Minister ridicules John Ryan demand

Mar 26 (CT) Senior minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has ridiculed a demand by British MP John Ryan for the expulsion of Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth if the government refuses to agree for a ceasefire. Speaking to the media, Mr. de Silva described the statement as an 'empty shot' against Sri Lanka, a country that has been facing 'multi-barrel attacks.' more..

Situation Report (Mar 26) by SLA

Mar 26 (SLA) Front line Tiger leaders, VARADA ANNAN, CADER SOORIYAN, ELAVAN and a dozen of Tiger terrorists perished on Wednesday during clashes in PUTHUKUDIRIPPU with valiant troops of the Army, ground troops confirmed. Tigers fighting their last battle in PUTHUKUDIYIRIPPU attacked the troops after sending their frontline best cadres Wednesday with the intention of preventing the advance of the troops towards the east of PUTHUKUDIYIRIPPU. more..

Two years since the disappearance of SEP member Nadarajah Wimaleswaran

Mar 26 (wsws) Last Sunday marked two years since the disappearance of Socialist Equality Party (SEP) member Nadarajah Wimaleswaran and his friend Sivanathan Mathivathanan, who were both residents of Kayts Island in northern Sri Lanka. Wimaleswaran and Mathivathanan vanished on March 22, 2007 while returning from neighbouring Punguduthivu Island, which is connected by a long causeway to the Velanai area of Kayts. more..

God bless children

Immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access before political engagement - TNA MP

Mar 26 (TN) S. Jeyananthamoorthy, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian from Batticaloa district on Thursday said that the TNA had decided not to engage in talks with the Sri Lankan President or anyone representing the SL state before a conducive environment for such political engagement is created by an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access to the suffering people of Vanni. more..

NHDA warns the public not to fall into the traps of fake organizations

Mar 26 (LP) Housing Loan Organizations claming that they are established under the National Housing Act are involved in collecting money illegally, National Housing Development Authority stated. People who deposited money in private housing loan organizations were told to go to the National Housing Development Authority when inquired about their money National Housing Development Authority noted. more..

Driving license fee to go up

Mar 26 (CT) The Department of Motor Traffic has decided to raise the driving license fee with effect from tomorrow. According to department sources, the increase is nearly three-times for the newly-introduced license. The fee will be Rs. 1,700 for the written examination, permit for trainee, practical test and the license, for one vehicle category. For two vehicle categories, it will be Rs. 2,000 and for three categories, the fee will be Rs. 2,250, more..

'Sudar Oli' editor files FR petition

Mar 26 (CT) Editor of 'Sudar Oli' newspaper N. Vidyadaran yesterday (25) filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court against his 'arrest' and detention. The petition cites the Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Colombo Crimes Division Director Anura Senanayake, its Sub Inspector A.G.T.B. Wijeratne, SSP Ranjith Gunasekera, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General as respondents. more..

Chandrika not removed as SLFP branch president

Mar 26 (CT) Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga has not been removed as president of Ruwanpura branch of the SLFP in Attanagalla electorate as reported in the media, said its secretary E.J. Ediritilake. He said MP Sarana Gunawardena, in violation of SLFP constitutional provisions on reforms of party branches, had hastily gathered certain outsiders and appointed so-called office bearers for the branch four days ago. more..

200 principals hand in resignations

Mar 26 (CT) Secretary of the Association of Education Professionals Wasantha Dharmasiri says that 200 school principals handed in their resignation letters to the Education Ministry Secretary yesterday to protest failure of authorities to address their long unresolved issues. Speaking at a press briefing following the handing in of resignation letters, he said that the AEP would not allow the government to avoid the issue under the pretence of war. more..

US wants end to terrorist attacks in Lanka

Mar 26 (CT) US State Department Acting Deputy Department Spokesman Gordon Duguid says the US wants to see an end to terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, protection for noncombatants in areas where conflict is ongoing and a resolution to the problem be reached as quickly as possible. "I don't think that what we want the government to do is the right way to put the question. What we would like to see as an outcome is that there is an end to terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, more..

Minister of environment in tusk deal

Mar 26 (LT) Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Champika Ranawaka presented a pair of tusks to President Mahinda Rajapakse at Temple trees yesterday. Two candidates for the Western PC election too participated at the event that was given wide publicity by the state media. None of the media had revealed how Minister Patalee Champila Ranawaka acquired the tusks and more..

Sri Lanka urges Thailand to keep close eyes on movement of rebellion Tigers

Mar 26 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka urged Thailand on Thursday to keep close eyes on movement of the LTTE to prevent them from using Thailand as launching pad against Colombo, the Thai Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama made the request when he met with Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Thursday, the website by The Nation newspaper reported. more..

NPOC reports 25 poll violations

Mar 26 (CT) The National Polls Observation Centre reports having received 25 complaints of election law violations by today (Mar. 26) in the run up to polls for western provincial council. NPOC says in a statement that only two of them are of serious nature, while the rest is minor incidents. The highest number of complaints, 12, is reported from Gampaha, followed by six from Colombo and seven from Kalutara. more..

BPO puts Sri Lanka on the global sourcing map

Mar 26 (CBR) Sri Lanka is some way down the list of global sourcing locations, but its newly created outsourcing trade association believes that the country has the necessary attributes to become a leading center for business process outsourcing. Although the country has learnt much from India's success it must develop its own strengths and focus on attracting high-profile vendors over the next few years. more..

Trinco children not poisoned

Mar 26 (DN) No schoolchildren were affected by Tuesday’s food poisoning incident in Trincomalee, Health and Nutrition Ministry Media Coordinator W.M.D. Wanninayake said. School principals had misled the schoolchildren and sent them to hospital in connection with the food poisoning incident, Wanninayake said quoting a specialist sent by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry Epidemiology Unit to investigate the incident. more..

Holmes says safe zone under attack

Mar 26 (DM) UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Sir John Holmes has said that although the Government gave an assurance that there will be no shelling in the no-fire zone (safe zone) there have been reports to the contrary, but was unable to confirm which party was responsible for the shelling. However reacting to this statement, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that the military was not involved in shelling in the no-fire zone but more..

IMF loan only for development

Mar 26 (DN) Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama told Parliament yesterday that according to the World Bank report, the rate of development in the Western Province has increased to 14 percent which is equal to the growth rates of China and India. He said poverty rate in the rural areas has also declined from 29 percent to 15 percent while the poverty rate in urban areas has dropped to six percent from 16 percent. more..

Banners to bags make recycling trendy

Mar 26 (DN) Banners..Banners and more Banners. Just look around and that is what you see. We Sri Lankans are famous for banners. Not only in the heart of Colombo City but in the outskirts as well. True it's irritating at times but banners have become part and parcel of our daily life. I am not going to talk about how to get rid of them. Instead how to put them to good use. The Cinnamon Grand Colombo has come forward with a novel concept to recycle their promotional banners more..

'The reform process is not finished yet'

Mar 26 (Island) UNP parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa made a strongly worded statement to The Island yesterday concerning reports which said that a deal between him and Wickremesinghe had ended the rebellion within the UNP at last Monday’s stormy working committee meeting. Premadasa states that firstly, he had no deal with Wickremesinghe, and secondly, that this was not the end of the reform process within the party – far from it. more..

Needed: A strong Opposition

Mar 26 (Island) The hurly-burly's done at Sirikotha and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has scored a Pyrrhic victory in a party mutiny. He looks the worse for wear and is nursing his wounds. Posters have appeared all over Colombo with the mug of a smiling Ranil giving the impression that everything is hunky dory. But, there is a cloud on the horizon. All the signs are that he will have to face another bout sooner or later. more..

East won’t need police powers-Karuna

Mar 26 (Island) National Integration Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan told Parliament yesterday that the Eastern Provincial Council does not need police powers. Conferring such power on the Estern Provincial Council will create unnecessary problems, he said. Participating in the adjournment motion debate on the current political situation in the East, Minister Muralitharan said that he had brought this to the notice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

20,000 illegal finance cos. operating: UNP

Mar 26 (DM) The UNP told Parliament yesterday that there are 20,000 unauthorised finance companies and indivduals accepting deposits from the public in the country today and the Central Bank has failed to look into this issue. UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella said that the Central Bank had published advertisements in the media announcing that there were only 31 registered finance companies. more..

IDPs and conflict-affected communities

School children idling for lack of opportunities

Mar 26 (DM) The residents of Laggala and Wilgamuwa areas are perturbed that their children will inherit a bleak future. They stressed that society will have to face the consequences if steps were not taken to save children from discrimination. They told a team of 30 journalists who visited the area on a fact finding mission that their representations to the relevant authorities in this regard have been ignored. more..

LTTE terrorists kill four farmers in Welikanda

Mar 26 (GDI) In another brutal shoot out, the LTTE has taken lives of another four innocent farmers in Welikanda. The terrorist had been lurking in the vicinities of Welikanda yesterday and the incident took place around 10.00 pm in Kadawathmaduwa. The police identified the dead as M. Somadasa (44), M. R. Sugath Chandrasiri (27), K. A. Sarath Kumara Wijewardhana (37) and K. P. Nandasena. more..

Government compensates families of dead farmers in Serunuwara

Mar 26 (GDI) Government took the initiative to pay Rs 100,000 for the families of dead farmers who were brutally held by LTTE terrorists and later killed them. They are from Dehiwattha in the vicinities of Serunuwara. It was further revealed that these disturbed families will receive another Rs 10,000 as expenses to carry on with funeral proceedings, said Trincomalee District Secretary Major General Ranjith Silva. more..

The Finance in 3-month suspension of withdrawals

Mar 26 (LBO) The Finance Company, a member of the island's troubled Ceylinco group, is suspending withdrawals of deposits for three months, while the firm is restructured under new management, officials said. State-run Lankaputhra Development Bank which has been appointed as the firm's 'managing agent' by the Central Bank said interest will continue to accrue on deposits that are kept beyond maturity during the moratorium. more..

Sri Lanka Brandix factory gets eco award

Mar 26 (LBO) An energy efficient and low emission factory run by Sri Lanka's Brandix apparel group had won an Austrian-based green award for the best such factory in the island, the company said. The Brandix Green Factory at Seeduwa had won the national prize in the 'air; category of the 'World Energy Globe Awards for Sustainability' started by Austrian energy pioneer and Energy Globe Foundation president Wolfgang Neumann in 1999. more..

Lankan Tamil magistrate wins US award

Mar 26 (IANS) A Sri Lankan Tamil magistrate has won "Women of Courage" award from the US State Department for demonstrating "exceptional courage and leadership" in the region, the US embassy said on Thursday. US ambassador Robert Blake recognised Magistrate Srinithy Nandasekaran "as a South Asian regional finalist for the secretary of state's Women of Courage award", it said. more..

'Lanka can seek USD 3.2 b from IMF to overcome crisis'

Mar 26 (ANN) Accusing the UNP and the JVP of attempting to politicize a decision to secure a staggering USD 1.9 billion loan from the IMF, Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said that Sri Lanka could even ask for USD 3.2 billon. He said the IMF could re-establish an office in Colombo. "Although we haven’t asked them to set up a permanent mission here, there is absolutely nothing wrong with IMF’s return," more..

Rebels facing 'imminent' defeat: minister

Mar 26 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels have lost more of their territory in northern Sri Lanka and their total defeat is now "imminent," a government minister said Thursday. Government troops have confined LTTE fighters to an area of 21 square kilometres, most of which is a government-declared safe zone, the minister said. "Therefore, it is apparent that the LTTE are now at the imminent brink of defeat," said Keheliya Rambukwella, more..

Jayalalitha stokes Lanka fire as PMK buys time

Mar 26 (TT) With the pro-LTTE PMK likely to join the AIADMK front in Tamil Nadu, leader of the latter, Miss J Jayalalithaa, today made it clear that she was plunging headlong into the Lankan Tamil issue, which she had not proceeded with vigour despite the fast undertaken by her on 9 March. “Was I the one who supported India offering arms and technological equipments to the Lankan army which is used to kill Lankan Tamils? If Karunanidhi had taken back his support to the UPA when more..

49,000 widows in eastern Sri Lanka need jobs: U.N. official

Mar 26 (PTI) There are at least 49,000 widows in urgent need of employement in the war ravaged Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, a U.N. official has said, warning that if left in lurch many of them could turn into suicide bombers. There are 49,000 widows in the province and out of them 35,000 are below 30 years while unemployment ratio is around 30 per cent, the Island Newspaper said quoting a a top U.N. official as saying. more..

Military says it killed 30 rebels

Mar 26 (AP) Military said Thursday it has repulsed a Tamil Tiger counterattack in the north of the island and killed at least 30 rebels. The fighting took place on the edge of a shrinking LTTE enclave in Sri Lanka's war-ravaged north, which government troops are battling to capture to end a 25-year civil war. "They (the rebels) tried to attack our forward defense lines of Iranaippalai yesterday ... We successfully repulsed the attack and over 30 LTTE cadres were reported killed," more..

Ransomed in the last redoubt

Mar 26 (HM) I have known Sri Lanka since 1963 when I worked there. The purpose of my visit in January was to assess the political situation and to do some private touring to revisit places I had not seen for 45 years. One has to remember that tension between the minority Tamil community (18 per cent) and the other ethnic groups goes back to British rule when the civil service was purposely recruited from the minority on more..

TNA ducks Presidential invite citing humanitarian crisis

Mar 26 (AT) The TNA has ducked the invitation extended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa this evening at 6.30 pm to discuss the ethnic question but has issued a letter to the President citing reasons for unable to attend the meeting. The host of reasons and allegations attributed in the latter to President and co-signed by TNA Leader R. Sampanthan, ITAK General Secretary Mavai Senathirajah, EPRLF Secretary General Suresh Premachandran and more..

Two Sri Lankans honoured by British queen

Mar 27 (IANS) Two Sri Lankans, members of the British High Commission here, have been honoured by Queen Elizabeth II for their 'long and exceptional service', a statement said here Thursday. Francis Gnanapragasam, part of the defence section of the high commission for almost 30 years, has been awarded an honorary MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) while Mahendra Ratnaweera was awarded for his services following the 2004 tsunami disaster. more..

Police love affair leaves constable dead & WPC injured

Mar 27 (LT) A police constable was killed in a shootout at the police hostel for women at Narahenpita yesterday night. The relevant police constable had arrived at the hostel and tried to shoot at a female police officer and another police officer who had been there had shot the constable. The woman police officer has been injured when she jumped from the first floor to avoid getting shot. more..

