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28 September 2005 EU refuses to meet Tamil Tiger delegations because of continued terrorism European Union said it would refuse
to meet visiting Tamil Tiger delegations because of continued terrorism
by the rebel group in Sri "The European Union has agreed that with immediate effect, delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received in any of the EU member states until further notice," the statement said on Tuesday. "The pursuit of political goals by such totally unacceptable methods only serves to damage the LTTE's standing and credibility as a negotiating partner and gravely endangers the peace process so much desired by the people of Sri Lanka." The EU also said it is considering listing the Tigers as a terrorist group to curtail political activities such as fund-raising. "The European Union is actively considering the formal listing of the LTTEas a terrorist organisation," the statement said. A February 2002 ceasefire brokered by Norway between the government and the LTTE has been under strain because of recent killings, including the August 12 assassination of Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. The government accused the Tigers
of carrying out the killing, but the rebels have denied involvement. The
ethnic conflict has claimed more Sri Lanka's Tamil rebels deny they are terrorists following EU rebuff A representative of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Tuesday defended the organization against charges of terrorism, a day after the European Union said the group was no longer welcome in Europe's capitals. In a statement released by the British government on Monday, the EU said the rebels "will no longer be received in any of the EU member states until further notice" as the body considers whether to add the Tamil Tigers to its list of terrorist organizations. Britain currently holds the rotating presidency of the 25-nation union. The EU statement said the Tigers' "continuing use of violence and terrorism" threatened the country's fragile peace process.Reacting to the announcement, a rebel spokesman based in Sri Lanka's northeast denied the Tamil Tigers are terrorists. "We are not a terrorist organization," Daya Master told The Associated Press when reached by telephone. "We are fighting for the rights of the Tamil people." The Tamil Tigers began fighting in
1983 for a separate Tamil homeland, saying the 3.2 million minority Tamils
are discriminated by the 14 Subsequent peace talks stalled over
rebel demands for greater autonomy in the areas under their control in
the north and east. Master said a detailed statement may be issued later.
The 2002 Norway-brokered cease-fire between the government and the Tamil
Tiger rebels has been severely tested by a spate of recent killings that
included the Aug. 12 assassination of Sri Lanka's foreign minister by
suspected Tigers. The Tigers deny involvement.Radicals among the Tamils
started the armed campaign in 1983 after anti-Tamil riots in Sri Lanka.
The rioting was sparked by an ambush of 13 soldiers by rebels. Over 800,000
Tamils fled to India and about a dozen Western nations, mainly to Canada,
Australia and Britain. Sri Lankan officials misappropriated tsunami aid Sri Lankan government officials misspent
or misappropriated hundreds ofthousands of dollars worth of tsunami aid
after failing to follow Auditor General S.C. Mayadunne put
the misappropriation down to confusion stemming from multiple instructions
issued by different government departments. “As far
as we see it, it is a misinterpretation of the ... instructions,â€Mayadunne
told Reuters. “Therefore, when you misinterpret ...
it is a misappropriation. I should not say it is corruption.â€
In one case, 73.395 million rupees ($723,460) worth of aid was paid out
A government spokesman said he had no immediate comment to offer on the report which comes ahead of presidential elections set for Nov. 17. Hundreds of millions of rupees worth of aid collected locally by government agencies was still sitting in bank accounts by July, and in some cases had been invested in fixed deposits, Mayadunne added in the report. “Test checks revealed instances such as spending only a small portion of the funds collected locally for the purposes, retaining collections in general deposit accounts without being used for the intended purposes,†the report said. International donors have pledged over $3 billion in aid to Sri Lanka, around a third of which has been firmly committed so far according to the island’s tsunami reconstruction body. Mayadunne’s report, posted on the Web site www.auditorgeneral.lk, also details instances of apparent corruption, including the disappearance of aid materials. It also found that by the end of July, seven months after the tsunami killed nearly 40,000 people and flattened entire towns and villages along the island’s seaboard, only a fraction of pledged foreign aid had been spent on intended key sectors. Only 8.2 percent of $120.5 million pledged for the ravaged fisheries sector had been spent, while 11.2 percent of $311.5 million intended for housing and urban development had been used. Mayadunne, who is tasked with auditing the accountability of Sri Lanka’s government and reports directly to parliament, is working on a comprehensive audit of Sri Lanka’s handling of tsunami aid.
Retired commanders of the Sri Lanka
Armed Forces, General S.C.Ranatunge, Air Vice Marshal Harry Gunatilake,
Lt.General Dennis Perera and General Hamilton Wanasinghe, Monday in a
signed press release condemned the statement made by Mr.Somawanse Amerasinghe,
leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) directing the Prime Minister
Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to disband Mr.Amerasinghe made the controversial statement at a presidential election rally held on September 20th in support of the Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, PrimeMinister at Colombo Town Hall, sources said.The press release was issued Monday afternoon at a media briefing held at Renuka Hotel, Colombo participated by the signotaries. The full text of the press release follows: - The statement of Mr.Somawanse Amerasinghe that the security forces shouldbe disbanded if they cannot protect the territorial integrity of the country in our view is a severe insult inflicted upon the security forces and is a demoralizing message to the thousands of soldiers who work with a sense of the dedication and deep commitment to protect the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We are of the view that his statement
cannot be considered a casual remand or for that a matter of rhetorical
statement made by a politician in view of the fact Mr.Amarasinghe on two
occasions during his speech insisted that if the security forces are unable
to safeguard Sri Lanka's territorial borders the Prime Minister must disband
the security forces so sooner he is elected President of this country.
