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 Sunday, 12 December 2010 07:32 AM  

Tamil Diaspora and the LTTE rump should be made to understand that a separate State in the Northern and Eastern Provinces would never be a reality

Mahindapala tells Diaspora: Forget returning to post-Nanthikadal situ - . L. D. Mahindapala, former editor of The Sunday Observer, says the Tamil Diaspora and the LTTE rump should be made to understand that a separate State in the Northern and Eastern Provinces would never be a reality. The Australia-based activist insists that those who still harbour separatist sentiments should realise a post-Nanthikadal scenario isn’t realistic. The LTTE collapsed on May 19, last year on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon. Testifying before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) on Monday (Nov. 29) Mahindapala, who represented the World Alliance of Peace in Sri Lanka, discussed several issues, including the pivotal importance of engaging the Tamil Diaspora and meeting the threat posed by foreign funded NGO/INGOs. Referring to the Vadukkoddai Resolution of May 14, 1976, Mahindapala asserted that the country wouldn’t revert to that situation. The veteran journalist said that with the collapse of the LTTE the entire political landscape had changed. The Vadukoddai Resolution had lost its political rationale and its power to spawn violence, he said. Responding to a query by LLRC member Mrs. Mano Ramanathan, Mahindapala said the Tamil Diaspora and the LTTE rump had been split into three sections, with two of them headquartered in Oslo and Germany still advocating violence. But the New York-based group led by lawyer V. Rudrakumarana, which recently formed a ‘provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam’, could be a bit more amenable to a settlement, he asserted (Island : 30 November 2010).

Former Tiger stronghold to be made wildlife sanctuary -  With a view to attracting more domestic and foreign tourists to the Northern Region and at the same time solving the human-elephant conflict, the government had decided turn a section of the former LTTE stronghold, Mullaitivu, into a wildlife sanctuary, Director of Wildlife Operations H. D. Ratnayake said yesterday. Meanwhile, newly appointed Wildlife and Agrarian Services Minister S. M. Chandrasena said that the sanctuary would be established in a 100,000-acre block of thick forest where the final battle between the Government forces and the LTTE took place.  "The LTTE used this forest as a natural shield during the war," the Minister said adding that the forest had wide range of fauna and flora.Chandrasena said after declaring the area as a wildlife sanctuary the government would drive elephants from other parts of the country into it.  A number of tanks in the area were being rehabilitated and the sanctuary was expected to be ready for tourism by mid 2011, Ratnayake said. The Operations Director said that Minister Chandrasena had proposed the setting up of a sanctuary in Mullaitivu after visiting the area. The new sanctuary is being modelled on the line of the Yala National Park, which has a large population of elephants and many rare species of fauna and flora.  Minister Chandrasena said the human–elephant conflict had become a major problem as humans were rapidly encroaching elephants’ lands. He said the proposed sanctuary would would help solve the problem.  According to Chandrasena, the Wildlife Department has two elephant orphanages. One for baby elephants and the other for those isolated from the herd (Island : 30 November 2010).

Indian Bank to commence operations at Jaffna from January : Indian Bank on Tuesday said its Jaffna branch in Sri Lanka would start functioning from the third week of January. Bank’s chairman Mr T M Bhasin said that the branch would offer all facilities to Internally Displaced Persons, affected by the recent war between the Sri Lankan Government and LTTE, to settle themselves. The Indian High Commission at Colombo had promised all help in construction of houses for them and the funds would be routed through the branch, he said. The bank had also sought the permission of Central Bank of Sri Lanka to open branches at Hambantota, where a modern port had been constructed and at Batticaloa in the island republic (Business Lines : 30 November 2010).

Is the LTTE re-grouping in Kerala? - A documentary screened a few days back at a hall in the heart of Trivandrum city has sparked suspicion that the LTTE might be regrouping in parts of Kerala.The film exhibitors were questioned by the Kerala Police who fear that it could be a garb for the outfit to regroup.Mullaiteevu Saga, a film about Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka towards the end of the civil war has been dragged into an unwarranted controversy. A popular Malayalm daily quoting IB sources reported that the screening of the movie which the organizers say was well advertised was actually a secret meeting for regrouping of the LTTE. The state police immediately launced an investigation (IBN Live ; 3 December 2010)..

Jaffna Varsity to get Agriculture Faculty

Tamil tiger bastion in the jungles to be turned into sanctuary - Eighteen months after the end of island''s ethnic conflict, Sri Lanka is set to turn the jungle area that was a haven of the LTTE into a new wildlife sanctuary.  Mullativu jungles where the Tamil tigers made their last suicidal holdout in the North, would soon be a wildlife sanctuary, the country''s Forest Minister SM Chandrasena said today.  The jungles are a favoured haunt of prized elephants and the government is taking steps to preserve them in their natural habitat, the Minister said.  In the last 12 years when the jungles witnessed some pitched battles during which 672 people were killed, also left more than 1,464 elephants dead, a report placed by the Sri Lanka Red Cross said.  Turning the thick tropical jungles into a sanctuary was aimed at minimising the human-elephant conflict, the Minister said.  The jungle spans over 100,000 acres and had numerous key hideouts and training grounds of the Tamil tigers (MSN News : 30 November 2010).

Jaffna Varsity to get Agriculture Faculty - Plans are underway to open an Agriculture Faculty at the Jaffna University, Higher Studies Minister S B Dissanayake said. Dissanayake was speaking at an awareness program regarding the World Youth and Student conference to be held in South Africa next month.  The awareness program was held at the Jaffna University last week. The whole University system will also be changed and by the end of the next year, all students should complete studying the English langauge course, the Minister said.  Dissanayake said the education and examination systems should undergo an overhaul. Study courses in universities will be completely subjected to a change from next year so as to enable those passing out to get involved in the country's production process, he said.  Dissanayake said the theme of the 17th world youth and student seminar would be 'Let us Defeat Imperialison for Peace, Brotherhood and Social Transformation. He said that about 35,000 youth leaders with diverse ideologies would participate at the youth conference which would include 750 from India and 200 from Sri Lanka. Nine youth from Jaffna have been selected to participate in the youth conference.  The ceremony was organized by the Inter University Student Centre. Twenty six university students are to participate at the forthcoming World Youth and Student Conference of Jaffna (Daily News ; 30 November 2010).

Response to Dr. Rajasingham Jayadevan’s letter in the Sri Lanka Guardian - By Jagathvijaya Lekam - It is unfortunate that Dr. Jayadevan, under a facile facade of impartiality and objectivity, has sought to continue a debate that can only keep the wounds of racial acrimony festering well into the future in Sri Lanka . In addition, there is a not so subtle effort to somehow whitewash the LTTE and portray the security forces in the worst light. This of course will not contribute in any form to heal the wounds or move forward. Dr. Kohona’s defence of major General Shavendra Silva was based on published facts while Dr. Jayadevan relies on figments of his imagination, emotional outbursts, allegations traceable to the Tamil Net and innuendoes. Dr. Jayadevan says that Shavendra Silva will remain accused until evidence backed by a transparent judicial inquiry discharges him. It is a strangely contorted view of the legal framework familiar to us all in the common law system to suggest that anyone remains guilty until he proves his innocence. Sheer convenience and a hypocritical mental agility readily contorts hollowed legal principles to advantage. Dr. Jayadevan suggests that the manifestations of the so called barbaric LTTE is the product of the uncivilized conduct of the Government forces against the Tamil civilian population. Of course, he forgets that this is the same Government that fed the civilian population of the Vanni for twenty seven years while the LTTE held it under its jackboot and diverted government supplied food for its own use, even using bags of rice to strengthen bunkers (photos available); (Mawbima Lanka : 30 November 2010).

Krishna cancels meet with Sri Lanka's main Tamil party

Impact of Tamil Diaspora on Sri Lanka’s image - By Neville Ladduwahetty - The potential for the Tamil diaspora to influence and fashion opinions and policies in Western democracies as it relates to Sri Lanka should be treated as a source of threat to Sri Lanka’s national interests. The creation of transnational governments or global movements to project the cause for Tamil Eelam helps to keep the embers of a Tamil Eelam smoldering. Even though their ability to hinder the outcomes of Sri Lanka’s national interests directly in Sri Lanka would be marginal, their presence in Western democracies in the form of voting blocks backed up with finance to alter electoral outcomes, give them the opportunity to undermine Sri Lanka’s interests through cultivated contacts in governments and persons of influence in the host countries.  Sri Lanka therefore has to be seriously concerned with the ability of the Tamil diaspora to alter perspectives as it relates to Sri Lanka’s national interests. Taking the experience in the US as an example the Tamil diaspora has over a period of several decades gained access to current and former US Diplomats who are in a position to influence the thinking particularly in the US State Department. In addition, they have cultivated several influential INGOs, NGOs and persons of influence with access to their Governments to act as advocates for their causes. Access to the Legislative and Executive branches of the US Government in the form of second generation Tamils as Congressional Aides and other support staff augmented by their influence with private agencies have enabled the Tamil diaspora to present a single minded image of Sri Lanka that is negative. Similar influences have been cultivated in Canada, UK, EU and Australia (Island : 29 November 2010).

Judge Weeramantry addresses LLRC today - International Court of Justice former Vice-President Judge C G Weeramantry will address the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission today at the Kadirgamar Institute of Foreign Relations and Strategic Studies, Horton Place, Colombo. Judge Weeramantry through his judgements and writings has advanced concepts of Cross-Cultural Understanding and Peace Education globally. He has won numerous international awards for his work in this area including the UNESCO Peace Prize (Daily News : 29 November 2010).

Massive Tamil Colonization of Colombo Threatens Security and Sustainability – a Response to Those Who Cry Sinhala Colonization of Jaffna - by Kumar Moses - Colombo was known as the garden city sometime back. However all that splendour was lost within a few decades as massive Tamil colonization rapidly changed the city. To make matters worse they settled down mainly in the Greater Colombo area which was already crowded. In order to house this massive Tamil population that flocked to the city suddenly, many unplanned dwellings were built. However, the drains, roads, garbage collection and other infrastructure could not handle this sudden influx. Greater Colombo (GC) area gradually degenerated into something similar to a South Indian city. Having done so, shameless racist elements within the Tamil community protest when Sinhalese and Muslims settle down in the north. This is outright racism and must be condemned by all. If the Sinhalese and Muslims cannot settle in their hundreds of thousands in the north, Tamils have no right whatsoever to settle down in Colombo. It is time to end this racism and aggressively create multi ethnic peace communities in the war ravaged north. Otherwise it is a matter of time since the Tamil Homeland struggle restarted. Recently a prominent Tamil news website published an article alleging military fortresses and colonization in Jaffna choke Tamils, Threaten India. [http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=33025]. This article is in response to that rubbish claim. These false allegations by Tamil homeland theorists are an attempt to cover up the truth (LankaWeb : 29 November 2010).

