President Pays Tribute to the Valiant Forces

His Excellency the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed forces Mahinda Rajapaksa today (11) paid tribute to the all members of the SL Security forces who liberated Thoppigala area from the terror clutches.

Statement by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the capture of Thoppigala, the LTTE's last stronghold in the East:

"I join the people in offering tribute and all good wishes to the members of the Armed Forces, Police and Special Task Force who, through their participation in the humanitarian exercise to free the people of the East from the clutches of terrorism, captured the last stronghold of the terrorists located at Thoppigala.

I remember with honour all heroes of war and members of the families of those who sacrificed their lives or were wounded in this exercise carried out on behalf of the country and nation.

May you be Blessed by the Triple Gem!

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http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070711_06

Ranil Belittles Security Force's victory in Thoppigala

In the midst of roaring laughter of his supporters the Leader of the Opposition and the United National Party Ranil Wickremesinghe belittled the government's claim of a great military victory at Thoppigala and said it was nothing big to crow about.

"What's all this fuss about Thoppigala. It's nothing to crow about," he told a public gathering in Galle. The meeting was broadcast by the Independent Television Network run by the state with other interviews condemning his statement.

But in a different interview Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) military spokesman Rasiah Ilantheriyan admitted that the LTTE has received a defeat.

Ilantheriyan in an interview with Roland Burke of the BBC when asked whether the LTTE has received a defeat said that , "In a way yes. From a point of view it is a defeat." since the government forces have gained a greater control of the Eastern Province.

Ranil Wickremesinghe in contrast said Thoppigala is only a big jungle bigger than the Colombo District. He asked "how many times we captured that area."

Read more,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070712_01

NGO life jackets found on LTTE boats

Social Services and Social Welfare Minister Lionel Premasiri has instructed relevant authorities to investigate the incident where eight life jackets belonging to an NGO were found on LTTE boats seized by the Navy recently, a Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry spokesman said.

He said that when questioned, the NGO informed the Minister that the life jackets were given during the tsunami disaster responding to a request made by the Fisheries and Water Resources Department and the NGO will shortly produce the name list of recipients.

The organisation has also informed the Deputy Minister that they regret that the humanitarian aid given to civilians did not reach them and is now being used for terrorist activities.

Deputy Minister Premasiri will follow the investigation closely, he added.

Extracted from,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/07/12/news26.asp

LTTE looses Baron's cap; Troops reach Thoppigala

Commandos and soldiers of the SL Army have reached the Baron's Cap (Thoppigala) few hours ago, said Defence sources in the East. With this victory, troops have captured the "nerve centre" of the LTTE terrorists' in their last stronghold in the Eastern province.

Meanwhile, the troops have also gained the full control over Narakamula, and Tharavikulama areas where, the LTTE leadership had its' Eastern headquarters and other fortifications.

The victorious soldiers are presently clearing enemy "pockets" scattered in the dense jungle and are pursuing the LTTE cadres who are on the run.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070711_03

Ambassador Brattskar to visit Kilinochchi tomorrow

Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar is to visit Kilinochchi tomorrow (11), to which the Sri Lankan Government has given its consent.

Peace Secretariat chief Professor Rajiva Wijesinghe speaking to the Government official website said that the Peace Secretariat received the request from Ambassador Brattskar yesterday afternoon (09).

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministry approved the request and the Operations Unit of the Peace Secretariat will be arranging the logistics,” Professor Wijesinghe added.

To ensure the security of the Diplomats it was brought in to an understanding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs need to be informed and approval taken for such visits, aftermath the LTTE mortar attack targeting a group of Diplomats on an assessment visit of the rebuilding eastern sector, during late February this year at Batticaloa.

Ambassador Brattskar is expected to be holding discussions with the LTTE political section during his visit.

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http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2866&Itemid=44

After Two Years, Lankan Officials Move in Rizana Case

A high-level Sri Lankan delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila will arrive here soon to make a personal appeal for clemency to the parents of an infant that died under the care of a Sri Lankan woman who came to Saudi Arabia after turning 17, allegedly with documents forged by the employment recruiter that gave a false date of birth.

“As a democratic country, we respect the laws of the host country,” Bhaila told Arab News. “However, we want to make a personal appeal to the parents to consider a pardon for this girl who had committed the murder when she was a minor.”

In May 2005, Rizana Nafeek was assigned to take care of a Saudi family’s infant child. After two weeks on the job, the child died under her care. The parents said that Rizana strangled the child to death.

Sri Lankan officials said that Rizana initially confessed to the crime while in custody, but that during the trial she explained that the confession — which was allegedly made shortly after her arrest at a police station with no translators (Rizana doesn’t speak Arabic) — was made under pressure of the moment.

Read more,
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=
0&article=98340&d=10&m=7&y=2007&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom

Sydney man arrested in Tamil terror probe

A Sydney man is facing extradition to Melbourne after being charged with terrorism offences relating to alleged funding of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.

The 41-year-old man, arrested this morning, is the third Australian of Tamil origins to be charged with both being a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and giving the groups funds.

