Ranil falls from raja yoga to paraja yoga

More than before Ranil Wickremesinghe’s actions tend to border on antics and histrionics. Increasingly he is veering away from pursuing any credible or pragmatic moves to stage a comeback. Last week, for instance, he resigned from a post which he never held. He thought he was a member of the Gangaramaya Dayaka Sabha only to find, after he resigned, that he had never been a member of it.

His successive defeats have not taught him that he has lost every card he played because he is way out of the central forces on which he has to depend for his political survival. April has proved that even his horoscope is not going to save him. He can be saved only if he joins the rest of the nation. And right now the nation, according to the polls, is with Mahinda Rajapakse.

Read more,
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/5673

LTTE Hand Grenade Attack at IDP Centre Injures Two Children & Six Others

A GROUP OF SUSPECTED LTTE TERRORISTS threw a hand grenade towards the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) centre at SARATHA school in KATTANKUDY, BATTICALAOA Thursday at about 10.35 p.m.. Eight IDPs including two children of 12 and 15 years of age sustained injuries in the explosion.

Read more,
http://www.army.lk/fulsit.php?idx=564

LTTE attempts to raise funds in Greece fail

The LTTE activists have made several unsuccessful attempts to collect funds from Sri Lankan expatriates in Greece.

Though Greece comes under the European Union, which has already declared the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, there have been several attempts by Tiger agents to collect funds from the Tamil community living here.

But a member of the Sri-Lanka Greek Friendship Association here said it is hard for the LTTE to collect funds in Greece.

“Unlike in other European countries such as Britain, France, Norway and Switzerland, the LTTE can not do their fundraising here,” he said.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/05/11/sec01.asp

Sri Lanka drop Atapattu for Pakistan one-day series

Sri Lanka have dropped former captain Marvan Atapattu from their one-day squad for a three-match series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

Atapattu, 36, was part of the squad at this year's World Cup in which Sri Lanka lost to defending champions Australia in the final but he did not feature in any of their matches.

Chief selector Ashantha de Mel told reporters Atapattu had been left out to give opportunities to younger players.

Read more,
http://africa.reuters.com/sport/news/usnBAN046704.html
Photo,
http://content-www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/image/254173.html

TNA member S. Gajendran sent out of the parliament

Parliament in chaos owing to treacherous statement of TNA member delivered yesterday

Today when the parliament started business JVP parliament group leader Wimal Weerawanse making a special statement explain the members that S. Gajendran member of TNA has violated the principles of constitution when he made a controversial statement yesterday.

Then the other members of government and opposition also condemn Mr. Gajendran’s statement as the result the speaker had to inform him to apologize the members and call off yesterday’s statement. However Mr. Gajendran is not agreed to that and the TNA members started to shout as a result the speaker ordered Mr. Gajendran either to call of the statement for go leave the house.

Following that order the members of TNA together with UNP members stated shouting Government members also joint heated argument. The speaker and to postpone the meeting for 10 minute.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankatruth.com/full_story/2007/may/10/200700510_3.htm
Read more,
http://www.lankaenews.com/Sinhala/news.php?id=2293 (Sinhala version)

Sri Lanka to felicitate cricketers with commemorative coins

Sri Lanka plans to issue commemorative coins to felicitate cricketers, who emerged runners-up in the recently concluded World Cup held in the Caribbean, officials said.

"Things are still at a planning stage. We have not worked out the designs yet. Obviously it will have a cricket element," the head of Central Bank's currency department A Jeewandara said.

Rajapakse's office said the president had also expressed interest in giving duty free vehicle permit to the cricketers, who lost the final to Australia in Barbados.

In March, Sri Lanka issued two commemorative World Cup stamps in a bid to boost its cricketers before the tournament began.

Read more,
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?newsID=
1593010591&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=16

Tigers use pressure to raise funds, Royal Canadian Mounted Police say

The Tamil Tigers terrorist group has been aggressively fund raising in Montreal using a sophisticated pre-authorized payment scheme and other methods to collect money from the city's 25,000-strong Tamil community, according to the RCMP...

Documents recently unsealed and filed in a Quebec court provide the first look inside an ongoing RCMP investigation called Project CRIBLE that is probing complaints that a Montreal nonprofit group has been working with the Tamil Tigers to raise money for civil war in Sri Lanka..

Read more,
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=
d0baa5b1-bfa3-4bbe-87a8-a406fefadbd3&k=50987

British High Commissioner keeps indoors

A group of JVP Parliamentarian went to the British High Commission office to hand over a petition, put the High Commissioner has not come out to accept it. This petition was intended to protest against the debate in British parliament on the
(Photo taken from the main article) National Question in Sri Lanka and the appointment of committee for involvement in internal affairs in Sri Lanka...

