LTTE's key logistic complex and engineering yard attacked - Visuamadu

Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets attacked LTTE's key logistic complex and engineering yard in general area Visuamadu, 15 km north west of Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaithivu district, this morning (Apr 17). According to the air force sources, the bombing mission was carried out between 6.25 am - 6.35 am.

The targeted base has been used as the key logistic hub for heavy engineering and construction work by LTTE terrorists, said defence intelligence sources. The terror base has a large vehicle yard and several hardware stores, from where the outfit allocates resources for heavy construction work particularly those done for the safety of its leaders such as construction of fortified bunkers and tunnels, the sources added.

Read more,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080417_01

Lorry with Explosives Nabbed at Roadblock

A ROUTINE SEARCH conducted on vehicles at a roadblock in PETHAVADIYA, KALPITIYA area found a lorry carrying explosives to an undisclosed party.

The explosives in the lorry contained six hundred and sixty-three bags of gelignite, each containing one hundred and fifty sticks and seven rolls of 35 ft-long detonator codes.

The search was conducted at about 10.00 p.m. on Wednesday (16).

Two men in the lorry were taken in for questioning with regard to the recovery.

The KALPITIYA Police are conducting investigations.

Extracted from,
http://www.army.lk/morenews.php?id=12427

LTTE terror supporter base gone down in UK

Same handful of street campaigners of the LTTE was seen demonstrating in front of the Solvakian Embassy in London on 15 April 2008. Prominent of those were Kandiah Rajamanoharan and London Baba Suresh. The LTTE relies on the support of these activists that they too wait for an opportunity as there is no one to compete with them in the expatriate Tamil community.

The street campaign group has shrunk to the residue of these two senior street campaigners. Cllr Daya Idaikadar, Cllr Madame Mann, Cllr Yogan Yoganathan and Dancing Queen Miss S Angayatkanni have given up the cheap street campaign for some time now.

It is now claimed that the demonstration in front of the Slovakian Embassy was a disastrous failure for the campaigners and they have exposed the declining support base of the LTTE in the UK.

Extracted from,
http://www.srilankawatch.com/index.php?

Iran to invest in expansion project of Sri Lankan oil refinery

Sri Lankan Oil Minister said Wednesday in an interview with Japan's Kyodo news agency Iran has decided to increase its investment in expansion project of an oil refinery there up to one billion US dollars.

According to IRNA office in Tokyo, A. H. M. Fowzi added in his interview with Kyodo, "Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has allocated this amount to the purpose, which would cover 70% of the require investment for the refinery's expansion, in form of a ten year loan, with a five year exemption period from payment of the loan's installments."
Fowzi added, "Iran had earlier, too, provided the oil we need in Sri Lanka free from interest for four months."

According to this report, Iran is the largest provider of crude oil for Sri Lanka

Read more,
http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-22/0804179422010501.htm

Tamil Nadu back as LTTE's safe haven?

Battered in the north-eastern war theatre in Sri Lanka, hounded at sea by a resurgent Navy, and having lost several logistic vessels in sea battles, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) seems to be falling back for supplies on its oldest haven - the porous coastline of Tamil Nadu and its vast hinterland.

Dozens of incidents of smuggling and over 100 arrests in the last couple of years stand testimony to the Tigers' network in the state, even though there is insufficient evidence to indicate collusion by the state machinery.

The LTTE maintains a wide network of committed sympathisers and mercenary supporters to ensure regular supplies of fuel, medicines and war-related materials to carry on their armed campaign in the island nation.

Read more,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/

5 held for smuggling steel pipes to LTTE

Five persons were arrested today for allegedly attempting to smuggle steel pipes to the LTTE in Sri Lanka, police said.

The pipes, meant for borewells, were seized at Meemesal coastal village in Pudukottai District by the Tamil Nadu "Q" Branch Police, dealing with extremist organisations.

The Police, who were on a patrol, seized the pipes worth Rs five lakh

Extracted from,
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?

POLICE MOVE ON TAMIL GROUP -CANADA

Counterterrorism police in Quebec and Ontario effectively shut down a non-profit organization for Canadian Tamils this weekend due to allegations it has been raising money to finance terrorist activities in Sri Lanka.

The RCMP was expected to announce details of its unprecedented actions as early as today, but several sources said police had moved in to enforce a Federal Court restraining order against the World Tamil Movement.

The WTM's offices in Montreal and Toronto have been under police investigation for six years, and were raided by police in 2006. While no charges have yet resulted, the decision to seek a restraining order suggests Ottawa is aggressively pursuing the group.

The restraining order pertains to real estate in Montreal and other assets in Toronto.

The recent events are focused mostly on Montreal. Police sealed off the Montreal WTM office on Friday, said Steven Slimovitch, the group's lawyer. He said his clients were barred from entering the premises, disrupting community programs.

Read more,
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=443481

VAIKO MEETS ERIC SOLHEIM AND BEGS OF HIM TO GIVE LIFE BACK TO THE ABROGATED CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT

India’s maverick politician Vaiko has begged of Norway’s most controversial peace negotiator and International Development Minister Eric Solheim who has been charged by non-tiger Tamil groups as a pro-LTTE man, to give life to a dead cease fire agreement that has been violated thousands of times by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) itself.

LTTE news sources revealed that the two controversial men met recently at Oslo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vaiko requested Solheim to help revive the Norway brokered abrogated Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed between Ranil Wickramasinghe government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

A close personal friend of the late Tamil Tiger “peace negotiator” Anton Balasingham, Soheim has been publicly attacked as a “White Tiger”, and enjoys very little credibility in Sri Lanka. He has been criticized by anti-LTTE Tamil groups and pro-Sinhala groups in the country as a non acceptable man.

