Nedumaran, 164 party workers arrested

Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P Nedumaran and many others were arrested in the city on Saturday for defying a ban on staging a demonstration against the alleged sale of arms by India to Sri Lanka, among other issues.

Nedumaran and 164 others, including 15 women from various pro-Tamil groups were held after they tried to stage a demonstration at the Memorial Hall here without police permission, police said.

The protesters also denounced attacks on the Tamil Nadu fishermen, allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy, in the international waters.

Extracted from,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200803221915.htm

Sea Tiger Coordinating Centre Destroyed

AFTER PROLONGED SURVEILLANCE, Sri Lanka Air Force fighter craft shelled an LTTE base northwest of PUDUKUDIRIPPU, MULLAITHIVU Saturday (22) at about 2.10 p.m.

Intelligence reports revealed the target was a coordinating centre of Sea Tigers.Pilots confirmed the Sea Tiger base was destroyed in the air attack.

Extracted from,
http://www.army.lk/morenews.php?id=11791

LTTE attacking Indian fishermen, not Lankan Govt: SL Minister

Sri Lankan Minister for Highways Jayaraj Fernando today said the frequent attacks on Indian fishermen at the midsea were carried out by the banned LTTE and not by the Lankan Navy. In an informal chat with the newspersons here, he said it was only the LTTE, who attacked Indian fishermen. But they put the blame on Sri Lankan Navy to tarnish the image of Sri Lankan Government.

He said the Sri Lankan Government was keen on national integration within the island nation and not for any partition. ''We will not allow disintegration of the nation,'' he asserted.

He said the Sri Lankan Government was always ready for settling the ethnic issue through peaceful negotiations but the LTTE did not believe in these talks and instead they wanted to create problems in the island nation.

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

Windies fans feel the absence of Lasith

Walking out of the National Stadium after the drawn game between Sri Lanka and a Guyana Cricket Board President’s Eleven team I was confronted by a group of Guyanese cricket enthusiasts who noticed me sporting a Sri Lanka Cricket tee shirt.

‘You playing for Sri Lanka’, asked one of them in the group. ‘My playing days were long over’, I said, laughing to myself.

‘Hey mann, where is that mann Malinga? asked another in the group. I said is it Malinga Bandara? ‘No, no mann. That guy with the weired hair do and the peculiar slinging action. Oh, is it Lasith Malinga? That de guy’, they all shouted.

‘He didn’t play in this game. Is he being rested for the Test match’, they queried.

I said: ‘No my friends, he has been emitted due to injury and is not in the squad’, I said much to their disappointment.

‘Mann, when Malinga was here he took 4 in 4, you remember’, they asked. I said I was at the scene of action that day and lapped up every moment of that 4 in 4 blast, in the World Cup game at this venue, against South Africa, and described it to my newspaper.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/03/22/spo03.asp

Sri Lanka starts whale watching

Sri Lanka is launching whale and dolphin watching tours in the island's Western and Southern waters in an effort to exploit a growing trend in eco-tourism, officials said.

The joint venture between Walkers Tours, a unit of John Keells Holdings, and state-rn Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation (CFHC) is part of a government and industry effort to increase the economic contribution from the island's fisheries sector.

Micheal Elias, chief executive of Walkers Tours, said the initiative would combine the marketing strengths of the private sector operator with the resources such as the boats and crews of the CFHC.

Read more,
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?

Troops capture one Square Kilometer in between Parayanakulam and Elanthivan area

The Army troops captured one square kilometer in between PARAYANAKULAM and ELANTHIVAN area today (22) morning. Fifteen LTTE terrorists were reported killed in the confrontation.

Due to the incident two soldiers were killed and another nine soldiers were reported injured. Five LTTE dead bodies were recovered by the troops subsequently.

Extracted from,
http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/fullnews.php?id=11312

Air strikes at LTTE sea tiger base - Mullaittiuvu

SLAF fighter jets launched precision air strikes at a pre-identified LTTE sea tiger base today (March 22), 7km North of Nayaru lagoon in Mullaittiuvu at 11.15 a.m., security sources said.

The air strikes came following intense terrorist activity monitored in the area since this morning, security sources said.

Pilots confirmed to have inflicted heavy damages to the LTTE sea tiger facility, sources further added.

Extracted from,
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080322_04

Navy Fast Attack Craft sinks in mystery blast; 6 crewmembers survive

A Sri Lanka Navy Fast Attack Craft (FAC) has been caught in a possible underwater blast this morning (March 22). According to the defence sources, the locally built P438 deployed in northeastern coastal waters off Nayaru has sunk due the blast that occurred around 2.30.a.m.

Upon the receipt of the SOS message from the sinking craft other sea units have immediately launched a search and rescue mission in the area. According to the naval sources, 6 crewmembers, including the Officer in Charge of the craft have been rescued so far.

The survivors have reported an underwater blast that damaged the boat's hull and caused it to be sunk in a short time. According to the survivors there has been no sea confrontation nor any LTTE craft were present in the area. Navy suspects the blast has caused by a possible sea mine or due to some underwater weapon developed by the terrorists.

Search and rescue mission continues.

Read more,
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080322_01