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30Septemper 2007 Military solution not the answer India, US, tell Rajapaksa The United States and the Indian governments have demanded from President Mahinda Rajapaksa, not to pursue a military solution to the country’s over two decade long ethnic conflict. During meetings held between Rajapaksa, and India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and US Under- Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns in New York last week, the two countries had campaigned for a political solution to Lanka’s ethnic problem. They were of the opinions that, the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict should be resolved by power sharing political solution, and not by military actions alone.Meanwhile, during a separate meeting with Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim, a former special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, President Rajapaksa stated that his Government has always favored negotiations and was ready for talks if the LTTE so desired.The President also pledged to the international power players, that his government is expected to introduce a political solution to solve the country’s decades long ethnic conflict by the end of this year, and was thus ready to resume peace talks with LTTE. Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, President Rajapaksa stated that his government’s goal remains a negotiated and honorable end to this unfortunate conflict.“We launched military operations only to exert pressure on terrorists in order to convince them that it will not be possible for them to obtain a military victory” he said.Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama also told the UN Press Corps at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday that President Rajapaksa had set up an all-Party Representative Committee, which was working in finding a solution to the problem. “The Government was pursuing the goal of a greater devolution of power at the provincial and district levels, and would shortly be in a position to announce its devolution proposals,” Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama disclosed.Asked about prospects for the resumption of peace negotiations, he said the Government was ready to resume the talks, but that the LTTE had failed in the past to respond to genuine efforts to resolve the conflict. Norwegian facilitators were now trying to restart the talks and, with greater pressure from the international community, the process could hopefully be revitalized soon. UNP stands for credible power sharing The United National Party believes that long lasting peace is possible only through a negotiated political solution based on a credible power sharing proposal acceptable to all communities. The Party's Annual Conventions of 2004 and 2006 reiterated this position. These policies were set out and further developed by Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Leader of the Party and Leader of the Opposition, when he delivered the J. R. Jayewardene commemoration lecture. He made the following observations: We must oppose separatism Terrorism requires a military response The causes leading to separatism require a political solution There must be contingency plans to deal with any breakdown in negotiations or when there are obstacles to a political solution. This should include both political and security components. We must take steps to obtain the support of all parties and work wholeheartedly to ensure the success of the peace process.A negotiated political solution must be based on: renunciation of violence; human rights and democracy. It must also accommodate the legitimate aspirations of all communities. The political solution must address: The grievances of Tamils; The fears of Muslims in the north east regarding ethnic cleansing; The concerns of some sections of the Sinhalese that devolution will lead to separatism; The political solution must be acceptable to the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and other small ethnic communities. It must also have the support of the international community. A political solution must safeguard the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and the sovereignty of the people. It must also protect the rights of the minorities. We must be innovative and evolve a new constitutional model reflecting our own experiences. The present system (the 13th Amendment) is based on the provinces. Therefore we have to determine whether provinces will be the unit of devolution for the future. If new units of devolution are being demarcated, it should be based on political, social and economic criteria. There must be credible power sharing between the national government Regional/Provincial Councils and Local Authorities. The centre must retain the powers needed for the effective functioning of the national government. The other powers must be vested to the other two levels. People living in the north have expressed fears that powers vested in the Region/Province may be taken away by a future parliament. People in the south have a concern that the party in power at the centre will take away the powers of the Regional/Provincial Councils controlled by opposition parties. Similarly, local authorities are worried that the party in power in the Region/Centre will take away their powers. Therefore, it is necessary to have a system to safeguard the devolved powers. We have to give our attention not only to legal principles but also to practical problems. These proposals must make provision for sharing of power at the centre between the national government and the Regional/Provincial administrations. The Co-Chairs and India must be requested to arrange for cessation of hostilities and resumption of talks. In order to create an appropriate environment for talks it is essential, that all parties agree to uphold human rights. Investigations be carried out into the abductions and disappearances and remove the culture of impunity, immediate resolution of outstanding humanitarian issues, and guarantee all democratic rights. The Ceasefire Agreement must be amended taking into account the present situation in the north - east and the experiences of the last few years. The environment today is far different from that of 2002 when the CFA was signed. A Muslim delegation must participate at the peace talks as agreed.We have to structure the entire peace process: Talks with the LTTE; talks with all other parties and group. During this period we must also maintain a close relationship with India and the international community.A political solution must be acceptable to all communities. Thereafter, it must be accepted by the people at a referendum. Once a negotiated political solution is accepted at a referendum, a constitutional amendment incorporating a political solution will be passed by parliament. This constitutional amendment will have to be approved by the people at a second referendum. UNP’s federal shift irks Mangala Former Minister Mangala Samaraweera was visibly distressed at the UNP’s sudden decision to change its stance on the issue of federalism as a political solution to the ethnic conflict, insiders told The Nation yesterday. The former Foreign Minister, who has long been an advocate of devolving power within a federal structure, is reported to have held several crisis telephone conversations with UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a bid to convince the UNP to revert to its old position. During these discussions with the UNP Leader, Samaraweera is reported to have cautioned Wickremesinghe, urging him not to gather extremist forces around him in this effort to bring about the fall of the Rajapaksa administration, since it would be detrimental to the country in the long run. “The President is already toeing this line; we don’t need to adopt the same policies or there would be no difference between us, and we might as well support the government,” Samaraweera told Wickremesinghe and other senior UNPers, according to informed sources. The former Minister told Wickremesinghe that a political solution to the north east problem would only be possible through broad devolution of power within a united state, and that the UNP’s commitment to this position should remain unchanged in order to keep the people’s confidence. Samaraweera took some time off from politics, to take up residence at the Dutch House in Galle, where he met with several close advisors and confidants to discuss his political future. Sources said that many of these advisors had urged Samaraweera to refrain from being hasty and stay in the wings as long as it was necessary, so that when a new government was to be created, it would be a strong one with the peoples backing. Thondaman plans CWC shuffle The top leadership of the crisis-ridden Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) officials has stepped down on the orders of party leader Arumugam Thondaman, so that he could reshuffle the positions amidst growing differences over whether to accept cabinet ministerial positions or remain as an independent group in Parliament.Mr. Thondaman on Friday instructed those holding party posts to step down, enabling him make the changes at the national convention likely to be held in October. The convention is held every three years. Accordingly, except Mr. Thondaman, who holds the posts of President and General Secretary, and Treasurer Muttu Sivalingam, all others, including the five Vice Presidents, stepped down on Friday.The Sunday Times learns that changes are to be made within the party and among them is to be the replacement of M.S. Sellasamy on health reasons. He returned from India two days ago after eye surgery.The changes within the party come into place with the increasing differences among senior members about their decision to withdraw from the Cabinet. Three former Vice Presidents, Mr. Sellasamy, Muttu Sivalingam and R. Yogararjan, are among those who have taken up the position that the party should unconditionally support the government and accept the ministerial and deputy minister positions.One of the main issues concerning the party members has been the government going ahead to negotiate for a wages structure for the estate labourers, despite the CWC signing a collective agreement with the plantation companies in November last year agreeing that there would be no wage increase for the next two years.But, Labour Minister Athuda Seneviratne told Sunday Times yesterday that the Labour ministry on the instructions of President Rajapaksa was discussing with the plantation companies a wage increase for the estate workers.“We will be able to reach a consensus soon with the companies,” Mr. Seneviratne said. This is the first time the government has initiated discussions with plantation companies to work out a wage increase. The CWC also has been facing a crisis due to the inability to keep to its promises to the estate workers, after it withdrew from the ministerial and deputy ministry positions in August.The government has stepped up development activities in the estate sector in an apparent bid to woo the estate workers. The Government has decided to allocate Rs. 3,500 million to develop hospitals in the estate sector and appoint 200 Tamil speaking employees to hospitals there. Several electricity projects have also been launched. Some of the CWC initiated projects in the estate sector including housing development projects are being now directly handled by the government. Mervyn’s twin rocks Puttalam For the second time in two weeks, a government minister has threatened to use his personal pistol, provided to him by the State for use in self defence, to ward off a political opponent or impediment in his way. The fact that her elected representatives are brandishing fire arms menacingly in broad daylight is but further proof of the utter degradation of the Sri Lankan political system and the complete break down of law and order. Can anyone say Banana Republic?It is safe to say that not many members of the public had any idea who on earth K.A. Baiz was, until last week. With so many defections and new parties from among the minority political groups, who could keep up? However, last week, Sri Lanka Muslim Congres (SLMC) National Organiser and Deputy Minister of Livestock Development in the Rajapaksa Administration, Baiz, sprang into the limelight and notoriety, when he flaunted his pistol before large crowds in Puttalam and threatened to shoot a fellow Muslim minister, if he were to set foot in the district again. The controversy was sparked off when several Puttalam District MPs, pradeshiya sabha members and North Western Provincial Council (PC) members attended a meeting on September 23, at the Government Agents circuit bungalow in Puttalam, to discuss a World Bank project aimed at providing housing for the northern displaced persons living in Puttalam since 1995. Bathiudeen told The Nation that