK chief too told reporters soon afterwards, "I will certainly not create a problem for the Central Government.""Conditions to start peaceful, political negotiations do not seem to have serious impediments at present."However, obviously a 40-year-old problem cannot be sorted out in four days [before the Oct 29 deadline]," Karunanidhi added. LTTE medical center in Anthankulam captured; shells dropped in Kilinochchi hospital premises Media Center for National Security (MCNS) states that fierce fighting has erupted between the security forces and LTTE in Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu districts. Army spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that fighting took place in Akkarayankulam, Kalmadu and Adampamunai in north Puchikulam and 58 Brigade captured a powerful position of the LTTE demolishing several bunkers.He said that security forces captured several LTTE bunkers after fierce fighting in Anthankulam of Mullaithivu district. MCNS said that a place used by LTTE as a medical center was also captured and bandage and a stock of empty saline bottles were recovered from there.MCNS further announced that Army recovered 91 anti personnel mines and three improvised explosive devises from Anthankulam whilst Air Force arrested one T-56 rifle, a magazine and 30 rounds of ammunition in a search operation in Trincomalee.Meanwhile, Tamil media says that an artillery shell fired by Army has fallen in the premises of Kilinochchi hospital. In the photos issued, the iron fence of the hospital can be seen damaged. Media reported that around 110 outdoor patients and about 60 admitted patients were in the hospital at the moment. JVP slams Blake for meddling in Lanka’s internal affairs The JVP yesterday condemned a statement made by US Ambassador in Colombo Robert Blake, during an interactive session at Madras Uni. in Chennai saying the diplomat had made a very serious statement concerning the national problem of Sri Lanka.“We condemn Mr. Blake’s interference in the internal matters of the country through that statement,” the JVP said in a statement. The statement further said: “He had also stated that the tactical relationship between the US and India could be used for the advantage of Sri Lanka. We see this statement as not only subversive to Sri Lanka but also to other countries in the region. The tactical relationship between the US and India is to establish Indo-US imperialism in the region and therefore such statements should be condemned not only by Sri Lanka but other countries in the region as well. We should unite to prevent such an eventuality. “We the JVP are of the firm belief that no other country whether it be the US or India has any right to influence the Sri Lankan government on how to solve our national question. “If anyone is against the military action undertaken by the Sri Lankan government against terrorism they are aiding terrorists. “We also stress that the Sri Lankan government does not have any other option but to defeat terrorism since the LTTE is committed to terrorism and the creation of a separate state.“Mr. Blake had also said the Sri Lankan government should not waste time in militarily trying to defeat the LTTE and should work towards a political solution. “ He should realize that successive Sri Lankan governments have wasted time for the last 20 years to discuss political solutions that were imposed on Sri Lanka by the so called international community and not to militarily defeat the LTTE. Mr. Blake together with India is now getting ready to drag Sri Lanka back to discussing so called political solutions. “The Mahinda Rajapaksa government which is talking of political solutions with the so called international community, when the security forces are engaged in defeating terrorism, is undermining the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the nation. We emphasize that reactionary foreign governments and organizations are trying to make this government dance to their tune”. LTTE woman identified as suicide cadre A suspected LTTE woman Sivalingum Thiruweli who was taken into custody two months ago at Kalpitiya has been identified as a suicide cadre who had come to launch an attack on a VIP, it was revealed by police.The suspected woman had come to Kalpitiya from Batticaloa two years ago. She had frequently visited the work site where the coal plant is scheduled to be establish at Kalpitiya aiming to gather information for her target.According to Power and Energy Ministry sources, the Minister of Power and Energy visit the work site frequently for inspection tours of the on going work.The suspected woman is 27 and a mother of two, further investigations are being conducted. SLMC to form grand minority alliance India has always helped Lankan Tamils: Chidambaram Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Sunday asserted that India has always helped the Tamil minority's struggle for more powers in Sri Lanka and denied arming the island's military establishment.'While India has always helped the Tamil minority's quest for more powers in the island, accusing us of arming Sri Lanka's military is wrong because that is being done by China and Pakistan,' Chidambaram told reporters here.'The Sri Lankan government should give more powers to the Tamil minority so that they can live honourably,' he said.He also slammed moves by a few regional parties to use the issue to foment trouble in India.'Attempts to support separatist moves in Sri Lanka, backing (Tamil Tiger Chief Vellupillai) Prabhakaran and the use of that cause to foment secessionism in India will not help the Tamil minority or solve their problems,' Chidambaram added.External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is due to visit Chennai later in the day to brief Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on the talks held with Sri Lanka's special envoy Basil Rajapakse in Delhi Sunday.All the 16 MPs belonging to the ruling DMK have handed over their post-dated resignations, said to take effect Oct 29 if the central government did not initiate effective steps to stop the alleged killings of Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan Army. A massive 60-km long DMK-sponsored human chain protest was held here Friday with participation from almost all political parties barring the main opposition AIADMK and the Congress.While the 16 DMK MPs, including seven ministers, are the mainstays of the United Progressive Alliance coalition at the centre, the Congress with 35 legislators is its main ally in Tamil Nadu - propping up the regime which has only 95 legislators in a 235-member house. Bomb inside EPDP Vavuniya office Police and army yesterday defused a 10 kilogram time bomb concealed inside a suitcase and placed in the television room of the EPDP office at Vavuniya. Police said the bomb had been set to explode at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday but had not exploded due to some technical fault.They said the suspicious suitcase had been discovered last morning by the cleaners. The TV room is said to get crowded in the evenings due to a popular Tamil programme broadcast at that time.Police said this bomb had been placed by two LTTE cadres who had joined the EPDP. Phone campaign against actors: Tamil youth allegedly arrested As phone campaign against the South Indian actors who had declined to participate in the protests against the Military operations in the North is underway in Sri Lanka, a Tamil youth has been allegedly arrested by the Wellawatte police for forwarding an SMS he got to his friends. Ganesalingam Pradeep a 24 year old youth had allegedly forwarded an SMS which called all Sri Lankan Tamils to boycott all the films in which two South Indian actors Wijeyakumar and Arjun are starring to four of his friends. He was arrested on Saturday evening while relaxing in his home on Saturday night,one of his family members told Daily Mirror yesterday. This family member called for his release stating that he had not done anything wrong as he had nothing to do with the senders of the SMS. The sender is reported to be a local as the message was not a roaming one which comes from overseas. “We are sad as this happened just two days before the Deepavali and we cannot celebrate the festival today,” he said. According to the family member of this boy, the police had said that the Intelligence Units had wanted to question the boy. He said he visited him last evening at the Wellawatte police where he was informed about the inquiry by the Intelligence Unit. The family of this youth have also brought the matter to the notice of the Western Peoples Front (WPF) leader Mano Ganeshan. WPF condemned the arrest stating that it is a violation of the rights of the people. WPF Frontliner Dr. A. N. Kumar Guruparan said the youth only exercised his right to communicate with his friends and did not participate in any campaign. However, OIC Wellawatte police Mangala Dehideniya denied that they had arrested any Tamil youth. Don't support LTTE - TMVP tells TN TMVP 'divisions' Eastern province chief minister, Sivanesathurai chandrakanthan (Pillayan) and recently appointed MP, Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan (Karuna) both addressed the rally.It was the first time Karuna, who broke away from the LTTE in 2004, addressed a public gathering.However, the two leaders were not seen speaking with each other, journalists say. The two factions have publicly clashed over devolution of police powers to the region.Earlier, Karuna's statement that the eastern province should not be given police powers was disputed by TMVP chairman Kumarasamy Nandagopan, also known as Raghu claiming that Karuna's position is not that of the party.In his address, Karuna accused "certain parties" of trying to create divisions in the TMVP.Addressing the gathering the chief minister said that there should be political solution to the national question while militarily defeating the LTTE.Protesters were seen carrying placards urging the authorities to send food to civilians in the Vanni region. 26 October 2008 TELO MPs ask India to pressure Sri Lanka to end killings A group of TELO MPs from Sri Lanka sympathetic to the Tamil Tigers Saturday sought sustained Indian diplomatic pressure to force Colombo to start talking to the guerrillas in a bid to end the ethnic conflict. 'An Indian intervention is needed to force the war-hungry Colombo regime to come to the negotiation table, work out with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a peaceful political solution to our issue within the ambit of a federal, united Sri Lanka and stop its military moves against innocent Tamil civilians,' Tamil National Alliance and TELO MP Sri Kantha told reporters.'Over 250,000 Tamils have become refugees in our own homeland and several thousands of our brethren are being killed by the military. Absence of food and medicines to the sick and the infirm ... are also claiming lives,' he said.'Habitations in Wanni and Kilinochcyi have been reduced to rubble in the bombing that have killed countless children and the aged. People are suffering without food. The undeclared war must end. The Sri Lankan government must begin negotiations with the LTTE without delay,' added M.K. Shivaji Lingam, another MP from the same party.The MPs also expressed sincere appreciation for the pro-active measures including Friday's massive human chain protest held in Chennai and called for political parties in India to speak in a united voice.Political parties in Tamil Nadu, which is separated from Sri Lanka by a strip of sea, have threatened to resign their seats from the Indian parliament by Oct 29 if New Delhi does not bring about a ceasefire in the island nation by that date. We will protect Tamils: Sri Lanka to India Assuring India that it will ensure the safety and security of ethnic Tamils, Sri Lanka has expressed readiness to allow Indian medical aid to the affected people in the island country's embattled north.Basil Rajapaksa, Special Advsior of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and apprised him of the steps being taken by the government to ensure that the rights of Tamils are not compromised during the ongoing military offensive against the LTTE. Basil also held talks with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon in the morning."Every assurance we have given (to) look after the human behaviour needs and whichever way we can," Basil, the brother of President Rajapakasa, told reporters after the meeting.Asked about the medical aid from India, the President's advisor said "yes, that issue was brought up and we will take a positive look on it.""Yes," he said when asked whether the Sri Lankan Government will allow Indian medical aid to Sri Lanka.Asked whether Mukherjee will visit Colombo on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Basil said "he has not discusses it so".Basil's visit to New Delhi comes in the wake of India expressing concern over the humanitarian situation in the island nation and asking it to protect the rights of the civilian Tamils. LTTE Chief vows to hold on to Kilinochchi LTTE Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan has vowed not to lose Kilinochchi to the Sri Lankan security forces and said President Mahinda Rajapakse is day dreaming if he believes the Tigers’ administrative capital can be captured.Breaking his silence after several years, the Tiger leader has in an e-mail interview to Indian magazine Nakkeeran also denied by implication the involvement of the organisation in the murder of Former Chief of Staff of the Army and Opposition Leader of the North Central Provincial Council, Retired Major General Janaka Perera.Pirapaharan’s interview came as the security forces are facing stiff resistance in their march to Kilinochchi amidst heavy rains due to the onset of the north-east monsoon."Our cadres carry out attacks on the Sinhala forces and not allowing them to enter Kilinochchi. The military is facing severe losses due to these attacks," he has said.In his interview Pirapaharan also said that the support of the Tamil Nadu politicians and the people was ‘pleasing’ to the LTTE.Praising the current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Pirapaharan said that he had showed his support to the Tamil struggle in the past as well. "He has always showed his love and passion towards the Sri Lankan Tamils. He has proved it on several occasions. He has not only voiced against the Sinhala state terrorism in Tamileelam, but has also showed it in action," Pirapaharan has said.Referring to the murder of General Perera, the Tiger leader has said it was usually the case that the LTTE gets blamed for such killings and that in this case the murder could be due to internal problems in the south.The LTTE is not usually known to deny assassinations they have carried out. DMK for all-party delegation to Lanka NEW DELHI: As the October 29 deadline set by the Tamil Nadu political parties to the Centre to either act on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue or face the en masse quitting of MPs from the State is nearing, Shipping Minister and DMK parliamentary party leader T.R. Baalu met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee here on Saturday and asked them to speed up efforts to protect affected Tamils in the island.It is learnt that Mr. Baalu urged Ms. Gandhi to depute Mr. Mukherjee to Colombo immediately to hold talks on bringing a ceasefire and supplying food and medicines to the affected people through international agencies, including the Red Cross, besides assessing the actual situation.Mr. Baalu, who was deputed by DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, also pressed for sending an all-party delegation to Sri Lanka to study the situation and meet the affected Tamils.Mr. Baalu told the two leaders that the human chain organised by the DMK and other major partieson Friday over 60 km from Chennai to Chingleput had shown how the people of Tamil Nadu were united in expressing their feelings and seeking India’s support to the Sri Lankan Tamils; and also that no military assistance should be provided to Sri Lanka.The DMK Minister’s meeting with Ms. Gandhi and Mr. Mukherjee assumes significance even as Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, Senior Adviser to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, arrived in New Delhi to hold high-level discussions with Indian officials. Mr. Rajapaksa is likely to meet National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijaya Singh during his three-day visit.CPI national secretary D. Raja criticised Mr. Mukherjee for his statement on the Sri Lankan issue in Parliament and said he was evasive on the charges made by Opposition parties on the issue of providing military assistance to Sri Lanka. Mr. Mukherjee had not said anything about retrieving Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka, which was given by India in the early 1970s, to ensure the safety and security of Indian fishermen, particularly those from Tamil Nadu, on high seas, Mr. Raja said. Karuna bought over by Govt. charges Pillayan The battle between Karuna and Pillayan intensified last week with the office of Eastern Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan faxing a statement that Karuna has been bought over by the government.The statement was signed as Tamil People Living in the East (TPLE). The statement said Karuna had betrayed the Tamil people after being appointed as a Member of Parliament at the expense of the rights of the Tamil community.The statement called upon Pillayan not to make such decisions that would push the Tamils to a helpless situation. "Karuna Amman has been bought over. What would be the state of the people of our district if Pillayan also abandons us?" the statement said.The divisions within the TMVP widened with the Pillayan faction openly challenging Karuna’s leadership.Soon after Karuna’s statement that provincial councils did not require police powers, Pillayan loyalists and TMVP General Secretary, E. Kaileswararaja fired off a letter to Karuna seeking explanation as to why he made such a statement against party decisions. However Karuna loyalists hit back arguing that the Pillayan faction was engaged in splintering the party right down the middle.Karuna last Tuesday had said that the provincial councils did not need police and land powers. The TMVP had said that the statement was against the party decision and said that the view expressed by Karuna was his personal view.However K. Iniyabharathi, TMVP Ampara District Head, a Karuna loyalist told The Sunday Leader that a certain group was trying to split the party by creating unwanted problems.He said that Karuna still remains the leader of the TMVP. "These are all unwanted issues. Some people are trying to split the party by raising unwanted problems. Karuna Amman is still the leader of the TMVP. No one needs to have doubts about that," Iniyabharathi said. I still control the party –Karuna UPFA Parliamentarian Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan alias Karuna has denied reports that he is no more in charge of the TMVP political unit, as declared by party spokesman Azad Moulana.Speaking to The Nation Karuna confirmed he was still in total control of the party.Moulana, yesterday informed the press that Karuna has now been made in charge of the military unit, and that he will no longer serve as the leader of the political arm of TMVP.Severely castigating Moulana’s comments, Karuna said the party had no military wing and that the TMVP was a political party which he said Moulana did not understand.“I am shocked that Moulana who has released some ‘unwanted’ information to the press without my consent does not know that ours is a political party,” he said. He said through this press interview Moulana had only betrayed the party and given the impression to the world that TMVP is still a military movement.Karuna also said that he spoke to Pillaiyan’s advisor Ragu and inquired from him about the development.“I have not been able to contact Pillaiyan. But I will soon meet him and thrash out matters,” he said.Admitting that there are squabbles within the party, Karuna vowed to sort out all the matters within a week and call for a press conference.Asked whether he was planning to take disciplinary action against Maulana, he said that would be done only after consulting the polit buro shortly. President to meet political parties on national problem President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had a special discussion with the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, has decided to discuss the war situation and the brewing issues in India with the other political parties in the Opposition to arrive at a common understanding to resolve the national problem.According to sources, the President will invite the JVP and Tamil National Alliance and other political parties soon for discussions.During the hour-long discussion at Temple Trees with the Opposition Leader, President Rajapaksa briefed Wickremesinghe on the urgent current developments in the battlefronts and humanitarian assistance the Government offers those who flee to the liberated areas and also those who are still trapped in the LTTE held areas.The President had informed the Opposition Leader that the Government’s stance was to find a political solution to solve the country’s political problem and military problem militarily.President Rajapaksa also informed the Opposition Leader about the views exchanged during the telephone conversation with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, last week.The Opposition Leader who pledged the UNP’s support to resolve the national problem had outlined the who party stance - the need for a political solution within an united country while having military offensives to crush terrorism.At this meeting, where the Leader of the House and Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and the Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena also participated, the President had welcomed the support of the UNP in solving the national issue.The JVP, which declined to meet President Rajapaksa yesterday said that the party would accept the invitation if there was a sincere effort by the Government to discuss the country’s political situation. “We do not want to take part in political glamour events. If there is a genuine interest by the Government, the JVP is ready to take part in discussions on war and the present situation in Tamil Nadu”, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said.When contacted TNA MP Suresh Premachandra declined to comment.Meanwhile, with the political drama in Tamil Nadu, where politicians are competing to voice for the LTTE, is getting serious, Senior Presidential Advisor and MP Basil Rajapaksa is to fly to New Delhi to commence talks with a high level Indian delegation including External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee. An anti-LTTE parliamentary lobby? The National Freedom Front (NFF) is holding discussions with MPs of all political parties to create an anti LTTE parliamentary lobby. NFF Chairman MP Wimal Weerawansa said that such an all party lobby is essential in these times of increasing Indian influence.“There is a growing need for a coalition of MPs, who will combat the pro LTTE forces in and out of the country,” Weerawansa said. “We have spoken to MPs of both the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the United National Party (UNP) last week during the parliamentary sessions and we got many positive responses.” Weerawansa added that many parliamentarians are prepared to unite against terrorism despite party divisions.Defeating LTTE terrorism and continuing the war effort until they are crushed is the need of the hour, claimed Weerawansa. The people have repeatedly shown that they want to see an end to the war and it is the duty of parliamentarians to carry out the people’s wishes, he added. JVP turns down President's invitation The JVP has declined an invitation extended by President Mahinda Rajapakse to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country. Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga had extended the invitation to the party in writing two days ago for discussions.The JVP after rejecting the invitation, issued a statement yesterday saying the decision to decline the invitation was taken by the party's politburo.The statement issued by party secretary Tilvin Silva has said the request had not specifically stated the matters that would come under discussion.The statement has also said the JVP is well aware of the severe financial crisis faced by the country due to the unbearable tax burden on the people and the very high commodity and services prices.The Marxists have further charged that the government has failed to provide even minimum concessions to the suffering public, and it had given no regard to the party's suggestions and views in that connection.The party's letter to the President has said the country is having India interfering into its internal affairs, and accusing New Delhi of using the national conflict to further its economical and political objectives.The letter has also said the present regime had also not heeded the party's warnings about the Indian intentions, and is presently acting in breach of the wishes of patriotic forces and the public mandate.The letter has finally stated that therefore, it is pointless to participate in discussions as requested. Karunanidhi condemns demolition of Rajiv statue CHENNAI: Pointing to the “contradictions” in the AIADMK’s stand on the Sri Lankan issue, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Saturday described as a “comedy” the walkout of the party’s members from the Rajya Sabha to condemn the arrest of MDMK general secretary Vaiko, saying it was AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa who first issued a statement, demanding the arrest of LTTE supporters.“Ms. Jayalalithaa said she would have arrested them, had she been in power. Instead of supporting their party leader’s point of view, the AIADMK MPs have staged a walkout. It is a comedy,” Mr. Karunanidhi said in a statement.Condemning the demolition of the Rajiv Gandhi statue at Kodungaiyur, Mr. Karunanidhi said the police had been asked to arrest the culprits under the Goondas Act. “It seems some anti-social elements have done it deliberately. Some miscreants in Tamil Nadu are desperately waiting for a rift to develop between the Congress and the DMK. Their façade will slip soon.”The Chief Minister said the participation of all sections in Friday’s human chain, braving the heavy rain, in support of the Sri Lankan Tamils had demonstrated that the spirit of the Tamils had not diminished.As for Ms Jayalalithaa’s demand for fixing Rs. 2,000 a tonne of sugarcane as government advisory price, Mr. Karunanidhi said she would have asked for Rs. 3,000, if the government had agreed to give Rs. 2,000. Mr. Karunanidhi said while it was the duty of the Opposition parties to demand more, the principle of the ruling party was to fulfil their just demand. “A few days ago the government announced an increase in the electricity tariff without affecting the poor, but cancelled it when the Opposition parties opposed the decision,” he said.Reeling out statistics to prove that the DMK government had always fixed a higher amount for sugarcane, Mr. Karunanidhi said that between 2001-2002 and 2004-2005, Ms. Jayalalithaa did not increase even a rupee over the rate fixed by the Centre. However, she had increased the amount during 2005-2006 in view of the Assembly elections. “The farmers should say whether Mr. Jayalalithaa has any right to criticise the DMK government.” Jaffna military top brass wants KKS cement factory re-commissioning delayed The military top brass in the Jaffna peninsula has advised the Government to delay the final decision on the Expressions of Interest submitted by several leading cement manufacturers in India to re–commission the Kankesanthurai cement factory until the humanitarian Operations in the Kilinochchi Sector are completed, said Chairman of Lanka Cement Pvt Ltd., Sisira J. Paranagama.He said that if the KKS factory was re-commissioned, the country could be self-sufficient in cement and there would be no need to look for supplies elsewhere.At present there is a global shortfall of cement which is in demand to meet the booming construction needs of Gulf countries. As a result, prices have shot up by 25% locally, he said.Asked about the delay in commencing the re-conditioning, re-installing and re-activating of the Chunnakkam Power Station to generate 38 MW of power to consumers in the Jaffna district, Paranagama said the groundwork had been completed but the military has asked for time to remove certain sensitive items. There is also a security problem in accommodating the 10-member team from Swisser Power Plant Company in Germany to carry out the re-commissioning of the power plant."This is a joint venture between Lanka Cement Pvt Ltd., and certain share market investors". India’s action on Sri Lanka not satisfactory, says CPI CHENNAI: The action taken by the Central government in response to the demand of the people of Tamil Nadu to stop the war in Sri Lanka was neither satisfactory nor promising, Communist Party of India State secretary D. Pandian said on Saturday.Talking to journalists here, he said India could not wash its hands of the Sri Lankan Tamils issue on the pretext that it was an internal matter of another country.“When human rights are violated, borders of a country cannot be a stumbling block. In the case of Sri Lanka we have a close relationship with the Tamils.”Stating that people of Tamil Nadu were ready to donate food and medicine to the Sri Lankan Tamils, Mr. Pandian requested N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, to get permission from Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to distribute the same.“He is the only person who can pick up the phone and talk to Mr Rajapaksa. He should get permission from him to send food, medicine and other relief materials,” Mr. Pandian said, but made it clear that the materials should not be distributed through the Sri Lankan government.“A committee comprising doctors who are not affiliated to any political party, retired judges, Buddhist monks, heads of Hindu mutts, Christian priests and Moulvis from Tamil Nadu should be formed for the purpose,” he said. The Centre should also offer help in this regard.Mr. Pandian said National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon should not advise the government on the Tamils issue. “If possible, the government should appoint Tamils as High Commissioners to Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia.”Another demand of Mr. Pandian was to send two Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu along with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Sri Lanka to hold talks. “If Ministers are not allowed, MPs from Tamil Nadu can be sent.”The next course of the CPI’s action on the issue, he said, would be decided in consultation with other parties.On the arrest of film directors Seeman and Ameer, Mr. Pandian said the government should be lenient towards them as theirs was only “an emotional outburst and not a political statement.” 25 October 2008 Military solution in Sri Lanka very difficult: U.S. CHENNAI: The United States is encouraging all parties in Sri Lanka to accept a political solution to the conflict without waiting for a military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam.In an interactive session at the University of Madras on Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake rejected Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s view that political talks could come only after the LTTE was wiped out or disarmed. “A military solution is going to be very, very difficult,” he said, citing Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka’s statement that even if the Army occupied all of northern Sri Lanka, a residual guerrilla force of at least a thousand LTTE fighters would go underground.Mr. Blake made it clear that the ruling and opposition parties needed to agree on the All Parties Representative Committee’s blueprint for constitutional reform. “The greatest failure of the last 25 years has been the failure of the main Sinhalese parties to reach agreement,” he said adding 90 per cent of the APRC document had found consensus. Three-fold benefits “The U.S. view is that the [Sri Lankan] government could further isolate and weaken the LTTE if it articulates now its vision for a political solution,” said Mr. Blake. Moving forward on a political solution would have three-fold benefits — to reassure 2,00,000 refugees in the Vanni region that they can move south and aspire to a better future; to disprove the LTTE’s claim of being the sole representative of Sri Lanka’s Tamils; and to persuade Tamils overseas to stop funding the LTTE.A political solution could also improve the human rights situation “that has disproportionately affected Tamils” and would hasten reconciliation, he added.Mr. Blake felt that India and the U.S. could use their strategic partnership to good effect in Sri Lanka, where the two countries “share exactly the same perspectives, the same values.” While refusing to comment on the demands in Tamil Nadu for Indian intervention in Sri Lanka, the Ambassador noted that “with Indian help and leadership, we have a good chance of making progress on this.”So far as the U.S. was concerned, he ruled out any military intervention on the island. In fact, the U.S. recently effected a complete freeze on all military assistance to Sri Lanka after concerns were voiced about the human rights situation and the use of child soldiers. However, the U.S. earlier “helped the Sri Lankan military defend itself against terrorism,” by supplying a maritime radar system and 10 inflatable boats to the navy.The American ban on the LTTE, which was followed by several other countries, also cut the flow of money and weapons to the Tigers, the result of which could be seen in their recent military defeats, he said. Today, most American aid to Sri Lanka was either humanitarian in nature or was focussed on building the economic and political infrastructure of the eastern part of the island. This year, the U.S. had contributed $32.7 million worth of food and other commodities through the Food for Peace programme, said Mr. Blake. Offensive flanks move towards Iranamadu; Heavy fighting in Kilinochchi Heavy fighting at Akkarayankulma and Iranamadu areas were reported between troops and LTTE since yesterday (Oct 24) morning, according to Wanni military sources.Troops of the 57 Division operating east and west of the Akkarayankulama Tank bund, Kilinochchi, made further strides into LTTE positions inflicting heavy damages to LTTE, the sources said. According to military, two separate confrontations were reported in general area Akkarayankulama, while sporadic fighting were also reported northeast of the same area.Meanwhile, troops of the 57 Division flanking the eastern Kilinochchi battlefront and moving towards Iranamadu area met with stiff LTTE resistance at around 7.30p.m., reportedly claiming heavy LTTE casualties. Troops engaged artillery and heavy mortar fire neutralizing the LTTE resistance after hours of fighting with LTTE, sources said. During subsequent search operations conducted, troops have also recovered a T-56 assault riffle, 01x light machine gun and an I-com set, military sources further added.Similarly, fighting between troops and LTTE were reported in general areas at Kalmadu and Kokavil, while military claimed to have destroyed an LTTE bunker overhead at Kalmadu, in a swift raid conducted at 10.45a.m. Heavy rain, human chain bring city to its knees SLA artillery fire kills father, son in Ki'linochchi Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery barrage on Ki'linochchi town and its suburbs Friday evening, killing a 68-year-old father and his son around 5:20 p.m. while they were moving their household articles to Tharmapuram to escape continuing SLA artillery fire on residential areas. Six shells fell and exploded in the densely populated suburb. The two victims were reduced to pieces when a shell fell and exploded near the tractor in which they were transporting things from their house in Uruththirapuaram seeking safer place in Tharmapuram area in Ka'ndaaval'ai division.The tractor driver narrowly escaped death.The victims killed were identified as Chinaiah Ramalingam, 68, former manager ofthirapuram Multi Purpose Cooperative Society and his son Ramlaingam Vijayananthan, 32, a teacher in Ki'linochchi Aiyanaarpuram School.Ramalingam is a father of 3 children and his son Vijayananthan is the father of one child.The SLA artillery barrage began Friday around 4:40 p.m targeting the civilian settlements in Kanakapuram, Thirunakar, Uruththirapuram, Ira'naimadu, 155th Mile Post, Paarathipuram, Oottuppulam and other areas in Ki'linichchi district. The indiscriminate shelling lasted until midnight.Residents in areas under SLA artillery fire in Ki'linochchi district continuing since last week were desperately trying to salvage their household goods from their houses risking their lives. President briefs Ranil on North President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday briefed Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on the latest developments in ongoing humanitarian operations by the security forces and humanitarian relief aid being sent to the civilians in the North, the President’s Media Unit said.The meeting between the President and Opposition leader took place at Temple Trees and was also attended by Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva and Dinesh Gunawardena. Another LTTE stronghold captured: Lankan Army Continuing the momentum of its offensive, Sri Lankan troops on Friday captured another 4 km stretch closing on to the Tiger stronghold of Kilinochchi as it also beat back a group of insurgents who tried to infiltrate one of its defence lines.As the battlefront remained active, an army spokesman said heavy losses to the LTTE fighters have been caused during the past 24 hours with a number of bunkers captured or destroyed.He said security forces had cleared about 4 km stretch towards the west of Manniyankulam junction in the sector while beating back attempts to infiltrate in the Pallavarankaddu defence lines.The officials said army on Thursday evening captured a LTTE strong point named "Aneel" along with some bunkers in Gajabapura area in Northern Mullaitivu, which fell to government forces on Thursday.In its advance army had to diffuse many improvised explosive devices and mines. "Troops continue conducting search operations and consolidating further in the area," the Media Centre for National Security said.Meanwhile, Battlefield reports said that the Army 57 division and the Task Force No 1, which are spearheading the assault on Kilinochchi maintained progress.Troops moved about 2 km north of the Manniyankulam, Therumurukandai road from the east of Akkaraynkuam tank bund and attacked LTTE groups hiding in the area, the military said."Troops claimed heavy damages to the LTTE and during search operations found one T-56 rifle and some arms," it said.The Defence Ministry sources said that security forces were advancing deeper into the territory held by Tamil Tigers and had captured several strongholds of the guerrillas.Meanwhile troops of the Army 573 and 574 brigades, flanking the Kilinochchi front from east continued their thrust towards Jaffna on Thursday.Troops of 582 brigade, heading northwards from Manniyankulam, launched a limited offensive last morning to eliminate LTTE hiding places located north of the Manniyankulam-Therumurukandai road, the ministry said.However, troops of 583 brigade heading south, towards Nachchikudha in Kilinochchi continued destroying remaining LTTE footholds located east of the A-32 road, the army said.The Defence Ministry also said troops attacked an LTTE bunker located 5 km west of the A-32 road in the Pallavarayankaddu area in the region on Thursday morning and that heavy damages to the LTTE was reported.During subsequent search, troops found a body of a slain LTTE cadre, it said.LTTE militants also suffered heavy damages in an attack launched by the troops in the Mandimuruppu area in Vavuniya on Thursday, Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.In Mullaittivu, troops and LTTE were involved in confrontations in Maankulam, Andankulam and Otiyamale area yesterday, the MCNS said adding the tiger rebels suffered losses in these clashes.Meanwhile, one hand grenade was recovered from the Maradana area in Colombo during search operations on Thursday, it said. S Lanka suspends casualty figures 'Stopping confusion' In recent months the government has regularly said it has killed more than 20 rebels in the previous day's fighting while admitting much smaller numbers of soldiers dying. But now such reports are being suspended. "We took this decision to stop confusion. Recent times, there were instances when different government agencies had given conflicting figures of casualties," the Director General of the Media Centre for National Security, Laxman Hulugalle, told the BBC Sinhala service. "Casualty figures varied depending on the source. I accept that they are all government sources but they do not always have the same figures. This can be damaging when quoted by the media. "In a war situation like the one we are in at the moment, it is important to be selective about what can be revealed. In a battle it is important to concentrate on the territory we gained rather than the amount of men we lose," Mr Hulugalle said. The army is pursuing an offensive to defeat the Tamil Tigers and end their fight for independence for minority Tamils. Bodies The BBC's Roland Buerk in Colombo says the military offensive in the north could be slowed by the monsoon rains in the north of the island.Photographs from the battlefield posted on the ministry of defence website showed vehicles bogged down in heavy mud. Capturing Kilinochchi would be a major symbolic victory for Sri Lanka's government - the rebels have run a civil administration from offices in the town. Most residents are reported to have abandoned it for areas further east still under Tamil Tiger control. Much of the Tigers' military strength is concentrated to the east of the town, towards Mullaitivu on the coast. The rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for a quarter of a century and about 70,000 people have been killed in the violence. South African Tamils Rally in support of their brethrens in Eelam Hundreds of South African Tamils took part in an awareness campaign in front of the United Nation Office in Pretoria. They wanted greater awareness on the plight of the Eelam Tamils in Vanni and elsewhere in the island of Sri Lanka. They have strongly condemned Sri Lanka for killings of Tamils in Eelam, they urge that International community including UN and South Africa to come out of the silence to stop the genocides of Tamils. They urged that Sri Lanka’s military operations against the Tamils should be stopped. They also carried placards which clearly explaining the sufferings of innocent Tamil civilians who were subjected to economic blockade, refusal of humanitarian supplies, subjected to extra-judicial abductions, extortion, killings and targeted military attacks such as aerial bombardment, artillery barrage and explosions triggered by covert attacks by the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army The peaceful handed over memorandum to both UN representative and South African government representative and urged immediate action by the International community to send aid directly to help the over 230,000 Tamils including 40,000 children who have been internally displaced by the military action taken by the Government of Sri Lanka against them. The memorandum also urged both UN and South Africa to stop another Rwanda in Sri Lanka. TN: Two film directors held for supporting LTTE After Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Vaiko, Tamil film directors Seeman and Ameer were on Friday arrested on charges of making inflamatory speeches during a rally taken out by the cinema industry in support of Sri Lankan Tamils at Rameswaram on October 19.Police said the two will be taken to Rameswaram for further interrogation.Earlier, the two directors participated in a 'human chain' in Chennai called for by the state's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to prevail upon the Centre to ensure a ceasefire between Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.The arrest of the directors comes close on the heels of the arrest of MDMK founder Vaiko and his party presidum chairman M Kannappan on Thursday for their pro-LTTE speeches at a public meething on Tuesday. AIADMK members demand Karunanidhi`s arrest Karuna meets Vimal at Jayanthipura The leader of Tamil People's Liberation Tigers (TMVP) Karuna Amman met the leader of the National Freedom Front (JNP) at the latter's party headquarters in Jayanthipura, Baththaramulla."I was looking forward to meet MP Vimal Weerawansa. I have read and viewed what he has said on the country. This meeting is crucial to strengthen the mutual relations between our parties. We discussed how we can free the people who are in the custody of Prabakaran," said karuna Amman to media after the dialogue between two leaders. Rajiv Gandhi’s statue vandalised in Chennai Unidentified people damaged a statue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the northern suburbs of this city Friday. In a separate incident, the office of the Janata Party was attacked in Madurai, official sources said.S. Manoharan, a spokesman of the Janata Party spokesperson attributed the attack on their office to ‘anti-Indian elements opposed by our leader Dr Subramanian Swamy’.