UN turns down LTTE ceasefire plea

The United Nations has turned down the LTTE request for the declaration of an immediate ceasefire, Government Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday.

The LTTE had made the request to the UN on Thursday (7) and the UN had informed the Government of Sri Lanka about the request.

Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona was informed by the UN that the LTTE had made the request on an urgent basis stating that the government armed forces were attacking the Tamil people of the Kilinochchi District from two fronts, he said.

But the LTTE had not stated that they would lay down their arms in the event of a ceasefire, Rambukwella said.

Rambukwella also said the LTTE request had come in the wake of the increased assault on their positions by the armed forces in a bid to get the attacks stopped.

Extracted from,
http://www.island.lk/2008/08/09/news2.html

LTTE violates its own ceasefire; launches artillery attacks at Jaffna FDL

Military reports received form Muhamalai Forward Defence (FDL) indicate that LTTE terrorist have launched artillery attack at troops manning the area this morning (July 29).

Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that the terrorist have fired about 10 rounds of heavy artillery at troops between 6 to 6.30AM . Two soldiers have sustained injuries due to the attack, he further said. He added that terrorist have used their guns located in the Poonaryn area for the attack.

LTTE recently announced through its media network that it would maintain a unilateral ceasefire since July 27 in view of the SAARC summit which is currently being held in Sri Lanka. However , observers of LTTE activities raised doubts about LTTE's intentions over this sudden decision. The government maintained that it would only go for a ceasefire when the LTEE have laid down their arms. According to observers, the latest attack has substantiated their doubts about the integrity of the LTTE.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080729_06
Video Source,
SLRC

Sri Lanka plans foolproof security for SAARC summit

The Tamil Tigers may have announced a unilateral 10-day truce but the Sri Lankan government is leaving nothing to chance for the upcoming SAARC summit. It has deployed 19,000 additional security personnel to provide foolproof protection for the visiting leaders.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) truce between July 26 and Aug 4 was rejected by the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa as "a trap".

The 15th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) starts at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall here Aug 2. It will be attended by leaders of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

All these leaders will bring their own personnel to personally look after their security but media reports in Colombo and India indicate that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will come with scores of elite Black Cats. India is also sending helicopters and bulletproof cars.

Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the Sri Lankan police and security forces would be in charge of the security cover for the summit.

"About 19,000 additional troops, including police personnel, will be deployed for the summit. It is a well coordinated security plan to ensure the best security cover for the summit," Nanayakkara told IANS.

Read more,
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?

LTTE declares unilateral ceasefire -Government rejects the offer

The LTTE Political Wing announced it will observe a unilateral ceasefire that is devoid of military actions during the period of the SAARC conference from 26th July to 4th August, but the government of Sri Lanka rejects rebels offer and said no discussions with any party on this matter.

Responding an oral question rose by Parliamentarian Mr.Wimal Weerawansa, in parliament today Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said the government does not response this offer. He said a number of local and international allies try to stop operations against the rebels.

�At present government is defeating the terrorists .We never stop these operations, he said.

A rebel statement said the Tigers would refrain from military action during the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference but warned they would be forced to take \"defensive action\" if the island\'s military carried out any offensives against them.

The government sources further said it had not received an official ceasefire notification from the rebels and expressed wariness about the move.

Meanwhile the head of the government peace secretariat, Rajiva Wijesinghe, said the government needs time to carefully consider the LTTE call for a ceasefire during the SAARC summit and will wait till it is officially communicated.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20080722013647.php

Full text of the press release of the LTTE,
http://www.ltteps.org/?view=2218&folder=2

Video Source,
http://www.itn.lk/news_04_20080722.html

Sri Lankan president says action on rebels to continue

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse said Saturday that the forward march of his troops will never be curtailed despite calls from interested parties to announce a ceasefire with Tamil Tiger rebels.

"There are calls for a ceasefire when the terrorists face defeat. I will not allow anyone to curtail the forward march of the troops," Rajapakse who is also the commander-in-chief of the island's security forces told a gathering of teachers.

Rajapakse since becoming the president at the end of 2005 has gone on a military offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

His troops have captured the entire Eastern Province from the rebels' control and the government now claims the rebels have been limited to just two districts in the Northern Province.

Rajapakse's statement came as the military announced the capture of a major LTTE held area in the district of Mannar Saturday.

Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman said a key rebel facility in Mannar's Parappakandal area was captured by the troops.

More than 7,000 people have perished in the island's separatist war since the end of 2005.

The Norwegian backed ceasefire which lasted six years was abandoned in January this year.

