LTTE: Freeing Nalini will ratify Tamil cause

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has said that early release of Rajiv Gandhi's killer Nalini Murugan will be seen as ratification of the Tamil cause by the Indian government.

Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW's Dhanya Rajendran from an undisclosed location, LTTE's political chief B Nadesan said that such a step will be a strong indication that the Indian government has recognised and ratified the Tamil cause.

Nadesan was reacting to the appeal made by one of Rajiv Gandhi's killers Nalini Murugan for an early release.

The LTTE perceives Priyanka Gandhi's meeting with Nalini Sriharan at the Vellor jail as 'a purely humanitarian gesture', Nadesan said.

"This visit was a purely humanitarian gesture. Nothing else."

On a question on Nalini request of an early release, Nadesan said that the release will 'recognise' the legitimate aspirations of Tamil people.

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Marxist party's strike fails to disrupt Sri Lanka

A strike of public sector employees called by the Marxist party failed Thursday to paralyze the country as planned.

The Marxists People's Liberation Front (JVP) hoped up to 200,000 public servants of the 1.1 million government sector employees would strike, crippling transport, health, port and the education sectors, however, most services were operational without a serious disruption.

The government had argued that the trade union action would help the Tamil rebels whom they said were on the verge of being defeated by a strong military campaign underway in the northern part of the country.

In the capital posters sprung up overnight saying the strike would benefit the Tamil rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Earlier Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told parliament that the strike would demoralise the security forces who have made significant gains in the war front by recapturing some of the rebel-controlled areas in the north.

The JVP backed trade unions were demanding a minimum salary increase of 5,000 rupees (46 US dollars) per month for public servants to compensate for the rising cost of living.

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Sri Lanka players want England tour rescheduled

Sri Lanka's cricketers want next year's hastily arranged Test tour of England to be rescheduled as the dates clash with the lucrative Indian Premier League, sources close to the team said Thursday.

"The players met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and urged him to get the tour postponed or played after the IPL," one source told AFP.

"The president was very sympathetic towards the players and agreed to look into their request."

The tour, arranged earlier this month after England suspended bilateral cricket relations with Zimbabwe, includes two Tests, three one-dayers and four warm-up games and runs from April 21 to May 30.

The IPL, which features at least 13 top Sri Lankans including captain Mahela Jayawardene and star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, is due to be played between April 10 and May 25.

However, one of the problems the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) would face in re-scheduling Sri Lanka's tour is that the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup, which England are hosting, is due to start on June 5.

That leaves little room in the English calendar for altering the dates of Sri Lanka's visit especially as England face Australia in a showpiece Ashes later in their season.

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Lanka Govt scraps broadcast deal with Taj TV

The controversial multi-million dollar deal signed with Taj Television for telecast rights of the cricket matches in the island country by the previous Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) interim committee has been scrapped by the government.

"I have instructed SLC to cancel the television contract last evening after receiving the finding of a special three-member committee," Sri Lankan Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge told said on Wednesday.

The investigation committee was headed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Sports and Public Recreation S Liyanagama. The decision terminates the deal involving two new agreements signed for providing TV rights for home matches from 2009 to 2012. The current agreement with Taj Television would expire by the end of this year.

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Rebels Make Desperate Appeal To The Homeland

Recent losses have resulted in the LTTE openly appealing to the government of Tamil Nadu (the south Indian state that is the homeland of Tamils, and has a population of over 62 million) for help in their war. Despite the popularity of the LTTE cause (more autonomy and recognition of their Tamil culture in Sri Lanka) in Tamil Nadu, the LTTE terror tactics have backfired. The Tamil Nadu government has turned on the LTTE over the last decade, and this LTTE appeal will fail.

The fighting continues to go against the LTTE. The government reports that over 4,800 LTTE fighters have died so far this year, versus nearly 440 soldiers. The LTTE are using their dwindling cadre (hard core members) to insure that poorly trained (and motivated) conscripts (often teenagers) fight to the death, or at least don't run away as soon as the army opens fire.

Meanwhile, army long range patrols inside LTTE territory report declining morale among the civilian population, and a dwindling supply of weapons and ammunition (that is, little target practice for new recruits, which is a major factor in the low army casualties.) Army commanders are now openly talking of crushing the LTTE by the end of the year.