‘Over a hundred people claiming to be lawyers broke every chair, table and tube-light in our office. They also assaulted me brutally. Since the police picket posted here for protection was removed, we were defenceless. For whatever it is worth, we have filed a complaint with the police,’ Manoharan told IANS.‘The protestors shouted slogans vowing to chase all Tamil traitors like Dr Swamy away from the borders of Tamil Nadu,’ R. Nagaiyan, a witness said.Gandhi, who was assassinated by a female suicide bomber in 1991, and Swamy are considered to be symbols against the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - who are currently facing losses against the Sri Lankan army.Meanwhile, over 500 workers of the MDMK were arrested for protesting against Thursday’s arrest of their leaders Vaiko and M. Kannappan on charges of sedition and asking for an armed struggle to support the Sri Lankan Tamils’ quest for a separate homeland, police said. The duo have been remanded to judicial custody and housed in the high security Puzhal prison here.Congress workers blocked traffic in the northern suburbs here in protest against the damage to the statue of Rajiv Gandhi. 24 October 2008 MDMK leader Vaiko arrested for pro-LTTE speech LTTE suicide attack damages one cargo vessel Elsewhere in the city, dozens of lawyers blocked traffic outside the Madras High Court shouting slogans against the Congress party which had demanded the arrest of those film directors who have called for an armed separatist rebellion in Tamil Nadu to garner support for the Tamil homeland in northern Sri Lanka. The Congress Legislature Party had on Wednesday demanded arrest of those supporting the LTTE in the state under NSA. CLP leader D Sudarsanam told reporters after a CLP meeting that his party would never tolerate those who supported the killers of Rajiv Gandhi. “We want the Tamil Nadu government to arrest supporters of the LTTE under the NSA,” he said. India doesn’t want refugees from Sri Lanka: Pranab Vidhuthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan and hundreds of his supporters were arrested earlier in the day for blocking rail traffic demanding India stop Sri Lanka's military operations following the ethnic conflict in the island nation.
Thirumavalavan and his party cadres were arrested all over Tamil Nadu as a preventive measure and were let off later, officials said. Two railway bogies were set fire to in Madurai, 400 km south of here, by unidentified protesters. "We could not put out the fire immediately as the compartments were hemmed in from both sides by high parapet walls. However, the flames have been doused now. We are on the lookout for the culprits," N Balakrishnan, an official, told reporters at the spot. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission here was under heavy police security following an attack by a group of students that damaged glass panes of a few windows. The mission is situated about a kilometre away from the residences of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Leader of Opposition J Jayalalithaa. Deputy High Commissioner P Amza was away in Colombo, diplomatic sources said. Law has taken its course in Vaiko arrest: Karunanidhi Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Wednesday said that law has its own due course in the arrest of MDMK leader Vaiko."The law has taken its due course", he told reporters here.He declined to answer when asked whether there would be any more arrests, in an apparent reference to some reported pro-LTTE remarks made by Tamil cinema directors Bharathiraja, Seeman and Ameer at a protest rally at Rameswaram on Sunday.To a question on removing the ban on LTTE, Karunanidhi said the Centre had to decide in this regard. LTTE tells India to repeal ban, warns Lanka of "aggressive fight back" Won’t stop military cooperation with Lanka: Pranab While reiterating its stand that the civilian Tamil population in Sri Lanka, caught in the crossfire after Lankan Government's offensive against the LTTE, must be protected at all costs, India on Thursday made it clear that it would not stop its military cooperation with the island nation because of the humanitarian crisis in that country.Responding to clarifications sought by the members in the Rajya Sabha on India's stand on the current crisis in Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said security cooperation with Colombo, including training of Lankan forces by India, was "necessary".“We have a very comprehensive relationship with Sri Lanka. In our anxiety to protect the civilians, we should not forget the strategic importance of this island to India's interests,” he said in response to questions raised by a few members over the rationale of India continuing its military cooperation with Colombo in view of the plight of ethnic Tamils in that country and also incidents of firing on Indian fishermen entering Sri Lankan waters by mistake.Mukherjee said all these issues will be taken up with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's advisor Basil Rajapaksa when he comes to New Delhi this weekend.Mukherjee said the demand to review India's security cooperation with Sri Lanka in the wake of current crisis was not advisable, especially in view of attempts by countries like Pakistan and China to gain a strategic foothold in the island nation. He said Colombo had been told that India would "look after your security requirements, provided you do not look around"."We cannot have a playground of international players in our backyard," he said, while reiterating that the safety of the Tamils in Sri Lanka has to be ensured at all costs. "We have made it clear to the Sri Lankan Government that we would not like a situation in which there is an influx of Tamil refugees to India because of events over which we have no control," he said.He said India was ready to provide whatever assistance was needed for rehabilitation of the displaced civilians but the ultimate solution lay in "devolution of power" in Sri Lanka as recommended by a high-powered committee appointed by the Sri Lankan President. TMVP issues “final warning” to Karuna TMVP to hold rally against TN Shutdown in Jaffna to protest LTTE attack on merchant ships Life came to a standstill in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula Thursday in response to a shutdown called to protest a suicide attack by the Tamil Tiger rebels on two cargo vessels a day ago.A Sri Lankan cargo vessel was damaged when the Tamil Tiger rebels Wednesday carried a pre-dawn-suicide boat attack targeting two government merchant vessels off the Kankesanthurai harbour in the north.Reports from Jaffna said that normal activity in the northern peninsula was badly affected Thursday with schools, government departments and business institutions closed. Public transport was also off the roads.However, the Jaffna Teaching Hospital remained functional. The anti-LTTE Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP), which organised the shut down, said people in the Jaffna peninsula 'have expressed their condemnation to the LTTE attack on ships carrying essential supplies to the north, by extending their fullest support to the hartal'.The ex-militant EPDP is an ally of the ruling coalition and its leader Douglas Devananda is a key minister in President Mahinda Rajapaksa's cabinet.Commenting on the latest confrontation at sea, Devananda charged that the LTTE suicide attack on the ships was 'clearly aimed at crippling the essential supplies to the north by sea', which has become the lifeline after the closure of the Jaffna-Kandy main supply route in 2006.'The ships were not military targets as they were deployed to transport to essential supplies, including dhal, flour and sugar. The hartal was organised to demonstrate democratically the people's condemnation on the LTTE attack,' Devananda, an open critique of the LTTE, told IANS.The Sri Lankan Navy said that three explosive-laden suicide boats of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) targeted merchant ships Ruhuna and Nimalawa off Kankesanthurai (KKS) harbour at 5.10 a.m. Wednesday.Claiming that the LTTE attempt was thwarted by sailors providing security on board the targeted vessels, the navy however, said that 'one of the suicide boats has exploded in close proximity to Merchant Ship Nimalawa causing considerable damage to the ship's hull'.The pro-rebel Tamilnet website quoting LTTE sources claimed that the Sea Tigers carried out a 'Black Tiger attack on Sri Lankan ship MV Nimalawa, which carried military and other supplies, in the Sri Lankan naval harbour in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna.'The supply ship was sunk and another vessel, MV Ruhuna, sustained heavy damage,' the Tigers said Wednesday, adding that two senior LTTE cadres, including the deputy leader of the Sea Tigers' female wing had carried out the suicide attack.The LTTE claims were flatly denied by defence ministry. Indian Tamils besiege Sri Lanka diplomatic office Anger in southern India at Sri Lanka's offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels flared on Thursday when protesters besieged a Sri Lankan diplomatic mission, the island nation's foreign ministry said.Indian authorities also arrested V. Gopalswamy, a longtime politician better known as Vaiko, for years one of the most vocal backers of Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatists, police officials said. The incidents came as anger grew in the southern Tamil Nadu state, home to the majority of the world's 77 million Tamils and epicentre of pre-election pressure on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's ruling coalition to stop Sri Lanka's war.Sri Lanka's intensifying offensive against the LTTE, which it has fought since 1983 in one of Asia's longest insurgencies, since last week has roiled India's political scene and prompted heated diplomatic exchanges between the two neighbours."An unruly group had attempted to forcibly enter the premises of the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commissioner's office," Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry said in a statement."In their attempt to break in, they had damaged the mission's security post."A member of the diplomatic staff was injured by thrown stones but police stopped the protesters, it added.India's foreign ministry had no immediate comment.Police sources speaking on condition of anonymity said Vaiko was arrested on charges of making seditious statements, after threatening to take up arms in support of the LTTE at a rally where he accused India's government of backing Sri Lanka's army."We are second to none in supporting India's sovereignty but if India gives arms to Sri Lanka in name of safeguarding its sovereignty we cant keep quiet," Vaiko said before his arrest.LTTE supporters in India say the government gives weapons to Sri Lanka, but New Delhi says it only provides non-lethal equipment. Diplomats say it also provides intelligence that has helped Sri Lanka intercept Tiger boats.Legislators from the southern Tamil Nadu state, where the LTTE once trained and still has strong political influence, have threatened to quit the ruling party and parliament if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh does not stop the war in two weeks. MILITARY MOMENTUM Sri Lanka's war has presented a difficult balancing act for Singh's government, which has designated the LTTE a terrorist group but also counts Tamil politicians among its political allies. An election is due there by May.Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government is confident it can win, and has gained military and political momentum with advances deeper into rebel-held territory.Fighting under heavy monsoon rains raged again on Thursday, and the military said it had captured the Gajabura area near the LTTE stronghold of Mullaittivu on the northeastern coast.The LTTE could not be reached for comment. Independent verification is difficult because the government bars most journalists from the war zone.Thursday's incidents come after India's foreign minister in a statement to parliament said Sri Lanka had assured it of the safety and rights of Tamil civilians caught up in the war.President Rajapaksa's brother Basil, an influential adviser, is due to visit India on Sunday while his other brother Gotabhaya, the defence secretary, is due to visit Pakistan, one of Sri Lanka's major weapons suppliers.The LTTE is on U.S., E.U. and Indian terrorism lists, and is fighting to create a separate Tamil homeland in northern Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Tamils complain of decades of decades of marginalisation by successive governments dominated by the Sinhalese majority DMK members' move not wise -Sangaree TULF Leader V. Ananda Sangaree said Tamil Nadu should not force themselves upon Sri Lanka to stop the military offensive against the LTTE, instead they should press the Indian Government to help Sri Lanka to liberate nothern Tamils from LTTE clutches.The immediate problem in the North is to liberate the trapped civilians,he said adding, instead 'some big talkers' in Tamil Nadu after consulting the LTTE were talking 'rubbish' and organising protests to please the Tigers.The protest by the so-called film industry people in Chennai was also called after one of the organisers held such a secret meeting with LTTE leader Prabhakaran, he alleged.Anandasangaree said no one talks about the atrocities committed on Tamils by the LTTE, the torture chambers and the assassinations of the Tamil leaders who did not dance to the tune of Tigers. "Nothing matches to the atrocities committed by LTTE on Tamils."No one talks about the recent LTTE gas attacks on the Forces, he said referring to the incidents when the LTTE used CF gas on advancing troops, breaching international rules of war.He charged that no Tamil Nadu leader up to now has taken a real effort to understand the plight of Tamils in the North. Nevertheless they had been very generous in listening to the LTTE, he said.Anandasangaree is poised to write to DMK leader M.Karunanidhi seeking his support to call upon the Indian State to help Lanka to find a satisfactory political solution based on an 'Indian model or some other model'."Kilinochchi is my home town. The place is infested with snakes," he said The fleeing people have to brave the heavy monsoonal rains, the snake menace apart from the LTTE atrocities to arrive in cleared areas. It is reported some 25 snakebites are reported each day in Kilinochchi. Some are serious and some not so"He said action by the DMK Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members to hand over nominal resignation letters setting an ultimatum to withdraw support, cannot be termed as a 'wise move'."It is a different thing to talk about the Tamils plight but you must never try to exert pressure on the Centre seeking a halt in the offensive against LTTE. I don't think the DMK will make that mistake,"he said.He said the military can easily win the offensive against the LTTE but there should be in place, a 'once-and-for-all-solution' agreeable to all parties, that will leave no room for spoilers, like JVP to meddle with it later on. TNCC welcomes Vaiko's arrest Welcoming MDMK chief Vaiko's arrest for his pro-LTTE remarks, the Tamil Nadu Congress on Thursday said all those who support the banned militant outfit should be put behind bars."Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi ordered the arrest of Vaiko and his deputy Kanappan. Congress party demands appropriate action against all those who speak in favour of the LTTE."We want all such supporters of the banned guerrilla organisation to be dealt with similarly," TNCC president K V Thangkabalu told reporters here.Tamil Nadu police on Thursday arrested Vaiko, a vocal supporter of LTTE, on the charge of publicly supporting the banned militant outfit.He said all those who speak in favour of the internationally banned organisation should be condemned."We condemn all those who are making inflammatory and anti-national statements strongly," the TNCC president said.Thangkabalu said Karunanidhi, by arresting the two MDMK leaders, had implemented the will of the people of India."Tamil Nadu CM made sure that the law of the land is more important and he implemented the law and the will of the people of India," the TNCC chief said. He said the Congress had already congratulated Karunanidhi for taking this step.However, Thangkabalu parried questions on whether the Congress would be part of the DMK-sponsored human chain to condemn "attacks on Tamils" in Sri Lanka. Chandrasekaran breached cabinet responsibility - President President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told the cabinet meeting that minister Periyasami Chandrasekaran has breached its collective responsibility by making a statement contrary to the government's stance.Every minister is bound to protect the cabinet\'s responsibility, Mr. Rajapaksa has said, accusing the UPF leader of having committed a serious mistake.Minister Chandrasekaran will be summoned and an explanation obtained, the president has said.Every member of the cabinet should protect its collective responsibility and those who cannot do so should leave their ministerial position, he said further.The minister was absent at yesterday's cabinet meeting, and several of his colleagues have strongly criticised him for his statement regarding India\'s role in the Sri Lankan conflict.The UPF leader has told Parliament that he commended Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for his concerns over the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils. UK: LycaMobile’s 3p/minute offer during Diwali Lycamobile, the international mobile telecoms provider, is offering a special call tariff for Diwali. In the spirit of the festival of lights, the cut-price call rates are aimed at illuminating the lives of loved ones and bringing friends and families closer together. From today until the 2nd November, all rates to landlines in India and Sri Lanka have been cut giving the UK Asian community massive savings on calls to friends, family and relatives. Calls to Indian landlines have been slashed from 5p per minute to only 3p per minute, while rates to landlines in Sri Lanka are down from 8p per minute to 3p per minute during the festival offer period.Combining the 3p per minute Diwali festival rate with free credit on top-ups means that it is possible to call India and Sri Lanka for as little as 2p per minute. New Lycamobile customers get an extra £2 credit on registration and, from today, an additional £10 worth of calls on £20 top-up vouchers.Calls can be made by simply replacing an existing SIM card, in any unlocked UK mobile handset,with the Lycamobile Pay As You Go card. Top-ups and SIM cards are available from more than 85,000 UK retail outlets, including newsagents, convenience stores, payzone and e-pay. Top-up vouchers can also be purchased online at www.lycamobile.co.uk. Sri Lanka Marxists accuse US and India for conspiring against the nation Sri Lanka Marxist People's Liberation Front (JVP) breakaway faction National Freedom Front (JNP) has launched a massive campaign against India and US accusing that they jointly conspire against Sri Lanka. JNP has launched a country wide poster campaign urging to defeat a 'Delhi - Washington plot' that attempts to give life to ailing Tamil Tigers. Making a special statement in the parliament yesterday JNP leader Wimal Weerawansa said that people should urge the government to carry on the fight against separatism without bowing to any kind of influence. He accused that India and US are continuously attempting to halt the military operations against terrorism. Sri Lanka Prime Minister leaves for China Sri Lanka Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka left for China yesterday morning for an official tour. He will participate in a conference on multi ethnic relationships in Yunan state where around 50 ethnicities live in cohabitation. The PM will deliver the keynote address of the Solidarity Conference of Chinese Nationalities on October 27. He will tour in China until October 30 and will proceed to Japan to address the World Buddhist Congress held in Kobe on November 02 before returning to the country. Time is right for Bhanu to defect and save lives The recent battlefield success of the Sri Lankan Security Forces has dramatically changed the ground realities and dynamics of the Sri Lankan conflict. The Tamil Tigers have been dislodged from areas they dominated militarily for many years in the North and East of the island.According to latest reports the Security Forces are less than 2km south of Kilinochchi, which is considered by the Tamil Tigers as the de-facto capital. The fall of Kilinochchi will have symbolic value to the Sri Lankan government. However, in terms of strategic value the Paranthan junction 5km north of Kilinochchi will be the jewel in the crown.The fall of Paranthan junction will cut supply routes to Tamil Tiger defence localities in Poonaryn, Elephant Pass and Muhamalai. The success story of the Sri Lankan Security Forces has been built upon the combination of six critical events coming together at the right time over the last twelve to eighteen months. a) For the first time in the history of the Sri Lankan conflict, the Sri Lanka Navy embarked on deep sea missions pursuing Tamil Tiger merchant vessels in international waters. The success of the Navy in completely destroying nine merchant vessels of the Tigers between March to October 2007, is in my opinion the single most significant factor that changed the tables on the Tigers. The supply chain capability of the Tamil Tigers was completely destroyed crippling the induction of weapons and supplies. Many have argued that the tide changed for the Tigers with defection of the Eastern Commander Karuna Amman. While this paved the way for improved intelligence on Tamil Tiger procurement and logistics operations, the destruction of the nine merchant vessels by the Navy is by far the crucial game changer. b) The defection of Karuna Amman as the Eastern Commander and disbanding of young combatants in the east set the stage for the complete eviction of the Tigers from the Eastern Province. The expulsion of the Tigers from the East has prevented the Tigers from opening up a new theatre to thin out the Sri Lankan Security Forces engaged in the North. The inability of the Tamil Tigers to open up several fronts has greatly assisted the Security Forces to concentrate on the Northern battle ground. c) In the recent fighting the Sri Lankan Security Forces favoured a strategy of capturing coastline on the North Western and Eastern coast. This strategy of progressing along the coast had a twofold impact on the Tigers, firstly it constrained the supply channels especially regular inflows from India, and secondly the Sea Tigers became redundant due to the lack of operating space. Furthermore the Tigers had always expected the Security Forces to advance along the A9 highway (MSR) and much of the Tiger defences were constructed at Omanthai and surrounding areas along the A9 highway. The Tigers had not anticipated a coastline assault. d) In May 2008, the Tamil Tigers suffered a significant blow to the command structure. The Overall Commander of ground operations Balraj died due to illness. Balraj was the senior most military commander within the Tigers with overall command over all infantry units. His demise created a major vacuum in terms of military planning for the Tigers. e) Over the last twelve months the international network of the Tamil Tigers has been significantly disrupted in five key fundraising countries. In the United States, FBI operations busted two procurement cells and also arrested the head of Tamil Tiger fundraising in New York. The US Treasury also clamped down on fundraising activities of the TRO. In France the arrest of 17 Tamil Tiger operatives completely unraveled the fundraising and fund transfer operations in France. The arrest of head of Tamil Tigers activities in the UK and two others has curbed overt fundraising activity. The death of a key activist and three arrests in Melbourne and Sydney has disrupted the Australian operation. The banning of the Tamil Tigers and the WTM in Canada has disrupted fundraising operations in Toronto. The authorities in Switzerland and Denmark are also pursuing investigations on Tamil Tiger activities at present. In addition to the setbacks to fundraising activities, the Tamil Tiger propaganda machine also faced major problems in Europe. The Tiger satellite TV channels were shut down in France and uplink facilities for satellite broadcast were terminated in Italy, Serbia and Israel. The Tamil Tiger satellite TV channels are facing stringent scrutiny of content by Telecom regulators in Europe. f) with regard to the international community, there is a sense of “LTTE fatigue” globally. The argument is that the Tamil Tigers had a run for two decades without achieving much for the Tamil people. Leader of the Tamil Tigers Velupillai Prabakaran will remain intransigent to any alternative other than a separate State, therefore the current situation may open up opportunities for moderate Tamil opinion to be heard and have a place at the table. Furthermore, the international community has also been otherwise engaged over the past twelve months with a devastating cyclone in Burma, earthquake in China, elections in Zimbabwe, elections in Pakistan, Georgian conflict, an assertive Russia, nuclear aspirant Iran, Iraq/Afghanistan, US presidential elections and the financial meltdown in US/Europe for little Sri Lanka to get much attention. The combination of these six factors coming together at the same time has had a devastating blow to the Tamil Tigers. This together with the re-energized Sri Lankan Security Forces have steadily advanced into Tiger dominated areas. The new offensive divisions and special forces created by the SL Army have demonstrated superior ground tactics in the current fighting. The fall of Naddankandal and Illuppaikkadavai is testimony to innovative ground tactics adopted by the Security Forces that baffled Tiger defences. It is unlikely that the Tigers will be able to mount any major reversal to the offensive operations of the Security Forces. At present the Tigers have hedged all bets on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi in India to save them from the Security Forces onslaught. Recently politicians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) a proxy of the Tigers agreed to the annexation of Kachchetivu island by India, which is comical given the Tigers are fighting to establish a separate State of their own. The Tigers are counting on Karunanidhi to flex political muscle with the central government in India for Indian intervention to save them from collapse. If the Sri Lankan Security Forces are able to reach Paranthan junction within the next 3-4 weeks, the senior leadership of the Tigers will need to re-assess their own future and that of the young combatants.The Security Forces presence in Paranthan junction will also increase the vulnerability of Prabakaran. It is suspected that the primary hideout from which Prabakaran operates is approximately 10 km east of Paranthan, interior from the Paranthan – Mullaitivu Road. In the past DPU teams have not been able to access these areas north-east of Kilinochchi and also had limited human intelligence from such high security zones. With the displacement of combatants and civilians into these areas there will be better human intelligence on such localities and provide cover for DPU teams to operate. The Tamil Tiger military hierarchy consists of five senior commanders namely Pottu Amman (intelligence), Soosai (Sea Tigers), Bhanu (Overall Ground Ops), Jeyam (Western theatre) and Theepan (Northern theatre). In addition, the Political unit, Finance unit, KP department and the International Secretariat provide supporting roles.In a “Post-Paranthan Scenario” (PPS) the options for the Tigers are limited, they can continue fighting with the loss of lives, or transition to a political entity. Both Prabakaran and Pottu Amman are political liabilities given the indictments by the Indian courts for the assassination of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Sea Tiger head Soosai cannot gain the confidence of infantry combatants. Theepan lacks a charismatic personality and not popular within the group. Jeyam is originally from the reconnaissance units and not from infantry. He is also the junior most member of the inner circle. Some have suggested that Charles Anthony the eldest son of Prabakran is being groomed to take over the leadership, unfortunately age and maturity are not in his favour.The only plausible option to save the lives of young combatants is for Bhanu the overall military commander of ground units to defect and disband all units under his command. This will provide an opportunity for options other than Prabakaran’s separate State to have a real chance at a political process. Bhanu is well regarded within the organization as the artillery expert who inflicted the highest number of casualties among the Security Forces over the years. At present he is placed in the right position and commands the confidence of the rank and file to take a decisive decision and prevent further bloodshed to his people and have a real chance at peace. The Tamil diaspora has been informed in advance of the heroes day theme this year, the theme is expected to be “our land may be taken but our aspiration cannot be defeated”. The international secretariat of the Tigers has sent out instructions to country representatives to organize the largest ever gathering of Tamil people in each country on 27 November to astound Western media and politicians. The theme indicates the Tigers have shifted from a real territorial model as seen in past heroes day speeches which used terms such as defend, attack and de-facto administration to accepting a virtual reality model. 23 October 2008 Govt. needs india’s support The Government’s defence spokesman said yesterday that the country expected India’s support, especially Premier Manmohan Singh’s support, to eradicate terrorism as pledged at the SAARC summit.“We, as a government, believe Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will stand like a tower behind us in fighting terrorism, being the most powerful member of the regional coalition, in combating terrorism,” Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.