the meeting had been called to work out the details of the housing scheme for Muslims evicted by the LTTE, from the north.The minister claimed that Baiz had interrupted the meeting saying more houses needed to be allocated to native Muslims of Puttalam. Minister Bathiudeen, a refugee himself, was keen to get the housing problems sorted for the displaced community that has been languishing in temporary shelters for more than a decade. However, Baiz, who also hails from Puttalam, vehemently opposed the fact that the displaced families were to be given Rs. 250,000 each, to construct their houses, while other impoverished and homeless families in the area, would be given grants of Rs. 150,000 each. The Deputy Minister began to speak in derogatory terms of the Jaffna Muslims, who had been displaced and living in Puttalam since 1995, accusing them of overpopulating the area and eating into the resources and facilities available there. “Because of the IDPs, our people have to stand in line in hospitals to get medicine,” Baiz said, shortly before he began abusing Minister Bathiudeen in undignified language. Calling him a refugee, Baiz began to threaten Bathiudeen, and when elderly PC members attempted to calm the situation down, the angry Deputy Minister lashed out at them as well. Baiz then left the bungalow, urging Bathiudeen to take the fight outside. When Minister Bathiudeen’s STF security officer attempted to calm Baiz down, the incensed Deputy Minister lashed out at the officer, hitting out at him. Despite the provocation, the STF officer merely waved Baiz away.Baiz then organised a protest against Bathiudeen, comprising largely of his supporters, during which he used his own pistol to shoot holes in an effigy of Bathiudeen and then proceeded to burn the effigy. During the protest, Baiz is reported to have threatened Minister Badiutheen, brandishing his pistol and daring him to return to Puttalam. Refusing to end the spat there, the next day, Baiz went around town demanding that all Muslim stores and business in Puttalam shut down in a ‘harthal’, to protest against the ‘refugee community’ which had threatened him. According to North Western PC member and high command member of the SLMC S.H.M. Niyas, Baiz and his supporters entered the Puttalam Grand Mosque and threatened the Chairman and Board of Trustees into calling a harthal. Niyas says that Baiz and his fellows had also forced Puttalam District Jamaithul Ulema leader and the principal of the Puttalam Al-Qassimiya Arabic College to issue a statement in his defence. The very next day, upon being told the facts of the incident, the statements were retracted and the mosque called off the harthal. Baiz alleges that he objects to district politicians such as himself being sidelined when development projects are taking place in his constituency. His nasty remarks about the ‘outside refugee community’ spring from his view that IDPs had caused massive problems for the native settlers in the area. He also charges that Bathiudeen ordered that he be escorted out of the meeting, although this claim has been refuted by others present at the scene. Bathiudeen is now threatening to take legal action against Baiz for threatening him. The minister has already written to IGP Victor Perera and intends to inform President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Baiz’s behaviour, upon the President’s return from the US. However, given the reaction of officials and law enforcement authorities to date, it looks like this too shall pass, with hardly a rap on the knuckles. The only thing that might work against Baiz is that his ‘victim’ is no innocent civilian battling against his thuggery, but another government minister with equal or more clout in the same administration. How will the higher powers choose? Undoubtedly, Mervyn Silva, that other notorious Prince from the south, faces some tough competition from this new cowboy from the north-western province. Emil Kanthan is my man reveals Douglas Social Services and Social Welfare Minister, EPDP Leader Douglas Devananda has in a startling revelation said Emil Kanthan whom the Terrorism Investigation Division has identified as a key LTTE intelligence operative was one of his associates and that he had got Kanthan released from prison.Emil Kanthan has been identified as the man who facilitated the pre presidential election deal between President Mahinda Rajapakse and the LTTE with allegations that Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse had paid millions of rupees to him before the election.Following the election, it is to bogus LTTE front companies set up by Kanthan that a Rs. 760 million housing project was granted by the government on the basis of a fraudulent bidding process as revealed in The Sunday Leader last week.The TID and the CID have identified Emil Kanthan as a key LTTE operative in reports filed following investigations and arrested both former Airport Chief Tiran Alles and the Finance Director of the Mawbima Newspaper Dushantha Basnayake for allegedly making payments to Kanthan.Alles was as recently as last week interrogated by the TID on the basis that he had provided funds to Kanthan who was described as a LTTE operative. Kanthan was also identified by the TID as a suspect in the case of the attempted murder of Devananda.However in an interview with Sunalie Ratnayake of The Sunday Leader last week, Minister Devananda had identified Emil Kanthan as one of his associates.Devananda had said Emil Kanthan was with him and in his office and was not involved in any attack on him.Minister Devananda has further said it was he who got him released from prison."Emil Kanthan was with me. He was in my office. I don't know how this story materialised, about him being a suspect in an attempted murder case against me. I can confirm that is not true. Emil Kanthan has nothing to do with my murder attempt. He was with us and when he was in custody we got him released," Devananda had revealed.The Minister's interview is on tape. Top officers to testify via satellite Top Sri Lankan military, legal and law enforcement officials are set to testify via satellite link from a secret location in Colombo in an Australian court case against three key LTTE activists in that country. Among the officials who will testify in the committal proceedings which began two weeks ago in Melbourne are the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda, Police Chief Victor Perera, Deputy Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe and several other senior military, police and STF personnel. The case filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the State of Victoria charges Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, Sivarajah Yathavan and Arumugam Rajeewan, currently in Australian custody, with being members of a terrorist organisation and for funding, raising and providing material support to a terrorist organisation.The Australian prosecutor states that the three suspects were running an LTTE fund-raising network in Australia using a front organisation called the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee, which annually channelled to the LTTE several million Australian dollars, collected in the guise of humanitarian and tsunami aid. Investigations into the activities of the three suspects began two years ago by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) as part of their anti-terrorism initiative, during which AFP officers met with and obtained the assistance of their counterparts in Sri Lanka to carry out local investigations. Affidavit evidence provided by senior Sri Lankan officials including the Attorney General C.R. De Silva will be used at the trial. The role of the Sri Lankan witnesses is to provide evidence and other corroborative material that the LTTE is a terrorist organisation, as opposed to a liberation movement.Defence officials in Colombo are reported to have taken extreme precautions to ensure that the satellite link testimony runs smoothly and is safe from LTTE sabotage. They remain tight lipped on the location the witnesses are to testify from.If convicted, the LTTE activists are likely to face jail terms of up to 20 years, The Sunday Times learns. 'Dosa Man' wins Vendy Cup Award for best street food Bragging rights for New York's top sidewalk chef went to Thiru Kumar last night for his street cart's vegan Indian food delights.Known as the "Dosa Man," Kumar, 39, won the top prize, The Silver Vendy Cup, in the third annual Vendy Awards held in Manhattan's Tompkins Square Park.Kumar serves up dosas - spicy, potato-filled pancakes - among other veggie concoctions at Washington Square South and Sullivan St. in the West Village."I made a lot of vegans happy today," the Sri Lanka native said while noting his large following among college students. "There is even a dosa fan club at NYU."Manning his street cart for six years, Kumar has been dubbed the "Susan Lucci of the Vendys" because he's been a finalist three times.The event raises money for the Street Vendor Project, a nonprofit organization that supports the city's more than 10,000 sidewalk chefs. Funeral of priest killed in claymore mine blast The body of Rev. Father Nicholaspillai Pakyaranjith, who was killed in a claymore mine blast last Wednesday in the uncleared areas of Mannar district, was buried at the public cemetery yesterday amidst a large gathering. More than 15,000 mourners had come to pay their last respects while the funeral procession that started at 10 a.m. from St. Sebastian’s Cathedral took three hours to reach the cemetery. Most shops were closed in Mannar town while public transport came to a standstill, as a mark of respect. Anuradhapura Bishop, Rt. Rev. Nobert Andhradhi and Galle Bishop Harrold Anthony Perera were present at the funeral. Vanni district TNA parliamentarians and TELO President Selvam Adaikalanathan, Kishore Sivanathan, and Sivasakthi Anandan, UNP parliamentarian Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene, Mannaar Government Agent and other officials attended the funeral along with several other religious dignitaries. 29Septemper 2007 Britain urges Govt, LTTE to resume talks British High Commissioner Dominick Chilcott yesterday called upon both the Government and the LTTE to seize the present opportunity to resume negotiations towards finding a lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict. Expressing United Kingdom’s support for Tuesday’s statement issued by the Co-Chairs urging the two parties to return to the negotiating table, Chilcott said the early cessation of hostilities and a renewed commitment to the Ceasefire Agreement was the wish of all who have the best interests of Sri Lanka at heart. “We want to see an early cessation of hostilities, a renewed and sincere commitment by both sides to honour the spirit and letter of the CFA and, without a long delay, the resumption of talks on an overall settlement,” Chilcott said addressing a ceremony in Colombo to launch the Landmine Monitor Report 2006. He said UK has learnt from its experience in Northern Ireland that conflicts cannot be solved through military action alone. “What will eventually stop the fighting here, as in other conflicts around the globe, is when the people themselves have had enough of war and make that clear and when all the parties to the conflict believe they have the opportunity, through a credible political process, to achieve at least some of their aspirations,” he said. The High Commissioner also commended initiatives taken by the Government through the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) to formulate a constitutional framework capable of addressing the national problem. “To its credit, the Government is putting together the elements of such a political process. One of the key pieces in that will be the framework for a new constitutional dispensation in Sri Lanka. There is a huge responsibility on those working on this question, under the auspices of the All Party Conference, to get this aspect right”. Appreciating the role of the Army in de-mining activities he urged the Government to become a signatory to the Ottawa Treaty of 1997 which requires State parties to give up the use of land mines. “Doing this now, at a time when tensions are high and when fighting has intensified, would send a particularly strong signal to people in the North and East. It could go a long way to reinforcing confidence in the government amongst the people of those areas,” he added. Bathiyudeen’s supporters stage protest in Kalmunai Supporters of Minister Rishad Bathiyudeen yesterday staged a picket in Kalmunai to protest Monday’s violent hartal by supporters of Deputy Minister K.S. Baiz.