Bank of Ceylon profits up 19.2 percent

Mar 27 (LBO) State-run Bank of Ceylon profits have increased 19.2 percent to 3.87 billion rupees in 2008, helped by strong fee income despite interest expenses rising. The bank said its foreign branches in London, Maldives and Indian had performed well in 2008. "Our London branch has come into profits after 10 years," chairman Gamini Wickramasinghe said. The group's interest income grew 17.0 percent to 51.5 billion rupees, more..

AmeriCares helps innocent victims trapped in Sri Lanka’s civil war

Mar 27 (AC) Sri Lanka’s civil war has gotten worse in recent weeks and the number of casualties has skyrocketed. That’s why AmeriCares is sending close to $500,000 worth of vital medicines and supplies to help treat people hurt in the bloody conflict. The United Nations estimates between 150,000 and 180,000 civilians remain trapped in the war zone, now an 11-square mile region located near the country’s northeastern coast. more..

Navy rescues 71 Tamil civilians

Mar 27 (Xinhua) The military in Sri Lanka said on Thursday that the Navy rescued 71 Tamil civilians fleeing Tamil Tiger rebels' territory in separate occasions in the north and east on Wednesday. Officials from the Defense Ministry said the first group of 26 civilians were found by the Navy at Point Pedro in the northern Jaffna peninsula around 6 a.m. local time (2430 GMT). more..

Independent media in Jaffna threatened by Armed Cadre

Sri Lanka says final standoff with Tigers approaches

Mar 27 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's military on Thursday said it has one kilometre left to go before trapping the Tamil Tigers separatists in a no-fire zone, along with thousands of civilians at grave risk in the 25-year war's final act. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under pressure to craft a political deal, has called for a meeting with parliamentarians allied with the Tigers but they have refused until more..

Summary of the cabinet decisions

Mar 27 (GDI) Excise Duty Relief for LP Gas used for Manufacturing Purpose: Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Finance and Planning Mahinda Rajapakse to remove the imposed excise duty rate of 27.50 for gas used in bulk form in the manufacturing process and make necessary amendments to the Excise (special Provision ) Act. more..

'Govt seek the support of a councilor of Pillaiyan to form a suicide group'

Mar 27 (LeN) United National Party (UNP) MP Lakshman Kiriella said today (26) at a press conference that the Tamil People's Liberation Tigers (TMVP) has not only cyanide-swallowing cadres but also suicide cadres. Taking the full responsibility of the statement, he said that a councilor of the TMVP told him that the government sought his support to form a suicide group. more..

Keheliya Rambukwella and the assassins of Lasantha Wickrematunge

Mar 27 (TC) The wife of slain Editor-in-Chief of The Sunday Leader, Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge in a letter to IGP, Jayantha Wickremaratna last week, has asked that he record a statement from Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to ascertain the identity of her husband Lasantha Wickrematunge's assassins. Ms. Wickrematunge in a letter dated March 15, has requested the IGP to record a statement from Rambukwella for a more..

Golden Key settlement plan under negotiation

Mar 27 (LBO) Ceylinco group chief Lalith Kotelawala has offered to provide assets into a trust to repay 14.5 billion rupees to customers of the collapsed Golden Key Credit Card Company, state lawyers told court. Deputy solicitor general Sarath Jayamanne said Thursday depositors were offered a rate lower than the high rates of around 30 percent promised by Golden Key in terms of a settlement that is yet to be finalized. more..

IMF team in Sri Lanka for financial aid talks

Mar 27 (AFP) The IMF said Thursday it had dispatched a team to Sri Lanka for talks on financial aid to the South Asian nation hurting from the global economic crisis and a campaign to crush Tamil rebels. "There is a mission there on the ground," said International Monetary Fund spokeswoman Caroline Atkinson. "We don't have any date as to the conclusion of those discussions or their likely bringing to the IMF board. more..

UN council to discuss civilians in Sri Lanka war

Mar 27 (Reuters) The U.N. Security Council will discuss the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka on Thursday as fears grow about the fate of tens of thousands of civilians trapped by fighting between government forces and rebels, diplomats said. U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes is set to brief council members at an informal meeting that is not expected to lead to any action, diplomats on the 15-nation council told reporters. more..

Minister ridicules John Ryan demand

Mar 26 (CT) Senior minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has ridiculed a demand by British MP John Ryan for the expulsion of Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth if the government refuses to agree for a ceasefire. Speaking to the media, Mr. de Silva described the statement as an 'empty shot' against Sri Lanka, a country that has been facing 'multi-barrel attacks.' more..

Situation Report (Mar 26) by SLA

Mar 26 (SLA) Front line Tiger leaders, VARADA ANNAN, CADER SOORIYAN, ELAVAN and a dozen of Tiger terrorists perished on Wednesday during clashes in PUTHUKUDIRIPPU with valiant troops of the Army, ground troops confirmed. Tigers fighting their last battle in PUTHUKUDIYIRIPPU attacked the troops after sending their frontline best cadres Wednesday with the intention of preventing the advance of the troops towards the east of PUTHUKUDIYIRIPPU. more..

Two years since the disappearance of SEP member Nadarajah Wimaleswaran

Mar 26 (wsws) Last Sunday marked two years since the disappearance of Socialist Equality Party (SEP) member Nadarajah Wimaleswaran and his friend Sivanathan Mathivathanan, who were both residents of Kayts Island in northern Sri Lanka. Wimaleswaran and Mathivathanan vanished on March 22, 2007 while returning from neighbouring Punguduthivu Island, which is connected by a long causeway to the Velanai area of Kayts. more..

God bless children

Immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access before political engagement - TNA MP

Mar 26 (TN) S. Jeyananthamoorthy, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian from Batticaloa district on Thursday said that the TNA had decided not to engage in talks with the Sri Lankan President or anyone representing the SL state before a conducive environment for such political engagement is created by an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access to the suffering people of Vanni. more..

NHDA warns the public not to fall into the traps of fake organizations

Mar 26 (LP) Housing Loan Organizations claming that they are established under the National Housing Act are involved in collecting money illegally, National Housing Development Authority stated. People who deposited money in private housing loan organizations were told to go to the National Housing Development Authority when inquired about their money National Housing Development Authority noted. more..

Driving license fee to go up

Mar 26 (CT) The Department of Motor Traffic has decided to raise the driving license fee with effect from tomorrow. According to department sources, the increase is nearly three-times for the newly-introduced license. The fee will be Rs. 1,700 for the written examination, permit for trainee, practical test and the license, for one vehicle category. For two vehicle categories, it will be Rs. 2,000 and for three categories, the fee will be Rs. 2,250, more..

'Sudar Oli' editor files FR petition

Mar 26 (CT) Editor of 'Sudar Oli' newspaper N. Vidyadaran yesterday (25) filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court against his 'arrest' and detention. The petition cites the Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Colombo Crimes Division Director Anura Senanayake, its Sub Inspector A.G.T.B. Wijeratne, SSP Ranjith Gunasekera, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General as respondents. more..

Chandrika not removed as SLFP branch president

Mar 26 (CT) Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga has not been removed as president of Ruwanpura branch of the SLFP in Attanagalla electorate as reported in the media, said its secretary E.J. Ediritilake. He said MP Sarana Gunawardena, in violation of SLFP constitutional provisions on reforms of party branches, had hastily gathered certain outsiders and appointed so-called office bearers for the branch four days ago. more..

200 principals hand in resignations

Mar 26 (CT) Secretary of the Association of Education Professionals Wasantha Dharmasiri says that 200 school principals handed in their resignation letters to the Education Ministry Secretary yesterday to protest failure of authorities to address their long unresolved issues. Speaking at a press briefing following the handing in of resignation letters, he said that the AEP would not allow the government to avoid the issue under the pretence of war. more..

US wants end to terrorist attacks in Lanka

Mar 26 (CT) US State Department Acting Deputy Department Spokesman Gordon Duguid says the US wants to see an end to terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, protection for noncombatants in areas where conflict is ongoing and a resolution to the problem be reached as quickly as possible. "I don't think that what we want the government to do is the right way to put the question. What we would like to see as an outcome is that there is an end to terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, more..

Minister of environment in tusk deal

Mar 26 (LT) Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Champika Ranawaka presented a pair of tusks to President Mahinda Rajapakse at Temple trees yesterday. Two candidates for the Western PC election too participated at the event that was given wide publicity by the state media. None of the media had revealed how Minister Patalee Champila Ranawaka acquired the tusks and more..

Sri Lanka urges Thailand to keep close eyes on movement of rebellion Tigers

Mar 26 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka urged Thailand on Thursday to keep close eyes on movement of the LTTE to prevent them from using Thailand as launching pad against Colombo, the Thai Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama made the request when he met with Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Thursday, the website by The Nation newspaper reported. more..

NPOC reports 25 poll violations

Mar 26 (CT) The National Polls Observation Centre reports having received 25 complaints of election law violations by today (Mar. 26) in the run up to polls for western provincial council. NPOC says in a statement that only two of them are of serious nature, while the rest is minor incidents. The highest number of complaints, 12, is reported from Gampaha, followed by six from Colombo and seven from Kalutara. more..

BPO puts Sri Lanka on the global sourcing map

Mar 26 (CBR) Sri Lanka is some way down the list of global sourcing locations, but its newly created outsourcing trade association believes that the country has the necessary attributes to become a leading center for business process outsourcing. Although the country has learnt much from India's success it must develop its own strengths and focus on attracting high-profile vendors over the next few years. more..

Trinco children not poisoned

Mar 26 (DN) No schoolchildren were affected by Tuesday’s food poisoning incident in Trincomalee, Health and Nutrition Ministry Media Coordinator W.M.D. Wanninayake said. School principals had misled the schoolchildren and sent them to hospital in connection with the food poisoning incident, Wanninayake said quoting a specialist sent by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry Epidemiology Unit to investigate the incident. more..

Holmes says safe zone under attack

Mar 26 (DM) UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Sir John Holmes has said that although the Government gave an assurance that there will be no shelling in the no-fire zone (safe zone) there have been reports to the contrary, but was unable to confirm which party was responsible for the shelling. However reacting to this statement, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that the military was not involved in shelling in the no-fire zone but more..

IMF loan only for development

Mar 26 (DN) Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama told Parliament yesterday that according to the World Bank report, the rate of development in the Western Province has increased to 14 percent which is equal to the growth rates of China and India. He said poverty rate in the rural areas has also declined from 29 percent to 15 percent while the poverty rate in urban areas has dropped to six percent from 16 percent. more..

Banners to bags make recycling trendy

Mar 26 (DN) Banners..Banners and more Banners. Just look around and that is what you see. We Sri Lankans are famous for banners. Not only in the heart of Colombo City but in the outskirts as well. True it's irritating at times but banners have become part and parcel of our daily life. I am not going to talk about how to get rid of them. Instead how to put them to good use. The Cinnamon Grand Colombo has come forward with a novel concept to recycle their promotional banners more..

'The reform process is not finished yet'

Mar 26 (Island) UNP parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa made a strongly worded statement to The Island yesterday concerning reports which said that a deal between him and Wickremesinghe had ended the rebellion within the UNP at last Monday’s stormy working committee meeting. Premadasa states that firstly, he had no deal with Wickremesinghe, and secondly, that this was not the end of the reform process within the party – far from it. more..

Needed: A strong Opposition

Mar 26 (Island) The hurly-burly's done at Sirikotha and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has scored a Pyrrhic victory in a party mutiny. He looks the worse for wear and is nursing his wounds. Posters have appeared all over Colombo with the mug of a smiling Ranil giving the impression that everything is hunky dory. But, there is a cloud on the horizon. All the signs are that he will have to face another bout sooner or later. more..

East won’t need police powers-Karuna

Mar 26 (Island) National Integration Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan told Parliament yesterday that the Eastern Provincial Council does not need police powers. Conferring such power on the Estern Provincial Council will create unnecessary problems, he said. Participating in the adjournment motion debate on the current political situation in the East, Minister Muralitharan said that he had brought this to the notice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

20,000 illegal finance cos. operating: UNP

Mar 26 (DM) The UNP told Parliament yesterday that there are 20,000 unauthorised finance companies and indivduals accepting deposits from the public in the country today and the Central Bank has failed to look into this issue. UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella said that the Central Bank had published advertisements in the media announcing that there were only 31 registered finance companies. more..

IDPs and conflict-affected communities

School children idling for lack of opportunities

Mar 26 (DM) The residents of Laggala and Wilgamuwa areas are perturbed that their children will inherit a bleak future. They stressed that society will have to face the consequences if steps were not taken to save children from discrimination. They told a team of 30 journalists who visited the area on a fact finding mission that their representations to the relevant authorities in this regard have been ignored. more..

LTTE terrorists kill four farmers in Welikanda

Mar 26 (GDI) In another brutal shoot out, the LTTE has taken lives of another four innocent farmers in Welikanda. The terrorist had been lurking in the vicinities of Welikanda yesterday and the incident took place around 10.00 pm in Kadawathmaduwa. The police identified the dead as M. Somadasa (44), M. R. Sugath Chandrasiri (27), K. A. Sarath Kumara Wijewardhana (37) and K. P. Nandasena. more..

Government compensates families of dead farmers in Serunuwara

Mar 26 (GDI) Government took the initiative to pay Rs 100,000 for the families of dead farmers who were brutally held by LTTE terrorists and later killed them. They are from Dehiwattha in the vicinities of Serunuwara. It was further revealed that these disturbed families will receive another Rs 10,000 as expenses to carry on with funeral proceedings, said Trincomalee District Secretary Major General Ranjith Silva. more..

The Finance in 3-month suspension of withdrawals

Mar 26 (LBO) The Finance Company, a member of the island's troubled Ceylinco group, is suspending withdrawals of deposits for three months, while the firm is restructured under new management, officials said. State-run Lankaputhra Development Bank which has been appointed as the firm's 'managing agent' by the Central Bank said interest will continue to accrue on deposits that are kept beyond maturity during the moratorium. more..

Sri Lanka Brandix factory gets eco award

Mar 26 (LBO) An energy efficient and low emission factory run by Sri Lanka's Brandix apparel group had won an Austrian-based green award for the best such factory in the island, the company said. The Brandix Green Factory at Seeduwa had won the national prize in the 'air; category of the 'World Energy Globe Awards for Sustainability' started by Austrian energy pioneer and Energy Globe Foundation president Wolfgang Neumann in 1999. more..

Lankan Tamil magistrate wins US award

Mar 26 (IANS) A Sri Lankan Tamil magistrate has won "Women of Courage" award from the US State Department for demonstrating "exceptional courage and leadership" in the region, the US embassy said on Thursday. US ambassador Robert Blake recognised Magistrate Srinithy Nandasekaran "as a South Asian regional finalist for the secretary of state's Women of Courage award", it said. more..