“It is no secret that almost every country in the SAARC region is battered by terrorism, and that at the summit everybody pledged to fight against it. “Though its most powerful member, India still faces terrorist attacks like the cluster explosions that took place in Delhi recently. Pakistan is another member who faced a horrific massacre at a leading city hotel and Afghanistan, the latest to join SAARC, suffers terrorist attacks everyday,” he said. “When terrorists become weak they tend to take revenge on people stranded in the uncleared areas where they use them as human shields,” he said. “As a government we always make sure to send essential items regularly to those areas, in convoys. But it’s no surprise that the terrorists attack them and put innocent civilians in jeopardy. “It’s their intention to attack food convoys and give a bad picture to their international diaspora, showing that civilians in the Vanni die of hunger. By doing so it subjects the country to international pressure,” he said, addressing the weekly defence briefing held at the Media Centre for National Security. Meanwhile, Essential Services Commissioner General S Divaratne said that the supply of essential food items to the uncleared areas was going on smoothly. “We are proud to say that the Sri Lanka Government’s machinery is efficient when compared to the delivery of essential items by international aid organizations like the ICRC,” he said. For the first time in history, we have built a large warehouse in Vavuniya, which is called a logistics hub, where you can store up to 5000 tonnes of goods. Also we had to change the supply route from the A9 and supply Vavuniya, Nedunkerni and Puliyankulam via Mullaithivu. “We have large warehouses in Pudukuduirippu where we can store 10, 000 tonnes of goods at one time and we keep resupplying them frequently. “In Jaffna, we can store 2000 tonnes of rice at once, though we can’t even collect 100 tonnes of rice in Pettah today,” Mr. Divaratne said. Rajya Sabha members concerned over Lanka Govt. intelligence allows to hunt journalists: FMM Congress, AIADMK flay pro-LTTE, secessionist moves in Tamil Nadu The Congress, the main ally of Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, and the state's main opposition AIADMK Wednesday slammed 'secessionist moves' by regional parties and the Tamil film industry under the guise of supporting the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.Congress Legislature Party leader D. Sudarsanam and AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha decried attempts of organisations and individuals openly supporting the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and demanded their arrest and prosecution.'The Congress calls for stern action against pro-LTTE elements - regardless of their being politicians or media personalities as they have openly begun secessionist moves,' Sudarsanam told reporters after an urgent meeting of Congress legislators.'The National Security Act should be invoked against movie directors Seeman and Ameer for canvassing support for terrorists, espousing separatist causes in India and threatening to start an armed rebellion from a public platform in Rameshwaram Oct 19.'Failure to do so will result in agitations to prosecute persons like Seeman and Ameer who blatantly insulted Congress martyrs (late prime ministers) Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi,' Sudarsanam added.Jayalalitha blamed Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi for allowing 'secessionist movements' to take root in Tamil Nadu and allowing a free run for terrorist organisations with links to the LTTE for espousing separatist causes.'The LTTE is a terrorist organisation linked to several fissiparous outfits in India and abroad. While local outfits like the banned People's War Group, United Liberation Front of Assam and at least three terrorist movements in Tamil Nadu are known to be open collaborators with the Tigers, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence also has an unholy alliance with this outfit,' Jayalalitha said.'While during Karunanidhi's rule, such movements always manage to take roots, it is surprising that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's widow Sonia Gandhi has tacitly allowed the LTTE to operate freely in India. Rajiv Gandhi's killers like Nalini (Murugan) have adopted holier-than-thou attitudes and claim to be fighting for their birthright of freedom after assassinating the former prime minister in cold blood,' Jayalalitha added.The AIADMK leader, however, did not react to statements by its main ally MDMK leader Vaiko which termed as 'Tamil traitors' all those who opposed LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran's 'fight for the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka'.A few days ago, Vaiko had demanded that apart from immediately stopping military aid, India also cut off diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka.Meanwhile, Karunanidhi issued a statement criticising the Sri Lankan regime for 'killing Tamil civilians' and exhorting his supporters to make the human chain protest slated for Friday a success.'Men, women, children are felled cruelly by bullets of those inimical to the origins of Tamil race. Only those with treason against the Tamil nationality in their minds are opposing the spirited defence of the Tamil race's origins rightful homeland - Eelam,' Karunanidhi said in an open letter addressed to his party workers, writing in Murasoli - the DMK party organ. Support to LTTE increased during DMK rule: Jayalalithaa Alleging that some film personalities had made some anti-national remarks demanding separate Tamil Nadu at a rally in Rameswaram on October 19, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa today charged that support to the banned LTTE has been increasing in the state after the DMK came to power."Directors Seeman and Ameer had made some objectionable remarks, which amounted to challenging the sovereignty of the country. They had gone to the extent of demanding a separate Tamil Nadu," she said in a statement.Tamil Nadu Government had not taken any action against them and nobody can expect action against them as long as Karunanidhi, who had written poems condoling the death of LTTE leaders, continued to be the Chief Minister, she said."What action the UPA government, headed by the Congress, proposed to take?" Jayalalithaa asked.Describing the petition of Nalini, one of the prime accused in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case, seeking a premature release as an "act challenging the country's sovereignty", she criticised Rajiv Gandhi's daughter Priyanka for calling on her (Nalini) at Vellore prison."It is not the family problem of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. It is the national problem," she said.Asserting that her party was against any anti-national movement, she said if was in power, she would have arrested the film directors for their remarks.Meanwhile, the Congress Legislature party today demanded arrest of those supporting the LTTE in the state under NSA. CLP leader D Sudarsanam told reporters after a CLP meeting that his party would never tolerate those who supported the killers of Rajiv Gandhi. "We want the Tamil Nadu government to arrest supporters of LTTE under NSA," he said. LSSP demands 13th Amendment be implemented The Lanka Sama Samaja Party yesterday demanded that meaningful steps be taken immediately to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and has forwarded seven steps to be followed. A statement issued by the party said: The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) recommended to the President in January 2008 that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution be fully implemented pending agreement in the All Party Conference (APC) on the contours of a political solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic crisis. A Cabinet committee was subsequently appointed to oversee the full implementation of the 13th Amendment. Significantly, Mr. Tissa Vitarana, Chairman of the APRC and Mr. D.E.W. Gunasekera, Minister of Constitutional Affairs were not members of that committee. The committee does not function anymore and no meaningful steps have been taken to implement the 13th Amendment much to the disappointment of those who believe in a political solution. In the circumstances, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party demands that meaningful steps be taken to fully implement the 13th Amendment and that the following steps be taken immediately: 1. Extend the Provincial Councils (Consequential Provisions) Act No. 12 of 1989 to the Concurrent List Under Article 154C of the Constitution, the executive power of a Provincial Council extends to the matters in respect of which they have the power to make statutes, namely matters set out in the Provincial List as well as the Concurrent List. When the Provincial Councils were set up, it was found that provincial authorities could not exercise executive powers under existing law as they referred to Ministers and public officers of the Centre. For provincial authorities to exercise such powers, statutes corresponding to more than 300 existing laws had to be made. The Councils were not geared to do so, and on a proposal initiated by Mr. Bernard Soysa who was a member of the Western Provincial Council, the Councils requested the Centre to pass a law which would provide that any such reference would be deemed to be references to the relevant provincial authorities. The Provincial Councils (Consequential Provisions) Act No. 12 of 1989 was accordingly enacted but the Act applies only to matters set out in the Provincial List. Provincial Councils are thus unable to exercise powers in relation to matters set out in the Concurrent List without enacting statutes. Very few statutes have been made by Provincial Councils to enable them to exercise such powers. The LSSP proposes that the scope of the Provincial Councils (Consequential Provisions) be extended to matters set out in the Concurrent List. Such an amendment requires only a simple majority in Parliament. 2. Government should stop exercising executive power in relation to devolved subjects Even in respect of subjects and functions under the Provincial Council List, the Central Government has also been exercising executive powers. The takeover of provincial hospitals is an example. Most Provincial Councils have not made their own statutes on all such subjects and functions and have been exercising executive powers relating to them using the powers given to them by the Provincial Councils (Consequential Provisions) Act. Under the 13th Amendment, the Central Government would be totally excluded from exercising executive powers in respect of a provincial subject, only if a provincial statute is enacted. The Central Government has been making use of the difficulties faced by Provincial Councils in making their own statutes to encroach on areas devolved on Provinces. The LSSP proposes that the Central Government take a policy decision not to exercise executive power in relation to any devolved subjects. 3. The Central Government should hand over subjects such as agrarian services which were illegally taken over, back to Provincial Councils The Central Government has taken over many subjects and functions that properly belong to Provincial Councils. A good example is agrarian services. In 1991, the UNP Government took over the provincial departments of agrarian services misinterpreting a judgement of the Supreme Court. In 2003, the Supreme Court clarified that the subject of agrarian services is a matter for Provincial Councils. Notwithstanding that clarification, the Central Government still hangs onto agrarian services. The LSSP demands that such subjects and functions be immediately handed back to Provincial Councils. 4. Appropriate action should be taken to ensure that police powers are devolved to Provinces in terms of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the Police Commissions Act No. 1 of 1990 and the 17th Amendment to the Constitution. 5. Powers relating to land should be devolved in terms of the 13th Amendment and a national land policy should be formulated through a participatory process involving Provincial Councils. 6. The exercise of powers by the Provinces has been seriously limited due to the inadequacy of funds. This situation must be remedied. The Provincial Councils Act empowers a Province to raise loans on guarantees granted by the Central Minister of Finance. The Centre should facilitate action in this regard. Section 22 of the Act also stipulates that foreign aid negotiated for a project or scheme in a Province shall be allocated by the Sri Lanka Government for such project or scheme. The Centre should hereinafter route all finances in respect of special projects undertaken by the Centre in the Provinces, if they are on subjects under the purview of the Provinces, through the respective Provincial Administrations. 7. The provincial public service which supports the activities of the Provincial administration is weak and needs to be immediately strengthened. There should also be a clear demarcation of duties between those serving the Province and the Centre, but with effective coordination. This should also be done without increase in available staff, but through proper redistribution of human resources. Sri Lanka government organizes photo exhibition in Europe to showcase Tiger atrocities Sri Lankan government has organized a photographic exhibition in European cities to showcase the atrocities committed by the Tamil Tigers.The first of this exhibition tour will be opened for public from today in the Center One Hall at Cheswick Street in London near the Scotland Yard Police Headquarters.British organizations opposing terrorism, Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry, Presidential Media Division along with the Sri Lanka High Commission in London have organized this event to expose the cruelty and the ruthlessness of the Tamil Tiger terrorists.This exhibition is also expected to be held in Hague, the Netherlands on October 27th and 28th followed by a stop in Paris, France on October 30th and 31st. UPF leader creates stir in Parliament Violence against East media Recent violence directed against and involving media personnel in Eastern Province ridicule the Sri Lankan Government’s claims of the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in the region, says the Free Media Movement. In August, a TMVP (Karuna faction) supporter/member threatened journalist Thakshila Jayasena from Sandeshaya – the BBC Sinhala Service - while covering a protest campaign by the United National Party, Sri Lanka’s main opposition party.In September, journalist Radhika Devakumar, a provincial correspondent of the Thinakaran newspaper, a Tamil daily, survived an assassination attempt in her home during which she received three gunshot wounds.Radhika served as media coordinator for East Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan for a short period.Last week, tension prevailed in Batticaloa as armed cadres of Karuna and Pillayan factions violently clashed over the ownership of the Thamil Alai newspaper.As noted by the BBC, “It initially belonged to Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan (Karuna) but the ownership was taken over by group led by Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (Pillayan) after Karuna left Sri Lanka, police said. Armed members of the Karuna faction have taken over the newspaper office in Govindan road, Battticaloa.”Thamil Alai is published using equipment stolen from the offices of the Thinakkathir in August 2002, at a time when Karuna was the top leader of the LTTE in the region.As we noted in a press release on 8 August 2002 that was also sent to LTTE, the Thinakkathir office was “vandalised and office equipment (computers, printers, TV, radios, UPS’s etc) worth Rs. 1.2 million stolen during the attack.”A history of violence in general, and against media in particular, by both Karuna and Pilliyan continues unchecked to date, first under the protection of the LTTE and now under the protection of the Government.Both regimes are opposed to the freedom of expression and media freedom. It is unlikely that the transition from one to the other will result in stronger independent media in the region.The inability and unwillingness of armed Karuna and Pilliyan factions to resolve disputes non-violently and abide by the rule of law showcases the fragility of democratic governance in the region.This raises serious concerns for the safety and security of independent journalists in the region.A region that has for decades suffered the brunt of the LTTE’s violent suppression of dissent does not need two armed factions violently pursuing their parochial ends.Journalists, caught in cross-fire and actively targeted, will continue to suffer the brunt of this lip-service to democracy, at a time when the Government is also unwilling and unable to check unprecedented levels of violence against independence media.The FMM unequivocally condemns all forms of violence against media by armed groups.We urgently call upon all armed factions in the Eastern Province to give up violence and work towards the restoration of democratic governance, a strong, critical media and the rule of law, the FMM said. Sri Lanka: Tactical aspects of the Eelam War Col R Hariharan There is a lot of excitement as the Sri Lanka security forces are inching towards Kilinochchi from the southwest on multiple axes. The political tensions in Tamil Nadu over the plight of Tamil civilians in the war zone have added a bit of nervous expectation in Sri Lanka to the war scene. Broadly the security forces have enlarged the forward line roughly by eight km on the west of Kilinochi, isolating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) stronghold of Nachikuda on the western coast. Task Force 1 which had bypassed Nachikuda, captured Manniyankulam and Vannrikulamon its advance along the A32 route to Pooneryn. Thus the LTTE access to sea routes to Tamil Nadu from the northern Mannar coast will probably come to an end shortly with these developments.The57 Division, earlier locked in battle at the key road junction of Akkarayankulam (which leads to Kilinochchi in the north and the A9 highway in the east), has "pierced" its defences. According to the security forces this was the last of the LTTE strong points defending Kilinochchi. It has not been a cakewalk to the security forces as the LTTE had put up some resistance at selected places. The breakthrough in Akkarayankulam, in particular, has come after a lot of blood shedding. The defence spokesman has admitted losing '33 soldiers during the clashes in the weekending Sunday Oct 19th; 48 were injured and three were missing. This was perhaps one of the biggest losses suffered by the security forces. On the other hand the LTTE appear to have lost 12 cadres. However, overall the LTTE had not been able to inflict such losses more often as the security forces advanced. While this could be for reasons of tactical withdrawal, it is clear that the LTTE efforts so far have lacked strength and firepower required to blunt the offensive. Though the fall of Kilinochchi looks imminent, in tactical terms its capture might not be essential. In any case, it would probably come within the security forces' heavy machine gun range in the coming week, making it untenable for the LTTE to hold. Capture of Kilinochchi, the LTTE's administrative capital till recently would certainly be a big loss of face to it. For President Rajapaksa it would add yet another feather in the cap after the 'victory' in the east. And that could make him politically stronger than ever before. As the Task Force-1 advances to Pooneryn, it would be possible for the security forces to create an anvil extending from the western coast to Kilinochchi so that the hammer of 53 and 55 divisions operating along northern frontlines could be brought down upon the LTTE strong points in the crucial Elephant Pass/Nagarkovil bottleneck. The skirmishes reported in Muhamalai on Oct 16th were probably a probing attempt of the security forces for such an offensive. This option would also provide relief to 57 Division troops which had been on the offensive for three months now. A northern offensive could make the LTTE fight within a narrow strip with only one exit route open on the east to LTTE's Puthukkudiyiruppu defence complex. If and when that happens, the LTTE domination of the A9 highway would probably end. It would also render both Nachikuda and Pooneryn defences meaningless unless the LTTE can quickly launch a counter stroke. But the moot point is does the LTTE want to launch such an offensive west of A9 highway at all? Their defensive pattern so far would indicate such an intention might not be there at all. This is only one of the many ways in which this operation can be progressed. With the imminent fall of Kilinochchi, the Army Commander Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka has more options now than ever before. The monsoon is on and close air support could become tricky and mobility and visibility would also be affected. But weather gods are neutral and affect both sides. As the war in Wanni would involve jungle bashing, at best monsoon would slow down the operation on both sides and not stop it. Understanding the LTTE strategy So far in the areas west of A9 highway, the LTTE's conventional defence strategy appears to be based upon a series of strong points with bunds and ditches stretching for miles between them. The bunds along the expected axes of advance have been constructed to slow down the advancing troops and attack them at selected points when they try to break through the obstacle. This is a strategy of the First World War vintage that became obsolete with the advent of increased battlefield mobility, greater depth and density of fire power, and enhanced battlefield reconnaissance capabilities. Unless the bund is protected by fire power and layers of obstacles, modern armies can reduce their effectiveness with no great difficulty. In modern conventional warfare the technique has morphed into mobile defence based upon strong points that dominate the gaps between them with hard hitting armour based mobile teams. This technique is useful when a large area is to be defended by smaller number of troops as in the case of the LTTE. This strategy if successfully applied would lead to a lot of bloodletting and discourage advancing forces from launching the main offensive.The LTTE had perhaps adopted defences based on strong points for this very reason. It was fighting against an opponent who outnumbered it by at least ten to one. On hindsight, last year the LTTE probably allowed a comparatively free run to the security forces to occupy areas south of road Vavuniya-Mannar along the Mannar coast so that the troops would be drawn into fighting the strong points further north. After that starting with Adampan in May 20008 there had been a series of LTTE strong points - big and small - forming layers of defences –Adampan-Nedunkandal-Andankulam, Madhu-Palamipiddi-Periyamadu, and so on.But the LTTE had neither the required mobility nor fire power to dominate the gaps between the strong points to stop the security forces that had superior mobility, fire power and numbers. So probably it took recourse to constructing miles of bunds between strong points. And the security forces have been breaking the inadequately defended bunds regularly. Moreover, the LTTE strategy had seeds of failure as the axes of advance from south to north fanned out over increasingly larger gaps between strong points as the war progressed without a matching increase in troop strength. This is borne out by the LTTE inflicting heavier casualties on the security forces only when their axes converged on Kilinochchi. The LTTE's performance so far has demonstrated the limitations of insurgency forces in carrying out conventional operations. Being light outfits with limited artillery support they were better suited to tackle company level tactical operations. In order to maximise the impact of conventional operations of insurgents, guerrillas have to be employed in tandem to hit rear areas and gun positions to destabilise the conventional opponent. The LTTE had not been able to carry out such commando strikes effectively so far in Eelam War-4. During the war in Elephant Pass in 2000 the LTTE was able to overcome its weakness in conventional capability through superior battlefield leadership, high morale, and psychological advantage against the opponent who lacked them. The security forces then lacked the single mindedness of purpose they are showing now. In the Eelam War- 4, clear convergence of political and military focus on military objectives untroubled by other issues has resulted in the relentless pursuit of the LTTE. The overconfident LTTE leadership is probably paying the price now for ignoring the two important developments in the security environment since the last Eelam War. These were the impact of Karuna's defection and the subsequent loss of east, and the qualitative and quantitative improvements in the Sri Lanka armed forces. This overconfidence of the LTTE gave the security forces a head start when they launched the offensive. The self defeating technique of suicide bombings has also deprived the LTTE of potential junior leaders, though they brought short lived glory. Future portends The tactical conjectures discussed so far might be of interest only to military minds. The question in everyone's mind is probably 'when' – in what time frame –Kilinochchi would fall and the A9 highway would open. It is not easy to answer this question. And there are always the imponderables of battlefield that affect the best laid plans.The security forces had entered Kilinochchi district on July 31, 2008. They appear to be in no hurry to rush forward to overcome the LTTE strong points as they advance. Instead they have focused on inflicting maximum casualty on the LTTE. They have neutralised only those LTTE strong points that mattered on the way and by passed others. This perhaps tied down the LTTE to hold on to all its defences in anticipation. But now as fall of Kilinochchi looks imminent, political and humanitarian crises are building up in the horizon. These could take the time plan for conduct of war out of the hands of the military. So far President Mahinda Rajapaksa appears to have given full freedom to Gen Fonseka to progress the operation in his own fashion. President Rajapaksa is coming under increasing pressure from India, where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is facing flak from his Tamil Nadu coalition partners. So both the President and Gen Fonseka might decide to speed up the operations to get the A9 highway opened up and bottle up the LTTE within the Mullaitivu district. This could result in the security forces suffering more casualties than they had bargained for. On the other hand it would give a semblance of normalcy and relieve some of the pressures on the President. Of course it would reduce the plight of displaced civilians caught between the warring sides in the area.The other question is how will the LTTE respond now as its domain is shrinking? In the past the LTTE had leveraged the criticalities of India-Sri Lanka relations to its advantage to survive and rise up once again to carry the battle another day. Can the LTTE, with its hands tainted with the blood of Rajiv Gandhi, go back to the same ploy? It is true there is loud public outcry in Tamil Nadu against the sufferings of Tamils in the war zones. But at the same time it is equally true that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has made it clear that this sympathy should not be equated with sympathy for the LTTE.Of course the easiest option for the LTTE is to inflict maximum possible casualties, cut loose, and pull back its assets deep into the Wanni jungles. Then lie low for a while, shed the conventional uniform and go back to the guerrilla mode. That would mean further suffering and agony for everyone with more suicide bombings, blasts and mayhem everywhere including areas outside the war zone. A more logical thing to achieve a win-win situation would be to sit with Tamil politicians, evolve a face saving political formula to find a democratic solution. But can Prabhakaran, whose strong point had never been logical reasoning, pull such a surprise? I doubt it. And I like millions of others would be happy if he proves me wrong. Why Tamilnet Has Stopped Giving Battle Front News? By B. Raman The Sri Lankan Army advancing towards Kilinochchi in the Northern Province, where the headquarters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) used to be located, and the LTTE cadres deployed for slowing down the advance have been engaged in a do or die battle since October 17, 2008. 2. While claiming that it continues to maintain its advance despite bad weather, the Sri Lankan Army has admitted that it has already suffered 33 fatalities in the latest phase of the battle that started on October 17 and has been brought to a temporary halt due to rains. In an attempt to explain the slowing down of the operations, the Sri Lankan Army has accused the LTTE of using poisonous gas against the troops. 3. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has also indirectly admitted the slowing down of the operations. The "Daily News" of Sri Lanka has quoted him as saying at a function of the National Research Council at Colombo on October 20, 2008, as follows: "The battle against terrorism which we could convincingly win within a few days, is nevertheless prolonged due to the grave concern and the optimum caution exercised by the highly disciplined Armed Forces who are fighting under severe constraints, to cause no harm or loss to innocent, civilian human life." 4. Thus, while the Army has attributed the slowing down to the alleged use of poisonous gas by the LTTE, the President has attributed it to the Army's anxiety to avoid civilian casualties. 5. Intriguingly for the last one week, the pro-LTTE web site www.tamilnet.com, which used to give battle front news in the past, has not done so. One would have expected it to highlight the Army's admission of having sustained 33 fatalities. It has not done so. For more than a week now, the Tamilnet has been giving mostly political news regarding developments in Tamil Nadu in support of the Sri Lankan Tamil cause and activities of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora abroad. If at all it gives operational news, it is generally about the Eastern Province. 6. While www.puthinam.com, a pro-LTTE Tamil web site, continues to give battlefield news, Tamilnet has not been doing so. The only news about the latest round of fighting is to be found in the web site of Puthinam, which claims that the LTTE inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing army. 7. Why the silence of Tamilnet? One has to look for an answer to this question as the fighting continues. People have rejected Karuna - TMVP 22 October 2008 Tamil Tigers strike back with ship attacks Tamil Tiger rebels struck back against a major Sri Lankan government offensive Wednesday with suicide attacks against merchant ships off the island's northern coast, defence officials said.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rammed the MV Ruhuna and MV Nimalawa, involved in supplying the besieged Jaffna peninsula, with three boats packed with explosives.The ethnic guerrillas also fought a sea battle with naval units defending the port of Kankesanthurai on the peninsula."One of the merchant vessels -- MV Nimalawa -- is sinking and the other vessel was damaged," a defence official who declined to be named said.He said at least six Tiger rebels may have perished in the attack. It was not immediately clear if there were casualties among the crew of the ships.Jaffna is controlled by government forces, but cut off from the rest of the island by LTTE-held territory and supplied entirely by ship or plane.The peninsula, captured from the LTTE in 1995, is of major symbolic and strategic value to the Sri Lankan government: it is the birthplace of Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, and enables government troops to attack the rebels from the north and south.The defence ministry painted the attack as "another cowardly attempt by the terrorists to deny essential supplies to the civilians living in war-affected areas."The ministry said sailors protecting the merchant vessels had opened fire on the Tiger suicide boats, and destroyed two."However, one of the suicide boats exploded in close proximity to Nimalawa causing considerable damage to the ship's hull," it said. A defence official said naval reinforcements had been rushed to the area.Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers have a sea-going unit known as "Sea Tigers," a rarity among rebel outfits in the world. The rebels have used explosives-laden boats to sink several naval and civilian craft in the past.The latest attack came as the government, which pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce in January, maintained a major ground offensive against the Tigers in the northern mainland.Government forces say they are 10 to 15 kilometres (six to 10 miles) southwest of Kilinochchi, the administrative capital of the LTTE, but had breached the town's major defences over the weekend.Monsoon rains and intense Tiger resistance had slowed the military's ground offensive, according to military sources.The defence ministry also admitted scores of its troops had been killed or injured in fighting with the LTTE over the weekend.Tens of thousands of people have died on both sides since 1972, when the LTTE launched its campaign to carve out an independent state in the Sinhalese-majority island of 20 million people. India sends food supplies for Wanni Vaiko: helping Sri Lanka’s integrity will affect India CHENNAI: Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko on Tuesday warned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that any help extended to protect the integrity of Sri Lanka would only jeopardise the unity and integrity of India itself. Addressing a meeting here, Mr.Vaiko said that there had been a resurgence of support for Sri Lankan Tamils in Tamil Nadu. People in the State would not hesitate to throw out any government at the Centre “if it does injustice” to the island Tamils.He said he and his party cadres would not hesitate to carry arms to Sri Lanka in support of Sri Lankan Tamils in their struggle for Tamil Eelam. He was capable of mobilising people from all over the country for this purpose.Chairman of the party presidium M. Kannappan said the opponents of LTTE were “Tamil traitors.” He warned the Centre not to force Tamils in the State to launch a struggle for a separate Tamil Nadu. Thackeray, Tamil issues lead to Lok Sabha adjournments The Lok Sabha Tuesday saw repeated adjournments before lunch on various issues including the attack on north Indians by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the issue of Tamils caught in the military conflict in Sri Lanka and the House’s alleged inability to protect its members’ privileges.After the Lok Sabha re-assembled at 12 noon, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was forced to adjourn the house again till 2 p.m., after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member Brajesh Pathak alleged that he had been threatened by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official on instructions by the government, before the July 22 trust vote. Pathak demanded a probe into his allegation, which the Speaker refused to entertain.The BSP leader then wanted the matter to be forwarded to the privilege committee of parliament. Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Mohammed Salim supported the BSP MP on the issue. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also alleged that the chair had failed to protect the privileges of its members. Soon after, the BJP took up the issue of MP Virendra Kumar Khatik being beaten up by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel in Madhya Pradesh, once again stressing that the House had failed to protect his privileges.Speaker Chatterjee refuted their claim and said that “serious allegations were being levelled against the House” and that the BJP leaders should be “truthful in the House”.The Speaker said he had inquired about the MP’s health and that steps had been taken to protect his privileges.Basudev Acharya of the CPI-M, meanwhile, tried to raise the issue of the anti-Christian violence in Orissa, but could not do so due to the din in the House.Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was then invited for a discussion and voting on the Supplementary Demand for Grants (General) for 2008-09, but he too, could not speak because of the uproar. The Speaker then adjourned the house till 2 p.m.The Lok Sabha was earlier adjourned following chaos in the House as soon as it assembled. While Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MPs shouted slogans to protest the attacks in Maharashtra by activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on north Indian job aspirants at railway recruitment exam centres, DMK MPs wanted to raise the issue of the protection of Tamil civilians affected in the military conflict between the Tamil Tiger rebels and the Sri Lankan government.MPs from Kerala protested against the alleged negligence of the state by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. India will not help LTTE - Senior Indian official With the conflict in Sri Lanka escalating, India on Tuesday said it will do everything to protect the rights and humanitarian conditions of Tamils in the island nation.Commenting on the violence in Sri Lanka, a senior official travelling with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Japan told Times of India that New Delhi is not going to help the LTTE, as it is a terrorist organisation behind the assassination of an Indian Prime Minister and has not even apologised for it."There is a clear distinction between the LTTE and the Tamils," he said.At the same time, the official reiterated that India will do everything to protect the rights and humanitarian conditions of Tamils in Sri Lanka. He stressed that ordinary civilians must be protected in the ongoing war and New Delhi will also urge the Lankan Government for restraint in this regard. India is already working with Red Cross, UN bodies and with the Sri Lankan authorities for the supply of food and essential items in the conflict zone.However, the official added that there is a distinction between the LTTE and Tamils in Sri Lanka and even the opinion of political parties in Tamil Nadu is divided on this. Meanwhile, a section of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress Tuesday slammed the alleged eulogising of Tamil Tigers chief V. Prabhakaran by a few regional parties, IANS reported.'Attempts by a section of the Tamil film industry to hail the LTTE leader Prabhakaran, who murdered (former prime minister) Rajiv Gandhi in cold blood is reprehensible. We strongly condemn these moves that seem to be actively supported by a few regional parties,' Congress legislator C. Gnanasekharan told reporters.He also started a campaign against converting the Sri Lankan Tamils' issue into a move to popularise the LTTE in the state by exhorting his supporters to send telegrams to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.According to Gnanasekharan, a few thousand telegrams were sent within a few hours after the start of the campaign earlier in the day.Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama Tuesday informed Parliament that Presidential Advisor MP Basil Rajapaksa would fly to New Delhi as the Government's special envoy to brief the Indian leaders on the war-related situation in the North.'Presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa would visit New Delhi as a special envoy to brief the Indian leaders on the current situation in Sri Lanka,' Bogollagama told Parliament.The decision to send a special envoy came a day after India said it would take a decision on External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Colombo after the visit by a Sri Lankan delegation to New Delhi. 'No dates have been set. Nothing is set right now,' Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told reporters Monday when asked about dates for Mukherjee's Colombo visit. President Rajapaksa told local media heads and editors that he 'was aware of the political pressures in India at the moment, especially considering the reality of coalition politics and the diverse interests that surface in such situations'. CWC welcomes TN concerns The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) yesterday, referring to the sentiments expressed in Tamil Nadu over the plight of civilians in the North, said it respected the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu and was confident that the government would pursue means of achieving a political solution to the national question as an urgent matter.It said that the people of Tamil Nadu together with the state government and other political parties had expressed their sympathy for the civilians in the North.It also said that in response to the representations made by political parties in Tamil Nadu the Government of India has expressed its concern and urged the Sri Lankan Government to urgently pursue a political solution."President Rajapaksa always stood for a political solution and clearly stated so even recently at the All Party Conference", the CWC said in a statement. Govt. refuses debate on alleged Indian intervention The government yesterday declined an opposition request for a full day’s debate on the alleged Indian intervention in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.The request was made by the JVP and the NFF in parliament with the main opposition UNP too agreeing. The matter was later taken up at the party leaders meeting.At this meeting, the government refused to have any debate on the matter as it had already explained its stand.The UNP also relented at this point and said it was unnecessary to debate this matter any further as the government had already denied allegations of an Indian intervention.The government also proposed that the time allotted for the budget debate next month should be changed because of security concerns.Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera said there was a threat to the lives of the opposition parliamentarians as well and suggested that opposition members should be given a back-up vehicle for their security.“We each have four security personnel. We cannot accommodate them in a single vehicle along with us. As such we should be given a back-up vehicle or else, each member should be given a financial allocation for a back-up vehicle,” he said.No decision was taken on the matter.Meanwhile the UNP asked for a debate on the assassination of Major General Janaka Perera but the government members said they had to consult the party before a decision was taken. Govt. says battle against Tigers delayed due to civilians Sri Lanka’s massive offensive against Tamil rebels is taking longer than expected because of concerns for civilians trapped in the battle zone, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said Tuesday.Rajapaksa said his security forces were “fighting under severe constraints to cause no harm or loss to innocent civilian human life”.“The battle against terrorism, which we could convincingly win within a few days, is nevertheless prolonged due to the grave concern and the optimum caution exercised by the highly disciplined armed forces,” he said in remarks published in the state-run Daily News.His statement came a day after the defence ministry admitted scores of its troops had been killed or injured in fighting with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) over the weekend.The ministry said Tuesday that troops had edged closer to the rebels’ northern capital of Kilinochchi.The bodies of three soldiers missing in action since Saturday were found, raising the military’s toll to 36 dead and 48 injured, the ministry said in a statement.“Troops thrashed LTTE battle formations and pushed ahead amidst heavy resistance and torrential monsoon rains,” the ministry said.The capture of Kilinochchi, north of the main military frontline, will have major significance, it said.“The fall of Kilinochchi will not just be a symbolic victory as reported by some foreign news agencies,” the ministry said, adding it would signal a bigger military wave to sweep the guerrillas from their positions.Rajapaksa accused the LTTE of using “human shields” in the fighting.