Mahindapala, Weeramantry before LLRC today - Former editor of The Sunday Observer and Evening Observer H. L. D. Mahindapala and Justice C. G. Weeramantry will testify before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) today (Nov. 29). Mahindapala is expected to begin his submissions at 3 p.m. (Island : 28 November 2010).

Leaked diplomatic cables will include 3325 from US Embassy in Colombo - The US diplomatic cables leaked by whistle-blowing website Wikileaks includes 3325 as-yet unreleased missives from the US Embassy in Colombo, making the Embassy in Sri Lanka among those hardest-hit by the scandal. Wikileaks, in conjunction with several newspapers in the UK and Europe such as the Guardian, will stagger the release of 250,000 cables over the next few days. Today’s leak has already sparked diplomatic crisises all over the globe. Correspondence already released includes urging by Saudi Arabian leaders for the US to attack Iran to disrupt its nuclear programme, while leaders in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates described the country as “evil”, an “existential threat” and a power that “is going to take us to war”. The Guardian’s newspaper’s report on the leaks noted that former president of the Jordianian senate, Zeid Rifai, had told “a senior US official” to “bomb Iran, or live with an Iranian bomb. Sanctions, carrots, incentives won’t matter.” (Minivan News : 29 November 2010).

Devolution of power on ethnic basis will exacerbate the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka

Krishna cancels meet with Sri Lanka''s main Tamil party - External Affairs Minister S M Krishna today concluded his four-day visit to Sri Lanka without meeting the country''s main Tamil political party, TNA, once considered as a proxy of the LTTE.  The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said Krishna was to hold talks with them today morning, but the meeting was put off till noon giving him time to return to Colombo from the southern town of Hambantota where he opened a consulate.  "Later we were told that the minister is flying straight from Hambantota to the (international) airport and there is no possibility to have the scheduled meeting," TNA legislator Suresh Premachandra told PTI.  Tamil parties were disappointed over the failure to meet Krishna who had been pushing Sri Lanka to press ahead with devolution of power after the end of hostilities last year.  The TNA which was once seen as a proxy of Tamil Tigers has distanced itself from the guerrillas after their defeat in a no-holds-barred military campaign that ended in May last year with the killing of the top Tiger leadership.  Krishna''s visit to the island coincided with what the Tigers used to mark as their heroes'' week. It was on November 27 that the late Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran used to deliver his annual policy statement (MSN News : 28 November 2010).

LTTE torture chamber reveals prisoners -: Chained, tortured and cremated - The story of them could remained a mystery forever unless the defence authorities did not unearth the information during an interrogation of a former LTTE cadre now in custody.  Let’s call him ‘Ram’. He led a group of 60 experts including forensic experts into the dense jungle stretch, eight kilometers away from Vallipunam village, in Mullaithivu. The green cover is a safe haven for any activity.  It was only last Tuesday that he was brought to the jungle hideout, which was a torture chamber of the LTTE for some years. Ram recalling the heinous crimes committed in that so-called ‘Victor base 1’ showed the experts the row of small cells each barely bigger than a small toilet.  Ram, who is now in custody of the Terrorist Investigation Department of the Police, started revealing the ‘crime’ - killing of 26 ‘prisoners of war’ (PoWs) by LTTE gunmen.  The police investigators had taken another three suspects into custody in connection with the mass killing. According to Ram, who lived in ‘Lindula’ estate in Thalawakele he had gone to Puthukudiruppu for a funeral but could not return as the LTTE had forcefully taken him to a LTTE training camp and given a short military training.  Having fought in several areas, he was sent to the Victor Base 1, where the 26 PoWs were detained. Ram in his 30s and well versed in Sinhala language said he was among the LTTE cadres including 14 Black Tigers, who were there to look after the 26 prisoners.  According to his testimony, the 26 PoWs were not there throughout but brought from different places of LTTE’s torture chambers while the LTTE was losing its stronghold in the North due to military assault (Sunday Observer : 28 November 2010).

Prabhakaran safe: Vaiko - MDMK leader and pro-Eelam supporter Vaiko on Saturday once again claimed that LTTE chief V Prabakaran was ‘alive and is in safe house’ and would emerge at an appropriate time. Addressing a gathering in the city as part of the November 27 Maaveerar Day celebrations, Vaiko said, “Don’t bother about rumours floating on the internet… it’s a conspiracy against us. Prabhakaran is safe and in hiding for security.” Vaiko also said that the claims on rehabilitation of Lankan Tamils displaced during the ethnic war by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was a farce. He also demanded the immediate dismantling of military camps from Tamil territory to ensure safety of innocent Tamil men and women in the island nation (Express Buzz : 28 November 2010).

IDPs have Rs. 3.5 billion in banks, says President - More than Rs. 3.5 billion has been deposited in banks by Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Wanni camps and those who were resettled in their villages recently, President Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed on Friday. The President made the claim at a Temple Trees luncheon meeting with members of the Tamil Political Party Forum which included Minister Dougals Devananda, PLOTE leader D. Siddarthan, TULF leader V. Anandasangari and former Presidential candidate K. Sivajilingam to discuss issues relating to the IDPs. The 16-member delegation urged President Rajapaksa to take steps to pay compensation to the displaced people as they had lost their belongings and most of them did not have jobs. President Rajapaksa presented a document giving the breakdown of the deposits made by the IDPs (Sunday Times : 28 November 2010).

LLRC to go East - Members of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) will visit the Trincomalee and Ampara districts in December to hear submissions from members of the public as well as civil society activists and officials. The Commissioners will visit Trincomalee between December 2 and 6 while they will be in Ampara between December 10 and 14. They will meet with members of the public at the Kachcheri hall in Trincomalee on December 3, at the Divisional Secretary’s Office in Mutur on December 4 and at the Divisional Secretary’s office in Kuchchaveli on December 5 (Sunday Times ; 28 November 2010).

Krishna launches several key projects in the North - India has no worries about rival China’s expanding ties with Sri Lanka, India’s Foreign Minister S M Krishna said. Krishna, who met President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday, said Colombo’s ties with Beijing and other capitals would not impact “historic relations” between the two South Asian neighbours. Asked if New Delhi was concerned about increased Chinese interest in its southern neighbour, Krishna said it was up to Sri Lanka to decide on its external relations. “The relationship between India and Sri Lanka need not be at the cost of other countries. Sri Lanka’s relationships with other countries depends upon Sri Lanka itself and we respect that,” he said. “Our ultimate objective is to see a prosperous, stable Sri Lanka at peace with itself,” said Krishna, who was on a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka. The Indian minister’s comments came just over a week after a 1.5-billion-dollar Chinese-funded port was commissioned in Hambantota. Analysts have said New Delhi is concerned that Hambantota is part of a Chinese policy to throw a geographical circle of influence around India. India said earlier in the year that China was displaying “more than normal interest” in the Indian Ocean region. China is also developing port facilities in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan, and has plans for rail projects in Nepal and Sri Lanka (The Nation ; 28 November 2010).

‘Top Tiger’ nabbed at hotel - A top operative of the international LTTE network who had returned to the country in the guise of an investor was nabbed last week by the State Intelligence Service (SIS) from a leading hotel in Colombo. The sleuths had been on the trail of this Tiger operative for sometime, informed sources said. It has been revealed that this Tiger operative, known as Kiran was among the Tiger leaders who had been handling the financial transactions relating to the LTTE’s illegal armament purchases via Thailand. He had been functioning as the leader of the LTTE fund-raising wing in Australia and Switzerland. He had also been engaged in human trafficking by sea. Kiran, who had been on the ‘most wanted’ list of the national intelligence services since 1999, had returned here under an assumed name purportedly to start a foreign exchange centre. He is also said to own a tea estate in Deniyaya. It has now come to light that about 50 former LTTE operatives and sympathisers who had skipped the country and found refuge in certain European countries have returned to Jaffna recently posing as investors (The Nation : 28 November 2010).

LTTE atrocities unearthed - Investigations launched following the recent sensational discovery in Mullaitivu of a mass grave of at least 26 service personnel summarily executed by the LTTE is now unfolding another weird and gruesome massacre by them. It has transpired during investigations that two of four hardcore terrorists in custody had been directly involved in the execution of the soldiers held prisoner by the LTTE. One of these two terrorists had been one of the hitmen who shot the soldiers in cold blood. The other terrorist had been involved in burning the bodies. After burning the bodies, the ashes and the skeletal remains had been buried in an abandoned bunker and a trench close to it. Fourteen of the victims have been identified by these hardcore terrorists from photographs shown to them. They include three lieutenant commanders of the Navy This massacre, according to evidence that has surfaced, had been carried out on January 17, 2009. One of the victims is believed to be Lieutenant Commander Ratnayake, who went missing when Dvora fast attack craft P 413 came under LTTE heavy gunfire on seas off Delft. Another victim Lt Cmdr Edirisinghe had been captured by the Tigers after his craft Dvora P416 was attacked and sunk off Vettilaikerni while it was escorting troop carrier ‘Pearl Cruiser’ on May 11, 2006 The four terrorists in custody have revealed that the 26 security forces personnel were held in a torture chamber on the orders of Ratnam Master when the troops began their march towards the LTTE fortress in Pudukudiiruppu after taking the LTTE Kilinochchi base. The terrorists had poured diesel and kerosene oil and emptied two bags of sugar on the firewood piled up on the dead bodies before setting fire to the `pyre’. The mass grave was exhumed under the supervision of forensic experts and the Chief City JMO too was present. There were several spent bullet casings among the ashes and other remains collected from the grave and stuffed into 24 gunny bags (The Nation : 28 November 2010).

Devolution for political expedience will exacerbate the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka - By Raj Gonsalkorale The visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has raised the issue of devolution as a political solution to the ethnic conflict with the Tamils of Sri Lanka. If this suggestion came from a credible honest broker, it would have had to be taken with due care and seriousness.  India unfortunately cannot be regarded as an honest broker having helped to create the conflict by nurturing and training LTTE cadres decades ago, and finally by foisting a merged North East province on Sri Lanka without any public consultation or approval.  India may have provided some help during the armed conflict with the LTTE, but ordinary citizens do not know what that help was. Some say they provided satellite imagery to track down LTTE ships so that the Sri Lankan Navy could intercept them and destroy them before they could land in the country and re supply the LTTE. It is however on record that they did not provide any military equipment and ammunition to Sri Lanka even at the height of the armed conflict.  On the other hand, the assistance that Pakistan and China gave Sri Lanka is well known, and in fact had not been for these two countries, it could well have been possible for Prabakaran and the LTTE to have had their Eelam, and possibly extended that to areas beyond the North and the East by now.  India may argue that they are now giving aid as well as soft loans to Sri Lanka on a massive scale to support the reconstruction of the North, and to a lesser extent, the East. This is true. However, it is also true that they are doing this to counter the growing Chinese influence in the country. Sri Lanka has become a hot bed of regional geopolitics (Asian Tribune ; 28 November 2010).

More than Rs. 3.5 billion has been deposited in banks by Internally Displaced People (IDP)

India, Sri Lanka to resume Talaimannar-Rameswaram ferry service - India today said it will help Sri Lanka to resume ferry services between Talaimannar and Rameswaram at an early date to facilitate people-to-people contacts. The resumption of this ferry service will re-establish old ties and the linkages that have existed historically between our two countries, external affairs minister SM Krishna said. The ferry services were suspended in the 80's. In order to enable resumption of ferry services, between Talaimannar and Rameswaram at an early date, IRCON will also build a temporary jetty at Talaimannar, Krishna said. Krishna also launched the Pilot Housing Project of 1,000 houses at Ariyalai. The pilot project is part of Government of India's commitment to build 50,000 houses. This is for the Internally Displaced Persons in the Northern, Eastern and Central Provinces of Sri Lanka. Hindustan Prefab Limited, a state owned Indian company, will execute this pilot project. At Medawachchiya in North Central Sri Lanka, Krishna while inaugurating the laying of the railway line, said the partnership between the two countries had developed significantly. "As part of our effort to provide for the reconstruction of Northern Sri Lanka, the Government of India has pledged a line of credit of $800 million at significantly concessional rates. This he said was for various aspects of the Northern Railway project, including reconstruction of railway lines, installation of signalling and telecom systems and the procurement of rolling stock. "Today's ceremony marks the launch of works on the Medawachchiya-Madhu line by IRCON International Ltd., which is a leading Indian company in railway infrastructure and is already working on the rehabilitation of the Southern Railway, which is also being financed through an Indian line of credit," the minister said. "I understand that the work on Phase 1 of the project in the Galle-Matara Section is progressing well and is likely to be completed by December 2010," he said. Work will also begin simultaneously on the Madhu-Talaimannar and Omanthai-Pallai railway lines. Krishna appreciated the work of the demining teams from India to clear the project area of mines. As a part of these works, a new pier at Talaimannar will also be built (DNA : 27 November 2010).

President hints at Northern PC polls next year - Confirming that he had a political solution to the Tamil question in mind and that discussions with political parties and the people would go ahead, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told The Hindu: “[On devolution] “we must know the minds of the people… What we want is reconfirmation of what they want… The solution that I have in mind might not be good enough for them; they might not accept it. Not only the political parties, the people must accept it… We want to appoint a committee, from both sides, and discuss all these.” He indicated that elections to the Northern Provincial Council would take place in 2011. In a wide-ranging interview given to N Ram at ‘Temple Trees’ in Colombo, the President, who began his second term on November 19, answered questions about the prospects of finding a political solution to the Tamil question, the resettlement of all the displaced Tamils in the North, the role of Opposition parties, his initiative for a trilingual Sri Lanka, the jailing and conviction of the former Army Commander, General Sarath Fonseka, and some other current political issues (The Nation : 28 November 2010).

Top LTTE operative nabbed - A top operative of the international LTTE network who had returned to the country in the guise of an investor was nabbed last week by the State Intelligence Service (SIS) from a leading hotel in Colombo. The sleuths had been on the trail of this Tiger operative for sometime, informed sources said. It has been revealed that this Tiger operative, known as Kiran was among the Tiger leaders who had been handling the financial transactions relating to the LTTE’s illegal armament purchases via Thailand. He had been functioning as the leader of the LTTE fund-raising wing in Australia and Switzerland. He had also been engaged in human trafficking by sea. Kiran, who had been on the ‘most wanted’ list of the national intelligence services since 1999, had returned here under an assumed name purportedly to start a foreign exchange centre. He is also said to own a tea estate in Deniyaya. It has now come to light that about 50 former LTTE operatives and sympathisers who had skipped the country and found refuge in certain European countries have returned to Jaffna (The Nation : 28 November 2010).

14 of 26 mass grave victims identified Tiger atrocities unearthed -  Investigations launched following the recent sensational discovery in Mullaitivu of a mass grave of at least 26 service personnel summarily executed by the LTTE is now unfolding another weird and gruesome massacre by them. It has transpired during investigations that two of four hardcore terrorists in custody had been directly involved in the execution of the soldiers held prisoner by the LTTE. One of these two terrorists had been one of the hitmen who shot the soldiers in cold blood. The other terrorist had been involved in burning the bodies. After burning the bodies, the ashes and the skeletal remains had been buried in an abandoned bunker and a trench close to it. Fourteen of the victims have been identified by these hardcore terrorists from photographs shown to them. They include three lieutenant commanders of the Navy This massacre, according to evidence that has surfaced, had been carried out on January 17, 2009. One of the victims is believed to be Lieutenant Commander Ratnayake, who went missing when Dvora fast attack craft P 413 came under LTTE heavy gunfire on seas off Delft. Another victim Lt Cmdr Edirisinghe had been captured by the Tigers after his craft Dvora P416 was attacked and sunk off Vettilaikerni while it was escorting troop carrier ‘Pearl Cruiser’ on May 11, 2006 The four terrorists in custody have revealed that the 26 security forces personnel were held in a torture chamber on the orders of Ratnam Master when the troops began their march towards the LTTE fortress in Pudukudiiruppu after taking the LTTE Kilinochchi base. The terrorists had poured diesel and kerosene oil and emptied two bags of sugar on the firewood piled up on the dead bodies before setting fire to the `pyre’. The mass grave was exhumed under the supervision of forensic experts and the Chief City JMO too was present. There were several spent bullet casings among the ashes and other remains collected from the grave and stuffed into 24 gunny bags (The Nation : 28 November 2010).

India stamps its presence here - Consulate in Jaffna, reconstruction and development of infrastructure, and rehabilitation of the North and East India’s Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna, who opened a new Consulate office in Jaffna yesterday, said peace and normalcy have dawned in Sri Lanka, giving it the opportunity to create an unparalleled opportunity to solve all outstanding issues in a spirit of mutual understanding. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Krishna said India will assist in setting up a Cultural Centre and in the reconstruction of Duraiappa Stadium in the heart of Jaffna town, while it will also assist to renovate a major Hindu temple in Mannar district (Sunday Times : 28 November 2010).

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1000 IDPs resettled at Tellipalai High Security Zone - Minister Douglas Devananda will resettle about 1000 families this morning in the former high security zone area located in the Tellipalai Divisional Secretariat region. Minister said that the Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa will also participate in the resettlement ceremony.  The resettlement to take place in the three Grama Servaka divisions - J 221 – Ilavalai North, J 222 - Ilavalai North West and J 223 - Vithakapuram. Minister of Traditional Industries & Small Enterprise Development Douglas Devananda told Asian Tribune that at present nearly 1000 families in the region remained displaced and living in rented houses and with friends and relatives.  As the Sri Lanka Army has decided to do away with the High Security Zone in the region hence it has been decided to resettle the original owners’ of lands and houses located in the region.  Minister Douglas Devananda said in case there are no houses available for them in their original habitations, then arrangements would be made to construct houses for them (Island : 27 November 2010).

President meets Indian Minister: India gives $ 416 m for Northern Railway - A Credit Agreement for USD 416 million for the construction of the Northern Railway line was signed between India and Sri Lanka at Janadipathi Mandiraya yesterday, in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and India’s External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.  Exim Bank of India Managing Director Nadeem Panjetan signed the agreement for the Indian side while Treasury Secretary P B Jayasundara signed for the Sri Lankan side. This is the first state visit from a Foreign Minister since the inauguration of the President’s second term of office.  The construction of the railway line will be carried out in three segments, from Madhu to Talaimannar, Medawachchiya to Madhu and Omantai to Palaly.  Letters were also exchanged between Treasury Secretary P B Jayasundara and Indian High Commissioner, Ashok Kantha for the first phase of the 50,000 housing project for the IDPs funded by India, after the meeting between the President and the Indian Minister.  Initially 1000 houses will be constructed in a cluster format on land given by the Sri Lanka government.  The meeting between President Rajapaksa and the Indian External Affairs Minister was cordial and friendly where Minister Krishna felicitated the President on his assumption of duties for the second term.  It was decided that Kapilawasthu relics will be brought from India to Sri Lanka next May for the 2600 Sambudda Jayanthi celebrations.  The discussion was mainly based on the follow up of the Joint Declaration between India and Sri Lanka when President Rajapaksa visited India in June this year, which the Indian Minister termed as a landmark visit (Daily News : 27 November 2010).

Visiting Indian Minster calls for a peace and development process in Sri Lanka through the 13th Amendment - Visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna today traveled to Sri Lanka's Northern Jaffna peninsula to open the Consulate General of India in Jaffna.  Addressing the gathering, Krishna said that Sri Lanka needed to continue with a meaningful peace and development process in the North and East through the 13th Amendment.  He said that Sri Lanka has come through its most difficult period in its history.  He noted that while the conflict that ended had impacted on all sections of the population, it did so disproportionately on the civilian population of the Northern Province.  "India has tried to contribute whatever it can to alleviate to miseries and difficulties the people in Northern Province underwent??.We are now looking at the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Northern Province and supplement the efforts of the Sri Lankan Government," Krishna said.  "We will stay engaged to revive the livelihood of those in the Northern Province and help people rebuild their lives," he promised.  The visiting Minister assured that India will remain committed to the longer term reconstruction of the North.  Later today the Minister is scheduled to launch an Indian government-funded pilot project to build 50,000 houses in the North and East (Colombo Page : 27 November 2010).

India will fully support Sri Lanka’s post-war development projects – Minister Krishna - Shri S. M. Krishna, Minister of External Affairs of India, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne on Friday. The seven-member Indian delegation comprised Smt. Nirupama Rao, Foreign Secretary of India, Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Raghvendra Shastri, Advisor to the Minister of External Affairs, two Joint Secretaries and Vikram Misri, Deputy High Commissioner of Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka. Secretary to the Prime Minister, S. Amarasekara, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in India, Prasad Kariyawasam, Addl. Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ranjith Uyangoda, Advisor and M. Bandusena, the Private Secretary to the Prime Minister were associated in the discussions. Welcoming Shri Krishna and the delegation, the premier said that it was propitious that his first official engagement after assuming duties for the second time as Prime Minister is the meeting with the visiting Minister. Shri Krishna thanked the Prime Minister for taking time from his busy schedule to welcome him and the delegation. He was also happy to be the first foreign guest to meet him after his assumption of duties as Prime Minister (Island : 27 November 2010).

