Hearing set for alleged Tamil Tiger conspirator

A Malton man charged in connection with a North American network that police allege provides weapons and other materials to a terrorist group in Sri Lanka has had a date set for his extradition hearing.

According to Justice Canada officials, Ramanan Mylvaganam, 30, will appear June 10 before a Federal Court judge as American authorities attempt to have him brought to the U.S. to face charges. Mylvaganam is expected to fight extradition.
Mylvaganam was arrested by RCMP on Aug. 22, 2006 at his Derry Rd. E. apartment. He was picked up on a provisional warrant at the request of U.S. authorities. One month later, he was granted bail.

"This whole ordeal has been a total shock to my family, especially my mother; she can't stop crying," Mylvaganam's brother, Raghu, said in an earlier interview.
Mylvaganam and four other Ontario men have been charged with one count each of conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Tamil Tigers, a political/military organization that has been waging war with the government of Sri Lanka since the 1970s. The group is trying to secure a separate state for the Tamil regions of the country.

In April 2006, the Tigers were added to Canada's official list of terrorist organizations.
In total, 12 men have been charged in the joint FBI-RCMP investigation into the alleged criminal organization.
The sweep also included arrests in Buffalo, San Jose, Seattle and Connecticut.

Read more,
http://www.mississauganews.com/article/12108

Sri Lanka to stop sending women overseas as housemaids

Sri Lanka has decided not to send women as housemaids to Middle East countries with effect from next year.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently advised the relevant ministries to implement this proposal from next year and send trained females as prospective nurses and attendants where they can earn more with due respect.

Currently, some thousands of Sri Lankan women are working as housemaids in the Middle East countries and most of them were subjected to harassments and physical abuses.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/March13161748JV.html

Another Rupavahini Corporation staffer hunted

The latest target of the hunt down of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation staff is Anurasiri Hettige, the Chairman of the trade union attached to JVP.

When Mr. Hettige was waiting at Kotokawaththa junction to go for duty around 7.30 AM today (14), a group of thugs attacked him with a sharp knife injuring his head. He was immediately admitted to Colombo General Hospital with severe bleeding from his head. Poddala Jayantha, the Secretary of the Working Journalists' Association who was in hospital said to 'Lanka-e-News' that the doctors were attending his injuries.

This is the fifth incident of the spate of violence the SLRC workers are facing since Minister Mervin Silva who trespassed the SLRC premises and assaulted the News Director was chased by the staff.

Media organizations joined with the main opposition launched a massive demonstration before the SLRC on March 11 against hunting SLRC staff. On that day, they declared that the SLRC would strike work continuously if another worker is attacked.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=5546

China issues human rights record of United States in 2007

China issued on Thursday the Human Rights Record of the United States in 2007 in response to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007 issued by the U.S. Department of State on Tuesday.

Released by the Information Office of China's State Council, the Chinese report listed a multitude of cases to show the human rights situation in the United States and its violation of human rights in other countries.

The report says the United States attacks more than 190 countries and regions including China on their human rights issues, but mentions nothing about its own human rights problems.

By publishing the Human Rights Record of the United States in 2007, the report says it aims to "help the people have a better understanding of the real situation in the United States and as a reminder for the United States to reflect upon its own issues".

Read more,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/13/content_7778748.htm

UNESCO withdraws patronage to RSF

UNESCO has withdrawn its patronage of the Online Free Expression Day, organized by the non-governmental organization, Reporters Sans frontiers (RSF).

UNESCO reiterates its support for freedom of expression on the internet but felt compelled to withdraw patronage following the publication of information by RSF which did not follow the arrangements agreed upon between the two organizations concerning the event, said a press release issued by the UNESCO Secretariat in Paris on Wednesday(12)

The statement said that UNESCO could not endorse material published by RSF concerning a number of its Member States. Further, it objected to the use of UNESCO's logo along with the above material.

Political observers say that, interestingly, the RSF blacklist did not include a single Western country, and that its fire was concentrated on the so-called Third World.

RSF has several times published wrong information about Sri Lanka in a bid to tarnish its image.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080314_03

Sri Lankan Official in Riyadh to Seek Clemency for Rizana

Sri Lankan Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila arrived in Saudi Arabia yesterday to lobby on behalf of a Sri Lankan maid who was sentenced to beheading for the death of an infant in her care.

“I came here to make a personal appeal to seek clemency from the parents of the infant who died in the hands of the teenaged maid,” Bhaila told Arab News on arrival at the King Khaled International Airport.

Rizana Nafeek, 20, was sentenced to beheading for the death of a four-month-old infant boy on May 22, 2005, in Dawadami, about 390 km west of Riyadh. Last week the case was passed to the Cassation Court in Riyadh.

Bhaila said that he came to the Kingdom on a request made by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, who has taken a personal interest in Nafeek’s case. Bhaila added that the Sri Lankan government respects the decisions of the Kingdom’s judiciary.

Read more,
http://www.arabnews.com/

UNP would never return to power - JVP Leader

Sri Lanka would have ended up in division by now with a state of Eelam in the North if Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected President at the last Presidential election.

Therefore, the JVP has no regrets for having enabled President Mahinda Rajapaksa to win the last Presidential election said JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe.

The JVP Leader said so addressing a party rally held near the Kandy Central Market on Monday, March 10.

The rally was held to protest against alleged moves to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution which the JVP says would lead to a division of the country.

Amarawansa said the JVP’s stand at the last Presidential election helped to save a division of the country. If the people thought the JVP had taken a wrong decision then they would expect the people to pardon them like a mother would do to an errant child.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/03/13/pol11.asp

S.B. Dissanayake asked why shouldn’t UNP contest Batticaloa elections

S.B. Dissanayake asked why shouldn’t UNP contest Batticaloa elections when it could have registered a facile victory in Batticaloa going by the last Presidential elections results: UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe secured almost 12 lakhs votes whereas President Rajapakse could only poll 27808 votes in the East!

The UNP was not prepared to play into the hands of the Govt..’s machinations aimed at only winning elections by the foulest means collaborating with another terror group –the Pillayan who were as bad as or worse than the LTTE , because the Pillayan was backed by the Govt. to the hilt allowing them even to use weapons.

In some instances they had even gone to the prospective candidates’ houses and forced them at gun point to withdraw or contest under their symbol. Even, pro Govt. Douglas Devananda party had admitted that Pillayan group was committing atrocious crimes with impunity: abductions, intimidations and extortions.

It is alleged that a Mudalali. A friend of Minister Maithripala Sirisena was also a victim of extortion of the Pillayan group. The UNP candidates who were preparing for candidature was also threatened at gunpoint against contesting.

Read more,
http://lankaguardian.blogspot.com/2008/03/

Airtel appoints Madison Media as AOR for Sri Lanka

Ahead of its launch in Sri Lanka, Airtel has appointed Madison Media, Sri Lanka, as its Media AOR for that country.

Airtel had evaluated only two agencies in Sri Lanka - Mindshare and Madison.

Airtel director marketing & communications Gopal Vittal said, "Madison Media has been a strong partner and has played a part in Airtel's success story in India and we are confident that they will extend the same strong support in Sri Lanka too and deliver all that it takes to make us succeed there."

Added Madison World CMD Sam Balsara: "We are delighted on hearing Airtel's decision and are confident that the Madison way in Media will work in Sri Lanka too. If P&G gave us a head start in Media in India, Airtel is doing that in Sri Lanka."

Read more,
http://www.indiantelevision.com/

Four fishermen abducted by LTTE and taken into its custody - Mannar

Four fishermen out five went for fishing are reported to have been abducted by LTTE cadres and taken them into its custody yesterday- 12th March, off Vedithalthievu in Mannar.

Five fishermen, all ethnic Tamils, had gone for fishing, their livelihood, in the morning on the 12th march from Pallimunai in Mannar, but is reported that only one returned without the other four. It is said that the youngsters aged between 19 years and 28 years had been detained by the terrorists.

The names ad other details as disclosed are as follows with the names, age and the National identity card Numbers and all are residents at Pallimunai in Mannar.

Read more,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=731

Aerial Attacks Support Forward-Marching Troops

SRI LANKA AIR FORCE fighter craft conducted three air sorties this morning (12) in the north and east of MADHU at about 7.30 a.m. in support of the ground troops now inching forward.

Air targets centered on three Tiger terrorist camps in the area, from where Tiger terrorists were directing heavy fire on to the marching troops.

Air Force pilots confirmed the precision of the targets. Ground troop operations are under way.

Sri Lanka charges Tamil Tiger leader for murder

The Sri Lankan authorities have filed indictment against the leader of the rebel Liberation Tigersof Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Velupillai Prabakaran for the murder of former foreign minister, officials said Tuesday.

Officials from the Attorney General's Department said that Prabakaran and five other rebels were charged on Tuesday for the August 2005 murder of then Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

A fellow Tamil, Kadirgamar was gunned down near the swimming pool of his Colombo home by a LTTE gunman. Kadirgamar had led an international campaign against the rebels which resulted in several countries banning the rebel outfit.

The Colombo High Court in October 2002 sentenced Prabakaran for 200 years imprisonment for bombing the country's Central Bank building and killing about 100 people in January 1996 in trial held in absentia.

Read more,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/12/content_7769353.htm

SAARC summit venue shifted to Colombo

Sri Lanka on Tuesday decided to shift the venue of the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit from Kandy to Colombo due to inadequate facilities in the island nation's scenic tourist spot to accommodate the leaders and delegations from the member countries.

The 15th summit of the regional grouping and its preceding meetings are scheduled to be held from July 27 to August 3.

''Colombo city hotels have been identified to accommodate around 1200 delegates and media personnel associated with the event,'' an official statement said.

The shifting of the venue from Kandy to Colombo has been done due to inadequate infrastructure facilities to accommodate the seven heads of state, their respective delegations and the large international and regional media contingent, it said.

Read more,
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/

Sri Lanka Telecom extends gains on NTT sale expectations

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) extended gains Wednesday on expectations of a sale of stock by NTT to Malaysia's Usaha Tegas group following a court order permitting the sale, dealers said.

SLT share rose one rupee to 39.25 on top of a 1.50 rupee gain on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, SLT said in a regulatory filing that a proposed shareholder agreement between Sri Lanka's government and the UT group cannot go ahead, but a court ruling has allowed a separate management deal.

Japan's NTT Communications which now owns 35.2 percent of SLT has a shareholder agreement with the government which owns 49.5 percent of the company, giving NTT benefits including the right to appoint a chief executive.

NTT was originally proposing to sell a 25 percent stake in Sri Lanka Telecom to Global Communications NV, a UT group investment vehicle, retaining a 10 percent stake.

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