30 September 2008

Bomb hits Sri Lanka capital, fighting kills 21

Sri Lanka - Suspected Tamil separatists set off a bomb in a parking lot in Sri Lanka's capital Monday, wounding three people a day after fighting in the country's intensifying civil war killed 20 rebels and one soldier, the military said.The violence came as government forces closed in on the rebels' administrative capital of Kilinochchi in a campaign aimed at routing the guerrillas and ending the 25-year-old war that has killed more than 70,000 people.The bomb, placed between two vehicles in a parking lot in Colombo's busy Pettah neighbourhood, exploded shortly after noon and slightly wounded three bystanders, said military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara. The Tamil Tigers, who have been accused of scores of bombings and other attacks on civilians, were suspected in the blast, he said.On Monday evening, a hand grenade exploded in Kattankudy, a predominantly Muslim town in eastern Sri Lanka, wounding 21 people, Nanayakkara said. He said it was unclear who was behind the attack.Meanwhile, air force helicopters attacked rebel bunker lines Monday in support of ground troops in the Kilinochchi district, the military said.In fighting Sunday, troops captured part of a strategic road in the district after a seven-hour battle that killed seven rebels and one soldier, the military said in a statement.Attacks on rebel bunkers and other scattered fighting killed 11 rebels in the Welioya, Jaffna and Vavuniya districts, it said.Two other rebels were killed in a brief clash in Ampara in the east, which the government ousted the rebels from last year, the military said.With nearly all communications to the north severed, rebel spokesmen could not be contacted for comment.It was not possible to verify the military's reports because most journalists and other independent observers are barred from the war zone. Both sides often exaggerate their enemy's losses and underreport their own.Also Monday, the military said a soldier who had been wounded in a rebel suicide attack Sunday in the northern town of Vavuniya died from his injuries.The Tamil Tigers have fought since 1983 to create an independent state for Sri Lanka's minority Tamils following decades of marginalization by governments dominated by the Sinhalese majority.

Grenade blast wounds 21 civilians in Sri Lanka

At least 21 civilians were wounded in a grenade explosion in Sri Lanka’s eastern Batticaloa district Monday evening, defence sources said.Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said an unidentified person flung a hand grenade at a group of civilians at a bus stand in the predominantly Muslim village of Kattankudi.‘Of the 21 wounded, two are seriously injured,’ Nanayakkara told IANS.Batticaloa town is located some 300 km east of here.The motive for the attack was not immediately known.Kattankudi police is conducting an investigation into the blast.The Sri Lankan military has secured the entire eastern province comprising Batticaloa, Amparai and Trincomalee districts from the Tamil Tiger rebels last year. Provincial polls were held earlier this year.

UNP condemns army chief’s alleged

claim minorities have no rightsby Zacki JabbarThe UNP yesterday condemned comments allegedly made by Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, in Canada last week, that minorities did not have rights.Kegalle District UNP MP Kabir Hashim, addressing a news conference in Colombo, said that all right thinking and peace loving people were shocked by Fonseka’s statement. "One can understand a politician making such stupid statements to gain political mileage, but its unacceptable when a soldier who has seen at first hand the suffering people of all communities have undergone over the last three decades, resorts to such cheap gimmicks."He recalled that when Sri Lanka gained independence from the British in 1948 and the Muslims were asked what special Constitutional guarantees they wanted, Dr. T. B. Jaya speaking on behalf of the community had said that since Muslims trusted the Sinhalese, all powers could be handed over to them."The stance taken by Dr. Jaya was applauded by Sri Lanka’s first Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake, who said that all Sinhalese were indebted to the Muslims. But what is happening today is a betrayal of that trust Muslims placed in the Sinhalese," Hashim said. The Muslims, first fought side by side with the Sinhala Kings to protect the territorial integrity of the country and continue to do so even today, Hashim said. "A large number of Muslims died fighting foreign invaders including the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British," he said.It was ironic that the Army Commander had chosen to make his claim regarding minority rights, at a time when all communities had contributed in no small measure to defeating the LTTE. Communalistic statements should be nipped in the bud before matters got out of hand, he added.

Air Force pounds Tiger gathering points

SLAF Fighter jets pounded a LTTE gathering point 2.5 km north of Vannerikulam tank area around 4.10 p.m. yesterday. These air strikes were in support of the troops on the kilinochchi battlefront, Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said.He said Air Force MI 24 helicopter gunships lunched strikes at a Tiger bunker line three Km north of Vannerikulam around 12.15 p.m.This attack was in support of Task Force 1 troops operating in the western half of the Kilinochchi front. The targets were taken accurately, the spokesman said

LTTE deploys more reserves to save Kilinochchi

The Army had closed in on the Mankulam-Iranamadu road (A-9) by last evening. In some areas, the former gap of 1km to the A-9 has been reduced to 300m due to ongoing operations. Fighting is ongoing in Kokavil area where LTTE units are being gradually encircled by troops.Commanders have taken steps to maintain safe passage for civilians along the A-9. The 58 Division has also been gradually eating away at LTTE resistance along the Nachchikuda-Akkarayan road. The current lull in the battlefield is due to extra precautions to ensure safe passage for civilians.Kilinochchi Town has now been emptied of civilians and only LTTE units move in and around the area, LRRP and intelligence units have confirmed. But all-out war for Kilinochchi could make the A-9 dangerously unsafe for civilians who are willing to escape.Civilians have been moved to other civilian houses, schools and other buildings at Vishwamadu and Puthukudiirippu areas by the LTTE. 38 of these captives escaped via sea and reached Weli Oya recently but the large majority are yet to escape LTTE clutches.While a cat and mouse game goes on with regard to civilians, LTTE units have been gradually recalled from Muhamalai and Nagarkovil lines into Kilinochchi for what intelligence sources believe could be the final push they have been awaiting. 150 more cadres had reached Kilinochchi last week.Evidence of cadre movements were uncovered by ground troops on Friday morning when Army units conducting limited operations at the Muhamalai FDL discovered that some of the LTTE lines have been emptied of its cadres. Although it is usually the LTTE's practice to abandon the lines during daytime, it is unusual to empty them at night and in the morning. This trend is observed even at Nagarkovil.Military commanders have continued with the small group operations in these areas despite the observation as large group operations have been vulnerable to indirect attacks several times before.Meanwhile LTTE's insurgent operations in the east are still continuing primarily in STF controlled areas. STF was withdrawn from Batticaloa town following several attacks against the Security Forces by LTTE infiltrators. The Army filled in the void and sent in two Military Intelligence teams headed by two officers from Trincomalee. All infiltrators were systematically identified and gunned down. However unless similar steps are taken in STF controlled areas, insurgents may launch sporadic attacks. Possibility of large attacks can be largely overruled at this time.

United States condemns attack on Sri Lanka anti-corruption activist's residence

The United States has condemned an attack on the residence of anti-corruption activist and human rights lawyer J C Weliamuna, calling on authorities to launch an immediate investigation.Weliamuna is also the executive director of the Sri Lanka branch of Transparency International, an anti-corruption watchdog body.A grenade was thrown into the upper floor of Weliamuna's house Saturday night but no one was injured. Another grenade was found on the premises.The US embassy in Colombo said it commended Weliamuna's work "as a defender of those who seek to fight corruption, protect the victims of abuse, and advance the cause of human rights in Sri Lanka.""We look to the authorities to launch an immediate investigation into this act of violence and bring the perpetrators of this crime swiftly to justice," the embassy said in a statement.Sri Lanka's Free Media Movement, and the Hong Kong based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had also condemned the attack.

ZOA rejects its staffer joined LTTE

ZOA Refugee Care has rejected a media report that its Kilinochchi Programme Manager has joined the LTTE as a fighter.In a statement, ZOA said it wishes to state that the article in one of Sri Lanka’s newspapers was completely incorrect and groundless.It said the government has given instructions to all UN-agencies and INGOs working in the Wanni to relocate their humanitarian and development operations to Vavuniya before September 29th.In compliance with the government’s instructions, ZOA has relocated the concerned Programme Manager, its only international staff member in the region, to Vavuniya.He has reported to work at ZOA’s Vavuniya office on September 26th, the statement said.The Programme Manager and other ZOA employees in the Wanni were solely involved in humanitarian aid, like distribution of food and shelter materials to the many displaced civilians, it added.

AIADMK, MDMK to participate in CPI fast

CHENNAI: The AIADMK, MDMK and the CPI (M) will participate in the fast organised by the state unit of the CPI on Gandhi Jayanthi day urging the Sri Lankan government to stop military action against Tamils.Confirming their participation, senior CPI leader C. Mahendran said though letters were sent to all political parties inviting them, only these parties had so far agreed to take part in the protest.Former AIADMK Minister Muthusamy, MDMK general secretary Vaiko and CPI (M) state secretary N. Varadarajan will represent their parties. Calling upon the Sri Lankan government to find a political solution to the ethnic crisis, Mr. Mahendran said India should not give any military aid to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's war entering tragic phase- Canadian MP  
   
Canadian MP and Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic Bob Rae says Sri Lanka's war is entering a tragic new phase as the Sri Lankan government issues an official warning that the government can no longer 'guarantee' the safety of aid workers in the north and east, and encouraging them to leave the area."As violence between the government and the LTTE spirals out of control once again, the countrys’once admired democratic institutions are buckling under the strain. The number of deaths in the fighting is now estimated at 75,000. There is much that the warring parties in Sri Lanka can do to reverse this situation. A complete ceasefire and a return of the government, the LTTE and others to the negotiating table could reverse the escalating violence," Rae said on his website.The UN's humanitarian agency recently declared Sri Lanka one of the world's most dangerous places for aid workers and journalists. Sri Lanka's war is entering a tragic new phase as the Sri Lankan government issues an official warning that the government can no longer 'guarantee' the safety of aid workers in the north and east, and encouraging them to leave the area, Rae said.“But a simple return to a negotiating table is not enough. The ceasefire of 2001 did not hold because there was no deep commitment to non-violence, and no irrevocable commitment to a democratic devolution that would see both self rule and shared rule. That is what should be brokered between the parties. Thousands of civilians have been violently killed and displaced since the resumption of war. Re-engaging independent monitors and getting them on the ground is critical to re-building confidence,” he said The MP further said that Sri Lanka's standing as a model democracy in South Asia is suffering under the weight of war. “The warning signs are clear. In 2006 the Worldwide Press Freedom index placed Sri Lanka in between Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Likewise, Transparency International consistently reports corruption at the highest levels of executive and legislative government. The relentless conflict continues. Democracy itself hangs in the balance.”He said Sri Lankans need to be able to imagine a country where mutual respect, new forms of autonomy and shared governance, and an abandonment of extremist ideologies are possible. It will require extraordinary courage and determination to get there. The alternative - more death, more repression, more corruption, deeper economic stagnation - must not be allowed.The MP further noted that Canada can hardly be indifferent to this conflict and its own experience with federalism and conflict prevention, the deep attachment to pluralism, and ties to the troubled country should push Canada to far more active engagement.“Our aid and our diplomacy need to be focused on a renewed push for a ceasefire, for a demobilization of the conflict, and for a commitment to parliamentary democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. Anything else will mean more repression and more suffering. We don't need a Canada on the sidelines, or a Canada wagging its finger 10,000 kilometres away. We need a Canada that is knowledgeable and engaged. That is what the Liberal Party believes in, and what we are committed to achieving as a government."

Tamilnadu Que police in sudden search in the Sri Lanka refugee camps.

Tamilnadu information revealed that sudden search operations were held by the "Que" division police in the Mandabam and Sengalpattu, refugee camps in Tamilnadu. Mainly the police were on investigation whether those who are registered are sheltered and whether anybody are missing was stated. According to CBI information, an important member in the Liberation tigers has crept in Tamilnadu, which led the special search was stated.

Need for out-of-the-box approach: Lankan MP
   
The time has come for India to adopt an ‘out-of-the-box’ approach to solve the Sri Lankan ethnic crisis, according to Mano Ganesan, MP from the island nation.“Pakistan and China are going out of the way to assist Lankan forces with arms and ammunition. The longer the conflict moves away from a political solution, both the countries will get a stronger foothold in the island nation and it will not be good news for India since Lanka is very close to Indian territory,” he told reporters in Chennai.“India’s past decisions on Lankan issues neither helped New Delhi nor Lanka or the Tamil people. Decisions made with wrong perspectives have backfired throughout history.So, it needs a new idea.” On Sri Lanka’s quit order to all NGOs, including the United Nations, from the conflict zone in the North, Ganesan said: “The order has a message for the international community, who remain silent over the mass killings of the Tamil people. The recent move  by the government suggest that they do not want anyone to record their all-out war and the systematic ethnic cleansing of Tamils.”

29 September 2008

Ethnocentric military dictatorship in the making in Colombo – TELO President Selvam MP

TELO President and Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian for Vanni, Selvam Adaikkalanathan, who blamed Sri Lanka Army commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka for his Sinhala ethnocentric comments to a Canadian paper, said Sunday that the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as Commander-in-Chief and the Executive President, should instruct the SLA commander to apologise for the statement. Fonseka's statement not only undermined democracy by justifying an ethnic majoritarian rule in the island of Sri Lanka, but also alluded that a military dictatorship was in the making in Colombo, he said. Meanwhile, Rauff Hakim, the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, also blamed that the "attack on the minorities " by the SLA commander "bordered on racism."  The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, in an interview to Canada's National Post published on Thursday, said he "strongly believed that Sri Lanka belongs to Sinhalese. "I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people," quoted Stewart Bell of the Canadian paper National Post the Sri Lankan commander as saying. "We are also a strong nation. They can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things." Reacting to the SLA commander, Mr. Rauff Hakim, said that the nature of the attack on the minorities in the interview bordered on racism. "His request for minorities not to make demands is totally uncalled for and only goes to create a fear psychosis among the minorities at this critical juncture of the conflict," he said. Mr. Adaikkalanathan said the comments from the SLA commander, seen together with an intimidating campaign by the Sri Lankan Police of forced registration of Tamils from North residing in Colombo, violating even the concerns of the Sri Lankan judiciary, resembled an agenda of ethnic cleansing was being exercised as the interview exposed the inner mind of the military establishment. Saying that the Tamil Internally Displaced Persons are forced to live inside detention centres in Mannaar, Mr. Adaikkalanathan questioned whether it was the way the Sri Lankan Commander wanted to treat the Tamils in what he attempts to describe as his 'Sinhala country'. The fear psychosis among the displaced civilians have gone to the extent that they counter interpret the propaganda material that originates from the Sri Lankan military, the MP said, referring to recent news reports on chemical weapons. "Especially after the International NGO workers were ordered to leave Vanni, civilians express fear of a catastrophic choice: whether to face catastrophic attacks of the invading forces or to face ethnic cleansing as IDPs in Sri Lanka Army controlled territories." Mr Adaikkalanathan added: "It is not difficult to imagine how the Tamils, whom Colombo wants to flee southwards to Vavuniyaa, perceive the call, after witnessing throughout the years how the residents of Jaffna, who have been under Sri Lanka Army control for more than a decade were being treated by the military." "The Jaffna peninsula has become an open prison where those who face death threats have to seek security inside the real prisons," he said. The Sri Lankan forces have severely restricted the free movement of Tamil civilians for more than two years, especially after the closure of A9 highway. Sarath Fonseka in his interview to the Canadian paper also said that it could take nearly 20 years to clear land mines in the areas being brought under the control of the SLA.

Kilinochchi town rounded from three sides

Army Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara says that the Army that has rounded Kilinochchi town from three sides are now 4 1/2 kilometers away from the town and will enter into it within the next few weeks.Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara further said that the 58 Brigade is engaged in operations in Nachchikuda south and east regions, Wannerikulam, Maniyamkulam and Pallawarayankaddu. 57 Brigade is moving towards east from Akkarayankulam reservoir area beyond Kokavil railway station very close to A-9 highway, he said.Company 02 of Army Service Corps is in operations seven kilometers northwest to Omanthai in Palamudai north to the west of the A-9 road. 59 Brigade is in operations in Nayaru lagoon, Thannimurippukilam and Ananthakulam jungle areas in Mullaithivu district using different military techniques, aiming mostly the Kilinochchi district, said the Army spokesman.LTTE is fighting to protect their territory, he said.

Wanni Tamils feel abandoned and marginalised: TELO MP Srikantha

Any act of political violence has now come to be treated as an act of terrorism. The underlining causes for such violence may differ from case to case. Yet, all manifestations of political violence are now being clubbed together and branded as terrorism. The Tamil Eelam struggle in Sri Lanka is a problem in Asia, not in Europe. Due to this reason, it has not gained any considerable sympathy or support from the West. In Asia, virtually in every one of our neighbouring countries, except of course, the Maldives, there is at least one separatist movement. This reality is a plus factor for the Sri Lankan government, when it comes to the question of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Also, India was forced to have a self imposed alienation from the Sri Lankan national question, for the last several years, since the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. All these factors put together have created an unfavourable political atmosphere for the separatist struggle for Tamil Eelam waged by the LTTE

TELO Central Committee member Parliamentarian and lawyer by profession N. Srikantha says that, with the exit of the aid workers from the north, there is a sense of being abandoned and marginalised among the Tamils who, today, are literally, caught in the crossfire of the LTTE and government troops. He also points out that, what is required at present is a halt to the ongoing military operation and the introduction of a political package as a solution to the dragging ethnic question. “We can’t go on fighting like this. Just think of the plight of the innocent Tamils. While both the LTTE and the government troops fight, it is they who are caught in between. This should stop immediately,” he told The Nation in an interview.

Following are excerpts;
Q: As the war in the North escalates, civilians are caught in between. What is the real plight of the civilians?
A: As far as the Tamils living in the Wanni are concerned, their only wish and prayer is that military operations should cease. The people there are experiencing every minute of the fury of the military conflict between the security forces and the LTTE. Of the 400,000 people, half the number is now displaced with most of them housed in schools and in temporary shelters. There is a big question mark with regard to their very survival. With the government resorting to aerial attacks, the people are gripped with the fear of either losing their lives or getting grievously injured, virtually daily. The supply of food and essential medicines from Vavuniya, via the A9 highway, has now been suspended and, unless it is resumed, there is a grim prospect of severe shortage of these essential items in the next few days. Overall, the whole situation is very alarming. With the exit of the NGOs and UN agencies from the Wanni, I understand that, there is a sense of being abandoned and marginalized, among these helpless people.

Q: Are you satisfied with the government’s arrangements made to provide shelter and food to the civilians fleeing from the war areas?
A: Well, what are these arrangements and where are they? The government is only concerned now with the recapture of Kilinochchi town. The government has suspended the transportation of food and goods by lorries from Omanthai, the last checkpoint on the A9 highway on the southern side. Therefore, it is very clear that the government is only obsessed with Kilinochchi and hoisting the Lion flag there. There is no humanitarian concern. I would say that the government has deliberately discarded its Constitutional obligation towards the Tamils of the war-torn Wanni region.

Q: Currently, the morale of the government troops seems to be high and is keen to capture territories earlier held by the Tigers. Would this be a psychological blow to the LTTE?
A: It is rather premature for anybody to predict the ultimate outcome of the ongoing military campaign. But, one thing is certain, territories may change hands, as was the case in the last 15 years, but there cannot be any decisive victory for either party in this war, given the lessons of the past. Even if the government succeeds in recapturing strategic areas and main towns in the Wanni region, the LTTE, being a militant organization with rich experience in warfare, can continue to exist and exert itself as a guerilla force. Given the geography of the Wanni region, the LTTE can fight from there for years to come. The objective of defeating the LTTE decisively or, destroying it altogether, can only be a daydream. Between 1987 and 1990, the LTTE was able to resist the Indian army, the fourth largest in the world, from the thick jungles of the Wanni. History can repeat itself.

Q: While the government forces claim they are on a winning streak, the LTTE has still not admitted defeat. What do you think is the truth?
A: In both love and war, truth is the first casualty. The fact is, in the ongoing war, both sides have been suffering casualties in considerable numbers. But, when it comes to propaganda, it is not fair for anybody to expect the whole truth from either side of any military conflict of this nature.

Q: The TNA that claims to represent the Tamils of the North and East, is today confined to its base, while the Tamil civilians are undergoing immense hardships. Why is that the TNA has not been able to mount pressure on the government against what is described by the TNA as atrocities against the Tamils?
A: I think it is not fair to make such an unkind comment on the TNA. We have been placing the plight of the people at every available forum. If today, there is a clear understanding of the ethnic conflict of this country at the international level, the role of the TNA is definitely among the contributory factors for such a scenario. If, most of the political parties in the Tamil speaking state of Tamil Nadu in neighbouring India, are up in arms against the ongoing military campaign, in consequent of which, our people in the Wanni region are undergoing immense suffering, it is mainly due to the frequent briefings regarding the ground situation here, that was undertaken by the TNA. Not only the regional parties in Tamil Nadu, but also national parties, including the Communist Party, BJP and the Marxists Communist Party have raised their powerful voices in defence of our people. There is an emotional upsurge now in Tamil Nadu. It is bound to have its own impact soon at the national level in India. Sri Lanka cannot afford under any circumstances, to displease India. Both, in and out of Parliament, the TNA has been fearlessly championing the legitimate political aspirations of our people.

Q: If what you say has any truth, then, how come the international community in general, and India in particular, have not reacted to the TNA’s appeal?
A: It is true to some extent. There are several reasons for that. Firstly, I would like to cite the post September 11 Western psychology. Any act of political violence has now come to be treated as an act of terrorism. The underlining causes for such violence may differ from case to case. Yet, all manifestations of political violence are now being clubbed together and branded as terrorism. Secondly, unlike Kosovo in Serbia and that of Osetia and Abhasia in Georgia, the Tamil Eelam struggle in Sri Lanka is a problem in Asia, not in Europe. Due to this reason, it has not gained any considerable sympathy or support from the West. In Asia, virtually in every one of our neighbouring countries, except of course, the Maldives, there is at least one separatist movement. This reality is a plus factor for the Sri Lankan government, when it comes to the question of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Also, India was forced to have a self-imposed alienation from the Sri Lankan national question, for the last several years, since the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. All these factors put together have created an unfavourable political atmosphere for the separatist struggle for Tamil Eelam waged by the LTTE. But this is only one side of the matter. There is also the other side. That is the issue of legitimate political aspirations of the minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. The Tamils of Sri Lanka have a long recorded history in Sri Lanka. With the gaining of independence in 1948, the Tamils found themselves relegated to second class citizenship. Fifty percent of them were rendered stateless. This state of affairs, slowly and steadily, has led to the ethnic conflict assuming a military dimension. The Tamils are still ready for a reasonable political solution within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. But where is the solution. Are there any meaningful proposals placed before the Tamils. If tomorrow the government could come forward with a reasonable political package to solve the ethnic problem peacefully, the Tamils would never like to miss that opportunity. You can have that word of the TNA on that. We are positive that the international community understands our aspirations and our willingness to evolve a political solution within a united country.

Q: President Mahinda Rajapaksa, offering a solution, has said in his message to the 63rd UN General Assembly that, there can only be talks provided the LTTE laid down arms. Is this not justifiable?
A: I appreciate the brutal frankness with which the President has clearly expressed his stand, however unpalatable it may be to the Tamil community. Now, with the President declaring from the podium of the world assembly, that there would be no talks with the armed LTTE, the resultant situation for the LTTE offers no choice other than to fight the war. If the LTTE, for argument sake, lays down weapons, it would automatically cease to be a force to be reckoned with. The LTTE is not a political party. It is a militant organisation, fighting for a political cause. Its strength flows through the barrel of the gun. Logically and realistically, one cannot expect the LTTE to lay down its weapons first, and then talk. It has never done so in the past, when engaged in talks with the government of the day, including the present government. Now, with this announcement at the UN, the LTTE is provided with every justification for engaging itself in war. It has to resist, in order to survive. There is no other choice. No one can now blame the LTTE for fighting the war.

Q: Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka has, in a recent interview, said that the minority should not make undue demands in the country. What, in your view does that mean, to the minority community?
A: A disturbing development that has been witnessed in very recent times in this country is that, military men, who are meant to defend the security of the country and prosecute the war, if it becomes necessary in that regard, at times, while overstepping the parameters of their well defined professional role, find themselves unable to resist the temptation of doing a little bit of political speeches now and then. I can very well understand, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, the Army Commander, going to any length in leading his soldiers, but of course, within the ambit and scope of the law of the land, in fighting the LTTE. That is his task, and no one can find fault with him for that. But, when we hear intemperate and ill conceived views emanating from him, on purely political questions, it is to say the least, all the more disturbing. His view that, “this country belongs to the Sinhalese, but there are minority communities who shall be treated like our people”, is very narrow and chauvinist in character and content. I can understand an average politician coming out with these racist remarks. But the commander of the armed forces of the country, who should be above politics and more so, above partisan politics, should not have permitted himself to succumb to this line of thinking. Going by what he has stated, if the country belongs to the Sinhalese, then what is the status of the rest. Do we not belong to this country? If so, what is the option? Do we have to jump into the Palk Strait or think of creating a country for us by carving out a portion of this island?

Tigers claim raid on joint paramilitary, military mini-camp in Batticaloa

Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in the East claimed Sunday that six Sri Lankan military and paramilitary personnel were killed in a raid carried out by a commando unit of the Tigers on a joint military and paramilitary camp at Thikiliveddai, north of Batticaloa at 2:15 a.m. Sunday. The mini-camp was brought under LTTE control within 15 minutes after they launched the raid, the Tigers said claiming that they seized a Light Machine Gun, five assault rifles and ammunitions. Meanwhile, medical sources at Chengkaladi hospital said one of the wounded TMVP personnel rushed to hospital succumbed to his injuries and that eight wounded were received at the hospital after the raid. One PK-LMG, five T-56 type-2 assault rifles, a drum magazine for the PK-LMG, 100 rounds, seven AK-47 magazines, two-hundred-and-twenty 7.62 mm rounds and a holster were seized in the attack, the Tigers said. Three of the wounded, 18-year-old Chandran, 19-year-old V. Achchuthan and 20-year-old T. Ganesan, were transferred to Batticaloa hospital for treatment, accoridng to medical sources.

Anti - Tamil Army Chief in Sri Lanka

Full text of the statement released by the Canadian Democratic League.

The Canadian Democratic League strongly denounces and censures the observation made by the Major General Sarath Fonseka, entrusted with the task of liberating regions held by the LTTE that Sri Lanka is the land of the majority Sinhala people only.While this is an extremely outlandish and racially insensitive statement, an officer serving a government has no right to express such a view even if that be true; and it is not true at all. Such a statement amounts to nothing but mischief especially at a time when large numbers of the civilian population mostly all of them Tamils living in areas under the control of the LTTE.It was only the other day President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the Annual General Assembly Sessions of the United Nations acknowledged the legitimacy of the Tamils in Sri Lanka and even spoke in both Sinhala and Tamil languages. Major General Sarath Fonseka’s statement has challenged the credibility of President Rajapaksa’s government; in fact he has insulted the government and the people especially the Tamil speaking Minority Communities.He has exposed the government to a situation where it must not only apologize to the Minority communities and assure that no such offense is committed by any army personnel but Major General Sarath Fonseka must be relieved of his command immediately.

SLAF raids two tiger positions while troops capture road in Killinochchi

Two tiger strong points in Mullaittivu and Welioya were raided by SLAF crafts yesterday (28th) afternoon in two separate air strikes. The first attack was launched around 3.00 p.m. targeting a tiger position 5 Km northeast of Akkarayankulam area to assist the ground troops of 57 Division said Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara. The second attack was when MI-24 helicopters raided LTTE’s bunker positions at Thandimurippukulam, east of Oddusudan, in Welioya area at 3.45 p.m. yesterday said Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara. Meanwhile, troops 58th Division killed ten LTTE when they clashed with Tigers in trying to consolidate their hold on 1.5km of the Nachchikuda – Akkarayankulam road in Killinochchi yesterday at noon. Two soldiers killed and eight were injured during the confrontation.

Suicide bomb kills civilian, wounds 8 in Sri Lanka

A suspected Tamil Tiger rebel suicide bomber blew up near a vehicle carrying police in a northern Sri Lankan town Sunday, killing a civilian and wounding eight others, the military said.Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said four police in the vehicle, three soldiers on duty nearby and a civilian bystander were wounded in the blast in the town of Vavuniya.Nanayakkara said it was still unknown whether the bomber, who was also killed, was a man or a woman.Rebel officials could not be reached for comment, but the insurgents have made suicide bombings a hallmark of their 25-year struggle against the government to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils.The rebels, banned as a terrorist group in the United States and European Union, are said to have carried out more than 240 suicide bombings against military, political and economic targets.The blast came a day after a wave of fighting in Sri Lanka's civil war killed 25 Tamil Tiger rebels and five soldiers, according to the military.Nanayakkara said the worst fighting Saturday broke out when troops pushing toward the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi battled with guerrillas in Akkarayankulam village. The fighting killed 12 insurgents and five soldiers, he said.Separate clashes in Jaffna, Vavuniya and Welioya killed another 13 rebels and wounded several soldiers, he said.Rebel officials could not be reached for comment because most communication lines to the north have been cut.It is difficult to verify military reports because journalists are barred from the northern war zone.The government has vowed to retake all rebel areas by the end of this year and says its troops are just three miles (4.5 kilometers) from Kilinochchi.The conflict stems from allegations that ethnic Tamils have been systematically marginalized by governments controlled by majority ethnic Sinhalese.More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.

Sri Lanka President and Army Chief are inconsistent

“General Fonseka’s opinions seem to be inconsistent even with the avowed policy of the present government, expressed most recently this week by the President at the U.N. General Assembly, that the war is against terrorism and the LTTE, and not the Tamil people; that the restoration of democracy and development in the North and East is a priority; and that a political solution must be evolved through the APRC which involves devolution, power-sharing, and a recognition that Sri Lanka belongs to all communities,” said The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), commenting on recent remarks by Sri Lanka Army Chief Sarath Fonseka In Canada’s National Post.

Full Text of CPA Statement:

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is deeply concerned by and strongly disapproves of statements made by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, General Sarath Fonseka, in an interview with Stewart Bell of the National Post newspaper of Canada, published on 23rd September 2008.In this interview, General Fonseka has made some disquieting observations of a highly political nature. Among other things, General Fonseka has stated that,

“I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people…We being the majority of the country, 75%, we will never give in and we have the right to protect this country…We are also a strong nation … They can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things.”

These sentiments, which General Fonseka has made public on several other occasions in interactions with local and international media, are cause for alarm in at least two respects. Firstly, the fact that the Commander of the Army feels free to represent his personal opinions and enter into public discussion about policy matters that are constitutionally the proper domain of the political executive, and indeed is allowed to do so repeatedly without any restraint by the political executive. Secondly, the highly contentious and insensitive nature of what is apparently an ideological perspective that is held by General Fonseka about the nature of the Sri Lankan polity, the political anatomy of the conflict in Sri Lanka, and the means of its resolution.In regard to the first concern, it should be noted that while constitutional practice in Sri Lanka leaves much to be desired from the perspective of both democratic values and postulates of constitutional government, one cardinal principle of democratic government that has at least hitherto been adhered to is that of civilian control over the military. Thus policy-making and the political direction of any governmental programme involving the military are matters for elected officials of the executive, who are, moreover, responsible and accountable to Parliament and the people for both such policy and the conduct of the military within the framework of government policy, the law, and the Constitution. A necessary implication of this principle is that members of the armed forces desist from engaging in political debate through public expression of private opinions. The military is enjoined by legal duty and constitutional obligation to the direction and control of the civilian political executive; it is not their task either to make policy or to express preferences.We recall that on the one occasion in this country in which the military attempted to overstep its role in 1962, that attempt was brought swiftly, firmly, and decisively under control by a democratically elected and legally constituted government led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which is also the principal party of the current governing coalition. For General Fonseka to be given the unbridled leeway to volunteer political opinions about the ethnic conflict is therefore not merely a clear violation of a fundamental principle of democratic government; it also suggests that the present government does not apprehend the chilling dangers of allowing military men to venture into the arena of political debate. It is because of the fact that Sri Lanka has succeeded in upholding the principle of civilian control over the military that we have escaped the unfortunate experiences of neighbouring countries such as Pakistan.Quite apart from this departure from established principles about the proper boundaries of civil-military relations in a democracy are the contumelious political opinions of an ethnic-ideological nature that are evidently held, and abrasively articulated, by General Fonseka. By making politically uninformed statements about which community ‘owns’ Sri Lanka, General Fonseka demonstrates the discredited majoritarian mindset that views the Tamil and other minority communities with a lack of respect and dignity. It also displays his ignorance and utter insensitivity to the political aspirations of a people the government is claiming to liberate, aspirations based on equality and dignity. They also lend credence to the fundamental argument that military men necessarily do not have the competence to engage in public policy debates, especially about a matter as complex and fundamental in Sri Lankan politics as the resolution of the internal ethnic conflict in the context of ethnic and religious diversity.General Fonseka’s opinions seem also to be inconsistent even with the avowed policy of the present government, expressed most recently this week by the President at the U.N. General Assembly, that the war is against terrorism and the LTTE, and not the Tamil people; that the restoration of democracy and development in the North and East is a priority; and that a political solution must be evolved through the APRC which involves devolution, power-sharing, and a recognition that Sri Lanka belongs to all communities. For these reasons, we deplore and condemn in the strongest possible terms the abhorrent and unacceptable statements made by General Fonseka; call upon the President to take immediate action to prevent statements of this nature being made in the future; and to ensure that public confidence in the government’s commitment to and respect for the proper constitutional boundaries between the civil and military realms is restored.The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) was formed in the firm belief that there is an urgent need to strengthen institution- and capacity-building for good governance and conflict transformation in Sri Lanka and that non-partisan civil society groups have an important and constructive contribution to make to this process. The primary role envisaged for the Centre in the field of public policy is a pro-active and interventionary one, aimed at the dissemination and advocacy of policy alternatives for non-violent conflict resolution and democratic governance. Accordingly, the work of the Centre involves a major research component through which the policy alternatives advocated are identified and developed.

Another Indian fisherman killed allegedly by Sri Lankan navy

The fishing community declared a general strike here following the alleged killing of a fisherman by Sri Lankan navy Sunday, the police said.Eyewitnesses Doraiswamy, Rajendran and Lingam told the police that a flotilla of Indian boats was subjected to indiscriminate strafing by the island’s navy near Aachchatheevu, an islet ceded to Sri Lanka in the mid-1970s.The deceased, Murugan, 32, was shot in the back as he along with other fishermen tried to flee, police sources added.Local fishing community leaders, incensed over the alleged mindless killing on the Palk Strait - the narrow expanse of water separating India and Sri Lanka - have called for immediate intervention by the government of India to stop it and threatened to begin an indefinite strike, official sources revealed.Other villages in the vicinity and in neighbouring districts had protested against Indian defence authorities alleging wrongdoing in acquisition of land for an air base and an accident involving a coast guard vessel.During the recent South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Colombo, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Mahinda Rajapakse jointly stated the killings would end.Following the announcement, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation had announced that Indian fishermen could fish freely and peacefully in the Palk Strait.So far, over 30 Indian fishermen have lost their lives allegedly due to Sri Lankan naval firing this year.Situated 600 km south of state capital Chennai, Rameshwaram continues to be tense owing to several issues.Apart from firing by the neighbouring nation’s navy, dozens of fishermen have been arrested for allegedly smuggling essential supplies and ordnance inputs to the banned Tiger guerrillas.Large numbers of tourists from northern India visit this temple town to witness the Ram Sethu - a mythical causeway believed to have been constructed by Hindu god Ram and his monkey brigade.

Yet another white van abduction
 
A 35-year-old resident of Sri Saranankara Road, in Kohuwala, was allegedly abducted on September 19 by a group of armed men dressed in civilian clothes. The missing person is Subramaniam Sritharan.According to Mr. Sritharan’s brother, Mr. Nagapusanan, a white van stopped outside a catering service in Kohuwela, where Mr. Sritharan was working. Four men got out of the vehicle and demanded that Mr. Sritharan and a colleague get into the van, saying they were being “taken in for questioning”.After the van had travelled about 100 metres, Mr. Sritharan’s colleague, a Muslim, was asked to get off the vehicle. It was he who informed Mr. Sritharan’s family about the abduction.Mr. Sritharan, who lives in Canada with his wife and daughter, came back to Sri Lanka four years ago to do the paperwork necessary to get permanent residency in Canada. According to his brother, Mr. Sritharan had no known enemies, and was planning to return to Canada.Mr. Sritharan’s family has lodged separate complaints with the Kohuwala police and the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission about the disappearance, Mr. Nagapusanan said.

British statement fails to condemn Sri Lanka - BTF

The Tamils in UK feel confused by a British statement that acknowledges the apparent recognition by the GoSL of its responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the conflict and its continued co-ordination with humanitarian agencies, at a time when foreign aid workers of the UN and International Non-Governmental Organisations have been expelled from Vanni by the government of Sri Lanka, said a statement issued by the British Tamils Forum (BTF) on Saturday.

Full text of the statement issued by the British Tamil Forum follows:

The British Tamil Community is puzzled by HM's Government's Statement on Sri Lanka

The British Tamil Community whilst appreciating the government's public acknowledgement of the current dire humanitarian situation in the Tamil areas of Sri Lanka also notes with great regret and displeasure of some of the contents of the joint statement issued yesterday, Friday 26 September 2008, by the Department for International Development (DFID) Minister Rt. Hon Shahid Malik MP and Rt. Hon Lord Malloch Brown Africa, Asia and UN. Instead of strongly condemning the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for the infliction of this current humanitarian catastrophe and the military action against the Tamil Nation for fundamentally a political problem, the joint statement shares its "acute concern". The British Tamil Community and the British Tamils Forum have for a long period, by way of continuous engagement with the British Political Establishments and Civil Servants in various formal and informal meetings, letters and through their respective Parliamentarians have shared their strong feelings and dissatisfaction of the lack of credible and substantial action by HM's Government against GoSL. We regret the inability of the current Labour Government and the Civil Servants to understand the feelings of the British Tamils. This opportunity missed to publicly condemn the GoSL for its indiscriminate aerial bombardment of its own citizens, the military action that has internally displaced 200,000 to 230,000 (UN Estimation) Tamil people, the expulsion of the UN Aid Workers and International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGO) from the worst affected areas, other gross violations of human rights such as abductions, killings, restrictions of mobility of people and restrictions placed on journalists has puzzled the Tamil community around the world. The Community feels confused by the joint statement which acknowledges the apparent "recognition by GoSL of its responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the conflict and its continued co-ordination with humanitarian agencies". This is in direct contradiction to the recent statements made by the Sri Lankan Government Agents of Mullaitivu and Kilinochi and by other International Aid Agencies which clearly stated that there are acute shortages of food, medical supplies, shelter, drinking water, sanitation, fuel, specialised staff including medical doctors and nurses. The British Tamil Community greatly appreciates the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Secretary of State for DFID for making the time to highlight the concerns of the International Community to the President of Sri Lanka. However, the indifference that is reflected in the statement by avoiding to condemn the GoSL for restricting free movement of civilians within and out of Jaffna Peninsula where the Sinhala Army is an occupying force, the degrading restrictions laid on the Tamil Community living in and around Colombo, restrictions placed on Journalists to travel around Sri Lanka to report on current security situation and human rights violations and the inhuman treatment of internally displaced people by restricting their mobility by placing them in 'detention centres' (e.g. in Mannar) in contravention of humanitarian practices, human rights laws, UN Charters and Geneva Conventions.

28 September 2008

US calls for negotiations

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher had informed President Mahinda Rajapaksa that he should immediately seek a political solution for the North East conflict.Boucher conveyed this message to President Mahinda Rajapaksa when the president was in New York to attend the 63rd annual UN General Assembly.Boucher told President Rajapaka that the government should take steps to bring relief to around 200,000 Tamil civilians who have been displaced by the ongoing military operations in the North, sources said.The assistant secretary of state had also inquired about human rights abuses in the country.The president had agreed to look into these claims and had stated that the LTTE was using civilians as human shields and targeting civilians, sources said.

Elections boss tells his staff: Prepare for local poll in Jaffna

Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake has directed that preparations be made to conduct the Local Elections in the Jaffna District towards the end of this year, as envisaged by the Government.He has instructed Assistant Commissioner of Elections for Jaffna P. Kuhanathan to start laying the ground work for the poll, seen as a vital step in efforts to restore democracy in the North.He has also asked all Assistant Commissioners of Elections in the country to finalize the revision of their respective Electoral Registers for 2008 by the latter part of February or early March 2009. This is in anticipation of holding polls to several Provincial Councils, the terms of which are scheduled to expire in 2009, Elections Department sources said yesterday.The Assistant Commissioners have asked the Commissioner whether they should also prepare for a snap parliamentary election, though the next scheduled poll is in 2009 and the Presidential Elections in 2010, he had replied that’s a matter which can be decided only by the President.The Commissioner also requested his officials to take into consideration the shortcomings in the recently concluded PC elections to the Eastern, North Central and the Sabaragamuwa Provinces and to suggest measures they believed could curtail impersonation, rigging and other malpractices during forthcoming polls.He also briefed the officials on how they could upgrade the Electoral Registers annually under the new system introduced with the assistance of the USAID, where computers have been provided to all the 22 electoral districts in the country to implement the Automated Electoral Registration System (AERS).To facilitate his officials to issue gazette notifications correctly in connection with election nominations, the Commissioner has distributed CDs which contained blank gazette notifications.The elections boss met his Deputy Commissioners of Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala and Gampaha and Senior Assistant Commissioner of Kalutara, Kegalle, Ratnapura and the Assistant Commissioners of the 22 Electoral Districts in the country at the Annual General Meeting held last Thursday at the Elections Secretariat in Rajagiriya.Also present were Deputy Commissioner P. M. Siriwardhana, Additional Commissioner (Provincial and Local) W. P. Sumanasiri and Deputy Commissioner attached to the Elections Secretariat Mahinda Deshapriya were present All election officials were unanimously endorsed that it is healthy for free and fair elections that the Supreme Court directive which made NICs compulsory for voting be complied with in future whilst steps were taken to inform the voters in advance of alternate identity cards for voting "Action must be taken to create an awareness amongst the voters that they must have their NICs to exercise their franchise".

Protests in Tamil Nadu gain momentum, Jayalalithaa extends support

In a significant move amid the building momentum in Tamil Nadu where Tamil leaders are voicing their support to the Eezham Tamils as the Sri Lankan forces intensified their attacks on Vanni, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the Leader of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, J. Jayalalithaa, Saturday extended her support to a fasting campaign being organised by the Communist Party of India (CPI). In a letter to D. Pandyan, the general secretary of the CPI in Tamil Nadu, Ms. Jayalalithaa said her party extended wholehearted support to the success of the campaign, which highlights the problems and urges to safeguard the lives, properties and the rights of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.  The CPI organised fasting campaign is to take place in all the district capitals of Tamil Nadu state on 02 October that falls on the date of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. The CPI has urged the Centre in India to pressurise the Sri Lankan government to immediately halt the killings and to return to the path of negotiations, stating that the war being waged by the Sri Lankan government is against Tamil speaking population in general and that it was not viewed as a war against a militant movement. The leftist parties in Tamil Nadu, which aim to form a third front in the coming elections, have extended their support to Eelam Tamilas Tamil Writers Association also voiced for the rights of Eezham Tamils. In the meantime, Dr. S. Ramadoss, the founder-leader of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Tamil Nadu has also announced a protest on 30 September.The president of the movement Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) K. Veeramani and Thol. Thirumavalavan, the leader of the political party Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Kadchchi (VCK), courted arrest last Tuesday along with five hundred of their cadres while attempting a rail blockade in Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, to protest against Indian aid to the Sri Lankan state. The reports of the engagement of Indian military radar operators in the wake of an attack by the Tigers on Sri Lankan Forces Vanni Headquarters (SF-HQ) in Vavuniyaa, in which at least two Indian personnel were wounded, have fuelled the protests in Tamil Nadu against Indian military aid to Colombo against Tamils.

Kilinochchi to feel full force of govt. military power

Kilinochchi town will come under government fire in the next few days, Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka said last week."The army will fire its first rounds towards Kilinochchi town by next week, as troops are some four kilometers away from Kilinochchi," said Lt. General Fonseka; "we can even see some of the buildings in the town."The Defence Ministry on Friday said that troops of the 57th Division were gradually advancing into Kokkavil that lies south of Kilinochchi.The Army Chief made these comments during a book launch held at the National Library and Documentation Services Board last Thursday.He added that the war had not spread to Colombo and that the troops have been successful in limiting Tiger activities."They even said that the Eelam war-IV would come to Colombo. But now we can see our forces taking the war to Kilinochchi and now the LTTE Leader is like a caged animal," he said.Speaking at the occasion, Air Force Commander Roshan Goonetilake had said, that the Air Force was continuing to track down the Tiger leader based on intelligence information. "We are getting intelligence and information about the whereabouts of Pirapaharan; we will continue with our raids, targeting those hideouts," he said.

HR activist lawyer’s home attacked

The home of leading human rights activist J.C. Weliamuna came under a grenade attack in the early hours of this morning (Sept. 28th).Two grenades had been hurled at the premises at Kohuwala around 2.00 am, but only one had exploded.No one has been injured, while there is minor damage to the house and the property.Mr. Weliamuna, executive director of Transparency International Sri Lanka, has appeared in many HR cases in the Supreme Court and also is an activist against corruption in the state.

