Budget Vote, Patriotism, Lal Kanthas & Wimal Weerawanshas

The second budget vote will be taken on the 14th December. Some predicts it will be the doomsday for the Government. And Mr. Lal Kantha of the JVP had been reported by the media to have given assurance to his audience that the Government will be stopped for good.

Lal Kantha and the likes in the JVP could not have chosen a better time to act the goat and be vociferous in uniting with the opportunistic, anti-national forces to defeat the Government, citing bogus economic negatives of the budget and “Shylock type” worker union demands on which their sole survival is totally dependant.

The battle against the brutal LTTE terrorism has reached new heights. The SL armed forces are being deftly lead by veteran leaders in the battlefront and, like never before in the 25-year-old LTTE menace, the present Government has given the thorough political backing to the army to plan and destroy Velupillai Pirapaharan’s psychopathic Eelam dream.

Pirapaharan is left with no option than to shut all his masquerades on surface and go subterranean in the Wanni jungles pleading with the international community. He is looking towards the heaven for some solace to save his pathetic head.

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http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items07/131207-6.html

Expressed the Govt’s Deep Concern on H.C. Chilcott‘s Comment.

“The British High Commissioner, Mr. Dominic Chilcott, was summoned this morning (12/13) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express the deep displeasure of the Government of Sri Lanka at some of the comments made by him at a recent public gathering”, according to latest press statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka.

According to the statement “,at this morning’s meeting, Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona drew attention to the High Commissioner’s comment, “I am not saying that the political aspiration for Eelam is illegitimate” and expressed the Government’s deep concern. He stated that this statement was unacceptable to the Government of Sri Lanka given the British government’s categorical rejection of the creation of a separate State in Sri Lanka.

Additionally, at a time when the painstaking process of evolving a negotiated political settlement was underway, such sentiments would have a negative impact and send confusing signals. He also expressed disappointment that such statement was made at a particularly politically sensitive time in the country.”

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http://lankaguardian.blogspot.com/2007/12/expressed-governments-

Mr. Chilcott, From Which Side of Your Mouth Did You Speak at the Dudley Senanayake Memorial Lecture?

British Representative in Sri Lanka Mr. Dominic Chilcott ironically blames everything that is wrong with the world on the 1648 treaty of Westphalia which created the idea that no country has the right to interfere in another country’s problems. Poppy cock!

You are fully aware Mr. Chilcott that since 1648 the British behaved as if everything in the world were up for grabs. It was theirs for the asking.

Now you complain that “the conflict in Sri Lanka makes waves in the UK and as the conflict worsens, we get more asylum seekers from Sri Lanka. It becomes more difficult to manage the movement of people between our countries. More Sri Lankans try to get into the UK illegally. The numbers of those overstaying their visa also increases.”

Mr.Chilcott have you ever considered how many innocent Indians were massacred by the British troops during Gandhi’s struggle for independence from England. Were any British politicians ever tried for war crimes? How many innocent people were displaced and subject to degradation as hapless estate labor during the time when your forefathers invaded Sri Lanka? Did you pay any compensation to the poor unsuspecting victims?

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http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/8696

North Korea may have aided Hezbollah, LTTE - U.S. report

North Korea may have given arms to Lebanon's Hezbollah and Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers, according to a report compiled for Congress that could complicate U.S. plans to drop Pyongyang from its terrorism blacklist.

The report obtained on Wednesday by Reuters was written by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), which provides independent analysis to Congress, and cited "reputable sources" as saying Pyongyang had given arms and possibly training to the militant groups, which Washington regards as "terrorist" organizations.

As part of a deal to get Pyongyang to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons, Washington has dangled the possibility of removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism if it fully discloses its nuclear programs.

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http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-30964520071213

MK supporting LTTE: Jaya

AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was lending 'open support to the banned LTTE'.

In a statement in Chennai, the AIADMK leader urged the Centre to take note and initiate stern action. ‘The whole country was shocked by the recently held LTTE operatives in Chennai. When I said that LTTE had close links with local politicians here, I was only blamed.’

Stating that law and order situation was in control and extremist elements were crushed when she was in power, Jayalalithaa said the prevailing situation could have happened only with the counsel or blessings of Karunanidhi.

Extracted from,
http://www.chennaivision.com/enews/2007/Dec/13/MK-supporting-LTTE-Jaya.asp

LTTE men held for smuggling GPS units

Reports of the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) getting help in India were validated on Saturday when the ‘Q’ branch of Tamil Nadu Police arrested two Sri Lanka-based LTTE operatives and their Indian supporter in Chennai.

The LTTE men had smuggled communication equipment to Tiger-held areas by a boat from the Tamil Nadu coast and were making arrangements to take away another boat they had purchased.

