By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The New York based Human rights Watch said , In the midst of an upsurge in violence, that killed many in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas the rebel group recently organized the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESHOR), a body intended to promote respect for human rights and it was essential that they quickly demonstrated their effectiveness in protecting human rights.
The statement came immediately after the LTTE allegedly killed eight Karuna supporters near the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo.
Killers came to Colombo under Ranil's security relaxation, investigations show
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Kollupitiya Suicide Bomber, who was sent to Colombo by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was one of the walking bombs among several sent by the terrorist group as soon as the Ranil Wickremesinghe government lifted all road blocks following signing of the ceasefire agreement with LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, sources close to intelligence services said.
But UNP spokesman Ravindra Randeniya and UNP Deputy Secretary General Tissa Attanayaka blamed the government and the weakening of the peace process as causes for the explosion of the bomb at Kollupitiya. Both spokesmen of the party refrained from condemning the blast.
Accomplice says suicide bombing planned by Tamil Tigers
 Thiagaraja Jeyarani (26) who blew herself up at Kollupitiya |
A woman accomplice of the suicide bomber, Jeyarani who accompanied the walking bomb to Minister Douglas Devananda’s office has confessed to the Police and a magistrate who saw her alone that the Colombo suicide blast , July 7, was planned by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) .
The accomplice, named Sathya Leela Selvakumar (29) was earlier employed by Minister Douglas Devananda and terminated , police sources said. She was arrested immediately after the Jeyarani blew herself up killing four offices of the Kollupitiya Police and herself.
UNP fails to condemn suicide blast in two statements
 Thiagaraja Jeyarani ( Age - 26) A Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew herself up inside a police station in the Sri Lankan capital on July 7 2004. |
The United National Party, the country’s main parliamentary opposition failed to condemn the cowardly act of the suicide bombing in two of its well thought out statements issued to the media after the suicide bomb blast at Colombo’s Kollupitiya Police station , July 7.
On behalf of the United National Party two statements were issued on the same day of the tragedy that ended four lives of police officers and the woman suicide bomber herself, but both statements failed to condemn the act.
To kidnap children LTTE assaulting parents and burning houses says AI
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
"With today's news of a suicide bombing in Colombo, the fact that the Tamil Tigers have started a new wave of child recruitment is alarming," said Amnesty International.
The London based award winning human rights group warned, "If the armed conflict were to resume, these children would likely be among the first to die."
Woman suicide bomber explodes herself in Kollupitiya Police killing herself and four Policemen
 Prabhakaran honored “Suicides Bombers” few days before the blast. |
A suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber detonated herself inside one of the biggest Police stations in the capital city of Colombo at Kollupitiya at least killing four police officers and herself and injuring scores of other police officers and civilians.
The suspected woman cadre of the LTTE, was trying to enter, a government Ministry, in which Douglas Devananda, a rival Tamil minister of the LTTE runs his office. Security officers prevented her from entering the Ministry building when she reportedly refused to undergo a physical security check . The police who suspected took her to the adjacent Kollupitiya Police station to be questioned and examined where she detonated herself making severe damages to the concrete building of the police station and killing many police officers.
The LTTE for the first time ask for protection from the Sri Lanka police for fear of Karuna
 Pottuamman presenting a musical album to Prabhakaran at the Balck Tiger Day. |
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had requested tight security from the Sri Lanka police at the Black Tiger day celebrations in Trincomalee ,from Sri Lanka Police for the first time in history for fear of attack by Karuna Amman forces in the East.
The LTTE website, Tamil Net revealed that the Police provided such security for the event held at Sivakovilady grounds in Trincomalee.
Two Tigers die, two others injured on Black Tiger Day in East
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The commemoration festivals for the world’s biggest suicide squad, the Black Tigers organized by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) dawned with ominous signs for them in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province where two of the LTTE’s activists including the rebel group’s Batticaloa political Division head were killed in two separate incidents, political sources in Batticaloa said.
According to reports from Batticaloa, the LTTE political division head for Batticaloa town, Senathy and a senior cadre of the LTTE, Ravi were killed in these separate incidents related to the Black Tiger Day the rebel group commemorated, July 5, all over Sri Lanka’s Eastern and Northern Provinces. Defying the requests of the United States and other Western nations to disband the squad of walking bombs the LTTE was celebrating the day to encourage others to join the world’s largest suicide squad.
Prabhakaran and Pottuamman planned Rajiv killing over protests of Mahattaya and Bala
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The spokesperson for Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Karuna Group), Maran in an interview with a London broadcasting station confirmed that LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and his Spy Chief Pottu Amman conspired and planned to kill former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and revealed for the first time that it was done over the protests of the then Deputy leader of the LTTE Mahendraraja Mahattaya and the current advisor of the group, Anton Balasingham.
He said later Mahattaya , was brutally killed by Prabhakaran after being accused of being a spy for India’s Research and Analysis Wing , the state intelligence agency
Surpem Court refuses to accept medical certificate of S.B.Dissanayake
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A five judge panel of the Supreme Court refused to accept a medical certificate produced by the lawyer of S. B. Dissanayake and severely warned former Minister of Agriculture and United National Party’s National Organizer that the court would proceed without his presence if he ever attempts a similar method when the contempt of court case is taken up before them next time.
The Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva reprimanded Dissanayaka when the case was taken up July 1 before a panel of five Supreme Court Judges including himself and Justices Dr. Shirani Bandaranaike, T. B. Weerassoriya, Nimal Dissanayake and Raja Fernando. All justices were unanimous that the medical certificate submitted by Dissanayake should not be accepted. The Chief Justice said it was a very serious matter not to be present in the courts.
Eric Solheim comes with empty hands from Kilinochchi
 Norway’s Special Envoy Eric Solheim (front) |
The two-hour meeting between Norway’s Special Envoy Eric Solheim and Liberation Tiger’s of Tamil Eelam political head S. Paramu Thamilselvan in the Tiger stronghold of Kilinochchi ended producing no results in restoring the stalled peace talks of Sri Lanka.
The LTTE this time attached one more excuse, the allegation that their renegade leader Colonel Karuna Amman’s havoc caused to the Ceasefire with the help of the Sri Lanka Army in the Eastern Province as a reason of not starting the peace talks between them and the Government of Sri Lanka.
Human Rights Watch says LTTE abducting all children released by Karuna
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The London based Human Rights Watch, accused Sri Lanka’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of waging an intensified campaign to abduct children to be recruited as child soldiers and said they were trying to re-recruit all children released by Colonel Karuna Amman during the last three weeks in the Eastern Province.
In a June 29 statement issued from London the leading human rights organization of the world quoted one of its workers as saying that the Tamil Tigers were demonstrating absolute disregard for the most vulnerable part of the population it claimed to represent.
JVP to continue with the case to quash Ranil Prabhakaran pact
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The junior partner of Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna has decided to continue with its case filed at the country’s Appeals Courts requesting the judges to issue a writ of certiorari to quash the agreement signed between former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, it was revealed when the case was taken up , June 28 in Colombo.
To proceed with the case, the lawyers representing the JVP requested the three presiding judges to include the present members of the cabinet also as respondents in the case.
Pistol gang kills Plote member
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) “pistol gang” assassin shot and killed a political opponent of the People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), security sources in Vavuniya said.
The victim was K. Devaraj of the Pattakadu area of Vavuniya according to same sources. Vavuniya has become an area where , LTTE assassins often come, kill and escape to the LTTE held areas undetected for the last many years. The assassinations of Tamil civilians increased ever since the LTTE became the only group who could possess arms under the Cease Fire agreement signed between former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran.
JHU, TNA and UNP to take over parliamentary power says Tamilnet
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The rebel Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Member of Parliament Venerable Aparekke Punnananda Thero in a letter sent to a party leader Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero asked why an organizing meeting of the ‘protest foot march’ of the JHU was held in the house of the former UNP Minister of Fisheries , Mahinda Wijesekera.
Venerable Punnananda in his letter said the meeting had been held in the former UNP minister and present member of parliament Mahinda Wijesekera , June 24.
Enjoining Order on JHU MP extended until 29th
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Colombo District Court extended its earlier enjoining order restraining Jathika Hela Urumaya member Buddhist monk, Akmeemna Dayaratne from functioning as a Member of Parliament until June 29 Tuesday, when the case was taken up June 25.
The order was sequel to an application by President’s Counsel Wijedasa Rajapakse to extend the Enjoining order.
LTTE to love and cherish their suicide bombers-Black Tigers
 Moments before the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Under the dress the Black Tiger woman assassin wearing glasses wore the suicide kit. |
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), despite international pressure to give up terrorism and disband the Black Tigers, the world’s largest squad of suicide bombers, will hold “Black Tigers Day”, July 5, to lionize the dead suicide bombers and inspire more children and young men among Tamils to join the squad in the country’s Northern and Eastern provinces.
The Tamil Tigers are planning to celebrate the “The Black Tiger Day” in the midst of intelligence reports that hundreds of them had arrived in the capital city of Colombo, ever since former Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe lifted all Police embargos in the capital city after signing a ceasefire agreement with LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.
USA to continue all trade agreements with Kumaratunga Govt.
 U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, right, meets with Sri Lanka's Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Consumer Affairs Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, left, in Washington. (photo by: Evan Vucci) |
The United States trade representative Robert B. Zoellick assured Sri Lanka’s visiting Minister of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Jeyaraj Fernandopulle that the US would continue the process of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), which it signed with the former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, with President Kumaratunga’s government also to its fullest extent.
Trade Minister Fernandopulle said, that the United National Party had spread the story that the United States would cancel the agreement after the fall of the UNF government but the US Trade representative assured him that the US would continue with the process with Sri Lanka’s current administration.
In first provincial election violence one dies and another injured
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The first fatal election violence incident of the on going Provincial Council election occurred in the Ratnapura District when suspected opposition UNP supporters lobbed a hand bomb at participants of a meeting of the ruling party candidate killing one and seriously injuring another.
District police sources said, United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) supporter A. G. Ananda Perera instantly died when a bomb was lobbed at some supporters of the ruling party’s Chief Minister candidate Mohan Ellawela.
Prime Minister promises majority while Hakeem negotiating to join
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Amidst new assurances by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to support the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga by joining it Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that the government would show a clear majority in the parliament after July 20.
While the Prime Minister addressing a meeting at Anuradhapura did not name any political group who would support the government afresh aiding the currently minority government to gain a clear majority, he said there were many opposition Members of Parliament who loved the country and the government to go forward assuring the forward march of the nation.
New Maha Nayaka of Malwatte appointed unanimously
 The Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Siddhartha Sri Sumangala Mahanayaka Of the Malwatte Chapter of the Siyam Maha Nikaya |
The Karaka Sangha Sabha, the supreme executive council of Buddhist monks, of Sri Lanka’s foremost Buddhist Sect, the Malwatte Chapter of the Siyam Maha Nikaya unanimously appointed the Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Siddhartha Sri Sumangala (60) as the 26th Maha Nayaka of the Malwatte chapter.
Appointed June 20 to the highest Buddhist ecclesiastical position of the island nation’s largest and most influential Buddhist order of monks the amiable new Maha Nayaka was already holding the senior most position of the Anunanayka of the Malwatte chapter and the Chief incumbent of the historic Ridi Maha Vihara in the Kurunegala District.
LTTE reiterates army is sheltering renegade leader Karuna
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) reiterated its charge that the Sri Lanka Army was sheltering their renegade former military commander Col. Karuna Amman “to use him” against the Tamil separatist group.
The LTTE operated news website the Tamil Net quoting their Ampara-Batticaloa Special commander Ramesh at a press conference at Thenagam in Kokkadicholai in the internecine war torn Eastern Province between the Wanni forces of Prabhakaran and LTTE renegade forces of Eastern Province led by Karuna reportedly said, "If the Sri Lanka government tries to wage war against us making use of Karuna, there will be serious repercussions and we will not hesitate to take appropriate action,"
Election of the new Maha Nayaka of Malwatte chapter
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Anunayaka Thero of the Malwatte Chapter , the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala is the most likely candidate to succeed the office of the late Malwatte Maha Nayaka the Most Venerable Rambukwelle Sri Vipassi , sources close to Siyam Nikaya said.
The Chief incumbent of the historic Ridi Vihara in Kurunegala District, the Maha Thero, who is the senior-most Anunayaka of the Malwatte chapter , was elected to the office in 1998.
Speaker Lokubandara admits he has lost control of Parliament
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The Speaker of Sri Lanka’s parliament , W.J.M. Lokubandara admitted that he has lost control, of the proceedings of the House and said a handful of parliamentarians were behaving as cheaters or criminals (thakkadi) and terrorists in the parliament.
Modeled after the same named office in the Westminster Parliament of the United Kingdom, which is considered the mother Parliament, usually the Speaker is considered as the protector of all parliamentarians, regardless of party politics and the office holder controls the Parliament most of the time not by wielding power but by being impartial and winning the respect of both sides of the House that tends all members to obey his orders.
"Nine monks of JHU brought insults and ridicule for 20,000 others"
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Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero, a leader of the Patriotic National Movement said the activities of nine Buddhist monks of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), brought insults and ridicule to 20,000 other Buddhist monks of the island nation.
The JHU is the first political party in Sri Lanka to be headed by Buddhist monks and is having nine MP’s in the present Sri Lanka Parliament.A strong critic of Buddhist monks contesting elections from the beginning Venerable Gunawansa said that Buddha had preached that monks should frequent only places suitable to them and the recent incidents indicated the politically tense parliament was not a suitable place for monks to enter.
JHU to join LTTE proxy party and UNP to topple government
 "We have now decided not to support this government and jointly work with the combined opposition" said JHU spokesman Uduwe Dhammaloka MP |
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the political party headed by Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, pledged that it would topple the two-months old United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government headed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga by getting together with the united opposition that included the proxy party of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the United National Party (UNP).
JHU spokesman Uduwe Dhammaloka who is a Buddhist monk legislator said his party would join the united opposition to topple the government by changing its former decision to support or oppose the government on an issue-by-issue basis.
Pandemonium in parliament as Speaker disregards court order
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Pandemonium broke out in Sri Lanka Parliament when Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara called in a replacement Buddhist monk Member of Parliament to be sworn in as a new member disregarding a restraining court order not to allow that Buddhist monk to sit in the parliament.
The scuffle between the government MP’s and Opposition MP’s occurred, June 8, when the allegedly opposition leaning Speaker called in Akmeemana Dayaratna to give oaths disregarding the restraining order of the Colombo District Court preventing the Jathika Hela Urumaya Member from being appointed as a Member of Parliament, eye witnesses said.
EPDP supporter killed and hanged by suspected LTTE assasins
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Tamil Tiger assassins, for a moment turned away from the Karuna loyalists who had been tormenting them for the last few weeks, and returned to the killings of their civilian political opponents, those who worked against their proxy political party . the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) Police Sources in Jaffna said
According to them, a supporter of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), a coalition partner of the government, was hanged on a branch of a Banyan tree, in front of a Sri Ganesh Hindu Temple, in Nelliady area in the Jaffna peninsula, after killing him by slashing the throat.
World Bank tells LTTE to enter peace talks or lose millions
 World Bank representative Peter Harrold meeting Thamilselvan In Kilinochchi |
The World Bank applied tremendous pressure on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to immediately start the stalled peace negotiations with the Sri Lanka government or to lose millions of dollars the international aid donors were ready to pump in to re-build the war-torn economy of the North and the East .
In a meeting with LTTE’s S. P. Thamilselvan, June 1, the World Bank representative in Sri Lanka told the political head of the rebel group that it was imperative the Tamil Tigers start peace negotiations for the world bank to grant aid for the war torn areas.
Kadirgamar's visit in New Delhi would lead to a new defense agreement
 Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was received very warmly in New Delhi by India’s External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh ,May 31 2004, indicating stronger relations in coming years |
India will strengthen defense cooperation with Sri Lanka said India’s new External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh addressing a joint press briefing with Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in New Delhi.
Analysts said that the two countries would enter into a new defense agreement and the discussions started by Kadirgamar would eventually lead to such an agreement soon.The new enthusiasm shown by India’s Congress government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is seen by analysts as a new phase between the two South Asian neighbors and a step away from India’s former policy of non-interference in the affairs of the Sri Lanka’s crisis. Kadirgamar is the first foreign minister invited to visit the Indian capital after the new Congress government was formed.
Kumaratunga likely to increase again 2 more cabinet posts for CWC
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Amidst, the main partner of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) writing letters of warning against increasing Ministerial positions in the cabinet the government is likely to increase the number by another two, according to Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) sources in Colombo.
The sources said that it was most likely that President Chandrika Kumaratunga might increase the cabinet posts by another two since Arumugam Thondaman led Indian origin Tamils’ party is strongly contemplating to leave the UNP led opposition coalition and join the government very soon.
UNICEF blamed for delay of release and deaths of child soldiers
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
In one of the most hard hitting reports censuring the Norway managed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the work of the local office of the UNICEF the leading human rights organization among the Sri Lankan Tamils, University Teachers Human Rights –Jaffna (UTHR-J) said that a golden opportunity of releasing thousands of child soldiers in the Eastern Province was lost because UNICEF followed the SLMM policy of appeasing Prabhakaran than protecting the lives of the innocent children by not talking to the renegade leader Karuna Amman.
By this utter negligence of children by the UN agency many children were killed when Prabhakaran forces attacked Karuna’s installations and if renegade leader Karuna did not disband troops many more would have been annihilated , said the report pointing an accusing finger to the UN agency.
Missing soldiers retun to the camp
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The two missing soldiers from the Weli Oya Sri Lanka Army camp, Private J.M. Gamini Bandara and Recruit P.P..D. Sarath Gunasena who were missing since May 26 returned to the camp.
The two soldiers who were missing after entering a nearby jungle of Kambiliwewa to cut timber for the construction work.
Two Army soldiers missing from Welioya where LTTE used to kidnap soldiers
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Two soldiers from the Welioya Sri Lanka Army camp who were cutting timber in the Kambiliwewa jungles Wednesday were missing, Defense Ministry authorities complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.
In the past, the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) used to kidnap unarmed Sri Lanka Army soldiers from the same camp while they were engaged in civilian duties.
Colombo's Buddhist and Pali University starts courses in Los Angeles
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka has established its first United States affiliated institution based in Los Angeles.
The head of the Buddhist and Pali College of Los Angeles, Venerable Witiyala Seewali Thero, told this correspondent that the ceremonial opening of the institution will be held, May 30 at the Institute’s campus at 7833 Emerson Place Rosemead California, a suburb of Los Angeles.
Lokubandara accused of aiding and abetting abduction of monk MP
 Venerable Punnananda Thero questioned the Speaker of the House W.J.M. Lokubandara "Is it being law abiding? Is it how you perform your duty?" (photo by:Sena Vidanagama ) |
The rebel Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentarian Venerable Aparekke Punnananda Thero accused the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s parliament W.J. M. Lokubandara of aiding and abetting the crime of abducting and later making tender his resignation of Venerable Kathaluwe Rathanseeha from the seat of parliament under duress.
Containing very serious accusations of the island nations very first recorded abduction of a parliamentarian the rebel Buddhist monk parliamentarian Aparekke Punnananda Thero in a letter addressed to the accused Speaker of the House W.J.M. Lokubandara said by failing to inform the Police of the arrival of the abducted Thero in the company of the alleged abductors with the letter of resignation at the Parliament following the most publicized abduction of Venerable Rathanaseeha the Speaker aided and abetted the abduction and tendering the letter of resignation under duress from the seat of the parliament .
Muslim party MP s trying to join UPFA Government
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), the controversy ridden Muslim political party of Sri Lanka and close ally of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is once again in crisis with some of its parliamentarians threatening to leave the party and join the government .
Amidst serious allegations of its leader Rauf Hakeem having a scandalous love affair with a married Sinhalese woman already a newly appointed SLMC parliamentarian has left the party and crossed over to the government benches . Sources close to the party said that many more would follow suit.
Abducted JHU parliamentarian resigned under duress, say critics
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Amidst serious charges of forced resignation, the Jathika Hela Urumaya Parliamentarian Venerable Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha Thero who was allegedly abducted by his own party Buddhist monks tendered his resignation from his parliamentary seat, sources close to the abducted Member of Parliament said in Colombo.
The other Buddhist monk parliamentarian, Venerable Aparekke Pannananda Thero who together with the abducted Member of Parliament rebelled against the party hierarchy against joining with the proxy party of the Tamil Tigers in the parliament in the election of the UNP candidate W.J.M. Lokubandara as Speaker, said in the House, raising privileges issues, that he has also received death threats from his own party.
Rebel JHU parliamentarian abducted by goons
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Police reports from Colombo said that a Buddhist monk parliamentarian who supports the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government has been abducted, probably to prevent him from voting for the government candidates at the elections of the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairman of Committees in the parliament, today (May 18).
This is the first time in the history of Sri Lanka’s parliament since the country’s independence that a parliamentarian has been abducted by alleged political goons to prevent him from voting, in a serious breach of parliamentary privileges.
LTTE changing tune and welcoming India's Sonia Gandhi
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is changing its tune and making welcoming statements for the newly formed regime of Prime Minister designate Sonia Gandhi, in India whose husband, Rajiv Gandhi they assassinated in 1991.
The Tamil Net, official news website of the LTTE quoted one of its senior leaders, V. Balakumaran , of having said , “We hope Indian new Prime Minister would follow a policy with better understanding in our issue. Change could be seen in our vision towards India and Indian vision towards us. We will co-operate to achieve a better understanding between us," .
LTTE announces murder by its Ellalan front organization
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Tamil Net, official news website of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) announced that Ellalan Force , identified by the US State Department as a front organization of the rebel group has killed, Subramaniam Chandralalith(22) during the early hours of Sunday morning (May 16).
The deceased, a former member of the People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) , abducted with few others was shot dead and his body was later found by the Police. The deceased is the father of two children.
All aid should be stopped if ISGA not accepted says Sampanthan
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The proxy political party of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka told the Japanese government that if the Sri Lankan government did not accept a proposal by the separatist rebels in Sri Lanka, that had been called a blue print for a future separate state, all international aid to Sri Lanka should be stopped.
While President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government has openly indicated that it would not accept the proposal of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to grant an interim administration as an initial step for a peace process the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the proxy political party of the Tigers in the parliament requested the visiting Japanese government special envoy Yasusi Akashi to stop all international aid to Sri Lanka if the government refused to accept the proposal.
Interim rule is a blue print for a spearate says kadirgamar
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka’s visiting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in Washington D.C. addressing the Brooklyn Institute said that the Interim Self Governing Authority proposed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) was a blue print for a future separate state and it would be very difficult for any sovereign government to accept the proposal.
During the talk the Foreign Minister also said that the Norwegian facilitators in the peace process had been encouraged to play a lower profile than during the former regime due to suspicions and resentments created in the Sri Lankan society. The internationalization of the Sri Lankan issue also should not go too far, he warned..
Uduwe Dhammaloka's controversial trip to Japan
 The Rev. Banagala Upatissa visiting LTTE strategist and negotiator and his wife, Anton and Adele Balasingham at Prince Hotel in Hakone Japan in an effort to support Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last year (photo by: Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat) |
The allegedly most politicized Sri Lankan Buddhist Temple in the world outside Sri Lanka, Lankaji Temple in Japan added more controversy to its Sri Lankan party politics by inviting the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentarian, the Rev. Uduwe Dhammaloka as the chief guest of its Vesak day celebrations.
The Rev. Banagala Upatissa, the Chief of the Japanese Temple, President of the Sri Lanka Maha Bodhi Society, close ally of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and friend of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) strategist and negotiator Anton Balasingham, inviting his past political friend Rev. Uduwe Dhammaloka of the JHU has not gone unnoticed by Sri Lankan newspapers. The trip of Rev. Uduwe Dhammaloka to Japan became a prominent news item in the most popular Sinhalese daily, the Divaina.
DJV welcomes negotiations but rejects interim rule for North and East
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Patriotic National Movement that helped the ruling People’s Alliance government into power said although they strongly supported a negotiated settlement of Sri Lanka’s national problem they totally rejected the proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority for the island’s North and the East
The Desha Hithaishi Jathika Viyaparaya (DJV) or the Patriotic National Movement, the broad mass organization of intellectuals, Buddhist Monks, students, farmers and working class that was instrumental in putting the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in to power said in a statement that it was all out for a negotiated settlement of the national problem of Sri Lanka, provided that the settlement did not harm national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country even by a fraction.
Two top LTTE spies were killed to avenge an assasination
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The internal Tamil Tiger conflict still raging between the Karuna and Prabhakaran factions in the Eastern Province resulted in the killing of two top intelligence officials of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), security sources in the Eastern Province said.
According to these sources , Eastern Province’s top LTTE intelligence man Sivanadan Murali alias Pahalavan and Vathanan were shot dead during the afternoon of May 6 at Thannamunai about 9 kilometers North West of Batticaloa.
Sampanthan requested the EU to stop aid to Sri Lanka
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
R. Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the proxy political party of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said that a delegation of his party had requested the European Union to bring pressure on the Sri Lanka government to grant an Interim Administration for the Northern and Eastern Provinces by stopping aid to Sri Lanka
Sampanthan revealed about his request to the EU in an interview held with the Sandeshaya, the Sinhalese program of the BBC.
Laymen of SU ousted Ellawala Mehananda says Monk
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The rebel parliamentarian of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Venerable Aparekke Pannananda Thero in a letter addressed to the hierarchy of the party lodged his vehement protest against the changing of the leadership of the parliamentary group from the scholar monk Venerable Ellawala Medhananda Thero to Athureliye Rathana Thero and accused lay leaders of the Sihala Urumaya of manipulating the monk’s party inappropriately .
In a letter sent to another leader of the JHU, Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka of the Asapuwa of the Cinnamon Gardens in Colombo the rebel parliamentarian charged that Venerable Rathana of the Sihala Urumaya had been promoted as the leader of the bhikku’s parliamentary group after demoting Venerable Ellawala Medhananda, a more erudite monk who had been holding that position from the first day they entered the parliament according to the whims and fancies of the some lay leaders of the Sihala Urumaya.
SB before Supreme Court on May 7
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
S.B. Dissanayaka , the brain of the UNP political strategies and controversial former cabinet Minister will be brought before the nation’s highest judiciary , the Supreme Court making him to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt of court.
A three panel judges of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva assisted by Justice Asoka de Silva and Justice Raja Fernando will hear the case against Dissanayaka beginning May 7
LTTE demands interim government before peace talks
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has reiterated that the government should establish an interim government under the rebel group as a pre-condition to establish peace talks with the present government.
The LTTE’s political head S. Thamilselvan made the announcement after Norway’s Special envoy Eric Solheim and his delegation met him in Kilinochchi. carrying the message of the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga that the government was prepared to continue with the peace talks.
Ranil and Mahinda to fight for JHU monk
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Both former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the controversial Minister in Ranil Wickremesinghe’s former government Mahinda Wijesekera have come to the defense of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the political party of the Buddhist monks in parliament, the BBC’s Sinhala service Sandeshaya, announced.
There were allegations that JHU’ s election campaign was financed by sources close to the United National Party (UNP) but the allegations have been denied earlier.
Monks need not enter parliament to rule, says Malwatte Mahanayaka
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Since time immemorial the Buddhist monks of this country have been involved in counseling kings and ministers as how to run the country. Apart from that , we definitely need not get ourselves in to the Parliament to rule the nation, said the Mahanayaka of Malwatte , the Most Venerable Rambukwelle Sri Vipassi, Thero addressing the newly sworn in Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Ministers of the Kumaratunga cabinet
The terse statement of the Malwatte Mahanayaka Thero is considered to be a strong disapproval of him against Buddhist monks contesting elections and entering the Sri Lanka Parliament
Monks deny they were abducted and say hiding from goons
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Allegedly under the direct influence of the United National Party and the owners of the Upali newspapers Ltd. The Sunday Island newspaper charged in an editorial that the two rebel monks of the Jathika Hela Urumaya were abducted by the government party.
Despite the editorial, the two rebel parliamentarians , the Most Venerable Aparekke Pannananda, the chief Sangha Nayaka of the Southern Sri Lanka and Venerable Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha in a joint statement said they were abducted by nobody and the newspaper editorials were all fabrications.
Nalin says the monks were only serving their masters
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The response of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) in joining the pro-Tamil Tigers was expected since the Buddhist monk parliamentarian’s election campaigns were financed by anti-national elements and the monks had to serve their masters said Professor Nalin de Silva in an interview with this correspondent.
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“The JHU would further crumble under pressure and there are already divisions in their ranks.”" |
Professor Nalin de Silva, university teacher and head of the national think tank “Jathika Chintana Parshadaya” was analyzing the Buddhist monks’ attitude of the JHU at the recently concluded Speaker’s election in the Sri Lanka parliament when the JHU monks openly joined the proxy party of the Tamil Tigers to vote for the UNP candidate W.J.M. Lokubandara, against whom one of the voting monks, Omalpe Sobhitha held a ‘fast unto death’ before the elections. Lokubandara was the Minister of Buddhist Affairs when Sobhitha was holding a “fast unto death” against him. Rathana was one of the organizers of the fast.
JHU reneged their promises and joined hands with LTTE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
“When the JHU monks (MPs) met the President they asked the President not to have dealings with the minority parties and pledged to support the Freedom Alliance in any critical situation. This promise was also made at the Sacred Dalada Maligawa. These promises were broken with the least compunction. This could be well construed as a part of a conspiracy to oust the UPFA from power.” said the editorial of the latest issue of the Daily News analyzing the about turn of the Jathika Hela Urumaya Buddhist monk parliamentarians who joined the Tamil Tiger backed TNA to defeat the government candidate at the recently concluded election of the Speaker of the Sri Lanka parliament.
Commenting further on the deception of the Buddhist monk parliamentarians the editorial said, “Whither truthfulness? Where are the hallowed principles of the JHU, which crusades for value-based politics? What is the difference between the run-of-the-mill political party and the JHU? Isn't the JHU as devious and dishonourable as those parties, which thrive on political opportunism? It is no coincidence that some former UNF Ministers were seen speaking to the JHU members.
Lokubandara becomes Speaker with Tamil Tiger and Bhikku support
 Opposition candidate W.J.M. Lokubandara votes for the election of the speaker (photo by: Sena Vidanagama) |
With the support of ironic forces combined together like the Tamil Tigers backed Members of Parliament and the Buddhist Monk MP’s of the Jathika Hela Urumaya Opposition candidate W.J.M.Lokubandara became the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament giving the new minority government of the country a crushing blow
With two of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) monks voting with the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam (LTTE) backed Tamil MP’s , the opposition candidate W.J.M.Lokubandara won the prestigious Speaker’s post of Sri Lanka parliament by obtaining 110 votes .against his rival and government’s nominee D.E.W. Gunasekera who obtained 109 votes in an election marred by unprecedented pandemonium in the island republic’s legislature.
Lokubandara seeks help of JHU to become Speaker
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The United National Party has sought the assistance of the Jathika Hela Urumaya to get its candidate and former Buddhasasana Minister W.J.M. Lokubandara get elected to the prestigious position of Speaker
The United National Party is believed to be putting its fullest effort to get Lokubandara elected as the Speaker of the House of Representative with the help of the Buddhist monk Members of Parliament as a first step towards their end of forming a government with the LTTE backed Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) under the strict directions of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Prabhakaran Forces killed many prisoners of war in the East
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Hundreds of Karuna faction soldiers who surrendered to Prabhakaran’s forces from Wanni are believed to have been killed during the initial stages of the fratricidal war between the two factions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Sources in the Eastern Province said dead bodies of Tamil soldiers in uniforms whose hands were tied to their backs were found in Vakarai by the people who visited the area to inspect any possible damage to their houses .
Arjuna issue alleges JHU connected with cricket corruption
 Arjuna Ranatunga receiving the world cup trophy from Pakistan President Benazir Bhutto : He was refused the sports portfolio on the influence of JHU , the political party of the Buddhist monks, it was alleged |
Did the Bhikku MP’s of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) put forward any conditions to the UNFA government other than Sinhala Buddhist issues before promising to lend their support in the Parliament to the minority government? Or were there other conditions more than that meets the eye –especially issues related to corruption taking place in Sri Lanka’s cricket game similar to Mapitigama Buddharakkhitha’s connections with shipping business after 1956? The issue has been raised when Sri Lanka’s former World Cup winning Cricket Captain Arjuna Ranatunga refused to take oaths as a new Deputy Minister of the UNFA government and resigned as the youth organizer of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party for Kotte electorate and decided to remain only as a back bencher of the government.
