24 July 2008

Sri lankan Govt. welcomes Manmohan’s victory

The Sri Lankan Government said yesterday that the stabilization of the Indian Government would be advantageous to Sri Lanka’s ongoing military exercise. Commenting on the Indian Government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh winning the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, SLFP General Secretary and senior Minister Maithripala Sirisena told a media conference that Sri Lanka was happy about the outcome. Minister Sirisena said that had the Indian Government been defeated, there would be instability not only in India but also in the entire South Asian region. “This outcome is a blessing for Sri Lanka. It is not a secret that India helps our military operations,” he said. Mr. Sirisena said, “Had the Indian government lost this vote, an election would have to be declared. In the run-up to an election, no country can make vital policy decisions. Sri Lanka will also feel its pinch in such a political situation in India which is the regional giant.” Referring to the issue of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi proposing to the centre to take over the Kachchativu island from Sri Lanka, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the Government does not maintain diplomatic relations with a state government of a country. “We will deal only with the central government,” he said. The Minister said that the government would deal with such issues in a professional manner. “We will not act like a bull in a china shop,” he said. He said that the Government is concerned about the domestic problems faced by the Indian central government with regard to this matter. Mr. de Silva also commented on the issue of Indian fishermen. Asked how the Government would tackle this problem, he said that this had been a long- standing issue. “We cannot put up walls in the sea to demarcate boundaries. Fishermen come to fish. We are vigilant about possible LTTE activities being committed in the guise of fishing,” he said. Therefore, he said, this could be considered a ‘logistic problem’.

TN Police break LTTE supply chain

The Q Branch of the Tamil Nadu police on Tuesday busted a major LTTE procurement network, seizing five imported Yamaha outboard motors with a 40-horse-power capacity each. Three persons, including a Sri Lankan from Manalmelkudi in Pudukottai, were arrested. The Q Branch team arrested Kumargurubaran (28), a resident of Chennai, Ramesh (37), of from Ramanathapuram, and Manamohan (28) from Pesalai, Sri Lanka, near the Kattumanadi bus stop near Manalmelkudi on Tuesday. The motors were meant to be transported to Sri Lanka for the LTTE in a boat kept ready by Ramesh. "The gang had transported the motors from Chennai to Pudukkottai and was planning to take them by sea to Sri Lanka. We are yet to ascertain whose name the import consignment had been booked under and who collected it from the Chennai Port. There are more persons involved in the procurement of the motors and the investigation is on to find them," a senior police official told The Times of India. Police said Manamohan was the key player in this procurement network, co-ordinating the operation. "He arranged for the payment and co-ordinated the procurement. The seized motors are worth around Rs. 7 lakh in the market," the official said. The outboard motors are essential to convert conventional craft into high speed boats. The Sea Tigers use them in their strike boats. Ramesh, who is among those detained, has a history of cases against him relating to smuggling goods to Sri Lanka. "He was arrested on a few occasions earlier while attempting to smuggle goods to Sri Lanka. We are now checking the back ground of the other two accused," the official saidd.With the increased vigil by the law enforcement agencies in Tamil Nadu to check smuggling of goods to LTTE from Tamil Nadu, nearly four to six cases are being detected every month as against one case a month or even one case every two months couple of years back. "The smuggling for LTTE has been going on in Tamil Nadu. But, of late, we have been detecting more cases. However, LTTE is now more dependent on the supply from India as they are suffering huge losses from the war. They use to procure goods from South East Asia when they had their boats moving around without much trouble. Now the Sri Lankan Navy has not only inflicted considerable damage on their fleet but has stepped up vigil on high seas, restricting their movement," the official said. The LTTE has been procuring explosives, detonators, resin, boat parts, chopped coir mats for building boats, chemicals, clothes, adhesives, walkie-talkies, GPSs and mobile SIM cards from India. "They procure these things from all over India and smuggle it via villages along the east coast. The smuggling cases are more in Tamil Nadu because of its geographical proximity. Apart from the procurement for LTTE, there is commercial smuggling also happening between Sri Lanka and India. It is mainly to make profit using the wide differences in pricing of some items in both countries. Smuggling of beedi bundles are mostly for commercial purposes," the official said.

US Tamils to hold Black July rally, vigil

People For Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), an advocacy group composed of over 1,800 Americans concerned about the crisis in Sri Lanka, is organizing a protest rally and vigil in Washington DC on Thursday at 12 pm to remember the victims of Black July 1983, an ethnic pogrom, where organized mobs backed by the Sri Lankan government killed approximately 3,000 Tamil civilians, displaced several thousand Tamils and destroyed over $300 million worth of Tamils’ property. The rally will be held at the Russell Senate Park, at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and Delaware Avenue, Washington DC, according to the organizers. US Campaign for Burma is also joining the rally to remember the victims of the Burmese uprising on 8-8-88. The joint rally will protest China against its military support to Sri Lanka and Burma whose governments are accused of committing grave human rights violations.Members of Congress and human rights representatives are scheduled to speak at the rally. Speakers include Lucie Morillon, Director of the Washington Bureau of Reporters Without Borders, Nick Gaw, Executive Director of STAND, and Chad Hazlett, Director of Civilian Protection at Genocide Intervention Network.The rally will be followed by a silent vigil to remember the victims and honor the survivors of Black July.The vigil starts at 3:30 pm. Survivors of Black July will speak about their experiences during the pogrom and testimonials of survivors will be read at the event, according to organizers of the rally and vigil.

For the sake of future operations
 
The Indian Navy is in Sri Lanka with a strong force that includes the elite Black Cat Commandos for the SAARC Summit. Indian PM Manmohan Singh is to arrive in the island in two days. Indian spy satellites hover over the Vanni, observing the progresses made by the Army for unknown reasons.As speculated by some sources, the Sri Lankan Army is under no pressure to stop the war abruptly. This is false information. India will certainly not pressure the government of Sri Lanka to end the war because Sri Lanka can continue, with or without India, with help from China and Pakistan. China is currently the largest supplier of weapons and armaments and has replaced Japan as the largest single donor to Sri Lanka.The Tigers, through the political offices of Norway had officially requested the government to enter into a temporary cease-fire, which the government has now rejected. This is while intelligence sources have warned of a Tiger plan to launch a make-or-break grand attack against advancing troops. It is not so much a case of if, but when they would launch such an attack.If the Tigers fail to do this within the next month or two, the Army will definitely capture Kilinochchi. From there, they will surround Mullaithivu and Pooneryn. As always, the Tigers will use deception and wait for an opportune moment to cause maximum damage. But they must do this before the Army reaches Kilinochchi. Any time after that would be too late for the guerrillas.An opportunity may arise, if one is given. Otherwise, tigers would have to create their own (opportunity). This might very well happen in the East if the STF and the police do not step up to the task. Tigers have started avoiding direct confrontations and are trying to preserve their remaining cadres, especially those with experience.Meanwhile troops in the Vanni front have begun to thin out, having advanced 40-50 kilometers in places. Elite units have been deployed early. Some have died, others have received injuries. But the morale is high. The addition of the 62 Division, in a semi-offensive role, is crucial for this advance to continue further.The other potential debacle is the political deadline issue by the government for the military operations. The focus is again shifting from the battlefield to the North Central Provincial Council Elections. This is an all too familiar road, one that has led us to more bad things than good things in the past.

Representatives of European parliament meet JVP Leaders

A European parliamentary delegation headed by Jonathan Evans met leaders of the JVP including the its Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe at the JVP Head Office at Pelawatta today (22nd).  The political situation in the country and the democratic process was discussed while special attention was drawn to the 17th amendment to the Constitution. As a party that mediated in bringing forth the 17th amendment, the JVP would always endeavor to get it implemented said Mr. Amarasingehe. However, the government without implementing the democratic reforms is wading on a dictatorial path he added.  Though there had been a minor obstacle in naming a representative for minority parties the issue had been resolved and a representative of the minor parties has been named. However, the President has not appointed the representative Mr. Amarasinghe had pointed out.  Mr. Amarasinghe has handed over a draft of the road map compiled by the JVP for the solution of the national question in Sri Lanka to Mr. Evans and apprised the delegation regarding undemocratic acts of the government citing repression against the media and attacks by police on students and Buddhist priests. Mr. Amarasinghe had expressed the importance of the 17th amendment to avoid such incidents in the future. Thirteen members of the European Parliamentary delegation were present at the discussion and the Deputy Chairman of Committees in the Parliament Ramalingam Chandrasekar and JVP Parliamentarian for Colombo District Sunil Handunneththi too were present. 

National Post Editorial Board: Sri Lanka’s ‘Black July’ riots, 25 years later, and the rise of the Tamil Tigers

Twenty-five years ago this week, as many as 1,000 Sri Lankan Tamils were killed in what came to be known as the “Black July” riots. Majority Sinhalese nationalists, including Buddhist monks, went door-to-door in Sri Lankan cities looking for Tamils (who are predominately Hindu). The Sinhalese mobs dragged their victims into the street and either beat them to death with clubs and pipes or placed gasoline-soaked tires around their necks and set them alight, then stood back and watched as they burned alive. Almost all those killed were innocent civilians, including many women and children. Few, if any, were Tamil Tiger terrorists, whose ambush killing of 13 government soldiers set off the carnage on July 23, 1983.Thousands of Tamil homes and shops were also looted, then burned to the ground. More than half of the nearly 250,000 Tamils now in Canada — the largest expatriate Sri Lankan Tamil population in the world — came here as part of the exodus that followed these infamous pogroms.The friction between Tamil and Sinhalese residents of the island once known as Ceylon goes back centuries. During British rule, Tamils held most of the senior indigenous positions in commerce, the professions and the bureaucracy. This is partly the result of their greater willingness than their Sinhalese countrymen to accept missionary education and British institutions, and partly because of British unwillingness to integrate Buddhists into the upper echelons of society and imperial government. After independence in 1948, however, Sinhalese majority governments implemented a form of reverse discrimination known as the “policy of standardization,” which made Sinhalese the sole official language and brought most businesses under state control, then reserved most major government jobs and contracts for the Sinhalese.The result was a marginalization of Sri Lanka’s 3.2 million Tamils and a rise in Tamil militancy, particularly after the bloody mayhem of July, 1983. Over time, the Tamil Tigers developed into a combined insurgent army and terrorist group based in the northern and eastern parts of the country, which the Tigers seek to transform into an independent Tamil homeland known as “Tamil Eelam.” During the country’s on-and-off quarter-century-long civil war, nearly 70,000 people have died, many of them Tamils. Reports claim Sri Lankan security agents routinely resort to torture of Tamil prisoners. In other cases, suspected Tigers routinely have “disappeared” while awaiting trial. Yet despite all this, most of the world has little sympathy for the Tamil cause. And the reason is simple: The Tamil Tigers are just as brutal — and in some cases, far more brutal — than the Sri Lankan government itself. Over the years, the Tigers have executed dozens of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks. (A Tiger suicide bomber killed Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, for instance, while a Tiger assassin murdered Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993.) The Tigers’ other crimes include blocking reconstruction aid to the tsunami-ravaged east coast, abducting Sinhalese civilians and forcibly recruiting child soldiers from Tamil families. Sadly, the Tamils’ thuggish mindset has infected the Canadian Tamil community as well: Tiger front organizations have extorted millions of dollars from Tamil businesses in Toronto and other cities, often threatening harm to relatives back in Sri Lanka if business-owners fail to comply. Given all this, Stephen Harper’s government was entirely correct to put the Tigers — and its front organizations — on Canada’s list of outlawed terrorist organizations.Too many Tamils — both here and in Sri Lanka — equate support for political independence with support for the Tigers’ brutal methods. As a result, the world has forgotten the many genuinely horrible injustices wrought upon the Tamils. This is the fate of any group that puts its faith in terrorism instead of politics.

