Sri Lanka plans national celebration to honour soldiers who liberated the Eastern Province

The national felicitation ceremony to pay tribute to the soldiers who liberated the Eastern Province from the LTTE will be held on Thursday (July 19) at the Freedom Square in Colombo under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs Karu Jayasuriya said at a press conference held today to announce the celebrations that this was the first time in the three decade war that the entire Eastern Province was liberated. He further said that the President would reveal plans to develop the Eastern Province in his address to the nation.

The Minister appealed to the public to hoist a national flag at each household to salute the heroic soldiers who liberated the Eastern Province.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/July16125416SL.html

LTTE guns down Eastern Province Chief Secretary - Trincomalee

The Chief Secretary to the Eastern Province, Mr Herath Abeyweera, was gunned down by an LTTE terrorist this evening, - Monday July 16.

According to available information, the LTTE gunman fired at the Chief Secretary while he was in his office located at the Inner Harbour Road in Trincomalee at 6.00 p.m.

Sources said that the LTTE gunman has forcibly entered into the chief secretary's office and shot him point-blank killing him on the spot.

Photo:
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070716_03
Read more,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070716_03

UNP to lose elephant symbol?

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday hinted the possibility of forming a broad political alliance not only with the SLFP Mahajana Wing but also with other parties as well and contesting future elections under a common symbol while forgoing the Elephant symbol for the first time.

The matter was discussed at the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting held at Mr. Wickremesinghe’s Cambridge Terrace official residence.

Party seniors like Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera and General Secretary Tissa Attanayake opposed the idea to change the symbol which the party had used since its inception.

They stood by their opinion that the party should never lose its traditional identity by adopting a different symbol.

Read more,
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/07/17/front/04.asp

Sri Lanka warns Indian fishermen

The Sri Lankan government has warned Indian fishermen from crossing the international maritime border line. Media reports quoting officials said the warning, which would be effective from Monday, had been sent to the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

The fishermen, who cross international maritime border and enter Sri Lankan area would be arrested and their boats seized, Sri Lanka warned.

In the meanwhile, the Indian Navy is in a process of installing seven state-of-the-art radars along Tamil Nadu’s eastern coast to monitor movement of boats and to prevent Indian fishermen crossing into Sri Lankan territory.

Media reports quoting Commander of the Indian Naval Detachment, Rathode Mukherjee

said the radars bought from the UK were capable of detecting even a small rowing boat in the sea.

Extracted from,
http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12753&Itemid=2

Delay in issuing visas to Sri Lankan team to enter Saudi a puzzle

Saudi Arabian Embassy in Sri Lanka has so far not issued the necessary visa's for the Sri Lankan team, including the Deputy Foreign Minister, to enter Saudi Arabia and make representations on behalf of the 19-year -old Sri Lankan House maid, Rizana Nafeek, sentenced to beheading.

The visa applications were made a week ago and the delay is yet to be explained. The father and mother of the condemned teenage housemaid is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to appeal in person for clemency from Mr & Mrs Naif Jiziyan Khalaf Al Otaibi, the father and mother of the deceased 4-month-old boy who was alleged to have been killed by the Sri Lanka Housemaid.

The Sri Lankan team due to leave for Saudi Arabia is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila. Others in the team are Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, director general of Middle East and North African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moulavi M.B.M. Zarook, representative of the Jamiyathul Ulema (Council of Islamic Theologians), Rizana's father, Mohammed Nafeek and mother Razeena.

Read more,
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/6554

Saving Rizana Nafeek doubtful!

The government delegation to visit Saudi Arabia to save Rizana Nafeek, the Sri Lankan girl sentenced to death for the murder of a four-month-old baby has postponed their visit.

Minister Hussain Baila, the leader of the delegation, said they had to postpone the visit due to the refusal of visas by Saudi Arabian Embassy in Sri Lanka. He further said he and the other members of the delegation were waiting to fly to Saudi Arabia as soon as they receive visas to visit that country.