Sources close to the former Cricket Captain said, that a corrupt cricket official’s mother was a leading financer of the JHU.and certainly, not making Arjuna Ranatunga the Sports Minister of the new government was one of the conditions of the Buddhist monks, under the influence of the ‘Cricket Mom’.
UNFA victory resembles 1956 change and done by children of the same
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
In an interview with Colombo’s Sunday Observer newspaper, the Leader of Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and UNFA government’s Urban Development and Water Supply Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena said, the recent election victory of his government resembled the historical election victory of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna of 1956 in which the working classes united with the rural masses for a common man’s government.
The newspaper quoted him as saying , “ In a way the successful victory of the Freedom Alliance is very much similar to the 1956 victory led by late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike along with my late father Philip Gunawardena. Once again the "Puncha Maha Balawegaya" and the youth and students of our country in unity brought about this awakening change. My party and I contributed positively for its success.”
Jehan Perera needs tution in arithmetic, says columnist
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Jehan Perera, who wears many NGO hats in Sri Lanka, as the Media Director of the National Peace Council, Director of PAFFREL, an organization for election monitoring and a columnist for a LTTE controlled, Eelamnation website is once again in the news.
Popular Sunday Times columnist Rajpal Abeynayake in his column last week said that Jehan Perera, should go back to the United States where he studied to learn his arithmetic. Rajpal Abeynayaka’s column was responding to a pro-UNP column Jehan Perera had written just after the Sri Lanka Parliamentary General Elections.
UNF and Ranil disgrace their own nominee to UN
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Ranil Wickremesinghe government’s official nominee, to the prestigious position now held by Kofi Annan, the United Nation’s Secretary General was disgraced by his own party, when the same leadership changed his mind and failed to appoint him as a national list MP of the United National Front in the Sri Lanka Parliament.
The fall of Tyronne Fernando came together, as Lakshman Kadirgamar who was criticized by him severely for carrying on an international campaign with India to ban Tamil Tigers once again became Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, with the routing of Fernando’s party at the last general Elections.
31 Ministers took oaths as Sri Lanka Cabinet
 (photo by:Eranga Jayawardena ) |
Thirty one new cabinet ministers took oaths at the President’s House in Colombo while the government’s most important partner, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) kept away from the oath taking ceremony. The JVP ministers are expected to take their oaths separately.
The most important ministry, next to the portfolio of Prime minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs went to the President’s Foreign Affairs advisor, Lakshman Kadirgamar and the powerful Ministry of Finance went to Dr. Sarath Amunugama. President’s brother Anura Bandaranaike took the Ministry of Torism and investment Promotion
Ranil still wants to govern with Tamil National Alliance
 (photo by; David Gray ) |
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who has been given a crushing defeat by the majority Sinhala voters at the recently concluded general elections had been engaged in several rounds of talks to form the new government with the help of the Tamil National Alliance, political sources in Colombo said.
Sources said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had not only contacted the Tamil political parties in this regard but even some pro-UNP Buddhist monks to get the help of certain sections of the monks elected under the banner of the Jathika Hela Urumaya ( JHU).
Crushing defeat for Ranil Wickremesinghe, early results show
 (photo by: Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi ) |
Early results so far released by Sri Lanka’s Commissioner of Elections indicate that more than 75 percent of the 12 million registered voters of the island republic had given a humiliating defeat to the country’s ruling Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his United National Front coalition and granted an early lead over the ruling party to the newly formed alliance of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
If a government is formed by the new coalition led by President Chandrika Kumaratunga it would be a fresh start for the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna , that had been brutally crushed twice in its short history since 1971 to actually hold office and govern for the first time.
MP in Canberra Parliament attacks LTTE for murder in elections
 Mr Don Randall MP |
An influential Australian parliamentarian addressing the Federal House of Representatives in Canberra charged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of Sri Lanka had in the most undemocratic way assassinated, shot and wounded opposing candidates and election officials in an effort to scare them from electoral involvement or just simply to eliminate them during the election campaign that led to today’s general elections.
Don Randall, Chairman of the Australia-Sri Lanka Friendship group in the Australian Federal parliament in a hard-hitting speech before the House described the recent speech of pro-Tamil terrorist Member of Parliament attacking Sri Lanka for calling the current general elections as a “sordid and obsequious grab for the extremist Tamil Tigers in his very marginal electorate.”
PAFFREL election monitors are supporters of UNP-LTTE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka’s PAFFREL organization, whose members have been allowed to monitor elections today, officially sanctioned by the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayaka, as independent election monitors is headed by extremely bias individuals like pro-UNP Executive Directoe Kigsley Rodrigo and alleged LTTE supporter Jehan Perera , political parties and other commentators have complained.
Jehan Perera , who writes a regular column for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlled website ,Eelannation, that promotes separatism openly, has attacked PAFFRE:’s critics through his column published in the Tiger website.
Human rights group accuses Intl' community of helping LTTE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A leading human rights group among the Tamils said that Tamil Tigers recent statement threatening to wipe out the group’s dissidents expressed Velupillai Pillai Prabhakaran’s complete disregard for human rights and international law. But, the statement said the international community and Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM)unfortunately reacted to that with total silence.
The group charged, that this silence made the international community and the Norway led monitors passive accomplices of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE), enabling the LTTE to carry out its brutal threats unhindered.
UNP's imagined support from Karuna described as last straw of drowning man
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Opposition political commentators in Colombo described the false statement by the Ranil Wickremesinghe led United National Front (UNF) of receiving assurances of the renegade Karuna faction of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as one last straw of a desperate man drowning in Sri Lanka’s turbulent political waters.
The United National Front announced Karuna’s support at the coming general elections but the Karuna faction of the LTTE has denied any support to the ruling political party.
Ranil falsely claims Prabhakaran committed to peace
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, praised the Supremo of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Velupillai Prabhakaran as a man committed to peace in a BBC interview but even before the news was broadcast by the radio suspected LTTE gunmen shot and injured a University teacher of the Eastern University for supporting an opposing faction of the Tamil group against Prabhakaran .
The obvious false statement of the Prime Minister came not only within few hours after the alleged shooting by the Tamil Tigers of the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Eastern University, Dr. T. Thiruchelvam, who is now admitted in the Batticaloa General Hospital but also days after Wickremesinghe’s own UNF candidate, Sinnathamby Sunderam Pillai and an EPDP election worker were gunned down by the Tamil Tiger assassins also in the same province
Karuna orders the closure of Prabhakaran law courts
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The renegade Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) military commander Col. Karuna ordered the closure of the “Eelam judicial Court” conducted at Pattipalai, Batticaloa in a further rejection of authority by the Wanni leadership of the Tamil rebel group.
T. Chandrasekera of the island’s popular daily, the Divaina reported that the rebel of the Tamil rebel group. Karuna Amman made the order to take effect immediately from March 23 and immediately the court house was closed down and all property stored in the court as evidence material belonging to citizens of the area were handed over to the Sri Lanka government’s Kokadicholai Provincial Secretary’s office to be distributed among the owners.
Karuna orders prohibition of relations with Wanni
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Renegade Tamil Tiger Commander, Col. Karuna imposed a prohibition of all dealings with the Wanni leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by any individual in the Eastern Province yesterday while a pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance candidate Nadarajah Raviraj threatened Karuna that his regionalism would be properly replied to by the Ampara-Batticaloa Tamil people in the coming elections.
Colonel Karuna’s censure ordering people in the East to stop any relationship with the Wanni leadership, meaning Tamil Tiger Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and his immediate associates like Spy Chief Pottuamman, and political commissar Thamilchelvan etc. came in the Tamil newspaper Thamil Alai, a pro-Karuna newspaper published in Kokadicholai, near Batticaloa, in the area under his control.
Balasingham reveals the betrayals of UNP leaders
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
In a London interview to attack Tamil renegade leader Karuna, the main peace negotiator of the Tamil Tigers, Anton Balasingham revealed they recruited rebels for a separatist army making use of a Ceasefire with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Ranasinghe Premadasa once wanted to trade Northern Province by granting it a full separate state while keeping Eastern Province for Sri Lanka.
In a front-page interview published as the lead story in the main organ of the Tamil Tigers, the London based Tamil Guardian, the rebel group’s chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said that the troops, now under the renegade leader Karuna were recruited during the Ceasefire between Prabhakaran and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Balasingham also handles the international operations of the LTTE from London, although the UK government has banned the rebel group as a terrorist organization.
Karuna warnts new MOU with Chandrika and LTTE warns against it
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The renegade leader of the breakaway faction of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) Col. Karuna, and his new Tiger faction of the Tamil guerillas have decided to approach , Sri Lanka’s executive President Chandrika Kumaratunga to sign a fresh Ceasefire Agreement with them to avoid future military clashes with the Sri Lankan security forces , reports from Colombo said.
Meanwhile, LTTE’s Political Section Head in Wanni at a press conference severely warned the Sri Lanka government not to have any dealings with the breakaway Eastern faction of the LTTE.
Erik Solheim to make peace among warring Tiger factions
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Erik Solheim the Special envoy of Norway and close friend of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran will fly to Sri Lanka to resolve the conflict between the Tamil Tiger leader and the group’s renegade Eastern military leader Col. Karuna, political sources IN Colombo reported.
Both Erik Solheim and the Norwegian Embassy have been attempting to make peace between both factions although resolving factional quarrels among the LTTE has not been part of the mandate given to Norway , in regard to the peace process in Sri Lanka. Sources said, in fact, they were appointed to facilitate the peace process between the government of Sri Lanka and the rebel group LTTE.
Ranil blamed for not using LTTE division for the nation
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Without making use of the latest division in the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) favorably for the national interests of Sri Lanka to restore peace in the island nation, the country’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Norway were more interested in mending fences between the two divided factions charged the Patriotic National Movement (PNM) in a statement issued to the press.
The statement signed by Venerable Elle Gunawansa, Venerable Dr. Dambara Amila, Dr. Gunadasa Amerasekara, Piyal Parakrama and Dr. Chandana Abeyratne for the PNM said that the division between the two factions should have been favorably utilized by any statesman for the benefit of the nation. Instead , what was now happening was the country’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Norwegian Ceasefire Monitors were doing their best to make peace between the two divided factions completely forgetting the national interests of the country.
Prabhakaran a lame duck and cannot start war, says Karuna
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
In an exclusive interview published in the popular Sinhala daily “Divaina” the renegade Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Col.Karuna said that since the majority of soldiers of LTTE’s armed forces were under his command in the Eastern Province, LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had been turned in to a lame duck.
He did not have a dog’s chance of starting another war, he claimed. “Therefore”, he said, “none of his commands regarding the Eastern Province would ever be implemented under any circumstances.”
Karuna and Prabhakaran now poised for dangerous clash
 Head of the Eastern faction of the Tamil Tiger rebels Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, also known as Karuna, right, stands with cadres at the Thoppigila Camp, the military camp of the rebels, in Batticaloa. (photo by: Julia Drapkin) |
Col. Karuna, the Eastern Military Commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who was removed from his post by the LTTE Wanni leader Velupillai Prabhakaran rejected the statement and ridiculed it saying there was nothing to remove him since he removed himself and seceded from them before that announcement.
Sri Lanka military intelligence sources said the renegade rebels under Karuna have now moved to jungle hide outs like Thoppigala Tiger barracks showing ominous signs of an oncoming clash between forces loyal to Karuna and Prabhakaran. The renegade rebels deserted military garrisons in built up areas the same sources said.
Karuna tells journalist that he would retaliate if attacked
 Head of the Eastern faction of the Tamil Tiger rebels Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, also known as Karuna looks on during an interview at Thopigila Campin Batticaloa on Thursday, March 4, 2004. (photo by: Julia Drapkin) |
Shimalee Senanayaka, the first journalist to break the news of the most serious internal clash of Sri Lanka’s Tamil rebel group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) met the rebel among the Tamil rebels, Eastern military leader Col. Karuna and quoted him as saying that he and his troops were ready to attack back his former leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his loyalists if he or his troops were ever harmed in any way.
Interviewed by a London broadcasting station and introduced as the first journalist to meet the rebelling LTTE leader Col. Karuna, after his publicly announced break up with his former leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, Senanayaka said Karuna expressed the thoughts of attacking back Prabhakaran’s troops in case they were attacked.
Prabhakaran and Karuna disarm and arrest enemies
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
As the internal clash of the separatist rebels, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) reached its climax Tamil Tiger rebels loyal to Velupillai Prabhakaran were escaping Eastern Province and rushing to reach Wanni, sources in Omanthai said.
Meanwhile the Eastern LTTE military leader Col Karuna was even seeking Sri Lanka government assistance to get troops loyal to him escape to their home areas in the Eastern Province.
Non TNA candidates forced to pull out
4 UNF candidates announced withdrawals
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A large number of non-Tamil National Alliance (TNA) candidates from the mainly Tamil electoral districts of Wanni and Batticaloa have complained privately that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) gunmen who visited had threatened to kill them if they did not withdraw from contesting the coming general elections within the next ten days paving the way for the proxy LTTE candidates of the TNA to be uncontested and easily enter the parliament.
Sources in Wanni said the gunmen to obtain the withdrawal of non-TNA candidates from the elections had been unleashed by the Intelligence Chief of the LTTE Pottu Amman, with the consent of LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran. Both were convicted for the murder of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
LTTE starts election killings by shooting non-TNA candidate.
 Anandasangari on the nominations day |
While the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) became the only party in the Provinces of the North and East to declare that the separatist terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was the sole representative of the Tamil people, a Tamil candidate who dared to give nominations outside the TNA in the Eastern province was shot dead by alleged gunmen of the LTTE.
The Tamil candidate, Sinnathamby Sundaram Pillai who was earlier injured by gun shots in an unsuccessful attempt by the LTTE to abduct him from his home at Ariyampathy in the Batticaloa District was admitted for treatment to the General Hospital Batticaloa where the two alleged LTTE gunmen entered the hospital and shot him point blank, Batticaloa security sources said.
US State Dept accuses LTTE of killing Tamil political opponents
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The US Department of State in a report issued, February 26, in Washington DC accused that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of assassinating its Tamil political enemies mercilessly and said during last year there was credible evidence that the LTTE killed more than 36 members of anti-LTTE political groups and suspected Tamil informants for the security forces mainly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
In the past the Norway managed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission has said that there was no evidence to the effect that the LTTE was involved in these killings.
Breakaway faction of the Muslim Congress give a deathblow to Ranil
 The Ashraff faction of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, led by former Highways Minister A. L. M. Athaullah, after signing the agreement to contest the General Election on the UPFA ticket in a joyous mood with President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, at the President’s House. |
In a deathblow to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s ambition to form another minority supported government following the April general elections a strong faction of the UNF ally, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMM) is breaking away from the party and joining the United People’s Freedom Alliance led by President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
In a protest against party leader Rauff Hakeem’s decision to become an ally of the Wickremesinghe led United National Front the Deputy leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Anwar Ismail and Treasurer A.M. Haaris said they were joining the A. L. M. Athaulla faction who would become part of the SLFP-JVP led United People’s Freedom Alliance.
LTTE continues replacing MP's with their own Boys
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Voters of Tamil political parties, that are members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have been protesting against the interference of the terrorist outfit Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) removing even Members of Tamil political parties from candidate lists of the TNA and replacing them with the active members of the LTTE.
Voters charged that this was a political deception of the highest order since while putting forward candidates under democratic political party labels the candidates had vowed to implement terrorist and Fascist policies of the LTTE.
TULF in crisis since Sambandan's pro-LTTE candidate lists
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) is in the throes of its worst crisis regarding its own candidates at an election these days since its General Secretary R. Sampanthan trying to bulldoze his way with an allegedly Tamil Tiger nominated list of the party candidates completely ignoring all senior members of the of the party, TULF sources alleged in Colombo
Due to the pending crisis an approved final list of candidates and a party symbol for the April general elections have been so far delayed, the same sources said.
Chandrasekaran supports Ranil Wickramasinghe
 One of Chandrasekaran’s(L) first acts as a Minister was to meet Prabhakaran in Kilinochchi |
The Upcountry People’s Front leader Periyasamy Chandrasekaran who was engaged in one of the most unsuccessful political adventures to build up a grand alliance of upcountry Tamils with the separatist political movement in Sri Lanka’s’s Eastern and Northern Provinces led by Velupillai Prabhakaran announced he would support the leadership of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the forthcoming General Elections unconditionally.
Few weeks ago, all major leaders of the upcountry plantation Tamils totally rejected Chandrasekaran’s political adventure pointing out the problems faced by the Indian origin Tamils of upcountry were totally different from those experienced by the Northern and Eastern Provinces Tamils.
Dont push us into armed conflict : Thamilselvan warns
 LTTE Army’s training exercise in Vanni jungle |
In a special interview broadcast by the pro-Tamil Tiger “Sandeshaya” of the BBC from Zurich, Switzerland the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), S.P. Thamilchelvan said if the Sinhalese did not want to push their terrorist outfit once again into an armed conflict they should put into power a political party that should be able to fulfill the political intentions of the Tamils.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) according to intelligence reports smuggled in large hauls of heavy military equipments during the two years of Ceasefire with the passive Ranil Wickremesinghe government and publicly refused to disperse the worlds biggest squad of suicide bombers , known as Black Tigers, they continue to maintain.
LTTE military leader Karuna cautiously appeals to Sinhala voters to put Ranil back in power
 Senior LTTE military leader and their Eastern Commander Karuna |
The pro-LTTE “Sandeshaya”, the Sinhalese language service of the BBC said that LTTE military leader Karuna’s statement in Karadiyanaru in the Eastern Province, Tuesday (February 10) had been analyzed as an appeal to Southern voters to vote for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe led United National Front.
The LTTE news website Tamil Net quoted Karuna of having said, “We urge the Sinhala people to reject obscurantism and chauvinism and to choose political forces that are forward looking for the sake of peace and progress."
Farmers give up fast unto death after assurances by Alliance leaders
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The thirteen farmer protesters who started a fast unto death in front of Colombo’s main railway terminal, Fort station demanding the UNF government to bring down Urea fertilizer prizes gave up their protest after leaders of the newly formed United Freedom Alliance gave firm assurances to the fasting farmers that their demands would be met by a coming alliance government on April 3 general elections.
Leaders of the United Freedom Alliance, Anura Bandaranaike, Wimal Weerawansa , Venerable Elle Gunawansa and Arjuna Ranatunga gave assurance to the protesting farmers that not only the fertilizer prizes would be brought down but all other demands of them would be met after the new alliance of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) forms a new government after the coming general elections
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Using her authority provided under the Sri Lanka's Constitution, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga dissolved the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka, paving way for General elections on 02 April 2004.
The President dissolved the 225 member parliament at a time a time when an alliance between her Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was showing promising signs of winning an overwhelming victory in the country.
All island fasts by farmers demanding lower prices for fertilizer
 Thirteen farmers of the All Ceylon Peasants Federation (ACPF) February 6, commenced a fast unto to death campaign opposite the Fort Railway Station to force the Government to immediately bring down the price of Urea fertilizer. (photo by:Wimal Karunathilake ) |
Thirteen protesting farmers including an aging woman, led by their leader, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian S. K. Subasinghe started a “fast unto death” in front of Colombo’s main railway terminal, the Fort Station demanding the ruling UNF government to bring down the “unbearable price” of Urea fertilizer needed for the cultivation of the country’s main staple food of rice.
The parliamentarian, also the Secretary of All Ceylon Peasant’s Federation (ACPF) said under the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe thousands of rice farmers all over the country were abandoning their livelihood of growing rice as the price of a bag of fertilizer had shot up from 350 rupees to more than 900 rupees.
Tigers abandon fast unto death campaigns due to lack of support
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Several Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) front organizations organized “fasts unto death” campaigns in the Jaffna Peninsula against the High Security Zone of the Sri Lanka Security Forces had to be abandoned due to majority of fasters withdrawing from the protests and lack of popular support for the fasts, sources in Jaffna said.
The LTTE organized protest at Thenmarachchi was started with 22 people on the Independence Day but after two days only 2 people remained in the protest after many fasters slipped away at night without informing the organizers, reports from Jaffna revealed.
Norway or japan does not offer altruistic love for Sri Lanka
 Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero addressing the National Executive Committee meeting of the Patriotic National Movement |
Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero charged neither Japan nor Norway were offering to help Sri Lanka’s peace for the altruistic love of the nation and both nations would like to force a system on Sri Lanka that would help the business interests of them to succeed eventually.
Addressing the inaugural convention of the Patriotic National Movement (PNM) Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero, a member of the Executive Founder Committee of the organization, charged that the Japan was offering loans to Sri Lanka, to induce the government to accept some LTTE proposals that would eventually break up the nation.
Four Sri Lankans died with 240 fellow Muslims after being trampled to death in Mecca
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Reports from Saudi Arabia said that four Sri Lankan citizens who were on pilgrimage to Mecca died during the Sunday stampede of a stone throwing ritual together with 240 other fellow Muslims in the world.
Altogether 244 people were crushed to death by a stampede and nearly a similar number were believed injured at a place called Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where millions of Muslims from all over the world make their annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Three killed by suspected LTTE explosion in Anuradhapura
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A farmer, son and a relative were killed instantly on the Wilachchiya road in Anuradhapura. while traveling on a hand tractor, by the explosion of a suspected Tamil Tigers land mine , possibly on January 27, police sources said.
Representatives of the Norway managed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission visited the scene with the Police and the Mannar Magistrate to make investigations.
SLFP-JVP rally at Town Hall
 The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Somawansa Amerasinghe said the United National Front government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to prepare to face the people’s verdict in a free and fair election soon. |
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Somawansa Amerasinghe told the mammoth inaugural rally of the newly formed United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) at Town Hall grounds in Central Colombo Sri Lanka, January 29, that his party was determined to take the agreed pact with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to its fullest victory in implementation and usher freedom and prosperity to mother Lanka.
Speaking very confidently, the JVP leader said, that the alliance that was formed between the SLFP and the JVP was an exclusive and unique one different from all other alliances established in the past and “it is an alliance that says what it does and does what it says.”
UNP run Colombo Municipal refuses to grant permission for Soma statue
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The ruling United National Front government, in addition to its numerous problems during what is believed to be an election year may have raised another hornet’s nest by refusing to allow erecting a statue of the late Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thero, Sri Lanka’s most popular religious leader these days.
The popular preacher shot up to sky-high popularity among the common people of Sri Lanka when he died of a massive heart attack in St. Petersburg , Russia while visiting that country amidst various charges of causing his death with ill will. The last people who visited him were told that he was not referred to emergency medical assistance when he suffered a heart attack in his plane carrying him to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
LTTE attack police in Wellawatte and caught with stolen pistol in a celing
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Two suspected spies of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been arrested by the Wellawatte Police in Colombo Sri Lanka after they attacked two policemen walking back to the station after work, stole a service pistol of one of the constables, and while hiding in a ceiling of a LTTE safe house in the same area after escaping, police sources said.
Police said the two suspected spies had arrived in Colombo from Jaffna and Kilinochchi, allegedly under specific instructions from LTTE intelligence Chief Pottuamman to kill Tamil politicians and Tamil intelligence hands serving in the Sri Lankan security services in and around Colombo.
Chandrasekaran's proposal of building a LTTE led grand alliance faces premature death
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Ranil Wickremesinghe government’s Community Development Minister Periyasamy Chandrasekaran’s proposal to build a grand alliance of Tamil political parties including those of the Indian origin Tamils of the central hills working and living in the tea plantations was heading to a premature death and strong resistance by upcountry Tamil groups including their strongest political organization, the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC).
T. V. Sennan, a veteran trade unionist of the tea plantation Tamils, not attached to the CWC, has accused Chandrasekaran of attempting to link the North Eastern problems of the country which had no relevance to the Tamils of the Indian origin and trying to artificially create a military situation to destroy the precious lives of the tea plantation youth.
UNP reacts to the new alliance by hurling accusations and violence
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Flabbergasted by the sudden success of the formation of the alliance between Sri Lanka’s second and third largest political parties, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) the ruling United National Party (UNP) reacted with violence so far resulting in three deaths and maiming many others and hurling serious allegations against the new alliance.
According to Police reports, the murders and mayhem occurred when mostly the JVP members were decorating and taking part in public festivities celebrating the event. Among the dead were Nimal Gunasiri and Lal Pinto, two activists of the JVP. The third person who died of the assaults by the UNP was not available at the time of this writing. Police said 21 others had been admitted to hospitals allover the country.
Chandrasekaran busy forming a pro-LTTE party alliance
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Immediately after declaring that the Tamils were ready for a war at a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) propaganda rally in Eastern Sri Lanka the United National Front government’s cabinet minister Periyasamy Chandrasekaran said that he had discussed with the LTTE the possibility of forming a political party alliance of all minority political parties.
Tamil political sources in Colombo said the cabinet minister was only attempting to consolidate the power of the LTTE among Tamils amidst the serious challenges posed by the formation of the SLFP-JVP alliance and TULF President Veerasingham Anandasangari’s refusal to accept the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamils.
Minister Chandrasekeran declares they are ready for war
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Community development Minister of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government Periyasamy Chandrasekaran with Prabhakaran |
A Tamil cabinet minister of the ruling United National Front government warned the Tamils were now ready for a war with Sri Lanka, two Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled websites reported, January 21.
The opposition has repeatedly complained that the LTTE was getting prepared for a war while taking cover under the Norway managed Ceasefire Agreement.
In a BBC Howler Rajitha attacks "Dasa Raja Dharma"
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Dr. Rajitha Senarathna, political protégé of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and powerful cabinet minister of Sri Lanka’s United National Front government attacked Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader’s embracing of the Buddhist belief, “Dasa Raja Dharma”, the ten noble principles of government as an attempt by the leftist leader to march back to a feudal system of autocracy.
But two leading Buddhist monks in Los Angeles said the ten principles have nothing to do with any political system, feudalist, capitalist or socialist and was preached by Buddhism for good governance for rulers of all times.
-Interview with JVP leader in London before his departure-
"While a 200 year old USA wanted to teach all its citizens the country’s history Sri Lanka wanted to stop the teaching of its history"
 The alliance between the JVP and the SLFP was necessitated by the urgent national need of the country . |
The self-exiled leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Somawansa Amerasinghe said, what his party agreed to form after an election victory with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) was a pure capitalist democratic government in place of the crony and corrupt capitalism run with black money by the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration in Sri Lanka today.
Speaking eight hours before leaving his London home for Sri Lanka yesterday, the self-exiled leader of the island nation’s second largest parliamentary party scheduled to enter into an electoral agreement with the country’s largest opposition party, January 20, said in an exclusive telephone interview with this correspondent, under the corruption free democratic capitalist system envisioned to start under the new alliance of the two parties, the true Sri Lankan entrepreneurs would be placed in an unprecedented advantageous position to develop Sri Lanka to the fullest possible extent following new Asian leaders like Malaysia, India and China
Chest pains twice but no paramdics called
 In one of the last pictures taken in Russia the late Venerable Gangodawila Soma, whose untimely death still surrounds controversy, is seen in the center. On his right is seen Rupasiri Perera, a President of a Moscow Buddhist Society and a Sri Lankan student Hemantha Sirisena of St. Petersburg is seen on his left. Both of them visited him in the sanatorium and joined him in the daily walk recommended by the doctors for the heart patient on this day . |
The late Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thero suffered severe chest pains just before his plane touched Moscow airport and then during his immediate second flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg and neither at the Moscow airport nor at the St. Petersburg airport , his host Rev. Shanti Pushpakumara Jayasekera quickly responded by calling paramedics or immediately transporting him to a nearby hospital, Moscow’s Sri Lankan Buddhist Association President revealed.
In an article , unpublished so far, and obtained by this correspondent the President of the Sri Lanka Buddhist Association in Moscow said Rev. Jayasekera met Venerable Gangodawila Soma at the Moscow Airport and was told about the possible unbearable angina pains but he put him in a second plane to St. Petersburg in which he got a second attack. According to the article written by Buddhist Association President Rupasiri Perera there was no indication that Rev. Jayasekera called paramedics at St. Petersburg Airport as soon as the plane landed there, the careful examination of the document, by this correspondent revealed.
Dr. Omalpe challenges Vajera Abeywardena to a debate
 The Venerable Dr. Pandith Omalpe Sobhitha Thero |
Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha Thero, executive Committee member of the Jathika Sangha Sammelenaya (JSS) challenged a powerful UNP Minister, Vajera Abeywardena of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government who challenged the Buddhist leader on proselytizing earlier, to come to a public debate with him.
In an obvious reference to UNF government’s State Administration, Management and Reconstruction, Minister Vajera Abeywardena, Venerable Dr. Pandith Omalpe Sobhitha Thero also said now it was coming to light that certain puppet like leaders who do not have even an iota of knowledge about the reality of what is happening in the country could cause immense damage to the nation.
Buddhist monks and Minister clash over new laws against proselytizing
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
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Buddhists Prelates accuses the Minister for reneging agreement. Leading members of the all powerful Jathika Sangha Sammelenaya, Sri Lanka’s biggest organization of Buddhist prelates clashed with the Buddhist Affairs Minister W. J. M. Lokubandara. Asian Tribune Full report |
The written agreement was reached between the government and the Buddhist monks, December 30, as conditions of stopping the fast unto death performed by Venerable Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha and Venerable Rajawatte Wappa in front of the Buddhist Affairs Ministry.
br>JVP demands Ranil to resign from Premiership
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka’s second largest opposition party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said in a press briefing that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who entered a ceasefire agreement secretly with the Tamil Tigers, even without the knowledge of the head of state of the country, was trying to wash his hands of the responsibilities of the agreement secretly now and he should instead resign from the Premiership of the country admitting his miserable failure.
Citing what he called the Prime Minister’s miserable failure for the last two years, the Parliamentary group leader of the JVP Wimal Weerawansa said at a press briefing at Hotel Nippon in Central Colombo, Jan 7, that his Ceasefire agreement did nothing else but supply a break for a weak LTTE to strengthen itself militarily by importing large hauls of arms and invigorating itself by establishing itself politically on a firmer ground and improving its international connections more vigorously.
br>LTTE pistol gangs kill 12 police informers in Vavuniya
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Police and Security Forces sources in Sri Lanka’s Northern Vavuniya District said that they had strengthened the muscle power of the check points and security barriers in the district after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had dispatched its assassination squads armed with pistols to kill police informers and members of Tamil political parties suspected of leaking information to the government.
Declaring that altogether the LTTE had killed 12 Tamils in the area on suspicion during the last eight months the police sources said, since December 30 the number killed were four people during one week.
Chandrasekaran is alleged facilitating tea plantation youth in guerilla training
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One of Chandrasekaran’s(L) first acts as a Minister was to meet Prabhakaran in Kilinochchi |
Ranil Wickremesinghe’s cabinet Minister, Periyasamy Chandrasekaran is facilitating the guerilla training of Indian origin Tamil youth in the luxuriant tea plantations of Sri Lanka’s central hills by the country’s Northern separatists, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) alleges a Tamil political party opposed to the rebels.
The arch rivals of the Tamil Tigers, the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) said that 250 youth of Indian origin recently went to the Tiger stronghold of Wanni in Northern Sri Lanka to receive such guerilla training with the recommendation of the Community Development Minister Periyasamy Chandrasekaran.
Cluster Bombs for the LTTE ordered from Argentina
 Some colorful cluster bombs used by the US |
Sri Lanka’s leading Sinhala language weekly, the Irida Divaina, published by the Upali newspaper group quoting unnamed French military experts visiting security forces in Sri Lanka said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has ordered Cluster Bombs, to be added to their deadly arsenal in the preparation of war against the Sri Lanka government.
Cluster Bombs are the most dreaded and protested against weapon by human rights groups all over the world, for the grisly results they bring among civilians , especially children who pick them up for toys.
UNP Minster on second thoughts and Buddhist leaders threaten another fast unto death
 Puravidya Chakravarthi The Venerable Ellawala Medhananda Archaeologist and President of the JSS |
Only days after the United National Front government gave a written pledge to the protesting Buddhist monks who were performing a fast unto death demanding new laws to stop “unethical and immoral” religious conversions of Buddhists into Fundamentalist Christianity within the next sixty days UNF Cabinet Minister Vajera Abeywardena attacked people who put forward such demands as “people raising childish slogans”
The Minister of State Administration, management and Reconstruction of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government told a Buddhist Prize Giving in the Southern Port City of Galle that such conversions cannot be stopped with the help of laws.