Interpol “Red Notice” issued for new LTTE leader, Sekarapillai Vinayakamoorthy alias Vinayakam

Please see the INTERPOL notice http://www.interpol.int/public/data/wanted/notices/data/2010/49/2010_53149.asp

Lessons:Past, present and possible futures - By Dr. Susantha Goonatilake – written submission to LLRC - I am going to begin this submission by two preambles: one on my motivation and secondly, on a background as to who the Sinhalese, and Tamils are, the two major presumed actors. I am currently among others, the President of the 166 year old Royal Asiatic Society and was several years ago, the General President of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science, two leading academic associations in the country dealing with the humanities and sciences respectively, my presentations here are my own private views. As for myself, in my school days there was no ethnic tension in class. In fact, my classmate and later best friend was Chelvanayagam [1], the son of Chelvanayagam, the founder of the Federal Party (Vaseeharan had contempt for his father’s politics). And so was my classmate Kumar Ponnambalam whose father G.G. Ponambalam started the Tamil Congress. Both of my classmates spoke fluent Sinhalese and alVaseeharanthough Kumar carried over his father’s politics he confided that his racist attitudes were purely to counteract the activities of Neelan Thiruchelvam (perhaps a disingenuous confession). My first job was as an engineer in Kankesanthurai where my friends were mostly Tamils. In the 1978 and 1983 riots, my wife and I were in the forefront of rescuing Tamils. After the 1983 riots, three families continued to stay in our house for over six months. A few years, later I moved at the OPA a proposal to have a Human Rights Unit which was the beginning of the current OPA interests in national issues. At the SLAAS, I attempted a motion on the right to life (Sinhale Hot News : 27 November 2010).

SRI LANKAN OFFICIALS TARGET NEW LTTE LEADER VINAYAKAM - Sri Lankan defence authorities moved quickly last week to target the self-styled new leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization who is operating in Europe under the nom de guerre Vinayakam.  A team of Police and intelligence officials sought and obtained on November 24, a warrant for the arrest of Sekarapillai Vinayakamoorthy alias Vinayakam from the Chief Magistrates Courts in Colombo.  Since the person concerned is operating in areas beyond national jurisdiction, Sri Lankan officials have sought and obtained the services of the International Criminal Police Organization –INTERPOL – to issue an “INTERPOL Red Notice” regarding Vinayakamoorthy alias Vinayakam for the alleged offence of terrorism.  An Interpol Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. They are issued when the persons concerned are wanted by national jurisdictions (or the International Criminal Tribunals, where appropriate).  Interpol's role is to assist the national police forces in identifying or locating those persons with a view to their arrest and extradition. The red notices allow the warrant to be circulated worldwide with the request that the wanted person be arrested with a view to extradition.  According to documentation submitted by Sri Lankan officials Vinayakam is 46 years old and was born on November 10 1964. He is 1.53 metres in height and speaks English and Tamil. The colour of his eyes and hair are black.Given the importance of the man known as Vinayakam, there is little doubt that Sri Lanka will seek the active cooperation of INTERPOL as well as the law enforcement agencies of several Western nations to apprehend the new LTTE leader (Daily Mirror : 27 November 2010).

Tamil Parties meet President Discuss resettlement, compensation: - President Mahinda Rajapaksa had a landmark meeting with members of the Tamil Parties’ Forum (TPF) comprising representatives of a majority of Tamil political parties of the country to discuss aspects of post-conflict reconciliation at Temple Trees yesterday. The meeting was significant in that those present comprised Tamil politicians who had strongly opposite views in dealing with the problems of the LTTE and a solution to the ethnic conflict. Key figures among them were Minister Douglas Devananda, V Anandasangaree, T Siddarthan and Chelvanayakam Chandrahasan, son of the former Federal Party and TULF leader, S J V Chelvanayakam, now active in relief work of Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu. TPF members appreciated the President’s work in easing the IDPs’ problems. They were of the view that having won a massive mandate in both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections and enjoying a two thirds majority in Parliament, the President had an unprecedented opportunity to solve the Tamil people’s problems. They informed the President that these political parties have come to an understanding and constituted a common forum to strive for a permanent political solution to the ethnic problem and also work towards solving the immediate issues faced by the Tamil people (Daily News : 27 November 2010).

Resettlement in HSZ - More than 970 families were resettled in Valikamam North today which was earlier declared a High Security Zone (HSZ) by the military due to its close proximity to the Palali Air Force Base.  The Sri Lanka Army had taken a decision to remove the High Security Zone in the region, therefore the original owners’ of land and houses located in the area were resettled today.  Minister Douglas Devananda and several other MPs were present at the resettlement ceremony (Daily Mirror : 27 November 2010).

Remains brought in 24 bags for testing - A forensic team, excavating two mass grave sites in Vallipuram, Mullaitivu, found some remains of army and navy personnel beleived to be killed by the LTTE, on Thursday morning and were brought to Colombo in 24 gunny bags for further forensic investigations, police said.  A senior police official said that most of the remains were powdery substance, and was believed to be human ashes and a few bone parts. Sources said that initial investigations had revealed that sixteen of the victims could be traced based on information gathered from LTTE suspects who are in custody of the TID.  A group of 60 forensic experts have been excavating the two sites in Vallipuram, Mullaitivu, where 26 security forces personnel- eight sailors and 18 soldiers- were believed to have been tortured and killed.  The police officer said that it is believed that victims were killed on January 16, 2009 and also revealed that these men were held in the ‘Victor 1’ base which was run by Ratnum Master, the deputy of LTTE Intelligence chief Pottu Amman. The LTTE suspect, who is under custody had also revealed that bodies of these soldiers burnt by sugar, kerosene, firewood and diesel after being shot dead. The two sites were located some 28km from the Mullaitivu- Paranthan main road near the LTTE’s Victor base (Daily Mirror : 27 November 2010).

Indian bank to open branches in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Trinco, Hambantota and Galle

Time for political solution; Krishna - Visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said today that it was an opportune time for Sri Lanka to focus on ‘outstanding issues’ such as a political solution for the Tamil people. “The end of the conflict has now given room for Sri Lanka to resolve any outstanding issues such as a political solution for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. We hope that this can be done with a spirit of understanding and a structural dialog through the Government of Sri Lanka,” Krishna said. Krishna also showed understanding of the issues regarding resettlement. “There are still a few thousands in the camps and the resettlement process takes time. It will take sometime for the people to place their feet firmly on the ground and there are teething problems. I’m sure the Sri Lankan Government is sensitive to these issues,” he said. Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L Peiris denied claims that devolution in the country had now taken a back seat. “This has been a case of priorities. We had to first address the humanitarian issues like resettlement, agriculture, water and housing before looking at the political issues,” he said. He further stated that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was meeting with Tamil political parties in a continuing dialog. Krishna met with President Rajapaksa earlier this morning. He will open consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna during his visit (Daily Mirror : 26 November 2010).

Tamil Tigers executed and burnt Sri Lankan soldiers taken as prisoners of war - Excavations of the mass grave in Kilinochchi where the bodies of 26 Sri Lankan soldiers executed by the LTTE are reported to have been buried believed to have been buried, have been completed, the police said.The mass grave is believed to be of 26 soldiers who were taken as prisoners of war by the vanquished terrorist group and kept for years before they were executed when the military forces were approaching the Tiger territory last year. The police yesterday said some human bones along with powdery residues believed to be of ashes and bullets have been recovered from the grave. According to four LTTE suspects who were allegedly involved in the killing and are in custody now, the soldiers had been imprisoned at the Victor Base Prison at Vallipuram in Mullaitivu for more than three years. Authorities have launched the Investigations based on the information received from the suspects and the Police Terrorist Monitoring Unit excavated the mass grave under the supervision of the Mullaitivu Additional Magistrate M. Iman. Seven judicial medical officers, geologists, and archaeologists have observed the excavation and the Survey General's Department had surveyed the area. The LTTE suspects had told the authorities that 8 Army soldiers and 18 naval ratings had been tortured from 2006 in a torture chamber at a location 10 kilometers away from the Mullaitivu highway. When the security forces were approaching, the fleeing Tigers have executed the prisoners of war on 6th January 2009 and burnt their bodies in the mass grave. The authorities are conducting further investigations to identify. Bone fragments and ash from the site have been sent to the Government Analyst department for further forensic tests, police said (Sri Lanka Defence Ministry : 26 November 2010).

Interpol “Red Notice” issued for new LTTE leader Vinayakam - Sri Lankan defence authorities moved quickly last week to target the self-styled new leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization who is operating in Europe under the nom de guerre Vinayakam. A team of Police and intelligence officials sought and obtained on November 24th, a warrant for the arrest of Sekarapillai Vinayakamoorthy alias Vinayakam from the Chief Magistrates Courts in Colombo. Since the person concerned is operating in areas beyond national jurisdiction, Sri Lankan officials have sought and obtained the services of the International Criminal Police Organization –INTERPOL – to issue an “INTERPOL Red Notice” regarding Vinayakamoorthy alias Vinayakam for the alleged offence of terrorism (DBSJeyaraj : 26 November 2010).

Statement on Sri Lanka’s General Shavendra Silva – November 21,2010 - By Ira De Silva, Canada - Mr. Mathew Lee Inner City Press New York, N.Y. U.S.A. Dear Mr. Lee, I am writing regarding your latest posting on Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka’s Representative to the U.N. in New York, General Shavendra Silva the current Deputy Permanent Representative. You state that General Silva is “responsible for many of the war crimes in 2009?. To make this statement as one of fact, what proof do you have? You say it has been “noted by a New York tabloid” – I suppose you mean the New York Post in which Brad Hamilton has repeated your wild claims although he has been careful not to make direct accusations. He has protected himself by writing “a suspected war criminal who allegedly played a key role in the slaughter of 40,000 civilians in Sri Lanka has landed a cushy job at the United Nations – with full diplomatic immunity”. It seems that you are so used to making wild accusations against Sri Lanka and not suffering any consequence, that you believe you can write anything however inaccurate, unsubstantiated or defamatory and get away with it (LankaWeb : 26 November 2010).

Rajapaksa meets Tamil Parties' Forum - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday met representatives of various Tamil parties, barring the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), to discuss aspects of a “post-conflict reconciliation”. The President's Secretariat described it as a landmark meeting with members of the Tamil Parties' Forum (TPF), an umbrella organisation of Tamil parties outside the TNA. “The meeting was significant in that those present comprised Tamil politicians who had strongly opposite views in dealing with the problems of the LTTE and a solution to the ethnic conflict,” it said. Among those present were Minister Douglas Devananda, V. Anandasankari, T Siddarthan and Chelvanayakam Chandrahasan, son of the former Federal Party and TULF leader, S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, who is active in relief work for Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu (Hindu : 26 November 2010).