'Lanka can seek USD 3.2 b from IMF to overcome crisis'

Mar 26 (ANN) Accusing the UNP and the JVP of attempting to politicize a decision to secure a staggering USD 1.9 billion loan from the IMF, Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said that Sri Lanka could even ask for USD 3.2 billon. He said the IMF could re-establish an office in Colombo. "Although we haven’t asked them to set up a permanent mission here, there is absolutely nothing wrong with IMF’s return," more..

Rebels facing 'imminent' defeat: minister

Mar 26 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels have lost more of their territory in northern Sri Lanka and their total defeat is now "imminent," a government minister said Thursday. Government troops have confined LTTE fighters to an area of 21 square kilometres, most of which is a government-declared safe zone, the minister said. "Therefore, it is apparent that the LTTE are now at the imminent brink of defeat," said Keheliya Rambukwella, more..

Jayalalitha stokes Lanka fire as PMK buys time

Mar 26 (TT) With the pro-LTTE PMK likely to join the AIADMK front in Tamil Nadu, leader of the latter, Miss J Jayalalithaa, today made it clear that she was plunging headlong into the Lankan Tamil issue, which she had not proceeded with vigour despite the fast undertaken by her on 9 March. “Was I the one who supported India offering arms and technological equipments to the Lankan army which is used to kill Lankan Tamils? If Karunanidhi had taken back his support to the UPA when more..

49,000 widows in eastern Sri Lanka need jobs: U.N. official

Mar 26 (PTI) There are at least 49,000 widows in urgent need of employement in the war ravaged Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, a U.N. official has said, warning that if left in lurch many of them could turn into suicide bombers. There are 49,000 widows in the province and out of them 35,000 are below 30 years while unemployment ratio is around 30 per cent, the Island Newspaper said quoting a a top U.N. official as saying. more..

Military says it killed 30 rebels

Mar 26 (AP) Military said Thursday it has repulsed a Tamil Tiger counterattack in the north of the island and killed at least 30 rebels. The fighting took place on the edge of a shrinking LTTE enclave in Sri Lanka's war-ravaged north, which government troops are battling to capture to end a 25-year civil war. "They (the rebels) tried to attack our forward defense lines of Iranaippalai yesterday ... We successfully repulsed the attack and over 30 LTTE cadres were reported killed," more..

Ransomed in the last redoubt

Mar 26 (HM) I have known Sri Lanka since 1963 when I worked there. The purpose of my visit in January was to assess the political situation and to do some private touring to revisit places I had not seen for 45 years. One has to remember that tension between the minority Tamil community (18 per cent) and the other ethnic groups goes back to British rule when the civil service was purposely recruited from the minority on more..

TNA ducks Presidential invite citing humanitarian crisis

Mar 26 (AT) The TNA has ducked the invitation extended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa this evening at 6.30 pm to discuss the ethnic question but has issued a letter to the President citing reasons for unable to attend the meeting. The host of reasons and allegations attributed in the latter to President and co-signed by TNA Leader R. Sampanthan, ITAK General Secretary Mavai Senathirajah, EPRLF Secretary General Suresh Premachandran and more..

Two Sri Lankans honoured by British queen

Mar 27 (IANS) Two Sri Lankans, members of the British High Commission here, have been honoured by Queen Elizabeth II for their 'long and exceptional service', a statement said here Thursday. Francis Gnanapragasam, part of the defence section of the high commission for almost 30 years, has been awarded an honorary MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) while Mahendra Ratnaweera was awarded for his services following the 2004 tsunami disaster. more..

Police love affair leaves constable dead & WPC injured

Mar 27 (LT) A police constable was killed in a shootout at the police hostel for women at Narahenpita yesterday night. The relevant police constable had arrived at the hostel and tried to shoot at a female police officer and another police officer who had been there had shot the constable. The woman police officer has been injured when she jumped from the first floor to avoid getting shot. more..

Bank of Ceylon profits up 19.2 percent

Mar 27 (LBO) State-run Bank of Ceylon profits have increased 19.2 percent to 3.87 billion rupees in 2008, helped by strong fee income despite interest expenses rising. The bank said its foreign branches in London, Maldives and Indian had performed well in 2008. "Our London branch has come into profits after 10 years," chairman Gamini Wickramasinghe said. The group's interest income grew 17.0 percent to 51.5 billion rupees, more..

AmeriCares helps innocent victims trapped in Sri Lanka’s civil war

Mar 27 (AC) Sri Lanka’s civil war has gotten worse in recent weeks and the number of casualties has skyrocketed. That’s why AmeriCares is sending close to $500,000 worth of vital medicines and supplies to help treat people hurt in the bloody conflict. The United Nations estimates between 150,000 and 180,000 civilians remain trapped in the war zone, now an 11-square mile region located near the country’s northeastern coast. more..

Navy rescues 71 Tamil civilians

Mar 27 (Xinhua) The military in Sri Lanka said on Thursday that the Navy rescued 71 Tamil civilians fleeing Tamil Tiger rebels' territory in separate occasions in the north and east on Wednesday. Officials from the Defense Ministry said the first group of 26 civilians were found by the Navy at Point Pedro in the northern Jaffna peninsula around 6 a.m. local time (2430 GMT). more..

Independent media in Jaffna threatened by Armed Cadre

Sri Lanka says final standoff with Tigers approaches

Mar 27 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's military on Thursday said it has one kilometre left to go before trapping the Tamil Tigers separatists in a no-fire zone, along with thousands of civilians at grave risk in the 25-year war's final act. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under pressure to craft a political deal, has called for a meeting with parliamentarians allied with the Tigers but they have refused until more..

Summary of the cabinet decisions

Mar 27 (GDI) Excise Duty Relief for LP Gas used for Manufacturing Purpose: Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Finance and Planning Mahinda Rajapakse to remove the imposed excise duty rate of 27.50 for gas used in bulk form in the manufacturing process and make necessary amendments to the Excise (special Provision ) Act. more..

'Govt seek the support of a councilor of Pillaiyan to form a suicide group'

Mar 27 (LeN) United National Party (UNP) MP Lakshman Kiriella said today (26) at a press conference that the Tamil People's Liberation Tigers (TMVP) has not only cyanide-swallowing cadres but also suicide cadres. Taking the full responsibility of the statement, he said that a councilor of the TMVP told him that the government sought his support to form a suicide group. more..

Keheliya Rambukwella and the assassins of Lasantha Wickrematunge

Mar 27 (TC) The wife of slain Editor-in-Chief of The Sunday Leader, Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge in a letter to IGP, Jayantha Wickremaratna last week, has asked that he record a statement from Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to ascertain the identity of her husband Lasantha Wickrematunge's assassins. Ms. Wickrematunge in a letter dated March 15, has requested the IGP to record a statement from Rambukwella for a more..

Golden Key settlement plan under negotiation

Mar 27 (LBO) Ceylinco group chief Lalith Kotelawala has offered to provide assets into a trust to repay 14.5 billion rupees to customers of the collapsed Golden Key Credit Card Company, state lawyers told court. Deputy solicitor general Sarath Jayamanne said Thursday depositors were offered a rate lower than the high rates of around 30 percent promised by Golden Key in terms of a settlement that is yet to be finalized. more..

IMF team in Sri Lanka for financial aid talks

Mar 27 (AFP) The IMF said Thursday it had dispatched a team to Sri Lanka for talks on financial aid to the South Asian nation hurting from the global economic crisis and a campaign to crush Tamil rebels. "There is a mission there on the ground," said International Monetary Fund spokeswoman Caroline Atkinson. "We don't have any date as to the conclusion of those discussions or their likely bringing to the IMF board. more..

UN council to discuss civilians in Sri Lanka war

Mar 27 (Reuters) The U.N. Security Council will discuss the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka on Thursday as fears grow about the fate of tens of thousands of civilians trapped by fighting between government forces and rebels, diplomats said. U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes is set to brief council members at an informal meeting that is not expected to lead to any action, diplomats on the 15-nation council told reporters. more..

EC urged to ensure franchise of expelled Muslims

Dec 22 (PSM) Peace Secretariat for Muslims (PSM) has written to the Elections Commissioner requesting him to ensure that the forcibly evicted Northern Muslims are able to exercise their right of franchise at the upcoming Presidential elections in January. The PSM in its letter brings to the notice of the Elections Commissioner that there are confusions and delays in the registration of voters due to the ad hoc resettlement process and more..

Gen. Fonseka pays homage to Siri Maha Bodhi

Dec 22 (UNP) Opposition common Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka visited Anuradhapura yesterday (21), and paid homage to the Siri Maha Bodhi when he also received the blessings of the Maha Sangha. more..

A new school for disabled Children

Wards closed without doctors but government wants them for political projects

Dec 22 (LT) While two wards at Colombo National Hospital have been closed due to shortage of doctors the government is engaging doctors for their political projects aiming at the forthcoming election. As a result of four out of the five doctors serving the 43rd and 47th wards at Colombo National Hospital do not report for duty due to illness, admitting patients for these wards have been stopped. more..

President ready but the Minister is not

Dec 22 (LT) A demonstration of the unemployed graduates of Aesthetic Education was held yesterday opposite the Ministry of Education. They were carrying placards showing- President is willing – Minister is not willing which gestured that the Minister of Education is forestalling a decision taken by the President to give the appointments. However it is revealed that this demonstration has been organized by the direct intervention of the President. more..

A calendar of the Royal Family at Lotteries Board expense

Dec 22 (LT) A calendar of the Rajapaksa family is being printed these days utilizing allocations of the National Lotteries Board. It is a violation of election law to distribute a calendar with the President through the National Lotteries Board which is a state owned Institution, when the President himself is a candidate at the Presidential election. It is a fact that should draw the attention of the Commissioner of Elections. more..

Admission to Grade 1 on January 18

Dec 22 (LP) The Ministry of Education has made arrangements to admit grade one students on January 18, 2010 in the New Year. Schools island wide should conduct simple but well-organized functions, to welcome new-comers treat them with milk rice, tea and other refreshments. 200 National schools in the island which have primary sections would admit 20,000 students to Grade one classes and schools which come under provincial councils would admit 40,000 students more..

'Sacrifices of soldiers should not used for political gain'

Dec 22 (LG) General Sarath Fonseka said yesterday that he had always attributed the victories gained in the battlefield to the soldiers who fought in the front by sacrificing their live and limb. During a visit to Anuradhapura, the General said that he considered it an honour to have been able to command such a fighting force. “However, we do not approve of such sacrifices by the soldiers being used to more..

'Polls campaign ignoring real issues'

Dec 22 (LNP) Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) leader MP Wimal Weerawansa charged yesterday that the real issues confronting the masses were not discussed by any party during their election campaigns. MP Weerawansa told a news conference that the opposition was campaigning on themes such as the abolition of the executive presidency, and the government on the war victory. more..

Navy brings in captured LTTE vessel involved in bid to evacuate P’karan

Dec 22 (LNP) Close on the heels of a simmering political debate over LTTE assets seized by the Sri Lankan government over the past several months, the Navy yesterday brought an enemy vessel captured in an operation overseas to the Colombo harbour. The operation could not have come at a better time for President Mahinda Rajapaksa facing former Army Chief General (Retd) Sarath Foneka at the forthcoming presidential election. more..

Child playing with gun killed as weapon misfires

Dec 22 (LNP) An eight year old child from Walasmulla was killed today when she had mistakenly shot at herself whilst playing with her father s locally manufactured firearm. The child had succumbed to her injuries after being admitted to the Walasmulla base hospital. Police media spokesman SSP I.M Karunaratne said that the father of the child had not been in possession of a license for the weapon that he was accustomed to using for hunting purposes.

Sri Lanka has 90 percent gem-bearing land

Dec 22 (LNP) Mineralogical investigations have revealed that Sri Lanka has 90 percent potential gem-bearing land and Sri Lanka is home for over 75 varieties and sub varieties of 200 species identified as gem stones, National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA), Deputy Director General Ajith Perera told at a seminar at the Export Development Board yesterday. He was speaking on the problems and prospects of Diamond, Gems and Jewellery Export Sector. more..

Public servants used for election work

Dec 22 (LNW) Several employees at the Labor and Manpower Ministry have been assigned to Labor Minister Mervyn Silva’s work force from December 17, 2009 till December 27, 2009 on an order issued by Silva on December 14, 2009. The employees who have been released for election work are H.D.K.H. Gunapala, W.R.M.P. Preeti Viraj, Mangala Ravindu Fernando, M.M.S. Senaratne and K.V. Anura Ratnayake. more..

'Only President can rebuild the country'

Dec 22 (DN) It is none other than President Mahinda Rajapaksa who has the experience and the leadership qualities to successfully overcome the challenge of rebuilding the country which has been liberated from terrorism. There is a world of difference between the President who has a record of 40 years political experience and his closest opponent who has only 40 days of such experience, more..

MSF lists Sri Lanka among top ten humanitarian crises of 2009

Dec 22 (SLNN) The international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders has included Sri Lanka in its annual list of top 10 worst humanitarian crises. The worst emergencies of 2009, according to the statement, were those in which civilians in conflict zones were being “attacked, bombed and cut off from aid.” “There is no question that civilians are increasingly victimized in conflicts and further cut off from lifesaving assistance, often deliberately,” more..

Attorney Shiral Lakthileka appointed as UNP Kotte organizer

Dec 22 (LNW) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe recently appointed Attorney Shiral Lakthileka as the chief organizer of the party for the Kotte electorate. He is a graduate from the Law faculty of the Colombo University. He has also received degrees in international law and conflict resolution from Arcadia and Temple Universities in Philadelphia in the US. He worked as an advisor to the Constitutional Affairs Ministry during more..

'Public Service should bring a smile to the citizen'

Dec 22 (DN) A public servant could bring a tear or a smile to the face of a citizen seeking redress to a problem by the way he acts regarding an official matter. This has been personal experience as an ordinary citizen in the past, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga said. A public service which only brings tears to the eyes of the citizen is useless, he added. more..

Govt strengthened agricultural sector

Dec 22 (DN) Q: Could you explain the progress made in the agricultural sector and the benefits derived by the farmers and the public during the past four years? A: Very clearly the results of the Agriculture policy were visible. We were able to stop the imports of maize, ginger. We were also able to export local vegetables and fruits. Paddy production was increased by 26 percent. more..

