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31 October 2009 Officers who engage in politics will be discharged- Army chief It is a Police officer who had openly killed an insane individual by attacking with clubs and drowning him Gota speaks out on Fonseka issue Responding to criticism of an alleged attempt to sideline Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka and to deny the war veteran the credit he deserves for spearheading the war against the LTTE, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says a group of bankrupt politicians are now working overtime to destabilise the country. "This is nothing but a despicable plot being hatched at the expense of the entire country," Rajapaksa says. Unlike the previous moves by the Opposition to weaken an elected government, this is an attempt to sow dissension among the country’s battle-hardened armed forces, the Defence Secretary alleges. Those who play politics with national security in a post-LTTE era will incur the wrath of Gods and voters at the forthcoming elections, he says.In an exclusive interview with The Island, Defence Secretary Rajapaksa, who played a pivotal role in destroying the LTTE, said that they (the Rajapaksas) had been accused of clipping General’s Fonseka’s wings by appointing him as the CDS. Dismissing that allegation as a canard, he said, whoever held that post had enormous powers and influence over the entire security establishment. In fact, the CDS chaired a powerful committee comprising the three service chiefs and other officials, who handled the country’s defence, he said. With the consent of the President, the Chief of Defence Staff may hold the post for two years and be given extensions in service biannually.The CDS is tasked with issuing orders regarding strategies of the armed forces, assisting the Defence Minister, developing a strategy for overall work of the armed forces, coordinating intelligence activities among the armed forces, assessing the strength of potential enemies, preparation and evaluation of plans related to the armed forces, preparation of policies for the training of joint armed forces and preparation of policy for the UN peacekeeping operations etc.An irate Defence Secretary rejected the Opposition allegation that the former Army Commander had been ill-treated by the government: "Let me tell you that General Fonseka was appointed as CDS with his consent. Although, I haven’t discussed this issue publicly before, I have no option but to reveal what really transpired."Rajapaksa said: "Once the army had wiped out Velupillai Prabhakaran on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon on May 18, we focussed on the proposed changes at the top command and the control structure of the armed forces. The President had to promote Navy Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe as the Commander before June 16, when he was due to retire. There were not many options. One of them was to appoint the then Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda as the CDS, thereby making the senior most serving navy officer Chairman of the apex defence committee."Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said that after taking General Fonseka’s opinion into consideration, the President had appointed the former army Chief as the CDS. General Fonseka succeeded Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera, who received top diplomatic posting to Tel Aviv. The President had had no alternative but to move Admiral Karannagoda to a civilian post though the government very much wanted to retain him in the defence field, Rajapaksa said. There had been absolutely no effort, he said, to sideline any army officer. But unfortunately, the Opposition and a section of the media had gone to the extent of blaming the government for offering plum diplomatic posts to serving officers.Responding to our queries, the Defence Secretary said that an influential section of the international community, too, had thrown its weight behind the Opposition campaign. Although the media had a right to criticise the government and support any political party, attempts to propagate lies could not be allowed.The Defence Secretary said that then President J. R. Jayewardene had brought back Cyril Ranatunga from retirement to lead counter-terrorism operations. Gen. Ranatunga had executed the famous Operation Liberation in the Jaffna peninsula. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who commanded Gajaba troops in that operation, recalled the then Army Commander Lt. General Nalin Seneviratne telling troops that he only provided officers and men needed for the offensive. Successive governments had similar positions but none had gone so far as to institutionalise the post of the CDS through a parliamentary Act, Rajapaksa said."Don’t forget that I made critical changes. The Army Act and the Pension Code, too, were changed," Rajapaksa said. But, perhaps the most important change was to enable a serving officer to take over the CDS post, whereas all previous appointees had been retired officers, he said.Dismissing allegations the CDS appointment had been an ad-hoc, the Defence Secretary said that a committee headed by veteran civil servant M. D. D. Peiris had taken over two years to finalise the proposal. "The committee interviewed all service commanders and many other senior military officials and also researched similar structures in other parts of the world before making submissions to the Attorney General’s Department as well as the Legal Draftsman," he said. According to him, the final report had been reviewed by the defence top brass again before approval was granted. The Defence Secretary said that process had been parallel to the war against terror. He said anyone who had doubts was free to make inquiries from the committee. Nothing could be as bad as an attempt to claim that his appointment as CDS was a comedown for the General, Rajapaksa said adding that if one cared to go through the list of serving officers assigned to CDS, one would see that the argument being peddled by the detractors of the government did not hold water.The Defence Secretary revealed that a section of the officialdom, too, had been uneasy about the creation of such a post. "In fact, some questioned the need for such a powerful institution," he said. "But I was confident that there would be no trouble and that the government had utmost faith in the armed forces."While declining to comment on security provided to senior military leaders in keeping with the government policy, the Defence Secretary said that no one should take the Opposition’s claim of lack of security for military leaders, seriously. "We have adopted unprecedented measures to protect the military leadership. They are given the best of security," he said.Rajapaksa said there was nothing wrong in military personnel entering politics but definitely not in uniform. He said that their triumph over the LTTE had been the result of a joint effort spearheaded by the army. He said one of the most important decisions taken by the government had been to double the strength of the army while bolstering the the ranks of navy, air force, police, STF and Civil Defence Force. Defence Secretary Rajapaksa, who survived an LTTE suicide attack within months of General Fonseka escaping death in a suicide strike, said the Opposition seemed to be making a desperate bid to challenge the President whose popularity was at its zenith. He said that the government was fully confident of meeting the threat and taking whatever action necessary to ensure peace and stability in the country.Rajapaksa emphasised that the country’s triumph over the LTTE was evidence that it was capable of facing any other threat successfully. Two Ministers visit SB’s house yesterday night US helps Sri Lanka's former rebels The United States on Friday announced funding for up to 1,000 former Tamil guerrillas to reintegrate in society by starting their own businesses or learning new skills.The US embassy here said they were giving equipment and supplies to ex-fighters while vocational training was also being made available to help them start small enterprises in the island's east."The project, implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), is part of USAID?s larger efforts to increase human security and stability in the Eastern Province," the embassy said in a statement. It said nearly 400 former fighters had already signed up for the assistance, which will be given in the districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara.The IOM said the two-year initiative would cost 1.2 million dollars a year.Government forces crushed the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May after killing the group's top leadership in the island's north. The LTTE was driven out of the east of the island in mid-2007.Sri Lanka's government is also launching an ambitious rehabilitation program for thousands of rebels who surrendered during the final stages of fighting that ended nearly 37-years of bloodshed. Washington Times Editorial: Undermining Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is joining Israel as a country facing a war crimes investigation for effectively fighting back against terrorism. America should support the Sri Lankan government or keep its nose out of Colombo's business. Last week, Stephen Rapp, U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, filed a report to Congress on incidents during the recent conflict in Sri Lanka that "may constitute violations of international humanitarian law or crimes against humanity." The report focuses in particular on January to May 2009 when, after 12 years of conflict, the Sri Lankan military surrounded and destroyed the major armed formations of the Tamil Tigers and killed the terrorist group's leaders.The report chronicles allegations of war crimes by both Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, the Vermont Democrat whose subcommittee on the State Department and foreign operations requested the report, is calling for "a full and independent investigation" so those responsible can be "held accountable."The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights joined in the call for an investigation of Sri Lanka's war, saying there are "too many questions" left unanswered. U.N. Human Rights Spokesman Rupert Colville drew a direct comparison to the Gaza Fact-Finding Mission overseen by South African Judge Richard Goldstone. Sri Lanka and Israel are both pursuing internal investigations and have rejected the idea of international involvement in the process. The Rapp report is not comprehensive, more a list of allegations than a fully documented indictment. Most of the offenses listed are either directly attributable to the Tamil Tigers, such as forcibly recruiting children to fight for them, or the consequence of terrorist activities, such as Sri Lanka shelling hospitals being used by the Tigers as command posts.The tone of moral equivalence in the Rapp and Goldstone reports is most objectionable. War is by its nature violent, complex and tragic. Rules exist to mitigate war's suffering but can never eliminate it. Terrorist groups like the Tamil Tigers, Hamas and al Qaeda do not consider themselves bound by the rules of war and violate them as a matter of doctrine by targeting noncombatants, using civilians as human shields, torturing and executing prisoners, and by using hospitals and religious sites as headquarters and sniper platforms.Any war against such an enemy will impose a degree of tragedy on people who under other circumstances would be spared war's horrors. But this is part of the terrorist tool kit, and reports such as these play into their hands. By placing the terrorists' systematic offenses against human dignity on par with the unintentional or otherwise regrettable actions of the regime trying to defeat them, such reports level a moral playing field that by rights the terrorists have no right even to set foot on.Mr. Leahy should control his zeal to pursue what he views as justice in Sri Lanka. Any objective comparison of Sri Lanka's war against the Tamil Tigers or Israel's offensive against Hamas to America's struggle against al Qaeda would cast the United States in the same light, and elevate our enemies to a status they do not deserve. It hands the enemies of freedom unearned victories even as they are being defeated. Colombo fully committed to resettling Tamils: Minister CHENNAI: Despite the difficulties, the Sri Lankan government was fully committed to rehabilitating and resettling all the people in the camps for the Internally Displaced People (IDP), according to Sri Lankan Minister for Socio Economic Development and Youth Empowerment Arumugam Thondaman.“Around 58,000 people have been resettled after the visit of the delegation of MPs from Tamil Nadu and in the second phase it will be about 46,000 people,” he told The Hindu on Thursday. So far a total of 81,301 people have been resettled and 1,86,446 people are in the camps waiting for their turn.The Minister said the government could not fix a timeframe for resettlement as it depended on providing housing and completing demining operations. “As soon as the demining is done we will be able to resettle all the people. Another team is going to come to help us with demining, thanks to the Indian government. If we get some help in housing, we will move quickly.”The Minister pointed out that demining was still going on in countries such as Croatia, and Sri Lanka had fared far better in this regard. “The government has taken it as a duty.”Asked what the government had done for the people to earn their livelihood, the Minister said besides ration for six months under the world food programme, the government had started giving seeds for cultivation and granted subsidy for fertilizer.“Even to prepare the land, we are helping. We are giving agricultural tools. The land must be ready. We cannot do the spoon feeding. We must create an environment in which they will be able to stand on their legs,” he stressed.Mr. Thondaman rejected the allegation that the government was not genuinely interested in resettling the Tamils in their areas, saying some people were trying to get political mileage by raising such allegations. “The genuineness of the government is exemplified by the progress. There are shortcomings. We don’t say that we are 100 per cent perfect.” Besides agriculture, the government is going to create self-employment scheme for the people, making use of the vocational training given in the camps. “Everything will not come overnight. There are priorities. Their livelihood is important. Before that they should settle down there. That is the issue today,” he said.While return of the Tamils settled outside the country would turn around the resettlement areas in no time, the Minister said he was not confident about their quick return. “The government has invited them to return. But I don’t think they will. Their children have grown up there. They might come forward to create a small base, because their relations are here,” he said.Asked about his meeting with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Mr Thondaman, said he was very much concerned about the welfare of the Tamils.“When I explained him about the progress, he was reassured. We sought some help so that we could speed up the whole thing,” he said, adding that if any some social organisations were interested in helping, they were welcome to do so. “President Mahinda Rajapaksa is keen,” he said. Jaffna gets computer laboratories The Government has taken measures to set up 33 computer laboratories for the benefit of school children in 33 schools of the Jaffna district. Social Services and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda and Northern Province Governor, Major General G.A. Chandrasiri distributed computers to these schools at a recent ceremony in Jaffna. The program was launched under the concept of setting up 1000 computer laboratories in schools throughout the country. Canadian Government wants some Tamil migrants detained on security grounds The government is raising security questions during detention hearings for a number of the 76 Tamil migrants who arrived off the West Coast on a decrepit little freighter earlier this month.The men, at least three of whom crewed the Ocean Lady across the Pacific from Sri Lanka until it was intercepted in Canadian waters on Oct. 17, are undergoing their second and third mandatory detention hearings before the Immigration and Refugee Board.Details of the hearings are under a publication ban because the men are being treated as potential refugee claimants, though not all have made formal claims.While the board approved detention initially based on questions about their identities, counsel for the Canadian Border Services Agency has begun raising public security as grounds for further detention.As of Friday, hearings of at least a dozen claimants were adjourned because border services' lawyers "introduced a new ground for detention and disclosed supporting documents that needed to be reviewed by the parties in order to prepare for the hearing," said board spokeswoman Melissa Anderson.A rarely-used section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act allows the immigration minister to request detention in order to "inquire into a reasonable suspicion that they are inadmissible on grounds of security or for violating human or international rights."There are concerns the migrants may include those who may have links to the Tamil Tigers, the military arm of the Tamil separatist movement that's been at war with the Sri Lankan government for decades.The Tigers are banned in Canada as a terrorist organization because, among other things, they used suicide bombings to attack targets in the Sinhalese-dominated parts of the country.The Sri Lankan army crushed the rebellion last May but officials of the Canadian Tamil Congress have said the young men chose the risky ocean journey because Tamils are still persecuted and it's nearly impossible for them to come to Canada legally.By late Friday, the board had wrapped up 15 more mandatory seven-day detention reviews - for a total of 63 - ordering continued detention in all cases.Most remain in custody because identity documents have not been verified. The migrants get another mandatory review within 30 days.The hearings are taking place at the board's downtown Vancouver offices, though often their lawyers are taking part via telephone link from Toronto.Those whose families haven't hired lawyers are being represented by duty counsel from the B.C. Legal Services Society.Hearings have gone well into the evening as the men face seven-day and 30-day detention reviews.Dressed in red prison T-shirts and pants, often with long underwear underneath, the men shuffle to their hearings in leg shackles and handcuffs.The board ordered one migrant released last Friday under restrictions. 30 October 2009 Tamil people and the forthcoming elections By Arular Arudpragasam The forthcoming elections gives a golden opportunity for the Tamil people to reorient and re-engage with the Sinhala nation to resolve the ethnic problem in a way the past mistakes that brought so much suffering to the Tamil people can be put behind and solution can be arrived at through fresh negotiations. The southern politicians continue to remain wedded to the chauvinist agenda and obsessed with the issue of how to turn the military victory over the LTTE into political capital to remain in power. The indications are that the elections will be exploited for the consolidation of the Sinhala chauvinist state further worsening the plight of the Tamil people by legitimising the current politico military strategy of subjugating the Tamil people and annexing their homeland.Tamil leadership should take this opportunity to reformulate their position without ambiguities and ploys, so that the concrete position can be transformed into constitutional change that will end the conflict. Advancing the separate state demand as a ploy and seeking Indian intervention, has brought disaster to the Tamil people. The confrontational approach of the erstwhile Federal Party led the Tamil people into the current abyss and failed them eventually. The new engagement The elections provide a golden opportunity to end the confrontational, divisive and extremist political culture of Sri Lanka and pave the way for the ushering a new Sri Lanka based on sharing, mutual respect and equality. The parliamentary elections should not be used for seeking constitutional mandates, instead, it should be used for gaining a mandate for governing policies of the government especially the policies of central powers. What brought Sri Lanka where it is now is the abuse of parliamentary elections to seek unconstitutional mandates starting from the Sinhala Only act that divided the sovereignty.The presidential elections provide a platform to seek constitutional mandates and mainly that which enable the resolution of the national question. The platform of presidential election provides an opportunity to articulate and lay the political foundation of a new constitution and a new Sri Lanka. There are still no candidates in sight from the South who would take the risk of abandoning the chauvinist platform that will enable the resolution of Sri Lanka as union of two equal statehoods which alone can end the ethnic conflict. As the election laws of Sri Lanka stipulate that every elector has three preferential votes, which he will mark as 1,2and 3 ( Presidential elections Act No 15 of 1981, Schedule 3) in order pf preference, it gives a golden opportunity for the Tamil speaking people to get together and assert themselves in an unique way paving the way for the settlement of the conflict and end the sway of chauvinism in Sri Lankan politics. The first vote can be cast to the candidate of the Tamil speaking people and the second vote can be cast to a candidate who will agree to the terms of settlement of the ethnic conflict and assure the rights of Tamil people.If the Tamil speaking people would give their first vote to a common Tamil candidate and refrain from giving their first vote to any major Sinhalese parties, the required 50 percent vote in the first count will be extremely difficult to get. This will make it necessary to carry out a second count. If any candidate has negotiated successfully for the second vote in return for solving the problem the second vote will decide the winner and his mandate will include the settlement of the conflict giving opportunity for resolving the ethnic conflict and ending the chauvinist politics in Sri Lanka. The Tamil Unity The Tamil speaking people in Sri Lanka consists of four major divisions, that of Tamil people from the North East who want statehood rights for their homeland, the Muslims who want equal rights within Sri Lanka, the plantation Tamils whose main demand has been equal citizenship and opportunities within the Sinhala Ratta in the south and the Colombo Tamils who want safety and security in Colombo. Though the rights demand has been different for the four communities they all have been equally affected by the Sinhala chauvinist onslaught and today feel equally vulnerable.As it is good to have one candidate for the Tamil speaking people, by conducting necessary negotiations to arrive at an understanding as to how the rights of all Tamil speaking people can be assured within a united Sri Lanka as minorities in the south and with the Tamil North East, it gives an opportunity for the leaders of the four communities to come together and win the rights of Tamil people within a united Sri Lanka.The current sense of insecurity and distrust that prevails mainly between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities can be greatly reduced if the due share of the Tamil people in the central government is assured. The leaders of the four communities should assure a one third share ( the percentage of Tamil speaking people at independence) in the central government be granted to the Tamil speaking people through affirmative action to fill their due share at all levels of central government where their share has been reduced to a few. The current Sinhala only structure can be retained for the Sinhala Ratta and a new Sri Lanka central organ can be established on a foundation of equality, merit and proportionality.The Tamil position should include the modalities for ending the military occupation of Tamil homeland, interim arrangement for governance of North East and release for political prisoners. The elections should also be made use for future projection of the Tamileelam and Sinhala Ratta and the vision for the newly united Sri Lanka. Adopting a holistic approach for a new Sri Lanka especially by the Tamil leadership, will create the space for reconciliation and healing, opening up the opportunity for ending the culture of suspicion and distrust that now prevails throughout Sri Lanka, enabling the people to come together leading to the establishment of a harmonious life throughout Sri Lanka. Getting the support of progressive Sinhalese people. Today there are many Sinhalese who support a speedier settlement of the conflict. For many years they had no option but to vote for any of the southern Sinhalese parties. By adopting a strategy of articulating a new Sri Lanka that will emerge as union of Sinhala Ratta and Tamileelam, many of the progressive Sinhalese people will come forward to support such an idea that will bring peace and help to banish the scourge of conformational and hate politics and chauvinist ideology from the shores of Sri Lanka. The leaders of Tamil speaking people should take the opportunity to usher a new political culture and lay the foundation for a new constitution that will lead to the settlement of ethnic problem by approaching the current critical situation in a responsible manner and use the elections to end the suffering of their people resulting from their second class status . Sri Lankan Tamils Protection Movement seeks release of all Tamils from camps TIRUCHI: The Sri Lankan Tamils Protection Movement has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all Tamils held in the camps in Sri Lanka.A resolution, adopted at the public meeting that marked the culmination of awareness rallies taken out across the State here on Thursday, called upon the Indian Government to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to secure the release of the Tamils. The Centre should also mount pressure on Sri Lanka through the United Nations, it said.The Movement threatened to launch an agitation if the demand was not conceded. Leaders of the movement would meet soon to decide the form of agitation, said the resolution read out by P. Nedumaran, the coordinator of the movement.Earlier, the rallies led by Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko from Rameswaram; Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader S. Ramadoss from Chennai; State Secretary of the Communist Party of India D. Pandian from Kanyakumari and by Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P. Nedumaran from Coimbatore converged in the city.Speaking on the occasion, the leaders called upon the people of Tamil Nadu to unite to fight for the release and rehabilitation of civilians languishing in the camps in Sri Lanka. Dr. Ramadoss and Mr. Vaiko, however, maintained that the release of the 3.5 lakh Tamils held in the camps, though an immediate need, would not be the solution to the problem. Dr. Ramadoss said that establishing Tamil Eelam would be the ultimate objective and called upon the people of Tamil Nadu to dedicate themselves for the cause. Though the Sri Lankan government claimed that the Tamils were not being sent to their homes as the landmines had to be cleared, it had not cleared any landmines so far. It was only a ploy by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to secure a victory in the forthcoming elections, he alleged.Mr. Vaiko said the ultimate goal was to free Sri Lankan Tamils from Sinhalese oppression. He accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi of being equally responsible for the sufferings of the Tamils.The CPI state secretary, D. Pandian, criticised India for claiming that it could not interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was also supporting the claim without any qualms, he said. Instead of asking for compensation for those killed and rebuilding the homes of those affected, India was extending financial assistance to Sri Lanka, he said. The leader of the Tamil Nationalist Movement, P. Nedumaran, said the rallies were intended to sensitise people of Tamil Nadu to the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils, who were treated worse than cattle, without food, water and medical facilities. The Sri Lankan Government’s action of detaining the refugees in camps was unprecedented. “It was the duty of the Tamils here to fight for the cause of our brethren in Sri Lanka.” R. Nallakannu, senior leader of the Communist Party of India, said that the Tamil Nadu MPs team did not bring out the real situation in the camps. Even months after the war was declared over, the refugees were held in the camp. They should be released immediately as the monsoon had arrived and the situation in the camps would turn worse, he added. Sri Lanka gets time on garment export threat Colombo still has time to try to persuade the European Union not to suspend Sri Lanka’s trading privileges, a move that would damage its crucial garment export industry, a senior EU official said on Thursday.Citing human rights violations, the EU is expected to suspend Sri Lanka’s access to Europe’s “generalised system of preferences plus” trading scheme by the end of this year but the measure may not take effect until June 2010, giving Colombo time to act.