Sri Lanka plans national celebration to honour soldiers who liberated the Eastern Province

The national felicitation ceremony to pay tribute to the soldiers who liberated the Eastern Province from the LTTE will be held on Thursday (July 19) at the Freedom Square in Colombo under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs Karu Jayasuriya said at a press conference held today to announce the celebrations that this was the first time in the three decade war that the entire Eastern Province was liberated. He further said that the President would reveal plans to develop the Eastern Province in his address to the nation.

The Minister appealed to the public to hoist a national flag at each household to salute the heroic soldiers who liberated the Eastern Province.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/July16125416SL.html

LTTE guns down Eastern Province Chief Secretary - Trincomalee

The Chief Secretary to the Eastern Province, Mr Herath Abeyweera, was gunned down by an LTTE terrorist this evening, - Monday July 16.

According to available information, the LTTE gunman fired at the Chief Secretary while he was in his office located at the Inner Harbour Road in Trincomalee at 6.00 p.m.

Sources said that the LTTE gunman has forcibly entered into the chief secretary's office and shot him point-blank killing him on the spot.

Photo:
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070716_03
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UNP to lose elephant symbol?

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday hinted the possibility of forming a broad political alliance not only with the SLFP Mahajana Wing but also with other parties as well and contesting future elections under a common symbol while forgoing the Elephant symbol for the first time.

The matter was discussed at the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting held at Mr. Wickremesinghe’s Cambridge Terrace official residence.

Party seniors like Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera and General Secretary Tissa Attanayake opposed the idea to change the symbol which the party had used since its inception.

They stood by their opinion that the party should never lose its traditional identity by adopting a different symbol.

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http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/07/17/front/04.asp

Sri Lanka warns Indian fishermen

The Sri Lankan government has warned Indian fishermen from crossing the international maritime border line. Media reports quoting officials said the warning, which would be effective from Monday, had been sent to the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

The fishermen, who cross international maritime border and enter Sri Lankan area would be arrested and their boats seized, Sri Lanka warned.

In the meanwhile, the Indian Navy is in a process of installing seven state-of-the-art radars along Tamil Nadu’s eastern coast to monitor movement of boats and to prevent Indian fishermen crossing into Sri Lankan territory.

Media reports quoting Commander of the Indian Naval Detachment, Rathode Mukherjee

said the radars bought from the UK were capable of detecting even a small rowing boat in the sea.

Extracted from,
http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12753&Itemid=2

Delay in issuing visas to Sri Lankan team to enter Saudi a puzzle

Saudi Arabian Embassy in Sri Lanka has so far not issued the necessary visa's for the Sri Lankan team, including the Deputy Foreign Minister, to enter Saudi Arabia and make representations on behalf of the 19-year -old Sri Lankan House maid, Rizana Nafeek, sentenced to beheading.

The visa applications were made a week ago and the delay is yet to be explained. The father and mother of the condemned teenage housemaid is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to appeal in person for clemency from Mr & Mrs Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al Otaibi, the father and mother of the deceased 4-month-old boy who was alleged to have been killed by the Sri Lanka Housemaid.

The Sri Lankan team due to leave for Saudi Arabia is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila. Others in the team are Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, director general of Middle East and North African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moulavi M.B.M. Zarook, representative of the Jamiyathul Ulema (Council of Islamic Theologians), Rizana's father, Mohammed Nafeek and mother Razeena.

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