“Minister Baiz has been reduced to helplessness and is unable to serve his community. Now he wants to block development projects launched by my ministry. He is afraid that resettling IDPs in Puttalam could affect his vote base,” Minister Rishad Bathiyudeen said.The picket was held in front of the Kalmunai and Valachenai Jumma Mosques after the 12.30 p.m. prayers. “We wanted to stage a peaceful protest to denounce the baseless allegations levelled by Minister Baiz against the internally displaced people languishing in Puttalam for the past 17 years,” Kalmunai Jumma Mosque Moulavi T.S. Mubarak said.The power play between the two politicians began last week, when supporters of Minister Baiz staged a hartal with most business establishments coming to a grinding halt. This was triggered by a dispute between the two ministers over the US$ 34 million World Bank funded Puttalam housing project that aims to provide housing assistance to 5,500 internally displaced families and 1,800 families from the local community. Sri Lanka Air Force bombs Sea Tiger training facility in Northeast-SL Military Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets bombed a key Sea Tiger training facility at Thevipuram in Mullaitivu this morning, the military said. Defense sources said the air raid, launched following intelligence gathering for a long time, accurately hit the target which is known as the Lima 2 Base. Sources said the real time ground information has shown increased activity recently in the targeted camp.The air attack comes a day after the Navy sunk three LTTE boats off the coast of Pulmoddai near Trincomalee from a cluster of 18 LTTE boats attempting to evacuate trapped Tiger cadres. Sri Lanka Army aims at taking Wanni, says the Commander Sri Lanka Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka says that the aim of the operations in Wanni is to free the 350,000 residents who are under the rule of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) and to prevent the attacks on border areas.In an interview with the government owned Sinhala daily Dinamina, the Army Commander said that the LTTE’s fighting cadre has dropped about 50%. The Army has restricted the guerilla’s territory by 70%, he said. The Army Commander further says that 3,000 Tiger cadres were killed and around 1,000 were injured in the recent past. The LTTE has also lost a huge coastal area restricting the Sea Tigers, said the Army Commander. Lt. General Sarath Fonseka anticipated that the Army would soon take over the Thampanai area currently they are fighting to wrest control. Not only LTTE for future peace talks, says Keheliya The National Defense Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella says that the LTTE is neither the sole representative nor the liberators of the Tamil people. Addressing a press briefing at the Media Center for National Security (MCNS) yesterday the Minister said that the government was ready to proceed in the peace process but other parties also should take part in them since LTTE was not the sole representative of the Tamil people. He further said that it is the democratic principle.Commenting on human rights, the Minister said that some elements complain to the international community on the violations of human rights. However, he said that human rights should not be confused with politics. The government is investigating human rights violations and taking measures to safeguard them, said the Minister. Don’t wait till defeating LTTE to resolve the national issue ----Bishop of Mannar Rayappu Joseph, the Bishop of Mannar, has appealed to the government to give up their commitment to resolve the national problem only after defeating the Tigers. Instead, the government should explore all meaningful measures to resolve the problem. Bishop Rayyapuu Josef was addressing a meeting organized to mark the World Peace day in Mannar. He stated that he was taking part in this event because they pray that their must be peace in this country. Sri Lanka is a multi ethnic country. All people must live as brothers and sisters. We must not forget the back ground as to why the LTTE has launched a struggle. The rights of the Tamils were suppressed. When there was a demand to win their rights through democratic measures, every successive government oppressed the struggle and it was this that led to an armed struggle. He appealed that the sense of enmity in which the government views the LTTE as its enemy and LTTE views the government as its enemy must be eliminated. Both Tamils and Sinhalese are dying because of this war. Therefore, a meaningful solution must be put forward and the problem must be resolved. Sri Lanka's rupee flat; shares slip in thin trade Sri Lanka's rupee ended almost flat on Friday after a state bank bought and sold dollars heavily to maintain market stability, dealers said, while shares slipped in thin trade, led by declines in select blue chips. The rupee closed at 113.39/113.49 per dollar, slightly firmer from Thursday's close of 113.42/113.50, and staying above an all-time closing low of 113.57/113.62 hit on Sept. 18."Market continued to experience a liquidity squeeze as customers withdrew a lot of money from the system, so banks had to sell some dollars," said one dealer, referring to greater demand during Ramadan as firms look to build inventories.A state bank stepped into the market when the rupee was at 113.47/113.49, releasing dollars, but it was not clear whether this was central bank intervention, the dealer said.The central bank opened its restricted reverse repurchase agreement window for a sixth day, pumping 6 billion rupees into the system to counter a liquidity shortage, dealers said.It injected 25.5 billion rupees during the last 6 market days through the window.On Friday, the central bank held its policy interest rates steady at a review, as it seeks to tame quickening inflation.The rupee has depreciated around 5.6 percent so far this year, on top of a 5 percent fall in 2006.Some analysts expect it to continue to depreciate to as much as 118-120 per dollar by the end of the year. Others are eyeing 114 per dollar. The six-month forward rate stood at 121.09/121.29 rupees per dollar on Friday.The rupee is steadily weakening mainly due to a hefty trade deficit, owing to costly fuel imports, and inflation, which quickened to 17.5 percent in September as measured on a 12-month rolling average -- near 1994 highs.The Colombo All Share <.CSE> index closed 0.37 percent weaker at 2,556.62 points, a fall of 9.51 points.Market heavyweight Dialog Telekom closed 1.08 percent weaker at 23.00 rupees a share as calculated on a weighted average after the International Finance Corp purchased a $15 million stake as part of a new $100 million financing deal.Conglomerate John Keells Holdings ended 0.19 percent down at 129.00 rupees a share, while leading fixed line telephone operator Sri Lanka Telecom closed unchanged at 33.25 rupees."Although market was expected go up after some signs of peace talks, it came down as investors are lacking confidence on the government's peace talks," said Nusrath Mohideen, a research analyst at Bartleet Mallory stockbrokers."As the government has been introducing new taxes since early this month, investors will be cautious ... so this downward trend would continue until the next budget speech in November."Foreigners, who were net buyers, purchased shares worth 51.2 million rupees . Market turnover was 156.03 million rupees, a fraction of last year's daily average of 400 million.The bourse is down over 15 percent from life highs in mid February, while it has dropped by around 6.1 percent this year.For more technical analysis of the Colombo Stock Exchange by Reuters please go to www.reutersindia.net/sri%20lanka.htm.Interbank lending rates or call rates <CLIBOR>, rose to 21.521 percent from 19.786 percent on Thursday, after earlier rising as high as 25 percent. Sri Lanka says sinks 3 boats, kills 28 Tiger rebels Sri Lanka's navy sank three Tamil Tiger rebel boats off the island's northeastern coast, killing 18 rebels on board and 10 others died in subsequent land battles, the military said on Friday.Fighting between the military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who want a separate homeland for minority ethnic Tamils in the north and east, has escalated since the government launched an offensive in the northwest earlier this month.The latest sea battle took place late on Thursday when Sri Lankan government boats sighted 20 rebel vessels in the seas off Pulmudai, near the rebels' de facto state in the far north."The navy destroyed three boats and after listening to communications they confirmed 18 Tigers killed, including a leader," said military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanaykkara."One navy sailor was killed and another injured," he added.The Military also said they killed ten Tamil Tiger rebels in clashes on Friday in the north western district of Mannar and northern districts of Vavuniya and Jaffna."(The) army killed six LTTE carders in Mannar when they tried to attack (the) army and in another retaliation soldiers killed three terrorists in Vavuniya," a spokesman for Media Centre for National Security said adding that another rebel was killed in Jaffna.There was no independent confirmation of the number of people killed or what had happened and analysts say both sides often exaggerate enemy losses amid a parallel propaganda war.No official from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was immediately available for a comment.Around 5,000 people have been killed in fighting between the military and the LTTE guerrillas since early 2006.Nearly 70,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced since the war erupted in 1983. Anura lashes out at FM and self appointed protector of Dhamma National Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike yesterday hit out at the Foreign Ministry and at whom he called the “self appointed custodians of the Dhamma” for failing to condemn the crackdown of Buddhist monks who protested against the ruling military junta in Myanmar. “What do our self appointed custodians of Buddhism in Parliament have to say? Not a word, about the attacks of fellow Buddhist priests in Yangon, who took to the streets in utter desperation and poverty. Silence is the finest form of cowardice. My father in the United Nations General Assembly in 1956 defined non alignment. He said being non-aligned, did not mean we remain silent, through fear of the two super powers. Non- alignment means we are committed to the hilt, where injustice prevails. Let the ‘mandarins of the Foreign Office re-read that speech. The silence of our Buddhists is deafening. Especially the self appointed custodians of the ‘Dhamma’ and of course our Foreign Ministry,” Minister Bandaranaike said in a statement. “The UN General Assembly that just concluded condemned the military crackdown very strongly. Even US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined in the condemnation. So did most of the world. I wonder what our Foreign Ministry had to say? Myanmar is a 90 per cent Buddhist nation. What does a nation that banned ‘The Da Vinci Code’ have to say? Not a word,” Minister Bandaranaike said.“The horrendous crackdown by the brutal, tyrannical ruling military of the Burmese Government who have gone on the rampage against it own people and it is not for the last time. Aung Sang Suu Kyi, who won 90 percent of the votes at the last general elections have since then been under house arrest for no rhyme or reason. “The military ruling Yangon permitted her to leave Yangon provided she did not come back .She chose to stay back, missing her husband’s funeral in England. Some 14 years ago, she was incarcerated and she fought back and stayed on, winning the Nobel Prize, an event she could not even attend,” he said. Church 'supports' Burmese monks 'Solidarity' with Burmese monks Official media said nine people were killed on Thursday as troops fired tear gas and bullets to clear large crowds of protesters off Rangoon's streets. But Australia's ambassador in Burma said the toll was probably higher. Saying that he was "saddened" to learn the recent events where protesters including Buddhist monks were shot dead and beaten by the military, the Bishop says he felt it was his duty to add voice against the heavy handed manner the protesters are dealt with by the authorities.Authorities are trying to stamp out the largest uprising in two decades, led by Buddhist monks whose numbers on the streets appear to have dwindled since the crackdown. Monasteries have been raided and hundreds of monks are thought to have been detained. Pictures from Burma show ransacked monasteries with pools of blood on the ground. Lack of democracy "The mass protests that are taking place in many cities, towns and villages like Yangon, Mandalay, Pegu, Sittwe and Pakokku now being led by Buddhist monks are due to the inhumane treatment meted out by the Government to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," Bishop Chikera's letter said."Your Excellency, please convey to your Government my grave concern at the brutal repression of legitimate protest".The head of Anglican church in Sri Lanka has urged Myanmar authorities to respect