Fast of Omalpe Thero ends triumphantly with govt. kneeling down
 Buddhist monks negotiating with the government yesterday to end the fast unto death of Venerable Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha and Rajawatte Wappa theros. On the left is Minister of Buddhist Affairs W.J.M. Lokubandara who was criticized by many for inaction despite constant criticisms of the Buddhist organizations regarding Christian fundamentalist conversions through allurements using US funds |
The fast unto death initiated by the scholar monk, the Venerable Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha Thero demanding immediate legislation to ban what he called immoral and unethical conversions of Buddhists by Fundamentalist US based Christian missions ended triumphantly, December 30, when the government and the opposition agreed to pass legislation within the next sixty days banning such conversions.
Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha Thero was joined in his fast unto death by the Venerable Rajawatte Wappa a day after, December 29, and both agreed to end the fast after the deputy leader of the governing United National Front and cabinet Minister Karu Jayasuriya and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa agreed to the proposition of the fasting Buddhist monks that a Committee of Buddhist monks be appointed to draft legislation banning fundamentalist Christian proselytizing within 14 days and pass legislation in the Sri Lanka parliament within 60 days
Lanka parties gearing up for provincial polls
Sri Lanka's political parties are gearing for a crucial provincial election coming up next year virtually ignoring the peace process aimed at finding a political solution to the two decade old Tamil minority ethnic conflict.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance (PA) and the ruling United National Front (UNF) have already begun selecting their candidates for the elections. (Gulf News)
Sri Lanka's president hints at snap polls in New Year
Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga hinted she may call snap parliamentary elections to end a power struggle with the rival prime minister that has set back the island's peace process.
Kumaratunga said unless Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to compromise, she would be forced to a "democratic alternative." (Yahoo News/AFP)
US warns Sri Lanka on peace impasse
 US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage |
The United States delivered a sharp warning that the bitter political struggle between Sri Lanka's prime minister and president was denting hopes for peace with Tamil Tiger rebels.
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who has taken a close interest in efforts to end Sri Lanka's civil war, held talks with Milinda Moragoda, minister in charge of peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels (Yahoo News/AFP)
Sri Lanka's North now battles water woes
With the return of 200,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs), Sri Lanka's war-torn Northern province - Jaffna - is threatened by an acute water crisis, even as the saline, already scarce water supply is contaminated by a dangerous cocktail of pollutants
According to a recent study by the German nongovernmental organization (NGO), GTZ, the water in Jaffna - a city of 100,000 people - is highly unhygienic for human consumption, mainly because the city does not have a sewage system. . (Yahoo News/OneWorld)
New look SLFP-JVP alliance
Latest signing date January 21
The alliance between the SLFP and the JVP which has been in focus for a long time will be signed on January 21 at the Independence Square, party sources said yesterday.
The proposed new alliance will have a new name, a new symbol and a new colour making it distinct from the People's Alliance. (Daily Mirror)
Ranil government will challenge moves to extend Chandrika tenure
A spokesman for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that his United National Front (UNF) government would challenge what he called any "untenable" moves to extend the tenure of President Chandrika Kumaratunga till 2006. She is expected to step down in 2005.
This follows the revelation of a stunning story in the local media that Chandrika was secretly sworn-in –for a second time –after she was re-elected president in December 1999, at an unpublicised ceremony in November the following 2000 (Gulf News)
"Sri Lanka peace bid already failed before power struggle"
says President
 Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has accused Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of using their ongoing power struggle to justify the 'failure' of his peace bid with Tamil Tiger rebels (photo by:Ernest Goh/AFP/File) |
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has accused the rival prime minister of using their ongoing power struggle to justify the "failure" of his peace bid with Tamil Tiger rebels.
Kumaratunga Sunday said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had "created an imaginary constitutional crisis" following her November 4 takeover of three key ministries from his control. (Yahoo News/AFP)
"Fundamentalist link to Ven. Soma's death not accidental"
 Flames consume the chithakaya |
Puravidya Chakravarthi Venerable Ellawela Medhananda Thero delivering his funeral oration at the cremation of Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thero said that the Christian Fundamentalist connection to Soma Thero’s untimely death in St. Petersburg, Russia was not an accident.
The Venerable Ellawela Medhananda was representing the island nations largest sect of Buddhist monks, the Siyam Maha Nikaya at the funeral
Record Crowds at Venerable Soma's Funeral in Colombo
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The island’s leading Sinhalese daily the Divaina reported from Colombo that the crowds that flocked to the capital city in record numbers to take part in the funeral of the Buddhist monk, who died during a visit to St. Petersburg December 12, were unprecedented and very much larger than for similar funerals in the past. The newspaper also published pictures of white- clad wailing mothers, struck by immense grief along the streets where the procession moved from the Sri Vajiragnana Dharmayathanaya to the Independence Square where the funeral took place.
Amarapura sect demands a probe from Russia into demise of Soma
 Sri Lankan policemen standing in front of a poster of popular Buddhist monk who campaigned against Christian conversions |
The Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha, the Buddhist Sect to which the late Venerable Soma belonged appealed to the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Colombo Sri Lanka to hold a full investigation into the death of Venerable Soma in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In a special memorandum to the Russian Ambassador, Mikhail G. Karbov the island nation’s very influential Buddhist Sect said the Venerable Buddhist monk died in the Russian Federation under very suspicious circumstances.
Hakeem laments the abrogation of his pact with Prabhakaran
 Rauff Hakeem, Prabhakaran and P. Thamilselvan during better times when the two leaders executed the now abrogated pact in Kilinochchi under the separatist flag |
The cabinet minister of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government and the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Rauff Hakeem lamented the “arbitrary abrogation” of the pact he signed with Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and said the Tigers had no right to abolish the pact even without consulting them.
Just after the formation of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, with the consent of the Prime Minister, two minority leaders, including Rauff Hakeem, made government sponsored trips to the LTTE stronghold Kilinochchi and signed pacts ceremoniously under the LTTE separatist flag accepting the LTTE as the sole leader of the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
UTHR-J says Tamil Tigers trying to chase out Muslims
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka’s leading human rights organization among Tamils, the University Teachers for Human Rights-Jaffna (UTHRH-J) charged, Sunday that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam continued to manipulate the disputes between Muslims and Tamils to fuel violence as its seeks to expand its territorial and political hold on the East of Sri Lanka by forcing out Muslim civilians.
The human rights group’s accusation came at a time the LTTE’s political affairs chief P. Thamilchelvan has ruled out any participation of Muslim representatives as a separate group in any future peace talks completely blocking the possibility of holding “peace talks” sponsored by Norway and other Western nations. Since last April the “peace talks” have been stalled due to LTTE’s boycott. But Norway and UNF government fault the internal political differences in the island between the two major political parties of Sri Lanka for the breakdown of the peace talks.
Demonstration demands arrest of Ranil and others
 Thousands of demonstrators shouting slogans that Ranil was a Green Tiger the massive demonstration marched from the Bo Tree junction in the capital city of Colombo to the Presidential Secretariat at Galle Face. |
Thousands of demonstrators under the banner of Patriotic National Movement and led by Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thera and JVP parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa demanded the arrest of all those who were responsible for the sabotage, including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, of the Sri Lanka Army’s Millennium Housing Complex Intelligence Unit at Athurigiriya near the capital city of Colombo, two years ago
Shouting slogans that Ranil was a Green Tiger the massive demonstration marched from the Bo Tree junction in the capital city of Colombo to the Presidential Secretariat at Galle Face.
Buddhists demand full probe in to death of Ven.Soma Thera
 Rev. Shanthi Pushpakumara Jayasekera,the man who invited Ven. Soma to Russia. Venerable Soma being awarded the Phd. Jayasekera is seen in the center |
The influential Buddhist organization, Maharagama Sasana Sevaka Samithiya and the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress demanded a full investigation into the sudden death of Venerable Soma, who died in St. Petersburg Russia while being hosted by a Sri Lankan fundamentalist Christian priest Reverend Shanthi Pushpakumara Jayasekera..
Reports show Venerable Gangodawila Soma, a dedicated fighter against what he called “immoral conversions of Buddhists” into Christian fundamentalism was invited to Russia on the initiative of Rev. Jayasekera to confer a doctorate on him for his book on Buddhist Stupa by the “International University of Fundamental Studies”, the rector of which is Rev. Jayasekera himself. Rector of a university in Russia is the equivalent of a vice chancellor in Sri Lanka.
Ranil's anti-media directive vehemently protested
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Prajathanthra, the Sri Lankan Foundation for Media Freedom and Social Democracy in Colombo has vehemently protested against the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration’s cabinet decision not to publish government advertisements in the state controlled media like the Lake House , Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and the Rupavahini Corporation.
A press release issued by the Foundation said, “’Prajathanthra’, which upholds both democracy and the freedom of expression, strongly condemns this decision of the UNF administration, as being a violation of the fundamental rights of the citizen and the relevant state media organizations, as guaranteed by the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
LTTE warns Int'l plyers not to impose systems on them
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The political advisor to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Anton Balasingham advised the “international community” not try to impose political systems of their liking on the Tamil people of Sri Lanka and reminded India that it was for the mutual good of the Sri Lankan terrorist group and the island nation’s giant neighbor in the North to forget about past enmity and show a friendly attitude towards the separatist Tamil group.
Reports from London said, Balasingham told a Martyr’s Day meeting in London, Saturday December 6, addressing thousands of Tamil expatriates who continue to contribute large amounts of precious foreign cash to the LTTE despite the ban on the group in the United kingdom that “Our people alone must decide on their political status and destiny, not international actors.”
Alleged Muslim killings by the LTTE spread outside Trinco
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
While President Chandrika Kumaratunga ordered the Defense Ministry Secretary,. Cyril Herath, Interior Ministry Secretary .M. N. A. Junaid and the acting Inspector General of Police. Indra de Silva to take immediate steps to provide security to all communities in the troubled Eastern Province, Police sources said the alleged killings of the Muslims by the LTTE terrorists spread outside Trincomalee into Ampara and Akkarapattun area.
Police sources said at least suspected LTTE terrorists in the Eastern Province had killed eight Muslims so far and the latest killings had been reported from Eravur area.
LTTE kills Muslims and blames deaths on a third force
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Suspected terrorists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continued their killing spree of Muslims in the Eastern Province by killing one more Muslim and maiming two more who were admitted to the hospital with serious injuries but their leadership together with the Norway managed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) blamed the deaths on a mysterious third force.
This is not the first time the LTTE together with the SLMM blamed a mysterious third force for violence believed to have committed by the LTTE. The credibility of the Norwegians came to its lowest ebb when such statements were made earlier to absolve the arms smuggling Tamil Tigers, sources said.
Rupavahini is strongly condemned for Prabhakaran's speech
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Prajathanthra, a Sri Lankan movement for social democracy and foundation for freedom of expression has declared its strongest condemnation of the Rupavahini Corporation for permitting the satellite link up connecting the LTTE leader’s “Martyr’s Day” address to Europe and called it a contempt of court and insult to India.
Now the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, following the take over of the Ministries, is under President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Chairman of the Corporation is Presidential spokesman Harim Peiris. Peiris has said that he followed the policies of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government in this regard.
President-Prime Minister peace talks break down
 Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratung and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesingh in a file photo. Their talks on resolving their power struggle ended without a breakthrough ( photo by Sena Vidanagama/AFP file) |
The peace talks between the President led Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the United Front government broke down after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe rejected the proposal of the President to share power in the Ministry of Defense with the Prime Minister, political sources in Colombo said.
A political deadlock was created after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe together with Norway withdrew from the negotiations process dubbed “the Peace Process” in Sri Lanka after the President took over the Ministry of Defense together with two other Ministries using her powers under Sri Lanka’s republican constitution vested in the executive President of the country.
Despite promises of peace to Patten LTTE kills 3 Muslims
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Suspected Tamil Tiger terrorists killed three Muslim Farmers mercilessly while they were watching their paddy fields and chenas, Friday night (Nov 28) in the Kinniya area, reports from the Eastern port city of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka said
The killings of the Muslims in cold blood, which were done by dragging them out of their watch huts, binding their hands behind and insensately hacking them to death came amidst growing tensions between Muslim leaders and the LTTE over obtaining separate Muslim representations at the Norway sponsored peace talks.
International ban on LTTE should go says Minister
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Cabinet Minister Periyasamy Chandrasekaran had announced all foreign countries including the United States that had banned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) should lift their proscriptions of the terrorist group after the delivery of Velupillai Prabhakaran’s “Hero’s Day Message”, that revealed his true position the Sinhalese daily Divaina reported.
The “Hero’s Day Message” given in connection with his 49th birthday was delivered just after the visit of European Union’s Foreign Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, visiting Kilinochchi , the Tamil stronghold, amidst the terrorist leader’s birthday bash, wishing him many happy returns of the day.
Prabhakaran threatens to secede if his demands were not met
 The LTTE news website Tamil Net published this photo of Velupillai Prabhakaran with the map of proposed separate state of Eeelam carved out of Sri Lanka and the separatist flag in the background with this year’s Hero’s Day speech. According to this map he should get two thirds of Sri Lanka’s national coastline and the sea resources for him. (Caption by Walter Jayawardhana, photo by Tamil Net) |
Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Supremo of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) issuing his birthday statement, which is also called the Hero’s Day message said if their demands were not met they would not have any alternative but to secede from Sri Lanka and carve an independent state out of the Indian Ocean island nation.
Speaking before a map of the putative state of Eelam that claimed two thirds of Sri Lanka’s national coast and its territorial sea waters and one third of the land mass and its proposed national flag of the ferocious leaping Tiger, Prabhakaran said if the rulers continued to deny the rights of his people then they would “have no alternative other than to secede and form an independent state invoking the right to self-determination of our people. We urge the Sinhala political leadership not to create the objective conditions that would drive our people to seek this ultimate option.”
JSS charges Sarath Fonseka was transferred out of Jaffna under the influence of LTTE
 Jaffna Commander Major General Sarath Fonseka |
The Jathika Sangha Sammenelanaya (JSS), the strongest organization of Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka has charged that Sri Lanka Army’s Jaffna Commander Major General Sarath Fonseka had been transferred out of his post in the troubled Northern Province under the influence of the separatist Tamil Tigers
The most feared commander of the Sri Lanka Army by the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Major General Sarath Fonseka had been attacked by the LTTE not for any acts against the Tamils in the past or lacking any military skills but for some alleged grammatical errors in an English report that was submitted under his signature strongly recommending against removing the High Security Zone of the Jaffna Peninsula.
One Lankan student dies and two injured at a fire in Moscow
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
An early morning fire at the student hostel in Moscow’s Patrice Lulumba Friendship University killed one Sri Lankan student and critically injured two others, reports from the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow sai
Liyanage Olivia Iresha Perera was among scores of other Asian African students estimated to be more than thirty students who lost their lives in this tragic fire caused by an electrical leakage
Venerable Elle Gunawansa charges Britain's re-colonization plans over Sri Lanka
 Venerable Elle Gunawansa flanked by MEP’s Dinesh Gunawardena and JVP’s Wimal Weerawansa at a recent rally. |
Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero of Patriotic National Movement charged that the visit of Chris Patten , the External Relations Commissioner of the European Union to Kilinochchi in Sri Lanka to take part in terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s birthday clearly indicated Britain’s re-colonization plans over Sri Lanka.
An avowed imperialist, Chris Patten was the governor of the last British colony of Hong Kong before it was handed over to the People’s Republic of China.
JVP leader says despite differences of policy with SLFP JVP ready to join them to save country from division
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Self exiled JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe |
Self exiled Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Somawansa Amerasinghe said in an interview in London that despite differences of opinion between the main opposition party and the JVP at the moment about the so-called national problem and devolution of power it was the duty of his party with a history of many sacrifices to join with the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to save the country from the imminent and utmost danger of separatism
In an exclusive interview with Sri Lanka’s leading Sunday Sinhalese newspaper, the Irida Divaina, the leader of the JVP said at first the negotiations between Sri Lanka’s leading opposition political group, the SLFP and the JVP was stalled due to differences of policies about so called national problem or the problem created by the Tamil racists. Such situations were natural and imperative, he said.
Chris Patten’s visit to Prabhakaran Birthday should be condemned
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Prajathanthra, a foundation for social democracy and freedom of expression in Sri Lanka said that the coming visit of Chris Patten, the External Relations Commissioner of European Union to meet LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on his birthday is a gross violation of protocol and an instance where the European Union was turning a blind eye that LTTE remained an organization that had neither renounced terrorism nor the establishment of a separate state within the boundaries of Sri Lanka.
Calling the European Union’s criticism of President Kumaratunga’s recent political decisions unfair and ill informed, a statement by the foundation said both Chris Patten’s visit on the eve of the day the LTTE leader made his annual policy statement and the European Union’s criticism of Kumaratunga deserved “the strongest condemnation”
Tamil Guardian says Ranil cannot roll back Chandrika's "coup"
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Calling Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s demand to hand back the three Ministries including that of Defense a “toothless” one, the main organ of the LTTE, The Tamil Guardian said , “ as time goes on it is becoming increasingly clear that Mr. Wickremesinghe is simply unable to roll back Mrs. Kumaratunga’s constitutional coup.”
Creating doubts whether Ranil Wickremesinghe government would be able protect itself even from defections the London based organ said, “It remains it to be seen if this confidence in Mr. Wickremesinghe lasts, particularly, as after months of prevaricating the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is reported to have finally thrown its lot in with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.(JVP)”
In a challenge to Chandrika,Thondaman threatens to join LTTE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Calling the proposed formation of a national government a danger to minorities UNF cabinet minister and President of Ceylon Workers Congress Arumugam Thondaman threatened to join an alliance with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) if the two major parties of Sri Lanka formed a National government.
Arumugam, the grandson of former cabinet minister Saumyamoorthi Thondaman who fashioned himself as a kingmaker using minority votes to become a deciding factor in politics and hold personal power in a country where the majority Sinhalese were equally divided between the two major parties of the island nation always dreaded any proposal to unite the Sinhalese
Kumaratunga says territorial integrity cannot be betrayed
 President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga provided financial assistance for the construction of 50 houses to the dependents of war heroes of the Central Province, under the “Ranaviru Kusuma” War Hero Felicitation Program at a ceremony held at President’s House, Kandy, yesterday. Here, a disabled service personnel receives financial aid from the President (Photo by Gamini Ranasinghe) |
President Chandrika Kumaratunga said that it was the obligation of a the Sri Lankan President under the island nation’s Constitution to protect the territorial integrity of the country and that under no circumstances could that be betrayed in the name of peace
The President was addressing an audience at the Presidential House in Kandy to distribute scholarships to the children of the war veterans and assistance to them in housing in the Central Province under the Ranaviru Kusuma program..
Norway's threat to quit is part of a triprtite conspiracy says Weerawansa
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Norway’s sudden withdrawal from the so called peace process was actually a conspiracy between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, LTTE’s Prabhakaran and the so called peace facilitator, Norway to threaten President Chandrika Kumaratunga to surrender to their might and hand back the Defense Ministry to the imperialist puppet said Wimal Weerawansa, immediately after Norway’s announcement that they were temporary quitting and going home.
Weerawansa said it was a warning on the part of Norway to President Chandrika Kumaratunga not to poke her finger to their affairs and an attempt to tell very clearly that the President should let the puppet of the imperialists handle the problem according to their plan and otherwise there would be dangerous consequences.
Supreme Sangha Council to become a deterrent against politicians
 A picture of the National Sangha Conference meeting held at the Maha Maluwa of the Temple of the Tooth in which the formation of the Supreme Sangha Council was announced (Photo by Gamini Ramanayaka)) |
The Formation of the Supreme Sangha Council was done to relieve the Maha Nayaka Theros from the undue political pressure on them aimed to stop them from acting according to their conscience for the betterment of the nation said Puravidya Chakravarthi and President of the National Sangha Conference, Ellawala Medhananda Nayaka Thera addressing a mammoth public meeting of the Buddhist monks in which nearly an estimated one thousand monks took part in the Maha Maluwa of the Temple of the Tooth in the historic hill capital of Kandy.
Described as the deterrent of undue state power practiced on the Maha Nayaka Theros especially of the Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters and also other nikayas of Buddhist monks the Supreme Sangha Council would be the final authority of Sangha that would speak on behalf of the Sinhala race, the Buddha sasana and the country at large, according to statements made at this meeting.
Norway trained Sea Tigers in Thailand says IPS
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Norway, the controversial peacemaker between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also allegedly contributed to the training of LTTE’s Sea Tigers in the seas of Thailand the IPS news service reported.
In a Bangkok, Thailand datelined news analysis IPS writer Marwaan Macan Markar said, Norwegians trained members of the marine wing of the LTTE, the Sea Tigers in launching under water attacks against Sri Lanka Navy ships.
Kofi Annan charges fresh recruitment of child soldiers by the LTTE
 UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (Photo by Toru Yamanaka) |
The United Nation’s Secretary General Kofi Annan presenting a report to the UN General Assembly and Security Council charged that in Sri Lanka the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) despite its commitments to stop enlisting children to its guerilla army were doing fresh recruitments of children.
Presenting the report to the 58th session of the United Nations, the Secretary General said that his special representative Olara Otunnu for Children and Armed Conflict was currently working with the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and non governmental organizations to ensure the inclusion of the children’s issue in to the ongoing “peace process” in Sri Lanka.
LTTE organ says Ranil cannot win the coming elections
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
In the aftermath of the current political crisis an election victory for the pro-peace Ranil Wickremesinghe government on a mandate of peace is in very much of doubt, lamented the main organ of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) in its latest issue.
The newspaper Tamil Guardian said, since the dividends of the Ceasefire did not reach the impoverished masses and charges of treachery has been raised against the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, “the UNF’s traditional recourse to claiming a popular mandate for peace is no longer a sure bet.”
More leaders come under PNM and Condemn ISGA proposals
 Mr. S.L. Gunasekara addressing the Mammoth National Rally |
In a strong show of power more national leaders came under the umbrella of Patriotic National Movement (PNM) and in one voice condemned the proposals submitted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for an Interim government for the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the country and the Ranil Wickremesinghe government’s readiness to discuss those proposals.
Venerable Elle Gunawansa, JVP parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa, MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena, author Gunadasa Amerasekera, Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya President S.L. Gunasekera , Retired Supreme Court Judge R.S.Wanasundera, Former Speaker Anura Bandaranaike, JVP. parliamentarian Ramalingam Chandrasekaran and Sri Lanka’s most famous cricket star and PA parliamentarian Arjuna Ranatunga who were among the speakers added color to the wide range of opinions expressed at the movement’s October 7 rally held at Campbell Park Colombo but in one voice condemned the LTTE proposals presented to the Ranil Wickremesinghe government through the controversial Norwegian facilitators of Sri Lanka’s troubled peace process.
President describes how Ranil ordered release of arms to LTTE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
President Chandrika Kumaratunga , in an address to the nation to explain the removal of ministers from three portfolios of the UNF cabinet said that six illegal shipments of arms out of nine among many more brought in to the country by the Tamil Tigers and apprehended by the Sri Lanka Navy had to be released by the instructions of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Defense Minister Thilak Marapone.
President Kumaratunga said, “The Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister gave instructions to release the first six of these, despite strong warnings given by me at National Security Council meetings.”
JVP pays tributes to President for firing three ministers
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka;s second largest opposition party , the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) paid tributes to President Chandrika Kumaratunga for sacking three ministers and called her action an “imperative and decisive” one.
The JVP in a statement issued by the party’s politbureau said the three ministers fired , those who held the portfolios of defense , media and internal affairs failed to protect the nation’s borders from the enemy, let LTTE agents control the country’s press and failed to put a stop to the rising crime wave engulfing the whole society.
President shocks and sacks three ministers and prorogues Parliament
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Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga using sweeping powers vested in her by Sri Lanka’s Republican Constitution fired three powerful ministers in the unpopular United National Front government and took those ministries under her charge. She also prorogued the Parliament until November 19
Defense Minister Tilak Marapone who was lenient towards the Tamil Tigers and was accused of allowing many Tiger arms shipments into the country, Interior Minister John Ameratunga, who was not only in charge of the Police but was also accused of being in charge of underworld political thugs and Imithias Bakeer Markar, Minister in charge of mass media which was severely controlled by unofficial censors of the Prime Minister’s media unit were the three Ministers fired by the President.
Interim govy. proposals a recipe for separate states SL
 S.L. Gunasekera |
Senior lawyer and President of the Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya said that the just announced proposals for Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) for Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was nothing else but in all respects a recipe for a separate state.
“The content of the proposals leave no room for doubt that it is in all respects a recipe for a separate state,” he wrote immediately after S.P. Thamilchelvan’s release of the proposals to the press.
LTTE Interim Government proposals that demand virtual independence
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The long awaited proposals by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , now in the hands of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government , brought no surprise to Sri Lankans. Claimed to have been formulated in Ireland , the proposals demanded a one-party Fascist rule for the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the country which is virtually one third of the area of Sri Lanka, for the next five years.
With no elections for that period the LTTE also wanted to bring the Sinhalese and Muslims in the area under its Fascist rule and deprived them and the Tamils of the universal suffrage, which they have been enjoying for nearly seven decades.
Keep out of peace process says Norway to Chandrika
 Foreign Minister Jan Petersen |
Norway’s Foreign Minister Jan Petersen has indicated his great resistance to the interference of Sri Lanka’s elected executive President Chandrika Kumaratunga in the Norway managed peace process and warned her that kind of interference in her own country might have serious consequences in the country’s peace move and Norway’s role in it.
Petersen was responding to President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s complaint about the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission being partial to the country’s separatist rebel group and behaving in a manner detrimental to the island nation’s security interests. It was alleged that the SLMM leaked information to the LTTE whose arms ship was attempting to smuggle weapons to the country and pursued by the Sri Lanka Navy. Using the alleged SLMM information the arms ship disappeared disabling the Navy to catch them.
President Kumaratunga wants to keep Norwegians despte faults
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Presidential spokesman Janadasa Peiris said President Chandrika Kumaratunga would not ask the Norwegian Peace initiative to be ended or to stop implementing the Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE although she had asked the Prime Minister of Norway to remove the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission for allegedly leaking information to the LTTE in a manner detrimental to the national security of Sri Lanka
President Chandrika Kumaratunga wrote to the Prime Minister of Norway, Kjell Magne Bondevik requesting him to remove from the Head position of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) the retired Norwegian Major General, Tryggve Tellefsen .
Ranil's cabinet minister demands withdrawal of troops
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Ranil Wickremesinghe’s cabinet minister Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, after a meeting with LTTE Political leader S.P. Thamilselvan said he agreed as a state minister with the LTTE that government troops should be removed from the high security zones in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka
He said the LTTE could give up arms only when the country was reverted back to the position that existed before the rebels were armed.
Chandrasekaran the Minister tells all Tamil to support LTTE
 Minister Chandrasekeran at Pongu Thamil Festival in Mannar held on October 15 (Picture by Dinasena Rathugamage) |
T. Chandrasekaran the community Development Minister of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government said that to win Eelam all Tamil people regardless whether they lived in up country or in Colombo in one united force support the Tamil rebel leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran involved in an insurrection against the government.
The Minister was addressing the Pongu Thamil Festival (Tamil Resurgence Movement), a propaganda meeting organized by the rebel group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, October 15 at Mannar in a Sri Lanka government controlled area.
Canadian FM visits Sri Lanka to push peace bid
 Canada's Foreign Minister Bill Graham began a three-day visit to Sri Lanka (photo by: Raveendran) |
Canada's Foreign Minister Bill Graham began a three-day visit to Sri Lanka to explore ways of kick-starting the island's stalled peace bid, diplomats said.
Graham will hold talks with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the government's chief peace negotiator, G.L. Peiris, on Wednesday, officials said. (Yahoo News/AFP)
Gunadasa Amerasekera says Sri Lanka has become a new colony
 Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara (Photo courtesy: The Library of Congress/www.loc.gov) |
Dr. Gunadasa Amerasekera, Sri Lanka’s leading novelist, author and critic said the island nation had been turned into a camp of slavery by the neo-colonialists led by the United States of America after the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe came to power.
Fifty years ago, the Indian Ocean country was at least an independent, free and sovereign nation by name and its government had the right of acting on its own. But it was obvious the country had been enslaved after the present government came power, Amerasekera said contributing a special article to the Sunday Divaina, to commemorate the leading Sunday newspaper’s 22nd Anniversary.
Sri Lanka rocks with scandal of IGP-drug baron connections
 IGP T. E. Anandarajah |
In one of the worst scandals of Sri Lanka the island republic is rocked by stories of the Police Chief of the nation T. E. Anandarajah maintaining a relationship with a leading dope dealer of the country and even attending a birthday bash of the narcotic king’s daughter in a five star hotel in Colombo.
Amidst threats of a political party to surround the police headquarters to paralyze the work of the police in protest and sensational stories appearing in the press of how police detectives themselves took in to their custody videos portraying the Police Chief, known as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) enjoying himself in the drug baron’s lavish party, the embattled police chief was publicly defended by John Ameratunga, the UNF government’s Minister of Interior who is in charge of the Police Department.
SLFP says it would topple Ranil's government in one month
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Maithripala Sirisena, the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) addressing a propaganda meeting said his party with the most other opposition groups and the help of other nationalist forces would topple the government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe within the next one-month.
Sirisena’s warning to the UNF government that is dependent on a paper thin majority of minority parties of the Muslims and the Tamils came in the midst of the opposition preparations to submit a no-confidence motion being prepared by them against the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe opposing his United Nation’s speech in New York endorsing the invasion of Iraq by US led military forces.
United Nations' money to spread terrorism in Sri Lanka says UTHR-J
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The University Teachers for Human Rights-Jaffna (UTHR-J), a leading human rights organization among Sri Lanka Tamils charged that the UNICEF funded children’s rehabilitation centers could be used by a terrorist group to unleash terror by releasing selected children as spies and assassins in to the society.
The human rights group, led by Tamil academics, with long experience about terrorism associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), especially against the Tamils themselves, said in its 17th Special Report issued October 7 that the rehabilitation centers built with millions of dollars supplied by the United Nation’s Children’s Fund could be possibly used by the terrorist group “to further advance its terror by releasing selected youth into society … to act as spies and assassins.”
Lies regarding no pact with LTTE and No LTTE interim govt helped Ranil in to power
 Ven. Daranagama Kusaladhamma |
The Venerable Panditha Daranagama Kusaladhamma Thero, the head of Colombo’s Sambodhi Viharaya said the UNF government managed to come to power because it denied a pre-election pact with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and publicly promised only an interim administration run by government bureaucrats and not by the LTTE would be allowed, but today both statements were found to be deliberate lies.
In an exclusive interview with the country’s leading weekly newspaper the Sunday Divaina the Venerable Kusaladhamma said despite the denials by the Ranil Wickremesinghe team publicly, the UNF had a pre-election pact with the Tamil Tigers and accordingly kept on working towards granting of an interim government to the LTTE and did not care two hoots about the rising anger and raging protests by the public across the country about handing over of an interim government of the Northern and Eastern Provinces to the rebel terrorist group.
Valaichenia students protest continues but LTTE claims children joined war voluntarily
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The students’ and parents’ protest demonstration demanding the children abducted be returned immediately continued at Valaichenai Hindu College for the second day , although due to alleged threats by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) the number participating in the protest decreased and were held not on the street like on the first day but within the compound of the school premises , sources in the troubled Eastern Province town reported.
The first ever protest demonstration against the Tamil rebel group by the students and parents at Valaichenai Hindu College , Monday was held on Kalkudah road but the LTTE refused to return the students claiming the children joined the terrorist group voluntarily on their own free will. Their refusal also came amidst the implementation of a program by the rebel group to release child soldiers in coloration with the United Nations Children’s Fund The LTTE front organization TRO has received millions of dollars of UNICEF money for the program
Students demonstrate as UNICEF fails to stop child abductions
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The students of Valaichenai Hindu Maha Vidyalayam performed a Sathyagrahaya on the Valaichenai Kalkudah road ,October 6 and demanded the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) abductors immediately return three students from the school they took away by force.
Ever since the LTTE abductions of school children were started and intensified after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe came to power this was the first time Tamil school children themselves demonstrated against the illegal abductions by the separatist rebel group to conscript the children to their guerilla army.
LTTE admits leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is above law and courts
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
S. Pararajasingham, the legal advisor to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in an interview with the BBC’s Sinhala language service said the terrorist group’s Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran had the power to change verdicts of the Eelam courts, intervene in the judicial process and even change the law itself as the need arises.
The statement, broadcast Sunday October 5, confirmed the contention of many foreign observers that the LTTE courts were only political extensions of the terrorist group, did not follow due process, did not enjoy any judicial independence at all and refused to pay attention to the rule of law. Opposition Tamil groups accused the Eelam Courts as only part of a fascist administration that totally rejected a multi-party polity that existed in the rest of the country.
