Sunday, March 1, 2009

Troops foil Sea Tiger attack

** Over 10 enemy boats destroyed

(SO)Fierce fighting erupted in Chalai area on Friday night and continued till yesterday morning as troops of the 55 Division under the command of Brigadier Prasanna Silva advanced further south of Chalai along the coastal belt and destroyed the Tiger defence line south of Chalai, military officials from the battleground said yesterday. Full Text

Let not emotions blind us

(nation)The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) may be a spent force militarily but, as events last week demonstrated, the war against terrorism is far from over. Even if the twin air strikes on Colombo ended in a disaster for the Tigers, the attack on Karametiyagama was a stark reminder that, the conflict with terrorism could linger on for some time to come. Full text

FALL OF LAST TIGER BASTION IMMINENT

By Tissa Ravindra Perera
Heavy fighting raged throughout this week, as troops continued their advance into Puthkudyiruppu, the last LTTE bastion. All Tiger counterattacks, using maximum firepower to halt the troops advance, was to no avail.

The advancing forces of 58 Division under Brig. Shavendra Silva, 53 Division under Brig. Kamal Gunaratne, and Task Force VIII under Col. G.V. Ravipriya, continued to make headway, despite heavy resistance. Full Text

LAST OF THE TIGER LEADERS

By Wilson Gnanadass
(nation)The Eelam war IV, is likely to permanently seal the fate of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who are pushed against the wall as the war is restricted to small patch.
According to the military, the Tigers are confined to the remaining 58 square kilometers of land space, which is yet controlled by the Tigers. Pressure is mounting from the international community for both the government and the LTTE to hammer out a settlement. Full text

INDIA AND THE DEMISE OF THE LTTE

By K. Godage

(nation)The end of the LTTE as a conventional force would be welcomed by the Government of India. It is of course being moaned in India by the likes of Nedumaran and Ramdoss not even by the former backer Karunanidhi and certainly not by the AIDMK and Jayalalithaa who has openly stated that those who support the LTTE should be taken into custody. She in fact on January 28, stated that the LTTE must surrender and bring about a ceasefire. Incidentally surveys indicate that her party will form the next government in Tamil Nadu. This is on form for Tamil Nadu politics has a tendency to rotate power. I give below how the two principal parties fared in recent years at State elections:- Full Text

Police seek public support to catch commando extortionist

By Ayesha Wijeratne
(nation)Police are seeking public cooperation to arrest an ex-Army Commando Widanagamage Sampath Chaminda (34), who escaped from the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) custody at Kadawatha on February 11. He is wanted for being involved in terrorist activities and extortion.

The suspect had been living in Suripaluwa, Kadawatha for about three years after leaving his hometown at Pansalewatta, Imaduwa, Galle. He had served the Army Commando Regiment as a Lance Corporal eight years ago. Suspect Sampath had last served in the Army Commando Regiment Camp at Ganemulla before he deserted his unit. Full Text

Four prominent LTTE leaders to be executed

Pulidevan under house arrest

By Tissa Ravindra Perera
(nation)Four senior LTTE leaders including the head of its Peace Secretariat Pulidevan who were caught by the Tigers while attempting to flee with civilians to government controlled areas have been placed under house arrest. Full Text

Karuna to make impact on SLFP

(nations)Founder of the Tamil Makkal Vidudalai Puligal (TMVP) Vinayagamoorthy Muralidaran alias Karuna who has accepted the SLFP membership says he is no more the leader of TMVP.

Karuna who is a Member of Parliament says since accepting the SLFP membership he has relinquished his responsibilities from the TMVP. Full text

President to meet Tamil parties

(nation)President Mahinda Rajapaksa has invited all Tamil political parties for a parley to find a lasting solution to the ethnic issue plaguing the country.