“We want Tamil Eelam” – British Tamils Chant at the Candlelight Vigil

Over two thousand people, largely Tamils turned up with a relatively short notice outside the British Parliament last night (23 July 2008) between 8 pm and 10 pm holding candles to mark respect and as remembrance of over 3,000 Tamils who were slaughtered during Sri Lankan State sponsored riots, 25 years ago.This show of strength and will of the Tamil Diaspora was organised by the British Tamils Forum in association with the Tamil Councillors & Associates. Age, Religion, Language or Gender were no barrier as from grand parents to babies in push chairs, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus to Tamils, Sinhalese were all present at the scene. People from all walks of life made an effort to participate. Through a series of chain mobile texts and emails people were contacted since last Sunday to inform of this candlelight vigil. To have reached over two thousand people in just over two days is a remarkable achievement and it also shows the feelings amongst the Tamil Diaspora wanting to show solidarity, resolve and strength with its brethren back in Sri Lanka.Although the parliament was in recess for summer vacation since 22 July, a few members of parliament from the main political parties made an effort to show solidarity. The current and former Chairmen of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPG – T) Hon Virendra Sharma MP and Hon Keith Vaz MP were accompanied by Hon Andrew Pelling MP and others. Young and old, male and female joined together and stood in silence. This candlelight vigil was organised as part of a series of events to mark ‘Black July’ here in the UK. Starting with Pongu Thamil on 12 July, a photo exhibition depicting 60 years of oppression of Tamils in Sri Lanka within the British Parliament on 16 July and this vigil was to coincide to mark the 25 years anniversary since the 1983 riots.Leaflets were handed out during rush hour at various points such as outside tube stations to raise awareness of the British Public of the continuous human rights violations carried out by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan families count cost of war 

It was 25 years ago this week that a minor insurgency in Sri Lanka began to turn into a full-scale civil war. An attack by Tamil Tiger rebels in the north sparked rioting across the country targeting members of the Tamil minority. The events came to be known as Black July. More than 70,000 people have died in the conflict. Now the army says victory is finally in sight. In recent weeks the pace of the advance has quickened, but the Tigers deny they are facing defeat. The army is recruiting hard, especially from rural areas. Not long ago the Defence Ministry sent out a text message to mobile phones nationwide. "Young Patriots," it read. "Come join with our armed forces and be a part of a winning team."

Earnings and tragedy

Over the years war and the army has become a way of life for many families. Take the village of Veruppamkulam, midway between the capital, Colombo, and the Tamil Tigers' northern stronghold. Some 125 families live here and all but a handful have at least one person in the armed forces. The war has brought them some relief from the poverty of rural Sri Lanka. There are brick houses, complete with colour televisions. Some have shiny new Bajaj three wheeler scooters parked outside, others have Indian motorbikes. Last week the roof was being put on a house being built by a military family. The man overseeing the work said 47 of his relatives were in the forces. When the conflict began, he said, they were living in shacks. Fighting has become the best career option for young men. There is little other work in the village. Nuwan Charmara Dinepala, 18, planned to go to the army camp to join up the next day. "I can't stay at home. I have nothing to do, no job," he said as he took a break from a game of cricket with his friends, many of whom were soldiers at home on leave. The war has also brought tragedy to Veruppamkulam. There are graves of fallen soldiers in the village. One headstone features a map of the island and a Sri Lankan flag. KB Leelawatti has only photographs as reminders of her two soldier sons. They were killed within months of each other, aged 22 and 23, and their bodies were never recovered from the battlefield. "I am happy because they sacrificed their lives for the country," she said tears steaming down her face. "On the other hand I am so sad to have lost them. And it's not only my children, so many young Sri Lankans have joined the forces to go to war."

'Houses burning'

This month became known as Black July back in 1983 because the explosion of violence was so bitter. The Tamil Tigers attacked an army convoy in the Jaffna peninsula, killing many soldiers. The next day rioting broke out in Colombo and mobs attacked members of the ethnic Tamil minority. The violence quickly spread. No one really knows how many Tamils were killed before the situation was brought under control. Estimates range from 400 to 3,000. Many thousands of Tamils left the island. Others stayed, including Kaderaveil Sunder, a shopkeeper in Colombo. "Houses were burning, everywhere there was fire," he said. "We were hearing the sounds of the fire brigade going here and there. Police... we couldn't see and we were very frightened because we thought we might get killed. "Thank God [Sinhalese] people came to help us who were known to us. And that's how we escaped from the situation."

Tamil arguments

Twenty-five years on much has changed as the war has ebbed and flowed across the island. A ceasefire signed in 2002 was finally abandoned after breaking down on the ground two years ago. The government says its forces, which are advancing into the north, have already driven the Tigers from the east. Provincial elections have been held in the east that the government says will be the basis for limited devolution intended to end the conflict. They were won by a government alliance including a breakaway faction from the rebels which still hasn't given up its guns. A former Tamil Tiger child soldier is now chief minister of the Eastern Province. "The fact that the present chief minister in the Eastern Province is a Tamil doesn't resolve the Tamil question," said R Sampanthan, the leader of the pro-Tiger Tamil National Alliance grouping in parliament. "The Tamils want political power in their hands. Tamils want the principle of self-determination accepted in the areas of historical habitation. "There may be Tamil militants, or ex-militants who are under compulsion to make common cause with the government, to appease the government, to placate the government. This is no solution to the Tamil question." Back in Veruppamkulam, as evening drew in, people gathered at the Buddhist temple for prayers that would last all night. Some mourned lost sons. Others worried about their loved ones on the frontlines. The government says an end to the conflict is coming soon. But people in the village have heard that promise before. KB Leelawatti believes the war should stop. Otherwise, she asks, how many more mothers will have to mourn?

23 July 2008

Madhu statue brought to Mannar

Following the LTTE’s announcement of a unilateral ceasefire, in a surprise development, the venerated Madhu statue was brought to the cleared areas in Mannar from the uncleared areas yesterday.The statue is now being kept at the Bishop’s house for the public to view.The statue was taken into the LTTE-controlled areas and was kept at St. Xavier’s Church, Thevanpitti, 70 km. northwest of Madhu since April 3 this year due to heavy artillery firing near the shrine premises.The statue was brought to the cleared areas in Mannar within 24 hours of the unilateral ceasefire declaration by the Tigers in view of the upcoming SAARC summit.

Wanni in crisis; TRO appeals to the world

The pro LTTE humanitarian organisation, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), a supposedly banned organisation in Sri Lanka has appealed to the government to allow unimpeded access by humanitarian agencies and humanitarian emergency relief including food, medicine fuel and construction materials and to ensure that civilians are not targeted by artillery and aerial bombardments in the military’s onslaught against the LTTE.In a statement, the organisation which was banned by the government late last year also urged the International Community to hold the Sri Lankan government accountable for violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) ensure that humanitarian assistance and access are unimpeded.The organisation said that as a result of artillery shelling and aerial bombardment by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Air Force (SLAF) 12,504 families (45,338 persons) have been displaced within the Wanni (the “Wanni” consists of the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu and parts of the Mannar and Vavuniya districts) since the end of June.“The humanitarian situation in the Wanni is becoming critical due to the resumption of war and limited access to the conflict areas that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) allows to international NGOs, the UN and the media. Additionally, the GoSL has placed severe restrictions and embargoes on the transportation of essential items such as food, medicine, fuel, and construction materials to the Wanni. The ability to address the humanitarian needs that have resulted from the GoSL military offensives and aerial bombing is severely limited as a result of these restrictions and embargoes,” TRO said in its statement.

Govt. rejects LTTE ceasefire
 
The Sri Lanka government has refused to reciprocate for the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Tamil Tigers.Cabinet Minister and Government defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told the BBC that the Tigers were facing defeat, and negotiations would only take place if they laid down their arms for good. The rebels said they would be forced to take 'defensive action' if they were attacked during the ceasefire.The LTTE on Monday issued a unilateral ceasefire during the forthcoming SAARC summit which will be held in Colombo next week.

Indian influence

The LTTE statment said: "On behalf of the people of Tamil Eelam, we extend our sincere good wishes to the fifteenth conference of SAARC that aims, to improve the economic development of the vast South Asian region and to create a new world order based on justice, equality and peace". Some anaylists say India had influenced the rebels to avoid confrontation during the summit for which Indian Prime Minister is due to take part. The Tamil Tigers were found guilty of assasinating former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Ghadhi in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They also express friendship to the outside world. "We are always keen to develop friendship with the countries of the world and our neighbouring countries in our region. We are sincere in our efforts to create the external conditions in order to build these friendships. We wish to express the good will and trust of the Tamil people".

Extending goodwill to Sri Lanka

The stateman say the Tamil Tigers are declaring the ceasefire for the duration of the summit. "As a sign of this goodwill, our movement is glad to inform that it will observe a unilateral ceasefire that is devoid of military actions during the period of the SAARC conference from 26th July to 4th August and give our cooperation for the success of the conference". However they do not rule out defensive action, "At the same time if the occupying Sinhala forces, disrespecting our goodwill gesture of our people and our nation, carry out any offensives, our movement will be forced to take defensive actions". At the same time the LTTE extends goodwill to all member nations including Sri Lanka. "We wish for the success of the SAARC conference and we also extend our goodwill and support to the countries of our region, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives". There were huge security operations launched by Srilankan authorities who feared attacks by the Tamil Tigers during the forthcoming summit.  

2 Tamils abducted in Dehiwela

Two Tamil men were reportedly abducted by a group in a white van at Galle Road on Dehiwela last night (July 21st). Both have been employees of FJC Creations, a printing house, located nearby.One of them has been identified as Muttukumar Selvaraja, aged 28 and a resident of Vavuniya.He has been working at FJC Creations since 1998, but had gone for overseas employment for two years from 2003, and returned back to his previous employer.Selvaraja has been staying in a room at the printing house.The other abductee, Palaniandy Shanmugaraja is 37-years of age and father of two daughters.He has been living in a house near his workplace.After the day's work, the two had been having a chat in front of the printing house, when they were taken.Their families have lodged complaints with the Dehiwela Police.Commenting on white van abductions, Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella has said that the media was exaggerating matters, and that the only solutions were to ban the import of white van or to repaint all white vans with another colour.The security authorities are also blamed for the white van abductions taking place with the intention of robbery, he said. However, the Civil Monitoring Committee is reporting that it has received complaints of five white van abductions in Colombo and suburbs this month alone.Several similar incidents have been reported from Puttalam and other areas.