Extracted from,
http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=312078791

The Major General’s Fustian Gamble

Our Politicians are selling their souls to the Devil in droves. "To gain what for themselves?" as the Persian tent maker asked. Most of them, just for a whiff or hope of political power. The UNP Leader, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, when he is not smashing coconuts, or breaking pots and pans or riding buggy carts on alighting from his luxury limousine, or when he is not tooting horns or promising bangles and bracelets to village damsels, is romping round Mrs. Chandrika B, his erstwhile ‘bete noir’, promising his political soul (what’s left or it!) for a mess or pottage, that pottage being whatever CB’s contribution can now be.

And CB herself is romancing round RW, offering her now defunct political soul to another political bankrupt. We see the same soul trading by Mr. Mahanama S’weera. Not to be outdone, the President and his coterie sold their political souls to some of the erstwhile "CFA Gang" and vice versa for like pottage. Political principles have been thrown in along with their souls for good measure. Dr. Faustus is in company! But the Midnight Hour will come!

And now the Faustian gamble is tempting Army types too, but hopefully will not spread too much. Major General Janaka Perera, Hero of many battles and the man who saved Jaffna in 1999/2000 has taken that Faustian plunge in accepting the UNP’s Chief Ministerial Candidacy of the NCP from the very forces that were hostile and treacherous to the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of the country which he so very able defended throughout his military career. He must know what damage both politically and militarily the UNP’s and RW’s CFA did to Sri Lanka.

Read more,
http://www.island.lk/2008/06/28/opinion4.html

Sri Lankan PM says no more truce with Tamil rebels

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said here Tuesday the government would never enter into any more cease-fire agreements with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Wickramanayake said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had exploited cease-fire agreements with the government in the past.

"I will tell you one thing for sure. There will never be anymore cease-fire agreements in the future with the LTTE", the prime minister said.

Wickramanayake's government in January this year unilaterally withdrew from the February 2002 cease-fire.

The Norwegian backed cease-fire held until the end of 2005 when violence escalated. The new wave of violence in the island's long drawn out separatist armed conflict has so far cost over 7,000 lives since December 2005.

Read more,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/14/content_8164083.htm

VAIKO MEETS ERIC SOLHEIM AND BEGS OF HIM TO GIVE LIFE BACK TO THE ABROGATED CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT

India’s maverick politician Vaiko has begged of Norway’s most controversial peace negotiator and International Development Minister Eric Solheim who has been charged by non-tiger Tamil groups as a pro-LTTE man, to give life to a dead cease fire agreement that has been violated thousands of times by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) itself.

LTTE news sources revealed that the two controversial men met recently at Oslo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vaiko requested Solheim to help revive the Norway brokered abrogated Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed between Ranil Wickramasinghe government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

A close personal friend of the late Tamil Tiger “peace negotiator” Anton Balasingham, Soheim has been publicly attacked as a “White Tiger”, and enjoys very little credibility in Sri Lanka. He has been criticized by anti-LTTE Tamil groups and pro-Sinhala groups in the country as a non acceptable man.

Pro LTTE news sources said, Vaiko expressed his “gratitude on behalf of the Tamils in India to the Royal Norwegian Government for its engagement as facilitator to the CFA ..” when the two controversial politicians met each other in Oslo in Norway few days ago.

Read more,
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items08/140408-1.html

INGO/NGO BLOOD-SUCKERS & THEIR DILEMMA

A Joint-Statement titled " Abrogation of Ceasefire Agreement Will Escalate Spiral of Violence" has been published in the English & Sinhala newspapers on 28th & 29th January 2008.(quote): "The government's decision to abrogate the Norwegian-facilitated Ceasefire Agreement(CFA) signed with the LTTE in 2002 is a matter of grave concern to the undersigned civil society organizations."(end quote)

Who may these "civil society organizations" be? They are: Association of War Affected Women; Centre for Society and Religion; Centre for Human Rights and Development, Colombo; Centre for Women and Development-Jaffna; Christian Alliance for Social Action; Consortium for Humanitarian Agencies; Equal Grounds, Sri Lanka; INFORM; Home for Human Rights, Colombo; Human Development Organization, Kandy; International Centre for Ethnic Studies; International Movement Against Discrimination and Racism; Law & Society Trust; Mothers & Daughters of Lanka; Mannar Women for Human Rights and Democracy; Muslim Information Centre Sri Lanka; Muslim Women's Research and Action Forum; National Peace Council; Rights Now Collective for Democracy; SETIK, Kandy; Women and Media Collective.