“The time for dialogue is over,” said Bernard Savage, ambassador, head of the delegation for the EU in Sri Lanka. “We would recommend at this stage that they deal with the issues rather than try to lobby.”A report commissioned two years ago by Brussels and released this month found Sri Lanka was in violation of most of the international human, civil and political rights conventions it had committed to when it applied for the GSP Plus programme in 2005.Sri Lanka’s suspension would mark the first time the EU has taken such action against one of the 16 poor countries using GSP Plus, leading to heated debate about the merits of linking trade with human rights issues.Any suspension would damage Sri Lanka’s economy as the island counts the cost of its 25-year civil war, which ended with the defeat of Tamil separatist rebels in the north-east in May.Sri Lankan officials have attacked the threatened suspension as political.Other critics have said it inordinately punishes the garment industry, which employs thousands on low incomes and is the island’s top source of foreign exchange, last year earning it $3.47bn from exports to the EU.EU officials say, however, that the bloc is not “punishing” Sri Lanka. They say the country is in violation of the contract it agreed. They say the EU was obliged under its own laws to hold the investigation after reports of human rights violations.The report found “widespread” violations, from torture, kidnapping and the recruitment of child solders by militias linked to the government, to the suppression of political and civil rights through the implementation of a state of emergency during the war.Rohan Masokorala, chief executive of Sri Lanka’s Joint Apparel Association Forum, said the garment industry accounted for 45 per cent of total exports.Loss of the trading concessions, which allow up to zero tariffs on exports to the EU, would increase the price of Sri Lankan goods by up to 10 per cent. Attempt on President’s life: Another suspect in police custody 29 October 2009 EU tells Sri Lanka it wants action and not just words The European Union (EU) has continued to put pressure on the Sri Lankan government to address several concerns being raised over alleged human rights allegations including media suppression and has insisted that Sri Lanka must respond through actions and not words.In an email to Daily Mirror online, Mrs Jean Lambert, Chair of the European Parliament (EP) Delegation for Relations with South Asia said that a European Parliament Resolution adopted last week shows beyond any doubt that the apprehensions of the European Parliament on Sri Lanka is widely shared. The EP Resolution last week follows on from the hearing in the EP Human Rights sub-committee. It is the European Parliament's view on the humanitarian situation, and is there to advise Commission and Council policy decisions and offer proposals to the Sri Lankan Government, Mrs Jean Lambert said. While noting that the European Parliament will not directly interfere on the GSP plus procedure which is in the hands of the European Commission, Mrs Jean Lambert said that the resolution by the European Parliament last week will be taken into account in the overall analysis of the situation. “The fact that the views of the EP, expressed on 23 October, were largely echoed by the Council's conclusions which, on Tuesday, stressed that "indiscriminate detention of IDPs is a clear violation of international law", shows beyond any doubt that the apprehensions of the House are widely shared. Impunity, as well as severe harassment of journalists, must come to an end,” Mrs Jean Lambert told Daily Mirror online.She reiterated that what counts now is whether the Government of Sri Lanka will at last take concrete steps --actions, not words-- in order to remedy the situation and demonstrate its willingness to engage into a meaningful dialogue with the EU institutions and relevant statutory bodies.The Resolution adopted by the European Parliament last week expressed concerns over the continued detention of internally displaced people, media suppression and other issues but also noted the need for continued EU support for Sri Lanka’s economy and dialogue with the Sri Lankan government. Now, Vanni Tigers follow KarunaPlay critical role in thwarting fresh Diaspora-ledseparatist challenge In an operation similar to the one conducted in the East with the support of breakaway LTTE cadres headed by Karuna, the government is now using Vanni Tiger cadres to quell a fresh attempt to revive the LTTE. Although the circumstances under which the Vanni cadres are deployed are very much different from the eastern operation, the on-going ‘police work’ has produced positive results. A small group of ex-LTTE cadres, including battle hardened ones are now working with the Northern Range Police to apprehend hard core LTTE cadres taking refuge among civilians accommodated at welfare centres and ascertain exact involvement of those who had already acknowledged their role in the organisation as well as ‘sleeping’ cadres. An authoritative security official told The Island that ex-LTTE cadres were also involved in the on-going search for buried arms, ammunition and equipment in the North and East, including mine fields. Responding to our queries, the official said that Vanni cadres would not have thrown their weight behind them (the police) unless they were convinced of the government’s ability to eradicate the LTTE and restore peace in all parts of the country. He said that about two dozen LTTE cadres had been involved in counter-insurgency operations. The police said that the LTTEcadres had helped investigators to identify over 50 LTTE cadres, who covered up their exact role in the organisation and posed as ordinary members. The police said that this would be of pivotal importance as the government needed to categorise LTTE cadres in custody; that could not have been achieved without the help of the Vanni cadres, he said.Sources said that the LTTE group had also been given an opportunity to operate in the Jaffna peninsula, where it recently helped the police to apprehend three LTTE members, including a suicide cadre. Sources said that the suicide cadre had been tasked with assassinating VIPs visiting Nagadeepa Viharaya on the Nainathivu island. Sources said that they also helped the police to make a spate of recoveries in former LTTE strongholds, including at Vellamullivaikkal, on the Mullaitivu coast. Millions of rupees worth arms, ammunition and equipment had been found by the Northern Range police. The Vavuniya police top brass had been able to build an excellent working relationship with a small section of the LTTE cadre in government custody. Sources said that some of them had gone to the extent of confronting LTTE cadres when they were not forthcoming with required information. Some of the LTTE cadres working with Vavuniya police had been privy to high profile LTTE operations, including overseas assignments such as special training received by cadres. The Northern Range has received a group of experienced officers, including CID personnel to conduct investigations.Winning hearts and minds of the Vanni population was particularly important in view of the forthcoming parliamentary elections (by April next year) and the possibility of President Mahinda Rajapaksa calling snap presidential polls. Sources said that once the police deployment was completed the Northern Region including Jaffna would have also 40 police stations. Initially the police would concentrate on Nedunkerni and Mallavi, east and west of A9, respectively. MR to announce decision on Nov.15 President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the Cabinet yesterday that local government members, whom he had consulted for their views on the next election, wanted him to call a snap presidential election.The President said local government members had a better understanding of politics at grassroots level and were thus well placed to know the pulse of the people. He said on November 15 he would announce his decision and asked the ministers to be ready for any eventuality. “I am not greedy for the presidency. That is why, I do not even care about sacrificing two years of my first term,” President Rajapaksa said adding that he would again talk to leaders of political parties in the ruling coalition to seek their views on whether it should be the Presidential or General Election that should be held first. Meanwhile the Cabinet also discussed the trade union crisis, and the President said his talks with trade union representatives were not given adequate coverage even in the state media. Minister Rajitha Senaratne is reported to have emphasized the need to re-organize trade unions affiliated to government allies. Customs official indicted for aiding LTTE An indictment has been filed before the Colombo High Court against four suspects including a Sri Lanka Customs' Additional Director and a Wharf Executive for aiding and abetting two persons to provide a GPS unit to the LTTE in July, 2007. The Attorney General filed indictment against Sri Lanka Customs Additional Director Indra Sarath Balasooriya and Wharf Executive Rajendran Yogarajah for aiding and abetting Roy Manoj Kumar Samadanam and his wife Ridma Roshani Selamban to provide a GPS unit to the LTTE on July 30, 2007. Colombo High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundara fixed the case for November 18. According to the statement made by Samadanam, a Sri Lankan expatriate in Canada when he came to Sri Lanka he was introduced to the LTTE by a friend. Then he was asked by the LTTE to help them to bring telecommunication equipment from Singapore and Malaysia. He further stated that later Muhundan and Sinawan in Singapore sent goods from Singapore. He got them released and sent them to the LTTE. The indictment includes productions of three boxes, four radar sets, four radar antennas, 150 VHF mobile phones. Opposition support for Fonseka grows The former Sri Lankan Prime Minister and opposition leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has openly come out in support of Chief of Defence Staff Sarath Fonseka contesting the Presidential election.Announcement of the date for the general election due by April and a possible Presidential election before it are to be announced by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the convention of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) on November 15.The website of United National Party (UNP) led by Mr. Wickremesinghe quoted him as telling representatives of trade unions at his office here on Tuesday that there was nothing wrong in the media reporting of a military officer going to contest Presidential election.Mr. Wickremesinghe’s remarks came on the same day General Fonseka told a gathering at a Sri Lankan Buddhist Temple in Washington D.C. that although there were those attempting to take credit for the victory against the LTTE, it was only the troops on the ground who really knew who deserved the praise. General Fonseka, who as Army chief led Eelam War IV, is currently on a private tour to the U.S. and is expected to return in the last week of October. The opposition parties in the island nation have been publicly talking about the possibility of adopting General Fonseka as the consensus candidate to take on Mr. Rajapaksa.The comments of Mr. Wickremesinghe on the rights of the media assumes importance as the military, in a press statement on October 23, had notified that serving Army officers were completely barred from political work. “Ensure rights of Lankan Tamils” The Communist Party of India (CPI) has urged the Central government to take immediate steps to ensure the right and welfare of the Internally Displaced People in Sri Lanka.Speaking to presspersons on Tuesday, CPI leader, R. Nallakannu, said that more than 3.50 lakh innocent Tamils were being kept within iron fences for the last six months. They were put to untold hardship as they were denied basic rights and infrastructure facilities. There was no electricity, adequate food, water and sanitation in the camps within their homeland. Even as the United Nations condemned the act of Sri Lankan Government towards the innocent Tamils, the Central government was yet to raise any objection.Recently, a delegation consisting of MPs belonging to Dravida Munnetta Kazagham and its allies went to Sri Lanka to conduct an on-the-spot study in Sri Lanka. As the team members were from DMK and its allies, one could not expect a fair report on what was actually going on in the island nation. Moreover, after their return from Sri Lanka, they met the Prime Minister and submitted a report to him. The Central government should publish the report so that the people could know the plight of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka.The Central government should mount pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to shift all the Sri Lankan Tamils to their native villages and provide all infrastructure facilities before the onset of north-east monsoon because they would have to face extreme hardships in the coming days. The outbreak of epidemics was imminent, if the innocent Tamils were not rehabilitated at the earliest, said Mr. Nallakannu.Earlier, he flagged off an ‘awareness yatra’ at Kanyakumari to stress the need to ensure the rights of Tamils kept in camps in Sri Lanka. 28 October 2009 Presidential poll date before year end The next Presidential Election will definitely be announced before the end of this year. There is a possibility of having the Parliamentary election also together with the Presidential Election, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardhane told a press conference at the Media Ministry yesterday. “The President has powers under the Constitution to decide within his Presidential time frame when to have the next Presidential Election,” the Minister said. The Minister also said the United Nation’s High Commissioner’s office for IDPs has agreed to the Government request for US $ 3 million to increase the level of efficiency of the de-mining process which is going on in the Northern province. “This will facilitate the re-settlement process in these areas,” he said. “Whatever the criticism hurled by the opposition parties, we as the Government of the country has a responsibility to make sure the security and also to provide all infrastructure facilities to all these people who live in IDP camps. We are treating these people as our own and the Government is putting all efforts to provide a better future to these people and their children. As at today, we have re-settled 106,161 people in their villages and there are 196,088 people still in these IDP camps. Ranil, Fonseka in phone conversation from abroad Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who is on an unannounced visit to Thailand had engaged in a long satellite phone conversation with Chief of Defence Staff Sarath Fonseka who is in the US at the moment, UNP sources said. The Opposition Leader had participated in the satellite phone conversation while at the Phuket International Airport. The Chief of Defence Staff Sarath Fonseka had joined the discussion from Washington DC in the US. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe left on the unannounced visit to Thailand on Friday (23) night. Although the usual practice of the Opposition Leader is to inform the Sri Lanka Embassy in that country before a visit no such announcement had been made regarding this visit. The Chief of Defence Staff had reached the Opposition Leader via satellite phone soon after he had landed in Washington DC. Soon after the discussion with General Fonseka the Opposition Leader had contacted several seniors in the UNP, leaders of several minority political parties as well as a personality that played a significant role in Sri Lankan politics, UNP sources said. The Russian federation has expressed interest in oil exploration in Sri Lanka Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Servey V Lavrov expressed interest in oil exploration in the Mannar bay and the rehabilitation of the Sapugaskanda oil refinery, Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Mr. Lavrov, a former diplomat who has worked in Colombo and a Sinhala speaker, is the first Russian Foreign Minister to visit Sri Lanka since diplomatic relations were established in 1957. First visit He held discussions with the President Rajapaksa and his counterpart, Rohitha Bogollagama in Colombo during one-day visit.Sri Lanka has already offered oil exploration opportunities to India and China, countries that supported Sri Lanka's military offensive to defeat Tamil Tigers. Sri Lanka has expressed gratitude for the Russia's support during the conflict."Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said Sri Lanka was grateful for the cooperation and support given by Russia in the international forums and both countries held discussions on vital international issues," the ministry said. Delivering a speech at the BMICH after the meetings, Minister Lavrov said Russia is interested in strengthening trade and cultural relations with the island nation. "Russians are traditionally fond of Ceylon tea and as you know we are the world largest buyer of this famous product. We would also like to see more goods from Russia in your country, as well as to bring here in bigger way our experience in executing industrial and infrastructure projects," he said. India and China Sri Lanka has been conducting roadshows around the world, since 2008, to attract Oil companies to come and explore patrolium oil in the Indian Ocean. Petroleum Minister A.H.M. Fowzie earlier told BBC Sandeshaya that the government is assured that there are over one billion barrels of oil to be harvested from Sri Lanka's soil. "We have obtained data from a Norwegian Company based in Australia assuring oil deposits of billion barrels. We are calling for tenders to explore it on three blocks," he said. Government earlier announced Sri Lanka had eight exploration blocks in the Mannar basin, only three of which were up for tender - at the roadshows - while another two have already been assigned to China and India. Sri Lanka has never had any oil or natural gas deposits in its soil prior to the present survey results. Earlier in the seventies oil exploration in the Mannar boosted hopes of a discovery. LTTE underground armoury located The security forces yesterday located an LTTE underground armory in Mullaitivu and recovered a large stock of weapons and explosives.The weapons included 49 shells used in Rocket Propelled Grenade Launchers, 10 Claymore mines, a 15 Kg pressure mine and 16 T-56 assault rifles as well as weapons locally manufactured at LTTE weapons factories.Vavuniya District Special Crime Investigations Unit -- under the directions of Northern Province DIG Nimal Lewke, Vanni Western Division DIG Ravi Wijegunawardena and Vavuniya DIG Willy Abenayake -- discovered the cache of arms on information provided by LTTE cadres who are in police custody.Meanwhile the Special Task Force is conducting search and clear operations in the area following information gathered from the public and provided by the State Intelligence Service . Senior Tigers mingling with civilians nabbed Around 300 senior LTTE cadres have been taken into custody by the Security Forces last month following information gathered by the Army Intelligence Unit. These frontline LTTE cadres have been taken into custody while housed in certain welfare villages including ‘Menik Farm’, mingling with ordinary civilians who had escaped LTTE clutches, Army sources said. EU presses Sri Lanka over human rights The European Union urged Sri Lanka's government on Tuesday to end impunity over human rights violations and to do more to help people displaced by the 25-year war with the Tamil Tigers. But the 27-country bloc said it also wanted to work with Sri Lanka to improve the situation and did not say whether it would remove trade concessions after an investigation found the Indian Ocean island in breach of international human rights laws."It is essential to put an end to impunity and all human rights violations," EU foreign ministers said in a statement after meeting in Luxembourg. "The EU remains seriously concerned with continuing reports of abductions, disappearances and extra-judicial killings." The ministers said they were particularly worried about the plight of displaced people still detained in closed camps, despite the end of the war."Indiscriminate detention of IDPs (internally displaced people) in Sri Lanka is a clear violation of international law," they said.The ministers called for displaced people to be granted freedom of movement and full access to humanitarian relief, and said the camps should be transferred to civilian authority."The EU urges the government of Sri Lanka to ensure that conditions in the camps in all respects are in accordance with internationally accepted standards," they said.Despite the criticism, the ministers said they wanted "a meaningful dialogue" with Sri Lanka to sort out the problems."It is in the interests of Sri Lanka itself. Without a genuine policy of reconciliation, it's going to be very difficult in the years ahead," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told a news conference.The foreign ministers gave no indication what action member states would take following the EU investigation that found Sri Lanka in breach of international human rights laws. Officials said this month that the findings of that report could mean Sri Lanka could lose trade concessions worth more than $100 million for its top exports to Europe. Resettlement going a pace In line with the Government’s speedy resettlement program, around 4,000 displaced people housed in welfare villages are resettled daily, Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya said. The de-mining process is conducted rapidly by the Army with the assistance of certain organizations aiming to resettle the people who have been displaced due to terrorist activities of the LTTE as soon as possible, he said. The de-mining process has been expedited as the resettlement program is mainly based on de-mining activities. Therefore, more Army personnel have been engaged in the de-mining activities. The Army personnel who were earlier serving in various platoons such as Engineering and others have been deployed for de-mining activities. Accordingly, 475 more Army personnel are engaged in de-mining activities during the last month. The Army is using three types of de-mining methods such manual, mechanical and de-mining using ‘Mine Detecting Dogs’. The Government took steps to import hi-tech de-mining machines for mechanical de-mining process and presently these machines are utilized in the process. Apart from many well-trained mine defusing teams of the Sri Lankan Army engaging in de-mining activities, sniffer dogs too are being deployed for the exercise. Why the Sri Lankan Govt. won’t allow India to interrogate K.P. India took a lot of pains and interest to interrogate K.P. in connection with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi when he was taken into custody. At the outset, the Indian secret intelligence service, ‘RAW’ requested from the Sri Lankan Govt. to meet and question him unofficially. But, the Sri Lankan govt. turned down the request and informed India’s ‘RAW’ secret service that, until its interrogation is concluded pertaining to KP’s involvement in the terrorist activities in Sri Lanka, India cannot be granted the opportunity to question him.Thereafter, the CBI and the MDMA of the Indian secret Intelligence service conducting the investigation into the murder of Rajiv Gandhi made an official request in this regard. The Sri Lankan Govt. however refused the request. India being denied interrogation of KP has aroused its suspicions. After the Pakistan’s intelligence Division was allowed by the Sri Lankan Govt. to interrogate K.P. in connection with the Tamil Tiger involvement in the terrorist attack launched on the SL cricketers in Pakistan some months ago, India’s suspicions have been further heightened. India is insistent that K.P. is linked to the Rajiv Gandhi murder. India says, a month before Rajiv Gandhi‘s murder, K.P. had arrived in Tamil Nadu and organized everything towards this end, including the lodging for the would be assassins , India’s intelligence unit MDMA had discovered. They have proved with evidence that it is K.P. who had orchestrated the network and supplied the explosives and devices for the assassination.However, Prof. Rohan Gunaratne , a specialist in terrorism eradication and mastermind behind the operation in the arrest of K.P. , in his book entitled ‘Indian intervention in Sri Lanka’ says, the Tamil Tigers made use of the ‘RDX’ explosive devices for the Rajiv Gandhi murder supplied by the ‘RAW’ secret service.Upon repeated and relentless questioning of KP by the Sri Lankan Govt. following his arrest, it is of the view that K.P. was not involved in the Rajiv Gandhi murder. It is therefore argued by some that, if K.P.was not involved in the Rajiv Gandhi murder, there is no necessity for the Indian intelligence service to question him. Yet, the Indian intelligence Division conducting the Rajiv Gandhi assassination declares that K.P. is indeed involved in the Rajiv assassination, and hence, his interrogation is imperative.If the Indian intelligence unit is permitted to interrogate K.P., it may not be difficult for India to prove K.P. is implicated in the Rajiv Gandhi’s murder. In that event, it will become necessary for India to bring K.P. before its legal processes. India will have cause to ask for the extradition of KP from the Sri Lankan Govt. The latter will also be bound to accede to the request. It is the perception of some highly placed sources that the Sri Lankan Govt. is not allowing India to question him in order to ward off this possibility.The question at issue at this juncture is, what is the necessity for the Sri Lankan Govt. to hold K.P. in its custody and protect him? Rohan Gunaratne, the Terrorism eradication specialist and the mastermind behind the arrest of K.P. told the Television SBS service that K.P. was fetched from Malaysia by plane on a business class ticket. Even today K.P. is enjoying all the luxurious comforts and facilities while in custody. He is given an Indian cook too to provide him with Indian cuisine, foreign media reveal.The Sri Lankan Govt. extending all these privileges and comforts must be nursing a plan and program to destroy the Tamil Tiger International chain using him. It is the view of some that the Govt. has an idea of getting K.P. into politics and hand over the administration of the North to him, while Karuna shall be in charge of the East. In any case, it is hard to imagine that K.P. will be brought to politics. If K.P. is not going to enter politics, what is the benefit the SL Govt. going to derive? It has become clear that K.P. after 2003 has had no connections with the Tamil Tiger international chain. Prabhakaran also appointed him as the leader of the Foreign division in 2009 only for him to negotiate with Foreign representatives. He was entrusted with no other responsibilities, not even the reins over the Tamil Tiger international chain.According to foreign media reports, following the interrogation of K.P. by the Sri Lankan Govt. it has come to light that he has time and again urged Prabhakaran to negotiate with the Sri Lankan Govt. Indeed. on one occasion , Prabhakaran’s son Charles Anthony has himself asked K.P. to save Prabhakaran . K.P. had no alternative, but to reply, that opportunity has slipped away from him now. He told Charles Anthony, had Prabhakaran heeded him before, none of the problems would have cropped up.The foregoing clearly implies that K.P. will no longer be inimical to the Sri Lankan Govt. Therefore, .the latter by not extraditing K.P. to India is trying to protect K.P. is another implication. But, of course the mystery underlying this issue is unfathomable just yet.It was several months ago K.P. was arrested, but no charges have been filed against him and no legal action still instituted; while the Tamil Tigers too have not voiced their protests nor come forward to get him released . All these factors are only adding to deepen this mystery. 27 October 2009 Sri Lanka to probe rights abuses 'Unsubstantiated' The Sri Lankan government said the report appeared to be unsubstantiated and that the armed forces were scrupulous in protecting civilians. "The US state department clearly states in that report that there is no legal basis for this report. Further it adds that they failed to confirm whether any of the incidents highlighted were true," Sri Lanka's human rights minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said. But he added that the investigation was the correct step to take. "This is a democratic country; not a military dictatorship. If somebody makes an allegation, it is our duty to investigate. I think the president's decision should be commended by the whole world." Although the UN has raised concerns about human rights violations in the war, the US was the first country to publish an independent third party report. The UN has said there are no conclusive estimates of civilian casualties during the final phase of the conflict - but about two weeks before the end of the war it said that 6,500 people had died. The Sri Lankan military has blamed civilian deaths on the Tigers, saying they used people as human shields. The army was accused of indiscriminate bombardment and using heavy weaponry in areas where civilians were present. Sarath Fonseka hints, about his future political plans in Washington ‘Is the motherland going to be destroyed? I will involve changing the dire situation’ said the Former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka today in Washington. He said this while he was visiting the Buddhist temple in Washington.The Sri Lankan ambassador to the US Jaliya Wickramasooriya and the Defence attache Maj. General Samantha Sooriyabanadara abstained from the event. The Chief monk Maharagama Dharmasiri Thero gave the blessings to the former General Fonseka." Most of the people are talking about our victory these days. In the last 10 days of the war, we lost more than 5,000 soldiers to the Tigers. If they didn't sacrifice their lives, this war would not have ended. We must first salute the martyrdom of those war heroes," General Fonseka said at the temple."Now the war is over, Tamil people must be given freedom to live. We should not contribute towards creating a situation that can give birth to another Prabhakaran. We should not allow the country to go on the wrong path. If this happens I am ready to correct the path leaving behind my uniform" he further said.Hundreds of people gathered at the Vihara welcomed General Saratha Fonseka's comments with the loud applause.During his visit to the USA he will be meeting his two Daughters who are currently pursuing higher studies in the US. Ranil–Sarath special meeting in Singapore -Source:Lanka-e-News According to our Singapore correspondent, Chief of Defense staff Gen.Sarath Fonseka who left SL on the 24th on a tour of America and other countries has met UNP and opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in Singapore on Sunady night (25)The meeting has taken place at the Crown Plaza Hotel in the vicinity of the Singapore Airport, the report further stated.While Gen. Fonseka’s name is hitting news headlines as a prospective candidate for the next Presidential election, the Govt. through the Army media spokesperson made an announcement that such news using the names of Army chiefs is a maneuver to create a rift between the govt. and the Army officers, and therefore legal action will be filed against those who publish such news. Meanwhile, the meeting between Gen. Fonseka and Ranil Wickremesinghe amidst this Govt. stir and anxiety has sparked speculations that this meeting can have an impact on the future political destiny of the country. Incidentally, just prior to Gen. Fonseka’s departure from the country, JHU leader M.P. Ellawala Medhananda Thero and Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero had a meeting with him for about an hour. Detained Tamil publisher is freed A court in Sri Lanka has released the Tamil publisher of a monthly magazine after he was detained under anti-terrorism laws in March 2008.Vetrivel Jaseeharan who published North Eastern Monthly, and his wife Vadivel Valarmathi, were charged with conspiracy to discredit the government. But a court in Colombo said charges would be dropped as the magazine's editor had already been found guilty. JS Tissainayagam was sentenced to 20 years in prison in August 2009. He was found guilty of "causing communal disharmony". The world's largest organisation of journalists, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned the judgement - which also sentenced him to hard labour while in prison. The court added that the defendants' only offence was to publish articles written by Mr Tissainayagam. The lawyer for the publishers, KV Thavarasa, told the BBC Sinhala service that the judge noted that there were some doubts over whether the alleged confession by Mr Jaseeharan was voluntary. IP named in terrorist files being investigated Black Tiger suspect arrested Tamil parties to form alliance to pressure Govt Tamil speaking political parties SLMC, TNA, DPLF, EPRLF (Naba Wing), Democratic Peoples Front and the TULF will meet today to work out a common programme form an Alliance and pressure the UPFA Government to solve the issues Tamil people are faced with.Sources said the Tamil parties had decided to form a broader alliance after their meeting with the Tamil Nadu based Viduthalai Siruthai Puligal party leader Thirumalavalavan, who stressed the need for people of the Muslim Community, Indian Tamil Community and Sri Lankan Tamil Community to unite with the Tamil Diaspora to form an alliance. Thirumalavalavan was a member a ten member Tamil Nadu parliamentarians and members of the Tamil Nadu Local Assembly who visited Sri Lanka a fortnight ago.He had reiterated that by joining the Tamil diaspora, the Tamil speaking minority political parties could become a formidable force to sit in the Opposition benches of Parliament to win their rights and not to expect much from the Indian Congress Government.When contacted, the General Secretary of the SLMC and MP M. T. Hassen Ali said yesterday that the need for such an alliance had been understood by all Tamil speaking minority political parties as the UPFA Government was attempting to sweep the issues faced by them under the carpet since terrorism has been eliminated. EU Summit to discuss post war situation in Sri Lanka Army to recruit women soldiers Sri Lanka Army will recruit women soldiers to its regular forces. Prospective applicants should be between 18 - 22 years with a minimum height of 5’2” and should have passed in six subjects in the G.C.E. (O/L) examination with language and mathematics. They can be present for interviews at Recruitment Centre, Pepiliyana Road, Kohuwala and Women’s Corps Regimental Centre, 30, Kynsey Road, Borella between October 28 and November 12. Sri Lanka denies Tiger chief executed after surrender 26 October 2009 Eastern Province land crisis worsens with complications The land disputes in the Eastern Province have become more and more complicated with the authorities concerned planning to take action against certain Divisional Secretaries for effecting transfer of the ownership of lands to some persons in the absence of their original proprietors.For instance, there were some lands abandoned by their owners in the 1980s in Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee due to the escalation of fighting between the security forces and the LTTE. These lands have been taken over by some others with the connivance of the Divisional Secretaries during the period.Eastern Province Land Commissioner H.W. Yasaratne told the Daily Mirror that it was illegal to sell or transfer lands abandoned by their owners due to the war situation.