Extracted from,
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=277667&rss=yes

Sri Lanka Telecom call charges reduced

Sri Lanka Supreme Court today approved a proposal submitted by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) to reduce the fixed charge of the Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) telephones.

The TRC proposal was allowed when a petition filed by the Lanka Consumers Association was taken for consideration today.

As a result, the fixed charge of the domestic telephone will be decreased from current Rs. 495 to Rs. 350 and the business telephone fixed charge will trim down to Rs. 950 from current Rs. 1250. SLT said that the reduction is 8.7%. The relevant billing is valid from January 01st this year.

Telephone call charges are also to be reduced accordingly.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/July9165820SL.html

Sea battle kills LTTE Intelligence leader and 9 others

The navy intercepted fleeing LTTE cadres killing a senior Sea Tiger Intelligence leader and nine others in a fierce fight which erupted in the seas off Pulmodai, defence sources said.

According to defence sources, LTTE communications intercepts revealed that senior sea Tiger Intelligence leader Neelan bearing LTTE ID card no: 0018 and nine other Sea Tigers were killed on Saturday in the sea battle between the Navy and the LTTE in Trincomalee.

Navy personnel operating north of Trincomalee on Saturday confronted a group of LTTE cadres suspected to be fleeing Thoppigala.

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http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2856&Itemid=44

Troops capture Tora Bora camp

Advancing government troops yesterday captured LTTE’s strategically important ‘Tora Bora’ camp of the Four-six base in Narakamulla west, a few miles away from Thoppigala, while the LTTE’s Eastern Mortar Leader was killed during the latest clashes in the area, a military official said.

He said the Tigers were now confined to about 50 to 60 square kilometers.

Meanwhile, the Air Force bombed three LTTE targets in the Thoppigala area yesterday afternoon.

A senior military official in the area said the ‘Tora Bora’ camp was one of the main Tiger training bases in the region.

“Commandos seized the strategically important training base, which had been in existence for several years training a large number of cadres,” the official said. The camp was captured after nearly 15 years.

Read more,
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/07/10/front/01.asp

Minor Sri Lankan Muslim Girl was sentenced to death by three Saudi judges on a confession under duress

Miss Rizana Nafeek , a 17 year old Muslim house maid from Sri Lanka has been sentenced to death by a Saudi Arabian court of three judges on a confession obtained under duress by the Saudi Arabian police, the girl has complained.

The poor Muslim girl had been sent to Saudi Arabia misstating her age by a crooked job agency that added six years to her age to make her a house maid to do household chores and her master wanted her to baby sit their four months old infant in addition to the other endless work, for which task she had been never trained, it has been also revealed.

The infant died while the teenager was bottle feeding the baby and the police coerced Nafeek to give a confession that she killed the baby, under which the three Saudi judges sentenced her to death, she has revealed, to Sri Lankan embassy officials.

Read more,
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/6463

MTNL close to acquiring Lanka outfit

MTNL is close to buying Sri Lankan fixed-line operator Suntel and has sent a high-level delegation to start technical assessment of the company.

The delegation has left for Sri Lanka to hold discussions with Suntel on technical assessment, which is a pre-requisite to formalise the deal, company sources said.

The delegation will be in the country for four days to conduct due diligence along with Suntel officials, they said. MTNL is believed to have emerged as the highest bidder for Suntel with a bid of between $160 million and $180 million.

If the deal goes through, this will be the NYSE-listed company’s first acquisition. It will also give MTNL a foothold in Sri Lanka’s fast-growing telecom market.

Read more,
http://telegraphindia.com/1070709/asp/business/story_8033082.asp

International community 'silent' over LTTE's killings

The People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) has blamed the international community for indirectly encouraging the LTTE to create a culture of human violations in the country by maintaining a 'silence' over the killings and abductions by terrorists.

The Leader of the PLOTE Dharmalingam Sithadthan told the 'Sunday Observer' that today the whole world is talking about human rights violations in Sri Lanka and at the beginning of the ceasefire agreement (CFA) and after the LTTE killed hundreds of people but not a single voice was raised by the international community or INGOs against them.

"A large number of people, including the cadres belonging to other groups who did not support the LTTE were killed and kidnapped but not a single voice was raised by them. Now they have made a big issue out of it", he said.

Sithadthan also said that 'white van' kidnappings had still not been proved and lots of underworld elements were in operation in the country.

Read more,
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2007/07/08/sec01.asp

JVP rejects Mangala’s invitation

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) had flatly refused an invitation extended to them by the Mangala Samaraweera led Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Mahajana Wing) to participate at the forthcoming rally on July 26 against the government saying that such a move would only benefit the main opposition United National Party (UNP).

“The UNP is very much responsible for the state that the country is in today. The government’s behaviour should change and a correct leadership should be provided.

But the UNP cannot provide that leadership,” JVP general secretary Tilvin Silva told former Ministers Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi during a meeting on Wednesday at the JVP head office.

He further said that the decision by the two ex-ministers to leave the government was the correct move, but now by uniting with the UNP, their decision has been undermined.

Read more,
http://www.nation.lk/2007/07/08/news13.htm