Rajapaksa third best leader of free Sri Lanka: survey

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the third best among Sri Lanka's leaders since the country became independent in 1948, shows a survey.

Conducted in January by Nielsen and the Sunday Times newspaper, the survey shows that Rajapaksa is number three, with 21 percent of the 519 respondents preferring him to other leaders, past and present.

President R. Premadasa, who ruled between 1988 and 1993, was marginally ahead of him with support from 22 percent respondents.

But the most well thought of leader was Sri Lanka's first prime minister, D.S. Senanayake, who got 31 percent of the vote, the highest.

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http://www.indiaenews.com/srilanka/20080203/95362.htm

LTTE strength on decline: report

The strength of the "experienced" LTTE fighters is depleting though the rebel outfit has up to 17,000 cadres taking part in the "guerilla" war, a media report claimed today.
The LTTE has 15,000 to 17,000 cadres, but only a small percentage of this number is battle hardened, the Island Newspaper reported, quoting unnamed sources.

The strength of sea tigers is around 1,500 and the others (in LTTE) are mostly new recruits who have yet to face the litmus test, it said quoting sources.

Since the LTTE is finding arms and ammunition hard to come by, it is banking on home-made mortar and artillery with a firing range of about two kilometers, the sources claimed.

"The LTTE lost about 80,000 tons of mortar and artillery when seven of its Wanni bound ships were sunk by the Navy in the recent past. Three of its aircraft were destroyed during raids by the Air Force and 25 of their self-styled lieutenants have been killed. The LTTE is cornered and can do nothing about it," the sources were quoted as saying.

The LTTE idealogue, K Balakumaran, is reported to have told the National Television of Tamileelam (NTT) recently that the LTTE will bring "clarity" to the ethnic conflict in 2008 through a demonstration of military strength.

Extracted from,
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/

HR bodies wake up !

The LTTE terrorists have again showed their true colours. Their cruel and inhuman mentality was again proved yesterday with the latest terror act - a bus bomb explosion in Dambulla.

Rejecting all peace efforts, the world's most ruthless terrorist organisation has again killed innocent civilians, who were on a pilgrimage. Saturday's merciless act should be an eye opener to all, especially those who make a big hue and cry on human rights.

They should voice strongly to protect human rights of those innocent civilians who have become victims of Velupillai Prabhakaran's barbaric acts.

The time is now opportune to conduct an universal operation to eradicate terrorism. We should not let a group of terrorists kill innocent civilians under the guise of so-called liberation or human rights.

We urge the international community and all human rights organisations to support Sri Lanka's battle against terrorism because we strongly believe that terrorism in any corner of the globe is terrorism!

Extracted from,
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/02/03/new17.asp

LTTE terrorists exploded a bomb at Colombo Fort railway station

LTTE terrorists exploded a bomb inside the Colombo Fort railway station at 2.10 p.m today, February 03.

Hospital sources said that six civilians were killed while over ninety others received injuries due to the explosion were admitted to the National Hospital Colombo.

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http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080203_12

LTTE terrorists exploded a bomb at Colombo Fort railway station

LTTE terrorists exploded a bomb inside the Colombo Fort railway station short while ago today, February 03. The LTTE terrorists have targeted innocent civilians and the victims are being evacuating to the Colombo National hospital

Extracted from,
http://defence.lk/

Hand grenade explodes inside Dehiwala Zoo premises

Six people received minor injuries and were rushed to the general hospital Kalubowila, when a hand grenade exploded inside the Dehiwala Zoo, few minutes ago this morning (February 3).

Dehiwala police rushed to the scene and sealed that area, Police sources said. The Kalubowila Hospital sources when contacted said that, among the six people admitted a person was suffering from the shock caused due to the explosion.

The admitted suffered no severed injuries, the sources further said. Meanwhile, a person has revealed witnessing that the explosion was occurred when some unknown individual has thrown an object into a litter bin, near the "Birds Paradise" at the zoo.