democratic rights of the people."I have no doubt that the crisis can only be diffused by the restoration of the democratic rights of the people and the recognition of the results of the democratic Election that chose Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to lead your country". Despite Buddhist links Lanka is silent on monks' stir in Myanmar The Sri Lankan government, the Buddhist clergy and the media, are all observing a resounding silence on the cataclysmic monks stir in Myanmar, the nearest Buddhist country, which also follows the Theravada school of Buddhism. Most of those who conduct foreign relations are currently in New York attending the UN General Assembly session. Therefore, they may be too busy to react to the developments in Myanmar. But the silence of the Buddhist clergy and the local media cannot be explained so easily.When asked for a comment, the Venerable Athuraliye Rathana Thero of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a Buddhist monks' party, said that he was unable to establish contact with his sources in Myanmar to know first hand, what was happening there.The media in Sri Lanka has been reporting the events in Myanmar using wire copy, but there has been no editorial comment yet. There have been only a couple of articles by foreign affairs columnists. Even here, there was no Sri Lankan perspective as such. China factor Is there a China factor working here? It cannot be denied that Colombo is sensitive to Beijing's views. And China has been against international intervention in internal conflicts. It has said so in the Myanmar case also, even as it asked the junta to take a softer line towards the rebellious Buddhist monks. China's stand in this regard strikes a chord in Colombo, which is also wary about international involvement or intervention in internal conflicts.But most political observers rule out a China factor working in Colombo in regard to the Myanmar issue. Sri Lanka's relations with Myanmar have been good anyway, irrespective of who is ruling in Yangon. Relations have been based basically on the existence of a shared belief in Theravada Buddhism. Many Sri Lankans visit Myanmar as pilgrims. Recently, there was a return visit from Mynamar in which the Myanmar delegation gifted an elephant to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. Fight against terrorism More importantly, the military rulers in Yangon and the government in Colombo share an antipathy towards ethnic militants and terrorists. If the Sri Lankan government has been battling the Tamil Tigers, the Myanmar junta has been battling tribal rebels in the northern hills.Earlier, elements of the Myanmar junta had supported or winked at the existence of an LTTE base on the coast in Twante. But that base no longer exists. Today, it is important for Colombo to see that Myamnar military officers or officials do not re-establish any links with the LTTE.In all likelihood, Sri Lankans will wait for the crisis in Myanmar to resolve itself one way or the other, and avoid making any comments till then. 28Septemper 2007 Thousands mourn slain priest in Mannaar Mannaar city stood at standstill and people flocked to the entrance of the city Thursday at 1:10 p.m. while the remains of Rev. Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith, the Mannar district coordinator of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), killed allegedly by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit (DPU), reached the city. The remains were escorted by Mannar Bishop Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph from Vavuniyaa to Bishop's House in Mannaar as thousands mourned along the way from Murungkan to Mannar. The priest was killed Wednesday when he was taking humanitarian supplies to displaced children in Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled areas of Mannar district. Many vehicles joined the 4-hour long parlour from Vavuniyaa to Mannnar.The 40-year-old priest is well known among the poorest of the district for his tireless humanitarian services. His body is being kept at Bishop's House for the public to pay their last respects. The remains would be taken to St. Sebastian Church from 4:30 p.m. Friday, and the funeral services are scheduled to take place Saturday 9:00 a.m. at the Church.Mannaar district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian and TELO Precedent Selvam Adaikkalanathan was present at the Bishop's house to pay last respects to Fr. Ranjith. Mannaar DS Mrs. Stanley de Mel, Mannar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) H.N. Kudahattiya was present while the remains of the slain priest reached the city today.Fr. Ranjith, as he was popularly known, is the first Catholic priest to be killed in a Claymore attack in Mannaar district. Lanka escapes censure at UN rights council World support for Colombo "Many delegations, including India, Japan, South Africa, Indonesia and Bangladesh, in their interventions to the Council were appreciative of the initiatives of Sri Lanka in the promotion and protection of human rights," the release added.There was no support for any action against Sri Lanka from other countries and multi-lateral bodies too.Earlier, Sri Lankan President had told the UN General Assembly in New York that the international community should stop victimizing countries which were facing the brunt of terrorism and abjure the cynical use of human rights issues to gain political advantage. Deadly Sri Lanka clashes spike ahead of rains Sri Lankan troops claimed they have killed 45 Tamil rebels in the past week as they step up attacks ahead of monsoon rains that will make fighting harder. Security forces have been trying to push into territory held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the past week amid intense resistance by the guerrillas, official sources said. "As the rains set in by October, it will be difficult to use artillery and tanks," a military official said. "Before the monsoon breaks there will be increased skirmishes along the front lines." Government figures show over 45 guerrillas have been killed in the past week while the military lost six troopers, as both sides intensified artillery and mortar bomb attacks across their defence lines. Few casualties were reported by both sides in the previous week. In the northern peninsula of Jaffna, a road side blast Thursday killed two civilians and wounded another 15 people, including two policemen, the defence ministry said, accusing the Tigers of setting off the blast. In the island's northwest, a Roman Catholic priest was killed when his vehicle was hit by a blast on Wednesday. The Tigers accused the military of killing the clergyman while the government blamed the rebels. The defence ministry said the rebels had also tried to infiltrate military positions in Jaffna peninsula and to push further into the northern Wanni region, parts of which form a mini state run by the Tigers. But defence columnist Namal Perera said security forces had stepped up operations in the past week in a bid to push back Tigers along two fronts in the north, meeting fierce rebel resistance. The defence ministry's latest figures show 5,415 people have been killed in total in insurgency related violence since December 2005 when a Norwegian brokered true began to unravel. The figure consists of 1,271 security forces, 3,284 rebels and 860 civilians. The Tigers have rejected the military's claims but have not said how many fighters they lost during the same period. However the guerrillas say 1,924 civilians have been killed since February 2002. There is no independent verification of the casualties. The ethnic conflict, in which the rebels are fighting for an independent homeland for the Tamil minority on this Sinhalese majority island, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since 1972. Sri Lanka Chief Justice orders not to bring suspects arrested in north and east to Colombo Sri Lanka's Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva ordered that suspects arrested in North and East to be produced to courts in respective areas and bail be granted to them there.He said that it is not necessary to bring them to the Capital Colombo as they face a host of problems when they are released in Colombo. He said they should be released or bailed out if so decided in areas where they were taken into custody.He said in most of the cases, suspects are being brought to Colombo in order to bail out or release them. Claymore mine blast kills two civilians in Sri Lanka public market Claymore mine explosion in a public market in northern Sri Lanka yesterday morning killing two civilians and injuring seventeen others, One of the victims was identified as S. Kanesarajah, 49, from Poonaari Maraththadi in Kokuvil West, Jaffna. the military said.The injured included fifteen civilians and two police personnel.Defence sources said that a claymore bomb planted inside a bicycle parking space near the marketplace was detonated at the Chunnakkam marketplace in Jaffna. Officials believe the actual target was a police vehicle that was parked nearby.Meanwhile the Media Center for National Security said the Army foiled another infiltration attempt killing seven LTTE Tigers when they attempted to infiltrate the Forward Defense Lines at Pokkaraverni in Vavuniya yesterday afternoon. The troops prevented a separate infiltration attempt by the Tigers at Muhamalai FDL in Jaffna yesterday afternoon. The confrontation killed four Tigers, MCNS said.Recently the Tamil Tigers have escalated their efforts to breach the FDLs in the North but the military has foiled all attempts killing over 40 Tigers in the attacks. LTTE condemns killing of Rev. Fr. Packiyaranjith Displacing the people by deliberate shelling and then killing the humanitarian workers who rush to assist the displaced is a strategy of "genocide," charged the Political Wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in a statement issued on Thursday, condemning the killing of Rev Fr Packiyaranjith on Wednesday by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit (DPU). Expressing "deep shock and sadness" at the death of a humanitarian worker and a religious clergy, the LTTE urged the International Community to strongly condemn the killing and other brutalities against humanitarian workers. Full text of the press release issued by the LTTE follows: 27 September 2007 International community must condemn the murder of yet another aid worker The deliberate murder of Rev Fr Pakiaranjith, a Catholic priest of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)), on 27 September 2007, by a claymore attack on the JRS vehicle in which he was traveling must be condemned without reservation. Sri Lankan military's Deep Penetration Unit perpetrated this murder of a Catholic clergy while he was traveling to assist the recently displaced people in the Mannar district in the Tamil homeland. The vehicle he was traveling in was prominently marked with the JRS logo.The JRS mission is to "accompany, serve and defend the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people". Rev Fr Pakiaranjith is the Mannar district coordinator for JRS.UNHCR recently reported that 10,000 people were displaced by the recent deliberate artillery shelling by the Sri Lankan military. Rev Fr Pakiaranjith was traveling in a JRS vehicle to fulfill the mission of the JRS for these displaced people in Mannar when he was deliberately murdered.The murder of Rev Fr Pakiaranjith symbolizes one aspect of the "military" strategy of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). That is to displace the people by deliberate shelling and then kill the humanitarian workers who rush to assist the displaced. There can only be one phrase to describe this strategy, "genocide".We express our deep shock and sadness at the death of a humanitarian worker and a religious clergy. We condemn this brutal act of the GoSL. We appeal to the international community to strongly condemn this and other brutalities against humanitarian workers. Sri Lankan travelling on fake documents arrested BANGALORE: Yet another Sri Lankan national who was trying to illegally fly out of India was apprehended at the Bangalore airport in the early hours of Wednesday.The Immigration officials at the Bangalore airport arrested Thushyanthan (23), who was possessing fake passport and visa, when he was about to board a Lufthansa Airline flight to the U.K., sources in the police told The Hindu.Thushyanthan alias Kumaran, who had come to Chennai three months ago, had obtained a fake Indian passport through an agent there.The agent had asked the Sri Lankan to come to Bangalore airport and had promised him to get him a visa and a flight ticket to the U.K. As advised by the agent, Thushyanthan purchased a domestic ticket from Indian airline counter and entered the terminal building. The agent, who had come there, handed over a Lufthansa airline ticket and fake visa to Thushyanathan and tore the domestic Indian Airline