LTTE buiding three new military camps in Akkarapattu, says STF
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Special Task Force (STF) authorities in Ampara in the Eastern Province have complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was building three new illegal camps, one very close to a STF camp creating a tense situation.
STF, an elite police force engaged in security activities in the Eastern Province said that the LTTE violating the Ceasefire Agreement they signed with the Ranil Wickremesinghe government was building a military camp about three kilometers away from their Kanchanakudah STF camp in Akkarapattu at a place called Pavattakulam.
PA and Muslims in Sri Lanka on war path against Ranils UN speech
 Muslims protesting at Lipton Circus against Prime Minister’s UN statement supporting Iraqi invasion (Photo by Susantha Wijegunasekera) |
People’s Alliance and Muslim organizations separately announced political agitation to protest against the recent statement of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe supporting the US invasion of Iraq.
People’s Alliance spokesman announced their intentions of introducing a no confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over his statement justifying the invasion of Iraq by the United States while Muslim organizations held a protest demonstration at Colombo’s Lipton Circus.
Canada's opposition asks why WTM was not banned
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A secret list of terrorist fronts, that included one working for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) operating in Canada was tabled in the Canadian Parliament by the country’s Opposition and demanded to know why the front was not banned under Canada’s terrorist law.
Toronto’s National Post newspaper in a story written by Stewart Bell revealed that in an unusual disclosure of security information Canada’s leading Opposition, the Canadian Alliance released a declassified memo to the Prime Minister
LTTE kills another SL Army soldier and kidnaps a Policeman
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam killers reached close to the Sri Lanka Army’s 22nd Battalion Headquarters in Trincomalee and killed a Tamil soldier, Vigneshwaram Babu alias Banu working for Army’s intelligence unit and kidnapped and tortured a Tamil Police constable Kandasamy Gnanasekeram at Kalawanchikudi, both in the Eastern Province.
Described as one of the most efficient intelligence unit men the army had, the 25 year old soldier who was a father of one child was fatally injured on his head by a sword by a LTTE killer, October 2 at 2.30 p.m. at Keseltuduwe, close to the battalion headquarters army sources said.
Mammoth demonstration tells Ranil "No Division of the Country"
 Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero, a leader of the Patriotic National Movement addressing the Mammoth Rally. |
Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero, a leader of the Patriotic National Movement, that eventually became an alliance of most opposition and Buddhist groups in the country said at the concluding rally of hundreds of thousand protesters of a tireless five day march from Kandy to Colombo that he was warning the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe and his foreign masters that the majority of the people of Sri Lanka would not allow him to divide the country in the name of peace.
Independent observers described the concluding rally as a “sea of heads” and “a record crowd of hundreds of thousand people” that sent a clear warning to the government, its foreign collaborators Norway and its Western sponsors and the LTTE that nothing would be allowed by the people of the country that would threaten the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, its independence and the sovereignty of the country that gained independence from Britain in 1948.
Buddhist monks bless the march by placing casket on JVP leaders' heads
 Buddhist monk blessing JVP leader Wimal Weerawansa by placing a relic casket on his head On the third day of the march when it was leaving Warakapola to Nittambuwa |
When the protest march of the Patriotic National Movement was marching between Warakapola and Nittambuwa the people’s enthusiasm was so intense Buddhist monks from the Botale area blessed the JVP leaders by placing a relic casket on their heads and presenting them with the National and Buddhist flags.
The marchers were were going through the third day of their march to protest the Ranil Wickremesinghe government’s proposals to hand over the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka to a LTTE dominated Interim government.
Anti government protest march was more than 20 miles long
 The gigantic People’s march organized by the Patriotic National Movement arrives to Kegalle Town on its second day. |
The gigantic People’s march organized by the Patriotic National Movement was joined by many thousands of enthusiastic people and the march was 35 kilometers (21 miles) long when it completed its second lap at 8.pm. at Warakapola , reports from the Kegalle District revealed. Organizers said it grew by three kilometers long yesterday.
The march was joined by many more SLFP leaders of Sabaragamuwa Province through which the hundreds of thousand of protestors were marching yesterday from Mawanella to Warkapola, receiving cheers from thousands of people who flocked by the side of the Kandy Colombo road to witness the historic event. People at Kegalle erected pandals and hoisted banners receiving the marchers and demanded the “unpatriotic” Ranil Wickremesinghe government should go, at a time when he had declared at the United Nations that Sri Lanka had become something like a satellite state of the United States.
SLFP joins JVP, MEP and other nationalists in Kandy Colombo March
 The Kandy Colombo five day marathon protest walk which marched under the banner of Patriotic National Movement was led by 500 youth who carried Lion Flags that demanded the resignation of the Ranil Wickremesinghe govt. for conspiring to divide the country. |
Dashing all hopes of the UNP controlled press to stop the Sri Lanka Freedom Party from participating in the five day protest march against the government, SLFP parliamentarian and former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka addressing crowds converged on Kandy to start the marathon anti-government walk against the alleged partition of the country said patriotic groups must unite to ‘save the country from division’.
He categorically said the nation should not let Ranil Wickremesinghe parcel out the motherland to a terrorist group and declared the people should stand united to stop the betrayal and overthrow the UNF government.
Naval rating in LTTE custody escapes and reaches Navy Headquarters
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Sri Lanka Naval rating who was abducted by the cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) about four months ago from a Sri Lanka government controlled area while engaged in military training, managed to escape from the custody of the terrorist group and reached the Trincomalee Naval headquarters, military sources in the East, said
Abducted May 19, from kalumatiyankulam , the terrorist group is suspected of having taken him with the intention of exchanging the sailor with three LTTE prisoners caught for breaking law and now in the custody of the government.
Ranil at UN justifies invasion of Iraq by USA and UK
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe completely deviating from Sri Lanka’s former non-aligned foreign policy openly supported the invasion of Iraq, a small Arab country by the super power armies of the United States and Britain.
Addressing the 58th UN General Assembly in New York, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he thought that the United States and its allies had no choice but to intervene in Iraq.
While Europe white washes, LTTE continues to kill rivals
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
While the European Union, who call themselves the guardians of human rights of the world, removed Sri Lanka’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from the list of terrorists of the world, the LTTE, a “fascist terrorist group” continued with the exterminations of their political rivals, by killing another political opponent exactly 14 days after the name removal on September 12.
Velupillai Yogendran (35), a father of two children was gunned down by LTTE gunman at Pandirippu while he was on his way to a grocery stores from his home, the Police reported. He was a member of the EPRLF and was ordered to be killed by Velupillai Prabhakaran in a series of assassinations ordered by the hierarchy of the LTTE terrorist group before they achieved the interim government from the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, Tamil political sources said
Vavuniya Pongu Thamil was a flop and no large crowds
 At Vavuniya children in school uniforms were engaged to demonstrate photos of LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and the separatist Tiger flag, the leaping ferocious Tiger. The school children and the separatist flags were used at Pongu Thamil defying the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission ruling not to do so |
The Pongu Thamil festival organized by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Vavuniya, September 23 became a complete flop when only less than five thousand turned up for the rebel political rally indicating waning interest in the Tamil fascist movement.
Reports from Vavuniya said although the LTTE expected at least few hundred thousand Tamils to participate in the political rally held ridiculing the Sri Lanka Army and demanding them to leave Tamil areas of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, school children drawn from government schools were used to show the appearance of crowds at the rally.
Pongu Thamil in Vavuniya with the help of Ranil Wickremesinghe
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will hold its “Pongu Thamil” festival against the Sri Lanka Army with the active support of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government in Vavuniya today, (September 23).
A news item published by the LTTE news website, the Tamil Net said the Pongu Tamil rally would demand, “The Sri Lanka Armed forces occupying our homes should go back to their homes. An interim administration with full authority should be created toward a permanent solution for permanent peace”
Mammoth crowds expected for anti-government Kandy Colombo march
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Political observers in Colombo said mammoth crowds are expected for the Kandy Colombo protest march organized by the JVP, MEP, and other national organizations under the banner “Desha Hithaishi Jathika Viyaparaya” starting from September 27.
Despite efforts by the UNP controlled English press led by the Sunday Times owned by Ranjith Wijewardena, uncle of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, to prevent SLFP members supporting the march reliable sources said a great many of the members of the largest opposition party would support the five-day protest march against the common enemy.
New Mahanayaka attacks Norway and endorses Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha
 Venerable Weligama Gnanarathana, new head of the Amarapura Dharmarakshitha Nikaya |
The new Maha Nayaka Thero of the Sri Dharmarakshitha Sector of the Amarapura Nikaya, the Venerable Weligama Gnanarathana Thero, successor to the Most Venerable Agga Maha Panditha Madihe Pannaseeha Thero who passed away recently said, the people in Sri Lanka should rise up against the activities of Norway’s interference in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs and chase out the culprits.
The new Maha Nayaka Thero said that while Norway was interfering in the affairs in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka had no right to interfere in the affairs of Norway.
Australians in Melbourne protest Norway's and Japan's betrayal of Sri Lanka
 A section of the protestors at the Federation square, in front of the Flinders Street Railway Station in Melbourne Australia before the protestors started marching to the Victorian Parliament House. They were protesting against Norway and Japan whom they called new colonialists and demanded Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to stop handing over the country to the LTTE Tamil terrorists. The protest was organized by FAST |
Reports from Melbourne Australia said hundreds of placard carrying and slogan shouting Sri Lankan expatriates paraded streets of the metropolis, walked up to Victorian Parliament House and demanded Norway and Japan, whom they called new colonialists to take their hands off Sri Lanka
Organized by the newly formed organization called FAST, the Front Against Separatism and Terrorism, a joint organization of Sri Lanka’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Australia’s Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights (SPUR) the rally also said the Ranil Wickremesinghe government should immediately stop handing over Sri Lanka to the Tamil Tiger terrorists.
Tortured policemen released after govt. gives in to rebels
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Police sources in Trincomalee District said the two police constables abducted and severely tortured by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were released by the terrorist group after high officials of the Police under the instructions of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government agreed not to arrest LTTE cadres riding motorbikes or driving other motor vehicles without licenses in the future.
The same sources said the two police officers Jayasiri Silva (25731) and M. Jaleel (25731) were severely beaten while they were prisoners of the Tamil Tigers and one officer had lost two teeth in the assault. Both are undergoing treatment at the Trincomalee Hospital
Taking law into their hands Tamil Tigers kidnap policemen
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam commander Paduman informed that he needed a discussion with the Senior Superintendent of Police Upali Hewage before releasing two police constables who were kidnapped by armed cadres of the terrorist group while the policemen were on traffic duties in the government controlled area of the Trincomalee District.
The two policemen were abducted with their motorbike by the terrorists of the LTTE, September 17 , at Kamburupitiya, 20 kilometers North of Trincomalee about 4.30 p.m. while they were returning to their police station at Kuchcheveli from Nilaveli.
Thousands of bhikkus in a protest sathyagraha in Pettah
 Jathika Bhikshu Peramuna Sathyagrahaya in Pettah against the Ranil Wickremesinghe government’s alleged effort to divide the country |
President of the Jathika Bhikshu Peramuna and teacher at Sri Jayawardhanapura University , Kotte, Venerable Dambara Amila Thero told thousands of protesting Buddhist monks in front of the Bodhitree in Pettah , Colombo that the actions of puppet king Don Juan in 1505 in betraying the country to foreign invaders were comparatively better than the actions of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today who was planning to betray the country to the terrorists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
On the birthday of Sri Lanka’s national hero, the late Anagarika Dharmapala who fearlessly rallied the Sinhalese against the British imperialists, addressing the September 17 Sathyagrahaya in Pettah, the Venerable Amila Thero said hundreds of such protests were being held all over the country against the plans of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government to divide the country and help form a separate state called Eelam.
First Australian rally against terrorism
The first organized rally against terrorism in Australia will be held on September 20 at 11.00 AM. The rally will march from Federation Square to State Parliament where a public meeting will be held to condemn terrorism destabilizing democratic societies.
The focus of the rally will be to condemn terrorism in all parts of the world. In the post-September 11 phase of terrorism the Western world targeted specifically the terrorism of the Islamic fundamentalists. This is understandable because the West is threatened by these forces.
LTTE cadres entering South to destroy Colombo arrested and remanded
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Two LTTE cadres who belong to the terrorist group’s intelligence and assassination squads revealed to the police that they were involved in a conspiracy to explode and destroy strategic and economically important places in the Colombo city if the LTTE’s interim government proposals did not become a reality soon.
The two LTTE cadres were later produced, September 16, before Colombo’s Additional Magistrate Ranjan Dissanayaka and remanded till September 29.
LTTE illegal camp won't be removed Thamilselvan tells SLMM head
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political head S.P. Thamilselvan reiterated that to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Head, Tryggve Tellefsen that they would not give up the illegally built military camp identified by them as Manirasakulam but allow the Norway backed monitors to inspect them.
Tryggve Tellefsen was quoted as telling reporters in Kilinochchi that the terrorist group and Norwegian monitoring head came to an agreement allowing the monitors to reach and inspect the alleged illegal military camps.
Opposition alleges that Ranil jeopardizing Trinco
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Dr. Sarath Amunugama, spokesman for the People’s Alliance in a second press conference once again alleged that the Sri Lankan government of Ranil Wickremesinghe was putting the security of the Northern and Eastern Province and the strategic harbor of Trincomalee in jeopardy by being negligent of allowing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to build 12 new military camps within the Sri Lanka government controlled area around the Trincomalee harbor.
He said the LTTE has newly built 22 new military camps after signing the ceasefire agreement around Trincomalee Harbor despite denials by the official spokesman of the army that there were no such camps.
Peter Chalk tells Canada, be serious and ban Tamil Tigers
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
International terrorist expert and advisor to the Canadian Security Intelligence service Peter Chalk, warned Canada that the country was providing a false cover of a legitimacy to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), notorious for suicide bombs, car bombs and assassination squads, by not banning it.
He was quoted by Ottawa Citizen as saying the country was providing a “veneer of legitimacy” to the to the terrorist activities of the Tamil Tigers by failing to outlaw the group as the United States , Britain and Australia had done.
Collapse of talks would not stop defeating govt. says JVP
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Although the talks to establish an electoral alliance of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) failed the JVP would help the SLFP to defeat the Ranil Wickremesinghe government in the parliament and cooperate to take forward anti government mass protests against the betrayal of the country announced the General secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva and parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa at a press conference in Colombo.
“The UNP should not”, said Wimal Weerawansa, “be unnecessarily overjoyed that all their worries about the demise of the government are over.”
Prabhakaran says how to achieve separate state
 Velupillai Prabhakaran declaring open his new Eelam Police HQ On his right is P.Nadesan |
Independence , sovereignty, and territorial integrity for a nation would not be served on a platter but had to be achieved through hard work said Velupillai Prabhakaran , the supremo of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE ) declaring open the Headquarters of the Tamil Eeelam Police at the Tiger stronghold of Kilinochchi.
The Voice of the Tigers, subsidized by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government recently, reported the surprise ceremony of the opening of the headquarters of the separatist Police Force. Later the official news website, Tamil Net published photographs of the ceremony
JVP-SLFP alliance talks broke down on Friday says JVP
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka’s second largest opposition party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said the months long discussions they had with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to build up a broad electoral alliance broke down, Friday, at the final discussions the two parties had at the Presidential Palace, the official residence of President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
The leader of the JVP Parliamentary group, Wimal Weerawansa, who made a statement over the Sinhala service of the BBC said the talks they held at the final sessions of the discussions, September 5, broke down after both parties could not come to conclusions regarding few most pressing national issues of the country.
"UNF directive to help Pongu Thamil shows worst betrayal"
-Professor Nalin de Silva
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Professor Nalin de Silva, making a statement on the directive of the Minister of Public Administration, Vajera Abeywardana to Government Agent of Vavuniya K. Ganesh to support the LTTE propaganda rally, Pongu Tamil, against Sri Lanka Army directives said, the country was going through the worst betrayal in the history of Sri Lanka.
He told this correspondent, “It is clear the ‘government’ is in the final stages of the worst betrayal in the history of Sri Lanka..”
Rauff Hakeem complains about intolerable UNP thuggery
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A Sri Lanka Muslim Congress delegation met Interior Minister John Amaratunga and UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrama to complain about thuggery directed at them by UNP parliamentarians and UNP organizers , a spokesman of the Muslim party said.
The meeting held at the official residence of the Prime Minister, the Temple Trees was arranged after Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem complained that it had become almost impossible to stay in a coalition with the United National Party following certain brutish violent activities directed against the Muslim party especially in the Puttalam area by UNP thugs.
Tamil tigers refuse entry to monitors at Wan Ela camp
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) spokeswoman Agnes Bragdottir said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) refused to allow their monitors to enter the Wan Ela illegal military camp they had established in the Sri Lanka controlled area in Kinniya in the Trincomalee District.
They said the SLMM monitors were attempting to enter the Wan Ela military camp since they were expected to inspect the camp under their mandate of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil and the Government of Sri Lanka.
Minister orders against army to help LTTE rally
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Giving a decision against the Sri Lanka Army’s Wanni Command the Minister of Public Administration Vajera Abeywardana ordered that full cooperation of the state officials should be given to the Pongu Thamil celebrations organized by the separatist rebel group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in Vavuniya.
Acting under the instructions of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe the Minister of Public Administration rejected the Wanni Command’s letter of reprimand sent to Vavuniya Government Agent, K. Ganesh asking for explanations why he and other government officials were organizing the LTTE propaganda rally that is scheduled to be held on September 15.
Statistics about Sinhala refugees wrong, say Sinhala MP's
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Leader Dinesh Gunawardena who was leading a Sinhala group of Members of Parliament told the representatives of the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that the Commission’s statistics about Sri Lanka’s Internally Displaced Persons of the Provinces of North and East regarding the Sinhalese were basically wrong, indicating lower numbers than the actual figures.
A delegation of parliamentarians of the Sinhala MP’s group led by Dinesh Gunawardena told the representative of the UNHCR that in the draft report on refugees and Internally Displaced Persons of the North and East of Sri Lanka, the numbers in relation to the Sinhalese were very much lower than real figures.
Bhikkus warn Ranil not to grant part of the country to Tigers
 The second national conference of the Jathika Bhikshu Peramuna was held at the Bandaranaike International Conference Hall August 26. |
Venerable Dambara Amila Thero , lecturer of the Sri Jayawardhanapura University told the Second National Convention of the Jathika Bhikshu Peramuna held at the Bandaranaike International Conference Hall that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government had decided to hand over part of the country to a government of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Venerable Amila said like during all times in the history of this nation it would be the Maha Sangha who would be taking the first steps in a national liberation struggle against the United National Front government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
PA parliamentarians join JVP protest asking sacking of Ranil
 PA parliamentarians Kumar Welgama and Rohana Abeygunawardene Marching in the JVP protest demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and stopping the Interim Government proposals during the third day between Aluthgama and Panadura |
On the third day of the mammoth protest march against the proposed Interim Government to be granted to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) more parliamentarians of the People’s Alliance joined the protestors between Aluthgama and Panadura expressing their solidarity.
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, the second largest opposition party in the island nation is doing a 70 mile trek in the form of a mammoth protest march with a huge banner carried at the head demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe whom they alleged to be preparing to hand over one third of the country’s land mass and sixty per cent of the island’s strategic shoreline to the “separatist and Fascist LTTE”.
Thousands more join JVP march on second day
 The miles long protest march of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna on its way from Ambalangoda to Aluthgama during its second phase. |
Thousands of more people joined a miles long protest march of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) when the mammoth anti-government demonstration started its second phase from the center of the Southern city of Ambalangoda, famed for its craftsmen of wooden masks and puppeteers.
The huge 70 miles long trek the country’s second largest opposition party undertook to do, to rally round the strongly nationalist minded Southern masses to reject the government’s Interim Government proposals , which the JVP suspects would eventually lead to a de-facto separation of the nation seemed to be extremely popular as it attracted quite a lot of people than the organizers expected.
Army wants to know why Vavuniya GA organizing Pongu Thamil
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
In a major conflict with Sri Lanka’s Government Agent in the Vavuniya District the Wanni Commanding office of the Sri Lanka Army asked for explanations why the Government Agent was involved in organizing a major propaganda effort of the Tamil rebel group known as “Pongu Thamil” to be held in Vavuniya very soon
The Sri Lanka Army’s Wanni Commanding office in Vavuniya asked the Government Agent, K. Ganesh, the chief civil administrator of the Sri Lanka government, why he was utilizing the state machinery trying to engage government school children in the Pongu Thamil celebrations to be held in Vavuniya, September 15. Vavuniya is in the Sri Lanka government controlled area under the Ceasefire Agreement.
Two Muslim MP's to cross over as govt.reneged on promises
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The United National Front government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is once again facing a political crisis since two sections of his political supporters have renewed their political quarrels endangering his paper thin majority in the parliament.
At least two parliamentarians of his major coalition partner, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress have openly threatened to cross over to the Opposition benches in the parliament and start voting against the government .
Thousands march to Colombo from Galle demanding Ranil to resign
 Giant protest foot march of the JVP demanding Ranil to Resign starting from Galle August 25 2003 |
Nearly twenty five thousand people started marching a 70-miles distance from the Southern port of Galle to the capital city of Colombo protesting against the government’s proposal of establishing a LTTE dominated Interim Government for the island’s Northern and Eastern Provinces and demanding Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government should resign.
Addressing thousands of placard carrying demonstrators the General Secretary Tylvin Silva of the island’s second largest opposition party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) who organized the mammoth demonstration of a protest march of three days, said .Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was trying to grant one third of the country’s land mass and 60% of the island’s strategic shoreline to the LTTE terrorists in the name of peace.
Wam Ela military camp to be dismantled in 10 days
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Informed sources said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam would change their earlier decisions and dismantle the illegally built Wan Ela military camp.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will reconsider their earlier decision not to dismantle the Wan Ela military camp built in Sri Lanka government controlled area, under international pressure.
"For every murder in the East Ranil and SLMC should be held responsible"
says Wimal Weerawansa
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
For every precious life lost in the awful and tragic assassinations of the Muslims today in the Eastern Province the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leaders in that government who made those deaths possible through a treasonable and unpatriotic Ceasefire Agreement should be held responsible, declared Wimal Weerawansa, leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) making a special statement in the parliament, August 21.
Making the statement, before a very attentive House of Representatives, Weerawansa said since the notorious agreement was signed between the Tiger terrorist and separatist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with the special help of whom he called the white tiger, Jon Westborg about one full year and a half have elapsed. He said since the JVP had expressed their opinion about the notorious agreement he would not repeat what had been said already.
Police baton charge Muslims protesting against LTTE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Police baton charged about a 3000-strong Muslim demonstration at Sainthamaruthu in the Amparai District when they started a protest against the alleged murder of two Muslim youth by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The Muslim demonstrators were baton charged when the protestors defied orders of the police and marched forward overcoming the roadblocks placed by the police to stop the noisy demonstration. Eyewitnesses said the demonstrators dispersed following the baton charge.
Govt. and LTTE upset about de-merging Northern and Eastern Provinces
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The administration of Ranil Wickremesinghe is quite upset about the threat of President Chandrika Kumaratunga that she was seriously considering the de-merging of Northern and Eastern Provinces.
LTTE friend and the government’s Chief negotiator G.L. Peiris was quoted by Colombo’s Daily Mirror as saying that the warning given by the Presidential spokesman was not helpful to the peace process but the government believed any move for a de-merger was only an option the President might be exploring and not any decision.
Tamil Tiger ally Sampanthan upset over providing 500 Policemen to Muslim
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
R. Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian and close ally of the terrorist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said he was very upset that the Sri Lanka government was going to recruit 500 more policemen for the protection of the Muslims in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.
In an interview with the Sinhalese program of the BBC, the pro-LTTE Member of Parliament said security should be provided to all sections of the society equally and should not be restricted only to one group of the population.
Police declares curfew as two more Muslims are feared killed by LTTE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Fearing that two of the Muslim youth believed abducted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had been killed, Muslims in the Kalmunai area organized a fresh shut down and a hartal as a protest paralyzing daily routine life in the area.
The Police fearing further violence declared a dusk to dawn curfew from 6 p.m. to 6.am
President to de-merge North and East spelling disaster to LTTE plans
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Creating ominous signs for the political plans of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s spokesman Harim Peiris said the Sri Lankan President was seriously considering the appeals of the Muslim and other organizations to de-merge the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
Under the deteriorating security of the Eastern Province of the country, many Muslim leaders of Sri Lanka said that the two provinces which were linked under the pressures of the Indian government temporarily to satisfy the Tamil Tigers should be de-linked immediately to release the Muslims from the domination of the Tamils in the Northern Province.
JVP to agitate until Ranil is chased out of office says Weerawansa
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would vigorously agitate until the administration of Ranil Wickremesinghe was chased out of office said Wimal Weerawansa , Parliamentary Group Leader of the party in an interview with the BBC’s Sandeshaya.
He was speaking about the protest march of the JVP from the city of Galle in Southern Sri Lanka to the Capital City of Colombo from August 25 to August 28 against the UNF government’s proposals for an un-elected LTTE dominated interim Government for the country’s Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
Thamilchelvan sure Ranil would embrace counter proposals
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Before taking the Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter at Kilinochchi on his way to Paris the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, S.P. Thamilchelvan said that he was sure the Sri Lanka government of Ranil Wickremesinghe would whole heartedly embrace the LTTE counter proposals he would bring back from Paris.
Thamilchelvan was expected to take a flight from Katunayaka International Airport to Paris to contact whom the LTTE described as “constitutional experts” and bring back counter proposals based on the government’s proposals to establish an un-elected LTTE dominated Interim government for the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
LTTE leders gang raped innocent Tamil women in Batticaloa
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
After denying over a year that some of their regional leaders were exploiting abducted Tamil girls sexually the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has finally admitted that some of their regional leaders were indeed ravishing women in their captivity using the unquestionable fascist power they enjoyed in the LTTE controlled areas of Sri Lanka.
When Ambassador Nancy Ely Raphael , Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons charged in a report that the LTTE who boasted of a No-Sex puritanical policy were in fact sexually exploiting some of the children they abducted from homes and schools The LTTE publications denied the charge absolutely.
Mahinda Rajapaksa Disagrees with JVP over white Tiger comment
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said he would not subscribe to the idea of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) that Nordic Monitors were White Tigers in an interview with the Colombo weekly, The Sunday Leader.
From an improvised platform erected hastily in front of the Royal Norwegian Embassy last week , addressing nearly 50.000 protestors, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Parliamentary leader, Wimal Weerawansa accused Jon Westborg, a special envoy of Norway of trying hard to divide the country and pointing his finger at the Embassy said, “There lies the white Tiger.”
Highly agitated by two more killings by the Tamil Tigers Anwar Ismail gives 48 HRS
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress parliamentarian Anwar Ismail said he gave the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe 48 hours to strengthen the security of Muslims in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.
He said if such security was not coming he wanted the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress to quit the government and act independently. Ismail, highly agitated by the assassinations of two Muslim farmers by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam gunmen said he personally knew the Tamil rebel group did the killing.
LTTE dividing and ruling TNA; TULF left out
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who claims itself as the sole representative of the Sri Lankan Tamils has summoned only three parties of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to discuss about the LTTE dominated interim government and so far left out the largest party of the Tamils, the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) a section of which, with they are reportedly having serious differences.
Critics of the rebel group said the LTTE leadership, in a divide and rule policy, refused to meet the whole Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and instead started meeting constituents of the TNA separately to discuss about the terrorist group’s planned discussions with “constitutional experts” on the proposals of the Sri Lanka government.
LTTE hoists separatist flags defying orders of monitors
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Adding on to their list of truce violations and open defiance of the rulings of the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) refused to remove the separatist leaping Tiger flag hoisted in the Sri Lanka government controlled area in Jaffna.
Following repeated requests by the SLMM the Tamil rebel group who are fighting to separate the Northern and Eastern Provinces from Sri Lanka under a separatist red and yellow flag of a ferocious leaping Tiger refused to remove it from a Tamil Primary School where they hoisted it .
Minister Rauff Hakeem threatens Ranil for lack of Muslim security
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A 49-year-old Muslim father and his 16-year-old son were released from the detention of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after being tortured and injured Muslim sources in Muttur said.
Obviously upset by the kidnapping and the torture and other incidents of murder and mayhem by the Tamil rebel group against his community but whose very political support helps his government to stay in power Minister and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem said now his party would be compelled to take a strong political decision if the government did not take measures to ensure the security of the Muslims from the growing military power of the LTTE.
Ferial Asraff says Ranil is a sitting duck scared of Prabhakaran
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Digamadulla District Member of Parliament and leader of the National Unity Party Mrs. Ferial Ashraff charged that the Colombo government of Ranil Wickremesinghe was scared of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to take any step while the Muslims in the Eastern Province were living at the risk of their lives threatened by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
She said the Colombo government deliberately forgot to think about the security of the Muslims when they prepared a Ceasefire Agreement with the terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran creating the dangerous situation for the Eastern Province Muslims.
Ferial Ashraff says Hakeem is helpless after strengthening the hand of LTTE
 |
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem’s troubles with his community started ever since he signed a Memorandum Of Understanding accepting Prabhakaran as the sole leader of the Tamil people. Being a Sri Lanka government Minister Hakeem signed the agreement under the secessionist flag of the leaping Tiger, symbolically accepting the separate state of Eelam. In this LTTE issued photograph he is seen shaking hands with terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Anton and Adele Balasingham and Thamilselvan are also seen in this picture taken at Kilinochchi, after Hakeem made a political pilgrimage to Wanni, with the blessings of his Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. But after few months, the LTTE started massacring Muslims in the Eastern Province, under their ethnic cleansing program and is continuing to this day Ferial Ashraff his political rival says Rauf Hakeem cannot do anything else but to ask the government to declare curfews. He had made the Eastern Province Muslim a sitting duck, she alleged. Rauf Hakeem was in Muttur recently to bury two prominent members of his Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, assassinated by LTTE gunmen
(Caption by Walter Jayawardhana)
Murder and mayhem by LTTE against Muslims force Police to impose curfew
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Police re-imposed night curfew in several areas in Muttur after the growing tensions between the Muslims and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam supporters reached a climax after two assassinations of members of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress by LTTE gunmen armed with T 56 guns.
In one incident of several a mob of nearly 2000 Muslims mistakenly attacked a Police bus transporting stranded Muslims at Muttur jetty thinking the Police vehicle was transporting LTTE connected Tamils. Police sources said four Police constables and five Muslims were injured in the melee.
EPDP carries assassinated comrade's body to SLMM office in protest
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The body of the assassinated Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) member Arasaratnam Sadeeshkaran by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was carried to the premises of the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) office in Batticaloa and left there as a protest against Norway’s refusal to take the responsibility of inquiring or stopping the political murders of the rebel group continued with impunity under the Ceasefire agreement.
The assassination of Arasaratnam Sadeeshkaran alias Radeesh was the 115th killing done by the LTTE after terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran signed a ceasefire agreement with UNF Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, 18 months ago.
JVP ready to fight singlehandedly to save motherland from enemy
 JVP parliament members shouting anti Norwegian slogans and marching in the demonstration with party cardre's tight securty. |
From an improvised platform erected hastily just in front of the Norwegian Embassy in Ward Place Colombo Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna parliamentary group Wimal Weerawansa told nearly fifty thousand protestors that the JVP would even single handedly save Mother Lanka from the conspiracy of the Norwegians and Ranil Wickremesinghe to make her kneel down in front of the enemy, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Calling Norwegian special envoy Jon Westborg as the agent working hard to divide Sri Lanka Weerawansa pointing at the Norwegian Embassy said, “There lies the white tiger.”
CURFEW IN MUTTUR!
While Solheim tours East, LTTE kills in Batticaloa and Muttur
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
While Norway’s Special Envoy Eric Solheim was touring Eastern Province inquiring about alleged violations by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) alleged LTTE gunmen killed two Muslim youth in Muttur and gunned down an EPDP member in Batticaloa making further assaults on the government’s “peace process”
The Muttur police declared curfew effective immediately after the funerals of the Muslim youth, in all villages in Muttur area as a measure to prevent race riots.
Tamil Tigers tell Eric Solheim they would not give up Wan Ela Camp
 Norway’s Special Envoy Eric Solheim (photo by: Sena Vidanagama) |
S. P. Thamilchelvan totally rejected the verdict of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and told Norway’s Special Envoy Eric Solheim that the Liberation of Tamil Eelam would not even budge an inch from the Wan Ela military camp in Kinniya, near the port city of Trincomalee.