Krishna calls for a political settlement; India to provide $1.7 bn for NE over 3 yrs - Visiting Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said here today that the cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka in May last year provided "a historic opportunity" to address all outstanding issues related to the rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as "a political settlement in a spirit of understanding and accommodation."  Talking to reporters alongwith his Sri Lankan counterpart Prof. G. L. Peiris at the end of a joint commission meeting presided over by both, Krishna expressed the hope that "a structured dialogue mechanism" to work towards this end will be launched soon. Prof. Peiris responded by saying that talks were in progress with all stake-holders to hammer out a solution agreeable to all. President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R Sampanthan last fortnight, and has been meeting leaders of other Tamil political parties since then. A senior Indian Foreign Ministry official told The Island that the commitments made by India in the agreed minutes of the Joint Commission meeting signed here today amounted to a staggering grant of $1.7 billion for the development of the civil war-ravaged Northern and Eastern Provinces over the next three years.  All projects will employ only Sri Lankans, thus providing them with employment. No Indians will be brought to work on the projects, the official declared.  Krishna said Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and other leaders he met on Friday had assured him that the remaining IDPs too would be settled by end-December.  He announced that, with the signing of a $416.39 million credit agreement for the Northern Railway Construction Project, work would begin at the inauguration ceremony scheduled at Medawachchiya for on Saturday (Island : 26 November 2010).

President in landmark meet with Tami Parties’ Forum - President Mahinda Rajapaksa had a landmark meeting with the members of the Tamil Parties' Forum (TPF), comprising representatives of a majority of Tamil political parties of the country, to discuss aspects of post-conflict reconciliation at Temple Trees on Friday (Nov 26), according to a government statement. The meeting was significant in that those present comprised Tamil politicians who had strongly opposite views in dealing with the problems of the LTTE and a solution to the ethnic conflict. Key figures among them were Minister Douglas Devananda, V. Anandasankari, T. Siddarthan and Chelvanayakam Chandrahasan, son of the former Federal Party and TULF leader, S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, now active in relief work of Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu (Island : 26 November 2010).

Krishna to open Indian consulate in Jaffna at 280, Palaly Road - Visiting Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will fly to Jaffna on Saturday to inaugurate the Indian Consulate General, which will be at 280 Palaly Road.Consul General Venkatachalam Mahalingam told The Island today from Jaffna: "I am looking forward to promoting relations between the people of the Northern Province and India through people to people contacts, and through cultural and commercial activities." He began work at his new office with another colleague early this week. The consulate general will have about a dozen people in about a month’s time before it starts issuing visas, passports, and providing other consular services. All the districts of the peninsula—-Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Mannar—-will come under this consulate general’s jurisdiction. The supervision and execution of the massive Northern Railway Project and a host of other schemes worth $1.7 billion, to be funded by India over the next three years, is going to keep Mahalingam and his staff very busy (Island : 26 November 2010).

Seventeen VTCs in North - About 17 Vocational Training Centres(VTC)s were established for children in the North area who have lost their parents and who do not attend school. Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament yesterday that "Fit person" and "CFCD" aid are provided for these children with Australian financial assistance. School uniforms, shoes and other ready made clothes were also distributed among them. Evening classes have been introduced and necessary equipment for training and to improve the literacy of the schoolchildren and self employed children have been provided. He also mentioned that 1,749 children living in the Northern area have lost their parents due to the war and 1,608 among them are schoolchildren. About 1,551 children among them are attending school at present. This answer was tabled in response to a question raised by DNA MP Anura Dissanayaka (Daily News : 26 November 2010).

Lanka refutes NY Post report - Sri Lanka's Permanent Mission to the United Nations has refuted allegations against Major General Shavendra Silva, the new Deputy Permanent Representative to UN in an article in the New York Post titled 'War criminal gets a UN job'. In a letter to the Editor of the newspaper, Sri Lanka's Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Dr Palitha Kohona stated that the report is 'not based on fact and is highly defamatory'. "This piece is extremely unbalanced and does not portray Major General Shavendra Silva in the correct light." Sri Lanka requests these misrepresentations be corrected for the sake of accuracy and impartiality. Following is the letter: "Article titled 'War criminal gets a UN job' dated November 21, 2010 - Response by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. It is regrettable to note that a senior army officer, who defeated one of the most barbaric terrorist groups in the world, the LTTE, which is still proscribed in the USA, is defamed in this manner in your newspaper. Major General Silva commanded the Sri Lanka Army's 58 Division and was instrumental in capturing the terrorist LTTE strongholds, including the Mannar rice bowl, Nachchikuda, Devils Point, Pooneryn, Kilinochchi, Elephant Pass, Vishvamadu and Puthukudirippu in Sri Lanka. Until the LTTE was on the verge of defeat, there were no accusations of excesses levelled against the forces under his command at which point it may have been considered expedient by the LTTE propaganda machine to refer to the emotional issue of civilian casualties to rouse international opinion against Sri Lanka. There is no substantiation of the story that the Sri Lanka forces killed 40,000 civilians except in an allegation levelled by an disenchanted Australian working for the UN. Even the UN never stood by an internal document that alleged the deaths of 7,000 civilians and said that these figures had never been verified (Daily News : 26 November 2010).

A POLITICAL SOLUTION FOR MR KRISHNA’S DILEMMA - by CHUTTA. Farnborough, UK  - This is a common man’s viewpoint about Foreign Minister of India, Mr Krishna’s agenda about finding a political solution to Sri Lankan Tamils.  HE The President had already offered an excellent political solution to Tamils, to all other ethnic minorities, as well as to the Sinhala majority, soon after the annihilation of the LTTE in May 2009. His statement, if I can remembered it right, conveyed the message, “We do not have Sinhalas, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers or Moors etc in this land. We are all Sri Lankans. From now on what we have are those who muster under the Lion Flag of Sri Lanka, and those who do not or do not wish to muster under the Lion Flag. Those who muster under the Lion Flag are the Sri Lankans, and those who do not are the aliens”.  To me, the political and philosophical message embedded in this statement is crystal clear. If Sinhala and all other ethnic minorities who consider themselves Sri Lankans can live under the Lion Flag as equal brothers and sisters, sharing the good and bad times together, then there would be no problem. But if some groups think that they are better than the rest of us, and need special privileges above and beyond other ethnic minorities and the rest of us majority, then they cannot be part of this nation. In particular, if for the slightest sense of a political nose-cold and sneeze, they want to rush off to complain to the big brother in Tamil Nadu, or the younger brother in Norway, or the pukka sahib in Britain, or Uncle Sam in the US, then they cannot be considered as patriots mustering under the Lion Flag. They want to live here in Sri Lanka, enjoy the privileges, dictate to the indigenous citizens and want to muster under alien flags. So what rights they have here to demand political solutions? (LankaWeb ; 26 November 2010).

Waste management for Jaffna too - The UNDP in collaboration with the HELP-O (Human Environmental Links Progressive Organization) implemented a waste management program in Jaffna recently. The Bio Gas project (producing energy using green waste and garbage) funded by UNDP has shown tremendous success in several other cities. The HELP-O has signed an agreement with the UNDP to carry out the project in Mutthu Thammpi School in Jaffna.  This is the first ever bio gas waste management project in the north according to HELP-O Chairman/Chief Executive Chathura Weliwitiya. The unit capacity is 12 cubic meters . The project is intended at introducing waste management by producing bio gas which can be used as a source of energy. The unit installed in the Muththuthampi school would provide gas energy to cook food for 600 students (Daily News : 26 November 2010).

Sinhala genocide and the British - By Janaka Perera - No Sri Lankan Government will be able to totally undo the damage that the British did to the Uva Province socially, economically and culturally in the course of brutally crushing the uprising. The repercussions of this genocidal scorched earth policy are felt to this day in the Uva region, where entire villages were wiped out and crops and livestock destroyed. For 57 years after independence the Uva heroes remained officially on the traitors’ list. Their descendants too were helpless in officially dealing with this grave injustice until the present regime revoked two years ago the notification issued on January 1, 1818 (Sinhale Hot News : 26 November 2010).

Indian university to open branch here- Minister - The Manipal University of India would be the first international university to open a branch in Sri Lanka. Discussions are underway to set up a branch in Sri Lanka by next year, said Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake. He was addressing annual prize giving of Hanguranketha Sirimavo Bandaranaike Balika Vidyalaya. "Sri Lankan students go to the Manipal University to follow a medical degree spending Rs. 35 million. But after the establishing of a Manipal University branch here,we can offer that degree for Rs.10 million" he said. Dissanayake further said that the reason for the low cost to follow the degree is that government is providing tax concessions,free land and other facilities. There are only two countries in the world without private universities. That is Cuba and South Korea. There are 3301 private universities in India and 137 in Beijing, China. The Higher Education Ministry has planned to establish another international university in Deniyaya. An Astrology, science and engineering university would be set up in Hantana area (Daily News ; 26 November 2010).

One fourth of the total capital expenditure of the Budget 2011 for the North and the East.

Derogatory Article on Shavendra Silva in the MX of 22/11 - by Malin Abeyatunge - I STAND STRONG AGAINST THE DEROGATORY ARTICLE titled WAR ACCUSED UN role in line of ire on our Deputy Permanent UN Representative Lt.Col. Shavendra Silva which appeared in mXNEWS OF 22 Nov 2010. I challenge every word of Acott’s accusations which are unsubstantiated and utterly false. Acott as a journalist knows nothing about the Tamil Terrorist conflict, what happened then and what’s happening now and should get his facts correct. A journalist should be a well read person and should be impartial in reporting. But in this article, he has completely breached every norm of journalistic ethics. Instead of hearsay or parroting of the Tamil Diaspora who is still dreaming of a separatist Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka, he should have verified the facts before reporting. May I ask from where he got this figure of 40000 civilians were killed and that Shavendra Silva had a key role? During the last two weeks of the final assault, it was zero killings of civilians by the forces but of course several civilians were killed by LTTE who were fleeing from the LTTE areas to the No-Fire Zone area. Do you mean to say that if Shavendra Silva is a suspected war criminal as you have falsely alleged that UN will accept his appointment? Your report carries only third rate sensationalism with absolutely false accusations. Please read the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) proceedings from day one and also the most recent submission by Dr. V Shanmugarajah, Medical Superintendent of the District General Hospital of Kilinochchi if you want a clear and true picture of the conflict. I also hope that Lt. Col. Shavendra Silva will file a case of defamation against your tabloid.