Majority of Tamils want an end to war 

The majority of the Tamil and Up-Country Tamil communities do not think the country is anywhere close to a permanent solution to the ethnic conflict despite the war. The Peace Confidence Index (PCI) for August 2008 has revealed that while the majority of the Sinhala community thought that Sri Lanka is closer to a permanent settlement to the ethnic conflict than a year ago, A Majority of the Tamil people feel the country is  'not close at all' to a permanent settlement to the ethnic conflict. A majority of the Sinhala community is said to think the government defeating the LTTE is the way to end the war and arrive at peace in Sri Lanka whilst a majority of the minority communities think that we should stop the war and conduct political negotiations if peace is to be found. A majority of the Tamil, Up-Country Tamil and Muslim communities think that irrespective of how the war ends, a political solution is essential. The Sinhala community however seems to have a mixed opinion on this as a political solution is regarded as essential by 31.4% and useful by 35.7%. Whilst a majority of the minority communities believe that a political solution should be designed while the war continues, 39.5% of the Sinhala community believes that a political solution should be designed after the war. However, when compared to the PCI findings of March '08, those who think a political solution should be designed after the war has slightly increased. The PCI is a repetitive public opinion poll conducted by Social Indicator - the Centre for Policy Alternatives since May 2001. This 29th wave of the study conducted in the month of August captures the opinion of a sample of 1300 randomly selected individuals. The respondents were asked questions regarding the current security situation, solutions to the ethic conflict, the cost of living, the elections for the Eastern Provincial Council, the split in the JVP and International involvement. It should be noted that this particular wave of the PCI only covers the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and the Up-Country Tamil communities in the areas outside the Northern Province. The entire Tamil community and the entire sample in the Eastern Province were sampled using a non-random sampling technique. Therefore, all findings that refer to the Eastern Province and the Tamil community cannot be generalized to the entire community.  

Ratha Regiment DPU leader killed

Last month, the LTTE sent a team of 37 'Ratha Regiment' cadres to infiltrate the eastern region through Weli Oya defences. The team was detected at Konketiyawa by a Civil Defence Force member.The Tigers, dressed in Army uniforms, had inquired from the CDF member in Sinhala, the directions to their destination arousing suspicion. The CDF member then ran away from the team narrowly escaping death and alerted the Army, CDF and the police of the infiltration. Finally the Special Forces managed to corner and kill 12 members of the team while 25 others managed to escape.Two days ago on Thursday, a lone soldier in the Weli Oya defences at Andankulam North detected a suspicious man dressed in Army uniform and confronted him on the spot. The man was subsequently killed and a silenced weapon was recovered from his possession. Military Intelligence who were alerted to this attack were amazed to discover the man's real identity. He was none other than 'Lt. colonel' Nadesan, the deputy of the LTTE's deep penetration forces from the 'Ratha Regiment' and was also the team leader of the 37 member team that were almost completely annihilated in August at Konketiyawa.Nadesan was a high priority target that had avoided troops for some time. He had been given clear instructions to infiltrate areas south of Weli Oya to sustain cadre movements to the east and to sustain attacks at the rear of the Army. He is one of only a few high-ranking cadres to have been killed in a deep penetration operation in the recent past.

Over 200,000 Wanni civilians at risk

Over 200,000 civilians were at risk and in need of assistance in the Wanni, latest UN humanitarian reports warned last week, while UN and government officials were getting ready to move the first supply convoy into the Wanni since September 16."An estimated 200,000 people are at risk in the Wanni and will need more assistance," the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) an umbrella body of UN and other international relief agencies said last week. Most of the between 200,000 to 230,000 displaced were staying along the Paranthan Mulaithivu Road north east of Kilinochchi. "People are still moving towards Mulaithivu due to the fear of shelling and aerial attacks," the report said.The first convoy of supplies since the relocation will travel to the Wanni in the coming days, government officials in Kilinochchi said. "We have planned to send 60 lorries of essential items in one instance during this week. These goods will be for both Kilinochchi and Mulaithivu Districts. We have not planned on a specific date to send the goods. But, definitely this week," Kilinochchi Government Agent, Nagalingam Vedanayagam told The Sunday Leader.The convoy will however not travel to Kilinochchi but circumvent the besieged town and take the Mankulam-Mulaithivu highway that heads east of Kilinochchi. "The route to send these goods has changed. We will be sending the goods through the Mankulam-Oddisuddan-Puthukkudiyiruppu-Mulaithivu and then to Killinochchi via Paranthan-Mulaithivu Road." Vedanayagam said.The convoy is likely to fly the UN flag and UN officials will travel with it. The supplies are also likely to be distributed straight to the displaced without keeping them at storehouses. The UN staff travelling with the convoy will remain in the Wanni till the distribution is completed. Last week the Tokyo Donor Co-Chairs emphasised that supplies to civilians should be continued uninterrupted and also spoke of the importance of the humanitarian agencies including the UN."The government, especially as a democratic government, as it moves forward militarily, needs to pay special attention to the protection of human rights of the citizens in the areas that they take over, special attention as they proceed with the fighting to respect the civilian population, and also to work with the international organisations, the United Nations especially, to make sure that the humanitarian assistance that these people need is provided in a smooth fashion," US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher said after the September 24 meeting.Boucher also said that they expressed their concerns over the civilians publicly so that both parties would be aware of them."One of the reasons for making the humanitarian concerns public is so that the Tigers get the message, as well as the people on the government side," it was said. 

Tigers target Felix

A special police team has uncovered details of several attempts by the LTTE to assassinate Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera.During December 2007, the LTTE had attempted to launch three claymore attacks against the minister at Thudella in Ja-Ela, on the Colombo-Negombo Road. But the Tigers had missed their target after the minister had used an alternative route on the three occasions, intelligence sources said.LTTE operatives had later received instructions from the Tiger leadership to use a claymore mine and target Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. However, they killed Minister D M Dassanayaka, mistaking him to be Fernandopulle.Police have now succeeded in apprehending all the suspects wanted in connection with the attack. A Sinhalese man is also among those arrested. It has also been revealed that the individual, who is a resident of Ja-Ela, had kept the claymore mine hidden at his residence.It has been revealed that this claymore mine had been concealed beside the road in the Thudella area on the Colombo-Negambo road for 24 days, and that its electrical batteries had been changed 9 times, sources revealed.Despite minister Perera clearly being on the LTTE hit list, he has not been provided with adequate security so far by the authorities.

Police rapists on the loose

Inspector General of Police Jayantha Wickramarathna pledged to establish a respectable police force when he assumed duties as the IGP. But a disappointing factor is that a number of rapes have been committed by his own men in the recent past.He drew up plans to provide a respectable police service before he retires. Therefore, 2009 has been set aside as the year for formulating a respectable police force. Contrary to expectations, the IGP was now facing a dilemma as to how to establish such a respectable police force. He has come to realise that this is not such a simple task. According to him corrupt policemen make up only about 1-2% of the police force, which has around 75,000 personnel in its ranks. The latest incident was reported from Trincomalee, where a mother and daughter were raped by police personnel.The incident occurred last Sunday. The mother and daughter were Tamils. The mother is said to be nearly 50 years, while the daughter was around 20- years- old.They were residents of Batticaloa. However, the daughter is married to a Sinhalese resident from Uppuveli in Trincomalee He has a house in the ‘Alicewattha’ area in Uppuveli. The house had been locked up after he had gone abroad. The mother and daughter as a rule visited the house once a month to clean it.Last Sunday, they had traveled from Batticaloa to Trincomalee as usual to clean up the house, and then return to Batticaloa, but what happened was totally unexpected. They were raped by four policemen.The alleged rapists were an officer, a sergeant and three constables attached to the Alicewattha police post in Trincomalee. The victims had been raped at “Prakash Hotel” located close to the police post.According to reliable information, the sergeant and one of the constables had first taken the two women into the hotel and raped them. Thereafter, the two constables had followed The hotel staff have also given statements to the police to the effect that the two women had been brought to the hotel and raped.Accordingly, the police arrested the four police personnel and produced them before courts. The four of them were remanded.This is just a single incident which had taken place recently. Many such incidents are said to be taking place in the country, but, only one or two of these are reported.Another example of such a crime is the case of an alleged child molestation committed by an Officer in Charge of a police station in the southern province. The victim was a 15- year- old boy. His father was a carpenter by profession. The child had been molested inside the office of the OIC.

Not recorded

It is said that while the OIC was traveling in his police area, he had seen this boy riding a bicycle. He had then picked up the boy and taken him in his jeep to the police station and kept him there all night. However, this fact has not been recorded in the police log book. The father had then lodged a complaint about the incident to the police. Accordingly, the SSP in charge of the area had ordered an investigation to be carried out under an ASP.The OIC had subsequently disappeared. The officers who were conducting the investigation said that he had gone into hiding. Meanwhile police authorities had then classified him as a police deserter, as he had failed to report for duty without informing. While all this was happening, the OIC emerged from being in hiding for over a month. He went to courts after contacting the father and child who had lodged a complaint against him. He wanted to get himself acquitted of the charge on the basis that the complaint had been false. Nevertheless, the entire police force in the southern province was aware of what had actually taken place. It is said that the officer, who has political backing, may actually come back as an OIC.Another OIC is currently in remand custody for raping a young woman who was the same age as his daughter. He is an OIC of a police station in the western province, and had acquired a reputation for solving a large number of crimes.In another incident, a charge was also leveled last week against a police constable from the Galle police station. This was regarding the rape of a mentally retarded woman. The victim had lived in a neighbouring house close to the residence of the constable. A complaint of the rape had been received on the 119 emergency hotline. The constable was arrested and remanded after an investigation was carried out by the Galle police. An incident of a police constable trying to rape a woman police constable was also recently reported from the Mt. Lavinia Police.The constable had taken the woman officer to a temple in Moratuwa, and tried to rape her inside a room in the temple. The officer, who is attached to the Mt. Lavinia police, is currently in remand custody. There was another recent incident, in which a police team had raped some women who were engaged in prostitution. They had raped the women having intimidated them and taken them to a hotel. A police sergeant, a constable, and a member of the civil defence force are suspects in this case.There was an earlier incident where police officers are alleged to have gang raped a young woman at a cemetery. In addition, information has also come to light of officers who sneak into the houses of suspects in custody and rape their wives, or solicit sex from the wives of the suspects after intimidating them.

Civilian killed, 8 including 4 children wounded in SLAF attack

A civilian was killed and eight, including four children, were wounded in Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) attack in Iraththinapuram, a suburb of Ki'linochchi town, Saturday around 12:15 p.m., Tamileelam Police said. The ICRC office, which was recently relocated from Ira'naimadu junction, is situated around 150 meters away from the bombed locality. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan defence ministry claimed that the attack was a 'precision air strike' against an LTTE target. Medical sources at Ki'linochchi hospital said an 8-month-old baby, a 9-month-old baby, and two 2-year-old children were among the wounded.

Air Strikes at female 'black tiger' training camp in Kilinochchi

Air Force Spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said Sri Lankan Air Force fighter jets have launched a precision air strike at the LTTE's main, female 'black tiger' training facility located at Rathnapuram, in Kilinochchi, yesterday (Sep 27), at around 12.15p.m."The target was located 1.5km East of the A-9 trunk road and North of the Iranamadu Tank", Air Force Spokesperson said to ‘lanka-e-News’According to the Air Force Spokesperson, the target was acquired on real-time ground information received.The site is known to be the main female black tiger training and coordinating facility and a most frequented location by LTTE's intelligence wing chief, Pottu Amman, military sources said.Armored LTTE vehicles fitted with anti-air guns were observed rushing to the target location immediately after the attack, while reliable sources in Wanni said that people were ordered to stay away from the main roads in Kilinochchi by the outfit.Meanwhile pro-LTTE Tamil media said, a civilian was killed and at least two, including a child, were wounded in this Air Force attack.

1 killed, 8 injured in attack on TMVP camp

The TMVP says one of its camps located in the jungles of Thoppigala in Batticaloa came under an LTTE attack this morning (Sept. 28th).One party activist was killed and eight others injured in the attack, it said.The incident came in the wake of internal problems in the TMVP.Media reported recently that its leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman and East chief minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan were at odds with each other.

Pillayan, Karuna meet to heal rift
 
Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan and TMVP leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna are to meet in Colombo to resolve a widening rift in the party, including a recent attack on a newly set up pro-Karuna office in Batticaloa.Both, Mr. Chandrakanthan and Mr. Muralitharan said yesterday the meeting would be aimed at what they called restructuring their party and ‘ironing out differences”.It will be the second meeting between the two one-time-friends-turned foes after Mr. Muralitharan returned to Sri Lanka two months ago from Britain where he served a six-month jail term for violating immigration laws.The meeting comes amidst a series of conflicts in the party, including a proposal by Karuna to bring his loyalists into the party hierarchy. But Pillayan delayed taking action on the proposal. At present the TMVP’s policymaking Central Committee is known to have only one Karuna loyalist.In a development of the rift, Karuna loyalists on Wednesday set up their own office in Batticaloa town, adjoining the TMVP office. But the new office came under a grenade attack the same day. The next day about 40 cadres, some of them armed, were deployed to guard the new Karuna office.In another development, two senior TMVP members – Eastern Provincial Councillor Edwin Silva alias Pradeep Master and Jeyam -- have decided to work with Karuna.Meanwhile Karuna has accused two Pillayan loyalists -- TMVP spokesman Azad Moulana and a defeated Provincial Council candidate Nandagopan Kumaraswamy of making a secret visit to India to establish links with state agencies.

27 September 2008

Sri Lanka Tigers urged by Britain to free Tamils

Britain voiced deep concern Friday about the situation in Sri Lanka, where government forces have advanced to the outskirts of the northern Tamil Tiger rebel capital.The Foreign Office called for access to be kept open for aid agencies, and urged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels to act urgently to allow free movement of civilians."The recent increased hostilities in the north of Sri Lanka are of acute concern to the UK government," said junior Foreign Office minister Mark Malloch-Brown and aid minister Shahid Malik in a joint statement."We welcome the government of Sri Lanka recognising its responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the conflict and its continued co-ordination with humanitarian agencies," they added.But they said: "We urge the LTTE to take urgent action to allow free movement of civilians."We call on both parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to enable free access for humanitarian agencies and the protection of civilians affected by the conflict," they added.British Prime Minister Gordon Brown discussed the situation with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse in New York on Friday, in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, the Foreign Office added.The Sri Lankan government, which pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire in January, wants to capture the LTTE capital Kilinochchi, in what would deal a major military and psychological blow to the rebels.The Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting for an independent homeland for the Tamil minority since 1972. Tens of thousands have died in the conflict.Aid organisations say recent fighting has forced around 230,000 people from their homes.

Army captures Kokkavil station
   
The Army captured the Kokkavil railway station in the Kilinochchi district on Thursday, further getting closer to the A-9 main highway, the military said yesterday.Military sources revealed following fierce fighting throughout the past few days troops of the 57 division gained control of the railway station while consolidating the area.“Troops are just 400 metres away from the A-9 road,” a senior military official said.Meanwhile, the defence ministry said that at least 11 LTTE cadres were killed in a series of clashes in the Akkarayankulam area in the Kilinochchi district.On Thursday troops also captured two LTTE trench lines in the Kokkavil area after heavy clashes. Four LTTE cadres were killed during the battle. During subsequent search operations conducted in the area troops recovered the body of a female LTTE cadre along with one T-56 assault rifle.

SLMC disturbed over Army Chief’s comments
   
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress yesterday issued a statement expressing its protests over certain remarks made by Army Commander Sarath Fonseka recently to Canadian newspaper ‘National Post’.“I am disturbed by the strong anti-minority sentiments expressed by Army Commander Sarath Fonseka during his interview and his assertion that Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhalese,” SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem said in a statement.“The nature of the attack on the minorities in the interview borders on racism.  His request for minorities not to make demands is totally uncalled for and only goes to create a fear psychosis among the minorities at this critical juncture of the conflict,” the SLMC leader said in the statement.“Even in the armed forces and the police one gets Muslims and Tamils holding even top positions and serving the country with a strong sense of commitment.   These comments are an insult to Muslims and Tamils who have shed blood and sweat to gain independence for this country and helped to develop Sri Lanka,” Mr. Hakeem said in the statement.“Even the ordinary Muslim and Tamil in this country have their own contributions to society.  They have added a lot to the vibrancy of the Sri Lankan economy and culture.  It is a crime to say that they do not deserve equal treatment as Sinhalese,” said the statement. Mr. Hakeem maintained he would rather have had the Army Commander let the politicians comment on the political issues since remarks of this nature only go to break the bridges built between communities after a lot of hard work.

Racist Speech by Srilanka Singala Army Chief

INSISTING THAT the minorities of this country should not make undue demands, Army Chief Sarath Fonseka yesterday said he believed the ongoing war would end in less than a year."The national leadership basically is determined to solve this problem. The task given to us is to eradicate terrorism. If we have the same commitment one more year, the LTTE's destiny is, I think, decided," Lt.-Gen. Fonseka said in a candid interview with Canada’s National Post newspaper.He said the war was driven by Tamils who want a homeland and have chosen Sri Lanka as the place. But the country's Sinhalese majority would never allow the Tamil minority to break the country apart.Lt.Gen. Fonseka is a competitive swimmer who won the U. S. Green Card lottery but has remained in Sri Lanka, heading the army he has served for three decades. He is lucky to be alive. On April 25, 2006, a suicide bomber attacked his limousine in Colombo. He was seriously injured in the assassination attempt and nine others were killed. The Tamil Tigers never claim responsibility for such attacks but were almost certainly behind it."I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people," he says."We being the majority of the country, 75%, we will never give in and we have the right to protect this country."We are also a strong nation. They can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things."He dismisses concerns by international human rights groups about the conduct of his forces, saying that while civilian deaths are inevitable in war, relatively few non-combatants have died in the Sri Lankan conflict.The Tigers’ central problem is manpower, he says. During the current phase of the civil war, the Sri Lankan forces have killed 8,000 rebel fighters in the north and 2,000 in the east, while another 1,000 have been killed in air strikes, he says.According to the army's calculations, that leaves the Tamil Tigers with no more than 4,000 remaining cadres, while the Sri Lankan forces have 250,000 men and women, and plenty of weaponry."So it's a matter of time," Lt.-Gen. Fonseka says.But the Tigers are well-armed; they have ammunition, artillery, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, multi-barreled rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons and mines. "Every inch is booby-trapped in the jungle. De-mining those areas will take a minimum of 20 years," he says.Meanwhile speaking at a book launch of senior journalist Tissa Ravindra Perera at the National Library and Documentation Services Board, yesterday, the Army Chief also said that the military campaign would continue until the country was completely liberated from the Tamil Tigers: “We will not stop the ongoing military campaign until we liberate our motherland from the LTTE terrorists,” he said.Army Commander said that LTTE’s administrative town Kilinochchi would come under army fire from next week onwards, with further advances into the rebel-held town.“The Army will fire its first shot towards the Kilinochchi town by next week, as the forces are some four kilometres away from Kilinochchi town,” said Lt. General Fonseka; adding: “We can even see some of the buildings in the town.”He said that LTTE Leader Prabhakaran and his subordinates continued to boast of their military prowess: “They even said that the fourth Eelam war would come to Colombo. But now we can see our forces taking the war to Kilinochchi and now the LTTE Leader is like an animal trapped in a cage,” he said.Speaking further, Gen. Fonseka said that when he commenced of the liberation of the east in 2006, some had said, “Gen Fonseka can’t do it.” But we have proved we can, and our forces are near the heart of Kilinochchi,” he said.“We have done our duty during last two years as promised,” Lt. Gen Fonseka said, adding, “we need the support of the media institutes, for the sake of the country and to show we are strong enough to stand by ourselves.”Speaking at the occasion, Air Force Commander Roshan Goonetilake said that the Air Force would continue to hunt for the LTTE Leader: “We are getting intelligence information about the whereabouts of Prabhakaran; we will continue with our raids, targeting those hideouts.”

TMVP says no rift
   
TMVP spokesman Azad Maulana yesterday denied reports of another rift within the party including moves to remove Chief Minister Pillayan from the party.Mr. Maulana, who contacted the Daily Mirror, said such claims were baseless, attempting to tarnish the image of the party which has gained popularity after entering the democratic stream.The Daily Mirror reported yesterday that the leadership of the TMVP had made some changes in the political structure of the organization.  Highly placed political sources said the party leadership had appointed ‘Jeyam’ as the TMVP’s deputy leader, sidelining the chief minister.  We learn there is growing opposition to Mr. Chandrakanthan among the party members.However Mr. Maulana denied the reports and insisted that claims made by “sources” should not be taken into consideration by the media.

Police find a massive cache of explosives in Negombo

Sri Lanka Police and Special Task Force (STF) troops recovered a cache of explosives during a search operation conducted in Kudapaluwa area of Negombo, 40 km north of capital Colombo, yesterday (26).Among the items found were 18 packets of C-4 explosives totaling 152 kg, two suicide jackets, a large amount of detonators, and other materials for bomb making. Police have arrested two Tamil suspects regarding the incident. Negombo Police are conducting further investigations.

18 Sri Lankan refugees reach Dhanuskodi

Eighteen refugees from Sri Lanka landed on Arichalmunai, Dhanuskodi, bringing the total number of refugees who have reached Rameswaram this month to 133, according to aid agencies.The refugees, who had travelled in a small fishing boat from Mannar, reached Arichalmunai on Wednesday night in a group that included at least seven children. One of them was a oneyear old, brought to India by his widowed mother wrapped in a large polythene bag. “The sea was terribly rough and being a small boat, we were completely drenched throughout the journey,” the woman’s 18-year-old brother said.The child however, was coping with his ordeal better than the other children, most of whom were still upset over the dangers of the journey and were pining to return home.Some of the children had not had food in at least 24 hours and the night was spent on the open beach of Dhanuskodi. Each adult had paid Rs 13,000 to the illegal Sri Lankan ferry to make the journey, while the children were charged at half rate. However, the baby’s passage was free of cost.

11 army men arrested for assaulting doctor

Ragama Police arrested 11soldiers who had assaulted a doctor attached to the Ragama hospital and threatened his wife with dire consequences.According to Acting OIC, CI S.A.Ajith, a contingent of 20 soldiers who had boarded the Badulla bound express train on September 20 night from Colombo had assaulted the doctor when the train was passing Horape over heated argument that arose. The doctor has sustained injuries on the head, back and the spine and undergoing treatment at the Ragama General Hospital.The eleven soldiers were produced before the Gampaha Magistrate and two regular soldiers were ordered to be remanded and the nine volunteers were released on surety bail. The Magistrate ordered police to file plaint against all eleven soldiers.

2 JVP MPs complain against Basil Rajapaksa

JVP MPs Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Sunil Handunnetti have complained to Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara about an incident of breach of their parliamentary privileges involving MP Basil Rajapaksa.In separate complaints, they pointed to the September 24th meeting of Committee on Public Enterprise, where the ruling party member had verbally abused them over an appointment to the Water Board.The two JVP MPs request the speaker to take action against the Mr. Rajapaksa and to ensure the dignity of all COPE members.

Select committee to probe secret pact with LTTE

Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara’s announcement that the Leader of the House and Minister of Health Nimal Siripala de Silva was appointed as the Chairman of the select committee to investigate whether any secret pact existed between the LTTE and certain persons, created a heated situation in the House yesterday when the Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera said he objected to the appointment, at the commencement of proceedings.Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva was one of the most senior amongst all the members and he was a lawyer and also had gone to Geneva for peace talks with the LTTE representing the government. Therefore the most suitable among the nominees were Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Speaker said.Joseph Michael Perera: We are opposed to this appointment and please make a note of it.Chief Government Whip Minister Dinesh Gunawardena: The Speaker has the authority to appoint the Chief Opposition Whip, Chief Government Whip and to appoint select committee chairmen. It was the responsibility of the Speaker and it had been done in the past and it could not be challenged.Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara: I did not favour any political party but acted as the Speaker. He was the most senior among the nominees of all the parties and he was a lawyer.There was one Parliament for the entire country and there was only Speaker and there was no Speaker for Badulla. (There were many heated exchanges from both sides and the Speaker expunged irrelevant remarks from the Hansard.)Kegalle District member Kabir Hasheem was appointed the chairman of the committee to investigate shortcomings of the Inland Revenue DepartmentAnura Priyadarshan Yapa was appointed the chairman of the select committee to investigate into the Air force MIG deal.SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem said that his party was left out from all these committees.The NFF Piyasiri Wijenaike also said their names were also had been left out from the select committees.Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera said if they send their nominees he could enter those names.Speaker said if necessary two names from the government also could be added.

SRI LANKA: UN to recommence food deliveries to Tiger-held areas

The first convoy of food supplies since 16 September will travel under the UN flag to areas held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the north in the next few days, Neil Buhne, the UN Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, told IRIN.The World Food Programme (WFP) convoy will be the first since UN and other international agencies working in areas held by the Tigers in the north-central region, known as the Vanni, relocated to government-controlled areas following a state directive amid deteriorating security."The key for us is to get the distribution right, and to get food directly to those who need it most," Buhne told IRIN. "The success of the first convoy is important, because it will shape those that follow it."There are between 200,000 and 230,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Vanni, according to UN statistics, and most are in areas north-east of Kilinochchi, the Tiger political headquarters, where the UN had also been based before the relocation.

New route

"The supplies will not be offloaded at warehouses, so the convoy will travel directly to where the IDPs are staying and distribute the supplies," Buhne said. "We're still determining the precise route, but it will be to the east of Kilinochchi."Heavy fighting between government forces and the Tigers has been reported near Kilinochchi in recent weeks.UN officials will accompany the convoy and supervise the distribution. They are likely to remain in the Vanni until the distribution is completed.The government directive on 5 September had advised all international humanitarian organisations including UN agencies to cease all work in areas under Tamil Tiger control by 29 September.

Essential supplies

Government officials in Kilinochchi told IRIN that following the relocation of UN and other international agencies a series of discussions had been held to formalise the new distribution system."We held meetings with the WFP and other UN agencies in Vavuniya [south of Kilinochchi] this week and we have planned to send 60 lorries of essential items in one instant during next week," Nagalingam Vedanayagam, the Government Agent for Kilinochchi, told IRIN. "These goods will be for both Killinochchi and Mullaithivu districts [in the Vanni]."He said that since the relocation no new supplies had reached the Vanni and more delays could lead to lowering of rations."At the moment the situation in the area is okay ... there was some fear because no supplies had come [into the Vanni] after the relocation," he told IRIN, "but after the new convoy arrives things will get better."Buhne also said it was essential to continue with supplies transported by the UN into the Vanni."These supplies are a vital lifeline to tens of thousands of civilians forced by fighting from their homes. If they do not continue, their condition will deteriorate the longer the fighting and their displacement continues."

26 September 2008

Attack on LTTE 'capital' next week: Sri Lankan army

The Sri Lankan army Thursday said soldiers were approaching the 'political capital' of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the troopers would attack it next week. 'Killinochchi (strong hold of the rebels) is within the firing range of our troopers and we will fire the first shot on Killinochchi next week,' Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka said, addressing a book launch ceremony here.Claiming the troops were only 4-5 km away from Killinochchi, located about 354 km north of here, the battle-hardened army commander said the elusive rebel leader V. Prabhakaran was struggling to cope with the situation.

Troops getting closer to A9 Road: Defence Ministry

The military said troops operating in Kilinochchi and North of Vavuniya are getting closer to the A9 Road from the West.According to the Defence Ministry troops of the 57 Division were getting closer to Kokavil and troops of Task Force 2 are heading towards Mankulam. The Ministry said troops attacked two LTTE bunkers situated in the west of Akkarayankulam on Wednesday afternoon and confirmed both bunkers were destroyed.  Meanwhile, troops of the Army Task Force 1, operating in the western half of the Kilinochchi front confronted a group of LTTE cadres in the Nachchikudha area on Wednesday. At least three soldiers were injured in the confrontation.In the Vannerikkulam area, troops confronted a group of LTTE cadres killing 4 Tigers and injuring at least 6 others. Troops also attacked and captured an LTTE bunker located elsewhere, the Defence Ministry said. The Defence Ministry said intercepted LTTE radio transmission revealed three cadres were killed in the incident. Troops found a T-56 rifle along with 300 ammo and a radio communication set. Meanwhile, snipers deployed in the Vannerikkulam forward area confirmed shooting down one LTTE cadre also on Wednesday.Meanwhile troops of Task Force 2 operating in the Vavuniya front had three separate confrontations with the LTTE in the Palamoddai area during the day and claimed 6 LTTE cadres were killed. Troops also found one T-56 weapon with 65 rounds, 3 RPG bombs, 3 hand grenades and one pouch following one of the confrontations.Meanwhile, troops of the 56 Division maintaining active defence on the either side of the A-9 Road in Omanthai and attacked an LTTE bunker located in the Navatkulam area on Wednesday. Troops confirmed one LTTE cadre was killed and a bunker partially destroyed.Troops of the 59 Division operating in the Mullaittivu front confronted the LTTE in the Andankulama forest reserve and claimed 5 cadres were killed, 8 others wounded and 17 more were either killed or wounded. Also 4 soldiers suffered injuries during these incidents, the Defence Ministry said.

SLA, LTTE clash in Mukamaalai FDL

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) clashed for Thursday around 2:00 a.m for nearly half an hour, according to sources close to SLA. Kodikaamam police said it recovered Thursday a body of a male, who was caught in a landmine explosion in the no man zone between SLA and LTTE FDL positions. The SLA claimed that the youth killed is a combatant of the LTTE unit which tried to penetrate into SLA held area Thursday early morning. The body of the youth, that appears to be more than twenty years old, had both legs blown off and bullet wounds all over the body, police said. Kodikaamam police handed over the body to Jaffna Teaching Hospital mortuary on directive issued by Chaavakachcheari magistrate to have it identified within the coming five days. The SLA did not provide details of its own casualties.

Vavuniya Hospital doctors in token strike

Doctors of Vavuniya Hopsital staged a token strike yesterday (Sept. 25th) to protest the disruption to the transport facilities they have been given from Medavachchiya military checkpoint.Following an agitation by them subsequent to a Defence Ministry measure to ban private vehicles to Vavuniya from the checkpoint, they were given transport by the state.The GMOA alleges this facility has been in a mess of late, and demands immediate measures to ensure a proper transport arrangement for these doctors.The GMOA added that hospital services had not been disrupted due to the token strike.

Mahinda rules out Presidential Election next year

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says that he would not hold a Presidential Election in 2009, and unnecessarily reduce two years of his first term.He told the Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA), whom he met last week at Temple Trees, that speculation of a Presidential Election being held in 2009 was unfounded."You think I am going to reduce two years of my first term by holding elections early. This is all media speculation."Claiming that he was not responsible for creating divisions in opposition political parties, Rajapaksa said "There is nothing I can do for the infighting that goes on in other parties. A strong opposition is a must, but there is no real threat to the governments stability."Rajapaksa also claimed that the Hambantota Port Development Project was on track and there was no danger of it being suspended due to lack of funds to pay the contractors dues. "We can carry on, there is no problem."However the contractor, China Harbour-Sinohydro Consortium, has informed Ports Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, in writing to settle a sum of US$117 million owed for work completed, before the end of this month or face the risk of the project being suspended.

Rally at UN against Sri Lanka's genocide draws over thousand protesters

Over one thousand American Tamils, Canadian Tamils and friends of Tamils protested Wednesday in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York to draw attention of the United Nations, demanding sanctions against Sri Lanka, and advocating to invoke the principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) as a means to halt what the protesters alleged "genocide of Tamils." The protesters also denounced the visit to the UN by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. About 20 Sri Lankan Government supporters, including Buddhist monks, showed up briefly for a counter protest. Weeks before his visit to the UN the Rajapaksa government expelled all NGOs including the UN from the areas of conflict. Food and medicine to the trapped Tamil population was blocked while the Government armed forces emboldened by Iranian and Chinese funding were engaged in indiscriminate aerial bombings and artillery shelling of heavily populated Tamil enclaves, killing innocent civilians and displacing over 200,000. The protesters chanted "Rajapaksa, don't come to the UN, go to The Hague." Speaking at the rally, Dr. Ellyn Shander, a US physician who volunteered in Sri Lanka after the Asian Tsunami, drew parallels to the Nazi holocaust with the plight of the Tamils in Sri Lanka and accused the Sri Lankan government of committing genocide against Tamils. Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, a New York attorney, who participated as legal advisor to the Tamil delegation during the peace talks that followed 2002 Norwegian brokered Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), faulted the United Nations for acquiescing to the Lankan demand and withdrawing UN aid agencies from Tamil areas. He denounced the failure of the UN for not taking steps to protect the civilian enclaves like it had done at other conflict areas of the world. Ms. Usha Sriskandarajah from Toronto spoke as a mother on the travails of the women and children living under trees without food and medicine and under constant barrages of artillery shelling and pleaded with the international community to take protective measures without delay. A petition signed by the rally attendees addressed to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon was handed over at the UN. The appeal stated that the Government of Sri Lanka has abdicated its responsibility to the Tamil inhabitants of the island and the international community embodied in the UN must begin to enact its ideals for the unilateral protection of the vulnerable Tamil people. The petition proposed possible actions by the UN such as sending an independent monitor from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, setting up internationally supervised safe havens for civilians in active conflict zones, a total ban on military aid to Sri Lanka, prosecution of the individuals in the Sri Lankan government and its armed forces for ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and genocide on the island, and arranging for a special session on Sri Lanka.

Pillayan –Karuna rivalry exacerbates

In another twist to the ‘worsened political crisis’ between TMVP leader Karuna Amman and EP Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, the party leadership has made some changes in the political structure of the organisation.Highly placed political sources told Daily Mirror last night that the party leadership had appointed ‘Jeyam’ as the TMVP’s deputy leader, sidelining the chief minister.  Daily Mirror reliably learns that there is growing opposition, among the party members, to Mr. Chandrakanthan.Sources said that plans were also afoot to replace party spokesman Azad Maulana very soon.  Mr. Maulana is also working as the chief minister’s coordinating secretary. The party hierarchy has accused the chief minister of making statements which embarrassed the government. The chief minister has also been criticised for having a secretary who allegedly has links to the LTTE.“The TMVP suspects that this secretary has been planted by the LTTE to spy on party activities and create problems,” sources said. The TMVP has also taken up the issue with the government.

Look after civilians, Ferrero-Waldner urges Sri Lanka

All sides in Sri Lanka's long-running conflict should do more to protect civilians and uphold human rights, European Union foreign affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said Thursday. 'The rights and needs of civilians and those who are internally displaced by the ongoing conflict in the north (of Sri Lanka should be) fully respected, in line with international humanitarian law. Their safety and freedom of movement must be paramount,' Ferrero- Waldner said in a statement. After a meeting in New York on the fringes of the UN General Assembly, Ferrero-Waldner called on both the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to allow full access to relief supplies for refugees. 'I am preoccupied by the continuing disrespect for human rights by all sides and am very concerned by reports of forced recruitment and summary executions by the LTTE. These violations must cease and the perpetrators brought to justice,' she said. Ferrero-Waldner is the top foreign-policy official at the European Commission, the EU's executive.

Denial of Canadian visa ‘irresponsible and dangerous’: wickramabahu
   
Left Front President and General Secretary of the Nava Sama Samaja party Dr Wickramabahu Karunaratne has in a letter to the Canadian High Commission said the conclusion reached in denying him a Canadian visa was “irresponsible and dangerous”. The Canadian High Commission First Secretary, Immigration, C McKinney had in a letter to Dr. Karunaratne last week said his application for a temporary resident visa to Canada had been rejected under security grounds in accordance with the immigration and refugee protection act.The High Commission had noted that there were reports that Dr. Karunaratne participated in LTTE activities by personally and knowingly attending and speaking at pro-LTTE events such as a Pongo Thamil event in Madrid and London and that he had also publicly announced support for LTTE political head B. Nadesan while his party had also shown support for the Tigers.“Your actions constitute membership in the LTTE. As a result of your membership in this organization you are inadmissible to Canada pursuant to Section 34 of the Act and therefore I am refusing your application,” the Canadian High Commission had said in its letter to Dr. Karunaratne.In response Dr. Karunaratne said he had never been to Spain and could not attend a Pongu Thamil meeting in London as he got the British visa after the event and also that his party is a socialist party that believes in mass actions while the LTTE is a Tamil nationalist bourgeois party that uses the method of terror in the course of struggle. “If you have an iota of knowledge in political science you will see that I could not be a leader of the Nava Sama Samaja Party and also be a member of the LTTE. Of course we have defended the right of self - determination of the Tamil people and the autonomy for the Tamil homeland since 1974. In spite of that, the LTTE has used terror against our party members. Disregarding that, in common demonstrations that demands human rights for Tamils we have participated with LTTE supporters. However, in all such meetings we have stood for voluntary unity of Sinhala and Tamil nationalities,” Dr. Karunaratne told the Canadian High Commission in a letter, a copy of which was sent to the media.“If you have such credible evidence of me being a member of the LTTE, I am sure you would have shared that knowledge with the Mahinda regime. It is strange that the government has taken no action whatsoever. Your ludicrous claim is not taken seriously even by this war mongering government. Finally if you have any sense of democracy left, please let me know whether I have the right to appeal against your irresponsible and dangerous conclusions,” he said.The LTTE is a banned terrorist outfit in Canada.

25 September 2008

TN leaders seek Indian intervention in Sri Lanka
   
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu political leaders K. Veeramani and Thol Thirumavalavan courted arrest along with over 300 supporters here Tuesday to demand India's intervention in Sri Lanka."The central government should immediately intervene in the Tamils' issue in Sri Lanka and desist from assisting the Sinhala regime in Colombo in its military misadventure," Dravida Kazhagam leader Veeramani told reporters before being arrested."It is a matter of national shame that some defence personnel from our country were found assisting Sri Lanka's military establishment a few days ago," added Thirumavalavan, who heads the Viduthalai Chiruththaigal Katchi.His reference was to the injuries two Indian radar technicians suffered when the LTTE executed a pre-dawn land and air attack on a Sri Lankan military base in Vavuniya.The two led a protest march from the Dravida Kazhagam headquarters to the main rail terminal in Chennai in an attempt to block traffic but were arrested enroute, police sources said.All those arrested were later released, official sources added.Both the outfits claim to provide "moral support" to the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has left over 75,000 people dead since 1983.

Sri Lanka for political solution

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said his government is ready to implement “political and constitutional solutions” to redress the grievances of all communities and would not, and could not, let the LTTE hold the Tamils of the north hostage to terror. He made these remarks at the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.Mr. Rajapaksa, who spoke a few sentences in Tamil at the beginning of his address, reiterated the government would talk to the “illegal armed group” — that is, the LTTE — only when it is ready to commit itself to decommissioning of its illicit weapons and dismantling its military capability, and return to the democratic fold.He said Sinhala and Tamil are languages of the people of Sri Lanka and both have been used through the centuries; they are rich in literature and are widely used, with recognition as official languages. He told world leaders that the government’s objective is to enable the people to enjoy benefits of the democratic processes and to speed up development activities in those areas where there is a “heavy presence of terrorists.” This would be similar to the economic development taking place in the Eastern Province, where ex-terrorists now function as councillors, and a former child soldier conscripted by the LTTE is now the Chief Minister, he said.

Air attacks on LTTE radar point, ground battles kill 17 combatants in northern Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Air Force MI-24 helicopter gunships attacked a forward radar position located in the coast of Nagavanthurai in Poonaryn last night around 10:00 p.m. Air Force sources said the target was neutralized in the precision raid.Meanwhile ground battles raging in the northern region claimed another 17 lives, 16 Tigers and a soldier, the military said. Another 31 Tigers and 8 soldiers received injuries according to the Media Center for National Security. Heavy clashes in Welioya area killed three Tigers and injured 31 in several skirmishes as troops continued to advance towards the Tigers’ de-facto capital of Kilinochchi.Fighting raged in Vavuniya and Kilinochchi battlefields killed 12 Tigers and injured 4 soldiers. In Muhamalai area of Jaffna a LTTE 'Booby Trap' explosion killed a soldier yesterday afternoon while another soldier was wounded in the same area yesterday evening due to an Anti Personnel mine explosion.Casualty figures cannot be confirmed independently as the battle areas are restricted for civilians. However defence observers say the Tigers have incurred heavy losses in the recent weeks both in manpower and territory as the Army supported by Air Force have advanced to the outskirts of Kilinochchi.President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday addressing the UN General Assembly ruled out any negotiations with the Tamil Tigers until they disarm and dismantle their military.

Hartal over two boys

A hartal was staged in Batticaloa and Ariyampathi yesterday after two youths were reported missing in Ariyampathi two weeks ago, police said.The hartal was organised by the residents of Batticaloa and Ariyampathi who demanded the police launch investigations and find two missing Tamil boys.Police Spokesperson SSP Ranjith Gunasekara said that all shops and boutiques in the two areas were closed as a mark of protest and a shop was 1 set ablaze in Ariyampathi late on Monday night.Security has been beefed up in both the areas following the hartal and according to the police two teams have been deployed to find the missing youth, the Police Spokesperson said. Yesterday’s hartal however did not hamper transport facilities or working of Government offices, SSP Gunasekara added.

TMVP accommodated in ICRC programme for combatants

The breakaway LTTE faction, headed by ‘Colonel’ Karuna, has been accommodated in an ongoing ICRC programme to enhance respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) among combatants in Sri Lanka.Before Karuna broke away from the Tigers in March 2004, the ICRC had conducted IHL classes for the LTTE.Well informed sources said that the TMVP, which obtained political recognition early this year, would benefit from the ICRC recognition.Responding to our queries, authorities emphasised that this wouldn’t mean the ICRC had recognised the group’s right to carry arms in the East where it wields political power due to its expanding relationship with the government."In a bid to increase the understanding of and the respect for IHL, the ICRC conducted more than 20 sessions for about 1,200 persons, including civilians, TMVP cadres and government security forces," ICRC spokesperson Ms. Sarasi Wijeratne told The Island.The military welcomed the ICRC’s decision as it would help the TMVP to improve discipline among cadres deployed in the Eastern Province. The TMVP maintains several camps in the region to thwart an LTTE build-up. The presence of the TMVP and their relationship with the armed forces had allowed security authorities to identify infiltrators.Under an unprecedented political agreement between the SLFP-led ruling coalition and TMVP had successfully contested local government elections in the Batticaloa district before winning the first Eastern Provincial Council elections on the government ticket.Under the leadership of Karuna and then Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan the TMVP had facilitated the military campaign in the East, particularly in the Ampara-Batticaloa theatre before the army mounted offensive action on the Vanni front.The government has accepted the TMVPs position that it would carry arms until the total destruction of the LTTE. On the other hand, the UNP’s call to disarm the group has been endorsed by the US and EU.Meanwhile, US Ambassador Robert Blake on Monday reiterated his call for the disarming of all armed groups in the East. Blake who was visiting Nintavur and Kaluwanchikudy to open two vocational training centres said that armed groups should be disarmed.Interestingly, Chandrakanthan had participated at the opening of the Kaluwanchikudy centre along with Blake who had been the chief guest at both occasions.

Security for Radhika insufficient - FMM

The Free Media Movement is concerned that sufficient security is not provided to journalist Radhika Devakumar.She is receiving treatment at Colombo National Hospital after being shot in an attempt on her life.A lone gunmen stormed her house at Kattankudi around 7.30 pm on September 08th and shot her at point blank range, the bullets entering her shoulder, abdomen and chest.The FMM charges that the government did nothing to ensure medical attention to her or for transfer her to Colombo for further treatment.Media organizations hired an ambulance from Red Cross to transport her to Colombo, convener of the FMM Uvindu Kurukulasuriya said.Despite it being clear that the attack was an attempt on the journalist’s life, only one police constable has been deployed for her security at nights.Noting that the ministerial subcommittee on media has not responded to calls to strengthen her security, the FMM emphasizes that Ms. Devakumar’s life is still under threat.

A 'Context Analysis'

The Sri Lanka Army's objective is becoming gradually clear with each day passing. The Army is trying very successfully to reach Kilinochchi, but that is just part of a much bigger plan to bring the entire Jaffna Peninsula and the western flank under its control.Velupillai Prabhakaran must act before October Monsoons if he wishes to maintain hopes of Tamil Eelam. The Army's target is clearly not just Kilinochchi Town, though it is an important breakthrough along the way, but the more distant goal of capturing Paranthan, Pooneryn and subsequently Elephant pass in that order. This remains to be the main strategy of a grand plan to win the war. In addition, it is now trying to evacuate the last remaining groups of civilians from LTTE areas.Needless to say this is potentially a very dangerous situation for the LTTE. It could release two more offensive formations and a Mechanized Infantry Division capable of offensive as well as defensive (holding) operations within a matter of weeks from now. It could also guarantee safe passage to the military and drastically improve logistics by linking the north with the south.The LTTE must strike back before the Monsoon hits. It is imperative. If the Tigers wait till October, the Army would have reached Paranthan. LTTE units stationed at Muhamalai, Nagarkovil and Kilali and also along Nachchikuda to Akkarayan on the western flank would stand very little chance of survival against four of the Army's best Divisions backed by 1, 2 and 3 Special Forces Squadrons, 1, 2 and 3 Commando Regiments and the Air Mobile Brigade.If this scenario develops into reality, the LTTE would have no real base to operate from, except Mulaitivu north. The Mulaitivu jungles have been systematically conquered by the 59 Division to ensure that a Thoppigala-like situation would not arise in the Wanni where the LTTE gets holed -up inside a dense jungle.A guerrilla movement like the LTTE cannot afford to lose a base to operate from. It is not withdrawing like a coil to spring back at the SLA at an opportune moment, though it still could. Instead, it is being drawn into skirmishes on a daily basis and being stretched to its limit. It is now digging into its reserves from the Jaffna Front. This is a very dangerous phenomenon.An organization like the LTTE must maintain a semi conventional military capability at all times to maintain its integrity and identity. This requires the maintenance of a reserve force. The cadres the Tigers are increasingly deploying from Charles Anthony, Imran Pandian, Ratha Regiment etc are exactly that reserve and these units are suffering daily losses.The LTTE cannot afford to be relegated to the status of an insurgent or terrorist group. It would harm the organizations core value and identity and gravely undermine the organization's funding/support base.The Army has got its work cut-out. Its must avoid Pyrrhic War by drawing-out the last of the civilians in LTTE clutches. But it can create only the conditions for such a release and wait. After all, the decision is in the hands of the people and the LTTE. The coming week would be crucial. All eyes will be on the two sides until the civilians are released. Once they are released, the International Community wouldn't spare much though to the fate of the LTTE. Its priority would be the civilians. This is why the LTTE holds on to them.A situation slightly similar to this occurred during Operation Jayasikurui. Military operations stopped and the gains were completely reversed by the LTTE in seven months. They had the civilians with them that time. Is this still a possibility? The best answer to this comes from the silence we now observe in the battlefield and amongst the hard core civilian supporters of the LTTE. Predictions of a large onslaught completely reversing the advance have now stalled. Although it does not mean that all is now lost for the LTTE, it does still mean that the tables have now turned.The ramifications of an LTTE defeat are colossal. Many powerful state actors would identify with such a victory and even secretly wish for it to happen in this tiny island in the Indian Ocean. It would send a powerful signal to other non-state groups who use violence as means of achieving power and control. Sri Lanka could become the first country in the world to have defeated a guerrilla/terrorist/insurgent group within its own borders in modern history.