The four months old baby girl had died due to sickness. However, at the time of her death she had been under the care of Rizana Nafeek. As she had been threatened by the parents of the child she had admitted that the child had died due to her negligence.

Read more,
http://www.lankatruth.com/full_story/2007/July/15/20070715_04.htm

Photos,
Rizana's House and Rizana's Family
http://saverizana.blogspot.com/2007/07/save-rizana.html

LTTE terrorists abuse Madhu no war zone; 10 soldiers killed, 34 injured

Heavy fighting erupted in the Wanni front as the LTTE terrorists fired heavy mortars at SL army soldiers at Priyathampanai on the Vavuniya- Mannar road, early this morning (14, July).

According to the defence sources, the terrorists have lunched this cowardly attack abusing the "no-war-zone" agreed by the security forces for the Madhu church area. The no war zone was declared on a request made by the Bishop of Mannar, in view of pilgrims' season of the sacred site. Ten soldiers were killed and 34 others suffered injuries in the incident.

The security forces were compelled to retaliate to the attack and destroyed some of the terror mortar locations completely. It is believed that the retaliatory attacks have caused heave casualties to the LTTE. Defence sources said that clashes had continued from dawn to dusk.

Meanwhile, intelligence sources reveal that LTTE terrorists have positioned their heavy guns in close proximity to the sacred Madhu shrine. A command centre equipped with a communication tower has been observed at a location not more than 200m from the church premises, the sources further added. Defence analysts suggest that terrorists would launch attacks at the security forces taking cover from the church, just as they had done using the government hospital during the Vakarai battle.

Read more,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070715_01

London permits pro-LTTE group rally at Trafalgar Square

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has granted permission to an alleged pro-LTTE organisation, the British Tamil Councillors and Associates, to hold a rally in Trafalgar Square to protest against human rights violations against Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The rally was scheduled to take place last afternoon, amidst much protest by mainly Sri Lankans living in the UK who have pointed out that the GLA’s decision to grant authorisation to a pro-LTTE organisation to hold a rally in London was against the law as the LTTE was a banned organistaion in UK.

“The GLA is granting permission to the rally and is making it a condition in its permissions to the organisers that there will be no promotion of the LTTE on stage (including banners) or through the rally programme and that the focus of the rally is a peaceful protest regarding human rights issues in Sri Lanka,” the authority’s Public Liaison Unit stated.

Read more,
http://www.nation.lk/2007/07/15/news10.htm

Laxman Kiriella loses his cool and insults a lady reporter

United National Party’s Laxman Kiriella who lost his cool at a party press conference insultingly told a lady reporter of the Colombo press that by holding a piece of paper and a pen one could not become a journalist.

He became seemingly upset when the young reporter of the fair sex asked him a question about his leader’s contentious statement on the Army victory at Thoppigala that has created a hornet’s nest even among his own party supporters.

Kiriella , a lawyer like his own leader quite average even in his own field , started patronizingly giving a lecture to the reporter on good journalism. He has had no formal training in journalism....

....The former UNP Minister Kiriella, who has not studied journalism or practiced it at any time in a recognizable way advised the reporter that she must know the acreage of Thoppigala jungle, the number of trees there (as if he knows), the number of square kilometers etc. before asking questions about his leader‘s unpatriotic and inborn hatred of his people. Needless to say people undoubtedly were amazed by these new Kiriella theories of journalism.

Read more,
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/6528

Murali reaches 700 Test wickets

SRI Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan has become the second bowler after Australia's Shane Warne to capture 700 Test wickets.

The off spinner reached the landmark when he had Bangladesh's last man Syed Rasel caught in the deep by Farveez Maharoof on the fourth day of the third and final Test at the Asgiriya stadium in Kandy.

The dismissal signalled Sri Lanka's victory by an innings and 193 runs to give the host a 3-0 sweep of the series.