Read more,
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items08/310108-5.html

BUTTALA BUS BLAST – TRIBUTE TO RANIL’S CFA FINALE

On the final day of the ignominious CFA the terrorists murdered 27 innocent civilians and wounded around 67 persons in the Buttala claymore mine blast. Although the United States have condemned this brutal massacre of the terrorist outfit, the Videshapriya media dogs, and NGO vultures who cry foul for everything that affects or disadvantages the terrorist outfit and talk vociferously about humanitarian values and call for respect of innocent civilian life remain totally silent and ignorant of this horrendous massacre as it had happened in some other planet.

If the terrorists and the enemies of the nation who earn their livelihood by helping the terrorists and terrorism to prevail in this country hope that this type of inhuman acts and massacres could frighten the masses or open up a communal backlash, they are utterly mistaken. Terrorists and their bootlickers should realize that the people are determined to eradicate terrorism from Sri Lanka and they would confront any and every obstacle in this historical melee daringly and fearlessly, without falling pray to their schemes and strategies.

At the time of the blast, around 7.40 a.m. on Wednesday (16th) the SLTB long chassied bus from Buttala to Okkampitiya is reported to have been carrying over 100 passengers including many school children. There are three school children and 13 women among the dead. The injured have been taken to Moneragala and Buttala hospitals and 5 patients on critical conditions have been airlifted to the National Hospital in Colombo.
Read more,
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items08/170108-2.html

Sri Lanka rebuts Louise Arbour's statement on CFA abrogation

Sri Lanka Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, in a statement today strongly rebutted the comments made by the UN High commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour on the government's decision to abrogate the 2002 ceasefire agreement.

The Minister said that the government decision was taken after “careful and serious consideration of effective measures required to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka in the backdrop of escalating terrorists attacks” by the Tamil Tigers.

He said the Government is compelled to consider Ms. Arbour’s warning on ‘individual criminal responsibility’ as being untimely, inappropriate and unacceptable.

He further stressed that the government will not overturn its decision and will continue to take whatever legal action for the safety of the Sri Lankan citizens.

Minister Samarasinghe said “the Government is committed to the enforcement of military and other lawful measures to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka and to eliminate terrorism, in accordance with the laws of Sri Lanka and in compliance with international norms and standards including International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.”

Read more,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/January17124458JR.html

Sri Lanka slams Nordic claim that truce saved 10,000 lives

Sri Lanka has slammed a claim by the Nordic countries that the now abrogated Ceasefire Agreement with the Tamil Tigers had saved 10,000 Sri Lankan lives.

The Sri Lankan government peace secretariat Monday described as 'dubious' the claim by foreign ministers of five Nordic countries late last week that the truce pact with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had saved as many as 10,000 Sri Lankan lives in the first three years of its existence.

The Norway-brokered pact was signed in February 2002, and five Nordic countries jointly monitored its working. But last week, the Sri Lankan government unilaterally abrogated it, saying that it was a 'non-functioning' agreement, which facilitated violence rather than peace.

The government statement said that the Nordic ministers showed signs of ignorance of the rulings of the fully Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) as well as the concerted attacks conducted by the LTTE.

Read more,
http://www.indiaenews.com/srilanka/20080107/90226.htm

CFA abrogation unmasks LTTE - TULF leader

The Tamil United Liberation Front leader Veerasingam Anandasangaree welcoming the decision to abrogate the Ceasefire Agreement said that the agreement only helped the LTTE to expand its terrorist activities and to blindfold the international community.

Anandasangaree commenting on the abrogation of the CFA told the 'Sunday Observer' that the CFA should have been scrapped when the LTTE went beyond its limits. "The CFA was introduced to streamline the peace process.

Not only Sri Lankans even the international community expected the CFA to work effectively. But the LTTE had committed the bulk of the CFA violations. The CFA allowed the organisation to carry out the political activities in the cleared areas. But instead of concentrating on political matters, the outfit was planning its war strategies within the cleared areas to launch its attacks against the Security Forces," Sangaree said.

Read more,
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/01/06/sec01.asp

Is a ban on LTTE Lanka’s next step?

Sri Lanka’s decision to call off the February 2002 ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is at one level a logical move as the truce was only on paper.

In the last two years and more both sides have used air power and artillery in what is virtually a full-fledged war between the two sides.

Yet Wednesday’s move signals the growing confidence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the defence establishment in Colombo that the military has gained the upper hand. The next step could be a ban on the LTTE.