Catholic Bishops of Sri Lanka ask the Tamil Tigers to release the displaced people

Catholic Bishops Assembly of Sri Lanka today asked the Tamil Tigers to allow the civilians to reach the more secured areas from rebel held Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Issuing a special statement Catholic Bishops have pointed out that the civilians should not be used as human shields in the ongoing war in Northern region. The Bishops said they are seriously concerned over the hapless situation faced by the displaced people who are still living in rebel held areas. Catholic Bishops said despite the arrangements made by the government to deliver all the necessities to the displaced people in the rebel held areas, some food stocks are not reaching the people due to the disturbances by the rebels. According to the Bishops’ statement thousands of people are still living in the area without a proper house or adequate nutrition as well as water. Catholic Bishops assembly urged the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers to pay more attention to safeguard the displaced persons.

US, other envoys meet to discuss Sri Lankan fighting

US, European Union, Japanese and Norwegian envoys met here Wednesday to discuss the latest fighting in Sri Lanka, including the need for both sides to protect civilians, a US diplomat said."The fighting has been expanding, heading toward the north," Richard Boucher, the assistant secretary for south Asian affairs, told reporters after attending the meeting at the US mission of the United Nations in New York."We're placing a lot of emphasis right now on the protection of human rights for civilians who are caught in the fighting and the democratic government's responsibility for respecting and extending human rights protections to the people in the areas they take over," Boucher said.The participants in the meeting also discussed the need for both sides to make sure they are ensuring humanitarian deliveries to the people displaced by the fighting.These points are being made to Sri Lankan officials both at the UN General Assembly in New York as well as in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, Boucher said."We're all having meetings in New York with representatives of the Sri Lankan government," he said, adding a Sri Lankan envoy did not attend the international meeting at the US mission."Some of the parties are in touch with the Tamil Tigers during the course of their activities," he said.In Colombo, the defense ministry said Sri Lankan government forces have killed 16 Tamil Tigers and lost three of their own troops in the latest clashes across the north of the island.The fighting on Tuesday also saw government jets raid the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) northern capital of Kilinochchi, the objective of the current offensive.At least 6,862 rebels have been killed by security forces since January, according to ministry figures, while 672 soldiers have died during the same period.The Sri Lankan government pulled out of a ceasefire with the rebels in January, and is currently trying to dismantle their northern mini-state.Aid organisations say the fighting has forced around 230,000 people from their homes.

Thirteen LTTE bodies handed over to ICRC  
   
Thirteen LTTE cadres, including nine male and four female bodies were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives on Tuesday at Omanthai to be handed over to the LTTE.The army said that the bodies belonged to the LTTE cadres who were killed by the Army in the general areas of Mallavi and Akkarayankulam during clashes recently.

McCain Scores Support From Conservative Tamil-Americans

Ethnic Tamil-American group throws its support to McCain and Palin. A McCain administration "will be supportive of our concerns, and the most pressing of these is the continuing slow genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka," said a press release from the group. (PRWEB) September 24, 2008 -- Republican candidates Senator John McCain and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin have gained another support group in their campaign for the White House. The group, Conservative Tamils for McCain, has announced their support of the McCain-Palin ticket. The group appended the following statement, which describes their hopes for a McCain presidency.

The statement reads:

We Conservative Tamil Americans hope that when John McCain becomes president of the U.S. next January, he will be sympathetic to our concerns. Specifically, we are distressed by the continuing slow genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. We think that he will be as concerned as we are about the destruction of the Tamil people and their culture in Sri Lanka. We support Senator McCain in his pursuit of the presidency because we agree with him that the Sri Lankan civil war will be a continuing "headache" for the U.S. as this war continues. We hope that President McCain will use the influence of the U.S. to achieve a political settlement that will end the civil war and allow all Sri Lankans to live in peace on their island We urge the 44th president of the Unite States, Mr. McCain, to send an envoy like former senator George Mitchell (as in Ireland and the Middle East) to talk to both parties in Sri Lanka and draw a road map to peace in Sri Lanka. The road map can be drawn from the successful models of Montenegro, Bosnia, East Timor, Quebec, Slovakia, and Kosovo. Successive Sri Lankan governments have done nothing to resolve this vicious civil war for more than sixty years, and we believe that they will do nothing to resolve it unless they are forced to do so. Tamils are weary of waiting for a reasonable devolution from Colombo. German Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jürgen Weerth in August 2008 said that he has also given up hope of finding any solution for Tamils that involved the Colombo government. Germany, he said, did not believe in allowing the majority community to rule over minorities. "A country should have a give-and-take policy when ruling. Each community should be given preference, instead of supporting one community," he said. Weerth further said that Sri Lanka should establish the rule of law, and eliminate human rights violations in the country. He said that while Sri Lanka has a good constitution, the government ignores it. An outgoing British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Dominic Chilcott, gave a speech on the Sri Lankan national question, in which he referred to other matters like "the lack of good governance, transparency, law and order, and the presence of institutional racism, racist stereotyping, demonizing of the UN agencies, discrimination, sense of impunity," etc. He also drove home the blatant truth about the deplorable condition of the veritable jungle of corruption, nepotism, dire human rights violations, conflicts of interest, and hypocrisy that Sri Lanka is. Besides George Mitchell, there are many more potential peace envoys or mediators we can find in the U.S., including Bill Clinton, James Baker, Richard Holbrooke, Jim Leach, Colin Powell, and certainly many others. In 2002, Mr. Richard Armitage and some other Republican officials helped to arrange what was later called "the Norwegian backed cease-fire." We expect that these experienced diplomats will be active in the McCain administration. We Tamils know that we urgently need help from a strong and kind friend. We hope that the U.S. under President McCain will be that friend. We know that Senator McCain expressed his sympathy for the oppressed Tamil minority in Sri Lanka during an interview with Larry King when Bill Clinton was president. We are confident that he will remember those sentiments and make them into policy when he is president. When Mr. McCain is president we expect that he will use his own judgment as to how this goal, the goal of peace in Sri Lanka, can best be achieved. We Conservative Tamils are looking forward to the day when President McCain and his advisers get to work resolving so many of the world's problems, and we trust that this problem will be among them. We offer Mr. McCain our enthusiastic support and look forward to seeing his foreign policy evolve when he is president. We emphasize that stability in Sri Lanka will give all peoples living there a better chance to improve their lives in a stable island.

Tiger arms, ammo found near Int. school in Wattala – STF

Police commandos have recovered a currency note used by undercover LTTE operatives sent on missions to Colombo and its suburbs to identify each other.Acting on information elicited by intelligence operatives, commandos Thursday morning recovered the note and a small quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives buried in a land adjacent to the Wattala Lyceum International school.A senior spokesman for the STF told The Island that the arms cache included one T 56 assault rifle, two T 56 magazines, 125 rounds of 7.62 ammunition, 565 grams of plastic explosives and one LTTE map.

LTTE blocking aid workers

The LTTE has refused to permit hundreds of local humanitarian workers to leave the Wanni by not issuing them ‘travel passes’ for them to vacate the LTTE areas and enter Government controlled areas. UN Spokesperson Gordon Weiss told the Daily Mirror that the trapped workers included a few dozen from the UN who wanted to leave the area but could not do so as they were awaiting a ‘travel pass’ from the Tigers. However at the same time, Mr. Weiss also said that a few humanitarian workers had stayed back in the Wanni because their families are living in the area. “We are trying to get our workers out. Many are awaiting ‘passes’ but some have decided to stay back because they do not want to leave their families. However those who want to leave, we will get them out,” Weiss said. According to the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Country Team, over 500 national staff working for NGOs has stayed back in the Wanni as they have not been provided the required ‘travel passes’ by the LTTE. The IASC said that the UN still has 21 national staff within the Wanni who did not receive ‘passes’ or are staying back because of their families. The Government has made a commitment to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Mullaitivu and Kilinochch and modalities are being worked out for the UN to assist, using the logistics expertise and equipment of the World Food Programme. Within the Wanni, the authorities have suggested that humanitarian staff left behind could support the GA’s offices in delivering relief supplies. At a meeting with humanitarian heads last week Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa issued a deadline of September 29 for all humanitarian workers to vacate Kilinochchi following a request by the NGOs and INGOs for a three-week deadline to move their material into Vavuniya. Mr. Rajapaksa also requested the heads of humanitarian agencies to hand over a detailed report of their activities in Kilinochchi in order to ensure that these activities are not hampered in the event these organizations leave the district. In accordance with the deadline, the relocation of international staff and some national staff of the UN and of the NGOs was completed on September 16 with a convoy of 42 humanitarian workers. Earlier plans for a more phased withdrawal were changed because of the deteriorating security situation, the IASC said. Groups of civilians had organized a physical blockade of the convoys and prevented movements for three days, sharing their concerns that with the departure of aid agencies their vulnerability would be increased.

24 September 2008

Keheliya accuses the west

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has told a press briefing in London that some western world politicians are corrupt and on the LTTE payroll.One reason for the support of LTTE terrorism is the large number of Tamil voters in certain Western world electorates. The other is that some Western world politicians are corrupt and are on the payroll of the LTTE, he said.Even more extraordinarily, the press spokesperson for the Sri Lankan High Commission said that Mr. Rambukwella had made his comments in the context of certain pro-LTTE elements bringing anti-Sri Lanka propaganda to the Labour Party convention in Manchester, the Indo Asian News Service (IANS) reported.The Tamil Net website reported yesterday that the leader of British Tamils for Labour, Sen Kandiah, on Monday, addressed the annual conference of the British Labour Party, in front of over 10,000 delegates and the British masses viewing the conference on BBC, and urged the Labour Party to note with alarm the increase in violence and human rights violations perpetrated by the Sri Lankan Government against Tamils. Foreign Secretary David Miliband MP opened the Labour Party Conference on Monday, under the banner of 'Britain in the World Debate.'

Keheliya accuses

His speech, amongst others, stressed on the moral duty of Britain and her Foreign Policy engagements in other parts of the World. Douglas Alexander, British Secretary of State for International Development, and the Defence Secretary Des Browne were on the stage. European Trade Commissioner the Hon Peter Mandelson, Senior Labour Party officials, Members of Parliament, Members of the European Parliament, business leaders, former cabinet ministers and other dignitaries were also in the audience, Tamil Net reported.Meanwhile, Mr. Rambukwella said that last week’s massive blast in Islamabad showed that Al Qaeda militants had learnt bomb-making from the LTTE.The Pakistani bomb was very similar in style to Colombo’s Central Bank truck bomb (of 1996), though lighter, Mr. Rambukwella, who is also Sri Lanka’s defence spokesperson, had said -- according to IANS.Mr. Rambukwella had told a press conference, on Monday, that the 1,300-pound bomb that killed 53 people at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad on Saturday showed that Al Qaeda had learnt the technology from militants belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).Both had been powerful bombs placed in trucks driven by suicide bombers. The Colombo attack killed 91 people.Mr. Rambukwella had said that terrorist groups constantly exchanged technologies and that, according to anti-terror experts, the suicide jackets used by Al Qaeda may have been developed by the LTTE.

Food convoys to un-cleared areas to take new route

Food convoys to conflict areas in the North will be diverted via Mankulam from today (Wednesday) by-passing fierce fighting in the Killinochchi sector, Presidential Secretariat sources said yesterday.Advisor to the President, Commissioner General of Essential Services S. B. Divaratne told The Island that donor countries wanted the Government to send the convoys of food to the Internally Displaced Persons in the Wanni accompanied by representatives of the UN Agencies.Army top brass in the Vanni on Monday advised the government not to dispatch the food convoys as usual on the A-9 route due to the intensity of fighting but to take the alternate route via Mankulam, he said.Acting on the advice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who left for the 63rd AGM of the UN in New York, to ensure sufficient stocks of food for the IDPs in the Vanni, Divaratne flew to Vavuniya on Monday to discuss the matter with the Army top brass.He was accompanied by the Resident Representative of the WFP Mohamed Salaheem, Resident Representative of the UNDP Neil Buhneand and Secretary to the Ministry of Nation Building W. K. K. Kumarasiri."I found that that there was no shortage of food as some reports said. There were 1,700 metric tons of essential food items such as rice, flour, pulses, vegetable oil etc. in the logistics hub managed by the WFP and the UN Agencies in Vavuniya. In addition, non-food items such as asbestos sheets and other items were stored in a huge warehouse likened to that of large Aircraft Hangar", Divaratne said.He said that they were told that due to the intensity of the fighting in the Killinochchi area, which was subject to heavy shelling, most of the people had fled to the Kandavelli AGA area which is between Paranthan and Pudukudiiruppu in Mullaitivu. Thus, the food convoys could detour via Mankulam and Oddusuddan to reach Pudukudiruppu and Visvamadhu."If we don’t take precautions there is the possibility of the LTTE hijacking the convoys of food for their own use and that is why the Military top brass in the Vanni advised us to make sure that all food convoys are accompanied by two or three ICRC representatives," Divaratne said.Following the meeting Divaratne had with the head of the ICRC last evening the obstacles were discussed and problems ironed out for a food convoy of 30 vehicles to leave Vavuniya today (Wednesday) accompanied by ICRC and UN Agency Representatives.

Blake tells Pillayan to disarm

US Ambassador Robert Blake has called upon Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan to lay down arms and give up child soldiers.He made these comments at the inauguration ceremony of the Kaluwanchikudi Vocational Training Centre recently where the Chief Minister was present."The central government and the elected Chief Minister must assert responsibility for security, end the abductions and extra-judicial killings and other security challenges that continue, and demobilise paramilitaries, including all child soldiers," Blake had said."Only then will we see the Eastern Province attract significant private sector investment and realise its great potential."He added that Pillayan had expressed his desire to lay own arms and end the gun culture in the east, during a meeting with the ambassador earlier. "I was pleased that he assured me that he too is committed to demobilising the paramilitaries and ending the gun culture that has prevailed in many parts of eastern Sri Lanka."

SLAF jets pound terror locations

Kilinochchi: Air Force fighter jets carried out three air raids targeting LTTE resistance points in the Kilinochchi battlefront yesterday afternoon, Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said.He said that all three air strikes were conducted at 12.45 p.m. The locations were, 2.5 Km north of Vannerikulam, 2 Km north of Akkarayankulam, and 5 Km north of Akkarayankulam, he added.

Mother, daughter molested: Four policemen arrested 
   
Four policemen including a sergeant who are alleged to have molested a young girl and her mother were arrested by the Upuveli police, police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara said.He said the girl and her mother had come to Trincomalee from Batticaloa seeking a job and were residing at a lodge in Upuveli when the incident is alleged to have occured on Monday.SSP Gunasekera alleged that the four policemen had visited the lodge and searched the room of the two victims citing security reasons and when the victims had told them they were in Trincomalee looking for employment the policemen had promised them employment and later molested them.The victims had lodged a complaint with the Trincomalee police leading to the arrest of the suspects. The victims were admitted to the Trincomalee hospital for a medical examination and the suspects will be produced in court.

LTTE prepares for final push before Kilinochchi falls

Signs are the LTTE is planning for one last massive push before the Army breaks through to Kilinochchi. A number of counter attack teams have been assembled under LTTE leader Lawrence in the general area Akkarayan. Fighting could start any moment now between these teams and the 57 Division.Sources indicated to DefenceWire that if this push is successfully beaten back, there is nothing standing in the way of the Army reaching Kilinochchi. Frontline field commanders aknowledge that Lawrence is the best in the LTTE for the counter attack having observed him at Vilattikulam where he was in charge until now.Meanwhile rumors were ripe yesterday and today that LTTE's 'Colonel' Bhanu has been killed at Mankulam. Unfortunately no evidence exist to suggest that this is the case todate. Yesterday rocket attacks were launched on four identified positions at Mankulam based on ground intelligence. The target was indeed Bhanu.Volleys of FuelAir rockets were launched which can ignite and incinerate an entire area by drawing oxygen from the air coupled with highly inflammable materials contained in a special warhead used by the Army. The casualties to the LTTE in this attack is not known as of now.Bhanu has been busy in the Mankulam area trying to counter attack troops engaged in operations at Mallavi. He is one of the least capable 'commanders' the LTTE has ever produced. His demise, however, could have an impact on the morale of the Tigers.

Situation tense in Wanni says ICRC

The ICRC has facilitated the exchange of nearly 80 bodies of dead combatants between the LTTE and military during the first two weeks of September, ICRC Deputy Head Anthony Dalziel said.Dalziel also said that the situation in the Wanni remained tense and security was assessed on a daily basis by ICRC, the only international humanitarian agency with a permanent presence in the Wanni. ICRC has also requested both the government and the LTTE to make ‘maximum effort’ to spare the civilians."The armed conflict in Sri Lanka continues to cause casualties among civilians, but compliance with international humanitarian law greatly reduced the danger to them," Dalziel said."ICRC is primarily concerned about the humanitarian situation and the needs of those affected by the violence. However, as fighting escalated in recent weeks, security increasingly became an issue of concern. ICRC maintains daily contact with the Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE. This allows us to obtain the security guarantees the organisation needs to be present and carry out its work in the field."Dalziel also said the ICRC would continue to monitor the humanitarian situation in the Wanni, "especially the needs of internally displaced persons."

Another Sea Tiger camp captured

Troops, now closing in on Mullaitivu stormed the LTTE’s famous “Pasarai” Sea Tiger base in Andakulam in the Welioya sector and took over the entire complex with triangular bunkers providing overhead protection on Monday.The Sea Tiger camp, believed to have been used by terrorists operating as Sea Tigers had two separate huts which served as sentry points.The camp has been surrounded by three triangular-type tall bunkers with overhead protection layers made of concrete. The troops continued to engage LTTE bunker lines and also fired artillery rounds against their positions.Troops also came across 147 anti personnel mines and seven Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) hidden by LTTE.During those clashes at least seven more Tigers  were killed and 14 suffered injuries.

Musali Muslims fear Sinhala colonisation

Muslims displaced from the Musali area in the Mannar District expressed fears that the government would systematically settle Sinhalese there.President of the Musali People’s Parliament (MPP), S.M.A. Niyas told The Morning Leader that the government, which was supposed to resettle around 57 Muslim families in Musali by September 22 had not done so.He added that the government had not given a reason for not resettling the families."That is why we fear that the government would now try to systematically allow Sinhalese to settle in these areas. This is similar to what had happened in the east as well," he said.He stated that Sinhalese were allowed to settle in Silavathurai, a predominantly Muslim area."The government has not given us any reasons for not resettling the Muslims displaced from these areas, even after they had been regained by the government," he added.Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishard Bathiudeen could not be contacted for his comments on the issue.

Sex for early ID card issue

The Colombo Chief Magistrate Nisantha Hapuarachchi yesterday (23) remanded U. D. Kulatunga, Head Clerk of the Department of the Registration of Persons until October 7, for allegedly soliciting a bribe of Rs. 2,000 and demanding that the applicant engages in a sexual relationship with him.Bribery Commission officers when producing the suspect, told the court that the Head Clerk had solicited money and had sex with the young woman in return for having her identity card issued without delay.

President – Solheim discuss situation in the North

Norway was requested to assist in the government’s continuing humanitarian efforts to bring relief, especially to the people of the North, providing such assistance is directed through the government rather than through other organizations.This request was made during bilateral discussions between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Norwegian Minister of Environment and International Development Erik Solheim, on the sidelines of the 63rd UN General Assembly sessions in New York on Monday. Mr. Solheim called on the President at his hotel accompanied by Jon Hansen Bauer, Special Envoy associated with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.Discussions on current developments in Sri Lanka included the President’s approach towards a sustainable peace and the need to eliminate terrorism, the Presidential secretariat said. `It was shown that the government’s current policy mirrored the developments taking place in the East, with the defeat of LTTE terrorism in the country.This was seen as a positive step towards the achievement of Sri Lanka’s overall goal of peace and democracy, island wide. It was seen that results of the recent elections to the first ever Eastern Provincial Council was a clear reflection of the endorsement of the government’s policies by the people of the East, their willingness to embrace democracy over terrorism, and a recognition of the de-merger of the Eastern Province from the North. President Rajapaksa said the Government was now addressing humanitarian issues in the North, and that the LTTE was trying to use civilians as human shields in the areas where it was faced with the advancing Sri Lankan troops, which efforts by the terrorists had to be prevented. It was shown that humanitarian assistance was being extended to the people in the North, with decisions taken at the highest levels of government, to ensure the safety of civilians and adequate provisions for them.Meanwhile an agreement was reached on future areas of cooperation between Sri Lanka and Iceland in the key areas of geo-thermal energy, fisheries development and women’s empowerment, at bi-lateral discussions between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Iceland’s Prime Minister Geier Haarde in New York on Monday.The discussions took place when Iceland’s Prime Minister called on the Sri Lankan President at the latter’s hotel, in New York, where both leaders are present for the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly. Premier Haarde, who appreciated the growing cooperation between Sri Lanka and Iceland, recalled the earlier visit to his country by President Rajapaksa, as Minister of Fisheries, and the recent visit of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to Iceland as symbolic of the close relationship between the two countries.The discussions centered on the possibilities for future cooperation. This included bi-lateral agreements involving investment promotion in Sri Lanka and the avoidance of double taxation. These are now reaching finalization and are expected to be ready for signature when the Icelandic Premier visits Sri Lanka very soon. Measures will also be taken for enhanced airline connectivity between the two countries, as well as increased tourism to Sri Lanka. President Rajapaksa expressed his appreciation of the contribution of Iceland to the development of Sri Lanka and the efforts of Iceland to implement the mandate of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, during its operation in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka 92nd among corrupt nations

Sri Lanka has been placed 92 out of 182 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) said.The CPI survey was conducted by Transparency International (TI) this year."Sri Lanka’s score remains at a low 3.2, indicating a serious corruption problem in the public sector. Neighbouring countries except Bhutan, all score below 3.5. Lack of transparency in political finance and poor parliamentary oversight are quoted as key governance problems in Sri Lanka. Only India (3.4) and Sri Lanka are above a score of 3 with Maldives (2.8), Nepal (2.7), Pakistan (2.5) and Bangladesh (2.1) maintaining low scores. Analysts attribute India’s position to the implementation of the Right to Information Act."TISL Executive Director, J C Weliamuna said that the Index ranked countries in terms of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.It measures each country’s level of corruption and places it on a scale from 0 to 10, where 10 stands for ‘highly clean’ and 0 stands for ‘highly corrupt.’

EPDP to discuss Jaffna MC Poll with President

Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Leader Douglas Devananda will take up the issue of holding Jaffna Municipal Council elections soon, with the President later next week.“I am hoping that the election will be held within this year,” said Devananda said yesterday.According to him they are hoping to have democratic free elections in the Jaffna Peninsula.“It will allow people to exercise their free will, and also give space to other parties such as the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) to participate and test their standing,” said Devananda.He said that there might be new legislation to facilitate the holding of local elections and it is up to the Parliament to decide on that matter.

Member of British Tamils Forum  Delivers Speech at the Labour Party Conference 2008  

In front of over 10,000 delegates, millions of viewers watching live on BBC television, at least three cabinet ministers namely, Foreign Secretary Rt. Hon David Miliband, Secretary of State for International Development Rt. Hon Douglas Alexander and the Defence Secretary Rt. Hon Des Browne behind him at the stage and with the Prime Minister listening to his speech behind the stage, Sen Kandiah, a senior member of the British Tamils Forum and the Leader of Tamils for Labour, delivered a damning speech condemning the current Government of Sri Lanka and the State for the oppression of Tamils for over 60 years.Foreign Secretary Rt. Hon David Miliband MP opened the afternoon of the Labour Party Conference today, 22 September 2008, under the banner of ‘Britain in the World Debate’ with a his speech which amongst others, stressed the moral duty of Britain and her Foreign Policy engagements in other parts of the World.In the audience amongst many other Senior Labour Party Officials, Members of Parliament, Members of European Parliament, Business Leaders, former Cabinet Ministers and dignitaries it was notable that the European Trade Commissioner Hon Peter Mandelson who listened very carefully to what Sen Kandiah had to say about the state of human rights in Sri Lanka.Just before 3 pm, Mr. Sen Kandiah was called upon to speak on behalf of the British Tamils and pass a resolution. His speech is given below in full.

“Chair and Conference

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present the resolution that highlights the sixty years of oppression of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka.I am a British Tamil. In the last two years four democratically elected Tamil members of Parliament have been shot and killed by the Sri Lankan government. Not long ago, seventeen aid workers, who worked for the International Aid Agency, were gun down by the government troops.What action did the government take? None!I can tell you stories of thousands of Tamils who face the same plight. Sri Lanka has become the third country in the history after Soviet Union and Saddam Hussain's dictatorship to use indiscriminate aerial bombardment against its own citizens.In Northern Sri Lanka the Government is carrying out genocide, uprooting and causing unexplainable pain and suffering. Tamils are internally displaced, living in fear without food, medicine or shelter.The eyes of the world are not looking and no one is telling this tragic story.The government of Sri Lanka is continuing this military strategy to resolve what is fundamentally, a political problem? Our Tamil struggle for justice and equality began with non violence. When our cry for justice and equality through non-violence was met with violence and oppression, the call for the independent homeland for Tamils became louder and louder. When it became apparent that non violence means were not working the Tamil people were left with no choice other than to pursue an armed struggle. More than one hundred thousand Tamils lives have been lost the last three decades.Therefore, I ask you to back the resolution that calls for the conference to note with alarm the increase in violence and human rights violations perpetrated by the Sri Lankan Government against Tamils living in north and east of the country.Secondly, we want the conference to note that the policies of the successive Sinhala governments and the current Sri Lanka constitution, which was adopted without the mandate of the Tamil people lies at the heart of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.Thirdly, to acknowledge that the time has come for the labour Government to recognise the Tamil people right to self determination is inevitable and essential in order to safeguard the very existence of the Tamil Nation in Sri Lanka.
Thank you”

- Ends -

Voice from Wanni wilderness reaches the world
   
My dear Mahinda  aiya,

Ayubowan, vanakkam, assalamu alaikkum and best wishes as you hold talks with world leaders and address the United Nations General Assembly not just as President of Sri Lanka but also as Chairman of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation. As you do so the situation on the northern war front and the economy are reaching a decisive phase if not a make or break point. While international pressure is mounting on Sri Lanka with the focus now on more than 200,000 newly displaced civilians in the Wanni, reports say, Sri Lanka’s donor co-chairs – the United States, the European Union, Norway and Japan are to meet this week amid fears that a tough censure might be given on humanitarian issues here possibly with a warning of sanctions to follow. UN agencies and other international NGOs working in the Wanni area have been asked to pull out by the end of this month with the government insisting it is ready, willing and able to provide the basic need for tens of thousands of civilians caught between the two warring parties. But most independent reports indicate that the civilians are in grave danger and the possibility of a humanitarian catastrophe is looming. Despite repeated pleas by government spokesman, most of the civilians in the area have preferred to leave their houses and flee deeper into LTTE territory. This has led to fears that the Tigers might use the civilians as a huge human shield or even resort to forced recruitment of civilians for the final battle. Fierce clashes between government troops and the LTTE continue on several fronts with the death toll on both sides known to be in the hundreds with hundreds more seriously injured though state propaganda units are playing a spin doctor role relating to figures and realities. Some reports last week indicated the Tigers were also resorting to chemical warfare and troops were on the orders to wear gas masks. Opposition parties are planning a major campaign on the staggering cost of living issue.  This crisis may not have reached life or death proportions but millions of people are known to be  managing with much less than their basic needs in terms of food and nutrition. The UNP, the JVP and other opposition parties are to focus their cost of living attack on fuel prices.  The JVP will hold a street protest today and then carry out a countrywide campaign while the UNP is also launching a fierce attack on this issue accusing the government of acting like a black-marketer. Another front page headline during the week was the death of former President D.B. Wijetunga on Sunday. Until 1989, D.B. Wijetunga was largely a lower order minister and came to the national spotlight when President Premadasa raised him to the Prime Minister’s post partly at least for caste purposes and for known loyalty more than on any efficiency or excellence basis. This gave D.B. Wijetunga the nickname (Dunnoth Baragannam).When President Premadasa was slain at the May Day rally in 1993, Mr. Wijetunga found himself skyrocketed to the highest and most powerful position in the country. But to the surprise of other party members and even opposition leaders, he acted creditably during his 18 months as president, especially in dismantling most of the organs of state terrorism. Some analysts thus gave DBW a new nickname – Doing Bloody Well. But lots of good work could be marred by one bad act and Mr. Wijetunga became infamous not only among the minorities in Sri Lanka but also in the international community when he once referred to the minorities as creepers or parasites. If J.R. Jayawardene had worked out a Constitution to ensure permanent power for the UNP, Mr. Wijetunga by calling general elections before a presidential poll in 1984 was widely criticized in his own party for helping to bring the PA to power, so the final epitaph given to him at his funeral will like most issues today be confusing and contradictory. It was the mixture of the indelible with the inedible.Anyway there is a vital lesson, the higher and faster the rise, the greater the fall. DBW went through it in the wilderness for the past 15 years, similarly Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who also skyrocketed to the top is now in the wilderness – all reduced to nothing. We need to meditate on the immortal words, “Earths joys grow dim, and its glories fade away”.

Yours sincerely,

Koththa-malli

23 September 2008

I do not know where Prabhakaran is - President

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says that he does not know where LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is hiding, but there would be no let up in the mission to capture him.Talking to members of the Foreign Correspondents Association(FCA), at Temple Trees recently, he said that the exact location of Prabhakaran’s hideout is not known, but the security forces were surely but slowly closing in on the LTTE’s northern operations command."We are determined to capture Prabhakaran and our ground forces are quite capable of executing the mission."Asked about an allegation by Western Province Peoples Front leader Mano Ganeshan that Basil Rajapaksa and the late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had asked him (Ganeshan), to establish a link with the LTTE prior to the last Presidential Election, Rajapaksa said. "That is false. You think, we are going to send Mano Ganeshan of all people."Rajapaksa denied he has any links with the LTTE and went on to claim that he had never met Karuna. "In fact I met Pillaiyan for the first time when he came to Colombo to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council."Political sources said that Prabhakaran and one of his sons Charles Anthony, are still in the Wanni. His wife and two other children had been smuggled out of Sri Lanka recently and are said to be in South Africa.

37,037 Tamil citizens registered, says Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: The number of people who have migrated from Sri Lanka’s five warn-torn districts to Colombo and its suburbs, which constitute the Western Province, since 2003 stands at 37,037, said the police on Monday.A survey was conducted in 135 police stations on Sunday following a government directive making it mandatory for all citizens from the northern districts and living in and around Colombo to reregister.The survey revealed that 37,037 individuals had come to the Western Province from the north during the past five years. Of them, 2,242 were new entries.In all, 10,820 families were registered. The controversial move was expected to affect an estimated 1,00,000 people. However, the actual number is far below this estimate. The move was criticised by some political parties and civil society organisations on the ground that it amounted to “racial profiling” as an overwhelming majority of those marked out for registration are Tamils.The government defended the order, saying it has the responsibility to protect the lives of innocent lives amid apprehensions that a “cornered” LTTE could target civilians in Colombo.Separately, the Government Peace Secretariat has disclosed that Norway, the peace talks’ facilitator between the government and LTTE, “with more sensitivity to political developments than most, has now established contact also with Tamil democratic pluralist forces, whilst continuing with government approval to maintain its contacts with the LTTE.”In a clarification over an article in the Geneva-based Human Rights Journal, the Peace Secretariat maintained that Norwegian Minister Eric Solheim, who facilitated the peace process until recently, has never been denigrated by the government.It said the government continues to use Norway’s services as facilitator, though Oslo decided to replace Mr. Solheim with Jon Hanssen Bauer as the lead figure in the process. Meanwhile, the military has claimed at least 36 LTTE cadre and seven soldiers were killed in the north. The Defence Ministry said 18 LTTE cadre were injured along the Kilinochchi battlefront.In a report posted on its website, the LTTE said: “The total number of Kilinochchi people who were displaced in the month of September is 26,000 according to Kilinochchi District Secretariat. These people have not received any relief of any kind to date.” There was no response from the government.

Vavuniya GA moved out
   
In addition to his present duties, Mannar Government Agent Nicholas Pillai has been directed to act for the Vavuniya Government Agent S. Shanmugam who was suddenly transferred out of Vavuniya recently, informed sources said.They said the exact reason for transferring Mr. Shanmugam was not known , but it was believed that a statement he made, on the situation of displaced people from the Wanni, at a meeting presided by a top government official, might have been the cause.Sources said the Public Administration Ministry was directed to move out Mr. Shanmugam due to reasons of security.“Mannar GA Nicholas Pillai, in addition to his present duties has been asked to oversee the duties of the Vavuniya GA’s office until a permanent official is appointed to fill the vacancy,” a Ministry official said.Temporary centers were being set up in Vavuniya to accommodate the civilians fleeing the LTTE-held Wanni region, where there is intensified fighting between the security forces and the LTTE.

Elections in Jaffna get mixed signals

The Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake will give priority to advising the Assistant Commissioners of Elections to make preparations in case the Government announces snap polls when he meets them on September (24) at the Elections Secretariat at Sarana Mawatha in Rajagiriya, Elections Department sources said yesterday.When The Island contacted the Deputy Commissioner of Elections P. M. Siriwardena, he said that he had no knowledge of any snap parliamentary polls. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had declared 2009 as the year of elections.The Additional Commissioner (Provincial and Local) W. P. Sumanasiri said that as far as he knew the Commissioner of Elections was to review the progress of the 24 Assistant Commissioners in the country at the annual meeting to be held next Thursday.He said that though the Government had announced plans to hold the long postponed local elections in the North, the Elections Department had received no intimation officially as yet.When the Assistant Commissioner of Elections for the Jaffna District P. Kuhanathan was contacted, he said that if any elections were to be held, they should be held according to the Electoral Register for 2007 which recorded 716,435 registered voters.He said that the last local elections were held in 1998 whilst the local elections announced in 2002 were postponed indefinitely.Mr. Kuhanathan said that there were 20 local bodies in the Jaffna district of which 17 were in Jaffna district, whilst three were in uncleared area of Killinochchi.The local bodies are Jaffna MC, Vellvettithurai UC, Point Pedro UC, Chavakachcheri UC, Karainagar PS, Kayts PS, Delft PS, Velani PS, Valikamam West PS, Valikamam North PS, Valikamam South-West PS, Valikamam South PS, Valikamam East PS, Vadamarachchi South West PS, Point Pedro PS, Chavakachcheri PS and Nallur PS were in the Jaffna District.The local bodies of Pathchilaipalli PS, Karachchi PS and Poonakary PS were in the uncleared areas of Killinochchi at present.

EPDP leader rejected US visa

The US Embassy in Colombo had refused to grant a visa to EPDP leader and Social Services Minister Douglas Devananda, 'Divaina' reported.Mr. Devananda had applied for a visa to accompany President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the 63rd General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.Embassy officials had cited a human rights matter for the rejection, the newspaper reported.The presidential delegation left the island on September 19th to attend the world assembly which concludes today (Sept. 23rd).

Inside Sri Lanka: 'There is no freedom' in Jaffna

Hundreds of thousands have fled Sri Lanka's civil war, many of them to Canada. While the war zone has been off limits to journalists, the National Post's Stewart Bell recently toured the front lines just as the conflict appears headed for a decisive showdown. This is the second of a six-part series.The streets around Jaffna City's downtown bazaar are filled with bicycles, trishaws and sari-clad women carrying umbrellas to shade themselves from the harsh tropical sun.There are also a lot of soldiers. They patrol the streets with automatic rifles and stop buses to check the identity cards of passengers.In this northern city, the population is almost entirely Tamil -- which to the soldiers means that any of the people on these streets might be Tamil Tigers guerrillas.Jaffna City was once the second-largest centre in Sri Lanka, after the capital, Colombo, but the rows of empty, bullet-pocked houses on the outskirts of town are a reminder that the civil war has hit hard here. The Tamil Tigers controlled Jaffna until the Sri Lankan forces retook it in 1995, but more than a dozen years later, daily life could hardly be described as normal.Troops are everywhere; a curfew remains in effect; nobody dares step outdoors without their National Identity Card; and residents cannot leave without the army's permission.Locals say the military routinely cordons off neighbourhoods, takes everyone to a school or a playground and holds them overnight for questioning.Getting out of Jaffna means a two-week wait for military permission and a 24-hour boat trip.That's because the region is cut off from the rest of the country by the war zone."It's like an open prison," says Gajen Ponnambalam, the Member of Parliament for Jaffna and a member of the country's main Tamil opposition party, the Tamil National Alliance.Even though he is an elected representative for the region, Mr. Ponnambalam lives 400 kilometres away in Colombo. Jaffna is too dangerous. Two TNA MPs were assassinated in 2005 and 2006."There is absolutely no security. All the TNA members of parliament from Jaffna have been threatened … the government uses paramilitary groups to carry out these threats."He says his phone calls to Jaffna are monitored, and when the discussions turn to topics considered sensitive by the government, the line gets cut. "It's a police state, so everything is being monitored."Journalists considered sympathetic to the Tamil cause live in constant fear. Bullet holes mark the walls inside the Jaffna office of the Uthayan newspaper. A stack of computers sits idle, their screens blasted by gunshots.Editor M. V. Kaanamylnathan thumbs through a book filled with photos of his reporters and staff, all killed in recent attacks. The newspaper continues to publish regardless."We have decided that despite what happens, we have a duty to our readers," he says. "We are just speaking for the rights of the people. This is a newspaper's function."The civil war that has torn apart Sri Lanka and driven tens of thousands of refugees to Canada has been notable for its horrors. Both sides have been accused of abuses.The list is long: Suicide bombings, abductions, recruitment of children, torture, ethnic cleansing, political assassinations, unlawful killings and arbitrary arrests and detentions.Ethnic Tamils can be arrested for "suspicion," which requires no more than a belief they are linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas waging a separatist war against the government. Some are released. Some are never seen again."Outside of the war zones, Tamils are very vulnerable to human rights violations, which come in the form of their houses being raided in the night or being searched in the night," says Jehan Perera, executive director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka. "They have to prove their innocence, that they are not LTTE."Disappearances and killings have occurred in Colombo, but they are said to be worst in Jaffna, he says, although he adds that there are no reliable statistics. Adding to the concerns is the sense that nobody is ever brought to account for the abuses, he says."There is a problem of terrorism, people need to be arrested, but this can't be done arbitrarily," he says. "It is happening enough that all Tamils are frightened."Since the collapse of Sri Lanka's ceasefire in January, international human rights groups have become increasingly alarmed as government forces drive north in an attempt to defeat the Tamil Tigers, and the guerrillas resume their random terrorist attacks.Deaths of civilians have reached "appalling levels," according to a February report by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which says almost 200 civilians died in the first six weeks of 2008.A Human Rights Watch report released in March blamed pro-government forces for abductions and disappearances of suspected rebels as well as clergy, aid workers and journalists.In April, Amnesty International accused both the government and the guerrillas of intentionally targeting civilians and conducting indiscriminate attacks. "Since 2006, the conflict in Sri Lanka between government forces, the LTTE and other armed groups has escalated and has continued to be marked by widespread human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law," Amnesty wrote.A young Tamil man, too afraid to allow his name to be published, spoke nervously about the August night his life was turned upside down.It was after dark and he was with a friend. They went to meet another friend. All were Tamils. Someone saw them together and told the police."I didn't expect they were going to put me in jail," he says, but the next thing he knew, he was taken to a cell. "They took us to a bad ward. There were 250 people staying in a single hole."The cell was full of hard-looking men, some of whom were smoking ganja. Until that night, he had never even seen the inside of a police station. He was held for a week before being released without any charges.Now he is uneasy. He believes the police will be watching him. He says if police pick him up again, he will never get out. He says he will no longer venture outside after 8 p. m. "Earlier, I never thought about these things. But now I am afraid."The Sri Lankan government does not deny that abuses occur, but says they are not state policy and that those found responsible are held accountable.Attorney-General C. R. De Silva told the United Nations that a Presidential Commission of Inquiry was looking into disappearances, and that police had formed a Disappearances Investigation Unit.In the past year, 61 police officers have been charged with torture, he says, while in the past decade, 599 members of the security forces and police have been charged in connection with abductions and extra-judicial killings.Mr. Ponnambalam, the Tamil MP, says that in the past, international pressure could be wielded to curb government excesses. But unlike past Sri Lankan governments, the current administration lacks strong links to Western countries that have typically pushed for negotiations to end the conflict. "President [Mahinda] Rajapaksa is someone of a totally different mindset. He has no such hang-ups basically."Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Defence Secretary and the President's brother, says some people reported as disappeared have actually joined the guerrillas. He cites the case of a man reported missing by his mother. It turned out the man had died while committing a suicide attack near the Colombo Hilton Hotel.Searches, arrests and detentions are all necessary to prevent terrorist attacks, he says."Now we know that each and every Tamil person is not a terrorist, but unfortunately 98% of the terrorists are Tamil because this started as a freedom movement, it started from the Tamils," he says."So when you adopt certain control measures, of course the Tamil population will be targeted. You go and search where there are more Tamil people, then you question with a doubt when you see people coming from the north and east. So for these things we get a lot of criticism, but at the end, you save a lot of lives."The National Post hitched a ride to Jaffna on an Air Force transport and travelled through the high-security zone to the city in a Unicorn armoured vehicle before leaving the company of the military to explore.Jaffna's roughly 600,000 residents had a brief respite from the war during the ceasefire that began in 2002. The A-9 highway that links the region to the south was reopened for the first time in decades, but the ceasefire soon collapsed and the road was closed once again.The guerrillas and the army face each other on the eastern edge of Jaffna, where 100 metres of no-man's land separates the forward line of the Sri Lankan Army from the Tamil Tigers. Both lob mortars at each other on a daily basis."A lot of skirmishes are going on -- last night there were 12 attacks," says Major General Gammampila Chandrasiri, Area Commander for Jaffna. But he insists life in Jaffna is "coming back to normal."One prominent Tamil man scoffs at the positive image painted by the General. He says the Tamils of Jaffna are treated like second-class citizens and live in constant fear of the security forces."It has gone to the depths, there is no freedom," he says. "Whether you are three or 65 years, they will stop and check your ID card. Now they are suspecting every citizen."How can you say that we are living peacefully, how can you say that there is no problem?" he says, afraid to have his name published."It is 100% occupation."

Vatican denies state media report
 
Vatican has denied Sri Lanka state media reports in saying that it has commended the president for 'liberating' the sacred Madhu shrine in Mannar.In a statement, handed to journalists in Colombo by opposition parliamentarian Jayalath Jayawardene on 22 September, the Vatican has denied Cardinal Francis Arinze making such a comment.A state owned Daily news report published in the Sri Lankan defence ministry website quoted the visiting Vatican Cardinal Francis Arinsay as saying that "Catholics should be grateful to President for liberating Madhu"."The entire Catholic community in Sri Lanka should be grateful to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for liberating the historic Madhu Shrine from the terrorists and restoring to the Church, Vatican Cardinal Francis Arinsay said when he called on the President at Temple Trees yesterday(Sep 16)," state owned Daily News has reported.However, the Vatican in a statement issued on 20 September, has denied the Cardinal making any such statement UNP MP, Jayalath Jayawardene told the media."In his cordial discussion with the President, the Cardinal did not express himself on the Madhu issue at all nor on any other issue of a political nature," the statement issued by the Apostolic Nunciature in Sri Lanka stated."It is a disgrace that the official website of the Defence Ministry reports false, diabolical and malicious lies," parliamentarian Jayawardene said.The shrine sacred to Catholics was in LTTE-held territory until advancing Sri Lanka troops captured the area in April, this year.