Dialog TV partners Lanka Hospitals

Dec 22 (DN) Dialog TV, further strengthened its presence and partnership with Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector, when it inked a partnership with Lanka Hospitals, a leader in the health services sector. Under this agreement, Dialog TV commissioned satellite television services at the Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC., formally known as Apollo Hospitals Colombo. The company has provided connectivity to 134 locations at the hospital via more..

'MR not only appointed Gen. Fonseka to high position, but helped him in personal matters'

Dec 22 (Island) President Mahinda Rajapaksa not only appointed General Sarath Fonseka to an important post, but also helped him in personal matters, said Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, at a meeting at the Galagedara Cultural Centre Auditorium. The meeting was convened by Home Affairs and Public Administration Minister and Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, on Saturday 19. more..

Wimal says Fonseka’s dual citizenship a disqualification

Dec 22 (Island) National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa said that in accordance with the Sri Lanka Constitution, a person who has dual citizenship cannot contest Presidential elections. Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka has a dual citizenship in Sri Lanka and the United States. His candidature is in total violation of the Constitution, Weerawansa said at a press conference yesterday. more..

'Over 300,000 will lose jobs due to govt’s. poor HR record'

Dec 22 (Island) The undemocratic actions of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government will lead to over 300,000 Sri Lankans, dependent on the GSP+ facility, losing their jobs, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. He said that the sine qua non for obtaining the GSP+ concession was good governance, respect for the rule of law and freedom of expression, but all of this has been brazenly violated during the last four years. more..

Jaffna medics urged to serve at least one year in the district

Dec 22 (Island) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva urged the Jaffna university final year medical graduates to get permission from the GMOA, SLMC and the SLMA to serve at least one year in the Jaffna district hospitals after they pass out. During the Minister’s recent visit to Jaffna, provincial health authorities and hospital directors have pointed out that the Jaffna district has been experiencing a severe dearth of doctors, more..

Tamil doctor files Rights petition in Sri Lanka Supreme Court

Dec 22 (TN) The Supreme Court Monday granted leave to proceed with the fundamental rights violation petition filed by a Tamil medical officer, S.Murali, against his interdiction on his alleged comments made on the conditions in the internment camps which the Sri Lanka Government said "had brought disrepute on the Government of Sri Lanka." The petitioner had been serving as an Acting Consultant Community Physician of more..

Buddhism hijacked?

Dec 22 (DM) Sri Lanka is touted as being a great Buddhist nation. Driving around Sri Lanka the only markers surpassing the sites of all the temples and dagobas are the posters of the president. Every “patriot” sees the need to prove their credentials by showing that they are the only true Sinhala Buddhists. At the junction some of us were reminiscing about the days of our youth, when more..

Ali Zahir Moulana

Dec 22 (DM) The year was 2004. Ali Zahir Moulana had a big grievance. An election pact that the UNP had entered into with the SLMC for the April 2004 polls had killed his chances of contesting parliamentary elections. When asked about the agreement on the eve of the polls he told Daily Mirror that ‘the UNP had sold the sole rights of Eastern Muslims to the SLMC’. It was the second blow in the political career of the UNP MP from Batticaloa. more..

Sri Lanka new port seen assured of cargo despite Indian threat

Dec 22 (LBO) A new port next to Colombo the Asian Development Bank is helping Sri Lanka to build should get enough cargo despite the expansion of India's own ports, a senior bank official said. Richard Vokes, ADB country director in Sri Lanka, said Colombo would have to keep up and improve its efficiency levels to maintain its status as south Asia's container transhipment hub port. more..

Forging ahead with campaign under heavy odds: Sarath Fonseka

Dec 22 (AD) His party and the opposition were carrying on with the election campaign under heavy odds and threats to their lives, said Opposition Presidential candidate General (Rtd.) Sarath Fonseka, while he was leaving the Elections Secretariat after lodging a complaint with the Commissioner. Gen. Fonseka met Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake to lodge a complaint that a retired Army officer who was working for him had been abducted and more..

Sri Lanka October exports dip but recovery underway

Dec 22 (LBO) Sri Lanka's exports in October fell five percent from a year ago, the lowest decline so far this year, dragged down mainly by lower apparel exports, although tea exports were up, the Central Bank said. But the export recovery which began in April after last year's slump is continuing, despite a brief dip in September, the bank said in a statement on the island's external trade performance. more..

'Govt. wants my bullet-proof vehicle back'

Dec 22 (DM) Opposition Common candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka yesterday alleged that the government had asked him to handover his bullet proof vehicle immediately. General Fonseka told an election rally in Anuradhapura last evening that he was informed by the authorities to hand over the vehicle when he was on his way to the Anuradhapura rally. He said his life had been exposed to danger by this move. more..

Govt. losing clout in local councils

Dec 22 (DM) The opposition is gearing up towards capturing several local bodies from the government by defeating the budgets of two Pradeshiya Sabhas and several members including the Deputy Mayor of the Kurunegala Municipal Council crossing over to the UNP. The latest local body to fall was the Ukuwela Pradeshiya Sabha where the annual budget was defeated by 4 votes yesterday. 10 members including four members from the ruling UPFA voted against the budget. more..

Sigiriya residents protest against Cultural Fund officials

Dec 22 (AD) Residents around the historical Sigiriya Rock Fortress began a protest against the Central Cultural Fund (CCF) officials, alleging that they are fleecing the tourists to the area, reports the Adaderana correspondent. Agitated protestors had surrounded the CCF project Office near the Rock Fortress and the Project Manager has been confined to his office room, it was reported. When Police arrived at the scene, the situation had turned volatile. more..

'I erred in selecting some people to top posts'

Dec 22 (DM) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said he had made ‘some mistakes’ in selecting people to his administration when he was elected to office and expressed sadness over the conduct of some officials whom he described as those who had fallen prey to material gain. The President did not name about whom he was talking about, but went on to express his regret about the situation. more..

Candian High Commissioner tours Vavuniya camps

Dec 22 (AD) Canada’s High Commissioner, Bruce Levy, accompanied by Diplomats from the High Commission staff, paid a visit to some of the rehabilitation camps in the Vavuniya area yesterday. During the visit, which was facilitated through the Justice and Foreign Ministries as well as the Presidential Secretariat, High Commissioner Levy and his colleagues were able to meet with a Canadian detainee and more..

Tamil Tigers `identified on asylum-seeker boat'

Dec 22 (TA) The Sri Lankan government says it has identified up to three former Tamil Tigers seeking asylum in Australia on a boat intercepted after a personal request from Kevin Rudd to Indonesia's President. In allegations that will further complicate the processing of the 255 Tamils on a boat moored at the Indonesian port of Merak, Colombo's high commissioner to Australia, Senaka Walgampaya, said more..

'UN has based accusation only on reported interview'

Dec 22 (AD) The letter from United Nations has based its letter on asking for explanations on the killing of LTTE leaders during the final phase of the war has been based merely on a reported newspaper interview, said Human Rights & Disaster Management Ministry Secretary Professor Rajiva Wijesinha. “We got a letter from Philip Alston and it is another nuisance. more..

President to use the UN war crime charges to bank sympathetic votes

Dec 23 (LP) The interview given by opposition presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka to the Sunday Leader newspaper on December 13, 2009 wherein he alleges that three LTTE leaders who came to surrender with white flags during the final stages of the battle were shot dead by ground troops that were following the orders of Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, has opened an UN probe into possible war crimes charges against the government. more..

Govt. willing to grand our demands, says Chnadrasekaran

Dec 23 (LG) The Upcountry People's Front says that the government has accepted the proposals put forward by their party to render their support to the president and that an agreement was reached to implement them at the right time. “We have put forward our demands. The line housing system in the up country sector needs to be done away with and the people need to be resettled in lands of their own. more..

Yuvraj ruled out of last two ODIs against Lanka

Dec 23 (Hindu) Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh was ruled out of the remaining matches of the One-Day International series against Sri Lanka because of a finger injury. Yuvraj had injured his little finger while fielding in the Mohali Twenty20 game, and missed the first two ODIs. He featured in the match at Cuttack, but will rest for the remaining matches to avoid aggravating his injury. more..

Tenure of Local Govt. members extended

Dec 23 (AD) The tenure of Local Government members which ends in April next year (2010) has been extended by another year, till March 2011, states a media release by the Ministry of Local Government & Provincial Councils. Accordingly, the terms of members of Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas have been extended till March 31, 2011 by Local Government & Provincial Councils Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon more..

Udaya Gammanpila overcomes no-faith motion

Dec 23 (CT) Western province minister Udaya Gammanpila has overcome a no-confidence motion moved against him by the opposition UNP in the provincial council. At a vote today (Dec. 22), the provincial council members voted down the motion by a 42 vote majority. There were 67 votes against and 25 votes in support of the motion. more..

Student became the voice of her people

Dec 23 (TS) The air was thick with emotion. Crowds of Tamil protesters had swelled along University Ave., throughout the cool spring day, chanting slogans and beating drums to bring attention to the plight of their families and friends in Sri Lanka. Leading the chorus of pleas was Lavanya Nithiyanantharasan, 21, a Durham College student whose strong voice and stamina roused the crowd for a marathon 24 hours. more..

PAFFREL calls for media monitoring at presidential polls

Dec 23 (CT) Local election monitor PAFFREL has asked the elections chief to appoint a competent authority in the event of state-owned media violating the media guidelines he has issued for the duration of the presidential polls. Its executive director Rohana Hettiarachchi told 'Colombo Today' that they had written to elections commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake in this regard. more..

PCB did not want Lahore to host Sri Lanka Test

Dec 23 (CI) More than nine months after the fateful terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has said the board had wanted to host that Test in Karachi instead. Butt said he had requested the Pakistan government to shift the game to Karachi because of concerns over the security situation in the province of Punjab, where Lahore is located. more..

Railway stationmasters to strike work for 48 hours

Dec 23 (CT) More than 900 railway stationmasters will stage a 48 hour strike from midnight today (Dec. 22) to protest mainly their unresolved salary anomalies. Train services on Polgahawela, Puttalam, Negombo and Kelani Valley tracks will be disrupted as a result, president of their association K.V. Jayasena said. He said the National Salaries Commission had been indifferent towards their salary anomaly issue despite many calls for its rectification. more..

Debrief News: 22. 12. 2009

Sanitation in homes and schools upgraded in tsunami-affected Sri Lanka

Dec 23 (UNICEF) Jayawathi’s husband had just returned from his overnight fishing trip, and she was watching him prepare the catch in the front yard of their home in Karaitivu, on Sri Lanka’s east coast. Transferring the overflowing buckets of small silvery fish to a larger tub for salting, it looked like a good catch, but earning enough money from fishing is difficult here. "Making a living is a real problem,” she lamented. more..

German Rotary clubs help Sri Lanka recover

Dec 23 (RI) Kerstin Jeska-Zimmermann, 2004-05 governor of District 1950 (Germany), was vacationing with her husband in Sri Lanka's Hikkaduwa resort town in December 2004 when the powerful tsunami hit. "All of a sudden, there was absolute silence, as if nature was holding her breath," Jeska-Zimmermann recalls. "After a few minutes, we heard people frantically screaming, 'The water is coming!' " more..

Railway strike called off

Dec 23 (BL) The 48-hour strike planned by the Railway Station Masters’ Union was called off last minute with the Railway management agreeing to grant their demands following a meeting held last evening, said Secretary of the Union Amarasena Veddagala. The strike was to be based on the stations masters’ salaries not being properly adjusted as noted in the 2006 salary circular. more..

Can Sri Lanka take Advantage

Dec 23 (BL) Much has been said about Sri Lanka’s uniqueness among developing countries; no one can deny that the oldest population pyramid outside of wealthy countries. The demographic transition implies an aging of the population, but before old-age dependency becomes an issue, there is an intermediate period of a demographic dividend when a larger proportion of the population will be at the prime working age. more..

Norway breaks silence, condemns war

Jan 27 (TN) The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, in a statement issued on Tuesday said his government condemned the ongoing war in Sri Lanka, which has caused "unacceptable sufferings to the civilians," in the country. Meanwhile, Erik Solheim has called on th parties stressing that all the people in conflict area should be able to move freely and that the civilians who flee the war must be assured a dignified and respectful treatment under the supervision and monitoring of UN and international monitors. more..

Captains gear up for tough challenge

Jan 27 (CI) Both Mahela Jayawardene and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are expecting the five-ODI contest, which starts on January 28 in Dambulla, to be a closely-fought affair. India edged out Sri Lanka 3-2 in the ODIs during their visit in July-August last year, but the hosts are confident about their prospects after their recent 2-1 success in Pakistan. "It's going to be a tough, challenging series but we are looking forward to that challenge," Jayawardene said. more..

Secretary Defence visits Pakistan

Jan 27 (MoD) Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa made an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, from 19 Jan 2009 till 24 Jan 2009. During the visit Mr. Rajapaksa met with the Pakistani Interior Minister, the Secretary Defence and several other senior defence officials. Secretary Defence Rajapaksa, at the meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister and Special Advisor to Prime Minister Mr. Reheman Malik more..

Latest version of SCOPP Quarterly Newsletter released

Jan 27 (PISL) The electronic version of the Oct–Dec 2008 SCOPP Quarterly Newsletter has now been released on this website. This edition contains articles comprising i) a colourful account of the Industrial and Educational exhibition, ‘Future minds of Jaffna’ held in Jaffna, ii) an account of the humanitarian work with internally displaced persons and those recently resettled, iii) the ongoing liberation operations in the North, and more..

Situation Report (Jan 27th) - SL Army

Jan 27 (SLA) The final push for complete flush of Tiger terrorists from their last dens in the MULLAITTIVU district is on with the troops making unexpected swift strides while terrorist defences continue to crumble faster than the troops anticipated. Intermittent exchange of fire in the KILINOCHCHI east on Monday (26) brought further disaster to the enemy with scores dead and injured. Tiger terrorists directing mortar fire confronted 58 Division troops in more..

Editorial: Peace is a chance

Jan 27 (G&M) The Sinhalese majority of Sri Lanka should prepare to demonstrate openness toward the Tamil minority, as an end to a civil war that began in July, 1983, becomes likely. The LTTE have been notorious over the past quarter-century for terrorism. The LTTE pioneered suicide bombing before it became a tactic of Islamist extremism. For its part, the Sri Lankan military has been guilty of some savage repression. more..

More UNP stalwarts join Govt

Jan 27 (DN) Power Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage yesterday said more UNP stalwarts are expected to join ranks with the Government during the election campaign. The minister said UNP members and leaders at grassroots level in the Kandy district are not happy with its leadership and have vowed to join the Government to strengthen the President’s hand to eliminate terrorism and usher peace to the country. more..

