Nepal, Sri Lanka to co-develop Buddha's birthplace

Sri Lanka and Nepal agreed on Friday to develop Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, as the most attractive and sacred tourist destination in the South Asia region during talks between the leaders of the two countries.

Sri Lanka's Department of Government Information said in a statement that this was decided when Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

Koirala arrived in the island on Friday to take part in the 15th SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit to be held on Saturday and Sunday in Colombo.

"President Mahinda Rajapaksa pointed out that he had made this proposal many years ago when he was only a member of parliament," said the statement.

Koirala briefed Rajapaksa on the development of the Lumbini Airport and its importance in developing tourism in the area.

Read more,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/01/content_8903529.htm

1250 litres of Acetic acid seized -Rameswaram

Police seized 1250 litres of Acetic acid meant for smuggling to Sri Lanka for the LTTE, hidden in a defunct coir factory at Thoppu Valasai coastal hamlet in Uchchipuli, here today.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team raided the factory and recovered 25 cans containing the acid from a cement tank.

The acetic acid was used for cleaning the rust formed in assault rifles, pistols and other arms, police sources said.

Extracted from,
http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20080731/1014969.html

Arrested LTTE operative wanted in various cases

The arrest of the chief of LTTE procurement module is being regarded by the Tamil Nadu police as a breakthrough of sorts as he was wanted in various cases of smuggling arms and other materials to Sri Lanka.

Thambianna alias Daniel (46), who clandestinely landed in Rameswaram by a ferry from Sri Lanka and came to Chennai later, was trailed by the police for a month.

Intelligence IG Jaffer Sait told reporters here that police did so to crack his contacts before arresting him.

"Most of LTTE cadre arrested in the state have been working under his control and he was trying to smuggle petrol this time. He was wanted in connection with smuggling of explosives, swimming and communication equipment among others and was a member of the Sea Tigers," Sait said.

He could not send the consignments from Ramanathapuram and was planning alternative routes through Tanjavur and Pudukottai.

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http://www.thehindu.com/holnus/004200808010325.htm

New UK TV channel a pro-LTTE move?

A new television channel, Thendral TV, launched in the UK and commencing telecasts on July 14, 2008, has come under suspicion of being a pro-LTTE station.

The new transmission commenced telecasts barely a month after the Israeli decision to close down Tharishanam TV transmission after the Israel authorities were informed about the link between the terrorist organisation and Tharishanam.

It is also reported that the transmission licence for Thendral TV was obtained by a well-known LTTE supporter through the Tendral Medical Centre.

The transmission rights have been acquired from Nepali Television, which is a Nepali language television service established several years ago in UK.

Thendral TV is using frequency 11.727 of EUtelsat Hotbird and its UK service provider’s address is Crawley Court, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 2QA.

Thendral TV is registered under Thendral Media Ltd UK at 135 Q, Alexandra Park Road, London N22 7UL, United Kingdom.

Analysts believe that the Thendral TV would initially telecast songs and cultural programmes and gradually move onto hard LTTE propaganda material to assist the terrorist organisation in its fund raising activities.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/08/01/sec02.asp

Probe INGOs with terror links

It is thanks to help from foreign governments and their INGO tentacles that the LTTE has evolved into a formidable terrorist group. Since the LTTE severed its umbilical cord with Mother India, several 'responsible' members of the world community have come forward to keep it going, while feigning abhorrence of its terror. But for their assistance, the outfit may not have been able to raise funds to finance its terrorism in this country.

Now, we hear that the UN has confirmed that the assets of a Norwegian INGO operating in the Wanni have got into the LTTE's hands. It is claimed that the LTTE has commandeered nine heavy vehicles belonging to the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) to fortify its defences in view of the on-going military offensives. The LTTE is busy digging trenches to prevent the army from advancing.