The ball is in LTTE's court

The Sri Lanka Army is now 3km south of the Kilinochchi Town Periphery. They entered the general area Kokavil two days ago. Troop operations have been parallel to the A-9 in order to encourage civilians to use the highway to escape.The gratitude for reaching Kilinochchi has to fall on 1 Special Forces and the 57 Division's battalions who have provided yeoman service to the operations from day one. The daring operation launched by 1SF supported by 3GR and 4SR on the 15th of this month resulted in the capture of an area west of Akkarayankulam Tank before the Tigers could extend its trenchline upto the A-9.The Tiger strategy was to draw the Army into a long drawn out battle right upto the A-9 thus prolonging the advance of troops and also cutting off the A-9 for all civilian movements by making it unsafe. The surprise attack was planned and executed by one of the most highly capable military minds in the Army--Major General Jagath "Chula" Dias. 5 out of 6 LTTE teams inducted into the area from Muhamalai and Nagarkovil were decimated in the attack. It was another huge blow to the Tigers.The Tigers have no trenchline from beyond this point now. The trenchline was navigated in such a way that the defences will soon become useless as the Army advances have now effectively bypassed it. But the 58 Division is still engaged in attacking the trenchline at Vannerikulam and are moving its troops along the trench, thus keeping LTTE cadres occupied.Kilinochchi Town is an area roughly around 7km2. Once the Army penetrates the town's periphery a free passage will open-up for civilians directly from Kilinochchi to Vavuniya, provided that the LTTE allows such freedom of movement. In effect, the 57 Division, spearheaded by 1 Special Forces is like the key to opening the floodgates of civilians seeking safety from war.Troops have, at all times, maintained at least a 1km distance from the A-9, thus keeping the battles away from the road and the road free of dangers for civilian movements. This is true from Omanthai upto Kokavil through Mankulam. However, the Army is poised to breach the gap and reach the A-9 as soon as it is required to rescue the civilians and transport them to Vavuniya for safety.A team from 1 Special Forces and 3 Commando also commenced a recce with orders to launch surgical strikes at an LTTE buildup at Puliyankulam. This area was used as a launching-pad for attacks on the Vavuniya Airbase and SFHQ.Both the 56 Division operating east of the A-9 and Task Force 2 operating as holding divisions have been ordered to be vigilant of this build-up which is acting as a deterrence against civilians escaping LTTE clutches. Already, some 35,000 civilians who attempted to escape have been held against their will by these units.The Army, though taking calculated risks has put the ball in the LTTE's court. The forcible detention and blocking of refugees from escaping to safety have all been at the LTTE's initiative and not at the initiative of the Army. The longer the LTTE blocks civilian movements the more pressure it will face both internally and externally.

22 September 2008

Sri Lanka police force ethnic Tamils to reregister

Thousands of ethnic Tamil civilians lined up at schools and Hindu temples in Sri Lanka's capital Sunday to comply with a police order requiring all who moved to Colombo from the island's north to reregister with the police.Migrants from the north — which has been wracked by civil war for more than 25 years — have long had to register with police when they move to Colombo. But last week, police said that they needed to update their records to ensure security in the capital and that all who made the move in the past five years must register again.Police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekera said Thursday that the order would affect more than 100,000 people. The overwhelming majority of those people are ethnic Tamils. Some complained that Sunday's forced registration was unfair and unlawful."This is very wrong in a democratic country. We already have our registrations with the police so why should we do it again?" R. Gajendran told The Associated Press at his home in a predominantly Tamil neighborhood of the city. The unemployed 28-year-old said he fled to Colombo to escape violence in his native Jaffna.Authorities have not said what will happen to those who are unable or refuse to reregister Sunday.Rifle-toting police kept watch as entire families, including infants and the elderly, crowded the registration centers."The government is drawing here a distinction between us and the rest of the citizens. We are Sri Lankans too," Paramanathan Thileepan, a 23-year-old Tamil who works as an accounts clerk, said after registering at a center set up at a school in the same neighbourhood."Our background was thoroughly checked in Jaffna before being cleared to come to Colombo," he said.Many others refused to speak, fearing reprisals for criticizing the authorities.Colombo-based Tamils complain of frequent police raids, harassment and arbitrary detentions. Authorities try to justify the measures by saying rebel agents could be hiding among the Tamil community.Tamil lawmaker Ramiah Yogarajan called the registration a "harassment of the peace-loving" and said some Tamils feared they would be banished back to the north after they reregister.More than 300 Tamils were forcibly evicted from Colombo last year but were returned to the capital a day later on a court order.Yogarajan accused police of violating a court order that prohibits summoning people for registration.Police spokesman Gunasekara insisted the reregistration was legal and peaceful."We have the sanction from the attorney general," Gunasekara said. "I visited some of the centers and the people are very happy."Tamil Tigers have fought since 1983 to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils after a history of maginalization by successive governments controlled by majority ethnic Sinhalese.More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.In the latest fighting Sunday, air force jets and helicopters bombed four locations that were gathering spots for rebels in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts, the military said in a statement.It said the raids inflicted heavy losses on the rebels, but gave no details.Separate ground clashes Saturday in the north killed 27 rebels and four soldiers, the military said. The statement could not be independently verified.

JVP opposes Tamil registration
 
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has protested the government's order for the people from the north to register in centres set up in the capital and the suburbs.Sri Lanka's police have started registering thousands of people, nearly all ethnic Tamils, who have fled the war-torn north for the capital Colombo.All those who arrived in the city in the last five years were ordered to attend special registration centres.It comes after the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said the separatist Tamil Tigers were using the influx of people to infiltrate the city and plant bombs.

Tamil parties divided

JVP media secretary Vijitha Herath, MP, told BBC Sandeshaya that the government should not push Tamils towards the LTTE by deliberately targeting them in Colombo.The party supports a systematic approach through government officials to collect data on migrants in Colombo, but it is wrong for the police to deliberately target Tamils, he said."The constitutional right of the people to live anywhere they wish is not protected by using the police to forcefully register these people," Vijitha Herath said.However, two main political parties representing Tamils of Indian origin have differed over the issue.Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a constituent member in the ruling coalition led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has strongly opposed the move.National Organiser of the CWC, R Yogarajan, told the BBC that the latest police move was in violation of a court order on registering people."We consider this act unconstitutional since the action taken by the police is against the regulations issued by the Supreme Court ," he said.

UPF 'no objection'

The Up Country Peoples Front (UPF), another member of the ruling coalition, says the party does not oppose because it does not affectTamils of Indian origin."Our main concern is to prevent people being arrested. It is very difficult to get them released once arrested," senior UPF leader and deputy minister P Radhakrishnan told BBC Sandedshaya.Over 1200 Tamils of Indian origin are currently in custody in different parts in the island, the minister said, and the UPF is in regular contact with the police to get them released.The registration is aimed at those arrived from Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mulativu, Mannar and Vavuniya during the last five years, minister Radhakrishnan said. "I am not saying we are supporting this move. But this is not directly aimed at our people," he told BBCSinhala.com. 

People of the North and Police Registration –Tamil News paper Virakesari Editorial

Amidst the continuing tensed situation in the country, Tamils being looked at suspiciously and detained for questioning is a continuing saga today; particularly those travelling to the capital from the North undergo severe hardship. Due to this Tamils arriving in Colombo carry on their day to day activities in fear.People of the North travel to Colombo seeking many essential services in capital Colombo that are otherwise unavailable to them. Shortage of medical facilities, higher education, employment and overseas travel plans and all make it a must for Tamils of North to come to the capital.Also, numerous Tamils move to Colombo to lead a life in peace, away from being amidst rolling juggernaut of war and destruction.All of these people continually face search and round up operations of Police and security forces in the capital and detention thereafter for questioning.Tamils living in Colombo with fear is apparent, as even Tamils with proper documents and identification too are arrested, detained and questioned.Security officials in the capital say the measures have been enacted to prevent infiltration of rebels and ensure the country is protected.Highest priority being given to protect the people and country is indisputable; yet question arises, if viewing only a section of the people suspiciously will bring about that desired result in overall safety.In the meantime, 21st September is established as deadline for registration by all Tamils who arrived within the past five years, at respective Police Stations of their residence. The Police Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said at a recent media briefing, that this measure is being taken to ensure the protection of people.People from the North must register at respective Police Stations or assigned Buddhist Viharas along with their family members.It is also reported that police is taking census of Tamils who arrived from five districts – Jaffna, Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Vavuniya.The authorities have also said no proof will be issued for this registration; and during any future instances of questioning and round up operations, National Identity Card, passport and or letter from Grama Sevaka or related document will be required to establish identification again! Over 60,000 people are estimated to have taken residence in Colombo over the past 5 years. The practicality of all of them, along with their family members registering within the short time frame is questionable; the deadline of September 21st was announced only on September 18th.In the meantime, people who want to travel to Colombo after the 21st of September are perplexed over the registration requirement and how the procedure is to be adhered to by them.The registration rules for those who want to come to Colombo after the 21st must be made clearer.It is important that people are accorded with efficient methods for registering, to avoid long waiting and unnecessary inconveniences.Also, the language barrier of the people of the North must be taken into consideration.It is important officers with Tamil language skills must be present at Police Stations to assist in the registration, to ease delays and alleviate difficulties.

Sri Lanka President to meet Erik Solheim today

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is now in New York to participate in the UN General Assembly is to meet Norwegian Foreign minister Erik Solheim today. Solheim was the Norwegian Special Envoy for Sri Lanka during the early period of the 2002 ceasefire and the peace process brokered by Norway. He was replaced by John Hanssen-Bauer whose request to visit Kilinochchi to meet the Tamil Tiger leaders was turned down by the Sri Lanka government a few months back.The position of the Sri Lanka government under President Mahinda Rajapaksa is that any future talks with Tamil Tiger rebels would only be if they lay down arms.

“No Indian troops in Sri Lanka”

RAMANATHAPURAM: Lt. Gen. Milan Lalithkumar Naidu, Vice Chief of Indian Army, has said that there are no Indian troops in Sri Lanka to assist its Army in the ongoing war. Speaking to The Hindu at Mandapam near Rameswaram on Saturday, he said there was no truth in the allegation that the Indian Army had sent its troops.When his attention was drawn to the recent attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in which two Indian technocrats were injured, he said whoever was there in Sri Lanka could have been “civilians.” However, he said, “some Army personnel go to Sri Lanka from time to time. They go for advice and come back.”Asked about the series of provocative firings along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir by Pakistani forces, Mr. Naidu said infiltration had come down. That was why more firing incidents were taking place across the border as “they” wanted to push more “people” into the Indian side. It was one technique, he said.Asked whether the increasing influence of Pakistan-based agencies in Sri Lanka would pose threat to India, he said he didn’t think so, as the Government of Sri Lanka was very balanced. They knew what was to be done. When asked about the chances of setting up an Army battalion in the southern coast of Tamil Nadu considering the presence of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Indian Air Force and the coast proximity to Sri Lanka, the Vice Chief said there was no such plan as of now. However, if there was a requirement in the future, the Army would consider the plan.He was received by Colonel CP. Medappa, Station Commander, 117 battalion, Tiruchi, Commandant K. Janardhanan, Commanding Officer, Coast Guard, Mandapam, M. Tamil Mani, District Revenue Officer.

Aerial survey

Later, accompanied by Brigadier Ravi Pandadi, he made an aerial survey of the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Mr. Naidu visited the Naval air station at Uchipuli and held discussions with Commander P. Rajkumar, Station Commander, and others about the security scenario in the southern coast.

DMK chief should `break his silence` on Sri Lankan issue 
 
PMK on Sunday asked DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to 'break his silence' on Sri Lankan Tamil issue and take lead in solving the ethnic crisis in the island nation.Replying to a specific question on the suggestion of senior politician P Nedumaran that PMK, MDMK and Left Parties, with some common agenda, particularly on Sri Lanka, could form a third front, Ramadoss told reporters that this could apply to assembly polls, but not for Lok Sabha polls.As far as Sri Lankan issue was concerned, Karunanidhi, who was a strong supporter of Tamil Eelam, should break his long silence and come out with a clear policy on Tamils issue.Reminding Karunanidhi that he, in 1985 had given a pledge to thousand of Youths here that they would fight for a Tamil Eelam and sacrifice their lives to achieve it, Ramadoss asked why the Chief Minister was silent now.Ramadoss, here to attend party's 'anti-liquor campaign,' said that PMK could formulate an alternative policy to earn the Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore generated by selling liquor if government was willing to introduce prohibition in the State.On release of prisoners, Ramadoss said that a committee of retired judges, police officers, journalists and NGOs could have been formed to decide the prisoners, to be released.

SLAF steps up attacks

The SLAF yesterday took four more targets as troops battled LTTE units on the Vanni front. SLAF headquarters said that jets had engaged two targets-one five kilometers north-east of Nachchikuda and three kilometers north of Akkarayankulam to facilitate ground operations.Mi 24 helicopter gunships had zeroed-in on LTTE positions one and half kilometers south-west of Kokavil and two kilometers north-east of Akkarayankadu. The targets had been taken between 10 a.m. and 1. p.m. The SLAF said that the attacks were mounted in support of Task Force I and 57 Division conducting operations on the Vanni west.Army headquarters said that troops killed at least 23 LTTE cadres in separate confrontations west of A9 road and Andankulam theatre on the Welioya front.At Vannarikulam also on Saturday, the army lost three personnel due to a heavy mortar attack. Army headquarters said that troops deployed at Vannarikulam had thwarted several LTTE attempts to breach their frontline positions during the day.

Koneshwaram chief priest killed  
 
The head priest of the historical Thirukoneswaram kovil has been shot dead in Trincomalee.Journalists in Trincomalee told the BBC that Hindu Priest Sivaguruaja Kurukkal was shot in Vidyalan Road in Trincomalee on Sunday evening.Sri Lanka militay authorities have accused the LTTE of killing the priest."The late priest was maintaining close relations with the Security Forces and Police," a statement issued by the Media Centre for National Security said.Thirukoneswaram is one of the five Eswarams - temples devoted to Hindu deity Siva.Hindus as well as Buddhists visit the temple situated in a High Security Zone within the Fort Frederick built by the Dutch in the 17th centuy.

Man with many complaints against police shot dead
 
A businessman who had lodged several complaints against officers of the Negombo police station was shot dead at 10 am yesterday while driving his van past the Dalupota junction, in Negombo.Sugath Nishantha Fernando, 36, was with his 11-year-old son at the time of the killing. According to eyewitnesses, two men on a motorcycle had come up from behind and fired at Mr. Fernando. The victim was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. His son escaped unharmed.Human rights monitors are demanding an immediate and impartial inquiry. It is understood that Mr. Fernando had made a series of complaints of torture and bribery against the police, naming a senior police officer and several other police officers.Complaints of repeated death threats made to Mr. Fernando and his family were filed with the IGP, the Attorney General, the National Police Commission (NPC), the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, and the Bribery Commission. Mr. Fernando’s family said that no action had been taken in response to the complaints.According to complaints filed, a group of police officers attached to the Negombo police visited Mr. Fernando at his home on June 28 this year and threatened him to withdraw a fundamental rights complaint that is pending in the Supreme Court. The family reported the matter to the relevant authorities and went into hiding. It was only recently that Mr. Fernando emerged from hiding and returned to his home in Negombo.In September 2004, Mr. Fernando made a complaint to the Bribery Commission against SI Mahagamage Dharmadasa, who was the then Crime OIC of the Negombo police.That same month, Mr. Fernando lodged another complaint, this time to the National Police Commission, in respect of the sale of a lorry on allegedly forged documents by the officer in charge of the Kochchikade police station.In December 2005, Mr. Fernando opened a food outlet in Dalupotha, but closed it later because the business was running at a loss. One of the food outlet employees, Dharmalingun Yogeswaran, complained to the police that Mr. Fernando had forcibly taken Rs. 4,000 from him.Later that month, Mr. Fernando met the DIG Western Province and gave him a statement in which he denied allegations made against him.

‘LTTE discourages drug smuggling’

RAMANATHAPURAM: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was making all efforts to prevent narcotic drugs from reaching the Tamil-inhabited areas of Sri Lanka, said Thambi Anna, in-charge of the Narcotic Substance Prevention Wing of the LTTE.According to sources, Thambi Anna, who was taken into custody, had told the officers that contrary to the popular theory, LTTE was not encouraging smuggling of drugs. Thambi Anna has been interrogated by officers for details of smuggling operations.Thambi Anna alias Daniel of Jaffna had told intelligence officers that he joined LTTE in 1991 and was in charge of preventing the entry of narcotic substance into Sri Lanka. His main responsibility was to check the contraband transported from other countries.Sometimes he had acted as a middleman between smugglers and agents, Anna had said.He had convened over 175 kattapanchayats to solve problems between agents and smugglers.Those smuggling drugs to Lanka were imprisoned by the LTTE, Anna had revealed.Thambi Anna had also said that Karuppaiah alias Gadaffi, living in London, generated funds for the procurement of necessary items and some agents used to despatch them to LTTE through illegal ferry.According to sources, the LTTE member had also stated that Susai, incharge of Sea Tigers in Northern region, monitored the movement of boats and smuggling activities.Susai reported to Thambi Anna, if he noticed any smuggling activities at sea. Subsequently, Anna and his men intercepted the boats and checked if the boats carried drugs.Thambi Anna had also told the interrogators that the LTTE cadets might come to India for treatment.

Netherlands Ambassador pays courtesy call to Secretary Defence

The Netherlands Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Her Excellency Mrs. Leoni Cuelenaere paid a courtesy call to Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Monday (Sep 22) at the Ministry of Defence, Colombo.A brief discussion was held between the two officials, concerning matters with bilateral interests.

21 September 2008

Co-chairs meet in NY

Amidst intensified battles in the north and growing concern for the thousands of civilians trapped in the embattled Wanni region, Sri Lanka’s Donor Co-Chairs will hold an emergency meeting in New York next week to discuss the present situation in the island, The Nation learns.The meeting was hastily summoned via tele-conference between the representatives of the Co-Chair nations, it is learnt.Second Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo Rannveig Skofteland told The Nation that the ‘informal’ Co-chairs meeting is to be held during the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23.“This is an informal meeting of the Donor Co-chairs,” Skofteland said, adding that an agenda for discussions had not been set yet.“The agenda is still being discussed and drafted. But it is likely to relate to the current situation in Sri Lanka,” the Norwegian Second Secretary said.However it is speculated that the discussions are expected to revolve around the entrapment of civilians in the Wanni, due to the ongoing hostilities and the exit of UN humanitarian organisations from the theatre of battle.Norway’s Special Peace Envoy to Sri Lanka, Hansen Baur is expected to attend the New York meeting, whilst Japanese Peace Envoy Yashushi Akashi and US Assistant Secretary of State for South & Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher are also likely to participate.A spokesperson for the European Union in Colombo was unable to confirm the attendance of a EU representative at next week’s meeting in the Big Apple.The Sri Lanka Donor Co-Chairs, founded in June 2003, consists of four members: EU, Japan, Norway, and US. The group meets periodically to coordinate efforts to fulfill its responsibility under the Tokyo Declaration of 2003 to monitor reconstruction assistance to Sri Lanka and the peace process.

General Election riding on war gains

The Government is planning to hold a General Election early next year after security forces capture the Tiger heartland of Kilinochchi, end of this year.The Government expects to capture Kilinochchi definitely by year’s end, sources said.Meanwhile, the President had also told a group of foreign journalists last week that Kilinochchi would be captured before December, AFP news agency reported. President Mahinda Rajapaksa also had recently publicly hinted that the next year would be election year. The president had discussed with his confidantes about a general election as he could not trust MPs of other parties who joined his Government for perks. He theorised they could decamp again during a crucial vote.He had said that if he opts for a general election, the UPFA could secure about 115 MPs due to the military successes and the possibility of running the Government smoothly without various demands being made by Opposition party MPs, who were at present in the Government fold. The President will call upon the people to extend his mandate in order to annihilate the LTTE who will be chased to Mullaitivu and other areas once the forces capture Kilinochchi town, sources said.The Election Commissioner’s Department has also called on all District Secretaries to come to Colombo on the 25th this month in order to hold discussions with regard to the holding of an election.

TNA MPs to be taken to task in Parliament

The Singala racist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday threatened to bring up in Parliament the alleged anti-national utterances made by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs regarding the Katchativu Island while in India.The Ulaga Tamilar Peramaipuu, a World Tamil Confederation, in Tamil Nadu headed by P. Nedumaran had resolved in the presence of two TNA Parliamentarians Mavai Senathirajah and TELO Muthalvar M.K. Sivajilingham, that Katchativu which was ceded by the Government of India to Sri Lanka in 1974, be taken back immediately and brought under the Tamil Nadu state government’s administration. It had also been said that Katchativu has to be repossessed to stop the difficulties the Tamil Nadu fishermen are currently undergoing.“The TNA is trying to gain political leverage through this kind of actions. They are trying to involve India in the north east crisis by creating a political rift between the two countries,” JHU Media Spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe charged. He added that the TNA is only trying to find material to create issues between India and Sri Lanka. He alleged that in this sense, the TNA has acted against the Sri Lankan Government and has violated the country’s Constitution.Meanwhile, JVP MP Vijitha Herath said that India is trying to put pressure on Sri Lanka and retrieve Katchativu. He added that the actions of the TNA MPs are not at all justifiable as they are betraying Sri Lanka through these actions. “Only the government has the authority to take actions against these MPs regarding this matter. Nevertheless, we are planning to raise this issue in Parliament,” he asserted.

IDPs boil in the Vavuniya pot

While the government waits for civilians to quit LTTE territory en masse, civil society organisations warn that there is not enough shelter, food, water, sanitation or health care in Vavuniya to meet the needs of so many displaced persons.“The six transit camps so far identified (in Vavuniya) can only accommodate approximately 300 persons each - that is, 1800 persons in total,” said a report on Vavuniya and Wanni released by civil society organisations including the Centre for Policy Alternative and Women and Media Collective yesterday.“The GOSL assumption is that the flow of IDPs will be gradual. In case of a large influx of IDPs all at once, there will be a serious shortage of transit shelter for these people.”Aid agencies say there are 160,000 displaced civilians in the Wanni at present. “In addition, if there is a large influx of IDPs, there are serious concerns on other services such as providing food, water, sanitation and health care,” the report warns. “For example, 3000 additional tonnes of food will be required to feed the estimated influx of IDPs into Vavuniya. Current stocks in Vavuniya are not adequate for this purpose.”The organisations point out that all civilians will be screened, registered and issued identity cards by the security forces and the police, similar to what was seen in the East in 2007. Those suspected to be LTTE, will be taken into custody. For the others, it will be mandatory to be housed in camps being set up by the government and their freedom of movement will be closely monitored.“The screening and registration of civilians also raises concerns of security and human rights protection,” the organisations say. “As seen with the East, screening resulted in civilians being identified as LTTE recruits and supporters and being detained for long periods without adequate recourse to the law. There are concerns that civilians who were forcibly trained by the LTTE or who have family members in the LTTE may be targeted by the security forces.”

FM includes family in New York visit
 
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, whose recent official trip to Brazil cost an estimated Rs. 5 million, and included a vacation in beach resorts in Rio de Janeiro, is due to arrive in New York to join the Sri Lanka presidential delegation in time for the UN General Assembly sessions, which begin on Tuesday.The Foreign Minister is booked to stay at New York’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. According to reliable sources, the minister’s public relations officer and private security officer, who have been officially designated separate rooms, will be sharing a room, and that the spare room will be made available to Mr. Bogollagama’s daughter and her husband, who works for the Sri Lanka embassy in Washington. Neither the minister’s daughter nor her husband is a member of the official Sri Lanka delegation. A room at the Ritz-Carlton is priced at more than US $400 a day. According to Foreign Ministry sources, the minister has made arrangements with the hotel to ensure that his daughter and son-in-law’s names will not appear in the hotel manifest. It is understood that similar arrangements had been made for the minister’s daughter when she visited other world capitals.Meanwhile, Presidential Adviser A. H. M. Azwer, who made an unsuccessful bid to join the Sri Lanka delegation, has succeeded in persuading the President that his presence in New York would be necessary in order “to help provide coverage” when the President met the Tamil media on his return to Sri Lanka.

Thousands of Wanni civilians in grave danger

The pull out of UN and other international relief groups from the Wanni has placed tens of thousands of civilians in grave danger a report by the Christian Solidarity Movement (CSM) said. The report filed on the basis of eyewitness accounts from priests and lay persons in the Wanni or with access to it, said that there was the threat of forced recruitment, civilians being used as human shields and ending up with collateral damage as well as the lack of supplies and shortages. The report said that there were no independent witnesses to ensure that international humanitarian norms are followed in these areas and added that it was likely that both the government and the LTTE would disregard the civilian concerns in the absence of monitors. The CSM report also said that the Tigers had intensified their recruitment with even the elderly persons being recruited into the organisation. "The present policy of one person recruited per family seemed to be strictly implemented and there were fears that this would be extended to cover two per family."Even older men are being recruited by the LTTE," the report said.The Tigers have also imposed strict restrictions on those who are leaving the Wanni. "It is clear the LTTE doesn’t want the civilian population trapped in the Wanni to leave, as it is likely that this population would serve as a buffer (or human shield) from an all out attack from the Sri Lankan armed forces."The report further stated that people especially the children and pregnant mothers were in desperate need of food, medicine, sanitation facilities and shelter."Priests and aid workers told CSM members that they leave vehicles and motorbikes at Omanthai and walked across the checkpoint to avoid the intensive checking.If they cross on motorbikes, they have to remove and reassemble all the parts of motorbike, including tank, seat and petrol tank, which might take up to three hours. The number of vehicles given permission to cross Omanthai had reduced and it is increasingly difficult to get permission for aid workers and priests, even for the Bishops," the CSM also said.

Police personnel caught on camera

A sub-inspector is alleged to have taken pictures of a female police sergeant while having sexual intercourse with her, and circulated the video among friends.This video is being circulated among police officers via mobile phone and e-mail. Lakbimanews was able to obtain the footage.An investigation conducted by Lakbimanews confirmed that the male police officer is a married sub inspector. The female officer is also married and is a police sergeant.The video confirms that the sub inspector is aware of the camera, and could have used a mobile phone.However, the female officer has not made any complaint regarding the matter to the police. Police officers, who have the video in their possession, have also not commenced any investigation into the matter.When contacted, an officer from the Police Children’s and Women’s Bureau said that they can commence investigations only if a complaint is made.The officer added that they have from time to time, investigated complaints received regarding boyfriends who video their girlfriends on such occasions, as well as cases where people have secretly videoed husbands and wives in bed.

Massive census today of people from North
 
Schools, temples and temporary sheds will be put into use to carry out registration of thousands of residents from the north living in the Western Province, today, following a directive to register with the Police.Police yesterday making use of loud speakers were keeping the public informed about the requirement to register today between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The directive would apply to those who have arrived from the north during the past five years. Senior DIG Nimal Mediwake who is in charge of Colombo and part of the Western Province told The Sunday Times that a large number of people from the North were migrating to Colombo and its suburbs due to intensified fighting in the North and that the LTTE could infiltrate easily in such a situation.

France concerned over Wanni situation

The French government last week expressed its serious concern over the humanitarian situation in the Wanni."Faced with the massive displacements of the population triggered by recent fighting in the north and east of Sri Lanka, it is necessary to continue humanitarian access to this population," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on September 18. The statement also expressed the French government’s concern over the directive issued to humanitarian agencies to pull out of the Wanni."France expresses its concern over the directive issued by Sri Lankan authorities  to international humanitarian agencies to evacuate  from areas of combat," it was statedThe statement added the humanitarian workers played an essential role during times of combat. France holds the current Presidency of the European Union.

Army Commander reviews security in Yala

Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, accompanied by a few senior officers of the Army Headquarters, flew to Yala yesterday morning to review the security situation in the area.Commander, Area Headquarters Hambantota, Colonel Devinda Perera received the Army Commander on his arrival at the airstrip.Arrangements in force to ensure security in the area and adjoining villages were discussed at length during the meeting held at the Area Headquarters auditorium.Senior officers of the army and the police, including senior DIG, D. W. Prathapasinghe responsible for the security in the area attended the meeting.Lt. Gen. Fonseka gave further instructions on security measures before returning to Colombo.

Tigers prevent Wanni residents from leaving

Wanni residents working in international NGOs were prevented from leaving the Wanni by the Tigers, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), one of the INGOs that relocated last week said.The DRC relocated to Vauniya together with the other humanitarian agencies on the request of the government on September 16.The DRC however said that the local nationals were not allowed to relocate to Vavuniya by the LTTE. "We are extremely concerned at the plight of the displaced persons in this area. We are looking at all options to be able to provide them with further support as soon as possible. We hope that the displaced peoples’ rights to freedom of movement will be respected in order for them to be able to move to safer areas," Head of the Europe-Asia Section at DRC, Rikke Friis said.DRC said that its national staff continued to remain in the Wanni region adding that most activities were on hold. DRC has been unable to bring out national staff due to the LTTE pass system that currently does not allow local residents to leave the area."It is a terrible situation also for our national staff. We are doing everything we can to be able to evacuate them and hope that we will find a solution soon," he added.Currently, it is estimated that 200,000 IDPs are affected by the current escalation of the conflict between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE. Further multiple displacements are expected in the very near future, the DRC said.

Heavy fighting breaks out in southwest frontiers of Ki'linochchi district

Heavy fighting has broke out between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the fighting formations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in the southwest frontiers of Ki'linochchi district, at Vanneari, Akkaraayan and the interior of Mu'rika'ndi at 5:50 a.m. on Sunday. Exchange of heavy artillery and gunfire was reported simultaneously along the frontiers.

Our Killi’ offices looted, laments UN

The spokesman for the Colombo United Nations office issuing a statement said that the UN is “seriously concerned of the theft of Kilinochchi UN offices on Thursday and Friday nights.’’The UN has drawn the attention of the LTTE to this matter, and insists that humanitarian assets and staff ought to be protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law, the statement added. Complying with directives of the Government of Sri Lanka, UN personnel vacated Killinochchi.The Government gave directives to 11 organizations (UN and other NGOs) that are working in Wanni to leave, taking their assets with them.A majority of the organizations relocated their offices in Vavuniya.

20 September 2008

CPI workers to observe fast

CHENNAI: The State unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) will observe fast across the State on Gandhi Jayanthi day urging the Sri Lankan government to stop the attack on Tamil people by its army.In a statement here, State secretary D. Pandian said India should stop all assistance to Sri Lanka and prevail upon it to find a political solution to the ethnic crisis. “International relief agencies have been forcibly evicted from Tamil areas. The relief materials sent from Tamil Nadu are not allowed to reach the people there. Tamils are facing starvation.”Mr. Pandian said party MLAs, MPs, trade union and agriculture workers union leaders would participate in the fast.

Sri Lanka battles kill 26 rebels, 1 soldier 
 
Government soldiers and Tamil Tiger rebels fought a series of battles across Sri Lanka's war-ravaged northern region, killing 26 rebels and one soldier, the military said on Saturday.Fighting on the Indian Ocean island has escalated in recent weeks with government forces sweeping deep into rebel-held territory, capturing insurgent bases and threatening to overrun the Tamil Tigers' administrative capital at Kilinochchi.The latest infantry clashes took place on Friday along the front lines in Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Welioya and Jaffna districts, a military statement said.Soldiers killed 13 guerrillas in three separate clashes in Vavuniya, while in Kilinochchi nine rebels were killed, it said.Troops destroyed a rebel bunker in Welioya after a clash that killed three insurgents and wounded 22 more, the military said.A rebel mortar attack and booby trap explosions in Welioya killed one soldier and wounded five more.Another rebel was killed in the northern Jaffna peninsula, the statement said.With most communication with the northern areas cut, rebel military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be reached for comment.Independent verification of the fighting and casualties was not possible because most journalists are banned from the war zone. Both sides have been accused of exaggerating enemy casualties and underreporting their own.The rebels have been fighting for an independent state in the north and east since 1983, following decades of marginalisation of ethnic Tamils by governments dominated by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

Erawur area leader of the TMVP shot dead in Eastern Sri Lanka

Erawur area leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), was shot dead by unknown gunmen last night, the police said. Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara said the incident took place near the TMVP area office located in Thalawai, Erawur at about 9:30 p.m. The victim has been identified as Parathawaran Udayan (26). Erawur Police are continuing further investigations.

Air force jets targeting Prabha

Air force Commander Roshan Gunathilake vowed yesterday to continue targeting the LTTE leader’s hideouts whenever intelligence reports on his whereabouts were received.  “We are continuing to bomb LTTE targets, including the hideouts of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and other high profile LTTE leaders,” Air Marshal Gunathilake told Daily Mirror yesterday.Commenting on the recent air raid on the LTTE leader’s hideout in Vattakachchi north of Iranamadu, the Air Force Chief said the air force was yet to receive information about the bombing, but according to available information the LTTE had suffered heavy casualties.He praised the air force pilots and claimed they were successfully destroying the targets, causing heavy damage to the enemy.The air force fighter jets and Mi-24 helicopter gunship during the last few weeks carried out air raids almost everyday. Fighter jets last week bombed and completely destroyed the LTTE’s intelligence headquarters and high-tech facility in the Mullaittivu district.Reports said that some INGOs, who came to Vavuniya had also confirmed that the LTTE’s intelligence headquarters was destroyed in the air raid.

Pilleyan to recast Eastern flag

Sivanesathurai Chandrakanth alias Pilleyan, the Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council, is taking measures to change the Srilankan government Implemented flag of the Eastern Province say reports. A committee has been already appointed to change the flag in spite of the opposition from the sinngala hardliners in the area who object to the decision to change the Sigala identity flag. They say the decision to change the flag is only a step to create an Ealam state. The Eastern flag had three stars to represent Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Digamadulla (former Amparai name change by after state sponsored colonisation), the three districts of the province and three colours to represent the Tamil, Muslim and Sinhalese communities that live in the province. However, according to the committee that has been appointed the colours of the flag should be changed to represent the ratio of the communities that live in the province. It has also been proposed to remove several characteristics that represent Sri Lanka sigala Budisit identity. The proposal to change the provincial flag has been presented to the PC by its President M.M. Jais on a request from Pilleyan. One M.L.A. Cader has been appointed as the President of the committee to change the flag and one Thalai Selvanayagam and the Cultural Secretary of the Eastern Province have been appointed as the other members of the committee.

Security beefed up in Pottuvil

Security was tightened in Pottuvil after the sudden death of a Muslim youth who was being held in the Monaragala remand prison, police said. The victim 24-year-old A. Saleem and 18 others were arrested by the Pottuvil police two weeks ago while cutting firewood in a forest at Etimale in Potuvil.The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress which expressed concern over the killing alleged that the victim had been beaten to death by the police. SLMC General Secretary Hassan Ali told the Daily Mirror that the police had allegedly forced him to admit that he was involved with the LTTE. Mr. Ali said the victim had only gone to the forest to cut firewood for his livelihood when he was arrested by the police. “Forcing one to agree to their point to justify their conduct has been a usual practice with the police,” he said. He said the victim had been killed during an interrogation carried out by the police while he was in prison The SLMC General Secretary said the party had advised mosque authorities in the area to provide information on the killing to them after which the matter would be taken up with the government. Pottuvil police Inspector Sena Suraweera said 19 people including Saleem were arrested for cutting firewood illegally. They had been remanded by the courts later. Mr. Suraweera said he had fainted while in prison and was admitted to the Monaragala Hospital where he had died. Police said the suspects were arrested on suspicion that they were supplying food to the LTTE cadres who were hiding in the forest. Meanwhile Police Spokesman Ranjith Gunasekera said he had not received any report about such an incident. Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Chandana Kumara who carried out the post mortem decided to send parts of the body to the Government Analyst.

Tamil Australians held Vigils in their Capital Canberra

 Australian Tamils living in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra gathered in Canberra on Wednesday (17.09.08), under the leadership of the Australasian federation of Tamil Associations (AFTA), the peak body representing the Tamil community that migrated from Sri Lanka, and held vigils in front of the Parliament House as well as the Indian High Commission. They urged the Australian government to break its silence against genocide of Eelam Tamils. AFTA submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the High commissioner of India in Canberra. While in Canberra, an AFTA delegation also met with the Acting Director of the UN Information Centre for South Pacific Region and submitted a memorandum to the UN Secretary General.Eelam Tamils from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra started to gather in the Lawns of the Parliament House from 9.30 am and started the vigil at 11 am. Ladies and gentlemen, both old and young, and children, lined up silently at the edge of the lawns next to the main road in between the Parliament House and the Lawns, holding a 1 x 5 meeter long banner which read “Australia ! Break Your Silence Against Genocide of Eelam Tamils”, and many placards carrying pictures of the displaced suffering under trees and on roadsides, with appropriate slogans written on them. AFTA placed an advertisement in the National news paper “The Australian” to appear on the day of the vigil, publicising the human rights violations of the Sri Lankan government and carrying a demand by the Australian-Tamils for action from the Rudd Government through the UN and the Commonwealth to bring a halt to Sri Lanka’s military aggression and a return to the internationally facilitated peace process. This advertisement covered half the page in the middle section of the news paper. Copies of this page were also distributed to the Australians who were visiting the Parliament house during the vigil.Speakers after speakers, in both English and Tamil, addressed the gathering, condemning the Rajapaksa government’s action of expelling the UN and other 11 NGO aid agencies. Professor Brian Senewiratne an ardent supporter of the Tamils’ struggle for self determination, who wanted to be there but could not come due to work commitments, sent a message which was read out. In his message Professor Seniwiratne described how the Sri Lankan governments have systematically and slowly involved in the genocide of Tamils. He questioned the Australian government, what has it done about this? “It prefers to take in refugees but not address the problem that has made these people refugees – the brutality of a murderous regime in Colombo” said Professor Seniwiratne. While this was going on in the Lawns, as both members of Parliament and Senators were busy debating key issues inside the Parliament House, and were not allowed to get out to, come to the Lawns and speak to the protestors. Therefore several delegations of AFTA were received by MPs and Senators, whenever they could find a break, and the members of the delegations explained the situation on the ground in Vanni and urged the politicians to persuade the Australian government to break its silence and act to prevent a disaster. Separate submissions were made to the offices of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Opposition Leader too.

In the submission to the PM, AFTA appealed to the Australian Government to take necessary action to persuade the Sri Lankan State to,

Allow the aid agencies to continue providing valuable emergency relief and help to rehabilitate and resettle these innocent displaced persons
End its military approach and negotiate with the Tamil National Leadership, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to restore normalcy in the Tamil homeland and find a political solution to the conflict.

 By 2 pm, the protestors wound up the vigil in front of the parliament house and proceeded to the Indian High Commission which is few km away, by bus. Here the protestors changed the banner which read “India ! Stop Betraying Tamils – Your True Allies. Recognise Their Right to Self-Determination”. Protestors used the same placards to show the hardship the displaced Tamil refugees are facing. A 3 member AFTA delegation was received in to the High Commission building by the Personal Secretary to the High Commissioner, Mr. Hari Prasad where the Chairman of AFTA Dr. Raga Ragavan, ably assisted by the Secretary Mr. Murugesu Paramanathan and Executive Council member Dr. Victor Rajakulendran, explained the ground situation that has been created by the recent military operations and the expulsion of the NGOs. The delegation expressed AFTA’s concern over the military assistance, particularly using Indian personal in combat areas. At the end of the discussion the Chairman submitted a submission to the Indian PM, Hon. Manmohan Singh.

In this submission, AFTA have appealed to the PM to respect and recognize

That the Tamil nation is subject to genocidal oppression by the permanent and hostile Sinhala nation in the island of Sri Lanka.
Eelam Tamils’ right to self-determination
Their right to decide who should represent them in any negotiations with the Sri Lankan State; and
The need to lift the ban on their authentic representatives the LTTE and open the door for direct dialogue with them on issues of common interest.

AFTA also has appealed to halt all military assistance given to the failed state of Sri Lanka and persuade them to end their military approach and negotiate with the LTTE to restore normalcy so that a negotiated political settlement could be achieved to bring lasting peace to the region. AFTA has pointed out that during the post Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement period, AFTA has been working closely with the Indian High Commission in Canberra to work for justice to bring peace in Sri Lanka and has expressed its willingness to facilitate a frank and constructive dialogue between the Tamil diaspora and the Indian Foreign Policy making apparatus, in an attempt to achieve the above objectives in an expeditious manner without losing many more valuable lives.This meeting happened in a very cordial atmosphere and Mr. Prasad assured the delegation that he will dispatch their memorandum on that night itself to the PM and convey his response to us. Mr. Prasad accompanied the delegation up to the gate of the High Commission and even posed for a photograph with the delegation. During the day, an AFTA delegation met Ms. Julia Dean, who is acting for the Director of the UN Information Centre for South Pacific Region (pending a new appointment) and discussed the crisis that has arisen due to the expulsion of NGOs. She was well aware of the situation and handed in to the delegation the latest report on the situation regarding this matter. An AFTA submission to the Secretary General, His Excellency Ban Ki-moon was handed in by the delegation. In this submission AFTA has urged the Secretary General to:

1). Take all possible diplomatic measures to ensure that UN has a presence in the conflict regions to ensure humanitarian aid is delivered to the affected population and prevent use of food and medicine as weapons of war in violation of international law governing armed conflicts.

2). Refrain from becoming a party to sinister political and military tactics of expelling an entire population to other regions under the guise of “ensuring humanitarian aid delivery” and “liberating the people” and thereby creating a situation similar to that of Srebrenica, Rwanda and East Timor.

3). Inform the UN Security Council of the gravity of the situation in Sri Lanka and lead international efforts to prevent an imminent disaster

 AFTA has also pointed out that the United Nation has recognized the doctrine of responsibility to protect when governments could not or would not protect their citizens, even if this meant intervention that violated national sovereignty. Hence, AFTA has strongly encouraged the Secretary general to apply “responsibility to protect” doctrine immediately and force the delivery of international aid into most affected regions of Vanni to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people without any further delay. AFTA expects a statement from the Australian government and will continue to add more pressure towards this end and awaits the response from Indian PM and the UN Secretary General for further action.

One woman killed in Visuvamadu by SLAF bombing

One 47 years old woman, Alahu Krishnaverni, was killed in the Sri Lankan Air Force attack in Visuvamadu at 3.30pm on Thursday, 18 September. She displaced from Kilinochchi to Visivamadhu just a few days earlier.Two other civilians were injured in the bombing one of whom is also an IDP from Kilinochchi.In the meantime concerns are being raised in the Kilinochchi District Secretariat about the blocking of food convoys by the Sri Lanka military for three days this week. The blocking of food convoys destined for Kilinochchi is seen by Kilinochchi people as punishment for them for not taking the Sri Lankan Government call to leave Vanni.The Jaffna Bishop Rev Thomas Savuntharanayagam was also declined permission by the SLA to enter Vanni to observe the humanitarian situation. He had arrived in Vavuniya but was but was barred by the SLA from entering Vanni.

Operations will be halted only after Prabakaran is finished, says Gotabaya

Not the weapon but the man behind the weapon is the most important in this war, says Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse.Participating in a television interview on Thuresday night (18), the Defense Secretary said that the man behind the weapon should be guided and morally uplifted. He said that the present war victories are the result of it.Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse said with confidence that the man power of the security forces is higher than the LTTE; the personnel are 100% cleverer than LTTE cadres; their commitment to save the country is also higher than guerillas and therefore the war will be won.“Once there was a saying that we have coolie soldiers whilst LTTE has fighters with commitment. Now it has been proved wrong. Today, the soldier in the battlefront has a feeling to commit life for the country. You have a clear aim to devote yourself. There can be a few who are greedy of money. Today the war heroes fight not for the sake of money. They fight to save the country. To anybody the heroism is important. Soldiers march forward seeing the ferocity whilst shells and bombs fell on their way. If someone says that they do so for money, he is a traitor,” said the Defense Secretary.Commenting on the attempt of certain groups to take the credit of war victories, he said that the President did not give up talks with Tigers despite they started claymore attacks two weeks after the President came to power. The President proposed alternative ways when the LTTE asked for helicopters for the Vanni Tiger leaders to go to East, without harming the morale of the soldiers through yielding to their demands, he said adding that the President gave chance to the international community to comprehend that talks with LTTE was useless as they walked away from discussion table.The Defense Secretary further said that the president first obtained a correct evaluation on the military might and mended the shortcomings by purchasing necessities of the forces through personal negotiations with the state heads. First, Army was strengthened with 50,000 personnel and the Civil Defense Force was strengthened by 20,000 getting ready for war with LTTE if the latter begins it.Commenting on the situation of the Eastern province Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse said that a permanent security system has been established in the east. But the LTTE is capable of launching attacks and the Civil Defense Force and the Intelligence Wing has a huge responsibility. He said that it is much easier to destroy the terrorists who fight as large groups, but the intelligence wings have to be strengthened to suspend the terror activities of the small guerilla groups of five, six persons.The Defense Secretary never tried to take the credit of the victories and emphasized that the President, the three Commanders of Chief and the personnel in battlefront are behind the success.He said that the three Commanders of Chief, who participated in all operations since they were junior officers, defeated the LTTE creatively. The Defense Secretary pointed out that the small groups of Army are cleverer in jungle combat than the LTTE. The Navy built 100 small boats and introduced a new strategy to sea battles. He said that 12 LTTE boats were destroyed in Nachchikuda yesterday (17) proving the effectiveness of those small boats.Commenting on the LTTE air attacks, the Defense Secretary pointed out that only two of the seven attacks were able to cause loss of lives and the forces had not sustained any injuries. He added that the LTTE expected propaganda advantages through these attacks to appease the Tamil Diaspora and to uplift the morale of the LTTE fighters.He said that it was known that the LTTE had aircraft since 2000 and although the Commanders of Air Force had informed the President what measures to be taken although nothing was done until the present president came to power and acted accordingly. The Defense Secretary said that the present President talked with India and obtained radar and air defense systems.Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse said that the defense experts of other countries were consulted after the first air raid and it is difficult to attack the small aircrafts that fly nearly brushing the tree tops. Modern fighter aircrafts are produced to attack similar modern air planes. But one Air Force pilot recently shot down a LTTE airplane although it is a difficult task to catch them.Commenting on the LTTE’s denial of destruction to an aircraft, the Defense Secretary said that he and the President talked to the pilot and trusted him than the other sources.“If you talk so much about the LTTE air attacks, we have launched 700 aerial attacks this year alone. Everyday 10 sorties launch attacks and each one drops four or five bombs. Some of them weigh around a ton. Some weigh around 500 kilos. Then think how much they are affected,” asked the Secretary.When asked why Prabakaran was not killed amidst so much aerial attacks and if a Prabakaran exists, the Defense Secretary said. “Day by day, Prabakaran’s area shrinks and one day we will definitely attack.”Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse said that the days of Prabakaran are numbered since the success of the clear war strategy.He said that he believes there is one Prabakaran, without whom an organization of this kind may not exist. He speculated that the LTTE would be finished with the demise of Prabakaran.Commenting on the disabled soldiers, the Defense Secretary said that they would consider mainly about houses and the education of their children.He said that 1509 houses have been built for war heroes in Anuradhapura at cost of Rs. one billion. He said that the houses would be granted free of charge if funds could be raised. He further said that similar housing complexes would be built in Horowpothana and Kurunegala too and 50,000 houses would be constructed in five years.Commenting on the education of the war heroes’ children, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse said that one ‘defense school’ has already been established and a network of such schools with all facilities including auditoriums, swimming pools, computer laboratories etc. will be set up in future. Only the children of the security forces members are admitted to this school and two batches of 189 students have already been admitted.He said that similar schools would be started in Kandy and Kurunegala as well and said that these are not plaster solutions for the welfare of the war heroes.Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse laughed off the question that if the operations would be halted due to weather or international pressure, saying they will be definitely suspended after Prabakaran and LTTE is finished.At the end of the interview he appealed from the media and the agitators not to sabotage the fine opportunity to finish the LTTE terrorism that came across after 30 years.

