Man carrying diesel for LTTE arrested (Rameswaram)

Rameswaram: A 30-year-old man carrying a can of diesel meant for the LTTE, was arrested at a coastal village in the district on Saturday as he was waiting for a Sri Lankan boat to pick him up, police said.

Police said that Mathia Maller (30) was waiting for a boat when he was arrested at Mudalmunai village. A can containing 40 litres of diesel was seized from him, they said

Police said Maller had smuggled diesel for the LTTE several times. He has now been lodged in prison.

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Bus Bomb Blast on Mount Lavinia Video (News)

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Bus Bomb Blast on Mount Lavinia Photos

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LTTE violates Children's Rights - Human Rights Watch

International human rights group- Human Rights Watch claim that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam - LTTE has failed to release the children from its ranks by December 31, 2007, the deadline it agreed to under the terms of an action plan signed on October 15, 2007.

“The LTTE has ignored repeated appeals to end its use of child soldiers,” said Joe Becker, children's rights advocate at HRW.

The LTTE, who claims to be the guardians of the entire Tamil community abducted thousands of children from their schools and use them in their war fronts. While doing so, this self-elected Liberator of Tamils could "liberate" hundreds of Tamil children at their front defence lines.

The security forces have found letters written by some of them, in which they have heavily criticized and cursed the LTTE leadership for ruining their lives.

LTTE still maintain several brigades which are totally run by child soldiers. The tragedy here is to see that the children of LTTE leaders are enjoying special privileges while the children of the poor are forced to the war fronts.

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http://www.sinhalaya.com/news/english/wmview.php?ArtID=14865

Bomb explosion at Mt'Lavinia junction

A bomb has been exploded inside a bus at the Mt'Lavinia junction around 10.55 a.m. today (23 February) injuring seventeen civilians (9 males, 7 females and a child). As per the sources the private bus has been completely destroyed in the explosion and a motor cycle in the vicinity has also been damaged.

Police is conducting further investigations

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Bomb explosion at Mt'Lavinia junction

A bomb has been exploded inside a bus at the Mt'Lavinia junction around 10.55 a.m. today (23 February) injuring three civilians. As per the sources the private bus has been completely destroyed from the explosion and a motor cycle has also been damaged.

As per the Police sources, when the conductor has observed an unattended parcel under the back seat of the bus (No. WP NB 5665) plying from Moratuwa to Colombo, they have stopped the bus and evacuate the passengers to safety. As the conductor and driver had gone to inform the police station about the suspicious parcel, the bomb has exploded. Because of the vigilance and the wise action taken by the conductor and the driver, a major tragedy has been averted.

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Fighter jets pound on LTTE Military base - Oddusudan

Sri Lankan Air force fighter jets pounded on a key LTTE military base 11 Km north east of Oddusudan today (23 February) at about 6.35 a.m.

Pilots have confirmed that the LTTE Military base has been accurately hit and the base is completely destroyed.

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India Should Help Rajapaksa Solve Tamil Problem: EROS Leader

A top leader of a Sri Lankan Tamil political party has said President Mahinda Rajapaksa is eager to solve the long-standing ethnic problem in Sri Lanka and has appealed to India to help him in the task.

'We have no doubt that Rajapaksa wants to solve the problem. His sincerity is evident in his practical approach to the question,' said Rajanathan Prabaharan, general secretary of the Eelavar Democratic Front (EDF), the political wing of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS), a Sri Lankan Tamil militant group that had given up arms to join the democratic mainstream.

'Instead of thrusting his ideas on the country, Rajapaksa formed an all-party committee to go into the question of power devolution. And what the committee had suggested - the full implementation of the existing provisions of the constitution relating to devolution of power - is the most practical yet,' Prabaharan told IANS over the phone from Batticaloa, where he is a candidate for the post of town mayor in the local body elections March 10.

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http://newspostindia.com/report-38595

Resolute action against LTTE by UN essential

The full text of the statement made by Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Working Group:

First, I would like to convey our appreciation to you, Mr. Chairman, for the leadership you and your country have been providing to the issue of children and armed conflict. I thank other members of the Working Group for working diligently for the shared objective of bringing an end to the detestable practice of recruitment and use of children by armed groups.

Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and her staff also deserve credit for the manner in which they work effectively with member States concerned, with the aim of better implementing Resolution 1612.

Since independence 60 years ago, all successive governments in Sri Lanka have been committed towards creating a protective environment for children to live in dignity and to enjoy their rights with care and support of their families.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/02/23/fea01.asp