“We have directed the armed forces to refrain from inflicting any harm, even a scratch, to the innocent civilians who are being utilised as human shields by the terrorists,” he said.“We are proud to have an army which is complying and carrying out their humanitarian operations accordingly.”Government forces say they are 10 to 15 kilometres (six to 10 miles) southwest of Kilinochchi, the administrative capital of the LTTE, but had breached the town’s major defences.Neighbouring India, which itself has a large Tamil population, has expressed “grave concern” over the plight of tens of thousands of Sri Lankan Tamil civilians caught up in fighting in the island’s north.New Delhi has told Colombo a military solution to the long-running conflict is impossible.But Rajapaksa said in a meeting with local newspaper editors Tuesday that India had not exerted any undue pressure to halt the military operations.“In the telephone conversation with the Indian Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh last week) there was no reference to the stopping of military operations against the terrorism of the LTTE,” his office said in a statement.Rajapaksa “had made it very clear the operations were against the LTTE,” the statement added.It added the former de facto number two Tiger leader, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, who led a split in the LTTE in March 2004, joined the president in his meeting with editors and wanted the military campaign to continue. Government forces wrested control of the eastern province in July 2007 with the help of Muralitharan, better known as Colonel Karuna, and his breakaway Tiger faction.Since then, Karuna has been appointed a lawmaker in Rajapaksa’s ruling party.Tens of thousands of people have died on both sides since 1972 when the LTTE launched its campaign to carve out an independent state in the Sinhalese-majority island of 20 million people. Suspension of operations will lead to bloodbath – Karuna India concerned over Karuna remarks The Indian High Commission in Colombo has raised the criticism of New Delhi by TMVP MP Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman.At a meeting of media chiefs convened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees today (Oct. 21st), the TMVP MP has accused India of having aggravated Sri Lanka's conflict.India had given arms training and provided funds for thousands of Tamil youths from the LTTE and other groups, including himself, he said.New Delhi had done a lot to make Sri Lanka socially and politically immobilized, he said.A senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told 'Lanka Dissent' the Indian HC had expressed concern over these allegations.Meanwhile, a top official of the Presidential Media Unit has asked private media heads after the meeting not to publish the statement by Karuna, reports said. Human chain protest postponed due to heavy rains The DMK announced postponement of its human chain protest, scheduled here on tuesday to urge the Centre to prevail upon Sri Lanka to end the sufferings of Tamils in the island nation.The human chain, which was to stretch from Chennai to its suburbs, was postponed yesterday following heavy rains, DMK sources said.The human chain agitation would now be held on October 24, they said.Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government yesterday announced holiday for schools and colleges across the state as rains have been lashing the state for the past few days. LTTE attempts to infiltrate Jaffna repulsed A pre-dawn LTTE attempt to infiltrate Jaffna was foiled by the security forces today (21), Defence sources said.A group of suspicious individuals opened fire at the military outpost when called for identification by the troops at around 12.10a.m., Jaffna security sources said.Subsequently, troops have also recovered an improvised T-56 assault riffle with night vision including a magazine and 11 live ammunition, Ministry of Defence said quoting military sources. Three civilians shot dead in Eastern Sri Lanka Three Sinhala civilians were shot dead by an unidentified gang at Kokkadicholai in Batticaloa on monday while they were sleeping. Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara said that the victims were drivers attached to a development project in the area. The victims were identified as Budhikalage Lahiru Priyadarshana (23) of Pannala, Hewage Don Sanjeewa Pushpakumara (26) of Mathugama and Roshan Kumara (24). According to the preliminary investigations the gunmen had used a micro-pistol. Police and the army are conducting further inquiries. India launches first Moon mission India has successfully launched its first mission to the Moon. The unmanned Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft blasted off smoothly from a launch pad in southern Andhra Pradesh to embark on a two-year mission of exploration. The robotic probe will orbit the Moon, compiling a 3-D atlas of the lunar surface and mapping the distribution of elements and minerals. The launch is regarded as a major step for India as it seeks to keep pace with other space-faring nations in Asia. It was greeted with applause by scientists gathered at the site. The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says there has been a lot of excitement about the event, which was broadcast live on national TV. Competitive mission An Indian-built launcher carrying the one-and-a-half-tonne satellite blasted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at about 0620 local time (0050 GMT). One key objective will be to search for surface or sub-surface water-ice on the Moon, especially at the poles. Another will be to detect Helium 3, an isotope which is rare on Earth, but is sought to power nuclear fusion and could be a valuable source of energy in future. Powered by a single solar panel generating about 700 Watts, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) probe carries five Indian-built instruments and six that are foreign-built. The mission is expected to cost 3.8bn rupees (£45m; $78m). The Indian experiments include a 30kg probe that will be released from the mothership to slam into the lunar surface. The Moon Impact Probe (MIP) will record video footage on the way down and measure the composition of the Moon's tenuous atmosphere. "Chandrayaan has a very competitive set of instruments... it will certainly do good science," said Barry Kellett, project scientist on the C1XS instrument, which was built at the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in the UK. C1XS will map the abundance of different elements in the lunar crust to help answer key questions about the origin and evolution of Earth's only natural satellite. Researchers say the relative abundances of magnesium and iron in lunar rocks could help confirm whether the Moon was once covered by a molten, magma ocean. "The iron should have sunk [in the magma ocean], whereas the magnesium should have floated," Mr Kellett told BBC News. "The ratio of magnesium to iron for the whole Moon tells you to what extent the Moon melted and what it did after it formed." The instrument will look for more unusual elements on the Moon's surface, such as titanium. This metallic element has been found in lunar meteorites, but scientists know little about its distribution in the lunar crust. Chandrayaan will also investigate the differences between the Moon's near side and its far side. The far side is both more heavily cratered and different in composition to the one facing Earth. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket will loft Chandrayaan into an elliptical "transfer orbit" around Earth. The probe will later carry out a series of engine burns to set it on a lunar trajectory. The spacecraft coasts for about five-and-a-half days before firing the engine to slow its velocity such that it is captured by the Moon's gravity. Chandrayaan will slip into a near-circular orbit at an altitude of 1,000km. After a number of health checks, the probe will drop its altitude until it is orbiting just 100km above the lunar surface. India, China, Japan and South Korea all have eyes on a share of the commercial satellite launch business and see their space programmes as an important symbol of international stature and economic development. Last month, China became only the third country in the world to independently carry out a spacewalk. But the Indian government's space efforts have not been welcomed by all. Some critics regard the space programme as a waste of resources in a country where millions still lack basic services. 21 October 2008 S Lanka admits heavy troop loss Bodies The Ministry of Defence said troops and rebels fought battles in several areas to the south and west of Kilinochchi on Saturday and Sunday. "During these clashes on the weekend, 33 soldiers were reported killed in action, 48 injured and three others were reported missing," a statement on the ministry's website said. It said ground and radio monitoring sources had reported "heavy damages" to the rebels. The bodies of 11 Tamil Tiger fighters had been recovered by troops, the statement said. There was also heavy fighting around a Tiger naval base to the west of Kilinochchi. The BBC's Roland Buerk in Colombo says it is rare for the military to admit taking such heavy casualties. A long earth embankment at Vannerikulam to the south of Kilinochchi - the last major defensive line protecting the town - was captured during the fighting, according to the ministry. Our correspondent says the military offensive could be slowed by the monsoon rains that have now begun in the north of Sri Lanka. Photographs from the battlefield posted on the ministry of defence website showed vehicles bogged down in heavy mud. The ministry also claimed the Tigers had used poisonous gas during the battles. The rebels could not be reached for comment and the government blocks independent journalists from going to the areas where the fighting is taking place. Fears for civilians Capturing Kilinochchi would be a major symbolic victory for Sri Lanka's government - the rebels have run a civil administration from offices in the town. But many residents and rebels are reported to have abandoned it for areas further east still under Tamil Tiger control. Much of the Tigers' military strength is concentrated to the east of the town, towards Mullaitivu on the coast. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the military has been instructed to avoid causing civilian casualties. There have been protests by some Tamils in southern India against the Sri Lankan military offensive. Last week, the Indian government said a military victory would not end the ethnic conflict and called for a political settlement. The rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for a quarter of a century and about 70,000 people have been killed in the violence. Indo-Lanka high level talks to resolve issue of ethnic Tamils: Menon Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on Monday said that high-level talks might take place between India and Sri Lanka to resolve the issue of ethnic Tamils in the island nation. Answering to questions on External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Sri Lanka, Menon said, I think reports have got ahead of reality as no dates have been set. It's a possibility which has been mentioned.There is a probability that some high-level official discussions with Sri Lankan dignitaries coming here might take place, added Menon.Menon's comment comes in the wake of Sri Lankan Army's current offensive in the northern regions of its territory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which is seen by Indian Tamils as adoption of draconian measures against the ethnic Tamils of Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka has vowed to crush the LTTE militarily. It says its troops are two kilometers from the rebel capital of Kilinochchi.Sri Lankan troops stepped up its offensive against the LTTE rebels fighting for a separate homeland this year and the government says its forces have killed thousands of rebels since January.Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has urged Sri Lanka to solve the conflict politically but said that India was not going to intervene.Meanwhile, all the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs from Tamil Nadu, both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have submitted their resignations to the party President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karuanaidhi.In a statement in Chennai on Saturday, Karunanidhi said the DMK is prepared to pay any price to stop the attacks on Tamils in Sri Lanka, and added, the future of Tamils in the island nation has become a question mark and there is need to protect them. Harthal in Eastern Sri Lanka Day to day activities in Batticaloa town and its suburbs were paralyzed yesterday due to a protest (Harthal) campaign organized by the people of the area. Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara said the Harthal was organized to protest the large number of disappearances and the kidnapping incidents in the district. Activities in the Akkareipaththu, Kalawanchikui, Chenkalady and Valachchenai areas had also come to a halt due to the protest campaign, spokesman added. According to the police all the shops and the offices in those areas was closed yesterday and public transport was paralyzed. Security in the areas has been tightened and no incidents have been reported, Police spokesman said. Shiv Sena condemns ‘killing of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka’ Shiv Sena representing Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram district organizations held a day log fast and protest, condemning the “killing and disappearances of innocent Tamil civilians” in Sri Lanka.‘Veea’ Sri P. Karnanji, the state chair of Shiv Sena presided over this event, called for halting of Indian military assistance to the government of Sri Lanka. Shiv Sena also condemned ‘inaction’ by Tamil Nadu State Govt. on the matter concering Tamils in Sri Lanka, according to a report on Colombo Tamil daily Virakesari website.The fast was held in Thiruvotriyoor.Shiv Sena (Army of lord Shiva) emerged out of a movement in Bombay, favouring increased influence of Marathis in Maharashtra. Although still primarily based in Maharashtra, the party has expanded branches throughout India.. Dismiss DMK government: Swamy NEW DELHI: Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy has urged the Centre to dismiss the DMK regime in Tamil Nadu as it was indulging in “anti-national” activities through its “support” to the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by asking India to intervene to halt attacks against the militants in Lanka.It was “unacceptable” that the DMK was trying to destabilise the UPA government on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and its chief M. Karunanidhi’s concern for the sufferings of Tamils there was “bogus.”Dr. Swamy, who was talking to journalists here on Sunday, wondered how Sonia Gandhi, wife of the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated by the LTTE, was supporting the moves of Mr. Karunanidhi.He alleged that 25 senior LTTE cadres, who sustained injuries in the ongoing battle in Sri Lanka, had sneaked into Tamil Nadu for treatment and three of them were admitted to a medical college hospital in Vellore.He claimed that the UPA government had withdrawn the reservation of seats in professional courses for the children of Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu, which was there since 1988. He challenged Mr. Karunanidhi to fight for the reintroduction of the reservation if he really had concern for the Sri Lankan Tamils.The Janata Party would contest the Assembly elections in all the Six States where polls were announced and it would try to have alliance with parties with “similar ideology and political agenda,” which included the BJP.Dr. Swamy also wanted removal of Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for failing to control inflation and the current crisis in the markets. The bad economics of Mr. Chidambaram was responsible for all the economic sufferings of the people in the country, he said. Russia pledges military aid The Russian government has extended its fullest support to Sri Lanka's war offensive against the LTTE.A senior official of Government Information Department told 'Lanka Dissent' the assurance came during a recent visit to Moscow by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.Mr. Rajapaksa has conducted talks with senior Kremlin officials including Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.They have also promised military aid to Sri Lanka, the senior official added. Karunanidhi lauds India's proactive moves on Sri Lankan issue Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi expressed happiness Monday at the centre's measures in helping Sri Lankan Tamils in the war-torn northern part of the island following the distribution of 750 tonnes of food sent by the United Nations.'I am happy that the Sri Lankan regime allowed the distribution of food materials to over 230,000 suffering Lankan Tamils in the (war-torn) northern part of the island after our central government's proactive intervention. This shows that our efforts did not go in vain,' Karunanidhi said in an open letter to DMK workers.Karunanidhi also said that he was aware of the ensuing trip of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Colombo to ensure toning down of the military offensive against Tamils.On Saturday, soon after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the plight of Tamil civilians caught in the military conflict in the island, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollgama had invited Mukherjee 'to undertake a visit to Sri Lanka at an early date'.The dates of the visit have yet to be finalised.During their telephonic conversation, initiated by Rajapaksa, Manmohan Singh 'expressed his deep concern on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the north of Sri Lanka, especially on the plight of the civilians caught in the hostilities', a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in New Delhi on Saturday said.Manmohan Singh also 'emphasised that the safety and the security of Tamil civilians must be safeguarded at all costs' during the military operations against Tamil Tiger rebels, the statement said.The prime minister also asked Colombo to ensure 'uninterrupted relief supplies' for the internally displaced persons to address the humanitarian consequences of the military action, the PMO statement added.It said Manmohan Singh reiterated yet again that there was 'no military solution' to the conflict and urged the Sri Lankan leader 'to start a political process for a peacefully negotiated political settlement within the framework of a united Sri Lanka'.With 14 MPs of DMK, a key ally of his government and the ruling party of Tamil Nadu, handing over post-dated resignations over the situation in Sri Lanka, Manmohan Singh stressed that 'the rights and the welfare of the Tamil community of Sri Lanka should not get enmeshed in the ongoing hostilities against the LTTE'.This was the second message from the prime minister and the fourth from New Delhi to Colombo in the last four days over the situation in Sri Lanka that has stirred a political storm in India with MPs from Tamil Nadu threatening to resign if the violence against civilians was not stopped in Lanka.Manmohan Singh's conversation with the Sri Lankan president comes a day after Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner C.R. Jayasinghe and asked Colombo to 'take steps' to stop the violence that has severely affected Tamil civilians in the island nation.Mukherjee Thursday had sent a stern message to Colombo asking it to shun 'military means' and pursue a political settlement that respects the human rights of minorities in the island nation.In his letter, Karunanidhi also recorded his appreciation of the film industry for voicing support for their Tamil brethren in Sri Lanka.The chief minister also exhorted DMK workers to participate in the state-wide human chain Tuesday in full strength.'My eyes will be searching for those Tamil souls that will array in strength in support of our brothers and sisters suffering in Sri Lanka,' Karunanidhi added. CPI-M distances itself from Tamil Nadu resignation resolution The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Monday distanced itself from an ‘all-party’ resolution that says all MPs from Tamil Nadu would resign if no effective steps were initiated by the central government to end the sufferings of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka.‘While the CPI-M opposes India’s military aid to Sri Lanka resulting in sufferings of its Tamil minority and its military establishment’s attempts to hammer a solution by force, (CPI-M) representatives clearly stated during the all-party meeting (here on Oct 13) that decisions (of all Tamil Nadu MPs) to resign from parliament would be taken individually by the participating (political) parties,’ the CPI-M said in a press statement.‘The CPI-M calls for a solution to the long-standing problem of the Tamil race through peaceful dialogue between the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) and the Sri Lankan government eschewing the armed confrontation,’ it added. On Oct 14, the Congress party’s Tamil Nadu unit chief K.V. Thangkabalu had told IANS that a solution to the vexed issue could only be within the ambit of a united Sri Lanka through peaceful means, though it agreed to the all party meeting’s decision for MPs from Tamil Nadu resigning from parliament en masse.Tamil Nadu’s main opposition AIADMK had termed the all-party meet as a ’stunt’ and asked the ruling DMK to sacrifice power if it was serious about solving the issue.Its leader J. Jayalalitha has repeatedly stated that her party is strongly opposed secessionist tendencies in any nation and that the banned LTTE draws its power through terrorist violence.So far 16 Lok Sabha MPs and four members of the Rajya Sabha belonging to the DMK have handed in their post-dated resignations to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.Karunanidhi, who had announced Saturday that the resignations would be handed over to the appropriate authorities Oct 29 if no steps were taken by the Manmohan Singh government to end the alleged killings of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka, Monday welcomed the moves of the central government Monday. India's External Affairs Minister accept Sri Lanka's invitation India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has reportedly accepted an invitation to visit Sri Lanka extended by his counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama last Saturday.Officials of the Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Ministry said while the invitation was accepted no dates have been fixed yet for Mukherjee ‘s visit.Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said Mukherjee will visit the country before the October 29 deadline, which the Tamil Nadu political parties gave the central government to stop the war in Sri Lanka.Main goal of the Indian Minister’s visit to Sri Lanka is to discuss the ongoing conflict in the North. India must intervene to resolve Sri Lankan conflict: PMK Mounting pressure on the Centre over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, the PMK on Monday said India should intervene to resolve the ethnic conflict in the island nation like it did in liberating Bangladesh and Tibet."India cannot give up its responsibility by saying that it cannot intervene in the internal affairs of another country. It did intervene to help the people of East Pakistan and create Bangladesh."India never bothered about the mighty China when it decided to lend a helping hand to the Dalai Lama and his supporters," party founder S Ramadoss told reporters here.Describing the LTTE as an organisation fighting for the "liberation of Tamils", he said nobody can prevent the formation of a separate Tamil Eelam, which is the ultimate solution for the decades-old ethnic conflict."LTTE is a liberation movement, not a terrorist movement," he said.He said time has come for India to express in clear terms that it cannot allow the "killings of innocent Tamils.""India should tell the Sri Lankan Government to stop the war and initiate the process for a political settlement. It should also stop all forms of assistance to the Sri Lankan Army," Ramadoss said.He said New Delhi must exert "more pressure" on Colombo to spell out the political settlement which the Sri Lankan Government had not made public for the past 50 years. Sri Lanka government to lose 40 billion rupees of revenue this year Sri Lankan analysts recently stated that currant economic stagnation that hinders the country's development programs is expected to create an estimated revenue loss of 40 billion rupees by the end of this year.Department of Inland Revenue recently calculating the revenue loss for the first 8 months of this year has reported a loss of 38.5 billion rupees which is expected to reach 40 billion rupees during the next two months. Despite setting monthly targets totaling 260.4 billion rupees until August of this year, the Department of Inland Revenue says the revenue collection has been bad and have ended up collecting only 221.9 billion rupees.According to Finance Ministry sources, Minister of Finance and State Revenue, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya having found problems with the Department's efficiency in collecting revenue has raised the target by 24 per cent for this year to reach 410.2 billion rupees in shouldering the high expenses of the United People's Freedom Alliance government. Karnataka Tamils urge Delhi to recognise Eelam Stop the war, withdraw military assistance, recognise Eelam Tamils right to self determination and extend recognition to Tamil Eelam as India recognised the right to self determination of Bengalees in East Pakistan, said a memorandum issued by Karnataka Thamizhar Makkal Iyakkam (KTMI), which held a sit in (Dharna) agitation before the Gandhi statue on the M. G. Road in Bangalore on Monday. "It is history that when Pakistan committed a genocide of comparatively lesser scale on the Bengalees in the erstwhile East Pakistan, the Indian State intervened to redeem the Bengalees to earn their right to self-determination. So, we Tamils plead that a similar role could be played having in mind the geo-political interest of India as a regional power," said the memorandum, which was addressed to the Prime Minister of India and submitted to the Governor of Karnataka, the organisors said. Full text of their appeal follows: 20th October 2008 Dr. Manmohan Singh (Through His Excellency the Governor of Karnataka, Bangalore) Dear Sir, Stop the genocidal State terrorist violence on Eelam Tamils This memorandum of ours is on the premeditated war let loose on the innocent Tamil civilians by the Srilankan State that is being driven by the Mahavamsa psyche of establishing an exclusively Sinhala and Buddhist theocratic State through the violent means of ethnic cleansing. Now it is an all out war on the Tamils, and no day passes without some news or other leaking out in spite of a total black out by the Sinhala State by not allowing the world's press media to be a witness and report on them. You are indeed aware that food to the uprooted Tamils living without roofs over them is being used as a weapon to starve them out and make them to move into the government controlled areas. If allowed, the Tamils fleeing to Tamilnadu would be in spates as refugees crossing the sea. Tamils face the inhuman and indiscriminate bombing missions of MIG27, MIG 29 and Kfir sorties. The attack is primarily aimed at the house dwellings, schools and other building utilities of the innocent civilians, be it children, women and aged. The pitch of the outrage is that of denying medicines and medical facilities to those internally displaced civilians. You may be aware that aiding the genocidal Sinhala State, militarily or otherwise, amounts to being an active and willing accomplice in exterminating the Tamils as a linguistic nationality and denying them their basic human right of the right to self-determination. It is indeed history that when Pakistan committed a genocide of comparatively lesser scale on the Bengalees in the erstwhile East Pakistan, the Indian State intervened to redeem the Bengalees to earn their right to self-determination. So, we Tamils plead that a similar role could be played having in mind the geo-political interest of India as a regional power. It is indeed a puzzle for the Tamils here to see the intriguing and persisting silence on the part of the Indian Government in not taking any action, whatsoever, when the Srilankan Navy killed more than 300 fishermen of Tamilnadu over years; and it did not even demand that the Srilankan Government pay due compensation to the kith and kin of the deceased or maimed Tamil fishermen. We the Tamils in Karnataka therefore plead before your esteemed office to Yours truly, C. Rajan Arockianathan Govt. urged to act against Chandrasekaran The Sigala chauvinistic JHU has demanded immediate action against government minister Periyasami Chandrasekaran for his 'traitorous act' of supporting the Tamil Nadu chief minister against the war in northern Sri Lanka.Minister Chandrasekaran had committed a very serious, treacherous act, and he should be dealt with under Clause 157 of the Constitution, said JHU spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe.Mr. Warnasinghe told 'Lanka Dissent' that his party would keep a close watch on what action the President would take against the minister.Speaking further, the spokesman alleged the Upcountry People's Front leader was a close friend of the LTTE and its leader Prabhakaran, and was raising its head in the cabinet to get the estate sector's control for the Tigers.Meanwhile, JHU breakaway Bodu Bala Sena says in a statement that legal action should be initiated against Minister Chandrasekaran.It also says TNA MPs should be stripped of their parliamentary seats for having provoked Tamil Nadu against Sri Lanka's government.The offensive to defeat the Tiger should continue and no political solutions should be presented at the insistence of India or any other country, said the statement signed by chairman of Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera. 20 October 2008 Gotabhaya leads defence delegation to Pakistan A Sri Lankan defence delegation led by Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is to visit Pakistan next week, according to official Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).The Sri Lankan delegation will hold meetings with Pakistan Defense Secretary Kamran Rasool and other senior military and defence officials of Pakistan, reported APP.This is amidst mounting political pressure in Tamil Nadu, India, on the Sri Lankan Tamil conflict and against the ongoing war.The delegation is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan on Oct. 21st and the official visit will last for five days, reports APP. Abducted politician 'escapes torturers' "More abductions" Relatives of Selliah Mahendran Ravi of Eluwankulama have lodged a complaint of abduction with Wanathavilluwa policed station on the first of October.Puttlam police have also received a complaint that Mohammed Marikkar of Karamba has also being abducted two weeks ago.Both have not yet returned home.Mr. Mahalingam told BBC Sandeshaya that "a Tamil boy from Eluwankulama and a Muslim boy from Karamba" were those who managed to escape with him.UNP parliamentarian Palitha Range Bandara told BBC Sandeshaya that the failure of police to take immediate action despite of being immediately informed by the family raises suspicions. "Highest level" MP Bandara, a former policeman himself, said the Udappuwa police station and army camp is situated "within 500m of the place where Mr. Mahalingam was abducted".Family members of the abducted regional politician has lodged a complaint with the Udappuwa police, said MP Range Bandara."There are many other police stations on the way through which he was taken to the hiding place," he said.After escaping from the abductees, Mr. Mahalingam said, he "was instructed by Mundalama police to go into hiding"."The fact that the police failed to provide security and get him to the hospital and did not conduct a search despite information being available means there is a link at the highest level," parliamentarian Range Bandara, added.Police spokesman, SSP Ranjith Gunasekara, told BBC Sandeshaya that police have not ruled out any possibility.“The investigations are focused on whether it is a personal dispute, attempt to take ransom or the abduction was carried out by the police,” he said. Strategic Vannerikulam Finally Falls to Troops After days of continuous fighting the troops yesterday captured the strategic Vannerikkulam area located South-West of the LTTE administrative capital of Kilinochchi, striking a heavy blow to the retreating Tiger cadres, the Media Centre for National Security said. According to military sources the troops of the 58 Division led by Brigadier Shavendra Silva took complete control of the area which was formerly a well fortified LTTE stronghold.The MCNS said the troops completely cleared a 10-kilometre stretch of the earth bund from Pandiveddikulam area west to Akkarayankulam, as the army captured the remaining stretch of the area by yesterday afternoon.The clearing of the remaining kilometer of the Vannerikkulam Tank covered the whole length of the Akkarayankulam - Nachchikuda Road. Simultaneous confrontations in the North-East of Vannerikkulam deprived the LTTE of Adampanmoddai area also where the intermittent fighting is still on, the MCNS reported.Meanwhile the Army’s 57 Division troops cut through the LTTE-built earth bund in Akkarayankulam, the Tigers last major defence in the South of Kilinochchi built up, the Defence Ministry said. After overcoming the earth bund troops dominated about a 3-km stretch on the earth bund and captured 19 heavily fortified LTTE bunkers during an offensive that began on Saturday morning. Troops launched the offensive around 5.45 a.m. with two main thrusts attacking the west and the east of the Akkarayankulam tank. Army infantrymen moving from the west of the tank scored a major success against the Tigers with the capture of a 2 km stretch on the earth bund and 19 bunkers. Meanwhile, troops moving from the east of Akkarayankulam tank had to slowdown their advance at the initial stages as the LTTE launched poisonous gas attacks at them. However, troops withstood the chemical attack and beat the terrorists, dominating about 1 km stretch on the LTTE earth bund. There were no clear casualty figures available. At present, troops were moving in to the LTTE hiding areas in the north of Akkarayankulam tank. Meanwhile, Task Force I troops deployed on the left flank of the 57 Division, moved further into the Nachchikuda LTTE stronghold. Troops had daylong clashes in the Nachchikudha, Vannerikulam and Manniyakkulam areas and claimed heavy damages to the Tigers. Nachchikuda is the last major foothold of the Tigers on the northwestern coast that gave the vital life line for supplies that come across the Palk Straits. MPs’ resignations: Karunanidhi decides to wait till October 28 CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Sunday said he would hold on to the resignation letters of DMK MPs till October 28, the deadline set by the all-party meeting to the Centre to end the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka.Talking to reporters after DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran handed over his resignation to the Chief Minister, Mr. Karunanidhi said the all-party meeting held on October 14 had fixed two weeks time for the Centre to act.Asked whether Mr. Maran and the DMK had come together in the interests of the Tamils, all he would say was all the political parties had come together to speak with one voice in support of the Sri Lankan Tamils. Those who had not come together to express solidarity stood exposed, he said. The Chief Minister refused to attach any importance to his meeting with Mr. Maran, saying it was yet another meeting. Strong message Mr Maran said the resignation of the MPs would send a strong message against the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.To a question whether the meeting would improve the relations with the DMK, he said: “Let us hope so.”He dismissed as baseless speculation the reports that he was planning to launch a forum in the name of his father, Murasoli Maran.Later, responding to those who questioned the contribution of the DMK for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils, the Chief Minister, in a statement, recalled various agitations, rallies and meeting organised by the party since 1981.Mr. Karunanidhi also recalled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa’s statement in 1997 accusing the DMK government of creating law and order problems by allowing the LTTE re-entry into Tamil Nadu. Ms Jayalalithaa’s remarks evoked a strong reaction from PMK leader S. Ramadoss, who defended the DMK government, the Chief Minister said.Reacting to Ms Jayalalithaa’s allegation that the human chain the DMK and its allies would be organising on October 21 would not serve any purpose, he said the protest would tell the world that people in Tamil Nadu were shedding tears for the Sri Lankan Tamils.