SLAF pounds more Tiger targets

Air Force MI-24s carried out an air raid targeting the LTTE positions northwest of Wannerikkulam Tank last morning causing heavy damage to the Tiger cadres.Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Jananka Nanayakkara told the Daily News that in a fresh air raid the Air Force MI-24 helicopters pounded LTTE targets in a support mission for advancing ground troops of the 58 division."The air raid was launched targeting a Tiger position located three kilometres northwest of Wannerikkulam at around 7.30 a.m. The LTTE suffered heavy damages in the attack," he added.He said the aerial attack was carried out precisely following ground intelligence information and air surveillance.Meanwhile, Wing Commander Nanayakkara said SLAF ground troops attached to the 36 Regiment Wing had recovered a cache of arms and ammunition in Kandalkadu, South of Trincomalee yesterday.The SLAF launched an extensive search operation in Kandalkadu area and unearthed a 82 mm mortar, hand grenades, a claymore mine weighing 12 kg, anti-aircraft gun magazines and a stock of ammunition.

Sri Lanka: An 'island of blood'-Stewart Bell, National Post 

Hundreds of thousands have fled Sri Lanka's civil war, many of them to Canada. While the war zone has been off-limits to journalists, the National Post's Stewart Bell recently toured the front lines just as the conflict appears headed for a decisive showdown. His six-part series begins today in wartorn Vavuniya. The hotel windows pounded in unison when the shock wave from the artillery gun hit.The windows seemed ready to implode. But in the dingy restaurant at the Nelly Star Hotel, the waiter just smiled and continued serving ginger beer and plates of spicy chicken and rice.No problem, he shrugged, it was only the Sri Lankan Army base down the road, firing its big guns into the jungles inhabited by Tamil Tigers guerrillas.Then the rebels hit back.At just after 3 a.m., gunfire erupted and rebel shells started raining in, whooshing as they descended before exploding on impact.An air raid siren whined and red gunfire spat into the sky. A spotlight scanned the dark, looking for the two Tamil Tigers aircraft that were overhead dropping bombs. The city lost power. Troops closed the roads and went on patrol. The fighting was still raging at daybreak.This civil war is supposed to be almost over; the government says its victory over the Tamil Tigers is imminent.That may be, but clearly not yet.Sri Lanka is a country of misty tea estates, noisy commercial strips, serene Buddhist landmarks and palm-lined beaches that can make you forget the island's tragic storyline.For 25 years the country known as Ceylon during British colonial times has been consumed by civil war. The Sri Lankan armed forces are fighting to keep the country united, and well-armed guerrillas are fighting for independence for the country's ethnic Tamil minority.The northern province where the civil war is mostly being fought is officially off limits to the press. Military checkpoints have sealed the region from the south and entry is prohibited without government permission.But earlier this month, the National Post was able to enter the north for an exclusive tour of the frontline areas. Armed with a flak jacket and a letter from the Ministry of Defence, the Post travelled through the war-torn northern districts of Mannar, Vavuniya, Jaffna and the eastern Wanni. A reporter travelled unescorted, except in parts of Jaffna that the military deemed too dangerous for foreigners. A request to visit the rebel capital Kilinochchi was denied.The newspaper also interviewed the country's most powerful figures, including the president and defence secretary, as well as leading Tamil politicians, former high-ranking Tamil Tigers guerrillas, human rights campaigners, soldiers and civilians.This is an "island of blood," as the Indian journalist Anita Pratap called it. The Tamil Tigers control the northern Wanni region, and periodically venture south to the capital Colombo to bomb buses and assassinate politicians. The government uses artillery, air strikes and ground forces to weaken the rebels.More than 60,000 people have died. Attempts at peacemaking have come and gone. Hundreds of thousands have fled the country, many to Canada, which is now home to the world's largest Tamil diaspora - as well as an illicit terrorist financing network that the RCMP says has raised millions to arm the Tamil Tigers.The Conservatives responded by banning both the Tamil Tigers and, in July, a Toronto-based non-profit group called the World Tamil Movement. It was the first time Canada had used the powers of the Anti-Terrorism Act against a non-profit group.Canada is one of the Tamil Tigers' "biggest resource pools in terms of fundraising, in terms of propaganda," Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary, Palitha Kohona, said during a recent visit to Toronto. "And they have also begun to influence lawmakers."But all of a sudden, many in Sri Lanka are talking about victory, possibly by the end of the year. The government forces have been steadily advancing into rebel-held territory, capturing one town after the next, and are now only a few kilometres from the guerrilla stronghold of Kilinochchi.Critics complain the government has failed to protect civilians in the war zone, trampled human rights and lacks a political solution to the country's ethnic divide. But riding a wave of popularity, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has pushed on and confidently predicts the Tamil Tigers are near collapse.That may be wishful thinking but the Sri Lankan forces have made significant territorial gains. In two years, they have pushed the Tigers out of the country's east and into a shrinking pocket in the north. Rebel bases have been captured and destroyed, and key commanders killed in air strikes. The government claims to have killed more than 6,000 rebels so far this year, while losing some 600 of its own troops.Expectations are high. "Total victory imminent for security forces," read a recent headline in the Daily News. "If the terrorists are kept under similar pressure, I don't think they will last even a year," Lieutenant-General Sarath Fonseka, the Army Commander, said in an interview. "We have gotten stronger and stronger, they have gotten weaker and weaker."A roadblock five hours north of Colombo separates southern Sri Lanka from its northern war zone. Past the city of Anuradhapura, armed police divert traffic into a compound of buildings made of sticks and mud.Cars are directed to park over a trench into which a police officer descends to look under the vehicles for weapons and contraband. Truck drivers are required to unload their cargo, only to reload it after inspection.Papers are checked. Bags are searched. Questions are asked. Those allowed to proceed north get a green pass, which they must hand to the police guarding the checkpoint.The A-9 road that heads north is crowded with soldiers - on foot, on bicycles, riding double on motorbikes and in Unicorn armored vehicles. Just before Vavuniya, a billboard wishes the troops success in their fight against terrorism.Vavuniya is home to a mix of Tamils and Sinhalese, some of whom have fled the fighting to the north. A statue on the downtown commercial strip depicts a stout general holding a Sri Lankan flag.This is a garrison town, its most prominent feature the Security Forces Headquarters-Wanni, military base surrounded by razor wire, bunkers and gun nests.There is also a radar installation, which is what the Tamil Tigers were trying to knock out when they attacked Vavuniya early on the morning of September 9.At 3:05 a.m. members of the Black Tigers suicide squad attacked from the ground, trying to fight their way into the base. At the same time, the rebels fired artillery guns positioned north of here at Puliyankulam.A muffled boom in the distance signaled that another artillery round was on its way, its arrival announced by an eerie whistle as the shells descended and exploded.Then two light aircraft, part of the guerrillas' makeshift air force, flew in from the north and dropped bombs on the camp. The Sri Lankan Air Force scrambled two Chinese-made F-7 fighter jets for the first-ever dogfight of the civil war.The fighting came in waves. The artillery guns pounded and heavy machine guns fired in long bursts but then all went quiet, until it erupted again. At one point the gunfire was so intense the air turned thick with foul-smelling smoke.At dawn, two Sri Lankan soldiers walked cautiously in front of the hotel, their rifles pointed in the air. A black cow followed them. Men wearing sarongs and white shirts emerged from their homes and stood at the road's edge, trying to find out what was happening.More troops appeared, walking single file, their faces tense. Except for the odd bicycle, there were no civilians on the streets. The downtown shops remained shuttered all day.Near the military base, blackened craters pierced the dry mud where wayward Tamil Tigers shells had landed without causing any significant damage.With the fighting mostly over by 6:30 a.m., the propaganda war began.The rebels called the operation a success and claimed to have destroyed a radar installation, communications tower, anti-aircraft defences and ammunition dump, and said the two planes had returned safely.The Sri Lankan military said the attack had been "completely foiled" and that one of the Tigers' planes had been shot down. Eleven Tamil Tigers were reportedly killed, six men and five women. Photos of sprawled bodies were posted on the Sri Lankan military website.The military said it had seized their weapons: a multi-purpose machine gun, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, one 40mm grenade launcher, six T-56 riffles, 27 hand grenades, four radios, three suicide jackets, 32 pistol rounds, a GPS.Thirteen Sri Lankan soldiers also died and 18 were wounded, while a police constable was also killed and eight others injured along with five Air Force personnel, the military said."They were firing a lot of artillery into the area so we have some casualties due to artillery fire," Lt.-Gen. Fonseka said in an interview later at Army Headquarters in Colombo.In the grand scheme of the war, it was no more than a nuisance attack, but after so many losses, the Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran needed to do something to keep the rebel dream alive, he said."All the attacks with these aircraft gave been basically desperately trying to achieve something, to show the outsiders and the Tamil diaspora that he is still capable of achieving some results," the general said. "But I think anyone can do this type of thing if you are willing to sacrifice 10 of your men."He is very desperate."Hours later, Sri Lankan fighter jets bombed the north and lawmakers in Colombo voted 99-11 to extend the country's state of emergency until October.Another month of war was on the horizon.

19 September 2008

Tigers on defensive as Sri Lanka military closes in

Tamil Tigers were once regarded one of the world's most ruthlessly efficient rebels, but they risk losing their mini-state as Sri Lankan forces make a determined push after decades of bloodshed. After months of bitter fighting, security forces have reached the outskirts of the Tiger political capital -- Kilinochchi -- the six-kilometre (four-mile) long township along the main A-9 highway to the Jaffna peninsula.Aid workers who evacuated Kilinochchi this week -- in line with a government order to leave ahead of an expected military show down -- said bombs and artillery shells were landing just within the political offices of the Tigers."The military advance is getting closer to Kilinochchi and the Tigers may simply melt away," an aid official who declined to be named said soon after leaving the north.Sri Lanka's top brass had said they want to take Kilinochchi before the end of the year, but defence analysts argue that it must be done sooner as monsoon rains could intensify and render heavy armour ineffective from about October. For the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Kilinochchi is the show piece town where they hosted visiting foreign dignitaries and peace brokers.The Tigers also maintain their 'police headquarters,' their 'high courts' and their 'Bank of Eelam' which functions as the quasi monetary authority of the de facto separate state within Sri Lanka.The Tigers, who have been fighting for full independence for the island's Tamil minority since 1972, have warned that the vast Wanni region, encompassing 5,000 square kilometers in the northern part of Sri Lanka, could become a mass grave for security forces if they tried to capture Kilinochichi.There has been ferocious resistance along at least two of the six fronts opened by Sri Lankan forces, but so far the promised fight back has not materialised. Sri Lankan forces are vastly superior in numbers and fire power."Unlike in the past, the army is moving in smaller groups and on a broader front," said retired brigadier general Vipul Boteju. "That is the secret of their success, but they need to take Kilinochchi before heavy rains."Boteju said downpours could make artillery and armour ineffective and force both sides to engage in close range fighting.Sri Lanka's top defence official, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, said the military is bracing for tougher battles, but remained convinced it could crush the Tigers."The LTTE has never faced this type of pressure from all these fronts," he told the state-run Daily News in an interview last week. "Actually we have still not committed our full strength in the offensives."The exact strength of the Tigers was never clear, but local and foreign military intelligence agencies had placed the number of hard core Tiger combatants at anything between 5,000 to 15,000.Sri Lanka's military says it has killed over 6,000 rebels this year alone, while saying it has lost 645 of its own troops during the same period.Despite steadily losing territory in their strongholds, defence analysts believe that the Tigers may still have a large number of suicide cadres who could be activated to carry out devastating attacks elsewhere.The Tigers also have their own sea-going outfit and light aircraft that have been used in bombing raids as far south as the capital Colombo.They have also appeared to be on the brink of defeat in the past.In December 1995 they lost their hold over the Jaffna peninsula, which Colombo regarded as the fountain head of Tamil separatism in the Sinhala-majority nation.The army went on to take Kilinochchi, only to face a devastating counter attack in 1999.

Sri Lanka 's military says heavy fighting kills 70 

Tamil Tiger separatists and government forces fought intense battles across Sri Lanka - 's embattled northern region, killing at least 62 rebels and eight soldiers, the military said Friday.Deadly infantry clashes raged throughout the day Thursday along the front lines separating government controlled territory and the rebels' de facto state in the north, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said.Clashes in Kilinochchi district, home to the rebels' de facto capital, killed 17 rebels and five soldiers, he said. Another 14 soldiers were wounded.Other battles killed 20 insurgents and three soldiers, he said.The Tamil Tigers, meanwhile, said they repelled a government offensive in Kilinochchi on Thursday, killing 25 soldiers. The report was seen on the rebel-affiliated TamilNet Web site.A ferocious sea battle off the island's northwest coast on Thursday killed 25 rebel sailors and wounded two government sailors, Nanayakkara said.He said the four-hour battle off the coast near Nachchikuda resulted in the sinking of seven small rebel boats and three medium-sized ones.With most communication with the northern areas cut, rebel military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be reached for comment.Both sides often offer contradictory versions of fighting that takes place deep in the northern jungles and routinely exaggerate enemy casualties and underreport their own.Independent verification of the fighting and casualties is difficult to obtain because most journalists are banned from the war zone.Fighting has escalated on the Indian Ocean island in recent weeks with the government promising to crush the rebels by the end of the year.The rebels have been fighting for an independent state in the north and east since 1983, following decades of marginalization of ethnic Tamils by governments dominated by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

TNA strongly condemns the indiscreminate bombing in Vaddakkachchi Village

Tamil National Alliance(TNA) strongly condomns the indiscreminate bombadment on civilians area in Vaddakkchchi of Kilinochchi district by Sri Lanka Air Force bombers on 17 September 2008, the TNA said in a press statement.According to the statement, "the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), which attacked Vaddakkaachchi, 3 km east of Kilinochch Wednesday morning dropped bombs on a densely populated settlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IPDs) on Hudson Road, two tamil civilians injured, a 14-year-old boy and a father of three. A 15-year-old girl was fainted as her father sustained injuries." "One house and four temporary shelters were completely destroyed in the indiscriminate air-strike.""Sri Lankan Government had begun indiscriminate bombardment, after the foreign aid workers vacated Vanni on the instruction of GOSL.""Criticaly injuried father was identified as S. Mahendran. He was rushed to Vaddakkachchi hospital and later transferred to Kilinochchi hospital. His daughter, M. Kanakampikai, was taken to hospital in a fainted state."

AHRC urges security & protection for IDPs

The Sri Lankan government has accepted complete responsibility for ensuring the safety of internally displaced persons living in the Kilinochchi area, the Asian Human Rights Commission says.The UN agencies and INGOs have complied with the government’s requests to move away from this area, it said in a statement.Therefore, the job of providing for the security, as well as necessities such as food, water, medicine and sanitary facilities, which the local community leaders and the departing UN representatives have pointed out as a very serious concern, is now with the Sri Lankan government, AHRC said.Perhaps an even more difficult task is to provide safe passage from the combat areas to the safe areas.All these are matters that, particularly the Tamil community in Sri Lanka itself and outside, will be watching anxiously in the coming days, AHRC said.Two bishops in the area have already pointed out the problems relating to this situation.The Most Reverend Dr. Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar, wrote to several ministers in order to highlight the situation in his area.The un-cleared area of the Mannar district has a population of 39,000 people and they are all displaced and at the moment the whole area is emptied of all its people.A week ago, the last lot of people who were in the Vellankulam area numbering 21,000 has moved out and is in search of a safer location.They are mostly staying by the side of the roads and in the adjoining jungles without adequate shelter, food, medicine and other basic needs.This type of mass exodus is beginning to take place also in the Districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.They all are facing aerial bombing, artillery shelling and gun ship firing.These people at Mulankavil area are at the moment trying to flee their villages and are becoming victims of the above bombings.The above people have no hope of a safer location to reside with some peace of mind as the whole Vanni un-cleared area has become the theatre of intensive war.The whole region is on the move. The children, women and the elderly are the most affected in this situation.There is a crying need to carve out one or two peace zones in each District for the safety and security of the innocent civilians in this intensive conflict situation.I suggest that the region of Jeyapuram Vannen and Akkarayan in District of Kilinochchi be immediately declared a ‘NO CONFLICT ZONE’ for the innocent civilians to find refuge, the Bishop has said.There is similar requirement also in the area of the District of Mullaitivu.Until this is successfully done all indiscriminate shelling should strictly be avoided.Action is to be urgently taken also to enable the Government Agent and his staff to provide immediate assistance to the displaced people with food, medicine and shelter.The Government should urgently spell out its plan for the safety and security of the civilians in this region.Urgent action also needs to be taken to permit U.N. Agencies and NGOs to easily reach these affected people and help them in their basic needs.It is of paramount importance that the A9 route be kept open uninterrupted and no military operations be ever allowed to take place on this route as this is the only life line to the un-cleared area where nearly 400,000 civilians are living.In fact, it is quite natural for all Sri Lankans, irrespective of race, religion and creed to be concerned with the plight of the civilians who are caught up in the midst of the intensification of the fighting between the government forces and the LTTE.We urge the Sri Lankan government to honour the pledges it has made to provide protection and the necessities of these persons and also create possibilities for those who wish to leave these areas to do so safely, AHRC said.We also urge the United Nations and the international community to assist and to monitor the situation of the internally displaced persons under the present circumstances, the statement added.

India sidelined in Lankan war

The over two-year-old war between the Sri Lanka military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has by all accounts reached a decisive phase. It is crunch time for both sides though it would be hazardous to predict the next chapter. On the face of it the Sri Lankan military has an upper hand. The Tigers have been cornered like never before, the Indian Peace Keeping Force phase included, from within and without. With the military taking the battle right into the Tiger heartland in Wanni, the LTTE has little choice but to do or die.Even after providing a liberal allowance for the tendency on the part of the Sri Lanka military to exaggerate its triumphs, the relentless military campaign by the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime has substantially weakened the LTTE's military capabilities. This is evident in the inability of the Tigers to strike back in the east where they no longer count as a conventional force, its failure to mount any spectacular guerrilla attacks in Colombo and other Sinhala dominated areas in the south and a slow but steady loss of territory in the north. The military claims to have killed 11,000 LTTE cadres since July 2006 though the number of estimated strength of Tigers in mid-2006 was 10,000. The current guest mate of LTTE cadres is under 5,000 and they are being pursued with all the might by nearly 200,000 Sri Lanka forces. The hallmark is the ruthless demonstration of air power by Colombo. As opposed to seven aerial raids by the nascent air wing of the Tigers with little visible impact, the military admits to have launched over a 1,000 aerial bombardments of `identified Tiger targets’. The unfolding scenario has a striking resemblance to situation prior to the Indian intervention in 1987. The economic blockade on north and east coupled with all out war against the LTTE with no regard to the plight of the civilians caught in the quagmire, pitch forked India into the centre stage of the island nation's ethnic conflict. The consequent Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, induction of IPKF to take on the unrelenting Tigers and subsequent withdrawal under humiliating circumstances is all history. With over 200,000 internally displaced in the Tiger dominated areas and hundreds of thousands of others cut off from the rest of the world, history is repeating itself. Alas, for a variety of reasons and changed geo-political realities of the globe, New Delhi is a staunch ally of the Rajapaksa regime in its war against LTTE terrorism. The hands off Sri Lanka policy pursued by New Delhi, with a modicum of neutrality, since the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 stands abandoned.The Indian position in Sri Lanka is no different at least theoretically from that of Pakistan, the frontline state of the United States in its war against al Queda and terrorism in Afghanistan. India has little or no say in the conflict management related issues. The role of New Delhi is reduced to that of a supplier of weapons and provider of material and moral support. Its pleas for meaningful simultaneous political initiatives along with no holds barred fight against the Tigers for resolution of the ethnic conflict have fallen on deaf ears. With the verdict of the Sri Lanka Supreme Court in October 2006 de-merging the north and east and refusal of the government to make any move towards re-merger the fig leaf of Indian factor in the form of the 1987 Accord vanished into thin air. By holding election to the eastern province in May 2008 against the wishes of India, the Sri Lanka government consigned the accord to the dustbin of history. Forget about larger issues, the Sri Lanka government has defied polite Indian request to re-open the A-9 highway sealed off since second week of August 2006. The highway is the only link to the Jaffna peninsula, home to an estimated 6.5 lakh Tamils.The loss of face in Sri Lanka for India is not just political. The geo-strategic interests of New Delhi, one of the key factors which drove the Indian Lanka policy, are at maximum stake since the island nation gained independence in 1948. China and Pakistan are developing constituencies in Sri Lanka at a pace which has left India dumb struck. Beijing [Images] with its deep pockets has set its eyes on some of the strategic projects in the island nation like the Hambantota harbour project. Islamabad is sticking to its traditional and time tested methods of appeal through religion targeting the 8 per cent Muslim population in the country though there is no evidence as yet of its strategy paying dividends. India, which fancies itself as the United States of South Asia, quietly acquiesced when Colombo in March 2007 signed on dotted lines of the Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement authored by Washington. ACSA allows US war and civilian's ships and planes re-fuelling facilities in the island nation. It is true that the US has similar pacts with 90 other countries and New Delhi itself is expected sooner than later to join the ACSA club. But the fact is India in the past had assiduously opposed such an agreement invoking its special geo-strategic interests in Sri Lanka.It must be said to be credit of all-powerful Sri Lanka President that he and his government have mastered the art of pitting one world capital against the other. It is practiced with ease if not finesse with great rewards. When he wants attention of New Delhi, the President or his administration dials Beijing and Islamabad and vice-a-versa. The mighty super power is no exception. A highly publicised visit of Rajapaksa to Tehran early in 2008 instantly resulted in goodies from Washington. The CIA emerged as the chief campaign manager of Sri Lanka in painting LTTE as more dangerous than al Queda. The Rajapaksa's village logic has so far worked wonders. So petrified is New Delhi at the prospect of Beijing or Islamabad consolidating their grip in the island nation that in the last two years India has given in to every whim and fancy of the Rajapaksa government. The two Indian technicians, who were injured in the latest aerial attack on the Sri Lanka Air Force Vavunia air base, best illustrate the point. The technicians, part of a team deployed by India to help Sri Lanka guard its skies from the newly acquired Tiger aerial nuisance value, are on deputation to service and maintain the radar gifted by India. Despite the gesture, the theme song of the Sri Lanka defence establishment since the Tiger air wing surfaced in March 2007 is that New Delhi is responsible for the Tiger aerial attacks as it has prevented the island nation from acquiring a superior 3-D radar system from China!The knee-jerk responses of New Delhi to virtual encirclement of India by China and its allies amount to ridiculous to comic relief. It was best exemplified on June 1 when the Indian National Security Advisor, foreign secretary and defence secretary descended in Colombo on an unannounced visit and spent two days meeting all those who matter. Inquiries reveal that never in the history of post-independent India have the trio journeyed to a foreign country together. The ostensible reason for the high powered delegation visit was `security arrangements' for the prime minister at the SAARC Summit scheduled on August 1 and 2. It is not known since when the three highest policy making executives of India have been burdened with responsibility of nitty-gritty of PM's security drill.The real reason for the mission became evident later when India took charge of air space of Sri Lanka and positioned two war ships in the Lankan territorial waters in the name of security during stay of Dr Manmohan Singh in Colombo. From which quarters in the island nation did New Delhi perceive threat to the life of the prime minister? Fingers were pointed at the LTTE. Yes, desperate Tigers could go to any length but could they afford to target the Indian prime minister particularly after they badly burnt their bridges with India post-Rajiv killing. Again apparently it is for the first time India had resorted to such an extraordinary measure of virtual take over a sovereign nation hosting a multilateral conference. As per Indian diplomats there is an instance when New Delhi took over the security of Mozambique, at the request of the local government, to enable it hold an international meeting. The comedy in Colombo was compounded following intelligence at lower levels about Pakistan moving its own war ship. It proved to be a false alarm. It was a case of a Pakistani dredger from China sailing through the Sri Lankan international waters! The National Security Advisor lent his brand of comic touch to the SAARC Summit by jumping into a police vehicle without waiting for his assigned car after the inaugural ceremony, only to be stopped at four check points, in his quest to reach the hotel where Dr Singh was staying. It is difficult to believe that India took over Sri Lanka albeit for over 60 hours to ward off threat from the LTTE. The move was directed more at Beijing and Islamabad. Perhaps it was an assertion of its natural right over Sri Lanka and a rather loud message to all concerned to tread cautiously in the Sri Lankan territory. No one is impressed with such bravado bordering on gun-boat diplomacy. Perhaps the Indian establishment do not subscribe to the thesis that un-exhibited power is more potent. N-powered India is clearly mistaken in its assumption that the threat to its geo-strategic interests would halt with such unbridled exhibition of muscle. Innovative diplomacy and statesmanship with no nonsense approach is the need of the hour.

India’s ban on LTTE under review
   
A special tribunal in India has asked the Central government to justify its call for a renewal of the ban on the LTTE, the Economic Times of India reported.The tribunal, headed by Justice Vikramjit Sen, wanted the fresh evidence by yesterday if the ban was to be extended by another two years. The ban was first imposed in 1992 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967, a year after the LTTE was accused of assassinating former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and since then the ban continued to be extended every two years. LTTE counsel had argued that the group could not be banned because it did not come within the territorial jurisdiction of the Indian government. The LTTE had also said it did not seek to disrupt the sovereignty and integrity of India.Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a female suicide bomber in May 1991, while electioneering in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Suicide bombing has long been the LTTE’s trademark. While the LTTE leadership had not taken responsibility for the assassination, it was widely considered to be in retaliation for Gandhi’s “betrayal” of the Tamils by sending Indian troops to Sri Lanka as peace-keepers under the 1987 Indo-Lankan Accord.In an interview to an Indian TV in 2006, LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham, the then chief negotiator for the LTTE made the first public acknowledgement that his organization was responsible for the assassination of the former Indian prime minister and expressed regret over the incident.

Prabhakaran’s days numbered

LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s days are numbered. His fate will be decided in the next few days, a confident Air Force Chief, Air Marshal Roshan Gunatilake said yesterday."We will have Prabhakaran very soon," he said.The ground operations carried out by the Army and the very successful air raids conducted by the Air Force will decide his fate in the next few days, he said.Contrary to opinion expressed in several quarters Prabhakaran will not bite into his cyanide capsule as he was a man who loved life, he said.The people of the North too had now rejected Prabhakaran’s acts of terrorism and the only place he could hide now is the jungle as Kilinochchi, the dream stronghold of the LTTE, will also be taken by the troops soon, he said.

Tigers beaten in bitter battle: Navy
   
At least three LTTE attack craft and seven small boats were destroyed and nearly 30 Tiger cadres killed yesterday during a three-hour sea battle between the Navy and the Sea Tigers off Nachchikuda in the North Western coast, the Navy said.A Navy spokesman said at around 11 am, the Navy’s newly formed Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) and Special Boats Squadron (SBS) launched an attack on a fleet of Sea Tiger boats which came from Nachchikuda towards the western sea.“The RABS and SBS surrounded the Sea Tiger boats and destroyed at least seven of them, killing between 25 and 30 Sea Tigers onboard,” the spokesman said adding that “this was one of the major achievements of the newly formed RABS and SBS.”Two sailors suffered injuries during the battle, he said. “The damage to the Navy was minimal because we used new military tactics,” the spokesman said.According to the spokesman four more Sear Tiger boats were also damaged in the attack according to intercepted Tiger communication.Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry said that soon after the commencement of the battle Sea Tiger boats had received immediate orders to withdraw from the confrontation as the terrorists had sustained heavy damages. “The LTTE boats were led by a senior Sea Tiger cadre identified as ‘Kadar’,” it said.The RABS is the newest boat squadron of the Navy comprising more than 100 small boats named ‘Arrow’ manufactured in Sri Lanka which can be maneuvered easily in the sea.

Top marks in Sri Lanka's Tamil medium scholarship exam goes to Jaffna

Jaffna: Dharmalingam Pasupatham, a student at Meesalai Veerasingham College, received a score of 176 to come in first place in the Tamil medium at the grade five scholarship examination held last month. According to Examination Commissioner General Anura Edirisingha, this student is only 7 marks behind the island’s first rankers who scored 183 on the exam. Jaffna is one of the northern districts most affected by the ongoing war and students in the peninsula are educated with fewer facilities and even with heavy resistance from the LTTE. Three girls from the southern part of the country achieved scores of 183, taking the island’s top ranking in the scholarship examination. They are Mahindani Amaza Hapuarachchi of Colombo Sirimavo Bandaranayake Girls’ School, Sajini Anjana Senadeera of Bambalapitiya Lindsey Girls’ College, and Manisa Abeysinge of St. Andrew Central College.

Sri Lankan President on his way to USA to attend the UN general assembly

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today left the country to attend the 63rd annual session of the United Nations to be held in New York, USA. According to the presidential media unit President Mahinda Rajapaksa left the country with the Sri Lankan delegation at about 1:30 pm this afternoon.The agenda of the UN Assembly that began on the 16th of September at United Nations headquarters in New York includes issues regarding the international peace and security, economic growth and sustainable development and the development process in Africa among other things. President Rajapaksa will participate in the UN summit along with more than 100 world leaders led by the Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki Moon.The session for the state heads and ministers to address the gathering will begin on the 23rd of September.

SBS and RABS breaking new grounds

The Sri Lanka Navy, taking a leaf from the Sea Tigers cap, launched an operation against LTTE boat movements supporting the Nachchikuda-Akkarayan defenceline today. The engagement lasted several hours during which time the SLN managed to surround and destroy 10 vessels of the LTTE, including seven lightly armed small logistics craft and three patrol crafts.The SLN's Rapid Action Boat Squadron, manned by three men each provided much of the firepower while the Special Boat Squadron engaged in strategic maneuvers against the cluster of LTTE boats. This is the third successive joint operation launched by the SBS and the RABS in recent times.The RABS boats are an improvement of the fiberglass boats manufactured by the SLN, which was further developed after the Tsunami. The new boats are similar in maneuverability to LTTE Sea Tiger boats with a light hull and outboard engines. The boats can fight close to the shoreline and in shallow waters in the northwestern coast. Standard infantry weapons such as MPMGs and LMGs are used for enhanced firepower.Their development is due to the realization that the heavier Dvora FACs were no match for small, fast moving and lightly crewed boats of the Tigers in shallower seas. The Special Boat Squadron deployed in Combat Rubber Reconnaissance Craft (CRRCs) suffered heavy casualties against faster LTTE vessels upon detection in the past (i.e. Mannar 2006).The fast moving RABS seems to have complemented SBS operations giving an extra layer of protection and cover to the elite sailors. So far the joint performance of SBS and RABS has been admirable, specially against small and medium sized boats and will become a tremendous asset to ground forces in combating infiltrations, logistical movements etc of the Tigers through recce and detection, close inspections and rapid engagement.

18 September 2008

Relief becomes a problem - Killinochchi GA
 
Civil authorities in the north say that in the providing essential relief to the displaced Killinochchi district has become difficult as fighting intensifies. Government Agent Nagalingam Vedanayagam said that about twenty five thousand are displaced as civilians flee their villages fearing further fighting.“Most of these people are from Iranamadu Junction, Murugandi and Arivial Nagar ,” said Vedanayagam Civilians who have fled their villages after artillery fire exchanges are taking refuge in Hindu tempals and schools while some have to live under trees said the GA to journalist Dinasena Rathugamage.“Providing relief is becoming a problem because there are only about twenty five percent of the government officials in the area , ” said Vedanayagam.The GA said that many government officials have left the area after claymore bomb attacks while some others are reporting to offices away from Kilinochchi.Relief agencies including the UN is leaving the area has worsened the problem according to the GA.“These relief agencies provided cooked meals, transported the injured to the hospital, and put up tents for the displaced ”said Vedayanaygam. 

Sri Lankan Forces Push Toward Tamil Tiger Headquarters in North

Sri Lankan security forces backed by jets and helicopter gun ships pressed toward the rebel headquarters in the north, the Defense Ministry said, as the military tries to destroy the last bases of the Tamil Tigers.Mi-24 helicopters attacked bunkers near Akkarayankulam, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Kilinochchi, late yesterday, Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said. ``Heavy fighting'' throughout the day killed 25 members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and four soldiers.Sri Lanka's army blocked 15 lorries from delivering humanitarian supplies to internally displaced people in Kilinochchi district yesterday, TamilNet reported. The delay will affect thousands of civilians as intensified fighting forces people from their homes, according to the report.Troops are driving into Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, the last districts held by the Tamil Tigers in the northern Wanni region, as President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government moves to end the LTTE's 25-year campaign for a separate Tamil homeland.Helicopter gun ships targeted LTTE fighters withdrawing northeast of Akkarayankulam, the scene of fighting all week, the Defense Ministry said on its Web site. Air force jets attacked an LTTE artillery post west of Vannarikkulam and another northwest of Akkarayankulam, it said.The army will capture Kilinochchi, Rajapaksa told the Foreign Correspondents' Association earlier this week, although the fall of the LTTE headquarters will take some time, he said.

Civilian Casualties

Sri Lankan jets hit a settlement when they bombed a site about 3 kilometers east of Kilinochchi early yesterday, TamilNet said, citing local residents. The report rejected a Defense Ministry statement that the target was a base used by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.A 14-year-old boy and a father of three were wounded in the attack, according to TamilNet.The target area was ``identified as a secret LTTE hideout,'' the Defense Ministry said after the raid. ``This is a site most frequented by the terror chief.'' Rajapaksa said the government wants to capture Prabhakaran ``alive'' and punish him under the country's laws. The LTTE leader appeared at a ceremony last week for 10 members of the Black Tigers unit that is responsible for the group's suicide attacks. They were killed in an assault on a military base at Vavuniya on Sept. 9, according to TamilNet.The LTTE's Peace Secretariat says the army offensives and bombing raids have forced more than 113,000 people from their homes in northern villages.Sri Lanka last week told aid agencies to leave Wanni because their safety couldn't be guaranteed during the fighting. The United Nations withdrew its personnel two days ago.

‘Give Katchatheevu to India’ TELO Muthalvar Sivjilingam MP

CHENNAI: At a time when the demand for retrieving Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka is growing high in Tamil Nadu, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) party from the island nation has also extended its support for the cause. At a media gathering in Chennai on Wednesday, TELOMP Sivajilingam said that the move would be a final solution to save Indian fishermen from being killed by the Sri Lankan Navy.He said, “We (the Sri Lankan Tamil leaders) have expressed our solidarity to the suffering fishermen from Tamil Nadu. However, we are unable to help them more than this, as far as the Katchatheevu issue is concerned.’’ But, in case India gets back Katchatheevu, the Sri Lankan Tamils will be very happy, he added.He, however, denied the allegations that fishermen from Rameswaram were detained by the LTTE, while they were fishing in the Bay of Bengal. On the Sri Lankan military attacks in places dominated by Tamils, Sivalingam said the Rajapakshe Government has decided to carry out the genocide in Tamil areas, such that the minority community can be completely wiped out. “In the name of war on terrorism, the Sri Lankan Army is targeting innocent Tamils. In fact, many people are being harassed and women are being raped, he alleged. In such a scenario, Indian Government should take appropriate steps to ensure that civilians were kept away from the inhumane attacks. It should also stop extending any sort of military help to Sri Lanka, he added.The TNA leader said, about two lakh Tamils in Sri Lanka are living as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), wherein these people are largely hit due to failure in augmenting basic amenities, including water.

Troops capture stretch of bund in Karambakulam

Karambakulam: Following a fierce battle with the LTTE troops attached to the 58 Division yesterday captured a 1.5 Km stretch of the huge earth bund in Karambakulam, eight Kilometres North East of Nachchikuda, Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the Daily News.The huge earth bund which is 12 to 14 feet in height, a ditch 6 feet deep and 12 to 14 feet width that has been constructed from Nachchikuda to Akkarayan by the LTTE posed a huge obstacle for the troops in their advance towards the North.Fierce fighting erupted in this terrain when troops attempted to capture this earth bund during the past few weeks."Troops attached to the 58 Division captured 15 to 20 Tiger bunkers along this stretch of the earth bund amidst heavy resistance from the LTTE," Brigadier Nanayakkara said.Twenty five Tiger cadres were killed and nearly 25 others injured during the fierce battle that erupted in the early hours of yesterday."Four soldiers were also killed and 14 others injured during these confrontations," the spokesman added.Troops have also effectively foiled two counter attacks by the LTTE to recapture the lost terrain inflicting heavy damages to the LTTE. Meanwhile troops operating east of Akkarayan also effectively foiled three counter attacks by the LTTE to capture the area under the Security Forces control on Tuesday killing at least 15 Tiger cadres.Troops are now operating just one Kilometre west of A-9 road in Murikkandi area and 5.5 km south of Kilinochchi.

Aid pullout prompts fears for 200,000 Sri Lankans

International aid workers have evacuated Sri Lanka's north, where government forces are pursuing a major offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels.The pull-out, demanded by the island's authorities for security reasons, has prompted fears for the fate of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians displaced by the military onslaught.United Nations figures show up to 200,000 people have been displaced in the past few months.The Sri Lankan government says its soldiers are just over five kilometres from Kilinochchi, the political capital of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).United Nations spokesman Gordon Weiss has told Radio Australia the UN can no longer safely operate in the area. "The armed forces of Sri Lanka have moved the frontline forward in rather fierce fighting over the past couple of weeks and the fighting has now reached the edges of Kilinochchi, which is where our operations were centred," Mr Weiss said."There were aerial bombardments, artillery bombardment, skirmishes to the south of the town, so we've had to move our operations."But we're, of course, not facing the kind of things that the civilians are facing which are far worse."Those people, and there's now around 200,000, have been forced from their homes by fighting, they are on the move, they're tired, they're hungry, they're worn out, the humanitarian aid reaching them is tenuous at best."There's no sign that the fighting will cease in the near future and nor do we have any real indications that they will be moving outside that area of confrontation - they're essentially stuck behind the fighting lines."Almost all other aid agencies have also evacuated their personnel from the north.The International Committee of the Red Cross, which supervises a civilian crossing point and carries out body exchanges for the military and the rebels, has been allowed to remain.UN spokesman Gordon Weiss says the government in Colombo is committed to fulfilling its international obligations to protect civilians, but he says it's going to be tough for those stuck in the area."We will see a decline in the wellbeing of that population and just how quickly that decline comes about depends very much on the course of the fighting and how regularly we can reach with them with humanitarian aid," Mr Weiss said.The LTTE rebels have warned the withdrawal of aid workers will spark a humanitarian crisis and the pro-rebel Tamilnet.com website says two civilians were injured in air strikes on Wednesday.Gordon Weiss says a crisis won't happen if aid organisations are still able to reach the displaced from outside the area."No, I don't think it's a given that if we withdraw from the area there is going to be a humanitarian crisis."It will be a crisis if we can't reach that population of 200,000 people with regular humanitarian aid - then we're likely to see people suffering from problems like malnutrition and possible disease outbreaks.The Asian Human Rights Commission has urged the government to carve out no-conflict zones where civilians could shelter."Until this is successfully done all indiscriminate shelling should strictly be avoided," the Hong Kong-based rights group told AFP news agency.Colombo has poured a record $US1.5 billion into this year's war efforts to crush the rebels, who have been fighting for a separate state in the ethnic-Sinhalese majority island since 1972.

Tigers used ‘CS gas’ on wanni troops- Army
   
Sri Lanka Army says investigations into a recent LTTE gas attack on advancing troops in the Wanni had found that the Tigers had used ‘CS gas’, which is generally used for anti-hijack or hostage operations.Army headquarters, in a statement, acknowledged that a few soldiers in the Wanni during their encounters with the LTTE in the most recent past developed breathing difficulties following emission of gas, believed to have been directed by the Tigers towards the advancing troops.“Investigations which went into the incident soon after admission of those soldiers to hospitals have affirmed Tiger terrorists have used CS gas, generally used for anti-hijack or hostage operations in Wanni. Produced in 1928, the name CS gas came to be known after the death of its founders Ben Corson and Roger Staughton,” the Army said.The statement further asserted that the Sri Lanka Army is fully equipped and well geared up to face any chemical or gas attacks of the enemy. The army while reiterating its capacity to challenge any such threats in the future said it has already distributed gas masks among the troops fighting in the Wanni.It is also noted that use of any chemical or gas in the warfare goes against UN stipulated Conventions and worldwide accepted norms.As reported in the Daily Mirror yesterday the government had put in place contingency plans for a possible chemical attack by the LTTE against the security forces fighting in the North. Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, had, instructed officials to immediately dispatch extra health staff, medicines and equipment to the North to face any contingencies that may arise in the event of a chemical attack on security forces.The decision was taken following a discussion held at the ministry and chaired by Mr. De Silva, to draft a contingency plan in the event of a chemical attack on the armed forces.

'Taxi Abe' to expose LTTE -UNP secret deals

UNP top line supporter Gamini Aberathna alias Taxi Abe said to 'Lanka-e-News' that he would expose secret deals between LTTE and UNP during the period Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe was the Prime minister.Mr. Aberathna says that he will reveal the details of the way the LTTE was provided not only equipment but also money by the UNP government. Mr. Aberathna was the Executive Director of the Airport and Aviation authority during the UNP tenure.He vows to expose the details of the financial grants received by UNP and the way one person purchased a factory after an election.

Armed gang attacks Mervyn’s Secy’s residence, killing one

Three armed men stormed the home of Labour Minister Mervin Silva’s Coordinating Secretary Amal Rodrigo at Kirimetiyagara early yesterday and opened fire on the occupants killing one and causing serious injury to three others, Kiribathgoda police said. The deceased was identified as Anuradha Suranjith (26), a resident of Kiribathgoda.The gang armed with revolvers had arrived in a vehicle around 3.45 a.m. and fired several shots but the person killed was not their intended target, police said,Two of the assailants have been identified as Priyantha and Kasun, who were involved in other crimes in the area. They may have been targeting some of their rivals who were expected at Rogdrigo’s residence, police said.The three injured persons admitted to the Teaching Hospital were Dinesh Priyankara, Ratnasiri Perera and Saman Nishantha were provided with police security.Though there were a number of police checkpoints in and around Colombo and along the Kandy road, police said they were perplexed how the armed gang succeeded in arriving in Kirimetiyagara, which was on the outskirts of Kiribathgoda in a vehicle carrying arms.The attack was made when preparations were being made for the seventh-day alms giving in memory of Rodrigo’s mother who passed away last week.

Gota, Karuna in powwow

TMVP Leader and breakaway eastern LTTE commander Karuna Amman has met Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and discussed issues relating to security in the North.Karuna Amman told the Daily Mirror that he had also had several rounds of discussions with Government ministers and officials regarding his future plans in Sri Lankan politics. “I will not name the ministers I met, but I have already discussed my future in politics with them. I have also discussed with Mr. Rajapaksa the security issues in the North and said that victory can be achieved only if the civilians in Kilinochchi are rescued,” Karuna said.Media reports last year quoted Karuna as telling the British police that he got his false diplomatic passport Karuna, to travel to London from the Defence Secretary leading to his subsequent arrest and jail term in Great Britain. However, Karuna upon returning to Colombo said he never made such a statement to the British police and denied the Defence Secretary had any involvement in his false passport issue. Karuna told the Daily Mirror that several rounds of discussions would take place with Mr. Rajapaksa in the future as the security forces move further into LTTE-controlled areas in the North. He added that as the military plans were going according to expectations, the troops would be able to capture Kilinochchi shortly. “My discussion with Mr. Rajapaksa lasted for an hour where we briefed each other about the situation in the North. Military plans are going according to expectations and I will meet him regularly and offer my assistance where security plans are concerned,” Karuna said. Karuna also said the Government had to pay due attention in rescuing the estimated 300,000 civilians trapped in Kilinochchi and urged the international community and the UN to put pressure on the LTTE to release the civilians who wished to cross into Government held territory.He also feared for the safety of the civilians as the LTTE was now forcibly recruiting one child per family and warned of a possible bloodbath as the Tigers were using civilians as human shields. “The Government has to rescue the civilians. If not anything is possible. I have informed the Defence Secretary about this as well,” Karuna said.He added that Government shelling over Kilinochchi was also psychologically affecting the civilians and hoped that civilians would start making their way into Vavuniya soon to flee the fighting.