Pro LTTE news sources said, Vaiko expressed his “gratitude on behalf of the Tamils in India to the Royal Norwegian Government for its engagement as facilitator to the CFA ..” when the two controversial politicians met each other in Oslo in Norway few days ago.

Read more,
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items08/140408-1.html

SriLankan Airlines unfolds 'Attraction Pack' for travelers

Fly Srilankan Airlines to any South Indian destination and taste the age old tradition of warm hospitality of 'Paradise Island' on board. The Srilankan Airlines, Central Asia's Airline of the Year for four years now, has more attractions for Indian travelers from US major cities.

This was revealed in an Agents Presentation held recently in at Holiday Inn in Skokie, a Chicago suburb.Dillan Ariyawansa, Srilankan Airlines Vice President, Sales & Marketing-USA and Ajith De Alwis, Sales Manager had organized a Srilankan's Midwest Consolidators and Travel Agents meet for the presentation. Ajith inaugurated the event and spoke about Srilankan comforts and facilities offered on board for travelers.

Srilankan operates daily flight from European gateways - London, Frankfurt and Paris to Colombo transferring passengers to South Indian destinations - Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Trichy, Calicut, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. To West India, Srilankan operates flights to Mumbai and Goa, and in North it operates to New Delhi.All Indian destinations are non-stop from Colombo with very convenient connections from European gateways.

Read more,
http://indiapost.com/article/communitypost/2529/

Surrendered LTTE militants want to leave country

The LTTE militants and sympathisers who have surrendered are putting pressure on the Sri Lankan government to arrange for overseas jobs for them, fearing assassination at the hands of the Tamil Tigers for having deserted the outfit.

"We always fear for our life by the LTTE though we have been put up in well guarded buildings," the former LTTE activists told a group of journalists here recently.

One of them even threatened to commit suicide if he was not sent out of the camp soon for a job abroad.

"My family is managing by selling our remaining ornaments. We cannot last long. I have seven dependents. If I am not given an overseas job along with a air ticket you may find me hanging," a former Tiger rebel said.

According to officials some of them were in a mentally disturbed state, after having worked under tough and hostile conditions for the Tigers.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200804131551.htm

Lanka eyes countries other than India for importing rice

With ballooning inflation in India and the government banning export of non-basmati rice, Sri Lankan importers are now looking for other options to bridge the island country's demand-supply gap for the grain.

"Despite the positive developments regarding importing rice from India, our traders have been told by their Indian counterparts that they have not yet received the clearance for rice exports," the spokesman for a leading importing body said here.

The Sri Lankan government is now working to get one lakh metric tonnes of rice from Myanmar with 30,000 tonnes of the consignment expected to arrive here next month, Old Moor Street Traders Association, President, K Palaniandy, said.

Read more,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/International_Business/

Sri Lankan rebel's defense line captured by gov't troops

A rebel's defense line in the north western district of Mannar was captured by the Sri Lankan government troops in a battle with the Tamil Tigers, a military spokesman said on Sunday.

Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman said the troops launched a 4-pronged offensive at the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forward defense line at Mannar on Saturday.

"We attacked them from 4 different positions north of Yodawewa (giant tank) and Adampan. The LTTE fled the area as we kept on firing them", Nanayakkara said.

He said that 36 rebels were killed and 56 others were injured in Mannar and another clash in the northern Vavuniya on Sunday. The Army lost 6 soldiers and 25 others were injured.

Read more,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/13/content_7968004.htm

Norwegian Government Funding for LTTE Film - My Daughter the Terrorist

The 50 minute documentary Min Datter Terroristen (my Daughter the Terrorist) attempts to glorify the motivations of two Black Tiger women. The documentary follows the training and indoctrination of Dharsika and Puhalchudar (possibly not the real names) for a suicide mission against the Sri Lankan state.

The main emphasis of the documentary is to give some pseudo-justification to the act of suicide terrorism by the LTTE. Sections of the documentary are narrated by Maria (actor playing the role of Mother).

The documentary has been produced/co-directed by two Norwegian nationals Mr.Morten Daae and Ms. Beate Arnestad. Interestingly, Ms Arnestad states that she used a false name Ms Smith when she traveled to Sri Lanka to make the film. Ms. Arnestad has blatantly breached Sri Lankan immigration regulations and also media guidelines for visiting journalists as prescribed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The camera crew was led by Norwegian Frank Alvegg. The Production Company is Snitt Film Production based in Oslo , Norway .

The international rights for the documentary is managed by TV2 World ( Denmark ), Rugaardsvej 25, 5100 Odense , Denmark . As at December 2006, the broadcasting rights to the documentary have been purchased by Radio-Canada Television ( Canada ), TV2 ( Denmark ), Al-Arabia (Satellite Television covering the Middle East), NHK-BS1 ( Japan ) and TV2 ( Norway ).

Read more,
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/10537

Pro-LTTE movie screened in US

Sri Lankan Ambassador in the United States Bernard Goonetilleke has lodged a strong protest over the screening of the film My Daughter The Terrorist at a premier US film festival recently.

The film, a documentary on the lives and faiths of two female Black Tigers produced by Norwegian filmmaker Beate Arnestad, was featured in a documentary film festival in Durham, North Carolina on April 4.

Over 100 documentaries were screened during the four day film festival held from April 3 to 6.
Ambassador Goonetilleke has lodged Sri Lanka’s strong protest over the screening of the film in a letter addressed to both the US State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Extracted from,
http://www.nation.lk/2008/04/13/news3.htm