The political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , S. P. Thamilchelvan took a new stand with Eric Solheim, which the rebel group did not take at the initial stages of the conflict and said the Kurunkupanchan camp as they prefer to call it had existed long before the ceasefire agreement between the parties had been signed 18 months ago.
Eric Solheim in Colombo to discuss Kinniya illegal camp
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The government of Ranil Wickremesinghe expects Norway’s special envoy Eric Solheim who has arrived in Colombo to give a verdict about the illegal military camp the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has established recently after encroaching on the territory of the Sri Lanka government in the Trincomalee District.
Describing the LTTE’s act as an unsatisfactory situation for the on going “peace process” Defense Secretary Austin Fernando recently told a broadcasting station that now it was time for the Royal Norwegian Government to take a decision since all local attempts including those of the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission had failed to resolve the matter.
John Amaratunga scared away from Jaffna and returns to Colombo
 John Amaratunga |
John Ameratunga, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Interior and Christian Affairs who was on an official visit to Jaffna had to depart from his itinerary , stop visiting some places and returned to Colombo due to protests of front organizations of the rebel group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, sources in Jaffna said.
Ameratunga who would not take such a move ever in the South of the country due to the notorious power of the political thugs he is alleged to use very often cancelled his visit to the District Secretarial Office avoiding the mobs a LTTE front organization had assembled and returned to Colombo after meeting Dr. Thomas Sauvundranayagam, the Catholic Bishop of Jaffna at St James Church in Guru Nagar. John Ameratunga is a Catholic.
Tiger caught transporting explosives to Colombo
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Indicating that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was planning once again to start terrorist activities in Colombo, a member of the rebel group was caught red-handed transporting a large number of gelignite sticks to Colombo, police sources revealed.
Police said the Polonnaruwa police took into custody a suspected member of the LTTE at the road block at Manam Pitiya, a major entry point to the Eastern province with a bag full of gelignite sticks. The suspect said he was transporting them from Kalmunai to Colombo.
In a survey 70% Sinhalese reject Interim Government proposal
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A recent survey conducted by the Social Indicator Unit of the Alternative Policy Center in Colombo found out 70 % of the Sinhalese were totally opposed to the proposed Interim Administration to the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
According to this survey 50% of the Sinhalese were also against giving a federal system of government as a solution to the conflict in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
LTTE kills another Army informer in the East
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) once again gunned down an army informer of Akkarapattu area in the Ampara District, police sources reported.
A LTTE gunman fatally wounded Sangunada Pillai Vevekanandarajah (36) a former member of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO)
Tigers taking advantage of ceasefire and killing says Amnesty International
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The award winning human rights organization , The Amnesty International said the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission should aggressively investigate the political violence since there is convincing evidence that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) were taking advantage of the ceasefire to murder political opponents.
In a press release issued with Human Rights Watch, the London based human rights organization , quoted Brad Adams , executive director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch as saying that the end of the fighting in Sri Lanka had not meant an end to the killings. Brad Adams further said, “Members of Tamil political parties are being gunned down and the available evidence points to the Tamil Tigers.”
UNICEF admits while they spend millions LTTE is still abducting children
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A spokesman for the United Nation’s Children’s Fund, the UNICEF admitted that while the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has agreed with the UN agency to release its mostly abducted child soldiers for rehabilitation and release to their parents, they continued their abductions of Tamil children from Sri Lanka’s Tamil areas.
The UNICEF spokesman in Sri Lanka, M. Nizar admitted that while UNICEF was pouring in money to build centers for the LTTE released child soldiers in LTTE controlled area there were complaints that the Tamil rebel group was abducting children from all Tamil areas. The Sandeshaya, the Sinhalese service of the BBC, was interviewing him, August 6, 2003.
President at the top of Tamil Tiger's hit list
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Intelligence units in Sri Lanka have alerted that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has placed the assassination of President Chandrika Kumaratunga as a priority item of their political strategy.
Under the present circumstances the terrorist group considered the assassination of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga would help the rebel group enter the corridors of power in Colombo more directly, police sources said.
S L Gunasekera charges govt. proposals unconstitutional
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S.L. Gunasekara |
There was absolutely no possible way of implementing the government’s draft proposals on the interim administration for the provinces of North and East under the current constitution of Sri Lanka said senior lawyer and President of the Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya., S. L. Gunasekera.
Gunasekera, challenging former text book writer and teacher of law of the Colombo University and Constitutional Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris said none of the interim administration proposals as published in the newspapers were compatible with Sri Lanka’s constitution as claimed by Peiris and they simply go against the provisions of the country’s supreme law
Thamilchelvan wants Ranil to leave aside illegal camp matter
 A recent photo taken of the Wan Ela, Kinniya illegal LTTE camp at the time it was being built shows the camp was only of recent origin |
After arriving in a Ranil Wickremesinghe administration supplied helicopter at Sampoor, Muttur near Trincomalee S. P. Thamilchelvan had some advise for the government headed by the Prime Minister.
He said it is advisable for the parties, namely the Sri Lanka government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to leave aside the matter of the Wan Ela LTTE military camp in Kinniya, which the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission considers to have been built illegally in Sri Lanka controlled territory by the LTTE,
Counter proposals want powers to remove High Security Zones
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
LTTE political section leader Thamilchelvan hinted their group’s counter proposals on the Interim Government expected land powers to remove High Security Zones from the two provinces and properties occupied by the security forces.
S. P. Thamilchelvan, who traveled to Batticaloa District by a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter hinting about the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) counter proposals on the LTTE dominated Interim government for the two provinces of North and East said any administration for those areas would need the utility of land powers for the resettlement of refugees.
font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4" color="#3333FF"> Eastern province Sinhalese say their grievances not heard
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was either partial to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or did not take any interest in complaints made against the Tamil rebel group charged the Eastern Province Sinhala Organization in an meeting with the SLMM Trincomalee office.
The Sinhala Organization President, Venerable Dehiowita Piyatissa Thero told the SLMM Trincomalee office the SLMM had been silent over injustices done to the Sinhalese by the LTTE and either the Scandinavian Monitors were neglectful of their duties or partial to the Tamil Tigers.
Tamil Tigers increasing child abductions for war in the East
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
While the United Nation’s Children’s Fund , the UNICEF kept pouring foreign cash in to an organization called Tamil Refugee Organization (TRO) for the rehabilitation of child soldiers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) reports from the island nation’s Eastern Province said child abduction for conscription to the LTTE armed forces have increased at an alarming rate during the last few weeks
Sources in the Eastern Province said many abductions of children from schools and homes have also gone unreported since many parents are scared to complain against the LTTE since Tamil Tigers had increased assassinations against their Tamil political Party members opposed to the Tamil Tigers.
Interim government proposals inadequate
says Thamilchelvan
 S.P. Thamilchelvan was provided with a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter to travel to Batticaloa and boost up the morale of the LTTE fighting forces in the East. He addressed 5000 recently recruited troops at Tharawai military complex. This picture shows he was being received by a LTTE commander in Batticoloa. Part of the SLAF helicopter is also seen in the picture. (caption by Walter Jayawardhana) |
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said the Sri Lanka government proposals on the establishment of a LTTE dominated Interim Administration “has several shortcomings “ and will be sent back to Colombo “with counter proposals.”
The government’s proposals were handed over to the LTTE leadership by Norway’s special envoy Ambassador John Westborg few days ago.
Minister demands an apology for Tamils from the whole Sinhala race
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Lands Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the whole Sinhala race should ask for an apology from the Tamils for everything that happened from the year 1956. Calling former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, a Tamil, a Sinhala racist for “being in a Sinhala racist party like the Sri Lanka Freedom Party” the powerful cabinet Minister of the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration said Kadirgamar should make an apology for what he called the Black July, the anti Tamil riots that actually occurred during a regime of his own party , the United National Party and refused to make an apology for the riots on behalf of the present UNP led government.
In a radio interview he held with the Sinhala Service of the BBC, the Sandeshaya the highly provoked Senaratne , by an earlier statement of Lakshman Kadirgamar said that the UNP should make an apology for the “Black July” that happened during the UNP regime of the uncle of the present Prime Minister , the late Junius Richard Jayewardene, admitted it was the then UNP who should be held responsible for the July riots and not the present UNP.
SLFP-JVP final agreement ready soon
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
People’s Alliance Secretary General D.M. Jayaratne said the final agreement on the political alliance between Sri Lanka’s main opposition parties, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will be announced very soon.
Jayaratne said there is no truth whatsoever in the newspaper story that the SLFP-JVP talks were collapsing and the JVP would only support the SLFP from outside without a coalition being formed.
Complete reversal of land policy gives Norway 25.000 Lanka acres
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
This is the first time such large areas of lands are to be given to an European Company after British imperial times.
Land Ministry sources said Lands Minister Rajitha Senaratne has decided to sell a large plot of land to a Company in Norway which has been trying to make inroads in to Sri Lanka’s economy ever since it became the facilitator in the Sri Lankan peace process
Refusal to accept ruling is part of a Tamil-Norwegian conspiracy
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The current refusal of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam not to withdraw their illegally built military camp at Wan Ela in Kinniya, Trincomalee was only a ruse on the part of the Tamil rebels to help the Norwegians to bring in an international peace keeping force into Sri Lanka , charged the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Somawansa Amerasinghe.
The Sri Lanka based web radio, Radio Lanka quoting Somawansa Amerasinghe said this was the latest part of the conspiracy between the Norwegians and the Tamil separatists to bring in an international peace keeping force in to the island that would ultimately help the LTTE to carve out their putative state of Eelam from the Eastern and Northern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
Policeman injured after attack by Minister Jayalath's son
 Partly erased obscene graffiti written by the son of Jayalath Jayawardena. The obscene part has been probably covered with yellow paint by school authorities |
A gang of International School students led by the son of Minister Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena assaulted and wounded a constable attached to the Cinnamon Gardens Police station after he attempted to prevent them from writing obscene statements ridiculing a girl on the parapet wall of a leading girls school in Colombo.
The assault of the policeman by the Minister’s son took place, ironically, only few days after the LTTE controlled students of the Jaffna University assaulted the Minister.
Tamil Tigers promote a book of distorted history on Tricomalee
 Kanagasabapathy Saravanapavan, The man who distorted history Of Trincomalee for the LTTE |
Historical documents and academic research show that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) promoted “Historic Trincomalee” written in Tamil contains distorted history of the island and the book was based on sheer imagination and not on historical facts, with the intention of facilitating separatist plans of the Tamil rebel group, knowledgeable sources said.
The LTTE’s official news website, The Tamil Net, July 19 announced the release of “Historic Trincomalee” written by Kanagasabapathy Saravanapavan at a ceremony held at Siri Koneswara Hindu College Hall in Trincomalee and said the Tamils had the Temple at Konesar Malai for thousands of years
Jayalath Manorathne's "Puthra Samagama" staged in California
 Chandanie Senevirathne and Jayalath Manorathne in a scene from "Purthrasamagama" |
Jayalath Manorathne’s “Puthra Samagama” will be staged at Hermosa Beach Playhouse , Saturday July 26 at 5.30 p.m. local organizers of the celebrated Sinhala language play said.
The traveling drama troupe of Manorathne staged the play in Toronto,( Canada), New York, Washington D.C. and Springfield before arriving here in Southern California.
Somawansa wants to unite with SLFP,topple govt and hold clean elections
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Speaking from London the exiled leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna assured the country that his party was determined to unite with the major opposition party , the SLFP led by the President of the country, topple the government and within three months hold an unrigged and extremely clean parliamentary elections to win a new mandate from the people.
The contention of the Sri Lankan government that the proposed coalition between the opposition parties, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would never see the light of day reflects the wishful thinking of the rulers rather than the reality said Somawansa Amerasinghe, the leader of the JVP speaking from London.
Conspiracy to keep Sarath Fonseka out of the country for one month?
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Sri Lankan web radio, Radio Lanka said that there was a conspiracy to keep the Jaffna commander Major General Sarath Fonseka out of the country for one month by the government.
The Radio said an officer called Paarani Kulatunga would replace him for a time of one month.
LTTE organized students assault Minister Jayalath Jayawardena
 Minister Jayalath Jayawardena being assaulted by LTTE terrorists |
Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena, the Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugee Affairs Minister was physically attacked and chased away by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Student Union members of the Jaffna University.
The President of the Students Union admitted that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s senior cabinet minister was physically attacked and chased out of the University when the Minister came to preside over a government function to ceremoniously hand over 55 schools reconstructed by the funds provided by the European Union to the respective principals.
“Brotherly Love” turns in to stone pelting in Jaffna
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Contrary to the statement made by the Prime Minister’s Media Secretary, Saman Athawudahetti, that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) treated Sri Lanka Army soldiers with brotherly love at Jaffna, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) received a complaint that the Sri Lanka Army soldiers at the Forward Defense Line at Jaffna had been pelted with stones by the LTTE cadres.
The Sri Lanka Army in a complaint to the Sri Lanka Military Mission said an identified group of LTTE cadres threw stones at the soldiers on duty at the Forward Defense Line at Nagarkovil about five kilometers North East of Muhamalai, July 18 2003 around 7.30 a.m. in Jaffna.
Unicef work hollow and humbug
 Sri Lanka's UNICEF representative lays a foundation stone for the transit center at a ceremony the separatist flag of the LTTE and not Sri Lanka's national flag was hoisted. The transit center is to rehabilitate LTTE child soldiers. But LTTE child abductions are still taking place and a main culprit for the crimes S.Thilak was an honored guest at the ceremony. |
The effort of the UNICEF, the United Nation’s Children’s Fund dealing with the child conscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is “hollow” and “amounts to a humbug” charged the leading crusader against child conscription for war in Sri Lanka, The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) in an update report.
The report issued July 20, said, “ the impression is being created that the problem of child conscription is under control. But the reality is that in recent months people have been made very conscious of the LTTE’s apparatus of terror through a spate of political killings, and in areas where significant child conscription is being reported, community leaders are afraid even to hint at it”
Human Rights Group charges Norway monitors of failure and partiality
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The island nation’s leading human rights organization among Tamils said the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was a big failure as they miserably failed to do their job.
Pointing out that the SLMM had claimed their biggest weapon was persuasion the human rights group, University Teachers for Human Rights –Jaffna (UTHR-J) said for over 17 months they had had no influence in bringing about a substantial change in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist group’s behavior through persuasion.
India and Interpol still want Pottuamman and Prabhakaran
 photos of Thambiah Pottuamman and Velupillai Prabhakaran as depicted by the Indian CBI and Interpol |
The Interpol and the Central Bureau of Investigations, India have included the names of Thambiah Pottuamman and Velupillai Prabhakaran of Sri Lanka as most wanted men for crime in their latest list of fugitives issued last month.
The Interpol has included the names and pictures of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and Pottuamman, the close associate and the intelligence Chief of the LTTE leader at the request of the Indian Central Bureau of Investigations.
LTTE-Army clash over flag
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Emboldened by the participation of official representatives on behalf of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at a similar ceremony on an earlier occasion Tamil Tigers refused to abide by the request of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission not to hoist the rebel group’s separatist Leaping Tiger flag in the Sri Lanka government controlled area in Vavuniya.
Fearing greater repercussions, the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission advised the Sri Lanka Army not to furl the Tiger flag when the LTTE threatened that hundreds of them would commit suicide if they were stopped from flying their separatist Eelam flag over the sovereign territory of Sri Lanka. The Army said as a respect to the SLMM they did not intervene in the flying of the Tiger flag over the Sri Lanka territory.
Tamil Tigers to receive expert advise on how to separate out of Ranil's proposals
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is assembling a consultative committee to advise its leadership and negotiators on what aspects of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government proposals would help make way for the rebel group’s separatist aspirations enabling them to achieve those goals in the future.
Political sources in Jaffna said carving out the future separate state called Eelam from the current Sri Lanka territory would be the main criteria on which the government’s proposals would be considered or rejected in the proposed talks soon.
Eight Tamil Tigers remanded until 18 for offensive weapons and ammunition
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Eight Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres were ordered remanded by Batticaloa Magistrate Abdul Gafoor until July 18 when all suspects of the rebel group who were discovered by the Police of carrying military like weapons and ammunition into Sri Lanka government controlled area were produced before him, legal records revealed.
Due to the increased political violence by the LTTE the joint army and police investigators who intensified their searches of all vehicles and pedestrians at Kallady Bridge near Batticaloa allegedly discovered the eight cadres carrying ammunition and weapons in to the government controlled area of the Eastern Province
Trinco hartal against LTTE atrocities
 People of Trincomalee were getting together at varied places including the SLMM office to demand the intervention of Nordic monitors to stop the atrocities of the LTTE against civilians. |
Reports from Trincomalee said that public and private transport services remained crippled and all shops were kept closed when more than five thousand Tamils , Sinhalese and Muslims staged a hartal demanding the intervention of the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission to stop the LTTE atrocities against unarmed civilians .
The protestors said either the Norwegians should be neutral and perform their duties or get out of the country if they were unable to do so.
100,000 signatures to demerge two provinces
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The Sinhala Sanvidhanaya of the Eastern Province has started a signature campaign in the Eastern Province to appeal to the President Chandrika Kumaratunga to demerge the Eastern and Northern Provinces;
The Venerable Dehiowita Piyatissa Thera, the President of the organization started the campaign by signing his own name to the petition.
Eight Tigers caught with weapons and arrested
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Police in Batticaloa with the help of the Sri Lanka Army were able to arrest six LTTE cadres who entered the Sri Lanka government controlled area with military weapons contravening the Ceasefire agreement , Police sources said
The armed violators of the Ceasefire Agreement were arrested at the Kallady Bridge at Batticaloa , the same sources said.
Everything cannot be revealed to the Parliament says Lokubandara
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The United National Front government’s Leader of the House W.J.M. Lokubandara said that there were certain things that could not be divulged to the parliament.
Making the most controversial statement so far about the supremacy of Sri Lanka’s parliament Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Minister of Justice said , “There are things that could be told to the parliament and there are other things that could not be divulged to the parliament.”
Tamil Tigers very upset but Police to continue cordon and search
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Amidst stern warnings from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and their political allies the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to immediately stop the cordon and search police operations in Trincomalee and Batticaloa Districts the Police vowed to continue such investigations to crush the growing political violence in the Eastern Province.
The political violence is mostly aimed at Tamil political parties opposed to the LTTE and the Tamil Tigers are alleged of generating the violence in the area.
Sad and happy stories from the child conscription drive in the East
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A suicide of a heart broken father caused by the abduction of his daughter by the Tigers on one occasion and the heroic act of villagers whose ire prevented the LTTE child recruiters from catching five boys returning from school for military enslavement on another were reported in the midst of a heightened campaign to recruit Tamil school children for forced military training by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last week in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.
On conservative estimates, more than 10,000 children have been abducted by the Tamil rebel group after it entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Ranil Wickremesinghe government and the government used its influence to suppress the international campaign against child military conscription in Sri Lanka to satisfy political purposes that would gain the group’s support to the government, it has been alleged by human rights groups in Sri Lanka.
Tamil Tigers get a dose of their own medicine in Eastern Province
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) got a little dose of its own medicine when personal animosities created by the rebel group’s own violence took the life of one of its activists at Pudunagar near the Batticaloa town in the Eastern Province, Police sources said.
Velupillai Paraneedharan (18) who has been suspected of getting involved in the violent politics of the Tamil rebel groups ever since they signed the ceasefire agreement with the Ranil Wickremesinghe government was killed while he was riding a bicycle to Batticaloa by an unidentified gunman, the Police said.
Ratwatte and sons released on bail
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Reversing a lower court verdict Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court released on bail the country’s former Deputy Defense Minister Anurudhdha Ratwatte and his two sons from the remand jail on bail.
Reversing an earlier verdict of the High Court Ratwatte, his two sons, and thirteen other accused in the Udathalawinna murder case in which they were accused of killing Muslim supporters of a political party at the last parliamentary election, a five member bench of the Supreme Court presided over by the Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva released the accused on a 500,000 Rupees bail.
Tigers pass forward defense line and building a bunker against the ceasefire agreement
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE ) has once again moved beyond its forward defense line and was illegally constructing a bunker , the Sri Lanka Army reported to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
The Tamil Terrorist group moved beyond its forward defense line contrary to the ceasefire agreement it signed with the Ranil Wickremesinghe government , the Sri Lanka Army said in its complaint.
Pandemonium in Parliament demanding Ranil to reveal proposals on Interim Govt.
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Pandemonium prevailed in the Sri Lanka Parliament when opposition Members got out of their seats and started shouting slogans demanding that the Ranil Wickremesinghe government should present its draft proposals on an Interim government in the North and the East to the Parliament before presenting them to the Tamil Tigers.
At the adjournment motion, July 10, the Opposition members wanted to ask many questions from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other responsible ministers who were engaged in negotiations with the Tamil Tigers but none of them were present in the parliament. Front benches of the government almost were empty at the moment. The Opposition members said the Prime Minister should be there to reply to their innumerable questions about secret proposals on the Interim administration.
Chandrasekaran announces SL citizenship to 160,000 of his people
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Cabinet Minister , Leader of the Upcountry People’s Front and political ally of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Periyasamy Chandrasekaran announced that the cabinet of Ranil Wickremesinghe unanimously decided to grant citizenships to 1,60, 000 Tamils of the upcountry tea plantations.
Chandrasekaran said he has had discussions with many opposition parties in the parliament and he expected the legislation granting the citizenship to the stateless people would pass without any difficulty.
Tigers refuse to accept the verdict and reiterate they would develop the illegal camp
 This army photo shows the unsuccessful meeting between the army and the LTTE presided over by the Head of the SLMM in a tent. Refusing to accept the SLMM verdict the Tigers said they were determined to keep the illegal camp developed in the Sri Lanka government controlled area. Many say this was a preparation for the next phase of. |
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam refused to accept the verdict of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and reiterated its determination not to remove the new camp they were building in the Sri Lanka government controlled area in the strategic District of Trincomalee at Manirasakulam, Kinniya. .
At a meeting arranged between the Tamil terrorist group and the Trincomalee High command of the Sri Lanka Army inside a tent, at Kattaparichchan the LTTE who had intruded in to the Sri Lanka government controlled area totally refused to accept the verdict given by the SLMM Trincomalee District office in case number 399.
Tigers demand a "tax" to let trains run to Batticaloa
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has demanded the Ranil Wickremesinghe government that the Sri Lankan authorities should pay a “tax” to allow Sri Lanka government trains pass through “their territory”.
The Tamil Tiger terrorists suspended the Batticaloa trains by removing the sleepers of the railway track near Vantharamulai and Komanthurai between Valaichenai and Batticaloa stranding hundres of commuters traveling from Colombo to Batticaloa, July 8.
Tamil Tigers damage track and stop train services to Batticaloa
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka government railway authorities suspended train services between Valaichchenai and Batticaloa after suspected Tamil Tiger saboteurs removed railway sleepers and damaged tracks near Vandaramulai, Sri Lanka Army reported.
The government repaired the railway tracks following similar damages after six years since 1996 and re-established railway services for commuter convenience only last April.
Rauf Hakeem insists on 50-50 representation for muslims in interim council
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Minister Rauf Hakeem, the leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress strongly insisted on a fifty-fifty policy regarding representation for Muslims in whatever interim government for the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
Rauf Hakeem recently told BBC’s Sandeshaya that it was extremely essential for the Muslims fifty percent of the representation in whatever governing council proposed by the government for the administration of the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the island.
Emergency debate today
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The government and the opposition would debate ‘the great threat posed to the national security’ in an emergency debate of the Sri Lanka parliament, today June 9, opposition sources said.
The debate was decided at a party leaders meeting held yesterday presided over by the Speaker Joseph Michael Perera.
It was proposed by the Party leaders meeting by MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena, JVP Parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Dinesh Gunawardena said the very security of the nation has been threatened by Assassinations of intelligence unit personnel, and the free import of arms and armaments by the LTTE
LTTE attacks another EPRLF member
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Increasing the long list of victims among Tamils of the violence unleashed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) despite a ceasefire agreement signed with the administration of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe suspected LTTE assassins attempted to kill a close associate of the late Subathiran alias Robert , the deputy leader of the EPRLF, who was killed recently by a LTTE gunman.
Initial reports said, that a severely injured Selvin . a close associate of the dead leader was admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital with several injuries sustained in an attack by LTTE killers , July 8, at Gurunagar in Jaffna.
SLMM get out of Sri Lanka
 Hundreds of Buddhist monks, many carrying black flags marched through Colombo demanding the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission should immediately getout of Sri Lanka alleging they were helping the Tamil Tigers to divide the country Pic by: Daminda Harsha Perera |
Hundreds of Buddhist Monks who marched through Colombo charged that the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was helping Tamil Tigers to establish a separate state and therefore should get out of Sri Lanka immediately.
Marching under the banner of the National Bhikku Front the many monks who carried black flags in protest against what they called “blatant partiality” of the Scandinavian monitors charged that the SLMM while clad in robes of peace were actually promoting the separatist activities of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Demonstration against Nordic monitors with a corpse of a victim
 The dead body of PLOT member Vairamuttu Meghanadan assassinated by LTTE at the front of the Batticaloa office of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. |
Frustrated by the constant certificates of good character to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) the mourners of the latest victims of the LTTE assassinations in the Eastern Province took the dead body of PLOT member Vairamuttu Meghanadan allegedly assassinated by LTTE to the front of the Batticaloa office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and held a protest demonstration.
Simply embarrassed, the Norway backed monitors who had issued an earlier statement siding with the LTTE stating the LTTE could not be held responsible for the assassinations of anti-LTTE activists told the demonstrators that it was the responsibility of the Police to investigate in to the murders. . Visibly embarrassed, the Scandinavian monitors informed about the demonstrators to the Police and the Police arrived at the demonstration to assure the protestors that the culprits would be investigated and arrested.
Policemen released after murder suspect given freedom
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The two police Constables attached to the Eravur Police station and taken as ransom by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to press government free LTTE murder suspect Subaraj Sathyarajah were released yesterday by the rebel group.
The two policemen who were released near the ‘Kalu Palama’ on the Chenkal Adi –Badulla road yesterday were handed over to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Lasantha de Silva by Leelamani of the LTTE women’s Brigade, without the intervention of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Police said.
LTTE gunmen kill another PLOT member
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Despite assurances of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government that they would stop political murders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), suspected Tamil Tiger gunmen killed a political opponent of the People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOT), Batticaloa police said.
The victim, Justin Vairamuttu Mohanadan (33) scared of a LTTE assassination was living in a PLOT office , the police revealed.
Sathyaraj for whom they broke jail and kidnapped policemen released on bail deal
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
High Court Judge Subramanium Paramarajah released LTTE political unit leader and murder suspect Subaraj Sathyarajah from Batticaloa prisons .
His release on bail was not opposed by the prosecution lawyers according to instructions by Attorney General. The release on bail followed an unsuccessful attempt by seven men and two women armed LTTE cadres led by Batticaloa’s deputy leader of the LTTE political unit Senadhiraj to release Sathyaraj by a jail-break. The government intervened and stopped the publication of the news of the alleged jail-break, June 23
SLFP condmns Ranil for sending his reps to a separatist revelry
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main Opposition party of Sri Lanka issued a statement condemning the “unpatriotic” act of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for sending two official representatives to a separatist rally that hoisted a separatist flag and publicly ridiculed the national army.
The SLFP was referring to the “Pongu Thamil” rally recently held in Jaffna to which Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sent Senior Assistant Secretary of media relations of his office, Saman Athawudahetti and S. Pathmanadan also of the same office to officially represent him .Athawudahetti later said the Pongu Thamil rally expressed brotherly love to the Sri Lanka Army while spectators reported a mock up Sri Lanka Army camp was exhibited at the rally and the participants of the rally were asked to attack and break apart the mock up camp.
SLMM trap should be stopped at all costs to save nation says Dinesh
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) in a special statement issued to the newspapers warned the nation that the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was drawing the nation to a dangerous trap by trying to make electronic logistics of the Sri Lanka Navy available to them.
The MEP warning signed by the party’s leader and former minister of the People’s Alliance government Dinesh Gunawardena said this move was fraught with the greatest danger to the nation of Sri Lanka.
Tigers refuse to move from illegally built camp despite ruling
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Trincomalee LTTE authorities have indicated to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that they would not move from the new military camp they had illegally built in the Sri Lanka government controlled area despite a ruling given by the Trincomalee office of the monitors against it.
The Deputy Head of the SLMM Hagrup Haukland said that they were anxiously waiting until the illegally built rebel military camp was removed since the land on which it was built was within the Government of Sri Lanka controlled area.
LTTE's Pongu Thamil called Sinhala soldiers, "Malli Paetiyo" says PM's envoy
 This flag was hoisted at the recent Pongu Thamil celebrations at Jaffna by the LTTE and called it their national flag. But the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sent two official envoys To the function (caption by Walter Jayawardhana ) |
Saman Athaudahetti, the controversial press coordinating Secretary of the Sri Lankan Prime Minister who officially represented the ruling UNF government at a separatist rally said the LTTE who organized the Pongu Thamil treated Sinhala army soldiers with brotherly love.
He said the LTTE used such adoring addresses of brotherly love like “Malli Paetiyo” and “Malli Rajo” to address Sinhala soldiers and did not say why these Sinhala terms, used usually to address small kids sometimes by adults were used by LTTE’s grown up men to address other grown up men.
LTTE protests against stepped up security checks in the country
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The London based organ of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) protested against stepped up security operations by the armed services and the Police following the assassination of Sunil Thabrew, the intelligence branch chief of the Dehiwela Police who was killed allegedly by a LTTE gunman in his own police station premises.
The LTTE organ, the Tamil Guardian charged, “For over a week, Sri Lankan soldiers and policemen, including troops from the notorious Special Task Force, cordoned off Tamil areas, forced their way into homes and businesses and took men and women, especially youths, into custody.”
Why did Karikalan come to Colombo?
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
President Chandrika Kumaratunga told JVP delegates who met her to discuss the MOU to be signed soon between the largest two parties of the Opposition, the SLFP and the JVP that the LTTE’s senior leader Karikalan was hosted in Colombo’s Hilton Hotel recently by a close associate of the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe.
She said , Karikalan was living from June 23 to 26 in Colombo Hilton’s room 604 and that particular room had a clear view of the official Presidential Palace that is in close proximity to Colombo’s Hilton Hotel.
Wattala UNP Chairman arrested for murder of Sunil Mendis
 Western Provincial Council Member the late Mr. Sunil Mendis (left). United National Party Chairman of the local government body of Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha Thiyagaratne de Alwis (right) |
The Police arrested the ruling United National Party Chairman of the local government body of Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha in connection with the tragic and gruesome assassination of the Western Provincial Council Member Sunil Mendis.
The Police after the arrest of Chairman Thiyagaratne de Alwis produced him before Mrs. A.D.Wijewardena , the Magistrate and Additional District judge of Wattala who remanded the powerful and influential politician until July 8.
Japan sends aid group summons to Sri Lanka's Tigers to attend talks
Japan's ambassador to Sri Lanka Seiichiro Otsuka Monday formally conveyed to the Tamil Tiger rebels a demand by international aid donors to return to peace negotiations, diplomats said.
An international aid pledging conference hosted by Japan concluded earlier this month with donors calling on the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to end their boycott of Norwegian-backed peace talks.(Pro Log/AFP)
the rally, the rebel group’s recent undeclared war against some of the most popular figures in the Tamil United Liberation Front like V. Anandasangaree, the acrimony generated in the conservative Jaffna homes against child proscription and the recent killing spree by the rebel group of Tamil political leaders allegedly at the behest of Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Peace Seceretariat censored news of futile LTTE jail break
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The news reports of the recent attempted jail break by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the Batticaloa Prisons was censored by the Peace Secretariat under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Army sources said the Peace Secretariat , under the administration of Director General Bernard Gunatilleke, ordered the news of the LTTE’s attempted jail break of the Batticaloa Prisons to free a LTTE alleged murderer, Subaraj Sathyarajah to be censored so that the people of Sri Lanka would not know the incident.
Female cadres escape from Sampoor LTTE camp
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Belying the publicized claim that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had released child soldiers two female cadres of the LTTE escaped their captors and surrendered to the Sri Lanka Navy detachment at Sampoor.
One of them a 15 year minor said the Liberation Tigers were holding hundreds of minors at the came where she was abducted and held for military training.
