Aug 22 (LG) Recently concluded SARRC summit has brought to an end the speculation and the much awaited outcome of the one to one meeting between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, particularly with regard to the Government’s commitment to finding a solution to the ethnic crisis. It was reported that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assured the Indian PM that the 13th amendment to the constitution would be implemented in full. more..

Aug 22 (LG) LTTE supremo is still pinning his hopes on war when the LTTE is at the brink of total annihilation. He wants his cadres and the Tamil Diaspora to believe that he can get away this time as well and unfortunately some readily believe it based on historical events. The past is no guide to the future. In 1999-2001 period LTTE managed to turn the tables on the Sri Lanka army. However, this time it is going to be a different game. more..

Aug 22 (LG) The first bus that was assembled in Sri Lanka by Micro Cars Limited was presented to President Mahinda Rajapaksa . The relevant spare parts were imported from China in accordance with the agreement entered with the business community in China during the tour of China of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2006. Ministry of Industrial Development supervised the assembling process of the bus that can accommodate 102 passengers. more..

Aug 22 (LG) I am surprised at the response of Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka to my reply. He has deviated from his original subject of "In defence of Douglas Devananda" to a new subject. "In defence of devolution within a unitary state". Having said all that appeared in his imaginations about me, some of which are far from the truth, he is now trying to explain to me about devolution in a unitary state, which is a subject discussed or debated almost everyday in the media. more..

Aug 22 (LG) Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has told The Times newspaper in England that the army is on target to capture the Kilinochchi town, the Tigers' capital, in the next four months. “You can't just push them into the jungles and wait. You have to search for them and completely eradicate them. Only then can peace come” said the defence secretary. more..

Aug 22 (LG) Sri Lankan war intensifies and civilians are worst affected by the on going bloody war in the North of Sri Lanka where the LTTE runs their own affairs in the De Facto state where close to 400,000 people living in the area. According to the latest reports emerging from Vanni, half of the population in Vanni has been displaced and living under subhuman condition for the past two and a half months as Sri Lanka stepped up the daily sea, land and air attacks on these people. more..

Aug 22 (AT) If anyone is to take serious note of the speech made by Prof. Hoole on the invitation of "Canadians for Peace" on 17 August 2008 in Canada, it should be the underlying seriousness with which he was steering Tamil thought towards an "Indian intervention" in Sri Lanka. Essentially the crux of Prof. Hoole’s speech was predominately to "invite foreign intervention". The backdrop to this obviously is the looming question of the fate of the LTTE with the facile military successes of the Sri Lankan armed forces. more..

Aug 22 (AT) A memorial service for the late Dr. A.T.S. Paul , one of Sri Lanka’s most eminent cardiothoracic surgeons will be held in Colombo on September 5, on the late surgeon’s 93rd birth anniversary, his son Dr. Suren Paul said in London. Dr. Suren Paul, who is practicing in London said, “It is intended to hold a memorial service in Colombo on the 5th of September which was his birthday at the Colpetty Methodist Church at 7 p.m.” more..

Aug 22 (LD) The UNP chief ministerial candidate for the North Central Province, retired Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera and around 2,000 of his supporters marched to the office of the province's Deputy Inspector General Jayantha Gamage and handed over a petition that calls for measures to halt poll violence. The march began from the home of UNP organizer Dr. Raja Johnpulle which was extensively damaged in an attack by political opponents. more..

Aug 22 (AT) Sri Lanka Army troops attached to the 57th Division, launched their operations to capture the strategic LTTE garrison town of Thunukkai. According to reports arriving from Mullaittivu Eastern battlefront, troops of Army 57 division are now encircling the Thunukkai town amid heavy resistance from the Tigers. Sri Lankan Troops have commenced approaching the strategically vital town from the North and the West since early this morning. more..

Aug 22 (DPA) A student belonging to the majority Sinhala community was shot dead at an university in predominantly Tamil minority eastern Sri Lanka by unidentified persons on Thursday night, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said. The student was identified as a 27-year-old first year business management student attached to the Vandaramullai University in Batticaloa, 240 kilometres east of the capital Colombo. more..

Aug 22 (IL) On behalf of concerned citizens of the Deniyara village in Sri Lanka which lies just on the periphery of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and the concerns of ourself and many others. It is in our understanding that this area has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It also states in this document that the felling of the forest is prohibited within 1.6km of the reserves boundary. more..

Aug 22 (LG) Soon after NADDANKANDAL 16Km Northeast of PERIYAMADU was taken by the 57 division on the 11th of July 08, battleplanners set off to lay siege on two heavily populated areas in Western Wanni - THUNUKKAI and MALLAVI. These two towns are of immense strategic importance since the fall of these areas brings the SLA heavy weapons dangerously close to the Tiger Heartland. more..