“It will urge the Indian government to take steps to put an end to the atrocities against the Tamils,” he said and called upon the party workers to take part in the human chain in large numbers.The PMK will participate in the human chain to be held near the office of the DMS in the city, a press release from the DMK headquarters said. Another LTTE attack on soldiers in Yala sanctuary in Sri Lanka Suspected Tamil Tigers hiding in the Yala Wild Life Park in southeastern Sri Lanka have attacked a group of army soldiers who were on patrol in the area.A soldier was injured due to the attack and admitted to the Hambantota hospital, sources said.This is the second attack by the Tiger rebels in less than 48 hours in Yala. An injured soldier in yesterday’s attack succumbed to his injuries while another injured soldier is still receiving treatments. Search operations are underway, the military said. Karuna asks Pillayan to discipline his cadres TMVP leader MP Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman yesterday instructed Eastern Provincial Council Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan to instill discipline among cadres loyal to him.Mr. Muralitharan was commenting on the tense situation that prevailed in Batticaloa between cadres loyal to him and Mr. Chandrakanthan. “I have appointed one of our senior members, Jeyam, to look after all the cadres. We have to attend to different tasks today. But, there are some cadres faithful to the Chief Minister. Even Jeyam cannot control them at times. So, I asked Mr. Chandrakanthan to maintain discipline among the cadres,” he said.In the meantime, the TMVP held its central committee meeting in Batticaloa yesterday sans MP Muralitharan. Party spokesman Azad Maulana said his party had discussed the situation in Tamil Nadu. He said his party had decided at the meeting to convey a message to the Indian government saying the grievances of the Wanni people should be addressed immediately while crushing terrorism. “We have to wipe out terrorism. At the same time, we have to look after the people. The TMVP is also interested in addressing the humanitarian issues of Wanni people. But, terrorism should not be allowed to raise its ugly head,” he said. Asked why MP Muralitharan did not participate in the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, he said that it was due to security concerns.In contrast to Mr. Maulana’s statement, Mr. Muralitharan said that it was not a central committee meeting that was held. “Most of our senior members are out of Batticaloa. Therefore, they cannot hold a central committee meeting,” he told Daily Mirror. JVP had contacts with LTTE The JVP, in spite of its much flaunted anti-separatist postures which even led to its breakaway from the present government in 2005 in protest against President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s offer to share tsunami aid with the Tigers, had contacts with the LTTE during the height of southern terrorism in the late 1980s, Head of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Intelligence Col. R. Hariharan (retd.) has revealed.Col. Hariharan in an article, Intelligence in India’s Sri Lanka War (see page 07 for full text) highlighting the odds against which the IPKF had conducted its operations in Sri Lanka points out that one of the three strategic developments which the IPKF thought would destabilise its operations was the contacts between the LTTE and the JVP.He says: "At the field level, OFC MI [Operational Force Command Military Intelligence] had set itself the task of keeping abreast of three strategic developments that could destabilise the IPKF operations. These were: The acquisition of MANPADS [Man Portable Air Defence Systems] by the LTTE, contacts between the LTTE and the Marxist Sinhala militant group Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) operating in the other parts of Sri Lanka and collaboration between the LTTE and elements of the Government of Sri Lanka."Col. Hariharan does not elaborate on the links between the LTTT and the JVP but according to sources who conducted counter terror operations in the southern parts of the country, it was at the feet of the northern terrorists that the JVP killer squads mastered the landmine technology, having tried their hand at mine attacks on politicians, the police and the armed forces personnel without much success. Towards the end of the JVP’s terror spree, southern terrorists were able to carry out mine attacks with devastating accuracy.There have been no confrontations between the LTTE and the JVP, though they have been critical of each other.However, after its re-emergence following decapitation at the hands of the Premadasa regime in 1989, the JVP became the most vociferous opponent of the peace processes under the Kumaratunga government and the UNF government.It has been advocating the eradication of LTTE terrorism at any cost. Its advocacy of a military solution was the main reason why it decided to support the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at the 2005 Presidential Elections. JVP protests Indian role Telephone conversation Mr. Rajapaksa has informed Dr. Singh that Sri Lanka "is mindful and appreciative of the concerns of India regarding the situation in the North, and aware of the context in which these matters have been raised"."Consequent to this discussion, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama has invited the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Pranab Mukherjee to undertake a visit to Sri Lanka at an early date," a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Saturday said.The JVP accuses India of trying to "gain political or economic advantage", by raising concern over Sri Lanka's internal affairs.When questioned as to why the JVP requested Indian help during the Norwegian brokered peace process, Tilvin Silva said the party was requesting the help of the region, not only from India."And Mr. Narayanan has admitted that the cease fire agreement was written in India," he added.The JVP pledged that it will "keep protesting against India's role through democratic means".JVP parliamentary group leader, Anura Kumara Dissananyake, MP, and propaganda secretary, Vijitha Herath, MP, also attended the press briefing. Tamil film industry protests killings in Sri Lanka RAMESWARAM: Even as a few leading Tamil actors stayed away from the protest rally, a large number of artistes and directors of the Tamil film industry staged a protest here on Sunday against the killing of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka.Led by director Bharatiraaja and producer Rama Narayanan, they took out a rally from the Agnitheertha Kadarkarai to Kilakadu ground near the bus stand. Members of about 25 associations of the industry took part in the rally that went along the important roads of the island town amid tight security. Agony of Tamils Wearing black shirts, black badges, the protesters shouted slogans against the Sri Lankan government for waging a war against the Tamils. Many carried placards and banners highlighting the suffering and agony of Tamils in the island nation. A few placards urged Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to respect “human rights” and international conventions to be followed to protect citizens.A group burnt the effigy of the Sri Lankan President at Thittakudi junction.Later, they held a meeting at the Kilakadu ground in which most of the speakers urged the Central government to use its good offices to persuade Sri Lanka to stop the war immediately and put an end to the suffering of Tamils, majority of whom are of Indian origin.Lyricist Vairamuthu charged that he had information that Mr. Rajapaksa was continuing the war as the aggression against Tamils would fetch votes for his party to come back to power. It had not respected the basic and prime duty of a popular government to protect its own people. The people of Tamil Nadu would not abandon their brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka, he said.Director S.A. Chandrasekaran justified the choice of Rameswaram for the protest, saying this was the right place to agitate against the Sri Lankan government as it was very close to the island nation. Reports said there were differences in the film fraternity over holding the the place.While director K.S. Ravi Kumar said the United Nations should intervene in the Sri Lankan affairs to save Tamils, who had become refugees in their own country, director Amir charged that the Central government was also one of the reasons for the current problem in Sri Lanka. He criticised it for secretly supplying radars to the island nation and providing training to its Army personnel. CM praised A few speakers appreciated the ultimatum given by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to the Central government to stop the war in Sri Lanka.Among actors, directors and producers who spoke were Vadivelu, Vijaya T. Rajender, Parthiban, Pandiarajan, Mansoor Ali Khan, Livingstone, Cheran, Karunas, Kovai Thambi, Kalaipuli Dhanu, and K.T. Kunjumon. More Lankans seek asylum: UN 19 October 2008 Sri Lankan Tamil Party TELO Leaders seek India's intervention Sri Lankan Tamil leaders on Sunday, said their doors for negotiations for solving the ethnic conflict are still open and that they are ready for any "acceptable political solution" within the framework of a united country. The leaders, currently camping in India, welcomed Prime Minister's statement asking Sri Lanka to settle the ethnic issue through dialogue. "It is a political conflict and a solution to it should be political. Not a military one. The solution should be politically negotiated. "We ask the Sri Lankan government to address the issue and are ready for any acceptable political solution that addresses the basic aspirations of the Tamil people, which can be had within the framework of a united country," TELO Jaffna MP and lawyer N Srikantha said. He said India should provide humanitarian assistance to civilian Tamils caught in the crossfire between the Sri Lankan Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). However, another TELO Leader MP M K Sivajilingam said the Tamil leaders and the people are ready to accept any "solution which helps them to attain self-determination". "We are ready for a solution. But the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government is not willing to even devolve powers for the Tamil community. Even the much-talked Devolution Package will not do any good to the minority Tamil population," he said. Welcoming Singh's statement, Srikantha said, "It (Singh's statement) is a good beginning in the right direction. We welcome his statement. We, the Sri Lankan Tamils, want India to play a larger role to resolve the ethnic conflict." The two sides cannot go on fighting on like this. Just think about the plight of the innocent Tamils. It is the Tamils who are caught in the fight between the Sri Lankan troops and the LTTE," Srikantha said.The Tamil MP said he is looking forward to "India to put its foot down and tell the Sri Lankan government to halt the ongoing military offensive that has caused immense loss of lives and hardships to people caught between the two warring groups - LTTE and the Sri Lankan Army in the Wanni region"."The people are in need of an urgent guarantee for their lives. Only a ceasefire can bring some respite to the people in Sri Lanka,"TELO MP Srikantha said. TELO Leader Sivajilingam said the Tamil parties and the community members in Sri Lanka welcome the Indian Prime Minister's comments asking the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government to address the issue through dialogue."We want India to intervene in the decades-old ethnic conflict in which Tamils are being targeted. We cannot ask help from anyone else other than India," TELO MP Sivajilingam said.The TELO MPs also made it clear that they are not "supporting the cause of Tamil Tigers, but that of the Tamils in the northern region"."We are not asking India's intervention into the ethnic issue on behalf of the LTTE. We are requesting all these for the welfare of the Tamils who elected us," TELO MP Srikantha said. Sri Lanka Destroys `Last Major' Rebel Fortification Sri Lankan soldiers overran the ``last major'' Tamil Tiger fortification in the rebel headquarters district of Kilinochchi in a battle that killed ``several'' soldiers, the defence ministry said. The military offensive in the South Asian country's Northern Province took place yesterday, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement posted on its Web site. The soldiers attacked from east and west of Akkarayankulam tank, in the south of Kilinochchi district, capturing 19 bunkers in a three- kilometer (1.9 mile) stretch of the rebel territory, the ministry said. Troops moving from the east of Akkarayankulam tanks had to slow down during the initial stages as the rebels attacked with ``gas,'' according to the statement. ``Many soldiers suffered injuries in this battle and casualties came from booby traps, mines and mortar fire.'' Thousands of civilians have left their homes in the past four months as the army advanced toward the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam headquarters in the Wanni area, trying to end the 25-year conflict. The Tamil Tigers, who are fighting for a separate homeland, were driven from the eastern region last year and now hold bases only in the north. Life Line Soldiers are also attacking LTTE positions in the Nachchikudha, Vannerikulam and Manniyakkulam areas in the northern district, according to the statement. The bases are a ``vital life line'' for the LTTE across the Palk Strait, the ministry said. The rebels suffered ``heavy casualties'' during two clashes with soldiers in northern Mullaittivu district yesterday, the Media Centre for National Security said in a statement posted on its Web Site. The army was within 2 kilometers of the rebels' headquarters in Kilinochchi town, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said on Oct. 5. The fighting has prevented a relief convoy of 50 trucks from reaching the country's north to bring food to an estimated 230,000 displaced civilians, the United Nations said on Oct. 17. The military blamed the rebels for targeting the convoy's routes, while the LTTE said soldiers destroyed two bridges. The government's intention of denying food to people of Wanni is ``abundantly clear,'' the LTTE said in a statement. Seeking Safety India is concerned about the plight of civilians displaced by the fighting in northern Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said yesterday after a telephone conversation with Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In order to address the humanitarian situation, ``continued and uninterrupted relief supplies'' need to be ensured for the displaced people, Singh said, according to an e-mailed statement. Rajapaksa assured Singh that all necessary measures were being taken to ensure the ``safety and wellbeing'' of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, according to the statement. Tamil lawmakers in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu said earlier this week they will resign from the national Parliament within two weeks unless Singh's government presses Sri Lanka to stop the army offensive against the LTTE that is harming civilians. ``Tamil Nadu should not request that'' because Sri Lanka is fighting terrorism and not Tamils, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the country's defence secretary said in a statement. ``They must understand the ground realities. Here, we are trying to safeguard Tamils from the clutches of the LTTE.'' At least 13 Indian lawmakers submitted their resignations to their party leader M. Karunanidhi on Oct. 17, the Press Trust of India reported. The resignation letters are dated Oct. 29, when the deadline ends, PTI said. The state is home to some 73,000 Sri Lankan refugees, most of them ethnic Tamils, according to the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Mukherjee likely to visit Sri Lanka to discuss Tamil issue External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to undertake a visit here shortly to discuss the situation arising out of the military offensive in LTTE-held north, sources said on Saturday. The decision in this regard is understood to have been reached during a telephonic conversation between Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday. The two leaders are believed to have decided that Mukherjee will meet the Sri Lankan leaders here and assess the situation, the sources said. Rajapaksa, who called up Singh in a bid to allay India's concern over the situation in Sri Lanka, told the Prime Minister that the military operation in the north is "in no way directed against civilians," the sources said. He told Singh it was the desire of his government to bring about normalcy as early as possible. The two leaders discussed the issue of displacement of Tamil civilians in the north of the country with Rajapaksa assuring Singh that the displaced Tamil civilians caught in the war between the Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE would be rehabilitated as soon as possible. He said in fact there were more internally displaced persons in the east which is being quickly addressed. Singh, on his part, expressed concern over the plight of Tamil civilians in the north, the sources said, adding he wanted the issued to be fully addressed. SLA post in Kathirkaamam attacked Armed men attacked a Sri Lanka Army post in Kathirkaamam (Kataragama) in Hambantota district Sunday morning around 8:00 a.m., gunning down an SLA soldier who was on duty at the post, according to initial reports. The attackers have removed an assault rifle and ammunitions from the checkpost, the sources added.Further details were not available at the moment. Troubleshooters to Delhi The Lankan version President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday reiterated that the security forces are under strict instructions to avoid causing any civilian casualties during military operations. The President reiterated his position during a telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said.The statement said President Rajapaksa briefed the Indian leader on the current situation in the North, “where the security forces are engaged in an operation to disarm the LTTE and restore democracy, peace and stability to the region. ““He also informed Dr. Singh that Sri Lanka is mindful and appreciative of the concerns of India regarding the situation in the North, and aware of the context in which these matters have been raised,” the statement said. Consequent to this discussion, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama has invited the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Pranab Mukherjee to undertake a visit to Sri Lanka at an early date, the statement said. It added that both leaders agreed to maintain a dialogue at a high political level, in keeping with the longstanding and excellent bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka. The Indian version Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed his “deep concern” to President Mahinda Rajapaksa over what he called the “deteriorating humanitarian situation in the north of Sri Lanka, especially the plight of the civilians caught in the hostilities,” it was announced yesterday.A statement from the Media Unit of the Prime Minister’s office in New Delhi came after President Rajapaksa telephoned Premier Singh. It said: “He [The Prime Minister] said that the safety and the security of these civilians must be safeguarded at all costs. The Prime Minister also said that, in order to address the humanitarian situation, continued and uninterrupted relief supplies be ensured for the Internally Displaced Persons. President Rajapaksa assured the Prime Minister that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.”“Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh further mentioned that the rights and the welfare of the Tamil community of Sri Lanka should not get enmeshed in the on-going hostilities against the LTTE. “He reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict and urged the President to start a political process for a peacefully negotiated political settlement within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. “He also emphasised the need to nurture the democratic process in the Eastern Province. “The Prime Minister asked President Rajapaksa to instruct the Sri Lankan Navy to desist from firing on Indian fishermen and reiterated that killing of fishermen is unacceptable. They agreed to work on practical arrangements to prevent such incidents.” Maran offers to quit as MP over Sri lanka conflict Congress worried over Lanka situation but does not support LTTE The Congress on Saturday said it was worried about the situation in Sri Lanka torn by ethnic strife, particularly about civilian casualties, but said it was not supporting the cause of LTTE or its chief Prabhakaran. "We are only concerned about the civilian casualties. We are not supporting the cause of LTTE and Prabhakaran. It is a banned organisation in India," Congress media department chief M Veerappa Moily told reporters. Asked whether the move by DMK MPs to resign within a fornight was a threat to the UPA government, Moily said they have only expressed their concern. To a question what the government can do beyond expressing concern, Moily said that in bilateral relations, such things do matter. APRC meeting twice a week to wrap-up ‘extensive devolution’ Despite the JHU and MEP continuing to keep out of the APRC process, the forum is meeting twice a week currently to lick into shape a package of ‘extensive devolution’ for the North-East. Until recently, the APRC met once a week only, APRC chairman and Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitarana told the ‘Sunday Island’. ‘A consensus has been reached among the parties to the talks, numbering around 14 or 15, on 90 percent of the substance of the final APRC proposal, which the forum would be going ahead and finalizing irrespective of the boycotts, while agreement is yet to be reached on ten percent of the issues taken up for deliberation’, the APRC chairman said. The APRC chairman added that although no definite date could be specified on as to when finality would be reached on the matters under discussion and the deliberative process brought to a close, considerable distance has been covered on separating central, provincial and local government powers. He said that an agenda had been drawn –up to discuss and reach agreement on the ten percent of the substantive issues on which consensus is yet to be reached.He said that the endorsement of the SLFP’s representative at the talks, Minister Prof. Wiswa Warnapala, would be sought on the substance of the deliberations on which consensus has already been reached, while the same consensual document would be sent to K.N. Choksy (M.P.) for his endorsement, as the UNP’s representative on matters pertaining to the APRC, although the UNP are yet not party to the talks.The minister explained that although initially the JVP and MEP insisted on the TMVP being made party to the talks, they began to stay away from the talks once the TMVP was brought in.Meanwhile, informed sources said that the reason for the JHU and MEP boycotting the APRC talks was their apprehension that the TMVP would not see eye-to-eye with them or ‘go along with them’ on issues at the heart of the talks. Although consensus had been reached at the talks on doing away with the Concurrent List under the 13th amendment, a number of issues pertaining to the subject of land remained to be cleared- up at the talks. Some of these are: mines, minerals, environment and forestry. It was pointed out that although these subjects are not directly synonymous with ‘land’ they have a close bearing on land powers and are, therefore, proving contentious at the talks. These sources pointed out that although initially the APRC’s Experts’ Panel had pointed out the need for a federal structure, this input was shelved for a unitary state proposition on the insistence of some powerful political personalities. Ready to pay any price: Karunanidhi CHENNAI: We are ready to pay any price to stop the annihilation of the Tamil race in Sri Lanka, whose future has become a question mark, said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi here on Saturday. In a statement, the Chief Minister said he was disturbed over the sufferings of the Sri Lankan Tamils. But there was a silver lining as both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had strongly backed the resolutions adopted at the all-party meet here on October 14. The Prime Minister in an interview had categorically said India had been pressing for a negotiated settlement in Sri Lanka as there could not be a military solution to the ethnic issue. The Prime Minister also expressed his concern over the harassment and killing of Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. This showed the Prime Minister’s support to the Tamils. Mr. Mukherjee in a statement on Thursday said the situation in the island was causing anxiety and innocent Tamils had become victims of circumstances for which they were not responsible. India wanted Sri Lanka to honour the rights of Tamils and no attempt should be made to prevent the movement of food and other essential commodities to them. He had reiterated that a political solution alone would satisfy the feelings of all people in Sri Lanka, Mr. Karunanidhi said.These statements, the Chief Minister said, had given hope that the Central government would step in to save the suffering Tamils in the island. Bomber’s final call from posh security zone Detectives have in a stunning revelation stated that the LTTE female suicide bomber who targeted Agriculture Minister Maithreepala Sirisena last week had received a phone call from someone in the VVIP High Security Zone (HSZ) in the Cinnamon Gardens police area in Colombo 7, moments before she detonated explosives strapped to herself at Boralesgamuwa. The Defense Secretary, Commanders of Security Forces, Inspector General of Police, Chief Justice and senior Ministers are resident in the HSZ. According to information unearthed so far, the bomber had been ‘handled’ by the person who had called her from the HSZ, a detective told Lakbimanews. They suspect that a Tiger operative who was present in Bandaragama when the minister left after the ceremony had contacted the person in the HSZ. This person had in turn passed on the information to the female suicide bomber and given her the target, according to the details on the SIM card of the bomber’s phone. During their investigations, the officers have been able to identify the location from which the bomber received her final phone call. Subsequent investigations have found that the location was a high security zone. After going through the phone records, investigative officers now have a strong suspicion that the whole attack had been planned by a Tiger operative from this high security zone. They are of the view that this is similar to the incident in which elements within the army had helped the LTTE terrorists carry out an attack targeting the army commander inside army headquarters. Intelligence agencies and the police have already commenced investigations to apprehend this person. It will be done with utmost secrecy. Though investigators have pieced together many details relating to the attack, our biggest challenge is to track down the Tiger handler in the Cinnamon Gardens high security zone, the detective said, “as lives of high ranking military officials and VIPs residing within that high security zone would be placed at enormous risk.’’ The race to Kilinochchi begins Fishermen protest outside Lanka Dy High Commission CHENNAI: Hundreds of fishermen from Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts were detained by the police after they tried to lay siege on the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission here on Saturday. They were protesting against the continuous firing on Tamil fishermen by the Lanka Navy and to express their solidarity with the Lankan Tamils.There was tension in the air as the fishermen tried to force their way into the deputy high commission office. They were blocked by the police.The protesters raised slogans against the Sri Lanka Navy for firing on innocent Tamil fishermen and against President Mahinda Rajapakse for allegedly killing unarmed Tamilians in the Wanni in the island nation.More than 100 fishermen were arrested on the charge of violating law and order.“If the Sri Lanka Navy does not stop firing on innocent Tamil fishermen, we will be forced to hold a demonstration near Colombo,” Kosumani of Tamizhaga Meenava Makkal Poratta Kuzhu told to this website's newspaper. Govt ready for talks with Tamil moderates The Government reiterated its willingness to negotiate with the Tamil political parties to resolve the national problem amidst the political ‘drama’ staged by Tamil Nadu politicians who were trying to force the Government to stop stepping into the Tiger heartland. This pre-election ‘love’ of Tamil Nadu for the Wanni civilians has been criticised by Indian and Lankan politicians who tagged it as a dubious act of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and called upon the Indian government not to intervene in Sri Lanka’s domestic policies to defeat the LTTE. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told the Sunday Observer that the Indian government was keen that Sri Lanka commences negotiations to resolve the problem and President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is committed to find a lasting solution through negotiations called the All Party Conference. He said that all political parties had been asked to present proposals and if they were acceptable the President would implement it. “The Government strongly believes that political problems should be solved politically and terrorism through military means”, Rajapaksa said adding that the President has directed the political parties to look beyond the 13th Amendment to resolve the problem. “But this Government will not sit with Vellupillai Prabhakaran or the LTTE for any negotiations until they lay down arms”, the Defence Secretary said explaining how the LTTE used every opportunity to resolve the national issue. He said that Prabhakaran had cheated five Presidents during the past twenty-five years and added that Prabhakaran ended each session after strengthening the outfit to procure arms and increase the manpower to attack the security forces. “It is total foolishness for anybody to talk to Prabhakaran or the LTTE now. Even the moderate Tamils say that the LTTE is not the sole representative of the Tamil people. There are moderate Tamil leaders in this country. They are the people with whom the Government should talk to”, he said. Defence Secretary Rajapaksa, who continuously insists on banning the LTTE said that he still advocates a ban on the LTTE. “I think not only the LTTE but its front organisations and those institutions who help the LTTE should also be banned in Sri Lanka”, he said. Fortnight period is not a deadline: Baalu Seeking to bring down the political temperature over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Union Minister and DMK leader T R Baalu on Saturday said the fortnight period given by parties in Tamil Nadu was not a "deadline" nor aimed at giving trouble to the Manmohan Singh Ministry. Baalu, a confidant of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patron M Karunanidhi, said the 14-day period announced after an all-party meet on October 14 was "not a deadline". "We are not pressurising the Centre. We are conveying our problem, our mental agony. Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is expecting some results within that time", he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. The all-party meeting here had decided that MPs from Tamil Nadu would quit if the Centre did not take any action to stop the Sri lankan Army's offensive in the North. "The decision to ask the MPs was not DMK's alone but the decision of parties which had attended the meeting", he said. Asked whether he was satisfied with the decision of DMK MPs to submit their resignation letters to Karunanidhi, he said there was no question of satisfaction or dissatisifaction. "We are the disciplined soldiers of Karunanidhi. His words are like mantras to us. We have only carried out his instructions", Baalu said. Rift within TMVP widens, Pillaiyan plays guessing game A split between the Tamil Makkal Vidudalai Puligal (TMVP) chief and parliamentarian Karuna Amman and Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivenesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan is imminent.All indications are that a sure coup d’etat is soon to follow with Pillaiyan threatening to walk away with his cadres and take over the leadership of the party.Pillaiyan, according to confidential sources, is expected to inform Karuna of his decision to either remain in the party or quit, today October 19.Since the appointment of Pillaiyan as the Chief Minister, it is learnt he has gradually become popular and powerful thus posing a severe threat to the TMVP leadership.It is also learnt that Pillaiyan has mustered substantial support from the people of the east, sufficient enough to stake a claim for the leadership of the party. Problem The problem between Karuna and Pillaiyan that has been brewing for quite some time has now reached a gigantic proportion and it culminated with the issue over TMVP’s printing press on Friday.The printing press was purchased by Karuna about two years ago.The press has been publishing a weekly called ‘Thamil Allai’ (Tamil Waves).It was last week that Gopi, who runs and edits the newspaper, placed a picture of Karuna Amman on its front page that had led to a row between Karuna and Pillaiyan. Following the publication of the picture, Pillaiyan had walked into the press with his armed cadres and had allegedly confiscated the printed materials. Some sources say Pillaiyan had even burnt all the copies. Severely reprimanding Gopi, Pillaiyan had walked out, threatening to seal the press if Gopi failed to publish stories and pictures of him in the newspaper. Upon hearing this, Karuna had arrived in Batticaloa to find out what had happened.He had summoned both Gopi and Pillaiyan and during an inquiry Karuna had found out that Pillaiyan was displeased over his (Karuna’s) picture on the front page of the Tamil weekly. It is learnt that Karuna had taken full control of the printing press and had asked Pillaiyan to stay away from it.Later, Karuna and Pillaiyan had a one to one chat to sort out outstanding matters.According to well informed sources, both had locked horns over several issues. It is learnt Pillaiyan had even told Karuna that he is willing no more to carry out orders as he was now the chief minister of the province. Deadlock The discussion between both Pillaiyan and Karuna on Friday had ended inconclusively.Sources said a deadlock remained now and soon both leaders might go their own ways, contrary to the promise given to the eastern Tamils that they will stick together to salvage the east from the depths it has fallen into.At one instance Karuna had asked Pillaiyan during Friday’s conversation, whether he was willing to remain in the party and continue as his deputy? Pillaiyan had responded saying he will now have to seriously consider it. He had also told Karuna that he would inform him of his decision today (19).It is likely that Pillaiyan and Karuna will fall apart owing to their own political ideologies. East tensed Following this incident the east has become tense. Informed sources said TMVP cadres are found carrying heavy weapons. They are seen outside every office, an act that is illegal according to the law.The police had given strict instructions to the TMVP cadres that they could only be seen with arms inside their bases. However, civilians from Batticaloa told The Nation yesterday that TMVP cadres were seen carrying heavy arms outside their offices.Journalists based in the east told The Nation that they had been followed by white vans after they contributed articles to Thamil Allai.They said an investigation had revealed that the white vans belonged to Pillaiyan faction of the TMVP. Recently a female journalist called Radhika was also shot at for contributing to Thamil Allai.Meanwhile sources from Karuna faction accused Pillaiyan of killing six men after Karuna migrated to London.According to them TMVP cadres, who had been loyal to Karuna, were gunned down during Karuna’s incarceration in London.They were Thileepan, Satheeban, Karunakaran, Sinnarasa, Chandiran and Selvendran.They have also accused another TMVP cadre, loyal to Pillaiyan, to have established links with the LTTE.The sources said a cadre named Seelan is at present having negotiations with some of the LTTE members in Tamil Nadu where some members of the TNA are also holding discussions with Tamil Nadu politicians. Karuna’s reaction Confirming the problem that had surfaced, Karuna however denied speculation that there would be a major split between him and his deputy.He told The Nation that he visited the east to sort out the problem regarding the printing press.“But I am trying to solve the problems amicably. I want to serve the people and not interested in fighting any more,” he said. 18 October 2008 India summons Sri Lankan envoy, asks Colombo to end violence With the political temperature rising in Tamil Nadu over the situation in Sri Lanka, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon Friday summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner C.R. Jayasinghe and asked Colombo to "take steps" to stop the violence that has severely affected Tamil civilians in the island nation."India expressed grave concerns over the ongoing violence in Sri Lanka. He asked Colombo to take concrete steps to stop the military offensive in Sri Lanka," an official source said after Menon summoned Jayasinghe to South Block, the seat of the external affairs ministry, to register India's unhappiness with the situation in Sri Lanka.This is the third message from New Delhi to Colombo in the last three days.With 38 Tamil Nadu MPs threatening to resign en masse if the violence against innocent Tamils is not stopped in Sri Lanka, Menon again impressed upon Colombo to pursue a negotiated political solution, rather than continue with military means to settle the decades-old ethnic feud.Menon also asked Colombo to ensure that the harassment and killing of Indian fishermen in neighbouring areas are stopped forthwith.Menon's decision to summon the Sri Lankan envoy comes a day after President Mahinda Rajapaksa told The Hindu newspaper that his government was committed to finding "a just and enduring solution to the Tamil question in Sri Lanka."This shows New Delhi's growing impatience with Colombo over the way the Sri Lankan government has launched its biggest ever offensive against the Tamil Tigers, leading to much hardship and suffering for civilians caught in the crossfire, the source said.External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had sent a stern message to Colombo Thursday asking it to shun "military means" and pursue a political settlement that respects the human rights of minorities in the island nation."It is essential that their rights be respected, that they be immune from attacks, and that food and other essential supplies be allowed to reach them," Mukherjee said.In a clear warning to Colombo, Mukherjee said the Indian government would 'do all in its power to achieve this goal and to ameliorate the humanitarian conditions in Sri Lanka'.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday had asked Sri Lanka to de-escalate hostilities and pursue a negotiated political settlement. Troops encircle Nachchikuda Sea Tiger base Task Force 1 troops cut-off the Mannar- Pooneryn (A-32) road at a point eight Kilometres north of Nachchikuda yesterday, Defence Ministry officials said. They said with this strategic move the main Sea Tiger stronghold on the northwestern coast has been virtually encircled.The officials said the troops were now engaged in mopping up operations and moving towards Nachchikuda from Pallawarayankaddu south. The troops launched their offensive to take control of the strategically vital northwestern coast in September last year. Opening the Mannar front troops advanced for about 40 kilometres along the A-32 road, liberating Vidataltivu, Kalliyadi, Iluppaikadavai, Mundanpiddi and Vellankulam towns and entered the Kilinochchi district. Following the opening of the Kilinochchi front, troops cleared the LTTE-built 18-kilometre earth bund stretching from Nachchikuda to Akkarayankulm. The troops tactically bypassed the Nachchikuda LTTE stronghold from the west of A-32 road and moved further into Vannerikulam and Manniyankulam before approaching the coast. Defence sources said the LTTE is on the verge of losing their vital Sea Tiger stronghold in Nachchikuda. Buddhist conference against TN protests – Sinhala Buddhist chauvinistic JHU The anti Tamil JHU says it would establish an international Buddhist conference to create awareness on the pressures of the extremist Tamil Nadu politicians against the war offensives to eradicate terrorism in Sri Lanka.Speaking to ‘Lanka Dissent’, JHU media spokesman, Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said that the JHU considered the pressures of Tamil Nadu threatened the sovereignty of an independent state.Condemning the move, the party also considered it to be against the International Charter, he added.Noting that such pressures would also threaten Indo - Sri Lankan relations, the JHU spokesman said that war offensives in the north could be stopped if the LTTE laid down their weapons and mutually agreed to a peaceful solution.He also added that evolution of power was not a solution for terrorism. A new born national committee says that the war will be OK if power is devoloved to Provincial Councils The National Committee for Implementation of 13th Amendment says that LTTE terrorism should be defeated and a political solution should be sought through power devolution. A convener of the aforesaid committee Minister Rajitha Senarathna said that the committee comprised of a number of Ministers came to this decision at a meeting held in the Ministry of Construction and Engineering Services. The conveners of the committee are Minister Dilan Perera, Western provincial Council Chief Minister Reginald Cooray and Ranjith Navarathna. The committee appreciated the re-establishment of the Eastern Provincial Council under Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan. The committee decided to request from the President to activate the 13th amendment to the constitution and seek a solution to the ethnic problem. Minister Senarathna said that the committee expressed the idea that defeating LTTE is correct if political solution is granted in this manner. Commenting on the agitations in Tamil Nadu, the Minister said that both the state council as well as the central government of India are urging for a political solution. Minister Rajitha Senarathna said that a special committee would meet on Friday the 24th to submit a proposal to the President. Ministers D.E.W. Gunasekara, Thissa Vitharana, Presidential Adviser Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Southern Province Minister Piyasiri, Eastern Provincial Council Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, Eastern Provincial Council Minister Hisbulla, Ranjith Navarathna and Kumar Rupasinghe participated in the discussion. “Jayalalithaa standing in the way of Tamil unity” CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Friday joined issue with AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa, saying she was standing in the way of Tamil unity on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.Reacting to her allegation that Mr. Karunanidhi was trying to protect the LTTE, he said whenever the Tamils in Tamil Nadu had rallied together in support of the Sri Lankan Tamils, some persons tried to spoil it. “Ms Jayalalithaa is one among them and the Tamils should keep it in mind.” Mr. Karunanidhi wondered why MDMK leader Vaiko, who shed tears for Sri Lankan Tamils and visited the Vavuniya forest, had not objected to Ms. Jayalalithaa’s remarks.Recalling various measures taken by the DMK government in 1989 to help the children of the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, the Chief Minister said they had been allotted 20 medical seats, 40 engineering seats, 10 seats in agriculture colleges and 40 seats in polytechnics.