Mr.Amarasinghe needs to be reminded that it is because the security forces
have successfully defended the nation's We wish to remind the nation including
the JVP leader that Sri Lanka's armed forces have never failed in their
duty to protect the territorial In performing their duty to protect
democracy and the territorial integrity of the country, thousands of soldiers
including celebrated top ranking security forces personnel have paid the
supreme sacrifice for their motherland, and it is unbecoming of a political
leader to make Mr.Somawanse Amerasinghe statement directing the Prime Minister to disband the security forces also revives memories of JVP's abortive attempt during the terror campaign of the late 1980s to force the soldiers to quit the security forces under the threat of murdering their family members. It is to the credit of the security forces that they withstood that terror campaign and performed their duty to protect the democratically elected government on that occasion and also the territorial integrity. We can quote numerous other instances where the security forces bounded by their duty to protect the country and its people have acted fearlessly and with bravery in the past and have no doubt will continue to do so in the future notwithstanding any insidious attempts to demoralize and humiliate them. In conclusion, we as servicemen who
took active part in the battlefield and had the privilege of leading our
courageous men to protect democracy and the territorial integrity of the
country categorically condemn the statement made by Mr.Somawanse Amerasinghe,
the JVP leader," the press release concluded. 27 September 2005 President
to dissolve Parliament? Muslim Congress
still to decide on Presidential candidate In a statement the Tamil civic groups
have said the procedure adopted in the recruitment clearly shows the attempt
by the government to make these institutions Sinhala dominated banks in
Tamil speaking areas. Even Sinhalese youths from the Trincomalee district
are not recruited. Tamil speaking people should not allow this dangerous
trend to succeed at a time when hundreds of educated Tamil and Muslim
youths idling without job opportunities, the statement said. Three prison guards and an inmate
were killed when unidentified gunmen shot at a prison bus transporting
suspects to court in western Sri 22 September 2005 General shut down paralyzes normal life in Trinco Tamil speaking people observed a general shut down in Trincomalee town and its suburbs, Wednesday, putting forward 8 demands, including the immediate removal of the unlawfully erected Buddha statue in the vicinity of the central bus terminal, about five months, and to lift the military occupation of the town since then. Tamil civil groups in the east port town issued the general shut down call. All government departments, provincial council offices, state and private sector banks, business establishments of Tamils and Muslims, offices of international and national non-governmental organizations, were closed down, as majority of employees did not report for work. Schools of all media were closed down, as students did not attend classes. Some shops in Sinhalese areas were seen opened, TamilNet sources sources said. State bus services came to a complete halt. Private buses owned by Sinhalese were seen at the private bus stand. However, the bus terminals were deserted without commuters, sources said. The general market of the Trincomalee urban Council, which is dominated by Sinhalese traders, was seen deserted although vendors were seen in their stalls, sources said. Additional Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and riot police squads are kept in readiness to quell any disturbances during general shut down, police sources said. Joint appeal by JVP and TRO in Italy-(The daily Mirror) The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, which has often accused the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) of having links with the LTTE, seems to be having a good understanding with the Italian arm of this NGO. The Italian arm of the JVP and the TRO are believed to have jointly signed an appeal calling on the Italian authorities to permit Sri Lankan immigrants living illegally to visit their relatives affected by the tsunami back home and re-enter Italy without having to face the law. The appeal with the joint backing of the JVP and the TRO as well as other groups in Italy is posted on the Peace Link website http://italy.peacelink.org/migranti/articles/art_8905.html dated January 04, 2005. The same appeal also appears on the “Melting Pot” website www.meltingpot.org/articolo4516.html and “Unimondo.org” http://unimondo.oneworld.net/article/view/100810/1/ with the JVP’s Italian email address also listed for readers to post their inquiries. However, when contacted by the Daily Mirror the TRO office in Colombo, after speaking to the Italian TRO office, said at no point did the JVP and the TRO in Italy worked together. Sri Lanka extends
emergency for another month Sri Lanka Muslim Congres abstained from voting. EPDP, JVP, JHU,NUA, MEP, and several UNP members voted for the extetion. TNA members of Parliament Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham and Mr. S. Gajendran were not present. Three SLA soldiers,
policeman injured in grenade attack in Batticaloa The injured SLA soldiers Mr. A. M. Ajithkumara, 36, Mr. S. Santhana, 32, Mr. A. M. Sanjeeva Adigari, 35, and the police constable Mr. A. M. Somasri, 22, were rushed to Batticaloa hospital.
Parliament yesterday approved the release of over 58 billion rupees from the consolidated fund of the Treasury for tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation work. The funds totalling 58.62 billion rupees was approved by the House as a Supplementary Estimate from the Treasury and would be used for tsunami welfare grants and infrastructure and rehabilitation expenses, from January 1 to December 31 this year. 25.5 billion rupees of the total sum was received as overseas loans, mainly through multilateral donor agencies and foreign governments while the remaining 33.1 billion rupees came through local funds. 40 billion rupees of the money is capital expenditure while the remaining 18 billion is recurrent expenditure. Leader of the House Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva stated in Parliament that the Supplementary Estimate was required for tsunami welfare and reconstruction work. "To carry out tsunami recovery work, government institutions had to incur extra expenses. Since the government had to bear these additional expenses this year, and will continue to have more expenses in the future, it is necessary to secure additional funds as a Supplementary Estimate", he said. In addition to grants for tsunami-affected people, the government needs money for infrastructure development projects and new construction as well, he said. "We also need to allocate money to pay compensation for victims living within the 100-metre buffer zone to secure for them land to build new houses," he said. The Minister also outlined the various financial handouts the government had given tsunami victims. He said each victim currently received a weekly grant of 200 rupees, and 175 rupees weekly for dry rations. For kitchen utensils the government gave each family a one-off grant of 2,500 rupees and 15,000 rupees to carry out the final rites for each person who died in the disaster. The government also gave four monthly installments of 5,000 rupees to build livelihoods. For a completely destroyed house a sum of 250,000 rupees was given and for a partially damaged house, 100,000 rupees, he stated. Restoring Parakum
era means achieving peace and prosperity - Senaratne He said that it was Parakramabahu the great who not only united the country but also brought economic prosperity."This is exactly what Mr. Wickremesinghe is trying to achieve when he says that he want’s to restore the Parakum era." Senaratne, said that it was a Tamil general Rakka who helped King Parakramabahu to unite the country after a 14 year long battle. Similarly Mr. Wickremesinghe is seeking the support of all communities to get rid of separatism and unite the country in permanent peace. The JVP and SLFP, he said were masquerading as the saviour of the farmers but it is the UNP that can take credit for all major irrigation projects such as the Senanayake Samudra, Mahaweli, Kantalai, Rantambe and Lunugamvehara. "The JVP’s 10,000 Weva programme as fallen by the way side. President Kumaratunga’s says not even 300 Weva’s have been completed and the whole project reeks of corruption." Senaratne, said that the UNP is the
only party that can associate it self with the Parakrambahu era considering
the great contribution it has made towards agriculture, economic development
and ethnic harmony. Finance Minister