Money back for Water's Edge land buyers

Jan 27 (DN) The Supreme Court yesterday directed the Asia Pacific Golf Club Ltd to submit documents pertaining to the sale of plots of land at Water's Edge and observed that the money should be paid back to those who purchased the plots. The Court directed the Chairman of the Urban Development Authority to consider granting alternative land for those whose lands were acquired by the Government under the Land Acquisition Act. more..

President, PM and Ranil agree on nominees to the CC

Jan 27 (Island) The President, Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have agreed on five persons to be appointed to the Constitutional Council the Supreme Court was told by the Attorney General yesterday. Four of the five names mentioned are, Nihal Seneviratne, the former Secretary General of Parliament, S. Nadesan, K. Vignaswaran (retired Supreme Court Judge) and Professor Sherieff Dean. more..

Govt. insists Prabha will be tried here

Jan 27 (DM) The government said yesterday a manhunt was on for LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and if captured alive he would not be extradited to India but first tried in Sri Lanka on charges of crimes committed by him. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told Daily Mirror that despite an Indian government request for the extradition of Prabhakaran to stand trial for the killing of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Prabhakaran would be first tried in Sri Lanka where more..

New roadway to Udawalawe National Park

Jan 27 (Island) Work on new road from Balangoda to Udawalawe National Park was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Sabarragamuwa Maheepala Herath. The road from Balangoda, Weligepola to Hadagiriya will be extended by another 40 km through the National Park. The first phase of the 13 km road from Thalapathoya boundary will cost the Sabaragamuwa PC Rs. 20 million and will be completed within this year. more..

SL card scam culprit escapes punishment in UK

Jan 27 (DM) A Sri Lankan man who helped a gang in Britain clone service station customers’ credit card details avoided doing unpaid work because he is going “home” to get married. Brathaban Kathirgamanathan turned off the CCTV in the Texaco Star petrol station in Moneyhill Parade, Rickmansworth, while a small palm-top computer and other equipment to intercept debit and credit card details was installed on February 28, last year. more..

Navy escorts 76 Tamil Civilians stranded in the Mullaithivu Seas to Safety

Jan 27 (RW) Sri Lanka Navy's Patrol Craft escorted 76 Tamil civilians, who were found stranded in the Mullaithivu seas while fleeing from the LTTE terror, into safety at Pulmudai on the 25th of January 2009 around 09.50 a.m. The rescued escapees comprised of 30 male adults, 26 female adults and 20 children. The group had been struggling in the deadly seas in order to save their lives on board four fiber glass dinghies (FGDs) when the Naval patrol craft came to their rescue. more..

Supreme court allows oil derivative payments

Jan 27 (LBO) Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has ended a freeze on payments by state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to commercial banks on derivatives of nearly a million barrels of crude and refined products. In November 2008 Sri Lanka's Supreme Court halted payments by CPC on oil derivatives struck with Citibank, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank, Colombo-listed Commercial Bank and state-run People's Bank. more..

Pranab calls up Karunanidhi

Jan 27 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is leaving for Sri Lanka on Tuesday, spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi over phone and informed him about his visit to the island nation. An official release here said Mukherjee spoke to Karunanidhi, who has been admitted to a hospital here for back pain, over phone this morning. Mukherjee informed the DMK leader about his trip to Sri Lanka after its military claimed to have captured the last LTTE bastion Mullaithivu. more..

Stranded in Wanni

Jan 27 (FL) ON January 16, exactly two weeks after the Sri Lanka forces captured the political and administrative headquarters of the LTTE in Kilinochchi in the north, TamilNet, the pro-Tiger website, had an unusual note posted on it. It read: “Many readers of the Eezham Tamil Diaspora and India anxiously communicate with TamilNet on the future course of the Eezham Tamil struggle. In this regard, TamilNet invites positive written opinion from its readers. more..

India slams LTTE, says it has no sympathy for it

Jan 27 (PTI) External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday made it clear that India has no sympathy for LTTE, but said that civilian Tamils have to be prevented from becoming victims of the conflict in the island nation. "We are for the fight against terrorists and all sorts of terrorism. Therefore, we have no sympathy for any terrorist activity indulged in by any organization, particularly LTTE (which) is a banned organization in India," more..

'How can people say this is peace?'

Jan 27 (G&M) In the local office of Sri Lanka's national Human Rights Commission here in this eastern seaside town, they have statistics: Ninety-eight people were abducted in this area last year, snatched off the streets by the infamous white vans with no licence plates that are used by government security agencies. Eighty-five other Tamils simply disappeared. At the commission they have case files and police reports. more..

'Mukherjee is coming on our invitation'

Jan 27 (IANS) Sri Lanka Tuesday made it clear that Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was visiting Colombo 'in response to an invitation' extended by the government of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry in a statement said Mukherjee 'will in response to an invitation, arrive in Colombo to meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa'. 'Minister Mukherjee's visit, which takes place at a time of repeated successes in the security operations to free the civilian population from the terror of the LTTE, more..

Sri Lankan officials in the firing line

Jan 27 (AT) As Sri Lanka's security forces make massive inroads against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a top United States constitutional lawyer may prove to be an impediment against the military's accomplishments if he triumphs in getting indictments against two of the island's very high-profile military officials, both US citizens who are spearheading the offensive against the Tamil Tigers. more..

Prabhakaran still in Sri Lanka, says LTTE

Jan 27 (IANS) The elusive Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is still in Sri Lanka and 'giving leadership to our freedom struggle', the rebels have said, denying reports that he had fled. Speaking to the BBC Sinhala radio service over telephone Monday, P. Nadesan, the political wing leader of the LTTE, dismissed reports that Prabhakaran had escaped from Sri Lanka. 'It is malicious propaganda. Our leader is still with us, our leader is giving leadership to our freedom struggle. more..

Canadian guilty of aiding Tamil Tigers

Jan 27 (NP) A Toronto man pleaded guilty in New York yesterday to attempting to purchase Russian heat-seeking missiles and hundreds of AK-47 assault rifles for the Tamil Tigers guerrillas. Sathajhan Sarachandran, 29, a former national president of the Canadian Tamil Students Association, pleaded guilty to all five counts against him, which included supporting terrorism and conspiracy to acquire missiles. Nadarasa Yogarasa pleaded guilty to two charges. more..

300 wounded in Sri Lanka artillery fire

Jan 27 (AP) At least 300 civilians were wounded and scores feared killed by Sri Lankan army artillery shells fired into a designated "safe zone" for ethnic Tamils trapped by fighting between the military and Tamil rebels, a health official alleged Tuesday. The shelling comes as the rebels continue to fall back, pulling their forces and civilians into the last remaining areas of dense jungle still under their control and leaving behind ghost towns. more..

Supreme court drops oil hedge case, minister suspension

Jan 27 (Reuters) Supreme Court on Tuesday terminated a court battle over oil hedging payments to banks that could cost the state oil company hundreds of millions of dollars, officials and lawyers said. The Supreme Court in November suspended the oil hedging payments to banks and ordered the government to reduce retail petrol prices in line with falling global oil prices. more..

Fears for civilians grow in Sri Lanka clashes

Jan 27 (AFP) Sri Lankan troops Tuesday battled Tamil Tiger fighters for control of the last stretch of rebel-held coastline, as international fears mounted for civilians caught in the conflict. Soldiers backed by tanks and air cover fought to capture 30 kilometres (18 miles) of seafront, the last remaining territory held by the retreating rebels, Brigadier Nandana Udawatte told reporters taken to the area. more..

How to heal Sri Lanka's war wounds

Jan 28 (TS) The scene at Jaffna's military airstrip seemed surreal: body bags stacked in a rickety trailer, hauled to the waiting Sri Lankan air force plane by an aging Massey-Ferguson tractor. The walking wounded straggled behind and clambered aboard. The Soviet-era Antonov 32 resembled a flying hospital ward, its cabin floor covered with stretchers. Many of the young Sinhalese soldiers moaned inconsolably as their intravenous lines shook from the vibrations of the engines. more..

Wanted by India: Prabhakaran, better dead than alive?

Jan 28 (IBN) As the Sri Lankan Army closes in on the LTTE chief's jungle hideout in Mullaitivu, the question doing the rounds is will Prabhakaran be captured alive or will he bite the cyanide capsule around his neck. The hunt for LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is so elusive and intricate that you could easily brand it as the Mission Impossible! Sri Lanka's Army chief General Sarath Fonseka claims these bunkers in the Vanni jungles were used by Prabhakaran. more..

'We will aim for World Cup semi-final'

Jan 28 (CI) Thanuga Ekanayake, the chairman of the Sri Lanka women's selection committee, is confident the tri-nation series in Bangladesh will be the ideal warm-up ahead of the World Cup, where she said Sri Lanka would aim to reach the semi-finals. "Only one change has been made from the last squad for the West Indies series and all players are in good form and are confident as they did well against West Indies and also were runners-up to India in the Asian series," more..

Batting stars give India the advantage

Jan 28 (CI) India begin a short limited-overs series in Sri Lanka after success in both forms of the game over the last six months. They beat England 5-0 in November 2008 and had earlier notched up an impressive 3-2 series win in Sri Lanka - and they have a much stronger side this time, with Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar both fit. India were pretty clueless against the spin wizardry of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis in the Test series last year, but tackled them well in the limited-overs contest. more..

Govt offers bonus interest to draw forex deposits

Jan 28 (LBO) Central Bank said the government will pay a 20 percent bonus interest in rupees on the interest earned on foreign currency deposits in banks from February 1. The move is part of efforts to promote inward remittances and deposits of foreign currency and build foreign exchange reserves. The tax-free bonus interest will be credited to a rupee account opened in the account holder's name or to any other nominated account. more..

Murali set for new record in India series

Jan 28 (AFP) Sri Lankan ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who is already the world's leading taker of Test wickets, is poised to become the leading bowler in one-day internationals. Barring injury or a spectacular sudden loss of form for the 36-year-old, that new record is likely to come in the five-match one-day series against India, starting here on Wednesday. more..

Sri Lanka port to get new cranes

Jan 28 (LBO) Colombo port will start taking delivery of the first batch of new cargo handling equipment to replace aging cranes from May this year, Sri Lanka Ports Authority chairman Priyath Wickrama said. Two pier-side gantry cranes to load and unload container ships and four transfer cranes to move containers within the port's terminals will be delivered by its manufacturers, Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC) of China. more..

Shares down, rupee at all-time low

Jan 28 (Reuters) Shares fell 0.94 percent on Tuesday as investors locked in profits on some shares, while the rupee closed unchanged at its all-time closing low on importer demand for dollars. The Colombo All-Share index .CSE fell 17.07 points to 1800.99, from its highest close since Nov. 13. It had risen 5.7 percent in the previous three sessions on a surge in investor confidence driven by the military's capture of rebel strongholds, more..

Central bank says end-Nov total FX reserves $3.9 bln

Jan 28 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's total foreign foreign reserves stood at $3.9 billion at the end of November 2008, the central bank said on Tuesday as it sought to clarify recent media reports about the country's reserve levels. "The country's total reserves as at end November 2008 stood at $3,914 million -- sufficient to finance 3.3 months of imports," the central bank said in a statement. more..

UN says thousands of civilians at risk

Jan 28 (IRIN) The UN has warned that hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in areas of heavy fighting in Sri Lanka's north are in serious danger. At least 230,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have retreated to a small patch of territory where government forces are engaged in heavy fighting with cadres from the LTTE in the Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi Districts about 300km northeast of the capital, Colombo. more..

Parliament to vote on anti-conversion laws

Jan 28 (ONN) The Parliament may soon enact laws designed to restrict religious conversions. A standing committee assigned to consider a draft “Bill for the Prohibition of Forcible Conversions” presented its report to Parliament on Jan. 6, suggesting minor amendments that clear the way for a final vote in February. The provisions of the bill criminalize any act to convert or attempt to convert a person from one religion to another religion by the use of force, fraud or allurement. more..

Aussie aid worker trapped during battle with Tamil Tigers

Jan 28 (TA) AN Australian aid worker is among 80 UN staff and their families trapped within the conflict zone between Sri Lankan troops and rebel Tamil Tigers. UN spokesman in Sri Lanka Gordon Weiss told The Australian yesterday that staff had been pinned down by heavy artillery fire over the weekend as troops seized the northeastern coastal town of Mullaittivu, the rebels' final urban stronghold and their last arms supply route. more..

Ranil hails government victory

Jan 28 (BBC) The main opposition in Sri Lanka has congratulated the security forces for victories in the northern battlefront against the Tamil Tigers. Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe also praised the political leadership that paved the way for military victories. "We also welcome the way the President, Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers supervised the military operations," he told in a statement read out to journalists in Colombo. more..

Govt. responsible for consequences of its arbitrary moves! – JVP

Jan 28 (LT) The government has to be responsible for the consequences of its arbitrary moves states the JVP issuing a statement regarding the re-enforcement of ‘hedging’ agreement due to the Supreme Court’s decision to revoke all directives given relevant to the agreement. Full text of the JVP statement: Deplore arbitrary moves of the government. The government neglected implementing the directives imposed by the Supreme Court regarding price of petrol. more..

Sri Lanka army 'securing coast'

Jan 28 (BBC) Sri Lanka's military says it is trying to secure the north-east coastline to encircle Tamil Tiger rebels as part of a final assault. Troops are moving north from the captured rebel town of Mullaitivu to take the 30km stretch. The military says it hopes to control the entire north within weeks. Meanwhile the UN secretary general and the European Union have expressed deep concern for civilians who are caught in the fighting. more..

Sri Lanka: Tamil diaspora voices

Jan 28 (BBC) After the Sri Lankan army took control of the remaining rebel town of Mullaitivu, Tamils in the UK and Canada discuss the future for Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism. INTHU KUMAR, DOCTOR, LONDON, UK: The land may have been captured but they they haven't won the people. This isn't a victory. I have lived through much of the war. I was born in Jaffna. In 1981 I woke up seeing the Jaffna library in flames. We lived very close by and the army set it on fire. more..

Winning war and peace in Sri Lanka

Jan 28 (BBC) The fall of the last major rebel-held town of Mullaitivu in north-eastern Sri Lanka has further raised questions over the ability of Tamil Tiger rebels to withstand the current Sri Lankan military offensive in the coming weeks. Since the beginning of January, the rebels have lost their de facto capital, Kilinochchi, Elephant Pass, a land bridge that links the Jaffna peninsula with the mainland and recently the coastal town of Mullaitivu, which acted as one of their key military bases. more..