ticket, the sources said.When Thushyanthan was trying to sneak in without getting the immigration clearance, the officials apprehended him. Verification On verification of the documents, they found that he was possessing fake passport and visa with fake immigration seal, the sources said. On a complaint by immigration officials, the Airport police arrested him and registered a case. UN should guarantee the total safety, security and self-honour of the Eelam Tamil people - M.K.Eelaventhan No. 11 Rochefort Drive Hon. Ban Ki - Moon UN should guarantee the total safety, security and self-honour of the Eelam Tamil people Dear Hon. Ban Ki-Moon We the Eelam Tamils had high hope that the United Nations will address the plight of our people who are facing cultural genocide, physical liquidation and economic strangulation. Our hopes were based on the statements made UN diplomats and functionaries, but they have been shattered beyond belief. His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse waxed eloquence as usual to deceive and mis-lead the international community. His declaration that he will submit his proposals for the solution of the ethnic conflict before the end of the year rings hollow in the light of his earlier promises. Perhaps this is the fourth time he has made such a promise since coming to power in November, 2005.Assuming that he will submit his proposals, the proposals contain anything worthy of consideration. In fact, his proposals which are based on his Mahinda Chinthanaya have put the clock back by 60 years or more. His Chinthanya has jettisoned the federal model, that the North and East are the traditional habitat of the Tamil people and that they are a distinct nation with right to self –determination. Not surprisingly Mahinda Rajapakse has confessed that Tamil aspirations are fine, but his political survival depends on the electoral support of the Sinhala constituency. You will agree that the rights and freedoms of the Tamil people are independent and distinct from the rights and freedoms of the Sinhala people. What we the Tamils proclaim is that we are a Nation by any definition in accordance with international norms, have a distinct and separate national identity, a unique language and culture, defined territory and a way of life from time immemorial. We will not dwell on the history of Ceylon, it speaks for itself.We like to remind you that the UN Charter speaks of third party intervention when there is genocide, right to revolt when there is oppression and the right to self determination. It should be self-evident that Mahinda Rajapakse, the all powerful executive president of Sri Lanka, is seeking a military solution to the conflict. The All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) is a misnomer. Even the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has pulled out of the APRC and as for the Tamil National Alliance, it was not even invited.We represent the Tamil people having secured 95% of the votes cast and winning 22 out of 23 seats contested in the North and East. We are, therefore, the authentic voice of the aspirations of the Eelam Tamils. In this context we appeal to the UNO as well as the European Union (EU) to take into consideration the genocide faced by the Tamil people and take meaningful steps to guarantee the total safety, security and self-honour of the Eelam Tamil people. Yours truly, M.K.Eelaventhan, UNP new policy 'follows LTTE defeat' Parliamentary select committee He also said that the parliament has approved to appoint a parliamentary select committee to probe allegations of deals made between the LTTE and the government from 1989 although it was initially to be investigated from 2005. Speaking to Sandheshaya on Thursday United National party General Secretary Thissa Aththanayaka said "we are neither federal nor unitary’’.Meanwhile Minister Abeywardena denied accusations levelled by some media organisation that the government is planning to bring new laws to curb media saying that Government has no intension to bring any regulation to prevent media from providing information. 27Septemper 2007 UNP sheds the federal skin Party (UNP) has decided to move towards a new model of power devolution as a solution to the ethnic problem. UNP leadership has decided to shift entirely from the position of federal solution to the ethnic problem and to fully implement the powers given through the 13th amendment of the constitution through a constitutional reform. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe gave clues to the paradigm shift at a lecture held at Jayawardhana Center. The UNP is also going to change the ceasefire agreement signed on 2002 February 22 to suit the current context. At a press conference held in Colombo today the UNP parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayaka answering a query from a journalist said that the UNP's original stance since 1988 for political settlement via maximum devolution remains unchanged. When 'Lanka-e-News' enquired why UNP shifted from the stance agreed with LTTE at Oslo talks Karunanayaka said that UNP neither admitted nor denied the stance and the signee of the declaration was no more with the party.Commenting on the ceasefire agreement, Karunanayaka said that context has changed now although the UNP signed the document with bona fide motives. He further said that UNP had not changed the stance of negotiated settlement as well as waging war if need arisen. UNP sources said that the sudden shift of stances is the need for removing obstacles for a broad political alliance with People's Liberation Front (JVP). Commenting on the shift UNP General Secretary Thissa Aththanayaka said to 'Lanka-e-News' that a new devolution model has to be tested without adhering to linguistic clich’s such as unitary and federal states. He further said that Sri Lanka did not go to the states system although exceeded the Indian model in certain perimeters such as police powers. However, the Provincial Council system was not practically implemented, he said. When 'Lanka-e-News' remembered that the LTTE had rejected the Provincial Councils, Aththanayaka said the UNP’s duty was not to talk about the LTTE but to be responsible to the LTTE. He said that UNP should state its stance disregarding if LTTE would accept it. Even a federal solution will not be accepted by the LTTE. He enquired the use of going to deals with Prabakaran who obtained money from Rajapakses and defeated the UNP that was ready to take up the Oslo declaration signed by G.L. Peiris and Anton Balasingham in a broad perspective of power devolution. Aththanayaka smilingly said that all these are political games, when 'Lanka-e-News' enquired if this shift was a precursor of an alliance between the JVP and the UNP. He said that a need has arisen to build up a broad platform on which all who are against terror and corruption could gather. Sri Lanka says kills 11 rebels in latest battles Sri Lankan soldiers killed 11 Tamil Tiger rebels in overnight battles in the north of the island, the military said on Thursday.The violence in the restive area, the focus of renewed civil war between the state and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is the latest in a series of near daily clashes in recent months."The army killed four LTTE terrorists who tried to infiltrate through the forward defence line in Jaffna and another seven in Vavuniya," said a spokesman at the Media Centre for National Security. He said one soldier was killed and another wounded.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who say they are fighting for an independent state for minority ethnic Tamils in the north and east, were not immediately available for comment on the latest clash.The rebels said a civilian was killed in a roadside blast in the northwestern district of Mannar which they blamed on the military.The military has launched an offensive to drive out the rebels from Mannar, after evicting them from jungle terrain they controlled in the east earlier this year.Around 5,000 people have been killed in fighting between the military and the LTTE guerrillas since early 2006Nearly 70,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced since the war erupted in 1983. Sri Lanka May Keep Key Rate at Highest Level in Asia Sri Lanka's central bank will probably keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at the highest level in Asia to help cool inflation. Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Nivard Cabraal will leave the repurchase rate at 10.5 percent for a seventh straight meeting, according to 11 of 12 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. One economist expects a half point increase. The decision is due tomorrow at 4.30 p.m. in Colombo. Borrowing costs ``may need to be kept at a high level'' until inflation falls to an appreciable rate, Cabraal said earlier this month. He now expects consumer prices to rise by more than 10 percent this year, up from an April estimate of 9 percent, due to higher energy costs. ``Inflation isn't going to ease with rising oil prices,'' said S. Jeyavarman, who helps manage the equivalent of $25 million in stocks and bonds as chief executive officer of National Asset Management Ltd. in Colombo. ``But the central bank doesn't seem to want to put further upward pressure on interest rates.'' Higher borrowing costs and escalating violence between government forces and Tamil separatists have weakened the South Asian island's economy, which Cabraal forecasts will post slower growth this year.The $26 billion economy will expand 7 percent in 2007, Cabraal said on Sept. 14 in Mumbai, half a percentage point lower than his forecast in July. Citigroup Inc. expects the economy to expand 6 percent this year from 7.4 percent in 2006. Civil War Sri Lanka's peace process has been halted by almost daily violence since February last year and the nation is experiencing its worst fighting since Norway brokered a truce in 2002. Gross domestic product grew a faster-than-expected 6.4 percent in the three months ended June 30 from a year earlier, up from 6.1 percent in the first quarter, as increased overseas shipments and farm output made up for slowing domestic demand. A separate report tomorrow from the statistics department is expected to show inflation slowed in September to 17.1 percent, according to the median forecast of nine analysts in a Bloomberg survey. The consumer price index, the key inflation gauge watched by the central bank, is due at 3 p.m. Consumer prices in the capital Colombo rose 17.3 percent in August from a year earlier, after increasing 17.6 percent in July, fanned by increased oil prices and higher import costs because of a depreciating currency. Crude oil reached a record $83.90 a barrel in New York on Sept. 20. Oil prices increased 7.7 percent this month as hurricanes threatened production in the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. stockpiles declined. The government says higher borrowing costs have helped to rein in inflation, which soared to a ten-year high of 20.5 percent in January. Col. Soosai: "Southern polity trapped in family centric power politics" Col. Soosai, Liberation Tigers special commander of the Sea Tigers, addressing a gathering in Puthukkudiyiruppu, on Wednesday, to mark the 20th death anniversary of Thileepan, former LTTE political head of Jaffna district, and the 6th death anniversary of the founder of Air Tigers, Col. Shankar, said that the southern polity in Sri Lanka has repeatedly failed to demonstrate the ability to transcend itself from the family centric power politics into the politics of statesmanship, pointing at Rajapaksa brother's "family rule" in the south.In contrast, the Tamil struggle was being led by a leadership that has demonstrated political statesmanship with highest levels of integrity with strategic intelligence, Col. Soosai said.In his first public appearance following a boat accident in which he lost his youngest son and sustained injuries, the special commander of the Sea Tigers, praised the military medics of the Tigers for his speedy recovery that has enabled him to resume his duties."During the Indo-Eelam war, I was injured. Our medics didn't have enough facilities at that time. Seriously injured cadres were transferred overseas for treatment. But, our medics are capable of treating serious injuries now," he said, addressing the gathering for 25 minutes.The event took place at Puthukkudiyiruppu Golden Jubilee Hall from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sri Lanka Jaffna power firm bought by Malaysia's MTD Controversial LTTE dissident leaves Sri Lanka The controversial LTTE dissident, Col Karuna, is believed to have left Sri Lanka recently, following trenchant international criticism of the activities of his group, the Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP), in the Eastern Tamil-speaking district of Batticaloa.Media reports said on Wednesday that Karuna had left for the UK. But