Tigers expected 200,000 people but ended up with only 25.000 due to unpopularity
 |
Jaffna’s Pongu Tamil- The LTTE’s show of public strength intended to drive away the Sri Lanka Army from the Jaffna peninsula that the organizers intended to draw a massive crowd of 200,000 attracted only an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people, according to independent estimates.
Political analysts in Jaffna said the sharp drop was caused by many reasons including the EPDP’s campaign against Those who ask JVP whether the country would be returned to war should ask it from LTTE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
When a BBC’s Sinhala program interviewer asked JVP’s parliamentary group leader and the party’s information secretary Wimal Weerawansa whether the proposed SLFP-JVP coalition would return the country to war he retorted and said that the gentlemen who tried to white wash the Tamil Tigers should ask that question from the LTTE. “Why don’t you ask them and tell me,” he said.
When the JVP information secretary subtly implicated the Sandeshaya as mollycoddling the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) the interviewer stopped asking questions on the subject.
LTTE is now building a military camp in govt-controlled area
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Sri Lanka Army has alleged that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has encroached on the land of the government-controlled area in Trincomalee and stealthily building a LTTE military camp.
The LTTE is building this military camp at Kurungu Panjan Kulam , in Kinniya near Trincomalee, army sources said. The Sri Lanka Army has failed to deter the terrorist group from building this military camp same sources said.
The dispute has been now referred to Sri Lanka monitoring Mission.
LTTE's attempted jail break to free Sathyarajah fails
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The attempt of a Tamil Tiger armed gang to jail break Batticaloa government prisons and get the release of an important member of their political unit miserably failed , police sources said.
The campaign of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to get an important leader of their political unit now charged for the murder of a Tamil army sergeant took a new turn when seven LTTE armed men and women attempted a futile jail break to get the release of the remand prisoner at the Batticaloa Prison recently, June 23.
Police Inspectors demand re-introduction of “Anti-Terrorism Act”
 When Madan, the LTTE assassin was arrested and brought to the Dehiwla Police station He was later remanded until July 8 by the Mt.Lavinia magistrate (photo courtesy: The Divaina ) |
Due to open violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sri Lanka’s Police Inspectors’ Association wants the government to seriously consider re-introduction of the laws of the Anti-Terrorism Act in the investigations , the President of the Association Dale Gunaratne said.
This has been strongly felt following the assassination of Sunil Thabrew , OIC of the intelligence unit of the Dehiwal Police, he further pointed out.
Ranil gives in on Interim Government and negotiations to start soon
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Following the submission of a new draft resolution for an interim government for Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam( LTTE ) both parties separately announced the deadlocked peace negotiations would be resumed soon.
The Sri Lankan Prime Minister submitted the new draft resolution giving power to the rebel group with the help of Norwegian facilitators in London to the rebel group’s chief negotiator Anton Balasingham. Ministers G.L.Peiris, and Milinda Moragoda, Attorney General Kamalasabesan and Secretary of the Prime Minister Bradman Weerakoon took part in these discussions.
Thabrew paid with his life as government refused to curb Tiger killers
 Dehiwala Police Intelligence Unit OIC Sunil Thabrew shot dead by LTTE terrorist in the Police Mess (photo courtesy: The Divaina ) |
Inspector Sunil Thabrew of the Dehiwala Police had to pay with his life for the failure of the government to take any action on repeated intelligence and political reports of the presence and free movements of the LTTE’s hit squads within Colombo and its suburbs for the past several months charged Prajathanthra.
The Sri Lankan movement for Social Democracy and Foundation for Freedom of Expression in a statement said, that in fact the Minister of Defense Tilak Marapone was on record having admitted the government was aware of the presence of LTTE cadres within Colombo.
If Ranils partner is a murderer why not SLFP join democratic JVP asks Chandrika
 President Chandrika Kumaratunga said she ordered the navy to attack LTTE weapons transporting ships off Mullaitivu. (photo by TamilNet ) |
If it was good for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to get together with a mass murderer like Velupillai Prabhakaran as his political partner what was wrong in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party selecting a group that had embraced a democratic political process like the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna as their political ally asked President Chandrika Kumaratunga addressing the 14th National Convention of the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party at Nittambuwa, in Western Province of Sri Lanka.
Party delegates from all over the country converged on the old Sri Sanghabodhi Vidyalaya Hall, the venue of the convention and even the former Defense Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte got special permission from the courts and obtained leave from the remand jail where he was being held accused in the Udatalawinna murder case to attend the party convention.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was angry over the sinking of the LTTE arms ship
 (AP File photo ) |
A weekly newspaper very close to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe reported that he was seen visibly angry over the incident of sinking of an alleged LTTE arms smuggling ship by the gun fire of the Sri Lanka Navy.
The weekly, Sunday Leader , in its issue of June 22 said a visibly annoyed Prime Minister held a meeting at 8.30 p.m. .June 16 with Defense Minister Tilak Marapone, Defense Secretary Austin Fernando and Minister Milinda Moragoda to discuss the matter of sinking of the enemy ship.
Tigers kick Anandasagaree out of the TNA working committee
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Under tremendous pressure of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam the leader of the main democratic Tamil political party, the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) ,V. Anandasagaree has been removed from the working committee of the Tamil National Alliance, a loose coalition of Tamil political parties in which the TULF is the main component.
The official news website of the LTTE. The Tamil Net announced, “Anandasangari has been facing a challenge to his leadership due to his publicized opposition to the LTTE.”
Interim government with power to LTTE would lead them to peace talks, says Balasingham
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Responding to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to establish an interim government for the country’s troubled Northern and Eastern Provinces Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said The rebel group was prepared to return to the peace talks only when the government of Sri Lanka offered a practical conceptual frame work for an interim government structure.
Anton Balasingham further said, “It is not prudent on the part of the LTTE to present a structure or a mechanism for an interim administrative set-up without any idea of the scope and extent to which the government could offer politico-administrative powers to the LTTE.”
No rational basis to believe LTTE would not return to war says rebel journal
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Commenting on the recent statement of the United National Front government “that ventured to assert quite confidently that there is no risk of a return to war “ the main organ of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said, “there is no rational basis to assume this will remain so.”
Obviously commenting on the statement of Sri Lanka government’s chief negotiator G.L. Peiris that said the LTTE would not return to war LTTE’s main organ, the Tamil Guardian said, “ But as long as the hawks in the military , including Commander in Chief Kumaratunga , continue to bait the Tiger, there is no rational basis to assume this will remain so.”
President alerts government troops and says LTTE preparing for a war
 President receiving intelligence reports that the separatist rebel group, the LTTE was getting prepared to capture some places like Jaffna and Trincomalee by a surprise attack. (AFP File photo/Jewel Samad ) |
President Chandrika Kumaratunga told all Chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air force and field commanders of all security forces in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka that the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were getting prepared for another Eelam war.
President Kumaratunga called this special meeting as the Commander in Chief of the armed forces of Sri Lanka and said the enemy should keep the troops on alert for any sudden attack.
LTTE continues abductions for forced recruitment to their army
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Three students abducted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) from their Eastern Province homes escaped from their captors and sought the protection of the Sri Lankan security forces , the Sri Lanka Army announced.
The three teenagers, students attending two government schools at Pethale and Kalawanchikudy was revealed following another daring escape five days before by five female LTTE cadres from their camp who sought the protection of the Aralaganwila police , near Dimbulagala.
LTTE says police has no powers to search their offices regarding murders
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam protested to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission against the search operations conducted by the Police with the assistance of the security forces after the Tamil Tigers intensified its terror campaign against rival Tamil politicians in the Jaffna peninsula.
Tensions were mounted after LTTE gunmen allegedly killed the Jaffna District leader of the EPRLF Thambiraja Subathiran , who is also the deputy leader of the party, in the Sri Lanka government controlled Jaffna peninsula and the Police increased their search operations.
Ranil Wickremesinghe's peace carnival coming to an end says UTHR(J)
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
With the murder of Thambiraja Subathiran in Jaffna, and the LTTE not wanting to talk to its Norwegian and Japanese interlocutors the peace carnival of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government was now all but over said the leading human rights organization of the Tamils, University Teachers of Human Rights (Jaffna)
The UTHR(J) in a four page statement issued Sunday June 15 said the peace carnival bought the LTTE a nearly 18 month free run to conscript children , draw up its lists . spy and carry out its fatal missions before returning to war.
Child protection Authority says while child soldiers released from one end LTTE abducts from the other
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Professor Harendra de Silva , Chairman , National Child Protection Authority in Sri Lanka said returning child soldiers to the families in Sri Lanka had become the biggest joke of the world since the Tamil rebel group released child soldiers from one end and abducted them in from the other .
He accused the international community and organizations for showing little interest in this worst human rights violation and said they had shown a declined concern in the problem In recent times, they miserably failed to bring any pressure on the rebel group to bring this misery of the Tamil children to a permanent halt, Professor de Silva said.
Ven. Gunawansa Thero tells in London that Ranil should be charged for treason
 The Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero addressing a fully packed London audience of Sri Lankan expatriates on Sunday June 8 2003 at Claremont Community Center, London . (photo by: Tissa Madawela ) |
The Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero addressing a fully packed London audience of Sri Lankan expatriates said he vehemently opposed the setting up of an LTTE led Interim Council for the North and East and the attempt of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to do so was an immoral and illegal act that tantamount to treachery.
He said if the Prime Minister ever did anything in that direction he should be charged for treason.
Bomb and arson attack on newspaper condemned
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Prajathanthra, Movement for Social Democracy and Foundation for Freedom of Expression has unreservedly condemned last Saturday’s attack on the office of the Sunday Lakmina newspaper, at Welikada, near Colombo and setting fire to stocks of newspapers there, by a reported gang that hurled bombs at the newspaper office and also damaged equipment in the premises.
A press release by the movement signed by its convener Lucien Rajakarunanayaka said The Sunday Lakmina was well known to be a pro-Opposition newspaper.
Debt
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Dr. Sarath Amunugama, spokesman for the People’s Alliance (PA), the largest opposition party in Sri Lanka said if one calculated all the loans pledged to be received by Sri Lanka at three billion it would make every Sri Lankan in debt to be at 93,000 Rupees.
He said comparatively all other foreign loans obtained since independence would make every Sri Lanka citizen in debt only at Rs.73,000.
S.L.threatens he would stop any LTTE interim government
 S.L. Gunasekara |
Nationalist political leader and senior lawyer S.L. Gunasekera said he would stop any anti-constitutional step of the government directly or indirectly granting an interim government to the Tamil Tigers.
President of the Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya and one of Sri Lanka’s leading constitutional lawyers, S.L. Gunasekera said that he would certainly create legal obstacles to stop such interim government from functioning if Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government would grant an interim administrative structure to the LTTE contravening the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
Priest Banagala's UNP supporters in Tokyo physically attack pro-JVP demonstrators
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Pandemonium was created when pro-UNP supporters of the Tokyo based Buddhist monk Rev. Banagala Upatissa violently attacked pro-JVP protestors who were demonstrating against the visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for what they alleged as the betrayal of Sri Lanka’s sovereignty to the LTTE terrorists by the UNF government.
Eyewitnesses said while the demonstrators were very vocally critical of the policies of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in slogan shouting the attack aimed at them was violently physical by the pro-UNP supporters attached to the Lanka Jee temple headed by the Buddhist monk confidante of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Rev. Banagala Upatissa.
A mammoth JVP rally warns not to allow Interim Administration for the Tigers
 Nearly 50,000 people took to the streets June 6,2003 to protest against the LTTE’s interim government proposal, under the banner of the JVP. The Tamil Net published this photograph |
In a mammoth protest demonstration that walked from Colombo’s Fort Railway station to the Lipton Circle in the central city, Sri Lanka’s second largest Opposition party , the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna demanded Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe not to erode Sri Lanka’s constitution further by allowing the Tiger terrorists of any kind of interim administration.
It reminded the Prime Minister Wickremesinghe that the voters of Sri Lanka did not give him a mandate to contravene the constitution of Sri Lanka or over ride the powers of the executive President of the country.
Thamilselvan assures that they would not attend Tokyo Aid Meeting.
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
P .Thamilselvan, the leader of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam said in the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi in Northern Sri Lanka that his group would not go to Tokyo Japan to participate in the international aid gathering conference of Sri Lanka in retaliation against the Sri Lanka government’s failure to give a clear response to form a LTTE dominated interim government for the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
Weeks ago the LTTE leadership appealed to the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that the government should immediately form a LTTE dominated Interim Council, according old pacts between the governing UNF and the rebel LTTE, to govern Northern and Eastern Provinces of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, outside the nation’s own constitution.
Former Lake House Chairman Says Cabinet Minister threatened to Kill him
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A senior Sri Lankan journalist and a former Chairman of the Lake house, Lucien Rajakarunanayka has complained to the Prime Minister and police that a cabinet Minister of the UNF government , Mahinda Wijesekera had publicly threatened him and his family with death in front of a Japanese visitor at a restaurant at Colombo’s Hilton Hotel.
He said, “on the night of May 30, 2003, Mr. Mahinda Wijesekera, Minister for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, threatened me and my family with death, in connection with a column I had written in the “Sunday Observer” around August/September 2001. The incident took place at the Japanese restaurant located at the Colombo Hilton.”
Norway Backed SLMM Shows No Interest in Navy Person Kidnapped
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Sri Lanka Navy complained that authorities had shown little interest in getting the release of a Navy sailor who had been kidnaped by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE ) from a government controlled area in the Eastern Province.
The LTTE meanwhile claimed that the Navy person, M.D.A.K. Dharmadasa , was found armed in an LTTE controlled area and therefore was arrested by the LTTE police.
TULF- Tigers conflict has developed fully ; so greater conflict imminent
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
V. Anandasagaree, the leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front told Thamil Osai, the Tamil language service of the British Broadcasting Corporation that a group of Tamil Members of Parliament of his party met him and requested him to resign from his leadership of the party since the terrorist group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam did not like him to hold that position.
But the defiant leader of the Tamils told the group of parliamentarians that he would not resign on the pressure of outsiders but on the request of the Central Committee of the Tamil United Liberation Front(TULF) if they happened to decide so.
People's Alliance bitterly condemns Norwegian Prime Minister
 (from left to right) Prime Minister of Norway Kjell Magne Bondevik, Norwegian peace envoy Eric Solheim and Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen |
Dr. Sarath Amunugama , the chief spokesman of the People’s Alliance , Sri Lanka’s main opposition party said his party bitterly condemned the recent statements made by Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik’s remarks made in Tokyo that the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe could carry on with his work without the involvement of President Chandrika Kumaratunga regarding giving consent to the LTTE proposal of establishing an Internal government for the North and East of the country
Dr. Amunugama also said he also condemned Bondevik’s statement that he advised the Sri Lanka government to be very flexible in the question of establishing an internal government of the LTTE for the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka since he was nobody and had no duty to advise a Sri Lankan government.
LTTE while taking cover under the MOU continues to wage war against the army
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Opposition critics in Sri Lanka attacked the Norway backed cease-fire agreement between the UNF government and the LTTE for only protecting the LTTE armed cadres while the LTTE continued to wage its war against the armed forces of Sri Lanka with another two soldiers being injured at Trincomalee by LTTE attacks.
The critics said the Norway backed Sri lanka Monitoring Mission has failed to prevent LTTE attacks against alternative Tamil political parties as well as Sri Lanka Army soldiers continually at Batticaloa , Colombo, Mt. Lavinia, Jaffna Peninsula and now at Trincomalee.
LTTE Acceptence of Ranil's version of Interim Government quite unlikely says Suderoli
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s watered down version of LTTE Interim Government to handle finances in the provinces of North and East would be rather unlikely to be accepted by the Tamil Tigers since it lacked all the powers the rebels expected to obtain under their proposal, the pro-LTTE daily Sudar Oli reported.
The government of Wickremesinghe submitted their version of interim government through Norway’s special envoy Eric Solheim to the LTTE leaders in Kilinochchi.
Ranil offers interim government to Tamil Tigers
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Disregarding the threats of the opposition parties and the executive President of the country Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a letter sent through Norway’s special envoy Eric Solheim to LTTE leaders in Kilinochchi offered an Interim government to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to handle finances of the Sri Lanka government pertaining to the two provinces of the North and the East.
The official website of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) the Tamil Net said, the UNF government responded to the request of the Tamil Tigers that an interim administration with adequate powers to reconstruct the war ravaged economy of the country.
Ranil to allow LTTE controlled interim government
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Cabinet Minister and leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress, Arumugam Thondaman said that he was certain Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would allow the LTTE controlled Interim government for the North and East of the country since he had no other way of proceeding in the peace process of Sri Lanka.
The powerful trade unionist of the Tamils of the Indian origin making a statement just after he concluded an executive committee meeting of the Ceylon Worker’s Congress(CWC) held in Kandy, Sri Lanka said despite the opposition of President Chandrika Kumaratunga to the proposed move which had been described as going against the constitution of the country, they would go ahead and support the Prime Minister to allow the move.
"Ranjith's murder had UNP and Police connections" says Mahinda
 Bullet riddled body of provincial minister M.K. Ranjith. (photo courtesy: The Island) |
Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa alleged assassins connected with the VIP’s of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government and the Criminal Investigations Department of the Sri Lanka Police had gunned down the popular Provincial Council member and Minister of the Southern Provincial Council M.K.Ranjith within the High Security Zone of the capital city of Colombo and just in front of the Criminal Investigations Department.
M.K.Ranjith who belonged to the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party, that holds power in the Southern Provincial Council was a close confidante of the Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Sarath Amunugama severely warns Ranil to face consequences if he granted Interim Govet.to Tigers
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka’s main opposition party the People’s Alliance (PA) said it was vehemently opposed to the granting of an an interim administration to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to govern Northern and Eastern provinces and warned the Prime Minister of the country, Ranil Wickremesinghe against taking such a step that it described as contravening the Constitution of the country.
The spokesman of the main opposition, the People’s Alliance, Dr. Sarath Amunugama said in Colombo that he was severely warning the Prime Minister that he had no right to challenge the Sri Lanka constitution and the Sri Lanka parliament by agreeing to a LTTE demand to grant the rebel group authority and legality outside the constitution of Sri Lanka .
LTTE tells the Govt. to break the Sri Lanka constitution and install a LTTE interim Govt.
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
S.P. Thamilselvan, the head of the political section of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said in Kilinochchi that the Ranil Wickremesinghe government of Sri Lanka should install a Tiger led interim administration in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka by breaking the Constitution of Sri Lanka, if the rebel group were to attend the aid gathering international conference in Japan
Addressing reporters in Kilinochchi, Thamilselvan said, “ We are not least concerned about the snags and problems in Sri Lanka’s constitution. The Sri Lankan government should think and take concrete steps to go beyond the parameters of the constitution to resolve the interim administration issue”.
Opposition demands Lanka Collaboration in Thai investigations into pistol smuggling to Tigers
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The spokesman of Sri Lanka’s main opposition party, the People’s Alliance demanded that the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration should fully cooperate with the Thai police investigating into illegal smuggling of weapons into Sri Lanka by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Dr. Sarath Amunugama, the spokesman of the opposition People’s Alliance addressing reporters at a Colombo press conference said the Wickremesinghe administration, despite the ongoing ceasefire agreement with the LTTE, should provide all available details about the Tiger suspects arrested with weapons in Thailand and cooperate fully with the Thai authorities investigating into the matter.
President to go ahead taking over lotteries but awaiting PM's letter
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
People’s Alliance spokesman Dr. Sarath Amunugama said President Chandrika Kumaratunga was awaiting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s reply to President’s letter stating that no re-consideration was necessary to her decision to take over the Development Lotteries Board since it was done under expert legal opinion.
The Prime Minister while acknowledging the President’s letter had promised a reply soon, Amunugama said.
Mahinda says he wants Ranil to punish all three ministers who took thugs to the press
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the Ceasefire Agreement with Velupillai Prabhakaran without discussing the matter with the country’s President she did not try to sabotage it by rousing up the armed forces or doing any other means.
But when the President Chandrika Kumaratunga took over the Development Lottery without consulting the Prime Minister Cabinet Minister John Ameratunga took goons to attack the Government Press to sabotage the printing of the gazette notification .
Twenty LTTE troops injured and one died in renewed military training in Trincomalee
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Twenty LTTE cadres were injured and one died while the LTTE troops were engaged in military training with live ammunitions and bombs when one of the bombs exploded accidentally, Sri Lankan military sources revealed.
The accident occurred in the Thampur area , near Trincomalee and the LTTE political office in the city told reporters only one died and another was seriously injured in the accident.
Both Police and thugs were directed by the same minister eyewitnesses say
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
John Ameratunga, the UNF government’s Interior Minister who is in charge of the Police and maintaining law and order in the country brought more than 300 UNP thugs who were used to attack the Government Press last week, eye witnesses said
People’s Alliance Member of Parliament, Bharatha Laxman Premachandra who was at the Government Press said he saw Minister John Ameratunga was directing his supporters at the Government Press while his vehicle was parked there.
Attack on Govt. Press was done in true working class spirit says Lokubandara
 Minister of Justice, Law Reforms , National Integration and Buddha Sasana W.J.M. Lokubandara. (file photo) |
Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister W.J.M. Lokubandara justified the alleged UNP thugs who took law into their own hands and directed a mob attack at the Government Press at Borella in the capital city of Colombo to stop or delay a gazette notification issued by the President of the country.
He vehemently called them a section of the working class who rose up to protect the right wing UNF government from a conspiracy.
US official in Sri Lanka amid moves to revive peace talks
A senior US official arrived here Sunday for talks with Sri Lankan leaders amid hectic diplomatic moves to revive the country's stalled peace negotiations, diplomats said.
Christina Rocca, the US assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs, will spend three days in the island and travel to the central region of Kandy and the strategic northeast port of Trincomalee, officials said(Pro Log/AFP)
UNP thugs enter govt. press and stop printing President's gazette
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A mob of about three hundred UNP thugs were used by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government to stop the printing of the gazette notification of President Chandrika Kumaratunga to take over the Development Lotteries Board under her control.
This is the first time in recorded history that a mob has entered the Government Press to stop the printing of any document. All legal documents and parliamentary documents necessary for the governance of the nation have been always printed at this well equipped central press since British imperial times.
Boat carrying 88 pound bomb released by Ranil's government
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
In the midst of a massive international effort to put together Sri Lanka’s peace and despite an existing ceasefire agreement the Sri lanka Navy caught three Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE} cadres in a rebel boat transporting 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of a high explosive bomb in the sea near Trincomalee.
But Navy sources said under the intervention of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government one LTTE cadre and the boat carrying the bomb had to be released and the bomb and the other two LTTE cadres had to be handed over to the Trincomalee Harbor Police.
Final Decision on Talks in a week says Prabhakaran
 Japan’s special envoy Yasushi Akashi and terrorist leaders Velupillai Prabhakaran and Anton Balasingham exchanging gifts at the rebel stronghold, Kilinochchi. The LTTE leaders told the Japanese envoy that the suspension of talks between the Sri Lanka government and them would have to be extended for another week, presumably to win more conditions from the Ranil Wickremesinghe government (Picture by LTTE- caption by Walter Jayawardhana) |
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran presented a gold carved map of the separate state Eelam and the Tiger insignia as a gift to Japan’s Special envoy Yasushi Akashi at the end of the three hour long discussions the Japanese team held with the rebel group at their Kilinochchi stronghold.
The gesture of the LTTE leader belies the government of Sri Lanka’s claim that the rebel group had given up their idea of separation and adopted a federal system of government instead.
Leader of opposition says the nation should know conditions for aid
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The leader of Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa replying to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s road map to peace said the greatest shortcoming in the map was the Prime Minister did not know where he was going and the people did not know what rights they had to forego for the international aid they were to receive in return for a peace plan.
The Leader of Sri Lanka’s official opposition in the parliament charged that the conditions laid for the aid or the sacrifices the nation had to pay to receive the aid were more important to know than the aid itself.
Suicide boat with explosives netted
 These are the 360 kilograms of explosives attached to a Sea Tiger Suicide boat hidden at Velvetiturai and found in a joint operation of the Sri Lanka Army and the Velvetiturai Police. A Tamil in the area angry over the LTTE atrocities tipped the security forces about this suicide boat hidden in a shrub in a private land. The explosives included Claymore mines, torpedoes and charges. The army bomb squad dismantled the bomb Despite the peace talks with the Sri Lanka government LTTE leader Anton Balasingham has publicly refused to disband the suicide bomber squads of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the terrorist unit is reportedly increasing the unit ( photo courtesy EPDP- caption by Walter Jayawardhana ) |
The Wellvettithurai police and army on Monday around 2.00 p.m. recovered a suicide vessel containing a haul of high explosives from Polikandi east situated behind the Wellvettith
The villagers had seen the suspicious fibre boat which had been hidden in a shrub jungle adjoining an onion plantation in the area.(The Island)
"Ranil ready to grant military training areas for Sea Tigers"
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The official organ of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Niyamuwa in its latest edition revealed that Defense Minister Thilak Marapane had assured the Norway managed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration was ready to let the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) reserve certain areas in the sea to perform military exercises.
The reserved areas of the sea for military exercises obviously to train its Sea Tiger troops against the Sri Lanka Navy and other security forces had been promised in a letter submitted to the head of the SLMM, retired Major General Tryggve Tellefsen by the Defense Minister, the Niyamuwa said in its lead story.
Disregarding protests, "In the Name of the Buddha" will be shown in theaters, from May 16
 A scene from the LTTE propaganda film, “In the Name of the Buddha.” The highly biased Norway promoted film’s official website referred to the atrocious Tamil Tigers as freedom fighters.(one is depicted in this scene) Disregarding Buddhist protests the British authorities are allowing the film to be screened |
Sri Lanka High Commission sources in London said that the efforts of the government of Sri Lanka to stop the public screening of the anti-Buddhist film, “In the Name of the Buddha” failed and it had been allowed by the British authorities to be shown to the public from May 16.
The film which has been described as an insult to Buddhism is a propaganda film for the terrorist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and was initially brought to limelight by Norway at the 12th Oslo Film festival November 17 2002 just days before the Sri lanka peace talks held in Oslo.
Tigers continue terrorism and kill third EPDP leader in a row
 Former Chairman of Vadamaradchchi South West PS, T.Jeyarasa addressing the crowd during the opening ceremony of Pradesa Sabaha ( photo courtesy: EPDP ) |
Continuing their assassinations of rival Tamil political party leaders in preparation for the coming elections the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam killers assassinated the former chairman of the Karaveddy Pradeshiya Sabha , Tharmarajah Jeyarajah of their party , Eelam People’s Democratic party sources in the North alleged.
Tharmarajah Jeyarajah became the third consequent victim of the LTTE assassination plan within the last 30 days police sources said.
Tigers were attempting to capture Trincomalee says People's Alliance
 The famous Swami Rock in Trincomalee. ( photo courtesy: Kataragama.org ) |
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was working hard to capture the harbor and city of Trincomalee alleged Dr. Sarath Amunugama, spokesman for the People’s Alliance (PA) at a press briefing in Colombo.
The spokesman for Sri Lanka’s main opposition party said for the past few months the LTTE as one of its main strategic objectives was attacking unarmed Muslim civilians to drive them away from in and around the port city to achieve the terrorist group’s domination over the place.
UTHR(J) charges that Tamil Tigers intensified killings before elections
 The cover of an Amnesty International letter shows two child soldiers of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrilla movement (AFP File photo/Sena Vidanagama) |
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after their most recent peace discussions with the Ranil Wickremesinghe government at Hakone, Japan had changed its priorities from child recruitment to assassinating its political opponents before the elections, charged a leading human rights organization in Sri Lanka.
“Their policy” had now become, “elections and democracy, yes but after killing or crippling the remaining political opposition,” said University Teachers for Human Rights-Jaffna (UTHRJ)
Dinesh says in London Norway trying to be imperial power
 Dinesh Gunawardena addressing a London audience (photo by Tissa Madawela) |
Under the ceasefire agreement the Ranil Wickremesinghe government had given a license to play an imperialist role in Sri Lanka to the Norwegians, somewhat similar to those played by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British in the past said Dinesh Gunawardena, leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna addressing a large gathering of Sri Lankan expatriates in London.
They were increasingly becoming a threat to the territorial integrity, sovereignty and the independence of the country and the opportune time had arrived for all Sri Lankans to say in a singular voice that Tryggve Tellefsens should pack up and go home and find better things to do in their retirements, Dinesh Gunawardena charged
Tigers issue veiled threat as government moves troops
 Pottu Amman , Intelligence Chief of the LTTE was the chief guest at the military show of might at the LTTE celebration held at Pallai to celebrate the third anniversary of the capture of the Elephant Pass ( photo by LTTE) |
The people of Tamil Eelam should decide whether to continue with the 14 months old peace talks held in various world capitals or take an alternative path at a time when America is requested ships to destroy the Sea Tigers said Soosai , the commander of Sea Tigers , the naval unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam {LTTE).
Soosai’s veiled threat came at the LTTE’s show of military might held at Pallai, Monday April 28 to celebrate the third anniversary of the capture of Elephant Pass military garrison from the Sri Lanka Army. The LTTE hailed the capture as one of the greatest military victories of the world that would go into the history.
JVP says to appoint India as a monitor does not need the consent of the LTTE
 JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa with Western Province Governor and veteran trade unionist Alavi Moulana at the recent (April 25th, 2003) demonstration staged by the PA and the JVP demanding the exclusion of the Norwegians from the peace process. ( photo courtesy:Daily Mirror - Pic by Daminda Harsha Perera) |
Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa, the Information Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna defending the resolution put forward by former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar to appoint India and two other nations to be sea monitors in the waters around the island nation said it was the decision of the majority of the nation.
Weerawansa said the joint opposition parties who put forward the resolution represented the majority citizens of the nation and did not need the consent of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
India should be appointed Lanka monitor to stop Tigers smuggling arms
 Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar (file photo ) |
Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the most opportune time has come to appoint India and two other countries as naval monitors of Sri Lanka to monitor the illegal activities conducted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the waters around the island nation.
Addressing a press conference of the joint opposition parties to explain the current crisis created by what he described as the most partial attitude of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and its “biased head” retired Major General Tryggve Tellefsen towards the LTTE Kadirgamar, who is also the advisor on Foreign Affairs to the country’s President, Chandrika Kumaratunga said neighboring India should monitor seas to stop the Tamil Tiger rebels smuggling arms constantly in to the country. “The people have lost confidence in the head of the SLMM,” he charged
Rauff Hakeem tells Ranil how SL troops refused to fire during riots
 Cabinet minister , leader of the Muslim Congress and team member of the UNF government’s peace negotiating team , Rauff Hakeem (photo courtesy:Alex Kersis ) |
Minster Rauff Hakeem told Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that while LTTE terrorists committed crimes to the Muslims recently Sri Lanka Security Forces were under instructions not to fire their weapons against open violators of the law.
Cabinet Minister and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem told visiting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Muttur that after the Ceasefire agreement was signed between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam the only parties who got protection in a civil commotion were the armed cadres of the LTTE and the SL armed forces and not the civilian victims.
While news agencies believe Tigers dropped separatism they push it
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Tamil media reports indicate that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been pushing for a separate state since they signed a ceasefire agreement with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe while international reporting agencies like the BBC and Sri Lanka’s ruling UNF leaders believe that the Tigers have dropped their demand for a separate state.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe publicly claimed in an address to the nation that the LTTE had dropped its demand for a separate state and opted for a federal government.
Thousands of monks protest "partiality" of Norwegian monitors
 (photo courtesy:REUTERS) |
Thousands of saffron robed Buddhist monks demonstraed against the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, Thursday protesting against what they called blatant partiality of the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and its controversial head, retired Major General Tryggve Tellefsen
The placard carrying monks , blocking the entrance to the embassy in the capital city of Colombo demanded , that the “the SLMM who favors the Tigers get out of Sri Lanka” in a large yellow banner carried at the front of the protest.
Oposition says withdrawal a ruse and calls for emergency debate
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka’s Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa demanded an emergency debate in the parliament to discuss the urgent security concerns of the country from the Speaker of the Parliament Joseph Michel Perera and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. .
In two letters addressed to them Rajapaksa said that he was demanding an emergency debate in the parliament to discuss the urgent security concerns of the country arising out of the temporary withdrawal of the terrorist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from the peace negotiations it was holding with the government.
Hakeem says peace talks suspended to win new demands from govt.