leaves for USA to attend World Bank annual meetings In their agreement, both parties had agreed to stop privatization of profitable public entities including government banks. Sri Lanka: the JHU-Rajapakse
deal and the reactionary role of Buddhist supremacism-(WSWS) In return for JHU backing, the prime minister agreed to JHU demands for a more aggressive stance against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The 12-point agreement included the revision of the current government-LTTE ceasefire; the abrogation of a government-LTTE agreement for the joint administration of tsunami aid; and the rejection of federalism as the basis for a peace deal with the LTTE. Like a similar deal with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the unmistakable logic of Rajapakse’s agreement with the JHU is to set the course for renewed civil war. Despite protestations that he is for peace, the prime minister has effectively torn up the major planks of the so-called peace process that the current president Chandrika Kumaratunga and his own government have been claiming to revive. The deals, clearly signed for short-term electoral gain, have opened up sharp differences inside the SLFP. As the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) commented on the earlier Rajapakse-JVP agreement, the differences within the SLFP reflect broader divisions in the ruling class between those who want a negotiated deal with the LTTE and those who want a return to war. Neither faction has anything to offer the working class. The proponents of the peace process want a power-sharing arrangement between the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim elites to step up market reform, integrate the island into global production processes and intensify their mutual exploitation of workers. Their opponents are prepared to plunge the working class back into the nightmare of a war that has already cost at least 60,000 lives and led to widespread misery. The Colombo press is full of speculation and commentary about the outcome of the rifts within the SLFP, their implications for the November 17 election and the political ramifications of the JHU deal. But one aspect of the Rajapakse-JHU agreement was passed over in complete silence—the ceremony itself. The prime minister travelled to Kandy for the signing, which took place in front of the Temple of the Tooth, with the JHU monks decked out in their orange robes. All of this carried a heavy symbolism for Sinhala Buddhist supremacists. Kandy was the last capital of the decadent Sinhalese monarchy. The temple purportedly houses one of Buddha’s teeth—a relic that has political as well as religious significance as a symbol of Sinhalese power. Rajapakse knelt before the JHU’s chief monk Ellawala Medananda to formally accept his copy of the agreement. Both then entered the temple to worship together before the tooth’s container amid various Buddhist rituals. The document was finally placed before the relic in order to make it sacrosanct. As far as the Sri Lankan press was concerned, none of this was in any way abnormal. Colombo politicians from all the major bourgeois parties regularly make the pilgrimage to Kandy to receive the blessings of top Buddhist monks from one or other of the religious orders. Just days later, Rajapakse’s main rival—the United National Party’s Ranil Wickremesinghe—made his way to the Bellanwila Temple near Colombo to bow and scrape before the Buddhist hierarchy. In other words, Rajapakse’s prostration before the JHU’s monks is just a particularly graphic example of the dependence of the entire political establishment on putrid communal politics. The JHU’s policies and program express, in an extreme form, the ideology of Buddhist supremacism that permeates every political party, the state apparatus, the armed forces and the media. It was enshrined in the country’s constitution in 1972 in the clause that transforms Buddhism into a state religion, and in government policies that entrench anti-Tamil discrimination. The JHU was formed prior to last year’s general election by transforming the existing right-wing Sihala Urumaya (SU) into a political vehicle for a section of the Buddhist hierarchy. Its reactionary outlook is little different from that of the right-wing Christian fundamentalists in the US, Hindu supremacist organisations like the RSS in India, or the Islamic extremists of Al Qaeda. Harking back to a mythical past of Sinhala Buddhist kings, the JHU asserts the “national right of the Sinhala nation” and calls for a state built “according to Buddhist principles”. The JHU speaks for elements of the state apparatus, the armed forces and business whose interests are bound up with the maintenance of the continuing dominance of the Sinhala ruling elites over their Tamil and Muslim counterparts. These social layers are deeply hostile to any power-sharing deal with the LTTE and regard the peace process as a betrayal of the Sinhala nation. It is no accident that sections of the Buddhist hierarchy are bitterly opposed to any peace deal. Their power and privileges were greatly enhanced by the constitutional provision turning Buddhism into a state religion. The Department of Buddhist Affairs has a substantial budget—185 million rupees in 2004—much of which finds its way into the hands of the monasteries. Any dilution of these anti-democratic measures would impact on the position of the Buddhist clergy. These social layers will stop at nothing to defend their interests. The JHU, and its predecessor the SU, have been involved in a series of violent confrontations and provocations. The SU was widely held to be responsible for a series of attacks on Christian churches. One of the JHU’s main planks is the demand for an anti-conversion law that will ban Christian evangelicals from “unethical conversions”—that is, offering any aid to the Buddhist poor that might cause them to change their religion. The JHU was in the forefront of the vicious communal campaign against the agreement under which the LTTE and government agreed to temporarily work together to distribute tsunami aid. JHU secretary Omalpe Sobhitha, an MP and monk, planted himself in front of the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and declared that he would fast until death to stop the deal, known as P-TOMS, being signed. Other monks in Colombo joined him in branding the agreement as a national betrayal. Reactionary communalism All of this is well known to the Colombo media. Yet there is never a hint of criticism of the reactionary role of Buddhism and the Buddhist hierarchy in Sri Lankan politics. To comment on the disgusting spectacle of Rajapakse kneeling before the berobed JHU leader would be regarded as a public outrage to be denounced and condemned by all. The reason behind this studied silence has nothing to do with any reverence for Buddhism. Rather it is a reflection of just how vital the ideology of Sinhala Buddhist supremacism is to the maintenance of bourgeois rule. Ever since national independence in 1948, the Sri Lankan bourgeoisie has fostered and whipped up Sinhala chauvinism as the means for justifying the creation of an artificial nation on this small island, for dividing the working class along communal lines and for securing a social base for its parties, the SLFP in particular. The local ruling elite learnt from their former colonial masters. In signing the 1815 agreement with the remnants of the defeated Kandyan kingdom, the British agreed that “the religion of Buddhoo, its rites, ministers and places of worship are to be maintained and protected.” As historian K. M. de Silva commented: “They [the British governors of the island] valued Buddhism for its potential as a countervailing force against movements for change and reform which raised the prospect of disturbing the political balance which the British were seeking to maintain.” Insofar as Buddhist monks later took an anti-colonial stance, it was, like the JHU, a reactionary attempt to restore the previous dominance of the Sinhala kings and the Buddhist priestly order. They inveighed against the immorality of British rule and denounced the local “whisky drinkers” who mimicked their colonial masters and did their bidding. They sought to divert the growing hostility to colonial rule into a temperance movement for the revival of Buddhist values. In the wake of the Russian Revolution, it was the working class, particularly the Trotskyist leaders of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), who waged a determined struggle against British rule. Confronting a militant and organised working class after 1948, the newly “independent” ruling class did not hesitate to stir up anti-Tamil chauvinism as a means of setting working people against each other. The political consequences have been one disaster after another—communal violence, pogroms and ultimately war. The