independent sources could only confirm that he had left the country temporarily.The Scandinavian-staffed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) had both criticized the TMVP for forcibly recruiting children and extorting money from the people in Batticaloa.Every UN and EU rights body had been urging the Sri Lankan government to disarm or rein in the Karuna group. And time and again, they had expressed dismay over Colombo's turning a deaf ear to these pleas. But the Sri Lankan government needed the Karuna group to help track down the LTTE and help police the area recently cleared of the LTTE. Political clash While the government needed the Karuna group for military purposes, it was ill at ease with its political ambitions. The TMVP had been nursing ambitions of emerging as the voice of the Tamils in the East, especially Batticaloa district, and winning the proposed elections in the Eastern districts in early 2008.To prevent the emergence of any new popular Tamil group in place of the LTTE, and to win the hearts and minds of the Tamils, the Rajapaksa government itself started doing relief and rehabilitation work in the war affected areas.All efforts in this direction began to be directed by Basil Rajapaksa, Senior Advisor and brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Government ministers were asked to make frequent visits to the rehabilitation centres and announce development programmes worth millions of rupees. "But no Tamils were, or are, involved in this task," a former Tamil militant who is now close to the government said ruefully.The Karuna group itself is partly responsible for this. Though the TMVP had political ambitions, it was doing precious little to win the hearts and minds of the common Tamils. It had neither protected the common man against the Sri Lankan military, nor had it done anything to alleviate the suffering of the 200,000 war refugees in the past year and a half, local Tamil leaders said. On the other hand, it had been harassing the people. Ground cleared for non-Tamil Parties The TMVP itself got divided into the Karuna and Pillaiyaan factions, which started killing each other's supporters. When it went out of bounds, the government stepped in and restored peace, forcing Pillayaan to confine himself to Trincomalee district. But he is said to be breaking out of the confines now.With no powerful, popular and credible Tamil group in the East ( the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance has already been weakened) the ground is now clear for the national or Sinhala majoritarian parties to establish themselves there ahead of the proposed local and provincial elections in early 2008. Army chief: Sri Lanka's rebels lose 60 percent territory Catholic priest on humanitarian mission killed in DPU Claymore attack Rev. Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith, 40, the Mannaar district coordinator of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) was killed when Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) attackers launched a Claymore attack on his Hiace vehicle, at Kalvi'laan on Maangku'lam - Ve'l'laangku'lam road, Wednesday evening, Tamileelam Police officials in Mallaavi said. Fr. Ranjth was bringing baby milk and essential humanitarian supplies for displaced children in his vehicle, JRS sources in Mannaar said. The assistant of the priest, identified as Christopher Jujin, was injured and transferred to Ki'linochchi hospital, medical sources said. Fr. Nicholaspillai was on his way to Vidaththaltheevu, via Mallaavi. He had entered the LTTE controlled area through Pu'liyangku'lam entry point to attend the needs of recently displaced people in the district. Humanitarian and Health workers, attending the needs of civilians in Vanni, have been increasingly targeted by the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) Unit of the SLA, known as DPU. The JRS is an international Catholic organisation with a mission is to accompany, serve and defend the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. Jaffna doctors protest against alleged delay in MI postings Doctors of the Jaffna General Hospital are threatening to take trade union action in protest against the alleged delay in posting Medical Interns (MI) to that hospital by the Ministry of Health Care and Nutrition. They also protest that according to the list prepared on the Common Merit List the hospital would receive only 15 MIs when there were 52 vacancies. Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe of the GMOA told the Daily Mirror that the Ministry has withdrawn the list of MIs on more than four or five occasions further delaying the postings. “In the list prepared for the 2008 appointments from the 2000 / 2001 batch there are 745 MIs to get postings in government hospitals in addition to transfers of other doctors. Due to the delay we are not aware when and who will be appointed to what and which hospitals. We are totally in the dark in this issue,” Dr. Wickramasinghe said.Commenting on the dispute, Minister of Health Care and Nutrition Nimal Siripala De Silva told Daily Mirror yesterday that the GMOA and the parliamentarians who sat the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Health must get the blame for the delay in Doctors and MIs appointments.“This is their creation. I tried my best to solve this problem democratically with particular concern on the people in the North East. That was why I attempted to post MIs to hospitals in the North East outside the merit list as there was a severe shortage of doctors in the two provinces,” he said.The steps taken by the ministry was strictly opposed by the GMOA, MIs and lecturers. They demanded to adhere to the merit list, Minister De Silva said.“At the parliamentary advisory committee not only the MIs but the TNA and the UNP vehemently protested. Parliamentarians Dr. Jayalath Jayawardana and Renuka Herath took an adamant stand on the issue and protested the Ministry’s move in solving this problem. The delay in giving appointments to doctors and MIs arose out of that protest,” Mr. De Silva stressed.However the ministry has taken steps to give appointments to doctors on October 1. The ministry is compelled to reshuffle the list of MIs as a fair number of MIs have not applied for internships, he added. Police deny harassing Muslims 'Forcefully entered' Muslim houses Human rights activists and the Muslim residents in Maligawatta have protested as police forcefully entered their houses searching for two men accused of possessing illegal drugs.Kader Pasha Jamila, resident of Maligawatta housing scheme told BBC Sandeshaya that police forcefully entered her house while she was taking shower."They threw away all our belongings and then demolished our houses," Jamila said.She added that two Muslim youths were then beaten using metal bars by the police officers from Kotahena police station."They shot in the air and threatened to kill us". Damage by protesters DIG Wicramaratne said the protesters have damaged a three-wheeler taxi used by the police and thrown stones at them."We are prepared to investigate the accusations that the police demolished their houses," he told BBCSinhala.com. General Secretary of Colombo District Human Rights Organisation (CDHRO), Mohamed Thaslin, said the organisation filed complaints with Maligawatta police and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the arbitrary arrest of two Muslim youths.Minnat and Husein Dean who were severely beaten and arrested by the police were later allowed to meet relatives, Thaslin said. UNP ready for military solution if needed Changing its earlier stance the UNP said it would pursue a military solution if necessary once they come to power MP Ravi Karunanayaka said recently. UNP Colombo District MP Ravi Karunanayake told a press conference there would be a change of party policy although it had not deviated from wide devolution of power accepted by all communities. He said the UNP will not adopt federalism as a solution although many pasted that label on the party. “Our solution is broad devolution not federalism,” he said. Karunanayake explained that some changes should be made to the ceasefire agreement of 2002 as the situation today is different from what it was when it was signed. He said the party had to introduce some changes to its policy on the national issue as it did not get a mandate for the earlier stance at recent elections. New Sinhala colony in Raalku'li, villagers complain Resettled Tamil families in Raalku'li, a traditional Tamil village in Moothoor division in Trincomalee district, expressed fear that the Sri Lanka government is attempting to settle Sinhala families in their village. The fear follows the laying foundation stone for about 138 houses under a resettlement project in the village with the funding of a Buddhist Organization located in Colombo. The foundation was laid for the project on September 8 by a government delegation led by Mr.Basil Rajapakse, Senior Presidential advisor and accompanied by ministers Susantha Punchinilame, Najeeb Abdul Majeed, and Rischard Badiudin, sources said.222 Tamil families are living in Raalku'li. They fled from the village following the military operation launched by the Sri Lanka Army last year. They stayed in transit centres in Kinniya division before being resettled.Displaced Tamil families have refused to be resettled elsewhere other than their own villages in Moothoor east division. Hence the houses now to be constructed with the funds provided by a Buddhist organization are expected to be handed over to Sinhalese families once completed. 26Septemper 2007 Under fire, Sri Lanka President swipes at UN record Under fire amid a rash of civil war human rights abuses, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has turned the tables on the United Nations, questioning its efficiency, and ability to help tackle terrorism.Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York overnight Rajapaksa, whose administration has vilified UN envoys for criticism, said solutions to armed conflicts must be homegrown and rights should not be used as a tool to victimise countries."The UN has a mixed record of achievements. As resources received by the UN are limited, it has been only possible to deliver limited results," Rajapaksa told the assembly on Tuesday in his native Sinhala."We need to focus on these as they have often been characterized by countless, poorly coordinated, ineffectively designed, ineptly staffed and overlapping programs, with unnecessary inter-agency rivalry."Rajapaksa called on the UN to wind up negotiations on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, saying the body was locked in endless discussion, adding Sri Lanka supports strengthening UN mechanisms for countering fund raising for illegal activities."State sovereignty, civil society and the rule of law are increasingly being threatened by terrorism and other illegal and illicit activities in many countries," Rajapaksa said."Although the UN system has set up mechanisms to deal with many of these problems, the capacity of the UN to address these challenges effectively has been brought into question."Rights groups say hundreds of people have been killed or abducted in Sri Lanka since last year, when a civil war that has killed around 70,000 people since 1983 resumed after a near four-year lull. Some abuses have been blamed on state security forces.The government says the reports are overblown and designed to tarnish its image, and has slammed United Nations envoys for voicing concerns and slammed foreign governments and rights groups for criticism.Sri Lanka has rejected calls from rights groups and aid workers for a United Nations human rights monitoring mission, saying it would infringe on its sovereignty and that it is capable of probing abuses itself."Human rights are too important to be used as a tool to victimize states for political advantage. It is essential that international action to facilitate compliance with human rights standards is fair and even handed," Rajapaksa said.The government's Tamil Tiger rebel foes, who are widely outlawed as a terrorist organisation and have mounted a spree of bombings and suicide attacks, accuse the state of waging a genocidal war against minority Tamils and say they have been isolated and have no forum to voice their views."Terrorism anywhere is terrorism," Rajapaksa said. "We launched military operations only to exert pressure on terrorists in order to convince them that it will not be possible for them to obtain a military victory."Analysts say seeking to annihilate the Tigers militarily will only result in more bloodshed, and see no clear winner on the horizon. An estimated 5,000 people have been killed since early 2006 alone. Sri Lankan military says it killed 10 Tamil Tiger rebels in intense fighting Two groups of Tamil Tiger rebels tried to infiltrate government-controlled territory, setting off a battle with government forces that killed 10 of