"Restrictions at Vavuniya, Omanthai detering relief supplioes to the displaced"- Jaffna Bishop

Jaffna Catholic Bishop Rt.Rev. Thomas Soundaranayagam who yesterday appealed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa insisting on protection of innocent civilians in the ongoing military onslaught in Kilinochchi and requesting adequate humanitarian relief measures to the large number of displaced families told the 'Lanka-e-News' Tuesday (22) that the unfortunate families were languishing in jungle areas without shelter, food, medicines and other basic facilities. The Bishop said that Vavuniya was a major bottleneck where per day only 10 food convoys were being permitted to enter the war torn areas resulting in an acute food shortage among the displaced families while more families, on an average of 500 families per day, were getting displaced due to the ongoing military onslaught. Families along the A 32 Mannar-Pooneryn Road were getting displaced in large numbers and they were languishing in jungle areas without shelter, basic requirements, food and medicines, he said. A strict restriction on fuel supply to NGO/INGO convoys and vehicles, including convoys of the UNHCR and ICRC, is in force at Omanthai and Vavuniya deterring transport of relief supplies, he said adding that restrictions were imposed on transport of aluminium and plastic vessels/ utensils which are badly needed for the use of the displaced families, he said. The displaced families are also desperately in need of vehicles to move their belongings to their present dwellings, he said. Meanwhile, Kilinochchi Govt. Agent N.Vedanayagam told the 'Lanka-e-News' that 3500 families comprising 14,000 persons from Kiliniochchi district and 2000 families comprising 8000 persons were living as displaced people. He said day by day the number of increasing by about 400 to 600 families per day. The displaced families were being provided 400 grams of rice per day, per head, under auspices of the World Food Programme, he said. The families were mostly coming from Vellankulam area in Mannar North, he said adding that they were planning to put up shelters for the displaced families with the help of INGOs and NGOs.

Woman nabbed with substance akin to C-4 explosives

A middle-aged woman was arrested at the Phothanagama police check point near Anuradhapura with a substance similar to C-4 explosives. Under interrogation by the Anuradhapura police, she said she was from Oddusuddan and was travelling from her sister’s home in Jampettah Street in Colombo. The explosive type susbstance was detected in the sole of a new pair of shoes she was carrying in a bag.North Central Provincial Chief Ministerial Candidate Major General Janaka Perera, on hearing of the detection claimed that the woman may have been dispatched to assassinate him but Police said all aspects are being gone through and they are unable to arrive at any concrete conclusion immediately.Major Perera recalled previous incidents where the LTTE assassinated Major General Algama at a UNP election rally and UNP presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake at Grandspass at an election rally. The detection of a woman with some substance suspected to be explosives cannot be just dismissed, he said.

“Govt. behind EPDP's abductions" –Mano Ganeshan

Commenting on the arrest of seven EPDP members in connection with the abduction and murder of a Tamil businessman from Eravur and the subsequent detection of the van involved at the EPDP Chenkalady office, Civil Monitoring Committee chairman and human rights activist Mano Ganeshan MP said that the government should be held’ totally responsible for all such abductions’. He said that apparently the government had used the EPDP and other such groups for abductions and now sidelining its longtime ally EPDP, giving prominence to its new ally the TMVP which captured power in the May 2008 provincial council elections. The Eravur police arrested seven (07) suspects attached to the EPDP office in Chenkalady, Batticaloa in connection with the abduction and murder of the Tamil businessman and also traced at the EPDP office the white van believed to have been used for the abduction. The Eravur police have told that altogether 12 EPDP members were involved in the abduction and murder, according to intelligent reports they have received. Two of the suspects who were lately arrested were produced before the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

22 Black Tigers killed in air raid at Mulathivu -Air Force spokesman

Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said that 22 LTTE suicide bombers (Black Tigers) were killed in the air raid carried out Tuesday morning (July 22) at the Uddayarkattukulam LTTE camp. Citing Air Force intelligence sources , he said that the group of the slain LTTE cadres had been engaged in a rehearsal of a major suicide operation at the time of the air raid.Air Force fighter jets launched an air strike targeting pre identified LTTE special operation training facility located Northeast of Uddayarkattukulam in the Mullaittiuvu district around 8.15a.m. The Air Force sources said, targeted camp was providing training for LTTE cadres in special operations.

LTTE 'DPU' captured
 
Army Intelligence unit last weekend cracked open the activities of an LTTE 'Deep Penetration Unit' in the Weli Oya sector uncovering weapons and food dumps located in government held areas behind the advancing 59 Division's path.MI units recovered 5 claymore mines, dry rations, explosives and other armaments from the Tamil village of Salpe Aru. By last week, Intelligence units had captured five of the LTTE 'Deep Penetration Unit' cadres from various safehouses.The cadres have revealed an elaborate network of smuggling men and materials to the East via Kuchchaveli and Thiriyaya jungles. The first cadre arrested from the group, who is also the leader of the group, was a 17-year-old Teenager with 5yrs of experience in the LTTE.The LTTE is the first to develop a 'Deep Penetration Unit' in the war under the leadership of 'Col.' Jeyam. Jeyam, whilst serving as a junior cadre under Prabhakaran's relative and disgraced senior cadre Mahendrarajah alias Mahattaya was arrested and tortured by LTTE intelligence units on suspicion of conspiracy against Prabhakaran's unilateral command.Prabhakaran, a born talent at identifying lambs for slaughter, gave a task to Jeyam to prove himself to which Jeyam responded by developing the LTTE's first DPU, a less sophisticated design than that of the SLA's LRRP units, which uses Tamil villages inside government areas as cover for reconnaissance and sabotage missions.Currently these units operate in the south killing mainly civilians after reached these areas along old routes of pilgrimage used by Hindu devotees for centuries to go on pilgrimage to the Kataragama Devala.

Indian government survives vote 
 
India's Congress party-led government has survived a vote of confidence over a civilian nuclear deal with the US. The government motion received 275 votes with 256 against, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said, hours after adjourning the debate amid claims of vote buying. The vote came after the government's left-wing allies withdrew their support in protest at the controversial accord. If the government had lost the vote, India would have faced early elections, casting the nuclear deal in doubt. The lower house was packed to capacity, with MPs summoned from their sick beds and even from prison cells to take part in the vote. After it was held there was brief confusion over the counting process. Most voting was electronic, but about 50 votes were cast on paper which delayed the result. At least four MPs were too ill to vote from the chamber of the 543-seat house itself, but it is still not clear why so many MPs cast paper ballots. A number of MPs also abstained. There were Congress celebrations when victory became clear, with dancing supporters cheering, clapping and letting off firecrackers in front of party leader Sonia Gandhi's house in Delhi. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh thanked MPs for "such a convincing victory". "This will send a message to the world at large... India is prepared to take its rightful place in the comity of nations," he told reporters. The US welcomed the result and said it would work closely with the Indian government to have the deal ratified. The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says the vote had looked too close to call. But the government managed to scrape through with the support of smaller parties and independent members. India faces a general election next year and many political parties have used the debate over the nuclear deal to stake out their positions ahead of the polls, our correspondent says. The deal itself is now more dependent on whether it gets through the US Congress before elections in November, than on political opposition in India.

Tight vote

Two days of debate on the nuclear accord ended in uproar amid opposition allegations of vote buying. Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members waved fistfuls of money in the air, alleging that they had been offered bribes to abstain. day" for the Indian parliament, adding: "Nobody will be spared if found guilty." The prime minister has promised his party will co-operate in an inquiry into the claims.With the left withdrawing support, the government could rely on only 226 members in the 543-seat parliament, and needed 46 more to be absolutely sure of a majority. India's media was awash with reports of alleged defections and desertions among MPs ahead of the vote. Under the accord, India, which has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, would gain access to US civilian nuclear technology and fuel. In return its civilian nuclear facilities would be opened to inspection. Nuclear weapons sites would remain off-limits. The communists fear the accord could give the US too much influence over Indian foreign and nuclear policy. The main opposition Hindu nationalist BJP fears that the deal could compromise India's ability to test nuclear weapons in the future. India is under pressure from Washington to sign the accord before the US presidential election in November. Last week, Indian officials met members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world nuclear regulatory body, in Vienna to discuss plans to safeguard India's civilian nuclear facilities. The IAEA's approval of the plan is a key condition for enacting the deal. If the IAEA signs the agreement, the deal will go to the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which regulates global civilian nuclear trade, for approval. It must then be approved by the US Congress before President Bush can sign it into law. Critics of the deal fear assistance to India's civil programme could free-up additional radioactive material for bomb-making purposes.

22 July 2008

LTTE announces unilateral ceasefire during SAARC summit

The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Tuesday announced that the movement would observe unilateral ceasefire during the period of SAARC conference from 26th July to 04 August, giving cooperation for the success of the conference. Conveying goodwill and trust of the Tamil people, the LTTE Political Wing, in a press statement issued from Vanni said it wished for the success of the SAARC conference, extending the movement's support to the "countries of our region, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives."

Full text of the announcement by the LTTE follows:

LTTE Political Wing
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam
22 July 2008

Ceasefire announcement

On behalf of the people of Tamil Eelam, we extend our sincere good wishes to the fifteenth conference of SAARC that aims, to improve the economic development of the vast South Asian region and to create a new world order based on justice, equality and peace.

For sixty years, the Sinhala leadership is continuing to refuse to put forward a just solution to the national question of the Tamil people. The Sinhala nation is not prepared to deal justice to the Tamils. The politics of the Sinhala nation has today taken the form of a monstrous war. Because the chauvinistic Sinhala regime is putting its trust in a military solution, the war is spreading and is turning more and more intense. Sinhala nation is intent on occupying and enslaving the Tamil homeland. Our military is only involved in a war of self defence against this war of the Sinhala nation.

Behind the smokescreen of war, the Sinhala regime is heaping misery on the Tamil people and is killing them in large numbers. The brutal truth of the gradual destruction and oppression of the Tamil people is being blacked out. The just struggle of the Tamil people is being hidden behind an iron curtain in the name of news censorship. A false propaganda is being spread to tarnish, the freedom movement of the Tamil people and the path it was adopted for its self. This has resulted in misleading views and incorrect opinions about our freedom struggle. We are deeply saddened by this.

We are always keen to develop friendship with the countries of the world and our neighbouring countries in our region. We are sincere in our efforts to create the external conditions in order to build these friendships. We wish to express the good will and trust of the Tamil people. As a sign of this goodwill, our movement is glad to inform that it will observe a unilateral ceasefire that is devoid of military actions during the period of the SAARC conference from 26th July to 4th August and give our cooperation for the success of the conference. At the same time if the occupying Sinhala forces, disrespecting our goodwill gesture of our people and our nation, carry out any offensives, our movement will be forced to take defensive actions.