Muralitharan finished with six wickets in each innings to claim 10 wickets or more in a Test for the 20th time.

Muralitharan, 35, is now just nine wickets away from surpassing the retired Warne's world record tally of 708.

Read more,
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,,22075530-23210,00.html

Sri Lanka complete sweep of Bangladesh series

Muttiah Muralitharan ended the match with his 700th wicket as Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 193 runs in the final Test in Kandy on Saturday to win the series 3-0.

Bangladesh, trailing by 369 runs on the first innings, were dismissed for 176 in their second innings just before tea on the fourth day at the Asgiriya Stadium.

Muralitharan, who claimed six wickets in each innings, is now just nine scalps away from surpassing retired Australian Shane Warne's world record of 708 wickets.

The off-spinner had last man Syed Rasel caught by Farveez Maharoof in the deep to become only the second bowler after Warne to take 700 wickets.

Sri Lanka, who won all three Tests by innings margins, will now meet the tourists in a three-match one-day series starting in Colombo on July 20.

Extracted from,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/14/1978713.htm

Four LTTE terrorists to be sent for trial in Colombo - Maldives

Four Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres who are currently in a Maldivian jail, caught while smuggling weapons to Sri Lanka in a hijacked Indian trawler will be sent to Sri Lanka to stand trial as terrorists soon.

Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr. Shaheed has announced that he would not stand in the way of transferring the LTTE cadres jailed for smuggling guns through Maldivian waters, also to stand trial in Colombo on additional charges of terrorism under Sri Lanka law.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Male Mohamed Farooq has confirmed to a Maldivian news agency that he has had successful talks with the Maldivian Foreign Minister about the transfer of the prisoners and the Maldivian Foreign Minister has indicated that he would not stand in the way of a transfer of the terrorists to face a trial in Colombo.

Both men have played down the concerns of some pro-Tiger NGO's that the LTTE prisoners would be at the risk of their lives in a Sri Lankan jail.

The international gun running fiasco occurred when the LTTE terrorists, hijacked an Indian trawler with 12 crew members, on March 29, while the DMK party was blaming that on Sri Lanka.

Read more,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070714_02

Bogollagama to bring sacred hair relic to Lanka

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday said he would bring the Lord Buddha’s scared hair relic offered by the Chittagong Buddhist Viharaya to Sri Lanka next Thursday, while Asgiriya Chapter Mahanayake Most Venerable Udugama Sri Buddharakkita Thera would also be part of the Sri Lankan delegation to visit Bangladesh to accept the historic relic.

The sacred hair relic has been offered to the Madampe Senanayake Aramaya by the Chittagong Buddhist Viharaya on a request made by its Chief Patron Keerthi Senanayake.

Addressing a news conference in Colombo, the Minister said the sacred relic would officially be handed over to him by his counterpart in Bangladesh. The sacred hair relic will be brought to the country on July 19 to coincide with the government’s plan to celebrate the Thoppigala victory in the East. The celebration was earlier scheduled for July 16 but later postponed by three days.

Read more,
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/07/14/front/03.asp

Initial Legal Fees Paid for Filing Sri Lankan Maid Appeal

As the July 16 deadline to file an appeal in the case of Rizana Nafeek, the 19- year-old Sri Lankan maid accused of strangling a four-month-old Saudi boy, draws near, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come forward and deposited an initial sum of SR50,000 to begin the appeals process.

The AHRC is a nongovernmental human rights organization that has been working on behalf of the young woman. The deposit was made yesterday to the firm of Kateb Fahad Al-Shammari, Attorneys at Law, in Riyadh.

“We hope that this can be the beginning of the process that allows the law firm to now proceed in filing papers before the deadline,” said Basil Fernandez, executive director of the AHRC. He added that the AHRC was doing this on behalf of various groups and individuals that have taken an active interest in the case.

Fernandez also told Arab News that this was only the first of three SR50,000 payments to be made.

Read more,
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article
=98425&d=13&m=7&y=2007&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom