Sri Lanka Latest News

Saturday, June 2, 2007

India has not right to determine whom we buy arms from- JHU

JHU national organizer Udaya Gammanpila says India has no right to dictate Sri Lanka where to purchase arms from as Sri Lanka is a sovereign state.

He made this statement reacting on a statement made by Indian National Advisor M.K. Narayanan asking the government not to purchase arms from Pakistan of China.

"We actually don't believe a country like India made such a statement. But if they did, this is direct intervention to Sri Lanka's Sovereignty. As an independent country we have the right to purchase arms from where ever we want," he said.

Read more,
http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=4211

Police seize biggest explosive stock in Kurunegala

Police seized 940 kg of C 4 explosives from a lorry at the Palugas handiya (junction) road block at Kotawehera, Nikaweratiya, Kurunegala around 3.30 p.m. today (01). The explosives had been stocked in 47 boxes each carrying 20 kg, the Police said.

Latest information reveals that the explosives had been carefully concealed underneath a stockpile of coconuts.

The Police also arrested the driver and his assistant believed to be from the Chavakachcheri area in the North.

Today's seizure is reportedly the biggest explosives haul recovered in Sri Lanka.

C-4 or Composition C -4 is a common type of plastic explosive used by the LTTE in bomb attacks in Sri Lanka. It can be easily molded into any shape or stuffed into gaps in buildings, equipment or machinery.

The LTTE had used 50 kg of C-4 explosives in the Central Bank attack which killed 55 people and injured over 1000.

Security Forces believe that the massive stock of C-4 explosives would have been transported to Colombo by the LTTE for a major attack. Due to a thorough security check by the police at the Palugas handiya road block another possible terrorist attack was prevented.

Extracted from,
http://www.rnhit.com/mcns/fullnews.php?id=6034

I am ready to resume talks with LTTE: Rajapaksa

The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said he is ready to resume peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels even as heavy fighting raged in the island's embattled north-east.

Rajapaksa will enter into negotiations with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) provided the guerrillas agree to resume from where they left off in October 2006, his spokesman Chandrapala Liyanage said.

"I am ready to talk even today in the present circumstances," the President was quoted as saying. "I am a total democrat and I believe in a peaceful negotiated settlement."

Rajapaksa said controversial proposals unveiled by his party earlier last month were not the final solution to the drawn out ethnic conflict and expressed his willingness to go along with a consensus in the country.

Sri Lanka media rights body slam opposition leader over attempts to intimidate media

The Free Media Movement has slammed the opposition United National Party over its continued attempts to intimidate newspaper editors using parliamentary privilege.

A call by Sri Lanka's opposition leader to summon newspaper editors to parliament which drew fire from the Free Media Movement was followed by another statement from the UNP the FMM said.

"FMM is of the view that the UNP’s position is only tenable through a perverse distortion of logic, democratic norms and modern international best practice and law relating to freedom of expression, parliamentary privilege and contempt," the rights body said in a statement.

Friday, June 1, 2007

Sri Lanka is not a colony of England, America or any other country! – President Mahinda Rajapakse

“Sri Lanka is not a colony of England, America or any other country" said President Mahinda Rajapakse speaking to ‘AlJazeera’ and accused those who criticise his policies of interfering in Sri Lanka's internal affairs.

The President was critical of Europe, and the US, both of which have talked of cutting off aid. He accused European leaders in particular of callously stopping humanitarian aid for tsunami victims.

He also said there was no religious or ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and the international community is completely wrong in accusing his army of human rights violations.

Don’t seek weapons from Pakistan, China: India

India yesterday said Sri Lanka should turn to it for its arms requirements and not seek weapons from Pakistan or China, a news agency reported.

The Chennaionline quoted India’s National Security Advisor M K Narayanan as saying so following a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

"We are a big power in the region. We don't want the Sri Lankan government to go to Pakistan or China. Whatever may be its requirement, the Sri Lankan government should come to us. However, India will not provide weapons with offensive capabilities to Sri Lanka," he said.

Justifying why India provided radars to the Sri Lankan government, Mr. Narayan said, "Radars are seen as a defensive capability. Hence, we have provided the Sri Lankan government with them."

read more,
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/06/01/front/01.asp

Cuba-Sri Lanka to Expand Cooperation in the Coconut Industry

Sri Lanka's Minister of the Coconut Industry, Salinda Dissanayake, arrived in the eastern Cuban province of Guantanamo on Wednesday to establish closer links between Cuba and his country.

On Thursday, the minister and his delegation will visit plantations, Malay ovens and coconut oil factories in the municipality of Baracoa -- the main producer of coconuts in Cuba. Also scheduled are talks with local producers and managers in that sector.