Group from north ordered to leave

Police have ordered a group from Jaffna temporarily lodged at Dematagoda, Colombo to return to the north within 24 hours.Following the order, the group that has been staying there for the past one-and-a-half months has met Deputy Minister of Vocational Training, P. Radhakrishnan and placed their grievance before them.Subsequently, the minister has brought the matter to the attention of the IGP and is awaiting his response, reports say.With the escalation of hostilities in the north, many displaced are arriving in Colombo to stay with their families and friends, but are faced with a dire situation by such police orders.

Sri Lanka's push to take rebel HQ 

Kilinochchi town in northern Sri Lanka is an unimpressive looking place - a few kilometres of low buildings straggling along the main A9 road. There are some shops and a market, and a couple of places to eat. But Kilinochchi is symbolically important as the Tamil Tigers have made it their administrative headquarters. Now Sri Lanka's military says its troops are just 5.5km (3.5 miles) from the town, and the United Nations pulled its last team of staff from the area on Tuesday. The UN had been ordered along with other aid agencies to leave last week by the government, which said it could not guarantee their safety. The battles had got so close humanitarian workers said from the town they could hear the small arms fire, and there was shelling nearby, both incoming and outgoing.

Stiff resistance

Kilinochchi is a major target of the government's offensive to crush the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and end their fight for a separate state for the ethnic Tamil minority. There has been talk of it being captured before the end of the year. One cabinet minister told the BBC recently troops would take Kilinochchi "sooner even than people think". Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa was reluctant to give an exact timeframe, when he held a rare meeting with foreign journalists on Monday. But, pressed, he did say: "We know they are getting weak." He added the only option for the Tigers was to put down their weapons and surrender. "There is a high degree of optimism, as if it's [as easy as] turning a page from a book," said Iqbal Athas, a defence columnist with Sri Lanka's Sunday Times. "The battle is now for Kilinochchi but the LTTE will put up a fight before ceding it, if at all. In the past we've seen the Tigers play a defensive role, but lately they have gone on an offensive role. We are seeing very stiff resistance from the LTTE." Foreign journalists were last allowed by the government a year ago to pass through the crossing point between the two warring parties and travel up to Kilinochchi. Independent reporters are now barred from the conflict zone.

'Maximum damage'

The rebels' flag, a roaring Tiger on a red background, flies over Kilinochchi. Earlier, the centre of rebel power had been Jaffna, further north, but the military had forced them from the town in 1995. Kilinochchi has courts, a police station and other administrative departments, all run by the LTTE, as well as statues and monuments. One restaurant has walls inscribed with sayings of the "National Leader", rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Outside the town the rebels' dead lie under rows of identical grey gravestones in a huge cemetery with the silhouette of an upturned assault rifle worked into the metalwork of the gates. And it was in Kilinochchi that the Tigers welcomed diplomats and other visitors during the ceasefire, putting them up in their Tank View Hotel, named for the dam, or tank it overlooks, rather than weapons of war. So capturing the town would be a huge moment for Sri Lanka's government. It would be a sign of how far soldiers have come since the now abandoned 2002 ceasefire broke down on the ground two years ago - first evicting the Tigers from the east, more recently rapidly advancing into rebel territory in the north. But the fall of Kilinochchi would be unlikely to be the end of Sri Lanka's civil war, which began a generation ago. "Kilinochchi would no doubt be an achievement for the Government," said Iqbal Athas, the defence columnist. "But we must remember it is not the centre of [the Tigers'] military power, it's the centre of political power… Military power is concentrated east of Kilinochchi, right up to the coast of Mullaitivu. So if they take Kilinochchi there's a long way to go thereafter." And the military says it has other aims besides the town. "It's not only Kilinochchi," said military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara. "We have Mullaitivu on the east coast and Pooneryn on the west coast. [Our objective] is to cause maximum damage and destruction to their weapons systems."

UK Foreign Minister  meeting with Tamils– PRESS REPORT British Tamil Forum

“UK Government believes that minorities in any country must have their right to practice the fullest and impossible expression of self determination”.....“We are extremely concerned about how this government behaves and treats the Tamil community. We are using all the means available to us to press the government to do otherwise” – UK Foreign Minister Lord Mark Malloch Brown Rt. Hon Lord Malloch Brown who is the Deputy Foreign Secretary and also the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister who has specific responsibility for Britain's relations with countries in Asia and Africa – including Sri Lanka attended a meeting yesterday, 15 September, organised by the Harrow (West) Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform Rt. Hon Gareth Thomas to discuss the current situation in Sri Lanka with his Tamil constituents. This meeting was also attended by Hon Robert Evans Member of European Parliament for London, Member of Parliament for Leicester (East) and the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee Rt. Hon Keith Vaz and Harrow Councillor and Leader of the Association of Tamil Councillors Thaya Idaikadar.Well over a thousand Tamils turned up for this meeting from all over London. As the hall including the balcony could only hold just about a thousand people, due to Health and Safety Regulations a few hundred Tamils who came late had to stand outside the building to show solidarity.Lord Malloch Brown in his introductory speech said that it is enormously important that Ministers like Gareth and he should have more of such opportunities to understand the concerns of people. It is therefore very appropriate that they met with the Tamil community considering the current situation in Sri Lanka for the Tamils.He said that he was in Sri Lanka in July and he went there for two reasons (1) to see for himself on how the situation was evolving and secondly because he was criticised in the government circles in Colombo for his strong statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meeting in March this year protesting against the human rights violations of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). This resulted in an invitation given by both the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakshe and the Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.He said that both sides (the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - LTTE) were party to breaking of the Cease Fire Agreement and it is wrong to blame just the one side for the breakdown. The government has won a significant victory in the East of Sri Lanka and has held an election with partial participation of some political parties due to the security situation. “I wanted to see the local government myself”. On the one level the situation is secure and peaceful than before. However, he did not see political reconciliation that will bring everyone to the democratic political process.In the north however where the fighting is heaviest is resulting in large numbers of displacement of people. The government’s order for United Nations and other INGOs (International Non Governmental Organisations) to leave this area is leaving the international aid efforts being severely affected and for the international community unable to independently verify the real situation on the ground. Our High Commissioner in Colombo has made repeated representations to the GoSL seeking assurances for free flow of food and medical supplies to the people of North. Both sides should allow access to the international humanitarian workers to help the people of North. “We are extremely concerned”. We have through the Secretary General of the United Nations and our High Commissioner made representations to both parties to ensure free and safe access remain opened for humanitarian workers to assist the people of North.British Government’s overriding position is that there is no military solution to this problem in Sri Lanka. This problem should be resolved by finding a political solution. This message was relayed by me to the President, his brother the Defence Minister, the Foreign Minister and the Chairman of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC). UK government funded a trip of members of the APRC to visit Northern Ireland to see for them at first hand of conflict resolution.  The aim was to aid the thinking so that they will come with innovative solutions and to re-start the political process.We believe people of Tamil areas to have political self-government within a united Sri Lanka. - This comment prompted a few in the audience to abruptly stop clapping that almost started. The Minister joked looking at the direction where the clapping originated and said “great sentence except for the last couple of words” meaning that the audience did not appreciate the ‘united Sri Lanka’ bit of his statement.As part of European Union the UK government believes that minorities in any country must have their right to practice the fullest and impossible expression of self determination. The thousand or more Tamil crowd erupted by clapping and jeering.We will urge the GoSL to re-start the political dialog. We believe both sides were responsible for the breakdown of the Cease Fire Agreement. Both sides lost the trust of each other. Both sides should make gestures and concessions to be able to re-start the political process. Lord Malloch Brown’s speech was followed by questions and answers.
Sample of the questions and answers in summary are given below. Most times, more than three or four questions were answered at the same time.

1. International Governments including my government Britain, keep saying that there got be a negotiated settlement.  For us, lay people, this soft, and behind the scene diplomacy isn’t working. If anything, things have got worse for us Tamils – Government of Sri Lanka has become more hard-line. Do you have any evidence to suggest that your approach is working? And why do you keep carrying on the same path, whilst you know it isn’t working?
2. Approximately, 40,000 British Tamils stood in pouring rain for ‘Pongku Thamil’ (Uprising of Tamils) day at Roehampton Vale sports ground and demanded that our Government should recognise Tamils right for separate homeland in Sri Lanka. Who do you think that the British Government should listen to, British Tamils - your own citizens, or a failed state that is tens of thousands of miles away?

3.Could you please spell out the position of the British Government with regard to the elections in the East? Does Britain regard that Eastern election as legitimate? And does the British Government recognise the Para-military administration that is terrorising the population in the East with guns and abductions?

Firstly I understand your anger towards the government of Sri Lanka. But we must also acknowledge that it is a democratically elected government and therefore it is not an authoritarian government to be classified as a failed state in that sense. It is not like this government is unpopular in the country. It is very popular in large parts of the country. Sadly it is not so in the Tamil parts of the country.

It is a democratically elected government which has chosen to prosecute a military campaign against a separatist group. We need to recognise the reality that Britain is a long way away from Sri Lanka but we have certain means and tools available to us to influence but it is beyond our powers to force a solution to this problem.

There are certain persuasion tools if you like, for example the European Union has GSP+ which Sri Lanka enjoys as a trade preference. This is a very powerful tool. If Sri Lanka wants to continue to enjoy this benefit then they need to implement all of the 27 human rights covenants and conventions. We are pressing Sri Lanka through the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and we are using all these channels to press the GoSL but there are no easy answers to this problem. All we can do is force the resumption of political talks. We can by pressing a democratically elected government to deal with its minorities in a proper way.

4.You were one of those who were instrumental in getting the Government of Sri Lanka evicted from the powerful 47 member UN Human Rights Council. We as Tamils will always be grateful for your commanding speech at the Council meeting in March 2008. However, since then there have been many human rights violations that have taken place in Sri Lanka. You have been pressing for a permanent presence of UNHRC office in Sri Lanka. We all know that the present government has formally rejected that idea. What further actions do you intend taking along with the Commonwealth member states and the European Union to condemn the rejection and enforce such an office in Sri Lanka?

5.Withdrawing the GSP Plus offers a great opportunity for UK to demonstrate its public dismay to the Government of Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka’s appalling human rights track record and its inability to implement the main 27 international conventions & covenants. EU withdrew GSP plus from Republic of Belarus in June 2007 for lack of evidence of its full implementation of the relevant conventions of the International Labour Organisation. Could you give us an assurance that Britain, along with its EU partners, will take this issue seriously and demonstrate our dismay to Government of Sri Lanka when GSP Plus is due for renewal later this year?

6.You went to Eastern Sri Lanka and shook hands with Pillayan who is still a leader of an armed Para-military group. The Tamil Diaspora was very disappointed with that act of yours. You may wish to defend yourself saying you need to meet everyone to bring about a lasting peace in Sri Lanka. If that is the case, why did you not feel it is important to meet Prabakaran the leader of LTTE and get his views? Is it not the time to lift the ban on LTTE to create an atmosphere to facilitate peace talks bearing in mind the LTTE has never broken any laws in Europe, USA or Canada in short anywhere in the world?We have been pushing for a permanent presence of the UNHRC office in Sri Lanka. We will continue to push for this through the new head of UNHRC as we did through her predecessor just as we press for firm action against child soldiers’ issue. We will keep going on that.We certainly take the GSP+ issue very seriously. On the one hand it costs Sri Lankan workers their jobs but on the other hand GSP+ is a trade concession, preference granted to certain countries in return for those countries’ compliance of certain human rights covenants and conventions. The ball is in the Sri Lankan court to demonstrate that they are in compliance of all those conventions and covenants. Both Gareth and I as Trade Minister and Foreign Minister have already shared this view with our Sri Lankan counter-parts, even recently. They have to do a lot to secure the extension of GSP+. It will be a collective EU decision.Regarding Pillayan, he was a man involved in acts of terrorism previously and it is a real issue about our approach to him should be. Yes he is been elected in a flawed election. Nevertheless an election it is. There were security problems for all parties to participate. However he is an elected local government leader and on those grounds that I met him. Meeting somebody doesn’t in anyway mean endorsing their position. If it did we couldn’t meet a lot of leaders around the world.
As to why I didn’t meet the LTTE leader Prabakaran, for one he is not exactly easy to find under the current circumstances. Also he is a leader of a proscribed organisation.  We will maintain contacts, such contacts to advance peace. This government fully supports proscribing the LTTE.
7.United Nations estimates that over 250,000 internally displaced people in Wanni which is the LTTE controlled area. In the first 15 days of August over 38,000 people were displaced. Government of Sri Lanka has ordered the humanitarian agencies to withdraw from Wanni. What is the British Government doing about this unfolding tragedy without saying that “we, the British Government is doing all what we can by pressing the Government of Sri Lanka to send food and medical supplies” - When is any British aid going to reach Wanni?

8.When Kosova became an independent nation you are on record for saying Kosova is an exception? Could you please explain how the Tamil’s case for independence is different to the one of the Kosovan’s?

9.In the entire history of the world, only 3 countries have used aerial bombardment against its own citizens – Soviet Union in 1920 to 1930 to suppress internal decent. Sadam Hussein against the Kurds in Iraq and Indonesia against the people of East Timor. Sri Lanka is the fourth. How is the British Government protesting against such a violation of human rights of the Tamils? Why isn’t the current government doing what the John Major’s government did for the Kurds by creating a safe haven?

10.At various points in the past our government has implemented sanctions against various governments such as Zimbabwe, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan etc. to condemn and to register protest. How many more Tamil lives have to be lost and how many more Tamils have to be displaced before Her Majesty’s Government implement sanctions against the Government of Sri Lanka? When will it be the right time to implement sanctions against Sri Lanka?
British aid and British humanitarian assistance will continue. Humanitarian Assessment Team has been dispatched to assess access routes and the ground situation.

As Foreign Minister I come across all sorts of minorities in different parts of the world wanting to cease existence with the majority and form self government. We cannot support every one of them as fragmenting nation states will be difficult to sustain international affairs.

Right now we have been very clear in supporting a large measure of self government within a united country. If ultimately more to happen and the Tamil Region is to become an independent state we will support that only if the whole of Sri Lanka felt that it is the best way to sustain peace between the two communities. We will not do it against the will of the majority Sri Lankans.

Regarding indiscriminate aerial bombardment, we have been pressing on human rights violations by the GoSL. We will through the UN Secretary General, through UN Human Rights Council and through the GSP+ mechanism we will keep the human rights issue live until it is resolved. We are determined to put international pressure on either side to ensure human rights are not violated.

At this point Rt. Hon Gareth Thomas MP announced some details of what the Assessment Team will do. He said that by speaking to NGOs, INGOs, UN and ICRC the team will find out the real ground situation. From their report is what my department will decide how best to channel supplies and funds to assist the internally displaced people of Vanni.

11.       If you apply the same principles that were applied to proscribe the LTTE as a terrorist organisation to GoSL, do you agree that you will have to proscribe the GoSL as a terrorist state?

12.       What do think that the proscription of the LTTE has achieved with regard to the conflict in Sri Lanka? Do you agree that time has come to re-visit the issue of proscription?

13.If you agree that the government of Sri Lanka was wrong to unilaterally withdraw from Cease Fire Agreement then please tell us what have you done to put that right? And what has been the result of your actions?

14.Did you know that 95% of Tamils voted in 2004, for LTTE as their sole representatives?
We are extremely concerned about how this government behaves and treats the Tamil community. We are using all the means available to us to press the government to do otherwise. However the current government remains as a democratically elected government in power at the moment.  Government of Sri Lanka was elected through a ballot box.
It is not for Britain to solve the problem. Just like in Zimbabwe, both parties within the country with the help of the big regional neighbour like the Republic of South Africa have to solve their own problems.Since 2001 when the LTTE was proscribed there has been only a single attempt to de-proscribe in October 2007. This was rejected by the Home Secretary in February 2008. Appeal against this decision is possible.As far as I know the LTTE has never stood for a democratic election. (People shouted TNA’s mandate...TNA’s mandate)
15.What is Britain doing about the internally displaced people and why can’t Britain take this matter through the UN Security Council?
 
16.As journalists are prohibited by the government from reporting from the Vanni and other parts, did you realise that the information that you are getting is at least 6 months out of date. As a journalist who worked both in Sri Lanka and in the UK I am asking what if any the UK Government has done to prevent journalists being killed, abducted and arrested?
17.       Britain played a major role in proscribing the LTTE within the European Union. It is a well known fact. Britain with its imperial past which created this turmoil in Sri Lanka. You created this problem by merging more than one kingdom that existed into a single country. Now you better sort it!
It is a judgment that the British Government has made to deal with this issue through the UNHRC rather than the UN Security Council. It is a tragedy that such a large number of people have been internally displaced. Through UN, ICRC and others we are seeking from both parties to ensure safe passage and access for supplies of food and medicines to reach the affected people.You are absolutely right that there should be access given to journalists. We are constantly pressing through the EU and the UN to protect against these abductions and disappearances.We do not have the right to tell any country how to rule or run their country. All we can do is with our international partners we can press for better governance and compliance to human rights laws.At this point Rt. Hon Gareth Thomas MP declared that the Foreign Minister will be leaving now to engage in other official matters. Just when the two Ministers were coming down the stage stairs, a young Tamil stood in front of the crowd and chanted “we want Thamil Eelam”...”we want Thamil Eelam”....”our leader is Prabakaran”... The crowd repeated these slogans very loudly and clearly.

Hon Robert Evans Member of European Parliament related his experiences during his various visits to Sri Lanka. He was non-apologetic for his team’s press statement after their recent visit to Sri Lanka as an EU Delegation. He explained the various excuses that the GoSL gave to delay and possibly shorten their trip to the East of Sri Lanka where he was scheduled to meet Pillayan, the new Chief Minister and spend time exploring the ground situation without any government agents present. He said that they were amazed how the government claims on the one hand that the East has been ‘cleared’ yet the delegation was not allowed to travel to Batticaloa (East of Sri Lanka) due to security problems. In the end, the delegation never went to the East of Sri Lanka at all.He also said how he found the LTTE running a very efficient general administration and hospitals within the Vanni area soon after Tsunami struck Sri Lanka.The meeting came to a close soon after 8.30pm.

17 September 2008

Kilinochchi will be regained by year-end - President

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa ruled out a ceasefire with the Tigers and said troops were on track to capture the Tigers’ political capital by the end of the year.President Rajapaksa said Forces were advancing “very satisfactorily” and should take Kilinochchi by December. “I am happy. The military has made a lot of gains,” he told members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Sri Lanka late Monday.“We will hopefully take Kilinochchi by December. The rest [of the north] as soon as possible. I can’t give an exact time frame,” he said. The President ruled out a future ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and vowed to “finish the war as soon as possible”.“There is no point talking to them. They have not asked for a ceasefire from us. They must first surrender with their weapons,” he said.In August, the Tigers announced a 10-day ceasefire during a meeting of South Asian leaders in Colombo, which the Government rejected. “I don’t think the LTTE was serious about it (ceasefire)... they only talk of one (ceasefire) when the army is pushing to weaken them,” said President Rajapaksa, who is also defence minister.The Government has poured a record 1.5 billion dollars into this year’s war effort. President Rajapaksa has said his Government will seriously consider any plea from India to hand over LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran if he is caught, asserting that his troops were advancing towards tiger nerve centres.On the elusive LTTE chief, he said, “You should realise Prabhakaran was involved in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the Sri Lankan Government will consider any request for his extradition if he is caught”.“The law of the land will take its own course if and when he is nabbed,” the President, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, said.India and Sri Lanka only have an Extradition Arrangement short of a treaty and any deportation of wanted people can be undertaken only on grounds of mutual requests.

Air raid on suspected hideout of Prabakaran

SLAF fighter jets launched successive air strikes at key LTTE locations in Kilinochchi and Mullaittivu including a 'high profile' LTTE hideout located in the Vattakachchi area, Wednesday (Sep 17) at around 6.35a.m.The targets were acquired with precision on reliable ground information received Air Force Spokesperson, Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said.The target at Vattakachchi area has been identified as a secret LTTE hideout and was engaged on real-time information received of the presence of a key LTTE figure, defence intelligence sources said. This is a site most frequented by the terror chief, and LTTE is expected to remain tight lip on the casualty figures, defence observes state. Heavy traffic in enemy communication circuits was experienced immediately after the attack and subsequently had died-out, maintaining silence over the circuits, sources said citing LTTE electronic emission and radio monitoring reports.Meanwhile, an LTTE ammo and arms storage was hit in a similar air strike, 3km North of Udayarkattukulama, Mullaittivu, at around 6.30a.m., Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara further said. These reports could not be verified due to the absence of alternative sources.

Civilians killed in Kilinochchi
 
Four bodies of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) were brought to Kilinochchi hospital, while a bomb has exploded in a bus in Colombo.Director of Kilinochchi hospital, Dr. Satyamurthi, told BBC Tamil Service that four more civilians with serious injuries were admitted to the hospital. He added that all four who are in a coma, are being treated in emergency care unit.Three of the bodies, Dr. Satyamurthi said, were already identified by the relatives.

Colombo blast

There were no serious casualties reported in the Colombo blast as the passenger bus had been evacuated shortly before the blast, after passengers spotted a suspicious-looking package.Four civilians have been admitted to Colombo hospital due to shock caused by the explosion, Sri Lanka defence ministry said.The government accused the Tamil Tigers of "attempting to cause mayhem" in the capital targeting civilians.This latest attack comes as government forces step up their offensive against the Tamil Tigers in the rebel-held north of the country. 

‘UPA govt not giving weapons to Lanka’

In a bid to pacify the Tamil nationalist outfits, who are up in arms against the Congress, accusing it of following a pro-Sinhalese policy in the Sri Lankan conflict, Tamil Nadu Congress president Mr K V Thangabalu today denied that the Centre was providing military assistance to the island nation.“The charges against the UPA government in this regard are totally false. In fact, our defence minister has asked the Sri Lankan government to ensure the safety and security of Tamils,” he told reporters here.As reports of injuries to two Indian military engineers, during air raids by the LTTE, is causing widespread resentment among the people here, the Congress leader said he had already taken up the issue of the safety of Tamils with the Centre.He alleged that the BJP and its sister organisations were resorting to attacks against the minorities and said that the Congress would not be silent spectator to it. Expressing concern over the recent Supreme Court judgment that the vacant seats in the OBC quota should be given to general candidates, Mr Thangabalu said that he would convey the people's apprehensions about this verdict to the party leadership. When asked about sharing power with the DMK in the state, he simply said that any decision regarding this would be taken by the party leader Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

Govt. prepares for LTTE chemical attack

The government has put in place contingency plans for a possible chemical attack by the LTTE against the security forces fighting in the North.Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, yesterday, instructed officials to immediately despatch extra health staff, medicines and equipment to the North to face any contingencies that may arise in the event of a chemical attack on the security forces, said ministry spokesman W.M.D. Wanninayaka.The decision was taken following a discussion held at the ministry and chaired by Mr. De Silva, to draft a contingency plan in the event of a chemical attack on the armed forces, he said.The discussion was attended by Prof. Ravindra Fernando, acting Health Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayatilaka, Dr. Ajith Mendis, Brigadier Sanjeewa Senaratna, Col. N.K.Ariyaratna, Major Ruwan Senatilaka and Dr. Hemantha Benaragama. Mr. De Silva had given instructions to post a special medical team and nurses to hospitals in Vavuniya, Padaviya, Welioya and Mannar, after defence officials pointed out the shortage of human resources to deal with the war situation in those areas. Doctors and nurses serving in the south will be posted for a 10 month period to these hospitals. Mr. Wanninayaka said that Prof. Fernando had been tasked with giving a special training to medical and nursing staff on chemical and unconventional weapons attacks and medical emergencies arising from such attacks.Mr. De Silva had added that the government had taken all necessary precautions against an unconventional weapons attack and to prevent the armed forces personnel from falling victim to such attacks. Last month former LTTE eastern leader Karuna Amman had said that the LTTE might resort to the use of chemical weapons. He had added that experiments done on those lines by LTTE scientists had been successful Soldiers hospitalized after ‘gas’ attack At least sixteen soldiers were hospitalized after experiencing breathing difficulties following an LTTE attack using what was initially believed to be some sort of gas in the Akkarayankulam and Vannivilankulam areas in the Kilinochchi district.Informed ground sources revealed that on Monday evening troops of the Task Force 2 in Wanniwilankulam, West of Mankulam were attacked using the gas which caused breathing problems to at least six soldiers.Last morning, soldiers of the 57 division operating in Akkarayankulam in the Kilinochchi district came under a similar type of attack. At least ten soldiers were admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties.The Military believes the LTTE may have used a substance similar to Tear Gas for the attack. However, there was no official confirmation about the attack.

Aid workers to complete pull-out by Sept 29

COLOMBO: Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said yesterday that the United Nations and other aid groups re-commenced their pull- out from Kilinochchi and were expected to complete the re-location process in Vavuniya by September 29.However the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) would continue its presence in the area to help the needy, the Minister added.He said these groups would continue their humanitarian assistance and development programmes in the region directing operations from Vavuniya.While re-iterating the Government’s commitment in assuring safety and wellbeing of the civilians living in non-liberated areas, the Minister said all measures were afoot to make Vavuniya a humanitarian assistance hub to help an exodus of IDPs due to military operations in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.Following a brief halt to the movement of men and material by UN agencies, the effort re-started yesterday which was relayed by the UN resident representative, the Minister added.The Minister said the process started following a request by the Defence Secretary on September 08 asking them to re-locate to Vavuniya due to security and safety concerns of humanitarian workers in the face of military operations The Defence Secretary had articulated the Government’s position the Minister said, adding that the authorities also had agreed to a request by aid agencies to extend the withdrawal deadline to September 29 The Minister said he was confident that the re-location process would be completed as expected by the 29th. However the ICRC was an exception and would continue to extend its presence in the affected areas to assist the needy the Minister said. He said at a meeting with UN, NGO and INGO groups, the Defence Secretary had asked for a detailed report regarding their ongoing and completed humanitarian assistance and development work to facilitate continuity.These organisations would be given help to continue their work unhindered by directing operations from Vavuniya, he said.Strict orders have been relayed to security forces and Authorities to make safe passage for civilians fleeing the non-liberated areas and make all arrangements for their safety and wellbeing.

Terrorism should be defeated minimizing damage to civilians, says new Deputy High Commissioner of India

There is no answer to terrorism except defeating it but in a way the damage to the civilians will be minimized, said the new Indian Deputy High Commissioner Sri Wikram Misri at a meeting with the media Monday (15) evening held in the Indian High Commission.The function was held to welcome the new Deputy High Commissioner.The Deputy High Commissioner stated that India sees Tamil people and LTTE as two phenomena. Although the military action taken by the government to defeat terrorism will be alright, India will be concerned of the damage to civilians, he said.He said to Lanka-e-News journalists that it is unquestionable that the responsibility of the welfare of the refugees in north remains in the hands of the state, since they are citizens of the country.

President rules out future ceasefires

President Mahinda Rajapakse has ruled out a ceasefire with the LTTE and said troops were on track to capture the LTTE political capital by the end of the year.President Rajapakse who pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce in January, said government forces were advancing "very satisfactorily" and should take Kilinochchi, in the north of the island, by December."I am happy. The military has made a lot of gains," he told members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Sri Lanka late Monday."We will hopefully take Kilinochchi by December. The rest (of the north) as soon as possible. I can’t give an exact time frame," he said.The President ruled out a future ceasefire with the LTTE and vowed to "finish the war as soon as possible.""There is no point talking to them. They have not asked for a ceasefire from us. They must first surrender with their weapons," he said.In August, the LTTE announced a 10-day ceasefire during a meeting of South Asian leaders in Colombo, which the government rejected."I don’t think the LTTE was serious about it (ceasefire)... they only talk of one (ceasefire) when the army is pushing to weaken them," said the President, who is also defence minister.

Ugly scenes greet Malloch-Brown

The British Minister Lord Malloch-Brown who is responsible for South Asian affairs experienced ugly scenes of rowdy behaviour by the LTTE men at a meeting held at Zoroastrian Centre Middlesex facilitated by Garath Thomas MP on September 15, it has been reported in the Lanka Guardian website.The LTTE men it was alleged were not in a mood to listen to his ‘balanced speech’ reflecting the position of the British government on Sri Lanka.The Minister was critical of both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. He said the British government is putting international pressure on Sri Lanka to adhere to human rights standards and to find a solution to the conflict by amicable means.He stressed both Sri Lankan government and the LTTE are responsible for the break up of the ceasefire agreement and that the British government is keen to see a resumption of talks to resolve the conflict.During question time, LTTE men raised a barrage of questions focused on espousing the cause of the LTTE, it was also reported. The British Minister responded to all the questions, some of which were unpalatable to the LTTE men. They jeered and heckled the Minister. But the Foreign Minister was very assertive on British government’s stand on Sri Lanka, the report also alleged.The LTTE men asked the Minister about the possibility of de-proscribing the LTTE as a terrorist group in the UK. He responded by saying that there are provisions in the Terrorism Act for the LTTE to appeal on the decision, which they have not done since its proscription in 2001, it was further stated. At the conclusion of Lord Malloch Brown’s speech, one LTTE sympathiser it was alleged in the report, stood in front of the Minister and shouted: ‘Tigers thirst is a separate state’ and ‘Pirapaharan is our leader.’A section of the pro LTTE crowd repeated the slogans in a high voice which increased the tension in the hall. "When Lord Malloch Brown left the hall R. Jayadevan and his friends too followed him. When Jayadevan attempted to engage in a conversation with the Minister outside the hall, the LTTE men attempted to push him out and he was assaulted in front of the two British Ministers by one of the LTTE goons," it was further alleged in the report.The situation was leading to mayhem and the Foreign Minister was lead out of the building safely. The meeting proceeded following the departure of the British Foreign Minister. Robert Evens who led a European parliamentary delegation to Sri Lanka recently also spoke in length about his visit to Sri Lanka.

TN leaders have a sacred duty!– The Sudar Oli Ediotiral

The wounding of two officials of the Indian Air Force of the ranks of sergeants during the LTTE air attacks on the Vavuniya Head Quarters of the Lankan security forces has sparked off a serious controversy in Tamil Nadu political arena as anticipated.Although the Indian High Commission tries to justify the presence of the Indian Air Force personnel at the Lankan military camp by saying that they were technologists present there only to maintain the Indian radar, TN political parties have concluded that their presence confirms their charges of the active role of the Indian forces in the present military operations by the Lankan government.Pandyan, Tamilnadu Secretary of the Indian Communist Party has charged that there is Indian complicity in the present war unleashed by the Lankan government, since Indian Air force officials were present in the Lankan military camp.Ela. Ganeshan, The General Secretary of the Tamilnadu branch of the BJP stated that India has a moral duty to support the cause of the Lankan Tamils fighting for their rights. Else it should be neutral. Instead, India stands exposed that its officers are engaged in giving support to the Lankan forces.While the TN ruling party DMK and opposition party ADMK maintain silence, other parties are furious about it. They are getting ready for agitation all over Tamilnadu.If these parties in TN are sincere in helping the cause of the Lankan Tamils, they should shed their political differences, identify this issue as an issue beyond the ambit of party politics and raise their voices in unison.

New US law to crack down on child recruits

The United States Government has imposed a new law to crack down on military commanders who recruit child soldiers in conflict internationally, and then seek refuge in the US.The "Child Soldiers Accountability Act of 2008," passed with support from both American political parties, makes recruitment of children under 15 a federal offence and allows the US government to file charges against both US citizens and non-citizens who are in the United States.The law allows the US to deport individuals who have recruited child soldiers, or impose penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment for offenders.An American court may also sentence to life imprisonment, a person found to have caused death by recruiting a child combatant."The exploitation of children as soldiers persists in many armed conflicts because child recruiters are rarely held accountable," said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocate for Human Rights Watch."This law tells military commanders worldwide that they cannot recruit children into their forces and then seek safe haven in the United States.""International tribunals are beginning to prosecute individuals for recruiting child soldiers, but almost no national governments have done so," said Becker. "The United States is giving real leadership to efforts to end the use of child soldiers."Senator Richard Durbin authored the bipartisan bill, which he introduced together with Senators Tom Coburn, Russell Feingold, and Sam Brownback.Countries where children are known to have been used in hostilities between 2004 and 2007 include: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Nepal, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, and Uganda.

16 September 2008

UN leaving 'on Tuesday'
 
The United Nations in Sri Lanka says remaining workers in the LTTE -held territory will be leaving on Tuesday after receiving assurances from the rebels.“The UN has received assurances from the LTTE that UN and humanitarian agency staff remaining in Kilinochchi can leave. We intend moving those staff in a single convoy at 10am tomorrow morning,” a statement issued by UN spokesman in Colombo, Gordon Weiss stated.The UN expects that the workers and the vehicles will be offered a safe passage by the LTTE to Omanthai check point.

Daily shelling

“We reiterate that we have been compelled to temporarily relocate from Kilinochchi because of our security assessment that the situation has become too dangerous to remain working from there at this time,” the statement added.The spokesman on Sunday told BBC Sandeshaya that the pullout form Kilinochchi was temporarily halted due to protests by the civilians.Asked how the LTTE could offer assurances when civilians are protesting their pullout, he told BBC Sandeshaya on Monday: “The LTTE are the de-facto authority there and they hold powers of policing people there”.The security situation in Vanni is increasingly becoming dangerous for the aid workers to continue working, he added.“Fighting has increased considerably. It has come much closer to Kilinochchi. There is daily shelling. There has been several instances in which shelling has come closer to our compound,” Gordon Weiss told BBCSinhala.com. 

3 weeks for aid agencies to vacate

The government says that aid agencies, including the United Nations, have three weeks to withdraw their humanitarian missions from the LTTE controlled areas in the Wanni region.Minister of Disaster Management Mahinda Samarasinghe said the aid agencies were required to bring all their equipment to the government controlled areas.There won’t be any scope for fraud as every item will be compared with that enlisted in government documents, he said.The aid agencies will have to answer for any difference, he added.

Troops advance in Akkarayankulam

KOKKAVIL: Troops attached to the 57 Division operating on the Vavuniya front yesterday advanced six kilometres east of Akkarayankulam tank amidst heavy resistance from the LTTE further closing towards the Jaffna Kandy A-9 road from the north of Kokkavil, Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the Daily News last night.“Troops are now operating in Murikkandi general area two kilometres west of A-9 road,” Brigadier Nanayakkara added.According to Brigadier Nanayakkara during yesterday’s confrontations 18 Tiger cadres were killed east of Akkarayankulam. “Three soldiers were killed and nine soldiers injured during these confrontations,” Brigadier Nanayakkara added.With these advances from the east of Akkarayankulam troops are now closing in to Kilinochchi. They are now operating just five and a half Kilometres south of Kilinochchi town.As troops attached to the 57 Division are advancing east of Akkarayankulam troops attached to 58 Division are now in the process of capturing the huge earth bund that stands as a major obstacle for the troops advance towards Northwards.As troops close in on the Kilinochchi town the LTTE is exerting huge pressure on the UN and other International Non Government Organisations operating in Wanni not to heed the ultimatum given by the Government to withdraw from the Wanni by September 20.UN agencies have asked more time from the Government to withdraw their vehicles and other equipment from Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.However Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe yesterday insisted that the all INGOs should heed the law of the country hinting that the Government would take legal actions those INGOs not heeding this directive.Minister Samarasinghe also said that Government machinery is in place in Vavuniya to provide all required facilities for civilians fleeing Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu and arriving in Vavuniya seeking refuge in Government controlled areas.

Determined, Dared and Done Again!

A Team of Special Forces that crept through a gap in the LTTE defenceline east of Akkarayankulam engaged in a fierce fight with 5 LTTE teams from Charles Anthony and Imran Pandian units this morning killing 60 Tigers. 8 Special Forces died in the fight and 20 others received injuries.4 Battalions of regular infantry were dispatched to guard the periphery of the area as the Special Forces took on the Tigers. Heavy artillery and MBRL fire was directed at the enemy for almost five hours.The SF team engaged in today's battle was from 1 Special Forces. Special Forces deployment was increased in the area following the deployment of LTTE 'elite units' in Akkarayan. The decision was made at a meeting between Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Maj. Gen. Jagath "Choola" Dias (GoC 57), SF CO Brigadier Nirmal Dharmaratne and Brigadier Shavendra Silva (GoC TF-1).Meanwhile Tigers have started digging another trench parallel to the A-9 from Kilinochchi to Iranamadu via Kokavil using forced civilian labour and heavy equipment captured/surrendered from NGOs. Some of this equipment was destroyed in an air strike yesterday.The 59 Division operating in the general area Nayaru are set to capture the Nayaru Bridge within the next few hours. The pace of the operations have increased following intelligence reports of a possible LTTE attempt to blast the bridge.If the bridge is captured, the next towns to fall would be Chemmalai, Alampil and Mulaitivu, in that order.

SLA advance repulsed, 22 killed, 53 wounded - LTTE

More than 22 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and at least 53 wounded Monday when the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) put up stiff resistance against the SLA offensive units that advanced in Akkaraayan area, southwest of Ki'linochchi district, the Tigers said. Releasing photographs taken from the battlefield where they recovered four SLA dead bodies and seized rocket launchers and machine guns, the LTTE officials told media in Vanni that the SLA was pushed back. Clearing mission was still going on, the Tigers said. Meanwhile, SLA officials in Colombo said only 3 SLA soldiers were killed and 9 sustained injuries. The Tigers, who didn't specify their losses, said casualties were minimal despite heavy fighting on Monday. The SLA officials in Colombo claimed that 18 Tigers were killed in the fierce battle east of Akkaraayanku'lam tank, on Theurmu'rika'ndi Road. However, LTTE officials in Vanni told media that the SLA advance was repulsed as journalists witnessed Tigers bringing arms seized from the battlefield. At least six Rocket Propelled Grenade Launchers, five AK-LMGs, four PK-LMGs, two shoulder fired Light Anti-tank Weapons (LAW), more than twenty T-56 assault rifles, grenades and several military equipments were among the military hardware seized by the Tigers, according to earlier reports. The fighting that ensued amid heavy artillery, MBRL fire and MI-24 fighter was brought to an end in the evening.

UN should be expelled -PNM
 
The Patriotic National Movement (PNM) has accused Sri Lanka government of not doing enough to expel the foreign aid workers from the island.PNM president, Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara, told media in Colombo that the government is not "powerful enough".He compared the Sri Lankan government to a "bull without the tail"."We have no strength to chase them away," he claimed.

UN workers 'thieves'

The Sinhala nationalist leader made these remarks as Sandeshaya pointed out that withdrawal of UN workers were halted due to protests by the residents in Vanni.He said: "UNO is a rubber stamp of the Western nations. All those UN personnel are thieves. The problem is that we don't have leaders with spine such as Chavez or Morales in Bolivia to tell them 'get out'"The PNM said it will organise protests in the south if the NGO and INGO workers fail to comply with the government order to pullout from the LTTE-held territory.Dr. Amarasekara accused LTTE led by Velupillai Prabhakaran of trying to establish a human shield using Internally Displaced People (IDPs).The Tamil Tigers, he said, are heavily dependant on NGOs and INGOs working in the rebel-held areas.“These people are not refugees. This is a temporary humanitarian measure and they will be allowed to go back home soon,” he said.The PNM supported Mahinda Rajapaksa presidency at the November 2005 presidential elections.

Six transit camps opened for those  fleeing LTTE areas

The Ministry of Disaster Relief Services has opened six transit camps for internally displaced persons reaching Vavuniya, from the rebel controlled areas of Kilinochchi and was providing cooked food and dry rations, Ministry Secretary of the A. C.M. Raseek told The Island yesterday (15).The temporary shelters were provided with electricity and water service.The Ministry allocated three million rupees last week to the District Secretary Vavunia Nicholas Pillai to provide necessary services to IDPs.The Ministry had provided 25 million rupees to provide services to civilians coming into government administered areas of the North during the past two months, he said.

Pirapaharan pays homage to Thileepan on 21st anniversary

Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) paid homage to Lt. Col. Thileepan on Monday at an undisclosed location in Vanni, when the Tigers commenced to mark the 21st death anniversary of Thileepan's fast to death campaign, according to LTTE officials in Vanni. Lt.Col.Thileepan (Rasaiah Parthipan), fasted unto death in a twelve days' campaign putting forward five demands to the Indian government to meet the aspirations of the Tamil people, soon after the signing of the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement in 1987 when the Indian army was in occupation of Jaffna and most parts of the northeast.Lt. Col. Thileepan began his fasting, without food and water, on 15 September 1987 in front of the Nalloor Kandasamy temple and he passed away on September 26, 1987.

Coventry credit card fraud gang jailed

Three members of a gang which bought petrol stations and bribed insiders as part of a Coventry-based £254,000 credit card scam have been jailed.Many drivers who filled up at one of the garages they controlled were secretly filmed by ceiling cameras keying in their pin numbers to pay their bills. Their credit and debit cards were then cloned and used in transactions around the world.London's Southwark Crown Court heard when police raided a house in Winsford Avenue, Coventry, they found a state of the art "cloning factory for compromised cards".Chris Coltart, prosecuting, said it contained 4,500 blank white cards, complete with magnetic strips. Some even had pin numbers written on them and ready to be flown abroad.Also seized was a "wealth" of expensive equipment, including card readers, laptop computers, and memory sticks containing details of hundreds of "compromised" accounts. There was even a BP name badge .Among those arrested was 28-year-old British national Ariyakunathasa Pirathesan, who lived at the "veritable fraud factory" and was described by Judge Martin Beddoe as a "very principal player" in the conspiracy.Further inquiries led to a Leicester warehouse he had rented, which contained more equipment and extensive "footage from covert cameras of pin numbers being inputted into pads".He was jailed for four-and-a-half-years.Also detained were two illegal immigrants.  Sri Lankan Sombalu Jeyaganesh, 34, of Allan Drive, Raynhill, Liverpool, helped emboss the cloned cards. In addition, a "commercial valuation" found for a petrol station in Bootle, Merseyside, was found in a bedroom he was using at the Coventry address.The third man to be arrested was Sivanesan Mayilvaganam, of Garden Avenue, Mitcham, Surrey, 28, who was also recruited to help "process" the fake cards.They each got three years and were recommended for deportation.All three admitted one count of conspiring to defraud clearing banks between January 1, 2007, and March 13 this year.Passing sentence, the judge told them: "This was a massive, very determined, well-organised and sophisticated operation. This particular form of credit card fraud is becoming widespread."It is a real and significant scourge on the banking industry and the holders of their credit cards. Financial damage caused by this activity is substantial, and it was substantial in this case."The need for substantial deterrent sentences in cases such as this is obvious," he added.Mr Coltart told the court although the actual amount stolen- mainly as a result of cash machine withdrawals abroad - was £254,000, the "average loss figures for compromised cards" suggested the fraud could eventually have netted up to £3.5 million."The vast majority of credit cards in this case were being used at petrol stations.  All of the evidence suggests it was petrol stations used to capture electronic data and physically film customers entering their pin numbers. "This can be done by fraudsters acquiring petrol stations and running them as legitimate businesses and alternatively bribing staff working there already."He added: "The international dimension of the fraud is best encapsulated by the passport stamps which indicated between January 2006 and December 2007 Pirathesan made a total of 29 foreign trips to India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the US."

Karunanidhi must meet Manmohan Singh to sort out  fishermen issue - Nedumaran

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi should meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to put an end to firing by Sri Lankan security personnel at Indian fishermen, said Tamilzhar Desiya Iyakkam leader P. Nedumaran on Saturday.Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Nedumaran said that instead of writing letters to the Prime Minister, Mr. Karunanidhi should take up the issue in a meeting. The Chief Minister should also summon the chief of the Southern Naval Command to find out why "no help had been rendered to Rameswaram fishermen." Attacks on fishermen continued even after the National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan’s announcement on August 25 that Sri Lanka had assured that its Navy would not fire at Indian fishermen. The Chief Minister, in his meeting with Dr. Manmohan Singh, should convey the anguish of the people of Tamil Nadu.He called for the formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to enquire into India’s role in the ongoing war in Sri Lanka. Despite repeated assurances from the Prime Minister that India would not extend any military help to the island nation, there were reports that Indian radars had been damaged in air attacks in Sri Lanka.Mr. Nedumaran alleged that the State Government was adopting double standards in the issue of release of life convicts during the birth centenary of former Chief Minister C. N. Annadurai. The same yardstick, he said, should be applicable for all, including those jailed in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case and the Muslim youth.

Homeguard among two killed in Ampara

A homeguard and a civilian were shot dead by a suspected armed gang yesterday afternoon in the Maha Oya forest while the military launched a massive search operation to track down two LTTE suicide cadres who had infiltrated the Yala forest, police said. The homeguard and several others attached to the Maha Oya Police station had gone into the jungle in the Ampara area to collect firewood with a group of civilians yesterday. The homeguard and the civilian had gone on a motorcycle leading the group into the forest that was reportedly following in a tractor, the Media Centre for National Security said.The group that followed had heard several gunshots and witnessed the duo being gunned down at a distance by an unidentified group. They had then retaliated forcing the attackers to flee the area. The two who led the team were found killed on the spot. Their bodies were brought to the Ampara hospital. Subsequently a major search operation was launch to nab the attackers.Meanwhile, two LTTE suicide cadres have reportedly infiltrated the Yala forest with explosives and the security forces have launched a major operation to locate them.Police Media Spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara told the Daily Mirror that intelligence reports had indicated that two “Black Tigers” armed with five claymore mines had infiltrated the Yala Forest Reserve.

