Photos of the Buttala bus attack

Photos extracted from,
www.defence.lk, www.news.lk, www.lankaenews.com

Anyone being taken before international law for taking decisions on behalf of the Motherland would have to be taken over our dead bodies! –JVP

The JVP vehemently condemns a warning made by Ms. Louise Arbour, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights that "Violations by any party could entail individual criminal responsibility under international criminal law, including by those in positions of command.”

In condemning the decision of the government to withdraw from the CFA Ms.Louise Arbour emphasized that international law prohibited all sides in the decades-long Sri Lankan conflict from committing unlawful killings or torture, arbitrary detention, recruiting or deploying child soldiers, and forcing people out of their homes.

She also has warned that any party violating this international law, those who are responsible for such violations, including those in position of command would be tried under international law.

Mr. Somawansa Amarasinghe, speaking at a special media meeting held at Colombo foundation Institute today called Arbour’s warning as international terrorism. He said, “If any politician or military officer is taken before the international law for taking decisions on behalf of the Motherland they would have to take them over our dead bodies. We emphasize this to the military leaders of this country and the international community.

Read more,
http://www.lankamission.org/other%20pages/News/2008/January/2008-01-17JVP.htm

BUTTALA BUS BLAST – TRIBUTE TO RANIL’S CFA FINALE

On the final day of the ignominious CFA the terrorists murdered 27 innocent civilians and wounded around 67 persons in the Buttala claymore mine blast. Although the United States have condemned this brutal massacre of the terrorist outfit, the Videshapriya media dogs, and NGO vultures who cry foul for everything that affects or disadvantages the terrorist outfit and talk vociferously about humanitarian values and call for respect of innocent civilian life remain totally silent and ignorant of this horrendous massacre as it had happened in some other planet.

If the terrorists and the enemies of the nation who earn their livelihood by helping the terrorists and terrorism to prevail in this country hope that this type of inhuman acts and massacres could frighten the masses or open up a communal backlash, they are utterly mistaken. Terrorists and their bootlickers should realize that the people are determined to eradicate terrorism from Sri Lanka and they would confront any and every obstacle in this historical melee daringly and fearlessly, without falling pray to their schemes and strategies.

At the time of the blast, around 7.40 a.m. on Wednesday (16th) the SLTB long chassied bus from Buttala to Okkampitiya is reported to have been carrying over 100 passengers including many school children. There are three school children and 13 women among the dead. The injured have been taken to Moneragala and Buttala hospitals and 5 patients on critical conditions have been airlifted to the National Hospital in Colombo.
Read more,
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items08/170108-2.html

TULF condemns 'LTTE's brutal and cowardly act'

Condemning the claymore attack in Okkampitiya that took the lives of 26 people and injured over 60 others last morning, V. Anandasangaree, President of the Tamil United Liberation Front, state in a media release it was a 'brutal and cowardly act' perpetrated by the LTTE.

He also said that 'it is high time that the LTTE stop killing innocent civilians which is not going to serve any purpose other than infuriating the International Community, which is fast losing patience'.

Mr. Anandasangaree pointed out that there should be no place for ferocious animals in human society.

"I have more than once found fault with the media, particularly the Tamil media all over the world for their failure to condemn these ruthless activities of the LTTE. Their failure to do so, in one way amounts to encouraging the LTTE to terrorise the civilians more and more. Some human rights activists too make the same mistake. I call upon all people whichever community they belong to, the media, human rights organizations and heads of all political partieis, including the TNA to condemn this ruthless act and to urge the LTTE to spare the innocent village folks who depend on each other in their family for survival."

Read more,
http://news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4618&Itemid=44

LTTE intelligence wing member arrested in city (India)

An LTTE intelligence wing member and seven Sri Lankan Tamils were arrested here last night and iron-ball rings and plastics used in making explosives seized from them. The group was procuring supplies for the LTTE and gathering information on movements of anti-LTTE leader Varadaraja Perumal and Sri Lankan Social Service and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda, the police said.

The LTTE operative Thambidurai Parameswaran had arrived in Rameswaram clandestinely in February 2007 and was masquerading as a taxi driver and procuring iron ball-rings, plastic, two-wheelers and boats, a press release issued by the police said.

He had engaged the seven Sri Lankan Tamils who attempted to procure these articles from Puducherry and Rameswaram to be smuggled to Sri Lanka by boats from Rameswaram, it said.

Read more,
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=

'Orissa Maoists linked to LTTE'

Earlier, there was the Nepal Maoist link. Now, investigation has unearthed the LTTE link of Koraput Maoists!

The link was unravelled after arrest of five top-ranking Maoists by Koraput police from Tamil Nadu. During investigation, police got vital clues that one arrested Naxalite had a direct link with LTTE in Tamil Nadu and the police suspect link of all arrested Maoists with the dreaded terror outfit.

Intelligence sources informed that the entry of Tamil refugees from Jaffna (Sri Lanka) to Malkangiri five years back could have established the link between Koraput Naxalites with Tamil cadres who later established their links with LTTE.

According to reports, the Naxalite cadres were arrested In Tamil Nadu in June, 2007, while imparting training to local unemployed youths in a forest range using looted arms of Koraput.

Read more,
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20080116215946&Page=Q&Title=ORISSA&Topic=0

Sri Lanka rebuts Louise Arbour's statement on CFA abrogation

Sri Lanka Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, in a statement today strongly rebutted the comments made by the UN High commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour on the government's decision to abrogate the 2002 ceasefire agreement.

The Minister said that the government decision was taken after “careful and serious consideration of effective measures required to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka in the backdrop of escalating terrorists attacks” by the Tamil Tigers.

He said the Government is compelled to consider Ms. Arbour’s warning on ‘individual criminal responsibility’ as being untimely, inappropriate and unacceptable.

He further stressed that the government will not overturn its decision and will continue to take whatever legal action for the safety of the Sri Lankan citizens.

Minister Samarasinghe said “the Government is committed to the enforcement of military and other lawful measures to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka and to eliminate terrorism, in accordance with the laws of Sri Lanka and in compliance with international norms and standards including International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.”

Read more,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/January17124458JR.html

Japan not demanding anything from Lanka – Akashi

Japan does not consider it its business to impose its will on other countries. " But we have the right to express apprehnsion over humanitarian and other consequent issues," Japanes Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi told the media yesterday.

He said the Japanese government does not believe that it should go public on whatever had been achieved as one of the co-chairs. "We feel our efforts have been worthwhile and appreciated by many people in this country. Our genuine efforts are to help in achieving ethnic harmony so that its great potential for growth and harmony could be realised by Sri Lankans."

He also said that when he met President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday evening, he conveyed the serious concerns of the Japanese Government, and emphasised that a political solution to the problem would be indispensable.

"And in that context, a devolution package, on which the Government of Sri Lanka had been exerting considerable efforts, must be drafted as soon as possible."

Read more,
http://www.island.lk/2008/01/16/news1.html

Countering LTTE: India admits helping Lanka

For the first time in recent years, India has acknowledged helping the Sri Lankan navy in its operations against the Tamil Tigers.

Indian Navy chief Adm Sureesh Mehta said in the capital on Wednesday that India has been helping Sri Lanka.

''There is no direct support. We support by checking our activities on their coast and their activities on ours. In this way we help ourselves by helping them,'' said Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Navy Chief.

In Colombo, Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda has confirmed what the Indian Navy chief said in New Delhi.

Read more,
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080038643&ch=1/16/2008%202:41:00%20PM