Why didn't the NPA report the seizure by the LTTE of its assets to the Ministry of Defence immediately afterwards? It is unthinkable that the LTTE will ever use force against a Norwegian INGO and seize its vehicles, given its strong ties with Norway.

Read more,
http://www.island.lk/2008/08/01/editorial.html

Wanni operation 31 st July 2008

Source,
SLRC

4 Sri Lankans arrested, 10 GPS equipment seized -Tamil Nadu

A day after the seizure of satellite phones and other materials at Chinna Erwadi, the police on Tuesday arrested four Sri Lankans, including a hardcore Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militant, and seized 10 Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment and a consignment of other items.

The consignment included 3,360 batteries, a set top box, 11 life jackets, sample pieces of uniform cloth, 10 multi-tester meters, a generator and pistol cover, the police said.

There was also a compact disc, which contained a speech delivered by Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko at a conference held in Oslo, Norway. The consignment was meant to be delivered at Mullaitheevu.

Based on a tip-off, a Special Branch police party led by Sub-Inspector G. Manivannan intercepted a van coming from Tiruchi at Uppur, a seaside hamlet near Thondi.

Those arrested were identified as Vijayaneethan alias Naveen (26), son of Sivasekaran of Trincomalee; Rakshanandan (21), son of Sivakumar of Wanni; Ramanan (31), son of Gunaseelan of Valvettithurai; and Sivaraman (23), van driver-cum-owner. Except Naveen, the others were living in a refugee camp in Tiruchi.

Read more,
http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/31/stories/2008073155680700.htm

Top LTTE cadre arrested -CHENNAI

A top functionary of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was taken into custody here on Wednesday. Following specific inputs given by the State intelligence, the ’Q’ Branch police apprehended J. Thambi Annan alias Daniel (46) of Killinochi. “It is a very important catch. He is placed high in the LTTE’s hierarchy. Daniel was heading the procurement module of the outfit in Sri Lanka,” Director-General of Police (Law and Order) K.P. Jain told The Hindu on Wednesday.

According to police sources, Daniel played an instrumental role in procuring major consignments, including explosive substances, for the banned organisation from India and other parts of the world. He was involved in the attempts to smuggle consignments of aluminium ingots and ball bearings, which were intercepted and seized by the police in Ramanathapuram and Madurai districts in the recent months, the sources said, adding that the ‘Q’ Branch police would take custody of the Sri Lankan national, whose confessions could give leads to the source and supply network of the LTTE.

Extracted from,
http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/31/stories/2008073150180100.htm

Wanni operation 30 th July 2008

Source,
SLRC

Air Force Fighter Jets destroy training camp of LTTE suicide bombers

Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets bombed a training facility of LTTE suicide bombers also known as Black Tigers located in the Iranamadu area, 3km southeast of Kilinochchi this morning (July 30).

Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara speaking to defence.lk confirmed that the terror camp was destroyed in the air raid carried out at 6.35 AM. He said, citing fighter pilots that the camp was in flames after the bombing mission.

Meanwhile, defence intelligence sources said the targeted "Black Tiger" camp was operated directly under guidance of LTTE's notorious intelligence wing leader Pottu Amman. The target was obtained after receiving real time ground information that an activity of suicide bombers was going on at the camp, said the sources. The exact location of the target was in the Thirivaiaru area , just 3 Km off from the LTTE's main stronghold at Kilinochchi, the sources added.

LTTE is a ruthless terror outfit fighting for a mono ethnic separate homeland for the Tamils in Sri Lanka since 1983. The organizations operates under extreme tribal ideologies created by its megalomaniac leader V. Prabhakaran and has unleashed one of the most barbaric terrorist wars in the world against the citizens of Sri Lanka.

Source,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080730_05

Norwegian explanation raises more questions than answers

The explanation of the notorious Norwegian aid group NPA regarding its heavy equipment and vehicles being used by the Tamil Tigers has given rise to some more questions about their credibility than answers , analysts in Colombo said.