Aug 22 (LG) The Ceylonese identity of the Burghers had to be stillborn. The Burghers were mainly town dwellers who were confined to Colombo and a few other towns in the country, did not know the villagers nor the villages. They wanted a Ceylonese nation to be built and probably wanted to be on equal terms with the British on some matters. more..

Aug 22 (LG) The successful test victory against India was a needed eye-opener in that a country of 20 million could keep at bay a country with one billion, at least in this narrow field of cricket. It reminded me of the time when Sri Lanka with its back to the wall in the awful days of Chandrika Kumaratunga won the World Series in 1996. I was in Cambodia and elated, feted the Sri Lankans there at the then only five-star hotel. more..

Aug 22 (LG) Gampaha District UNP Parliamentarian Dr.Jayalath Jayawardena has asked Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa why he was ordered to leave the Madhu Church premises on August 14. In a letter dated August 21 to the Defence Secretary Dr Jayawardena queried Major General Lalith Daulagalla’s request that he leave the Madhu Church premises on August 14 around 7.30 pm while he was engaged in prayers. more..

Aug 22 (LG) As an election observing and monitoring organization recognized by the Commissioner of Elections the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has been observing and monitoring the Pre Election period of the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial elections from the 24th of June 2008 until the 19th of August 2008. This report has been prepared with the aim of presenting the pre election monitoring observations that CaFFE has made during these days of operation. more..

Aug 22 (LG) I am a jurist myself and to see Bruce Fein a Washington Attorney, writing to the Washington Times on "Sri Lanka Officials Complicit in Tamil Genocide ?" ( 20.8.2008), making baseless allegation against responsible persons in Sri Lanka is astonishing. His being an Attorney does not permit him to make irresponsible statements based purely on hearsay evidence from his distant law office in Washington. more..

Aug 22 (LG) Commander of Task Force 1, Brigadier Shavendra Silva speaking to Sri Lanka Guardian said, “leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , V. Prabhakaran has made the Tamil population prisoners in his fantasy Eelam regime. These people have sacrificed their children, property, wealth and labour for this illusionary Eelam regime”. Our staff correspondent B. Veeman interviews Brigadier Shavedra at the War front during his visit few days ago. more..

Aug 22 (LG) Leader of Opposition and UNP, Ranil Wickremesinghe said, the UNP’s victories at Sabaragamuwa and North Central Province PC elections are a foregone conclusion judging by the Govt.’s own diabolic performance record and the alleged corruption records of its candidates in these provinces. On the other hand, UNP Chief Minister candidates, Ranjan Ramanayake and Major Gen, Janaka Perera are two politicians who have proved their mettle and honesty in their fields and more..

Aug 22 (GV) About six weeks ago the organization I work with received a letter and a telephone call from the Swami Gnanapragasam Library in Jaffna commending our work. They wanted us to send them any publications we could spare, as they were very keen to have resources related to peace and governance in Tamil and English. They had also sent a letter and a fax previously, which sadly we did not have the time or funds to respond to. This time though, we followed it up. more..

Aug 22 (wsws) In the lead-up to two provincial elections tomorrow, the Sri Lankan government has stopped at nothing to ensure its victory. While publicly campaigning on the basis of its renewed war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the ruling coalition has resorted to all manner of intimidation and physical violence against opposition parties and their supporters. more..

Aug 22 (LT) The refueling service for ships which brings large profits to Sri Lanka should remain a monopoly of the state sector says Leader of the Parliamentary group of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake. He said this making a special statement in the Parliament today. Mr. Disssnayake's statement in full: Sri Lanka is situated on a sea route. A large number of ships sail along the coast of Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 22 (LT) The discussion held between the IGP and political party representatives was an utter flop say reports reaching 'Lankatruth.' The discussion was convened to discuss the measures that could be taken to conduct the provincial council elections for North Central and Sabaragamuwa in a free and fair way. However, the discussion flopped due to the behavior of the IGP say reports. more..

Aug 22 (LT) Former Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa PC and chief ministerial candidate of the UPFA for the province Maheepala Herath has been issued with notice by Appeal Judge of Sabaragamuwa Provincial Appeal Court K.P.P. Kulathunga to appear in court on the27th. The Judge issued orders on Mr. Maheepala Herath and six other respondents after considering 10 petitions that have been forwarded to the court against them. more..