“There is a circular issued in this regard. These Divisional Secretaries have acted in contravention of this circular. Owners of these lands are now returning seeking their lands only to find that they have been occupied by some others,” he said. He said, “I will submit this information to the Commissioner General of Lands. Later, the Public Administration Ministry will be consulted to take action against those errant Divisional Secretaries.” He also said that some people who left Trincomalee in the aftermath of the war by selling their lands, had now asked for their property back for the same price they sold.“Those who purchased these lands have developed them. Some have even put up petrol sheds and shops. There are several court cases now filed by the original owners of these lands. Even I have been cited as a respondent,” Mr. Yasaratne said.Meanwhile, Land Minister of the Eastern Province Wimalaweera Dissanayake said that all the three communities-Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim- were facing genuine land problems in the East. Mr. Dissanayake pointed out that the problem had to be analysed and addressed from a moderate point of view. “If anyone has forcibly occupied a land abandoned by its owner during the war period, he or she can be prosecuted,” he said. 'Released' IDPs re-arrested Statement to EU Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union, Ravinatha Aryasinha addressing the Human Rights Sub Committee of the European Parliament earlier said "out of 290,000 people liberated from the LTTE, over 150,000 had been registered and 110,000 issued with ID cards". Ms. Devadasan said the allegations were made by IDPs in Trincomalee camps when she visited the camps with the chief minister.President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling coalition gained power in the eastern provincial council elections together with the TMVP. The elections in the east in 2008, after decades of conflict, were hailed as a triumph for democracy in Sri Lanka.The government continuously pointed that the appointment of a former LTTE child soldier as the chief minister was a significant step towards democratising the east after the decades of LTTE rule. However, the TMVP official says they are facing difficulty in bringing government's message to Tamil people in ground."People are asking why they are not allowed to enjoy fruits of freedom secured by the security forces for the country," she said. The military insists that it is necessary to rehabilitate former LTTE members to secure peace in Sri Lanka. Travel advisories not yet lifted The European countries that issued travel advisories against Sri Lanka due to the war situation are yet to lift them though five months has lapsed after the decimation of the LTTE, Tourism Minister Nandana Gunatilake said.Mr. Gunatilake told the Daily Mirror in the parliamentary complex last week that even Japan was yet to lift its advisory for its citizens to visit the Northern and Eastern Provinces.Asked whether he would take measures to negotiate with these countries in this regard, he said that there was no need for such initiatives.“When the country remains peaceful, tourists will start coming in from these countries. Those who govern those countries cannot stop their people going abroad for tourism purposes,” he said. However, the country had seen a sharp increase in tourist arrivals after the conclusion of the war in May this year. Illegal to use names of Army officers for politics- Police LTTE, Maoists working together in India- Indian intelligence Lankan ship in Canada owned by LTTE- Terrorism expert Sri Lankan Flag to be hoisted in Jaffna Fort Son of Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapakse, who is presently staying in Jaffna along with the 250 youths he brought from the South will be officially hoisting the Sri Lanka Lion Flag Sunday in Jaffna Fort, sources in Jaffna said. In 1996 when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupied Jaffna, the then Deputy Defence Minister, Anurathe Rathwathe had ceremoniously hoisted the Sri Lankan Flag in the esplanade in front of Jaffna Fort. Tamils protested vehemently when Sinhala parties adopted the lion flag as the national flag soon after British left the island. Opposition to the flag, since then, has been part of the Tamil national movement. Namal Rajapakse will officially open the newly built swimming pool in Jaffna Central College Sunday before taking part in flag hoisting ceremony in Jaffna Fort. 'The flag will be a permanent feature in Jaffna Fort,' SLA sources in Jaffna said. The Lion flag hoisting ceremony takes place among claims by SLA in Jaffna that Jaffna Fort is to be renovated and made available to the public. The Lion Flag of the Sri Lankan state is seen as a symbol of oppression by the Eezham Tamils. They rejected it long back for the explicit communal symbolism in it, pointing out that the lion in the flag, taken as a symbol of the Sinhala people according to their myths, holding a sword against 'minorities' represented by the colour stripes in the flag, was a deliberately designed insult to Tamils and Muslims. 24 October 2009 UN official says donors “frustrated” over closed camps Resettlement in former Tiger terrain The former strongholds of the LTTE - Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi Districts - are among the areas in which the internally displaced Tamils of the North will be resettled under the Government’s IDP resettlement program. The resettlement of 41,685 persons from 12,095 families will take place in the current phase of resettlement which began Thursday. Kilinochchi was the administrative center of LTTE in what it claimed to be the separate state of Eelam. Mullaitivu was the military stronghold of the LTTE for many years, from which it directed most operations against the Security Forces. This was also the Headquarters of its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. The Government had earlier resettled more than 15,900 of the IDPs which included the elderly and pregnant women who have been re-united with their families, according to their wish, and also the elderly who have no family sent to institutional care. All children who have no family care are resettled under foster care through courts of Sri Lanka. The completion of the current resettlement would leave 210,138 IDPs in relief centers whose resettlement is also planned for early implementation. The current phase of resettlement will see displaced persons going to the districts of Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi. Of these Oddusudan, Manthai East and Thunukkai in Mullaitivu District, and Karachchi and Poonakary in the Kilinochchi District were heavily damaged during the days controlled by the LTTE, and as they forcibly moved the people as human shields with the advance of troops, in the latter stages of the battle to liberate the North from terrorism. Lanka should resettle Tamils: TN MPs to PM NEW DELHI: A delegation of Tamil Nadu MPs, who went to Sri Lanka on a fact-finding mission, today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and appealed to him to ask the government there to take steps to resettle the displaced Tamils before the Monsoon season begins in December.The MPs, belonging to DMK, Congress and VCK, had gone to Sri Lanka on a five-day visit during which they made an on-the spot assessment in camps where over 2.98 lakh Tamil civilians displaced by the war on LTTE are living.They also met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and other officials during their visit earlier this month.The delegation led by senior DMK leader T R Baalu today met Singh at his 7, Race Course Residence and apprised him of the situation in the camps in Sri Lanka and the living conditions there.They also submitted a report to the Prime Minister on their visit.Briefing reporters after the meeting, DMK MP Kanimozhi said they requested Singh to impress upon the Sri Lankan government the need for taking steps to resettle the civilians in their towns and villages before the start of Monsoon in December. Sri Lanka may need Gaza-style rights inquiry -UN An inquiry similar to one that looked into fighting in Gaza may be needed to determine if war crimes were committed in Sri Lanka in the final throes of its 26-year war this spring, a U.N. office said on Friday."There hasn't been a full inquiry into what did or did not happen in the last months of the war," Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner of Human Rights, said.He said an inquiry into the conduct of Sri Lankan troops and Tamil Tiger rebels could be conducted along the lines of the Gaza investigation commissioned by the U.N. Human Rights Council and led by jurist Richard Goldstone.His comments came the day after the U.S. State Department detailed atrocities toward the end of Sri Lanka's civil war. That report recounted allegations of military shelling of civilians and killing of captives, as well as charges that Tamil rebels recruited children to fight in the war that Colombo officially declared over in May after killing the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).Sri Lanka rejected the report, which Washington emphasised reached no legal conclusions, as "unsubstantiated and devoid of corroborative evidence" and said LTTE supporters had a history of fabricating stories to damage the government's reputation.Colville, speaking to a U.N. press briefing in Geneva, said that while the State Department findings were not exhaustive, it was important to credibly lay out what civilians endured as Sri Lanka's conflict neared its end."We still believe that something like the Gaza fact-finding mission is certainly warranted," he said.In late May, the U.N. Human Rights council passed a resolution celebrating Sri Lanka's victory over the Tamils and blocked discussion on a European-drafted text raising concerns about the conditions endured by war survivors housed in Sri Lankan camps.Sri Lanka said the vote vindicated its prosecution of the war against the Tamil Tigers and should silence calls for a foreign probe into what it described as the Indian Ocean country's own internal affairs.But the United Nations -- which estimates between 80,000 and 100,000 people were killed in Sri Lanka since civil war erupted in full in 1983 -- had then signalled that an inquiry could still happen down the line. The International Organisation for Migration said on Friday that more than 250,000 people cannot return to their Sri Lankan villages and remain at the Manik Farm displacement camp, where they need continuing food, water and medical help. Govt. operation to seize 'common candidate,' Parliament seat as gift rejected – 'Lanka Irida' There are reports that a secret conspiracy is being hatched with the participation of several stalwarts of the government to prevent former Commander of SL Army, Chief of Defense Staff Gen.Fonseka entering politics states 'Lanka Irida.'Internal sources of the government state the statement made by a senior man in the government recently regarding resigning from the Parliament was a part of this conspiracy. The attempt to draw Gen. Fonseka away from being named the common candidate of the opposition by offering him a seat in the Parliament made vacant by the resignation of the top man in the government has not borne fruit. The General has rejected the Parliament seat.The next step of this plan was to take measures to offer a post of defense consultant in the USA or the UK. Government stalwarts had directly mediated in this venture. They are planning some other way of removing Gen. Fonseka from entering politics if he rejects this offer as well.It is reported that a team of several officials in diplomatic service and two senior lawyers domiciled abroad has been assigned this task.'Lanka Irida' states it has received information from a very reliable source that a very high person in the higher hierarchy of the government has asked for assistance from a VVIP in London to carry out the plan. This VVIP fulfilled a massive task in getting Ms. Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunga, while she was living in the UK, to Sri Lanka to join the political process here. KP says Raj funded LTTE: Defence Ministry EPDP member snatches handbag Female Tiger leader nabbed A woman described by police as a former provincial LTTE leader was arrested in Kalmunai yesterday by the Special Task Force following information provided by the State Intelligence Service The suspect who had been assigned to the LTTE Kanchikudiyaru base had reportedly worked under base leader ‘Ram’, police media spokesman Nimal Mediwaka said.The suspect was handed over to the Akkaraipattu police for further questioning and investigations, DIG Mediwaka said. If Gen. Fonseka had need to capture country by an army coup, he would have done it on the day Prabhakaran died -LalKantha 23 October 2009 US reports possible war crimes in Sri Lanka WASHINGTON — Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil rebels may have both violated the laws of war this year during the culmination of their 25-year armed conflict, a US government report said Thursday. The State Department report cited allegations in which Tamil rebels took boys and girls to join their guerrilla force and in which government forces broke a ceasefire as well as killed rebels who had agreed to surrender.It also cited reports in which government troops or government-backed paramilitaries "abducted and in some instances then killed Tamil civilians, particularly children and young men."The report, which is being sent to the US Congress, also said not enough food, medicine and clean water reached a no-fire zone and civilian camps even though the government had pledged to guarantee sufficient supplies there.The report covered the period from January -- when fighting intensified -- until the end of May, when Sri Lankan troops defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the end of a 25-year civil war."The United States recognizes a state's inherent right to defend itself from armed attacks, including those from non-state actors such as terrorist groups," the report said in its executive summary."The United States also expects states and non-state actors to comply with their international legal obligations," it added."This report compiles alleged incidents that transpired in the final stages of the war, which may constitute violations of international humanitarian law or crimes against humanity and related harms," it said. But it said the report "does not reach legal conclusions" as to whether such incidents actually amount to violations of the laws of war. Nor does it conclude that the incidents mentioned actually occurred.Brad Adams, Asia director at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that the "report should dispel any doubts that serious abuses were committed during the conflict?s final months."Given Sri Lanka?s complete failure to investigate possible war crimes, the only hope for justice is an independent, international investigation," he added. Now, UNP, JVP ready to vote with UPFA to abolish executive presidency In an unprecedented move, the UNP and the JVP yesterday pledged in Parliament to provide a two-thirds majority required to abolish the executive presidency instead of holding a presidential election.The UNP, the architect of the 1978 Constitution which created the Executive presidency, said that it would campaign towards this end.Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera, who seconded a motion by JVP MP Vijitha Herath calling for the abolition of the Executive presidency, said that executive powers were being abused.The former Speaker said that they would help President Mahinda Rajapaksa to honour a pledge to abolish executive presidency.He proposed the creation of post of Executive Prime Minister who would be answerable to Parliament. He said that the ruling coalition, the UNP and the JVP could vote for the abolition of executive presidency. EU Parliament call for full implementation of 13th Amendment A resolution on Sri Lanka was adopted bythe European Parliament yesterday with 60 members voting for it, zero against and 3 members abstaining. The resolution called for the “rapid and full implementation” of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, expressed concern over the situation faced by the Internally Displaced People (IDP) and called for continued economic support for the country. An oral amendment, by one MP, calling for the deletion of references made to journalist Tissainayagam from the final resolution was also accepted. Speaking to Daily Mirror online from Brussels at the end of the vote, Ms Jean Lambert, Chair of the EP Delegation for Relations with the Countries of South Asia, said that the international community had expressed its willingness to support a humanitarian response for the thousands still in camps before the situation deteriorated further, and that the European Parliament would be looking for rapid progress on this issue. "What actually counts now is whether the government of Sri Lanka will show concrete engagement in terms of practical measures to release the IDPs and improve a terrible human rights situation," Ms Jean Lambert told Daily Mirror. Several members expressed their opinions on the situation in Sri Lanka just before the vote was taken yesterday, and most of them, while expressing approval of the ending of the conflict, noted that the government should now make use of the opportunity to look towards a final political solution. European Commissioner Leonard Orban, in his speech noted that Sri Lanka had shortcomings on three UN Conventions and so would not be eligible for the GSP Plus facility. But a British MP insisted that the country should be given the trade concession. Another MP, Geoffrey Van Orden, meanwhile, called on the European Commission to reconsider its findings on Sri Lanka in relation to the GSP plus concession. Some EU MPs also rejected the notion that criticism of the situation in Sri Lanka was an attempt to show support for the cause of the LTTE. The resolution adopted yesterday notes that the Sri Lankan government needs to be generous and proactive in addressing the concerns and interests of its Tamil citizens and needs to implement rapidly and fully the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, as well as significant devolution measures, so that the Tamil people too would see the defeat of the LTTE as liberation. The resolution accepts that large areas of former conflict zones are contaminated by anti-personnel mines and other explosive debris of war, but adds that the government must take all necessary steps to organize the quick return home of the displaced people. It also noted that the human rights situation was unlikely to improve without the involvement of permanent international observers, particularly from organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The resolution calls on all Tamil leaders to commit to a political settlement and to renounce terrorism and violence once and for all. The resolution is to be forwarded to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the United Nations Secretary-General, the British Commonwealth Secretary-General, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, the Government of Sri Lanka and all other member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. SAM-14 anti-aircraft missiles found The army intelligence unit yesterday found two SAM - 14 type Anti-aircraft missiles in a jungle in Puthukuduirrippu, Army media sources revealed. According to sources the missiles had been used by the LTTE to attack aircraft of Sri Lanka Air Force. Sources added that this type of missiles was the most powerful weapon which had been used by the LTTE during their attacks. UK commits to clear mines and rebuild lives in Sri Lanka The UK will clear landmines from Northern Sri Lanka and help thousands of civilians displaced by recent fighting to return home and rebuild their lives it was announced today.International Development Minister Mike Foster allocated three new grants to help clear the way for civilians to return home from the camps for displaced people, provide them with a safe route home and the means to restart their lives. DFID will fund the following projects: £500,000 to The HALO Trust for mine surveillance and heavy demining in the Mullaittivu area. This money will help provide demining machines for eight specialist teams that will survey and clear minefields before civilians return home. Mines were widely used during the conflict and are scattered across many areas in the North and East of the country. £250,000 to the International Organisation for Migration to provide transport for the thousands of civilians still living in the camps. This money will help 41,000 more civilians have safe and reliable transport in buses and lorries from the camps back to their homes or to host families in the Mannar, Mullaittivu, and Kilinochchi areas. £220,000 to the Food and Agriculture Organisation. This will enable the UN to provide 3 bushels of rice seeds to 8,800 families returning to the West Vanni region. This is enough for one acre of rice paddy per family, aiming to help them become self sufficient in rice production and help restart agricultural activity. Following his recent visit to the country earlier this month, Mike Foster confirmed that this money will help the Sri Lankan Government make good their promises to release the majority of civilians from the camps by the end of the year.Speaking in the House of Commons today, he reasserted that DFID’s funding would not support people simply being transferred from existing 'closed' camps – which detain civilians for long periods of time - to new closed camps. Mike Foster said: “Landmines pose a deadly threat to any civilians who try and return home from the camps. But clearing landmines is only part of the solution – we will also transport people back home and give them the means to restart their lives.“In the coming months we hope to see significant numbers of civilians returning to the areas where these projects are working.” Thousands leave Sri Lankan camp Pressure Rehabilitation Minister Rishat Badurdheen told the BBC that 5,700 left the camp on Thursday and another 36,000 would be resettled "over the coming weeks".Those who left Menik Farm on Thursday included Tamils from areas previously controlled by the rebels. It is the first time people have been allowed to return home to areas once held by the Tigers. About 15,000 refugees have been freed up to now. The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan says the government's announcement comes at a time when it is under increasing international pressure to resettle the tens of thousands of people displaced in the final stages of the conflict. A US state department report on the final months of the conflict released on Thursday cited incidents committed by both sides which it said may have constituted crimes against humanity. The report - based on first-hand accounts from both sides of the conflict - said the majority of incidents occurred in official no-fire zones. The Sri Lankan government said the report appeared to be unsubstantiated and that the armed forces were scrupulous in protecting civilians. The UN has previously raised concerns about human rights violations in the war, but the US is the first country to publish an independent third party report. De-mined Sri Lanka's government earlier said it intended to release 80% of the refugees held in camps by the end of the year.Most of those are in Menik Farm, which the BBC's Charles Haviland recently visited. He says the camp has now swollen to cover some 10 zones with a population of a quarter of a million. Many refugees in the camp complained about poor food and sanitary conditions. One said that after being displaced 15 times by the civil war in three years, and being rescued by the army, she was now sharing a tent with 24 people. "I don't know how to live like this," she said, simply. "Please send us to a good place, or to our homes." Another woman lamented that inhabitants were falling sick while children remained uneducated. The government has previously defended itself from human rights groups, many of whom have criticised the slow pace of the releases. It argues that it needs to weed out rebels from the camps and ensure that areas in the north are de-mined before refugees return home. Aid agencies have repeatedly expressed concern over conditions in Menik Farm - near the north-central town of Vavuniya - and have warned that flooding and poor sanitation will become worse when monsoon rains, which are due at any time, eventually arrive. SRI LANKA: Importance of being Fonseka – Col R. Hariharan General Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s Chief of Defence, has been recently hitting the headlines for reasons other than military. Sections of Colombo media have been speculating on the possibility of the General contesting the 2010 presidential poll as opposition candidate against President Rajapaksa. The speculation has refused to die down despite denials by the General. It will probably gather further momentum as the election storm brews further in the political horizon. Even during his service as army commander, the much-decorated General had always been a figure of media controversy. A man who relished hands-on action than sophistry, General Fonseka’s was known for his off-the cuff, and at times inept, “politically incorrect,” remarks. Often, they raised a lot of dust in their wake. Calling the Tamil Nadu politicians “a bunch of jokers” typified his style. As army commander, his “rough and ready” methods focusing only on results and ignoring hierarchy, adopted during the war did not endear him to some of the officers. During the war he also tread on a lot of toes not only in the armed forces but also in the corridors of power. He had little patience with critics. He did not take kindly to media that questioned his style or methods and even branded them as unpatriotic. General Fonseka also showed a Sinhala nationalist streak that endeared him to the Sinhala right wing elements. This came out in clear terms in an interview to Canada’s National Post in September 2008. The General said “I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people…We being the majority of the country 75%, we will never give in and we have the right to protect this country…We are also a strong nation.” His said other communities “can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things.” This remark cut at the very basis of President Rajapaksa’s thesis portraying his government as an equitable option for everyone including the Sinhalas and minorities. There had been a great deal of public adulation of General Fonseka for his significant contribution in leading the armed forces to victory against the LTTE. A first rate professional soldier, he did not change his style even in picking his successor. He recommended Lt Genearl Jagat Jayasuriya as army commander, superseding seven other generals. President Rajapaksa elevated him as chief of defence staff in recognition of his valuable contribution in winning the Eeelam War IV. However, as CDS he had a grandiose vision. Though the LTTE had been routed and the government had regained full control of all the territories held by the Tamil insurgents, the General spoke of adding 100,000 more soldiers to build an army of 300,000 to wage peace. The rapidly growing public personality of the General probably overawed political leaders, who were increasingly feeling marginalised. This must have set the alarm bells ringing among them as they were hoping to garner full credit for the victory in the Eelam War. They were getting wary of too much credit going to the apolitical General. In any case, the war was over and the political rat race was on. So the politicians have started questioning the relevance of General Fonseka’s presence as a popular public personality outside the political spectrum. Second rung leaders of the ruling coalition have started making oblique statements sidelining the contribution of the General in the Eelam War. From his recent statements, one could make out that the developing environment within the government is not to the General's liking. The army expansions the General spoke of have not come through and his tenure is ending by December 2009. The crowning irony was the offer to appoint him the secretary in the ministry of sports! No wonder the General did not accept the offer. After the ruling UPFA coalition mauled the opposition in the series of post war provincial elections, President Rajapaksa plans to hold the parliamentary and presidential elections in early 2010. He appears to be hopeful of securing the vital two-thirds majority in parliament that would give a lot of freedom of action for him. In the progressively marginalised General Fonseka the two major opposition parties - the United National Party (UNP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) - see a potential opposition candidate who can give a run for the money in the presidential poll. In the opposition’s political calculus probably only General Fonseka has a chance of redeeming their reputation as he has a nation wide appeal. The JVP has spoken of its readiness to back General Fonseka to contest the presidential poll. Media reports indicate the UNP backroom politicians are working overtime to convince the reluctant general to join the presidential race. However, the General has to agree to be pitted against Rajapaksa as opposition candidate. It is not going to be an easy decision to make. It is going to challenge his strategic acumen, so effective in battlefields, in the political arena that is an entirely different ball game. And President Rajapaksa being an astute politician, who has managed to divide every political party, is likely to take every action to thwart opposition plans and persuade the General with other options. Despite the General’s immense popularity, there are some difficulties in projecting him as an alternative to Rajapaksa. General Fonseka is one of the three architects (the two Rajapaksa brothers being the other) who under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa brought an end to the legend of Prabhakaran and the LTTE. In the saluting parade held on May 28, 2009 the General had acknowledged the President’s leadership contribution in winning the war. He said: “This battle victory was largely dependent on leadership of the officers and soldiers who fought on the battleground. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Defence Secretary and all those here and abroad who offered leadership and guidance to this fight deserve our tribute and commendation.” So he will have the difficult task of sidelining the President’s contribution and pass of as a better candidate. Unlike the President, the General is not politically savvy. He has little experience in the rough and tumble of peace time politics. Political horsetrading and doublespeak may not figure in his skill sets. During the war he had made some harsh comments about the UNP and its leadership under Ranil Wickremesinghe. Will he able to motivate them now to support him wholeheartedly is a moot point. In this election, the UNP should be able to gain the traditional Tamil votes that were denied to it in the last Presidential election. The ruling coalition has probably alienated a large number of Tamil voters by its rigid attitude in handling the 2.5 lakh Tamils displaced due to the war. Thus conditions are more congenial for UNP to woo Tamil votes. However, Fonseka is very much associated with the whole post war architecture for handling the Vanni IDPs. So its negative fall outs are sure to affect his electoral fortunes as well. Moreover, the General had shown a cavalier attitude to the human rights issues, high on the Tamil agenda. So most of the Tamils may not support the UNP if Fonseka is projected as its candidate. This could make a difference as demonstrated in the last election when Rajapaksa won by a wafer thin majority through Southern Sinhala votes after Tamils did not turn up to vote. It seems General Fonseka will continue to haunt the columns of media as well as the minds of many politicians. Can the General’s strategic ability that helped him do so well in war help him decide his political dilemma? That is a question only he can answer. And that is the importance of being General Fonseka. LTTE terror victims sue Galleon's Raj Rajaratnam in US Make Lankan Tamils free: CPI to Centre The Centre should raise the Sri Lankan Tamils issue in international fora and pressure the island government to immediately free those in concentration camps on the isle, CPI national secretary D Raja has said.Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Raja said, ‘India has not brought up the issue in SAARC or UN, instead only supported the genocide and ethnic- cleansing in the neighbouring country.He said that at this juncture, India should pressure the Lankan government to immediately free the Tamils in concentration camps and allow them to settle in their traditional areas. The ethnic issue should be solved politically through devolution of powers.But, Raja said, the Lankan government was silent on it. ‘The Lanka government is only saying that it will rehabilitate Tamils soon, but it is not giving any assurance on devolution of powers to them,’ he said.Asked for his view that India has not been raising the Tamils issue with Sri Lanka only to avoid Chinese influence on the matter, he wondered whether the Indian government had discussed about the issue with China to create a uniform opinion.‘Sri Lanka and China had a good relationship and this should not be seen under present Tamil ethnic conflict,’ he said. He said the reports of Chinese aggression along the Indian border were exaggerated and the relation between the two countries was growing in terms of bilateral trade. 22 October 2009 Gen. Fonseka won’t accept Sports Secy post Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka on Tuesday (October 20) told Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge that he could not accept the post of Secretary to the Sports Ministry due to his heavy workload.The former army chief explained his inability to shuttle between Army headquarters and the Sports Ministry, when they met at the Welisara Navy grounds, where the Defence Services team defeated Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union President’s fifteen. Minister Lokuge told The Island yesterday that he had raised the issue with General Fonseka and the latter had said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been informed of the decision.Recently, the Presidential Secretariat announced the appointment of General Fonseka as Sports Secretary. Colombo school for child soldiers A batch of 144 LTTE child soldiers rehabilitated at the Punthottam Child Protection and Rehabilitation Centre in Vavuniya were admitted to a leading school in Colombo yesterday to enable them pursue education and start a new life as ordinary children by totally forgetting the gun culture taught by their previous LTTE masters. Co-ordinating officer attached to the Rehabilitation Centre Col. Manjula Gunasinghe said “we admitted these 144 children to Ratmalana Hindu College to enable them pursue education which was denied to them by the LTTE terrorists. They included 81 boys and 63 girls, who belong to grades ranging from 7 to 11. Under the second stage of this rehabilitation program we hope to admit another batch of 114 students to the same school soon.” The first batch of 144 students admitted to Hindu College, Ratmalana left Vavuniya around 6.30 a.m. in four special buses arranged for them. The Government has arranged all facilities in Colombo for them including board and lodging, clothing and tuition classes under the supervision of Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Maj. Gen. Daya Ratnayake said Col. Gunasinghe. Parents would be allowed to visit them once or twice a month, he added. All Karuna left for east was 46,000 widows -Pillayan Shivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, addressing a function in Batticaloa recently, said that Karuna lied all along and all he left for the Eastern Province was 46.000 widows. “We could be scared of Karuna now. He is a person who had been with arms and weapons for ever. Even today, he makes threats brandishing weapons. Or he threatens over the phone.“He has criticised the provincial councils. He is in no position to do that for he knows nothing about the 13th Amendment.“If he needs something from someone, then he praises that person. What did he say five years ago? He said that this is our leader. Hand over your children to us and we will give you a Tamil Eelam and also give you development.“But what happened? What did all that leave for the Eastern Province, only 46,000 widows.“He lied in the past with Prabhakaran. When he split up with Prabhakaran, he lied once again and headed towards destruction.“There is now a peaceful environment emcerging in the east. We have the provincial council and the TMVP for this. In a bid to destroy this set up, we are being asked to convert to blue,” said Pilleyan. Sri Lanka slams reports Sri Lanka has expressed concerned over the country being mentioned in a section of the Canadian and Australian media in connection with the “boat people” attempting to enter illegally their respective countries.A senior government official told The Hindu: “It appears there is no due diligence in ascertaining the origin and nationality of these unfortunate people. Just because some one claims to be a citizen of Sri Lankan does not make him or her citizen of the country”. “Given the reality that these people are at the moment located far away from Sri Lanka, Colombo is not in a position to do anything. However, if our missions in Canada and Australians are asked, they would help the authorities in establishment of the identities of these persons.”The state-owned Daily News, in a report, said the “boat people from Sri Lanka” in Indonesian waters who are issuing various threats including hunger strikes and blowing up their vessel, continue to make headlines in Australia. It quoted Australia-based spokesperson for the Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR) Ranjith Soysa as saying that the Australian government should seriously consider helping Sri Lanka resettle and rehabilitate displaced people of all ethnicities so that the “push factors” from Sri Lanka even for genuine asylum seekers will be minimal.“The LTTE strategically places its sympathisers in various countries including Australia, often exploiting humanitarian sentiments of host nations. Such LTTE operatives across the world have constituted part of its network for raising material and financial support for its campaign of terror in Sri Lanka,” he was quoted as saying.He argued that Sri Lankans do not have to live any longer with suicide bombings and terrorist attacks as in some other parts of the world. “The fact that the ‘civil war’ in Sri Lanka is over is under played by the interested groups to create an opportunity to continue their Sri Lanka bashing campaign”.“There is only one airport with facilities for international flights in the country, where outbound travellers have to pass through immigration and passports checks. How is it they could leave Sri Lanka without fear of revealing their identity, but are now fearful of going back? Or did they leave from Sri Lanka at all?”Reports from Vancouver said that Sri Lankans caught over the weekend by the Canada Border Services Agency guards pointed to a man named Abraham Lauhenapessy as the head of a human smuggling ring behind their attempt to enter Canada illegally.The “Sri Lankans” said they paid up to $45,000 per head to Lauhenapessy — also known as Captain Bram — who has been involved in the human smuggling trade for over 10 years. Captain Bram is also behind the attempt of 254 Tamils to enter Australia illegally. For the Australian attempt, he charged $15,000 per person. 'We are out if Sarath Fonseka is in' -Mano Ganesan tells Ranil Indonesia agrees to asylum deal 'Clear framework' Mr Rudd was in Jakarta on Tuesday for the inauguration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to his second term in office. The Australian premier used the opportunity to seek co-operation on the treatment of boat people. "There is recognition that we are going to end up faced with this problem again in the future," said Indonesian presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal later. "So what we need to work out now is a clear framework for a better mechanism on how to deal with this in the future," he said. One result of the talks is that more than 70 Sri Lankans picked up by an Australian customs vessel in Indonesian waters at the weekend will be allowed on shore temporarily, in the port of Merak in western Java. Indonesia's navy also recently agreed to intercept another boat carrying about 260 Sri Lankans off the Java coast. The Sri Lankan asylum seekers, all ethnic Tamils, highlighted their plight in a hunger strike, which they have now ended. They are still refusing to leave their boat. Commander of 611 Madhu Brigade killed in accident 21 October 2009 JVP to support common presidential candidate? Will the Marxist JVP support a common opposition presidential candidate by not fielding a candidate of its own? Speculation is that the JVP leadership may go all out against the executive presidency, thereby supporting the candidate forwarded by the UNP-led opposition alliance which would promise to do away with the executive presidency within 180 days after coming to power.Political sources told The Island that the JVP would not have any other option than to extend tactical support to the Opposition to prevent President Mahinda Rajapaksa winning a second term. Sources said that the Opposition campaign would be directed at the executive presidency with an elaborate strategy to portray it as a threat to democracy. Key Opposition strategist, SLFP dissident Mangala Samaraweera, MP has publicly declared that the executive presidency would be scrapped within 180 days once they were in power. But the JVP could not be sure whether the Opposition would honour its promise in the event of a victory, a JVP MP told a press conference last Thursday (October 15).Although JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva recently claimed that an early presidential election would not be to the UPFA’s advantage, an influential section of the ruling coalition believes the opposite. Responding to The Island, at a press conference at party headquarters on October 11, he said that the UPFA’s poor showing at elections to the Southern Provincial Council would not be conducive for an early presidential poll.Political sources said that the Opposition against President Rajapaksa was inclined towards one common front to eradicate what one opposition activist called the menace of executive presidency than fielding a third candidate targeting Rajapaksas’s vote base. Sources said that the whole exercise could be an attempt to deny the incumbent President a 50 per cent majority, thereby undermining the UPFA move to seek a two-thirds majority at the forthcoming parliamentary elections.Leading Opposition MPs say they are ready to do anything to bring down the government.Government sources told The Sunday Island that UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would meet Rajapaksa at the next presidential election though there are speculative reports of Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka, the senior most serving General and Sri Lanka’s most successful service chief or former Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva challenging the President.On a Defence Ministry directive, Army headquarters on Friday, while denying a rift between General Fonseka and the government, warned that legal action would be taken against anyone propagating a Fonseka-government clash. The warning came a day after pro-JVP Lanka put up posters in Colombo and its suburbs as well as many parts of the country declaring that the government had declared war against the General.Government sources said that the executive presidency was vital and even diluting of executive powers could be to the advantage of the pro-LTTE lobby. Economy sprouts under guard in Sri Lanka's north The highway is open, prices are up and business is growing in post-war northern Sri Lanka, but traders say a legacy of tight security left by a 25-year conflict is holding back the region's full potential.The northern Jaffna district has been all but cut off from most of Sri Lanka since war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatists broke out in 1983.Now small-time traders and entrepreneurs, from paintshop salesmen to electronics sellers and fisherman, say sales have nearly doubled with eased restrictions and the opening of the main highway after the Tigers' defeat in May.The Tigers' control of parts of northern Sri Lanka just south of military-controlled Jaffna meant that the peninsula and its namesake city were virtual islands -- with goods only coming by boat or by air.The military opened the main north-south A-9 road in July and is now permitting transport under close watch. All of Jaffna remains under military control."In bad times, I had to sell a kilo of grapes at 30 rupees... now I am getting a wholesale price of 200 rupees per kilo," K. Devendrarasa, a 56-year old grape farmer, said on Tuesday.Sri Lanka's only native-grown grapes come from Jaffna, and street hawkers for the first time in years are now selling them in southern Sri Lanka."We need more finance for expansion and investment," he said after receiving a 100,000 rupee loan from Hatton National Bank HNB.CM to finance the planting of a one-acre crop.Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal visited on Monday and Tuesday, and met with Jaffna business leaders and bankers.The central bank has been expediting approvals for dozens of new bank branches in the north to speed up access to credit. Many Jaffna residents kept their money out of the banking system under LTTE rule, opting to convert it to gold or outside investments. PRICES FALL Already, prices of consumer goods have fallen by about 15 percent in Jaffna, while the market price for goods produced or grown there have at least doubled, traders say. "Earlier we paid 500,000 rupees ($4,350) for a truckload for shipping, but now we only pay 100,000," Perambalam Naharathnam, the owner of a hardware and cycle shop, told Reuters after making a deposit at a new National Development Bank NDB.CM branch.Poor links with the south during the war have turned most of Jaffna's businesspeople toward trade, primarily financed through remittances from family members abroad.More than two-thirds of Jaffna residents have relatives living outside Sri Lanka who regularly send money home, according to private-sector estimates.Motor vehicle dealer C.J. Paul said he had sold more than 120 motorcycles and 15 motorised three-wheelers for cash since his outlet opened on Sept. 9.Fishermen said their fortunes have been on the rise since the government relaxed a fishing ban. That has helped them meet strong demand for Jaffna's prawns, crabs, lobsters and cuttlefish -- traditionally considered among Sri Lanka's tastiest.Despite early positive signs, most entrepreneurs privately complain that security is still too tight and transport options limited to a handful of politically-connected people."We can't send goods from here. There is a huge security process. All the transport business is monopolised by some influential parties," one entreprenuer told Reuters.Most traders said Jaffna trucks have not been allowed to go out of town, while those from the outside with Defence Ministry approval can travel in both directions.The government has pledged to ease security once it gets a proper state administration in place. Sri Lanka ranked 162 in the latest press freedom rankings 45 new police stations in North and East, Sri Lanka IGP says Under the government's process of re-establishing peace and harmony in the country, 45 new police stations have been established in Northern and Eastern provinces after the two provinces were liberated from LTTE clutches, Inspector General of Police Jayantha Wickramarathna said.Speaking at a special function held in Colombo this morning IGP said new police stations will be set up to cover the entire two provinces within the next few months. According to the IGP, the police department has established 37 new police stations in the East and 8 stations in the North after the regions were liberated from the LTTE. Another four police stations are to be established in Kilinochchi district, he added. Meanwhile, IGP Wickramarathna pointed out that nearly 500 new police personnel who could properly speak the Tamil language are to be deployed in the Northern and Eastern provinces to grant a better service to the people in those areas. The new batch of policemen is currently receiving special training at the Kaladi training school in Batticaloa, he added. Assure Tamils integration in country's development- Malaysia Sri Lanka shares continue falling Government – Pillayan rift deepens The rift between certain government quarters and Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan reached new heights over the last two weeks, with the former rebel turned politician being cold-shouldered with no real role given to him to play during the recent visit to the country by a Tamil Nadu parliamentary delegation. The Sunday Leader reliably learns that Pillayan was not even officially informed of the arrival of the delegation until Thursday night when he had received a fax signed by the Eastern Province Go vernor’s secretary who outlined a programme and informed him informally to be present at a certain spot along with some other 10 officials to greet the delegation. “Not even a meeting was organised between the Chief Minister and the Indian delegation,” sources complained. But the programme had other insignificant events such as that of visiting an apparel factory in Punani and staying at the Trincomalee naval dockyard for several hours for no apparent reason, it is learnt. However, after close confidants of Pillayan complained to the relevant quarters who had no idea about the programme, the programme was abruptly changed and the Indian High Commission in Colombo extended an invitation to the Chief Minister to meet the MPs at India House in Colombo mid last week. Now Pakistan unhappy India offered to standby Lanka if IMF refused Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had directly told the International Monetary Fund that his government would give Sri Lanka US$2.6 billion if the IMF did not approve the standby facility requested by the country, parliament was told yesterday. Deputy Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama said this was the type of friendship Sri Lanka had nurtured especially with its regional neighbours and that the country would never forget the assistance received from countries like India and Pakistan.“I want to place this on record. Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee telephoned the Indian representatives of the IMF and asked them to canvass for the approval of this loan to Sri Lanka.Dr. Singh had himself said that in case the IMF does not approve the loan, India will not hesitate to provide the required funds,” Dr. Amunugama said.He said a mega development boost was to be seen in post conflict Sri Lanka. 15 October 2009 Tamil Nadu MPs return to India and handover report Can Gen. Fonseka rule country? Asks NFF Commenting on widespread rumours that Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka would emerge as a common candidate for the Opposition at a future Preside-ntial election, Puttalam District, National Freedom Front parliamentarian Weerakumara Dissanayake said that the General may have led the country to victory in a war but the problem is whether he could rule a country.Dissanayake was addressing the NFF Anuradhapura District inaugural rally held at the Youth Centre on Tuesday. It was presided by NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa. He said the common candidate and General Sarath Fonseka have become a common topic these days in day to day discussions among the people."We must now strengthen the hands of President Mahinda Rajapaksa who defeated the LTTE. Everyday there are conspiracies to destabilize the country including the Channel 4 and the Hillary Clinton episodes. There are conspiracies to topple the Government and to install one to the conspirators’ liking."Ranil Wickremasinghe sought a mandate by devolving power while Mahinda Rajapaksa sought a mandate to defeat terrorism. The war was won by taking the correct political decision. We are prepared to face any challenge since we have the correct political framework and the UPFA had become an organization trusted by the masses," Dissanayake said. Pottu based weekly briefings on press reports:captured Tigers say Although LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had informants within the military establishment, he received a weekly security update based on print media reports, particularly during Eelam War IV, according to captured LTTE cadres. Prabhakaran had received the briefing from LTTE intelligence wing leader Pottu Amman every Monday, they had told investigators.Sources said that the recovery of five explosives packed suicide jackets meant for an operation directed against the top leadership of the TMVP in the run up to elections for the Eastern Provincial Council shed light on the LTTE practice. The LTTE had used The Island and Divaina to wrap the deadly cargo. "When we asked captured LTTE operatives to explain, they revealed Pottu Amman’s briefing based on newspaper reports," an official told The Island.Weekly briefings had received Prabhakaran’s special attention, particularly after the army opened a front in the Vanni. Sources said Prabhakaran himself had directed Pottu Amman to prepare weekly reports based on print media reports on the war and related issues such as foreign relations. Of the five recovered jackets, two each had contained 20 kg and 10 kgs of explosive each while one carried three and half kilos. Sources said that the jackets had been found buried in a cemetery after a cordon and search operation conducted in the East failed.The LTTE had bought all Sinhala and English weeklies through the Omanthai entry/exit point. Responding to our queries, sources said that Prabhakaran had been given the weekly briefing in Tamil.Sources said that captured LTTE operatives had claimed they planned to assassinate Pilleyan ahead of the election. A suicide jacket weighing 20 kilos could have caused massive damage. "They may have planned to target a TMVP rally," sources said adding that disrupting the LTTE network responsible for the operation directed at the TMVP as well as the suicide attack on a ship anchored in Trincomalee on the day of the elections for the Eastern PC could be considered one of the major achievements in the covert war against the LTTE. They had completed the operation within 48 hours following the attack on the ship, sources said. Basil to resign from Parliament 14 October 2009 Delegation from Tamil Nadu meet the President over IDPs Ask Colombo to free refugees, Amnesty urges Indian MPs Indian MPs currently on a visit to Sri Lanka should raise concerns about the "safety and dignity" of the hundreds of thousands of Tamils who have been displaced by civil war, Amnesty International said.The refugees, who have been sheltered in 21 government-run closed camps in the north and east of the island nation, have not been allowed to leave the camps and seek alternative accommodation, the human rights group said."In the course of your interactions with Sri Lankan authorities, Amnesty International urges you to emphasise the need to respect the rights of all displaced people to liberty and freedom of movement; freedom of arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention," Amnesty said in a letter to the MPs.The 10 Indian MPs from ruling parties in Tamil Nadu, led by T. R. Baalu, are in Sri Lanka on a four-day visit.Amnesty said although Sri Lanka pledged to resettle the majority of the refugees within 180 days after the war ended in May, "it is clear now that true 'resettlement' will take much longer than the Sri Lankan government anticipated"."Displaced people have not been allowed to seek alternative accommodations or start the process of rebuilding their lives. The Sri Lankan government continues to confine the displaced to closed camps, in crowded, uncomfortable and sometimes hazardous conditions."Camp residents now face a humanitarian disaster as monsoon rains threaten to flood camps," Amnesty said. UK concerned over screening process to identify Tigers Police net LTTE’s Sinhala spy The police have arrested a Sinhala man who has allegedly supported the LTTE to carry out an attack on the Colombo harbour and other places of economic importance some time ago.He was arrested in Chilaw by the Kandy District Intelligence Unit on Sunday morning on information provided by an LTTE suspect in detention, police spokesman, Senior Deputy Inspector General Nimal Mediwaka said. Police said that the suspect had been paid by the LTTE for providing information on key places in Colombo. The LTTE had presented with him a fibre glass fishing boat. The boat had been found in the Mattakkuliya area. The suspect had posed as a fishermen and collected information on the harbour and surrounding areas, Senior DIG Mediwaka said adding that further investigations were being conducted by the Kandy District intelligence unit. Sri Lankans threaten to blow up boat in Indonesia MORE than 260 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers were last night threatening to blow up their boat if the Indonesian navy forced them to disembark at the port in Merak after the large cargo boat they were piloting towards Christmas Island broke down."We have gas canisters and we have told the navy we will blow up the boat and jump into the ocean if they try to force us off the boat," said a spokesman for the asylum-seekers, who would only give his name as Alex. Alex said the Sri Lankans had each paid $US15,000 ($16,533) to board the wooden craft in Malaysia 13 days ago, after travelling there by air from Jaffna. "If the authorities in Sri Lanka know this is me on this boat, they will hunt down my wife and children in Jaffna and kill them," the frightened man said. "I have been waiting for my wife and children to follow me here. As soon as possible, we need to get to Australia." The Sri Lankan asylum-seekers and six Indonesian crew members were under military guard aboard the cargo ship in western Java after being intercepted trying to sail to Christmas Island. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono intervened directly in the case of the asylum-seekers, who were detained trying to sail to Christmas Island at the weekend. Dr Yudhoyono has ordered his navy chief of staff to treat with care the group of hungry and tired refugees, who last night were expected to be towed to shore after their cargo boat's engine died. They were then to be dealt with by immigration officials after having refused for the past three days to leave their stricken boat. Kevin Rudd confirmed yesterday he had made a personal plea to Dr Yudhoyono for the Indonesians to intercept the boat. Alex denied last night that those on board the boat were associated with Tamil Tigers. "We are civilians, not Tamil Tigers. Every day there are Tamils being killed and raped in the refugee camps. Men are blindfolded and shot in the back of the head. "In Sri Lanka if you are Tamil there is no opportunity - the government can detain you without cause, and take you to trial without evidence." Alex said the group's choice of Australia as a destination was not based on intimate knowledge of federal government immigration policy, but simply "because we had to flee somewhere". "Another boat full of Tamils left Malaysia for Canada, and for that people were paying $US45,000 per person," he said. "That was far too expensive." He said the group had been at sea for 13 days before being captured by an Indonesian navy vessel early on Saturday morning. "We spent a month in the jungle in Malaysia before that," he said.International Organisation for Migration staff were working with Immigration Department officials last night to resolve the standoff, with the Sri Lankans adamant they wanted to continue their journey to Australia. Alex refused to give details of the agent who had taken money from members for the group in Malaysia, repeatedly saying he feared for his life. He was allowed to speak to The Australian for only a few moments, before senior navy officers made him rejoin the larger group. The group consisted of women and children as well as men, and a number of extremely young children. Four of the boatpeople were in hospital last night being treated for non life-threatening issues, including one woman who reportedly was pregnant. A military source, who refused to be named, said navy ships guarding the asylum-seekers had accompanied the boat after it was intercepted in the Sunda Strait near Anak Krakatau, an active volcano that attracts thousands of tourists to its spectacular displays. "We're guarding them so that no one can get on or off, and so they don't escape," the source said. The boat was moored alongside an Indonesian submarine chaser and bore a large hand-painted sign saying: "We are Sri Lankan civilians plz save our life." Australian Federal Police and Immigration Department officers had already visited the boat people, the source said. However they were refusing to speak to officials. A doctor dealing with the four people in hospital said they included a baby with skin problems, a woman who is seven months pregnant, another with gastritis and a fourth who had a spinal injury sustained on the cargo boat. Others had been given medical assessments on the boat and determined to be fine. Erwin Hilianka, from the Banten province health department, said the illegal immigrants were suffering no serious illnesses but were only sick due to weakness and not eating. The boat was intercepted early on Sunday morning, authorities said, and arrived in Merak harbour late the same day. Indonesian police said they were investigating whether the six Indonesian crew members were involved in a known people-smuggling ring. Thousands of asylum-seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Sri Lanka and Burma use Indonesia as a staging point to get to Australia where they apply for refugee status, often travelling first through Malaysia. Many make their initial applications to the UN High Commission for Refugees in Jakarta, giving them temporary right to stay in the country while their claims are processed. A large number of them then use this opportunity to organise risky voyages such as the most recent one to be intercepted, often with the services of organised people-smuggling rings. Australia has launched a joint policing program with Indonesia to combat the people trafficking wave, with at least a dozen ports across the country being targeted. Despite tough language from Jakarta for Australia's benefit, officials admit they are unable to stem the flow of refugees through the country. Many of the asylum-seekers themselves admit the flow has increased as a result of the Rudd government's softer measures on the problem. These measures, which many asylum-seekers believe will give them a greater chance at being accepted as refugees by Australia if they try the journey by boat, have led to the main detention and processing centre at Christmas Island being filled beyond its capacity. However Indonesian detention centres are also stretched beyond capacity, despite financial and other assistance from foreign governments including Australia and from the International Organisation for Migration. The IOM works with the UNHCR giving shelter, food and medical treatment to thousands of asylum-seekers living in the community in areas such as Puncak, a mountainous resort region full of low-rent hostels south of Jakarta. Hundreds more are in immigration detention centres across the country, with the latest boatload almost certain to join that category unless any of them can produce documentation showing they had refugee applications already being assessed by the UN. Asylum-seekers who are successful in such applications while living in Indonesia then have the right to be considered for resettlement in a third country that has signed the international treaty dealing with refugees. Chief among these countries are Australia, the US and Canada. Indonesia has never signed the treaty and, despite promises by Dr Yudhoyono during a visit by Mr Rudd last year, has not enacted anti-people smuggling legislation. BAALU DRIVES VAVUNIYA GA TO TEARS FM and Norwegian envoy discuss Tiger proxy meeting in Oslo Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told Daily Mirror Online he met the Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo Tore Hattrem this afternoon and sought an explanation over LTTE proxies holding meetings in Oslo to discuss the formation of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam.Speaking to the Daily Mirror on the sidelines of a press briefing today the Foreign Minister said that he met the Norwegian envoy this afternoon and expressed his concerns over the pro-LTTE meeting but added that the matter was now resolved."We have dealt with the matter. Such political units of the LTTE should not be permitted to form into groups and have gatherings. The position of the government is that countries friendly to Sri Lanka should not allow for such meetings to take place on their territories," the Minister told Daily Mirror online.A release sent to Daily Mirror by the Tiger proxies yesterday said the group met in Oslo, Norway to discuss conducting a “free and fair” election to form the Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam. The Advisory Committee for the formation of the Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (PTGTE) said it met in Oslo, Norway and discussed in detail the procedural matters relating to the conduct of free and fair elections for the PTGTE. It also said that Country Working Groups (CWG) will be organized to undertake the ground work for the formation of the PTGTE including assisting in the election process and in the dissemination of information to Diaspora communities and the International Community. The Secretariat of the PTGTE will be established in Geneva to co-ordinate the activities of the CWGs and to attend to the immediate humanitarian priorities, the release added. 13 October 2009 Get ready for Presidential or General Election: MR President Mahinda Rajapaksa summoned all the SLFP electoral organizers last evening to Temple Trees and requested them to get ready for either the Presidential or General election to be declared very soon. The President, however, did not say which election would be conducted first under the present circumstances. The SLFP General Secretary Agriculture Development Minister Maithreepala Sirisena who addressed the meeting first asked the organizers to stop their overseas tours during this period and fully concentrate on work at their respective electorates starting from today. Mr. Sirisena reportedly said that he had started even election steering committees in his constituency of Polonnaruwa now. He said that the SLFP Central Committee is yet to decide whether to conduct the presidential election or the general election first. Commenting on the outcome of the Southern Provincial Council Election, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had reportedly expressed his satisfaction over the UPFA getting a two-third majority at the election. MPs’ team visits hill region in Sri Lanka The delegation of Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu, now on a visit here to assess the state of the internally displaced persons (IDPs), on Tuesday flew down to Hatton and Nuwara Eliya in the hill region of the island nation for an interaction with Indian-origin Sri Lankans working in the plantation sector.Hosted by Sri Lankan Minister and leader of Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) Arumugam Thondaman, the delegation first visited the Indian-assisted vocational education training institute at Hatton.From there, the team visited a government-supported housing project for tea plantation workers.The team members also discussed with plantation workers their working conditions and other issues. Mr. Thondaman is hosting a dinner in honour of the visiting delegation and the MPs are expected to return to Colombo on Wednesday morning.On Monday, the delegation, comprising of 10 members, visited Jaffna and the Menik Farm IDP Camps in Vavuniya, where most of those displaced in the war are put up.According to sources, the people with whom the team members interacted outside the Jaffna Library talked about the difficulties faced by fisherfolk due to constant poaching by Indian fisherfolk in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. Issues hidden “One member of the public stated that a number of issues were swept under the carpet in the name of development. He urged that action be taken immediately to ensure that normality returned to the island nation. Another member of the public wanted restrictions in the High Security Zone in the peninsula removed.”Leader of the delegation T.R. Baalu told them that the team was there on the instructions of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in consultation with the Union government and that it would visit the IDP camps and urge the government of Sri Lanka to expedite the resettlement process.Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi reportedly said the team would extend assistance through the government of India to the Sri Lankan Tamils to help them to live with equal and legitimate rights. Students’ plea Students of Jaffna University, in their interaction, suggested that India consider allocating some seats in universities for Sri Lankan students, especially in the fields of medicine and engineering.Mr. Baalu said the Sri Lankan Education Ministry should submit proposals to the appropriate channels for the consideration of the Indian government. UNP leader to meet Indian MPs Sri Lanka defends internment camps Flood fears With monsoon season approaching, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Sri Lankan government to immediately release the refugees, warning that already poor conditions in the camps were deteriorating, and heavy rains could flood the overcrowded and low-lying areas."With all these people penned up unnecessarily in terrible conditions, the situation in these camps is getting tense and ugly," Brad Adams, HRW's Asia director, said at the weekend."If they aren't out of there before the monsoons hit, their lives and health will be in serious danger."Rains in mid-August caused serious flooding, destroying tents and other shelter, making cooking impossible for many, and causing roads to collapse, preventing the delivery of crucial aid such as drinking water.Water also flooded latrine pits, causing raw sewage to flow among the tents. Since then, conditions have further deteriorated, HRW said.Speaking to Al Jazeera, Rajiva Wijesinha, the secretary of the Sri Lanka's ministry of disaster management and human rights, admitted there had been problems with toilets and drainage and floods in August.But he blamed the UN for the situation, accusing its agencies of not fulfilling promises to upgrade or repair facilities and doing "very shoddy" work in the camps.Wijesinha said that there was a need for what he called "decongestion" of the camps, adding: "We have asked for assistance on sending people away to some of the districts they had originally come from, and we believe this is going on reasonably well … perhaps much better than Human Rights Watch understands."He repeated the government's position that it is trying to release the detained Tamils, but said the process had been slow because they need to be screened for rebel ties, and their villages in the former battle zone remain heavily mined. Not ready Responding to Wijesinha's assertions, Anna Neistat, a senior researcher with HRW, told Al Jazeera she did not think there was "any reason to believe that the camps are ready" to cope with the onset of the monsoon."The Sri Lankan government has been saying so many different things over the last month, including, for example, that people will be released, people will be resettled, that the conditions are up to international standards, none of that has so far proven to be true," she said.HRW has called on donors such as Japan, the US, and the EU to step up pressure on Sri Lanka over the issue, echoing a call last week by Amnesty International, which urged the government to clear the camps.Mike Foster, Britain's international development minister, expressed disappointment at the speed of the release when he visited the camps last week.According to the UN, by the end of September the government continued to hold 255,551 displaced persons in the military-run camps and hospitals, the majority of them in a large complex of camps called Menik Farm.President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government is enjoying strong support at home in the wake of the military victory over the Tamil Tigers, winning the latest in a string of provincial elections over the weekend. But the formerly LTTE-held Northern Province has yet to vote and rights groups say the screening of refugees is an excuse for keeping thousands of Tamils detained.Sri Lanka says more than 22,000 people have been resettled from the camps, and it hopes to send everyone home by the end of January. According to the UN however, the government had released fewer than 15,000 as of September 28.HRW said on several occasions the government had claimed that it had allowed thousands detained in Menik Farm to return home, only to transfer them to other camps or so-called temporary "way stations"."While the government has the right to screen the displaced persons for security reasons, the process has turned into a ruse to hold as many Tamils for as long as possible in the camps," Asia Director Brad Adams said."The government's untruthful statements and promises should not fool anybody anymore." Tamil Tiger suspects on trial for Paris racket Mano to Indian MPs: give independent opinion Welcoming the visit of the South Indian MPs to welfare camps in the North, the Democratic People’s Front (DPF) said the objective of this exercise by the Sri Lankan government was to get a favourable report from them. DPF Leader Mano Ganesan MP, who raised this matter yesterday, said the government may be trying to cover up the real situation. He therefore called on the visiting MPs to study the situation in the welfare camps and give an independent opinion on the real situation regarding the IDPs: “We call upon our counterparts to understand the plight of the IDPs,” he said. Mr. Ganesan said the Tamils of this country wanted a society in which they could live peaceably with the Sinhalese. He said he would meet the visiting Indian MPs on Tuesday and brief them on issues concerning the IDPs. America drastically condemns Sri Lanka Prime Minister’s opinion United America has condemned the opinion stated by Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayke in regard to American State Secretary Hilary Clinton. In regard to this Sri Lankan Ambassador for America Jaliya Wickramasooriya was called personally to the American State Department, had was given the dissatisfaction. Sri Lankan Prime Minister recently had given an interview to a Sri Lanka Radio, that Hilary Clinton has forgotten the case of Monicka Levinsky and speaking , initially she should handle her domestic problem was stated by him. Such statement was given by Sri Lankan Prime Minister, while he was questioned, to Hilary’s statement of sexual harassments towards women is used as a weapon during the war period in Sri Lanka. The interview which was broadcast in the morning in Sinhala was stated by Prime Minster “ Mekka Maara Magulaknee, Clinton Nonatta Monika Kena Amathaga Wela”, which means, this is a massive issue, Clinton madam has forgotten Monika. American Deputy Secretary Robert Blake in regard to this, stated, the issues regarding sexual harassments towards women was mentioned by Hilary, but government began to voice against it, and immediately expected a detailed statement from America. It further said there was no detailed statement from the Sri Lanka government in regard to the personal matter of Hilary Clintan which was mentioned by Prime Minster Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka. This is my last address to Army – Gen. Sarath Fonseka General Sarath Fonseka Chief of Defense Staff addressing officers and men of the Sri Lanka Army at the 60th Army Anniversary Parade in Colombo said it was the last time he was making an address of that nature. He said he has finished his obligations dedicated to the Army.Speaking at the ceremony Gen. Fonseka said, “This may be the last occasion I make an address of this nature to officers and men of the Sri Lanka Army. Although I am still serving in the Army I have finished my obligations dedicated to the Army as I have reached different heights at this time. After serving for 40 years I have already done my share for the Army and I have done this in a historical manner as I gave the leadership for the Army to win the 30 year long war.” According to political analysts this indicates the dissatisfaction over the way Gen. Fonseka is being treated by the President and the government. The contradiction between President Mahinda Rajapaksha and Gen. Sarath Fonseka had come to the surface at the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Army held at BMICH recently. According to several reports that appeared in the media Gen. Fonseka was not happy regarding how he is being treated by the President and the government. There were rumors that he had been offered the post of Secretary to the Sports Ministry which Gen. Fonseka had rejected.Appointing former Army Commander as Secretary is an honour to sports in the island – Gamini Lokuge War between President and General escalates Several issues behind news regarding Gen. Fonseka’s appointment to Sports Ministry Conspiracy against Gen. Sarath Fonseka Two indicted in Kadirgamar assassination Indictment was served before Colombo High Court Judge Kumuduni Wickramasinghe on two accused in connection with former Foreign Minister Laxman Kadirgamar’s assassination. The prosecution commenced leading evidence from the late Kadirgamar’s personal guard Major Suranga Niroshana Manathunga (36) of the Commando Regiment after the accused pleaded not guilty. Attorney - General filed indictment against six including LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and Pottuamman for conspiring to assassinate Laxman Kadirgamar and committing the crime at his residence in Longden Place, Colombo on August 12, 2005. The Court served indictment on Muttaiyah Sahadevan and Isithor Arokyanathan alias Babu. The other names were removed from the indictment after the Court was informed that they were dead. Major Manathunga in his evidence stated that he was appointed a guard to the former Minister in 2001 when he was a Captain. The Minister was residing at his official residence but once in a while he went to his own residence at Buller’s Road. Minister had received threats to his life from the LTTE. Deputy Solicitor Generar Kapila Vaidyaratne, Senior State Counsel Shanil Kularatne and State Counsel Shehan de Silva appeared for the Attorney- General. The trial was put off for October 14. Two fishermen linked to Colombo harbour attack nabbed Two fishermen from Chilaw and Negombo were arrested by Kandy Police Intelligence Unit officers for alleged complicity in an LTTE plan to attack the Colombo harbour during the height of the anti-terrorist war. Police who made the arrests at Wattakkalliya Chilaw and Kochchikade in Negombo also seized a boat and a boat engine which had been earmarked for use during the attack after interrogating the suspects. Investigations are continuing. Tiger proxies meet in Oslo to discuss Tamil Eelam elections 11 October 2009 T.R. Baalu-led MPs team lands in Colombo, meets Tamil parties A group of 10 parliamentarians of the ruling combine from Tamil Nadu arrived here on Saturday afternoon on a four-day visit. It met representatives of the Tamil and Muslim political parties and exchanged views on the plight of the 2.5-lakh war displaced and the need for a permanent solution to the ethnic conflict with meaningful devolution.Though this is the largest Indian parliamentary contingent to visit the island nation since the emergence of Tamil militant and terrorist outfits on the scene three decades ago, it has been kept away from the Indian media contingent based here. Sri Lankan officials said the government was ready to allow the Indian media to accompany the delegation on its visit outside Colombo if the Indian mission gave its consent. The mission released a set of photographs of the meetings of the delegation at 7.22 p.m. Till the filing of this report, there was no briefing or statement on the visit.The delegation is here on an invitation from Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Its main objective is to visit the camps of the war-displaced in the north for a first-hand assessment of their welfare. The delegation led by T.R. Baalu is scheduled to leave on Sunday morning for Jaffna for an assessment of the situation in the peninsula and proceed to Menik Farm, where most of the war displaced are housed in the temporary camps.In the course of their visit, the MPs plan to get a first hand account of the process of resettlement of the war displaced and initiatives of the government for re-building the war-torn east and north.On Saturday evening the delegation interacted with representatives of the Tamil National Alliance (TELO,TULF,EPRLF and ACTC), the Democratic Tamil National Alliance and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).D. Siddhathan of the PLOTE and E. Sreedharan of the EPRLF jointly met the delegation at India House. Mr. Siddhathan told The Hindu that they urged the delegation to use its good offices with New Delhi to prevail upon Colombo to speedily resettle the war displaced in their original places of habitation in the north and east, as well work towards a “permanent solution based on meaningful devolution” for the Tamils.Mr. Siddhathan described the meeting as ‘very constructive’ and said the MPs gave them a ‘patient hearing.’ According to him, the proceedings were recorded by Kanimozhi and videoed by Thol. Thirumavalavan of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. The Indian delegation was quoted by him as enquiring about the fate of the 10,000 LTTE cadres who are in the custody of the Sri Lankan authorities.“We told them that all the 10,000 detained cadres are safe. If the number of detained Tigers is more we have no idea about them. We informed the Indian side that the ICRC has recorded details of all the 10,000 detained suspected LTTE cadres,” he said.“Baalu and Kanimozhi asked if India could have, at any stage, stopped the war. We replied that it was not possible for India to have intervened at any stage because by the time the LTTE appealed for a ceasefire, the war had almost ended and it was not possible for anyone to have stopped the Sri Lankan government from fighting to the finish. If New Delhi had intervened at that critical juncture, Sri Lanka would have lurched towards China or other countries inimical to India,” Mr. Siddharthan said. The TNA team told the MPs that the Sri Lankan government was not serious about the resettlement of the Tamil refugees as it had other plans for the Wanni area, previously controlled by the LTTE.Suresh Premachandran, TNA MP for Jaffna district, said the TNA delegation pointed out that only 50 days remained for the Sri Lankan government to fulfil its promise to resettle 80 per cent of the refugees in 180 days.But till date, only 20,000 refugees had been moved out of the camps. Even these had not been sent back to their villages but to transit camps. The government was using de-mining as an excuse for delaying resettlement, he charged. Demining had taken place only in 32 villages in Mannar and Vavuniya districts. There was no demining in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts.The TNA delegation pointed out that in war-torn Vietnam and Cambodia, mines were no bar to resettlement, and that demining was going on years after the war had ended.According to Mr. Premachandran, the Sri Lankan government had plans to settle Sinhalese in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts so that at least 30 per cent of the population would be Sinhalese.“There is a plan to change the demographic pattern in the Wanni area so that there is no such thing as a Tamil province,” he charged. He further said that Buddhist stupas were being built in Wanni with an intention to change its culture and ethnicity.Sudarshana Nachiappan of the Congress asked if there could be opposition from the military if the Rajapaksa government were to accommodate the Tamils, the TNA delegation said there was no such possibility.Rauf Hakeem, leader of the SLMC, told the delegation that any settlement of the northeastern question would have to take into account Tamil-speaking Muslims also, as they had suffered under the LTTE and were marginalised by Sinhalese majoritarianism.On the penultimate day of their stay here, the delegation will go to Kandy in the hill district for an interaction with the Indian-origin Tamils in the plantation sector. It would visit the technical vocational training centre set up with Indian help.In another development, voting for the Southern Provincial Council (SPC) ended in the evening with around 55 per cent turnout. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from some areas. Sri Lanka ruling party wins provincial vote Sri Lanka's ruling party recorded a landslide victory at a key provincial government election at the weekend, the final regional poll before national elections next year, officials said Sunday. President Mahinda Rajapakse's United People's Freedom Alliance won 38 seats in the 55-member Southern Provincial Council, which went to the polls on Saturday, the elections commission said. The main opposition United National Party secured 14 seats while the Marxist People's Liberation Front won three seats. Some 1.7 million people were eligible to vote in the election for the council, which has limited autonomy to manage civil administration issues in the province and has the power to raise taxes for development work.An election commission spokesman said the UPFA got just over two thirds of the vote to comfortably win the council, the highest level of local government. National parliamentary elections must be held within three months of the current legislature's six-year term ending in April. Tamil and Muslim parties shed differences for the sake of IDPs Mankulam a regional capital soon A centrally located northern rural town, Mankulam, 30 kilometres from Vavuniya on the A 9 highway would be developed as a Regional Administrative Capital along with the resettlement and rehabilitation of over 250,000 IDPs now in the Vavuniya and Chettikulam welfare villages. With the French GIS satellite mapping system, the Government has identified Mankulam to be developed as a provincial administrative capital. Accordingly, the Ministry of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development would launch the program within one year, Ministry Secretary Dr. P. Ramanujam said. As Mankulam is close to Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Anuradhapura, the rural village could be developed as an administrative capital. The availability of space, water and electricity facilities are other advantages. Development work will be implemented on a phase wise program in relation to project packages on a priority basis with the Government’s resettlement program, Ramanujam said. The Urban Development areas encompass the surrounding villages including Vannivilankulam, Ambalpuram, Kollavilankulam, Oddaruththakulam, Manavalanpaddarippu, Thachchadampan, Olumadu, Ambakmam, Panikkankulam, Thirumurugandi, Inthupuram, Kanakarayankulam, Kanakarayankulam North and Mankulam. The comprehensive development as a Metro Urban Centre would be phased over 20 years (2009-2030), with the anticipated initial population 100,000 increasing up to 500,000 in 2030. The Priority Action Project building complexes to be constructed include a Provincial Council Secretariat, Police Complex, Courts Complex, Transport Terminals, including a bus and railway station, Regional Prisons Complex and an Open Prison, Regional Sports Complex, Hindu Religious Centre, Hospital Complexes (public and private), Regional Postal Complex, Commercial and Financial Institutions and Regional Police Training Centre, the Ministry Secretary said. Indian MPs here to go where Lankan MPs can’t Tiger mastermind spills beans on botched Mahinda, Gota attacks The State Intelligence Service (SIS) has revealed that the leader of the Colombo Tiger attack force, Giridaran alias Giri who made several attempts on the life of President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the support of a high-ranking army official and planned several attacks on the Defence Secretary (DS) Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, is responsible for 3/4 of the Tiger activities in Colombo after 2001.Giridaran is the elder son of the Vanni district TNA MP Sathasivam Kanagarathnam, who allegedly was a depot driver, and was handed his MP post as a show of gratitude from the LTTE for his son’s services. According to investigations conducted by the SIS, Giri has played a major role in the planning of the assassination of the former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. The planning is said to have taken place at a house on the seventh floor of ‘Sunflower Court’ building in Wellawatta. The LTTE had funded the construction of the building and the said pad on the seventh floor had been used by the LTTE as their center for planning of attacks in Colombo. Bomb specialist A young man later identified as an engineering graduate of the University of Moratuwa and the brother of the person registered as the owner of the LTTE funded building, committed suicide jumping off the building, when the SIS surrounded the place. This engineering graduate who appeared as an executive of a private company worked as a bomb specialist for the LTTE, and committed suicide taking with him a host of secrets to his grave, most of which were about Giri. Giri was born in Vellamulli Vaikkal and grew up in the ----Vanni. His real name was Adithya Kanagarathnam, and he schooled at Mulaitiv Katta Vinayagar upto grade 06 and continued upto A/Ls in Vijayanandan school in Mulyawali. He did his ALs in bio science in 1995 and obtained 03 S passes. His Chemistry tuition master was Dr Umakanthan who was recently arrested in Vavuniya by a special police team from the SIS.Dr Umakanthan’s elder brother was an LTTE leader in Vanni named ‘Vicki’ who got Giri to join the LTTE in 1998 under the LTTE leader ‘Balraj’. After joining the LTTE Giri was trained as an intelligence member in the ‘Kanan Base’ in Killinochchi. Giri had stayed in Vanni from 1998 to 2001 and had come to Colombo in 2008 through a powerful LTTE member ‘Sheilan’ who entrusted him to the care of ‘Revathan’. The SIS has discovered this ‘Revathan’ to be a director of Sewa Lanka Foundation. 