crucial turning point was the LSSP’s decision to join the SLFP-led government of Sirama Bandaranaike in 1964. In doing so, the LSSP renounced the international socialist principles for which it had previously fought and embraced the ideology of Sinhala Buddhist supremacism on which the SLFP had been founded. In 1972, the LSSP minister Colvin R. de Silva was responsible for drafting the constitution that enshrined Buddhism as the state religion and Sinhala was the state language. In the 1960s and 1970s, the LSSP betrayal led to the emergence and dominance of communally based parties among radicalised youth—the LTTE among the Tamils and the JVP among rural Sinhalese. The Bandaranaike government’s discriminatory measures against Tamils, maintained and extended by the UNP government of J.R. Jayawardene, were responsible for the outbreak of war in 1983. The inability of any section of the ruling class to end this disastrous conflict stems from the fact that it can no more relinquish communalism than it can give up its wealth and social privileges. A socialist alternative The SEP is standing in the presidential election to offer a socialist alternative to working people in Sri Lanka and throughout the region. We call on workers throughout the Indian subcontinent to reject the chauvinism, sectarianism and racism that the various representatives of the capitalist class have deliberately stirred up for the purpose of maintaining the oppressive profit system. The only way that the working class can liberate itself is by uniting its struggles, regardless of race, religion, language or caste, and building its own political movement, independent of all bourgeois factions, to reorganise society on the basis of the social need, not private profit. The SEP and its candidate will not be joining the political pilgrimage to Kandy or to any other place of religious worship—Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim or Christian. We insist that the working class has to be guided in its struggles by Marxism, that is by scientific socialism. We reject all forms of religion and mysticism, which in the final analysis are based on a passive acceptance of the status quo. Whether it is the high priests of Kandy or the Christian clergy, they all call on the poor to accept their miserable lot in exchange for the false promise of a better life in heaven or the next reincarnation. The working class must put an end to the communal violence and war that has plagued Sri Lanka. The SEP demands the immediate and unconditional withdraw all security forces from the north and east of the island. The forcible maintenance of the unitary state has only resulted in the domination of militarism and attacks on basic democratic rights throughout the island. The SEP opposes every form of oppression and champions the rights of all, regardless of their ethnicity, language or religion. Any resolution to the 20-year civil war requires the repudiation of the anti-democratic Sri Lankan constitution. The SEP advocates the establishment of a genuinely representative Constituent Assembly to enable ordinary working people, rather than cliques of capitalist politicians, to decide on all outstanding issues of democratic rights. We call for the complete separation of the state and religion, which is the essential precondition for establishing the democratic right of all to freedom of religion. By making Buddhism the state religion, the constitution reduces other religions to a second-class status and discriminates against their adherents. The struggle for democratic rights and socialist policies requires a broad offensive by the working class against the capitalist order. The Socialist Equality Party calls for the establishment of the Socialist United States of Sri Lanka and Eelam as part of the wider struggle for the United Socialist States of South Asia and throughout the globe. We call on WSWS readers and our supporters to join the SEP in the campaign for this perspective in the presidential elections.
21 September 2005 Consensus
on ethnic question a must for both major parties – TNA The opinion was expressed that government could create tension in the East by using the Karuna faction create violence so as to try and capture some votes through a fear psychosis. Finally there was a school of thought that was acceptable to the LTTE and the TNA to ask the Tamil people to boycott the forthcoming polls so as to impress upon the International Community that in the context of the present "war cry" by the majority the only alternative left for Tamil speaking people was to go for separation. There is a another school of thought that the LTTE's TNA remains neutral and allow the Tamil people to vote according to their will. A survey carried out by a foreign organisation in the North East had found most Tamil people to feel disinterested in the forthcoming polls. TELO Muthalvar M. K. Sivajilingam
said that both the LTTE as well as the TNA look forward to both the two
major parties to state their positions on the ethnic question clearly.
But when one looks at the conditions put forward by the JVP, JHU to Prime
Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, there does not seem to be much room for a
political solution.
PM
Rajapaksa's popularity decreased by 15% after signing political pacts
- Survey “Earlier sixty-three percent of Sri Lankans believe that popular Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will [be appointed] as next President of Sri Lanka. However, he loses his popularity significantly after he signed two political pacts with Marxist JVP and hardliners JHU,” the P3 Center report said. The report added that Premier Rajapaksa’s own party members including President Chandrika Kumaratunga showed their disapproval for the political pacts publicly. It also said that UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe’s campaign for the presidency has now emerged at the national level and enjoys support and confidence from the country’s business class. “Opposition leader’s campaign is rapidly [growing] up and he is handling all political forces strategically for his victory,” the report said. The P3 Center is an independent opinion research group that studies attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues. Trinco Civil society calls for general shut down Wednesday Tamil civil groups in Trincomalee have called for a general shut down ('Hartal') on Wednesday, 21 September, putting forward 8 demands, including the removal of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentries and mini-camps which are located in the vicinity of schools and places of worship in the eastern port town. The organizers are also demanding to stop “all planned sabotage activities in the Trincomalee town currently engineered by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and other Sri Lankan security agencies after the unlawful erection of Buddha statue in the port city.” Organizers have appealed to closedown all government departments, private business establishments, non-governmental organizations, state and private sector banks, schools, and private tutorials in the Trincomalee district. Appeal has been made to stop all vehicular transport to and from the Trincomalee, sources said. Other demands for the general shut down follow: - · 1. Condemning the government and the SLA for conducting a shadow war on the LTTE in collaboration with the paramilitary groups · 2. Condemning the SLA and other security agencies for human rights violations taking place in the eastern province under the emergency regulations · 3. Condemning the government for making the ceasefire agreement defunct in the northeast province with the support of the SLA, · 4. Condemning the psychological war launched by the SLA against Tamil speaking people in the province. · 5. Requesting the government to take immediate steps to provide necessary security assurance to the LTTE to resume their political activities and · 6. Requesting the government to take immediate steps to remove the unlawfully erected Buddha statute, which is considered as the root cause for the present volatile situation in Trincomalee town. Election on Nov. 17, nominations