“But, Ms Jayalalithaa cancelled this arrangement when the AIADMK assumed office in 1991. The DMK government restored the earlier order in 1996. She is issuing statements thinking that people of the State would have forgotten her government’s decisions,” he added. Interim order against east CM India can intervene in Sri Lanka: Karunanidhi Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said Friday night that India could certainly intervene in Sri Lanka to alleviate the sufferings of Tamil minorities there, in the same way it did in then East Pakistan in 1971.'Did India not intervene in Bangladesh when needed?', the DMK chief told reporters when asked how India could intervene in the affairs of a foreign nation. He was referring to the 1971 India-Pakistan war that led to the creation of a separate nation of Bangladesh.Karunanidhi was speaking to media persons after 14 party Lok Sabha MPs, including central ministers T.R. Baalu and A. Raja, handed over post-dated resignation letters to him demanding an end to the violence in Sri Lanka.'The decision about the resignations will be taken finally on oct 28, if the situation does not improve,' the veteran leader said.The resignations came even as the central government asked Sri Lanka to halt its military offensive against the Tamil Tigers in the island nation.Earlier in the evening, the ruling DMK had announced that four of its Rajya Sabha MPs had submitted post-dated resignation letters to Karunanidhi on the issue.A party spokesperson said: 'We have great faith in the United Progressive Alliance leadership at the centre and hope the suffering of our brethren in the island will end soon.'Karunanidhi's daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi had handed her resignation letter to her father Tuesday.Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry together have 40 members in the Lok Sabha - all of who have offered to quit if the government fails to take action on the Sri Lankan issue.Lawyers in Coimbatore burnt an effigy of Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony within the court premises earlier in the day, alleging a conspiracy by bureaucrats of Kerala origin to keep the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka on tenterhooks.The protesting lawyers burnt copies of The Hindu newspaper, which carried an interview Friday by Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa saying that he was committed to a 'just and enduring political solution' to the festering problem. The lawyers alleged that major newspapers in the country were ignoring the 'just demands' of the minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. "Support govt. against S. Indian pressure" The Deputy General Secretary of the UNP has urged all political forces in Sri Lanka to support the government against South Indian pressure aimed at halting military offensives in the north to defeat LTTE terrorism.South Indian politicians are trying to prevent military from marching to Kilinochchi in days, Lakshman Seneviratne has told 'Dinamina,' and has called for unity against the attempt, by setting aside racial, religious and political differences. He has given an interview to the state-owned newspaper during a private visit to Australia.It is unfair that South India, which is having its own issues to deal with, is interfering in Sri Lanka's affairs, the UNP MP has said.As the LTTE had deceived successive Sri Lankan governments and had killed even former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, it can never be trusted.The only way to save innocent Tamil people is through the liberation of Kilinochchi, Mr. Seneviratne has said.Noting that his own party had lost many of its activists to LTTE suicide bomb attacks, he has added that all Sri Lankans should unite and support the war to gain Kilinochchi. Depty. Gen. Sec.'s remarks personal - UNP The UNP says remarks by the party's deputy general secretary Lakshman Seneviratne in an interview given to a state-owned newspaper do not reflect the party's stand. Its general secretary Tissa Attanayake, speaking to 'Lanka Dissent', said the comments were personal, and not official.Mr. Seneviratne has told 'Dinamina' newspaper that all should support the government against South Indian pressure aimed at halting military offensives in the north to defeat LTTE terrorism.Responding, Mr. Attanayake said official party statements could be made only by its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and spokesmen appointed by him as general secretary, and no one else.The party's media unit head Lakshman Kiriella had announced yesterday (Oct. 16th) the official stance on military offensives in the north and the Indian pressure, he said. Sri Lankan Minister thanks Karunanidhi TIRUCHI: Thanking Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for leading the initiative for a political solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic problem, MP and Sri Lankan Minister of Community Development and Social Inequity Eradication P. Chandrasekaran pleaded for the solidarity of all political parties in the State on the issue. The decision taken by the State’s parties on the ethnic problem has given satisfaction not only to the Sri Lankan Tamils, but also to the forces struggling for peace in the country, Mr. Chandrasekaran said.In a fax message, he said the Up Country People’s Front had been campaigning for the halt to the enormous loss of life and property caused by the war, and pointing out that India had more strength and interest than other countries to find a solution. Mr. Chandrasekaran said the Sri Lankan Tamils saw the emerging political climate as an indicator of the sensitivity of the people of Tamil Nadu to the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka. He hoped that New Delhi would realise the urgent need to take a crucial decision. Karuna 'seizes' TMVP newspaper 'Under control' The situation was under control after the security forces intervened, SSP Gunasekara said.However, as armed members of both factions were seen around TMVP offices in Batticaloa, residents said they feared serious clashes between the factions. Pillayan is currently the chief minister of the eastern province while Karuna was appointed as a national list MP by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA). Meanwhile, a court has issued an interim order against the suspension of Katthankudy Urban Council (UC) by the eastern province chief minister. Interim order The CM has ordered the suspension of the UC on 25 September accusing the Katthankudy UC of financial irregularities and not conducting council meetings. Batticaloa High Court judge, S Paramaraja, said Mr. Chandrakanthan should have first appointed a committee of inquiry with a retired a judge as a head of the panel. The petition was filed by UC chairman, ULM Mubeen, a member of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).Eastern provincial council minister, MLAM Hisbullah, supported the SLMC at the time of the local council elections. He joined the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) just before the provincial council elections and initially claimed the post of the chief minister. The court ordered the respondents to file their response on 31 October. U.N. aid convoy enters Sri Lanka war zone A U.N. convoy hauling food aid to more than 230,000 refugees trapped in Sri Lanka's war zone began making deliveries on Friday, a day after artillery fire forced it to turn back, the United Nations said.The Sri Lankan military and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels blamed each other for the weapons fire that stopped the train of vehicles on Thursday.The convoy is only the second to enter the war zone since the government ordered most aid agencies out last month, saying it could not guarantee their safety. Diplomats lobbied the government to let the trucks in on humanitarian grounds.The 50-truck convoy left Vavuniya, 250 km (155 miles) northeast of the capital Colombo, on Friday morning carrying 750 metric tonnes of food to the people trapped by clashes between government forces and the Tigers."They are proceeding as normal," U.N. spokesman Gordon Weiss in Colombo said.On Thursday, it was forced back after "a dangerously close exchange of heavy fire," but proceeded when both the army and the LTTE renewed their pledges of safe passage, Weiss said. He said it was not clear who was responsible for the firing.The pro-rebel website www.TamilNet.Com quoted unnamed officials who said the Sri Lankan military "was fully aware of the itinerary of the convoy and blamed the Sri Lankan army for sabotaging humanitarian supplies by firing shells".TamilNet also blamed the military for blowing up a bridge used by the first convoy, but did not cite any sources.The military called the claim baseless."There is no requirement for us to destroy the bridges, so definitely this is the LTTE who had done it to stop all of the security forces moving through that road," military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.The trucks took aid to camps where people are at risk of disease outbreaks with the onset of monsoon rains.A growing number of people in the last month have fled an intensified military drive against the rebels, and are now trapped between rebels who will not let them leave and an army whose offer of safe passage they distrust. West urged not to ignore Sri Lanka By Ethirajan Anbarasan BBC Political threat With the international community showing little interest in the Sri Lankan conflict, the Tamil Tigers now appear to have turned towards their supporters and political parties in neighbouring India to bring about a ceasefire in the island nation. Pro-rebel political parties and some fringe groups in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have been holding protest rallies against the Sri Lankan army offensive claiming many Tamil civilians are being killed in the conflict. Sri Lankan officials deny the charges, saying they are only targeting the rebel fighters.Tamil Nadu is home to more than 60 million Tamils, who share close linguistic and cultural ties with the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Most of the major political parties from Tamil Nadu have warned that their lawmakers will quit the Indian parliament if Delhi fails to broker a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. If the threats were carried out they could trigger a political crisis in Delhi. But these protests are viewed by some as an attempt by the pro-rebel groups to try to protect the Tamil Tigers, who appear to have been cornered by the Sri Lankan security forces in recent months. India has been pursuing a hands-off policy in Sri Lanka since the assassination of the former Indian prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, allegedly by a female Tamil rebel suicide bomber in 1991. However, it actively backed the Norwegian-led peace process, which was officially called off early this year. Officially, India wants a negotiated settlement within a united Sri Lanka, knowing that any fragmentation of Sri Lanka could have serious ramifications for its own security. If Delhi attempts to exert any pressure on Colombo it is bound to trigger an angry reaction from hard line political parties in Sri Lanka. So the protests in Tamil Nadu may not result in a major shift in India's Sri Lanka policy as Delhi's options appear to be limited."The rebels seemed to have made a miscalculation on when and how India will intervene. I don't see any chance of the conflict ending in the next few weeks," the western diplomat said. 'Better strategy' The Sri Lankan military would also stoutly oppose any move to stop the offensive which seems to be going in their favour. Analysts say the military's numerical superiority, stronger firepower and better military strategy have helped them to push rapidly deep inside rebel-held territory in recent months. But their progress has been slow in recent weeks due to stiff resistance from the Tigers.Many military observers agree that if the present trend continues then the army will capture Kilinochchi sooner or later. The fall of Kilinochchi would deal a significant blow to the Tamil Tigers. Militarily, Kilinochchi will also open the gates to strategically important areas like Paranthan and Elephant Pass, the strategic land bridge leading to the Jaffna Peninsula. If the army achieves its objectives, then the rebels would be confined mostly to the Mullaitivu region. Now the fear among the Tamils is if the rebels are weakened then the government may not show interest in devolving powers to Tamil areas. "There is a danger that there will be little pressure on the Sri Lankan government to devolve powers to Tamil regions if the rebels lose the war," says Sri Lankan analyst DBS Jeyaraj. However, he argues that the fall of Kilinochchi may not be the end of the rebels as most of their weapons and cadres are still intact and they may be gearing up for a long, drawn-out guerrilla war. 17 October 2008 India rumbles over Sri Lanka war, but to what end? Indian political pressure on Sri Lanka to throttle back an offensive to wipe out the Tamil Tigers will do little to sway a Sri Lankan Government increasingly confident it can end one of Asia's longest insurgencies. Despite threats from Tamil politicians at home, India is loath to repeat its disastrous 1980s intervention in the war on its doorstep, leaving Sri Lanka free to wage a military campaign that has energised President Mahinda Rajapaksa's political base. "The military is very unlikely to stop now, because this is the government's key political agenda item," said Maria Kuusisto, an analyst with Eurasia Group. "Now when they have gone this far, to backtrack would be a negative." Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this week expressed concern at the escalation in the conflict, which has raged on and off for 25 years, and called for a negotiated settlement. Singh's comments, which echoed India's existing diplomatic stance, were described by analysts as pre-election manoeuvres by a government that must call a national poll by May 2009. The UPA is under pressure from his allies in Tamil Nadu, where the mainly Tamil population accuses largely Sinhalese Sri Lanka of trying to wipe out the island's Tamils. And despite his criticism, Singh also endorsed Sri Lanka's position that the country must not allow the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to split the Indian Ocean island nation in two, nor tolerate the actions of a group on US, EU and Indian terrorism lists. "India loves to play all sides, and has always done that," said Reva Bhalla, an analyst with the US private intelligence firm Stratfor. "They can cater to the Tamil politicians and benefit from the Tigers' military capability going down without taking too much political risk." Underscoring India's dual-track approach to Sri Lanka, furious denials erupted from Colombo and New Delhi last month after two Indian radar technicians were injured in a Tiger assault on a Sri Lankan military base. Rajapaksa later said the men were providing after-sales service to radars India's Bharat Electronics sold to the military. India has also helped Sri Lanka intercept Tiger boats, which it considers a threat to national security, analysts say. INTERVENTION OUT Brewing diplomatic tension has been bubbling since the radar fiasco, with ethnic Tamil politicians increasingly echoing the Tigers' charge that the war is ‘genocide’. The LTTE for years has funded politicians in Tamil Nadu. The threat comes as Sri Lanka, which has vowed to crush the Tigers militarily this year,... Maniyakkulam captured Troops of the 58 Division operating in the Western Killinochchi battlefront captured Maniyakkulam area in Killinochchi yesterday. The captured area was located in 13.5km North East of Nachchikuda area and 2km of North of Vannarikulam area. A large number of LTTE were reported killed in the heavy fighting and in subsequent search operations in the area troops recovered few dead bodies of LTTE.According to security sources troops are now consolidating defences in the area. Seven DMK ministers to quit today over Lanka issue Sri Lanka military says 95% of civilians moved out from Kilinochchi Sri Lanka Army today said that 95% of the civilians in the reel controlled areas in Kilinochchi District have moved out to safe areas.Military Spokesman, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told media that with civilians moving out from the district the fight against terrorism will be much easier.“The remaining civilians are the crowd held by the terrorists and used as a human shield when fighting against the Government forces. However, despite the increasing threats from the terrorists the civilians are still surrendering and coming into liberated areas which are controlled by the Government and the Military. Wishwamadu and Oddusudan are demarcated for civilians to come,” Brigadier Nanayakkara explained. A delegation of Tamil ministers to leave for India Sri Lankan government sources said that a group of Tamil ministers will soon leave to India to hold discussions with the leaders of the regional super power. The Ministers are expected to discuss the government position in the war against terrorism in the country in the backdrop of the latest developments in Tamil Nadu regarding the difficulties faced by civilians of war zones in northern Sri Lanka. India says it will ensure goal is achieved Statement by Indian External Aaffairs Ministry on situation in Sri Lanka: The situation in Sri Lanka remains a matter of grave concern to us in India. We are particularly worried about the humanitarian effect of the continuing conflict on civilians who have been caught up in circumstances not of their making. It is essential that their rights be respected, that they be immune from attacks, and that food and other essential supplies be allowed to reach them. We have consistently made it clear that a return to normalcy cannot be brought about by military means or battle field victories. What is required in Sri Lanka is a peacefully negotiated political settlement which allows each community to realize its own potential within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. 2. Government of India will do all in its power to achieve this goal, to ameliorate the humanitarian conditions in Sri Lanka and has been making representations to the Government of Sri Lanka at several levels. 3. The other issue which is engaging Government’s effort is the harassment and killing of Indian fishermen in neighbouring areas which must cease forthwith. Government will be taking steps to ensure this. President Rajapaksa tells Hindu Editor that he would rather give a political solution to Tamil people rather than to terrorists In a n interview by the Editor in Chief of the Hindu newspaper , N. Ram Sri lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa said he would rather help draw up a political solution to the Tamil people than to the Tamil Tigers. “What is the use of giving a solution to terrorists? They are not giving up terrorism,” he told Editor Ram in the interview carried as the lead story of the newspaper’s print edition as well as its web edition.“I am firmly committed to a just and enduring political solution” to the Tamil question in Sri Lanka and “am clear that there are no military solutions to political questions,” President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the editor in a telephonic conversation from Colombo on Thursday morning.In the interview President Rajapaksa assured that the government was doing its utmost to send supplies to the Tamil civilians still stuck up in kilinochchi and Mulativu but about 70 percent of that end up with the Tamil Tigers. The following is the text of his interview: Policeman swindler still at large A sub inspector accused of swindling more than Rs. 100 million by promising people employment in Korea is yet to be arrested. The suspect, attached to the personal security of Minister Jeevan Kumaratunga, has gone on sick leave, said police sources. Following complaints by 25 persons, Nugegoda SSP Deshabandu Tennakoon has ordered the Crime Detection Unit in Mirihana to arrest the SI.A woman claiming to be a sister in law of Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has also been involved in the racket by operating an employment agency at Boralesgamuwa.The CDU has been told to arrest her as she has reportedly been planning to leave the country secretly.After the complaints, the SI had promised the job seekers that he would pay back the money, which is yet to be done.They told the media that the suspect police were being pressurized by higher quarters against arresting the suspect. India is trying to gain control of Lankan politics: JVP JVP yesterday charged that India is on the edge of gaining control of Sri Lankan politics with the intention of controlling the part of the economy which it has already taken over and what is taking place in South India and Sri Lanka may be a part of this plan.JVP Parliamentry Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told the annual convention of the All Ceylon Transport Workers Union at Salika Hall yesterday that India is using the political face of separatism to gain control of Sri Lankan politics. “ This is what happened in 1987 and what is happening today,” he said.He explained that India had already gained control of a considerable share of the Sri Lankan economy controlling 3000 acres in Sampur to set up a power station and a large share in the oil market and oil resources and even going into the extension of the electricity sector by exporting power to Sri Lanka. He charged that electricity posts are being set up to import power from Tamil Nadu. The JVP MP charged that the government has taken up the stand on the 13th amendment and the request made by the Chief Ministers at the Chief Minister’s forum and the demand by the Eastern Province Chief Minister for police powers may be a part of India’s plan. “ This is also the reason for the President to call for an All Party conference and publicly state that he intends to go for a political solution. He warned that Sri Lanka may become a confederation of states as a result of these development. National Trade Union Federation President MP K.D.LaLkantha said the JVP does not expect a people’s friendly budget from this government. “ How can one expect an effective budget from a government which is full of robbers,” he asked. He said this is the reason why the JVP did not submit any proposal for this year’s budget. However he warned of a struggle from the working class if President goes back on his promise to increase the salaries of the government sector by Rs 5000 at the coming budget. “We will take to the streets if the government failed to give a salary hike no matter the LTTE label is pasted on us,” he pointed out. Mr. Lalkantha also pointed out that the people blame the Ministers in charge whenever a commodity such as oil or milk powder goes up in price but the one should be reality blamed is the leadership of the government. ‘It is the leadership of the government who is controlling Minister Mervyn Silva,” he added. Copies of The Hindu set ablaze ERODE: A group of five persons led by the district organiser of the Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK) set fire to 2,400 copies of The Hindu and 390 copies of the Business Line at the bus stand here on Thursday morning. They were protesting against the paper’s criticism of the pro-LTTE campaign in the State. As a result, several parts of the town did not get their regular copies.According to newspaper agents and hawkers, the group arrived at the paper-sorting point around 5 a.m., shouting pro-LTTE slogans. It also distributed handbills in support of the banned organisation.The group, led by Kumaragurubaran, district organiser of the PDK, and M. Jayakumar, of the Tamil Desiya Podhu Udaimai Katchi, attempted to snatch newspaper bundles from distributor V. Balasubramaniam. When he resisted this, he was overpowered.He was also abused and threatened with dire consequences.The group then set ablaze copies of the two dailies, said agent R. Mohan Kumar.Another agent O. Sivanesan said the group had come ready with bottles of petrol. Then, it fled the scene.The Erode Town Police visited the spot and registered a case against Kumaragurubaran, Jayakumar and a few others under sections 506 (i) (criminal intimidation), 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (b) (destroying, damaging or defiling objects) and 427 (mischief, and thereby causing damage to property) of the IPC. President won't betray country – chauvinistic JHU Singala chauvinistic party JHU national organizer Patali Champika Ranawaka says he strongly believes the president will never betray the country and will not stop the war until the north is saved from terrorism. The government minister also told the media in Colombo today (Oct. 16th) that India had no right to interfere in Sri Lanka's affairs. Accusing New Delhi of having supplied arms and given training to the LTTE in the 1980s, Mr. Ranawaka said India had to pay for its interference with the life of Rajiv Gandhi.India will have to face similar repercussions if it tries to involve again in Sri Lanka's internal issues, he warned.Pointing to pressure by Tamil communalistic parties in South India for a cessation of hostilities, the JHU national organizer said his party would get Buddhist parties in that country to urge New Delhi against any involvement.He asked Sri Lankan Tamils to ask India to extend its support to the humanitarian missions in the north by the president to save them from terrorism.Mr. Ranawaka accused certain political parties and groups in the south of trying to create political instability by pointing to attempts by India to involve itself in the Sri Lankan issue.If that happens, a repeat of what had happened in the 1980s would be unavoidable, he warned.Since ancient times, South Indian invaders had targeted Sri Lanka, he said, and called for an extensive union to prevent a likely invasion of the sort in the future.When a journalist questioned the JHU's stance if the government enters negotiations at the request of New Delhi, Mr. Ranawaka ended the media briefing by saying that the media has no right to ask questions of that nature. CID takes over Janaka killing probe Investigations into the killing of Major General Janaka Perera (retd.) and 29 others at Anuradhapura on October 6 have been handed over to the CID with immediate effect. The investigations into the incident had been conducted by a Police party headed by Kuliyapitiya SSP Kithsiri Jayalath.A special CID team left for Anuradhapura yesterday to take over investigations.Investigations conducted so far have revealed that the suicide bomber had arrived at the place of the incident on a motorcycle. Police were able to spot the suicide bomber in the audience through the video film of the Sirasa Correspondent who was also killed in the explosion.Nearly 50 people have been questioned and their statements recorded by the police but none has been arrested so far. A photo of the killer was released to the media yesterday. FM wants UN to list LTTE as int. terror group Mysterious attacks in Vanni Letter From Jaffna It's only an hour's airtime from Sri Lanka's capital city, Colombo, to the Jaffna peninsula at the northern tip of the island, but getting there is a miserable ordeal that can kill nearly half a day. Suitcases in hand, heaving and sweating for hours under the blazing sun, passengers endure a gauntlet of checkpoints, where they are repeatedly stopped, questioned, frisked and hassled. Most of the travelers are ethnic Tamils, a minority on the island, although they're the overwhelming majority in the battle-scarred north. Some, without the necessary paperwork, are turned back. No one dares to protest. The slightest disruption can halt air service at any time. After five sweltering hours of queuing up, a Tamil passenger elbows me in the ribs and mutters: "This is how you're treated when you're taken to a prison camp."The people of Jaffna can only hope their isolation will end soon. For two years they've been cut off from overland access to the rest of the country by fierce combat in the swampy jungles of the Wanni region, just south of the peninsula. That's where the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have dug in as they continue to wage one of the oldest running insurgencies in the world. Jaffna's old lifeline to the Sinhala-speaking south, the Alpha 9 highway, runs right through the middle of it. The fighting has strangled Jaffna's economy, causing severe shortages of food, fuel and electricity. Now, however, the Sri Lankan army has made sweeping advances along the A9 to within a mile of the insurgents' capital, the town of Kilinochchi. If that obstacle falls, and the A9 is reopened, life could get at least a little easier for Jaffna's civilians.Their bullet-pocked homes and shrapnel-scarred temples bear witness to how bad their lives have been. The fanatically cultist Tigers, who pioneered the use of suicide-bomb vests, succeeded in establishing a de facto separatist state in Jaffna in the early 1990s. Government forces recaptured the city 13 years ago and have maintained an iron grip on it ever since. Today, 40,000 government soldiers stand guard over the peninsula's 600,000 Tamil inhabitants. Crowds in the markets pay little attention to the occasional thud of artillery duels in the distance. Troops wielding Chinese-made T-56 assault rifles operate checkpoints at practically every street corner. Although fishing has traditionally been Jaffna's primary occupation, the movements of boats are tightly restricted, for fear that LTTE infiltrators might stage an amphibious assault across the lagoon.Nights in Jaffna are surreal. The streets go empty at sundown, and a curfew is strictly enforced through the night. In the last two years, a wave of nighttime civilian disappearances and killings has gripped the city. Corpses of the disappeared sometimes turn up on the streets in the mornings, but mostly the victims are never seen again, dead or alive. Townspeople say most of the killings and disappearances happen during the curfew hours, cautiously referring to the perpetrators as "armed groups." People in fear for their lives can seek aid from the Human Rights Commission. According to the Center for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based think tank, "surrendees" are sent to Jaffna's squalid prison to be placed in protective custody, sometimes alongside convicted criminals because the facility is so overcrowded.Fliers regularly appear on the Jaffna University campus, says a 20-year-old Jaffna student, too scared to give out his name—hit lists of supposed LTTE sympathizers. He says most of them are young people, between 18 and 35, adding that he has known several people who have suddenly vanished. "If you are Tamil, you are always under pressure to prove you are not LTTE," he says. "We live in an open prison." Earlier this year, the international watchdog group Human Rights Watch summarized its findings on Sri Lankan disappearances since 2006: "In the vast majority of the cases we documented, the evidence indicates the involvement of government security forces—army, navy or police. The victims are primarily young Tamil men who 'disappeared' in the country's embattled north and east, but also in the capital Colombo."Jaffna's army commander, Maj. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, blames LTTE infiltrators for the killings, although he doesn't deny the possibility that some of his soldiers might also be involved. In any case, he confidently predicts the killings in Jaffna will stop once "the war is over." "We are determined to eradicate terrorists," he says. "There will be no mercy for the LTTE."Sri Lanka's government has promised to transform the country into a peaceful land of ethnic harmony—after the military crushes the LTTE and gains control of all rebel-controlled areas. But after 13 years of government control in Jaffna, peace remains an elusive dream. For decades, the Tigers have fought ruthlessly to make themselves the sole representatives of the Tamils. Now many people in Jaffna are worried that without the LTTE, Sinhalese domination will become more entrenched than ever. An elderly Tamil man, a lifelong resident of Jaffna, negotiates a labyrinth of checkpoints on his drive to work. It seems almost every day, he says, he gets stopped. A soldier sticks his gun through the car window and barks questions at him in the Sinhala language, not seeming to care that Jaffna's inhabitants are Tamil speakers. "Will this attitude change, once the fighting ends?" the old man asks. Many people in Jaffna fear that they already know the answer. 16 October 2008 Sri Lanka situation cause for concern: Manmohan As Tamil MPs mounted pressure on the Centre over the incidents in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said the situation in the island nation is a cause for "serious concern" and asked Colombo to find a negotiated settlement rather than looking for a "military victory". Underlining that the human rights of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka must be respected, Singh said India has conveyed its views to the island government, including at the time when National Security Adviser M K Narayanan called Sri Lanka's Deputy High Commissioner last week. "Situation in Sri Lanka remains a cause of serious concern for India. We are concerned over escalating hostilities, losses suffered by civilians and increasing number of displaced persons," Singh said in reply to a question at a press conference after the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Summit here. "We always believe that situation in Sri Lanka does not call for military victory. It calls for negotiated political settlement which respects the unity and the integrity of Sri Lanka and at the same time respects the essential human rights of minorities, particularly Tamil minorities," he said. The Prime Minister said India is also "concerned over harassment and killing of Indian fishermen" while fishing in maritime area between India and Sri Lanka. "We have made representations to the Sri Lankan government," he said and referred to the summoning of Sri Lanka's Deputy High Commissioner by Narayanan last week to "let know of India's intentions". The Prime Minister's comments came against the backdrop of an all-party meeting in Tamil Nadu yesterday demanding that the Centre should act to stop military offensive in Sri Lanka failing which all MPs from the state would quit within a fortnight. Sri Lankan jets bomb Tamil rebels in north Sri Lankan air force planes pounded a Tamil separatists' arms storage and command center deep in the northern jungles Thursday, the military said. The air attacks were part of the government's offensive to crush the Tamil Tigers and seize their de facto state in the north. The government has stepped up fighting around the rebels' de facto state in the north in recent months in an effort to deliver on its promise to crush the group by the end of this year. In the latest assault, air force jets pounded the arms storage in the rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu Thursday morning, said military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara. An hour later jets also bombed a rebels' command center near the front lines in the Jaffna peninsula, he said. Nanayakkara said details of casualties and damage were not available immediately. With nearly all communications to the north severed, a rebel spokesman could not be contacted for comment. Independent verification of the military's claims is nearly impossible because most journalists are banned from the war zone. Both sides routinely exaggerate enemy losses and underreport their own. The rebels have been fighting since 1983 to create an independent homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils, who have faced marginalization by successive governments controlled by ethnic Sinhalese. Sri Lanka President says not bothered by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's opinion Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has informed the Indian government that Sri Lanka is not bothered by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's and his daughter's opinion but would continue to fight against terrorism.Sri Lanka Government has also stated in its message sent to Indian Central Government that it will continue to fight against the Tamil terrorism but will not discriminate any minorities in the country.Tamil legislators sympathetic to the LTTE in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu declared Monday that they will resign from the central government within two weeks if the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government doesn’t pressure the Sri Lankan government to halt the offensive against the LTTE. In a symbolic gesture Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidi's daughter handed over her resignation yesterday from the Tamil Nadu Provincial Government. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday called for a negotiated settlement to the conflict saying that a military victory is not a solution.Tamil Nadu politicians use the war in Sri Lanka as an election gimmick says the newly appointed TMVP MP Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan, alias Karuna Amman. “These South Indian political parties are acting in this manner only to gain political mileage for the upcoming elections there,” he said yesterday.. Political observers in Sri Lanka say the LTTE is desperately trying to halt the military onslaught by stirring up the emotions in Tamil Nadu as their strength and manpower have diminished by the government offensive. They say every time a Sri Lankan government stepped up operations against the LTTE Tamil Nadu politicians intervene on behalf of the terror outfit. TN parties' concern conveyed to Sri Lanka: Congress Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday said that it has conveyed the concerns of the Tamil Nadu parties to the Sri Lankan government but indicated that the Indian government had limitations on the issue of Sri Lankan army offensive in the Tamil-inhabited areas of the island. "Those who make demands about other sovereign countries should know that India's sovereignty runs through the boundaries of India," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said. Singhvi said the Indian government cannot interfere with the sovereignty of other countries. His comments came as a reaction to an all-party meeting in Tamil Nadu asking the Central government to ask Sri Lanka to end the offensive in Tamil areas within a fortnight failing which MPs from the state would resign from Parliament. Singhvi said issues of and conduct of foreign relations should be left for the Centre. "That is something in the exclusive domain of the Centre (foreign relation issue)," he told Times Now channel. He said "while condemning any violent act in another country, I do not think anything should be done or asked from the central government." Another spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters that the concerns of the parties in Tamil Nadu has been conveyed to Sri Lanka through the Deputy High Commissioner. "The parties should also understand that you are not dealing with a part of India but a sovereign nation," he said. Asked about the threat of DMK, Tewari said it should not be seen as a threat but a concern. "Their principal concern is civilian casualties," he added. Sri Lanka fighting forces U.N. aid convoy back A U.N. convoy carrying food and aid to more than 230,000 refugees in northern Sri Lanka was forced to turn back on Thursday due to artillery shelling and fighting, officials said.The convoy was only the second to enter the war zone since the government last month ordered most aid agencies out, saying it could not guarantee their safety.The 50-truck convoy had left Vavuniya, 250 km (155 miles) northeast of the capital Colombo, at noon carrying 750 metric tonnes of food to a growing number of people trapped by fighting between government forces and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels."There was fighting close to the convoy and we decided to turn them back. Right now we are trying to get security assurances from both sides so we can start the process again tomorrow," U.N. spokesman Gordon Weiss in Colombo said.The clashes came as the vehicles passed Pullyankulam, where it was due to turn east toward refugee camps that aid workers and diplomats say are increasingly at risk of disease outbreaks with the onset of monsoon rains.Growing numbers of people in the last month have fled an intensified military drive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and are now trapped between rebels who will not let them leave and an army whose offer of safe passage they distrust.The army says it is 2 km (1 mile) outside of the LTTE's defacto capital of Kilinochchi, and is increasingly confident of defeating the separatist rebels and ending the 25-year-old war.Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said a claymore mine attack and artillery rounds struck near the convoy. U.N. security officers on the convoy could not determine the source or exact type of weapons used, "but it was more than light arms fire," Weiss said.Nanayakkara blamed the rebels: "I think they didn't want these food items to be given to the civilians."The rebels could not be reached for comment.Sri Lanka routinely accuses the Tigers of hiding behind civilians and amplifying humanitarian crises to their military and propaganda benefit.Diplomats and aid workers say that is often the case, and that the government makes an effort to provide aid to its civilians through government agents who manage distribution. But it is often overwhelmed by the scale of the problems.This is the second aid convoy to enter the war zone in as many weeks. Both were allowed in after diplomats lobbied the government to make an exception to the aid ban because of the scale of the refugee crisis. Tamil Nadu being forced to go the Eelam way? Ignoring Nov 1 'ultimatum' by TN politicos to stop ‘atrocities’ by Colombo or face en-masse resignation will force important Union ministers, including P Chidambaram, and all MPs from the state to quit. If it happens, UPA government might fall.THE PRECARIOUSLY balanced Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition government at New Delhi is in trouble. It is facing yet another, what Indian palmists and astrologists term as, ’gandam’ (Armageddon) on Nov 1. What is more, the tactic for winning majority vote by hook or by crook – buying fence-sitter members of Parliament (MP) who were ’available’ for a price, making a defector out of the speaker, doing wholesale ’deals’ with willing parties or breaking up parties – adopted on July 22, is out of question. An ’all-party’ meet in Chennai on Oct 14, has given a fortnights’ ultimatum to the Centre. All MPs representing Tamil Nadu would resign en masse if New Delhi does not stop ’betraying’ Tamils by then. The TN government wanted the Centre to ensure that a ceasefire is declared in Sri Lanka by Nov 1. Convened by chief minister M Karunanidhi, eight parties from the alliance that rule in both state and Central level expressed outrage at the Centre’s policies on the Sri Lankan Tamils’ (Eelam) issue.The meet was preceded by a frantic appeal to all political parties – almost all of them ’Dravidian’ parties, seeking equality with the dominant sections of India – to sink their differences and present a United Front to the Centre by attending the meeting. It was by none other than Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president KV Thangkabalu. He was attempting to erase the long-standing distrust among Tamil people that the Congress was way behind other ’Dravidian’ parties in espousing the cause of Tamils.The next day, newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi announced that she had already sent a post-dated resignation letter to the CM. True, she is a novice in TN politics and can easily be mistaken for a Kollywood (Tamil filmdom) starlet. Nevertheless, her symbolic gesture cannot be taken lightly. Kanimozhi’s resignation letter was handed over to her own father, the octogenarian CM and supremo of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). She is being groomed to counter the ’fan following’ enjoyed by Jayalalitha, an erstwhile Kollywood siren heading All India Anna DMK (AIADMK) that leads the formidable opposition front. Although AIADMK and two other non-DMK outfits in her camp did not attend the meet, they are known to be even more hostile to the Sri Lankan administration, perpetrating ’atrocities’ on Eelam Tamils. With Jayalalitha reversing her antagonistic stand against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its chief, Prabhakaran, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has no option but to join the fray. It owes its minuscule presence in the state to her.Responding to the united voice of MPs, the prime minister stated in a Press conference, “the situation in Sri Lanka remains a cause of serious concern for India. We are concerned over escalating hostilities, losses suffered by civilians and increasing number of displaced persons”. In the event of Singh stopping his ‘action’ with such protest noises, ignoring the ’ultimatum’ or coming down on Tamil politicos, he would be risking a complete chasm with the southern state. All Union ministers belonging to TN, including finance minister P Chidambaram, as well as all Rajya Sabha members of Congress will surely quit Parliament. They know very well that they would lose even their deposit if they dare fight any elections in TN without the backing of any of the Dravidian parties.The UPA government can hardly afford being reduced to a minority after spending a fortune to win majority in July. If the Central ministers resign, it will be a repeat of 1965, when Jawaharlal Nehru’s high profile railway minister, Azahgesan and education minister C Subramaniam had to prove their ‘loyalty to Tamil land’.In this context, a sample survey conducted by communications research outfit Cfore between Oct 6 and 11 demands analysis. The results published in the New Indian Express on Oct 12, clearly indicate that the all-party outcry is not just a political stunt.More than a third of those polled, were categorical that TN politicos must snap relations with UPA, which persists with ’anti-Tamil’ policies. One-fourth the population wants TN leaders to assist politicos of Sri Lanka to arrive at a solution to the ethnic crisis. For every person who thought that TN leaders’ support to Eelam was similar to Pakistan helping Kashmir separatists, there were six who felt that the concern was absolutely logical and even their obligation.While 51 per cent opined that the ban imposed on LTTE by New Delhi was a blunder and must be lifted at once, another 26 per cent said the ban does not matter anyway. Only 16 per cent said that lifting of ban is not necessary ’for now’.For every Tamil buying New Delhi’s stated line that LTTE chief Prabhakaran is a murderer to be brought to India to stand trial in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, there are four who say that if captured by Sri Lankans, he deserves asylum in India; another four felt that India must appeal to the UN to intervene on his behalf; yet another five said that India should send its troops to prevent that from happening.Only 12 per cent of those polled think that LTTE is a terrorist organisation, 30 per cent admire them as freedom fighters and 36 per cent consider that LTTE is genuinely the sole representative of Eelam Tamils’ cause.As many as 40 per cent would “gladly donate money and material to Tamil Eelam”, a fourth of them even advocating that the government levy a special aid to them. There are just 14 per cent who say that the Sri Lankan Tamil issue does not connect with them sufficiently, just like the plight of Palestinians or Georgians.It must be noted that the survey was limited to urban areas, with Cfore interviewing residents of ten cities. The result could be even more startling if the rural folk, who value traditional bonds more strongly, was taken into account.Oblivious to such a ground situation, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, said to be close to Sonia Gandhi, stuck to the traditional stand: “Those who make demands about other sovereign countries should know that India’s sovereignty runs through the boundaries of India.” Another minor leader Manish Tewari, also exhibited anti-Tamil prejudice, saying, “The TN parties should understand that you are not dealing with a part of India but a sovereign nation.” That puts the clout enjoyed by Manmohan Singh in the party in perspective. Hours earlier, he had obliquely equated the situation in Eelam to the Bangladesh crisis, where his supremo’s mother-in-law had interfered in 1971. Singh had declared: “We always believe that situation in Srilanka does not call for military victory. It calls for negotiated political settlement, which respects the unity and the integrity of Sri Lanka and at the same time, respects the essential human rights of minorities, particularly Tamil minorities.”It must be clear that hollow assurances of the Centre and those of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa do not wash in TN anymore. Rajapaksa claims that his government is not at war with the Tamils. He has been proclaiming that if there is a war at all, that is against the LTTE. Colombo has repeatedly pointed out that LTTE is banned in India and its chief has been “convicted for murdering ‘our dear’ Rajiv Gandhi!” According to the president, Sri Lanka is pursuing a fair policy and the government would guarantee to the Tamil people of the north the same democratic rights, as enjoyed by people in other parts of the country.The truth behind such lofty rhetoric was brought out last month by Army commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka. He told the National Post of Canada, “This country belongs to the Sinhalese,” reiterating his statement in the Daily News earlier: “This country will be ruled by the Sinhalese community, which is the majority representing 74 percent of the population. . . I don’t think the people in the North and East are subjected to any injustice.” He warned minority communities not to “demand undue things.”All in all, it does look like South Asia is poised to witness some big adventures, not very pleasant to endure. These may even dwarf the shock dealt by collapse of world economy and attract celebrity news correspondent to the fronts. Kanimozhi a champion of Tamil cause? As Tamil MPs increase pressure on the Centre over incidents in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said the situation in the island nation is a cause for "serious concern" and asked Colombo to find a negotiated settlement rather than looking for a "military victory".However, MPs from Tamil Nadu have already threatened to resign if New Delhi doesn't stop military aid to Sri Lanka.On Wednesday, DMK MP Kanimozhi gave her resignation, but not to the Lok Sabha Speaker, to her party chief and father M Karunanidhi. The Rajya Sabha MP became the first to submit a resignation, a day after an all-party meet resolved that all the Tamil Nadu MPs would put in their papers, if the Centre doesn't stop military aid to Sri Lanka and urges Lanka to end the war."All parties are united in this stand," said K V Thangabalu, MP and president of Tamil Nadu Congress.However, India says it has not sent military support to Sri Lanka for three years, when it sent military radars breaking a five-year embargo against military support."In 25 years, the situation has never been so bad. If it is allowed to continue, Tamils will be wiped out of Sri Lanka," said G K Mani, president, PMK.But in 2008, in recent air strikes by the LTTE, two Indian radar technicians were injured irking Tamil Nadu politicians, who claimed it as proof that India continues to offer military support.As for demands for ending the war while it may be nothing more than political posturing, it did prompt the Prime Minster to make a statement."The situation in Sri Lanka is of serious concern and it is a fact that there is escalation of violence and Indian Fisherman are being killed. The NSA has already conveyed to Sri Lanka last week that we have always believed there cannot be a military victory, said Singh.Experts say that may not satisfy Tamil Nadu parties, which are trying to outdo each other as champions of the Tamil case."Even the two Dravidian giants, the DMK and the AIADMK, have got stuck into this competitive chauvinism," said S Murari, senior political commentator. It is being seen as a shrewd game plan by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. On the one hand, the DMK is not seeking to rock the UPA boat. It is trying to play martyr. Even if the threat of resignation by MPs is carried through, the Ministers can remain in office for six months. Lankan refugees getting Indian passports Police in Rameswaram are investigating complaints that local travel agents were providing Indian passports to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees using local names and addresses.The racket came to light when a Sri Lankan girl Gajendhini was provided passport in the name of Ajmeer Begam, a native of Valinokkam village in Ramanathapuram district, officials said.Officials, who investigated the alleged fraud committed by travel agent Bhasheer Ahamed of Valinokkam, said agents provided the local names and addresses for some refugees and helped them get passports. Some of those who got the passports had left the country also, they said.Gajendhini got the passport in 2006 and it is valid up to 2016. She told the officials that she was staying at Ettayapuram refugee camp when Basheer Ahamed approached her and offered to get passport and send her abroad. He had also taken Rs 10,000 from her and had asked her to take a photograph, wearing a Muslim woman's attire. She said she has not used the passport.Police said they have received complaints in this regard from local fishermen also. Sri Lanka says plea for truce looks 'LTTE orchestrated' Sri Lanka said Thursday that the demand from political parties in Tamil Nadu for a ceasefire in the island nation appeared to be orchestrated by the Tamil Tigers.In the most high profile reaction after MPs from Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK and its allies threatened to quit parliament if New Delhi did not put pressure on Colombo to go for a truce by Oct 29, Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa refused to halt the military campaign against the Tigers.And in remarks, clearly aimed at Tamil Nadu's politicians, Rajapaksa also said in an interview: “Everyone needs to remember that Sri Lankan Tamils are Sri Lankan citizens. It is our duty to solve their problems.” The Sri Lankan foreign ministry has said that the resolution adopted by political parties in Chennai Tuesday was an “internal matter of India”.Rajapaksa, a brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said there were no grounds to end the military push against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), aimed at wresting territory the group controls in the north. The fighting has led to international concerns about civilian suffering.“There must be a reason for ceasefire,” Rajapaksa told IANS over telephone from Colombo.“This looks like a LTTE organised campaign because we know how the LTEE has used the ceasefire agreement (in the past).“Another ceasefire means extension of suffering (for Sri Lanka). If somebody really wants to help the Tamil people, they can support Sri Lanka to defeat the LTTE, defeat terrorism.“What will happen if there is another ceasefire? Again we will face the same thing that has happened for 28 years. That will be very unfair.”Rajapaksa's reference was to previous ceasefires that critics say the LTTE used to strengthen itself and resume its war for an independent homeland in Sri Lanka's north and east.The DMK and its allies in Tamil Nadu, which is separated from Sri Lanka by a strip of sea, have accused Colombo's largely Sinhalese security forces of killing Tamil civilians and of firing at Indian fishermen in the sea.Rajapaksa did not talk about civilian casualties but spoke at some length about the Indian fishermen who are primarily from Tamil Nadu.Charging political parties in Tamil Nadu with ignorance, he said Colombo allowed Indian fishermen to “cross the international line and fish in our waters. On the contrary, our fishermen face curbs in Indian waters”.“The only thing we have told them is not to come close to our navy camps. And to avoid the sea on days when we have troop movement. This happens once a week or once in two weeks."He said while Sri Lanka did arrest some Indian fishermen, “they are released at the earliest after being warned. But if Sri Lankan fishermen get arrested in India, they spent three to six months in prison".“We have not fired at Indian fishermen. On several occasions, however, the LTTE has fired on them. Officials in Tamil Nadu have confirmed this,” he added.Rajapaksa said New Delhi had not taken up with Colombo the Tamil Nadu demand for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. “The Indian government knows what is going on, how serious we are to solve the problem.”Will President Rajapaksa want to brief Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and former chief minister J. Jayalalitha about the Sri Lanka situation?“If they are willing, he will talk. If they want to talk, he will talk. There is no problem in talking to them. But everyone needs to remember that Sri Lankan Tamils are Sri Lankan citizens. It is our duty to solve their problems. It is our duty to solve our problems. Everyone must remember that.” Indian advice can't be turned down - WPF leader Indian military assistance in the forms of weapons, radars, personnel training, satellite intelligence, naval surveillance, interest free credits have together played a major role in the Lankan military maneuver against LTTE, says Western People's Front leader Mano Ganeshan.Therefore, those who accepted Indian military assistance with open hands cannot now out rightly turn down Indian guidance for a political solution and Tamil Nadu’s concerns over the Tamil brethren here, he says in a statement. There is a moral in this, he says, noting that India and members of the international community have taken all possible legal and political actions against LTTE. The proscriptions and prosecutions against LTTE are effective, and in addition, the military support to Lankan military. Therefore, it is time for the political move from the Lankan state. Lankan Tamils and Muslims cannot anymore live with false hopes delivered to them by India and international community, Mr. Ganeshan said.He notes that NFF chairman Wimal Weerawansa has cautioned the government not give into the Indian pressures, and warned the president not to deviate from the war mandate. "Weerawansa is talking about a war mandate. What is this mandate? These are the people who did not allow President Chandrika to complete her peace mandate of 1994. Then took President Chandrika for a ride and did not allow Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe to complete his peace mandate of 2001." "Now he is trying to take whole country for a ride by talking of a war mandate. There is no war mandate as such. If he is talking about a mandate to wipe out terrorism, it need not to be always the war path," the WPF leader says. Terrorism could be wiped off only if the root cause is reasonably addressed with substantial political power devolution to the north and east, he notes. These people again adamantly block the roadmap to a political solution and label our international friends including India by names, Mr. Ganeshan adds. Mass resignation move an eyewash: Jaya AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa has criticised Tuesday’s all-party meeting resolution on en masse resignation of MPs on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, while the MDMK and the PMK have extended support to it.In a statement here on Wednesday, the AIADMK leader described the resolution as an eyewash and the threat of resignation as a drama staged by the DMK. “It will not serve any purpose,” she said. “If Karunanidhi is really concerned about the safety of Tamils, he should have asked his DMK Ministers to put pressure on the Central government on the Lankan issue.” Jayalalithaa said the Centre, which followed a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, could now send National Security Advisor M K Narayanan to Sri Lanka to speak on behalf of the Tamils and the Chief Minister might claim this as his victory. She wanted to know why the Chief Minister did not ask his MLAs to quit the Assembly en masse before completing their full term.The MDMK, an alliance partner of the AIADMK, and the PMK offered to ask their party MPs to resign in protest on the issue. In a statement here, MDMK founder-leader Vaiko said his party was ready to ask its MPs to resign. The Tamil Nadu government should withdraw support to the UPA government at the Centre on the Tamils issue. In a statement here, he said the Union Ministers from the state should quit if the Centre failed to act on protection of Lankan Tamils. He claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s letter, which was sent to him some time ago, mentioned India’s military support “to protect the integrity of Sri Lanka.” The PMK, an a resolution at its executive meeting held at Thailapuram, near Dindivanam, welcomed the resolution. PMK chief Dr Ramadoss said his party MPs were ready to resign in protest. 4 bodies with gunshot wounds found The bodies of four people with gunshot wounds have been found in eastern Ampara district.Remains of the victims - two Tamils and two Muslims - were recovered from a jungle area of Kachikudichchiaru, reports said.Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara believes they had been killed by the LTTE.Several murders have been reported since the government set up a provincial council for east and claimed democracy has been reestablished. Sever diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka, Vaiko tells India The MDMK General Secretary Vaiko yesterday (Oct. 15th) blamed the union cabinet of India for its 'crime and treachery' against Sri Lankan Tamils by providing military assistance to Sri Lankan government.The fact of India's military help to Sri Lanka has been conceded in a letter written to him by the Indian PM, he said."This is being done with full knowledge that such assistances are used for the genocide of Tamils. India should withdraw all assistance and compel Colombo to stop the war. Failing, India should warn Sri Lanka of severed diplomatic ties and imposition of economic sanctions."Vaiko also said, "DMK should withdraw its support to the Congress-led coalition government and the Tamil ministers in the union cabinet should resign if India is not acting in these lines." Vaiko was quoting from a letter written to him by the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on 2nd October, in which he had reportedly stated that India's military assistance to Sri Lanka was to uphold the unity and integrity of Sri Lanka. Vaiko says this is a testimony from the PM on the military assistance.Vaiko's demands included the withdrawal of radars supplied to the Sri Lanka Air Force, withdrawal of Indian military contingent in Sri Lanka, freezing monetary assistance, canceling agreement on intelligence exchange, stopping military training in India for members of the Sri Lanka armed forces, pressurizing Colombo to stop the war, restarting peace negotiations through Norway mediation and pressurizing Sri Lanka to allow UN offices to operate.Vaiko also indicated that the two sitting MDMK Members of Parliament would not hesitate to join the resignation campaign. TN advocates to boycott courts on Lanka Tamil's issue Advocates in Tamil Nadu, South India will boycott court proceedings for two days from October 16th, to express their support to Sri Lankan Tamils.The General Body of the Madras High Court Advocate’s Association (MHAA) passed a resolution to this effect today (Oct. 16th).In a statement, MHAA President R. Paul Kanagaraj said members of the Association would stage a demonstration at High Court Campus tomorrow to show their solidarity with the Sri Lankan Tamils. They also urged the Centre to intervene in the matter and stop war between the army and the LTTE in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Tamils 'being arrested' A minister in the Sri Lankan government has accused the police of arresting "five to 10 Tamil people" every day in the capital, Colombo, and its suburbs. Deputy Minister of Vocational and Technical Training, P Radhakrishnan, told the BBC Sinhala Service that over 1,000 Tamils are already in detention. He said that anybody carrying identity cards with addresses from rebel-held areas is immediately arrested. Tamil Tigers rebels are fighting for a separate state in the north and east. The minister's figures have been corroborated by Sri Lanka's Chief Justice, Sarath Nanda Silva, who told the media last week that nearly 1,400 Tamils are currently in custody. 'Wrong' Mr Radhakrishnan is a leader of the Up Country People's Front (UPF) - which represents Tamils of Indian origin. He said that almost every person currently arrested in Colombo is an ethnic Tamil. "Being Tamils is the only reason for these arrests," he said. Mr Radhakrishnan stressed that he had no objection over suspected criminals being arrested. The Sri Lankan police recently ordered people arriving in the capital from the north and east to register. They conceded that the majority of these people were Tamils. The minister said he has received information that the police are using registration details to arrest Tamils in the capital. His accusation comes as the government is urging Tamils in rebel-controlled areas in the north to leave the war zone and go to government-controlled areas. The UPF has urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to take immediate steps to rectify the situation. Mr Radhakrishnan's office says that it has also received information that at least 246 Tamil people have been abducted in and around the capital since January. He says that 67 of these people had so far returned, but no information was available about the fate of the others. Relatives of those missing have told the BBC that some of the abductions were carried out by people wearing security service uniforms. The minister accused "several Tamil armed groups" of also being involved in the abductions but was reluctant to name them. "We do not accuse the government but it has a duty to stop these abductions and find out what happened to those who were abducted," he said Neither Inspector General of Police Jayantha Wickramaratne nor police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara were available to respond to the allegations. But the government has repeatedly said that it was necessary to step up security measures after a string of bomb blasts and suicide attacks by suspected rebels - targeting public transport and political leaders - in recent months. Officials suspect that Tamil rebels infiltrate into the capital area disguising themselves as displaced civilians from the north and the east. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), as the rebels are known, have been fighting for a separate Tamil homeland in the north and east for 25 years. Human rights groups say about 70,000 people have been killed in what is one of South Asia's longest-running and most persistent insurgencies. 15 October 2008 'Stop Lankan war or we quit' An all-party meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Tuesday asked the central government to immediately halt all military aid to Sri Lanka and ensure an immediate ceasefire in the civil war on the island, warning that all MPs from the state would resign in two weeks if this didn't happen."The centre should stop the 30-year-old civil war that has resulted in thousands of Tamils' death in Eelam. Since Indian military aid is resulting in genocide of Tamils, this meeting urges its immediate stoppage," an official statement quoted a resolution adopted at the meeting as saying."This (all party) meeting informs the centre that if India does not fulfil the demands, (the inaction) may result in the resignation of all MPs from Tamil Nadu," another resolution said.The meet also urged the central government to end the killings of Indian fishermen, allegedly in firing by the Sri Lankan navy, and sought the government's good offices to ensure that essential supplies reach the needy in the island through reputed international agencies like the Red Cross, the statement added. Significantly, this is the first time the Tamil Nadu government has used the term "Eelam" in an official statement.During the last three weeks, parties across the political divide have condemned Sri Lanka and termed as genocide the alleged mass murder of Tamils in that country.Sri Lankan diplomatic sources, however, refrained from comment. Government of Sri Lanka to shoulder an increase of 11,160 rupees per minute to fight the war Sri Lankan Government is reportedly shouldering an increased defense budget to continue the fight against terrorism.According to sources, the government has spent 6,840 rupees per minute in the fight against the war during the last few months and expects an increase of 11,160 rupees to reach 18,000 rupees from next week. Increased expenses were allocated by the Parliament recently as the government troops have stationed at outskirts of the Kilinochchi town following the capture of several nearby rebel controlled areas. 500,000 displaced in Lanka - UK SLA commander's remarks The debate was requested by Joan Ryan, the ruling Labour party MP from London's Enfield North constituency.Labour MP Barry Gardiner questioned criticised the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commander's remark that Sri Lanka belong to Sinhala people. Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka has told a Canadian newspaper that minorities in Sri Lanka should not make undue requests.The British government urged the Sri Lankan government facilitate the work of impartial humanitarian agencies."The UK is constantly monitoring the situation in Sri Lanka and has increased its humanitarian aid in light of the circumstances on the ground," Mr. Foster said. The UK government, he said, also "lobbied for an immediate delivery of UN food aid to avoid starvation in the north". LTTE criticised The World Food Programme delivered 51 truck loads of food aid, under the supervision of the government, on 02 October which followed a further delivery of 20 trucks by Sri Lanka's government agents. Welcoming "Sri Lanka government's commitment to protect civilian population," Minister Michael Foster urged all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.In areas under LTTE control, the minister said, there is no tolerance of dissent or freedom of expression.“The LTTE need to develop its role as a credible partner in peace. It cannot continue to persecute people just because they have opposing views,” he said. The British government called for an immediate stop to child recruitment. “Similarly, in the south we have seen restrictions on the freedom of expression with journalists and newspaper agents intimidated and killed. Three democratically elected MPs are killed during the last few years,” Mr. Foster said. Sri Lanka Marxist breakaway faction to participate in APC Sri Lanka Marxist People's Liberation Front (JVP) breakaway faction National Freedom Front (NFF) has decided to participate in future deliberations of the All Party Conference (APC) summoned by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa to seek a sustainable solution to the ethnic issue of the country. The leader of the NFF Wimal Weerawansa said to media that his party would participate in the APC since a sustainable solution is needed for the ethnic problem.NFF came to this decision as the parent party JVP announced that they would boycott the APC. Bring LTTE, Rajapaksa to talks table: PMK The Central Government should mobilise the support of the international community to bring the LTTE and Lankan President Rajapaksa to the negotiating table for finding a political solution to the vexatious ethnic issue, said PMK founder leader S Ramadoss on Tuesday.Explaining his party’s stand on the Lankan issue at a meeting here, he said that the time had come for both the UPA Government at the Centre and the DMK Government in the State for pressuring the international community to stop all types of assistance extended to the Lankan Government if it did not stop the war on Tamils.Ramadoss also wanted the Sinhala Government to make its position clear on the ethnic issue within a month. It mush specify whether the Tamils could be allowed selfdetermination or autonomy or a share in power, he said.While welcoming the resolutions adopted at the allparty meeting held at the Secretariat on Tuesday under the leadership of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Ramadoss said the PMK was the only party that had never diluted its stand on Tamil Eelam.He recalled that during the Vajpayee rule in 1998, the PMK had an alliance with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and both parties had supported the cause of Tamil Eelam.A delegation of MPs from Tamil Nadu went to Delhi to meet the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and hand over a memorandum to him on Tamil Eelam. ``AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was the first one to sign the memorandum followed by me and others like Vaiko and Vazhapadi Ramamurthi,’’ he remarked.“Now everyone is concerned about the issue and all are united to save the Tamils in Lanka. Even the United Nations has expressed its concern over the killings of Tamils in Lanka,’’ he said.Ramadoss claimed that the Centre would not use Article 356 to dismiss the DMK Government if it openly supported Tamil Eelam. The PMK leader said that he had never supported the activities of the LTTE and at the same time never made any compromise on Tamil Eelam. Abandoned UNICEF office damaged in air strike The recent shifting of INGOs including UN agencies out of the LTTE-held territory has allowed the SLAF to target LTTE facilities located close to buildings previously occupied by international agencies.The military said the removal of expatriate staff had cleared the way for stepped up aerial attacks. SLAF jets bombed ‘Tamileelam police’ headquarters situated near the UNICEF office in Kilinochchi on October 3 causing heavy damages. According to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) which represents all INGOs and UN agencies active in Sri Lanka, damages had been caused to UNICEF office.The military said the air strikes and operations undertaken by the army behind the enemy lines targeting vehicles would be facilitated by the removal of expatriates from Kilinochchi. But under a tripartite understanding among the government, the LTTE and the ICRC, the Geneva headquartered organisation is continuing its operations in the LTTE-held area. The firepower of Israeli built Kfir and Russian MiG 27s coupled with a variety of artillery pieces including multi barrel rocket launchers and mortars had given a tremendous boost to the overall offensive which Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told The Island was approaching a decisive stage.The IASC in its latest report which dealt with the northern and eastern provinces from October 2 to 9 period said that although air strikes had been directed at Kilinochchi town and its surrounding areas at the beginning of the week, the focus moved to Kilinochchi in the last few days.With the army positioned west of the A9, parallel to the road stretch from Omanthai to Kokavil, the SLAF has zeroed-in on targets in Kilinochchi and its suburbs in support of the 57 Division pushing towards the town. The fighting elements of the 57 Division are a few kilometres away from Kilinochchi town. Although civilians had vacated Kilinochchi and moved towards Mullaitivu, the Kilinochchi hospital continued to function, officials said. Some of its wards had been shifted to a government health facility at Tharmapuram and to a school at Vishvamadu along the A 35 road leading towards Mullaitivu.The Island learns that the ICRC’s presence at LTTE-held Puthukkudiyirippu is likely to be reviewed as the ground offensive spread along the Weli oya front with the 59 Division making slow but steady progress. While reiterating the ICRC’s commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to the needy, Anthony Dalzei, deputy head of the ICRC said that they were continuing operations from Puthukkudiyirippu. The ICRC first set up base there in 1997.The ICRC last month facilitated the passage of over 10,000 people and 1440 vehicles across the Omanthai entry and exit point. The ICRC presence at the crossing point for six days of the week also facilitated the transfer of 1,400 patients to Vavuniya and bodies of 136 combatants. UN food convoy awaiting security clearance The UN is awaiting security clearance to move the second convoy of essential items into the Wanni, while 17 out of the 20 government trucks that were stranded in Puliyankulam due to a damaged bridge on the route resumed its journey last evening.A convoy of around 50 trucks belonging to the UN is scheduled to leave to Wanni during this week.UN Spokesperson Gordon Weiss told The Morning Leader that they were awaiting security clearance for the convoy to go into the Wanni."Around 50 trucks carrying 750 metric tonnes of essential items are to be sent to the Wanni this week," Weiss said. Five more trucks of the government will also join the UN convoy.Essential Services Commissioner, S.B. Divaratne told The Morning Leader that repair work was completed on the damaged bridge and the route was cleared for the 17 trucks to go through. The trucks were hired by the government to transport essential items into the Wanni. "The trucks and the goods are sent by the government alone," Divaratne said.Divaratne further said that there were no security concerns on the route taken by the convoy, as it was recommended by the security forces. The initial route identified for the convoy through Mankulam was later changed due to the condition of the road, according to Divaratne. Mullaitivu GA Imalda Sukumar said that the Road Development Authority (RDA) had carried out repair work on the bridge and added that the convoys were able to move by yesterday evening, but added that rains in the area may delay the convoy from reaching its destination by a few hours.The route that would be used for the UN convoy would be the same as that used by the government, which is through Puliyankulam, Nedunkerni, Oddusuddan, Mulliyavalai, Puthukudyiruppu (PTK) to Tharmapuram.There are more than 220,000 IDPs in Wanni, of whom more than 150,000 are in the Mulaithivu District. The civilians in Kilinochchi had moved towards Oddusuddan and Wiswamadu, east of the district following aerial and artillery attacks targeting Tiger hotspots two weeks ago. Another stock of explosives stolen from Sri Lanka Police store in Mihintale Another stock of explosives stored at a secondary storehouse in Mihintale Police station in Anuradhapura District is reportedly stolen for the second time.The missing stock of explosives includes 198 kilograms of gelignite which was to be used in quarries in the area. Earlier a large stock of explosives stored at another store located inside the same Police station has been stolen right under the noses of the Police officers. The first stock stolen included 29 kilo grams of gelignite sticks and 500 meters of strings used for igniting the explosives.With the present situation in the country, sources fear that these explosives would have been sold to terrorists by corrupt Police officials. They say an independent team should investigate the thefts. No improvement in status of Wanni IDPs There was no improvement in the situation of tens of thousands of IDPs in the Wanni with agencies warning of increased clashes and a widening gap in shelter as the monsoon rains approached, the latest humanitarian reports said. "At the beginning of the reporting period (October 2), aerial attacks on Kilinochchi town and surrounding areas were reported. By the end of the week, the focus of the attacks had moved to the Mulaithivu District. The first of the monsoon rains have started in Mulaithivu District increasing concerns for vulnerable displaced families," the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) said in its latest update released on October 13. It said that only 2100 temporary shelters had been constructed by mid-September when UN and other international agencies working in the Wanni relocated to Vavuniya. "As the monsoon season approaches, humanitarian agencies are increasingly worried about the large gap in shelter provision for IDPs currently with inadequate shelters. Although some IDPs have managed to take shelter material and roofing with them as they have had to displace, only 2,100 temporary shelters had been built at the time humanitarian organisations relocated from the Wanni on September 16."There are over 220,000 IDPs in the Wanni, and over 150,000 now remain in the Mulaithivu District. The report also said that transport costs and commodity prices have recorded steep increases and civilians have been forced to sell valuables and livestock."Lack of transport and fuel are hampering movement for many IDPs seeking safety along the A35 (Paranthan-Mulaithivu highway northeast of Kilinochchi). On average, Rs.12,000 is being charged to rent a tractor to transport IDPs and their belongings from Kilinochchi to Visuvamadu, and as much as Rs. 24,000 from Kilinochchi to Putukudyiruppu (PTK). There are reports of people pawning their jewellery and other valuables to pay for transportation," it said. "Commodity prices in the Wanni are increasing, for example a litre of kerosene is now Rs.350, compared to Rs.100 six month’s ago. Queues outside banks in PTK have been reported, with people selling valuables as well as livestock. This situation is complicated by insufficient cash available from the banks," it was also stated. Suicide bomber lived at Wellawatte with Sinhala couple The female suicide bomber who made an abortive attempt on the life of Minister Maithripala Sirisena while he was returning from a Vap Magul ceremony on the Boralesgamuwa Road last week, had been living in a house belonging to a Sinhalese couple in Wellawatte for months without arousing suspicion of her neighbours.She, identified as Shanmugadas Jayabalani, had paid a monthly rent of Rs. 20,000 for sharing the house at Wellawatte with another Tamil family. A few months ago the other occupants had shifted but the bomber had continued her stay, the police said.On the day of her suicidal mission, she had told her landlord that she was leaving for Vavuniya. She is said to have had dealings with another family living at Kohuwala. On an earlier occasion when the police were conducting checks in the area, she had been questioned.Meanwhile, our Anuradhapura Correspondent reports that SSP Anura Senanayake of the Colombo Crime Detective Bureau along with a team of officials, questioned a Sinhala woman in Mihintale in whose name the sim card of the mobile phone used by the suicide bomber was registered.The suspect was arrested from Weerakelle in Minhintale on Sunday. The 28-year-old woman was married to a soldier. Her husband too, would be questioned, Police sources said. President did not come to visit Karu in hospital: A group from 17 crossed over UNPers to come back The unofficial discussions underway to take the 17 United National Party (UNP) breakaway MPs back to party have shown signs of being successful. UNP MP Wajira Abewardhana and several non-MP UNP members including a higher official of a state corporation are engaged in talks. A member of the 17 MPs’ group said to Lanka-e-News that several rounds of discussions have been held so far with several MPs of his group and dates have been fixed for discussions with more MPs. He said that there is a possibility of Ministers Mahinda Wijesekara, Lakshman Yapa Abewardhana, Hemakumara Nanayakkara, Naveen Disanayaka, Rajitha Senarathna and G.L. Peiris to stay in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Meanwhile, M.H. Mohammed, Gamini Lokuge, Dharmadasa banda and P. Dayarathna have agreed to rejoin UNP. The spokesman said that these Ministers have less responsibility and less recognition in the government. Minister P. Dayarathna has no duty in the nominal Ministry of Plan Implementation. A member of the 17 MPs group said that although Minister Karu Jayasuriya is considered the leader of the group, the President does not care him and he did not attend the funeral of the mother of Karu Jayasuriya. Moreover, he did not visit the Minister at hospital whilst he is undergoing treatment after a serious surgery. Suicide Terrorism: Why Are Sri Lanka's Women Blowing Themselves Up? "While nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer, nothing is more difficult than to understand him" -- Mikhailovich Dostovsky The tiny island nation of Sri Lanka has been plagued by terrorism for the past 25 years. Citing irreparable differences with the majority ethnic group, the armed militant group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelaam (LTTE) is demanding 35 percent of the country's landmass and over 75 percent of its surrounding sea for a separate Tamil state. Constituting only 6.5 percent of the country's population, over half of the country's Tamils currently live amongst th majority Sinhalese.It was the LTTE that reshaped conventional warfare by introducing suicide bombers -- in particular, the female suicide cadre. The LTTE arguably still remains the global leader in suicide terrorism, carrying out two-thirds of the world's suicide attacks. The real "men of steel" for the LTTE have been its female suicide bombers, who account for 40 percent of its suicide activities. It's difficult to understand how a woman would choose to become a human bomb. Suicide bombings have become a convenient way to secure political objectives for many groups worldwide. Suicide terrorism was non-existent in global politics before emerging in the mid-1980s. Since then, it has spread across the globe, growing ever more gruesome. Today, suicide missions are being carried out in Iraq, in Palestine against the Israelis, in Lebanon, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Turkey, Russia and Uzbekistan.It was on July 5th, 1987 that the LTTE carried out its first suicide bombing. The attack on the Nelliyady Army Camp claimed the lives of 40 Sri Lankan troops. To date, LTTE suicide missions number over 100, resulting in over 1,400 deaths, including two world leaders. In 1991, Idian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a female LTTE suicide cadre on Indian soil. After placing a garland around Rajiv's neck, she blew herself up, killing them both instantly along with many others. Sri Lankan President Premadasa was killed at a May Day rally in 1993 by an aid who was working at his presidential home -- a man whom he trusted but who was in actuality a LTTE suicide cadre, planted for the task. A host of Tami leaders have also been targeted, negating the LTTE's argument that it represents the rights and needs of the Tamil people. Why Suicide Terrorism? Much study has been dedicated towards identifying and evaluating the psychological and sociological motives for suicide terrorism. The suicide unit of the LTTE calls itself the Black Tigers -- of this, one-third are women who are venerated for their acts in LTTE cemeteries. With no body to bury, their granite tombstones watch over an empty grave. Before embarking on their mission, suicide cadres are given a special meal of their choice with the LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabakaran and a handsome monetary benefit is given to the family of those who are successful in their suicide missions. And each year on July 5th, the Black Tigers who have given their lives to the cause are celebrated by the LTTE, with Prabakaran lighting a lantern for each.In her book, Women Fighters of Liberation Tigers (1989), the Australian wife of LTTE theoretician, Adel Balasingham describes the decision of Tamil women who join: "they are not satisfied with the social status quo; it means they are young women capable of defying authority; it means they are women with independent thoughts; young women prepared to lift up their heads."But this still does not explain why a woman would need to choose death over life to assert her power.All suicide missions are generally successful -- there have only been a few cases where vigilant military and even the public have been able to identify suicide bombers before an attack. A female suicide cadre sent to assassinate the current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka was apprehended on January 5, 2000 by the police before she could carry out her mission. Having been sent from the rebel-held territory in Sri Lanka's jungles, it was only natural that she not be aware of the fashion trends in Colombo. So after watching her for a few days, the police apprehended her and removed the suicide kit strapped to her bra, stopping her from biting the cyanide capsule that all LTTE members are compelled to wear in an amulet. She is still in prison. Recently the Norwegian government funded the movie My Daughter the Terrorist, which explores the paths of two female Black Tigers. The film raises an important question for me - how can a government, especially one that has been acting as a peace facilitator in Sri Lanka, agree to fund a movie when suicide and suicide bombing are deplored the world over? Though there have been different interpretations of the film, the Sri Lankan embassies have objected saying it sends the wrong signals to youngsters by glorifying suicide bombers on film.But it also makes an important point about how politicized the world has become. Though many become cadres believing that the militant outfit is giving its all for "the cause," it's more likely that these men and women have been brainwashed and even drugged. Throughout the world, militant groups often sedate their cadres, sometimes in their food, to ensure loyalty and obedience. This partially explains how young men and women could choose to remain in the most challenging of conditions -- often in the jungles, exposed to the elements, enduring the mosquitoes, without proper nutrition or even clean sheets or towels.Though no official statistics exists, some reports claim that there are as many as 5,000 child recruits in the LTTE, accounting for 30 percent of the group's brigade. Young boys, forcefully taken by the LTTE from their mothers' arms, grow up knowing nothing more than hero worship for their militant leader. Childhood pranks are soon replaced by shooting at government armed forces in cold blood. Young girls are also taken against their wills, forced to strip and change into tiger attire - their dreams of home replaced by rigorous, early morning training sessions, LTTE indoctrination, tasteless meals and ultimately, a suicide mission.Is this what these women suicide cadres want from life? Is this what they really want to be remembered as? Have they simply buried their old identities, giving up the desire to have or career or a family? Or is there something more to this gruesome exploitation of women? Even the LTTE leader's only daughter did not become a member of the elite Black Tigers, showing the obvious hypocrisy of the LTTE's philosophy -- she was sent overseas to study and has never experienced what any of these LTTE women have had to endure.I think the LTTE is turning to women for its suicide missions because they are less conspicuous and can easily blend into a crowd. Men are prone to greater scrutiny and their movements watched. Similarly, the LTTE targets children as they are able to move quickly in the country's thick jungles and easily escape detection.The LTTE would have us believe that these women are prepared for their "cause," but we really do not know what goes on in their minds -- none of the journalists I know have ever been able to question these women before their deaths. But a lot can be gleaned from the suicide cadre who was apprehended before carrying out her mission. Today she begs for clemency, begs to be given a new lease on life and asks to be pardoned. She is cooperating with the authorities, helping them obtain vital information about LTTE hideouts and operations. She is also undergoing psychiatric treatment in the course of her rehabilitation and hopefully someday, will lead a peaceful life.Though we may never really understand what makes these terrorists tick, we do know that the leaders of these groups have brainwashed their followers into carrying out tragedies that serve only their personal desire to achieve power outside of the democratic framework that is accepted by the rest of us. Politicized and polarized, they are hidden in Sri Lanka's jungles, waiting to use their bodies as human shields and bombs for a leader who will stop at nothing to secure a separate state. “All-party meeting called to speak with one voice” CHENNAI: Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi on Tuesday said the purpose of the all-party meeting was to speak with one voice against the killing of Sri Lankan Tamils.Recalling the agitations and public meetings organised independently by various political parties in support of the Sri Lankan Tamils and to condemn the Indian government’s assistance to the Sri Lankan Navy, the Chief Minister in his introductory remarks said there was nothing wrong in such independent actions by political parties.He said the all-party meeting had been convened to show the combined strength of the political parties, because the Tamils here were pained by the treatment meted out to Sri Lankan Tamils. The meeting, he said, would help channelise the views of all political parties and find lasting solutions. He called upon leaders of the political parties to give their views “to liberate the Tamils from the marauding Sinhalese officials and the Army.” Resolution A resolution adopted at the meeting urged the Indian government to take the services of organisations such as Red Cross Society to ensure that humanitarian assistance of various organisations reached the Tamils without being diverted to other places. Another resolution condemned the “brutal attacks and kidnapping and torture of Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.”“The Central government should devise and implement a plan that will put an end to the uncivilised and human rights violations of the Sri Lankan Navy,” it said.Apart from the Chief Minister, the DMK was represented by Ministers K. Anbazhagan, M.K. Stalin, Durai Murugan, K. Ponmudi, Veerapandi Arumugam and K.P.P.Samy. K.V. Thangkabalu and D.Sudarssanam (Congress), N. Varadarajan and P. Sampath (CPI (M)), G.K. Mani (Pattali Makkal Katchi), D. Pandian, R. Nallakannu (CPI), K. Veeramani (DK), Thol. Thirumavalavan and D. Ravikumar (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi), K.M. Khader Mohideen (IUML), M.H. Jawaharullah (TMMK), Sarathkumar (Samuthuva Makkal Katchi) and RM. Veerappan (MGR Kazhagam), participated. 14 October 2008 If President believes in a political solution, a proposal must be tabled now - Mangala Sri Lankans Flee as Army Advances on Rebel Base, Red Cross Says Sri Lankan civilians are fleeing their homes in the face of an army advance on the headquarters of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the island's north, the Red Cross said. ``Large numbers of people are still fleeing'' Kilinochchi district, often leaving their belongings behind, the ICRC said on its Web site. ``Food, shelter, clean water, sanitation and, above all, security remain the most urgent concerns for the tens of thousands of displaced civilians living in LTTE-controlled areas in the north,'' Anthony Dalziel, deputy head of the ICRC's delegation in Sri Lanka, said in a statement yesterday. Sri Lanka's army has driven to within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of Kilinochchi town where the LTTE has organized its 25- year struggle for a separate homeland in the South Asian nation. The LTTE says more than 113,000 people were forced from their homes in the north in August and more than 52,000 fled in recent weeks, according to the TamilNet Web site. Sri Lanka last month told aid agencies to quit the northern Wanni region, saying their safety couldn't be guaranteed while fighting is taking place. The government rejected criticism from Amnesty International that civilians are being ignored and said it is providing assistance for refugees. The ICRC said, while it isn't directly involved in distributing food in Wanni, it is helping others arrange food convoys to the area. Aid Convoy A convoy of 20 trucks brought supplies, including rice, flour and oil, to the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts in Wanni yesterday, the army said on its Web site. Supplies that reached Wanni in the first week of October were only adequate to feed people for a week, TamilNet reported Oct. 10. Displaced people from Kilinochchi have reached Ka'ndaava'lai and Tharmapuram where more than 100,000 people are already living, it said at the time. India's government last week summoned Sri Lanka's deputy envoy in New Delhi to express its concern about civilians caught in the conflict, the Press Trust of India reported two days ago. It didn't give any other details of the discussions. The United Nations says an estimated 60,000 Sri Lankan refugees are in camps in Tamil Nadu, a state in southeastern India that lies about a two-hour boat ride across the waters from Sri Lanka. The army began its offensives in the north after capturing the eastern region from the Tamil Tigers in July last year. The LTTE should surrender, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a speech Oct. 11. ``They should act in this manner and enter the democratic political process,'' Rajapaksa said. ``Our aim should be to ensure the democratic political rights of our Tamil brethren. Military operations have become necessary to eradicate terrorism, establish peace and restore democracy.'' Tamils made up 11.9 percent of Sri Lanka's population of 20 million and ethnic Sinhalese almost 74 percent in 2001, according to a census that year. At least 19 LTTE fighters were killed in clashes in the Kilinochchi area Oct. 12, the Media Center for National Security said yesterday. Army Commander in a sudden tour in US Army Commander Sarath Fonseka left for US suddenly for a private tour on day before yesterday (12). Army spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara confirmed the tour but did not reveal the reason behind it. Lanka-e-News learns that the Army Commander has gone to US to extend his Green Card visa. Although it is due to be extended in November, he has left early due to instructions of the astrologers to stay out of the country these days. The Army Commander who visited Vanni battlefronts on October 11 said that the earth mounds would not prevent LTTE defeat. Meanwhile the security forces are expected to enter into Kilinochchi town, the heart of the LTTE this week and the leave of the senior Army officers have been cancelled, Lanka-e-News learns. In another front, the pressure from India to Sri Lanka to go for a political process regarding the conflict in Sri Lanka is also on the increase. Troops capture four Tiger bunkers Sri Lankan soldiers attacked Tamil Tiger rebel bunkers along the northern front lines triggering gunbattles that killed 27 guerrillas and three soldiers, the military said yesterday. Fighting has escalated in recent months on the Indian Ocean island with the military capturing a series of rebel bases and large chunks of territory. Officials have pledged to crush the guerrillas by the end of the year. In the latest fighting, soldiers destroyed three bunkers and captured four others after battles that killed 15 rebels near their administrative capital of Kilinochchi, the military said in a statement. Separate clashes in the same area killed four rebels and one soldier, it said. The military has said it is closing in on Kilinochchi and its forces are about 1 mile from the outskirts of the town. In the northern Jaffna peninsula, troops killed four rebels along the front lines while a rebel mortar attack killed two soldiers, the statement said. Clashes in Mullaitivu killed four rebels and wounded one soldier, it said. With nearly all communications to the north severed, a rebel spokesman could not be contacted for comment. Independent verification of the military's claims is nearly impossible because most journalists are banned from the war zone. Both sides routinely exaggerate enemy losses and underreport their own. The rebels have been fighting since 1983 to create an independent homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils, who have faced marginalization by successive governments controlled by ethnic Sinhalese. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, who is visiting Australia, said the global economic turmoil would not cripple the government's ability to fund the war, which he said was in the "final stages." "We are quite confident our financial resources will sustain current engagement with" the rebels, Bogollagama told reporters. 60 SLA wounded in Akkaraayan fighting on Sunday - LTTE More than sixty Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were wounded Sunday when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) defensive units put up heavy resistance to the SLA offensive forces along the Akkaraayan - Mu'rika'ndi Road, LTTE officials told media in Vanni on Monday. The SLA advance was thwarted after 6 hours of heavy fighting, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Tigers said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sources in Colombo said 2 SLA soldiers were killed and 7 wounded and claimed that 9 LTTE fighters were killed in the southern frontiers of Ki'linochchi district.The LTTE did not provide figures of those killed in action on both the sides. Canadian Tamils protest against Lankan cricketers Canadian Tamils protested against the Sri Lankan cricketers for the duration of the four-nation Twenty20 tournament that was finally won by the Sri Lankans.The protestors demanded the removal of leg spinner Ajantha Mendis from the team, as he serves in the Sri Lanka Army, accusing it of killing Tamils.After the Sri Lankans won the cup by defeating Pakistan in the final yesterday (Oct. 14th), demonstrators had thrown eggs at them.The Canadian government has arranged strong security measures for the tournament and the final was closed for Tamils. Soldier arrested over minister’s assassination attempt Investigations into the assassination attempt on Minister Maithripala Sirisena by a LTTE suicide bomber at Boralesgamuwa last week took a new turn with the arrest of a soldier in Vavuniya under whose name the mobile phone used by the suicide cadre had been registered.Invstigators said the soldier’s national identity card number had been used to buy the Sim card used on the suicide bomber’s mobile phone. According to Police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekera LTTE cadres have used 20 such forged identity cards to buy Sim cards and investigations are now on to trace the 20 people whose numbers had been used by others to buy Sim cards.Investigations also revealed the last call to her mobile was made through a telephone tower in the Cinnamon Gardens area and she had received a total 26 calls to her mobile on that particular day. Investigators believed the person who made the last call to her mobile phone was responsible for directing her on the failed suicide mission. Most of the calls received on her mobile phone had originated from Wellawatte Police, Army and the STF launched a joint search operation in the Wellawatte area on Sunday after positive information received that she had lived in the Wellawatte area under a Sinhala name.Investigators wanted to find out the exact place where she lived in Wellawatte and her acquaintances there.Investigators also said their search on Sunday failed to reveal any positive information but two suspects were arrested during the search. Work for a lasting solution in Sri Lanka: Puthiya Tamizhagam COIMBATORE: Political parties in the State and also at the national level must work together for a lasting solution to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka, founder-president of Puthiya Tamizhagam K. Krishnasamy told presspersons here on Monday.“We will participate in the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Chennai on Tuesday, as it is important that all the parties in Tamil Nadu should come together to press for a permanent solution. At the same time, we cannot merely discuss the issue and pass resolutions. The meeting must decide on some strong effort, as Tamils are fleeing Sri Lanka to save their lives,” he said.Dr. Krishnasamy appealed to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam general secretary Vaiko to take part in the meeting, stressing unified efforts from Tamil Nadu. The Puthiya Tamizhagam leader called for a national-level effort on Sri Lanka and regretted that an anti-Tamil caucus was at work in New Delhi.Though he started off by demanding a political resolution of the crisis in Sri Lanka, Dr. Krishnasamy also called for a decisive intervention on the part of the Central Government, recalling what was done in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) to liberate it from Pakistan.When pointed out that the Bangladesh example only stressed a military solution and not a political one, Dr. Krishnasamy said that he only meant a decisive step and not exactly what was done for the liberation of East Pakistan.On the demand that the DMK quit the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre over the Sri Lankan situation, he said everything would be discussed at the all-party meeting. SC throws out JVP plea against Karuna’s appointment The Supreme Court yesterday refused leave to proceed with the fundamental rights violation application filed by the JVP against the appointment of Karuna Amman to Parliament to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the JVP national List MP, Vasantha Samarasinghe, in June this year.The petitioner, Tilvin Silva, the Secretary General of the JVP had alleged that the Secretary General of the UPFA, Sirisena, had made an arbitrary decision in nominating Karuna Amman when the JVP had nominated a member of the JVP. A Memorandum of Understanding existed between the SLFP and the JVP, which parties formed an alliance, called the UPFA.The Court said that the actions of the Secretary General of the UPFA do not constitute executive or administrative action, under article 126 of the constitution, which refers to fundamental rights.Further, the Elections Commissioner, who was also made a respondent in the petition, could not take note of a private agreement between two political parties. Hence, his action in appointing Karuna Amman could not be challenged under Article 126. Thirdly, the petitioner had alleged that Karuna Amman was convicted of an Emigration/Immigration offence in UK. He could not sit in parliament. The Court said that penal offences were effective within territorial waters only. The Sri Lankan Courts could review offences committed in Sri Lanka only.The petition was dismissed. It was supported by Viran Corea appearing with Suren Fernando, instructed by Sunil Watagala.The Deputy Solicitor General, Indika Demuni de Silva, appeared for the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Election.The Bench comprised Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, Justice K. Sripavan and Justice P. A. Ratnayake. 26,000 students displaced in north Education authorities in northern Sri Lanka say that 26,168 schoolchildren have been displaced due to fighting between government forces and the LTTE, BBC Sandeshaya reports.In a letter sent to Kilinochchi district secretary, the Director of Education of the area says there is a need for 125 temporary shelters to accommodate those students.“There is a very urgent need for 100 urinals for males and 100 toilets for girls. 3000 Mats are needed for the seating arrangement of children,” the letter sent by T Kurukularajah said.The education official has also requested the DS to provide three million rupees to dismantle the previous temporary schools and bring them to the new sites. Red Cross distributes 12,000 stationery packs to students The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) distributed 12,000 school stationery packs, donated by the Japanese Red Cross Society, to school children in nine districts at a function held in Colombo last week .These packs were distributed to children through Red Cross branches in Hambantota, Puttalam, Colombo, Jaffna, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Gampaha, Galle and Matara.Country Coordinator of Japanese Red Cross Sathoshi Funahashi handed the packs over to President of Sri Lanka Red Cross Society Jagath Abeysinghe in the presence of National Secretary S. H. Nimal Kumar. The Japanese RC initiated this programme in 2006 by donating 30,000 packs. Last year 12,000 packs were distributed and another 12,000 last week. So far 54,000 students have been benefited through these donations. The recipients were mainly children who were affected by the tsunami and those from underprivileged families. Addressing the distribution ceremony, Funahasi said the gift would help the children to continue their education at schools.Senior Vice President of SLRCS Bharata Jonikku Hewa said that at least needy children of 10 schools in each district would receive these packs. The Youth Wing has carried out this programme efficiently with good management and transparency. "Our aim is to contribute towards building a better future generation. We will introduce new programmes in the near future to strengthen the Youth wing", Hewa said and thanked the JRC for the support and cooperation it has extended.Youth Director A. W. M. Fahim made the welcome address. National Youth President Saman Mahesh Kumara proposed the vote of thanks. Tamil film industry joins protests on Lankan issue 13 October 2008 APC meeting to hoodwink the world: UNP The main opposition UNP yesterday criticized a new move by the government to resume the All Party Conference (APC) deliberations saying it was a time consuming exercise to hoodwink the international community.Party general secretary Tissa Attanayake said the UNP had earlier decided against participating at APC or APRC meetings but would summon the Political Affairs Committee and the Working Committee to discuss the fresh moves initiated by the government.The UNP did not participate in the APC meeting on Saturday.“No political solution will ever be evolved at these meetings. These committees have met for the past three years. But nothing happened. However, the government has invited us to attend these meetings again. We will make a decision only after consulting the party’s decision making bodies,” he said.He said the funerals of Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera and his wife were held on Saturday, and this too was a reason the party was unable to give its attention to Saturday’s APC meeting. Sri Lanka says can fund offensive against rebels Sri Lanka's war on separatist rebels will not be slowed by international financial turmoil placing pressure on the government's military budget, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said on Monday.Bogollagama, speaking in Australia where he was urged to seek a political end to the 25-year conflict, said Sri Lanka's military would continue to press its latest bloody offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE."We are coming to the final stages of taking on the LTTE. We are quite confident our financial resources can sustain the current engagement," Bogollagama told journalists.Sri Lanka's army last week pushed to within 2 kilometres (1 mile) of outer Kilinochchi, the strategic headquarters town of the Tigers, located 330 kilometres (205 miles) north of the capital Colombo.As the offensive intensified, the government proposed a 2009 budget in which total local and international borrowings were projected to rise by 20 percent, in part to fund a 6.4 percent lift in the projected cost of the war, despite the current freeze in global credit markets.Bogollagama said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had no option but to continue an offensive that gathered pace earlier this year when the government formally annulled a 2002 ceasefire, accusing the rebels of using it to re-arm."As far as the LTTE is concerned, we need them to lay down arms and start talking, and it's time the LTTE does that," he said.Australia's foreign minister, Stephen Smith, said Canberra had "long-standing concerns" about the intensifying conflict and accusations of human rights violations on both sides."There was a very clear understanding that no long-term enduring solution can be found simply through the use of military force," Smith said, adding more talks were needed on ideas for a semi-autonomous region in LTTE-controlled northern areas.At least 40 people were reported killed for a second straight day on Friday as airstrikes continued on Kilinochchi, although casualty figures are impossible to verify as foreign observers are barred from the conflict zone.Both sides regularly distort gains for propaganda purposes.Bogollagama is in Australia to talk about "post-conflict" Sri Lanka amid expectations the military could capture Kilinochchi, although conflict analysts also fear a wave of reprisal bombings by the LTTE. Tamil Tigers may be listed as terrorists The federal government is considering listing Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebel separatist movement as a terrorist organisation.Sri Lanka's foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama called on Australia to explicitly list the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist group, joining other countries like the United States.Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Australia already was considering the matter."As I indicated to the foreign minister, that is currently under consideration by the Attorney-General," he told reporters.Already the group was effectively banned in Australia."For a considerable period of time the LTTE has effectively been listed under United Nations arrangements, that affects a freeze on LTTE assets in Australia and as a consequence (it is) unlawful for the use of LTTE assets in Australia," Mr Smith said.Mr Bogollagama made the request during a meeting with Mr Smith on Monday morning."The LTTE has become a universal terrorist organisation," Mr Bogollagama told reporters."It is to be banned in the United States of America, it is banned in Canada, it is banned in 27 countries in the European Union, it is banned in the United Kingdom and also it is banned in India."It's time we addressed terrorism and isolate terrorists and bring the community on board in terms of a political solution."Sri Lanka has been plagued by a decades-old civil war which has claimed around 70,000 lives.For more than four decades, the Tamil Tigers have been fighting to create an independent homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils.Last week, a former high commissioner to Australia, Janaka Perera, was among the dead from a Tamil Tiger suicide blast in northern Sri Lanka, which killed at least 25 people and injured another 65. Troops reach Jayapuram Nachchikuda: Troops operating north east of Nachchikuda in the west of Kilinochchi district, made steady progress within the last two days reaching the outskirts of Jayapuram in the north of Nachchikuda, crushing LTTE efforts to bring in reinforcements to the front on several occasions killing more than 40 Tiger cadres, Military sources told the Daily News yesterday. Jayapuram is located some seven kilometres north of Nachchikuda where the LTTE is having one of their main Sea Tiger bases in the North Western coast. According to sources many Tiger vehicles bringing in cadres to 58 Division front now operating in the north-east of Nachchikuda were hit by the troops killing more than 40 Tiger cadres. “On three occasions on Friday and Saturday troops hit three Tiger vehicles bringing in reinforcements to this front killing more than 40 Tiger cadres,” the sources added. A senior Tiger leader was also feared killed as troops operating south of Pooneryn hit one of the double cabs which was escorted by a few Tiger cadres on Friday evening.A senior Tiger leader who was travelling in this double cab was either severely wounded or killed in this attack, ground troops have confirmed. “Troops operating in the Mannikulam west also hit two vehicles bringing reinforcements to the area on Saturday,” the sources added. The 58 Division operating under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva is now expanding their battlefront along the 25 Kilometres long earth bund constructed by the LTTE from Nachchikuda to Akkarayankulam to defend the Kilinochchi front especially the Nachchikuda Sea Tiger base. “With these advances the Sea Tiger Base in Nachchikuda is becoming isolated, making it extremely difficult for the LTTE to use the stretch of A-32 Mannar Pooneryn road from the North of Nachchikuda”, the sources added. The Pandiveddikulam tank area also fell under the control of the 58 Division yesterday amidst heavy rains lashing the area. “The troops of the 58 Division have now advanced some four Kilometres north of Karambakulam and are poised to advance further northward from another location in the east of Vannerikulam as troops also captured the huge earth bund from the East of Vannerikulam too by yesterday”, the source added. The progress made by the 58 Division heading towards Pooneryn is a big challenge for the LTTE as it would lead to deprivation of logistics support coming from remaining areas in the North Western coast. Diaspora Tamils seek solidarity with British Public British Tamils, including a large group of second generation Tamils, took to the streets of London Saturday in a 'walking and talking' campaign, promoting awareness among people, wearing prominent yellow 'aprons' which read 'Stop Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka on the front side and 'Free Tamil Eelam', with the map of Tamil Eelam on the back, sources in London said. British Tamils Forum (BTF) intends to stage similar 'walking and talking' campaigns on a regular basis in many UK cities wearing clothing carrying clear messages and giving out leaflets with relevant information to educate the British public in the absence of mainstream media coverage, the report released by BTF said. The BTF’s mission is “[t]o harness the skills and the knowledge of the members of the forum, well-wishers and significant others including the mainstream decision makers in the UK to alleviate the sufferings of the Tamils in the Island of Sri Lanka and to further their right to self determination within the democratic frame work under pinned by the international law, covenants and conventions,” the BTF website said. BTF was formed in 2006 with the support 88 British Tamil community organizations, according to BTF officials. Alleged North Korean links with LTTE Karuna seeks meeting with foreign envoys in Colombo | ||