Red Cross: Hundreds killed in Sri Lankan war zone

Jan 28 (AP) At least 300 civilians were wounded and scores feared killed by Sri Lankan army artillery shells fired into a designated "safe zone" for ethnic Tamils trapped by fighting between the military and Tamil rebels, a health official alleged Tuesday. The shelling comes as the rebels continue to fall back, pulling their forces and civilians into the last remaining areas of dense jungle still under their control and leaving behind ghost towns. more..

Dambulla pitch prepared in hurry: Curator

Jan 28 (SL) The curator here today conceded that he got little time to prepare the pitch but said the 22-yard for tomorrow's first one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka will have something for both batsmen and bowlers. "We had very short time to prepare the pitch and the outfield. But it would be a good pitch," Sri Lanka Cricket's official curator Anurudda Polonowita said today. He said continued rain throughout Saturday had forced the pitch to be kept under covers. more..

Jayawardene eagerly awaits Murali's milestone

Jan 28 (CI) Muttiah Muralitharan, with 500 ODI victims, starts the first game against India in Dambulla needing three wickets to overtake Wasim Akram and become the highest wicket-taker. Murali, 36, also holds the Test record with 769 wickets from 125 matches. "We will be very happy once he [Muralitharan] gets the record. It is another milestone for him and another one for Sri Lankan cricket," Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said. more..

Church center celebrates harvest festival despite cyclone devastation

Jan 28 (UCAN) Cyclone damage to crops in Jaffna combined with a rising population and a falling number of farmers means food scarcity, according to people celebrating the annual Tamil harvest festival. The Centre for Performing Arts (CPA) conducted a Jan. 14 Thai Pongal celebration to encourage farmers to produce more food even in difficult times, according to the organizers. The Church-run arts group has its headquarters in the war-torn Jaffna peninsula more..

Sri Lankan rapper MIA nominated for prestigious Grammy and Oscar awards

Jan 28 (AT) Maya Arulpragasam, better known as MIA, has become the first Asian woman to be nominated for both Gammy and Oscar Awards which are considered the highest prestigious awards in the world of Music and Cinema. Maya's nomination in the Grammy Award is in the 'Record of the Year' category for her single Paper Planes. The five nominees for the award are: 'Chasing Pavements' - Adele; 'Viva la Vida'- Coldplay; more..

A bag of anti-aircraft ammunition recovered from Rajagiriya

Jan 28 (LeN) Welikada police this morning (27) recovered a bag containing anti-aircraft .50, T-56, 9 mm and .38 mm ammunition from a place near Madinnagoda junction, Rajagiriya. Police found the bag hanging on the sides of a bridge following a resident of the area saw a motorcyclist was throwing something into the waterway. The bag contained three .50 ammunition, 10 T-56 bullets and five .38 mm ammos. more..

Butchering peace and appeasing butchers

Jan 28 (ML) For a government that has specialised in using the maximum deaths and casualties in minimum time strategy as the bedrock of its military effort, the exuberance last Sunday of Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka that the war is 95 percent over is perhaps premature. The LTTE which has time and again demonstrated it cares little for civilians has nothing to lose and everything to gain by continuing its struggle albeit on a different tack. more..

The silent diplomacy of India

Jan 28 (ML) Despite calls made by Tamil Nadu politicians for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, the war has reached its final stages with the troops bringing Mullaithivu town under control for the first time in 12 years. As the military crushes the LTTE from all sides, the civilians are bound to be affected due to the operations targeting LTTE strongholds and bunkers. The reason is obvious. The civilians are trapped in the same area with the Tigers. more..

LTTE leaders' luxury life exposed; a swimming pool located

Feb 26 (MoD) A swimming pool which is believe to be used by the high profile LTTE leaders have been located by the troops of 58 Division advancing towards LTTE's only remaining stronghold, Puthukkudiyiruppu built-up, yesterday, 25 February. Troops of 9 Gemunu Watch (9 GW) and 6 GW operating in west of Puthukkudiyiruppu captured the swimming pool and its surrounding fortifications following hours long fighting, military sources said. more..

LTTE suicide bomb factory, Susai's bunker captured

Feb 26 (MoD) Infantrymen of 58 Division following fierce confrontations were able to capture the LTTE sea tiger leader Susai's camp and suicide bomb manufacturing camp located in west of Puthukkudiyiruppu yesterday, 25 February. Following days long fighting troops of 7 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (7 SLSR) under command to 58 Division have captured the location which is believed to be used as suicide bombs, claymore mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) manufacturing yard. more..

Option for female teachers to join W&OP

Feb 26 (DN) The amended Schools Teachers' Pension Act will provide Widows and Orphans Pension (W&OP) benefits for female teachers as well, a Pensions Department official said. The new amendment gives the option for female teachers to join the W&OP scheme too. Only male teachers were eligible to enjoy W&OP benefits as provided for by amended Act No. 44 of 1953. It had been made obligatory for the new applicants to contribute to the W&OP scheme from August 01, 1983. more..

'Smart Card' case dismissed

Feb 26 (DN) The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed the rights application challenging the cost of the proposed "Smart Card" new driving licence. The Court was of the view that there was no prima facie case for the petitioner. The petitioner R.G. Rohana of Anuradhapura, complained to the court that the cost of the proposed licence was disproportionately higher, just for the addition of finger print impression and the traffic violations data, over that of the licence currently in use. more..

Bloody clashes: Kelaniya Uni closed indefinitely

Feb 26 (Island) The Kelaniya University has closed all its faculties, except its Medical Faculty in Ragama, until further notice after two student factions clashed again yesterday. It was the second clash within a fortnight. Two undergrads were warded at the Colombo National Hospital and Ragama Teaching Hospital and a large number, injured in the clashes, were treated and discharged. Students belonging to Science and Arts Faculties attached to the Students Council had been involved in the clashes. more..

Minister invites Jayalath to join govt.

Feb 26 (Island) Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva invited UNP MP for Gampaha District, Dr. Jayalath Jayawardana to join hands with the government to help the people as he has shown much keenness in the recent past to do so. Minister De Silva extended the invitation following Dr. Jayawardana’s claim that he had been instrumental in getting down the much wanted pain killer Pethidine vaccine from India. more..

Tamil Editor ‘abducted’ for questioning

Feb 26 (TW) Chief Editor of newspapers Sudar Oli and Uthayan, N. Vidyatharan, earlier reported as ‘abducted’ in Mount Lavinia by Colombo media outlets was actually being taken in for questioning according to Police reports. The Daily Mirror initially reported he was abducted by an ‘armed group’. The ‘arrest’ has taken place around 10:00 a.m. at Mahinda Florist in Galkissa on Galle Road while Mr. Vithyatharan was attending a funeral of a close relative. more..

Govt. plans new taxes, privatisations after WPC election says JVP

Feb 26 (DM) The JVP charged yesterday that the government was planning to bring in a host of new taxes and privatise state institutions by using the election victories. The party alleged that the government would use the achievement of the brave security forces to win the coming Western Provincial Council election as well and bring in new taxes that would put more burden on the people. more..

JHU commission to look into British colonial destruction

Feb 26 (DM) The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) will appoint a committee to look into the damage caused by the British invasion of Sri Lanka, JHU Western Provincial Council candidate Udaya Gammanpila said yesterday. “We hope to find evidence that will help us build our case and eventually take the British government to courts internationally and file legal action in their own courts,” Mr. Gammanpila said. more..

Tamil Tigers suspected of buying time

Feb 26 (TS) As Sri Lanka's military edges closer to a victory over the Tamil Tigers, a government official called the rebels' recent call for a ceasefire little more than a strategy to buy time to rearm and strike back. Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said the government has evidence the Tigers recently tried to buy anti-aircraft missiles and thermobaric munitions on the international market. Thermobaric weapons release high-temperature energy bursts – which have been compared to a fireball combined with a shock wave – that more..

India to send emergency medical unit to Sri Lanka

Feb 26 (IANS) India Thursday said it would send a full-fledged emergency medical unit to help civilians wounded in the conflict in Sri Lanka and work with Colombo to spur reconstruction process in that country. 'India and Sri Lanka have agreed to work together to address the urgent medical needs of these civilians,' external affairs ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said in a statement here. more..

Sri Lanka approves finance sector bailout package

Feb 26 (LBO) Sri Lanka's cabinet of ministers has approved a bailout package for finance and leasing firms in a move to release assets seized from defaulting borrowers back into productive commercial use. International trade minister G L Pieris said assets like vehicles and lands seized from defaulting borrowers became unproductive and were a drag on the economy. The 4.2 billion rupees stimulus package approved by the cabinet would help to restore public confidence in the financial system, more..

Sri Lanka says 11 rebels killed in battle

Feb 26 (AFP) Sri Lankan troops have killed at least 11 Tamil Tiger rebels in the battle for the last urban area still in the hands of the guerrillas, the defence ministry said Thursday. The deaths occurred Wednesday when soldiers pushed toward Puthukkudiriruppu, a town on a narrow strip of land in the northeast controlled by the LTTE, the ministry said. "Ground troops have positioned for a final thrust towards the remaining LTTE foothold," the ministry said. more..

Lalith Kotelawala arrested

Feb 26 (LBO) Lalith Kotelawala, chairman of Sri Lanka's Ceylinco group, has been arrested and remanded over an alleged fraud that caused the collapse of group firm Golden Key Credit Card Company. The magistrate court order to remand Kotelawala was given when the case on an alleged fraud at Golden Key was taken up Thursday, court officials said. The magistrate ordered that Kotelawala and another director be remanded till March 11, more..

Editor held, accused aiding rebel strike

Feb 26 (AP) Police arrested the editor of a Tamil-language newspaper in the middle of a funeral Thursday, accusing him of aiding a rebel air attack on the capital last week. The arrest of Nadesapillai Vithyatharan came as the government faced growing criticism for a recent spate of attacks on journalists viewed as critical of the offensive against the Tamil Tiger rebels in the north. Last month, a prominent newspaper editor critical of the war was killed by gunmen, more..

Lent, a time for forgiveness in war-torn Sri Lanka

Feb 27 (AN) “We, too, are called to take up daily crosses in our life and go forward to forgive and forget the past and reconcile ourselves because the love of Christ urges us to do so,” is the thrust of a message issued for Lent by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka (CBCSL) in a booklet sent out to all the faithful, so harshly tried by the war between the Sri Lankan army and the rebels of the LTTE. more..

Lanka ask for security step-up in Lahore

Feb 27 (PTI) The Sri Lankan team management has asked for beefed up security during their stay in Lahore for the second Test following protests against disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother from contesting elections or holding public office. PCB sources said the Sri Lankan team manager Brendan Kuruppu has asked for a security update and also requested to beef up the security cover for the team in Lahore where the second Test is due to start from Sunday. more..

Sri Lanka: organizing medical evacuations by sea

Feb 27 (ICRC) Thousands of displaced civilians are currently seeking safety, food, water and medical care. Entire families have moved and are still moving towards the coast to escape the fighting. They hope to find something to eat – fish, for example. However, because there is not enough drinking water in the Putumattalan area, they end up moving back inland in search of water. The lack of clean water is a major humanitarian concern: more..

On Sri Lanka, requests for UN council session languish

Feb 27 (ICP) As the UN defers all Sri Lanka questions until the belated return of its top humanitarian John Holmes to New York on Friday, even those expressing concern for civilians seem to lack the courage of their convictions. While the UK's David Miliband was quoted that in London that "a failed resolution -- one that faces a veto -- is worse than no resolution at all... I can assure him that our diplomats, whether in New York or in the region, are all working off the same script," more..

New container terminal attracts port operators

Feb 27 (LBO) A call for bids to build a new container terminal in Colombo port has drawn the interest of some of the world's top port operators and shipping lines as well Sri Lankan conglomerates. "All the big guys are there," said a senior Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) official familiar with the call for bids for the project. "All the companies which bid the last time, as well as new ones, have collected the bid documents." more..

LTTE 'DPU' teams on the prowl

Feb 27 (DW) With their back against the sea, Tigers have started preparing for suicide missions and deep penetration operations. Two teams of Tigers were detected and engaged by the 59 Division at Alampil and Mullayaweli within the matter of two weeks with the latter being detected just yesterday when a team of around 30 Tigers made an amphibious landing at a shaded grove in the Mulaitivu lagoon. more..

Worthing Sri Lankan family's anguish

Feb 27 (SE) A Sri Lankan family from Worthing are desperately afraid for the lives of close relatives caught up in the country's civil war. Gopalan Ketheeswaran, 38, who runs South Farm Food and Wine in South Farm Road, said his father, his sister and her young children have been caught up in the Sri Lankan government's ongoing offensive against the terrorist Tamil Tigers group. Government forces have surrounded the Mullaitivu District in the north of the country in a bid to crush the Tigers, more..

Japan funds to improve health and livelihood

Feb 27 (RW) The Government of Japan through its "Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)" has provided a total of US$ 173,710 (approximately Rs 20 million) to three projects. These projects are expected to improve health and livelihoods of conflict affected communities in Batticaloa and Vavunniya and of plantation communities in Rathanapura. "The Project for Developing basic infrastructure and Agriculture at a conflict affected area in Batticaloa District" will be implemented more..

Summary of the Cabinet decisions

Feb 27 (GDI) The cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Public Estate Management and Development Milroy S. Fernando to extend the relief package given to the RPCs and private tea factory owners on the same condition to SLSPC, JEDB and EPL providing a subsidized loan to meet one month’s Working Capital requirements based on their respective Turn Over in the Month of October 2008 from Commercial Banks with 100% Treasury Gurantees. more..

Stoking the flames

Feb 27 (Economist) With kerosene and a box of matches, Sivaprakasam, a 60-year-old former civil servant, turned himself into a screaming fireball on February 21st. He was the fifth resident of Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state that is home to 65m Tamils, to burn himself to death this year in protest at Sri Lanka’s brutal campaign against its Tamil Tiger rebels. Tamil Nadu is known for self-immolation. Chennai, its capital, is dotted with monuments to seven “martyrs” who died in 1965, more..

Sri Lanka postpone Zimbabwe's visit

Feb 27 (CI) Sri Lanka have postponed Zimbabwe's tour next month in order to give their players rest ahead of the IPL. The news comes just 24 hours after New Zealand postponed their visit to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe were due to play a tour match and five ODIs in Colombo, the first scheduled for March 13. But with the IPL due to get underway in April, Sri Lanka Cricket want their players to have sufficient time off beforehand. more..

Ahamed to take up 'killing' of fishermen with Sri Lanka

Feb 27 (PTI) The issue of Indian fishermen being reportedly killed by the Sri Lankan Navy will be taken up by Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed with the island government during his visit to Colombo for the SAARC meet at this month end. Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy on Thursday said, "I spoke to Ahamed over phone and explained about the current situation regarding our fishermen. more..