The President’s brother defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had already given a hint in an interview to the government-controlled Daily News last week.

He said the government should officially withdraw from the ceasefire and ban the LTTE for a fresh approach to the Tamil question. The ceasefire agreement brokered by Norway had become a joke in the eyes of the people, he added.

Read more,
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1143105

CFA abolished!

It has been reported that the cabinet that met today has decided to abrogate ceasefire agreement.

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake has proposed that the CFA should be abolished to

the cabinet meeting that met today presided by President Mahinda Rajapakse and it has been approved by the cabinet.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankatruth.com/index.htm

Ban LTTE, end truce

The Government can make a fresh start to address Tamil grievances once it officially bans the LTTE and abolishes the Ceasefire Agreement signed with the LTTE, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said yesterday.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily News, Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said the Ceasefire Agreement has become a joke in the eyes of the people with so many violations.

“The Ceasefire Agreement exists only on paper. Obviously we can see that there is no Ceasefire. It has become a joke,” the Defence Secretary said.

He said so many Governments have signed a number of Ceasefire Agreements in the past since the Thimpu Agreement.

“Once you sign a Peace Agreement and then you come to the next Ceasefire Agreement or whatever agreement, you must abolish the other [previous] one. It had never happened. From the Thimpu Agreement there are so many peace agreements including the Indo Lanka Agreement,” Rajapaksa added.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/12/29/sec01.asp

Lanka seeks access to top LTTE agent in Indian custody

Although India has overlooked previous requests for access to LTTE operatives in her custody on, what a senior official called, domestic political reasons, Sri Lanka is confident that a chance to question Jayakumar (34) alias Gowrishankar, a senior Sea Tiger in Indian custody wouldn't be denied.

Jayakumar, believed to be one of the highest ranking LTTE operatives arrested in India after the Norwegian-arranged CFA came into operation in February, 2002, is widely believed to be a central figure in the LTTE arms procurement ring. Under interrogation, he has revealed the financial support received from the UK based LTTE organisations in support of the operations in Sri Lanka.

A resident of Valvettiturai, Jayakumar is believed to have joined Sea Tigers in 1995 and has some close relatives living at Thanjavur.

India didn't allow SLN to question three LTTE operatives arrested along with two Indians on February 13, this year and six others, believed to be a special squad deployed for arms smuggling operations arrested by her Coast Guard on April 11. Although India signalled that it could arrange two Sri Lankan intelligence personnel to meet investigators who interrogated the suspects, it never materialised.

Read more,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20071211_01

Sinhalese recruited in LTTE: report

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have reportedly started recruiting Sinhalese as "sleeper" agents in the Sri Lankan capital and its suburbs taking advantage of the ceasefire with the government.

"It is obvious that many Tiger operatives have infiltrated Colombo and the suburbs under the cover of the ceasefire," the Daily News said adding these "sleepers" lead seemingly normal lives until they are given orders by leaders in Wanni, a Tiger-held northern area.

"Among them are suicide cadres who blow themselves up to take VIP and military targets," the newspaper said in an editorial titled "Security Imperatives" yesterday.

"On the other hand, the Tigers have succeeded in recruiting unpatriotic Sinhalese to their ranks, as proved by the arrests of Sinhala Tigers some time back. Thus ethnicity is no longer the only factor that security forces have to contend with," it said.

Read more,
http://news.indiainfo.com/2007/12/05/0712051553_lanka-ltte.html

Sri Lanka government may consider banning LTTE

Sri Lanka media speculate that the government will proscribe the rebel outfit, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) soon.

The idea of proscribing the LTTE was in the consideration of the government for a long time. However, the ceasefire agreement signed with the LTTE in 2003 hindered the move although the agreement has been defunct now for some time. The reluctance to abandon the agreement left the door open for peace talks to resume.

Read more,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/November4142715SL.html

Anti-ceasefire application: Leave granted

The Supreme Court yesterday granted special leave for the applications filed by JHU, JVP and the Sinhala Maha Sabawa against the Court of Appeal order that rejected issuing notices on former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, then Cabinet Ministers and LTTE leader Prabhakaran in connection with writ application filed challenging the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement between Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE.

The Supreme Court Bench comprised Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva (PC), Supreme Court Justice Andrew M. Somawansa and Supreme Court Justice Jagath Balapatabendi.

JHU, JVP and the Sinhala Maha Sabawa filed a writ application before the Court of Appeal on March 4, 2002 challenging the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement between Wickremesinghe and the LTTE.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/07/28/news23.asp