Oct. 7 Assistant Elections Commissioner Rasika Peiris told the Daily Mirror, a gazette notification announcing the dates was being issued. Yesterday’s announcement came about four weeks after the Supreme Court gave a landmark ruling that the Presidential election be held before November 22 this year and not next year as claimed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga. While 51 parties are registered with the Commissioner of Elections, the two major parties – the UNP and the SLFP have announced their presidential candidates though controversy and speculation still swirl over the position of SLFP candidate and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse. Internally Displaced People would be given the opportunity to vote at other polling stations, Commissioner Dissanayaka said in a communiqué issued last evening. According to the communiqué the Presidential Election Act provides for the displaced electors to apply to vote at other polling stations if such an elector is unable to cast his vote at the polling station due to the social and security conditions prevailing in the area. Printed application forms are available at the offices of the Returning Officers, Divisional Secretaries and Grama Niladharis in areas where the displaced people are accommodated. The applicant should indicate the national identity card number or the refugee identity card number or the number of any other identifying document -- passport, motor driving licence or an identity card issued by an employer. An application without an identity number or a Grama Niladhari certificate are liable to be rejected. Electoral Registers of areas from which the persons have been displaced will be made available in the offices of the Returning Officers in areas where the IDPs are now reported to be living except. In the Colombo district the registers would be exhibited at places where postal voting registers are made available. Puttalam District registers would be available at Puttalam, Kalpitiya, Mundal and Wanathavilluwa divisional secretariats. The last date for receipt of applications for IDP votes is September 26, 2005. President
Kumaratunga plans to set new guidelines for ruling party candidate The President has already summoned her party central committee to discuss the latest developments and plans to have her new guidelines approved at the decisive meeting. However, some SLFP seniors fear the new guidelines for the presidential candidate would create more divisions among the party organizers and would badly affect the ruling party campaign. President Kumaratunga argues that her party nominee should follow party policies and principles rather than political ideas set by hardliners. The full text of the Co-chairs’ statement issued by the US Embassy in Colombo after Monday’s meeting follows: Statement of the Sri Lanka Co-Chairs The Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference in support of the peace process in Sri Lanka met in New York on 19 September to discuss the current situation in Sri Lanka, following the assassination of Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Kadirgamar. The Co-Chairs reiterate their unequivocal condemnation of the assassination of the Foreign Minister. This unconscionable act of terrorism casts profound doubt on the commitment of those responsible to a peaceful and political resolution of the conflict. The Co-Chairs call on the LTTE to take immediate public steps to demonstrate their commitment to the peace process and their willingness to change. An immediate end to political assassinations by the LTTE and an end to LTTE recruitment of child soldiers are two such steps. The Co-Chairs believe that the peace process between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is facing its most serious challenge since the Ceasefire Agreement came into force in February 2002. The Ceasefire Agreement remains the essential anchor of the peace process and is put at grave risk by the continuing violence. Effective implementation of the agreement is the responsibility of the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. The Co-Chairs commend the Government of Sri Lanka for its restraint following the assassination of Foreign Minister Kadirgamar and for its willingness to discuss the Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE. The Co-Chairs are disappointed that the LTTE have not agreed to the proposed venue for talks with the Government of Sri Lanka about implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement. The Co-Chairs urge both parties to engage constructively with special representative of Norway, Major General Furuhovde, during his planned visit in October to find practical ways of improving implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement. The Co-Chairs deplore the activities of paramilitary groups, which fuel the cycle of violence and unrest. The Co-Chairs underscore the responsibility of the Sri Lankan government under the Ceasefire Agreement to disarm or relocate these groups from the north and east. The future of Sri Lanka lies in the hands of the people of Sri Lanka. The forthcoming elections are a time of political choice in Sri Lanka. It is natural that there will be vigorous debate on the best way forward in the peace process. The Co-Chairs look to all parties to refrain from violence and from statements and acts that could undermine progress toward the peaceful resolution of the conflict after the elections. The Co-Chairs hope that the peace process will be reinvigorated following the elections. The Co-Chairs reiterate that a peaceful resolution of the conflict can only be achieved through a negotiated political settlement that follows the principles agreed in Oslo in December 2002 to explore a solution based on a federal model within a united Sri Lanka, and which ensures democracy and full respect for human rights and the legitimate rights of all ethnic groups. Nearly a year has passed since the tsunami, and the Co-Chairs reiterate that the international community remains fully committed to implementing the pledges made for tsunami reconstruction. Cooperation between the Sri Lankan government, the LTTE and the Muslim community will be important for sustainable recovery in the north and east. Finally, the Co-Chairs wish to thank outgoing Norwegian Foreign Minister Petersen and Deputy Minister Helgesen for their tireless efforts at facilitating the peace process in Sri Lanka. We reaffirm our strong support to Norway as facilitator.
Prabha writes to Norway’s new PM LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has written to Norway’s new Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg urging his country to continue its role as facilitator in Sri Lanka’s peace process, diplomatic sources said yesterday.They said this in the letter sent through chief negotiator Anton Balasingham. Mr. Prabhakran warmly greeted the new premier and said the LTTE wished him and his country well. Ex-PLOTE cadre shot
and killed in Vavuniya The SLMM played a similar role at the last general elections when the monitors were stationed at similar check points to ensure the smooth movement of civilians.The police and army will also be at full strength at the borders to ensure LTTE members do not use the opportunity to enter government-held areas with weapons. President Chandrika Kumaratunga speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York over the weekend called on the international community to pressurize the LTTE to desist from making any moves that might disrupt the polls. Mannar rape victim disappears
before court hearing Twelve policemen of Sri Lanka Police and two soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) have been indicted with rape and torture of these two complaints while in the custody of the Mannar Police during the month of March in 2001, legal sources said. Counsel Mr.Remedius is watching the
interest of these two women complainants in this case, legal sources said. 19 September 2005 An
embodiment of antimony," – Thamilchelvan on Kumaratunga's speeches
in New York "We consider Kumaratunga's speech
in New York a pack of chicaneries trying to hoodwink the international
community. During her ten-year period of presidency CBK failed to implement
anything to enhance the welfare of the Tamil people. She tried desperately
to prevent the then United National Front (UNF) government from holding
talks with the LTTE on the proposal of Interim Self Governing Authority
(ISGA), which she vehemently criticized. At her earliest opportunity,
she dismissed the UNF government, jeopordising the chance for the resumption
of the peace talks centred on the ISGA proposals." The Political Head of the LTTE emphasised the fact that the LTTE was ready for immediate talks on the implementation of the CFA in an international venue. While it had become the accepted practice to conduct talks outside the island, Kumaratunge government’s sudden insistence on having talks in Sri Lanka was to conjure a new ploy that would help abjure the talks, Thamilchelvan observed. Commenting on the reports that that
Mr.Jayantha Dhanapala, the Secretary General, Sri Lanka's Peace Secretariat,
had requested Ms Christina Rocca, US Assistant Secretary of State that
the international community should exert pressure on the LTTE to come
to the negotiating table, Mr Thamilchelvan said, "Southern politicians
and diplomats are used to giving a picture of deceit to the international
community regarding the problems affecting the Tamil people in Sri Lanka."