We wish for the success of the SAARC conference and we also extend our goodwill and support to the countries of our region, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives.

Sri Lankan rebels say peace talks 'impossible'

Sri Lankan rebels said Monday that a new round of peace talks on ending the country's 25-year-old civil war is impossible as long as the government presses ahead with a military offensive.President Mahinda Rajapaksa said earlier this month he was prepared to restart long-dormant talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels if the group lays down its arms and ceases bombings and other attacks across the country.Balasingham Nadesan, the head of the rebels' political wing, said Rajapaksa's conditions were "naive" and "impractical" and there was no way the two sides could negotiate while the fighting continued to rage."It is impossible to hold peace talks when one party, the government of Sri Lanka, is undertaking large-scale military offensives," he told The Associated Press in an e-mail interview from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi in the north.Presidential spokesman Lucien Rajakarunanayake said the military would end the offensive if the rebels disarmed."The government offensive is to eradicate terrorism from the country. If there are signs terrorism is not functioning, then there is no problem," he said.The government has claimed a series of military victories in recent days against the rebels. Troops seized an important coastal base used by the rebels' naval wing last Wednesday and pushed deeper into the north Sunday, taking control of a rebel base in the village of Illupakadavai.However, Nadesan said he did not consider the offensive a threat to the rebels' fight for an independent homeland for the country's ethnic Tamil minority."We have always used many different tactics and strategies to deal with such offensives," he wrote. "We have repeatedly demonstrated our ability to convert the Sri Lankan government offensives into our favor."The Tamil rebels have been fighting for an independent state in the nation's north and east since 1983, following decades of marginalization by governments dominated by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.A 2002 Norwegian-brokered cease-fire broke down 2 1/2 years ago amid new fighting. The government seized control of the Eastern Province from the rebels last July.In January, it officially pulled out of the cease-fire and expelled Nordic truce monitors.Nadesan said recent fighting had displaced about 150,000 people in rebel-held territory. Many of the recently displaced people lack adequate food, shelter and clean water, he said.Human rights workers have privately accused the government of preventing the movement of some essential items, including cement and gasoline, into rebel-held territory.Rajakarunanayake denied that accusation."That is totally incorrect," he said.Nadesan, former head of the rebels' police force, was made the Tamil Tigers' political chief after his predecessor, S.P. Tamilselvan, was killed in an airstrike last year.The group has been responsible for hundreds of bombings and other attacks on civilian and military targets throughout the country. It is listed as a terror group by the United States, EU and India.When asked if the rebels remained committed to attacks inside government-held territory, Nadesan said they had not changed their position."Our forces will undertake any military actions that are needed to evict the occupying Sri Lankan armed forces from our homeland," he said.

Nine EPDP members arrested for murder
 
Police investigating the murderof a businessman in Eastern Sri Lanka had arrested nine members of Elam Peoples Democratic Party [EPDP]. Police say they suspect the murder was commited at their party office in Chenckalady.Police have taken a white van and a motorcycle to custory from the party office premises. White van with shaded windows was suspected to have been used for abducting the victim. Nine EPDP members including an elected local government representative were arrested during the investigation for the murder of Devadas Suresh Kumar. Acting Officer in Charge of Eravur Police, Nalaka mahagedaragama told reporters that the arrests were made and vehicles were discovered as a result of information given by suspects arrested earlier. He also said that the police are looking for three more suspects and another motocycle that was used to transport the dead body out of the EPDP office through the security force checkpoints for buriel. The father of the murder victim Vairamuttu Devadas piaised the police for its prompt and impartial action. "I am happy about the action taken to arrest the killers of my son. I never thought they will find the killers. Eravur police had done a wonderful job"

Govt to go ahead with Sethu

The Union government is likely to go ahead with the contentious Sethusamudram Project. Sources disclose that the government will defend the project when the case comes up for hearing on Tuesday and will reply to petitions demanding that the Ram Sethu or the Adam’s Bridge be declared as a national monument and World Heritage site. The 3,500 crore project started in July 2004 ran into controversy when Hindu groups started to protest the dredging across the Sethusamudram canal as it destroyed the Adam’s bridge, believed to be the passage created by Lord Rama to rescue his wife from the hands of demon King Ravana in Sri Lanka.Environmentalists too opposed the project alleging it destroyed the biosphere reserve in the area laden with coral reefs.Many religious activists and political parties including Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy moved the Supreme Court in 2007 seeking a stay on the project. The Supreme Court gave an interim order staying dredging operations across the Ram Sethu area in August 2007, but the Union government has continued dredging in other places across the canal.The affidavit filed by the government containing a report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) saying that there was no historical or scientific evidence of the existence of the bridge and that the characters of Ramayan are merely fictional incited protests throughout the country The BJP attacked the government that it hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus. It led to the suspension of two ASI officials and the government withdrew the objectionable portions of the affidavit.After hearing the petitioners during a five-day hearing during May 2008, the Supreme Court has asked the government as to why the Ram Sethu bridge should not be declared as a national monument and a World Heritage site and file an ASI report on the issue. Not willing to run into any more controversies this time the government is likely to ask for more time to file a reply and a report by Archaeological Survey of India when it comes up for hearing on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka Government to give a second thought on CEPA

Sri Lankan government has decided to delay the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India.It is reported that the CEPA which is interpreted as a second stage of the already signed Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement, would enable investments and services to free flow between the two countries.However, due to country wide lobbying made by concerned parties including the trade chambers, businessmen, and certain state departments, Sri Lanka Government has decided to postpone the signing of the framework agreement during the SAARC summit in Colombo. Opposing parties fear that the agreement would increase the trade deficit with India. Indian media reports said that Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna has said that Sri Lanka should not sign the deal, as they believed it favoured India.

Sri Lanka:  War after the fall of Vidattalthivu– Part 1 By Col R Hariharan (Retd.)

Keeping up the momentum of their offensive, Sri Lanka army's 58 Division and Commando troops advanced another 10 km to the north to capture Illuppakkadavai on Sunday July 20, 2008 close on the heels of their success in capturing the Sea Tiger base of Vidattalthivu on the Mannar coast on July 16, 2008. According to Defence sources, the Commandos pursued and attacked the cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fleeing  Iluppakkadavai, three km to the north on the A32 Mannar- Pooneryn road.The rapid progress of the Mannar offensive and its quick successes send clear signals of the intention of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa to fight the LTTE unto finish despite his recent statement in India about his readiness to talk to the LTTE. At best the statement was a palliative to mollify ruffled sentiments in India where the LTTE enjoys a love-hate relationship in Tamil Nadu. (And the scale still appears to be weighted against 'love'.)The military victories should enable the President, who had been beleaguered by issues of high inflation, food shortages and financial tight squeeze due to war expenditure, to more confidently host the forthcoming summit of South Asian nations at the 15th SAARC meet in Colombo.  The demonstrated military strength of a leader always sends a stronger message than words. In his case it would show his determination to pursue military objective first, regardless of the subterranean rumblings about it among the international community.The capture of Vidattalthivu and Iluppakadavai are hard earned victories that have come about not a day soon. Though Adampan was captured on May 8 after prolonged efforts to penetrate its satellite defences, obviously it was the breakthrough at Periyamadhu on the eastern side that had enabled the security forces to speed up their offensive. The fact the offensive troops have kept up their momentum to secure Iluppakadavain, a well established LTTE location, in four days shows that the army is overcoming its past weakness of slowing down after every success.Apparently the operational plans now had been reworked and better orchestrated than the half-hearted efforts that got bogged down for quite sometime around the Giant's Tank on the flank of Adampan last year.Though 200 cadres of the LTTE managed to pull out of the Vidattalthivu base before the security forces took it over, the operation was a difficult one as it involved reducing well fortified defences built around the base with a network of defensive positions on three sides providing depth to it. This was the reason why its capture took so long as it involved reducing the satellite defensive positions on the south and east.  No doubt the injection of additional troops of the newly raised 61 Division and the linking up of 57 and 58 Divisions had boosted the chances of success in the Vidattalthivu-Iluppakadavai offensive.With these successes, not only the LTTE's clandestine logistic umbilical chord from Tamil Nadu coast is cut, but the manoeuvring space of the LTTE to switch troops from east to west and ability to coordinate operations on more than one front are also reduced. As against this, the security forces have now gained a decisive advantage with the linking up of forces operating on a wide front from the key road junction at Iluppakadavi to areas west of Mankulam on the A9 highway.After the fall of Iluppakkadavai, the Nachchikuda LTTE base located 17 km further to the north becomes an important objective in the security forces offensive towards Pooneryn. Sea Tiger operations from Nachchikuda in tandem with Vidattalthivu had been a thorn in the flesh of Sri Lanka navy. The shallow waters of Vidattalthivu and the hundreds of Indian fishing boats in the vicinity had enabled the Sea Tiger boats to carry out sneak operations with little interference.As the Sea Tigers would be handicapped after the fall of Vidattalthivu, the navy should be able to control if not totally curtail sea movement across Palk Bay and Nachikuda either towards island territories off Jaffna or to the Tamil Nadu coast. It would also help the navy in providing better support to its outposts and detachments operating along the coast from the Mannar salient to Delft island. The land offensive building up against Nachchikuda might well turn out to be a combined army-navy operation. The offensive patrolling operations of coastal patrol vessels of the navy reported in the seas around Vidattalthivu and Nachchikuda on July 20 indicate the likelihood of greater naval involvement in operations against Nachchikuda and more importantly in Pooneryn later.However, before Nachchikuda is taken the security forces will have to secure and consolidate their hold on line Vellankulam-Tunukkai-Malavi on the road branching off from A32 to Mankulam. (This would probably involve further advance on a broad front for about 4km.) In the present operational situation, the Mankulam-Vellankulam axis to the east of A32 provides perhaps the best opportunity for the LTTE to launch a counterattack to dislodge the security forces as they are stretched now with the rapid advance. So we can expect the 57 Division sector to the west of A9 road become active in the coming week.The A32 provides an alternate route to Jaffna from Pooneryn across the Jaffna Bay.  Pooneryn's location on the western flank of A9 road can bring the war closer to Kilinochchi.  Even if Pooneryn is not captured, the successes of the security forces on A32 road have increased their options to further progress their offensive because they will be operating on a wide front with a choice of multiple thrust lines with the advantage of secure flanks.In spite of the quick successes, Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka, the Army Commander is understandably cautious about the course of operations in the future. This is evident from the interview he had given to the Sunday Observer on July 20. His guarded approach had enabled him to carefully plan and conduct his operations probably at a time of his choosing.  So he usually avoids coming up with rash promises on operations unlike some politicians.  Perhaps he remembers that nearly a decade ago when the LTTE was not  having so of much fire power, it had upstaged the Sri Lanka security forces in the same sector though they had scored initial successes. It is interesting to see despite the official claims of killing 9000 LTTE cadres in Eelam War-4 he still credits the LTTE with a strength of 5000, which appears to be a realistic assessment. This strength includes hardened elements as well as raw inexperienced and ill trained hands. How they fare against the armed forces will be seen in the coming weeks.