the rebels, the military said Wednesday.The battle came amid days of heavy fighting along the front lines separating the rebels' de facto state from thousands of government troops.There was no independent confirmation of the death toll and rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan was not immediately available for comment. Both sides in the fighting routinely exaggerate their enemy's death toll, while underreporting their own casualty figures.The latest fighting started about 4 p.m. local time Tuesday near the Vavuniya area, south of the Tigers' territory when two different groups of rebel fighters tried to cross the front lines, said Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara, a military spokesman.The subsequent battle _ involving artillery, mortar shells and small arms fire _ killed 10 rebels and wounded four soldiers, he said.In fighting earlier this week, the government claimed to have killed nine rebels in a daylong battle that ended early Tuesday. A battle Monday just north of rebel territory killed 20 rebels and one soldier, the military said.The increased fighting led to speculation that the government might be preparing for a military offensive against the Tigers' heartland in the jungles of northern Sri Lanka.Earlier this year, government forces routed the Tigers from territory they had controlled in eastern Sri Lanka.The two sides have been fighting for more than two decades, with the Tigers demanding an independent homeland for minority Tamils in the northeast and the government, dominated by the Sinhalese majority, insisting the country remain unified.More than 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting, 5,000 of them since a 2002 cease-fire broke down in late 2005. Lanka govt-LTTE truce agreement not a 'dead letter': SLMM Undeterred by the raging ethnic conflict here, the Scandinavian truce monitors have expressed optimism about the relevance of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels.However, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) admitted that the number of violations of the truce had increased substantially."I don't think it (the ceasefire agreement) is a dead letter. I think it's a valid document that hasn't been abrogated by either of the parties. The continuing existence of the SLMM is proof that it has been surviving", the head of the SLMM Lars J Solvberg said in an interview."We have been getting feedback from a lot of people who are not directly affiliated with either of the parties. They are supportive of the fact that SLMM is still around to follow the situation", he told the Sinhala Newspaper "Lakbima" here.Solvberg said the warefare is "basically" limited to the northern region though there are incidents in the east too as was evident this week. "But the major military activity is in the north." "There's a forward defence locality between the LTTE- controlled area and Government controlled area in Jaffna... Muhamalai. And that is a constant military confrontation. We have shelling almost, I would say, every day or night. And have had for months and months. Also, in the southern rim of the LTTE-controlled area, Omanthai, is a situation of military confrontation," he said. STF, LTTE exchange mortar fire in Ampaa'rai Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) launched mortar shells Tuesday around 2:30 p.m from their base in Kagnchikuddichchaa'ru in Ampaa'rai district, on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas in Ampaa'rai. LTTE retaliated with mortar shells, Ampaa'rai district LTTE Political Head Kaviyarasan said. LTTE did not suffer any casualties in the exchange of mortar shells which lasted until 3:00 p.m., Kaviyarasan said No civilian casualties were reported. LTTE shells fell and exploded inside Kagnchikuddichchaar'ru STF base, but information is not available on casualty figures. Army captures LTTE’s FDL near Yodha Wewa The Military on Monday captured the LTTE’s first Forward Defence Lines on the western side of the Yodha Wewa (Giant Tank) in the north of Mannar, in a fresh military operation launched on Sunday to capture the area, military sources said.They said that on Monday itself the military was able to kill more than 20 LTTE cadres and injure nearly 40. Clashes erupted between the advancing military and the LTTE on Monday on the west of the Yodha Wewa ( Giant Tank).“During the clashes four soldiers succumbed to injuries while nearly 20 LTTE cadres were killed and 36 injured,” a military official said. He also said that the military established through LTTE radio transmission intercepts that a vehicle belonging to the terrorists had been completely destroyed during the clash.The official also said that there were heavy exchanges of artillery and mortar fire between the two parties for several hours.With the outbreak of fighting people in the area have started to flee and seek refuge at nearby churches and schools. “Only a few families moved from the area,” the official however said.Meanwhile, the LTTE said on Monday that they had thwarted military attempts to infiltrate into areas under their control . “After nine hours of stiff fighting, the Army troops were pushed back to their positions with heavy causalities,” the Tamilnet said quoting an LTTE spokesman. He said that six Tigers were killed during the fighting.He also said, that the military casualties were airlifted from the battle field in Sri Lanka Air Force helicopters. 5 in Thenmaraadchi seek HRC protection Five civilians , including three youths between 20 and 22 years of age, in Thenmaraadchi sought protection with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna due to death threats from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and SLA-backed paramilitaries, sources in Jaffna said.Three youths are from Amman Koiyiladi in Chaavakachcheari.The number of civilians from Thenmaraadchi area seeking protection due to the deteriorating security environment has escalated recently, civil society sources in Jaffna said. UNP has only disguise to cling onto power - Wimal Weerawansa 25Septemper 2007 Sri Lankan Peace Must Be Based on Tamil Homeland, Rebels Say Sri Lanka's peace process must be based on a homeland for the Tamil people, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam said, as the army extended operations in the north after defeating rebel forces in the east in July. The Tamil people should be able to ``express their aspirations'' in the same way as the people of East Timor and Kosovo, the LTTE said in an e-mailed statement. East Timor became independent in May 2002 and the United Nations is negotiating an independence plan for Kosovo, a province of Serbia with an ethnic-Albanian majority. A solution to Tamil demands can't be based on dividing Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said earlier this month. The LTTE is fighting for a separate homeland for Tamils who make up about 8.5 percent of the South Asian island nation's 20 million people, according to U.S. government data. The loss of Sri Lanka's Eastern Province after 14 years of fighting has left the Tamil Tigers in control of areas in the north. The army said yesterday it killed four LTTE leaders in an attack two days ago on a rebel base in the northeast. The international community should ``recognize the concept of the sovereignty of the Tamil people and support the peace process in accordance with this principle,'' the LTTE said in a statement issued by its Peace Secretariat late yesterday to coincide with Rajapaksa attending the UN General Assembly annual meeting in New York this week. Rajapaksa's delegation will use its visit to ``discredit the Tamil struggle for self-determination as terrorism and mislead the international community,'' the LTTE said. Tamil Grievances There are ``genuine Tamil grievances'' and ``genuine Tamil aspirations'' that have to be addressed, Rajapaksa said in an interview with Indian media, published on the Defense Ministry's Web site earlier this month. The LTTE doesn't speak for all Tamils, he said. ``The vast majority of Tamil people want peace above everything'' and to them the state of Eelam is ``just an illusion,'' Rajapaksa said. ``The only question that is non- negotiable is a divided Sri Lanka.'' The Tamil Tigers, who have an estimated 12,000 fighters, including 4,000 members of its Sea Tigers naval force, is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union and India. ``The LTTE is maintaining patience and still restricting itself to a defensive war,'' S.P. Thamilchelvan, head of the group's political wing, said in an interview with TamilNet last week. He didn't refer directly to the loss of the Eastern Province in July. Ethnic Conflict The government is attempting to escalate the island's ethnic conflict to ``hitherto unseen heights'' by breaking up ethnic- Tamil communities in areas it now controls, Thamilchelvan said. Development of the eastern region is the government's cover for creating a land of refugees and promoting colonization by the ethnic Sinhalese community, he said. ``It is incorrect to say the government is attempting to colonize the east with Sinhalese,'' Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, the minister for media and mass communication, said Sept. 6 in response to an allegation by a lawmaker with the Tamil National Alliance party. Sinhalese make up almost 74 percent of Sri Lanka's population. Sri Lanka's government said in July it wants to hold elections in Eastern Province, possibly before the end of this year, and develop the region economically. The conflict between the government and the LTTE escalated a year ago as two attempts at peace talks in Geneva failed to make progress toward ending the two-decade insurgency. Solution to the ethnic problem before end of year, Sri Lanka President says to Indian Foreign Minister Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told the Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the solution to the ethnic problem will be brought before the end of this year through the All Party Representative Committee (APRC). The President made this claim in response to an inquiry from the Indian Foreign Minister when the duo met for discussions on September 23rd, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama told a government owned daily. The talks were focused on the bilateral relations, Sri Lanka government’s Eastern Province development plan, India – Sri Lanka joint venture in Coal power electricity and the Comprehensive Economic Participation Agreement to be signed between the two countries. Mannaar offensive thwarted - LTTE Sri Lanka Army army launched a ground offensive Monday morning at 5:30 towards Liberation Tigers controlled Adaikkalaimoaddai in Kaddukkaraikku'lam Tank area. After 9 hours of stiff fighting, the SLA troops were pushed back to their positions suffering heavy causalities, military spokesperson of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE), Irasaiah Ilanthiraiyan said. The Tigers lost 6 fighters in the clash. The SLA casualties were airlifted in Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopters from the battle field. Military medics were in prepared state as the SLA anticipated casualties. Following the instructions by the SLA, Mannaar general hospital and Murungkan district hospital, were placed on high alert state since early morning Monday.Traffic through Mannaar Madawachchi road was interrupted several times. Villagers in SLA controlled Uyirththaraasanku'lam have moved out to seek shelter at the St. Anthony's church. 20 LTTE cadres killed in fighting at Kilali FDL-SL Army Twenty LTTE cadres were killed in Army retaliation at a daybreak LTTE attack at the Forward Defense Line in Kilali in the Jaffna peninsula, said Media Center for National Security (MCNS) The Army chased the retreating LTTE cadres, demolished eight bunkers belonged to them and recovered three T-56 weapons and a communication equipment. Army recovered three bodies of the slain LTTE cadres and verified by deciphering their communication that around 20 LTTEers were killed in fighting. MCNS said that one soldier was killed and five were injured. Meanwhile, LTTE attacked an Army foot patrol around 3.30 PM yesterday (23) at the forward defense line near Yodha Weva reservoir in Mannar. MCNS said that three LTTE cadres were killed and one soldier was injured in the attack. Tamil Tigers call for international pressure on Sri Lanka Tamil Tiger guerrillas called Tuesday for international pressure to be cranked up to force the Sri Lankan government to halt military operations and return to peace negotiations.