Sri Lanka Latest News

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Jordan govts and trade chambers sign new deals ahead of G11 summit

Heads of state and representatives of 11 developing countries meet in Jordan on Saturday to draw up a platform of cooperation with the G8 industrialised nations and bolster multilateral trade.

King Abdullah will open the summit which will be attended by the presidents of Georgia, Croatia, Sri Lanka and El Salvador, the vice president of Honduras and the prime ministers of Pakistan and Morocco, officials said.

Ahead of the summit Jordan signed cooperation agreements with Georgia, El Salvador, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Read more,
http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?newsID=
1425326175&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=1

We were kidnapped by LTTE: Fishermen

Eleven Indian fishermen, who returned last night after having gone missing for 74 days, said they were kidnapped by the LTTE at sea on March 6, Tamil Nadu Director General of Police D Mukherjee said today.

During interrogation, the fishermen revealed that they were kidnapped by the outlawed LTTE, Mukherjee told reporters here.

The fishermen were brought today from the coastal villages in Ramanathapuram district where they had landed yesterday. They also met Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at the Secretariat today.

"Their statements confirm my earlier statement that they were kidnapped by the LTTE," Mukherjee said.

Karunanidhi has announced a solatium of Rs 10,000 each to help them meet their immediate requirements, official sources said.

The fishermen had ventured into the sea for fishing off Kanyakumari coast on March 6 and had gone missing since then. The DGP had disclosed on April 27 that the LTTE had abducted them. (Agencies)

Extracted from,
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=
%7B36E39599-4299-4513-925F-A34B10FEE240%7D&CATEGORYNAME=Sports

Sri Lanka to advertise for foreign coach

The Sri Lankan cricket board is looking to hire another foreigner to replace outgoing coach Tom Moody.

SLC secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan on Friday said the post will be advertised on Saturday and the board expects to have a list of candidates by next week.

Moody, credited with guiding Sri Lanka to the World Cup final in the West Indies last month, will take over as coach of Western Australia — his home state — after the current three-match limited-over series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

Sri Lanka lost the World Cup final to defending champion Australia, which won the title for an unprecedented third time in a row.

Extracted from,
http://telegraphindia.com/1070519/asp/sports/story_7799564.asp

Sirisena Coorey slams Ranil to step down immediately: Also reveals a 'two step' formula for the ethnic problem

A former UNP government Cabinet Minister and party stalwart B. Sirisena Coorey has slammed the leader of UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe saying that he should step down from the party leadership immediately.....

"The current leader of the UNP Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe must resign immediately for the stability of the party and to stop it from being destroyed" said the former Sri Lankan Minister, who is also the current Chairperson of the Premadasa Centre, Colombo, in a special interview with the Asian Tribune.

Read more,
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/5786

President holds talks with Pakistani, Afghan leaders

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday participated in the opening ceremony and sessions of the World Economic Forum near the Dead Sea in Jordan.

The President met Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Amman yesterday, where the two leaders discussed bilateral and trade links. Investment opportunities in both countries were also discussed. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Petroleum Minister A.H.M. Fowzie also participated.

President Rajapaksa also held talks with Afghan President Hameed Karzai.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/05/19/news02.asp

Friday, May 18, 2007

Jaffna Bishop Totally Denies “Tamil Net” Story

Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam, Bishop of Jaffna in a hurriedly dispatched letter to Commander Security Forces Headquarters (SFHQ) Major General G.A. Chandrasiri on Thursday (17) denies having spoken to “Tamil Net” in the aftermath of a meeting at Palaly with Jaffna Commander on Wednesday (16).

Pro-LTTE mouthpiece “Tamil Net” in its Thursday’s (17) lead story captioned “Normalcy not possible without students’ release – Bishop” quoted the holy dignitary as saying “Immediate release of the abducted students is the only way to bring Jaffna peninsula educational activities back to normalcy” at a special meeting, held at Palaly with Jaffna Commander and representatives of People’s Committee for Peace and Goodwill (PCPG).

Tamil Tigers launched Tharishanam TV channel in Europe

Tamil Tigers in Europe has launched the second TV pay channel Tharishanam from yesterday by broadcasting via stat elite “Makkal “ Television Tamil channel of Chennai, India, floated by Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss

Tamil Tigers earlier anounced that they intend to launch a new TV channel called Tharishanam from this week onwards. Accordingly they began broadcasting the Makkal TV channel in the name of Tharishanam.