 Cabinet minister , leader of the Muslim Congress and team member of the UNF government’s peace negotiating team , Rauff Hakeem ( photo courtesy: AFP) |
Cabinet minister , leader of the Muslim Congress and team member of the UNF government’s peace negotiating team , Rauff Hakeem said in Trincomalee that the LTTE’s intention of suspending the peace negotiations was to bargain for concessions that they so far failed to win at the negotiating table.
Reacting immediately to the LTTE announcement of suspension of the coming peace talks in Japan, next June Rauf Hakeem said the other main intention of the Tamil rebel group to temporary suspend the peace talks was to make a dent on the amount of aid the Sri Lanka government might receive from the world.
Tiger Leader Reveals Suicide Bombers are intensely training
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
V. Balakumaran , a prominent member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , who formerly headed the EROS, now merged with Tamil Tigers said in Trincomalee that although what the LTTE did at the present time was the need of the hour it would comply with the planned agenda and their Black Tigers were undergoing intense training, the pro-LTTE Uthayan reported.
The elite Balck Tigers are the suicide bombers of the Liberation Tigers and Balakumaran’s statement only confirmed intelligence reports that Balck Tigers were constantly being trained in large numbers and many hundreds had entered the Sri Lanka capital Colombo to fight for the LTTE in any eventuality, sacrificing their life.
Hakeem accuses Ranil’s govt. and Tamil Tigers for the riots
 The army separating two rival groups in Muttur. (Pic by Manoj Ratnayake - photo courtesy: Daily Mirror) |
Cabinet minister Rauff Hakeem accused the lethargy of his own government to quell violence and the supply of grenades and other weapons to the Tamil attackers by the LTTE as main causes for the intensity of the Muslim-LTTE riots now raging the Muttur area of Eastern Province, killing at least three people.
Obviously on a collision course with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government the cabinet minister and leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress said that even though a 12-hour curfew had been declared in the area the police and the army refused to use weapons against open violators of the curfew committing acts of arson etc.
[Full Story]
Tigers continue terrorism and kill rival local government chairman
 Jegatheese alias Marimuttu Rasalingam layadevembu Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Assassinated by LTTE terrorists (file photo) |
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) assassins killed a local government body head of a rival political party in the Sri Lanka’s troubled Eastern Province, political sources in the area reported.
The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) the main rival political party of the LTTE , who advocate political pluralism in the country’s Northern and Eastern Provinces said Jegadeesh alias Marimuttu Rasamuttu the Chairman of the Alavadiwembu Provincial Council who belonged to their party was assassinated , Friday April 18 , by two LTTE assasins who were riding a motor bike.
[Full Story]
Ominous signs for Ranil Wickremesinghe as riots spread killing three in Muttur
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
An intense rift between Sri Lanka government’s main coalition partners the United National Front and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress has developed in to a conflict threatening the very existence of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government.
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress has decided to boycott the parliament, exposing the government to a defeat in the parliament, a private television station reported.
[Full Story]
Dinesh tells international donors no money until children are released
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Before any international aid given to the reconstruction and rehabilitation related to the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam donors must demand the immediate release of thousands of child soldiers held illegally by the rebel group, said Dinesh Gunawardena leader of the MEP addressing the sub-committee of the 108th Conference of the Inter Parliamentary Union held in Santiago, Chile.
Speaking under the topic of the conference, Trafficking of Children Internationally and Nationally, Sri Lanka’s opposition parliamentarian and former minister of the People’s Alliance government told world parliamentarians, the LTTE, the Sri Lankan rebels who were fighting for a separate state called Eelam had brought untold misery to poor Tamil parents in the Northern and Eastern provinces by kidnapping their children, some as young as ten years, from their homes, schools and public highways when the children go to attend their schools or tend to their farms.
[Full Story]
Isabella Allende of Chile agreed with Dinesh to starve terrorists of weapons
 Dinesh Gunawardena, leader of the MEP is seen here with the President of the House of Deputies, Chile’s lower house of Parliament, Isabella Allende, the daughter of the late President Salvador Allende who was killed by a CIA instigated coup to make way for the Fascist Dictator General Pinochet. |
At a special meeting accorded to MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena, Chile’s President of the House of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, Isabella Allende agreed with the Sri Lankan opposition parliamentarian that an international treaty to starve terrorists of weapons was an immediate necessity of the third world.
The daughter, Isabella of the legendary ex-President Salvadore Allende of Chile who was killed by a CIA instigated coup decades ago to make way for the Fascist Military Dictator General Pinochet, told Gunawardena that small nations like Sri Lanka and Chile should band together against terrorism and military dictatorships .
[Full Story]
LTTE cries 'sour grapes' on aid gathering conference in Washington DC
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The exclusion of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from the Washington aid conference had dealt a serious blow to the group’s optimism that Oslo’s initiative could lead to peace charged , Tamil Guardian , the main organ of the Tamil Tigers published in London.
Editorially commenting on the absence of the group from the international aid conference to raise funds for Sri Lanka in Washington DC the LTTE organ warned if the object of the Washington and Japan meetings was to raise donor confidence in the peace process , the exclusion of the LTTE was a dubious message to send them.
[Full Story]
Marking New Year LTTE Kills 3 Tamils close to Army
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The traditional new year dawned to the Tamils of Eastern Province of Sri Lanka accompanied by insensate violence practiced by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in which the terrorist group killed a Sri Lanka Army soldier in the heart of the Batticaloa town and two others of a Tamil group working together with the security forces near Ariyampathy in kaththankudy near Batticaloa despite an on going ceasefire agreement with the Ranil Wickremesinghe government.
The Lance Corporal, serving in the army intelligence unit was shot at and injured seriously and was airlifted to Colombo for treatment , army sources said. A former member of the PLOTE, Ravi alias Paramanandan Ravindra Kumar was serving the Sri Lanka Army and was on his way to work riding a bicycle with another when suspected LTTE pistol gang members riding a motor bicycle came and shot at him , army sources said. Suspects had been arrested and produced before a magistrate , the same sources revealed.
[Full Story]
Havana Int'l youth conference condemns Norway's devisive policies in Sri Lanka
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The World’s “biggest” youth conference, the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) at its annual conference held recently in Havana condemned the US-Norway led “divisive peace process” in Sri Lanka and expressed solidarity with all progressive forces acting against the division of the country, the official organ of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, The Niyamuwa reported.
The Niyamuwa, publishing an interview with parliamentarian Bimal Rathnayaka, who represented Sri Lanka at the 16th annual conference of the WFDY said the conference was uniting 100 million members of youth organizations of Communist Parties, socialist parties, leftist youth organizations and students movements of approximately 150 countries and 200 organizations. Bimal Rathnayaka was participating in the conference as the representative of Sri Lanka’s Socialist Student Association.
[Full Story]
TNA request to stop army in Jaffna to be considered favorably by Ranil
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The pro-LTTE parliamentary group led by R. Sampanthan who are on a crusade to stop the Sri Lanka Army from building its Jaffna city barracks within the city’s municipal limits, allegedly disadvantageous to the future military plans of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo and reiterated its demand to build it outside the city, The Tamil Net, official news web site of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam reported.
The Prime Minister, whose government is on a one-vote majority in the parliament and very much dependent on the Tamil group for its very existence, promised, “to look into the request favorably,” said a press release issued by the Tamil National Alliance.
[Full Story]
Tamil Tigers give ultimatum to break ceasefire agreement
 The white man in the center is the controversial head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Tryggve Tellefsen shaking the hand of the LTTE military leader Paduman who has given an ultimatum to change the ceasefire agreement allowing LTTE armed troops to cross army held areas without any permission from the army. This would technically allow the LTTE armed troops to be present in all Sri Lanka government areas while the Sri Lankan troops would be virtually cut off from the LTTE areas. The white man in the right hand corner is SLMM Trincomalee head Jan Ledang. (LTTE photo) |
Tamil Tiger leaders in the East gave an ultimatum to the controversial head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, retired Major General Tryggve Tellefsen that they would break the Ceasefire agreement between the Ranil Wickremesinghe government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and cross the army held areas carrying goods.
Pathuman, a military leader of the LTTE was quoted in the official news website of the rebel group, the Tamil Net as having said, “We have told categorically that if the talks scheduled to be held on April 21 fails, we will have no alternative other than to take food and medicine to our members in areas held by us, crossing through Sri Lanka Army controlled areas without waiting for permission from the Sri Lanka government troops.”
[Full Story]
Discussion failed as Sampanthan wants army to leave Jaffna and go to deserted isle
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Under an apparent new policy adopted by the Tamil National Alliance that pressure should be applied to remove or change Sri Lanka Army military facilities according to the military needs of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam a discussion held between the army and the Tamil National Alliance to select a site for the Army’s Jaffna town brigade ended in the midst of argument and no decision.
R. Sampanthan the leader of the TNA team said that they would not allow the army to remove their barracks from one populated area to another populated area in the Jaffna Municipal limit. He was somewhat sarcastic when he said that they should be sent to the deserted Kakkativu. The team of TNA members of parliament were expected to meet the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today to obtain concessions.
[Full Story]
 Though heavy security measures were applied at the United Kingdom SLFP branch meeting held at Hotel Marriot in London President Chandrika kumaratunga mingled freely with the party members before she addressed them ( Photo by:Tissa Madawela) |
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
President Chandrika Kumaratunga addressing a special session of the London Branch of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party said as far as the peace process was concerned even some of the ministers in the ruling cabinet did not know what was going on behind.
Addressing a large crowd including the members of the branch and only invited guests President Kumaratunga said only Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and minister Milinda Moragoda did know something of it and often some ruling cabinet ministers seeking information asked her whether she knew anything about certain things happening.
[Full Story]
Tigers to control coming Local Govt. elections
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The statement of the Chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , Anton Balasingham that the coming local government elections in the uncleared areas of Sri Lanka would be held under the supervision of the terrorist group has raised anxiety among all opposition Tamil groups including certain sections of the TULF, political sources in Jaffna said.
The statement of Balasingham was broadcast over Thamilosai, the Tamil service of the British Broadcasting Corporation Anton Balasingham in an interview given to the BBC said that the local government elections in the LTTE controlled areas would be held under the LTTE supervision
[Full Story]
Country’s most controversial priest pays a visit to Balasingham
 Rev. Banagala Upatissa (file Photo) |
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
One of Sri Lanka’s most controversial Buddhist priests who has been in the fore front of the propaganda campaign for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe broke old traditions and paid his respects to the chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Anton Balasingham by paying him a courtesy call at his hotel at Nakone Japan.
The controversial priest, the Reverend Banagala Upatissa paid a call at Balasingham’s hotel where he was staying with his Australian born wife Adele, S.P. Tamilselvan, and Karuna to take part in the SL government –LTTE direct talks and presented him with a gold-plated Buddha statute
[Full Story]
Sea Tigers shot at civilians who jumped in to sea to save their lives
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Nine survivors of the fishing trawler Ufaun-U 225 told government authorities that the suspected Sea Tigers continued attacking the unarmed civilian employees of the fishing boat by shooting even after they jumped in to the sea to save their lives.
At least 17 workers of the fishing trawler Ufaun –U225 died when 7 gunboats allegedly belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attacked the trawler in the Sri Lankan seas 40 nautical miles off Chundikulam near rebel held Mullaitivu.
[Full Story]
While G.L. talks of child soldiers one dies at a LTTE camp
 A DELEGATION OF CHILD ABDUCTORS This is the LTTE delegation at Nakone, Japan. The one who is in the right hand corner, S. P. Tamilselvan promised UNICEF and the man in the center Anton Balasingham promised the United Nations Under Secretary General for children in war to end the recruitment and training of child soldiers. But the man in the left hand corner Karuna still runs the abductions of children and the training camps where the children are being trained. Last year several boys in mid teens were shot and recently a 14 year old boy died of gun shot injuries in camps directly under Karuna. The white woman in the middle is Adele Balasingham who started the women’s military units of the LTTE that keeps girl child soldiers. |
While the death of a child soldier by gun shot injuries in the Tamil Tiger military training camp in Sampur once again drew the attention of the world to the unresolved human rights violation by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Sri Lanka’s Chief negotiator G. L. Peiris assured the press at Nakone, Japan that the child soldier issue would be resolved before the Sinhala and Tamil new year by work discussion between the United Nations Children’s program , the UNICEF and the LTTE.
In the midst of the somewhat hands off attitude of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government and despite assurances of LTTE’s chief negotiator Anton Balasingham that the worst human rights violation practiced openly by his group, the death of a child soldier at Sampur close to the port city of Trincomalee reminded the world the LTTE was still training the child soldiers despite their public promises in Japan that the child soldiers would be released by the Tamil and Sinhalese new year in April.
[Full Story]
Tigers kill children in custody for trying to escape
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A leading human rights group in Sri Lanka charged that that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has brutally and mercilessly killed Tamil children in its custody when they attempted to escape
In a lengthy and detailed special report running into about 100 pages, the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) accused the Tamil Tigers of killing children conscripted to be trained as child soldiers when they tried to escape. According to many reports published by the group these children were abducted mostly from the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka from their homes, temples, public highways and the schools by the armed recruiters of the rebel group.
[Full Story]
Three Tigers say they dumped fifteen craters in to the sea
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Three arrested cadres of the LTTE confessed to the harbor police of Trincomalee that they dumped 15 heavy boxes into the sea before the Navy arrested them.
The Senior Superintend of Police, Trincomalee, Upali Hewage said according to the admission of the arrested cadres of the Tigers they were transporting these goods from Kamburupitiya to Sampur. They said they were not aware what contained in the boxes. The police said the Sri Lanka Navy sailors who arrested them also saw the rebels dumping boxes to the sea before the arrest.
[Full Story]
"While enemy is piling up weapons Sinhala newspapers in deep slumber"
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The opposition People’s Alliance spokesman Dr. Sarath Amunugama alleged that while the country’s Sinhalese national newspapers had fallen into a deep slumber the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had been piling up weapons.
He said if the enemy delivered death to the nation these very Sinhalese newspapers that kept the people in the dark should be held responsible for this historic and unpardonable crime.
[Full Story]
Balasingham threatens separation and says peace talks are for international recognition
 A: The branch of the Thamil Eelam Bank declared open by LTTE Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham, March 14 defying Sri Lanka’s financial regulations and challenging the country’s sovereignty at Pallai between Elephant Pass and Jaffna on Highway A9 B: Anton Balasingham clad in the astrologically auspicious color of blue cutting a blue ribbon to declare open the illegal bank. C: The main feature of the opening ceremony of the Bank of Tamil Eelam At Pallai was the hoisting of the separatist flag by a LTTE’s political wing leader S. P. Thamilchelvan D: P. Nadesan a former police constable of the Sri Lanka police who now heads the Tamil Eelam police hoisted the Bank flag at the ceremony |
The Chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Anton Balasingham declaring open a branch of the Tamil Eelam Bank in defiance of the financial regulations of Sri Lanka, threatened to form a separate state called Eelam if a honorable self rule was not granted to the Sri Lankan Tamils without any delay.
The British subject Balasingham, who is visiting LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran for consultations before the 6th round of talks to be held in Japan next week also said that the only reason why they were taking part in negotiations with the Sri Lanka government was that the LTTE wanted international recognition.
[Full Story]
Chandrika declines Nordic invitation and tells her concern about Tiger violations
 (file photo) |
President Chandrika Kumaratunga most courteously declined an invitation by King Harald Vof Norway to visit his country and deliver a lecture at Oslo’s Nobel Institution sent through the visiting deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen in Colombo.
The Norwegian leader was visiting Sri Lanka to avert a crisis in the peace process and repair damages caused by the sinking of a Tamil Tiger cargo vessel allegedly carrying weapons and ammunition, by the Sri Lanka Navy. Norway acts as a facilitator of the peace process.
[Full Story]
"Seriously disturbed" Prabhakaran snubs Vidar Helgessen
 “Prabhakaran missing in the picture” When the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen and his team went to Kilinochchi LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran avoided meeting him...... (Photo by LTTE, caption by Walter Jayawardhana) |
Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran was a notable absentee when Norway’s deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen flew in to the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi to discuss and avert a crisis in the Sri Lankan peace process, diplomatic sources in Colombo said.
The same sources said that Prabhakaran snubbed the visiting foreign dignitary from Oslo to show his displeasure over the sinking of an alleged LTTE arms ship by the Sri Lanka Navy.
[Full Story]
President wants Prime Minister to take up smuggling ship in talks
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
President Chandrika Kumaratunga told Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that the government should take up the incident of sinking a cargo ship carrying weapons and ammunition for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as the priority item of the next sessions of the government’s peace meeting to be held soon.
The Ranil Wickremesinghe government’s sixth round of direct talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is scheduled to be held in Japan soon. But sections of the Tamil rebel group had suggested that they should boycott the meeting as a protest against the sinking of the weapons ship.
[Full Story]
Balasinham says that they would have the ceasefire even if the present government changed
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Political adviser of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Anton Balasingham said in the rebel controlled town of Kilinochchi that the Tamil Tigers would not change the ceasefire even if there was a change of government in Colombo, the official LTTE news website the Tamil Net reported.
This clears the speculations of some Colombo analysts that the rebel group would start war if the Ranil Wickremesinghe government were to collapse.
[Full Story]
G.L. Peiris not sure the peace talks would be successful
 Peiris and Balasingham during better times |
Ranil Wickremesinghe government’s chief “peace” negotiator G.L. Peiris moving slightly away from the government’s accustomed peace rhetoric warned Sri Lankan security forces to be on their alert since he was not one hundred percent sure that the peace negotiations would be successful.
The peace negotiator addressing Sri Lanka Army soldiers stationed near the forward defense lines at Vavuniya in Northern Sri Lanka said that since the nation had reached a decisive moment in its history the Sri Lankan security forces should be ready to protect the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of the nation.
[Full Story]
 The SLA soldier Nimal Kumara and Police Constable Philip Anandasekera were released to members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission ( photo by Sri Lanka Army) |
The just released Sri Lanka Army Lance Corporal Nimal Kumara from the detention of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was ordered to admit that he was arrested because he trespassed into LTTE controlled area by the Eelam Police Chief P. Nadesan the EPDP news website reported.
The website said the Chief of the Eelam Police P. Nadesan forced the arrested soldier to make a confession under duress to state that he entered the LTTE controlled area , demarcated by the ceasefire agreement of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government.
[Full Story]
Nimal Kumara says he was abducted by eight Tigers who entered SL area
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The just released Sri Lanka Army Lance Corporal S. H. Nimal Kumara told Colombo’s BBC Correspondent Frances Harrison that he did not stray in to LTTE controlled area but the LTTE cadres abducted him in the Sri Lanka controlled area last December.
Nimal Kumara made the statement to Harrison after he was released to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission head Trond Furhovde from the detention of the LTTE. He and a more recently taken prisoner, a police constable reached Colombo about 5. p.m. March 5 with a team of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in an army helicopter.
[Full Story]
Police use tear gas and baton charge again
The IUSF demo at the roundabout leading to the Parliament complex is seen here being dispersed by Police using teargas and a baton charge( Photo courtesy :Daily Mirror) |
For the third occasion in recent times the Police used tear gas and a baton charge to break up a protest demonstration in Colombo.
The Inter University Student Union demonstration was tear gassed and baton charged when they were trying to draw the attention of the parliament of Sri lanka to hold a debate about the University of Sabaragamuwa , which they alleged would be closed down by a conspiracy.
[Full Story] [Previous Stories}
Fearing a bad press Balasingham refuses to meet them in Kilinochchi
Apparently fearing a bad press the Chief negotiator of the LTTE, Anton Balasingham refused to hold a press briefing for the many national and foreign correspondents who flocked to Kilinochchi to report the meeting between the international ceasefire monitors and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.(LTTE)
The meeting in which a bitter dispute between the Scandinavian Monitors and the Tamil Tigers were resolved by the release of the two servicemen held in detention by the Tigers attracted unusual attention of the press.
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Prabhakaran poses with Balasingham for LTTE photos in military fatigues
 Velupillai Prabhakaran, discarded his North Korean chic once given to him to build a non-violent and non-military image of himself and reverted back to his familiar military fatigues to pose with the visiting British subject and his chief negotiator Anton Balasingham who was clad more casually in a South Indian vetti.Prabhakaran seems to be very happy to see Bala “anna” who most successfully operates the terrorist outfit from the British soil during these times of anti-terrorist rhetoric in Anglo-US quarters. ( photo by LTTE. Caption by Walter Jayawardhana) |
LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran discarded his North Korean chic once introduced to give him a non-military and non-violent image and reverted back to his military fatigues, cyanide capsule and revolver worn on his belt to pose with a more casual, vetti clad Anton Balasingham for LTTE photographs to be published in their main organ the Tamil Guardian.
The LTTE supremo Prabhakaran was seen more flabby in the photographs but in a cheerful mood apparently happy to see the British subject operating the terrorist outfit from British soil with no difficulty from Western powers during these times of anti-terrorist rhetoric in the Anglo-US quarters.
[Full Story]
[Previous Stories} No immediate freedom for soldier case postponed to March 7
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
An illegally instituted court of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Kilinochchi in the rebel occupied Northern Sri Lanka further remanded the Sri Lanka army soldier Lance Corporal H. G. Nimal Kumara defying the ruling of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that he, together with a Sri Lanka police constable in the custody of the LTTE be immediately handed over to the Sri Lanka government authorities.
Reports coming from Kilinochchi said that a three judge panel of a kangaroo appeal court of the LTTE decided to remand him until March 7, 2003 when a full “police investigation report” about Nimal Kumara is expected to be submitted to the three judges.
[Full Story]
Muslim Militarization perturbs LTTE Tigers warn all Muslims could be hurt
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Very much perturbed by the Eastern Province’s Muslim youth receiving arms and combat training the military leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of the Eastern Province, Ramesh said Muslims requesting a separate administrative unit for them in the Eastern Province was quite unnecessary.
The LTTE military leader also warned Muslims by telling them that arming the Muslim youth could hurt the whole Muslim community in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. The LTTE in the past chased out all Muslims from the Jaffna peninsula in a blatant act of ethnic cleansing by an order of the LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.
[Full Story]
Truce monitors to tell Balasingham that rebels cannot undermine monitors
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
When the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) representatives meet Tiger leadership including the visiting Chief negotiator Anton Balasingham in Wanni they would tell the rebels that undermining the authority of the of the ceasefire monitors cannot continue and it was a very serious violation of the ceasefire agreement.
SLMM representatives including the new head of the mission, General Tryggve Tellefsen and outgoing head Major General Trond Furhovde are scheduled to meet the Tiger leadership, Wednesday March 3 in Wanni, Northern Sri Lanka.
[Full Story]
LTTE wants six more in exchange but Furhovde strongly says no
 LTTE’s Eastern military commander whose former name was Muralitharan when he met Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Defense Secretary Austin Fernando on an earlier occasion . Also known as the butcher of the East, Karuna personally supervised the massacre of 600 Sinhalese and Muslim policemen who surrendered to the LTTE on the orders of President Ranasinghe Premadasa at the end of the Premadasa-LTTE peace talks. The LTTE paradoxically renamed Muralitharan as Karuna (compassion) after the massacre. He recently requested the Ranil Wickremesinghe government to let LTTE drivers drive without driving licenses in Sri lanka controlled areas. Backtracking on an earlier promise he demanded the release of another six LTTE cadres in exchange to release the two Sinhalese servicemen in the custody of the LTTE ( photo by LTTE. Caption by Walter Jayawardhana) |
The Eastern military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Karuna demanded the release of an extra six cadres of the rebel group in the custody of the Sri Lanka government in exchange of the release of two Sinhalese servicemen in the custody of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
The LTTE backtracking its earlier promise to the Sri Lanka Monitoring mission to immediately release the Sri lanka Army soldier and Sri Lanka police constable who were in their custody put forward fresh demands as conditions at the monthly sub-committee meeting for development, rehabilitation and reconstruction which was held at Kilinochchi. Karuna made these demands from Defense Secretary Austin Fernando who led the Sri Lanka government delegation at the sub-committee meeting.
[Full Story]
TULF man complains that LTTE is planning to assasinate him
 Sellayan Kandiah Former Mayor of Jaffna |
Exhibiting the seriousness of the conflict developed between the leading parliamentary party of the Tamil National Alliance(TNA), the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and the fascist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) the former Jaffna Mayor and a prominent TULF member Sellayan Kandiah complained to the Human Rights Commission that if he or his family member were to be assassinated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam should be held responsible.
Reliable political sources in Jaffna said the former mayor whose term was over in the Jaffna Municipal Council recently was repeatedly getting death threats from the terrorist group LTTE, before he made this complaint.
[Full Story]
Former Child Soldier Dies in a Black Tiger Explosion
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A recent accidental explosion among LTTE’s suicide bombers revealed that the Black Tigers were experimenting with a new suicide device and the Black Tiger who was killed in the accident was a one who was recruited by the rebel group as a child soldier.
Political sources in Mullaitivu reported that the Black Tiger who got killed in the accidental explosion was Krishnabhavan Sasikumar ( 25 ) alias Kathiroli.
[Full Story]
Monitors threaten Tigers over non release of PC and soldier
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring mission in a rare reprimand against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam told the rebel leadership that if their group was not prepared to release the Sri Lanka Army soldier and the Sri Lanka policeman in their custody as promised immediately the ceasefire agreement between the LTTE and the Sri Lanka government would be compelled to be re-written.
The deputy head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Hagrup Haukland in a tough dispatch to the Tiger leadership, said that he was utterly disappointed when he heard S.Pulidevan of the LTTE Peace Secretariat announced that the LTTE could not release the Sinhalese soldier and the police constable according to their whims and fancies.
[Full Story]
LTTE says Court of Appeal scaling new heights of farce
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The notice to appear in the Courts to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran by a three judge panel of the Courts of Appeal has been condemned as “Scaling new heights for farce” by the main organ of the terrorist group.
The main organ of the LTTE , “The Tamil Guardian” published in London said ,”Scaling new heights for farce the Sri Lanka Court of Appeal last Thursday called on the Leader of the Liberation Tigers , Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran , to appear before it and explain the cease fire agreement between the LTTE and Sri Lanka government.”
[Full Story]
LTTE becoming dangerously strong and government is deceiving says monk
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Issuing one of the most severe warnings to the Sri Lankan nation the outspoken Chief monk , the Incumbent of the Getambe Rajopawanarama, Venerable Keppitiyagoda Siri Wimala Thero said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was militarily becoming dangerously strong threatening the very existence our nation while the government in power was deceiving the Sinhala and Muslim people in the name of peace.
The venerable Keppetiyagoda Siri Wimala Thero said the government hoodwinked the masses claiming that they dawned peace in the country through a MOU signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam while the rebels took advantage of the very agreement to further not peace but war.
[Full Story]
Galaboda Thero and Lokubandara Euphoric about peace while S.L.Gunasekera says No
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
While Rev. Galaboda Gnanissara , the Chief Incumbent of the rich and most influential Buddhist temple in the Colombo city, the Gangaramaya expressed euphoria about the era of peace dawned on the city and country due to the MOU signed between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Velupillai Prabhakaran , the President of the Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya S.L. Gunasekera reminded Sri Lankans that the same kind of peace remained for 16 months while the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa was having peace talks with Anton Balasingham
But he said it was replaced by greater violence unleashed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam when it decided to end the talks. Gunasekera simply said that it had been seen very clearly that the state of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam could not exist side by side and one had to go from the scene.
[Full Story]
Despite 10,000 recruited Thamilselvan says nothing to celebrate about ceasefire
 S. Thamilchelvan (file photo) |
The political section head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), S. Thamil Selvan addressing in Tamil over the Voice of Tamils radio service said that there was nothing for them to celebrate about the first anniversary of the ceasefire agreement.
The Sri Lanka government had earlier announced that the first anniversary of the ceasefire between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would be celebrated both in the North and the South jointly by the government and the LTTE.
[Full Story]
PA condemns the attack on JVP rally and journalists
 The JVP protest march against the Norwegian-brokered peace process under attack by police tear gas and high velocity water cannons in Colombo last week. "The Island" staff photographer ERANGA JAYAWARDENA clicked the picture on the right seconds before he was hit on his ear by a tear gas canister while water from the cannons damaged his digital camera. (Photo Courtesy Sunday Island) |
The People’s Alliance spokesman and Kandy District parliamentarian Dr. Sarath Amunugama vehemently condemned the unprovoked attack by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government on the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) organized protest demonstration and the journalists who were covering it.
The Sri Lanka Police broke up a massive demonstration of nearly 100,000 people organized by the JVP when the JVP leaders attempted to march forward to present a memorandum containing the protests of the party regarding the Ranil-Prabhakaran ceasefire agreement on its first anniversary. The JVP charged the agreement was dividing the country instead of bringing a durable peace to the nation.
[Full Story]
A catnap cost the police constable his freedom, thanks to Ranil and Prabha
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A Sri Lanka Police Constable (PC 631224) Don Philip Anandasekera, clad in his uniform was traveling in a Northern bus from Thelippilai to Muhamalai and in the drowsy weather dozed off in the vehicle. The next thing he knew was that he had been taken into custody by the LTTE cadres and produced before a Kangaroo judge in Kilinochchi.
When the Sri Lanka Police Constable was produced before a LTTE Kangaroo judge called T.Maniarasan in Kilinocchi the police man who lost his freedom to a catnap told the “Eelam judge” that he dozed off and did not hear anybody announcing that the bus was leaving Sri Lanka territory at Muhamalai and entering the LTTE controlled area.
[Full Story]
Ranil's attack on JVP rally and journalists condemned by Prajathanthra
 A mammoth JVP demonstration in which nearly 100,000 protesters marched was obstructed and attacked by the riot police at the behest of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government without any provocation. The protest demonstration was held on the first anniversary of the Ranil-Prabhakaran ceasefire agreement , the JVP said was gradually separating the nation.Opposition sources said in contrast, when the LTTE was demonstrating to bring pressure on the judiciary to release two LTTE child abductors Ranil Wickremesinghe government not only allowed the demonstration but instructed the AG’s department and police to let release the abductors on bail. This picture had been taken moments later the JVP leaders were obstructed by barbed wire. (picture by the Daily Mirror) |
The Prajathanthra , a movement for social democracy and foundation for freedom of expression of Sri Lanka in a statement issued in Colombo vehemently condemned “the totally unprovoked attack on a peaceful demonstration” organized by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and several journalists covering the event.
The Sri Lankan movement was commenting on the massive JVP demonstration which was broken up by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government , February 20, at Kollupitiya , Colombo and the police attack on the journalists covering the event.
[Full Story]
Ceasefire agreement challenged-Prabhakaran noticed to appear
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A three-judge bench presided over by the President of the Court of Appeals Mrs. Shirani Thilakawardena probing to quash the ceasefire agreement signed between the UNF government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam issued notice on Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran to appear in their courts on May 19.
The three-judge bench also including Justices K.Sivapalan and P. Wijeratne asked the LTTE leader to express his position in this case when the case was taken up in the courts.
[Full Story]
[Previous Stories} Mega Rally to oppose agreement with LTTE broken up by police
 [Photo by Sena Vidanagama, AFP and ClariNet] |
The Ranil Wickremesinghe government ordered the Police to use water cannons coupled with chemicals and tear gas to break up one of Sri Lanka’s biggest political demonstrations in recent history when the demonstrators attempted to march forward to present a memorandum to the Prime minister.
The police used force to stop an estimated crowd of 100,000 people who were demonstrating against the Sri Lanka government’s cease fire agreement with the Tamil Tigers which they said was separating the country without bringing an acceptable peace to the nation .
[Full Story]
Ranil's regime is pumping in millions to cronies while robbing small man says JVP
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka’s second largest parliamentary opposition group, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) charged that February 19 , 2003 would mark as a black day for working masses of the island republic since the government servants lost their pension rights enjoyed since British imperial times and political supporters of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government among the capitalist class gained innumerable concessions under a new tax law passed in the parliament.
JVP, the fastest growing political party in Sri Lanka said, while abolishing the pension rights of the government servants, joined after January 1 2003, by passing a new bill in the parliament the Ranil Wickremesinghe government on the same day passed a different law enabling the government to pump in millions of public money to crony companies who were political supporters of the government.
[Full Story]
LTTE attempts to assassinate opposition local government chairman
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
In the growing violence by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces against opposition Tamil parties the Tamil separatist group attempted to assassinate a local government body chairman, a Tamil political party charged.
Close to the Eastern city of Batticaloa , the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attempted to assassinate Welaveli Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman R.Thurairathnam , his party E.P.R.L.F (Vardharaja Perumal Sector) charged. The local body chairman is also the leading party organizer for the Eastern Province for the opposition party.