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), commonly referred to as the Tamil Tigers, accused Colombo in a statement of pursuing a military campaign and committing human rights abuses.The timing of the statement was intended to coincide with President Mahinda Rajapakse's address to the United Nations in New York later Tuesday.The LTTE wants the international community to push the Colombo administration to honour a 2002 ceasefire arranged by peace broker Norway. The truce is in tatters after an escalation of fighting since December 2005."Whereas the LTTE continued to respect and urge for a full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, the Rajapakse regime eventually embarked on its war of occupation," the LTTE said."The government of Sri Lanka must end its deceptions, halt its military oppression, ethnic cleansing, and serious human rights violations, accept the aspirations of the Tamil people and come forward to find a resolution that is based on the right to self-determination of the Tamil people," the statement said."The international community must rein in the government of Sri Lanka to bring it in line."It added military operations by Sri Lankan forces continued in the island's north and east, but said that the LTTE "continued to restrain itself, confining only to defensive operations."The statement came a day after the Sri Lankan military said that at least 27 people, including 23 rebels, were killed in clashes over the weekend.The fighting came despite an offer Sunday by the government's top defence official to halt military action in exchange for a resumption of peace talks, which stalled last October.Troops would not go on the offensive if Tamil rebels agreed to talks, defence ministry secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse told a newspaper amid pressure from the island's key foreign backers to halt the carnage.The Tigers described Rajapakse's offer as "lip service," dismissed the government's public pledge to seek a political settlement and urged the international community not to be fooled.They also accused the government of making "schizophrenic public statements" on how it plans to find a solution to the conflict, which has claimed the lives of more than 60,000 people. UNHRC special session on SL: AI Special session Delivering the speech AI representative Peter Splinter said “that (special session) will allow it to receive and discuss an urgently needed comprehensive assessment of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and explore measures that can assist the Government in improving that situation”.Mentioning the enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Sri Lanka AI said “the severity of the violations and abuses requires that the Government address in the Council itself the need for investigations, prosecutions and other practical measures to end those violations and abuses”.AI said that both the persistent denial of Sri Lankan government about the severity of the situation, and the casting of aspersions on those expressing concern about the situation is unhelpful.AI also urges the Human Rights Council to start to address the situations of grave violations of fundamental rights without a further delay. Military solution will only make Prabhakaran a legend: Tamil rights activist Dr Rajan Hoole, a Tamil rights activist who won the Martin Ennals award recently, has warned the Sri Lankan government against killing the LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. Prabhakaran's destruction through military action would only result in his becoming a more dangerous legend among the Tamil people than he was already, he said."Treating the destruction of Prabhakaran as an end in itself, would make him an even more dangerous legend among the Tamils everywhere," Hoole said in a statement on monday.Reacting to the Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's declaration that there would be a political settlement only after the Tamil Tigers were militarily crushed, Hoole said that this was putting the cart before the horse, and would be completely counter productive.He said that a reasonable political solution, taking into account the long standing aspirations of the Tamils, would have to be offered to the Tamil people as a priority. That would enable them to reject the LTTE's violence, intolerance and separatism. "The LTTE must be defeated, but the way it is defeated is crucial. Its ultimate defeat could only be achieved by the Tamil people given adequate democratic opportunity," the activist said. Hoole, who heads the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), said that without a political solution on offer, it would be very difficult for the Tamil moderates to wean the Tamil masses away from the LTTE. Tamil moderates, like himself, were having great difficulty trying to convince ordinary Tamils living in the neighbourhood and the Diaspora, that the LTTE had been committing crimes against the Tamils themselves, Hoole said. He was often reprimanded by the Tamil people for exposing the LTTE's violence. Their argument was that there was a powerful government in Colombo "committing terrible atrocities" against the Tamils which had to be fought and in that context, it would not be prudent to expose the wrong doings of the LTTE.Hoole said that the Sri Lankan government was wrong in taking Indian support for granted. According to him Indian were feeling that if the Sri Lankan government continued to be insensitive to the political demands of the Tamils and concentrated only on military action, a separate "Eelam" might be inevitable. "Disregarding Tamil aspirations and stocking up an excess of hardware to defeat him (Prabhakaran) militarily, would make him a more dangerous legend, dead or living. People would then remember him not as a villain who brought ruin on the Tamils, but as the man who understood the Sinhalese polity and refused to bow down," Hoole warned. Peace cannot be established at the point of a gun on Tamils---Mano Ganeshan Mano Ganeshan, Colombo District Parliamentarian, addressing World Peace Day at Hyde Park Colombo stated that by forcing solution on the Tamil people through the might of the government or through a military solution, a lasting solution cannot be found. He further stated that it is the Tamil people and the Muslim people who have been very badly affected by the war situation. Therefore, it is the Tamil people who long for peace most. He continued that it is meaningless to say that they can bring peace only through war. President Chandrika carried out a war for peace and she learnt a bitter lesson. Those who want to promote war for peace must learn from the history of the country. 10 refugees arrive at Rameswaram RAMANATHAPURAM: A group of 10 Sri Lankan refugees, comprising five men, three women and two children, arrived at Rameswaram on Monday. Sources said they were from the Vavuniya and Mannar areas. Basil to assume duty as Minister Government sources speculate that newly appointed national list MP Basil Rajapaksa will swear in as the Minister of Nation Building immediately after the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa returns from the UN General Assembly. The President is to return to the country on September 28. The Ministry of Nation Building which currently comes under the purview of the President, handles the biggest percentage of the national budget administered by four more non-cabinet Ministers. They are Ministers Jagath Pushpakumara, Rohitha Abegunawardhana, S.M. Chandrasena and Gunaratna Weerakoon.Former Senior Presidential adviser Basil Rajapaksa, the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was assumed as the de facto Minister of the Nation Building portfolio earlier as well. Enter Basil, exit the people President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother who was officially a Senior Presidential Adviser earlier, swore in as a national list MP replacing the National Congress Minister late Anver Ismail.The writer had to take it as a controversial matter related to democracy since most of the media did not take it in that vein. One weekend newspaper introduced it as a measure that strengthened the President.Another 'alternative' newspaper was tight lipped on this matter. That sets the backdrop for this writing. Let us first consider the current parliament. The known legislature is a supreme institute that executes the people's sovereignty through people's representatives. Is it so here? JVP contested in United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) list with the SLFP at last general election. Many SLFP supporters cast their vote to UPFA and marked the preference to JVP bringing them to the top of district preferential results. Those SLFP votes went to the JVP since the voters thought that the young blood would do good to the UPFA and the country. JVP won 40 seats and was shocked by the victory to the extent to offer one national list slot to the SLFP. Does not that mean that the conscience of the JVP knew that the votes belonged to the SLFP? Now that JVP is in the opposition without heeding to the SLFP voters consent that expected JVP doing good through the alliance. Is this a way of representing the consent of the people who elected them? On the other hand, 24 UNPers who obtained UNP votes and preferences are now in the government. Similarly, is this a way of representing the consent of the people's consent. This is same with Ceylon Workers' Congress and the Muslim Congress who contested under elephant symbol. Do they represent the public anymore? Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathis Suriyaarachchi are same too. Do they now represent the sovereignty of the people who voted them? The rationale behind the restricting of party crossovers in J.R. Jayawardhana's constitution is that the elected member should bow to the consent of the public who elected him/her through voting to the party. Since the proportion of received votes also decides the number of seats, crossings obviously breach the people's sovereignty.Now crossed over MPs also can remain in the parliament due to the loopholes in law. However, the above facts clarify the extent of breach of sovereignty by them. We have to consider Basil's entry in this backdrop. As one newspaper mentioned, it is now easy to counter a parliamentary political game against President. Is the parliament a game planner like the underworld? It is said that Basil would strengthen the President. Legislature is not an institute bound to strengthen the executive. This depicts the ignorance on power politics. Both executive Presidency and the legislature derive power from people's sovereignty. These two bodies represent sovereignty in two ways. Therefore, the duty of the parliament should not be strengthening the Presidency and it should strengthen the public. Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka, Ministers Mervin Silva and Dallus Alahapperuma and Basil Rajapakse were not in the national list by the time the election was held. What is the use of a national list if one can be nominated from outside? Why is it necessary to publicize the national list prior to the election? Is it not for the public to know who will be sent to parliament from their vote? Aren't the national list slots allocated pertaining to the percentage of votes received? Then was not the national list slot be filled with a member of the Minister Anver's party? All these can be legally correct. Appointing one to national list from outside has not been legally analyzed. Nevertheless, it is challenged in court. Although they can be legal, they are damning of the sovereignty in people's conscience. The conscience of the people cannot be changed by propaganda, arguments or theories. We have to consider Basil's entry to the parliament in this backdrop.One appointee to the national list is a joker. Another one is a rowdy. The identity of the newcomer is yet to know. Where do all these deformities lead us? What decision will the public take if their trust on the democratic institutes collapse? We think that the true journalists who think of people should consider these. By 24Septemper 2007 Under fire Sri Lanka offers olive branch to Tamil Tigers Sri Lanka offered Sunday to halt major military operations against Tamil separatists in exchange for peace talks following intense international censure. Troops will not press ahead with an offensive if Tamil Tiger rebels agree to talk, Defence Ministry secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse told a newspaper amid pressure from the island's key foreign backers not to pursue the military option.The country's top defence official said it was now up to the Tigers to decide if the military should keep up its drive and urged them to resume peace negotiations which collapsed in October last year."The decision (of war or peace) is theirs and I believe they wouldn't reject this opportunity," Rajapakse told the Sunday Island. "We'll not take advantage of the ground situation," if the Tigers agree to negotiate.Rajapakse, who is also the president's younger brother, made the comments after the the United States urged Colombo against pressing ahead with a military drive.The European Union and neighbouring India have also warned against an all-out military campaign. The surprise olive branch came just days aft | ||