Dissanayake, who is accompanied by Sri Lanka's ambassador to Cuba, Kirthi Sigera, was given detailed information on the coconut industry in Cuba upon his arrival in Guantanamo.

Athawetunewewa Village Indiscriminately Targeted By LTTE Mortar Fire

On thursday (31) Morninig, LTTE terrorists indiscriminately targeted ATHAWETUNUWEWA village area, WELIOYA, twice with mortar fire injuring Two females living in the area.

Four soldiers who were on duty in the village at the same time were also seriously injured.

One soldier succumbed to his injuries on his way to hospital while three were admitted to the ANURADHAPURA hospital.

Extracted from,
http://www.rnhit.com/mcns/fullnews.php?id=6018

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Time ripe to take a decision on ceasefire, Sri Lanka government

Sri Lanka Defense Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said to media today that the time is ripe for the government to take a decision on the ceasefire agreement signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE).

The Minister said that there is a huge contrast between the articles in the ceasefire agreement and the ground reality.

The government is seemed responding to the consecutive bomb attacks by the Tamil Tigers targeting the military vehicles in Colombo and suburbs.

The government is under severe pressure from the Sinhala nationalists to abolish the Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2002 with the LTTE.

You can't help so we need Pak, China to help fight Tigers, Lanka tells India

With Tamil Tigers stepping up attacks, Sri Lanka has quietly alerted India that it will need to approach Pakistan and China for urgent arms purchases to counter the LTTE's aerial threat.

But Colombo has asked Delhi for technical assistance to train radar operators and flight controllers manning the two Indira radars provided by India last year, besides an additional pair of radars to detect low-flying aircraft.

Sri Lankan Defence Secretary and President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother Gotabaya Rajapakse, who met National Security Advisor M K Narayanan and all three Services chiefs during his recent visit, is believed to have conveyed that Colombo understood Delhi's political compulsions which were preventing increase in military cooperation between the two countries.

Rajapakse told Indian authorities that Colombo, which had urgent need for air defence equipment in view of the bold aerial attacks being carried out by the Tigers, would be approaching Pakistan, China and other countries.

Extracted from,
http://in.news.yahoo.com/070530/48/6gguo.html

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Sri Lanka seeks urgent military equipment from India

Sri Lanka urged India to provide more military equipment and intelligence assistance to fight against escalating attacks by the Tamil Tigers, Indian media reported yesterday.

Reports said that visiting Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa submitted a list of urgent military requirements during meetings with national security advisor M K Narayanan, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Army Chief General J. J. Singh.

According to the reports Defense Secretary wanted low level transportable radars and quick reaction ground to air missiles to contain the threat posed by Tigers air attacks.

School children from Vakarai visit Colombo

Government, along with the support of the Security Forces personnel and the 'Seva Lanka' Foundation, has organized an educational trip for the students of Vakarai area to visit the Southern part of the island.

Yesterday was the last day of this four day tour which included sixty two students of that area. Twenty two students from Vigneshwaran School of Vakarai and forty students from Palachchenai participated in the educational tour.

The Army and the 'Seva Lanka' Foundation provided food and accommodation to the students.

First three days were spent at Colombo and the students had the opportunity of visiting several important places. They visited the famous shrine of St. Anthony's in Kochchikade on Saturday (26) while on Sunday they visited the National Zoological Gardens.

They visited the Ramanadan Hindu College yesterday and went on a sightseeing tour in Colombo. A musical show was conducted for the students in the evening.

Expose LTTE genocide worldwide: TULF

The Tamil United Liberation Front Leader V. Anandasangaree suggests a team of British administrators and a few pro - LTTE Tamil Nadu politicians be brought down to see some of the LTTE's atrocious activities.

In a statement issued yesterday the TULF leader "strongly condemns the LTTE for its ruthless manner in which they took the lives of 8 innocent civilians and caused injuries to 36 others of whom how many would have lost their limbs and eyesight are not known".

I wish a team of British Parliamentarians and a few pro LTTE Tamil Naadu Politicians be brought down to see some of the LTTE's atrocious activities and to go back and tell the world that more than 50% of Tamils are living amongst the Sinhalese peacefully and that it is the LTTE that is engaged in genocide and not the Sinhala people.

Sri Lanka opposition leader tries to force an agenda

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has criticised comments from Sri Lanka opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe which argued that Sri Lankan editors should be summoned before Parliament and questioned under the Parliamentary Privileges Act...

“These sorts of comments are indicative of the deeper underlying media issues in Sri Lanka,” said the president of the IFJ, the organisation representing more than 500,000 journalists in over 115 countries.

“People in positions of power in Sri Lanka seem to think they are able to control the news agenda, and, regardless of the reality, these comments are having a detrimental affect on press freedom nationwide,” Warren said.