21 July 2008

Japanese FM to visit Sri Lanka

TOKYO, (Jiji Press) Japan's Foreign Minister, Masahiko Komura is considering visiting Sri Lanka, India and Uzbekistan for eight days from August 1, informed sources said Friday. In Sri Lanka, Komura plans to attend a summit meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation that will be held in Colombo, the country's biggest city. SAARC consists of eight South Asian countries including India and Pakistan. Japan has taken part in its summit as an observer since last year with such countries as the United States, China and South Korea.  In India, Komura intends to hold talks with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee to confirm the two countries' efforts for an early conclusion of their economic partnership agreement. Komura also hopes to lay the groundwork for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's planned visit to Japan by the end of this year.  If South Korean Foreign Ministe, Yu Myung Hwan attends the summit, Komura may hold talks with him. In Uzbekistan, Komura plans to meet with Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov, with the two expected to agree to strengthen bilateral economic ties. Since Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda may reshuffle his cabinet in late July at the earliest, however, a senior Foreign Ministry official said the plans are still fluid.

Fitch downgrades Seylan Bank’s National Rating; Revises outlook to stable

Fitch Ratings Lanka has downgraded Sri Lanka-based Seylan Bank Plc’s (Seylan) National Long-term rating to ‘BBB+(lka)’ from ‘A-(lka)’ (A minus(lka)). At the same time, Fitch has downgraded the ratings of the bank’s subordinated debentures to ‘BBB(lka)’ from ‘BBB+(lka)’. The Outlook has been revised to Stable from Negative. Consequent to the ratings being assigned a Negative Outlook in April 2007, the downgrade reflects the increased challenges faced by the bank in absorbing credit losses in a weakened macroeconomic environment, in the form of its relatively low capital cushion, its relatively low profitability, and challenges in raising fresh equity capital. The ratings, however, also recognise the support element derived by Seylan as one of the six largest and systemically important banks in Sri Lanka, as defined by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), and its yet strong customer franchise. Seylan’s gross NPL ratio declined to 12.6% at FYE07 and 13.1% at Q108 from 11.3% at FYE06 despite increased recovery efforts, reflecting the effect of the challenging macro economic environment, and remains considerably weaker than that of its peers. Both specific and total (including general) provision coverage remained low at 35.2% and 38% at FYE07. Consequently, solvency, as indicated by the net NPLs/equity ratio, deteriorated to 84.4% at FYE07 and 88% at Q108 from 75.5% at FYE06. Fitch believes that there could be a further deterioration of these ratios on account of a probable decline in asset quality in the face of the challenging macroeconomic environment. Management indicates that the bank already adheres to the more stringent regulatory classification standards imposed by the CBSL effective in FY08. Seylan’s profitability as measured by ROA remained below that of its peers and Fitch believes that the bank’s core profitability will be further constrained by contracting interest margins, increases in its already high operating costs, and increased credit costs. Seylan consciously reduced loan growth to 4.1% and dividend payout to 26.8% in FY07 (14.1% and 40.7% respectively in FY06), while loan growth in Q108 was further reduced to an annualised 1.6%. Consequently, the bank posted a consolidated total capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 12.72% at FYE07 although this ratio decreased to 11.68% at Q108 under the Basel II framework mainly due to the additional charge for operational risk.

Govt: officials attacked journalists – FMM
   
The Free Media Movement (FMM) yesterday said the assault on Daily Mirror journalist Yohan Perera and the harassing of another on Friday was part of the growing trend of intolerance towards the media and continues the trend of violence aimed at them.The FMM issuing a statement said the journalists were covering the demolishing of hundreds of homes in the City of Colombo, on July 18, under the guise of providing security to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting to be held later this month. That afternoon Urban Development Authority (UDA) officials assaulted Daily Mirror journalist Yohan Perera and harassed journalist Dushantha Manoj from Sirasa TV. They were amongst other media organizations covering the violent act of demolishing these homes. Yohan Perera of the Daily Mirror was later admitted to Colombo General Hospital after having sustained injuries in the attack. Hundreds of police personnel at the scene were unable to stop this assault from taking place. There seems to be a mentality amongst all government officials, given rise to by the action of those high up in the Government and the ruling party that they can, at their whim and fancy, assault journalists with complete impunity. We see this incident as a sign of absolute intolerance towards any independent coverage of critical issues related to democratic governance. It is the open policy of this government to quell dissent by violence. The impunity and the lack of any meaningful measures to address this violence against journalists place independent and professional voices in the media community in a precarious position in Sri Lanka today.

Under sea jetty of LTTE located

Security forces have reportedly located an under sea jetty of the LTTE from the newly captured Vedithalthivu. The jetty is 15 meter wide and 150 meter long. It was built to protrude from Vedithalthivu jetty to sea. In this around 200 Sea Tiger boats can be anchored without been seen. This jetty can reportedly be the world’s first of that kind. Security forces have thoroughly checked the Sea Tiger base in Vedithalthivu now and it is reported that the 30 acre site included two training camps.

One year after ‘liberation’ and the east still lives in fear
   
A year after troops overpowered Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebels in Sri Lanka's eastern province and took control of the area, normality has yet to return. The government called the victory the 'dawn of the east' and held a nationwide celebration on 19 July 2007, days after the last rebel stronghold fell. It announced a host of development measures, and in May this year provincial elections were held for the first time. A leader of a breakaway group from the rebels was appointed chief minister after helping fight against the LTTE. But a year on, troops are still just as visible in major cities, towns and even in villages in the east. Military checkpoints and stop and search operations are aimed at preventing 'infiltration' by the Tamil Tigers - locals say such massive troop deployments in civilian areas increase their feeling of insecurity. 'All who got training from the LTTE went with them to northern areas. Yet the military views all Tamils with suspicion,' says one resident of Batticaloa. In some places the military are camped on private property. The army insists they pay compensation for using the land, but those affected say it is not the case. Locals say many people have been randomly picked up for interrogation, on suspicion of having links with the Tamil Tigers. Most are released after a day or two but some end up in prison. 'They arrested my son on suspicion that he might have received arms training from the LTTE. He has been in prison for the past seven months,' says one man in the village of Echilampattu in the Batticaloa district. 'All my efforts to bring him out have failed.' Analysts believe the LTTE's intelligence wing and other elements continue to operate in the east - officials say that is why security needs to be so tight. Since last summer violence has continued.The chief secretary of the eastern province was assassinated last July and this May a naval transport ship was sunk in Trincomalee harbour, hours before the start of voting. Tamil political parties backed by the LTTE boycotted the election. The military's victory was achieved after months of heavy fighting resulting in huge human cost. In many cases entire villages were abandoned. More than 200,000 people became internally displaced refugees. According to the government, about 110,000 people have been resettled in Batticaloa district. Nearly 12,000 others are still waiting. In the district of Trincomalee the picture is similar. Internally displaced people living in the refugee camps say they lack basic facilities like toilets and clean drinking water. Those who have been resettled say they have still to receive support from the government. Most villagers in resettled areas now live without electricity. Many school buildings damaged or destroyed in the war are yet to be rebuilt. In many places students sit under temporary shelters made of asbestos. 'These sheets increase the intensity of the heat. As a result the students suffer from a number of health problems,' one headmaster told the BBC. Damage to property has been immense. Many houses have been partly or totally damaged by different kinds of bombs, shells and bullets. Kavita Malar, a young mother who lives with her daughter, received a house worth Rs. 300,000 rupees (around $ 2,900) as compensation after the 2004 tsunami. It was badly damaged in the fighting, with some holes created by shells big enough to allow a dog  to pass through. 'This house is not stable. Whenever there are strong winds I leave my house and go to my father's house which is nearby,' she says. 'I am scared the house may crumble - I am living with fear.' According to the chief minister of the eastern province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanth (better known as Pillaiyan), 130,000 houses are totally or partly damaged. He says the government has plans to repair and rebuild these houses and to complete the rehabilitation work in the next 18 months. The government is giving Rs. 325,000/- (about $ 3,000) to rebuild completely ruined houses. But there is a widespread perception that not many in need actually receive this financial help. Sri Lanka's Disaster and Resettlement Minister, Abdul Risath Bathiyutheen, told the BBC that $ 80 million from the World Bank and $ 40 million from the European Union had been used to build houses in areas affected by war. He added that talks were continuing to secure a further $ 43 miliion from the World Bank. Yet he is not sure how many houses are being built. 'There are a number of ministries and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) doing this work. So it is not possible to give an exact figure”. A senior official from a local NGO says continuing insecurity is the major obstacle in the development process and the fear of a return to war prevails among the aid donors. He says it is preventing the flow of funds for large housing construction plans. Apart from housing, fishing was also badly affected. Villages dotting the eastern coast were battered by the tsunami in December 2004 and most of the relief work since then has been undone by the war. Kanthaiya Padmanahban is a fisherman from Vaharai in Batticaloa district whose mother died during the tsunami. He was given a new boat by an NGO, but the war erupted when he was rebuilding his life. He abandoned the boat and ran away. When he came back after a year in various refugee camps, his home was damaged and his boat was completely destroyed. 'A shell might have fallen on top of it - a direct hit might have destroyed my boat. They have not given me any compensation to buy a new boat or nets I have no work,  he says. In some places the government has built roads and hospitals. But the operation to win hearts and minds seems a long way off. 

20 July 2008

India said “CEPA or interference?”

Mystery and talk of intrigue surrounds the CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership) agreement that was to be signed during the forthcoming SAARC summit.The government has now decided to postpone the signing or to call it off. What’s definite is that there will be no signing of CEPA during SAARC. Reports are that the government’s coalition partners were angered that “India was trying to use CEPA as a bargaining chip to ensure Indian non-interference in the government’s forward march in the Wanni.’’The army commander announced this week that his troops are poised now to march into Killinocchi, the Tiger heartland. Other sources said that though the government agreed to CEPA, a free trade agreement with India, it has now reneged on this agreement due to pressure from the coalition partner, particularly the JHU. Earlier nationalists such a Gunadasa Amarasekera of the “Jathi Hithaishee Viyaparaya’’ said CEPA was a secret agreement being foisted on the country, where Sri Lanka stands to lose badly due to unfavourable terms of trade. The government trotted out a lame excuse that CEPA will not be signed as ‘’cabinet approval has not been obtained.’ However, CEPA was negotiated and about to be signed after the government definitely decided to go ahead with it, and this abrupt turnaround, sources say, was due to immense political pressure and the perception that Sri Lanka is caving into India in order to secure certain conditions such as ‘’non interference on the war front.’Earlier this month a powerful Indian delegation of three VVIP officials was in Colombo sparking speculation that they were here to stop the army’s march towards the Wanni.