"We also consider the Sri Lankan government's insistence on holding future peace talks in Sri Lanka and not abroad is with a view to sever the rapport the LTTE has built up with the international community," Mr.Thamilchelvan added. "The Sri Lankan government's strategy is to marginalize the Tamil people and weakening the LTTE on one hand, while assuring the international community it is prepared to hold peace talks with the LTTE, on the other. Sri Lankan diplomats including Dr.Jayantha Dhanapala are now engaged in the implementation of this strategy of duplicity," Mr.Thamilchelvan further said. "If Sri Lanka is seriously committed to taking forward the peace process, it should have first agreed to hold talks on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in a neutral country, without breaking the status quo, for which the LTTE is always ready," Mr.Thamilchelvan assured. "We have categorically informed the Norwegian government that the talks on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement should be held in a neutral country. But due to the pressure of the Sri Lankan government, probably from the President herself, the Norwegian government proposed Sri Lanka," replied Mr.Thamilchelvan to a question from the correspondent. "The Norwegian government did not impose on us its decision on a venue in Sri Lanka. We have now received news that Norwegian government is considering our proposal regarding venue for talks,” Mr.Thamilchelvan added. "We have also pointed out to the Norwegian facilitators that the contradictory statements and speeches by President Chandrika Kumaratunge who is on the verge of leaving her post are causing serious impediment to the peace process. We are sure the Norwegian authorities are quite aware of the development,” said Mr.Thamilchelvan.
New candidate if PM does not accept SLFP policy President strikes back President Chandrika Kumaratunga will decide on another candidate from the SLFP for the presidential election if Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse does not accept the SLFP's policy platform for the upcoming election. The President had revealed her thinking at a meeting with SLFP prime ministerial candidate Anura Bandaranaike prior to her departure to address the UN General Assembly sessions in New York. The Sunday Leader learns the issue had been further discussed at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New York where the President and her delegation were staying. The President also wrote to Prime Minister Rajapakse prior to her departure for New York accusing him of breaching party discipline by entering into an agreement with the JVP without reference or approval of the party central committee. The Prime Minister has in agreements with the JVP and JHU pledged to uphold the unitary character of the state and abolish the P-TOMS agreement in direct contravention of SLFP policies on the issues. The President addressing the Asia Society in New York on Wednesday replying to a question from the audience said the Prime Minister though appointed the SLFP presidential candidate could not take unilateral decisions in violation of party policy and that appropriate action would have to be taken if he had done so. The President also insisted that the solution to the ethnic conflict lay through a federal state. "My party has had a consistent stand on the conflict in the country. Until this moment the party has not changed the policy," she said. " I am proud to say it would be difficult to reverse the momentum of the peace process," she added. Meanwhile, the President has cut short her stay in New York by five days and is expected in Sri Lanka tomorrow to face up to the policy challenges posed by Rajapakse. The President is expected to summon an emergency meeting of the SLFP central committee and set the policy guidelines for the party's presidential candidate, which if not accepted by Rajapakse will lead to the President proposing the name of another candidate from the party. Informed sources said that if the Prime Minister accepted the policy statement it would effectively negate the agreements with the JVP and JHU. EPRLF(V) cadre shot dead
in Vavuniya SLMC to reveal stand after nomination day- Hakeem The support of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in the coming presidential poll would be for a political party that would not act in to weaken the strength of the Muslim political leadership, which has been endorsed by majority Muslim people in Sri Lanka, said Rauff Hakeem, Leader of SLMC participating as the chief guest in the fifth death anniversary religious event of SLMC founder leader, the late A.H.M.Ashraff held in Trincomalee Zahira College Friday evening. "Main political parties contesting the forthcoming presidential election are in agreement on what should not be given to Muslim people. But they are in agreement on the question of what rights are to be given to the Muslim community. The agreements signed by one of the main political parties with Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) have proved this," said Hakeem. "We will decide our stand on the presidential poll after the nomination day on assessing the policies of the main political parties in regard to the problems confronting the Muslim community. The main political parties should come out with the proposals for an interim and permanent solution to Muslim problems and their legitimate political aspirations if they seek the SLMC support," stated Hakeem.