Aug 22 (PISL) I write with reference to a recent release of Amnesty International concerning the current situation in the north of Sri Lanka. Sadly, some phrases in your release convey the wrong impression, and have been used by forces opposed to the elected government of Sri Lanka to suggest that they are as much at fault as the Tigers for the plight of civilians. The BBC for instance claims that ‘Amnesty had accused both sides in Sri Lanka’s more..

Aug 22 (PISL) The on going conflict has resulted in economic and social repercussions affecting people throughout the country. It is estimated that Sri Lanka lost 2 to 3% of GDP growth annually due to the prevailing terrorism in Sri Lanka. During the period 2002 – 2004 when there was a cessation of hostilities through the Ceasefire Agreement, real GDP growth increased four-fold to 12.6% in the Northern Province, whilst it doubled upto 10.1% in the Eastern Province. more..

Aug 22 (GDI) Accessories used to assemble suicide jackets were found hidden in the premises of a Catholic church in Olcott Mawatha in Pettah, by the security forces this morning, (22), Ministry of Defence said. The recovery was made on information provided by a civilian around 8.50 am. The materials included detonators, switches and a few other items that had been concealed inside the St. Phillip Nerish Church in Pettah, in Colombo. more..

Aug 22 (GDI) International Children's Day which falls on October 01 will be celebrated this year under the theme "Safety and Well-being of Children" says the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) of Sri Lanka. Under this theme the NCPA has decided to organize a Painting and Poster competition on 'LETS CREATE A WORLD THAT IS CHILd-FRIENDLY BY LISTENING TO THEM". more..

Aug 22 (GDI) The Director of the National Blood Bank, Dr. R.M. Bindusara and a doctor, Dr. M.I.L.A. Nazeer, have been transferred to the Family Health Bureau and the Angoda Mental Hospital respectively with immediate effect by the Secretary of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry, Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage. These changes were prompted when it came to light that several Plasma Filtering Units that had exceeded the expiry date were used by the hospital in blood transfusion proceseses. more..

Aug 22 (GDI) The LTTE leadership has directed their cadres to forcibly conscript civilians in the Wanni area and use them as a buffer between the LTTE and the troops marching into the terrorist stronghold in the Wanni. Reports from the battlefront indicate that the drastic loss of cadres has forced the LTTE leadership to thrust civlians into battle sans any proper training. more..

Aug 22 (AT) Diesel and Motor Engineering PLC –DIMO which commenced its business since 1939 plans to celebrate its 70 year celebration in next year by associating with Sri Lanka’s valued left-hand batsman and wicket keeper Kumar Sangakkara with the view to promote DIMO’s products. DIMO’s Chairman Ranjith Pandithage said the DIMO has decided to appoint Mr.Sangakkara as their Brand Ambassador. more..

Aug 22 (LNP) Troops of Task Force 1 marching along the Mannar- Poonaryn road (A-32) on the Kilinochchi southern front today reached the outer defences of Nachchikudha LTTE stronghold. According to the defence sources in the area, troops have been able to dominate about 1 km stretch of the earth hump made by the LTTE, located in the Vannerikkulam area, East of Nachchikudha. Fierce fighting prevailed in the area from morning to evening, sources said. more..

Aug 22 (LNP) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ensured that maximum security will be in place to prevent election violations and provide a conducive environment for voters to cast their ballot at polling stations at tomorrow s North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Elections, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardhana said. The Minister said the UPFA will achieve a comprehensive victory at the poll and there was no reason for it to resort to violence to achieve this victory. more..

Aug 22 (LNP) There is hardly any difference between an aid-dependent country and a house of ill fame. Both have to leave their doors ajar so that the rich and powerful could enter at will. They have to shut up and entertain the unspeakable moneybags so that they will be paid for the services rendered, whether they like it or not. Else, they run the risk of losing the easy dosh of shame and being branded sinners and stoned in public. more..

Aug 22 (LNP) Sri Lanka's captain Mahela Jayawardene faced some criticism for playing only six batsmen after his team s three wicket loss to India in the second One-Day International at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. After the first of the five match series, also in Dambulla, produced a low scoring game, it was felt that the Sri Lankans should strengthen the batting line up and the sentiments were echoed even more strongly when Chaminda Vaas, more..

Aug 22 (SAMN) Over 500 Police Riot Squad personnel have been ordered to the North Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces in view of the tense pre-election situation prevailing in the two provinces. The elections are to be held on Saturday. North Central Province DIG K. P. P. Pathirana said small squads of riot police have already been deployed in violence prone areas. They would be strengthened with the arrival of riot squads from Colombo. more..