Illuppakadavai captured-Defencewire

Troops from the 58 Division (Task Force 1), spearheaded by Commandos today reached the Sea Tiger camp at Illuppakadavai. A heavy firefight ensued today for nearly two hours. Tigers received a severe beating and survivors took tail. Exact number of casualties is unavailable.The next targets lying in the 58s path are Vellankulam (7km), Nochchikudah (7km), Pallikuda and Pooneryn (20kms). The objective will be the latter, while the three former locations also have some significant sea Tiger Activity.As Vellankulam ends, the Kilinochchi District begins. Thevampiddi Church to where the Our Lady of Madhu statue was removed to is also situated in Vellankulam. Thevampiddi is a small coastal village on the A-32. The 58 advance towards Vellankulam will happen simultaneously to the 57 advance towards Tunukkai and Mallavi on the eastern flank.Sea Tigers have been at the receiving end lately, with cadres being killed and assets destroyed on a regular basis. The latest and most serious damage comes from an attack on the Sea Tiger base at Chalai in the Northeastern Coast.A group of fighter jets from the number 10 fighter Squadron carried-out a precision strike upon detection by UAV of a flotilla of Sea Tiger boats setting out to sea from Chalai last week. As the flotilla exited Chalai, jet bombers dropped their lethal cargo. The UAV saw a massive explosion .One large boat was observed doing a semi-somersault before disintegrating as the impact from the bombs hit the water. Later, fishermen from the area confirmed that three large LTTE vessels of the type captured some time back were completely destroyed and sunk in the sea. All three vessels were large vessels probably manufactured for specification to the Sea Tigers in a Southeast Asian country.

IDP's living under trees in the Wanni

Displaced people in the Wanni are left to seek shelter out in the open, under trees, the latest humanitarian update filed by the UN and other agencies said. "According to field reports, displaced persons are sheltering under trees with limited access to basic facilities. UNHCR and UNICEF have distributed tarpaulin sheets to over 1,000 families so far, "the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) an umbrella organisation of UN and other humanitarian agencies said yesterday in the update referring to areas of the Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Mannar districts that are under the control of the Tigers. "Supplementary food packs are being provided by DRC, World Vision and ZOA and two week's dry rations (rice and a small quantity of wheat flour) are provided by the GAs to newly displaced families," it was also stated.As fighting continued in areas north and north east of Vidattalativu, gained by the security forces last week, humanitarian facilities including a hospital and a food warehouse and schools have been shifted further away from the areas of confrontations. "Following the latest displacements in Manthai East and Thunukkai divisions in Mullaitivu district, the Health Department is making arrangements to shift the Mallavi government hospital to Akkarayan where thousands of IDP families mostly from Mallavi are settled. WFP also relocated its warehouse from Mallavi to Kilinochchi this week," the report said. Mallavi lies about 15km north of Periyamadhu that is now under the control of government forces. There are over 106,000 IDPs in the two districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu and an additional 24,000 in Mannar, parts of which are under government control. The report said that civilian population in the Mantai area in Mannar where the most recent fighting was concentrated was moving north. "The statistical update received from the office of the GA Mannar (14 July 2008) indicates that there are 6,652 families (24,244 persons) registered as displaced within the District. The situation in Manthai West is changing rapidly with the population moving north, away from hostilities," the report said Thirty schools in the Madhu and Manthai divisions too have been moved to alternate locations affecting the studies of 6,900 students, the report said. The latest IASC report follows a similar, but more detailed report filed by the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) two weeks back that said that civilians in the Wanni were getting increasingly caught in the fighting as well as high handed Tiger tactics like forcible training and recruitment. Ironically, the IASC report said that the situation in the three north eastern districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara remained calm.

Eezham exhibition impresses UK parliamentarians

A photo exhibition on '60 years of oppression of Tamils in Sri Lanka,' held at the premises of British Parliament on Wednesday brought in 'positive responses' from the Lawmakers cutting across party lines and other dignitaries, according to British Tamils Forum, the organisers of the display. The exhibition was to mark the 50th year of the first ethnic riots against Tamils in Sri Lanka in 1958 and to mark the Black July of 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom. Many British parliamentarians, including Vernon Coaker, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Office, attended the exhibition, which was opened by Ms. Joan Ryan MP. 'UK government must act for fairness in Sri Lanka', 'very interesting exhibition that demands assertion', 'we must raise an alert to the world', 'your bravery will be rewarded', 'interesting exhibition making the clear case for self determination', 'very thought provoking and interesting comparison to the situation in Kosovo', 'very supportive of your struggle', 'people need to know about this struggle,' and 'we build a nation,' were some of the comments found in the visitor's logbook kept at the exhibition.'The most important thing is to work towards a peaceful solution that can only be achieved through mutual respect,' a comment said. Almost all the comments were either supportive or appreciative and sympathetic, except for the one by the chairman of the All Party Sri Lanka Group, which read that the 'propaganda of Tamil Eelam is too dated', according to TamilNet correspondent in UK.The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Tamils sponsored the exhibition.Three Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians from Jaffna and Batticaloa, Padmini Shithamparanathan MP, S. Gajendran MP and S. Jeyanandamoorthy MP, who were on a visit to UK, also visited the exhibition.

DMK vs Sri Lanka: Hook support from other parties

Urging members of all parties to unite and fight for the cause of Tamil fishermen, Chief Minister M Karunanidh yesterday said the Centre should help get back the rights of Tamil fishermen in Katchatheevu.A State-wide fast was observed by the DMK yesterday to press the Centre to take up with the Sri Lankan government the issue of ‘frequent’ killings of Indian fishermen allegedly by the island navy.Interestingly the fast organised by the ruling DMK throughout the State provided a platform for the senior DMK leaders to launch an attack on DMDK leader Vijayakanth, heap laurels on their party chief and also show their might in assembling huge crowds.In Chennai, the fast was presided over by Arcot Veerasamy and senior DMK leaders and cadres took part.Speaking on the occasion, Karunanidhi said, ‘the protests for the cause of Tamil fishermen have been continuing for the past five decades. We should understand the travails and difficulties our fishermen are facing at the hands of the Sinhala Navy.’‘When the rights of our fishermen are not respected, we are forced to protest in a peaceful and non-violent way. However, the Sri Lankan government pays no heed to all our protests and continue to act in an arrogant manner’, Karunanidhi said and added, ‘now we are compelled to knock on the doors of the Centre’.‘Fear looms large on the families of the fishermen over their safety. Sri Lankan army is ruthlessly killing Tamil fishermen, who are venturing out into the sea. It has become a daily routine. We took several efforts to prevent such atrocities,’ Karunanidhi added.On allegations that DMK was responsible for giving Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka, Karunanidhi recalled that in 1971 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed a pact with Sri Lankan government in this regard, the DMK had passed a resolution urging the Centre to reconsider the agreement.‘Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa too had passed a resolution in 1991 to retrieve Katchatheevu. In this issue, all the parties stand united,’ he said.‘Unfortunately only during the 1976 emergency, the rights of Tamil fishermen in Katchatheevu were lost. We are now fighting to get back our rights. Everyone should join hands cutting across party lines to champion the cause’, he said.Meanwhile, launching an indirect attack on the DMDK President Vijayakanth, Arcot Veerasamy said, ‘some political infants have unleashed verbal abuse on Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to desperately gain an identity in politics. ‘Everyone knows the sacrifices and struggle of Karunanidhi on the fishermen issue. He voices his support whenever Tamils face troubles anywhere in the globe.’State Minister Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, DMK MPs, MLAs, former Ministers Indirakumari, S Madhavan, Chennai Mayor M Subramanian, State Planning Commission Vice President Naganathan and representatives of various fishermen association took part in the protest.In Madurai, the fast was presided over by M K Azhagiri, elder son of Karunanidhi. Several hundred party cadres including District Secretary Velusamy attended the fast. Azhagiri’s daughter Kayalvizhi was also present.At Mamallapuram, the fast was presided over by State Minister Durai Murugan. Speaking on the occasion, Durai Murugan said, ‘there is no need to hold a similar protest in New Delhi. Karunanidhi has the power to control Delhi from Chennai’.External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has assured Karunanidhi of early action over the attacks, he said.

Opposition unhappy about foreign view of government-Karuna nexus

The UNP-led Opposition at logger heads with President Mahinda Rajapaksa over his cosy relationship with the armed breakaway LTTE faction headed by ‘Colonel’ Karuna Amman is seriously disturbed over the international community’s readiness to strike a working relationship with the group."We are disappointed," a UNP MP told The Sunday Island. The international community shouldn’t have contacted the TMVP now in control of the first Eastern Provincial Council, the Batticaloa Municipal Council and all Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Batticaloa District. This would only encourage the Rajapaksas and their newly found ally to step up the combined security forces campaign in the Vanni.But Karuna who recently returned after serving a shortened prison term for violating British immigration laws is expected to keep a low profile.The government has prohibited foreign governments sending representatives to Kilinochchi after the August, 2005, assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in Colombo. The government recently rejected an LTTE call to arrange Norwegian representatives to visit Kilinochchi to explore ways and means of kick starting peace negotiations.The Tamil National Alliance, the SLMC and the JVP, too, criticised the international community for having contacts with the TMVP as the group hadn’t de-commissioned its weapons. They said the Rajapaksas would take advantage of on and off meetings between the international community and the TMVP to strengthen their government which was pursuing a military solution. They accused the international community of taking a contradictory stand on the issue. On one hand, the international community wanted the government to disarm the TMVP while on the other hand, an undemocratically elected administration was being international endorsement, the JVP said.In the run upto the EPC polls, JVP frontliner Anura Kumara Dissanayake accused India of promoting the TMVP-Rajapaksa relationship at the expense of the vast majority of people wanting the restoration of democracy.The criticism comes hard on the heels of Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the EU Ravinatha Ariyasingha’s declaration that a visiting EU delegation would meet with EP Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan this week. This would be the first direct contact between the EPC administration and the EU, a Foreign Ministry official said, expressing relief that the EU had changed its previous stance. Government sources expressed the belief the change of the international opinion had been influenced by rapidly deteriorating LTTE military power in the Vanni region where the army was on the advance on a wide front on both west and east of the A9 road.The EU Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Countries of South Asia in Brussels would be headed by its Chairman Robert Evans, Socialist Group member of the UK and would include a cross section of the political groups and member states represented within the EU. Last month, Sri Lanka declined to take a visiting EU delegation to the East after it refused to meet the newly installed ECP administration. British Minister Lord Malloch Brown and the Netherlands Ambassador in Colombo Reynout Van Dijk last week met Chandrakanthan in Trincomalee. This followed US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Even Feigenbaum, US Charged’ Affairs James R. Moore and USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn appearing on one stage with President Rajapaksa and Chandrakanthan on July 1 at the opening of the new bridge built over Arugambay. The USAID’s flagship tsunami aid project had cost USD 10 million.UPFA General Secretary and Minister Susil Premjayanth said the government fielded a TMVP candidate on the government list for the North Central Province at the August 23 election as they were confident of working with the group. "We have every confidence in them," he said, describing the move as an extension of the government-TMVP political relationship.The decision to accommodate Batticaloa Mayor Ms P. Sivageetha of the TMVP on the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance (CCHA) had facilitated its relationship with the Colombo embassies, the sources said. Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samaraweera had paved the way for the TMVP entry by inviting Ms Sivageetha to attend a CCHA meeting held in Colombo on April 29 with the participation of US Ambassador Robert Blake and UNICEF Country Director Philippe Duamelle. The CCHA chaired by Samarasinghe had brought the US, EU and UN together, the sources said, adding Ms Shivageetha during the April meeting was given the opportunity to address the gathering.In her address, she had urged the donors to work through the newly elected Batticaloa MC.