[Full Story]
Under pressure of the LTTE two child abductors released
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
 LTTE child abductors brought to the courts (photo by LTTE News Web-Tamil Net) |
Before the hartal the two women cadres Sivalingam Nanthini alias Navani, and Maheswaran Thiyagaledchumi alias Suganthi who were allegedly caught while abducting two 14 year old girls, still clad in school uniforms, from Sambalthivu Maha Vidyalayam was remanded by the same magistrate until February 27, 2003 , when they were initially produced before him.
[Full Story]
Voice of Tigers hoist separatist flag over govt. controlled Vavuniya
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlled “Voice of Tigers” (VOT) broadcasters who came from their headquarters in Kilinochchi entered the Sri Lanka government controlled Vavuniya to produce a popular quiz program for school children and hoisted the separatist Tiger flag at the main town mast
Hundreds of school children assembled there to take part in the radio quiz program silently paid respects to the separatist national flag of the leaping ferocious Tiger as Vavuniya ‘S LTTE political leader, Senkel hoisted the banner at the city’s main mast of the Town Hall.
[Full Story]
Arrest warrant against LTTE leader who defied courts withdrawn
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Under a political understanding reached between the Ranil Wickremesinghe government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam the Nilaveli area LTTE leader who wrote on a notice to appear in the Trincomalee magistrate courts that he did not intend to appear in courts deliberately to defy the judiciary was released by the Trincomalee magistrate S.Thiagendran in the case filed against him.
Since the police did not press for charges the warrant issued to arrest him for not appearing in the courts was also recalled
[Full Story]
SL soldier killed by female tigers in LTTE controlled area
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
K.G.A. Dharmadasa, a private of the First Vijayaba Infantry Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army was shot dead by a woman soldier of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Kilali area of the Northern Province, army sources reported. The soldier was shot dead in the area demarcated for the control of Tamil Tigers by the ceasefire agreement signed one year ago between the Ranil Wickremesinghe government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
[Full Story]
LTTE burns effigies of Sarath Fonseka and demands army to quit
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organized demonstration at two places in the North, burnt effigies of Major Sarath Fonseka, the commanding officer of the Sri Lanka Army in Jaffna and in one voice demanded the withdrawal of the Sri Lankan security forces from what they called the Tamil Eelam.
The LTTE’s latest demand contradicts the claim of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that the separatist rebels have now changed their former policy of calling the Sri Lanka Army an invading army and has acknowledged the Sri Lankan forces had a right to remain there.
[Full Story]
Two 14 year old girls rescued by Navy while being abducted by Tigers
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Timely action of the Sri Lanka Navy stopped the abduction of two fourteen-year-old school girls, still in their school uniforms, while they were being kidnapped by two women cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Security sources in the Trincomalee District said two women cadres of the LTTE were abducting the two young Tamil girls on the pillions of bicycles when the Sri Lanka Navy eagerly waited for them after receiving a radio message from a police post that the Tiger women were abducting two girls.
[Full Story]
Supreme court upholds verdict in Embilipitiya case
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A panel of three Supreme Court judges led by Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva upheld the verdict of lower courts to impose a rigorous imprisonment of ten years for the six accused in the Ambilipitiya student disappearance case and refused to allow an appeal against the verdict.
In this case the strongly pro-UNP principal of the Embilipitiya Maha Vidyalaya Dayananda Lokugalappaththi and army officers Jaliya Epa, Gavesh Ginige, Vajira Chamarasinghe, S. A. Senarathne and Upul Kariyawasam were held responsible for the disappearance of 25 students of Embilipitiya Maha Vidyalaya who were believed to be massacred by the army.
[Full Story]
A 500,000 rally to press President to stop anti-nationl steps of UNF
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Colombo rally to press the President’s direct intervention to put an end to some steps taken by the ruling UNF government described as utterly anti-national would be organized by the Sri Lanka Freedom party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna jointly , the same sources revealed. A tri-party massive public rally of five hundred thousand people is being organized to press President Chandrika Kumaratunga to intervene against anti-national steps taken by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, SLFP party sources said.
The Colombo rally to press the President’s direct intervention to put an end to some steps taken by the ruling UNF government described as utterly anti-national would be organized by the Sri Lanka Freedom party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna jointly , the same sources revealed.
[Full Story]
PA announced the steady progress of building an anti-UNP common front with the JVP
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The building up of a common front against the ruling United National Front government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe between the People’s Alliance (PA) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is steadily progressing , announced D.M. Jayaratne the secretary of the People’s Alliance.
Jayaratne , the vetersan politician and the secretary of the PA described the talks between the two parties had reached a critical level and now done by committees of the both parties.
[Full Story]
UN officials should have powers to visit LTTE camps
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The President’s office has insisted that the United Nation’s Children’s Fund or UN Under Secretary General Olara Otunnu’ S office should have special powers to visit the Liberation Tiger’s camps and determine for themselves about the condition of abducted children who have been recruited as Tamil Tiger soldiers
The President had stated that thousands of children had been recruited by abduction and other illegal methods and unless the seriousness of the problem had been independently determined no justification could be done to the victimized children by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
[Full Story]
Volunteer teachers give up hunger strike
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The volunteer teachers from North Western Province and North Central Provinces who started a hunger strike at the Ministry of Education premises decided to stop the hunger strike since the Minister of Public Administration , Vajira Abeywardena intervened on behalf of the Sri Lanka government and promised to bring a solution to the neglected matter , the government announced.
Ten teachers led by a Buddhist monk started the hunger striker following hundreds of the teachers who were performing a sathyagraha and demanding that they be absorbed in to the permanent employment were chased out using tear gas and rubber bullets by the police. They charged that that was all they received for their demands and all Ministry of Education authorities refused even to listen to their grievances.
[Full Story]
SLMM says LTTE women cannot wear belts while entering Sri Lanka controled areas
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has decided in favor of the Sri Lankan security forces in the dispute which arose regarding the waist belts worn by the Women’s units of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The security forces from the beginning insisted the women’s unit‘s of the LTTE should not wear military belts when traveling through the Sri lanka government controlled areas.
[Full Story]
After suicides Navy imposes restrictions but Gajendrankumar protests
 Gajendrankumar Gangaser Ponnambalam ( son of Kumar, Grandson of G.G. and obedient servant of the Tamil Tigers) |
After being revealed in the recent suicide boat incident that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was using fishing trawlers to smuggle in arms and ammunition to the county the Sri lanka Navy imposed new restrictions when fishing crafts enter the Gurunagar seas, revealed sources in the North.
Meanwhile, Jaffna District Member of Parliament G. Gajendrankumar Ponnambalam, a close ally of the LTTE, with another close ally of the terrorist group the President of the Jaffna Cooperative Societies, C. V. K. Sivagnanam lodged their vehement protests against the new restrictions at the Gurunagar Navy headquarters.
[Full Story]
Volunteer teachers start a hunger strike in Colombo
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The volunteer teachers of North Western and North Central Provinces who were chased away from their five months old protest Sathyagraha from the premises of the Ministry of Education few weeks ago by an attack of rubber bullets and tear gas by the police re-started their campaign of protests when ten representatives of the teachers started a hunger strike at the same premises.
The ten teachers led by Venerable kahatagasdiliye Dhammaratana took a pledge that they would not give up the hunger strike until their demands were met and absorbed permanently to the service of the teaching staffs of the difficult areas schools they were serving in.
[Full Story]
[Previous Stories} Trinco magistrate issues open warrant to arrest Tiger leader who defied courts
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Trincomalee magistrate S. Thiyagendran issued an open warrant to arrest and produce a local LTTE leader in his courts who defied the magistrate’s notice to appear in the courts regarding a complaint filed against him by the Kuchchaveli police.
M. Thooyavan, the local LTTE leader for Kamburupitiya who was recently served with a notice to appear by the magistrate in the Trincomalee courts wrote on the other side of the notice that he did not intend to appear in the courts and returned the magistrate’s notice to the Kuchchaveli police station. On the day of his scheduled appearance , February 10, 2003 Thooyavan also did not appear in the courts forcing the magistrate to issue an open warrant for his arrest.
[Full Story]
 Sri Lankans protesting against the Norwegian government's activities in Sri Lanka before the Norwegian embassy in London |
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Prajathanthra, a movement for social democracy, has charged, that the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo in a statement issued about the suicide bomb blast of a boat carrying contraband weapons of the Tamil Tigers had taken a ridiculous attempt to sideline the whole issue of the Tamil rebels illegally smuggling weapons violating the ceasefire agreement.
The statement signed by the Sri Lankan movement’s conveyor, Lucien Rajakarunanayaka said, “There is nothing in this statement condemning the LTTE for what the Ceasefire Monitors themselves have reported as a serious violation of the memorandum of understanding.”
[Full Story]
LTTE leader to defy Trincomalee Courts
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
An LTTE area leader Thooyavan has informed the Kuchchaveli Police, through a messenger that he did not intend attending the Trincomalee Magistrate court, as ordered by the magistrate on a case filed by the Kuchchaveli Police.
The Kuchchaveli political leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, on the notice delivered to him at the political office wrote that he did not intend attending the courts on February 10 as ordered by the magistrate and returned the notice to the police through a messenger, police sources said.
[Full Story]
President says LTTE untrustworthiness shown in suicide explosion and smuggling
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The three Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bombers who blew themselves up when they were caught smuggling in arms and ammunition including a 23 millimeter anti-air craft gun just hours before the Berlin “peace” talks demonstrated to the world the untrustworthiness of the LTTE said President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a statement.
Presidential spokesman Janadasa Peiris said the President was in contact with the Minister of Defense Tilak Marapana to bring to books the three Tigers who were caught smuggling in anti-aircraft gun and other arms and ammunition between Jaffna Peninsula’s Kayts and Neduntheevu but the minister was very reluctant to take any action as they feared it might adversely affect the ongoing Berlin talks.
[Full Story]
Lanka lacked nationhood for 2300 years says Dissanayaka
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Announcing the controversial anniversary celebrations of the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam senior cabinet Minister of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government said Sri Lanka , during 2300 years of its existence lacked a single nationhood.
The Minister of Samurdhi and Agriculture S.B. Dissanayaka who entered politics through the Ceylon Communist Party and who still quotes from Marx and Lenin regardless of the fact that he has now joined the most capitalist government ever to come to power in Sri Lanka said “ When we look back in to our history throughout 2300 years of its existence we lacked a nationhood (jathikathvaya)” and said the reason for that was lacking equal rights and opportunities in the country.
[Full Story]
There is no ceasefire to celebrate with Koffi Annan as LTTE is still at war
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Wimal Weerawansa , information Secretary of Sri Lanka’s second largest opposition party charged that while the ruling Ranil Wickremesinghe government was attempting to bring the U.N, Secretary General Koffi Annanan to celebrate the first anniversary of its ceasefire with Tamil Tiger Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran only the explosions of the suicide bombers and cross fire between parties had been stopped in the country but other war activities of the LTTE continued at an alarming rate.
He said while addressing Colombo District parliamentary seats organization of his party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna at Campbell Park in Colombo that war did not mean only shootings and suicide explosions. The opposition party leader charged while the Sri Lanka Army stopped its war the other side did not completely stopped all its military offensive activities with the signing of the ceasefire. The LTTE continued to kill intelligence officers of the army. They kidnapped thousands of small children to be conscripted to their forces.
[Full Story]
Navy surrounds LTTE war memorial being built illegally
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Armed sailors from the Sri Lanka Navy surrounded Gopalapuram , in the Nilaweli area near Trincomalee to prevent cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam building a war memorial in the Sri Lanka government controlled area of the Eastern Province in memory of 22 of their fighters who died while returning after attacking fellow Tamils.
The Sri Lanka Navy took this stern action after the terrorist group disobeyed an order by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to suspend the work of the construction of the Tiger War memorial the rebels were building at Gopalapuram temporarily until a final decision could be taken regarding that after discussing the matter with both parties.
[Full Story]
Prabhakaran Cancels goodwill mission to Colombo's Independence Day
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The goodwill mission of 800 Tamil school children from twenty seven Northern schools to Southern Sri Lanka and visit Sinhalese schools and participate in the country’s official independence celebrations in Colombo has been cancelled at the behest of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Supremo of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The goodwill mission organized by the Sri Lanka government’s Ministry of Rehabilitation was arranged in response to a similar mission of 800 Southern Sinhalese children from 27 schools made to Northern Province many months ago.
[Full Story]
Karuna wants his boys to drive without licenses as they resfuse Lanka laws
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Since the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam refused to live under Sri Lankan laws, all Tamil Tigers should be freed from all laws that demand the use of Sri Lankan driving licenses while driving insisted the Chief of the LTTE in Eastern province S. Muralidharan alias “Colonel” Karuna at a meeting held between Sri Lankan government officials and the rebel group with the participation of Nordic truce observers.
Pointing out that the Sri Lanka security forces should not be engaged in provocative activities Karuna said, at this meeting held at Vavunatheevu in the Eastern Province, January 30, that the forces should not demand driving licenses from them since they did not live under Sri Lankan laws.
[Full Story]
Batticaola police disassemble the LTTE war propaganda cut out and set fire it after it was re-erected second time
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Tamil Tiger war propaganda cut out erected by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and its agents for the second time acting against the advise of the law enforcers was destroyed by burning by the cops of the Batticaloa Police station.
Police sources in the East said to avoid trouble with LTTE mobs, Police officials during the wee hours of January 29 disassembled the massive cut out erected in the Batticaloa town and destroyed it by burning. Tigers re-erect war propaganda cut out brought down by moragoda
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and its agents re-erected a huge war propaganda cut out which was brought down by the Batticaloa Police at the behest of the Economic Reforms Minister and “peace” negotiator Milinda Moragoda in open defiance of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government.
The massive war propaganda cut out depicting a LTTE guerilla holding a dead colleague with his right arm and a weapon with his left arm also carried the slogan , “You are entering the land which produces heroes.” Re-erected in the government controlled area of the town of Batticaloa the LTTE wanted the massive cut out to carry a war message and encourage people to join its war machine.
[Full Story]
IGP Anandarajah to implement chandrika's directives against LTTE child abductions
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Sri Lanka’s Police Chief T.E. Anandarajah said that President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s directives to investigate fully the child abductions and arrest the LTTE culprits responsible for it would be fully carried out by the Police.
He said holding children illegally after being kidnapped was happening mostly in uncleared areas and those incidents had to be handled by the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission authorities.
[Full Story]
Awaking after 13 months Ranil sends fact finders to Batticaloa
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
After ignoring its own police reports for thirteen months and under immense international pressure the Ranil Wickremesinghe government sent its emissary on a “fact finding” mission to the Eastern province to investigate the alarming reports of increasing child abductions by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Ranil Wickremesinghe’s special emissary cabinet minister Milinda Moragoda was accompanied by Defense Secretary Austin Fernando whose Army website repeatedly published the alarming child abductions reports oblivious to the government, in this “fact finding mission”
[Full Story]
UNP cabinet minister to fightSatish Nambiyar Report
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The UNP politician T. Maheshvaran who is holding the cabinet portfolio of Hindu religious affairs said he would lead protests against implementing the report of General Satish Nambiar who recommended that the Sri Lanka Army should not withdraw from the High Security Zone in Jaffna unless the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam deposited its weapons to neutral supervision and withdrew from frontline positions.
The UNP minister who showed pro-LTTE proclivities starting from his election platform was then considered an asset by the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration and helped to pull Tamil votes for the Prime Minister’s election campaign.
[Full Story]
SLMM Conveys freedom from LTTE but Tigers continue to attack rivals
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The very day the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission informed the Tamil political parties that LTTE would allow their rivals freedom to function the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) complained several of their party offices had been attacked by the terrorists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the same time they received the letter.
EPDP spokesman Karaneedharan Pradeepan said that their offices at Mallagam and Atchuweli had been attacked by the LTTE on the same day their party had been assured by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that LTTE would allow others to engage in political activities freely.
[Full Story]
Definite Defeat for the UNP if JVP joined People's Alliance
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Secretary of the People’s Alliance D.M.Jayaratne said that the United National Party would definitely not be able to form a government if the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna contested elections with the People’s Alliance under the same coalition.
Pointing out that the UNF coalition government was being run with the aid of the bonus MP’s elected at the last general elections Jayaratne said if the JVP contested the elections under the same coalition those bonus MP’s would not have been there. He said if the JVP contested an election under the same coalition with the People’s Alliance the UNP would not have had a dog’s chance of winning.
[Full Story]
Teachers demand a discussion and receive rubber bullets and teargas
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
When the puppet of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, TNA requested all temporary teachers in the North and East should be made permanent the Ranil Wickremesinghe government did it immediately. But when the same request was made by the volunteer teachers of the North Central Province and Puttalama District they were attacked by the Police with tear gas and rubber bullets charged the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in a statement issued to the press.
Sri Lanka’s second largest opposition party the JVP was commenting on the tear gas and rubber bullets attack aimed at volunteer teachers performing a sathyagraha in front of the Ministry of Education , January 22, injuring several protestors including a Buddhist monk among them.
[Full Story]
LTTE organ fears the fall of Ranil Wickremesinghe is near
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
When considering the realignment of political forces in the south the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam refused to accept that “all is well” for them and feared the death of Ranil Wickremesinghe government soon, the group’s main organ the “Tamil Guardian” said.
The latest issue of the weekly published in London fearing the demise of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe government said, “ The argument the PA-JVP axis lacks the parliamentary numbers needed to consider forming a government is erroneous.”
[Full Story]
LTTE has not changed its policy of separation says Eela Nadu
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Quoting top Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam political and military leaders the strongly pro-LTTE Tamil weekly Eela Nadu said that their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was unshakably committed to the goal of establishing Tamil Eelam as the only way to achieve the freedom of the Tamil people, despite the ongoing peace talks with the government.
The Eela Nadu is simultaneously published in Toronto, London, Sydney, Paris and Geneva and is edited by the strongly pro-Tiger writer S.Kuganathan . The text of the Tamil news story of the Eela Nadu was translated for us from the January 20 issue of the tabloid bought in Montreal, Canada.
[Full Story]
Government unofficially censors opposing views in Sri Lanka
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
A trade union charged that all leading Sinhalese language newspapers were involved in censoring an advertisement sent for publication against the Ranil Wickremesinghe government’s privatization policy of profit earning state institutions.
Insurance Employees Union leader R. S. Nanda Lal criticized the daily newspapers, The Lankadeepa, The Divaina, The Lakbima, and The Raavaya for refusing to publish a paid advertisement after many of them were contemplating on it for about a week.
[Full Story]
PA parliamentarian attacks JVP and praises peace process
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
People’s Alliance parliamentarian Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra attacked the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna for opposing the UNF government’s peace process and said when he and President Chandrika Kumaratunga were members of the Vijaya Kumaratunga led Sri Lanka Mahajana Party they supported the then UNP government’s devolution of power through provincial councils.
He accused certain sections of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party for also holding these “wrong ideas of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna”. He said even certain sections of the United National Party were also clinging on to those wrong ideas of opposing the peace process of the government.
[Full Story]
Mercantile workers in Colombo strike against Ranil's anti-labor laws
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Police sources in Colombo said more than seven thousand employees belonging to the Ceylon Mercantile Union took part in a general strike in and around the capital putting a stoppage of work in seventy companies in protest against the new labor laws passed by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government recently in parliament.
General Secretary of the CMU Bala Tampoe said failure of discussions with the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to stop the adoption of the reactionary legislation led to the strike.
[Full Story]
Farmers charge that during a severe land shortage government gave 25,000 acres to norway company
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Farmers charge that during a severe land shortage government gave 25,000 acres to norway company
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna affiliated All Ceylon Farmers Federation charged that while young farmers were unable to have lands of their own to grow food the government had given thousands of acres to foreign companies.
The Federation charged that at Mahavilachchiya in Rajarata the Ranil Wickremesinghe government had given 25,000 acres to a company from Norway.
[Full Story]
Did Marapana's influence make army to tone down news against Tigers?
 Thilak Marapana, Minister of Defense called the abductions of Tamil children “unconfirmed gossip” while his own army website was recording such abductions very accurately (file photo) |
Did the influence of former Attorney General and Prime Minister’s hand picked man to handle the most controversial Ministry of Defense ,Thilak Marapane make information handlers of the Sri Lanka Army to distort information about small children abducted by the terrorists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam so that the culprits could look less culpable of their crimes?
The human rights group who has taken up the cause of the abducted Tamil children has noted the history of Marapane, who despite his obligation to speak the truth to the parliament telling the legislature that the news about abductions of small children was only “unconfirmed gossip”..
[Full Story]
Despite Balasingham's no war promise others say they are readying for war
 Anton Balasingham: duplicitous conduct (file photos) |
A leading human rights organization said on the day LTTE’s chief negotiator Anton Balasingham was promising no more war in the future in Bangkok at the last peace negotiations with the Ranil Wickremesinghe government other LTTE leaders were holding meetings in and around the Eastern city of Batticaloa in the schools and telling students and their teachers that they had no faith in the peace process and Tamil Eelam remained their goal.
Publishing a diary of important events with LTTE connections during the last one month and a week the human rights organization said regardless of boasts by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that the LTTE was sincere in their effort for peace no change had taken place in regard to the human rights violations by the Tamil terrorist group and its preparations for a war for a separate state despite the much hyped peace process now taking place.
[Full Story]
Catholic bishop warns Tigers of grave consequences
if they continued with child kidnappings
 Kingsley Swamipillai Bishop of Batticaloa-Trincomalee of the Catholic Church (file photo) |
Armed with a list of twenty Tamil students abducted by the terrorists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) most recently the Roman Catholic Bishop of Batticaloa and Trincomalee confronted the Eastern military leadership of the group and warned him of grave consequences that might happen due to the criminal act by the group against children.
The Bishop of Batticaloa and Trincomalee, Dr. Kingsley Swamipillai overwhelmed by complaints of parents especially of the Eastern Province that their children were being kidnapped by the Tamil terrorist group for forceful conscription of them to their guerilla army , traveled to the headquarters of the LTTE Special Military commander Ramesh and reprimanded him, the Bishop told the BBC’s Sinhala language program, the Sandeshaya , January 17.
[Full Story]
Monks tell Ranil that same fate of Marcos and Suharto awaits him
Thousands of Buddhist monks converged on Nugegoda Sri lanka to accuse the government that it was deceiving the people in the name of peace and driving the country not to peace but to a real division to appease the terrorist group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. (LTTE)
Speakers of the mammoth rally of January 14 warned Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that a similar fate of the Asian dictators Marcos and Suharto would be awaiting him if he did not put an end to the historical steps of betrayal he was increasingly taking to support the Tamil Tigers for the sake of power.
[Full Story]
Let’s keep Japanese aid, suicide bombers,and child soldiers says Anton Balasingham
 Mr Yasushi Akashi, senior Japanese diplomat and Mr Anton Balasingham met in Bangkok January 12 to discuss the peace talks and developmental aid. Photo courtesy: Nippon Hoso Kyokaibr |
This picture appeared in the front page of the Tamil Guardian on January 15, 2003 because the Japanese aid has become the most important thing in the creation of Eelam.
Some critics have pointed out the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam would like to drag on the so called peace talks even without any results until the last yen was drawn from the US ally to build up Eelam, the future separate state carved out of Sri Lanka.
[Full Story]
Fonseka policy to disarm Tigers dropped by Ranil says LTTE organ
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The main organ of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam announced in its latest edition that the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration has officially dropped the policy of the Sri Lanka Army that the LTTE disarm before resettlement is permitted in the High security Zones of Jaffna.
The Tamil Guardian, the main organ of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) published from London in its issue dated January 15, 2003 said the policy put forward initially by the Sri Lanka Army’s Jaffna commander Major General Fonseka and later endorsed by his superior has been officially dropped by the administration of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
[Full Story]
Tamil Tigers want Ranil's Govt. to submit to Eelam court
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has informed the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that the Sri Lanka government will have to submit itself to the court establish by the separatist group to get Lance Corporal H. S. Nimal Kumara released from their custody.
The submission of the government of Sri Lanka to a court established outside its constitution is a de facto recognition of a separate state in Sri Lanka.
[Full Story]
Balasingham contradicts New York Times and Reuters on child recruitment
 Olara Otunnu (Balasingham once promised Otunnu that he would stop recruiting children for war) (file photo) |
While leading newspapers like the New York Times, credible news agencies like the Reuters, the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and the Norway backed Sri lanka Monitoring Mission who monitors the Sri Lankan ceasefire have alleged that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had kidnapped and still abducting under 18 children for forceful recruitment to their guerilla army the Ampara- Batticaloa political division of the terrorist group completely rejected the allegation.
The contradiction from the LTTE’s provincial political section came following a similar contradiction by Anton Balasingham , chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at the ending press conference after the fourth round of talks between the terrorist group and the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration in Sri Lanka.
[Full Story]
Appoint separate Eastern Governor to deal with 68,446 Sinhala refugees
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The President of the Association of the Sinhalese in Northern and Eastern Provinces met President Chandrika Kumaratunga and demanded that a separate Governor should be appointed to the Eastern Province as a first step to serve all communities equally in the Eastern Province of Sri lanka.
The President of the Sinhalese in the Northern and Eastern Provinces , Venerable Dehiowita Piyatissa Thero told President Chandrika Kumaratunga at a meeting between them recently it was very essential that a separate Governor be appointed to the Eastern Province to tackle the special problems in the province , including 68,446 Sinhalese refugees in the Eastern Province.
[Full Story]
Political scientist says peace talks being used for seperate state
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
Dr. Laksiri Fernando, Professor of Political Science of the University of Colombo charged that the “peace talks” between the Ranil Wickremesinghe government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was not taking the country to a political settlement but to the stabilization of a status of another state for the areas under the control of them..
The professor of political science said it was now very much obvious that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was definitely moving towards a confederate state, a future state that would have a very loose connection with Sri Lanka with its own army, navy, police , legal system, judiciary, flag, national anthem and sitting down with Sri Lanka only for limited affairs like foreign affairs at a higher council..
[Full Story]
Kangaroo court of the Tamil Tigers further remands Lance Corporal Nimal Kumara
 A Kangaroo court of L.T.T.E (file photo) [Click here to enlarge] |
An illegal court installed by the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) further remanded the Sri Lanka Army Lance Corporal H.S. Nimal Kumara until January 23 when he was produced before a LTTE judge, T. Sendur.
Nimal Kumara was taken into custody when he wandered into a jungle close to his army camp, which the terrorist group claimed as their territory demarcated by the ceasefire agreement they signed with the Ranil Wickremesinghe
[Full Story]
Tamil Tigers boycott SLMM meeting to discuss disappearances in East
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who have entered in to more than an year long cease fire agreement with Sri Lanka’s ruling United National Front government boycotted a meeting organized by the monitoring body of the cease fire held in Batticaloa to discuss the disappearances of non-LTTE political activists and Sri Lanka military personnel in the area.
The meeting was held in the Eastern city of Batticaloa organized by the deputy chief of the Norway backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Hagrup Haukland.
[Full Story]
JVP to unite opposition and topple Wickremesinghe government
 An estimated crowd of more than 60,000 party members were claimed having participated at the protest movement held in Colombo, January 8, 2003 evening.They converged to Lipton Circus from Campbell Place at Borella, Hendry Pedris Grounds at Havelock Town and Lake House Roundabout at Fort to Lipton Circus in three demonstrations. This JVP photo shows how Lipton Circus was overflowing with people for this anti-UNF rally, demanding the Ranil Wickremesinghe government to resign over what they called the betrayal of the country to the separatist Tamil terrorists.. [Click here to enlarge] |
The leaders of the second largest opposition party in Sri Lanka pledged that they would by uniting all opposition forces in the island nation would bring an end to the year old right wing government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said the days are indeed numbered for the government which they claimed to have betrayed the Indian Ocean republic to the separatist terrorists.
[Full Story]
Chandrika demand to disband suicde rejected by GL and Tigers
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
January 09 10.35 PM: Both the Ranil Wickremesinghe government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rejected the demand of President Chandrika Kumaratunga to disband the suicide squad of the LTTE, the Black Tigers immediately
Responding to President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s demand that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam should disband its Black Tigers, the suicide unit of the terrorist group, Ranil Wickremesinghe government’s Chief negotiator G.L. Peiris rejected the proposal as too premature.
[Full Story]
New York Times reveals tamil Tigers kidnap children
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
January 07, 15.00 PM: Filing a detailed and lengthy report from Kinnaiyadi in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, which was published in the New York Times on January 6, 2003, the day the Sri Lanka government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam representatives held their fourth round of talks, the newspaper’s staff writer Amy Waldman revealed how the LTTE leaders while telling the world that they had stopped recruiting children still abducted thousands of small Tamil girls and boys to be trained for combat warfare.The New York Times report quoting critics said the orphanages run by the LTTE also were fertile recruitment ground for child recruitment.
[Full Story]
After murdering a soldier Tigers warn Tamil not to join army
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
After abducting and murdering a Tamil Lance Corporal from an Eastern platoon of the Sri Lanka Army despite a cease fire the political wing of the terrorist organization the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam issued an open warning to all Tamils not to serve the Sri Lanka Army and any Tamil political organization other than their own.
[Full Story] [Previous Stories}
Tiger terrorists murder the 3rd Tamil soldier from a Batticaloa Platoon
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
January 06 12.55 AM:Tension prevailed between the Sri Lanka Army and the terrorists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam January 4 when the rebels allegedly abducted a Tamil Lance Corporal of the Sri Lanka Army and murdered him despite the ceasefire .
The terrorists of the LTTE allegedly abducted Lance Corporal S.Pulendrarasa of the 233rd Platoon of the Sri Lanka Army at Kalladi Bridge at Batticaloa while on duty . He was serving the army as an intelligence officer.
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Refusal to promote Tigers leads to attack on radio station
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
January 05 08.15 AM:The pro- Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) vandals in the terrorist group’s Canadian front organization, the World Tamil Movement attacked and vandalized the transmitting station of the Canadian Tamil Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto, Tamil sources in the city reported.
The CEO of the Corporation Ilaiya Barathy said in a telephone interview that the vandals who came in a car suddenly started attacking the window panes of the broadcasting station with empty whisky bottles breaking many and doing other minor damages tried their usual scare tactics in an attempt to introduce pro-LTTE propaganda and fund raising material in to the broadcasting station’s programs.
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Westborg to leave Sri Lanka very soon says Ranil
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
January 04 11.30 PM: Norway’s controversial ambassador in Colombo, Jon Westborg will complete his assignment in Sri Lanka and return to Norway shortly, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe announced
In a letter written to President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was involved in a controversial deal of importing radio transmitter equipment and a VSAT satellite communication earth station for the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam with the Norwegian ambassador said Westborg was returning to Norway after six years of his job as Norway’s envoy in Colombo.
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Norway considers the burning of Norwegian flags very serious
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
January 03 08:53 AM:The Norwegian Foreign office regarded the burning of Norwegian national flags by the Jathika Bhikshu Peramuna as serious, the English language Norway Post reported. “The Norwegian Foreign Office regards the incident as serious, but does not fear for the ambassador’s safety, according to NRK,” the newspaper said in a news story. Misspelling “monks” several times in the whole story, the web news paper said, “Nationalistic Buddhist munks burnt two Norwegian flags outside the Norwegian embassy , in Colombo Sri Lanka on the Christmas eve.”
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Freedom for five Tamil youth with the dawn of new year
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
January 03 03:58 AM: With the dawn of the new year precious freedom dawned to five Tamil youth, three of them school kids of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka when they managed to escape at 1.30 a.m. on January 1, 2003 from the custody of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE).
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LTTE led fishermen arrest 36 Indian fishermen
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
January 03 03:55 AM: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam led fishermen of Pooneryn in Northern Sri Lanka arrested 36 Indian fishermen and their 9 fishing craft and said the fishermen would not be released until envoys of Indian government come and see them and give a solid pledge that they would stop fishing in the same waters
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Chandrika says Westborg brought military gift for LTTE that is not even owned by SL Army
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles:
January 01 06:00 AM: President Chandrika Kumaratunga expressed “serious concern” to Norway’s Prime Minister Kijell Magne Bondevik about the acitivities of Norwegian ambassador Jon Westborg and said he had violated both Sri Lankan and International laws by his importing of radio broadcasting equipment and sensitive satellite communication equipment for one of the most ruthless terrorist groups in the world, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. She said the satellite communication equipment he imported for the terrorist group is not even owned by the Sri Lankan security forces.
"It has been noted that the Approved List of items consigned to the Embassy included the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) communication unit, which is a sophisticated piece of electronic equipment for the transmission of voice and data with the highest available degree of security from interception.
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