" A flash of light was followed by a shock wave and that's all I could recollect", he further revealed, speaking to our correspondent at the hospital.

The motive of the grenade attack is not known and the responsible are yet top be identified, as Police are conducting investigations, Dehiwala Police said.

Extracted from,
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080203_05

Photos of the Dambulla LTTE bus bomb

Extracted from,
http://aboutsrilanka.blogspot.com/2008/02/pictures-of-ltte-bomb-blast-at-dambulla.html,
http://www.defence.lk,
http://www.lankatruth.com

Opposition leader never missed a national day party of Norway, yet going to boycott own Independence Day says Hemakumara Nanayakkara

Minister of Agriculture Hema Kumara Nanayakkara speaking on behalf of the United National Party (D) said the decision of the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to boycott the 60th anniversary celebrations of Sri Lanka's independence should be condemned as a treacherous act of a leader of a party whose past leaders toiled hard to gain the country's independence.

"Mr. Wickremesinghe's act," said Nanayakkara of the UNP breakaway group "is another body blow by him against our own motherland."

Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo, Hemakumara Nanayakkara said Wickremesinghe is a person who has never missed a national day party of Norway and was also the leader who had invited the Portuguese to come to Colombo in 2005 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of their cruel occupation of the island nation of Sri Lanka in 1505. "No wonder such a leader was planning to boycott the country's independence celebrations," Nanayakkara said.

In other words, said Nanayakkara, the UNP leader was planning to stop, the garlanding of the UNP founder and Sri Lanka's first Prime Minister Rt. Honourable D.S.Senanayaka, he said.

He said certain sinister organisations connected with Norway and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were boycotting the independence celebrations and he wanted to know whether Wickremesinghe belonged to the same clique.

He said at a time our heroic forces were sacrificing their lives to drive out the last vestiges of terrorism from the country in the North, after liberating the Eastern Province, it was the most treacherous act on the part of the UNP leader to boycott the country's independence celebrations.

Read more,
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080203_04

TN bans pro-LTTE meeting

As the LTTE issue threatened to drive a wedge between the DMK and its ally the Congress, whose members walked out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, with AIADMK members recently, the Tamil Nadu government today banned the “conference for Tamils’ rights,” organised by pro-LTTE leader Mr P Nedumaran tomorrow at Cuddalore.

Condemning the ban, Mr Nedumaran said chief minister Mr M Karunanidhi had bowed to the “threats of anti-Tamils who are depicting any support to Sri Lankan Tamils as a betrayal of national interests”. Such bans had been lifted by the courts earlier, he said, adding that he would move Madras High Court against the ban.

Extracted from,
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=188623

Sri Lanka Navy Chief says Prabhakaran not in a position to lead his organization

Sri Lanka Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda claimed that the LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was not capable of leading his organisation due to immense pressure from the armed forces.

With reference to intelligence reports the Commander said that Prabhakaran is either injured or indisposed. He made this comment at an interview with a local television channel. He also said “The victory is coming soon but I don’t want to indicate an exact time frame.”

The Navy Chief also said he did not believe the LTTE could come back as long as the three armed forces, the police and the civil defence force acted in unison.

Read more,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/February2151115JV.html

SRI LANKANS UPSET BY EGG INCIDENT

The Sri Lankan cricket board have called for security measures to be stepped up after Muttiah Muralitharan and team management had an egg thrown at them in Hobart earlier this week.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening while the group were walking from a restaurant to the team hotel. The egg hit the back of one of the selectors.

K Madivanan, secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee, said: "It is a disgraceful act by whoever did it as Muralitharan is a sporting ambassador and a good human being.

"He is here as a great cricketer to represent his country and this act is condemned by everybody.

"However, we still want to believe that Muralitharan was not the target. Having said that, we know that Cricket Australia has done their best so far and we have requested them to beef up the security even further to avoid such shameful acts in the future."

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http://www.sportinglife.com/cricket/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=