Top government sources said that all Tamil political parties including the TNA have been asked in writing to agree on a convenient date for such a meeting and the government is waiting a response from them. Full Text

The secretive anonymity of Human Rights Watch

(TI)Human Rights Watch, standard bearers of what Michael Roberts has characterized as HRE – Human Rights Extremism – seems to have decided that it has a special relationship with me. I am the only person quoted by name in the presentation made by their Senior Researcher Dr. Anna Neistat to the US Senate Foreign Relations Sub-Committee that dealt with Sri Lanka. Full Text

‘Genocide’ in Sri Lanka?

(TI)Srilankans4peace, an association of Sri Lankan Americans based in Massachusetts, takes issue with Bruce Fein for his numerous missives ‘littered with factual inaccuracies and inflammatory language’.

Several recent articles in the Boston Globe have loudly and authoritatively alleged that a systematic genocide of Tamil civilians is currently taking place in Sri Lanka. Most notable of these is a recent op-ed piece published in the Globe on February 15th by Mr. Bruce Fein. Given the magnitude and gravity of such accusations –primarily leveled against two central figures of the Sri Lankan regime – it is highly problematic that these damaging claims have been backed with little substance and instead littered with factual inaccuracies and inflammatory language. Full Text

Journalistic Integrity: MIA in the USA

(TI)Perhaps it is the fact that Barack Obama appeared slightly stunned when Bono mentioned the people of Palestine right alongside the people of Israel during the ‘We Are One,’ concert on the mall during inauguration. Or that he couldn’t parlay the million-voiced roar of approval from the assembled into anything resembling a hope for peace in Gaza or the West Bank. Either way, the American media has been awash with a convenient amnesia regarding the ongoing massacre of Palestinians and American ineffectuality in the region, and a new found enthusiasm for throwing the word "genocide" at the Sri Lankan government. Full Text

LTTE forcibly holding civilians-There is no genocide in Sri Lanka says Human Rights Watch representative

(TI)The Sri Lankan government is not committing genocide in the North, said Charu Lata Hogg of Human Rights Watch.

It is the LTTE which is forcibly holding innocent civilians as a human shield and shoot at them when they try to flee. There are certainly international guidelines which have to be met in a conflict situation. Sri Lanka cannot just be accused of genocide. Full Text

UN braces for Sri Lankans fleeing conflict

(TI)GENEVA, February 27, 2009 (AFP) - The UN refugee agency said Friday it was preparing for the arrival of tens of thousands of displaced people fleeing the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka over the coming weeks.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it had received 300 acres of land from the government to set up, by the end of the week, a camp for 42,000 people. Full text

India appeals to SL to accept LTTE ceasefire offer

(TI)NEW DELHI, February 28: India today appealed to Sri Lanka to accept the LTTE’s offer of ceasefire, and called for a pause in the ongoing hostilities between the security forces and the rebels in the northern province so that civilians trapped in the war zone can be moved to safe areas. Full Text

LTTE must lay down arms: No ceasefire call to Sri Lanka - consensus at UN Security Council

(defence.lk)"Influence Tigers to let civilians go" - Sir John Holmes: Sri Lanka not on UNSC Agenda

UN Security Council yesterday (27) received a briefing by Under Secretary General Sir John Holmes who visited Sri Lanka at President Rajapaksa's invitation last week. The briefing did not result in a ceasefire call to Sri Lanka from the Security Council, but general agreement that the LTTE must lay down arms and ease suffering of civilians. Full Text

Heavy fighting at Chalai South: Troops advance through Puthumathalan Earth bund

(defence.lk)Heavy fighting is continuing between troops of the 55 Div and LTTE in South of Chalai as troops successfully breached the LTTE forward defences and advanced across the Puthumathalan earth bund today (Feb 28) after hours of intense fighting that broke out since Friday(27) evening. Full Text

Security forces conduct medical clinic for Jaffna civilians

(defence.lk)Continuing with its humanitarian assistance programme facilitating the medical needs of the Jaffna civilians, security forces conducted a full day medical camp at Watarawatta Maha Vidyalaya on 22nd Feb, 2009. A team of medical officers from Colombo along with Army medical officers conducted the clinic which drew over 50 civilians from Watarawatta, Kapparathivu, Periyapokuna and Wathawatta villages. Full Text