Ban LTTE, end truce

The Government can make a fresh start to address Tamil grievances once it officially bans the LTTE and abolishes the Ceasefire Agreement signed with the LTTE, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said yesterday.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily News, Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said the Ceasefire Agreement has become a joke in the eyes of the people with so many violations.

“The Ceasefire Agreement exists only on paper. Obviously we can see that there is no Ceasefire. It has become a joke,” the Defence Secretary said.

He said so many Governments have signed a number of Ceasefire Agreements in the past since the Thimpu Agreement.

“Once you sign a Peace Agreement and then you come to the next Ceasefire Agreement or whatever agreement, you must abolish the other [previous] one. It had never happened. From the Thimpu Agreement there are so many peace agreements including the Indo Lanka Agreement,” Rajapaksa added.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/12/29/sec01.asp

Cops comb TN coast for LTTE men

Tamil Nadu police and its intelligence wing ‘Q Branch’ have launched a combing operation following reports that a group of LTTE militants had sneaked into the coastal areas of Ramanathapuram district.

“We have asked all the lodges and hotels to be checked,” a police official said here today.

The search was launched following intelligence reports that the Tamil Tigers had entered through the coastal areas after a pitched battle erupted between the ‘Sea Tigers’, the naval wing of the LTTE, and the Sri Lankan Navy in the sea off Katchathivu and Nedunthivu.

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http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?

Gayoom in Sri Lanka in January

Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, his wife Nasreena M.A. Gayoom and a delegation will arrive in Sri Lanka on a State visit from January 16 to 19, said M.M. Jaffeer, Chief Protocol for Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The main highlight of the programme would be the meeting of President Gayoom and President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The two Heads of State will sign an agreement on 'Transfer of Prisoners' at a special meeting. President Gayoom and his delegation are expected to visit Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Sigiriya, sources added.

Extracted from,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/12/28/news15.asp

Airtel to launch $ 200 mn operation in Sri Lanka

Indian Telecom giant Bharti Airtel is looking to establish itself as a major player in the Island nation's mobile telephony space as it prepares to launch its USD 200 million operation here early next year.

Mobile penetration in Sri Lanka is pegged at around 30 per cent, with approximately 2 million mobile users being added each year.

"The Airtel philosophy is to stay beside the consumer and strive to find fresh and innovative ways to add value to their lives", CEO of Airtel Sri Lanka Amali Nanayakkara said in a statement.

Bharti Airtel Lanka Private Limited, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Limited, has already announced plans to launch 2G and 3G services in Sri Lanka by the end of the current financial year (2007-08).

Read more,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Telecom/

Improved Train Services from next year

The Railway Services have substantially grown during the last three quarters of this year when compared with the same period of last year says the general manager of railways, Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan. The general manager revealed this information during a news conference held yesterday.

20 billion rupees has been allocated from the next year budget for the development of railways, and by the utilisation of these funds 15 locomotives and 15 DMUs will be imported by the department next year.

Services at railway stations and the punctuality of train services have improved this year, and the department will address the grievances faced by the railway staff.

Read more,
http://www.slr.sharinfo.net/improved-train-services-from-next-month

Benazir stood up for democracy, says Sri Lanka

Slain former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto "successfully stood up for democracy", the Sri Lankan government has said describing her assassination as "brutal".

A late night official statement Thursday, hours after she was killed, said the "ugly head of terrorism" had raised itself once again in claiming Bhutto's life.

"This brutal assassination underlines the need for an absolute commitment to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations in order to make it unacceptable in civilized society," it said.

In an interview to the BBC's Sinhalese language service, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said that Sri Lanka would extend support to Pakistan in its efforts to eradicate terrorism.

Former president Chandrika Kumaratunga described Bhutto as a "symbol of democracy and secularism".

"Bhutto was eliminated from the political scene by those who always benefit from war, racism, arms deals, and those who wish to rule by military power," she said.

"May this not happen to anyone else in other countries of the region."

Read more,
http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/dec/27/

Benazir Bhutto dies in suspected suicide attack in Rawalpindi

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto died this evening in a bomb explosion.

According to reports, Ms. Bhutto was the victim of a suspected suicide attack during a rally of her Pakistan People’s Party.

The attack has left at least 15 people dead, according to police.

Ms. Bhutto had just addressed the rally in the town of Rawalpindi when an explosion occurred at one of the entrance gates to the Liaqat Ali park.

Apparently she had been just 50 m away at the time.

When she returned to the country after many years in exile in October an attack on Ms. Bhutto’s cavalcade took the lives of some 130 people in one of the worse incidents of violence in Pakistan.

News and photo,
http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4405&Itemid=44

Sri Lankan minister hospitalized after clash at state television

A Sri Lankan minister was hospitalized on Thursday following a clash with the employees of the state television Rupavahini, hospital officials said.

Labor Minister Mervyn Silva was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital after being rescued by the police from the enraged Rupavahini employees, officials of the hospital said.

Silva stormed the television station around 10:00 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) to protest Rupavahini's ignoring of a speech made by him on Wednesday in the southern town of Matara in the presence of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.

The station's News Director T. M. G. Chandrasekera was assaulted by the minister and his guards, Rupavahini employees charged.

Silva was kept hostage by employees over three hours demanding an apology from the minister.

Read more,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/27/content_7325517.htm
Photo,
http://www.lankaenews.com/Sinhala/files/2147MervinAttacked_2J.jpg

LTTE sneaking into Tamilnadu?