Spirit of SAARC

Feb 27 (LG) Thirty Sixth session of the Standing Committee (Colombo – 25-26 February 2009), Closing Remarks by the Chairperson Dr. Palitha Kohona : We have now come to the end of the Meeting. I am happy that we have been able to deliberate at length on all the agenda items and make important recommendations and take decisions - decisions that will set the tone for the future for our organization. more..

Tamil editor arrested, as family fears abduction

Feb 27 (RFI) Sri Lankan police say that they have arrested the editor of two newspapers, after the man's family accused the authorities of abducting him. His brother-in-law told RFI that N Vidyatharan is being persecuted for fighting for the rights of the minority Tamil community. The family sounded the alarm after Vidyatharan was taken away in a white van from the funeral of a realtive in a suburb of Colombo. more..

France expresses interest to provide humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka

Feb 27 (ISRIA) During a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama today (26 February 2009), French Foreign Minister Dr. Bernard Kouchner expressed his happiness at the conflict in the North of Sri Lanka coming to a conclusion and inquired on how best humanitarian assistance could be extended by France. He also expressed concerns at the civilians being held hostage in the conflict area. more..

Parliament defers debate on anti-conversion bill

Feb 27 (UCAN) Debate on a religious-conversion bill in Sri Lanka's parliament has been deferred amid opposition from Christians. A parliamentary committee comprising Christian parliamentarians and leaders of political parties on Feb. 18 examined the bill and agreed it might have serious consequences on religious activities, spark interreligious conflict and possibly violate the country's constitution. more..

Sri Lanka may need bailout as war debt, currency drain reserves

Feb 27 (BN) Sri Lanka may need a bailout from international donors to help pay its debts as the island’s 26- year civil war draws to a close. Since August, the South Asian nation has spent half its foreign reserves, now $1.7 billion, on supporting its currency, paying debt and buying imports. That doesn’t leave much after the government shells out another $900 million due in 2009. The reserves aren’t getting replenished as the ailing world economy pummels exports and more..

US, Britain Dancing Naked

Feb 27 (LG) When Bin Laden blew down the Twin Towers in New York in one single attack, and when the US intelligence erroneously reported that Sadam Hussein has WMDs, the US lost no time in harnessing support of Britain and other world leaders to destroy the whole of Iraq, and Afghanistan. Did the US heed the UN call not to attack Iraq in the first place? No it didn’t. In that instance, the UN was reduced to the mere state of a neutered dog, which could produce nothing than a feeble whine against the US and its allies. more..

TNA Leader writes to the President

Feb 27 (LG) ‘Some in your Government, may have been irked by what transpired at the conference, and this so-called investigation, despite the courtesy extended to me by the CID officials, constitutes an unwarranted interference in my freedom of thought and action as a democratically elected representative of the people, and the leader of a political party which very substantially democratically represents the affected people,’ more..

'Avoid human tragedy, declare ceasefire'

Feb 27 (AT) To avoid a human tragedy, declare ceasefire, appeals Indian Union Muslim League. As the terrorist outfit LTTE are holding innocent Tamil civilians as human shield at gunpoint, Sri Lanka Government should consider seriously a ceasefire to save the innocent Tamil civilians, it was urged. The Indian Union Muslim League said that LTTE should immediately lay downs their arms and surrender to safeguard the civilians. more..

Sri Lanka 61st Anniversary of Independence was celebrated in Lebanon

Feb 27 (AT) The Sri Lanka Embassy of Lebanon celebrated 61st Independence on two occasions with a participation of vast Sri Lankan community and Lebanese community as well. The official ceremony was held at the Embassy premises on 4th February with nearly 200 participants of Sri Lankan expatriates amidst being a working day in Lebanon except Embassy staff members where officials from UN-Beirut, more..

Exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, to herald in peace

Feb 27 (AT) An exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha will be held from 6 to 16 March 2009, to herald in a new era of peace and unity in Sri Lanka. The exposition is held to invoke the blessings of the sacred relic on the entire population of Sri Lanka, to live in peace and harmony and to shed the differences that have held back the true potential of the island nation, for nearly three decades. more..

US govt and Sri Lanka create first energy efficient lighting center in South Asia

Feb 27 (USE) Sri Lanka will host the first energy efficient lighting Center of Excellence in South Asia, thanks to funding from the USAID. The Regional Center for Energy Efficient Lighting (RCEEL) will serve as a research hub to develop new lighting technology to be used in Sri Lanka and South Asia. Rebecca Cohn, USAID Mission Director, and Dr. Krishan Deheragoda, Chairman of the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) of the Government of Sri Lanka, more..

Sri Lanka parlaying fight "against terror" as an incredible propaganda tool

Feb 27 (TC) Michael Freund wrote of the "unfair treatment" Israel gets in the international arena in the Jerusalem Post recently. His argument was that, "Sri Lanka's conflict, which has claimed twice as many lives as our (Israel's) foray into Gaza, has barely seemed to register on the international radar screen." Dr. Ellyn Shander MD, of Stamford, CT, USA, a humanitarian activist has written to Michael Freund explaining that Sri Lanka's current war is not exactly a "war on terror". more..

Controversy over arrest of Tamil newspaper editor

Feb 27 (TC) Controversy surrounded the arrest of Sudar Oli Editor N. Vidyadaran in Mount Lavinia last morning after police initially said, he was abducted by an unknown gang which had come in a white van. But later they said he had been arrested by the police and was being questioned over the recent LTTE air attack in Colombo. There was confusion on the fate of the senior editor with even the police initially saying they did not know anything about his whereabouts and more..

Desperate and unacceptable situation for trapped population

Feb 27 (DWB) Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is urgently calling on both parties in the conflict in the Vanni area in northern Sri Lanka to ensure the safety of civilians and to allow access to humanitarian assistance. MSF teams are still unable to enter the Vanni to evaluate the needs of the affected population and provide urgently needed medical care. Together with other international organizations, MSF has been denied access since September 2008. more..

Emirates to add planes, start new routes

Feb 27 (LBO) Emirates Airline has said it plans to increase the number of flights across its network by 14 percent in 2009 and add 18 new passenger aircraft to the fleet. The Dubai-based carrier said in a statement this will enable it to start new routes as well as increase frequencies on many existing routes. It will also expand cargo capacity by 17 percent. "The additional frequencies will afford passengers a greater choice of flights, more frequent connections with more..

Australian vigil denounces Sri Lankan government atrocities

Feb 27 (wsws) About 250 people, mainly from the Tamil community, joined a candlelight vigil at Parramatta, in western Sydney, last night to protest against the atrocities being committed by the Sri Lankan military in the war against the LTTE in the northern Wanni region. Many of those participating—who included entire families, as well as students and young workers—have relatives who have perished or remain trapped in the small area still under LTTE control, more..

'President Rajapakse was informed before special envoy was appointed'

Feb 27 (LT) British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs David Miliband says President Rajapaske was informed of the appointment of former Secretary of State Des Browne as the Prime Minister’s special envoy and President Rajapakse had agreed to such an appointment. He said in the Parliament yesterday that a letter had been sent by the British Prime Minister to President Rajapakse and more..

Ampare farmers have no water to cultivate during ‘Yala’ season

Feb 27 (LT) The government has decided to reduce the paddy cultivation by 20% during the ‘Yala’ season as the water level of D.S. Senanayake reservoir in Ampare has fallen drastically. This decision has been informed by the Director of Irrigation to the District Coordinating Committee yesterday. Accordingly, 30,000 to 35,000 acres would not be allowed to be cultivated said JVP Parliamentarian Wasanthe Piyatissa to ‘Lankatruth.’ more..

Farm hounds and moose hunters

Feb 27 (LG) Ever spend a summer's night on the farm? Sometime ago, while traveling through the flat lands of Canadian Prairies, I was invited to stay at a farm. After enjoying mid-Western hospitality of barbeque and chat around the fire pit, I retired for the night in the farmhouse. In the middle of the night I was woken by loud barking at the farm I was staying at, which immediately followed by many barks from dogs in neighboring farms. more..

Sri Lankan civil war enters last phase

Feb 27 (LG) It is indeed no surprise that the painfully repetitive lessons of history have never ever been imbibed by the ilk of dictators, terror chieftains and megalomaniacs. The ruthless pursuit of power to satisfy their grandiose ambitions have invariably brought to their people, followers and all those who do their bidding, voluntarily or under coercion, nothing but ruin and destruction. more..

President reiterates govt’s cautious approach to avoid civilian casualties

Feb 27 (AT) President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated his Government’s consistent stand in preventing collateral damage being caused to civilians in the final phase of the current military operations to defeat terrorism in the country. He made this observation during a courtesy call on him yesterday, 26 February, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Upendra Yadav in Colombo. more..

'Executive Presidency helped us to unite the country'

Feb 27 (GDI) The UPFA secured a clear two-thirds majority in the NWP Provincial Council. If it had been based on first-past-the-post system (FPPS), it would have been a massive 5/6 victory. However, we expect a clean two-thirds majority in the parliament and make amendment vital to true representation of the electorate, Minister G. L. Peris said. “Peoples’ power is not clearly reflected in the form of proportional representation (PR). more..

Development projects in Hiriyala

Feb 27 (GDI) A special plan has been drawn up by the Kurunegala district Assistant Samurdhi Commissioner's office to develop 30 selected villages taking one village from each DS division in the Kurunegala district. The main objective of this program is to convert these villages into self-sufficient villages where the ancient cultural features and moral values are preserved. A sum of Rs. 290,322 has been allocated for this program, more..

UNP seeks real casualty figures

Apr 24 (DM) UNP yesterday paid tribute to the security forces who were engaged in humanitarian operations to save Sri Lanka, and asked the government to allow an all-party parliamentary delegation to visit the refugee camps set up in government-controlled areas. Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told a news conference the government should resettle the displaced people in their original places of residence within three months. more..

Injured Tamils overwhelming hospital, says doctor in Sri Lanka

Apr 24 (IANS) The unfolding human tragedy of weary civilians fleeing the LTTE-held area in the island's north has 'overwhelmed' a 450-bed hospital in Vavuniya which now tends to 1,700 badly wounded patients, a doctor said. Paul McMaster, a doctor who works MSF at Vavuniya hospital said: 'We've been seeing very severely wounded patients, the numbers of patients have increased rapidly over the last three or four days, so we're seeing a stream of badly wounded people being brought into us.' more..

LTTE`s Masters to be grilled in Colombo

Apr 24 (LNP) Masters Daya and George Master were due to be brought to Colombo for further interrogation. Thereafter the Government intends rehabilitating them, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said. After the interrogation, if it is found that they had indulged in criminal activities, they would be prosecuted, he said. Both were involved in LTTE propaganda in the past. They had joined the mass exodus of civilians from the No Fire Zone to the Government held areas and more..

Hostage rescue operation: Graphical details

more..

Rupee steady after volatile week

Apr 24 (LBO) The rupee weakened to 120.70 levels against the US dollar, with a foreign bank on the buying side Friday, but recovered later in the day ending a week that saw the domestic currency fall about four rupees. In late afternoon trade the spot dollar was quoted at 120.0/30 levels after opening at 120.30/60 rupees. Dealers said state bank activity was muted, though they bought dollars a day earlier just under 120.00 rupees. more..

Sri Lanka to decide on LNG after Japan study: official

Apr 24 (LBO) Sri Lanka will decide on whether to call proposals for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant after a study funded by Japan is completed, a senior government official said. Though much cleaner than coal, diesel or furnace oil, LNG, which is kept liquid under high pressure requires expensive infrastructure to handle. There is intense lobbying for LNG use, but it has been resisted by engineers at the more..

Central bank task force probes failed firm

Apr 24 (LBO) Sri Lanka's central bank has asked customers of the failed Golden Key Credit Card Company to submit details of their deposits and company officials to declare assets. Sri Lanka's Supreme Court last month ordered the Central Bank to probe the company after a group of depositors petitioned court saying it should have been regulated under central bank law. more..

Narayanan, Menon meet Rajapaksa, discuss current situation

Apr 24 (PTI) Amidst concern over the political fallout in Tamil Nadu of the ongoing army campaign in Sri Lanka's north, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on Friday held talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and discussed the current situation. It was not clear whether the Indian special envoys, who rushed here on Friday morning, put forward the demand for an immediate ceasefire during more..

Reporter near Sri Lanka's front line

Apr 24 (BBC) Thousands of civilians continue to pour out of Sri Lanka's war zone as they try to escape crossfire between government troops and Tamil Tigers. The UN is sending a humanitarian team to northern Sri Lanka, where it says 50,000 people are trapped by fighting. The BBC's Charles Haviland is travelling with the Sri Lankan army near the front line in the north east of Sri Lanka. more..

India presses for Sri Lanka truce as casualties rise

Apr 24 (Reuters) Indian envoys flew into Sri Lanka on Friday to urge a truce in the closing chapter of a 25-year war in which U.N. data showed nearly 6,500 civilians have been killed in the last three months. A few kilometres from the front, thousands of refugees languished in the blazing tropical sun awaiting transport away from the battlezone, where the army is trying to deal a death blow to the LTTE. Explosions boomed and smoke billowed from the remaining battlefield, more..

'Prabhakaran may flee in a submarine'

Apr 24 (PTI) Cornered LTTE chief V. Prabhakarn, who is still holed up in a small strip of land in embattled north, may flee from the island using a submarine, a top Sri Lankan Army official said on Friday. "Prabhakaran, who is present in the no-fire zone along with his son Charles Anthony, Tigers' intelligence chief Pottu Amman and Sea Tiger chief Soosai, might have retained a submarine to escape from the island," more..

Sri Lanka army says Tamil Tiger leader trapped

Apr 24 (AFP) The leader of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers is trapped in a small strip of jungle and intends to make a final stand with his surviving forces, an army commander said Friday. The commander said a rebel spokesman who surrendered to government troops earlier in the week had reported that Velupillai Prabhakaran, 54, was still in charge of his cornered and depleted separatist army in the island's northeast. more..

UN says nearly 6,500 civilians dead in Sri Lanka

Apr 24 (AP) Indian officials took a demand for an immediate cease-fire in Sri Lanka's civil war to the country's president on Friday as the U.N. reported that nearly 6,500 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the last three months. Concern for the safety of the civilians trapped in the ever-shrinking war zone has increased in recent weeks as the government pushed ahead with its offensive to crush the rebels and more..