EU for respect of humanitarian law in Sri Lanka

EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel expressed Monday his grave concern over the escalation of the conflict in Sri Lanka and the effects on innocent civilians. "I'm deeply troubled by the escalation of the violence in Sri Lanka and the terrible impact it is having on the lives of so many innocent civilians," he said in a statement here. Michel said the situation is made all the worse because international relief efforts were having to be suspended because the safety of humanitarian workers cannot be ensured. "I would remind all sides to fully respect international humanitarian law," he stressed. Following Sri Lanka's request for UN and international organisations to withdraw from the conflict area, thousands of innocent civilians trapped by the conflict will lose access to essential humanitarian supplies, the statement noted. In addition, these people are unable to leave the conflict zone because of restrictions imposed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the lack of secure escape routes to safer areas. The EU commissioner called on both sides to guarantee the safe transit of humanitarian convoys with food, medical and other essential supplies to people in need.

Living in fear 
 
Civilians living in Sri Lanka's rebel-held territory say they are under increasing pressure by both parties as fighting intensifies.Residents in Kilinochchi told BBC Sandeshaya that the Tamil Tigers are increasing pressure on families with two children to hand over one child to the movement to fight against the government forces."The Tigers come and take the children by force. Forcible recruitment of children has been worsened since about a year ago. It wasn't that bad until recently," the resident said.The LTTE are desperately seeking more recruits as the government forces are advancing to the Vanni, the residents who did not want to be identified told BBC Sandeshaya.Many civilians are however not leaving the rebel-held areas but moving inside Vanni as fighting intensifies as they are afraid of the government forces, another person living in Kilinochchi said.People could hear continuing shell attacks as close as from 15km as the government forces are advancing, another person who wished to be anonymous said.The residents fear that the situation could worsen when UN and other aid agencies pullout from Vanni. "We need someone we can trust." a resident said."Nearly 300,000 people were made homeless", she said, and many people are living under trees, huts and temporary shelters."When people leave an area, shell attacks continue to that area. People are even afraid to go to toilets," she added.

Protect Tamils in LTTE-held areas, India tells Lanka

Voicing concern over the plight of civilians caught in the Sri Lankan Army offensive against the Liberation Tigers of  the Tamil Eelam in rebel-held areas, India has asked Colombo to ensure their safety and security."We have already expressed our concern to the Lankan authorities," Defence Minister A K Antony told media-persons while replying to question on the situation in the island country."While taking action against the LTTE, steps should also be taken to protect the civilian Tamils in Sri Lanka ensure their safety and security," Antony said.After Colombo scrapped a tattered 2002 ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam in January, the Sri Lankan Army has intensified its offensive against the Tamil Tigers and has frequently bombed rebel strongholds.Earlier, Antony told a seminar on 'Indian experience in Force Projection' that real threats to international security would arise from states that would avoid interdependence, particularly with neighbours, and from non-state actors like the Taliban and LTTE."As the experience of the British in Falklands or that of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation alliance in Afghanistan demonstrate, security forces have to be ready for force projection far beyond their national boundaries to secure and maintain national as well as international peace and stability," Antony said.Pointing out that a large number of non-state armed groups have sanctuaries in our neighbouring states, the minister said these groups used these bases and resources to carry out acts of terrorism across India. "The combination of these and other issues such as nuclear weapons proliferation compels us to be on constant vigil and preparedness to defend our vital interests and values," Antony added.Stating that India's growing interaction with the world economy imposes its own responsibilities on its defence forces, Antony said the long-term challenge for India, as indeed for every other major nation, was its ability and willingness to contribute to international peace and stability."With a long and distinguished record in United Nations peace-keeping operations to our credit, India has demonstrated her commitment and willingness.Our quick response to the Asian Tsunami, the Myanmar earthquake and evacuation of Indians from Lebanon and other parts of Middle East demonstrated India's ability to respond to a crisis anywhere in the world," he added.Antony said the world's expectations from India had increased in the wake of our response to crisis across a spectrum of emergencies. "This ability will, no doubt, rise with time and with our own economic growth," he added.Recalling India's experience in Sri Lanka and Maldives where it intervened on request from friendly governmentswithout a UN mandate, the minister said these were examples from which armed forces could learn vital lessons for building capabilities for future operations and frame doctrines for joint operations.

14 September 2008

ICRC allowed to remain in Wanni

Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe yesterday said that though the Government requested all the UN Agencies, INGOs and NGOs to leave the Wanni, the ICRC was regarded as a "special case" and allowed to continue complementing the Government’s efforts at providing humanitarian assistance to those displaced as a result of the conflict in the region.He said that the responsibility of providing humanitarian assistance is being taken care of by the Government through the respective Government Agents."The ICRC would not be based in Kilinochchi town but in different locations in the district, and will continue to provide their services to the affected people", the Minister noted.Defence Secretary Gothabhaya Rajapaksa has directed all UN Agencies, INGOs and NGOs to leave the areas of conflict and resettle in Government controlled areas. This order was applicable to the ICRC as well."But we pointed out that the ICRC provides special services as manning the Omanthai checkpoint and even undertakes the handing over of bodies between the Security Forces and the LTTE and that they be considered a ‘special case’ and allowed to continue with their services", Samarasinghe explained.There was never a question of the ICRC saying that they cannot abide by the Government’s decision. It was the Government that told the ICRC to continue and they were agreeable to do so, he said."What we did following the issue of the 34 vehicles belonging to the Norwegian People’s Action being taken away forcibly by the LTTE was to take a decision that all the UN Agencies, 15 INGOs and NGOs must declare all their assets and hand over a full list to the Government", the Minister said.This decision was arrived at after the recent meeting of the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance (CCHA) and since last Friday, all of them including the UN Agencies are moving out all their movable assets to Vavuniya from Kilinochchi, he noted."No one can mislead the Government as we have a detailed list of what they brought in. Now they must tell us what they had to leave behind. The LTTE will do their utmost to keep back whatever they want", Samarasinghe said."The Government’s position is that UN agencies and INGOs came to Sri Lanka on our invitation to complement our efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance. But we told them that they must work within a specified framework and abide by the laws of the land", he said.If they fail to do so, they will be dealt with sternly, he warned."We must acknowledge that all the UN Agencies, INGOs and NGOs were carrying out a lot of work in the uncleared areas of the Wanni though there may have been certain lapses from time to time", the Minister said.

LSSP goes solo

The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) yesterday decided to act as an independent party in the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council and has receded their affiliation to the UPFA. The decision had been taken following the non-appointment of LSSP Councillor Y.K. Padmasiri as a Minister, even after securing over 42,000 preferential votes. The party stated they had unanimously decided to withdraw from the UPFA and would henceforth participate in Council activities as an independent party. Padmasiri had been offered the post of Leader of the House as compensation, but he has not accepted that position.

UNICEF supports health facilities in Jaffna district

A brand new cold room facility, enabling the storage of vaccines and drugs requiring refrigeration, was handed over to the Jaffna Regional Director Health Services (RDHS) recently by UNICEF, as part of its ongoing support for the government’s health programmes in the district.A vital addition, the Cold Room will now enable the storing of stocks of vaccines and medicines in the required temperature conditions (between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius). At the same time, 90 Mopeds were donated to the Regional District Health Services for use by Midwives.Previously, when the A9 trunk road was open, supplies of vaccines were transported from Colombo by refrigerated trucks and thereafter directly distributed to the hospitals and health centers. This ceased with the closure of the A9, and UNICEF supported vaccine transport via air or sea. ``Apart from the high costs, there was no guarantee of maintaining proper temperature conditions during transport, thus often resulting in the vaccines been spoilt and stocks having to be destroyed,’’ a UNICEF news release said. Buffer stocks of essential Vaccines such as BCG, DPT, DT, Tetanus Toxide, Oral Polio, Measles, Rubella, Japan Encephalitis, Hepatitis B, and ARV et al can now be stored and maintained in the new Cold Room in Jaffna which has an 18 cubic metre capacity. It is situated at Pannai Health Village in the Regional Medical Store and includes a backup generator."We have around 40 hospitals and nine MOH offices in Jaffna district and it is imperative that we store at least three month buffer stocks of drugs and vaccines," says Dr. A. Ketheswaran of the RDHS Jaffna. "Thanks to UNICEF we are now able to do this."Vaccination is a priority in the Government’s immunization program for children under five years of age and pregnant women, and is being supported over the years by UNICEF. Currently there are approximately 45,780 children under five and more than 9860 pregnant women in the district who receive immunization.Referring to the donations of 90 mopeds to the RDHS, Dr Ketheswaran said: "In Jaffna, we have poor internal transport facilities within the district. This is especially so in the islands and other remote areas, where road network is affected by lack of maintenance.``Access to mothers and children become very difficult for our Public Health Midwives (PHM) who provide a range of community based health services through home visits. They cover every household where there are children under five or pregnant mothers and also provide immunization services in remote clinic centers. ``The mopeds, which will replace the bicycle, will greatly enhance quality and effectiveness of their work with a greater community reach," Dr. Ketheswaran emphasized.

11,000 Tiger cadres killed, 4,000 remain: Army Chief
 
About 11,000 Tiger guerrillas have been killed since the military launched its campaign to secure the Mavil Aru anicut in July 2006, Army Commander Sarath Fonseka told his officers on Friday. The toll was given during his quarterly address to officers of Grade 1 and above. They comprised selected officers from the ranks of Major upto Majors General. Some 200 of them, with the exception of those serving in operational areas, took part in the conference at Army Headquarters.Lt. Gen. Fonseka said the Army was moving on four different fronts to regain control of the remaining areas in the Wanni. He said on one front, Pooneryn was only some 30 kilometres away. However, he did not identify the fronts in question. He said according to estimates provided by the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), only some 4,000 Tiger guerrillas now remained. Army sources said if the troops secured the remaining 30 kilometres along the western coast of Wanni, that would pave the way for the establishment of a land based route to the Jaffna peninsula. Attempts earlier this month to advance beyond a one time Sea Tiger base at Nachchikuda met with stiff resistance.Lt. Gen. Fonseka also referred to the role of the media during his speech. He said that the media should know what to write and what to keep out. During the 80 minute conference, the officers were also given a presentation on the successes made by the Army since 2006.

If Ranil goes, we’ll return - Lokuge

The group of original UNP ‘reformists’ who crossed over to the government last year claim their re-entry would entirely depend on the removal of Ranil Wickremesinghe as party leader. “Despite the reforms that are to be introduced by the new group of rebels, there is no way we can work with the present UNP Leader,” Sports Minister and former UNP MP Gamini Lokuge told The Nation. Charging that Wickremesinghe lacks the common touch and cannot relate to the needs of the masses, Lokuge added that there was no way they could do good work in their own electorates under the present UNP setup. Lokuge said that apart from Wickremesinghe and his acolytes, the 17 reformists do not have any problems with the rest of the UNP Parliamentarians. He also expressed confidence that with Wickremesinghe’s exit, the party would also see the back of his inner circle that is responsible for the majority of bad decisions taken by the leadership.Meanwhile, the group of current UNP rebels is reported to be content that their 14 reforms are being considered and vowed to remain in the party and continue their struggle within. “Whatever actions we have taken so far are correct and reasonable and we never had hidden agendas unlike some people. Today we have achieved something due to the openness and straight-forwardness, which made us talk to the Leader about what we were thinking,” Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene said.

Election reforms to eliminate preferential system

Parliament Select Committee on Electoral Reforms in its interim report has recommended the elimination of the preferential voting system and suggested an amalgamation of the First-Past-The-Post method and Proportional Representation be adopted. The Committee has also suggested that elections be held based on electoral constituencies.It also proposes to de-limit electoral boundaries to 140 constituencies as early as possible, and urges the establishment of a Delimitation Commission.According to the Select Committee report, the Attorney General has indicated in his submission that the Delimitation Commission should ideally be standing permanently, which would take into consideration the concerns of the minorities.Furthermore, it is recommended that necessary legal provisions should be enacted to compel all candidates, party leaders and members of Parliament to follow a code of ethnics during an election, to achieve the objectives of a free and fair election.The proposed modifications to the electoral system are as follows:If a vacancy occurs in any constituency, such a vacancy should be filed after holding a by-election.Necessary laws should be enacted to make it a requirement for all candidates to attach a Police clearance certificate against criminal charges at the time of handing over the nominations.It should be mandatory to submit all declarations of assets and liabilities at the time of tendering nominations.Necessary laws may be enacted to facilitate the continuous updating of the voters’ register to enable voters to get enrolled much closer to the date of the elections.Every recognised party should publish its accounts annually and such accounts should be audited by agencies specified by the Elections Commissioner/Commission.Any candidate failing to lodge his return of election expenses within the time prescribed by the returning officer should automatically be disqualified for a period of seven years from the last date for filing such returns.

LTTE tells NGO folk: “You are NOT LEAVING”

The LTTE in a last ditch effort to prevent the security forces entering the Wanni has got the Iinternally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to block the way when the NGOs and UN agencies began leaving the Wanni after the government issued instructions for them to move out for their own safety -- and that it would not give any guarantee if they opted to stay on.Meanwhile hundreds of IDPs trapped in the Wanni begged with NGOs and UN agencies not to leave the area. The move out began in the last two days.UN Spokesman Gordon Weiss confirmed that IDPs had blocked the path of their convoys. "It was peaceful enough but they definitely blocked our staff and vehicles from moving out" he said. "They presented us with a list of demands. I can't divulge what they were." Meanwhile, TamilNet said that IDPs gathered on Friday morning in front of the UNHCR office at Karadippoakku junction in Kilinochchi and pleaded with UN and NGO officials not to leave "as their presence was critical, not only for humanitarian assistance, but also to sustain a secure zone to escape". Around 160,000 civilians are displaced inside the Wanni and face danger as the battle closes in on Kilinochchi. The government recently air dropped leaflets asking them to leave LTTE controlled territory but the response has been slow. During discussions chaired by Basil Rajapaksa at the presidential secretariat last week, aid agencies were offered three options - to relocate to Vavuniya, to volunteer to serve in the Wanni with the government agents or to be retrenched.

Civilian trap worsens as army approaches K’nochchi

As fighting intensifies in the north, the government is expecting civilians to surge out of the Wanni in a similar exodus to what was observed in Vakarai last year.Meanwhile, it is feared that the military - which continues to inch towards Kilinochchi - will find it increasingly difficult in the coming weeks to get at the LTTE without harming civilians. “The troops have to find ways and means of avoiding civilian casualties to get at the LTTE,” said Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe. “If the LTTE are going to be amidst civilians, obviously we can’t take them on.”“I think a good example is what happened in Vakarai where, despite the LTTE wanting to keep them there, civilians broke the barriers and came out,” he explained, when asked what would happen to the 160,000 civilians who are still converging on Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. “It is only a matter of time before people start making use of the humanitarian corridor and start coming out.”

Berserk

At the moment, however, there have not been many civilians moving out. “The LTTE is going berserk there,” said one NGO worker, on condition of anonymity. “They are conscripting in large numbers and are determined not to let the military close in on Kilinochchi. People are not being allowed to leave. Everyone in LTTE controlled areas have been compelled to undergo training so there is also fear that they may be hunted down by the military once they cross over.”“Based on reports we received, it appeared that neither of the parties was concerned about endangering civilians through keeping military installations near civilian areas, closing roads and facilities and interrupting civilian communications (government), or by forcibly recruiting civilians and using them as defensive shields (LTTE),” said another NGO field report seen by Labimanews.It has been suggested that civilians move out of Wanni to Vavuniya through Puthukuduyirippu and Oddusudan - the so-called humanitarian corridor. “We are getting Vavuniya ready with five camps and the government agent says we can accommodate 100,000 individuals to start off with,” Samarasinghe explained. Aid agencies say Kilinochchi is presently teeming with hundreds of civilians, including those displaced from Mullaitivu and Mannar. They have shifted towards Kilinochchi as the fighting continues to draw a net around them. “We are ready to receive them but I don’t think they will be allowed to come immediately,” said senior presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa, who is leading the government’s Wanni humanitarian effort. “It has not been the pattern in the past. It is also a very long distance to walk.” “Another thing is that many people want to come but most of their family members and children have been recruited by the LTTE,” he added. “And they don’t want to leave them behind.” He said the government had received reports of “very small children moving around with guns”. This could not be independently verified. Rajapaksa noted that local IDPs usually take a circuitous route to get out. When Sampur was liberated, he said, they moved from Sampur to Mutur, from there to Eechalampattu, onwards to Verugal and Vakarai and thereon to government-controlled territory. “We might see a similar pattern this time,” he said.

Humanitarian assistance

Meanwhile, the eleven NGOs and UN organisations that work in Wanni started a phased pullout from the area last week on defence ministry instructions. They have been ordered to remove all assets (vehicles, machinery and equipment) and employees who are not permanent residents in Wanni. Only the ICRC has stayed back after reaching agreement with the government. Medecine Sans Frontiers withdrew its staff from Kilinochchi town on Wednesday. In a statement issued the next day, MSF said the population was in a “precarious situation”. “Although the government of Sri Lanka has dropped leaflets recommending that the population move from this area, and though they have announced the creation of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate this, there is little evidence that civilians have been able to move to safety,” the statement said.MSF warned of potential exposure to shelling and bombardment and said those who have been forced to leave their homes lack adequate shelter, sanitation facilities and access to clean drinking water. “The potentially serious health impact will only be worsened by the arrival of the rainy season begins in roughly a month’s time,” the organisation said.“Existing hospitals and clinics have also been affected by the fighting, and though the system is compensating for the moment, if the situation is prolonged there will be serious shortages of medicines and supplies, as well as qualified medical staff.”

Options

Samarasinghe said the government would use existing mechanisms, chiefly the government agents, to disburse assistance. During discussions chaired by Basil Rajapaksa at the presidential secretariat last week, aid agencies were offered three options - to relocate to Vavuniya, to volunteer to serve in the Wanni with the government agents or to be retrenched. Options were also offered in terms of assets - to hand over whatever is necessary for use by the government agents and to take the rest out. It is yet to be discussed what aid agencies might do with the considerable resources that have been earmarked for the Wanni. Meanwhile, the supplies that agencies had are to be distributed to the affected via the government agents. A source from the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) confirmed that food supplies are moving into the Wanni. “The mistakes of the past are not being repeated,” he said. “But, clearly, supplementary assistance is needed. What can you do with only rations?”

Hunt for Tiger behind church volunteer
 
The investigation into last week’s arrest of a Catholic lay-brother who had attempted to smuggle military communications equipment allegedly for the LTTE has taken a new twist as sleuths probing the case are on the hunt for the architect of the plan to smuggle the equipment into the country. The Sunday Times learns that the CID which had taken over the investigation from the State Intelligence Service (SIS) this week has received vital information on interrogating the suspect regarding an LTTE operative who had funded the parish volunteer to purchase the equipment. The LTTE operative who was reported to have been staying on rent at a house in Rudra Mawatha, Wellawatte has now gone into hiding, a senior CID official said. “The money for the Catholic volunteer to travel abroad and the money to buy the equipment were given by this LTTE operative,” he said. The suspect in custody has been identified as Tony Jerriah, a lay-brother for the ‘Voluntas Dei Institute’ since 1992. Detectives had questioned priests as well as volunteers from Voluntas Dei that has seminaries in Kochchikade, Kandy and Jaffna. A spokesman for Voluntas Dei denied the charges of having any links with the LTTE and their knowledge of one of their lay-brother’s connection with a senior LTTE operative. Tony who originates from Jaffna is reported to have his family in Canada. It has been revealed to the CID that Tony’s sister is a prominent activist for an LTTE front organization, the World Tamil Movement, which has been banned in Canada for funding terrorism. Investigations have revealed that Tony who had left for Singapore on September 2 had bought these items from a private dealer who was known to the LTTE operative in question. The SIS which had received intelligence of Tony’s involvement had tipped the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) Customs officials to search him to see whether he was bringing any military equipment into the country. Tony who had arrived at the BIA on September 5 from a Cathay Pacific flight had then been stopped and searched by the BIA Customs.

MR rules out early presidential poll

President Mahinda Rajapakse has ruled out the possibility of an early presidential election.The President is legally entitled to call for a presidential election after completing four years in office and will be entitled to do so in November 2009.However the President has last week informed party seniors and senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse he does not intend to curtail his first term by two years and that the SLFP should prepare for a general election, which is due by April 2010. Rajapakse has said the people elected him for a six year term and he intends to honour that mandate.The President had stated this position after he was urged by party seniors to hold the presidential election before a parliamentary election to capitalise on his personal popularity as opposed to that of the UPFA, which will be tested at a general election.

Displaced children in North and East as traumatised as orphans
 
The plight of displaced children who have had to leave their homes because of the ongoing conflict in the North and East is as serious as that of children who have lost their parents, said Child Protection Society president S. S. Wijeratne.Mr. Wijeratne, who was speaking at the Child Protection Society’s 80th annual general meeting, held last week, pointed out that children accounted for 30 percent of the country’s displaced persons, and that their situation presented major challenges to child rights activists and organisations. “Internally displaced children constitute some 30 percent of the internally displaced population, he said. “As such, they are vulnerable twice over – firstly as children, and secondly as displaced children who have had to flee their homes.”“Children have the basic right to be secure from molestation, discrimination, abuse, and the absence of shelter and education,” Mr. Wijeratne said. “These are universal principles of protection, and they also apply to internally displaced children. When families are displaced, the situation of internally displaced children is as serious as it is for children who have lost their parents.” Child conscription by armed groups in the country’s North and East, exposure to pornography, paedophiles and the potential dangers of the internet were some of the other challenges that child rights activists had to confront, Mr. Wijeratne said.The CPS president said the state should ensure that all child conscripts who escaped the clutches of militant groups be rehabilitated. He said the Child Protection Society’s programme for the coming year included establishing child protection centres and a foster care system, as well as finding jobs for needy young people.The Child Protection Society was founded in 1928 for the protection, shelter and development of deprived children. The society runs two homes – a girls’ home in Rukmale, Kottawa, which presently cares for 24 children, and a boys’ home in Maharagama, which has 31 boys under its care. The children at both homes are between five and 18 years. The children are provided with education, health and medical facilities, and are given opportunities to engage in sports and extra-curricular activities.Mr. Wijeratne is the society’s president for 2008/09. He is assisted by vice-presidents Fredrick Mendis, Rowena Mendis and Hussein Caffoor, and secretary Mihindu Keerthiratne and treasurer Shirani Jayasekera. Walter Laduwahetty is the society’s vice-patron.Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. chairman Ranjit Wijewardene, who was chief guest at the event, also addressed the gathering.Children from the society’s two homes entertained the guests with a short concert to showcase their talents.

13 September 2008

Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers warn of 'genocide' as UN agencies pullout

Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers on Saturday accused the government of planning a genocidal campaign against Tamils as UN agencies began pulling out of the rebel-held Wanni regions in the island's north. UN agencies began pulling out of the region on Friday after Colombo said it could not guarantee the safety of aid workers as troops pushed towards the Wanni region, which comprises Kilinochchi and Mullattivu districts.People in Kilinochchi have protested the departure of UN agencies from the Wanni region, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said in statement through its peace secretariat.Residents had gathered outside the offices of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme from early Friday, said the rebels, who are fighting for autonomy in the island's north and east since 1972.They were "demanding that the agencies should stay behind and continue their humanitarian work for the Wanni people facing a humanitarian crisis," the rebels said of the protesting residents.While protesters tried to block traffic to prevent UN vehicles from leaving the area, resident representatives had discussions with the two agencies, which had promised to raise the issue at the UN, the release said."The appeals (from resident representatives) mostly said that the Sri Lankan government is ordering the international agencies out as it readies for the final stage of the genocide of the Tamils," the rebels said.UN agencies say at least 160,000 people have been displaced in the past few months in the districts of Mullaittivu and Kilinochchi. Some 70,000 people have fled due to fighting in the past two months alone.According to the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, 11 UN and other agencies have been working in the rebel-held Wanni area.Colombo wants to avoid troops being accused of killing aid workers in a repeat of the August 2006 massacre of 17 local employees of the French aid agency Action Against Hunger in the east of the island.Tens of thousands have died on both sides during more than three decades of bloodshed.

125 new police stations & posts in Wanni

The Defence Ministry will open 125 police stations and police posts in the newly cleared areas in the Wanni, starting next year. The Ministry says this will be the first step towards restoring civilian administration to the north.The Police Department is expected to recruit 10,000 more personnel who will be posted to these new localities.

Sri Lanka tells outsiders to quit capital

Sri Lanka has told thousands of people living in its capital "without any valid reason" to return to their villages, calling them a national security threat, a state-run newspaper said Saturday.  Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse told the Daily News that thousands arrive in Colombo each month from other parts of the war-torn nation, many of them ethnic Tamils fleeing fighting in the north."I prefer most of these people who had come from other areas to Colombo and suburbs and who are staying here without any valid reason to go back to their areas," Rajapakse was quoted in the state-run Daily News."It is an immense problem for the security forces to provide security. The LTTE (rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) mingles with these people to infiltrate these areas," he said.Colombo came under intense pressure from international human rights activists in June last year, when hundreds of Tamils were evicted from the city and told to return to their villages, some in conflict areas.They were later bused back to the city after the Supreme Court intervened and rapped the government.Rajapakse, who is President Mahinda Rajapakse's younger brother, said 6,950 people had come to Colombo in August alone and are now living in lodges and houses. He called the situation "abnormal" and "alarming.""If some people have come from the east or any other place to Colombo and if they are staying here without any reason they should go back to their places," he said. "That is the most preferable thing."Tamils have to obtain police permits to travel to the rest of the country under a system put in place to prevent the separatist rebels infiltrating the capital following a series of attacks.The Tamils, mainly from the north and east, come to the capital in the hope of obtaining passports to travel abroad for employment or secure political asylum overseas.Government security forces are now concentrating on dismantling the rebel's stronghold in the north after ejecting them from the east. Tens of thousands have died on both sides since 1972.

Jaffna local govt. polls soon

Local government polls for northern Jaffna district are expected soon, with nominations to be called this month. This has been confirmed to the media by head of the UPFA's media unit, minister Dallas Alahapperuma.He has also said the government expected to hold future elections for local government bodies at electoral level.A draft bill to amend the laws to effect this change as well as to govern registered political parties will be tabled in parliament soon, Mr. Alahapperuma has said.

Sri Lankan Air Force strikes again

Sri Lankan Air Force fighter jets have carried out another air strike on an LTTE base in Iranamadu this morning. Air Force spokesman wing commander Janaka Nanayakkara said fighter jets pounded a heavily reinforced concrete building complex concealed in the jungle about one kilo meter north of Iranamadu around 8:00 a.m.According to the military the complex had been used by the LTTE for various activities. The pilots have confirmed that the air raid was highly successful.

Claymore attack kills policeman

An LTTE claymore attack on a police jeep in Batticaloa left one policeman dead this morning (Sept. 13th). According to defence sources, the incident at Vellaweli Bridge happened around 9.30 am.Four other police injured in the incident, including a woman constable, have been admitted to Batticaloa Hospital.

TN politicians to protest Indian military support

Tamil Nadu political parties are preparing to stage a series of demonstrations in South India to protest central government's support to Sri Lanka's military in its offensives in northern part of the island. To be launched on September 16th, the protests will demand a halt to the military support and sending Indian personnel to serve in military installations in the north.According to sources, Vaiko, Ramdos, Nedumaran and Thirumavalavar are among the party leaders who are leading the campaign.An LTTE air raid on the main military complex in Vavuniya injured two officials of Bharath Technology manning its radar system.After the media exposed the casualties, several TN politicians had issued statements condemning New Delhi's military support to offensives in northern Sri Lanka.

Delay in food transport to north

The prevailing security situation is delaying the transport of food and other essentials to the war displaced in the north by two days, said the Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Ministry. Its Secretary A.C.M. Rasik has told 'Ravaya' that it took as many as five days for a lorry to reach the peninsula. He also said the government has so far released Rs. 25 million to district secretaries of Kilinochchi and Vavuniya to provide for the homeless.He said he was unaware of the exact amount of funding given by the United Nations, the World Food Programme and the International Organization for Migration towards the provision of relief.The government would provide civilians of the north with the maximum support, with six centres already arranged to accommodate them, he said.The newspaper noted however, that the Ministry Secretary had no exact figures of the people who have crossed over to cleared areas since the escalation of fighting in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi.

British Minister to meet Tamils in UK
   
British Deputy Foreign Minister Mark Malloch-Brown is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Britain on Monday to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka, the organizers said in an email to Daily Mirror. They said West Harrow MP Gareth Thomas had invited Tamil residents in the Harrow Borough Council to attend the meeting.Lord Malloch-Brown is Deputy to Foreign Secretary David Miliband and has the specific responsibility for Britain's relations with countries in Africa and Asia – including Sri Lanka.  EU parliament member Robert Evans, who takes a keen interest in Sri Lanka, will also attend the meeting,the email said and added that they would respond to questions raised on Sri Lanka and the British, EU policy towards the country.Lord Brown was in Sri Lanka recently where he met government officials and also visited the East to witness first hand the transformation and development of the province. During his meetings with the government the GSP + issue was believed to have been high on the agenda.Mr. Evans meanwhile who led a team of EU parliamentarians on a fact finding mission to Sri Lanka last month drew controversy over a statement he made to the media on the situation in the country as well as the circumstances that led to a cancelled visit to the East for a meeting with Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan. The British Tamils Forum (BTF) meanwhile urged its members to attend the meeting with the British officials and politely ask meaningful and probing questions.“We must show both the Ministers and the British and European political establishments that we have a part to play in British and European politics and we demand as British citizens and/or as Commonwealth citizens that our brethren back home should be saved, protected and looked after,” BTF said in the email.

12 September 2008

TNA strongly condemns the Government of Sri Lanka’s decision to call all NGOs and foreign aid workers to leave Wanni

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) strongly condemns the Government of Sri Lanka’s decision to call all NGOs and foreign aid workers to leave from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas (generally known as the Wanni).These Non Governmental Organisations and Agencies were helping the already many times internally displaced Tamil people. This demand for the aid agencies to leave comes at a juncture when the Government of Sri Lanka is indiscriminately bombing these already displaced people every day using its air force and artillery. It will be another blow to the already physically and psychologically affected people if these aid workers left the Wanni.These aid workers were helping rebuild life of people after the 2004 Tsunami, de-mining, humanitarian assistance to children affected by the war and other general humanitarian work. They were not involved in any major development work or building factories to assist large scale manufacturing. As they were performing humanitarian work with approval not just from the Government of Sri Lanka but from the LTTE as well, we feel leaving these helpless people at this juncture without seeking consent from both warring parties is inappropriate and irresponsible. People were displaced fearing for their lives and to secure relatively steady supply of food and medicines. These aid agencies should think and recognise their responsibilities before leaving these helpless people who are living under appalling conditions under tress and in temporary accommodations. Demanding people to leave their homes and to displace over and over again to secure safety, food and medicine is a breach of their human rights. This clearly demonstrates the insincerity, inhumane and the genocidal motives of the Sinhala State of Sri Lanka and its current government. We request the international community to recognise the ulterior motives of the government of Sri Lanka and to acknowledge that it is impossible to on the one hand unleash a genocidal war and on the other pretend to be acting in a humanitarian fashion. We therefore demand the international community to help evict the Sinhala Forces from the Tamil Homeland and recognise the right for self-determination of the Tamils.

Sri Lanka’s decision to bar foreign aid staff – Britain must Act Now- ALL-PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP FOR TAMILS

The violence unleashed against the Tamil people and the suffering they have beensubjected to by the Government of Sri Lanka, in the name of fight against the LiberationTigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is inhumane and unacceptable. There are nearly a quarter of a million internally displaced Tamils in the Wanni region – the Tamil Tiger controlled areas. Sri Lanka’s decision to bar foreign aid staff at this critical juncture from these areas, when these internally displaced people most need help of the aid staff, begs the question whether the Government of Sri Lanka will ever adhere to international norms. We, as a group of parliamentarians, who have always taken a keen interest on Tamil’s affairs, demand the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to not only to issue a public condemnation, but also to follow up with firm actions including UN sanctions.Britain must act now! Government of Sri Lanka should be made to realise that time for soft talking is over and it should be warned more tough actions will follow if it fails to fall in line with international norms and standards.
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LTTE leader pays tribute to Black Tiger commandos on Vavuniyaa mission

Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan on Thursday paid his last respects to the ten Black Tiger commandos, who laid down their lives during the Tiger operation on the Vanni headquarters of the Sri Lankan forces (SF HQ). LTTE officials told media that the LTTE leader paid his last respects with garlanding the photographs of the Black Tigers and by lighting the flame of sacrifice at an undisclosed location in Vanni. The Tiger mission destroyed the infrastructure of the joint operations command of the Sri Lankan forces in Vanni in the early hours of Tuesday. Five of the ten Black Tiger commandos on Vavuniyaa mission were females. Tuesday's attack was the second combined attack by the Black Tigers and Air Tigers of LTTE's Tamileelam Air Force (TAF).LTTE's Col. Kiddu artillery formation took part in the combined mission in which Tigers pounded the infrastructure of the Vanni SF HQ with more than 120 shells during the two hours of operation with 'human precision', according to Sri Lankan military officials, who described that the Tiger operation devastated the Vanni SF HQ. Last year, Black Tiger commandos stormed the Sri Lankan airbase in Anudradhapura in LTTE's first combined Black Tiger and TAF attack, destroying more than 10 air crafts. More than 350 Black Tigers have laid down their lives, most of them in sea operations, during the last 21 years since 05 July 1987, when the first Black Tiger Captain Miller, drove an explosive laden truck on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops garrisoned at Nelliyadi Central College in Vadamaraadchi in Jaffna.

Seven bodies found in Moneragala jungle
   
The bodies of seven farmers with gunshot and cut injuries were found in a jungle in Kotiyagala in Siyambalagamuwa,  Moneragala, yesterday, police said.Defence Ministry sources, quoting the police, said that civilians in Thahanattakanda in Bintenna had found seven male bodies with gunshot and cut injuries last afternoon and informed the police. The ministry blamed the LTTE for the killings.The source said the police, during their investigations, had found four bodies lying on a tractor trailer with wounds caused by bullets fired from a T-56 riffle and another three bodies on the tractor itself with pistol wounds.“Three of those civilians had been shot with pistols near the tractor they were using for cultivation work. The other four civilians had been shot with T-56 rifles from 500metres away,” it said. “Police suspect that a group of LTTE terrorists infiltrated into the jungle and carried out the massacre during the morning hours,” the source said. These bodies were noticed when a group of villagers went to the jungle last morning. They had immediately informed the police. Later a special police team with Special Task Force personnel went to the scene, police said.Police and troops are making arrangements with regard to judicial inquiries and other formalities.Following the recovery of the bodies, a massive search operation was launched in the area.Meanwhile, the three persons who were abducted last week by an unidentified armed gang, while collecting honey in the jungle off Alavai in Pottuvil, had not returned yet, police said.The security forces had launched a search operation in the area to trace the three men, after a complaint was lodged with the Pottuvil police on Tuesday, by a person who was with the victims and avoided abduction

ICRC transports 680 patients from north

The ICRC says it has transported over 100 ambulances, carrying almost 680 patients from the north to the government-controlled in August. ICRC said in a statement that its staff transported 62 bodies of fallen fighters across Omanthai crossing during the month. Last month, nearly 1,750 persons contacted ICRC with allegations concerning missing persons, arbitrary arrests, and unlawful killings or ill-treatment of civilians committed by weapon bearers, it said. Since the hostilities escalated at the beginning of July, more than 84,000 displaced persons received a combination of hygiene items and household essentials, ICRC said. The ICRC's relief operation in the Vanni has been financed out of the organization’s 2008 budget for Sri Lanka of 27 million US dollars.

Veteran Nathaswaram exponent Kaanamoorthy passes away

V.K.Kaanamoorthy, an exponent in Eezham Nathaswaram music passed away Wednesday night in Jaffna Teaching Hospital after a brief illness at 60 years of age. Kaanamoorthy with his younger brother Panchamoorthy, excelled in playing Nathaswaram not only in Sri Lanka but also in Tamil Nadu in South India, Singapore and Malaysia for more than three decades. V.K.KaanamoorthyKaanamoorthy was born in the year 1948 in Koa'ndaavil in Jaffna district. At the age of 14 he learnt Nathaswaram music from veteran Vidwan Narayanasamy and later learnt most techniques in the music from Mr. Rasa of Maaviddapuram.Once mastered in Nathaswaram, he and Panchamoorthy, had been playing the instrument in temples and other musical functions. Both the artists have been described by the music world as the twins of Nathaswaram.

Defence Secretary says Sea Tigers are sunk

Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said yesterday that the Sea Tiger unit of the LTTE had now almost come to an end because of the Sri Lanka Navy. “There was a time when some overestimated the power of the Sea Tigers, but now we know they have no such power at all; our Navy has successfully countered the Sea Tiger power,” Mr. Rajapaksa said. He was addressing a ceremony at the Welisara Naval base, to mark the completion of the 100th‘Arrow’ type gunboat for the Navy’s newly formed Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS). “The Navy had completely damaged the arms-supplying network of the LTTE, by destroying a floating arms ship on the high seas,” he said, adding : “It was a severe setback for the LTTE”. Speaking further, Mr. Rajapaksa said the Navy had reached its highest level through several important victories over the past few years: “The Navy under the leadership of Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, has now become  a different force, by changing its tactics and strategies.” The Navy has so far built 100 special boats for the RABS within a short period, at very low cost, at the Welisara Inshore Patrol Vessel Construction Yard. Started in 2006, under the ‘Arrow’ concept, the new RABS unit, which is functioning as a separate squadron, has been able to cause heavy damage to the Sea Tigers.  At the occasion, 20 naval personnel, including several officers, who were involved in making the  new boats, received certificates from the Defence Secretary. Navy Commander Karannagoda and other senior Naval officers also took part in the event.

11 September 2008

Sampanthan on excluding UN missions: Sri Lankan State destroys its sovereignty

"The Sri Lankan Government, though it talks big about its concern for the displaced people in Vanni, does nothing more than make available to these people the meagre food items provided under the United Nations World Food Programme," said R. Sampanthan, the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TELO,TULF,EPRLF and ACTC), while addressing the Sri Lankan Parliament on Wednesday. Also noting the Sri Lankan state's refusal to establish UN presence for monitoring the Human Rights violations, the senior Tamil politician blamed the Sri Lankan state for contributing to the "erosion and eventual destruction of its own sovereignty," in a lengthy speech during the debate on extending Emergency.

Extracts from Mr. Sampanthan's address related to the civilian plight in Vanni and the role of UN, follow:

"Around 200,000 non-combatant Tamil civilians have been compelled to flee from their homes in view of the intense military attacks, the frequent aerial bombardment and the heavy artillery fire being engaged in by the forces of the Sri Lankan State, both by day and by night, in these areas in the Vanni."Mr.Sampanthan"...The intensity of the attack is unprecedented as far as Sri Lanka is concerned. Never before has such an intense attack ever occurred in this country and by international standards it is believed that the attacks presently being carried out are as bad, as the worst that have taken place at any time in any part of the world.""The recklessness of the attacks, Sir, can be gauged from the fact that the Government Agent, Mullaiththeevu, a rank equivalent to that of a collector of a district in India, and the wife of the medical superintendent of a district, were injured while they were asleep in their official residences late at night in the Mullaiththeevu District.""The UN and its related agencies and international non-governmental organizations, to the extent possible in the prevailing situation, have rendered and continue to render relief and we are grateful to these organizations for the service they are rendering to these hapless people.""The Government, though it talks big about its concern for these people, does nothing more than make available to these people the meagre food items provided under the World Food Programme.""The fear, Sir, is that the worst is yet to come. It is the general expectation that the fighting will intensify in the weeks to come and in that event, it is inevitable that there will be further displacement, death and destruction. The oncoming monsoonal rains would only make the pathetic plight of these civilians even much worse." "In order to achieve its unjust objective of militarily suppressing the legitimate political aspirations of the Tamil people, the Sri Lankan State is guilty of flagrant violations of international covenants to which it has subscribed and which, I submit, it is committed and bound to uphold.""Intensification in the fighting, resulting in relief workers being further hindered or in access to these areas being cut off could result in a grave humanitarian crisis of much greater proportions than what exists at present, which could result in the displaced people being denied shelter, food, medicine, drinking water and other essentials and even institutions such as hospitals ceasing to function, all of which could have calamitous consequences in relation to the Tamil civilian population, the worst affected in this dire situation being women and children." "People are being killed and people are going missing in all parts of the country and this is a continuing phenomenon. It happens in all the districts of the North-East and also in all other parts of the country.""The Sri Lankan State is not able to bring this to an end." "All efforts to establish a monitoring mechanism under the auspices of the UN have not been successful in view of the refusal of the Sri Lankan State to accept such a mechanism. I submit that such a refusal on the part of the Sri Lankan State enhances the obligation of the Sri Lankan State to bring such violations to an end.""The Sri Lankan State is not able to do this either.""The Sri Lankan State pleads sovereignty of the Sri Lankan State as an excuse for its refusal to accept a mechanism under UN auspices ignoring the fact that sovereignty also includes fundamental rights. Human rights and fundamental rights are inextricably intertwined and the Sri Lankan State fails to realize that when it permits the flagrant violation of human rights, it is in fact condoning the violation of Sri Lankan sovereignty and is in reality contributing to the erosion and eventual destruction of its own sovereignty."

UAV in emergency landing

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of the Sri Lanka Air Force made an emergency landing at the Anuradhapura Air Base today (Sept. 11th). Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said the landing was made following a technical malfunction and that an investigation was underway.The UAV has been slightly damaged, he added.One of these expensive aircraft was destroyed in the  LTTE attack on the Anuradhapura Air Base.

UN chief  reiterates call for negotiated settlement

Close on the heels of the government directing NGOs and INGOs, including UN agencies, to vacate LTTE-held areas in the Vanni, a UN statement quoted UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon emphasizing the importance of a negotiated settlement to the Sri Lankan conflict.The following is the full text of the statement issued from New York yesterday: Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations expresses his deep concern over the increased hostilities in northern Sri Lanka, and the grave humanitarian consequences for civilians."In light of the Government’s request for the relocation of UN humanitarian staff in affected areas, he reminds all concerned of their responsibility to take active steps to ensure the safety and freedom of movement of civilians, allowing humanitarian organizations to do their work in safety, as well as to reach persons affected by the fighting who need humanitarian assistance.""The Secretary-General reminds all concerned of their obligations under international humanitarian law, especially in regard to the principle of proportionality and the selection of targets. "He emphasizes strongly the importance of a negotiated settlement to the political problems facing Sri Lanka, the spokesperson said.

Mt. Lavinia railroad damaged by bomb

A minor explosion occurred last evening, targeting the Mt. Lavinia railway track. It caused minor damage but no casualties, according to police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara.A loud blast rocked the surrounding area at 7.35pm yesterday. Police and army rushed to the De Saram Road, Mt. Lavinia and found a minor explosion had damaged one of the rail tracks. No casualties were reported.There were apparently no witnesses. The Police Special Task Force Bomb Disposal Unit personnel believe that the explosion was caused by a small quantity of C4 explosive. South bound trains were halted at Dehiwela Railway Station for about half an hour. The track was repaired and operations were resumed, a Railway Control Room officer told Daily Mirror. Meanwhile, a joint police and military search operation was launched in the area, and security had been beefed up. Mt. Lavinia police are conducting further investigations.

CID wants to grill Janaka on alleged plot to kill President

UNP chief ministerial candidate at the recently concluded North Central Provincial Council elections Major General (rtd) Janaka Perera yesterday said he had been instructed to present himself at the CID for questioning over an alleged conspiracy to assassinate President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He told The Island that the CID had intimated to him that they wished to question him on this alleged assassination plot but had not given him a date and time to be present. He said that he would soon visit the CID and present himself for questioning.Perera said that in the background of his popularity in the NCP where he polled the highest number of preferential votes, the government feared his popularity would increase further and he would be a threat to it. He recalled that seven of his body guards were arrested by the police after the elections on allegations that they were Army deserters and later on charges of conspiring to assassinate some VIPs. Later they were remanded for seven days. They were also charged for possessing illegal radio communication equipment which later turned out to be legally acquired. "I am prepared to face these trumped up charges against me or my supporters," he said."What irks the authorities is that their popularity is waning while I am becoming more and more popular among the people after the NCP elections. My supporters behaved so well during the election period that I came in for a lot of admiration from the public and no wonder I scored the highest preferential votes," he said.Meanwhile, a high ranking Anuradhapura Police source, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the Anuradhapura Police had no hand in the so called CID investigation.

Injured Indians still in hospital
   
Two Indian technicians, who were injured during the pre-dawn LTTE attack on the Vavuniya Air Force base, are receiving treatment at a hospital in Colombo, sources said. The two Indian nationals attached to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) radar system at Vavuniya sustained minor injuries during the attack on Tuesday morning.However, on Tuesday, Government Defence Spokesman and senior Minister Keheliya Rambukkwella denied any presence of Indians at the Vavuniya base. “We have enough strength to deal with such kind of situation, so there is no truth about any presence of any foreigners,” he told the media.Indian media reports said that the injured Indian technicians, A.K. Thakur and Chintamani Rout, have been based in Vavuniya since August this year to help in the maintenance and calibration of the radar system gifted by India in 2005 and subsequently upgraded after the Tigers launched their first air raid in the last week of March 2007.Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said that “two Indian technicians who sustained minor injuries are technical personnel who come to Sri Lanka from time to time for the routine periodic servicing and maintenance of the Indian-built radars.”A spokesman for the High Commission said that the two Indian victims have received medical attention.The LTTE ground and aerial attack in Vavuniya killed at least 12 soldiers, a policeman and a civilian and injured nearly 30 others. Ten LTTE cadres, who came for the attack, were also killed following a special mission launched by both the Air Force and the Army.