Rajaratnam, Chiesi Lose Bid to Void Wiretaps in Galleon Case - Galleon Group LLC founder Raj Rajaratnam and former hedge fund consultant Danielle Chiesi lost a bid to block the first-ever use of wiretap evidence in an insider-trading trial.  U.S. District Judge Richard J. Holwell in New York ruled yesterday the government complied with federal wiretapping laws in its investigation of both defendants. Theirs is the largest insider-trading case involving hedge funds.  Holwell’s ruling will probably be harmful to Rajaratnam and Chiesi at their January trial, said Andrew Hruska, a former federal prosecutor now at the law firm King & Spalding LLP. Criminal defendants “tend to plead guilty” in cases where prosecutors have recordings, said Hruska, who isn’t involved in the Rajaratnam case and doesn’t know what’s been recorded.  “Jurors like tapes,” Hruska said in an interview after the ruling. “They can be extremely convincing.”  A Rajaratnam spokesman, Jim McCarthy, and Alan R. Kaufman, a lawyer for Chiesi, declined to comment.  Rajaratnam, 53, was arrested last year and is the central figure in a probe of insider trading at hedge funds that has led to 14 guilty pleas. He and Chiesi, a former consultant at New Castle Funds LLC, deny wrongdoing. They are accused of using illegal tips from company executives, hedge fund officials and other insiders to earn millions of dollars (Business Week ; 25 November 2010).

Foxes as ‘advisers’ to government - by Janaka Perera - .... We wonder whether any independent journalist would have been able to position himself in the Tiger den and tell the outer world the atrocities the LTTE perpetrated on its political rivals and innocent civilians of all ethnic groups. But that argument is of no concern to the Sinhala apologists for Tigers’ cause who shared Prabhakaran’s admiration of Sivaram..... (Sinhale Hot News : 25 November 2010).

Rajaratnam loses suppression bid - In a big victory for federal prosecutors, Galleon Group hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam lost his bid to suppress secretly recorded conversations from his pending criminal trial on insider-trading charges (Daily Mirror ; 25 November 2010).

Is this professor promoting traditional homelands? - by Tissa Devendra - Some days ago Professor Keethaponkalan of Colombo University gave evidence before the LLRC spouting [ just like our Cardinal ] the doctrine of a "traditional homeland" for Tamils only in the North and East. I am saddened that this intellectual rejects the unitary nature of our multi-ethnic country by protesting about Sinhala settlers in "their" areas. Every citizen of Sri Lanka should be free to settle anywhere. There is just no question that Sinhalese, Moors, Malays, Burghers etc. should be banned from settling in the North and East and thus disturbing their [god-given?] ethnic composition He seems to be touting the idea of our nation being transformed into a bunch of ethnic enclaves. Prabhakaran, the prophet of this doctrine, put it into practice by brutally evicting the long-standing Muslim community of Jaffna. Does the Professor realize that the logical application of this doctrine would be to evict all Tamil residents [ including himself ]from the "traditional homelands" of the hospitable Sinhalese [where 55% of Sri Lanka’s. Tamils live in harmony]? Wake up to reality, dear Professor (Island : 25 November 2010).

Keheliya urges vigilance against LTTE revival - Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, said yesterday that though the LTTE had been defeated locally, it was still active internationally.  Addressing members of his staff after assuming duties on being reappointed the Media and Information Minister, he urged them to be vigilant and act swiftly to counter any propaganda against the country.  "Though the LTTE has been defeated in Sri Lanka, the international challenges still remain. All of you have to be more vigilant now than ever before, to counter attempts to revive the terror outfit globally."  The LTTE has already established a government in exile in the United States of America and is in the process of errecting a statue of the late Thamil Chelvam in France. This indicates that the LTTE and its international backers are very active, he said.  Rambukwella said that the Sri Lankan media also has an important role to play in exposing the local and international elements who are trying to destablise the country.  The Mahinda Rajapaksa government, he said, was focused on developing the country after having ended a near three decade old war and it expects the cooperation of all in this regard (Island : 25 November 2010).

Sri Lanka army investigates mass grave - Sri Lankan authorities have spent two days investigating a mass grave in the northeastern district of Mullaittivu, where Tamil Tiger separatists are said to have killed and buried 26 soldiers in the final stages of the country's civil war. A group of Tamil Tiger suspects had told officials about the grave. Government forces claimed victory over the Tamil Tigers - or LTTE - in May last year after almost 30 years of unrest. The United Nations and human rights groups say both sides committed atrocities, but the army denies any wrongdoing itself (ABC Radio Australia : 25 November 2010).

HC issues notice to Centre on LTTE ban - The Madras high court on Wednesday ordered notice to the Centre on a public interest petition challenging a statutory tribunal's November 12 order upholding the ban on the LTTE.  The Centre had issued a notification on May 14, banning the LTTE in India. The statutory Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, headed by a senior judge of the Delhi high court, reviewed the ban notification and heard the views of various pro-LTTE groups at various locations. On November 12, the tribunal upheld the ban notification on the ground that there were credible evidence to suggest that the remnants of the militarily-decimated LTTE were regrouping in Sri Lanka and India, and that the formation of Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam was a threat to the sovereignty of India.  The petition filed by Prisoners Rights Forum director and advocate P Pugalenthi assailed the tribunal's findings. When the petition came up for hearing before the first bench comprising Chief Justice M Yusuf Eqbal and Justice TS Sivagnanam, additional solicitor-general of South India M Ravindran questioned the locus standi of the advocate to bring the matter before the court. He also wondered whether the Madras high court had jurisdiction to entertain the matter at all (Times of India ; 25 November 2010).

Exclusive Indian bank to open Jaffna branch in six weeks - Branches in Batticaloa, Trinco, Hambantota and Galle by end-2011- Indian Bank, the 103-year-old public sector bank, will open its branch in Jaffna by mid-January, 2011, according to A Dhandapani, the bank’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in Sri Lanka. It has obtained the necessary permission from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.  He told The Island in Colombo on Thursday: "We have identified four locations in Jaffna town for our retail branch. I am going there on Friday to choose one of them. It will take about six weeks to furnish the chosen location. So, we hope to start our operations by the middle of January 2011."  Initially, the Jaffna branch will have a staff of six people: three officers and three clerks.  Indian Bank, a major commercial bank headquartered in Tamil Nadu capital Chennai, has been in business in Colombo for the last 78 years. It has a domestic banking unit and a foreign currency banking unit operating out of the Sri Lankan capital. It also has an overseas branch in Singapore and 229 correspondent banks in 69 countries across the globe.  Dhandapani said the Jaffna branch will undertake retail banking. It will adopt a different model by forming and lending to Self Help Groups (SHGs) in sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and dairy. Depending on the scope of business in the northern province, it is also prepared to open some more branches in places like Point Pedro.  In India, the bank has helped the formation of 4,50,000 SHGs, and is financing them through its 29 microsate branches.  According to Indian Bank’s Managing Director TM Bhasin, the bank’s Jaffna branch will deploy deposits garnered from the area itself to improve the region’s economy and thus the lives of the people who are now recovering from the ravages of a bloody ethnic war that ended in May last year (Island ; 25 November 2010).

Sri Lanka refutes NY Post -'War Criminal' allegation - Sri Lanka refuted the allegations leveled by New York post against amilitary leader who served in the north during the last stage of thewar with Tiger terrorists. Sri Lanka's Permanent Mission to the UnitedNations has refuted allegations against Major General Shavendra Silva,the new Deputy Permanent Representative to UN by New York Post in anarticle titled 'War criminal gets a UN job'.  In a letter to the Editor of the newspaper, Sri Lanka's Ambassador andPermanent Representative, Dr. Palitha Kohona stated that the report is'not based on fact and is highly defamatory'.  "It is regrettable to note that a senior army officer, who defeatedone of the most barbaric terrorist groups in the world, the LTTE,which is still proscribed in the USA, is defamed in this manner inyour news paper". said Sri Lanka envoy to UN in a letter to the editor.  Sri Lanka requests these misrepresentations be corrected for the sakeof accuracy and impartiality (Sunday Observer : 25 November 2010).

One fourth of Budget allocation for North, East - Leader of the House Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday said in Parliament that one fourth of the total capital expenditure of the Budget 2011 had been allocated for the benefit of the people in the North and the East. Participating in the Budget debate, the Minister said that many quarters of the opposition were shedding crocodile tears on behalf of people in the North East. But they have forgotten that the government has done a tremendous job in rehabilitating and reconstructing those two provinces. "The total population of this country is 20.4 millions. If we take the population in the North as a percentage, it’s only 5.8 and in the East 7.52. When taken together the North and East have only 13.32 percent of the entire population of Sri Lanka. We have allocated Rs. 50.9 billion for the North and 26.6 billion for the East. That amounts to one fourth of total capital expenditure of the budget 2011. That’s for only 13 per cent of the total population. Now the Opposition can say we have discriminated against the people of the South (Island : 24 November 2010).

Tribunal's order confirming ban on LTTE challenged - The Madras High Court on Wednesday asked the Additional Solicitor General to get instructions from the Union Government regarding maintainability of a writ petition challenging a tribunal's order confirming the ban on LTTE. A special tribunal headed by a Delhi High Court judge had on November 12 upheld Centre's decision to extend the ban on terrorist outfit LTTE for another two years saying the organisation remains a threat to the security of the country.  Indian soil is being used for unlawful activities propelled by the remnant cadres of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). There is sufficient material to declare the LTTE as unlawful association under the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act, it had said.  The petition filed by a Prisoners Rights Forum came up before the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice, M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam.  Counsel for the petitioner said it was unfortunate that the Tribunal had ignored the "objective of the LTTE, creation of Tamil Eelam for Sri Lankan Tamils only, and not annex Tamil Nadu with it."  "Failure of the Tribunal to afford an opportunity to the sympathisers and supporters of the LTTE would be violative of the principles of natural justice. Therefore the impugned judgement of the Tribunal would be void," he contended.  "In the absence of any credible material produced by the respondent – Union of India to the Tribunal, the notification declaring the LTTE as an unlawful association with immediate effect as on May 14, 2010 would be contrary to Section 3 of the Act and consequently confirmation of the declaration made by the Tribunal vide its judgement dated November 12, deserves to be quashed," the petition said.  Additional Solicitor General M Ravindran said the petitioner was not an office bearer nor members of the said organisation. Therefore, he did have locus standi to challenge the tribunal order before the Madras High Court (Hindustan Times : 24 November 2010).

Another step towards faster development in Jaffna

Mass burial claim to be probed - The Government yesterday sent a high profile investigation team to inquire into the claim that more than 26 military personnel belonging to Sri Lanka Army and the Navy were killed and buried during the height of fighting between the Forces and the LTTE. According to Army spokesman Major General Ubaya Medawala, four LTTE suspects in custody have confessed that 26 Security Forces personnel were killed and buried by them in Pudukudurippu and Wallipuram areas where there was fierce fighting. The suspects have told the investigators that these soldiers were captured by the LTTE during the height of the war. Major General Medawala said the Terrorist Investigation Department had obtained a court order to inquire into their claim and they started investigations in the Pudukudurippu area yesterday. This investigation team comprises an Assistant Solicitor General, a Judicial Medical Officer, officials from the Government’s Analyst’s Department, Survey Department and two professors from the two leading universities (Daily News : 24 November 2010).