Sri Lankan amateur Perera continues dream run

Apr 25 (MR) Leading Sri Lankan amateur Mithun Perera continued his fine run and took the sole lead at the Surya Nepal Masters at the end of third day at the Gokarna Forest Golf Resort on Friday. With a flawless round of four-under 68, Perera totaled ten-under 216 and went one clear of his compatriot and overnight joint leader Anura Rohana. Rohana stayed in the hunt with a round of three-under 69, and is the leading professional in the field. more..

Chennai archbishop denounces Sri Lanka failure to act

Apr 25 (CN) Archbishop Malayappan Chinnappa has denounced the international community's failure to act to prevent a "mass massacre" in northern Sri Lanka while people were killed when a shell struck a church in the conflict zone yesterday. Sri Lanka pleaded for international help on Thursday in what it called an "emergency humanitarian situation," after a medical relief group warned that civilian casualties are rising rapidly more..

Priest injured while aiding trapped Sri Lankans

Apr 25 (Zenit) A Caritas director in the Vanni region was seriously injured in the bombing of a Church today, prompting a renewed appeal from aid agency for the rescue of endangered civilians. Caritas reported that Father T. R. Vasanthaseelan's legs were injured, and one had to be amputated after shells hit St. Anthony's Church in Valaignarmadam this morning. Civilians took refuge in the church to escape the fighting more..

Q+A-Plight of civilians at end of Sri Lanka's war

Apr 25 (Reuters) Diplomatic pressure is building for a humanitarian truce in Sri Lanka as the military and the LTTE rebels fight to the finish in a 25-year war, with tens of thousands of people still trapped in the combat zone. Here are some questions and answers about their plight: HOW MANY ARE TRAPPED? That is the subject of great debate and confusion, but the International Committee of the Red Cross has said it is less than 50,000. more..

Tigers routed, but what now for Tamils in Sri Lanka?

Apr 25 (Age) His realm once spanned a third of Sri Lanka and boasted a well-equipped army, navy and air force. But Tamil Tigers supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran now controls just eight square kilometres of sand and swamp in north-eastern Sri Lanka. Rumours have circulated in Colombo that the feared leader of the LTTE, who rarely appears in public, was smuggled out of Sri Lanka months ago. more..

Editorial: LTTE a traitor organization

Apr 25 (CC) LTTE is a terrorist traitor organization of Sri Lanka and is also an anti-Indian revolutionary organization. The Dravidian parties of Tamil Nadu is forcing the ideology of LTTE over India only on the context of similar language 'Tamil'. Keeping in view that at present Sri Lanka government has started the final operation against LTTE, and the ongoing elections in India, it has become a matter of concern in Tamil Nadu. more..

Sri Lanka aviation policy mulls further opening

Apr 25 (LBO) A new Sri Lankan aviation policy aims to encourage investment and open the sector up for more carriers, ground handling and caterers as the economy recovers from war and the market grows, officials said. A draft policy now being discussed by government and industry suggests allowing private local airlines to operate international passenger and cargo services under existing or future air services arrangements. more..

Central bank gives nod for five buyers for Seylan

Apr 25 (LBO) Central bank has cleared five out of six bidders who expressed interest in buying a 33.3 percent stake in Seylan Bank to look into the bank in detail and submit bids, officials said. Among the approved are, Samapath Bank, Lanka Orix Leasing Company (LOLC) group, National Development Bank and John Keells Holdings, and V V Karunaratne & Company a construction firm. The short listed investors would be given a detailed information memorandum on Seylan Bank to conduct 'due diligence.' more..

Sri Lanka's chance to end war mentality

Apr 25 (UPI) As the LTTE have virtually lost the war against Sri Lankan forces, pressure is mounting on the government to address the humanitarian problem brought about by the conflict. From all over the country people have been sending food, clothes and other relief items for the people in the no-fire zone, which is under the control of the LTTE. The generous donations from all communities clearly indicate that people do not view the situation as the conquest of one people by another, more..

Aid groups scramble for funds for Sri Lanka crisis

Apr 25 (Reuters) Aid agencies are launching multi-million dollar appeals for Sri Lanka where tens of thousands of traumatised civilians are streaming out of the war zone as the army seeks to crush the Tamil Tiger rebels. Camps are bursting at the seams, with one aid worker saying some families are living in a space the size of a sofa. Hospitals are also overflowing as doctors work round the clock to treat civilians emerging from the conflict area with horrific blast injuries. more..

How will Sri Lanka reconcile after a bitter war?

Apr 25 (CSM) Whether victory is declared within days or weeks, Sri Lanka's once seemingly endless war against the LTTE appears, finally, to be drawing to a close. But while the battle may be won, there are concerns that the ethnic conflict that lay behind it will continue to simmer and boil. The probable final showdown in one of Asia's longest-running wars began Monday, when the Army broke into the last remaining redoubt of the LTTE, located in a narrow strip of coastland in the north. more..

Sri Lanka camps struggle to cope

Apr 25 (BBC) Tens of thousands of people are teeming towards government camps outside Sri Lanka's conflict zone but officials are struggling to cope with the mammoth task of feeding, clothing and sheltering them, writes Swaminathan Natarajan of the BBC's Tamil service. Civilians who have just moved into the camps say the conditions are cramped and no attention is paid to individual needs. more..

'Informed voters' in WPC elections

Apr 25 (BBC) The ruling party in Sri Lanka has rejected accusations by the opposition that it is exploiting military gains against the Tamil Tigers to win provincial elections. Meanwhile, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) says that over 43,000 voters are registered twice in Colombo district. The main opposition UNP accused the government of using military victories to whitewash voter intimidation, corruption and other malpractices. more..

Govt. appeals for relief supplies

Apr 25 (BBC) The Sri Lankan government has appealed for urgent relief supplies for the displaced people who recently arrived in government controlled areas. The director of government information department, Anusha Pelpita, has appealed for food, water, clothes and other essential items to distribute among the displaced. In a statement, Mr. Pelpita has urged Sri Lankans to bring aid to Sirimavo Bandaranaike exhibition hall at the BMICH. more..

End game in Sri Lanka?

Apr 25 (Forbes) There is little room for hope or optimism in the endgame now unfolding in Sri Lanka, in spite of the surgical cutting down by the armed forces of the ruthless and authoritarian LTTE. The LTTE edifice has surely collapsed. Not only is the formerly formidable war machine--veteran of a 30-year secessionist war--now reduced to smithereens, and its remaining cadre cornered into a 12-square-kilometer strip of land in the Northern Province, but defections have begun. more..

Responding to Sri Lanka's crisis amid chaos and uncertainty

Apr 25 (AN) Today has been an entirely chaotic day - not unexpected. By the time I got into the office, I'd already had 10 or so phone calls about responding to what has become a dire humanitarian crisis in the north, where the army is battling Tamil Tiger rebels. As often happens in Sri Lanka when there's calm before a storm, the sleepiness of the last 10 days of extended holidays has suddenly been shattered by frantic and almost panic-ridden attempts to get into areas where more..

UNHCR starting emergency airlift of relief to Sri Lanka

Apr 25 (Reuters) The United Nations refugee agency said on Friday that it was starting an emergency airlift of tents and other supplies to Sri Lanka, where tens of thousands of people have fled fighting in the northeast. The airlift, which could begin as early as this weekend, will carry 5,000 tents suitable for families and other items from the agency's stockpile in Dubai to the capital Colombo. more..

Last stand in the jungle for Tamil Tigers

Apr 25 (AFP) The coastal village of Puttumatalan, once a vital Tamil Tiger supply lifeline, now overlooks the scene of what seems sure to be the rebels' final defeat after decades of struggle. "This is the new front line," an army official said as the sound of explosions and automatic gunfire could be heard from the sliver of jungle where Sri Lankan government troops have cornered the rump of the once-powerful Tiger rebel army. more..

Indian PM calls for review meeting

Tamil civilians endured horror

Apr 25 (GP) This week an estimated 100,000 ethnic Tamils fled from the no-fire zone turned battlefield between Sri Lanka's government and the LTTE in the country's northern Vanni region. This dramatic mass exodus comes after civilians survived for four months on a 17 kilometer (10.5 mile) strip of land abutting the Indian Ocean. There the civilians were reportedly kept hostage at gunpoint and used as a human shield by the LTTE, while being shelled repeatedly by military forces. more..

Shed no tears for Tigers

Apr 25 (IE) At the peak of the IPKF operations in Sri Lanka in the winter of 1987, when the Indian army was still suffering more casualties than at any time during the war in Kargil, I had a conversation with then-Lt Gen (and later chief of army staff) Bipin Joshi, its director of military operations. “These LTTE people,” he said, “were just macho young people with no other purpose in life but to kill and die.” I thought, then, that it was in fact Gen Joshi’s remark that sounded so much like a macho soldier talking. more..

Patrol bombs hits on Sri Lankan embassy in Berlin

Apr 25 (LG) "I urgently appeal to both parties involved in the conflict in Sri Lanka, to insure the protection of civilians and international humanitarian law to be respected", said the German Foreign Minister, Vice-Chancellor and the next chancellor candidate off the Social Democratic Party on Thursday evening in Berlin. "International aid agencies must have immediate access to all refugees." more..

What the world needs to learn from Sri Lanka’s humanitarian rescue operation

Apr 25 (AT) Instead of appreciating the humanitarian rescue operation being carried out by Sri Lanka and its armed forces, world leaders are exerting pressure upon the Government to enter a ceasefire ….their belief being that a ceasefire would help rescue these civilians. It is more than apparent that the world leaders and even media channels are clueless about the reality of the situation in Sri Lanka & more..

Church wants political candidates to declare assets

Apr 25 (UCAN) A Church-run social movement in Colombo is campaigning for contestants in the upcoming provincial council elections to declare their assets. Members of the Christian-led Forum for Social Justice, an umbrella group of six social movements working for a just society, held a meeting at a Church center in Colombo on April 22. Ten political candidates and Catholic priests and nuns attended the meeting. more..

Church assists civilians fleeing war zone

Apr 25 (UCAN) The Church in northern Sri Lanka is helping thousands of sick, injured and fatigued Tamil civilians fleeing the war zone there. State television recently showed men, women and children moving out of a strip of land in the northern coastal Mullaitivu district after government troops entered the last remaining base of the LTTE. The LTTE, which wants to establish a Tamil state in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, more..

Interview with Dr. Nalin de Silva

U.N. council to Sri Lanka: Let U.N. into conflict zone

Apr 25 (Reuters) The Security Council urged Sri Lanka on Friday to cooperate with a U.N. humanitarian mission that wants to visit the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka, where tens of thousands of civilians are trapped. "We underlined today the immediate and pressing priority of addressing the grave humanitarian situation in northeastern Sri Lanka," said Mexican U.N. Ambassador Claude Heller, the current president of the Security Council. more..

God of war and peace

Apr 25 (RNW) My elderly aunt has for many months asked me to join her on a sort of pilgrimage to the little town of Kataragama - in the South East of Sri Lanka - to visit what's become a kind of interfaith shrine. Mami, as I call her, is my father's elder sister and is an active woman of 84. She puts her good health down to her devotion. So I decided to make the eight hour journey with my aunt and visiting parents in tow. more..

Letters to the Editor: Mirage of Eelam

Apr 25 (Hindu) The article “The mirage of Eelam” by Malini Parthasarathy (April 24) was excellent. It nailed the myth that the LTTE is the sole protector of the Tamils in Sri Lanka; a myth created and fuelled by most of the political parties and the media in Tamil Nadu. It is clear that the LTTE, in order to safeguard its top leadership, is causing immense hardship to the Tamil civilians caught in the war between the Tigers and the security forces. more..

‘No peace-keeping force needed’

Apr 25 (Hindu) The situation in Sri Lanka was grave but it did not warrant India sending a peace-keeping force there, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said here on Friday. “It’s an evolving situation and the crisis is grave. We’ve expressed our concern especially on the humanitarian aspect. But it does not demand sending a peace-keeping force,” he said when asked whether India would do so as it had done when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister. more..

'Exert pressure on Sri Lanka'

Apr 25 (Hindu) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday called on the Union government to impress upon the Sri Lanka Government to immediately stop military operations in a situation where the lives of thousands of civilians were at stake. In the light of the United Nations Security Council resolution asking both the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE to cease hostilities and allow international aid agencies to enter the area, more..

Rajapaksa ‘receptive’ to India’s concerns

Apr 25 (Hindu) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was “receptive” to India’s concerns about the civilians trapped in the no-fire zone, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan said here on Friday after returning from Colombo along with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon. The two senior officials were sent to Colombo on the directions of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to urge the Sri Lankan government to immediately stop the military offensive in an area where civilians were also trapped. more..

Wretched of the Wanni earth break free of bondage

Apr 25 (DM) Latest developments on the Wanni war front have brought much relief to all people yearning for the safety of entrapped civilians in the coastal strip of northern Mullaitivu district currently controlled by the LTTE. The long awaited military operation to break through Tiger defences and facilitate the evacuation of civilians that began at midnight on Sunday April 19 has been a success in terms of numbers. more..

US envoy to Sri Lanka named to top South Asian post

Apr 25 (AFP) A veteran diplomat most recently tasked with the delicate job of Sri Lanka envoy was tapped Friday by President Barack Obama to serve as the assistant secretary of state for South Asian Affairs. If approved by the Senate, Robert Blake will replace Richard Boucher in a job that deals with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. more..

Obama White House urges halt to Sri Lanka fighting

Apr 25 (Reuters) U.S. President Barack Obama's administration on Friday urged the warring Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers militant group to halt their fighting immediately and allow civilians to evacuate. "The United States is deeply concerned about the plight of innocent civilians caught up in the conflict between the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers, and the mounting death toll," the White House said in a statement. more..

The agony in Sri Lanka

Apr 25 (BG) One of the world's longest, bloodiest conflicts is coming to a gruesome conclusion on the island nation of Sri Lanka. The United Nations estimates that some 6,500 civilians have died and 14,000 have been injured in the government's merciless offensive against the Tamil Tigers in the northeast of the country. The Obama administration and other governments, particularly India and China, should pressure both the Sri Lankan government and the Tigers to halt the fighting and permit trapped civilians to escape. more..

Malini Parthasarathy: The Mirage of Eelam

Apr 25 (LG) The adage hitting the nail on the head could not have been more forcibly expressed in what Hindu’s Malini Parthsarathy has written in the quest of a mirage called Eelam. In what could have been a lengthy thesis, she has quite briefly sailed smoothly through the salient and significant issues in an easy to read manner leaving the reader in doubt how a legitimate demand soon turned into a terrorist nightmare. Along the way it became counterproductive. more..