Nobody can touch Prabhakaran: LTTE

Rubbishing frequent claims by Sri Lankan government that the elusive LTTE supremo Vellupillai Prabhakaran has been injured in a military raid, his key aide has said the people would soon realise the "futility" of army's claims of success against the rebels.

"A false propaganda saying our leader Prabhakaran is injured is being carried. Nobody can approach our leader," LTTE political head B. Nadesan told the Tamil Daily Thinakkural in an interview yesterday. While the Sri Lankan security forces were claiming success in their clashes against LTTE, Nadesan said the "people of Sri Lanka will realise the futility of such a claim in times to come".

Nadesan accused the Sri Lankan government of trying to sideline the Norwegian mediators besides contradicting the United Nations. "The government is not in favour of peace process," he said. Lankan Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke had said that fighter jets had dropped 20 bombs on Prabhakaran's bunker on November 26, 2007 and had claimed that the rebel leader could have been injured in the attack. The LTTE denied the claim.

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http://news.indiainfo.com/2008/02/17/0802171801_lanka_prabhakaran.html

No change in AIADMK stand towards LTTE: Panneerselvam

The All India Anna DMK (AIADMK) today made it clear that there was no change in its stand in opposing the outlawed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the post-Rajiv (assassination) era.

Reacting to DMK platform speaker Vetrikondan's demand for the arrest of party Supremo J Jayalalithaa for having supported the LTTE and its leader V Prabakaran, AIADMK Treasurer O Panneerselvam, in a statement here, said the AIADMK has changed its stand towards the LTTE after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and there was no change in it.

Dismissing the demand as childish, he said not only Ms Jayalalithaa, but a galaxy of leaders, including former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran had supported the LTTE, but that was before the assassination of Mr Gandhi.

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http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?

Paralysed maid returns to Sri Lanka after two years in Sharjah hospital

A paralysed domestic worker from Sri Lanka finally boarded a flight home on Saturday after being stranded in a UAE hospital for over two years.

Rejina John’s departure has evoked a mixed reaction from all those associated with her stay in the country. Their happiness at seeing Rejina return home was tinged with sadness as they will all miss the feisty young woman.

Despite losing her ability to speak, Rejina managed to connect with staff at the Kuwaiti Hospital in Sharjah with enthusiastic responses and an endearing smile.

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http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Society/10190241.html

JVP denies allegation of arms deal link with LTTE

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday denied the allegations levelled against the party, accusing it of having had an arms deal with the LTTE during the 1988-’89 period, across the Hambantota coastal area.

JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa told The Nation that the accusation was cooked up by retired Major General Wasantha Perera in favour of the court case filed against Weerawansa.

“He is trying to influence the procedure of the court with such stories, which are in favour of him. Anyway, we do not believe that anyone will believe those tales as the JVP has contributed immensely to bring the LTTE down to the position in which it is today. He is a retired Army officer and we have to mind that whatever he may say is unofficial,” he added.

Perera filed a case earlier against Weerawansa seeking Rs. 5 million for a statement the MP had made on the Rupavahini’s Visanvada programme.

Weerawansa alleged that the media had twisted the story and reported the incident in the press.
“I was there at the Colombo District Court when Perera made the statement. What he said was that he had investigated in to the matter to check whether the JVP had transactions with the LTTE. He only said that he investigated the issue; he didn’t specifically say that the JVP had an arms deal with the LTTE. It was misinterpreted by the media.”

Extracted from,
http://www.nation.lk/2008/02/17/news4.htm