Aug 22 (SAMN) Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Thursday said that duplicity of the JVP was demonstrated by its stand on the Jaffna and Batticaloa University admissions. "They call themselves a political party which believes in being non racial, advocates multi ethnicity and calls for national unity but where the issue of Jaffna and Batticaloa universities is concerned they operate on ethnic and racial lines supporting separatism JHU stalwart Ven Ellawala Medananda thera said. more..

Aug 22 (SAMN) German Ambassador Jorgen Weerth asked which foreign investor would be interested in investing in Sri Lanka, when Sri Lankans themselves have lost faith in their own country. “Many Sri Lankan business people are investing in Bangladesh so how can you convince us to invest here?” he questioned. Being starkly honest he said that if Sri Lanka should disappear from the economic map tomorrow it could be easily replaced. more..

Aug 22 (SAMN) A government Minister said Thursday an Independent Elections Commission was not essential for the holding of a free and fair election. Education Minister Susil Premajayantha told a news conference the 2005 presidential election was held in a free and fair manner without an independent commission. Premajayantha asked whether there was a guarantee that persons appointed to independent commissions would work independently. more..

Aug 22 (GDI) In a letter addressed to members of the diplomatic community, Minister of Mass Media and Information, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, called to question the moral posturing of the United National Party with respect to democracy, free and fair elections, and law and order in light of recent statements made by leaders of that party in Anuradhapura which resulted in party supporters going on a rampage attacking political opponents and causing injury and damage to property. more..

Aug 22 (DN) Iran's Deputy Minister of Petroleum Mohammed Reza Nematzadeh, who is also the President of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) will arrive in Colombo tomorrow to finalise with the Sri Lankan authorities the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract of the billion dollar Iranian funded improvement and expansion of project, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation owned refinery at Sapugaskanda constructed in 1969. more..

Aug 22 (DN) Deterrent measures should be taken to ensure that the universities continue their academic programmes and other activities without any disturbance. This was a unanimous view of a special meeting which convened on August 14 at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of Minister of Higher Education Prof. W. A. Wiswa Warnapala, to discuss the deteriorating student discipline in the University sector where more..

Aug 22 (Island) The UNP – JVP combination, is viciously awaiting President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s downfall in Killinochchi, leader of the Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) MP Wimal Weerawansa said. He was speaking at at a meeting at the Kandy Postal Complex Auditorium convened by the party to explain the present challenges. The security forces are forging ahead and now have entered the citadel of the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran who is facing defeat. more..

Aug 22 (Island) JVP Gerneral Secretary Tilvin Silva yesterday alleged that the public servants are forced to act according to the whims and fancies of the ruling party or lose their jobs. Silva said that police officers are in a dilemma on whether to act according to the dictates of the of the ruling party politicians who are a law unto themselves or perform their duties according to the laws of the country. more..

Aug 22 (DM) The JVP yesterday urged people of the Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provinces to cast their votes early in the morning without cowing down to unruly elements who unleash violence in an attempt to keep voters away from polling booths.JVP general secretary Tilvin Silva alleged that the government elements in particular were whipping up violence as a means of discouraging people from casting their vote. more..

Aug 22 (DM) The Jathika Hela Urumaya yesterday complained that Sinhalese students in the Jaffna University and the Batticloa University are subjected to harassment in the hands of the Tamil students. Hela Urumaya Leader Ven Ellawala Medhananda Thera told a press conference yesterday that only the Sinhala students studying in the Jaffna University and the Batticloa are subjected to this kind of treatment while Tamil and Muslim students studying in the Southern universities experience no problem. more..

Aug 22 (AP) Soldiers captured a strategic town held by Tamil rebels in northern Sri Lanka on Friday, while renewed infantry clashes elsewhere in the region killed 24 rebels and four soldiers, the military said. Separately, war planes pounded a Tamil Tiger supply facility in the north. Fighting has escalated in recent weeks in the Indian Ocean island, with the military capturing a series of rebel bases and more..

Aug 22 (Reuters) Inflation and wage pressure are cutting earnings in Sri Lanka's trademark industry -- garments -- to the point where fast-growing remittances could take over its top export earner status for the first time in two decades. A possible loss of a lucrative EU concession, plus the fact that Sri Lankan garment workers earn more than those in competitor countries, has also dimmed the industry's outlook this year, more..

Aug 22 (G&M) The ordeal of a Canadian Tamil who says he survived torture at the hands of the Tamil Tigers will be among the shocking stories delved into this weekend, when artists and activists hope to expose the full range of human-rights abuses perpetrated in Sri Lanka. Organizers of the Call of the Conscience exhibit hope their photos, films and written words will be an eye-opener for Toronto, the largest centre of Tamils outside of Sri Lanka. more..