Buddhist TV channel a celebration of India-Lanka ties

The satellite TV channel The Buddhist, inaugurated by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo on Friday, would be a celebration of the ancient cultural and religious ties between Sri Lanka and India, a top Sri Lankan official said.

"The coming into existence of this channel on the 2315th anniversary of the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka from India, is symbolic of the inalienable and irreversible ties between the peoples of the two countries," the Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga told Hindustan Times.

It was Prince Mahinda, son Emperor Ashoka of India, who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC.

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=

Major funding blow for LTTE

Canada, which has increasingly become a fertile ground for supplying funds for the LTTE has announced new laws to combat money laundering and financing terrorist activities.

“Canada’s government will be relentless in its efforts to prevent money laundering and terrorist” funding, said Jim Flaherty, the country’s Finance Minister announcing the new regulations to fight terrorism.

The LTTE, an organization that flourished under the former Liberal government of Canada is a proscribed terrorist organization under the new conservative government but the LTTE is allegedly funding and engaging in money laundering for Sri Lanka‘s terrorism, operating under varied front organizations.

The new regulations are expected to combat, the LTTE, Al-Queda and other terrorist organizations banned under Canadian law.

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http://www.nation.lk/2007/07/01/news10.htm

Bandaranaike wants to see women in peacekeeping role

The former President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, on June 26 called for women to play an active role in crisis management and peacekeeping around the globe.

Speaking before the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in Brussels, Bandaranaike proposed to the European Union to consider sending women when the European bloc undertakes peace missions.

“Women have a completely different perspective on conflict resolution. Women by the very nature of historic role have special aptitude for alleviating conflict,” she argued.

“Today one of the most important subjects is conflict and conflict resolution. Women have not had a role in conflict resolution, not even in the West,” she asserted.

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http://www.neurope.eu/view_news.php?id=75616