Business community for federal state The business community has strongly criticised proposals submitted to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to maintain a unitary structure in Sri Lanka. Chamber leaders are of the view that a proposal to finding a solution to the ethnic crisis through a unitary character of state would lead to economic chaos and push the country towards war. President, Federation of Chambers of Commerce in Sri Lanka (FCCISL), Nawaz Rajabdeen told The Sunday Leader that a federal system should be implemented without delay as power had to be divided amongst all communities in order to achieve a lasting peace. "President Kumaratunga and the LTTE have the same views on a federal system. So why shouldn't it be implemented? Only a federal system would allow the minority parties to live in peace," Rajabdeen said. He added that with the current political unrest prevailing in the country, the government had to be flexible and take into consideration the demands of all communities in order to solve the national problem. "Countries such as India and the United States do maintain a federal system. Such a system has only led those countries to success," Rajabdeen added. President, Joint Business Forum (J-BIZ), Kingsley Bernard also maintained that in order to solve the country's north-east conflict, a federal system was the only solution. "Considering the present political status, a federal state is the only solution that can achieve lasting peace. In order to discuss peace, it is important to transform the LTTE into a democratic political force," Bernard said. The Chamber leaders added that by maintaining a unitary state, Prime Minister Rajapakse would only cause further confusion and added that despite agreeing to such a proposal, the Premier would be unable to fulfill it. "We maintain a unitary state but what have we achieved so far? It is evident that the Premier has accepted this demand only in order to gain power," the FCCISL President said. Meanwhile, President Chandrika Kumaratunga once again on thursday committed herself to a federal system of government as a final solution to the ethnic conflict and said that the dual challenges ahead would be to transform the LTTE into a democratic political force. The President made her comments at the Asia Society in New York where she further said that a federal solution was favoured by an overwhelming section of Sri Lankan society. Politics of division, exclusion dominate Sri Lankan polity- Australian MP “Minorities [in Sri Lanka] have progressively seen their rights eroded through ingrained discrimination and segregation...Racism and fear is fostered. It is the politics of division, exclusion and misrepresentation, with the truth hidden from the outside world,” said Australian Member of Parliament for Strathfield, New South Wales, Ms Virginia Judge, during the first session of the 53rd parliament on 15 September in a stinging indictment of the Government of Sri Lanka. Ms Judge returned from Sri Lanka last week after a fact finding mission to different parts of Sri Lanka including the NorthEast to research a suitable project for funds raised here after the tsunami to assist victims. She said that although she “experienced first hand a concerted campaign” to prevent her from visiting the NorthEast, she was able to visit parts of NorthEast where she said: “[I] was able to witness for myself the suffering of this proud people as well as their determined efforts to rebuild their community. The Tamils are a resilient people. I observed that in a remarkable three year period the Tamils developed a virtual state within virtual state within the north and north-east of Sri Lanka.” “I visited their judiciary and court, school of law, police station, police academy, medical and technical colleges and small industries, a community bank plus a children's home housing 278 children left orphaned by the war and the recent tsunami. The Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) runs a variety of development, relief and reconstruction projects as well as assisting several non-government organisations with their projects. All this is a tribute to the spirit and resilience of the Tamil people,” she said. She urged the Sri Lanka Government to give up its “monopoly of power,” by working towards a federal structure that guarantees the rights of the Tamils by working within the CFA brokered by the Norwegian Government.
Sri Lankan spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan on Friday rejected reports that he was linked to a bar dancer in India who is being investigated for links to match-fixing. There has been widespread speculation in the Indian media this week of fresh match-fixing in South Asia, with some reports hinting at Muralitharan's possible involvement. Reports have said that Muralitharan, the second highest wicket taker in test cricket, was introduced to a dancer called Tarannum Khan at a Bombay nightclub called Deepa Bar. The controversy then erupted after Indian police launched an investigation after discovering vast amounts of money at her home. ``On one occasion, I met actor Aditya Pancholi who invited me to dinner. Afterward, we visited Deepa Bar for approximately one hour before I returned to my hotel,'' Muralitharan said in a statement. ``Contrary to media speculation, I have never been introduced to and nor do I have any links whatsoever with a woman called Tarannum Khan, who was apparently a dancer in the Deepa Bar. In addition, this was also the only occasion in my life that I visited this particular bar.'' Muralitharan told The Associated Press that he had to issue the statement, ``because this is totally false.'' ``Recent media reports of my close alliance with this bar or the dancer are therefore total fabrications. I have been associated with a match-fixing controversy on the basis that I innocently patronized a bar a few years ago, which I believe is grossly unfair,'' his statement said. The widely read Cricinfo Web site said that police had reportedly ``uncovered proof on the nexus between big-time bookies, the Hindi film industry and organized criminal gangs.'' ``Representing Sri Lanka as a cricketer is a truly great honor and a source of immense personal pride. I have always strived to perform to the very best of my ability and have maintained at all times while doing so the highest ethics of the game,'' Muralitharan said. ``It is thus deeply upsetting for my family and I that such wild allegations are now being made. I have therefore spoken to my lawyers and I am taking all necessary steps legally available to me in order to safeguard my reputation and integrity,'' Muralitharan said. Govt. oppose overseas
tours for LTTE-(The Island) Highly placed officials said that the government would resist attempts to arrange overseas visits for LTTE delegations on the pretext of study tours. A senior official claimed that the LTTE and its local and international backers were in the process of arranging an overseas visit on an urgent basis in the aftermath of the assassination. The government believes that no further concessions should be given to the LTTE unless it denounced any form of violence. President Chandrika Kumaratunga in her speeches at the Asia Society in New York and the United Nations General Assembly accused the LTTE of assassinating Kadirgamar. Foreign Secretary H. M. G. B Palihakkara, Peace Secretariat chief Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala and Ambassador Bernard Goonetillke based in Washington, too, had blamed the LTTE. The government also expects the UK to take meaningful steps to curb LTTE activity, particularly high profile status of London — based LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham. European and Scandinavian countries
organised a series of overseas tours over the past three years for LTTE
delegations, most of which were led by their political wing leader S.