SL to counter US Resolutions

Sri Lanka is planning to launch a counterattack against the recent United States Resolution 1338, which calls for an international Human Rights (HR) monitoring mission to help maintain law and order in the embattled island. This is apart from several other demands, which include an end to the ongoing military onslaught and the culture of impunity in the face of growing HR violations. Highly placed sources said that, Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry officials have already started to counter the recent Resolution tabled in the US Congress on Sri Lanka, and is hoping to approach US Congress Foreign Affairs Committee members to present the Sri Lankan government’s point of view on the recent Resolution against the island.Despite attempts by the US Congress to impose the Resolutions, Foreign Ministry officials claimed that it was unlikely that there would be any ‘real’ impact on the country by the motions. However, it is learnt that pro LTTE lobby groups and activists in the US, have received a significant boost from Resolution 1338, which urges the Sri Lankan government to pursue a political solution, rather than a military one, tabled in the US Congress , last week.Resolution 1338 has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a powerful legislative body charged with oversight of US government policy concerning foreign relations issues.The Nation learns that pro LTTE lobby groups have been working for months, campaigning for such a Resolution. Pro LTTE groups such as “Tamils for Justice” have already declared that Resolution 1388 is a huge setback to the Sri Lankan Government.Resolution 1388 on Sri Lanka, sponsored by Congressman Brad Sherman of California and co-sponsored by Congressmen Frank Pallon Jr. of New Jersey and Jerry Weller of Illinois, called on the United States Government and the international community to support a transition to sustainable peace in Sri Lanka, by encouraging an International HR Monitoring presence, protecting the work of civil society and media, facilitating access of humanitarian operations, and retaining democratic principles in which rule of law and justice pervades. The Resolution on Sri Lanka also called to recognise the 25th anniversary of ‘Black July’ and mourn its victims and the victims of the ongoing violence in Sri Lanka that has followed.Expressing concern for HR and humanitarian crises presently occurring in Sri Lanka, it condemned the denial of adequate humanitarian aid to the civilian population and attacks on the media with impunity.It also condemned the continued attacks on civilian populations by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and urged for the immediate cessation of violence, and called on the LTTE and the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) to immediately end all recruitment of children as soldiers and to release all child soldiers currently in their ranks.It also urged the Government of Sri Lanka to pursue a political resolution, rather than a military solution to the conflict, investigate and prosecute the numerous disappearances and attacks on humanitarian workers and the media, to take immediate steps to address the legitimate grievances of the Muslim, Tamil, and all other minority communities, and to provide safe living conditions for internally displaced people.It also called on the President to publicly urge Sri Lanka to accept an International HR Monitoring presence on the island, which would deter, monitor, investigate and report attacks.

Discovery of human skeletal remains in Batticaloa

The Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) yesterday urged the government to conduct a comprehensive and independent investigation into the human skeletal remains unearthed from an unmarked grave at a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Palameenmadu in the Batticaloa district last week.TMVP spokesman Azad Mowlana, who is also the party representative to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) said that the only way the government could instill confidence among the Tamil people and erase the doubts that have surfaced among them regarding this shocking find, would be by ensuring an impartial and thorough investigation.These investigations should be start immediately by giving priority to carrying out DNA and other tests, when and where needed, he said.Initial investigations had revealed that the deaths had been caused around five months before the Government abrogated the Ceasefire agreement at which time the LTTE was still active politically in the East, he said."The Tamil people have doubts about the identity of the culprits involved in these killings".The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of the East, Nihal Samarakoon told The Sunday Island yesterday that the skeletal remains had been forwarded to the Government Analyst on a Magisterial order to obtain DNA and other reports to proceed with this investigation.

EU delegation arrives today

A Parliamentary delegation of the European Union will arrive here today to assess the situation in the eastern parts of the country, especially after the recent Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) election.The delegation includes a cross-section of political groups and EU member-states. The delegation’s six-day visit would include meetings with key members of the cabinet, political parties and the media.The visit assumes importance as the issue of extension of GSP plus concession to Sri Lanka’s textile sector is coming up for review shortly.The Foreign Ministry said Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the EU, Ravinatha Aryasinha, briefed the delegation in Brussels on Wednesday.

Police earplugs on Jaffna phones
 
Users of CDMA and mobile phones in the Jaffna peninsula have been asked to obtain a police clearance certificate for the use of the phones from this month, an official said yesterday.For the past two months, CDMA phones have been barred while the use of hand phones is restricted to a few hours a day in the peninsula.The police have already sent a printed application form to the Jaffna Telecom office to deliver it to phone users along with their telephone bills for this month, Regional Telecom Engineer N. Sivanandan said.He said that since May, the phones had been barred by the security forces and many subscribers had been inquiring from him as to what was happening.Mr. Sivanandan said the communication network in the peninsula was handled by the security forces and he was not in a position to restore the service. There are nearly 7,200 CDMA phones and 150,000 mobile phones in use in Jaffna.

Plan to strip CBK's civic rights in motion

Moves are afoot to strip former President Chandrika Kumaratunga of her civic rights, The Sunday Leader learns.It is learnt that the decision to remove her civic rights was taken following various statements made by her against the government placing it in difficulty. Provincial Council Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon had earlier proposed to the Central Committee of the SLFP to sack Kumaratunga from the party following an address she made at the inaugural convention of the SLFP (M).However the proposal was shelved following President Mahinda Rajapakse's  revealation he had set in motion a plan to get the former President stripped of her  civic rights .Informed sources said Minister Tennekoon had told several confidants he decided not to move his proposal at the central committee for Kumaratunga's ouster from the party following an assurance given by the President that a bigger plan was in operation on stripping the former President's civic rights.According to party inside sources, the decision to knock Kumaratunga out of the political arena for seven years is to ensure that in the unlikely event of President Rajapakse being incapacitated to function in office in terms of the constitution, she will not be able to take control of the party through Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake who is a loyalist of the Former President.The civic rights of a citizen can be stripped through a vote in parliament following a motion or being fined and sentenced by a court.

East facing financial crisis

Eastern Province Governor Vice Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama in a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa has requested for more funds to develop the province.During the budgetary allocation last year, money was not allocated to the newly elected Eastern Provincial Council and therefore, it is believed the council is severely short of funds to maintain the newly elected council members and to engage in development work.In his letter, Wijewickrama has pointed out that without adequate funds from the central government, development work cannot be carried out.The war battered Eastern Province according to informed sources is in need of additional money to rebuild houses, shops, places of religious worship, irrigation tanks and roads.In addition, the council also is in need of money to rehabilitate and resettle the displaced people.Meanwhile, Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan and four other provincial ministers have sought an early appointment from President Rajapaksa to discuss various matters.The delegation led by Pillaiyan is expected to draw attention to the important matter of lack of finances to improve the province.Sources said President Rajapaksa has still not consented to meet the delegation as he was busy over the forthcoming SAARC Summit.

Tamil woman to be next U.N. human rights commissioner

The United Nations secretary-general is to name South African Judge Navanethem Pillay as the next U.N. human rights commissioner today, reports quoted diplomats as saying. The daughter of a Tamil bus driver in Durban, she experienced human rights violations firsthand. Pillay earned a law degree at Harvard, but for 28 years during apartheid, she was not allowed to set foot in a judge's chambers as a lawyer because of her South Asian origins. In 1995 she became the first woman of color to become a judge on the High Court. Pillay, born in 1941, also served as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda prosecuting crimes related to that nation's genocide. She presided over landmark cases in international law that established rape as a war crime, convicted a former head of state for atrocities committed during his rule and prosecuted media for inciting genocide. She has served for five years on the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

A report in Thursday’s Los Angeles Times said:

Pillay may not be as outspoken as the current commissioner, Canadian Judge Louise Arbour, who often shamed governments and leaders that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would not criticize by name. Arbour took the forefront on issues such as the United Nations' opposition to capital punishment when Ban said he supported each state's right to decide whether to use it, and has criticized the United States for skirting international law in its fight against terrorism. Human Rights advocates wonder whether Pillay will stand up to big powers when they violate human rights, or push her native South Africa on controversial issues, such as human rights violations in neighboring Zimbabwe and elections there that the U.N. has declared illegitimate. "The challenge for her will be to use the bully pulpit and be a strong advocate for human rights," said Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch. "As a judge, she has no experience with that." But Pillay's colleagues say that she has her own firm, discreet way of achieving results, a quality that fits well with Ban's philosophy of behind-the-scenes persuasion.

UK jails Samurai ‘beheading’ gang

Seven men have been jailed for an attack in which four of them tried to behead a man using samurai swords. The gang members, from Newham, east London, ambushed a group of six men in Alperton, north London, in August 2006. Armed with swords, pickaxe handles and pieces of wood, four tried to behead a 20-year-old man, the Old Bailey heard. The four were sentenced to life for attempted murder. Two others were found guilty of grievous bodily harm and all seven were guilty of violent disorder. The court heard the seven armed Tamil gang members carried out the attack in Braemar Avenue on August 28, 2006. The unnamed 20-year-old was struck on the head with a bottle. When the victim fell to the ground, Kirubananathrada Gunaratam, Santhurajah Thavapalasingham, Sabesan Sivaneswaran and Aramugan Paratheeban attempted to behead him. The 20-year-old used a cricket bat to defend himself but his left arm was partially severed in the attack. The gang fled when Police arrived at the scene. Gunaratam, 32, and Thavapalasingham, 21, were sentenced to life for attempted murder, to serve a minimum of 12 years. Sivaneswaran, 20, and Paratheeban, 24, were also sentenced to life for attempted murder, to serve a minimum of eight and nine-and-a-half years respectively. Edward Jeganathan, 26, and Selvarajah Mayuran, 28, were sentenced to nine and five years respectively for grievous bodily harm and violent disorder. Santosh Panthaplavil-Sasidharan, 26, was imprisoned for three years for violent disorder.

18 July 2008

Europe backs Tamil asylum seeker
 
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled in favour of an ethnic Tamil asylum seeker who's been fighting efforts to return him to Sri Lanka from Britain. The asylum seeker, who hasn't been named, argued that he feared ill-treatment by both the Tamil Tiger rebels, and the Sri Lanka army. The court heard that the 33-year-old man who sought asylum in Britain in 1999 citing fears of ill-treatment by the Sri Lankan authorities, had detained him six times in seven years on suspicion of involvement with the LTTE. He had been released without charges on all occasions.

ill –treated

The asylum seeker told courts that he was ill –treated during detention and beaten by batons.In its judgement the court took into account what it described as the systematic use of torture by the military in its efforts to combat the Tigers. It's understood that the verdict could set an important precedent for several other similar pending cases brought by Sri Lankan asylum seekers.