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Behave or face consequences, Police warn strikers

The police yesterday warned that it would come down hard on anyone involved in violence during today’s strike.

Police spokesman S.S.P. Ranjith Gunasekera said under Section 14 (1) of the Constitution, any person or group was entitled to peaceful demonstration, but those who resorted to damaging government property, attacking non-strikers and forcing people to join the strike would be arrested.

In accordance with the provisions of Police Penal Code Section 89 to 99, Police would enforce the law to prevent any violent activities and allow strikers to carry out peaceful demonstrations, he said.

Gunasakara told The Island that if the strikers wanted to launch street demonstrations, they would be allowed to do so, but they must not disturb or obstruct non-strikers, students, vehicles, public and private buses, railways and hospitals. The police had already drawn a temporary traffic plan and some roads in the Colombo city would be closed.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the Health Ministry had already formulated contingency plans to face any emergency situation.

He warned that any hospital worker resorting to sabotage by blocking water supply, locking up drug cabinets, disconnecting oxygen pipe lines, hiding registers etc.

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Majority of state sector employees dislike attending the forth-coming token strike

Leading political parties and the government express a various ideas on the forth-coming token strike. However majority of workers who suffer from the prevailing economic conditions said that they want to continue their employment without any obstruction of the trade unions and other political henchmen. They stressed that the proposed strike is unreasonable by all means.

�We do not need strikes or protests, but need higher salary to face the current economy, said an ex- trade unionist of a state owned venture.

Meanwhile twenty-three teacher unions including the Sri Lanka Nidahas teachers� union said they are not taking part in the strike action proposed to be held on Thursday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo on Tuesday the union�s General Secretary N.Fernando said the strike action is a political plot. He said the JVP and the UNP are calling for this strike action not for the rights of workers but in an effort to hide their failures. He requests all employees of the education sector to not take part in the strike since sharing is an indirect support to terrorism.

Ceylon Railway Services Trade Union Joint Alliance also says they will not attend in the proposed strike. Chief Organizer of the alliance D.M.D. Abeyrathne said their alliance does not support strikes aimed at gaining political objectives.

Chairman of the Omni bus owners association Gemunu Wijerathne said that his association will not take part in Thursday�s strike. The estate unit of the Nidhas Sevaka Sangamaya will also not join the strike action according to its General Secretary P.G. Chandrasena.

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LTTE boat movement targeted

Air Force fighter jets carried out an air raid targeting an LTTE boat movement in the Mullaitivu seas off last morning.

An LTTE boat was destroyed in the air raid causing heavy damage to the outfit, Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said.

A cluster of LTTE boats was detected 1 km away from the coastal areas off Mullaitivu seas around 8.00 a.m. "Air Force fighters successfully pounded at the LTTE boats movement and destroyed at least one Tiger boat," Wing Commander Nanayakkara said.

The air raid was carried out following accurate and precise information provided by ground intelligence sources and air surveillance.

Meanwhile, LTTE communications revealed that two self-styled LTTE 'majors' were killed in air raids launched on Sunday on a Tiger leaders gathering point.

Extracted from,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/07/10/sec10.asp

India, Sri Lanka to ink Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

India and Sri Lanka today agreed to sign the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on August 1 here on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit.

This would mark the end of the over three years of discussions to boost trade and investment between the two countries with focus on developing Sri Lankas economy.

"It is a win-win situations to both the countries and we both have agreed to reduce the negative lists to give a boost to trade and investment," the Indian Commerce Secretary G K Pillai told reporters.

The major issues regarding trade in services and value addition by Sri Lankan industry were sorted out to the mutual satisfaction, Pillai said, adding the CEPA was expected to be signed on August 1 in Colombo.

A decision to set up a Joint Study Group for making recommendations for CEPA was first announced in April 2003 following which the report was submitted in October 2003.

While the first round of talks on CEPA were held between Commerce Secretaries in Colombo in August, 2004, the next round was held at New Delhi in February, 2004.

Both countries have agreed to undertake a review at the secretaries level every six months and at ministers level every year, Pillai said.

Extracted from,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/