Prabakaran's official photographer killed

Military sources say that Prabakaran�s official photographer Thavam has died in Kilinodhdhi hospital yesterday.

He has succumbed to the injuries of a military attack.LTTE has honored him with a name given only to special persons posthumously and his rank has also been elevated to Lt. Colonel, says a Tamil language website.

Thavam, born in Trincomalee, joined the LTTE in 1981. Previously he served as the chief of a Tamil language website and the technical chief of the Voice of Tiger radio.

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http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=5407

Troops Bag More Areas in Mannar

Troops,now triumphantly storming areas hitherto held by Tiger terrorists in the eastern part of MANNAR area in ANDANKULAM, to the north of GIANT TANK this morning (18) around 5.30 a.m. captured an area of about 600 sq m with an LTTE defence line and a strongly- built bund.

Ten Tiger terrorists who resisted the move lost their lives in the surprise attack. At least ten more Tigers received injuries in the skirmishes.

The clashes let the troops re-gain the area after so many years. Six terrorist dead bodies and three T-56 weapons were recovered by the troops later on.

One valiant soldier paid the supreme sacrifice during the fight for supremacy in the area.

Four soldiers received injuries in the fighting.Troops are now consolidating their positions.

Extracted from,
http://army.lk/morenews.php?id=10881

Sri Lanka does not endorse Kosovo 'independence'

The Foreign Ministry, in a statement released yesterday (17) has refused to endorse the unilateral secession of Kosovo from the Republic of Serbia, noting that the move was made without the consent of the majority of people in Serbia. The full text of the Foreign Ministry media release is as follows:

Sri Lanka has noted the unilateral declaration of Independence (UDI) by Kosovo.

Sri Lanka does not endorse the unilateral secession of Kosovo from the Republic of Serbia. We note that the declaration of independence was made without the consent of the majority of the people of Serbia.

This action by Kosovo is a violation of the Charter of the United Nations, which enshrines the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States.

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Asian countries fearful over Kosovo independence

The declaration of Kosovo's independence is generating fear in many Asian nations, above all those made up of various ethnic groups. They are afraid that Kosovo's unilateral independence could be a model for many other groups, leading to the disintegration of countries like China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and even India.

Yesterday, the Kosovar parliament unanimously (and unilaterally) declared its independence from Serbia. The region, which now has an overwhelmingly Albanian and Muslim majority population, has separated from the rest of Serbia, which is of Slavic and Orthodox tradition.

The decision, which has long been supported by the United States, has created joy in Kosovo, but great concern in the world. Various countries of the European Union - Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy - are ready to recognise the new country, together with the U.S.

Russia, allied with Serbia, asked overnight for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, and obtained a more formal and extensive meeting on the topic for tomorrow afternoon.

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http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=11548&geo=7&size=A

Animal rights group protests LTTE attack on zoo

An international animal rights organisation has protested the bombing of a zoo in Dehiwela in Sri Lanka, allegedly by Tamil Tiger rebels earlier this month. “In addition to injuring several human beings - which was no doubt its intent - the explosive device that was set off near the zoo’s birds enclosure terrified many animals in the zoo,” said Ingrid E. Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in a letter to the Tamil Tiger leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

At least seven people, including two children, were injured, when a grenade kept near the birds’ enclosure went off Feb 3.

Newkirk said that animals got caught in the cross fire of wars all over the world and countless animals were being killed either intentionally or accidentally in bomb attacks worldwide.

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http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/south-asia/

Lamentation of a slain female LTTE cadre

This is a lamentation of a female Tiger cadre Jenny, who died in a recent battle with the Sri Lanka Army in Parapakandal, located in the Mannar district. After her death letters were recovered from her.

The letters reveal the mentality of the female cadre who was recruited forcefully by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to be a cannon fodder in a meaningless battle which kills so far more than 20,000 LTTE cadres alone.

In one of the letters found in the body of the female cadre reveals that she did not join the LTTE voluntarily. She was forcefully conscripted. She knew very well that she will never be able to leave from the grip of the Tamil Tigers. But she was longing to be reunited with her father, mother, sisters, brothers and others in the family. Unfortunately her yearnings did not materialize.

“When will I be able to get out of this hell? I am not sure whether it might ever happen,” she writes with frustration and finality.

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