Two consecutive air raids targeting LTTE heavy weapons and boats - Mullaittiuvu

Sri Lanka Air Force carried out two consecutive air raids targeting LTTE heavy weapon deployment and LTTE logistic boats in the Mullaittiuvu lagoon area this morning, July 18. Air Force spokesperson, Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara, speaking to defence.lk said that SLAF fighter jets raided LTTE's heavy weapon deployment in 2km west of Mullaittiuvu lagoon around 6.10 a.m. Further speaking he added that the second air bombardment carried out around 6.20 a.m targeting 3 large-scale LTTE logistic boats at Mullaittiuvu lagoon. Citing the pilots, spokesperson confirmed that 2 boats were completely destroyed while the other is still in flames.

Body of abducted Devadasan unearthed

The body of Devadasan Suresh Kumar who was abducted by an unidentified gang suspected to be attached to the EPDP was unearthed in the compound behind the EPDP office in Chenkaladi yesterday morning. Eravur police on a tip off raided the EPDP office in Chenkaladi and searched the land where they found a buried spot.The police dug and unearthed an unidentified body which was later found to be of the abducted Devdasan. It was later identified by the victim’s wife. Meanwhile six EPDP members who were at the office were taken into custody on suspicion. Police are conducting investigations, Police Media Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara said. The body is currently being kept at the Batticaloa hospital morgue.

Air Force raids Tiger gathering

Sri Lanka Air Force MI-24 helicopter gunships raided an LTTE gathering point in the general area of Iluppaikkadavai, five Km north of Vidattaltivu, yesterday afternoon. Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said the close air support mission to support ground troops was launched around 12.15 p.m after observing a gathering of the LTTE cadres by the air surveillance. LTTE have asked for more vehicles to evacuate their casualties, the spokesperson added. As the Army Task Force 1 and the Commando Brigade operating on the Mannar warfront liberated strategically important Vidattaltivu, LTTE have started to withdraw towards Iluppaikkadavai, North of Vidattaltivu, defence sources said.

Mysterious presence of Indian in Tiger territory

A chance detection of a boat trying to move through an SLN cordon now in place in the Gulf of Mannar has revealed the presence of some Indians in the LTTE-held area in the Vanni.An Indian holding passport (ETN/059/001/355/2001) was among seven persons attempting to cross the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary on Wednesday. Selvam Sudesh Kanan has claimed that he along with three other Indians arrived in the LTTE held area in the Vanni on January 10, 2003.His boat would most probably have escaped if a special naval cordon had not been in place to discourage the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet from poaching in Sri Lankan waters. The SLN has placed the cordon following the detention of nearly 290 Indian trawlers poaching in Sri Lankan waters on July 2, which triggered protests in the Tamil Nadu.After initial questioning in Mannar, the SLN had moved the Indian overland to Colombo to be handed over to the Indian High Commission.Although the government has accepted Selvam’s claim that they were detained by the LTTE used as forced labour, the mystery surrounds the failure on the part of their families to raise the issue with the Sri Lankan mission in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu media, the Indian High Commission or the Norwegian-led truce monitoring mission deployed in the Northern and Eastern Province had not raised the issue, the sources said.Sources pointed out that although Selvam had a valid Indian passport, he hadn’t entered Sri Lanka through the Bandaranaike International airport. "The bottom line is that he had entered the Vanni mainland clandestinely," an official said. He asserted Selvam’s explanation could be a blatant lie. The possibility of the Indian being with the LTTE for some other reason couldn’t be ruled, he said. The fall of Vidattaltivu to Task Force I against the backdrop of rapid deterioration of LTTE firepower on the region west of the Kandy-Jaffna A9 road would have prompted the Indian to leave, the sources said.The Navy on Thursday handed over the suspect to the Indian High Commission. With the army making rapid progress on the Mannar and Vavuniya fronts, the LTTE would face tremendous difficulties in maintaining sea line of communications with Tamil Nadu through the Gulf of Mannar, the military said. After losing Vidattaltivu, the LTTE has relocated its units in and around Illuppaikkadavai, Mundampiddi and Vellankulam to resist the army advance on the Mannar-Pooneryn A 32 road, the sources said. There could be approximately 600 cadres operating in these villages, the sources said, asserting the LTTE would attempt to make a stand on the Mallavi-Tunukkai road stretch on the Vellankilam (on the north-western coast)-Mankulam (key junction on the A9 road).The boat intercepted by the SLN as it attempted to reach the Indian waters is believed to have left Mundampiddi.Thursday afternoon, Mi-24 helicopter gunships attacked an LTTE gathering point 11 kilometres north-east of Illuppaikkadavai.

PMK wants India to boycott SAARC summit

Indian political party Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) party has urged New Delhi to reconsider its decision to participate in the 15th SAARC summit in Colombo next month. PMK MP M. Ramadoss requested in a letter to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to summon the Sri Lankan Ambassador to express concerns over 'atrocities' of its Navy on fishermen.He pointed to the recent killing of two fishermen of Nagapatnam district allegedly by Sri Lankan Navy. One fisherman was seriously injured in the firing, he said. However, the Sri Lanka Navy has denied the shooting or killing any Indian fishermen.

Vavuniya welfare camp gutted in fire

A welfare camp housing more than 1,000 people in Vavuniya has been gutted in a fire. The blaze broke out at the facility at Poonthottam around 9.30 am today (July 17th).Five inmates suffered burn injuries, while all the people have been left with only the clothes they are wearing.Initial attempts to put out the fire, with assistance of the police, had failed.By the time army firefighters arrived in the scene, the welfare camp was completely burnt down.

17 July 2008

Indian troops to protect PM Singh in Colombo - Govt.

Three thousand Indian troops will accompany Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his protection during his stay in Sri Lanka to attend next month's SAARC summit, Minister of Media, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said today (July 17th). Noting that it would not do to offend the region's super power, the Minister said the government was compelled to make allowances. The arrival of the Indian troops would also lessen the security responsibilities of the government, he said.Minister Abeywardena also said that 75 per cent of the SAARC budget amounting to nearly Rs. 2,880 million is reserved for the provision of security for the visiting heads of state.Local media has reported that India would send three helicopters for use by its premier, including two combat helicopters for his security.In addition, New Delhi is to deploy three warships armed with the latest equipment, including anti-missile systems, in the Sri Lankan waters for the duration of the SAARC summit a the BMICH.

Mass grave in Batticaloa
 
A mass grave containing remains of bodies have been recovered at Palameenamadu in Batticaloa.An employee of the international relief organisation 'ACTED' who were involved in digging a well in the area found the remains near a camp where displaced refugees have been housed. The employee, Kanapathipullai Perimbarajah said that he and three others were hired by the ACTED to dig the well."We found remains of bodies and informed the Grama Niladari", he said. Police said on Wednesday morning, the mass grave was uncovered in the presence of the Magistrate V. Ramakamalan and along with remains of human bodies, empty rounds, and damaged clothes were found. There were also lengths of cloth that may have been used to tie up the victims before their death, police said.Police said the evidence will be sent for forensic tests. As yet there's no indication as to the identity of the dead, or who their killers might have been. However, police believe the remains may be around five years old.Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that it has been reported that the remains are about five years old and in that case this area was under the LTTE at that time and they were responsible. Asked whether the massacres were carried out under Karuna's leadership in the east, Brigadier Nanayakkara said that the massacres had taken place five years ago and he is not in position to name individual persons.

British Minister brings gloomy news 

At a meeting with Eastern Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and other councillors in Trincomalee Wednesday, visiting British Minister Malloch Brown, said that there were human rights violations in Sri Lanka, and therefore he could not guarantee the extension of the GSP+ facility given to Sri Lankan exports to the European Union under these circumstances.The British Minister held talks with the councillors on a wide range of issues and UNP member Daya Gamage who is also the proprietor of several garment factories emphasized the need to extend this facility citing that it would otherwise cause a crippling effect on the apparel industry here.Provincial Minister M.L.A.M.Hizbullah told the British delegation that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution which provided for the establishment should be implemented in full. He said that police and land powers are yet to be given to the provincial councils.The councilors said they had not received sufficient funds from the Government to start development work in the province.The Chief Minister said at the meeting that he was very much interested in establishing durable peace in the East which was devastated by the decades-long war. He said that his province was under developed.Provincial Chairman M.K.D.S.Gunawardane took up the issue of accommodation of Sinhala medium students to the Eastern and South Eastern Universities, and said the need was to establish yet another university in the East to improve education opportunities.British High Commissioner Dr.Peter Hayes also participated in the meeting meant for identifying problems faced by the newly established Eastern Provincial Council.

Sri Lanka President vows to continue the journey towards liberating the Nation

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the journey towards liberating the Nation would be continued despite all odds. Addressing the chairmen and the vice chairmen of the North Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces on Tuesday, he said that he would safeguard and lift up the faith and trust laid on him by the people at the presidential election calling on him to liberate the country. He said that people asked him nothing but to liberate the country and therefore it is exactly what he is doing. Also, he added that every citizen should put forward the country before everything else. During his speech President Rajapaksa criticized the opposition United National Party’s decision to appoint two outsiders as chief minister candidates to the provinces. He said that it is an insult to the leaders in the province and also against the very idea of establishing a provincial council.

We no longer need to carry arms - Karuna

Members of the Thamil Makkala Viduthalai Pulikal no longer need to carry arms as they are totally satisfied with the security given to them by the Government, the leader of the TMVP Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman told the Daily News yesterday. In an interview over the phone TMVP leader Muralitharan said that he has already discussed with the defence authorities to bring his qualified and willing cadres to the Security Forces, Police and Home Guards. “We have already started that process of recruiting our cadres to the Security Forces and the Police from the Trincomalee district”, he added. “Now we have entered into mainstream politics and there is no need to have arms. I have instructed the cadres, who are not willing to join the Security Forces and the Police to reunite with their families”, he added. The TMVP leader is now in Batticaloa to meet their area leaders and ground level membership to discuss future political programme. He said that the TMVP is working on a good political programmes to take the TMVP at National Political level working towards sending at least ten of their Members to Parliament including himself. Muralitharan has also met the DIG in Batticaloa and the ICRC delegation Head in Batticaloa to discuss matters relating to the abductions and child conscriptions. “Some groups have levelled unfounded allegations against us and I have discussed the situation with them”, the TMVP leader added. The TMVP leader also said that the LTTE is not in a position to turn the tide against them as Defence Secretary Gotabahaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka has already inflicted heavy damage on the LTTE who are running for covers.

LTTE withdraws from Veduthalthivu
 
Sri Lanka Army's 58 and 57 Divisions, spearheaded by a few platoons of Commandos from the 2nd Commando Regiment took complete control of