Former Congress Legislature Party leader S R Balasubramoniyan has pressed the alarm button by stating that there is a possibility of LTTE sneaking into Tamilnadu under the guise of refugees.

Speaking to reporters the Congress leader said that with the LTTE losing ground in Lanka and the worsening situation had forced scores of extremists to head towards Tamilnadu as refugees.

‘This would spell doom to the security of our country and hence the State government should take steps to check infiltration,’ he said.

Referring to propaganda that there was no ban on LTTE in Lanka, he said that it is nothing but a ‘mischief’ played by some political parties to scuttle the peace and sovereignty of the nation.

Read more,
http://newstodaynet.com/newsindex.php?id=3530%20&%20section=6

Congress seeks ban on pro-LTTE meetings

Congress on Thursday demanded that the Tamil Nadu government should take stern action against the supporters of outlawed LTTE and ban the meetings held in support of the organisation.

The LTTE continued to be a banned organisation and the supporters of the outfit should be dealt firmly by the government, senior party leader and former Union Minister S R Balasubramaniam told reporters here.

He also wanted the political parties to refrain from supporting the LTTE.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200712271541.htm

Sri Lanka tested satellite disaster warning system to be used in India

A digital satellite radio disaster alert system that can be remotely activated which was field tested in Sri Lanka is now ready for use in the region to give early warning of tsunamis, officials said.

The Addressable Radio for Emergency Alert (AREA) system can send disaster alerts within seconds of its transmission by government authorities and also has the advantage of activating a siren.

The system is also expected to be adopted in India, which along with Sri Lanka, was among several countries that suffered from the 2004 tsunami.

The system, which has early-warning emergency messages, audio and visual alarms, was tested in a study conducted by LIRNEasia, a regional policy think tank, and Sarvodaya, a charity, in 32 Sri Lankan coastal villages.

"The product is digital satellite radio – it means there's no ground infrastructure at all," said Rohan Samarajeeva of LIRNEasia.

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

Navy foils LTTE bid to smuggle warlike materials: 11 LTTE boats destroyed - Delft

Eleven LTTE attack boats were destroyed including two suicide craft during a heavy sea battle erupted this morning (December 26), in seas south off Delft, Naval sources say.

According to latest information, Navy fast attack craft triumphed destroying eleven LTTE boats, while unconfirmed sources reveal at least 40 terrorists were killed during the hours long sea confrontation.

Naval task units including fast attack craft engaged decisive strikes at an LTTE boat cluster consisting 16 boats, Naval sources said.

Elite Naval sea units detected a suspicious boat cluster in seas south west off Delft, today at around 7.30a.m. Clashes erupted and turned into a fierce sea battle when Naval task units took initiative to cut off the suspicious boat movement, at 11.30a.m, defence sources say. According to Naval sources, LTTE elements were engaged in a clandestine sea movement smuggling warlike material towards the non-liberated Nachchikudha coast when detected by the Naval patrol units.

Naval fast attack craft responded effectively towards the LTTE cluster with heavy gunfire and evasive battle manoeuvres, forcing terrorist boats to flee further southwards. According to information received, SLAF MI-24 gunships also engaged aerial strikes at the fleeing LTTE boats.

Meanwhile, defence sources said LTTE communication has gone silent since the break-off of fighting in the waters off Delft. Further information said, a dockyard built naval craft was damaged when two suicide LTTE boats exploded in the Naval retaliatory attacks. The damaged boat is now been towed towards the Kankesanthurai harbour, by Naval sea units security sources said.

According to latest reports, slain body of a naval officer was recovered by naval units during search operations conducted. Two naval personnel were also rescued during the salvage operations, sources reveal.

Meanwhile, eleven other naval personnel were reported missing following the confrontation, Naval sources said.

Extracted from,
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20071226_07

SL prez Rajapaksa vows to crush terrorism

Vowing to crush terrorism in Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said the Tamil Tiger rebels should be defeated militarily before finding any political solution to the bloody ethnic conflict.

''No political solution is possible without crushing terrorism completely. Our military victories are clearing way for a lasting political solution,'' President Rajapaksa said while speaking at the national event to mark the third anniversary of the tsunami disaster in the Southern Matara district.

''The LTTE would be defeated militaraly and forced to accept a political solution after laying down weapons,'' President Rajapaksa said, minutes after ceremonially opening a Korean-funded bridge that was destroyed by the terror waves three years ago. ''I hope they (LTTE) understand this reality,'' President Rajapaksa, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, said.

Read more,
http://news.oneindia.in/2007/12/26/rajapaksa-vows-to-crush-terrorism-1198663542.html

Sri Lankan military detains Indonesian ship to investigate any links to Tamil rebels

The navy detained an Indonesian-registered ship off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka to investigate any possible ties with separatist Tamil Tiger rebels as fighting across the embattled north killed 15 guerrillas, the military said Wednesday.

The ship was drifting when it was detected about 160 kilometers off the island's eastern coast Tuesday morning and navy troops boarded the ship for an investigation, a defense ministry official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The navy is questioning the 12-member Indonesian crew, the official said, adding that it will conduct a full investigation to check if the ship had any links with the Tamil Tigers.

The official said the ship's captain told the navy that his vessel was sailing from the Indian city of Mumbai to Thailand and that the vessel started drifting when it ran out of fuel. The official declined to give further details.

Read more,
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071226150047&irec=7