50 fake names Giri had used over 50 fake names to stay in Colombo and had forged NICs to match those names. Pakyanadan, Krishna Kanthan, Giridaran, Periyagamathi are several of the names he used in Colombo. He has also appeared as a Dr Aadi. This was when his Chemistry tuition master came to work at the Galle hospital. He had kept Giri in his quarters and helped Giri collect information for the attacks on Galle navy camp and the police station. He had also taken Giri to the general hospital Colombo and helped him collect information about security at the emergency unit.Giri worked to a sound plan. He was in cahoots with several high officials of the defence units and he managed to sneak into the army camps through these connections and managed to steal important military and defence information from them.Giri had made two attempts on the life of the president. One at the ‘Deyata Kirula’ exhibition premises and the second at a passing out ceremony in Diyathalawa. Giri had had a plan to assassinate Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. According to the plan the cavalcade of the DS was to be attacked with a bomb fixed to a vehicle and a second attack on the injured secretary on the way to the hospital, was to be executed by a woman suicide cadre. The woman suicide bomber, who blasted herself at the Social Services Ministry in Isipatana Road, Kirulapona, after the failed attempt on the life of Minister Douglas Devananda, had also been guided by Giri. Another attempt on the life of Minister Douglas Devananda had been made in 2006 at the Apollo hospital premises.Giri had sent the woman suicide bomber to the Apollo hospital on the information that the minister was to arive at the hospital. The would be attacker had been at the hospital premises for three hours waiting for the minister but the minister didn’t turn up. Giri had also planned the three wheeler bomb attack on the vehicle of former Pakistani High Commissioner Basheerwali Mohammed in Colpetty, and he had also directed the suicide attack opposite air force headquarters on the day President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressed the nation on the Killinochchi victory. The SIS found out that Giri had also planned an attack on the DS at a hotel in Colpetty frequently visited by the DS and other prominent figures. The SIS has revealed only a few of the attacks Giri planned and directed during his stay in Colombo, and information on many other attacks and hidden stocks of explosives are yet being investigated. Giri is said to have planned some of his attacks in his father’s official house in Madiwela with the help of Dr. Umakanthan. The SIS has begun extensive investigations and Giri’s father is now in CID custody. German Police bust int’l human trafficking ring Following more than a year-long investigation, the German Federal Police have busted an international ring involved in smuggling Sri Lankan Tamil people into European countries, with the connivance of certain French and British authorities.Police, during simultaneous raids on 37 places from early morning last Wednesday in Germany and elsewhere abroad, arrested 16 suspected German, French and British nationals of Sri Lankan origin, diplomatic sources said. According to these sources, a special team from the German Federal Police has been investigating the activity of a German-based Sri Lankan Tamils smuggling ring under cover since August 2008, on the orders of the public prosecutor in Osnabrück. “The German Police had received intelligence that the racketeers, apart from being engaged in smuggling people from Sri Lanka in to Schengen countries were also carrying out illicit trading activity as a group in the EU countries. Out of the 16 suspects arrested, four are from Germany and more arrests will follow, according to German Police. Among the arrested is the leader of the smuggling ring. He is a 44-year-old Tamil known among the diaspora as an ardent supporter of the LTTE,” sources added.They also stated that the suspect was residing in a small town called Borken in the Federal State North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) where there is a large concentration of Sri Lankan Tamils domiciled in Germany. Warrants have been issued for the arrest of two more Tamils in Germany – from Rhine and Lingen.“According to the public prosecutor, all arrested suspects are in the 32-44 age group and they would have to serve very long prison terms on being convicted of crimes committed between November 2008 and June 2009 Police said. The smugglers have charged between 12,000 and 20,000 Euros each from persons smuggled into Europe. Investigations are still continuing in Germany, France and the UK. German Police believe that the ring’s human trafficking was not confined to EU countries and they could have been active in many other countries as well,” diplomatic sources added. “The main ‘pool’ of smuggled Tamil persons was Paris and later they would be smuggled into a country of their choice once they were equipped with forged documents. The countries they were smuggled into are mainly Germany, the UK, France and Scandinavian countries,” sources added. The Federal Police fighting crime in Hamburg deployed a total of 260 Police officers for the raids on about 20 suspected quarters of the human traffickers.“German Investigators spoke of a new quality in transnational investigations. They praised the cooperation received from the special unit of the French border Police, and the United Kingdom Border Agency in the UK responsible for combating illegal smuggling,” they said. Resettlement in Manthai West starts next week Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to Manthai West in the Mannar District from the IDP camps in Mullaithivu is scheduled to begin this week, from Thursday (15), following the completion of de-mining operations in Manthai West, according to Minister of Disaster Relief and Resettlement Rishard Bathiudeen. “The resettlement of IDPs from Vavuniya to the Wanni District is in progress, hence, we have begun to resettle IDPs from the remaining camps in Mullaithivu. Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa visited these IDP camps two days ago and requested to proceed with their resettlement.” According to him, at least over 10,000 IDPs have been resettled to their original places, while over 20,000 have been released from the camps. “Some of those released are orphans, disabled, foreign visa holders, the elderly, students, pregnant mothers and those needing medical attention,” he said. He added that the original places of residence of the IDP families have been verified with police records. The resettlement plans have been quickened due to the concerns over the sustainability of the internment camps in light of the monsoon season. “We held a meeting a few days ago, where the government agents, officials and representatives from several non-governmental agencies participated. There it was finalised that the construction of drainage system will be completed at the end of this month,” he said. “More than 80% of the construction has been completed with the rest expected to be over soon.” The faulty drainage system has been blamed for causing unlivable conditions for the IDPs. Heavy torrential rains has resulted in overflowing sewers and flood like situation, rendering the IDPs with no resolve but to move to other camps on high ground. Senior LTTE cadre netted in Negombo Negombo police yesterday arrested a senior member of the LTTE’s administrative unit who was in hiding in Negombo, police said.The suspect is alleged to be a senior member of the LTTE who worked on computer applications. He had served in the LTTE administrative unit known as Wanni Tech from 2002 to 2007, police added.The suspect had arrived in Negombo a year ago. He is a resident of Ganeshapuram, Kilinochchi.The suspect was arrested on a tip-off received by the Intelligence Unit of the Negombo Police on the instructions of Negombo SSP Ajith Wickremesekara. War between President and General escalates 10 October 2009 Ten TN MPs visiting Sri Lanka from Saturday A delegation of 10 parliamentarians, from Tamil Nadu, are arriving in Colombo on Saturday on a three-day visit to primarily visit the government-run camps for the internally displaced Tamils. The team comprises six MPs belonging to the southern Indian state’s ruling Dravida Menntra Kazhagam (DMK) party, three to the Congress Party, and one to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK). However, the Jayaram Jayalalithaa-led opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is boycotting the visit.The team includes DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi’s son M. K. Alagiri as well as daughter Ms Kanimozhi. The other DMK members are T. R. Baalu, T. K. S. Elangovan, A. K. S. Vijayan, and Ms Helen Davidson.The remaining four MPs are: J. M. Aaron Rashid, N. S. V. Chitthan, Dr E. M. Sudarsana Natchiappan (all Congress), and Thirumaa Valavan Thol (VCK). The MPs met Karunanidhi in Chennai today for a thorough briefing.The MPs are likely to visit camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) at Menik Farm. There is speculation here that the Sri Lankan government may arrange for the team to visit Trincomalee and Jaffna, and that it may meet President Mahinda Rajapakse.The visit is taking place in the wake of a demand that a delegation of Tamil Nadu MPs should go to Sri Lanka to assess the situation of the Tamils living in camps and the relief and rehabilitation works being provided by the government there.About 2,50,000 Tamils have been living in camps for IDPs since mid-May this year, when the Sri Lankan security forces defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and killed Velupillai Prabhakaran. The LTTE was forcibly holding them as human shields to protect its own fighters from Sri Lankan armed forces. SPC polls today Rasika Somarathna, Dharma Sri Abeyratne and Jayasiri Peduruarachchi, Gandara Group Correspondent The people of South will vote today to elect 55 members (including two bonus seats) to their Provincial Council. Authorities said polling will take place from 7 am to 4 pm at 1,485 stations, spanning Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts. A total of 1,761,859 voters are eligible to vote with 1,091 candidates from 52 political parties and Independent groups seeking their consent to get elected to the PC. The Election Secretariat has deployed more than 23,000 officers for duty. Police also have made elaborate arrangements to ensure security and a free and fair poll. Most schools in the area would be used as polling centres and all National and Provincial Council schools were closed yesterday. They would reopen on Monday after the elections, according to education authorities. Meanwhile, all major political parties and independent groups concluded their election campaigns for the Southern Provincial Council Elections on October 7. The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) held its final election campaign rally at the Muwanpelassa grounds in Suriyawewa under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s patronage. The United National Party (UNP) concluded its campaign with a series of public interactive meetings in Galle on the same day. The People’s Liberation Front (JVP) held their last public rally at Tissamaharama town in Hambantota. Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said only voters, polling station staff, general secretaries of political parties, leaders of independent groups, candidates, police officers who are on duty and others who obtain permission from the Returning Officers will be allowed to enter the polling stations. Election authorities said a proof of identity termed as valid by them was imperative to be eligible to receive a ballot paper. The postal voting for today’s Southern Provincial Council elections was held on September 29 and 30 and a number of 31,158 workers had requested for postal voting from the three districts. Votes are to be counted in 153 centres in Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts. Apart from this, 15 more centres will be established to count postal votes. The Southern PC elections campaigns commenced with the dissolution of the Council on August 3, 2009. Nominations were submitted during August 21 to 28 as per the provisions of the Gazette notification. US urges for political reconciliation in Sri Lanka The United States has stressed that, to achieve lasting peace in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan government must promote peace and political reconciliation with all parties not only inside the country, but also with the Tamils outside Sri Lanka. In a meeting with 16 Sri Lankan-American community representatives yesterday at the State Department, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake underscored the importance of political reconciliation among the communities and suggested exploring new mechanisms for devolving power. Blake, former US ambassador to Sri Lanka met with the representatives of U.S.-based Sri Lankan-American cultural and media organizations to discuss the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka and prospects for political reconciliation, a press release issued by the State Department said. Welcoming the opportunity to listen to the concerns and perspectives of Sri Lankan-Americans, Assistant Secretary Blake has informed the steps the United States is taking to help address the humanitarian crisis and to promote the urgent need for national reconciliation. While acknowledging that the Government of Sri Lanka has made some progress easing camp congestion, registering IDPs, and expanding access by humanitarian organizations, Assistant Secretary has said that much remains to be done and stressed the need to allow freedom of movement for IDPs.Blake also said the Sri Lankan government must seek to improve human rights and accountability. According to Blake, the United States has provided over $56 million in humanitarian assistance in 2009, including $6.6 million in demining assistance. Encouraging the participants continue the dialogue with him, Blake advised the Sri Lankan Americans to channel their resources and expertise toward supporting national reconciliation and the reconstruction of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan visit will not be a guided tour- Karunanidhi’s daughter MR contemplates gen. election first to change Constitution President Mahinda Rajapaksa has, The Island learns, told a group of his confidants that he intends to hold, after bagging the Southern Provincial Council at today’s polls, a general election, where he will seek a two-third majority to change the Constitution. "I have two more years left in office and I can either complete the full term or cut it short and return to Parliament," sources quoted President Rajapaksa as telling his close allies on Thursday. Earlier, the government had decided to go for a presidential election after the SPC polls and to hold a general election subsequently. The Opposition is in the process of forming an alliance to face a presidential election expected early next year. Sources said all those present at the meeting had subscribed to the President’s idea and it had been decided to consult other high-ranking party leaders on the matter. Voter turnout records slight increase by noon– PAFFREL British Parliamentarians to address UK Sri Lankans British Parliamentarians will address Sri Lankan Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher communities at a musical and cultural show to unite all Sri Lankans to be held on October 10 at Feltham Assembley Hall, Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 9DN at 6pm, organised by Janahanda Foundation in United Kingdom. Speeches will be delivered by Special Envoy to Sri Lanka Des Browne, Hounslow MP Alan Keen, Southall MP Virendra Sharma and Mayor of Hounslow Paul Lynch. Entertainment will include traditional Sri Lankan dances, the release of white pigeons to symbolise peace in Sri Lanka and performances by popular Sri Lankan vocal artists. Music by the UK's premier Sri Lankan band, Sky High. LTTE spy arrested Police yesterday arrested a former driver of the ICRC, at the Katunayaka International Airport, when he was getting ready to leave the country.Police said that on information elicited from an LTTE cadre now under arrest, the suspect was arrested after investigations. He is said to be a resident of Puthukudiiruppu and had leaked vital information to the LTTE while he was stationed at Mannar. Sri Lanka military budget raised Kilinochchi, in Northern Sri Lanka to benefit from a Vocational Training Centre The Government has initiated actions to establish a full-fledged Vocational Training Centre in Kilinochchi. The project is expected to be launched in two years at a cost of Rs.85 million, Vocational Training Authority said. The aim of the project is to integrate the young people affected by the war, into the workforce of the country. The Vocational Training Center, in addition to its offering of job oriented courses, will promote career guidance, counseling, and propagation of IT skills for the rural community through the institute. Twelve courses including, Carpentry, Computer Application, and other courses related to new technology are expected to be conducted. In addition, a special English language course will be conducted for skills development, sources added. Hunger striker's £7m Big Mac: Tamil who cost London a fortune in policing was sneaking in fast-food-Source London Daily Mail He was the hunger striker at the centre of one of the longest-running demonstrations ever mounted in Britain. For weeks Parameswaran Subramaniyan lay in a tent outside the Houses of Parliament as Tamils protested about the plight of relatives under attack in Sri Lanka. At one stage, his supporters claimed he was 'critically weak' The protest finally ended in June, but two revelations put it back in the spotlight yesterday. First, police said it had left them with a £7.1million overtime bill. Then it emerged that Mr Subramaniyan, 28, had eased his ordeal by secretly eating McDonald's burgers. Scotland Yard surveillance teams using specialist monitoring equipment had watched in disbelief as he tucked into the clandestine deliveries. A police insider said: 'In view of the overtime bill, this has got to be most expensive Big Mac ever.' Scotland Yard made no official comment but senior sources said police decided against dragging the bogus hunger striker out of his tent for fear it would start a riot. One source said: 'This was such a sensitive operation that it was felt officers could inflame the situation if we brought the hunger strike and demonstration to a premature end. This is a further example of the complexities of policing London today.' The Yard figures revealed that officers pocketed nearly five times more overtime on the Tamil demonstration - which at times brought Westminster traffic to a standstill - than they did for the G20 summit of world leaders in the capital in early April. The overtime bill for policing the Tamils was nearly as much as the one for foiling the country's biggest-ever terrorist plot, to blow up several trans-Atlantic flights in 2006, which added up to £7.3million. The police response to the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London in 2005 resulted in overtime payments of £21.7million. Yard insiders believe the huge amount of resources diverted to the 72-day Tamil demonstrations contributed to a 9 per cent increase in burglary across London in the past six months. Police mounted a 24-hour presence in Parliament Square from April 6 to June 17. Several hundred protesters were at the site every day with the numbers swelling to thousands each time there were fresh reports of civilian deaths during the Sri Lankan government's offensive to end its 25-year civil war against the separatist Tamil Tigers. Protesters were calling on Britain to stop Sri Lanka shelling the last rebel-held enclave, where thousands of civilians were trapped. Details of the over-time bonanza were revealed in a paper submitted to the Metropolitan Police Authority, which oversees the running of Britain's biggest force. Tim Hollis, a vice president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said in the MPA paper: 'Overtime figures reflect the realities of modern policing, including its unpredictability.It must be remembered that overtime generally reflects a cost effective and flexible way of meeting additional demands. 'It must, however, be always carefully monitored, calculated and authorised.' The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: 'The policing operation for the demonstration within Parliament Square also catered for a number of associated events and protest sites. 'This included an increase in resources for Prime Minister's Questions, the London Marathon, a march in support of the Tamil community totalling 110,000 people-and protests at the Indian and Sri Lankan High Commissions. 'A total of 29,838 officers worked during this 72-day period. 'Levels of officers deployed varied based on what police were dealing with. 'The peak for the static protest in Parliament Square reached 5,000. A march on April 11 was attended by in the region of 100,000 people.' Around 80 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations. Earlier this year it emerged that one unidentified constable in the Met was paid more than £100,000 after doubling his salary with overtime-The force declined to identify where the officer worked, but those involved in royalty and diplomatic protection overseas are traditionally among the top earners. Official figures also showed that Met officers earned the most in overtime of any force. There were 2,296 PCs taking home between £50,000 and £60,000 a year; 339 collecting more than £60,000; 53 on £70,000 or more and 12 over £80,000 - at least £38,000 more than their basic salaries.More than 12,000 PCs in 35 of the 51 forces in England, Scotland and Wales claimed over £6,000 each in overtime last year - a rise of 20 per cent on their salaries. 08 October 2009 West finally gets tough over Sri Lankan camps Western governments have finally discovered what remains of their backbone over Sri Lanka. Britain told the Sri Lankan Government today that it would no longer fund routine services inside the camps where more than a quarter of a million ethnic Tamils have been detained since the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in May. Mike Foster, the Minister for International Development, who is visiting Sri Lanka, said that many other donor nations were taking a similar stand to put pressure on the Government to release the inmates before the imminent monsoon rains, which could cause a massive outbreak of disease in the overcrowded conditions. Sri Lanka will be angry and will not agree to Mr Foster’s call for all 260,000 of those being held to be freed immediately. But by taking a public stand — apparently in co-ordination with other donor nations — Britain has at last made it clear that there will be real consequences for Sri Lanka if it breaks its promise to free 80 per cent of detainees by the end of the year. After all, foreign donors have already provided $195 million of aid for the displaced, almost all of which has been channelled into the camps, and Sri Lanka needs $225 million more — a bill it cannot afford to foot on its own. This has always been one of the few effective tools that Western countries could use to influence the Government’s conduct in the latter stages of the war and its aftermath. The question that needs to be asked — if only to avoid crises such as this one — is why it took so long to use it. Ever since Sri Lanka announced plans to open the camps in February, it was clear that they were going to be controversial, possibly illegal. Officials admitted that they would be surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by the Army and that detainees would not be allowed to leave until they had been “screened” to check that they were not Tigers. Tamil MPs and activists denounced them as “concentration camps”. At the time, the Department for International Development(DfID) in Britain told The Times: “Prolonging the displacement of this vulnerable group of people is not in anyone’s interests. There is no UK government money going into the camps.” However, once the flood of refugees from the front line began, Sri Lankan authorities channelled all foreign humanitarian into inside the camps, which it calls “welfare villages”. That presented donors with a Catch-22: either they became complicit in the forced internment of a quarter of a million civilians, or they failed to provide them with any humanitarian assistance. The Sri Lankan Government correctly calculated that this would be especially tricky for Britain, which has a large ethnic Tamil population and faced enormous public pressure to help the Tamil victims of the war. Not surprisingly, Britain capitulated and started to provide millions of pounds in funding for the camps through the UN and non-governmental organisations. For much of this year donors have therefore been using taxpayers’ money to fund equipment and services in camps that human rights groups say are an illegal form of collective punishment. An initial flurry of protests quickly faded away: there was hardly any international outcry when Sri Lankan troops opened fire on inmates last month, injuring at least three. Even today, DfID refuses to use the terms “internment camp” or “detention camp”. It calls them “camps where civilians are detained”. What has prompted it to take a stand now is not the legal or moral argument against the camps, but the risk of being complicit in more suffering if the monsoon does indeed cause flooding and disease. There is still a risk that Sri Lanka ignores the donors, keeps the camps open in far worse conditions and blames the international community for the consequent suffering. But by calling its bluff donors can belatedly demonstrate what should have been clear from the start: that the Sri Lankan Government alone is ultimately responsible for the welfare of all its citizens, be they Sinhalese or Tamil. Sri Lanka Minus GSP+ –Col R Hariharan If the EU goes by the adverse report Sri Lanka on its conformity with EU norms, the country is unlikely to get the extension of GSP+ tariff concessions for a further period from 2009 to 11. The EU report had condemned Sri Lanka armed forces for “perverting the evidence and silencing witnesses, rather than conducting any real investigations” on human rights issues. Unless there is some political horsetrading the chances of its extension appear bleak. If that happens, it would be a very big blow to Sri Lanka which is in an economic logjam after the war, as its exports particularly apparels, destined for EU markets would be priced out. To avoid this, Sri Lankan government’s foreign and commerce ministers were in a last minute scramble to persuade the EU to extend concessions up to 2011.The concession under which Sri Lanka (among 16 other countries) enjoys duty free export of 7500 items to EU was extended after the tsunami hit the country in 2005. It had expired early this year; however the EU had given one year grace period for Sri Lanka to meet the basic norms set by EU. The EU norms require the beneficiary to effectively implement 27 specified international conventions in the fields of human rights, good governance, labour standards, and sustainable development. The issue had been in media focus for sometime now; as it is not all about export business but also showcasing how Sri Lanka responds to international concerns. The EU had drawn the attention to Sri Lanka’s poor record on adherence to GSP norms, well before the concession was set to expire. However, Sri Lanka, presumably in the euphoria of waging a winning war, appeared confident of handling the issue politically. But when that failed, Sri Lanka appears to consider the report an affront to its dignity rather than tackling the issues raised in it. Sri Lanka has shown the same hypersensitivity in handling a number of other issues and accusations raised by all and sundry. The slanging match it entered with the British TV Channel 4 which showed a video of alleged Sri Lankan army execution of Tamil militants in custody was typical. The government condemned it as a part of pro-LTTE smear campaign unwittingly achieving the propaganda the pro-LTTE segments wanted to gain from the show. Worse than all this was the raising of the sordid Monica Lewinsky episode by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka while taking the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to task for including Sri Lanka among countries where women were raped during war. It was absolutely unwarranted and in bad taste. Is it going to help Sri Lanka in any way on any issue? No way; it is probably going to make things a little more difficult for Sri Lanka in dealing with the US.It is clear that the issue of EU's extension of GSP+ has now acquired a symbolic connection to condoning of Sri Lanka’s violation of governance and human rights norms. EU cannot ignore the strong public opinion gathering momentum against Sri Lanka’s overall conduct on human rights and humanitarian issues particularly on the resettlement of 250,000 people held in camps against their will for the past five months or so. Sri Lanka has no choice but to address all the connected issues. Its knee jerk action to ease international pressure as it builds up is not enough. So when it says the screening of approximately 160,000 persons had been completed and would reduce the number of camp inmates to 100,000 by October it has to demonstrate it. It has to come out with a list of LTTE cadres and camp followers in custody so that there is a record of who is where lest further accusations of executions in custody pile up. These are basic norms of good governance and Sri Lanka is expected to adhere to them. These issues are gathering adverse international momentum and nothing convinces international community as visible results. The US is in consultation with India on this subject as is evident from the recent meeting of the U.S. Ambassador to India Tim Roemer with Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to discuss the IDP situation. The ambassador’s statement after the meeting that the US had invested “close to USD 80 million in 2008 and 2009 to make sure that the process continued in a quick, expeditious humane and just fashion,” is significant. The Government of India is also coming under increasing pressure to act from Tamil Nadu in this regard and time is running out for Sri Lanka to respond positively. Indian Parliament Members group visit Sri Lanka to observe displaced persons Information reveals to observe the Sri Lankan displaced persons, Indian parliament members group is proposed to visit Sri Lanka. Important parliament members from the Indian Central government will accompany in the journey, and the journey is proposed to take place at the end of this month. the visit would be based to find the Tamil peoples situations in the internment camps located in North, was according to information The said Indian representative group would visit Vavuniya Menikfarm including many displaced camps. Tamilnadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi had appealed the Central government to send a parliament group to observe the displaced people. In regard to this visit, the Sri Lanka government did not reveal its opinion. What’s behind the decision not to present a budget this year! The cabinet has decided not to present a budget for 2010 said Minister of State Revenue and Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya speaking to the media on Tuesday (6th) night. The budget will be presented after the general elections due in April and permission for the spending for the first four months of 2010 will be sought from parliament through a 'vote-on-account' said Minister Siyambalapitiya.As a reason for going against the tradition of presenting a budget in November the government states a new government would be formed after the elections in April and presenting a budget for the whole year before that, without leaving it to a new government, would not be ethical. However, this argument is not sound as budgets have been presented in all the years elections had been held. Also, the government brags that it would receive a sweeping victory at the next election so that the same government would be in office next time as well. Hence, the statement that a new budget would be presented by a new government contradicts with the statement that the next government would definitely be a government by the UPFA. There is no other serious reason to avoid the budget. The government income in 2008 is Rs.89,000 less than the estimated amount. The income expected by the 2008 budget was Rs.794,000 million. However, only Rs.663,000 million could be earned. The situation in 2009 is more critical. The income in 2009 could be less than the estimated income as well as the income in 2008. According to the report released by Ministry of Finance regarding mid year financial situation in the country, the income during the first five months of the year was 6.7% less than the same period in the previous year. The income other than from taxes has been reduced by 27.9%. Hence, the government is confronted with losing its income. Also, the government is confronted with the issue of rising expenditure. According to the report mentioned above while the government income reduced by 10% in the first 4 months in 2009 the expenditure rose by 28% resulting in the budget deficit going up. The deficit during the first 7 months of the year was Rs.300,000 million which is 10.3% of the GNP. However, in the last budget the government expected to reduce this to 8%. According to the conditions signed with the IMF to obtain a loan the government has promised to reduce this to 5%. However, this would not be achieved now. As a result the government is confronted with a precarious situation. Either it should present a budget with a wide deficit which would jeopardize the promised loan from the IMF or it should present a budget that would cut down on all subsidies and relief to masses. However, this would have a very unhealthy affect on the general election and the presidential election. The government earlier was prepared to present such a budget. A circular called ‘national budget circular 143’ was sent to all state institutions on 10th July, 2009. The institutions had been given the following instructions regarding preparing the budget. Sri Lankan intelligence hunts for key LTTE arms dealers Government Ministers participated in “Pongu Thamil” programmes organized in World countries. It was informed at the Colombo Magistrate courts, that Government Ministers participated in the “Pongu Thamil” programmes organized in world countries in the past period. But the government did not initiate any investigations towards these Ministers. A Case was filed against two Tamil National Alliance Parliament Members for their participation to the “Pongu Thamil” programme which was held in the year 2006 at Germany. While this petition was taken for investigation, the lawyer contested on behalf of the respondents Thavaraja informed this. He pointed out if any functioning against the political constitution, the High Magistrate Court has the powers to investigate against such complaints. But only the parliament members of TNA are penalized but Cabinet Ministers who had participated in the “Pongu Thamil” programmes had been waived off, by not taking any action, which cannot be accepted was stated by lawyer Thavaraja. The inquiry towards this petition was postponed to forthcoming 3rd. Several issues behind news regarding Gen. Fonseka’s appointment to Sports Ministry source:lankatruth An SMS message was going round today evening that Gen. Sarath Fonseka had been appointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Sports. However, the Ministry of Sports or Gen. Sarath Fonseka did not issue any official announcement regarding this message. Unconfirmed reports stated that Gen. Sarath Fonseka rejected such an appointment. Our attempts to get Gen. Fonseka connected to find out regarding the information was not successful. Next we inquired from Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge regarding the reports. At the time we inquired from the minister he was not aware of any such move. The Minister told ‘Lankatruth’ that he was not aware of any such move and would be able to give a definite answer tomorrow morning.If the appointment had taken place, it had taken place without the sanction of the minister. However, we have not been able to get any response from other responsible parties. Await for more details…. US Army raped a large number of women during Vietnam war, says Sri Lankan Minister Udaya Prabath Gammanpila, a federal Minister of Sri Lanka government, accused that the US Army raped a large number of women during Vietnam war. He recalled that rape took place right inside the White House as Bill Clinton, the husband of US State Secretary Hilary Clinton was the President. Western Provincial Council Minister Udaya Prabath Gammanpila made these comments to state-owned Dinamina Sinhala daily participating a petition campaign against US in Colombo. His party, National Heritage Party (JHU), a coalition member of the Sri Lanka government, is collecting a million of signatures for a petition to be handed over to the UN General Secretary denying a recent statement of US State Secretary Hilary Clinton. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, addressing the UN Security Council, on September 30, noted that rape has been used as a weapon of war in the Balkans, Burma, Sri Lanka and elsewhere and that in too many countries and in too many cases, the perpetrators of this violence are not punished, and so this impunity encourages further attacks. Sri Lanka government member of parliament, Athuraliye Rathana Thero, a member of the JHU, said that Sri Lanka is considering Clinton's statement as government policy and not as one made in her individual capacity. U.S. officials called for a possible war crimes investigation for the last leg of the government's military operation to crush the decades long fight of the minority Tamils for an independent state in the northern and eastern parts of the island. India to provide free artificial limbs in Jaffna The Government of India will distribute artificial limbs at a month-long free medical camp in Jaffna in December. As a pilot project, 600 people who lost their limbs in mine blasts and other war-related incidents will be given artificial limbs at a cost of Indian Rs 15 lakh. Jaipur-based Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) will provide the limbs at an average cost of Rs 2,000. "As we are driven by donations, we are able to keep the cost low,'' said Dr D R Mehta, BMVSS founder and former chairman of SEBI. A 15-member medical team would stay at the camp for a month and manufacture artificial limbs after taking measurements of the beneficiaries. "We have an advanced technology in manufacturing artificial limbs and we can make them within a day. Unlike earlier artificial limbs, which are heavy, the latest ones are much lighter. We are planning to conduct similar camps in Iraq, Turkey, Palestine and the UAE next year,'' Mr. Mehta said. The process began last month when the Ministry of External Affairs gave its approval for the project. An assessment was made as to how many people urgently need artificial limbs in the Jaffna peninsula. 600 persons were identified as beneficiaries for the pilot project. 07 October 2009 Britain tells Sri Lanka to free Tamil prisoners before disease kills them Britain urged Sri Lanka yesterday to free 250,000 Tamils detained in camps since the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in May, warning that an outbreak of disease triggered by imminent monsoon rains could claim dozens of lives. Mike Foster, the Minister for International Development who is visiting Sri Lanka, also said that Britain would no longer provide any funding for the controversial barbed wire enclosures once the monsoon was over in two months. He added that many other donor countries were taking a similar position to put pressure on the Government to release the 250,000 Tamils who were detained after fleeing the frontline in the last stages of the 26-year-civil war. “There’s a pressing need, with the monsoon impending, to get civilians out of the camps,” Mr Foster told The Times after visiting two of the camps before meetings with Sri Lankan officials in Colombo yesterday. He said the monsoon, which is due to start this month, was almost certain to destroy tents already fraying after six months’ use, and to overload the camps’ rudimentary sewage systems, causing a flood of raw human waste. “Disease, if it takes hold, is going to spread rapidly. Without doubt there will a loss of life,” he said. “Given that there are 250,000 people living so close together, I’d hazard a guess that it’s going to be more than dozens.” Sri Lanka’s Government calls the camps “welfare villages” and says it cannot free the inmates until it has screened them all to check for Tigers, and cleared their villages of mines and other unexploded ordnance. It has repeatedly promised to release 80 per cent of them by the end of the year, and says it has already resettled more than 20,000 so far — although many have been moved to transit camps in their home areas. But Mr Foster said that progress on resettlement had been “disappointing”, that the majority of those in the camps had already been screened, and that moving them to other closed sites was “unacceptable”. “There really is no reason why they can’t return. If the gates are opened up, they can be the judge of whether it’s safe or not to go home,” he said. “That should be a choice for them.” He said that Britain had donated £12.5 million in humanitarian aid since September 2008, much of which had gone towards helping people in the camps. He said another £4.8 million was earmarked for Sri Lanka, and had yet to be spent. But Mr Foster said that the British Government would rather spend it on resettling the displaced and would not provide any more funding for the camps unless there was a severe humanitarian emergency during the monsoon. “Once the monsoons are gone, we’ll stop funding support inside the camps,” he said. “That’s increasingly going to be the attitude not just of us, but of other donors as well.” UK to cut Sri Lanka camp funding The UK says it will soon withdraw all but emergency funding for the camps where about 250,000 displaced Tamils are confined in northern Sri Lanka.The announcement came after the UK Development Minister Mike Foster visited the biggest camp at Menik Farm. He said 70% of people should be able to leave and stay with host families. Refugees say conditions are poor, with inadequate drinking water and drains, and illness due to the hot conditions. Many are pleading to be allowed home. Earlier, Sri Lanka's government said it was taking measures to ensure the camps could cope with the onset of monsoon rains. 'Send us home' Mr Foster said that once the imminent monsoon was over, the UK government would only fund life-saving emergency interventions in the camps. The minister described the sites as "closed" as their inhabitants cannot freely leave. Sri Lanka's government has said it is installing adequate drainage to ward off any flooding. But the UK, the UN and others disagree. Visiting Menik Farm, Mr Foster said he feared heavy rainfall might cause devastation and spread disease. He said some 70% of the camp-dwellers could leave and stay with host families. The BBC was able to meet refugees who clamoured to talk about their situation. One woman after another said the conditions were poor - that there was no good drinking water, that the drainage system could not cope, and that people were falling ill in the hot weather. "Please send us home as soon as possible," one said. Media access to the camps, and the north of the island in general, has become rare, but the army which is in overall charge of the refugee facility did not stop the BBC having brief but spontaneous meetings with people. The former military commander of the camp, now governor of the Northern Province, defended the slow progress of refugee releases, saying people could not just go back to areas from which landmines had not yet been cleared. The government says about 240,000 people remain in Menik Farm, and that more than 20,000 have been resettled or released. This figure also includes those who have died. Govt. plans on reverting to Westminster system Local Government and Provincial Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon told SLFP stalwarts at the New Dharshana Cinema Hall in Akuressa that a Bill would be presented for Parliamentary approval shortly to revert to the Westminster system of elections where each electorate will have a representative in Parliament.He said that under the present system of preferential voting, candidates contesting in a district would have to tour the entire district canvassing for votes and that has created a rift among candidates of the same political party.Citing Akuressa as an example, Tennekoon said though it was an electorate in the Matara District with the largest number of voters there was no member representing it in Parliament. This had resulted in no development work being carried out." People have to go to all MPs in the District to get some development work done in the electorate", the Minister said. Chief SLFP Organiser for Akuressa H. G. Sirisena, UPFA candidate for the SPC election Manoj Sirisena, Chief Minister North Western Province Athula Wijesinghe, Chairman Akuressa PS Munidasa Gamage, and Chairman Athureliya PS Nihal de Silva addressed the gathering. Suspects trying to help LTTE cadres escape nabbed Top military delegation from Iran for talks Indonesia and Sri Lanka discuss military cooperation Jayalalitha against Indian citizenship for Lankan refugees Tamil Nadu opposition leader J. Jayalalitha yesterday denounced the ruling DMK’s demand that Sri Lankan refugees in India should be given Indian citizenship.The former chief minister said that the demand by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had “trivialised the protracted struggle of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka”.“After having been a party to snuffing out the Tamil fight for self-determination, Karunanidhi is now trying to shed crocodile tears for the displaced Tamils,” she said in a statement. Jayalalitha wondered what the central government would do regarding similar claims for Indian citizenship by refugees from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Tibet if the Sri Lankan Tamils were given the concession.“Karunanidhi has been around in politics long enough to know all this. He knows that the centre will not be able to accede to his demand. Yet he has got his son to raise this issue and he has himself described the demand as extremely significant,” she said.According to Jayalalitha, any displaced community living as refugees in another country would prefer to be rehabilitated in their own land. “The three decades of war in Sri Lanka was for the Tamils’ right to self-determination in their own homeland,” she pointed out.Thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils live in Tamil Nadu, on their own and in government camps. All of them fled their country to escape the war between the Tamil Tigers and the military that ended in May. A Thailand woman was raped by a soldier An accusation was against a Sri Lankan soldier and another person, for raped a Thailand woman who was working for a International Garment Factory zone located at Warakapola, in the Kegalle District of Sri Lanka. This incident had happened at Thulgiriya, the official residence of the Thailand woman on last Thursday. The accused Military soldier is still functioning at the Anuradhapura, but the affected woman had left the country last Sunday. In the meantime about 25 thousand soldiers’, who were escaped from the war, were discharged from government duties. A soldier working at Mineriya was arrested for the involvement of a van bomb blast held in Kurunagala last week. 11 year old girl was the victim in the tragedy was according to information. Clinton has forgotten the Monica episode- PM Wickramanayaka 06 October 2009 S Lanka pledge on refugee camps The Sri Lankan government says it is taking measures to ensure that the camps housing refugees will cope with the onset of monsoon rains.UN agencies have expressed concern that the camps will flood, and the thousands of people in them will have no access to clean water. In August, sudden storms flooded many of the vast camps, submerging toilets and contaminating water. Thousands of makeshift homes were also damaged in the rainfall. Now the Sri Lankan government says it is rapidly installing drainage systems in the camps ahead of the monsoon. About 10% of refugees have been allowed to leave, and the government says it intends to resettle most of the others by the end of this year. The government is still coming under domestic and international pressure over the huge closed camps in Vavuniya district, which Tamil war refugees cannot freely leave. 'Serious threat' Last week a top UN expert on refugee affairs, Walter Kaelin, visited them and expressed many concerns, saying for instance that low areas are likely to flood in the imminent monsoon causing "serious threats to health and life". Sri Lanka's human rights minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe, said drainage culverts and pipe systems were being rapidly put in place with some UN help. But the UN, and the Sri Lankan opposition, would much prefer the refugees to be let out of the camps more quickly, rather than being kept inside even with improved drainage systems. A prominent Tamil politician, Mano Ganesan, told the BBC he was worried that the camps were being made permanent or semi-permanent. The government has said it is taking very seriously an incident nine days ago in which soldiers guarding the camps fired, injuring at least two people who were trying to move from one camp zone to another. A senior official said such movements were now allowed but it seemed that in this instance some soldiers felt they were being threatened. A written report of inquiry was under way and some refugees and two soldiers had appeared in court and been granted bail. Australian gov't rejects claims Tamil Tigers among illegal arrivals reveal secret talks with LTTE - Ranil tells govt. Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe alleged that senior LTTE leaders such as Daya Master and George Master were spared because they had threatened to reveal the truth about a secret meeting between the government and the LTTE in the Wanni. Mr. Wickremesinghe made these allegations at a Deniyaya election rally where he urged the government to reveal details of these talks held in the Wanni between the LTTE and the Presidential Secretary. He said that based on Daya Master’s threat the former Attorney General had claimed that the two suspects were not a threat to the nation. Mr. Wickremesinghe who reiterated that Sri Lanka could not be hauled before the International Criminal Court as the country was not a signatory said during his tenure as Prime Minister in 2002, he had refused calls by many countries to be a party to the agreement. “I have thus been able to safeguard our brave soldiers by my foresight,” he said. But Mr. Wickremesinghe said the United States was in a position to haul its citizens before the International Criminal Court on war crime charges. He accused government politicians of disgracefully attempting to take the full credit for the military successes against terrorism. “They have ignored the brave lads from villages who made great sacrifices to defeat LTTE terrorism,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said He charged that government politicians had forgotten the difference between state property and private property. “They are even treating state institutions as their own property as power as corrupted them,” he said. Mr. Wickremesinghe alleged that the government was trying to destroy some political parties in its greed for power. “Our party will always be present to play an active role in the politics of Sri Lanka even though some Paradeshiya Sabha members leave the party,” he said. Five hurt in LTTE final attack die Five young persons, including two women, from the North, who were undergoing treatment at the Colombo National Hospital for injuries sustained during the final war against the LTTE, succumbed to their injuries last week. The five persons were earlier transferred from hospitals in the North during the conflict. The deceased were identified as Kamaladasan (26), who was injured in a mortar attack, Sudakaran (15) who sustained cerebral injuries, Pulivani (20) and two other unidentified persons.The inquests were conducted on October 1 and 2 by both City Coroner Edward Ahangama and Additional Coroner Rumi Ashroff. A verdict of homicide was returned. Since no one claimed the bodies they were ordered to be buried at government expenditure. SRI LANKA ATTRACTS AMERICAN BUSINESS DELEGATION AFTER WAR An American business delegation with executives from top multinationals, including Fortune 500 firms, will visit Sri Lanka this month looking for investments following the end of the ethnic war. "This is perhaps the first large US Government business initiative since the end of the internal conflict in Sri Lanka," the American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham) in Colombo said in a statement. "As the economic and political environment becomes more conducive for foreign investment and growth, American companies have shown renewed interest in examining the emerging investment and business opportunities in Sri Lanka." Many of the American firms joining the delegation are Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, GE, DuPont, 3M, UPS and Kimberly-Clark. Other companies include Parsons Brinckerhoff, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Fiserv, Rockwell Automation, Western Union and Rashed Kanchan Corporation. They represent diverse business interests which include fast moving consumer goods, infrastructure, food and beverages, healthcare, plastics such as engineering polymers, the defence sector, home care products, and military and commercial helicopters. The visit of the business delegation, who are members of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce (APCAC) is supported by the US and Sri Lankan governments. During their October 12-14 visit the delegation will call on Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and senior ministers. "The discussion will centre around investment and business opportunities in Sri Lanka in the new business environment in the post-conflict Sri Lanka," the AmCham statement said. "Some of the sectors, which will receive special attention during our dialogue, are infrastructure, healthcare, information technology, agriculture and food processing and financial services." Sri Lanka's 30-year war ended in May when government forces defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels, raising hopes of an economic revival. The delegation's visit coincides with the US-Sri Lanka Public-Private Partnership Conference in Colombo on October 13, 2009. A 16-member APCAC-AMCHAM delegation is led by Atul Singh, Vice Chairman, South Asia of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce and chief executive of Coca-Cola India. Members of the delegation will discuss several business openings, investment opportunities and economic cooperation projects which Sri Lanka has to offer, the AmCham statement said. "The visit of this delegation will foster strong regional integration in South Asia and create synergies for greater regional cooperation." The Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce consists of 27 member AmChams in 21 economies. APCAC represents the growing interests of over 10,000 business entities and over 50,000 business executives in the region. The APCAC membership manages trade volumes in excess of US$400 billion and direct investments of over US$300 billion, the AmCham statement said. SP had hand in robbery, sale of vehicles to LTTE Investigations, into the robbery and sale of motor vehicles to the LTTE in the past, had revealed that a Superintendent of Police, now in custody for alleged links with the Tigers, has had a hand in the transactions.Police sources said that this had come to light when the CID interrogated a Reserve Sub Inspector of Police arrested recently in Badulla. He had been a close associate of the SP.Investigations also revealed the arrested Sub Inspector had passed confidential information to the LTTE intelligence unit and in exchange had obtained large sums of money.Another suspect from Badulla is also expected to be arrested in this connection, Police said. No need for Indian citizenship for refugees – Karuna A Sri Lankan government minister said that there was no need for the Indian Central government to grant citizenship to the approximately 200,000 Sri Lankan refugees living in camps in Tamil Nadu as the situation in Sri Lanka had now improved.Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, alias Karuna Amman, the former LTTE rebel turned Minister of National Integration, speaking on the issue, said that the situation in the country was now at a very good point, and that it would be better to recall the refugees to Sri Lanka instead.“The situation in our country is now very good, I think it is better for us to get the people back here,” the minister told Daily Mirror online.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi had sought Indian citizenship for the Tamil refugees in the country, and a proposal in this regard had been forwarded to the Indian Central Government for approval.The reaction in Indian political circles had been mostly against the move, with the likes of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that the Tamils historically belonged to Sri Lanka and should be resettled in the island. They also accused Karunanidhi of covertly attempting to aid the Sri Lankan government to keep driving the Tamils out of their land. Suicide kit found in toilet Sri Lankan Journal Claims Pottu Amman Committed Suicide A recent article published in the Sri Lankan journal 'The Nation' claims LTTE prominent general Pottu Amman committed suicide during the last days of the war. After the war between Liberation Tigers and Sri Lankan army came to an end, the body of LTTE Chief Prabhakaran was produced by the cadres but they were unable to show proof for killing its second rank leader Pottu Amman. Famed for his strategic planning and able command, Amman was considered a potential threat by the government.Months passed without further updates when this article claims in the war on May 17, Pottu Amman's son was killed in the artillery fire. Grieved with the loss, his wife tried to commit suicide but he offered to shoot her down which is a painless death. After giving orders to the generals, he shot himself to death and the body was destroyed in the heavy fire, says the magazine. Following their death, chief leaders of LTTE from the intelligence wing Rathnam Master, Dronar, Keerthi, Niroshan, Manimekalai, Anbu, Gnanavel and Muthuppan committed suicide. Local Government symposium in Jaffna The Northern Provincial Council has organized a symposium on local government on October 18 and 19 at the Jaffna Central College and at the Veerasingam hall with the support of the Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry and the Asia Foundation. The two-day program includes a Technical Session on Local Government, a Cultural Program and an exhibition and it will conclude with an awarding ceremony. Northern Province Governor Major General G.A.Chandrasiri said at the special press briefing held in Colombo. " The Symposium is aimed at giving a jump-start to the local government process by creating an awareness on the possibilities and potentials within the existing legal and policy framework. The advantages of already developed good practices elsewhere in the country will be brought in. The Pradeshiya Sabha Act No.17 of 1987, Local Government Commission report of 1999 and the Local Government policy of 2007 will form the basis for the entire theme of the symposium." He said further "The Northern Province which underwent an unprecedented setback during the last thirty years is now at a turning point facing massive changes in terms of socio economic development and governance." Local Government and Provincial Council Ministry Secretary Vijayaluxmy Ramesh said "there will be 750 people who will participate at the symposium and we invite people who represent other provincials also." Local Government Chairman Fransis Jhonson and several others participated to the press briefing. Sri Lanka and India Navy conduct Joint Naval Training Exercise 05 October 2009 US responds to Sri Lanka protest over Clinton remark The United States, responding to protests from Sri Lanka over remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said it had no recent evidence of women being raped while in Sri Lankan government custody.In a letter addressed to Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama, the State Department noted that the US government and international human rights groups over the years had detailed "numerous cases of rape and sexual violence in Sri Lanka, particularly acts committed against women held in detention by the government."However, the letter signed by Melanne Verveer, ambassador at large for global women's issues at the State Department said that "in the most recent phase of the conflict, from 2006 to 2009 ... we have not received reports that rape and sexual abuse were used as tools of war, as they clearly have in other conflict area around the world.""We hope that this clarification puts the issue in its proper context," the letter said, adding that Washington remains concerned about extrajudicial killings, disappearances and detainee abuse in Sri Lanka."Secretary Clinton believes that Sri Lanka must focus to the future and move forward on the promotion of peace and the protection of human rights," the letter said.Sri Lanka lodged its protest with the US embassy in Colombo over the remarks made by Clinton last month to the United Nations Security Council. "We've seen rape used as a tactic of war before in Bosnia, Burma and Sri Lanka and elsewhere," the US secretary of state had said during a resolution calling for an end to sexual violence in armed conflict, according to published reports of Clinton's remarks. Her comments sparked an outcry across Sri Lanka, where government forces in May crushed Tamil Tiger rebels after decades of fighting.Colombo faced condemnation for its handling of the final stages of the war against Tiger rebels and managed to stave off a Security Council resolution calling for war crimes investigations thanks to the vetoes of China and Russia.The United Nations has said that over 7,000 civilians perished in the first four months of intense fighting this year.Sri Lanka is now facing international pressure to free 250,000 ethnic Tamil civilians who managed to escape the fighting but are now held in internment camps while they are screened to see whether they were rebels. Dark clouds over IDP camps Political solution only after polls A political solution to the ethnic issue will not be found until a new parliament is convened after a likely general Election in March as the Mahinda Rajapaksa government expects a clear 2/3 majority to pass a new Constitution based on APRC proposals, APRC Chairman and Minister Tissa Vitarana said yesterday.The position so far maintained by the government was that President Rajapaksa will include a formula to settle the ethnic issue in his manifesto at the next Presidential Elections expected in January 2010.The Government is on record that the Presidential Elections will be held in January followed by the Parliamentary elections in March next year.“It is not correct to say that the government has neglected a political solution following the military victory over the LTTE in May. President Rajapaksa is under tremendous pressure locally and internationally including India to come up with a political solution. But it is a long process and cannot be done in a hurry. The APRC is aware of the weaknesses of the 13th Amendment and has incorporated proposals to mitigate them,” Prof. Vitarana stressed. Prof. Vitarana handed a ‘Summary’ of the recommendations of over three years of deliberations of the APRC over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in august 16.“We expect a feedback from President Rajapaksa for our next move. He will go through the summary report before giving instructions to the APRC on the next step,” Prof. Vitarana told the Daily Mirror. The summary report carries a new Constitution that recommends reverting to Westminster System, Pruning of Executive Presidential powers, a second chamber of Parliament, a national Land and Water Commission and the Village Committee system in its proposals.The APRC has attempted to give maximum power to the provinces pertaining to provincial issues and protect the rights of the provinces to formulate legislation for the exclusive use of their respective provinces without the interference of the center. The proposed second chamber that represents representatives from all 9 provinces will deal with it as the center will not be able to annul or withdraw devolved power without the approval of a joint session of the two chambers – the upper and lower houses - Prof. Vitarana stressed. Setting up of a Constitutional Court to deal with constitutional issues that are likely to crop up when the new Constitution is implemented is another important suggestion. The problems that have arisen in the past when trying to implement the 13th Amendment would not arise since there is a clear division of power between the center and the province in the proposed Constitution. By doing away with the concurrent list, the centre and the province can exercise the powers without interference by the other, Minister Vitarana stressed.It is expected that through a uniform system that benefits the people in all parts of the country, the grievances of the Tamil speaking people in particular would be addressed. Suitable changes will be made to ensure that the undue concentration of power which has been a feature of the Executive Presidential system will be suitably diluted, Prof. Vitarana emphasized.“The military victory over the LTTE under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has removed the biggest obstacle to resolve the national question,” Prof. Vitarana reminded. “The door is now open to collectively work out a political solution that is acceptable to a vast majority of our people. We do this in a sensible and in a cooperative manner to ensure the danger of separation is removed for ever and we could live together as one Sri Lankan people within an undivided country, Prof, Vitarana emphasized. “The representatives of 13 political parties including 11 constituent parties of the government - the SLMC and the Democratic Peoples’ Front - have discussed the contentious issues and had been able to come to an agreement on many. The APRC was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on July 20, 2006 and has held 178 sessions prior to coming to a consensus by 13 political parties. Resident status for SL Tamils under Centre’s consideration Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on granting permanent resident status to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu is under the Centre’s consideration, The Hindu quoted P. Chidambaram, Union Home Minister as saying on Saturday (October 4).The Hindu report said: Chidambaram, who called on the Chief Minister at his residence, was responding to a reporter’s query regarding the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s resolution adopted at the party conference last week in Kancheepuram that over one lakh of Tamil refugees living in different camps in Tamil Nadu be allowed to become permanent residents. [According to a senior official, the Chief Minister had written to Dr. Singh that the stay of the refugees be "legally regularised."] On the question of sending a delegation of Members of Parliament to Sri Lanka, Mr. Chidambaram replied that the idea was also being examined. The Union Minister said the issue of measures to be taken for the return of internally-displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka from camps to their homes came up at the meeting. Mr. Karunanidhi made certain suggestions. A decision on the next course of action would be taken after External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna discusses the matter with the Prime Minister. Mankulam to be re-modelled after New Delhi Mankulam, the principal town of the North and the second largest town in the Vavuniya District is to be re-modelled after New Delhi, India under a directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, senior official sources in the North told Daily News yesterday. The first round of talks among senior officials of the North was held last Friday with the participation of the Governor Northern Province G.A.Chandrasiri Local Government Ministry Secretary Casian Herath, District Secretary P.S.M.Charles and Senior Urban Development Authority officials about preparations to be made to start the project. This would be one of the major projects under the Uthuru Vasanthaya rehabilitation and development program of the North and would be personally looked into by Senior Presidential Advisor and Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa. The construction of roads, bridges and other infrastructure facilities are to be started soon and the new Mankulam town would have new roads and buildings, including a provincial council secretariat, courts complex, transport terminal including bus and railway stations, public and private hospital complexes, a regional sports complex, commercial and financial institutions adequate power and water supply. The blue prints of the new town were prepared by the UDA and local experts and engineers would be employed for executing the project, sources also said. Officials also said the Japanese Government would provide aid to build the new Mankulam town. Two soldiers shot dead, one injured by colleague Two soldiers were shot dead and one injured by a fellow soldier at the Parappakadaththan Army Additional Supportive Base on Friday, police media spokesman senior DIG Nimal Mediwake said.The suspect is yet to be arrested by the police. The Army is also probing the incident as it was reported inside the camp.The suspect had fled the camp after the shooting and according to police, the suspect is hiding in the Mannar district, DIG Mediwake said.The police have not uncovered the reason for the shootout. A special team has been deployed to arrest the suspect under the instructions of the Mannar DIG Jayantha Wickramasinghe. Mannar police are investigating the incident. BJP against citizenship for Lankan refugees Calling the DMK and Congress parties hand-in-glove against Lankan Tamils, the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party vice president H Raja called all efforts by the DMK to give citizenship rights for Lankan refugees, a means to sideline the actual Sri Lankan ethnic issue. “The Tamils historically belong to Sri Lanka and they should be rehabilitated properly in the island. Efforts to give them citizenship rights in India only reinforces Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s plan of ethnic cleansing of the island,” said Raja, at a press meet here on Sunday.He also said the committee was in favour of the rights given to all refugees in the country for Sri Lankan refugees as well. About 23 resolutions were made at the meeting, in which priority was ascertained to incursions in China and the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils. Accusing the DMK and the Congress-led UPA of being insincere to the Sri Lankan issue, Raja said the government’s inaction in rehabilitating Lankan Tamils in their homeland was due to Sonia Gandhi’s hatred towards Tamils. Accusing China of befriending other neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh to turn them against India, China’s close competitor, a resolution condemned the Central government’s silence towards China’s incursions claiming parts of Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as its own. Calling the Kalaignar Insurance Scheme a scam in the waiting, Raja said the scheme had many loopholes and would not help its intended beneficiaries as many government hospitals did not offer treatment for the illnesses and ailments the scheme was valid for. Speaking about the fire accident in Tiruvannamalai late last month, Raja claimed that there was information to suggest that it was explosives that were being manufactured in the building and not firecrackers, as it was portrayed later. The manufacturing unit worked with the support of a political bigwig in the State, he added. The council also passed resolutions supporting banning of alcohol and prohibition of religious conversions in the State. Reclaiming Kachatheevu from Sri Lanka, seeking trial for Quattrocchi for the Bofors case, condemning Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on interlinking of rivers, portrayal of Stalin as Lord Muruga by party workers in Karur, power shutdowns in the State and the draconian Agri Council Act were other resolutions passed. ‘Army Sgt. blasted school van to avenge wife’s affair with vehicle owner’s son’Police investigating Friday’s blast which targetted a school van at Kurunegala which claimed the life of a 12-year-old girl and wounded 11 have arrested an Army Sergeant who trigged the explosion. A senior police investigator told The Island that the suspect attached to a ground forces training facility at Minneriya had planted a bomb using C4 plastic explosives after he had found out that his wife was having an affair with the son of the owner of the vehicle. According to him, the suspect had a dispute with the vehicle owner over the illicit relationship. Under interrogation, the suspect had handed over 336 gms of C4 explosives, 5 rounds of 9 mm ammunition and 10 detonators to investigators. UNP, UPFA clash near house of President s sister in Deniyaya Several UNPers and government supporters were wounded in a clash in Deniyaya yesterday when several hundred UNP supporters converged near a house belonging to President Mahinda Rajapaksa s sister. The police said that Opposition activists triggered the clash. MPs Tissa Attanayake, Lakshman Kiriella and Ravi Karunanayake were among the group involved in the clash which also caused damage to several vehicles. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, MP yesterday told The Island that they had decided to visit the area following a spate of complaints that state machinery was being used to build what he called another palace for the Rajapaksas. He recalled that three journalists of the pro-JVP Lanka paper, too, had been harassed by the Deniyaya police while they were working on what he called a story on the latest palace. He said that Minister Dilan Perera had led the attack on the UNP, a charge vehemently denied by the minister. Perera told The Island that the UNP was simply trying to provoke incidents to grab media attention. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa accused the UNP of causing unnecessary trouble. `My sister is being targeted,` he said emphasising that the UNPers had clashed with villagers. People would not tolerate UNP tactics, he said. 02 October 2009 Rape was used as a weapon of war in Sri Lanka- Clinton A view framed by barbed wire KANCHANA asks to go by a false name, but seems self-assured for a teenager. And no wonder. Her experience of Sri Lanka’s civil war, which ended in May after a seaside slaughter of the leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and at least 8,000 people taken hostage by them, would put years on anyone.For five years she was marooned in the Tigers’ northern fief. Kanchana and her sister had left their village in Thampalagama, an area in the east more loosely controlled by the LTTE, for a holiday with a brother living there. But their travel passes were lost and without these the Tigers let no children of fighting age leave them. In 2007, as the army advanced, the Tigers recruited her brother and sister.The advancing troops reached Kanchana last April. All belonged to Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese majority. Yet they did not rape her as she had been led to expect. Instead they shared their thin rations with her. But then came three-and-half months interned in Vavuniya. Over 260,000 Tamil refugees were crammed into 16 camps there, with poor food, overflowing toilets and, last month, flooding in which at least five drowned. One sibling was imprisoned among 11,000 former Tiger cadres. The other is probably dead.A cousin of Kanchana’s, his wife and three children were killed, with about 20 others, when an army shell hit their makeshift bunker. That was the main cause of the civilian slaughter, though the Tigers also killed refugees, both in crossfire and deliberately, to stop them escaping. Her best friend, of the same age, and really called Kanchana, was killed after the LTTE gave her a gun and sent her to the front.Now back in her village in Thampalagama, the surviving “Kanchana” was among the first refugees to be released, in August. With them the truth of the bloody end to Sri Lanka’s 26-year war, which the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has tried to hide by bullying journalists and reporting “zero civilian casualties”, is coming out—at an awkward moment. The government faces human-rights probes from both America and the European Union. The EU’s, to inform a decision on whether to reissue a valuable trade concession to Sri Lanka, said human-rights violations made it ineligible.Kanchana and her local women friends could have added testimony. Sitting together in a small red-tiled shack, one says her 25-year-old son has disappeared, like hundreds of Tamil youths in the past three years. Only the word of a local Hindu astrologer gives hope he is alive. Another’s nephew was imprisoned and tortured for a month by pro-government thugs. He is now crippled. A third sent her 21-year-old son for his safety to Colombo. He has been in prison there for nearly two years without charge. Since the government ordered the International Committee of the Red Cross to quit eastern Sri Lanka in July, the women say they have had no one to petition for their sons. “Who will listen to our grief? Who will bring back our children?”Evidence of reconciliation between Tamils and the Sinhalese-dominated government, which the president has promised, is hard to find. The government is trying to recruit more Tamil policemen. But such measures look paltry against an internment policy that the EU’s report calls a “novel form of unacknowledged detention”. The government justifies it by citing two reasonable fears: that surviving Tigers will regroup, and that mined areas of the north are unsafe for locals to return to. Yet the government has made only creeping efforts to identify those it could safely release—perhaps a majority of those detained. Such failings suggest that it sees them all as potential enemies. Under pressure from Western governments, which pay for most of the camps’ food, Mr Rajapaksa promised that 70-80% would be freed by the year’s end. That was three months ago. Some 20,000 have since been let out, by the government’s perhaps ambitious estimate. Most were the old, the sick or pregnant women, or Hindu priests and stray easterners like Kanchana. Indeed, she was lucky: some who returned to the east later have been detained in ill-prepared schools and temples.Monsoon rains are expected this month to flood around 25% of Vavuniya’s main camps, so 100,000 of the 220,000 people there need shifting. The government says 67,000 can go to their home areas in the east and to other places outside the LTTE’s heartland, like Jaffna and Mannar—even if they may be redetained there. And it plans to release around 30,000 of the disabled, sick and pregnant and their dependants to host families. But there is no immediate prospect of returns to the Tigers’ strongholds of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Mr Rajapaksa’s target may therefore be unfeasible. With local and foreign aid groups already reluctant to support the new makeshift camps, arguments loom.Encouraged by the government, thousands of Sinhalese are meanwhile flocking to the east to reclaim land from which the LTTE chased them or their parents. This risks causing conflict with Tamils and Muslims now farming the land—and reinforces the Tamil belief that the government means to “Sinhalise” the north and east.In Irakandy, a short drive from Trincomalee, 1,050 Sinhalese, representing over 350 families, have gathered to reclaim land from which 80 families were driven in 1985. Many of those now living on it have documents supporting claims to have bought the leaseholds to the land. Yet the incomers, under army protection in a nearby community centre, are confident that their ancestral lands and more will be given to them. Priyantha Malvangoda, a well-dressed businessman from Colombo, says he and six siblings are all staking claims, his father having been driven from a nearby one-acre farm in 1985. “All of us need some land.”This is worrying. So long as Tamils feel abused by a racist Sinhalese state, the conflict may resume. Economic development of their shattered regions, which the government is planning, is unlikely to change that. Hence the government’s continued war-footing—but this is in turn also reinforcing Tamil grievances.Foreign criticism is not going to make the government change. It gets little bilateral support from Western countries, instead relying on those unfazed by its abuses, such as Iran, which last month renewed a four-month, interest-free oil credit. Indeed, criticism helps rally Sinhalese nationalists against the government’s new big foe, Western imperialists. On the EU trade privileges, a letter-writer to the Daily Mirror newspaper warns Western countries that they will suffer “just like in Iraq and Afghanistan” for offending Sri Lanka. Nor is Sri Lanka’s democracy likely to come to Tamils’ aid, despite general elections due by next May and a presidential poll expected shortly before it. Mr Rajapaksa has recently tried to mend fences with Tamil opposition politicians. But he looks poised for a thumping victory even without Tamil support. 01 October 2009 S.L. Govt. uses Israel to soften American pressure The report on Sri Lanka’s (SL) war that was to be forwarded to the US Congress has been postponed indefinitely . According to sources in America , this postponement is engendered by the need to garner more information in connection with the report . However , some sources say ,this is the result of a successful ‘Diplomatic operation’ of SL. It is Israel which is being employed to execute this operation . Israel is playing a major role in the operation to soften the American pressure. Use of Israel by the SL Govt. to ward off the pressures of America is not something new. According to knowledgeable sources , Israel helped SL to stave off the pressures brought to bear on SL by America to halt the war to protect the civil population during the final phase of the war. There existed a divergence between the American political and the Defence Division opinions regarding the SL war because of Israel’s ability to exert pressure over the American Defence division’s opinions , sources said. When the American political Division tried to stop the war in SL , the Defence Division of America followed a policy of assisting SL to fight the war yielding to the intervention of Israel, it is argued. The manner in which SL Govt. used America and Israel’s war weapons and equipment for the war was disclosed by an International website as follows : “ The real assets of the SLAF driving Eelam war 1V were the new Spy planes. Several Cessna 421 , Golden Eagle and two ‘Beechcraft’ super King crafts were bought from the United States for maritime and ground surveillance . Close ground surveillance was carried out by Israeli IAI searcher MK 11 and EMIT Blue Horizon 2 unmanned aerial vehicles …..” SL decided to seek Israel’s assistance somewhere in 2007. Even during that period,the SL Govt. apparently followed foreign policies which were favourable to anti -Israel States - Palestine and other Arab countries. SL’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa was also the former President of the SL –Palestine friendship campaign. He had consistently voiced his concern over the Palestine issue. He had campaigned for the Palestinians from as far back as 1970 -1977 when he was the youngest Parliamentary member in the United Front Govt. Even after his party was installed in power in 1994, he did not abandon this stance in respect of Palestine . When his party decided in the year 2000, to call back the Israel Embassy which was closed down during the tenure of office of the former President R. Premadasa, Mahinda Rajapaksa steadfastly raised objections to this at the Cabinet meeting. He also conducted a vigorous media campaign against this decision publicly. Yet , the Govt. went ahead and got down Israel again to SL as it needed assistance in regard to the war. Many thought that after Mahinda Rajapaksa becoming President he would close down the Israel Embassy and send them packing. But that did not materialize. In 2006, when the resolution in favour of Palestine was presented before the UN general assembly , SL walked out and abstained from voting . Many began questioning whether President Rajapaksa changed his stance regarding Palestine ? Sources close to the President reported that this action was taken by the then Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera independently without consulting the President. Later , the President has accused Samaraweera for this. Mangala on the other hand had declared that he took this step because the country needed American assistance for the war. Subsequently , when Mangala was dismissed from his portfolio in 2007 , one of the reasons cited by Mahinda for the dismissal was his abstaining from voting and walking out when the Palestine resolution was taken up ,which had therefore damaged the image of the President he has built with the Arab countries. Mahinda Rajapaksa, since his becoming the President has been cultivating and maintaining cordial relations with Iran and the Arab countries..Hence, his action of dispatching the Prime Minister to Israel in March 2008 sprung a surprise among all. Following the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake’s meeting with the Israel P.M. Ehud Olmert , the latter’s office issued a communiqué which stated thus …. “Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told SL Prime Minister , do not give into terrorism because it will only bring destruction to your country . Terrorism must be fought , one must not capitulate to it ……”. Similarly, the whole world must be alerted and awakened against Iran’s nuclear power , the Israel Prime Minister has insisted. It is evident , the SL Govt. while maintaining ties with Iran has obtained support of Israel. In the wake of SL Prime Minister’s tour of Israel , the ‘Sunday Leader’ reported , as Iran’s intelligence service is training SL ‘s intelligence service , Israel has declined to supply arms to SL. This is a consequence of the fear Israel entertained that the information regarding its weapons could leak to Iran through SL , the report added. It is clear however SL used Israel not only to purchase arms , but also to subdue the antagonism of the Obama administration towards the war.Even today , it is the view of some that SL is enlisting the assistance of Israel to ward off America’s attempts to level war crime charges SL . They also claim that SL ‘s ties with Israel currently , is stronger than those with Arab countries. Foreign media have reported that expulsion of former SL Ambassador in Geneva, Dayan Jayatileke was at the instigation of Israel which had applied pressure on SL Govt. to dismiss him because he roundly condemned Israel’s attacks on the Gaza strip at the UN human rights Commission, and was very critical of the Israel Army. The foreign media even went further to add that Israel has strongly protested to the SL Govt. against Dayan’s speech . The Govt. which earlier removed its Foreign Minister from his Ministerial portfolio for walking out and abstaining from voting in favour of the resolution brought forth in favour of Palestine, in order to continue its cordial and friendly relations with Palestine , now deemed it right to expel the SL Ambassador who condemned Israel at the UN human rights Commission, in order for the Govt. to continue its friendly relations with Israel , thus demonstrating to the World , all what matters in its Diplomacy is sheer expediency and nothing else. Jaffna Municipality Mayor takes oaths on the forthcoming 10th. It is expected on October 10th, Yogeshwari Patkunaraja would be appointed as Jaffna Municipality Mayor in the presence of President. The Jaffna Municipality election was concluded last August 8th, and it was informed by EPDP, that Yogeshwari Patkunaraja is the successor for the post of Mayor to the Jaffna Municipality council. Minister and EPDP Secretary Douglas Devananda was queried why the delay in appointing her to the post, and he informed that President is tied up with assignments hence he is unable to give a date. Douglas Devananda informed , most probably on the forthcoming 10th, a date would be given for the oath ceremony, but due to many problems which would crop up on that specific day in Jaffna, he would have discussions with President was mentioned by him. Meanwhile the Tamil National Alliance has arranged today for an oath ceremony to the members who were selected by their party was stated by TELO Parliament Member Sri Kantha. But the special reason for the delay was not mentioned. According to sources, at the last Jaffna Municipality elections, EPDP obtained 9 seats, All Ceylon Muslim Congress headed by Minister Rizath Badihudeen acquired 4 seats and Tamil National Alliance received 8 seats. Obama against legalizing providing support to the LTTE UN wants probe into Manik Farm camp shooting The U.N. called Wednesday on Sri Lanka to investigate an incident in which soldiers fired on war refugees held in a cramped displacement camp, wounding at least two people, including a child.Human rights activists have repeatedly complained about conditions in the northern camps, where nearly 300,000 Tamil civilians forced from their homes by civil war have been detained for months. The incident appeared to highlight the growing frustration of the civilians in the camps.The shooting erupted Saturday, when camp inmates attacked a group of soldiers in anger over being prevented from moving between zones of the heavily guarded Manik Farm camp, the U.N. refugee agency said in a statement."Security personnel then reportedly opened fire to disperse the mob. Several people are said to have been injured, including a child who was hit by a stray bullet and is now paralyzed," the statement said.The agency called on the government to ensure the safety of the war refugees and undertake a "swift investigation."Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said earlier that the soldiers only fired in self defense to disperse the violent crowd.The shooting was the worst reported incident of violence since the government opened the camps earlier this year to detain those fleeing the final stages of the fighting between the military and the Tamil Tiger rebels.In June, troops fired in the air to disperse inmates demanding to be reunited with family members in other zones of the camp. Independent media are barred from the camps, and the government has told many of the international aid workers allowed inside not to speak to reporters."This latest episode reinforces repeated calls by the U.N. and the international community to the government of Sri Lanka to accelerate the return process and restore freedom of movement," the statement said. Alleged Tiger arms dealer arrested in Singapore Singapore former Reform Party Man who was a powerful committee member of the party Balraj Naidu has been arrested and produced in court for an extradition hearing over an alleged arms deal with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Naidu was arrested on a warrant and produced in courts, said the Singapore Strait Times. The man was arrested at his home last week and brought to court on September 29 for a brief court appearance. His lawyers and family were present in Court. The businessman is wanted by the United States government on two terrorism related charges. He is also wanted by the US for allegedly brokering arms deals with the LTTE. No formal charges have been laid against him so far. The Extradition hearing was adjourned until October 5. The Strait Times said the US Government made the request for the extradition during the middle of the year. His lawyer declined to comment to the press. According to the Sri Lankan intelligence sources, the LTTE made many of their purchases from arms dealers in Singapore. Hardcore LTTE cadre with motor boat, explosives arrested A hardcore LTTE cadre, with a motor boat and some explosives, has been arrested in Mannar by a special team of police personnel from the Intelligence Unit in Kandy.Police suspect that the motor boat was one of the boats used by LTTE to transport fuel to the North during the war.Police suspect that a similar boat was sunk by the LTTE.The operation was conducted on the directions of Senior DIG, Gamini Nawaratne, DIG, Pujith Jayasundara and C.I. L.M. Bowala. Resettlement of 6000 Menikfarm refugees is a lie: They are in Kaithady and Mirisuwil, Jaffna –Vijitha Herath Lankan private sector ready to hire ex-LTTE The Sri Lankan private sector is enthusiastic about giving jobs to reformed or rehabilitated cadre of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), says Major General Daya Ratnayake, the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation.“The response from the business community to our programme is encouraging and positive. Some large companies, especially in the agriculture sector, have shown interest to recruit some of these ex-cadre after they are rehabilitated,” Gen Ratnayake told the state-owned Daily News on Tuesday.Sending reformed cadre overseas for jobs was among the aims of the rehabilitation project, he added.Asked if the cadre going abroad would not end up in their joining a resurgent LTTE again and coming back to Sri Lanka to start another terrorist and separatist movement, Gen Ratnayake said: “We are confident that once the rehabilitation process is completed, these people will not want to be part of the LTTE again. The objective (of the rehabilitation process) is to make them become responsible citizens, make sure that they will never ever want to further the cause of terrorism or separatism.”The rehabilitation programme had been indigenously developed with emphasis on inculcating religious, cultural and social values, stressing tolerance and peace, he added.There are about 10,000 LTTE cadre in government camps. The army has profiled them in detail. They have been divided into hardcore and marginal cadre and classified in terms of skills, aptitude and aims in life. The government plans put them up in special camps with 500 in each camp. According to Gen Ratnayake, there are about 4,000 skilled persons among the cadre. Out of them, 70 per cent have experience in agriculture. UNHCR concerned about reports of incidents inside IDP camps
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