Jaffna: another step towards faster development - The government is planning to reopen the Atchuvely Industrial Estate in eastern Jaffna in 2012, an official of the Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development told The Island.  "The government is planning to reopen the Atchuvely Industrial Estate with the assistance of the Indian government," Ministry Secretary V. Sivagnanasothy said.  He said that the Indian government has promised to give Rs. 174 million under the Small Grants Development Assistance Programme, while the government of Sri Lanka will contribute Rs.25 million for the project.  The money will be allocated to upgrade electricity, water, sanitation and other related facilities.  A steering committee has already been appointed to look into infrastructure development. The committee will be chaired by V. Sivagnanasothy.  "The ministry has requested the Industrial Development Board to work on tender documents, work plans and other related documents," he said.  Last week, a meeting was held in Jaffna with the participation of the relevant authorities to find potential investors for the industrial estate.  "Both, previous and new investors have expressed interests in investing when the premises is reopened," he said.  "Several key figures in the garment industry have also shown interests and if garment factories are set up we could generate 3,000 to 4,000 employment opportunities for the citizens of the Northern Province, Sivagnanasothy said.  Atchuvely Industrial Estate was originally established in 1971 in a land area of 65 acres and 33 units of small and medium scale enterprises were functioning until it was severely damaged due to the war (Island ; 23 November 2010).

Haul of ammo, explosives unearthed in East - A Naval intelligence team, operating in the Eastern Naval Command on November 18, on a tip off, recovered a T-56 weapon and a haul of explosives and ammunition which had been buried in the general area of Thandikulum.  The items recovered were: One T-56 gun and magazine, two claymore blasting remote control units, five MPMG ammo boxes, 500 MPMG ammo (7.62x54 mm), five LMG T-56 drums, one RPG grenade and 30 AGL grenades (40mm) (Island : 23 November 2010).

‘New’ LTTE leader Vinayagam exposed as a ‘pretender’ - Claims made by Vinayagam the new LTTE leader based in Europe that he is “Colonel” Vinayagam the sea tiger commander have been found to be false.  Vinayagam who has donned the mantle of LTTE leadership in Europe is not the well-known sea tiger deputy commander who was at one time ranked third in sea tiger seniority next to special commander Soosai and commander Chezhiyan.  Although Sea Tiger leader Vinayagam was reported killed in a battle at Challai in the Mullaitivu district on February 4 last year the man who surfaced in Europe denied reports of his death and portrayed himself as the “real Mccoy”.  Vinayagam told LTTE circles in Europe that he had been sent to India on a special assignment by former Tiger intelligence chief Pottu Amman before the Mullivaikaal debacle and that reports of his death in battle were untrue.  Vinayagam’s claim that he had made his way to a South East Asian country from where he reached Europe was widely believed by LTTE circles who hailed the “resurrection” of Vinayagam as a singular achievement.The apparent return to life of a senior LTTE leader reported dead served as a great morale booster to LTTE supporters and activists in the Global Tamil Diaspora.  Vinayagam entered into a strategic partnership with Perinbanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan who was in overall charge of LTTE branches abroad and has been engaged in efforts to revive Tiger fortunes.  Details about Vinayagam’s role as the new LTTE leader were revealed extensively in a column written by me for the Daily Mirror of November 13.  However, fresh information gathered from knowledgeable sources had exposed the fact that Vinayagam is not the senior Sea Tiger as claimed to be.  The “pretender” whose nom de guerre in the LTTE is also Vinayagam belongs to the intelligence wing led by Pottu Amman and not the Sea Ttigers led by Soosai (Daily Mirror ; 23 November 2010). 

Canada accepting fewer Tamil refugees - The approval rating for refugee claims filed by Sri Lankan nationals has fallen dramatically over the past few months. The latest figures, released to QMI Agency on Tuesday, show approvals falling from 81% in July to 75% in August. In September as members of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) began hearing cases related to the MV Sun Sea the approval rating fell to 47%. Of the 60 finalized cases in September, 28 were approved, 28 were rejected and four were abandoned. Numbers for October - which will include the bulk of the MV Sun Sea passengers - are not yet available. So far in 2010 the number of finalized monthly claims has ranged from a high of 74 to a low of 37. The MV Sun Sea arrived off the B.C. coast in mid-August bringing nearly 500 ethnic Tamils from Sri Lanka claiming refugee status. The is ship suspected of being run by human smugglers that charged tens of thousands of dollars for passage. Conditions in Sri Lanka has been slowly improving, with the UN refugee office helping Sri Lankan nationals living in camps in India return to their homeland. The IRB couldn't any shed on why the acceptance rate has fallen. “The stats are what they are and are based on the decisions of the independent decision makers,” IRB spokesperson Paula Faber told QMI Agency. “We’ll have a better picture in the new year, our stats are determined quarterly.” Immigration expert Richard Kurland told QMI Agency it is too early to read anything into the drop in the acceptance rate for Sri Lanka. “It is common over time to see acceptance rates rise or fall, depending whether conditions improve or worsen," Kurland said (Toronto Sun : 23 November 2010).

Nalini appeals to HC again - CHENNAI: More than seven months after the Madras High Court upheld the Tamil Nadu government's decision to reject the premature release plea of Nalini Sriharan, the life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case has yet again approached the court -- this time for the review of the judgment.  A division bench comprising justice Elipe Dharma Rao and justice D Hariparanthaman, before which the review plea of Nalini came up for hearing on Monday, issued notices to the government directing it to file its counter in two weeks.  On April 6 this year, a bench headed by justice Dharma Rao had dismissed her petition and held that the government's decision not to grant her premature release was justified, as she had committed a crime which was "cunning in conception, meticulous in plan and reckless in execution, taking away the life of the former prime minister."  The bench held that the governor had exercised the powers granted to him under Article 161 judiciously. As her case was investigated by CBI, it cannot be decided by the state without consulting the Central government, as per Section 435 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) (Times of India ; 23 November 2010).

India fears revival of LTTE, extends ban - India has extended its ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as it fears the revival of the outlawed group, a senior official said here Tuesday. "There is still a threat from the LTTE. The ban has been extended by the home ministry,” the official, who did not wish to be named, said. There are apprehensions about the revival of the LTTE, he said a couple of days before External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna goes to Sri Lanka for wide-ranging talks with his counterpart G.L. Peiris. Early this month, a special tribunal headed by a Delhi High Court judge upheld the central government's decision to extend the ban on the terror group for two more years, stating that the organisation was regrouping in India to form a base and was thus a threat to the security of the country. The LTTE was banned in 1992 and the government has since extended the ban every two years. The group is also banned in the European Union, Canada and the US.The LTTE, which was spearheading an armed insurgency for a separate Tamil Eelam, was vanquished by the Sri Lankan military in May last year. Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers have told Home Minister P. Chidambaram that it is not trying to regroup and is also not engaged in any illegal activity in this country. In an open letter to the minister, the vanquished LTTE has also described as "totally untrue" claims by Indian officials that the Tigers had links with Indian Maoists. The letter, dated Nov 5 and reproduced by pro-LTTE websites believed to be operated from the west, has been copied to External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi (Deccan Herald : 23 November 2010).

Sri Lanka is planning to provide formal education to former LTTE cadres being rehabilitated in the North

LTTE leader a Pretender - Vinayagam who has donned the mantle of LTTE leadership in Europe is not the well –known sea tiger Deputy–Commander who was at the time third ranking sea tiger seniority to Special commander Soosai and commander Chezhiyan. But was in reality a member of the tiger intelligence wing.  According to the information received the full name of the former sea tiger leader was Thangavelu Vinayagam. His communication codename was “Mike Four”  The full name of the senior LTTE intelligence operative pretending to be the sea tiger leader is Sekarapillai Vinayangamoorthi alias Kathirgamathamby Arivalagan (Daily Mirror ; 22 November 2010).

JICA renovates irrigation and jetty facilities in Jaffna - The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has funded the Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) to renovate seven irrigation tanks that required urgent rehabilitation in the Jaffna district. JICA has also funded the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) to renovate damaged fishing jetties in the district.  This pilot project of renovating small-scale community infrastructure facilities in the district before the rainy season, will help to boost livelihood activities of over 2,500 farming and fishing families, including resettling communities, in Chavakachchari, Kopay, Chankanai, Thellipalai, Velanai, Sandilippay and Jaffna.  "JICA has supported the restoration of damaged infrastructure in the North since the end of the war. By doing so we hope to address significant development needs and also contribute to rebuilding the lives of people who are moved back to their home areas,"JICA’s Chief Representative in Sri Lanka Akira Shimura said.  The irrigation tank renovation work has helped to harvest more rainwater and increase groundwater recharge, enabling farmers to use more water for irrigation purposes even after the rainy season. And the renovated fishing jetties will also enable an increased number of fishermen to use the facilities once completed (Island ; 22 November 2010).

TNA removes its only Sinhala MP from party -  Sri Lanka''s pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has removed its only MP from the Sinahala majority community, Podi Appuhami Piaysena, after he supported the government on a key bill in Parliament. TNA political bureau decided to remove Piaysena as he backed the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the parliamentary vote on the 18th amendment to the Constitution, party sources said. The passage of the 18th amendment bill in Parliament has paved the way for a President to contest an unlimited number of times for the top post. Piaysena was the only Sinhala national who won on a TNA ticket for Digamadulla district in the East in the general election held in April (MSN News : 22 November 2010).

Formal education for ex-militants - The government is planning to provide formal education to former LTTE cadres being rehabilitated in the North.  Deputy Minister of Rehabilitation, Vijithamuni Zoysa told The Island that nearly 70% of ex – cadres who were being rehabilitated had never received school education beyond Grade 8 and some of them were still in the school going age.  He said that 10% of ex-LTTE cadres in rehabilitation centers had never been to school and they had been forced to join the LTTE’s child brigade.  About 11,000 ex-cadres had been selected for rehabilitation after the war, Zoysa said adding the government had released 5500 ex-LTTE cadres after rehabilitation so far.  "We provided them with school education while they were undergoing vocational training" Zoysa said.  About 1000 ex-LTTE cadres had sat the GCE (O/L) and A/L examinations, the minister said.  He said at present 6200 ex-LTTE cadres were undergoing rehabilitation and the government was planning to release them soon (Island : 22 November 2010).