P. Thamilselvan. 18 September 2005 SLA searches TELO MP's Mannar residence Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from Mannar camp encircled Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Telo MP Mr Vino Noharathalingam's residence at 5.15pm Thursday before entering the house, and searched all rooms in the house for suspicious material, the MP said in registering his complaint to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). Mr Noharathalingam's house is located in Pettah, Sebastiar Road in Mannar. Only the TELO MP's house was searched in that area by the SLA soldiers, area residents said. Mrs Noharathalingam said in her complaint to the SLMM and local police that she was in the house with women friends when the SLA soldiers entered the house, and that the soldiers ignored her plea that the she was the wife a TNA parliamentarian. Selvam Adaikalanathan, Telo Leader and TNA parliamentarian for Vanni said that the incident is an inevitable consequence of escalating threats and harassment of district residents by SLA soldiers. He added that he was, however, surprised by the SLA violating special previleges afforded to a parliamentarian especially when Emergency Regulations was not in force. IMF warn Sri Lanka
on subsidies -BBC "On the expenditure side, subsidies for fuel have been considerably higher than budget provisions and 20 billion rupees ($20 m) has already been spent on tsunami relief," the report issued on Tuesday said. 'Politically difficult' The IMF said that the government should be prepared to increase prices, even though "it may prove politically difficult". It also called on the government to increase interest rates in order to combat inflation, which was forecast to rise to 14% this year from 7.9% last year. The body wants the government to continue a policy of economic liberalisation. But, with presidential elections pending the future of Sri Lanka's economic policy is uncertain. Ruling party candidate - and current
prime minister - Mahinda Rajapakse has signed a pre-election deal with
left-wing Sinhalese nationalist party, the JVP, in which he has pledged
to halt privatisation if elected. PM to cancel P-TOMS, rejects ISGA:Wimal Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse who made an unexpected appearance at the Patriotic National Movement (PNM) led Federation of National Organizations convention at the Maharagama Youth Centre yesterday made a patriotic plea to safe guard the country. “I will save the nation for the future generation” he said amidst loud cheers. The Prime Minister thereafter pledged to build a nation where all communities could live peacefully. “I am a southerner who hails from Giruwapathuwa and that’s why I have managed to get the support of all forces. I will not let these forces down and am ready to sacrifice any thing for the betterment of the nation” he added. The PM said that Sri Lanka had a great history compared to the USA and he stressed the need for teaching the 2500-year-old history to the children of the nation. “I will not allow anyone to divide this nation’ he said further drawing another huge round of applause from the spectators. However Mr. Rajapakse assured that he would solve the ethnic issue through dialogue and pledged to solve other outstanding issues in the country. “There is a challenge ahead of us to save this country for the younger generation” he added. PNM Joint President Wimal Weerawansa said that the presidential elections this year has become a battle between the patriotic forces and the traitors of the nation. “A line has been drawn between these two forces and there is no place for moderates” he added. He lashed out at Ranil Wickremesinghe saying that he is a puppet of the western forces who wish to destroy this country. “Mahinda has agreed to cancel the P-TOMS agreement and have rejected the ISGA and therefore all patriotic forces should get together to ensure his victory” he added.
Sri Lanka 'must be federal state' Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has stressed that Sri Lanka must become a federal state, as splits in the ruling party deepen. The president opposes a pre-poll pact made by the prime minister - and ruling party presidential election candidate - with Sinhalese nationalists. The deal signed by PM Mahinda Rajapakse includes a commitment to maintaining a unitary state and reviewing the ceasefire with Tamil Tigers. An election is due by the end of 2005 In a speech to the Asia Society in New York, President Kumaratunga said she believed the main challenges for the peace process in Sri Lanka were a transformation of the state and of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). "We need to transform the state so it is more inclusive - equally reflecting the concerns of all communities," she said. "My view and the view of overwhelming sections of Sri Lankan society is that this will involve transforming the state from a unitary one to one that is plural and federal in nature." She also called for the transformation of the LTTE into a political force that engages with the state, rather than a militant group. Devolution On Wednesday, Sri Lanka's foreign minister - and brother of the president - added his voice to criticisms of the deals signed by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse with the Sinhalese nationalist JVP and Buddhist party, the JHU.
Anura Bandaranaike said PM Mahinda Rajapakse had joined with "extremist forces" to try to win this year's presidential elections. Both the JVP and JHU are opposed to federalism in Sri Lanka. After signing the deal with the JHU, Mr Rajapakse said that he favoured devolution of power within a unitary state. The elections have been prompted by a Supreme Court ruling stating that President Chandrika Kumaratunga's term ends in December. Under the constitution, she is barred from contesting a third term. President Kumaratunga was at the helm during six rounds of peace talks with the Tamil Tigers. Those talks broke down in 2003, but before then both sides had made an unprecedented agreement to work towards a federal solution of the conflict on the island. Mr Rajapakse's main opponent in the presidential elections is former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe. Mr Wickramasinghe is campaigning on
a platform of reviving the peace process with the Tigers and continuing
policies of economic liberalisation.More than 60,000 people have been
killed in Sri Lanka since the Tamil Tigers launched their campaign for
a separate Tamil state in the north and east of the island in 1983. Sivaram killers identified says Crimes Division A Police officer of Colombo Crime Division (CCD) informed the Kaduwela Magistrate court on Friday (September 16), that all information and location details regarding the killers and the gun used in the murder of Tamil Net senior editor D. Sivaram has been found. Kaduwela Magistrate Ms. Champa Janaki has ordered CCD in open court to produce a full detailed report of the Sivaram murder investigation to courts on 27th September. According to the CCD police officer, a suspect held in custody had disclosed all information regarding the killers and the gun used for the murder to the investigating officer following a long period of questioning. Providing details of the killers and the gun in court, the police officer said that it is now possible to arrest Sivaram's killers on this information. Sivaram was abducted and murdered on April 28, 2005. 14 September 2005
Unidentified Paramilitary men lobbed a hand grenade and opened fire at the TELO Sun Television retransmission station in Vairavarpuliyankulam,located one kilometer west of Vavuniya town at 9:15 p.m. Monday, No one was injured in the attack, according to an official of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation, the organisation that operates the retransmissionstation in Vavuniya. The station, located 50 meters away from a paramilitary camp belonging to Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP) . The TELO official said that the attackers have used AK-47 assault rifles tofire at the office. The attackers were riding a Dolphin type van, according to an employee atthe station. The employees standing outside the station before the attack had observed a man riding a bicycle to inform someone via cell phone that there were persons standing outside the building. The attack occured within a few minutes later. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials
and the Sri Lankan police in Vavuniya who arrived at the spot around 10:15
p.m. examined the Chandrika-Ranil
alliance on the cards Anura joins battle against Mahinda over JVP-JHU deals Party has been betrayed and damaged,
I donât care about the election now, says Foreign Minister President
working out new deal with Thondaman, but no details still Days after President
Chandrika Kumaratunga launched an attack on SLFP Presidential candidate
Mahinda Rajapakse, Minister Anura Bandaranaike joined the battle yesterday
saying he had lost interest in the presidential campaign and the President
too was equally disillusioned about the manner Mr. Rajapakse was conducting
his campaign. I really donât care about the
outcome of the election now since the partys long upheld principles have
been betrayed. Our partys andidate has joined hands with extremist forces
and understandably I and my sister strongly feel a major damage has been
done to the party by his actions, Foreign Minister Bandaranaike told the
Daily Mirror in an exclusive telephone interview from London. But at this point even I donât
know what she is going to tell the CWC leader. I will join the President
and Mr. Thondaman tomorrow in New York and I should be in a position to
tell what the plans are after that,Minister Bandaranaike said. 9 September
2005Mahinda taking country
towards war with JVP, JHU help 8 September 2005 Airport
is no place for political discussions devoid of mistrustâ€
Tamilselvan responds to Norway
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