Even though the Tamil Tigers has commenced the broadcast of Tharishanam using the Makkal TV, it is still not clear whether they will continue broadcasting the program of the Makkal TV alone or whether they will also include Tiger propaganda materials in the newly launched channel.

Indian navy, Coast Guard Conducting Intensive Patrolling of India-Sri Lanka Maritime Border

The Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard carry out intensive patrolling under Operation Tasha using hovercraft, surface ships and aircraft.

The patrolling is done on the Indian side of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in Palk Bay for monitoring fishing and other maritime activities; preventing terrorists from using the sea and preventing smuggling of contraband across the IMBL.

Similarly, the Sri Lankan Navy also carries out regular patrol on their side of IMBL. The Coast Guard, the local police and port authorities regularly advise the fishing community not to cross the IMBL.

Extracted from,
http://www.india-defence.com/reports-3205

Thursday, May 17, 2007

LTTE gearing up for battle - Demands one kid from each family

Reports from LTTE controlled areas reveal that the LTTE is on a fervent campaign to forcibly draft Tamil youth to fight the Sri Lankan government forces.

The campaign called on every family in the LTTE controlled areas to give one child – regardless of age - to ensure security for the family. According to the reports, the children of parents who fail to comply will be abducted while the parents risk being murdered.

LTTE is said to be preparing for an all-out offensive to win land that was they have lost in the recent months to Sri Lankan forces.

Read more,
http://www.lankawatch.com/2007/05/ltte-gearing-up-for-battle-demands-one.html

Sri Lanka state banks, CEB to get new chairmen

Sri Lanka's Bank of Ceylon, Peoples' Bank and Ceylon Electricity Board is to get new chairmen, a senior presidential aide told LBO.

Gamini Wickremesinghe, the current Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission would head the Bank of Ceylon, replacing Udayasri Kariyawasam who would be appointed as chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board.

The current CEB chairman, W S Perera would be the new director general of the Public Enterprises Reform Commission.

President leaves for Jordan to attend G-11 summit

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for Jordan today on an official tour to attend the second G-11 Summit as well as the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East.

A delegation of 125 businessmen and Ministers including Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama also joined the President today in a special Mihin Air flight to Jordan.

The President will participate in the World Economic Forum on the Middle East World Economic Forum to be held in the King Hussein Conference Centre tomorrow. King Abdullah of Jordan will host the event from May 18-20 at the Dead Sea.

The President will also address the conference of the G-11 countries.

Heavy Tiger shelling in northern Sri Lanka forces ICRC to withdraw

Heavy mortar fire by the Tamil Tiger rebels in the Omanthai area in Vavuniya this morning forced the ICRC representatives at the Omanthai entry/exit point to withdraw, defense officials said.

Military sources said the Tigers have launched intermittent mortar attacks from early morning today forcing the authorities to temporarily close the Omanthai entry/exit point to civilian traffic.

With the LTTE attacks, the military had to close the checkpoint at about 11.45 a.m today, a military official said.

“Departure of the ICRC point officials forced the Security Forces to immediately close down the vital link-way as a security measure without risking the lives of Kilinochchi bound civilians and the traffic,” he added.

Maldives navy sinks LTTE boat and arrests 5

The Maldivian Navy fired at a LTTE boat carrying arms and ammunition off the Maldivian waters and sunk it. Five LTTE cadres were arrested by the Maldivian authorities. The LTTE cadres have acknowledged that the boat was carrying guns and mortars.

The Maldivian naval boats have noticed the LTTE boat last night and signaled it to stop for inspection. When the 75-foot boat refused to stop, the naval craft has fired warning shots.

When the LTTE boat turned around and attempted to run away, the Maldivian naval craft fired at it. It was sunk early hours of this morning. Five persons jumped out of the sinking boat and the Maldivian naval craft arrested them. They admitted that they were LTTE cadres and they were ferrying arms.

Extracted from,
http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=
com_content&task=view&id=2391&Itemid=44

Read more,
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP79133.htm

Another militant Tamil group to carry arms against LTTE in Sri Lanka

EROS, an anti-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) group has announced that section of its members will carry arms for their own protection and prevent human rights violations like “the intimidation and forceful recruitment of children and adults”.

“Our armed wing will remain in operation until the day the LTTE decides to disarm and hand-over all their weapons to the authorities,” the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students said in a press statement published in a website called Tamil affairs .com

According to the press statement it will be the second group of militants who will be carrying arms against the LTTE. The TMVP or Karuna faction is already carrying arms against the LTTE.