The aid group, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) with a controversial past of receiving allegations of aiding an African insurgency with arms and ammunition has denied it has also given heavy equipment and vehicles to the liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) engaged in war and terrorism with the government of Sri Lanka.
According to the Norwegian national news agency NTB, the heavy earth moving equipment and other vehicles now allegedly used by the terrorist group for terrorist and military activities were not given to the LTTE but were stolen by the terrorist group.

Norwegian People's Aid secretary general Petter Eide rejected the allegations, saying 'the trucks were stolen,' Norwegian news agency NTB said in Oslo.

Norwegian television documentary and a Sudanese government record show the Norwegian government used NPA to air drop arms and ammunition to a Sudanese insurgency together with humanitarian aid in the 1990’s.
The controversial use of Norwegian People’s Aid property only came to light only after the Ministry of Defense website revealed the fact and never before that either head quarters of the notorious aid group in Oslo or their counterpart in the LTTE stronghold of Kilinochchi had reported the stealing of the property to the government of Sri Lanka letters of the aid group show.

Read more,
http://www.sinhalaya.com/news/english/wmview.php?ArtID=15617

SAARC leaders to meet on August 2

Foreign Affairs Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee are set to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Council of Ministers meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Corporation on Thursday (today).

The two-day ministers meeting is commencing from today's morning at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. According to the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh had arrived here on Wednesday.

Pranab Mukherjee was holding a series of bilateral meetings with other ministers including an important interaction with Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a diplomat said. However, he refused to divulge the agenda for the talks between Qureshi and Mukherjee.

A Pakistani diplomat also confirmed that Qureshi, who has a detail meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart, is scheduled to meet with the Indian minister today at the Conference Hall. In his arrival statement, Qureshi said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka have traditionally enjoyed close friendly relations.

The relations between the two were based on mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's state, he said.

PM to attend SAARC summit in Colombo: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani will leave for Colombo on August 2, after his US tour where he will participate in the 15th South Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit.

Read more,
http://thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=175295&catid=17

Mukherjee arrives in Colombo

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Colombo on Wednesday night to participate in SAARC Council of Ministers meeting on Thursday.

Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister MK Hussain Bahila and Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad received Mukherjee at the airport.

The SAARC Council of Ministers' meeting will finalise the agenda for the August 2-3 summit.

Mukherjee arrived in Colombo from Tehran where he attended the 15th Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

This year's SAARC summit is being held under the theme of 'Partnership for our people' and will also focus on launch of the SAARC Development Fund, establishing a South Asian Regional Standards Organisation, and increasing cooperation among SAARC nations with regard to criminal offences.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit is also likely to be discussed the expansion of the regional grouping.

The Sri Lankan government has stepped up security across the capital for the SAARC meeting.

Extracted from,
http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?

Another ‘spin’ test for India

Galle: The Indians are likely to retain the same side, that got thrashed at the SSC, for the second Test beginning on Thursday.

The Indians will have to quickly find a solution to counter the twin threat posed by Muttiah Muralidharan and Ajantha Mendis.

Agencies add: Still licking the wounds of their humiliating defeat in the first Test in Colombo, the Indians got little time to regroup and work out a definite strategy to deal with the wily Muralidharan and Mendis.

Apart from the poor batting display, the Indian bowling and fielding also left much to be desired in Colombo, and it will need a vastly-improved performance from Anil Kumble and his men to keep themselves afloat in the three-match series.

The pressure, no doubt, will be on the batsmen who surrendered meekly to the spinners in the last game, which was quite surprising considering their experience and reputation of playing spin bowling.

For a batting line-up which boasts of seasoned batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S Laxman and Virender Sehwag, the collective failure in Colombo should serve as a big blow. It will be a real test of character for these top batsmen.

The Indians have also been toying with the idea of bringing in left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha at the expense of a batsman to strengthen the spin department.

Read more,
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080731/jsp/sports/story_9625953.jsp