Surrendered LTTE militants want to leave country

The LTTE militants and sympathisers who have surrendered are putting pressure on the Sri Lankan government to arrange for overseas jobs for them, fearing assassination at the hands of the Tamil Tigers for having deserted the outfit.

"We always fear for our life by the LTTE though we have been put up in well guarded buildings," the former LTTE activists told a group of journalists here recently.

One of them even threatened to commit suicide if he was not sent out of the camp soon for a job abroad.

"My family is managing by selling our remaining ornaments. We cannot last long. I have seven dependents. If I am not given an overseas job along with a air ticket you may find me hanging," a former Tiger rebel said.

According to officials some of them were in a mentally disturbed state, after having worked under tough and hostile conditions for the Tigers.

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http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200804131551.htm

Lanka eyes countries other than India for importing rice

With ballooning inflation in India and the government banning export of non-basmati rice, Sri Lankan importers are now looking for other options to bridge the island country's demand-supply gap for the grain.

"Despite the positive developments regarding importing rice from India, our traders have been told by their Indian counterparts that they have not yet received the clearance for rice exports," the spokesman for a leading importing body said here.

The Sri Lankan government is now working to get one lakh metric tonnes of rice from Myanmar with 30,000 tonnes of the consignment expected to arrive here next month, Old Moor Street Traders Association, President, K Palaniandy, said.

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/International_Business/

Sri Lankan rebel's defense line captured by gov't troops

A rebel's defense line in the north western district of Mannar was captured by the Sri Lankan government troops in a battle with the Tamil Tigers, a military spokesman said on Sunday.

Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman said the troops launched a 4-pronged offensive at the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forward defense line at Mannar on Saturday.

"We attacked them from 4 different positions north of Yodawewa (giant tank) and Adampan. The LTTE fled the area as we kept on firing them", Nanayakkara said.

He said that 36 rebels were killed and 56 others were injured in Mannar and another clash in the northern Vavuniya on Sunday. The Army lost 6 soldiers and 25 others were injured.

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/13/content_7968004.htm

Norwegian Government Funding for LTTE Film - My Daughter the Terrorist

The 50 minute documentary Min Datter Terroristen (my Daughter the Terrorist) attempts to glorify the motivations of two Black Tiger women. The documentary follows the training and indoctrination of Dharsika and Puhalchudar (possibly not the real names) for a suicide mission against the Sri Lankan state.

The main emphasis of the documentary is to give some pseudo-justification to the act of suicide terrorism by the LTTE. Sections of the documentary are narrated by Maria (actor playing the role of Mother).

The documentary has been produced/co-directed by two Norwegian nationals Mr.Morten Daae and Ms. Beate Arnestad. Interestingly, Ms Arnestad states that she used a false name Ms Smith when she traveled to Sri Lanka to make the film. Ms. Arnestad has blatantly breached Sri Lankan immigration regulations and also media guidelines for visiting journalists as prescribed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The camera crew was led by Norwegian Frank Alvegg. The Production Company is Snitt Film Production based in Oslo , Norway .

The international rights for the documentary is managed by TV2 World ( Denmark ), Rugaardsvej 25, 5100 Odense , Denmark . As at December 2006, the broadcasting rights to the documentary have been purchased by Radio-Canada Television ( Canada ), TV2 ( Denmark ), Al-Arabia (Satellite Television covering the Middle East), NHK-BS1 ( Japan ) and TV2 ( Norway ).

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http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/10537

Pro-LTTE movie screened in US

Sri Lankan Ambassador in the United States Bernard Goonetilleke has lodged a strong protest over the screening of the film My Daughter The Terrorist at a premier US film festival recently.

The film, a documentary on the lives and faiths of two female Black Tigers produced by Norwegian filmmaker Beate Arnestad, was featured in a documentary film festival in Durham, North Carolina on April 4.

Over 100 documentaries were screened during the four day film festival held from April 3 to 6.
Ambassador Goonetilleke has lodged Sri Lanka’s strong protest over the screening of the film in a letter addressed to both the US State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Extracted from,
http://www.nation.lk/2008/04/13/news3.htm