On a tip-off, police arrested Lankans James Raja (46) and Gaurishankar Jayakumar (34) and Indian Ravi Kumar (45) when they had gone to the Chennai airport to check the status of James’ air ticket. Police seized Rs4,78,290 in Indian currency, Rs4,140 in Lankan and four mobile phones from the trio.

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http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1138324

Sri Lanka gov't denies involvement in abductions

The Sri Lankan government on Wednesday denied any involvement in an alleged abduction of three people connected to Tamil minority legislators in the Eastern Province.

Chief Government Whip and Minister of Highways Jeyaraj Fernandopulle told parliament that it was unfair on the part of the opposition to accuse the government of being behind the abductions.

Suresh Premachandran, a legislator for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), told parliament that three people closely related to three TNA legislators had been abducted by an armed group in the eastern Batticaloa district on Tuesday night.

The three legislators have been warned that they should not vote against the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse in Friday's third reading of the 2008 budget if they wanted to see those abducted return alive.

Premachandran and other opposition speakers urged Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara to investigate into the incident.

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/12/content_7236117.htm

Indian war games in view of LTTE air threat

The Indian Air Force (IAF) recently staged war games in South India to test this country’s capabilities to protect its "high value" assets like oil tankers, nuclear installations and ports against aerial attacks by "non-state actors" in the region like the so-called Tamileelam Air Force (TAF).

This is the first military exercise in southern India after the TAF---the fledgling air force of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)---had carried out daring aerial strikes on Sri Lankan Air Force’s air base adjoining Katunayake International Airport outside Colombo in March this year.

Codenamed "Dakshin Prahar," the week-long war games practiced scenarios to protect India’s commercial targets in southern India against similar attacks.

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http://www.island.lk/2007/12/13/news2.html

Ranatunga set to head Sri Lanka Cricket

Sri Lanka's World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga is tipped to head the country's cricket administration, government sources told AFP on Thursday.

Ranatunga, 44, who is a ruling party legislator, could take over as early as Friday when parliament meets for a crucial vote on President Mahinda Rajapakse's budget for 2008.

Ranatunga was regarded as one of the disgruntled legislators who wanted to oppose the budget at the first vote on November 19, but was persuaded by his father, a senior member of the ruling party, to vote in favour of it.

A top sports ministry official confirmed the move to appoint Ranatunga as the country's cricket chief was being discussed.

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http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h2URdkG52ls2deA-NftKpEjADDnw

Indian Army rules out specific threat from LTTE

The Indian Army Friday ruled out any specific threat from outlawed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but said that the security forces have beefed up vigl to prevent infiltration of the rebels in the countrys Southern states from neighbouring Sri Lanka.

"While the Indian Navy and Coast Guard are engaged in patrolling of the countrys Southern coast, the Army has also strengthened off-coast patrolling, " Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command of the Indian Army, told reporters today in the Southern Indian state of Chennai, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Gen Thamburaj, however, said there was no specific threat from the LTTE. "Following the recent offensive by the Sri Lankan army, the influx of refugees to Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has increased which is being monitored round-the-clock," he said.

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http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&

TN fast becoming haven of LTTE: Jayalalithaa

AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa on Wednesday alleged that Tamil Nadu was fast becoming a haven of the banned LTTE and asked the Centre to take stern action in the interest of the nation's security.

She said the recent arrest of LTTE cadres and their associates had vindicated her charge that terrorists had infiltrated Tamil Nadu and the law and order situation had deteriorated.

The confessions made by the arrested cadre that they were hiding in Tamil Nadu and secretly carrying out their works had shocked the entire country, she said in a statement here.

Jayalalithaa said a Sea Tiger, naval wing of the LTTE, had also confessed that 'Viduthalai Chiruthaigal' (a dalit outfit) leader Vanniyarasu was functioning as an LTTE agent and was indirectly aiding the outfit.

"I was labelled anti-Tamil when I revealed that there was a nexus between the LTTE and some political leaders in the state," she said in a statement here.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/401200712121821.htm

Japanese peace envoy arrives in Sri Lanka

Japan's special peace envoy Yasushi Akashi has arrived in Sri Lanka among escalating violence in the island country, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.

Akashi arrived at the Colombo International Airport at around 10:50 p.m. local time (1720 GMT) on Tuesday, officials added.

He is to visit Sri Lanka's northern town of Jaffna on Thursday to attend a two-day inter-religious summit and make a special address.

The two-day event is aimed at finding ways to settle Sri Lanka's increasingly violent conflict through peaceful means, officials said.

Akashi, a former U.N. Under-Secretary General was appointed by the Japanese government in October 2002 to underwrite Sri Lanka's Norwegian backed peace process between the government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/12/content_7234887.htm