Wanni displaced at risk - AI

Amnesty International warns the government order for relief workers to leave the Wanni region could further endanger tens of thousands of displaced persons trapped between the two parties to the conflict. AI said in a statement that it has received credible reports that the LTTE has prevented civilians from moving to safer places in government-controlled areas.  “The Sri Lankan government has now assumed total responsibility for ensuring the needs of the civilian population affected by the hostilities are met. If the government is telling aid workers to pull back, then it must show it has the capacity to feed and protect its own citizens left behind,” said Sam Zarifi, AI's Asia Pacific Director. He called on the government to allow independent international monitors into the Wanni to oversee and ensure that convoys with food, medical and other essential supplies enter into the area, as well oversee the distribution of such supplies.

Zlin downing further confirmed
 
Intelligence units have uncovered the general area of the crash-site of the TAF plane. The site is situated inside dense jungle at Mullaiyaveli, south of Mulaithivu. Unfortunately no UAV images taken upto now have been able to clearly show the site due to thick vegetation and immediate action taken by the LTTE to cover it up.Civilian informants of MIC residing along the Mulaitivu-Oddusudan road have seen the plane descending in a ball off fire. Some had observed the plane from their Chena cultivations and others had heard the noise of the plane crashing. The area was then cordoned off by the Tigers.Other credible sources have also confirmed the destruction of the plane. These come from radio messages recorded by 2MIC corp attached to 59 Division in Mullaitivu.But the most credible information comes in a taped conversation between a Chengdu F-7 pilot and the SLAF Operations Control room at Katunayake. In this tape, heard by sources very close to DefenceWire, the F-7 pilot confirms the sighting and identification of the plane and requests permission to engage it with a missile whereupon the permission is granted and the pilot describes the Zlin taking a direct hit and plunging into darkness over Mulaitivu jungles.These tapes might never be released to the public due to some sensitive information in them.Meanwhile some web-based sources have distorted the battle between Black Tiger units and the Special Forces at Vavuniya claiming that there was an intelligence warning of the intrusion and that the Special Forces were lying in waiting for the intruders to come. Unfortunately this was not the case.The operation was top secret in the LTTE, as it is with this type of suicide operation. It was betrayed only by the vigilance of Special Forces troops deployed in two bunkers in the Omanthai FDL.The Special Forces platoon was from Special Forces Squadron 2 who were deployed in a small detachment where some injured soldiers and soldiers about to go on leave or had just returned from war were resting or recuperating from injuries but also forming a vital back-up in case of need. This is a normal practice in the Army.It was these men who made the call to allow the Tigers to come in, instead of engaging them in front of the FDL, in which case they would have escaped and never called in the Zlins in the first place. True to the wise decision of SF soldiers (importantly no officers made the call) the Tigers ran for their lives in the first engagement, but towards the base, instead of the Irattaperiyakulam jungle, and were soon trapped. The entire SF platoon swung into action and started surrounding the now injured Black Tiger unit.By last morning they were completely surrounded. Wounded and up against a mighty foe, the Tigers had their backs against the wall (or the fence in this case) after having lost the element of surprise. In desperation they called in artillery to take out the radar, but then the Special Forces made their final push killing 11 members of the team in one place with two committing suicide.

Sri Lanka jets bomb 'rebel base' 
 
Sri Lanka's military says its jets have bombed a Tamil Tiger intelligence centre in the north, a day after a rebel air raid on a military base. Fighter aircraft pounded the rebel centre in the northern region of Kilinochchi, the defence ministry said. Reports from the area confirm an air raid, injuring at least two people. The rebels said civilian homes were hit. The attack came as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern over the increased hostilities in Sri Lanka. On Monday, the government issued a notice to foreign aid workers to leave the rebel-held areas in the north saying it could not guarantee their safety. On Tuesday, UN officials said they would relocate staff. The government says that it is on track to defeat the rebels.

Displaced

Officials said the area where the latest military operation was carried out is deep inside rebel-held territory. "Taking on offensive raids into the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] backyard, Sri Lanka air force fighter jets made precision air sorties at the LTTE's main intelligence command and control centre located in Kilinochchi," the defence ministry said. The region also houses several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and aid agencies. The UN said one of its vehicles was slightly damaged. The Tamil Tigers said the air force had bombed a civilian settlement near Kilinochchi town centre, destroying 12 homes. "No one was hurt because people sought safety in the bunkers," a statement said. Photographs on their website showed buildings they said were civilian houses damaged or destroyed by the bombing. Hospital officials told the BBC a pregnant woman had been injured in the bombing. She lost her baby after a stone hit her abdomen during the raid. A child also fainted.There is growing concern for the fate of civilians in the north after the government ordered aid agencies to leave Tamil Tiger controlled territory. The UN secretary general said the fighting had "grave humanitarian consequences for civilians". "He reminds all concerned of their responsibility to take active steps to ensure the safety and freedom of movement of civilians, allowing humanitarian organisations to do their work in safety, as well as to reach persons affected by the fighting who need humanitarian assistance," a statement said. Human rights group Amnesty International called for international monitors to be allowed into the north to oversee convoys of aid and other essential supplies. There are about 70 UN national and international workers in areas of the north controlled by the Tamil Tigers, the UN says. Most are based in the town of Kilinochchi. Aid agencies say there are nearly 160,000 people in the Tiger-controlled north who have been displaced by the fighting. The International Red Cross (ICRC) - one of the most prominent international agencies in the north - said that its teams were committed to remain in both rebel and government-held areas.

Offensive

But an ICRC spokesman said that situation was being monitored and negotiations were currently underway with the government in Colombo. Correspondents say that part of the problem for some aid agencies in the north is that their staff cannot leave because they are Tamil locals and the rebels will not issue them with passes. The military meanwhile says that its offensive - aimed at crushing the rebels and ending their fight for a separate state for the Tamil minority - is on course. The ministry of defence said that it shot down a rebel plane on Tuesday in a major incident in which 12 soldiers and a policemen were killed during a Tamil Tiger attack on a base in the northern area of Vavuniya. The Tigers said 10 of their suicide fighters were killed in the raid. They said that the raid was backed by artillery and light aircraft dropping bombs and that a radar station was destroyed in extensive damage to the base. The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for a separate state for the Tamil minority in the north and east of Sri Lanka for 25 years. More than 70,000 people have died.

Vavuniya raid would not turn the tide By B. Raman

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which is increasingly under pressure due to a war of attrition waged against it by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in the areas controlled by it in the Northern Province, launched a surprise land-cum-air attack on a vital military complex of the armed forces at Vavuniya, about 260 kms North of Colombo, in the early hours of September 9,2008.Even after allowing for the usual exaggeration by the spokesmen of the Armed Forces in projecting the progress made by them, it is evident from independent reports that the LTTE has been forced to fight a defensive battle to retain the territory under its control and to prevent a weakening of its conventional capability due to the loss of its weapons holdings during the battle and its inability to replenish them through smuggling from abroad. While the morale of the LTTE's experienced officers and cadres remains high, it has not been able to reverse the tide of the battle against the armed forces. Even its wing responsible for mounting acts of terrorism in Sinhalese territory has been facing difficulty in mounting spectacular terrorist strikes due to a shortage of cadres trained in suicide terrorism and low stocks of explosives.While the Army's oft-repeated hopes of being able to defeat the LTTE decisively on the ground by the end of this year seem over-optimistic, the tide of the war continues to be in favour of the army. There are two questions involved---- defeating the LTTE conventionally and destroying its capability for continuing its struggle for Tamil Eelam through acts of terrorism. The achievement of both these objectives will depend upon a critical weakening of the morale and motivation of the LTTE officers and cadres, leading to increasing desertions and splits in the organisation. There are no signs of such a weakening of the morale and motivation. Despite the repeated and ruthless use of air strikes against the LTTE by the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) and despite the vast superiority in numbers and equipment of the armed forces due to regular flow of supplies from Pakistan, China, Israel and even India, the LTTE has been fighting doggedly, inflicting increasingly heavy casualties on the Army, which is not admitted by the Government. Thus, the attrition is on both sides. The only advantage enjoyed by the Army is that it is able to make good the attrition through material procured from Pakistan, China, Israel and India with money given by Iran, whereas the LTTE has not been able to make good the attrition.The continuing strong morale and motivation of the LTTE officers and cadres and their ability to take the armed forces by surprise became once again evident from the spectacular and audacious attack jointly mounted by the planes, the artillery and suicide commandoes of the LTTE on the Vavuniya military complex, which co-ordinates the operations of the Armed Forces against the LTTE. It was as spectacular and audacious as a similar attack on an SLAF base at Anuradhapura in October last year and as well-planned and well-executed.The operation, which lasted about three hours, started with a sustained artillery attack in the dead of night followed by bombing by two aircraft ( Zlin 143 )of the LTTE and this was followed by the infiltration of the complex by 10 suicide commandoes (Black Tigers), five of them women. All of them died during the attack, but not before killing 11 personnel of the security forces and badly damaging the equipment kept in the complex, including an Indra radar supplied by India. Among those injured were two Indian radar technicians. It is not clear whether they had been permanently attached to the radar station or come there on a short visit to do the periodic maintenance of the radar. The injuries sustained by the two Indian technicians were not life threatening, but required initial hospitalisation at Colombo.While the LTTE has stated that both its aircraft returned safely to base, the SLAF has claimed that one of its fighter planes (F-7s) ,which had taken off from the Katunayake airfield near Colombo on gettng information of the approach of the LTTE planes ,managed to chase one of them as they were returning to their base after the bombing and shot it down over the skies in the LTTE-controlled Mullaittivu area. However, the SLAF spokesman ( Squadron Leader Sanjaya Adhikari ) admitted that it had no video coverage of this engagement in proof of its claim.As it did after the Anuradhapura raid of last year, the SLAF has tried to project the LTTE raid as a fiasco, which failed in its objective. However, independent reports say that as had happened in the past, the SLAF was once again taken by surprise and was slow to react. The LTTE aircraft managed to drop their load of bombs in the vicinity of the radar station and flee from the scene without being intercepted by the SLAF planes. While the Air Force version of the incident claimed that the Indian-supplied radar did not suffer any damage, the version given by the Sri Lankan Navy in its web site did admit some damage to the radar, but it claimed that it was slight. A web blog run by the Sri Lanka Naval Intelligence said: “ Reports indicated that the radar system was slightly damaged after a bomb fell close to it. Two Indian nationals operating the radar system were injured in the blast.”The two LTTE aircraft were over the complex for about six minutes. During this period, any SLAF aircraft taking off from Katunayake could not have reached Vavuniya and intercepted the LTTE aircraft.While the Sri Lankan Armed Forces repeatedly exaggerate their successes and play down their losses, the LTTE generally gives a factual account of the battles. Even if it did badly in the battles, it does not try to cover up its failures. This is one of the reasons for the high credibility enjoyed by the LTTE's statements in the eyes of its cadres, the Tamil population and diaspora abroad. The LTTE version of the Vavuniya operation has more credibility than the version put out by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.Even if it is established that the radar has been severely damaged, if not destroyed, this should not affect the on-going ground operations of the Sri Lankan Army. The mastery of the skies enjoyed by the SLAF during day time ensures that the LTTE planes could not pose a threat to the troops engaged in battle. The absence of a radar would not also affect the punitive air strikes made repeatedly by the SLAF on LTTE-held positions. The successful Vavuniya raid would be a morale-booster for the LTTE cadres, but would not turn the tide of the battle against the armed forces.

Woman's burnt body found

Police found the burnt body of a woman near a Girls' Orphanage on the main road between Kottawa and Rukmale this morning (Sept. 11th).According to Homagama Police, a slipper with bloodstains was recovered around 300 metres away from the body of the woman, aged around 30 years.It is believed she had been killed and burnt somewhere else and the body dumped at the site.Police are using sniffer dogs to track down those responsible.

STOP THE WAR ON SRI LANKAN JOURNALISTS: RELEASE TISSA NOW

Popular Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam ("Tissa") is the first Sri journalist to be charged as a terrorist for doing his job. After being held five months without explanation, he was suddenly charged last month with promoting terrorism through a magazine he published for a brief period two years ago. Six months into his detention, join the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and press groups in Sri Lanka in demanding his release. Watch the video on Tissa's plight and spread the word: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/free-tissainayagam

Tissa, a senior Tamil journalist and columnist for the respected newspaper "The Sunday Times", was arrested on 7 March by the country's Terrorist Investigation Department. After five months without charge, he became the first journalist to be indicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in the act's near 30-year history. Originally, his arrest seemed related to a Tamil news site he edits. But local journalists told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that the site was harmless, and as the months passed, no charges were forthcoming. Until this August, when he was suddenly charged with promoting terrorism through the magazine "Northeastern Monthly", which he briefly published in 2006. The magazine criticised the government's role in Sri Lanka's civil war. There was no explanation for why it took two years to charge him, but IFJ and many of his supporters believe the government resorted to the draconian anti-terrorist law - an act that allows detentions without charge - to shut him up. If Tissa is convicted, it will "really affect people's right to freedom of information" and set a dangerous precedent for other reporters who dare to speak out, says the Free Media Movement in Sri Lanka. The Free Tissa video is part of IFJ's campaign to "Stop the War on Journalists in Sri Lanka". Sadly, more than a dozen journalists and media workers have been murdered in the country since 2006, and in not one case has a perpetrator been brought to justice. Just this week, journalist Radhika Devakumar was shot three times in her home in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka, by unidentified gunmen. Devakumar, now working as a media secretary for a provincial ministry, used to run her own media development organisation, and had previously worked for a Tamil daily for eight years. So far, IFEX members CPJ and the International Press Institute, among others, have joined the fight to free Tissa. Help the campaign go viral - the goal is 100,000 hits on YouTube. Watch the video here: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/free-tissainayagam

Also, join the Release Tissa Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=23763104109

And read an issue of Tissa's column in "The Sunday Times" written just before his arrest: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/080224/Columns/telescope.html

09 September 2008

LTTE attacks Vavuniya; Twenty from both sides killed

Ten security forces members were killed and 23 were injured as the LTTE attacked the main Army camp and Air Force camp in Vavuniya this morning (09) around 3.15 AM. Eighteen security forces personnel and five civilians were injured in the attack. A group of LTTE cadres infiltrated into the camps and 10 corpses of them killed in retaliatory attacks were recovered, Army sources say. LTTE first launched an artillery barrage targeting defence area in Vavuniya around 3.15 AM. Over 30 artillery shells fell into the Sri Lanka Air Force camp, 211 Brigade Headquarters and Police Complex alongside Vavuniya - Kandy road. The radar centre of the Army camp was damaged due to the attack. Around 3.40, two LTTE airplanes dropped two bombs in the camp area amidst artillery barrage. When the airplanes entered into the camp area, security forces emanated a massive firing towards them. With that the LTTE airplanes dropped the bombs, changed the directions and fled towards Vanni. Air Force jets followed the LTTE airplanes and one plane was shot down by them, says Air Force adding that the pilot of the F-7 fighter craft verified that he witnessed the LTTE aeroplane collapse in Mullaithivu. With the attack, electricity was disconnected in entire Vavuniya and almost all the camps launched massive artillery attacks towards LTTE-held territory. However, two artillery shells fell into the defence area in Vavuniya around 8.10 AM as well. Security forces shut many of the roads of Vavuniya after the attack. The town looked desolate this morning. Shops were closed and the work in schools and offices has been paralyzed. Security in the area is beefed up and search operations are underway.

Sri Lanka says shoots down rebel plane after raid

The Sri Lankan military said it had for the first time shot down a Tamil Tiger plane after the rebels launched a pre-dawn air raid and ground assault on a military base that killed at least 21 people on Tuesday. The morning raid was one of the most audacious counterattacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) since the army stepped up its advance over the last three weeks, seizing rebel strongholds in what has been the bloodiest fighting since 1999.If confirmed, the downing of the rebel aircraft would provide a boost to the military, frustrated and embarrassed by its inability to stop six earlier attacks by the Tigers' ramshackle air force.The rebels hit a base in Vavuniya, a rear echelon headquarters located just south of the frontline and 250 km (155 miles) northeast of the capital, Colombo, with an artillery barrage and ground troops before two aircraft dropped bombs."The LTTE attempted to launch an attack on our air force base in Vavuniya. On their withdrawal, SLAF (Sri Lankan Air Force) interceptors destroyed one aircraft over Mullaittivu," air force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said.The Defence Ministry said in a statement later that 10 rebels, 10 soldiers and one policeman had been killed, mostly by artillery fire. Fifteen soldiers, five air force personnel and eight police were wounded, it said.The pro-rebel Web site www.tamilnet.com confirmed the raid, but said there "was no indication of any aircraft coming down, according to civilian sources". It said the sources, which it did not name, said three aircraft had been involved.

REBEL OFFENSIVE PHASE

The military's claim comes at a time when it has ratcheted up pressure on the LTTE on the frontline that stretches coast to coast across the Indian Ocean island nation's north, aiming to encircle the rebel headquarters at Kilinochchi."At the moment it's only a claim by the air force. We're going to see how they prove it. If they did it, then the air force will have regained their capabilities," said Iqbal Athas, a Colombo-based analyst for Jane's Defence Weekly.The LTTE, fighting to establish a separate homeland for ethnic-minority Tamils in the north and east of Sri Lanka, shocked the world in March 2007 when it debuted its air wing with a surprise attack on a military airfield in Colombo.It has since carried out six other attacks, including one two weeks ago on a naval base in the strategic harbour of Trincomalee that wounded 10 sailors. Few have caused major damage.The military says it believes the LTTE, which figures on U.S., U.N., Indian and European Union terrorism lists, has three Czech-made Zlin-143 light aircraft. They believe that the two-seater propeller-driven planes were smuggled into the country in pieces and reassembled.Since the military put up anti-aircraft countermeasures, the LTTE has flown short missions that allow the planes to emerge, strike and return to camouflaged jungle hideouts before air force jets can effectively respond.On Monday, the government ordered all aid workers out of the battle zone, saying it could not guarantee their safety as it proceeds with its plan to wipe out the Tigers by year's end.Athas said Tuesday's attack signalled that the Tigers were ready to fight back hard: "It's going to become fiercer because the Tigers find the military poised to go into their strongholds. They have begun their offensive phase now."

South Africa seeks all-party solution

South Africa has called for the establishment of an inclusive process where various Tamil viewpoints could be represented to form a final political solution to the ongoing conflict.These views were expressed to the All Party Representative Committee Chairman and Minister, Tissa Vitharana during a visit to South Africa where he briefed South African leaders on the APRC process and the conflict in Sri Lanka.The meeting was held after South Africa called for a reassurance as to whether the APRC was a serious attempt to work out a political solution to the national issue Prof. Vitharana told Daily Mirror.  South Africa also queried as to whether the LTTE was the sole representative of the Tamil people and if it was a group of freedom fighters, as stressed by some Tamil parties in the country.“There were a lot of misconceptions which needed to be cleared out with the South Africans. They needed strong reassurances and had to be explained LTTE were not freedom fighters. After my discussions with the South African leaders, they were convinced that the APRC was on the right path,” Professor Vitharana said.The South Africans also expressed their appreciation to see a former LTTE cadre enter the democratic process and hold a key position in the Eastern Province. They were referring to the Eastern Province Chief Minister, Pillayan, who was a former LTTE cadre.“This proved to them that the government is making all attempts to reach a political solution to the conflict,” Prof. Vitharana added. The Professor, during his meeting, also explained that the government’s ongoing military approach was merely conducted to reach a political solution as it was not possible to go in for talks with the LTTE alone, due to their terrorist tactics. The Professor also explained of the blasts carried out by the LTTE, which had harmed many civilians up to date.Following the discussion, the South Africans understood the government’s dual approach of adopting both a military and political solution and added that it was convinced that the APRC would work out a final solution to the war.Prof. Vitharana was in Pretoria, South Africa from September 2 to 6 and during his visit, he met with several South African dignitaries in the Government, leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP).He also had an exchange of views with Mr. Roy Padayachie, South African Deputy Minister of Communications and Mr. Ebrahim Ebrahim, an ANC leader and member of the National Executive Committee (NEC).

SLAF bombs school in Puthukkudiyiruppu town

Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers that flew over Vanni as Black Tigers were engaged in causing destruction to Sri Lankan joint operations headquarters for Vanni in the early hours of Tuesday, bombed Puthukkudiyiruppu town, three times, with bombs that caused deep craters, according to TamilNet correspondent who visited the site. The bombers hit the premises of Sree Subramaniya Viththiyaalam school with bunker-busting bomb, where the Zonal Education Office for Mullaiththeevu zone, is also located. One house, four shops, a bookshop and a mill in the town also sustained damage in the attack. One civilian was wounded. A 50-year-old woman, identified as Ms. Sulojana, was wounded. The principal of the school, residing in the apartment inside the school premises, escaped with inner injuries, a civil official told TamilNet.The official said all the 11 buildings of the school would require re-construction.

Zlins target Indra II Radar

It is now reliably learnt that the Zlin 143s that attacked the SLAF base at Vavuniya had targeted the Indra II Radar system at the airbase, which had successfully detected them on three separate occasions to date.Reports indicated that the radar system was slightly damaged after a bomb fell close to it. Two Indian nationals operating the radar system were injured in the blast.Late last night a team of Tigers who had infiltrated Vavuniya government held area to the south of the SLAF and Army base at Vavuniya from jungles in the Irattaperiyakulam area were engaged by the Army. The SLAF base and the Vavuniya SF HQ lay side by side and is divided only by a fence.9 dead bodies of Tigers have been recovered so far. The team had given arti-correction coordinates for LTTE 120mm canons before being detected and attacked.

Leave north, aid workers told   
 
The Sri Lankan authorities say they ordered all foreign and local aid workers to leave LTTE-held Vanni.Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told BBC Sandeshaya that the government decided to urge the workers International and local Non Governmental Organisations (INGOs and NGOs) to leave Kilinochchi and surrounding areas. "Currently nobody can do any development work in that area. So there's no reason for them to stay in Kilinochchi. The second reason was their security. When we ask the NGOs and INGOs that they cannot any longer stay there they have to completely withdraw and publicise their withdrawal" Mr. Rajapaksa said.

Muttur incident

The notice issued by the government says those already there should leave along with local staff who are not permanent residents of the area. The government does not want to be accused of targeting aid workers "similar to what happened in Muttur", the Defence Secretary who is the younger brother of President Rajapaksa said. He was referring to the murder in 2006 of seventeen local workers for the French charity Action Against Hunger in the eastern town of Muttur. Nordic monitors blamed the military for the execution-style killings, the Government blamed the rebels."Now that we have given an adequate warning, as far as we are concerned aid workers are not there. We have told them to start withdrawing immediately and to let us know the progress," he told BBCSinhala.com. The government decision comes as troops press forward with an offensive aimed at crushing the rebels and ending their fight for a separate state for the Tamil minority. Aid agencies in the north have been helping the estimated one hundred and sixty thousand people in rebel areas who have been displaced by fighting. The United Nations says as many as eighty five thousand have fled their homes since the start of June, ahead of a military advance.

Chinese FM here today

At the invitation of Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Yang Jiechi will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka from September 9 to 10. The Chinese Foreign Minister will hold bilateral official talks with Minister Bogollagama at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is also scheduled to pay courtesy calls on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka.

Nine hurt in Pettah blast
   
At least nine people were injured when a an Improvised Explosive Device exploded in Pettah near Gas Works Junction roundabout around 9.30 pm last night, police said.The condition of two was said to serious.They said according to initial investigations, the explosive device with large pellets had targeted a vehicle that was parked near the roundabout.Police said eight vehicles including a police emergency car and a lorry had been badly damaged by the explosion.Police suspect personal vendetta or an underworld act as the cause for the explosion.

Prabakharan should give up struggle, enter  democratic process - Mahanayake Thera

Even at the last moment LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has the chance to lay-down arms and take to the democratic process, observed the Most Venerable Mahanayake of Malwatte Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera when Nation Building Minister S. M. Chandrasena called on him yesterday.The nation has suffered more than enough of the bloody war. The most affected are the people of the North and the East. This fact should be understood by Prabhakaran at this crucial movement, the prelate said.Minister Chandrasena said that Prabhakaran should follow the course taken by Karuna and Pillaiyan and support the development programmes of the government and the provincial councils.He disclosed some programmes designed for the development of the North Central Province by making use of the available land area.Chairman, Udarata Development Authority S. M. R. B. Samarakoon was present.

Female journalist shot in Batticaloa

Batticaloa based freelance Tamil journalist Radhika Devakumar sustained serious injuries when she was shot by an unidentified gunman last evening at her residence in Kaladi. Journalist Radhika(37) was reportedly shot by an unidentified gunman who stormed her house around 8.00pm yesterday and fled the scene. Her mother who was at home had immediately informed the police. She was rushed to Batticaloa Hospital and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Police Media Spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara said she had received wounds to her chest and abdomen. Radhika was a freelance journalist and the Batticaloa correspondent of Shakthi FM, Veerakesari and Inter News Agency for sometime before she was appointed as the Media Coordinator of Eastern Chief Minister Shivanesathurai Chandrakanthan. TMVP Spokesman Azad Maulana told the Daily Mirror that she served for the chief minister for two and a half months before she resigned. She had been working for a Batticaloa based NGO called Media Development Organisation and had facilitated for the government initiated channel Udayan TV. Radhika won the first place for the Tolerance Award from all-island presented by the Five Media Organisations in 2007. Her situation was critical and was subjected to a surgery and was about to be transferred to Colombo at the time this edition went to press.

Five UNP MPs threaten to sit as independent group

A group of five UNP Parliamentarians has decided to work as an independent group in Parliament if the party is not reorganized according to the proposals they have submitted to the leadership, UNP sources said yesterday (8).The five UNP members demanded for party reforms and a change of policy at a recent working committee meeting of the UNP saying that the party had no future if it continued with its present policies.They fear that the party reforms they sought may not take place. A meeting of the UNP seniors to consider the proposals for reforms was scheduled for yesterday at Sirikotha, UNP headquarters. They were expected to draft a report at that meeting, sources said.The draft report was to be presented at the Working Committee meeting to be held Thursday.A spokesman for the group of five said they would await the report on party reforms and if their proposals were not to be implemented, they would agitate for them both in and outside Parliament and take to the streets.He said the group will remain in the UNP but they will join other groups and parties to demand for democratic reforms.

APRC to move ahead sans JHU

The All Party Representative Committee yesterday decided to continue with its deliberations without the JHU which pulled out of it asking President Mahinda Rajapaksa to summon the All Party Conference .The JHU, earlier in a letter to the President, requested that the APRC proceedings be stopped and called for an APC meeting. Last Friday, the President even agreed to do so. However, the APRC which met with its Chairman Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitarana last evening decided to complete its task of evolving a political solution to the national question without the JHU’s participation. Committee sources said the agreement had to be reached upon among the political parties only on ten percent of issues with regard to the power devolution.  “We decided to complete this remaining percentage and hand over the final report to the relevant parties soon,” sources said. The APRC held its 80th session yesterday.

08 September 2008

TELO hope that the Tamil community in Sri Lanka could be saved if only India intervenes directly in solving these problems. TELO President Selvam

Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance MP and the Leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) said in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.In an interview with Kumudam ,Tamil weekly published from Chennai, Selvam Adaikalanathan said that in the Parliament of Sri Lanka, whenever they raised voices against the atrocities unleashed on the Tamils, other MPS used to come menacingly to assault them in the parliament.He was interviewed by the Kumudam Weekly and the interview appeared in the 3rd September issue of the magazine.Given below the full text of the report that appeared in the Kumudam dated 03 September 2008, in Tamil language.

Bid farewell to us dear country
House facing the sea coast,
Palmayrah groves … nest of birds,
Is it possible see once more again

Sorrow will pierce our heart. We can't sleep for two days whenever we hear an agonizing song which starts with the lines "bid farewell to us dear country..." Sounds of exploding bombs…all over heaps of corpse piled up. War has intensified in Sri Lanka. We met Selvam Adaikalanathan, MP, elected from Vanni electoral district in Sri Lanka, when he came to Chennai recently and had a discussion with him. Selvam Adaikalanathan, leader of TELO, has been elected to the Sri Lankan Parliament thrice. He has shared his views on the present situation in Sri Lanka.

Given below the excerpts of the interview with Selvam Adakalanathan

Kumudham : Within the past two months war has intensified ..... ?

Selvam Adaikalanathan MP: Present activities of the Sinhala army in Sri Lanka cannot be termed as a 'war'. The Sinhala army has been carrying out all form of attacks, including aerial attacks on the areas where innocent Tamils live. They chase the Tamils away as vagabonds, so as to script an image that they have brought the Tamil areas under their control. For example, Sinhala army entered into areas like Arippu, Silavathuraii and Kokkupidichan and ordered the Tamils living there to vacate their houses within one hour's time. Our people, as they were not left with any other option, went out of their houses without taking any of their belongings with them. The Army then looted their belongings. These kind of human rights violations are taking place continuously in Sri Lanka.

Kumudam: Due to the present ongoing war, do the schools are not closed?

Selvam Adaikalanathan MP: Earlier, schools used to be closed only during those few days the fighting was on. But now, due to the severity of the problem, schools remained close for the past two months.

Kumudam: Prices of commodities have skyrocketed in Sri Lanka?

Selvam Adaikalanathan MP: Six months back, 1 kg of rice was Rs.25, but now it is Rs.70/- per kg. Sugar is Rs. 50/- per kg. Cost of a bread packet is Rs.35/- Like this, prices of all commodities have gone up by 3 times. In Sri Lanka, a day’s wage of a laborer is Rs.200/- Moreover they do not get regular opportunities to work. Hence the Tamil people are forced to live in hunger and starvation for their very survival.

Kumudam: Are you, in your capacity as a Tamil Parliamentarian, raising these pathetic conditions of the Tamils in the floor of the parliament?

Selvam Adaikalanathan MP: Out of a total of 225-member parliament, there are a total of 30 Tamil speaking members (??). Out of those, 22 Members belongs to Tamil National Alliance. I am the Chief Whip of TNA in the Parliament. Whenever we raise our voices about the atrocities and injustices against Tamils, other members of the Parliament will come to beat us. Even if we continue our talks, the Ministers of the respective departments will be unavailable in the Parliament. However if we manages and continues to talk in the Parliament, the Government Ministers won’t be present in the Parliament. But we continues to raise our voices in the fervent hope that our speeches, in which we express the distresses of our people, might reach the international community and through them the Tamil community in Sri Lanka might be saved through their efforts.

Kumudam: It is said that even the lives of Parliamentarians not safe in Sri Lanka?

Selvam Adaikalanathan MP: It is true. The Sinhala army had shot dead a Parliamentarian in the broad daylight. But the Sri Lankan government had hidden the fact that the said murder was committed by the army, and had appointed a Commission of Enquiry to inquire in to this murder. Commission of Enquiry is nothing but to hide the issue as per the liking of the government.

Kumudam: What is the solution to these problems?

Selvam Adaikalanathan MP: If the Sri Lanka Government put forward political solutions to these problems of the Tamils, then Tigers would come forward to consider about it. Otherwise, there is no other option except the bifurcation of Sri Lanka.

Kumudam: From India, especially from Tamil Nadu, what kind of help do you expect?

Selvam Adaikalanathan MP: The main political leaders of Tamil Nadu also should strongly raise their voice in the Parliament. We have a hope that Tamil community in Sri Lanka could be saved if only India intervenes directly in solving these problems.

Kumudam: It is said that the army has been maintaining an upper hand in the last few weeks and it is said that Tigers are experiencing setbacks?

Selvam Adaikalanathan MP: A few years back, Sri Lanka army fought for months and captured many areas from the LTTE's control. That military operation was named “Jayasikuru". However in the end, Tigers attacked them only for four days and chased away the army and brought back those areas under its control.In the past twenty-five years we have faced many ups and downs in this struggle. Hence these are nothing for us", Adaikalanathan said.

Foreign interference won't be tolerated - PM

Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake says certain countries and organizations are interfering in internal affairs of Sri Lanka.This amounts to a violations of Bandong and nonaligned agreements and would not be tolerated, he told a function in Galle to mark the opening of a new building of the Southern Provincial Council and the 86th International Cooperatives Day.He also said, "In certain countries, their own observation teams say leaders have been murdered. Have we interfered in them? We are a civilized country with self-dignity. Therefore, we do not interfere in internal affairs of other countries. I am telling them not to preach us about human rights.""Diplomats of countries where vote rigging took place in elections to elect leaders are meeting our elections commissioner to give advice. Do we cry out that their presidential poll was rigged? Today, election riggers are telling us about how to conduct elections," Mr. Wickremanayake charged.Speaking further, he said the heroic soldiers have cornered the terrorists today."Now, some are sending letters telling us to negotiate. Some are giving newspaper interviews calling for talks. I want to tell them very clearly that our government will not change its line. It is not very far away that the last terrorist is eliminated."

Karunanidhi reports Lankan Navy to PM Singh

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister  Manmohan Singh to ensure the safety of Indian fishermen and request the Sri Lankan Navy to exercise restraint and refrain from shooting innocent Indian fishermen, Tamil Nadu based web agencies reported.In the letter a copy of which was issued to the press, Karunanidhi urged the Prime Minister to take steps to protect their lives and ensure their livelihood. ‘In spite of the assurances given by the government of India, the fishermen of the State feel insecure and reluctant to carry on fishing in the Indian water for fear of attack by Sri Lankan Navy without any warning’, he said.The Chief Minister further said that every time a shooting incident or apprehension of Indian fishermen took place near the border, the Sri Lankan Navy immediately denied it.Karunanidhi said that from January 2006 todate, the Sri Lank Navy had opened fire on Tamil Nadu fishermen on 27 occasions. Eight fishermen had been killed and 24 injured. Over 240 fishermen had been apprehended.He said that in spite of the issue taken up with Sri Lankan President by the Prime Minister during the recent SAARC Summit, 10 fishermen in Nagapattinam had been apprehended on 9 August, 2008 and shooting of fishermen had taken place on 4 September, 2008 resulting in the injury of one fisherman in Nagapattinam.He further said the strong protests by the Tamil Nadu government with the Deputy High Commission of Sri Lanka in Chennai and that of the government of India with their Sri Lankan counterpart on the increasing number of such incidents had not yielded desired results.‘The incidents of harassment continue unabated and a number of fishermen, who venture into the sea for fishing, have been continuously complaining about the treatment meted out to them by the Lankan Navy’, he added.He alleged that the Sri Lankan Navy was not reciprocating the goodwill shown by the Indian Coast Guard and Navy in dealing with Sri Lankan fishermen for crossing the international border and fishing in the Indian water. The Lankan Navy continued to open fire recklessly without any warning which was against the International Laws of the Sea, Karunanidhi pointed out.

Abducted Tamil youth surfaces at TID

An upcountry Tamil youth taken by a group in a white Dolphin van has finally surfaced at the Terrorist Investigation Division, the CWC has alleged.Rajaratnam Nadaraja, a resident of an estate at Lindula in Nuwara Eliya, had been abducted last week, the party said in a statement. The CWC expressed optimism that he would be released once the TID investigation against him is over.

Sexual assault at Hakmana police station

The National Police Commission (NPC) yesterday said that Police Headquarters needed to take tough action against sex maniacs in the department to ensure an already bad situation from getting worse. A shocked K. C. Logeswaran, Secretary to the Commission yesterday told The Island that a report would be called from Police Headquarters on the alleged sexual assault on a teenage boy by M. G. Chandrasiri, Officer-in-Charge of Hakmana Police. He expressed shock and regret that a cohesive strategy hadn’t been adopted to discourage sex offenders even after the Officer-in-charge of Kalutara (North) Police Jakson was interdicted recently on a rape charge, pending a court inquiry. He is alleged to have raped a 14-year-old girl.Logeswaran noted that the molestation of the teenager had taken place within the Hakmana police station premises. Nothing could have been worse than this, he said.Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera yesterday said that the police wouldn’t shield the suspects. Gunasekera said that some dogs have entered the police. "I don’t agree with the assertion that the service has gone to the dogs," he told The Island, vowing to track down the Hakmana OIC. "He is still at large," he said, adding the Matara Police Division has been directed to apprehend him.Gunasekera said that the police were also looking for Nuwan Udaya Gunatilleke, alias Kudu Nuwan wanted in connection with the recent rape of a girl, an employee of a karaoke bar, in the Kollupitiya police area. He, too, was at large, the spokesman said.Child Development and Women’s Empowerment Sumeda Jayasena wasn’t available for comment. The Hakmana incident has come close on the heels of a government pledge to launch a comprehensive action programme to fight child abuse. This pledge was given at a press briefing held at the Information Department with the participation of Minister Jayasena and Jagath Wellawatte, Chairman of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA).Wellawatte has sought a meeting with IGP Jayantha Wickremaratne to discuss several issues. Responding to our queries, he told The Island yesterday emphasising the urgent necessity to speed up inquiries into cases of child abuses. "These cases shouldn’t be dragged on," he said, asserting the delay on the part of the system should be avoided.

6 Missions of LTTE and 6,000 by Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse has used several numbers and figures to solidify some of his claims about being ‘on the right track’ in the ongoing war, during an interview with a Sinhala newspaper. The Defence Secretary’s comments are seen as an attempt to calm certain uneasiness with regards to successful LTTE air operations among some Sri Lanka troops on the ground, opposition party questions on the success of the ‘onslaught’ so far and concerns being raised by international organizations on the plight of civilians.

Sri Lanka Air Force far superior

There is no military significance whatsoever, on the air strike carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Their attack in Trincomalee was just an act to rejuvenate their support base, Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse said in an interview with the weekend edition of Sinhala newspaper Divayina.According to an excerpt of the interview appearing on the Tamil Daily Virakesari website today, Sri Lanka Defence Secretary further said:The Tigers air wing so far conducted 6 missions. During this period Sri Lanka Air Force carried out 6,000 air strikes. LTTE planes carry bombs weighing 30 kg where as Sri Lanka Air Force carries 250 to 1,000 kg bombs. Furthermore, LTTE aircrafts seem to be missing the targets while, our Air Force is right on zeroing in on the intended.

Depleting and destroying LTTE resources

Capturing Kilinochchi is a little difficult operation. However, we will somehow bring Kilinochchi under our control and a time frame cannot be given for this, the Defence Secretary is quoted as saying.Over a year has gone by since this operation started. Our first goal was destroying LTTE resources. We started by depriving them of facilities in Mannar. The Navy attacked and destroyed Sea bases of the LTTE; major marine routes are now blocked for LTTE, even though a few still remain.

Civilian lives not at risk

Sri Lanka Defence Secretary also claimed that civilian lives are not at risk in Kilinochchi. He based his prediction on the ‘success’ of resettling internally displaced persons in the Jaffna peninsula within one and a half years. He said there were 500,000 persons in Jaffna at the time of being captured by Sri Lanka security forces; and the people in Kilinochchi now is half of that number, Sri Lanka Defence Secretary said.

Plight of civilians

International Organizations continue to point out that the conditions for civilians in Vanni are worsening. Several deaths, including of children were reported on Aug 31st, by Colombo based Tamil daily Thinakkural.Contrary to the claims of Defence Secretary, in Jaffna peninsula thousands of civilians are still unable to return to their previous homes due to the creation of high security zones. Similar situation prevails in the East as well.

Tough fight ahead

On the war front analysts have commented the road ahead will not be easy for Sri Lanka armed forces. In a Reuters report today, Maria Kuusisto, an analyst with the Eurasia Group in London said of the Sri Lanka armed forces advancement into LTTE held areas: “They have achieved a small breakthrough but the LTTE are putting up a tough fight”.

Minor political parties slam Dinesh

The Minor political parties yesterday slammed the decision to ban the parties which were not active in the political arena. This decision was notified by Minister Dinesh Gunawardene the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms in a public statement on Saturday. Democratic Unity Alliance (DUA) Frontliner Roy Bogahawatte told the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna which Minister Gunawardene represent and the SLFP which has not contested at elections since 1989 should also be banned as they have not been active as a political party during the past few years. He said DUA has been in the active politics and have been able to win two seats in the Colombo Municipal Council in the local government election of 2006.  He said it was the people who could decide whether a political party was active or not. However, he said the Minister was correct in one sense as a large number of public funds was wasted when there were a large number of political parties. He explained that it was public funds that were wasted on propaganda to promote parties and to print ballet papers and hand outs when there were a large number of political parties.United Socialist Party Leader, Siritunga Jayasuriya also slammed the decision stating that it was a blow for democracy. He said the Minister had no right to make such a statement as a member of the government though he might have the right to do so as an individual. He said what was expected from the Electoral Reform Committee Chairman was to implement the 17th Amendment of the Constitution which provided for an Independent Commission and not the kind of statement which he had made.  Democratic Left Front Leader, Vasudeva Nanayakkara also expressed similar sentiments stating that nothing should be concealed but keeping political parties just for the purposes such as to get extra polling agents during elections should be avoided while laws should also be brought in to prevent the political parties from giving their party name to be used by other parties. He said United Socialist Party has been active politically and even contested Eastern Provincial Council. Minister Gunawadene in his recent public statement mentioned that out of the 57 political parties only 21 of them were politically active. He said the government would soon bring a law to ban all political parties which were dormant.

Air Force strikes LTTE sea base, recruit training centre
   
The Air Force conducted two separate raids on a LTTE sea base and a recruiting center in the Wanni, while separate ground clashes killed at least 17 LTTE cadres on Saturday, the military said.The Air Force said that in the first aerial bombing, MI-24 helicopter gunships launched extensive air assaults at a pre-identified sea tiger camp located at Kavitharamunai, in Pooneryn, West of Kilinochchi, around 4.14 a.m. Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said the air assault was launched on accurate information received from the Jaffna military sources. Severe damages are expected following the raid on the sea tiger facility which was code-named 'Kadal' by the outfit, military said. The facility has been used by the LTTE for training and co-ordination of terrorist activities and as a launch pad for LTTE infiltration groups into the peninsula, the sources further said. Military radio observation reports confirm total-silence in the enemy circuits following the raid, the sources said, adding that intense LTTE activity was reported in the Pooneryn coast since early this morning.In the second attack air force fighter jets launched precision air strikes at an identified LTTE recruit training center located 3km West of Mankulama in Mullaittivu, at 10.20a.m yesterday. According to the spokesperson, the air sorties were carried out successfully.As the intense fighting continued, at least 17 LTTE cadres were killed, five others reported wounded during fighting ensued between troops and LTTE at the tensed Wanni battlefront in the Kilinochchi and Mullaittivu districts. During these clashes four soldiers were killed and several others injured.

Army chief inspects Jaffna security
   
Army Commander Sarath Fonseka made an inspection tour of the Jaffna Peninsula on Saturday, where he declared open a new monument built in memory of the war heroes. “The main objective of the tour was to inspect the current security situation in the peninsula,” the army headquarters said.The visiting Commander was briefed on the security situation in the Jaffna Peninsula separately by the area Commanders, Senior military officers and the Jaffna Commander at the Security Forces Headquarters in Jaffna.The Army Commander declared open the new monument built in memory of the heroes of the Army, The Air Force, The Navy and the Police, Jaffna Commander, Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, Commanders of all the Brigades, senior officers and the DIG, Jaffna W.S.H. Fernando and Base Commander of the Palaly Airport, Wing Commander A.J. Amarasinghe also participated in the event.

07 September 2008

Tigers ask Wanni to prepare for final battle

The Tigers have told the Wanni population to get ready for the final battle and called in reserves to bolster cadre strength, according to minutes of a meeting between UN officials and INGO/NGO representatives in Habarana recently. "LTTE engaged in self defence training and reactivation of ex-combatants, including letters sent to families in the Wanni to join the ‘final battle.’ August 26 was the deadline given for finishing bunkers. LTTE has indicated that no passes will be issued for dependents of UN / NGO staff members to leave the Wanni," the minutes of the meeting held on August 27 said. The minutes also said that clashes between government forces and the Tigers are likely to intensify in the Wanni in the coming weeks and there is limited likelihood of mass movement of civilians out of the Wanni. The minutes were circulated last week by Head, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Zola Dowell for further inputs by the relevant parties."LTTE continues to appear confident (although with some indications of divisions at the top), noting in a recent meeting with the UN that they had not lost any significant areas (although Thunukkai fell a few days later)," the minutes of the meeting that were circulated among participants last week said. It said that there was a possibility of shellfire near Kilinochchi. "Sri Lanka Army (SLA) advance is likely to slow down due to weather (rainy season) and stronger LTTE resistance," the minutes also said. Referring to a meeting UN security experts held with Major General Jagath Jayasuriya, the overall Wanni Commander, the minutes said that the military push north was expected to continue."According to the Commander, the SLA will continue to move up the A32 the Mannar-Pooneryn Road. The A32 is being used as a supply route. Heavy fighting is expected to continue during the push towards north," it said. The minutes said that large-scale movement of civilians out of the Wanni appeared unlikely with the Tigers intensifying ‘the pass’ system and also recruitment of civilians into its ranks. The minutes said that there were 158,000 IDPs in the Wanni while the entire population was estimated by relief agencies to be between 260,000 and 300,000 despite an inflated figure of 417,000 quoted by local authorities. "IDPs will concentrate in Kilinochchi and to the east (of Kilinochchi) in the foreseeable future (December timeline)," it said and added that the best option out of the Wanni still remained the A9 despite press reports of possible alternative routes and gateways. "An alternative corridor is unlikely to open in the near future (A32 not an option according to the Wanni Commander) . Access (through the A9) will remain viable. Movement out of the Wanni will only be southwards given that Elephant pass is heavily mined," the minutes read.It said that prevention by