The security guard did not allow them to go into the office and he requested them to give the petition to him. The MP’s refused to
give it to him. Then the security guard went in to the office and come out to say that the High commissioner was not there and the acting officer refused to meet the MP’s. Thereafter the MP’s hung the petition they took on the door and went on protesting...

Read more,
http://www.lankatruth.com/full_story/2007/may/10/200700510_1.htm

Former Sri Lanka leader protests security

Former Sri Lanka president Chandrika Kumaratunga has protested the withdrawal of commandos assigned to protect her, saying she was still a target for assassination.

Some 28 army commandos from her security unit moved out Wednesday following a Supreme Court ruling last week that she was not entitled to extravagant privileges, including a large band of bodyguards and state vehicles.

"A threat assessment in June showed that she is still among the first three people in a hit list of the (rebel Tamil) Tigers," a spokesman for Kumaratunga said.

Police say she can have six constables to guard her.

Read more,
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?newsID
=1846115914&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=33

Photo,
http://www.buddhistisches-haus.de/en/anniversary/chandrika.jpg

First Police Buddhist Society formed in Sri Lanka

Senior DIG, Jayantha Wickremaratne was elected as the first President of the newly formed Police Buddhist Society recently. CID, DIG, D. W. Prathapasinghe was elected as the First Secretary to the Society. This is the first time in the 142-year history of the Police Department that a Buddhist Society was formed to serve the Department, said Senior DIG Wickremaratne.

The first act of the Police Buddhist Society was to organise a Sil campaign at the Police Headquarters on Vesak Day. Over 350 police personnel participated in the Sil campaign.

Several other religious programmes were held on the Vesak Poya Day at the Police Headquarters and other police stations in the country. Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC was the guest speaker at the ceremony.

The most Ven. Welimitiyawe Kusaladhamma Nayake Thera, Vice Chancellor, Vidyodaya University and Dr. Chandana Jayaratne also participated.

Extracted from,
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=43,4086,0,0,1,0

PRESIDENT MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA SAYS UNDER NO CONDITION WOULD HE ALLOW HIS COUNTRY TO LOSE ITS INDEPENDENCE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said to thunderous applause that he would not let his country once again become a colony of any imperial power and lose its precious independence, making obvious references to the country’s Leader of Opposition allegedly going around the world, pleading for help for his political power from foreign powers.

“When we were in the opposition, unlike some leaders, we organized our own citizens to gain political power,” said the President, in ridicule of the Leader of Opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has advised him publicly to listen to India, Europe and the U.S. in formulating a political solution to the country’s strife created by an armed insurrection. Spokesman of the government had earlier said it was seeking an indigenous solution for the country’s ills.

Read more,
http://www.tothecenter.com/news.php?readmore=1799

JHU demands arrest of Tamil MP

The TNA told parliament yesterday the LTTE air operations were only for its protection and definitely not to attack any other powerful country like India.

Speaking at the debate on the extension of the state of emergency, TNA front-liner S. Gajendran congratulated the LTTE for its ‘successful’ air strikes.

“This is only to attack identified enemy targets within Sri Lanka and not to attack India. The government had said the LTTE air power was a threat to India as well. But we are certain the LTTE ‘air force’ was set up only to protect us in the northeast and not to attack any other powerful country like India,” Mr. Gagendran said

Meanwhile,JHU leader Ven. Ellawela Medhananda Thera demanded the immediate arrest of Mr. Gajendran for making an anti-constitutional statement.

Read more,
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/05/10/front/2.asp

Estate workers donate to Defence Fund

President Mahinda Rajapaksa lauds the Kumarawatte Estate workers for their cash donation to the Defence Fund, stating it is a meritorious and charitable act to be emulated by all.

Workers in the ‘Janawasama’, owned Kumarawatte Estate in the Moneragala District, handed over the cash donation to President Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday. 619 workers have contributed a days wages

A representative of the estate workers, S. Sadayandi told the Daily News after the presentation that their only plea was to see the dawn of peace to their Motherland, and they would extend their fullest support to the President in all his deliberations to achieve this end.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/05/10/news25.asp

Don’t betray the motherland for political gains – President

President Mahinda Rajapakshe requests all political leaders not to betray the dignity of the motherland for petty political gains. President made this request at a ceremony held at the Temple Trees.

He said that leaders of certain parties have tarnished the good name of the country in overseas travel and people should take a verdict about them. The President said any political party should organize people to come to power.

The President said every one should support the effort to defeat terrorism at a time the terrorists are losing ground and this crisis should not be passed over to the next generation.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankatruth.com/full_story/2007/may/09/200700509_2.htm