Dr. Shanmugarajah gives evidence before the LLRC; ‘We served pregnant mothers even during last stages of war, no mortality’ LTTE forced us to inflate injury figures Appeals to Sri Lankans and overseas Tamils to assist people-in-need in Wanni Commended by LLRC for his dedication to patients during the war - Dr. V. Shanmugarajah, who worked as the Medical Superintendent of the District General Hospital in Mullaitivu during the war in Wanni (Sept. 2006 to May 15, 2009) appearing before the LLRC on November 18 at the Kadirgamar Institute of Foreign Relations said that he and the staff with support of the health volunteers had ensured that neither pregnant mothers nor their babies died during the last phase of the war in Wanni. He said that all medical supplies and medicine including antibiotics for children had been sent by the Government of Sri Lanka even during the height of the war either directly or by ICRC supervised ships. As the war intensified in January 2009, the Mullaitivu hospital had been set up in a school in Vallipuram. "By that time, the people in Kilinochchi area had also begun to move into our area," he said. Dr. Shanmugarajah said: "Medical personnel in Kilinochchi too began to join us. As the front lines moved the hospital was shifted twice and finally it was taken to Vella Mullaiwaikkal in May 2009. During the time the make-shift hospitals were being operated, the staff strength was gradually reduced by about 50 percent and the support of health volunteers helped provide services to patients. We provided medicine to all those who were injured; we also transported pregnant mothers, the elderly and so on by ship with the help of the ICRC. We were able to provide medicine to people, especially children until April 2009." (Island : 22 November 2010).

Govt. says post-war review of NGO/INGO ops needed - The government says not only the ICRC all INGO/NGO can review their operations in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.  Responding to a statement attributed to the ICRC regarding a government call to close down its offices in Vavuniya and Jaffna, a senior government official said there would be major changes in INGO/NGO activity in the post-war era.  In the case of the ICRC, it would have to review its operations here due to the conclusion of the war. Responding to a query, another official said that the ICRC had had a major task during the war as it played the role of a neutral intermediary between successive government and the LTTE. The ICRC had been involved in the transfer of bodies across frontlines, facilitating movement of ships carrying supplies for Jaffna civilians and visiting detainees among several other talks, the official said.  Before the government requested the ICRC to close its offices in Jaffna and Vauniya, the ICRC announced its decision to pull out from Mannar. ICRC spokesman Sarasi Wijeratne on Sept. 9 told The Island that following a review of its operations more than one year after the end of hostilities the ICRC had decided to close its office in the Mannar District at the end of November (Island : 22 November 2010).

Life after the Tamil Tigers: Why Sri Lanka offers a very special brew - Civil war is never good for business. But even when the hostilities between government forces and the Tamil Tigers were at their bloodiest, there was still a trickle of people determined to visit this stoical Indian Ocean island. Then, suddenly, that old image of Sri Lanka being a teardrop fallen from the face of India took on a macabre new meaning as the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami swept an estimated 60,000 people to their deaths, wiping out most of the tourist industry in the process. Seven years on, with the Tamil Tigers defeated (for now, at least), the country is stuttering to its feet once more - and there's much to see (Mail Online : 21 November 2010).

A veteran Indian-American journalist Dr Prakash M Swamy was manhandled and pushed out of the pro-LTTE meeting

Indian-American journo thrown out of pro-LTTE meeting - A veteran Indian-American journalist was reportedly thrown out of a pro-LTTE meeting held in New Jersey by the oragnisers, who called him ''an agent of Government of India and Sri Lanka.'' Dr Prakash M Swamy, a senior journalist of New York and a United Nations accredited correspondent, was allegedly manhandled and pushed out of the venue yesterday after being invited to cover the event by the organisers, Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA and Ilankai Tamil Sangam. They also abused him as "an agent of Government of India and Sri Lanka" while forcibly pushed him out of the door in the cold though he pleaded that he had come all the way from New York to cover the event at their invitation, Swamy said in a release. Swamy has written on the formation of Trans-national Government of Tamil Eeelam (TGTE) headquartered in New York in the Indian media especially for popular Tamil magazines such as Junior Vikatan. The day-long programme included news worthy events like video conference from Chennai by Vaiko, MDMK leader. "These are of great interest to Tamil readers both in the US and in India," he said. Swamy was forcibly escorted outside the ballroom and again asked to show his credentials. He is also planning to complain to New Jersey Governor Chris Christy and New Jersey State Human Rights Commissioner for preventing a journalist from discharging his duties, Swamy said in a press release (Deccan Herald : 21 November 2010).

Melbourne News Sri Lankan Web TV, "ThrimanaTV", brings News and Entertainment from Sri Lanka and Australia. Now on C31 (Digital 44) every other Sunday at 3:00 PM (Click here 21 November 2010)

Journo barred from meeting - A veteran Indian-American journalist was reportedly thrown out of a pro-LTTE meeting held in New Jersey by the organizers, who called him ‘an agent of the government of India and Sri Lanka,’ the PTI news agency reported today. Dr Prakash M Swamy, a senior journalist of New York and a United Nations accredited correspondent, was allegedly manhandled and pushed out of the venue yesterday after being invited to cover the event by the organisers, Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA and Ilankai Tamil Sangam. They also abused him as ‘an agent of the governments of India and Sri Lanka’ while forcibly pushing him out of the door in the cold though he pleaded that he had come all the way from New York to cover the event at their invitation, Swamy said in a release. Swamy has written on the formation of Trans-national Government of Tamil Eeelam (TGTE) headquartered in New York in the Indian media especially for popular Tamil magazines such as Junior Vikatan. The day-long programme included news worthy events like video conference from Chennai by Vaiko, MDMK leader. "These are of great interest to Tamil readers both in the US and in India," he said. Swamy was forcibly escorted outside the ballroom and again asked to show his credentials. He is also planning to complain to New Jersey Governor Chris Christy and New Jersey State Human Rights Commissioner for preventing a journalist from discharging his duties, Swamy added (Daily Mirror : 21 November 2010).

'LTTE wanted civilian deaths exaggerated' - The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forced Tamil doctors serving in hospitals in the war zone in north Sri Lanka to grossly exaggerate civilian casualties in their interviews to the international media, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, set up by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was told here on Friday. “If 75 wounded civilians were brought to hospital on a day, the Tigers would force us to tell the world media that 275 or 575 were brought,” said Dr Veera­kathipillai Shanmugharajah. He had served in the war-affected Mullaitivu district, including the final war zone in Vellamullivaikkal, from 2006 to May 2009. To the credit of the medical staff in the war zone hospitals — and also the government of Sri Lanka — many lives were saved, he said. “Not a single pregnant woman died because of lack of care or shortage of medicines. Even in the midst of shelling and bombardment, the Ministry of Health managed to send adequate medicines. The critically wounded were repatriated by ship to Trincomalee,” he added (Express Buzz : 21 November 2010).

Indian-American journalist thrown out of pro-LTTE meeting - A veteran Indian-American journalist was reportedly thrown out of a pro-LTTE meeting held in New Jersey by the oragnisers, who called him ‘’an agent of Government of India and Sri Lanka.’’ Dr Prakash M Swamy, a senior journalist of New York and a United Nations accredited correspondent, was allegedly manhandled and pushed out of the venue yesterday after being invited to cover the event by the organisers, Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA and Ilankai Tamil Sangam. They also abused him as "an agent of Government of India and Sri Lanka" while forcibly pushed him out of the door in the cold though he pleaded that he had come all the way from New York to cover the event at their invitation, Swamy said in a release. Swamy has written on the formation of Trans-national Government of Tamil Eeelam (TGTE) headquartered in New York in the Indian media especially for popular Tamil magazines such as Junior Vikatan. The day-long programme included news worthy events like video conference from Chennai by Vaiko, MDMK leader. "These are of great interest to Tamil readers both in the US and in India," he said. Swamy was forcibly escorted outside the ballroom and again asked to show his credentials. He is also planning to complain to New Jersey Governor Chris Christy and New Jersey State Human Rights Commissioner for preventing a journalist from discharging his duties, Swamy said in a press release (Island : 21 November 2010).

German assistance to school children in Vavuniya North - German Embassy in Colombo has provided 100 solar lamps to schoolchildren in rural communities, a press release issued by the Embassy says.  The solar lamps will be distributed amongst displaced families of Kanagrayankulam in Vavuniya to provide much needed electricity facilities to young school goers of 100 families.  The German Embassy said: "While supplying light systems to continue their studies after school, the programme also helps upgrade the basic living conditions of these resettled families. The solar lamps as an environment friendly energy alternative versus the widely used kerosene lamps also serve as a light system for protection against snake bites, a common problem in rural villages islandwide.  Signing the project agreement with the implementing agency Social Economic and Environment Developers SEED, Ambassador Ploetner stated that by providing solar lamps to young school children, Germany hopes to have made a viable contribution to promoting the value of school education as well as providing access to basic community needs such as electricity." (Island : 21 November 2010).

LTTE forced Tamil doctors serving in hospitals in the war zone in north Sri Lanka to grossly exaggerate civilian casualties

We knew we would win: Shavendra - The military played latest Tamil songs when they reached closer to the trapped civilians in the Wanni to instill confidence among them, Maj-Gen Shavendra Silva, Deputy Permanent Representative for the UN told the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Maj-Gen Silva said the 58 Division led by him carried out an operation, which a lot of people thought would not be successful. He, however, stated that the military was confident of victory, as they were equipped with the sophisticated components needed to defeat the LTTE. He told the commission that the LTTE had a separate governing system with its own police, army, navy, air force and even banking systems. He pointed out that the diary of the LTTE did not indicate February 4 as the country’s independence day. “We found schools had turned into guerrilla hideouts, churches had been used by LTTE as mortar and bunker positions, hospitals were their artillery gun positions, we found baby suits, toys and playpens inside LTTE bunkers during the battle,” he said on Thursday. He said the conflict had taken another form with the support of a few media agencies in the world. “Now we are being subjected to answer for the killings done by the LTTE in their land.” (The Nation : 21 November 2010).

ICRC to shut office in North - The government has requested the ICRC to close down its offices in the north, an ICRC official said. ICRC media co-ordinator Sarasi Wijeratne told The Nation that the government had requested to shut its offices in Jaffna and Vavuniya and continue its operations from Colombo. She, however, said the government was yet to give a reason for its request to close down the offices. “There has been a request by the government to close down two of our offices in Jaffna and Vavuniya. The ICRC is, however, yet to receive an official communication from the government with regard to reasons behind the request to close down both its offices,” she said. Wijeratne said that there would be meetings with government officials in the coming days on the issue. “We hope to have meetings with key government officials in the coming days and we hope that we would have a better understanding of the situation through these meetings,” she said. She said the government had not given a specific time request for the organisation to close down its offices. “No time frame has been given by the government so far. We hope that this too would be clear when we meet the officials.” (The Nation : 21 November 2010).

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